Recipes
Everyone has their own style of cooking. Even if we look at recipes, either in
cookbooks or YouTube, we always tweak them to suit our needs and taste.
These recipes are just some easy, quick, tried and tested ones with JH78
masalas, hopefully, making cooking even easier.
Since they are all pre-roasted, adding more masala at the end of cooking if
needed doesn't elicit a raw masala taste. So, start with less, till JH78 becomes a
part of you!!!
Recipes:
Date Chutney
Ingredients:
1) Dates (washed, deseeded, chopped) – 11⁄2 cup
2) Tamarind (washed, deseeded) – 1⁄4 cup
3) Jaggery – 1⁄3 cup
4) Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
5) Garlic (finely chopped) – 3-4 pods
6) Ginger powder – 1 teaspoon
7) JH78 Multipurpose masala – 1 tablespoon
8) Curry leaves – 12-15 leaves or as per taste
9) Salt – to taste
Soak the dates, tamarind and jaggery in just enough boiling water to cover it.
Once cooled, grind it to a fine paste. (Optional: you may strain it through a
coarse sieve or colander to get rid on any chunks)
In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and sauté on medium
heat till brown and fragrant. Add curry leaves, ginger powder and JH78
multipurpose masala and sauté till the masala is cooked.
Add the date mixture and cook on medium flame. Add salt as per taste. Stir
continuously till it thickens and starts to bubble and splatter. Then lower the
flame and cook for 5 more minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
Tastes best after overnight refrigeration. An excellent accompaniment for all
types of Indian chaats and biryanis.
Brinjal rings:
Ingredients:
1) Purple brinjal (medium) – 3 nos
2) JH78 Multipurpose masala – 1 teaspoon
3) Lime juice – 1⁄2 a lime
4) Salt – to taste
5) Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
Cut the brinjal into thin ring-shaped slices. Marinate with the other ingredients
for 1⁄2 and hour. Fry in a flat pan till golden brown on both sides, and soft in the
centre.
A good accompaniment for rice, biryani or chapattis.
Fish pickle
1) Fish pieces - Tuna, Seer fish, Pomfret – 1 kg
2) Oil for deep frying (same can be strained and used for the pickle)
3) JH78 Fish masala – 2 tsp for marination, 3 tsp for pickle
4) Turmeric powder – 1⁄2 tsp
5) Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp.
6) Mustard – 1 tsp
7) Curry leaves – 3-5 sprigs
8) Vinegar – 1⁄2 cup
9) Salt to taste
After washing and draining out the water marinate the fish pieces with fish masala, salt and 1 tsp vinegar for at least an hour. Deep fry the fish pieces. Strain the oil and keep aside.
In a bowl mix the vinegar, fish masala, turmeric powder and salt. Heat the
strained oil. Add mustard, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Once the ginger
garlic paste is fried turn the flame off and immediately add the vinegar fish
masala mixture. The mixture will bubble up. Add the fried fish pieces
immediately into it.
Store in an airtight jar when cooled completely. If refrigerated, a lesser amount
of oil can be used.
Aloo bujjiya
1) Potatoes – 3 medium sized (scrubbed and washed well)
2) Oil – 2 tablespoons
3) Mustard – 1⁄2 teaspoon
4) Cumin – 1⁄2 teaspoon
5) Garlic – 4-5 pods sliced thin
6) JH78 multipurpose masala
7) Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
8) Onions – 2 medium (diced)
Cut the unpeeled washed potatoes into either small cubes or strips. Heat oil in
a non-stick pan. Add mustard, cumin, curry leave and onion. Sauté the onions
well. Add the potatoes and salt to taste and cook over low heat turning
occasionally. When half done add the JH78 multipurpose masala and cook till
done. (No water to be added)
Chicken (dry/gravy)
1) Chicken – 1 kg
2) JH78 chicken masala – 3 teaspoons
3) Curd – 2 tablespoons
4) Onions – 2 medium (diced)
5) Shallots – 10 (sliced)
6) Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
7) Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
8) Coriander – 2 tablespoons finely cut, and some for garnishing
9) Salt to taste
In a pan add oil and fry the onions till well caramelized to dark brown. Cool and
grind to a paste with a little water.
Marinate the chicken with the onion paste, curd, ginger garlic paste, chicken
masala, salt and two tablespoons of finely cut coriander leaves for at least an
hour.
Heat a pan and add the marinated chicken (no oil). Cover the pan and cook on
the lowest flame turning occasionally till the chicken is cooked. Adjust the salt.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Options:
Dry preparation: Once cooked open the lid and let the water evaporate till
desired consistency is achieved.
Gravy preparation: Add half to one cup of thick coconut milk.
Dal curry
1) Masoor dal – 3⁄4 cup
2)Toor dal –1⁄4 cup
3) Onions – 2 (diced)
4) Shallots – 5-6 (sliced)
5) Oil – 1 tablespoon
6) Mustard – 1 tsp
7) Cumin – 1 tsp
8) Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
9) Garlic – 5-6 pods
10) JH78 multipurpose masala – 2 tsp
11) Tomato – 2 small (diced)
12) Coriander leaves for garnishing
13) Salt to taste
In a pressure cooker add the washed dals, diced onions and tomatoes, garlic and multipurpose masala. Add enough water to cover the dals. After one whistle
lower the flame for 5 minutes.
Once cooked, season with mustard, cumin and curry leaves and shallots. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Variation: season first and add to the dal in the cooker
Modifications: additions of drumstick leaves, spinach (palak), bottle gourd etc
Chana curry
1) Chana (black or white chickpeas) – 1 cup
2) Onions – 2 medium (diced)
3) Shallots – 5-6 (sliced)
4) Oil – 1 tablespoon
5) Mustard – 1 tsp
6) Cumin – 1 tsp
7) Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
8) Garlic – 5-6 pods (finely chopped)
9) JH78 Chana masala – 2 tsp
10) Tomato – 2 small
11) Coriander leaves for garnishing
12) Salt to taste
13) Ginger – 1 1⁄2 inch piece (finely chopped)
Soak the chana overnight or for 3-4 hours. In a pressure cooker add the chana
and salt and cook well. Add enough water to cover the grams. After one whistle
lower the flame for 10 minutes.
In a pan, pour some oil and sauté mustard, cumin and curry leaves. Then add
shallots, onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic and cook till soft. Add JH78 Chana
masala. Continue cooking the oil separates out. Add the cooked chana. Cook for
another two to three minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves
Sambar
1) Toor dal – 1⁄2 cup + moong dal – 1⁄4 cups
2) Onions – 2 medium (diced)
3) Shallots – 5-6 (whole)
4) Oil – 1 tablespoon
5) Mustard – 1 tsp
6) Cumin – 1 tsp
7) Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
8) Garlic – 5-6 pods (coarsely crushed with skin)
9) JH78 Sambar masala – 2 tsp
10) Tomato – 2 small (diced)
11) Coriander leaves for garnishing
12) Salt to taste
13) Dry chilly – 2-3
14) Turmeric powder – 1⁄4 teaspoon
15) Vegetables – drumstick, brinjal, carrot, potatoes, beans, bottle gourd etc as
preferred
In a pressure cooker add the gram, turmeric powder and salt and cook well. Add
enough water to cover the grams. After one whistle, lower the flame for 5 minutes.
Wash and cut vegetables of your choice – potatoes, carrots, beans, drumstick,
brinjal, bottle gourd etc. Pressure cook for one whistle only along with diced
onions, whole shallots, tomatoes and garlic, salt.
In another pan, add a little oil and sauté mustard, cumin, dry chilly and curry
leaves. Add JH78 sambar masala. Fry for a minute and add the cooked dal and
vegetables. Cook for another two to three minutes. Garnish with coriander
leaves.
Chicken biryani
1) Chicken – 3⁄4 kg (cut to medium size)
2) Rice – 3 cups (preferably good quality Basmati rice)
3) Oil – 2 tablespoons
4) Onions – 4 big (sliced)
5) Shallots – 15 (sliced)
6) Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
7) Coriander leaves finely cut – 1⁄2 cup
8) Mint leaves finely cut – 1⁄2 cup
9) Whole spices: cardamom – 3-4, cinnamon – 2 one-inch sticks, Cloves – 4-5,
star anise – 2.
10) Curd – 2 tablespoons
11) JH78 biriyani masala – 3-4 tsp
12) JH78 garam masala – 1 tsp
13) Bay leaves – 2
14) Milk – 1⁄2 cup with few sprigs saffron (optional)
15) Ghee – 2 tablespoons
16) Fried cashews and raisins for garnishing
17) Salt to taste
Caramelize the onions and the shallots well till they are crisp and brown. Keep
some aside for garnishing and grind the rest.
Marinate the chicken with the onion paste, ginger garlic paste, JH78 biriyani
masala, curd, two tablespoons each of coriander and mint leaves and salt.
Marinate for 1-2 hours.
In a pan add the oil and the marinated chicken and half a glass of water used to
wash the mixie where the onion was ground. Cook over the lowest flame, mixing
once in a while till cooked and a gravy has formed.
In the meantime, wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Cook the three cups of
rice till three fourths done in at least 8 cups of water with adequate salt and the
whole spices and bay leaves. Drain. Whole spices can be removed or left as it is.
In a thick bottomed dish, layer the rice, sprinkle some saffron milk mixture,
coriander and mint leaves. Layer the chicken pieces and gravy over it. Layer the
same way with the second layer of rice and chicken. Finally layer with rice on
top. Add two tablespoons of ghee and garam masala over the top layer of rice.
Cook over very low flame directly or over medium flame with the dish placed
over a tawa or old frying pan.
Cook for 25-30 minutes or till rice is cooked well. Garnish with fried onions,
cashews and raisins. Serve hot.
Chicken/Paneer Butter masala
Step 1: Tikka
1) Chicken (boneless thigh or breast) / Paneer (fresh, cubed) – 1 kg
2) Mustard oil 2 tbsp
3) Kashmir Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp
4) Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
5) JH78 Chicken/paneer masala – 2 tbsp
6) Kasur methi – 1 tsp
7) Dry mango/Amchur powder – 1 tsp
8) Black salt – 1⁄2 tsp
9) Fresh mint – 1 tbsp
10) Fresh Coriander – 1 tbsp
11) Salt to taste
12) Thick curd – 1⁄2 cup
13) Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
14) Live charcoal + ghee
15) Oil for grilling
Mix all ingredients except the last 2 and marinate for 2-3 hours (Paneer may be
marinated for 1⁄2 an hr). Skewer and grill over charcoal or pan fry till evenly
cooked. If pan fried, you can impart a smoky flavor by heating a cube of live
charcoal over the flame till red hot. Transfer to a small steel bowl and add a
teaspoon of ghee. This can be kept over the marinating chicken/paneer for the
last 15-20 minutes of marination for a mild smoky flavor. If you want a stronger
flavor, you can do this step after pan frying or even after the final dish is ready.
Step 2: Makhani gravy
1) Oil – 2 tbsp
2) Jeera – 1 tsp
3) Onions – 3-4 medium size (sliced)
4) Garlic – 10-15 cloves (whole)
5) Ginger – 1 inch (roughly Chopped)
6) Green chilies – 3-4 nos.
7) Kashmiri Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp
8) JH78 chicken/paneer masala – 2 tbsp
9) Kasur methi – 11⁄2 tsp
10) Whole Kashmiri Red chilies – 6-7 nos.
11) Green cardamom – 3-4 nos.
12) Tomatoes – 1 kg (roughly Chopped)
13) Cashew nuts – 1⁄3 cup
14) Coriander stems & roots a small handful
15) Salt to taste
16) Butter – 2 tbsp
Add oil in a pan. Add jeera, onions, garlic, ginger and green chilies and sauté till
tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook till the tomatoes are cooked.
Finish with butter. Allow to cool to room temperature, then grind to a fine paste
(important to cool fully, or else the gravy will lose its colour). Strain through a
coarse mesh and set aside.
Step 3: Final cooking
1) Butter – 2 tbsp
2) Oil – 1 tsp
3) Onions – 1 medium size (chopped)
4) Garlic – 3 tbsp (chopped)
5) Ginger – 1 tbsp (chopped)
6) Green chilies – 2-3 nos. (Slit)
7) Kashmiri Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp (optional for added colour, as preferred)
8) Makani gravy base
9) Hot water as required
10) Sugar/jaggery (powdered) – 1 tsp
11) Grilled chicken/paneer
12) Kasur methi – 1⁄2 tsp (Toasted)
13) Garam masala – 1⁄2 tsp
14) Salt to taste
15) Butter – 2 tbsp
16) Fresh cream – 5-6 tbsp
17) Fresh coriander as required (Chopped)
Add oil and butter to a pan. Sauté onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies till soft. Add Kashmiri chili powder (optional). Add the makhana gravy and cook still it starts to bubble. Add water to dilute to desired consistency. Add sugar or jaggery, followed by the grilled chicken/paneer. Adjust the salt. Add the garam
masala, butter and 3⁄4 of the fresh cream once almost cooked and stir to combine
thoroughly. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a swirl of fresh cream.