Rajma Chawal Recipe ~ Step by Step

There are certainly some recipes that kindle your memories. Rajma has always been that for me. Be it my Gujju friend, whose Mom used to make delicious Rajma or my neighbour who used to make either Rajma or Channa with Chawal. Memories of that taste will forever remain fresh. Maybe I have tried it or not, yet the taste remains fresh and the quest till on.

Infact so much so that I have got in touch with both those friends of mine and verified the recipe. Yet the memory is always strong. Maybe it's got to do with what I call the first time experience. Anyway that happens for the first remains so fresh and unsurpassed in my minds right, same way the taste of Rajma chawal will always be fresh.

Not to say this didn't turn out great. It was so delicious. Maybe I should have remembered to make the rice in rice cooker than the pressure cooker. But then I was running for the Mela and couldn't take a chance.

Rajma Chawal 

Ingredients Needed

Rajma - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 2 small
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil few drops

For the paste:
Onion - 1 big
Garlic - 2 big cloves
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Green chillies - 2 long
Coriander - few leaves

For the gravy

Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Tomato, puree - 1 big
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

How to make Rajma

Soak a cup of beans over night. Change water couple of times. In a pressure cook, transfer the beans, add twice the amount of water along with salt, bay leaf and a few drops of oil. Pressure cook for 4 -5 whistles or till the beans are soft. Allow for the pressure to subside.

Meanwhile for the gravy, grind to a coarse paste all the ingredients for the paste, except tomato.

Wash and puree the tomato.

Heat a non stick pan, add butter and oil, then add cumin powder, saute for a min, then add the ground paste. Saute till the oil leaves the masala

Next add the tomato puree, salt and turmeric. Simmer and let cook it cook for few mins.

Now add Coriander powder, red chilli powder. After few mins, add the cooked beans and combine everything well. Add water and bring to boil. When the gravy thickens, finally add the garam masala and remove.

It may take about 10 mins or so for the gravy to thicken

 

For the Rice:

Rice - 1 cup

Jeera - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Salt to taste

Ghee - 1/2 tsp

Water - 2 cups

Wash and soak the rice for 10 mins. 

In a pressure cooker take all the ingredients and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Sending this to my 30 Minutes Meal Mela

Vendaya Keerai Sadam | Methi Rice

With the thought of 30 mins meal mela in mind, it's invetiable that we come up with yet another simple and easy to make Methi Rice. This is Athamma's creation and needless to say it always turns out so good. Though she was hesitant that the rice might turn out a wee bit bitter, we couldn't find it at all after making it. 

Vendaya Keerai is a healthy option for Diabetes. Athamma tends to include this in as many forms as she can in her regular diet. Though rice is normally not advised for diabetic, there is no harm in including a cup of rice in your meal, especially if it's packed with so much beneficial things.

The rice was so good on it's own, that I didn't have to make any side dish to be served with it. However you can serve with curds.

Sending this to my 30 Mins Meal Mela

Vendaya Keerai Sadam

Vendiya Sadam

Ingredients Needed:

Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Methi Leaves. trimmed - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2 medium

For the paste

Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 1/2 medium
Clove - 2
Cinnamon 1"
Cardomon - 2
Coconut - 2 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger 1"
Green Chilies - 2 long
Coriander leaves few

For Tempering

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds, Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Groundnuts - 1 tbsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts few

How to make the Methi Rice Mixed rice

Wash and soak rice, cook in your regular method. Keep it aside.

Wash and drain the methi leaves.

In a mixer take all the ingredients for the ground masala along with the methi leaves. Grind to a smooth paste using little water.

Heat a non stick pan with oil and ghee. Temper with tempering ingredients. Saute for couple of minutes.

Now add the ground masala and saute well till the raw smell leaves. This may take about 5 - 7 mins.

When the oil starts coming out from the masala, add the cooked rice and mix well. Finally mix in the lemon juice and remove.

Serve hot.

Methi rice

Notes:
Saute the ground masala till the raw smells leaves.
Make sure you don't add lemon juice still on stove.

Since this has masala in the rice itself you don't really have to serve anything special for this.

Aloo Masala ~ Baby Potato Curry!

This simple Baby Potato Masala or the Aloo Masala with Quick n simple Tomato Rice was our Saturday meal. Since Athamma was coming only on Sunday, we had a simple breakfast and planned to visit my new born nephew! Knowing its a national holiday for the Independence day, I agreed to meet my blogger friends. Only to know very late in the evening that it was a day off for the kids. So after our visit to hospital, we landed in Sra's place for a quick meet. We couldn't get many of the other bloggers, so in the end it was only Jayashree, Sra and me. With the entire zing bang in toe, couldn't naturally stay for long. We got treated to some delicious chocolates before leaving for home.

Back home I had just about half hour to prepare the lunch and this is what I could think of. The baby potatoes were great being ducked in the gravy and went very well with the quick tomato rice, which is my kids favorite. Will be sharing it on the Spice your Life blog!

Baby Potato Curry ~ Aloo Masala

The day passed off in a blur, what with the Aadi Seasonal extravaganza in full swing in our neighborhood! Well you got to live here to experience the fun. Anyway the weekend passed away so quickly, and I am still left with not making up for my ICC! Athamma was home on Sunday and kids were jubilant seeing her. So happily left them with her and went for a movie. Its not everyday that we treat ourselves for one.

Needless to say we didn't even feel the Sunday, only to wake up today to a sudden outpour of rains in our parts of the world. It sure caught us unaware. Especially if its a Monday morning and you are prone to a MM Blues! Even after going through the menu that I planned for the day, I got delayed in the end. I rushed to office.

Coming to the recipe, its a simple aloo in a tomato base with spices and kasuri methi.

Aloo Masala with Quick Tomato Rice ~ Our Meal!

Baby Potato Curry ~ Aloo Masala

Ingredients Needed:

Baby Potatoes - 150 gms
Onions - 1 medium, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 small, finely chopped
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 2"
Cardamom - 1
Curds/ Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Kasuri Methi - 2 pinches

Method to prepare:

• Soak and wash the baby potatoes well to remove the dirt. Prick the potatoes with fork as these are going to be cooked with skin. Piecing them allows the air to come out.
• Heat a pressure cooker with oil, add in the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon. Fry for 1 min.
• Then add the onions, sauté well till its light brown. Add in the ginger garlic paste. fry till its all mixed and browned.
• Next goes the tomatoes, simmer and add the salt and turmeric. Sauté for 5 mins for the tomatoes to get soft.
• Then add the red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Simmer again for 5 mins. add in the baby potatoes and cook for couple of minutes. Have the flame in sim and add the curds. Mix well immediately so that it doesn't curdle.
• After stirring well add 1 cup of water or enough to cover the baby potatoes. Sprinkle in the kasuri methi and cover with the pressure cooker lid. Cook for 4 -5 whistles till the potatoes are fork tender.
• Once the steam is off, cook again for a 1 minute for the gravy to get thicken.
• Serve it with Roti or Rice. The simple Tomato rice was a great combo for this spicy gravy.

Notes: Since both Curds and Tomatoes are added, the gravy could tend to become a bit more sour, so adjust by adding more chili to the gravy if you feel so.

Since its tough to peel the potatoes, makes it easy to cook with the skin on. Also many do eat with the skin on. so it ends up adding a different taste to the dish if you want to eat.

The simple meal disappeared in no time!

Have a great week ahead!

Kala Chana Aloo Sabzi ~ Black Chickpea Potato Gravy!

Today's recipe is going to be Kala Chana Aloo Sabzi. But before that let me explain how I came about the dish! Its really funny even if I say that myself.

There I was flying back to home, with thoughts like "I really think we should have more hours in a day!" "Hope kids will give me time enough to make the dinner" etc etc. I had a sojourn in between to pick up Konda. As always when I enter the house, I enter with trepidations of things that's going to happen. Of course it is not so terrible as my statement might mean. But imagine two little sweet terrors, include my daughter too, always coming up with something new to terrorize us.

The latest fad at home at the moment was their own pictures in the computer. Hubby dear had to give in to their wish and he had the videos on. All taken when they were a year old. They were ooohhhh, awww..themselves, calling out paappa looking at the pictures and videos. And as expected, instead of thinking what to make for dinner, I got engrossed seeing the nostalgic pictures. I really wonder how kids change so much. It was really so sweet remembering those days.

The entire family sat watching the screen, while insane thoughts were ticking away in my mind. It was nearly closer to dinner time, when I had to arouse them from their fixation. When I asked the kids again their choice for dinner, pat came the answer Poori! Ok it was that, what to make the side dish? Quick dishes have always been Egg kurma, but thought I would make something else.

Something caught my attention on the table, and I opened to see that Athamma had boiled kala channa for salad. Well well, at that point of time who is going to eat a salad? Remember that we had a huge stock of this after my pantry raid? So Athamma seem to have decided to make some salad out of it. Kala Chana Sabzi on its own didn't really sound fancy. So checked if I had potatoes! Gosh those were not around. Gave a shout out to Amma to throw some potatoes down. And bang in 15 mints, the sabzi was ready!

In all my haste, didn't have time to click the picture. So will ensure I upload them when I make them again next week!

Kala Channa Aloo Sabzi

Soaking time and Pressure cooking time for Chana : Overnight + 15 mins in pressure cooker
Preparation time : 5- 6 mins for gravy
Cooking time : 15 - 20 mins
Serves - 3 adults
Cuisine - North Indian

Ingredients Needed:

Kala Chana - 1 cup
Potatoes - 2 medium
Onions - 1 medium, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium, finely chopped
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 -2 tsp
Coriander leaves few

Method to prepare:

1. If you have pre cooked chana, its very convenient, else soak the chana over night and pressure cook till tender.
   
2. Heat a non stick pan with oil. Sauté onions till they start sweating, add the ginger garlic paste. Sauté till its cooked well. This takes about a 2 mints.
   
3. Peal the potatoes skin and dice into 1 inch cubes. Add to the pan. Stir well and add salt. Cover with a lid, so that the potatoes get cooked fast.
   
4. Then add the tomatoes, turmeric powder. Simmer for 5 minutes till the tomatoes are soft.
   
5. When the tomatoes are soft, add in chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.Combine everything well and again simmer for 5 mins with lid closed.
6. Then add in the boiled kala channa, mix and cook in high for 2 mins. Add 1 cup of water. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes or till the gravy is thick enough.
7. Finally before switching off, sprinkle the garam masala and coriander leaves. cook for 1 min and remove from flame.
8. Serve with Roti, Rice or Pooris!

Notes: The potatoes will get cooked while its simmered. If you are pressure cooking the kala channa same time, please use the water for the gravy.

This sure was one quick dish to make. The soft aloo were a great combo with the kala channa.

Will surely update the picture in the coming week! --Done!

Before I leave, just wanted to update that we are off for a 3 day weekend trip to our inlaws place! The kids are highly thrilled, so are we. Would share the pictures and details once I am back!

Till then, enjoy your weekend!

Aloo Tamatar Sabzi with Kasturi Methi!

I guess most of our Indian meals can be cooked under 30 mins, provided you don't have 3 kids barging into the kitchen every other minute! Hubby dear has taken off permission to baby sit the kids and its fun to see him plan on what to feed the boys when they come back home. Normally with great amusement, I watch Athamma plan for the boys snacks and she also prepares something for them. Since hubby dear can't cook, he is managing with fruits and other treats.

I normally make the sabzi and chapatis after I get back home. When I asked him what to make, he suggested Aloo Tamatar, remembering his days in Delhi. I guess he can never get tired of accounting the delectable treats that Delhiwalas treated him with. And he says the aloo tamatar he eat there, still remains fresh. One incident that I can never forget was him telling me about his first experience in a restaurant in Delhi. The waiter regaled the menu and everything went with aloo either prefixed or suffixed! But then I didn't hear him complain either.

So he told me that I could make aloo tamatar along with Ghee rice for a change. He was apprehensive to know if it would take more time. I said he just reminded me of a new label that I can put for my post, the Under 30 minutes Meal! Actually speaking most of our dishes can be done under 30 mins, if you can plan certain things ahead. But I want to record these dishes for more clarity and benefit. If you must know, both these dishes got complete by 20 minutes but lets make 30 mins anyway.

While it was simmering, hubby dear came in to say that it smells heavenly. Guess that's the Cumin seeds and kasuri methi at work! A quick click was taken and off I went to feed the kids, the wow feedback from them, let me knew this is something I can make again!

This is the snap I took of the kids in action when we went for a trip last weekend. Since it was only us, we had the back seat down and they had a jolly good ride, lying down!

Ghee rice was same as what I have already blogged.

Aloo Tamatar with Kasturi Methi

Preparation & Cooking Time : 15 mins
Cuisine : North Indian
Serves : 2 - 3

Ingredients needed:

Aloo - 2 medium
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Onions - 1 medium
Kasturi Methi - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 "
Garlic - 1 small pod
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 /2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder 3/4 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water as required



Method to prepare:

Since the objective of this is to complete both under 30 minutes, let me put things as I did.

Washed rice and had it soaking. 10 - 15 mins is enough

Then had the pan on the stove. Since my Ginger Garlic paste was not handy, grated the garlic and ginger, crushed again to ensure there are no big chunks.

Add oil to the pan, drop in the cumin seeds, then add the crushed ginger and garlic. Simmer, while you chop the onions.

Add the onions to the pan, fry well. Have it on high flame, keep stirring, while you chop those tomatoes into fine pieces. Best way to get them soft fast is to add the salt, so add salt and turmeric. Simmer with the lid slightly covering it.

Then add all the spice powders and stir everything together and slightly cover with the lid. Let the moisture get into it back to get the tomatoes soft.

Meanwhile peel the skin off the potatoes, cut into big cubes. Add the potatoes along with katuri methi to the pan and combine everything together. Simmer for few mins so that the outer side of aloo gets crispy.

Get the pan for the Rice ready and follow as the instructions goes there!

Check on the aloo and once its par boiled, add water, cover and put on the whistle. I normally put it on for 3 - 4 whistles. But basically you just cook till the potatoes are tender.

This is done in 10 mins time, get the cooker off the stove, this way the pressure inside gets out fast. Bring to boil if the gravy is thin. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves and serve with Ghee Rice!


Aloo Tamatar tastes great with any chapati or even dosa.

This makes a great lunch for Kids, so taking this for this month's Mingle hosted on my blog. Hope you have your Kid's dishes on making.