Dubke ( Thick gravy of dal paste with pakodas )

Dubke

Dubke are special dish made in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. At is a wonderful variation of dal dish, as main course and accompaniment to rice. In the chill of morning when steaming hot Dubke are placed before me with steaming hot rice and a dollop of Ghee I feel that I am eating the best meal of my life. Because not only dubke is my favorite dis but also it is cooked and served by my mother. Mothers love makes everything super tasty. So make it instead of regular dal-chawal. Your family will love this dal dish

Preparation Time: 10min. (Dal soaking time not included)

Cooking Time: 30 min. (approximately)

Servings: 4 large helpings

Ingredients Required for Making Dubke:

• 100 gm. Tur Dal (Arhar dal)

• 2 Medium size Tomatoes

• Salt to taste

• 1/2Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 2Tea spoon Cumin seeds

• 2Tea spoon Mustard seeds

• 1-2 Whole Red Chilies

Spices for Dubke

•  1/2 Tea spoon Jambu (A herb found in Kumaon region of India)

Jambu (A herb grown in higher altitude of Kumaon (India) and Nepal

• 1 Tea spoon Ghee (Clarified Butter)

• Few sprigs of coriander leaves

• Cooking oil for frying

• Water

Directions for Making Dubke:

• Wash and soak dal in water for 3-4 hrs.

• Drain all water from the soaked dal and grind it to thick fine paste.

• Take half of the dal paste and add salt and 1/2 tea spoon of cumin seeds to it.

• Take oil in wok and heat it to smoking hot.

• Lower the flame and make pakodas of the dal paste with salt and cumin seeds.

• Put the pakodas of dal in water and allow them to soak.

Soaked Pakodas

• Make paste of tomatoes.

• Slit the green chilies and deseed them and cut to small pieces.

• Take 5ml. oil in the wok and heat it on high flame.

• When the oil is smoking hot put 1/2tea spoon cumin seeds, 1/2teaspoon mustard seeds and let them splutter.

• Add green chili pieces and asafoetida and immediately put the remaining paste of dal and cook it with vigorous stirring for a min.

• Add 200 ml. water and cook on low flame with continuous mixing till all paste and water make a homogenous mixture.

Paste of dal cooked with spices and made to lump less mixture

• Add Turmeric powder and salt.

• Add 250 ml. water and cook on high flame high flame till it starts boiling.

• Lower the flame and cook for 15-20min. with occasional stirring.

Dal paste being cooked with spices

• Add paste of tomato and 100ml. water and cook for another 10min.

• Add the soaked pakodas and nd cook for another 5 min.

Tomato paste and Pakodas being cooked in Dubke

• Remove the wok from gas.

• Dubke with pakodas is ready.

Dubke ready for Seasoning

• Take out dubke in a serving bowl.

• In a pan take ghee heat it.

• When the oil becomes smoking hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, whole red chili and in the last Jambu.

• Wonderful smell of Jambu along with cumin and mustard seeds will come.

• Immediately pour the ghee with all ingredients on the dubke.

Dubke

• Garnish with Coriander leaves or just enjoy it without garnishing with hot rice, Palak ka kappa ( A kumauni preparation of spinach) and mango pickle

  http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html

Tips:

• Do not add too much water while grinding else paste will become thin and you will not be able to make pakodas.

• While cooking the paste for dubke if in the starting small lumps are formed do not worry but press them to the wall of wok with the spoon and dissolve in the water present in the wok.

• Jambu is an herb grown in higher altitude of Kumaon hill and Nepal. It is daily used for seasoning dal, dubke and vegetables in Kumaon. Its flavor comes best when ghee is used. So do not replace ghee with oil if you can get Jambu.

• Do not worry if you do not have Jambu, you can yet make and enjoy this authentic Kumauni dish.

Suggested Variations:

• Tur dal can be replaced by green moong dal, yellow moong dal, Masoor dal.

• Tomato paste can be replaced by raw mango pieces or amchur powder, but do not add tamarind or tamarind paste the original color and taste of dubke will change.

Sweet and Sour White Gravy (Coconut and Curd base)

This gravy has wonderful flavors of curd, coconut and curry leaves. It is apt for vegetables like cauliflower, mix vegetables/fish/prawns/chicken and goes quite well with paneer (cottage cheese) also. My personal preference is fish/chicken/prawns and vegetables to be cooked in it.

Preparation time: 10-15 min.
Cooking time: 15 min.
Servings: Enough for 1/2 kg of vegetables/ chicken/ fish/ paneer (Cottage Cheese).

Ingredients Required For Gravy 

• 1 Tender Coconut.
• 50 – 60 gm. Thick Curd.
• 1 Medium size Onion.
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic.
• 2cm. Piece of Ginger.
• 2-3   Green chilies.
• 4-5 Curry leaves ( sweet Neem leaves).
• 1 cm. Cinnamon stick.
• 2-3 cloves.
• 1 Black Cardamom.
• 5ml. Cooking Oil.
• Salt to taste.

  Direction To Prepare Coconut Gravy

• Take the kernel of tender coconut and grate it.
• Grind it in a grinder adding water in small proportions, till it resembles a thick batter.
• Take the coconut paste in a sieve or thin cloth and squeeze till all coconut thick milk comes out.
• Collect it in a bowl and keep aside.
• Put the left over coconut left after removal of milk in grinder.
• Add 30-40ml. water and grinder.
• Take it out and squeeze to take out the milk. This time milk would be thin.
• Collect it in separate bowl and keep aside.
• Cut onion very fine.
• Make paste of ginger and garlic.
• Take oil in a thick bottom wok and heat.
• When its smoking hot reduce the flame and add cloves, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, curry leaves and cook for 1/2 min.
• Add green chilies and cook for 1/2 min.
• Add finely cut onion and cook till light golden in color.
• Add thin coconut milk ( the one which was taken out second time) and cook for 2-3 min. with constant stirring till it thickens.
• Add thick coconut milk (the one taken out first time) and cook for 2 min.with constant stirring.
• Add curd and cook for 1 min. with constant stirring.
• Remove from heat and add salt.
• Coconut gravy is ready for sauteed vegetables / chicken / fish / prawns to be added and cooked for 2min.

For Garnishing

• Take 2-3 ml of oil in a pan and heat.
• When smoking hot reduce the flame.
• Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds let them split.
• Add red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder.
• Chilies will turn brownish and curry leaves dark green, wonderful smell of chilly, curry leaves, cumin, and mustard asafoetida will start coming.
• Spread the mixture over the vegetable / chicken cooked in coconut gravy.

Tip(s)

• Those who do not eat onion / garlic can omit onion and garlic.
• Add salt in the last to avoid splitting in coconut milk.
• Always separate thick (first ) milk and thin (second) milk.

Gravy Lazawab(Poppy Seed Based Gravy)

As it is said that how a person is dressed makes the first impression, how the person speaks makes the second impression and the last impression is made by the behavior. The same is true for food also. The first look and smell will make the first impression of food on the person. And in Vegetables / Chicken / Paneer (Cottage Cheese) with gravy, the texture and color of gravy is the big deciding factor. The taste of the Vegetables ,Chicken or Paneer (Cottage Cheese) can be changed by simply changing the gravy.

Preparation Time: 10 min.

Cooking time: 30 min.

Servings: Sufficient for 1/2 kg vegetables/ chicken/ paneer (Cottage Cheese)

Ingredients Required For White Gravy:

• 100gm.Onions( cut to long pieces.)
• 25 gm. Garlic-Ginger paste.
• 2 Tea spoon paste of Poppy seeds.
• 2 Tea spoons of Sesame seeds paste.
• White pepper powder to taste. 
• 50 ml. Cream.(4 Tea spoon of fresh Malai )
• Salt to taste.
• 2 Bay leaves.
• 3-4 Cloves.
• 2cm. Piece of Cinnamon.
• 1 Pinch of Nutmeg Powder.
• 10-15 ml. Cooking oil.
• 200ml. water.

Direction For Preparing White Gravy:

• Take a thick bottom wok and 8-10 ml. oil in it and heat.
• When smoking hot add cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves and cook for 1 min.
• Low the heat and add onions and cook on low flame till completely transparent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2-3 min. on low flame.
• Allow it to cool .
• Remove Bay leaves, cinnamon stick and grind to paste ( if required add very little water).
• Add the remaining oil in wok and heat.
• Add sesame paste and cook for 1min.
• Add poppy seeds paste and cook for 2-3 min.
• Add the cooked paste of onion, garlic, ginger and cook for 4-5min.
• Add white pepper powder and cook for 1min.
• Add nutmeg powder and cook for 1min.
• Add 100-150-ml. of water, salt and cook for 4-5min.
• Add cream, cook for 1 min. and remove from heat.
• Cover and leave for 4-5min. The gravy will become thick, creamy and yummy!!!  

 Sauteed  Vegetables / Chicken / Paneer (Cottage Cheese) added to this gravy and cooked for  5 mins. and further allowed to stand covered for 5-10 mins. makes the perfect Veg/ Non-Veg dish

Tip(s):

• Always take a thick bottom wok this will ensure that onions are properly cooked without turning red / brown.
• Those who do not take onion/garlic the amount of poppy seeds paste can be increased to 5-6 spoons.
• Make sure the poppy seed and sesame seed paste is cooked properly.
• The color of the paste of poppy seeds and sesame seeds will change to little transparent when cooked.
• Do not add too much water as it will change the texture and taste of gravy.
• Soak the poppy / sesame seeds for 30min. before making paste.
• The gravy will taste little sweetish so if you want you can add dry mango powder according to the taste.
• To add color to the prepared dish season it with fried whole red chili, cherry and sprig of coriander.

 Oops!!! my son is not going to like the last sentence. He does not like coriander. But it can always be replaced by Kasoori Methi (dry methi).

Gatte ki Sabji (Gatte Curry)

Gatte ki Sabji

This is a very popular dish of  Rajasthan and Gujarat in India. My friend's mom used to send it  whenever she made it  for me in the hostel and my taste buds tickled. My daughter's friend once landed up when I had no vegetable in my fridge and she was a pure vegetarian. So I tried this dish and not only she loved it but spread the words around about it, and I landed up making Gatte ki sabji every now and then . Am I complaining no dear no!! :)


Preparation time: 5 min.
Cooking time for gatte: 10 min.
Cooking time for gravy: 10 min
Servings: 5-6 large servings

Ingredients required for Gatte (Boiled roll of Black gram flour)

• 200 gm Besan ( Black gram powder)
• 1/4 Tea spoon Turmeric powder
• 10 ml. Cooking oil for adding to besan 
• Salt to taste.
• 1 Tea spoon Chilly powder( or to taste) 
• Cooking oil for frying
• Water 1/2 L.

Directions to prepare Gatte

• Take besan in a deep bowl / plate add the following and mix properly.
• Salt 
• Chilly powder
• Turmeric powder
• 10 ml. oil

Besan with Turmeric powder, salt, oil, chili powder

The mixture of Besan, oil, salt, turmeric powder and chili powder after mixing

• Sprinkle water to the above mixture and keep on kneading till it becomes soft dough.

Dough

• Put 1/2 liter water in a container and keep for boiling. 
• Divide the dough into four equal parts

Four parts of dough

• Roll them to 1/2 inch diameter rolls.

Rolls

•  Cut the rolls to approximately 2-4 inches length.

Rolls cut to pieces before boiling

• When water starts boiling put the rolls into water and allow them to cook for at least 15 min.
• The gatte should become hard. 

Boiled Gatte

• Sieve the water and keep the boiled gatte to cool.
• When the rolls become cold cut them into small round pieces as per your liking.

Boiled Gatte cut into small pieces

• Fry them till golden brown. 

Gatte being fried

Ingredients required for Gravy 

• Onion 2 medium size, cut finely
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, and 1inch ginger piece both made to paste
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• Oil 1 tea spoon
• Salt to taste
• Chilly powder1/2 tea spoon
• Water 1/2 Liter
• 2 tea spoons cream (malai) (Optional).
• Finely cut coriander leaves.

Directions to prepare Gravy

• Take oil in kadai and heat it. 
• When the oil is hot,  add cloves and bay leaf,onions and cook till onions are golden brown.
• Add garlic ginger paste to the above mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and cook till they leave side of kadai.
• Add fried gatte and mix nicely.
• Add 100ml.water and cook on low flame for 10 min. with occasional stirring.

Gatte being cooked in Onion, Tomato gravy along with Red bell Pepper

• In between you can add water to get the thickness of gravy as per your liking.

Gatte ki sabji cooked in gravy along with Red bell Pepper

Enjoy  hot Gatte ki curry with rice or chapatis. :)
Tips :

• If the besan mixture sticks on your fingers while kneading then apply oil to your fingers.
• The water which is left after boiling gatte can be used in gravy.
• Gatte can be shallow fried instead deep fried to reduce the oil content of vegetable.

Suggested Variations :

• While making the dough of gatte, in the mixture of besan Kasoori methi / Finely cut onions / Caraway seeds(Ajwain) /Green chili / Coriander leaves can be added to have different flavor Gatte.
• While making gravy Capsicum ? Red bell pepper / yellow bell pepper / carrots / beans etc. can be added to bring more color and nutrition to the vegetable of Gatte.
• Fried gatte can also be cooked in 
• Sweet and Sour Gravy,
   http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/11/white-gravy-3.html  
• Creamy Delicious Gravy,
  http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/11/white-gravy-2.html 
• Gravy Lazawab,
   http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/11/white-gravy-1.html

Rajma(Brown beans in Onion gravy)

Rajama

 Rajma are called mutton of vegetarian because it is very rich in proteins. family loves Rajma -Chawa combination along with curd and salad so much that once a week it has to be cooked. The preparation is so much liked by my son that he would demand it for his lunch box also. And before I could bat my eye lids his friends from hostel also started landing home with demand of Rajama.How much a lady loves when her cooking is appreciated, so I had no qualms in preparing it again and again.

         Preparation time: 10 min.
        Cooking time: 45 min.
        Servings:  4 large.

  Ingredients Required For Making Rajama : 

• 250gm. Rajma washed and soaked for 10 - 12 hrs.
• 75gm. Onions (2 medium size)
• 2 Tea spoon Garlic-Ginger paste
• 50gm.Tomatoes ( Two Medium size0
• 3-4 Cloves
• 2 Black cardamon 
• 2 Petals of Aniseed.
• 2-3 Bay leaves 
• 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tea spoon Garam masala powder 
• 1/2 tea spoon Cumin powder 
• Salt  to taste.
• Chilly powder as per the taste.
• 1/2 tea spoon Turmeric powder 
• Cooking oil (100 ml) 
• Malai (fresh cream) ( optional) (100 ml) 
• For garnish Coriander leaves or Celery/Parsley leaves finely cut after washing.

Directions For Making Rajma:

• Wash the soaked Rajma and put it in pressure cooker along with:
• 3-4 Cloves
• 2 Black Cardamon
• 1 small Aniseed piece
• 2-3 Bay leaves 
• 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
• Salt.
•  Chilly Powder
• 1/2 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder 
• 500 ml. of water
• Cover and put the cooker on flame. 
• When pressure is built in the cooker then allow rajma to cook on low flame for 1/2 hr.

Boiled Rajma

• Cut onions very fine.
• Wash and cut tomatoes to 1 inch pieces and put in a grinder and make fine paste of it.
• In a thick bottom wok put oil and heat.
• Add 1/2 cloves, bay leaves and cook for 30 sec.
• Add onions, lower the flame and cook till golden brown.Keep stirring regularly.

• Add garlic ginger paste to the onions and cook till the entire mixture leaves the wall of the wok.

Onion - Garlic and spices cooked and ready for Tomato to be added

• Add tomatoes into it and cook again till the entire mixture leaves the wall of kadhai.

Tomatoes added to the Onion-Garlic paste

• Add boiled rajma from cooker to the above mixture and mix nicely.

Boiled Rajma added to the onion garlic and spices paste

• Allow it to cook for 15 min. 
• Add water in between if required.
• Add cumin powder and garam masala.
• Rajama is ready to be eaten with plain boiled rice/jeera rice

Rajma ready to be served

• Remove the cooked rajma in a serving bowl and add malai (cream) and mix it gently. 
• Garnish it with the herb of your choice

         Enjoy Rajma with hot plain rice or jeera rice. :)

     Tips : -

• Throw the water in which the rajama is soaked and add fresh water for boiling.
• Add garam masala in the end. 
•  Do not add cooking soda while boiling rajma.            

Suggested Variations:

• For those who do not eat onion and garlic 2-3 teaspoons  extra coriander powder can be added. 

• Mix finely cut onion, tomato, little chat masala and red chili powder. Mix with hot boiled rajma and enjoy as chat- pati rajma chat. 

   

Badi ki Sabzi /बड़ी की सब्ज़ी ( indian Curry of Badi)

Badi Ki Sabji

Badi are made of urad  dal.To the soaked, ground urad dal some times grated and nicely squeezed cucumber/bottle gourd are added, then after mixing them are dropped as small globules on an oiled plate or on a plastic and dried under sun. These can be stored and use as and when required.In Punjab instead of cucumber/ bottle gourd lots of chilli and garam masala is added to make them real spicy.I find badi one of the best discovery made by house wife.God bless the soul of the lady who brought it to existence!!!

Preparation Time : 10 min.
Cooking Time : 30 -40 min.
Servings : 4 medium servings.

Ingredients required for Badi ki Sabji

• 10 - 12 Badi , and if it is Punjab badi then one big broken into small pieces

Home made Badi

• 2 Medium size Potatoes peeled and cut to 1 inches size

Potatoes cut to pieces

• 2 medium size Tomatoes made to paste

Tomato Paste

• 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder.
• 2 Teaspoon Coriander seed powder.
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds.
• 1/4 Teaspoon mustard seeds.
• One red dry chilly.
• Garam masala 1/2 tea spoon.
• Salt to taste.
• 5 - 10 ml. Cooking oil. 

Directions to prepare Badi ki Sabji

• Heat oil in kadai ( wok), and shallow fry the badi in it till golden in color.

Badi being shallow fried

• Remove them from kadai once done .

Shallow fried Badi

• Add cumin seeds, red chilly pieces in the remaining oil and cook for a min. 

Cumin seeds and red chilli being cooked in the remaining oil

• Add potatoes in it and stir fry for 5 min.

Potatoes being cooked with seasoning

• Add  fried badi in it and stir and cook for a min.

Badi , added after frying potatoes

•  Add tomato paste and cook till the mixture leaves the wall of wok.

Tomatoes being cooked with badi

•  Add turmeric powder, salt, garam masala, coriander seed powder,mix thoroughly and cook for a min.

Masala added to badi potato mix in the wok.

• Add 300 ml of water mix and cover it.

Water added  to the mixture in the wok

• Allow to cook on low flame for 20 minutes.
• Keep stirring in between.
• Remove from heat when potatoes and badi are tender.
• Put the cooked badi sabji in serving bowl and garnish it with finely cut coriander leaves .

Add caption

Enjoy the sabji with cooked rice and curd, or chapati and curd/raita :) 

My son enjoying Badi ki sabji with Bathue ka raita and rice

Tips :

• Fry the badi light brown as due to hot oil in them they will gain darker color even after removing from heat. 
• If you are using Punjabi badi then cook in cooker as it will cook fast and will turn out tender.

Suggested Variations:

• Badi ki sabji can be made in Micro wave 

• Take a spoonful of oil coat he badi with it and micro for a min so that Badi become brown.

• Cook the potato pieces with little water and salt in micro for 2-3 min.

• Mix the browned badi, potato pieces, paste of tomato, and pieces in a micro wave cooking container and cook for 10min.
• Take 1/2Teaspoon of oil in a small pan /spoon heat it and add cumin seeds, 1-2 whole red chili and when the cumin seeds split and chili become brownish red pour them over them micro cooked badi ki sabji.