SHRIKHAND

Ingredients:

Plain yogurt – 1 container, 32 oz
Sour cream – 8 oz
Sugar – ¼ cup or as required
Green cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Grated nutmeg – 2-3 pinches
Saffron – 5-6 threads
Sliced almonds and pistachio for garnishing

Procedure:

Place the yogurt in a piece of muslin cloth. Tie together all the ends of the cloth and hang it on the kitchen counter. I use the handle of kitchen closet to hang the curd with a bowl below to collect the whey. Let the whey drain overnight. If doing shrikhand in summer or hotter days, then hang the yogurt in refrigerator. If the weather is too hot the yogurt becomes too sour till the whey drains away. Next day take the hung yogurt in a bowl, add sugar and whisk till smooth. Then add the sour cream and continue whisking for 2 mins. Then add the cardamom powder, saffron, nutmeg and half of the almonds and pistachio mix well and keep in refrigerator to cool. Garnish with almonds and pistachio. You can adjust the amount of sugar, according to the sourness of the yogurt. Also you can adjust the amount of sour cream as per your taste.

SPROUTED MASOOR RICE

Ingredients:

Sprouted masoor – 1 cup
Rice – 1 cup
Water – 2 ½ cups, boiling
Onion – 1 big, chopped
Ginger – 1”
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Green chilies – 2-3
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – 3-4
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Hing – a pinch
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Salt
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Everest meat masala – 1 tsp
Freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Cooking Procedure:
Soak the whole masoor in water overnight. Next day strain the water and place the masoor in a damp muslin cloth. Tie all the sides of muslin cloth and keep it in a covered container in a warm and dark place. It take about 1 ½ to 2 days to sprout.
Make ginger garlic green chili paste.
Take some oil in a deep skillet. Add the mustard seeds. When the seeds start to splatter, add the cumin seeds and onion. Sauté the onions till translucent. Then add curry leaves and ginger garlic green chili paste. Fry for two minutes. Then add turmeric powder, hing, coriander powder, garam masala, meat masala. Then add the sprouted masoor. Sauté it for a minute. Then add the rice and boiling water. Cover the pan and let cook. Garnish with coriander leaves. You can serve taak/ chaas with this rice.

MURGHALOO

Ingredients:
To marinate -
Chicken – 1 lb boneless
Ginger paste – 2 tsp
Garlic paste – 4 tsp
Lemon juice – 2tbsp
Salt

Yogurt sauce –
Yogurt – ½ cup
Tomato puree – ¼ cup
Red chili paste – 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Black pepper – 10-12
Green cardamom – 3-4
Mace (javitri) – 2-3
Black cardamom– 1, take only the seeds
Kalonji – ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – 6-7
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Boiled Potato – 2 big, cut into chunks
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Amchur powder – a pinch
Chopped mint – 2 tbsp
Chopped cilantro – 2 tbsp

Cooking Procedure:
To make tomato puree, wash the tomatoes and remove the core. Score a cross mark on the bottom of the tomato. Carefully place the tomato in the boiling water. When the skin starts lifting up, remove the tomatoes and place them in ice cold water. After they have cooled down completely, slowly remove the skin. Chop the tomatoes and puree them.

Cut the chicken in medium size pieces. Marinate the chicken with ginger paste, garlic paste, and lemon juice, salt and keep side. Marinate for 1-2 hours.

For yogurt sauce, whisk the yogurt in a small bowl and add tomato puree, red chili paste, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Mix properly and keep aside.

Grind the black pepper, green cardamom, mace and black cardamom to a fine powder.

In a big pan, heat some oil. Add kalonji and mustard seeds. As the seeds begin to splatter add the curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 2 mins and then add the yogurt sauce. Cook the sauce on medium heat stirring continuously till the oil separates. Now add the chopped onions. Fry for 2 mins and then add the marinated chicken. Sauté for 2 mins, then cover the pan and let the chicken cook till its tender. Add little water if required. After the chicken gets cooked, add the boiled potatoes, spice powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, chopped mint, chopped cilantro and simmer for 5 more mins. Serve hot with naan/roti/chapati or jeera rice.

ALOO PALAK

Ingredients:

Spinach – 1 ½ bunch
Fresh fenugreek leaves – ½ bunch
Potato – 2 cut into chunks
Onion – 1 big, chopped
Red chili powder – 1 ½ tsp
Ginger – 1” julienne
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Whole red chilies – 2-3
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Kitchen king Masala – ½ tsp
Fresh cream – ½ cup

Cooking Procedure:

Blanch the spinach by putting it in a pot of boiling water. Let it sit for 1-2 mins. Drain the water and immediately transfer the spinach to iced water. When the leaves are cooled squeeze out the water and puree it. You can make this puree in advance and store in freezer.
Heat some oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and fry till they get translucent. Then add the potato chunks and fry for 2 mins. Now add haldi, whole red chilies, red chili powder and ginger. Cover and let cook till the potatoes are half cooked. Add little water if required. Then add spinach puree, salt and bring it to a boil. Then add fresh fenugreek leaves. Cover with lid and let cook. Now add garam masala, kitchen king masala and cook for 2 more minutes. Finally add fresh cream and continue cooking for 1 min. Serve hot with naan or paratha.

GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Green tomato – 4, medium size, roughly chopped
Green chilies – 2
Fresh grated coconut –3 tbsp
Roasted peanut powder – 1 ½ tbsp
Jagerry – 1-2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 6-7
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Asafoetida - pinch

Freshly chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 4-5
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Take little oil in a pan and add the chopped tomatoes. Fry them on high heat till they get half cooked, stirring continuously. Remove from pan and keep aside to cool. When the tomatoes get completely cooled, add green chilies, fresh coconut, chopped coriander leaves and grind them to a slightly coarse paste. In the same pan heat some oil and add mustard seeds. When the mustard starts to splatter, add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder, hing and the tomato paste. Stir well and add jaggery and peanut powder. Cook for another 2 mins, stirring occasionally. You can serve this chutney as a side in any meal. We eat it as second vegetable in a meal. Also it tastes very good with dosa.

METHI MALAI MATAR

Ingredients:
Methi leaves* – 1 ½ cup
Green peas – 1 cup
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Ginger – 1”
Garlic – 2-3
Cashew nuts – 7-8
Khus khus (poppy seeds) – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala - ½ tsp
Kasoori methi – 2 tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt
Heavy whipping cream – ¼ cup

Cooking procedure:
Wash the methi leaves thoroughly in colander. Make cashewnut and khuskhus paste and keep aside. Make ginger and garlic paste. Heat some oil in a pan. Add onion and cook till translucent. Now add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2 mins. Now add cashew nut paste and fry for about a min. Now add the green peas and 1 cup of water. Cover the pan and let cook till the green peas gets half cooked. Then add the red chili paste, salt, sugar and cook for 2 mins. Then add the methi leaves and kasoori methi, again cover and let cook till the methi becomes tender. Then add the whipping cream and garam masala. Let it simmer for 2 mins. Serve hot with roti or paratha or naan.

* To wash leafy vegetables, wash the leaves in colander under running water for the first wash. Then take water in a big pot and put the leaves in water. Stir well and let the vegetable stand for 5 mins. In 5 mins all the sand and dirt settles down at the bottom. Slowly remove the vegetable from the water and they are ready to use. Sometimes the vegetables from the farmers market have more dirt, so I repeat the process twice. I even wash the vegetables under running water that says “pre-rinsed or washed twice”

RAW MANGO CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Raw mangos – 2
Jaggery – ½ cup
Sesame seeds – 2 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds – 2 tsp
Roasted peanut powder – 1 ½ tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 ½ tsp
Salt
For tadka -
Oil – 2-3 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Hing - ¼ tsp

Cooking Procedure:

Peal the mango with the peeler, grate it and place it in a medium size bowl. Raw mangoes are quite firm and easy to peel.

Add the jaggery and mix well till the jaggery dissolves. Take little bit oil in a small pan and separately roast the fenugreek seeds and sesame seeds. Coarse grind the fenugreek seeds and sesame seeds. Add these powders to the mango along with the peanut powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix well. For the tadka, heat some oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they start to splatter, turn off the flame and add the turmeric powder and hing. Pour this hot tadka over the mango mixture and mix well. This recipe needs generous amount of oil and hing. You can use this chutney as a side for any meal. Its sweet and tangy and goes with any vegetable.

GOAN FISH CURRY

Ingredients:
Fish – 1 lb, I used catfish steaks
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Kokum – 2-3
Salt
For masala paste :
Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup
Byadagi chilies – 7-8
Onion – 1 small, sliced
Coriander seeds – 1 ½ tbsp
Whole black pepper – 10-12
Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp
Chopped Garlic – 1 tbsp
Fresh coriander leaves - 2tbsp

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the fish pieces properly. Rub them with salt and turmeric and keep in refrigerator. Discard the stems of chilies, if any and cut them into pieces. Soak the chilies in warm water and keep aside for 1-2 hours. Take little oil in a small pan and add the sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Now add the coriander seeds and fry till seeds get brown. Then add in the pepper and sauté for 30 sec. Remove the pan from heat and keep aside to cool. Combine all the ingredients for masala paste, including the chilies and grind to a fine paste.
In a big pan, heat some oil and add the chopped onions. Fry the onions till golden brown.

Now add the masala paste and fry till oil separates. Stir continuously so that the paste doesn’t stick. When the masala gets cooked you can see the oil oozing out from the sides. Then add 3-4 tbsp of water and continue stirring till oil separates. Adding little water will cook the spices. Make sure that you properly bhunofy/fry the masala paste, otherwise the masala paste will taste raw.

Now add salt and boiling water. For required consistency you can add as much or as little water as required. Then mix well and bring the curry to a boil. Boil for 5 mins. Now add the kokum and fish. Reduce the gas to medium and let the fish cook till its tender. It takes around 20-25mins. for fish steaks and 10-15 mins for fillet to cook . This curry can be served with plain rice.

LAL MIRCHICHA THECHA

Ingredients:
Red chili paste – ½ cup
Garlic paste – 1-2 tbsp
Oil – 2-3 tbsp
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
On a low flame heat some oil in a pan and add the garlic paste. Sauté the garlic till the aroma starts coming. Then add the chili paste and salt. Stir properly and cook this mixture till the oil separates. Keep stirring occascionally. Remove the pan from heat and let cool completely. You can store this thecha in a clean glass jar and store in refrigerator.

RED CHILI PASTE

Ingredients:

Dry Whole chilies* – 15-20
Hot water – 4-5 cups

Cooking procedure:
Remove the stems, cut the chilies into pieces and place them in a bowl. For medium sized chili, cut it into two pieces and for big chilies, cut it into three pieces. Soak the chilies in hot water, cover with plastic warp and keep aside for 5-6 hours. After 5-6 hours the seeds from the chilies will settle down. Remove as much seeds as possible, this minimizes the heat and also the paste gets a very nice red color. Then grind the chilies to paste. While grinding if you need water, use the same water in which chilies were soaked.


* i used more byadgi mirch, which is used for color and little amount of normal hot chilies.