Dal with Methi

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• HesaruBele/Mung Dal - 1/4 th Cup
• Togari Bele/Toor Dal - 1/4 th Cup
• Kadale Bele/ChannaDal - 1/4 Cup
• Menthya Soppu/Methi Leaves - 1/2 Cup
• Onion - 1 (Medium Size)
• Tomato - 1
• Green Chili  - 2
• Red Chili - 2
• Curry leaves- 1 twig
• Jeera - 1/2 sp
• Mustard Seed - 1/4 sp
• Ginger -1/2 Inch
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - As per requirement
• Oil/Ghee - 4-5 sp

   Method: 

1. Pressure Cook Dals with approx 2-2 and 1/2 glass of water until 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to ease.
2. Blanch and finely chop Menthya/methi leaves.
3. Finely chop Onions, Green Chilies, Ginger and Tomato.
4. Heat Oil/Ghee in a pan
5. Add Mustard Seeds and Jeera, allow to splutter.
6. Add Red chili(Broken into small pieces)
7. Add curry leaves and fry for a minute.
8. Add Onions and fry until transparent.
9. Add finely chopped Methi leaves fry until it shrinks approx 2 mins.
10. Add finely chopped tomatoes and little quantity of water and cook until soft.
11. Add the pressure cooked Dal from step 1, smash well add to the pan.
12. Add Turmeric Powder.
13. Add grated Ginger and finely chopped Green Chili, Add required amount of water to adjust the consistency of the Dal.
14. Add Salt as per requirement and allow to boil on low flame for 3-4 mins.
15. Turn off the flame and add finely chopped Coriander leaves if required. Dal with Methi is ready to serve and goes well with Roti/Chapathi and Hot Rice with Ghee (while serving with Roti add a dash of lime juice, along with Onion n Cucumber salad).

Anjeer Kaaju

Preparation Time: 40 mins


Ingredients:

• Anjeer - 250 gms
• Kaaju/Cashews - 150 gms
• khova - 200gms
• Sugar - 100 gms
• Cardamom - 4
• Ghee - 1/2 Cup
• Milk - 1/2 Cup

Method:

1. As part of pre-preparation, Anjeer is cut into small pieces and soak them in warm milk for about 2 hrs.
2. Cashews are cut into small pieces.
3. In Jar add Sugar and Cardamom, prepare powder and divide into 2 equal proportions. Quantity of sugar can be varied depending upon the sweetness.
4. Take a large Pan, heat it, add smashed Khova and 1 proportion of Sugar. Mix them well.
5. Add 4-5 sp of Ghee and Continue to stir on low flame for about 10 -15 mins. The mixture begins to leave the vessel. Continue to stir on low flame for 2 more mins, transfer the mixture into a plate(spread 1/2 sp Ghee to plate). Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. In the same Pan, add Anjeer (from Step 1) and Cashews (Strep 2), remaining proportion of Sugar, 5-6 sp of Ghee and mix well.
7. Continue to stir on low flame for about 10 mins. All ingredients will blend well and becomes thick, turn off the flame. Allow to cool to room temperature. 
8. Once they are cooled, roll khova mixture into thick sheet, Place Anjeer and Kaaju mixture, cover them nicely and cut into any desired shape.    

Cauliflower Curry

Preparation Time: 30 mins


Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 1 Big size
• Onion - 2 medium
• Cashwes - 1/4 cup
• Curry leaves - 4-5
• Poppy Seeds - 1 sp
• Coconut (grated) - 4 sp
• Ginger - 1/2 sp
• Gralic- 8-9 cloves
• Jeera - 1 sp
• Oil - 3 sp
• Ghee - 2sp
• Tomato - 2
• Green chili - 2
• Red chili powder - 3/4 sp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 sp
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
• Cardamom - 2
• Salt - As per requirement
• Coriander leaves/Cilantro - 1/4 cup

Method :

1. Cut cauliflower into small floretts and clean with the boiling water with a 1/2 sp of salt. Continue to boil for 2 mins, Drain excees water, keep it aside.
2. Chopp Onion, Tomato, Green Chili, Coriander/Cilantro Finely.
3. To prepare Gravy - In a mixer jar, add, Grated coconut, Poppy seeds(fried), Ginger, Garlic and small quantity of water and prepare smooth paste.
4. In a large pan, heat Ghee, and fry Cashews to a light brown. keep it aside.
5. Now to the same pan with ghee, add 2-3 sp Oil and allow to become hot.
6. Add whole spice, Cinnamon and Cardamom fry well.
7. Add Jeera and allow to splutter.
8. Add Curry leaves.
9. Add finely chopped Onions and fry for few minutes until its transparent.
10. Add finely chopped, green chilies and tomatoes and fry until tomatoes turn into soft.
11. Add Cauliflower florettes from Step#1 and continue to fry.
12. Add the smooth gravy from step# 3.
13. Add water to adjust the consistency and allow to boil.
14. Add Salt, Red Chili powder, Garam masala, mix well, allow to boil for 2 mins.
15. Just before serving, add fried Cashwes from step#4, garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves/Cilantro and serve along with Chapati/Roti.

Ps: Instead of only Cauliflower, we can replace it with combination of Potato, Green Peas and Cauliflower. 

Channa Masala

Preparation Time : 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Kabul Channa - 150 gms
• Onion - 2 medium size
• Tomato - 2
• Green Chili - 4
• Shahi Jeera - 1/2 sp
• Cashews - 8
• Red Chili powder - 1/2 sp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 sp
• Coriander seed powder - 1/2 sp
• Channa masala  - 2-3 sp
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
• Sugar - 1/2 sp
• Salt - As per taste
• Ghee/Butter - 3-4 sp
• OIl - 2sp
• Fresh coriander leaves/Kasoori Methi - 2-3 sp

Method:

1. Soak kabul Channa for 6-8 hrs. Pressure cook Soaked Channa with pinch of cookng soda and Salt till 4-5 whistles. Allow pressure to ease.
2. We need few things as pre - preparation before we actually start the preparation of channa masala. Among 2 Onions one we use to prepare gravy(Sliced big in size) and anothetr finely chopped will be added at later stage. Finely chop the Green Chilies. Soak Cashews in hot water or milk 30 mins so that they form a smooth paste.
3. Heat 2 sp oil in a Pan, Add Cinnamon, Onions which are sliced quite big in size and fry fro few mins. Now add Chopped Tomatoes and cook until they are soft and allow to cool to room  temperature.
4. In a mixer jar, add fried and cooled Onion and Tomatoes, Soaked Cashews and little water and blend into a smooth paste.
5. Heat Ghee/Butter in large frying pan,
6. Add a spoon of Shai Jeera.
7. Add Cinnamon Pieces
8. Add finely chopped Onions and fry until transparent.
9. Add Finely chopped Green Chilies and continue to fry.
10. Add the finely blended Gravy from step 4 and add water to adjust the consistency of gravy, continue to boil for about 10-15 mins on medium flame with occasional stir.
11. Add Salt as per requirement (approx 1tsp)
12. Add 1/2 sp Red chili powder (optional for those who love spicy), 2 sp Channa masala powder, 1/2 sp Garam Masala, 1/2 sp Coriander seed powder and continue to cook for 2 mins.
13. Add pressure cooked Kabul channa and cook for another 2 mins. Turn off the falme, garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves or Kasoori Methi and serve along with Chapati, Poori 

Capsicum Sweetcorn Sabzi

Preparation time:20 mins

Ingredients:

• Sweetcorn - 1 Bowl
• Capsicum - 2 medium Size
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 small bowl
• Crushed Paneer - 1/2 small bowl
• Green Chili - 3
• Jeera - 1/2 sp
• Salt - as per taste
• Red Chili Powder - 1/2 sp
• Coriander Seed Powder - 1/2 sp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 sp
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 3 sp
• Oil - 1 Small bowl

Method:

• Heat Oil in a Pan, Add finely chopped Capsicum and deep fry. Collect the fried capsicum on kitchen towel.
• Another pan, add 2 sp oil, add jeera and allow to splutter.
• Add Sweetcorn fry for 5 min on low flame. (if you have para`boiled sweetcorn before, fry for 1/2 mins)
• Add finely chopped green chilies.
• Add Crushed Paneer
• Add grated coconut
• Add all the listed powder, Red chili powder, Coriander seed powder, Garam masala and salt to taste.
• Add fried capsicum and mix well.
• Garnish with finely chopped cilantro/Coriander leaves and serve.Goes well with Chapati. 

Paneer Tikka

Preparation time: 40 Mins

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 200 gms
• Onion - 3 medium Size
• Tomato - 1
• Green Chilies - 3-4
• Ginger - 1 Inch
• Garlic - 7-8 Cloves
• Red Chili - 3-4
• Cashews - 10 
• Jeera - 1 sp
• Sugar - 1/2 sp
• Salt - As per taste
• Oil - 1 Cup
• Garam Masala - 1 sp

Method:

• We need a brown paste which constitute as main Gravy(base) for this Curry. To prepare brown paste, cut half of the Onions (that is  approx 1 and half Onions) lengthwise. Heat Oil for deep fry in a pan. Deep fry Onions till very light brown in color. Care should be taken to see that its not dark brown as it affects the taste of gravy. Keep it aside in a plate.Cut Paneer into 2 inch lengthwise and deep fry them till raw smell vanishes, collect in a separate Plate with kitchen towel.
• Dry fry Red Chilies. Quantity of Chilli can be varied as per taste.
• In a mixer Jar, add dry fried Red chilies and crush them roughly. To this add deep fried Onions, 3/4 sp Jeera and little water and prepare smooth paste.
• Prepare paste of Ginger and Garlic, If u are using ready Ginger Garlic paste you can add upto 2-21/2 sp.
• Prepare Cashew paste.
• Prepare Tomato Puree, for this, de-skin  tomatoes and prepare smooth paste in mixer. To peel skin easily add tomatoes in boiling water for 2-3 mins.
• Finely chop the rest of Onions and Green chilies, the remaining process includes mixing all ingredients to prepare Favorite Curry
• Heat 4-5 sp Oil in a large pan, add 1/4 sp Jeera and allow to splutter.
• Add finely chopped Onions, Green Chilies, Ginger Garlic paste and fry well on low flame for about 5 mins.
• Add Cashew Paste, Tomato Puree and Brown Paste, mix well. Add water to adjust consistency of Gravy.
• Add Garam Masala
• Add Salt and Sugar,continue to cook on medium flame for about 5 mins.
• Add deep fried Paneer and finely chopped Cilantro mix well. Serve Hot along with Chapati, Kulcha or Roti.

Mentya Hesarubele Curry/Methi Moong Dal

Preparation Time: 25 Mins

Ingredients:

• Hesarubele/Moong Dal - 1 cup
• Menthya/Methi leaves - 1 Medium bunch
• Tomoto - 2
• Onion - 1
• Mustard Seed - 1sp
• Oil - 3-4 sp
• Curry leaves - few
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves- 1sp
• Salt - As per requirement.
• Grated Coconut - 2-3 Big Sp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 sp
• Coriander Seed powder - 2 sp 

Method:

• Clean and wash Methi leaves 2-3 times. Finely chop 2 tomatoes, keep it aside.In a pressure cooker add Methi leaves, Hesaru bele/Moong dal, finely chopped Tomatoes and a glass of water and cook till 2 whistles. Allow pressure to ease.
• We need to prepare Masala/Gravy for this Curry, to prepare Gravy, add Grated Coconut, Red chili powder/Accha kharada pudi, Dhaniya/Coriander powder and a little water, prepare smooth paste. 
• Heat Oil in a large pan, add Mustard Seeds and allow them to splutter.
• Add Curry Leaves and finely chopped onions and fry well until its transparent.
• Add Gravy and cook for 5 mins on medium flame.
• Add the cooked Dal, Methi leaves mixture and water to adjust the consistency.
• Add Salt to taste and mix well. Continue to cook for another 2-3 mins, serve Hot with Chapati and Roti. The addition of Methi leaves give a special aroma and makes it different from regular dal what we have and more nutritious too. Adding Cilantro is Optional.