Aloo Methi | Punjabi Aloo Methi Ki Sabji | Potatoes with Fenugreek Leaves

I started using methi leaves extensively in my routine after coming to Pune :) And I'm loving it. Both for it's health benefits as well as for the yummy dishes that can be made with them.. Aloo Methi is one such recipe that I'm absolutely in love with. In fact I started liking this more after our trip to Dapoli and having it there in the home stay. You pair anything with potato, it sure is going to taste yum right ;) But this one was very simple with minimal ingredients and the flavour of the methi being beautifully balanced by the slightly fried potatoes. It was just yum. So from then on, I keep my aloo methi simple with minimal flavours and it's definitely very yum with just plain parathas or rotis or rice & dal as well. 

Some other Methi recipes that might pick your interests might be

Methi Paratha

Methi Malai Matar
Methi Dal

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

 

Serves : 2-3 persons

I Used:

Aloo	-	2 medium sized - cubed
Methi	-	2 cups heaped (before chopping)
Oil/Butter	-	2 tbsp
Cumin seeds	-	½ tsp
Green Chilly	-	2 nos - slited
Asafoetida	-	¼ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Pluck the fenugreek leaves and discard the stem. Rinse the leaves in water nicely for 2-3 times so that all the mud and dirt sticking onto the leaves get removed

2. Then soak the leaves in salt water for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness of methi. This step is optional. You can omit this step if you do not want. After 10 minutes, squeeze the leaves in your palm to remove water. Then chop them finely and keep aside

3. Rinse, peel and chop the potatoes into bite sized cubes

4. Heat oil/butter in a pan. Splutter the cumin seeds. Then add the cubed potatoes

5. Saute the potatoes for a few minutes till they turn crisp and the edges start turning slightly golden in colour

6. Then add the slit green chillies and asafoetida and give a quick stir

7. Now add the chopped methi leaves and salt and give a stir. Allow the methi leaves to cook on a low flame

8. The methi leaves will start to leave water. Allow them to cook further (5-6 minutes) till the water dries up and the leaves are wilted

9. Saute for another 2-3 minutes after the water has dried up. The sabzi should become completely dry

Serve with parathas or dal-rice combo!

Notes:

• You can use normal potatoes or baby potatoes for this recipe

• To reduce the bitterness of the methi leaves, soak the leaves in salt water for 10 minutes. But if you can, omit this step as the nutrients will be lost by soaking the leaves in salt water

• Instead of green chilly, you can use ½ tsp of red chilly powder as well

Cheers,
Chitz

Aloo Matar Recipe | Aloo Matar Dry in Pressure Cooker

So hello folks, I'm back with a recipe post today. It is none other than the Punjabi Aloo Matar recipe :) Generally I am not a fan of green peas a.k.a the fresh or frozen ones. But dried ones I am good :) So usually I mix the peas with something else or use the frozen or fresh peas as a accompanying ingredient in some dish like the biriyani, Methi malai matar, peas pulav and likes :) And this is one such dish. Actually aloo makes everything else good right. Add it to a chicken gravy or fry it or boil it. Make cutlets or just make a simple sabzi.. Aloo makes everything taste good :) And I just can't believe when someone doesn't eat aloo or picks it and keeps it at the side of a plate for discarding :O

So coming back to this recipe, it is simple and takes no time as you use a cooker to make it :) Just chop some onions and tomatoes. Dice some potatoes, and go saute saute. And it's done :) If you do not want to use a cooker, then also fine. Potatoes do not take long to cook :) And this recipe is very much liked by my little one and so it's extra special to me :D Thanks to Hebbar's Kitchen on that :) So off to the recipe :) 

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Recipe source : Here

Serves : 4 persons 

I Used:

Aloo	-	2 medium sized - cubed
Peas (Matar)	-	½ cup
Oil	-	2 tbsp
Cinnamon	-	½ inch piece
Cumin seeds	-	½ tsp
Kasuri Methi	-	1 tsp
Red Chilly Powder	-	1 tsp
Coriander Powder	-	½ tsp
Turmeric Powder	-	¼ tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste	-	1 tsp
Onion	-	1 medium sized - finely chopped
Tomato	-	2 medium sized - finely chopped
Coriander leaves		4-5 sprigs - chopped

The Way:

1. In a pressure pan, heat oil. Add the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and crushed kasuri methi

2. When the cumin starts to splutter, reduce the flame to low. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and give a quick saute. Take care not to burn the powders

3. Then add the chopped onions and saute till they become soft. Since we have already added the powders in the beginning, it will be difficult to know if they turn colour. So saute for 4-5 minutes till they turn soft

4. Next add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes till the raw smell goes

5. Then add the chopped tomatoes. Saute them. They must turn mushy

6. Once mushy, add the green peas and diced potatoes and give a quick saute. I have used frozen peas here. I soak them in water for 10 minutes before adding to the gravy

7. Then add ½ cup water and give a quick stir. Then close the cooker and pressure cook for 2 whistles in high and 2 in simmer or till they are cooked, Take care not to turn the peas too mushy. If you do not want to pressure cook, go ahead and cook them normally. Add a little extra water around 1/4 cup more and cook covered till the potatoes are cooked. Check and stir in between to see that they do not get burnt or stuck in the bottom

8. Once done and the pressure is released, open the cooker. See if any water is left. if then switch on the flame and allow them to evaporate and the dish to become dry. Once done switch off the flame and add the chopped coriahnder leaves and give a quick stir

Serve wit warm phulkas!

Cheers,
Chitz

Methi Matar Malai | Punjabi Methi Mutter Malai Recipe | Restaurant style methi mattar malai recipe

Blame it on the Instagram.. I had been drooling on the pics of the 'Methi Malai Matar' posted by many of the friends and so when I got hold of some fresh methi leaves and fresh green peas, I too set about to make some.. I always have a stock of malai in my fridge coz I make ghee at home from them. And I paired the yummy tasty methi malai matar with some hot phulkas and my lunch was done. Even Dhruv was licking off the gravy and had an extra chapathi that day ;) That's how this dish is.. creamy, sweet and mild even for a toddler. It's full of the fresh flavours of winter and gives you a rich yummy side dish for those soft phulkas and leaves your tummy full and content.. So why don't you too make use of the winter produce an make some of this yummy gravy?

The other methi recipes that might interest you would be Methi Paratha, Aloo Methi & Methi Dal

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 30-40 minutes

Serves : 3

I Used:

Methi/Fenugreek leaves	-	1 cup chopped leaves (refer notes)
Matar/Green peas	-	½ cup
Fresh Cream	-	4 tbsp
Oil/Ghee	-	2 tbsp
Sugar	-	1 tsp (refer notes)
Salt	-	As Needed
Water	-	As Needed

To Saute & Grind:

Oil Cumin seeds	- -	1 tbsp 1 tsp
Onion	-	1 big sized sliced
Ginger - Garlic paste	-	1 tbsp
Green Chilly	-	1 no
Cashews	-	2 tbsp
Khus Khus/Poppy seeds	-	2 tsp

The Way:

1. Pluck the fenugreek leaves and discard the stem. Rinse the leaves in water nicely for 2-3 times so that all the mud and dirt sticking onto the leaves get removed

2. Then soak the leaves in salt water for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness of methi. This step is optional. You can omit this step if you do not want. After 10 minutes, squeeze the leaves in your palm to remove water. Then chop them finely and keep aside

3. In a pan take the fresh green peas. Add little water and salt and boil them for 10 minutes. If using frozen green peas you can skip this step. If using dried peas, then pressure cook them for 3-4 whistles or till cooked

4. In a pan, heat oil. Splutter cumin seeds

5. Add the sliced/chopped onions and green chilly and saute till they turn translucent. Don't brown them much as the gravy will turn deeper in colour

6. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes till the raw smell goes away. Now switch off the flame and allow them to cool

7. In a mixer jar, take the sauteed mix, add the cashews and poppy seeds (khus khus) and grind them to a smooth paste. If you are not able to grind, add little water and grind

8. In a non stick pan/kadai heat oil. Add the ground paste and salt and saute. Keep the flame on low and saute for 2-3 minutes

9. Then add the chopped methi leaves and give a nice stir. Add little water (around 1/2 cup) and mix well. Simmer and allow to cook or 3-4 minutes

10. Then add the boiled peas and cream. Mix well. And allow it to cook in low flame for another 5 minutes. I used homemade malai (collected from boiled milk). If using homemade malai, freeze it and then whip it nicely before adding to the gravy. If using store bought cream add it as such without whipping

11. Now add sugar (optional) and mix well. Remove from flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot phulkas

Notes:

• To reduce the bitterness of the methi leaves, soak the leaves in salt water for 10 minutes. But if you can, omit this step as the nutrients will be lost by soaking the leaves in salt water
• You can skip sauteeing the onions if you want. Just grind all the ingredients under 'To Saute & Grind' without sauteeing and then cook the ground paste for about 10-15 minutes till the raw smell and taste of the onions are gone
• If using homemade malai, freeze it and then whip it nicely before adding to the gravy. Using fresh malai from milk or using homemade malai whithout whipping will not give you that creamy texture

Cheers,

Chitz

Punjabi Lobia Masala | Black Eyed Beans Masala | Karamani Masala | Cow peas Masala

Which is your favourite lentil or legume? For me it's this cute looking black eyed peas or cow peas. It's known by many names like lobia or karamani in tamil or vanpayar in malayalam. And with this black eyed peas I made Punjabi lobia masala to bring to you folks! It's a very easy recipe, a fail proof recipe and that which brings fond memories of my London weekends. This was a regular most of the weekends for me. Coz I love this dish and it's very easy to make and it doesn't consume much time and I can go back to binge watching series with a happy tummy and less dishes to wash. That's good right.. So let's see how to make this easy recipe..

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Soaking Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

I Used:

Lobia/Karamani	-	1 cup
Oil	-	1 tbsp
Mustard	-	¼ tsp
Onion	-	1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Tomato	-	2 medium sized (finely chopped)
Red chilly powder	-	1 tsp
Coriander powder	-	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Garam masala	-	½ tsp
Salt	-	As needed
Coriander leaves	-	To Garnish

The Way:

1. Soak the cow peas/lobia in water for 30 minutes - 1 hour as time permits for you

2. Pressure cook the soaked peas with salt for 3-4 whistles. I keep for 2 whistles in high and 2 in sim. If you do not have time to soak the peas then pressure cook for more whistles say 7-8

3. In a pan heat oil. Splutter mustard 

4. Then add the onions and a little salt (little for the onions as the lobia is already boiled with salt) and saute. The onions should turn transclucent

5. Then add the powders - turmeric, chilly, coriander powders and garam masala. Saute well and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell goes off

6. Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute. The tomatoes should turn mushy

7. Then add the boiled cow peas along with the water and give a nice stir. Add more water if required to suit your needs of gravy

8. Allow it to cook on low flame (preferably with a lib to the pan) for 4-5 minutes to allow the masala to coat the peas well

9. Before switching off the flame add garam masala and give a quick stir and off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves

Serve hot with rice or phulkas !

Notes:

• I generally do not add ginger or garlic or ginger-garlic paste to this. If needed you can add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste or 1 tsp finely chopped ginger and 1 tsp finely chopped garlic

Cheers,
Chitz

Palak Paneer

Spinach pureed & cooked with chunks of cottage cheese

Hello friends.. It's spinach time. Last week I got hold of a fresh bunch of palak and I couldn't resist myself from making the special of any dhaba 'Palak Paneer'. This time I had them with chapathis as I was a little lazy but the next time I make it, I wanna have it with peas pulav. 

Whenever I come across Palak Paneer, I remember the 'girls vs boys' contest I and my friends had in office. Me and my mates went for grocery shopping together, after office one day and both the girls and guys got palak. We girls made palak paneer and took it to office the next day. And we started off like 'This is the perfect palak paneer and lo-lo'. Then the guys challenged us that they can do better than us. They were very confident as they had our friend - the Delhi guy in their side. And yes, they did bring palak paneer the next day and we all enjoyed the gravy again :D And to the contest - both the girls and boys team believe that they surpassed the other.. What to say, just another excuse to enjoy food na ;) So here goes the recipe which can be enjoyed with chapathi, paratha, peas pulav, vegetable biriyani :)

My other spinach recipes are Cheera Parippu Curry, Cheera Thalippu, Sirukeerai Paruppu Masiyal, Vallarai keerai Poriyal, Chembila Mezhukkupuratti, Chembin Thandu Parippu Curry & Cheera Thoran

Recipe Source : Ma's Cookbook

I took: 45 minutes 

I Used:

Palak	-	1 bunch
Paneer	-	150 g (Cubed)
Onion	-	200 gm
Tomato	-	200 gm
Cumin seeds	-	½ tsp
Green chilly	-	4 silted
Ginger Garlic paste	-	2 tsp
Chilly powder	-	2 tsp
Coriander powder	-	4 tsp
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Cumin powder	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	As needed
Cream	-	4 tbsp

The Way:

1. Wash and clean the palak 
2. Now blanch the palak. For this boil water in a pan. When the water boils add the palak. Close the pan with a lid and simmer for 3-4 min. Finally drain the water and grind the palak to a smooth paste
3. Heat oil/ghee in a pan. Fry the paneer and dip the in hot water for a few seconds and keep aside
4. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds
5. When it splutters add onion and fry till it turns golden brown in color
6. Then add ginger-garlic paste and saute well
7. Add tomato. Saute till the mix is dry 
8. Add green chilly, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt and ½ a glass of water. Mix well 
9. Put in the palak and the paneer cubes. When the gravy comes to a boil add cream
10. Garnish with coriander leaves

Notes:

• The paneer can be added without frying also
• If you are frying the paneer in oil, don't forget to dip in hot water. Else it makes the paneer harder
• Can substitute cream with milk

Cheers,

Chitz