Bachelor's Egg Curry ( 1 tsp Oil Calorie Recipe Series )

 IMP - Bachelor's Egg Curry is an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on oriyarasoi.com.


During the years spent as a bachelor, I have stayed at quite a few rented places. The furnished ones are always the first preference for most of us but sadly very few of them live up to their claims. A majority of the owners make it a point to provide the basic stuff and leave out small but useful appliances . A mixer-grinder is one such item that most flat owners like to classify as a luxury. While it is totally possible to cook a meal without using one, we Indians are suckers for curries steeped in onion-ginger-garlic gravy. But is it possible to make a decent gravy without the use of a mixer-grinder ?

Yes, it is entirely possible. As with a majority of our inventions (that we so lovingly label as 'jugaad'), this gravy was born out of necessity. I learnt to stir up a mean gravy without using any appliances and that too in record time. And it was made possible by the use of a pressure cooker !! Plus, the entire process helped me to cut down on the quantity of oil that I used to put in my curries.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 eggs
• 1 small onion
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2 cloves
• 1 green cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon 
• 1 dry red chili
• 2 pinch cumin seeds
• 2 pinch red chili powder
• 1 pinch garam masala
• 1/2 tsp kasuri methi
• 2 tsp chopped cilantro
• 2 pinch turmeric
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 bay leaf (optional)

Preparation - Peel and cut the onion into 4 pieces. Chop the ginger and garlic into small pieces.

Transfer to a pressure cooker along with 1 cup water.  Add the remaining whole spices and tomato.

Close the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles on medium flame.

Drain the water into a cup and remove the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Crush the remaining ingredients with a back of a heavy spoon.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the cumin and bay leaf.

Once the cumin seeds start spluttering, add the turmeric powder. Immediately add the onion-tomato paste.

Cook for 5 mins. Add the chili powder, garam masala and kasuri methi along with the saved water.

Bring to a boil. Break the eggs gently and add most of the whites to the curry. Stir the curry gently for about a minute.

Once they are cooked, add the yolks and close with a lid. Let it simmer gently for 2 minutes if you like them runny inside. Else cook for 2-3 mins more.

Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with rotis/phulkas or even some white rice.

Fish Head Masala ( Fish Head cooked in Typical Punjabi Style )

Food innovations are all about following one's instincts and cravings. And breaking all those rules can sometimes lead to delicious results. Most of my signature recipes are lessons in sheer craziness and yet they are delectable without a doubt. This Sunday my family had to put up with yet another episode of madness when I decided to cook the much revered Rohu fish head in a Punjabi style gravy topped up with a dash of Chinese flavoring.

Needless to say, husband had his reservations. He argued that the most prized part of the Rohu's anatomy could have been put to better use. "With a plethora of Odia recipes available, what is the need to try something else ?", he put forward his views. But I had become smitten by another recipe posted by a dear friend on Facebook and I just had to try this variation. The Chinese bit was my addition as I did not want a dominant 'garam masala' flavor. And the final product turned out to be drool-worthy.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 Fish head ( big one cut into two halves )
• 1 Fish Tail 
• 1 mediun sized potato
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves
• 2 inch cinnamon
• 6-7 peppercorns
• 1 large country tomato 
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions
• 1-2 slit green chilis
• 1-2 finely chopped garlic cloves 
• salt to taste
• 3 tsp oil

Preparation - Marinate the fish head and tail with 1/4 tsp turmeric and salt . Let it stand for 15 mins.

Grind the onion to a fine paste and keep aside.

Puree the tomato and keep aside

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick . Add the fish head and tail and fry for 7-8 mins . Then lightly crush the fish head so that it turns up a little more crisp. The whole process should take about 15 mins on a medium flame. Remove and keep aside.

Peel and cut the potato into 4 parts. Add it to the same wok and fry till they turn light brown on the sides. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the whole spices and fry till fragrant.

Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for 2-3 mins.

Add the onion paste and cook to a light brown.

Finally add the tomato puree with the soy sauce and remaining powdered spices. Cook till oil starts to leave the sides.

Add the fried fish head, tail and potato pieces. Saute for 1-2 mins before adding 1 cup hot water. Cover and let cook for 6-7 mins or till potatoes are done.

Now add the chopped garlic and spring onions. Simmer for a minute.

Remove from the flame and serve hot with steamed rice or rotis !!

Mushroom Paneer Masala ( And a box full of Nostalgia )

One of the most wretched things in life is perhaps being away from loved ones during the festive season. I was feeling completely heartbroken as this year work commitments kept us from visiting our hometown during the Dusshera celebrations.  The new clothes were there, the sweets were there and quite a number of bedecked pandals were strewn all over Bangalore. But the close ones with whom we would have loved to share all this were missing. I guess that is the thing about joy. It multiplies manifold when shared.

Hence, when a beautiful green colored box arrived one afternoon, it stirred memories of celebrations back home. As I opened the box, the delectable 'Tata Sampann' spice packets tumbled out unleashing a floodgate of nostalgia. 'Paneer Masala', 'Dal Takdka masala' and 'Punjabi Choley Masala' reminded me of the delicious vegetarian meals cooked by my 'mausi' and 'mamis'. With schools being closed for Dusshera vacation, all of us would gather at 'mama's' place for fun and food. With so many people in the house, the kitchen hardly got any respite. The younger lot of ladies would be in charge of whipping of the meals while my 'nani' took to keeping an eye over the kids. The terrace would be lined with the freshly dug turmeric and red chillis, which in turn attracted our curiosity. While in those days I clearly remember sulking over not being allowed to play with those spices, today I realize that their tantalizing culinary creations carried the magical touch of these home ground spices.
Each individual use sachet of TATA Sampann seals in the same freshness of the best quality spices that still retain their natural oils which are responsible for that unmistakable aroma of the home ground spices. These spices are further sourced from the best farms and are 100 percent sterilized to ensure complete safety for one's family. Plus the signature 'masalas' are developed under the expertise of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor who is a name to reckon with.

Given our hectic lifestyle and the obvious absence of a terrace to carry out such ventures, I could never imagine creating those magical concoctions in my own kitchen. But as I cut open the carefully sealed spice packets from 'Tata Sampann', the heady aroma and the striking hues made my head spin. 'Sampann' literally translates into rich and that it exactly what these spices felt like.

I prepared a simple meal consisting of a mushroom-paneer curry, dal tadka , steamed rice and salad for our 'Dashami' lunch. Tantalizing aromas enveloped the entire house even as I added finishing touches to the spread. Some of it even escaped to tease the neighbors, and in turn, prompting queries like 'what's special today ?'. And needless to say, my family had one of their best meals in the recent times.

Read on for the recipe for Mushroom Paneer Masala, a dish that never fails to invoke my childhood memories -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 200 gm paneer
• 200 gm button mushrooms
• 1/2 sachet of Tata Sampann Paneer Masala
• 2 tsp cream (optional)
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp Tata Sampann turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Tata Sampann red chili powder ( adjust as per taste )
• 2 pinch garam masala
• 3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp butter (optional)

For the gravy -

• 1 large onion ( cut into chunks )
• 10 garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1 inch ginger ( peeled and chopped into juliennes )
• 2 small tomatoes
• 2 pinch salt 
• 1 green cardamom
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 2-3 cloves
• 3-4 cashews 
• 1 tsp melon seeds (char-magaj)
• 1 tsp poppy seeds

Preparation - Soak cashews, poppy seeds and melon seeds in warm water for 30 mins.

Clean the mushrooms by rubbing them on a rough kitchen towel before then washing under running water. Slice them along the length.

Cut the paneer into cubes and immerse in salted water.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Fry till fragrant.

Add onion, ginger and garlic cloves . Fry till raw smell goes off.

Add the chopped tomato and fry till they soften a bit. Finally toss in the soaked cashews and fry for 2 mins.

Remove from flame and keep aside till it cools down. Grind into a smooth paste and keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil and butter in the same wok. Add the masala paste and fry for 2-3 mins before adding the sliced mushrooms.

Turn up the heat and fry the mushrooms till they leave most of their water.

Sprinkle the red chili powder, turmeric powder and the Tata Sampann Paneer masala. Fry for 3-4 mins before adding about 1 1/2 cups of hot water. Adjust salt.

Bring to a boil before letting it simmer. Once the gravy is done, sprinkle garam masala and toss in the paneer cubes . Switch off the flame.

Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Thank you Tata Sampann for sending over this box full of nostalgia !

Kaddu Ke Koftey ( Pumpkim dumplings in a spicy gravy )

Most folks are not fond of pumpkin or it does not come to their notice. Hence when I mention that it is one of my favorite veggies, they tend to look flummoxed. Whether it is the aromatic Sri lankan style curry, the somewhat sweet pumpkin-dill soup or the slightly charred pumpkin fry from Odisha, I enjoy it in every form. So, when my mom mentioned this North Indian Pumpkin kofta curry, I just had to give it a try.

I modified her version a little by stuffing raisins inside it (a neighbor had suggested it to me). Fried the koftas in a appe pan to cut down on the oil. And made the gravy a little more rich by adding some cashews and milk to it. My efforts paid off when everyone wanted a second helping of this yummy curry. Read on (and do not forget to try this) -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients - 

For the koftas -

• 3 cups grated pumpkin (Odia - boitalu)
• 1 small boiled and peeled potato
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp besan
• salt to taste
• a pinch of garam masala
• 2 grated garlic flakes

For the gravy -

• 1 large onion (diced)
• 7-8 garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 green cardamom
• 1 clove
• 1-2 kashmiri red chili
• 1 large tomato
• 1 tsp kasuri methi
• 4-5 cashews
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp butter

Preparation - Add a little salt to the grated pumpkin and keep aside for 15 mins. Squeeze it to remove the excess water. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients required for making the koftas. Mix well and divide into small portions. Shape into balls while inserting 1-2 raisins into the center of each one.

Cooking - Heat an appam pan. Add a few drops of oil into each cavity. Place the balls into the cavity and cook on all sides till brown. Remove and keep aside on a paper towels.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the red chili, cinnamom, cardamom and cloves. Once fragrant, add the garlic, ginger and onion. Cook till onion becomes translucent. Add cashews and fry for 30 seconds more.

Add the tomato at this stage and cook till mushy. Add the kasuri methi and mix once before removing from flame. 

Allow to stand aside till it cools down to room temperature. Blend into a smooth paste.

Heat the same wok.  Add butter to it and allow it to melt. Add the tomato onion paste and cook for 3-4 mins. 

Finally add the milk along with 1/2 cup water. Add salt. Bring it to a slow boil. Let simmer for 3-4 mins.

Add the koftas and cook for 1 min before switching off the flame. Let it stand covered for 10 mins before serving.

Serve hot with rotis or white rice.

Amritsari Alu Gobi

Amritsari Alu Gobi is a simple yet flavorsome Punjabi curry with a hint of a tang. The cauliflower florets and the potatoes are cooked to a very tender stage and as a result one gets a curry that has an almost mashed kind of texture. It goes great with some piping hot rotis !!

While it does remind me of our 'Phulakobi Jholo' or Odia cauliflower curry, this one has more tang, garam masala and almost zero bite when compared to the former. Call it an Odia thing if you wish, but we Odias prefer to have a bite to our veggies / meat. Almost like al-dente. And hence I take care not to overcook the cauliflower when I make this curry as my husband refused to eat it the first time.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients:

• 250 gm Cauliflower
• 1 large onion
• 1 large potato 
• 2-3 green chilis
• 2-3 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 large + 1 medium sized tomatao
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/3 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/3 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 pinch asafoetida
• 1/4 tsp amchur (or as per taste)
• 2 tsp kasuri methi
• 1-2 nos green cardamon 
• 1 inch long cinnamon 
• 1-2 nos cloves
• 1 no bay leaf
• 5 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar (my addition)
• cilantro for garnishing

Preparation: Cut the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Potato should be cut into cubes.

Cut the onion into small pieces. Make a paste out of it and keep aside

Make a puree out of the tomato or chop into very fine bits.

Cooking: Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Add turmeric followed by the cauliflower florets and stir fry for 7-8 mins. Add the potato cubes and fry for 3-4 mins more. Remove from pan and keep aside.

Heat remaining oil in the same wok. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and whole spices. Fry till fragrant. Add the asafoetida and the chopped green chilis and fry for 30 seconds.

Add the onion paste along with the GG paste and fry till raw smell goes away. Add all the powdered masala (except amchur) and fry for 1 minute.

Add the tomato pureed/finely chopped . Cook till oil starts to separate out.

Add the fried florets and potatoes along with the kasuri methi, salt and 2-3 cups of water.

Boil for 8-10 mins or till the gravy thickens to ones' preference. Finally stir in the amchur powder and sugar just before removing from the flame.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rotis/paranthas.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is perhaps one of the most popular dishes to be ordered at any Punjabi restaurant. Chicken pieces simmered in a rich gravy, this is one curry which is low on the heat index. As one moves towards the Northern reaches of India, it even gets progressively sweeter and richer. However at the same time, it has a calorie count that is guaranteed to send you scurrying for the nearest gym on the very next day. At least some health freaks like me would be feel the same way !!

But it is my personal opinion that this is one dish that is enjoyed best at the roadside dhabas where it acquires a whole new flavor !! This is my own recipe which is relatively lower in calories and equally tasty. The trick lies in marinating the chicken for a longer duration and then cooking it on a low flame.

Read for the recipe -

Cooking Time Required: 35 mins

Ingredients:

For marination -

• 300 gm chicken pieces
• 2 tbsp thick yogurt
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 7-8 almonds ( 7-8 nos )
• 2 green cardamon
• 3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 2 pinch turmeric ( a pinch )
• salt to taste

For cooking Butter Chicken :

• 4-5 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 inch cube cooking butter
• 2 tsp oil ( 1 tsp )
• 1/5 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp kasuri methi 
• 2 tsp honey 
• salt

Preparation: Rub salt and turmeric on the chicken pieces and keep aside for 10 mins.

Grind the whole spices, almonds and tomatoes into a sooth paste. Add yogurt &
ginger-garlic paste and blend for 30 secs.

Transfer the chicken pieces to a large bowl. Pour the paste into the bowl and mix well. Keep aside for 1 hour.


Cooking: Heat the oil and cooking butter in a wok. Add the chopped onions and crushed garlic .Fry for 3-4 mins till the sides start turning brown.

Add the contents of the marination bowl. Stir fry for 10 mins. Add 1 tsp coriander
leaves along with 1 cup water and simmer for 2 mins.

Remove from the stove and add the cream. Stir continuously for 2-3 mins. Allow to simmer for 5-6 mins or till the chicken is done.

Sprinkle garam masala and coriander leaves, and remove from the stove. Serve hot with rotis.