Chicken Curry - Traditional

Ah chicken curry!

Each cook has his/her unique way of making chicken curry at home. Even if I give you the recipe here, it will never taste the same - so don't worry- make it a couple of times and you will hit upon the magic proportions that you and your family love. It never has to be exactly the same as someone else's. The biggest fan of my chicken curry is my little one- Anagha...this is especially for her.

I use either whole chicken,cut up or chicken thighs for chicken curry. That's simply because the leg meat always tastes better when braised and personally I love the chicken thigh meat. But feel free to use breast meat if that's what you like. The only rule is that it should be skinless and bone IN. Never boneless.

1 medium chicken cut into medium sized pieces.
2 cups yellow onion chopped
2 bay leaves
2 TBS chopped coriander leaves
3 TBS oil

For the marinade:
1 TBS turmeric
1 1/2 TBS chili powder
1 TBS salt
1 cup yogurt

Clean the chicken and pat dry. Apply the marinade and make sure all the pieces are covered. Ideally this should be marinated overnight in the fridge, but if you don't have the time, at least an hour or so.

Green Masala paste:

15 cloves of garlic
1 TBS ginger
2 TBS sliced onion
3-4 cloves
5-6 peppercorns
2 star anise
2 black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
2 TBS coriander seeds
1 TBS cumin seeds
1/2 TBS fennel seeds
2 inch piece cinnamon
2 bay leafs
1/2 tsp black cumin seeds

Grind all of the above to a fine paste.

Brown masala paste:

4 TBS sliced onion
2 TBS grated coconut
1 TBS poppyseeds
1 tsp oil

Roast the onion in 1 tsp oil till brown, add the coconut and poppy seeds and roast till coconut turns brown. Grind to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a large thick bottomed pan, add the bay leaves and the chopped onion. Saute till onion is browned. Add the green masala and saute till oil separates. Add the marinated chicken with the marinade. Saute the chicken pieces till they turn white. Add 1 cup of water, lower heat, cover and cook. Stir frequently to make sure the chicken does not stick to the bottom of the pan. You may need to add a little more water, but do not add too much.
Once the chicken is cooked, Add the brown masala and then adjust the thickness of the gravy to your liking. Taste for seasoning. Add the chopped coriander leaves and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Serve with cucumber raita, chapati or paratha and basmati rice.

Palak chi bhaji- Spinach

Very simple preparation - quick, easy and nutritious. Eaten with the ubiquitous varan bhat or best with bhakri!


2 bunches fresh spinach leaves. Cleaned, trimmed and chopped. Should be about 5-6 cups of chopped spinach in all.
1/2 cup chopped onion
4-5 large garlic cloves crushed and chopped into medium pieces... do not chop too fine.
2-3 green chillies slit lengthwise
salt to taste
1/4 tsp sugar
2 TBS oil (for tempering)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of hing
1/4 tsp turmeric.
1 tsp lemon juice

Best made in a wok or a kadhai or a wide saucepan...gives you room to saute.
Heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, hing and turmeric. Add the garlic and fry till golden...please do not burn the garlic. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes till it is translucent. Do not hurry this step or later on you will taste raw onion in the finished vegetable... remember spinach cooks very fast.
Once the onion is cooked and translucent, add the spinach and chilies. Saute well till the spinach and onions are well mixed. Lower the heat to minimum and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the salt and sugar. Make sure the spinach is cooked. Steam for a couple of minutes more if required.
Just before you take it off the heat, add the lemon juice.

Ambat Varan...CKP style Dal

You will find dal in every Indian household- each area- nay each house has it's own way of preparing dal. Ambat Varan- literally translated means Sour dal. This is due to the tamarind pulp we add to flavour the dal. This is a true panch ras (5 rasas or tastes) dish. Of course- me being a CKP- I make mine the CKP way...though dal any way is awesome
Ambat varan and rice - it's the ultimate comfort food in any CKP household.
Again - rule of thumb- 1 cup of dal will give you about 3 and half cups of the finished product..so check how much you need.
Tamarind pulp is extracted by soaking the tamarind in a bowl of warm water and squeezing out the fibrous part.
You can cook the dal in the pressure cooker- that's the easiest method. COuple of whistles and steam for 10 minutes and it's done. You can also cook it in a saucepan...just takes time.

For the dal:

1 cup tuvar dal
1/4 tsp hing
1/2 tsp turmeric

Cook the dal in a pressure cooker till done. Remove and blend till smooth - not with a blender- just a wooden spoon will work.

For the Seasoning

1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS jaggery
1 1/2  TBS tamarind pulp
3/4 tsp red chili powder

Add these seasonings to the cooked dal.

For the Tempering

10-12 curry leaves
5-6 cloves of garlic crushed
2-3 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp hing
2 TBS oil

For the finishing

1 cup of water (or more if required)
2 TBS chopped coriander leaves

Heat oil in a saucepan, add the mustard seeds and hing. Add the garlic and fry till light brown...do not burn the garlic. Add the fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves and add the dal. Stir till the dal is completely mixed with the tempering.
Add 1 cup water- check the dal is at desired consistency- usually soupy - not watery. Recheck for seasoning...Garnish with the coriander leaves. Bring to a rolling boil and done.

Variations

You can use Kokum or raw mango for the sour ingredient instead of tamarind. It's a different flavour profile but equally delicious.
Serve hot over steamed rice - with anything else your heart desires!

Bharli Bhendi - Stuffed Okra

Okay so you need time on your hands to make this dish. You need a lot of time actually. Each okra has to be wiped dry, trimmed and slit lengthwise so you can stuff it with the prepared paste. But the end result is worth the effort. Try it one day - I promise you won't be disappointed.

1 lb (250 gms) of Indian okra - try and pick the smaller ones
5 TBS oil
1/2 tsp hing
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
12-14 curry leaves

Wipe the okra dry with a paper towel, trim the ends and slit them lengthwise. Take care not to go all the way through or the stuffing will just fall out the other side.

For the stuffing

1 cup fresh grated coconut. (you can use the frozen variety just make sure it's defrosted)
1 cup coriander (cilantro)
1 TBS lime juice

Grind these 3 ingredients to a paste but not too smooth. Let it have a bit of coarseness. Try not to use water when blending. If needed add maybe couple of tablespoons of water.

3 TBS coriander seeds
1 TBS cumin seeds
1 TBS fennel seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 TBS sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt

Grind all the spices together to a fine powder using a spice grinder or a coffee grinder.
Mix the ground spices with the coconut paste.

Stuff each okra with the spice-coconut paste mixture.
In a large frying pan (I use a paella pan) add the oil, hing, turmeric and chili powder. Stir it together and wait till its just warmed through, do not heat it too much, we don't want to burn the chili powder.
Add the stuffed okra and cover and cook. Give it a careful stir every so often. I usually just shake the pan to move them around. Cook till the okra are tender. This will depend on the size but on average about 25 minutes or so. The okra will loose the green colour and turn kind of black when they are cooked. Add the curry leaves and stir them in, turn off the heat and let sit for a couple of minutes to let the leaves steam and release the flavour.

Serve with chapati or kadhi (http://mykitchenbyswati.blogspot.ca/2011/05/kadhi-yogurt-curry.html ) and rice.

Cabbage stir fry (Indian style - Kobichi bhaji) - 2 ways

On request from Amruta. I am still puzzled as to when she started eating cabbage bhaji!
This is very basic vegetable to prepare- everybody cooks cabbage- in many different ways.
I make a quick veg using green chillies or sometimes add soaked chana dal or soaked moong dal to it - which take a little bit more time to make - and bit more prep time.
I use the regular cabbage - not Napa cabbage and not the red cabbage.

So the simple version first.

Simple Cabbage Stir Fry

2 cups of green cabbage - shredded.
3-4 Green chillies slit length wise
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2-3 TBS oil
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udad dal
1/2 tsp hing
1/2 tsp turmeric
1.2 tsp cumin-coriander powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TBS chopped coriander leaves


The best pan for this is a wok. Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and  asafoetida (hing). Add the turmeric and udad dal- fry for 30 seconds. Add the curry leaves, ginger and chillies. Fry for less than a minute and add the cabbage. Give it a quick stir to make sure the cabbage is evenly coated with the seasoned oil. Lower the heat, add cumin-coriander powder, salt and sugar. Mix well and cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Try not to over cook the cabbage, this tastes best when the cabbage still has a bit of a bite to it.
Garnish with the coriander leaves to serve.

Note- make sure you drain the cabbage completely before you cook it. The best way is to spin it through a salad spinner or lay it out on a kitchen towel and pat dry. Wet cabbage will not cook up crisp and crunchy.

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Now the lengthy version!


Cabbage with chana dal (split chick peas)

3/4 cup soaked chana dal (soaked for at least 3-4 hours)
3 cups of chopped cabbage
10-12 curry leaves
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder
3/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp red chili powder
3-4 TBS oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp hing
salt to taste
3/4 tsp sugar
3-4 lime wedges
2 TBS chopped coriander



Heat oil - add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. Add 4-5 curry leaves and the soaked dal, turmeric and chili powder. Saute for a minute. Add 3-4 TBS water and let it come to a boil, lower the heat and cover and cook the dal till al dente. (should give when you press it with you finger but should not turn into a curry). Add the Cabbage, remaining curry leaves, ginger, cumin-coriander powder, salt and sugar. Saute till the dal is mixed with the cabbage. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander and lime wedges to serve.

Cucumber Yogurt sauce - Indian style Raita

The Raita - you find it in almost every Indian restaurant - usually it's so bland and watery - it's gotten a bad name- and rightly so.

It's base is yogurt, you can add various salad vegetables to it - and that's what it's called then.
Cucumber raita, tomato raita, onion raita and so on.

It has a Maharashtrian cousin- called the Koshimbir - more on that in a separate post :)

2 cups of yogurt
1 hothouse cucumber (seedless)
2 green chillies
2 TBS cilantro (leaves only)
1 tsp salt
1 TBS mint leaves

Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Grate the cucumber or dice it really fine, toss it with 1/2 tsp salt and place in a sieve to drain. Squeeze out as much water as you can from the cucumber before adding to the yogurt.

Mix the thickened yogurt with the chopped green chillies, chopped cilantro leaves, salt and chopped mint leaves. Add the cucumber and fold in. 

Serve immediately as accompaniment to any Indian meal.

Variations

Tomato Raita.

Use diced, de-seeded tomatoes in place of or in addition to cucumbers.

Onion Raita.

Use diced red onion instead of cucumbers.

Tomato Onion Raita

Use diced, de-seeded tomatoes and diced red onion and drop the cucumbers. 

Palak Paneer - Spinach and Cottage Cheese

This is the ubiquitous Saag-Paneer that is present in all Indian buffet's By the time you get to the dish - the paneer is all gone or it's crumbled into the saag- leaving a trail of white dust!

This is actually an extremely tasty dish if done right- and my teacher was a master at this dish. I hope I come close to her teachings.

I use baby spinach - it cooks faster and blends smoother and the colour is a bright green when cooked. I add fenugreek leaves - if you can't find fresh ones, feel free to use the frozen ones. They work just as well.


1 package baby Spinach (usually about 5 cups)
1 cup fenugreek (methi) leaves or 1/2 package frozen methi leaves
4-5 green chillies
1 cup yellow onion diced
1 cup tomato diced
1 TBS garlic paste
1 TBS ginger paste
1/2 tsp coriander-cumin powder
1 tsp salt (to taste)
4 TBS oil
1 block of Paneer - cut into cubes and sauteed till light brown.You can increase the amount of paneer used as per your liking.


In a large pot add the spinach leaves, methi leaves and green chillies. Add about a cup of water, cover and simmer. The leaves will be cooked in about 15 minutes. Take off the heat and let it cool a bit.
Blend the onions to a smooth paste using as little water as possible. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the onions. Saute on medium heat till light brown in colour.
Blend the tomatoes, ginger paste and garlic paste till smooth. Add this paste to the browned onion paste and saute. The raw garlic smell has to disappear and you should see oil separating from the paste.
The better you cook this base - the better your final Saag will taste. So spend some time and effort on this step. This should be done on medium heat and frequent stirring is recommended.
Blend the cooked spinach and methi and add that to the onion - tomato base. Mix well. Add salt and coriander-cumin powder.
Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Add the fried paneer pieces and let simmer for a few minutes.

Garnish with a little fresh cream just before serving if desired.

Indian Staples - Sarson Ka Saag Aur Makke Ki Roti - Mustard Greens and Corn bread

Sarson Ka Saag and Makke Ki Roti is a Punjabi specialty. Growing up in Mumbai, we had Punjabi neighbours who introduced us to this awesome preparation.
This preparation is made from the tender leaves of the mustard plant - the leaves have the characteristic 'bite' of mustard. They are cooked together with spinach and fenugreek leaves.

You can find mustard greens in our grocery stores in Canada and US - under the name Rapini. Make sure you pick the tender ones. We use maize flour to thicken this dish. Maize is basically a different name for corn but please do not use corn flour. You get maize/corn flour which will be yellow in colour and coarser than cornflour in the Indian grocery store. Ask for Makke ka Atta.

For the Sarson Ka Saag

2 bunches mustard greens - pick the leaves and discard the thick stems if any and wash thoroughly

3 cups chopped mustard greens
2 cups of chopped baby spinach
1 cup chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 TBS ginger paste
1 TBS garlic paste

3 TBS maize flour 
4-5 green chillies
1/2 tsp whole cumin
1/2 tsp asafoetida
salt
4-5 TBS ghee

Cook the greens (mustard, spinach and fenugreek) with 2-3 green chillies in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Alternately you can slow cook them on the stove top - but this does take a lot of time and the vegetables lose nutrients and the lovely green colour.
In a separate pan, heat the ghee and temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing).
Add the onions and saute till translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes, ginger paste and garlic paste and fry till the ghee separates.
Add 2-3 chopped green chillies and the cooked greens. Add salt to taste. Saute for a few minutes till the onion/tomato is totally mixed with the greens. Simmer on a low flame for about 10 minutes. Add the maize flour and cook for another 20 minutes or so. The maize will thicken the sauce.

For the Makke Ki Roti

2 cups of maize flour
1/4 tsp salt
water
ghee

Mix the flour, salt and water to make a dough. Take a ball of dough and flatten it to a round roti with your hands. Lift the roti and place topside down on a hot griddle. Cook on both sides till done.
Serve hot with ghee on top

Tadka for the Saag - This is completely optional

3-4 TBS ghee
1 tsp red chili powder

Melt the ghee in a shallow pan, add the chili powder. Let it heat up to smoking point, and then pour the ghee into the prepared Sarson Ka Saag.

Serve the Sarson Ka Saag with the Makke ki Roti and sliced onions.

Indian Staples - Dal Fry

A simple dal fry and rice is a favourite meal in our house. Add some pickles and papads - and you are set!

Amruta specifically asked for this recipe - so here goes...

1 cup dal (any dal will do - masoor, toor or moong)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp hing
1 tsp chopped ginger

Boil till dal is cooked. Don't add too much water. Start with 2 cups and bring to a boil. Then simmer till done. You can always add more water if needed.I usually cook the dal in a pressure cooker. But you can also adapt this recipe for a slow cooker. 

Add the dal, turmeric, hing and chopped ginger  to the slow cooker with 2 cups of water. Cook for 4-5 hours if using toor dal. Cook only for 2-3 hours for moong/masoor dal.

For the tempering:-

3 tbs ghee
1/4 tsp jeera
1/4 tsp hing
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger

7-8 curry leaves
2-3 garlic cloves crushed or chopped
Green or red chilies as per taste. If using whole red chillies use 3
Chopped tomato

Fry this till it smells nice. ;) on medium heat
Add the cooked dal and fry till the masala has coated the dal.
Adjust thickness.
Add salt and sugar. 1 tbs sugar.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Lentil Curry (masuryachi Amti) - Masoor - CKP style

This one is posted especially for Amruta - it's her absolute favourite. Requires a little bit of prep - making the masala- but otherwise it's as easy as pie!

CKP talala masala (CKP fried masala) also called kaala masala

This is a must have in CKP kitchens. Its made fresh everytime you need it- so the taste of the dish is also unique. Freshly made masalas always taste much better. But in today's world its not reasonable to expect everyone to fry and grind spices everytime they make a curry. So I have listed the spices used - you can dry roast these and grind them in a coffee grinder and store. Just don't make too much at one time.

1/2 cup coriander seeds
1 TBS cumin seeds
1 TBS black cumin seeds
1 TBS fennel seed
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp peppercorns
10-12 green cardomoms
5-6 black cardomoms
2 inches cinnamon
3-4 star anise
1/4 cup poppy seeds
5-6 bay leaves

Dry roast these spices till nice and dark brown. Let cool. Grind in a coffee / spice grinder. Store in an airtight container.

1 small red onion sliced thinly lengthwise
2 TBS dry coconut
1 tsp oil

 Roast the onions in oil till brown, add the coconut and continue roasting till it is toasty and dark brown. Do this on a medium flame so the onion and coconut do not burn.
Blend with a little bit of water to a fine paste

Now on to the curry.


1 cup brown lentils (soaked overnight)
1 large yellow onion - chopped
1 tsp ginger - garlic paste
curry leaves
4 pieces kokum
1 tsp jaggery
oil, hing, mustard seeds, turmeric, red chili powder, salt

Heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, hing, turmeric. Add chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry till the onion is translucent. Add ginger - garlic paste, 2 TBS of the ground masala (spices), the drained lentils and 1/2 tsp of red chili powder.  Saute for 5-6 minutes. Add water just enough to cover the lentils, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Check on the doneness of the lentils. They should be soft and the skin should open to the touch. Cover and cook till done. Add the jaggery and kokum. Add the ground coconut- onion paste and adjust the consistency. Bring to a rolling boil.

garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Bhendyachi bhaji - Okra

These are called lady fingers back home in India. In the US they are known as okra and are quite popular. There is some difference in the Indian variety and the locally grown ones that you get in US/Canada. For one the Indian variety is smaller, a slightly darker green and has less 'slime' when cooking.
 If cooked properly, the vegetable loses all its 'slimy' feel and it turns out really nice.

1 lb okra (Indian variety if you can find it)
3-4 green chillies
10-15 curry leaves
3 TBS oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dhaniya jeera powder
1 tsp lime/lemon juice or 1/2 tsp amchur powder
2 TBS finely chopped coriander (cilantro)


Wipe the okra with a damp cloth and slice off the heads. You can chop the okra length-wise or cross-wise- doesn't make a difference to the final outcome.
Chop the green chillies into big pieces (they should be noticeable so you don't  eat the chillies by mistake)

Heat oil in a pan- either a wok or a paella pan works great. Add the mustard seeds, when they sputter, add the turmeric and the asafoetida. Add the chillies and curry leaves. Add the chopped okra and saute for 5-6 minutes on high heat. Add the salt and sugar, saute for 2-3 minutes more. At this point the stickiness might increase due to the salt and sugar. Cover and steam for 7-8 minutes on low heat, till the okra is cooked.
Turn up the heat and saute till all the moisture evaporates. The okra will start to crisp up at this point. Lower the heat and add the fennel seeds,dhaniya jeera powder and lemon juice. Saute for 2-3 minutes and garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Indian Staple - Methi Daal - Lentils with Fenugreek leaves

A good way to eat some fresh methi (fenugreek leaves). I love this dish...comfort food when eaten with rice!

1/2 cup tuvar daal (also known as arhar daal or toor daal)
1 cup (or 1 bunch) fresh methi leaves, washed and chopped
4 green chillies
1 medium tomato chopped
5-6 garlic cloves chopped fine
1 green chilli sliced
3 TBS ghee
salt, sugar, jeera, hing, mustard seeds, turmeric powder

Wash the tuvar daal and cook it along with the methi leaves in a pressure cooker with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp hing. (Usually takes 2 whistles and 15 minutes on low). When cooked, mix properly and add salt to taste. Add about 1/2 tsp sugar and mix well.

Heat a saucepan, heat ghee and temper with jeera (cumin), mustard seeds and hing. Add the tomatoes, chili and garlic and cook till the tomatoes break down.

Add the daal - methi mixture. Add water till it's a nice thick soupy consistency. Adjust salt.Bring to a complete boil. Serve hot...

methi daal with the cauliflower.

Cauliflower bhaji

This is one of the simplest cauliflower preparations...Connie here is the recipe for you. One of the few vegetable preparations that my daughter Anagha requests!

3 cups cauliflower florets, washed and drained well. (don't want any water in there- it makes the vegetable too watery.)
3/4 cup onion finely chopped
4-5 green chillies or to taste
7-8 kadipatta leaves (curry leaves)
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
oil, salt, sugar, mustard seeds, hing.
chopped coriander leaves

Heat oil in a pot big enough to be able to saute the florets easily, they should not be crowded. When the oil is hot, temper with mustard seeds, hing and turmeric. Put in the onions, green chillies and 4-5 curry leaves. Saute till the onion is nicely browned. Then add the cauliflower florets and the remaining curry leaves. Stir well till the florets are well mixed in with the onion. Add salt to taste and a big pinch of sugar and a tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves. Cover and cook on a low flame, stirring occasionally. When the florets are tender, add the garam masala and the remaining coriander leaves.

You can add peas or potatoes to this dish as well. If adding peas simply add once the cauliflower is mixed in and adjust seasoning for the peas.
If adding potatoes, cut them about the same size as the florets and add them with the florets.

Methi daal and Cauliflower bhaji.

Methi theplas

Theplas is a type of chapati/paratha/bread. Methi is a green leafy vegetable - the English name is fenugreek.
This dish originates from the state of Gujarat - but since I grew up in Bombay (Mumbai) this was a common dish. A good way to get kids to eat their greens...it's a favourite to take along on picnics etc as it stays well without refrigeration and is not messy.

2 cups methi leaves (the methi should be washed- and finely chopped)
5 large garlic cloves
5 chillies
1 tsp dhania/ jeera powder (coriander and cumin seeds powdered)
1/4 tsp owa (ajwain) coarsely pounded
1 TBS jaggery ( I usually soak it in just enough water to cover the jaggery and then use that water while making the dough- this way I ensure that there are no lumps and the sweetness is well distributed.
1 TBS salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tbs warm oil
2 tbs besan (gram flour)
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
11/2 cups whole wheat flour (chapati flour) - not AP flour
water to make the dough
oil to roast the theplas

Take the methi leaves in a large bowl, blend the garlic and chillies together and add to the methi leaves. Add salt, jaggery water, owa, dhania/jeera powder, hing, turmeric, chili powder and the 2 TBS warm oil and mix well. When all the spices are properly mixed in add the besan and mix well. Then add the flour and make a regular soft chapati like dough adding water as needed. Cover it and let it rest for an hour or so.This is what the dough should look like.

Roll out the theplas, like you would roll out phulkas, rather thin ones. Roast them with a little oil, on low/medium heat. Remember, you have raw garlic and methi in there and that needs to cook a bit. Here is the thepla being roasted.

Serve hot or cold- these can be stored without refrigeration for a couple of days (depending on the weather). I sometimes freeze them and then a quick zap in the microwave brings them back to life. Serve with 'choonda' (a spicy and sweet raw mango preserve) or any pickle or chutney of your choice. I also like to serve them with dahi (yogurt) and peanut chutney.

Theplas all ready to eat.

Kadhi (Yogurt Curry)

This is a very common dish in India and is made in all regions - of course with regional differences. Here is how I like it

2 cups yogurt
2 cloves garlic, 2 green chillies (or 1 if you don't like it too spicy), 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger. This is to be put through the chopper or the blender..but it should be a little coarse.
1 TBS of gram flour (besan - chick pea flour)
salt and sugar to taste, chopped coriander (cilantro) for garnish
5-6 curry leaves
pinch of asafoetida, mustard seeds for tempering, 1/8 tsp turmeric.
1 TBS oil

Blend together the yogurt, chili/garlic/ginger, salt, sugar and gram flour.
In a non-reactive pot (use stainless steel or a non stick one) heat 1 TBS oil, add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, turmeric and the curry leaves.
Put in the blended yogurt mixture. Add about 2 cups of water and whisk till it becomes smooth. Keep on low heat. Taste - check if extra salt is needed after you add the water.
Stir continuously till the kadhi is heated through and starts  bubbling at the edges, add the chopped coriander. Do not let it boil...that will cause the yogurt to separate.

Enjoy with Khichadi!

Indian Staples - Chilkewale moongdaal ki khichadi - Rice and lentils risotto (Indian style)

This is one of the comfort foods of my childhood. It's soft and savoury- and oh so comforting. It sort of resembles an Italian risotto - don't get too technical here now. I think the origins of this dish are from Rajasthan or Kutch...But I love this dish and there are some variations which I have listed at the bottom.

This recipe makes about 4 cups of the finished product, so adjust accordingly.

1/2 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup split moong dal with the skins on (split mung beans - make sure you get the one with the skins on)
2 cloves, 1/4 tsp jeera (cumin), small piece of cinnamon, 5-6 pepper corns
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida powder)
salt to taste and ghee.

Wash the rice and lentils and soak them for about an hour.
In a pressure cooker add about 2 TBS ghee and the garam masala. Add the drained rice and dal. Saute for about 2-3 minutes till the rice picks up the aroma of the ghee and the spices.
Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste. After 2 whistles, lower the heat and let cook for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the cooker and add 2 TBS ghee when the rice is hot, stir to incorporate the ghee in the khichdi.
Serve piping hot, with Kadhi (Yogurt curry) and papad.

Variations
you can add chopped vegetables to the khichdi, to make it a complete one dish meal. You can add shopped carrots, chopped green beans, peas...

Enjoy!