Curry In Kadai ~ An Indian Cooking Blog

We love mushrooms! Even my 2 year old cant have enough mushrooms sauteed in very little ghee along with her rice. Mushrooms are a very good source of fiber, protein, folate, vitamin C etc., and the best part very low in fat and calories( 1 cup of sliced mushrooms counts upto 15 calories ). I love to add mushrooms in my noodles. pasta, pulaos and curries. Sometimes to make to sound it a bit fancier i would bake these Potato stuffed Mushrooms. Potatoes are spiced with kasuri methi, garam masala and peas, stuffed into Mushrooms and then baked into perfection. These mushroom aloo tikkis are so cute and super easy to make.

Methi( Menthi Aaku ) aka Fenugreek is used as a herb( fenugreek leaves ) and also the seeds used as spice. Back home, we used to get very small bunches of just sprouted fenugreek leaves and they are very milder and juicier compared to the matured leaves. But the ones i get here in US are litle bit matured and are slightly bitter.

In Indian cooking, we use Fenugreek in 3 forms,

• The seeds in spice powders and curries
• The fresh fenu greek leaves( menthi kura) in curries, dals and rotis
  
• Dried fenugreek leaves called Kasuri methi to make breads and curries

I remember back home we used to wake up early in the morning, extract juice from the leaves( using mortar and pestle ) and apply to hair as we were told it aids in healthy scalp and hair growth. Some Sundays we would even apply ground methi seeds( fenugreek seeds ) which were soaked in yogurt overnight. Doing this way, it reduces heat from the body and makes hair dandruff free, thick and lustrous. Also, Grandma asks us to take Fenugreek seeds with water to control diarrhea.



Mom usually makes sumptuous Methi Dal, Fenugreek leaves with lentils and tomatoes but my mother in law makes this delicious simple Aloo Methi( Menthapukura Alugadda) which is a dry curry with Potatoes, peas and fenugreek leaves with a touch of sambar powder. My husnband loves this dish a lot and i joined him soon after the very first taste. I know it takes time to prepare the fenugreek leaves( methi ), but believe me all that hardwork pays off when you taste the curry. I would prefer fresh bunch, if its not available you can go ahead and use frozen blocks available in any Indian grocery, but the quality and taste is not that great but acceptable.

You need:

• 1 bunch of Fenugreek leaves
• 2 red potatoes( boiling potatoes)
• fistful of petite green peas
• 2 tsp of any sambar powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder or to taste
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• sugar to taste
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Pluck the methi leaves from the stems wash thoroughly add salt and keep aside. Since the methi leaves are bitter to taste, using salt removes the bitterness.
• Cook the whole potato in microwave using very less water. Do not use baking potatoes like Idaho, use boiling potatoes like red potatoes as these potatoes have to retain their shape when cooked in this curry. Let the potatoes completely cool. Once cooled, peel off the skin and cut into big chunks.
• Drain all the water from the methi leaves, wash again and drain off the water completely
• In a thick pan / kadai heat oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, once they start to crackle, add the drained fenugreek leaves and fry till they are completely cooked and you can notice the leaves become dark and dry
• Add green peas and cook for a couple of mins
• Now bring on those peeled and chopped cooked potatoes saute for a min and then add any sambar powder on hand( or some jeera and coriander powder together ), red chilli powder, and salt
• Let the masalas coat the potato well, fry for few more mins and then add sugar, saute for few more mins until the sugar is completely absorbed
• You can adjust spice, sugar and salt to your taste

This sweet and spicy Fenugreek leaves with potatoes and peas tastes great with rice, rotis or even tortillas ..Even better you can finish it off just as it is, yep tastes that good!!

What would you do with leftover rice? I usually end up having it with some pickle and yogurt. Sometimes i try to use leftover rice to make a complete sumptuous nutritional meal. What could be more nutritious than loading up simple rice with tons of vegetables anf flavoring it up with ginger, garlic and cilantro? I exactly did the same thing with my leftover rice, added an array of vegetables on hand like Carrots, Napa Cabbage, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Beans, Peppers, Onions, Green Peas etc and jazz it up with Green chillies, Ginger and Garlic.

• 1 cup Basmati rice( i used leftovers )
• 1 tomato chopped
• 2 Carrots cut as discs
• 15 Green beans - french cut
• 1/4 Napa cabbage cut lengthwise
• 1 small Onion - chopped length wise
  
• 1 medium Green Pepper
• 1/2 Red Pepper( i didn't have on hand though, optional )
• 3-4 Green Chillies - chopped
  
• 1 inch Ginger root - chopped
  
• 2 Garlic cloves - chopped
  
• 1/4 cup Green Peas
• 2 tsp Soya Sauce
• 1-2 tbsp oil
  
• Half cucumber( English cucumber )
• Black pepper to taste

• Wash the basmati rice and cook according to package instructions. You can use any rice on hand, i like this basmati long grain rice better though
• Prep all the vegetables, wash, clean. chop and keep aside
• In a kadai / stir fry saute pan heat oil on high heat. Add onions ans saute for 30 sec
• Now add ginger, garlic, green chillies, carrots and beans, stir in some salt too, as salt speeds up the process of cooking
  
• After stir frying for 2 mins, add green pepper and green peas
• Once the veggies are half cooked i.e, veggies should still be crispy yet without the raw smell, add Napa cabbage, tomato, cucumber  and stir fry for a min or so.
• Lower the heat and add cooked rice, ground black pepper and soy sauce
• Add cilantro and adjust salt to taste

Black Eyed Peas aka Alasandulu in Telugu are a very good source of Calcium, Protein, Fiber and Folate. Not to mention the Vitamin A found abundant in all lentils and beans.Since folic acid is very essential to pregnant women having a cup of cooked beans at least 3 times a week is a very delicious way to incorporate folate in their diet. Alasandalu / black eyed peas are one of the beans which doesn't require overnight soaking and pre planning. You can either directly pressure cook or soak for couple of hours and then cook. My mom usually makes different kinds of Chundal(Sundal, Usili ) i.e., seasoned beans as they are very good healthy alternative to any fried snacks like chips, pakora etc., These tempered black eyed peas / alasandula guggillu( SUNDAL ) are usually what my dad loves to eat in the evenings. This recipe is directly from moms kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Black eyed peas / Alasandalu / Bobbarlu
  
• 1 small onion
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 lemon
  

For seasoning( Tadka / popu ):

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp minapappu / urad dal
• 2 tbsp oil
• 5-10 curry leaves
  

Preparation:

• Soak black eyed peas/alasandalu for 1-2 hrs and then pressure cook with 2 cups of water( Until the beans are immersed in water )
• Pressure cook for 4 whistles or boil separately until they are cooked and tender( make sure they don't fall apart )
• Drain off the cooked beans ( Preserve the water , ill tell you a sumptuous way of using the liquid )
• In a saute pan heat oil, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal. Once they start to splutter add chopped onions and green chillies along with salt.
• Once the onions are cooked to translucent add the cooked peas and mix together.
• Switch off the heat, add lemon juice and finish it off with cilantro.
  

This healthy protein and fiber rich low fat snack tastes good when its steaming hot. You can wrap this tempered black eyed peas in a chapathi or wheat tortilla along with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers for a complete sumptuous low fat healthy nutritious meal perfect anytime of the day!

Note:
Don't throw the leftover water from the drained cooked black eyed peas. Mom makes Rasam(Soup) with some tomatoes, tamarind(optional) and any rasam powder with tadka or above tempering. This soup/rasam taste so earthy .. Try it to believe it!!! I'm sure you will love it!!

I love garnishing my food even if its just some cilantro on the top as i believe we taste the food with our eyes first and then palette. The food should not only be delicious but should be like a feast to your eyes. Garnishing with simple ingredients like curry leaves, cilantro, a slice of lemon, green chillies or red chillies adds so much depth to your dish. The main point is to highlight the ingredient you used. Here i used curry leaves ans lemon slice to hint the viewer about the ingredients inside the dish.

This will be my entry for:

• Garnishing tips and techniques for Indian food
• A Healthy Bite hosted by Rachana
• Sunday Snacks - Grab n Go hosted by Pallavi
  
• MY LEGUME LOVE AFFAIR - EIGHTH HELPING hosted by Susan

Who wouldn't love potatoes and peas? Cooking potatoes and peas in tomatoes seasoned with cumin and coriander powders, sweetened with milk( or cream ) is the one recipe which comes to my rescue at the eleventh hour. So easy to prepare, so rich in taste. Adding milk to this potato curry gives this unique sweetness which balances the sourness from tomatoes. Aloo( Potato ) Matar( Peas ) is one such classic recipe which you can whip up in no time. You don't need any fancy ingredients and i am sure you would find all these items in you pantry any time.

You need:

• 4-5 large ripened tomatoes
• 2 red potatoes( use boiling potatoes only )
• 1-2 fistfuls green peas -- you can use frozen / fresh / soaked and boiled dried peas
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 - 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala( optional )
• 1/2 cup milk or cream
• 5 tbsp oil

How to prepare aloo matar:

• Boil the potatoes ( i microwave them with very little water covered for 6 min ) peel the skin and chop them into 1 inch cubes
• Chop onions and tomatoes very finely and keep aside
• In a kadai / pan heat oil and add onions and ginger garlic paste
• Keep stirring until the onions cooked to golden hue
• Add the coriander, cumin and red chilli powders
• Add turmeric and garam masala powder
• Toss in green peas and fry for 30 sec
• Fry for 1 min and add tomatoes( alternatively you can puree the blanched tomatoes and add to the pan )
• Cook until the oil leaves from the sides
• Now add the chopped potatoes and stir gently so that potatoes do not fall apart
• This is optional -- for extra creaminess and sweetness you can either add whole milk or cream and cook for 5 more min
• Add fresh cilantro and serve hot...

This curry tastes so good with chapathis, rotis, steaming hot rice or tortillas. We had this along with freshly home made rotis with some onions( sprinkled with cumin powder and lemon juice ) and freshly homemade yogurt ( curd ).

Heres the list of the events i am sending this recipe to:
JFI - Onion by Radhis Kitchen
Potato Fest by Divya Karthik
Ode to potato by Sia

Simplicity at its best, peas and raisins did wonders to this rice pilaf! This simple peas and raisins rice dish largely depends on petite peas, raisins, cinnamon, ginger and garlic to deliver that big flavor! This rice pilaf is a perfect display for simple yet flavorful Indian Cooking. Raisins and Cashewnuts paired nicely with this spiced rice pilaf, which added to the surprise sweet bites balancing the spices.




I made this for the first time when i had a pot luck at my work place, i remember last year i made our regular vegetable biriyani with the store bought biriyani masala and i swear everyone where literally asking ' How do you people eat this spciy food everyday?', and you know what i really didnt add any green chillies and added very less masala than usual. But this time my peas and rice pilaf dish is a winner at my work, 99% of them being non indians, i wanted to keep it low on spicyness, yet wanted them to learn that Indian cooking is not just spicy, its packed with flavor from the spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove, cardamom , ginger, garlic, cilantro, mint etc,,

• 1 cup basmati rice ( i use royal basamati rice from costco or sams, tastes better than tilda basmati rice)
• 1 cup green peas( petite peas are the best for this pulao ) -- There is no need to thaw the frozen peas, as they have enough time to cook along with the rice
• 1 large onion
• 4 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 4-5 green chillies( optional )
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4-5 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup golden raisins( golden raisins taste better in this pulao )
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 4-5 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp butter
  

• Soak the rice for 30 min( optional for better results ) and drain in a colander
• In kadai or pan addbutter or ghee and fry the rice until the rice turns into opaque, keep it aside.
• Heat both butter and oil in the same pan and add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.
• Once they start to release the aroma add ginger garlic paste, fry the paste until the raw smell disappears.
• Add chopped onions and green chillies along with salt
• Once the onions turn into golden hue add the peas and cook for 5 min
• Add the fried raw rice and let the peas masala coat the rice thoroughly

• Cooking with rice cooker:Butter the rice cooker pan or use ghee for it, for doing this In an electric cooker add 1 1/2 cups of water and the peas and rice mixture, it will be done in less than 15 min. Keep it under warm for 5 min and then switch off.Mix the rice pilaf( sometimes it might get burnt at the botttom, just discard )

• Cooking on the stove top: Add 2 cups of water and the fried raw rice to the peas masala bring it to boil and reduce the flame and let the water evaporate, close with teh lid and cook under very low heat for 3-5 more min and check for doneness. Once done, gently fluff the rice and mix bring everything together.
• In a seperate pan add butter cashewnuts and raisins, once the raisins are plump and cashewnuts(kaju) changed to golden brown remove from heat and add to the cooked pilaf.
  
• Add mint and cilantro at the end.

This rice and peas dish is a refreshing change from regular mixed vegetable biryani. I made very
mild channa masala (Spiced chick peas curry ) and raitha( yogurt with onions, cucumber, tomatoes
and cilantro ) to serve along with the peas rice for my coworkers.


This peas and rice pilaf spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with raisins is on its way to Think Spice - Think Cinammon event hosted by Sunitha. Also this will be my entry for AFAM - Dry Fruits hosted by Latha Namrasimham.

Note: Add more green chillies if you can handle the heat, otherwise this dish is perfect with any vegetable curries on the side.

Tags: Pachi batani pulao, Peas, Raisins, Rice pulao, SweeT and spicy pulao

Simplicity in this Tomato And Kasuri Methi curry speaks a lot, be it in taste, aroma, flavor, easiness or texture. Usually if we are going to have chapathis i plan ahead for curries like palak paneer, bendi masala, dal makhani, matar paneer. But sometimes out of the blue my husband asks for chapathi., then i have to whip up some simple quick and easy curries. In that list comes first Tomato And Peas Curry. You can play with the herbs, garlic or even kasoori methi , any of these would completely transform the plain tomato curry to a brand new recipe. Usually i add either peas or paneer. This time i added Kasuri methi. This gave unique flavor to the dish and i was surprised to learn adding a couple of tbsps of Kasuri methi enchances so much flavor and wonderful aroma into the dish. Wish i had used kasuri methi long back!

Methi Mutter Tamatar Curry

You need:

• 2-3 large tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp kasoori methi
• 1/3 cup green peas
• 1/2 cup milk / half n half / fresh cream
  
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander( dhaniya) powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
• a pinch of turmeric
• 2 stalks of coriander or cilantro
• 3 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste
  

This curry satisfies all the taste palettes. The sourness from tomato, sweetness( and creaminess ) from milk, bitterness from kasuri methi and spice from the red chilli powder. What else can we ask for in this simple dish?


How to:

• Chop onions and tomatoes very finely
• In a kadai or sauce pan heat oil and add onions
• Agg green peas and fry
  
• Saute onions till golden brown( TIP: you can add some sugar to let onions brown quickly )
• Optional: You can add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and fry for 10 sec
• Add powders and tomatoes.
  
• When oil starts to seperate add kasuri methi leaves
  
• Add milk and cook until the gravy becomes creamy
• You can even add fresh cream or half n half if you dont count those calories
  
• Adjust salt and spice to taste.
• Garnish with chopped coriander/cilantro
  

Our dinner: Tomato And Methi Curry With Methi Paratha( Thepla )

Dont take my word how easy and delicious this Methi Mutter Tamatar curry is, try it for yourself. I am sure you will comeup with some new variations to the recipe and i would love to hear all that! Tomato Kasuri Methi Peas curry tastes delicious with hot rice or chapathi.

Tags:Kasuri Methi, Peas And Tomato Curry, Tomato Curry

Not many people like Cabbage. Its not the cabbage that tastes bad, since the way it is cooked defines its taste. Cabbage when properly cooked becomes an all time favorite. I myself hated to have cabbage curry when i was a kid and i used to pester my mom a lot. I used to make those faces and eat without any choice. Now i know the reason why i didnt like it. She used to boil cabbage and then saute with tadka. Somehow the smell when cabbage is boiled makes me nauseate. But later my mom started making without actually boiling cabbage.


Cabbage cooked along with potatoes, peas and sweet touch of coconut takes the plain cabbage to the next level. This following recipe is from my MIL and no wonder this curry is my husbands favourite. The funny part is he eats most of the potatoes and i eat the cabbage but we do share peas together in this curry(hehehe). Weird, he likes potatoes but not the cabbage but still wants cabbage in the curry.. CONFUSING right! Moving to the recipe..,


You need:

• 2 cups of tightly packed medium finely chopped cabbage
• 1 large red/boiling potatoes( No Idaho or baking potatoes please )
• 1/2 cup peas
• 4-6 green chillies
• 1/4 cup of grated fresh coconut
• 6-8 curry leaves
• 3 stalks cilantro
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds( jeela karra )
• 1 tsp mustard seeds( Aavalu )
• 3-4 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste
  

• Chop cabbage finely, potatoes 1 inch cubes and green chillies length wise
• In kadai or pan heat oil and add cumin and mustard seeds
• When they start to pop add curry leaves, green chillies
• Add potatoes and green peas
  
• Saute for a min and then add cabbage
• Add salt and turmeric and mix together and cover with a lid
  
• Cook on medium flame stirring occassionaly. Make sure you dont burn cabbage
• When the potato is cooked add coconut and fry till all the water evaporates
• Adjust salt to taste
• Switch off the heat and add chopped coriander

This is another delicious recipe made with indian cheese called paneer. Paneer or cheese cubes are cooked in a mild cashewnut and tomato sauce( gravy ). This curry gets its richness from cashewnuts ( kaju ).

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces paneer or tofu cut into 1 inch cubes
• 10-15 cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp ground ginger paste
• 1 tbsp ground garlic paste
• 2 onions
• 2 - 3 tomatoes
• 3/4 cup frozen petite peas
• 1 cup milk
• 4 green chilllies
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• 1/4 cup oil

• Add some oil in kadai and toast cashews and keep them aside.
• In the same oil saute cheese( paneer ) cubes until golden brown as shown is the picture and drain them on paper towels
• Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 5 min, remove skin and blend the tomatoes into juice and keep aside.
• In a food processor chop onions and green chillies very finely and keep aside
• Make cashnewnuts into a fine paste and keep aside.
• Heat remaining oil in the kadai and add the chopped onions paste, ginger garlic paste until it becomes brown.
• Now add the frozen peas and saute for 2 more min.
• Add the powders and tomato juice.
• Cook until oil separates, now add cashewnut paste and cook for 2 more minutes
• Add milk and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Add the fried paneer and garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
• Adjust salt and spice to taste.
• Optional - If you want the matar paneer curry to be even more creamier, just add heavy whipping cream at the end and serve.