Roasted Eggplant Dip

In another special Zoom edition, we made a yummy eggplant dip!

Ingredients

One large eggplant

2-3 cloves garlic

2 tbsp - yogurt ( if tahini is not available)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp - lemon juice

1/2 tsp - cumin powder

A handful chopped parsley

3 to 4 tbsp - olive oil 

Method

1. Make small cuts on the eggplant and add a few garlic cloves in the cuts made
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Roast the eggplant over the flame till char grilled 
   
   
   
3. Cool the eggplant for a few mins and then peel the skin off
4. Mash the eggplant meat and add the rest of the ingredients.
5. Season with salt
6. Drizzle olive oil
7. Serve with pita bread

Potato & Pea Samosas

We came together for a special Zoom edition of cooking together! 

Ingredients

Dough:

1 cup - all purpose flour 

30 ml - oil or ghee

1/4 cup -  water 

3/4 tsp - carom seeds optional

1/2 tsp - salt

Filling:

2 - medium sized potatoes boiled ( not mushy)

1/4 cup - peas boiled

1/2 tbsp - oil

1/2 tbsp - minced ginger or paste

1 small - green chilly chopped optional

2 tbsp - coriander leaves or parsley chopped

1 tsp - lemon juice

Salt to taste (1/2 tsp)

1/2 tsp - cumin seeds

1/2 tsp - cumin powder

1/2 tsp - fennel powder optional

1/2 tsp - red Chilli powder

1/4 tsp - dry mango powder or cheat masala (

Method:

Boil potatoes, crumble them - do not mash them

Dough: mix all ingredients in a bowl and make a stiff dough. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Method

For filling:

Heat oil add cumin seeds, add ginger, saute and then add green peas, add masalas and potatoes, add salt saute well. Add the coriander leaves and let it cool. Add a little lemon juice. Keep aside.

Samosa:

Knead the dough. Make 4 balls. Grease the rolling area. Flatten the balls, drizzle with oil and roll in an oval shape.

Cut in 2 parts. Gently roll it one or twice

Take one part, apply water over the edges , fold in a cone. Press gently add the filling. Smear the edges with water and press to seal the samosa. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent from drying.

Heat oil medium hot. Fry the samosas.  

For baking brush generously with oil and bake in a pre heated oven for 30 mins at 180 c.

Onion Rings

Onion Rings

Ingredients

3 large onions

All purpose flour - 3/4 cup

Corn starch - 3/4 cup

cayenne powder - 1 tsp

baking powder - 1/4 tsp

salt to taste

ice cold water - 1 cup

oil - for deep frying

breadcrumbs or Panko - 1 cup

Method:

1. Slice onions at least half an inch thick and separate the roundels and set aside. 

2. Take about 1/4 th cup corn starch, baking powder, salt, cayenne powder and mix. Coat the onions with this mix and let them rest for 5 mins.

  

3. Make a batter of all purpose flour, the rest of the corn starch, salt and ice cold water. The batter should be of pouring consistency making sure there are no lumps when mixing it.

4. Now dip the coated onions in the batter and then coat them in breadcrumbs or Panko. Set them aside once all are coated.

5. Heat oil for deep frying. Fry the onions rings till they are golden brown.

Serve the crispy onion rings hot with sweet chilli dip or mayo dip.

Enjoy!

Khichdi

Method:

1. Mix rice with yellow mung dal at a 2:1 ratio. Wash and soak together for 30 minutes.

2. Heat 2 T of ghee/butter/oil with 1.5 tsp cumin seeds over medium heat for 5 minutes. 

3. Add about as much water as  you selected rice (the water should be about one joint of your finger high above the rice) with 1 tsp. tumeric and salt to taste.

4. Cook (stirring occasionally) until water is 70% evaporated.  Then cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. 

5. Serve with yogurt and chopped cilantro or mint. 

Special Guest Chef: Palak Paneer Tillwala with Tomato Chutney

We were lucky enough to have master chef Abhijit with us, along with special guest Nora!  

Ingredients:

Block of paneer -1Kg (Block is important – Not diced)

Spinach leaves- 3 bunches regular size

Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp

Refined Oil - 2 T

1/2 Clove Garlic

Salt

1/2 Chopped Onion

Cornflour - 100 grams

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Corriander powder - 2 tsp

Green chilies - 2

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Tomato Puree- 100 grams

Fresh white bread crumbs - 8 slices 

White and Black Sesame- 50gr each

Fresh Cream- Amul tetrapack – 200 ml

Chutney- Tadka Tomato Chutney

Tomatoes Ripe- 350gr

Tomato Puree- 100 grams

Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp

Curry Leaves- 10 

Whole Dry Red chillies- 3

Green chilli - 1

1/2 Chopped Onion

1/2 Clove Garlic 

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Chopped Coriander - 1/4 cup

Kalaunji Seeds- 1 tsp

 Refined Oil for Deep Frying- 600ml

Makes about 8-10 rolls of 120gr each

Method: 

1. Blanch the spinach. 

2. Heat oil in a sauce pan.  When hot add cumin until crackling.  Add slivered garlic until brown. Add chopped green chilies, tumeric, corriander powder, cumin powder, and cook for 2 minutes.   Add finely chopped onions and cook until brown. 

3. Add tomato puree and about 1 tsp of salt and allow to cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add spinach and cook until dry.

5. Mix in cream.

6. Scoop spinach mixture on to thin slices of paneer.

7. Roll up.

8. Dip into mix of water and corn flour.

9. Dip into bread crumb and sesame seed mixture.

10. Repeat above steps so each roll is covered in crumbs twice.

11.  Heat oil in a small pan and fry rolls until lightly browned.  

12. Remove and dry on a paper towel. 

13. Serve with chutney!   See below for chutney steps:

Chutney Method:

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan and add mustard seeds, cumin, and whole red peppers.  After 2 minutes, add slivered garlic.  Then add chopped onion and cook until soft but not brown.

2. Add chopped tomatoes, green chilli, and salt.

3. Add tomato puree and cook 15 minutes.  Add water if it gets dry.

4. Add onion seeds, remove red chillies, and mash tomatoes roughly. Add sugar and salt and cook for another 5 minutes.

5. Remove from heat, mix in the cilantro, and serve with the rolls. 

Vada Pav

Ingredients:

Potatoes - boiled 2

Ginger- 1small piece

Green chillies - 1

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves- a sprig

Turmeric pwd - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Oil for deep frying

Batter: 

Besan ( chick pea flour- 1 cup)

Water as required

Add a pinch of turmeric n salt

Method:

1. Boil potatoes and peel.

2. Mash potatoes roughly.

3. Using a mortar and pestal, crush ginger, chilies, and cumin.

4. In a pan on medium heat 1 T oil with mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and the above mixture.  Add potatoes and salt.  Mix for 5 minutes and set aside to cool.

5. For the batter, mix chickpea flour with turmeric, salt, and water until it has the thick consistency of frosting. Use your hand or a whisk. 

6. Heat oil for deep frying on medium heat, in the meantime make potato mixture into golf-ball sized balls.

7. Roll balls in batter until completely covered.

8. Fry!  Both sides until crisp (golden).

9. Serve along with sliced pav and chutney.

10 Easy Steps to Paneer Makhanwala

Ingredients:

200 g - cottage cheese/ Paneer cut in cubes

250 g - tomatoes quartered

1 tbsp - ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp - red chilli pwd

1/4 cup - butter

1/4 cup - fresh cream

1 tsp - Javitri - elaichi pwd (mace - green cardomom pwd)

1 tsp - honey

1 tsp - garam masala pwd

a pinch of kasoori methi (fenugreek pwd)

salt to taste

METHOD:

1. In a pan, add tomatoes, ginger - garlic paste, mace- cardamom powder, red chilli powder, and butter.

2. Mix it well and cover and cook for 20 mins.

3. Once the tomatoes are cooked fully, transfer to a glass bowl and puree the mixture using a hand blender.

4. Strain the pureed mix using a strainer. you should get a velvety gravy like mixture

5. Lightly fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.

  6. Transfer this back into the pan and add the paneer cubes, 

along with kasoori methi and honey.

7. Cook on low heat for about five minutes.

8. Turn off heat and add garam masala pwd and fresh cream.

9.  Garnish with a sprig of coriander leaves and swirl of Fresh cream on top.

10. Serve hot with Naan or Paratha.