Cauliflower Masala Gravy ( No Onion No Garlic)

Hi all, this is another recipe which I tried during the festival of Navaratri and it came out so well that no one would have believed there was no onion or garlic use in this. It was creamy, tasty and just delicious. So, here it goes

CAULIFLOWER MASALA GRAVY

Cauliflower Masala Gravy

INGREDIENTS

Cauliflower Florets : 1 to 1 and 1/2 Cups

Tomato: 1 Medium

Ginger: 1 Tbsp Chopped

Green Chilli 1

Bay Leaf: 1 Medium

Cloves: 3-4

Sesame Seeds: 1 Tbsp

Cashews: 1 Tbsp soaked in water for 10 minutes

SPICES

Turmeric: 1/2 Tsp

Red Chilli Powder: 1 Tsp

Jeera-Dhania Powder: 1 Tsp

Garam Masala: 1 Tsp

Salt as required

Oil and Butter 1 Tbsp each.

Freshly chopped Cilantro/Coriander

Kasoori methi crushed 1 Tsp

MAKING

In a kadai pan, add 1/2 Tsp Butter. Once melted and clarified, add in the Bay leaf, Cloves, Sesame Seeds, 1 Green Chilli, Chopped Ginger and Cashews. Saute them well until it changes color. remove them and keep aside. In the same kadai, add butter and oil. Once heated, add the cauliflower florets and saute until the edges becomes light brown. Remove the florets and set aside.

In a blender, add the set aside sauteed cashew mix, add the roughly chopped tomato and blend them into a nice paste with a little water and set aside.

Take the same kadai, add butter and oil. Once hot, add in the cashew tomato pasted and cook for a couple of minutes in low flame. Now add in the cauliflower florets and cook again for 3-4 minutes. You can add water if it gets too dry.

To this add the Turmeric, Red chilli powder, Jeera-Dhania powder. Add required salt and enough water(1/4th or 1/2 cup) to cook for another 3-4 minutes in medium flame until the gravy thickens. 

Finally add some crushed Kasoori Methi and Garam Masala. Cook for another minute before garnishing it with freshly chopped Coriander leaves (Cilantro)

Delicious Cauliflower Masala Gravy is ready. Serve it hot with Chapathi's Parathas or Naans. You could also eat it with plain rice

TIPS/VARIATIONS

Remove the Bay leaf and cloves after sauteeing them and before grinding them in the blender.

I used a mix of Unsalted butter and oil to give the gravy added flavor

The use of Sesame Seeds gave an added flavor to the gravy

CORN-CAPSICUM MASALA

 Hi all, this recipe is inspired from my sis-in-law's Pulav method and spices. I recently came across an interesting spice called kaala Masala...its dark in color and is very similar to Garam masala but it has the sweetness from coconut in it. It gives a distinct color and flavor to the dish. The recipe I am sharing today is made with this masala, simple and easy to make. So here it goes

CORN-CAPSICUM MASALA

INGREDIENTS

Corn Kernels: 2 Cups

Capsicum: 1 cup diced

Onion: 1 Medium finely chopped

Tomato: 2 medium diced

Jeera (Cumin): 1 Tsp

Garlic: 1 Tbsp finely chopped 

Red Chilli Powder: 1 Tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/8th Tsp

Jeera-Dhaniya Powder(Cumin-Coriander Powder): 1 Tsp

Kaala Masala: 2 Tsp

Kasoori Methi: 1-2 Tsp crushed

Salt as required

Cilantro: Well chopped for garnish

Oil and Butter 1 Tbsp

Water for boiling Corn Kernels

Cashew Paste if needed.

Corn-Capsicum Masala

MAKING

The first step is to boil water and add the corn kernels in boiling water for about 10 -12 minutes until they are soft , drain and set aside.

Next, in a kadai, add oil and butter, add the jeera, once it starts spluttering, add the chopped garlic and finely chopped onions. Saute well until the onions turn golden brown and the raw smell of both the onion and garlic are gone.

Next, add the chopped tomatoes. Saute for 3-4 minutes before adding the turmeric powder, Red chilli powder, Jeera-Dhaniya Powder (Cumin Coriander powder).Saute well until the tomatoes are soft and the spices are all well blended with the gravy. In case you feel the spices are getting burnt, sprinkle some water and saute well.

Add the Corn kernels and the chopped capsicum to the gravy. Saute again for a few minutes in low-medium flame, add the Kaala Masala, Kasoori Methi and required salt. Also add water to allow the corn-capsicum to cook with the spices. Switch off the gas when the water is reduced and the gravy thickens. If you feel, the masala is too spicy, this is the time to add cashew paste (1 Tbsp) 

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve it hot with roti's or rice.

Delicious Corn-Capsicum Masala is ready. The corn gives a sweetened flavor and the capsicum gives it a spicy aromatic flavor.Enjoy!!

TIPS/VARIATIONS

Do not overcook the corn kernels, we want them soft but still with a bite to it. 10-12 minutes should be good enough.

If you do not have Kaala Masala, you can add Garam Masala or Goda Masala

You could add Cashew Paste if you feel the gravy is too spicy and also if you are using Garam Masala.

you can make Pulav the same way, just add soaked Basmati rice to the thickened gravy, add double the water of the rice quantity and cook for 20 minutes after the water starts boiling in low flame.

2 STEP VEG MASALA CURRY (NO ONION)

Hi all, I hope all of you are doing fine in such troubled times. The recipe I share today is from my mother's kitchen. This recipe has very few steps but the end result is restaurant-style masala curry. Let's get straight to it. 

INGREDIENTS

FOR GRAVY

Tomatoes: 2 medium
Fresh Coriander ( Cilantro): 1/2 cup chopped or half a bunch washed
Ginger: About quarter-sized
Dhania seeds ( Coriander seeds): 1 Tsp
Cashews: 5-10 soaked in water for 10 minutes
Red Chilli: 1-2
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Salt: 1/4th tsp

VEGETABLES Vegetables needed to be boiled with 1/4th salt: Carrots, cauliflower, Potatoes, Peas, Green pepper if needed, Paneer if available

OTHERS

Oil, Butter, Cumin seeds (1 tsp), Turmeric powder( 1/4th Tsp), Dhania-jeera powder (1 tsp), Water: 1/2 cup and salt.

VEG MASALA CURRY 

MAKING

Boil the vegetables with salt and set aside, Grind the ingredients mentioned above under "For Gravy" and set aside. In a pan, add 1 Tbsp oil, add cumin seeds, then add the gravy, saute for 3-4 minutes in low flame before adding in the boiled vegetables. Saute for a few minutes, then add the Dhania-Jeera powder, salt, and water. Close the lid and allow the masala to cook for about 4-5 minutes in medium flame. That is it, garnish it with a dollop of butter on top, delicious veg masala curry is ready. Believe me, it tastes delicious and it's very quick to make.

TIPS/VARIATIONS

You could add 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala powder in the end if needed, you could add garlic to the gravy ingredients, I usually don't. The cashews make sure the gravy is balanced and you could a good texture.

CHANA MASALA

Hey all, back again with another one. This one is from my SIL's kitchen, she had made it when we visited Mumbai. It was so delicious that I asked her for the recipe so I can make it for my daughter's Birthday party. and believe me, it was a big hit at the party. Here it goes...

CHANA MASALA

INGREDIENTS

KABULI CHANA: 2-3 cups boiled
ONION: 2
TOMATO: 2
GINGER- GARLIC: 1 Tbsp each
KASURI METHI: 1 tsp
DHANIA-JEERA POWDER: 1 tsp
GARAM MASALA: 1 Tsp
SUGAR: 1 Tsp
SALT as required
CASHEW (ALMOND) PASTE: 1 Tbsp
TEA LEAVES or TEA BAGS

MAKING

Pressure cook the Kabuli Chana with enough water to cover it with some loose tea tied tightly in a muslin or any thin cloth. This gives the Chana color and also a good flavor when mixed with the spices. You could also insert a tea bag instead. Once its boiled, set it aside. Keep the water used for boiling Chana for future use.

Grind the Onion, Tomato, Ginger, and Garlic into a fine paste and set aside. In a pan, heat oil, add the paste and cook until the raw smell goes and the oil separates the pan. Add the dry spices like Turmeric, Dhania-Jeera powder, Salt, Garam Masala, Kasoori Methi, and cook again until the spices are all blended and cooked.

Add the boiled Chana to the gravy with the Chana water kept aside and allow it to cook for some time. Make sure that water isn't too much and just right. Add a Tsp of sugar to balance the spice if it's too spicy. Finally add the cashew paste to give it richness, texture, and balance to the gravy.

Switch off the gas and garnish with fresh Coriander leaves. Serve it hot with fresh Roti's/ Chapathi's. Believe me its too good.

All credit of this recipe goes to my dear SIL Deepa.

TIPS / VARIATIONS

The Cashew paste is optional. The tea leaves work really well for the dish but again it's optional.

SWEET CORN MASALA

Hi all, Hope you had a wonderful Memorial day weekend. So, this weekend we did a little shopping and I came across a great deal, I was getting 2 sweet Corn's for 88 cents and I immediately jumped on it. Although, I had absolutely no clue on what to make of it except the famous grilled corn called "butta" which we eat so often in India. So decided to come up with a recipe that can be made with Corn and here it is, its called

SWEET CORN MASALA

INGREDIENTS

CORN: 2 SWEET CORN ( 1 and 1/2 CUP CORN KERNELS)
ONION: 1 MEDIUM OR 2 SMALL CHOPPED
CAPSICUM: 1/2 CUP CHOPPED INTO SQUARES
GINGER AND GARLIC CHOPPED ABOUT A TBSP EACH
CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES: 1/4 CUP

SPICES

CUMIN POWDER: 1/2 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER: 1/2 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER: 1/4 TSP
RED CHILI POWDER: 1/2 TSP
GARAM MASALA: 1/2 TSP
KASURI METHI: 1 TSP
GREEN CHILI: 1

FRESH CREAM/HALF AND HALF: 1/4 CUP
OIL FOR SAUTEING
SALT AS REQUIRED
CASHEWS: 5 SOAKED FOR 10-15 MIN AND GRIND INTO A
PASTE (optional)



Sweet Corn Masala

 

MAKING

Firstly, wash the Sweet Corn kernels and keep aside. In a pan, add a Tsp of Oil and saute the Onions with Ginger and Garlic until light brown. Add in the chopped Capsicum's pieces and stir it for at least 3-4 minutes. Now its time to add in the following spices, Turmeric, Red chili powder, Cumin and Coriander powder, Kasoori Methi crushed, and 1 Green chili slit. Stir it for 3-4 minutes until the spices have totally blended, add a tbsp of water if needed to avoid burning. Add the Sweet corn with the required salt and close the pan to allow it to cook for around 15 minutes. Lower the flame, add the cashew paste, Garam Masala, and the Fresh Cream, cook for another 2 minutes and switch the gas off. Garnish with fresh Coriander leaves. Delicious Sweet Corn Masala is ready to eat. Serve it hot with Chapathi's/Roti's.

TIPS/VARIATIONS

Don't overcook the Sweet corn coz then you won't get the bite from it. I didn't have cashews so I didn't use them and it turned out equally well so it's optional. I added 1/2 of whole milk instead of cream and again there wasn't any different. The best part of the dish was the sweetness of the corn with a nice bite to it combined with the hot spices was just amazing. The fresh cream/milk and the cashews just gives it an added flavor.

 

VEGETABLE CASHEW MASALA

Hi All,

Hope you all had a great weekend. On my side, it was busy as my daughter's Birthday is coming up so, running here and there making all the arrangements and purchases for the party. The recipe that I am posting is straight from my mother's kitchen. She is an awesome cook and the best part is that she makes it look so easy. This one is again a side dish for Roti's and Chapathi's and its called


CASHEW MASALA

INGREDIENTS

MIXED VEGETABLES: POTATOES, PEAS, CARROTS, CAULIFLOWER, BELL PEPPERS ( Half a cup each, overall 2-3 cups)
OIL
SALT AS REQUIRED
TURMERIC POWDER : A PINCH

FOR THE GRAVY

TOMATO: 1 BIG OR 2 SMALLCASHEWS : AROUND 15 SOAKED IN WATER FOR 10 MINS
RED CHILLI'S: 4-5
CORIANDER SEEDS: 4 TSP
CORIANDER LEAVES: A HANDFUL
GINGER: 1 TBSP OR 1 SMALL PIECE
GARLIC: 1-2 CLOVES
CUMIN SEEDS/JEERA : 1/2 TSP

Vegetable Cashew Masala

MAKING

Cut all the vegetables into small cubes and boil them with a little bit of salt and turmeric powder until soft and set aside. Grind all the Masala ingredients with the Tomato in the blender into a nice smooth paste (chutney consistency).

Take a kadai, pour a Tsp of oil. Add some Mustard seeds. Once it splutters, pour in the masala paste and stir them for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell of the masala is gone. Finally, add all the boiled vegetables with a little bit of salt and stir them again for 5 minutes. Switch off the gas once the vegetables have mixed well with the gravy . Granish with a blob of butter on top and your delicious Cashew masala is ready to serve..

MUSHROOM MASALA CURRY

Hey all,

The recipe that I going to post today was from a cooking show that I saw on TV some days back. This dish is from the state of Goa and apparently Goans love using coconut in everything. I made this yesterday and it was an instant hit. when I say " hit", it means it was relished by everyone at home including my 3 year old son who surprisingly asked for more. So here it goes, its called.....

MUSHROOM MASALA CURRY

INGREDIENTS

MUSHROOM : 6 LARGE
ONIONS: 1 LARGE OR 2 SMALL
TOMATOES : 1 LARGE OR 2 SMALL
GREEN CHILLIES: 2
COCONUT MILK: 2-3 TBSP
TAMARIND PULP: 1/2 TSP

FOR THE GRAVY

CUMIN SEEDS/JEERA : 2 TSP
CORIANDER SEEDS/DHANIA: 2 TSP
GINGER
GARLIC; 2-3 CLOVES
CORIANDER LEAVES: 1 BUNCH OR 1/2 A BUNCH
COCONUT : 2 TBSP
GREEN CHILLIES: 3

Mushroom Masala Curry

MAKING

Wash the Mushrooms thoroughly and cut each one into 4 equal pieces and keep them aside. Put all the ingredients needed for the gravy and grind them into a nice paste. Take a kadai, pour 2-3 tsp oil. Add the finely chopped onions, slit green chillies, a pinch of turmeric powder and stir them until golden. Add the tomatoes and stir them until the tomatoes have softened and blended well with the onions. Now add the gravy masala and cook them (3-4 mins) with salt till the raw smell of the masala goes away. You can add some water if the gravy is too thick. Finally, add the cut mushrooms, the tamarind pulp and stir them for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and blended with the gravy. Don't over cook the mushrooms as it will shrink and soften a lot. Make sure the gas in in low flame, add the coconut milk and cook for a couple of minutes before switching off the gas. Garnish it with a dash of coconut milk and serve them hot with chapatis/rotis.

TIPS

Don't add too much water as Mushrooms releases water when cooked so your gravy might end up too thin. Keep the gas in low flame when adding coconut milk. Don't overcook the mushrooms.

EGG MASALA

Hey all, Hope you all had a great weekend. So here I am with a new recipe. This one is very very simple. I made it when I didn't have the mood to make anything detailed nor wanted to eat out so, came up with this one. So here it goes.

SIMPLE EGG MASALA

INGREDIENTS

EGGS: 5 (LARGE)
GINGER; 2 TBSP
GARLIC: 2 CLOVES
ONION: 1
TOMATO: 1
JEERA: 1 TSP
RED CHILLY POWDER: 1/2 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER: A PINCH
DHANIA POWDER : 2 TSP
SALT AS REQUIRED


MAKING

Take a vessel, fill it with water and boil the eggs with a sprinkle of salt. Take the eggs out after its hard boiled and peel the outer cover and keep aside. Now take a pan, add little oil, add the Jeera, Ginger, Garlic, Turmeric powder, Red Chilli Powder, Dhania Powder. Stir for 2 minutes before adding the finely cut onion. Stir fry again for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato cut into small pieces. Add the salt as required and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the hard boiled eggs cut into half, add a little water and allow it to simmer until the gravy has no water residue and is thicker. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and your simple Egg Masala is ready to eat.

Serve it with bread or pav as my sis-in-law mentioned. She told me that its more tasty when served with Pav spread with butter.Hope you make it and more im[portantly like it.

TIPS

Dont stir the gravy too much after the Eggs are added.