Ingredients

Cashew nuts – 10

Fresh paneer (cubed) – 250 g

Onion – 1 large + 2 medium

Cooking oil – as required (for deep frying)

Garam masala powder – 1tsp

Milk – as required (for grinding)

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Unsalted butter – 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Green chilly (slit) – 3 (or to taste)

Ginger (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Garlic (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 2 tsp (or to taste)

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Dry fenugreek leaves – 1 tbsp (optional)

Tomato (finely chopped) – 2 medium sized

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tbsp

Green capsicum (cubed) – 1 large

Fresh cream – 3 tbsp

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – for garnish

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
20 mins

Cook time
40 mins

Method

1)   Soak cashew nuts in hot water for 15 mins. While this is soaking, slice 1 large onion, deep fry until golden, drain and let it cool down.

2)   Once the fried onion cools down transfer it to a blender. Add the soaked cashew nuts, 2 paneer cubes and 1/2 tsp garam masala. Blend everything to a fine paste adding milk as required to run the mixer. Set aside.

3)   In a heavy bottomed pan (kadai) heat ghee and 1 tbsp butter together. Add the cumin seeds when it is hot enough and let it splutter.

4)   Immediately add the slit green chillies, ginger and garlic. Sauté for a minute on low heat. Now add the onion and a pinch of salt. Fry in medium heat until golden.

5)   Simmer the heat now, add turmeric, red chilly, coriander and the remaining garam masala powders. Sauté for 30 s. Add the tomatoes, dry fenugreek leaves, jaggery and salt. Mix everything once and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 5-7 mins or until the fat starts to seperate and float on top of the gravy.    

6)   Now add the ground cashew mixture and 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Cover the pan again and let it cook for another 3 to 4 mins (stir once in between to avoid the gravy sticking to the bottom of the pan).

7)   Now add the capsicum, remaining paneer cubes and fresh cream. Simmer the heat completely and allow it to cook for another 2 mins. 

8)   Shahi Paneer is ready now. Add handful of finely chopped coriander and a tbsp of butter for garnish. Enjoy this creamy paneer gravy with any kind of Indian bread or rice.

Notes

1. I’ve used cashew nuts to thicken this gravy. You can use almonds or walnuts as an alternative.
2. Deep frying onions will take a minimum of 10 mins on medium heat. The aroma of perfectly fried onions gives a unique flavour to shahi paneer gravy. So be patient and take time to fry onions until golden for that perfect flavour. If the oil is too hot then onions will get the colour quickly but the flavour will not be good.
   If you don’t want to do the frying at home, you can also buy fried onions at your local supermarket.
3. If you are a paneer lover like me, check out my other paneer based recipes like Paneer Burji and Paneer Kheer.

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Ingredients

Cooking oil – 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Carom seeds – 1/2 tsp

Green chilli (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Onion (medium sized) – 1 (finely chopped)

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Tomato (medium sized) – 1 (finely chopped)

Salt – 1 tsp (as per taste)

Jaggery – 1 tsp

Dry bajji mixture – 1 1/2 tbsp (refer Bajji recipe)

Fresh yoghurt – 3/4 cup

Water – 1 1/2 cups

Leftover bajji – 6 or 7 (chopped roughly into chunks)

Fresh coriander leaves – handful (finely chopped)

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
20 mins

Method

1)   Heat a kadai and add cooking oil. When hot add cumin and carom seeds and let it splutter. Then add chopped green chilly and saute for 30 secs.

2)   Now add chopped onion and a pinch of salt and saute until transparent. Simmer the heat now and add turmeric, red chilly and garam masala powders. Give it a quick mix and add chopped tomato and salt. Cover and cook on medium heat until the tomato cooks well and becomes mushy.

3)   Once the tomato cooks, add jaggery and the dry bajji mixture. Fry for 2 mins. Whisk fresh yoghurt and add it to the masala. Mix once. Now add water and bring it to thin gravy consistency. Again cover the kadai and let it cook until the raw smell of bajji mixture goes and oil seperates on top of the gravy. This should take around 5 to 6 mins.

4)   Now simmer the heat completely, add leftover bajji pieces and gently mix. Don’t cover the kadai now. After about 3 to 4 mins switch off the heat. Garnish with some fresh coriander leaves and enjoy with rice or any kind of bread.

Notes

1. Don’t reheat the bajji or pakoda before adding to the gravy. Just cut the bajjis into big pieces and drop it in the gravy. When the bajji pieces boil in gravy it will automatically soften and absorb the masalas.
2. Whisk or beat the yoghurt fully to make it smooth without any lumps. This way the chances of yoghurt curdling in the gravy will be minimised.

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Morekuzhambu is very important in our wedding lunch menu and almost all other functions and festivals. This is mildly sour and spicy, with the richness of coconut and coconut oil. This is one of the easy, quick dishes to make in literally 15 mins from prep to end. Vegetables like ash gourd, okra, brinjal, pumpkin, capsicum are normally added to morekuzhambu to make it more nutritious. Fried turkey berry, medhu vadai and bonda are few other exotic additions to make morekuzhambu more interesing. Quite often this dish is paired with a dry spicy curry like okra, potato, yam or sweet potato. But for an authentic south Indian experience pair morekuzhambu with either french beans or cluster beans paruppu usili or go for a simple dry brinjal curry with brinjal podi. 

Here’s my recipe for a simple tasty morekuzhambu. Serve with hot steamed rice and curry of your choice.

Ingredients

Ash gourd (peeled and cut into chunks) – 2 cups (see note 1 for alternate vegetables to use)

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Sour yoghurt – 2 cups

Water – 2 cups

Brown sugar – 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil – 2 tbsp

Fresh coconut (grated) – 4 tbsp

Green chillies – 6 (or to taste)

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

Ginger (grated) – 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander leaves (roughly chopped) – 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fresh curry leaves – a few leaves

Yield
Serves 5

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   In a pan take the cut ash gourd chunks. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Add just enough water to cover the ash gourd and keep on medium heat until it is fully cooked. Set aside.

2)   Take sour yoghurt, add 2 cups of water, sugar, 3/4 tsp salt and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Blend everything well with a whisk. Set aside.

3)   In a mixer take fresh grated coconut, chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, coriander leaves and ginger. Grind these to a coarse paste with just a tbsp of water. Add this ground mixture to the diluted yoghurt, mix and set aside.

4)   Heat a tempering pan and add a tbsp of coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Now add fenugreek seeds and fry until golden. Then add curry leaves, mix and transfer to the yoghurt-coconut mixture. Add the cooked ash gourd also to this tempered yoghurt mixture and mix well.

5)   Now heat this tempered yoghurt mixture on minimum heat for just 2 to 3 mins. Your tasty morekuzhambu is ready to serve.

Notes

1. I’ve used ash gourd to make this morekuzhambu. Ash gourd being a watery vegetable, I’ve boiled it with salt and added to the kuzhambu. Alternatively you can use shallow fried okra, brinjal, pumpkin or capsicum. Use enough coconut oil and salt to shallow fry any of the above vegetables until well cooked. Particularly if you are using okra or brinjal, fry until the vegetable turns crisp. Then add this to the diluted yoghurt and continue with the other steps.
2. I get sour yoghurt in the supermarkets and I use that to make this dish. If you don’t get sour yoghurt easily, then keep fresh yoghurt in a warm place for a day (to make it sour) and then use. The tanginess from sour yoghurt is important and adds an extra taste to this dish.
3. The highlight of this dish is fresh coconut and coconut oil. So I suggest to use only fresh coconut and good quality coconut oil to make morekuzhambu and enjoy its authentic taste.
4. Generally coriander leaves is not used in this dish. But I love the flavour and colour it adds, so I use it. You can choose to either add or omit this totally. It’s up to you.
5. Refrigerate leftover kuzhambu and use it for up to 2 days.

Beginner’s tips

1. Make sure to just warm the morekuzhambu after adding all the ingredients. Don’t bring it to boil as yoghurt tends to curdle when heated.

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Lentils are high in protein and dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. The combination of lentils in this dish makes it protein rich and very nutritious. This gravy is very versatile and can be used in many ways other than having it as a side dish for all kinds of Indian bread and rice varieties. Just have a bowl of this gravy, topped with some fresh onions, carrots and cucumber. Toast some multi grain bread, spread this gravy on top and have it for dinner. There are endless ways to use this gravy!

Ingredients

Garlic – 4 pods

Cinnamon stick – 2″ piece

Bay leaf – 1

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Cooking oil – 3 tbsp

Butter/Ghee – 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Carom seeds – 1/2 tsp

Green chilly (slit) – 3 (or to taste)

Ginger (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Onion (finely chopped) – 2 large sized

Salt – 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 2 tsp (or to taste)

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Chana masala powder – 1 tsp (see note 1 for alternatives)

Tomato (finely chopped) – 2 medium sized

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tbsp

Fresh cream – 2 tbsp (see note 2 for alternatives)

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – for garnish

Lentils for sprouting

Whole green gram – 1/2 cup

Whole black gram – 1/2 cup

Red lentils – 1/2 cup

Kidney beans – 1/2 cup

Yield
Serves 6

Prep time
2 days for sprouting lentils
20 mins on the day of making

Cook time
1 hr

Method

1)   Soak lentils for 24 hours and sprout them. (Refer my recipe Banana Stem & Mung Sprout Curry for notes on how to sprout lentils.

2)   Cook the sprouted lentils with garlic, cinnamon and bay leaf until soft and mushy. After it comes to room temperature remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and roughly mash the cooked lentils. Set aside.

3)   In a heavy bottomed pan (kadai) heat oil and 1 tbsp butter together. Add the cumin and carom seeds when the oil is hot enough and let it splutter.

4)   Immediately add the slit green chillies and ginger. Sauté for a minute on low heat. Now add the onion and a pinch of salt. Fry in medium heat until golden.

5)   Now simmer the heat, add turmeric, red chilly, cumin, coriander and chana masala powders. Sauté for 30 s. Add the tomatoes and half the quantity of salt at this stage. Mix and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover the pan and cook for 5-7 mins on medium heat.    

6)   Now add the cooked lentils (along with the water in which the lentils were cooked), remaining salt, jaggery/sugar. Cover the pan again and let it cook for another 7 to 8 mins.

7)   By now the lentils would have absorbed all the flavors from the gravy. Add fresh cream, mix well and simmer for another 2 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves and remove from heat.

8)   Add the remaining butter now and serve your aromatic Sprouted Lentil Gravy with jeera rice, plain rice, roti, poori, paratha, naan, kulcha or even toasted bread. 

Notes

1. I’ve used store bought chana masala powder in this dish. If you don’t have chana masala powder, you can use garam masala powder or kada masala powder. Check out my Kada Masala Powder recipe for a flavourful spice mix powder.
2. Adding fresh cream gives a rich and creamy texture to Sprouted Lentil Gravy. If you are making this dish for a special occasion then go ahead and make it with fresh cream. For a lighter option for fresh cream, take 3 tbsp of crumbled paneer (cottage cheese), add few spoons of milk blend and use this. However, if you are lactose intolerant or vegan, then soak 10 cashew nuts for 1/2 hour, grind with few spoons of vegan milk and use for a vegan version.
3. This Sprouted Lentil Gravy is protein rich and slightly heavy. Have this curry preferably for lunch or early evening dinner. To aid better digestion I’ve added garlic, asafoetida, cumin and carom seeds and ginger.

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Generally most kids are not a big fan of leafy vegetables. But this curry is packed with the goodness of fresh fenugreek leaves and tastes awesome. This semi dry curry goes well with all kinds of bread and rice. I’m happy to share my friend’s recipe for an amazing Aloo Methi curry.

Ingredients

Potatoes (cubed) – 3 big sized

Fresh fenugreek leaves (cleaned and roughly chopped) – 4 or 5 handfuls (packed)

Onion (finely chopped) – 2 medium sized

Cooking oil – 3 tbsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp (optional)

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 2 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Yoghurt – 2 tbsp

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tbsp

Dried fenugreek leaves – 1 tbsp

Chopped spring onion leaves – 1 tbsp

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
30 mins

Cook time
20 mins

Method

1)   In a frying pan/kadai take the oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Then add cumin seeds and wait for 20 to 30s while it cooks.

2)   When the cumin seeds change colour, add ghee. Now add finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Fry for 4 to 5 mins on medium heat until the onion sweats and turns translucent.

3)   Now add turmeric and red chilly powder and saute for 30s. Add cubed potatoes and salt. Mix thoroughly, sprinkle some water, cover and cook until potatoes soften.

4)   When potato is cooked add yoghurt, mix and cover the pan again. Let it simmer for a couple of mins. After 2 mins, add fenugreek leaves and jaggery. Mix and cook until fenugreek leaves shrink and cook.

5)   Crush and sprinkle the dried fenugreek leaves on top of the curry, mix well and switch off the heat. Add some chopped spring onion greens for an added flavour. Tasty, home style Aloo Methi is ready to serve.

Notes

1. I’ve added ghee for an additional flavour and nutrition. For a vegan version, you can skip ghee.
2. If you want your curry to be more spicy, add 1 tbsp of finely chopped green chillies before adding the onions. Saute for a minute and then add onion.
3. I wouldn’t suggest adding ginger or garlic to Aloo Methi, as the predominant aroma of this curry comes from fresh fenugreek leaves.
4. Fenugreek leaves have a mild bitter taste and to offset that bitterness I’ve suggested jaggery/brown sugar. If you enjoy different tastes and have a liking for fenugreek in particular, then you may skip jaggery/brown sugar.
5. Any green leafy vegetable should be minimally cooked to retain its natural colour and nutrition. So do not overcook the leaves.
6. I’ve used fresh tender fenugreek leaves in this curry. If you don’t have fresh leaves, as an alternative go for the store bought dried leaves. In this case use upto a maximum of 1 cup of dried leaves. Just crush the leaves a bit with your hand and add it along with the jaggery.
7. For more ideas to use up your fenugreek leaves, check out my recipe Cauliflower Fenugreek Dry Curry.

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The recipe is quite simple with minimum South Indian ingredients and an all time favourite in my house. Whenever I make Eriseri, I just make plain white rice to eat with it and nothing else. My grandmother learnt this recipe from her neighbour and taught my mom and my mom taught it to me. So it’s a time tested recipe in our family and I’m happy to share it with you all.

Ingredients

Yam (cleaned and cubed) – 4 cups

Thick tamarind extract – 1 tbsp (or 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste)

Water – as required

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Crushed black pepper – 1 tbsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Coconut oil – 3 tbsp

Dry red chilly – 2 (or to taste)

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dhal – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – a few leaves

Fresh grated coconut – 1 1/2 cups

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tsp (optional)

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
20 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   In a wide pan, take yam, turmeric powder and crushed pepper. Add enough water to just cover everything. Keep the pan on the stove and heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Now reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook until yam is half done.  

2)   While the yam is cooking, heat another frying pan, add 2 tbsp coconut oil. When oil heats up a bit, add red chillies and fry for 1 min (on low heat) or until the chillies turn crisp. With a slotted spoon remove the chillies from the oil and set aside. To these chillies, add 3/4 cups of fresh grated coconut. 

3)   Again heat the same oil in which you fried the chilly, add mustard seeds and wait until it splutters. Then add urad dhal and fry until golden. Immediately add curry leaves and 3/4 cup fresh coconut and fry (on low heat) until coconut turns golden. Set this tempering aside.

4)   When the yam is half done, add tamarind extract, salt and jaggery. Mix once and cover the pan. Let it boil further until the yam cooks completely and becomes soft. While this is cooking, grind the fresh coconut and fried chillies (done in step 2) together with a little water to make a coarse paste. 

5)   Once the yam cooks fully and becomes soft, add the ground paste and 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Mix and let it boil for 2 mins. Adjust the consistency of eriseri at this stage by adding some water, if needed, to bring it to a nice gravy like consistency.

6)   Finally add the tempering we had set aside to the boiling eriseri, mix once and switch off the stove. Flavourful, tasty eriseri is ready to serve. Enjoy this with fresh steamed white rice, rasam rice, Mango rice, VeN pongal or Coconut rice.

Notes

1. Fresh coconut is the essence of most of the dishes from Kerala. Instead of coconut powder or desiccated coconut, use fresh coconut for an authentic Kerala taste.
2. Coconut is highly nutritious and should be consumed as fresh as possible without much cooking. Therefore after adding the ground coconut mixture, don’t boil for more than a minute or two.

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I’ve added some roasted sesame seeds and crushed peanuts to this broccoli stir fry to add some crunch and enhance the protein value. So here’s the recipe for a perfectly low cal dish, loaded with nutrients and incredibly tasty too!

Ingredients

White sesame seeds – 1 tbsp

Peanuts – 2 tbsp

Broccoli – 1 medium sized

Cooking sesame oil – 2 tbsp

Green chillies/bird’s eye chilly (finely chopped) – 2 tsp

Ginger (finely chopped) – 3 tsp

Garlic (finely chopped) – 3 tsp

Onion (finely chopped) – 3 tbsp

Soy sauce – 1 tbsp

Rice vinegar – 1 tbsp

Tomato paste – 1 tbsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Corn flour – 1 tsp

Crushed pepper powder – 1 tsp

Crushed red chilly flakes – 1 tsp (optional)

Salt – 1/4?? tsp (or to taste)

Brown sugar – 1 tbsp

Green capsicum (finely chopped) – 3 tbsp

Spring onion (finely chopped) – 3 tbsp

Yield
Serves 3

Prep time
20 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   Heat a frying pan and dry roast sesame seeds (on low heat) until they start to pop and turn golden. Set aside.

2)   In the same pan, dry roast peanuts (on low heat again) until crunchy and aromatic. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool. After they cool down, crush them coarsely and set aside.

3)   Trim broccoli into florets, blanch and set aside.

4)   In the same pan, heat oil, add green chillies, ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute. Add the chopped onions and fry on high heat until they turn translucent.  

5)   Add soy sauce, vinegar and tomato paste. Mix and reduce heat. In 1/2 cup water, take cornflour, crushed pepper, crushed red chilly flakes and mix. Add this cornflour mixture to the frying pan. Mix and let it cook for 2 mins in low heat. Add salt and brown sugar and mix. The cornflour mixture will thicken and come to a glossy, saucey consistency.

6)   Finally add green capsicum, spring onion and blanched broccoli. Mix and toss once so the sauce coats the broccoli florets fully. Switch off the heat. Add the roasted sesame seeds and crushed peanuts to the Broccoli Stir Fry and mix completely. Serve hot.  

Notes

1. Roast sesame seeds and peanuts in low heat. Patience is the key here. Take time to roast evenly so that the ingredients don’t burn and get charred.
2. See Cauliflower Bites recipe for broccoli blanching tips.

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Ingredients

Coconut oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chana dhal – 1 tsp

Urad dhal – 2 tsp

Green chillies (finely chopped) – 2 tsp

Ginger (finely chopped) – 3 tsp

Curry leaves (finely chopped) – 2 tsp

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Cabbage (shredded finely) – 5 cups

Salt – 1/2 tsp (or to taste)

Sugar – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Green peas – 1 cup (see note 6)

Fresh coconut (grated) – 3 to 4 tbsp

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
10 mins

Method

1)   Heat a wide pan/kadai, add oil and heat up the oil. Once the oil is heated a bit, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. When the spluttering slows down, add chana dhal and urad dhal. Fry the dhals until golden.

2)   Add green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Fry all these for a minute. Then add asafoetida and mix once. Immediately add the shredded cabbage, sugar and salt. Mix, cover the pan with a lid and cook in medium heat for 5 to 6 mins.  

3)   Then, open the lid and add green peas, mix and cover the pan again. Simmer and cook for 3 more mins. Then add grated coconut and mix thoroughly. Switch off the heat. Tasty Cabbage & Green Peas Curry is ready to serve.

Notes

1. I prefer using coconut oil for most of my dry curries where fresh coconut is used, as it enhances the flavour of the curry.  However, if you don’t have coconut oil, you can use any oil of your choice.
2. Only use fresh coconut for this recipe, and not dessiccated coconut. You can also make it without coconut if you don’t have any or are not a fan of the flavour.
3. Follow the same recipe to make dry curry using red/purple cabbage, beans, long beans, snake gourd, carrot, beetroot, flat green beans or any green vegetable.
4. Cabbage can cause mild bloating and discomfort for people with sensitive stomach. Ginger and asafoetida help reduce this discomfort and aid digestion.
5. Cabbage & Green Peas Curry tastes great when cabbage is just cooked enough and retains its crunch. Overcooking the vegetable will spoil the taste and look of the curry.
6. I’ve used frozen green peas which is flash-steamed already, so it can be added at the end. If you are using fresh green peas, then add it along with the cabbage.
7. Dishes cooked with vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli become stale after a few hours. Refrigerate the left over curry and heat up in microwave oven before serving.

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Ingredients

Baby brinjals – 15 to 20

Tamarind – small lime sized (if using tamarind paste, then take 1 1/2 tbsp)

Chana dhal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 3 tbsp

Dry red chilly – 3 (or to taste)

Kashmiri dry red chilly – 2

Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp

Uncooked rice – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Cooking sesame oil – 3 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few leaves

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Water – 600-700 ml

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tbsp

Yield
Serves 5

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Clean the baby brinjals and remove the green stem. Slit them vertically like a ‘+’ until 3/4ths deep (don’t cut till the end because the brinjals need to be full, see picture). After slitting each brinjal put it in a bowl of water. Continue like this until you slit all the brinjals and place them in water. Set aside.

2)   Boil tamarind in 200 ml water, allow it to cool and then squeeze to get thick tamarind extract. Set this aside. If you are using tamarind paste, skip this step.

3)   In a wide pan, dry roast rice and fenugreek seeds together on low heat. Fry until fenugreek turns golden. Set aside. Add sesame seeds to the same pan and dry roast until golden. Add the roasted sesame seeds to the roasted fenugreek and rice.

4)   In the same kadai dry roast chana dhal, urad dhal, coriander seeds and the chillies together until the dhals turn golden. Transfer this roasted mixture to the sesame seeds and fenugreek. Add asafoetida to this and grind all the roasted ingredients to a coarse powder. Set aside. This is your rasavaangi spice mix powder.

5)   In the same kadai, heat 3 tbsp sesame oil and add mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Now add the curry leaves and turmeric powder. Give it a quick stir and add the slit brinjals. Add 1/2 tsp salt and mix gently. Cover the pan and leave on low heat until the brinjals are half cooked. 

6)   Open the pan now and add the tamarind extract/paste. Add the remaining salt for the rasavaangi, jaggery and 500 ml water (add around 650 ml water if using tamarind paste). Mix once without breaking the brinjals. Cover the pan again and let it boil for 5-7 mins on medium heat.

7)   Now open the pan, simmer the heat and let it boil for 2 more mins. The oil we added initially will start floating on the surface now. At this stage add the ground rasavaangi spice powder. Mix gently and allow it to boil for 2 to 3 mins. The rasavaangi will thicken and become aromatic. Finally, drizzle 1/2 tbsp sesame oil on top and switch off the heat. Rasavaangi is ready to be served. Enjoy with hot steamed rice, any dry curry and pappad.

Notes

1. My grandmom used to make Rasavaangi with baby brinjals. As alternatives, I’ve made this dish with shallots, brussel sprouts and even tubers like cubed sweet potato and yam. The main tastemaker in rasavaangi is the ground spice mix. 
2. Sesame oil brings out the maximum flavour in dishes where tamarind is the base. So I suggest to use sesame oil for dishes like Rasavaangi, Puliyodharai, Sambar, Vathakuzhambu and Milagu kuzhambu.

Beginner’s tips

1. Fry all ingredients for the spice mix in minimum heat. Take time to roast slowly, so that the ingredients fry completely without getting charred. Moreover, slow roasting helps in releasing the natural aroma of each ingredient and enhance the overall taste of the dish.

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Ingredients

Ripe tomato – 2 medium sized chopped roughly

Ginger – 2 cm piece

Garlic – 2 pods

Cooking oil – 3 tbsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp (optional)

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Carom seeds – 1/2 tsp

Onion (finely chopped) – 1 large sized

Potato – 2 large (peeled and cubed)

Red chilly powder – 1 1/2 tsp (or to taste)

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp

Dry fenugreek leaves – 2 tbsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Sugar/Jaggery powder – 1/2 tsp

Fresh/frozen green peas – 1 cup

Water – as required

Fresh coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp (optional)

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Grind tomato, ginger and garlic until smooth.

2)   Heat a pressure cooker/pan and add oil and ghee. When oil heats up a bit, add cumin and carom seeds. Let it splutter. Add chopped onions and fry until translucent.

3)   Now add the cubed potatoes, mix once and cover the pan. Let it cook for 2 to 3 mins. Open the pan and add the ground tomato-ginger-garlic paste. Mix once. Then add red chilly powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and dried fenugreek leaves. Fry all this in low heat for two minutes.

4)   Add salt and sugar now. Mix well and let it boil for two more mins. Add green peas and some water (use enough water to cook potatoes and peas) at this stage and mix. Close the pressure cooker/pan and boil until potatoes are cooked fully. When potatoes are done, just mash a few potato cubes to get a perfect gravy consistency (don’t mash all the potatoes).

5)   Your Aloo Matar is ready. Garnish with some chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with any Indian bread or just plain rice or jeera rice.

Notes

1. As the name suggests, this is primarily a gravy dish made with potatoes. As an alternative, you can use sweet potatoes and skip adding sugar/jaggery.
2. The same recipe can be used to make Paneer Matar-yet another simple, interesting north Indian gravy dish. Use cubed paneer instead of potatoes. In this case, make the entire recipe without potatoes (after frying onions, add tomato paste and continue the process from there) and add paneer cubes after the green peas cooks fully. 
3. Add a tbsp of butter immediately after you switch off the heat for a glazed finish.

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