Kashmiri Rajma with Jeera Rice (No onion-garlic recipe)

All my life I have making Punjabi Rajma Masala, recipe adopted from my mother's kitchen. When I discovered this recipe, I thought I might give this no onion-garlic recipe a try myself. Now I've been thinking of making this and telling my husband since past two months. And when the time finally came to prepare this wonderful delicacy, he totally rejected the idea of a no onion-garlic rajma masala. So I have added the same in my version, the original recipe calls for none. So it can be made both ways, with or without onion-garlic according to taste and occasion. We added to retain our Punjabi style rajma flavour, tasted very different from our regular recipe though.

Ingredients:

For the rajma masala:

Cinnamon: 1 inch
Cloves: 2
Black cardamom: 1
Green cardamom (with cover): 2
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 2

For the rajma curry:

Rajma (2 cups)
Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Bay leaf: 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida: a heaped pinch
Dried red chilli: 1
Onion (chopped): 1 (optional)
Garlic (chopped): 4 cloves (optional)
Ginger (grated): 1 inch piece
Tomato (chopped): 2

1. Soak rajma with enough water overnight or at least 8-10 hours. Discard the water, wash rajma well and boil with 5 cups water, little salt and the bay leaf for 5 whistles. Keep aside and let the pressure settle by itself. Open the pressure cooker, pick one rajma and check for doneness. If not done completely, it might need 2-3 whistles more, depending on the type of rajma and the type of pressure cooker. 
2. Make rajma masala: Add all the rajma masala ingredients in a mortal-pestel and grind to a coarse powder. Alternatively can be done in a mixer as well. Keep aside. 
   
   
   
   
3. Prepare tempering in a pan: Heat oil and splutter cumin seeds. Add asafoetida and dried red chilli and fry for half a minute.
4. Add the grated ginger and mix well and let cook for a minute. If using onions and garlic, add them in mixer and grind to a smooth paste. This step is totally optional and skip this if you wish. The rajma will taste wonderful in any case.
5. Add the onion-garlic paste to the pan (if using) and let it fry until the masala is totally cooked, the raw smell is gone and it starts leaving oil on the sides.
6. Puree the tomatoes and add the tomatoes after ginger directly in case not using onion-garlic, or add when the onion-garlic masala is cooked. Add a bit of salt and let cook until the tomatoes are totally cooked. This will take about 10 minutes on medium flame. Do not skip this step as the masala will determine the entire flavour of the dish.
7. Add red chilli powder and the prepared rajma powder. Mix well and let cook for at least 2 minutes to embed the spice flavour in the masala.
8. Now using a perforated spoon, take out all the rajma from the pressure cooker and start adding to the masala, leaving the water in which rajma is boiled, behind.
9. Mix well with the masala and start pressing some of the rajma beans in the masala with the help of a cooking spoon. Do not do this will all the beans, just some, and some will be split open. Mix really well with the masala and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high flame so the complete flavour gets incorporated in every bean.
10. Now add this complete mixture to the water remaining in the pressure cooker and mix well. Add little more water if required. Ideally more water should not be added as it will dilute the flavours. But if the curry is too thick, add about half a cup of boiling water. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes on the highest flame. 
11. Remove from the flame, place the lid on top, do not tighten the lid. Remain covered for 10 minutes, remover cover, garnish with coriander leaves (optional) and serve piping hot with plain rice or jeera rice and lemon wedges.

Rogan Josh (Chicken Masala)

Rogan Josh is basically an aromatic mutton curry dish which has its origins in Persia and is a famous dish of Kasmir region in India. This can however be prepared with chicken and lamb as well, just the cooking time would differ: while it would be similar for lamb and chicken with little variations, it will almost be twice for the mutton curry.

Rogan Josh is a dish which is red in colour, basically because of two reasons, first, it is originally cooked with mutton, which releases and imparts the bright red colour to the curry. Secondly, the recipe calls for the kashmiri red chilli powder, but as there is only a single brand of red chilli powder that suits my husband with a sensitive stomach, I replaced the kashmiri chilli powder with that chilli powder, which probably did not impart the colour; tasted heavenly nonetheless.. !!

Ingredients:

Chicken: 200 gm
Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Bay leaves: 2
Cloves: 2
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Asafoetida: 1 pinch
Cardamom (seeds): 2
Onions: sliced 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Salt to taste
Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Fennel seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Ginger powder: 1 tsp.
Whisked yoghurt: 1/2 cup
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.

1. Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom seeds. Add the sliced onions after a minute and fry till they start getting brown.
2. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the asafoetida and mix well.
3. Add the chicken pieces and mix with the masala. Let cook for 5 minutes. Then add salt and 1/2 cup of water and cover. Let cook covered for 10 minutes.
4. Remove cover. Mix the red chilli powder in 2 tsp. water and then add to the pan. Mix. 
5. Add the fennel seeds, ginger powder and the yoghurt. Mix well and let cook for another 10 minutes on medium flame.
6. Turn off the heat, add the garam masala (do not mix) and cover. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Remove cover, mix and serve hot. 

Kashmiri Chicken Curry

Kashmiri Pulao

The richness and royalty which comes to the mind while hearing about a "Kashmiri Pulao" is itself incredible. And hell, yeah.. it is rich; and it is royal. It is fruity, and it is nutty. It was one of the best simple and easy rice recipe I have had in a while. This recipe uses fried nuts (with a warning they indeed make the dish on the heavier side) and some fruits.

Usually fruits which are added to the rice are apples, pineapple and pomegranate. But what has to kept in mind the combination with which this dish is being served. If you are serving it with a spicy or tangy curry, then I guess the combination of the curry and fruits would not be good idea. I served it with butter chicken so I skipped onto the fruit. But if this is being served as a side dish, with something sweet, such as fruit raita (pineapple or mixed fruit), then adding fruits would be great.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice: 2 cups
Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Onion (sliced): 1
Bay leaves: 2
Cloves: 3
Cardamom: 2
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Cinnamon stick: 1
Dry ginger powder: 1/2 tsp.
Saffron: 2 pinches
Cashew nuts: 6
Almonds: 6
Walnuts: 4

Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes and then boil them plain. Keep aside. Heat oil in a shallow pan and add the sliced onions. Sauté them until they become golden brown and crispy. Drain them from the oil and keep aside on a tissue paper. In the same pan, lightly fry cashews, almonds and walnuts; each separately, drain oil and keep aside. In the same pan, add the whole spices: cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon. Fry till the spices become fragrant. Add dry ginger powder and mix well. Add saffron strands and turn off the flame. Pour this tempering over the boiled white rice. Garnish with dry fruits and fried onions. Serve as you wish.