Bhindi or Okra Fry

Ingredients:
Bhindi/ Lady's Finger/ Okra - 1 lb - Wash the okra and let it dry. If you do not have ample time to dry it, wipe with a cloth or paper napkins. Chop/ cut in small round pieces of 3-4 mm
Onions - 1 medium - chop into small pieces
Green chillies - 2 or as per taste - chop into small pieces
salt
turmeric
oil

What to do with this?
Heat 5-6 spoons of oil in a pan, add cut okra stir it so oil applies to the okra. Add 1/2 spoon salt and 1/4th spoon turmeric powder. Stir well. Cover the pan and let it cook for 3-4 mins. Open the lid and stir again. Add chopped onion and green chillies and add 1/4th spoon more salt. Stir again and let it cook for 6-8 mins stirring it every 2-3 mins. When the onion looks done or transluscent switch off the stove. Serve hot with roti. This is the simplest of the bhindi/ okra recipes you can make.

Stuffed Baby Eggplant

What will you need?
Baby eggplants - 6-8
Onion - 1 large chopped in small pieces or paste
Ginger - finely grated or chopped 1 spoon
Garlic - finely grated or chopped 2 medium sized cloves
Tomatoes - 1 large chopped
Green chillies - chopped - 2-3 as per taste
Cilantro leaves chopped 2 spoons
Oil
Salt
Coriander powder - 1 spoon
Jeera powder - 1 spoon
Red chilli powder - 1 spoon
Garam masala - 1 spoon
Whole jeera seeds - 1/2 spoon
Optional - Grated coconut - 1 small bowl, Peanut - powdered 2 spoons

Preparation:
Wash the eggplants and slit half the length from the mouth of the eggplant making 4 equal corners. Don't cut the stem at the bottom. It is useful to hold and turn.
Boil this in pressure cooker for 5-10 mins in water and 1/4 spoon salt (do not let cooker to whistle. Switch off the stove before it goes on).
Filling:
Take 4-6 spoons of oil in a flat pan and heat it. Add 1/2 spoon whole jeera and let it splutter.
Add green chillies, ginger and garlic and stir till golden brown.
Now add the onion. Add 1/4 spoon salt and fry till golden brown.
Make a paste of all the powder masala (1 spoon each) using 3-4 spoons of warm water.
Add this paste to the pan and fry for 2 mins.
Add tomatoes and let it melt to form a smooth thick gravy like paste. You can also add the coconut and peanut and fry for 3-4 mins more.
Switch of stove and let it cool.

Take out the boiled eggplants and fill 1 spoon of the filling made above.
Fill up all eggplants and keep them aside.

Move the gravy paste towards the sides of the pan and add 2 spoons of oil in the same pan at the center. Slowly place the eggplants surrounded by the left over gravy paste.
Add salt as per taste. Turn eggplants occassionally till all sides are done. Add 1/2 cup warm water and let it boil for 3-4 minutes.
Add cilantro leaves to garnish on top.

Serve hot with naan or chapatis. I think this recipe goes very well in winters.

Fish with curd gravy

Here are things you will need:
1. Fish - rohu cut in 1/2 inch thick circular pieces - 4-6 pieces
2. Curd - 2 medium bowls - make it into smooth blend
3. salt
4. green chillies - chopped in small pieces
5. onion - 1 small chopped in small pieces
6. red chilli powder
7. coriander/ cilantro leaves - chopped
8. oil
9. turmeric powder
10. Jeera powder

Pre cooking: Wash the fish pieces thoroughly. Add 1/2 spoon salt and 1/4 turmeric powder
Keep it aside for 30 mins to 1 hr

To Cook:
Take a deep-dish pan and add oil filling it to 1/4 inch level/height. Heat the oil.
When oil is hot, add the fish pieces fry both side thoroughly turning occassionally until golden brown.
When done, keep them aside.
Remove addition oil from the pan keeping only 2-3 spoons left behind. Add onions and green chillies and fry till onion is golden brown. Add 1/2 spoon jeera powder, 1/4th spoon red chilli powder, 1/2 spoon salt (or as per taste) and chopped coriander leaves.
Add this fried mix to the blended curd and mix well. (Check for salt as per taste).
Now add the fish fried to this and keep it for 30 mins till curd goes inside the fish.
Serve with hot rice. Still remember the way my mum used to make this... Very good for summer.

Broccolli Sabji

Many Indians dislike broccolli how it is available in the States but I have added the Indian flavor which has made people love it as their fav sabji.

What you need:
Broccolli - 2 bunches cut in small florets
Onion - 1 small (white) (or 1/2 large red) - I think white goes well) sliced in long thin pieces
Green chillies - 2-3 slit in between
Carrot - 1/2 large or 5-6 baby carrot cut in small pieces (never used frozen ones but I think you could use if fresh carrots are not available)
potatoes - 2 small white cut in 1/2 inch rectangle pieces (optional)
tomato - 1 large chopped in small pieces
oil
salt
coriander powder
turmeric powder
jeera whole

To Cook:
Heat 6 spoons of oil in a flat pan. Add jeera when oil is hot, let it splutter.
Add potatoes, 1/4 th spoon salt and 2 pinches of turmeric. Stir/ Mix and let potato become soft.
Add the cut broccolli, onion and carrot when potatoes are half done, add 1/2 spoon salt and 4 more pinches of turmeric. Mix well and cover with a lid. Stir occassional every 2-3 mins (add 2 spoons of oil if veggie stick at the base.) When half cooked, add coriander powder. Add green chillies. Mix well and let it cook. Broccolli will be done when all the water is dried and they shrink in size. Add tomatoes and salt as per your taste. Let it cook for 3-4 mins more stirring it 2-3 times.
Serve with hot chapatis/ rice and daal. Never knew broccolli tasted so nice??

Grilled Paneer Curry

What you need:
Paneer - 1/2 lb cut in square 1 inch size
Veggies - 1/2 of green pepper cut in square pieces )1 inch size
Onion - 1 onion medium cut in square 1 inch size
Tomato - 1 or 2 medium chopped in small pieces
Coriander leaves - 2 spoons chopped
Curd - 1 small bowl
Use any indian tikka masala.
salt
oil
curry powder

Pre-preparation: Marinate the paneer overnight -
Add tikka masala, garlic paste - 2 spoons, ginger paste - 1 spoon, melted ghee - 1/2 spoon. lemon juice - 2 spoons
Mix everything and add to cut paneer. Make sure paneer is well covered with this masala and leave it in fridge overnight.

Preparation:
Make some more of marination masala for the cut veggies (except tomato) and about extra 2 spoons to make curry masala.
Pre-heat over to 400deg F. Place the paneer and veggies in a baking tray covered with aluminiun foil. Apply butter or baking spray before placing the contents. This will help taken them out easily. Spray baking oil in between once to cook well.
Bake for 20-30 mins or until soft.

Meanwhile in a pan, add oil and whole jeera. When jeera splutter, add the mix masala. Fry for 2-3 minutes and add tomatoes. Fry for 3-4 mins and add curd. Add about 1 cup of water to make curry. When it comes to boil and looks consistent, add the baked contents to this pan. Add salt and chilli powder as per taste. Let it boil for 10 mins keeping the pan covered with a lid. Add water, if required. Sprinkle coriander leaves when done and serve hot with rice or tandoori roti.
You can also add cream on top to garnish.

French Beans in Bengali Flavor

1 pound fresh beans cut to 1-inch size pieces
1 tea spoon kalaunji
1 small bowl of carrot cut to 1/2 inch square pieces
2 small bowls of green peas
turmeric
green chillies chopped
coriander powder - 2 spoon
jeera powder - 1 spoon
red chilly powder - 1 spoon
garam masala - 1 spoon
salt
oil

Heat 5-6 spoons of oil in a pan and add kalaunji let it splitter. Make a paste of all powder masala above using a little amount of water. Add this paste to the pan. Add green chillies, let it fry for 30 seconds.
Add the beans and carrot and put turmeric (1/2 spoon) and salt as per taste.
cook the veggies till soft then add peas. Add oil and salt as appropriate for taste.
Serve hot with rice and daal.

Egg Puff

Boiled Eggs - 2
Boiled potatoes - 1 large idaho
Onion - 1 small
green chillies - 1
coriander powder - 1/2 spoon
Jeera power 1/4 spoon
Kalaunji - pinch
coriander leaves - 1 spoon chopped
frozen pastry sheets - 1
Oil
Salt

Heat oil in a small pan and add kalaunji, add green chillies and then onions chopped... fry till onion is soft, add all masala powders.
Add mashed boiled potatoes, add salt as per taste... fry till 2-3 mins... add coriander leaves. Turn off heat.
Take a frozen pastry sheet (read brand instructions to thaw) and cut in 4 equal parts with length enough to fold it 2 times. Pre-heat oven to 400F
Cut boiled egg into 2 halves. place 1 half each on a piece of pastry sheet. cover it with enough alu masala prepared above. fold the sheet to cover the filling from all sides.
Repeat for rest 3 pieces. Place the puffs in oven for 30-45 mins til done. turn over in between.
Serve with chutney or ketchup.
Done!

Egg Roll

Egg - 2 or 3
Cucumber - thin small strips
Onion chopped - 2-3 spoons
green chillies chopped
Coriander leaves
wheat flour dough
mustard pickle/ spicy mustard sauce
salt
oil

Make a small ball of the dough and roll into a chapati size making it thin throughout.
Heat a flat pan. Put the rolled dough to the hot pan. turn it when it is cooked at one side.
When both sides are done, press it with a flat spatula spread 2-3 drops of oil. take it out.
Beat egg in a bowl, add salt and red chilli powder. Add 1-2 spoons of oil in the pan. Add 1/2 of egg beaten to the pan. Spread it to the size of the roti. Put the cooked roti on the wet side of the egg.
turn it once. Take it out
Linearly, spread the chopped fresh veggies on the egg side. Add mustard sauce. Roll it into a roll wrapping around a butter paper.
Serve hot.

Jhaal Muri

Bhel - 1-2 cups
Sev - (spicy as you like)
Peanuts - roasted or fried
Onions- chopped 3-4 spoons
Green chillies chopped
Coriander leaves -1 spoon
salt
chat masala
Coconut - thin slices
boiled potatoes
cucumber - chopped thin small slices

Mix all the above ingredients in a large bowl. Add spicy pickle oil at the end and mix again.
Serve with coconut and fresh bengal grams soaked in water over-night.

Veg Noodles

Chinese noodles - boil these as per instructions
Chop - beans, onion, carrots, spring onions in thin long strips.
salt
sesame oil
soy sauce


add sesame oil in a pan. Add all chopped veg, cook for 5-6 mins. Add salt as per taste.
Add nooddles (check you have enough oil in the pan with veg to fry the noodle to glaze)

Fry for 2-3 mins. Add soy sauce till it gets color

Cook for 2-3 mins more.

Done! serve with hot chilli sauce.

Dahi Alu

Ingredients:
Boiled Potatoes - 2 large idaho/ 4-6 red potatoes
Jeera
fresh Coriander leaves
coriander powder
yoghurt/ curd
mustard seeds
curry leaves
onion chopped - 1 small
green chillies - chopped
salt
oil
How to make:
Boil potatoes with some salt. Heat oil in a pan and add 1-2 spoons of jeera. Add cut pieces of boiled potatoes. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped coriander leaves. Stir for 1 min and take it out. Add some more oil to the pan, add mustard seeds with curry leaves fry till they splutter.
add green chillies and then chopped onion.
add pinch of salt to cook the onion fast. When done, add 1/2 spoon coriander powder.
Fry for 1 min, add yoghurt (2-3 bowls - depends on the quanity of alu). Add water to double the quantity of liquid. Stir for 2 mins. Add boiled potatoes kept aside. Bring to boil and boil on low heat for 2-3 mins.
Serve hot with naan or jeera rice.

Chicken with veggies

You will need:
Chicken - 1 small cut in small pieces marinate with salt, turmeric, ginger garlic and onion paste
Veggies - bell peppers green, yellow, red, tomatoes, onions cut in long slices, green peas
Garlic chopped
green chillies
jeera whole
salt
turmeric,
red chilli powder - 1/2 spoon
coriander powder - 2 spoons

Heat oil in pan, add jeera, garlic and green chillies, fry till golden brown.
Add veggies and fry till soft. Add all masala powder.
remove these from oil in a separate pan after 2-3 minutes.
Add chicken and fry till soft. Add the veggies kept aside to the chicken. Add 1/2 cup warm water. Add salt as per taste.
Serve with rice.

Shahi Paneer

Learnt this from my sister -
Required:
Paneer (1 pound) - cut in pieces
Onion - 1 (make paste)
Tomato - 3 or 4 (make puree)
Ginger garlic paste 1 tblspn
red chilli powder
coriander powder
turmeric
salt
garam masala
Cashew nuts - 1 bowl for paste
magaz or melon seeds - 1 bowl
sour cream
cashew and raisins for deco
coriander leaves - chopped
milk or yogurt - 1 bowl

Soak cashew and magaz in water for 1 hour. Make paste out of this.
Heat oil in a pan, add onion fry till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste fry for 2-3 mins. Add tomato puree, fry till cooked. Add all masala powders (turmeric should be less).
Add cashew magaz paste to this. cook well, add some milk or yoghurt. Add warm water to make gravy.
Add paneer pieces to this and cook till paneer is soft.
Add salt according to taste. Add little jaifal (nutmeg) powder if sweetness is not enough.

Take out in serving bowl.
Beat sour cream to smoothness and spread over gravy. Spread cashew and raisins over along with coriander leaves.
Serve with rice or any bread.

Garlic Bread

Learnt this from some internet sites long back...
You need -
French bread
Butter
salt (if butter unsalted)
parley leaves chopped or dried
garlic coves -2 or 3 depending on size

Heat oven to 250 deg F
Cut the bread in slices till 1 inch from bottom.
Mix all other ingredients in a small bowl and spread small portions (maybe quarter teaspoon) between the slices.
Wrap the bread in an aluminum foil.
Place this in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot with olive oil, pepper.

Paneer Chilly (Indian)

Inspired by Kevin's paneer recipe
*** This recipe is hot/ spicy
Paneer (1/2 pound cut in 1X 1/4 inch pieces)
Capsicum / Bell Peppers - green, red, yellow, orange (whichever color you want :) )
- In total use 2 pepper cut in thin slices.
Jeera whole
Coriander powder
garam masala
green chillies slit 3-4
tomato cut in thin slices
Onion - 1 cut in thin slices
salt
turmeric
oil

Heat oil in a pan, add jeera let it splutter. Add green chillies.
Add pepper pieces and onion. Add salt and turmeric. Cook well Add powder masala.
Fry for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes. After tomato is done, add the paneer. Add salt as per taste.
Cover lid till paneer is soft.
Serve hot with roti.

Cabbage

Easiest to make but takes the longest time.
Chop Cabbage in thin 1 inch length.
Potatoes - cut in small pieces
Jeera whole
green chillies
tomatoes - chopped
green peas
coriander powder
jeera powder
red pepper
garam masala
salt
turmeric

Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera and let it splutter. Add potatoes, salt and turmeric fry till done.
Add cabbage. Add salt and turmeric accordingly.
When cabbage is half cooked (half translucent), add masala powder, green chillies chopped. Cook for 10 minutes. When cabbage is cooked, add peas. after 3-5 minutes, add tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. Add coriander leaves chopped.
Add salt as per taste.

Serve with roti.

Chilli Chicken

Chicken - cut in small pieces
Capsicum - green, red - chopped in thin slices
onion cut in ring shapes
soya sauce
tomato sauce
salt
vinegar
corn flour
ginger garlic paste
garlic chopped
green chillies 4-5 slit

Mix chicken pieces in a bowl with salt, vinegar, corn flour, ginger garlic paste, red pepper powder and marinate for 1-2 hours.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces.

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and green chillies, fry till golden brown
Add green and red peppers and onions. Fry well.

Add soya sauce, tomato sauce. Add salt as per taste.

Add the chicken pieces. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Egg Paratha

Paratha dough
Egg
salt
pepper
oil

Mix egg salt and pepper in a bowl (add finely chopped onion, tomato, coriander leaves if you want)

Roll paratha balls into roti size.
Heat tawa, roast paratha without oil (dont let it burn but cooked evenly).
Put 2 spoon full egg mix over the paratha and spread it in very thin layer. Turn the paratha and add 1 spoon oil around it. Similar spread egg on the other side.
Cook well both sides adding oil accordingly.

Serve with ketchup or sabji.

French Toast

Bread loafs as needed
Eggs (3 per 6 loafs depending on loaf size)
Onion chopped - 1 medium
Tomato chopped - 1 medium
Green chillies - 2 (or as needed)
Coriander leaves chopped 1-2 spoons
salt as per taste
black/ red pepper powder
oil

Mix all ingredients above except bread in a mixing bowl.
Heat 1 spoon oil in a flat pan. Dip whole bread slice in the egg mix and put on the pan. Turn the bread once one side is done.
Take it out when both sides are done.

Repeat process for each slice.

Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Pani Puri

Learnt from my friend Raksha

Mint leaves, Coriander leaves (1:2)
Green chillies (depends on spice u want)
Ginger - 1/2 spoon chopped
Lemon (1)
black salt

Mix the above items and grind in mixer. Add water. Taste it and see salt and spicy as per ur taste. Keep this in freeze to cool.

Filling:
Potato - boiled
Batana/ chana - soaked and boiled
peanuts
onion
bhujia plain

tamarind chutney -
Tamarind
salt
sugar

make it into a smooth paste. Add salt and sugar as per ur taste

Buy puri (I don't know how to make them :) )

Serve all above and enjoy

Green peas masala

Green peas (best is fresh peas from pod). Frozen will do (2 cups)
Onion - 1 and half large
jeera whole
coriander powder
red chilli powder
garam masala
salt
oil
coriander leaves

Heat oil in a pan add jeera, chopped onion (long slices). Fry till golden brown.
Add salt, and all powder masala.
Add peas. Cook till it peas dont have the raw smell. :)
Add coriander leaves on top.
Serve with daal rice.

Beans Sabji

French beans - 1/2 pound (cut in less then inch length)
Potatoes - 2 medium sized (cut into small pieces)
Yellow moong daal - 1 bowl
green chillies
coriander powder
jeera whole
turmeric
salt
oil

Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera let it splutter. Add chopped green chillies
add half spoon coriander powder, turmeric, salt for potatoes. mix in oil. Add potatoes and fry till half done. Add cut beans and add salt and turmeric if required.
Cook this well till potato and beans are soft and done. Add moong daal (without washing)
Mix well. Add 1 spoon coriander powder, mix and cover the pan.
Add salt according to taste. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve with rice/ roti.

Tomato Rice

Rice - 2 cups
Tomatoes - 8 large
Onion - 1 large (chop in longitudinal thin pieces)
Garlic - 6-8 coves
Ginger half spoon chopped finely
Green chillies slit 3-4
Jeera whole
red chilli powder
coriander powder
jeera powder
garama masala
coriander leave chopped
salt, cooking oil

Chop tomatoes and onion, garlic (long thin slices).

Heat oil in a pan big enough to take the rice as well.
Add jeera, green chillies and let it splutter. Add garlic, stir till golden brown. Add onion and fry it well. Add ginger to it fri to 1-2 minutes. Add the finely chopped tomatoes. Add all powder masala.
Cook tomato well till raw tomato smell goes away and this is a smooth paste.

Half cook rice. add rice to this mix and cook for 10 minutes. Tomato gravy should form cream layer on rice.

Add coriander leaves.

Serve hot with raita/ pickle.

Salad (low sugar)

* Inspired from my friend Monika's salad recipe

Lettuce - light green, dark green, purple :)
Tomatoes - vine or cherry
beet root
steamed or boiled french beans
celery
baby spinach - different kinds
cucumber
small beans (boiled)
green moong sprouts
Add little olive oil, salt and pepper for taste

Curd Rice

Rice - 2 cups
Yoghurt
Milk
Chana daal for tarka (bigger grains) - half bowl
Urad daal - 1 bowl
Red dry chilli - 3-4
Mustard seeds
kaju - half bowl
raisins - half bowl
coriander leaves
curry leaves
ginger crushed - 1/4 tspn
salt
oil

Cook rice fully.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard fry till splutters. Add curry leaves and red chillies

Add ginger, urad daal, chana daal
Fry till light brown. Add kaju, raisins. Add salt for rice then add rice.
Mix well and quickly add yoghurt to cover the rice with creamy layer. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Add milk (1 cup). Mix well. Cook for 5-1 minutes.
Add chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with papad and pickle.

Paneer Biryani

Need:
Basmati Rice 2 cups
Paneer half pound
Onion - 1 big
Veggies: french beans, peas, corn, carrot 1 cup
1-2 bay leaves
5-6 cloves
1 cardomon
1 bada elaichi
coriander powder
red pepper powder
black pepper - powder and 8-10 whole
1 tblspn garam masala
cinnamon
turmeric
1-2 tblspoon ginger garlic paste
4 tblspn ghee
oil

Method:
Cut paneer in 3/4th inch length pieces, add ginger garlic paste. Marinate for 30 minutes.
Cut onion in long thin slices.

Half boil rice and drain the water

Heat 2-3 tspn oil in a pan and add onion and fry till golder brown. Keep onion aside.
Heat 2 tspn oil in the same pan and add salt and pinch of turmeric. Add paneer pieces and fry for 2-3 minutes till ginger garlic is fried. Keep paneer aside.
Heat 2 tblspn ghee in the same pan, add bay leaves, whole black pepper, cloves, cardomom, cinnamon. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes (don't let it burn)

Add veggies to this. Add salt for veggies and stir fry till cooked. Add all powder masala in between fry for 1-2 minutes. Add salt for rice. Add rice to this mixture, stir till it is mixed evenly.
Add paneer and onion fried to this and mix well.

Add garam masala and mix well. Add left over ghee 2 tblspn. Keep the vessel covered in low flame for 5-10 minutes.

Serve hot with raita.

Paneer Masala

1 pound of paneer
oil
3-4 garlic
4 tbsp onion paste
1 bowl curd
1 bowl of kaju paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red pepper powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp kasuri methi
1 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp sour cream
salt - to taste

Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic in it till it fries, add onion paste to it, stir well till it turns brown

Add the curd to it and mix well till fat separates

Add coriander powder, kaju paste and red pepper powder and stir for few minutes.

Add the paneer and jeera powder, kasoori methi, black pepper powder and lemon juice. Stir for few minutes

Add the cream and stir well.

If you want more gravy add little warm water. Add butter.

Serve with pulao.