Dhansak Masala

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds: 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 1
Shah Jeera: 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1 tsp.
Star anise: 1
Peppercorns: 1 tsp.
Poppy seeds: 1 tsp.
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Cloves: 3
Bay leaves: 2
Mace: 1
Nutmeg: 1
Aniseed: 1 tsp.

Dry roast all the ingredients. Cool and grind to a fine powder and store in an air-tight container. Use this powder for a different taste to stir-fry vegetables, pulao, veg and non-veg curries. I had used this for Olive Green Chicken (recipe coming soon).

Saffron Fish Curry

Ingredients:

Fish: 250 gm (I used Salmon fish)

For the marinade:

Coconut milk (thick): 1/2 cup
Saffron: 2 pinches
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.

For the curry:

Mustard oil: 3 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chilli: 1
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 6 (I used small cocktail tomatoes, can be replaced with 2 big sized tomatoes)
Salt to taste
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Coconut milk: 1/4 cup
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish
A pinch of saffron to decorate

1. Wash and clean the fish and marinate in the marinade ingredients and keep aside for about 15 minutes. 
2. Heat oil on medium flame and add the fish and the marinade. Fry well on both sides, turning carefully and drain from the oil and keep aside. This frying will take about 5-7 minutes as the fish is very delicate. 
   
3. Heat the same oil and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the whole chilli and the onions. Fry until they become transparent.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste (I used grated ginger and garlic, it gives a rustic flavor) and fry until the raw smell goes away. 
5. Add the dry spices: coriander, cumin, red chilli and turmeric and mix everything well. 
6. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
   
7. Add the garam masala and the coconut milk and mix everything very well. Add a cup of water and cover. Let cook on medium flame for about 10-15 minutes. 
8. Remove the cover and add lemon juice. Mix and add the fried fish. Turn off the flame and cover again. Let sit for about 10 minutes so the flavors get blended.
9. Remove cover, garnish with coriander leaves, decorate with a pinch of saffron and serve with rice !!

Achaari Paneer Masala

Ingredients:

Cottage cheese: 100 gm
Dried red chilli: 1
Fennel seeds: 1 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp.
Cloves: 2
Bay leaf: 1
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Garlic (chopped): 3 cloves
Tomato (chopped): 2
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Ginger (chopped): 1 inch
Salt to taste
Yogurt: 1/2 cup
Cream to garnish (optional)

1. Dry roast all the whole spices: red chilli, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves and bay leaf. Cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.
2. Grind the onions and garlic together to a smooth paste and keep aside. Grind the tomato, ginger and green chillis together and make another smooth paste and keep aside.
3. Now begin the preparation for curry. Heat oil on medium flame and temper the remaining mustard seeds. 
4. Add the onion-garlic paste and mix well. Let this cook until it gets brown and starts leaving oil on the sides. This step is very important and if the onion masala is not cooked properly it will give a bitter taste to the curry. This will take about 10-12 minutes. Keep stirring so that the masala does not stick to the base or get burnt.
5. When it is done, add the tomato-chilli-ginger paste and mix well. Add the salt and let this masala also cook properly until it starts leaving oil on the sides.
6. Add the ground spice powder prepared in step 1. mix everything well and let cook for another minute. 
7. Add the yogurt and give it a stir. Cover and let cook the whole masala for another 10 minutes on low flame. You can also add a bit of water at this stage according to the required curry consistency. You need to add water if serving with rice, not required if serving with chappati/ paratha.
8. Remove the cover and add the cubed cottage cheese. Mix well and turn off the flame. Let sit for another 10 minutes. 
9. Remove cover and garnish with coriander leaves and cream (optional). Serve hot !!

Baby Onion ka Salan

Ingredients:

Peanuts: 10
Sesame seeds: 1 tsp.
Grated coconut: 2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Baby onions: 8
Green chilli (sliced): 2
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 1
Curry leaves: a few
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1/ tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Mint leaves: a few
Coriander leaves: a few
Tamarind extract: 1 tsp.
Jaggery (powdered): 1 tsp.

1.  Dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut. Cool and grind to a powder and keep aside.
2. Heat oil and saute the baby onions and the sliced green chillis for a while. Drain from oil and keep aside. 
   
3. Heat the same oil and crackle the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the whole red chilli and the curry leaves.
4. Add the chopped onions and fry until they start becoming transparent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears.
5. Add the tomato and sprinkle salt. Mix well and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
6. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Add the ground spice mix in the step 1 and mix everything well.
7. Add chopped mint and coriander leaves, tamarind extract and jaggery. I did not have jagery so I used 1 tsp. sugar instead. Mix everything well, add half a cup of water and cover. Let cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
8. Remove cover and add the sauteed baby onions and green chillis. Mix well and turn off the flame. Cover and let sit for about 10 minutes so the onions get incorporated in the curry.
9. Remove cover and serve with chappatis or jeera rice. 

Mix vegetable pilaf

This is one simple and quick recipe for those tiring weekdays. This recipe can be made with leftover boiled rice as well (which is what exactly I did). This contains a lot of vegetables and you can add all the available veggies and serve it with simple pickle or yogurt. It is very filling food and easy to prepare.. I whipped it up in 15 minutes..

Ingredients:

Boiled rice: 2 cups
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Potato (chopped): 2 (medium sized)
Carrot (chopped): 1
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1 (big size) I used 6 cocktail tomatoes, halved.
Peas: 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
A lot of coriander leaves to garnish

1.  Heat oil and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the chopped onions and fry until they start getting transparent.
2. Add the potatoes, carrots and any other veggies (boiled cauliflower, beans, capsicum) you would love to add and sprinkle salt. Let them cook completely. This will take about 10 minutes.
3. Add the ginger, green chilli and the tomatoes. Add the peas and the spice powders: red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix everything well and cook until the peas are done and the tomatoes are soft. 
   
4. Add the boiled rice and mix everything well. Turn off the flame after 2 minutes and garnish with a lot of coriander leaves. Simple and healthy veggie pilaf is ready !!

Meen Vindaloo

Ingredients:

For the marination:

Fish: 250 gm (I used Salmon Fish)
Garlic (grated): 5 cloves
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.

For frying:

Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.

For the curry:

Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves: a few
Dried red chilli: 1
Onion (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 2 big (I used cocktail tomatoes so I used 7-8)
Salt to taste
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Tamarind extract: 2 tsp.

1. Wash, clean and marinate the fish in the ingredients for marination and keep aside for 15 minutes. 
2. Heat oil in a pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the marinated fish and sprinkle some red chilli powder. Fry the fish on both sides for about 2-3 minutes, turning carefully so the fish does not break. 
   
3. Remove from the pan and keep aside. 
4. Heat the same oil and add more oil to the pan. Crackle the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. 
5. Add the curry leaves and the dried red chilli and give a stir. Add the onions after about half a minute and mix well. Let cook until the onions start becoming transparent.
6. Add the tomato and green chilli and sprinkle salt. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes start becoming soft. 
   
7. Add the dry masalas: red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Give a stir and add the tamarind extract. 
8. Mix everything together and add a cup of water. Cover and let cook on medium flame for about 10 minutes till all the spices are blended and the wonderful curry is prepared.
9. Remove cover and mix. Add the fried fish pieces and mix well carefully. Turn off the heat and cover again, let the fish sit in steam for about 10 minutes. 
10. Remove cover and garnish with coriander leaves (optional) and serve hot with jeera rice.   

Capsicum Tomato Masala

Ingredients:

Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Garlic (chopped): 3 cloves
Tomato (chopped): 2
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Capsicum (cubed): 1 (I used green capsicum but colored bell peppers can also be replaced with)
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Coriander to garnish

1. Heat oil and temper the cumin seeds. Add onion when they crackle and fry until they are pink and transparent.
2. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the tomato and green chilli. Sprinkle salt and let cook. 
3. When the tomatoes are about half done, add the capsicum and mix well. Add the dry spices: red chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. Mix everything well and cover. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and the capsicum is done. 
4. Check the capsicum by breaking one piece with the cooking spoon and if it snaps and breaks, that means it is not yet done. If it becomes soft that means it is done.
5. Turn off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.