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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Brinjal and potato poriyal

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

Holige | Obbattu | Pooli | Bobbatlu

"Holige" is a traditional sweet made during festivals, specially for Ugadi and Ganesa festivals.   It is a stuffed flat bread.  There are different kinds of holige based on filling - bele holige, sakkare holige or kayi holige. It is a time consuming recipe but worth the effort.

Ingredients

For the dough -

1 cup Maida | flour

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Oil

1/2 cup water

For filling -

2 cups Toor dal

2 cups Jaggery | Gur, grated or shavings

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Method

For the dough - 

• In a mixing bowl, add water, turmeric and salt. Mix well. Now add maida or plain flour and knead the dough well. Add water if required. The dough should be very soft

• Next add oil and knead again. Rest dough for 1 hour

For Filling -

• In a pressure cooker, cook dal with 2 cups water for up to 2 whistles. After cooker has cooled, drain excess water from dal (which you can used it to make rasam | sambhar).  Mash dal until it is smooth (or use a food processor, or a blender). 

• Now melt jaggery  in a separate pan with 2 tsp water. Keep stirring until jaggery completely dissolves 

                                     

• pour melted jaggery on dal and add cardamom powder. Mix well in low heat setting until dal thickens

For Holige -

• Divide dough into equal portions. Each ball about 1 1/2 inch
• Divide fillings into equal portions. Each ball about 2 1/2 inch

• Now dust the dough in plain flour or smear oil on dough for non-stickiness. Roll each ball into small circular shape

• Place a ball of filling on the rolled dough. Cover all the ends. Roll it again thinly. Use oil or flour while rolling to avoid  breakage or damage to the holige

         

• Gently place holige on a preheated pan. Roast evenly on both sides. Use very little oil if needed

• Serve hot with ghee or Milk or payasa

Tip :

• I have used flour, instead of oil while rolling holige to avoid excess grease
• After frying holige, do not stack them. Place them beside each other when it is hot. After it has cooled, you can stack it. This way it avoids sticking to one another.

Chicken Biryani in Chennai Style

"Chicken Biryani" is an unrivaled recipe. I call "Chicken Biryani" as an entertaining recipe. Typically there are different kinds of biryani recipes across different regions and there are different variations in preparation.

Chicken biryani in Chennai style is a one pot recipe. I have used pressure cooker to make this dish. Though the recipe is simple, it has bold flavors from aromatics and fresh herbs. 

Ingredients

500 gms Chicken, cut on joints

2 Bay Leaf

2 sticks of Cinnamon

4 Cardamon

4 Cloves

1 tsp Fennel seeds

5 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 small piece of Ginger, minced

4 Green chilis, cut lenthwise

1 Onion, chopped lengthwise

1 Tomato, diced

6-10 sprigs of Mint | Pudina, leaves roughly chopped

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 cups Basmati Rice | Sonamasoori Rice

1/2 Lemon

Salt

5 tsp Oil

Method

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, fennel seeds, ginger garlic, green chilies. Saute for a minute
• Add Onions and fry until it turns transparent

• Add mint, tomato, coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Fry for 2-5 minutes

• Add chicken and mix well. Fry until chicken is partially cooked  for about 10 minutes (if thigh portion is used, fry for another 5 to 10 minutes more. Because it takes more time to cook)

• Add basmati rice (washed twice in cold water) , 3 cups of water and adjust salt as per taste

• Finally add juice of half a lemon
• pressure cook for 3 whistles
• serve hot with raita

Tips:

•  If you are using rice cooker, then follow steps from 1 to 4. In 4th step, cook meat completely before proceeding with remaining steps