Easy Indian Curries

Vegetable Kurma(Korma)

2 cups Vegetables
2 Onions cut length-wise
2 Green chilies cut length-wise
1 teaspoon Coriander powder
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
one pinch Turmeric powder
1/ 2" Cinnamon stick
2 Cloves
2 Cardamom
2 tablespoons Coconut powder
1 teaspoon Khus-Khus (poppy seeds)
1/ 4 teaspoon (3 cloves) Garlic
1 A small piece of Ginger

Put a reasonable sized vessel on the range and heat oil. Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add onions and green chilies and fry till onions turn brown. Add garlic & ginger paste and fry for a minute or so. Add vegetables and fry for about 3 minutes. Add Water (about a cup or two). Let the vegetables and turmeric powder cook.
Add coconut paste, khus-khus, salt and wait until cooked. Cook on low heat.


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Vegetable Curry


1 cup Vegetables
1/ 2 teaspoon Coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon Chili powder
1/ 4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 large Onion
1/ 2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon Urad Dal
2 cups Tomatoes-crushed

Mix the garlic, coriander and the chili powder along with salt and place it aside. Pour about 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and heat. Add mustard seeds and urad dal. The mustard seeds will split and the oil may spill. Be careful when you are doing this. Wait until the mustard seeds stop making any noise. Add onions and fry until the onions turn brown. Add the vegetables, the mixture of step 1 and the crushed tomatoes. Fry for about 5 minutes, if you are using canned vegetables. Otherwise cover the pan and let the vegetables cook. (This might take about 10- 15 min.)



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Okra (Bhindi)- Ladies Finger curry

1/2 Kg okra
2 small Onions
2 small Tomatoes
1/ 4 tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste
Red pepper (optional)
Oil for frying

Wash the okra and dry it thoroughly. Cut the heads and cut into small circles. Chop the onions and tomatoes separately.
Deep fry the okra until very brown. Remove from heat and set aside. Pour out some oil. Add turmeric to hot oil. Add the onions and fry until golden brown. Add the fried okra, salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Cover and bake at 250 F for 15 minutes or cook in a pressure cooker for about half an hour.



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Green Gram Curry

1 cup green grams
Raisins 50 Gms
100 Gms Grated coconuts
3 Tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp Lime juice
1 tsp garam masala
½ cup coconut milk
To grind:

2 tbsp coriander leaves
1 tsp green chillies
1 tsp dry ginger powder or a small piece of ginger
½ tsp turmeric powder
30 Gms cashew nuts
1 tbsp sesame seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
Pressure cook green grams. Add grated coconut into boiling water and keep aside. for five minutes. Filter the grated coconuts with a muslin cloth. Keep the coconut and coconut milk separately. Grind the coconut with other ingredients under the grinding section. Heat ghee in a pan and add masala and fry fry for 5 minutes. Add some water if necessary. Add green grams and cook for 5 minutes. Add garam masala and corn flour mixed with some water. Add lime juice before serving and serve hot with coriander leaves.



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Curd Korma

Potatoes ¼ kg
Fresh broad or butter beans seeds ¼ kg
Beans seeds ¼ kg
Onions 3
Curd 1 ½ cup
Garam masala ¼ tsp
To grind

Coconut ½
Cashew nuts 8-10
Poppy seeds 2 tsp
Green chillies 7
Cut onions into long thin pieces. Dice potatoes into one inch square pieces and cook in pressure cooker along with butter beans using just enough water to cover it. Take care to not overcook. Grind other ingredients with enough water. Heat ghee and fry onions till translucent. Add the ground masala, cooked vegetables without water and beaten curd to it. Add garam masala just before removing from fire.



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Easy Greens Gravy


4 cups spinach chopped, washed and drained
1 cup bottle gourd grated
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger grated
2 tsp. wheat or millet flour
3 green chillies
1 tbsp. cheese grated (optional)
salt to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 pinch soda bicarb
1/2 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
3 tbsp. oil

Take spinach in a large vessel, add gourd and soda. Toss to mix. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. water all over it. Cover and put to boil on high, for 3 minutes. Cool in a plate or run under tap water to cool. Put in a mixie, add chillies, flour and a few pinches salt. Run till semi-smooth. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger, stir. Add cinnamon clove powder, and stir. Add onions, stir fry till light pink. Add blended spinach mixture, all other ingredients except cheese Stir and allow to cook till thick or 3-4 minutes. Add prepared vegetable at this stage. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes more. Garnish with grated cheese before serving.


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Curds and Vegetable Curry

1 cup fresh curds
1/2 cup fresh cream
1 tsp. grated cheese or paneer
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp. cashewnuts broken
1 tbsp. peanuts husked & lightly roasted
1 tsp. khuskhus seeds soaked in 2 tbsp. milk for 1 hour
3 green chillies
1 piece ginger
1 tsp. coriander finely chopped
1 slice dayold bread white
1 tsp. sugar
3-4 canned cherries (optional)
salt to taste
1/5 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
1 tbsp. ghee or oil

Grind together in a dry mixie, cashew, peanuts and bread. Grind together in a wet mixer, onion, ginger, chillies, khuskhus with milk. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add onion mixture, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add curds and cook, stirring continuously till whiteness of curds disappears. Add milk, bring to a boil, add sugar, salt, dry mixture, spice powder, cream. Stir gently till boil resumes. Add vegetables, etc. at this stage. Cook covered for few minutes till thickened.
Garnish with grated cheese, coriander and cherries.


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Sindhi Sabzi( Sindhi vegetables)

1 each - carrot, capsicum, onion, small cabbage,potato, brinjal, tomato, ladysfinger (okra)
100 gms. french beans
1/2 bunch each spinach, coriander, khatta (3 leaved) greens.
1/2 bunch any other leafy greens.
1 cup green gram dal
1/2 cup horsegram dal (channa dal)
4-5 green chillies
2-3 flakes garlic
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3 tbsp. oil
1/2 tbsp. ghee
2 pinches asafoetida

Clean and wash dals. Clean, wash and chop spinach and vegetables except tomato. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add all the vegetables, spinach and dals. Mix well, add enough water to cover the contents. Add all masalas and mix. Place whole tomato on top, cover and pressurecook for 3 whistles.
Cool the cooker, open and handblend the contents. Heat 1/2 tbsp. ghee add a pinch of asafoetida add to the mashed vegetable. Serve hot with paratha or steamed rice.