How To Make The Authentic Punjabi Chole - Punjabi Chole Recipe

It is a very authentic recipe of Punjabi Cuisine. Punjabi Chole, a North Indian Delicacy, which includes masalas which are very specific. I have heard people saying "yaar waisa nahi bana... jaisa Punjab me banta hai". Its because people of Punjab are known to put their endless love in all the dishes they cook. This is the reason I always say, if, you want to cook, then cook with all your heart and love. 

Punjabi Chole Recipe

And yes, there are also some special ingredients which makes this Punjabi Chole different from the other chole dishes. Firstly, the tea leaves, which gives the Punjabi Chole dish the perfect color. One can either use tea bags or put some tea leaves in a muslin cloth and tie it like a potli. Add it while boiling chole. 

Also I have added some ajwain (carom seeds) to avoid digestion issues. So now, even if u have gas problems, you can still enjoy these Punjabi Chole.

So let us look at the ingredients I have used for making these Punjabi Chole. 

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg Kabuli Chana (soaked overnight)

1 Cup Onion paste

2 tsp Garlic paste

2 tsp Ginger paste

2 to 3 Green Chillies

2 to 4 Tejpatta (Bay Leaf)

1 tbsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds)

1 tbsp Tea Leaves

2 tsp Punjabi Garam Masala

2 tbsp Amchur powder (Dry Mango Powder)

2 tbsp Dhania powder

2 tbsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Ajwain (Carom Seeds)

1/4 cup Oil

Salt to taste




Method:

Firstly soak the Kabuli chole/ Chana overnight.

Soak Chole overnight

Then take it in a cooker and add water to the level above the chole/chana. Also add some salt to it. Now take tea leaves and put them in a muslin cloth and tie it like a potli. Put it in the cooker along with chole/chana, salt and water.

Presure Cook Chole 

Then let it cook on high flame till one whistle and then on medium flame for 10 minutes. Keep it aside. Look how beautifully the chole has absorbed the tea color.

Chole after pressure cook

Now let us start with the masala preparation. For that, heat oil in a pan. Then add Jeera and bay leaves to it.

Heat oil and add jeera and bay leaves

When Jeera and bay leaves starts releasing their aroma add in onion, ginger and garlic paste. Mix it  well. Then add Ajwain to it and mix well. Cook it till the paste turns into beautiful golden brown color. 

Add onion, ginger, garlic paste and ajwain

This is the time when you will add all the powder ingredients salt, red chilli powder, amchur powder, dhania powder, punjabi garam masala powder and mix well. 

Add all the powdered ingredients

Let it cook. Also add some water to it as the masala would now be very dry. Add water from the boiled chole/chana. Mix the water into the masala very well and then add the chole/chana. Do no add the water now, only add the chole/chana. Mix well.

Add chole to masala

Then add green chillies to it.

Add green chillies

Now add water as per the required consistency and let it simmer for about five more minutes on medium flame.

Punjabi Chole Masala

And now to add some more aroma and flavor to the dish, dry roast some cumin seeds and powder them. Add it to the Punjabi chole just before serving and mix it well. 

Add freshly prepared jeera powder

Then add chopped coriander to it.

Add chopped coriander

So here your Authentic mouth watering Punjabi Chole are ready. You can have it any Indian bread of your choice. But we all know Punjabi Chole are best teamed with Bhature. 

Punjabi Chole Recipe

Tips:





If you have not soaked the chole overnight, then while boiling add a pinch of soda. Cook on high flame till one whistle and then for 20 mins on medium flame.

Do not add turmeric. As we will not get the desired color.

That all Foodies...Go food-a-licious with these Punjabi Chole with your family and loved ones.

And do not forget to share your experiences and suggestions via comments... 

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How To Make Lemon Green Chilli Pickle - Nimbu Mirchi Achar Recipe

Lemon Green Chilli Pickle

Its not a recipe with lots of ingredients and masalas, instead, its a very simple recipe with a very few ingredients. I actually bought these chillies for making chilli pakoras. But as these were very spicy, so I thought of making pickle of it.

My muma used to make this Lemon Green Chilli Pickle. I always had it in breakfast with my favorite missa parantha and a cup of tea.

And the most interesting part of this Lemon Green Chilli Pickle is that we do not use oil in it.

So let us begin with the recipe of Lemon Green Chilli Pickle.

Ingredients:

150 grams Green Chillies

8 Lemons

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

2 1/2 tbsp Salt

Method:




Rinse and wipe dry green chillies and lemon very well.

Rinse and wipe lemon and green chillies

Cut the stalk of the green chillies as shown in the image below. This has to be done to make it last long.

Cut the stalk

Then make a slit on each of the chillies.

Slit the green chillies

Cut each of them in pieces of approx 2 inches.

Cut green chillies

Cut 5 lemons into 8 pieces each. First cut each lemon into half and then each half into four pieces.

Cut the lemons

Add salt, red chilli powder and mix well.

Add salt and red chilli powder

Then squeeze the juice of the remaining three lemons into it and again mix it well.

Add lemon juice

Store it in an airtight container.

Store in air tight container

Shake it at regular intervals so that the liquid in it would be mixed with all the lemons and green chillies.

Day 2 - The next day you will notice the liquid in the jar has increased. Its because of the salt and the lemons have released water. Shake it at regular intervals.

Day 2 lemon green chilli pickle

Day 3 - Your pickle would be ready to eat.

Lemon Green Chilli Pickle

Tips:

- Shake well before use and at regular intervals.

- Consume in a month.






   Go food-a-licious with this mouth watering Lemon Green Chilli Pickle which would enhance the taste of your meal.

Do share your experience and suggestions via comments.

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How To Make Punjabi Garam Masala / Punjabi Garam Masala Recipe

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Punjabi Garam Masala Recipe

Garam masala as the name suggests is a blend of spices which raises the body temperature and hence, the name Garam Masala.

Garam masala is a very important ingredient if one has to make punjabi dishes such as kadai paneer, Baingan Ka Bharta, Gobi Aloo Matar, Fried Bhindi Masala and even in the paranthas such as Gobi ka Parantha and many more.

I always prefer to make all the masalas at home rather than buying it from the market. As, the ones we get from the market are not pure in their ingredients as well as its aroma.

I have learnt this Punjabi Garam Masala Recipe from my mother in law. She being from Amritsar, Punjab has that typical authentic recipe of Punjabi Garam Masala. And, trust me, if you try it once, you will never want to use the market products ever again.

So, let us begin with the Punjabi Garam Masala Recipe straight from Amritsar..

Ingredients For Punjabi Garam Masala

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg Dhania (Coriander Seeds)

200 gms Jeera (Cumin Seeds)

100 gms Kali Mirch (Black Pepper)

100 gms Badi Elaichi (Black Cardamom)

20 gms Green Elaichi (Green Cardamom)

10 gms Tejpatta (Bay Leaves)

10 gms Javitri (Mace)

10 gms Laung (Cloves)

10 gms Dalchini (Cinnamon)

1 Jaiphal (Nutmeg)

Method:

The most important part of making Punjabi Garam Masala is the cleaning of all the ingredients.

You need to check all the ingredients for worms, stones and other unwanted material. Always go for the good quality of spices while making masalas, as we need to store them.

After cleaning the ingredients, they should be kept in the sun for about two days. But now a days it is not possible for everyone to get adequate sunlight. So, you can also dry roast them lightly one by one.

Remember not to dry roast all the ingredients at one go. Do it one at a time.

Then grind the roasted ingredients in the mixer. Sieve the mix and grind the coarse particles again.

Store it in an air tight container.

A very important tip which I would like to share is that do not use this Punjabi Garam Masala in excess in any of the recipes as it would spoil the taste of the whole dish. So use in adequate quantity to enhance the aroma and taste of your dish.

Do try this Punjabi Garam Masala Recipe and add it in your dishes and make your family go food-a-licious. Please share your experiences and suggestions via comments..

Punjabi Garam Masala Recipe

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French Beans Potato Sabzi - Punjabi Recipe

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French Beans Potato Sabzi - Punjabi Recipe

French Beans are also known as Green Beans. They are highly rich in fibre, vitamin A,C,K,B6 and also calcium. Hence, french beans should be included as an essential element in our diet.

There are various ways to cook french beans. In my today's recipe I have added potatoes to the green beans in my own desi punjabi tadka.

This recipe is just one way of cooking french beans in punjabi style. The other recipes I will be discussing in my future posts.

So let us begin with our recipe of French Beans Potato Sabzi - Punjabi Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg French Beans (chopped)

2 medium sized Potatoes (chopped)

1 Onion (finely chopped)

1 Tomato (finely chopped)

1/4 tsp Garlic (finely chopped)

1/4 tsp Ginger (finely chopped)

2 Green Chilles (I prefer whole you can chop them)

1/4 tsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds)

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Salt ( as per your taste)

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder

2 tbsp Oil (I prefer Mustard Oil)



Method:

Firstly chop the french beans and potato as shown below.

Chop French Beans And Potatoes

Heat oil in a pan. Then add Jeera to it.

Add Jeera To Hot Oil

When Jeera turns a little brown and starts releasing its aroma, add chopped garlic and ginger to it

Add Ginger And garlic

Then add onions, green chillies and mix well.

Add Onion and Green Chillies

When onions turn golden brown, add chopped tomatoes to it.

Add Tomatoes

Let tomatoes cook for a minute and then add turmeric powder to it. Mix well.

Add Turmeric Powder

Then put chopped french beans and potatoes followed by salt and mix well.

Add french beans, potatoes, salt

Let it cook on high flame for a minute and then lower the flame. Let it cook covered for more 10 minutes or till it is completly done. Then finally add red chilli and garam masala powder and mix well.

Add red chilli and garam masala powder

Mix it well and your French Beans Potato Sabzi - Punjabi Recipe is ready

French Beans Potato Sabzi - Punjabi Recipe

Serve it hot in lunch or in dinner and go food-a-licious with this simple yet healthy recipe of French Beans Potato Sabzi - Punjabi style.

Do try it once and you will want it again and again. And do write your experiences and suggestions via comments.

French Beans Potato Sabzi - Punjabi Recipe

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How To Make Cabbage Maharashtrian Style - Kobi Ki Sabzi

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Maharashtrian Cabbage Recipe - Kobi Ki Sabzi

I always cook cabbage in my desi punjabi tadka. But being born and raised up in Maharashtra, I am very fond of Maharashtrian food. So I learnt to cook cabbage in Maharashtrian style from my maid Vandana who's a typical Maharashtrian. She calls cabbage as Kobi. Its a very easy recipe with simple ingredients and limited masalas, unlike my punjabi tadka.

So lets begin with our today's recipe Maharashtrian Cabbage Sabzi Or Kobi Ki Sabzi

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg Cabbage (chopped)

2 Green Chillies ( i prefer whole you can also chop it)

1 Medium Sized Tomato (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp Garlic Paste

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 tsp Jeera (cumin seeds)

1 tsp Salt ( or as per your taste)

2 tbsp Oil ( I prefer Mustard oil you can use one of your choice)

Coriander for Garnishing



Method:

Firstly chop the cabbage as shown below.

Chopped Cabbage

Heat oil in a pan. Then add Jeera to it.

Add Jeera To Oil

When jeera turns a little brown and starts releasing its aroma, add garlic paste and green chillies to it.

Add Garlic Paste And Green Chillies

Mix well. When the garlic turns golden brown add chopped tomatoes to it.

Add Chopped Tomatoes

Let the tomatoes cook and then add turmeric powder to it and mix well.

Add Turmeric Powder

Then add cabbage followed by salt. Mix well so that all the ingredients are properly mixed.

Add Cabbage And Salt And Mix Well

Cook on high flame for a minute and then lower the flame and cook it covered for another 10 minutes.

Once the cabbage is cooked add coriander and mix well. Serve hot with your choice of rotis.

Maharashtrian Cabbage Recipe - Kobi Ki Sabzi

Well, I prefer Jowar ki roti and achar with this Maharashtrian Style - Kobi Ki Sabzi.

Cabbage is highly rich in fibre, Vitamin k, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. So make sure to include cabbage in your diet to be healthy and fit.

So Foodies, go Food-a-licious with this very simple Maharashtrian Style - Kobi Ki Sabzi and please do write me your experiences and suggestions via comments.

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Dalia Almond Kheer / Bulgar Almond Kheer/ Broken Wheat Almond Kheer - A Special kids Recipe Loaded With Proteins And fibre

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Dalia Almond Kheer

Dalia also known as Bulgar/ Cracked wheat / Broken Wheat. Its not a refined wheat and so very nutritious and highly rich in protein and fibre. Today I am going to share a recipe of Dalia Kheer which my 4 year old son loves having for breakfast. To make it more healthier for him I also add some powdered almonds to it. I do this because my son does not like almond pieces coming in his mouth.

Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fibre, protein and vitamin E. So our today's recipe is a combination of all healthy ingredients. And yes, not to forget I make dalia almond kheer in pure desi ghee.

There are various types of dalia available in market depending upon the size of its grannules. I use the kesari dalia (smallest grannules). Its just because my son loves it. You can use any of its variety.

So let us begin with the Ingredients first:

1/4 cup Dalia

1/2 litre Milk

2 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Powdered Almonds

2 tbsp Pure Desi Ghee

1 Cup Water



Method:

Heat 2 tbsp desi ghee in a pan. Then add the 1/4 cup of dalia to it. Mix well.

Stir continuously and cook on medium flame till it turns light brown.

Then add 1/2 cup of water to it followed by the powdered almonds. Stir well.

Let it simmer till the water is soaked by the dalia.

Then add milk to it.

Let it cook on medium flame till you get the desired consistency.

Garnish with almonds and serve hot.



Do make this nutritious Dalia Almond Kheer for your kids and they are going to love it for sure. My son started having it since he turned one and is still very fond of this Dalia Almond Kheer.

Do not forget to share your experiences and suggestions via comments.

Dalia Almond Kheer

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Strawberry Yoghurt Recipe - Mahableshwar Special

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Strawberry Yoghurt

Last weekend while returning back from my family trip via Mahableshwar, I purchased some fresh farm picked strawberries. I personally am not very fond of strawberries. But as we all know this fruit for its health benefits I thought to give it a try and hence I ended up making a very easy yet delicious yoghurt - The Strawberry Yoghurt.

Its a quick recipe with just three Ingredients:

1 cup Hung Curd

1/2 cup Mashed Strawberries

2 Tbsp powdered Sugar

1/4 cup Chopped Strawberries





Method for making Strawberry Yoghurt :

In a bowl add the curd, mashed strawberries and powdered sugar and mix well.

Then in a serving bowl first make a bottom layer of either chopped strawberries or mashed strawberries.

Top the bottom layer with the mix.

Refrigerate for atleast 3 hours so that the mix sets completely.

Garnish it with a slice of strawberry and serve chilled.


Tips for Strawberry Yoghurt:

1) Preferably use low fat curd.

2) 1 cup of curd will give you  1/2 cup of hung curd.

3) Do not use a mixer grinder for mashing strawberries. Instead use a spoon or a fork to avoid release of water and loss of flavors.




For those who are unaware of the health benefits of strawberries, I will surely discuss it in my upcoming posts. But for now make this delicious and healthy strawberry yoghurt and enjoy it with your family and specially kids are going to love it.

Please share your experiences and suggestions via comments.

Strawberry Yoghurt

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