Matar Ka Nimona(Gluten free & Vegan)

02/18/202102/18/2021 TanviLeave a comment

Nimona is a traditional recipe made with ground green chickpeas or fresh peas in western Uttar Pradesh. My grandmother family belongs to that belt and no wonder this is one of our favorite family recipes. She cooked Nimona atleast once a week. Very arduously, she spent the entire afternoon shelling the green chickpeas which were in season during late winter. Nimona was made with peas rarely, however, I make it only with fresh peas (do not use frozen) since I dont have access to the green chickpeas. I tried the frozen chickpeas once and truly regretted it 🙂

Sweet shelled peas, blanched quickly and then ground into a coarse paste. The coarseness of the peas gives this curry a beautiful texture and if you ask a cook, the way a vegetable is cut, diced, crushed, pureed etc makes so much difference in the taste of the finished dish. Please do not make a smooth paste. In addition to grinding the peas coarsely, save a handful to add to the curry while it cooks.

This curry is gluten-free and ideally, if you cook it in mustard oil just the way it is should be, it is vegan as well. Traditionally, deep fried potatoes are added to this curry. And they are quite delicious, no question about that. However, I like to brown the potatoes in a couple tablespoons of oil rather than deep frying and later the potatoes finish cooking in the curry. Also, sautéing ground peas with the masala is an important part of making this curry. Dont be tempted to leave the peas green, the proper taste of nimona will not come through. After the peas “bhuno” with masala for good 8-10 minutes, the smokiness of the curry is just irresistible.

On some days, I like to temper the nimona, it is optional and only enhances the taste. Nimona is amazing served with rotis or steamed rice. A dollop of ghee on warm bowl of nimona is a beautiful finish. Make extra because it tastes better next day!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Matar Ka Nimona

An indian curry made of ground peas and fresh sweet peas.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Equipment

Food processor, Kadhai/Heavy pan

Ingredients

For Blanching the Peas

10 oz (284gms) shelled fresh peas ,please dont use frozen peas
pinch sugar
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

For the Curry

4 tbsp mustard oil (or use regular cooking oil)
2 medium potatoes peeled and quatered
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
2 green cardamom
1/2 tsp hing
1 medium onion,finely chopped yield about heaped 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 fat garlic cloves
2 inch fresh ginger peeled
1/2 tbsp corinader powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp hot red chilli powder adjust to taste
3 medium tomatoes add to blender & puree smooth
pinch sugar
1 tbsp ginger julinnes optional
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp amchoor powder adjust to taste
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder

Tempering (Optional)

1.5 tbsp mustard oil (or use ghee)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chopped ginger

For Serving

Sliced Onions, Cilantro, Ghee etc

Instructions

Blanch & Grind the Peas

Add salt and sugar and water to a cooking pot. Bring to a boil. Add shelled peas and switch off the stove. Let the peas stand in hot water for 3-5 mins. Drain. You can reserve the water to adjust the consistency of curry later.
Save 1/4 cup peas and add the rest to food processor jar fitted with metal blade and pulse 10-12 times until the peas are coarse. Dont make a smooth paste. The peas should be coarsely ground. Set aside.

Make the Nimona

Pound the garlic and ginger along with cumin seeds using mortar pestle. Keep ready.
In a wide kadhai or heavy pan, add the oil and warm on low medium heat until its slightly smoky.
Carefully add the poatoes to the oil, sprinkle a pinch of salt. Brown the poatoes on all the sides. Do not cook them through. Once browned, take out in a bowl and keep near.
Remove the kadhai from stove and temper the remainng oil with bay leaf, cardamom and cloves. Add hing. Saute for 10 seconds, be careful the spices might crackle.
Return the kadhai/pan back to stove. Next, add the ginger-garlic that we pounded earlier and saute in hot oil for 10 seconds. Dont let burn.
Add the chopped onions next and on low medium heat brown the onions stirring regularly to a nice golden color.
Once the onions are browned, add all the powdered spices- corinader, chilli power, tumeric to the pan. Add 2-3 tbsp of water. Saute the spices very well for 3-5minutes in oil. Once you see oil bubbles seperating, add the tomatoes and pinch of sugar. Saute the tomatoes with onions and spices for 5-6 minutes on low medum heat till you see that the masala is deep in color and the oil is seperating again.
Add the ground peas along with julinned ginger(if using) and mix well with the masala.Also add the reserved peas. Saute the peas with the masala for good 6-7 minutes, scrapping the sides and bottom of pan since the peas have a tendency to stick.
The peas will slowly start turning brown. Keep on sauteing till you see that the peas are lightish brown and bit shiny.
Add about a cup and a half of warm water. Add the potatoes as well. Mix everything, it should be a thick curry right now. Taste and adjust the salt. Bring to a slight boil, cover with a lid, reduce the stove to low and let simmer for 12-14 minutes untill the potatoes are fork tender. If you feel that thenimona is getting too thick for your liking, add 1/4 cup or more water. Simmer after you add water. Dont make very watery though. You will see a little thin layer of oil on stove by the end. Nimona is ready
Mix in the amchoor and roasted cumin powder. Add the tempering(if using). Mix well. Cover and let rest for atleast 30 minutes before serving.

Make Tempering

In a small sauce pan, heat up the mustard oil till smoky. Switch off the stove and the cumin and ginger. Let crackle. Add to the nimona.

Stuffed Paneer Paratha

01/25/202101/25/2021 TanviLeave a comment

Soft and delicious stuffed paratha(flatbread) perfect with a bowl of raita(yogurt) and chutney. These are super easy to make especially is you prep a bit ahead. Fresh homemade crumbled paneer is the best choice here. You can refer to one of my past posts on how to make paneer at home. That is exactly how I make fresh crumbled paneer for parathas. Just follow the steps and skip the block making part.

Over the years, I have changed this recipe a bit from my mom’s. I used to feel that fresh crumbled paneer tasted a bit chalky in a paratha when used as it is. So now I saute the crumbled paneer with spices before mixing it with onions, chllies and cilantro. The result is a very flavorful filling which is fragrant and has a lot of texture.

Keep a few things in mind when you are making these.

Make the dough fresh and rest it (super important). The dough should not be too tight or too soft, in either case you won’t be able to roll the parathas. It is also super important to knead the dough for about 5-8 minutes to smoothen it out, it helps develop the gluten which is important for the right texture of the parathas.
When you saute the paneer, dont dry it out or brown it, thats not the purpose. We just want to add a lot of flavor with spices crackled in oil and sautéed with paneer.
Cook the parathas on a medium hot skillet using enough oil. Flip them carefully because they will be soft. Don’t press too much.

Print Recipe

4 from 1 vote

Stuffed Paneer Paratha

A soft and flavorful indian flatbread (paratha) stuffed with fresh paneer, herb and spices filling.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Breakfast, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: parathas

Author: Tanvi

Equipment

Skillet, Rolling board and pin, 2 Bowls, Pan

Ingredients

For the Dough

1.5 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
luke warm water, as needed
Extra flour for dusting while rolling the parathas

For the Paneer Filling

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
Pinch of ajwain (carrom seeds)
1 cup crumbled paneer
3/4 tsp garam masala adjust to taste
1/4 tsp amchoor
1/4 cup onions finely chopped
2-3 thai green chillies (adjust to taste) finely chopped
1-2 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger finely chopped
Cooking oil as needed

Instructions

Making the Dough

In a large bowl, add the flour, oil and salt.
Gently mix with hands to combine everything together.
Start adding water slowly and mixing with the flour. Bring the flour together, adding water and squeezing continously with finger to bring it together to form a ball. I used a little over 1/2 cup water. Adjust water quantity depending on quality of the atta you are using.
Once the flour has come together, stop adding water and keep kneading for good 5-7 minutes or more to smoothen out into a soft ball, if at any point you feel that the flour is drying out or is too tight, add little water.
Once the dough is smooth and kneaded well, cover it with a damp cloth and let rest for 20 minutes.

Make the Filling

While the dough is resting, make the filling. Heat up 1 tbsp oil in a pan on low medium and crackle the cumin and ajwain seeds in there. Take take not to burn the spices. After 10 seconds, add the paneer and sprinkle all the powdered spices. Mix well and on low heat, saute the paneer for about 5 minutes. Dont let brown or dry out.
Once done, transfer to a bowl, let cool down a bit and add the chopped onions, ginger chillies and cilantro. Add a pinch of sugar. Mix very well. The filling is ready.

Make the Paratha

Place a tawa or cast iron griddle on the stove to heat up. Divide the rested dough into equal portions, you should get about 6 or 7.
Dust the dough portions in dry flour and roll into a 4 inch circle using a rolling pin. Place about 2 tbsp of filling in the center and bring around the sides of the dough to make a small round parcel.
Dust the rolling surface liberally and roll the stuffed dough parcel into a 7 inch circle. Dont press too much while rolling, ideally place yur rolling pin half on the surface and half on the dough for even rolling thickness. Make them as thick or thin you like.
Place the hot tawa. After 15 seconds, or when you see bubbles on top, flip the paratha, brush oil (about 1 tbsp), flip and let cook on oil side, brush oil on the second side, flip and cook till both the sides are golden. Dont press too much when cooking the paratha.
Repeat the above steps for the rest of the dough.
Serve wam with yogurt, butter, pickles or chutney.

Appetizers/Snacks

Rajma Ke Kabab (Vegan & GF Kidney Bean Kababs)

01/07/202101/08/2021 Tanvi4 Comments

Vegetarian kababs were sometimes made by mom to use up the beans or lentils she had leftover. These are a great protein rich vegetarian option, these are super easy to make and form a light meal with some rotis and chutney. Or make burgers or wraps with them.

You can easily make a big batch, shape these and pan fry over a few days as and when you want. There are a few varieties of rajma available in stores but I go for the dark skinned ones mostly because they pack a lot of flavor. The darker the kidney bean, the tastier.

There are a few things to be kept in mind when making these so that the kababs are moist (yet not falling apart) and not dry either. If you are not using leftover boiled rajma and boiling beans just to make these, always mash the rajma after it has cooled down. If you mash it while it is hot, they will be quite sticky, difficult to shape and the texture is not going to be right. Don’t use a food processor or blender – it just kills the texture.

You really dont need any binder to shape these, because the beans bind well on their own. I add a potato just for taste, you can substitute with sweet potatoes(though then they will be a little sweeter) or skip potatoes totally. Use any kinds of beans – garbanzo, black chickpeas, black eyed peas or skin on lentils, this recipe will work for all.

Recipe

Ingredients Makes 8-10 Kababs

1.5 cup boiled rajma (see notes)
1 large potato, boiled and peeled
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped onions ,divided
4 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/2 tsp extra hot red chilli powder (adjust to tolerance)
1 tsp chaat masala (recipe for my homemade blend here)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder, adjust depending on how tangy your chaat masala is and how tangy you prefer, substitute with lime juice)
2 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust to tolerance)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped mint (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for pan frying
Chaat masala, pickled onions, chutney etc to serve.

Notes

You can use canned beans in this recipe.
Make sure that boiled rajma dosent have any liquid. If using canned, drain the beans properly to strain the liquid out.

Method

In a large bowl, mash the cold rajma nicely with hands. It will take a few minutes but avoid using a food processor or blender (it only makes the beans sticky). Try to mash them as fine as possible. Little bits of skins here and there is okay. Separately mash the boiled potato as well. Don’t grate the potato.

On medium heat, heat up oil in a pan (preferably non stick). Crackle the cumin seeds and immediately add 1/3 cup chopped onion, garlic and ginger all together to the pan. Saute for just 30 seconds and add the mashed beans and potato to the pan. Sprinkle all the powdered spices along with salt and mix well to combine. Cook this mixture continuously stirring for 2-3 minutes, you can mash lightly as you go. It will start to clump up into a ball. But will be soft. Dont cook for long else kababs will be dry.

Take off the heat, transfer to a bowl and let cool down completely. Add the rest of the onions, green chillies, cilantro and mint(if using). Combine well gently mixing with spatula or your hand if needed. Knead for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the salt at this stage. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes.

Oil your palms, divide into equal portions and make small patties with your hands. Smooth all around using your palms and fingers. You should get around 8 or 10. Make all the patties and place them on a plate before frying.

Brush 1 tbsp oil on a cast iron skillet or a non stick pan. Once the skillet is hot (not super hot), place the kababs on the skillet and let them fry for 3-5 minutes on a low to medium heat until the bottoms are darkish and crispy. You can add 1 tsp oil at intervals but don’t add lot of oil all at once.

Carefully, using a wide spatula, flip and cook on the other side. These will be soft so be gentle. Cook till browned on other side. Switch off the stove and let the kababs rest on the skillet for 5-7 minutes. This sets them, if you pick up too soon, they will break.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Appetizers/Snacks · Indian Streetfood/Indo Chines

Chicken Manchurian

12/29/202002/27/2021 Tanvi2 Comments

Manchurian is a widely popular Indo Chinese dish in the indian subcontinent. Sold on streets as well as in good restaurants, it is fried vegetable or chicken dumplings in a ‘Manchurian’ sauce. Do not confuse the origins of ‘Manchurian’ sauce – it definitely has nothing to do with the region by the same name in South East Asia. Creatively put together by chinese who lived in eastern parts of India for centuries, imagine it to be an amber-colored, tangy and mildly sweet but hot sauce with hints of spices.

We are huge fans of Indo Chinese food at home. It is a much needed break from the usual daals and curries for dinner. The flavors are enticing and a lovely balance of sweet spicy tangy umami.

Indo chinese tastes best when you use of Indian condiments – I make it a point to use the brands from Indian store for that authentic taste. However, you can very well do few a substitutions and use your pantry to try this recipe. If you have an Indian store near by, do pay a visit and try to stock on these things to try many other recipes already on my blog. There are many condiments and sauces available, but below is a terse list of sauces from the brand “Chings” which will equip you to make some delicious Indo chinese food at home.

Chings Dark Soy Sauce – Its thick and dark and has a strong aroma, not your regular soy sauce used for dipping dumplings or tasting. This robust sauce can stand cooking and is full of umami.
Chings Green Chili Sauce – This is hot. Its basically green chillies ground with vinegar and it lends a grassy heat to the recipes.
Chings Red Chili Sauce – This is red chilies ground with vinegar and it lends more of a smoky rounded heat to your sauce base.
Chings Vinegar or Chings Chili Vinegar – You choose! The latter has chilli notes along with tangy.
Chings Schezwan Chutney – Amazing way to start the recipe, the chili garlic base when sautéed in oil lends a beautiful fiery garlicky notes to whatever you are making. It can be served as it is on a side or tossed with noodles and rice, its just super delicious.

Here the machurian sauce is little different from the vegetable manchurian or gobi manchurian I shared earlier. The selection and measurement of condiments different because chicken needs a more robust sauce. You can serve it with fried rice or hakka noodles for a lip smacking meal.

Recipe

For the Chicken Dumplings

1 lb ground chicken (dark meat,dont use ground chicken breast)
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tbsp red chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
Chopped scallions (optional)
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1.5 tbsp corn starch
1 large egg, beaten
Fresh ground black pepper to tatse
1 tsp salt
Oil to spray (if baking) or enough oil to deep fry

For the Manchurian Sauce

1 tbsp Chings dark soy sauce
1.5 tbsp Chings Red chilli sauce or Sriracha
1 tbsp tomato puree
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp extra hot red chili powder (or to taste)
3 tbsp dark clover honey
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil (its a strong unique flavor, can be skipped)
1 cup+1/2 cup chicken stock (you can use 1/2 stick 1/2 water, dont use only water)
1 tbsp cornstarch (make a slurry with 2 tbsp cold water)
3 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1-2 thai bird green chillies, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
2 scallion stalks, white & green parts chopped separately
Salt to taste
1.5 tbsp vinegar (or to taste)
Chopped cilantro to garnish

Serve with – Fried rice, Hakka Noodles, Chili Garlic Noodles

Notes :-

Don’t use flavored oils like olive or coconut oil for making the sauce. Neutral Oils are best for the sauce.
Use any diced vegetables like bell peppers or baby corn etc in this recipe. Add them after the onions ginger & garlic have finished sautéing.
Add more cornstarch if you like a thickish sauce.
If you dont want to make ground chicken balls, you can add chicken breast or breaded fried chicken pieces to the sauce. Works great!

Method

For the Dumplings

Mix all the listed ingredients except oil in a large bowl. Gently mix everything together using spatula first and then if needed with hands without squishing a lot. Let the mix rest fir 10-15 minutes. If you feel its too sticky (depends on water content of your mince, add another tablespoon of cornstarch). Oil your palms and make lime sized balls with the mixture.You should get about 12-15.

If you are baking:- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a large sheet with parchment. Place the chicken meatballs in a single layer and spray or brush linberally with oil. Bake for 8-9 minutes until the meatballs are firm and whitish from outside. They will finish cooking in sauce.

If you are deep frying – Heat up 3 inch oil in a frying pan. Fry chicken meatballs a few at a time until golden and crispy on medium heat. Drain on a paper towel.

Set the cooked chicken meatballs aside.

Make the Sauce

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, red chilli sauce, tomato puree, coriander & red chilli powder, sesame oil and honey. Taste this concoction a tiny bit once (this is a strong paste right now) and you can adjust the heat or sweetness as you wish. Keep it ready.

Also keep all the chopped vegetables and cornstarch slurry ready. Warm up the chicken stock a bit. Keep everything ready to go because this sauce comes together very fast once you start cooking.

In a wide wok or heavy bottomed, heat up the oil on high. Once the oil is smoky, add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger scallion white parts and green chillies all at once. Saute for 2-3 minutes until you smell a nice aroma. If you are using any vegetables, now is the time to add them and saute on high heat for 1-2 mins. Dont cook a lot, they will be perfect by the end of cooking. I did not add any vegetables.

Add the soy sauce mix we made earlier to the wok. Saute for a couple minutes on high heat continuously stirring and then add the warm chicken stock. Add the salt to taste. Reduce the heat to medium and let the stock heat up. You will start to see bubbles on the sides. At this point add the baked chicken meatballs and let them finish cooking for 2-3 minutes or so in the sauce. Dont add the meatballs if you deep fried them (We will add at the end).

Add the cornstarch slurry next and let simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce is a bit thick and smooth. Switch off the stove. If you deep fried the meatball, add them now. Add the vinegar and green parts of the scallions along with some fresh chopped cilantro. Mix together gently and serve immediately.

Enjoy!