Indian recipes of Western India (Vatanyachi Usal) Vatanyachi Usal (White Pea Curry)
Serves 12
Ingredients
½ cup and 2 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 medium (200) grams Onions thinly sliced
10 grams Ginger chopped
5 Flakes Garlic
¾ cup Grated coconut
2 Tablespoons Coriander Leaves Chopped
1 tablespoon red chilly powder
4 ¾ Cups water
2 medium (200 Grams) Onions Chopped
2 Medium (200) grams Tomatoes Chopped
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 ½ cups dry white peas soaked overnight or in hot water for 2 hours and drained
Procedure
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan for about 1 minute. Add sliced onions, ginger and garlic. Fry till onions are transparent. Add chopped onions and fry till pale brown. Add ground paste. Stir for a few seconds. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt and 1111/4 cup water. Cook till tomatoes are pulpy and oil shows separately (approximately five minutes), stirring occasionally. Add peas and mix well. Add remaining water (4 Cups) Stir once. Close pressure cooker and bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for twelve minutes. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally. Open cooker and serve hot.
Back Cuisine (Western India) Mixed Vegetable Pulao
Serves 8
Ingredients
7 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
2 Bay Leaves
2 Sticks (2 ½ cms each) cinnamon
4 Brown Cardamoms
5 Cloves
3 Medium ( ¼ kg) carrots peeled and cut into 2 ½ cm. long strips
100 Grams French Beans cut diagonally into 2 ½ cm long strips
1 Cup Peas shelled or frozen
3 Cups Basmati rice washed and drained
4 Teaspoons Salt
3 ½ Cups Water
Procedure:
Heat oil in pressure cooker for about 2 minutes. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Stir for a few seconds. Add carrots, beans and peas. Stir and fry for about 2 minutes. Add rice. Fry till rice approximately for three minutes till it turns opaque. Add salt and water. Stir once. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for three minutes. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally for five minutes. Release pressure with slight lifting of vent weight. Open cooker. Serve hot.
Back Bengali Cuisine Aloor Dum
(Spicy Potatoes- Bengal Style)
Serves 10
Ingredients
1 medium sized (100 grams) onion
5 grams ginger
4 cloves
3 sticks (3 ½ cm. each) cinnamon
2 Cups Water
1 ½ kgs. very small, even sized potatoes
1 ¼ teaspoons turmeric powder
2 Cups mustard Oil
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium (100 grams) onion chopped
1 large (150 grams) tomato chopped
3 ½ teaspoons red chilli powder
2 ½ teaspoons cumin powder
1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons ghee
Procedure
Grind together onion and ginger into a paste. Grind together cloves and cinnamon into a powder. Pour one cup water into pressure cooker and add the potatoes. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for one minute. Remove cooker from heat. Release pressure by slightly lifting the vent weight. Open cooker. Remove and peel potatoes. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder on potatoes and mix well. Separate potatoes into three batches. For about five minutes heat oil in a deep frying pan. Fry each batch till golden brown and remove. Strain oil. In a large pan, heat ¼ cup oil for about two minutes. Add bay leaves and cumin seeds. Stir for a few seconds. Add chopped onion and fry till golden brown. Add ground paste. Fry for about two minutes. Add tomato, chilli, cumin as well as coriander powders, salt, sugar and remaining turmeric (1 teaspoon). Cook till oil shows separately (approximately 3 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add potatoes. Stir carefully to evenly coat potatoes with masala. Add powdered spices and remaining water (1 cup). Stir once. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring once. Remove pan from heat. Pour ghee evenly over potatoes and serve hot.
Back Bengali Cuisine Fish Preparation Illish Sarso Bata (Hilsa Fish in mustard)
Serves 3
Ingredients ¾ kg HIlsa fish cut with a thickness of 1 cm per slice
1 ½ Teaspoons of salt
¾ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 Tablespoons Mustard Seeds
6 Green Chillies 3 Whole, 3 Slit
½ cup + 2 Tablespoons Water
2 Teaspoons Curd
4 Tablespoons Mustard Oil
Procedure
First Rub fish with salt and turmeric powder.
Next grind together mustard seeds and whole chillies into a paste, adding a little water (2
tablespoons) from time to time.
Then blend curd with mustard paste and mix with fish.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in pressure cooker for about three minutes. Add fish with mustard
paste, slit chillies, remaining water ( ½ cup) and oil (one tablespoon)
Close pressure cooker. Bring to maximum pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for two
minutes.
Remove cooker from heat. Release pressure by slightly lifting the vent weight.
Open pressure cooker and serve hot.
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