Methi Chole/Garbanzo with Fenugreek leaves

I made this dish using Garbanzo beans and methi/fenugreek leaves. Very delicious and easy to make which tastes good in combination with rotis. I usually make dal or chole like this recipe using methi leaves. How do you use methi leaves? Share it with me, so that I can try more wonderful new recipes from you all.

Serves 3-4
Cooking and Preparation Time 20-30 mins approx

Ingredients :

Garbanzo Beans/Chole Beans - 1.5 cups soak overnight in sufficient water and next day pressure cook until soft and intact not mashed
Fenugreek/Methi leaves - 1-1.5 cups plucked and cleaned properly
Onion - Red 1 medium very finely chopped
Green chillies - 2 vertically slit
Asafoetida- a pinch
Jeers/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
Chlli powder -1/2 tbsp
Chole powder - 1 tbsp Any brand( I used MDH)
Tomato - 1 medium chopped
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Ginger, Garlic - chopped - 1 tbsp combined
Water - 1 cup
Coriander and lemon wedges for garnishing

Method :

1. Presoak the beans one day before and next day pressure cook them with 3-4 or less whistles until they are soft but still intact in shape.
2. Heat oil in non stick pan, add asafoetida, jeera/cumin, onions, green chillies, turmeric powder and saute till onions change color.
3. Then add, ginger, garlic and saute. On low heat add chilli powder, chole powder and mix well.
4. Immediately add methi leaves and mix well. Then add chopped tomatoes and salt.
5. Cook covered until tomatoes are mushy. Then, add garbanzo beans and mix everything well.
6. Adjust salt, then add water and cook covered on low-med heat for 10-12 mins.
7. Serve hot with rotis and garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

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Dondakaya or Tindora Pachadi

Today, I am posting this chutney or pachadi which is a simple yet delicious one using Dondakaya or Tindoras. Those of you who dont like Tindora will be surprised when they taste this chutney, because you wont be able to make out with what vegetable it is made of :D. So, let me start with the recipe then.

Serves 2-3
Cooking and Preparation Time 15-20 mins

Ingredients :

Tindora/Dondakalu - 1/4 lb approx washed properly and each slit vertically into 4 pieces roughly and sprinkle with little salt and keep aside
Tomato - 1 small or 1/2 from big one
Green chillies - as your spice level, I used 2
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tbsp
Garlic flake - 1/2
Salt to taste
For tempuring : Urad Dal, Mustard seeds, Dry red chillies, crushed garlic flake(1/2) Oil, few curry leaves
Oil 1-2 tbsp

Method :

1. In a non stick pan, heat oil, add the cut tindora, green chillies, tomato, garlic and cook covered until the tindora is 3/4 cooked and you can cut it with a spoon.
2. Now keep it aside for cooling in a plate.
3. Add a small quantity of oil in the same non stick pan, heat urad dal and corainder seeds until reddish brown and remove them into a grinder chutney jar without the oil.
4. Grind them once, then add the cooled mixture of tindoras and grind together again. Remove the paste into a bowl.
5. Do tempuring and add salt according to your taste. When you add the crushed garlic flake into the tempuring you will get a nice aroma.
6. Serve with dosas, idlies or even dal and rice. You will love for sure.

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Alu Paratha

Its has been few days that I posted something :) and thought this would be a nice recipe to start with. Alu Paratha, I guess needs no introduction. Potatoes itself are loved and liked by many inspite of them being not so healthy. We can indulge in them once in while right :D. So, for new comers out there dont think its very tough to make rotis leave alone Alu Parathas which are stuffed version of rotis with Alu/Potatoes. The recipe here is not the only way Alu Parathas are made. One can mix and match with whatever spices you like.

Always remember, try and try. Practise will make you better and someday definetly perfect. When I started learning how to make rotis they were like many country maps :) instead of being a circle. So, I never let it ruin my passion for cooking and kept on doing them until I am here today. Let me not give a lecture before you run away and get started with the recipe :).

Serves - 2-4
Cooking and Preparation Time - 30 mins approx

Ingredients :

 

Chapati Dough/Wheat Flour - 1.5 cup kneaded with enough water, salt, 1 tbsp and kept aside covered with a cloth
Potatoes - 2 very large or 3 medium boiled with skin on and drain the water and mash the potatoes with no water in it
Coriander - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Green Chillies - 1-2 finely chopped (optional)
Chilli powder - 1/4 tbsp
Chat Masala - 1/4-1/2 tbsp
Cumin and Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp together or Garam masala any combination
Oil
Lime juice - 2 tbsp optional but I added
Salt to taste

Method :

1. In a bowl place the mashed potatoes, add all the  ingredients below Potatoes except oil.
2. Mix together the potatoes so that all the spices are blended into it nicely.
3. Make small golf sized balls out of the mixture and place them a plate.
4. Now using the dough we made out of wheat flour and roll a roti of small size and place the potato mixture or stuffing ball in the centre of it.
5. Close all the ends and seal it. If necessary remove the excess dough.
6. Put some flour onto it and start rolling it slowly into a thin stuffed roti.
7. Heat tava/non stick pan, put the rolled out roti on it and when you notice that its getting puffed up change the direction and add oil on it. Repeat the same for the other side until you fry it to get a nice roti.
8. Serve hot for breakfast, lunch or even dinner along with any pickle or even raita or plain yogurt.

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Mouthwatering BBB Asha's magic recipe

What should I say about Asha's recipe of BBB or Bise Bele Bath. This is the second time I had made it in these 15-20 days ;). Vegetables like beans, carrots and peas are boiled and then cooked in a dal mixture along with tomatoes and the aromatic BB spice powder. mmmmhhhhh my mouth is watering writing it too :). Believe me, the house is filled with such a nice aroma when you are making it, you will wish to have it at the same moment.

Whenever I voice chat with my parents I show them the recipes I make for their dear son-in-law :). Today morning I showed them some snaps along with this BBB too. My father asked me what is it, is it Biryani ? ;) I said hmmmm no and started giving hints saying that its a recipe I learnt from my friend Asha. It is a comfort food, a wholesome meal in itself a favorite one from Bangalore- Mysore area of Karnataka state in India.

After just telling him the name of the state you know he guessed it loudly - it is Bise Bele Bath is'nt it ? :D. I told yes Nana(that is wt I call him ;)) it is, how do you know about it? He said Oh! I very well know about it it tastes so good as I had a chance to taste it when one of my colleagues shared his lunch:).

It is just like our sambhar rice but with a different masala that is BB masala. I couldn't take any snaps the first time I made it because these days we are spending our time visiting parks and having lunch there nicely packed from home on one day of the weekends. So, I packed everything in a hurry and couldn't take a snap.

I thank Asha, for sharing this wonderful recipe with us.

Serves 5-8
Cooking and Preparation Time - 1 hr - 1.30 hr approx

Ingredients :

For making the Bise Bele powder (these quantities mentioned will make around 1 cup of the powder which can be stored and used for future. Use as much powder as you need to make the Bise Bele Bath)
Dry Roast all the below ingredients until reddish brown and grind into a powder with 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

Coriander seeds - 8 tbsp
Dry Red chillies- 4
Pepper corns-1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds-1 tbsp
Chana Dal-2 tbsp
Cloves-8
Cumin seeds-1 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tbsp
Cinnamon/Patta/Dalchini - 1 inch
Poppy seeds-2 tbsp
Curry leaves-10
Dry coconut-3 tbsp

For Gravy Preparation you will need

Onions - 2 sliced
Tomatoes - 2 big
Green beans, Carrots and Peas - 3 cups or according to your wish adjust it (cooked separately, I microwaved them for few mins. You can do whichever way possible to you)
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cashews, Peanuts - 2 tbsp each or more
Toor Dal - 1 cup cooked ( I didnt have it so used Masoor Dal for the second time I made it, taste was same)
Red Chillies - 2
Mustard seeds - 1tbsp
Few curry leaves
Tamarind juice
Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Also, cook Basmati/Sona masoori rice 2 cups and keep aside separately.

Method :

1. In a deep pan heat ghee, then add cahews, peanuts, mustard, dry red chillies, curry leaves, sliced onions and saute until they are brown. Now add, tomatoes, salt and fry they are half cooked(not mushy).
2. Then add Tuar dal, tamarind juice, jaggery, cooked veggies, powder that we made and 10 cups of water.
3. Boil until it is reduced to atleast half its amount until oil specks on top. Add more water to make the consistency thin if you want. Keep it in fridge overnight. Next day boil it again.
4. Add the cooked rice and mix with the gravy. Cook on low heat until its thick.
5. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with raita or by itself.

Note :
Cut the amount to half since it serves 8 people. Also, instead of using the gravy the other day I used it the same day itself keeping some in the fridge for next days use.

The recipe is an exact copy from Asha's blog except the dal. I used Masoor instead of Tuar. I also tried it with Tuar the first time I had made it. Both tasted the same with slight difference. So, you can use whichever you feel like :).

If you observe, Asha's blog's header banner has BBB snap ....;). Enjoy!

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Instant Rava Idli and Palli Chutney

This is my first attempt in making Rava Idlies and I must say I am really impressed the way they turned out and tasted. I feel they are far more easier than the ordinary ones. I should really try to add new things each time to make it even more interesting :). So here is the recipe...

Serves 2-3
Cooking and Preparation Time 15 mins approx

Ingredients :

Sooji/Rava - 2 cups
Yogurt - 1 cup beaten
Baking soda - 1/4 tbsp
Water
Few Curry leaves
Mustard, Jeera, Urad Dal for tempuring
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method :

1. In a non stick pan fry the rava with 1 tbsp oil slightly for 3-5 mins without burning and let it cool.
2. In a bowl add the rava, beaten curd, baking soda and water. Mix together without forming lumps. The consistency should be medium little thicker than pouring consistency. Let the batter rest for 15 mins.
3. In a small pan do the tempuring by adding the remaining 1 tbsp aoil and urad dal, mustard, jeera seeds along with the curry leaves and fry till they are brown.
4. Now add this to the batter and mix well. Also, add salt.
5. Preheat the Idli Plates container with water few mins before placing the idli plates in them.
6. Grease the idli plates with Pam or any oil and pour the batter into the plates accordingly.
7. Now place the plates in the container and heat 10 mins on medium heat.
8. Remove them with a knife or spoon by immersing it in water each time you remove an idli.(will make it easier which is optional and you can remove normally as you do too)
9. Serve hot with your favorite chutney.

You can check my peanut chutney recipe here.

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