Potato Green Rassa and "Ghajini"

My mother-in-law Amma is an excellent cook in her own right.  Born in Nandurbar and having spent some of her childhood years in Jalgaon, her cuisine incorporates the bold and zesty flavors of the Vidarbha region.  My father-in-law's job took her to Andhra Pradesh, where she spent a significant portion of her life.  Over the years, she added a lot of the local recipes to her repertoire.  The green rassa or the 'Khandeshi' rassa, as she calls it, is one of my favorites. The recipe below serves four.

"Ghajani,"released at the end of 2008, brings back memories of an eighties film: a tale of revenge with action, thrills, and moments of tenderness that grips you from the very first frame.  The movie is presented in a very different way from the usual Bollywood films. It recounts the happy, lighthearted courtship between the hero (Aamir Khan) and the heroine (Asin), only to switch back to the grim reality of the short-term memory loss suffered by the hero.  Director Murugadoss has succeeded in telling the story that hits the right chord from the beginning right till the climax that keeps us pinned to our seats.  Asin leaves her mark as the innocent struggling model with a a heart of gold. But the movie really belongs to Aamir Khan.  From the romantic young businessman to the raging avenger, his performance rings true.  A. R. Rahman's music integrates well with the plot.

Ingredients

1 lb small potatoes

3 medium onions

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut

5 green chillis

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup chopped coriander

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 bay leaf

3 whole cardamoms

4 cloves 

2-inch piece of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Method

1. Grind together the coconut, coriander leaves, ginger garlic, poppy seeds, green chillies, and almonds into a paste.
2. Heat the oil.  When heated, add the cumin seeds and whole spices (bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, and cinnamon).
3. Add the potatoes (cut in quarters) and saute on medium heat until the potatoes turn golden brown.
4. Add the ground masala and sliced onions.
5. Add salt to taste, lower the heat, and cook covered until the potatoes are fully cooked.
6. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve hot with phulkas or parathas.
   

Pepper paneer and "Anupama"

When I was growing up, paneer was not something included in the day-to-day Marathi cooking.  It was something to be enjoyed in Punjabi restaurants either in the form of a spicy mattar paneer or a palak paneer.  This gave it its somewhat exotic air.  My friend Ranjana was the one who guided me through my first mattar paneer recipe, helping to demystify the delectable cubes of cheese.  Over the years, I have perfected the standard mattar and palak paneer, but never forayed into anything else using paneer.  While I love both rasgulla and cham-cham, I think that some things are best prepared by a 'halwai!'  Then one day I chanced upon the recipe for pepper paneer.  I usually use red peppers because their sweetness contrasts well with spicy tomato gravy.  I have used all three colors when cooking for a crowd simply because the red, green, and yellow peppers interspersed with white chunks of paneer in a red sauce looks aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  The recipe below serves four.

'Anupama' was released in the late sixties and should be considered one of Hrishikesh Mukerji's greatest films. Its brilliant dialogue evoked emotions without melodrama. It is the story of a grief-stricken husband, played by Tarun Bose, who hates his daughter because her mother dies during chidlbirth.  The daughter Uma, beautifully portrayed by Sharmila Tagore, grows up withdrawn and confused by the hostility of her father. Her character is in complete contrast with that of her vivacious friend Anita (played by Shashikala) who tries her best to bring joy into the life of Uma.  A writer Ashok, very sensitively played by Dharmendra, falls in love with Uma and manages to touch her heart while succeeding in bringing her out of her shell.  The final scene of the movie is moving enough to bring a lump to your throat; Uma's father finally repents for not loving his daughter for a tragedy that was no fault of her own, just as the train carrying his daughter pulls out of the station. Tarun Bose, Sharmila Tagore, Dharmendra and Shashikala all gave brilliant performances. Tenderly romantic music by Hemant Kumar further highlighted the film.

Ingredients
2 red peppers chopped
2 onions chopped fine
3/4 cup fried paneer cubes (I usually buy paneer blocks and fry cubes at home, which allows me to use a good oil)
3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon kasuri methi
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil

Method

1. Heat the oil.
2. When heated add the onions and ginger garlic paste and saute on medium high heat till onions are cooked.
3. Mix the coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric, black pepper, cumin powder and the garam masala with a tablespoon of water and add it to the onions. Saute for a while.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and saute for five more minutes.
5. Now add the peppers and salt, reduce the heat and cook covered till peppers are cooked.
6. Now add the paneer cubes and the crushed kasuri methi, heat through and serve hot.