fastindianrecipes.com

Baked capsicum

I make stuffed capsicums or bharwa shimla mirch both in an oven and a pan. What I find is, It’s more convenient to bake them but they taste great any which way you make them. I have taken green capsicums but if you take red and yellow bell peppers also, the dish will look very colorful indeed.

Recipe of potato stuffed baked capsicums

4-5 capsicums (shimla mirch/ bell peppers)

3 medium potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed

1 onion- chopped

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/4 tsp garam masala

Oil to grease and spray or a blob of butter

baked bell pepper (green capsicum)

1. Mix all the above ingredients except capsicums and oil. Remove stalk and seeds of capsicums. Cut them into 4 quarters.

2. Stuff the potato mixture in these quarters.

3. Preheat oven to 180 degree c. Grease a baking tray and place capsicum on it. Spray or drizzle some oil or you can spoon some melted butter on them.

4. Bake them for about 35- 40 minutes. Serve hot.

Pan made stuffed capsicums

You can also make them in a pan. For this remove caps of capsicums and discard the seeds and stalk. Heat 2 tsp oil in a non- stick pan and sauté onion. Add potato and rest of the spices and salt including 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Roast the mashed potatoes. Take the potato mixture out of the pan and let it cool. Stuff this mixture into capsicums. Heat 2 tsp oil in the same pan and place stuffed bell peppers. Lower heat and cover the lid. Cook till capsicums are tender and brownish at places. While cooking rearrange the positions of capsicums in between so that capsicums are roasted from all sides.

bottom side up

Kadhi pakora

My mom makes the best kadhi I have tasted and I still ask her to prepare it for me whenever I visit her place. I try to replicate her method and get good comments when I make it. It’s simple and always yields satisfying results.

Recipe of kadhi pakora

Kadhi

2 cups sour curds (yogurt)

1/2 cup besan (gram flour)

1/4 tsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds)

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste

3/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 inch piece ginger- grated

1 tbsp oil

Pakoras (fritters)

1 cup besan

1/4 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

Oil to deep fry

Besan pakoras for kadhi

1. For pakoras, take besan in a shallow bowl and add ajwain by crushing between your palms. (This way carom seeds release their entire flavor). Add salt and red chilli powder.

2. Add water little by little, mixing, so that no lumps are formed. Add only that much amount of water so that the batter can be easily dropped by hand or a spoon. Beat it well till besan becomes lighter in color. Beating well is important to get fluffy pakodas otherwise they will be hard.

3. Heat sufficient oil in a karahi (heavy bottomed vessel). Drop small amounts of batter by your hand or a spoon. Fry on medium heat till they turn reddish brown. Drain on an absorbent paper.

4. For kadhi, mix together curd, besan, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and 4 cups water. Beat well. You can also mix it with a hand blender or any other blender or food processor.

5. Heat oil in a karahi, add methi dana and cumin seeds. When they change color, add hing. Add ginger and fry for 1 minute.

6. Add curd mixture. Keep stirring till it comes to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. If it is too thick, add 1 cup water and boil.

7. Add pakoras, give 1 boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Lauki chana dal curry

My mom used to make lauki chana dal a lot. She calls it ghiya chane ki dal. My father and I share same liking for bottle gourd so it was made often. My recipe is slightly different than my mom as unlike her, I temper it with onion, tomatoes and garlic. This dish has both vegetable and lentil so it makes wholesome meal with roti or rice. Lauki with chana dal is a combination made by Gujaratis although in the recipe below, I have made it more in a Punjabi style.

Recipe of lauki chana dal

1 medium lauki (bottle gourd, ghiya, doodhi) of 200- 250 grams

1 cup chana dal (Split Bengal gram)

2 medium tomatoes- chopped

1 medium onion- chopped

3-4 cloves garlic

1 inch piece ginger

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

1. Wash and soak chana dal for 1 hour. Peel, wash and cut lauki into 1/2 inch cubes. Crush garlic and ginger together.

2. In a pressure cooker, place channa dal, lauki pieces, enough water, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Cook till chana dal gets soft.

3. Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add hing. Add onion and sauté till they are translucent.

4. Add ginger- garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft and pulpy.

5. Add this tempering (tadka) to the boiled dal and cover the lid. Simmer for few minutes and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

ghiya chana dal

Healthy Bytes- 100 grams of peeled bottle gourd or lauki contains-
12 K calories Energy
0.2 grams Protein
2.5 gms Carbohydrates
0.1 gms Fat

Cucumber Raita

Summer is approaching fast and with it we feel the need for some cool, refreshing accompaniment to our meals. Cucumber or kheera comes in abundance in summers. Cool cucumber along with cool yogurt makes for a winning combination. This raita is popular in Gujju community where it is called ‘Kakdi nu raitu’. Here is my recipe (actually my mom’s) recipe of cucumber raita to beat the heat.

Recipe of cucumber raita or kheere ka raita

1 cucumber (kheera) - grated

2 cup curds (yogurt) - well beaten

Salt to taste

A pinch of black salt (kaala namak)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds- dry roasted and coarsely ground

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

1. Add all the above ingredients to whisked yogurt. Also add the juice you get while grating cucumber. Mix well.

2. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Healthy Bytes- Cucumber or Kheera is very low in calories and helps in digestion. It is good source of vitamins C & A, Potassium, Folate and dietary fiber. Skin of cucumber contain sterols which are known to lower cholesterol in animals.

Gatte ki sabzi

Gatte ki subzi belongs to Rajasthani cuisine where gram flour and curd are extensively used in the cooking. Gatta curry is mainly gram flour dumplings which are first steamed and then dunked in yogurt based gravy.

Recipe of gatte ki sabzi

Gatte

3/4 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

1/4 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

1/2 tsp salt

¼ tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp oil

Gravy

2 tomatoes- pureed

1/2 cup curd (dahi)- beaten

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp oil or ghee

1 moti elaichi (big cardamom)- crushed

2 laung (cloves)

1/2 inch piece ginger- crushed

Cylinders before boiling

1. In a shallow bowl, take besan. Crush ajwain between your palms and add to besan. Add rest of the ingredients of the gattas.

2. Adding little water, knead gram flour into firm, stiff dough. Keep aside for 15 minutes.

3. Take small balls out of the dough and roll into cylinders. Cylinders should be able to fit in a pan.

4. Heat water in a pan. When it comes to boil, immerse the cylinders and turn the heat to medium. Boil till cylinders rise to the top and are covered with small bubbles.

5. Using a slotted spoon (pauni, chhari), take out the cylinders from the water. Keep aside to cool. Once cooled, cut them into about 1/2 inch pieces.

6. For the gravy, heat oil or ghee in a pan or karahi. Add cumin seeds, cloves and big cardamom. When cumin seeds change color, add hing. Add turmeric and red chilli powder.

7. Add ginger and tomato puree. Cook for about 3 minutes.

8. Lower heat and add curd. Stirring constantly, simmer for 3-4 minutes.

9. Add gatte and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Hari chutney

Coriander or cilantro chutney is a type of Indian dip which tastes great with Indian snacks like samosa, pakoras etc. Hari chutney or dhania pudina chutney is also a great accompaniment to meals. This nice lush green chutney adds fun to otherwise dull meal.

Recipe of (green) hari chutney

1 cup fresh green coriander (dhania/ cilantro)

1/2 cup mint leaves (pudina)

1 small onion

1 small tomato

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1. Pick pudina (mint) leaves, discard the stems and wash. Chop off the ‘only stems’ part of green coriander and wash. Chop rest of the leaves along with the stems.

2. Grind all the ingredients in a blender with just enough water to get the right consistency.

Add ‘just enough’ water and no more otherwise your chutney will be too watery.

Green chutney

Potato- spring onion sabzi

Recipe of potato- spring onion stir- fry

200 gms hara pyaaz (spring onion/ green onion)

2 potatoes- peeled and cubed

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/4 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 tbsp oil (preferably mustard oil)

Spring onion

1. Remove roots from the bulb of spring onions and remove any hard outer covering. Wash and chop the leaves as well as the bulbs of hara pyaaz.

2. Take a deep bottomed vessel (karahi) and heat mustard oil to the smoking point i.e. till vapors start emanating from it. You can also take any other oil of your preference. Add cumin seeds and when they change color, add hing.

3. Add spring onion and potatoes (aloo). Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Mix and cook covered on medium- low heat.

4. While stirring in between, cook till potatoes are tender. If there is still some moisture left in the pan, increase heat and let it evaporate, mixing. Turn off the heat and add amchoor and garam masala powder. Mix and serve hot.

Healthy Bytes- Spring onions are high in dietary fiber, Calcium and Iron. They are very low in saturated fat and there is no cholesterol.

100 grams of raw spring onion (green onion, hara pyaaz) contain-

Calories- 32

Saturated Fat- 0 mg

Total Fat- 0.2 mg

Cholesterol- nil

Total Carbohydrates- 7.3 grams

Dietary Fiber- 2.6 gm

Chana masala

Happy Holi to all of you. Besides other dishes like matar paneer, aloo ki puri, I made chana masala or chole for holi lunch. I like eating chana with rice but today we ate it with puri. Here is my recipe of it.

Recipe of chana masala

1 1/2 cups kabuli chana (chole/ chickpeas/ garbanzo beans)

2 medium tomatoes

2 medium onions

2 small potatoes- boiled, peeled and cubed

5-6 cloves garlic

1 inch piece ginger

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

3 black peppercorns

3-4 cloves

2 black cardamoms

1 tsp amla powder (dried Indian gooseberries powder)

1 tsp chana masala powder

Salt to taste

A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1 1/2 tbsp oil

1. Soak kabuli chana overnight. Drain and put them in a pressure cooker with enough water and salt. Let 1 whistle come, then turn the heat to medium. Boil the chole for about 1/2 an hour in total.

2. Add dried amla powder and potatoes to the boiled chickpeas and mix.

3. Mince onion, garlic and ginger to form a paste. Puree the tomatoes.

4. Heat oil in a karahi (heavy bottomed vessel) and add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, black peppercorns. Fry for 1 minute and then add hing.

5. Add onion paste and saute till brown. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and chana masala powder. Saute for 1 minute.

6. Add tomato puree and saute till oil begins to separate.

7. Add boiled chana along with the cooking liquid. Let it come to boil. Lower heat and simmer till much of the water evaporates and you get thick gravy while stirring in between.

Dried amla powder is added to get the blackish color. I add it to the boiled channa and not before boiling since this is a sour powder and hinders with the boiling of chickpeas. If amla powder is not available, you can add 2 tea bags and boil them along with chana. Discard them after boiling.

Since we are using 3 sour things i.e. amla powder, tomatoes and chana masala powder, take care not to add any of these items in excess Otherwise chhole will be too sour to taste.