Pyaz Pakora Recipe

Call it pyaz pakora, onion pakora or simply pyazoo, it is a wonderful snack item made commonly and likened by a majority of people in India. The light brown pakoras win people’s heart for its crispness and delicious taste. Here is a recipe to make deep-fried pyaz pakora at home.

Ingredients

• Onion: 4 (medium size)
• Besan: 1 cup
• Ajwain (carom seeds): ½ teaspoon
• Asafetida: 1 pinch
• Red Chili Powder: ½ teaspoon
• Cumin Powder: ½ teaspoon
• Water: ½ cup
• Salt: to taste
• Oil: for deep frying

Method

1. Take besan in a bowl and add chili powder, asafetida, cumin powder, carom seed and salt. Mix all these ingredients well.
2. Wash and cut onions into thin slices.
3. Add onions to the besan mixture. Add water and knead to make a thick dough-like mixture.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Check whether it is ready for deep frying by putting a small ball of besan dough. If it begins to fry immediately, the oil is hot enough to initiate the next step.
5. Pick up a small portion of besan dough and drop it in the hot oil. The pakora will automatically take a flat shape.
6. Take another portion of besan dough and do the same. Fry all pokoras in the similar fashion.
7. Keep turning the pakoras with a spatula while frying. Fry them until they are golden brown.
8. When fried take them out of the oil and place them in a plate. Use a napkin to absorb extra oil.
9. Relish the hot crispy onion pakoras with green coriander chutney.

Kadai Paneer Recipe

Kadai Paneer tastes altogether differently from Shahi Paneer, the more popular paneer recipe. However, those addicted to spicy food will definitely prefer the former to the latter. The tangy taste of kadai paneer makes it more favorable than somewhat sweeter shahi paneer for people with a spicy taste. Here is a recipe to make Kadai Paneer at home.

Ingredients

• Paneer: 300 grams
• Capsicum: 3 in number
• Tomatoes: 3 in number
• Onion: 1 or 2 in number
• Green chilies: 2 in number
• Ginger: 1 inch long
• Ghee: 2 tablespoons
• Cumin Seeds: ½ teaspoons
• Turmeric Powder: ¼ teaspoons
• Coriander Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Red Chili: ¼ teaspoon
• Garam Masala: ¼ teaspoon
• Salt: to taste
• Coriander Leaves: 1 tablespoon (chopped)

Method

1. Make rectangular pieces of paneer.
2. Remove seeds from capsicum and cut it into small pieces.
3. Cut tomatoes into small pieces.
4. Finely chop green chilies.
5. Make fine slices of onions.
6. Peel ginger and grate or cut into small pieces.
7. Heat the ghee in a frying pan. Fry cumin seeds and add fine slices of onions. Fry till light brown.
8. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, tomato pieces, green chilies and ginger. Stir and fry for a minute.
9. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes. Open the lid and break tomatoes with a spoon.
10. Now add capsicum, cover the lid and cook until they become soft.
11. Add the pieces of paneer along with red chili, garam masala, salt and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook for two minutes.
12. Kadai Paneer is ready now. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve it with chapatti, paratha or naan.

Dal Makhani Recipe

Dal (pulses) is among the main staple food in India. And if you are talking about dal, no discussion can complete without a mention of Dal Makhani, the favorite dish of Punjabis. Extremely delicious, the dish has become a common household name in most of North India. Here is how you can make Dal Makhani (also spelled as Dal Makhni) at home.

Ingredient

• Urad Dal (Whole Black Lentil): 100 gram
• Rajma: 50 gram
• Baking Soda: ½ teaspoon
• Tomatoes: 4 in number
• Onions: 2 in number
• Garlic: 4 cloves
• Green Chilies: 3 in number
• Cream: 2 tablespoons
• Ginger: 2 inches long
• Butter: 2 tablespoons
• Asafetida: 2 pinches
• Cumin Seeds: ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder: ¼ teaspoon
• Red Chili Powder: ¼ teaspoon
• Garam Masala: ¼ teaspoon
• Salt: To taste
• Coriander Leaves (chopped): 2 tablespoon 

Method

1. Let the pulses and rajma soak in water for at least 8 hours.
2. Boil the pulses and rajma in a cooker after mixing in them baking powder and salt.
3. Grind tomatoes, onions, garlic cloves, green chilies and half of the ginger in a mixer grinder.
4. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Put asafetida and cumin seeds. Then add the remainder of ginger (grated), turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Stir the mixture.
5. Add the paste of tomatoes and onions. Also add cream. Stir to fry.
6. Mix the pulses and rajma in the fried spices. Add water and boil.
7. Cook for 4 more minutes and add garam masala.
8. Dal Makhani is ready. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and butter. Serve it with chapatti, naan, parathe or rice.

Shahi Paneer Recipe

A royal dish, Shahi Paneer is the pride of any party or marriage function. A super delicious vegetable, it is commonly made at home on special occasions. You can’t think of a party in India with the aromatic shahi paneer. So, here is a recipe for the same.

Ingredient

• Paneer: ½ kg
• Tomatoes: 5 in number
• Onion: 2 in number
• Garlic: 4 cloves
• Green Chilies: 2 in number
• Ginger: 1 inch long
• Oil: 2 tablespoons
• Cumin Seeds: ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder: ¼ teaspoon
• Coriander Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Red Chili: ¼ teaspoon
• Cashew Nuts: 25 in number
• Cream: 100 gram
• Garam Masala: ¼ teaspoon
• Salt: To taste
• Coriander Leaves (chopped): 1 tablespoon 

Paneer in quadrangular pieces

Method

1. Let cashew nuts soak in water for half an hour and grind them finely to make a paste.
2. Cut and grind tomatoes, onions, garlic cloves, ginger and green chilies in a mixer grinder. Make a paste.
3. Whip cream in the mixer grinder.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Put cumin seeds and roast them till they are brown.
5. Add turmeric powder and coriander powder. Fry a little, and then add tomato paste. Stir and fry.
6. Now add the paste of cashew nuts and whipped cream. Stir and fry until you see the oil floating over the spices.
7. Add water in the spices. Also add salt and red chili, and let the gravy boil.
8. Cut paneer in quadrangle pieces and put them in the gravy when it boils. Cover the lid and cook in low heat for 4 minutes.
9. Shahi Paneer is ready. Sprinkle garam masala and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. Serve it with chapatti, naan or rice.

Veg Pulao Recipe

If you like outdoor eating, you must have tasted veg pulao, an important dish in most restaurants in India serving veg food. Why not try it at home? Though generally made at special occasions, it can easily be made on normal days also. Here is the Veg Pulao Recipe to try at home.

Ingredient

• Basmati Rice: 200 gram
• Peas (peeled seeds): ½ cup
• Capsicum: 1
• Ghee: 2 tablespoon
• Coriander Leaves: 100 gram
• Green Chilies: 2
• Ginger: 1 inch long
• Cloves: 4
• Black Pepper: 8
• Cardamom: 3
• Cinnamon: 1 piece
• Salt: To taste

Method

1. Wash rice and let it soak for half an hour in water.
2. Cut capsicum in small pieces and remove the seeds.
3. Chop coriander leaves and grind them with green chilies in a mixer. Use water to grind them finely to make a paste.
4. Take out the seeds from cardamom. Batter cardamom seeds, black pepper and cinnamon.
5. Heat the ghee in a cooker. Put battered spices in it and fry a little.
6. Now add peas, capsicum and ginger. Fry the mixture for 2 minutes.
7. Now add rice and the paste of coriander and green chilies. Stir and fry for 3 more minutes.
8. Add water and salt. Cover the lid of the cooker and let the ingredients boil.
9. Turn off the gas burner after the first whistle. Let the rice cook under pressure.
10. Open the lid after about 10 minutes and breathe in the sweet aroma of veg pulao.

Chole Bhature Recipe

If you are to select one dish that represents Punjab, chances are that it would be Chole Bhature. The favorite cuisine of Punjabis has now become a common household name across all states in North India. Though heavy in cholesterol, Chhole Bhature entices people with its strong pungent taste. Even if you avoid oily food, it is worth a try at least once in a life. What follows next is a very general Chole Bhature Recipe used in common household.

Ingredients

For Bhature

• Maida: 400 gram
• Suji: 50 gram
• Curd: 100 gram
• Sugar: 1 teaspoon
• Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon
• Salt: to taste
• Oil: for frying

For Chole

• Chole: 250 gram
• Baking Soda: ½ teaspoon
• T-Bag: 2
• Tomatoes: 5
• Green Chilies: 2
• Ginger: 1 inch long
• Refined Oil: 2 tablespoon
• Cumin Seeds: ½ teaspoon
• Asafetida: 2 pinches
• Pomegranate Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder: 2 teaspoons
• Red Chili Powder: ¼ teaspoon
• Garam Masala: ¼ teaspoon
• Salt: To taste
• Coriander Leaves (chopped): half bowl

Method

For Bhature

1. Sieve Maida and Suji separately. Mix baking soda, curd, sugar, oil (2 tablespoon) and salt with maida and suji and make soft dough using lukewarm water.
2. Cover the dough and put it in a closed space for 2 hours.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
4. Make small balls from the dough. Use these balls to make bhature.
5. To make bhature, you can either use a rolling pin or your own hands. Note that a bhature is thicker than a chapatti or puri.
6. Put the bhature in hot oil for frying. Stir it and press it from the both sides using a scoop. Fry till it becomes light brown. Make all bhature in this way.

For Chole

1. Preparation should start a day before in advance. Let the chole soak in water for a full night.
2. Wash chole in clean water and boil it in a pressure cooker with a glass of water, salt, baking soda and t-bags.
3. Take tomatoes, green chilies and ginger, ad mix them well in a mixer.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Put asafetida, cumin seeds and pomegranate powder. Add coriander powder and red chili powder, and stir with a spoon.
5. Fry the spices until they are adequately cooked. Put a glass of water and salt.
6. Let the gravy boil and then add the boiled chole. Don’t forget to throw away the used t-bags. Stir chole to mix it well.
7. Cook chole until it boils again. Let it cook for 2 more minutes and add garam masala. The chole is ready now.
8. Garnish Chole with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with Bhature and enjoy.

Malai Kofta Recipe

The main ingredient of Malai Kofta is paneer, so it can also be called paneer kofta. Like any kofta recipe, you need to make ball of the main ingredient mixed with spices, and dip the same in creamy gravy. The recipe is not so tough, and the dish is quite delicious in taste. It is an important cuisine of North India.

Ingredients

For Kofta

• Paneer (cottage cheese dumplings): 250 gram
• Potatoes: 2 in number
• Cashew Nuts: 6 to 7 in number
• Raisins: 15 to 20 in number
• Salt: to taste
• Arrowroot: 2 tablespoon
• Oil: for frying

For Gravy

• Curd: 1 cup
• Tomatoes: 4 in number
• Green Chilies: 2 in number
• Ginger: 1 inch long
• Oil: 2 tablespoon
• Asafetida: 1 pinch
• Cumin Seeds: ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder: ½ teaspoon
• Coriander Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Kashmiri Red Pepper: ¼ teaspoon
• Cream: ½ cup
• Garam Masala: ¼ teaspoon
• Coriander Leaves: 1 tablespoon

Method

1. Grind Paneer. Boil potatoes, peel and smash.
2. Mix paneer, potatoes and arrowroot. Make dough by mixing them well.
3. Make small balls (the size of a lemon) from the dough. You can fill each ball with raisins and pieces of cashew nuts.
4. Heat the oil in the frying pan. Fry the paneer balls till they become brown. Now your kofta are ready.
5. Wash tomatoes and cut them in large pieces.
6. Mix tomatoes, green chilies and ginger in a mixer grinder and make a paste.
7. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Put asafetida and cumin seeds, and then turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder and the tomato paste.
8. Fry all these for 3 minutes and add curd. Stir and fry until the spices boil. Now add cream and fry the ingredients until you see a layer of oil above the surface of spices.
9. Add a cup or two water, stir and let the gravy boil. Add garam masala and salt. The gravy in now ready.
10. Dip Kofta in the gravy and cover the lid. Heat for just a minute, but keep it covered for at least five minutes.
11. Malai Kofta is ready now. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it with chapatti, naan or paranthe.