Mattar paneer masala/ Peas paneer masala

   Mattar Paneer Masala is a very popular North Indian food. This curry is prepared with vine ripened tomatoes and  green peas. The paneer cheese cubes are added for stir frying.

Serves up to 3 people
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

150 grams of paneer
1 fistful of sweet peas
1 tsp of red chilly powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of garam masala (MTR brand)
250 grams of crushed tomatoes can/ 3 large tomatoes
1 1/2 tbsp of butter
salt as required

Grinding:

10 cashew nuts
1 inch of ginger
3 cloves of garlic
2 green chillies

Preparation:

1.Cut the paneer in to small cubes. Grind cashews, ginger, garlic and green chilly together in to a paste. 
2.In a skillet, add butter. Once the butter is melted, add the ground paste and saute for 2-3 minutes. Now add the crushed tomatoes and cook in high flame. Stir well for 15 minutes. 
3.Add the spices (turmeric, red chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala) to the skillet. Saute for 5 minutes. 
4.Add the peas and paneer and cook in low flame. Bring it to boil. Serve with roti/ naan.

Palak paratha/ Spinach flatbread

  This is my daughter's favorite. I gave her with a little sugar, she really enjoyed the paratha and asked for more.Spinach is a good source of folic acid and is considered to be a rich source of iron as well.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of spinach

2 cups of wheat flour

1 cup of water

1 tbsp of milk(room temperature)

2 tbsp of all purpose flour(maida)

1 tsp of ajwain

1 tsp of red chilly powder

1 tsp of cumin powder

oil as required*

salt as required

Preparation:

1.Chop the spinach leaves  and cook them in the non-stick pan. Add red chilly powder and cumin powder and saute them for 5 minutes.

2.In a bowl, add the wheat flour, maida, cooked spinach, ajwain,   milk and salt. Add water to the flour and knead them in to a dough.

3.Set it aside for 30 minutes. Take a lemon-sized dough and roll it in to a small circle. Add 1/4 tsp of oil and fold in to half and fold again to make a triangle. (This makes the paratha fluffy). 
4.Roll the dough again to make it a thin layer.
5.In a preheated pan add the thin layer of dough and add oil to the edges. Turn to the other side add oil again. Roast till the paratha turns golden brown. 

6.Spinach paratha is ready. Serve with yogurt/pickle.

*Use melted butter for additional flavor

Chinese Broccoli saag/ keerai masiyal

     Keerai masiyal is my mom's recipe. She makes with arai keerai/ siru keerai available in South India. I wanted to relish the masiyal with the available greens in US. Chinese broccoli is a close substitute for siru keerai. This greens has low Sodium and cholesterol.

Serves up to 4 people

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Chinese broccoli

1 fistful of baby spinach

3/4 cup of toor dhal

1 tomato

3-4 green chillies

cherry-sized tamarind

3 cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp of turmeric

1/2 tbsp of oil

1 tsp of ghee

salt as required

Seasoning:

1/2 tsp of mustard

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

pinch of asafoetida

Preparation:

1.Pressure cook the toor dhal with turmeric and 2  1/2 cups of water. Chop the leaves of chinese broccoli and baby spinach.

2.Add the greens to the cooked dhal along with salt, chopped tomatoes, slit green chillies, garlic, tamarind and salt. Pressure cook them for 1 whitle.

3. Allow it to cool. Take the top layer containing the greens and pulse them 2 or 3 times. Mix well with the dhal.

4.Heat oil and ghee in the pan and add the seasoning. As the mustard crackles, add the chopped onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

5.Add them to the keerai/saag. Chinese broccoli keerai is ready and serve them with rice.

Chole masala/ Spicy channa masala

    Chole masala is a popular dish mainly in the Punjab region of Northern-India. In India, it is often eaten with a type of fried bread and is known as bhatura. This is my husband's recipe. He is an exceptional cook. He made this channa masala for our daughter's birthday party. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of chickpeas

1 cup of crushed tomatoes can
1 tsp of aniseeds
1 tsp of kasoori methi 
1 tbsp of channa masala powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tbsp of butter
1 bay leaf
salt as required


Grinding:

2 Elaichi (cardamom)
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick 
1 tbsp of cumin seeds
3-4 green chillies
2 inches of ginger
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves
1 onion


Preparation:

1.Soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook chickpeas with 2 cups of water till 90% done. Grind the ingredients mentioned in grinding together in to a paste.
2.Heat butter in the pan and add the bay leaf and aniseeds. As the nice aroma comes add the ground paste and saute well till the raw smell disappears. 
3.Now add the crushed tomatoes. Saute well till the oil separates, then add the spices(channa masala powder, cumin powder and salt). Cook for 10 minutes. Add the cooked chickpeas and close the lid.
4.Pressure cook for 1 whistle so the spices permeate in to the chickpeas.Then add kasoori methi and bring it to boil. Serve with rice, roti/ bhatura.