Nandu Masala | Crab Masala

"Nandu (Crab) Masala" is a sea food delight. Crabs are cooked with ginger, garlic, onions, tomato and coconut along with blend of different spices.

This is one of my beloved dish. I have experimented different crab recipes with various combination of spices and this one turned to be the best. So, when cooking with crab, it is important to retain crab flavor when it is cooked with different spices.

I did not get Indian crab to make this recipe, but instead used Alaskan snow crabs. 

Ingredients

 1 kg Alaskan snow crabs or Indian crab
1 tsp Fennel seeds
4 Cloves
2 small sticks of Cinnamon
5 cloves of Garlic
1 small piece of Ginger
4 Green Chilies, finely chopped
1 sprig of Curry Leaves
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp Red Chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
1 cup Coconut, grated
4 Cashew Nuts
5 tsp Oil
Salt

Method

• Soak crab in turmeric water for 30 minutes. Clean the crab just before adding to the masala
• In a heavy bottom vessel, heat oil. Add cinnamon, fennel seeds, cloves, ginger and garlic paste, curry leaves and green chilies. Saute for a minute

• Add Onions and fry until it turns transparent

• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Sprinkle water if masala sticks to the bottom of vessel
• Add tomato and cook for 2 minutes

• In a blender, grind coconut and cashew nut. Pour it into masala. Cook until oil seperates out from the masala

• Adjust salt as per paste
• Add  cleaned crabs to the masala and mix well. Smear masala all over crab so that all flavors are evenly absorbed

• Cover the vessel and cook in medium- low heat setting for 15 minutes 
• Serve hot with steamed rice and lemon wedges

Mango Lassi

A refreshing drink made with delicious combination of riped mangoes and yogurt. Also added Cardamom in this recipe to give a bonus flavor.

Ingredients

2 Ripe Mangoes, peeled and diced

1 cup Yogurt

1 cup Skimmed milk (or whole milk)

1 cup Ice cubes

3 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method

• In a blender, blend all the ingredients- mangoes, yogurt, milk, ice cubes, sugar, cardamom powder. The consistency should be very thick
• Garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled

Tip-

• You can use honey instead of sugar. I don't use either of them since Mangoes contain enough sugar to sweeten lassi 
• Always choose a good variety of Mangoes to prepare lassi
• Don't use ice cubes for blending if you don't plan to serve immediately

Potato Bhajji

Easy deep-fried snack to munch in evening with a cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients

1 Potato, thinly sliced

1 cup Gram flour | Chickpea flour

1/4 cup Rice flour

3/4 tsp Red Chili powder

3/4 tsp Baking powder

Pinch of Asafoetida |Hing

1/2 tsp salt

Oil

Water

Method

• In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients - gram flour, rice flour, red chili powder, baking powder, asafoetida, and salt. Add enough water to make thick batter
• In a heavy bottom vessel, heat oil for deep frying
• Dip potato slices in batter and gently leave it in oil
• Cook it evenly for 5 to 8 minutes evenly on both the sides in medium - low heat setting
• Use an absorbent paper to drain excess oil
• Serve hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup

Tip-

• Instead of potatoes other vegetables can be used like onions, plantain, bell peppers, or Banana peppers
• if the batter is thick then the consistency of bhajji would be bread- like

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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Battura  

Battura

"Battura" is a vintage recipe in Punjabi Cuisine. It is a deep fried flat bread usually served with channa masala, a classic combination in Indian cuisine. 

Ingredients

2 cups Maida

1/4 cup Semolina | Fine rava | Chiroti Rava

1/4 cup Yogurt

1/2 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Yeast

Warm Water

Method

• In a mixing bowl, mix maids, semolina, yogurt, sugar, salt and yeast.

• Add warm water to knead the dough. The dough should be very soft

• Cover the dough and leave it for 1 to 2 hours until dough rises

• Now divide dough into equal portions and roll them into balls 

• Take  a ball of dough and using a rolling pin roll it into thick circular shape (I have rolled it into puri size about 5 inches in diameter)

• Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel

• Gently leave the rolled batturas in oil. Fry it evenly on both sides. 

• Use an absorbent paper to drain excess oil
• Serve hot with channa masala 

Brinjal - Potato Palya in Mysoorean Style

"Brinjal Palya" is prepared in Mysoorean style. It is a easy recipe with magnificent flavors. 
The main ingredient for this recipe is brinjal, but also used potatoes to give a smooth texture.
This recipe tastes best when made with green brinjals. Due to non-availability, I have used purple- long brinjals.

Previously I had posted Brinjal and potato poriyal. But this recipe is from Mysore cuisine.

Ingredients

500 gms Purple / green -long brinjals, cut length wise 2in

2 potatoes, chopped thinly

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Bengal gram

1 tsp Urad Dal

1/4 tsp Asafoetida |Hing

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1/2 cup grated fresh coconut | desiccated coconut powder

4 tsp Oil

Salt

For spice powder

2 tsp Coriander seeds

2 tsp Bengal gram

4 - 6 Red Chilies

1 small piece Cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Method

• Dry roast coriander seeds, bengal gram, red chilies, cinnamon stick, and asafoetida. Make a fine powder of roasted ingredients

• In a heavy bottom vessel, heat oil, add mustard seeds, Bengal gram, urad dal, asafoetida, and curry leaves.

• Add potatoes. Sautee for 5 minute

• Add brinjal. Sautee for 15 minutes

• Add roasted spice powder, coconut and adjust salt as per taste

• Fry for 2-5 minutes
• Serve hot as a side dish with rice- sambhar, rice - rasam, chapathi etc.

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Bendekayi Palya | Okra fry | Bhindi Sabji

A simple side dish recipe for Chapthi or rice. "Bendekayi Palya" or "Bhindi Sabji" is prepared with sauteed okra, onions and tomato.

Ingredients

500 gms Okra, cut into small pieces

1 Onion, cut lengthwise

1 Tomato, diced

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

2 sprigs of Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

4 tsp Oil

Salt

Method

• In a heavy bottom vessel, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When mustard seeds starts to splutter, add onions. Fry until onions turn transparent

                           

• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder

• Add tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are completely cooked

• Add okra. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes in medium - high heat setting. 

• Add salt and fry for another 2 minutes

• Serve hot with chapathi or rice

Oats Chapthi

Indian flat bread made with oats and wheat flour. This chapathi is a healthy recipe. Since oats is the primary ingredient in this recipe, it is a good source of carbohydrates, fiber and proteins

Ingredients

1 cup Whole Oats

3/4 cup wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

Water

Method

• Make a fine powder of whole oats using blender
• In a mixing bowl, mix powdered oats, wheat flour and salt. Add warm water and knead the dough. The dough must be very soft

• Cover the dough for at least  30 minutes
• Now divide the dough into equal balls about 1 1/2 inch

• Take a ball of dough, using a rolling pin, roll it thinly in circular shape

• Gently place the chapathi on a preheated flat pan. Roast it evenly on both the side. Apply oil on both the side (optional)

• Serve hot with sauteed vegetables or gravy