Cabbage-Carrot Curry

This is a South Indian style simple curry with minimum masalas.

Ingredients:

• Cabbage – 1/2 head ,shredded
• Carrots – 2, chopped
• Grated coconut – 3/4 cup
• Onion – 1, chopped ( optional )
• Green chillies – 3-4, chopped ( or to taste )
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Hing - 1/8 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a  pan and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add onions, hing, green chillies and curry leaves. You can make the same curry without onions as well.
• Add turmeric powder and throw in the shredded cabbage, chopped carrots and salt. 
• Cook covered on a low-med flame , keep  stirring ocassionally.  
• When the vegetables are 3/4th done, add grated coconut.  Mix well and cover and cook till done. 
• Serve with rice or Chapati.

Sweet Corn And Vegetable Pakoras

These are the fritters made with sweet corns and mixed vegetables.

Ingredients: 

• Sweet Corn - 1 can ( small )
• Potato - 1
• Carrot - 1
• Onion  - 1
• Chopped Cilantro - 2-3 springs
• Green Chillies - 2 or to taste 
• Red chili Powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Chickpea Flour - 1 cup or as needed
• Oil - for deep frying

Directions: 

• Roughly grind the sweet corn . Do not make a smooth paste. Transfer it to a mixing bowl.
• Grate peeled potato, carrot and add to the mixing bowl.
• Also add finely chopped onions, chopped cilantro, green chillies, red chili powder, salt . Mix well.
• Add besan ( chickpea flour ) and mix. Add very little water as the vegetables will ooze out some water as well. Mix and make into a thick batter. 
• Heat oil for deep frying. 
• Dump spoonfuls of the pakora mixture into the oil and fry on medium till golden brown from both the sides.You can fry 8-10 pakoras at a time. 
• Remove on paper towel. 
• Repeat for the remaining pakora mixture.
• Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.

Note :  If you think the pakora mixture turns watery half way through as the vegetables ooze more water, you can add either more besan or even bread crumbs. 

Carrot-Raddish Chatpata Salad

With Chapati , curry and raita, we like some kind of salad for accompaniment. We usually eat sliced cucumber, onion or beet root. This is a slight variation to that salad. We do not slice them but shred them and flavour them with chillies and lime juice.

You can make with with carrots alone or raddish ( daikon ) alone or both mixed together.

Carrots and Raddish Mixed

Ingredients : 

• Carrots - 2
• White Raddish ( Daikon ) - 1 small or half of big one.
• Lemon or Lime Juice - 3 tbsp or to taste
• Salt - little bit for seasoning
• Green Chillies - 2-3 or to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - 2 springs

Directions: 

• Shred carrots and raddish in a mixing bowl. ( either or both )
• Add all the other ingredients. Mix well. Adjust all the ingredients to taste.
• You can either serve immediately or store it in fridge for a couple of days in a covered box. Raddish has a strong odor so storing it uncovered might spread the odor in the entire fridge.

With Carrot

With Raddish

You can add black pepper powder or chat masala too, if you like .

Enjoy this chatpata salad alongside with roti or paratha and curry.

Anda Do Pyaza

This is a very easy and quick recipe. I usually make this when I do not have any other vegetables at home. Eggs and onions are usually always there in the stock. This is the best option to fall back on.

Ingredients:

• Boiled Eggs - 4
• Onions - 1 large or 2 medium
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp ( optional )
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil  - 2 tbsp

Directions: 

• Hard boil the eggs and cut into either halves or quarters. Keep aside. 
• Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds (if using ) . Add sliced onions. Saute.
• Add ginger garlic paste. Saute till the raw flavor vanishes.
• Add turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix well. Add one tbsp of water in order to prevent the dry powders from burning.
• Add the egg pieces and toss them gently until the masala coats the eggs. Fry for a couple of minutes. Adjust salt.
• Serve with chapati or rice. 

Isn't that easy and quick ?  :)

Enjoy !!

Cabbage in Yogurt

Cabbage in yogurt gravy or Cabbage Perugu Pachhadi ( in telugu )
This dish is originally from Tamil Nadu and is called Cabbage Mor Kootu in Tamil.
This is traditionally made with the usual green cabbage, however, I experimented with the red cabbage and that tasted good too. You can try both.

Cabbage Mor Kootu with red cabbage

Ingredients:

• Cabbage ( red or green ) - 1/2 a head
• Yogurt - 1 cup
• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green Chillies - 2-3 or to taste
• Cumin Seeds  -1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Hing -  a pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Salt -to taste
• Water - 1/2 cup

Cabbage Mor Kootu with green cabbage 

Directions: 

• Shred the cabbage into thin strips. 
• In a pan, cook the cabbage in little water and salt till tender. Do not overcook , We don't want it mushy.
• In the meanwhile, grind coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds into a fine paste.
• Add this ground mixture to the cooked cabbage and heat for another couple of minutes.
• Now for tempering, heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves and hing. Pour this tempering in the cabbage kootu. Mix well. Let it cool.
• Beat the yogurt. Mix the cabbage kootu with yogurt. Adjust salt.
• Serve with any rice item.

Home Made Paneer

Paneer is very easy to make at home. Try the following steps:

Ingredients:

• Milk - 4-5 cups
• Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp

Directions: 

• In a pot, bring milk to a boil.
• Slowly add lemon juice and keep stirring.
• The milk would start to separate.  When the milk is completely separated it would look like the picture below

• Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Line a collander or a mixing bowl with a thin cloth.
• Drain the contents of the pot through the cloth. 

• Tie a knot and hang the paneer over the kitchen sink for half an hour till all the water is dripped out.  You can also hang it on a deep jug.

• Put a heavy weight bowl on the paneer to press it and flatten it a bit. 
• Untie the knot and use the paneer. You can either cut them in cubes or scramble it.  ( if you are going to scramble it, then you don't really need to put a weight on it to get it into a shape. )

Enjoy fresh paneer in various recipes :)

Potlakaya Perugu Pachadi ( Snake Gourd in Yogurt )

Potlakaya or snake gourd curry mixed in yogurt makes a very tasty side dish. It can be eaten by mixing iwith plain white rice or as side to dal rice. You can find snake guard in Indian grocery stores either fresh or in the frozen section.

Ingredients :

• Potlakaya (snake gourd) -1 ( or 1 packet frozen )
• Yogurt - 2 cups
• Ginger-1 inch
• Green Chillies-3 or to taste
• Salt -to taste
• Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds ( methi ) - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring

Directions: 

• Chop the snake gourd and keep aside. If using frozen, then thaw them.
• Grind chillies and ginger intoa fine paste. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Add urad dal and methi seeds and fry till slightly reddish. Add hing and curry leaves.
• Add the chopped snake gourd, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well and cook till the snake gourd is tender and well cooked. Let it cool.
• Beat the curds and add the ginger-chilli paste to it. Mix well.
• Now add the fried snake gourd to the curd and give it a good mix. Adjust salt. 
• Serve with rice.

Lauki Tamatar Ki Sabzi

Lauki Tamatar ki sabzi is very simple curry with not too many masalas and flavors.
This goes well with both chapati as well as rice.
You can make this curry in dry as well as runny consistency.

Ingredients:

• Lauki ( bottle gourd ) - 1 medium
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp ( optional )
• Turmeric  Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chili Powder or Green Chillies - to taste ( either or both )
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Cilantro - 2 springs
• Water - Depending upon the desired consistency

Directions :

• You can make this curry in either pressure cooker or a pan. Heat oil and splutter cumin seeds.
• Add urad dal ( optional ) and saute till reddish. Add curry leaves.
• Add the cubed lauki and chopped tomatoes.
• Add turmeric powder , red chili powder , salt, and needed water. Give it a good mix.
• If you are using pressure cooker, cook it till 1 whistle. If you are using the pan or pot, cook covered till the lauki is tender.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with rotis or rice.

Variation: 

• I prefer to keep this curry simple, however, if you wish to make it more flavorful, you can add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, ginger, garlic, etc. to this recipe.
• You can use tomato puree instead of chopped tomatoes.

Bharwaan Simla Mirch ( Stuffed Capsicum )

This is a capsicum curry , stuffed with potato filling served on layer of a rich gravy .

I went grocery shopping the other day and saw these small sized bell peppers unlike the usual giant sized ones. And I got the entire bag for just a dollar. I had to pick them up. The the very first thing I thought of was to make stuffed curry.  I like to make the stuffed curry with the small ones. You can of course make them with the big ones as well, but you may want to cut them in half and then stuff.

Ingredients:

• Green Bell Peppers/ Capsicum -  4 medium
• Potatoes -  4 medium
• Cooking oil -  4 tbsps 
• Cumin Seeds-  3/4 tsp 
• Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1tsp
• Onion, finely chopped -  1 large
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric Powder -  1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder -  1 tsp 
• Cumin Powder -  1/2 tsp 
• Garam Masala-  1/2 tsp 
• Amchoor (raw mango powder) -  1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Cilantro - 2 tbsp

Directions: 

For the Potato Filling: 

• Wash the potatoes, boil till soft . Peel and mash roughly. Keep aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil and splutter cumin seeds. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and saute. Add chopped onions and fry till translucent.
• Now add all the powdered spices along with salt , mix well.
• Add the mashed potatoes and mix well to blend with all the masala. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Adjust salt and turn off the heat.
• Sprinkle lemon juice and chopped cilantro and mix well . Keep this mixture aside for filling the bell peppers later.

For making the Bharwaan Simla Mirch: 

Stove Top Method:

• Wash the bell peppers and pat them dry. 
• Cut the top off about 1 inch ( near the stalk ) . Remove all the seeds and the pith.

• Fill each green pepper with the potato filling we prepared and kept aside.

• Heat the remaining oil in a pan and arrange the filled peppers standing upright. Let them cook for about 3 minutes on low-med heat.
• Try to carefully turn the peppers to the sides . Cook for 2 minutes and then turn to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes.  Cook till all the peppers are tender and cooked from all the sides.

Oven Method: 

• Prepare the filling and stuff the bell peppers in the same way as mentioned above.
• We shall bake them instead of shallow frying.
• Grease the baking sheet/ tray with spray oil. Also brush the stuffed bell peppers slightly with oil all over. Arrange them on the baking sheet / tray around 2 inches apart from each other.
• Preheat oven to 450°F and bake for  30-40 minutes. Keep checking in between if it is done. The time may vary depending on the size and quantity of the bell peppers. You might want to do the fork test to make sure it is cooked well. The fork or tooth prick should pass through without much effort.

You can eat this curry at this point as well, as a dry curry. However if you like gravy. Here's what you're gonna need:

Ingredients for gravy :

• Onion - 1 large
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Cashew Nuts - 1/2 cup
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Dry mango Powder ( Amchoor ) - 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery / Sugar - 1/2 tsp ( optoinal )
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions: 

• Grind the cashew nuts with minimum water required and keep the paste aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, and saute very finely chopped onions for about 2 minutes.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute. Cook till the onions and ginger garlic are cooked and the raw flavor vanishes.
• Add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and mix well.
• Add water and bring the gravy to boil and then reduce the heat.
• Add the cashew nut paste, amchoor, salt, jaggery, mix well and simmer for about 5 minutes. 
• Adjust water according to desired consistency.

Serving: 

• In the serving plate, spread a bed of this thick gravy and arrange the stuffed capsicums over it.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve this delectable side dish with chapati or naan.

Restore soggy chips or crackers

If you have stale or soggy chips and crackers, you can restore it :


Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread them in a single layer on a
baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool, then seal in a plastic bag or container.

Bagel Pizza

We can make pizza of bagels by adding the toppings of our choice. My daughter likes plain cheese bagel pizza but I make veggie bagel pizza for myslef. Sometimes, making the whole large pizza is a lot. So, for a small hunger, this is the best alternative to pizza with a similar taste. This makes a good option for lunch box  for kids as well.

Veggie Bagel Pizza

Ingredients:

• Bagels - 2
• Pizza Sauce - 1/2 cup
• Veggies - of your choice, like bell pepper, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, spinach, olives etc..
• Mozzarella Cheese - 3/4 cup ( grated )
• Chili Flakes - for  seasoning , to taste
• Oregano - for seasoning, to taste 

Directions: 

• Slit the bagels, place them on the baking sheet.
• Spread the pizza sauce .
• Arrange the chopped veggies of your choice on the bagels.  ( Skip the veggies while making cheese bagel pizza )
• Cover the surface with a layer of cheese.
• Bake at 400° F , for around 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Season with chili flakes and oregano. ( Avoid chili flakes while making for kids )

Cheese Bagel Pizza