Soya Chunks Curry

A soya nuggets / chunks curry with potato tastes more or less like a mutton curry. This gravy curry will be good with rice or roti. Also if the curry rests for an hour or so, it will taste even better with all the flavors settling in. Good amount of onion and oil is used for this recipe to get good results.

Ingredients

1.5 cups - Nutrela Soya Chunks

1 big - Potato, quatered

4 big - Onion, chopped

1'' piece - Ginger, pound well

6 big flakes - Garlic, pound well

2 big - Tomato, grated or pureed

1/4 tsp - Jeera

2 tsp - Coriander powder

1 tsp - Red chili powder

1 tsp - Turmeric powder

1 tsp - Chicken masala powder

Garnish

Coriander leaves

Method

1 ) Wash soya chunks then soak in enough hot water for 1/2 an hour. Squeeze out all the water well. Again wash in fresh water and squeeze out the water. Do one more time, squeeze all the water out very well and set aside.

2 ) Heat 1/4 cup oil in a pressure cooker, add jeera, then add onion, little salt and fry on low heat till onion turns light brown in color. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for a second. Then add the powders - coriander, red chili and turmeric powder and fry till the raw smell goes.

3 ) Now add tomato and fry till tomato is cooked and oil separates on low heat.Then add potato quarters and fry well till potato is fried a bit. Then add soya chunks and fry well for 5 minutes on low heat. Add more oil if necessary.

4 ) In another utensil bring 3 cups water to a boil. Pour this water to the cooker, stir, add salt to taste. Close the cooker and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Once the cooker is cool, open the lid, place the cooker back on heat and then add chicken masala powder, simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Then finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Serve with rice or roti. Serving after half an hour to one hour or more, enhances the flavor.

Vatanyachi Usal - White Peas Curry

Vatanyachi Usal is a traditional marathi dish, that is popular among local mumbai people. Dry white peas is used here for this dish.This is served hot with roti.

Ingredients

1.5 cup - Dry white peas, soaked overnight

1 medium - Onion, chopped

2 medium - Tomatoes, chopped

1 - Bay leaves

2 sprigs - Curry leaves

To fry & grind to a paste

1 medium - Onion, chopped

1'' size - Ginger, chopped

5 big flakes - Garlic, chopped

1/4 shell - Copra Or 1/2 cup - Fresh coconut, grated

1/2 cup - Coriander leaves

2 to 3 tsp - Kashmiri chili powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1 tsp - Garam masala powder

Method

1 ) Soak white peas over night and drain.

2 ) To make gravy - Heat oil in a pan, add onion, ginger and garlic. Fry till the onion turn pinkish. Now add copra / coconut and fry till coconut turns lightly brown in color. Turn off the stove and cool. Transfer to a blender and grind along with coriander leaves, chili powder, garam masala powder to a smooth paste, adding little water as needed.

3 ) Heat cooker with some oil, add bay leaves, curry leaves, onion and fry till lightly brown in color. Now add tomato and fry till tomatoes gets cooked on low heat. Then add ground masala and stir for a few minutes. Then add the white peas, stir and mix well with masala. Add 3 cups of water, salt to taste and stir. Close the cooker and pressure cook for 15 minutes.

Serve hot with roti.

Vegetarian Tomato Omelet

Other day a friend visiting me shared with me this vegetarian tomato omelet recipe. She is a vegetarian and doesn't eat any eggs. With a name tomato omelet, i assumed it was made with eggs and tomato, but besan is the base with strong flavors of tomato, onion, coriander and spices. This turned out to be a good snack that we had with tea. Here i find similarity with punjabi puda, which is also a besan based pancake.

Ingredients

1.5 cup - Besan / Gram flour
1 big - Onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup - Coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp - Jeera powder
1/4 tsp - Coriander powder
1/8 tsp - Hing powder
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

3 medium - Tomato, chopped
1 - Green chili
1 small size - Ginger

Method

1 ) Sift besan to remove the lumps into a mixing bowl. Add onion, coriander leaves, jeera powder, coriander powder, hing, red chili powder and salt to taste. Make a paste of tomato, green chili and ginger in a blender. Add this mixture to the mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients very well. Add little water if needed and make a batter that is like a pancake or idly batter consistency.

2 ) Heat a non-stick pan. Grease with little oil. When the pan is hot, add a ladleful of the batter and spread a little. Then drizzle some oil on the top and the sides. Bubble will start forming on the batter and the bottom will start turning lightly brown in color. Using a spatula, turn the pancake over and cook on both sides evenly. Take off the pan and serve hot.

You can serve this with tomato ketchup or any chutney.