Chole Chickpea Curry (Chenna Masala)

Chickpea curry is one of my all time favourite vegetarian recipe! It’s so easy to make and very tasty with roti, puri and jeera rice.

Preparation of Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

Chickpeas (250 grms)
Oil (5 tbs)
Salt (1 and a half tbs )
Jeera (1/2 tbs)
Onions (2)
Bay Leaves (2)
Cinnamon (2 small sticks)
Cloves (4)
Ginger Garlic Paste (1 tbs)
Garam Masala Powder (1/2 tbs)
Green Chillis (4)
Turmeric Powder (1/4 tbs)
Red Chilli Powder (1 tbs)
Dhaniya Powder (2 tbs)
Coconut Powder (2 tbs) / Coconut Milk (1/2 small cup)
Kasuri Methi (handful)
Coriander Leaves (handful)

Take 250 grams of chickpeas, wash it, and soak it in water overnight.

Take a pressure cooker, add the soaked chickpeas, and add 1 tablespoon of salt.

Switch on the gas. After 6 whistles, swith off the gas and put it aside.

Cut the following ingredients into small pieces: 2 onions, 3 tomatoes, coriander, green chillies, kasuri methi. Keep them aside.

Take a pan and add 5 tablespoons of oil. After heating the oil, add the following ingredients one at a time: jeera, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, green chillis and onions, and fry it over a slow flame. When the onions become brown in colour, add ginger garlic paste and garam masala, and fry it for 1 minute.

Now, add the tomatoes and a little salt, and fry it for 5 minutes.

When the tomatoes become very soft, add red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, chenna masala powder and coconut powder, and fry it for 2 minutes. Add the boiled chickpeas with water, mix it, and let it cook.

If it’s needed, add some more water and cook it until the gravy becomes thick and the chickpeas become soft.

When the curry becomes thick like this, add coriander and kasuri methi, and cook it for 5 minutes. Check whether the chickpeas are soft or hard and if it’s hard, cook it for some more time.

Now, your chickpea curry is ready to serve with roti, puri, and jeera rice!

Pepper Chicken Fry

Pepper chicken is a delicious recipe that you can serve either as an appetizer or as a side dish along with a meal.

Preparation of Pepper Chicken Fry

Ingredients:

Chicken (500 g or 1/2 kg)
Oil (5 tbs)
Onions (2)
Garam Masala (1/2 tbs)
Ginger Garlic Paste (2 tbs)
Red Chilli Powder (2 tbs)
Pepper Powder (1/2 tbs)
Dhaniya Powder (2 tbs)
Coconut Powder (2 tbs) / Coconut Milk (1/2 small cup)
Curd (2 tbs)
Curry Leaves (20 leaves)
Coriander Leaves (handful)
Bay Leaves (2)
Note: the ingredients are added depending on your taste preferences and spice tolerance.

First, wash the chicken, cut it into small pieces, and add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, curd and salt.

Mix it very well and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Take a pan, add oil, and after heating the oil, add the following ingredients one at a time: bay leaves, onions and curry leaves. Fry it over a slow flame.

When the onions become light brown in colour, add ginger garlic paste and garam masala, fry it for 2 minutes, and add the marinated chicken. Mix it very well and leave it aside for 10 minutes.

Next, add coconut powder and mix it very well.

Then, add half a cup of water and cook it for some time.

When the curry becomes thick, add pepper powder and cook for some time.

Now, add coriander and curry leaves and fry it for 2 minutes.

Potato Cutlets

Preparation of Potato Cutlets

Ingredients:

Potatoes (6)
Salt (1/2 tbs)
Onions (2)
Red Chilli Powder (1/2 tbs) / Green Chillies (4)
Garam Masala (1/2 tbs)
Dhaniya Powder (1/2 tbs)
Jeera powder ( 1/2 tbs)
Corn Flour (1 tbs)
Egg White (optional)
Coriander (handful)
Oil
Note: the indrediants are added depending on your taste preferences and spice tolerance.

Wash the potatoes, add 2 glasses of water, 1/2 tablespoons of salt, and close the cooker with lid. After 4 whistles, switch off the gas and keep it aside for 10 minutes.

Now, peel the potatoes’ skin and smash it. Next, add finely chopped onions, salt, red chilli powder, Jeera powder, dhaniya powder, garam masala, corn flour, and coriander, and mix it very well.

Apply oil to your hands and make the patties like this.

Keep the potato cutlets and egg white aside.

There are 2 ways of making your potato cutlets:

Pan Frying
Shallow Frying

Pan Frying

Take a pan and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Then, take a cutlet, dip it into the egg white, put it in the pan, and fry it both sides until the cutlets become golden-brown in colour. Now your pan fried potato cutlets are ready!

Shallow Frying

Take a pan, add some oil, and heat the oil. Then, put cutlets in the oil and fry it on both sides.

Fry the cutlets like this until they become golden-brown in colour. Now, your shallow fried potato cutlets are ready!

Your potato cutlets are ready to serve hot with red chilli sauce, green chilli souce, tomato ketchup.

Sambar (Mix vegetable Sambar)

Sambar is a south Indian dish. It is rich in protein and also other nutrients such as vitamins and minarals as its made from Dal and vegetables.

Preparation of Sambar

Ingredients:

Toor Dal
Tomatoes
Tamarind
Mustard Seeds
Jeera
Garlic
Turmeric Powder
Curry Leaves
Onions
Salt
Red Chillies
Asafoetida (Inguva)
Homemade Sambar Powder (or) 777 Sambar Powder
Vegetables

In a pan, add oil, and the following indredients one at a time: mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves, red chills, smashed garlic and onions. Fry it until the onions become golden-brown in colour. Now, add inguva and fry it.

Next, add vegetables (drumsticks, bringal and radish). Fry it for 5 minutes, add water, and boil it for 10 minutes.

Note: Depending on the vegetables used, the sambar will taste different. Personally, I prefer using just drumsticks or a combination of drumsticks, bringal, and radish.

Take a pressure cooker, add toor dal, 2 tomatoes and water, and close the cooker. After 3 to 4 whistles, switch off the gas and put it aside.

Open the cooker lid and mix it very well. Then, add tamarind water and turmeric powder, and put it aside.

After boiling the vegetables, add the Dal and the tamarind mix.

Now, add some water, Sambar powder, salt and coriander. If you want it to be more spicy, add red chilli powder too. Cook it for 10 to 15 minutes.

Now, your Sambar is ready to serve with rice, idly or dosa!

Tomato Rasam (Spicy)

Spicy South Indian rasam that you can try as a soup as well!

Preparation of Rasam

Ingredients:

2 Tomatoes
Tamarind
Mustard Seeds
Jeera
Garlic
Curry Leaves
Red Chillies
Salt
Rasam Powder
Coriander

First, add 2 tomatoes, a small sized tamarind ball and water, and boil for 10 minutes. After that, keep it aside.

Heat a pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil, and add the following ingredients one at a time: mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves, smashed garlic and red chillies, and fry it for 1 minute to make your thadka.

Now, filter the tomato and tamarind water and add it to the thadka. Then, add salt, rasam powder and coriander, and cook it for 10 minutes over a medium flame. Now, your spicy tomato Rasam is ready to serve with rice or to drink drink like a soup also.

Paneer Butter Masala

Preparation of Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

Oil
Butter
Mustard Seeds
Jeera
Curry Leaves
Onions
Tomatoes
Ginger Garlic Paste
Red Chilli Powder
Dhaniya Powder
Garam Masala
Cashew Paste
Coriander
Paneer Butter Masala Powder

First, cut the onions.
Put 2 or 3 tomatoes in the grinding jar to make a tomato paste.
In a bowl, take some cashews and soak them in water for 10 mins.
Then, put the cashews in the grinding jar to make a cashew paste.
Now, cut the paneer as small cubes, and put all of the items aside.

In a pan, add oil and add the following ingredients one at a time: mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves and add onions. Fry it until the onions become golden-brown in colour.
Now, add ginger garlic paste and add garam masala, and fry it for 2 minutes.
Then, add the tomato paste you made and fry it for 5 minutes.
Now, add red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, salt, turmeric powder, the cashew paste and paneer butter masala powder, and fry it for 5 minutes.

After frying it for 5 minutes, add some water and butter and cook it for 5 minutes. Then, add paneer cubes and cook it for 5 minutes. Finally, add coriander. When the gravy becomes thick, switch off the gas.

Now, your paneer butter masala is ready to serve with roti, pulav rice, or jeera rice.

Methi Roti (Fenugreek Flatbread)

Preparation of Methi Roti

Ingredients:

Chapathi Atta
Methi leaves
Salt
Oil
Ginger Garlic Paste
Jeera Powder
Red Chilli Powder
Dhaniya Powder
White Sesame Seeds
Turmeric Powder
Garam Masala

Note: Frying the below ingredients is optional. If you would like, add all the ingredients directly to the chapathi atta and mix it.

Heat a pan, add 1 spoon of oil, and add the following ingredients one at a time: ginger garlic paste, garam masala, jeera powder, red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, salt and sesame seeds. Fry it for 1 minute and add methi leaves. Then, add water and boil it for 3 minutes.

After boiling the leaves, add them to the chapathi atta, add some water, and mix it. Make it like chapathi dough and keep it aside for 20 minutes. Now, you can make small-sized circles like chapatis.

Heat a pan, and when pan is hot, place the roti and fry it on both sides by flipping it. Fry it until brown spots start appearing at the top and bottom, and add some oil or ghee.

Now, your Methi Roti is ready to serve hot with yogurt, pickle, or any curry of your choice!

Prawns Curry

Note: Cleaning prawns by deveining is a very important step as eating prawns without deveining causes severe health issues. Make sure to devein them before making any prawn recipe.