Bagara Baigan/ Eggplant curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500 gms baingans (brinjal/eggplants)
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
4 tbsp oil
Salt to taste


For Gravy:
 
2 medium sized onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic (optional), chopped
1 tsp ginger, chopped
2 tbsp raw peanuts
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 tbsp white sesame seeds (til)
1 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 inch cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
1 bay leaf
½ tsp peppercorns
½ tsp caraway seeds
1-2 black cardamom
1 lemon sized tamarind ball
3-4 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
¼ cup water


Direction:

• Cut the eggplants in cubes and soak them in salted water for about 15-20 minutes.
• Take a wok and roast all the dry stuff including raw peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds,coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick,cloves,bay leaf, peppercorns,caraway seeds and black cardamom.
• When the spices become light brown, add dry coconut.
• Roast the spices again with coconut Ntill it turns brown.
• Once the spice coconut mixture cools down then add this mixture with the rest of the ingredients ginger, garlic, green chillies, 1 tbsp coriander leaves , tamarind and grind it together with some water.
• Now drain the soaked eggplants.Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and saute eggplants in it.
• Add 1sp salt and let it cook on low heat for about 8-10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining oil in different pan add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Now add the masala paste and fry it on medium heat for about 15 mins.
• Add turmeric powder to the paste and fry for another 20 mins till the oil starts to seperates from the surface.
• Add cooked eggplants along with 1¼ cups water.Add more salt if required.
• Mix and simmer for around 8-10 minutes.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti/Rice.

Tahari / Rice Pulav

Yummy ! That's the only word comes in my mind while talking about Tahari.This is my all time favorite recipe. In my family we just love it. Tahari is a very common North Indian food. It is very healthy and easy to make. You can serve it with curd/ Raita / Mint chutney/Pickles

Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:

1¼ cup Basmati Rice
1 medium sized onion sliced
1 large tomato chopped
1 medium sized potato peeled and cut in cubes
1/4 cup green peas
½ tsp. cumin seeds (jeera)

1½ tsp. garlic (lehsan) paste

½ tsp. ginger (adrak) paste
½ tsp. turmeric (haldi) powder
4-5 whole black pepper (kali mirch)
2 cloves (laung)

1 black cardamom (badi ilaichi)

1 stick of cinnamon stick (dalchini)

1 bay leaf

2-3 green chilies

2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
3-4 tbs. oil/ghee

1 bunch Coriander leaves

 

Direction:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seed, bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper, and green chili.
• Add sliced onion and cook on medium flame for about 2 mins until it turns pink. Add ginger garlic paste.
• Now add chopped tomato and leave it until tomato has softened.
• Add coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder and mix them. Keep stirring until oil leaves the bottom of pressure cooker.
• Add potato cubes, green peas and rice with approximately 1½ cups of water. Add salt and cover it.
• Cook it on high heat for about 15 mins. After 1 whistle remove it from heat.
• Let it cool down a little and garnish it with coriander leaves .Ready to serve with Mint Chutney/Raita/ Pickle (Achaar).

Note: If you want you can add nutrilla, beans, carrot and other vegetables. Different type of rice take different time to cook, check your rice and cook accordingly.

 

Bamboo Shoot Vegetable / Killaanchi Bhaji

Original Bamboo shoot

Peeled Bamboo shoot

Chopped

Ready to eat

 
For today's lunch I made this bamboo shoot vegetable as a side dish..never got a chance to make these bamboo shoots. It is very common vegetable used by Chinese in their soups. It is mostly available during Monsoon. I was not sure whether it would come out good .But to my surprise my fussy hubby ate all up. It was really tasty. So today onward this is going to be a recipe in my Menu card. You can also try it for a change.

Number of Servings: 6
 
Ingredients:   
500 gms. bamboo shoots

1 cup green peas

2 tsps.brown cane sugar
1/2 cup shredded raw coconut

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp.turmeric powder

2 tsps.black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp.asafoetida(hing)powder

1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
1/2 tsp Amchoor powder(optional)

Red chilli powder to taste

Salt to taste
Preparation:

Peel away the outer shell as it is very hard. Inner core should be soft enough to pierce with your finger nail. Normally inner core is little bitter and tart too. After peeling, chop bamboo shoot into fine pieces. You can also get canned bamboo shoot in any Chinese market. Before cooking soak them for around 8 hrs. in salted water to remove it's tartness. I generally prefer to soak it overnight.
　

Direction:

• Drain bamboo shoots from salted water and pressure cook it for 10-15 mins with a little water.
• Heat oil in a wok on medium flame. Add black mustard seeds.
• As it pops add split green chillis, asafoetida powder , garam masala ,amchoor powder and turmeric powder.
• After few seconds add fresh green peas with half cup of water. Mix well and add red chilli powder and salt to taste.
• Cover and cook for about 5 mins.
• Add cooked bamboo shoots and mix well. Cover and let it cook completley.
• Add sugar and shredded raw coconut and stir.
• Cover and steam for 3-4 minutes more.
• Remove from flame and serve hot with Roti as a side dish. 

Note : You can also use split chick peas instead of green peas. But soak it in warm water for about half an hour just before cooking. You can also add mushroom and beans in it.

 

Hey Everyone !

I am back after such a long time. Hope you all missed my recipes. Oh ! yeah I forgot to tell you all, that I have a two year old son and he is quite naughty. He keeps me busy all the time.
 
Anyways lets keep some extra time for cooking as I am back with lots of mouthwatering recipes..

See you soon. 

Khandvi

Khandvi is basically a Gujarati dish. It’s very delicious and healthy too.

Ingredients


1 cup (100gm) Gram flour (Besan)
1 cup curd
2 cup Water
A pinch of Turmeric powder
½ tsp Ginger paste
½ tsp Salt as per taste
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Black mustard seed
1-2 Green chili as per taste
Finely chopped Coriander
1 tbsp grated Fresh Coconut

Method:

• Stir the curd. Add gram flour and mix it thoroughly.
• In the batter mix water, salt, turmeric powder and ginger paste.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and add the batter in it. Keep it stirring for about 5 mins until the mixture will get thick.
• Now lower the flame and keep stirring for another 2-3 mins.
• Now spread this batter on a big plate with the help of a bowl as in Dosa .
• After it has cooled, cut it into strips as you like. I usually keep the strip 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.
• Now take each strip and roll it. Roll all the strips and put them in the plate.
• Heat oil in a small frying pan and put black mustard seed in the oil. As it starts popping up, add green chili and curry leave to it and let them fry.
• Now oil is ready. Pour it on each roll with the help of spoon.
• Now garnish it with coriander and coconut (optional) and serve hot with coriander chutney or sauce.

Pav Bhaji

This dish is especially visible in the great city of Mumbai- Maharashtra. Pav Bhaji is a wholesome dish which can work as a substitute for a full meal. When I am not in a mood to cook a complete meal for my family, pav bhaji in one of the dishes which comes to my mind. This is really an innovation that arose out of the necessity of providing a nice hot meal in a hurry and one that tickles the taste buds. A spicy blend of vegetables in tomato gravy served with pav that is cooked with butter.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

For Pav

8 pavs/buns (white bread in square)
5 tbs butter

For Bhaji

1 ½ cups boiled and mashed potatoes

1 cauliflower

½ cup green peas
2 carrots

1 medium sized onion

1 capsicum
3 medium sized tomatoes
½ tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
1 ½ tbsp pav bhaji masala

½ tsp black salt

½ tsp lemon juice


Method:

• Finely chop cauliflower, carrots, onion, capsicum and tomatoes.
• Boil chopped cauliflower, carrot and peas till they are soft.
• Drain out the excess water.
• Heat the butter in a wok; add the onion and capsicum and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry till the onion softens.
• Add the tomatoes and cook till the oil separates.
• Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, black salt ,pav bhaji masala, and salt and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the boiled vegetables, potatoes and lemon juice and squash thoroughly, adding some water if required.
• On the other hand slice each pav into 2 horizontally.
• Apply a little butter to each side.
• Heat a large skillet and cook the pav on both sides till the pieces are lightly browned.
• Sprinkle grated cheese and chopped coriander leaves over bhaaji and serve hot with pav.

Bread Masala Toast

Today I made this Toast for our breakfast as my husband is bored of normal toasts. Just for a change I prepared it for him and he liked it. Lets cook it and enjoy the pleasure of having a different item in our recipe.

Ingredients:

4 Eggs
6 Breads
¼ tsp Garam masala powder
¼ tsp Ginger paste
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
2 cloves Garlic
2 medium sized Onion
1 tbsp chopped Green Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
3 tbsp Oil

Direction:
 

• Peel Onion and Garlic and make a paste by using grinder or shredder.
• Take eggs in a big bowl and beat it well.
• Add ginger paste, onion garlic paste, chopped coriander leaves, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt. Mix well.
• Heat Oil in a skillet, dip the bread slices in the mixture (make sure that all bread is covered by mixture) and place it on skillet.
• Toast the Bread on both sides and remove from heat.
• Toast is ready to serve.