Punjabi Rajma Curry

This Punjabi style Rajma curry is very nutritious with proteins and tastes delicious. Rajma can be enjoyed with rice or chapatti. It’s very popular dish in North India. I made this curry first time after I came to US. In India I used to have it only in restaurants or any Punjabi friend’s place. Now rajma has become a part of my pulses list when I go grocery shopping.

There are loads of Rajma recipes out there on the Internet. I followed my favorite website vahrehvah.com on you tube for this particular dish. Just added one additional ingredient, which is mango powder, as I really like the taste of sourness that it gives to the curry.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rajma

2 finely chopped tomatoes

1 finely chopped onion

2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger

3 green chilies        

6 curry leaves

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

3/4 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon mango powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder (clove, cinnamon, cardamom)

1/2 teaspoon kasthuri methi powder

1 teaspoon butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 small cup finely chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons of oil

Pinch of asafetida

-  Cook rajma separately with a pinch of salt and keep it aside. Make sure it doesn’t get mashed. (I cook it in pressure cooker for one whistle)

-  Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard, cumin seeds and once they splutter add curry leaves, green chilies, ginger, garlic and asafetida. Sauté it for 1 minute.

-  Add onions and fry until they are golden brown. Add turmeric powder and add tomatoes and mix well and close the lid. Let it cook in low flame for 2 minutes.

-  Now in a small bowl with 3 teaspoons of water add coriander, red chili, mango powder and salt. Mix it well and add the mixture of water into the pan. (To avoid the masala getting burnt, I mix it with water)

-  Now add the rajma along with the stock and cook in low flame and bring it to boil.

-  Turn off the heat and add butter to add the flavor.

-  Garnish with cilantro at the end.

Optional: Lemon Juice while serving, as mango powder would have already given sour flavor.

Serve it hot with Puri, chapatti or Rice

Fall colors

Diwali time.... Holige

Diwali and sweets always go hand in hand. I love to celebrate Diwali because of two things; one lighting dia’s all over the house and the other is eating as many sweets as you want. V’s favorite part of Diwali is bursting crackers.

One home made sweet, that mom makes during Diwali is Holige. I always used to watch mom making Holige. I helped her with cutting vegetables or cleaning dishes in kitchen. But never tried the tougher ones. Last year we were in India for Diwali and didn’t miss anything. But this year I tried making Holige all by myself with mom’s instructions. This is very similar to Kadabu that I made during Ganesha festival. Here there is no deep-frying. Instead need to stuff the dal paste in maida dough and make it like parata. Again, it wasn’t easy task. It took time, but I am happy with the end result.

Hope you all will like it.

Ingredients:

1 cup toor dal

2 cup jaggery

1 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 cup Maida or All purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup water

Oil to spray on pan

-       First mix Maida or all-purpose flour with pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons oil and water. Make dough with more water and keep it aside.

-       Cook toor dal in big kadai with 3 cups of water and turmeric powder. Once dal is getting cooked remove the stock to a container, which can be used to make rasam.

-       Add jaggery and mix well. Jaggery will melt with dal.

-       Add cardamom and stir well.

-       Turn off the heat and once it cools down, grind it in blender and make it fine paste.

-       Don’t add additional water. The paste should be harder so that it will easy to do the filling.

-       Once the paste is ready, keep it aside in a bowl.

-       Make small circular shapes from the dough (similar like puri)

-       Place the jaggery paste in the middle and close it such that you get round shape and press it as big as chapatti.

-       Make sure it is done slowly as the paste shouldn’t come out of the dough.

-       Heat the tava and spray oil and place them. Turn upside down slowly until turned golden brown.

Serve it hot with ghee.