Jain Punjabi Chole

Ingredients:
 White chickpeas - 1 cup
Goose berries/Amla - 3 (sliced)
Tea leaves - 2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Green chillies - 2 (slit)
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp.
Tomatoes - 4
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 2 tsp.
Pomegranate seeds (anardana) - 2 tsp. (powdered)
Oil
Corinader leaves (few) - (chopped)

Method:
Soak the chickpeas overnight. Tie tea leaves and amla/gooseberry slices (original recipe goes for dried amla) in a piece of muslin cloth. Add fresh water to the chickpeas, required salt and tea muslin cloth. Pressure cook upto 3 to 4 whistles. Remove the muslin cloth and strain the chickpeas.
Dry roast 1 tsp. of cumin seeds, cool and powder them. Puree 3 tomatoes.
Heat the oil in a pan and add 1 tsp. of cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add green chillies and saute for a minute.
Add tomato puree and saute till the oil separates.
Reduce heat and add red chillies, coriander, cumin and pomegranate seed powders and saute for a few seconds.
Add the chickpeas and saute. Check for salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
In another small pan, add 1/2 tsp. of oil and add a tomato (diced) and saute for a minute. Add this tomato to the chickpeas and cover for 5 minutes. Finally garnish with coriander leaves.
Enjoy with poori or roti.
Recipe: Sanjeev Kapoor.

Note:

I cooked chickpeas separately.

Sent off to "Flavours Of Punjab" event hosted by Pari and started by Nayna.

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Naan

Naans are cooked in tandoors or clay ovens. I don't own either, so I cooked my naans on a tawa and grilled a few of them.

Grilled Naan

Ingredients:
APF/Maida - 3 cups + extra flour.
Yeast - 1 tsp.
Sugar - 1 tsp.
Salt - 1 tsp.
Warm milk - 1/2 cup
Warm water - 3/4 cup
Yogurt - 2 tbsp.
Oil

Method:
Dissolve yeast in warm water and add milk and sugar. Keep aside until it becomes frothy.
Add salt to the flour and mix well. Add yogurt, 2 tsp. of oil and yeast water amd mix well.
At this stage, the dough becomes sticky, so add little flour and knead it into a pliable dough.
Pour a little oil on the top of the dough and cover with cling wrap or a kitchen towel. Keep it in a warm place till the dough becomes double the size.
Punch the dough slowly and divide it into equal-sized balls.
Dust the rolling surface with a little flour and flatten the balls thicker than chapathi in oval or round shape.
Cook the naan on a tawa on both sides. Sprinkle and apply oil on the top of naan and cook.
Serve hot with any of your fav side dish. Don't serve cold.

Naan cooked on tawa

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Pudina/Mint Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg (cut into bite-size pieces)
Pudina/Mint leaves - 1 cup
Onions - 4 (chopped)
Tomato (small) - 3 (chopped)
Garlic - 6
Ginger - 1 inch
Pepper powder - 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1.5 tsp.
Coriander powder - 3 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Peanuts - a handful
Green chillies - 3 (slit)
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Method:
Dry roast the peanuts and remove the skin. Grind garlic and ginger into a paste. Chop the mint leaves.
Heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves, peanuts and green chillies. Saute carefully.
Add onion pieces and saute till it changes color.
Add mint leaves and saute for a minute.
Add ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell fades away.
Add the tomatoes and salt and saute till mushy.
Add chicken and mix well till the chicken changes color. Reduce the heat and add red chilli, turmeric, pepper and coriander powders.
If required add little water (I didn't add any water). Close the pan with a lid and cook the chicken till tender by stirring occasionally.
Finally add the coriander leaves.
Serve with roti or rice.

Sent off to Sameena's "Chicken Recipes Event".

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Cauliflower Paratha

Ingredients:
For stuffing:
Cauliflower - 1 (medium)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1.5 tsp. (grated)
Chopped coriander leaves - few
Salt (to taste)
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp.
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp.
Tandoori masala - 1/2 tsp. (optional)
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.

For paratha:
Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt (to taste)
Water (as required to knead)




Shredded  Cauliflower

 Method:
Mix salt and wheat flour in a bowl. Add required water and knead into a smooth dough. Cover and keep aside.
Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets with tender stalks. Heat 4 cups of water. Add 1/2 tsp. of salt and dissolve. Drop the florets and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the florets with a slotted spoon. Pat dry the florets. Add this to the blender or food processor and shred them. Sprinkle salt and mix well. Keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, take a fistful of shredded cauliflower and squeeze out the water. Continue the process with the remaining.
Pat dry the onion pieces and coriander leaves. Add this to the cauliflower. Add the powders and ginger and mix well.
Knead the dough again and divide them into equal portions of balls. Take one ball and dust with maida/APF and flatten into a 4-inch circle. Place 1 tbsp. (or according to your measurement) of cauliflower stuffing and bring the edges to the centre and seal it.
Again dust with APF/maida and flatten the ball into chapathi. Don't give too much pressure while rolling with rolling pin. While rolling, 2 to 3 holes may appear and it's not a problem.
Heat a tawa and cook the paratha in medium-low flame (the stuffing inside will get cooked). When you see the brown spots on both sides remove and place on a plate. While the paratha is cooking in the tawa, you can roll another paratha simultaneously. Continue this process with the remaining balls.
Enjoy with thick curd and your favorite pickle.

Sent off to "Flavours Of Punjab" event hosted by Pari and started by Nayna.

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Brownies

It's a very easy and simple recipe.

Ingredients:
APF - 3/4 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup
Sugar (granulated) - 1 cup
Cocoa powder( Cadbury's) - 3 tbsp.
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt - 1/2 tsp.
Eggs - 2
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.
Walnuts - 1/2 cup (chopped)

Method:
Melt butter. Mix eggs, butter, cocoa powder and sugar. Beat hard.
Add sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Add vanilla and chopped nuts.
Pour into a well-greased 8" x 8" square pan. Spread evenly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 180°C (Or until the tester comes out clean according to your oven).
Sprinkle powdered sugar over brownies when just taken out of the oven or cover with frosting if you prefer.
Cool completely and cut them into desired shapes.

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Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll

Spicy Cottage Cheese Rolls

Ingredients:
For Paneer Tikka:
Paneer cubes - 200 gm
Capsicum (big) - 1 (diced)
Tomatoes - 2 (deseeded and diced)
Oil

For marination:
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Besan/Gram flour - 1 tbsp.
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp.
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala - 1/ tsp.
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp.
Garlic paste - 1/4 tsp.
Yogurt (whisked) - 1/4 cup
Salt (to taste)

For chapathi:
Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt (to taste)
Water (as required)

For Rolls:
Cloves

Method:
Mix all ingredients in "for marination" in a deep bowl. Add paneer and tomato pieces and mix gently.
Keep aside for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and add the capsicum pieces for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the paneer and tomato mixture and saute gently without breaking paneer in medium-high heat.
Cook till it becomes dry. Cool.

For chapathi:
In a bowl mix flour and salt. Add required water and knead into a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 7 to 8 equal balls. Roll them into thin chapathi. Cook each chapathi on both sides. Set aside.

For the roll:
Divide the paneer stuffing into 7 to 8 portions. Place one portion of paneer filling in each chapathi and roll tightly. Pin 2 cloves on the folds of the chapathi.
While serving, warm the rolls on a tawa. Cut them into two pieces and enjoy or perfect for lunch box.
Adapted from: Sanjeev Kapoor

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