Rajasthani Kala Chana

Kala Chana - 1 cup soaked overnight and cooked till soft with some salt and turmeric. Mash half of the chana with a fork.

Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches

Curd- 1 cup

Besan - 1tbsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Mix curd, besan, red chili powder, salt together and beat till soft. Add 1 cup water to it.

Heat oil in a pan. Temper hot oil with jeera and hing.

Then add the cooked chana and stir for some time. Add the curd mixture and cook well till it reaches a thick consistency.

 

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2009/03/jaisalmeri-kala-chana-black-chickpeas.html

Vatli Dal

Chana dal / Bengal Gram - 1 cup
Onion - 3/4 cup, finely chopped

Green chilies - 5
Garlic cloves - 5, grated
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Salt
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Turmeric - a pinch
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
4 tbsp oil
Curry leaves - 6
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Clean, wash and soak dal in sufficient water for 4 -5 hours or overnight. Drain water and add salt, grated garlic, grated ginger and 3 green chilies. Grind everything together to a coarse paste keep aside.



Take a steel vessel which can fit into a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker. Apply oil to the vessel. Pour the ground mixture in the vessel. Close tightly with a foil. Place the vessel in the cooker and cook for 4 whistles after full pressure is reached. Remove and cool a little. Then break the cake with fingers to make a panko bread crumb like consistency.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add hing, turmeric, curry leaves, 2 green chilies. Saute for 1 minute on a low heat.

Add chopped onion and cook till the onion caramelizes.

Add the cooked dal, salt, sugar, red chili powder. Mix and cook covered on a low heat by sprinkling water once in a while if it gets too dry.

Add a little more oil if required. Once done, add lemon juice, mix well and serve.


Shorshe Dharosh / Okra with Mustard sauce

Dharosh / Okra - 30 small, both ends trimmed

Yellow Mustard seeds~ 3 tbsp

Poppy Seeds / KhusKhus / Posto ~ 1 tbsp

Green Chilies ~ 3

Salt ~ a pinch

Soak all the above for 30 minutes and make a paste of it.

Nigella seeds/Kalo Jeera ~ 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies ~ 3 chilies slit lengthwise

For the gravy/sauce:

Mustard Paste ~ 2 heaped tbsp of the prepared paste

Yogurt ~ 1 tbsp - mix with mustard paste and leave the two for 10 minutes

Peanut Oil
Mustard Oil (optional)

Sugar

Salt
Turmeric

Heat Oil in a Kadhai /Frying Pan. Temper with Kalo Jeera and Green Chili.

When the spices start sputtering add the washed and dried okra. Sauté the okra for 4-5 minutes with a pinch of turmeric. Do not deep fry them, they should be tender and half cooked. You will know because they will glisten and have turned soft by this time.
 

Mix the mustard paste with yogurt and add the mixture to the okra.

Add salt and sugar. Mix well, add a dash of mustard oil and cover and cook. Stir intermittently till the okra is done.

Gawar Bhaji / Cluster Beans

Cluster Beans/ Gawar - 1/2 lb

Potato - 1, chopped
Onion - 1/2, chopped
Oil
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds,
1/4 tsp Hing,
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Goda masala
1/4 tsp Ajwain
1 tbsp grated jaggery
Salt as per taste
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp grated fresh Coconut
2 tbsp fresh cilantro

Trim the ends and chop the beans into small pieces (1/2 inch to 3/4 inch size)
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they start to splutter, add turmeric, hing, ajwain, and onion

When onion turns translucent, add the potato cubes and chopped gawar. Cover and cook on a low flame for 3-4 minutes

Remove the lid and add goda masala, chili powder. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, add 1-cup warm water and cover it again.

Let it cook till the beans are done, then add jaggery, salt, coconut, and cilantro. Cook for 3-4 minutes more.

Boiled Potato Sabji / Dosa Bhaji

Yukon Gold Potatoes - 3 soft boiled

Onion - 1/2

Ginger - 1tsp grated

Garlic - 2 cloves (optional)

mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

urad dal - 1 tsp
Roasted Chana Dal - 1 tbsp

hing - a pinch

turmeric - a pinch

cilantro - a handful

green chilies - 4

Oil

salt

sugar

Chop the boiled potatoes coarsely. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, hing, green chilies.

After the seeds have popped add the urad dal. Then add onion, garlic and ginger and cook till onion is brown.

 Add the potatoes, turmeric, salt, sugar, roasted chana dal and cook covered. If required add some water. Garnish with cilantro.

Cauliflower Potato Curry (Aloo Phulkupir torkari)

1/2 Cauliflower broken into small florets

2 potatoes cut into cubes

1 carrot cut into cubes

½ tomatoes cut into pieces

1 tsp of cumin seeds

1 medium size onion cut into pieces

1 inch fresh ginger root cut and chopped

1/2 tbs of turmeric powder,

1 tbs of  red chili powder,
1 tbs of cumin powder,

1/2 tbs of coriander powder.

1 tsp garam masala

2-3 tbs fresh Cilantro

1-2 tbs peanut oil for frying

salt and sugar as per desired

 

Heat oil in any saucepan , then add cumin seeds , let it pop. Fry the cauliglower florets first till they are golden, then take it out and soak the excess oil  over paper towels.

Add onions, ginger and fry for sometimes till all of them have become translucent , at this point of time add potatoes and carrots and fry them at medium low for 5-7 minutes.

Add seasoning, salt and sugar. At this point of time add tomatoes and cook until the gravy has dried a little bit. Low the flame and add some warm water,cover and cook for another 8-10 mints .Garnish with fresh cilantro and 1 tsp ghee on top.

Vegetarian Dhansak

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup potato chopped into big cubes
1/4 tsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp garlic paste
1/4 cup tomato pieces
A pinch turmeric
1/2 cup fresh/frozen coconut
4 green chilies
1/2 cup toor dal
1/4 cup moong and chana dal
2 tea spn coriander seeds
Salt
Ghee - 1tbsp

Cook the mixed dals with a pinch of turmeric and a drop of oil in pressure cooker.

Heat a little oil and fry ginger, garlic and onions. Add potatoes and cook for some time. Close the lid and let them cook, stir occasionally. When the onions turn slightly brownish, add spinach leaves tomatoes.

Heat a little oil in a separate vessel and fry coriander seeds. Grind them with green chilies and coconut. Add the ground paste and cooked dal-spinach to onion mixture along with required amount of water and cook till done.

Add salt to taste and a tbsp of ghee on top. Serve hot with brown rice.

American Chopsuey

Whole wheat noodles - 8 oz
 A mix of Onion slices, green capsicum, carrots, green beans, cabbage, baby corn
4 garlic pods,
1 tsp ginger paste
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 tsp + 1 tsp soya sauce mixed with 1 tsp cornflour,
4 green chilies,
1/4 tsp red chlli powder
Oil,
Salt
Black Pepper
Fried Eggs - 2

Chop all vegetables into thin strips or dice them. Ensure that all of them are of the same size.

Boil the noodles in salted water according to packet instructions until cooked. Make sure you don’t overcook them. Drain, pour 1 tsp of oil over it and toss the noodles. This ensures that the noodles don’t stick.

Heat oil and deep fry some of the noodles in batches until crispy , golden in color. Remove on a kitchen towel. (Or line them on a baking sheet and bake on on low heat till they crisp).
Alternatively, heat a tbsp of oil in a nonstick pan and add some noodles. Cook on medium heat, without touching the noodles. Once they form a nice crust on the bottom, flip and then cook on the other side till it gets a crust. Remove and keep aside.

Heat olive oil in a big shallow pan on high heat and add green chilies, ginger and garlic. Saute for half a  minute, add rest of the vegetables Stir constantly for 5 mins until they seem cooked but still crisp. Cook on very high heat. Add 1/2 tsp soya sauce. Stir for 30 secs. Remove and keep aside.

 In a saucepan, add soya sauce cornflour mix and add tomato sauce and half cup water. Add salt , black pepper and red chili powder. Bring to boil while stirring constantly. Cook till desired consistency is reached.

Serving – Put crisp noodles in to serving bowl, add the vegetables and pour in the sauce over it. Add a fried egg on top.

Vegetable Lo Mein

Whole wheat noodles / brown rice noodles - 6 oz
Sesame oil - 1/2 tbsp
Peanut Oil - 1 tbsp
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1/3 cup sliced scallions
1 cup julienne carrot (2 large)
1 cup thinly sliced green beans
1 cup thinly sliced red onion (1 medium)
3/4 cup fresh bean sprouts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Cook the  noodles in boiling salted water until al dente. Cool. Toss lightly with sesame oil to prevent sticking.

Combine the hoisin and soy sauces in a small bowl and mix well.

In a wok or a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil and quickly sauté the ginger, garlic and scallions until they release aroma.

Then add the carrots and red onions and briefly sauté before adding the bean sprouts, about 2 minutes.

In a separate medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the noodles. When they are hot and look pan-fried or lightly browned, add them to the other sautéed ingredients in the large pan.

Add the soy-hoisin mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve.

Chana Dal Vada / Split Chickpeas Fritters

 

Chana Dal / Split Chick Peas - 1 Cup

Dry red chilies - 2

Green Chilies - 4, chopped

Onion - 1/2,  finely chopped

Garlic- 1 pod, finely minced,

Cilantro - a handful (optional)
Fresh grated coconut - 1 tbsp. (optional)
Curry leaves - 10, chopped
Hing(Asafoetida) - a pinch

Oil for deep frying

Salt
Pepper

Soak chana dal for 2 hrs or overnight, drain and keep it aside for sometime.

Grind chana dal, dry red chilies, curry leaves without adding water, to a coarse paste. Add salt and black pepper.

Remove the ground masala from mixer/blender and mix it with green chilies, onions, garlic, cilantro, hing and grated coconut.

Make small balls press with your palm to make it flat. Heat oil and deep fry in batches over a medium low flame till golden brown on both sides. Serve hot.