Methi Matar Malai

Living in the United States has taught me several things in life. One of the things that I learnt was to cook my own Indian food that I grew up eating but cannot find it locally in Minneapolis, even at the best Indian restaurants. Just the other day I picked up a fresh green bunch of Methi (fenugreek) from our local Indian store, the intention was to make yummy parathas for the kids. But eventually it turned out to be a “chef’s choice day” on my daily menu board and the chef’s craving overruled everything else. So the next experiment in Kucurry kitchen was one of my favorite vegetable dishes, Methi matar malai (literally means “fenugreek peas cream”) which is easily available at any decent Indian restaurant in Mumbai. I knew that there could be an elaborate recipe for this one, but as always I tried to simplify it and it turned out just as I wanted it to be. Try it for yourself you will not regret it!

Methi Matar Malai:

Ingredients:

1 Bunch fresh methi leaves (de stemmed fenugreek leaves)
½ Cup sweet green peas
1 medium Tomato or 1 Tsp. concentrated Hunts Tomato Paste.
¾th cup Whole milk or cream.
1 small onion
3-4 medium garlic cloves
2-3 Serrano peppers
3 Tsp. oil
4 whole pepper corns
1 cardamom
1 Clove
Small cinnamon stick
Cumin Seeds
Poppy seeds (khas khas) – Optional
Turmeric powder
Salt

Method:
• Chop the tomato and grind into a smooth paste. If you are using tomato paste, mix paste with 1 Tbp water and keep aside.
• Grind chopped onion, serrano peppers and garlic in a smooth paste. Add water only if needed.
• Heat 1 Tsp. oil in a shallow pan, add cumin seeds and poppy seeds. Add the chopped fenugreek after poppy seeds start changing color. Cook till methi is softened and partially cooked. Keep aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Add clove, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric powder and pepper corns. Cook for a couple minutes. Add the onion, garlic, pepper paste. Cook on medium flame for 5-10 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and green peas. Cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
• Add the methi and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the milk/cream once the sauce begins to boil. Lower the heat, add salt to taste and simmer for 10 minutes or till you think it is ready to go.

Serve with roti, chapatti, naan or any other Indian bread.
Eat to your heart’s content!
-Sheetal

Tomato with coconut curry.

Tomatoche Sheeray - Tomato with coconut curry.

Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/Pathare Prabhu.
Preparation time: 30 minutes.
Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 3 Medium,
Onions - 2 small,
Coconut Milk - 1 Can,
Besan - Gram Flour - 4 tsp,
Geera- Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp,
Ghee - Butter - 1tsp,
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp for low spice, 1/2 tsp for medium spice
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch,
Hing - Aesafoetida Powder - 1 pinch
Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 5-6
Salt - To taste,
Sugar - 1 tsp
Cilantro - for garnishing.

Recipe:
Cut tomatoes and onions -Juliane (long thin) slices and keep aside in separate containers.
In a vessel on medium flame, add ghee. Heat for a minute and add a pinch of hing, geera, methi, haldi and onions. Saute till onions start getting soft and pale. Add tomatoes, red chili powder and saute for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. While the onions and tomatoes are cooking, on the side empty one can of coconut milk in a bowl. Add 2 cans of water. 2 -1/2 cans if the coconut milk is very thick. Mix in the besan , salt and sugar . Make sure there are no lumps formed.
Once the onions & tomatoes are cooked, add in the coconut milk mixture. Stir and cook on low to medium flame till it starts boiling.Garnish with finely chopped fresh cilantro.

Serving suggestion:
Best served with plain white rice and pickle.

Potatoes in coconut garlic curry

Batatyache Bhujane - Potatoes in coconut garlic curry
Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/Pathare Prabhu
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2 medium
Onion - 1 medium
Green/serrano pepper - 1or 2
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Garlic Cloves - 3-4 small
Cilantro - to garnish
Clove - 1
Kokum - 1(or 1 tsp lemon)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing - Aafoetida powder 1pinch

Recipe:
Grate coconut, garlic and green chillies with 1/4 cup water to a smooth paste and keep aside. Peel and cut potatoes and keep soaked in water. In a pot, heat oil and add hing, clove, turmeric powder, and finely chopped onions. Saute till onions turn pale and soft. Add potatoes, red chili powder, the paste and salt to taste. Add water as desired (about 1-1/2 cup should be good for 2 potatoes). Cover and let cook on medium to low flame. Add Kokum/lemon juice and stir. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serving suggestion:
Serve hot with white rice or chapati/roti/paratha.

Potatoes in sweet and sour tomato gravy.

Ambat god batate - Potatoes in thick sweet and sour tomato gravy.
Category: Indian/Vegetarian
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 4 Medium
Thk Tomato Paste - 1-2 Tbsp
Aesafoetida Powder - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5 (dry or fresh)
Red chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Goda masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro Powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste -1 tsp if thick 2 tsp if regular
Jaggery - 1 inch
Cilantro - To garnish
Salt - to taste


Recipe:
Wash, peel and chop potatoes in approximately 1 inch cubes. Soak them in water. In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add pinch of aesafoetida powder, mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder and potatoes. Stir on low flame for 1 minute. Add all the spice powders - red chili, cumin, cilantro, goda masala and mix well. Let cook for 2-3 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking take thick tomato paste in a mixing bowl and add 1 1/2 cup of water, mix well. Add this tomato sauce to the potatoes. Stir well. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 -7 minutes. Uncover and stir. Add tamarind paste, jaggery and salt. Mix well and cook covered till potatoes are done. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serving Suggestion:
Best served with Roti, chapati, Naan, Paratha, dal & rice.

Note:
This recipe is based on store bought Hunt's Tomato Paste. If you make tomato paste at home, I recommend making it without any water. Also goda masala can be replaced with any Indian masala powder for a different taste.

Cheese & Veggie Quesadillas - Kids Special

I love the challenges of being a mom. It’s like reliving your childhood; it's great that you can do it at this age, because if you have missed out on anything then this is the best time to make up for it. I love reading my kids’ books – to them and for myself too! I always loved books and my mom got us the best books that we could ever ask for. Now when I see both my kids sharing the same love for books I understand what my mother must be feeling then and why she would save money and go out of her way to exhibitions and book shops to buy us books.

Talking about the challenges of being a mom, the biggest thing in my entire day is to make sure my kids eat well, at least at dinner. They love fruits, bread, curries and anything else that I make. The hardest thing in the entire world is to have them eat some vegetables. Every single day I have to sneak in at least one portion of veggies in their diet. I have started experimenting with various recipes that include veggies but still manage to taste yummy!

Cheese & Vegetable Quesadillas:

Ingredients:

Corn Quesadillas
Shredded cheese (any variety that you have handy)
Finely chopped spinach
Finely grated carrots
Tomato ketchup
Olive oil or butter
Salt
Pepper
Crushed peanuts

Heat a griddle, add a few drops of olive oil or butter and start cooking a tortilla. Cook for about a minute on each side and set aside. Cook another tortilla in a similar way and place the well-cooked Side looking at you. Add cheese, veggies, ketchup, peanuts, salt and pepper. Place the first tortilla on the top of this and press with a flat wide spatula. Let one side cook well, and then flip to the other side. Let it cook till subtly crunchy. Make small sections and serve. Trust me, kids love this stuff. It’s a wholesome meal - grains, veggies, protein. Be creative - add sliced grapes or pomegranate, cooked shredded chicken, grated broccoli, finely chopped hardboiled eggs are just a few examples. Try your hand at this; you will be surprised how creative you can really get when it comes to having your kids eat a really healthy hearty meal!
Remember to eat your veggies today!
-Sheetal