RAJMA MASALA HOMESTYLE

RAJMA OR RAJMA Chawal is a comfort food for many. We've had it through our childhood and having it now brings back those memories enveloping us in comfort and warmth of those carefree days. 

I follow my mother's simple recipe when making this. It does not involve onion or garlic. Super easy  and wholesome. What I also love about Rajma is that it doesn't need a side of another vegetable/sabzi. Its a meal in itself. 

Let's start:

INGREDIENTS:

Rajma/Kidney Beans - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp + for serving

Green Chilies - 2

Ginger - 1 tsp, crushed

Salt to taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Tomatoes - 1 medium, finely chopped

Coriander Cumin Powder - 1 tbsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp (or to taste)

Fresh Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp, finely chopped

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash the rajma thoroughly until the water appears clean. Then soak in about 2.5 cups of water, ideally overnight or for 6-8 hours. 

2. Next we add salt, turmeric powder and crushed ginger. 

3. We want to pressure cook this, giving 4 whistles on medium high heat. 

4. Let the pressure release by itself. Remove the rajma into another bowl. 

5. Heat ghee in the same pressure cooker on medium heat. 

6. Add the cumin seeds, once the ghee is hot. Followed by asafoetida & green chilies.

7. Next throw in the tomatoes and add the season to help fasten the softening of tomatoes. We'll cook this till the tomatoes soften.

8. Time to add the masalas. Add the coriander cumin & red chili powder. Mix and cook till the oil starts to separate. 

9. In goes the boiled rajma. Give it a good mix. Now I like to pressure cook this again, eventhough the rajma is already cooked. See, I liked my rajma mushy. Some whole and some blended in the gravy. It makes the dish more flavorful this way and kind of rounds up the taste. Also, I added about half a cup of water but feel free to add or reduce the amount of water you add at this stage, depending on how thick you want your gravy/rajma.

10. After the final whistle, let the pressure release naturally. Open and check. If you'd like to thicken the gravy, let it simmer for a few minutes until to achieve the desired consistency. I like mine this way. 

11. Garnish with some fresh coriander leaves. 

12. Finish with a drizzle of some ghee and serve hot with rotis or rice or just by itself!

YELLOW MOONG DAL

I think everyone has a 'feel at home' dish. A dish that they look forward to having after returning from a long trip. Or perhaps a dish that reminds them of home and childhood memories of comfort and love. This simple and nourishing Yellow Moong Dal is my ultimate comfort food. 

I typically pair it with a seasonal dry sabzi. Aloo Methi or Gajar Matar in winters and Bhindi or Begun Bhaja in summers. Served hot, topped with a spoonful of ghee feels like my Muma's hug to me. 

It is also a quick and easy dish to make. Only needs 30 minutes of soaking and can be put on the table in less than 30 minutes. Goes great with both rice and rotis. Its light on the stomach and easy to digest.

Here is how I make it:

Ingredients: 

Yellow Moong Dal - 1 cup

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Green Chilies - 2

Ghee - 2 tbsp + for serving

Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Coriander Cumin Powder - 1 tbsp 

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp (or to taste)

Tomatoes - 1 medium, finely chopped

Fresh Coriander Leaves - 1.5 tbsp

Procedure: 

1. Wash the dal thoroughly under running water till the water in the dal starts to appear clean. Then soak for 30 minutes. For 1 cup of dal, I have taken 2.5 cups of water. 

2. After 30 minutes, add salt, turmeric powder and the green chilies and pressure cook on medium heat for 2 whistles. After two whistles, turn off the heat and let the cooker release pressure on its own. 

3. While all that is happening, we will simultaneously heat a pan on medium heat. 

4. Add add 

5. Once the ghee warms up, add the cumin seeds

6. And asafoetida

7. Now throw in the chopped tomatoes

8. Season with salt soon after the tomatoes, to speed up the cooking process. 

9. Once the tomatoes turn soft, add the coriander cumin and red chili powders. And mix and cook for a couple of minutes.

10. Once the oil starts leaving the pan, turn off the flame and sprinkle a little water to prevent burning. 

11. Let's open the pressure cooker and check out dal. Our dal is perfectly cooked. 

12. We can add the prepared tomato gravy to the dal. And mix lightly so as not to mash it. 

13. Add some water to use the residue from the gravy and add it to the dal. I have added 1/3 cup of water. Make sure not to add too much or the dal will turn watery. 

 

14. Heat the dal at medium low heat until heated through. Give it a light stir occasionally. Around 5 minutes should do it. 

15. Serve hot topped with some ghee. Ghee is optional but I highly recommend it! Enjoy with roti or rice or just by itself.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

Broccoli has long been touted as one of the healthiest vegetable owing to its nutritional makeup. This super food is loaded with fiber, antioxidants to fight cancer and Vitamin C to aid iron absorption. 

I have been trying to incorporate Broccoli into our weekly diet for the past 6 months now. But I am at a point where I prefer really quick and nutritious meals with a minimum of hassle. This recipe is my go to recipe these days. Its quick, healthy and delicious.

Try it for yourself and leave your feedback below.

Ingredients:

Butter, 1 tbsp

Whole Black Pepper, 1 tsp

Bay Leaf, 1 

Garlic, 2 tbsp finely chopped

Onions, 1 medium finely chopped

Potato, 1 small finely chopped

Broccoli, 2 medium florets separated, washed & cleaned

Salt to taste

Milk, 1 cup

Parsley Flakes for garnish

Procedure:

1. Heat butter in a pressure cook and add pepper and bay leaf.

2. Add and saute the garlic.

3. Next add and saute the onions till translucent.

4. Next goes in the potatoes. Saute for a minute.

5. Time to throw in the broccoli. Mix well and pressure cook giving 2 whistles. Allow the pressure to release by itself before opening the pressure cooker. 

6. Discard the bay leaf. Add milk and using a hand blender blend until smooth. 

7. Season with salt. Sample and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Heat the soup bringing it to a boil on medium heat. 

8. Serve hot topped with some fresh or dried parsley with a side of your choice. We enjoyed it with some mushroom pepper crostini on the side!

Cream of Broccoli Soup by A Gourmet Meal

MANCHOW SOUP WITH FRIED NOODLES

Manchow Soup is one of the most popular Indo Chinese Soups. Its preparation is quite similar to my favorite hot and sour soup. Manchow Soup just isn't as spicy and comes topped with fried noodles, this adds that extra crunch, making this soup even more special. 

I like that I can add any and almost every vegetable to this soup. You can make it even healthier by skipping cornflour. A delicious way to sneak in vegetables into your family's diet. 

Ingredients:

Oil, 1 tsp

Sugar, 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic, 1 tbsp chopped

Mushrooms, 1/4 cup finely chopped

Carrots, 1/4 cup finely chopped

Cauliflower, 1/4 cup finely chopped

Cabbage, 1/4 cup finely chopped

And any other vegetables of your choice

Fresh Coriander Leaves, 1 tbsp

Soy Sauce, 1 tsp

Tomato Chili Sauce, 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Black Pepper, 1/2 tsp

Vegetable Stock, 4 cups

Cornflour, 1.5 tbsp

Fried Noodles, I bought the ready ones from here 

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a wok.

2. Add sugar and let is melt. 

3. Saute ginger and garlic.

4. Throw in all the vegetables.

5. Then the coriander leaves. 

6. Cook them up in vegetable stock. 

7. Next add Soy & Tomato Chili Sauce to enhance the flavor of our soup.

8. Season with salt and pepper. 

 9. Make cornflour slurry by mixing cold water with the cornflour powder. 

10. Add the cornflour mixture to the boiling soup gradually. Allow the soup to thicken. 

11. Serve hot with fried noodles on the side.