Rajma Masala

The Rajma Masala is another Punjabi style recipe.  You can get this Rajma Masala in every punjabi restaurants or any north indian hotels and even in road side Pubjabi Dhabas.  The Rajma Masala is very tasty food is can b taken along with Rice or with Roti.

The Rajma Masala popularly known as Rajma Chawal in North India is served with Basmati Rice.  This is one of the best Indian recipes and is the most favorite comfortable food of all the people of India including South Indians.  It just takes 40 minutes to prepare Rajma Masala.

Ingredients needed

• Red kidney beans - 1 1/4 cups, soaked in 4 cups water overnight
• Onions - 2 large, grind to a paste 
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 heaped tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
• Tomatoes - 3, large, puree
• Asafoetida - pinch
• Bay leaf - 1
• Ginger garlic paste - 3/4 tbsp
• Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp, crushed (optional0
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp (from the prepared garam masala)
• Oil - 2 1/2 tbsps
• Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsps (optional) if not using ghee, replace with oil
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnish (optional)
• Garam Masala Powder: dry roast for 2 mts and grind to a fine powder
• Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
• Cloves - 3
• Green Cardamom - 2 (Chota Elaichi)
• Black Cardamom - 1 (Badi Elaichi)
• Black Pepper Corns - 6
• Star Anise - 1/2
• Mace powder - pinch (Javitri)
• Black cumin - 1/4 tsp (Shahjeera)
• Dry Ginger powder - pinch (Sonth)

How to make Rajma Masala

• Wash the kidney beans and soak in 4 cups of water over night.  
• Pressure cook along with same water next day morning.  Cook for up to 4 ot 5 whistles or cook in a large pot of water till they become soft.   Remove half a cup of cooked beans and crush them coarsely and keep them aside. 
• Now heat ghee and oil in a vessel and add cumin seeds and bay leaf and allow the seeds to splutter.  Add the Asafoetida and stir fry for few seconds and then add the ground onion paste and saute until golden brown.
• Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, kasuri methi and salt.  Mix them well.  Add the tomato and cook till oil separates.
• Now add the cooked kidney beans along with the residue of water left while pressure cooking it.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes
• Add the crushed beans and some more water if required to get  gravy.  Now cook it for 10 minutes without lid on a medium flame after adding some water.  Add garam masala and cook with lid till required gravy consistency.    Turn off the heat and let it sit for an hour.  Remove it to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve the hot Rajma Masala with steamed rice, Jeera rice, chappatis or phulkas.

Chana Dal Recipe

Chana Dal is the most popular Punjabi Dal item.  It can be served with rice or with roti.  Chana Dal is a big yellow lentils cooked in the rich blend of tomatoes and spices.  Chana dal is one of the famous and leading recipes of Punjab.  Chana dal is extremely healthy and good recipe for diabetic patients also.  This dal has low glycemic index which helps diabetic patients who are suffering low sugar lvels.

Ingredients for  Chana Dal

1 cup (250 gms.) Chana Dal (Gram lentils)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 table-spoon, grated ginger (adrak)
1 t-spoon garlic, finely chopped (lahsun)
1/2 t-spoon cumin powdered (jeera)
2/3 t-spoon coriander powdered (dhaniya)
1/2 t-spoon garam masala
1/2 t-spoon pepper
2/3 t-spoon turmeric powdered (haldi)
1 piece Cinnamon stick (dal chini)
2-3 Cloves (Laung)
1 Bayleaf (Tej patta)
2 table-spoon oil
1/2 t-spoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 cup water
1 table-spoon coriander leaves, finely chopped to garnish (dhaniya patti)
salt to taste

How to make Chana Dal:

• First wash Chana Dal 3-4 times with water and keep it in a bowl. 
• Add sufficient  water to cover Chana Dal and soak for 30 mins.  After 30 mins. drain water from the bowl.
• Now take a thick bottom pan and add 2 cup water, Chana Dal, turmeric, pepper, powdered cumin and coriander to it and cook it over medium-high heat. Bring it to boil. Now reduce the heat to low, cover it with a lid and simmer for about 45-50 mins. or until Chana Dal and Punjabi gets cooked.
• Take oil in  a separate large frying pan, and put it over medium heat.  After a minute add cumin seeds, Cinnamon stick, Cloves and Bayleaf. Stir it for 15-30 secs.Then add onion, ginger, garlic and cook for about 4-5 mins. stirring continuously.
• When it changes its color add Chana Dal mixture to the large frying pan and turn the heat to high, stir it well. When it starts boiling, turn the heat to low, cover the pan and cook further for 10-15 mins. or until the Chana Dal gets soften and gets little dissolved in a mixture.
• Now add garam masala, stir well and further cook for 2 mins. Then, turn off the heat.
• Serve Punjabi Chana Dal hot with rice, pulao or roti and garnish Chana Dal with chopped coriander leaves.

Kanda Poha - Maharashtrian breakfast recipe

Kanda Poha or Onion Poha is one of the popular breakfast item of Maharashtra.  The Poha is nothing but flattened rice or the beaten rice.  This is a very popular breakfast or tea time snack in Maharashtra State in India.  The recipe is made from flattened / beaten rice and tossed in caramelized onions, green chillies and pea nuts.  The recipe can be made either with onions or even with potatoes.

Ingredients required

• 1.5 cups poha – red or white beaten rice or flattened rice
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 or 2.5 tbsp peanuts
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1 green chilli,chopped
• 1 tsp sugar or as required
• 1 or 1.5 tbsp oil
• salt as required

Method of preparation

1. First rinse the poha in water till they soften.
2. See that they  loose their crunchiness and when you break them between your finger, they should easily get crushed or mashed.
3. Now  add sugar, salt and turmeric powder to the poha and gently mix.
4. Dry roast the peanuts in a pan till they become crunchy.
5. Now heat oil in the same pan.  crackle the mustard seeds first in the oil.
6. then add onions and saute them till they become translucent.   add curry leaves and green chilies.
7. saute for half a minute.  add the roasted peanuts and stir.
8. add the poha and stir.
9. cover and steam the poha for 2-3 minutes on a low flame.
10. when cooking check after 1 or 1.5 minutes and give a stir again.
11. switch off the fire and let the poha remain covered for 1-2 minutes.
12. remove the lid and sprinkle some lemon juice, coriander leaves and grated coconut.
13. give a gentle stir and serve kanda poha or onion poha hot with tea.

 You can also add other vegetables like boiled Potatoes, boiled (or frozen) Green peas to make it a more substantial meal. Some roasted peanuts also make for a nice crunch.

Whole Wheat Dosa Recipe

Dosa is a kind of breakfast which is normally found all over South India.  There are different varieties of Dosa like Set Dosa, Masala Dosa, Wheat Dosa, Maida Dosa, Cucumber Dosa etc..   If you are looking for a easy, quick, simple, healthy and low calorie breakfast item then Wheat Dosa is the best one.  Wheat Dosa is a perfect recipe as a diabetic friendly recipe too. 


No grinding, no need for soaking, no resting time, you just need to mix the flour with water and add some chopped onions, cilantro, ginger and throw a little cumin and pepper to prepare the batter for Wheat Dosa.   Let us see how to prepare the whole wheat dosa which is a popular breakfast item of Karnataka.

Ingredients

1. Whole Wheat Flour / Atta     2 cups
2. Cumin seeds   1/2 tsp
3. Pepper, coarsely grind    1/4 tsp (optional)
4. Onion    2-3 tbsp (finely chopped, i used 5 pearl onions chopped)
5. Cilantro     2 tbsp (finely chopped)
6. Ginger    1 tsp (finely chopped)
7. Salt     to taste
8. Oil    to toast dosa.

Method of preparation of Wheat Dosa

• In a bowl take flour and salt mix well and using water make it to a medium thick like dosa batter. 
• Then to the batter add cumin seeds, pepper, finely chopped onions, ginger, cilantro and stir well.
• Adjust batter consistency, if its thick add couple of tbsp of water.
• Now the batter ready to make dosa.
•  Heat a griddle, when its get heated pour a ladle full of batter to it and spread it in a circular motion to a thin crepes. 
• Drizzle oil around and cook it in medium high heat for 2 minutes then flip other side and cooked for another 1-2 minutes or until crisp on the edges.
• Once done remove from the griddle and serve hot with chutney/sambar.

Notes:
To the same batter you can also add 1/4 cup rice flour, 2 tbsp rava for a crispy & thin dosa. If adding rice & rava make batter little thin than the regular dosa batter.  

For a more healthier option, add 1/2 cup ragi flour(millet flour) to the above ingredients and make wheat-ragi dosa. I sometimes make it that way.
 
If you like you can also add finely chopped green chillies instead of pepper.