BITTER GOURD CURRY DRY / AAGALKAYI GOJJU

  

BITTER GOURD DRY FRY

Bitter gourd is  the vegetable that is intimidating to lots of people because of its bitter taste. Its as bitter as neem leaves. But also the other fact of it is the bitterness of these vegetables makes it very healthy for us. People eat it in the form of chips since it would have lost most of the bitter ness & others wont even give it a try. But this recipe shall sure change your mind set abt bitter gourds & you shall sure fall in love with it.

I have been eating lots of bitter gourds with chapatis  growing up. But was never a fan of it until I ate my mother in laws version. She has been doing it this way & I learned it from her & I have been doing it ever since. With very little ingredients & really quick to make its really delicious. The bright green once are best to eat but the seeds should be very small that makes it tender. You have to get rid of the seeds coz they are super bitter & not edible.

RECIPE

INGRIDIENTS:

250 gms of bitter gourd
1 small onion
2 round or long dry red chilies
1/2 Tsp mustard seeds
1/4 Tsp turmeric
1 Tsp of red chilli powder
1 sprig of curry leaves
3 Tbs oil
3 Tbs tamarind paste
4 Tbs of grated coconut
1/4 cup of water
salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Chop the bitter gourd by removing the seeds out of it. Take little oil & once its hot add the bitter gourd & roast it for 5 to 6 min till its light brown in color. Take it out on to a plate.

 

2. In same pan add remaining oil then add mustard seeds & let it pop. Then add red chilies stir & then add chopped onions. sauté until light brown.

 

3. Now add roasted bitter gourd & rest of the spices stir & add tamarind paste then add water. Now add grated coconut & cook for 5 min with lid onn.

 If you want it to be like curry then you need to add more coconut grinded in grinder with  water & cook without drying.  Its delicious with plain white rice. You can also have it with chapathis too.

BITTER GOURD CURRY DRY / AAGALKAYI GOJJU

  

BITTER GOURD DRY FRY

Bitter gourd is  the vegetable that is intimidating to lots of people because of its bitter taste. Its as bitter as neem leaves. But also the other fact of it is the bitterness of these vegetables makes it very healthy for us. People eat it in the form of chips since it would have lost most of the bitter ness & others wont even give it a try. But this recipe shall sure change your mind set abt bitter gourds & you shall sure fall in love with it.

I have been eating lots of bitter gourds with chapatis  growing up. But was never a fan of it until I ate my mother in laws version. She has been doing it this way & I learned it from her & I have been doing it ever since. With very little ingredients & really quick to make its really delicious. The bright green once are best to eat but the seeds should be very small that makes it tender. You have to get rid of the seeds coz they are super bitter & not edible.

RECIPE

INGRIDIENTS:

250 gms of bitter gourd
1 small onion
2 round or long dry red chilies
1/2 Tsp mustard seeds
1/4 Tsp turmeric
1 Tsp of red chilli powder
1 sprig of curry leaves
3 Tbs oil
3 Tbs tamarind paste
4 Tbs of grated coconut
1/4 cup of water
salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Chop the bitter gourd by removing the seeds out of it. Take little oil & once its hot add the bitter gourd & roast it for 5 to 6 min till its light brown in color. Take it out on to a plate.

 

2. In same pan add remaining oil then add mustard seeds & let it pop. Then add curry leaves & red chilies stir & then add chopped onions. sauté until light brown.

 

3. Now add roasted bitter gourd & rest of the spices stir & add tamarind paste then add water. Now add grated coconut & cook for 5 min with lid onn.

 If you want it to be like curry then you need to add more coconut grinded in grinder with  water & cook without drying.  Its delicious with plain white rice. You can also have it with chapathis too.

SOUTH INDIAN CHICKEN BIRYANI

Wow!!! The name Biryani itself makes your mouth water & my god what a smell. Its amazing that the smell of biryani can be identified specifically even though the varieties are different. There is Mughal biryani, dum biryani & simple varieties of chicken or mutton biryani too. I love them all but this south Indian style chicken biryani is the one I have eaten growing up & its my all time favorite. Very obviously I learned it from my mom & cant beat this one.

Biryanis are cooked in different ways. Every region in India have modified in their own way. The colors of it depend on the way its cooked. saffron makes it orange or yellow. Chili oil makes red. red curry in the biryani makes it brown & my version is with lots of mint hence its green. Its the authentic way to do the biryani & you can never forget the taste. Its spicy & delicious.


My version of Biryani has 2 stages. First the Biryani & next the chicken fry or pieces for the biryani.
I cook them both separately coz some how I feel cooking chicken pieces along with rice doesn't give Biryani lots of flavor & also the chicken pieces seems dry & not so tasty to eat. So cooking them separately in 2 stages makes it really delicious.
First stage I make broth with the bone part of chicken & make Biryani with it
second I make nice chicken fry with the remaining pieces to go along with the biryani.

RECIPE:

INGRIDIENTS:
Biryani:

1.5 KG chicken
2 1/2 cups of basmati rice
5 cups of water
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 bay leaf
2 Tbs ginger garlic paste
2 cups of fresh mint
7 green chillies
1/4 Tsp turmeric
1/4 cup of curd/yogurt
1 large onion
1 small tomato
1 cup of coriander leaves
1 Tbs of garam masala
Juice of a whole lemon
salt to taste

Chicken fry:
Chicken pieces from the whole chicken
2 Tbs ginger garlic paste
3 tbs oil
1 small onion
1/2 Tsp turmeric
1 small tomato
1 Tbs red chilli powder
1 Tsp coriander powder
1 Tsp Garam masala
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1.Take the whole spinal cord & back bone of chicken completely to make chicken broth. Take all the pieces & put it in 5 cups of water. Add turmeric & salt & cook it for 40 min. Turmeric should always be added to any non vegetarian dish you make coz it kills if there are any germs & also gives good color. Later after 40 min strain the broth & set a side. There is very little flesh attached to the bone so you can discard that as it has no taste & all the taste is in the broth.
2. Take the mint leaves & grind it with green chilies just until its cores & not pureed. Set a side.
3. Now we r ready to make the biryani. Take a non stick vessel on a stove add oil  & bay leaf, once it sizzles add the whipped mint & green chili. Stir it for a while then add ginger garlic paste sauté for a min & add long chopped onions.

4. After the onions are cooked for 5 min add tomatoes & cook for 2 more min. Then add curd & garam masala.

5. Now after 2 min add the washed & drained basmati rice stir & cook for 2 min. This makes the rice really fluffy & the rice will soak all the flavor. Add very little salt since there is salt in the broth.

6. Now add the cooked hot chicken broth measuring properly. It should be total 5 cups. If its less you can add water to make it 5 cups. Then cook it for 15 min in medium low heat. At this stage u need to taste the seasoning & add salt if you want. Then add chopped coriander leaves & lemon juice & stir cook for 5 more min & switch off. The biryani is done.

7. Now for the chicken fry. You take another non stick pan, add oil  let it heat then add onion & cook for 3 min. Then ginger garlic paste sauté for a min.

 

8. Add tomatoes & cook for 3 min. Now add coriander powder & stir.

9. Add the chicken pieces & turmeric powder & cook for 10 min. It releases lots of water that's okie just cook it with lid on for 20 min & check if its tender.

10. Then add remaining spices & salt. now without the lid cook on high flame till all the water evaporates & the masala coats the chicken. Its done

Now assemble the Biryani & the pieces over each other & enjoy. The pieces are tender & juicy with all flavors  & the biryani is just amazing.

SOUTH INDIAN CHICKEN BIRYANI

Wow!!! The name Biryani itself makes your mouth water & my god what a smell. Its amazing that the smell of biryani can be identified specifically even though the varieties are different. There is Mughal biryani, dum biryani & simple varieties of chicken or mutton biryani too. I love them all but this south Indian style chicken biryani is the one I have eaten growing up & its my all time favorite. Very obviously I learned it from my mom & cant beat this one.

Biryanis are cooked in different ways. Every region in India have modified in their own way. The colors of it depend on the way its cooked. saffron makes it orange or yellow. Chili oil makes red. red curry in the biryani makes it brown & my version is with lots of mint hence its green. Its the authentic way to do the biryani & you can never forget the taste. Its spicy & delicious.


My version of Biryani has 2 stages. First the Biryani & next the chicken fry or pieces for the biryani.
I cook them both separately coz some how I feel cooking chicken pieces along with rice doesn't give Biryani lots of flavor & also the chicken pieces seems dry & not so tasty to eat. So cooking them separately in 2 stages makes it really delicious.
First stage I make broth with the bone part of chicken & make Biryani with it
second I make nice chicken fry with the remaining pieces to go along with the biryani.

RECIPE:

INGRIDIENTS:
Biryani:

1.5 KG chicken
2 1/2 cups of basmati rice
5 cups of water
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 bay leaf
2 Tbs ginger garlic paste
2 cups of fresh mint
7 green chillies
1/4 Tsp turmeric
1/4 cup of curd/yogurt
1 large onion
1 small tomato
1 cup of coriander leaves
1 Tbs of garam masala
Juice of a whole lemon
salt to taste

Chicken fry:
Chicken pieces from the whole chicken
2 Tbs ginger garlic paste
3 tbs oil
1 small onion
1/2 Tsp turmeric
1 small tomato
1 Tbs red chilli powder
1 Tsp coriander powder
1 Tsp Garam masala
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1.Take the whole spinal cord & back bone of chicken completely to make chicken broth. Take all the pieces & put it in 5 cups of water. Add turmeric & salt & cook it for 40 min. Turmeric should always be added to any non vegetarian dish you make coz it kills if there are any germs & also gives good color. Later after 40 min strain the broth & set a side. There is very little flesh attached to the bone so you can discard that as it has no taste & all the taste is in the broth.
2. Take the mint leaves & grind it with green chilies just until its cores & not pureed. Set a side.
3. Now we r ready to make the biryani. Take a non stick vessel on a stove add oil  & bay leaf, once it sizzles add the whipped mint & green chili. Stir it for a while then add ginger garlic paste sauté for a min & add long chopped onions.

4. After the onions are cooked for 5 min add tomatoes & cook for 2 more min. Then add curd & garam masala.

5. Now after 2 min add the washed & drained basmati rice stir & cook for 2 min. This makes the rice really fluffy & the rice will soak all the flavor. Add very little salt since there is salt in the broth.

6. Now add the cooked hot chicken broth measuring properly. It should be total 5 cups. If its less you can add water to make it 5 cups. Then cook it for 15 min in medium low heat. At this stage u need to taste the seasoning & add salt if you want. Then add chopped coriander leaves & lemon juice & stir cook for 5 more min & switch off. The biryani is done.

7. Now for the chicken fry. You take another non stick pan, add oil  let it heat then add onion & cook for 3 min. Then ginger garlic paste sauté for a min.

 

8. Add tomatoes & cook for 3 min. Now add coriander powder & stir.

9. Add the chicken pieces & turmeric powder & cook for 10 min. It releases lots of water that's okie just cook it with lid on for 20 min & check if its tender.

10. Then add remaining spices & salt. now without the lid cook on high flame till all the water evaporates & the masala coats the chicken. Its done

Now assemble the Biryani & the pieces over each other & enjoy. The pieces are tender & juicy with all flavors  & the biryani is just amazing.

PALAK MUSHROOM

PALAK  MUSHROOM

This is a delicious combination of mushrooms with palak. Palak or spinach is a very well known greens that grows almost everywhere & well known to everyone. Goes so well with salads, gravy's dals appetizers etc.. It is so versatile & so good for you. I never miss any opportunity to cook with them & try to create new combinations also.

This combo worked out so well. Mushrooms are my another favorites that are again versatile & add meatiness to anything you eat without meat.

 

RECIPE:

INGRIDIENTS:

400 gms of mushroom
4-5 Cups of Palak / Spinach
1 small onion
1 medium tomato
1 Tsp coriander powder
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Bay leaf
2 Green chilies
1Tbs Ginger garlic paste
1Tsp Red chili powder
1/2 Tsp Garam masala
4 Tbs Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Wash & drain the spinach & keep it in a pan with stove on & let it wilt a bit. Do not over wilt your greens. Reserve the water it is wilted inn for later use. Then switch off & let it cool. pulse the spinach in the grinder 2 to 3 times & keep it a side.

 2. Switch on the stove with a pan & put oil in it. Add bay leaf & green chili. Then add onions & sauté for a bit.

 

 3. Add ginger garlic paste & stir then add coriander powder again stir for a min.

4. Now add tomatoes & cook for 4 min with lid on.

5. Now add the mushrooms stir well & let it cook for 5 min without the lid. Mushroom have lots of moisture in them so with lid onn it leaves lots of liquid & the gravy can be very runny. Add chili & cumin powder.

 

6. After the mushroom is cooked add the spinach with very little water that is left over after wilting it. Stir & add salt & garam masala

 

 

 

7. Cook for 2 min & switch off. This is served with chapatis or any kind of bread. Really delicious & full of health.

 

 

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.