Breakfast, Paratha/Flatbread
Sanika Khadilkar
Aloo Paratha
Aloo Paratha

Methi Matar Malai

Methi Matar Malai

Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoon milk
  • 8-9 whole cashews
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 medium tomatoes grated
  • 1 cup green peas
  • 2 cups chopped methi or fenugreek leaves
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup fresh cream
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ½-1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Add 2 tablespoon milk in a bowl. Add cashews and poppy seeds. Keep it aside for 20 minutes. Grind in a mixer and make a fine paste.
  2. Add one tablespoon oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute everything for a minute. Add grated tomatoes and cook until the raw smell of tomatoes goes away.
  3. Add cashew paste and stir. Add red chilli powder, garam masala powder, and salt.
  4. Add chopped methi and green peas. Add water and mix well. Cook peas and methi leaves well on a medium flame.
  5. Add fresh cream and mix well. Cook on a low flame for another minute.
  6. Turn off the flame and serve hot with rotis or rice.

Tofu Biryani

Tofu Biryani

Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients:

To cook the Rice:

  • 1 cup rice
  • 6-7 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 black pepper
  • Salt to taste

Vegetables:

  • ½ cup sliced bell pepper
  • ½ cup sliced carrots
  • ½ cup thinly sliced onion + ¼ cup sliced onion for garnishing.
  • 1 medium tomato chopped finely
  • ½ cup extra firm tofu pieces
  • ⅓ cup green peas (frozen)
  • ⅓ cup corn kernels
  • 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoon chopped mint

Spices and Seasoning:

  • 2 cardamom
  • ¼ inch cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
  • ½ tablespoon garlic paste
  • 4 tablespoon oil
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ⅓ cup yogurt
  • Salt to taste

Method:

To cook the rice:

  1. Wash and rinse the rice multiple times, and soak in a cup of water for 20-30 minutes.
  2. Get a big vessel and add 6 cups of water. Add cumin seeds, cardamom, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt into the water. Bring the water to boil.
  3. Add soaked rice with the water to the boiling water in a pan. Stir it and let the rice cook. Do not put the lid on. Check the rice in between. The rice should not be overcooked.
  4. As soon as the rice is cooked, get a colander and pour the rice in. Let the water drain completely. Fluff with a fork and keep it aside to cool down.

Prepare tofu:

  1. Get tofu and drain the water from the package. Place the tofu on 2-3 layers of paper and place 2-3 layers of paper on top of it. Place a weigh on top layer of paper. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Make square pieces of tofu and add them to the pan. Fry until the pieces are crisp and golden brown.
  3. Remove from the pan and keep it aside.

For the vegetable gravy:

  1. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and add ¼ cup sliced onion. Fry the onion for 5 minutes. Take out the fried onion slices and keep it aside for the later use.
  2. Add two tablespoons of oil in a same pan. Add remaining sliced onion. Add ginger and garlic paste. Stir it until the raw smell goes away.
  3. Add all the remaining vegetables. Mix it and let them cook. Add chopped tomatoes and stir. Let the tomatoes and vegetables cook properly.
  4. Get ⅓ cup of yogurt in a bowl and stir it to remove lumps. Add this beaten yogurt to the vegetables. Stir once again.
  5. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, and a tablespoon chopped mint to the vegetables. Give a quick stir.
  6. Once the vegetables are cooked, add tofu pieces. Mix gently. Simmer for a minute and then turn off the heat.

To layer the biryani:

  1. Get a pan and lightly coat it with a cooking spray. Add little rice at the botton. Add half of the vegetable gravy all over the rice layer.
  2. Add half of the fried sliced onion over the vegetable layer.
  3. Add rice layer again, following the vegetable layer. The top layer should be rice layer. Add chopped cilantro, mint, and fried onion on top.
  4. Turn on the flame on low-medium heat. Put the tava on it. Place the biryani pan on it. Put the lid on and let it cook for 30 minutes.
  5. Serve hot with tomato soup