Baingan Ka Bharta (Mashed Eggplant with Indian spices)

Baingan Bharta is an most popular Indian dish, which is also delicious and quite healthy and  that is sure to stir up your taste buds. It is made by first roasting the eggplants until very soft. The charred skin is removed and cooked with Indian spices until thickened and richly flavored. It can be served with rotis / Indian bread or Rice.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Big Eggplant (baingan / Brinjal)
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped onions
• 3 tablespoon grated radish
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger (adrak)
• 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped green chillies
• 3 tablespoon chopped tomatoes
• 3 tablespoon chopped spring onions greens
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 tablespoon Coriander (dhania) powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds (jeera) powder
• 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander (hara dhania)
   

Method:

 

1) Roast on a gas cook top by just placing the Eggplant / Baingan straight on the burner and keeping the flame on low setting. (You can grill eggplant in your oven grill or barbeque grill and also you can roast it in oven too)

2) Keep turning and cooking till all the skin on the Eggplant looks like black spotted and charred. Peel off and discard the charred skin.

3) Mash the eggplant roughly, in a mixing bowl. Keep aside.

4) Heat the oil, add chopped onion and grated radish and sauté it till moisture almost dries up.

5) Then add grated ginger, chopped green chili, garlic, tomatoes and greens of spring onion and sauté again.

6) Now add Turmeric powder, Red chili powder, Garam masala, Coriander powder, Jeera Powder and sesame seeds and mix well.

7) When it starts to leave oil add mashed Baingan / Eggplant and salt and mix well.

8) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

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Methi Mutter Makhana Malai

Methi Mutter Makhana Malai - a creamy, delicious, mild flavored, rich looking curry made with fenugreek leaves, green peas and makhanas (fox nuts)!! This is a simple, easy and quick recipe. It is served with any Indian breads like rotis/parathas/naans and even with rice.

Ingredients:

For Grinding:

•  2 medium onions cut in quarters
•  3 green chili
•  4-5 garlic cloves
•  1"  ginger piece
•  10-12 cashew nuts
•  3 tablespoon Dahi (yogurt)

For Gravy:

•  2 tablespoon oil/ butter
•  3 cardamom pods
•  pinch of black pepper powder
•  1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder (jeera powder)
•  1/4 teaspoon garam masala
•  salt to taste
•  1/2 cup Malai (heavy whipping cream)
•  1/2 cup milk

Other Ingredients:

• 1 cup Methi (fenugreek leaves)
• 1/2 cup mutter (green peas)
• 3/4 cup makhana (fox nut)
• 2 tablespoon broken cashew nuts

For Garnishing:

• tomato slices
• few cashews

Method: 

1. Heat the little oil or butter in a pan. Add makhanas (fox nut) and roast them for 4-5 minutes on low flame till they become crunchy and crispy. Keep aside.
2. Boil green peas in salty water for few minutes. Then add fenugreek leaves and switch off the flame. After 2 minutes, drain the water and keep aside.
3. Take all the ingredients for grinding into a blender and grind them into a fine paste.
4. For Gravy, Heat oil or butter in a pan, add cardamom pods.
5. Then add grinded paste and sauté it for few minutes.
6. When Gravy starts to leave oil/butter and reduce in half quantity, add black pepper, garam masala, salt and heavy cream and sauté it for a minute and add milk and bring it to boil.
7. Now add boiled green peas and methi, broken cashew nuts and roasted makhanas and let cook for a minute.
8. To serve, pour Makhana Methi Mutter Malai in a serving bowl and garnish with the tomato slices and Cashews.

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Chola (Chickpeas) Pindiwala

Chola Pindiwala -White Chickpeas cooked in Indian spices , is a twist to the Punjabi chole, which are coated with the gravy. This chola is dry in texture and rich in color. Tea powder gives this dish a nice brown color.

 This dish is spicy and delicious in taste and enjoyed with Naan (Indian flat Bread) or Poori (fried bread).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Kabuli chana (white chickpeas)
• pinch of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Tea powder
  
• salt to taste
• 1 big tomato

For grinding: 

• 1 onion (about 1/2 cup)
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2-3 green chili
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

For Gravy:

• 3 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon  turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Jeera powder (roasted cumin seed powder)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder)
• 1 teaspoon anardana powder (pomegranate seed) powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black paper
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon rock / black salt
• salt to taste

for garnishing:
tomato slices, onion slices, lemon wedges and cilantro

Method:

1. Wash and drain the kabuli chana / White chickpeas and soak it for 7-8 hours or overnight.
2. Tie tea powder in muslin cloth to form a potli / bundle / bag.
3. Drain soaked chickpeas, add 3-4 cups of water, salt, baking soda and tea-powder tied in muslin cloth.
4. Pressure cook it for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Remove the tea-powder bundle from it and drain the cooked chickpeas and keep aside drain water for further use.
5. Grind all the ingredients mentioned for grinding to a paste.
6. For gravy, heat the oil in a pan, add grinded paste and sauté it for few minutes.
7. Meanwhile boil tomato with little water or microwave it, peel off and blend into a puree.
8. When Gravy starts to leave oil and reduce in half quantity, add turmeric powder, red chili powder, ajwain (carom seed), black pepper powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, Amchur / dry mango powder, Pomegranate seed / anardana powder,  garam masala, rock salt and kasuri methi and again sauté it for a minute.
9. Add tomato puree and salt and cook till the oil get separate from the gravy.
10. Add the Cooked chana /chickpeas along with one cup of reserved water and cook it till the moisture almost dries up, about 3-4 minute.
11. Garnish with cilantro, tomato-onion slices and lemon wedges and serve hot with poori or naan.

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