Papad ki sabji

This is an instant 5 min sabji. In Rajasthan papad is a must and readily available ingredient. So whenever you are short of green vegetables or the days when we jains do not eat any greens, this sabji comes handy.

For this sabji I recommend using old and slightly thick papads as they retain shape while cooking. Papad becomes soft as soon as it is put into hot masala.

2 papad broken into pieces
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp haldi
1 tsp chilli pdr
1 tsp corriander pdr
1/2 tsp kachari( optional)
1 tbsp beaten curd
1 cup water
Salt

Heat oil and add jeera. Add the masala along with 1 cup of water. Bring to a good boil and add papad, salt and kachari. Cook for one min.
Switch off and add beaten curd. Mix well and serve with raw onions, kadhi and fulka.

Watch video Papad ki sabji @ https://youtu.be/pUSnY4RpQNM

Bhindi ki Sabji

Okra , Lady finger different names for our dear bhindi in english.

Reminds me of my college days. When-ever I carried bhindi ki sabji and fulka in my tiffin, friends sitting in the last rows used to finish it off stealthily during classes. Recently I met my best friend and she did not forget to mention how tasty my bhabhi used to make it.

Though its a very simple sabji, it requires a few techniques right from the beginning i.e. buying bhindi. Look for green with a smooth textured medium sized bhindi. Snip its tip if it breaks off easily then its tender and if it bends then not worth buying.
Wash the bhindi and pat it dry with a clean dry cloth. We don't want any water droplets on it as it increases its stickiness.
Another very important point is that never cut the bhindi horizontally on a chopping board.
Bhindi can have worms in it. If bhindi is fresh then chances are minimal but better to check individually. I always cut bhindi one by one holding it vertically so that I can see inside it after every slice I cut.

Serves :2

Ingredients:

• 250 gms ladyfingers/okra/bhindi
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp coriander seeds powder 
• 2 green chili
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut off the crown of bhindi , snip its end and then cut the bhindi into small rounds.
2. Make one slit along the length of green chili. We are using whole chili here so that one can easily distinguish between chili and bhindi and can remove chili from the plate, if spice is not desired.
3. Heat oil in a thick bottom pan.
4. Add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.
5. Add cut bhindi along with green chili and cook for 4-5 min turning frequently for even cooking. if not using a non-stick pan then you may have to keep sctratching the bottom of the pan else stickiness from bhindi will stick to the pan and burn. 
6. When the bhindi is cooked add all the remaining ingredients , mix and cook for another 2 min.

Serve with chapatis or dal-chawal.

Paneer Butter Masala

Cottage cheese cooked in rich buttery flavorful tomato gravy. I have tried making this dish without using any fat in microwave and was quite ok but then I should be calling it just Tamatar-paneer as will not justify its name butter-masala. So forget calories indulge and just enjoy this famous buttery-creamy-tangy-aromatic veg side dish, found in every north Indian Restaurant menu .



I don't want to use too many  ingredients or steps for the dish to look complicated. I like to cook simple. This is my simplest version of this recipe with minimum required ingredients but no compromise with taste. If you are cooking a bigger batch like for 15-20 people then I would suggest to boil and puree cashew-nuts and tomatoes separately just to ensure that everything is cooked properly.

Paneer/cottage cheese can be store bought or home-made. For home-made recipe click the link Paneer.

Serves :3

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter or more if you like
• 1 inch piece ginger chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 4 medium tomatoes , diced
• 10-12 cashewnuts
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp sugar optional
• 2 tbsp cream
• salt to taste
• 100 gm Paneer

Method:

1. Cut the paneer into 1 inch squares or triangles and keep aside.
2. Heat Oil in a wok or pan and add butter and bay leaf.
3. Add  ginger and garlic and saute for a min.
4. Add cashew nuts saute for 30 sec and add tomatoes.
5. Add chili powder and salt and cook until the tomatoes are mushy.  You can add very little water at this point for the tomatoes to cook. When the fat starts to separate and water evaporates switch off the gas. If the tomatoes are sour then add sugar else skip it.
6. Cool the mixture and grind into a smooth puree.
7. Strain the puree to get a smooth texture and put it back in the pan.
8. Switch on the gas and add 1/2 cup water and Paneer pieces and simmer for 2 -3 min stirring  in between.
9. Finish by adding garam masala, cream and kasoori methi.
10. Serve hot with Naan, tandoori or other Indian Bread.

Alu-tamatar ki sabji

Potato-king of all vegetables. A great companion to most of the vegetables. Mix it with any other vegetable and a new sabji is ready.

This is a very jhatpat  kind of sabji can be prepared in no time. No time to boil potato just prick them here and there using a fork or knife and put in a microwave and cook for 4-5 min.on high(2 medium potatoes). By that time can do other preparations.

serves :2

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes boiled or cooked in microwave for 4-5 min 
• 1 tomato cut into wedges
• 1 green chili chopped
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• 3/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• salt to taste

Method:
Peel and cut potatoes in wedges.

Heat oil and add cumin seeds.
when cumin crackles and turns brown Add all the ingredients, mix.
Cover and cook on low heat for 1 min..
serve with roti or rice.

Since its a dry veg, can be packed and carried in tiffins.

Nutty potato masala

"आज कौन सी सब्जी बनाये"।   this is a very common problem among most of us, Indian housewives... This question arises in my home almost every-other day. Per day we need at-least three to four types of vegetable side dishes to go with roti and rice, of-course for both lunch and dinner together. Picky, Fussy family with varied tastes and above that limited number of vegetable choices available in the market nearby.
 Need to make a list of all simple sabjis and what better medium than my blog. So here we go with my first  veg- potato, liked by majority probably this is one of the reason it is also called as the king of all vegetables.

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 medium sized boiled and peeled potatoes diced or 15-16 baby potatoes
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp corriander powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp seasame-peanut powder (equal quantities of seasame seeds and peanuts coarsely powdered)
• few(10-12) curry leaves (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

1. Heat oil and add cumin seeds, then curry leaves.
2. Add the potatoes and saute in oil for 1 min.
3. Add turmeric p'dr, chili p'dr and coriander p'dr . Saute for another min.
4. Add seasame-peanut powder, saute until oil separates for 1 or 2 min.
5. Add salt and 1/2  cup water and cook covered for 2-3  min. If you need little gravy then use more water.
6. Mix in coriander leaves. 
7. Serve hot with roti or rice.

Pea shells curry

मटर  के छिलके की सब्जी 

After a long gap I'm back with another recipe to utilize vegetable peels.

Pea shells curry is an age old recipe popularly made in Rajasthan.
In our marwadi homes you will find at least two different vegetable curries for lunch-- one to be eaten with fulkas(chapati) and the other curry (like madras cucumber, cluster beans, spring onions, tinda, sangri etc. the list goes on) with either bajra(millet), moth. or besan roti(bengal gram flour).
 Fulka and atleast one type of any of the above mentioned rotis is a must for lunch. My dad or father-in-law and sometimes my husband too still follow the same routine. So whenever my dad visits I have to have atleast one veg with fulka and one veg for other flour roti followed by curd and moth khankhara and at last roasted papad. Papad signifies end of a meal.
 Pea shell sabji is also one among the curries traditioanlly eaten with besan ki roti. But for me it tastes as good with fulkas or rice.

To make this veg choose fresh pea shells.its a must. Else your curry is a total failure. You need to peel the peels once again and its a time consuming process. So peel the shells when you have time and store in a refrigerator. Peeling is necessary because there is a thin film underneath the shell which is difficult to chew, We need only the soft flesh from the peels.


 To peel the shells separate the pea-pod into two,  take one part and bend the upper corner and slide it downwards as shown in the pic.

Wash the peels thoroughly.

Being marwadi we prefer it quite oily and spicy but its all upto one's own taste. The quantity of oil or spices can be altered as per one's taste.

ingredients:

1 cup peeled and chopped pea shells

3 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera

a good pinch of asfoetida/hing

1/4 tsp turmeric powder/haldi

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp corriander powder

1/4 tsp black onion seeds/kalonji

1/2 tsp dry mango pdr/amchur

1 tsp sugar (optional)

salt to taste

Heat oil in pressure cooker.
Add cumin and kalonji. add hing.
Add the peels along with the turmeric pdr, red chilli powder, corriander powder and salt.
Saute for a min and add about 1/4 cup of water. put the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
After 5 min when the steam escape from the cooker open it check if the peels are cooked, if not cook a little more. Usually tender ones cook very fast.
Add sugar and amchur powder. sugar is optional, if you like it a little sweet and sour in taste add it else skip. cook for another min. and ready to serve.

Lauki Kofta Curry

for the kofta: (pakora or fried dumpling)

2 cups grated lauki(bottle gourd)

It is almost equal to one medium sized bottle gourd/lauki. But its better to write the measurement in cups as the size of the vegetable varies largely when you travel from northern to southern India. In Rajasthan I saw lauki half the size of an english cucumber where as in Bangalore its bigger than a feet. so guys wherever you stay try to find tender lauki regardless of the size. However When in Armenia I used to use green zucchini to make this curry. The taste was same.

2 green chilies chopped
1 inch piece ginger grated
3/4 cup gram flour/besan
2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
2 tsp oil
salt
oil for deep frying

1. Sqeeze out the juice from the lauki and keep the liquid aside(we can use it for the gravy)
2. Add all the ingredients for the kofta and mix lightly. The quantity of the flour may vary depending on the moisture in the lauki mixture. I usually prefer thick batter cum dough like consistency, the shape may not come perfect with this but the koftas come out very soft. But if you want perfect shape than use more flour to get a dough like consistancy.
3. Heat oil. make small balls out of the mixture using a little oil in your palm, if it is too sticky to shape you can drop small portions in hot oil using a spoon. Deep Fry the koftas until golden brown.
Drain on an absorbent paper. Take out the extra oil from the pan leaving approx 4 tbsp which we are going to use for the gravy.

for the gravy:

2 medium sized onions finely chopped
4 tomatoes pureed
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste(optional)
1/2 cup beaten yogurt
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
4 tbsp oil
salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves

1. Saute the onions in the oil until golden brown.
2. Add ginger garlic paste saute again for a min and add tomato puree. cover and cook until tomatoes are cooked.
3. Add chilli powder, coriander powder and cook covered until oil separates.
4. Add the squeezed lauki juice along with some water and bring it to a boil. If you are going to consume the curry later than add more water as the koftas will absorb the gravy.
5. Add the koftas, garam masala, cumin powder, salt and simmer for 5 min.
6. Switch off the gas, slightly cool and mix in the beaten curds.
7.Garnish with corriander leaves and serve with chapatis or rice.

Kadai Paneer

There are several versions of this popular side dish. some prepare it as a dry veg others in tangy tomato gravy, but I like this one better mildly spiced with a creamier taste.

1 cup diced green capsicum
100 g paneer/cottage cheese cut into small cubes
1 or 2 green chili chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 large tomato chopped
7-8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 inch piece ginger, crushed
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds crushed
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed)
1/4 cup cream
4 tbsp ghee/oil
salt to taste


Heat oil or ghee in a wok/kadhai add crushed corriander seeds, garlic-ginger paste saute for few seconds and add chopped onions. Saute until lightly browned, add chopped green chili and saute for another minute.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft. Add chili p'dr and coriander powder and cook until the fat separates.
Add diced capsicums, cover and cook for a few minutes until the capsicums are soft. Now add paneer, salt,garam masala and cumin powder. cook for another 1 or 2 min. Add the cream and kasoori methi and cook for another few min.
Serve hot with Indian breads.

Capsicum Paneer in cashewnut sauce

3/4 cup capsicum diced
1/2 cup paneer diced
3 tbsp ghee/oil
1 stick cinnamon
1 black cardamom
4 cloves
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup curd
salt to taste




to be ground into a paste
handful of cashew-nuts
1 onion
2 green chilies
1 inch piece ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat ghee and add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and add capsicums saute for 2 min.
Add  the ground paste and cook stirring in between until the oil starts separating, it will take approx 5 min.
Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder and cook for another 2 min.
Add paneer and little water and cook for 2 min.
Add salt , beaten curd and garam masala. simmer for another 2 min.

Spicy Cabbage

This is one of the side dishes which I can prepare in a jiffy with only a few ingredients.
The green chili gives the required spiciness to it.
It goes well both with rice and chapati.















2 tbsp oil
1/2 cabbage shredded
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 green chili, finely chopped
5-6 curry leaves
 salt to taste

Heat oil and add mustard seeds.
Add curry leaves, green chili and turmeric powder, coriander powder and cabbage
Mix in salt. Cover with a lid and pour some water on the lid.(This will prevent the vegetable from burning as we have not added any water to it. The condensed steam from the lid will provide the required moisture to the veg.)
Simmer for 5 min.
I don't like my veg soft I prefer the cabbage to be a little crunchy (for this it is very important that the cabbage you use is fresh). Anyway its one's own wish how they like so the cooking time may vary accordingly.

Bharwan Baingan - Stuffed Brinjals

Being a Jain I am not used to cook brinjal as its prohibited in the religion. And since my childhood I haven't seen brinjals being brought and cooked in our kitchens. I don't know why..

But I cook sometimes...lol... two or three recipes that I learnt from here and there. This one with a spicy stuffing is one of them.

\

5 small brinjals

3 tbsp oil

for the stuffing:

1 inch piece of ginger

2 inch piece of coconut

1 green chili

6 cloves garlic

1 onion diced

1 tomato diced

few corriander leaves

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powdr

2 tsp corriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp dry mango powder

salt

Grind all the ingredients for the stuffing into a thick paste. Use very little water if required while grinding.

Slit the brinjals (make a deep criss cross) and stuff the stuffing tightly inthe slits.

Heat oil in a pan and slowly arrange the stuffed brinjals into it.

Add the leftover stuffing into it and sprinkle a little water. Cover and cook for 5 min. 

Now flip the brinjals bottom side up, Sprinkle some more water. 

Cover and cook again for another few min until the brinjals are properly cooked . 

Serve with chapatis or any rice dish.

Water Melon Rinds curry

This is my another addition in using vegetable and fruit peels. It is a very common practice in Rajasthan to cook watermelon rinds. It is served with bajra roti  and lots of ghee during winter. The rinds can also be dried and stored for upto an year.




for this you need:
2 cups water melon rinds diced
2 tbsp oil
a pinch asfoetida (hing)
1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp corriander seeds powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder(haldi)
1/2 tsp onion seeds/ kalounji
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp dry mango powder(amchur)
salt to taste

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add hing.
Add kalaunji, turmeric powder, red chili powder, corriander seeds powder along with the rinds. Saute for one minute.
Add 1tbsp of water and salt. You do not have to add more water to cook as the rinds will release their own juices when cooked.
Pressure cook for one whistle.
Remove the lid after the pressure is released from the cooker and switch on the gas again.
Add amchur and if you want to add sugar add it at this stage, adding sugar is your own choice , some like it sweet but I prefer without sugar.
Bring it to a boil and its done.

Cauliflower leaves curry

In the process of minimizing food wastage, I am learning to re-use left-overs, syrups, sauces, chutneys into another recipe and the best part of all this is to use vegetable peels, stems and seeds and make an interesting & tasty dish out of it. This time when I bought a Cauliflower,I used leaves(only the green part torn from the stem in between)  to make a spicy side dish for my plain dal chawal, which everyone loved. I cut the stems into pieces & boiled in a pressure cooker for one whistle with the intention of making vegetable stock, but ended up using the liquid & some of the stems for my sambhar & remaining for cauliflower stem cutlets.

1 cup chopped cauliflower leaves
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
2 tsp ginger-garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp corriander seeds powder
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan, add onions, green chilli and saute until soft, add ginger garlic paste and saute again.
Add all the dry spices and cook for a minute. Now add tomatoes, greens, salt and 1/2 a cup of water
and cook covered for 10 minutes.

serve as a side dish with dal chawal.

Related Recipes:
Cauliflower stem Cutlets

Methi Papad ki sabji

Ingredients:
2 Papad broken into one inch squares
(use old papads for the curry)
1/4 cup fenugreek seeds
3 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp amchur
salt to taste

1. Soak fenugreek seeds for atleast 3 to 4 hours and pressure cook for one whistle. Wash it several times after boiling to remove bitterness.
2. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Mix turmeric powder, chilli powder and corriander powder in 1/2 cup water and add to the oil carefully. cook the spices for 1-2 min. until oil separates.
3. Add another cup of water and bring it to a boil.
4. Now add the papad and fenugreek seeds and cook until papad is cooked. If dry can add some more water .
5. add amchur, salt and cook for a min.

Serve with chapati or bajra roti.

Methi Kishmish ki sabji

Most of the time we use fenugreek seeds as a spice that enhances the  flavour of a dish like as in tadka for dal or kadhi, or as masala in the powdered form especially for pickles. Due to its bitter taste its used in very little quantity. Yesterday while surfing I came across an event that calls for the useage of  Fenugreek seeds. Luckily for me I have two traditional Rajasthani recipes that use methi as the main ingredient. One of them is Methi-kishmish Launji and the other is Methi-Papad.

In Methi kishmish The bitter taste of the fenugreek seeds is balanced with sugar & amchoor(dry mango powder).

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fenugreek seeds
handful of raisins
6-7 cashewnuts broken into half(optional)
2 dates sliced (optional)
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
salt to taste

1.  Soak the fenugreek seeds overnight or atleast for four hours and boil for one whistle in a pressure cooker. Take out & wash 3-4 times. This will reduce its bitterness.
2. Soak the raisins & cashewnuts in water for about half an hour.
3. Heat oil and add all the ingredients except amchur. Cook until the sugar dissolves, can add a little water if too dry.
4. Add amchur and cook for another minute.
5. Serve with chapati or poori.

Mix Vegetable Curry

Wondering what to cook tonight for dinner! Could not decide, so I just collected each vegetable I had in my fridge & ended up making a single curry out of them.

1 potato, peeled & diced

1 carrot, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 capsicum, diced

few long beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup peas

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 green chilli, chopped

2 tsp corriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder+1/2 chopped tomato or 1 tbsp red pepper paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

chopped corriander leaves to garnish.

• Heat oil & add cumin seeds. Saute onion until golden brown.
• Add green chillies, all other vegetables & spices. Saute for 2 min.
• Iused red pepper paste which tastes hot & slightly sour, so if you are using red chiili powder & half chopped tomato.
• Mix in salt to taste.
• Add 1/2 cup water & pressure cook for one whistle on high.
• Garnish with corrinader leaves & serve hot with steamed rice or chapatis.

You can also add some cream before serving for a more subtle & creamy taste.

Kashmiri Dum Alu

I used to make alu dum but I learnt this recipe all over again with a typical kashmiri flavour from a friend from Ladakh. She made it for us. Living abroad for several years & usually cooking with a subcouncious instinct for less oil, less chilli I actually forgot the real spicy flavours of India. She made it perfect, all flavours well blended yet each spice making one feel its individual existence. so here I share the recipe for this really really spicy dish with all of you.

8 baby potatoes

1/3 cup yogurt

3 cloves

3 green cardamoms

1 inch stick cinamon

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp oil

1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp fennel powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder

salt to taste

extra oil to deep fry

1. Boil the potatoes in salt water until half cooked.
2. cool & peel the potatoes. Prick here & there with a skewer or fork.
3. Heat oil for frying & fry the pricked potatoes until golden in color. Drain on an absorbant paper.
4. Take out the extra oil in another container leaving about 2 tbsp of oil in the pan.
5. Mix in red chilli powder & fennel powder in yogurt.
6. Add cumin seeds to moderately heated 2 tbsp of oil.
7. When they crackle Add whole spices like bay leaf, cloves, cardamom & cinamon.
8. when they change color & start releasing flavour add spiced yogurt & stir continuously until it starts boiling.
9. Add salt, Potatoes & garam masala & cook until the fat starts separaring. Switch of the gas. Garnish with cumin powder.
10. Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Inspired by: Nilza's cooking

Dahi chana masala

In Rajasthan eating grams or sprouts in breakfast is in practice since a long time. when you visit to a Rajasthani kitchen even to this day you will find parathas, any one whole gram or sprouts curry like moth(matki), mogar(skinned matki dal) or chana along with papad. Bread & butter comes secondary.

This particular recipe has been my favourite ever since I was a small child. For breakfast the chana masala is kept dry ,fully coated with spices consumed with paratha & papad. I usually cook a lot, after finishing breakfast I just add a little water & make it like a curry & eat with rice accompanied with yougurt & chopped onions. To me it tastes best with rice. Delicious!

1 cup black chana, soaked overnight
1/2 cup yoghurt
2 tbsp oil
a big pinch hing(asfoetida)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp amchhor(dry mango powder)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste

1. Boil chana in a Pressure cooker until soft with little salt. Remove & drain the water.

2. Heat oil & add cumin seeds. & hing.

3. Mix turmeric powder, red chilli powder & corriander powder in beaten yoghurt. Add this to the oil & cook until the oil starts separating.

4. Add boiled chana, salt & cook until the gravy thickens & coats chana. Mash a few chana(a spoonful) to thicken the gravy.

5. Add garam masala & amchoor & simmer for another 5 min.

Serve hot.

Tomato Launji-sweet & sour tangy tomato curry

This is another popular curry from Rajasthani cuisine.

Choose firm & fresh tomatoes for this recipe for best results.

2 medium sized tomatoes, cut into big cubes

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

a big pinch kalonji (optional)

salt to taste

Heat oil to smoking point & add cumin seeds. Cumin seeds when added to hot oil turn to a dark brown color immediately. This releases its flavour instantly. Add all the spices, tomatoes, salt & sugar. Mix & cook on high flame until the tomatoes are slightly tender(approximately 3 to 4 min.) .Do not over cook else the curry may turn into a sauce. Serve hot with chapati.

Baby onions Curry

A spicy curry made with whole baby onions in yogurt gravy.

Serves:4

8 baby onions

1/2 cup yogurt (slightly sour for best results)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp corriander poder

salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Peel & make a criss-cross on the onions.

Heat oil & add cumin seeds. When they crackle place the onions in the pan & saute until soft flipping in between to cook on both sides.

Mix all the spices in the yougurt & pour it over the onions.

Cook until the oil separates (3 to 4 min).

Serve hot.

My entry for http://spicesetc.blogspot.com/2009/04/15-minute-cooking-spieces-etc.html