Yellow Curry for Poori / Poori Koora / Aloo Koora

Ingredients:

Boiled Potatoes – 4

Onion – 1

Green chillies – 4

For the Thadka:

Olive Oil – 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Urad dal ¼ tsp
Channa dal – ½ tsp
Asafoetida – A pinch
Curry leaves – 6
Coriander leaves – A few
Water – ½ cup
Turmeric – ¼ teaspoon

Procedure:

• Add Olive oil to a pot and add all the ingredients mentioned in the thadka.


• Add the chopped green chilli's and onions and saute them until they are transparent


• Mash the boiled potatoes add a pinch of turmeric and salt


• Add this mashed potato mixer to the pot with thadka


• Add some water and allow it to cook for some time

Tips and tricks:

I love my curry spicy, hence I add a lil bit of Cumin and Coriander powder, a little bit of chili powder too for the color

Meal Maker Curry / Soya Bean Curry

Ingredients:

Soaked Soya Chunks : Soak them for at least 30 minutes before cooking

Chopped Onion - 2
Finely Diced Tomato's - 4 Roma

Finely Chopped Spinach - 1 Bunch
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Kasoori Methi Powder - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 7 tbsp

Cinnamon Stick - 1/4
Crushed Cardamom Cloves - 2
Cilantro - 1 Bunch to garnish
Red Chili Powder- 1 tbsp
Kitchen King Masala - 1 tbsp

Whole Milk - 1/4 Cup

Procedure:

• Add crushed cardamom cloves and cinnamon stick in a skillet with 5 tbsp Olive oil.


• Add onions to the skillet and allow them to cook until transparent in color add a pinch of salt and turmeric.


• Add ginger garlic paste and saute the onions until they are light golden brown.


• Add finely diced tomatoes and saute them until the tomato's are finely cooked.


• Add chopped spinach and allow then to cook, add red chili powder, add kitchen king masala.


• Allow the onions and tomato-spinach to cook for some time add whole milk.


• Puree the mixture.


• Add the soaked soya chunks to the puree and allow then to cook.


• Pressure cook the whole curry (optional)


• Add crushed dried kassori methi powder.


• Garnish it with Cilantro and grated butter.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

Chopped Onion - 2

Finely Diced Tomato's-6 Roma

Cashew Powder -1 tbsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Kasoori Methi Powder - 1 tbsp

Chopped Red and green Pepper - 2

Olive Oil - 7 tbsp

Unsalted Butter - 1/2 Cup

Cinnamon Stick - 1/4

Crushed Cardamom Cloves - 2

Whipping cream - 5 tbsp

Cilantro - 1 Bunch to garnish

Red Chili Powder- 1 tbsp

Shahi Paneer Masala - A pinch (To taste)

Kitchen King Masala - A pinch (To taste)

Home made Paneer - (See the previous blog posting for this)

Procedure:

• Add crushed cardamom cloves and cinnamon stick in a skillet with 5 tbsp Olive oil.


• Add onions to the skillet and allow them to cook until transparent in color add a pinch of salt and turmeric.


• Add ginger garlic paste and saute the onions until they are light golden brown.


• Add finely diced tomatoes and saute them until the tomato's are finely cooked, add red chili powder, shahi paneer masala and Kitchen king masala.


• Add whipping cream and allow the tomatoes to cook.


• Meanwhile microwave the diced red and green peppers until cooked partially.


• Add some unsalted butter to a skillet and fry the fresh home made paneer.


• Add the cashew powder to the onions and tomato's, puree half the quantity and leave the rest as is.


• Add the fried paneer and the microwaved pepper to the onion tomato puree, add the rest of the butter and allow then to cook.
• Pressure cook the whole curry (optional)


• Add crushed dried kassori methi powder.


• Garnish it with Cilantro and grated butter.

Tips for tasty Paneer Butter Masala:

• Take the whole curry and pressure cook it for about 5 minutes without a whistle, a nice red layer of butter and chili powder is formed on the top.


• By adding cashew powder and whipping cream, richness is added to the curry


• Add a pinch of sugar while you fry the onions to caramelize it for a better taste


• In order to retain the red color fry the Onions and tomato's and then puree them instead of using pured Onions and tomato's, this will help retain reddish orange color to the curry.

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna

Ingredients:

Chopped Spinach - 1 bunch

Sliced Mushroom -5 ounce

Lasagna Noodle - 10 ounce

Ricotta Cheese

Chopped Onion - 1

Chopped tomatoes - 4

Minced garlic - 1tbsp

Dried Oregano - 1tbsp

Fresh Parsley - 1/2 a bunch

Fresh Basil leaves - 1/2 a bunch

Olive Oil - 4 tbsp

Grated Parmesan Cheese - 1 cup

Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Cooking the pasta Sheets:

• Cook the lasagna noodle in a large pot, slightly salted.


• Each lasagna noodle has a particular cooking time check the carton for instructions. (I cooked mine for about 12 minutes).


• Rinse the pasta sheets with cool water and set them aside.

Stuffing:

• Add 4 tbsp of Oil and add the minced garlic.


• Add dried oregano leaves, basil leaves and parsley leaves, chopped onion.


• Allow the onions to cook until transparent add mushroom and the chopped tomatoes and allow them to cook until you see a layer of oil on the top.


• Microwave the spinach with a (open lid- so as to retain the fresh green color).


• Drain excess water from the spinach, this is a very important step which will help make the lasagna stand else it ends up being very soggy.


• Add ricotta cheese to the cooked spinach and mix it well, add a pinch of salt to taste.


• Meanwhile pre heat the oven to 375F


• Spread a layer of tomato puree that is cooked in order to avoid the pasta sheet sticking to the bottom


• Spread a layer of pasta sheet in an oven safe container


• Spread the cottage cheese and spinach mixer


• Spread the tomato puree


• Repeat this process, depending on how many layers you would like.


• I generally have 3 pasta sheets one in the bottom one in the middle and one on top


• Add another layer of tomato puree on the top layer of the pasta and sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese.


• Bake it for 50 minutes and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips and tricks for a yummy Lasagna:

• Drain all the excess water from spinach, it will avoid lasagna from being soggy.


• Cook the pasta noodle for the right time mentioned on the carton to avoid mushy sheets.


• Allow it to cool down before you serve.


• Slice the mushrooms thicker this will help then to retain their shape rather than melting away with heat.
• Spread a layer of tomato puree before you start layering the pasta sheets in order to avoid the pasta sticking to the base of the container.