Making your own Garam Masala

We can find dozens of varieties of "Garam masala" packets in Indian  Grocery Stores and Supermarkets, but making your own garam masala is both satisfying and better for your dishes. Another advantage of making your own garam masala is that different dishes need different ingredients in different proportions. Hence, one size fits all is not the best solution.

The following are the major components of a standard Garam Masala:

cardamom (50 grams)

clove (25 grams)

  

star aniseed (50 grams)

cinnamon (50 grams)

   

bay leaves (50 grams)

  

black pepper (25 grams)

 

black cardamom (50 grams)

 

mace (25 grams)

 

You should make sure that all the whole spices are dry. Roast them separately in a frying pan stirring frequently (since each has a different temperature at which they cook and release flavour). Generally, each spice would take about two minutes to roast. You can take it off the heat once they start browning (in case of black pepper and black cardamom, you will see them expanding, that's when you take them off).

Let the whole spices cool down for about 10 minutes and then grind them together in a grinder (easier), or using a mortar pestle (crazy). Store the garam masala in a dry glass bottle and use it within 3 months (it stays pretty much forever, but it loses the flavor eventually).

Pulao / Pulav / Pulaav

Pulaav (left) with kadi - yum!

Pulao is an Indian rice dish, a variation to the Persian Pilaf. It goes really well with marathi kadi. Pulao is a healthy and light dish that has many different versions. The one I am covering is an onion cauliflower pulao.

Ingredients:

• Onion - 1 large
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Cauliflower - 200 grams
• Potato - 1 medium (can do without as well)
• Peas - 100 grams (Can do without as well)
• Rice - 250 grams *basmati*
• cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon (important)
• Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon (1 if you like it spicy)
• Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 30 ml

Optional:

• Coriander leaves to garnish
• Pomegranate seeds to garnish

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slice garlic cloves nice and fine. chop onions. soak rice in room temperature water. heat oil and add the cumin seeds. once dark brown, add the garlic and onion. fry for 2-3 mins and add the cauliflower and potatoes diced into small pieces. fry for another 2 minutes. rice must have soaked for 5 minutes by now. wash the rice and drain the water out. add the rice to the pan and stir so that the rice gets covered in oil. all this happens on high heat so the rice might stick to the base. Add the spices (chilli, turmeric, coriander powder) and salt with 50 ml of water. After a minute, add 600 ml of water, let it cook on high for 2 minutes, then turn heat to 3 o'clock position or low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes (At the 10 minute mark, stir through once and add the peas).

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds if available.

Lamb shanks in pear, carrot, onion, garlic sauce

I know - pear and onions don't sound like they are the best buds but the sauce works pretty well with these two in it!

Ingredients:

Lamb shanks - 2
Olive oil - 20 ml
Vegetable Stock - 200 ml
Pear - 1 (crunchy, not ripe)
Onion - 1 large
Garlic - 3 cloves
Rosemary leaves - 1 tablespoon
Mint leaves - 1 tablespoon
Black pepper - 1/3 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Lemon - 1

Pre-heat oven to 180 degree Celsius.

Chop the pear, onion and garlic (separately) quite fine. Slice the carrot (rather thick).
Heat olive oil and add the garlic. Add the onion after half a minute and sauté for 2 minutes.
Put the lamb shanks and cook for a minute on each side to seal in the flavor. Add the pear, rosemary, mint, pepper, lemon, and salt. Add the stock and bring it to boil. Cover with an aluminium foil and bake for 1 hour. Take out, mix the sauce again, turn the shanks over and cook for another hour. Done!

Serve with roast potatoes - yumm :p

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Plain daal

Here's a version of daal that I made when Gunjan was recently under the weather. Among all the different varieties, I can safely say that this is my favorite.

Ingredients (for 2):

1. Daal - 150 grams
2. Whole chillies slit (fresh, or dried) - 2
3. Cumin seeds - 1 heaped teaspoon
4. Oil - 20 ml
5. Salt - 1/2 teaspoon (or, to your taste)
6. Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon (or even lesser)
7. Coriander - a decent bunch (chopped)

Wash the daal (to get all chemicals off it), and boil it in 1ltr water with slit chillies, turmeric, salt in a pressure cooker for 15 mins) or a saucepan for 25 mins on high.

Once boiled, heat the oil in a narrow saucepan or a tadka pan if you can get one. When oil is hot, add the cumin and when dark brown, add to the daal. Add 300 ml more water so that it becomes soupy, boil covering it on high for another 5 mins and add the chopped coriander.