Visitors.. Accident & Back to Blogging.. Punjabi Tadka: Spicy Egg Curry

I am feeling so good as I write.. It's been almost 20 days since my last post.. First things first.. A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR..May you have a great year ahead :))

... I had my cousins over for the new years.. we had a ball of a time.. kitchen was practically closed and guess I tried almost every fast-food restaraunt around... tried some great food & have jotted down a few recipes to try as well...

...My cousins had just departed and life had barely started slipping back into routine when I slipped (yes in the literal sense)... a small accident in the kitchen.. banged my head on the floor... A stiff back & a collar around the neck made it impossible to cook or blog ... hence the loooong pause... Now I am better and back to my kitchen..

Sharing the recipe for SPICY EGG CURRY in a typical Punjabi style, with flavors of red chili & cinammon..

Eggs - 5 (hard boiled - slit into 2 pieces)

Onion - 1 Big (thinly sliced)

Tomato - 1 Big (thinly sliced)

Fresh Coriander - handful (finely chopped)

Garlic - 1 teaspoon (finely chopped)

Red Chili Paste - 1-2 teaspoons

Cinammon Stick - 2
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cummin Powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Powdered Cinammon - 1/2 teaspoon

Cooking

1.       Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Fry garlic & cinammon sticks for a minute. Then add the onions.

2.       Once the onions begin to brown, add coriander leaves, tomatoes & salt. Cover with lid and cook for 15-20 mins.

3.       Add red chili paste and cook for another 10 mins. Remove the pan from fire and let the mixture cool. Grind the mixture with 2 Tablespoons of water in a blender/grinder to obtain a fine paste.

4.       Transfer the paste back to the pan and add 1 cup of water for the gravy. On boiling, add the eggs.

5.       Simmer for 10-15 mins and sprinkle garam masala and cinammon powder.

6.       Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

The recipe goes to Food Corner's Hot & Spicy Treats ..

Shalgam Masala (Turnip cooked in Indian Spices)

Post Diwali, complete laziness had set in... plus a lotta eating out..  made me completely off cooking infact the thought of cooking only ;) ... After a series of usual paneers and chole and aloo in the last 2-3 days... wanted to try something different.. SHALGAM MASALA..

The thought of having turnip for dinner didnt appeal to me much.. untill the dish came out absolutely gorgeous.. Arunesh (my hubby) & I actually fought over getting a larger portion ;) ..

Ingredients
Turnip (medium - diced) - 2
Onion (medium - thinly sliced) - 1
Tomato (small - diced) - 1
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Ginger - Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Green Chili - 1
Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin Powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt (to taste)
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Water
Fresh Coriander  - to garnish

Cooking
1. Heat Oil in a non-stick skillet and saute the sliced onions. Add ginger-garlic paste and the green chili (slit vertically) once the onions turn pink.

2. After frying for about 5 mins, push the sauted mixture to the sides of the pan and add mustard seeds. As the seeds start to crackle, add the chopped tomatoes. Cover the pan wid a lid and let it cook on a slow flame til the mixture becomes pulpy. (Approx 10 mins)

3. Add Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Salt, Turmeric and chopped Turnip. Mix well. Add a cup of water and cover the pan with a lid till the turnip is cooked. (You will have to keep checking on the turnip - in case the turnip is hard you will be required to put more water)

4. Once the turnip is cooked, mash it a little with a wooden spatula and add sugar. Mix well.

5. Finally, sprinkle Garam Masala and Fresh Corainder leaves.

PS - Shalgam Masala tasted great with hot chapatti (indian flat-bread) and yougurt.