• 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.

• 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

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 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 - Cucumber
• 2 cups - Thick Curds or Greek yogurt
• ¼ tsp - chili powder
• ¼ tsp - ginger powder
• ½ tsp - cumin powder or MDH Jal-jeera powder 
• ¼ tsp - MDH chutney Pudina masala 
• ¼ tsp - MDH Dahivada raita masala
• ½ cup - Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves 
• 3 to 4 - Green Chilies (optional)
• Salt to taste

1. Wash, peel and cut cucumber into very small pieces. You may also grate it. Grating cucumber tends to make it soft. I like my Raita to be bit chunky.



2. If using green chilies, cut them into big pieces. ... so it is easily visible and be able to separate it while eating. 
3. Add ½ cup of water to the curds and whisk the curds until it is smooth.
4. To the curds, add all the dry ingredients and whisk to mix it all well.



5. Now add chopped cucumber, green chilies and coriander leaves. 



6. Mix it and refrigerate before serving.
7. Serve chilled along with paratha, pulao, biryani or any spicy mixed rice.

• 3 - Onions - thinly sliced 
• 1 inch - ginger
• 6 - garlic cloves
• 1 ½ tsp - red chili powder or as per taste
• 4 - tomatoes (or can of tomato puree)
• 2 tsp - poppy seeds
• 5 - almonds
• 5 - cashew 
• 1 inch - cinnamon piece
• 2 - cloves
•  ¼ tsp - cardamom
• 2 tbsp - dhania / coriander powder
• 1 tsp - cumin powder
• 1 tsp - Kasoori methi
• 1 ½ cup - fresh cream or can of Coconut Milk
• 3 tbsp - butter/ ghee or oil
• Salt – as per taste
• fresh coriander leave and 2 tbsp cream for garnish 

1. Soak poppy seeds in a small cup of warm water. Use very little water.
2. Soak Almond and remove the skin. A quick way is to microwave almond in water  for a minute or so and the skin will peel off easily  
3. In a wide pan, add a tablespoon butter or ghee and heat it on medium flame
4. To the butter, add crushed ginger and garlic (or paste). Fry them for a minute.
5. Add half of the cut onion. You could add all the cut onion, but I like some sautéed onion in my gravy.
6. Once the onion becomes translucent, add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and cut tomatoes and cook until tomatoes become soft. Turn off the flame and let it cool before transferring to the blender. Note: you could use ready tomato puree.
7. Now in the mixer/blender, add the sautéed mixture, soaked poppy seeds along with its soaked water,  almond and/or cashew. Make it into smooth paste.
8. Meanwhile in the same pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee
9. Next add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves. Fry them for a minute
10. Now add the other half of the cut onion and sauté it until it becomes golden in color. 
11. Add the ground paste to the cooked onion. Add salt and mix.
12. Cover the mixture and let it come to a rolling boil on a medium-low flame. Stir the gravy a few times in between to make sure that it does not stick to the base of the pan and burn.
13. Mix-in slightly whipped cream or low-fat yogurt. Add water if needed, to the consistency you prefer. Cover the gravy and let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
14. Turn off of flame. Crush Kasoori methi between your palms by rubbing and sprinkle over the gravy and mix it.
15. Next step is adding and cooking with the following options/variations. 
16. Garnish with fresh cut coriander leaves and cream.
17. Serve hot with chapati, naan, roti, your choice of bread or rice.

• 14oz – Firm paneer (cut into cubes) 400gms
• ½ tsp - oil, ghee or butter
• ¼ tsp - Red chilli powder or black pepper powder
• ½ tsp - herbs or savory flavor of your choice (optional). I use garlic powder, dry oregano and amchoor 
• Salt – as per taste

1. In a pan, heat the oil.
2. Add cut Paneer
3. Sprinkle salt, chilli/pepper powder and the savory flavor over the paneer cubes. 
4. Roast the Paneer cubes on low flame. 
5. Roasting paneer is optional, but I like the flavor roasted paneer brings. Besides, paneer will not crumble into smaller pieces in the gravy. Yes, it does harden a bit. If you prefer the paneer to be soft, after roasting, soak the paneer in cold water for a few minutes. Squeeze the water out and use it for the curry.
6. Now add paneer the prepared gravy and simmer for 5 minutes for the paneer to cook along with gravy and absorb the flavors.
7. Garnish and serve hot.

• 1 lb – Chicken  500gms
• ½ tsp - fennel seeds
• 3 tsp -  ghee, butter or oil
• ¼ tsp - black pepper powder
• 1 tsp - Red chili powder
• 1 tsp - turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp - ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp - lime juice
• 3 tbsp - curds / yogurt
• ¼ tsp - red food color (optional) 
• Salt – as per taste

1. To marinate chicken, cut chicken into big cubes/pieces. 
2. After cleaning, add turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder, pepper powder and lime juice, and mix it all.
3. Mix in ginger-garlic paste and red food color
4. Finally, mix in curds, cover and let the chicken marinate for an hour or so. You may also marinate overnight (in the refrigerator) to let chicken tender and absorb the flavor.
5. In a nonstick pan, heat ghee.
6. Add marinated chicken to the pan and let it cook, covered on medium low flame.
7. Every few minutes flip the chicken around to let it evenly cook. Do not let the chicken burn. 
8. Once chicken is cooked well, most of the moisture is absorbed and oil leaves the sides of the pan. [At this point, this is Spicy Chicken Roast. You may serve as an appetizer with onion slices and lemon wedges on the side]
9. Now add the prepared gravy over the chicken and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes for the chicken to cook along with gravy and absorb the flavors.
10. Garnish and serve hot.