Methi Matar Malai

A Very easy to make Methi Matar Malai, a Punjabi Sabji with creamy flavor. Fresh Methi (Fenugreek) leaves and Green Matar (Peas) is mixed with blend of spice and cream for gravy. Many recipes calls for sugar in the Ingredeints to cut Methi's bitterness. But here i made it without sugar as i like a little bitter taste of Methi in this...(though i have mentioned sugar measures in my ingredients list but its optional and is totally up to you).

Methi Matar Malai

Ingredients:

3-4 cups Fresh Chopped methi leaves (Fenugreek Leaves)
1 medium onion sliced
1/3 cup green matar (peas)
1/3 cup Cream

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp olive oil or any other oil
10 cashews soaked in water for 15-20 minutes & finely paste
2 tsp green chilly paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of asafoetida powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powderl
Salt to taste
1 -2 tsp sugar (optional - i don't add sugar as i like little bitter taste of methi in sabji)

Recipe:

• In a wok or kadai, heat Ghee (Clarified butter) and oil. Add Mustard seeds, as soon as it splutters add pinch of asafoetida powder and sliced onion with pinch of salt. Saute onions until soft.

• Now add Fresh and chopped Methi leaves and Green Matar (Green Peas) to it. 

• Pour about 1/4 cup of water, cover the lid and let Methi and Matar cook on low flame for about 10 minutes or until methi and matar both is cooked.

• Open the lid, add cashew paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilly paste, Red chilly powder, turmeric powder, Cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste. (If using sugar than add at this time). Cook further for few minutes.

• Now add Cold beaten cream. 
• Stir & mix well.(Add water if required, a little)

• Cook for few more minutes and turn the flame off...
• Garnish it with Cream and serve hot with Naan or Plain Paratha.

Dahi Wale Aaloo

Dahi wale aaloo is simply made with boiled patoes in thick yogurt gravy. This is made without onion and garlic, and the same you can have while fasting too. So here the recipe goes.

Serves: 4
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of Asafoetida Powder
5 Large Boiled Potatoes (Aaloo) cut into cube shape
1 tsp Saunf Powder (Fennel)
1 tsp ready made pickle powder (optional) (Its a powder that we generally use for making pickles, basically have yellow mustard, methi powder and red chilly powder with little oil)
1/2 tsp methi powder (Fenugreek)
1/2 tsp aamchur (Dry Mango Powder)
1/2 tsp Red chilly Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Corainder powder
1 cup beaten  curd (To avoid curdling of curd, use cold beaten curd )
1/4 cup water
Salt to Taste

For Tempering
1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified butter)
1 whole red chilly
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2-3 curry leaves
pinch of red chilly powder

For Garnishing
2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander leaves


Recipe:

• In a non stick pan, heat oil and add pinch of asafoetida powder. Now add boiled and chopped aaloos. One by one, add all dry spice powder mentioned above.
• Mix all gently, now add 1 cup beaten curd and 1/4 cup water, mix and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until gravy is thick. It time for a good tempering now.
• In a small fry pan, heat ghee with mustard and cumin seeds. Once it splutters, add curry leaves, whole red chilly and pinch of red chilly powder. Temper this mixture over Dahi aaloo gravy mixture.
• Once Tempered, cook Dahi aaloo gravy mixture for about 2 minutes on low flame.
• Turn off the flame and Garnish with Fresh chopped Coriander Leaves
• Serve it warm with Simple and plain paratha or with palin tawa roti..

Punjabi Chole Bhature

Chole, a famous North Indian dish. Which is often served with plain / stuffed kulchas or with bhature and puri. Check its recipe below

For Plain kulcha (Without & with Yeast) recipe- click on link below:

http://cookandbite.blogspot.in/2014/04/kulchakulche-recipe-without-with-yeast.html

Punjabi Chole

1) Chole

Ingredients:

250 gms White Chickpea (Chole) (soaked overnight in water)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tea bag

1 cinnamon stick (medium)

1 Bay leaf

For Gravy:

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp whole Cumin seeds (Jeera)

1/4 tsp Asfoetida (Hing)

3 medium onion puree                                                                                  

2 medium tomato puree

1 tsp ginger paste

1 1/2 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp Garam masala powder

1 tsp red chilly powder (or as per taste)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

11/2 tsp cumin powder

1 1/2 tsp corriander powder

1 tsp dry mango powder (aamchur)

2 tsp Fennel powder (saunf)

1 tsp dry fenugreek powder (methi)

1/2 tsp grounded black pepper (kali mirch)

1/2 tsp grounded cloves (laung)

1 whole black cardomom crushed

Recipe:

 Pressure cook overnight soaked Chole in 2-3 cups of water with  bay leaf, cinnamon stick, baking soda and pinch of salt. Pressure cooked Chole  should be soft and not overcooked. Drain Chole by removing tea bag, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Do not throw drained Chole water, keep it aside (use same water while cooking).

Heat oil in a pan with whole cumin seeds, once it splutters add asfoetida and Onion puree. Saute till light pink in colour. Now add tomato puree, and ginger-garlic paste. Keep stirring for a minute. Add garam masala powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder, dry mango powder, fennel powder, dry fenugreek powder, grounded black pepper-cloves, grounded black cardamom seeds and salt to taste. Add chole water little and stir for a while.

Now add Chole to this gravy. Mix it well inside. Add water to it. Cook for 15-20 minutes on a  low flame or till you get little thick gravy. Keep stirring in between. 

Turn off the flame and garnish with small chopped onion, small chopped tomatoes, Fresh corinader leaves and 1/2 lemon, sliced on it.  

Serve it with kulche or bhature or poori. See bhature recipe below

2) Bhature:

In 2 Cups Maida (or all purpose flour), add 1/2 cup wheat flour, 2 tbsp oil, 3-4 tbsp curd and salt to taste. Knead Dough with water. It should not be sticky at all. Oil it and Cover. Keep aside for 2-3 hours. After than knead it again. Roll it to give a round shape and deep fry in hot oil. 

Punjabi Kadhi Pakodi (Baisakhi Special)

Ingredients:

Punjabi Kadhi Pakodi (Baisakhi Special)

Pakodis:

1 1/2 Cup Gram Flour (Besan)
1 Medium small chopped onions
1 tsp whole carom seeds (Ajwain)
1 1/2 tsp of dry fenugreek leaves ( Kasuri methi)
1 tsp Red Chilly powder
1/2  tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of baking soda
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Kadhi:
2 cups curd (dahi)
2 cups water
4 1/2 tbsp gram flour (Besan)
2 tsp Green chilly Paste
11/2  tsp Ginger paste
1 1/2 tsp Garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
4-5 Cloves (Laung)
Salt to taste

Tempering:
11/2 tbsp Ghee
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
1 tsp of dry fenugreek leaves ( Kasuri methi)
4-5 curry leaves
1 tsp Red chilly powder
2 Whole Kashmiri Red chilly

Recipe:

Kadhi
In a deep Pan Mix curd with water, gram flour, green chilly paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt till smooth and no lumps. Now bring the mixture to boil. Mean while make pakodis.

Pakodis
In a bowl Mix gram flour with little water (to make thick batter), chopped onion, carrom seeds, dry fenugreek leaves, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, baking soda and salt to taste. Heat oil in a pan and once done deep fry pakodis till crisp and golden brown from outside. Use tissue paper for draining out extra oil. Keep aside

 Now once the Kadhi mixture comes to boil add pakodis in it. Now its time for tadka  (tempering). (keep simmering on a low flame, you will require a little water at this point of time about 1/2 cup, as after adding pakodis, kadhi becomes thick).

Tempering.
In a small pan pour olive oil, ghee and add cumin seeds, Once it splutters add hing, curry leaves (be careful
while adding curry leaves, as it pops up suddenly), dry fenugreek leaves, whole kashmiri red chilly and lastly, red chilly powder (While adding red chilly powder turn off the flame as it burns and turns black easily). Pour the tempering in simmering kadhi pakodi. Cook for few minutes after tempering. And serve hot. Garnish it with Coriander leaves. (I even garnish with hot ghee mixed with Red chilly powder, and pour it while serving)

Baisakhi Special (Kadhi Pakodi)

Notes: 1) It is advisable to make pakodis first so that it comes to room temperature before adding it to kadhi.
2) As in pakodi mixture itself we have used baking soda to make it soft. But if you do not want to use soda than after frying add pakodis immediately in water and let it remain until it comes to room temperature, it will turn soft. But it is advisable to add soda if possible.

Serves: 4
Time: 20-25 minutes (overall)