Aloo Paneer - No onion garlic recipe

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time         : 30 mins

Serves                      : 4

Ingredients:

• Paneer                          - 300 grams
• Potato                           - 2 medium
• Tomato                         - 1 large, cut into cubes
• Green chilli                  - 3-4, sliced into halves
• Cilantro                        - a handful, chopped
• Ginger paste                - 3/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder       - 3/4 tsp
• Red Chilli powder      - 1 tsp(Adjust as per your level)
• Cumin powder            - 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala             - 1/2 tsp
• Salt                                - to taste
• Oil                                 - 1 Tbsp
• Ghee                             - 2 tsp
• Bay leaf                        - 2
• Whole cumin              - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Cut paneer into 3/4 inch cubes

2. Peel potatoes and cut into cubes of 3/4 inch.

3. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder on panner and potatoes, separately. 
4. Heat oil in a pan. Add paneer and fry on low heat till paneer turns golden brown. Remove from oil and keep aside.
5. In the same oil add potatoes. Fry till golden brown. Remove from oil and keep aside.

6. In a small bowl take remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and ginger paste. Add 1 Tbsp water in it and make a smooth paste. Keep aside.
7. In the same oil(if less add a bit) add whole cumin and bay leaves. 
8. When cumin starts to crackle add the masala paste and fry for about a minute in medium heat. 
9. Add the tomato and green chilli and mix well. Cook for around a minute. 

10. Add the fried paneer and potato. Mix well making sure paneer and potato is coated well with masala.
11. Add 1/2 cup water. Add salt. Give a good stir. Cover with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes.
12. Remove lid, add garam masala. Cook for another few minutes until gravy thickens a bit. 

13. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with roti or rice.

Mushroom Spinach Rice - Instant Pot

Preparation time : 20 mins

Cooking time         : 6 mins+Pressure release time - around 20 minutes.

Serves                      : 3-4

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice                 - 1 cup
• Button mushroom      - half a pound
• Spinach                         - 2 cups roughly chopped
• Onion                            - 1 small, finely chopped
• Tomato                         - 1 medium, roughly chopped
• Green chilli                  - 2-3, finely chopped
• Ginger                           - 1/2 inch, grated
• Garlic                            - 3 cloves, grated
• Turmeric powder       - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder       - 1/2 tsp(optional, skip or adjust as per your level)
• Cumin powder            - 1 tsp
• Garam masala             - 1/2 tsp
• Salt                                - to taste
• Ghee                              - 1 Tbsp
• Lime juice                    - 1/2 tsp

Tempering:

• Bay leaves                - 2
• Cinnamon stick       - 1 inch
• Green cardamom    - 3
• Black peppercorns  - 6-8
• Cloves                        - 4-5
• Red chilli                   - 2

Method:

1. Wash the rice and soak in water for 20 minutes.

2. Cut the mushrooms lengthwise, bigger ones into 3 pieces and smaller just halves. Wash properly. Add lime juice and a pinch of salt. Mix well and keep aside for 15 minutes.

3. Put the IP on Saute mode. Add ghee. When ghee turns hot add the whole spices mentioned under Tempering and saute until whole spices release aroma. 

4. Add chopped onion and green chilli. Saute until onion turns translucent. 

5. Add tomato, mushroom and spinach. Saute for few minutes until moisture released is evaporated.

6. Add rice. Sprinkle garam masala and salt. Mix well. Saute for a minute or so till rice gets coated well with masala. 

7. Add 1.25 cups of water. Give a good stir. Close the lid. Place vent to sealing. Pressure cook on manual for 6 minutes.

8. Cancel when pressure cooking is done. Unplug IP.

9. NPR 10 minutes. QPR. Open lid. 

10. Serve hot mushroom and spinach rice with raita of your choice.

Chicken Meatball Malaikari

Some experiments turn out real well and this recipe is one of them. On a lazy Sunday wanted to make something different and this is what I came up with. The outcome was satisfactory to a great extent and was well appreciated by all who devoured it.

Try this recipe and if you like it do leave a comment.

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time         : 30 mins

Yields                       : 4-5

Ingredients:

• Meatballs                              - 12-15 pieces(recipe here)
• Onion                                     - 1 medium sized(or 3/4 cup chopped)
• Green chilli                           - 3-4
• Garlic                                     - 4 cloves
• Ginger                                   - 3/4 inch
• Turmeric powder                - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder                - 1/2 tsp(Adjust as per your level)
• Cumin powder                     - 1 tsp
• Salt                                          - As per taste
• Sugar                                       - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee                                        - 2 Tbsp 
• Garam masala powder        - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut milk                         - 2  cup

Tempering:

• Cinnamon                  - 1 inch stick
• Green cardamom     - 3
• Cloves                         - 5-6
• Black peppercorns   - 6-7
• Bay leaves                  - 2

Method:
1. Make a paste of onion, green chilli, garlic and ginger.
2. Heat ghee in a pan. Add the ingredients mentioned under tempering. Also add sugar.
3. When aroma of whole spices releases add the onion paste. Saute in medium heat till onion paste thickens and starts releasing oil. Around 8 -10 minutes.
4. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder. Mix well and saute for half a minute.

5. Add the coconut milk and a cup of water. Add salt. Give it a good mix and bring it to a boil.
6. When gravy starts boiling add the chicken meatballs. Cover and cook on low medium heat for 8-10 minutes until meatballs become tender and gravy thickens a bit.
7. Sprinkle garam masala and give a good stir. 

8. Serve hot Chicken meatball malaikari with plain rice or jeera rice.

Chicken Meatball

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time         : 30 mins

Yields                       : 20 pieces

Ingredients:

• Ground chicken or keema - 500 grams
• Onion                                     - 1 medium, finely chopped
• Green chilli                           - 3-4, finely chopped
• Garlic Cloves                        - 3, finely chopped
• Ginger                                    - 1 inch, finely chopped
• Green Coriander chopped  - 2 Tbsp
• Red chilli powder                - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder                     - 1/2 tsp
• Panco breadcrumbs            - 4 Tbsp
• Egg                                          - 1
• Salt                                          - As per taste
• Oil                                            - For deep frying

Method:
1. In a big mixing bowl take all the ingredients except oil. Mix together till well blended.

2. Heat oil in a deep pan for frying. When hot add 6-7 pieces of meatball into the oil. Fry in medium heat till each side turns golden in color. 

3. Remove from oil and place in a kitchen towel.

4. Serve hot meatballs with ketchup and dip of your choice.

Karela Gajar

The bitter gourd is offcourse bitter in taste as the name suggests. But a lot of folks (including the author of this blog) do not like it for its bitterness and want it to taste different. I mean cummon! Really? 

This recipe is an attempt of mine towards making this vegetable a little more interesting. 

Preparation time : 15 mins

Cooking time         : 45 mins

Serves                        : 4-5

Ingredients:

• Bitter Gourd(Karela)  - 3 medium sized
• Carrot(Gajar)               - 2 medium sized
• Onion                            - 1 medium, chopped
• Tomato                          - 1 big, chopped
• Green chilli                   - 3-4, chopped
• Coriander chopped     - 2 Tbsp
• Coriander powder       - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder        - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder        - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder             - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel powder             - 1/2 tsp
• Whole Cumin               - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder           - 1 tsp
• Salt                                 - As per taste
• Oil                                  - 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp
• Asafoetida(Hing)        - A pinch

Method:
1. Cut the karela into halves. Clean and remove the seeds. Then cut them into thin slices in a semi circular shape. Soak them in salted water for 15 minutes. 
2. Peel the carrots. Cut into halves. Then cut into slices of semicircular shape.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan. Add karela. Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt and mix. Fry the karela till they are cooked. Remove from oil and keep aside.

4. Heat the remaining oil in pan. Temper with whole cumin and hing. Add chopped onion and green chilli. Cook till onions turn translucent.
5. Add chopped tomato. Cook till tomato turns mushy.

6. Add carrot slices and mix well. Cover and cook till carrots are bit tender.
7. Add the fried karela. Add all powder spices(turmeric, red chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel) and mix well. Cook for another minute.
8. Add 3 Tbsp water and salt and give a good stir. Cover and cook till everything is cooked and blended well. 
9. Sprinkle the amchur powder. Mix well and remove from stove.

10. Serve hot with roti or rice.

Baingan Bharta

Preparation time : 1 hour

Cooking time         : 30 mins

Serves                        : 3

Ingredients:

• Eggplant                       - 1 big
• Onion                            - 1 medium sized, chopped(around 1/2 cup)
• Tomato                          - 2 medium sized, chopped(around 2/3 cup)
• Green chilli                   - 2-3, chopped
• Coriander chopped      - 2 Tbsp
• Ginger paste                 - 1/2 tsp   
• Garlic paste                  - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder       - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder        - 1/3 tsp
• Red chilli powder        - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder             - 1/2 tsp
• Whole Cumin               - 1/2 tsp
• Whole Red Chilli         - 2
• Salt                                 - As per taste
• Oil                                  - 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the eggplant and dry it using kitchen towel. Prick with a sharp knife and make few incisions. Apply 1/2 tsp oil on it. 

2. Grill or bake the eggplant. In an authentic way it would be put in burning charcoal and cooked. You can also do it in a gas stove burner. In my case I baked it in oven at 400F for an hour. I forgot to broil it but I think broiling for few minutes would give the smoky texture and flavor.

3. Once eggplant cools down, peel the skin off. Chop it into small pieces.

4. Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Temper with whole cumin and red chilli.
5. Saute for 10 seconds in medium heat and then add the chopped onions and green chilli. Cook till onions turn translucent.
6. Add the chopped tomato. Cook till tomato turns mushy and is cooked.

7. Add coriander, turmeric, red chilli and cumin powder. Add ginger and garlic paste. Mix well and saute till masala is cooked and starts releasing oil.
8. Add the eggplant pieces. Add salt. Give it a good stir. Cook for another 10 minutes until everything blends well.
9. Add chopped green coriander and mix well.

10. Serve hot baingan bharta with roti or plain paratha.

Chicken Pulao

Preparation time : 1 hour

Cooking time         : 45 mins

Serves                      : 3

Ingredients:

• Chicken                        - 500 grams, cleaned and cut into small pieces
• Basmati rice                - 1 cup
• Onion                           - 1 large, sliced thin long
• Tomato                        - 1 large, chopped
• Green chili                  - 2 chopped
• Ginger                         - 1 inch, sliced thin long
• Garlic cloves               - 3 fat ones, sliced thin long
• Coriander powder     - ½ tsp
• Cumin powder           - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder      - ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder      - 1 tsp(adjust according to your level)
• Green Coriander       -  1/3 cup, chopped
• Oil                                - 2 Tbsp
• Ghee                            - 1 Tbsp
• Salt                               - to taste
• Garam masala           - 1/2 tsp

Temper:

• Bay leaf                       - 2
• Star anise                    - 2
• Cinnamon                   - 1 inch
• Green Cardamom     - 4-5
• Black pepper corns   - 8-10
• Cloves                          - 5-6
• Dried red chilli          - 2-3
• Mace                            - small piece

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with a pinch of salt, little turmeric powder and one tsp oil. Keep aside for an hour. 

2. Wash the rice till it runs clear of starch. keep aside until a bit dry. Add 1 tsp ghee and a pinch of salt and mix gently so that the rice is nicely coated with ghee.

3. Heat remaining oil and ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Temper with all the items mentioned under Temper.

4. When spices releases aroma add the chopped ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds in medium heat.

5. Add chopped onionsj and green chilli and cook until onions turn translucent.

6. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder. Saute for 15-20 seconds.

7. Add the chicken pieces and saute for 5-6 minutes until chicken pieces are cooked and tender.
8. Add chopped tomatoes and green coriander. Cook till tomatoes turn mushy.

9. Add rice and mix well. Saute till rice is nicely coated with masala. It takes around 5-6 minutes of cooking.

10. Add 1.5 cups of water. Add salt and garam masala. Mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on medium low heat until rice is fully cooked and moisture is complete absorbed.

11. Serve hot chicken pulao with vegetable raita and green chutney.