Potato Baby Corn Korma - Baby Corn Recipes

Baby corn is one of the favorites for my Lo. He loves to eat it any form. The crunch of baby corn is what attracts everyone and it gives a nice texture to any curry. This korma recipe is slightly altered from the usual kormas wherein we grind coconut. Here in this recipe I have used coconut milk, which makes it a light and easily digestible food. I had used potatoes, you can also use fresh green peas which will also blend well along with the baby corns. Kasuri methi enhances the flavors, once you try this I bet this recipe will be a regular make in your kitchen. Now to the recipe!

Ingredients

Baby Corn - 10 nos
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Potatoes - 2, peeled and cubed
Hing a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Kasoori Methi - 1/4 tsp
Water - 3/4 to 1 cup
Thick Coconut Milk - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - fistful, finely chopped, for garnish
Salt - to taste

To grind:
Big Onion - 1 medium sized chopped
Tomato - 1 medium sized chopped
Green Chilli - 2, adjust as per spice level
Cashews - 4 or 5

To temper:
Ghee or Butter - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Cloves -2
Cardamom- 1

Method

1. In a pan heat a tsp of oil, add green chillies and onion. Once the onion turns translucent add the chopped tomatoes and fry until they turn mushy. Allow the mixture to cool down and grind it to a smooth paste. 
2. Meanwhile trim the edges of the baby corn and chop them to desired sizes (lengthwise or just cubes). Peel the potatoes and cube them. Make sure the baby corn and potatoes are of same size. 
3. Heat butter/ghee + oil in a presssure cooker and add the items mentioned under "To Temper".  Add ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes off.  
4. Then add the ground paste and fry for a minute. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, hing and required salt and mix well.  Now add the cubed baby corn and potatoes. Mix well. 
5. Add water and pressure cook for a whistle in high flame, simmer for 2 minutes and turn off the stove.  Once the pressure releases, add the coconute milk and allow the gravy to boil for just a minute. Make sure you do not boil the gravy for a very long time after adding the coconut milk. Check and adjust salt at this stage. Add kasuri methi and coriander leaves and switch off. 
6. Potato Baby Corn korma is ready to be served with Phulkas or Chapathi's or Poori's or even with any mildly spiced pulaos.

Note

• You can also add paneer instead of potatoes. In that case add more chilli powder to adjust the spicyness.   
• After adding the coconut milk, do not boil the korma for a long time. Else it will start curdling.
• You can replace coconut milk with milk too, but coconut milk gives the best taste.
• In case if you are not a fan of coconut milk, you can just add grated coconut along with the sauted ingredients and grind altogether
• If using coconut milk, do not skip the kasuri methi. That gives the best taste for this korma.

Paneer Butter Masala - Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer butter masala is the most popular side dish when compared to the other paneer curries. Its a rich Punjabi dish made with paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese). The near perfect combination of spiciness and creaminess of its gravy makes it simply irresistible and versatile to be served with any Indian bread or with pulav or any biriyanis. Tomato puree is the key in this recipe. To get the right color choose red ripe tomatoes and good red chilli powder. Now to the delicious recipe.

 

Ingredients 
Onion -2
Tomatoes - 4 or tomato puree - 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Paneer - 200 grams, cubed
Cashews - 10 nos
Kasuri Methi -1 tsp (dry fenugreek leaves)
Salt as required

Spice Powder
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

For the seasoning
Butter- 2 tbsp + Oil-1 tbsp
Cinnamon -1 inch piece
Cloves- 2
Cardamom -1
 
For Garnishing
Fresh cream - 2 or 3 tbsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves


Method


First, you need to make 3 pastes out of these ingredients. And then its just as easy as that to prepare the gravy. 


Onion Paste -Remove the skin, chop the onion into 4 pieces and boil them in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water completely and grind it to a paste.

Tomato puree - Blanch tomatoes- (ie) put the tomatoes in boiling water and close it. After 10 minutes, drain the water, remove the skin and puree the tomatoes.

Cashew nut paste- Soak 10 cashew nuts in hot water for 15 minutes and grind it to a paste.

Heat 2 tbsp butter +1 tbsp oil, add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, when it splutters, add onion paste and saute till it becomes golden brown, then add ginger garlic paste and saute for some more time.

Then add tomato puree and all the spice powder mentioned under spice powder. Cook until the raw smell of the tomato goes and it starts leaving oil. Do not add any water now, else the raw smell will not go off completely

 

Then add cashew nut paste and saute nicely for a few minutes till the raw smell goes.

Add the paneer cubes to the cooked tomato paste. Add 1/2 cup of water, needed salt, kasuri methi and coriander leaves. Simmer and cook for a few minutes.

Garnish with fresh cream and serve with pulao or roti or chapati.

Green Peas Masala Mom's Style

My mom used to prepare this peas masala whenever she makes poori. For me, this is the best combination for poori, rather than the poori masala that is usually served. Whenever she packs this for my lunch box during school days I and my friend will exchange our lunch boxes, cos she loves this a lot :-). Also, this is very simple and doesn't require much ingredients. Actually, the original recipe grinds all the grinding ingredients first and then cooks them. But for added taste and flavor I used to saute them first and then grind to a paste and cook again along with the peas and spices. You can opt for any method depending on your preference. Now, to the recipe.

Ingredients

Green peas - 1 cup (Soaked overnight or atleast for 5-6 hours)
Tomatoes - 3
Onion - 2 (1 for grinding and the other for sauteing)
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Garlic - 4 cloves
Cinnamon stick - 1, a small one
Cloves - 2
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves for tempering

Method

1. Soak the green peas overnight or atleast for 5-6 hours and pressure cook for 3 whistles in high flame and 5 minutes in simmer. Soaking is not required if using fresh peas.
2. Chop the ginger, garlic, one onion and tomatoes and set aside. Heat oil in a pan, add the cinnamon stick and cloves and saute for few seconds. Then add the ginger and garlic pieces and saute for couple of minutes. 
3. Then add the onions and fry until they turn transparent. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry until they turn mushy. Allow this to cool down and grind to a coarse paste. You need not have to grind to a smooth paste. This gives a nice texture and flavor to the gravy.
4. Heat oil in a pan and do the tempering and add the ground paste. Add the spice powders, salt and hing. Stir well and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Then add the cooked peas and add more water if the gravy is too thick. Allow to cook for few more minutes and turn off the flame. Enjoy with hot and puffy Poori's.