Rajma chawal- Kidney beans curry recipe

Preparation time : 15- 20 mins ( I din't include the soaking time )
Cook time : 40 mins

Rajma chawal is a comforting and easy dish to prepare. It is very popular and famous veg north- indian main course consisting of red kidney beans in thick gravy of onion and tomato base. Do try this recipe and let me know how it turned out !!!

Ingredients needed :

Rajma/ kidney beans - 1/3 cup
Onion - 1 (big size)
Tomato - 1
Garlic cloves - 2
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green chilli - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt - as required

For seasoning :

Oil
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Star anise - 1
Cloves - 2

For garnishing :

Coriander leaves

Method :

1. Soak rajma (kidney beans) over- night. Pressure cook rajma with enough water and little salt for (5-6 whistles). Drain and reserve the cooking liquor.
2. Heat oil in a pan add bay leaf, star anise, cloves and cumin seeds, once it sizzles add finely chopped onions. Saute until it turns light- brown in colour.
3. Add in the slitted green chilli, Grated garlic cloves and ginger. Saute for some more time.
4. Then add chopped tomatoes, all the spice powders (Turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala). Cook till oil separates.
5. Now add the cooked rajma along with little water and needed salt. Bring it to boil by closing the lid in medium- low flame till the gravy becomes slightly thick.
6. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice or side- dish for chapati.

Tips :

• Pressure cook the rajma till it gets cooked well. Use the rajma cooked water in the gravy, don't waste it.
• You can either use tomato puree followed by onions.
• Make sure to cook the curry in medium- low flame until the gravy becomes thick.

Serving size : 2- 3

Corn flour halwa- Karachi halwa

Preparation time : 5 mins
Cook time : 20- 25 mins

I had lot of corn-flour left at my home. I don't know what to do with that. I stumbled upon corn-flour halwa recipe when I was googling for dishes with corn-flour as main ingredient and immediately got excited as I always wanted to prepare halwa :-):-) As it happens this is my first halwa recipe and it came out very well.

Ingredients needed :

Corn flour - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cup
Ghee- 1- 2 tbsp
Water - 2 and 1/2 cup
Cashews - few
Orange food colour - 2 pinches

Method :

1. In a pan add tsp of ghee and roast the broken cashews till golden brown and keep it aside.
   
2. In a bowl mix corn flour with 1 and 1/2 cup of water, food colour without any lumps.
3. Grease a plate with ghee and keep it aside.
4. In a heavy bottomed pan or non- stick pan add sugar with 1 cup of water into it. Wait till the sugar dissolves completely. No need to check for one string consistency.
5. Mix the corn flour mixture with spoon and add it to the sugar syrup. Cook in medium- low flame stirring continously.
6. Add 1 tbsp of ghee in between and stir continously without forming any lumps. It gives nice glossy texture and halwa startsgetting transparent.
   
7. Add the roasted cashews into the halwa and mix well. Add the remaining ghee, once the halwa starts leaving the sides of a pan.
8. Transfer it to the greased plate. Allow it to cool down and cut into pieces.

Serve this delicious sweet to your family or friends !!!

Tips :

• I have given you a prefect measurement. No need to add more sugar(1 and 1/2 cup) is more than enough for every sweet lovers.
• Cook in medium- low flame. you have to be patience till the halwa becomes thick, glossy and leaving from the sides of pan.
• Make sure to mix the corn flour mixture well without any lumps.

Yields : 17- 20 (according to the size you cut)

Bottle- gourd kuzhambu/ Sorakkai kuzhambu

Preparation time : 10 mins
Cook time : 25 mins

Bottle-gourd kuzhambu is one of my fav, i used to prepare often at-least once a week :) This kuzhambu is most popular in my hometown. Speciality for this kuzhambu is peanut powder, it enhances the taste and perfect with hot steamed rice :):) Mixed combination of sourness and flavor of peanut would be great !! Do try this recipe and let me know how it turned out and even you guys will start to prepare as often as i do :):):)

Ingredients needed :

Bottle- gourd/ sorakkai - 1 1/2 cup
Onion - 2 (medium size)
Tomato - 1
Garlic cloves - 4-5 Crushed
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - Small bit or(a pea- sized)
Peanut/ ground-nut powder - 2 to 3 tsp(optional)
Salt

For seasoning :

Oil
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves - few

For garnishing :

Coriander leaves

Method :

1. Wash bottle-gourd/ sorakkai, remove the seeds and cut into pieces.
2. Soak tamarind in warm water, extract the juice and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds once it sputters, add curry leaves, chopped onion, crushed garlic cloves and saute till it turns light- brown in colour.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, all the spices (turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala powder). Saute till the tomatoes become mushy and spices combine well into the mixture .
5. Add in the bottle- gourd, give a good stir and add enough water with needed salt. Once the veggie is half- done pour in the tamarind juice. Allow it to boil in medium- low flame.
6. Once the bottle- gourd is cooked, add the peanut powder. Simmer the flame for another 5 more minutes.
7. Gravy becomes slightly thick and switch off the flame .
8. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves .

Serve with Hot- steamed rice.

How to prepare peanut powder ??

Dry roast the peanut. Once it cools remove its skin and grind the peanut coarsely in a blender. You can preserve it in a air- tight container and use whenever it is necessary.

Tips :

• You can chop the bottle- gourd either without or with skin ( based on your preference). 
• I have used with skin, as it is crunchy and tastes good.
• If you like sourness, feel free to add some more tamarind. I have used only little for flavor.
• You can adjust adding the peanut powder according to your taste. If you do not like the flavor of peanut, can neglect it. Its totally an optional one.
• Peanut powder thickens the gravy. Make sure to grind  peanut coarsely as it gives nice crunchy taste for every bite.
• You can also try this recipe either with ridge- gourd or  brinjal( I rarely prefer brinjal ).

Serving size : 3