EGG CURRY

Egg curry has so many versions all around India. southern style is always been my favorite coz I am from Bangalore. I will be really happy to cook with eggs because not just  it tastes good also that every body loves it. I always have it in my fridge coz I know even though I run out of fresh veggies this is something I always have & can make really anything in no time.

Eggs are really good protein & its always good to have them for breakfast, since its heavy protein it helps you to be strong all day & to digest it, having them in morning helps the process better. There is this Hindi ad that says SUNDAY HO YA MONDAY ROZ KHAU ANDE!!!. really true its that good for you. I have N number of ways to eat eggs for breakfast & one of them is definitely with chapattis. My kids love it & carry it for school too.

RECIPE:

INGRIDIENTS:

4 hard boiled eggs
3 green chilies
1 medium onion
2 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of fresh / dried coconut flakes
1 Tsp coriander powder
1 & 1/2 Tbs of ginger garlic paste
1 Tsp red chili powder
4 Tbs oil
1 Tsp Garam Masala
1Tsp fennel powder
1 cup water
salt to taste
2 Tbs Coriander leaves
1 Tbs of lemon juice.

METHOD:

1.  Take the eggs cover it with cold water. Bring it to a boil then cover the lid & switch off the flame. Leave it for 15 min & immerse it in ice cold water for 5 min. Peel of the shell & keep it aside.

2. In a pan take 1 tbs of oil add roughly chopped onions sauté for 5 min then add coriander powder sauté for a min. Add roughly chopped tomatoes & cook for 5min. Add coconut stir & switch off the heat.

3. After the mixture cools grind the masala to nice paste. Add water to clean the mixer & keep it a side.
4. In another pan take the remaining oil add green chilies & ginger garlic paste stir & add red chili powder & cook for 20sec. The add the grounded masala with water. Add remaining spices & salt.

 

 

5. Cook for 5 min add lemon juice stir & add the halved boiled eggs yolk side up & switch off the heat. Sprinkle a little bit of salt & pepper over the egg so that they don't taste bland with the gravy & put the lid on

While you serve, garnish it with coriander leaves. It tastes just as it looks. Really delicious !! Good with almost any kind of chapattis & rice.

PANEER BUTTER MASALA

PANEER BUTTER MASALA

The name Paneer butter masala it self makes my mouth water. This might be a traditional North Indian dish but its famous & very common dish all over India. Even outside India if you have eaten in restaurants you would always find this in the menu. As the name suggests its lot of paneer in cream & buttery gravy. Believe me it tastes yum!! but a little heavy too. So whats the idea to make really same good tasting paneer butter masala but light so that you can enjoy it guilt free. well you wouldn't have guessed my secret ingredient here. Its dried LIMA beans. Yep!! you heard it right.

I think the great way to make a thick rich gravy is not by heavy fat or dairy products but from ingredients that do not have their own flavor but can easily mingle in the dish as we want. That's what lima beans does here exactly. Its buttery, smooth & has no distinct flavor so it marries well in the dish. Not to forget they are high in fiber.

My version of paneer butter masala has 3 steps:
1st white sauce
2nd tomato gravy
3rd combining the 2 with paneer

I don't hv cream in my pantry all the time so this white sauce takes the place of cream pretty well. This entire step can be skipped & replaced with 3/4 cup of heavy cream. But my method doubles the qty & doesn't feel heavy.

So here goes the recipe

RECIPE:

INGRIDIENTS:
For white sauce (cooking time 3min)

1Tbs of Butter
1Tbs of Maida / All purpose flour
1/2 cup of milk
100 grams dried lima beans( soaked in water for atleast 2 hrs)

For the tomato gravy (cooking time 15 min)

400 Gms of Paneer
2 medium onions
5 large tomatoes
2 Tbs ginger garlic paste
10 Cashews
1/2 cup of water
1 Bay leaf
1/2 Tsp garam masala
1 Tsp coriander powder
1 Tsp chilli powder
2 Tsp kasuri methi
1Tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1Tbs Butter
1Tbs Oil
salt to taste

METHOD:
For white sauce

1. In a sauce pan put butter & after its melted add flour whisk & cook for a min then add milk & cook until its creamy.

2.Soak the lima beans at least for 2 hrs. Then microwave it with double amount of water till its tender. You can skip soaking part if you want. after it cools grind & mix it with milk cream sauce
    
For the tomato gravy:

1. In a large pan, add oil ginger garlic paste chopped onions & sauté for 3 min. Them add coriander chilly powder, tomatoes & cook for 5 min add cashews & turn of the heat. Let it cool & grind.

2. In another pan add butter bay leaf & Kashmiri chilli powder stir for few seconds then add the grounded gravy. This makes the gravy red. Add water & cook for a min & add white sauce stir to get a nice orangey color. Add garam masala & salt. Crush kasuri methi in between your palms & add in the gravy.

3. You can roast the paneer in little butter both side if you want. Then add it into the gravy & cook for 2 min.

I garnish it with little crushed kasuri methi on the top.

Exceptionally delicious with Rotis, naan . kulcha chapatis even jeera rice.

METHI PAPPU / DAL



METHI DAL

Methi pappu / Dal is traditional recipe from Andhra. I have eaten a lot of pappu in many Andhra restaurants. They serve this vegetarian thali with rice pappu rasam etc etc sooo good. Its my favorite kind of meal. Nice ghee to top all off & sure to get sleep after the heavy unlimited served meals.

Growing up my mom has made many versions of these pappu. I loved the one with spinach but methi pappu gets over the top. There is something about methi that makes any dish taste something different & really good. No matter how you add it. It can be fresh methi leaves or kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves) or fenugreek seeds it self.


 The seeds play vital role in fermentation of idli dosa batters. Not to forget really good for health & if something is good that's got to be in my recipe. I have grown some in my garden  by just putting some seeds. They grow pretty fast its so satisfying for me to just see them & think of what all delicious food I can make with it.

RECIPE:

INGRIDIENTS:

2-3 Cups of Methi leaves ( Fenugreek)
1 Cup of Toor dal
1 small onion
2 Medium tomatoes
4-5 green chilies
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
3 cups of water
3-4 Tbs of tamarind juice
1Tbs oil
Salt to taste

For Tempering:

5 big garlic cloves
1 stick of curry leaves
1 Tsp Cumin
1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
2 Tbs of Oil
1 Tsp Ghee
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 pinch Hing / asafetida

METHOD:

1. In a pressure cooker take little oil add chopped onions & green chilies & sauté for 2 min. Add chopped tomatoes & stir cook for 3 min.

2. Add washed chopped methi leaves. Usually for 1 cup of dal you need 1 cup of methi leaves but as I am known for healthy home cooking I try to add ingredients more that are good for you especially if it doesn't hamper the taste. With methi leaves, it taste always gets better so my version has minimum 2 cups. Stir for 5 min until the bitter taste of methi leaves is gone.

3. Add washed toor dal with 3 cups of water & turmeric. You can pre soak the dal so that it can tenderize faster.

4. Pressure cook the dal for 2 whistles. Later smash dal with till mushy with methi. Add tamarind juice.

 

5. In another pan take remaining oil & ghee. Add mustard seeds allow to pop then add hing cumin curry leaves & chopped garlic saute for few secs. Add 3/4th to the cooker with chopped coriander leaves & cook for a min so that the tempering flavors the dal.

6. Then in a serving bowl take the ready dal. Put some of the tempering above & serve hot.

Really delicious with plain white rice & chapattis too.