Aloo methi/Potato Fenugreek Curry

Aloo methi is such a easy and a go to side dish which you can make in 20-25 minutes. Recently I had my cousin and her family visiting us from NY and this dish was on the menu and everyone liked it.

Ingredients
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 big fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves bunch (use only leaves, wash thoroughly and chop it roughly)
4-5 finely chopped green chilies (adjust as per taste)
2 tsp coriander/dhania powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
4 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
White sesame seeds (2 tbsp for garnish, optional)

How I Prepare

1. Heat oil in a pan, add hing, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow mustard seeds to crackle. Add green chilies and potatoes and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
2. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Cook covered for 5 minutes on a medium flame. The potatoes should be 3/4 cooked by now.
3. Add fenugreek leaves and mix everything nicely and allow to cook for 5 more minutes on low flame.
4. Add sesame seeds and serve hot with roti's.

Note:
1. If you don't like the bitter taste of methi leaves, then soak it in salt water for 10-15 minutes and then squeeze the water out and use the leaves.
3. Also increase or decrease the quantity of methi leaves as per your taste

Bharwan Baingan/Stuffed Brinjal/Stuffed Eggplant

Here comes one more delicacy of Rajasthan, Bharwa baingan. It is stuffed eggplant curry made with  garlic paste and basic spices (red chilli powder, coriander powder, tumeric powder). I optionally add half onion to have more masala in the curry. For the Jain version of the curry both garlic and onion are completely skipped. 

Ingredients
8-10 small eggplant. Washed and pat dried.
10-12  cloves of garlic
1/2 medium sized onion
4-5 small green chilies (adjust as per your taste)
2 tsp red chilli powder
11/2 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of hing
Salt as per taste
1/4 cup of water
3-4 tbsp cooking Oil

How I Make
1. Slit the eggplant length wise from the base towards the stalk, dividing first into half and making another slit dividing each into quarters.

2. Grind onion, garlic and green chilli into a paste. To it add red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, tumeric powder, salt as per taste and mix into a paste. Add little water if required.

3. Fill the cut eggplant with the above paste.
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add hing, mustard seeds, jeera, stuffed eggplant and any leftover paste and mix gently.
5. Cover and cook till the eggplant turn tender, stirring a few times in between. Sprinkle few drops of water if required to avoid burning of the eggplant and masala.
6. Serve it hot with roti's

Note
1. Additionally you can add half tomatoes finely chopped while the eggplant is half cooked. This will give tangy flavor to the curry.
2. To check if the eggplant is fully cooked gently press the eggplant with a fork or toothpick.

Chana dal Karela

Here goes one more recipe from Karela :). My mom makes chana dal karela especially for us. Growing up as a kid I never tasted the bharwa karela. We used to eat only chana dal karela by leaving the karela pieces out in a plate :) but eventually got used to the flavor of Karela. Also this dish is a good way to start eating karela for all people out there who dislike karela's 

Ingredients
3-4 Karela, skinned and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup of chana dal, washed and soaked in water for 2-3 hours
2 tsp of tamarind pulp/paste
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped into small pieces (alternatively you can use garlic paste)
2 tsp red chilli powder
11/2 tsp dhaniya powder
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of hing
3 tbsp oil
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnish (Optional)
1 cup of water

How I Prepare
1. Sprinkle some salt on the cut pieces of karela and add some water and keep it aside, for 20-30 minutes. You can skip this step if you don't mind the bitterness.
2. Heat up the oil in a pan, add hing, jeera/cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Allow mustard seeds to splutter. Then add chopped garlic pieces and saute for few seconds.
3. Lower the flame, add tumeric powder, red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, salt as per taster and little water. Mix everything up and allow masala to cook for 2-3 minutes.
4.Add tamarind paste, soaked chana dal and cook it for few more minutes with lid closed.
5.Squeeze water out of karela and add it to above mix. Add more water as required. Chana dal will need water to cook.
6. Allow the curry to cook for 15-20 minutes. Stir it occasionally until dal and karela are cooked.
7. Garnish with coriander and serve it with roti's


Notes
1. If you forgot to soak the dal in advance then boil the dal in microwave for 4-5 minutes.
2. Don't add all the water at once, add it as you need it. This gravy is supposed to be dry

Bharwa Pyaz/Stuffed Onion/Pearl Onion Curry

This dish comes out straight from our Rajasthani cuisine. Generally onions are used as an ingredient for other dishes; It's very rare you come across a curry which is just made from onion. This recipe is very quick and easy !!! It just needs basic ingredients from you kitchen pantry and dish is ready. My mom used to make this curry and serve with roti's often for Sunday night dinner after heavy lunch and breakfast on Sunday  Also you can make this curry when you are out of  green veggies.

Ingredients
Pearl onions (I got a small bag containing 15-18)

1 tbs red chili powder
2 tbs dhaniya powder
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
2 tbs tamarind pulp
Oil for tadka
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Pinch of hing
Salt to taste
Few spoons of water

How I Prepare

1. Peel the skin of onions, and make half slit on both the sides of onion making sure you don't cut the onion into pieces (Similar to what we do for Baigan(Eggplant)). Also always cut from the bottom side.

2. Mix all the masala ingredients into a paste adding few drops of water.

3. Don't make the masala too watery.

4. Stuff the masala into the onions, while stuffing be careful do not wide open the slit it could break the onions.

5. Heat up the oil in a wide pan. Add hing, mustard seeds, jeera and then add the stuffed onion and left over  masala if you have.  Lower the flame give it a gentle fry.

6. Cover the pan with a lid and cook it for 10-15 minutes, occasionally give it a stir.

7. Serve it hot with roti or paratha.

Bharwa Karela (Stuffed Karela/Bitter Gourd)

Karela, hmmmmm... not a big fan of it while growing up but mom takes special interest in making the curries. It is one of her favorite vegetable. She has various different recipe for Karela. Last year when she was here for my delivery she thought me lot of Rajasthani dishes and Bharwa Karela was must to learn as it had become my hubby's favorite curry :).

Ingredients

4-5 Karela

8-10 Garlic pods

3-4 green chilies

1 1/2 tbs red chilli powder

2 tbs dhaniya powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 1/2 thick tamarind paste (Alternatively use lemon juice or dry mango powder)

1/2 tbs cumin seeds

1/4 tbs mustard seeds

6-8 seeds of Saunf 

Pinch of hing

Few spoons of water

Few curry leaves

Salt to taste

4 tbs of Oil (You need more oil for this curry then other regular curry)

How I Prepare
1. First peel roughly just the bumpy outer skin of Karela. Then with the peeler shave the skin and keep it aside as show below.

2. Once the Karelas are completely peeled, do a slit in between and cut into half. If the karela is too small you can leave it as is with just a slit.

3. Place the Karelas in microwave safe bowl, add little water, salt and turmeric powder and heat it for 2-3 minutes. This will make the karela a bit tender and remove the bitterness.  If you like the curry to be bit bitter then you can skip this step.

4. Allow the Karelas to cool down and then squeeze the water out and keep it aside.

5. Make a coarse paste of garlic and green chilli. To this add the Karela skin by chopping it into small pieces.

6. Add red chili powder, dhaniya powder, tumeric powder, salt, tamarind paste and make a paste as shown below.

7. Now fill the above paste into the cut karela. Keep the remaining paste as is.

8. Heat up the oil in a wide pan. Add hing, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Saunf and curry leaves. To this drop the stuffed karelas, left over masala and gently give a toss.

9. Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for 15-20 minutes on a low flame. Stir it occasionally and if water is required add spoon by spoon.

10. Once the Karelas are cooked, you will see oil coming out of masala. Also make sure you are not getting the raw smell of the masala still.

11. Serve it hot with roti. 

Note:

1. This curry stays good for 2-3 days at room temperature.  

2. Additionally you a fry the masala for 2-3 minutes before stuffing. 

Bharwa bhindi (Stuffed bhindi/Stuffed Okra)

This is the most famous curry in our marwadi household and this delicacy is so relished that this curry is even  made when we have important events or guest at home. Bharwa or Bharma bhindi means stuffed bhindi made out of basic ingredient like garlic, red chilli powder etc. It is simple and yet yummy yummy. 

Ingredients
Ladies finger (bhindi) approximately 18-20
7-8 cloves of garlic pod
3-4 green chili (optional)
1/4 tbsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp coriander (dhania) powder
3 tbsp chilli powder to taste
1 tbsp dried mango powder (amchur) - optional
1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1/4 tbsp hing (asafeotida)
Salt to taste
lLttle water
3 tbsp oil

How I Prepare
1. Wash the bhindi and pat dry them nicely. Make sure no water is seen.
2. Cut both the ends of bhindi, then make a slit in between lengthwise. Make sure not to split the bhindi.
3. Make garlic and green chili paste. To this add turmeric, dhania, red chilli powder, amchur and salt, combine everything into a mix by adding little water. The paste should be thick and not watery.
4. Fill each slit bhindi with the above masala and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan. Add hing, mustard seeds, jeera saute for 30 seconds. Add the stuffed bhindi and left over masala if any.
6. Cover and cook on a slow flame, stirring and turning the bhindi in between.
7. Serve hot with rotis.

Notes
1. If you want more masala, additionally you can add onion while make garlic and green chili paste. Grind everything in smooth paste.
2. This dish don't need any water while cooking. But if feel the curry is burning and needs some then add just 1 or 2 spoons water.

Stuffed Methi Paratha/Methi Puri/Fenugreek leaves Paratha

This is a unique dish which my mom makes it often and it is one of my favorite paratha. I like it more than Aloo paratha.  

Generally with methi/fenugreek leaves thepla (Gujarati flat bread) is made. My mom makes thepla for rajasthan travel as it stays fresh for 3 days. Nothing is more awesome than to eat thepla in train for lunch along with spicy garlic chutney. Thepla is good for picnics too. 

Back to stuffed methi paratha. As I said this paratha has a unique flavor and tastes similar to Kachori (famous Rajasthani snack).

Ingredients

1 bunch of methi leaves

1 cup of besan (chickpeas flour)

3-4 pods of garlic finely chopped

3-4 green chilies (optional) finely chopped 

1 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 1/2 teaspoon dhaniya powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1/4 teaspoon of Saunf (fennel seeds)

Pinch of asafotedia (hing)

3-4 tbs of oil for stuffing

Few tbs oil while making paratha

Few curry leaves

Salt to taste

Wheat flour mixed like roti dough

How I Prepare

1. In a wide saute pan, add oil and heat up. Once hot add hing, jeera, saunf, curry leaves, garlic, green chilies and saute it for 30-60 seconds. 

2. Lower the flame and add besan flour. Mix it  nicely and saute it for few minutes until the raw smell of besan is gone. Keep stirring and make sure besan doesn't get burnt.

3. Once you get nice aroma of besan, start adding turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, garam masala and salt as per taste. Mix everything and fry it for couple of minutes.

3. Wash methi leaves and chop it roughly. Add methi leaves to the above mix. The moisture in washed leaves should allow the mix to bind well. If not add few drops of water.

4. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the mix to cook for few minutes. Switch off the stove, remove the lid and allow the mix to cool down.

5. Take roti/wheat dough divide into small portions. Roll out a portion of dough into a small circle, place small ball size mix in the middle of  circle. Wrap a mix with the dough, gathering the edges together. Pinch the edges together to seal, flattening it into a disc and roll it to a size of roti ( 6 inch diameter).
6.  Place the paratha on your heated pan.  Once it is lightly cooked, flip it and let the other side cook complete. Flip it back and oil the paratha. Flip again and oil the other side too. Make sure both the sides is cooked completely before taking out of the pan.
7. Serve it hot with curd/yogurt or pickle.

Lahsun Ki Sabzi (Garlic Curry)

Sounds Weird, but its true it's a curry served as side dish. You might have heard of garlic chutney many times but not the sabzi. My mom makes this curry often when she runs out of options and if you are a garlic fan then you will love to eat your roti's with this curry alone. 

Ingredients
2 Pods of garlic, peel the cloves and cut them into small/tiny pieces
2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (Hing)
2-3 tbs oil
3-4 teaspoon of water
Salt to taste

How I prepare

1. Take a small pan, heat up the oil in it. Add hing, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and allow the mustard to splutter. Lower the flame and add garlic and saute it for few minutes until the garlic has turned into light golden brown color. Don't allow the garlic to burn.
2. Add all the spices and salt. Add water, mix everything nicely. Allow the mix to cook until the oil separates out from the masala.
3. Serve it with Roti, Dosa or Akki Roti.

Notes
1. The curry stays good for 3-4 days outside and if refrigerated then it's good for few weeks.
2. After emptying the curry, I wipe one Roti not to waste any masala :)

Bharwa Besan Mirchi (Stuffed Mirchi)

Ingredients
5-6 Long green chilies/mirchi
1 cup besan flour (chickpea flour)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon amchur powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)
4-5 seeds of ajawan seeds
3-4 tbs Oil
1/4 teaspoon Asafeotida (Hing)
1 cup water
Salt to taste

How I Prepare
1. Wash the chilies and pat dry them. Cut in middle and if mirchi's are too long cut them into half. Remove the seeds if you don't want the curry to be spicy.

2. Take a pan, add little oil and roast the besan flour on medium flame until the raw smell is gone.

3. Transfer the besan in the plate and allow it to cool down.
4. Add mustard seeds, turmeric powder, dhaniya powder, red chilli powder, Salt and mix into a paste by adding water. The paste should not be too watery.

5. Fill up all the mirchi with the paste. Keep the left over paste as is.

6. Heat up oil in the pan, once hot add hing, jeera and saute for few seconds.
7. Lower the flame and add the stuffed mirchi and left over paste and toss it slow. Add little water and cover with the lid.
8. On medium flame cook the curry for 15-20 minutes or until the mirchi is completely cooked. Stir it occasionally.

9. Serve it hot with roti's

Notes
1. If  chilies are not spicy, then you can add small green chilies into the besan paste.
2. Don't make the besan paste too thick, once cooked it will be too hard. Paste should be off cake batter consistency.
3. Optionally u can add few drops of lemon juice if amchur powder is not available. If you like it to be little tangy.

Pach Kutta Ki Sabzi

Pach Kutta Ki sabzi is a very common curry in Marwadi cuisine. This curry is made from 5 different vegetables hence the name Panch Kutta. It is so famous that in most of our marwadi wedding this curry is made. For Jain version skip the garlic. We are Jain but we eat onion and garlic all year around expect during 8 days of Paryushan. My mom loves garlic and she tends to add them a lot due to health benefits and no wonder her dishes always taste better then others.

I kind of like this dish as it allows to empty you refrigerator in one single shot. You can add what you have handy. If one of veggie listed below is not available you can skip it totally.

Ingredients
1/2 cup gawar phali (clustered beans) cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cucumber cut into blocks
1 cup peas
1/2 cup green capsicum
1 Turai (chinese okra/Beerakaya/Ridge gourd ) you can substitue with zuccini also
1 large tomato
4-5 big cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
11/2 teaspoon of dhaniya powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
Few curry leaves (optional)
Pinch of hing (asafoetida)
3 - 4 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Little water (1-2 spoons)
Coriander for garnish

How I prepare
1. Take a pan, heat up the oil. Add hing, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once mustard starts to splutter add garlic and curry leaves. Saute for few seconds.
2. Turn the stove heat low. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhaniya powder, salt, little water and mix it nicely.
3. Allow this mix to cook for 2-3 minutes. Make sure not to burn the mix, add more water if required.
4. Add gawar phali and cover with the lid and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Then add all the remaining veggies and mix it well. Add little water if required. Tomato and cucumber will release water, make sure not to make it too watery.
6. Close with the lid and allow the veggies to cook for 10-15 minutes. Occasionally check in between and give it a stir.
7. Once cooked garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Note:
1. Here in US veggies cook really fast and they release plenty of water so I add water very cautiously.
2. You can add few drops of lemon too.
3. I added gawar phali first and allowed it to cook for few minutes as it takes long time for this veggie to cook.
4. Alternatively instead of cooking the curry on stove, you can pressure cook the curry after step 5.

Aloo Palak

Ingredients
2 potatoes boiled and cut into big chunks
2-3 bunch of spinach ( I use big packet of baby spinach) roughly chopped
4-5 big cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
11/2 teaspoon of dhaniya powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
Pinch of hing (asafoetida)
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Little water (1-2 spoons)

How I Prepare
1. Take a pan heat up the oil. Add hing, mustard seeds, jeera saute for few seconds  then add finely chopped garlic and saute for few more seconds.
2. Lower the flame, add all powders and little water and mix it well. Don't allow the masala to burn. Add more water if required and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add spinach and saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add potatoes and mix everything together nicely and allow the curry to cook for 10 minutes with lid closed.
5. Server it hot with Roti or Rice

Note
1. You can add green chilli, if you want more spicy. Rajasthani curries are generally red in color.
2. Don't reduce the garlic quantity, garlic gives a unique flavor to the dish.

Besan Ki Sabzi

Using Besan (chickpea flour) for cooking is very common in Rajasthan cuisine. We make lots of curries from besan like ghata ki sabzi, Bhujiya ki Sabji (plain besan bhaji), sev ki sabzi, besan ki sabzi, patod ki sabzi, Khadi etc.. I will be listing them all when I make them shortly. In my house my mom use to make besan ki sabzi on sunday nights as a light comforting food after a heavy sunday lunch. This curry should be made just before you want to eat. It has to be eaten hot and generally prepared on sunday night as everyone is at home after their weekend outing.

Ingredients
4 tsp besan flour (chickpea flour)
2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
3-4 green chilies chopped
Few peanuts (this is optional, my mom never adds this but my hubby likes as it gives some crunch to the curry)
Few curry leaves
1 teaspoon  red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala (optional, add it only if u want it more spicy)
1/2 teaspoon dhaniya powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
Pinch of hing (asafoetida)
2-3 teaspoon oil
11/2 cup of water
Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

How I Prepare
1. Add besan to a large bowl, add all the spice powder, including salt as per taste. Add water slowly and make a thin paste (similar to what we do for Khadi).

2. In a pan, heat oil and once hot add hing, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter add garlic and saute for 1 minute, then add groundnut seeds, onion, curry leaves, green chilli and saute until onions are translucent.

3. Lower the flame and slowly add the besan mix. Make sure to stir continuously to avoid lumps.

4. Add more water if required as the besan will start getting thick as it cooks.

5. Taste the mix and adjust the salt and spicy accordingly. Allow the curry to cook for 10-15 minutes until the raw smell of besan is gone completely.

6. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rotis

Cucumber Raita

Ingredients
1. 2 cups thick yogurt, whisked till smooth
2. 3-4 mint leaves chopped fine
3. 1 large cucumber grated
4. 3/4 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder (Or subsitute with 1 green chilli)
6. 1/4 teaspoon of mustard seeds (crushed nicely)
7. Few fresh corainder leaves chooped fine
8. Salt to taste

How I Prepare
1.  Take a large bowl add all ingredients and mix well.
2.  Chill and serve it as side dish.

Note
1. I crush the mustard seeds in a tissue paper/news paper. Place the seeds in the middle of the paper, fold it and run the rolling pin multiple times until all seeds are crushed.
2. Adding mustard seeds gives a complete different flavor. In Rajasthan cuisine no raita is made without mustard seeds.

Carrot Halwa/Gajar Ka Halwa

It's getting cold over here, winter has started and Diwali is also here. I hate winter coz of the cold  but love it as you burn more calories :) and more food intake. I constantly look forward to cook something hot, spicy and sweet treats in my kitchen. I remember during my childhood my mom used to make many sweets dishes rich in nuts (especially badam) and ghee during winter. She used to make us eat sweet treats like gajar ka halwa, badam halwa, urad dal ladoo etc for breakfast everyday in the morning saying its good for health. My mom makes gajar halwa with lots of ghee and Khoya. Khoya is not readily available in US so I totally skip it, if you can get it, add it. It gives a rich texture and taste. I use less ghee to cook healthy.

Ingredients
1. 2 cups grated carrot. ( I grate using food processor and it's super quick)
2. 2 cups milk
3. 1/2 cup condensed milk
4. Few saffron/kesar strands soaked in little water
5. 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
6. 2-3 teaspoon of nuts (Badam, cashew and raisin). I was out of raisin so I skipped it.
7. 4-5 teaspoon of ghee (increase/decrease it as per your taste)

How I Prepare
1. Add ghee in a pan. Once hot add grated carrot and sauté it for 10-15 minutes until you get nice aroma of carrots and moisture of the carrot is reduced. 
2. Heat up the milk in microwave for a minute and then add it to the above mix. Let it boil for 1-2 minutes then add condensed milk and cardamom powder. 
3. Let everything boil together for 10-15 minutes or until all milk is evaporated. Keep stirring in between. Most importantly cook it on medium flame.
4. Add kesar and nuts and mix it nicely. It's ready to Serve hot. Once cool refrigerate it. It stays good for 4-5 days.

Notes
The condensed milk is sweet enough, so I don't add any additional sugar. If you think the sweetness is less add sugar as per your taste.