Stuffed tomato

                                                                    Stuffed tomato



                                                                                 

Potato and tomatoes are the essential items of our grocery list.These two can be mixed and blended with any dish while cooking.But in this particular recipe these two will be mixed to make this special sabzi.
Ingredients required

6 medium size red tomatoes(fresh and firm)
3 medium  size potatoes
2 teaspoon of red chilli powder,dhania powder,amchur powder.
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of cummin seeds
A pinch of hing (asafetida)
4 table spoon of yogurt
2 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger,green chilli,mint leaves,coriander leaves.
Salt according to taste.

Boil potatoes and peel and mesh.     Mix all spices and salt in mashed potatoes except hing and cummin seeds.In a thick bottomed or non stick pan heat oil add cummin seeds and hing and potatoes.Switch off the flame stir the mixture and let it cool.
Now  with a knife or scoop take out the juice and pulp from tomatoes to make these hollow so that these can be stuffed with this potato mixture.Stuff all  these hollow tomatoes with potato mixture.

Mix yogurt and tomatoes pulp and juice taken out earlier
In a non stick pan heat oil add hing and cummin seeds and pour yogurt and juice taken out of tomatoes let it boil then gently place tomatoes in this gravy and cover the pan with a lid.Let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.switch off the flame and open lid after 5 minutes.Garnish with mint and coriander and mint leaves.

Tastes good when served with roti ,paratha or puri.

Lauki ki sabzi

                                                    Ingredients

1 cup lauki peeled and cut into 1/2 "pieces
2 medium size tomatoes chopped
2 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds and cummin seeds each
a pinch of hing
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander  powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 tespoon chopped green chilli and green coriander
salt according to taste

                                                                                  


In a pressure cooker pour oil and heat add hing ,cummin,mustard seeds .add chilli powder,coriander powder and turmeric poweder.stir well . Add salt and stir.Now add tomatoes .stir and cover and let it cook for twwo whistles.Now switch off the burner.Let the pressure to cool for five minutes.
Lauki sabzi is ready to serve with roti,paratha or rice or khichadi.


Tips :- It can be cooked in a pan instead of cooker .In case one wants to cook in a pan then let the lauki cook for five minutes after adding spices .Then add tomatoes and then for few more minutes.
as the tomatoes slower the cooking process.

Green chilli and green tomatoes with methi seeds

                                                                           Tamatar mirchi(green)


                Most of the times red tomatoes are used in our vegetables.But in this we will use green tomatoes with green chilli.

Ingredients used 
Green tomatoes medium size    2
Green chilli                             4
1 teaspoon termeric powder
2 tabspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
1/2 teaspoon amchur powder
a pinch of hing powder
2 tabspoon oil

salt according to taste
Wash and dice tomatoes in 1/2 " pieces.
Cut chillies into 1/4" pieces and remove the seedsAdd 1/2 cup of water into methi seeds.Either boil or microwave methi seeds for 4 to 5 minutes.
Keep a pan on stove and add oil when it is hot add hing now put chilli pieces and fry for 2 minutes into oil then add turmeric powder and tomatoes.Stirand let the tomatoes cook for 2 minutes and add methi seeds and amchur powder.Mix well and switch off the flame.It is ready to serve.Serve with hot roti or paratha.

methi matar malai (simple)

Supply of fresh methi(fenugreek) leaves during winter forces one to cook something different. Today I have made this winter combination that is methi amd mattar(peas).I am sharing this recipe in this blog.It is an easy and quick recipe and everybody loves it .There are so many versions for this recipe.This is the simple and less calorie version.I will post the calorie rich also.
Ingredients required
1 cup finely chopped fresh methi leaves.
1 cup fresh green peas (shelled)
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup cream (fresh malai can be used instead)
 paste of 8  cashew soaked and grounded in mortar pastel




 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and red chilli powder each
1 teaspoon of dhania powder
  salt to taste
a pinch of hing
finely chopped green cilantro
2 tabspoon oil or ghee

Micowave the peas for 2 minutes if you are using fresh lot frozen ones do not need microwave.



Mix yogurt and dry spices .
In a pan heat ghee and add hing and add methileaves and then add yogurt mixed with  stirr well.Add peas stir and.Let it cook for2  minutes and add cashew and ginger paste stir.Now add 1/4 cup of water and let it cook for 2 more minutes.switch of the flame and add fresh cream or malai and garnish with chopped cilantro.
It is ready to serve with hot roti or paratha.

badiyan with alu methi

                                                           Badiyan alu methi ki sabzi

Papad and badiyan are the integral part of pantry in every household in Marwar During winter season when fresh crop of moong arrives badiyan are prepared in lots and are stored till next crop. Badiyan are prepared by making the paste of soaked moong dal .with spices and then  either with the help of a jara or with hands are dropped on a sheet in sun .When dried then can be stored.badiyan sabzi can be made with different combinations like badiyan with reddish ,spinach,mogari that is reddish beans,methi or potato.In many regions of northern India badiyan are made but from different dal and spices and of different size .But the theme is same as to store dal.
in a different form and taste.
Today I will make a sabzi of badiyan with potato and methi.

                                                           Badiyan  made of moong dal

Ingredients  required

1/2 cup badiyan
2 potatoes medium sized peeled and diced in 1/2 " cubes
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup fresh methi leaves washed and chopped
4 table spoon oil or ghee 
1 tab spoon of coriander powder
1 tab spoon of red chilli powder
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
salt to taste, a pinch of hing
chopped fresh coriander,ginger,green chillies.

Break badiyan by crushing .Put whole badiyan in a plastic bag and roll a rolling pin or grinding stone over it.In a thick bottom or nonstick pan put ghee and put badiyan start stirring within 2 minutes badiyan will get roasted and there will be a good aroma.Add potatoes along with all spices and stir .add 2 cups of water and cover .Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Check if badiyan and potatoes are tender then add tomatoes and methi leaves.Let it cook for another 5 minutes .Remove from the burner .Add ginger and chilliesGarnish with chopped coriander and serve with roti or rice or paratha.

Tips :-      1    If fresh methi leaves are not available then kasoori methi can be used.Kasoori methi isavailable                                                                              
                      in Indian store.
                2    Indian stores are selling ready made badiyan .
               3   Easily breakable badiyan are better as it is easy to cook also and tastes better.

Alu Gobhi ki sabzi

                                                                     

Vegetarian daily meal consisits of dal and sabzi accompanied by rice and roti.The variation in this menu can be done by cooking different sabzi and dal or curry.Sabzi is the cooked  fresh vegetable and the variety depends upon the availability.Thanks to the agricultural research most of the vegetables are available throughout the year  Gone are the days when we used to wait for the seasons to get our favorite sabzi in the mandi or it can be put  this way that seasons were marked by the arrival of new crops .Ofcourse the quality and quantity  defers .So the arrival of fresh seasonal crop of  Gobhi or cauliflower or fulower (term used by all vegetable vendors in Mumbai for cauliflower) marks the starting of autmn that is middle of sept.As the winter approaches  the quality improves and so is the taste and aroma of this vegetable.It can be cooked in many ways eg, sabzi.pulao(recipe for this is in this blog as Dubaki bhat or pulao or tehari),paratha, mix sabzi,pakode and so on.The list is endless.today I will cook it as  simple and quick  recipe. .Let us cook Alu Gobhi ki sabzi for lunch.

                                                                    Ingredients

Ingredients required
Gobhi florets                                       1 cup
Potato peeled and diced                     1 cup
Diced tomato                                      1/2 cup
Salt                                                     1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder                                1 teaspoon
turmeric powder                                  1 teaspoon
coriander powder                                11/2 teaspoon
hing
oil                                                        3 tablespoon
chopped coriander                               2 tabspoon
ginger chopped                                      1 tabspoon
green chillies chopped                           1 tabspoon

In a thick bottomed or preferably non stick pan pour oil and let it heat .after 2 minutes add hing and cauliflower florets and potatoes.Stir and add salt.Lower the flame and cover.After 8 minutes remove the lid and  you can see that gobhi and alu have become tender.Now add turmeric,red chillies and coriander powder and stir .Now add tomatoes and stir gently.Now add 4 tabspoon of  water.Cover and cook for 5 minutes more .Then add ginger and green chillies and stir.Garnish with green coriander and serve with roti or paratha.

Bhindi ki sabzi

                                                                     Delicious bhindi 

Bhindi or Okara is an  Asian vegetable mostly available during summer    It is called lady finger in English..Because of the mild flavour it is the favorite sabzi for kids and grown ups.It contains dietary fibres and antioxidants and vitamin A.the pods are green in color and about 2" to 4"in lengths

                                                                      Bhindi
It can be cooked at short notice as it very tender  takes little time to cook.
For making bhindi ki sabzi ingredients required are

250 gms bhindi
 3    tabspoon oil

 1.      2  teaspoon dhania powder
  2      2  teaspoon chilli powder
  3       1  teaspoon turmeric powder
  4         1      teaspoon amchur powder( dried mango powder)

A pinch of hing powder

1 teaspoon salt

Wash bhindi and wipe with a kitchen towel to soak water .Any moisture left will turn bhindi into a sticky mass.remove the cap of bhindi and then cut it into 1/4 " pieces horizontally.
In a thick bottom or non stick pan heat oil and after 2 inutes  add hing.
Add bhindi and gently stir.After 2 minutes add all the spices from 1 to 4 and stir .Do not cover let it cook openly . 5 minutes after adding spices add salt and stir  .Bhindi is ready to serve .Serve it with roti , paratha or puri.

Tips

1 By cooking it open  is to allow water vapor to escape and bhindi will not turn into a sticky mass.

2 Adding salt in the last is also for same reason.Salt makes the vegetables to release water content.

lauki with chana dal

Lauki or bottle gourd is a vegetable which is very soothing to our alementary canal.It easy to digest.It has lot of water content in it .And this is available throughout the year.Therefore lauki with chana dal is a good combination.We can get vitamins from lauki and protiens from chana dal.

Ingredients required

1.   One lauki


2. 1/2 cup  chana dal


3.  2 medium size tomatoes


4 .2 tab spoon oil


5.1 teaspoon  cummin seeds


6.1 teaspoon mustard seeds


7.2 teaspoon salt                           |      


8.1/4 teaspoon chilli powder|


9.1/2 teaspoon  turmeric powder||


10. 1 teaspoon coriander powder|
11. 1" piece of ginger finely chopped


12.1 green chilli finely chopped


13. 2 tablspoon green coriander leaves finely chopped


14. a pinch of hing powder




Wash chana dal and with 1 cup of water let it  pressure cook for 2 whistles.Peel the bottle gourd and chop into pieces of 1 or 1/2 ".Chop tomatoes into 1" pieces.
Remove dal from the cooker when pressure is decreased.Now wash the cooker and put it on the burner.Pour oil add cummin and mustard seed and when these starts spluttering then add hing and pour tomatoes with chilli turmeric,coriander powder.Add chopped ginger and green chillies.       Stir well and add salt.


Now add lauki and boiled chana dal in it.Add 1/4 cup of water and let it cook till 1 whistleOpen the cooker and garnish it with  green chopped  coriander .


Serve it with roti/rice/paratha.

Carrot sabzi

Carrots are rich in Beta carotene which protects vision specially night vision.  The antioxidants present in carrots help protect against cardiovascular diseases and cancer.  Carrots are harvested in winter and hit the markets around November in India. This is a very lightly cooked dish that is almost like a salad.  Grated carrots are juicier and tastier than larger chopped chunks and the lemon juice and light seasoning really brings out their flavor in this dish.
Ingredients:-
4 fresh carrots
2 green chillies finely chopped
finely chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon
Grate the carrots. Put salt and turmeric,chillies on grated carrots.In a pan pour the oil and put on the burner.when the oil is hot put mustard seeds and then the grated carrots.Stir gently.Switch off the flame after 4 minutes.  Pour lemon juice and garnish with coriander.  Serve this sabzi with rotis or parathas.

Shimla Mirchi Besan Wali (Capsicum with besan)

                                                 

Mirchi/Peppers are an important part of Indian cooking imparting both heat and flavour to the dishes. One can rank peppers in heat and flavour and often the ones that are low in heat(acidity) are very high in flavour. Indian Shimla mirchi or capsicum is one such pepper.

Shimla mirch can be cooked in a number of different ways.  The most popular Shimla mirch dish is with potatoes (I will post the recipe later) but a very Marwari way of making Shimla mirch is to cook it with Besan.  Here is the recipe. 
Ingredients :

                                                        Ingredients

2 medium sized Shimala mirchi
4 table spoon besan (chick pea flour)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon amchur powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tabespoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
a pinch of hing powder 
Cut shimala mirchi in 1/2 inch pieces and remove the seeds.
In a nonstick pan pour the oil and put on burner or stove.
When oil is hot enough then put  hing and mustard seeds and when mustard starts crackling add mirchi pieces and stir.After a minute add besan and remaining spices.Now stir and keep the heat at lowest.After 10 minutes capsicum pieces will become tender.Switch off the flame .  This dish is ready to serve with roti or paratha.
Tips :-
The amount of oil required is proportional to the quantity of besan used.Calorie watcher can reduce the amount of besan .

Matar Paneer

Ingredients
Paneer          250 gms
Green Peas   250 gms (shelled)
Yogurt           125 gms
Spices:
1  teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4  teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of hing powder
3 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
For making thick gravy
2 tomatoes
10 pieces of cashew
Thaw the paneer after taking out of freezer for 30 minutes.Now cut into 1/2 " cubes and keep aside.
yogurt gravy
Put the pan on heat and pour ghee in it .When it is hot then add hing powder +all the spices and then add yogurt.Stir well till yogurt gets fried with spices and then add two cups of warm water in it.Let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Gravy with tomato and yogurt
Cut two tomatoes in small pieces.
Make paste of 10 cashews in a mortar pestel.
Put the pan on heat and pour ghee in it. When it is hot then add hing powder +all the spices and tomato pieces then add yogurt. Stir well till all the ingredients  gets fried with spices. Now add cashew paste and stir. Add two cups of hot water and let it boil.
Now add paneer cubes and peas to it. After 5 minutes when peas and paneer absorbs the spices then switch off the flame or heat.
Pour the sabji in a serving bowl and garnish with finely chopped fresh green coriander leaves. Serve it with roti or paratha.
Tips etc.:
1. Thawing the paneer is necessary for getting good cubes and not the crumbs.
2. Cashew paste will help in changing the consistency of the gravy and will give a  buttery taste.

Oondhiyun

This particular dish is very popular Gujarati delicacy of winter. As all winter vegetables are used in it has become a favorite dish outside Gujarat also.
Traditionally it was cooked in a sealed earthen pot by putting the pot into a pit in the ground which was having burning charcoal in it .It used to take hours for vegetables to be cooked .This recipe is about cooking on the gas stove.

                                             Oondhiyu
Ingredients:
Vegetables

2 medium size potato diced.
4 small green brinjals (known as Surati baingan) cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup  Papadi beans or any green beans like french beans cut into 1" pieces
1 cup florets of 1" pieces of cauliflower
1 cup fresh green peas.
1 cup diced carrots
one raw banana peeled and diced in 1" pieces.
1 medium size sweet potato peeled and diced
1/2 cup desiccated fresh coconut
1 Lemon
 1/2 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves

For Muthiyas
1 cup besan
1 cup fresh finely chopped methi leaves
Spices
Salt,
turmeric powder,
coriander powder,
red chilli powder.
A pinch of asafateida.
oil for frying

                                           Methi Muthiya


Making muthiya

In besan add salt chilli powder,cummin seeds,a pinch of hing powder,two table spoon oil and mix well. Add methi and a two three spoons of water to make a dough of roti consistency.make small balls of it and deep fry in oil.These are called muthiya.

Wash and cut all vegetables.

Put a pan on stove and  pour four tablespoon of oil and a pinch of hing.

Put all the vegetables and add salt,chilli powder,turmeric powder.Stirr well and add one cup of water and cover with a lid.

Let the vegetables cook for next 10 minutes.

Now add muthias let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes.Add one table spoon of sugar and squeez half lemon.

Switch off the stove and garnish it with grated coconut and finely chopped coriender leaves.

Serve it with hot roti or paratha or rice.

Hari mirchi methiwali

This dish also has dana methi in it which has medicinal value.

                                                                        

Ingredients required

Green chillies  Large size 2 or small size 4

Two tablespoon Dana methi

One teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon   amchur powder(dry mango powder easily available in Indian grocery store)

a pinch of hing powder

3 tablespoon of oil

Cut the chillies in half inch pieces and in a bowl with 1/4 cup water put chilli pieces and microwave for

one minute.Drain the water this will reduce the hotness of chillies.
With 4tablespoon of water microwave methiseeds for 2 minutes.

In a pan add oil and heat add hing and then chilli pieces and stirr.Add methi salt 'turmeric powder and stirr.
After a minute add amchur powder and stirr.Switch off the flame and cover the dish.It can be served with roti'paratha or rice.This dish stays for three four days even without refrigeration.

Danamethi papad ka saag

Methi/ Fenugreek leaves and seeds of the plant has high medicinal and nutritional value. It's green leaves are supposed to be rich in iron and the dried seeds of methi taken out of pods (called as danamethi) are rich in proteins, vitamin A and C, iron,Calcium and minerals.  It is  good for so many diseases specially for diabetes as it helps in reducing glucose level. When these seeds are taken out bit early before turning to yellow they are green in color and give more aroma. These green methi seeds are available with few grocers only but yellow seeds one can find at any Indian grocery store.

Methi papad ka saag is a dish popular in marwar which is the part of Thar desert.Papad is a very common Indian savoury and is made with flour of variety of pulses like moong ,moth,urad etc.The papad which are used in this recipe are moong papad as the urad papad will make the dish sticky and will not taste good.One can find moong papad in Indian stores .The brands of Ganesh and Lijjat makes moong papad.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of  methi seeds( Danamethi)
Two moong papad Large size or four smaller ones
1/2 cup plain yogurt
4 tablespoon of oil or ghee
a pinch of asoefatida
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
In a bowl put methi seeds and half cup water and microwave it for four minutes.
Roast the papad in microwave  and break into pieces of one inch approximately.
Beat the yogurt

In a pan put oil and heat it and add asoefatida Take the pan away from flame now add dry spices
i.e,chilli,turmeri,coriander powder and immediately add beaten yogurt .Now put the pan on flame and stir it and add a cup of warm water.Now add methi and let it boil for three four minutes then add papad pieces
and switch off the flame .Cover it with a lid .Open after three four minutes .It is ready to serve with roti or rice.
Tips:
Quantity of  dry spices can be adjusted to the taste.

Aloo Palak ki Sabzi (spinach with potato and tomato)

Green vegetables are nutritious with lots of vitamins . When we talk about it then the first thought comes is of spinach.As it has lots of vitamins and is rich in iron it is being prescribed for all ages .But many people does not like either the taste or aroma of it. .Here is the recipe where you can add potato and tomato in it.
Taste enhances if the food look good.Greens of spinach and red of tomato garnished with cream shade of potato is so appealing that one would start to love this healthy and nutritious  spinach..

                                                         
                                                                      alu palak ki sabzi

Ingredients :-

A bunch of fresh spinach
One medium size potao
Two tomatoes
Grated ginger one tea sp
green chillies finely chopped
1 teasp salt
1 teasp cummin seeds
 Spices   (1 teasp red chilli powder,coriander powder,1/2 teasp  turmeric powder) these spices one can easily get in an Indian store
a pinch of   hing ( asoeftieda optional) Some people does not appreciate the smell of asoefateida
2tab sp oil

Wash and cut spinach,then dice potatoes in 1/2 inch pieces.Cut tomatoes in 1 inch pieces.
Put a nonstick pan on burner and add oil in it.When it is hot then add cummin seeds and asoefoetida.Add
diced potatoes and stir .Cover the pan and put the burner on a slow flame .After 5 minutes open it as potatoes are soft add the spices and stir.Then add spinach and tomatoes stir and cover .After 2 minutes switch off the burner.Add ginger and  green chillies.   Keep it covered for 5 minutes .It is ready to serve.It can
be served with rotis or rice.One can eat it as it is .


Tips

1. To retain the vitamins and the green colour of spinach too much cooking should be avoided after adding spinach .

Gatte ka saag

Gatte ka sag

 This is the traditional marwari dish being very popular throughout 
India.Marwari and gatte goes hand in hand.Gatte ka sag can be prepared in two ways either by boiling the gatte or by deep frying gatte

Ingredients required  (sufficient for two persons)

1.   One cup besan (chick pea/gram flour)

2. 3/4 cup yogurt

3. One cup oil ( for deep frying ,for boiled dish 6 tablespoon oil)

 4.  Red chilli powder  1 1/2 teaspoon

5.1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

6. two teaspoon salt

7. a pinch of asoeftida (hing)

8. one teaspoon of powdered coriander  seeds

9.One teaspoon of coriander seeds,cummin seeds

10. Chopped coriander leaves

Making of gatte

In a bowl add besan and half teaspoon of salt ,cummin seeds and half teaspoon of red chilli powder and coriander seeds.Mix well.
Now add three tablespoon of oil in besan and mix thoroughly with your palms.This  oil will make the gatte softer and is called as moyan.
(Moyan is the term used for oil or ghee which is added in a dry flour before kneading to make a dough.)

Now add 1/5 cup of water and make a dough .The consistency of the dough should be slightly loose then the chapati dough.
Now make three equal balls of it and make rolls of one inch diameter.

For boiled gatte

keep a vessl on flame with two cup of water .When water starts boiling put the rolls of gette and let it boil.After 8 or 10 minutes gatte will become light and starts floating on the water.

This is the sign that it is cooked.Switch off the flame and take out the rolls and cut pieces of half inch thickness

Pieces of boiled gatte

For Gravy
Mix in the yogurt chilli powder ,turmeric powder,salt and coriander powder.Beat the yogurt with a spoon
Now put  a pan  on flame and add three tablespoon of oil and add a pinch of hing.Pour the beaten yogurt and stir well .The yogurt and spices will get fried and when you see net like pattern in the pan which tells it.Now add the water( in which rolls were boiling) to the gravy and add gatte pieces and let it simmer for three to four minutes.
For frying

Cut the rolls in half inch thickness and deep fry in a pan instead of boiling the rolls .When gatte pieces are golden brown then can be added to the yogurt gravy prepared earlier

Take out in a bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Can be served with roti ,paratha or rice.