Nawabi Rajma Masala (with whole spices)

Ingredients:

Rajma (kidney beans): 2 cups (boiled)
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Shahi jeera: 1/2 tsp.
Onion seeds (kalonji): 1/4 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 1
Bay leaf: 1
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Cloves: 2
Green cardamom (with covers): 2
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Black peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Star anise: 1
Onion (chopped): 1
Garlic: 3 cloves (crushed)
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Ginger (crushed): 1 inch
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Yoghurt: 4 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.

1. First I made the rajma masala powder because I don't like store brought ones. So add the whole spices: cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, coriander seeds, peppercorns, star anise in a mortal-pestle and grind it to a rough powder. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil and crackle shahi jeera and onion seeds. Add the bay leaf and dried red chilli. Add the onions after about half a minute and let cook until the onions are turning brown. This step takes time, will be done on medium flame and if skipped will not give the wonderful flavour to the final dish.
3. Add the crushed garlic and again cook for about 5 minutes. Then add tomatoes, green chilli and ginger. Add salt and mix well, cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
4. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and the rajma masala in step 1. Mix everything and fry for another minute.
5. Add the yoghurt and add little left over water from boiling the rajma to this mix. After about 2 minutes, add the boiled rajma without any water. Mix and let cook on medium flame for another 5-7 minutes. 
6. Now transfer this whole mix to a pressure cooker and add the required water (use the water left over from boiling the rajma). Let cook on low-medium flame for about 30 minutes. This will deliver a wonderful result, and the curry will gradually thicken, infusing all the flavours inside. In between, stir and press with the stirring spoon to lightly mash some of the rajma beans to impart the thickness and texture.
7. After 30 minutes, turn off the flame, sprinkle garam masala and cover. After 15 minutes, remove the lid, mix and serve piping hot.. with of course rice !!! Enjoy ! 

Nepali Meen Peera (Fish curry in coconut)

Ingredients:

Fish: 250 gm (I used salmon fish)
Garlic: 3 cloves (crushed)
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Spring onions: 2 (crushed in mortal and pestle)
Dried red chilli: 1
Onion (chopped): 1
Curry leaves: a few
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Ginger (chopped): 1 inch
Tomato (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind: 1 tsp.
Coconut (dessicated): 4 tsp.
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.

Nepali spice mix:
Cumin seeds
White sesame seeds
Mustard seeds
Sichuan pepper (I didn't have this so used white peppercorns instead)
(Take all whole spices in equal quantities and crush in a mortal-pestle or in a mixer)

1. Wash the fish fillets and cut in desired pieces and transfer to a bowl. Over the fish, add the crushed garlic, lemon juice and the sprinkle the Nepali spice mix. Mix everything with your hands so the spice and garlic gets rubbed on the fish. Leave for 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil and add the fish with marinade. Fry on medium flame for about 2 minutes, turning carefully so the fish doesn't break. Drain oil and remove the fish in a bowl. 
3. In the same oil, add mustard seeds, crushed spring onions, dried red chilli and curry leaves. Fry for about a minute and add chopped onions. Fry until they are transparent.
4. Add tomato, ginger and green chilli and sprinkle salt. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add red chilli powder and turmeric and mix well. Add the tamarind and coconut. Mix everything and let cook for another minute. 
5. Add about half a cup of water and cover on medium flame for about 10 minutes. Remove cover and add the fried fish. Mix well and serve.

Nawabi Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken: 200 gm
Mustard oil: 3 tsp.
Green cardamom: 2
Cloves: 2
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Bay leaf: 1
Star anise: 1
Black cardamom: 1
Mace: 1
Peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fennel seeds: 1/4 tsp.
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp.
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Yoghurt: 1/2 cup
Onion (sliced): 1
Dry red chilli: 1
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Sugar: 1/2 tsp.

1. Make a paste in a grinder with following: chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste, yoghurt, salt and black pepper powder. Marinate the chicken in this mix for about an hour.
2. Heat oil and add all the whole masalas: cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise, black cardamom, mace, peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Fry for a while and add the sliced onion. 
3. Fry until the onion starts getting brown. Add the red chilli and add chicken pieces without the marinade. Mix well and fry for 3-4 minutes on medium flame.
4. Add the marinade and mix well. Add sugar and water, mix and cover. Let cook on medium flame for another 15 minutes.
5. Remove cover, sprinkle garam masala.. mix and serve !!

Snowy times.....

Here I look outside my window..
to see the onset of winters..
I see the light very late..
and it sets off earlier than the evenings...
It amazes me...
that the mornings are dark
and the evenings are dark..
while the soft snow begins to fall..
Oh! the fresh white lovely snow..
The snow falls in the light
and the snow falls in the dark
I look out from the window..
the trees are snow
and the roads are snow..
like a big white beautiful blanket..
but looks are deceiving, as I know..
So I gaze outside and feel the freeze..

Mornings come and go..
and night after night
I look out and see
nothing but the soft white snow..
knocking softly on my window panes..
and falling to ground, disappointed !!
beautiful white flakes..
glimmer in the shades of yellow
as they fall through the lone street lamp..
I reach out my hand to my window sill
for the white mist that came through the night
but my window is closed
so I press my nose to the cold panes
and take a part of chill in me..

As I long to touch the white covers
and explore the beauty with my bare hands
I take the chill inside me bit by bit
and feel myself closer to the snow..
I take a deep breath and step out
where the soft, white mist falls to the ground..
I close my eyes and feel the chill
and tilt my head towards the sky...
as the snow falls calmly at my face
covering my hands and feet and hair..
I feel a bliss.. as blessings showering from above...
I'm standing on a snow ground
So I kick the fresh whites with my feet..
and I pleasure at seeing them fly away..
so I kick some more, and more and more...

With my bare hands I make a ball of snow
and throw it far away..
I make another, and another..
till my hands are frozen and they give away..
I touch the misty flakes on the glass of a car..
and shake the snow off a tree..
I feel the chill and I almost froze
but I sit on the ground and then I lie down
As it is in heaven..
Lying on the fresh bed of snow at night
with flakes covering my face and hair..
I close my eyes and breath it in..
I am no longer scared...
I am fearless !!!!!

Hasselback chicken in Tomato curry

Ingredients:

Flat chicken breast: 300 gm
For the marination:

Ginger-garlic paste: 4 tsp.
Salt to taste
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Mango powder: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek powder: 1/2 tsp.
Mint powder: 1/2 tsp.
Poppy seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.

For the curry:

Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp.
White peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Yoghurt: 1/2 cup

1. Wash and clean the chicken breast and carefully make slits in the flat chicken, making sure you don't cut it through all the way. The bottom portion must remain intact.
2. Make a paste of all the ingredients under marination: ginger-garlic paste, salt, coriander powder, garam masala, mango powder, fenugreek powder, mint powder, poppy seeds and lemon juice. Carefully marinate the chicken with slits in this paste and also stuff the marinade in the slits. Cover and keep this in fridge for 4-6 hours, but 2 hours minimum.
3. Remove from the fridge and wrap the complete chicken with marinade in an aluminium foil from all sides. Keep this packet in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes at 150 degrees.
4. By this time we will prepare the curry. Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and peppercorns. Add onions and fry until transparent.
5. Add the tomatoes and green chilli. Add salt and mix, let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add red chilli and turmeric and mix well.
6. Add the yoghurt after 30 seconds and mix everything. Add about half a cup of water and mix well. Cover and let cook on medium flame for about 10 minutes. 
7. By this time, the chicken will be baked. Remove from oven and carefully remove from the aluminium foil. The juices will run clear in the foil. Discard that and now add the baked chicken to the curry. Carefully mix everything well and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from flame and serve.

Disclaimer: This is an original recipe of the author. The recipe and the pictures may not be copied in any form without the author's permission.

How to make chapatti (roti/Indian flatbread)

Making chappati (Indian flatbread) is the most basic thing in an Indian household, but also it can be the most difficult thing sometimes. It's a blessing that I could make nice, soft, round puffed-up chappatis since the age of 9.. and the credit goes to.. obviously my Nani-ji. She was the one who taught me to make the basic roti dough and chappatis. She always used to tell me: Beta, where ever you live, no matter how much you earn, you MUST know how to feed yourself, because not every time you will find someone who would be willing to cook for you in exchange of money, not every day you will love what someone else can cook for you, and you must NEVER trust on anybody to fill up yourself with nice, healthy food; because anybody can deceive you when you want a nice, simple home-cooked food, but not your own hands. Your hands will always be with you, and if you know how to create simple and basic food, you will be satisfied and happy and independent.

So here's sharing how I make basic chappatis:

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour
Water to knead
Dry wheat flour for dusting

1. Make a nice dough with the wheat flour. See here: Making basic roti dough.
2. Pinch out a small ball from the dough, it must not be very big, not small. Now, how you roll this into a ball will affect how the chappati will turn out. So this ball needs to be punched a bit with the first two fingers and then rolled in a ball. The smoother the ball, the better the roti.
3. Now roll this ball into the dusting flour and press lightly with fingers. Dust off the excess flour and begin rolling, putting mild pressure. Rotis are best flattened when the rolling pin in held not too far from the part from the thicker part.
   
4. Roll in one direction, do not change sides often. Dust it in the flour whenever required, but do not dust more than twice for one chappati, and do not change sides more than twice for one chappati.
5. When the roti is rolled, it should neither be thick nor very thin, because the thick roti will not be done properly and very thin roti will dry out and become more like papad. Now dust off all the excess dusting flour from the chappati by carefully lifting up the chappati. The extra dusting flour makes the chappati dry and burns in to leave the red patches in chappti.
6. Now heat the tawa/griddle/pan on the maximum heat. When it is hot, carefully put the chappati. After 10 seconds, flip sides. Wait. After 20 seconds flip sides again and then lighly press with a kitchen cloth. The roti will begin to puff up. At this time, turn the flame to low. 
7. Flip sides quickly and lightly press with the kitchen cloth and by this time the roti will be done. Remove from flame. I do not use anything like a wire mesh and always prepare on my non-stick tawa. Repeat for all the dough. Enjoy soft chappatis with anything.

Royal Green Paratha

Ingredients:

Wheat flour: 2 cups for making 4 parathas
Water to knead
Gram flour: 1/4 cup
Yoghurt: 3 tsp.
Cooking oil: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Spinach leaves: 2 cups
Carrots: 1
Green chilli (finely chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder
Mango powder
Garam masala
(All spices according to taste)

1. Heat oil in a shallow pan and crackle the cumin seeds. Add very finely chopped spinach to the pan and let it cook on medium flame for about 2 minutes. The leaves will start to wilt. Turn off the flame and let it cool. 
   
2. Take the flour in a bowl and add everything: gram flour, grated carrots, green chilli, yoghurt, salt, red chilli, mango powder and garam masala. Also add the cooked spinach. Mix everything well. 
3. Now make a dough by adding very little water at a time and form it into a solid dough. We will make parathas immediately as salt is added to the dough which will make the dough sticky if kept for sometime. 
4. Pinch out small balls from the dough and roll carefully using a little dusting from the dried wheat flour. 
   
5. Heat the griddle/tawa on highest temperature and carefully put the rolled out paratha on the tawa. 
6. Turn after 20 seconds. Let cook completely from both sides. Ideally it is cooked evenly,just past the stage of not remaining uncooked, but we prefer a little bit burnt flavour in the same, adds to the taste (just as you could see in the pictures). This comes with experience, you might not want to burn it much, as it will spoil the entire taste. So cook it just until past the uncooked stage. 
   
7. Now fry both sides with butter and take out on a plate. Add a dollop of butter and serve hot with any pickle or coriander-mint chutney.