Tomato Ginger Soup

This soup cooks without any oil and is ready in minutes.

Nutritional Value of Tomato paste and Ginger

- 1/2 cup canned tomato paste
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Ginger juice ( Squeeze, peeled and grated ginger to get the juice)
- Thin slices of peeled fresh ginger
- Salt as per taste
- Black pepper
- 2-3 pinches of red chili flakes

1. Mix water, tomato on low heat till the paste dissolves completely in water
2. Add all the other ingredients and bring to boil
3. Let simmer for 10 minutes
4. Serve hot

* you can vary the amount of paste and ginger juice as per your liking of tomato and ginger flavors.

Eggplant Curry

Nutritional Value of Eggplant

- 8 small size eggplants washed ( you can leave ends )

- 1 cup finely chopped onion

- 2 cloves of garlic minced

- 1/2 cup grounded peanuts

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

- 1 teaspoon red chili powder ( or as per taste)

- 1 tablespoon garam masala

- 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder

- 3 table spoon oil

- 1 tea spoon cumin seeds

- Salt as per taste

- Fresh chopped coriander to garnish

- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

- 2-3 cups of hot water

Dry Masala Mix

- 1 teaspoon chili powder

- 1 teaspoon cumin powder

- 1 teaspoon garam masala

- 1 teaspoon coriander powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Make 2 cuts (quarters)in each eggplant leaving end intact

2. Add ingredients of dry masala mix and fill in each eggplant, set aside ( it will just coat the inside of eggplant)

3. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds

4. Add garlic and onions and let saute

5. Add grounded peanuts, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt

6. Let cook for a minute, then add eggplant, cook for 2-3 minutes and then add 2 cups of hot water

7. cover and cook for 20 minutes, till eggplants are cooked. Add more hot water if the curry drys

8. Cook little longer without lid if you want thicker curry.

9. Add lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.

* remember while seasoning for salt that dry masala mix has some salt.

Paneer Kofta (cottage cheese balls in gravy)

Traditionally the cottage cheese balls are deep fried and added to gravy, but instead in this recipe they are shallow fried and taste equally well. If desired you can deep fry.

Nutrition value of cottage cheese, potato, onion

Cheese balls

- 11/4 cup grated cottage cheese
- 2 medium size potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
- 1 teaspoon grounded cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon grounded coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red Chile powder
- some chopped coriander leaves

1. mix all the ingredients and make 10 balls from this mixture.
2. shallow fry in pan with 2 table spoon oil
* if you are shallow frying make flat patties instead of round balls, and brown from both sides
3. keep aside

Gravy

- 1 onion fairly chopped
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cardamom pods
- 5 cloves
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 generous handful cashew nuts soaked in water
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 -2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 table spoon vegetable oil
- 2 -3 teaspoons garam masala

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil, add cumin, ginger, garlic, onion, cloves, cardamom
2. cook for 5-7 minutes
3. let cool and grind to smooth puree adding cashew and 1/2 cup water
4. heat another 2 table spoon oil, add turmeric, tomato paste and 1/4 cup water
5. cook for for 2-3 minutes
6. Add chili powder, garam masala and onion puree
7. Stir well breaking in all the tomato paste
8. Lower heat and cook for 10 minutes ( add water for desired consistency)
9. Remove from heat add sugar and after 5 minutes add cottage cheese balls
10 serve hot with roti or rice

Kalvan

'Kalvan' means spicy gravy in Marathi. Its made with various ingredients and can be a veg or non-veg preparation. Kalvan reminds me of that of spicy gravy at my dad/ mom's village which we dare not eat as kids for we were not used to spice to that extend. Even for just a bite we loved it and i have learned eating spicy food since then. You can add more spice if you like.

Kalvan tastes best with jowar roti called 'Bhakari' in Marathi. Jowar roti being bland, kalvan is perfect gravy that goes with it. Serve it with raw red onion and I personally like to serve mattah as well, it neutralizes spice to some extend.

Kalvan can be made with mixed vegetables (potato, cauliflower, bell pepper) or with egg or with fish or chicken. Me being vegetarian here is a recipe for potato kalvan.

Nutrition value of Potato

- 2 cups peeled and diced potato cubes
- 1 onion fairly chopped
- 1 tomato fairly chopped
- 1/2 cup Green bell pepper diced (optional)
- 2 green chilies in pieces
- Few curry leaves
- 1-2 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 3-4 tablespoon grated dried coconut
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 inch garlic piece
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon pepper corn ( more or less as be desired spice)
- 5-8 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 5- 6 tablespoon oil
- Salt to taste


1. Roast coconut, cloves, peppercorn, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds in hot pan, keep aside
2. Heat 3 table spoon oil and add green chili, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, roasted ingredients from step 1, tomato and green bell pepper
3. Stir well, add tamarind paste and cook for 8-10 minutes
4. Let cool for some time and grind to smooth paste, keep aside
5. Heat remaining oil, add red chili powder, tomato paste, garam masala and potatoes
6. Add some salt and cook for few minutes
7. Stir in the paste from step 4 and season for salt
8. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes, covered on medium high heat till potatoes are cooked properly.
9. Serve hot with white rice or roti

Masoor Dal

'Dal' means pulses in hindi. There are many kinds of dal available in Indian cuisine. Dal is also one of the very common day to day recipe.

The recipe below is very generic way of making any dal, You can use dal of your choice and use it in this recipe, like moong, toor etc. Each dal cooks in different time and quickest way to use dal is to first pressure cook it and then use it.

Nutrition Value of Masoor dal

- 2 cups cooked whole Masoor dal
- Onion finely chopped
- Tomato chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Coriander leaves chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon oil
- Turmeric powder
- Chili Powder
- Fresh lime juice
- Garam masala
- Salt
- Mustard seeds

1. Pressure cook 2 cups masoor dal with 4 cups water till cooked properly
2. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and garlic
3. Add onion and let cook for few minutes
4. Add turmeric powder, chili powder and tomato, cover and cook for few minutes
5. Add cooked dal, lime juice, salt and garam masala
6. Add some water for desired consistency
7. Bring to boil, add coriander
8. Serve hot with rice

Chole (spicy garbanzo beans)

This is a recipe form North Indian Cuisine, served usually with bhatura (fried wheat tortilla). This recipe can be used in chaats to spice up aloo tikki and samosa.

It is usually a thick gravy but can be made liquid if you are serving with rice. It tastes good when topped with finely chopped red onion which is seasoned with salt and lime juice. Garbanzo beans are good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.

You can soak the beans night before and then pressure cook them or to make the recipe instanly you could use canned garbanzo beans. they taste almost same.

Nutrition value of Grabanzo beans

- 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
- 1 Red onion paste
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste or 2 fresh tomato diced
- 2 Tej patta ( Bay leaf)
- Salt
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin seed grounded
- Dhana (Coriander Seed) grounded
- Garam masala 1 tablespoon
- Red chili powder

1. Use canned beans or soak in plenty of water overnight and then pressure cook garbanzo beans with 5-6 cups water and salt for 20-25 minutes (4 whistles)
2. Heat oil add bay leaf, turmeric powder, red chili powder
3. Add onion paste and cook for 7-8 minutes on medium heat
4. Add grounded cumin and coriander seeds
5. Add salt, tomato paste and cook for few minutes add little water from cooked garbanzo beans , If adding fresh tomato then cook till tomato is cooked
6. Add cooked garbanzo beans not the water in which cooked
7. Add garam masala, cook for 2-3 minutes
8. Add 1 cup water in which beans are cooked ( add more if you need more liquid)
9. Season for salt
10. Cook for 5-10 minutes
11. Garnish with coriander
12. Serve with puri/ bhatura/ rice

Kata Chi Amti (soup of spices and split chickpea)

'Amti' means liquid curry. 'Kat' is usually the liquid in which dal ( pulses) is cooked. This very liquid curry is spicy. This specific curry is made with water from cooked chana dal.

It is made in state of Maharashtra along with ‘Puran Poli’ or sweet roti. Puran poli is one of the main sweet dishes of West Indian cuisine. This curry is made of water in which chana dal is cooked for making puran the stuffing for roti (poli). If you are making puran poili then save the water in which you cooked dal and if you want to try it without puran poli here is how to make it. It makes perfect Curry for serving with sweet puran pilo. I personally like it more with plain white rice.

Spice mix

- Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
- Dry coconut 2 teaspoons
- Dhana (coriander seeds) 1-2 teaspoons
- Black pepper corn 4-5
- Cloves 3-4
- Dalchini 1 pod

1. In pan add little oil and fry cumin, dhana and coconut
2. Grind all the spices listed under spice mix finely

Curry

- 1.2 cup chana dal (split chickpeas )
- Curry leaves 5-7
- Mustard seeds
- Garam masala 1 teaspoon
- 2 pinches of Hing (asafetida)
- Turmeric powder
- Spice mix
- Tamarind paste 2 tablespoon
- Jaggery 1 small piece
- Oil 2 tablespoon
- Coriander leaves

1. Cook dal in 2-3 cups if water (partially covered), till properly cooked
2. Mash it nicely ( or grind the whole thing)
3. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves
4. Add turmeric powder and hing
5. Add spice mix to this and sauté
6. Add cook dal and water mix , stir well
7. Add gram masala, jaggery and tamarind paste
8. Season for salt and bring to boil
9. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves

Methi Pithla (fenugreek leaves with chickpea flour)

Methi is known as Fenugreek in English. Methi leaves are not generally available in American grocery stores but can be found at Indian Grocers.

Pithala is very Maharashtrian gravy made with chickpea flour and garlic. There are different ways to make this recipe. Pithala tastes great with rice or Jowar roti/ heat roti. Many times pithla is made as a dry vegetable (see below for the the recipe).

Little bitter, fenugreek leaves are very flavorful. When cooked in this recipe you wouldn't even notice it. Some other ways to use fenugreek leaves it to make aloo methi or methi paratha.

Nutrition value of Fenugreek leaves
Nutrition value of Chickpea flour

- 4 cups boiling water
- 5-8 tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)
- 3 Garlic cloves chopped
- Fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon
- 1/2 cup onion chopped (optional)
- Salt
- Mustard seeds
- Oil 2 table spoon
- Turmeric powder ½ teaspoon
- 2 Green chili pieces
- Curry leaves 4-5
- Coriander leaves chopped to garnish
- 2 cups Methi leaves washed and chopped (fenugreek leaves)

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, let crack
2. Add garlic, green chili pieces and curry leaves, sauté
3. Add turmeric powder and fenugreek leaves, onion (if adding) cook for 5-7 minutes
4. Add boiling water, to this add salt and lime juice
5. When it starts boiling add chickpea flour sprinkling 1 spoon at time by hand
6. Breaking as many lumps
7. Add chickpea flour as per desired thickness of gravy
8. Cook for 5-8 minutes on medium heat
9. Serve with rice

** If too thick, add hot water
** You can make the recipe without adding fenugreek leaves in case you don’t like them

Palak Curry (spinach with curd and Chickpeas)

Spinach is good source of vitamin K & A, folate and iron. This tasty green is also full of other nutrients. It can be used to make roti. curry and snacks. Don't forget to add few spinach leaves in green chutney when you make it next time.

Nutrition value of Spinach

- 1 bunch spinach leaves washes and chopped
- ½ cup chana dal (split chickpea)
- Garlic cloves 2 cloves chopped
- 2 dried red chili
- ½ cup plain smooth yogurt
- Cumin seeds
- Salt
- Turmeric powder ½ teaspoon
- Red chili powder ½ teaspoon ( more for spicy curry)
- Oil 2-3 tablespoon

1. Pressure cook spinach and chana dal and 2 cups water for 20 minutes ( 3 whistles)
2. Mach with masher
3. Heat oil, add cumin, garlic, red whole chilies
4. Add turmeric and red chili powder
5. Add pressure cook spinach and dal cook for 5- 7 minutes
6. Add salt and curd, cook for few minutes
7. Serve with Rice

Pakoda Kadi (yogurt soup with fried cabbage balls)

Yogurt is good source of calcium, phosphorous, vitamin B2 and iodine. This recipe can also be made without pakora (fried spicy cabbage balls), which makes it in minutes and can be served with rice.

Nutrition value of yogurt

Kadi

- 4 cups plain yogurt, not very sour
- 2 tablespoon chickpea flour
- 2 cups water ( or as per desired thickness of kadi)
- Ginger 1 inch grated
- 2 Green chilies’ pieces
- 4-5 curry leaves
- Cumin seeds
- Salt
- Sugar (optional)
- Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
- oil

1. Mix chickpea flour, yogurt and water well
2. Put on medium-low heat and add ginger
3. Heat oil, add cumin, curry leaves and chili, sauté
4. Add turmeric powder
5. Add to yogurt mix when it’s hot
6. Remove from heat add salt and sugar

Pakoda

- 3 cups cabbage shredded
- ¾ - 1 cup cheek pea flour
- Read chili powder
- Salt
- Ajwain (bishop's weed) ½ teaspoon
- 3 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped
- ½ - 1 cup water
- Oil for deep frying

1. Mix all the dry ingredients
2. Add water little at time to make a thick batter
3. Pour small portions of batter with spoon in hot oil
4. Deep fry till golden brown
5. Put 15 or more pakora to kadi and heat for 5-8 minutes on medium heat
6. Serve with Rice or Roti

Palak Paneer (spinach with cottage cheese)

This is a delicious recipe, one of my all time favorites. Spinach is rich green with vitamin k & A, magnesium, iron, etc. Cottage cheese on other hand provide some protein. You can always use cottage cheese made form low fat milk. and avoid frying paneer before adding to any recipe thus keep the fat content low.

Nutrition value of Spinach and Cottage chesse

- 1/2 lb paneer cut in cubes
- Spinach 1 bunch leaves and stems washed and fairly chopped
- Ginger 2 inches chopped
- Garlic 3 large cloves crushed
- 3 dried whole red chilies
- Turmeric powder
- Garam Masala 1-2 tablespoon
- Salt
- Cumin seeds
- Oil 3 tablespoon
- Fairley chopped 1 medium size onion
- Grated paneer to garnish

1. Heat oil in sauce pan
2. Add cumin, garlic and ginger and red chilies, stir well
3. Add onion and turmeric powder, let cook for 4-5 minutes
4. Add spinach and salt and cook for 7-8 minutes
5. Add ½ cup boiling water and garam masala
6. Remove from heat and grind in blender till its smooth paste
7. If too thick add some water
8. Put back on heat in a saucepan with paneer cubes, cook it starts boiling
9. Remove contents in oven save dish and bake in preheated oven 350 for 20-30 minutes
10. Garnish with grated paneer
11. Serve with roti or rice

** One of the instant ways to enjoy 'almost palak paneer' is: heat oil, add cumin seeds, minced garlic, turmeric, chili powder and cut spinach to it. Cook on high heat and add grated paneer to this.
Add salt and cook till all water is cooked away.

Peanut curry

This is a recipe is part of West Indian cuisine. It’s a recipe made during fasting. Its a mild and nutty gravy which can be served with plain rice. It is served with Varai (a.k.a. samo) khichadi.

Nutrition value of Peanuts

- 1 cup peanut
- 2-3 cups water
- 2 green chilies pieces
- Kokum (4) or Tamarind paste 2 tablespoon
- Jaggery 1-2 tablespoon
- Cumin seeds
- Curry leaves
- Oil 1-2 tablespoons

1. In blender grind peanut and water to thin and fine paste
2. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and chili pieces
3. Add peanut paste, cook for 2-3 minutes
4. Add jaggery, salt and kokum (tamarind)
5. Cook for 5 minutes

** add hot water if too thick

Rajma (spicy kidney beans)

This recipe is a delicious way to consume high fiber kidney beans, which help lower cholesterol. This recipe can be served with plain rice or as soup with bread.

Nutrition value of kidney beans

- 2 cups kidney beans
- Ginger 1 inch grated
- Garlic clove 2 minced
- 1 medium size Onion finely chopped
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 bay leaf
- Turmeric powder
- Salt
- 2-3 tablespoon oil
- Fresh lime juice
- Coriander leaves
- Cumin seeds
- Red chili powder

1. Pressure cook kidney beans with 5 cups of water and salt for 30 minutes (5 whistles) till soft.
2. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, bay leaf garlic and ginger
3. Add Red chili powder, turmeric powder and onions, let cook for few minutes
4. Add tomato and cook till tender
5. Add cooked kidney beans and water in which they are cooked for desired consistency
6. Season for salt (remember the kidney bean already are seasoned for salt)
7. Bring to boil, lower heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
9. Serve hot with rice

Sambar (pigeon pea soup)

This is very common gravy of South Indian cuisine. Variants can be made with lots of different vegetables like spinach, potato, eggplant etc. Sambar masala can be made from raw spices and is easily available in any Indian grocery store. My mom makes the sambar masala and I just use that. The ones available in stores also works well. You can have sambar with idli, dosa, rice, medu wada or batata wada.

Nutrition value of pigeon peas

- 2 cups toor dal pressure cooked with 4 cups water
- 1 medium size onion chopped
- 1-2 tomato chopped
- Tamarind paste 3 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoon Sambar masala ( available in Indian grocery store)
- Salt
- Lauki (bottle gourd) peeled and cut in cubes- 1 cup
- Turmeric powder
- Red (whole) dried chili 3-4
- Red chili powder 1 teaspoon
- Curry leaves 4-5
- Oil 3 tablespoon

1. Add water to lauki and cook in microware for 7 minutes
2. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and let crack
3. Add curry leaves and red whole chilies
4. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder
5. Add onion, tomato and lauki, cover and cook for 5 minutes or till onion and tomato is cooked
6. Add sambar masala and red chili powder
7. Add toor daal and stir well
8. Add tamarind and season with salt
9. Bring to boil and remove from heat, garnish with chopped coriander leaves