Baby Marrow & Green Peas Curry

 

           Marrows are from the Zucchini family. It is a wonder veggie as it has a lot of health benefits. It lowers cholesterol, aids in weight management, is good for diabetic patients, etc. 

           So check out this simple, yet delicious curry of baby marrow cooked with green peas. I gave a tempering of bay leaves, whole garam masala, cumin seeds and asafoetida and finished it off with ghee, kasuri methi and garam masala powder. 

          You can go ahead and add potatoes and tomatoes too, if preferred. You can relish it as a side dish with either rice or chapattis. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 5-6 baby marrow, chopped
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder 
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Heat oil in a pan / wok and temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, asafoetida and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the onion and sauté till light brown. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices (except garam masala and salt) mixed with some water. Stir fry on a medium flame till the oil separates. 

          Add the chopped baby marrow and mix well. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the green peas, salt and 1 cup water. 

   

          Cover and simmer till the marrows are soft and the gravy is reduced to a desired consistency.

          When done, add the crushed kasuri methi, ghee and garam masala. Give it a stir and switch off the flame. Keep it covered for 5 minutes. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

                                   Chop the baby marrow.

                         Heat oil & temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, 

                         asafoetida and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.

                                  Add the onion and sauté till light brown. 

                      Add ginger-garlic paste & all the dry spices (except garam masala & salt) 

                       mixed with some water. Stir fry on a medium flame till the oil separates. 

                      Add the chopped baby marrow & mix well. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. 

                                 Add the green peas, 

   

                        salt and 1 cup water. Cover & simmer till the marrows are soft & the 

                        gravy is reduced to a desired consistency.

                       When done, add the crushed kasuri methi, ghee & garam masala. Give it

                        a stir and switch off the flame. Keep it covered for 5 minutes. 

                                  Garnish with coriander leaves.

                                  Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

Chatpata Tindora Ka Salan - Hyderabadi Style

          This recipe is almost similar to Mirchi Ka Salan and Bagara Baingan, two other Hyderabadi delicacies which has almost the same spices. The dominant ones are coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts. The gravy is extremely delicious and has a spicy and tangy flavour. 

          It is very much relished with plain biryani, pulao and jeera rice. In fact they go extremely well with any form of rice and Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare my version of this recipe.

          I came across this recipe from one of the TV cookery shows and thought of giving it a try. I had no idea that you can dish out so many varieties of recipes with it. 

         After the stuffed version and stir fry, here is the Hyderabadi style salan gravy which surprisingly turned out very chatpata and delectable. 

         I enjoyed it very much with hot steamed rice. So do go ahead and prepare this dish for your family and friends.

• 250-300 gms. 
• Tindora (Ivy Gourd)

Dry roast & grind -

• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp. urad dal (split black gram lentil)
• 2 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 tbsp. roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp. roasted chana dal (Bengal Gram lentil)
• 5-6 dry red chilies, broken
• 1 tsp. lime juice

Gravy -

• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 sugar cube / 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste mixed with 1 cup water
• coriander leaves to garnish

          Make 2 slits lengthwise to all the Ivy gourds but it should remain intact at the bottom. Keep them aside.

          Dry roast all the ingredients under 'dry roast & grind', except lime juice. Set aside to cool down. Then grind into a paste by adding some water. Add lime juice and mix well. Keep aside.

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the slit tindora till light brown. Drain and keep them aside. Heat remaining oil and temper with mustard seeds. 

          After it stops spluttering, add the onion and curry leaves. Fry till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste and turmeric powder mixed with a little water. Fry on a medium flame till the oil separates.

         Now add the ground paste and fry for a minute. Then add the tamarind water and salt. (Add more water according to the consistency required).

         Bring it to a boil and add the fried tindora and sugar. Cover and simmer on a medium flame till the veggies are soft and the oil separates. 

          Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve as a side dish with plain rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha or any Indian bread.

                  Make 2 slits lengthwise to the Ivy gourds, but it should remain intact at 
                  the bottom. Keep them aside.

                    Heat 1 tbsp. oil & fry slit tindora till light brown. Drain & keep them aside. 

                   Heat remaining oil & temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering,
                   add onion & curry leaves. Fry till light brown. 

                  Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste & turmeric powder mixed with some
                  water. Fry on a medium flame till oil separates.

                               Now add ground paste & fry for a minute.

                               Add tamarind water & salt.

                               Bring to a boil & add fried tindoras & sugar. 

                    Cover & simmer on med. flame till the veggies are soft and oil separates. 

 Switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with plai

rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha or any Indian bread.

Mixed vegetable Korma - South Indian Style

          Korma in general is a very popular side dish in South Indian Cuisine. But it differs from one region to the other. At few places it is cooked, adding yoghurt and in others, coconut-cashew paste is used. 

          Whatever the version, it is a delectable dish to be relished either with rice or chapatti. In the south, it is best enjoyed as an accompaniment along with appam, idiappam or Biryani. So check out the step-by-step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 big bowl (5-6 cups) mixed veggies
• (raw papaya, french beans, broad beans, potato, yam, carrots, eggplants, bottle gourd, red pumpkin)
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 2 star anise
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp./ garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp. fresh coconut, grated
• 1-2 fresh green chilies
• 5-6 cashew nuts
• coriander leaves to garnish

          Grind together coconut, green chilies and the cashews into a paste. Keep aside. Make a paste with the ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste and all the powdered spices (except salt) mixed with 1/4 cup water. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil and temper with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and cumin seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the onion and curry leaves. Sauté till light brown.

          Now add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté on a low flame till the oil separates. Now add the chopped veggies and salt and mix well.

          Add 2 cups water and simmer, covered for 12-15 minutes till the veggies turns soft. Add the coconut paste and 1 cup water and continue to simmer till the gravy slightly thickens. 


  

                     Heat oil & temper with bay leaves, cumin seeds, star anise, cardamoms, 
                     cloves, cinnamon & dry red chilies.

                       
                                  Add onion & curry leaves. Sauté till light brown.

                  Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste & all dry spices (except water) mixed
                  with some water.

                                 Add chopped veggies & water. Cook till veggies turns soft.

                    Add coconut paste & some more water. Simmer till gravy slightly thickens.

                                 Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.











      

Beans Korma - South Indian Style

          Mixed Vegetable Korma is quite a popular item in the menu of most of the restaurants. There are many versions to this delicacy and it differs from region to region. The korma from the north is quite different from that of the south, where the ingredients, taste and flavour differs.

          I tried to create a similar version to this erstwhile dish by cooking it with only French beans. In my earlier recipe of mixed veg. korma, I added yoghurt, but in this recipe, I tried with cashew paste.

           It is best enjoyed with naan, chapatti, parathas, tandoori roti or poori. In the south, it is generally served with appam, idiyappam, poori or parotta. It also tastes great with plain biryani or jeera rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 400 gms. beans, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1" cinnamon, stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp. cashew paste
• 1 tbsp. lime juice (opt)
• coriander leaves to garnish

          Boil the beans till they are soft and keep aside. Heat oil in  a pan and temper with the mustard seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Allow it to splutter

          Add the onion and curry leaves. Sauté till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices (except salt), mixed with some water to form a paste. Sauté till oil separates.

          Add the tomatoes and continue to fry on low flame till it is well mashed. Add the cashew paste and mix well. 

          Add the beans and 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered till the gravy thickens. Drizzle the lime juice and serve, garnished with coriander leaves. 

  

                      Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms & cloves.

                                Add onions & curry leaves. Sauté till light brown.

                   A dd ginger-garlic paste all dry spices mixed with some water. Sauté till 
                   oil separates.

                                 Add tomatoes & continue to fry till it is mashed.

                                   Add cashew paste & sauté till dry.

                          Add beans, salt, 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered till gravy thickens.

 Serve, garnished, as a side dish preferably with any Indian bread.