Sweet Potato Masala Roast

A perfect roast as a side for sambar rice. Sweet potatoes are very healthy and if you don't like to eat just boiled like back at home, prepare this roast for weekday lunches and you will be hooked for sure. With our variety of spices, you never have to eat anything bland. These days sweet potatoes are a staple at my home. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 medium Sweet Potatoes

1 medium Red Onion (finely chopped)

6-8 Green Chili (slit)

3 Garlic pods

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tbsp Urad dal

3 dry red chili

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Chili powder/Sambar powder

Cilantro chopped

Salt

1 tbsp Oil

How to:

• Boil the sweet potatoes and chop'em to bite size pieces with or without skin. Crush the garlic and cumin seeds.

• Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds, dry red chili and urad dal.

• Add the onions and green chili, saute for a min and now add the crushed garlic-cumin seeds.

• Add the turmeric powder and sambar powder, mix well.

• Add the sweet potatoes along with salt and cook for 5 mins in a medium heat. (Don't salt'em as you would for white/red potatoes, use sparingly.)

• Switch off and garnish with cilantro.

Butter Paneer Masala

Butter paneer is one rich creamy dish you can prepare as a treat to yourself. This is definitely not the time to go low fat or no butter. This is a fool-proof recipe and tastes just like the one they serve at the restaurant. You can wow your spouse or your friends with this super rich and quite easy dish. Great for parties too. So go ahead and try it today. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

14 oz Paneer (bite-size pieces)

4 tbsp Butter

2 tsp Oil

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 cup ground Tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp Garlic paste

1 1/2 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1 cup Water

Salt

 How to:

• Heat oil in a deep pan at medium heat and then add butter. (This prevents butter from browning. Btw, i used only half the butter.)

• Now add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for a couple of mins.

• Once the raw smell disappears, add the tomatoes and cook until the oil separates for 4-5 mins.

• Then add the coriander powder, chili powder, paprika and garam masala along with salt and cook for a min.

• Now add the paneer pieces and mix well to coat completely.

• Then pour the water, mix well and cook for 5 mins with lid closed.

• Check salt for taste, lower the flame and add the cream.

• Let come to a boil and switch off.

• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with naan or rotis.

Spiced Baby Potato Curry

I never had my hands on baby potatoes until i made this hot and finger-licking curry. It is simple and easy to make with your basic pantry stuff and also pretty addictive and makes you gobble up the potatoes. The curry might look a bit dry than your usual gravy for chapathis but it is actually quite moist and goes perfectly well. If you want more of a gravy, then smash one potato and mix it with the masala when you add the water. And here goes the recipe,
Ingredients:

8-10 Baby Potatoes

2 Ripe Tomatoes

1 medium Red Onion (finely chopped)

3 Green Chilies (slit)

5-6 Curry Leaves

1/2tsp Ginger (minced)

1/2tsp Cumin seeds

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

1tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2tsp Garam masala powder

2tbsp Cilantro, for garnishing

1 cup Water

1tbsp Oil

Salt

How to:

• Boil and peel the baby potatoes. 

• Heat the oil in a pan and gently sear the potatoes without breaking'em and keep it aside.

• In the same pan, add the cumin seeds followed by onions and saute'em for 2-3 mins.

• Add the ginger, green chilies and curry leaves and cook for a min.

• Now add the tomatoes and cook until its completely mashed with lid closed.

• Add the turmeric powder, chili power and garam masala powder and mix well.

• Now add the seared potatoes, prick'em with a fork and gently mix with the masala.

• Add water and salt and cook 5-6 mins or until everything comes together.

• Check salt for taste, switch off and garnish with cilantro.

• Serve hot with chapathi or paratha.

Anaheim Pepper Stir-fry

Anaheim pepper is a very mild variety of chili pepper. These peppers are mainly used in mexican dishes for stuffing the cheese and frying the same. In our cuisine, this is a perfect crunchy stir-fry for accompanying our rice dishes. With a few ingredients, you can make the mild peppers spicy and flavorful. Here goes the recipe, 

Ingredients:

4 Anaheim Peppers (de-seeded & chopped)

1/2 Red Onion (finely chopped)

5-6 Curry leaves

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

1tsp Coriander powder

1tbsp Masala powder

1/2tsp Cumin seeds

1/2tsp Mustard seeds

1/2tsp Urad dal

1tbsp Oil

Salt 

Masala powder:

4 dry red chilli

1/2tsp mustard seeds

1/2tsp Cumin seeds

1tbsp Coriander seeds

1tsp urad dal

2tbsp peanuts

6-7 curry leaves

• In a pan, dry roast the following in the same order: dry red chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, urad dal, peanuts and finally curry leaves.
• Now let the mixture cool and coarse grind it.

How to:

• Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal.

• Then add the onions and curry leaves, followed by salt and turmeric powder.

• Now add the coriander powder, saute for a min and add the peppers.

• Add another pinch of salt and the masala powder and cook for 3-4 mins or until the peppers are tender.

• Check salt for taste and switch off.

• Serve hot with dal or sambar rice.