Eggplant Curry (Bagara Baingan)

Difficulty 4- Special Ingredient needed, Grinding Required, Time Needed

Here's an excellent eggplant curry I made recently.

Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado and Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

Difficulty Rating 2 (Dicing)

Black Beans – 2 15 oz. cans (rinsed and drained)
Corn – 2 cups
Red (or other color) Bell Pepper – 1, diced
Garlic – 2 cloves, diced
Shallots (or onion) – 2 Tbsp, diced small
Salt – 2 tsp.
Cayenne Pepper – ¼ Tbsp.
Sugar – 2 Tbsp.
Olive Oil – As needed (6-9 Tbsp.)
Lime zest – 1 tsp (optional)
Lime (or lemon juice) – 6 Tbsp.
Cilantro – ½ cup, chopped
Avocado – 2 chopped small (Optional)

1. Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight.
3. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados.
4. Serve at room temperature.

Spinach Pilaf (Palak Pulao)

Difficulty Rating 3 (Pressure cooker needed, Grinding required)

Rice – 2 cups, cooked Spinach -1 bunch, chopped (or about 1 ½ cup frozen) 
Carrot – 1 large, peeled and cubed 
Onion – 1 small, diced 
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp. 
Oil – as needed 
Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp. 
Turmeric – ½ tsp. 
Green chili slit – 1, or to taste (optional) 
Bay leaf – 1 
Salt – to taste (about 2 tsp.) 

For the masala: Cinnamon – 1 inch 
Cloves – 3 
Cardamom (elachi) – 3 
Coriander seeds – 1 Tbsp. 
Peppercorns – 7 
1. Grind all of the masla ingredients into a powder and keep aside. 
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf. 
3. Once they pop, add the spice powder and fry for a minute. 
4. Add the onion and fry until transparent. 
5. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir. 
6. Add the carrot and potato and cook until the potato is about ½ done. 
7. Add the spinach until it wilts 
8. Add the salt, chili and turmeric and mix. 
9. Add the rice and about 4 cups of water and mix. 
10. Cook in the pressure cooker for about 3 or 4 whistles. 
11. Serve hot with rita.

Tindora and Channa Dahl Curry

Difficulty Rating 3 (Special ingredient needed, time needed)

Channa dahl – ½ cup

Chili powder – ¼ tsp.

Onion, diced – 1 small

Coriander leaves –

     1 sprig (optional)

Coriander powder- 1 tsp.

Garlic, crushed – 3 cloves

Cumin (Jeera) seeds – ¼ tsp.

Curry leaves – 1 sprig (optional)

Garam masala powder – 1 pinch

Asafetida (hing) powder –

     1 pinch (optional)

Mustard seeds (avalu) – ¼ tsp.

Oil – as needed

Red chilli – 2 (adjust to taste)

Salt – to taste

Tindora – 1 lb.

Tomato – 2 small

Turmeric – pinch

1. Boil Chana dal covered with about 1 ½ cups water until it is mostly cooked but still whole and not mushy.
2. Heat the oil. Add red chillies, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves until they pop.
3. Add garlic until slightly golden.
4. Add onion until transparent.
5. Add hing and turmeric and fry for a few seconds.
6. Add tomato, red chili powder, coriander powder. Mix and cook for a couple of minutes until the tomato starts to break down just a bit.
7. Add tindora and fry for a couple of minutes.
8. Add about ½ cup of water and salt to taste.
9. Cover and simmer until the tindora is cooked (about 15 minutes)
10. Add Chana dal with its water and garam masala and mix.
11. If desired, add about 2-3 Tbsp of butter and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
12. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Chick Pea (Chole) Rice

Difficulty Rating 2 (Special ingredients needed)

Rice, cooked - 3 cups
Chickpeas -1 cup
Vegetables  - 1 cup, diced(Carrot,peas,fresh corn)
Onion - 1 diced
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 2
Cardamom -2 pods
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -  a large pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves to garnish (optional)

1.  Heat oil. Add the fennel, bay leaf, cloves and cardamom until they pop.

2.  Add onion till translucent.

3.  Add salt, turmeric, veggies, chickpeas and rice and mix well.

4.  Sprinkle a little water if it’s too dry.

5.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.

Serve hot garnished coriander leaves.