Ivy Gourd ~ Tindora Masala

Today is Ivy Gourd/Coccinia grandis/Tindora/Kundru recipe a vegetable which I made for the 1st time.  I rarely eaten kundru and when DH bought this and I was like what I suppose to do with this, he said just make as you make other vegetables and gave me rough idea of recipe so here I tried it and I’m so glad that I did ...this one going to be regular one for sure now and blogging this recipe for my own reference :-)

Ingredients:
Kundru/Tindora- 400gms
Onion - 1 large
Tomato - 1 larege
Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1/2tsp
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2tsp
Turmeric - 3/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida/Hing - a pinchSalt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Peel, wash and chop onion and tomato, keep aside.
2. Wash and slice tindora.

3. In a pan heat oil add asafoetida , cumin and fennel seeds and allow to crack.

4. Add chopped onion n saute for a min in medium heat.

5. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 mins in medium to slow heat.

7. Now add the sliced tindora and saute for 5mins in medium to slow heat , stir in intervals

8. Add all the spcie powder and saute for 5mins in slow heat stiring in intervals

9. Add tomato,salt mix everything well and cook until tomato gets mash for about 3-4 mins in medium heat.

10. Add garam masala, mix everything well and cook for 2mins or until the tindora gets cooked.  Add little water if required to cook tindora. 

Enjoy the delicious simple tindora masala with roti or rice.   We had with roti along with radish, carrot and lettuce salad.

Enjoy your day ...

Besan Chile Ki Sabji ~ Savory Pancake in Gravy

Hope everyone is good health and having good time with good food.  I know I'm not regular with blogging for long time now but it's just not happening I guess.  Every time I try to come up with a post and somehow it's like forget it. 

So anyways here am with something which I wanted to post for very long now and this time I thought I better do it.  Besan ki sabji or pappra ki sabji as we call it's a great side dish with rice or roti/paratha and quite easy to make. 

It's best serve in winter or rainy days, and as it's raining now a days here in SG it was our Saturday lunch.  So let's go straight to recipe then



For Chilla

Chickpeas Flour/Besan - 4 tbs [makes 3 medium size chilla]
Salt - to taste
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Oil -
Water - 1/2 cup
Coriander Leaves - 1 tbs chopped [optional]


Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients except oil, add enough water to get thick pouring consistency batter with no lumps. [similar to dosa batter]

2. Keep aside for 10mins.

3. Heat a tava or grill, pour one ladle of batter and spread them outwards gently with the back of a ladle in circular motion. [Don't make very thin chilla]

4. Apply little oil around the corner and cook for 2mins or flip the chilla and cook for 2mins again on the other side.

5. Fold the chilla from side making 3 or 4 folds and cut them in 2" pieces.  [as shown in pic]

6. Repeat this for other chillas.

7. Deep fry or shallow fry the chilla pieces and keep aside. [This is to avoid the chillas from soaking all the gravy]

For Gravy

Onion - 2 medium
Tomato - 1 large
Green Chilly - 2-3 [according to taste]
Garlic pods - 2
Ginger - 1' piece
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1tbs [optional]
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2-3 tbs
Bay Leaf - 1
Water - 1 cup
Coriander Leaves - 2 tbs chopped [optional]

Method:

1. Cut onion n tomato in large chunks.

2. To save time I grind cumin, onion, garlic, ginger, green chilly together & keep aside.

3. Grind or finely chop tomato.

4. In a pan heat oil, add bay leaf and saute for 30sec to 1 min.

5. Add onion paste and saute until light brown.

6. Add red chilli, turmeric and salt and fry for a min.

7. Add chopped tomato or puree and cook until oil separates.

8.  Add water 1cup or little more, bring to boil. 

9. Add garam masala and stir. Adjust salt or spices if required now.

10. Add half of the coriander leaves and chilla peaces gently and cook for 1-2mins. [Chillas will become little soggy]

11. Garnish with remaining coriander leaves and serve with hot steam rice or paratha/roti.

Note: 

Do not let the curry sit for very long time.  The chilla absorb the gravy quickly and becomes very soggy.

Channa Daal Sabzi - Bengalgram Lentil Curry

Hello Foodies, hope all of U doing great with weekend around to relax ;) ...It's always happens with me that I won't have anything with me to cook, don't know about you guys. The same happen again one day I had nothing other than one onion and I had a brain storming session with the agenda of what to do :p...so you guys thought we can only brain storms for our projects ;) ...anyways coming back to this sabzi...I tried it for 1st time...my mom use to make this sabzi which has crunchy taste and a great help when we run out of things.


Here presenting Channa Daal Sabzi to all of you...

Serving: 2-3 persons

Ingredients:

Channa Daa/Bengalgram Lentil - 1/2 Cup
Onion - 1 large
Greenchilli - 3
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry Redchilli - 1
Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp [optional]
Redchilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp [optional]
Curry Leaves - few [optional]
Coriander leaves - [optional]
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbs



Method:

1. Wash and saok daal in water for 1 hour. [U can soak more than 1 hour too]

2. Slice onion and green chilli.

3. Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and let it crack, add dry chilli, onion, green chilli, curry leaves and stir well.

4. Add ginger garlic paste, mix well and cook till onion becomes light brown.

5. Add all the powder masala, stir and cook for a min.

6. Drain water from daal and keep aside.

7. Add daal in to pan, mix well and cook for a min.

6. Add the drain water or fresh water 1cup, give a gud stir.

7. Cover with lid and cook in medium flame for 10 mins.

8. Add salt, stir and cook for another 10mins. Daal should be cook but not very soft, it should be crunchy.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: I didn't add coriander leaves and garam masala.
You can also add tomato.

Enjoy your weekend...

Baigan Fry - Eggplant fry

Hope everyone is fine and ya I disappeared again. I went to India for a week, I did wanted to write a post and inform you all but work kept me too busy for that too :-(my trip was okie..one week is too short perhaps ;)....so here am back and this post was suppose to be for FIC- Bringal but I couldn't send it!... And before I forget lets come to award. It's a wonderful come back with many awards shower on me. Thanks you all, I wanted to post all the awards here but all the awards are coming with tags and it's too long (read am lazy to do tag now) so I'll post soon ;)

Baigan Bharta has many version with different names and with different type of eggplant. This version is one of the simple, easy and delicious. Surprising was my nephew doesn't like eggplant but he loved this baigan bharta and asked me to prepare again n again!

Serving: 2-3 persons

Ingredients:

Eggplant - 2 [if using long ones]
Redchilli Powder - 2tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp [ optional]
Salt - to taste
Oil - to stir fry

Method:

1. Wash and cut the eggplant in circle (immerse them in water immediately to avoid getting black patches)

2. Take out the pieces from water and pat dry. Sprinkle chilli, turmeric, coriander, salt and garam masala powder and leave it for 5mins (more than 5mins and the salt will start oozing water!)

3. In a flat pan or tawa sprinkle little oil and place eggplant pieces. Cook in slow or medium flame for 4-5 mines. Drizzle few drops of oil if required.

4. Flip other side of eggplant pieces and sprinkle little oil on top of them, cooking again in slow flame for 4-5 mins.

Our Eggplant Fry is ready.

Saturday Lunch with Dal, Chawal and Kareli (Bittergourd) and Awards

I'm tend to prepare simple food for Saturdays lunch and that goes every week. Now a days resolution is to cook without using onion, green chilli and trying to cut down on garlic too [only for sat'day lunch ofcoz]


My sister loves khichidi for sat'day lunch and she will be so much happy with it :-)...but my DH prefers dal and chawal instead of khichidi so I'm doing that.


Last Saturday I prepared rice, dal with tempering of jeera, dry red chili and garlic and bitter gourd fry.

For Bitter gourd Fry/Stir Fry:


Ingredients:


Bitter ground - 4
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Dry Mango Powder /Amchur - 1/2 tsp [optional]
Salt - to taste


Method:


1. Wash and peel bitter gourd and cut in thin slices. 

2. Marinate with little salt and turmeric powder and leave it for 10-20mins. 
 If you wish you can squeeze out the water from bittergourd [I don't squeeze ]

3.  In a pan heat oil, add cumin seeds, add bitter gourd and fry on low flame until it turn black/brown in colour & become crisp.
If using amchur then add 2 minutes before turning off the flame.

Here is the platter with rice, dal, bittergourd fry, pickle and papad :-)





Now coming over to award...Dear JaiShreeji has share with me these lovely and awards...Thanks a lot ...am so glad to receive them ....


Also Swapna from Cooking with Swapna has share with me Great Buddy Award ..thanks Swapna for sharing this with me...now we are buddies ;)




Here sharing these awards with few of my friends, enjoy gals...


Aru from Gourmet Affair
Raji from Rak's Kitchen
Purva from Purva's Dawaat
Ramya from Ramya Cooks
Vani from Illatharasi
Lakshmi from Taste of Mysore
Priyanka from Asan Khana
Sukanya from Sukanya's Musings
Sowmya from Creative Saga
Anisheetu from My Kitchen

Palak Paneer

After Babycorn Manchurian I'm back with my nephew Kedar's favorite item list. To come to think of it....the list is quite big ;)....he likes Palak Paneer a lot and recently on 25th Dec we went to Kashmir Restaurant in Race Course Road to celebrate my sister's birthday we ordered palak panner and he told me Pinni it's not like you make :-)...ya that's one thing he keep telling me where ever we eat whether it's a restaurant or at any friends place !

Okie so before moving over to the recipe let me quickly do this. I was having this thought for a while in my mind...to write about restaurant/hotel food review

I would recommend to any visit Kashmir in Racecourse road if you are looking for good North Indian food they have wide variety of vegg and non-vegg dishes. Do try the Sheekh kabab (veg or non-veg), chicken tikka, kadai chicken, papadi chat, kadai paneer or simply ask for Chef recommendation. Whatever it may be but do try the Mango Lassi there...it's simply yummy. If any of you do visit..then let me know how did you liked it.

So coming back to the recipe ..I have made palak paneer one of these days and Kedar happily ate.


Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak - 2 bunch
Cottage Cheese /Panneer - 250 gms
Green chilli - 10-12 (according to taste)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tps
Ginger - 1 tbs (grated)
Redchilli powder - 1 tps
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tps
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 -4 tbs

1. Clean and blanch the spinach, green chili, ginger. Remove from hot water, keep the spinach in running water for a minute or two and keep aside.
2. Make paste of spinach, ginger, chilli, cumin seeds.
3. In a pan heat 1tps of oil and fry paneer until light golden brown (this step is option)
4. In the same pan add remaining oil and heat. Add spinach paste and cook for 5 mins.
5. Add chili, turmeric powder, salt and mix well. If required add 1/4 cup water and simmer for 2-3 mins more.
6. Add fried panner and cook for 2 mins with lid on.

Server with paratha, puri, roti, pulav or anything. I have server with instant paratha.


Here one more closer look



And this also goes to Alka of Sindhi Rasoi 'Just for You' event.

Suji Ladoo, Mathi, Namakpara & Sev - Diwali Special

Few of the bloggers keep asking me Diwali details and things which we have made for Diwali & kept waiting for the post. So here is all the goodies we made for Diwali, we scrap the idea of making gujjia, murukku and few more sweets due to time limitation. Here presenting Sujji/Rava Ladoo, Mathi, Namakpara and Sev.


Sujji/Rava Ladoo: There are many ways of making sujji/rava ladoo but I always follow this method which I find is easy and gud for me.

We need:
Sujji/Rava/Semolina - 2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup (change according to taste)
Cardamom - 4-5
Cashews & Raisins - few
Dessicated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Ghee/Classified butter - 2-3 tps
Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Make powder of sugar and cardamom and keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a pan, fry cashews keep them aside.
3. In the same pan add the rava and fry until the colour turns light brown or the aroma start filling the air.
4. Let the rava cool down a bit, make 1/2 portion of the roasted rava in to powder in mixi and mix with the remaining roasted rava.
5. Add sugar powder and few cashews and raisins to rava and well mix.
6. Take small amount of the mixture, sprinkle little water & 1/2 tbs coconut and give them shape of ladoo, roll then over coconut and keep aside. Follow the procedure for the remaining mixture. (always sprinkle water in batches, if not the texture will not be good)

Simple and yummy Ladoo is ready.


Namakpara check recipe here and spicy namak para here or diamond cuts

For Sev check recipe here


The plate goes to FestiveFood: Diwali event hosted by me. Rush in your entries by 6th Nov 08.

Boro Sabji or Longbean Curry, a Award & MeMe

Longbean are a good source of protein, vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, and a very good source for vitamin C, magnesium, and manganese. In spite of all these benefits longbean or Boro is one of those vegetable which doesn't get much space in our fridge.

There is lot of difference between Indian Longbean and the one's we get in Singapore, the first thing you will notice is the size and texture. Indian longbeans are smaller and softer compare to what we get here but neither the less we buy longbean once in a while and most of the time I prepare the same thing. This longbean sabji taste good with Roti or Dal Chawal. Over to recipe now.

Ingredient:

Longbean - 1 bunch (or depending on requirment)
Onion - 2-3 medium chopped
Green Chilli - 4-5 chopped
Tomato - 1 big chopped
Redchilli powder - 3tps
Tumeric - 1/2 tps
Coriander powder - 1tps
Jeera/cumin seed - 1/2 tps
Garlic - 2-3pods crushed
Oil - 4-5 tbs
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash & cut longbean in to small pieces.

2. In a pan heat oil add cumin seeds, once cumin turns brown add crushed garlic fry for 30secs.
3. Add chopped onion and green chili and saute it until golden brown.

4. Add chopped longbean, mix and fry until longbean gets soft. Add all the masala powders and fry for 2 more mins.

5. Add the chopped tomato and cook until tomato gets done and oil starts leaving the edges.

6. Add salt and mix well everything. Add water 1/2cup and cook for 5mins. The curry is not wet or dry but just perfect to eat with roti or chawal dal.

Toor Dal Lauki Recipe

Lauki Dal or Dudhi dal is one of those recipes which I prepare when I’m in hurry to finish cooking or don’t want to cook anything or simply cause there is lauki at home. The recipe is simple and easy resulting in delicious dal and the big advantage is you really don’t have to cook any vegetable, without any side dish or sabji also our loyal lauki/dudhi dal will taste just yummy. There are few version of making lauki dal in my home we prepare lauki with various dal and in different ways.

Aloo Gobi ki Sabji

Not much of brainstorming this time...sis asked me to prepare aloo gobi sabji as there was cauliflowers and cabbage laying in the fridge for a week now! And every time there is gobi at home I have to make this sabji! The preparation method is the way my mom use to make simple, easy and taste amazing.

Ingredients:

Cauliflowers - 1/2 flower
Potato - 2 Medium
Tomato - 2 small or 1 big
Onion - 2 medium
Green chilies - 4-5
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tps
Peas (optional) - 1/4 cup
Chopped coriander - 1/4 cup
Bay Leaf - 1
Cumin seeds - 1tps
Suanf - 1/3 tps
Green Cardamom - 1
Black Cardamom - 1
Black pepper - 4-5
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tps
Redchilli powder - 2 tps
Coriander powder - 1 tps
Garam masala powder - 1 tps (optional)
Oil - 2-3 tablespoon
Water - 1 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Cut cauliflowers into medium peaces, peel the potatoes and cut into medium cubes.
2. Make fine paste of 1 onion, cumin seeds, suanf, both cardamoms, pepper and keep aside.

3. Chop remaining 1 onion and tomatoes, slit the chilies
4. In a pan heat 2 tbsp of oil and shallow fry the cauliflower and potatoes & keep aside.

5. In the same pan add more oil if required, add bay leaves, chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste and chilies. Sauté until onion becomes golden brown.
6. Add all the powder & paste masalas [prepared in step 2] and cook for 2-3 mins.
7. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 4-5 mins until tomatoes become soft and masala gets cooked.

8. Add 1/2 cup water in the masala and cook for 3-4 mins.
9. Now added the potato and cauliflowers and mix well and cook in slow flame for 5-8 mins.

10. Add Peas and mix.

11. Add 1 to 11/2 cup of water, salt & cover the pan with lid and cook (8-10 mins) in medium flame until all the veggies gets done nicely.

12. Aloo gobi sabji si ready,garnish with chopped coriander.

 Aloo Gobi sabji is server with roti/paratha/rice/pulav.

Kalonji or Stuffed Bittergourd

What a weekend, I'm so tired now! Shopping with my friends for 3days..and Kishore has tempted me so much with all the diamonds purchasing !! I really liked the Lee Hwa Jeweler’s diamond stud the most! Inbtw so much of shopping I have found time to make this lovely dish call Kalonji or stuffed Bitter gourd.
Lot of people makes stuffed Bitter gourd in different style, and I have made it with my mom's recipe (true UP Style). It's a long process but worth the effect.

Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd/Karela - 1/2 kg
Potato - 1 large (optional)
Thread - To Tie
Oil - 5 tbsp

For Stuffing:
Bitter gourd seeds - 1/2 cup or can be reduced the quantity, add onion more in this case
Onion - 2 large
Green chilies - 6-7
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp
Fenugreek //Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
Onion seeds/Kalonji - 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds/Suanf - 1 tsp
Green Cardamom - 2
Black Cardamom - 1
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Amchur Powder 1 1/2 tsp or use raw mango - 2-3big slices
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Redchilli powder - 2 tsp
Water - 2 tsp (if required)


Method:
1. Wash & peel the Bitter gourd lightly, just to remove the rough skin.

2. Cut the bitter gourd from middle and remove the seeds/inner filling (try not to cut the edges)

3. Sprinkle salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder over the bitter gourd and marinate for 30 mins

4. After 30 mins squeeze the excess water from the bitter gourd and keep it aside.

5. Dry roast cumin, suanf, methi seeds, onion seeds, coriander seeds

6. Roast chopped onion in 1 tsp oil until golden brown.

7. Grind all the ingredients listed under 'For Stuffing' with bitter gourd seeds into a fine paste, add little water only if required.

8. Stuff the paste in bitter gourd, use thread to tie it around the bitter gourd. (This is to make sure the filling does not come out)

9. In a pan heat oil & place stuffed bitter gourd one by one, cover the pan with lid and let it cook in slow flame.

10. Keep turning the Bitter gourd every 3-4 mins for all sides to cook properly.

11. Peel potato and scoop it to fill the stuffing or just cut potato in large cubes, toss with the stuffing to marinate for 10-15 mins.

12. When the Bitter gourd is half cooked add the potato in the same pan and let it cook with bitter gourd.

13. Keep tossing the pan.

14. Cook until Bittergourd & potatoes skin turns black along with the stuffing.

15. Cook in slow flame and it will take 45 mins - 1hr+ to cook the dish.

16. Kalonji is ready to serve and it can be preserve for 2-3 days.

....

Dalpeta

This recipe is a traditional UP dish and we call it Dalpeta in our home (also called Palak Dal) . A very common dal made regularly in our home and it taste yummy.  This dal taste so good and goes well with rice or roti and without any side dish.  Add ghee and it taste just so yum. 

Ingredients:

Channa Dal - 1cup
Palak/Spinach - 1 bunch
Onion - 1 large
Tomato - 1 large
Green chilli - 3-4
Garlic & Ginger (crushed ) - 1tbsp {or ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp}
Red chilli powder - 1-2 tps
Turmeric - 1/2tps
Coriander powder - 1tps
Garam masala powder - 1/2tps
Bay leaf - 1
Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tps
Oil/Ghee - 1tps
Salt - to taste
Water


Method:

1.  Clean, wash and chop spinach.  Meanwhile wash and soak the dal in little water.

2. Pressure cook washed turmeric, Channa dal and chopped palak together for 20-25mins as channa dal takes more time to cook.

3. Chop onion, tomato, green chilli.

4. In a pan heat oil, add bay leaf, jeera, garlic n ginger. After garlic-ginger turns red add chopped onion and green chilli.

5. Fry onion on medium heat until brown around the edges add redchilli, tumeric, coriander and garam masala powder and mix well, add chopped tomato and salt and cook for 2-3mintues. 

6. Once tomato gets mash add pressure cook dal and stir.

7. Add little water if required, and bring it to good boil, simmer for 4-5 minutes in slow flam.e Normally this dal consistency is thick compare to other dals.  Ajust salt if required. 

Let the daal sit for 10 minutes before you dig in. Serve with rice/roti/paratha.

Have a good day ~~