Chana Masala

Chana masala also known as chole masala is a popular dish in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. The main ingredient is chickpeas, here I have soaked chickpeas in tea water. This technique I learnt from my friend from Rajasthan. This is a spicy curry with a sour citrus flavour.

Chana masala can be taken as a snack food, or with phulkas, naan or you can me them as chana bhature. Simply throw in some crushed poori over the curry (which we use in Pani poori recipe), add some chat masala and serve as a fantastic chat.

Ingredients 

• Chick peas - 1 cup 
• Butter - 1 tsp 
• Slit green chilly - 2 nos 
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp 
• Chopped onion - 1 no 
• Tomato puree - 1/2 cup 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Garam masla - 1 tsp 
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp 
• Salt - for taste 
• Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tsp 

For chickpeas 

1. Boil 3 cups of water, add 2 tsp of tea powder. 
2. Filter the tea water and pour this water into the chickpeas. 
3. Soak the chickpeas for at least 6-8 hours. 
4. Cook the chickpeas in cooker for 3 whistles 

For Chana Masala 

1. Heat a cooker, add butter and add slit chilly
2. Once the chilly starts to crack, add the onions and cook in low flame 
   
3. Add turmeric powder and salt for the onions to cook fast
4. Add ginger garlic paste 
5. Add garam masala and cook for 2 minutes 
   
6. Add tomato puree and add 1/4 cup of water
7. When the curry starts to boil add cooked chickpeas and check for salt. 
   
8. Close the cooker and cook for 2 whistles 
9. Before you serve, add lemon juice and coriander leaves.
   
    

Sour Brinjal (Egg plant ) curry - Ambur Style

Biryani's best side dish every is Sour brinjal curry. I was searching for the exact ingredients for this recipe and each time I find something missing. At last, I'm lucky enough to get the original brinjal curry recipe from the lands of Ambur !! For my biryani, if this is going to be the side dish, I don't want anything else. Do try at home whenever you cook a biryani.

Ingredients 

• Bay leaf - 1/2 no 
• Cinnamon stick - 1/2 stick 
• Star anise - 1 no 
• Curry leaves - 6 nos 
• Green chilly - 4 nos 
• Sliced onion - 1 no 
• Chopped tomato - 1no 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Ginger Garlic paste - 3 tsp 
• Diced brinjal - 4 nos 
• Curry powder - 2 tsp 
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tsp 
• Tamarind  juice - 1/2 cup 
• Salt -For taste 

For curry 

1. In a pan, add 2 tsp of oil. Start to add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, star anise and curry leaves 
2. Add green chilly and onion and cook till soft 
   
   
   
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomato mash completely 
4. Add turmeric powder and salt, cook for 2 minutes in low flame 
5. Add ginger garlic paste 
   
6. Add the diced brinjal (make big cuts) and coriander leaves 
7. Cook till the brinjal becomes soft 
8. Add the curry powder and chilly powder 
9. Add the tamarind juice and keep in low flame 
   
10. Add water if the curry is thick. 
11. Cook for 10 minutes in low flame and serve hot 

Ambur Style Egg Biryani

Ambur, Vellore district in the north-eastern part of Tamil Nadu, which has a high Muslim population. Ambur biryani was introduced by the Nawabs of Arcot who once ruled the place. If you are not  a biryani lover and feel biryani will be heavy on your stomach then try for Ambur biryani. It is considered light, the usage of spice is moderate. What I have tried here is proper "traditional dum style" - where the rice and the gravy are cooked separately before bringing them together in  covered vessel. Your biryani will be more delicious if your cooking in "dum style".

You can also try this recipe with chicken or mutton. Before you add the rice cook your meat in the gravy.

Ingredients

• Basmati or Seeraga Samba rice - 1 cup 
• Ghee - 3 tsp 
• Cinnamon stick - 1 no 
• Black peppers - 6 nos 
• Cloves - 3 nos 
• Green gardamom - 2 no 
• Bay leave - 1 no 
• Star anise- 1 no 
• Slit green chilly - 5 nos 
• Sliced onion - 1 no
• Ginger garlic paste - 3 tsp 
• Sliced tomato - 1 no 
• Chopped coriander and mint leaves - 1 cup 
• Curd - 1/2 cup 
• Boiled egg - 3 nos 
• Garam masala -1 tsp 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Salt - For taste 

For rice 

1. Wash and soak rice for at least 1/2 hour 
2. Place a heavy bottomed vessel, pour 3 cups of water and bring it to boil 
3. Add few drops of ghee, some coriander and mint leaves, half of bay leave, 1 clove and 1-star anise 
4. Add salt required for the rice and add the soaked rice 
5. Rice to be cooked only 75% , check if you are able to break the rice easily. 
6. Remove from flame and drain the excess water

For biryani 

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan or cooker, add 2 tsp of ghee, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves and green cardamom
2. Add the slit green chilly and allow it to crackle
   
3. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes
4. Once the onions are cooked well, add the ginger and garlic paste and cook in low flame 
5. Cook till all raw smell disappears, else your biryani may taste worst 
   
6. Add salt for the gravy and turmeric powder
7. Add tomatoes and cook well (Don't smash the tomatoes) 
8. Add garam masala to the mixture 
   
9. Add half of the chopped coriander and mint and mix well 
10. Add curd and cook for 2 minutes in low flame
11. Remove from flame 

For dum style 

1.  Add the cooked rice over the gravy mixture 
2. Add the remaining coriander and mint leaves 
   
3. Insert the boiled eggs in the rice 
4. Add ghee on the sides of the cooker to avoid biryani from sticking to the vessel.
5. Place a pan on the stove, above which the biryani covered with a lid tightly and a vessel filled with water. 
   
6. Cook the biryani in high flame for 5 minutes and low flame for 10 minutes

For serving 

You can serve biryani without disturbing the layers or mix everything gently and serve hot 

Thandai

Thandai, the most popular drink from Uttar Pradesh cuisine, India, and is often associated with the MahaShivarati, and Holi festival. Our intake of cold drink or any beverage has increased in recent time. For a change let’s try a homemade, healthy and energizing drink right from your own kitchen

Ingredients 

• Sugar - 1/4 cup 
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp 
• Black peppercorns - 10 nos 
• Saffron
• Green cardamoms - 6 nos 
• Almonds - 15 nos 
• Boiled milk - 2 cup

For thandai powder 

1. Add peppercorns, almonds, saffron,  fennel seeds and green cardamom into a mixer. Grind them well into a powder.
2. Add sugar and grind

Store this powder in an air-tight container. Add this powder to the milk, and refrigerate the drink at least for 2 hours. 

Minestrone vegetable soup

Minestrone is a thick soup of Italian origin made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice. I like to have soup for my dinner. If you are planning for a light dinner on  a rainy day, this recipe will help you. In all my soups, I avoid corn flour or all purpose flour for making the soup thick. And I don't like to add sauce to the soup. Soup is a healthier form of food, without these additives you can get the exact taste of the recipe. Eat healthy.

You can also make this as a chicken soup, just by adding few chicken pieces along with the vegetables. Make sure you cut the vegetables small.

Ingredients

• Chopped Garlic - 1 tsp 
• Chopped onion - 1 no 
• Chopped vegetables (Carrot, Capsicum and cabbage)  - 1 cup 
  
• Chopped coriander - 2 tsp 
• Tomato puree - 1/2 cup 
• Black pepper powder - 1 tsp 
• Mixed herbs - 1/2 tsp 
• Salt for taste 
• Butter 
• Chicken / Vegetbale stock - 1 cup 
• Boiled pasta - 1/4 cup 

For soup 

1. Heat butter in a pan, and saute garlic and onion for 2 minutes don't allow it to cook well.
2. Add the vegetables and cook for few mins. Vegetables should be crunchy. 
3. Add the seasonings -pepper powder, salt, and mixed herbs 
   
4. Add the chicken/veg stock and water 
5. Check for salt and add the tomato puree. Boil the soup in high flame for 3-4 minutes. 
6. Add half of the boiled pasta to the soup and mix well. If you like to have more mixed herbs add before you turn off heat. 
   
   
   

For Serving

In a soup bowl, place the pasta and pour the soup over it. Garnish with coriander. Serve hot !!

Pav bhaji - Maharashtrian style

Pav bhaji is a fast food dish from Maharashtra, India. Pav means a soft bread roll and bhaji means a thick vegetable curry prepared in butter on a flat griddle tava. Most famous street food in India.

The dish originated in the 1850s as a fast lunchtime dish for textile mill workers in Mumbai. Nowadays many restaurants are serving this recipe in India and abroad. This is easy to make and can be a complete meal. You can have this either as evening time snacks or night dinner. Most of the chat shops prepare different varieties of pav bhaji, but we are going to see the basic recipe.

 Ingredients

• Finely chopped onion - 2 nos 
  
• Finely chopped tomato - 1 no 
• Green chilly - 1 no 
• Chopped ginger - 2 tsp 
• Chopped garlic - 2 tsp 
• Boiled and mashed potato (big) - 1 
• Chopped vegetables (carrots and capsicum) - 1 cup 
• (You can also add cauliflower, peas,  and beans all together make one cup) 
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing 
• Lemon - 1 no 
• Pav bhaji masala - 2 tsp 
• Salt - for taste 
• Pav - 6 nos 
• Butter - 2 tsp 

For Bhaji 

1. Heat some butter on a flat pan or normal pan. 
2. Add chopped garlic, ginger and green chilly 
3. Add onions and cook till the onions are brown.
   
4. When the onions are cooked well add the tomatoes and cook well for 10-15 mins. 
5. Add  pav bhaji masala and salt 
6. Add the chopped vegetables and cook for 2-3 mins
   
7. Add the mashed potato and mash them well
8. Add a little water if you find the mixture thick. Mix it well again. Add coriander leaves to  the mixture.
   

For Pav 

Slit the pav, apply butter and warm them in the pan.

Serving 

Serving the pav bhaji is more important than your cooking. Places the pav on the plate, pour in the bhaji beside with a tsp of butter and chopped onions over the bhaji. Cut a slice of lemon and place it on the side, squeeze on the bhaji when you eat. Serve hot. Enjoy !! 

Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny Soup, origins in Indian cuisine. The name originates from the Tamil words mullaga/milagu and thanni and can be translated as "pepper water" or "pepper broth."

I tasted this soup in a restaurant when I had no choice to order a soup. But after tasting it, I wanted to know what this soup is actually made of and its stories. You won't believe me if I say this soup was popular with the British stationed in India (employees of the East India Company) during colonial times, during the late 18th century and later.  When they returned home, they brought the recipe back with them to England, and to other members of the Commonwealth, especially Australia. This is an ancient popular soup, try this at home you'll love it. We need to preserve our traditional cooking :) 

You can make this soup with vegetables or chicken, or plain. Today I have shown you soup with chicken stock. It takes time if you are planning for your dinner start preparing it an hour before. 

Ingredients 

• Soaked Toor dal - 1/2 cup 
  
• Soaked rice - 3 tsp
• Cooked rice - 2 tsp 
• Finely chopped onion - 1 no 
• Ginger - 1 inch 
• Garlic - 4 nos 
• Curry leaves - 6- 8 nos  
• Bay leaves - 2 nos 
• Chicken stock - 2 cup 
• Black pepper - 1 tsp 
• Coriander seeds - 1 tsp 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Curry powder - 2 tsp 
• Coconut milk - 1/4 cup 
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp 
• Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tsp  
• Salt - For tatse  
• Oil - 1 tsp 

For paste 

Grind curry leaves, ginger, garlic, black pepper, coriander seeds and some salt into a paste. Keep this aside. 

For soup 

1. In a pressure cooker, add oil and bay leaves.
2. Add onions, and saute it light
3. After 1 minute, add turmeric powder and curry powder
4. Add the paste and mix well 
5. Add soaked dal and soaked rice, cook for 2 minutes 
   
6. Add salt. (If you want to add chicken to the soup, now add 4-5 pieces of chicken )
7. Add chicken stock or veg stock and mix well. 
8. Place the lid and cook  up to 3-4 whistles so that the dal and rice cook well. 
9. Once the pressure is down, remove the bay leave from the soup and (chicken if you added)
10. Use a whisk and mix well. 
11. Switch on the stove and keep the soup again for cooking. 
12. (Add the chicken pieces back to the soup)
13. Add lemon juice and add salt (If needed) 
14. Add water if you want to make the soup little thinner. 
    
15. Before you serve the soup, add the coconut milk, mix well and turn off heat 

For serving 

To serve the soup, in a bowl place a tsp of cooked rice in the base and coriander leaves. Pour in the piping hot soup. 

Chettinad Masala Powder

Chettinad cuisine is one of the best cuisine of Tamil Nadu, India, with a variety of spices. Chettinad dishes are spicy and pungent with fresh ground masalas. Most of the Chettinad dishes are eaten with rice and rice-based accompaniments such as dosas, appams, idiyappam, and idlis. Nowadays hotels serve most of the non-vegetarian dishes from this cuisine, no meal is complete without a Chettinad dish. 

I have prepared the pillar for the Chettinad cuisine, the great Chettinad masala powder. You can store this powder for up to 2 months in an airtight container. The quantity which I have mentioned below will make a powder of about 50-75grams. This is more than enough for 2 months of cooking. Be sure you don't use any wet spoon to this powder. When you are preparing any Chettinad recipes, this powder will play a vital role in bringing out the exact flavors of Chettinad cuisine. 

Ingredients

• Cinnamon - 2 sticks 
• Green cardamom - 12 nos 
• Star anise - 1 no 
• Cloves -12 nos 
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp 
• Black pepper - 3 tsp 
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp 
• Coriander seeds - 5 tsp 
• Fennel seeds - 4 tsp 
• Mustard - 1 tsp 
• Dry red chilly - 15 nos 

1. Heat a pan, add cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, star anise and cloves. dry toast all these for 2 minutes in low flame
2. Then add all other ingrediants, except the dry red chilies. Roast for another 5 minutes. 
3. Add the dry red chilly and roast for 2minutes. 
   
4. Keep this roasted spices in a plate till it cools down 
5. In a mixer, put the spices and grind into a coarse powder. 
6. After the powder cools down, store it in an airtight container.