Spiced Baby Watermelons

Ajay’s aunt came over yesterday and gave me some beautiful looking raw baby watermelons from the farm. First I thought they must be ripe watermelons just small in size. I had never seen such tiny watermelons. So I took them to the kitchen and cut one of them open. I found that it was white inside. I didn’t know what to do with them. It was more like a Mystery Box Challenge! It looked something like Bottle Gourd from the inside, with more seeds. So I finally cut them into small pieces and with the help of my spice box, I was able to achieve this nice spiced side dish. It tasted wonderful with rotis. I had never ever imagined eating watermelons with Rotis!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Baby Watermelons cut into small pieces
• 1½ tbsp. Mustard Oil
• 1 tsp. Carom Seeds
• ¼ tsp. Asafetida
• 1 cup diced Onion
• 1 tbsp. Chopped Garlic
• 1 tsp. Ginger Garlic Paste
• ½ tsp. Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Coriander Powder
• ¼ tsp. Turmeric Powder
• Salt to Taste
• Chopped Coriander Leaves for Garnish

Method:

• Heat Mustard oil in a Pan.
• Add the Carom Seeds and let it crackle.
• Now add the Garlic and the Asafetida.
• Add the Onion and cook till it’s golden Brown.
• Add the Ginger Garlic Paste and cook for a minute.
• Add in the Red Chili Powder, Salt, Turmeric, Coriander Powder and Garam Masala Powder and Mix well.
• Now add the Pieces of Baby Watermelons and mix and coat them with the spices.
• Cover the lid and cook in low flame for 5-8 minutes until the watermelon is done.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken originated in Delhi and has made it’s way all over the world. There are so many versions of Butter Chicken you can find these days. I used the Griller to Grill my Chicken, but you could also cook them on a non-stick pan or use the oven. You can make the milder version just by adjusting the amount of Red Chili Powder and Garam Masala Powder and increasing the amount of fresh cream. Also, if you want the gravy even thicker, just add a tbsp. of Cashew Paste. It will improve the thickness and make the gravy richer. This is how I usually make Butter Chicken.

Ingredients for the Marinade:

• 500 gms Boneless Chicken cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp. Hung Curd
• 1 tsp. Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Ginger Garlic Paste
• Juice of Half a lime.
• 1 tsp. Oil
• Salt for seasoning

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside for half an hour.
• Grill the chicken in a griller until it is cooked.
• Keep the grilled chicken aside.

Ingredients for the Gravy:

• 3 tbsp. Butter
• 4 pods Green Cardamom
• 8 medium tomatoes pureed and passed through a sieve
• 1/2 tsp. Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 ½ tbsp. Sugar
• Salt for Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Dried Fenugreek leaves Powder (Kasuri Methi Powder)
• ¼ cup Fresh Cream

Method:

• Melt the Butter in a Pan.
• Add the Green Cardamom pods and wait for half a minute.
• Add the Ginger Garlic Paste and sauté for half a minute.
• Now add the Tomato Puree.
• Add in the Sugar, Salt, Red Chili Powder and Garam Masala Powder.
• Turn the heat to low and cover and cook for 12-14 minutes.
• Now add the Grilled Chicken, Fresh Cream and Dried Fenugreek leaves Powder, mix gently and then cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Transfer the Butter Chicken into a serving bowl and drizzle some fresh cream on top.

Mushroom Masala

Mushrooms are always a hit in our house. I decided to make Mushroom Masala today the way they make in Restaurants. Mushroom Masala can be made even without the Cream and the Cashew paste, but this is how I wanted it to be today. The Cashew Paste helps to thicken the Gravy and moreover makes it richer. Also, I’ve used canned mushrooms instead of fresh mushrooms for I couldn’t find the fresh ones. Of course the fresh ones taste much better, but I had no option. The same recipe works great with green peas added. I’ve made the tomato Puree myself, but you can skip the extra effort and go ahead and use canned tomato puree.

Ingredients for Mushroom Masala:

• 1½ cup Tomato Puree
• ½ cup Cashew Paste
• ½ cup Onion Paste
• 1 tbsp. chopped Ginger, Garlic and Green Chilies put together
• ¼ cup finely chopped Onion
• 3 tbsp. Fresh Cream
• 1½ cup Fresh Button Mushrooms Sliced
• ½ cup Onion Paste
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 2 Green Cardamom
• 1 inch Piece Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Garam Masala Power
• ¼ tsp. Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp. Oil
• 1 tsp. Butter
• Chopped Coriander Leaves for Garnish

Method to make the Mushroom Masala:

• Add the Oil into a Pan.
• Then add the Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, Black Cardamom and the Green Cardamoms and Sauté for half a minute.
• Add the Finely Chopped Onions, Chopped Green Chili, Ginger and Garlic and Cook for 2 minutes.
• Then add the Tomato Puree, Garam Masala, Red Chili Powder and Turmeric Powder and mix well.
• Now add the Cashew Paste and Onion Paste along with 1 cup of water and cook for 10 minutes.
• Now add the Mushrooms and cook for 10 more minutes.
• Adjust the Salt if necessary.
• Turn off the heat and add the Fresh Cream and mix well.
• Transfer the Mushroom Masala into a Serving Bowl, top it with butter and sprinkle some fresh Coriander Leaves.

Ingredients for Tomato Puree:

• 3 cups chopped Tomatoes
• 1 tsp. Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• Salt to Taste
• 1 cup Water

Method:

• Add the Tomatoes, Ginger Garlic Paste and water into a blender and blend till its smooth.
• Pass the puree through a Sieve.
• Now transfer it into a saucepan and cook for 10-15 minutes. (Make sure you’re away from stove because the tomatoes tend to splutter all over).
• The puree will reduce by 10- 15 minutes.
• Now add the Salt and Sugar and cook further for 3 minutes.
• Note: The Sugar is used to break the sourness of the Tomatoes.
• Keep the Tomato Puree Aside.

Ingredients for Cashew Paste:

• ½ cup Cashews
• ¼ cup Water

Method:

• Add the Cashews and water into the blender and blend into a fine paste.
• Make sure you’re left with not tiny chunks. It has to be absolutely smooth.

Ingredients for the Onion Paste:

• 1¼ cup Finely Chopped Onions
• 2 tsp. Oil
• A Pinch of Salt

Method:

• Heat Oil in a Pan.
• Add the Onions and Cook till they turn Golden Brown.
• Add the Salt and Mix well.
• Then transfer it into a blender and blend into a fine paste.
• Add water while blending if necessary.