Tomato Meatball Stew

Tomato meatball stew

(Meatballs in a healthy veg. stew with a tangy-peppery taste that hits the soul!)
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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
20Min 4-6 20Min

Ingredients :

1. 1/2kg or 1lb minced meat/chicken
2. 1 tsp garlic-ginger paste
3. salt & pepper to taste
4. 1/2 tsp each of haldi/turmeric pwd, garam masala (all spice) pwd n coriander pwd
5. 1 finely chopped green chili or 1/2 tsp red chili pwd
6. optional 1 tsp vinegar
7. 1 medium onion - finely chopped/ minced
8. 2 large chopped onions
9. 2-3 red dried chilies
10. 1 half-inch cinnamon stick
11. 3 large ripe tomatoes - chopped
12. salt to taste
13. 1/2 tsp pepper pwd
14. 1/2 tsp cumin pwd
15. 1-2 cups cubed potatoes & carrots plus cauliflower florets


Cooking Instructions :

For the meatballs, mix ingredients 1 to 7 above and make 1" meat balls with the mixture - pressing tightly in your palm n then shaping. Set aside. For the stew, fry ingredients 8 to 14 above in 1tbsp oil in a pressure cooker in the order listed, frying well after adding each item. Cook till tomatoes soften, then put in the meatballs and vegetables & add water to just about cover the meatballs. Close and cook for 1 whistle in the pressure cooker or until the meat is cooked. Serve with bread, croutons or rice.

This stew can also work as a base for a gravy of your choice - a tomato and cream based buttery gravy (makhni) or one with coconut milk, etc..

Butter chicken

Butter chicken

(A flavorful dish of boneless chicken cooked in a tomato-based creamy gravy.)
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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
30Min 4 30Min

Ingredients :

750 gms boneless chicken cubes
2 cups tomato paste
1 cup cooking cream
1/4 tsp haldi
1 tsp chili pwd
1 tsp cardamom pwd
1/4 tsp papper pwd
2 tsp dry mango (amchur) pwd
3 tbsp cashew paste
1 tbsp sugar
100 gms butter
1 chopped onion
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
cooking oil

For the masala:
1 pod garlic
1 inch ginger
2 inch cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
4 cardamoms
1 tbsp vinegar
1.5 tsp salt
3-4 tsp chilip pwd
a pinch on red color or few drops
1/2 cup full-cream curd

Cooking Instructions :

Grind the 'masala' ingredients to a smooth paste. Rub lime & salt on the chicken & add to the marinade - leave for 20-30 mins (few hours is better). In a pressure pan, fry onions till pink & add the chicken to it along with the masala. Fry well, tossing gently for 2 mins. Add 1/4 cup water, pressure cook for 1 whistle & simmer for 2 mins. In a pan, melt butter & fry the tomato paste, cashew paste, pepper pwd, cardamom pwd, amchur pwd, haldi & chili pwd till the oil separates. Then stir in only the chicken gravy from the pressure pan & cook for a minute. Add beaten cream 2 tbsp at a time, stirring constantly. Last, add the chicken & simmer for 2 mins. Drizzle some cream or butter on it, garnish with fresh chopped coriander & serve hot with (garlic) naan or rotis.

Bombay Sandwich/ Green Chutney or Pudina Chutney sandwich

Bombay Sandwich/ Pudina Chutney sandwich

(A famous street-side snack from Bombay - rainbow sandwiches with mint sauce/pudina chutney, cheese & ketchup)


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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
5 Min 5 5Min


Ingredients :

15 slices bread (edges cut off)
5 slices cheese singles
5 tbsp ketchup/ 1 large tomato sliced into 10 slices
slices of 1 cucumber
1 large potato
15 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp pepper

For the chutney:
1 bunch coriander leaves
1/2 bunch mint leaves
5 tbsp dessicated coconut
5 tbsp butter
1-2 green chili
5 pepper corns
5 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
1/4 tsp cumin seeds or pwd
1 pinch cardamom/cinnamon pwd

Cooking Instructions:

- Grind all chutney ingredients in a blender adding water little-by-little till you get a smooth paste (Ensure butter is room temp or slightly heat it in the microwave).
- Boil the potato water with 1/2 tsp salt & cut into medium slices (not too thin) & then dust with the pepper & set aside.
- Make sandwiches with ingredients in this order: slice - butter- cheese -potato slice - ketchup or tomato slice or both - butter - slice - chutney - cucumber slices - butter - slice. Cut diagonally into a triangle. Serve with ketchup.