Tag: indian vegetarian curry recipe

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Paneer Butter Masala

An easy and restaurant style main course dish, very close to my heart – Paneer Butter Masala. When I say easy, yes! it means minimum ingredients and full of flavours; this dish exemplifies that. Paneer or Cottage cheese is relished by all, and for vegetarian people in India, it’s a king of all dishes, my Jugnu sometimes calls out: it’s a vegetarian butter chicken, haha! and it somehow tastes like that too, so his humour does have some sense. 🙂


Thanks again to Kunal Kapoor for sharing this amazing recipe which is so simple, I have shared a link to his youtube video. I did a few Jugni(healthier options) changes by replacing cream with milk and butter with oil (Although I added a lil amount of butter, just couldn’t resist).

Ingredients for Paneer Butter Masala

1. 150 gms paneer
2. One chopped onion
3. 2 chopped tomatoes
4. 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp butter
5. 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger and garlic each
6. 1/2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
7. Salt as per taste (1 tbsp)
8. 1 tsp kasuri methi
9. Coriander leaves for garnish
10. 1 cup milk ( or you can use 1/2 cup cream to get richer flavor)
11. Magic ingredients – one bay leaf and one chopped green chilli

Preparation Paneer Butter Masala

1. Heat oil + butter in a pan.
2. Add onion, bay leaf and let the onion go brown.
3. Then add chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and saute it for 45 seconds.
4. Then add Kashmiri chilli powder, saute it for another 15-20 seconds, and add tomatoes in the mixture.
5. Add salt and put the gas on low medium flame, and let the mixture cook for 15-17 mins ( it will turn brownish and might look bad, but don’t worry, we’ll fix it).
6. Add paneer cubes and stir it for 30 seconds.
7. Add milk and let it blend with the mixture. Wait for a minute and then add kasuri methi. (Jugni’s tip – you can also add cream to make it richer, but milk is a healthier version and it tastes exactly the same).
8. Switch the gas off and garnish it with coriander leaves.

You can enjoy this Paneer Butter Masala with roti, naan, white rice or just have it like that, Jugnu says its finger licking good!
After having an amazing Paneer rich meal, Jugnu and I sip ginger tea (which is our favourite) to digest. Give it a try if you like :).
There are a lot of Paneer dishes but the day I learnt this recipe, it became my favourite for two reasons: easy to make and amazingly delicious.
Let me know if you like this recipe, by hitting the thumbs up button, also share it with your loved ones. 🙂

Flying Away
Jugni!

The famous Paneer Butter Masala

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Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani (kali dal) or Urad lentil is one of the widely cherished, full of flavors lentils. While I was learning and trying various Indian dishes at home, Dal Makhani was amongst the few of my favourites. Coming from a punjabi north Indian family, I have always had dal makhani as the go-to dish, and I had to learn the best way to cook it.
A big thank you to Kunal Kapur for his easy and amazing recipe, to make a restaurant-style Dal Makhani. (I have included a link to his youtube video below).

Ingredients for Dal Makhani

  • Urad daal – 100 gms
  • Salt as per taste – 1.5 tbsp
  • Kashmiri Red chili powder – 2 tbsp
  • Butter – 1 tbsp (optional) (JUGNI’s Tip – I added butter at the end to enhance the flavour, but to make it a super rich, you can add butter and cream)
  • Olive oil – 2 tbsp
  • Garlic pods – chopped – 3 tbsp
  • Ginger garlic paste – 1.5 tbsp
  • Kasuri methi – crushed – 1/2 tsp
  • Water (as per the requirement)

Preparation for Dal Makhani

  • Soak the dal overnight or for at-least 8 hours.
  • Get rid of the soaked water and rub your hands in the wet dal, rub the dal against each other to see the green colour.
  • Add dal and 1 tbsp salt to the pressure cooker, add water around 1.5 cups (water should be 1.5 inches above dal level).
  • Let it cook on low medium flame for 25 mins (around 6-7 whistles).
  • In a deep pan, add some oil.
  • On medium flame, add ginger garlic paste and make sure not to burn it while cooking.
  • After that add red chilli powder and mix it well for a minute.
  • Add freshly pureed tomatoes to the pan and cook it for around 10 minutes (until oil leaves on the side).
  • Add pressure cooked dal (remove excess water from the dal) into the pan and mix well. (don’t worry about the dal being dried up, you will add more water in the cooking process).
  • Keep the gas on low medium flame and cook for around 20 minutes. You might need to add water in between to maintain consistency, but don’t overdo it :). Also add salt as per your taste.
  • Finally, add some butter and let it melt down in the dal. Such a heaven to see that ❤️.

SECOND TADKA for the Dal Makhani

  1. Take another smaller pan, add 1/2 tbsp oil.
  2. Add chopped garlic (3-4 garlic pods) into it. Keep the gas on low flame and let the chopped garlic go brown.
  3. Add more chilli powder if you prefer spicy.
  4. Pour the mixture on top of the dal makhani.
  5. Add a pinch of kasuri methi (crushed in palms).
  6. Mix well and enjoy.
  7. You can add cream on the final product to enhance richness, I avoided it 🙂 to cut down lil bit of extra calories.
Dal Makhani

This Dal Makhani has become my star dish of every dinner / lunch party and I get lotsa praises every-time I cook it.
Dal Makhani can be enjoyed with any type of rice, naan, roti or bread, but the best combination is Dal Makhani and butter naan. You will surely see 2 hearts in the eyes of those eating (like I see in Jugnu’s). Haha, I can’t stop laughing mentioning this in the blog. 😂

You can also add kidney beans in the dal to make it more interesting, Jugnu doesn’t prefer that way, so I skip it, but its a great add on. 🙂
Jugnu keeps its separate, dal makhani and Rajma masala are two different heavens for him. I love my dramatic Jugnu. hah!😂

Let me know if you like my recipe by hitting the like button. Also, share it with your friends and family on social media.

Flying away
Jugni.

Star dish right there-Dal Makhani
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Matar Mushroom

Matar mushrooms or Mushrooms and peas in a tomato and onion gravy has become our go-to dish, which Jugnu and I enjoy almost every other week. It is easy to prepare, full of flavours, healthy and nutritious.
I remember ordering it in restaurants, and always wondered how do they nullify the strong taste of mushroom and make it so yummy. I know the mantra now, and that indeed is patience :). Let’s quickly check out the ingredients to prepare easy and delicious matar mushrooms.

Ingredients for Matar Mushroom

  • 250 gms white mushrooms (cut into pieces)
  • 1 cup matar (peas) – I took the frozen ones
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 1.5 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tbsp chilli powder (Jugni’s Tip – To keep it healthy, I add green chillies instead)
  • Salt as per taste (I added 1tbsp)
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1.5 tbsp tomato paste (I was out of fresh tomatoes, you can add 2 medium tomatoes puree)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • handful of coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp – garam masala (optional)
  • NO BUTTER NO CREAM
Matar Mushroom

Preparation for Matar Mushrooms

  1. Heat 2 pans. Add water and frozen peas (matar) in one of the pans, let it boil for about 10 minutes.
  2. In the mean time, add oil to the second pan (deep one).
  3. Add chopped onion and let it cook until brown (around 4 minutes), then add cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste.
  4. Let it cook for a minute, and then add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and chilli powder. (keep stirring).
    JUGNI’s TIP – while adding masalas (step 4), put the flame to the lowest so that the masalas don’t get burned out, also splash some water if needed.
  5. After a minute, add tomato paste and give a quick stir, since its a paste, the mixture would look a lil dry, so add 1/2 cup of milk immediately and put the gas on medium flame, wait for it come to a boil.
  6. When boiling, add boiled peas(from step 1), put the gas on the lowest flame, cover it with the lid (add 1/2 glass water if milk thickens out) and let it cook for good 10 minutes. Keep stirring in between.
  7. The water/milk will reduced to half or less than that, in the gravy, then add the mushrooms. Put the flame on medium and stir it for a minute. The mushrooms would leave some water.
  8. After a minute of stirring mushrooms in the curry, check consistency and add rest of the milk (1/2 cup or more as per your liking).
  9. Put the gas on low flame and let the curry cook in the covered pan for another 8-10 minutes. (The mushrooms will reduce in size – the indication that it has been cooked).
  10. Turn the gas off, add garam masala (optional) and garnish with coriander leaves.
    JUGNI’s TIP – Coriander leaves when blend with the curry/gravy of mushroom, gives an amazing flavour and tastes great, so it is highly recommended.
    Jugnu is a big fan of coriander leaves, and makes sure to garnish his bowl with a few of these.

Matar mushrooms can be enjoyed with Indian roti / naan, bread, tortillas , or with steamed or cumin rice. You can make the gravy richer, by adding cashew paste or cream.
I am gonna enjoy this in lunch today with some tortillas, let me know if you would like to give it a try. 🙂

If you like my recipe, give a thumbs up or share it on social media. 🙂

Flying away
Jugni

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Delicious home-made Poha for Breakfast (Recipe & Ingredients)

After getting inspired from my instigator, motivator, encourager, influencer best friend, I came out in the open to share my thoughts through this blog.
This five starred poha recipe is from her, I had to share it with all of you. The Gem of a person (and cook) Sneha Sachdeva shouldn’t be hidden from the world.
Poha is one of the quickest (and one of the most delicious) breakfast recipe or snack made with flattened rice. It is a healthier source of carbohydrate, and is recommended by a lot of dieticians and nutritionists. Let’s quickly take a look the ingredients.

Ingredients for Poha

1. 1.5 cup poha
2. 1/2 table spoon each

  • Salt
  • Red Chilli
  • Turmeric
  • Cumin Seeds (jeera)
  • Rai seeds (mustard seeds)
  • Amchur Powder (Mango Powder)
Delicious Home-made Poha for Breakfast

3. One table spoon oil
4. One table spoon raw peanuts (add more if you are a peanut fan)
5. One table spoon curry leaves
6. One onion, tomato and potato (cut into small cubes)
7. Half bowl peas
8. One lime.

Preparation for Poha

  1. Wash poha gently in cold water and let it dry in the sieve. Add a pinch of salt and turmeric. Don’t soak in water.
  2. Take a pan and roast the peanuts for 3-4 minutes and keep it aside.
  3. Take a separate pan and add oil in it.
  4. Add cumin and mustard seeds and let it splutter.
  5. Then add curry leaves and roasted peanuts from step 2 and saute it for another 30 seconds.
  6. After that add onion and let it change color (TIP-don’t let it go completely brown). Saute it for a minute.
  7. Then add the spices including – salt, red chilli and turmeric along with peas and potatoes. Saute it for 1 minute.
  8. Then add tomatoes and and saute it for another 2 minutes (until tomatoes get mushier).
  9. Finally add poha. Sneha’s Magic Tip – (Run your fingers in the poha in sieve and break the poha lumps. Don’t add all the poha together, add in batches every 10 seconds).
  10. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes on low flame and add/sprinkle some water if it looks dry.
  11. Add Amchur Powder and mix it.
  12. Turn the gas off and cover it for 3-4 minutes.
  13. Open the lid and squeeze some lime on top of it and garnish it with some coriander leaves.
  14. Serve and Enjoy.

You can also add sev or any namkeen on top of it for extra flavour.

Jugni’s Tip – Enjoy this healthy breakfast with a cup of ginger cardamom tea.

Do let me know if you enjoyed this recipe, by hitting the thumbs up button or by leaving a comment. Better still, share it on social media. 🙂

Flying Away
Jugni

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Coriander – Mint (Dhaniya / Pudina) Chutney

A 4 minute recipe for an extra punch of flavour to your dishes/curries/snacks/rolls/wraps. This chutney can do wonders and make a boring dish into an interesting one. It adds flavour, colour, scent and life to your appetizers when served as a side. Let’s quickly check out the ingredients for mint and coriander chutney.

Ingredients for Mint Coriander Chutney

  • one bunch coriander
  • 1/4 bunch mint
  • one inch ginger
  • 1 green chilli (add more of you like spicy)
  • 4 tablespoon yogurt (curd)
  • salt as per your taste
  • mango powder (amchur powder) – 1 tea spoon
  • lemon for additional flavour

Preparation of Mint Coriander Chutney

  • Wash coriander and mint thoroughly in cold water.
  • Pluck out the leaves and thin branches and leave out the thick ones and/or the stem.
  • Blend yogurt, mint, coriander, green chilli, mango powder and ginger in a blender. I am a big Nutri-bullet fan.
  • After one mix, add salt and give another mix.
  • Squeeze lemon if you want more tangy flavour.

I don’t have just one tip for this magical chutney. I use it in every savoury snack or dish. I sprinkle on top on Rajma Rice, spread it out in my rolls and wraps, eat along with cutlets, nuggets and tikkas, add in yogurt/curd raita and on top of bhalla chats, papdi chats etc etc. I can’t stop.

If you feel that this green punch could add a bit to your dishes, do let me know by hitting the thumbs up button or by leaving a comment. Better still, share it on social media. 🙂

Coriander Mint Chutney

Flying Away
Jugni!

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Home Made Aaloo Poori Recipe

The Great Aalo Poori Recipe

Aalo Poori is one of the most favourite breakfast/lunch dishes relished by Indians. Learn how to make aalo poori with a few ingredients. Jugni avoids using a lot of masals.

Ingredients for Aalo/Tari wale Aalo/Tamatar wale Aalo

  • Boiled Potatoes – 400 gms
  • Salt as per taste
  • Tomatoes – 4 whole to tomatoes to be pureed in the grinder
  • One table spoon each – Coriander powder, Kashmiri Chilli, Garam Masala, Cumin Powder, Turmeric, kasuri methi.
  • Half cup whole milk or malai – JUGNI’s Magic
  • 2 spoon Olive oil or Butter or Ghee (whatever you prefer)

Preparation for Tari wale Aalo

  • Heat the pan and add oil.
  • Simmer the gas and add the masalas-Coriander powder, Kashmiri Chilli, Cumin Powder and Turmeric. Saute it for 30 seconds.
  • Add Tomato Puree and keep stirring.
  • After 7-8 mins when the oil leaves the curry, add (Jugni’s Magic – Milk or Malai and stir for a 2 minutes.
  • Add boiled potatoes (either crush them in your hand, or cut them into cubes – size as per your choice) and stir for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add garam masala and kasuri methi, stir for a minute and turn the gas off.
  • Let it stay covered for 10 minutes.

Preparation for Tari Wale Aaloo

2 cups of whole wheat flour and one cup semolina flour. Knead it into a lil tough or hard dough as compared to normal roti dough. You can add salt, cumin seeds, coriander leaves, green chilli etc as per your taste. Jugni prefers it to be plain flour dough. Deep fry round pooris and enjoy with yummy aalo.

You can also have poori with chole (chickpea curry masala) or aam ka achaar (mango pickle) or Sooji Halwa. 

Jugni Tip – It is a high calorie dish so it is preferred to have it in breakfast. You will have the entire day to digest it. Also, ginger cardamom tea is preferred after having aalo poori for digestion. Lastly, you will surely feel sleepy after having this in your meal, so enjoy it on a lazy sunday. 🙂 My Jugnu demands it every month, he is a big fan.

I hope you enjoy this post and already tempting it. Let me know if you liked it by hitting the thumbs up button and share your feedback too 🙂 Would love to hear from you all.

Flying Away
Jugni!

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Jugni ke home-made (aka ghar ke) Rajma

Rajma or Kidney beans are the most common protein forms eaten by vegetarians. Rajma rice is one of the popular dishes in the North India. It is funny to see that these were not originated in the Indian subcontinent, it is rather a Mexican origin.

This post is about the simplest recipe I use in my kitchen for making Rajma. But before that, I would like to share a few more options where Rajma (Kidney Beans) could be used.

List of things where kidney beans can be used:
Rajma Rice (Indian Curry with steamed or fried rice) – pic below
Kidney Bean Salad (Beans+Cucumber+Herbs+olive oil)
Kidney Beans Patties (mashed beans mixed with onion, herbs, corn flour and spices)
Kidney beans as a part of 5 bean Salad (a mix of all varieties of beans with herbs)
Kidney Beans Jalapeno and Avocado soup (Mexican dish)
Kidney Beans stew
Rougaille – Mauritian Creole dish
Carribean Chicken and Bean Recipe
Lastly, there is a new fab of making a chocolate bean cake.

IMG_20170909_122604

Love for Rajma
There are a lot of similar ways to prepare Rajma and is cherished by almost every Indian. It is almost every kid’s favorite.

I never cooked food before I got married, and now Rajma rice is my partner’s favorite.

Healthy, Homely, Heavenly Rajma!
After many tryouts, I came out with a simpler and healthier recipe. Let’s check it out.

Ingredients with Jugni Magic

  • One bowl of Rajma soaked overnight (approx 8 hours)
  • One big onion – chopped
  • One big tomato – mashed/pureed
  • 2 small Green chillies (No red chillies) – Healthy Jugni 🙂
  • 1 spoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1.5 tsp coriander powder
  • 1.5 tsp Rajma Masala
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 spoons oil (or maybe less if you are using non stick)
  • JUGNI MAGIC – 1 spoon Tamarind and 1 spoon Tomato ketchup
    You are right, no butter, no cream, no garam masala, no color. As Jugni prefers healthier versions of everything, so there are no such unhealthy additions.

Jugni di recipe!

  • Boil soaked Rajma with 2.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker & add some salt and 4 garlic cloves and let it cook for 20 minutes on low medium flame.
  • In a separate pan, add some oil.
  • Add cumin, green chillies and ginger garlic paste.
  • Then add some onions and wait for them to turn brownish.
  • Add salt, coriander powder, rajma masala and tamarind pulp and let it cook for almost 2-3 minutes.
  • Then add the tomatoes and let it cook until oil separates.
  • Then add tomato ketchup and let it cook for another minute.
  • Finally add boiled Rajma to the pan and let it boil for 5-10 mins, until the masalas blend with Rajma.
  • Enjoy Rajma with rice or green chutney.

Lastly either enjoy with jeera rice, roti or parantha, and your Jugnu 🙂 and hit the thumbs up button if you liked it. 🙂

Flying Away
Jugni!