Tomato Pickle

This Tomato Pickle I am talking about is my Mom's specialty and I had always wanted to learn how to make it. So this weekend was the D-Day and I can't tell you how yummy the achaar has turned up. When we were cooking the aroma that encompassed the house transported me to my childhood days. Of how we used to polish off the achaar with Mathri's & aloo paratha's....sigh!!! *this reminds me to call up my bro to tease him*

So on special request of RM here is the recipe. Do note that my Mom works on approximation (like all people of her generation used to when cooking) but she has very sweetly given me the measurement for blog purpose. So here we go..

Tomato Pickle

Ingredients

Tomato:                1 kg (ensure that you pick up red stiff ones and not the desi ones)

Refined Oil:           1/2 Cup (more if you want)
Ginger:                  1.5 Tbsp (finely chopped)

Green Chilly:       1 Tbsp (finely chopped) You can increase or decrease this as per the spice level you want

Methi Seeds:         15-20 

Mustard Seeds:      1.5 teaspoon

Salt:                      To Taste

Turmeric Powder: 2 Tbsp

Red Chilly:            1 Teaspoon

Vinegar:                 1/2 Cup

Spices to be powdered

Mustard Seeds:     1.5 Tbsp

Methi Seeds:         1/2 Tbsp

Cut the tomatoes as shown in below picture (choosing the right tomato makes your job easy coz the desi ones have more water content and will take more time for the pickle to get cooked) i.e. halve them and then slice it again in half and cut fine slices. Chop the Ginger & Chilly finely. 

Heat oil in a big heavy base vessel. When the oil is heated add the whole Mustard and Methi Seeds. As they start spluttering add the Ginger & Chilly. After a minute add the powdered spices, Salt, Chilly & turmeric powder.

Cook it for half a minute and then dump in the tomatoes

Turn the flame on high and cover the vessel.Keep checking the mixture and keep stirring it every now & then so that the tomato doesn't stick. Once the water reduces, reduce the flame on medium and cook the tomatoes. You will see how it changes colour.

Don't multitask while cooking this because tomato has a tendency to stick. Keep cooking & stirring at regular intervals till the oil separates (should take anywhere between 20 mins to 1/2 hour). Once it reaches stage 4 of the photo above, add the vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn the gas off and your pickle is ready to be savored. This Pickle needs to be stored in refrigerator

Tandoori Aloo

 Tandoori Aloo Recipe

Ingredients

Baby Potatoes - 1/2 Kg 

Hung Curd - 1 1/2 Cup

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp

Tandoori Masala - 2 Tbsp (I used Hakim's tandoori Masala)

Salt to taste

Oil - A teaspoon

Cheese (optional)

Onion rings & Cilantro leaves for garnishing.

Clean the potatoes, poke them with a for and put them to boil. I had only par boiled them but realized that best would be put them in a pressure cooker and turn off the gas as soon as the first whistle blows so that the potatoes are neither too hard nor too tender.

Take 1.5 cup of curd and hang it in a muslin cloth for minimum 1/2 an hour.

When the potatoes are cold enough to handle peel the skin (which is actually optional), add the curd, Ginger Garlic paste, salt, oil & Tandoori Masala (you can increase or reduce the quantity as per your spice requirement level) to the potatoes & mix them well. Cover it air tight and let it marinate (in the refrigerator) for at least 2-3 hours (the more the better).

Marination Mix

Take it out an hour & half before it has to be served. Pre Heat the oven at 180 degree and grill the potatoes for 10 mins at same temperature.  Take them out turn them around bake again for 10-15 minutes. As the Potatoes were already boiled you need to worry about them being cooked properly. Take it out again, grate the cheese on it & cook it for 3-4 minutes.

Take it out, garnish with onion & cilantro leaves  and serve it with green chutney.

Mughlai Egg Paratha

My Mom is an expert cook and she makes this awesome Egg Paratha which I wanted to learn badly. I always thought that it was some rocket science till the day I saw her making it. So here is the super simple recipe for you to try. I make them regularly now specially for my brat.

Ingredients Serves One

Egg I
Wheat Dough
Salt to Taste
Black Pepper to Taste
Onions/ Green Chilly/ Cilantro leaves (Optional)

Break the egg, add salt & black pepper. You can additionally add the optional items as well.

Take the dough that you normally take for making a Paratha and the divide it into two balls. Roll both of them a little ensuring that they are more or less of same size. Apply generous oil on one of the rolled dough and put the other rolled piece on it. (Refer Images)

Twin Sisters

Well Oiled to be Co Joined

Now roll this Roti to its full stretch and put it on the heated tawa. Cook it from one side for 30 sec, turn it around. Turn the gas on low flame, take a knife and gently nudge one of the roti's away. As we have applied generous oil separating them would be a cake walk.

Waiting to be separated

Decoupled

One gets egged

The other one waits

Keep that roti aside and pour the egg on the roti that is on the tawa. Spread the egg evenly and put the lonely roti back on this one to seal the deal.

Egg Holi!

Joined back and cooking away to glory

Now apply oil and turn the roti around, increase the flame, apply oil on this side as well and cook it like a normal paratha. Serve it with tomato sauce :D Its done!

Almost Ready

And served