RAJMA MASALA RECIPE , RED KIDNEY BEANS MASALA

   Rajma masala is an authentic Punjabi dish which i have tasted many times in restaurants. Though i make Dal makhani at home , rajma masala is a rare one that i make at home. Recently during our trip to Vietnam, we were served jeera rice and rajma masala in the flight and my son Varun enjoyed it a lot. He asked me to make rajma masala at home one day. I totally forgot that and last week one day he pleaded me to make rajma masala for dinner after coming from school. But i didn’t soak rajma previous night. Finally i bought  the canned red kidney beans and rajma masala for him.
Also check out my

• Rajma cheese paratha
• Rajma pulao

INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 3-4)

RAJMA | RED KIDNEY BEANS (COOKED)*	1 AND 1/2 CUP
ONION	2
BAY LEAF	1
TOMATO	2
GARAM MASALA	1/4 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER	1/2TSP
JEERA POWDER	1/4 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER	1/2 TSP
OIL	1 TBLSP
SALT	TO TASTE
KASOORI METHI	1/4 TSP
MILK | CREAM	1/4 CUP

* I used 2 canned red kidney beans.

METHOD:

• If using the dry rajma, soak it for 10 to 12 hours and cook till 6-7 whistles in a pressure cooker or till it becomes soft. Add salt and bay leaf while cooking. Discard the bay leaf later. Reserve the cooked water.
• If using canned one, drain the excess water and wash it thoroughly.
• Chop the onions very finely. Alternatively you can make the onion into a fine paste too.

• In a pan add the oil and add the bay leaf ( since i used the canned rajma i have added bay leaf now) If using dry one, add bay leaf while cooking itself.
• Throw in the onions and saute for few minutes in a low flame till it turns pink.
• Add the garam masala powder at this stage and saute for few minutes. Adding garam masala at this stage will give a nice flavor to the curry.

• Puree the tomatoes and add it to the onion garam masala mix.
• Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and coriander powder.

• Mix well and saute well till the raw smell goes off and the gravy oozes out oil.
• Add the red kidney beans to this.

• If you cooked the rajma add the reserved water which u used for cooking else add 1 to 1 and 1/2 cup of water.
• Add the kasoori methi. Check for salt.

• Allow this boil for few minutes and add the milk.  I used full cream milk for a creamy texture. You can use cream or evaporated milk too.
• Keep the flame low and cook it for 20 minutes . Stir in between.
• Creamy and finger licking Rajma masala is ready to serve.
• Serve with roti | jeera rice.

Note:

• Ginger garlic paste can be added after adding onions.
• Use the best variety of red kidney beans, else it will not get cooked.

Check out these recipes too:

• DAL MAKHANI
• CHANNA MASALA
• JEERA PULAO
• SOFT ROTIS

VEGETABLE SOUP RECIPE | SOUP RECIPES

Soups are always liked by everyone at home. Last week me and hubby had a bad throat pain and i thought i will make a soup as it will be soothing for the throat. I have few left over veggies , so i wanted to make a mixed vegetable soup. Long back i remember trying out a Vegetable soup recipe from  Tarla dalal’s book, by adding little Oats to the soup. The vegetable soup turned out quite well and even kids too loved it. It was quite filling too as it is loaded with veggies. Try out this easy and healthy Vegetable Soup.

MIXED VEGETABLES*	1 CUP
GARLIC	4
SALT	TO TASTE
PEPPER	TO TASTE
WATER |VEGETABLE STOCK	4 CUPS
OATS	2 TBLSP
OIL | BUTTER	1/4 TSP

* I used carrot, baby corn, sweet corn, green peas and broccoli.

METHOD:

• Peel the skin of the garlic and chop it finely.
• Chop the veggies finely.

• In a deep pan, add oil or butter and add the garlic. Saute for few minutes till it turns golden brown.
• Add the chopped veggies and saute for a minute.

• Add the water or vegetable stock . Add the oats too.
• Let this cook for 10 minutes till the vegetables become tender.

• Just reserve 2 tblsp of cooked veggies to add in the last. ( this step is optional only)
• Allow this to cool and blend it smoothly in a blender. Reserve the water and add it to the soup later. while blending blend only the veggies.

• Add the blend veggie mix and the reserved water and boil it for 5- 10 mins. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Add the reserved veggie if you have .
• Serve hot. We had with home garlic bread .

Note:

1. Oats can be replaced with yellow moong dal.
2. Add any veggies of your choice.

Technorati Tags: vegetable soup,how to make veg soup,easy soup recipes,mixed veg soup

RAGDA PATTIES RECIPE | HOW TO MAKE RAGDA PATTICE

RECIPE FOR ALOO TIKKI

Ragda patties is the one  which i wanted to try this for a long time . I have tasted Ragda patties, a popular chaat recipe, in my friend’s place very long back and till then i have been wanting to try at home . Finally i made this last week and sharing the recipe of ragda patties today. I made aloo tikki at home and has given the recipe of Aloo tikki too.

INGREDIENTS: FOR ALOO TIKKI MAKES 5

POTATO | ALOO	2
CORIANDER LEAVES	FEW
RED CHILLI POWDER	1/2 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER	1/4 TSP
CUMIN SEED POWDER	1/2 TSP
SALT	TO TASTE
OIL	TO SHALLOW FRY THE TIKKIS
CORNFLOUR	1TBLSP (OPTIONAL)

METHOD:

• Cook the potatoes till soft. Peel the skin of the potatoes and mash it with a fork. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder ,salt and if needed add cornflour. Mix well and make it into a tight mixture.
• Make it into small tikkis | patties .

• Heat a tawa  and add few drops of oil. Place the patties and shallow fry on both sides. Keep it aside.

• Aloo tikkis are ready. Adding corn flour is optional. If you feel the potato mixture is not too tight just add 1 tblsp, else you can skip it too.
• Instead of shallow frying you can deep fry it too if you want to consume time.

FOR RAGDA GRAVY :

WHITE PEAS	1/2 CUP
ONION	1-2
TOMATO	1
RED CHILLI POWDER	1/2 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER	1/4 TSP
CUMIN SEED POWDER	1/2 TSP
GARAM MASALA	A PINCH
JEERA	1/4 TSP
OIL	1/2 TBLSP
SALT	TO TASTE

 OTHER INGREDIENTS:

GREEN CHUTNEY	AS NEEDED
SWEET CHUTNEY	AS NEEDED
CORIANDER LEAVES	FEW
ONION	1
NYLON SEV	AS NEEDED

METHOD:

• Soak the white peas for 6-7 hours or overnight.
• Pressure cook this till 3-4 whistles. Chop the onions and tomatoes finely.
• In a pan add oil and add in the jeera, add the onions and fry till they become pink.
• Add in the tomatoes and cook till mushy. Add in the coriander powder, red chilli powder,cumin seed powder and garam masala.

• Cook this in alow flame for 2 minutes and add in the cooked white peas and add addin 1 and 1/2 cup of water. ( you can add the cooked water too)
• Let this boil in a medium flame for 7- 10 minutes.

• Now the gravy is ready.
• Just before serving we can arrange the ragda patties.
• In a plate, place 2 aloo tikki and pour in 2 ladle full of white peas gravy.

• Add in the sweet chutney as per your taste.
• Add the green chutney as per your taste.

• Add the nylon sev , finely chopped onions and coriander leaves on the top for garnishing.

• I personally love this chaat very much and it is quite filling too.

• This gravy can be used as a side dish for chapathi too.
• You can add ginger garlic paste in the beginning if you want.

Technorati Tags: how to make ragda patties,mumbai street food,popular chaat recipes,chaat recipes,ragda pattice recipe,how to make aloo tikki,aloo tikki recipe

Check my other Chaat recipes too:

• BHEL PURI
• MASALA POORI
• PAPDI CHAAT RECIPE

INDIAN STYLE MASALA PASTA , EASY PASTA RECIPES

Pasta made with Indian spices and masala, to give it a desi Indian touch. Generally i make pasta  for kids with  Home made pasta Sauce , and being bored with the usual style i wanted to try a new version of pasta. My daughter Varsha came up with the idea of this Desi Masala pasta and i tried with a small batch of pasta last week for her and she enjoyed it a lot. Last weekend i made this for all of us and sharing the recipe of Indian style Masala pasta recipe here.
Check out my
Pasta Primvera
Sweet corn pasta

CHAPATHI UPMA RECIPE | HOW TO USE LEFT OVER CHAPATHI

       Chapathi |Roti upma , this recipe i got from my relative who recently visited my blog and called me up and told this recipe of roti upma. She is a  great cook and at this age of 75 she actively cooks everyday for her family . I thank Saroja Mami for introducing me this simple,easy and tasty Roti upma.

INGREDIENTS:

ROTI | CHAPATHI	4-5
PEANUTS	2 TBLSP
SESAME SEEDS	2 TSP
CUMIN SEEDS | JEERA	1/4 TSP
ONION	1 NO
CAPSICUM	1/4 PORTION
OIL	2 TSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
GREEN CHILLI	2
CORIANDER LEAVES	A HANDFUL
SALT	TO TASTE
LEMON JUICE	FEW DROPS

METHOD:

• Tear the roti into small pieces.
• 
• Chop the onions , green chilli and capsicums finely.
• In a pan add oil and add the mustard seeds and jeera.
• Add the green chilli and the chopped onion and saute for few minutes.

• Add the peanuts and sesame seeds. Roast in a low flame till it turns golden brown.
• Add the capsicum and saute for few minutes.

• Add the torn rotis to this and mix well.
• Saute in a low flame and switch off the flame. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

• Always serve hot.  I thoroughly enjoyed eating this roti upma.         Note:

1. You can add carrots, green peas and corn kernels too.
2. You can coarsely ground the peanuts ( roast and take the skin ) instead of adding it full.

Technorati Tags: how to use left over chapathis,roti upma,easy tiffin recipes,how to make upma with roti