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Potato, apple and celery salad

This cool salad of potato, apple and celery is very refreshing during these days. It tastes best when chilled.

Recipe of potato, apple and celery salad

7-8 baby potatoes - peeled

2 red apples

2-3 celery (shalari, ajmud) stalks

1 tbsp oil

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Salt to taste

Black pepper (coarsely crushed) - to taste

1. Place 4 cups of water in a pan with 1 1/2 tsp salt and baby potatoes. Bring it to a boil. Lower heat and cook covered till potatoes turn fork tender. Strain.

2. Core apples and cut into 1/2 inch cubes without peeling. Chop the celery stems.

3. Place potatoes, apples and celery stems in a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp oil and lemon juice.

4. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

5. Just before serving, add the mayonnaise and 1/2 tbsp oil. Gently mix and serve chilled.

Note- Cut apples just before mixing and immediately add lemon juice and oil to prevent discoloration of apples.

Healthy Bytes (Nutrition Info.)- All of us have heard that ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ but few of us realize its meaning. Consuming apple reduces your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and asthma. It’s also helpful in keeping Alzheimer at bay.

aloo ka halwa

Aloo ka halwa or potato halwa is an unusual dessert. If you are making it for the first time, you will be surprised that how good it tastes. Potato halwa is also eaten in some fasts. If you roast it really well, it will not give a potato taste but some unique taste. Try it and be ready for surprise!

Recipe of potato halwa

1 cup boiled, peeled and mashed potato

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder

1/4 cup milk

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Toasted nuts like cashew nuts and raisins

1. Mash the boiled potatoes while still warm. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Add mashed potato and roast on a low heat.

2. Keep stirring the halwa as it tends to stick to the bottom. Roast for 10-15 minutes.

3. Add milk and sugar. Again keep roasting till sugar dissolves and halwa thickens to desired consistency. Turn off the heat.

4. Add elaichi powder and garnish potato halwa with toasted nuts.

Note- The more you roast the aloo ka halwa, the better it will taste. Take medium sized potatoes for this halwa.

aloo ka raita

Aloo ka raita is loved by all potato lovers. This cool accompaniment to hot meals tastes absolutely delicious. Be it aloo raita or any other raita, flavor of curd is enhanced many times when you turn it into a raita.

Recipe of aloo ka raita

2 cups yogurt (dahi/ curds)

2 medium sized potatoes (aloo) - boiled, peeled, cooled and cubed

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp roasted cumin seeds- ground coarsely

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves- to garnish

1. Whisk yogurt till smooth. Add salt, red chilli powder and cumin powder.

2. Add potato cubes and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve aloo ka raita chilled.

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

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.

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.

Aloo ka paratha

Aloo Paratha is one of the most popular parathas. Since my husband is a huge fan of alu parantha, I try to make the potato filling as tasty as I can and my paranthas crisp. You don’t need any side dish with aloo paratha. It can be enjoyed with curd and some pickle. In fact I enjoy it all by itself. In the picture above, I have also added chopped onion to the filling.

Recipe of Aloo Paratha

Dough

1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

1/2 tsp salt

Filling

2 potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed

2 green chillies- finely chopped

1 tbsp coriander leaves- finely chopped

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

Oil to shallow fry

1. In a deep bowl, mix all ingredients of the dough and knead into pliable dough by adding enough water. Set aside, covered for 20 minutes.

2. Mix all the ingredients of the filling.

3. Divide the dough into 4 or 5 balls. Similarly divide the filling in 4-5 portions.

4. Roll out 1 ball of the dough into 3 inch round tossing it in dry flour to prevent it from sticking. Also roll out by putting more pressure on the edges so that edges are thinner than the inner portion of the round.

5. Grease this round with oil using an oiled spoon. Place 1 portion of filling in it. Gather the edges of the round to cover the filling. Press lightly to reshape into a ball. Roll out into a 6 inch round tossing in dry flour in between.

6. Heat a tava (griddle). For the first paratha, grease the tava. Place the paratha on it and cook on one side. When the paratha begin to puff up here and there, flip and cook on other side. Cook on both sides brushing with oil. Press with a spatula in between to make the paratha crisp. When the paratha looks golden brown with brown- black specks in between, it is done.

7. Repeat the process with rest of the dough and filling.

aloo parathas with raita

Aloo ki poori

There is another way of making aloo ki puri besides the method given below. It is by stuffing potato mixture in the poori. The recipe which I am sharing is much easier to make and absorbs much less oil than by stuffing. So, give it a try.

Recipe of aloo ki poori

1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
2 medium potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed well
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil + to deep fry

1. Mix atta, potatoes, cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and 2 tsp oil. Knead into medium stiff dough. Use as little water as possible. Use boiled potatoes to knead the dough.
2. Keep aside for 20 minutes covered with a damp cloth.
3. Heat oil in heavy bottomed vessel (kadhai).
4. Take a small ball (peda) out of the dough and roll out like a puri. Deep fry on both sides on medium heat. Fry till golden. Serve hot with pickle of your choice.

bread upma

I have taken whole wheat bread for this recipe to make it healthier. Bread upma is a great way to use up leftover loaf of bread. Bread upma is very quick to make and with in no time, you can serve the breakfast.

Serves 2

5 slices of bread
1 boiled, peeled and cubed potato
1 tablespoon peanuts
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 onion- chopped
2 green chilies- chopped
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Chopped coriander leaves

1. Break bread into smaller pieces or alternatively you can make bread crumbs by crushing the bread in a blender. Try it both ways to know which one you prefer. I prefer bread pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add peanuts and roast.

3. Add onion and green chilies and stir-fry till onion become translucent.

4. Add potato, turmeric powder and salt. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

5. Add bread and mix well for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped coriander to the upma and cook for 1 more minute.

6. Add lemon juice and serve bread upma hot.