AMU'S RECIPES: January 2013

This is a Dhaba version of the popular dish - Methi Malai Mutter. In contrary to the traditional dish, this dish is spicy and red in colour. The traditional dish is sweet and white in colour.

Servings: Approx. 2-3 people

Pre-Preparation:

Roasting of Tomatoes

Take 4 medium sized tomatoes. With the help of a fork or Skewer, roast the tomatoes on direct flame, till the skin peels away easily. Allow it to cool and peel it. Chop it into pieces.

Ingredients:

To fry Methi:
2 tbspns Oil
1/2 tspn Asafoetida
l Bowl chopped Fenugreek leaves
Salt to taste

For Methi Malai Mutter:
3 tbspns Oil
1 tspn Cumin Seeds
2 Nos. Chopped Onions
1 tspn Ginger Paste
1 tspn Garlic Paste
1 tspn Green Chilly paste
4 Nos. Roasted Tomatoes (Chopped)
1/2 cup Fresh Cream
1/2 tspn Turmeric Powder
1 tspn Red Chilly powder
2 tbspns Coriander-cumin powder
1 cup boiled Green Peas
Fried Fenugreek leaves
1 cup water
Salt to taste

For Garnishing:
Fresh Cream

Method:

To Fry Methi:

Heat oil in a Pan. Add asafoetida and the chopped Fenugreek leaves. Saute it for 3-4 minutes on high flame. Add salt and further fry it for two minutes so that the water (if any) evaporates. Set it aside.

To make Dhabewali Methi Malai Mutter Sabzi :

Heat Oil in a pan. Add the Cumin seeds and saute. Then add the chopped Onion and saute. Simultaneously add Ginger paste, Garlic paste and Green chilly paste and saute. Once it starts releasing oil, add the chopped roasted tomatoes. Cook it further for five minutes. Then add the fresh cream and mix it.

Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, Coriander-cumin powder and mix. Mash the tomatoes to some extent. Then add salt to taste and mix. Then add the boiled Green peas, fried fenugreek leaves and mix it. Add some water and simmer it for five minutes.

Turn off the flame. Transfer it into a serving bowl. Garnish it with fresh cream and serve hot with Roti or Paratha.

Notes:
You may also roast onions to give it a burnt flavor.

Stepwise Pictures:

Wish you all a very happy and rocking 2013. Since I am fond of Street food, I thought of starting the first post of the year with a very popular Curry - Aloo Mutter, but with a twist. In contrast to the conventional Aloo Mutter sabzi, this dish is made and served in a Roadside Dhaba (roadside restaurants found on national highways) style. So it contains loads of oil and butter. But we can indulge into such type of vegetables once in a while. The highlight of this recipe is that it has been made without using Garam Masala.

Servings: Approx. 4 people

Pre-preparation:

For Onion paste:

Chop 3-4 onions coarsely. Transfer it into a blender and blend it into a smooth paste.

For Tomato paste:

Chop 4-5 tomatoes coarsely. Transfer it into a blender and blend it into a smooth paste

Ingredients:

For the Gravy:

3 tbspns Vegetable Oil

1 tbspn Butter

1 tspn Cumin seeds

1 tspn Ginger paste

1 tbspn Garlic paste

1 cup Onion paste

1 bowl Tomato paste

1 tbspn Red chilly powder

Salt to taste

For Aloo Mutter Sabzi:

3 tbspns Vegetable Oil

1 tbspn Salted Butter

1 tspn mustard seeds

2 tspns Cumin seeds

10-15 chopped Curry leaves

1 tspn Asafoetida

1/2 cup chopped Fenugreek leaves

1/2 cup chopped Spinach

1 tspn Red chilly powder

1 Glass water

2 cups boiled potato cubes (3-4 Potatoes)

1 cup boiled Green peas

1 tspn turmeric powder

2 tspns Coriander-Cumin powder

Salt to taste

Onion-Tomato Gravy

1/2 cup water

For Garnishing:

Chopped Coriander leaves

To serve with:

Roti / Naan / Paratha

Chopped Onion

Raw Mango Pickle

Method:

To make Gravy:

Heat Oil and butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When it crackles, add the Ginger paste, Garlic paste and saute for a minute. Then, add the Onion paste. Cook the Onion paste till it starts leaving oil from the sides. The add the tomato paste into it. Cook the gravy till it starts leaving oil from the sides. Now add the red chilly powder and salt. Mix well and transfer it into a bowl.

To make Dhabewali Aloo Mutter Sabzi:

Heat Oil and butter in a pan. Then add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the chopped Curry leaves, Asafoetida and saute. Then add the fenugreek leaves and Spinach leaves and saute for a minute. Then add the red chilly powder and immediately add a glass of water to prevent the spices from burning. Then add boiled Potatoes and boiled Green peas. Mix well and add Turmeric powder, Coriander-Cumin Powder and salt to taste. Simmer it for 5 minutes. Then add the Onion-Tomato Gravy into it. Also add some water to adjust the consistency. Simmer it for few minutes. At the end, add chopped Coriander leaves and turn off the flame.

Serve hot with Roti, Naan along with chopped onion and pickle.

Notes:

If fresh fenugreek is not available, then Kasuri Methi may be used.

Stepwise Pictures: