No Onion No Garlic Paneer Curry

It was my Mother in Law's fifteenth death anniversary today and while she was a very sweet lady and had known her since my childhood, one thing I remember about her, among other things, is she was a big foodie. She loved my Mom's cooking and always used to keep longing for a daughter who would cook and serve her favourite dishes. Today, fifteen years after she left for her heavenly abode, I finally got an opportunity to make some yummy dishes for her and make her soul happy. The priest who had come home for the prayer service was absolutely delighted with the menu and I hope that she feels happy and satisfied seeing someone relish the dishes prepared in her fond remembrance. This no onion no garlic paneer preparation was one of the stars of the menu which everyone enjoyed thoroughly. 

Ingredients 

500 gms paneer cubed

1/4 cup cashew 

3-4 Kashmiri red chilli 

2 tsp ginger paste (fresh)

2 each of cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and 1" cinnamon 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tsp saunf

1/2 tsp heeng/asafoetida

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1 1/2 tsp kitchen king masala (you can substitute it with an equal mix of cumin powder and coriander powder)

1 large tomato 

1-2 tbsp cream (optional)

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1 tbsp roasted and crushed kasuri methi

1 tbsp oil

Direction 

Soak the cashew and whole red chillies for 10 minutes. Grind them to a fine paste along with the tomato. Keep aside. 

In a pan, heat oil and splutter the cumin seeds, saunf, and whole garam masala. Now add the ginger paste and heeng and fry for a few seconds and then add the cashew and tomato paste. Mix well and fry till oil starts appearing from the sides. Now add the dry spices except the sugar and kasuri methi and mix. Add about 1/2 cup water and bring the gravy to a boil. You can add more water as per your requirement but do not make it too watery. The gravy is supposed to be thick. Now add the paneer cubes and cover and cook on a medium low for 5-10 minutes till droplets of oil start appearing on top. Add the sugar and check for the seasoning. Add the cream if using and the crushed kasuri methi. Mix and remove from heat. Serve hot!

Khatte Aaloo (Baby Potatoes in a Sour and Spicy Sauce)

The most relaxed time of the day for me is the night time when everyone is asleep and I know that there is nothing else left to be done and the day has passed just as it should. I then lie down waiting to get drowsy while I surf on my handphone. Read news, search for something on Google, read posts on CAL and scroll down my Facebook timeline. It was then that I came across this recipe in another Bengali food group posted by a lady who was remembering the stories of her Grand Aunt who was a widow and how her life transformed at the age of 16 and her life after that. This recipe was one which her Grand Aunt used to prepare for her siblings whenever they used to visit her. And as luck would have it, my battery conked off even before I could get to the end of the post. The rest of the night, I kept thinking about that Grand Aunt and how her life would have been when she lost her husband at the age of 16 and her struggles and sacrifices she had to make to survive in that rigid society! As for the recipe, I decided to go ahead with whatever little I could remember. I may have missed a few ingredients here and there, but nevertheless, it was truly an awesome dish without any onion or garlic, as it was the custom for widows in those days!

Ingredients

10-15 baby potatoes or as per your serving size

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp heeng

1 tsp coriander seeds 

3 whole red chillies or as per your taste

2 tsp tamarind paste or 1 medium tomato pureed (if using tomato, you might need to add 1 tsp lemon juice to make up for the sourness)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (deggi mirch/kashmiri chilli powder)

1/4 cup water

Salt to taste

1-2 tsp oil (mustard oil preferably)

Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing (I was out of stock)

Direction

Par boil the potatoes and peel and keep aside. Do not cut the potatoes, unless you are using regular potatoes. 

Meanwhile, dry roast the coriander seeds and whole red chillies. Grind them in a grinder with a dash of water and keep aside. 

Heat oil in a pan and add the fenugreek seeds and heeng. Fry for a second or two just until the seeds brown a little. Now add the peeled potatoes and the kashmiri chilli powder and fry till golden on all sides. Now add the ground paste, tamarind paste/tomato paste and salt and mix well. Rinse the grinder in which you ground the masala with about 1/4 cup water and add it to the pan. Coat the potatoes well with the sauce and cover for 5 minutes. The sauce should by now coat the potatoes properly and the excess water dried up. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with pooris, paratha or steamed rice!

Bengal Special Chena Kofta Curry (Paneer/Cottage Cheese Balls in aSpicy Gravy) - No Onion No Garlic

The three week long pure vegetarian saga has reached its finale and I bid adieu to my dear inlaws last evening. While the stay was quite enjoyable and I managed to give them some good memories of their stay in Singapore, I had to really rack my brains and do intensive search for doable and quick no onion no garlic dishes with some variety. They enjoyed most of my dishes and were really happy and amazed to see my enthusiasm in the kitchen which they had never seen before. So all in all, it was a good experience for me in the kitchen and by the end of it, I can now confidently cook a no onion no garlic dish with a wonderful variety. I had planned today's dish as the finale dish as it required some previous night preparation and takes a little more time to be prepared than the other regular dishes. The koftas were a star and I could just gobble them up as is. So yummy they were! Try out these koftas with any kind of gravy you want and you are sure to be blessed! :)

                                              

Ingredients

For the Koftas

1 liter milk (use full cream for a more creamier paneer)

1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

1 small potato boiled and mashed (I used leftover potato from the previous day's Dum Aaloo)

2 tbsp Semolina (add little at a time as required but not exceeding the recommended quantity) 

Seasoning of your choice (cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, etc. I did not add as I was using the Dum Aaloo leftover)

Salt as per taste

Freshly chopped coriander leaves (optional; use very little)

Few cashews (roughly chopped) and raisins for stuffing

Oil for frying

For the Gravy

1 tsp asafoetida

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 each of cloves, cinammon, and cardamom roughly thrashed

1 tsp ginger finely grated or paste

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 black pepper powder

1 medium tomato finely chopped or pureed

2-3 heaped tbsp yogurt

1 scant tsp sugar

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing (you can add a fistful of leaves while pureeing the tomatoes, optionally)

Direction

For the koftas

Bring the milk to a boil and add the vinegar. The milk will immediately separate leaving the whey in the bottom while the chena or paneer will be floating on top. Place a muslin cloth in a colander and gently drain the liquid through it and holding back the chena in the cloth. Run the chena in cold water a few times to get rid of the smell of vinegar or lemon. Now tightly close the mouth of the muslin cloth and let the water drain off completely. I kept the paneer parcel in the colander and kept the colander on top of a big vessel to hold the liquid while keeping a weight on top of the tied cloth. Within 30 minutes , all the water would have dried out and then you can either use it right away or keep it in the refrigerator tied up in the cloth for use the next day. I had prepared it the night before and kept it in the refrigerator for use in the morning. How pretty and firm it looked!

                                           

Now, break the chenna with your hands and add all the ingredients, except the cashews and raisins, listed above to make the koftas. Mash and mix everything well. Now pinch out small balls out of this mixture and put a few cashews and raisins in the center and make small balls, ensuring that the cashews or raisins do not ooze out. 

                                          

Heat oil in a small deep bottomed wok and fry the koftas till golden brown. Remove from heat and drain the excess oil in kitchen napkins and keep aside.

                                          

 Making the Gravy

Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices, cumin seeds, and heeng and fry till a lovely aroma emanates. Mix the ginger, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli, and turmeric powder in 2 tbsp water and add it to the pan. Fry till oil starts coming out from the sides. Now add the tomatoes and continue frying till they are completely mushy and oil comes out again. Whip the yogurt and add it to the pan while lowering the flame. Stir and mix well. When the raw smell of the yogurt disappears and the masala starts to thicken, add the salt, sugar and 1 cup warm water and bring it to a boil. Put a cover and let the gravy simmer on medium heat till desired consistency is achieved. 

Now place the fried koftas in the serving dish and pour the gravy on top. Garnish with coriander leaves and keep covered until served. Adding the koftas directly to the pan and later transferring to a serving dish might result in breakage.

                                            

Allahabadi Aaloo Dum (Allahabad Style Potato Curry)--No Onion No Garlic

Dum aaloo is generally made with baby potatoes and with a generous amount of spices. Today's recipe also involves a generous amount of spicing but the procedure is a little different from the regular dum aaloo and involves regular potatoes mashed to constitute the gravy. The recipe is extremely simple and gets ready in a jiffy once you have your potatoes boiled and roughly mashed. This dish is a part of Allahabadi cuisine and the recipe was shared by a foodie from Allahabad on my favorite food group in Facebook. I teamed it up with a Bengal  Special Mishti Pulao instead of the usual puri/paratha and the combination was superb!

Ingredients

4-5 potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp asafoetida or heeng

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp dry mango powder or amchur

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

2 green chillies chopped (optional)

Salt as per taste

2-3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

2 tbsp ghee (can be used in combination with oil)

Direction

In a pan, heat the ghee and add the heeng and cumin seeds. Add the boiled potatoes and fry till slightly golden. Add all the spices and continue frying till the masalas no longer smell raw and everything comes together. Now add a little water (I added about 1 1/2 cup of water as I wanted more gravy) and cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Remove cover and add fresh coriander and stir. Put the cover back and cook for few more minutes until desired consistency. Serve hot.  

                                           

Bengal Special Mishti Pulao (Bengali Sweet Rice)- No Onion No Garlic

As the days of no onion no garlic are nearing to a completion, I am trying to prepare and present some favourite dishes of my in-laws and go the final extra mile to keep them happy and satisfied. Today's recipe is a hot favorite with most Bengalis, especially the old school and also my grandma-in-law's most favorite dish of the whole of Bengali Cuisine. I did not know this until she sat down to eat and I was really glad it turned out exactly the way she likes it. This Pulao is a little on the sweeter side and to balance the sweetness, Bong's usually serve it with some spicy Mutton or Chicken curry. Since it is pure vegetarian in my household these days, I served it with some spicy tangy Allahabadi Aaloo Dum. The potato curry goes best with Indian bread but tasted equally good with the rice as well. All in all an effort well paid for!

Ingredients

2 cups gobindobhog rice (or any fragrant small grained rice)

1/2 cup combination of cashews and raisins

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp milk (optional)

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt or as per taste

2 each of cloves, cinammon, cardamom, and bay leaf

2-3 tbsp ghee (I know it is a lot but the taste of this dish lies in this. You can substitute half with oil though)

Direction

Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Just before beginning the cooking process, drain the water and keep the rice in a colander.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and raisins until fragrant. Remove from pan and keep aside. Now in the same pan add any more ghee if required and splutter the cumin seeds and whole garam masala. Now add the rice, turmeric powder, saffron if using, salt, sugar, and fried cashews and raisins and continue frying on a medium to low heat until the rice is transparent. Now add water in 2:1 (water:rice) proportion and stir and close the lid tightly and let it cook till done, forking in between for even cooking. Alternatively, transfer the contents to a electric rice cooker and cook till done.

                                            

Kashmiri Rajma with Saffron Rice-- No Onion No Garlic

It has been a whirlwind of cooking and sightseeing in my household for the past two weeks with my in-laws visiting us and more importantly my husband's Grandmum. My husband was hardly around during their stay and so the entire responsibility of the household starting from groceries to sightseeing lay with me.  While it was fun at times with my baby especially enjoying the increased attention, it was quite taxing and stressful at others. Nevertheless, now it's hardly a week before they leave and so I am all geared up to make their stay memorable, food wise. 

Today's recipe is a wonderful combination from the valleys of Kashmir with keeping the no onion no garlic restriction intact. Kashmiri Pundits mostly do their cooking sans onion and garlic and yet churn out superbly yummy dishes which leave a lingering taste on your palate. So go ahead and surprise yourself and your family with this yummy delight!

                                        Aa

Ingredients

For the Rajma

1 1/2 cup rajma or red kidney beans, soaked overnight or at least for 6-7 hours

2 bay leaves

3 big tomatoes or 4 small, eyes removed and made into a puree in the blender

2 big tbsp coriander leaves

1 tbsp ginger grated

1 tsp red chilli powder

4 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp asafoetida or heeng

7-8 green cardamoms (skin removed), 5-6 cloves, 2-3 small pieces cinammon all ground to a fine powder. (Alternatively, you can also use 1 tbsp good quality garam masala)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp mustard oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

For the Saffron Rice

2 1/2 cups long grain basmati rice

2-3 generous pinch saffron

2 tbsp cold/warm milk (I used cold milk)

2 each of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamoms

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

4 cups warm water (be sure to use the same measurement as you used to measure the rice)

2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil (ghee gives it a taste lift)

Salt to taste

Optionally, you can use paneer cubes lightly sautéed (I did not have at hand)

Direction

For the Rajma

Wash the soaked rajma thoroughly and pressure cook with fresh water and the bay leaf until done. Keep aside and let it cool. 

In a pan, heat the oil and crackle the cumin seeds. Now lower the heat and add the heeng and grated ginger. Fry for 1-2 minutes and add the puree. Continue frying until the raw smell of the tomatoes disappear. Now add the chilli powder and coriander powder. Mix thoroughly and stir till oil starts coming out from the sides. Now with a slotted spoon, take out about 1/2 cup boiled rajma and mash it in a bowl. Add this to the gravy and stir well. Now add the remaining rajma reserving the liquid. Mix all the spices and the rajma well. Add the fresh coriander and the reserved liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce the gravy to your desired consistency. Now add the ground garam masala and stir. Remove from heat and serve hot with the yummy Saffron Rice.

                                          

For the Saffron Rice

Wash and soak the rice for about 1/2 an hour. Thereafter, drain the water and keep the rice in a colander. Soak the saffron in the milk for about an hour and crush the strands a bit in order to infuse maximum color and flavor.

In a tight lid pan, heat the ghee and splutter the cumin seeds and whole garam masala. Add the turmeric powder and the drained rice and stir for a min till the turmeric raw smell disappears. Now add the saffron milk, paneer pieces (if using), salt, and water. Close the lid tightly and cook on a medium flame until the rice is cooked. Fork the rice in between to ensure uniform cooking.

Alternatively, you can transfer the entire contents onto an electric rice cooker and cook till done. Enjoy with the yummy Rajma or curry of your choice. 

                                        

Punjabi Chole -No Onion No Garlic

By now, the veggies that I had got from Mustafa and some from India are all over and some repeated over and over again. There is nothing interesting to come up with these dishes and so now it is time to make some interesting legumes. However, legumes like chole or rajma, cannot taste even close to good without the two important ingredients, onion and garlic. Myth! True it is that onions and garlic lift up the flavors of this dish but this recipe without onion and garlic tastes equally good, maybe even better. In fact, I got confused momentarily that I had added garlic by mistake. Such superb was the taste and I am thinking of making my chole with this recipe henceforth. Why shed those tears while cutting onions when you can make it with a smiling face! :)

Ingredients

1 cup chick peas or chole (I added about 1/2 cup more as I wanted to finish it off)

2 big tomatoes or 3 small

1 medium bunch of coriander (I used chinese parsley as coriander was not available)

1 heaped tablespoon ginger paste

2-3 green chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp pomegranate seeds powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder (I used kashmiri chilli)

Salt to taste

2 tbsp olive oil or any oil

Ginger juliennes for garnishing

Direction 

Wash and soak the chick peas overnight or at least for 5-6 hours. Drain and pressure cook with freshly added water until done. 

Meanwhile, make a paste with the ginger, coriander, tomatoes, and green chillies. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the cumin seeds. Now add the paste and saute on medium flame for 3-5 minutes till raw smell disappears. Now add the dry spices and salt and mix well. Fry further for about 2-3 minutes till everything well incorporated. Now add the boiled chick peas, reserving 10-12 pieces. Mix well. Make a paste with the reserved chick peas either with a potato masher or the blender and add it to the pan along with the boiled chick pea liquid. Add any additional water if required or dry up the excess water if you desire a drier consistency. Garnish with ginger juliennes and serve hot with naan/kulcha/roti or jeera rice.

                                          

Chal Potol (Pointed Gourd in Rice Gravy)--No Onion No Garlic

With so many recipes being prepared and posted everyday, there isn't really much to write. My guests are enjoying the variety of food being presented every day and I am enjoying the praises I am getting for my efforts. Not a bad deal at all! The no onion no garlic saga is now actually taking a very interesting turn. Lot more recipes coming up on this space. So stay tuned!

Ingredients

8-10 parwal or pointed gourd, washed and skin removed and cut in half

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into squares about the same size as the gourd

1 tbsp ginger grated

2 tbsp basmati rice, washed and drained in a colander

2 each of bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves

1 onion finely chopped (optional)

1 big tomato finely chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

1 tsp garam masala powder

2 tbsp mustard oil

1 cup hot water

Direction

Heat oil in a pan and fry the washed and drained rice until transparent. Remove from oil and keep aside. In the same oil, fry the potatoes and gourd until golden. Keep aside, preferably in the same dish that you are going to serve.   

Add a little more oil in the pan if required and fry the whole garam masala until fragrant. Now add the chopped onion (if using), ginger and fry till soft. Now add the tomatoes and the dry spices except the garam masala. Keep frying until oil separates. Add the fried potatoes and gourd. Mix well. Add the fried rice and mix again. Now add the hot water and stir. Cover and cook on a low flame until the rice and veggies are cooked. If there is any gravy left, cook on a medium flame until just absorbed but not dry. Add the garam masala and optionally a dollop of ghee and serve hot with steamed rice or chapati.

                                           

  

Srilankan Style Masoor Daal

So today's recipe with no onion and no garlic is a simple daal from the peninsular country of Sri Lanka. It is extremely simple to prepare and very delicious, especially in the scorching summer heat. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup masoor daal (red lentils)

2 green chillies

2 whole red chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp heeng

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 cup coconut milk

Juice of 1 big lemon or 2 small

2-3 lime leaves (optional but highly recommended for increased flavor)

1 tbsp oil

Direction

Wash and boil the daal with salt and green chillies until done. In a pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds, red chillies, and heeng. Now add the boiled daal and the chilli powder and turmeric powder. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and add the coconut milk and mix. Put it back on flame and add the lime juice while still stirring. Check the tanginess and adjust accordingly. Add the lime leaves if using and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

                                       

Kashmiri Dum Aaloo- No Onion No Garlic

I have now kind of got used to the no onion no garlic cooking. While some dishes are being missed, the craving is slowly getting milder with each passing day. In fact, to think of it, it's not that bad a deal either. I am getting to try some new and interesting recipes and also making my elders happy by serving them good food. Blessings are always the most essential element for a happy and peaceful life and am glad I am getting ample of it through my food.

Ingredients

20-25 baby potatoes 

3 tbsp beaten yogurt

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin seeds (use shahjeera if available)

1 tbsp fennel seeds, roasted and ground to a fine powder

1 tbsp dry ginger powder (can use regular ginger paste in the absence of this)

1/4 tsp heeng (asafoetida)

2 each of cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon

5-7 black peppercorns

1 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1 cup hot water

1/2 tsp sugar (optional; Bongs cannot leave this ingredient out)

1 tbsp mustard oil

Direction

Wash the baby potatoes and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and let it cool. Now prick the potatoes with a fork and smear some salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for 10 minutes. 

Heat the oil and fry the potatoes until golden on all sides. Remove from oil and keep in the dish you are going to serve. In the same oil, splutter the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and cumin seeds. Now add the chilli powder and heeng and stir for a sec before adding about 2-3 tbsp water. This is to ensure that the masalas don't get burnt. Now remove the pan from fire and add the beaten yogurt. Mix well before returning the pan back on flame. High  heat sometimes curdles the yogurt resulting in a weird taste. Now add the fennel powder and dry ginger powder and stir. Add the fried potatoes and mix the masalas well. Add 1 cup hot water and salt and cook on slow flame for 15-20 minutes tightly covered without releasing the steam. 

Remove the cover and add the sugar, if using. If the gravy is too watery, dry up the excess liquid till you get desired consistency. Best eaten with veg pulao or steamed rice and/or paratha/naan/poori.

                                     

Lau Die Moong Daal (Bottle Gourd in Yellow Moong Daal) - No Onion No Garlic Series

It has been just a few days since my in-laws have arrived and I am already craving for some onion garlic rich food. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. While this proverb generally applies to people, in my case, it's my onion garlic rich food! Nevertheless, my baby is enjoying the company of her grand parents and great grand parents which gives me some breathing space and time to cook those extra dishes and finish the cleaning. Today's recipe is a typical of Bengali household and quite easy to make too. The best part of making this dish is you get two dishes with one ingredient. While peeling the bottle gourd, use a knife instead of a peeler and then chop it further to fine bits. Fry it in about a tbsp of oil with onion seeds (kalonji) and optionally can add potatoes and poppy seeds (I like it plain) and your yummy side dish is ready. 

Ingredients

1 small bottle gourd (lauki)

1/2 cup moong dal

1 inch ginger grated

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 green chillies

1 whole dry red chilly

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

A pinch of heeng (asafoetida)

1 tsp panchphoran (can be replaced with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, ajwain, and kalonji in equal quantity)

Fresh coriander leaves

2 tbsp ghee

Direction

Dry roast the daal until slightly golden and a wonderful aroma arises. Wash and keep aside in a colander for the water to drain. Cut the gourd finely without using the grater. We do not want to make a halwa style consistency. 

In a pressure cooker, add the daal, bay leaf, gourd, cumin powder, turmeric powder, green chilli, ginger, salt, and sugar with 1 cup water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and then switch off the gas and let it cool conpletely. The daal should not be too mushy and the individual grains must be visible. 

In a pan, heat the ghee and add the whole red chilli, heeng, and panchphoran. Let it splutter. Now add the boiled mixture and let it simmer till the  watery gravy dries up a bit. Check the seasoning. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Watermelon Skull Curry - No Onion No Garlic Series

This whole month of May is going to be a no onion no garlic theme in my kitchen. Reason is my Grandma-in-law who has given up these spices and so I have also decided to give a try to some unique and interesting dishes barring these spices. Now, the most common fruit in this scorching summer heat is the watermelon, besides of course the king of fruit. While we love the sweet and juicy flesh, the skull always goes down the bin. What a waste! Well, not any more. Next time you are having a watermelon, do remember to try this recipe.

Ingredients

Skull of half a watermelon, green skin peeled and the flesh chopped into small pieces

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp ginger grated

1 medium tomato chopped

1/2 tsp onion seeds or kalonji

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp garam masala powder

2 whole red chillies

Fresh coriander leaves

1-2 tbsp mustard oil

1/3 cup fried lentil dumplings (optionally you can use fried prawns or fish head or skip it altogether)

Direction

Pressure cook the watermelon skull pieces for upto 2-3 whistles until tender. It won't be as tender as a raw papaya but will be a little chewy. So do not ocercook.

In a pan, heat the oil and fry the potatoes and keep aside. In the same oil, add the onion seeds, whole red chilly, and grated ginger and fry for 1-2 minutes. Now add the  chopped tomatoes and fry till mushy.  Add the dry spices except for the garam masala. Fry till oil starts coming out. Now add the boiled skull pieces and fried potatoes and mix well. Add the fried lentil dumplings ( or prawns or fish head if using) and cover and cook on medium flame for 5-10 minutes. Add the garam masala and check the seasoning. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or chapatis. You can also replace the onion seeds with saunf to bring about a different flavor.

                                           

Bori Diye Phulkopir Patla Jhol (Lentil Dumplings in a Spicy Cauliflower Gravy)

It's that time of the year when we pack our bags and go for a long vacation. With or without the baby, we have never broken this tradition ever since we got married 6 years back (and tomorrow is our anniversary). However, this time it is an extended holiday with first a quick India trip for a wedding and then finally to our holiday destination, Phuket. Ohh! How I love this place. The food, the shopping, the beach, and most importantly the massage. So before leaving for this long holiday, I need to, or rather want to, finish off all groceries and have a clean and empty refrigerator barring a few eggs (which I will need on the day I come back). Today's curry is a bengali spicy curry with some cauliflower florets and homemade fried lentil dumplings. Enjoy with a bowl of plain rice and you are done with a tasty dinner/lunch without much hard work.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cauliflower florets (roughly 5-6 florets)

1 medium potato, cubed

1/2 cup masoor daal, washed and soaked for at least 2 hours

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 inch piece ginger, grated

1 fresh chilli

1/2 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp red chilli powder, divided

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

Coriander leaves for garnishing

1 tbsp mustard oil

Refined oil for frying the lentil dumplings

Direction

Drain the soaked masoor daal and blend it in a blender to a smooth paste, preferably without any water. Transfer to a bowl and add a little salt and half of the red chilli powder. Mix well. Heat sufficient refined oil in a wok, and add spoonfuls of the blended lentil paste and fry till golden brown on all sides. Drain excess oil on paper towels and keep aside. Once the entire paste is used up, fry the cauliflower florets and then the potato cubes in the same oil. Drain excess oil and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in another pan and add kalonji or onion seeds and let it crackle. Add the grated ginger and fry for a minute. Now add the tomatoes and fry till oil starts leaving from the sides. In a small bowl, take all the dry spices along with salt and sugar and make a paste with a little water. Add it to the tomatoes in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes till oil starts appearing on the sides. Now add the cauliflower and potatoes and mix it well with the masala. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Now simmer the heat and cover cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just done. Now add the fried lentil dumplings and cover cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and remove from heat.