Easy Chana Masala Recipe In Pressure cooker – How To Make Chana Masala Recipe

You will not believe if I say this is the first time I am trying North Indian style Chana masala recipe using a pressure cooker. Usually I make South Indian hotel style chana kurma for chapathi. Even though I have tasted chana masala ( Kabuli chana curry) in Punjabi and other North Indian restaurants, I haven’t tried at home. 

Recently my friend Shalini was suggesting me to try this easy chana masala recipe using Everest Chana masala/Chole masala spice mix powder. She told me to follow the recipe given on the pack. As I had already tried Chole recipe using homemade chole masala powder in my Punjabi thali post, I wanted to find the taste of chana masala using store bought powder.So I tried Chana bhatura for our weekend breakfast. I prepared few poori as well. We all loved its taste and I prepared again for their lunch box too. 

Actually I wanted to post both Chana masala and bhatura recipes today but bhatura din’t come out so well as expected. I will try to make a perfect bhatura recipe and share it soon. So today I am sharing this easy, one pot chana masala gravy using a pressure cooker. If you have homemade or store bought chana masala powder and cooked chickpea in hand, making this recipe is a breeze. This is a perfect bachelor style recipe. 

As a disclaimer, I would like to mention that this is not the authentic chana masala recipe or restaurant style one. This is just a simple, no grind version that would help working women, busy housewives and bachelors to make a quick side dish for chapathi, poori and bhatura. If you like, you can have it mixed with rice as well. 

Lets see how to make easy chana masala at home with step by step photos and video.
Finally, do check out my Kabuli biryani recipe ( chana dal biryani) and chana sundal recipes if interested !

Chana masala recipe - Easy chana masala in a pressure cooker

Easy chana masala/chole masala recipe in a pressure cooker using storebought chana masala spice mix powder.

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Side dish for roti/chapathi

Serves: 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Kabuli chana/ white chickpeas - 3/4 cup ( soaked for 8 hours) Cooking oil + ghee - 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp Big onion - 1 no ( finely chopped) Ripe tomato - 3 nos ( finely chopped) Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Dhania powder - 1 tsp Chana masala powder - 2 tsp ( I have tried Everest & MDH brand, Both are good) Green chilli - 1 no Ginger - 1 inch piece Chat masala powder - 1/2 tsp Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp ( crushed) Coriander leaves - to garnish

HOW TO MAKE CHANA MASALA IN  A PRESSURE COOKER - METHOD

Wash and soak white chickpeas/kabuli chana in water for 8 hours or overnight. It gets doubled after soaking. Pressure cook in low flame for 3 whistles adding required salt and water. Take 1/4 cup cooked chana and mash it well. Set aside. Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker. Saute finely chopped onion, slit green chilli and thinly sliced ginger. Saute for a minute. Add finely chopped tomato and salt ,saute until mushy. Now add the red chilli powder, dhania powder, chana masala powder. Mix well. Add 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup mashed chana, 1 cup cooked chana and mix well. Note that you can also add uncooked chana directly after soaking but chana won;t cook soft.In that case, you should add a big pinch of baking soda in the gravy. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles.Remove the lid after steam is released. Add chat masala powder, crushed kasoori methi. Mix well.Garnish with coriander leaves if you like. Mix well and serve with poori, chapathi or bhatura ! Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of spice powders as per your taste. You can add the spice powders after sauting onion, then add tomatoes. This was given in the Everest pack.But I added the masala powders after adding tomato. If you want to replace chana masala powder, add 1 tsp garam masala powder + 1/2 tsp aamchur powder.

Try this easy, one pot chana masala for poori/bhatura or Chapathi !

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Khoya Kaju Recipe – Restaurant Style Khoya Kaju Gravy Recipe

I have never heard about khoya kaju gravy until my reader friend Dheepika requested me to try this recipe after having in an Indian restaurant. When she told me about this recipe, I browsed and shared the recipe links from 2 different websites to her. She went through them and told me about the color & texture of the gravy along with a picture of one she had in the restaurant.When I browsed for the recipe, I found khoya kaju gravy tastes sweets with mild spices basically.But Dheepika told the restaurant people made it red in color by adding red chilli powder as they asked for a spicy version. Based on her inputs, I followed the recipe of white based khoya kaju curry from spice up the curry and I used red chilli powder in place of green chillies.I tried it yesterday for our dinner.After tasting this, Sendhil told Khoya kaju curry would be white in color in most of the hotels. Some people may add food color to present it red in color, he added. Whatever it is, gravy came out delicious and very flavorful.We loved it with roti. Thanks to you Dheepika for making me try this restaurant style gravy. Soon I will try to share the recipe of khoya kaju white gravy. Though this gravy is very high in calories with full of ghee, cashews and khoya, everyone must give a try at home as it tastes so good & delicious . We can indulge in these type of gravies at least once in a while for celebrations and occasions.So friends, do try it and share your feedback with me .Lets see how to make this restaurant style khoya kaju gravy with step by step pictures and video !

Khoya Kaju Gravy Recipe

Khoya kaju gravy recipe - Side dish for roti, naan, kulcha

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Side dish for roti

Serves: Serves 3-4

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup Unsweetened khoya - 1/4 cup Ghee + Cooking oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp Bay leaf - 1 no Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp Garam masala powder - 1 tsp Cardamom powder – a pinch (optional) Fresh curd/yogurt – 2 tbsp Sugar – 1/4 tsp Water – 1 cup Kasoori methi – 1/2 tsp ( crushed, optional ) Fresh cream - 1 tbsp To cook & grind Big onion - 1 no or 1/2 cup (chopped) Cinnamon - 1 inch piece Cloves - 1 no Pepper corns - 2 nos Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup Water - 1/2 cup

METHOD

In a wide bowl, take the chopped onion, cashews, pepper corns, cinnamon, cloves along with water. Boil and cook for 5 minutes till onion turns soft. Grind everything to a smooth paste and keep aside. Heat oil + ghee in a good non-stick pan and roast the cashews till golden.Remove in a plate. In the remaining oil+ghee, saute bay leaf and add the ground onion paste. This paste gets stuck to the bottom easily as it has cashews.So keep the flame very low and mix it till thick. Scrape the bottom and sides if needed and mix well. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, sugar, cardamom powder and garam masala powder. Mix for a minute in low flame. Then add curd and mix well.  Add 1 cup of water and boil the gravy till oil starts to float on top. Lastly add the crumbled khoya and mix well. Gravy look orange in color. Add the roasted cashews,mix well and switch off  the flame. Then add crushed kasoori methi, fresh cream and mix well. Serve with roti, naan or kulcha ! Enjoy !

Note

Reduce the quantity of red chilli powder if you want mildly spiced gravy. Skip red chilli powder, dhania powder, garam masala powder and add green chillies while boiling onions to make a white based gravy. You can add more khoya if you want more creamy gravy. Adding kasoori methi is optional. But it adds flavor.

Try this yummy, creamy, rich & delicious Khoya kaju gravy at home !

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Vegetable Sagu Recipe – Karnataka Style Saagu Recipe For Poori, Set Dosa, Rava idli

Sagu is the most popular side dish for poori, set dosa, rava dosa and even for rava idli in Karnataka hotels just like vegetable kurma in Tamil nadu. It is served along with coconut chutney. In Kannada Sagu means Kurma. Being in Bangalore for the past 10 years, I had tasted this saagu ( mixed vegetable sagu) several times in restaurants, marriage functions here.

In some places, potato sagu is served instead of vegetable sagu. During avarekalu season ( Field beans), avarekalu sagu is served. Recently I got this recipe from Nagalakshmi ( one of my friends in School moms group). Actually she shared two versions. One is the green version and the other one is red. But I wanted to try the hotel style sagu recipe. So I chose the green version and tried it for Ragi Poori. It came out really well. In some hotels, sagu looks red in color. To make that, use byadgi red chilli / Kashmiri red chilli while grinding masala or use red chilli powder.

Before posting here, I shared a picture of this sagu with my friends in Whatsapp, got their approval about the color and texture and posting it confidently. The flavor and texture of this sagu is very similar to south Indian veg kurma. Coconut, poppy seeds are the most important ingredients. It forms the base for this gravy. You could find many variations in sagu masala. But tastes good in all the ways ! Lets see how to make Karnataka style mixed vegetable sagu recipe with step by step pictures.

Saagu recipe / mixed vegetable sagu recipe

Karnataka style mixed vegetable sagu recipe - side dish for poori, set dosa, rava idli and rava dosa

Cuisine: Karnataka

Category: Side dish for poori, dosa

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250 ml Mixed vegetables - 1 cup ( 1 medium carrot, 5 beans, 1 potato, handful green peas ) ( Cauliflower, knol khol can also be used) Big onion - 1 no Tomato - 1 small ( optional) Salt & water - as needed To Grind Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Green chillies - 3 nos ( use 2 for less spicy taste) Poppy seeds/Khus Khus – 1.5 tsp Fried gram dal – 1.5 tsp Big onion – 1/2 no (medium sized) Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp Ginger - 1/2 inch Garlic cloves - 2 nos Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Cinnamon - 1 inch piece Cloves - 2 nos Cardamom - 1 no  Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp Tamarind – A pinch (Optional) To Temper Cooking oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE VEGETABLE SAGU - METHOD

Wash and chop all the vegetables finely. Grind all the ingredients given under “ To grind” to a smooth paste. Set aside. Heat oil in a pressure cooker base. Temper mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Add the finely chopped onion and saute till transparent. Add the chopped vegetables and required salt. Mix well and add ground paste. Saute till raw smell goes off.  Lastly add 1 cup of water. Mix well and Pressure cook for 1 whistle in low flame. Open the lid after the steam is released. If its watery, boil for a minute. If its too thick, add some water to adjust the consistency. Mix well and serve with poori, set dosa or rava idli. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of green chillies as per your spice level. Adding tamarind is optional while grinding masala. You can add 1 tsp of ginger, garlic paste instead of ginger and whole garlic. You can also add few mint leaves while grinding.

Try this easy, Karnataka special vegetable sagu for poori, dosa. Its flavorful and healthy too!

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Easy Tomato Onion Thokku Recipe In A Pressure Cooker–Pressure Cooker Recipes Indian

Easy tomato onion thokku recipe using pressure cooker - Recipe with step by step pictures and Video.

Last week I prepared this easy tomato onion thokku recipe (Thakkali Vengayam thokku in Tamil) as a side dish for Instant poha idli.As the poha idli tasted bland without sourness, this thokku was ideal for it. Some of you would have noticed this thokku in that plate I think. 

Usually I prepare my mom’s style tomato thokku in a kadai. But recently I tried making it directly in our Indian pressure cooker. I feel this easy and quick one pot method is time saving when compared to the thokku cooked in a kadai. Yes, by the time you steam the idli, this would be ready. So this method will help bachelors, working women and housewives to make a quick side dish for idli, dosa and chapati/roti during busy morning hours. 

Nowadays Raksha likes to have it with idli. So I pack idli and this thakkali thokku for her lunch box at least twice in a week. I hope your kids will love it too. Do try this easy tomato onion thokku in pressure cooker for a change and tell me how it helped you. Lets see how to make tomato onion thokku with step by step pictures and video !

Check out my another version of tomato onion thokku recipe – Chef Venkatesh Bhat’s recipe if you like!

 Also check out my no onion no garlic tomato thokku too.

Easy tomato onion thokku recipe using pressure cooker

How to make tomato onion thokku easily in a pressure cooker

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Side dish for idli dosa roti

Serves: 3

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

Ripe Tomato – 4 nos Big onion – 2 nos Red chilli powder – 1 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Hing / Asafetiida – 1 pinch ( optional) Sugar - 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves - To garnish Salt & water - as needed To Temper Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1/2 tsp Chana dal - 2 tsp Curry leaves - few

HOW TO MAKE TOMATO THOKKU IN COOKER - METHOD

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal. Add curry leaves and chopped onion. Saute till onion turns transparent. Add the chopped tomato and saute for a minute. Add turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Saute till tomato turns mushy. Now add the red chill powder and saute till its raw smell goes off. Mix for a minute. Add 1/4 cup of water at the end. Do not add more water, moisture in the tomato & little water is sufficient to make thick thokku. Mix well and cover the cooker with a lid. Pressure cook for 2 whistles in high flame. Remove the lid after the steam is released.Mix well and check if there is excess water and thokku is watery . If so, boil for a minute in high flame. Remove the thokku in a bowl.Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy with idli,dosa drizzling a tsp of sesame oil. Tastes yum ! Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of red chilli powder as per taste. Use 1/2 tsp for less spicy taste. Garnishing with coriander leaves make it more flavorful. If you like thokku to be watery and thin, add more water. Use fully ripen tomato for best taste. You can make the same thokku in kadai as well. But you should cook the onion in water before adding tomato and spice powders so that onion tastes soft.

Try this easy tomato thokku in a pressure cooker and have a quick side dish for idli, dosa !

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Punjabi Restaurant Style Dum Aloo Recipe

Dum Aloo or Aloo dum is a potato based gravy which is very popular in Kashmir. I browed few recipes and found deep fried small potato /Baby potato is used in this dish. Authentic Kashmiri dum aloo is prepared without onion and tomato. Curd & Kashmiri red chilli are the most important ingredients for the base of gravy apart from spice powders. So the recipe I have shared here is not the authentic one.

 Recently I tasted Dum aloo for the first time in my friend Megha’s house birthday party. I loved its taste and got the recipe from her. Based on her recipe, I browsed and found this Punjabi style dum aloo in Spice up the curry. After going through rave reviews from the readers comments, I tried this recipe confidently. Yes, it came out finger licking good with a nice flavor. It tastes similar to restaurant style gravies. 

In this method, baby potato is sautéed in less oil instead of deep frying to reduce the calories. Still it tasted great. Sendhil liked it very much. Raksha has gone to Salem ( to my in-laws house) for vacation. I must prepare this for her as soon as she comes to Bangalore. I am sure she will love it. Try this for your kids birthday parties. They will like it for sure. Lets see how to make Dum aloo at home with step by step pictures and a video !

Dum aloo recipe - Restaurant style Dum aloo recipe

How to make restaurant style Punjabi dum aloo recipe at home

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Side dish for roti

Serves: 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Baby potato - 12 nos Salt and water - as needed Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( Kashmiri chilli powder)  Dhania powder - 2 tsp Garam masala powder - 1 tsp Crushed Kasoori methi - 1.5 tsp Fresh curd – 1to 2 tbsp Fresh cream - 1 tbsp ( I used Amul fresh cream) To grind Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Cinnamon - 1 inch piece Cloves - 2 nos Cardamom - 2 nos ( small) Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional) Green chilli - 1 no Big onion - 1 no Tomato - 2 nos Cashew nuts or almonds – 6 to 10 nos Ginger&Garlic paste – 1/2 to 1 tsp Coriander leaves – to garnish ( I din’t use it)

HOW TO MAKE DUM ALOO

Wash and pressure cook baby potato in a cooker adding 2 cups of water. Cook for 2-3 whistles in low flame. It takes 15 minutes. In the mean time, lets prepare the masala for gravy. Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a kadai. Saute cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, fennel seeds and green chilli for a minute. Add chopped onions and saute till transparent. Add ginger, garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add chopped tomato, salt and saute till tomato turns pulpy. Add cashews, mix once and switch off the flame. Let the mixture cool down. Grind to a smooth paste adding enough water. Set aside. Take the pressure cooked potato. Drain the excess water and peel the potato skin. Keep in a plate. Prick all over the potato with a fork. Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in a kadai. Shallow fry the potato till it turns golden in color and looks roasted. Remove in a plate. In the remaining oil, splutter cumin seeds. Add ground tomato paste and saute for a minute. Add red chilli powder, dhania powder, sugar, garam masala powder and curd. Saute for a minute. Gravy will become thick and leaves the sides of pan. Add 1/2 to 1 cup water, mix well and check for taste. Add salt if needed. Cover cook and boil till oil floats on top. Open the lid, mix the gravy and add 1/2 cup more water if needed. Now add the baby potato and mix well. Add fresh cream, crushed kasoori methi and mix well. Boil for a minute. Add water to adjust consistency. Garnish with coriander leaves. This gravy thickens when it cools down. So add more water whenever needed. Boil and serve hot with roti ! Enjoy !

Note

Add more red chilli powder if you want spicy gravy. Originally baby potato should be deep fried in oil. But I shallow fried it to reduce the calorie.  You can use butter instead of cooking oil. Adding fresh cream is optional. Skip if you don’t have it. But adding cream makes the gravy rich.  This gravy tastes the best if you give a standing time of 1 to 2 hours after preparation. So if you are making for birthday parties, make it in advance and reheat it adding some water.

Try this yummy, creamy dum aloo recipe at home & enjoy with chapathi/Naan/Kulcha !

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