Experiments of a Novice with Cooking

Dahiwale Aalu

2009-08-23T10:18:00.001-07:00

A secret recipe shared by my friend - Anand Duggal

Ingredients:

3-4 Peeled and chopped Potatoes
3 tbsp curd
Begal gram flour/besan
Hing/asafoetida
Mustard seeds
1-2 green chillies
Vegetable oil
Masalas: Red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala (from local indian store) and salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in pan/pressure cooker.Throw in mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
Add a pinch of hing/asafoetida and green chilly whole. Stir the mixture.
Put the chopped potatoes.
Add all the masalas ; i.e., Red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt to taste.
Mix and add water and pressure cook for 2 whistles for making aalus soft.
Take curd and add gram flour and water and mix well. Pour the mixture to the aalu's and add garam masala on top. Keep stirring.
Add a little water and then boil it to the desired consistency.
Please note: Dont use too much curd, else the curry becomes very sour.

2009-08-23T09:17:00.001-07:00

Yummy bhaturas that can be served with chana masala. Recipe for chana masala has already been uploaded to http://tastebuds4experiments.blogspot.com/2009/08/chole-masala-or-chickpea-masala.html

Ingredients:

Method:

Sieve together flour, salt,soda, jeera and ajwain.
Mix in curds/buttermilk. Knead the dough. Use oil too.
Add enough milk to make it into a soft pliable dough.
Cover with a wet cloth.Keep aside for 5-6 hours. Make sure the cloth does not dry up, or wet again.Knead dough again.
Take fistful of dough. Roll and spread them like chapati; but make them thick (appx. 1/4 inch).
Fry in hot oil and keep pressing the bubbles till the side flares up.
Turn only once till the bhatura turns golden.
Serve it hot with chana masala and with sliced onion and lemon by the side!

2009-08-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Masalas/Condiments :-

Method:

Soak chole in water overnight or to cook the same day soak them in warm water for atleast 5-6hrs. Leave a tea bag in it to add to the rich color ( optional). Soda could be added for adding volume to the chana.
Pressure cook chole with 1/3 tsp turmeric, water and salt upto 3 whistles. Drain the chole; but, reserve the liquid

Take some onion and all tomoatoes with 5-6 chana that have cooled. Grind them into a paste. (Optional pure tomato puree could be used.)
Blend garlic and ginger too.

Heat oil in a deep saucepan and add cumin seeds.
When the cumin seeds splutter, add ginger-garlic paste and 2 split green chillies. Saute them.
Add chopped onion to it and saute till they are brown.
Add the onion-tomato-chana paste and stir them.
Mix all the masala powders to it and saute for a minute.
When the mixture is cooked, add some reserve water and bring to a boil.
Add the chole to the mixture and mix gently so that chole are properly coated in the mixture
Put more reserved water depending on the gravy you need, check and adjust the seasoning.
Simmer the stove and cook covered for 5-6 minutes. Finally add some fenugreek/methi powder and take mixture off the stove.
Garnish it with cilantro leaves

Serve it with bhature, puri or chapatti with sliced onion and lemon by the side!
Recipe for Bature follows in my next blog:-). http://tastebuds4experiments.blogspot.com/2009/08/bhatura.html

2009-08-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

Indian Chinese Hakka Noodles - easy to prepare and tasty!

Ingredients:

Chopped vegetables - choose cabbages, capsicum ( Green and yellow pepper), carrots, french beans, spring onions and sprouts (optional)
Sliced onions and chop garlic finely. Red chilly flake (optional)
Soysauce, vinegar, red chilly sauce, green chilly sauce and ketchup
Salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Ajinomoto adds taste.
Noodles.

Method:

Boil noodles and drain water. Mix it with oil to prevent the noodles from sticking.
Take a wok and heat oil. Add garlic and 1 or 2 red chillies. Add spring onions and chopped onions. Stir fry it and add all other chopped vegetables. Add half a cup of water and let the vegetables cook. Finally add all the sauces and spices mentioned in ingredients till the vegetables look tempting. Finally, all noodles and mix everything. Ready to Serve.

Alternately, the sauces can be heated separately till they become thick. This adds to the flavour. All other steps are as above.