#Boondi Raita serving suggestions

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Boondi Ka Raita

❤️ About Boondi Ka Raita Boondi ka raita is a North Indian dish with yoghurt (curd) and boondi. We season the yoghurt with spices like roasted cumin powder, salt, and sometimes red chilli powder or black salt for added flavour. its creamy textured, tangy flavoured, and crunchy boondi, making it a refreshing accompaniment to Indian dishes. It serves as a cooling counterbalance to spicy curries,…

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Papad ki Subzi,a spicy and tangy Rajasthani curry made with yogurt and papad/poppadoms and chickpea flour.

A simple and fuss free curry from the royal state of Rajasthan. If you follow me, by now you must have known my love for Rajasthani Cuisine. I spent 3 years of my college life in Rajasthan and fall in love with the food. It is very much similar to the cuisine of from where I come from Western U. P but still many dishes  like Dal Baati, Gatte Ki Subzi, Gatte Ka Pulao, Rajasthani Kabuli/Jodhpuri Pulao are native to the state.

Rajasthan is basically is a dry state and people have adapted there cuisine vegetarians especially to the local available ingredients. Due to scarcity of water, the state does not enjoy a wide range of fresh vegetables. Now a days almost everything is available in big cities but few decades back and still, people in small towns relied on local ingredients. Yogurt, spices and chickpea flour and millets like bajara are widely used in making dishes.

Other Rajasthani Recipes on the blog.. Rajasthani Pyaz ki Kachori, Mawa Ki Kachori, Choorma , Rajasthani Lehsun Ki Chutney

Papad Ki Subzi/Dahi Papad Shak

One such curry rich in flavors and very quick and easy to make is Papad Ki Subzi or Dahi Papad Shak as known in local language. I first tasted this curry from one of my classmates lunchbox, who used bring homemade food for us(those living in college hostel) . We loved this simple curry used to gorge on it with ajwain paranthas.

The curry is very simple and we just need sour yogurt, chickpea flour and papads. It is a very good way to use leftover papads/papadums from the last nite’s party or when we run out of vegetables for making lunch or dinner. Did this ever happened with you that you are about to prepare dinner or wake up early morning to find no veggies, no tomatoes not even onion and potatoes in pantry to cook!!?? I am sure sometimes it happens with all of us, especially towards the weekend..

Khali Fridge/Empty Refrigerator

I am right na?? What you do when you have practically no veggies in pantry/refrigerator. This specially happens when we come back from a long vacation or cleaning the pantry and refrigerator when gong on long vacations. Or sometimes it just you don’t want to go grocery shopping 😉 !!

There are many recipes that one can think of making with veggies, onion and tomatoes.Lentils or frozen veggies are on thing usually that come to our rescue.Dishes like khichdi like Yellow Moong Dal Khichdi, Hari Moong Dal Khichdi  or  simple dal preparations like (Dhuli Moong Dal/Red Lentils, Dal Tadka)with steamed  rice, crepes made with various flours like Chickpea flour(Besan Chilla), Instant Ragi Dosa, Dal Parantha or Pooris(Bedmi Poori) can be prepared in jiffy for such times.

#KhaliFridge is the theme for this week’s Foodie Monday Bloghop group for this Monday.This wonderful theme was suggested by Renu who blog’s at Cook with Renu. Renu’s blog has a wonderful collection of recipes where she uses gluten-free flours like coconut, millets and healthy ingredients which suit the taste buds of both the grown ups and kids. Do check out here blog..

What to have with Papad Ki Subzi

I make Papad ki Subzi many times especially when I want something quick, easy and different for dinner.  Kids love this curry as I top it more crunchy papads and they like to have it with chapatis/rice. You can serve it your guests too, along with other main course dishes like Aloo Matar or Matar Paneer, Rassewale Aloo Tamatar, Palak Paneer,Chautneywale Aloo, Besanwali Bhindi. This curry goes well with chapatis, paranthas and even with pooris(Methi Dal Poori).

For a quick, wholesome meal, pair it with Sookhi Urad dal(Dry Split Black Gram Lentil). Another recipe that  you can make when there are no veggies.(updating next),

Let’s see now how I make this super simple Papad Ki Subzi/Dahi Papad Ki Subzi

All the ingredients(papad,boondi, spices) are available at Indian Grocery stores

Papads or better known as Poppadoms, use preferably Moong Papads or Urad Dal Papads.

To make Dahi Papad ki Subzi, we need Curd/Yogurt. Old or sour yogurt should be preferably used used for the authentic taste.

Chickpea flour/besan to bind the curry, spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper for flavour.

You can also add boondi to it. Boondi are fried chickpea balls that are used for making boondi raita or used in chaat recipes. I am adding it here.

I am also using dried feugreek leaves(kasuri methi) in the recipe, as it gives a nice flavour and aroma to curry. This is optional and not used in traditional preparation.

Traditionally fried papads are added to this curry, but I usually add roasted papads. You can roast papads on stovetop or in microwave.

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Method..

Roast papads and keep aside. Crush it to the size as you like it in curry. Soaked papads increase in size after sometime, you

In a mixing bowl, add yogurt, chickpea flour/besan , salt and other powdered spices like coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder.

Add about 1 cup of water and mix well.

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Heat oil/ghee in a kadhai, add hing(asafeotida), cumin seeds/jeera and other whole spices.

Add ginger green chilli paste saute for few seconds.Then, add dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi and saute for another 1-2 seconds.

Add yogurt and chickpea mixture and stir it well. Take care it should not curdle.Once the mix comes to roaring boil, add salt.

Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes and then add crushed papads and boondi to it. Many recipes tell about soaking papads and boondi in hot water before adding to curry, but I add it directly. It get’s cooked and soaked in curry. I  like it that way.

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Top with finely chopped cilantro/coriander(optional). Top it more crushed papads and boondi while serving for the crunch if you like.

Serve hot with Chapati/Parantha or Poori.

Other Yogurt based curries from the blog that you will like… Chatpatte Kale Chane, Kadi Pakodi,

Papad Ki Subzi

1 Cup Yogurt/Dahi

1-2 tbsp Chickpea Flour/Besan

½ Cup Crushed Papad/Popadums

¼ Cup Boondi

Spices used

1 Bay Leaf

1-2 Whole Red Chillies

4-5 Cloves

1 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1" Ginger

1-2 Green Chillies (optional)

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

1-2 tbsp Oil/Desi Ghee

Roast papads and keep aside. Crush it to the size as you like it in curry.

Crush Ginger and green chilli in motor pestle or finely chop.

In a mixing bowl, add yogurt, chickpea flour/besan , salt and other powdered spices like coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder.Add about 1 cup of water and mix well.

Heat oil/ghee in a kadhai, add hing(asafeotida), cumin seeds/jeera and other whole spices.

Add ginger green chilli paste and saute for few seconds. Add dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi and saute for another few seconds.

Add yogurt and chickpea mixture and stir it well. Take care it should not curdle.Once the mix comes to raring boil, add salt.

Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes and then add crushed papads and boondi to it. You can also soak papad and boondi in hot water(separately) before adding to curry, but I add it directly. It get's cooked and soaked in curry.

Top with finely chopped cilantro/coriander(optional). Top it more crushed papads and boondi while serving for the crunch if you like.

Serve hot with Chapati/Parantha or Poori.

Variations for Curry

Add one pureed tomato for a different texture and flavour.

You can add boiled potatoes and peas to it.

For the drier version add more papad, reduce water to half cup and add green capsicum to it along with chopped tomatoes.

Variations for Papad Ki Subzi

Add one pureed tomato for a different texture and flavour.

You can add boiled potatoes and peas to it.

For the drier version add more papad, reduce water to half cup and add green capsicum to it along with chopped tomatoes.You will love this simple and yumm version with hot chapatis!!

Do try this yogurt based curry for loved ones not only when you run out of vegetables, but also for festive meal menu..

  Do give me your feedback whenever you make it.. tag me on  my social media handles..

Say Hello!!and  visit my social media accounts.. FB, Pinterest and Instagram. Whenever you make this, do post on my FB page or tag me on Instagram.  Pin the recipes for later use.

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Thanks for stopping by and keep coming back!!

            Papad Boondi ki Subzi Papad ki Subzi,a spicy and tangy Rajasthani curry made with yogurt and papad/poppadoms and chickpea flour.

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Spinach and Pomegranate Raita/Palak Aur Anaar a cool yogurt preparation with nutritious spinach(palak) or greens and pomegranate pearls(anaar).

Here I bring you one of the easiest dish Spinach and Pomegranate Raita, loaded with goodness of iron rich spinach, calcium rich yogurt and antioxidant rich pomegranate.

India meals are wholesome .Most of the meals consists of dal/lentils, dry veggie or curry, rice and chapatis.The main purpose is to include all the food groups for balanced diet.

Yogurt or dahi is one the important part as it helps in digestion of the food. It also cools off the body heat  food that comes with spices used in food and  is rich in calcium.

Many times only a subzi like Gajar Aloo Meethi ki Subzi or Baigan ka Bhartha with chapati along with plain yogurt or raita is a filling meal.

Yogurt is also known as Curd in India. It should not be confused with cheese curds available in Canada, USA and other countries. Yogurt is one of the best side dish or accompaniment  with paranthas, pulao or biryani and raita takes away the brownie points with so many variations in it.

What is Raita

Those who do not know about Raita, it is a kind thick yogurt preparation with fruits or salad veggies like cucumber, mint, carrots, boiled potatoes. A versatile dish that can be prepared in numerous ways and so easy to prepare.

Chilled raita with fruits or salad vegetables or even chickpea puffed balls(Boondi Raita) or noodles is one of the best accompaniment with Indian meals.

When Vanitha from one of my facebook food groups Healthy Wealthy Cuisine suggested the theme #Raita for the fortnight theme, I realized I have hardly any raita dish on the blog, though there are other yogurt based dishes on the blog like Chass(Indian Buttermilk), Ragi Kanji(Buttermilk with Finger Millet), Kadhi Pakodi, Gatte Ki subzi. Only one raita recipe is there Mix.Veg Raita, though it  is one dish that I make quite frequently. Will be updating more raita recipes soon.

Do check out Vanitha’s wonderful blog Curry and Vanilla  with versatile and easy to understand recipes  from Indian to International Cuisines. I like her way of presenting the dishes , so simple and yet elegant.

How to make Spinach and Pomegranate Raita 

If you want to know the detailed basics on Ratia, click here on Cucumber and Mint raita recipe.

Spinach and Pomegranate both are rich in nutrients like iron, calcium, antioxidants and minerals. These should be included in regular diets in any preferred form. If your fussy eater refuses to eat spinach or pomegranate, make this yogurt preparation serve them chilled. Trust me everyone will love it.

There are two ways in which you can add Spinach to yogurt.

First one is to blanch spinach leaves, then puree and add to yogurt along with other spices.

Second one is to finely chop spinach leaves, saute with cumin seeds(jeera)/mustard seeds(rai),and add to whisked yogurt. Add finely chopped garlic in winters or if you like garlicky taste .

Any of way you can make it. I prefer the first one for everyday meals and second one when serving to guests.

Yogurt/Curd for Raita should be fresh and it should not have a sour taste.

Consistency of Raita depends on how one likes it. Neither too thick like many dips or tzatziki nor to thin like Chaas (Indian buttermilk).

Let’s see how to make Spinach and Pomegranate Raita

Wash spinach very well in running tap water.

Boil water in  a pan, add spinach and keep it for few minutes. Transfer it to ice cold water and let it be there for another 2-3 minutes.

Now drain the water from spinach completely(squeeze it a bit) and puree it.

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In a bowl take yogurt/curd.

Take fresh plain yogurt. It can be homemade or store bought. I prefer my homemade yogurt.

To it add roasted jeera powder/cumin powder, honey/sugar, red chilli powder and whisk till smooth consistency.

Add spinach puree and mix well in yogurt.

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For one cup of yogurt, add about 1/4 cup water. Adjust as per your desired consistency.

Before serving mix black salt in yogurt and add pomegranate seeds to it.

I do not add salt just before serving as it yogurt starts getting sour once salt is added to it.

Serve chilled with dish of your choice.

You can also add grated or finely chopped cucumber to it or top it with boondi (deep fried chickpea flour  small balls). Boondi is available at all the Indian grocery stores.

Spinach and Pomegranate Raita

Palak aur Anaar Ka Raita

1 Cup Fresh Yogurt/Dahi

1 Cup Fresh spinach leaves

¼ Cup Pomegranate Pearls

1-1½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

Black Salt as per taste

Wash spinach very well in running tap water. 

Boil water in  a pan, add spinach and keep it for 1-2 minutes. Transfer it to ice cold water and let it be there for another 2-3 minutes. Now drain the water from spinach completely and puree it. 

Take fresh plain yogurt. It can be homemade or store bought. I prefer my homemade yogurt.

To it add roasted jeera powder/cumin powder, honey/sugar, red chilli powder and whisk till smooth consistency.

Add spinach puree and mix well in yogurt. Cover it and refrigerate till serving time.

Before serving mix black salt in yogurt and add pomegranate seeds to it.

During winter months you can add tadka of Garlic in ghee. Since yogurt has cooling properties many people avoid it during rainy season and winters. Elders back home always avoided yogurt during monsoon and added either garlic tadka or some fresh ginger or ginger powder to diminish it's cooling properties. 

For one cup of yogurt, add about 1/4 cup water. Adjust as per your desired consistency.

Add salt(preferably black salt/kala namak) just before serving as it yogurt starts getting sour once salt is added to it.

Serve chilled with dish of your choice. 

It goes well with any type of Biryani (Lucknowi Veg Biryani), Pulao (Mix Veg. Pulao) or paranthas (Tikiadia or Aloo Parantha). 

You can also have during fasting days if you include Spinach in your fasting diet. Add Sendha Namak instead of black salt. 

It goes well with any type of Biryani (Lucknowi Veg Biryani), Pulao (Mix Veg. Pulao) or paranthas (Tikidia or Aloo Parantha) or Dal Chawal(Lentils) combo.

  You can also have during fasting days if you include Spinach in your fasting diet. Add Sendha Namak instead of black salt.

This is very good weightless recipe too. Makes one feel full after having it.

During winter months you can add tadka of Garlic in ghee. Since yogurt has cooling properties many people avoid it during rainy season and winters. Elders back home always avoided yogurt during monsoon and added either garlic tadka or some fresh ginger or ginger powder to diminish it’s cooling properties.

For garlic Tadka, heat about a tsp of ghee or oil in a pan or tadka pan. Add cumin seeds/rai, once the seeds crackle add finely chopped garlic( about 1 tps), add red chilli powder if required. Temper Spinach Raita with it.

Do make this Spinach and Pomegranate raita and let me how you liked it.

Do visit my social media accounts.. FB, Pinterest and Instagram. Whenever you make this,do post on my FB page or tag me on Instagram.  Pin the recipes for later use.

If you like my work, then do hit the follow button and subscribe to the blog to get notifications on new posts and share the blog with your loved ones. I promise won’t spam your mailbox 🙂.

Thanks for stopping by!!

          Spinach and Pomegranate Raita Spinach and Pomegranate Raita/Palak Aur Anaar a cool yogurt preparation with nutritious spinach(palak) or greens and pomegranate pearls(anaar).

[foodtrails25-blog]

#downmemorylane Mix Vegetable Curry

For many of us food creates so many memories. Be any celebration, festival or even a small gathering food is always there and a part of our memories. There are so many times that when you cook something or see a dish served to you or even the name, brightens up your face and takes you back in time!! Not sure it happens with everyone but yes, it happens with me very often!! #downmemorylane is the theme for this Foodie Monday Bloghop. The theme was suggested by me as it was my turn to suggest the theme. We fellow bloggers take turns in deciding the theme for the week. I have so many memories attached with so many dishes that it was hard for me to decide the dish for the theme. Some dishes like the Dahi Bhalle, Chole Masala, Baigan Bharta, Chocolate Pudding, Rajasthani Pyaaz ki Kachori many more are already on the blog so finally decided upon Mix Vegetable Curry.

The Fondest Memories are made around the dinner table!!

From my parents side we are a family of big foodies. Any special occasion is celebrated with a special lunch/dinner party. When I was kid New Year Eve dinner was quite  exciting for me and my sister. Many times Papa too helped mom in cooking specially on that day. My dad is also great cook and sometimes loves to cook few of his favorite dishes like special Dal tadka, Egg Bhurji(scrambled eggs in onion tomato masala), mix veg pulao and mix veg. curry. Mom would do all the chopping and initial preparations for the curry(main work for the dish done!!😉) and dad used to make masala and cook the veggies in a special way. I and my sis would watch the T.V and would wait for the special dinner which had our favorite Chicken Curry/ Egg Curry, Mix veg, Pulao and Naans. Dinner was followed by a small cup of ice-cream or Gajar Halwa and then we all watched the New Year Special program on T.V . Such were the days of simple joy and fun.

Mix Vegetable Curry, a gluten-free, cooked in less oil and can be modified to make it suitable for vegans .

This Mix Veg Curry is another one of my favorites from my mom’s recipes and till this date I am not able to get the same taste as it used to be in her dish. Maybe it was made from the fresh winter  produce like Red Carrots, Peas and Cauliflower or it was the love that made the dish so yummy!!

The recipe for the curry is a simple one. Mix veggies cooked in onion tomato masala but what makes the dish so flavorful is the use of whole spices like cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf and cinnamon in it. This is semi-dry kind of dish and can be had as a side with any dal or curries like Dal Makhani, Dal Tadka or as main dish with some cucumber or boondi raita.

Let’s see how We make this healthy, flavorful and gluten-free Mix-Veg Curry!!

Mix Veg. Curry

Mix Veg. Curry, an easy and flavourful and gluten-free curry with seasonal vegetables like carrots, peas and cauliflower cooked in onion tomato and cashew gravy. A semi-dry dish that can be had as a main dish or a side dish with hot chapatis or naans.

1 Cup Cubed Carrots/Gajar

1 Cup Cauliflower florets

1/2 Cup Peas

1/2 Cup Paneer Cubes/Tofu (optional)

1 Onion(Medium)

2-3 Tomatoes(pureed)

1 tbsp Tomato Sauce

5-6 Cashew Nuts

3-4 Garlic Cloves

1" Ginger piece

1 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder(optional) (or use as required)

1 tbsp Kitchen King Masala (see notes)

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves/Kasuri Methi

2 tbsp Mustard Oil/Olive Oil (or use any of your choice)

4-5 Cloves

4-5 Peppercorns

1 Bay leaf

1-2 Black Cardamom

Salt as per taste

Fresh Cilantro/Coriander for garnish

Wash, peel and cube carrots. Wash and cut cauliflower in medium sized florets. Soak 4-5 Cashew nuts in warm water. Roughly break the cashews and dry roast the rest in a pan and keep aside to add in curry.

In a pan boil water, and a tsp of salt and add the carrots, cauliflower and peas for 5 minutes. 

After 5 mins, drain water and keep the veggies aside.

Make paste of onion, ginger and garlic and green chilli.

Puree tomatoes and cashew nuts.

In a kadhai pr thick bottomed pan, add oil. When the oil is hot enough, add cumin seeds and the other whole spices.

 Once the seeds crackle, add onion paste and saute till light brown.

Add pureed tomatoes and cashews and sugar. Cook the masala for 2-3 minutes. Add the coriander powder, red chilli powder and cook till the masala leaves oil. 

Add and mix 1/2 cup water, then add the veggies and paneer/tofu cubes and mix nicely coating the veggies in masala. Add 2-3 tbsp of water if required. 

Cover and cook the vegetable for 4-5 minutes till the veggies cooked. Take care while cooking the veggies as we need to retain the crunchiness of carrots and cauliflower. 

Add crushed dry roasted fenugreek leaves mix and garnish with finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves.

Serve hot with rotis/naans/paranthas.

Paneer or tofu is optional, you can skip it in the recipe. Kids love it so I add some along with the veggies.

Those on low calorie diets can substitute cashew nuts with a tbsp of melon seeds or add 1-2 tbsp of cream. 

If you are using tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes add, 3-4 tsp of it. 

I make this dish with carrots, peas, cauliflower. You can use any other veggies of your choice like beans, potatoes or broccoli.

If using fresh peas boil the peas in hot water for a while or pressure cook. Frozen peas take less time to cook then the fresh peas. 

If you are using Mustard oil for cooking, heat the oil till it’s smoking point and then let it cool a bit then add the whole spices to it. This removes the bitterness of the the oil.

This simple and flavorful curry is perfect for your parties, get-togethers and even lunchboxes.Do make this Mix Vegetable curry, I am sure you will also love the curry as much as we love it. This dish can be used as filling to make Mix Veg.Rolls or wraps or Veg. Tacos. I made Ajwain Paranthas with Mix Veg. today and packed for Rajeev’s lunch.

Linking the dish to my Foodie Monday group, #182downmemorylane. Do check out what other fellow bloggers have brought to the theme from their memory lanes!!

Share your feedback whenever you make it. I will love to see the pics on any of my social media pages..FB or tag me on Instagram(#foodtrails25) whenever your try. You can also Pin the recipe for later use.

Join me in my food trails .. follow the blog and my social media accounts. If you like my work do share this with your loved ones.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Mix Vegetable #downmemorylane Mix Vegetable Curry For many of us food creates so many memories. Be any celebration, festival or even a small gathering food is always there and a part of our memories.

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Rajma Masala, a favorite North Indian curry made of Red Kidney beans in onion tomato masala(also known as Bhuna Masala) flavored with Indian spices. Rajma Masala that is popularly known as a Punjabi dish is widely popular not only in Punjabi families but almost every North Indian family especially if you are from the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh or Haryana, being a non-Punjabi I can tell you for sure. Rajma Chawal as it is famously known since it is best enjoyed with Steamed Basmati Rice has been one of the Sunday lunch items in our family(both sides). Rajma-Chawal, Chole-Chawal or Kadhi-Chawal one of these is made for weekend brunch/lunch in many North Indian households. As I had mentioned in my Chole Masala post that every North Indian swears by Maa ke Haath ke Rajma-Chawal, Chole-Chawal or Kadhi Chawal. Guests are served with either Dal Makhani, Rajma or Chole or Dal Tadka as one of the main dish along with one Paneer dish, some dry veg especially Aloo Gobi Masala/Bhindi Masala along with some raita(yogurt dips) especially Boondi Raita. This makes me remember an incident of few years back, when we visited our families in North India, wherever we went we were served Rajma curry along with few other dishes and my daughter who was around 7 yrs old that time said, why we everyone is has prepared Rajma for us.:) !! In my house also every alternate Sunday we have Rajma-Chawal for lunch with a glass of buttermilk. Yesterday night while I was soaking Rajma/ Kidney beans for Sunday lunch, it struck me that though I make it every other weekend, why I didn’t do any post on our family’s favorite curry. So here I am with my Rajma Masala recipe.

Rajma Masala (as I have mentioned above) is Red Kidney Beans curry in onion tomato masala flavored with Indian spices. The beans have to be soaked in a water overnight or at least for 5-6 hrs, this speeds up the cooking process and also easily digested without any flatulence problem. Soaked beans are then cooked in a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking process else these take a long time to cook. Onion tomato masala with ginger and garlic is prepared with Indian spices and mixed with cooked beans. Rajma Masala goes best with Steamed Rice and can equally be enjoyed with hot Phulkas/Rotis/Chapati or Naan bread(check my Whole Wheat Homemade Naan without yeast recipe here). My mom always makes Jeera Aloo/Aloo Methi or Baigan Ka Bharta with it as a side with Chapatis. My kids love just rajma rice mixed together, no side dish with it. It’s a great weekend comfort food for us, after Dal -Chawal( check my Dal Tadka recipe here).

I use minimum spices in my Rajma Masala only garam masala and red chilli powder and only bay leaf and cinnamon stick, I feel the flavor of other spices overpower the taste of the real taste of this beans curry. You can add Rajma masala that is available in stores, I have never used that. Rajma Masala curry is like the vegan Chilli minus the veggies and cheese. Add some veggies of your choice to it and here you have another comfort food Red beans Chilli. Many times I add some veggies to leftover rajma masala, mix with some black beans and serve it with some nachos. My kids like to have Rajma/Red kidney beans this way also, as it tastes almost like Rajma masala.

Rajma Masala is a gluten-free and vegan dish, fit or the ones who are on special diets. It is a very good source of protein for vegetarians who avoid any kind of meat and eggs. Elders in our family always suggested having yogurt in any form and some salad like onions and cucumber with lemon dressing while having Rajma or any kind of beans as it helps in easy digestion and to avoid flatulence.

Let’s see how to make Rajma Masala my way..

Rajma Masala

Red Kidney Beans cooked in onion tomato masala gravy with Indian spices. Learn how to make Rajma Masala.

2 Cups Rajma/Red Kidney Beans

1 Medium Onion

3-4 Nos. Tomatoes

4-5 Cloves Garlic

Ginger (small piece)

1-2 Green Chillies (optional)

1-2 Tbsp Oil (use any oil of your choice)

Dry Spices

1-2 Tsp Garam Masala

1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder (optional)

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

Fresh Corinader/Cilantro leaves for garnish

Wash and soak Rajma Beans in water for at least 5-6 hrs or overnight.

After soaking time, drain water from the beans transfer beans to a pressure cooker add 4-5 cups of water, switch on the flame and let the water come to boil, remove the froth that accumulates on the top. 

Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, salt, let it boil for 5 minutes , close the lid and cook for 15-20 minutes. on medium and another 10 minutes on low flame.

Once the pressure in the cooker goes down, check whether the beans are cooked or not.cooked bean is soft when pressed between thumb and index finger.

Meanwhile when the beans are cooking, prepare the masala for gravy.

Grind together finely chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies to a fine paste. Puree tomatoes separately

In a non-stick pan, add the 1-2 Tbsp of oil, when oil is hot enough, add cumin seeds, once the leaves crackle add onion paste and cook till it turns light brown and the raw smell of the onions, ginger and garlic goes away.

Add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, add garam masala, red chilli powder, mix and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Take some cooked beans, add to the masala, mash and mix with it. Add the mashed beans and masala to rest of cooked beans and mix nicely. Adjust the consistency of water as per your requirement. Cook the rajma gravy for another 5-10 minutes so that the masala nicely blends with the beans. 

Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and serve with rice or bread of your choice.

Rajma gravy thickens after some time, so add water accordingly.

If you want to add other whole spices like whole black Cardamom, cloves and peppercorns, add with bay leaf and cinnamon stick while cooking beans.

Taste of the gravy enhances after few hours of cooking as the masala blends with the beans and gravy well. You can cook a day ahead , cool and store in the refrigerator. Reheat and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.

Do try Rajma beans my way, I am sure you will love it as much my whole family loves it!! An easy to prepare in bulk for potlucks or parties as the main dish. For a no-onion no-garlic recipe, omit onion and garlic from the recipe, to prepare using only tomatoes and garlic. Add a 1-2 tbsp of yogurt to add volume to the gravy. This optional, as I mentioned above in the post that Rajma gravy thickens after cooking and kept for a while.

Do give me your feedback and when you make this do post a pic on any of my social media pages.. FB page or tag me on Instagram. You can also Pin the recipe for later use. You can also find my recipes on  Google+. It will a small token of your appreciation for my work and keeps me motivated to bring good, authentic, tried and tested recipes to you.

Join me in my FoodTrails by following the blog, click on the FOLLOW button and on my social media accounts. Click on the icons on the sidebar for joining in. If you like my work, do share my blog with your loved ones.

Rajma Masala Rajma Masala, a favorite North Indian curry made of Red Kidney beans in onion tomato masala(also known as Bhuna Masala) flavored with Indian spices.

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Spicy rice loaded with veggies and flavors, Mumbai’s another popular street food.. Tawa Pulao. If you are a Mumbaikar or have been to Mumbai then you know how much it is relished there. It is called Tawa Pulao as it is made on the Tawa or big griddle on which bhaji (Pav Bhaji) is prepared. I had my first taste of this spicy treat years back when I was a teenager and visited Mumbai for the first time. We had gone to Mumbai’s famous beach Juhu Beach and there you can find endless stalls serving Pav Bhaji, Vada Pav and Tawa Pulao along with other Chaat(snack) items or fast food items as these are popularly known there. Since we had heard so much about Pav Bhaji and Vada Pav that we were eager to taste these and we relished too but what came as surprise to us was this Tawa Pulao, a spicy treat full of flavors. That day I discovered two of my favorite dishes at Mumbai’s beach.. Pav Bhaji and Tawa Pulao!! The overcrowded beach, the noise of the waves and the spicy treat of Pav Bhaji and Tawa Pulao is my first memory of Mumbai and of course Kala Khatta who can forget that!! After the spicy treat, we had something similar to Ice-Cone known as Kala Khatta Gola.. a sweet and tangy shave ice cone!!😋🙂 .. While I am writing this, how much I want to go back there and have a taste of that famous street food!!

Coming back to Tawa Pulao the ingredients that make Tawa Pulao special are Butter and Pav Bhaji Masala. So whenever you make Tawa Pulao don’t forget to add a generous amount of butter and Pav Bhaji Masala. Again this recipe I learned by watching the Pav Bhaji vendors while they made Pulao and Pav Bhaji. Pav Bhaji Masala as I have mentioned in my Pav Bhaji post also, is a blend of Indian spices, available in Indian grocery stores, outside India. For tawa pulao, we need steamed rice, choice of veggies, butter and Pav bhaji masala. I don’t have any big Tawa so I make it in a pan, you can also make in a big pan or kadhai if you don’t have tawa. Tawa Pulao is one of the best ways to use leftover rice. My teenager loves spicy food loves this and many times I pack this for her lunch. My 7 year old can’t have spicy food, so I make less spicy rice for him then I add more masala to the rest of Pulao. It is also an easy dish to prepare when guests are coming or for a gathering like potlucks. The best accomplishment with Tawa rice is any yogurt preparation like Raita. I serve it with boondi and pomegranate raita(soon will update the recipe). Let’s see how I make this spicy treat.

Tawa Pulao

A spicy treat of cooked rice with veggies in butter and Pav Bhaji masala. Mumbai’s another favourite street food after Pav Bhaji and Vada Pav. Wholesome and delicious Learn how to make Mumbai’s famous Tawa Pulao 

3 Cups Cooked(Steamed Rice)

1 no. Onion (Finely chopped)

2-3 no. Tomatoes (Pureed)

1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic-Green Chilli Paste

1 Carrot (Finely chopped)

1/2 Capsicum (Finely Chopped)

1/2 Cup Peas

1/4 Cup Sweet Corn

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1-2 Tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala

2-3 Tbsp Butter

1 Tsp Oil

In a wide pan/kadhai/tawa heat, heat oil  and 1 Tbsp of butter, add cumin seeds, when the seeds crackle add the ginger-garlic and green chilli paste. Saute for a minute till the raw smell garlic goes away.

Add onions and saute till these start turning light brown. Add finely chopped capsicum and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add veggies and saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add tomato puree. Add pav bhaji masala and 2-3 tbsp water, mix. We want the crunch in the veggies so don’t cook for too long. 

Add cooked rice, mix well but gently. Add a generous dollop of butter and green capsicum if you want more crunch(optional), cook tawa rice in butter for 2-3 minutes.

Before serving squeeze some lemon and have it any raita of your choice.

You can french beans, cauliflower or boiled potatoes. Peas, beans can be boiled for a while in the water, before adding to the pulao. I have used frozen peas and corn, so I kept these in warm water for a while and then added directly.

If are making steamed rice for pulao, keep cooked the rice in the refrigerator once it cools down, this will prevent sticking of rice grains. Don’t overcook the rice, take off from the flame when it is just done. The grains should not be very soft but little grainy when pressed between index finger and thumb.

You can add chopped tomatoes instead of tomato puree. Add tomatoes after onion and capsicum and add other veggies after the tomatoes are soft and cooked.

Butter adds on to the flavor of Tawa Pulao, you can avoid it if following a low-fat diet or are vegan.

Tawa Pulao is gluten-free and can be consumed by those who have gluten allergies.

  I am taking this spicy treat to #FoodieMonday Blog Hop Potluck Party. Yes, our group where every week a theme is decided by a fellow blogger and we all make our dishes as per the theme. The theme for this week is #PotluckRecipes as suggested by fellow food blogger Preethi of Preethi’s Cuisine. 

Sharing at Angie’s #253 Fiesta Friday co-hosted this week by  Liz @ Spades, Spatulas, and Spoons and Mila @ Milkandbun.

Make this spicy treat to tickle your taste buds. Do give me your feedback and whenever you make this do post a pic on any of my social media pages.. FB page or tag me on Instagram. You can also Pin the recipe for later use. You can also find my recipes on  Google+. It will a small token of your appreciation for my work and keeps me motivated to bring good, authentic, tried and tested recipes to you.

Join me in my Food Trails by following the blog, click on the FOLLOW button and on my social media accounts. Click on the icons on the sidebar for joining in. If you like my work, do share my blog with your loved ones.

Thanks for stopping by. Keep coming back for more such yummy recipes 😋!!

Tawa Pulao Spicy rice loaded with veggies and flavors, Mumbai's another popular street food.. Tawa Pulao. If you are a Mumbaikar or have been to Mumbai then you know how much it is relished there.