The Spice Pan

      Masala Potatoes or sookhe aloo is potatoes cooked in spices. Its a semi dry dish that goes well with chapati and naan. The spice mix needs to be exact, and its better if the potatoes are cooked at the time when the spices are cooked altogether. This ensures that the spice seeps inside the potatoes, thus making the potatoes even more flavoursome. A simple  dish with simple ingredients that makes minutes to cook, look out for the perfect spices and this goes easily as a lunch recipe for your family. Ingredients 650 gram small potatoes Salt 1 cup tomato paste 2 tsp cumin seeds 3 green chilies (chopped) 1.5 tsp ginger ( chopped) 1.5 tsp dried mango powder  Oil 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) 1/2 tsp black pepper powder 1 tsp roasted cumin powder 1/2 tsp sugar 1 tsp lemon juice Method Boil the potatoes, let it rest and peel of the skin gently. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai on low flame...

  White chicken curry is a unique recipe other than the normal white shahi chicken korma and the malai chicken. This is a family recipe that is adapted to give a delightful taste. It may appear like the chicken stew, but it is quite different from it in terms of the process and the look. This curry consists of a delicious and flavourful gravy cooked in yoghurt base, seasoned with white pepper powder. Use chicken with bones as it adds flavour to the curry. Quite easy to make, with simple ingredients and smooth to the taste buds too.  Ingredients 650 g chicken Salt 1.5 tsp black pepper powder 3 tsp ginger garlic paste ½ cup curd 3 green chilies 4 onions 10 small potatoes 2 carrot 6 baby onions 10 cashew nuts 1 tsp clarified butter ( ghee) 5 tsp vegetable oil 1” cinnamon stick 3 green cardamom 5 clove 1 black cardamom 1 bay leaf 1 tsp refined flour ¾ cup milk. ½ tsp garam masala powder Method Marinade the chicken with salt, black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, curd, mix it w...

  Potato tikki sandwich is what a quick evening snack would be. Simple to make, yet flavorful on the palate. If you want to opt for the healthier version swap the white bread to multigrain brown bread, and you can add beetroots and lettuce too. The tikki is quite flavorsome and the two sauces balance the sandwich altogether. Bringing in the freshness of the tomatoes, cucumber and onions. Perfect for a quick breakfast, and easy to make. Ingredients 4 slices of bread Potato 3 tomato 1 cucumber 3 onion Mint leaves Coriander leaves 2 tbsp yoghurt ½ tsp sugar Salt Black pepper powder 1 lemon wedge 3 green chilies 3 tbsp hung curd Garlic Black salt 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1/3 tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp red chili powder ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp coriander powder ½ tsp cumin powder ½ tsp dried mango powder (amchur powder) ½ tsp ginger paste           Method Boil 4 potatoes, drain the water, allow it to cool,...

  Chicken Kofta curry, in undoubtedly a favourite among every non vegetarian household. The tender kofta that sits in the delicious gravy enriches itself with its flavour. We often find this dish in the restaurant menu and we tend to avoid it making it at home. Follow the steps and you are just there, the proper restaurant style chicken kofta curry that can be adjusted as per your taste and liking. Goes well with a butter naan, a dish that is capable enough to bring families together for lunch or dinner.   Ingredients For the curry 3 onions 2 medium tomatoes 3 tbsp oil 1 inch cinnamon 4 green cardamom 5 cloves ½ mace Salt 1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste 1 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp cumin powder 1 tsp coriander powder ½   tsp sugar 3 tbsp yoghurt 3 cups hot water 1 tsp garam masala powder 3 tbsp fresh cream 1 tsp kewra water   For marination 500g chicken mince 1 onion 3 green chilies 2 slices of white b...

  Bitter gourd  or karela is quite an amazing ingredient, if it cooked properly. Here is my mother’s recipe for Bitter gourd , that is cooked with brinjal in a mustard sauce. It is quite a simple dish, with the addition of raw onions at the end, to provide the crunch in every bite. To reduce the bitterness of the bitter gourd, soak it in salt water overnight and the next day just throw the water away and wash the bitter gourd pieces in fresh water, and you are ready to go, The mustard sauce is quite simple, just as the one that goes for the Bengali fish in mustard sauce ( shorshe maaach ). Ingredients 350 g bitter gourd 200 g brinjal 3 tbsp. mustard seeds 10 garlic clove 3 green chilies 2 dried chilies 1 tomato 1 turmeric powder 15-20 dried lentil dumplings (vadi) 1/2 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji) 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder Salt Mustard Oil Method cut the head and the tail of the bitter gourd, and portion into 5 cm slices. soak it in salt water overnight ...

  Fish curry is quite a common recipe in the Indian subcontinent. This is a Bengali style homemade fish curry. All the cooking is done in mustard oil. The gravy remains rich and the fish remains tender. We prefer the cuts from a bigger fish as the flavours are much enhanced than the small fish cuts. Ask your local fish seller to provide you fish from the belly and the main body keeping the central bone intact. This fish curry is simple and can easily go with a bowl of hot steamed rice at lunch. Ingredients For marinade 5 pieces Rohu (from 5 kg size) Salt to taste ½ tsp turmeric powder For paste 4 onions 3 tomatoes 4 green chilies   For the gravy 4 clove 1” cinnamon stick 4 green cardamom ½ tsp cumin 2 dried red chilies 2 bay leaf 1 tsp turmeric powder 1.5 tsp rec chili powder 3 tbsp yoghurt (5 + 4) tbsp Mustard oil 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste Salt to taste 1/3 tsp sugar 4 cups water ½ tsp garam masala powder 1 tsp clarified butter (ghee) 2 slit green chili...

  This is an okra recipe that is cooked with mustard sauce or a bhindi masala with mustard seed paste. The mustard paste has a pungent aroma to it, so it needs to be cooked well so that the pungency and the bitterness of the mustards goes away. The bhindi soaks up the sauce , hence making the curry rich in flavor. Goes well with a bowl of steaming hot rice for main course. Ingredients 250 g Okra 1 medium onion 1 medium tomato 5 green chili 2 tbsp. mustard seeds 1 tbsp. poppy seeds 5 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 tsp ginger garlic paste ½ tsp nigella seeds ( kalonji ) ½ tsp red chili powder ½ tsp turmeric powder Salt Sugar ½ tbsp. mustard oil     Method Slice the onions evenly, slice the tomato into 4 parts, cut the okra into halves excluding the head and the tail. In a grinder, add green chilies, poppy seeds, tomatoes and   some water to help it blend well. Gain a smooth paste. Heat oil on medium in a kadai and add the chopped onions, a p...