Baingan Bharta / Baingan Barta / Low fat , Healthy Style Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta / Baingan Barta / Low fat , Healthy Style Baingan Bharta

I have tasted different versions of Baingan Bharta so far but this one is unique and special. My Mother-in-law has been making this type of Baingan Bharta since ages and she learnt this version during her calcutta days. My husband is a core fan of this version and he loves to eat this dish with hot rotis. Recently, I made this Baingan dish using our home grown Eggplant and it turned out very well. To my surprise, my daughter loved this spicy baingan dish and requested me to make this often. Though I am not a big fan of this version, due to its simplicity and less oil  I love to enjoy this dish occasionally.

Ingredients

Eggplant - 1 Big or 2 Medium

Red Onion - 1 Medium ( I strongly prefer red onion )

Lime - 1/2

Green Chillies - 2 Big or 3

Salt - To Taste

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

For the Tadka / Tempering :

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Hing  Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tsp

Channa Dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 2 Medium

Curry Leaves - 2 or 3

Method

1. Shred the onion and green chillies into small pieces and keep them ready. Squeeze the lime juice and keep it ready. Wash and crush the coriander leaves into pieces and keep them ready.
2. Wash the eggplant ( Brinjal ) and wipe it off with the tissue. Poke 2 or 3 holes into the eggplant and roast the eggplant directly onto the flame using a suitable spatula. Rotate the eggplant in all directions till it turns black. The eggplant should shrink in all directions, get cooked inside completely and the skin of the eggplant should turn dark and lightly dry. This denotes the completion point and we could peel off the skin.
3. If its roasted fully, then it would be very easier to peel off the skin. After peeling the skin, mash the cooked Eggplant thoroughly either using hands or masher in a big mixing bowl.
4. Add the shredded onion, green chillies, lime juice, coriander leaves, required amount of salt into the mashed eggplant.
5. In a frying pan, add oil. When its heated, add all the ingredients for the tempering process one by one and pour them over the mixing bowl.
6. Mix everything well and finally garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy this oil free side dish with your hot rotis.

Tips / Variations

• Instead of directly roasting the eggplant, you can microwave the eggplant or broil the eggplant in the oven too. But I adopt this method as the directly roasting process enhances the taste of the Baingan Bharta.
• If the size of the Bharta is medium, its easier to roast than the big ones.

Aloo Palak / Palak Aloo / Spinach Potato Gravy

Aloo Palak / Palak Aloo / Spinach Potato Gravy

Aloo Palak is one of the quickest side dish for rotis and pulao and its easier to make it. I prepare aloo palak in two different ways. In the simpler version, to the cooked spinach and potato cubes the tadka would be added along with some spice powders. In this version, the preparation is little elaborate and tried in restaurant style. This version is best suited for special occasions whereas the first simpler version is for regular day cooking.

Ingredients 
Spinach Leaves - 10 to 12 Cups packed.
Potato - 2 Medium ( cut into medium cubes )
Green Chilli - 1 Medium ( shredded )
Oil - 1 tbsp
Melted Ghee - 2 tsp
Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon Sticks - 1
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/4 tsp
Red Onion shredded - 1/2 cup
Ripe tomato - 1 big
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Dhana Jeera Powder / Coriander Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - 1 pinch
Water - As desired.

Method

• Wash the spinach and chop them nicely and keep ready. Cut the onion, tomato, potato, green chilli into desired size and keep them ready. Microwave the potato cubes and keep the cooked potato cubes ready.
• In the cooking pan / kadai, add oil and melted ghee. When its heated, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks followed by ginger garlic paste. Fry them till the raw smell goes off.
• Then add the onion, shredded green chilli, tomato and fry them till they get cooked and look mashy.
• Add the finely chopped spinach leaves into the pan and cook them till the quantity gets reduced considerably and cooked to your satisfaction. No need to water to the pan at this stage. Close the lid in the middle and allow the spinach to get cooked with the steam itself.
• Add all the powders into the pan now and mix them well.  Add the cooked potato cubes into the pan and mix them all.
• Add required amount of salt and a pinch of sugar into the pan and fry them for 2-3 minutes. If they get very thick, add little water and make the gravy consistency perfect.
• Switch off the flame and add a tsp of ghee or little butter on its top just before serving. Its totally optional and I generally do this topping if its made for a special occasion.

Variations / Tips

Potato cubes can be substituted with fried Tofu cubes to make it more healthier.

Spinach Chappathi / Spinach Paratha / Palak Paratha / Green Chappathi

Spinach Chappathi / Spinach Paratha / Palak Paratha / Green Chappathi

 

School is getting started and my mind is thinking of various school lunch options, healthy dinners for the kids. Whole bag of spinach was sitting in the refrigerator and I decided to make some different variety out of it. Though Palak Paneer is our all time favourite, spinach paratha won my mind. With a tangy, spicy side dish, its a very good combination for dinner. I made Black eye beans masala in a tangy,spicy tomato gravy which makes the dinner more colourful.

Ingredients

 

For Grinding :

Spinach Leaves - 3 Cups

Green Chili - 1 Medium

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

For the Dough :

Wheat Flour - 4 Cups

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Salt - To Taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Ajwain Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Thick Curd - 1 tbsp

Grounded Paste - Add fully.

Water - Little as required for making the paratha dough.

Oil - As required.

 

 

 

Method 

• Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and steam cook them along with green chili and cumin seeds in the kadai / pan with the lid on. No need to add water. When it gets cooked and reduced in size, grind them in a mixer grinder smoothly with no water added. Keep the green paste ready.
• In a big mixing bowl, add all the other ingredients for making the dough and the green paste too and make a smooth paste. Knead the dough well with little oil to make it more softer. Keep it aside for few minutes.
• Heat the frying pan on medium flame. Take a small ball of the paratha dough and spread the ball into a thin round paratta.
• Fry them uniformly on the heated frying pan on both sides. Apply little ghee on its top while serving for kids.
• An excellent healthy paratha for breakfast, colourful lunch for kids and delicious dinner along with a good side dish. Can be eaten at all times and loved by all ages.

 

Tips / Variations

• While kneading the dough, care should be taken while adding water. Green paste and curd should be added first while making the dough and then water should be added slowly till you get a desired consistency.
• I prefer not to add so many powders while making the dough as I wish to retain its original flavour and make it more simpler.

Black Eye Beans Masala / Black Eye Beans in Tomato Gravy

Black Eye Beans Masala / Black Eye Beans in Tomato Gravy

To go with the colourful green spinach parathas, I made this spicy, tangy Black Eye Beans Masala in tomato gravy. Its a very good combo with green and dark orange food items. I should have made this combo on our Independence day with a side of white raita too. Try this out in your kitchen and enjoy...

 

Ingredients

Black Eye Beans - 2 Cups

White Potato - 1 ( Optional )

Ripe Tomato - 4 or 5 Medium

Red Onion - 1 Medium

Green Chili - 1 Medium

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Kasoor Methi - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Dhana Jeera Powder - 1 tsp ( Coriander Cumin Powder )

Sugar - 1 pinch

Salt - To Taste

Water - As required for the gravy

Oil - 1 tbsp

Butter or melted ghee - 1 tsp ( OPTIONAL )

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Method

• Soak the Black Eye Beans in water for an hour and pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles. Peel the potato skin and cut them into medium size squares. Cook them in a microwave and keep the potato cubes ready too. Make the tomato puree by grinding five tomatoes and the green chili using a mixer grinder. Cut the onion into small pieces and keep them ready.
• In the frying pan / kadai, add oil first. When its heated, add the cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, onion into the pan. Fry them on a medium flame till the raw smell goes off.
• Add all the powders into the pan and fry them for a minute. Pour the tomato puree into the pan and mix everything well and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed.
• Add some water if you notice thickness in the tomato gravy. Adjust the gravy consistency as you wish.
• Then, add the Black Eye Beans, cooked potato squares and the Kasoor methi into the pan along with salt and a pinch of sugar. Mix the contents thoroughly in the pan and allow them to set properly in the gravy by cooking them on a medium flame for another 3-4 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with your nutritious green parathas. Add a tsp of melted butter or ghee on its top just before serving.

Tips / Variations

Don't overcook the Black Eye Beans in the pressure cooker. It should be well cooked and visible separately.

Shrikand / Kesar Pista Shrikand / Healthy Shrikand - Using Greek Yogurt

Shrikand / Kesar Pista Shrikand / Healthy Shrikand - Using Greek Yogurt

Sweets / Desserts always make our soul happy and if its a healthy sweet, then a guilt free enjoyment would take us to heaven.  Shrikand sweet was first introduced to me by my husband and I started enjoying it very much. Instead of  our regular  curd / Yogurt, I substituted Greek Yogurt in my preparation ( as it has more protein value ) and its absolutely delicious. Amount of sugar is also very less..Above all, its a quick dessert which can be made at any time and enjoy with. 

Ingredients

Green Yogurt - 6  ( 20 oz pack - 2 .I used )

Cardamom Powder - 1 tbsp
Saffron soaked in warm water - 2 pinch.
Nutmeg Powder - 1 tsp
Honey - 3 tbsp
Crushed Pista - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup to 1 cup ( Add more if you like )
 Method

• In a big mixing bowl, add all the ingredients one by one and blend them well. 
• Transfer them into small serving bowls and chill them in refrigerator for few hours.
• Enjoy this cool healthy dessert after a meal. 

Tips / Variations

Add more sugar to the Shrikand if you like more sweetness.

 

Alu Gobi / Aloo Gobi / Aloo Gobi Masala

Alu Gobi / Aloo Gobi / Aloo Gobi Masala

 Aloo Gobi / Potato Cauliflower Curry is one of the quickest and easiest curry for rotis / chapathis and its mostly liked by all ages. I regularly make this curry for my rotis when I have very less preparation time. If its made with fresh Gobi ( cauliflower ), the aroma is very good. Aloo Gobi flavored with all the aromatic spices is definitely a very good accompaniment to rotis or pulav.

Ingredients

Gobi / Cauliflower - 1 Medium

Aloo / Potato - 4 or 5 Medium

Tomato - 1 Medium

Onion shredded - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Pattai / Cinnamon Stick - 1 Medium

Bay Leaves - 2 Medium

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tbsp

Green Chili - 1 finely chopped

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp

Coriander Cumin Powder / Dhana Jeera Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - To Taste

Method

• Peel the skin off from the potatoes and cut them into cubes of any size as desired. I cut them into medium chunks. Take out the cauliflower florets and wash them with warm water.
• Cut the onions, tomato, green chili and keep all the other ingredients ready.
• In a frying pan / kadai, add oil first. When its heated, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, ginger garlic paste and fry them well.
• Then, add the shredded onion, green chili into the kadai and fry them for a minute. When the raw smell goes off, add the tomato pieces and fry for a minute.
• Add the cauliflower florets and the cooked potato cubes ( in case if you cook the potatoes separately in a microwave ) to the kadai. If you don't intend to cook the potatoes separately, then add the potatoes into the kadai with enough water for them to get cooked.
• When the potatoes are cooked three fourth, then add all the washed cauliflower florets into the kadai
• and cook them again on medium flame.
• When the vegetables are cooked to your satisfaction, add all the powders into the kadai and required amount of salt.
• Make sure that the aloo and gobi pieces are coated uniformly with all the powders. Fry them on medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with your hot rotis or rice pulav.

Variations / Tips

• You can either cook the potatoes separately and add to the kadai or add the uncooked potatoes directly into the kadai and cook them during the process.
• Don't cut the cauliflower florets smaller as they might get smashed while cooking.
• Instead of adding tomato, sometimes i do substitute with Mango powder to inject some sourness into the dish. 

Mushroom Mutter Paneer Masala

Mushroom Mutter Paneer Masala

Mutter Paneer is one of the favourite side dishes for chappathi at home and my daughter loves that even if its given separately. But introducing mushroom into her paneer dish is difficult but still i was very firm to made her eat Mushroom too as it has very high protein in it. At the end, the dish came out very tasty and she was unable to filter the mushrooms from the dish.

Ingredients
Paneer - 12 oz Bar cut into cubes.
Jeera Seeds - 1 tbsp
Cinnamon Sticks - 1 medium
Kasuri Methi ( Dry Methi Leaves ) - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp.
Mushroom - 15 medium size ( Cut into halves)
Peas - 1 Cup.
Oil - 4 tbsp.
Salt - To Taste.
Sugar - 1 Pinch.
Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp.
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp.
Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp.
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tbsp.

For Grinding
Tomatoes - 2 Medium size
Onion ( Yellow or Red) - 1 Big One
Coriander Leaves - 4 or 5 stems.
Lavang( Cloves ) - 2
Cinnamon Sticks - 2 Medium ones.
Green Chilly - 1 Medium.
Dry Almonds ( Badam ) - 7 or 8.
Cardamom Seeds ( Elachi ) - 1.

Method
1. On the stove, add olive oil and slowly add the ingredients one by one to the kadai for sauting before grinding it.
2. I prefer to slightly fry the ingredients before actually grinding them as it gets cooked quickly and the gravy comes out of the raw smell quickly.
3. Next, add the cubed paneer into the kadai and shallow fry the paneer cubes and keep it separately.
4. On the kadai, then add jeera seeds, cinnamon stick, ginger garlic paste and fry nicely till the raw smell completely goes off.
5. Add the mushroom and peas to the kadai and fry for 1-2 minutes.
5. Then add the grinded mixture into the kadai.
6. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder into the gravy now.
7. Add salt and pinch of sugar to the gravy. Mix all the contents thoroughly and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on a low flame.
8. Open the lid and let the dish cook on a medium flame openly till you get a very nice aroma of Mushroom and the gravy together.
9. Finally add the paneer cubes into the kadai.
10. Cover it with the lid and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, switch it off.

Tips
Generally I substitute coriander leaves with the preserved coriander stems for grinding which gives a nice aroma to any gravy.
Keep the pudina stems, coriander stems even the methi stems in the fridge. While grinding for a gravy, we can add those stems along with other ingredients. Surely the gravy tastes good and with an excellent flavour.

Variations
For making a very rich tasty gravy for parties, get-togethers, you can substitute almonds with cashewnuts as the grinding ingredient.
To have a restaurant finish, add 1 tbsp of low fat fresh cream into the kadai at the end.

Spicy Paneer Capsicum Fry

Spicy Paneer Capsicum Fry

Need to make a quick side dish for my rotis, need to make a special paneer dish for my guests, need to avoid grinding for the gravy.....Go for Capsicum Panner Fry.!! A simplest, tastiest, quickest, healthy side dish for the Rotis.

Ingredients

Green Capsicum -  6 Medium Size

Onion - 1 Big

Tomato - 1 Medium

Paneer  -  16 oz cut into square cubes.

Jeera - 2 tsp.

Turmeric Powder - 1 tbsp

Red Chilly Powder  - 1 tbsp

Garam Masala Powder - 2 tbsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1 tbsp

Sugar - a small pinch

Coriander Leaves - To garnish

Olive Oil - 3 tbsp

Method

1. Wash the capsicum, tomato and cut into thin slices. Cut Onion also into thin slices.
2. Cut the fresh panner into small squares and keep it separately.
3. Add 2 tbsp of Olive oil into the kadai. When its heated, add jeera seeds into it.
4. Add slices onions first into the kadai. Add a pinch of salt into it while frying the onions. Fry for a minute.
5. Add sliced green capsicum pieces into the kadai. Cover the lid and cook it for 1-2 minutes. DONT ADD any water into the kadai at any stage.  Then open the lid and fry the capsicum and onion for another 5-6 minutes on medium flame.
6. Add a pinch of sugar and 1 tbsp of salt into the kadai.
7. Add all the powders into the veggie mix in the kadai. Mix everything thoroughly.
8. Then, add the paneer cubes into the kadai. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of Oil into the kadai.
9. Fry the contents on a medium flame. Carefully mix the contents till the capsicum gets cooked and fried nicely and paneer cubes get toasted slightly. Make sure that the paneer pieces do not break into pieces. Carefully stir the contents in the kadai.
10. Finally add the sliced tomatoes and mix it once again. Cover the lid of the kadai for just 2 minutes enough for the tomato slices to get cooked. Main purpose of tomatoes is to add some tangy taste to the dish.
11. Open the lid and keep it on medium flame for 2 minutes. Mix everything once again and switch off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.
12. Capsicum Paneer Sidedish is now ready to serve with Rotis.

Variations

If  "Red Capsicum" is available, try to add 1 red capsicum in this curry.  As red capsicum has some slight tangy, sweet, spicy flavour in it, it nicely enhances the taste of this paneer dish.

Tips

Good quality fresh paneer and fresh capsicum decides the taste of this dish.

Kale Paneer

Kale Paneer

Kale, a dark green leafy vegetable is known for its powerful antioxidant properties. Kale is very high in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, beta carotene and rich in calcium too. Its highly recommended to steam, microwave or stir-fry Kale leaves instead of boiling them. Because boiling tends to decrease the levels of anti-cancer compounds in them. I also tried to steam the Kale leaves while making this "Kale Paneer" side dish. Mostly I ended up making "Kale Poriyal" or "Kale Pappu" whenever i bought fresh Kale leaves before. This time, I decided to make something totally different and mainly to attract my kids. Its easier with a help of Paneer. Substituted Kale instead of Palak, this healthy Kale Paneer is very unique and tastes mostly like "Saag Paneer". So, you can boldly make this Kale Paneer and serve with your softer rotis / chappathis to your kids. My daughter liked it very much and even told me to remember how I made this dish.!!!!

Ingredients

Olive Oil - 3 tbsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Jeera - 2 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1.5 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder / Dhaniya Powder - 1/2  tbsp

Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp

Sugar - 1 pinch

Salt - To Taste

Fresh Paneer Cubes - 16 oz cut into small squares or 20 square pieces in medium size

For Grinding

Kale Leaves - 1 Bunch

Coriander Stems - 1 cup ( preserved in the fridge for grinding purpose)

Ripe Tomato - 2 Medium Size

Onion - 1/2 Small one

Green Chillies - 2 Big Ones

Jeera - 2 tsp

Method

1. Wash the Kale leaves, tomato and cut them into small pieces. Cut the half onion too and keep it ready.
2. On Medium heat in the big kadai, add 2 tsp of Olive Oil. When it gets heated, add jeera, onion pieces,green chillies and saute them for a minute with a small pinch of salt.
3. Add tomatoes next and saute them for another 1-2 minutes till the tomatoes get mashed and slightly cooked.
4. Finally add all the Kale leaves and coriander stems into the Kadai and close it with the lid. Let the veggie cooks with the steam only inside. Make sure that the flame is not on High...
5. After 4-5 minutes, open the lid and check to see whether the Kale leaves reduced in size and get cooked. If its not cooked fully, sprinkle some water into the kadai and cover again with the lid.
6. Allow the Kale leaves to get steam cooked thoroughly. After its completely cooked, transfer the contents into a flat vessel or plate for cooling.
7. Meantime, shallow fry the paneer cubes in a separate kadai and keep the Paneer cubes ready too.
8. After the Kale mixture gets cooled, grind them in a mixer grinder to a fine paste.
9. Let the grounded Kale mix cools down.
10. In the same kadai, add 3 tbsp of Olive Oil. When it gets heated, add jeera seeds and ginger garlic paste to the oil.
11. Fry them nicely till the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes off.
12. Then, add turmeric powder, corainder powder, dry red chilly powder, garam masala powder and fry them for a minute.
13. Then, add the grounded Kale mixture into the kadai. Add required amount of salt and a pinch of sugar too to the mix in the kadai.
14. Mix them well once and cover the lid of the kadai.
15. Let them cook with the steam inside. In the middle, open the lid and stir the Kale mix and cover again.
16. Continue the process for 5-6 minutes till you are satisfied with the texture of the kale mix and its consistency.
17. Finally add the shallow fried paneer cubes into the kale mix and stir again.
18. Cover the lid again and let them steam cook for another 2-3 minutes.
19. Switch off the flame and allow the Kale Paneer to settle down for sometime.
20. Then serve this highly nutritous side dish with your softer rotis / Chappathis.

Tips

If you dont like the slight bitter taste of the kale leaves, add half cup of spinach / palak leaves and reduce the quantity of kale leaves in the grounded mixture.

Add little cream on the top of the Kale Paneer just before serving. This is just to make it look attractive in parties. Otherwise, keep the spicy taste of the "Kale Paneer" as it is.

Veg Paneer Kofta in Spring Mix Green Gravy

Veg Paneer Kofta in Spring Mix Green Gravy

Really frustrating to see some of the Spring Mix Salad bought from Costco getting spoiled at the end, though we consume a considerable quantity to our level of satisfaction...I really wanted to make use of all the Spring Mix that we buy from the wholesale Costco. Before I used to make Pappu out of the leftover Spring Mix salad but  this time I wanted to try out something different with this salad mix. Using Paneer ( which is an all-time favourite at home), I made some crunchy Koftas and made them to dance in my healthy Spring Mix Green Gravy...I followed the same procedure of Palak Paneer for making this Green Gravy. With few tricks, the dish got upgraded and a perfect Kofta gravy was achieved...( with my leftover Spring Mix salad..!!!) . More than that, I felt so relieved while throwing the big Spring Mix Salad Box without any wastage in it.

Ingredients

Photo Courtesy by Wiki -- Spring Mix Salad

For the Green Gravy
Spring Mix Salad - 5 cups fully
Ripe Tomatoes - 2 Big
Green Chillies - 1 Big
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp


For the Koftas 
Potato - 3 medium
Carrot - 2 medium
Peas - 1 Handful
Beans - 6 or 8
Green Pepper / Capsicum - 1/2 Medium
Paneer - 1 Cup shredded
Yellow Corn Flour - 1/2 cup
Water - Little to make the corn paste.
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric Powder  - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Dhana Jeera Powder / Coriander Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 pinch
Oil - Enough for frying the Koftas

For the Main Process
Oil - 1 tbsp
Butter or melted ghee - 1 tsp ( just for flavour , optional )
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Garlic Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
Onion Shredded / finely sliced - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Cumin / Dhana Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 Pinch
Thick whole Milk - 2 tbsp
Salt - To Taste

Method

Paneer Veg Koftas

Kofta Preparation

In a big thick bottomed vessel, cook all the vegetables including Green Pepper / Capsicum completely and keep them ready. To the cooked veggies, add the crumbled paneer and the other ingredients as mentioned above, and make small balls. In a plate, add the yellow corn flour and add few drops of water and make a moist powdery paste.( Not like bajji batter...). Roll the Veg Paneer Kofta ball on the surface of the moist corn flour so that it gets coated uniformly in all the directions.

Fry them till golden brown in the oil. Continue the process for the rest of the balls and keep the fried koftas ready.

Gravy Preparation

In the cooking pan, add the Spring Salad Mix, tomatoes, green chillies and cumin seeds and allow them to cook inside for few minutes. No need to add water. Let them cook with the steam inside on a low flame. When its cooked and shrunk in size, grind them together with little water and keep the green gravy paste ready.

Main Process

• In the cooking pan, add oil and little melted ghee / butter first. When its heated, add cumin seeds.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry them till the raw smell vanishes.
• Add the onion pieces next and fry them with a pinch of salt for 2-3 minutes.
• Add all the powders as mentioned above and fry them again for a minute.
• Add the green gravy paste and required amount of salt, 1 tbsp of thick whole milk and add some water if required.
• Allow the gravy to cook well with all the spice powders for 5-6 minutes.
• Switch off the flame when the gravy is done which can be noted with the appearance of little oil oozing out of the edges, in the middle slightly.
• Finally before serving, place the koftas in the serving bowl and pour the gravy on its top.

Tips / Variations

• You can add Tofu, shredded cabbage, tiny cauliflower florets or any other suitable vegetables of your choice while making the Koftas.
• You can add few drops of fresh cream on its top just before serving to make it more appealing and richer.

Gobi Fry / Cauliflower Fry - For Roti and Chappathi

Gobi Fry / Cauliflower fry is a simple, quickest and tastiest fry for chappathis/rotis. Generally I make this gobi fry along with some dal varieties for chappathis / rotis. Crunchy florets coated with spices and a slight tangy taste of tomatoes make this a nice accompaniment to hot rotis. Upon looking at the nutrition, cauliflower is very low in fat, high in dietary fiber, folate, water, Vitamin C, contains several chemicals that are beneficial to human health. High Intake of Cauliflower reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Its recommended to steam, microwave or stir-fry the cauliflower and boiling is not at all recommended as it reduces the anticancer compounds in it.

Some people don't like the smell of cauliflower at all...May be with the spices and powders, if they try this Gobi fry, they might start liking the cauliflower slowly..

Ingredients

Fresh Gobi / Cauliflower - 1 Big One
Shredded red onion - 1/2 cup
Diced tomatoes - 1/2 cup

Olive Oil - 1.5 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander Cumin Powder - 2 tsp 

Salt - To Taste

Method

1. From the cauliflower, take out the small florets slowly. Wash all the small florets with luke warm water thoroughly.
2. Drain the water and allow them to get dried for few seconds.
3. On a thick bottomed kadai, add Olive Oil first. When it gets heated add the Jeera seeds followed by red onion and tomato pieces. Fry them till the red onion turns golden brown and tomato gets mushy.
4. Then add the washed cauliflower florets into the kadai directly without any water. Sprinkle some water if the florets are too dry and to assist uniform cooking.
5. Add the turmeric powder into the kadai. Mix them well and close the lid.
6. Allow the cauliflower to get steamed and cooked inside with its own water content. 
7. But keep the flame on low heat. After 4 minutes, the florets would have been cooked very well.
8. Open the lid and add the other powders, salt and fry them on low heat till the florets get coated, fried nicely..
9. Size of the small florets could get reduced little bit when they are fried finally.
10. Switch  of the flame and garnish the fry with coriander leaves and serve...

Tips

If you don't overcook the florets, then the fry would be little crunchy, tasty. 

Dal Makhani - Creamy Soup of Lentils / Lentils Soup

We had a Potluck on Saturday night with a full course of North Indian Menu starting from chat...I made Dal Makhani as one of the side dishes..This time I made it with Rajma ( Dark Red Beans ), Kali Masoor Dal ( Black Lentils ), Red Chori ( Red karamani ) not with black urad dal. This brownish bowl of lentil soup fills the stomach of the family greatly and fills my heart with great satisfaction as it contains high amount of protein, folate,vitamins, energy ,etc. Its great for parties as its very easier to prepare this Dal Makhani and the process is also quicker. Did not add the fresh cream at the end as we liked to taste the Makhani with its mild spicyness..

Ingredients

Red Beans ( Rajma ) - 1/2 Cup

Red Chori ( Red Karamani ) - 3/4 Cup

Kala Masoor ( Black Lentils ) - 3/4 Cup

Jeera - 2 tsp

Cloves / Lavang - 4 or 5

Cinnamon Sticks / Pattai - 3 Medium Size

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1 Medium

Ripe Tomato - 1 Big

Green Chilli - 1 Medium

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tbsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder -  0.5 tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Method

1. Wash the Red Beans ( Rajma ), Kala Masoor, Red Chori ( Karamani ) first thoroughly and soak it in water for 3 - 4 hours.
2. After its soaked, pressure cook the Lentils with 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp of salt for 4-5 whistles.
3. Meantime, cut the tomato, onion,green chilli into desired shapes, keep the other ingredients ready on the side.
4. On a thick bottomed kadai, add Olive Oil first for tempering. When its heated, add the jeera, cinnamon stick, cloves first. Then, add the finely cut onion, green chilli pieces and fry them for a minute.
5. Add ginger garlic paste next to the mix and fry till the raw smell goes off.
6. Add the tomato pieces next to the mix and fry them till they all get mashed and pasty.
7. Then, add all the powders as mentioned above and fry them nicely till all the powders get mixed with the tomato paste and fried little bit.
8. Add a pinch of sugar and pour the cooked dal from the pressure cooker directly onto the kadai with the remaining cooked water in the pressure cooker.
9. Add required amount of salt into the kadai and mix all the contents well. Allow them to cook for 4-5 minutes for the Makhani to get settled with all the powders and flavours.
10. After its cooked, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. It can be well served with a combination of Ghee rice, Jeera Rice, Peas Pulao or with plain chappathi / rotis.

Tips

Soak the Lentils for more time if they are too dry and cook them very well to get a creamy texture of the Dal Makhani.

Add few tsp of ghee or melted butter at the end if its made for a potluck or a party.

Variations

You can add fresh cream at the end on top of the Dal Makhani.

You can add or reduce red chilli powder to fine tune the spicyness of the Makhani.

You can substitute different lentils like Black Urad Dal in this dish with the ones I used.

HOW TO COOK Dill Leaves in Brown Masoor Dal

Dill Leaves in Brown Masoor Dal

Dill is an unique plant whose seeds and leaves are both used for seasoning in many cuisines. They are a good source of Calcium which in turn helps in reducing bone loss which occurs generally after menopause. They have good source of dietary fiber and good source of many minerals like Iron,Magnesium. They are also called as "Anti Bacterial Spice". Dill leaves are widely used in Indian Cuisine too due to its numerous health benefits. I wish to combine this healthy leaves with one of many favourite protein rich lentils and make a super healthy side dish for our Lauki / Doodhi parathas.

Masoor Dal is always one of the favorites I pick while making a Dal. There are two varieties of Masoor Dal. One is the light orangish variety and the other one is the brown colour Masoor. First one is the polished variety which takes lesser amount of time to cook whereas the latter one is unpolished and have more dietary fiber, good amount of protein and takes a little longer to cook. This time, I combined Dill leaves and Brown Masoor Dal as they both are very healthy and blend well.

Honestly, there is no leftover of  this Dal. All of us enjoyed this dal very much. Its an ultimate accompaniment for chappathis/ rotis or any type of parathas. My Dear bloggers/friends, just try to grab one bunch of Dill leaves and try this Dal once. You will love it and keep substituting Brown Masoor with your favourite Dals every time you make and enjoy...

Ingredients
Brown Masoor Dal - 1.5 Cups
Fresh Dill Leaves - 1 Bunch
Tomato - 1
Green Chillies - 2 Medium
Grated Ginger - 1 tsp
Hing - 1 Dash
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Garlic Pods - 2
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - 1 Pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Dry Red chillies - 2
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Dhana Jeera Powder ( Corainder Cumin Powder ) - 1 tsp
Melted Butter / Ghee - 1 tsp ( OPTIONAL )

Method

1. Soak the Brown Masoor Dal in warm water for 30 minutes. Take out the leaves from the Dill Bunch and chop them nicely and keep ready. Chop the tomato, green chillies, garlic pods and keep them ready.
2. Add the chopped dill leaves, brown masoor dal, green chillies, hing, turmeric powder, garlic pods along with some water in  a separate vessel.
3. Pressure cook them for 5-6 whistles as the Brown Masoor might take longer time to get cooked.
4. After its cooked to your satisfaction, mash the dal and allow the dal to cook directly.
5. Mean time, add all other powders, salt , pinch of sugar and grated ginger and cook them for 4-5 minutes.
6. Do the tempering and pour them over the dal. Just before serving, you can add a tsp of ghee or butter on top of it if its for a gathering or for kids.  

Tips / Variations

1. If you want a pasty dal, you might have to cook for few more whistles. Also, try to soak the brown masoor dal for a longer time.
2. You can substitute Brown Masoor Dal with your favourite dal variety and try..

Roti \ Chappati Roll with Veggie Paneer Fry

Hi Friends....after a long break. !!!!! Summer vacation got over in homeland and back home.  Have so many traditional recipes in store to post...So you will be seeing those slowly in our blog this month.. Well, cooking has slowly started  at home here and made a quick chappathi \ roti roll for us on a lazy Friday night. It was delicious, filling, tastier with a side of greek yogurt cup. This time, I used the ready made chappathis available at our local Indian store

Lots of  home grown tomatoes, zucchinis, squash were given to us by our kind neighbours. To make use of those ones with some extra veggies and paneer , I decided to make this easier roll..

You can add any vegetables of your choice to this simple fry...With some mild seasoning, this veggie paneer fry is definitely a kids choice..for any time of the day.

Ingredients

Chappathi \ Roti -  Few

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 2 teaspoon

Jeera ( Cumin) - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1\2 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - a small pinch

Coriander Leaves  -  1 Handful

Vegetables

Tomato - 1

Potato - 1

Beans - 8 or 10 big ones

Carrot - 1 medium

Peas  - 1 Handful

Cauliflower -  12 small florets

White Onion - 1 Medium

Capsicum - 1\2  medium

Zucchini - 1 medium

Paneer Cubes - 15 to 20 medium cubes.

Procedure

1. Wash all the vegetables thoroughly and cut them into medium cubes and keep aside. Cut the panner into medium cubes and keep them ready.
2. On medium heat, add olive oil into the thick bottomed kadai. When oil gets heated up, add jeera first. When it sputters, then add onions, capsicum one by one and shallow fry them. Add turmeric powder and a pinch of sugar and little salt for them to cook quickly.
3. Slowly add all other veggies into the kadai and stir them nicely. Sprinkle some water and let them cook on low flame for few minutes.
4. After its cooked to a desired level, open the lid and all other seasoning powders to the kadai. Add required amount of salt to the mixture and stir the veggie mix thoroughly.
5. Add the paneer cubes into the kadai now and stir carefully without breaking the paneer cubes.
6. Keep the lid open and let the veggie paneer mix coated with the seasoned powders get fried on medium flame for few minutes.
7. Occasionally stir the contents so that they get fried uniformly.
8. After its done, switch off the flame. Garnish the dish with the crushed coriander leaves..Now the veggie paneer mix is ready.

9. Make a hot chappathi \ roti and keep 3-4 tbsp of the veggie paneer dish into the center of the chappathi, roll it perfectly and serve with a side of greek yogurt. A complete healthy meal is done very quickly with less efforts.

Variations

You can add any vegetables of your choice but not watery ones as they might spoil the fry.

Tips

Don't fry the paneer separately.  Add them to the veggie mix and coat them with the seasoning. Let the paneer get fried along with the veggies in the kadai itself.

Methi Paratha / Methi Parata / Methi Chappathi / Methi Chapati

Fenugreek leaves , methi leaves are nature's gift to mankind. Its rich in minerals like Potassium, Calcium and Iron. Fenugreek leaves have good dietary fiber and are abundant in Vitamin C and Vitamin K..They add an excellent flavour to cooking. In our small vegetable patch, we grow methi, green peppers ( capsicum ), lady's finger(okra), tomatoes, basil this year. Out of these, methi leaves grow faster and are abundant in our garden. So, I use methi leaves in most of our regular cooking at home. This time I made methi paratha, one of our favourites at home for dinner. With a side of good creamy raita, it was delicious.  There are "n" number of ersions of methi parathas and its ratio and taste would be different in every household and I am presenting you my version of methi paratha.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 4 cups

Fresh Methi leaves shredded or cut - 3 cups

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp.

Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - To Taste

White sesame seeds - 3 tbsp.

Curd or Plain Yogurt - 1 Full cup

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Green chilli paste - 2 tsp

Water - Enough to make the Dough.

Oil - For frying the Methi parathas.

Method

• Wash and cut the methi leaves thoroughly. Cover it with a lid and cook the leaves in the microwave for few minutes to make them softer. Keep it ready.
• On a big basin or bowl, add all the ingredients for making the dough and add water little by little.
• Make a thick dough like poori dough and add little oil in the middle of dough preparation. Knead the dough properly in order to get good methi parathas.
• Keep the dough for few hours. When you are ready to eat, heat the tawa / pan to medium.
• Using a roti maker or using manual methods, make a medium size round parathas and keep them ready.
• When the pan is ready, cook the methi parathas one by one uniformly on both sides with little oil on its side.
• Store them in a round shaped container and enjoy the hot methi parathas with a side of raita , mango chunde or tomato pachidi / pickle of your choice.
• Methi parathas can be stored for even 4-5 days and eat and its an ideal choice for travel too...

Tips

You can make methi pooris with the leftover methi paratha dough and it tastes very good. My kids loved the methi pooris very much.

Try to make the paratha dough atleast 3-4 hours before cooking the parathas.

Vegetable Kichidi / Veg Khichidi / Khichidi / Kichidi - North Indian Style

Vegetable Kichidi / Veg Khichidi / Khichidi / Kichidi - North Indian Style

Its really difficult to arrive at a conclusion especially when we are very tired and exhausted by end of the day. And when it comes to making a quick dinner with less time, its much more difficult to finalise on one item. My wish is to include good amount of veggies in any meal, so there comes the one pot Kichidi for my rescue.  With a side of some cool raita and crunchy potato chips ( not for me!!!) on its side, this veg Kichidi would be delicious and healthy. Though we make Bisibelebath, Vegetable pongal in South Indian flavour and taste, this vegetable Kichidi is made in a north indian style. And I love all the versions and each version is unique in its own taste and preparation. This Kichidi is so tastier with all the goodness of vegetables, lentil and the process is also simpler and quicker.

Ingredients

Sona Masoori Rice - 1 Cup

Toor Dal / Thuvaram Paruppu / Kandhi Pappu - 1/2 Cup

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Dhana Jeera Powder / Coriander Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 2 Medium

Crushed Ginger Paste - 1 tsp

Cinnamon Stick - 1

Cloves - 2

Bay Leaves - 1 or 2

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1/4 tsp

Ripe Tomato - 2 Medium

Onion - 1/2 cup nicely shredded

Cut Vegetables - 1 Cup or 1.5 cup ( Carrots, Peas, Potato, Brinjal, Beans, Chayote or Chow Chow or any veggies of your choice ).

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tsp ( Optional )

Procedure

• In a pressure cooker, on a medium flame, first add oil. When its heated, add Hing, Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Cinnamon Stick, Cloves, Dry red chillies, Bay Leaves in succession.
• When the tempering is done, add the onion pieces next and fry them till golden brown.
• Next all the tomato pieces into the cooker and fry them for a minute. Add all the powders into the cooker along with the cut vegetables, ginger paste into the vessel. Mix them well and fry for another 2 minutes.
• Then add the washed toor dal into the vessel and fry them for a minute. Add a cup of water and cover the cooker and allow them to boil for another 4-5 minutes till the toor dal gets half cooked.
• Open the lid and add the sona masoori rice, salt and sugar. Add four cups of water again and cover the cooker.
• Cook the Kichidi for 3 whistles and siwtch off the flame. After you open the cooker, add 2 tsp of ghee on its top and serve this with raita..

Tips

If  the Kichidi is made for a party or special occasion, add few ghee roasted cashew nuts on its top just before serving.