Chutney Waale Bharwaan Baingan

Ingredients:
500 gms Small round Brinjal ( Baingan)
3-4 whole red chillies
pinch of Hing
1/4 tsp methi dana
1 Onion - finely sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp haldi powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tbsp oil

Dry roast together the following ingredients:
2 tsp til (sesame seeds)
2 tsp saboot dhania
1/2 tsp jeera
2 whole red chillies

Nutty Chutney Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
3 tbsp roasted peanuts
1 tomato
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp amchoor
1 inch piece ginger
5-6 garlic flakes
2-3 green chillies

Method:
1. Wash and slit brinjal in four, leaving the stem intact. Let the brinjals intact at the base. Don't cut them fully.
2. Mix the freshly roasted masalas with the ingredients of the nutty chutney and grind together to a thick paste.
3. Do the filling in the brinjal with this paste.
4. Heat oil in the pressure cooker. Add hing, whole red chillies and methi dana.
5. Add the sliced onion and fry till light golden.
6. Add salt, garam masala, heldi and red chilli powder.
7. Now add the Brinjals. Gently fry them on low flame for 3-4 minutes or till the skin changes colour.
8. Add 1/2 cup water. Scrape the masala sticking to the bottom of the cooker. Close the cooker and pressue cook to give one whistle and keep on a low heat for 3 minutes. Remove from fire.
9. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the brinjals. Serve Hot!!

Malai Corn Palak

Ingredients:
1 cup Sweet corn kernels (boiled)
1 cup Fresh cream
3 medium bunch of Spinach leaves (Palak)
2 tbsps Refined Oil
2 medium sized Onions (chopped)
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
3 Green chillies (chopped)
Salt to taste
1 tsp Dry mango powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp Caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

Method
Clean and wash palak leaves thoroughly and ensure no sand grains are left on the leaves.
Then blanch palak in plenty of boiling water for a minute or two, drain and refresh the leaves in ice-cold water.
Now blend the palak and make a puree.
Heat the boiled corn in half or one cup of water.
Take a Karai and heat oil in a pan, add caraway seeds and stir-fry till it changes colour.
Now add chopped onions and cook until golden brown.
Add ginger and garlic pastes and sauté for 5-7 min.
Now add green chillies and stir-fry for ten seconds.
Time to add corn, palak puree, salt and amchur powder to this mixture of onion masala.
Mix it well and let it cook for two to three more minutes.
Add fresh cream and simmer till you reach the desired .
Take off the heat and add lemon juice.
Now sprinkle roasted crushed kasuri methi to enhance the flavour.
Mix and serve immediately.

**Another small variation that you can try is: Put some grated processed cheese on the top covering the full layer in the bowl and put it in a pre heated oven for 7-10 min (Till cheese melt)...hmmmm...yummy...superb is the outcome.

Fried Chicken Chettinaad

This one is dedicated to all my freinds from Tamil Nadu.

Ingredients
Serves 4
800 gms Chicken (1 medium sized)
2 medium sized Onions (roughly chopped)
1 inch piece Ginger (roughly chopped)
4-6 cloves Garlic (roughly chopped)
4 Green chillies (roughly chopped)
4-6 Red chillies whole
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Lemon juice
2 tbsps Rice flour
Salt to taste
10-12 Curry leaves (finely shredded)
Oil to shallow fry

Slit chicken through the backbone and the breast, into two equal halves.
Make three to four half-inch deep cuts on breast and leg pieces.
Grind onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and red chillies to a smooth paste adding a little water if required. Blend turmeric powder, lemon juice and rice flour into the masala paste and mix in salt to taste.
Apply this mixture thoroughly and liberally on the chicken and leave to marinate for two to three hours, preferably in the refrigerator.
Mix in shredded curry leaves into the chicken.
Heat oil in shallow pan, add marinated chicken and sauté on high heat for two minutes on both sides to seal the exterior.
Reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes, turning over and basting frequently with the remaining marinade.
Sprinkle a little water, if the chicken starts drying.
The last few minutes of the cooking should be done on high heat again, so that the surface of the chicken is crisp and golden brown.
Cut into smaller pieces and serve hot.

गोलू मोलू आलू

The name is tempting and so is the dish..Note the ingredients now:

1 tsp Cumin seeds
16-20 Baby potatoes
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Coriander seeds
4-5 Cloves
1 tsp Fennel seeds (saunf)
2-3 Green cardamoms
2-3 Red chillies whole (broken)
2 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash and wipe the potatoes and cut into two to four pieces each without peeling.
2. Dry roast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, fennel seeds, green cardamoms and red chillies.
3. Cool and grind coarsely.
4. Heat oil in a pan and the potato pieces and salt.
5. Stir, cover and cook on medium heat.
6. Once the potatoes are cooked, add the freshly ground roasted mixed spices (generously).
7. Mix well, cover and cook on medium heat for another five minutes.
8. Open the lid, add lemon juice and remove from heat.
9. Mix, cover and keep aside for at least five minutes.
10.Serve while it is still hot.

Dum Aaloo

Ingredients:

4 Tomatoes Small Size
1/2 Kg Baby Potatoes
Mustard Oil 4 Tbsp.


Masala:
3 Whole Red Chilli (साबुत लाल मिर्च)
2 Cardamon (काली इलायची)
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder (जीरा पोव्दर)
2 - 3 Bay Leaves (तेज पत्ता)
1 tsp Lal Mirch Powder
2 Inch Piece Ginger
Salt to taste
1-2 Sticks Cinnamon (दाल चीनी)
1/2 tsp turmeric Powder
A pinch Asafoetida (हींग)
1/2 tsp sugar

Method:

First take potatoes wash them under running water and then boil them in a pressure cooker.
Cool and peel the skin.
Chop tomatoes and peel, wash and chop ginger piece.
Take a Karai (Pan), Heat mustard oil till smoke starts coming out of it.
Cool it and Heat the oil again.
Add cumin seeds, Cinnamon sticks, Bay leaves, Heeng, Cardamoms,Whole red chillies and finally chopped Ginger pieces and saute for 5-7 Minutes.
Add Red chilli powder,Cumin powder, Turmeric Powder, Salt and Sugar and again saute for two three minutes more.
Then adda Tomatoes and Potatoes to this mixture.
Mix it really well.
Cover with a lid and cook on a slow flame for a couple of more minutes.
An Idle Veggie to go with Paranthas and Puris.