Punjabi Chana Masala

Ingredients
2 cup kabuli channa/chole (soak overnight in plenty of water)
1 tsp. tea leaves (tied into a small muslin cloth to form a pouch/or a tea bag)
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 whole green chilli slit length wise
Few curry leaves
Small piece of ginger – grated
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp. chole masala
1 tsp. coriander seed powder (dhania)
1 tsp. cumin seeds (roasted and powdered)
salt to taste
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup water in which channa was boiled

Tips:

• Add some salt to Channa while cooking
• Wash the Channa 3-4 times in running water before pressure cooking.
• Add tea pouch to channa before pressure cooking.

Steps
1. Pressure cook soaked channa till very soft, but not mushy (At least 5 whistles).
2. Drain, but save water, do not discard.
3. Heat oil in a heavy pan.
4. Add cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves, grated ginger
5. Add onions and stir fry for a min.
6. Add tomatoes, stir fry for 2 minutes or till tomatoes become soft and can easily be mashed with the spoon.
7. Add chilli powder, chole masala, dhaniya powder, cumin powder and little salt.
8. Stir and cook till oil separates.
9. Add boiled channa and mix. Taste and add salt if required.
10. Add ½ water (the water in which channa was boiled) and cover the pan for 3-4 mins
11. Remove the cover and simmer till the gravy is almost dry.
12. Remove from fire
13. Pour into serving dish and add chopped coriander.
14. You can add lemon juice as per taste while eating.

Carrot Halwa -- Gajar ka Halwa

There is a low fat version of this which can be made in Microwave. I will try to write that sometime later. But I love all the desserts traditionally made in grandmother style cooking.

Tip: Do all the cooking on slow gas if you want this to be tasty. No shortcuts to yummy food.

Ingredients:
• Pure Ghee – 7 table spoons (home made works the best but any good brand of ghee will do too)
• Carrots - Approximately ½ kg

• Milk - Approximately 400 ml
• Sugar – As per taste • Khova/mawa/Dried whole milk - 200 gms
• Cardamom – 7-8 peeled and powdered

• Nutmeg ¼ tea spoon powdered
• Almond 15-20 chopped/slivered (optional)

Steps:

1. Grate the carrots (I love my food processor for this. Does it in seconds).
2. Take a thick bottomed kadai (Wok).
3. Heat 6 table spoons of ghee.
Note: If the smell is yummy you have added right amount of ghee.
4. Add carrots and fry for 4-5 mins.
5. Add milk and let it cook for 30-40 mins stirring occasionally.
6. Add Sugar, cardamom, nutmeg and almonds.
7. Mix well and cook till all milk is absorbed. Keep stirring occasionally.
8. Add Khova. (Crumble it and add).
9. Mix and let it cook for 4-5 mins.
10. Add the remaining ghee (1 Tbsp) and switch off the gas :-) Some like it cold, some like it hot. I like it both ways :-)

My Experiments with Food

For someone who loves/lives to eat, food blogging should be the first and easiest thing. But it took me really long time to make up mind to write this blog. There are 3 reasons for this:

• There are hazaar blogs on food already
• I am an experimental cook (All my friends and my siblings will vouch for this)
• I do not go by the measurement principles. Approximation is the key to my cooking. I think it is because that is the way I learnt it. I never saw my mom measuring food.

You might not find exact measurement of ingredients in any of the recipes but if you know basics of cooking and love to eat, your taste buds will guide you. Trust me. You should feel the food you eat. The look, smell, touch, taste and sometimes the sound tells you if the food you cooked is awesome or just another experimental failure.

One last thing. You will find the recipes in list/steps. (Blame it on my tech writing career. I have learnt to follow style guide and steps for everything). You will also find lots of Notes/Tips and warnings. There is one glossary too at the end. I will try to organize this blog better and add more information once I start updating it regularly.

In Marwari, they say you should start eating with sweets first. So let me start with a sweet too. One of the universal favorites of all the bollywood heroes – The Gajar ka halwa.

Happy Eating friends!