Bihari Tomato Chutney

Courtesy Anjana Kumar aka Ma

Serves four

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 table spoon mustard oil
• 3 green chili chopped finely
• 2 table spoons finely chopped ginger
• 2 table spoons finely chopped garlic
• 3 table spoons finely chopped coriander
• 1 table spoon lemon juice
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• Small onion chopped finely

How to :

1. Roast the tomatoes on fire till the skin starts to turn charred.
2. Mash the tomatoes into a chunky chutney
3. Add the oil, salt, pepper, chili, ginger, garlic, onion, coriander and lemon juice and mix well.

Serving suggestion

• Serve with Khichdi

Bihari Aloo Bharta

Courtesy Anjana Kumar aka Ma

Serves four

Ingredients

• 2 large boiled skinned potatoes
• 1 table spoon mustard oil
• 3 green chili chopped finely
• Salt to taste
• Small onion chopped finely

How to :

1. Mash the potatoes such that there are no lumps.
2. Add the oil, salt, chili and onion and mix well.

Serving suggestion

• Serve with Khichdi

Bihari Baigan Bharta

Courtesy Anjana Kumar aka Ma

Serves four

Ingredients

• 1 large sized Indian Eggplant
• 1 table spoon mustard oil
• 3 green chili chopped finely
• 2 table spoons finely chopped ginger
• 2 table spoons finely chopped garlic
• 3 table spoons finely chopped coriander
• 1 table spoon lemon juice
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• Small onion chopped finely

How to :

1. Roast the eggplant on fire till the skin starts to turn charred.
2. Remove the skin completely from the eggplant and discard
3. Make a lumpy mash of the eggplant.
4. Add the oil, salt, pepper, chili, ginger, garlic, onion, coriander and lemon juice and mix well.

Serving suggestion

• Serve with Khichdi

Khichdi

Courtesy Anjana Kumar aka Ma

Serves four

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 1 1/2 cup lentil - mallka or masoor
• 6 cups hot water
• One large onion - sliced very finely
• 4 bay leaves
• One large dried red chili 
• 1 table spoon cumin
• 1 tea spoon turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 2 table spoons Ghee or Oil

How to :

1. Soak the rice and daal/lentil in hot water for 30 minutes
2. In a thick bottom pot heat the ghee or oil and add the bay leaves, cumin and red chili and let it sputter
3. Add the thinly sliced onions and let it saute till the onion starts to turn crispy brown
4. Add the salt and turmeric and stir in for 15 seconds. 
5. Add the soaked rice, daal and water and bring to a boil.
6. Cook for about 25 minutes till the rice and daal are well cooked to almost a mush.

Serving suggestion

• Serve with Bihari Baigan Bharta, Bihari Aloo Bharta, Bihari Tomato Chutney, Papad, Pickles and Yogurt

Indo-Chinese Vegetable Noodles

Serves four

Ingredients

• 1 cup French cut Green Beans
• 1 cup finely shredded Carrots
• 1/2 cup thinly slices Capsicum
• 1 cup chopped Mushrooms
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 big onion cut into rings
• 250 gms thin noodles - boiled with a little salt and oil and strained
• Salt to taste
• Ajinomoto/MSG optional
• Pinch of black pepper
• 4 tblsp. Soy sauce
• 2 tblsp. Tomato Ketchup 
• 1 tblsp. green chili sauce (I prefer Ching's)
• 2 tablespoon Oil
• Spring Onions - chopped finely

How to :

1. In a non stick frying pan put two tablespoons of oil and heat. 
2. Saute the onion rings for 3-5 minutes till translucent.
3. Add the beans, capsicum, carrot and mushrooms and stir fry for 10 minutes on medium flame. 
4. Add the noodles, cabbage, salt, MSG and black pepper and mix thoroughly.
5. Stir fry for 5 minutes on low flame with a closed lid.
6. Stir in the Ketchup, Soy and Chili Sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with Spring onions and serve

Tips

• As Soy Sauce has its own salt go easy on table salt or add it at the end

Serving Suggestion

• Best eaten with Chilli Paneer or Gobhi Manchurian or Dry Tofu dishes
• You can serve with finely chopped green chili marinated in vinegar for the spice lovers
• Top it with soft scrambled eggs just before you serve

Spicy Egg Curry

Serves four

Ingredients

• 4 shelled hard boiled eggs
• 2 medium sized potatoes cut to medium sized cubes
• Wet Ground Masala

• One large Onion
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger piece
• 10 cloves garlic

• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 4 tablespoon Oil
• Dried Fenugreek leaves

How to :

1. In a hot pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and shallow fry the boiled eggs until they are golden red. Keep the eggs aside for now.
2. Puree all contents under Wet Ground Masala in a blender. 
3. In a frying pan put two table spoon oil and heat. 
4. Saute all the potatoes for 5 minutes. 
5. In a non stick pan put 2 table spoon oil and heat.
6. Pour the pureed contents into the hot oil and saute for 20 minutes or more on medium flame, stirring frequently till the oil starts to separate out in the pan. 
7. Add the salt, turmeric and chili powder and cook for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle water when needed to make sure that the spices don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
   
8. Add the dried fenugreek, eggs, curry and 500 ml water to the pan. 
9. Boil for 10 minutes till the gravy thickens.
   

Serving Suggestion
 

Best eaten with Roti or Parathas or Rice

Baigan (Eggplant) Chakka

Courtesy Anjana Kumar (aka Mommy)


Serves four

Ingredients

• 2  Chinese Eggplants
  
• Spice mix
  
• 2 table spoons ginger garlic paste
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
  
• 1 tsp red chili powder
  
• 1 tsp cumin powder 
• 1 tsp coriander powder 
• 1 tsp Aamchur powder or 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 tsp asafoetida powder
  
• 2 tablespoons oil
  

How to :

1. Mix all contents under Spice mix in a bowl and add 2 tablespoon  water to make a thick paste. 
2. Cut the eggplants into 1-2 inches thick circular wheels 
3. Fork the eggplant slices or poke with tooth pick.
   
4. Drizzle oil generously in a non-stick shallow pan and heat.
   
5. Dip the eggplant slices in the spice mix and coat on both sides. 
6. Place the slices on the heated pan surface in a single layer with enough space to ease flipping. If all the slices do not fit on the pan, cook in batches.
   
Cover the pan and cook on reduced flame for 10 minutes till one side is reddish brown. 
8. Drizzle oil on top of eggplant slices before flipping over.
9. Repeat step 7. Before removing the eggplants from the pan you can cook uncovered to remove excess water if any.

Tip:


You can cut thick slices of onions, potatoes or green peppers and dip in any leftover spice mix and saute in the same pan to serve with the eggplants.


Serving Suggestion
 

• Best eaten with Roti or Parathas

Lauki Raita

Serves Six

Ingredients

• 1 small lauki/doodhi (Image)
  
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  
• Salt to Taste
  
• 1 tea spoon dry roasted cumin powder
  
• two pinches crushed black pepper
  
• 2 green chillies - chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon oil 
• 2 cups beaten yogurt

How to :

1. Chop the lauki/doodhi very finely or alternatively thick grate it.
   
2. In a non-stick deep pot - add the oil and let the cumin and mustard seeds sputter.
   
3. Add the chopped lauki, salt, pepper and cumin powder and cover on low flame for 15 minutes till the lauki is soft or mushy.
Remove from fire and let it cool. 
5. Add the lauki into the beaten yogurt and mix well. Keep refrigerated.
   

Serving Suggestion :

Serve with stuffed parathas, naan, or just as accompaniment to any meal

Cracked Wheat (Daliya) Upma

Serves Two

Ingredients

• Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  
• Potato - 1 medium, chopped into small pieces
  
• 1 big Onion - chopped
  
• 1 big Tomato - chopped
  
• 3 green chillies - chopped finely
• 1/2 cup peas
• Small piece of ginger chopped finely
  
• Oil
• Salt to taste
  
• Pinch of black pepper
  
• 1 and 1/2 cup cracked wheat -dry roasted five minutes till it turns reddish
  
• 3 cups hot water
  
• 20 Peanuts - roasted and crushed coarsely
  
• 1/2 cup chopped Coriander
  

How to :

1. In a non-stick deep pot - add the oil and let the cumin, mustard oil and curry leaves sputter.
   
2. Add the potatoes and cook till the potatoes are golden red.
   
3. Add the chopped onions and ginger now and cook and cover till the potatoes are soft and onions are translucent.
   
4. Now add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies, peas and salt and cook covered for 5 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy.
   
5. Add the pepper powder and cook for two more minutes.
   
6. Add the roasted wheat to this and stir it in with the rest of the ingredients.
   
7. Now add the hot water and mix the contents.
8. Cook covered on a medium to low flame for 15 minutes, stirring once in a while
   
9. Now add the crushed peanuts and coriander and mix.
   
10. Cook till it is slightly dry.

Serving Suggestion
 

• Best served with green coriander or garlic chutney

Aloo Matar Anda (Potato Peas Egg) in Coconut curry

Courtesy Tanya Sarang

Serves Four

Ingredients

• 8 eggs hard boiled and sauteed in very little oil till the outer layer is golden brown.
• 2 medium potatoes cubed into 8 pieces each
• 1 ½ cup of shelled peas
• ½ Coconut – coarsely grated
• Ginger – 1 inch piece coarsely chopped
• Garlic -10 cloves coarsely chopped
• 2 medium Onions – chopped finely
• 2 medium tomatoes – chopped finely
• 2 green chilis – chopped finely
• Salt
• Powdered spices – 1 table spoon garam masala, 1 tea spoon turmeric and 1 Maggi Bullion
• 4 table spoon oil
• Half cup of finely chopped coriander for garnishing

How to

• Put two table spoons of oil in a deep pan and fry the chopped onion, garlic and ginger till golden brown
• Now add the grated coconut and sautee till the coconut is slightly brown.
• Grind this mix in a mixie and create a puree.
• Put two table spoons of oil in a deep pan and fry the rest of the chopped onion till golden brown
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and green chili and the powdered spices and cook till it is mushy.
• Add the pureed coconut, onion, garlic and ginger into the pan and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame, stirring occasionally, till it mixes well.
• Now add the peas and potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes
• Add 2 cups of water and the eggs and boil for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander and serve

Garam Masala

Courtesy Tanya Sarang

Ingredients

To Dry Grind

• 2 bay leaves
• 5 green cardamom
• 2 black cardamom
• 2 table spoons cumin
• 2 table spoons corriander seeds
• 2 table spoons poppy seeds
• 1 piece of cardamom
• 5 black pepper
• 10 cloves
• 5 red chillis

How to

• Slow dry roast and grind to a powder.

Punjabi Chole (chickpeas) Recipe

Courtesy Anjali Aggarwal

Serves Four

Ingredients

• Chick Peas – 1 ½ cups – soaked overnight
• Onion – 1 large – chopped finely
• Ginger – 1 inch piece – 3/4^th brunoise, 1/4^th julienne
• Garlic -10 cloves – brunoise
• Tomato – 2 medium – chopped finely
• Salt
• Powdered spices – 1 tea spoon chilli powder, 1 table sp cumin powder, 1 table spoon coriander powder, 1 tea spoon garam masala
• Whole spices – 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves, 2 big black cardamoms, 1 inch piece cinnamon tied in a muslin cloth AND 5 small green cardamoms
• 1 table spoon Amchur powder
• 2 table spoon oil
• Half cup of finely chopped coriander for garnishing

How To

1. Put the soaked Chick Peas, chopped onion, tomatoes, salt, brunoise ginger and garlic and the whole spices (the ones tied in muslin and the green cardamoms) in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water (the peas should be just about immersed in the water) in a pressure cooker and cook at medium flame for three whistles.
2. Let the cooker cool and then open and remove the muslin with the whole spices.
3. In a shallow pan add the oil and heat on medium flame.
4. Add the julienne ginger and saute for one minute, then add the ingredients under ‘Powdered spices’ and saute on low flame for 1 minute. Now add this to the chick peas and mix well.
5. Put the chick peas on medium flame and cook for a few more minutes to allow the spices and chick peas to mix well.
6. In another pan – dry roast the Amchur till it is coffee colored। Now add this to the chick peas and cook for a few more minutes.

Serving Suggestion :

1. Garnish with coriander and serve with puris, bhatura or kulchas.

Amaranthus (Cholai saag) Coconut Milk Curry

Courtesy Nibha Kumar (aka Nitu)

Ingredients

• 150 gms amaranthus
• 11/2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 medium sized onion,chopped
• 3 cm piece ginger ,chopped
• 10 green chillies,chopped
• 1 stalk curry leaves
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup coconut milk(1st extract)

How to

1. Wash amaranthus and chop finely
2. Heat oil in pan and sprinkle mustard seeds ,when it starts sputtering add onion ,ginger,green chillies and curry leaves and fry till onions turn translucent.
3. Mix amaranthus, pepper and salt and cover pan and cook over low heat for 5 mins
4. Pour in coconut milk and cook for two mins.

Karela Chana (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Black Bengal Gram)

Courtesy Anjana Kumar (aka Mummy, Mumma, Ma)

Ingredients

• 1 cup black chick peas soaked over night
• 2 dried red chili (khadi mirchi)
  
• 2 big size Karela (Bitter Gourd)
• 1 big onion - chopped finely
  
• 10 cloves Garlic and 1/2 inch ginger ground to a fine paste
  
• 4 tablespoons oil
  
• Salt to taste
  
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  
• 1 tsp Red Chili
  
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
  
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
  

How to :

1. In a non-stick deep pot - add the oil and let the cumin and red chili sputter.
   
2. Add the chopped onions and saute till golden brown.
   
3. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for another 6 minutes till the paste starts to leave the surface of the cooker.
   
4. Now add the salt and all the powdered spices like coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili.
   
5. Cook for several minutes till everything mixes well.
   
6. Now add the black chick peas, minimum water and close to pressure cook. On medium flame cook till u hear two whistles.
   
7. Take the karela and slit it lengthwise and remove all seeds and contents from inside the karela. Now boil it in salty water for 10 minutes.
   
8. After cooling the karela, stuff it with the seeds and the cooked chick peas.
   
9. Now heat oil in a shallow frying pan and lay down the karelas lengthwise to shallow fry the karela. Let the Karelas get crispy brown on the outside.
   
10. Serve with Rotis or Parathas.
    

Poha (Spicy Rice Flakes)

Serves Two

Ingredients

• Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  
• Potato - 1 medium, chopped into small pieces
  
• 1 big Onion - chopped
  
• 1 big Tomato - chopped
  
• 3 green chillies - chopped finely
  
• Oil
• Salt to taste
  
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 and 1/2 cup thick rice flakes - soaked for a few minutes and then drained of water
  
• 20 Peanuts - roasted and crushed coarsely
  
• 1/2 cup chopped Coriander
  

How to :

1. In a non-stick deep pot - add the oil and let the cumin, mustard oil and curry leaves sputter.
   
2. Add the potatoes and cook till the potatoes are golden red.
   
3. Add the chopped onions now and cook and cover till the potatoes are soft and onions are translucent.
   
4. Now add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies and salt and cook covered for 5 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy.
   
5. Now add the turmeric powder and cook for two more minutes.
   
6. Now add the rice flakes and mix it evenly and cook for a few minutes more.
7. Now add the crushed peanuts and mix.
   
8. Finally add the chopped coriander. Cook for a minute and ready to serve.
   
9. Best served with green coriander or garlic chutney
   

Aloo Gobhi Masala

Ingredients

• Potato - 2 medium, cut into 6 pc. each
• 1 Cauliflower
• 3 Bay Leaf
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seed Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 cup Cooking Oil
• 2 cups Water
• 7 pc, slit into half Green Chili
• 1 large finely cut Tomato
• 1/2 inch, grated Ginger
• 1 tsp Ghee
• 1 tbsp Coconut

Steps

1. Cut the cauliflower flowerets into big to medium sizes. Wash it and keep it aside. Cut the potaoes into cubes and stab with toothpick.
2. Add a pinch of salt and turmeric to the potato cubes and cauliflower pieces and leave to dry a little
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and deep fry the potatoes till golden red. Keep it aside.
4. Then fry the cauliflower in the same oil till it gets light brown. Keep it aside.
5. Grind cumin seeds, coriander, ginger, two bay leaves, three green chili and coconut with little water to a fine paste.
6. Add oil to a pot and add Bay leaf and cumin seeds. Fry for 1 minute in medium heat.
7. Add the ground masala paste and four green chili Cook for a couple of minutes.
8. Add tomato pieces and cook for a minute. Add 1 teaspoon ghee and garam masala and cook till well fried.
9. Add the fried cauliflower, potatoes, silted green chilies, salt, and rest of water. Bring it to boil. Reduce heat and cook till the potatoes are properly cooked. Serve with hot rice or chapatti.