Kheema Mutter with Tomato Baingan Khatta

I had to whip up a quick lunch for family who had to leave in a short time at a short notice. So a quick look in my freezer and the refridgerator. Ingredients found...ground lamb and frozen peas. And since I already have peas in the curry I didn't want to make any more lentil dishes. Hence the Tomato and eggplant Khatta or gravy...one of my favourites and easy recipes. So here you go

Kheema Mutter Curry (Ground lamb with peas curry)

Kheema Mutter

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb ground lamb
2. 12-16 oz frozen peas thawed
3. 1 medium onion finely chopped
4. 1 teaspoon each of ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, garam masala (or a few cloves and an inch of cinnamon and 1 cardamom pounded)
6. 3 tablespoons oil
7. 2 green chillies slit

Mix all the powder ingredients with ground lamb and set aside for 15-20 minutes. In a pressure cooker or any deep dish with tight fitting lid heat the oil and fry the onions till they just start turning brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add lamb and stir and fry for 5 minutes. Add green chilly and 1/2 cup water and cover and cook for 15 minutes or for 2 whistles. After the steam escapes add the peas and simmer for 10 minutes or till most of the water escapes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with roti or with rice and khatta

Tomato Baingan Khatta (Tomato and egg plant cooked in a tangy Tamarind gravy)

Tomato Baingan Khatta



 Ingredients:

1. 2 big tomatoes chopped
2. 1 medium large Japanese eggplant or 2 cups of chopped eggplant
3. 3 cups of juice from a small lemon sized tamarind
4. 1 medium onion sliced thin
5. 2 green chillies sliced
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, chilly powder
7. 1 teaspoon or to taste salt
8. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
9. 2 tablespoons oil

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add green chillies and fry for a minute. Add tomatoes and eggplant and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cover and cook for 3 whistles. After ths steam escapes open the cooker and simmer till oil floats. Garnish with cilantro and serve

Spinach Shrimp and Tomato Kut

Last week, when I went grocery shopping the spinach looked soooooo fresh and appetizing. So...what do we shoppers do...I got it and intended to cook it very very soon. But now almost a week passed and it was about to get spoiled. I wanted to make Spinach with lamb but changed my mind and I made Spinach and Shrimp. I turned out great.
          And as I already told you guys, on my blog I will not only post recipes but will post the whole dinner idea. You know a curry, another side dish and then rice or bread/ roti or something else. So I made Tomato kut with this. This is one of those famous Hyderabadi dishes. And I served these with the old faithful Indian white steamed rice. So here comes the recipes

Spinach Shrimp (Shrimp cooked with Spinach and Indian spices)

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
2. 1 bunch fresh spinach or 2 cups frozen thawed spinach chopped
3. 1 big green chiily or 2 small chillies chopped
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1/4 cup red onion chopped fine
6. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of  salt, chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder turmeric divided
8. 1/2 cup plain yogurt beaten (Greek yogurt tastes better)

Wash the spinach if using fresh and pressure cook it (even if it is frozen) for 2 whistles. In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start to change color. Add chopped chilly and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add the shrimp and fry till they turn pink. Now add the spinach and all the spices except the yogurt. Mix to combine and simmer till most of the liquid evaporates. Add the yogurt and simmer till the gravy becomes a bit thick. Serve hot

Tomato Kut (Tomatoes cooked in Indian spices)

Ingredients:

1. 1 can petite cut tomatoes
2. 1 teaspoon each of cumin powder, finely chopped garlic (not paste)
3. 2 teaspoons coriander powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt red chilly powder, mustard seeds, cumin seeds
5. 1 big or 2 small green chillies chopped
6. 2 red chillies cut into pieces
7. few curry leaves (optional)

In a pan heat oil and fry the cumin and mustard seeds till they start to splutter. Now add chillies and garlic and and curry leaves if using and fry for a couple of minutes. Add all the spices except salt and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and cover and took till they become pulp. Simmer till it becomes thick. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy steaming hot

Bagara Khana, Aalu Gosht aur Tomato ka Khatta

Today was one of those auspicious days when I make special dishes and give offerings (FATEHA) to God. It used to feel so good on such days back home when I was with my parents. But now that I am the head of the house hold it just creates more work for me. Not that I am complaining but I am just saying.
                This Bagara Khana  or Pulao  as it was known in my household is pretty simple and delicious rice dish. And I also made Gulab Jamun today of which Ras Gul hogaya tha - the sugar syrup in which these balls of milk powder are supposed to be floating was totally absorbed by the balls. So the Ras i.e the syrup Gul hogaya i.e disappeared. There is this particular hindi song which is coming to my mind. Enjoy it here

Bagara Khana (Indian style spicy rice)



Simple Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium small red onion sliced thin
2. 2 cups basmati rice
3. 3 tablespoons oil
4. 2 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon
5. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
6. 3/4 teaspoon salt
7. 2 big or 4 green chillies sliced

In a heavy bottomed deep pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they turn brown. Add sliced green chillies, cloves and cinnamon and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add 3-31/2 cups of water and salt and bring it to a boil. Add washed basmati rice and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and set the heat to medium low and cook covered for 20 minutes or until rice is done. Stir occasionally. Enjoy hot with Aalu gosht and Tomato ka khatta

Aalu Gosht (Spicy Potato and lamb curry)

Aalu gosht (Potato lamb)

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 lb lamb with bones cut into cubes
2. 2 large potatos peeled and cubed into 1 inch
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 medium onion sliced
6. 2 green chillies sliced

In the pressure cooker, add the oil and fry the onions till they change color. Now add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add Gosht i.e the lamb pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add all the ingredients except potatoes and 1/2 cup water and cook for 2 whistles. Once the steam escapes open the cooker add the potato pieces and cook for 1 more whistle. After the steam escapes, open the cooker and simmer till all the excess water evaporates. garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Tamatar ka Khatta (Tomato and tamarind soup)

Tamatar ka Khatta

Ingredients:

1. 2 large tomatoes sliced
2. 2 cups juice from a small lemon sized tamarind
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric, and sugar
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 small onion sliced
6. 1 large or 2 small green chillies

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they become translucent. Add sliced chillies and fry couple of minutes more. Add tomato pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Gulab Jamun (Balls made of milk, fried and soaked in sugar syrup)

Gulab Jamun