Sunday Vegetarian Feast - Food with Chetna

Step 1: Prepare Chickpeas for Cooking

Take 2 cups of chickpeas, soaked overnight. Remove a handful for pakoras. Add more water to the pressure cooker, ensuring chickpeas are covered. Add 1 tsp of salt and 2 black cardamom pods. Cook in the pressure cooker until done (approximately 6 whistles).

Step 2: Chop Onions for Masala

Roughly chop 4 onions for the chickpea curry masala. This quantity is double what's needed for the curry, allowing half to be saved for future meals.

Step 3: Sauté Spices and Onions

Heat 4-5 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a pan. Add 1 tsp of cumin seeds and 1 tsp of carom seeds (ajwain). Let them sizzle and release their flavor. Add all chopped onions.

Step 4: Cook Onions

Cook the onions on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until they soften and turn light golden.

Step 5: Add Ginger, Garlic, and Tomatoes

Add 4-6 minced garlic cloves and a good piece of minced ginger to the cooked onions. Cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tin (400g) of chopped tomatoes.

Step 6: Simmer Tomato Masala

Mix well. Add a splash of water, cover, and cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are well cooked and the oil starts to separate.

Step 7: Add Dry Spices

Add 2 tsp of turmeric, 2 tsp of chili powder, 4 tsp of coriander powder, and 2 tsp of garam masala to the masala. Mix thoroughly.

Step 8: Portion Masala (Optional)

Remove half of the prepared masala and store it in a container for future use (can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen).

Step 9: Combine Chickpeas and Masala

Open the pressure cooker (after releasing steam). The chickpeas should be beautifully cooked. Add the cooked chickpeas (with their cooking liquid) to the masala in the pan.

Step 10: Adjust Consistency and Remove Cardamom

Add more boiling water to achieve desired curry consistency. Remove the black cardamom pods as they have released their flavor.

Step 11: Mash Chickpeas and Simmer Curry

Use a potato masher to slightly mash some of the chickpeas directly in the pan. This will help thicken the curry. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.

Step 12: Stir and Continue Simmering

After 15 minutes of simmering, stir the curry. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.

Step 13: Prepare Chapati Dough

Take a sufficient amount of atta/chapati flour in a large plate. Gradually add water and knead until a soft dough forms. Cover and let it rest for a few hours.

Step 14: Prepare Cucumber and Onion Salad

Chop 2 cucumbers and thinly slice 1 red onion. Place them in a bowl.

Step 15: Season Salad

Add a little bit of chili powder, a little bit of salt, and plenty of lemon juice to the chopped cucumber and onion. Mix well and let it sit to allow flavors to meld.

Step 16: Garnish Chickpea Curry

Garnish the finished chickpea curry with fresh coriander.

Step 17: Chop Onions for Paneer

Roughly chop 2 red onions for the paneer dish.

Step 18: Sauté Paneer Masala Base

Heat 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a pan. Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds and let them pop. Add the chopped red onions and sauté for 5-6 minutes on medium heat until softened.

Step 19: Cook Cumin Rice

Add 1 cup of washed rice to 2 cups of boiling water. Add 1 tbsp of cumin seeds. Cook until rice is tender and fluffy.

Step 20: Add Spinach to Onions

Add 1 packet of finely chopped spinach to the sautéed onions.

Step 21: Season and Wilt Spinach

Add salt and chili powder to taste. Cover the pan and let the spinach wilt down for 5 minutes.

Step 22: Drain Rice and Prepare Paneer

Drain the cooked cumin rice. Crumble 450g of paneer.

Step 23: Combine Paneer and Spinach

Add the crumbled paneer to the wilted spinach and onions. Add a little bit of turmeric. Cook on high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until excess moisture evaporates.

Step 24: Prepare Boondi Raita

In a bowl, combine gram flour balls (boondi) with yogurt. Add salt to taste and ground cumin. Mix well.

Step 25: Prepare Pakora Batter

Roughly blitz the handful of soaked (uncooked) chickpeas with a few drops of water in a blender. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 thinly sliced red onions, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp chaat masala, 1 tsp cumin, and a little gram flour to bind. Add a few more drops of water if needed to form a thick batter.

Step 26: Fry Pakoras

Heat oil in a karahi (wok) for deep frying. Drop small portions of the pakora batter into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Step 27: Cook Chapatis

Take a small portion of the chapati dough, roll it into a ball, dust with flour, and roll out thinly. Cook on a hot tawa (griddle) until golden brown spots appear on both sides.

Step 28: Finish Chapatis

Brush the cooked chapatis with ghee and place them in a casserole dish lined with a cloth to keep them warm and soft.

Step 29: Fry Papadams

Fry papadams in the remaining hot oil for a few seconds on each side until crispy. Remove and drain.

• For faster cooking of chickpeas in a pan, add 1/2 tsp of baking soda and cook for 45-60 minutes.

• Make extra masala and freeze it for busy weeknights to use in dishes like rajma or chicken curry.

• Prepare the cucumber and onion salad a little in advance to allow the flavors to meld and become tastier.

• Let the chickpea curry sit for 2-3 hours after cooking; it enhances the flavor and makes it more delicious.

• Extra chapati dough can be stored in the fridge for a few days and used to make fresh chapatis later.

• Keep cooked chapatis in a casserole dish lined with a cloth to keep them warm and soft.

• When frying papadams, ensure the oil is very hot, but be careful not to burn them as they cook quickly.