Masala Bhindi Rajasthani/Okras From Rajasthan

Bhindi,okra,lady fingers :) This vegetable does offer tremendous versatility and I love to experiment with it even though I know Manasi will have it just one way-which is chopped and deep fried. Manasi is away in Chicago and I am on a holiday with Sangeeta at her house,so this was jsut the right time to make Rajasthani Bhindi-Inspired by Sanjeev Kapoor but I have made changes to suit my taste and the availability of ingredients in Sangeeta's pantry :) Me and my friend enjoyed this preparation over dinner ,it had a nice blend of flavors from fennel and mango powder mixed with  split gram flour and dry spices. The final touches were a dash of lime juice-The bhindi's tasted immensely good and went so well with  plain rotis and moong daal. Here is the recipe- I am sure all you bhindi lovers will give this a shot :)

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Okras/Bhindi/Ladyfingers: 250 gms
Onion: 1 medium sized thinly sliced
Split gram flour: 3 tsp
Mango powder: 1 tsp
Paprika: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
salt: 1/2 tsp
Corrinader powder: 1tsp
Garam masala: 1/8 tsp
Fennel seeds: 1tsp
Kalongi/nigella seeds: 1tsp
Olive oil:  4 tbsp

Method:
take the okras wash them and dry them nicely and snip off the ends. Make clean slits through the centre for stuffing the masala. Make sure the slits are not very deep because you do not want to cut the okra in two halves.
Keep these aside.
Take a bowl and  add all the dry spices except the nigella seeds and take just 1/2 of the fennel seeds and keep the rest for later use. Add the gram flour and 1 tbsp oil  to the dry spices and mix this well.
Now stuff this masala in the okras.
Take a frying pan and heat the 3 tbsp oil,when hot add the  remaining fennel seeds & nigella seeds,when it starts to spultter add the sliced onions and saute for couple minutes. Now add the stuffed okras and let them cook on medium flame without any cover for first couple minutes then cover it with well fitting lid and cook till the okras are cooked. Remove the lid in-between to check on them.

Squeeze some lime juice just before serving and garnish with cilantro and enjoy with roti's and daal :)

Shahi Mutton Korma

Cooking goat meat is always a special occasion for me as it does not happen very often the reason being -There are not enough Indian grocery stores in the vicinity and the ones that do carry goat meat are not selling it fresh,they actually buy it from New Jersey and freeze it,which does not always taste as good as the fresh cut. Mahir was in New Jersey a few weeks back and volunteered to stop by at a good halal shop . I was looking to try some new recipes and after browsing through a ton of recipes,I liked this one ,for its simplicity and the very few ingredients the recipe called for-I was surprised to read the recipe did not call for tomato's and my favorite part was-there was not too much of slow cooking the onions. The meat is first marinated in yogurt along with dry spices and cooked in almond paste and finished with fresh cream and kewra water...mm..mmm this dish tastes creamy and so delicious and the after notes of kewra will not want you to stop....you will ask for second and third helpings. Trust me-This is a must make recipe !!!

Preparation Time: 2 1/2 hours including 2 hours marination Time 
serves: 4

Ingredients:
Goat Meat: 1 pound
Almond: 3 tbsp paste ( take the almonds use the blanching method and remove the skins and grind them to a fine paste)
Coriander seeds roasted & ground: 2 tbsp
Onions: 1 big thinly sliced
Olive oil: 4 tbsp
Ginger paste: 1tbsp
Garlic: 1 tbsp
Turmeric: tip of a tsp
Paprika: 1 tsp or to your taste
garam Masala: tip of the tsp
Salt: to your taste
Kewra water: 3 -4 drops
fresh cream: 1/2 cup
Yogurt: 1/2 cup

Method:
Take the goat meat and in a bowl beat yogurt along with salt,half of ginger & garlic paste,turmeric & coriander powder (fresh roasted & ground) paprika & almond paste and leave the meat in this marination for 2 hours.

Meanwhile take a pressure cooker and heat 4 tbsp oil,when the oil turns hot add the thinly sliced onions and saute them till they turn pinkish brownish. Now add the remaining ginger garlic paste to this and saute it for 3 -4 minutes.

Now add marinated mutton in the onions  and fry the meat for 4-5 minutes on medium flame.

Add 1/2 a cup of hot water to this and pressure cook the meat on high flame first and then reduce the flame to slow and cook for 15 minutes or until the meat is tender. remove the lid.

The meat should be tender & the gravy should be thick and creamy,if there is too much liquid,cook on high flame and allow the gravy to become thick.

Now add the fresh cream,and add the kewra drops and sprinkle garam masala,enjoy this with naans or tandoori roti's