The word "khana" in Indian Khana Made Easy means food. So come on, let's explore and cook some easy Indian food together including gluten-free and vegan dishes.

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Showing posts with label legumes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label legumes. Show all posts

May 11, 2012

Chunky Chana and Potato Dip

Oh thank heavens for Lentil goodness!
Ingredients: 
- 2 cups of Whole Chana (Black or Green Chana), soaked in water overnight
- 7.75 oz of Salsa (Spice level - Medium)
- 1 medium Potato
- 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Dhanjeera powder 
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tbsp or as needed of Salt
- ½ cup of Cilantro/Coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Procedure:
Peel and cut the potato into cubes. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add dhanjeera & chili powder and ginger-garlic paste. Then stir for 2 minutes. Next add salsa, the whole chana (soaked and drained) and potato pieces. Mix well and then add ½ cup of water and cook under pressure for 10 minutes. Slightly crush the chana and potatoes to make some gravy before the mixture cools down; add little bit of water if necessary. Then transfer the mixture into a serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander. Voila! It's ready to be served. 

***Quick Tips: 
- We like eating it with toasted naan/pita or multi-grain chips.  It's also great as a side with jeera rice, brown rice, or even quinoa.
- If you like this recipe, you may also like Chole curry made with chickpeas.  
- Dollop of sour cream optional!

May 2, 2011

*~*Bhalle Bhalle Chole*~*

This is so much more than your meat and potatoes. It's a dish that can be made fairly easily and because it is made with chick peas, you can rest assured that you are eating a protein enriched meal. I don't know why but every time I eat chole, it makes me want to break into a step. Not just any step, but a Bhangra step...like how these guys are doing it here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26nHoYGn0IQ. That's why it's called Bhalle Bhalle Chole. I find that a lot of North Indian restaurants serve this with what looks like an over-sized poori except it is actually a batura. Baturas are made from all-purpose flour, whereas pooris are made from wheat flour. Anyways, this post isn't about batura, it's about chole and all its goodness. I know you are on the edge of your seats waiting for me to tell you the steps to making this dish, so I'll stop here:


Ingredients:
  • 1lb 13oz Can Goya Chick Peas, (chole chana/garbanzos)         
  • 2 large Tomatoes (red & firm), finely chopped or crushed
  • 1 medium Potato, microwaved to firm/soft (4min)
  • 1 large Onion, chopped finely or grated
  • ½ tbsp Ginger/Garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp MDH Chana Dal Masala*
  • ¼ cup Fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp or as needed of Salt
  • 2-3 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Procedure:
1) Open the chick peas can and transfer the contents into a colander and drain well. Wash the chick peas under running water to wash off all the salts and preservatives.
2) Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan (pressure pan) or a non-stick saucepan and add grated onion. Fry the onions till golden brown. (Hint: Add a ¼ tsp of sugar to help the onion caramelize quickly). Add ginger garlic paste and mix for 2 min.
3) Now add crushed tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add the drained chick peas, potato (chopped into cubes), chana masala and salt. Then add half a cup of water. 
Mix well and cook on medium heat with closed lid for 7-10 minutes until cooked well. If using pressure pan, cook under pressure for 6-7 minutes.
4) Add chopped coriander and serve with hot pooris or warm rotis.
Actually now that I think about it, chole was served at the Diwali celebration at my mom's work last year and it was a big hit. Amongst all the items made for the event, most people came back for second servings for this one.


***Quick Tip: You can substitute chana masala with garam masala as well. If garam masala is not available, then add your own blend of spices to bring more flavor to this dish. Also, if you do not have raw tomatoes, you can use can of crushed tomatoes or salsa. 

December 21, 2010

~Reinvented Chili - Desi Style~


We found a way to help all our readers keep warm during this winter. Put aside all those canned soups, and spice up your cuisine a bit with some good ol' homemade Chili. We're not talkin' about any ol' chili now. This is chili made desi style.




It is actually called Rajma and it is made with red kidney beans. Coincidentally,  red kidney beans are called Rajma in Hindi specifically because of this dish. It is made with just the right amount of spices, protein, and carbohydrates to create a good wholesome meal for the season.

So go ahead, try your hand at this dish and warm up your tummy.

Main Ingredients

Ingredients for Serving size of 6:
  • 1 pound 13 ounces (822g) Goya Red Kidney beans
  • 1 medium Potato, (microwaved for 3 min)
  • 1 large Red Onion, peeled and chopped finely
  • 1 ½ cups Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Chili powder
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup Fresh Coriander, chopped for garnish (Optional)

Procedure:
1) Pour the beans from the can into a colander and wash them thoroughly under running water & drain.


2) Peel the potato and cut into cubes.

3)  Heat oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan, add jeera and when it starts to sizzle add grated onion. Saute it until golden brown; add ginger garlic paste, turmeric & chili powder. Mix well.



4)  Add crushed tomato into the mixture and stir it for 2-3 minutes until the raw taste is gone. Now
add the beans and the potato cubes and mix. Add salt, garam masala, and some water to the desired consistency. Cook well under low-medium heat for 10 – 15min.


5) If using a pressure cooker instead of the saucepan, pressure cook for 10 minutes.



Now the rajma is ready to be served. Grab a bowl full with a side of rotis or naan as your bread for dipping. It can also be eaten with hot jeera rice or plain basmati rice. We served this dish at Thanksgiving as well and it was an instant hit and all gone by the end of dinner.