Dry shenga/peanut chutney

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

0 mins

TOTAL TIME

15 mins

 

Ingredients:

• 5 cups roasted and de-skinned peanut
• 1 tsp jeera
• 1 tsp sesame
• 8-10 leaves kadipatta
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 6-8 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp Asafetida
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (or more if you like spicy)
• 1/2 tsp powdered jaggery
• 2 tsp dhaniya -jeera powder

Preparation:

1. Dry roast peanuts and de-skin them. I use store roasted ones to save time.
2. On a hot pan, add few drops of oil. Then add Jeera, sesame and kadipatta and roast well
3. In a mixer jar add, add the above ingredients except oil and pulse it coarse. 
4. Once the mix is coarsely ground, Add oil and grind till desired texture
5. Serve this chutney with idli, dosa, paratha with dahi or even with ghee chapati roll or with rice. All the combinations are my family's favorite. 

NOTE:

If I am in a hurry and need a quick chutney, I skip the first two steps and just all other ingredients and grind. That one also is tasty and super quick 

Dal Tadka

Dal Tadka is a simple everyday comfort food eaten with rice. There are several ways of preparing dal tadka which uses slightly different Lentils and process. I try to use very less spices and as much as possible use fresh herbs and spices.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup toor dal 
• 1 cup moong dal
• ▢1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢1.5 teaspoon salt divided, adjust to taste
• ▢4 cups water
• ▢1 inch ginger
• ▢1 green chili
• ▢1.5 tablespoons ghee 22 ml, also known as clarified butter or use oil
• ▢1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ▢
• ▢1 medium onion 150 grams, chopped
• ▢2 medium tomatoes chopped
• ▢1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
• ▢1/8 teaspoon red chili powder or adjust to taste
• ▢2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ▢1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed, dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon oil

Tempering/Tadka

• ▢2 teaspoons ghee 10 ml
• ▢8 large garlic cloves chopped
• ▢1/4 teaspoon hing/asafoetida
• ▢2 dried red chilies
• ▢1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder

Instructions 

• Pressure cook add toor dal and moong dal along with turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water.
• Pressure cook for 4 whistle on high heat then lower the heat and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. If using an Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with natural pressure release. Set it aside.
• Meanwhile grate 1-inch ginger and cut green chili. Set it aside.
• In a heavy bottom pan, heat butter and oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds. Saute for few seconds until fragrant.
• Then add onions, cook for around 3 to 4 minutes until they are soft and start changing color.
• Add the ginger-green chili. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
• Add the chopped tomatoes along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until tomatoes are very soft and cooked.
• Then add the coriander powder, cumin powder, kashmiri red chili powder. Stir the spices with the masala for few 30 seconds.
• Add the boiled dal to the pan and mix. Add more water if the dal is thick. Let the dal simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add crushed kasuri methi.
• For the tempering/tadka, heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a small pan. Once the ghee is hot, add 2 chopped garlic cloves. Also add hing and dried red chilies.
• Cook for one minute until the garlic starts changing color. Add kashmiri red chili powder remove pan from heat.
• Pour tempering over the dal and mix. 

Channa masala

Ingredients: 

• 3 Tbsp oil 
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp jeera
• 1 Tbsp onion seeds
• 2 Tsp ajjwain seeds
• 1Tbsp ground coriander
• Sea salt to taste 
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (6 cloves yield ~3 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp everest channa masala powder (any brand works)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 4 medium sized finely diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chickpeas, soaked and drained
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp kauri methi

Instructions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, cumin, onion seeds, ajjwain, onion and one-third of the salt 
2. Add chopped/crushed garlic, ginger, cilantro to the pan with the onions.
3. Next add ground coriander, chili powder, and turmeric and stir to coat. Add a little more oil at this point if the pan is looking dry.
4. Next add pureed tomatoes and chickpeas and remaining salt. Add the channa masala powder and stir well, until oil separates out.

   If the mixture looks a little too thick, add water. You’re looking for a semi-thick soup consistency at this point, as it will cook down into more of a stew.
5. Increase heat to medium high until it reaches a rolling simmer, then reduce heat to low or medium-low and maintain a simmer
6. When the chana masala is thickened and bubbly, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, chili powder for heat, or a bit of coconut sugar for sweetness and to offset the heat of the chilies.
7. Remove from heat and cook in a pressure cooker or instant pot for 20min. 
   Stir to mix, then let cool slightly before serving. Fresh cilantro for excellent garnish. 

Spicy Navratan Korma

Ingredients:

Total time: 45 - 60min    Serves: 6 people

• 225 g - Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
• 1/4 cup - Milk
• 15 g - Ginger
• 6 flakes - Garlic
• 1 cup - Coriander leaves
• 3 - Green chillies
• 3/4 cup - Water
• 1/2 cup - Ghee or Oil
• 300 g - Cauliflower cut into small pieces
• 2 cups - Peas shelled or frozen
• 1/4 kg - Potato peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1/4 kg - Carrots peeled and cut into thin strips 4 cm long
• 1/4 kg - French beans cut into thin strips 3 cm long
• 1 tsp - Turmeric
• 2 tsp - Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp - Red Chilli powder
• 1 tsp - Garam Masala
• 300 g - Tomatoes pureed
• 1.5 cups - Curd beaten
• 2 slices - Canned Pineapple cut into 1 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp - Cashewnuts broken into pieces
• 12 - Almonds blanched and sliced
• A pinch Saffron dissolve in 1 tbsp hot Milk or hot water
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Grind ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and green chillies into a paste, adding a little water from time to time. 
• Divide the paneer into two batches. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan for 3 mins and fry each batch till golden brown and remove. 
• To the remaining oil, add ground paste. Stir-fry till golden brown, sprinkling a little milk from time to time. 
• Add all the vegetables, salt, turmeric, cumin, red chillies and garam masala powders. Stir-fry for about 2 mins. 
• Add tomato puree, curd and remaining water. Mix and cook covered on low flame till all the vegetables are cooked. 
• On medium heat, add paneer, pineapple, cashewnut and almonds. Stir and simmer for 3 more mins. 
• Add saffron and serve hot.

Mixed Vegetables in Palak Gravy

Mixed Vegetables in Palak Gravy

Ingredients:

For Gravy

Ingredients for the gravy

Palak - 2 bunches
Tomato - 2 Medium sized
Green chillies - 3 Medium Spiced
Ginger garlic paste - 3 tsp
Onion - 2 medium sized
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Jeera - 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar
Asafoetida
Oil





Vegetables
Cubed French beans - 1 cup
Cubed Carrot - 1 cup
Chopped Cauliflower - 1 cup
Peas - 3/4 cup
Sweet corn - 3/4 cup
Cubed potato - 3/4 cup

Vegetables Flower ready

 Method:

1. Pressure cook Palak, green chillies and tomato with little water.
2. Pressure cook the chopped vegetables separately not in the gravy.
3. Once cooled, make a paste of the Palak, green chillies and tomato.
4. Heat a kadai and add some oil to fry the ginger-garlic and onion.
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for sometime.
6. Then add chopped onion and fry till golden brown.
7. Now add the paste and allow to boil.
8. Then add the pressure cooked vegetables and mix.
9. Now add garam masala, salt, little sugar, red chilly powder and mix well.
10. Bring to a boil.
11. If fond of more rich flavor or guests expected, we can add cream and serve hot.

Peanut Amti (Shengdana amti)

Peanut Amti (Shengdana amti)

Servings - 4 persons

Preparation time - 15 min

Ingredients :

100gm - roasted peanut powder

ginger according to taste

2 nos - green chillies

Jaggery or sugar

Kokum or imli

Curry leaves

Cumin seeds

asafoetida

Cilantro

Ghee

Method :

1. Grind roasted peanut powder, cilantro, green
chillies, ginger, kokum and cumin seeds with some
water.

2.Heat some ghee in a pan. When hot add some
cumin seeds to it and allow to splutter. Add curry
leaves.

3. Add the above ground mixer and mix well.

4. At the end, add salt and some sugar or jaggery.

5. Cook it well and serve hot.

Dal palak

Dal palak

Servings - 4 persons
Preparation time - 20 min


Ingredients :
2 teaspoon dhaniya-jeera powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 bunch spinach/palak
1/2 Asafoetida (Hing)
Cilantro/coriander
1 medium tomato
2 teaspoon jeera
1 medium sized
1 cup toor dal
salt to taste
onion
Oil






Method :
1. Take some oil in a pan and make it hot. Add Asafoetida (Hing) and
haldi to it. Then add jeera and mustard seeds.
2. Add onions fry till golden brown. Then add chopped tomato and cook well.
3. Add cooked toor dal, cooked palak, water and chopped cilantro.
4. Add salt, red chilly powder and dhaniya-jeera powder.
5. Cook well.






Tips :
1. If you like sour taste you can add some tamarind water and jaggery along with it. Tastes good.
2. If you like peanuts also can be added.