All the Rajma (Kidney Beans) lovers, how about pairing it with some keema / mince (either chicken or mutton) for a non-veg. version? It turns out real yummy, with full of flavors and a blend of various spices. I also added some almond paste for a little bit of richness.
You can relish with hot steamed rice, plain biryani, jeera rice, pulao, naan, tandoori roti, paratha, poori or just plain chapatti. It also goes well with appam or dosa. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
Rajma or kidney beans is very popular in the Northern regions of India, especially Punjab, and is a favorite menu in all restaurants and dhabas across the country and worldwide. So a slight twist here and there will take your usual dish to a next level.
Rajma is extremely healthy as it contains proteins, fibre, helps in lowering cholesterol, is good for diabetics and prevents hypertension. So go ahead and try out this amazing dish by adding some chicken or mutton keema for a change. Trust me, it turns out super yummy. I like relishing it with hot steamed rice and a dash of lime.
- 200 gms. Chicken Keema / Mince, washed & drained
- 1 cup rajma (kidney Beans), soaked overnight
- 2-3 tbsp. oil
- 1" cinnamon stick
- 2-3 green cardamoms
- 4-5 cloves
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 1-2 tbsp. almond paste
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp. red chili powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp. ghee
- 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
Pressure cook the soaked rajma in 2 cups water till it turns soft, but not too mushy. Keep aside.
In a bowl, mix together ginger-garlic-paste, almond paste and all the dry spices with some water and keep aside
Heat oil in a pan and temper with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and cumin seeds. Add the onion and sauté till light brown.
Add the tomatoes and continue to stir fry till it is nicely mashed. Add the spice paste and mix well. Cover and simmer till the oil separates.
Now add the keema and give it a stir. Saute on a low flame till all the moisture has evaporated.
Then add the boiled rajma and mix everything well. Cover and simmer on a low flame till it slightly thickens to a desired consistency. Mash with a potato masher if you wish.
When done, switch off the flame and add the ghee. Give it a stir and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with hot steamed rice, plain biryani, jeera rice, pulao, naan, tandoori roti, paratha, poori or just plain chapatti. It also tastes awesome with appam or dosa.
Heat oil & temper with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves
and cumin seeds.
Add onion & saute till light brown.
Add tomatoes & continue to stir fry till it is nicely mashed.
Add spice paste & mix well.
Cover & simmer till oil separates.
Add keema & mix well. Saute on a low flame till moisture has evaporated.
Add boiled rajma & mix well. Cover & simmer on a low flame till it
slightly thickens to a desired consistency.
Mash slightly with a potato masher if you wish.
When done, switch off the flame & add ghee.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with steamed rice, plain biryani, jeera rice, pulao, naan, tandoori roti,
paratha, poori, chapatti, appam or dosa.
Kathal (Raw Jackfruit) combined with Keema (Chicken Mince) turns out real yummy. It was my first try and this dish goes well with both rice or any Indian bread. You can use up any leftover keema curry in this way, by adding some boiled kathal and creating a fusion out of it. Chicken mince can be substituted with mutton mince or soya granules for a veg. version.
- 1 small size kathal (raw jackfruit), chopped & boiled
- 1 cup chicken mince
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 3 tbsp. oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1" cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cardamoms
- 4-5 cloves
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1/2 mace
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1" ginger
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste / puree of one tomato
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp. roasted coriander powder
- 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder
- 1 tsp. red chili powder
- 1/2 cup yoghurt, well beaten
- 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
- 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp. ghee
Make a paste with the onion, ginger and garlic. Keep aside. Make a paste of all the dry spices, tomato paste and some water. Keep aside.
Heat oil and temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and mace. Sauté for a few seconds.
Now add the onion paste and sauté till the moisture evaporates. Add the spice paste and stir fry till the oil separates.
Add the beaten yoghurt and kasuri methi. Mix everything well and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the chicken mince and give it a stir. Cook on a low flame for 4-5 minutes.
Add 1 & 1/2 cups water, kathal and the green peas. Bring it to a boil and simmer, covered till the gravy slightly thickens and you get the desired consistency.
When done, switch off the flame. Add the ghee and coriander leaves. Serve with any type of rice or Indian bread.
Moti Pulao is a delectable one-pot dish that goes best with a simple raita as accompaniment. Moti means pearl, which is made of mutton / chicken mince, can also be prepared with paneer-potato combo for a vegetarian version.
It is a very easy and a simple recipe that is just perfect for a lazy weekend lunch or as a party menu. It can also be packed for a lunch box meal. So do give it a try by dishing out this amazing comfort food, restaurant style.
It is definitely a good substitute to the usual mutton / chicken biryani or pulao that we are so used to. This pulao on the other hand, is very light on the tummy with minimum of spices. Of course there are many variations to this delicacy where it is also prepared rich with lots of spices. tomato and yoghurt.
Moti (Mutton Mince Balls) -
- 1 cup mutton keema / mince
- 2 tbsp. fried onion
- 2 tbsp. roasted chickpea flour
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 cup coriander & mint leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
- 1 tsp. red chili powder
- 1-2 green chilies, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. pepper powder
- 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
- 1 tbsp. raw papaya, grated / paste
- 1/2 cup yoghurt
- oil to deep fry
Pulao -
- 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
- 2 tbsp. ghee
- 1 tsp. shahjeera
- 1" cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 javitri
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 2-3 green chilies, slit
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp. kewra water
- 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp. fried onion
Moti - In a bowl, combine all the above mentioned ingredients (except oil). Divide into small equal size balls.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry them till light golden in color. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside.
Pulao - Heat ghee in a pan and temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, javitri and shahjeera. Sauté for a few seconds.
Add the onion and stir fry till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the green chilies. Sauté for a minute more.
Add the rice and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 & 1/2 cups hot water, kewra water and salt. Give it a stir and arrange the moti over it.
Pressure cook for 4-5 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. When done, fluff it up with a fork and garnish with coriander leaves and fried onion. Serve with raita for a sumptuous meal. Happy Cooking !!!
For all the bitter gourd lovers and non lovers too, this yummy stuffed keema karela is to be relished. It is simply irresistible. This wonder veggie has numerous health benefits and is particularly good for diabetics. I made use of chicken mince, you may use mutton mince instead.
So why not try this amazing side dish and enjoy with any form of rice preparation or Indian bread? For more variation you can make a gravy and dunk these stuffed gourds into it. So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
- 8-10 small size bitter gourds
- 200 gms. chicken mince, washed & drained
- 1/4 cup green peas
- 5 tbsp. oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp. tomato paste
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp. red chili powder
- 1 tbsp. coriander powder
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
- 1 tsp. ghee
- 1 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Scrape the bitter gourds, make a slit and discard the seeds. Apply some salt to the bitter gourd and also to the scraped pieces and leave aside for an hour. Rinse well and squeeze off excess water. Keep aside.
Make a paste with ginger-garlic, tomato paste, all the dry spices and some water. Keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and sauté the scraped pieces along with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp. oil and stir fry the onions till light brown. Now add the prepared paste and mix well. Sauté till the oil separates.
Add the mince and mix to combine well. Add the green peas and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the sautéed scraped bitter gourd, cover and cook till the moisture is all absorbed.
When done, add the ghee and coriander leaves. Give it a stir and set aside to cool. Stuff the slit bitter gourds with the prepared keema and tie with a thread.
Heat remaining oil in a pan and arrange the stuffed bitter gourds. Cover and cook till it is nicely fried on both sides. Transfer to a serving plate and serve along with remaining keema.
This dish can be relished with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, plain biryani, pulao or an type of Indian bread.
Scrape bitter gourds, make a slit & discard seeds. Apply some salt to
the bitter gourd & to the scraped pieces & leave aside for an hour.
Rinse well & squeeze off excess water. Keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp. oil & sauté scraped pieces with a pinch of salt, turmeric
powder & red chili powder. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp. oil and stir fry the onions till light brown.
Add prepared paste & mix well. Sauté till the oil separates.
Add the mince and mix to combine well.
Add green peas and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add sautéed scraped bitter gourd, cover & cook till the moisture is
all absorbed.
When done, add ghee & coriander leaves. Set aside to cool.
Stuff slit bitter gourds with prepared keema & tie with a thread.
Heat remaining oil & arrange the stuffed bitter gourds.
Cover & cook till it is nicely fried on both sides.
Transfer to a serving plate & serve along with remaining keema.
Relish with steamed rice, jeera rice, plain biryani, pulao or an type
of Indian bread.
