Gobhi-matar subji (cauliflower and peas curry)

Oh how I used to dislike the gobhi-matar subji ..... until about 2-3 months ago...!! It was my first get-together with my new gal-pals in the US... a girl made this gobhi-matar curry and I loved it..... !! It looked exactly the way, I made it.....but it tasted so better than mine and I wondered how did she make it! She kindly shared the recipe and I m so glad to be sharing it with you.... I got a friend and a new "regular" in my lunch recipe list. Thanks, Ana!!

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower -- about 300-350 grams (I used about half of a medium sized cauliflower)
• tomatoes -- 2 
  
• green peas -- 1/2 cup
• red onion -- about half
• garlic -- 3 cloves
• ginger  -- 1 inch piece
• green chilies -- 2
• mustard seeds -- 1 tsp
• asafoetida -- 1/4 tsp
• curry leaves -- 4-5
• turmeric powder  -- 1/2 tsp
• coriander powder -- 1 tsp
• salt -- about 1 tsp 
• canola or vegetable oil -- 1 tbsp
• coriander leaves -- a handful bunch
• water -- 1 to 1 1/2 cup
• and the last secret ingredient -- Rasam Powder -- about 1 and 1/2 tsp

Recipe:

• Cut the cauliflower to half. Remove the green stalks and break to florets. Clean and wash well in running water. Keep it aside.
• Grate the ginger and garlic and make paste. Slit the green chilies and remove the seeds if needed. Chop the coriander leaves. 
• Chop the onions and tomatoes and grind to a fine paste/puree with a blender. Keep it aside.

• Heat a tbsp or two of oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add asafoetida and slit green chilies.

• Add the onion paste. Keep the heat medium and keep stirring till the liquid is evaporated and the paste is darkened and shiny(about 5-7 minutes)

• Add the tomato puree and keep stirring for about 10 minutes.

• Add the ginger-garlic paste and the curry leaves, while continuously stirring.

• Once the "masala" starts coming together (looks like it's getting dry), add the powdered spices -- turmeric powder, coriander powder, rasam powder and salt.

• Stir for 1-2 minutes on medium heat after adding the dry spice powders.

• Add the cauliflower florets and the green peas and saute them in the "tomato onion masala" for 2-3 minutes.

• I cooked this curry in a pressure pan. So at this point, I added about 1 cup of water to the curry, covered the pressure pan with lid and let it cook for 1-2 whistles.

• You can cover the lid, if cooking in a regular skillet or pot after adding water and let it cook for another 7-8 minutes till the cauliflower is done.

• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot as a side to chapatis or rice.

Quantity:

• 4-5 servings with accompaniments like rice/chapati, etc

Notes:

• I used only 1/2 of the cauliflower and got a gravy (liquid based) curry.
• If u want the subji to be dry, you can use about 400 gms of cauliflower and cook the subji with less water.

• You can add garam masala or goda masala or any of your favorite homemade mixed spice powder.... that will make it different flavored. I particularly loved the flavor and combination of peas and cauliflower with the rasam masala :) 

Baingan Bharta (Fire roasted mashed eggplant)

My boys do not like eggplant, but I love it. Usually I cook recipes which take me 30-40 minutes from start to finish, lesser the better.... but, this is my favorite and I was craving for it and I thought I will take the effort to cook it for my blog. Also, it is a very messy affair to roast it on open fire and clean it. That's why I usually avoid to make it. This is my mom and my sister's recipe. They cooked it for me, when I went back to India last month. It is beautifully creamy and that fire roasted flavor is wonderful.

 I ate the leftovers as a spread on a toast, topped with Haldiram's Alu-Bhujia.... :)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized eggplant( Here is a link to different kind of eggplants. I used the one which looks like the American eggplant in the list)
  
• 1 small red onion
• 2 small tomatoes
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger
• 1 green chili
• 1-2 tsp sesame oil(or any other oil like canola/olive)
• 1 tsp each of coriander and cumin powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Maharastrian Goda masala(or garam masala)
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk(1 used 2 tbsp of coconut cream)
• salt to taste
• a bunch of coriander leaves to garnish

Recipe:

• Brush the eggplant with oil and put it on direct fire of the gas stove. 

• Keep on turning the eggplant till it is evenly roasted.
• Once all the sides are blistered and the insides start getting mushy, the eggplant will give a nice aroma. 

• Carefully, with the help of tongs, transfer the eggplant to a bowl. Keep it to cool.
• Then remove the skin.
• I was in a hurry to cook it, so I put it under running water in a colander and removed the skin.

• Mash the eggplant with a fork or even your hand. Keep it aside.

• Chop the onion, tomato and chili. Grate ginger.Wash and chop the coriander.

• Now, heat some oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, ginger and chili.Saute for about 40 secs.

• Add onion. Saute for a minute or two.

• Add tomato and cook till the tomatoes are mushy.

• Add the mashed eggplant and continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes till everything is mixed well.

• You can mash everything together with a potato masher. I used my cooking spoon.

• Add the goda masala(or the garam masala) and season with salt.

• Turn off the heat and add about 1/2 a cup of coconut milk and whisk it into the eggplant. 

• Garnish with coriander leaves.

• Serve hot with chapatis, etc
• You can use it as a dip for tortilla or pita chips too.

Quantity:

• 4-5 servings with other accompaniments

Notes:

• Roasting the eggplant on fire of the gas stove is really a messy affair. You can bake the eggplant in an oven. Oil the eggplant. Put it in a deep baking dish covered with foil for about 40 minutes or so in a preheated oven at 180 degrees.
• You can add more coconut milk or cream to get richer flavor.
• Add more chilies or chili powder to make it spicier.

Achari Paneer

The end of school year in Singapore. My kids have vacations and I seem to be busier in holidays,  than the school days..!! I am not cooking much, and the holidays are just passing by....! My son's friend's mom(Thank-you-- Shuvali), sent me a delicious chicken.... which we all liked so much and made me cook something new again. As I didn't have chicken at home, I decided to make the recipe with paneer. I loved the flavor.

 Would you like to taste....? :)

Ingredients:

• 400 gms paneer cubes
  
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt (or regular curd. Hang it for an hour to get the thick waterless curd)
• 1 tsp each of nigella seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of coriander and cumin powder
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1 large red onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 4 green chilies 
• salt about 1 tsp or to taste
• 1- 3 tsp of mustard oil (or any regular oil or ghee, mustard oil flavor is really nice)
• More tomato, coriander leaves, or ginger to garnish

Recipe:

• Slit the green chilies, chop the onion and tomato, grate the ginger and garlic to paste.

• Heat mustard oil in a pan.
• Add the dry spices.(cumin, mustard, fennel, nigella and fenugreek)

• Heat them for about half a minute, add turmeric and asafoetida.
• Now add the ginger - garlic paste, onions and then the tomatoes. Saute them for 30 seconds to a minute after each addition. 

• Add the cumin and coriander powder and saute till the masala is cooked.

• Now add paneer cubes and mix well. 
• Cook for about 5-7 minutes.

• Lower the heat, add salt and garam masala.

• Add the greek yogurt and mix it in with the paneer and let it cook on a low flame for 3-5 minutes.

• Garnish with more tomatoes, coriander leaves and slit chilies or ginger matchsticks.

• A very yummy side for roti, parathas or naans.

Quantity:

• 3-4 servings with other accompaniments like roti, chapati, naan or parathas.

Note:

• This recipe can also be made with chicken. As my son says, it tastes better with chicken :) 
• Marinate the chicken with salt, turmeric and greek yogurt (or hung curd) for about 2-3 hours before cooking it.