Mushroom & peas masala curry

Today's recipe is a really simple but delicious vegetable curry or "subzi" as we Indians call it, made with peas and mushrooms. It is a side dish best eaten with chapati/naan or rice.


The following recipe serves 4 people.
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes 

Ingredients: 

Peas - 150gm 

Mushrooms - 200gm 

Tomatoes - 4 medium sized 

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 3 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - to taste

Dry fenugreek leaves - 3 tsp 

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Step 1: Chop the tomatoes in small pieces.

 Step 2: Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add a cumin seed and wait till it splutters.  Then add the cumin seeds. Add the chopped tomatoes. 

Step 3: Cook the tomatoes for a couple of minutes. Add these spices - ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder,turmeric powder and red chili powder. 

Step 4:  Cook for a further few minutes. Keep mashing the tomatoes with the spatula. Wait till the oil separates from the spices. Then add salt.

Step 5: Now we need chopped mushrooms and peas.

Step 6:  Add the chopped mushrooms and peas in the spice mixture.

Step 7: Mix slowly so as not too break the mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes and put the lid on and cook for 5-6 minutes.

Step 8: Now crush the dried fenugreek leaves in the palms of your hand and add to the vegetables. Close the lid and cook for a further few minutes till the vegetables are tender.

Step 9: Enjoy the "mushroom peas masala curry".

Palak paneer

A simple dish with cottage cheese and spinach. For people who don't like cheese, tofu can be used too.

The following recipe serves 2 people.                               
Preparation time : 8-10 minutes

Cooking time : 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Spinach - 450 gms
Cottage cheese/paneer : 150 gms

Onions - 2 medium sized

Ginger paste -  1 tsp

Garlic paste -   1 tsp

Green cardamoms - 4
Cloves - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 2 inch stick
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - to taste
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Methi (Fenugreek seeds)- 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder -  1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Step 1: Preparing the spinach

Spinach leaves : Add spinach leaves in boiling water for 2-3 minute. Then take it out and and grind it into a fine paste.

or like me, you can use Store bought spinach bricks. Bring the spinach to room temperature.

Grind it to a fine paste.

Step 2: Add oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cinnamon, cardamoms, bay leaf and cloves.

Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.

Step 3: Chop the onions thinly. Add the chopped onions to the pan. Add some salt. Cook till the onions go translucent. This will take about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Add the ginger garlic paste. Cook for a minute.

Step 5: Add cumin, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, nutmeg powder, garam masala and methi seeds. Add the green chilies.

Add the yogurt. Mix well.

Keep cooking till the oil separates from the mixture or the 'masala'

Step 6:  Now grind the masala into a  smooth paste. Put it back in the pan on medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Step 7: Now, add the spinach.

Step 8: Bring it to one boil. Then reduce the heat and cook for 3-4 further minutes or till you see fine droplets of oil appearing on the spinach.At this point the mixture is cooked. Add salt to taste.

Step 9: Put in the cheese cubes and reduce the heat to low. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes.

Step 10: Enjoy your "Palak paneer."

Tip: Spinach always tastes better with nutmeg powder, in Indian cuisine. 

A sweet sunday

Theres nothing better than sitting in your favorite coffee shop reading a good book on a Sunday and forget about the world. Thats what I did today, after ages..and had one of the best cheesecakes I ever had. Heres a picture of that, I wish I could make it and post the recipe...but someday for sure..someday.

By the way, if you live in Saarbrücken and are a fan of good coffee shops, Schubert is the place for you.

Khichuri - Bengali khichadi

Reminds me of durga puja feasts! Loved by Bengalis Khichuri is an essential part of any Bengali religious festival. Khichuri can be made in various versions - with or without vegetables, with or without meat or with both.The lentils used can also be of different kinds. You can use Moong daal, masoor daal or chana daal.
Here I am making a very simple version of Khichuri using potatoes and red lentils.

Ingredients: 
Rice - 250 ml
Red split lentils (masoor daal) - 250 ml
Potatoes -2 
Ginger paste - 1tablespoon
Green chili - 1
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Spices set 1- Whole garam masala
Cinnamon - 1 3 inch stick
Cardamom - 4
Black cardamom - 1
Bay leaf - 1 
Cloves - 4
Spices set 2
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Chili powder - To taste
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp


Step 1: Mix the daal and the rice and soak them in water for an hour. After that drain the water and keep them aside.

                                               

Step 2: Cut the potatoes into small cubes. Chop the green chili.

Step 3: Heat oil in a pan. Add the spices in set 1. Turn the heat to medium. Fry the spices for a minute.

Step 4: Add the potatoes and fry for 4-5 minutes.Then take them out. 

Step 5: Now in a separate bowl , add  the spices in set 2 and two tablespoons of water. Mix well. 

Step 6: Add this mixture to the oil.Also add the chopped chili and the ginger paste. Cook for a few minutes , till the oil separates from the mixture.

Step 7: Now add the daal and rice from step 1. Coat it thoroughly with the mixture. Keep frying for 3-4 minutes. 

Then add the potatoes. 

Step 8: Cook for a further 3 minutes. 


Step 9: Add 600 ml of water. (The water can be added depending on your preferred consistency for khichuri, I like the traditional watery khichuri). Add salt to taste. Add 1 tsp of sugar.

Step 10: Close the lid and cook till the rice and daal are cooked. 


Step 11: Enjoy your "Khicuhri".

Chicken tikka masala

The following recipe serves 4 people.                               
Preparation time : 2.5 hours

Cooking time : 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the Tikkas

Boneless chicken pieces - 600 grams

Plain yogurt - 250 ml

Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Green capsicum chopped - 1/2

Oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili Powder - to taste

Ginger paste - 2 tsp

Garlic paste - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

For the gravy

Oil - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Cardamom - 3
Black cardamom - 1
Cloves - 3
Bay leaves - 1 

Tomatoes - 4
Onion - 1 large

Green chili - 1

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Ginger paste - 2 tsp

Garlic paste - 2 tsp

Cashews - 8-10

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Chili powder - to taste

Cumin powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

salt - to taste

Part 1: Preparing the chicken tikkas

Step 1: Take the yogurt in a big bowl. Add the lemon juice. 
Step 2: We need the following masalas : Turmeric, Chili, ginger paste, garlic paste and salt.

Mix the masalas with the curd. Add the oil. 

Mix it all well into a paste. 

Step 3: Add the chicken pieces and the capsicum pieces.

Step 4: Keep it aside for at least 2 hours. Preferably 6-8 hours.


Step 5: Put the chicken in skewers for grilling.

Step 6: While grilling, turn the chicken every 5 minutes to grill all sides evenly.
If you don't want to use an oven for grilling, you can use a pan. Keep cooking the chicken on medium heat turning them every few minutes. Cook them till the pieces are thoroughly cooked and a little burnt on the surfaces.


Step 7: After grilling take them out of the skewers and keep them aside.

Part 2: Preparing the gravy


Step 8: Now we need the whole garam masala  which is basically a combination of cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and cardamoms. 

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, bay leaf and the cloves. Add the cumin seeds. Fry for two minutes.

Step 9: Chop the onion and the tomatoes. We will also need cashews at this stage.

Add the chopped onions. Fry them for 5-6 minutes until they turn translucent.

Step 10: Now we need the second set of masalas: coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, turmeric masala, chili powder, ginger paste, garlic paste and green chili.

Add the masalas to the pan and add a tbsp of water and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the cashews.

Step 11: Add the tomatoes and mix well. Add a tablespoon of water. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 12: After 20 minutes it will look like this. 

Step 13: Wait for the mixture to cool and the blend it in a blender. Put the mixture back in the pan on medium heat.Add the salt.

tep 14: Add the chicken tikkas. Wait for the mixture to come to a boil. 

Then cover the pan on low heat for 5 further minutes. 


Step 15: Enjoy your chicken tikka masala.