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Baby corn capsicum masala

This recipe of baby corn capsicum masala is handed down to me by my mom. She also adds broccoli to the dish but since broccoli was not available, I skipped it. I also made simple moong dal and we had it with tava fresh rotis.

Recipe of baby corn capsicum masala

7-8 baby corns

1 capsicum- thick slices

1 carrot- chopped

1 onion- thick slices and separated

2 tomatoes- pureed

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp oil

Chopped vegetables

1. Wash and pressure cook baby corns in little water for 1 whistle. You can also boil baby corns in a pan for few minutes. Strain and chop the baby corns.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add baby corns and all the other vegetables except pureed tomatoes.

3. Add all the spices and salt and mix well. Lower heat and cook covered till carrot gets tender.

4. Add tomato puree and increase heat. Cook uncovered till gravy gets dry, stirring occasionally. Serve hot baby corn capsicum masala sabzi hot as a side with any bread.

baby corn

Matar ghugni

There are types of ghugni like chana (chickpea) ghugni and matar ghugni. Earlier I made a blogpost of chana ghugni. This is my version of matar ghoogni. For those of you who don’t know about it, it’s a favorite evening snack in Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Orissa. Ghugni is also a chaat item in Eastern India.

Recipe of matar ghugni

2 cups matar (green peas)

1 onion- chopped

1 tomato- diced

1 inch ginger- grated

1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp oil

1. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok or a pan. Add fennel seeds and after few seconds add onion.

2. Fry onion till light pink. Add ginger and all the spices and salt. Fry for 2 minutes.

3. Add tomato and cook till tomato pulp out and softens.

4. Add matar and give it a mix. Cook stirring till matar begins to shine.

5. Lower heat, sprinkle some water and cook covered till matar is tender.

6. Uncover and increase heat so that all moisture evaporates. Turn off heat, add lime juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve matar ghoogni hot with either puri or luchi. You can even enjoy a bowlful as a snack.

Healthy Bytes (Nutrition Info.) - Matar or green peas are a good source of vitamin K thus they are important in maintaining bone health. Matar support energy producing systems of the body thus help you if are often sluggish and fatigued.

aloo palak (spinach potato dry curry)

Today as I was wondering what to cook, I opened the fridge. I saw that I had very few vegetables left and a bunch of palak was staring at my face. The palak was still in a good shape so I decided to cook aloo palak with phulkas. I used a very simple recipe but believe me aloo palak turned out very tasty.

Recipe of aloo palak

1 bunch palak (spinach) -stems removed and chopped

2 medium (aloo)  potatoes- peeled and cubed

2 tomatoes

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 inch piece ginger

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp oil or ghee (clarified butter)

Palak

1. Grind tomatoes, onion, garlic and ginger together to form a smooth paste.

2. Heat oil or ghee in a kadhai (wok). Add cumin seeds and when they turn dark, add onion-tomato paste.

3. Add all the spices and salt. Cook till oil begins to separate from the masala.

4. Add spinach and potatoes. Mix well and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook covered, stirring occasionally.

5. Cook till potatoes turn tender. Then uncover and increase the heat so that all moisture evaporates, stirring in between.

6. When curry turns dry, turn off heat. Serve aloo palak hot with rotis.

bharwa pyaz

Bharwa pyaz is made from small sized red onions. My mother-in-law used to cook them really well. Our family likes this sabzi of pyaz as we like to eat onion in all its form.

Recipe of bharwa pyaz

6-7 small sized red onions- peeled and washed

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp saunf (fennel) powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp oil

pyaz stuffed with spices

1. Make cross like slits in the onions without separating from the base (as shown in the picture).

2. In a small bowl, mix salt and all the spices except turmeric powder. Stuff this spice mixture in the pyaz using a clean knife.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add turmeric powder. Cook for 2 seconds and spread it in the oil using a spatula. Add stuffed onions.

4. Lower heat and cook covered. Turn the pyaz over when the underside is cooked so that onions are roasted from all sides. Do not overcook.

5. Serve hot bharwa pyaaz with roti or paratha.

gobhi ke danthal ki sabzi

Gobi ke danthal ki sabzi is mainly made in Punjabi households. It’s full of nutrition since it has high fiber content. It’s like putting vegetable waste to good use since most people throw away the stalks. I find it as a nice side with rotis.

Recipe of gobi ke danthal ki sabzi

Danthal of 1 or 2 gobi (stalks of 1 or 2 cauliflowers) - depends on how much stalk cauliflower has

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp oil

danthal (stalks)

1. Peel the hard outer covering of gobi danthal. Wash and chop them into pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add hing.

3. Add gobhi danthal, salt and all the spices except amchoor and garam masala. Mix well.

4. Cook covered on a low heat till danthal or stalk pieces turn tender. Add amchoor and garam masala and mix. Turn off the heat. Serve hot danthal ki sabzi garnished with coriander leaves. Serve with roti or paratha.

Lauki ke kofte

Lauki ke kofte or lauki kofta are my hubby dear’s favorite. Like many people he doesn’t care much for lauki ki sabzi but can eat kofte any time. It takes a little time and practice to make perfect lauki kofta but the result is well worth it. This dish is liked by kids also as it contains deep fried pakoras (fritters).

Recipe of lauki ke kofte or lauki kofta

Kofta

1/2 kg lauki (bottle gourd/ ghiya/ doodhi)

1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

Oil to deep fry

Gravy

3 tomatoes- pureed

1 inch piece ginger

2 onions

3 green chillies

4-5 cloves garlic (optional)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

3/4 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp oil

Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) for garnish

Fried koftas

1. Peel, wash and grate lauki. Squeeze genlty to remove excess water. There is no need to squeeze hard. Reserve the liquid for gravy.

2. Mix lauki, besan, salt and red chilli powder. Mix well and beat with your hands.

3. Heat enough oil in a kadhai/ wok. Drop small portions by your hand or a tablespoon in the hot oil. Fry koftas on medium heat, then when they appear cooked, increase heat to give them brownish color. Fry in batches. These fritters or pakoras are called kofte.

4. Drain kofte on an absorbent paper and keep aside.

5. To prepare the gravy, grind together onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies.

6. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add hing. Add onion paste and fry till light brown.

7. Add tomato puree. Add salt and turmeric, coriander and garam masala powders. Fry till oil begins to separate.

8. Add 1 cup water and give 1 boil. You can also add the reserved liquid from lauki. Add kofte and simmer on a low heat for 5-7 minutes. Adjust water according to consistency of the gravy you want. Serve hot lauki ke kofte garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Lauki kofta

aloo gajar matar

This subzi of aloo, gajar, matar is made in winter season when fresh carrots and peas come. This sabzi has a slight sweet taste because of juicy, sweet carrots and peas. Dried mango powder (amchoor) added in the end imparts it light sour taste.

Recipe of aloo, gajar, matar sabzi

2 medium carrots (gajar) - peeled and chopped

1 large potato (aloo) - peeled and cubed

1 cup peas (matar)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/4 tsp garam masala

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add hing.

2. Add aloo, gajar and matar. Add salt, turmeric, red chilli and coriander powders. Mix well. Cook on a low heat, covered. Stir occasionally.

3. Cook till vegetables are tender. Turn off heat and add amchoor and garam masala. Mix well. Serve hot aloo, gajar, matar ki sabzi with roti or paratha.

shalgam ka bharta

This recipe of shalgam ka bharta or sabzi was told by a friend of mine who is also a neighbor. She is a good cook and told me many recipes which I will be sharing with you. My husband adores this sabzi and so do I.

Recipe of shalgam ka bharta/ bhurta

3-4 shalgam (turnip)

1 medium onion- chopped

2 tomatoes- chopped

3-4 cloves garlic- chopped

1 inch piece ginger- chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp oil

1. Wash and peel shalgam. Chop them into thick cubes.

2. Place shalgam in a pressure cooker along with 1/2 cup of water. Cook to 2 whistles.

3. Strain and discard the liquid. Mash shalgam roughly.

4. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add hing.

5. Add onion and sauté till light brown. Add ginger and garlic. Fry for 1 minute.

6. Add tomatoes and salt and all the spices. Cook till tomatoes become soft and pulpy.

7. Add shalgam and mix well. Cook covered on a low heat for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve hot shalgam ka bharta with rotis.

shalgam (turnip)

cubed shalgam

sarson ka saag

Sarson ka saag along with makki ki roti makes an ideal Punjabi meal. Sarson and makki ka atta comes in winter so this is the time to relish this delicious fare. Serve with a small piece of gur (jaggery).

Recipe of sarson ka saag

1 kg sarson (mustard greens)

250 gm palak (spinach)

2 tbsp makki atta (maize flour/ cornmeal)

4-5 green chillies- washed and caps removed

3 tomatoes- chopped

2 onions- chopped

1 inch piece ginger- chopped

2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

1. Clean and wash sarson and palak. Chop leaves of palak and sarson. Chop soft parts of sarson stems and peel and chop lower parts of stems. Discard the lowest parts of sarson stems.

2. Place sarson and palak alog with 2 cups of water, salt and green chillies in a pressure cooker. Cook to 4 whistles. Grind the saag in a blender to a coarse paste. It should not be too fine.

3. Add makki ka atta and cook uncovered on medium heat for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.

4. Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add onion and sauté till light brown.

5. Add ginger and fry for 1 minute.

6. Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes turn mushy and ghee begins to separate.

7. Pour this tadka (tempering) over sarson da saag and mix well. Serve hot sarson ka saag with makki ki roti.

Masala bhindi in microwave

Who says you can’t cook Indian dishes in a microwave oven. Some dishes like masala bhindi or spicy okra turns out beautifully and real fast in microwave. There are so many Indian dishes which you can cook in micro about which I will be blogging in future.

Recipe of masala bhindi in microwave

1/2 kg bhindi (okra/ lady fingers)

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1. Wash bhindi and pat dry. Remove caps and tails of okra. Cut them vertically.

1. Mix well all the above ingerdients with bhindi.

2. Cook in a microwave safe bowl for 8 minutes on micro Power 70. Enjoy masala bhindi hot with roti or rice.