Punjabi Cuisine

Recipe: for approx. 12 rotis

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour – 2 cups
• Warm water – 3/4 cup
• All purpose flour- for rolling and dusting

Preparation:

• In a large mixing bowl, mix whole wheat flour and water and make a dough.
• Make sure there aren’t any lumps.
• Heat skillet on medium heat.
• Make small balls similar to golf size ball out of the dough use the all purpose if the dough sticks to your hand.
• Dip the ball into the all purpose flour  to coat and roll it out into a thin disc.
• Shake off excess flour and roll on the disc with dough roller so the disc becomes large enough.
• Place the roti on the skillet and let it cook.When one side is cooked flip it.
• Make sure both sides are cooked.
• Place the roti on open flame so the air fills up in the roti.
• Take it off and put little oil on it.

Recipe: serving of 4 – 6 people

Ingredients:

For Pakora

• Besan (gram flour) – 1 cup
• Cumin seeds – 1 pinch
• Chopped onions – 2 tspn
• Chopped green chilli – 1
• Grated ginger – 1/2 tspn
• Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
• Garam masala – 1/4 tspn
• Red chilli powder – 1/2 tspn
• Salt – 1/2 tspn
• Oil for frying

For Kadi

• Oil – 2 tspn
• Besan (gram flour) – 1 cup
• Chopped onion – 1 big
• Chopped tomato – 1 large
• Ginger paste – 1 tspn
• Chopped garlic – 2 to 3
• Dry red chilli – 2 to 3
• Curry leaves – 7 – 8
• Mustard seeds – 2 tspn
• Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tspn
• Cumin seeds – 1 tspn
• Cilantro seeds –  2 to 3 cloves
• Turmeric powder – 1 tspn
• Garam masala – 3 tspn
• Red chilli powder – 1 tspn
• Tamarind paste (mixed with water) – 1 tspn
• Yogurt – 2 cups
• Fenugreek powder -2 tspn
• Salt 2 tspn or to taste

• Mix besan and all other ingredients in a bowl.
• Add water to make a very thick batter.
• Make balls out of the batter  and fry them.
• Deep fry them until they turn brown and crispy.
• Keep them on side on a paper towel.

Kadi

• Blend yogurt  with double the amount of water, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder  and besan. It should look like butter milk mixture with besan in it.
• Keep it on aside for half hour

Kadi Pakora

• Heat oil in large pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cilantro seeds, cloves.
• Add onions and cook until they turn brown. Add garlic, ginger and fry for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and fry for 3 minutes.
• Add tamarind paste to the pan and let it come to boil for 4 – 5 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and fry until oil starts floating and color changes to reddish brownish.
• Add the kadi mixture  to the above mixture.
• Keep stirring  as it will start to stick to the bottom of pan. Keep the stove setting on medium and let it boil. After about 3 – 5 boils, lower the stove setting and cook for about 20 minutes and stir in between so it doesn’t stick.
• Stir for about 5 min until kadi is thick and looks dark yellow. Keep stirring for another 5 minutes and then let it boil for another 2 minutes.
• Add pakoras in the kadi. Boil for 3 minutes and don’t stir too much because pakoras will start to break.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti, naan, or rice.

image credit: http://haandi.net/vegetablecurries.aspx

Recipe: serving of 4 – 5 people

Ingredients:

• Potatoes cut – 4 medium
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tspn
• Chopped green chilli – 1 medium
• Chopped onions  2 medium
• Chopped tomatoes – 2 medium
• Cut cauliflower – 1
• Ground cilantro – 1 tspn
• Ground cumin – 1 tspn
• Salt – 1 tspn
• Ground turmeric – 1 tspn
• Red chilli powder – 1/4 tspn
• Finely chopped fresh cilantro – 1/2 cup
• Garam masala – 1 tspn

Preparation:

• Saute potatoes.
• Heat oil in nonstick pan. Add cumin seeds and onions until brown. Add tomatoes and cook. Add red chilli powder and stir. Add turmeric powder and stir.
• Add gobi pieces and stir. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Check to see if the pieces gobi are easily breakable.
• Add potatoes.
• Add garam masala, cumin powder, cilantro powder and stir lightly.
• Add salt and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with roti or naan.

image credit: http://www.eknazar.com/newyork/Topics/Recipes/viewrecipe-id-2247/aloo-gobi-video.htm

Recipe: serving of 4 people

Ingredients: 

• Fresh cilantro – 1 1/4 tbsp
• Red chilli powder – 1/4 tspn
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tspn
• Chopped green chilli – 1 medium
• Chopped tomatoes – 2 medium
• Chopped onions – 2 medium
• Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tspn
• Oil for frying – 1/4 cup
• Salt – 3/4 tspn
• Cut bhindi (okra) into about 1 1/4 inch pieces  - 1/4 kg
• Oil for seasoning – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

• Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a pan and add bhindi and stir fry for few minutes until cooked and color changes to light brown.
• Heat oil in a nonstick pan, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
• Add onions and green chilli, cook until onions turn brown. Add tomatoes and cook.
• Add salt, red chilli powder, and turmeric. Mix well.
• Add the bhindi to the mixture.
• Cook for about 10 mintures.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti or naan.

Recipe: serving of 4-5 people

Ingredients: 

• Chole (chick peas) – 250 gram
• Finely chopped green chillis- 3
• Grated ginger – 1/2 tspn
• Cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch
• Black cardamom – 1 whole
• Bay leaf – 1
• Finely chopped onion – 1 large
• Finely chopped tomatoes – 2
• Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tspn
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt – 2 to 3 tspn or to taste
• Oil – 1 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 3/4 tspn
• Grinnded Pepper corns – 1/2 tspn
• Anardana powder (dried pomegranate seeds) – 1 1/2 tspn
• Cilantro powder – 1 1/2 tbsp
• Cloves – 3
• Baking soda – pinch
• Tea bag -1

Preparation:

• Wash and soak chickpeas overnight. 
• Pressure  cook the chickpeas with 3 cups of water, pinch of baking soda, a tea bag and one black cardamom  for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a heavy pan, add cumin seeds and bay leaf, add onions and cook until they turn brown. 
• Add tomatoes, green chillis, ginger. Cook until done.
• Add salt, red chilli powder and mix well.
• Add garam masala, anardana powder, cloves, pepper corns, and cilantro powder and once again mix well.
• Add the boiled chickpeas and the left over water. If necessary add more water.
• Bring the water to boil and keep cooking until they seem done
• Garnish with cilantro and onions.
• Serve with roti, naan or rice.

image credit: http://www.sailusfood.com/2011/03/16/punjabi-chole/

Recipe: serving for 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• First, prepare paneer, boil about 3/4 for milk gallon in pan. When milk boils, add vinegar to the milk until cuddles form. While adding vinegar keep stirring. Drain the water through cheese cloth and put the cheese cloth with the paneer under heavy object if you want to make paneer into cubes.
• Oil – 8 to10 tbsp
• Grinned onions – 2 medium
• Grinned ginger – about 1 inch
• Grinned garlic – 3 -4 cloves
• Grinned Tomato – 2
• Red chilli powder – 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder – 3/4 tbsp
• Garam masala – 1 tbspn
• Cream – 3 to 4 tspn
• Milk – 1/2 cup
• Dry fruits – 1/4 cup (cashew nuts, raisins, etc)
• Salt – 2 to 3 tspn
• Cumin seeds –  1 tspn

Preparation:

• Cut the paneer into cubes
• Heat oil in pan, fry paneer.
• Saute the dry fruits in one tablespoon of oil.
• Add onions in the oil pan, cook until they turn brown. 
• Add tomatoes, garlic, ginger to onion. cook them.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala, and red chilli powder.
• Add milk to gravy. Bring gravy it to boil. Lower the temperature  and cook until gravy becomes thick.
• Add dry fruits while it is being cooked.
• Add paneer cubes and cream, stir and cook for until they seem cooked (aprox. 5 – 7 minutes).
• Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with roti or rice.

Recipe: serving for 4 – 6 peoples

Ingredients: 

• Rajma – 2 cups (red kidney beans)
• Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Chopped onions – 1
• Chopped garlic – 5 cloves
• Chopped ginger – 1 inch
• Chopped tomatoes – 3
• Chopped green chilli – 3
• Cilantro powder – 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Garam masala power – 1/2 tsp
• Oil – 2 tsp – to taste
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Fresh green cilantro – handful

Procedure:

• Wash and soak rajma overnight.
• Cook them in pressure cooker or if you don’t have one, cook them in pan for about 10 – 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and onions, cook until onions turn brown.
• Add tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and green chillies. Fry until cooked.
• Add salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
• Add the boiled rajma  and red chilli powder to the mixture and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add garam masala and cilantro powder and stir until everything mixes well. Keep on the stove for about 5 mintues.
• Remove from stove and garnish with fresh cilantro.
• Serve with roti or rice.

Recipe: serving for 4 – 6 people

Ingredients: 

• whole dal – 150 gram (black lentils)
• Rajma - 50 gram (red kidney beans)
• Ginger - 10 gram grinned
• Garlic 2 -3 cloves
• Green Chilli – 2 grinded
• Salt- 1 – to taste tbsp
• Garam Masala
• Dal Makhani Masala
• Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds –  1/2 tspn
• Asafoetida Powder – pinch
• Ghee (oil) –  50 grams
• Tomato paste – 100 gram
• Turmeric – 1.5 tbsp
• Butter – 100 gram
• Cream – 30 ml

Procedure: 

• Wash and  then soak black lentils and rajma in water overnight.
• Boil the lentils with ginger, garlic, green chilli and salt, and simmer until lentils are cooked then drain off the water
• Tadka preparation: Heat the ghee or oil, add cumin seeds and asafoetida powder and tomato paste and stir.
• Add the cooked dal to the tadka and bring it to boil.
• Add chilli powder, butter and cream. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Add garam masala and dal makhani masala.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Sarson Da Saag (mustard leaves)- is the most famous punjabi main course meal. It is made from mustard leaves (sarson) and served with spices. It is topped with butter and served with makki di roti (corn bread).

Recipe: Serving for 4 people

Ingredients:

• Corn Flour – 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala powder – 1 Pinch
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Grinded ginger – 1 piece
• Ghee (butter) – 60 grams
• Grinded Chili - 1 tsp
• Mustard leaves 750 grams
• Finely Chopped Onions – 50 grams
• Salt – 1 – to taste tbsp
• Spinach – 250 grams

Procedure: 

• Wash, clean and cut mustard leaves and spinach into very small pieces. Add both into cup of water and boil until blended paste occurs.
• Heat ghee (butter) and add onions and cook on sim setting until onions turn brown, add ginger, garlic, salt and stir for minute.
• Add corn flour to the green paste along with green chili and cook well until everything is blended.
• Add garam masala, top with butter and green cilantro and serve with makki di roti.
• I will post the recipe for makki di roti later.