Rajma & Aloo - Masaledaar Curry.

Kidney beans are one of my favorite beans. I like its bold red color and rich taste.One can make quick spicy Rajma curry with canned kidney beans.This is very simple recipe. Making quick spice blend from scratch makes this curry more zesty.

Ingredients:-

1. One large onion - finely chopped.
2. 5 Garlic cloves - finely minced.
3. 1 inch piece of ginger - finely minced.
4. 1 Tbspoon cooking oil.
   
5. 2 Medium size tomato - chopped in big chunks.
6. Half cup chopped fresh cilantro.
7. 1 Can of Kidney beans - thoroughly rinse beans under water.
8. 1 Teaspoon red chilli powder.
9. 1 medium sized Potato (4 inch long) - Cut in cubes and boil in microwave for 5 minutes in salted water

Spice Blend:-

1. 6 cloves
2. One bay leaf - (3 inch long)
3. 1 tspoon -shahajeera
4. Half inch piece of cinnamon
5. 1 tspoon - corriander seeds
   

Make fine powder of above spices. ( No need to pre-roast)

Method of preparation :-

1. Take thick gauge pot. Heat 2 Tbspoon oil. Add chopped onions and saute for 3-4 minutes on high heat.
2. Add minced ginger and garlic and stir for one minute. Reduce flames to medium.
   
3. Add chopped tomatoes . Mix and saute for 2 minutes . Add little salt.
   
4. Add ground spice powder, red chilli powder, rinsed kidney beans. Mix all and fry for one minute.
   
5. Add 1 cup water. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add boiled potatoes and little fresh chopped cilantro. Add little more salt. Mix all well.
7. Let it cook for 7-8 minutes. In the mean time crush 4-5 pieces of potato in pan.( Hold piece of potato between spoon and pot edge and press) This will thicken the gravy.
8. Add little more fresh chopped cilantro and shut off gas. Cover with lid and let it stay for some time before serving.
   

Enjoy with roti or rice.

Weekend Dinner - Extra special or Simple Menu.

I look forward to cook something special on the weekends because of more relaxed mood, more time in hand and triggered cravings.

This dinner I cooked on Friday night.

• Roti.
• King mackerel fry.
• Baigan bharta.
• King mackerel curry.
• Yellow pepper subzi with paneer.
• Sheera with some twist -(addition of fresh coconut and poppy seeds)

Kala Masala - Chicken curry.

This chicken curry is cooked with Kala Masala made from scratch. Spices Proportions that I took worked well to create extra aromatic Kala Masala Blend. Addition of Kabab Chini enhances aroma.


Spices For Kala Masala :-

1. 2 Tablespoon Fennel seeds
2. 15 cloves
3. 4 Kabab chini
4. 1 Tablespoon Shahajeera
5. 2 Bay leaf ( 3 inch long)
6. 2 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
7. 25-30 whole black pepper
8. 3 Cardamom
9. 1 inch stick of cinnamon

Mix all above spices and gently fry them on medium heat for 6 minutes. Stir continuously as you fry them. Make fine powder.

Ingredients :-

1. 2 pound cleaned and cut chicken - Marinated with salt.
2. 2 Medium sized onions - chopped.
3. 2 medium size diced Tomatoes.
4. 3 Tb.spoon cooking oil.
5. 2 inch piece of ginger - minced.
6. 10 cloves of garlic - minced.
7. 1 Cup - finely chopped cilantro.
8. 1 Tb.spoon red chilli powder.
   

Method of Preparing Curry :-

1. Heat 3 Tb.spoon oil in heavy bottom pot. Add chopped onions. Fry them for 5-6 minutes on high heat.
2. Add minced ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
3. Add powdered Kala Masala and stir well with onions.
4. Reduce flame to medium low and let it stay for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add 1 diced tomato and fry for a minute.
6. Add 1 tb.spoon red chilli powder and little salt just enough for Gravy.
7. Now add marinated chicken and mix well with Gravy base. Stir it well on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add 1 cup water and reduce flames to medium .Keep lid on pot and let it cook for 8 minutes.
9. Open the lid and add 1 more cup water. Increase heat to high and let it cook for another 8 minutes.Do not close lid at this stage and keep stirring at intervals.
10. Reduce flames to medium low and add another diced tomato and little chopped cilantro. Close lid and let it cook for another 12 minutes.
11. Shutoff the gas and let chicken curry cool down.
12. Add fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy curry with rice or roti.

Kala Masala

Special Thali - Lunch/Dinner.

Cooking something extra and special on festival days or just any day when cooking spirits are high.

• Spinach subzi with extra garlic
• Rajma+Blackeyed peas Dal.
• Kadhi with Chayote.
• Sesame Laddu.
• Roti
  

November 8th 2009

• Rice topped with Kerala style raw banana curry.
  
• Fried curd chili
  
• Radish and Black eye pea curry with Milpero (miniature tomatillo), dry guajillo chilies.
• Cabbage+Carrot Thoran.
• Spicy Cat fish curry.
  

Spicy & Extra Aromatic Mutton Curry for Winter

This is an extra spicy mutton curry infused with special blend of Indian spices. I have replaced corriander seeds with fresh cilantro and Cumin with Shahajira...added Kabab chini. This little change created very aromatic Mutton curry.






Ingredients :-

1) 2 Pound mutton. (Goat Meat)
2) One Large and One medium size onion-chopped.
3) 2 inch piece of ginger - minced.
4) 12 Cloves of Garlic - minced.
5) Half bunch Fresh cilantro - finely chopped.(2 cups )
6)4 Tablespoon cooking oil.
7)2 medium size Tomato - diced.
8)1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder.
9) 1 Tb.spoon red chilli powder.


Making Special Blend Of Spices:-


1) 2 Tablespoon Fennel seeds.
2) 1 Tablespoon Shahajira.
3) 5 Pieces of Kabab chini.
4) 2 Small size Bay leaf.
5) 1 Star Anise.
6) 20 cloves.
7) One Masala Cardamom
8) 4 regular green Cardamom.
9) One inch piece of Cinnamon.

Mix all above spices in pan and getly fry them for 5-6 minutes till it emits nice aroma.Keep flames to medium and keep stirring as you fry it.Make fine Powder in Coffee grinder.


Pre-Cooking Mutton For Curry:-

1) Heat 1 Tb.spoon oil in pressure cooker add medium size chopped onion.Fry for five minutes.
2) Add half quantity of minced ginger and garlic fry for one minute.(remaining half use for curry)
3) Add 4-5 whole cloves.
4) Add mutton pieces and mix well with onions. Add water till you cover all meat.
5) Add enough salt. and turmeric powder.
6) Close lid of pressure cooker and after 3rd whistle immediately shut down gas.


Method For Cooking Aromatic Spicy Gravy:-

1) Take Big Heavy Bottom pot.Heat 3 Tb.spoon oil and add large size chopped onions.fry for 6-7 minutes on medium heat.
2) Add remaining minced ginger and garlic.Stir for one minute.
3) Add Powdered spices.Fry for one minute.
4) Add finely chopped 2 Cup cilantro.
5) Add red chilli powder. little salt.Fry for one minute.
6) Take hand blender and puree this mixture in pot..This will create thick gravy.
7) Add diced tomatoes and stir for one minute.
8) Add Pre-cooked mutton to this gravy mixture.
9) Let it cook for 15-20 minutes.
10) Lastly garnish with cilantro and enjoy with roti or rice in cold winter days.