Chole (Garbanzo beans curry)

by Trisha Vaz
This is another popular dish in India. There are many recipes you will find to make this curry. This is a simple recipe and one of my favorites. This curry is usually paired with Baturas or Pooris but goes very well with chapatis (whole wheat Indian flatbread) as well. It also goes well with plain boiled rice. I will have posts up on baturas, pooris and chapatis. Stay tuned. This is a thick gravy, also called a chana masala because of this very reason.

Chole (Garbanzo beans curry)


100 gms. dried kabuli channa (Garbanzo beans)
2 kashmiri chillies (dried red chillies)
3 onions, peeled and cubed
2 green chillies (or to taste)
1″ ginger, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, roughly cubed
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilly powder
1 tsp. garam masala powder
1 t 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water.

Rinse out with fresh water the next day and pressure cook with 2 kashmiri chillies and about 1 tsp. salt. Cook for about 15 minutes after the 1st whistle.
If you aren’t using a pressure cooker, simply cook till tender. Reserve the stock.

In a blender, blitz the onions, chillies, ginger and garlic till you get a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a pot/vessel and tip in the onion paste. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn’t burn.

While this is cooking off, tip the tomatoes in the blender and puree. Keep aside.

When the onion paste has thickened, add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and garam masala powder and stir till well mixed with the onion paste.

Add the tomato puree, stir well and let it cook off on a medium flame till you see a little of the oil at the sides of the masala paste. It should take a couple of minutes.

Add the cooked beans and stir gently. Let it cook in the masala for a couple of minutes.

Add some of the water in which the beans were cooked to the pot till you get the desired consistency. Let it thicken a little.

Check for salt. Adjust if needed.

Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and gently mix through.

Serve hot!

**Check back for the next post which will show you another interesting use of boiled garbanzo beans.**

This recipe is linked to –
Not Baaad
Meatless Mondays
Just Another Meatless Monday
My Meatless Mondays
Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent
The Blog Entourage
Mouthwatering Monday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Bean and Spinach Bake

by Trisha Vaz
This is a baked dish that I really enjoy. I’ve been making it for about 4 years now, though I don’t make it very often. I’ll bet you’re wondering why. Let me start by telling you that this is one tasty concoction, however, my husband isn’t fond of baked beans. He isn’t a very picky eater and he’s had to sample some of my not so good creations as well, and I must say he does that without complaining. But his opinion of whatever I make means the world to me. And to make up for it, I try and keep his not so favorite stuff to a minimum. So if I’m having folks over for dinner or I’m cooking a bunch of other stuff as well, thats when I sneak this one in. This is a recipe from Nita Mehta’s Continental Cooking for the Indian Kitchen.  

 
 
Bean and Spinach Bake
Serves 8
 
200 gms mushrooms, sliced
100 gms baby corn, cut into 1/4″ thick round slices
3 tbsp. butter
4-5 cups spinach leaves, finely chopped
1 cup tinned baked bins
1/2 tsp. red chilli flakes
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
4 tbsp. bread crumbs
50 gms mozzarella cheese
For the sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. cornflour (Sometimes, I use all purpose flour and it works just fine)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3-4 flakes garlic, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Crushed black peppercorns, to taste
In a pan, add 1 tbsp. butter and cook the spinach till all the water dries out.
Stir fry for a couple of minutes, till it appears fried.
Add bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. The bread crumbs prevent the spinach from turning runny.
Transfer to a shallow baking dish.
Layer the baked beans over it.
In the same pan used to cook the spinach, heat 2 tbsp. butter.
Add the mushrooms and baby corn and sauté for 5-7 minutes till it starts getting brown spots. 
 
Add red chilli flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
 
Arrange this over the baked beans.
 
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together in the same pan used to cook the veggies and cook stirring till it thickens and begins coating the back of the spoon. 
 
Pour the sauce over the baby corn and mushrooms. 
 
Grate cheese on top. 
 
Bake at 200ºC for 15 minutes.




This recipe is linked to – 
Tasty Tuesdays
Tasty Tuesday
What’s on the Menu Wednesday 
Real Food Wednesday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Recipes, Vegetarian

Scrambled Cottage Cheese – Paneer Bhurji

by Trisha Vaz
Today I’m going to share with you one of my all time favorite super-quick meal recipe. This takes about 10-15 minutes to throw together and is a vegetarian alternative to scrambled eggs. Don’t let that deceive you. Even though it is a vegetarian option, if you love cottage cheese like I do, you will love this. For all you egg lovers out there, just substitute the cottage cheese with eggs. And within sheer minutes, you will be sitting down to a warm, hearty and healthy meal.

Scrambled Cottage Cheese – Paneer Bhurji

(Serves 4)

250g Cottage Cheese / Paneer
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 green chilly, chopped (Adjust the amount of spice to your liking)
1 small tomato, chopped
1/8-1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2-3 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. oil

Heat the oil in a pan.

Saute the onions and green chilly till onions turn soft and are lightly colored.

Add the turmeric powder and stir well.

Add the tomato and let it cook off for a minute or so.

Now crumble the cottage cheese into the pan and stir well to mix with the rest of the ingredients in the pan.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook uncovered for a few minutes till the liquid has dried up.

Lastly, add the coriander leaves and stir well.

Serve with hot chapatis or bread.

This recipe has been linked to –
Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent @ Ceo a’s draiocht
Fun With Food Friday @ Paisley Passions
Whats Cooking Thursday @ Feeding Four

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Breakfast, Mains, Recipes, Sides, Vegetarian