Methi Malai Matar Mushroom curry

About this Recipe...

Methi Malai Matar Mushroom is a rich creamy gravy with a combination of green peas, mushroom and fresh fenugreek leaves cooked with cream. It's a twist on the regular Methi Malai Matar by adding mushroom to it and enhances the flavor of this dish. Cashew and poppy seed paste brings the smooth and silky texture to the dish. It's a very easy and rich curry to make on the special occasions.
It came out as a super hit dish at my dinner menu and I served it with parathas.

Ingredients

For the Creamy Gravy

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Onion
• 2 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp Green chilli paste
• 8-10 Cashew nuts
• 1 Tbsp Poppy seeds
• 1 medium size chopped tomato
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder

For the Curry

• 1 Tbsp Clarified butter
• 1 Cup Green peas
• 1 bunch Fresh methi leaves chopped
• 1 Cup Mushroom sliced
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

Directions

For the Gravy

1. In a pan heat some oil and add chopped onion and sauté it for sometime till it gets translucent.
2. Now add whole cashew nuts, poppy seeds and ginger-garlic-green chili paste and cook for a while till oil get separated from the spices.
3. Add all the dry spices and tomato and fry it till tomato gets soft.
4. Switch off the flame and let it cool down, after cooling down blend it in a grinder with little water to a smooth consistency and keep it aside.

For the Curry

1. Now in a pan heat up some clarified butter and add garam masala powder and fry it for few seconds.
2. Now add green peas and sauté it for sometime. After sometime add chopped methi or fenugreek leaves and sauté it with the peas.
3. When the peas and methi leaves are cooked then add sliced mushroom and sauté it for sometime till mushrooms are half done.
4. Now add your prepared gravy to this and mix everything nicely and bring it to a boil by covering the lid of the pan.
5. When the gravy will boil add salt as per your taste and pinch of sugar and mix it.
6. Finally add whipping cream and mix everything nicely, cook for few seconds and switch off the flame. Your creamy Methi Matar Mushroom Malai is ready to enjoy.

Bhaji (curry for pav bread)

About this Recipe...

Pav Bhaji is a indian fast food dish originated in Mumbai. Though it’s considered as a snack but for me it's a satisfying meal.
Pav is a kind of indian bread and the bhaji is a vegetable curry which is made with mashed vegetables and loads of butter and the combination of Pav and Bhaji together is divine dish.
Whenever I had been to Mumbai Juhu beach, had this tasty delight from the stalls, the best place for this. Every time I had it and I have fall in love with it. Making this Mumbai Pav Bhaji at home is really fun when the taste is totally similar with the road side vendors.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Onions finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-garlic-green chili paste
• 1/2 Bellpepper finely chopped
• 3 Tomatoes finely chopped
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• 2 Potatoes boiled and mashed
• 1/2 Cup Cauliflower florets boiled and mashed
• 1/4 Cup Frozen Green peas
• 3 Tbsp Pav bhaji masala
• Finely chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp Lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat some butter on a pan and add cumin seeds.
2. When cumin seeds starts crackling add chopped onion and sauté it till translucent.
3. Now add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste and fry it till oil separates.
4. Now add the finely chopped bell pepper and mixed it well. Fry it 2-3 minutes.
5. Next add chopped tomatoes, salt and red chili powder. Sauté it till tomatoes get soft.
6. Cover with a lid and cook everything 10-15 minutes.
7. Now with the help of a masher, mash the mixture well so that there is no chunks of vegetables.
8. Now add boiled and mashed potatoes, cauliflower and green peas, mix well and mash it with the masher again.
9. At this moment, if you feel the mixture is too thick, then add little water to balance the consistency of the curry.
10. Now add the pav bhaji masala powder and mix well with the curry.
11. Cook it for few more minutes and finally add lemon juice and chopped cilantro leaves. Stir it once again and your bhaji is ready to serve with pav.
12. Toast the pav with butter and serve with this hot bhaji. Garnish with some onion rings and lemon wedges.

Indian Pav bread

About this Recipe...

Indian Pav Bread or dinner rolls is a soft, spongy bread which is used to make many indian street foods like pav bhaji, bada pav, dabeli and many more. I have been eating pav bread with butter since my childhood and it was one of my favorite evening snack item.
In India we can easily find pav bread at stores but here in US, I am unable to get the same kind of bread. So thought to make it at home and voila I made the same smooth soft bread at home which I used to eat since my childhood.
Very often I am craving for pav bhaji and vada pav, so started to bake these golden breads at home. Every time I bake it, I feel so satisfied. So with little interest, patience and dedication and you can create magic at your own home kitchen.

Ingredients

• 3 Cups All purpose flour
• 1 Cup Warm milk
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• Salt as per taste
• 1 Packet yeast
• 2 Tbsp Melted butter
• Milk for brushing the pav

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, take the warm milk, add sugar and yeast, stir it so that no lumps of yeast can form. Covered it for 5-10 minutes.
2. After 5-10 minutes you will see that the mixture has foamed up, it means the yeast is activated.
3. Now add the all purpose flour and salt, mix it and knead a sticky dough.
4. Add melted butter and knead the dough well until it's smooth and soft. It takes approximately 8-10 minutes.
5. Now coat the dough with one tsp butter, cover it with plastic wrap and keep the dough in warm place for fermentation.
6. After 1-2 hours the dough will rise and double in volume. Punch the dough, knead it and divide it to 10 equal portion.
7. Shape them in smooth and round balls. Arrange the balls in a butter greased baking tray leaving half inch space in between.
   
8. Now again cover the tray with plastic wrap and keep it in warm place. Allow the balls to double up in volume. It will take approximately 45 minutes to one hour.
9. Now preheat the oven to 400F or 200C. Gently brush the pav with milk and bake it for 12-14 minutes or until the top looks golden color.
   
10. Apply some butter on top immediately after they came out from oven and let the pav bread cool down completely in a cooling rack.
11. Now enjoy the pav bread with butter or you can make vada pav, dabeli or pav bhaji. Enjoy the freshly baked home made pav.

Mix-veg Pasta with white Béchamel sauce

About this Recipe...

Béchamel sauce also known as white sauce is made from butter, flour and milk. These three main ingredients and there are some seasoning ingredients make this sauce a truly indulgence.
This sauce is one of the main sauce in Italian cuisine. You can make plenty of dishes with this sauce, but my personal favorites are pasta and lasagna.
So today I made this simple mix vegetable pasta with Béchamel sauce. The steps of making it is so simple that you can enjoy the authentic Italian meal at home. So let's quickly note down the ingredients and give it a try at home. Your family will love this dish...

Ingredients

Cooking Pasta

• Any pasta of your choice
• Water
• Salt
• 1 tsp Olive Oil

Preparing Veggies

• 2-3 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Onion
• Mix veggies like broccoli, bellpepper, mushroom cut into slices
• Sweet corn
• Shredded spinach
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tsp Black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp Dried basil
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Red chilli flakes

Bechamel Sauce

• 2 Tbsp Salted butter
• 1 Tbsp All purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/2 Cup Half and half
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tsp Black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp Dry thyme
• 2 Tbsp Shredded Cheese

Directions

Cooking pasta

1. Boil water in a pan, add salt and oil. When the water will boil add the pasta of your choice and boil it uncovered as per package instruction timing.
2. When the pasta becomes al dente, drain the water and keep aside.

Preparing Veggies for pasta

1. In a pan take some olive oil, when oil is hot enough add garlic and sauté for a while. Now add the other veggies one by one and fry it till everything becomes crunchy.
2. Now add salt, pepper powder, dry basil, chili flakes, Italian seasoning and mix everything well and switch off the flame.

Béchamel Sauce

1. Now in a another pan heat up butter, when butter will melt add the flour and fry it till the raw smell goes away.
2. Now add the milk slowly and continuously stir it so that no lumps can form.
3. Now add the remaining milk and half and half followed by salt, pepper powder, dried thyme and mix everything and let it comes to a gentle simmer.
4. Now add cheese and stir gently, the sauce becomes thick.
5. Meanwhile you can check the salt in the sauce, if everything is perfect then add the fried veggies and boiled pasta. Give a quick mix gently and your pasta is ready to serve.

Notes:

1. In the Béchamel sauce you can add only milk for less calories or instead of half-n-half, you can add heavy whipping cream also.
2. While serving the pasta you can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over the pasta.

Paneer Makhanwala

About this Recipe...

Paneer Makhanwala or Paneer Butter Masala is the most popular paneer dish where paneer is cooked with rich creamy tomato gravy. It's a perfect vegetarian's delight and can be made very easily at home. You only need few handy ingredients and little dedication to make this dish a hit among your family and friends. So follow few simple steps and enjoy this great dish.

Ingredients

• 25-30 pieces of paneer cut into cubes
• 2 Tbsp Oil for frying the paneer cubes
• 2 Tbsp Salted butter
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
• 1 Tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 12-15 Cashew nuts
• 2 medium size chopped tomato
• 1 Tbsp Red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Dried fenugreek leaves crushed
• 2 Tbsp Heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp Ginger julienne and slitted green chilies

Directions

1. First, lightly fry the paneer pieces and set it aside. (This step is optional, if you don't like to add fried paneer then you can use raw paneer pieces too)
2. Next heat up 2 tbsp of butter, add chopped onions and sauté it till it becomes translucent.
3. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté it till the raw smell go away.
4. Now add the cashew nuts and chopped tomato, cook it till everything gets soft. Switch of the flame and let it cool down. When the mixture gets cooled down, add everything to a blender and blend it to a smooth paste.
5. Now add this blended paste to the pan, add red chili powder and coriander powder and cook it.
6. After few minutes of cooking if the mixture gets dry, then add required amount of water and let it come to a boil.
7. When the gravy starts boiling then add salt, sugar, garam masala powder and crushed dried fenugreek leaves, mix everything well and cook it.
8. When the gravy is cooked nicely, add the paneer pieces, stir it gently and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
9. Now add the cream, give a gentle stir and switch off the flame. Garnish it with ginger juliennes and slitted green chilies and serve it hot.
   
   Notes: Instead of sugar you can add honey, it will give a nice flavor to your dish. And in place of Paneer, you can also use Tofu.

Ivy Gourd curry in Mustard sauce

About this Recipe...

Ivy Gourd or Tindora is a flavorful vegetable and it has many medical benefit also. So I always incorporate this veggie to my regular diet. I love it's crunchiness and try to make it in many ways.
So today, I made it in bengali style with mustard and poppy seed paste along with some other spices and the end result is a delicious dish which goes perfect with hot steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 15-20 Ivy gourd cut into length wise
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Nigella seeds or kalaunji
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tsp Black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Poppy seeds
• 1 tsp Coconut powder
• 1 tsp Green chilli paste
• 2-3 Slitted green chili

Directions

1. Take the black and yellow mustard seeds, poppy seeds and coconut powder in a blender and with the help of a little water make a smooth paste and set it aside.
2. Now heat up oil in a pan, add nigella seeds and let it crackle. Now add the ivy gourd and fry it. Cover the lid and cook it for sometime.
3. Now open the lid and add turmeric powder, salt and green chili paste, mix it well and cook it for some more time.
4. Now add the mustard paste and little water, mix everything well and cook it.
5. When the ivy gourd will be tender and cooked nicely then add the slitted green chilies, stir it one more time and the curry is ready to serve.

Tandoori Chicken

About this Recipe...

Tandoori Chicken is a roasted chicken dish infused with yoghurt and spice blend. Traditionally it is baked in tandoor, which is a clay oven. But you can make the perfect tandoori chicken at home in your home oven and no compromise will be there in tastes also.
It's very flavorful, aromatic and spicy chicken dish can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish with mint chutney and raita.

Ingredients

• 5 Pieces Chicken drumsticks
• 2 Tbsp Lemon juice
• Salt as per taste
• 2 Tbsp Red chilli powder
• 3 Tbsp Hung yogurt
• 1 tsp Ginger paste
• 1 tsp Garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp Green chilli paste(optional)
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Tandoori masala powder
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Chaat masala powder(optional)
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

Directions

1. Wash the chicken pieces and make 3-4 slits on each piece.
2. Now you need to marinate the chicken pieces, for tandoori chicken you need to make two marination. For first set of marination take lemon juice, add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp red chili powder, mix it and apply all over the chicken pieces and make sure that you have applied nicely in between the slits also. Now keep it aside for 15 minutes.
3. For second set of marination take hung yoghurt in a bowl, add ginger-garlic-green chili paste, 1 tbsp red chili powder and all the other dry spices and salt (be careful with the salt because you have added salt in first marination also) make a smooth batter and apply the batter all over the chicken pieces, drizzle some oil on the pieces and keep it for marination for 20 minutes.
4. Now preheat your oven at 425 degree Fahrenheit, bake one side for 25-30 minutes and another side for 20 minutes or until the top part of the chicken looks done.
5. Take it out from oven and sprinkle some chat masala on top which is totally optional and serve it hot with your favorite chutney, slices of onion and lemon wedges.
6. Notes: For making hung yoghurt, take the yoghurt in a muslin cloth and hung it tightly in your kitchen tap for 2-3 hours so that the excess water of the yoghurt can go away and you will get a smooth creamy yoghurt.