1. Soak chickpeas in four cups of water overnight.
2. Tie tealeaves in muslin cloth to form a bundle.
3. Drain chickpeas, add six to eight cups water, salt and tealeaves tied in muslin cloth. Pressure cook for twenty minutes or until soft and completely cooked.
4. Drain the cooked chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquor. Discard bundle of tealeaves
5. Mix together coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and amchur.
6. Dry roast cumin seeds till dark brown. Dry roast anardana and grind to a powder along with roasted cumin seeds.
7. Heat four tablespoons oil in a kadai, add slit green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry briefly
8. Add the mixed spice powder and stir-fry for half a minute.
9. Stir in half cup of the reserved cooking liquor and cook for two minutes.
10. Add the cooked chickpeas, salt to taste, one cup of reserved cooking liquor and cook on high heat for three to four minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Top it with tomatoes, sprinkle garam masala powder, roasted cumin and anardana powder.
12. Heat the remaining oil to smoking point and pour over the prepared chickpeas.
13. Stir well, adjust seasoning and serve hot with bhature or puris.

• Tea leaves is used to give the cuisine a dark colour. Pindi choles are dark in colour.
• Coriander leaves can be substituted with cilantro.
• Soak chanas overnight for maximun 6 hours and then boil it in cooker for either 20 minutes or for 3 -4 whistles.

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1. Soak chana for at least six hours. Drain.
2. Add three cups of water and half a teaspoon of soda bicarbonate to the chana and cook in a pressure cooker till done.
3. Heat ghee in a vessel and fry potatoes until soft. Remove and place on an absorbent paper and set aside.
4. In the same ghee, add onions and sauté till pink.
5. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder and sauté again.
6. Add boiled chanas and salt.
7. After five minutes, add garam masala powder, dry mango powder and pepper powder and cook for two minutes.
8. Add potatoes and tomatoes and cook for two minutes.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves, green chillies, tomato slices and ginger julienne and serve hot with bhatures.

Preparation Time: 6-7 hours

Cooking Time: 15 -18 minutes

Serves: 4 persons.

Shelflife: 1 day.

Serving Suggestions: Serve hot with Bhature or puri.

Note:

• For more gravy, add the tomatoes in blended form (puree) instead of sliced ones.
• Soda is added to make the chanas softer.
• For those who dont like the taste of ginger , they can add ginger as paste instead of thin strips.
• Potatoes are used to thicken the gravy and give it a nice texture. so just crumble it and add to the recipe while cooking. Bake it before and then crumble it.

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Makki di roti, a famous bread from punjab is a simple bread and is meal to many punjabis. Punjab is a very fertile land and hence most of the foodgrains are widely cultivated there like wheat, maize, rice and other crops too like sugarcane etc. Makki di roti is the staple food of most punjabis and it is usually served hot with sarson ka saag. This bread is simple like the people of india and is tasty and nutritious. Sarson, or Mustard Greens, are those cherished winter greens native to the Northern plains of India, in particular to the state of Punjab. Come Spring, the state is blessed with the magic of blooming mustard fields, great spreads of yellow as far as the eye can see.
Traditionally, Sarson ka Saag is eaten with Makki ki Roti; or rotis made of corn flour. They are light, seasonal, and comforting to the degree of joy. They could be likened, I suppose, for a sense of familiarity, to corn tortillas-which, incidentally, will make for great substitutes-but there is something more to the coarse and yet soft; flat and yet hearty makki ki rotis. A dollop of ghee over the piping hot rotis just before serving makes them even more appealing.



Ingredients:
Cornmeal (makki ka atta) - 1 1/2 cups
Whole wheat flour (atta) optional -1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Unsalted butter - as required.




Method:

1. Add salt and whole-wheat flour to the cornmeal and mix well.
2. Add warm water and knead to make a medium soft dough.
3. Divide into eight equal portions and shape into balls.
4. Pat each ball between dampened palms to make a roti of medium thickness. Alternatively, roll out each ball between the folds of a greased plastic sheet
5. Heat a tawa and place a roti on it.
6. Cook on moderate heat till one side is half-done. Turn over and spread some white butter over the surface.
7. Turn over and spread some more butter on the other side. Cook till both sides are golden brown.
8. Serve hot with a dollop of white butter.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 persons. Makes around 8 rotis.

Shelflife: 1 day.

Serving suggestions: Serve hot with a dallop of ghee or butter on top and hot sarson ka saag.

Note:

• I have added Wheat flour to the recipes so that it becomes easy to roll into rotis. Or else when only maize flour it used, those who are not so used to making rotis usually find it difficult to roll it or press it into rotis and also it gives a uneven shape to the rotis.
• So, whear flour can be avoided. And for those who find it restless can add them. Adding wheat flour add extra nutrition and easiness to the recipe.

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1. Squeeze out extra juice from grated moolis. Reserve the juice.
2. Mix together atta and salt to taste. Rub in two tablespoons of ghee. Add the reserved juice of moolis and knead into a stiff dough. Add water if necessary. Cover and rest it for fifteen minutes.
3. Mix grated mooli, red chilli powder, asafoetida, carom seeds, green chillies, coriander leaves, mooli leaves and salt. Mix well.
4. Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Flatten each portion, keeping the edges thinner than the centre.
5. Place a portion of the filling in the centre and gather the edges and roll into a ball. Press slightly and rest for five minutes.
6. Roll out into a parantha.
7. Heat a tawa. Place parantha on the tawa.
8. Turn over drizzle a little oil. Turn over again and drizzle a little oil on the other side too.
9. Roast till both sides are golden and crisp on the outside. Make the remaining paranthas in the same way.
10. Serve hot with Matar paneer or any indian curry. Even a pickle goes well with it so does yoghurt.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 persons.: Makes 8 parathas.

Serving Suggestions: Serve hot with some spicy indian Gravy or with pickle and yoghurt.

Note:

• Raddish Leaves can be avoided. Since raddish leaves contains good nutrients, I have included them as a part of paratha , thus making good use of it.
• As such Mooli Parathas are prepared in this way, but those who want to experiment with more spices can add some garam masala powder and jeera crushed each 1 teaspoon to the filling. It would enhance the taste.

1. First of all blend the tomatoes to puree for a gravy. Diced tomatoes can also be used but tomatoes when blended to paste gives a good texture and enough gravy . Also it goes well with kids.
2. Also grind ginger and garlic together and keep it aside. Chopped ginger and Garlic pieces can also be used, but i prefer paste since it gives good taste and goes well with people who dont like it in dish.
3. Boil 1 cup of the onions. We do this in the microwave by adding 1 tsp water and covering the onions. Cook on high for four minutes. Add the 1/2 cup raw onions, ginger, garlic and cashews and grind to a smooth paste without adding water. Those who dont have Microwave can boil the onions in pressure cooker for 1 whistle and allow it to cool later.
4. Heat the oil and butter in a deep pan. Add the onion puree, a pinch of salt and kasuri methi. Fry it on a medium flame until the paste turns light brown and starts drying out a bit (7 minutes or so).
5. Add the Kashmiri and regular chilli powders, turmeric and tomato puree. Cook for five minutes on medium.
6. Add the peas. (If using frozen peas, microwave on HIGH for a minute, just to thaw and add them at the very end).
7. Add the cumin, garam masala and tandoori masala powders. Add salt to taste and cook until the mixture becomes a little thicker than the consistency you desire in the final dish.
8. Add the evaporated milk and honey. Stir, taste for salt and seasonings, then add the paneer cubes (save a few for garnish).
9. Heat it through, turn off the flame.
10. Keep it covered for 15 minutes for the flavours to blend together.
11. Finally garnish it with some coriander leaves before serving. Serve them hot with Naan , Parathas or Roti.
    

• For a change in recipe, try using baby corns. It makes the dish delicious and intresting.
• If using fresh peas, then boil it separately in hot water until it turns tender. If using frozen, then keep it outside and allow it to thaw for a while.
• While grinding the tomatoes, dont add water to it.
• Prepare this dish about 4-5 hours in advance before serving. This way everything has a chance to blend together and the peas does not have that raw un-cooked taste to it.
• Add the cream only at the end else it curdles up and leaves an unpleasant taste.
• If not cream, Yoghurt can also be used but do add it only at the end to give the cuisine a good look.
• Tandoori Masala is just for giving the cuisine some ectastic colour. It is optional.

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Punjabis are very fond of Rajma Chawal. Rajma means Red kidney beans. As such Kidney beans are available in various colours in market like creamish colour, red colour and marble path red and cream colour but often Red kidney is widely preferred due to its ectastic appearance. Rajma is accompanied with chawal (Rice) and is cooked with masalas and spices. It tastes good and hence is widely very popular among north Indians especially Punjabis.




Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup kidney beans (rajma)
1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
2 large tomatoes
1 tablespoon ginger
1 green chili
3 tablespoon oil
Generous pinch of asafetida (hing)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 medium chopped tomato for garnishing .



Method:

1. Wash and soak the kidney beans in about six cups of water for at least 6 hours (kidney beans will be double in volume after soaking).
2. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces, green chili slice lengthwise and take out the seeds (if you prefer mild).
3. Next blend tomatoes, green chili, and ginger and make a paste.
4. Heat the oil in pressure cooker. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed. If the seed cracks right away, the oil is ready. Add asafetida and cumin seeds, as the cumin seeds crack add tomato paste, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, black pepper, and paprika.
5. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the oil is separating from the mixture.
6. Add kidney beans, salt, and three cups of water close the cooker. Cook on medium high heat.
7. As pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 12 minutes.
8. Close the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker.
9. Kidney beans should be soft and tender. Lightly mash the kidney beans while mixing. Adjust salt, and pepper to your taste.
10. Garnish with chopped tomatoes.

Preparation Time: 6-7 hours.

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4 persons

Serving Suggestion: Serve Hot with Rice.

Note: Paprika is used here for colour, it can also be avoided.

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