Dear students and friends,

Everyone knows that I am a big fan of Indian food. I started to like Indian food when I first went to India in 1987. When I came to Malaysia many years back, I thought I would not have Indian food while I’m here. But to my surprise, there are wonderful North Indian restaurants in Malaysia that cooks authentic Indian cuisine. There are a few North Indian restaurants that I frequently visit with my students and friends. 

I have always wanted our Ladrang kitchen to be able to make delicious North Indian cuisine for my guests in the Ladrang, but every time our chef try making it with a recipe from a book, it does not turn out the same as how I like it in my favorite Indian restaurant. So one day, Su Ming convinced the management and Chef from a famous Indian restaurant to give cooking class to Tsem Ladrang’s Kitchen team. I am very touched because Su Ming always think of others, and this is a wonderful initiative from her as she knows I love Indian food.

Below are some of the dishes that the Kitchen team learned from the restaurant and thought I should share it with you. Do try out these simple and delicious dishes and let me know how you like it!

Tsem Rinpoche

Dhal Makhani

Aloo Matar

1) Aloo Matar
–  Punjabi dish which is made from potatoes and peas in a spiced creamy tomato based gravy.

Ingredients
1 1/2 Tomato, chopped
2 Red Onion, chopped
1 pc Green Chilli
1 cup of Green Peas (cooked, or canned)
2 Potatoes, skinned, cooked and slightly fried
1 cup *Onion Gravy
1 cup Water
½ tbsp Turmeric Powder
¼ tbsp Salt
½ tbsp Chilli Powder
3 tbsp Cooking Cream
1 handful Coriander Leaves, chopped
1 tbsp Cumin Powder
½ tbsp Black Pepper (coarse)
4 tbsp Cooking Oil

Directions
1. Chop tomato, onion, green chili into small pieces, about 2 tablespoons for each item.
2. Fry them in oil on high heat for about 1 minute. Add 1 ladle full of water.
3. Add green peas and potatoes, continue to fry for 10 seconds.  
4. Add turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. Stir fry for another 20 seconds before adding 1 cup of water.
5. Continue to stir fry for another 20 seconds.
6. Add the onion gravy and continue cooking for another 30 seconds.
7. Add cooking cream and coriander.
9. Add cumin powder, black pepper and fry on high heat.
10. Add 4 tbsp of cooking oil, switch off the fire.  
11. It is ready to be served.

2) Dhal Makhani
– A quintessential Indian dish, the primary ingredients in Dhal Makhani are whole black lentil.

Ingredients
½ cup Butter
1 Tomato, chopped
1 Red Onion, chopped
1 Medium Ginger, cut into strips
½ cup Butter, slightly melted
1 tbsp Green Chillies, chopped
½ tbsp Salt
1tbsp Chili Powder (or ½ tbsp if you want the dish to be less spicy)
1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1 cup Water
2 cups of Black Dhal, soaked overnight and boiled (cooked)
2 tbsp Cooking Cream
½ tbsp Cumin Powder
1 handful of Coriander leaves, chopped

Directions
1. Fry tomato, onion and ginger strips in ¼ cup of butter and ¼ cup cooking oil for 30 seconds on high heat.
2. Let it cook for 1 minute under low heat.  
3. Add in 1 cup of Black Dhal and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Add in the chili powder,turmeric powder, and salt.
5. Cook on high heat and continuously stir the mixture for 1 minute.
6. Add the cooking cream, cumin powder and coriander leaves.  Continue to cook on high heat for 30 seconds.
7. The dish is ready to serve.

Malai Kofta

3) Malai Kofta
– Malai refers to the cream and  koftas are deep fried paneer and vegetable dumplings in rich and creamy tomato gravy.

Ingredients
3 Potatoes, cooked
½ cup Paneer Cheese
3 tbsp Corn Flour
2 tbsp Green & Red Cherries (for baking, mix), chopped
1 tsp Cumin Seed
1 cup Butter
1 cup *Onion Gravy
2 tbsp Almond & Cashew Nuts powder (finely blended, mix)
3 tbsp Tomato Sauce
½ tbsp Seasoning (optional)
5 tbsp Cooking Cream

Directions
1. Shredded cooked potato and paneer.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of corn flour and mix them together.
3. Add chopped green & red cherries into the mixture, as well as cumin seed.
4. Make the mixture into small balls (ping pong ball size).
5. Deep fry the balls for about 30 seconds until brown. Take out the balls and leave them aside.
6. Fry 1 cup of butter, and add 1 cup of onion gravy.
7. Put in the Malai Kofta. Add almond & cashew nuts powder. Add tomato sauce.
8. Cook for another 30 seconds, and add cooking cream.
9. Cook for another 30 seconds and the dish is ready to be served.

Paneer Tikka

4) Paneer Tikka
– Made from chunks of paneer marinated in spices and grilled in a tandoor. It is a vegetarian alternative to chicken tikka.

Ingredients
800g Paneer
2 cup cooking oil (for deep frying)
2 cups **Tandoori Sauce

For garnishing
100 gram of cabbage
1 carrot, sliced
¼ cucumber, sliced
1 wedge of lime

Directions
1. Slice the paneer into squares of about 8cm x 8cm, with 1.5cm in thickness.
2. Deep fried the paneer on low heat for 1 minute 40 seconds, until the sides are slightly brownish.
3. Put the paneer into cold (tap) water to soak for about 3 minutes.
4. Take the paneer out from the water, and coat the paneer with a layer of tandoori sauce.
5. Pierce the paneer through in the centre with skewer.
6. Leave a gap of about 1 inch between the paneer.
7. Grill on a tandoor for about 1 minute. Turn the skewers so the paneer grills evenly. Grill for another 2 minutes.
8. Remove the paneer from tandoor. Coat the paneer with cooking oil by pouring the oil onto the paneer while the paneer is still on the skewer.
9. Return the skewer on the tandoor, grill for 1 minute while turning the skewer continuously.
10. The paneer is ready. Put the paneer on a bed of shredded cabbage, a few slices of cucumber and carrots. Also add a wedge of lime.
11. Before you serve, squeeze the lime juice over the paneer.

Tandoori Roti & Cheese Naan

5) Tandoori Roti – This very popular Indian unleavened bread is traditionally prepared in a clay oven called tandoor.

Ingredients
1kg Atta Flour
200g White Flour
1/2 tbsp Salt
2 cups water

Directions
1. Mix the Atta Flour & White Flour.
2. Sprinkle the salt into the mixture.
3. Add in the 2 cups of water.
4. Knead the mixture into dough.
5. Pinch in small handfuls of dough about the size of a tennis ball.
6. Dip/ coat the tennis ball size dough with white flour.
7. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a round piece.
Put the dough onto a naan pillow, and stick it to the interior walls of the Tandoor oven.
8. Let the roti bread cook for about a minute, preferably when the surface (you can see) is slightly brown.
9. Take the bread out with a pair of bread seekhs (a hook to catch the naan and a spatula to loosen it from the wall).
10. Cut the bread into smaller pieces and serve.

6) Cheese Naan
–  Traditional leavened, oven-baked flatbread.

Ingredients
½ litre Water
1tsp Yeast
½ tsp Salt
A pinch of Cumin Seeds
4 tbsp Evaporated Milk/ Coffee Creamer (liquid)
5 tbsp Oil
1kg White Flour
1/2 tbsp Salt
2 cups water

Directions
1. Pour water into a tray or container.
2. Add in the yeast and salt.
3. Add in the evaporated milk/ coffee creamer.
4. Wait for an hour.
5. Mix in the White Flour.
6. Sprinkle the salt into the mixture.
7. Knead the mixture into dough.
8. Pinch in small handfuls of dough about the size of a tennis ball.
9. Dip/ coat the tennis ball size dough with white flour.
10. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a round piece.
11. Put 100 grams of shredded panner onto the flattened round piece of dough.
12. Fold the dough in from the side over the shredded paneer.
13. Roll the dough evenly.
14. Put the dough onto a naan pillow, and stick it to the interior walls of the Tandoor oven.
15. Let the naan bread cook for about a minute, preferably when the surface (you can see) is slightly brown.
16. Take the bread out with a pair of bread seekhs (a hook to catch the naan and a spatula to loosen it from the wall).
7. Brush slightly melted butter on the naan surface. Cut the naan into smaller pieces and serve.

Vegetable Biryani

7) Vegetable Biryani
– A rice-based dish made with spices, rice (usually basmati, coloured) and other ingredients.

Ingredients
1 cup *Onion Gravy
2 Potatoes, wedges, cooked and slightly fried
½  cup Paneer, cubes, deep fried
½ cup Cauliflower florets, slightly fried
½ cup Frozen mix veggies (corn, carrot, green peas)
1/4 cup Mushroom, from can
½  tbsp Salt
½ tbsp. Chili powder
¼ tbsp Black Pepper
½  tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Green Chillies
1 Tomato, sliced
1 Red Onion, sliced
Cooking Oil
2 cup Basmati Rice, cooked (coloured with saffron or yellow food colouring before cooking)
 ¼ cup Coriander Leaves

Directions
1. Start with frying the onion gravy on low heat. Add in potato, paneer, cauliflower, frozen mix veggies, and mushroom.
2. Add in salt, chili powder, black pepper, cuin seed, green chilli, tomatoes, and onion.
3. Fry for 20 seconds on high heat, and add 2 tbsp of cooking oil.
4. Fry for another 30 seconds and add rice.
5. Fry for another  1minute and add coriander leaves. Fry for another 15 seconds.
6. The dish is ready to be served.

Notes:

I. *Onion Gravy

Ingredients

A. For Boiling
1kg Red Onion chopped
100g Garlic
100g Ginger
5 cups Cooking oil
1 litre of Water

B. Spices to Blend
20g Chili Powder
10g Salt
10g Turmeric Powder

C. Flavour
Tomato Puree 1 can
10g Cumin Seed
2 pcs Cardamon
3 pcs Bay leaves
5g Black Pepper
2 tbsp Salt

Directions
1. In a saucepot, put in all ingredients from A and bring it to boil.
2. Turn to slow fire and boil for another 3 hours.
3. Blend all ingredients from B in a blender/ food processor.
4. Add in all ingredients from B and C into the pot. Cook for 1 hour.
5. Turn off the fire and allow the paste to cool completely (if you’re not using it immediately). Put into a suitable container, label container with date and freeze.

II. ** Tandoori Sauce

Ingredients
20g Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour/ Garbanzo Flour
Yoghurt 200g
50g Ginger
50g Garlic
30g Tamarind Paste
2 tbsp Vinegar
50g Chili Powder
2tsp Salt
1tsp Turmeric Powder
1tsp Cumin Powder
1tsp Pepper
1tsp Coriander Powder
1tsp Red Food Colouring

Directions
1. Fry the gram flour in oil until fragrant.  
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients in a pot and cook for 5 minutes.

This sauce can be kept in an air tight container in the fridge for a week.

Other delicious Indian food recipes/ cooking videos on my blog:

1) Poori, Coconut Chutney & Aloo Sabchi

2) Traditional Indian Thali Dishes by Ms. Kamala 

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