• 3 cups - Potato - peeled and cubed
• 1 cup - Onion - roughly chopped - for masala
• 1 cup - Onion - cut into thin slices or small pieces 
• 2 cup - Tomato - chopped
• 2 Inch - Ginger - chopped
• 4 to 5 - Garlic  cloves - crushed
• 3 to 4 - Green chilli - finely chopped
• 1 tsp - Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp - Red chili powder (or as per taste)
• 1 tsp - Turmeric powder 
• 2 tsp - Coriander powder 
• ½ tsp - Coriander powder for potatoes
• ¼ tsp - Garam masala powder
• 1 tsp - Black pepper powder 
• 2 tsp - Ghee
• ¼ cup - Fresh cream (or I use coconut milk) can adjust the quantity depending on how watery or dry you want your curry to be
• Fresh Coriander leaves  - for masala + for garnishing
• Lime juice - from 1/2 lime (optional)
• Oil - For frying
• Salt - As per taste

• Wash potatoes with water, peel the skin and cut into big pieces. Put the pieces into a bowl of cold water. Set aside.
• Paste: Sauté roughly-cut onion, chopped ginger and garlic - until onion is translucent. Transfer it to a blender. To the same blender add cut tomatoes, green chilies and coriander leaves. Make it into paste and keep aside 

1. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan, add ¼ tsp of  turmeric powder and ¼ tsp of  red chilli powder to the oil, sauté for 10 seconds. Drain potato cubes, add it to the oil and roast. Half way through sprinkle bit of salt, continue roasting until potatoes are golden brown. Transfer the  potatoes in to a bowl. Sprinkle ½ tsp of coriander powder and ¼ tsp of garam masala powder over the potatoes. Toss it around to coat the potatoes. Keep aside
2. In the same pan, add 2 tsp of oil. When hot add cumin seeds.
3. Once the seeds starts to sputter, add the thinly cut onion and sauté until the onions are translucent. May stir in pinch of salt & sugar to help the process.
4. Now add the ground paste. Stir and cook the paste until the nice aroma comes and oil starts to collect to the sides.
5. Mix-in the ghee.
6. Add rest of the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and coriander powder. Mix and stir for a 30 seconds 
7. Now add the roasted potatoes and mix to let the masala coat the potatoes. 
8. Depending on how dry or watery you want your gravy to be, add cream+ water or coconut milk + water.  Mix everything well, reduce the flame, cover and simmer the gravy. Cook until the oil starts to float on top or collect to the sides. Gently stir the gravy in-between.
9. Once done, turn off the flame. Add lemon juice. Mix well. 
10. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve.
11. Enjoy the potato curry with roti/chapati/pulkha or as a side dish for rice.

• 1 cup - Pancharatna dal mix 
• ½ cup - green lentils
• ¼ cup - peanuts
• 1 inch - ginger - chopped and crushed
• 3 - green chilies - finely chopped
• 1 - tomato - finely chopped
• 1 tsp - cumin seeds
• ½ tsp - kaloji (nigella seeds) - fennel seeds or caraway seeds maybe substituted 
• ¼ tsp - asafoetida
• ½ tsp - turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp - red chilli powder
• 1 tsp - curry powder (optional)
• 3 tsp - ghee or oil
• ½ cup - chopped fresh cilantro or coriander leaves
• 7 to 10 - curry leaves (optional)
• fresh lime juice from 1/2 lime or as per taste (optional)
• salt as per taste

1. Wash the lentils with water multiple times until water runs clear. I usually collect the water from multiple wash and use it for watering my plants.
2. Add 4 cups of water to the lentil and cook it until tender. I use pressure cooker and cook it for two whistles. Instant pot may be used. Or just boil the lentil in a sauce pan over medium flame until it is cooked - for this you may need more water and it will take more time. Set aside the cooked lentils.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds & nigella seeds to the hot oil.
4. Once the seeds starts to sputter, add asafoetida, chopped green chilies, crushed ginger and curry leaves. Stir for a minute 
5. Add peanuts and stir it until peanuts are slightly roasted. 
6. Next add chopped tomatoes, bit of salt and sugar and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy. 
7. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and curry powder. Mix and cook of a minute
8. Now add the cooked lentils to the mix. If needed add some more water. 
9. Add salt and bring it to rolling boil. 
10. Turn off the stove and mix-in lime juice.
11. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve.

• Wash, peel skin, & cut potatoes into cubes (about a inch) 
• Remove the peas from the shell. Frozen or can peas may be used
• Make a coarse-paste of   Tomatoes, green chilies and coriander leaves
• Prepare ginger garlic paste with pinch of salt 
• Finely chop onion and keep aside.

1. Heat oil in a pan. once it is hot add cumin seeds.
2. Once the seeds starts to sputter, add ginger garlic paste. Sauté for a 30 seconds
3. Next add chopped onion and sauté until onion turns translucent. I also add pinch of sugar to help onion to sweat and cook fast.
4. Add turmeric powder and coriander powder, mix.
5. Now add tomato, green chili and cilantro paste and sauté until tomato is cooked and mushy.
6. Next add red chilli powder and ghee, keep stirring.
7. Now add cut potatoes, sauté for about 2 minutes and then add green peas and mix.
8. Mix-in water, cover and cook until potatoes are tender. Stir in between and make sure the curry is not burnt at the bottom. [I used less water and simmered on low flame to make dry curry]
9. Remove the pan cover, smash couple of cooked potato cubes from the curry and mix. This helps the curry to thicken further. Cook for a minute of so then switch off the stove.
10. Garnish with chopped cilantro /fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot Aloo Matar curry with Poori or roti/chapati

• 2 cups - Pineapple - finely chopped
• ¼ tsp - Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp - Red chili powder
• ½ tsp - ginger paste
• 1 tsp - Jaggary 
• ½ cup - Water
• ½ cup - Curds/Yogurt - whisked
• Salt - to taste
• For Seasoning: 
• 1 tbsp. - Coconut oil
• ½ tsp - Mustard seeds  
• ¼ tsp - Fenugreek seeds 
• A sprig - Curry leaves 
• 3 - Whole dried red chilies
• ½ cup - Shallots or onion - thinly sliced
• Ground Masala:
• ½ cup - Coconut - grated
• 1 tsp - Cumin seeds 
• ½ tsp - Mustard seeds 
• 2 to 3 - Green chilies 

• Chop pineapple into big pieces and keep aside. Canned pineapple with big chunks or cut the canned pineapple circles into big chunks. 
• Slightly dry roast cumin seeds, mustard seeds and coconut. Transfer to a blender, add green chilies, grind into a paste with very little water. Set aside.
• Prepare ginger paste, set aside,
• Whisk curds, set aside

1. In a pan, combine the pineapple with 1 cup of water, turmeric powder, chilli powder, ginger paste and powdered jaggery.
2. Season to taste with salt and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the pineapple is soft.
3. Reduce the flame, add prepared coconut paste and boil for a few minutes till coconut is cooked and the curry is fragrant and thick.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the curds, check seasoning and add salt to taste.
5. For tempering, heat coconut oil in a small pan. Add the rest of the seasoning (tadka) ingredients and allow the mustard seeds to sputter and the shallots to brown slightly. Pour hot tadka over pachadi. 
6. Stir well and keep covered until serving time.

• Leftover pachadi can be refrigerated. Bring pachadi to room temperature before serving. Do not boil pachadi in which yogurt has been added, to prevent curdling.
• Pachadi should not be boiled after yogurt is added, otherwise the curry may curdle or split. 

Chole Bhatura or Chana Bhatura is one of the common dish in North India, especially in Punjabi house hold. One will definitely find it in North Indian restaurant menu. It is one of the famous combo, though one may have bhatura with other curry; or have chole with rice, chapati, roti or poori. The recipes are kinda my way of doing the way I like it. For Chana/Chole, I take the shortest and simplest route of making it in pressure cooker with ready chana masala powder and canned Garbanzo beans (chana) and at times canned tomatoes. Anyway, I make it when I have ran out of things in refrigerator and I have to visit my pantry for emergency supply - which happens rarely. I am going to mention both recipes here, but note that it is NOT the authentic way of preparing the dish. That said, it still turns out delicious in its own way, so give it a try. 

BHATURA

CHOLE | CHANA

• 1 cup - Moong dal
• 1 whole - tender Ridge Gourd (about 2 cups cut pieces)
• 2 - green chillies
• 1 tsp - cumin seeds
• 1 tsp - turmeric powder
• ½ tsp - mustard seeds
• 2 tsp - freshly grated ginger
• 1 tbsp - oil or ghee for seasoning
• 2 tbsp - lime juice
• 2 tbsp - chopped coriander leaves
• 5 to 8 - curry leaves
• 4 to 5 - dry coconut slices (optional)
• 1 pinch - hing | asafetida
• salt - as per taste

1. Rinse moong dal couple times until water runs clear.
2. Optional step: soak dal for half hour
3. Cook dal with 3 cups of water in pressure cooker for about two whistle or 12 to 15 minutes in microwave oven on high
4. Meanwhile, wash ridge gourd. Using a peeler, peel the hard ridges off. Cut and discard the ends of the gourd. Cut the gourd into 2 cm thick circles. if it is wide, cut them into halves. Keep aside.



5. Other preparation: Slit green chilies length wise; extract lime juice; grate ginger and chop coriander leaves and keep all aside.
6. Heat seasoning oil/ghee in a sauce pan on medium flame. Add mustard to the oil.
7. Once mustard starts to sputtering, add curry leaves, asafetida and cumin seeds (optional coconut slices).
8. Reduce the flame, and carefully, pour the cooked dal into the sauce pan. Note, the oil is hot and when pour the dal it will start flying all over the place - cover the pan to avoid it or stir the dal to stop it.
9. Using a masher or buttermilk churner, mash and churn the dal.



10. Set the flame medium-high, add more water if needed and bring it to boil.
11. Now, add the cut ridge-gourd, green-chilies, turmeric powder and salt to sauce pan with dal.



12. Cover the pan and simmer it until ridge gourd is cooked. Stir in-between to prevent dal burning at the bottom.
13. Once the ridge gourd is cooked and tender, turn of the flame. 
14. Mix-in lime juice to taste.
15. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice and pokoda on the side.

• 1 cup whole green lentil (Mung beans or Moong)
• 3 tbsp - unsalted butter 
• 1 tbsp - Ghee
• 2 - onion finely chopped 
• 3 -  bay leaf 
• 2"- cinnamon piece
• 3 - green cardamoms 
• 1 - black cardamom (optional)
• 3 - tomatoes
• 1 tbsp - ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp - red chill powder /or as per taste
• 1 tsp - garam masala powder
• ½ tsp - sugar
• 1 tsp - amchur
• ½ tsp - kasuri methi 
• 1 cup - cream or 1 can - coconut milk ( I usually use coconut milk)
• ¼ cup - cream (more for garnish)
• salt - as per taste

1. Add water to mung beans and rinse well a few times. Drain the water and soak it in 3 to 4 cups of water for 7 to 8 hours or over night. 
2. Next, drain the water and rinse it well. Pour socked mung beans over a wet kitchen towel, tie the wet towel with beans in it and place it aside for the beans to sprout.
3. Next day, morning you should be able to see good amount of sprouts.
4. Pour 4 cups water and sprouted beans in a pressure cooker. And 1 tsp of salt and a ½ inch piece of ginger.  Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles or until done on a medium heat. (each pressure cooker is different) 

• Heat a heavy bottom pan with 2 tbsp butter and ghee. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon and both cardamom to the butter, saute for half a minute. Then add onions and fry until they are translucent.
• Stir in ginger-garlic paste and saute for one minute or until the raw smell goes away.
• To the mixture, add the cut tomatoes and let it cook until soft.
• Add salt, red chill powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, sugar and amchur. Saute well until  it smells good and turns thick.

• Now add the cooked moong beans to the mixture and add a cup of water.
• Cover and cook on a low flame until the dal thickens stirring often in between to prevent burning the bottom.
• Add cream or coconut milk and ½ cup water. Mix, cover and continue cooking on medium flame. Stir in-between.
• Once you see the oil starts to float on the top, crush kasuri methi between your palm and sprinkle over dal.
• Taste to check for salt and add more salt if needed. Add rest of the butter and mix well.
• Garnish dal makhani with butter or cream or coriander leaves and serve with naan, roti/chapati or rice

• 1 - Big Potato
• 1 - Chayote [ Seeme badanekaayi ]
• 1 - Long Carrot
• 1 - Medium size Onion
• 1 cup - String Beans 
• 1 cup - Green Peas fresh (or dried peas- soak overnight and pressure cook with salt)
• Salt - as per taste
• 1 tbsp - oil
• ½ tsp - mustard seeds
• pinch - Asafoetida / Hing
• 10 - curry leaves

• ½ cup - grated coconut
• 1 tbsp - fried Split Chickpeas/ Hurigadale/ Roasted Channa dal
• 1 small - onion -cut
• 1 inch - ginger chopped
• 4 - 5 - Green chillies
• 1 tsp - Poppy seeds
• 1 handful - Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, 
•  Optional: Cashew( 4 to 5), cloves (3), cinnamon (1") 

1. Wash all the Veggies. 
2. Peel the skin off of Potato, Carrot and Chayote. Cut them into small cubes
3. Cut Onions into big chunks to be cooked along with veggies 
4. Cut string-beans into 1 cm long pieces.
5. Shell green peas and keep aside. If using dried peas, you need to soak it for at-least 8 hours and cook. I usually cook them separately in pressure-cooker with salt. 
6. In a sauce pan, add all the veggies, 2 to 3 cups of water and salt. Cook on medium flame. I first add potato, carrot and Chayote as it takes longer to cook, then after a while I add onion, beans and peas.

7. Meanwhile, with sufficient water, grind all the Masala ingredients to a smooth paste.
8. Once the veggies are half cooked, add the ground Masala, mix and cook further on low-medium flame.

9. Once veggies are cooked, turn off the flame
10. Seasoning: Heat oil in a small seasoning pan, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds. As the mustard seeds start to sputter, add Asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning over the Sagu.
11. Serve hot Sagu with Poori, dosa, chapathi or rice. 

• 2 bunch - Malabar Spinach | Basale Soppu
• ½ cup - Pigeon peas/Toor dal | Togari bele
• 1 tsp – Turmeric | Haldi 
• 2 tbsp – Ghee  or oil
• ½ tsp – Mustard seeds
• 7 to 10 - Curry leaves
• 2 to 3 - garlic cloves (crashed)
• ¼ tsp – Asafoetida | hing
• 1 tsp - Jaggery powder 
• Salt – as per taste

• 1 cup – grated fresh Coconut
• 6 – Garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp. – Coriander seeds | Dhania
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds | Jeera
• ½ tsp – Mustard seeds
• 6-7 – Red chilies (as per taste)
• 1 tbsp. – Tamarind paste 

1. Separate leaves and stems. Cut the stems into 3 inches long, wash and keep aside.
2. Take a water in big bowl and mix in salt. Immerse the leaves and keep aside for few minutes. This will kill and remove insects. Wash leaves couple of more times in regular water and keep aside in a colander/strainer to drain the water.
3. Wash Toor dal few times until water runs clear.
4. In a pressure cook add 2 cups of water, Toor dal, Basale stems, ½ tsp of Turmeric powder and ½ tsp of salt. 
5. Place the pressure cooker on stove and cook for about 3 whistles. Turn off the cooker and keep aside for pressure to be released.
6. Meanwhile, in a flat fry pan, dry roast all the dry ingredients of Masala. Let it cool down and then transfer it to a food processor.
7. Add tamarind paste, ½ tsp of Turmeric powder, and ½ cup of water and grind into smooth Masala paste.
8. Transfer the cooked dal and Basale stems into a saucepan or continue in the Pressure cooker if you prefer.
9. Put the saucepan on the stove and turn on the flame to medium-high.
10. Add the Masala paste and bring it to slow boil.
11. Cut Basale leaves and add to the boiling curry.
12. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. The leaves will reduce and release more water. Now taste and add salt as needed. 
13. Add crushed jaggery as per taste. Cook until there is no more raw Masala smell or taste the curry to test. Once done, turn of the flame.
14. Heat the tempering pan, add oil or ghee (traditional coconut oil is used). Once oil is hot, add mustard, once it starts to sputter, add Asafoetida and crushed garlic. Let the garlic roast a bit, then add curry leaves. 
15. Pour the hot tempering over the curry. Cover the curry immediately and let it sit for few minutes for the aroma to blend-in.
16. Serve hot with rice. Mangalore red papad and mango pickle goes well on the side with Basale soppina saaru.

Jackfruit seeds in Malabar Spinach Curry