Malai kofta

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated paneer(I made fresh paneer from whole milk)
• 2 medium size potato(baked in oven)
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt
• whole corriander 1 tsp.
• 5 whole chillies
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 2 medium size vidalia onions
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1/2 cup corriander or cilantro paste
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• oil for frying
• 1 cup water.
• 3 green chillies
• 1 tbsp. frozen coconut.

Procedure:

• Mix paneer,walnuts,turmeric powder,potato & finely chopped green chillies & salt and shape them into small balls.
• Heat oil in a deep pan & fry.
• keep aside.
• Blend onion with dry spices and fry them in oil.
• Blend tomatoes and add them after 6-7 minutes,add frozen coconut also and fry till it is 30-35 minutes.
• Add cilantro/corriander green paste and keep frying on low heat till it starts leaving oil.
• (I add approx. 2 tsp. chilli powder also as we like it more hot).
• Add water and when it boils,drop koftas and add cream.
• Serve hot with nan and rice.
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TRI-COLOR PURIS (TIRANGI PURI)

This tirangi puri was especially made by my mom on the occasion of Holi lunch.Many people thought that there is color added to this and they used to send their children to find out how it's being made as they didn't believe it was colored naturally!

INGREDIENTS:

1-3 CUPS WHEAT FLOUR

2-1 BEETROOT GRATED

3-2 CUPS CLEAN & CHOPPED SPINACH

4-1/2 TSP. SALT

5-WATER & OIL FOR FRYING

PROCEDURE:

1-Make a paste of spinach with some water.

2-Take 1 cup wheat flour and sprinkle salt and knead the dough with spinach paste.

3-Set this aside.

4-Squeeze beetroot and pour red water in a bowl,take 1 cup wheat flour and knead a dough with this water.

5-Knead a dough with plain water.

6-Make small puri balls taking all the aata together,roll out and fry in hot oil.

This was the special puri my mom used to serve on Holi.

EASY KACHORI

Kachori is a delicacy which is considered both time consuming and difficult to make especially in modern days.But here is my mom-in-law's simple kachori recipe which is both tasty and quick.I make this kachori often and every one likes it.

INGREDIENTS:

• Aata (wheat flour) 2 cups
• 1 cup soaked urad dal(soak it overnight)
• 1" piece ginger
• Moti saunf 2&1/2 tsp.
• Black pepper 1 tsp.
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp.(optional)It gives a nice color
• Heeng 1/2 tsp.
• Salt
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 2 cloves
• 1 black cardamom
• Water
• Oil for frying

PROCEDURE:

• Grind saunf,black pepper,cloves,cardamom.
• Make a coarse paste of urad dal.
• Add all this in aata,add salt and oil and red chilli powder,grated ginger,heeng and now make a hard dough.
• Roll it out a little thick and fry in hot oil till red,it will take more time than puri.

GRILLED CHICKEN OR ROASTED CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken pieces 8 (pieces should be large)I used breast tenders this time.
• 1 cup yogurt
• 5-6 green pepper
• 1" piece ginger
• 1 & 1/2 garlic(15-18 cloves approx.)
• 3tsp. red chilli powder
• anise or moti saunf 2 tsp.
• poppy seeds or posta dana 1&1/2 tsp.
• roasted cumin powder 1 tsp.
• salt
• 1 lemon
• orange or red color
• 1 tbsp. ghee

PROCEDURE:

• Clean chicken pieces.
• Grind saunf,poppy seeds,ginger-garlic,green pepper and roasted cumin together,make a smooth paste.
• Heat a pan and put chicken,masala,red chilli powder,color,salt and lemon juice.No ghee this time.
• When chicken is cooked and and masala is almost coated over it,add ghee.
• Now grill this on grill plate or roast this in oven,I prefer to grill as it tastes better.If you don't have grill plate,just grill it on non-stick pan.
• This goes good with puri,stuffed paratha or can be an appetizer.

SPICY CHICKEN

This chicken has become my son's favorite these days!His favorite things change season to season so I don't know for how many days it will continue,but these days he never lets me make any other kind of chicken.I brought the drumsticks to make tandoori chicken but he said he would eat only spicy chicken.The pieces were huge and not ideal for gravy recipe but did I have any other option?Actually I made this once for my brother-in-law as it was his birthday and usually he doesn't eat anything on his birthday,observes total fast and this was the first time after his childhood that he was going to eat food.It was a long day for me,I came late from the office and was not sure that he would eat anything,so didn't make any special arrangements before hand,so I decided to make this super easy chicken,the only special effort I put was that I stormed it with a ton of red chilli powder as he loves very hot and spicy food and no-one else in the family can compete with him in eating spicy food!But surprise!This little guy loved this chicken so much that not only he had second serving,but every time he insists of making this only and I'm kind of getting bored of making the same stuff every-time!

INGREDIENTS:

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs 4(cut in pieces) or 4 drumsticks
• 2 big onions thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• yogurt or curd 1/2 cup
• Whole red chill 3
• Bay leaf 1,whole black cardamom 3,cinnamon stick 1"
• Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp.,red chilli powder 6 tsp(blazing hot, you can adjust this according to your taste!){3 tsp. will be decent},Shaan's chicken tikka masala 2&1/2 tsp.,roasted cumin powder 1/2 tsp.,roasted corriander powder 1/2 tsp.,meat masala 1 tsp.
• 2 serving spoon oil,salt according to taste,1 &1/2 cup water.
• Tomato sauce 1/2 cu or 2 medium size tomatoes grated or blended according to your time and convenience.
• 1 tsp. kasoori methi

PROCEDURE:

• Wash chicken and marinate it for at least 1/2 an hour in yogurt,ginger-garlic paste,and all the powder masalas.
• Heat oil in a vessel and add bay leaf,black cardamom and cinnamon and after a couple of seconds add thinly sliced onion.
• Fry onions till it turns pink,add marinated chicken and salt and cover the lid and cook,I make in pressure cooker and I cook it on medium heat till it whistles once.when steam is absorbed,I open the lid.
• On medium heat,cook it while covering and occasionally stirring for 10 minutes,add tomato sauce and cover again.
• Here in U.S. chicken is so watery that it takes more time in bhunai.
• When all water is dried out and oil is separating from all sides,it will take approx. 40 minutes or 30minutes depending on Mr.chicken's condition,add water and let it come to a boil.
• Turn off the heat and add kasoori methi,serve hot with nan or chapatis and rice.

DALIYA KI TAHIRI (CRACKED WHEAT TAHIRI)

This was my mother's favorite tahiri.As nobody (I mean male) was much interested in it,she used to cook it when only females had to eat,in this way everybody used to get the nourishing food without much hassle.It' very simple and quick recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• Daliya or cracked wheat 2 cups
• Green peas 1 cup
• Whole cardamon (black)3,green cardamom 3, cloves 3,cinnamon stick 1/2" piece,mace 1/2,black pepper corns 10,bay leaf 1
• Red chilli powder 2 tsp. or according to taste,salt,turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.,corriander powder 1 tsp.
• Water approx.2 cups
• Oil 3 tbsp.
• Onion 1 big or 1 &1/2 finely chopped.

PROCEDURE:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add bay leaf and all the whole spices except black pepper.
• Then add finely chopped onion and sauté till it turns pink,now add black pepper.
• Put 2 tbsp. of water and add dry spices and salt.
• Fry till it leaves oil,add peas and cook on slow heat for approx.5 minutes.
• Add daliya and fry for another 4-5 minutes.
• Now add water and close the lid with weight and let it whistle once on medium heat,when the steam is absorbed,open the lid and serve it hot.

STUFFED TOMATO IN GRAVY

This is my mother-in-law's recipe and is one of my favorites.People who love hot & spicy food will definitely love it.Here follows the recipe=

Ingredients:

• 4 cluster or on the vine tomatoes
• 1 medium size potato
• 1 tbsp green peas
• 1 tsp. finely chopped cilantro
• 2 medium size onions+ 2 cloves garlic
• salt according to taste
• 2 tsp. red chilli powder+1 tsp.turmeric powder for filling
• 2-3 tsp. red chilli powder,1/2 tsp.turmeric powder,1 tsp. corriander powder for gravy masala.
• 1/2 cup water.
• fenugreek seeds 1 tsp.
• oil approx. 2 serving spoon.

PROCEDURE:

• Chop potato in tiny pieces,heat a pan and in 1 tsp. oil fry fenugreek seeds(methi seeds) till it turns dark brown.
• Add chopped potato,peas and salt,chilli powder & turmeric powder,cover and let it cook.
• When cooked,sprinkle cilantro and let it cool,the filling is ready.
• Now wash the tomatoes and on the top cut it to fill the stuffing,but the top should not be completely detached.
• Scoop out the juice and keep this aside in a bowl to be used later in masala.
• Put the stuffing inside and if a little remains,it will be used in later stage.
• Grind onion-garlic in a blender and in remaining oil,add methi seeds till it turns dark brown and then add onion -garlic paste + all the gravy masala & salt.
• Fry the masala on slow heat for 8-9 nminutes,now add tomato juice and cut portions from the whole tomato and fry till it leaves oil.
• Add leftover stuffing if any ,water and stuffed tomato and cover and cook untill tomatoes become tender.
• Make sure they are not overcooked.
• Enjoy with dal,chapati and rice.