Why not leave a comment? Quick, head on over to MariasMenu.com for more tasty, delicious and simple recipes! Remember to check out the Recipe Index to find some easy-to-cook dishes. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about MariasMenu!

Why not leave a comment? Quick, head on over to MariasMenu.com for more tasty, delicious and simple recipes! Remember to check out the Recipe Index to find some easy-to-cook dishes. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about MariasMenu!

These days whenever I pick up a magazine or newspaper, I notice that they reserve a sizable amount of pages/space for healthy eating. Wherever you look, you see articles about healthy eating, ads marketing healthy food stuff, people advocating healthy life style. Me being an extremist tends to take one of the following courses as an after effect. Either I decide to be healthy and make sure that I eat well, I exercise well and all those stuff OR I decide to let it pass by saying what’s the whole point if you cant enjoy a piece of cake or some beef fry or give into a sudden craving of having Chinese in the middle of the night ;)

This post is the result of me opting for the first part… deciding to be healthy. This recipe sure comes handy when you want to get a taste of healthy living. Another thing I love about this recipe is that, you dont have to buy any fancy ingredients, its pretty much basic stuff.

But let me warn you, dont be surprised if you see a  fully calorie loaded recipe as the next post. I definitely love preaching than practicing ;)

Here it goes:

1. Red lentils (Masoor dal) – 1 cup
   Water – 2 1/2 cups
2. Green chilly – 2-3
   Garlic & ginger paste – 1 tsp, each
   Onion – 1 big, finely chopped
3. Cumin(jeera) powder – 2 tsp
   Coriander powder – 2 tsp
   Garam masala – 1/2 tsp (optional)
4. Gram (besan) flour – 4 tbsp
5. Egg – 1, beaten
6. Salt
   Oil
   Coriander leaves

Add water to the washed lentils and cook till its done. Drain well.

Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions. Saute till it becomes soft and changed color slightly. Add the green chilly & ginger garlic paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the spice powders & mix well. Cook for a minute. Add cooked dals & stir. Add gram flour and combine well. Remove from fire. Let it cool. Add the beaten egg & stir the mixture thoroughly to bind. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

With wet hands shape the lentil mixture into sausages or patties. Heat oil in pan & cook the koftas. You need only a little oil. Flip the koftas and make sure that all sides are browned evenly. Serve hot with hummus/tabbouleh or tomato ketchup.

Notes: You can make it in patties and it can be made into a veggie burger. The koftas tend to become dry very soon, so its ideal to make it just before serving. However you can make the mix and refrigerate for  2 days.  You can make it non veg by adding some cooked & shredded or minced chicken along with the dal & continue the same procedure.

Please check out the photo of Veg Kofta made by Anju Rameshan, based on the above recipe. Thanks a lot Anju :)

Recipe adapted from BBC Goodfood Magazine

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Eid Mubarak!! Hope you had a great time with your family and friends.

Its been sometime right? I was a bit busy with some stuff and now am off to India for a month’s holiday. Thought I will keep you posted about it.

I am very happy to share with you that Nivedita of Nivedita’s Kitchen passed  me the Honest scrap award.  Also Priya of House of Spices passed me a bunch of awards. Thanks a ton to both of you for sharing the awards with me :)

Here is the dal makhani recipe which I promised long time back, hope you’ll enjoy this. I’ve some recipes in drafts, will try to post it if I get time :).  I will not be checking my mails frequently, but will try my best to reply at the earliest.

Please see thepicture of dal makhani, made by Josphine, based on the above recipe. Thanks a lot dear :)

1. Whole black beans (urad saboot) – 1 cup
   Split gram dal (channe ki dal) – 2 tbsp
   Red kidney beans (rajmah) – 2 tbsp
2. Ghee/oil – 1 tbsp
3. Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
4. Whole red chilly – 2
5. Ginger – 1″ piece
   Garlic- 4 flakes (optional)
6. Tomatoes – 4, pureed in a grinder
7. Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – 1 tbsp
8. Ghee/oil – 3 tbsp
9. Coriander powder – 2 tsp
   Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
10. Butter – 2 tbsp
11. Fresh cream – 1/4 cup
    Milk – 1/4 cup

Clean, wash dals. Soak both dals and rajmah together for 6 hours or overnight. Grind ginger & garlic together to a paste. Discard water from the dals and add 6 cups of fresh water. Pressure cook the dals and rajmah with 1 tbsp ghee, salt, half of the ginger garlic paste and whole red chillies. After the first whistle keep on low flame for 40 minutes. Remove from fire. After the pressure drops, mash the hot dal a little. Keep aside.

Heat ghee. Add tomato puree. Cook until thick and dry. Add the remaining ginger garlic paste, garam masala and coriander powder. Cook until ghee separates. Add kasoori methi. Cook further for 1-2 minutes. Add this tomato mixture to the boiled dal.

Add butter, simmer on low flame for 20-25 mins, stirring & mashing the dal occasionally. Combine cream & milk & beat it well. Add beaten cream mixed with milk. Mix very well. Simmer for 15-20 mins more to get the right color & smoothness. Remove from fire serve hot.

Notes: The above qty serves 6-8 people. I didn’t use channe ki dal. I used whipping cream instead of fresh cream. This can be stored for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Recipe source: Punjabi Khanna by Nita Mehta

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I’ve bookmarked this recipe a long time ago. Somehow, I forgot about it. Recently when one of my friends and loyal reader of this blog, Sibil asked me for a butter chicken recipe, the first thing that came to my mind was the mouthwatering picture of butter chicken in the book, 50 Great Curries of India by Camellia Panjabi.

When I read the recipe initially, I thought its very complicated and time consuming. Finally when I finished cooking this dish, I was amazed with how easy it was!

Please dont get demotivated by the elaborate recipe. It’s easy, otherwise you’d not be seeing it here. You should know by now that am a big fan of easy & simple recipes :)

Here is the recipe, hope you will also like it.

1. Chicken – 900 gm (2lb)
2. Oil – 4-5 tbsp
   For Marinade
3. Full-fat yogurt – 150-200 ml
   Ginger &  garlic paste – 1 -1 1/4 tbsp each
   Kashmiri chilly powder – 2-3 tsp
   Coriander powder – 3 tsp
   Cumin powder – 1 – 1 1/2 tsp
   Garam masala – 1/2 – 1 tsp
4. Lime juice – 2 tsp
5. Salt
   For Makhani Sauce
6. Tomatoes – 2-3 medium size
   Kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves) – 1/2 – 1 tsp
   Chilled butter – 75 gm (refer notes)
   Paprika/Kashmiri chilly powder – 1/2 tsp
   Vinegar – 1/2 tsp (optional)
   Garam Masala – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp
   Single cream – 40 gm

First prepare the marinade. Place the yogurt in a piece of cheese cloth and hang to allow the whey to drip away( refer notes). Add the remaining number 3 ingredients and lime juice and salt to the yogurt and mix well. Make gashes in the chicken if using pieces on the bone. Marinate the chicken in the yogurt mixture for at least 1 hour, preferably 2; for best results leave overnight.

Heat 4-5 tbsp oil in a large, thick-bottomed skillet and put in the chicken with the marinade. Cover and cook on low-medium heat till the chicken is done. Turn the chicken over during cooking. Keep the cooked chicken aside.

Scald the tomatoes for the makhani sauce and peel off the skin. Reduce to a semi-pulp with a fork or potato masher. Heat 2 tsp oil in a frying pan and put the tomato pulp. Cook for 5 mins or so until the liquid has evaporated slightly. Add the chilled butter and paprika; after the butter has melted, let it cook for just 1 minute. Taste, if its not sour, add vinegar. Add the kasuri methi (crush it using hands or mortar & pestle) and garam masala and salt. After 30 seconds, add the cream and stir. The makhani sauce is ready. Add the cooked chicken pieces to the sauce and mix well. Serve hot.

Update as on 28/08/09: Some changes are made in the the qty of certain ingredients (yogurt & tomato) .  Initially, I mentioned it in my notes below,but looks like most people read the notes after they finish cooking. So I thought its better to make the changes directly in the recipe itself :) and now you see the updated recipe.

Notes by the author of the recipe: You can cook the chicken ahead of time. But makhani sauce takes only 5-6 mins and should be made when the dish is to be eaten. In India, restaurateurs mix a little papaya puree into the marinade as a tenderizer. The above quantity serves 4-5 people.

My notes:

1. I made only half the qty of the above recipe. I used boneless chicken pieces(chicken breast) and marinated it  overnight.
2. I used Almarai brand (available in Gulf countries) whipping cream. If you’re using whipping cream, 1/3 – 1/2 cup of cream is enough for the above recipe.
3. I used very less butter, around 10-15 gm for half the qty of the above recipe.
4. I pureed the tomatoes using a blender.
5. I added the yogurt directly without dripping away the excess water.
6. The gravy tends to thicken in due course, so adjust your gravy accordingly.
7. I didnt add vinegar.
8. The original measurements of spice powders in the recipe was less, so I’ve given my measurements. If you want a less spicy version, adjust it accordingly.

Recipe source: 50 Great Curries of India by Camellia Panjabi.

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One of my readers Mariya from Doha,Qatar, sent an email asking me to post some grilled recipes. She asked me long time back and I promised her also. But it took sometime for the promise to materialize. Anyways, better late than never :). Mariya, hope you are reading this post.

I first had this kabab at one of our friend’s place. We both, Jose & myself loved it so much that we stuffed ourselves with the kabab and finally we had no space for the main course :).  While having this kabab, I remembered Mariya’s email and asked my friend for the recipe. This recipe is from Nita Mehta’s book, Punjabi Khanna. She gave me the book itself, so you can see more Punjabi recipes here in the future  :). Thanks a ton, Simi for introducing us to this.

Here is the recipe for delicious malai kababs:

1. Boneless chicken – 500gms, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
2. Fresh cream – 1/4 cup (refer notes)
3. Garlic paste – 1 tsp
   Ginger paste – 2 tsp
4. Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
   Amchoor (dry mango powder) – 1/4 tsp
   Jeera powder – 1/2 tsp
5. Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
6. Green cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp (seeds of 2-3 cardamom crushed)
7. Green chillies – 2, ground (optional)
   White pepper powder – 1 1/2 tsp (refer notes)

Mix together cream, ginger & garlic paste and all the other ingredients to form the marinade. Marinate chicken for 5-6 hours in the refrigerator, covered with a cling film. Heat oven to 180 C. Brush the wire rack or grill of the oven with oil. Place chicken pieces on it and grill them for for 15-18 minutes overturning them every few minutes till they are nice and tender (refer notes).Serve hot with coriander mint chutney.

Coriander Mint Chutney

1. Yogurt – 2-3 tbsp
   Green chilly – 1
   Coriander &M int leaves – a small handful
   Salt

Blend together all the ingredients in a blender/processor.

Notes: I used whipping cream for marinating. I used Almarai brand (common brand in Gulf countries) whipping cream. I used black pepper powder. I grilled the kababs at 180 C for 25- 30 minutes, the time may vary depending on the oven. The kababs should be tender and juicy. Check on the kababs every few minutes, to make sure that it doesn’t get over cooked. I turned the kababs every 5-6 minutes. I put the marinated chicken pieces on wooden skewer. I placed an aluminium foil on top of the wire rack and placed the wooden skewers along with chicken pieces on it. Place the wire rack on the topmost shelf of the oven. Dont crowd the skewers with chicken pieces, otherwise it may be difficult to turn it over. I put 4 chciken pieces on one skewer.

Recipe Source: Punjabi Khanna by Nita Mehta

Why not leave a comment? Quick, head on over to MariasMenu.com for more tasty, delicious and simple recipes! Remember to check out the Recipe Index to find some easy-to-cook dishes. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about MariasMenu!

A veg post after a long time. Its a very basic recipe with no frills.

I should say dal (lentils) is kind of new on our menu. Both of us didn’t prefer dal, may be because we had too much of it during our hostel days.

It all changed because of my dear friend Preeta, who was also my neighbor till a few months back (she relocated to India recently). We used to have tea time chatting sessions regularly and one of our major topics of discussion was food. Since she is from North of India & me from south, we used to discuss the different food habits, preparations etc;  Once during our usual chatting session, she said she made dal makhni that day & I told her I’ve never had that. She was so surprised (or shall i say shocked?) to hear that. She immediately packed some dal makhni for me. My whole perception about dal was changed with a spoonful of Preeta’s dal makhni :) and I was hoping that it will be the same for hubby also…though he was a bit hesitant in the beginning to try it, I somehow succeeded in convincing him and he also fell in love with it.

That gave me the inspiration to try out different dal recipes, I started with her dal makhni itself (recipe coming soon). I was so happy that we both like dal now, because I can now experiment with one more ingredient which can be prepared in many ways & moreover its healthy too.

So after ice breaking session  with Preeta’s dal makhni, I made an effort to know it more and have started noticing dal recipes and that’s how I got this one. This was shown on a TV cookery show. I liked it because of its simplicity.

Preeta dear, thanks once again for your wonderful dal makhni and for helping us to change our attitude towards dal :) and I miss our chatting sessions a lot :( . Wishing you the best…

Please check out the dal palak made by Josphine, based on the above recipe. Thank you so much Josphine :)

Here is the recipe:

1. Moong Dal – 1 cup
2. Spinach leaves/Palak – 1 cup, chopped
3. Onion – 2, chopped
   Garlic – 4,5 pieces crushed
   Green chili -4,5
4. Tomato – 2,chopped
5. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
6. Jeera – 1/2 tsp
7. Garam masala – 1/2 – 1 tsp
8. Coconut milk – 3/4 cup, medium thick (optional)

Roast moong dal in a saucepan without oil for 5-7 minutes. When the colour is slightly changed add 2 cups of water and cook till its done. Let it cool for sometime. Mash the dal using a blender/food processor (you can also mash it using the back of a wooden spoon, since I like the dal to be mashed well I used food processor). Heat oil in a pan & splutter jeera. Add crushed garlic & saute for a few minutes. Add chopped onion and green chili . Saute till the onion becomes soft. Add turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes & salt. When tomato becomes soft add mashed dal and 3/4 – 1 cup of water. Mix well & add palak. Cook till the palak leaves are done. At this stage you can add either 3/4 cup of coconut milk or water. Sprinkle the garam masala and cook for 5 more minutes. Adjust the gravy as per your requirements.

Notes: Though the original recipe uses coconut milk, I didnt add it. Anyways for a creamier and richer version you can add coconut milk.

Source: Lakshmi Nair

Why not leave a comment? Quick, head on over to MariasMenu.com for more tasty, delicious and simple recipes! Remember to check out the Recipe Index to find some easy-to-cook dishes. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about MariasMenu!