Welcome to Ma's Secret Recipe

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to Ma's Secret Recipe.

It's your chance to share your very favorite recipes handed down from your mom, grandmom, dad, brother, sister, even the recipe box sitting on your kitchen counter!

Here are the three simple rules:
1. List your ingredients.
2. Include simple and detailed directions.
3. Make sure to post a picture of yourself with the food or the person that taught you the recipe.

This is our way of sharing the food we love with the people we love.

We hope you try it, enjoy it, add to it and keep coming back!

Cheers!!!

Mona & Tara

Saag (Spinach) and Tofu

This is one of my favorite recipes of Sudha Aunty (Seeta's mom). She made it for me while she was visiting Seeta when I first moved to Chicago, around 2001. I have been bugging Aunty for the recipe since then, since it is one of the best saag dishes I have had. The tofu makes it healthier too:)

Ingredients:
Frozen Chopped spinach 1 big bag
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, medium to large
1 medium head broccoli crown
1 to2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Small piece of ginger, chopped
1 packet extra firm Tofu
Red chili powder
Turmeric
Jeera powder
Salt to taste

Method:

Part 1- Prepare onion/brocolli base

- Put 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil in a pan
- Add Hing if you have it. Add chopped onions, ginger, garlic & cook over low to medium heat on stove for 3 to 5 minutes until onions are translucent
- Add chopped tomato
- Cook until water evaporates
- Add all spices except salt & cook for few minutes while stirring
- Add chopped Broccoli & cook for few minutes until broccoli is cooked and tender
- Turn the stove off, & let the mixture cool.
- When cool, place mixture in blender and pulse until it becomes green paste.

Part 2- Prepare Tofu with Spinach

- Take tofu, wash in cold water, & wrap in paper towel. Now wrap tofu in kitchen towel, & let it sit for few hours, so tofu will become more firm.
-Take another pan and put 2 teaspoons oil and add cubed tofu, & stirfry for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped thawed spinach & let it cook stirring few times.
- Add the onion/broccoli mixture (see above) to the spinach/tofu.
- Add salt to taste, add chilli powder to taste
- Let saag-tofu cook until everything is mixed properly. Please cook it on low to medium heat.

Enjoy!

Namita's Perfect Pulao

After years of begging, Namita's finally sharing her Mom's recipe for Pulao. It was always a hit around the office.


- heat up two tbsp of oil and butter (ghee is best) in pressure cooker
- add 1/2 tsp jeera
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 finely chopped medium/small onion
- pinch of huldee
- cook onions until they are translucent and slightly browned on edges
- wash rice while onions cook
- chop up the following things in small pieces. potatoes can be a little bigger but keep everything else same size
- 1 small potato (i like to use red or white small potatoes)
- 1 tomato (some people don't like tomato b/c they break down a bit and color the rice so it's up to you)
- 1 carrot
- cauliflower (i'm not a huge fan but it was in my mom's recipe so if you like it, add it)
- add all the chopped up veggie and washed frozen peas and saute for a few minutes
- add 1/2 tsp lal mirchi
- add 1 tsp dhania powder
- add water (double the amount of rice)
- add salt and pav bhaji masala (if you don't have it no biggie...add a litlte more lal mirchi and dhania powder). *stir everything and taste the water. it should be salty and spicer than you really want it. not like crazy but it mellows out as it cooks.
- add juice of 1/2 fresh lime
- add rice
- cover and let it cook on high heat for two-three whistles and then turn heat down to med-low for two-three whistles
- let cool completely and make sure all pressure is released before you open it!
- serve with chopped fresh cilantro on top

if you open it and there is too much water, put the cover back on and cook it more - i've had to do that before and it still turns out fine.

when my mom makes it for parties she fries some onions and sautes cashew halves and put it on top with fresh cilantro before serving. it's a yummy addition.

this goes great with cucumber raita

- grate 1/2 to 3/4 cucumber and mix it together with lowfat yogurt
- add salt, a little sugar and fine roasted jeera and pudina powder if you have it

enjoy!

Khati Rolls

My mom taught me this easy recipe to make khati rolls. Vik, Arghya, and I made 50 of them for our last Diwali party:) We had three pans burning at one time.... we could beat the Chipotle burrito makers anyday...

Marinade Ingredients:
Whole milk yogurt- 1 cup
Tandoori Masala- 2 teaspoon
Garam masala- 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon Juice- 1 tablespoon
Garlic/Ginger paste- 2 teaspoon
Oil- 1 tablespoon
Coriander chutney- 2 teaspoon
Salt- 1 teaspoon

Other ingredients: Malaysian Paratha (Kaman Brand), Mint Chuntney (Swad brand)

Cut paneer into cubes and cut onions lengthwise. Place paneer, onions, and marinade in a plastic container. Marinate overnight.
Next day, bake paneer on 350 degrees until paneer tender. Place on broil for 3 to 4 minutes to make paneer crispy (watch paneer so they do not burn).
After paneer cooked, cook Malaysian paratha on stove.
Place paratha on aluminum foil and fill paratha with one stripe of mint chutney and cooked paneer and then roll into a burrito shape with the aluminum foil.
Enjoy your hard work!

Mona

Kamal's Vegetable Pie

This is one of the many recipes that Vikesh's mom gave to Kamal after they got married. They both wanted to share it with everyone. It is very simple and makes a great dish in minutes. Vik and I had it when we were visiting Kamal and Vikesh in Kansas City:)

Servings - 4-5

Need 8x8 square pan or 9 inch round pan (glass or non stick)

Ingredients:

1 packet of 10 oz frozen chopped broccoli (defrosted)

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup bisquick

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 or 1/2 red chili powder - optional for flavor, depending on taste

How to make it:

-Heat oven to 400 - Lightly grease pan with oil - Pam spray is fine

- Mix broccoli, onion, green peppers and cheese in the pan

- Beat remaining ingredients in a bowl (milk, bisquick, eggs, salt, pepper, chili powder)

- Pour this mixture over vegetables in the pan

- Bake for about 40 minutes- Check if knife comes out clean- If done, cool for 5 min before cutting and serving.

- Enjoy Vegetable Pie!

Optional - You can saute the vegetables before you put them in the greased Pan. You can take a skillet, add some oil, and saute the onions first, add in the green peppers and then the broccoli. Saute it on medium heat for 8-10 minutes total. After that, transfer the vegetables into the greased pan and add cheese.

Bread Poha

I got this recipe from a website years back and cannot recall the name of the website. This is a great recipe if you want to make a quick delicious breakfast. It only take 15-20 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

6 big bread slices cut in 1” squares (brown bread for health conscious guys. I think it does not taste as good if made with brown bread.)
3/4 cup yogurt beaten well (Use non-fat variety if you want to skip exercise today)
1 big tomato finely chopped (core it)
1 teaspoon each of mustard and cumin seeds
½ teaspoon each of turmeric powder and chilli powder (can use less or more depending upon your taste.)

2-4 green chillies finely chopped (please use mirchi based on your taste)
6-10 curry leaves
2 tablespoon oil (less will do fine for health junkies)
Salt to taste (salt substitute for those who desire to live long)
Finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Cooking Method:

1. Soak bread pieces in yogurt for about 4-6 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a pan and toss in the mustard seeds followed by the cumin seeds. Fry till seeds splutter fully. Add curry leaves, chopped green chillies and tomato. Stir fry on medium level for about 2-3 minutes or till the tomatoes are cooked and soft.

3. Add bread, salt, turmeric and chilli powders. Mix well. Cook for 5-8 min. I like to cook until it is quite dry and bread pieces are slightly brown.

4. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Eat warm with “Garam Chai.”

Enjoy!

Sharad

Ma's Yellow Kadi Recipe

This is one of my favorite Indian dishes that my mom makes. It is so easy to make.

Ingredients:
- Plain yogurt
- Gram Flour (besan)
- Vegetable oil
- Hing
- Huldi (turmeric)
- Jeera (cumin seeds)
- Mehti (Fenugreek seeds)
- Spinach leaves
- Salt

1) Mix 1 cup of plain yogurt and 2 cups of water in large bowl (use wire whisk to mix well so no yogurt clumps remain)
2) Mix 1 tablespoon gram flour (besan) with 1 teaspoon of water in a separate bowl
3) Mix the besan mixture with the yogurt/water combination (mix well)
4) Put this mixture in a saucepan and boil.
5) On a separate frying pan, place one teaspoon of oil. Heat oil. Add 1 pinch of hing and 1 teaspoon each of huldi, jeera, and mehti. Cook until jeera is slighlty brown.
6) Add #5 to the boiling yogurt/water mixture and mix well.
7) Add 2 cups of cut spinach leaves to this and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
8) Lower the heat and allow it to simmer (mixing it on occassion) for 15-20 minutes.
9) Once done, you can add more salt if needed.

Tastes great with plain basmati rice.
Enjoy!
Ma and Mona