Punjabi Kadhi (Chick pea flour dumplings in yogurt based sauce)

I have tried many different versions of  "Punjabi Kadhi" & failed every time until I was gifted with Sanjeev Kapoor's cook book by one of my Aunts. This turned out to be the best of all and was adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's Traditional Indian Cuisine-Punjabi cook book. I made a few modifications to the original recipe to suit our taste.

Ingredients:

For the Pakore (Dumplings):
3/4 cup Besan (chick pea flour)
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup kasoori Methi
1 "ginger, grated
1 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

For the Gravy (Yogurt based Sauce):

1 cup unflavored yogurt
1/4 cup besan (chick pea flour)
1/4 tsp methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1/2 tsp pepper corns
2-3 dried red chillies (byadgi)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
1/2 "ginger, grated
oil
salt to taste

How it's made:

To make the pakore- Mix all ingredients together except oil with half cup water. Mix until smooth, Drop by spoonful into hot oil & deep fry about 6-8 at a time without over crowding. Fry until light golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

To make the gravy- Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add methi, jeera, pepper corns & dried red chillies. Fry until red chillies change into a deeper color. Add onions & fry until translucent. In the meantime, whisk yogurt in a bowl. Add besan (chick pea flour) & whisk well to avoid lumps. Add 2 cups water. Add yogurt sauce to onions. Let it boil on low heat. Keep stirring. Add ginger, spice powder and salt to taste. Add fried dumplings & let cook for 5 mins on very low heat. Serve with white rice or roti.

Serves: 4

Broccoli Batate Upkari (Broccoli - Potato Stir Fry)

Ingredients:

3-4 cups fresh broccoli florets (I use broccoli crowns)
1 small potatoes, peeled & cut into 1" cubes
1 tsp sasam (black mustard seeds)
2 whole dried red chillies (Byadgi), cut into pieces
oil
salt to taste

How it's made:

In a "Kadai", skillet or non stick pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add red chillies & fry until chillies turn to a deeper red color. Add potatoes & a pinch of salt. Do not add water. Cover & cook until potatoes are almost done. Add broccoli & salt to taste. Cover & let cook for a few mins. (I let them cook for 2-3 mins only since I like them crunchy).
Serve with white rice & Dalitoy.

Serves: 4

Jhalke Alle Piyava Ambat (Konkani Fish Curry)

Fish curry was almost an everyday dish at my Ajja's & Bapama's (my Father's parents) place. Growing up, my school was right next door to Bapama's & I had the privileged to eat fresh home cooked lunch everyday. Since Bapama's house consisted of joint family and extended family members, fried fish was out of question.
Back home, fish curry was cooked in an earthen pot called as "Kulle" in Konkani. It gave a very distinctive taste to the whole dish & the flavor was just incredible. Cleaning the dish was very easy & no odor was left behind. (I now rinse dishes with vinegar after cooking!)
Some of the popular Konkani fish curries are Alle Piyava Ambat (coconut based curry made with ginger & onions), Piyava Ambat (coconut based curry seasoned with fried onions) & Phanna Upkari (chilli based sauce with spices) which I will post down the road.

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillet (approx 1lb)
1 cup fresh grated coconut
6 dried red chillies, roasted (I use byadgi)
marble size tamarind
1" ginger, chopped fine
2 green chillies, cut in half
1 small onion, chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp coconut oil (optional)

How it's made:

Wash, rinse & cut fish into cubes.
Grind coconut, red chillies & tamarind to a smooth paste.
In a wide pan, mix in ginger, green chilli, onion, ground masala and salt to taste. Add a little water at a time to make a thick gravy. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Check for salt.
Add fish & give one quick stir.

Boil but stir only if required since fish tends to break apart easily.
Drizzle with coconut oil & serve hot with white rice.

Serves: 4-6

Note: I used tilapia since no one at home likes fish with bone in. This curry is traditionally made with pomfrets, king fish or mackerels.

Rajma (Red Kidney Bean) Curry

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) or 2 - 15 oz can light red kidney beans
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1/2 tsp hing powder (Asafoetida)
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup tomato puree
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 green chillies, slit
1"ginger grated
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust as per spice level)
1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
1/2 tsp jeera powder (cumin powder)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Coriander leaves for garnishing
oil
salt to taste


How it's made:

Rinse & soak uncooked Rajma for an hour. Add enough water to cover the beans & pressure cook for 5-10 minutes. If Rajma wasn't soaked earlier, cook for another 5 minutes.
For canned Rajma: rinse beans in a colander & set aside.
In a "Kadai", "Kayli"or non stick pan, heat oil. Add jeera, hing & green chillies. Fry for 30 seconds. Add onions & 1/2 tsp salt. Fry until onions are light brown. Add ginger & garlic. Saute' for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree. Cook for another minute. Add rajma with cooked water, red chilli powder, haldi, jeera powder, coriander powder & salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes on medium high flame. Add water if the curry is too dry. Finish with garam masala & coriander leaves.

Serve with Roti or plain white rice.

Serves : 5