OATS UPMA

INGREDIENTS:

Rolled oats	2 cups
Onion	1 small – finely chopped
Carrot	1 small – finely chopped
Green beans	6-8 – finely chopped
Green peas	¼ cup
Curry leaf	1 sprig
Green chili	1-2 - chopped
Ginger	1-inch piece – chopped
Mustard seeds	½ tsp
Orid dal	½ tsp
Chana dal	½ tsp
Cashew nuts (optional)	5-7
Salt	To taste
Kootu powder	½ tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Coriander leaves	1 tbsp - chopped
Coconut	2 tbsp - grated
Water	2 cups

METHOD:

• In a pan, dry roast the rolled oats until crisp. Transfer the roasted oats to plate.
• In the same pan, add a tbsp of oil and heat on medium flame. As oil heats, add cashew nuts, chopped ginger, green chili, curry leaf, mustard seeds, orid dal and chana dal.
• Saute until seeds splutter and add chopped onions. Sauté until onions are translucent. Then add chopped vegetables (carrot, beans and green peas) and saute for 2 mins.
• Add salt, kootu powder and 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook until veggies are soft. As veggies turn soft, pour 2 cups of water.
• When water comes to a boil, add the roasted oats. Mix well and cover the pan with a lid. Cook on low flame for 3-4 mins or until no moisture is left.
• The oats will turn fluffy. Add chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. Mix everything well and serve hot.

GINGER BASICS - Storing Ginger & Making Ginger Paste

STORING GINGER:

• Air-dry the ginger on counter top for 2-3 days until the skin of ginger is dry.  
•  Then wrap the ginger in an aluminum foil and store in refrigerator up to 4-6 weeks.

GINGER PASTE:

INGREDIENTS

Ginger	As required
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Oil	Few tbsps.

METHOD

• Peel the ginger and chop the ginger into pieces. In a blender, grind the ginger pieces into a smooth paste.
• Add ¼ tsp of turmeric powder and 1-2 tbsp of oil to the paste. Blend once again and transfer the ginger paste to small containers.
• Add a tsp of oil on top of the containers and then freeze the same.
• Thaw each container as required and use. 

PANEER BUTTER MASALA

INGREDIENTS:

Paneer	200 gms - cubed
Onion	1 medium – chopped
Tomato	2 large – chopped
Cashew nuts	6-8
Ginger paste	1 tbsp
Salt	To taste
Sugar	1 tsp
Red chili powder	½ - ¾ tsp
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Garam masala powder	½ tsp
Kasuri methi	½ tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Butter	1.5 tbsp
Bay leaf	1
Cinnamon stick	1-inch stick
Cloves	2-3
Cardamom	2
Cream	2 tbsp
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp - chopped

METHOD:

• In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium-high heat.  Add chopped onions, 1 tbsp of ginger paste and saute until onions are translucent.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cashew nuts. Saute until tomatoes are mushy.
• Add salt, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp garam masala powder to the onion-tomato mixture.  Cook for 1-2 mins and turn off the heat.
• Allow the onion-tomato- spice mix to cool down. Once it is cooled, grind the masala with ½ cup water into smooth paste.
• Filter the ground masala through a mesh sieve and keep aside. This will help to get a restaurant style smooth and silky textured gravy.
• In the same pan, heat 1.5 tbsp of butter on med heat. As butter melts, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom.
• Saute until the spices are aromatic. Then add the filtered gravy to the pan. Add ½ cup lukewarm water to the gravy to adjust the consistency.
• Cover and cook until the gravy thickens and specks of oil ooze from sides.
• Add the cubed paneer pieces and 1 tsp of crushed kasuri methi. Mix well and cook for another 2 mins.
• Turn off the heat and add 2 tbsp of cream. Mix well and garnish with 2 tbsp of chopped coriander.
• Serve hot with roti or parathas.

PUNJABI CHOLE MASALA

INGREDIENTS:

Chickpeas (Kabuli chana)	1 cup
Onion	1 large – finely chopped
Tomatoes	2 large – chopped
Ginger paste	1 tbsp
Green chili	1-2
Salt	To taste
Red chili powder	½ tsp
Coriander powder	1 tbsp
Chole masala powder	1.5 tsp
Chaat masala powder	¼ tsp
Kasuri methi	½ tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Ghee	1 tbsp
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp - chopped
Bay leaf	1-2

METHOD:

• Wash the chickpeas thoroughly and soak in 3 cups water for 6-8 hours or overnight. After soaking, drain out the water in which chickpeas were soaking and rinse the chickpeas in fresh water.
• In a pressure cooker, add the chickpeas, bay leaf and 2.5 cups of water and cook for 4 whistles.
• Make a smooth puree of chopped tomatoes and 1 or 2 green chiles depending on your spice level. Keep aside.
• In a kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of ghee and heat it on medium flame. Add finely chopped onions and 1 tbsp of ginger paste. Saute until onions are golden brown.
• When onions are golden brown, add red chili powder, coriander powder and chole masala powder. Mix well and saute for 1 min taking care not to burn the spices.
• Then add the pureed tomato and salt. Mix well and cook until oil separates from the sides.
• Add the cooked chickpeas along with the water. Cook for 10-15 mins until the gravy thickens. Few chickpeas can also be mashed to thicken the gravy.
• Finally add chaat masala and crushed kasuri methi to the gravy. Cover and cook for 1-2 mins.
• Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rotis or rice or puri.

BEETROOT PULAO

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice	2 cups
Beetroot	1 cup finely chopped
Green peas	½ cup
Onion	1 small thinly sliced
Salt	As per taste
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Red chili powder	1 tsp
Coriander powder	1 tbsp
Coconut milk	1 cup thick milk
Water	2 cup
Oil	1 tbsp
Bay leaf	2
Cinnamon stick	1 inch stick
Cloves	2-3
Cardamom	2-3
Fennel seeds	½ tsp
Lemon juice	1 tbsp
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp chopped

METHOD:

• Wash the basmati rice for 2-3 times and then soak the rice for 15 – 20 mins.
• In a wide deep pan, heat a tbsp of oil on medium heat. As oil heats, add bay leaf, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, and fennel seeds.
• When the spices turn aromatic add sliced onions and saute until onions are translucent.
• Then add chopped beetroot and green peas. Saute for 3-4 mins. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder.
• Mix everything well and fry for another minute. Then add the soaked rice without the water.
• Mix the rice well with the vegetables and spices. Pour 1 cup of coconut milk and 2 cups of water.
• Stir well and allow a boil to come. Then add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and mix well. Adding the lemon juice helps the grains in retaining their shape and staying separate even after cooked.  
• Allow it to boil for 2-3 mins and then turn the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15-20 mins until all the water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked.
• Turn off the heat and allow it to rest for 5-10 mins. Remove the lid from pulao and fluff the rice gently with the help of a fork.
• Mix in the chopped coriander leaves taking care not to break the rice grains.
• Serve hot with yoghurt or sabzi.

SPAGHETTI WITH BEAN BALLS

INGREDIENTS:

Ingredients for bean balls:
Black beans	1 cup – dry
Onion	1 medium – finely chopped
Green chili	1 – finely chopped
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp – chopped
Oil	1 tbsp
Salt	As per taste
Red chili powder	½ tsp
Garam masala powder	½ tsp
Bread crumbs	¼ cup

Ingredients for sauce and spaghetti:
Spaghetti	200 gm
Onion	1 medium – finely chopped
Tomato	3 large - pureed
Coriander leaves	1 tbsp – chopped
Oil	3 tbsp
Salt	As per taste
Sugar	½ tsp
Black pepper powder	½ tsp + ½ tsp
Red chili powder	½ tsp
Dried basil	1 tsp
Mixed Italian herbs	1 tsp
Tomato paste	1.5 tbsp

METHOD:

Making Bean balls:

• Wash the black beans thoroughly and soak in 3-4 cups of water for overnight or 6-8 hours.Drain out the water after soaking and rinse the beans once.
• In a pressure cooker, add the soaked beans and 3 cups of water. Cover and cook for 4-5 whistles until the beans are well cooked.
• After the pressure settles, open the cooker and drain the cooked beans from the water. Don’t throw the water away; it can be used for any bean-based curry or soup.
• Meanwhile, finely chop one medium sized onion. Also heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. As oil heats up, add the chopped onion and saute till translucent. Once translucent, turn off the heat and keep aside.
• Now mash the cooked and drained beans using a potato masher.
• Once the beans are mashed, add ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder, chopped green chili ,2 tbsp of coriander leaves, sautéed onions and half the bread crumbs. (Adjust the spiciness as per your spice level. The green chili can be totally avoided. Also the onions can be added raw without sautéing if you prefer so.)
• Combine all the ingredients well. If the mixture feels wet, add the remaining bread crumbs and mix well. The mixture should be such that the balls can be formed from it.
• After mixing well, let it rest for 10 mins so that the crumbs absorb all of the excess moisture.
• Then take small lemon sized portions of the mixture and form into balls.
• There are two options for frying these balls:

1.   Deep frying in oil:  Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry all the balls till golden brown. Take out on a kitchen tissue paper to absorb the excess oil and keep aside the balls. So, if the bean balls are deep fried, the onions can be added raw and it will be cooked in oil.
2. Air frying: Preheat the air fryer to 380 deg F. Place the bean balls in fryer and fry for 10-15 mins. Take out and give the bean balls a toss once in between at around 7-8 mins. When the bean balls are cooked and starts to turn crisp and brown outside, insert a toothpick and check. If comes clean, take the bean balls out as they are ready.  Also adjust the time and heat according to your air fryer as power varies in different appliance.

Air fried bean balls

Making the sauce:

• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan on medium heat. As oil heats, add chopped onions and saute till translucent.
• Add the pureed tomatoes and saute for 3-4 mins.
• Add salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp red chili powder, and tomato paste. Mix well and continue cooking until the raw smell of tomatoes are gone and little oil starts oozing from sides.
• Add ½ cup of lukewarm water to adjust the consistency. Once the sauce comes to a boil, add ½ tsp sugar to balance the acidity of tomatoes.
• Turn off the heat and add the dried basil and mixed Italian herbs. Mix well and cover for 2 mins so that the flavor is absorbed in the sauce.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti as per the package instructions.

Assembling the dish:

• In a wide pan, add a tbsp of oil and heat on medium heat. Then toss the cooked spaghetti with little salt and ½ tsp black pepper to flavor the spaghetti.  Also add the chopped coriander leaves.
• In a serving plate, place a small nest of spaghetti. Arrange 2-3 bean balls and pour a ladleful of sauce on top of the bean balls. Garnish with a coriander leaf.
• Enjoy the dish warm!!!