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Dahi wale aloo arbi

Usually dahi aloo and dahi arbi are prepared as two separate dishes but I cook them together because this is how we like it. Since they are both starchy vegetables they combine well.Dahi wale aloo and dahi wali arbi are popular among Marwaris. They call it dahi aloo shak. If you like to prepare only dahi wale aloo or dahi wali arbi, the recipe will remain same just take any one of the 2 vegetables. In the traditional recipe yogurt is added first, then aloo or arbi are added but in the given recipe I have added curd later. This is an easier way because if you are not used to cooking with curd, it might curdle and you may end up getting lumps.

Recipe of dahi aloo arbi

2 potatoes- boiled and peeled

200 grams arbi (arvi/ taro/ colocasia) - boiled and peeled

1 onion- chopped (optional)

1 cup curd- whipped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp rai (small mustard seeds)

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

2 green chillies- chopped

1/2 inch piece ginger- chopped

1/4 tsp garam masala

1. Cut arbi into pieces. Break potatoes by hand to get unevenly broken pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add rai. When they splutter, add hing and onion. Saute for 1 minute.

3. Add ginger and green chillies. Fry for 1 minute.

4. Add potatoes and arbi with 1 cup water and salt. Let it come to boil. Lower heat and simmer for few minutes.

5. Add beaten curd and simmer for 1-2 minutes stirring. Add garam masala.

6. Turn off heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Kathal sabzi

Kathal or jackfruit is mainly grown in tropics as tropical conditions are suitable for its growth. Unlike the common practice of deep frying it, in this recipe, kathal is first boiled and then cooked with spices and onion- tomato paste. This is a healthier way to cook kathal as deep frying destroys its nutrients and adds to the calorie intake. As far as taste is concerned, try it. I bet you won’t be disappointed.

Recipe of kathal subzi

500 grams kathal (jackfruit)

1 onion

2 tomatoes

6-7 garlic cloves

2 green chillies

1 inch piece ginger

3/4 tsp salt or to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

3/4 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp oil

1. Smear oil on your hands and remove outer covering of kathal. Cut into pieces.

2. Boil water in a pan with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Add kathal and boil uncovered for about 8 minutes. Strain and keep aside.

3. Mince together onion, tomato, garlic, ginger and green chillies in a blender to form a paste.

4. Heat oil in a pan and add onion- tomato paste. Add salt and rest of the spices and cook till oil begins to separate.

5. Add kathal and cook covered on low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in between. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or parathas.

Healthy Bytes- kathal is rich in Potassium thus it helps in lowering the blood pressure. Jackfruit also has anti- ageing, anti- ulcer properties.

100 grams of jackfruit contains

Total carbohydrates- 24 g

Calories- 94

Dietary fiber- 2 g

Potassium- 303 mg

Protein- 1 g

Vitamin A -297 I U

Raw kathal

Bhel

You can munch on this bhel puri as an evening snack or anytime when hunger pangs hit without bothering about your waist line. This is a low calorie healthy snack. If you have ready made bhel puri chutney like that made by Smith and Jones, available at a nearby store, then this bhel can be made in a jiffy.

Recipe of diet bhel puri

2 cups murmura (kurmura/ mamra/ puffed rice)

1 small potato- boiled, peeled and cubed

1 small tomato- chopped

1 small onion- chopped

2 green chillies- chopped

1 tbsp peanuts (moongphali)

1/2 tsp chaat masala

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

3 tbsp meethi chutney (see the recipe below)

2 tbsp green chutney

1. Dry roast the peanuts in a heavy bottomed vessel (karahi). Take them out and in the same karahi, dry roast the murmura on medium heat stirring continuously till they begin to change color.

2. In a large bowl, mix all the above ingredients and serve immediately.

Recipe of quick meethi chutney

2 tbsp sugar or gur (jaggery)

1 tbsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp roasted jeera (cumin seeds)

1. Take a small heavy bottomed vessel and mix all the above ingredients in it.

2. Cook till everything dissolves and chutney gets the right consistency. Let it cool.

Besan chilla

Recipe of Besan Chilla

1 cup besan (gram flour)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

1 small onion- very finely chopped

1 small tomato- very finely chopped

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

Besan batter

1. Mix all the ingredients except onion and tomato.

2. Add water little by little mixing all the time so that no lumps are formed. Add enough water to get thick pouring consistency.

3. Keep the batter aside for 15 minutes.

4. Beat the batter well.

5. Heat a non- stick tava (griddle) and put some oil on it. Wipe with a napkin.

6. Keeping the tava on low heat, pour 2 tablespoons batter in the centre. Spread the batter outwards gently with the back of a ladle (karchhi) in circular motion just like you spread an omellette. You can make big or small rounds depending on how thick or thin you want your cheela to be. Cook the cheela on medium heat.

7. After 2 minutes, pour some oil on the chilla. Sprinkle onion and tomato pieces on the cheela and press gently with the spatula so that these pieces stick to the chilla.

8. When the edges from underside look reddish brown, it means underside is cooked. Remove the chilla from the tava with the help of a wide, thin spatula.

9. Turn over and cook the upper side also with onion, tomato pieces facing downwards. Press gently. After 2 minutes, remove the chilla from the tava. Similarly cook other chillas. Serve hot with green chutney or lahsoon chutney.

Make first chilla as a test chilla using small quantity of batter as first cheela usually sticks to the tava. Always spread the chilla with tava on low heat.

Alternatively, you can also mix very finely chopped onion, tomato and green chilly pieces in the batter and then spread and cook like the method above.

Jeera Aloo

Recipe of Jeera Aloo

4-5 medium boiled aloo (potatoes)

2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

5 black peppercorns (sabut kali mirch)

2 green chillies- chopped

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil or pure ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp coriander powder

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Pounding spices in a mortar with a pestle

1. Peel and cube the boiled aloo.

2. Heat a pan and add 1 tsp jeera and black peppercorns. Dry roast them till cumin seeds turn dark brown and nice aroma comes out of them.

3. Turn off the heat and take them out of the pan. Pound them in a mortar with a pestle. Make a coarse powder.

4. In the same pan, heat oil or ghee. Add the remaining 1 tsp jeera and green chillies. Fry them till jeera change color.

5. Add potatoes. Add salt, pounded masala and coriander powder. Mix well.

6. Roast the potatoes till their surface become somewhat crisp. Turn off the heat and add lime juice and mix. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot aloo jeera as a side dish.

Alu sem

Today’s menu was simple, Sem- aloo, moong dal and phulkas. I like sem and my husband likes to chew on it’s seeds. This recipe is simple and healthy. You can replace broad beans with french beans to make potato- french beans stir-fry. The recipe will remain same. I like to blog about simple everyday cooking and this recipe is my humble attempt at that. If you cook on low heat, you don’t need to add any water but if feel the need, you can add 1 tablespoon water while cooking.

Recipe of Aloo Sem

200 gms Sem (Broad Beans)

2 potatoes- peeled and cubed

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 tbsp oil (preferably mustard oil)

1. Chop sem with tips removed and stringed.

2. Take a deep bottomed vessel (karahi) and heat mustard oil to the smoking point i.e. till vapors start coming out of it. If you don’t like mustard oil, then any other oil will also do. Add cumin seeds and when they change color, add hing.

3. Add broad beans and potatoes. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Mix well and cover. Lower heat to medium- low.

4. Cook till potatoes are tender while stirring in between. Turn off the heat and add amchoor and garam masala powder. Mix well. Serve hot with rotis or parathas.

Sem (broad beans)

Open potato toast

Open Potato Toasts soon become everybody’s favorite including kids. These toasts are so delicious that I can eat them one after the other. I learnt this recipe from my hubby Rahul who used to make them during his hostel days. By the way, he is an excellent cook who loves to experiment with various ingredients.

Recipe of Open Potato Toast

4 slices of bread

2 medium potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed

1 onion- chopped

2 green chillies- chopped

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves (cilantro) - chopped

Butter to toast the bread

1. Mix all the above ingredients except bread and butter. Mix well.

2. With the help of a spoon, spread potato mixture on one side of bread slices, pressing gently so that potato mixture sticks to the bread. You have to do it gently because you don’t want the bread to break.

3. Heat a non- stick tawa (griddle) and melt some butter on it. With the help of a spatula, smear the tawa with the butter. Put bread slices on it, potato side down. Toast till potato becomes reddish brown, pressing it with the spatula.  Flip and toast the other side of bread also. Remember it takes much longer to toast the potato side than plain bread side. Also toast on medium heat. Serve hot with tomato sauce.