Aloo Palak Ingredients: 3 cups chopped spinach 2 large onoins chopped fine 2 large potatoes boiled and peeled 1 tomato grated 2 green chillies 1" piece ginger 1 tsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour 1 tsp. red chilli powder 1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 2 pinches asafoetida 1/2 tsp. garam masala 1/2 tbsp. butter 4 tbsp. ghee salt to taste METHOD: Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt. Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander. Put in a mixie, add green chilli and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth. Keep aside. Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown. Drain the potatoes, keep aside. In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds. Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender. Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes. Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates. Add spinach and potatoes. When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice Just before s erving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida. Pour over the vegetable and mix gently. Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice. Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in the above dish, instead of atoes. Making time: 45 minutes Makes for: 6 Shelf life: Best fresh
Gobi Manchurian Gobi Manchurian: INGREDIENTS: 1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big Florette. 1 small bunch spring onion finely chopped 2 tsp. ginger finely chopped 1 tsp. garlic finely chopped 1/4 cup plain flour 3 tbsp. cornflour 1/4 tsp. red chilli powder 2 red chillies, dry 3 tbsp. oil 1 1/2 cups water 1 tbsp. milk METHOD: Boil the Florette for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added. Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth. Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp.cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste. Dip the Florette in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside. In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute. Add the salt and spring onions. Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling. Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add Florette and soya sauce. Boil for two more minutes and remove. Serve hot with noodles or rice. Variations: Dry Manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy. Make Florette as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried Florette, spring onions and soya sauce at this stage. Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florette and stirfry for 2 minutes. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilligarlic sauce or tomato sauce. Same procedure for veg. manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced vegetables and bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a ping-pong ball. Fry as above and proceed as above. Making time: 45 minutes Makes for: 6
Recipes of Side-dishes Sindhi Saibhaji: Ingredients: 1 each - carrot, capsicum, onion, small cabbage,potato,brinjal,tomato, ladyfinger (okra) 100 gms. french beans 1/2 bunch each spinach, coriander, khatta (3 leaved) greens. 1/2 bunch any other leafy greens. 1 cup green gram Dal 1/2 cup horsegram dal (channa dal) 4-5 green chillies 2-3 clovettes garlic 1 tsp. red chilli powder 1 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. turmeric 3 tbsp. oil 1/2 tbsp. ghee 2 pinches asafoetida METHOD: Clean and wash dals. Clean, wash and chop spinach and vegetables except tomato. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add all the vegetables, spinach and dals. Mix well, add enough water to cover the contents. Add all masalas and mix. Place whole tomato on top, cover and pressurecook for 3 whistles. Cool the cooker, open and handblend the contents. Heat 1/2 tbsp. ghee add a pinch of asafoetida add to the mashed vegetable. Serve hot with paratha or steamed rice Making time: 30 minutes (excluding cooling time) Makes for: 6
Shahi Paneer Shahi Paneer: Ingredients: 250 gms. paneer (cottge cheese) 3 tbsp. ghee or butter 1 onion chopped into strips 1/2" piece ginger chopped fine 2 green chillies chopped fine 4 tomatoes chopped fine 2 cardamoms crushed 1/4 cup beaten curd 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder 1/2 tsp. garam masala salt to taste 1/2 cup milk 2 tbsp. tomato sauce To garnish: 2 tbsp. grated paneer 1 tbsp. chopped coriander Method: Chop the paneer into 2" fingers. Heat half the ghee. Add onion,ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, covered. Add curd and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cool. Blend in a mixie till smooth. Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer. Boil to get a very thick gravy. Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander and grated Paneer. Making time: 45 minutes. Makes for: 6
Potato in Curd Gravy Potato in Curd Gravy: Ingredients: 3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled 1 cup curd or yogurt beaten 1 tsp. red chilli powder 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. dhania powder 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder 1/4 tsp. garam masala 2 pinches asafoetida 1 stalk curry leaves 1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped 1 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp. each ginger, garlic grated 2 green chillies slit 1 tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds 1/4 tsp. wheat flour 1 tbsp. oil Method: Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside. Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup water. Heat oil. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they splutter, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves. Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes. Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd. Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well. Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with thin wheat chappaties and rice. Making time: 30 minutes. Makes for: 5
