Shak Bhaja / Spinach with Eggplants and Peanuts

Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves - 1/2 lb
Garlic- 10 pods
Brinjal - 4 small (cut into small pieces)
turmeric - a pinch
Roasted Peanuts - handful
Dried Red Chillies - 3
Salt
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Wash the spinach leaves and leave them in a colander.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the brinjal pieces with a little salt and a pinch of turmeric on medium heat till they are cooked. Keep aside.

Add some more oil in the pan and add chopped garlic and the red chillies. Fry till light brown.

Add the spinach leaves and cook covered. When the water is absorbed, add the brinjals and peanuts. Toss for a few minutes more and serve.

Batata Vada/Fried Potato Dumplings

Yukon Gold / Red Potato - 3, boiled and coarsely mashed
Garlic - 3 pods
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chillies - 4
Curry leaves - 6
Cilantro - 1/2 bunch, chopped
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal / Black Gram - 2 tbsp, soaked for an hour in a little water
Besan / Chickpea Flour - 3/4th cup
Brown Rice powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - a pinch
Oil - 2 tsp
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Mix besan, rice powder, salt, soda, red chilli powder, a pinch of hing, 2 tsp oil with sufficient water to make a thick paste. The paste should be very thick, like thick heavy cream. Keep aside for atleast 15 minutes.

Make a paste of green chillies, ginger and garlic. Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, hing, urad dal and curry leaves. Add the green chilli paste and cook for a few minutes.

Then add the mashed boiled potato, turmeric and salt. Toss for a few minutes for all the flavors to blend in the potato. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and cilantro and cool.

Make medium sized balls of the potato mixture, flatten with the palm, dip them in the besan paste and deep fry on medium heat till light brown. Serve hot with garlic chutney.

Fresh Cranberry Compote

Fresh Cranberries - 1 lb
Ginger crystals - 3
Orange juice - of 1 orange
Cinammon Stick - 2
Nutmeg - a pinch
Sugar - 1 cup
Water

Mix 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Add the orange juice, cinammon sticks and the fresh cranberries. Add nutmeg and ginger crystals and cook till the berries are soft and the sauce is thick. Discard the cinammon sticks and serve at room temperature.

Green Beans with Shallots and Thyme

Green beans - ends trimmed
Shallots - sliced thinly
4 garlic pods - sliced thinly
Slivered Almonds
Thyme
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Boil water is a big pan. Blanch the beans in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain water and run cold water on the beans immediately to stop the cooking process and retain the green color. In a cast iron pan, heat olive oil. Cook the garlic slices for a minute and add the sliced shallots. Cook till they are nicely caramelised. Add dried thyme and the beans. Sprinkle salt and pepper and cook on high heat tossing gently. Remove from heat, sprinkle slivered almonds and serve.

Creamy Whipped Potato

Russet Potato - 1 big
2 garlic pods - thinly sliced
butter - 1 tbsp
salt
pepper
Half & Half - 5 tbsp
chives

Peel the potato roughly and cut into 5 thick slices. Bring water to boil and add the potato slices and cook till  fork tender. Drain the water immediately and leave the potato in the same utensil to keep them warm. In a small saucepan, add a tbsp of butter and lightly fry the sliced garlic till light brown. Mix the half & half and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add to the potato slices. Add salt and pepper and mash thoroughly. You can pass the mashed potato through a food miller (puran yantra) to make it extra light and fluffy. Garnish with chopped chives.

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana / Tapioca Pearls - 1 cup
Salt
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - juice of half big lemon
Coarsely ground roasted Peanut - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Green chili - 2, chopped finely
Potatoes - 2, cut into tiny cubes
Cilantro - a bunch, for garnishing

Soak the sabudana in water for 15 minutes. Drain water and add salt, sugar, 2 tbsp peanut powder and lemon juice and leave it for atleast 3 hours.

Heat ghee in a nonstick pan. Add cumin seeds, ginger and green chillies. Saute for a minute.

Now add the potatoes, toss well and cover and cook on slow flame till the potatoes are soft and fully cooked.

Turn the flame high and add the soaked sabudana little by little and toss well. Cook for some more time by stirring continuously without cover.

Garnish with more peanut powder and cilantro and serve hot.

Spicy Mashed Potato

Yukon Gold Potato - 3
Cumin Seeds
Whole dried red chilli
salt
ghee

Boil the potatoes in sufficient water till they are soft and mash them when they are still hot. Heat ghee in a nonstick pan. Temper with cumin seeds and red chillies. Add the potatoes, toss well  and cook on slow fire for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Mung Dal with Cauliflower

Mung dal - 3/4th cup
cauliflower - small florets
cumin seeds
whole dried red chillies
bay leaf
ghee
ginger grated
turmeric
salt

Boil the dal with salt, pinch of turmeric and water. Heat ghee in a pan. Temper with cumin seeds, bay leaf and dried red chillies. Add the cauliflower florets and grated ginger and fry on slow fire till they are almost cooked. Add the boiled dal, adjust the seasonings and cook till the desired consistency is reached.

Bhindi Tava Masala

Adapted from http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2008/07/21/okrabhindi-or-mushroom-tava-fries/

2 cups small bhindi
1 cup rava(semolina)
A pinch asafoetida
1/4 tea spn tamarind extract or aamchur mixed with a little water
1 tea spn chilli powder
1 tbl spn rice flour (optional)
Oil
Salt
Soak the skewers in water for some time

Cut both ends of the bhindi and slit slightly. Apply salt, asafoetida, tamarind, chilli powder to them. Leave it aside for 15-20mins.
Now arrange the pieces on skewers.
Roll them in a mixture of semolina and rice flour.

Shallow fry on tava. Serve hot.

Palak Masoor Dal

Masoor Dal / Dried Red Lentil - 3/4 cup
Turmeric
Salt
Oil
Red Onion - 1/4, chopped
Spinach Leaves - washed and chopped, 2 cups
Garlic - 6 pods chopped
Green Chillies - 2
Cilantro - 1/2 bunch
Boil the masoor dal  in a cooker with salt, pinch of turmeric and water. Heat oil in a pan. Add the slit green chillies and the garlic. Fry for a minute and add the chopped onion. Fry the onions till they are caramelised. Now add the boiled dal and the chopped spinach in the pan. Add a little water if required. Adjust the salt. Boil for a few minutes till it reaches desired consistency. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Gota Mushurir Dal / Brown Lentil Soup

Whole Masoor Dal / Brown Lentil - 1 cup
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt
Ginger - 1/2 inch, grated
Roasted Cumin coriander powder - 2 tsp
Tomato - 1, chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Green Chilies - 2
Cilantro - a handful chopped

Boil the masoor dal in a cooker with tomato, grated ginger, 1 tsp cumin coriander powder, salt, pinch of turmeric and water.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the slit green chilies and the chopped onion. Fry the onion till they are caramelised.

Add the boiled dal in the pan. Add some cumin coriander powder and a little water if required. Adjust the salt.

Boil for a few minutes till it reaches desired consistency. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve hot.

Tomato Masur Dal

Masoor Dal / Dried Red Lentils - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 big
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Green Chilies - 2
Curry leaves - 5
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro - a handful, chopped

Boil the masoor dal in a cooker with chopped tomato, salt, pinch of turmeric and water. Mash the tomato a little once the dal is cooked.

Now heat oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds. Then add the slit green chillies, curry leaves and the chopped onion. Fry the onion till they are caramelised.

Add the boiled dal in the pan. Add a little water if required. Adjust the salt. Boil for a few minutes till it reaches desired consistency. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Masoor Dal / Red lentil Soup

Masoor Dal / Dried Red Lentil - 1 cup
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Green Chillies - 2
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Boil the masoor dal in a cooker with salt, pinch of turmeric and water.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the slit green chillies and the chopped onion. Fry the onion till they are caramelised.

Add the boiled dal in the pan. Add a little water if required. Adjust the salt. Boil for a few minutes till it reaches desired consistency. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Green Beans with Sambar Powder

Green Beans - ends trimmed and chopped into very small pieces
Mustard Seeds
Hing
Curry Leaves
Green Chillies - chopped
Onion - chopped into very small pieces
sambar powder
salt
Oil

Temper oil with mustard seeds and hing. Add chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Then add the chopped onion and cook till it becomes transparent. Add the green beans and cook covered. The beans should not be overcooked and be left a little crisp. When they are half done, add salt and the sambar powder. Cook for a few more minutes and serve hot.

Shahi Paneer

Paneer cubes - made of 1 litre milk, lightly fried
onion - 1 small, cut into 4 quarters(keep big pieces)
Cashewnuts - 25
Tomato - 1 peeled and chopped
Potato - 1 chopped
green peas - handful
Ginger - 1 inch grated
sugar - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Bayleaf - 1
salt
green chillies - 4 chopped
oil

Put the large pieces of onion and the cashewnuts in a little water in a pan. Boil till the onions become transparent. Pick up the onion slices from water and grind to a paste in a blender. Keep aside. Add the cashewnut pieces and some of the water to the blender and grind to a smooth paste. Keep adding water little by little while blending. Remove and keep aside. Peel the whole tomato (or blanch it in boiling water for a minute and take out the peel)  and blend it in the blender till smooth. Now heat oil in a wok and temper with cumin seeds and bayleaf. Add the chopped green chillies. Then add the blended boiled onion. Cook till the onion becomes pink and oil leaves the sides of the pan. Then add the cashew paste and cook for some time. Add the blended tomato. Add the chopped potato and green peas, salt, sugar and cook on low heat till the potato is cooked. Add a little water if required. Once the potatoes are cooked and the gravy reaches desired consistency, add the fried paneer and toss for a minute. Serve hot.

This is my entry for JFI-Paneer hosted by Trupti @ The Spice who loved me.