Chhole Pulao | Chickpea Pilaf [Video]

Chhole Pulao is a spicy rice main made with chickpeas or kabuli chana. This vegan and gluten-free rice is made by cooking fragrant Basmati rice with a spicy tomato based masala and boiled chickpeas.

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Chhole Pulao - a combination of two of my favorite dishes - chhole and pulao, now encompassed into one dish! Growing up, this was our Sunday lunch (mostly). My mom made her famous Pulao and Chhole on Sundays and on special occasions. It was a family favorite. The idea of combining both and making one dish originated from Instagram. A long time ago, one of my favorite Instagrammers, thegutlessfoodie posted her meal of a Chhole Pulao, albeit without chickpeas in there. I loved the idea and took on to making this dish. It has been a success. 

This Chhole Pulao simply put, is made by cooking a dry version of our regular Chhole or chickpea curry and mixing in cooked Basmati rice. It is an easy to make meal and it can be prepped well in advance. You can cook the chickpeas a few days ago and store them in the fridge, for an even easier approach, just buy canned chickpeas. The Basmati rice also can be cooked in advance and stored in the fridge. You can also make it with leftover rice, any variety you have. I personally like cooking the masala fresh, because it really doesn't take much time, but you can also make this in advance and on the day of the meal, just combine the three.

For the past two weeks, I have been stressed with very little time at my hands to cook a meal. It is at times like this, that recipes like Chhole Pulao come very handy. As far as I prep everything on the weekend, the weekdays seem easier.

Since the Chhole Pulao is a carb-heavy dish, so it ends up satiating you. I call it comfort food. Chhole Pulao is a plant-based meal that fits well into the Vegan lifestyle. It can be served as a main dish at festivities and celebrations. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Chhole Pulao Recipe | Chickpea Pilaf Recipe

Chhole Pulao is a spicy rice main made with chickpeas or kabuli chana. This vegan and gluten-free rice is made by cooking fragrant Basmati rice with a spicy tomato based masala and boiled chickpeas. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup Chickpeas, boiled
0.75 cup raw Basmati Rice
0.75 cup Tomato Puree
2 Onions
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Tbsp Chhole Masla
1 tsp Coriander Powder
2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
Coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the Basmati rice 4-5 times until the water runs clear. Soak the Basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.
2. After 15 minutes, boil 1.25 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. Cover and cook on low heat until the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Heat oil in a large kadhai and add in the cumin seeds.
4. Once the cumin seeds splutters, add in the sliced onions. Fry until the onions are golden.
5. Add in the ginger-garlic paste. Saute until fragrant.
6. Add in the chhole masala and the coriander powder and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add in the tomato puree and cook on low heat until the liquid evaporates and the masala thickens.
8. Add salt to taste and mix well.
9. Add the cooked Basmati rice. You can also use any leftover rice instead of Basmati rice.
10. Mix well until completely combined. You can adjust seasoning at this stage.
11. Sprinkle kasuri methi and mix well.
12. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
13. Serve hot with raita.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Methi Rice

Tava Pulao

Chana Masala

Read more ...

Schezwan Paratha Recipe | Szechuan Paratha Recipe [Video]

Schezwan Paratha is a Chinese inspired stuffed Indian wholewheat flatbread. The paratha is stuffed with a spicy cabbage, capsicum and onion stuffing.

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When normal people think Paratha, schezwan paratha doesn't even pop up in the head. But for a foodie, anything is possible and this schezwan paratha possibly popped in some Indo-Chinese food-obsessed North Indian foodie. Just to let you know, this is not my idea. Na-ah. But the recipe is definitely my own.

Six years ago, I watched a Gujarati cooking show that showed the making of a schezwan paratha. I didn't understand the language, but as they say, food has a language of its own. And that's what happened, I got the gist of the dish while I didn't understand a word of the instructions. And after a few attempts, this paratha was here to stay.

Schezwan Paratha is a perfect fusion of two styles of cuisine. The Chinese inspired vegetable mix is stuffed inside a whole wheat dough, rolled and pan-fried until crisp. The paratha satisfies several cravings - craving for Chinese food, craving for comforting Parathas, the craving for spice and of course, the basic craving for some delicious and new food.

Any stuffed paratha has 2 parts, the stuffing, and the coating. The coating, in this case, is a regular dough made of wholewheat flour, a pinch of salt and water. The dough is kneaded the same way one would for chapati or other parathas. If you want you can add some maida or all purpose dough as well while kneading the dough. The soft dough is stuffed with a spicy mixed vegetable stuffing. The stuffing, in this case, is made with julienned vegetables such as onions, capsicum, and cabbage. You can also add carrots. The vegetables are cooked down with a spicy homemade garlic-chilli sauce that is ready in 15 minutes.

Paratha is generally as breakfast item as it is filling and it gives you energy to cruise through the day. But parathas are also a great dinner option. Pair paratha up with some homemade yogurt (Dahi) and pickle and you are all set to lull yourself to a food coma.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

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Video Recipe

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Schezwan Paratha Recipe | Szechuan Paratha Recipe

Schezwan Paratha is a Chinese inspired stuffed Indian wholewheat flatbread. The paratha is stuffed with a spicy cabbage, capsicum and onion stuffing.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Makes 4 Parathas

Ingredients:

For the stuffing:

3 cups shredded Cabbage
0.5 Capsicum, julienned
1 Onion, julienned
8-10 dry Red Chillies
1 Tbsp chopped Garlic
1 Tbsp Vinegar
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the dough:

2 cups Wholewheat flour
0.25 tsp Salt
Water as required
Oil to fry the parathas

Method:

1. Soak the dry red chillies in hot water and keep aside.
2. Add the salt to the wholewheat flour and knead into a smooth dough using water as required. Cover and allow it to rest until the stuffing is ready.
3. Drain the red chillies. Deseed the red chillies if you don't want a very spicy stuffing.
4. Blend together the red chillies, chopped garlic, 0.5 tsp salt, and vinegar into a smooth schezwan sauce. Add little water if required to help the blending process.
5. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a kadhai and add in the sliced onions. Cook until the onions are golden.
6. Add in the julienned capsicum and fry for 1 minute.
7. Add 1-2 Tbsp of the schezwan sauce or as required. Fry for 1 minute.
8. Add in the shredded cabbage and salt for taste. Add more schezwan sauce if required. Cook until the cabbage is soft.
9. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
10. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll into balls.
11. Dust the counter with a part of the remaining flour and roll out the dough into small circles.
12. Divide the stuffing into 4 equal parts and spoon onto the dough. Seal the parathas.
13. Dust flour on the counter as required and roll out the parathas as thin as possible.
14. Heat the tava or a flat pan and grease it. Place the rolled paratha on the tava and spoon oil and spread well.
15. Flip the paratha and cook until the it is cooked on one side.
16. Flip the paratha again and cook until the second side is cooked. Press with a spatula so that the paratha is cooked evenly.
17. Serve the parathas hot along with either butter,  or curd (yogurt).

If you liked this, you may also like:

Sweet Potato Cheese Paratha

Methi Paratha

Beetroot Paratha

Read more ...

Patoli Recipe | Sihi Kadabu Recipe | Goan Patoleo Recipe [Video]

Patoleo or Patoli is a traditional Konkani sweet made for Nag Panchami or Ganesh Chaturthi. Patholi are jaggery-coconut stuffed rice rolls that are steamed in fresh Turmeric leaves. This dessert is also made in Udupi-Mangalore as Sihi Kadabu.

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Patoli or Patoleo or Sihi Kadabu, a sweet with many names and just as many different recipes. Last year when I saw fresh turmeric leaves in the market, I felt the desire to make this sweet. After all, Gee loves it and so does Raj. Me? Not as much a fan of it. but I will still eat it because it is sweet and my sweet tooth can rarely pass an opportunity to be indulged. 

And then began the quest to find the perfect recipe - my mom's recipe. It is times like this that I feel the huge gap my mom's absence has left me with. She never wrote down her recipes or even remembered it enough to tell us. She believed we need to watch and learn when she cooked something. And most often, we did not, because I think we believed she will always be around to help us out when we needed it. So there I was with these fresh seasonal leaves and no recipe.

The first thing I did was look up recipes online, only to find so many variations, that I ended up confused. Next, I messaged by Goan friends, hoping to find some commonality there. Alas, there too each one had their own version. I called up my aunt to get her recipe, wishing she had my mother's recipe, but it wasn't it. I could make any one of the 100 recipes that I find online, but just 1 will taste close to what she made it. And I was on the lookout for that recipe. I'm not sure this is exactly the one, but it sure came close. I had photos from the last time she made them for us and I just found them the other day, so when I saw those turmeric leaves again in the market, it was go time. 

It is a simple recipe I'm sharing today, 7 ingredients including the fresh turmeric leaves. And that sounds just like amma. She never over-complicated her cooking. It was the simplest one with the least ingredients but tasted delicious, I guess it was the magic in her hands. Last year, I cooked the filling, this year the pics showed me, my mom, just mixed it and there was no cooking involved. Last year I soaked raw rice, then ground it to make the dough, this year I just used rice flour, as one of the pics seem like that's what she did. This is the only step I don't have photos of. The rest is similar to all the recipes. And guess what, this year, the patoli came damn close to the real deal. And we've all wolfed down so many, that we've lost count. I only hope I've done justice to her recipe.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Patoli Recipe | Goan Patoleo Recipe | Sihi Kadabu Recipe

Patoleo or Patoli is a traditional Konkani sweet made for Nag Panchami or Ganesh Chaturthi. Patholi are jaggery-coconut stuffed rice rolls that are steamed in fresh Turmeric leaves. This dessert is also made in Udupi-Mangalore as Sihi Kadabu.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Makes 3 Patoleos

Ingredients:

1 cup grated fresh Coconut
1 cup Jaggery Powder or grated Jaggery
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
1 cup Rice Flour
Pinch of Salt
Hot water as required
3 fresh Turmeric leaves

Method:

1. Mix the grated coconut, jaggery (as per taste) and cardamom powder until completely combined. Adjust the jaggery as per the desired sweetness.
2. Take rice flour in a large plate or bowl, add in a pinch of salt and knead into a smooth dough with hot water.
3. Turn on the steamer.
4. Check if the turmeric leaf fits horizontally in the steamer, if not, you can cut it into half.
5. Wash the turmeric leaves.
6. If using the whole leaf, divide the dough into 3 parts. If you have cut the leaf, divide the dough into 6 parts.
7. Wet your hands and take 1 part of the dough and gently spread it onto the smooth side of the turmeric leaf.
8. Spread the dough as thin as possible. Ensure there are no holes. You can use more dough if required. If there is excess dough, wipe it off.
9. Once the whole leaf is covered with the dough, spoon in the filling. Do not overstuff, else the stuffing will ooze out while cooking.
10. Fold the leaf lengthwise and seal the edges by pinching them.
11. Place the patoleos in the steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes. The colour of the leaf will change once it is done.
12. Remove from heat and gently peel the turmeric leaf.
13. Serve the patoleos warm.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Steamed Modak

Chana Dal Payasa

Bele Holige | Puran Poli

Semiyan Kheer

Gajar ka Halwa

Coconut Laddoo

Read more ...

Lauki Kofta Biryani Recipe | How to make kofta biryani [Video]

Lauki Kofta Biryani is a spiced vegan rice dish made with fried dumplings of bottle gourd (lauki), spices, mixed vegetables and fragrant long basmati rice.  Perfect for Sunday lunch!

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Wanna know a secret?

We NEVER eat biryani in restaurants!

At least, I may once in a blue moon, but Raj absolutely detests biryani from restaurants. But whip it up at home and he'll enjoy it. We are yet to find a restaurant biryani that hits all the right buttons for us. We usually find that restaurant biryanis are high on spice and low on flavor, either have no vegetables or have undercooked vegetables and like all takeout, extremely greasy. No wonder he abhors it, which is quite surprising for a lot of friends. Bangalore is almost Biryani Town, with at least 2-3 biryani outlets on every main road and here, there are people who won't even look at one.

So, once in a while, just to treat ourselves, I put on my chef's hat and cook up a biryani that suits our tastebuds and our sensitive tummies. I add spices for flavor but reduce the chilli powder, so we still taste flavor, but not get burned by the heat. I always add a lot of vegetables, because I simply love the different textures. And a Biryani isn't a Biryani for me if it is not made with fragrant Basmati rice. 

The story of this Vegan Lauki Kofta Biryani, goes back a few months, when I was irritated with Raj for being fussy during vegetable shopping. He kept rejecting all my choices of vegetables for the week, that I lost it and made him shop what he wanted for the whole week. In came the lauki or bottle gourd, one of my least favorite of the veggies. I'm not sure even he likes it. But there it was staring at me from my fridge for a week. And finally on a Sunday, when I was in a good mood, I decided this lauki deserved to be finally eaten and this Lauki Kofta Biryani was born. And since, I've made it multiple times and we've all had a hearty sunday lunch.

Lauki Kofta Biryani, as the name suggests, contains koftas or fried dumplings made from grated lauki. The water from the grated lauki is squeezed out and a few spice mixes are added for flavor. I added chickpea flour or besan and corn flour as the binding agent to make the koftas. You can add potatoes or breadcrumbs or even grated paneer. I've tried with Paneer and it gave me these amazing rich and chewy koftas. You can either shallow fry the koftas, pan fry the koftas or even deep fry them. If your kofta feels crumbly after cooking, add it to the biryani only while serving, instead of cooking it in the masala.

I added a lot of boiled vegetables to the Biryani, but you can skip it and let only the kofta shine. If you want to add vegetables, you can add cauliflower, beans, carrots, green peas, potato, or broccoli. Cut them chunky and cook them to your liking. I like my beans completely cooked, while my cauliflower still crunchy. 

Use aged Basmati rice to get the best results. I always cook my biryani rice with spices for added flavor, but if you don't have whole spices, you can give them a miss. Or if you want a change, you can also cook the rice with saffron for a richer feel. 

The masala made with onions and tomatoes is what imparts flavor to the biryani. A Biryani does take more oil than a pulao, don't skimp on it too much, it will impact the flavor. The oil is what ensures that the rice takes on the flavor of the masala. I used store bough biryani masala, you can grind whole spices to make your own too. 

Lauki Kofta Biryani can be prepped in advance too. The rice can be cooked a few days before and so can the masala. Vegetables too can be boiled in advance. I would only suggest making the koftas fresh.

Biryani tastes best when served with raita or salan. You can try this Boondi Raita to go with the Biryani,

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Lauki Kofta Biryani

Lauki Kofta Biryani is a spiced vegan rice dish made with fried dumplings of bottle gourd (lauki), spices, mixed vegetables and fragrant long basmati rice.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Total time:     90 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the Lauki Kodta

1 Bottlegourd
3-4 Tbsp Besan (chickpea flour)
1 Tbsp Cornflour
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

For the Biryani

1 cup Basmati Rice
2 medium Onions, sliced
1 cup Tomato Puree
2 cups mixed boiled Vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, beans)
0.5 cup Coriander leaves, chopped
0.5 cup Mint leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Biryani Masala
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Shah Jeera (Caraway seeds)
1 Tbsp Dagad Phool (black stone flower)
2 Cloves
1 Green Cardamom
1 Black Cardamom
1 Bay leaf
0.5" Cinnamon
4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice 4 to 5 times until the water runs clear. Soak in 2 cups water and keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, boil 1.5 cups water in a pan and add 0.25 tsp salt, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, bayleaf and cinnamon to the water. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
3. Drain the rice and add to the water. Cover and cook on low to medium heat until the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed.
4. Allow to cool uncovered.
5. To make the kofta, peel, cut and deseed the bottle gourd. Grate or shred the bottle gourd.
6. Add a little salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, squeeze out the water from the bottle gourd.
8. Take the squeezed bottle gourd in a bowl. Add in the salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, corn flour and besan. Mix well until combined. If the batter feels wet, add more besan.
9. Heat oil for frying the koftas, you can either deep fry or shallow fry the koftas.
10. Shape the koftas and fry until browned and crisp. Remove from heat and keep aside.
11. Heat 4 Tbsp oil and add in shah jeera and dagad phool. Saute for 30 minutes.
12. Add in sliced onions and fry until the onions are golden brown.
13. Add in the ginger garlic paste and saute until fragrant.
14. Add the tomato puree and cook on low-meidum heat for 6-8 minutes or until oil separates.
15. Add in the biryani masala and turmeric powder, mix well. Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
16. Add in chopped coriander and mint leaves.
17. Add in the boiled vegetables and the kofta. Mix well until combined.
18. Add in the basmati rice and mix until completely combined.
19. Serve hot with raita.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Soya Biryani

Jackfruit Biryani

Mushroom Biryani

Methi Rice

Ghee Rice

Corn Spinach Pulao

Raw Mango Rice

Mint Rice

Palak Rice

Read more ...

Moringa Chutney Recipe | Drumstick Leaf Chutney [Video]

Moringa Chutney is a warm and healthy chutney made from cooked moringa leaves (drumstick leaves), tomato, onion and garlic. Moringa chutney is tangy and can be spiced to taste. It stores well in the fridge for a few weeks.

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Hi folks! Long-time no see!

So yeah, my other non blogger life consumed all my time for the last month and I have been slowly limping into this life since last week. More of that later, or maybe never.

It is in those super busy days, that I appreciate simple recipes like this Moringa Chutney. It is easy and quick to make, it stores well in the fridge for a few weeks and it is so delicious and versatile. You can eat it as a side with roti/chapati, you can mix it with rice and make flavored rice, you can spread it on bread or you can dip chips in it.

And the best thing about it? It's also very healthy.

Moringa, also commonly known as drumsticks in India is a plant native to Africa and Asia. The seed pods are called drumsticks and are popularly added to curry in South India. The leaves are the most nutritious part of the tree. Moringa leaves are rich in vitamins and protein. They are also used as a dietary supplement to enhance weight loss.

Since it is the season when the leaves are available aplenty in the market, it is just appropriate that I share this recipe with you guys.

To make the Moringa Chutney, wilt the moringa leaves by cooking them on low heat in a little bit of oil. Keep it aside to cool. In the meantime, cook onions, garlic, green chillies, and tomatoes until they are soft. I used green tomatoes because they were in season, you can use regular red tomatoes as well. I also used the non-spicy banana peppers or bhajji chilli instead of regular green chillies, but you can use what you have available to spice up the chutney. Once everything is cooked down and cooled, blend it with a little salt and water until you have a smooth paste. Make a quick tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves and add the chutney to it and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

The chutney can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Moringa Chutney is vegan and gluten-free. It also suits a plant-based diet. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Moringa Chutney Recipe |  Drumstick Leaf Chutney 

Moringa Chutney is a warm and healthy chutney made from cooked moringa leaves (drumstick leaves), tomato, onion and garlic. Moringa chutney is tangy and can be spiced to taste. Vegan, gluten-free and delicious. 

Recipe Type:  Chutney
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     10 Minutes
Cook time:     20 Minutes
Total time:     30 Minutes
Yield:                Makes 2 small jars

Ingredients:

4 cups Moringa leavesor 1 bunch Moringa leaves
1 large Onion
3 or 4 medium Tomatoes
1 or 2 Green Chillies
4 to 5 Garlic cloves
3 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Remove the moringa leaves from the stem and rinse 2-3 times in clean water.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a kadhai and add the moringa leaves. Cook on low heat until the leaves wilt or shrink. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a kadhai and add in sliced onions and garlic pods. Saute until the onions are translucent.
4. Add in the tomatoes and green chillies. Cover and cook on low heat until the tomatoes soften. You can add 2-3 tbsp of water to help the cooking process. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. Blend the moringa leaves and onion-tomato with a little water and salt to taste until smooth.
6. In a kadhai, heat the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add in the curry leaves and the blended chutney. Simmer on low heat for 6-8 minutes. Adjust seasoning if required. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
7. Store in a clean glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Tamarind Date Chutney

Tondekayee Chutney

Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Mint Peanut Chutney

Heerekai Sippe Chutney

Olive Hummus

Read more ...

Punjabi Dum Aloo [Video]

Punjabi Dum Aloo is rich, creamy yet vegan curry in which baby potatoes are simmered in a delicately spiced tomato-based gravy.


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Once in a while I indulge… in cooking and eating. Everyone deserves a reward for working hard all week. And a long weekend is the perfect time to indulge. Don’t you agree?

I never buy potatoes with any specific plan of using them. I just add them to any mix vegetable thing I’m cooking or when there are fussy eaters around. Coz which fussy eater does not like potatoes, right?

But when I saw these cute little baby potatoes in the supermarket, I wanted to buy them and make them shine. What better dish to cook with baby potatoes than Punjabi Dum Aloo.

There are different types of Dum Aloo all over India, there is a Kashmiri Dum Aloo, a UP Dum Aloo and a Bengali Dum Aloo as well apart from the Punjabi Dum Aloo. Each one has a different kind of gravy the baby potatoes are simmered in. 

I'm trying to find traditional recipes for the remaining Dum Aloo since I've never tried them. If you have one, contact ME! I would love to try out the other varieties and compare them.

I've tried to keep this indulgent Punjabi Dum Aloo as healthy as possible without losing out on the taste. Some of it's highlights:

• It is VEGAN - Yesss! Vegan yet creamy is obtained by the addition of a silky smooth Cashew nut paste. Being a Goan, I love my Cashews in anything and everything, so why not in a Punjabi Dum Aloo. Bring it ON! A more traditional Punjabi Dum Aloo has added yogurt or thick cream. I skipped both and only increased the number of cashew nuts used. This gave me all the creamy texture without any dairy in it. Hurray!!

• Potatoes are boiled, not fried - A lot of Punjabi Dum Aloo recipes call for deep frying of the potatoes. While everyone loves deep-fried potatoes, they are not so much in line with the whole eating healthy food movement. So I boiled them and then tossed them in a hot pan to get a slight char. Feel free to bake them as well. Give it your own twist. 

• Quick-cooking - Dum Pukht is a form of cooking in which meat or vegetables are cooked over very low heat in sealed containers. This helps develop flavor. While this makes a major difference to meat (at least that's what I've heard), it barely does much for the potatoes in this case. Hence. I pressure cooked the potatoes and later simmered them for a while in the gravy. I can assure you, no flavor was lost in this process.

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Video Recipe

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Punjabi Dum Aloo | How to make Vegan Punjabi Dum Aloo Recipe

Punjabi Dum Aloo is a curry made by simmering baby potatoes a delicately spiced vegan creamy tomato-based gravy. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

250 gms baby Potatoes 
0.75 cup Onion Paste
1 cup Tomato Puree
2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Black Cardamom
1 inch Cinnamon
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
20 Cashew Nuts
4 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
2 Tbsp Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

Water as required

Method:

1. Heat up 1 cup of water and soak the cashew nuts in it for half an hour. Drain and blend into a smooth paste.
2. Wash and scrub the baby potatoes and place them in a pressure cooker or a deep pan. If using large potatoes, then peel them and dice them into 1" sized pieces.
3. Add 1 tsp of salt and enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil until the potatoes are cooked through but not mushy.
4. Peel the baby potatoes if you want, else leave them on. Slice the potatoes into half if required.
5. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan and once it heats up, add the potatoes in it. Toss the potatoes until they are browned slightly and keep aside.
6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the black cardamom, cinnamon and the bay leaf. Fry for approximately 1 minute.
7. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry on low heat until it is fragrant.
8. Add in the onion paste and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes.
9. Add in the tomato paste and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes or until oil separates.
10. Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well.
11. Add the cashew puree and fry for another 4-5 minutes.
12. Add in water and cashew paste. Add water as per the desired consistency.
13. Add in the potatoes and salt to taste. Mix well.
14. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
15. Add in kasuri methi and mix well.
16. Remove from heat and add coriander leaves.
17. Serve hot with roti or rice.

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Babycorn Masala

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