Naan (with Baking Powder)

Ingredients

White flour………..……..……1 cup

Sugar…..……...…………..…...1 tea spoon
Salt………………………….….…½ tea spoon
Baking powder….……......…½  tea spoon
Plain yogurt…………...….….2 table spoon
Milk………………..…………….¼ cup
Oil………..……………………….3 table spoon
Garlic/chilli/coriander ...2 table spoon (finely chopped)
Butter

Method

• Mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
• Add the yogurt in the centre and start mixing in the flour to start forming dough.
• Add the milk and then oil to finish making a dough ball.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Keep the dough aside for 15 min in a well-oiled bowl in a warm place. Cover with a cloth.
• Divide it into 3 equal parts.
• Dust the balls with flour and roll each ball into a almond/ water droplet shape with a rolling pin.
• Pierce each naan with a fork at random place to keep it from puffing up while it cooks.
• Sprinkle the garlic/chilli/coriander topping on the naan and lightly press them into the naan.
• Pre heat the oven on grill mode at 200° C along with a well-greased baking tray. 
• Once the oven is hot enough remove the hot baking tray and place the rolled naan on it and put the tray back in the oven.
• Cook for 2-3 min until cooked. Make sure the naan does not completely turn brown.
• Apply butter to the hot naans and serve.

Makes: 3

Vegetable Korma

Ingredients

Cauliflower flowerets……../.1 cup

Peas……..……………………..….½ cup
Carrots……..……………………..1 cup (1 inch cubes)
Onion…………………………..….1 (medium, finely chopped) 
Tomato…..………………….…...1 (large, finely chopped) 
Garlic…………….………………..1 large pod
Ginger paste…………………….¾ tea spoon
Red chilli powder….....………¾ tea spoon
Cumin powder……………..….½ tea spoon
Coriander powder……..….....½ tea spoon
Turmeric powder….………….½ tea spoon
Garam masala…………..….….½ tea spoon
Cinnamon stick…………….….1 inch
Cardamom pod………….….…1
Water………………………….…..1 cup
Plain yogurt……………….…….2 cup
Fresh grated coconut…….….1 cup
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add the onions, cinnamon stick and cardamom pod to the oil and cook until onions are transparent.
• Now add the tomato, garlic and ginger paste. Cook for about 2 min.
• Mix in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chilli and garam masala powder and salt and cook for 10 min on medium heat. Stir every few min to make sure it does not stick at the bottom of the pan.
• Now add the coconut and cook for another half a min.
• Add water and mix in the peas, carrot and cauliflower. Cook until the gravy thickens and the vegetables are cooked.
• Finally mix in the yogurt and cook for half a min. Remove from heat.
• Serve hot with naan or rice.

Serves: 2

Note:

You can replace fresh grated coconut with coconut milk for smooth textured gravy.  

Palak Paneer (Paneer in Spinach Curry)

Ingredients

Spinach……..…….……….200g (blanched in boiling water for 2 min)

Paneer…….………………..200g (cut in 1 inch cubes)
Tomato……………………..1 (large, chopped)
Garlic……………..............2 cloves (large, chopped)
Green chilli…………….....1 (finely chopped)
Onion………………………..1 (small, finely chopped)
Fresh cream…..…………..2 table spoon
Garam masala….………..2/3 tea spoon
Cumin powder….………..½ tea spoon
Coriander powder………½ tea spoon
Red chilli powder….……1/3 tea spoon
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

Method

• Grind blanched spinach, tomato, garlic and green chilli in a mixer into a paste.
• In a pan heat some oil and add the onions to sauté until transparent.
• Now add the garam masala, cumin, coriander and red chilli masala and sauté for 2 min.
• Add spinach paste to the pan and boil it for 3 min.
• Min in the paneer pieces, cook for another 3 min.
• Add the fresh cream, mix and cook for 2 min.
• Garnish with fresh cream if required.
• Serve hot with naan.   

Slow Cooked Lamb Curry

Ingredients

Lamb………………..……….150gm (1 inch cubed) 

Potato………………………..1 (large, 1 inch cubed)
Onion…………………..……1 (small)
Tomato…………………..…2
Clove…………………………2
Cinnamon stick………….1 inch long
Garam masala powder..½ tea spoon
Meat masala………………½ tea spoon
Turmeric powder……….1/6 tea spoon
Cumin powder……………1/3 tea spoon
Coriander powder………½ tea spoon 
Chilli powder……………..¼ tea spoon
Water………………………..½ cup
Lemon juice………………1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method

• Marinate cubed lamb with salt and lemon juice for 20 min.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add clove, cinnamon stick, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chilli powder and meat masala (available in any Indian grocery shop) in the heated oil, stir and cook for 1 min.
• Now add onions. Sauté for 2 min. Add more oil if required.
• Add tomatoes and cook with the lid on for 2 min.
• Mix in the lamb.
• Pour in the water, add the salt and mix well. Cook the lamb with the lid on for 5 min on low heat.
• Add in the potatoes, mix well. Now cover with a lid and cook for 20 min or until the lamb and potatoes are cooked, on very low heat.
• Serve hot with rice or naan.

Serves: 2

Dum Aloo (aka Kashmiri Dum Aloo)

Ingredients

Baby potatoes……………...½ kg.

Yogurt…………………………1 ½ cup (plain)
Water……………………..…...½ cup
Garam masala…………...…¾ tea spoon
Ginger paste……………..….1 table spoon
Cumin powder…………..…¾ tea spoon
Fennel powder…………..…½ tea spoon
Cardamom powder……….¼ tea spoon
Kashmiri chilli powder…1 ½ tea spoon
Clove…………………….…….3
Oil to deep fry the potatoes
Mustard oil to cook
Salt to taste

Method

• Prick , peeled and wash baby potatoes with a fork 2-3 time at different areas. Salt then and keep ready to deep fry.
• Heat oil and deep fry the salted potatoes until golden brown.  Drain the potatoes on a kitchen towel and keep them aside.
• Mix the yogurt, garam masala, ginger paste, cumin, fennel, cardamom and chilli powder in a bowl along with the fried potatoes.
• Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add the clove and heat for 1 min.
• Now add water and salt. Bring it to a boil.
• Now carefully add the yogurt and potatoes. Mix well.
• Cook for 15 min with the lid on.
• Serve with puri or naan.

Serves: 2

Note:

The term “Dum” literally means pressure and “Aloo” means potato. Traditional this dish is cooked under pressure where the ingredients are mixed as above but at the final stage (i.e. after we add the yogurt and potatoes to the oil in the cooking utensil and mix) the utensil is covered with a lid which has no top opening for the steam to escape and is sealed off with dough of “Atta” meaning wheat flour, so that no steam escapes from the sides of the lid.

Kashmiri chilli powder is not very hot but has a beautiful red colour. However if you are using a different chilli powder used only half of what is mentioned.

Chilli Turkey Dry

Ingredients

Mince turkey………………..300g

Tomato puree……...…......1 cup
Garlic…………………………..2 cloves (chopped)
Kidney beans….…………….¾ cup
Onion……………………….....1 (finely chopped)
Cumin powder………………½ tea spoon
Oregano……………………….½ tea spoon
Chilli powder………………..1½ tea spoon (heaped)
Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method

For the kidney beans:

• Wash the kidney beans and Soak them in a bowl, in2 cups of water for 8 hours.
• Boil/cook them in the same water in which they were soaked until soft.
• Mash them within its juices in a bowl.

For the turkey:

• Heat cooking oil in pan and add onions.  Cook until transparent.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 min.
• Now add tomato puree, cumin powder, chilli powder, oregano and mashed kidney beans and cook for 3 min.
• Now add the turkey and salt to taste. Mix well.
• Cook until the turkey is cook and the mixture becomes dry.
• Sprinkle with freshly milled pepper (if required) and serve with pitta bread or naan.

Serves: 2

Note:

Increase or decrease the chilli component depending on how hot the chilli powder used is and your personal enjoyable level of chilli.