Aaloo Paratha (potato paratha)

Extremely popular with North Indians, these are best eaten with chilled yogurt and your favourite pickle or chutney. Want to be naughty? Aaloo parathas taste delicious with fresh, thick cream or a knob of unsalted, home-made butter!
Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

5 medium-sized boiled, peeled and well mashed potatoes
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
3 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
2" piece of fresh ginger grated fine
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 tbsps vegetable, sunflower or canola oil
Water to mix
Preparation:

Put the mashed potatoes, coriander and cumin powders, cumin seeds, turmeric, chilli powder, salt to taste, chopped fresh coriander and grated ginger into a large mixing bowl. Blend all ingredients well by stirring. Once well mixed, keep aside for later.
Put the flour, oil/ghee and all the ingredients (except the water) into a large mixing bowl.
Rub together to form a crumbly mix.
Now slowly add water, a little at a time and knead well to make a smooth, pliable dough. Cover and set aside for an hour.
Divide the dough into golf ball-sized portions and roll between your hands till they are smooth and without cracks.
Very lightly flour a rolling board or clean counter surface and roll each ball into a 5" circle. Now take a tablespoon-full of the potato mix and spoon it into the centre of the circle you just made. Slowly lift the edges and bring together in the center to form a pouch. Press the ends together tightly to close the pouch. Once sealed, press down gently to flatten so that you have a flattened pouch.
Lightly flour your rolling surface and roll this pouch into a 7-8" circle. Don't worry too much if the filling oozes out. This happens often but can be avoided by using a very light hand to roll out the paratha. Just gather up the filling and either keep aside or try to put it back into the paratha and pinch the dough to seal. Also if you're just starting out with Aaloo Parathas, do not worry about getting the perfect round shape as it takes a little practice to achieve. Whatever the shape, it tastes just as good! For convenience roll out as many parathas as you like, stacking them, ready to cook with a layer of cling film between each paratha.
Heat a griddle and fry the parathas one at a time like this: Put a paratha on the griddle. Do the first flip when you see tiny bubbles rise on the surface of the paratha. As soon as the first flip is done, drizzle a bit of oil on the top and spread well over the surface of the paratha. Flip again in 30 seconds and drizzle oil on this surface too. The paratha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown.
Serve with chilled yogurt and your favourite pickle or chutney.

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Hara Bhara Kabab

A tasty alternative for those who love kababs but are vegetarian, Hara Bhara kabab gets its name and green colour from the healthy spinach in it.
Ingredients:

300 gms potatoes boiled till soft
150 gms peas boiled till soft
150 gms spinach boiled
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
2" piece of ginger grated
1 tbsp chaat masala
Salt to taste
Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil to shallow fry the kababs
Cashews to garnish (1/2 cashew per kabab)
Preparation:

Mix and mash together the potatoes, peas and spinach till a smooth paste is formed.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Keep in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Remove from refrigerator and form into patties.
Heat the oil on a heavy-bottomed skillet and shallow-fry the kababs till crisp on each side.
Drain on paper towels. Garnish with cashews and serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

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Lehsuni Daal (garlic flavored lentils)

Made with masoor daal (orange lentils) this dish is simple and very tasty. It is in fact almost a staple in most homes. It makes a great accompaniment for plain boiled rice and a vegetable or meat dish. The recipe makes enough for 2-3 servings and is best made in a pressure cooker - it gets done faster this way.
Ingredients:

1 cup masoor daal
3 cups water
2 tbsps vegetable/sunflower/canola cooking oil
Salt to taste
1 onion chopped fine
1 tomato chopped fine
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3 tbsps ghee (clarified butter)
3 dry red chillies stalks removed and broken into small pieces
1/2 tsp asafetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
8-10 cloves of garlic
Preparation:

Wash the daal thoroughly.
Mix the daal, water, cooking oil, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt to taste, onion and tomato in the pressure cooker or a deep pan and boil till the lentils are very soft.
In another small pan, heat the ghee well and add the cumin seeds which will sizzle. When they stop sizzling add the garlic and dry red chillies and fry till the garlic is light brown. Add the asafetida and turn off the fire.
Quickly add this ghee and spice mixture to the boiled daal and stir well.
Eat piping hot with rice and other dishes.

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Naan (leavened Indian flatbread)

Naans are traditionally cooked in a Tandoor or earthern oven but can also be made in your oven at home. Serve this delicious bread hot, with popular dishes like Tandoori Chicken or kebabs of different kinds. The dough for Naans needs to be made in advance so factor that into the preparation time.
Prep Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsps dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsps sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
6 tbsps ghee (clarified butter)
3 tbsps yoghurt
3 teaspoons onion seeds
Preparation:

Add the dry yeast and sugar to the warm water and stir till the yeast is dissolved. Cover and leave aside for 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to froth. This indicates the yeast is active. Keep aside.
Mix the flour and salt to taste and sift through a very fine seive. Put it into a large mixing bowl and now add the yeast mixture, 3 tbsps of ghee and all the yogurt.
Use your fingertips to mix all this into a soft dough. Once mixed, flour a clean, flat surface (like your kitchen counter) and knead the dough till it is smooth and stretchy (elastic).
Grease a large bowl with a few drops of cooking oil and put the dough in it. Cover and allow to rest for about 90 minutes or till the dough doubles in volume.
Punch the dough down and knead again for 10 minutes.
Equally divide the dough and roll between your palms to form 8 round balls.
Lightly flour the same surface on which you kneaded the dough and roll out each ball until you have a circle, 7-8 inches in diameter (1/2 "thick). Gently pull on one edge of the circle to form the Naan into a teardrop shape. Do not pull too hard or you may tear the Naan. Instead of rolling the dough out (with a rolling pin) you can also pat it into a circle with your hands.
Preheat your oven 200 C/ 400 F or Gas Mark 6.
Lay a piece of aluminum foil in an oven tray (to cover) and grease it lightly with a few drops of cooking oil.
Place as many Naans as will fit without touching each other, on the tray.
Brush each Naan with some ghee and sprinkle a pinch of onion seeds all over its surface.
Put the tray into the oven and cook till the Naan begins to puff out and get lightly brown. Flip the Naan and repeat.
Remove from oven and serve hot in a foil-lined basket.

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Chaat - Tikki Ki Chaat - Ragda Pattice

This has to be the most popular North-Indian snack! Vendors literally crowd the streets selling all kinds of delicious variations of chaat in this part of the country. Chaat parties are also popular and a great alternative to a sit-down dinner. Tikki Ki Chaat is another North Indian name for this dish. In western India, the same dish is called Ragda Pattice.
Ingredients:

6 large potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp raw mango powder
1/2 cup finely chopped coriander
2 onions finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 can of chickpeas roughly mashed
6 cloves
3 pods cardamom
8 peppercorns
1 cup Tamarind Chutney
1 cup Mint-coriander Chutney
Coriander chopped fine to garnish
Chaat masala to garnish
Vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil to shallow fry
Preparation:

Mix the mashed potatoes, red chilly, coriander, cumin and raw mango powders, chopped coriander, 1 chopped onion and salt to taste. Make into a smooth paste. Form into equal-sized patties.
Heat oil on a griddle and shallow fry these patties till crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.
Add 1 cup of water to the roughly mashed chickpeas. Add the cloves, cardamom and peppercorns and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Turn off the heat. Remove the whole spices and discard.
To serve the Tikki Ki Chaat, put 2 hot patties in a plate and spoon some chickpea mixture over them. Add the Tamarind and Mint-coriander Chutneys according to taste. Sprinkle chopped onion and corainder to garnish. Sprinkle chaat masala over the whole dish.
A tasty variation to this recipe: add some yogurt (whisk to make smooth) over the chickpea mix and then add the remaining ingredients.

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Kaali Daal (black lentils) - Daal Makkhani

Another popular North Indian dish, Kaali Daal is also known as Ma Ki Daal (mom's lentils) since it is wholesome and delicious! Another popular name for it is Daal Makkhani. Serve Kaali Daal/ Daal Makkhani with a vegetable side dish and Naans (tandoor baked flatbread) or Butter Chicken and Naans.
Ingredients:

1 cup split urad daal (black lentils)
2 large onions sliced thin
2 green chillies slit
Salt to taste
A pinchof asafetida
2 large tomatoes chopped into cubes
2" piece of ginger jullienned
1 tbsp garlic minced
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 cup thickened/ double/ heavy cream, whisked
2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
2 tbsps ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
Preparation:

Soak the Urad Daal (black lentils) in a bowl of water, overnight if possible.
Boil the soaked lentils with 3 cups of water, 1 sliced onion, green chillies, asafetida and salt to taste till they are very tender.
In a separate pan, heat the oil and fry the other onion till soft. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a minute.
Add the tomatoes, coriander, cumin and red chilli powders and fry for another 5 minutes.
Add the boiled lentils and enough water to make a thick gravy-like consistency and mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour in the whisked cream and mix well. Turn off the fire.
In another small pan, heat the ghee and when hot add the cumin seeds and cook till they stop spluttering.
Pour this into the lentils (it will all sizzle) and mix well.
Serve hot with a vegetable side dish and Naans (tandoor-baked leavened Indian flatbread) or Butter Chicken and Naans.

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Palak Paneer (spinach and cottage cheese)

Another hot favorite North Indian dish! This mildly flavored dish is super healthy too. If Paneer is not on hand or you want a dairy-free option you can also use tofu or veggies like cauliflower or potato.
Ingredients:

500 gms Paneer (look below for recipe to make your own Paneer)
2 medium-sized bunches of fresh spinach (approximately 1 lb or 500 gms)
1/2 bunch fresh fenugreek leaves (approximately 1/4 lb or 125 gms)
4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
1 large onion chopped fine
1 large tomato diced
2 tsps garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of butter to garnish
Preparation:

Cut the paneer into 1" cubes. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and stir-fry the paneer till golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep aside.
Add 2 tbsps of oil to the same pan and fry the onions in it till soft.
Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for a minute.
Add the spinach, fenugreek leaves, tomato, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders and mix well. Add salt to taste and mix well.
Cook till the spinach and fenugreek leaves are soft and like pulp. Mash well into a rough paste. If you prefer, you can also blend this paste in the food processor to get a smoother consistency.
Add the previously fried paneer cubes to this gravy and mix to coat the pieces.
Garnish with butter and serve hot with Chapatis (Indian flatbread), parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread) or Makki Ki Roti (pan-fried maize bread).

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