Aloo Jeera

What is Aloo Jeera?
 Aloo Jeera or Jeera Aaloo is Cumin flavored stir-fried potatoes. Alu Jeera is  the perfect side dish to your quick Indian meal

Ingredients

• 200 gm: Potatoes
• 50 ml: Oil
• 10 gm: Cumin seeds
• 20 gm: Ginger
• 30 gm: Garlic
• 10 gm: Turmeric
• 20 gm: Red chilli powder
• 100 gm: Tomatoes
• 05 gm: Garam masala
• 20 gm: Coriander powder
• 10 gm: Coriander leaves
• Salt to taste


How to make aloo jeera?

• Boil potatoes and dice them. 
• Chop onions, garlic, ginger, coriander and the tomatoes. 
• Heat oil and sauté cumin seeds until they crackle. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until golden. 
• Stir in chopped ginger and add the potatoes. 
• Sprinkle turmeric and chilli powder and stir.
• Add tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with coriander leaves. 

Samosa

What is samosa?

Samosa is one of the most popular snack in India. The popularity of Samosa's has caught on in many western countries. Many westerners shop the Indian and Pakistani restaurants in their neighborhoods for samosa's.

Making Samosa is quite easy and requires two main steps. First make the dough for the pastry and then the filling is inserted in the dough shaped like a samosa and fried in hot oil.


Ingredients required to make samosa

•  1 Cup all purpose flour
•  2 tsp Butter
•  1/2 Cup chopped onions
•  1 Cup boiled, peeled and chopped potatoes
•  1/2 Cup green peas
•  1 Green chili (optional depending on taste)
•  1/2 tsp Ginger (optional)
•  1/4 Cup chopped cilantro leaves
•  1/2 tsp Red chili powder
•  1/4 tsp Baking soda
•  Salt to taste
•  Oil for deep frying

How to make samosa?

• Boil, peel and chop the potatoes.
•  Make a liquid of water and all purpose flour in a bowl.
•  Take two tablespoons of oil in a pan and heat it.
•  Add onions and chopped green chilies to it. 
• (green chilies are optional, depends on how hot you want your samosa to be.)
•  Add green peas to it after frying for two minutes.
•  Cook for 3-4 minutes and add ground ginger, salt, red chili powder and chopped potatoes as the final ingredient.
•  Mix above ingredients well after turning off the heat.
•  Mix up all purpose flour, salt, baking soda and butter and make strong dough.
•  Make small balls of the dough and roll into thin circles of 5-6 inches.
•  Cut into half with the help of knife.
•  Smear liquid of all purpose flour and water on the sides and shape into cones.
•  Fill the cooked potato mix in the cones and close the sides.
•  Now heat the oil in a frying pan and when it is hot enough, put the samosa's in it. (Do not put samosa for frying when oil is not hot enough or oil will be soaked by samosa and ruin the taste. Oil must be hot before
• frying the samosa.
•  Fry them on medium heat till they turn golden brown.
•  Samosas are ready to be served. Serve hot with sauce or chutney.

Chana Masala

Chana masala is a popular vegetable dish in Indian,  Pakistani & Nepalese cuisine. The main ingredient is chickpeas. It is fairly dry and spicy with a sour citrus note. The dish is found throughout South Asia.

Ingredients:
15 oz can of chick peas

1 medium onion (chopped)
1 small tomato (chopped)
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon chana powder (alternate: curry powder)
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 green chilli
1 teaspoon ghee or butter
Salt to taste

How to cook Chana Masala
1 Heat ghee on medium heat in pan.Sauté onions until light golden brown.
2 Add garlic, pepper, chilli and chana powder. Stir for few minutes.
3 Add chickpeas, salt, lemon juice and tomato.
4 Simmer for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
5 Serve hot with rice or roti.

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Sambar

Ingredients:
Sambar is a very ancient south Indian recipe.It is a dal based vegetable stew,served usually with rice in both formal and everyday south Indian cuisine.Different variations of this recipe have been developed and adapted thoroughout southern India,mostly using toor dal,tamarind pulp,vegetables and spice mix.Taste differs depending on the selection of the vegetables and the spices used. Sambar is also served as a side dish with idly,dosai and vada for breakfast.

• Tur dal - 100gms
• Sambar Masala - 3 tablespoons
• Drumstick - 2 (medium sized)
• Lady's finger - 3 (cut into small pieces)
• Brinjal - 1
• Medium Onion - 1 (Cut into 6 pieces)
• Medium sized potato - 1 (peeled and cut into very small pieces)
• Curry leaves - 10
• Coriander leaves - 1 table spoon (chopped)
• Garlic - 1 teaspoon (chopped)
• Dried red chilli - 2 Cut into pieces
• Salt - 1/2 tablespoon
• Tomatoes - 2 (medium sized cut into pieces)
• Tarmarind - size of a lime soaked in 1/2 cup water
• Methi Seeds - 1/4 tablespoon
• Vegetable oil or Ghee - 2 table spoon
• Asafoetidia (Optional) - 1 tablespoon 
• Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon

How to cook Sambar

Cook Tur Dal in two cups of water, when half cooked add pieces of drumstick, potato, brinjal, lady's finger, onion, tomato pieces, and salt. Cook till dal is very soft. Dissolve sambar masala in little water and add it to the cooked vegetables. Take the pulp of the soaked Tamarind and add, blend well and cook. In another pan heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering add chopped garlic, methi seeds, dried red chilli pieces, Asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry for two minutes and then add to dal vegetable mixture and boil it for 1 minute. Finally add chopped coriander leaves on the top.

Onion Bhajis

Ingredients:

• 100g / 4oz Chick-Pea Flour or Gram Flour 
• 1/4 teasp Chilli Powder 
• 1/2 teasp Turmeric 
• 1/2 teasp Baking Powder 
• Salt 
• 1/2 teasp Ground Cumin 
• 1 Large Onion, halved and thinly sliced 
• 1 Green Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 
• 25g / 1oz finely chopped Fresh Coriander 
• Cold water to mix 
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

How to make Onion Bhajis

• Sift the flour, chilli, turmeric, cumin, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped coriander, onions and chillis and mix well.
• Preheat the deep fat fryer to 180ºC / 350ºF.
• Gradually add enough water to the flour mixture to form a thick batter mixing very well so the onions are well coated.
• Very carefully drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry until keep warm whilst you cook the remaining bhajis.
• Drain well on kitchen paper and serve very hot.

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Bhindi Masala

Ingredients:

1. Bhindi/Okra - 500 gms, cut into 3 inch pieces
2. Tomato - 2, roughly chopped
3. Onion - 2, sliced
4. Green chillies - 3, slit
5. Saunf - 1/2 tsp
6. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
7. Garlic - 1 tsp, grated
8. Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
9. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Garam masala - 1 tsp
11. Coriander - 3 tbsp, finely chopped
12. Oil for frying bhindi
13. Salt as per taste

How to cook bhindi masala?

1. Fry the bhindi in hot oil till brown.
2. Drain excess oil on paper napkins and set aside.
3. Fry fennel and cumin seeds in 2 tbsp oil for 30 seconds.
4. Now add sliced onions and ginger and garlic and fry for 3 minutes till light brown.
5. Add chopped tomato, slit green chillies, red chilli powder and salt.
6. Cook covered on low heat until tomatoes become soft.
7. Add a little water to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan.
8. Add the fried bhindi and garam masala and toss gently. Cook for 2 minutes.
9. Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice.

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Pickled Potatoes (Aalu Achaar)

Ingredients

• 10-12 medium-sized potatoes
• 1/4 cup black sesame seeds (til)
• 2-3 green chillies (more or less according to taste)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp mustard oil
• coriander leaves
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt according to taste

How to make Aalu ko Achar (Pickled Potatoes)?

Boil and peel potatoes. Cut them into approx 1 inch cubes. Place the til in a pan and roast the till they look well roasted and crisp. Remove the pan fron heat and let the til cool. Then grind the til into a fine powder(as you might notice til contains oil). Add the til powder, chili powder, salt, turmeric, lemon juice and mustard oil to the potatoes and mix well. Also add the green chilies cutting them into long strips. If the sauce looks too thick you can add some water and if the sauce is not thick enough you can add some mashed potatoes. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy.

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Palak Paneer Recipe

Palak Paneer is an Indian and Pakistani dish consisting of spinach and paneer cheese in a curry sauce. It is a popular vegetarian dish. Palak paneer is one type of saag, which can also be made with mustard leaves. The difference between palak paneer and saag paneer may also be, in some cases, consistency. Palak paneer may be more watery in comparison to saag paneer.

Palak paneer may be accompanied by lassi, a Punjabi sweet milk drink. Dhaba restaurants specialise in palak paneer.

Ingrediants:

500gms Fresh Palak (Saag) 

100gms Paneer

Onions - 5 medium sized (finely choped)

2 Onions (finely choped)

1 tsp Ginger, Garlic paste 

5-6 tbsp oil 

1 tsp pure ghee 

Garam masala to taste 

Red chili powder to taste 

1 tsp cumin powder 

Salt To Taste

Method: 

1. Cook the palak (spinach) for about 5 minutes in boiling water and grind it to fine paste after it is cold.

2. Cut the paneer into small cubes and deep fry in oil till light golden brown

3. Heat the oil in a Kadhai/non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds. Wait till it crackles and ensure that it does not burn. Add the chopped onions and green chillies and sauté till the onions are golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for another minute. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and the chana masala powder and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Then add the chopped tomato puree and stir till the oil separates.

4. Add the palak paste to this mixture along with 1 cup water.(Tip: You can use the water used for cooking the spinach)

6. Add the paneer, garam masala, sugar and salt and cook till you start to see the gravy bubbling. If the gravy seems a bit dry, you can add some more water.

7. Garnish with some cream in the end

8. Serve hot with rice or rotis.