Gavar( guvar) ki sabji

This is my personal favourite, which I learnt from a Marwari neighbour in India. The nutty gravy with a dash of tamarind gives it just the right taste to satisfy my south Indian taste buds !

Gavar - about 400gms chopped ( I used the frozen packet)

tamrind - about one medium lemon size ball

peanut powder( roasted and ground not very smooth) - 1 cup

hing - a pinch

red chilli pdr - 2 tsp

turmeric pdr- 1/2 tsp

dhania pdr- 2 tsp

garam masala pdr - 1/2 tsp

salt

cooking oil - 1 tbsp

jeera seeds - 1 tsp

Heat a pressure cooker, add oil and jeera. Once it starts spluttering, add hing and immediately add the gavar. Stir it for a minute or two. once it is coated with the oil, add turmeric, red chilli pdr, dhania pdr and fry for 5 minutes. In the mean time extract the pulp of the tamarind after soaking it in water for some time ( I used the ready made tamarind paste - 1 tbsp). Add this to the gavar and add 1 cup water only if you are using the ready made paste. put the cooker lid on and wait till one whistle and remove it from heat immediately. Once it cools enough to open the lid, add peanut powder, garam masala, salt and adjust the rest of the masalas as per your taste and boil it for 3-4 minutes. Serve it with hot rotis, which is how we love to eat it.

Daal Makhani

This is how I make Daal Makhani which is adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe and is a favourite with the 2Bs and even at the parties everyone asks me the recipe for this !

Whole urad dal - 1 cup

rajma ( kidney beans) - 1/4 cup

Butter- 2 tbsp

onion finely chopped- 1

ginger garlic paste- 3 tsp

tomato paste- 2 tbsp or two chopped tomatoes

cream - 50ml

red chilli pdr- 1 to 2 tsp

garam masala pdr- 1 tsp

Soak daal and rajma overnight and pressure cook till soft. Mash it and keep aside. In a pan heat the butter and add chopped onions. Fry till golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and stir for a couple of minutes. Then add the tomotoes or tomato paste, red chilli pdr and let it cook untill the fat seperates. Keep stiring from time to time to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. Then add the cooked daal, add some water if it is too thick. And bring it to a boil. Add cream and garam masala pdr and simmer for 5 mins.

We had it with hot rotis for dinner :-)

2BM's Alu-matar-methi-malai :-)

I know, I know wierd name but thats because this is my own creation ! I have seen people cooking curries in their cooker not just using it for steaming. One day I decided to try it and this is what I came up with. I have been making this for a last year or two and even cooked it for my buajis on Litle A's birthday when I last visited Hyderabad because they dont even eat onions or garlic and they couldnt believe that it didnt have any of that and thought it was just great ! Infact I have recieved a lot of compliments for this simple, yet, great tasting dish. So I made up a name for it based in its main ingredients.

3-4 Potatoes ( peeled and chopped in not too small pieces otherwise they will get all mashed)

1cup- peas ( I use the frozen peas)

2tbsp cooking oil

1tsp jeera

cream- 50ml

1tbsp - kasuri methi

whole garam masala ( bay leaf-1, cinnamon stick 1', cardomom pods-4, whole black pepper-6 )

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add jeera. when it splutters, add the whole garam masala stir it for a secone or two and add the chopped potatoes and peas. Stir for about 2-3 mins. add all turmeric pdr, chilli pdr and stir for another 2 min. add 1 cup water and put the lid on and let it whislte once only. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Open it , stir and add the cream, garam masala powder, kasuri methi and salt and bring it to a boil. Adjust the masalas as per your taste and its ready to eat with hot rotis or paranthas. I made puris with it last night as a special treat for the kids since only those two were having dinner and me and hubby were fasting !

Dalcha

This is a Hyderabadi dish and can be a kaddu( lauki ) dalcha or baigan dalcha. It goes well with jeera rice for dinner. If I am really in a 'cooking' mood ( which doesnt happen very often) I also make alu fry as an accompaniment otherwise just fry some papads. I prefer the kaddu dalcha( lauki or bottle guard) better simply for the reason that I dont like baigan ( eggplant) much. But last night I made the baigan ka dalcha when I saw some fresh eggplants at the vege shop.

You will need:

1/2 cup - chana dal
1/2 cup - toor dal
2-3 long eggplants or half lauki cut into not too small pieces
1 lemon size ball of tamarind ( I use the ready made tamarind paste -I love convenience ! )
a few curry leaves
1 or 2 green chiliies
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste ( again I use ready made ones available in Indian grocery stores)
1 tsp chilli pdr
1/2 tsp turmeric pdr
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp jeera ( cumin )
salt

Pressure cook the dals together. add 2 cups of water, slit green chillies, curry leaves, tamarind juice and let it boil. On the other side, heat a pan and add oil. put jeera and let it splutter then add baigan or lauki pieces and stir. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli pdr and stir and leave it for a 2-3 mins. Now add the boiling daal in it, salt to taste and let it simmer on low heat for 10 - 15 mins or untill the oil floats on top. I also add a one inch stick of dalchini( cinnamon) just before switching off the stove and cover it - it gives a nice flavour.

Simple Bhindi

I love this simple recipe of Bhindi ( okra ). This recipe is from The spice who loved me and i have made it several times, infact its one of my favourite recipe for bhindi fry now :-)

Ingredients:

1/2 kg bhindi ( okra ) - I used fresh as the frozen ones I tried were not good at all, so I dont use frozen bhindi anymore.

1 tbsp - cooking oil

1/4 tsp - haldi ( turmeric ) pdr

1/2 tsp - pickle masala ( I got it from Indian grocery store )

a pinch - hing

1/4 tsp - jeera ( cumin seeds )

salt to taste

Heat a pan on the stove top and put oil in it. Add jeera, when it splutters, add hing and then haldi powder. Stir fry for 1/2 a min. Add chopped bhindi. Fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the pickle powder and salt ( I didnt add sugar which is the only variation I did from the original recipe and didnt use whole okra either ). Cook without the lid till the bhindi softens a little and take it off the stove.

Its ready and we ate it with daal and roti for dinner last night.

Banana and choc chip muffins

I make these atleast once a fortnigh or sometimes even once a week as they are great for morning tea time in 2B's lunch boxes.

I got this recipe from recipezaar I think, not sure, but did my own few variations and they come out perfect.

Will need:

2 eggs ( since we dont even eat eggs, I use Organ's 'no eggs, egg replacer' )

2 ripe bananas

1/4 cup oil

1 cup low fat milk

3/4 cup soft brown sugar

1 cup standard flour+1 and half cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp Baking powder

1/2 cup choc chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Mix liquids, then mashed bananas ( I use fork to mash bananas) and sugar lightly. then add flour, baking powder and choc chips. Don't over mix. bake in the oven for 15-18mins. Cool for 2 mins and take out. Goes well with cup of coffee too :-)

Palak Paneer

This one is another favourite at our home, Bunty and Bubbly both love paneer and its very simple to make too. So here's my recipe of easy-peasy Palak Paneer.

500 gm- paneer cubes ( I used Taj's frozen paneer that you can get at any Indian grocery shop )1 bunch - palak ( spinach - washed and roughly chopped)

1' - ginger ( shopped )

1 - tomato

3 - green chillies ( or 2 , but I like it spicy so I used 3 )

1 - finely chopped onion

1/2 tsp - jeera ( cumin seeds)

100 ml - cream

1 tsp - jeera powder

Heat a pan on the stove top and put the spinach, gree chillies and ginger in it and let it cook till spinach softens a little ( it takes about 5 minutes on medium heat ). Add chopped tomato and let it cool. Grind all together in a blender and keep aside.

In another pan, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil, add jeera. When it splutters, add onions and cook till it turns golden brown. Now add the blended gravy and a cup of water if the gravy is too thick - bring it to boil and then add the paneer and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add cream and simmer for 2 more minutes and serve it hot with roti or naan.