Shahi Garam Masala (Garam Masala by Sailana Maharaj)

Ingredients: 

Shahajeera (black cumin seeds) - 6 grams

Cloves - 6 grams

Cinnamon - 6 grams

Peppercorn - 6 grams

Bay leaf - 6 grams
Ilaichi - 6 grams
Badi Ilaichi - 6 grams

Mace (Jaypatri) - 3 grams
SunTh (ginger powder) - 3 grams
1 whole nutmeg - make powder
Saffron - 1 gram

Recipe:

Warm above spices on a nonstick pan so that they become crisp and you can grind them in a mixer/blender and store the masala in a tight lid glass jar. 

Notes:

1) Be careful while roasting cloves and peppercorns as they can splatter and jump from the pan and
cause burns.
2) Store all your spices and masalas in tight lid glass jars in a freezer. This way they don't go rancid and last a very long time.
3) I have 2 masala containers (spice boxes) in my kitchen close to my stove. I just take out a little bit of all the spices in these containers and save the rest in the freezer.
4) This masala is very strong so use it only 1/4 tsp per dish (for 4 people).

Black Masala or Goda Masala

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds -  500 grams
Cumin seeds - 125 grams
Sesame seeds - 100 grams
Red chili peppers - 100 grams
Dry coconut - 100 grams
Dagad phool or Kallupachi (Black Stone Flower) - 25 gms
Nagakeshar - 20 grams

Shahajeera (black cumin seeds) - 10 grams

Cloves - 10 to 20 grams  (use 10 for milder flavor)

Cinnamon - 10 to 20 grams (use 10 for milder flavor)

Peppercorn - 10 grams

Turmeric - 1 Tb

Bay leaf - 50 grams

Hing (asafoetida) - 2 tsps

Salt - 1 Tb

Peanut oil to shallow fry

Recipe:

Add a little oil (2-3 tsps) in a nonstick pan. 

Fry ingredients with following order.

Start with Hing powder /asafoetida.  Stir well in oil

Add Turmeric powder. Stir well in oil

Add dry coconut and cook on a very low heat until golden and remove it to a bowl.

Add little oil each time for the rest of the ingredients and roast them one by one.
Once roasted transfer them to the bowl.

Be careful when you roast cloves and black peppercorn ( they can pop and burn you)

Once all the ingredients are roasted, mix them well and grind them in a blender/mixer and store the masala in a tight lid glass jar.  Store it in a freezer so that it won't go rancid and will last for months.
Just take out enough every time that will last for a month in your spice box.

Notes: 

1) Every family has their own masala recipe in India. This recipe is my family recipe.  It came from 
my mom's mom, my maternal grandmother (Mrs. Pramodini Joshi) to my mom (Mrs. Sheela Datar) and now to me.  

2) Dagad phool - make sure it is free of soil /stones. 

3) Nagakeshar - It looks lot like cloves.



4) Glossary of Spices & Condiments - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glosss1.html

5) What is asafoetida?   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida

Cauliflower Bhaji/ Rassaa with coconut 1

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - cut into 1" pieces (try to keep flowers intact) - about 2 cups
Potatoes - 1 medium - peal and cut into cubes - about 1/2 cup
Tomatoes - 2 small or 1 medium - cut into 1" pieces
Curry leaves - 1 branch or 10-12 leaves
Brown Sugar or Gud - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp or to taste.
Salt to taste.

Masala ( Ground Spices):

Fresh coconut - grated - 1/4 cup
Fresh ginger root - peal and grate - about 1 Tb
Coriander powder - 2 Tb
Add 1/2 cup water to grind it into fine paste.

Recipe:

Prepare oil tempering (see recipe).

Add curry leaves. 

Add potatoes.  Saute it for 3-4 minutes and then add cauliflower. Stir well.

Add tomatoes.  Stir well.

Add 1 cup water and cover the pot with a lid.

Let the veggies cook for about 5 minutes or until desired tenderness.

Add ground masala, salt and chili powder.

Cook it for 2-3 minutes without the lid.

Notes: 

1)If you are going to serve it with rice, add more water to have more gravy (called as Rassaa)
2) If serving with chapatis, add less water and let most of the water evaporate while cooking. When you use fingers to eat chapati, you should be able to pick up veggies with a bite size piece of chapati. 

3) When you are making gravy using fresh or dry coconut or peanuts, add the masala at the end of 
recipe.  Stir well so they won't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Remember,  masala should get cooked too but don't stir it so much that veggies will get mushy. 

4) I don't eat curry leaves as they are tough.  
5) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Onion-Garlic Masala

Ingredients:

Dry onion - 1/2 cup shallow fried in oil until lightly brown

Garlic - 5-6 large cloves - shallow fry in oil until lightly brown

Peanuts - dry roast raw peanuts in shallow pan - about 1/2 cup

Cumin powder - 1 Tb

Coriander powder - 1 Tb

Chili powder - 3-4 tsp (or to taste)

Citric acid - a pinch

Recipe: 

Grind all the ingredients together and store in a glass jar.

Refrigerate (anything that has oil in it can go rancid).

Notes: 

1) You can use this masala with many dishes that has beans or dals (split beans).

2) You can use this masala with vegetable preparations that don't have curry (soupy consistency) or prepared dry like potatoes, bell peppers etc.

Chili Garlic Oil

Ingredients:

1/4 cup additional peanut oil
4/5 large cloves of garlic chopped
3 Tb chili powder
1 Tb cracked red pepper
pinch of salt

Recipe:

Heat oil in a tall pan. 

Add chopped garlic and let it cook until lightly brown.
Add cracked red pepper.
Remove from the heat and add chili powder (it burns easily).
Add salt to taste.
Cool and pour in a glass jar and store it in refrigerator. 

Notes:

1) It keeps well in refrigerator for many weeks.. Take it out and let it thaw before using it.
2)I serve this chili oil with many soupy curried vegetables like spinach/methi bhajis.
3) I use it with Chinese, Thai or Italian dishes.
4) You can use it as a condiment with fresh chapatis, phulkas. 
5) when I make pita bread pizza,  I spread this oil on pita bread before adding tomato sauce and then add veggies and cheese on top of it.  

Spinach Bhaaji 2

Ingredients:

2 tsp peanut oil
1/8 tsp hing powder or 2/3 cloves of garlic cut lengthwise.
1 cup frozen chopped spinach (palak) (thaw and squeeze water out) or use 2 cups  fresh spinach.
2 handful toor dal washed well.

2-3 Tb besan flour
3/4 dry red chilies
1/4 tsp tamarind paste (add 4-5 Tb water and mix well)
1 tsp brown sugar or cut gud (Indian brown sugar)
1 cup fresh or frozen or canned corn, washed and drained (optional)

Recipe: 

Cook spinach and toor dal in a pressure cooker.
Heat oil in a flat pan or Kadhai (wok)

Add mustard seeds and let them pop.
Remove from heat and add 1/8 tsp hing powder or garlic and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
Return to heat and add 2-3 dry red chilli peppers.
Add cooked toor dal and spinach and stir.
Add 1 cup of water and let it cook.
Mix besan flour in 1/2 cup of water, add to mixture and keep stirring.
Add tamarind and brown sugar.
Add salt to taste.  Cook for 5 more minutes until all ingredients mix well.
If needed, add water...it should have consistency of soup.
Add corn (optional)
Serve it in a bowl and add 1 tsp of chilli garlic oil on top. 

Serve as a side dish with rice, chapati, paratha, puri, naan or pita bread.

Notes:

1) I use the same recipe for methi (fenugreek) leaves.  
2) I use Toufayan pita bread. I roast pita bread on top of stove (using cake cooling rack). I use tongs and keep turning the bread until it puffs up and then open it and apply 1 tsp ghee on it. I serve this immediately.
3) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Cucumber Salad 3 (Raita)

Ingredients:

4-5 small pickling cucumbers or 1 english cucumber
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
2 tsp ghee for tempering
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 green chilies
salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
handful fresh coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) chopped finely

Recipe:

Chop cucumber fine or grate them (squeeze water out and use it to drink or apply it to face...it has cooling effect on body)
Add yogurt, salt, sugar, peanut powder (optional) and mix well.
Prepare ghee tempering with cumin seeds and chilies (hing powder is optional).
Add it to mixture and mix well.
Add chopped cilantro.
Serve as a side dish with chapaties, naan or thick rotis (bhakari) or pita bread.

Notes:

1) I use the same recipe for cucumbers but don't squeeze water out and don't add peanut powder.
2) I use the same recipe for roasted green bell pepper. Roast peppers directly on top of stove or in the oven and let them cool. Then remove skin, seeds and the stem and chop them into small pieces.
3) I use the same recipe for red pumpkin. You need to remove skin and seeds from the pumpkin and cut into small pieces and cook them in pressure cooker or in microwave. 
4) I use the same recipe for beet roots.  Remove skin and cut them into small pieces.  Steam them in pressure cooker or microwave.  Make this raita without peanut powder. 
5) Use the same recipe for mixed veggies of your choice (tomatoes, onion, scallion, radishes, carrots, cucumbers - chop them or grate them )
4) I use this raita as a dip with pita bread. I roast pita bread (Toufayan) on top of stove (using cake cooling rack). I use tongs and keep turning the bread until it puffs up and then open it and apply 1 tsp ghee on it. I serve this immediately.