Peppy happy SWEET POTATO CHAAT

  Ingredients

2 medium size sweet potatoes

5 green chillies chopped fine

1" piece ginger chopped very fine

1/4 cup or more Coriander leaves chopped fine

Rock salt and common salt to taste

Red chillie flakes or powder to taste

3/4 tsp.Roasted and ground cumin seeds  (Bhuna  jeera)

A pinch of Hing optional

Tamarind chutney to taste

Coriander chutney optional

1large lime or lemon squeezed


   Method

• Wash the sweet potato well and boil till tender.
• Let it cool and then peel and cut into slices ( not too thick or too thin).If the sweet potato is very big you can cut it length wise first and then slice it. 
• Sprinkle all the ingredients and mix them well.
• Taste and adjust the spices. It should be tangy and hot.
• Transfer to a platter and sprinkle some coriander leaves on top. Enjoy the chaat while you are quarantined at home and the blues will disappear. 

   

     Note
Vary the ingredients to your liking..Try replacing the sweet potato with bananas and apples sprinkle the masalas and coriander, a squeeze of lime  and lick your fingers all the way. Feed yourself with this mouthwatering chaat and see the blues disappear and an aura of content 😌 and happiness take over.

  Lauki/ Bottle Gourd Tamatar ki sabzi

  Ingredients

 250gms lauki
 2 medium sized juicy tomatoes chopped roughly
 1" piece ginger chopped fine
 3t.sps cooking oil
A pinch of haldi / turmeric powder
chilli powder to taste
Salt to taste


 Method

• Peel the  lauki and cut it into four long pieces. Now slice it into 1/4 " thick pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadai/ saucepan on medium heat, add the lauki and mix well with the oil.
• Add haldi, chilli powder and and cook till the raw smell goes, about a minute.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped ginger and salt, mix well, turn the flame to low and when the tomatoes begin to soften, cover with a lid.
• Cook for about 2 minutes, remove the cover and check if there are enough juices.Add about 1/4 cup water if needed. If the lauki is very tender you may not even need to add water.
• Cover and cook on a very low flame for about 5 minutes or till the lauki is tender and the tomatoes well blended.
• Serve with hot rotis or rice and dal.

                                            -----------------------------------------------

  Note: Can be made in a pressure cooker but you need to be careful and take it off the heat before a     whistle.

 The flavour should be predominantly tomato and ginger but you can adjust it to your liking.

 Used to be a hot favourite with my kids, hope you enjoy it too.

  

Carrot Burst with Pine Nuts ( a refreshing summer salad)

 

  Ingredients

  2 cups grated carrots
  1/2 cup grated raddish(optional)
  1 1/2 tb sps mung daal (yellow lentils)
  1 tb sp roasted pine nuts
  1 t sp finely chopped ginger
  Chopped mint leaves
  few drops of lemon/lime juice
  salt to taste



  Method

• Wash and soak mung daal for 3-4 hours or till its soft enough to eat raw.
• Scrape ,wash and coarsely grate the carrots.
• Scrape, wash and grate the raddish.
• Toss all the ingredients together and season with salt and lime juice.
• Cool and serve with rice and curry, rolls or simple bread and cheese.

                          ---------------------------------------------------------------
 

Sunny Yellow Daal Salad (A light nutrtious summer salad)

   Ingredients

  1/2 cup yellow mung daal
  2 tb sps finely chopped onion
  2 tb sps chopped tomato
  Finely chopped ginger (optional)
  chopped corriander and mint leaves
  1/2- 1 green chilly finely chopped
  1/4 t sp haldi/turmeric
  salt to taste
  1/4 t sp red chilli powder
  1/4 t sp whole jeera/ cumin seeds
  A pinch of hing/ asafoteda
  2 t sps ghee or clarified butter/  cooking oil



  Method

• Wash the daal well till the water runs clear,soak it for 15 minutes and drain.
• Add 1 cup of water, haldi and salt and cook in the pressure cooker till high pressure is reached.Switch off the heat and let the pressure reduce on its own. Open the cooker and check if the daal is cooked. Dry out excess water if any.
•  If not using the pressure cooker, cook the daal in 1+3/4th cups of water.Reduce heat when it comes to a boil and cover with a lid leaving slightly open for the steam to escape.Stir after 5 minutes. The daal should be done when the water evaporates.It should have separate grains like boiled rice.
• Put in a flat serving dish and garnish with onions, tomatoes,ginger, corriander, mint and green chilly.
• Heat the ghee/ oil in a tempering pan till smoking. Lower heat, add  whole cumin  and bring to a splutter taking care not to let it burn. Take off the heat and quickly add red chilli powder and hing. Pour all over the garnished daal .
• Serve at room temparature as a salad  or as an accompaniment to vegetables and rotis.

                                      ----------------------------------------------------
 

Note: Another version is to mix olive oil and a few drops of lemmon juice to the cooked  and garnished daal instead of the ghee tempering.

Red Lady with Walnuts (A refreshing salad for the summer heat)

X

 

  Ingredients
  1 cup red cabbage shredded fine
  Juliennes of 1/4 red pepper and 1/4 yellow pepper
  a few slices of zuccini cut very fine
  peeled segments of 1/2 an orange
  10 mint leaves chopped fine
  finely chopped ginger ( optional)
  2 walnuts broken into quarters

  Seasoning
  2tb sps malt vinegar
  1 t sp powdered jaggery or brown sugar
  salt to taste


  Method
  Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl and refrigerate. add the seasoning just before serving.
  A very refreshing accompaniment with shammi kebabs, tangri kebabs cutlets or hard boiled eggs.

Shahi Paneer/Tofu

  Ingredients
  200 gms paneer/tofu
  7 cahews
  1/2 cup milk
  jeera/cumin powder
  1/4 t sp haldi / turmeric
  red chilli powder to taste
  salt to taste
  kasturi methi(dry fenugeric leaves)
  1tb sp cooking oil
  1 tb sp ghee/ butter
  1/2 t sp of sugar


       
     Method

• Soak the cashew nuts in milk till soft. Grind and make a paste and keep aside.
• Cut the paneer into large triangles.
• Heat oil in a kadai. Turn the heat off and now add jeera and haldi powder.Quickly add the paneer pieces  and stir so that the masalas do not discolour.
• Turn on the heat and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the salt and chilli powder and stir it gently.
• Add the cashew paste and stir to coat the paneer.Add the sugar and cook to melt it. 
• Add the kasturi methi and cook for 3 minutes.
• Serve with hot rotis or pulao.

                                               ________________________________________



    Note: Adjust the amount of the cashew paste to your liking.

Dum Biryani

  Ingredients

  3/4th cups black channa(Bengal Gram) soaked overnight
  2 cups Basmati rice
  3 tb sps chopped onions
  1t sp ginger paste
  11/2 t sp garlic paste
  2 tomatoes chopped or 2tb sps tomato puree


  Whole masalas for the rice
  5-7 green cardmoms
  5 cloves
  3 1" sticks of cinamon
  11 pepper corns
  3 bay leaves

  Dry masalas for the channa
  1 tb sp dhania(coriander) powder
  1/2 t sp chilli powder
  1/2 t sp haldi (turmeric) powder
  1 t sp garam masala made with coarsely ground (3green cardmoms, 1" stick cinamon, 3 cloves 5 peppercorns)

  Msalas for the layers
  1 large onion sliced fine and fried crisp.
  1 cup fresh chopped mint  and coriander leaves and 3 green chillies


  2 tb sps cooking oil
  2 tb sps pure ghee (clarified butter)
  a good pinch of saffron strands soaked in 1 tb sp milk
  1/2 - 1 t sp kewra essence for the aroma

 

  Method

• Wash and soak the rice for 1/2 an hour.
• Boil 8 cups of water in a large saucepan with 2 t sps of salt and all the whole masalas. Add the washed rice and boil till its almost cooked.
• Drain the excess water and spread the rice in a platter so that the grains stay separate.
• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, fry the chopped onions till golden brown.
• Add the ginger garlic pastes and fry till the raw smell goes.
• Add the dry masalas with a little bit of water and fry for 3 minutes.
• Now add the channa that has been soaked over night.
• Add the tomatoes/tomato puree and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Add the coarsely ground garam masala and mix well.
• Add 21/2 cups of water, close the lid and pressure cook on high heat till high pressure is reached.Lower heat and cook for 10 minutes.
• Let the cooker cool down , open the lid and dry out the excess water if any.It should be moist with thick masala but no curry.
• Now you are ready to put the biryani together.
• Take an over proof dish and spread the ghee at the bottom.
• Divide the rice into 3 portions and spread 1 part in the dish.
• Layer the rice with the fried onion, green mint , coriander and green chillies.
• Add a layer of 1/2 the cooked channa and top with a layer of rice.
• Repeat another layer similarly and top with the 3rd portion of rice.You are ready to add the flavours.
• With your finger ,make holes in the layers of rice . Pour a few drops of the saffron milk into each hole along with a few drops of Kewra essence (optinal).
• Cover and seal with aluminium foil .Cook in a pre heated oven for about 20 minutes.Alternately cook on an indirect low flame (on dum).
• Open the foil just before serving.
• Serve with raita of your choice.

          
                                                   ______________________________________



 
 

Meal In One (Daal saag)

  Ingredients

  1/2 cup channa daal (split gram)
  250 gms spinach
  1/2 cup chopped onions
  2 large tomatoes
  2 tsps chopped garlic
  1 tsp chopped ginger
  1tb sp cooking oil/ghee
  1/2 t sp haldi/turmeric
  1/2 t sp chilli powder
  3 t sps dhania/ coriander powder
  1/2 t sp whole jeera/cumin
  1 pinch of asafoetida
  1 dry red chilli
  salt to taste


  Method

• Wash and soak daal for 2-3 hours.
• Heat oil /ghee in a fry pan or pressure cooker,  add the dry red chilli broken into two and as it changes colour add whole jeera and asafoetida.
• Add chopped onions as jeera  begins to crackle and cook till soft and golden brown.
• Add ginger, garlic and cook till the raw smell goes.
• Add the dry masalas and salt to taste and cook for 2 minutes , taking care not to burn the masalas.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook well till oil begins to show on the side.
• Now add the drained daal and spinach and mix well with the masala.
• Add 2 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook for 5 minutes or till the daal is tender.
• Let the pressure reduce naturally, open the cooker and stir really well so that the spinach and daal are mixed well.
• Adjust the consistency to your liking by letting it cook without the lid for 2-3 minutes.
• A delicious meal is ready full of proteins and iron from the spinach.
• Enjoy with roties or parathas or steamed rice.Pickle and chutney will be a good accompaniment.

                                          ------------------------------------------------------

 
 

Green Crunch (crunchy green salad with spices)

  Ingredients

  2 cups finely shreded cabbage

  1/2 cup finely sliced green beans

  1/4 cup carrot julliens

  7 curry leaves washed and dried

  1 green chilli

  1/4t sp cumin seeds

  1/tsp mustard seeds

  1/4 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)

  salt to taste

  1tb sp olive oil or any other cooking oil

     Method

• Heat oil in a kadai or frypan.
• Add mustard, cumin and methi seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add curry leaves and broken green chilli.
• Add the cabbage, beans and carrots,stir fry for a minute  and cover and cook for 3 minutes on low heat or till the vegetables are cooked to your liking.Do not over cook as the veg's should be crunchy.
• Take the lid off, add salt and  stir fry for a minute or till no moisture is left.
• Can be served hot with rice and daal or  at room temparature as a salad.
• Add grated coconut for an exotic touch.

 

   Note:Innovate as one of the layers of a club sandwich or use it in a tortilla or paratha roll with other accompaniments.Try it out as a raita mixed with well beaten yoghurt, topped with roasted and powdered cumin seeds and coarsely ground black pepper.

Lucknow ki aloo tikiya ( Fried potato cakes with chutney)

  Ingredients

  4 large potatoes

  salt to taste

  Oil for frying

  2t sps ghee(clarified butter)

  1 cup beaten youghurt

 Green chutnney

  1 cup coriander /cilantro leaves

  1 small onion

  3 cloves of garlic

  1green chilli

  1/2 t sp salt

  juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime

 

  Grind all the ingredients in a grinder and your chutney is ready.

  Tamarind chutney

  1/2 cup tamarind paste

  1 cup jaggery powder or brown sugar or refined sugar

  2 tsps dhania (coriander powder)

  1/2 t sp rock salt 

  1/2 t sp jeera /cumin powder ( dry roast jeera /cumin seeds and pound them coarsely or grind in a grinder)

  red chilli powder to taste

 coarsely ground black pepper

  Table salt to taste

Boil the tamarind paste with 1/4 cup water, add the jaggery powder, add all the masalas and cook till it thickens. Should be a syrupy consistency.Pour into a small jar when cool and store in the fridge.

  Method

• Boil poatatoes with the skin.
• When cool peel the skin and mash potatoes to a smooth paste with the salt.Should be like a soft dough.
• Make tikiyas / round balls with the mash and flatten them on your palm about 1/4" thick and 1 1/2" diameter.
• Heat  2 tb sps oil in a heavy bottom fry pan or a griddle till smoking and spread it around the pan. 
• Place the tikiyas in the fry pan and adjust the heat so that it browns slowly and evenly.
• Turn the side with a flat spatula taking care not to break it and let it brown evenly.
• Add a few drops of oil around the sides if required.
• Keep turning the tikiyas till both sides are well browned and crisp.
• Spread the ghee or butter on the tikiyas and turn the side. Now spread the ghee on the other side,turn again and fry till you get the aroma of the ghee.
• Slide on to a small plate, put 1 tb spoon of beaten yoghurt, over the tikiya, top with the green and red chutney and sprinkle chaat masala.
• Take a bite, close your eyes and find yourself transported to the land of the Nawabs.

                                       ----------------------------------------------------------------

 Note: The tikiyas in Lucknow are actually made with pure ghee only and are really yummy.

Try it when you are in an indulgent mood or go for this watered down version as often as you wish.

Quick Fix.......Tawa Paneer (cottage cheese)/Tofu

Just the thing when you are too tired to cook but can't look at another pre cooked meal.

  Ingredients

  10, 1" cubes of paneer/tofu

  amchur/ mango powder

  red chilli powder

  salt to taste

  3 t sps cooking oil

  Method

• Heat a tawa/ gridle or a non stick frypan.
• Add 1 tsp oil and spread it around when smoking.
• Lower heat and place the paneer/tofu on the tawa, fry till lightly browned.
• Turn the paneer and add another t spoon of oil all around.
• Keep turning the sides and adding few drops of oil till all the sides are done to your liking.
• Transfer to a plate and sprinkle, amchur, chilli powder and salt to taste.
• Magic!!Your main dish is ready in two minutes.Enjoy it plain or toast two slices of bread,spread it with your favourie chutney or pickle,top it with thin tomato and cuchmber slices, place the paneer cubes on top,close your eyes take a bite,remember Roma and feel your tiredness vanish.
•  Little more effort??? Cut an onion into half and then slice it roughly.Sprinkle amcur powder, a few drops of lemon juice.Heat a paratha or roti, spread your favourite chutney or pickle and roll it with the fried paneer and onions,sit in front of the TV and enjoy your kathi roll.

                                                -------------------------------------------------

 

Dilli ki Aloo Matar Chaat ( Peas and Potato Chaat from Delhi)

  Ingredients

  1 cup boiled peas
  2 medium size potatoes boiled and  cut into halves
  1green chilli, slit
  1 tb spoon ginger julliens
  juice of 1/2 a lime or lemon
  1/2 tsp whole jeera (cumin)
  1 tb sp roasted dhania (coriander powder)
  1/2 t sp roasted chilli flakes
  1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder)
  1/4 t sp hing (asafoetida)
  1tb sp cooking oil
  1t sp ghee or butter
  fresh coriander for garnish

  Method

• Heat oil in a fry pan till smoking.
• Add whole jeera and as it begins to crackle, lower heat and add hing/asafoetida.
• Add coriander powder, chilli flakes and quickly add the potato halves taking care not to burn the masalas.
• Fry the potatoes till evenly browned on all sides and well coated with the masalas.
• Add boiled peas and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the ginger julliens and mango powder,and toss.
• Garnish with fresh chopped dhania/coriander/cilantro leaves.
• Add a tea spoon of ghee or a knob of butter and fry till aromatic.
• Serve hot, on a platter with a good squeeze of lime juice.

                                        ______________________________________



   Note: Jingling glass bangles......colourful bindies in all shapes and sizes........long "parandies" with silk and gold tassles...........mehendiwallies calling out for clientele............finger licking ALOO MATAR CHAAT!!!!
 Oh take me back to the excitement of  Tuesday evenings outside Delhi's Hanuman Mandir and the giggling company of college friends !

Jeera Aloo (Potatoes with Cumin)

  Ingredients
  250 gms  new potatoes or any potatoes of your choice
  1/2 t sp whole jeera/cumin
  1/4 t sp chilli powder
  1 t sp coriander powder
  1/2 t sp amchur/mango powder optional
  salt to taste
  1t sp ginger julliens or chopped ginger
  2 tb sps chopped  fresh coriander/cilantro
  1/2 tb sps cooking oil

 
  Method

• Wash and boil potatoes with the skin and let them cool.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3/4" pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadai or frypan, add jeera /cumin and as it begins to splutter add the potato cubes.
• Stir fry for a minute, sprinkle all the dry masalas and salt.and mix to coat the potatoes.
• Lower heat,add finely chopped ginger and cover with a lid for two minutes to let the masalas  assimilate with the potatoes.
• Uncover and let the poatoes cook on low heat for 7- 10 minutes, stirring of and on and letting them crumble a bit.
• Finally raise the heat and fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.
• Sprinkle the fresh herbs and stir once or twice.
• Serve on a platter garnished with fresh coriander and ginger julliens.

                                          ------------------------------------------------------


Note: A good side dish for any meal or can be enjoyed as a snack rolled with roties.
         To serve it as a cocktail snack,cut the potatoes into bite size cubes or wedges.
         Squeeze a few drops of lime juice to give it an extra zing.

Channa Kebabs

  Ingredients
  1 cup black channa ( Bengal gram) soaked for atleast 4  hours or over night
  1/2 cup soya granules soaked foe 1/2 an hour or as per instructions on the packet
  1 medium sized onion sliced
  1"" piece ginger chopped
  2 1/2 t sps coriander powder
  11/2 big cardamom
  3 small cardmoms
  1 t sp peppercorns
  1 whole red chilli or chilli powder to taste
  1 '' stick cinamom
  Oil for frying
  1finely chopped onion
  1/2 cup chopped coriander
  A few chopped mint leaves
  Green chilli chopped fine



   Method

• Drain the channa and soya granules and put them in a pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups of water.
• Add all the ingredients except oil , green chillies chopped onions and coriander leaves and pressure cook for 7 minutes.
• Let the steam escape naturally, open the pressure cooker and dry out the extra water if any and let it cool.
• Grind the mixture to a fine paste in a grinder or food processor.
• Add finely chopped onions, green chillies(optional),chopped coriander leaves and a few drops of lemon juice and mix well with the kebab mixture
• Shape into round flat kebabs and shallow fry in a hot frypan evenly browned on both sides. Keep ad justing the heat so that the kebabs are crisp on the outside but soft in the centre.
• Serve on lettuce leaves with sliced onions and  coriander/mint chutney.

                                        -----------------------------------------------------------------

 
  Note: Channa kebab can be served as a snack or rolled up as frankies or sandwiched between bread rolls to make burgers.........Let your imagination run !!and have fun

Chana Dal Ki Kichdi (Split Gram with rice)

 
 Ingredients

  1 cup Basmati rice or any other good quality rice washed and soaked for 20-30 minutes
  1/2 cup chana dal (split gram) soaked for atleast 1 hour
  1 small onion sliced fine (optional)
  1 1/2 piece ginger cut into fine julliens
  1 t sp cumin seeds
  1/2 t sp red chilli powder or chilli flakes
  salt to taste
  1 1/2 tb sps oil
  2 1/2 cups of water


  Method

• Heat oil in a sauce pan,add cumin seeds,add onions as soon as the cumin splutters and fry till golden brown.
• Drain and add the dal (gram), ginger julliens, salt and chilli flakes/powder, mix well with the onions
• Add 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid , lower heat and let the dal cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining water,let it come to a boil on high flame.Now add the rice and cover with a lid when boiling.
• Lower heat and cook till the water has dried up and the rice is tender, about 8 minutes.
• Serve with cucumber and onion raita, papad, chutney and pickle.

                                             __________________________________



Note: This is a complete meal providing protien and carbs.

Bagare Baigun (aubergine)

  Ingredients
  200 gms baby aubergines washed and slit lengthwise or 200gms of round aubergine cut into medium size pieces.
  2 tb sps finely chopped onions
  1t sp finely chopped ginger
  2t sps finely chopped garlic
  1 chopped tomato or 1 tb sp tomato puree
  1 1/2 panch puran (mix mustard seeds, saumph/ fennel, methi seeds/ fenugreek seeds, jeera/ cumin, kalonji/ onion seeds in equal quantities)
  1/2 t sp haldi/ turmeric
  2 tsps dhania/ coriander powder
  chilli powder to taste
  a good pinch of asafoetida
  salt to taste
  3 t sps tamrind paste/ 1 heaped t sp of amchur/ mango powder
  2 tb sps cooking oil
  coriander, ginger julliens, green chillies for garnishing

       Method

• Heat oil in a kadai or frypan. 
• Add panch puran and when it begins to splutter add asaphoetida.
• Add chopped onions and fry till golden brown but still soft.
• Add ginger and garlic and fry well.
• Add dry masalas and cook till the raw smell goes.
• Now add the baigun, mix well with the masala, add salt and cover with a tight fitting lid, lower heat.
• Let it cook in its own steam for 5 minutes turning once or twice.Sprinkle little water if dry.
• Take off the cover and add tomato or tomato puree and mix well. Cook till tomatoes are soft and blended with the masala.
• Test if the baigun is cooked , if not cover for a few more minutes.
• Add the tamrind paste/ amchur, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
• Serve in a flat dish garnished with chopped coriander, ginger julliens and slit green chillies.
• Goes well with rotis, puris or rice and daal.

                                -----------------------------------------------------------------

Nutty Beans

  Ingredients

  200gms round green beans cut into 1/2" bits
  1 tb sp finely chopped onions
  1 t sp finely chopped ginger and garlic
  1 tb sp tomato puree
  3/4 t sp whole cumin seeds
  1 heaped tsp coriander powder
  1/2 t sp haldi/ turmeric powder
  salt and chilli powder to taste
  1 tb sp roasted pine nuts
  1 1/2 tb sps cooking oil

 Method

• Heat oil in a kadai or frypan till just beginning to smoke.
• Lower heat and add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Quickly add chopped onions and fry till soft.
• Add ginger garlic and fry for three minutes.
• Add haldi, coriander powder and chilli powder and fry for two minutes without letting the masala burn.
• Add tomato puree and cook for 3 minutes till all the ingredients are well blended.
• Add the beans, stir well till all are coated with the masala.
• Sprinkle a tb sp of water, cover and let it cook  in its own steam till the beans are tender but still crunchy.
• Take off the lid, add fresh coriander and toss well.
• Sprinkle the roasted pine nuts, toss and cook for a minute so that the flavour of the nuts blends with the beans.
• Enjoy with hot rotis,dinner rolls or rice and dal.

                                                  _____________________________________


 Note: This is a dish that I've tasted in a restaurant in Bangalore and tried to recreate following my taste buds. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  
  

Adraki Gobi Aloo /Cauliflower and potatoes with ginger

  

    Ingredients

  6 cauliflower florets
  2 medium size potatoes
  1 1/2" piece of ginger cut into julliens
  1/2 t sp haldi(turmeric) powder
  salt to taste
  chilli powder to taste
  coriander / cilantro for garnish
  2 tb sps cooking oil

   Method

• Wash and cut the cauliflower florets into four.
• Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into wedged and then cut into halves.
• Heat oil in a kadai or fry pan.
• Add cauliflower, potatoes and mix well with the oil.
• Lower heat, add haldi, chilli powder and salt and mix it well till evenly coated.
• Add ginger julliens, stir and cover with a tight fitting lid to cook in its own steam. Keep the flame low.
• Remove the lid and stir gently from time to time making sure that any drops of water on the lid fall back into the pan.If it looks dry, sprinkle a few drops of water and cover and cook till tender but not disintegrating.
• Remove the lid and let it fry gently till no water is left and the oil begins to separate.
• It should be quite soft but not mushy when done.
• Transfer to a flat dish and garnish with coriander leaves and ginger julliens.
• Enjoy with hot roties or rice and dal.

Bhindi Do Pyaza (okra with onions)

Ingredients

200 gms small tender bhindi (okra)
1 medium sized onion sliced thick
1 medium sized tomato sliced
1/2 t sp dhania( coriander) powder
1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
chilli powder to taste
salt to taste
1/2 cup oil for frying



      Method

• wash, drain and dry the bhindi.
• trim both the ends and give a small slit length wise.
• heat oil in a frypan and fry bhindi in two batches till golden brown.Drain out the excess oil on a kitchen towel.
• remove excess oil from the fry pan to be used later, leaving 11/2 tb sps in the frypan.
• add sliced onions and fry till just turning golden.
• Add sliced tomatos and fry for 3 minutes.
• add dhania, haldi,and chilli powder and fry till the raw smell goes.
• add the fried bhindi and mix well without breaking it.
• add salt and mix it gently and cover with a loose lid for 2 minutes.
• take the lid off and fry for another 3 minutes turning the bhindi gently.
• transfer the bhindi to a dish and garnish it with ginger julliens.
• serve with hot rotis or rice and dal.

                                      _______________________________________

Mixed Vegetable pulao

Ingredients

1cup basmati rice
1 medium sized onion
1 large tomato
1/2cup cauliflower florets
1 medium sized carrot
10-15green beans stringed
1/2cup shelled green peas
salt to taste
1/2 tb.sps cooking oil or ghee
3/4 t sp cumin seeds
1 large cardamom
1 1" stick cinnamon
3cloves
1 t sp black pepper corns
2cups water


Method

• wash and soak the rice for 1 hour.
• peel and slice onions.Wash and chop tomatoes.
• Peel carrot and dice it into small cubes.
• string beans and cut them into1/2" pieces.
• heat oil in a thick bottomed saucepan.
• add cumin, cardamom, cinnamon stick broken into two,cloves and peppercorns
• once they begin to crackle, add sliced onions and fry till golden brown.
• add chopped tomatoes and fry till soft.
• add salt and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
• add the vegetables. Drain water from the rice and add to the pan.Once it begins to boil, lower heat and cover the pan.
• Stir gently as the water dries up and cover again till all the water has evaporated and rice is done.
• Serve with yoghurt, pickle and chutney.

                                                     __________________________________


Note: For a new flavour each time vary the vegetables, using your imagination.