Carrot Kheer

carrot kheer

My family enjoy carrot kheer immensely. It's not just tasty but also healthy. I borrowed this recipe from the 'Hare Krishnas' and made few changes while making it.
Recipe of carrot kheer/ gajar ki kheer
3 medium carrots (gajar)
1 liter milk (full fat)
4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp each almonds and cashew nuts
How to make carrot kheer
1. Peel and chop carrots finely.
2. Place carrots, almond and cashews in a pressure cooker and add 2 tbsp water. Cook to 1 whistle. Open the lid when pressure drops down naturally.
3. Churn the contents of pressure cooker in a blender to a paste.
4. Boil the milk. Add carrot paste to milk and cook on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
5. Add sugar and cook till sugar dissolves. Take out carrot kheer in a bowl and serve warm or chilled.

Oats with Milk Recipe

oats with milk

Oats with milk or oats porridge is a quick to make, easy and healthy breakfast option. You can cook oats either in a pan or a microwave. I have shared the recipe for both. Having oats in the morning is a great way to start your day.
Recipe of oats with milk
2 cups milk
3 tbsp oats
1 tsp sugar/honey or to taste
How to make oats with milk
1. Take milk in a pan and add oats to it. If you are using sugar, add it. If using honey, add it after the porridge is ready.
2. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Your oats are ready.
                                           or
You can take milk in a microwave safe bowl and add oats and sugar to it. Cook on a micro high for 2 & 1/2 minutes. 

Jimikand Matar ki Sabzi

jimikand matar ki sabzi

Jimikand matar ki sabzi is quite a tasty dish and very easy to make. In the recipe given below, I haven't deep fried jimikand like many people do because there is no need. Jimikand is also known as suran or yam.
Recipe of jimikand matar ki sabzi
250 gm jimikand (yam/suran)
1 cup shelled matar (green peas)
2 cups water
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
2 tomatoes- pureed
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1 1/2 tbsp oil

jimikand chopped with matar

How to make jimikand matar ki sabzi
1. Peel and wash jimikand. Chop it into medium size pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. When they turn darker, add hing.
3. Add pureed tomato and all the spices except garam masala. Saute till oil begins to separate from the masala.
4. Add jimikand, matar, water and salt. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Turn off the heat and open the lid of the cooker when pressure drops down naturally.
5. Add garam masala and cook for 1 more minute. Take out in a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot jimikand matar ki sabzi with roti or paratha.

Tinda ki Sabzi

tinda ki sabzi

Tinda is a summer vegetable and tinda shown in the picture comes for a short period of time. This tinda ki sabzi has a unique taste and worth trying.
Recipe of tinda ki sabzi
1/2 kg tinda (apple gourd/Indian baby pumpkin)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp saunf (fennel) powder
1/2 tsp amchoor (dry mango powder)
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

tinda

How to make tinda ki sabzi
1. Tinda shown in the pic need not be peeled. So, remove upper and lower portion of tinda, wash and chop them into 4 quarters lengthwise.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai or a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add hing.
3. Add tinda, salt and all the spice powders except amchoor. Mix them. Cook on a low heat ,covered. Stir occasionally.
4. This tinda need not be cooked too much so when tinda is tender, add amchoor, cook for 1 more minute and turn off the heat.
5. Seve hot tinda ki sabzi with roti or paratha.

Sabut Masoor ki Dal Recipe

sabut masoor ki dal

Sabut masoor ki dal tastes good with simple tempering of hing, jeera (cumin seeds). We enjoy this dal with both rice and roti. This dal is very protein rich and tasty.

Recipe of sabut masoor ki dal

1 cup sabut masoor dal (whole brown lentils)

4 cups of water

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste (or 1 tsp)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp amchoor (dry mango powder)

1/2 tsp garam masala

How to make sabut masoor ki dal

1. Wash and soak masoor dal for 1 hour. Drain.

2. Place masoor ki dal in a pressure cooker along with 4 cups water, salt, turmeric and red chilli powders. Pressure cook to about 15 minutes on a high heat.

3. Open the lid of the cooker when pressure drops down naturally. Add amchoor and garam masala and cook for 1 minute.

4. Heat ghee in a small tadka pan and add cumin seeds. When they turn darker, add hing. Add this tadka or tempering to the boiled dal.

5. Garnish sabut masoor ki dal with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and serve hot with roti or rice.

Dry Aloo Matar Recipe (Potato with Peas)

dry aloo matar

This recipe of dry aloo matar is a very easy one and with commonly available ingredients. This sukhi sabzi tastes really good with roti or paratha and is liked by most people.
Recipe of dry aloo matar
3 medium potatoes (aloo)- boiled, peeled and cubed
1 cup shelled peas (matar)- fresh or frozen
2 tomatoes- chopped
1 inch piece ginger- chopped or grated
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 & 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
How to make dry aloo matar
1. Heat oil in a kadhai or a pan and add cumin seeds. When they turn darker, add hing.
2. Add ginger and saute till light brown.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and all the spices except garam masala. Cook on a medium heat till oil begins to separate from the masala.
4. Add aloo, matar, salt and mix well. Turn the heat to low and cook covered till matar turns tender, stirring occasionally. Add garam masala and cook for 2 more minutes.
5. Garnish dry aloo matar sabzi with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Chana Toor Dal Recipe

chana toor dal

Chana toor dal makes for a good combination. They taste great together and also make a protein rich dal. Ever since I tried it, it has become a regular in my home.
Recipe of chana toor dal mix
1/2 cup chana dal (split Bengal gram)
1/2 cup toor dal (red gram/arhar/toovar dal)
2 & 1/2 cups of water
2 tomatoes- chopped
Salt to taste (or 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp rai (small mustard seeds)
How to make chana toor dal
1. Wash the dals thoroughly with several changes of water. Soak them for about 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Add dals, water, tomatoes, salt, red chilli and turmeric powders to pressure cooker. Cook for about 10 minutes on high heat. Open the lid of the cooker when pressure drops down naturally.
3. Heat ghee in a small tadka pan and add cumin seeds and rai. When they pop and crackle, add hing. Add this tadka (tempering) to the cooked dal.
4. Garnish chana toor dal with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and serve hot with roti or rice.

Mix Veg Recipe

mix veg

There are many recipes of mix veg available and here is my version of this very healthy and delicious dish of mixed vegetables. I have taken purple cabbage but you can take white one. I have taken green capsicum but you can take yellow or red bell peppers. Similarly you can add or delete some vegetables as per your choice.
Recipe of mix veg
1 potato- peeled and cubed
1/2 cabbage (patta gobi/band gobi)- chopped
1/2 cup shelled peas (matar)- fresh or frozen
1/2 broccoli (green gobi) or cauliflower (gobi)- broken into florets
1 capsicum (shimla mirch)- chopped
1 carrot- peeled and cut into roundels
2 tomatoes- pureed
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp coriander powder
How to make mix veg
1. Out of the 2 tbsp oil, heat 1 & 1/2 tbsp oil in a kadhai or a pan and add cumin seeds. When they turn darker, add hing.
2. Add all the vegetables except tomato puree. Add salt and all the spice powders except garam masala. Give it a good mix.
3. Cover the lid and cook on a low heat till vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a small pan and add tomato puree. Cook on a medium heat till oil begins to separate from the puree.
5. When vegetables are done, add tomato puree and garam masala and mix. Cook on a medium-low heat till all moisture evaporates. Turn off the heat and serve hot mix veg with roti, paratha, poori or naan.

Sama ke Chawal ki Vegetable khichdi

sama ke chawal ki khichdi

Earlier I blogged about sama ke chawal ki khichdi which had only samak rice but this recipe also contains healthy vegetables which can be eaten during fasts. Addition of vegetables add to the taste as well as nutritive value of this tasty vrat ki khichdi. Remember we don't eat beans and peas (matar) in any form during Ekadashi, Janmashtami and Navratra fasts.

Recipe of sama ke chawal ki vegetable khichdi

1/2 cup sama ke chawal (samo rice/shyamak chawal/samak chawal/vrat ke chawal)

1 tbsp desi ghee (clarified butter)

Sendha salt (rock salt) - to taste

2 green chilies- chopped

Vegetables like potato, carrot, spinach, tomato, cauliflower and capsicum- chopped

 2& 1/2 cups of water

How to make sama ke chawal ki vegetable khichdi

1. Wash and soak sama ke chawal. In the meantime you can chop the vegetables. Drain the water from the rice.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add green chilies. Sauté for a minute and then add all the vegetables, salt and sama ke chawal along with 2 and 1/2 cups of water. (Idea is to add 5 times water as sama ke chawal).

3. Cook to 2 whistles. Open the lid of the cooker when pressure drops down naturally. Your sama ke chawal ki khichdi is ready.

Besan Wali Arbi Recipe

besan wali arbi

This recipe of besan wali arbi is one of my own recipes. Today I made them along with rotis and they turned out very tasty. If you like arbi in any form, they are worth giving a try.

Recipe of besan wali arbi

1/2 kg arbi (taro root/ colocassia)

2 tbsp besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dry mango powder)

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 inch piece ginger- grated or chopped

2 tbsp oil

How to prepare besan wali arbi

1. Pressure cook arbi for 1- 2 whistles. Peel and chop them into roundels.

2. Out of the 2 tbsp oil, add 2 tsp oil to a pan or a kadhai and add besan. Roast on a medium- low heat till nice aroma comes out of besan and it turns slightly reddish- brown.

3. Turn off the heat and take besan out of the pan. Add a little salt to the besan.

4. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and add ajwain. When it changes color, add hing.

5. Add the ginger and sauté it lightly.

6. Add arbi, salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Roast on a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

7. When arbi appears well roasted, add remaining spice powders and besan. Mix well and cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes.

8. Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve besan wali arbi hot with roti, paratha or poori.