Sookhe Chole Aloo

Ingredients:

White chickpeas/kabuli chana                   - 1 cup
Potatoes                                                     - 2 Boiled and diced in small size
Onion                                                         - 1 pureed
Tomatoes                                                   - 2 pureed
Ginger Garlic Paste                                   - 1 tblspoon
Cumin seeds                                              - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafetida                                                   - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder/Haldi                            - 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder/Lal Mirch                    - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder /Dhaniya                     - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala                                           - 1 teaspoon
Dry mango powder/Amchoor                  - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt                                                           - to taste
Oil                                                            - 1 tblspoon
Fresh Coriander/Mint                               - few leaves

Method:

Wash and soak chickpeas overnight or for quick workaround use a can.
Next morning pressure cook the chickpeas with 2 cups of water upto 6-7 whistles.
Once pressure is cooled down, drain and reserve the water.
Keep the cooked chickpeas aside.
Boil and dice the potatoes into small size to match the chickpeas.
Heat 1 tablespoons of oil in a Heavy bottomed Pan/Karahi.
Add Cumin seeds and Asafetida. Once the seeds starts spluttering, add the ginger-garlic paste.
Cook until the raw smell goes away.
Add Onion Puree and stir fry till puree become translucent.
Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, amchoor and red chilli powder and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes covered with lid.
Add boiled chickpeas and diced potatoes and mix well.
Add garam masala now and mix well.
Add reserved stock of chickpeas and bring it to medium consistency.
Cook on a medium flame covered with a lid for about 8-10 minutes.
Garnish with Coriander or mint leaves and serve Chole Aloo hot with rotis or puris.
This dish can also be a good accompaniment for your Thali meals.

Chatpate Aaloo Matar / Spicy Tangy Potato Peas

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes          -10-12 or 5 big size potatoes cut into cubes

Green peas (matar)  - 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen

Onion                      - 1 chopped very fine

Tomato                   - 2 big chopped or pureed

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tblspoon

Mustard seeds         - 1 tspoon

Asafetida                - a pinch (Hing)

Curry Leaves          - 8-10

Green Chilies          - 4 slit and cut into big pieces

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tspoon

Coriander Powder - 1 tspoon

Amchoor                - 1 tspoon

Garam Masala         - 1/2 tspoon

Salt                         - to taste

Oil                          - 1 tblspoon or your choice

Fresh Coriander - finely chopped for garnish

Method:

Wash and boil baby potatoes. Cut them into two. 

Wash and par boil the green peas as well.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. 

Add the mustard seeds, green chillies and hing. 

Now add onion and ginger/garlic paste. Cook for 2 minutes until translucent.

Now add tomato puree to it. mix well.

Now add all dry masalas including salt to it, with a sprinkle of 2 tblspoon water and cook it with a lid on for 5 minutes.

Now add peas, mix well. Now add baby potatoes and mix very well to coat the masalas.

Cover the lid and let it cook for 5 more minutes in a low heat, so that we do not burn the masalas.

Mix it well before taking it out on the serving plate.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander.

This dish is very good as a side dish for your Lunch or Dinner menu.

Minty Potatoes / Pudine Wale Aloo

Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes/Regular Potatoes                     - 20-25 or 20 big cubes of regular potatoes
Onion                                                              - 1 big Shredded or crushed
Ginger                                                             - 1/2 inch crushed
Tomato Puree                                                 - 1 large pureed
Turmeric                                                         - 1 tspoon
Red Chili                                                        - 1 tspoon
Mint Leaves                                                   - 1 cup stem removed and chopped
Salt                                                                 - to taste
Oil                                                                  - 2 tblspoon

Method:

Heat oil in heavy bottom Pan/Karahi.
Add the onion and saute till golden brown.
Now add ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
Now add the tomato puree and mix well.
Next goes the potatoes, with salt, turmeric and red chili.
Mix well to coat potatoes with the spices.
Now add a bit of water to just make it a bit wet, not runny. Mix again.
Now cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes to let potatoes absorb the flavors.
Switch off the flame and add the mint leaves. Keep it covered.
Let the potatoes absorb mint flavor , so keep it covered for few minutes before serving.
Minty Potatoes are very good side dish for the dinner or lunch menu.
This dish goes well with Puri for breakfast.

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients:

Potatoes                                                  - 1 cup boiled, mashed

Green chillies                                         - 2, chopped finely

Fresh Coriander                                     - 2 tblspoon chopped finely

Garam masala                                        - 1/4 tspoon

Amchur powder                                     - 1 tspoon

Cumin powder                                       - 1/2 tspoon

Whole wheat flour                                 - 2 cups

Oil                                                          - 2 tblspoon+to fry parathas

Salt                                                         - to taste for both stuffing and paratha

Water                                                     - as required to knead the dough

Method:

Making Dough & Stuffing:

Boil and mashed the potatoes.

Add green chilies, coriander, amchoor, garam masala, cumin powder and salt to the mashed potatoes.

Mix it all very well and keep it aside. Make equal size 6-8 balls out of this mixture.

Now make the dough for paratha.

Take the whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl, add 2 tblspoon oil and salt. Start kneading the dough with little water at a time to make smooth pliable dough.

Cover the dough and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

Assembling the paratha:

Knead the dough again to smooth it out and divide it into 6-8 equal portions. Make smooth ball and flatten it out.

Take one flatten dough ball, roll into 2-3 inch diameter circle.

Put the stuffing ball inside and seal it by pinching the edges together into the centre.

Flatten it again using your palms and roll into 5-6 inch diameter circle.

Dust the dry flour to make the rolling easy.

Heat the tawa/griddle to fry the paratha.

Fry the paratha on hot tawa/griddle, flip it few times for even frying of Paratha.

Repeat the same process for all the Paratha.

Serve the Paratha with Yogurt Dip and Lahsun Chutney.

Tandoori Aaloo

Ingredients:

Potatoes                                              -4 large
hung curd                                            -½ cup
Paneer                                                 -½ cup
Gram flour                                          -2 tblspoon
Chilli powder                                      -2 tblspoon (Optional)
Garam masala                                     -1 tblspoon
Kasuri Methi/dry Fenugreek leaves   -1 tblspoon 
green chilli Paste                                -1 tblspoon  (Optional)
ginger paste                                        -1 tblspoon
turmeric powder                                 -½ tspoon
chaat masala                                       -½ tspoon
cumin seeds                                        -½ tspoon
Raisins                                                -10-12
Mixed nuts                                         -2 tblspoon finely Chopped/grounded
Coriander n Mint                                -few leaves chopped
Salt                                                     -to taste
Oil                                                      -to taste
Orange Food Colour                          -to make it look more like tandoori if not using a lot of red chili


Method:

Preparing the Potatoes:

Peel the potatoes, slice off a thin layer from the top of the potatoes. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes to give a barrel shape. Keep the trimmings aside for later use.

Blanch the potatoes in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Heat plenty of oil in a kadai and deep-fry the potatoes and trimmings separately until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.

For the Marinade: 

Heat 1 tbs oil in a non stick pan add ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder and gram flour.
Turn off the heat mix well and transfer in a bowl.

Add garam masala, fenugreek leaves, salt, chilli paste and hung curd mix into a smooth paste and Set aside.

For the Stuffing:

Grate the Paneer into a bowl.
Add salt, chaat masala, chilli powder, cumin seeds, cashew nuts, raisins, fresh coriander, mint, and crushed trimmings of the potatoes, Mix well.

Stuff the potato shells generously with the cottage cheese mixture.

Coat the stuffed potatoes with the marinade mixtures and arrange them on a greased baking tray.
Bake them in a pre heated oven at 200 degree Celsius for 15 / 20 minutes.

Cut into thick slices or serve whole potatoes hot with your choice of chutney. This can also be a good addition as a side dish to your dinner party.

Dum Aloo

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes                            - 12-15
Oil                                             - 4 tbspoon
Cinnamon stick                         - ¼ inch piece
Green cardamom                       - 2
Bay leaf                                     - 1
Cloves                                       - 2
Poppy seeds                              - 1 tbspoon (washed and soaked for 30 min)
Cumin seeds                             - 1 tspoon
Red chili powder                      - 1 ½ tspoons
Coriander powder                     - 2 tspoons
Turmeric powder                      - ¼ tspoon
Onion                                        - 1 large, roughly chopped
Ginger                                       - ½ inch piece, chopped
Garlic                                        - 5 cloves, chopped
Green chili                                - 2 chopped
Tomato                                     - 2 big chopped
Cashews                                   - 10-12
Salt                                           - to taste
Kasoori methi                          - 1 tspoon
Heavy cream                           - 2 tbspoons
Water                                      - as required
Fresh Coriander                      - 2 tbspoon finely chopped



Method:

Boil the potatoes in pressure cooker. Once cool to touch, peel them and shallow fry them in oil with little salt. Keep it aside.
In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and cloves. Saute till you get nice aroma.
Mix in onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Cook till onions are translucent.
Then add the tomatoes till they are soft. let it cool down.
Once cool, grind into smooth paste along with cashew nuts and poppy seeds.
Heat remaining oil in a pan. Once hot sizzle up cumin seeds.
Then add prepared paste, partially cover the pan and cook.
Cook till all the moisture goes away and leave the sides of the pan.
Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder. Mix and cook for 2 minute. Now add kasuri methi.
After 2 minute add enough water and let it come to a boil.
Add baby potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and add heavy cream.
Finally sprinkle fresh coriander and Dum Aloo is ready to serve.

Aloo ki Kachori

Ingredients

For Dough:
Plain Flour/ Maida                               -1 Cup
Clarifying Butter/ Melted Ghee           -2 Tbspoon
Carom seeds/ Ajwain                           -1/2 Tspoon
Water                                                    -to knead the Dough
Salt                                                       -1/2 Tspoon

For Stuffing:
Potatoes                                                 -2 Medium Sized, Boiled and Mashed
Amchoor/ Raw Mango Powder             -1 Tspoon
Turmeric powder                                   -1/2 Tspoon
Coriander Powder                                  -1/2 Tspoon
Red chili Powder                                   -1/2 Tspoon
Garam masala                                        -1/2 Tspoon
Salt                                                         -to Taste
Fresh Coriander                                      -2 Tbspoon Chopped

Method:

Preparing Filling:
Heat the ghee in pan. Add boiled and mashed potatoes and spices together. Mix well and remove from the fire. Keep aside to cool.

Preparing Dough:
Combine all ingredients Maida, Ghee, Ajwain, and salt in a bowl and make stiff dough like puri dough. Knead till it's smooth and doesn't break while rolling. Cover it with wet cloth and set aside for an hour.

Making Kachoris:
Divide the dough into equal 6 portions and roll each one with the help of rolling pin for about 1 inch.
Now place one tbspoon of filling in centre of wrap and pinch the edges of rolled dough.
Now roll it again into a ball and press them very gently to flatten it. You can make the kachori with your palm or roll it with rolling pin.
When rolling with rolling pin remember to be gentle and place the pinched side up.
Heat the vegetable oil in the Karahi on high flame, when oil is hot enough, turn the heat to slow.
Now put a kachori in Karahi and deep fry it. Flip both sides slowly until the colour is golden. Do it on slow flame for more crispiness.
Serve the hot kachori with Chutney, Aloo ki sabzi or sweet tangy sauce.

Aloo Matar Samosa

Ingredients:

For crust:
Maida / All Purpose flour                  -1 cup
Sooji (fine semolina)                         -1 tbspoon
Salt                                                     -1/4 tspoon
Oil                                                      -2 tbspoons
Lukewarm water                                -1/3 cup


For filling:
Green peas                                         -2 cups boiled (I used Frozen peas)
Potato                                                 -2 cups boiled and mashed roughly
Oil                                                      -2 tablespoons
Coriander powder (dhania)                -3 tspoons
Red chili powder (Lal Mirchi)          -1 tspoon
Mango powder (amchoor)                 -1 tspoon
Garam masala                                    -1/4 tspoon
Salt                                                     -adjust to your taste

Method:

For Dough:
First Mix flour, sooji, salt, oil and water together to make soft dough. Knead the dough to make it smooth and pliable.Cover the dough and let it sit least 15 minutes.


To Make Filling:
Squeeze the excess water from boiled peas, and pat dry. Mix Potato mash and peas together.
Mix all the dry ingredients coriander, chili powder, garam masala, mango powder and salt to potato and pea mix.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Put the potato and peas mix, stir fry and keep mashing, stir fry until no moisture is left, but do not make it very mushy. This should take about 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the filling cool to the room temperature.


Method to Make samosas:
Knead the dough again for a minute. Divide the dough into 10-12 equal parts and roll into balls.
Roll each ball about 4 inch diameter and cut each circle in half.

Take one semicircle and wet the sides lightly all around and fold it into a cone shape.

Pinch the side of this cone so that it is completely sealed.
Fill the cone with about 1 teaspoon of filling. Press this filling down lightly.

Close the top of the cone to form a triangular shape, pinching the top edge to seal it completely.

Continue filling the rest of the samosas.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a Karahi on medium heat.
To check if oil is hot enough place a small piece of dough in oil and dough should sizzle and come to the surface slowly.
Put 4-5 samosas in the karahi at a time, they should not overlap.
After samosas are floating on top of the oil turn them slowly. Fry the samosas until the samosas are golden color on all sides. This should take about 6-7 minutes.
If you use a high heat, the samosa crust will be cooked from outside but inside the crust will be raw and not cook properly.
Put the Samosas out over paper towel to absorb extra oil. Samosas are ready.
Serve them with Green Chutney and Tomato Chutney.

Gobhi Aloo

Ingredients:

cauliflower                                       - 2 cups of cut into small florets
potatoes                                            - 2 medium sliced into thin wedges
Onion                                               - 1 Medium
Garlic Cloves                                   - 4
Tomatoes                                          - 2 Medium
Ginger                                              - 1/2 inch shredded / finely chopped
Green chili                                       - 1 shredded / finely chopped
coriander powder (dhania)              - 2 tspoons
Turmeric (haldi)                              - 1/2 tspoon
Red Chili (lal mirch)                       - 1/2 tspoon
Oil                                                   - 3 tbspoons
Asafetida (Hing)                             - a Pinch
cumin seeds (jeera)                         - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                                                  - to taste
Mango powder (amchoor)             - 1 tspoon
Coriender (hara Dhania)                - 1 tbspoon finely chopped for garnishing
Water                                             - As required

Method:

In a small bowl, mix the Ginger, Green Chili, Coriander powder, Red Chili Powder, Turmeric, and 2 tablespoons of water to make a paste.
Grind Onion, Garlic and Tomatoes and set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add Hing and Cumin seeds to the oil.
Now add Onion, Garlic and tomato paste, stir it for 5 minutes.
Now add the spice paste and stir until the paste starts to leave the oil.
Add cauliflower, potatoes, 3 tablespoons of water and salt. Mix well.
Cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Make sure to stir gently every 5 minutes.
Once veggies are tender, add the mango powder and fresh coriander. Mix everything gently and cover for a minute. Adjust the salt to your taste.
Gobhi Aloo is ready. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with Puri or Parantha.

Aaloo Puri

Ingredients:

for Aloo

potatoes                                      -4 medium size Boiled and cubed
Mustard Oil                                -2 tablespoons
Cumin seeds                               -1 teaspoon
Asafetida                                    -1 Pinch
Turmeric                                     -1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder                       -2 teaspoon
Red chili powder                         -1/4 teaspoon
Garam masala                              -1/4 teaspoon
Salt                                               -To Taste
Lemon Juice                                 -1 tbspoon
Ginger chopped                            -1 tbspoon
Green chili chopped                     -1
Fresh Coriander (hara dhania)      -2 tbspoon finely chopped


for Puri:

Whole wheat flour                         -2 cup
Soji / semolina                               -2 tablespoon
Salt                                                 -1/2 teaspoon
Water                                             -To knead the dough
Oil                                                  -To deep Fry

Method

For Aloo:

In a small bowl, mix the Coriander, Turmeric, Chili powder, Salt, Ginger, and Green chili with about 2 tablespoons of water and Set aside. This mixing of the spices with water enhances the flavour of spices.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the mustard oil starts to change its colour from golden to yellow Add Cumin seeds, and Asafetida, as Cumin seeds starts to crackle add the spice mix and stir fry for about 10 seconds.
Add Potatoes into spice mix, lower the heat to low, cover the pan and let it cook for about three to four minutes stirring once in between.
Now remove the cover of the pan and fry the potatoes well into the same pan as the oil from spice mix will be separated and potatoes can be fried very well into it.
Add Lemon juice, Garam masala and half of the fresh Coriander. Mix it well turn off the heat and cover the pan.
Remove the cooked aloo into a serving dish and garnish with rest of the fresh Coriander.
Aloo is ready to serve hot with Puries.

For Aloo with Gravy:
If you want to make this aloo sabzi with gravy, all you need to do is to add water to it. The water will be added after cooking them for four minutes before frying. After approximately 10 minutes cooking with water. Mix the potatoes and mash some potatoes while mixing the potatoes, this will thicken to gravy. Adjust the water in gravy to your liking; gravy will thicken as it will cools down.

For Puri:
In a bowl mix whole-wheat flour, soji, 1 tbspoon oil and salt. Add water as needed to make firm dough (not very soft).
Oil your palm and knead the dough until it is pliable. Dough for puri should be firm but smooth.
Set the dough aside and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough in into small ping pong ball size or the size you want your puri to be.
Take couple of drops of oil on your palm and roll the balls and press them in between your palms.
Roll the dough into about 3-5 inch diameter. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, put couple of drops of oil on the rolling pin and a couple of drops of oil on the surface.
Roll few purees before you start frying, but do not roll all the puries at once or they will begin to dry and will not puff, when you fry them.
Heat about one inch of oil in Karahi on medium high heat. To check if oil is hot enough place a small piece of dough in oil and dough should float to the top right away.
Put the puri in the Karahi and press it with a skimmer, puri should puff right away.
Turn puri over. Puri should be light golden brown from both sides. Take the puri out and place it on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Serve puri with Aloo. You can store the puries in covered container after they cool to room temperature.

Puris can be served with Kheer, Halwa aur Aloo. I served them with Chana, Aloo and Soji Halwa. I hope you will enjoy these recipes.