Veggies/Sabzi Archives - Susmita Recipes

Punjabi Style Palak Paneer

July 10, 2015 By susmita Leave a Comment

Palak paneer is one of the famous paneer dishes which is quite subtle in its taste and yet easy to cook. Palak paneer is a Punjabi gravy dish in which paneer (cottage cheese) cubes are cooked in smooth creamy spinach gravy.

I am so fond of this dish that I never had enough of this recipe and relished it completely whenever my mum used to cook it. This dish is also a favourite at my in-laws home and whenever winter arrives I usually make it a lot at my home. The beauty of this dish is the organic green colour it has which is beautifully contrasted with white cubes of paneer.

This recipe doesn’t require much spices and the prominent flavour is imparted by garlic. The gravy should not be overcooked as it might ruin the green colour and impart a bitter taste to the gravy. Paneer can also be added without frying, but I usually like fried paneer to go along with this recipe.

For those who don’t wish to add paneer, paneer can also be substituted in this recipe with tofu.

Palak paneer is usually enjoyed with roti, poori or pulao complimented with onion slices and lemon wedges.

Ingredients required for Palak Paneer :

Spinach leaves – 1 large bunch
Cottage cheese – 3/4 cup (cubed)
Onion – 1 medium
Garlic – 8-9 pods
Ginger – 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies – 1-2
Tomatoes – 3-4 medium sized
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
Fresh cream/malai – 2 tbsp
Salt – As per taste
Oil – 2 tsp + for frying paneer

How to make Palak Paneer :

Wash the spinach leaves to remove any dirt. Thick stems should be discarded. I usually prefer using only the leaves.
Transfer the spinach leaves in boiling water and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes.
When the leaves turn soft, remove the leaves using a sieve or a slotted spoon. Don’t discard the broth.
Immediately transfer the spinach leaves in ice-cold water. This step ensures that the leaves retain its green colour.
When the leaves cool down, transfer it in a mixer grinder.
Grind to a smooth paste without adding water.
Meanwhile, soak the cottage cheese or paneer block in hot water for 10-15 minutes. This makes the paneer soft.
Dice the paneer. I have kept the pieces a bit long.
Deep fry the paneer pieces till they turn slightly brown at the edges.
Remove on a blotting paper and keep it aside. (You won’t see a blotting paper since I forgot to use it this time 😳
Grind together garlic, ginger and green chillies to a fine paste.
In a pan heat 2 tsp of oil.
Crackle cumin seeds.
Add chopped onions and saute for 3-4 minutes.
When the onions turns slightly golden brown, add the garlic-ginger-chilli paste and saute for a minute.
When the raw smell of garlic and ginger fades away, add the chopped tomatoes.
Cook the tomatoes till it becomes soft and starts to sweat oil.
Now add coriander, red chilli and turmeric powder and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Now add the spinach puree.
Add enough broth and mix evenly. The consistency of the gravy should not be too thick nor too thin.
Now add 1/2 tsp of garam masala and mix. Adjust salt. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the fried panner cubes and mix gently. Simmer for further 3-4 minutes.
Garnish with fresh cream and serve hot with phulka, paratha or rice.

Spicy and Tangy Punjabi Chole Masala with Tamarind

April 28, 2015 By susmita Leave a Comment

Spicy and Tangy Punjabi Chole Masala with Tamarind

Prep time

7 hours 15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

8 hours

Punjabi Chole Masala is a famous authentic recipe from Punjab. It is made from chickpeas or garbanzo beans cooked in a spicy and tangy gravy. Punjabi chole is famous for its dark coloured gravy. In thi sdish I have incorporated tamarind/Imli to impart the characteristic dark colour along with a tangy taste. Punjabi chole is perfectly complemented with bhature, poori or pulao.

Author: Susmita Chawla

Recipe type: chole masala

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4-6

punjabi-chole-masala-with-tamarind-cover-image

Punjabi Chole Masala is a famous authentic recipe from Punjab. It is made from chickpeas or garbanzo beans cooked in a spicy and tangy gravy. My mouth literally waters whenever I think of Punjabi Chole. Punjabi chole is perfectly complemented with bhature or poori and the feeling I get when I have these together is out of the world 😛 . Being enjoyed from generations and prepared in a variety of ways, this recipe has captivated the Indian cuisine like no other recipe has ever did.Chole recipe is quite a regular at my home and my hubby is specially fond of it.

I went through various blogs and adaptations of this recipe and each and everyone has a unique style and way for making this recipe. The most important aspect of making Punjabi chole is the dark colour of this dish. Usually the dark colour is imparted by boiling the chickpeas along with tea-bags or pomegranate seeds. But I have skipped both these items and included the humble tamarind/Imli. Yes! u heard it right..tamarind. Tamarind not only imparts a dark colour to the dish but also lends the dish a nice tangy taste that the punjabi chole is so famous for.

Punjabi chole also calls for the addition of freshly ground chole masala or chana masala. I have listed the ingredients for making chole masala. I have not included the photograph of the ingredients since I had stocked my chole masala earlier. I will definitely be updating it very soon. The masala can be ground each time or can be powdered in bulk and stored in an air-tight container for future use.

Also check out other punjabi recipes listed in my blog like Sarson ka Saag, Makki ki Roti etc.

Ingredients required for Punjabi Chole Recipe:

For pressure cooking:

Chick peas (Garbanzo beans/Kabuli chana/Chole) – 1 cup (soaked overnight)
Water – 2 1/2 cups
Salt – 1 tsp

For the gravy

Onions – 2 big (chopped finely)
Tomatoes – 3-4 medium sized (chopped finely)
Ginger – 1 1/2 ” piece
Garlic – 9-10 pods
Tamarind – 1 tbsp
Bay leaf – 1
Cinnamon stick – 1″ piece
Coriander powder – 2 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Kashmiri lal mirch powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Roasted cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
Amchur powder/ dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp
Chole/chana masala – 1 tsp
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (chopped)
Salt – As per taste

For chole/chana masala (to be dry roasted and powdered)

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
Pomegranate seeds/anardana – 1 tbsp (optional)
Bay leaf – 1
Cinnamon stick – 2 (1″ piece)
Black peppercorns – 1 tsp
Cloves/laung – 1/2 tsp
Whole dry Red chillies – 3-4
Black cardamom – 2
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

How to make Authentic Punjabi Chole:

Wash the chickpeas 3-4 times and soak them overnight in 3-4 cups of water.
Next day, drain the water and add about 2 1/2 cups of fresh water and pressure cook the chickpeas with 1 tsp of salt . Cook for about 2-3 whistles and then simmer for about 10-12 minutes or till the chickpeas are cooked completely. Reserve the stock.
Check the chickpeas if it has cooked properly by mashing it with a finger.
Meanwhile soak 1 tbsp tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water. Dry roast the spices listed under the section for making chole garam masala and grind to a fine powder in a mixer.
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan.
Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and chopped onions.
When the onions start turning golden brown add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.
Shift aside the onions and add the tomato puree and let it cook till the oil starts leaving the tomato mix.
Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri lal mirch powder, turmeric powder and saute for few minutes on low flame.
Add 1/2 cup of soaked tamarind extract to the onion-tomato mixture and stir.
Meanwhile coarsely mash some chickpeas in a blender.
Add the boiled chickpeas along with the mashed chickpeas. Do not add water or the stock at this stage.
Mix gently so that the chickpeas are coated with the spices evenly.
Add 1/2 tsp of roasted cumin powder, amchur powder, 1/4 tsp of garam masala and 1 tsp of chole masala and mix evenly.
Add the stock. Add more water if required. Adjust salt.
When it comes to a rolling boil, simmer it and cook for further 10 minutes or till the gravy thickens.
Switch off the flame and garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.
Your tangy and spicy Punjabi chole is ready. Serve hot with puri, bhature, phulka or rice along with onion slices and lemon wedges.

Kathal ki sabzi with gravy

April 24, 2015 By susmita 1 Comment

Kathal ki sabzi (Jackfruit in english) is a North Indian delicacy that is made from raw jackfruit. With the advent of summers, the one of the many things thing I crave for is jackfruit. I love this fruit in all its form- be it raw or ripe, both the form makes me drooling.

In north India, Jackfruit or kathal is either prepared as a dry sabzi or in the form of curry. In this post, I have shared the recipe for making the jackfruit with gravy. This involves deep frying the jackfruit pieces and then cooking the fried pieces along with the gravy. You can even include the almond-shaped seeds to this recipe. Just peel the seeds and slice it and fry it along with the jack-fruit pieces.

The peeling part of the jackfruit is a tough one and time consuming too. I remember my mom peeling it and making the sabzi the hard way. Since I am very lazy to do all the peeling and chopping, and don’t want to make my hands messy and sticky, I usually get it peeled and chopped from my local vegetable vendor

This recipe do calls for a bit of labour and time. I usually do multitasking when making this recipe by frying the pieces on one side and preparing the gravy on the other side. In this recipe I have used the onion and tomato paste and cooked it the long way, but if you are short of time just chop the onions and tomato and puree it after it gets cooked. Trust me, this recipe tastes so wonderful and is totally worth the effort you put in.

Ingredients required for Kathal (Jackfruit) ki Sabzi Recipe:

Jackfruit (kathal) – 500 gms (cut into medium sized chunks)
Onion – 2 big
Tomatoes – 5 (medium)
Ginger – 1 1/2 ”
Garlic – 7-8 pods
Bay leaf – 1
Cinnamon stick – 1″ piece
Coriander powder – 2 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri mirch powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Roasted cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (chopped finely)
Oil – 3 tbsp + some extra oil for deep frying jackfruit
Water – 1 1/2 – 2 cups (Can be varied as per choice to make the gravy thick or thin)
Salt – As per taste

How to make Kathal ki Sabzi:

Cut the jackfruit into medium size (1.5 – 2”) chunks, peel the seeds, slice them and wash them thoroughly.
Now in a pan/kadhai, deep fry the jackfruit chunks in batches until they attain a golden colour.
Drain the jackfruit pieces on a filter paper or a kitchen towel to remove the excess oil.
In a separate pan, add 3 tbsp of oil.
Add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick and saute till it becomes aromatic.
Add the onion paste and saute till the onions become slightly golden brown.
Now add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell of ginger and garlic fades off.
Now move the onion-ginger-garlic mixture to a side and add the tomato puree. Cook until oil starts separating from the tomato mixture.
Add the coriander powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri red chilli powder and turmeric powder and saute on a low flame till the spices become fragrant.
Now add 1/2 cup of water and evenly mix the masala so as to make a smooth paste.
Add the fried jackfruit pieces.
Mix it evenly till all the pieces are evenly coated with the masala.
Now add 1 1/2 cups of water and mix evenly.
Add the roasted cumin powder, garam masala and salt and cook it covered for 8-10 minutes till the jack-fruit pieces become soft and the gravy thickens.
Switch of the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with phulkas/roti or rice and onion rings.

Aloo Gobi aur Matar ki Sabzi – Dry Alu Gobhi Matar

April 4, 2015 By susmita Leave a Comment

Ingredients required for Aloo Gobi Aur Matar ki Sabzi Recipe:

Potatoes – 2 Medium sized
Cauliflower (Phool-Gobi) – 2 cups (cut into medium sized florets)
Peas (Matar) – 1/2 cup
Onion – 1 big
Tomatoes – 5-6 Medium sized
Garlic – 6-7 pods
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi (Dry fenugreek leaves) – 1 tsp
Coriander leaves (for garnishing) – 2 tbsps (chopped finely)
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – As per taste

How to make Dry Alu Gobhi Matar ki Sabzi:

Cut the cauliflower into medium sized florets and wash them thoroughly. Shell the peas, peel and dice the potatoes.
In a pan heat 2 tbsps of oil. Add cumin seeds and fry for 2 sec.
Add chopped onions and cook till it turns translucent.
Add the ginger-galic paste and saute till the raw smell of ginger and garlic fades away.
Add the chopped tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes become soft and the oil starts leaving the tomato-onion mix.
Add 2 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1 1/4 tsp red chilli powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
Add the chopped veggies and peas.
Mix thoroughly till the masalas coat all the veggies evenly.
Add salt, sprinkle about 1 tbsp of water and cook by covering with a lid. (Don’t add extra water to cook the veggies, since the cauliflower releases water while cooking.)
After 12-15 minutes, gently mash a potato to check whether it has been cooked. If you are able to mash it, your sabzi is almost done. Now add 1 tsp of garam masala and mix gently.
Finally add 1 tsp of kasuri methi and cook for another minute or so.
Switch of the flame and garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.
Your Aloo Gobi aur Matar ki Sabzi is ready. Serve it with hot roti/phulkas.

Aloo Methi ki Sabzi

April 4, 2015 By susmita Leave a Comment

Aloo Methi is a typical north Indian dry vegetable recipe that is very common in every households during the winter season. It is made from fresh fenugreek leaves known as ‘methi’ in Hindi along with boiled potatoes. This recipe is a very simple and quick to make recipe that is very wholesome and nutritious too.

Fenugreek leaves have immense medicinal benefits and is known to be rich in calcium,phosphorus and vitamin C. It is well known for its anti-diabetic properties and is equally beneficial for lowering cholesterol, acidity and even great for hair and skin.

I totally love this recipe and this is quite a regular at my home during the winters. This recipe can be made in a variety of ways and each and every variation is equally good. We usually prepare aloo methi by adding tomatoes.

The potatoes are boiled and what I prefer is to fry the potato chunks a bit in oil to give the sabzi an extra flavour. If you are health conscious and are worried by the extra calories you can skip the frying part and simply add the boiled potatoes along with the fenugreek leaves.

Aloo methi goes very well with phulkas or parathas. I have provided the step by step photos for making this simple yet fabulous dish. So lets start cooking!!

Some of the other vegetable recipes you can also find in this blog are Aloo-Gobhi-matar Sabzi, Sarson ka saag, brinjal fry etc.

Ingredients required for Aloo Methi Recipe

Fenugreek leaves (methi) – 3 cups
Potatoes – 2 (medium sized)
Onion – 1 (medium)
Tomatoes – 3-4 (medium)
Ginger – 1/2 inch peice
Garlic – 5-6 pods
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 2tsps + 1 tbsp (For shallow-frying potatoes)
Salt – As per taste

How to make Aloo Methi ki Sabzi:

Wash the fenugreek leaves thoroughly under running water for 3-4 times. Chop the leaves finely and keep it aside.
Boil 2 medium sized potatoes in a pressure cooker.
Peel the potatoes and dice them.
In a pan, shallow fry the potato chunks till the potato edges acquire a slight golden colour.
In a different pan, heat 2 tsps of oil. Add the cumin seeds and ginger-garlic paste.
Mix in the chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the oil leaves the onion-tomato mix.
Add the coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Roast the masalas till it becomes fragrant.
Now add chopped fenugreek leaves.
Saute for a minute on high flame.
Add the shallow fried potatoes and mix gently. Add salt and let it cook covered for about 4-5 minutes.
The leaves will almost be cooked by now. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of garam masala. Mix and cook for a 1 minute more.
Your Aloo Methi ki Sabzi is ready. Serve it hot with roti/phulka or rice and dal.