Homemade Biryani Masala

I love making homemade masalas (of course not always) and as they say homemade is definitely the BEST! Fresh, aromatic and so full of Indian-ness! Make it and use it and you’ll have a new flavor in life and in your food. Even if you regularly use the store-bought version, you will mark the noticeable difference in flavor with this fresh homemade masala. The best part is that it is so easy to make that you’ll wonder why you have not been doing it for all these years. Mom always used to grind fresh masalas on her sil-patti (stone-block). Over time, the stone block was replaced by the more convenient electric mixer/grinder, the masala and the lip-smacking taste remained unchanged. The biryani masala is one such example which is one of my favorites. In fact I never quite like the store bought one as I always feel something off about them. So here is another one of my most favorite ones and stay tuned for more.

Here's a little tip- I always try to make small quantities as and when needed. Fresh-made, that's when the masala blends are the most fragrant. For grinding small quantities, I always use my coffee grinder.

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Kathal ke Kofte/Jackfruit kofta curry

I speak to my mom in India quite often. We talk about a lot of things. The other day she happened to mention that Jackfruit was back in season in India. This time of the year they have the small raw ones that are really good for curry (aah my mouth waters just as I think about the it). I cannot find fresh jackfruit anywhere in stores here but they carry the canned ones in the local oriental markets. While I was talking to her, I got reminded that I had a few cans sitting in my pantry and I'd made up my mind I would make these koftas. If you remember my kathal spree from a few moons ago, I'd gotten a whole ten pounder from a local farmer except I had to drive a couple of hundred miles to get it. Believe it or not I tried calling the guy but it appears that they are not in season yet here in the states. I keep a few cans handy as I like to make different things with jackfruit and they come in handy. And handy they came indeed as I succumbed to my kathal craving.

Kofta (as they are usually referred to in the South Asian Subcontinent) have a heavy presence over various cuisines. The concept of the kofta (or kufteh, köfte, keftes, kufta, ćufta…) is that a ground form of particular ingredients are spiced (according to what herbs and spices are predominantly available in that country) and rolled into a certain shape. Kofta can be fried, steamed, grilled or baked according to what ingredients you added to the mix. Koftas are traditionally made of minced meat however it is not uncommon to find koftas made of paneer, bottle gourd, mashed potatoes etc.

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Kadahi Bhindi (Okra curry)

adahi bhindi or bhindi masala always brings a smile to my face. Why? You ask. Its only bhindi after all. Well you are absolutely right. That is exactly why. Read on.

The story is from the first few days after coming to the US after getting married. Dear hubby, trying to show me around and to take his lady out to wine and dine, offered to take me out for dinner to our local Indian restaurant. I obliged. The menu was like any regular Indian restaurant, the usual paneer and mushroom dishes, biryanis, naans, parathas. He asked me what I wanted and we waited for the waiter to show up. I can't remember exactly what I had... it was some paneer dish I think... but to my utter dismay, hubby ordered bhindi masala... and I went... WHAT! I mean who orders bhindi in a restaurant! Moreover when you are paying fifteen bucks for an entree, wouldn't you rather eat paneer or atleast something more exotic.

Let me explain. Back at home, when okra was in season, mom would always make bhindi masala for lunch or dinner. Every restaurant you went to, had bhindi masala on the menu and we conveniently chose to ignore it... of course. Hence my reaction.

When hubby explained, it actually made sense. I still don't agree with him... but it made sense. During his bachelor days in India, he ate all three meals in restaurants and well... like me he always ate paneer. So much so that he could not longer stand it.

We agreed silently to disagree. Since then he has warmed up to the idea of paneer (thankfully!) and doesn't order bhindi at restaurants anymore (he claims its because I make a killer bhindi masala at home :)

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Potato Jackfruit (Aloo Kathal) curry with Poori

It is amazing how we take certain things for granted. Growing up, Kathal (pronounced cut-hull) or Jack fruit used to be abundant during the summers. Mom used to make an amazing curry. So coming to the US, I was pretty disappointed that folks here did not even know what a jack fruit was let alone sell it. We had to go without it for a couple of years. To my absolute amazement, I found that they sold the canned variety in some oriental grocery stores. They were good to satisfy our craving for kathal but did not even come close to the taste of the fresh ones. The other day I decided to search for it on the web and found that there actually is a local farmer that has jack fruit trees and he sells the fruit at his store. The catch, his store was about a hundred miles from where I am. This past weekend, hubby and I decided to take the trip. Believe it or not, we drove a hundred miles (two hundred including the return!!) but it was all worth it as we came back with a huge 10 pound jack fruit :D (so much for my carbon footprint but hey 'am not gonna do this everyday... besides he charged me 20 bucks for it so that's a good deterrent for doing it very often)

Now I have 10 pounds of jack fruit that I want to use as I cannot afford to let it go bad. So get ready to see some kathal creations from me. Here is the first in the series. The most common and traditional kathal preparation in our household. It is a traditional kathal and potato curry with spicy onion gravy. The kathal is pan-fried to get a nice caramelization and then simmered in a nice spicy sauce. I just ate some and feel like having some more as I am writing this. It is best paired with pooris . In case you are not aware what a poori is it is a deep fried puffed unleavened bread. They are an absolute treat to eyes and taste buds alike!!

This is my Mom's recipe, so here goes

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Corn Fenugreek Pulao

I typically avoid elaborate cooking over weekends and always prefer one pot meals. One pot meals with rice is usually the most convenient. So here is the rice pulao I made this weekend using corn and my all time favorite methi (fenugreek) leaves. It tasted great... simple homey, aromatic and flavorful. The slight bitterness of methi, sweetness from the corn cooked with rice and spices. I know I am going to make it often!

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Easy cheesy stuffed peppers

Hubby makes a killer eggplant bharta. Why the mention of eggplant bharta in the stuffed pepper recipe, you ask? It is because this one time he decided to use these anaheim peppers in his bharta and that is when I got the idea that these peppers will be absolutely fabulous when stuffed. I will definitely post his eggplant bharta sometime soon but for now here is the recipe for the stuffed peppers. They are anaheim peppers (you could use practically any 'stuffable' ones) stuffed with a spicy potato cheese filling and baked to a perfect crust. They are perfect as appetizers or as a side to a nice homey rice daal meal (or anything else you like).
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Paneer butter masala

I asked him on the phone if he liked paneer and he said "Ugh! I have had so much paneer lately that I can't stand it anymore" and I went "oh! crap". This was one time during the courtship days before my husband and I were married. He later explained in 'great detail' how he has been eating paneer practically every day sometimes twice for the last two years of his bachelor lifestyle. In those days he was in Pune, India and always ate out and being a vegetarian and eating out you pretty much end up choosing something with paneer. While I empathized with his situation, I also realized I might not be able to eat my favorite paneer. I had to do something.
A few days after we got married and came to the US, I figured he might have gotten over his paneer-phoebia and made this paneer butter masala. He loved it. Apparently the brief break and (as he tells me) the great dish had brought him back. Paneer was back as an ingredient in our household. So here is the recipe of the comeback paneer dish that I now make (I always tease him by reminding him of his anti-paneer days).
Paneer butter masala probably needs no introduction. I am yet to see an Indian restaurant that does not have it on its menu. The big juicy paneer cubes in a creamy spicy gravy is an absolute delight. Me being me however, I make it with very little oil and no cream and butter at all (no butter in butter masala? funny eh!) So here goes...

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Aloo matar paratha

loo parathas are something that don't need any introduction. These are the most popular of all the stuffed parathas in India. Can be found in high-end restaurants as well as at the road side dhabas. I have not met a single person in my life who doesn't like it. It is basically an indian unleavened and pan fried flat bread stuffed with spicy potato filling, generally served with pickle, yogurt or just a little pat of butter...mmmm! It is a staple dish in almost all indian households with minor variation in the recipe here and there.
I remember mom often used to make it for breakfast and also sometimes for dinner with tomato chutney during winter times and it was soul satisfying. She also sometimes used to add peas in the filling and I always liked that better as i love green peas... so here is my mom's recipe of my fav aloo matar de parathe!
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Achari aloo

This was one of the very first dishes I made for my dear hubby after we got married and I came to the US. He had called a few friends over for dinner and I set everything up on the table (achari aloo, puri, fried rice, malai kofta, raita and kheer... amazing how I still remember). He looked very happy and was mighty impressed, loved it.. so it will always be something very special :) He especially asked me make this achari aloo often.
Achari aloo is basically a tangy and spicy dry potato curry flavored with traditional indian pickle masalas. I love the fennel and achari flavor in this dish. It is also always hit with guests, great for potlucks and picnics too, as it tastes great both hot and cold. Goes with almost anything but we like it best with pooris... mmmm! This is ridiculously easy to make and super fast. I make it with tiny whole red potatoes. Traditionally the recipes calls for deep frying but I skip that to make it healthier so it can be eaten on a regular basis.So here goes my version. 

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Samosa

he 'KING' of Indian street food.. hot yummy samosas are the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Indian appetizers. I believe samosas have now gone global. How can you not love a samosa, crispy fried shell/pastry filled with amazing spicy potato filling.. total yum! there are over a dozen samosa recipes. Today I am giving my mom's recipe here. She used to add a little sooji in the dough to make it more crispy.. and her samosa filling I think is the best ever. I always thought of samosas as something that mom makes. Not even in my wildest dreams I had thought I will ever attempt making them.. and here I am.

Serve it hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney or just plain ketchup. They are also great to serve when you are entertaining guest. They will be gone in seconds!

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Kadai paneer with mushrooms

 have already raved about my liking for paneer, so here is yet another very popular paneer recipe. Kadhai paneer is a classic north indian dish. In the recipe, paneer is cooked in a kadhai or wok (hence the name kadhai paneer) with bell peppers in a spicy onion-tomato based sauce with lots of ginger, garlic, cilantro leaves and flavored with kasoori methi. It has a distinct fresh spicy aroma and flavor that compares to nothing else.

This is one of the few non-creamy preparation of paneer easy and quick to make with simple ingredients and is always a crowd pleaser. My hubby likes the combination of paneer and mushrooms very much so I came up with this recipe and it was a big hit :) But using mushrooms is entirely optional. These are great for dinner, lunch, parties or picnics. Can be served with roti or parathas and can also be filled inside sandwich or wraps for a quick fix wholesome meal.

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Aloo tikki chaat

An all time favorite in the chaat category is the one and only aloo tikki chat...its something that can have you salivating just by thinking about it. Very popular among all age groups, the epitome of indian street food. These are flavorful patties or tikkies made out of mashed potatoes and other spices, which are shallow fried then smothered with a spicy yellow peas sauce and garnished with sweet and spicy chutney, yogurt, sev, onion and fresh cilantro..YUMM!! It is always reminiscent of the carefree school and college days :) My friends and I used to queue up in front of 'chaat wale bhaiyyaji' ka 'thela' and relish it every single day... pure bliss!

These are fairly easy to make, once you have all the ingredients and are soul satisfying.This I learned from my mom..

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Jhal muri

Growing up, my summers out of school were mostly spent at my grandparents'. Among many other things that I used to look forward to, the train ride was definitely one of them and the amazing jhal-muri the vendors used to sell on that route. Even today, whenever I think of jhal-muri, I get nostalgic about those train journeys...

Jhal is spicy in bengali and muri is puffed rice, a very famous street food in kolkata and around the area. Spicy and addictive. I personally think it as one of the healthier among all street foods as it is not something fried and also consists of sprouts which we all know is very healthy. Also very easy to make when you have all the ingredients at hand.

This is one of my most favorite snacks. I can just have jhal-muri for lunch! (have done it several times :D)

Here goes my recipe for Jhal-muri.

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Malai kofta - healthier version!

alai kofta is an exotic and another classic dish from the northern parts of India.
The cuisine in north India very much reflects the wonderful fusion of Indian, middle eastern and Mughlai styles of cooking and is characterized by its fragrant rich sauces, aromatic spices, saffron, milk and fresh cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, ghee (clarified butter), dry fruits and nuts. 

Malai Kofta is all of the above and more, a delightful vegetarian alternative to meatballs or meat koftas. Malai is hindi for cream and koftas are dumplings made with paneer/Indian cheese, stuffed with nuts and raisins and simmered in a buttery, creamy fragrant sauce. A sinful indulgence and a must have on every Indian restaurant's menu around the world!

I like eating this dish but don't like all the deep frying and cream involved in the recipe. Earlier I used to make it at home often but stopped making it for a long time. My (kofta deprived) hubby used to ask me to make it and I just used to ignore him ;) then one day he was finally able to convince me to make it again but then me being me I tried to make it a little healthier.
So, this 'malai kofta' is sans all the malai and sans the deep frying. I make the koftas in my oven and they turn out very good a big hit without feeling guilty afterwards! Both hubby and I are happy. I now make it almost regularly and he gets to eat his fav malai kofta. For some special occasions I still revert back to the old method, but on a regular basis this one works great. If you like the fried kofta better you can always fry them. But if you are into healthy but tasty eating do try this and you will not be disappointed and see your taste buds falling head over heels in love with this tempting curry!

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Chhole bhature

hhole or chana masala is one of the most popular vegetarian dish in Northern India. When classically paired with bhature (a match made in heaven) it is the type of street food that can be had as a whole meal, so fulfilling, so hearty, so yummy, pure indulgence, simply mouthwatering. No wonder it continues to be the most popular food item in Indian restaurants all over the world. It is generally served for breakfast with a tall glass of lassi in the punjabi households, where it originated, but has become a much loved weekend brunch and dinner in our household.

It is a chickpea (kabuli chana) dish cooked in a spicy onion tomato based gravy with a deep fried unleavened bread :) Bhatura is one of my fav breads. It is a delicious soft bread that is chewy at the same time. They are such a treat to the eye and to the taste buds alike. My little one gets so excited when they puff up while frying :) My dear hubby earlier used to detest the dish, but that was before meeting me:) Now he can not wait to eat it whenever I make it. I learned this recipe from my mom, very simple and easy to make but tastes out of this world. Also she never used the store bought chhole masala powder (which is not needed in the first place). Hope you like it.

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Chicken tikka

y brother was here for the weekend and he is the biggest "Chickenaholic" I have ever seen :) He can eat chicken in all its forms for every single meal. Though my husband and I are vegetarians, I make sure to prepare as many chicken dishes for him whenever he visits. It is difficult to make something without tasting it but I take it as a challenge... and my brother (he is a very picky eater) said this is the BEST tikka he has ever eaten... and this came from someone who once thought his pyari sister can never cook anything... hee hee... boy I was so happy! As his birthday is coming up soon, this one is especially for him.

Who is not familiar with the world famous chicken tikka... needs no introduction. I just made it the same way as I make paneer tikka. In place of paneer I used chicken. So here I am giving the recipe for something I have not tasted. Please try it and do let me know how it came out.

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Aloo dum

Aloo dum is my husband's all time favorite dish. He can eat this every day without complaining. Even for special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. If I ask him what to make, he will always say, aloo dum and poori! I can not blame him as this is one of the most popular and celebrated recipes in north indian vegetarian cuisine. Every region has its own version, as in Bengal they make alur dom, in Punjab dum wale aloo, in Kashmir kashmiri dahi wale dum aloo and aloo dum in UP and Bihar. These are basically whole baby potatoes simmered in spicy onion, tomato and yogurt based sauce... yumm!!

There are numerous ways to make this, here is my version, again my mom's recipe (bihari aloo dum) modified a little by me. I remember mom making these during winter times with the new teeny-weeny red baby potatoes and they were just out of this world good. Here I don't get those so I just use the regular red baby potatoes. These can also be made using bigger potatoes, just peel and cut them into chunks and use. Also traditionally the recipe calls for deep frying the potatoes but I just shallow fry them using very little oil and they taste just as great, so can be made daily without the guilt. So enjoy the recipe and let me know how it came out.

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