Stuffed Tomatoes with Paneer and Potatoes

Stuffed tomatoes are great when you wish to eat something different. They are delicious as a wide variety of things can be used as fillers. Some of these may include rice, egg, fish, chicken, paneer, spinach and potatoes. The following recipe of stuffed tomatoes uses paneer and potatoes as fillers.

Ingredients

• Tomato: 8 to 10 of medium size
• Paneer: 100 gram
• Potato: 2
• Green Chilies: 1 (finely chopped)
• Ginger: 1 inch long piece
• Salt: to taste
• Red Chili: ¼ teaspoon
• Garam Masala: ¼ teaspoon
• Cashew Nuts: 10 to 12
• Raisins: 15 to 20
• Coriander Leaves: 2 tablespoon
• Cumin Seeds: ¼ teaspoon
• Oil: 2 tablespoons

Method

1. Wash tomatoes and make cuts so as to remove the top. Using knife, take out the pulp to make each tomato hollow from inside. Put aside all these pulps along with the tops you have removed from the tomatoes in a separate plate.
2. Boil potatoes, peel and mash them. Grind Paneer. Mix potatoes and paneer and add into the mixture salt, red chili, garam masala, cashew nuts, raisins and a tablespoon of finely chopped coriander leaves.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Roast cumin seeds till brown. Add green chilies, ginger and tomato pulps. Add the mixture paneer and potatoes when the pulps get thickened. Cook a little. The fillers are ready now.
4. Take each hollow tomato and fill it with the ingredients you have just made. After filling it properly, cap it with the top you removed from it in the beginning.
5. Now you can cook the stuffed tomatoes either in a microwave or in a pan with a heavy base. Carefully arrange tomatoes in the vessel and add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of oil. Cover the vessel with lid and cook for 5 minutes at low flame.
6. Stuffed tomatoes with paneer and potatoes are ready. Garnish them with coriander leaves and serve with chapatti, rice or naan.

Punjabi Kadhi Recipe

Though originally from Punjab, the Kadhi is loved by all in North India. Subsequently, it has become a common household cuisine that people like to eat on normal days as well as on special occasions. Though it is almost always eaten with rice, you can enjoy the taste of Punjabi Kadhi with chapatti and naan also. Here is a recipe to make this delicious recipe of Punjab, which is usually made of besan pakoda.

Ingredient

• Besan: 200 grams
• Sour Curd: 400 grams
• Oil: 1 tablespoon
• Asafetida: a pinch or two
• Cumin Seeds: ½ teaspoon
• Methi Seeds: ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder: ½ teaspoon
• Red Chili Powder: ¼ teaspoon
• Salt: to taste
• Green Chilies: 2 or 3 (finely chopped)
• Coriander Leaves: 1 tablespoon (chopped)

Method

1. Sieve besan and make a solution by adding water. Beat it well and divide the solution in two equal parts.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Use one part of the besan solution for making pakoda.
3. Take a little besan solution on a spoon and put the same in the heated oil to make pakoda. You can fry 5 or 6 pakoda at one time depending upon the size of your frying pan. Fry the pakodas till they become brown and put them in a plate.
4. Churn the curd and mix it in the second part of the besan solution. Add water as per the desirable thickness.
5. Now heat the oil again in a frying pan. Put asafetida, methi (fenugreek) and cumin seeds in the heated oil. Fry them till they become brown and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and green chilies.
6. Now add the solution of churned curd and besan and stir the mixture till it boils and becomes thick.
7. After a boil in the solution, you can put pakodas into it and stir till there is a second boil.
8. Add salt and mix it well. Stop stirring and let the kadhi cook for 12 to 15 minutes at low burner.
9. Keep stirring the kadhi every two or three minutes until it is cooked.
10. Punjabi Kadhi is ready now. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it hot with either rice or chapatti. 

Veg Bhurji Recipe

Though Paneer Bhurji is more popular and widely known in North India, Veg Bhurji can be a good alternative to this, especially in winter when the market is filled with fresh new vegetables. Cauliflower, cabbage, green peas and capsicum are some of the vegetables that make this dish truly unique and relishing. Here is how you can make Veg Bhurji at home.

Ingredients

• Cauliflower: 400 grams
• Cabbage: 200 grams
• Peas: 1 cup (peeled)
• Capsicum: 2 pieces
• Cheese: 200 grams
• Tomatoes: 2 or 3
• Green chilies: 1 or 2
• Ginger: one inch long
• Yogurt: 100 grams
• Oil: 4 tablespoons
• Cumin: ½ teaspoons
• Black pepper: 10
• Cardamom: 2
• Cloves: 4
• Cinnamon: a small piece
• Turmeric Powder: ½ teaspoons
• Coriander Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Red Chili Powder: ¼ teaspoon
• Salt: to taste
• Cashew Nut: 15
• Raisins: 25
• Coriander Leaves: 1 tablespoon (finely chopped)

Method

1. Wash cauliflowers and cut into large pieces. Put these pieces into salted warm water for 5 minutes and then wash again. Grate these pieces into fine pieces.
2. Wash cabbage and grate it into fine pieces. Peel green peas and wash the pods. Wash capsicum and cut into fine pieces.
3. Grind tomatoes, green chilies and ginger finely. Add yogurt and mix these again. Beat pepper, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon to make them fine grains.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the peeled peas. Keep the fried peas in a plate.
5. Now fry cabbage and capsicum and keep them in a plate.
6. Now add more oil in the frying pan. Fry cumin till it becomes brown. Add grains of pepper, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Fry a little and add turmeric powder, coriander powder and the paste of tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and yogurt. Stir all these spices and fry them until they are appropriately cooked.
7. Now add grated cauliflower, mix it with the other ingredients and cover the pan with lid. Cook for 2 minutes, then open the lid and add peas, cabbage and capsicum. Also add salt, cashew nut, raisins and chopped coriander leaves. Now cook the vegetable for 5 more minutes or until the water evaporates.
8. Veg Bhurji is ready now. Serve it with chapatti, parantha or rice.

Tamatar ka Salan Recipe

For a change, you can try tamatar ka salan (Tomato Gravy), which can tantalize your nostrils with its aromatic Indian spices. Its flavor can spread far and wide, emitting out from your house, to give invitation to people and cause them to come to you and relish the cuisine made by you. 

Besides the typical North Indian way of cooking Tamatar ka Salan, there also exists a Hyderabadi tamatar ka salan recipe, which is flavored with the aromatic herbs and spices of the Telengana region. However, the present recipe is the typical way how North Indians cook tamatar ka salan.

Cooking Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

• Tomatoes: 500 grams

For Gravy

• Tomatoes: 3 (medium sized)
• Green chilies: 2
• Ginger: 1 inch long piece
• Cashew nut: 2 tbsp
• Cream: 2 tbsp
• Black pepper (whole): 7 to 8
• Cloves: 4
• Cinnamon: 1 inch long piece
• Cardamom: 2
• Methi seeds: ½ tsp
• Rie: ½ tsp
• Cumin: ½ tsp
• Oil/Ghee: 2 to 3 tbsp
• Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp
• Red chili powder: ¼ tsp
• Salt: to taste
• Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)

Method

1. Wash tomatoes and boil water in a utensil.
2. Put tomatoes in the water when it boils and heat it for 5 more minutes after the second boil.
3. Remove hot waters from the tomatoes and let these cool by putting some cold water instead.
4. Peel tomatoes and make four cuts so that they do not separate from each other. The bottom of each tomato should remain intact to keep all the four parts together.
5. Now take another set of tomatoes to prepare gravy. Wash them and cut into pieces.
6. Mix green chilies, ginger and tomatoes in a mixture grinder and make a paste.
7. Roast cumin, rie, methi, black pepper, cinnamon and cloves and grind them finely. Also grind peeled cardamom and cashew nut.
8. Heat the oil or ghee in a frying pan. Add turmeric and coriander powder. Also add tomato paste you have already made. Fry until all these ingredients cooked.
9. Now add into it the roasted spices, cardamom and cashew nut. Also add cream and heat the ingredients for 4 more minutes.
10. Add water and let gravy boil. Cook for 2 more minutes.
11. Now the gravy is ready. Put into it the boiled tomatoes and heat for about a minute.
12. Garnish tamatar ka salan with coriander leaves and serve it with hot with puri, paranthe, chapatti, naan or rice.

Kaddu Kofta Recipe

Kaddu Kofta (Pumpkin Balls) is significantly different in taste from the simple pumpkin vegetable that you make at home. Even if you don’t like pumpkin, you will appreciate the tantalizing taste of Kaddu Kofta. Here is a recipe to prepare the dish at home.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients for Kofte (for four people)

• Pumpkin: 500 g
• Besan: 100 grams (½ cup)
• Salt: to taste (½ teaspoon)
• Green chilies: 2 (finely chopped)
• Ginger: 1 inch long piece (grated)
• Oil: for frying balls

Ingredients for Curry

• Tomatoes: 3 or 4 (Medium Size)
• Onions: 1 or 2
• Garlic: 3 or 4 cloves
• Green chilies: 2
• Ginger: 1 inch long piece
• Oil or Ghee: 2 tablespoon
• Cumin: ½ small spoons
• Turmeric powder: ½ small spoons
• Coriander powder: one teaspoon
• Cream: ½ cup
• Red chilies: ¼ small spoons
• Garam Masala: ¼ teaspoon
• Salt: to taste
• Coriander Leaves: 2 tablespoons (chopped)

Method

To Make Kaddu Kofta

1. Peel pumpkin, clear it from seeds and grate.
2. Mix besan, salt, ginger, chopped green chilies and salt with the pumpkin.
3. Make balls of the prepared mixture.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
5. Put the pumpkin balls in the heated oil and fry until they become brown.
6. Keep all the pumpkin balls that you have just cooked in a plate.

To Make Kaddu Kofta Gravy

1. Grind tomatoes, onions, garlic, green chilies and ginger finely to make a thick paste.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Put cumin, turmeric power and coriander powder in the hot oil and fry a little.
3. Add the paste of tomatoes, ginger and chilies and fry until they are adequately cooked.
4. Now mix cream in the ingredients and fry the mixture for two minutes.
5. Put water according to the intended thickness of gravy. Also add garam masala, red chilies and salt.
6. Let the mixture boil. Continue cooking for two or three minutes.
7. The gravy is ready. Put into it the pumpkin balls that you have already prepared and cover the lid for two minutes.
8. Kaddu Kofta is ready. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it with Paranthe, Naan or Rice.

Matar Paneer Recipe

A major dish popular in most households in North India, Matar Paneer is made of two main ingredients – matar (peas) and paneer (cheese). It is a delicious vegetable and one of the main items you can find in any festivals, functions and parties in India. If you like this vegetable or want to know how it tastes like, then here is the recipe to make Matar Paneer.

Ingredients

• Cheese: 250 grams
• Peas: ½ cup peeled seeds
• Tomatoes: 2 or 3
• Green chilies: 2
• Ginger: a piece of 1 inch
• Cream or Skimmed Milk made at home: half bowl
• Refined oil: 2 tablespoon
• Cumin seeds: ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric: ¼ teaspoon
• Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
• Red Chili Powder: ¼ teaspoon
• Garam Masala: Less than a quarter teaspoon
• Salt: to taste
• Coriander Leaves: 2 tablespoon chopped

Method

1. Finely grind tomatoes, green chilies and ginger in a mixer grinder. Add cream to the paste and run the mixer again for a little while.
2. Cut cheese into square pieces and boil the peas in a ½ cup of water.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Put cumin seeds in hot oil. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and chili powder in the oil and stir it to fry.
4. Now mix the paste of tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and cream with the ingredients in the frying pan and let the spices fry until they are fully cooked.
5. Add water when the spices are ready. Add as much water as you want to thicken the gravy.
6. Now put the boiled peas into the gravy you have just prepared. Add salt to taste and let the gravy boil.
7. Now you can put the pieces of cheese in the gravy and let it boil for 3 or 4 more minutes.
8. The vegetable of matar paneer is ready now. Mix into it garam masala and garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with Paranthe, Naan or Chapati.

Dum Aloo Recipe

Dum Aloo is a popular cuisine across all India. It tastes great and everyone in the family likes this vegetable. Here is how you can make Dum Aloo at your home.

Ingredients:

Potatoes: 400 gram
Ginger: one inch long piece
Tomatoes: 3 or 4 (medium sized)
Green Chillies: 2
Refined Oil: 2 table spoon
Cumin: 1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Coriander powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Cream: 50 gram
Fresh Curd: 50 gram
Chilli powder: 1/4 tea spoon
Garam masala (curry powder: 1/4 tea spoon
Green coriander: one table spoon (finely chopped)
Salt: As per the taste

Method:

1. Boil potatoes. Do not forget to add 1/2 tea spoon salt. Peel the boiled potatoes and make hole into each of them using a fork.
2. Now put oil in a pan and fry the potatoes till they become light brown. Put the fried potatoes in a plate.
3. Mince tomatoes, green chillies, and ginger in a mixer.
4. Heat some oil in a pan and put cumin. Then add turmeric powder and coriander powder. Afterwards add tomato paste and cream. Mix all these ingredients well. Now add chilli powder and salt.
5. When spices are well cooked (when you see spices separating from the oil), put curd and saute until they started to boil.
6. Now add water and and let the gravy boil. Now mix garam masala and put potatoes. Cover the pan and cook the potatoes for 2 minutes. 
7. Dum aloo is ready. Garnish it with chopped coriander.

To make Dum Aloo in microwave, refer to this recipe.