Naan

Naan is an Indian flat bread baked in clay oven. It is a world famous Indian bread recipe. It has a crusty bottom and fluffy on the top smeared it with butter. There are different kinds of naan like garlic naan, kheema naan, onion naan and sometimes different kinds of vegetables are stuffed in naan.

Naan is served mostly with comfort foods like kebabs, tandoor, meat curries or vegetable curries. It tastes best when it is hot from oven.

I have tried to recreate naan recipe using tawa or a griddle. It came out pretty well. This recipe has minimal ingredients and quite easy to make. 

Ingredients

2 cups Maida or All purpose flour

1/2 tsp dry yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

Water

Salt

2 tsp Oil

1 beaten egg (optional)

Method

• In a small bowl, mix yeast and  warm water. Stir until yeast dissolves completely

• In a large mixing bowl, add maida, sugar and salt. Mix well

• Then add yeast and egg (optional). Add water to knead dough. The dough should be very soft. Finally, add oil and knead well

• Keep dough in warm place for at least 2 hours
• After dough has fermented, knead it again. Divide the dough into equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Take a ball and dust it with flour and roll it flat using rolling pin

• Gently place in on a griddle or flat pan. roast it evenly on both the sides. Smear oil or butter

• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot

                           

Kala Channa Curry

Kala Channa Curry  is a protein packed vegetarian curry recipe from Punjabi Cuisine. This recipe is very new to me and I was introduced to this recipe from one of my friend Anukrithi. My knowledge of cooking with kala channa is only sundal and coconut- onion based South Indian style Kala channa curry.

The flavors are magnificent and bold. The base for this curry is made from pureed onions and tomatoes and it is spiced with red chili powder, coriander powder and mango powder.

Ingredients

2 cups Kala Channa

1 Onion, diced

2 Tomatoes, diced

1 small piece of ginger

1 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

3/4 tsp Mango powder (Amchoor)

2 tsp Besan (chickpea flour)

Salt

2 tsp Oil

Procedure

• Soak Kala channa in water for at least 5 hours

• Boil kala channa in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes until it is completely cooked

• In the meantime, puree onions, tomatoes and ginger without adding water

• In a pot, heat oil and add the puree. Cook until it reduces and oil separates out from the masala

• Add red chili powder, coriander powder, mango powder and chickpea flour. Mix well

• Add cooked kala channa with water and adjust salt as per taste. Simmer for at least 10 to 15 minutes until gravy thickens

• serve hot with steamed basmati rice or paratha

Baby Corn Kurma

Baby corn Kurma is a festive dish prepared with baby corns in a thick, spicy and creamy sauce of tomatoes, onions, cashew nuts and coconut. It is a comfort food served with parathas and flavored steamed rice. 

This is an experimental recipe which I tried it for the first time and turned out to be delightful and scrumptious dish. I had bought baby corns for Manchurian which I always make, but this time I wanted to make something different, so I decided to make spicy baby corn gravy for chapathi. The recipe has 2 kinds of masala - first masala is made with onions, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and garlic. This forms the base for the gravy. Second masala is made with coconut, cashew nut along with different aromatic spices which gives both smooth and creamy text for the base. 

This recipe has many steps, but its worth trying it !!

Ingredients

250 gms Baby corn, cubed

1 Bell pepper, diced

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

Salt

3 tsp Oil

For masala 1 -

1 Onion, diced

1 Tomato, diced

3 Green Chilies

2-3 cloves of garlic

small piece of ginger

For Masala 2 -

10 - 15 Cashew nuts, soaked in water for 30 minutes

1/2 cup Coconut

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1 small piece of cinnamon

2 Cloves

Method

• For Masala 1 - In a pan, heat a tsp of oil, add onions. Saute until it turns transparent. Then make a paste of fried onions, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilies

• For Masala 2- Make a fine paste of cashew nuts, coconut, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon. Add water if required. 

• In a pot, heat 2 tsp of oil. Add onion-tomato-chili paste. Saute until raw smell goes out

• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Mix well

                                       

• Add baby corns and bell pepper. Evenly spread masala over baby corn. Saute for 2 minutes

• Add coconut-cashew nut paste and add 1 cup of water (you can always adjust amount of water depending up on how much gravy is required)
• Adjust salt as per taste and simmer for 5- 8 minutes

• Serve hot with chapathi or steamed rice or paratha

Tip-

• Instead of baby corn, paneer can be substituted

Aloo Paratha

Aloo Paratha is a popular  bread recipe in North-Indian Cuisine. It is made from whole wheat flour stuffed with different kinds of vegetable filling. In Aloo paratha, the filling is made from potatoes. 

It is usually served with chilled yogurt or pickles. I have made some variations in my recipe compared to the traditional one. In this recipe- potato and fennel bulb are used in filling and it is served with Pudina-Onion-Tomato chutney. 

Ingredients

4 cups Whole wheat flour

Salt 

Water

For Filling

3 Potatoes

1 Fennel Bulb (optional), finely chopped

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Ajwain 

1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

Salt

2 tsp Oil

Method

• In a pressure cooker, cook potatoes. After it has cooked peel the potatoes and mash it with a fork or a potato masher
• In a pan, heat oil, add ajwain, fennel seeds, onions and fennel bulb. Saute for 5 minutes until onions and fennel bulb is cooked

• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Saute for a minute
• Add mashed potatoes and adjust salt as per taste

• In a mixing bowl, mix wheat flour and salt. Add enough water to knead the dough. the dough should be very soft. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes

• Now, divide the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into balls

• Take a  paratha ball and roll it into small circular shape. Scoop equal portion of  potato mixture and place it at the center rolled paratha. Cover it the potato mixture and seal it

• Now dust enough wheat flour on stuffed paratha, using a rolling pin, roll it into circular shape. The flat paratha should be thick

• Gently place it on a preheated pan. Roast it evenly on both the side. Add oil/ghee/butter if required 

• Serve hot with pickles , chilled yogurt, chutney or salad

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Channa Masala | Choley

Chickpeas filled with a blend of different spices like paprika,  turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom,  ginger and garlic. It is a traditional vegetarian curry in North Indian cuisine.

Ingredients

1 cup Chickpeas, soaked overnight or 1 can of Garbanzo beans

1 Onion

1 Tomato

1 small stick of cinnamon

3 Cloves

1 Cardamom

3 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 small piece of Ginger, ginger

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Spanish paprika or Kashmiri Red chili powder

1 Tea bag (optional)

4 tsp Oil or 2 tsp butter

Salt

Method

• In a pressure cooker, cook chickpeas with a tea bag , 1/2 tsp salt and 3 cups of water. Discard tea bag after chickpeas has cooked, but retain water for further use

• In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, minced ginger and garlic. Saute for few seconds and then add onion paste

• Fry until raw smell goes out
  
  
• Add Tomato puree, turmeric powder, coriander powder,  and paprika (or red chili powder), simmer for 5 minutes

                            

• Add boiled chickpeas with water. Adjust salt as per taste. Simmer for 10 minutes until gravy thickens

• Serve hot with Battura , onions and lemon wedges

Tips:

• Use tea bags to cook chickpeas. It helps to give color
• I used paprika because for color and taste. You can also you kashmiri red chili powder
• It tastes best when cooked 2-3 hours before serving. This allows chickpeas to absorb flavors from spices.

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