Tofu makhani

I have been trying to perfect my makhani gravy which is used so often in Indian dishes offered in restuarants. Paneer makhani is one of the most popular vegetarian dishes. I recently went to a restaurant that had great reviews online Their website looked decent and boasted about their first restaurant which became very popular in Europe. I should have listened to my instincts about staying away from the likes of Maharajas and Heritage restaurants (but I did not). So we ended up going to this place. On the recommendation of our server we ordered a wide array of dishes, which included paneer makhani, dal makhani, navratan korma and hyderabadi baingan ka salan. Even though the decor and the look of the place felt decent it was eerily empty during lunch hour. I was expecting to see a buffet as it was a weekend lunch hour, but the server announced that they do not have buffets on a weekend! So then we ordered a la carte.  After waiting for more than twenty minutes the food arrived and it was awful! The baingan ka salan had a thin runny and tastless gravy which tasted of raw turmeric. The eggplant itself was not well cooked and tasted raw. The rest of the food just had a gravy of cream and tomatoes with no other flavor. I left feeling ripped off with a bad taste in my mouth. A few days later I decided to try making restaurant style makhani gravy at home, but without using copious amount of cream in it. Here is the recipe.

 Ingredients

1 pack tofu cubed

2 cups chopped tomatoes (preferably roasted)

1/4 cup cashews soaked in water and ground to a paste

2 bay leaves

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp green cardamom powder

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp pepper

2-3 black cardamom

1 tsp tandoori masala or garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp kasoori methi

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp butter

Salt to taste

Oil for cooking

Method

Heat some oil in a saucepan and add all the ingredients in it except honey and kasoori methi. Cover the saucepan and cook for at least 10 minites. Keep stirring till the gravy becomes thick (anohter 5-10 minutes).

Cool a little and transfer the mixture to a blender and puree it. Transfer the puree back to the saucepan and add the honey,  kasoori methi and butter. Saute the pieces of tofu in a non stick pan and add it to the prepared gravy. Serve with rice or roti

Black lentil soup

A bowl of home cooked dal or lentils topped with generous amount of ghee or butter and juice of lemon can be so comforting and nourishing after a hard day's work. I love to  to cook all kinds of lentils as soups or dal. It can be eaten just plain boiled with rice or you can make it as elaborate as you like it, by adding whole spices and vegetables or tempering it with onions, garlic etc.. Left overs can be used to make a dough for rotis or paratha. One of my favorite lentils are the whole black lentils or kali masoor.

Ingredient

1 cup whole masoor dal

1 small onion

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 bay leaf
2-3 black cardamom

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1 tomato chopped

1 tsp garam masala (optional)

1 Lemon (juiced)

1 tsp cumin seeds

Ghee or butter to cook

Method

Boil the dal with carrots, turmeric powder, half the ginger garlic paste and bay leaf. I pressure cook the dal giving it about three whistles. It should be cooked but not too mushy. In a separate pan heat some ghee and add the cumin seeds and black cardamon. Add the onions and cook for about 3-5 minutes till  the onions turn golden brown. Now mix in the rest of the ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, garam masala, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes. Now pour the dal over it and bring it to a boil once again. Taste for seasoning and add the lemon juice. Serve as soup topped with a little butter or it can be eaten the traditional way with rice or roti.

Creamy pasta salad with silken tofu dressing

The past few days have been really hot and humid here, with temperatures reaching  almost 100 degrees. I wanted to make something that would be light and refreshing for this weather. I had been planning to make a pasta salad for a long time and I had lots of vegetables at hand. So I decided to make this salad with lots of crunchy vegetables and a creamy soy dressing.

 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups boiled pasta 

1 cup chopped vegetables 

red onions, orange, red, green bell peppers

1/2 cup boiled chickpeas

a few black olives

1/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup green and red apples (chopped)

1/2 cup sliced grapes

toasted walnuts and cranberries for garnish

For the dressing

3/4 cup plain unsweetened soy milk

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup silken tofu

1 lime, juiced

2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp garlic, onion powder

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Boil the pasta according to directions in salted water, drain and keep aside. Cut all the vegetables and mix them with the pasta in a bowl. Mix in the apples and grapes. Top with some toasted and candied walnuts and dry cranberries.

 Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender. Puree until it is smooth and creamy. Pour the dressing over the pasta and serve. Sometimes I like to crumble a little feta cheese on top to make it extra special.

Pumpkin curry

I love to use pumpkin in soups raitas or even parathas. This curry is mildly sweet, spicy and savory. Topping it with creamy yogurt or coconut milk makes it even more delicious.

Ingredients

Chopped pumpkin (about 3 cups)

2 tsp panch phoran

cloves 3-4

curry leaves

slit green chillies

dry red chillies

1 tbsp jaggery or sugar

turmeric powder

black salt 

Chopped cilantro for garnishing

coconut milk or whipped yogurt (1/2 cup)

Method

Heat some oil in a pan and add the panch phoran, cloves, slit green chillies, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Once it starts spluttering add the pumpkin salt and turmeric powder. Stir well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the powdered jaggery, a little black salt and cook till the pumpkin is done but not mushy. Garnish with cilantro. Before serving pour a little coconut milk or whipped yogurt on top. Serve hot with parathas.

Grilled tofu with spicy barbecue sauce

I made this spicy barbecue sauce with Indian flavors to go with grilled slabs of tofu.

Ingredients

1 pack firm tofu (drained)

1 large sweet onion

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 tomatoes

half cup chopped cilantro

a few sprigs of fresh mint

3-4 jalapenos

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp store bought barbecue sauce

2 tsp curry powder or tandoori masala

turmeric powder

salt to taste

oil for cooking

Method

Drain the tofu well and pat dry with a towel. Spray some oil on the slabs of tofu and grill till it gets nice grill marks on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.

For the sauce

Chop the onions, tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos and put them in a blender. Add the mint leaves and make a paste. Take some oil in a pan and add this paste along with the ketchup, barbecue sauce, salt, turmeric and curry powder. Cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes till the oil separates. Pour the sauce over the grilled tofu and serve.

One pot meal ..khichdi

This easy wholesome and delicious meal can be prepared in many different ways. Every family has a favorite khichdi recipe. I like to make it in many different ways but this is one of my favorite way of preparing it. There is nothing fancy about it and it tastes best only eaten hot and fresh with a chilled glass of buttermilk or yogurt.

Ingredients

1/2 cup yellow moong dal

1/2 cup rice

1 cup chopped carrots

1 bunch of chopped spinach

1/4 tsp grated ginger

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp asafoetida

red chilli powder 

Lemon juice

ghee

salt to taste

Method

Wash the rice and lentils and soak them in water for about half and hour. Transfer the rice and lentils to a pressure cooker and add about three cups of water, chopped carrots, spinach, ginger, turmeric powder salt and 1tsp of ghee. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes (2 whistles). Let the pressure cooker rest for another 10 minutes and then open the lid and add the asafoetida and a generous amount of ghee and lemon juice. Mix everything well. Sprinkle some red chilli powder and black salt to taste. The consistency should be smooth and creamy. I usually serve it with a simple potato vegetable, side salad and yogurt.

Golden paneer in spinach and cashew gravy

I was planning to make paneer bhurji when I realized that I had some spinach and sweet peppers that had to be used so instead of making paneer bhurji the traditional way I sauteed some paneer with sweet peppers and served it over a gravy made with sweet onions cashews and spinach leaves. It turned out quite well.

Ingredients

1 cup paneer crumbled

1/2 cup chopped sweet peppers

handful of baby spinach leaves

1 large sweet onion (chopped)

1 large clove of garlic (grated)

2 slit green chillies

1/4 cup cashews soaked in water

3-4 cloves crushed

1/2 tsp shahi jeera

turmeric, black pepper, salt

Method
Heat some oil in a pan and add shahi jeera. Once it starts spluttering add the crushed cloves, green chillies

and onions. Cook on medium heat till the onions start getting golden brown. Now add the grated garlic and stir for a minute. Remove from heat and grind it along with the soaked cashews and baby spinach leaves.
In the same pan cook the crumbled paneer and sweet peppers. Season the paneer with a little turmeric, black pepper and chaat masala. Cook till the paneer gets golden edges and the raw smell of turmeric goes away.
 Once the paneer is done keep it aside and pour the ground mixture of onions, spinach and cashews back in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes and mix the paneer in it.