Rajma Chawal

Rajma Chawal

Prep Time: 10 hrs

Cooking Time: 40 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati Rice (steam cooked)

100 gms rajma (kidney beans)

2 onions sliced

4 tomatoes sliced

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

3 tbsp oil

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak rajma overnight (7-8 hrs) and cook them in a pressure cooker till they are soft (5-6 whistles).
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and onions and cook till they are transparent then add ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell is gone then add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
3. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and cumin powder along with little salt and mix well and cook for 2 mins.
4.  Cool the above mixture and blend into a smooth paste.
5. Heat 1 tbsp oil and add ajwain and sauté for 30 secs. Now transfer the gravy paste into the pan and cook till oil separates.
6. Now add the rajma and mix well and adjust the salt. Add the water left in the cooker to the desired consistency and cover and cook for 4-5 mins then add the garam masala and cook for another 2 mins.
7. Remove and garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with steamed Basmati Rice or roti of your choice.

Co-zy Tips:

1. Add some ghee to rice while cooking as it add to it flavour and aroma and also helps the rice to avoid sticking.
2. Ready to use tomato puree can also be used for this recipe for richer colour and consistency of the gravy.

Chatpata Peanut Chat

Chatapata Peanut Chat

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

200 gms of boiled peanuts

1 onion finle chopped

1 tomato fine chopped

2 tsp chopped coriander

1 green chilli chopped

½ tsp chat masala

¼ tsp chilli powder

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Take the boiled peanuts in a bowl and add all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Chatpata peanut chat is ready to serve.

Co-zy Tips:

Allow the peanuts to cool down before mixing with the ingredients.

Raseele Aloo (Simplest Aloo curry ever)

Raseele Aloo

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 5 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

500 gms potatoes (boiled and skin removed)

2 tsp oil

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

Pinch of hing

2 cups of water

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan; add hing then add all the spice powders and mix, immediately add water before the spices get burnt.
2. Roughly crush the boiled potatoes and add to the pan. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil.
3. Raseele Aloo is ready to serve with puri, roti or parnatha of your choice.

Co-zy Tips:

This is the best recipe to cook when you do not have time and not many vegetables in stock.

Soft Puri

Soft and Fluffy Puri

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups of whole wheat flour

1 tbsp maida (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

Luke warm water

Oil for deep fry

Method:

1. Take flour and maida in a bowl and add salt and oil and mix well. Now slowly add warm water and start kneading the dough till its soft and not sticking to your hands.
2. Let the dough rest for 20 mins.
3. Heat oil in a pan; make small balls from the dough and roll them into round puri with uniform thickness and fry them in oil pressing it gently till it puffs up. Once puffed up turn it to other side and remove.
4. Fry all the puris and serve with your favourite curry.

Co-zy Tips:

Use oil while rolling instead of flour. Using flour leaves a residue in the oil.

Quick and Easy Tomato Pulao

Tomato Pulao

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice

5-6 red tomatoes cut into big chunks

2 onions sliced

4-5 pods of garlic crushed

2 green chillies cut into half

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1 tbsp of chopped coriander

Whole garam masala (1” cinnamon, 4 cloves, 3 cardomom, 5-6 peppercorns, 1 bay leaf)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp mustard

1 whole red chilli

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

Water as required

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice for at least 30 mins.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker or rice cooker or pressure pan; add the whole garam masala, cumin, mustard and red chilli.
3. After frying for 30 secs add onions, green chilli and garlic and sauté. Add turmeric and salt as it helps to cook the onions quicker.
4. After the onions are transparent add chilli powder and coriander powder and add the chopped tomatoes and chopped coriander and mix well. Cook for 2 mins.
5. Add the soaked rice and sufficient water and bring it to a boil. Adjust the salt if required.
6. Cover and cook for 2 whistles.
7. Serve with raita of your choice.

Co-zy Tips:

You can cook it with ghee instead of oil to give it a rich flavour, else add little ghee after you serve before eating.

Simple Aloo Gobi

Simple Aloo Gobi

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 floret of gobi (cauliflower) cut into small pcs

2 potatoes chopped into same size as gobi

2 tomatoes finely chopped

2 tsp chopped coriander for garnish

1 tbsp oil

½ cup water

¼ tsp hing

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin

1.2 tsp garam masala (optional)

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan; add cumin and let it splutter, then add hing, turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder and immediately add ½ cup of water before the spices get burnt.
2. Add salt and then add chopped potatoes and gobi and mix well, cover and let it cook till the water evaporates.
3. In 7-8 mins the vegetables will be cooked and soak up all the water in the pan.
4. Now add chopped tomatoes and cover and cook for another 2 mins and add garam masala.
5. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve hot with roti or rice as a side dish.

Co-zy Tips:

1. You may steam the loo and gobi prior to reduce the cooking time, no need to add water just fry them.
2. You can prepare with just cauliflower too.

Cream of Tomato Soup

Cream of Tomato Soup

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

500 gm ripe red tomatoes

1 carrot

1 onion

1 potato (skin peeled)

1 green chilli

1 tsp coriander leaves

1 tsp butter

1 bay leaf

½ tsp pepper powder

Fired bread cubes

1 tbsp cream for garnish (optional for weight watchers)

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil all the vegetables (tomatoes, carrot, onion, potato, green chilli and coriander) in pressure cooker with enough water.
2. Allow the vegetables to cool and then blend them to smooth consistency in a blender and strain.
3. Heat butter in a pan add bay leaf and then pour the strained soup into the pan.
4. Add salt and pepper and bring it to boil and turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Pour soup in bowls and garnish with fresh cream and fried bread and serve hot.

Co-zy Tips:

1. You may use plain rusk instead of fried bread to avoid ghee or oil.
2. Low fat cream can be used if you are calorie conscious.