Capsicum green Peas Sabji ( dry )

Hi All... havent seen what was the last date I had posted on my blog.

Today.. decided to go for it affirmatively ( affirmative with myself  ;))  and I was making this Sabji for our dinner so thought of posting it.

Bell peppers are in the season and so are the peas, love both of these lovely greens which offer lot of health benefits too.

Without further ado, lets look at the recipe :-)

Ingredients :

2 Medium sized Bell pepper ( Green ) chopped into chunks
2 fistful of Peas
2 Tbl sp roasted peanuts powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala ( I used maharashtrian Goda masala but you can use any other garam masala of your choice )
salt to taste
1 tsp of Jaggery or 1/2 tsp sugar
2 pinches of citric acid ( for sourness )
mustard seeds , Cumin seeds, Turmeric, Asafoetida for Tadka


Procedure :

1. In a frying pan heat up some oil for tadka.
2. Once heated, add mustard seeds,Jeera,Asafoetida, turmeric. 
3. Add  chopped bell pepper chunks and stir well.
4. Add Green peas and mix well.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on the steam for  5-7 min.
6. Add peanuts powder and other spices and mix well. Taste it and add the missing flavour.
7. Cover and cook for couple of more minutes for all the spices to infuse well.
8. Mix well before serving with Chapati  :-)

Note: You can either add Kokum / Tamerind piece for the sour taste. 

           I didnt add red chilli powder to retain the colour and  flavour of Pepper , the natural heat.

Palak Paneer - Spinach Paneer Curry

Its been a while I wrote something on my dear Blog...
It is Spring in England...sunny intervals along with a light shower of rains....Daffodils everywhere....Trees getting their fresh green leaves..it is such an awesome time to Paint....but one need to have that gift...
It's drizzling outside...but a bright day too...So thought of removing the dust from Blog...and post some awaiting recipes...
This one is not so "Hatke" but still we relish every time we eat it :-)


So friends...I hope you like the recipe and try it at home...


Ingredients:


I used a ready made Paneer pack which weighed 227g...
500g Fresh Palak / Spinach leaves
Green Chillies as per Taste
1 Onion medium sized
3-4 Garlic cloves ( or to the Taste )
Grated Ginger 1.5 Tsp
Coriander powder  3 Tsp
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1tsp Sugar
Salt to taste


Procedure:

1. Wash Spinach leaves and Cook them in Pressure cooker until soft. ( Usually 3 whistles are enough but cook it as per your Pressure cooker). Once it cools down, Drain the water ( But keep that water aside). Pour running cold water on the leaves in a strainer. 
2. Grind these leaves in Mixer to a fine paste.
3. Cut the Paneer into small cubes( Or you can buy already cubed Paneer )Pour 2-3 Tsp oil in a pan.
4. Keep the cubes one by on on the pan and fry them till golden brown. After some time flip them and try to shallow fry the cubes from both the sides as much as possible. Once done, keep the pan aside. Prepare for the gravy now..

1. Pour 1-2 Tsp oil in a Pan / Wok / kadhai .
2. Paste: Put chopped onion, garlic cloves, green chillies, ginger,Coriander powder with just enough water to smooth grinding in a mixer and grind it to a fine paste. 
3. Once oil is hot, add Cumin seeds, when they splutter add the ground paste and stir well.
4. Stir for 4-5 min on Medium flame so that paste wont stick to the pan. Cook it until the rawness of onion-garlic is gone...it turns little brown.
5. Add 1/2 Cup water to the pan now.(Use the drained water we kept aside from the cooked spinach ; we have saved all the nutrients ). 
6. Let it come to boil. 
7. Add the fine ground paste of Spinach. to this.
8. Once the mixture has come to a proper boil, pour the cubes one by one.
9. Boil it well. 
10. Add salt to taste. And mix gently so that paneer cubes wont break...

Serve hot n Enjoy with Chapatis or Naan.

Note: Add water as per your requirement of how thick or liquid consistency you want. 

And if you add more water by mistake, mix Gram flour in little yogurt and add to the mixture ( But do it before you add paneer cubes.)

AlooDum / DumAloo / Spicy potatoes

One of the favourite dishes of my husband...Dumaloo  or AlooDum...is a famous North India Curry.
Very spicy..spicy as in an amazing blend of Indian Spices...not Hot by taste.


Ingredients: 

1. Around  half Kilo Small-medium sized potatoes
2. 2 Tsp Coriander seeds ( I used Coriander powder 2 Tsp. You can use same if for now you dont have seeds in the shelf)
3. 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
4. 2 Bay-leaves
5. 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
6. 4-5 Red chillies
7. 1/2 Tsp Black pepper
8. 2-3 Cloves of Garlic
9. 1  medium size Onion
10. 1 Tsp Garam masala
11. Asafoetida
12. Salt to taste
13. 2-3 Tsp Yoghurt ( optional)

Procedure:

1. Boil potatoes in Pressure cooker. Once cooled, remove skin and prick them slightly softly.
2. Ground paste 1 :  In a mixer , put  Items 2-7 from top list along with little bit of water. and Grind well into a paste.
3. Now, grind onion,garlic in mixer to a paste. This is paste 2
4. Heat oil in a pan. Once heated, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and Asafoetida.
5. Add  Paste 1 and stir well. Add paste 2. 
6. Start stirring well till the Pastes are cooked, or slight turning pink. ca.  2 Minutes.
7. Add 2 cups of water. Let it boil. Add salt to taste.Once started boiling, add boiled potatoes.
8. Let them get blended in Spices well. Cook in Spice water.
9. Cook for around 10 min. You will see the gravy takes thick consistency.
10. Add Garam masala. Mix gently so that potatoes are not broken.
11. Switch off the gas. Add yoghurt if you like ( But it gives a nice gravy consistency to the Curry)
12. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Enjoy!!  

Mutter Paneer Made Easy!!!

Ingredients:

Paneer chopped in cubes

Onion finely chopped

Green peas

Tomato sauce (hot and sweet tomato chilli sauce)

Chilli paste

Cinnamon ( whole or shop bought Cinnamon powder)

Cloves

Salt

Ginger paste or grated ginger

(Garlic paste optional. I didn't use it)  

Coriander leaves or salad cress for garnishing

Mustard seeds,cumin seeds,turmeric for tempering.

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,turmeric. Add cinnamon,cloves. ( If you don't have whole cinnamon,sprinkle some Cinnamon powder )
2. Add chopped onion and stir well. Once onion is well cooked add Tomato sauce.
3. Stir well.
4. Add red chilli paste and give a good stir.
5. Add Green peas and stir well.Let it cook well for 2-5 minutes.
6. Add cubed Paneer and toss the pan in order to apply gravy to paneer cubes properly. I said toss instead stir is because that wouldn't disturb shape of soft paneer :)
7. Add salt to taste.Mix well.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander or salad cress.

An easy way to enjoy delicacy like Mutter-Paneer :) 

Stuffed Capsicum

One of my brother's favourite curry. Whenever mom used to make he used to enjoy it like anything..I didnt that time..But Today I did. :) 


Ingredients: 
2 Bell peppers  ; If medium sized take 4 or cut  big pepper into 2 halves. 
5-6 medium sized potatoes; boiled and mashed
1 Big onion finely chopped
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Lemon juice 1 Tsp
Salt to taste
Green chillies to taste finely chopped
Turmeric 1/2 Tsp


Procedure:

1. remove the seeds from peppers. 
2. To mashed potatoes, add finely chopped onion,coriander leaves,green chillies,salt,lemon juice,turmeric. Mix well.
3. Stuff capsicums with this mixture.
4. In kadhai or pan add 2 tsp oil. Keep stuffed capsicum one by one.
5. Cover with lid. Cook on medium-low flake.
6. If capsicums are tender then no problem otherwise sprinkle little water with hands while cooking.
7. Cook for 10 min. Do not let the underside of capsicum burn.
8. Once proper cooked, capsicum will be soft also, the stuffing's color will be changed. Uncooked potatoes to cooked potatoes:)

Serve Hot!!

Spinach with 4 Lentils / पालक ४ डाळीन सोबत

Recipe by my aai :)  I tried and liked it too :) Hope you all like it too. Being spinach in it, a true Iron source plus Lentils give nice Proteins supplement as a bonus we can say:)
Enjoy Healthy Foods!!!


Ingredients: 
225gm Spinach finely chopped
Green chillies to taste
Mustard seeds for seasoning
Cumin seeds for seasoning
Curry leaves 2 twigs
Garlic cloves chopped ( optional)
1.5 Tsp Tuvar daal 
1.5 Tsp Yellow split moong daal
1.5 Tsp Black split Urad dal ( split black gram)
1.5 Tsp Split Bengal gram ( chana dal / हरभरा डाळ)
Turmeric
1 Tsp Coriander powder
1 Tsp Cumin powder
salt to taste
1/2 Tsp sugar

Procedure:

1. Put chopped spinach and all daals in cooker and cook well for 3 whistles putting just enough water.
2. Once cooker is cooled down, in the cooker only, churn the palak well with the manual churner what we use for preparing buttermilk. ( रवी ). Since palak is cooked well it will become soft and even consistent.
3. Put pan for heating. Pour 1 Tsp oil. Let it heat. Put mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves,chopped green chillies, Asafoetida,turmeric. 
4. Pour the Spinach-daal mixture in it and stir well.
5. Add water as required by you. Whatever thin or thick consistency you want.
6. Mix well. Add coriander powder,cumin powder,salt to taste,sugar.
7. Let it boil for 4-5 min. Stir well from bottom properly.
8. Keep a small pan on different stove with 1 Tsp oil to heat.
9. Once oil is hot, add chopped garlic . wait till it turns golden brown. Pour this Tadaka on the curry and cover the curry immediately. ( This will prevent the Tadka aroma from escaping)

Serve hot with chapatis or even rice. 

Happy eating!

Low fat stuffed-spicy Brinjal

This is my favourite recipe...just while writing it also I am feeling my mouth is watering ;)

I prepare Jowar-Ragi roti with this curry.

Preparation time: 10 min

cooking time: 10 min

Ingredients:

Medium sized Brinjals

For stuffing: desiccated coconut ( Dry coconut grated)

Garam masala ( काळा मसाला / गोडा मसाला )

Red chilli powder

Garlic cloves

Roasted ground nuts powder

Salt to taste

Turmeric

Jaggery

For garnishing: Finely Chopped coriander leaves

* adjust the quantity of stuffing masala as per Brinjals in number and size.

Procedure:

1. Dry roast grated ( dry) coconut in kadhai or pan for 3-4 min just till it changes color by little.
2. In mixer, put the roasted coconut, ground nut powder ( roasted peanuts's powder),red chilli powder, salt to taste, garam masala,turmeric and grind on low speed for 2-3 minutes.Now remove the pan and add garlic cloves and grind again for a minute. Add grated Jaggery and mix the ground masala well with hand in order de solve the lumps if any while grinding.
3. Slit the Brinjals to give a + sign. That is 1vertical and 1 horizontal slit taking care that Brinjal doesn't get cut into 2 pieces:)
4. Fill the above ground masala in the slitted Brinjals as much as possible. If masala is remaining, keep it aside. It can be used while cooking the Brinjals.
5. In a small vessel which can be properly fitted into your pressure cooker, keep these stuffed Brinjals one by one.
6. Pressure cook them for 2 whistles. Note: Don't put water in the container in which you have kept Brinjals.
7. Let the cooker cool down.
8. Keep a pan on stove to heat up. Add 1 Tsp oil. Once oil is hot, keep the cooked brinjals one by one in the pan on oil carefully.
9. After 2-3 minutes just flip them carefully in order to apply the oil all over the Brinjal.
10. Shallow fry them like this for 3-4 minutes. Add the extra masala iff any remaining.

Ready to serve!!!!!!

It saves lots of time and gas and oil :) yet the same taste..and more healthy :)

Garnish it with nice fresh cilantro.

Happy eating!!!!!!!!!!!

Spinach-Buttermilk Curry / पालकाची ताक घालून भाजी

Hi,

This recipe is a traditional Maharashtrian Spinach curry :) Not spicy or masala style but yet very tasty. Try it!

Ingredients:

250gm Spinach

5 T spoon of cooked yellow moong daal ( Yellow moong daal pressure cooked)

1 T spoon Gram flour

2 T spoon Curds

water

salt to taste

1/2 t spoon turmeric

3-4 Kokum

1 T spoon or to taste Sugar

1 T spoon Cumin powder

1 T spoon Coriander powder

2-3 green chillies chopped or to taste

For Seasoning:

mustard seeds

cumin seeds

2 red chillies de seeded

2-3 garlic cloves chopped into small pieces

asafoetida

curry leaves 2-3 twigs

Procedure:

1. Chop the spinach.
2. Pour 1 T spoon oil in pan. Once hot, put chopped green chillies,stir well. Put chopped spinach.
3. Keep stirring.
4. Add little water ( around 1/2 cup) to let spinach cook well.
5. After 5-6 minutes, if spinach is well cooked, try to mash it in the pan itself with the spoon.
6. Add 1 cup water. Let it come to boil. Add kokukm.
7. Let it come to proper boil so that sourness of Kokum will be absorbed in water.
8. Add turmeric,cumin powder,coriander powder.
9. Stir well.
10. Add Cooked moong daal now and while stirring, mix everything well. In order to apply daal properly to the spinach.
11. While curry is cooking well, take curds,gram flour(Besan), around 1 cup water in a bowl. Churn it well to desolve the gram flour in buttermilk without any lumps.
12. If curry is cooked well ( daal, all spices are well mixed, cooked) add the mixture of buttermilk to it.
13. Mix well. Add sugar.
14. Mean while keep 2 T spoon oil for heating. Once hot, add mustard seeds, Asafoetida,garlic pieces. Once garlic becomes little brownish in color add cumin seeds,curry leaves, chopped de' seeded red chili pieces.
15. Add salt as per taste to the curry. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes.
16. Pour the seasoning on the curry and immediately close the curry pan with lid.
17. Switch off the gas.

Covering the curry after seasoning maintains the aroma of the seasoning :) So just remove the lid before you serve.

Note:

• You can adjust the consistency by adding less or more water in curry.
• You can cook 1 cup daal for the whole day or so and just remove few spoons for this curry aside. Rest of the daal can be made into daal tadka or daal fry.

This curry goes well with Rice, Chapati and Jowar roti.

Happy Eating!

Mutter Paneer / Green Peas-Cottage cheese Curry

Mutter paneer is one of the popular curries and must be one of those which are ordered in Restaurants oftenest :)

Easy to make and finger licking taste.....weekend can be made special with this curry am sure:)

Ingredients:

200gm Paneer

1 cup green peas

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

1 medium sized tomato or 2 small tomatoes finely chopped

1 T spoon Ginger-garlic paste

Whole garam masala ( 1 bay leaf, 3-4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom)

salt to taste

3 T spoon well beaten curds

Turmeric

red chilli powder

1-2 green chillies finely chopped or as per taste

1/2 T spoon sugar

1 T spoon coriander powder

1 T spoon Cumin powder

cumin seeds, mustard seeds

4-5 T spoon Oil

Procedure:

1. Heat 2 T spoon oil in pan. Put all the ingredients of whole garam masala in it ( cloves,cardamom,cinnamon,bay leaf ) and stir well for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan keep aside to cool down.
2. In the same pan put finely chopped onion and stir well. Once, onion is cooked well put tomatoes and let it cook for some time. Once cooked, remove from pan and let it cool.
3. After some time, if all the stir fried ingredients are cooled, grind them all ( except cardamom) in mixer with 1-2 green chillies and little bit water.
4. Heat 2 T spoon oil in pan, put cumin seeds and let it splutter.
5. add ginger garlic paste,turmeric and stir well.
6. Add ground mixture and little water to cook the masala well.
7. pour little water in order to get a medium thick consistency.
8. Add cumin powder, coriander powder,red chilli powder.
9. Let this mixture come to boil, then pour medium sized Paneer cubes.
10. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
11. Pour fresh green peas. ( If frozen are used, remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before use)
12. Stir very gently.
13. Add (well beaten)curds now. Stir gently,so that paneer/peas wont break. Add sugar,salt.
14. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. ( Don't overcook after you add curds,otherwise curds get separated due to heat.) Curds give a nice creamy consistency. ( You can also add half cream and half curds. i.e 2 T spoon cream and 2 T spoon Curds.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with Roti or Naan :)

Healthy benefits of paneer:

• paneer has a rich source of Calcium which helps in building strong teeth and bones :)
• If taken in moderation, can reduce weight
• Paneer provides requirement of protein by the body for growth and renewal
  Being source of calcium, paneer prevents and reduces back and joint pains
• BUT, if deep fried, benefits wont be as many as mentioned above :)