Palak Makke ka Paratha

Ingredients
Palak leaves 3 bunches ( washed n chopped)
1 big onion chopped
Garlic paste 2 tbsp
Green chillies according to taste
Course corn meal or Makke ka aata 1 cup or more
Wheat aata according to need
yoghurt 200 gms
Kasuri methi 5-8 tbsp
oil
salt

Method
Fry onions and garlic till they are dark brown. Add chopped palak leaves, kasuri methi, chopped chillies and salt and cook till the vegetable is thoroughly cooked with no water remaining. In fact it should be as dry as possible.
Separate a little of this cooked palak to serve as accompanying curry, and then cool the rest.
 Now mix this remaining palak ( which you have cooled) with makki aata, wheat aata, cumin seeds, more salt,  and yoghurt and knead a dough thick enough to make parathas. You can add more makki/wheat aata if the dough is very lose or add more yoghurt/water if the dough is very tight.
Now roll out the parathas and shallow fry them with plenty of oil till they are nicely brown and crisp.
Serve hot with the remaining palak curry.

Gobhi Methi Masala Curry

Ingredients
Gobhi florets ( 1 medium size gobhi )
1 large onion (length wise finely chopped )
1 or 1and half tbsp garlic paste
Methi seeds 1 heaped tbsp
Kasuri methi (1 full medium size bowl. can be more or less)
Yoghurt ( half a cup)
3-5 Green chillies ( slit length wise. according to taste)
1/2 tbsp haldi powder
1 tbsp jeera powder
1 tbsp garam masala powder (optional)
salt

Preparation
Soak kasuri methi in hot water for about 20 minutes prior to cooking.

Method
put 2  tbsp oil in a wok. Add methi seeds and let them turn black. Put onions and fry them till dark brown, then add gobhi florets, salt and fry them on low heat till they are tender and almost fully cooked. You should alternate between keeping the dish covered and stirring the florets to avoid getting them burnt. You can also sprinkle a little water to facilitate the cooking. Add slit chillies, haldi, jeera and garam masala powder and fry  for about 3-5 minutes.
Now remove excess water from kasuri methi and add it to gobhi.Stir and mix well for 2-3 minutes, then add yoghurt. Stir well till excess water is gone and the curry looks dry enough. It should not have any gravy..

Tastes best with hot puri or paratha.

Hari Dhania Wale Aaloo

Ingredients
400 gm potatoes
2 bunch green coriander leaves
3-4green chillies
1 tbs garlic paste
1 tbs ginger paste
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 small onion diced roughly
1 small tomato diced roughly
1 tbsp cumin powder
salt
oil

Preparation
Boil the potatoes and cube them.
Grind green coriander leaves in a mixer along with diced onion, diced tomato, green chillies, garlic paste, cumin powder and salt like a thick chutney.

Method
Heat oil in a wok. Fry finely chopped onions until light brown. Add cubed potatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes taking care not to brown the potatoes at all. Add the green chutney and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Serve with rice or chapati or poori.

Lotus Stem Kebabs

Lotus Stem Kebabs


Ingredients
! kg lotus stems
I large onion
3 tbsp garlic paste\
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp red chilly powder
Besan 100 gms
salt according to taste
oil 4-5 tbsp

Preparation
wash, scrape and clean the lotus stems and pressure cook them ( 4-5 whistles on medium flame)
When they are thoroughly cooked, crush them coarsely in a mixer adding very little water at a time. It is important that the texture should be sufficiently rough and course, i.e. neither too fine nor too coarse.
Chop the onions finely.
Roast besan in a little oil till cooked but not brown in color.

Method
Heat oil in a wok. Fry chopped onions till they are dark brown in color. Add the stem mixture and keep stirring it till it begins to thicken. Add the masalas and salt and mix well. keep frying for another 5-8 minutes or until the mixture is well cooked and pretty thick.
Now thoroughly mix the besan in the stem mixture and make flat balls.
Fry these flat balls on a tawa using a little oil.

Serve with green chutney

Tomato Tikki

 Tomato Kebab

Ingredients

1 kg tomatoes

1 medium onion

1-2 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp turmeric

1 tbsp red chilli powder or according to taste

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

150 gms besan

4-5 tbps cooking oil

salt according to taste

Preparation

Skin all the tomatoes and crush them in a mixer. Keep aside. Roast the beasn in a little oil till it is half cooked. (It shouldn't get brown.) Chop onions very finely.

Method

Fry chopped onions in oil in a nonstick wok till they are dark brown in colour. Mix the dhania, jeera, garam masala, haldi and mirch powder salt and garlic paste together in 2 tbsp of  water and add this paste to the wok. Fry for 2-3 minutes till oil seperates. 

Add the skinned crushed tomatoes. Keep stirring and cooking  it till this whole liquidy batter  is reduced to solid form with no water content. Please cover the wok with a plastic or metal net sieve which will allow the steam to pass out without letting the batter to splutter everywhere. You cannot cover it completely with the lid as the steam will not allow the mixture to dry effectively. 

Take off the flame and mix the roasted beasn thoroughly into it while it is still hot. The quantity of basan can be increased or decreased. Now oil both your palms and taking small lumps shape themt into a tikkies.

Heat a flat tawa and fry these tikkies on both sides in little oil till they become crisp and  brown.

Tastes best when served hot with chappatis, dal, plain rice and onion salad with lemon juice and green chilli.
Can be eaten as curry substitute in lunch or dinner or appetizer as well as a tea time snack.
Makes perfect burgers and sandwiches too !