Rajmah Masala

Red kidney beans are one of the gorgeous beans among the Beans and Lentils food group. They are very nutritious too.

Whenever I prepare this dish, I make it a point to savor them along with Palak Pooris, the combo I love to have for a meal or a filling breakfast. You can even have this red bean curry along with rice and a side dish, or prepare Rajmah Pulao for a one-dish meal.

Rajmah Masala 

Adding dried crushed Curry leaves to this recipe impart their own flavor to the dish. Ofcourse you can substitute it with fresh leaves if available. I have been searching extensively for a Curry leaf plant in Canada so that I can always have a supply of those fragrant leaves for my culinary use. I hope I find one someday soon.

Rajmah Masala

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil – 2 tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 1, large, finely sliced
• Dried Red Kidney Beans – 1 cup (or) Canned Red KidneyBeans – 1 can (173 gms, Red Kidney beans in Water), drained
• Tomatoes – 2, finely chopped
• Thick Coconut Milk – 4 tbsp
• Garam Masala – 1 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
• Dried Crushed Curry Leaves – 2 tbsp (or) Fresh Curry leaves – 8-10

Method:

• Wash and soak the Red kidney beans in surplus water overnight. The next day, drain them and in a saucepan, bring two litres of water on boil and add the soaked and drained beans and cook them along with half tsp salt till they are just soft. Do not make them mushy. Drain and keep aside
• Pour oil into a saucepan at medium heat and as soon as it warms ups, throw in the sliced onion. Stir fry them till they are golden. Add the drained Red kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, red chilli powder and salt. Stir gently to mix well and cover the lid. Simmer for about 10 minutes stirring it two times in between.
• Open the lid and mash the mixture a little bit with the back of a wooden sppon. Throw in the crushed dried curry leaves and the garam masala. Gently give it a stir and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: It tastes delicious along with Palak Poori, my favorite combo. You can also have it along with Roti or Parathas or Rice.

I am sending this to as an entry to the Click:Beans ‘n Lentils event hosted by Jai and Bee at Jugalbandi.

Luv,
Mona

Fettuccine in Creamy Coconut Milk

Pasta is loved by everyone, and i believe it is one of those simplest one dish meals one can think of which is also everyone’s favorite for times when you have to serve the meal in less than 35 minutes. This is one such dish that i prepare using the usual ingredients and turns out to be a great hit with my loved ones.

This is my lovely Sisters recipe. She taught me this recipe and i prepare this along with any noodles that I have in my house. I also serve it along with Chicken Tikka, Salmon Tikka or Lamb Tikka. Children will especially devour upon it, and the elders too.  

 

Fettucine in Creamy Coconut Milk 

Coconut Milk here makes a creamy sauce giving it a rich golden colour. Its healthy and nutritious.

Fettucine in Creamy Coconut Milk  

Ingredients:

To Prepare Sauce

• Canola Oil – 4 tbsp 
• Yellow Onions – 2, thinly sliced
• Tomatoes – 1, large, finely diced
• Red Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp
• Salt – 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala – 1 tbsp
• Cornmeal – 2 tbsp
• Coconut Milk – 3 tbsp
• Light Cream – 1 tbsp
• Water – 2 cups approx
• Green Capsicum – 1, chopped
• Red Capsicum – 1, chopped
• Crimini Mushrooms – 100 gms, sliced

To Prepare Pasta 

• Fettuccine Noodles - 500 gms
• Water – 5.5 litres
• Salt – 1 tbsp

Method:

• In a heavy non-stick saucepan at medium high heat, pour in oil and as soon as it warms up, add the sliced onions and sauté them till they are light brown in colour. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala. Mix and let it cook on medium heat till the tomatoes are mushy.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender container and add cornmeal to it. Blend till pasty.
• Pour this paste back in the same pan and let it cook till oil seperates.
• Add Coconut milk, cream and water to it. Let it cook for 3 minutes.Throw in the chopped red and green capsicums and mushrooms. Bring to a boil at medium high heat.
• Meanwhile in a large saucepan , pour water and add the remaining salt to it. Bring it to a boil and add the pasta and stir until water again returns to a boil. Cook uncovered for 9 minutes stirring occassionally or until al dente. Drain.
• Mix the drained pasta with the prepared Coconut milk sauce in the saupan and cook on low heat for 3 minutes.

Suggested Accompaniments: Serve it hot along with Boiled halved Eggs, and sliced Black Olives, Chicken Tikka or Lamb Tikka or Salmon Tikka, Chicken Croquettes, Pan Grilled Chicken Mustard, Grilled Sweet Chilli Chicken.

Luv,
Mona

Lazeez Murgh Qorma

Murgh Qorma is one dish i and my family cannot live without. Its Irf‘s most loved dish. He will rate it ten out of ten all the time. Its a dish in which the chicken is simmered on low in a creamy fragrant yogurt sauce with ginger-garlic pastes and cashew nuts in it. There can be nothing as filling and comforting as this. Its comfort food!

It gets prepared easily, doesn’t need lot of preparation and pre-planning. Its one of the ‘most’ important dishes in Hyderabadi cuisine. Earlier, for the preparation of this curry, the Chicken was allowed to cook on low heat for a long time in the fried onion and the fragrant spiced yogurt sauce till soft and perfectly done. But i have modified it a bit from the original style, and cook it in a differet way, so that it’s simpler, healthy and creamier.

In Hyderabad, this dish is mostly prepared on every Gatherings and Occasions, big or small, be it a wedding, a birth, new house, new car, or Eid.. It is usually had along with Naan or Rumali Roti. The bread is dipped into the warm sauce, and had with a few bits of Chicken in each morsel.

A typical Hyderabadi menu for an Occasion will be: Non-Vegatarian or Vegetarian Kababs or Spring rolls and Marag as Appetizer; Any Sookha(dry) Chicken or Mutton Curry, or Chicken/Lamb Qorma (this will be the Patla Salan- Liquid Gravy Curry, with Rumali Roti(Rumali means Kerchief, its called so because the Roti is unbelievably as thin as a kerchief!, it is light and very yummy), Lamb/Chicken Biryani along with Mirchi Ka salan, and then a Meetha. Ah! I am missing India and my place’s wonderful and mouth watering dishes. I am proud of my place, Hyderabad for its very Ethnic and Scrumptious Cuisine. I will post the recipes of each and every recipe here to share with you all guys, the way i prepare it in my house.

I plan to publish a Cookbook of my own where i can write all my Recipes, my version of Hyderabadi Cuisine. I have not done much about it right now. This thought and wish lingers on my mind and i think its time i should do something about it. I need resources for this project. Will let you guys know as the work proceeds..

You can add heavy cream, cashew nuts or almonds, and cubed potatoes too in this dish. But it is optional. You can even exclude Chicken in the recipe and only add potatoes instead, to make it ‘Aloo Ka Qorma’. If you do not even want potatoes, you can simply make it ‘Malai Qorma’, excluding the Chicken and Potatoes. The procedure to prepare ‘Mutton/Lamb Qorma’ is slightly different. So, i will post its recipe separately in the coming days.

Lazeez Murgh Qorma

Ingredients:

• Chicken with bone/Boneless Chicken Breast – washed and cubed into bite size pieces, 500 gms
• Red Chilli Powder – 1 3/4 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-Garlic Paste – 2 tsp
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Dry Roasted Coriander Seed Powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Onions – 4, large, sliced thick
• Cashewnuts and Almonds – 1/4 cup, chopped
• Canola/Sunflower oil – 4 tbsp
• Yogurt – 1 1/2 cups, lightly beaten
• Desiccated Coconut/Coconut Milk – 2 tbsp
• Mint leaves/Pudina – 1 cup, finely chopped
• Cilantro – 1 cup, finely chopped
• Potatoes – peeled, washed, and cubed, 1 cup (optional)
• Heavy Cream – 2 tbsp
• Thai Red Chillies, Coriander leaves – for garnishing

Method:

• Marinate the Chicken in the Salt, Red chilli, Turmeric, Ginger-Garlic paste and Coriander seed powder mixture for an hour.
• Take a high walled heavy bottomed non stick stock pot on medium heat and throw in the sliced Onion rings.
• Give them a stir every 2 minutes, and once they are caramelized, remove them in a food processor bowl or a blender bowl. Add in the chopped cashew nuts/almonds (optional). Process/blend them till pureed. Add a few drops of water to aid in the process. Do not add too much water.
• Heat oil in the same pan and add the cubed potatoes(if you are using them), fry them on all sides till lightly browned. Remove them with a slotted spoon in a bowl.
• In the same pan add the pureed onion mixture and let it cook for five minutes. Add the marinated Chicken and yogurt to it and mix it well. Reduce the flame to medium low. Cover it for five to ten minutes. Keep an eye on it and keep giving it a stir every now and then.
• The oil should start to separate by now. Let it cook a bit more, it the mixture has become too dry add half cup water and cook it till the all the oil has very nicely separated out and the raw smell of the yogurt has gone.
• Later, add the fried potatoes, mint and coriander leaves and Desiccated Coconut/Coconut milk. Mix well and let it it cook for a minute more.
• Add water (around a glass) to get the desired consistency. This does not usually have a very thick or a very loose consistency gravy. Its has a medium consistency. Let it come to a boil once. Cover the lid and let it cook for five minutes.
• Once the chicken and the potatoes are done, Serve it hot. Garnish with Heavy cream on top, sliced thai red chillies and coriander leaves.

Enjoy!

I am sending this entry to Meeta as the theme for her Monthy Mingle this time is ‘Comfort Foods’. I’m waiting for its round up, now who doesnt like Comfort Foods?!

Luv,
Mona