Prawns Masala

Some dishes are ridiculously easy to cook and yet look downright exotic . Some of these recipes handed down from my grandmother are even today on demand and enjoyed by all generations. One such lovely and absolutely delicious dish is Prwans Masala. Its so easy to cook and can still be the one dish that gets maximum number of ooohs and aaahs at a party. Beware: You need to cook it in a larger quantity than you would another entree. Guests go for seconds and thirds too.

So here goes
Ingredients
500 gms medium to large size prawns, shelled and de veined
2 onions finely chopped
2 tomatoes cut into medium size chunks
1 capsicum ( optional) , cut into medium size chunks
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chopped green chilli
1 tblsp each chopped ginger and garlic
2 tblsp oil
1 tsp each red chilli powder , haldi, garam masala, corriander powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped green corriander leaves

Heat oil , add mustard seeds. Once they splutter add in the chillies, ginger and fry for a minute. Add the onions and cook till transluscent. Add garlic. Then mix the red chilli powder, haldi, corriander powder and garam masala with 4 tblsp water. Add this to the onion mix and cook till oil separates.Add salt to taste.  Add the tomatoes and capsicum. Cover and cook till the tomatoes have softened. Add the prawns and 1/4th cup water. Cover and cook. Once the prawns turn opaque, take off the lid and dry out the water. Add the green corriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot with Rotis/ Bread or steamed rice.

Vegetable Lasooni

Cooking for vegetarians is always a challenge. While there are scores of vegetables that one can cook, a lot of guests have limitations. Some don't like cauliflower, some don't eat mushrooms, and yet others don't like paneer. This poses a problem. Having mixed vegetables usually takes care of this problem. This allows you to then cook other vegetables without guilt . Mixed vegetables in different gravies can taste very different. Gravies like onion tomato , cream based, coconut based or cashew based. All can use the same vegetables yet taste distinctly different. This vegetable uses the flavour of garlic to make the taste different.

3 cups of mixed vegetables of your choice ( carrots, beans, peas, capsicum, mushrooms, cauliflower, potatoes, broccoli )
1/2 cup of paneer cubed and sauted.
5-6 spring onions sliced ( use only the onions and the white portion under it)
7-8 cloves garlic sliced
6 cashews ground into a fine paste with 1/2 cup milk.
1/2 cup yoghurt.
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 green chillies chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
Salt- pepper to taste
1 tsp garam masala
2 tablespoons olive/ vegetable  oil.

Steam together all the mixed vegetables with a small sprinkling of salt. The vegetables should still be firm and not cooked through and through.
Heat oil and add in the sliced onions ( reserve a few slices for garnishing) . When the onions are just about turning pink add in the garlic.Saute for till you can smell the garlic, add in chillies and ginger. reduce heat. Mix the garam masala  with a little water to form a paste and add to the oil. stir till the oil separates. Mix the yoghurt with cornflour and add to the oil. mix well . Make sure the heat in on low  so that the yoghurt does not curdle. Add in salt and pepper and the vegetables and paneer.Mix well. Add in the cashew paste and cook till the gravey coats the vegetables well. Serve hot with Rotis/ Parathas/ Naans.