Spicy Indian pasta

Ingredients

• Pasta boiled
  200 grams
• Butter
  1 tablespoon
• Cumin seeds
  1 teaspoon
• Onions chopped
  2 medium
• Coriander powder
  1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder
  1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder
  1 teaspoon
• Tomato chopped
  1 medium
• Green capsicum chopped
  1
• Potato boiled and cut into small cubes
  1 small
• Salt
  to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves chopped
  2 tablespoons

Method

Step 1

---

Heat butter in a non stick kadai. Add cumin seeds and allow it to splutter.

Step 2

---

Add onions and saute till brown. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Mix well.

Step 3

---

Add little water and cook for three minutes.

Step 4

---

Add tomatoes and capsicum and saute well for two minutes.

Step 5

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Add potatoes, pasta and salt. Toss well.

Step 6

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Finish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Aaloo bhindi masala

INGREDIENTS

• 200-250 gms bhindi/okra
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic + ½ inch ginger - crushed into a paste in a mortar-pestle
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ¼ to ½ tsp garam masala powder (add as required)
• ¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder (add as required)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing (optional)
• ¼ to ½ tsp dry mango powder/amchur (add as required)
• ¼ tsp dry fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi, crushed (optional)
• 3 to 4 tbsp oil
• salt as required

INSTRUCTIONS

1. rinse and dry the bhindi/okra with a kitchen towel. you can also let them dry naturally. cut the bhindi into 1 inch pieces.
2. peel and cube the aloo/potatoes. make smaller pieces as they will be quick to fry.
3. heat oil in a kadai or pan.
4. first add the aloos and fry them till they become opaque, change color and become crisp and are cooked completely. remove and drain on paper towels.
5. in the same oil, add the chopped okra/bhindi and fry till the all the bhindi pieces are cooked completely. drain the fried bhindi on paper towels to remove excess oil.
6. in the same oil, add the onions and saute till translucent or light brown.
7. add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
8. now add the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes become soft and pulpy.
9. add all the spice powders except garam masala and dry mango powder and saute and the oil starts to leaves the sides of the mixture.
10. add the fried aloos/potatoes and bhindi/okra.
11. stir gently till the whole masala mixture coats both the aloo and bhindi.
12. stir and saute for 1-2 minutes. add the garam masala powder and dry mango powder. stir and saute for a minute.
13. lastly add the crushed kasuri methi and saute aloo bhindi sabzi for a minute more.
14. serve the aloo bhindi garnished with coriander leaves along with rotis, phulkas or naan accompanied with plain yogurt or a plain raita.

bhndi gravy

Ingredients:

250 gms (1/2 lb) Bhindi (Ladies Finger/ Okra)

3 medium Tomatoes, chopped

5-6 Cashew Nuts, toasted

1 Green Chilli, seeded and chopped

1/2 teaspoon Ginger, finely chopped

2 cloves Garlic

4 tablespoons Curd (Yogurt) (not sour)

1 large Onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Cumin-Coriander Powder

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

1/4 teaspoon Fennel Seeds

1½ tablespoons Coriander Leaves, finely chopped

1½ tablespoons + 2 tablespoons Oil

Salt method: Coarsely crush green chilli, ginger and garlic in grinder and make a paste. Crush tomato in blender or grinder and make a smooth tomato puree. Crush cashew nuts in a grinder to make a medium coarse powder. Remove head and tail of each bhindi and cut it into 1.5-inch long pieces. Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in a pan over medium flame. Add bhindi and sprinkle some salt over it. Shallow fry bhindi until it turns dark green and shrinks considerably from its original size (approx 6-8 minutes). Turn off the flame and transfer shallow fried bhindi to a plate. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add fennel seeds, when they begin to crackle, add finely chopped onion and sauté until it turns light brown. Add green chilli–ginger-garlic paste (prepared in step-2) and sauté for a minute. Add tomato puree (prepared in step-3) and cook until oil starts to separate from it. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt; mix well. Add curd, cumin coriander powder and crushed cashew nuts and mix well. Add shallow fried bhindi and mix well. Cook it over medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the flame and transfer prepared curry to a serving bowl. Garnish bhindi masala gravy with coriander leaves and serve hot.

bhindi masala

Ingredients

• Ladyfingers (bhindi)
  500 grams
• Oil 
  4 tablespoons
• Cumin seeds
  1/2 teaspoon
• Onions sliced
  2 large
• Green chillies slit
  3-4
• Red chilli powder
  1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder
  1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder
  1/2 teaspoon
• Salt
• Dry mango powder (amchur)
  2 teaspoons

Method

Step 1

---

Wash and dry the bhindi or wipe with a wet cloth. Cut both the ends and cut into two inch long pieces. Slit the pieces horizontally without cutting them into two.

Step 2

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Heat the oil in a kadai and add the cumin seeds. When they change colour, add the onions and saute till light golden. Add the green chillies and saute for half a minute.

Step 3

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Add the bhindi and sprinkle the red chilli, coriander and turmeric powders. Mix well. Cook covered over low heat stirring occasionally.

Step 4

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Add the salt and amchur. When the bhindi is almost cooked, increase the heat and cook for two minutes.