achari aloo
This recipe of achari aloo was made by me when I was in the experimental mode and the result was good. Traditional recipe of achari aloo calls for deep frying potatoes but I have avoided that since, in general I avoid deep frying vegetables. Deep frying vegetables not only add to the caloric intake but also destroy the nutrients of the vegetables. I believe we eat food not just to cater to our taste buds but also to feed our bodies right.
Here I have added spices which are used in pickling vegetables hence the name achari aloo.
Recipe of achari aloo
3 medium potatoes- peeled and cubed
1 medium onion- chopped
2 tomatoes- diced
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds)
1/2 tsp saunf (fennel seeds)
1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella/ onion seeds)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin, mustard, fenugreek, fennel and onion seeds. Let them crackle. Add hing.
2. Add onion and sauté till transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add turmeric, red chilli and coriander powders. Fry for few seconds.
3. Add tomatoes and salt. Cook till tomatoes become soft and pulpy.
4. Add cubed potatoes and mix well. Cover the lid of the pan and turn the heat to low. Cook till potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Serve hot achaari aloo with roti or paratha.
tadka dal
There are many ways to cook tadka dal or dal tadka but this is the one I use as it suits our palate. Tadka means tempering and I have used a standard Punjabi tadka with few variations. You can avoid adding tomato and can use lime juice instead. It won’t matter much to the taste. You can also skip onion if you want.
Recipe of tadka dal
1 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram) or dhuli masoor dal (red lentils)
1 onion- chopped
1 medium tomato- diced
2-3 green chillies- chopped
2-3 cloves garlic- crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) - for garnish
1. Cook the dal with salt, turmeric powder and enough water in a pressure cooker till just done. Dal should not be too mushy.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When they splutter, add hing.
3. Add onion and sauté till transparent. Add garlic and green chillies and fry for 1 minute.
4. Add tomato and cook till tomato become soft and pulpy. Pour this tadka or tempering over the cooked dal. Garnish the dal tadka with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or roti.
Methi wali poori
These methi wali poori were something I made for Diwali feast but somehow forgot to post. They were easy to make and liked by everyone. Since we are methi loving people, these pooris are always welcome.
Recipe of methi wali poori
2 cups of atta (whole wheat flour)
1 cup methi (fresh fenugreek leaves) - stems removed and leaves washed and chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)
2 tbsp oil + for frying
1. In a bowl, mix atta, salt, red chilli powder, ajwain and 2 tbsp oil. Rub flour between your fingers so that oil is evenly spread.
2. Add methi leaves and knead it into stiff dough by adding water. Poori dough should be stiffer than chappati dough. Let the dough rest for 1/2 an hour.
3. Take a small ball (peda) out of the dough and roll it into a 3-4 inch round on a lightly oiled surface.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok or a deep frying pan. You know the oil is hot enough when a small portion of the dough dropped in kadhai sizzles and rises to the surface. Turn the heat to medium.
5. Gently slide the rolled puri in the hot oil. Gently press by a pauni (slotted spoon/ chaari). The poori will puff up. Turn over and fry from other side also till golden brown from both sides. Drain by the same slotted spoon on an absorbent paper. Similarly fry other methi pooris from rest of the dough.
Baked potato
The first time I made these baked potato wedges, I was surprised how easy they are to put together and how deliciously crunchy they are. If you love potato, then this dish is a must try and what my strong belief is that it can turn even a non-believer into a fan.
Recipe of baked potato wedges
4-5 medium potatoes- washed and cut into wedges
3 tbsp olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves- crushed
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp mixed herbs like dried parsley, dried basil, and rosemary
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add potato wedges to it. Toss so that potatoes are well coated with the seasoning.
3. Spread potato wedges on a greased baking tray. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 35-40 minutes. Bake till edges turn brown and potato is fork tender. Serve hot.
Masala aloo gobhi
This recipe of aloo gobi masala is actually my hubby’s recipe. Garnishing with tomato flower is his idea. My mouth actually watered when he presented it. I couldn’t resist a little taste testing and the aloo gobi tasted mind blowing.
Recipe of aloo gobi masala or masala aloo gobi
1 small gobi (cauliflower) - cut into florets
2 medium potatoes- peeled and cubed
1 onion- sliced
2 green chillies- slit vertically
1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tomato- cut into 8 pieces without separating from the base- for garnish
Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) - for garnish
1/4 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1 tbsp oil
1. Heat oil in a pan or a kadhai/ wok. Add cumin seeds and when they crackle, add hing.
2. Add onion and green chillies. Stir fry till onion becomes pink. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 1 minute.
3. Add salt and all the spices and after few seconds, add aloo and gobhi. Mix well. If you cook on low heat, you don’t need to add any water. Just cover and cook stirring in between.
4. Cook till vegetables are tender. Increase heat and roast aloo gobi till the sabzi gets a roasted appearance. Add coriander leaves and tomato. Cook on a low heat, covered till tomato gets slightly tender. Transfer to a serving bowl with tomato flower on top. Serve hot aloo gobi masala with any Indian flatbread.
masala aloo gobi
Chana dal pulao is a hearty pulao which needs a little planning but well worth it. Every spoon full is a delight. Tastes best when served hot on cold wintry days like the days ahead.
Recipe of chana dal pulao
1 cup long grain basmati rice
1/2 cup chana dal (split Bengal gram)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 laung (cloves)
1 piece of dalchini (cinnamon)
2 moti elaichi (brown cardamom)
2 tej patta (bay leaves)
Salt to taste
3 cups of water
1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
1. Wash and soak chane ki dal for 2 hours, drain. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes, drain.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, brown cardamom and bay leaves. Fry till they splutter and change color.
3. Add chana dal and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add water and salt. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook to 2 whistles. Let the pressure drop down naturally before opening the lid of the cooker.
4. Add rice and pressure cook to 1 whistle. Let the pressure drop down. Open the lid and take out on a serving platter. Serve hot chana dal pulao with curds and salad.
murmura upma
Murmura upma can also be called murmura poha. Murmura upma is cooked in more or less the same way as poha. You can also temper it with urad dal and chana dal to make more like a South Indian dish. This is a breakfast as well as any time low calorie snack item which we find quite tasty. Murmura upma is also known as pori upma.
Recipe of murmura upma
2 cups murmura (puffed rice/ moori/ mamra/ pori)
1 onion- chopped
2 green chillies- chopped
1 tomato- chopped
Salt to taste
1 potato- peeled and finely cubed
1 tbsp peanuts- roasted
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
5-7 curry leaves
1. Wash murmura in a strainer (chalni) under running water and set aside so that all water drains out.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When they pop, add curry leaves. After few seconds, add onion and green chillies. Fry onion till it becomes pink.
3. Add potato, salt and turmeric powder. Cook covered till potato becomes tender.
4. Uncover and add tomato. Stir fry for 1 minute.
5. Add murmura and mix well. Let it cook covered on a low heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add roasted peanuts and lemon juice and mix. Serve and eat immediately. Keeping it for some time after making will make the murmura soggy.
Mathri
Yesterday I was craving for some home made savory snack with my evening tea. I remembered mathri which I was pretty good at making even before marriage. My hubby had asked me to make mathri several times but I was worried about the calories as it is a deep fried snack. Yesterday I thought what the heck! Don’t I eat other high calorie stuff bought from the market? So I went ahead.
Recipe of mathri (mathi)
2 cups maida (unbleached all purpose flour)
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
Oil for deep frying
1. In a bowl, mix maida, salt, baking soda and ajwain. Add 2 tablespoon oil and rub mixture between your hands so that oil is evenly mixed in the all purpose flour.
2. Add warm water little by little so as to knead it into stiff dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
3. Take walnut (akhrot) sized balls from the dough and roll out into a small rounds. Prick these rounds here and there with a fork so that mathris don’t puff up like poori.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai (wok) or a deep frying pan and when the oil is hot enough, turn the heat to medium. Wait for a minute. Fry these rounds in the oil turning as needed.
5. When the mathris give a cooked look and rawness disappears, increase heat so that they become reddish brown. For further batches, keep the heat to medium when frying and increase for the final touch. Drain on an absorbent paper by a slotted spoon. Serve when they cool down and store the rest in an airtight contianer. They stay fresh for weeks.
Mathi
Above is a picture from our recent trip to Rajasthan.
Recipe of aloo mooli ke patte ki sabzi
Aloo mooli ke patte ki sabzi or bhurji comes straight from my mom’s kitchen. She cooks it really well. This dish can also be made without potatoes but then it will be slightly bitter to taste. Aloo absorbs the bitterness. I also add mooli pieces besides mooli ke patte in this recipe.
2 medium potatoes- peeled and cubed
Leaves (patte) of 2 mooli (radish) - depends on how many leaves a mooli has
1/2 or 1 mooli- peeled and chopped
1 tbsp mustard oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
aloo mooli ke patte ki sabzi
1. Wash mooli leaves, remove ‘only stems’ portion and chop rest of the leaves.
2. Take a wok or a kadhai and heat mustard oil to smoking point. Add cumin seeds and when they change color, add hing.
3. Add potatoes, mooli and mooli ke patte (leaves). Add salt and all the spices except amchoor. Mix well and cover the lid of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low. There is no need to add water.
4. Stir in between and cook till potatoes are tender. Increase heat and let any moisture evaporate. Cook stirring till potatoes get a roasted appearance. Turn off heat and add amchoor. Mix well. Serve hot aloo mooli ke patte ki sabzi with rotis.
Green peas soup
This green peas soup or matar ka soup is an easy, breezy soup. It’s very easy to make and quite a comforter on a cold, wintry day. As days are getting cold, this soup is a welcome change from summer salads.
Recipe of (matar) green peas soup
2 cups shelled green peas (matar) - fresh or frozen
6 cups water
Salt to taste
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
A pinch of sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
A blob of butter
1. Boil the green peas or matar with 6 cups of water, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Cook till peas turn tender. Let it cool down a bit.
2. Blend the mixture in a blender to a smooth consistency.
3. Pour in a saucepan and reheat on a medium heat. Add milk, black pepper and butter. Mix well.
4. Cook for 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat. Pour peas soup in the soup bowls and serve hot.
