Jain Ghatta Surprise - A Rajasthani Dish. By Jain, I mean, onion & garlic are not added. Lauki, grated - 3 cups Besan - As given below Curds - 1 cup Oil - 4 tbsp Saunf - 1 tsp ( optional) Methi seeds - 1 tsp Hing - ½ tsp Chilli powdewr - 2 tsp Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp Mint leaves, chopped - few Salt, haldi Grate lauki, cook for 1 whistle in a pressure pan. Squeeze & add to besan, little salt & haldi. Add I tbsp oil & knead everything, adding warm water if necessary. When you knead, you will be able to determine the amount of besan needed. You should be able to roll into long rolls – that is the consistency. Roll into 1” thick & 6” long rolls. Put the rolls in boiling water & allow to boil. When they start floating, take them out & cut into 1” pieces. Now the ghattas are ready. Reserve the strained water after removing the rolls. Heat the remaining oil, add methi seeds, saunf & the masalas. Lower the flame for a mte. Add curds, simmer stirring continuously, till oil starts floating. Mix the reserved water & boil for sometime. Add ghattas & simmer for a few mts. Garnish with chopped mint leaves ( this is optional ). Goes well with rice as well as parathas.
Jain Moong - goes with pulaos & parathas ! By Jain, I mean onion & garlic are not added. I am giving this recipe with sprouted moong, since I always sprout the same & make. This can be made with plain whole moong also.The choice is yours. If using whole moong, fry very lightly & soak for 8 hrs. Moong sprouts - 1 cup Oi or ghee - 2 tbsp Tomatoes - 4, deskin & chop Jeera 1 tsp Hing 1 tsp Chilli powder 2 tsp Dhania powder 3 tsp Salt, haldi, Coriander leaves (chopped ) - 2 tbsp Heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil in a pressure pan, add jeera, hing and haldi. Fry till golden & add chilli powder, dhania powder and finely chopped tomatoes in that order. When all ingredients are well fried add sprouts, 2 cups of water,salt & close the cooker & put the weight. Cook for 3 whistles. Cool ,open, add 1 tsp ghee ( this makes it delicious! ) and add chopped coriander leaves. Goes with plain parathas & vegetable pulao.
Instant Kurma – shall we call it a “ kurma revolution” ? This recipe was shared with me by my dear friend Devanai, who makes it in bulk dutifully & sends it to her daughter, nieces & nephews living inthe U S. This recipe is literally a “ child’s play “ with mixed frozen vegetables & the kurma mix ! The following powder may be made & kept for instant use. Saunf - ½ cup ( this gives a fairly strong flavour. So, to suit your taste, you can decrease it or omit it totally).This is known as sombu or perunjeerakam in tamil. Jeera - ¼ cup Khus khus - ¼ cup Cashewnuts - ½ cup Green chillies ( chopped & sun - dried) - 4 cups Cardamom - 10 Cloves - 10 Fried gram ( pottu kadalai) - 2 cups Dry chopped green chillies in the sun till crisp & ready to be powdered. Dry roast each of the other ingredients separately. Grind fine in the mixi & preserve. This is the instant kurma powder. Grind 2 tbsp of this powder with 1 cup grated coconut - this is the kurma paste for 3 cups of mixed vegetables. This can be made with mixed vegetables like carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, potato, corn, baby corn etc. or with only cauliflower or corn. Chopped vegetables - 3 cups Tomatoes - 3, chopped Onions - 2, chopped Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp ( optional) Curds - ½ - 1 cup ( churned) Salt Oil - 1 tbsp Steam the vegetables & keep ready. Grind 1 cup grated coconut with 2 tbsp kurma powder. In a pressure pan, heat oil & fry onions. When they turn transparent, add ginger-garlic paste, followed by chopped tomatoes. Fry till the tomatoes turn soft. Now add the steamed vegetables, ground paste, ½ cup of water & salt. Close the cooker, keep the weight & cook for one whistle. Cool, open & add the churned curds. Mix well & remove. Note: This can be prepared as a Jain dish, omitting onions & ginger-garlic paste – it tastes very good. Saunf can be completely omitted, by choice. Since the green chillies are sufficient in quantity to give a spicy taste, red chilli powder is not necessary.
Babycorn Delicious - crunchy & tasty ! This can be made with mixed vegetables also. Babycorn, chopped 1” long - 3 cups Tomatoes - 2 big, deskin & puree Oil - 3 tbsp Salt, sugar Cream - little, optional Fry in 1 tsp ghee & grind to a paste: Grated coconut - ½ cup Dhaniya seeds - 1 tbsp Jeera - 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon - 2 “ Cloves - 3 Pepper - ½ tsp Garlic cloves - 5 Red chillies - 7,8 Khus khus - 3 tsp Onion - 1 Steam babycorn pieces till tender. In a pressure pan, heat oil & fry the masala paste for 2 mts. Add tomato puree & babycorn. Add salt & a little sugar. Pressure cook for one whistle. Cool, open & add cream. Serve with pulao or paratha.
Jain Potato-Pumpkin Sour Sabji - called Khatte alu-kaddu. By Jain, I mean onion & garlic are not added. This is a dry dish of U P , served with puris. Panch phoren is a mixture of ½ tsp each of mustard seeds, methi seeds, ajwain, jeera & 1 tsp saunf. This recipe changes with each state & some prefer to add kalonji ( onion seeds ) instead of saunf. This is one’s choice. Medium potatoes, peeled & quartered - 250 gms Ripe yellow pumpkin, pared & cut into, same size cubes - ½ kg Green chillies - 3 Oil - 3 tbsp Chilli powder - ½ tsp ( or more to taste) Panch phoren - ½ tsp Curd- 2 tbsp Amchur powder - 1 tsp Salt, haldi In a pressure pan, heat oil. Add panch phoran & then the potatoes. Stir for 3-4 mts & then add curds Saute for a few mts to soften the potatoes slightly & then add all other ingredients. Fry well & add ½ cup of water. Cook for 2 whistles. Note: If you prefer it to be more sour, add 2 tsp tamarind paste instead of curds & amchur powder.
Sag Paneer:- Goes with chappathis as well as pulaos. Spinach - 2 big bunches –( chopped – 3 cups ) Onions - 2 big, sliced thin Ginger - two, 1” pieces, thinly sliced Green chillies - 4,5 slit Tomatoes - 4 , chopped Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (or to taste) Garam masala - ¼ tsp Pepper powder - ½ tsp Salt Curds - 1 cup Paneer cut into cubes - 200gms ( shallow fry in 2 tbsp ghee or oil ) Ghee (or oil) - 2 tbsp. Coriander leaves - few, chopped Clean, wash & chop greens fine. In a kadai, heat ghee, add onions, green chillies & ginger. When they are fried, add tomatoes & continue to fry till they become pulpy. Now add chopped greens, salt , red chilli powder & haldi. When they have all boiled & blended, add curds. Simmer, add pepper powder & garam masala. Mix, add chopped coriander leaves & fried paneer pieces.