Potato subzi with Dried Fenugreek and Fennel!

Potatoes cooked with spices and or ginger/garlic are another one of the main dishes in most indian households. The spices used, the way of cooking might be slightly different from north to south Indian houses, but potatoes are here to stay!

Serve this hot with curries or Daal soups, rotis or rice!

Ingredients:

• 3 medium potatoes chopped into cubes
• 1 inch ginger chopped
• 4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust quantity for the heat you want in the dish)
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• pinch of asofetida(hing)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds( methi dana)
• 2 Tablespoons crushed dried fenugreek leaves
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• salt to tate (1/2 teaspoon or so)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium pan on medium heat.
2. Add mustard seeds and wait till they start to splutter.
3. add in the asofetida, cumin, fennel and fenugreek seeds and mix well for a few seconds.
4. Add in the red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic and mix well. Cook for a few minutes until garlic starts to turn golden
5. Add in the turmeric powder and potatoes and mix well.
6. Add in the dried fenugreek and chopped cilantro and salt and mix well.
7. Cover and cook on medium low heat. Stir occasionally.
8. Cook until potatoes are soft and well cooked from the inside (15 -20 minutes)
9. Serve hot with curries, rotis, rice!

Variation 1: You can eliminate the fenugreek seeds and dried fenugreek.

Variation 2: Use slit green chili instead of red pepper flakes.

Variation 3: Use butter instead of oil

Variation 4: Replace fennel seeds with whole coriander seeds!

Variation 5: Add a teaspoon of vinegar at the end just before switching off the heat.

Enjoy!

Molten Lava Cake! Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you Mom and Dad for being Mom and Dad.. bro and sis for being so sweet and understanding.. and a big Thank You to Hubbs.. for everything so many times and for all everything to come!. Thank you everyone. all you wonderful friends. Thank you chewie.. for giving us the unconditional love 24/7 and for being the fluffball who keeps teaching us some or the other valuable lessons of life..

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Heres the recipe on Showmethecurry.com with step by step video!

http://showmethecurry.com/desserts/molten-lava-cake.html

I used whole wheat flour and dark brown sugar!. A healthier version u say .. with all the same goodness!

Enjoy!

Daal Series: Yellow Mung and Toor with Tomato

Daals or Lentil soups/curries are a staple side dish in Indian meals. We usually make different lentil soups/daals everyday, sometimes just one type of lentil and sometimes a couple of types together.

Here is one of our frequently made recipes. The Daals are usually cooked in a pressure cooker. They can be made in a slow cooker as well, but I have never tried the slow cooker.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup split yellow mung Daal(skinned and split green Mung)
• 1/2 cup split Toor Daal ( dark shiny split pigeon pea)
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 5 curry leaves
• pinch of asofetida
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 inch ginger finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• salt to taste
• cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions:

• Soak the both daals together for about 2 hours. Drain the water, wash ans keep aside.
• In a pressure cooker, add the daals and 2 cups water. Add a few drops of oil and the turmeric and cook on medium heat for one whistle. Take the cooker off heat and wait for the pressure to release on its own(10 minutes)
• For the tempering, heat oil in a large pan on medium heat.
• Add the mustard seeds and wait till they splutter.
• Add in the cumin seeds and coriander seeds and mix all for a few seconds.
• Add in the asofetida and curry leaves. Watch out for oil splattering because of the curry leaves.
• After a few seconds, add in the chopped ginger garlic and chili and mix well.
• Cook the mixture till the garlic gets golden. 3-4 minutes
• Add in the tomatoes, and cook the mixture till the tomatoes lose their shape. 4-5 minutes.
• Add the cooked daals to this mixture and mix well.
• Add salt, mix and cook for 6-7 minutes until the daal is boiling nicely.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with Chapatis, roti, Naan or Basmati Rice!

Bottle Gourd Curry

Mom left after 2 months with us and I havent had the energy to bake breads. Hence, the silence on the blog. I thought I will post a couple of some regular dishes, since when its hubbs turn to cook he uses my written up recipes.. so as well put them on the blog!

This one is my mom's recipe. Bottle gourd is really light on the stomach and this tomatoey curry always works well on bad tummy days.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• pinch of asofetida ( hing)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 Serrano chili pepper finely chopped ( put half if you want it less spicy)
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger finely chopped
• 5 curry leaves
• 3 medium tomatoes chopped
• 3-4 cups Lauki/Doodhi/Bottle gourd ( peeled and chopped into half inch cubes)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. I cook this curry in a pressure cooker, but you can use a covered pan as well.
2. In the cooker/pan, heat the oil on medium heat
3. Add in the asofetida(hing powder) and mustard seeds and wait till they start to splutter.
4. Add in the cumin seeds and coriander powder and mix well.
5. Add in the chopped chili peppers and garlic and mix well. Cook until garlic is slightly golden
6. Add in the ginger and curry leaves and mix for a few seconds.
7. Add in the tomatoes and salt and let cook for 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and they pick up the garlicky flavor. you will be able to smell the tomato garlic aroma.
8. Add in the chopped bottle gourd and mix well. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and switch off.
9. If cooking in a pan, add in some water with the bottle gourd and cook on medium heat covered until the bottle gourd is soft and easily smashed.
10. Adjust for salt and spice(chili powder optional) and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rotis/ chapatis/Naan or basmati rice!

For variation, you can add a teaspoon or 2 of tangy tomato pickle while the tomatoes are being cooked to give it a pickle flavor to make a pickled curry!