Mirch Bhajiye

Mirchiyon ke bhajiye, or stuffed deep fried chillies in a thick chickpea flour batter is a very common sight as a snack item loved my almost all Indians. Its one among the top rated street foods dear to every Bharatiya.

Mirch Bhajiye – Stuffed Deep fried Green Chillies

In this cold and chilly weather, I had prepared these as a snack. Actually I was missing Hyderabad so much and felt very nostalgic. It was necessary for me to have Mirch Bhajiye atleast once weekly, or even better more than that when I used to live in Hyderabad. My Ammi used to prepare them for us all, or we used to get them from the Chaat-Walas while shopping at Abids along with the chutneys they offer.

Slit Serrano chillies

I use serrano chillies for preparing these bhajiye, you can however use any kind of long fat and straight green chillies that you like.

Mirch Bhajiye – Stuffed Deep fried Green Chillies

Ingredients:

• Serrano chillies – 12, straight
• Oil for deep frying

For the stuffing-

• Roasted coconut paste (refer below for recipe) – 1/2 tsp
• Roasted groundnut paste (refer below for recipe) - 1/2 tsp
• Roasted Sesame seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Roasted Coriander powder (refer below for recipe) - 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind concentrate – 2 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

For the batter:

Besan Batter

• Chickpea flour/Besan – 300 gms
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Ajwain – 1/2 tsp
• Water

Method:

• Wash and pat dry the chillies. Slit them with the tip of a knife and carefully remove the seeds from inside. (Be careful with your hands while you do this. Do not rub you eyes with your hands while doing this or else they will burn. When all the chillies are done, wash your hands well in warm soapy water)

Stuffed Chilli

• In a mortar and pestle, add all the ingredients for the stuffing and make a paste. Stuff the chillies with the prepared stuffing and keep aside.
• In a seperate bowl, add the flour and spices and mix well with a fork. Add water, just a little at a time, to make a thick and smooth batter. (Make sure the batter is not thin)
• Heat a Kadai or Wok at medium heat. Gently dip the stuffed chillies in the batter to cover them completely and slowly drp them into the hot oil. Deep dry until golden brown in color. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy this snack along with any chutney of your wish.

For my convenience I stock up on a few roasted spice powders and pastes that usually last for almost a month or more. Heres how I prepare and store them.

Roasted Cumin and Coriander powders:

Dry roast cumin and coriander seeds seperately, let them cool down and powder them in a spice grinder until very fine. Store the seperately in small glass air tight jars.

Roasted Coconut paste:

Dry roast shredded coconut until golden brown and a beautiful aroma fills. In a grinder, add the roasted coconut and process until the natural oils are released. Keep scraping the sides and process until it is a fine puree. Store refrigerated in small glass air tight jars for future use.

Roasted Groundnut paste:

Dry roast split peanuts until golden brown and a beautiful aroma fills. In a grinder, add the roasted peanut halves and process until the natural oils are released. Keep scraping the sides and process until it is a fine puree. Store frozen in small glass air tight jars for future use.

Wishing every Indian a very Happy Republic Day. Mera Bharat Mahaan!

Luv,
Mona

Hari Pyaaz aur Malai wale Jhinge

This is one of the dishes that I prepare when I do not have much time to spend in my kitchen. These creamy prawns with scallions get prepared quite quickly and contain all the goodness. 

Hari Pyaz aur Malai wale Jhinge – Shrimp with Scallions and Cream  

Prawns are my favorite among the Seafood. These little crustaceans are devouring. In this dish I have used hari-pyaz/scallions and light cream along with some other ingredients as well, each one of them imparting their own special flavor to the dish, but keeping the flavor of the prawns the dominant.

I have also used the Salan Masala which I learnt from the cookbook Regional Indian Cooking by Ajay Joshi and Alison Roberts. This masala has now become a very important ingredient in many of my daily recipes and I find it very flavorful. I’m sharing the recipe of the masala with you all which I found in the cookbook.

Salan Masala

Makes about 2/3 cup

Ingredients:

• Dry Dessicated Coconut – 1/3 cup
• Sesame seeds – 1 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon stick – 1 insh piece
• Whole cloves – 4
• Green Cardamom pods – 6 green
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Red Chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Turmeric – 1 tsp

Method:

• Dry roast the coconut and sesame seeds at medium heat until golden forn 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool, then in a spice grinder, grind it to a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl.
• Add coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and cumin to the same pan. Dry roast at medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Set aside, cool and gring to a fine powder. Add to the coconut mixture along with chilli powder and turmeric. Stir well to combine. 
• Transfer to an airtight container. Store in refrigerator forupto 6 months. Use a clean dry spoon each time to us ethe masala to prevent mold from forming.

I usually get frozen prawns as they are easy to keep and are available for me to prepare and have them whenever I want. You can even use fresh prawns if available. I miss all the freshly available food in abumdance in India so much. Here, I do not get most of my Indian ingredients, and miss many of the Indian delicacies.

Tip: I have been practising a new way of storing food. I wash, dry and chop them up in the required shapes and freeze them in zip-lock freezer bags for weeks together. Foods that I usually store frozen are chopped green beans, chopped scallions, chopped bottle guard, choped okra, thickly chopped bananas and so on..

Hari Pyaz aur Malai wale Jhinge – Shrimp with Scallions and Cream

Ingredients:

• Fresh or Frozen Prawns – 400 gms, deshelled; tails, legs and veins removed 
• Canola Oil – 2 tsp
• Scallions – 3 cups, chopped with both the green and white parts
• Tomato Paste – 2 tsp
• Red Chilli Flakes – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Light Cream – 2 tbsp
• Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp
• Grated Ginger – 1 tsp
• Salan Masala - 2 tsp

Method:

• Pour oil into a large frying pan with lid at medium heat and as soon as it warms up, add the scallions and saute them for 3-5 minutes. Add tomato paste, red chilli flakes, turmeric, salt and shrimp. Mix, cover with lid and let it cook for 3 minutes.
• Later, add light cream, lemon juice, grated ginger and salan masala. Gently mix well and cover and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: It tastes wonderful along with warm Rotis, or Basmati Chawal and any Vegetable side dish.

Luv,
Mona

Kothmir aur Pudina Ki Chutney

This recipe is very close to my heart and my most cherished one. I love this chutney a lot, and it goes along very well along with almost all snacks like pakode, samosas, bhajiye, and tastes heavenly eapecially along with Khichdi. It has got all the goodness in it. I remember, my fair Dadi (Grandmother) always used to ask a second helping of this chutney… some times more than once! Memories are always associated with food.. many many memories with each and every dish on your table and I know everyone can agree with that.

I cherish this recipe because this is my humble Mother’s recipe which was taught to her by her mother. My Nani (Grandmother) is a very nice soul, she is a great cook too. Now, but due to age, both my Nani and Dadi, my Paternal and Maternal grandmothers cannot cook much today, but I can always ask them for the treasured tips, and recipes which are priceless to me.

Hara Dhaniya aur Pudine Ki Chuteny – Coriander and Mint Chutney 

I have slightly modified the recipe here, and used Thai Red Chillies too. They are optional. Use them if you like, you can substitute them by adding a few more green chillies depending how spicy you want this chutney to be. Also, you can add a few roasted groundnuts to the Chutney, makes it more flavorful, but here i havenot.

Store this Chutney in an airtight small glass jar in the refrigerator for upto a week.

Hara Dhaniya aur Pudine Ki Chutney – Coriander and Mint Chutney  

Ingredients:

• Fresh Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 cup, washed and dried on paper towels, roughly chopped along with the tender stems
• Fresh Mint Leaves/Pudina – 1 cup, washed and dried on paper towels, roughly chopped, only leaves
• Garlic pods – 4, large, roughly chopped 
• Thai Red Chillies – 3, washed and chopped
• Green Chillies – 4, washed and chopped
• Curry leaves – 6-8, washed
• Tamarind ball – without seeds, about the size of a golf ball (or) Tamarind Concentrate – 3 tbsp
• Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
• Dry Desiccated Coconut – 1/2 cup
• Salt – 1 1/3 tsp or according to taste
• Canola/Sunflower Oil – 1/2 tsp

Method:

• In a non stick pan at medium high heat, pour oil and as it warms up, add the shredded coconut and the sesame seeds, and roast them both together till light brown and aromatic. Let it cool. Keep aside.
• Put the tamarind ball in a cup of warm water and let it dossolve completely. Once the tamarind pulp is all soft, sieve the pulp and keep it aside.
• In a blender container put the coriander leaves, mint leaves, garlic pods, red and green chillies, curry leaves, tamarind pulp, sesame seeds, shredded coconut and salt. Blend it till nice and smooth. You can add about half cup of water to aid in the blending if needed.

Serve chilled along with Khichdi, Idli, Dosa, Pakodas, Bhajiyas, Samosas, Croquettes, Kababs, Baghara Chawal, Aloo Paratha.. Or anything you like.

Whenever you are free, listen to this song ‘Luka Chuppi’ from the bollywood movie ‘Rang De Basanti’.

 

Its a very beautiful, touching, soulful song hindi song, , sung by the great Lata Mangeskar and A.R Rahman, never fails to bring tears in my eyes.

Luv,
Mona

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

Talk about Hyderabad’s cuisine, and Hyderbadi Mirchi Ka Salan is sure to become a topic of interest there. Its hot, its spicy, it has gravy, its tangy.. Ah! Yumm!! You will keep on savoring it.

Green Chillies – Hari Mirch

I have used spicy medium thick green chillies for this curry, which are the usual kind preferred. If you do not like this curry too hot and spicy, you can get the chilli according to your taste buds. You can use chillies ranging from the Serrano, Shishito, Jalapenos, Capsicums, Poblano, New Mexican Green, Guero, Chilaca, Anaheim, California Chillies, etc. There are a whole lot of choices depending of the chillies being mild or hot. The chilies preferred for this curry are not very hot, and should have smooth skin, not wrinkly, and should be medium thick, straight and long, and should be fresh. Dried chillies are not used in this curry.

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan - Green Chillies in Sesame Seeds Sauce

The procedure to prepare Baghare Baingan is also almost the same as this curry. Also, you can also add fish (Red snapper, Haddock, Cod..) fillets to the gravy to make it a fish curry. There is no difference, except for the fact that in Baghare Baingan, brinjals are used., in fish curry, fish fillets are used., and in this curry, the green chillies are used. I will even post the recipe for Baghare Baingan and Fish curry in the coming days sometime. They are all equally yummy too.

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan - Green Chillies in a Tangy-Sesame Seeds Sauce

Ingredients:

Green chillies (thick and long) - 10, washed, slit, (seeds removed, if you dont want the curry to be too hot)
Khus Khus/Poppy seeds – 1/2 tsp
Till/Sesame Seeds – 2 tsp
Dhania/Corinader seeds – 1 tsp
Zeera/Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Groundnuts/Moong Phalli - 1/8 cup
Tamarind concentrate – 1 tbsp (or as per taste)
Coconut milk – 1/3 cup
Yellow Onions – 5, medium, sliced thick
Canola/Vegetable/Sunflower Oil – 3/4 cup
Salt – 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 1/3 tsp
Turmeric – 1/3 tsp
Karyapaak/Curry leaves (fresh) - 8
Cumin seeds/Zeera – 1/3 tsp
Dried Red chilli – 2
Kalaunji/Nigella seeds - 1/3 tsp
Kothmir/Cilantro - chopped, for garnishing

Method:

1.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan and add the green chillies and a little pinch of salt (to retain the green colour of the chillies). Wear an oven mitt in your hand, step back, and carefully stir fry the chillies for three minutes. With a slotted spoon, drain and remove the green chillies into a plate.
2. In the same pan with some oil in it, add Khus Khus, Sesame Seeds, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Peanuts, and stir fry it on medium heat for 3-4 minutes again. Remove into a blender container. Let it cool.
3. Now again in the same pan add onions, and stir fry them. Do not add any oil. Let the onions caramelize on themselves. Keep giving them a stir every two minutes. Once the are golden brown, remove them into the same blender container in which the roasted spices were kept. Let it all cool down.
4. Add tamarind paste and coconut milk to the blender container contents. Blend the mixture once cooled adding a few drops of water if needed to aid in the blending, and make it into a smooth paste. It should not be coarse. and do not make the mixture too watery adding more water. It should be thick enough.
5. Now in the same pan at medium heat, add the remaining oil, and throw in the Dried red chillies, Kalaunji, Cumin seeds and Curry leaves. Once they splutter, pour some of the mixture into the pan, and immediately cover the pan with a lid for a minute. Lower the heat. This is done for the mixture to absorb all the flavour from the Baghaar (tempering).
6. Add the remaining mixture and mix it well. Cover the lid again for two to three minutes.
7. Now add the salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, and mix well. Stir fry it for a few minutes till till it leaves oil.
8. Now add the earlier fried green chillies and mix it, so that the mixture goes into the slit of the green chillies. Be gentle in stirring.
9. Pour about two to three cups of water to the mixture until you get the desired consistency. The traditional method is to keep the curry only a little bit watery. Do not add too much water. It should have a pasty, not too thick, not too watery consistency.
10. Let it cook covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and Serve.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Chawal/Plain Long White Rice, Murgh Biryani/Fragrant Rice-Chicken Casserole, Gosht Ki Biryani/Fragrant Mutton-Rice Casserole, Naan/Indian Flat Bread.

Enjoy !

( I am posting this recipe again as due to some problem this post of mine was deleted! )

Luv,
Mona

Rajma Pulao

Pulao and Khorma is one combination i love to have. And this particualar combination of Rajma Pulao with Vegetable Khorma is my favourite. Try it once and you will love it.

I had prepared it for dinner yesterday night after having Cabbage Pakodas for iftaar. I will be posting the recipe for the pakodas soon. During this month i havent got much time to post. Only two days more, and Ramadhan, the holy month will go away, and we will have to wait for an another year to for this auspicious month to again arrive. Eid, our festival, which we celebrate at the end of Ramadhan might be on this Saturday. On Eid we usually prepare dishes like ‘Nihari‘, ‘Biryani’, ‘Chole’ and ‘Sheer Kurma’, a sweet dish which we muslims especially prepare on Eid of Ramadhan which is called as Eid-Ul-Fitr.

On Eid, we get up early, and the men go to mosque and offer the Eid Prayers, and the women offer their prayers for Eid at home. We then greet our relatives and spend the day together with our loved ones. We celebrate Eid for the three days after Ramadhan. Back in India, we used to have a grand celebration on Eid, with our relatives visiting and greeting each other, the whole day. And like they say, ‘Pardes’, I’m away from my parents. I’m gonna miss my all relatives and my Dearest Parents, like always!

 

Rajma Pulao – Red Kidney Beans and Rice Casserole 

One of my friend had once invited me and she served Rajma Pulao. I had loved it and that day,. i decided someday i will try to prepare that dish in my own way. So, yesterday, i was all set and we had Rajma Pulao with Vegetable Kurma, and Oh my God, it was one yummy dinner which we enjoyed a lot. It didnt take a lot of time and i was very happy over my own successful experiment of preparing my version of Rajma Pulao. Here’s the recipe : 

Rajma Pulao – Red Kidney Beans and Rice Casserole 

Ingredients:

• Long Grained Basmati Rice – 2 cups
• Salt – 1 tbsp
• Black Peppercorns – 4
• Green cardamom – 2
• Cinnamon – one 2 inch stick
• Cloves – 2
• Onion – 1, large, sliced thin
• Oil – 6 tbsp
• Sesame seeds – 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Cashewnuts – 2 tbsp
• Green chillies – 2, sliced lengthwise
• Dried Red Chillies – 1
• Shredded/Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp
• Canned Red Kidney Beans – 1 Can

Method:

• Make a bouquet garni with black peppercorns, green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
• Boil five cups of water in a heavy bottomed bowl on stovetop and add the salt and the prepared bouquet garni to it. Once the water is boiling nicely, squeeze and remove the bouquet garni and add the rice and set the gas temp to 8 level.
• After 3-4 minutes, take some grains of rice in a spoon from the boiling water and test them if they are soft enough. Once they are just soft, drain the water and adjust the gas level now to 2, and put the bowl of rice onto the stovetop and cover well.
• Remove the bowl from heat after 2-3 minutes once the steam has nicely formed.
• Meanwhile open and put the red kidney beans in a colander and wash them well in a water bath, taking care that you do not break the beans into pieces.
• Pour 2 tbsp ghee/butter/oil into a pan and add the mustard seeds, sesame seeds, cashewnuts and green chillies and dried red chillies. Let them splutter up a bit. Then add the red kidney beans. Give it a careful stir and add this to the prepared rice.Mix it well with the rice
• Pour 4 tbsp of butter/oil/ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry the onions till brown and crisp. Remove in a paper towel and garnish the rice with the fried onion and serve hot.

Mazedaar Methi-Gosht ke Kofte

Listening and enjoying the song ‘Mere Zindagi me aaye ho..‘, from the Bollywood movie Armaan in my ipod, today I prepared this curry for dinner and am just waiting to have it. I love to listen to songs when I stay alone with my hubby gone for the work, while I do my house chores and the cooking.. Music helps me stay happy, I cling to it. I’m energized by it. I’m inspired by it. I can go on and on..

Spicy Curries are always yummy, no doubt in that. By spicy curries, I do not mean curries that are super hot to burn your mouth., what I really mean by spicy curries is masaaledaar salan, which are gravy based curries infused by a range of exotic Indian spices as the base. I am an ardent lover of spicy curries, and I am sure almost everyone in the whole world love spices and the beautiful flavours they add to a dish. This curry of Meaballs is one such and it is a favorite in my house. Its easier to prepare and extremely delicious along with Parathas or Naan to mop up the gravy.

Meatballs are called ‘Kofta‘ in Urdu. They are similar to Meatballs or Meat dumplings in the U.S. The other version of Kofte ka Salan, or meatball curry that I most usually prepare is Amchur-Harimirch Wale Kacche Gosht Ke Kofte, Meatballs in a hot and sour gravy

When I prepare meat balls I make them smaller in size, about 2 cm in diameter. The reason is, I believe, they get done perfectly. Many of my associates always make larger sized meatballs- approx 4 cm in diameter, and they are never well cooked, (remain raw, undone and undercooked in the centre). So, this trick that I learnt my MIL comes very handy to me.

I always prepare larger amounts of curries, portion and store them in the refrigerator for a later use. It saves lot of time.

This curry/Salan gets prepared in almost an hour time, and you can have it with Parathas or Naan, or Khushka/Plain Boiled Rice.

Mazedaar Methi Kofte – Meatballs in a gravy with Fenugreek leaves

To prepare Meat Balls -

Ingredients:

Ground Lamb/Goat/Veal Meat (or) Boneless Lamb/Goat/Veal Meat Bite-Size pieces - 250 gms
Green Chillies – 3, small, slit
Cilantro - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Yellow Onion – 1, large, sliced
Canola Oil – 2 tbsp

 

Kacche Gosht Ke Kofte - Meatballs 

Method:

-Pour oil into a pan at medium heat and add the sliced onions. Fry them till brown and crisp. Remove from oil, cool and reserve
-Now in a meat processor, add the fried onion slices, the slit green chillies, chopped coriander and mint leaves, salt, red chilli powder and the ground meat or cubed boneless meat pieces, whatever you are using and process till its all grinded into a smooth paste.

(Note:Make sure that the washed meat, whether you are using ground meat or meat pieces, is completely dry, or they will not hold shape later on) 

-Now, take a little bit of meat paste at a time and slightly apply pressure and roll it between your palms untill soft, tight and round shaped. Arrange them on a plate.
-The meat balls are ready. Keep them aside.

To Prepare The Gravy -

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 5 tbsp
Yellow Onion – 4, large, finely chopped
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp
Yogurt – 6 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Dry Roasted Cumin Seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Dry Roasted Coriander seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Dry Roasted Dessicated Coconut  – 1 tsp
Dry Roasted Groundnut Powder – 1 tsp
Methi/Fenugreek Leaves – 100 gms, very finely chopped

 

Mazedaar Methi Kofte – Meatballs in a gravy with Fenugreek leaves 

Method:

-In a heavy bottom sauce pan at medium heat, fry the ginger garlic paste and add onions in the oil till light brown in colour.
-Add yogurt to it and give it a good stir. Cook it well till it starts leaving oil.
-Meanwhile wash the Methi/Funugreek leaves well, only the leaves, not the stems or flowers, chop them up very finely and reserve.
-Add the dry ingredients, the red chilli powder, salt, garam masala, the dry roasted cumin seed powder, coriander seed powder, coconut powder, groundnut powder, and mix well.
-After 3-5 minutes, remove from heat, cool the mixture and grind it to a paste.
-Pour back the grinded mixture to the saucepan and add the very finely chopped Methi/Fenugreek leaves and let them cook till they are soft.
-Add three glases of water to it and bring it to a boil.
-As soon as it boils once, simmer and slowly drop the earlier prepared meat balls one by one into it. Now do not stir at all for about 10 minutes. Half cover the lid and let it cook undisturbed at the low heat.
-Later, slowly stir the gravy and let it cook for 7-8 minutes more. You can add more water or let it cook for some more time on medium heat so that the water dries up and you achieve the consistency.
-The curry is ready and serve it hot with Parathas preferably or along with Rice.

Suggested accompaniments: Enjoy the curry along with Parathas or Naan, or Khushka/Plain Boiled Rice.

Luv,
Mona

Bhindi Ka Khatta Salan

Bhendi, or Okra, is one of my favourite vegetables. It is available very easily in the markets, mostly frozen here at my place, and I keep getting it from the market very often to cook it for everyone in my home. But, you should always be careful while buying fresh Okra. I always like to buy baby okra as they are tender. Larger pods are tough and fibrous, so look for brightly colored pods smaller than 3 inches (9cm) long, with smooth, unblemished skin and firm texture. Refrigerate okra in a plastic bag for up to three days. Wash okra just before using it.

Bhindi – Okra

Khatta salan means ‘soured stew’. The sourness from the tomatoes, a slight heat from peppercorns and red chilli powder and the subtle sweetness from jaggery and onions along with the roasted spices impart an aromatic and delectable flavor to this okra stew. This same base is used in many other versions of the khatta shorba, which are Karele ka Khatta Shorba, Aloo-Gosht ka Khatta shorba , Arvi-Gosht ka khatta shorba etc.

When boiled, it gives off a viscous substance that can add smooth thickness to stews or soups. It can be a bit difficult to cook as it sometimes is very slimy ! In this recipe, the sourness from tamatoes and tamarind helps while cooking to get rid of the sliminess. It is an excellent sourse of Vitamin C, Folate, and Magnesium. Enjoy. 

Serves – 6-8 people

Bhindi Ka Khatta Salan – Okra in a Sweet and Sour Gravy

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil - 8 tbsp
• Dried Red chillies – 4, broken in half, and seeds shaken out
• Black peppercorns – 1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds/Methi daana- 1/2 tsp
• Yellow Onion – 3, medium, sliced
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1tsp
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
• Dry Dessicated Coconut - 4 tbsp
• Mustard seeds/Rai – 1/4 tsp
• Okra/Bhendi - 300 gms, washed, dried and slantly cut in to long strips (approx 6 cm each) with top and bottom removed
• Tamarind concentrate - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
• Green Chilli paste – 1 tsp

Bhindi Ka Khatta Salan – Okra in a Sweet and Sour Gravy

Method:

• Heat 4 tbsp oil a non-stick heavy bottom frying pan and fry the sliced onions till lightly browned. Add the ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste and sauté it along for a minute. To it add the tomato paste and mix well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Now add the dessicated cocunut and fry it along for about 8 minutes on medium heat till the whole mixture is brownish in colour. Remove from heat. Once cooled, grind the whole mixture adding a cup of water in a blender and reserve.
• Now in a kadhai/wok add another 2 tbsp of oil and stir fry the okra for a few minutes. Drain the okra and reserve.
• Wipe the frying pan with a paper towel and add remaining 2 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds, peppercorns, and fenugreek seeds let them splutter. Then throw in the dried curry leaves and the dried red chillies. Immediately add the reserved onion paste and tamarind concentrate and stir well. Add 2-3 cups water (as per your wish, depending on the consistency you desire) and cover the lid. Let it cook on simmer till the oil has seperated. 
• Later add the fried okra and gently mix it in the gravy. Cover the lid and let it cook again for 5-8 minutes more. Serve hot.

Suggested Accompaniments: Naan / Afghani Roti / Basmati Chawal / Paratha

Luv,
Mona

Hyderabadi Mahekhalya

Mahekhalya, is an authentic Hyderabadi meat curry with onions, tomatoes, and tamarind. It is a delicious dish and I thought of sharing my recipe which I learned from my mother with you all. Its not difficult, and gets prepared in less than an hour time. In this recipe you need to slightly brown the spices till golden brown so that the flavour and aroma of the individual spices enhances. And you can also always vary the amount of salt and red chilli powder according to your tastes. The spices I have used in this recipe can be bought from any Indian store that sells spices. Go ahead and try it out. Enjoy.

Hyderabadi Mahekhalya - Tangy Meat Curry

Ingredients:

• Lamb Meat – 500 gms, cubed-1.5 cm or sliced, boneless or with bone 
• Yellow Onions – 5, sliced
• Tomatoes – 3, Ripe and red, chopped
• Dry Desiccated Coconut – 2 tsp
• Dry roasted Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
• Dry roasted Groundnut powder - 2 tsp
• Dry roasted Sesame seeds/Till – 2 tsp (optional)
• Vegetable/Sunflower/Canola Oil – 6-7 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves (fresh) - 8
• Dried red clillies/Baghaar Mirch – 3-4
• Methi/Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp
• Slit green chillies – 4
• Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, chopped finely
• Mint leaves/Pudina – 1 tbsp, chopped finely

 

Hyderabadi Mahekhalya - Tangy Meat Curry

Method:

• Take a large heavy bottom non-stick frying pan or skillet on medium heat, and pour a tablespoon of oil into it. As it gets warm, add the sliced onions and a teaspoon of salt. Mix well and cover with the lid. After 3 minutes, give a good stir to the onions, add 1/4 cup of water, and again cover it with lid. Keep repeating this until the onions are all soft and browned and caramelized evenly. Remove the pan from heat, and let them cool down.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and the caramelized onions into a blender container or food processor and blend till pureed smooth adding a few drops of water if necessary, just to aid in the process. Keep aside.
• Put a small non-stick frying pan on medium heat and dry-roast the groundnuts, sesame seeds (optional), coriander seeds, shredded coconut each individually without oil till they are golden brown in colour. Do not burn them. Remove them into a cup (you can dry roast a handful of almonds and cashewnuts and grind them together along if you want it more rich). Once cool, grind them all together very finely. Make sure the obtained spice powder is very fine.
• Take a pressure cooker and add a tablespoon of oil to it and put it on medium heat, add oil and keep it on medium high heat. Add cumin, dried red chillies, and fenugreek seeds to the oil and let them splutter. Now add the onion and tomato paste to it and cover the lid immediately for 3-5 minutes and remove the cooker from heat, so that the aroma of the tempered oil with spices gets absorbed by the onion mixture.
• Remove the lid, put the cooker back on stove and add the ginger-garlic pastes to it and stir to mix it all completely. Add the spice powder which we prepared earlier, the red chilli powder, salt and turmeric and stir it well. Add the washed cubed meat pieces and mix well. Cover with a sllatter screen and let it cook it for 5-8 minutes. Pour in half a cup of water and close the lid. Pressure cook it on medium heat for 15 minutes until the meat is tender. If the meat doesnt look soft and tender, pressure cook it for a while more adding a little more water if needed.
• Then open the lid and cook it till the oil has seperated out from the mixture and starts appearing on the surface. Add the tamarind paste and give it a stir. Add water till you get the consistency you desire. You can keep the gravy thick or dilute. (I add 2 cups of water) Let it cook on medium high for about 5 more minutes.
• Simmer and let it cook for 8 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander and mint leaves and slit green chillies. Serve Hot.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Chawal or Parathas.