Alu Matar

INGREDIENTS:

Potatoes: Two large, peeled and diced
Tomato: One, diced
Peas: One cup
Bay Leaves: Two
Kalonji: 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera Seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
Hing: 1/3 teaspoon
Ginger Paste: 1 teaspoon
Dhania Powder: 1 1/3 teaspoons
Jeera Powder: 1 teaspoon
Amchur Powder: 1/3 teaspoon
Red Chili Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander Leaves
Oil
Salt and sugar to taste

PROCEDURE:

In a pan, heat oil. Throw in the kalonji, jeera seeds and bay leaves. When the seeds start to crackle, add the hing and stir thoroughly. Add the diced potatoes and coat with the frying spices. When the potatoes lose their "raw" look, add the diced tomatoes and ginger paste. Mash the tomatoes well and fold in well with the potatoes. Add dhania powder, jeera powder, red chili powder and amchur. Mix well and add the peas. Add salt and sugar to taste. Fry for a further 5-6 minutes. Add water and lower the heat. Allow to simmer till the potatoes are tender and well done. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with puris or chapatis.

Chili Paneer

INGREDIENTS:

Paneer: 400 gms, cut into cubes
Onion: One big, diced
Green Pepper: One small, diced
Garlic Paste: One tablespoon
Ginger Paste: 1 1/2 tablespoons
Soya Sauce: 3/4 tablespoon
Tomato Ketchup: One tablespoon
Chili Sauce: One tablespoon
Red Chili Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Green Chilis: Four, slit
Maida: One tablespoon
Oil
Salt and sugar to taste

PROCEDURE:

Heat water to boiling in a sauce pan, and boil the paneer cubes for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, but keep the paneer under water. In a frying pan, heat oil and add the onions. Fry for a minute and add the ginger and garlic pastes. Stir continuously and fry till the pastes are light brown in color. Add the green peppers, ketchup, chili sauce and soya sauce, and fold in with the onions. Throw in the green chilis and add the red chili powder and salt and sugar to taste. Remove the paneer pieces from the water and add to the gravy. Coat the paneer cubes with the gravy and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. Dissolve the maida in a cup of water and add. Lower the heat and allow to simmer till desired consistency is reached. Serve hot with noodles or steamed rice.

Doi Maach

INGREDIENTS:

Salmon or Rohu Steaks: 6
Turmeric Powder: 1 tablespoon
Red Chili Powder: 1 tablespoon
Onion: One large, sliced
Tomato: One medium, diced
Cinnamon: One stick, 1/2 inch long
Garlic Paste: One tablespoon
Ginger Paste: One tablespoon
Plain Yogurt: One cup
Green Chili: 4, slit
Garam Masala: 3/4 tablespoon
Oil
Salt and sugar to taste

PROCEDURE:

Wash the fish steaks in running water, drain and set aside. Add 3/4 tablespoon each of the turmeric powder and red chili powder, as well as salt. Coat the fish thoroughly and keep for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan and add the marinated fish pieces. Fry till the steaks are a medium brown. Set the fried fish on absorbent paper and keep aside. In the same oil, add the stick of cinnamon. followed by the sliced onions. Fry till the latter are translucent. Add the diced tomatoes, green chilis, garlic paste and ginger paste. Fry till the tomatoes have melted and the ginger and garlic pastes are fried. Add the remaining turmeric and red chili powder, and salt and sugar to taste. Whisk the yogurt and pour it in, followed by 1/2 cup water. Stir thoroughly and lower the heat. Add the fish steaks and simmer till desired consistency is attained. Keep turning over the fish pieces from time to time, so that they are thoroughly coated with the gravy. Garnish with garam masala and serve with steamed rice.

Baingan Masala

INGREDIENTS:

Eggplant: One, large
Saunf: 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
Green chili: Four, slit
Onions: Two medium, sliced into rings
Potato: One, diced
Dhania Powder: Two tablespoons
Jeera Powder: One tablespoon
Red Chili Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger paste: One tablespoon
Garlic paste: One teaspoon
Plain Yogurt: One cup
Garam Masala: 1/2 teaspoon
Salt and sugar to taste
Oil


PROCEDURE:

Slice the eggplant into small pieces and marinate with salt and sugar. Keep aside for 15-30 minutes. In a pan, heat oil. Drain the eggplant pieces and add to the oil. Fry till soft and tender. Remove the eggplant and drain excess oil on absorbent paper. If required, add more oil to the pan and throw in the green chili, saunf and jeera seeds. When the seeds start to crackle, add the diced potatoes. Fry the potato pieces till they lose their "raw" look. Add the onion rings and stir in with the seeds and potato pieces. Fry till the onions are translucent. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and mix thoroghly. Fry for 2-3 minutes and add the dhania powder, jeera powder and red chili powder. Add the fried eggplant pieces as well, and fold in with the spices, potatoes and onions. Add salt and sugar. Beat the yogurt throughly and add. Reduce the heat and mix thoroughly. Allow to simmer till little liquid remains in the pan. Garnish with garam masala and coriander leaves.

Chicken Bharta

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken Strips: 1 kg
Cinnamon: One stick, 1/2 inch long, broken into small fragments
Onions: Two, sliced
Tomato: One large, diced
Green Pepper (Capsicum): 1 1/2, sliced length-wise
Garlic Paste: Two tablespoons
Ginger Paste: Three tablespoons
Dhania Powder: Three tablespoons
Jeera Powder: 1 1/2 tablespoons
Any Chicken Curry Masala: 1/2 tablespoon
Red Chili Powder: 1 teaspoon
Cream: One cup
Salt and sugar to taste
Oil


PROCEDURE:

In a deep pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and add the stick of cinnamon, followed by the sliced onions. Add the diced tomato immediately as well. Allow the onions to fry, all the while mashing the tomato into a puree. When the onions are translucent, add the ginger paste and garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the jeera powder, half of the dhania powder, the red chili powder and the chicken curry masala. Mix thoroughly, adding some more oil if the mixture sticks to the side. Add the chicken strips and coat the latter with the frying spices and onions. When the chicken pieces start changing color to white and are no longer pink, add the green pepper slices, the remaining dhania powder and salt and sugar. Allow it to fry for 3-4 more minutes. Add the cream and lower the heat. Allow the chicken to simmer till the gravy reaches desired consistency. Garnish with lemon slices and a dollop of fresh cream. Serve hot with naan roti.

Matar Kachori

INGREDIENTS:

Green Peas: 250 gms, boiled and mashed
Jeera Seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
Saunf: 1/2 teaspoon
Cinnamon: One stick, 1/2 inch long
Cardamom: 4 pods
Ginger Paste: One teaspoon
Red Chili Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera Powder: 1/2 tablespoon
Dhania Powder: One tablespoon
Hing: 1/4 teaspoon
Maida: 400 gms
Oil
Salt and sugar to taste


PROCEDURE:

In a frying pan, heat a teaspoon of oil. Break the cinnamon into small fragments and add to the hot oil. Add the jeera and saunf seeds and fry till they start crackling. Now add the hing and stir thoroughly. When the hing starts steaming, add the ginger paste and fry for a minute. Now add the mashed boiled peas and mix thoroughly with the spices. When the peas start turning slightly dark in color, add the dhania, cumin powder, red chili powder, salt and sugar. Be a bit generous with the sugar since the kachoris are meant to be slightly on the sweeter side. Cook the peas till they turn really dark green, but not dry and crumbly. Grind the cardamom seeds and spread over the green peas. Cool the mixture, and then knead to get a really smooth and thick paste.

In a bowl, add the maida along with a teaspoon of oil. Add salt and sugar to taste, followed by water. Knead the madida into a light dough and make small balls out of the latter. Make a depression in each maida ball and fill it with the green peas. Close the depression and reconstruct the ball, such that the filling remains inside. Roll out each ball in the form of a puri, taking care that the filling never spills outside. The secret is not to overload the kachoris with filling. Fry the kachoris in hot oil till golden brown and serve with aloo dum or aachar.

Masur Dal

Let's start with a very simple recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Masur Dal: One cup
Panch Phoron (a Bengali spice-mixture): Half teaspoon
Tej Patta: Two leaves
Oil: One teaspoon
Red Chili: Two
Green Chili: Four, slit
Onion: One large, diced
Turmeric: One teaspoon
Salt and sugar to taste
Water


PROCEDURE:

Wash the masur dal thoroughly, alternately in warm and cold water a total of 5-6 times. Take about 2 cups of water and set to a boil in a saucepan. Once the water starts steaming, add the dal. Keep stirring from time to time and boil for 10-12 minutes, or till the dal melts and is soft. Add more water if necessary. Generally, 1/2 cup water shall be required in addition to the initial 2 cups added. Remove the dal from heat and keep aside.

In a frying pan (kadhai), heat the oil. Add the panch phoron and stir. When the seeds start crackling, add the red chilis and tej patta. Now add the chopped onion and fry till translucent. Add the boiled dal onto the fried onion. Be careful as the mixture will splurt a lot! Lower the heat and mix the dal thoroughly. Add the green chilis, turmeric, salt and sugar and keep on stirring. Keep on heat till the desired thickness of dal is reached. In case it becomes too thick, add some hot water and stir. Remove dal from flame and serve hot with rice.


NB: Panch phoron is unfortunately not available outside Orissa, Assam and Bengal. As a substitute, you may mix commerically available jeera, mustard seed, kalonji, methi seed and saunf. If any of the components are not available, don't panic; use whatever is available. Enjoy!

Introduction

A bit of an introduction first:

Since coming to Cornell, my extra-curriculars have taken a severe beating. Due to a lack of time, resources and opportunity, my life at presently generally revolves around a melange of classes, interminable lab-work, assignments and the like. While we do have parties almost every weekend, there is no vestige of the various creative diversions that were so much a part and parcel of life in Kgp: Illu, Inter-Halls, Kshitij etc. I have since then decided to focus my energies and creativity on an art that attracts me tremendously, and at which, I confess, I am pretty well adept: cooking. I shall post my recipes and from time to time, post pics of my dishes as well.

Do try them out sometime; they are really very good... :)