Green Masalo Daal Maas

Recipe Source : My Mom

Vegetarians can skip the meat & just use the 16 beans mix.

1 lb chicken, mutton or beef, cut into small pieces (preferably with bones) (I used chicken)
1 cup dry 16 bean mix (soaked for 4 - 5 hrs)
1 medium sized onion, finely sliced

Grind to a fine paste without adding water:

1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch ginger
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2 inch big piece cinnamon
3 cloves
3 tomatoes
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 small marble sized tamarind
3 green chillies
1/2 bunch corainder leaves

If using beef/ mutton - pressure cook these along with the soaked 16 beans mix till done. If using chicken, pressure cook the 16 beans mix till done. Then add the chicken & let is boil along with the lentils till done. Its ok if the beans mash up. The more they mash up the better they taste.
Heat oil in a vessel & fry the sliced onion till golden brown. Pour the masala & fry well till the oil seperates. Put in the cooked lentils & meat & bring to a boil. Switch off the flame & serve hot with rice or chappatis.

Boblen Ani Sungata Kadhi (Bottlegourd & Prawns Curry)

Recipe Source : My Mom

1 medium sized bottlegourd, peeled & cut into big cubes
1 cup prawns, shelled, deveined & washed
Salt, to taste

Grind to a fine paste :

1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp corainder seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3 - 4 dried red chillies (I used the kashmiri variety)
1 small onion, cut into big chunks
2 flakes garlic
1 marble sized piece tamarind
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Set the ground masala paste aside. Put a cup of water into the blender & pulse the blender to remove any remaining masala sticking to the sides of the blender. Pour this masala water into a vessel. Add the bottlegourd pieces to the water. Cover & let it cook on medium flame till the bottlegourd pieces are cooked. Next add prawns & salt & stir to mix well. When prawns turn pink, add the ground masala paste & bring to one boil.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Potato Chops

Recipe Source : My Mom

Potato Mixture :

4 large potatoes, boiled & mashed
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Add salt & pepper to the potato mixture. Mix well & set aside.

Filling :

1 lb meat mince (lamb/ chicken/ beef/ turkey)
2 tbsp oil
3 - 4 green chillies, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic & 1 inch ginger, ground to a paste
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 bunch of corainder leaves, finely chopped
Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped green chillies & fry well till they turn crisp. Add the chopped onions & fry till transparent. Add the ginger - garlic paste & fry till the raw smell goes away. Add turmeric powder & saute for a minute. Next, add the tomatoes & salt & fry well till the tomatoes turn pulpy. Add mince & saute well & let cook till it is almost done. Sprinkle vinegar & garam masala powder & mix well. Turn the flame to high & saute till all the water from the meat evaporates & the mince is well cooked. Add the corainder leaves, mix well & turn of the flame. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Coating :

2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
rava/ semolina, as required

Heat a little oil in a pan. Take the potato mixture (apporximately the size if a huge lemon) & form it into a ball. Form the ball into a cup. Place about a tbsp or 2 of the mince mixture into the cup & enclose the potato mixture. Shape it into a ball again. If there are any cracks or if the mince is leaking out, just patch up the portion with some of the potato mixture. Flatten the ball into a round patty. Roll the patty into the egg mixture & then coat it with semolina/ rava. Place the patty into the oil. Fry till it turns brown on one side & then flip the patty & let the other side brown well. Repeat the process for the remainder. Make sure that in the entire frying process, you flip the patty just once. Frequent flipping can crack or break the patty.

Serve hot.

Gobi Matar

It feels so good to be back to blogging... after this unusually long longgggg break. Blame it on my kid, a move, family visits, vacations & most of all the LAZY ME :)
I dont promise to update on a regular basis, but will try to make it atleast once a week.
Here is a really simple dish from a very old issue of femina magazine. I have made this many times & it has always tasted good. Hope u all like it too..

1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 cup of frozen or cooked green peas
2 tbsps butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch ginger, julienned
2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
a few sprigs of fresh corainder leaves, finely chopped

Melt butter in a non-stick pan. Season with cumin seeds & ginger juliennes. Fry for a while till ginger turns crisp. Add green chillies, cauliflower & salt. Saute well. Cover & cook for 10 mins or till done. Add green peas & mix well. Sprinkle corainder leaves & garam masala powder. Mix well & turn off the flame.

Serve hot with rotis.