DAL MAKHANI(JAIN)

Ingredients:
2 cups (360 grams) Sabut urad daal (black gram lentils)
8 cups (almost 2 lts.) Water
2 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Ginger, finely sliced
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Oil
2 tsp Shahi zeera (black cumin seeds)
1 tsp Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek seeds)
2 cups Tomato purée
1 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp Sugar
2 Green chillies, slit lengthwise
Method
1. To the daal, add water, 1tbsp salt and ginger. Cook until daal becomes tender.
2.In a heavy based pan, heat butter and oil, add shahi zeera and kasoori methi. When they begin to splutter, add tomato purée, remaining salt, chilli powder and sugar.Stir fry over high flame, till the oil separates.
3.Add cooked daal and bring to a boil. The consistency should be such that the daal should move around freely when stirred, otherwise add a little water. Leave to stimmer, uncovered, till well blended.
4.Stir-in cream and once it gets heated through, serve immediately, garnished with green chillies and serve hot.

METHI PANEER

Methi Paneer
Ingredients
250 gm fenugreek leaves-washed and pureed
1 cup tomato puree
1 tbsp mustard oil
2 whole red chillies-broken into half
2 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp coriander powder
300 gm paneer-cut into cubes
Method
1.Place the oil and whole red chillies in a dish, mix well and cook covered, at HI for 2 minutes.
2.Mix in the fenugreek puree, tomato puree, salt, sugar, garam masala and coriander powder. Cook covered at HI for 10 minutes, stirring once.
3.Mix in the paneer and cook at 70% for 8 minutes. Serve hot.

KADAI PANEER

Ingredients
250 grams paneer
3 onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons coriander-cumin seed powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
5 medium tomatoes
1 capsicum, sliced
100 grams fresh cream
a pinch sugar
3 tablespoons ghee or refined oil
salt to taste
ghee or refined oil for deep frying
To be ground into a paste
4 cloves garlic
12 mm. (1/2") piece ginger
Method
1. Cut the paneer into wide strips and deep fry lightly in ghee. Place in lukewarm water.
2. Put the tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes. Remove and blend into a puree.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee and fry the onions until golden. Add the paste and fry for 1/2 minute.
4. Add the coriander-cumin seed powder, turmeric and chilli powders, garam masala and kasuri methi and fry again for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomato puree and capsicum, cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the paneer and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Finally, add the cream and sugar and serve hot.

KADHI

Ingredients
2 tablespoons gram flour
2 teacups fresh curds
1 teaspoon chilli-ginger paste
2 curry leaves
2 tablespoons sugar (approx.)
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
salt to taste
For the tempering
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
a pinch asafoetida
1 red chilli broken into pieces
2 teaspoons ghee
Method
1. Mix the gram flour, curds and 3 teacups of water. Beat.
2. Add the chilli-ginger paste, curry leaves, sugar and salt and put to boil.
3. Boil whilst stirring for a while.
4. Prepare the tempering by heating the ghee and frying the cumin and mustard seeds until they turn brown. Add the asafoetida and red chilli.
5. Add the tempering to the kadhi and boil for a few minutes.
6. Sprinkle coriander & serve hot with pulav or biryani.

SWEET & SOUR POTATOES

Ingredients
Small potatoes - 500g
Dates 20
Cardamom - 3
Cloves - 3
Fennel seeds (saunf) - ½ tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - ½ tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – 1tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Low fat curd - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - for garnish
Salt - to Taste
Method
1. Wash potatoes n pressure cook till done. Cool n peel potatoes n prick with a fork.
2. Deseed dates n soak in luke warm water for 15 mins n make a paste and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add rai, when it crackles add jeera n saunf, cardamom n clove. Sauté for 1 min.
4. Add the cumin pwd, coriander pwd, and garam masala pwd n mix well on low flame, till it gives out the aroma.
5. Add prepared dates paste, turmeric pwd, boiled small potatoes, n salt to taste and mix well.
6. Add the low fat curd n add a little water if required, close the pan and allow the potatoes to cook for 5 mins and absorb the gravy.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or rotis.

BHARWAN BHINDI(MICRWAVE)

Ingredients:
400 g - small ladyfingers
3 tsp - coriander powder
2 tsp - cumin seed powder
2 tsp - mango powder (or as per taste)
2 tsp - red chilli powder(or as per taste)
½ tsp - turmeric powder
2 tbsp - oil
salt to taste
Method:
1.Mix together all the powdered spices for the stuffing.
2.Add salt and mix well. Make a small slit along each ladies finger. Put in a little bit of stuffing.
3.When all the fingers are stuffed, put oil in a large glass microwave-safe dish.
4.Microwave the oil at 100% power for 2 minutes.
5.Put in the stuffed bhindis, and microwave at 100% power, uncovered for 14 minutes, stirring twice.
You can add crushed singdana(peanuts) at stage 5 to give a Mahrashtrian taste.
You can make potato bindi or onion bhindi also(not stuffed).
You can grate onion and all the spices to onion and stuff this filling and go ahead with the recipe.
You can fry bhindi first than make gravy of besan little buttermilk to make masala bhindi.

DAHI WALE ALOO & URAD DAL PURI

For the dahiwale aloo
2 1/2 cups peeled baby potatoes
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
1/2 teaspoon onion seeds (kalonji)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
2 bay leaves
3 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
3 to 4 curry leaves
1 green chilli, slit
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander-cumin seed (dhania-jeera) powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 cup curds, beaten
2 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste
For the garnish 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander
For the urad dal puris
1/2 cup urad dal (split black lentils)
1 teaspoon onion seeds (kalonji)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1 teaspoon oil
salt to taste
Ingredients
oil for deep frying
For the dahiwale aloo
1. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, onion seeds, fennel seeds and asafoetida. When the seeds crackle, add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves and green chilli and sauté for a few seconds.
2. Add the potatoes, chilli powder, coriander-cumin seed powder, turmeric powder and salt and sauté till the masala coats the potatoes evenly.
3. Add ½ cup of water and bring to a boil.
4. Add the curds and bring to a boil while stirring continuously so that the gravy does not split.
5.Garnish with the coriander.
For the urad dal puris
1. Clean, wash and soak the urad dal for 2 to 3 hours. Drain completely.
2. Purée the dal in a mixer using ¼ cup of water to make a fine paste.
3. Combine with the onion seeds, asafoetida, wheat flour and salt and knead into a soft dough.
4. Add the oil and knead again.
5. Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Divide dough into 12 equal portions n roll out each portion into a circle of 75 mm. (3") diamtr. 7. Deep fry in hot oil over a medium flame till the puris puff up and both sides are golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. 8. Serve hot with dahiwale aloo ki subzi.
This is a speciality of marwari from origanaly malwa region.