Tomato Pulao (Mumbai style)

Ingredients:

1. Cooked rice - 1 measure (can be basmati or normal rice)
2. Onion - 1 large (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
3. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp (Or make it fresh from 1 inch piece ginger and 2 cloves of garlic)
4. Tomatoes - 2 big (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
5. Bell peppers (green, red, yellow) - about 1 cup (cut into big pieces). I have used green and red in my recipe.
6. Green chilies - 2 (slit them)
7. Paneer - about 10-15 pieces cubed. 
8. Peas - 1 cup (I used the frozen peas)
9. Tomato sauce or ketchup - about 1 cup
10. Butter - 1 table spoon, Oil - 1 table spoon
11. Cumin and fennel seeds - 1 tsp each
12. Red chili powder - 1 tsp, Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
13. Paav bhaji masala - 2 tsp ( I used the Khana Khazana's, but use whichever brand is available)
14. Fresh coriander for garnish

Method:

1. In a pan, heat butter and oil.
2. Add cumin and fennel seeds.
3. When they start sizzling add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add the onions and chilies and let it turn transparent.
5. Add the cut tomatoes and saute for a couple of minutes.
6. To this add the red chili and turmeric powder. Add the paav bhaji masala and required salt. Give this a stir.
7. Add the bell peppers and saute it for 3-4 minutes. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes to soften the bell peppers.
8. Add the paneer cubes and mix it till all the paneer is coated with the masala.
9. Add about 1/4th - 1/2 cup water and let it come to a boil.
10. Mix in the cooked rice. 
11. Top it off with peas (Cook in microwave for 1 min).
12. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with raita. 
13. Goes well with cucumber or onion raita!

Note: 

• If y0u do not have paneer available, you can also add some grated cheese. Skip this completely if you don't want to add in the extra fat!
• Also if you do not have butter or just use oil.
• Fry some cashews and almonds and add it to the rice if you want some crunchiness in your dish!

Dal Makhani

Ingredients:

1. Whole black urad dal - 1 cup
2. Rajma (red kidney beans) - 3-4 table spoons
3. Onion - 1 (cut into tiny pieces)
4. Tomato puree - 1 cup OR Blend 2 Tomatoes.
5. Ginger - 1 inch piece (shredded) 
6. Garlic - 2 cloves (shredded) ( You an also use 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste)
7. Green Chilies - 2 (slit)
8. Butter - 3-4 table spoons 
9. Oil - 1 tsp
10. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
11. Whole garam masalas: cloves - 2 , bay leaves - 2, cinnamon - 1 small stick
12. Fenugreek leaves (methi) - a pinch
13. Milk (whole,2%,1% , non-fat ) - 2-3 table spoons OR cream - 2 table spoons
14. Masalas: Red chili powder - 2 tsp, Cumin and Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp each,  Garam masala powder - a pinch
15. Cilantro - for garnish and Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak both the dals for 8-9 hours
2. Pressure cook the dals for 3-4 whiles with 1 tsp of red chili powder.
3. In a kadai, heat oil and butter and add the whole garam masalas along with the cumin seeds.
4. After the cumin seeds starts to sizzle, add the green chilies, onions, ginger and garlic.
5. Saute till the onions become transparent. Add some salt (for onions) to fasten the process.
6. Add the remaining chili powder, cumin and coriander powders and saute for a couple of mins.
7. Now add the tomato puree or the blended tomatoes and mix well. Close the kadai and let the tomatoes cook for about 3-4 mins on high flame or till the raw smell disapperas. Make sure you do not let the tomatoes don't stick to the bottom of the kadai. Give it a stir every now and then.
8. Now add the cooked dal and mash it with the back of your ladle. Add salt to taste.
9. Adjust the consistency with water if required, cover and cook in medium flame for 15 mins. 
10. When the dal has blended well, add the garam masala, crush the methi leaves into the dal and add the milk or cream. Give it a stir.
11. Garnish with corriander.
12. Serve hot with chapati/phulkas/roti/naan.

Masoor-Moong Dal

Ingredients:

1. Masoor dal - 1/2 measure
2. Moong dal  - 1/2 measure
3. Onion - 1 (cut into tiny pieces)
4. Tomatoes - 2 medium size (cut into small pieces)
5. Ginger - 1 inch piece (shred it)
6. Garlic  - 2 (cut into tiny pieces)
7. Cumin seeds - 1tsp
8. Green chilies - 2-3 (cut into tiny pieces)
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Red chili powder - 2 tsp
11. Garam masala - a pinch
12. Salt - to taste
13. Coriander leaves- for garnish
14. Lemon juice - 2 tsp (optional)
15. Oil/ghee

Method:

1. Pressure cook the dal (mixed together) with about 11/2 - 2 cups of water for 3 whistles.
2. In a pan, heat oil or ghee or a combination of both and add the cumin seeds.
3. When they splutter, add ginger, garlic and green chilies and fry for a minute.
4. Add the onion and fry till they become transparent (add little salt to fasten this process).
5. To this add the tomatoes and let it turn soft and mushy. (the tomatoes must be fully mashed)
6. Add turmeric and red chili powder and fry for a minute.
7. Add the cooked dal and adjust the consistency by adding water if required.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. When the mixture comes to boil, add a pinch of garam masala.
10. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.
11. Add the lemon juice (if using).
12. Serve hot with rice or chapati!

Bhindi Masala

Inspired by geetaradhu's mirchi bhindi on YouTube. (http://www.youtube.com/user/geetradhu)

Ingredients:

1. Bhindi - about 800 gms
2. Onion - 1 large (cut into small pieces)
3. Tomatoes - 3 (medium sizes, cut into small pieces)
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece (cut into tiny pieces)
5. Garlic - 2 cloves  (make into paste)
6. Green chilies - 2 (slit them)
7. Masalas: Red chili powder (1 tsp), turmeric (1/2 tsp), garam masala (1 tsp), amchur powder (1/4th spoon)
8. Cumin Seeds
9. Fennel seeds (1 1/2tsp), Fenugreek seeds (1/2 tsp)
10. Curd - about 2-3 table spoons
11. Salt to taste and cilantro for garnish.
12. Oil - 2 tsp , and also for deep fry.

Method:

1. Wash the bhindi well and let it dry completely. 
2. Cut the bhindi into 1 inch pieces and make a slit in between to about 1/2 its length. (This is so that the masalas get into the bhindi). 
3. Heat oil in a kadai (enough for deep frying). Add the bhindi and deep fry till they change color and become slightly dark brown. You can take the bhindi out when they start to shrink a bit. Place it in on kitchen tissue to remove the excess oil. (Repeat this step if you are frying bhindi in batches).
   (NOTE: I read somewhere that you can brush the bhindi with little oil and bake it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180F. Give the bhindi a stir every now and then and make sure you don't burn them. I haven't tried it myself!! So if any of you'll try it please let me know how it worked out! )
4. In a small pan, dry roast the fennel and fenugreek seeds. When they start to burst and change color switch off the flame. Let it cool and make a coarse powder. (Do not let the seeds turn black!!)
5. Take a pan and heat some oil. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter.
6. To this add the onions, ginger and green chilies and saute till they become transparent. (Add some salt for the onions to cook faster).
7. Add the tomatoes. Keep the heat to medium and let the tomatoes cook till they are soft and mushy. Sprinkle water if you want so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. (Make sure you don't add too much water, we want the mixture to be semi-dry)
8. Now add all the masalas mentioned above and mix it well.
9. To this add curd and the fennel/methi powder. (Make sure your heat is still in medium)
10. Add salt to taste and keep stirring this mixture.
11. Now add the bhindi and mix this well till the bhindi is coated well with this mixture.
12. Garnish with cilantro.
13. Serve hot with chapati or rice and dal. (I made Masoor-Moong dal along with this and had it with rice!!)

Bisibelabath

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 1/2 cup (soak in water for about 1 ½ hrs)
• Toor dal - 3/4th cup
• Vegetables (potatoes, beans, carrots, peas, capcisum (1))
• Curry leaves
• For sambar: small onions*, drumsticks (optional), tamarind juice, sambar podi
• Mustard, Fenugreek seeds, asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• For bisibelabath powder: ¾ cup coriander seeds, ½ cup channa dal, 6-7 red chillies**, 5-6 cloves, few cardamoms, 1 cinnamon stick, ½ cup coconut
• Ghee, Oil

Method:
For powder:

1. In a small dry pan, add all the for powder ingredients (without the coconut)  and saute till the raw smell is gone and the dal turns a little brown.
2. Let this cool for a bit and grind it along with coconut till powder.

Bisibelabath method:

1. Cut all the vegetables (a little big) and pressure cook it with toor dal a 1 spoon of ghee for 3-4 whistles.
2. Meanwhile in a kadai, add little oil.
3. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and let the mustard splutter.
4. Now add curry leaves,onions and drumsticks (if using) and very little salt (for the onions and drumsticks).
5. Saute till the onions turn light brown.
6. Add 2 spoons sambar powder and about 2 cups of tamarind juice.
7. Let the sambar come to boil.
8. Add the boiling sambar to the cooked vegetables.
9. Add salt (for all the vegetables and dal) and the bisibelabath powder.
10. Add the rice and some water if necessary and boil till the rice is cooked.
11. Keep stirring till the rice to avoid sticking to the pan.
12. Keep adding water if necessary while cooking the rice.
13. Serve hot, with raita (cucumber or onion) and with paapads!

* If you do not have small onions, substitute it with 1/2 a regular onion cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

** Adjust the number of red chillies according to your spice tolerance.

Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Ingredients:

• Red bell peppers - 2
• Red Chillies - 3-4 (depends on desired spice level)
• Tamarind  - small lemon sized ball
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 
• Urad dal, Chana dal - 1tsp each
• Asafoetida
• Curry Leaves
• Oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds.
2. After it crackles, add urad dal, red chillies, hing, curry leaves.
3. Add the red bell peppers.
4. Saute for a couple of minutes till  raw smell is gone from the bell peppers.
5. Add tamarind and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt to taste.
6. Cool and grind.
7. Make tadka with mustard seeds and urad dal (optional)
8. Goes well with idlies and dosas!!