Masalewali Alu Mattar Khumben

Ingredients	Quantity
Ghee	¼ cup
Large onion – sliced	1
Garlic cloves – chopped	4
Ginger 1” – chopped	1 piece
Garam masala	1 tbsp
Turmeric	1 tbsp
Dried red chillies	¼ tsp
Potatoes – cubed	2 pounds
Salt
Water	½ cup
Mushrooms – halved	2 pounds
Peas – fresh frozen	1 cup

Heat ghee in large pot. Add onion and garlic and fry until browned. Stir in ginger and fry for 2 minutes. Add garam masala, turmeric and chilli, stirring for a minute. Stir in potatoes, salt and water. Mix well, bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add mushrooms and peas and stir. Cook, covered, for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove lid, raise heat and cook until ¾ of water has evaporated, stirring constantly. Serve with dal.

Masaledar Sem (Spicy Green Beans)

Ingredients	Quantity
Green beans – cut on diagonal	1 ½ pounds
2” fresh ginger – peel and chop	1 piece
Garlic cloves – peeled	10
Water	1 cup
Vegetable oil	4 tbsp
Whole cumin seeds	3 tsp
Ground coriander seeds	2 tsp
Medium tomatoes	2
Salt	to taste
Freshly ground pepper	to taste
Lemon juice	3 tbsp or to taste

Peeled (put tomatoes in very hot water for a few seconds, peel off the skin and finely chop.)

Put ginger and garlic into a food processor and add ½ cup water. Blend until fairly smooth.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. Stir for half a minute. Pour in the ginger-garlic paste. Stir and cook for about two minutes. Put in the coriander and stir a few times.

Put in the chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes while mashing the tomato pieces with the back of a slotted spoon. Put in the beans and salt and one cup of water and simmer them. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender.

Remove the cover. Add the lemon juice and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.

Turn up the heat and boil away the remaining liquid, stirring the beans gently as you do so.

Serves 6

Masaledar Karele

Ingredients	Quantity
Karele (bitter gourd)	3
Green chillies	2
Ginger grated	½ tsp
Tomato – chopped	½
Tamarind pieces inch long	4 to 5
Curry leaves	1 stalk
Coriander chopped	2 to 3 springs
Mustard & cumin seeds	½ tsp
Molasses or sugar	1 tbsp
Red chilli powder	1 ½ tsp
Dhania powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Garam masala	¼ tsp
Asafoetida	2 to 3 pinches
Salt	to taste
Oil	1 tbsp

Sour buttermilk to soak karele. Slice bitter gourd into thin discs.  Soak in sour buttermilk for 4-5 hours. Drain, wash, sprinkle liberally with salt. Keep aside for 1 hour. Rub slices well with hand, wash and drain. Boil in water till soft to touch, drain, wash again, drain, keep aside. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add seeds, asafoetida, allow to splutter. Add curry leaves, ginger, tomato, chillies, tamarinds pieces. Stir. Mix all dry masalas in ½ cup water to form a paste, add to pan. Cook till oil separates, add karele slices. Stir, add molasses. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot or cold with chappatis.

Note:     This method for soaking and salting of bitter gourd for any recipe, removes most of the bitter taste of the gourd.