PUNJAB RECIPES

Punjabi cuisine is usually non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. One of the main features of of Punjabi food is that they are heavily loaded with ghee and butter. Some of the famous Punjabi classic recipes are 'Amritsari macchi', 'tandoori roti', 'kheer', 'gajar halwa'.

Punjabi cuisine is noted for its different types of rotis. Milk in any form as cream, cheese, butter or curd is used in abundance in any Punjabi meal. Saag panner is one of the basic curry of Punjabi food.

A traditional Punjabi sweet prepared widely is Pinni. Punjabi food is spicy but is packed with healthy greens too.

PUNJABI KIDNEY BEAN CURRY RECIPE

Ingredients Ajika kidney beans soaked overnight and drain 7 oz or 1/2 pkg Cinnamon stick 1" Turmeric 1 tsp Ginger paste 1 tsp Salt to taste For the seasoning   Onions finely chopped 2 Bell pepper sliced 14 Riped tomatoes diced 3 Ginger paste 1 tsp Green chilli 1 Garam masala 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper corns to taste Sugar 1/4 tsp Yogurt plain 1 tbsp

Method Add 5 cups of fresh water to the Rajma and add salt, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. Cook for about 1.5 hours till the kidney beans are soft. Heat 4 tbsp. oil, add onions (finely chopped) and sauté till transparent. Add bell pepper and sauté for a moment. Cook till onions turn bown. Add diced tomatoes, ginger and green chilies. Mix the tomatoes with the onions. Now add chili powder and garam masala. Simmer till the oil separates or droplets of oil can be seen. Add the boiled Kidney beans. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium heat till the seasonings mix together. Add black pepper and yogurt and heat for 5 more minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro.

PANEER AMRITSARI RECIPE

Ingredients Paneer in 1"x1"x1" cubes 1 lb Onions sliced 2 small Ginger 1 tsp Garlic 1 tsp Corainder powder 1/2 tsp Aiwain seeds 1 tsp Gram flour 3/4 tsp Red chilli powder 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp Sugar 1/2 tsp Ground pomegranate powder 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Oil 2 tbsp Tandoori spice blend 1/2 tsp

Method Make a thick mixture of flour, salt, ginger, garlic, turmeric, ajwain, garam & tandoori masalas with 2-3 tbsp. water and 1/2 tbsp. oil, mix well. Use 2 tbsp. mixture to marinate onions, and rest to marinate paneer cubes. Marinate paneer for 10 minutes. Fry pieces or grill on a bar-b-que skewer. Heat remaining oil, add onions, saute till light brown. When dry add fried paneer, chilli, pomegranate powder, sugar, salt. Toss well. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with tooth picks to pick up easily.

CHICKEN SAAG RECIPE

Ingredients Chicken cut into pieces 3 lb Fresh spinach 1 lb Onions sliced thinly 2 medium Cooking oil 5 tbsp Butter 200gms Bay leaves 2 large Cardamom seeds 4 Cloves 4 Cinnamon powder 1 tsp Water 1/2 cup Garlic, ginger chopped finely 4 cloves Chilli powder 1 tsp Cumin powder 1 tsp Corainder powder 2 tsp Turmeric 1 1/2 tsp Sweet paprika 2 tsp Salt and lime juice to taste

Method Heat the oil or butter in a saucepan and fry the onions, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves for 2/3mins. until golden brown. Now add the garlic, ginger and fry one minute more before adding the water, and stirring in the chilli, cumin, coriander, paprika and turmeric. Then add the chicken pieces and fry for a further 2/3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook on a low heat for a further 15/20 minutes stirring occasionally, add salt and lime juice to taste. Serve hot over basmati rice or with Indian whole wheat flat breads like chapati or roti

SAAG PANEER RECIPE

Ingredients Water 1/2 cup Fresh spinach washed de-stemmed and steamed till limp 1 lb Ghee or butter 3 tbsp Finely chopped ginger 1 tbsp Finely chopped onion 1/2 c Salt 1 tsp Ground cumin 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1/4 tsp Ground corainder 1/2 tsp Garam masala 1/2 tsp Cheese cut ito 1 inch cubes 1 cup

Method Combine 1/2 of the water and a handful of the spinach in a jar of a blender. Make a puree. In a large skillet, heat the butter over moderate heat. Add the ginger and saute for one minute. Add the onions and saute till onions are transclucent. Add cumin powder, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala. Then stir in the leafy and pureed spinach and salt. Reduce the heat and cook the mixture uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Gently add the paneer. Serve hot. For a restaurant taste 2 tbsp. of sour cream may be added to the dish.

CHICKEN MAKHANI RECIPE

Ingredients Skinless boneless chicken cubed 2 pounds Yogurt 1 cup Ginger 1" piece Garlic 8 cloves Lime juice 2 tbs Cinnnamon, Cloves, Green cardamoms crushed in a coffee grinder 4", 8, 4 Black peppercorns 10 Oil 1 tbsp Crushed tomatoes 1 lb Dried fenugreek leaves 1 tsp White pepper powder 1 tbs Cream 1 ounce Butter 1 stick Salt to taste Corainder for garnish

Method Make a smooth paste of yogurt, garlic, ginger, lime juice, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, peppercorns and the oil. Marinate the chicken in this for 4 hours. Bake the chicken in a preheated oven for 10 minutes at 250 F (130 C). Put it aside. Take a sauce pan, start heating the tomatoes, add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the white pepper powder, salt, fenugreek leaves and cream. Mix the chicken pieces into this sauce. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

FISH KORMA RECIPE

Ingredients Fish 2 lbs Yogurt 1/2 cup Onion chopped 1 cup Ginger paste 2 tsp Garlic paste 1 tsp Cilantro minced fine 2 tbsp Green cardamom 2 Cinnamon 1" piece Salt to taste   Ghee 3/4 cup Green chilli minced 2 Sugar 1 tbsp Lemon juice to taste
Method Heat ghee and fry onion till transclucent. Add all other ingredients except sugar and lemon juice and heat through. Add fish and heat covered in low heat. Turn over the fish once (be careful). When the water has almost dried up, add sugar and lime/lemon juice. When the oil begins to float on top, you are done.

SHAMMI KEBAB RECIPE

Ingredients Channa dhal split 2 oz Minced meat 10 oz Brown cardamon groun 1 Large onion chopped 1/2 Bay leaf 1 Fresh ginger chopped 1 inch Black pepper ground 1/4 tsp Clove garlic chopped 1 large Salt to taste   Paprika 1/2 tsp Ghee or oil   Garam masala 1/2 tsp Fresh corainder or parsley 1/4 cup Fine breadcrumbs

Method Soak the dhal overnight, then boil in twice its volume of water. Strain off any excess water. Put the meat, onion, ginger, garlic and spices through a mincer. Mix well and add salt to taste. Add the dhal to the mixture, and fry in a little ghee for 20 minutes. Add a *little* water if it dries up too much. Leave aside for about 3 hours or overnight to thicken and dry. The next day, add gram flour to thicken or water to thin. Add fresh coriander or parsley. For Seekh Kebabs roll mixture in breadcrumbs to sausage shapes. Skewer them and cook over charcoal (best), under the grill, or fry in a frying pan. For Shami Kebabs, roll into balls, coat in breadcrumbs and deep-fry.

DHINGRI MATAR RECIPE

Ingredients Shelled baby peas 1 cup Small mushroom 1 cup Medium sized tomatoes 3 Oil 4 tbsp Cloves 4 Cinnamon 1 stick Salt to taste   Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp Corainder to garnish   For the paste   Ginger 1 piece Garlic 6-7 flakes Onion 1 Red chillies 2 Grind as a powder Corainder seeds 1 tbsp Cardamom 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Method Grind onion, garlic, ginger and red chillies to a paste. heat oil in a pan. add cloves and cumin seeds. wait for a minute. Add ground onion masala paste, salt and turmeric powder. stir fry till onion turns golden brown and seperates from oil. add tomato puree. Cook till dry and oil seperates. ass mushrooms to the fried masala, lower the heat and stir for 4-5 minutes.add peas and stir for another 1-2 minutes on low flame. Add powdered dry masala of jeera, dhania and cardamom. mix well. Add water to get a gravy to your desired consistency and boil and simmer covered till the peas get cooked and the oil seperates and floats on top of the curry.

CAULIFLOWER STEAMED VEGGIE RECIPE

Ingredients Small cauliflower pieces 1 lb Onion finely chopped 1 Ginger chopped 1" piece Tomatoes chopped finely 2 Green chillli chopped 1 Corainder powder 1 tsp Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp Salt to taste   Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp Oil 3-4 tbsp

Method Heat oil add onions and cook till light brown. Add ginger and fry for a minute. Add coriander powder, garam masala, red chillli powder, salt and turmeric powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the spices turn brown. Add tomatoes and green chilli. cook on medium flame till the tomatoes are well blended and the oil seperates. Add cauliflower cover and cook on low flame for 30 - 35 mintues till cauliflower is soft. Add water if needed.

MATTAR PANEER RECIPE

Ingredients Medium sized onion peeled and chopped 1 Cube of fresh ginger peeled and chopped 1 inch Vegetable oil 6 tbl Fried paneer 1 lb Whole dried red pepper 1 Ground corainder seeds 1 tbsp Ground turmeric 1/4 tbsp Medium sized tomatoes peeled amd minced 3 Salt 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper 1/8 tsp Shelled fresh or 2 packages frozen peas 3 cups Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Method Fry onions in oil add ginger and spices.Put in the minced tomatoes. Stir and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the tomatoes turn a dark, reddish brown shade. Now pour in 2 cups of water. Add the salt and the black pepper. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Lift cover and put in the paneer pieces and the peas and garam masala. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the peas are cooked.

POPULAR PUNJABI MASOOR DHAL RECIPE

Ingredients Masoor dhal washed and rinsed 2/3 cup Fresh ginger minced 1 tsp Oil 1 tbsp Onion sliced 1 Cumin seeds 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Salt to taste 2 tsp Corainder leaves small bunch
Method Boil lentils using three cups of water along with salt and turmeric and ginger. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry the onions and cumin for five minutes, stirring constantly. Add the lentils and another three cups of water and turmeric powder, heat till the mixture starts boiling, season with salt and turn off the heat. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

METHI ALOO RECIPE

Ingredients Potatoes peeled and cubed 2 cups Dry fenugreek leaves 4 tbsp Garlic 3-4 flakes Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Mustard oil 4 tbsp Salt to taste
Method Heat oil. Add garlic, when it changes colour, add potatoes. Stir potatoes so they are coated with the oil. Cook for 5 minutes and then add fenugreek leavees, turmeric powder salt, garam masala and red chilli powder and mix well. Cook with some water added covered for 15-17 minutes, till the potatoes are cooked.