Punjabi Bhindi Masala

 

                                      Bhindi Masala

             

Restaurant style Bhindi Masala gravy – an Indian style okra/ladies finger delicacy which can be enjoyed with Chapati or any other flat bread or rice, choice is yours !

My younger daughter is a huge fan, so I get bhindi every other week. I don’t make this curry as often since it needs more oil.  But there is no harm in indulging some of your favorite dishes once in a while, am I right ? Usually we make dry version of bhindi which we call vendakka mezhukkupuratti or stir fry in Kerala.

This is  a simple and easy recipe. A bowl of rice, dal and  bhindi masala = heaven! I love this combination..yum.

How to make this….

Method

You need some preparation work for the bhindi.  Wash lady finger and wipe it dry using a clean kitchen towel. If you are planning it early you can wash and keep it in a colander for some time.

Cut the crown and tip and chop into medium size pieces and shallow fry in little oil until it shrinks and changes color to dark green.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add cumin seeds. Once it splutters add chopped onions and saute till golden brown.

Add ginger garlic paste and  fry till raw smell goes. You can add green chillies also if you want to make it more spicy.

Next add all powders like chilly powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Saute over medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes, saute until it starts leaving oil from the sides of the pan.

Take the pan from heat and add yogurt and mix well. Return the pan to heat and stir well.

Add garam masala and crushed kasuri methi, salt and amchur powder. Cook on low flame for another 2 minutes. You can add a pinch of sugar to enhance the flavour.

Pour ½ cup of water and let the gravy come to a boil. Adjust salt if required.

Add the fried bhindi mix well and let it simmer for another few minutes.

You can squeeze in little lime juice now if you don’t have amchur powder. Mix well & garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot  with roti/chapathi or jeera rice.

Ingredients

Lady finger/Okra/Bhindi : 250gm

Oil : 3 to 4 tbsp

Cumin seeds : ½ tsp

Ginger garlic paste : 2 tsp

Chopped onions : 1 medium

Tomatoes : 2

Red chili powder : 1 tsp

Turmeric powder : ½ tsp

Coriander powder : 2 tsp

Cumin powder : ½ tsp

Garam masala : ½ tsp

Amchur powder : ½ tsp OR juice of half a lime

Crushed kasoori methi :  ½ tsp

Yogurt : ¼ cup

Coriander /cilantro leaves

Salt : to taste

Sugar :  a Pinch

 

Sardine Rice or Mathi choru

 

                                          Sardine Fish Rice

                                       (Mathi  Chatti Choru)

 

Mathi Choru, a typical Kerala lunch made with fried sardines and rice. I ‘m getting highly experimental. This is a Sardine flavoured biriyani. Very easy and quick fish biriyani. You don’t need many ingredients  to prepare this rice. All ingredients are easily available in our kitchen. Usually we make curry or fry with the sardines, but this is very different recipe. Without taking much time let’s straight go to the recipe.

Method

Clean the fish and marinate  with little turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and keep it for half an hour. 

Heat oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the fish flipping both sides and keep it aside.

                                     

In another pan heat 2 to 2  1/2 table spoon coconut oil add 1 tsp fennel seeds. Fry this well . Then add  thinly sliced onions and saute till it becomes slightly golden brown in colour. Now add few curryleaves and 2 whole red chillies. Saute this also. Add crushed ginger garlic paste and green chilly  and fry for some time . Once this is done  add  turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and garam masala powder. Saute until the raw smell goes off in a low flame.

Next add sliced tomatoes and continue frying till they are cooked. Mash the tomatoes well.  Once mashed, add 1/4^th of lemon juice. Mix well.

Add 3 cups of water and salt as needed . Cover and let it boil. Now add strained rice which is soaked for half an hour. Mix well and allow to boil.

Place fried fish on top of this . Now you should not mix  it with a spatula. 

                                            

Cover on medium flame until 3/4^th  of the rice is done. Simmer and close the lid and let it cook for  10 to 12 minutes. After 12 minutes  open and check . Tthe water has evaporated  now and the rice also cooked well.

Switch off the flame and cover for 5 minutes more. After 5 minutes open and your Mathi Choru or Sardine rice is perfectly done.  

                                      

                                      

Ingredients

For Marination

Sardine or Mathi : 20

Red chilli powder : 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric powder : 1 tsp

Salt

For Rice

Basmathi rice : 1 1/2 cup(soaked for half an hour)

Coconut Oil : 2 ½ tbsp

Fennel seeds : 1 tsp

Red chilli powder : 1 ½  tsp

Turmeric powder : ½  tsp

Coriander poder 1 tsp

Pepper powder : ½  tsp

Garam masala ½ tsp

Onion : 1 ½

Tomato :  1

Dry Red chilli : 2

Curry leaves

Crushed Ginger Garlic : 1 tbsp

Lemon juice : 1/4^th lemon

Water : 3 cup

Salt

 Now serve hot with Pappadam and Raita on the side and Enjoy !

 

Mini Poori with Beetroot Masala

 

                                    Mini Pooris with

                            Indian Coffee House Masala

                                 (No Kneading No Rolling)

This Sunday for breakfast I decided to make Poori masala. Usually Sunday’s are for Bread and egg, a lazy and easy breakfast.  But I made a  change in my time table and  thought of making poori . Pooris without kneading and rolling the dough.

 Yes ! you heard it right. I got this idea from Youtube channel Vini’sKitchen.  Thank you Vini.  A packet of half cooked chapathis which I had bought previous day  was there in my fridge. Immediately I took it out and made mini pooris using a small round bowl. I got 3 pooris from one chappathi.  But  one problem was what will I do with leftover pieces after cutting pooris. I don’t like wasting food. So I changed the decision and made triangle puris.  Sorry, forgot to take the pics of triangle poori. You will get 4 pooris. Just fold into half and then again fold and cut, your triangle poori is ready to fry. Soo eazy na . 

For Masala I made Indian Coffee house Masala in place of usual poori masala which is yellow in colour. Indian coffee house is a restaurant chain in Kerala and they make masala with  Beetroot and Potato. Their masala is not spicy, dark red in colour and also semi thick in consistency. This usage of beetroot is making them different from all other restaurants. Beetroot is rich in Iron and Folic acid. 

I made some extra quantity, so that I can serve  it for dinner as a filling in masala dosa.  Now we will see the method of making masala. This recipe is simple and easy to prepare. Making  pooris has already been discussed above. So no need of repeating it.

Method

In a pressure cooker cook chopped beetroot, carrot and potato with little salt for 3 – 4 whistles. Open the cooker once the pressure is released and slightly mash the content with a potato masher.  We want it mashed as well as small bits also in it.In a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, Urad dal and add sliced onions, chopped green chilly, thinly sliced ginger and  curry leaves. Add little salt while sauting. We can add more later if needed. Fry till onions turn translucent. Add  turmeric powder and  Kashmiri chilli powder. Kashmiri chilli gives it a good color. Saute it on medium flame till raw smell goes. Now add cooked and slightly mashed beetroot and potato. Stir it well. Let all get well cooked in this masala for 5 – 10 minutes. Taste it now and add whichever is needed. You can add water if you need. Add ½ cup of hot water and cook it till it dries up. It shouldn’t dry up a lot. It should be Semi thick  in consistency.  Once cooked switch off the flame. Your Indian Coffee house Masala for Poori is ready to serve.

Ingredients for Masala

Beetroot : 1big

Potato : 2medium

Carrot : 1medium

Onion : 1 ½

Green chilli : 2

Curry leaves : a few

Ginger: 1 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder : ½ tsp

Turmeric powder : ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds : ½ tsp

Urad dal : ¼ tsp

Sunflower Oil : 2 tbsp

Water : 1 cup