Aloo Palak
A delicious combination of creamy potatoes cooked with coriander and fennel seeds, baby spinach and more! Recipe listed below. I used Asda’s Baby Spinach and British Belle Potatoes Ingredients – Serves 4 360g Mild Tender Baby Spinach – washed and chopped 4-6 potatoes – peel, cut into cubes and parboil in a pinch of salt and half teaspoon turmeric 1 tablespoon of ghee or mustard oil 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 large onion roughly chopped 2 inch ginger grated or chopped finely 5 garlic cloves chopped finely 1 teaspoon of turmeric 1 teaspoon of tomato puree water down in 2 tablespoons of hot water 1 teaspoon salt Green chillies to your taste or half teaspoon of red chilli powder Method
Achari Tinde ~ aka as Apple Gourd
Tinde aka Apple Gourd, a seasonal vegetable, available in grocery stores June to September. When purchasing pick the ones that you can squeeze between your thumb and forefinger. Recipe – Feeds 4 6 x apple gourd peeled and cut into wedges, remove any hard seeds 1 tablespoon mustard oil 1 tablespoon ghee 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds 2 small or 1 large sliced onion Heaped tbsp of garlic paste Heaped tbsp of ginger paste 1 tsp turmeric 200g plum tomatoes – pureed or a tablespoon of tomato puree Green chillies to your taste – chopped finely or sliced 1 tsp Achari masala – optional 1 tsp Kashuri Methi 1 tsp salt 1 large potato cut into small pieces – optional Handful chopped coriander leaves Water as required if you prefer a runnier sauce – optional Method 1. Warm the oil/ghee in a heavy based pan and add the cumin & coriander 2. Once they have released their aromas add the sliced onions 3. Fry until slightly golden in colour then add the garlic/ginger paste 4. Wait until you can smell the aroma of the garlic then add the turmeric to the pan 5. Saute for a couple of minutes until the raw smell cooks off, then add the tomato puree/paste 6. Cook for a few minutes on a medium heat then add the remainder spices and salt 7. Allow this to cook until the oil separates from the mixture and creates little wells 8. Add the potato if using, and a splash of water to loosen the ingredients in the pan and cover and cook for 7-8 minutes on a low heat 9. Now add the apple gourd and stir well, cover and cook until cooked through. They should not be mushy but also shouldn’t be hard 10. Sprinkle on the chopped coriander and stir through 11. Serve with roti, naan or rice You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube
Red Chilli Powder
Red Chilli Powder is basically a spice blend consisting of one or two types of dried red chillies that are ground and pulverized into a fine powder. It is generally used to add spice to otherwise bland foods. There are many type of Red Chillies available on the market – they range from Mild to Hot. You can taste tell when this variety has been used in a dish opposed to the fresh green chillies as you will feel the heat on the sides of your tongue. You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube
Dried Curry Leaf – Sukka Kari Patta
Dried Curry Leaves must be kept in an airtight container. They are less flavourful than the fresh variety and you may need to use more of them to compensate for the loss of flavour. You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube
Kashmiri Chilli – Deghi Mirch
Kashmiri chilli powder is the name given to a powdered chilli pepper. It is very mildly hot, yet has quite a distinct flavour, it adds a bright red color to food. It adds a great red colour to Tandoori Style Chicken and I use it in a variety of vegetables and meat dishes just to give it that additional oomph. Do not confuse this chilli with the ground Red Chilli Powder as that is a lot hotter than the Kashmiri Mirch. You can differentiate between the two just by the colour as latter is a very bright red opposed to the orangy red of the Red Chilli. You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube
Mustard seeds – Rai de bhij
Mustard seeds can be black, brown or yellow in colour and are used extensively in Indian cooking. The full potential of their flavour is released when they are ground down or cooked in oil. In Indian dishes, they are used as more of a seasoning than a base flavour – they really perk up a lentil or rice dish when fried in a little oil with curry leaves (a match made in heaven). For that reason, mustard seeds are great for healthy eating, when you want to add flavour without adding fat. The colour of the mustard seeds themselves also distinguish their characteristics. Black mustard is dark brown to black in colour, whereas yellow mustard seeds are either yellow or white in colour. The black mustard comes with a strong pungent flavour, whereas the yellow mustard comes with a mild flavour. You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube
Fresh Curry leaf – Kari Patha
When purchasing fresh curry leaf, make sure they are still on their stem and are a deep green in colour. They will last 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. If you don’t plan to use them quickly,wash and dry them using kitchen paper and freeze them in a ziplock bag. You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube
Pomegranate powder – Anardana powder
Pomegranate powder is the dried seeds of the pomegranate fruit that have been ground into powder form. Popular in Indian cooking it provides a delicate sweet & sour flavour. The powder is great for adding a slightly sour flavour that is expected from some Indian chutneys and I use the seeds when making Alu Paratha as they are a great explosion of flavour if you get one in a bite of the Paratha – just be careful you don’t break a tooth on them though as the seeds can become quite hard when dried. You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube
Nigella Seeds – Kalonji
In the Punjab, Nigella seeds are used for flavouring Dal, stir-fried vegetables, (Sabji) and even snacks and savouries such as samosas. Tempering the seeds alongside cumin (jeera) or fennel seeds (saunf) before they are thrown over a rice dish can give the rice a whole new lease of life. It has a peppery taste and adds great flavour to any meal. The seeds are either dry-roasted or tempered in oil before being added to any dish. You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube
Cinnamon – Dalchini
Cinnamon is a very versatile spice usually used whole during the tempering of a dish. It has a warm and sweet flavour and is used in meat dishes and Dal, yet can also be used in Masala Cha and in sweets and desserts in powder form. I love to use it when cooking a meat dish, especially lamb as the subtle sweetness of cinnamon really complements its rich flavour. It has an earthy and peppery flavour that adds a sweet yet spicy taste to both sweet and savoury dishes. I also add this spice to my Garam Masala occasionally. You can find me on all social media channels under The Authentic Punjabee. Facebook / Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube