Dal Fry (Restaurant Style)

Ingredients:

Toor dal 1/2 cup
Chana dal 1/4th cup
Moong dal 2 tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Ghee 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Hing
Garlic cloves 4 crushed
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves few
Onion 1 small chopped
Tomato 1 medium chopped medium size
Kasoori methi 1 tsp
Lemon juice 1.5 tsp
Green chillies 3
Salt

Method:

1. Boil all the dals by adding water, oil and Turmeric powder and mash then fully.
2. Heat ghee in a pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, Hing,  red chillies, curry leaves, green chillies, crushed garlic, then add onions and cook till they turn light brown.
3. Now add the tomatoes, mix well. Don't let them become mushy.
4. Add the dal and water as required, salt, lemon juice and cook for few mins.
5. Finally sprinkle crushed Kasoori methi on top, give it a mix and garnish with Coriander leaves.
6. Serve hot with pulka, Paratha or any rice.

Bhindi ka Raitha

I used to use mostly cucumber ,onion, tomatoes etc only earlier in Raitha. These days I am trying to make different types of Raitha so that I won't get bored. Here is one such recipe...Bhindi ka Raitha...its so yummy and goes well with any Paratha, Pulao or even to eat just like that...do try it out...

Ingredients:

Bhindi 250gms
Yogurt 1 cup
Chat masala 1/4th tsp
Salt
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp

For tempering:

Oil 1 tsp
Urad dal 1/2 tsp (Don't add more as they dominate the crispy taste of Bhindi)
Hing 1/4th tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Red chilli 1
Curry leaves few

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in non stock pan.
2. Wash and pat dry bhindi and chop them in very thin circles or cut little slant way so they will be in oval shape and thin.
3. Add them to the pan and cook in medium heat for little longer till they turn nice and crispy and sprinkle some salt at the last.
4. Whisk yogurt in a bowl, add salt, sugar and chat masala and mix well.
5. Now make the tempering with the given ingredients and add to the yogurt.
6. Add the Bhindi to Yogurt just before serving so that they remain crispy.

Cabbage Paratha

I am not a great fan of Cabbage but as it's very healthy vegetable, I try to incorporate it into my diet in any way that hides the fact that it's Cabbage...LOL...here is one such recipe...Cabbage Paratha...had it with Bhindi ka Raitha and Dal Fry...great combo...

Ingredients:

Cabbage (grate it fine or best is to roughly grind it in mixi so that it will be easy to roll into Paratha) - 2 cups
Wheat flour - 2-3 cups approx
Green chillies 4
Garlic cloves 4
Mint leaves fistful (optional, you can also use chopped coriander leaves)
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Chat masala 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Salt
Oil

Method:

1. Grind green chillies, garlic, mint leaves in mixi by adding salt.
2. Now add big cubes of cabbage to the same mixi and grind for few seconds.
3. Now add chat masala, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt if needed to this paste in a bowl.
4. Now keep adding enough flour to this and make the dough. Apply oil on top and leave for 20 mins.
5. Now roll the dough balls into Paratha and cook by applying oil or ghee.
6. Serve hot with any Raitha or curry of your choice. We had it with Bhindi ka Raitha and Dal Fry.
7. This recipe makes around 10 Parathas.

Gongura Mutton (Lamb curry with Sorrel Leaves)

Ingredients :

Tender baby lamb 1/2 kg
Oil 1 tsp+2 tbsp
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Mace 1 inch piece
Onions 2 medium finely chopped
Green chillies 3
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Gongura leaves 2-3 cups fully packed

To Marinate :
1 / 2 cup yogurt
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Lemon juice 1.5 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Salt

To grind:
Cloves 4
Cinnamon 1 inch piece
Green cardamom 5
Bay leaf 1
Star anise 1
Poppy seeds 1.5 tsp

Method:

1. Cut lamb into small cubes and Marinate in the ingredients given for 30 mins.
2. Dry roast the ingredients given for grinding, cool and grind.
3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker and add fennel seeds and then add marinated lamb and cook till lamb is fully cooked.
4. Heat remaining oil in a nonstick pan, add cumin seeds, mace, and then add onions, salt and cook till they turn slightly brown.
5. Now add green chillies and roughly chopped gongura leaves and cook till gongura is fully cooked.
6. Now add coriander powder , cumin powder and the ground masala powder and mix well.
7. Now add the cooked lamb, mix well, adjust salt/chilli powder and then cook for another 5-10 mins in low - medium flame till the lamb gets the tangy flavour of gongura.
8. You can leave it with more gravy or increase the flame at the end to make it look more dryish so that all the gongura masala gets stuck to the lamb pieces which I prefer.
9. Serve hot with rice or pulka.

Avocado Pasta

Ingredients:

1 cup spaghetti pasta
Olive oil 1 tsp
Carrots 1/4 th cup
Sweet corn 1/4th cup
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Salt
Parmesan cheese

To grind:
1  Avocado medium size
Fresh mint leaves fistful
Garlic cloves 3
Olive oil 1 tsp
Green chillies 2
Lime juice 2 tbsp
Salt

Method :

1. Make the paste with all the ingredients to grind.
2. Boil water with some salt and then add spaghetti and cook as required and then drain.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add carrots, sweet corn and any other veggies like broccoli, beans, asparagus etc and sauté till they are cooked by adding some salt and pepper powder.
4. Now add the ground paste, half cup water and mix well.
5. Now add the pasta and toss it well.
6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and serve hot.

Kale Paratha

Ingredients:

Kale 1 cup fully packed
Wheat flour 1 cup approx
Green chillies 2
Garlic cloves 4
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Sesame seeds 1 tsp
Olive oil 1.5 tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Chat masala 1/2 tsp
Ajwain seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, then add garlic cloves, green chillies and then washed and chopped kale and some salt and cook till kale becomes soft.
2. Now cool and grind it into smooth paste by adding 2 tsp water as needed to grind.
3. Now add flour and other ingredients to this paste and make the dough.
4. Take little portion of this dough and make into Paratha and cook on tawa by applying ghee or oil as needed
5. Serve hot.