Mixed Vegetable Curry

One of the best and obvious things about Mixed vegetable curry is that you can have all the vegetables at one go! Make use of the seasonal vegetables and prepare this wonderful healthy dish filled with goodness. Do not limit yourself to the same old traditional veggies and experiment every time you prepare this mixed vegetable curry. Here I have included lauki(bottle gourd) and brinjal too. You can omit as per your preference. 

Ingredients: 
Onion - 2
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Ginger - garlic paste - 1tbsp
Green chillies - 2
Vegetables of your choice
Carrot - 1 cup cut lengthwise
Beans - 1 cup cut lengthwise
Potato - 2
Cauliflower - few florets
Capsicum - 1 cup chopped
Peas - 1/2 a cup
Chopped Coriander

Cloves, cinnamon

Turmeric powder

Coriander powder - 1tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp (optional if green chillies are very hot)

Garam masala - 1 tbsp

Yoghurt - half cup

Salt as per taste

Procedure: 

1. Put all the veggies in a pressure cooker and give 1 whistle.( we do not want the vegetables to mash up. You can switch off just before the whistle also)

2. Heat oil in a pan,add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon.

3. When they start spluttering add green chillies, onion and ginger garlic paste. Mix well and allow them to cook.

4. Now add tomato puree, mix well. Add the dry powders - turmeric, dhania powder, red chillie powder, garam masala, salt. Allow them to cook until the raw smell goes and oil starts leaving the mixture.

5. Add the semi cooked vegetables to the gravy and give a nice mix so that all the masalas blend with the veggies.

6. Add 1 cup water. Use the same water used for cooking vegetables. Allow it to boil, adjust the seasoning to a proper taste. It shouldn't take much time as the vegetables are already done.

7. As the gravy thickens and before you switch it off add the whisked curd/yoghurt to the mixture and mix.

8. Garnish chopped coriander and serve hot with roti/phulka/rice.

Note:if you want the dry version of this curry, you can directly cook the vegetables and add less water in step no 6. 

Paneer Capsicum Masala

Wide varieties of curries and dishes can be made out of vegetarians' delight -  paneer. You can check the video on how to make homemade paneer in 3 easy steps here. Here is one such paneer dish in combination with capsicum. Ingredients: Onion (finely chopped) - 1 cup Tomatoes - 2 Capsicum (thinly sluced) - 1 cup Paneer (cubed) - 1 cup Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp Cashew nuts - 5,6 (soak them in warm water before preparation) Turmeric powder Red chilli powder Coriander powder - 1tsp Cumin seeds Chopped coriander for garnishing Salt as per taste Oil Procedure: 1. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. When they splutter add onions and fry them till they turn translucent. 2. Add tomatoes and powders - turmeric, red chilli, coriander and garam masala. Mix well and allow it cook until the raw smell goes off and tomatoes are cooked. 3. Now add chopped capsicum, let them cook for some time and then add cubed paneer. Mix well so that paneer mixes well with the gravy. 4. Blend the soaked cashew nuts into a paste and add to the gravy. Mix well and add a cup of water, allow it to boil for few minutes till all the veggies and gravy are well cooked. 5. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with roti or rice.

Kala Chana / Black Chickpea Recipe

There are many ways of preparing this kala chana or black chickpea curry. Here is a simple and easy way. You can serve it with plain rice or roti / parantha. It is not only tasty but full of nutritional values. It reduces bad cholesterol and helps in weight reduction too!

Ingredients: 
Kala Chana / Chickpea / Bengal gram - 1cup
Onion - 1 big, chopped
Tomato - 1 or 2
Capsicum - 1 (optional)
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 spoon
Cumin seeds
Red chilli powder - 1tbsp
Coriander powder - 1tbsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Chopped Coriander
Lemon Juice - 1spoon

Procedure: 
1. Soak chickpea/Kala chana overnight. Pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. When they start spluttering add chopped onions, fry for a minute.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and cook well until the raw smell is gone. Now is the time to add chopped tomatoes.
4. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt. Mix all the masalas well and cook for few minutes.
5. Add cooked chickpea, mix well and add one cup of water. Close the lid and cook for 10 min on slow flame until all the masala is absorbed into chickpea and water is absorbed. Sprinkle lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander before serving. That's it!

Note: If you want the curry to be gravy one, take 1/4th cup of pressure cooked chana and grind it and add it along with the rest of the chana at step no 5 and add one extra cup of water.

How to make Paneer at home in 3 easy steps?

I had tried making paneer at home quiet a number of times. I could make, but not the perfect ones. They would shred whenever i fried them or directly put into any curry. So I had switched over to buying paneer from the shop.

But this one time i wasn't lucky to get it from outside. And i had to make it myself at home. Fortunately it turned out well and they dint break also when I used in the dish.

So for all those who have gone though my state, here am giving you the simple steps to make paneer at home in easy way

Ingredients : 
Milk  - 1 litre
Lemon juice - 2,3 tbspoons
Vinegar - 1 tbspoon (optional)

Procedure:

1. Bring milk to boil. Lower the heat and add lemon juice, keep stirring while you add. Milk starts to cuddle. (at this step add vinegar so that the process of cuddling continues for some more time and you get more paneer). Switch off the gas.

2. Pour the contents into a muslin cloth / cheese cloth. Allow it to cool a bit. Hang it for 15 minutes, so that all the whey is gone. 

3. Now keep a heavy object on the cloth. I had kept cooker filled with water for 3 hours. Remove it and you will see stiff but soft paneer. Cut them and pieces and store in air tight container. You can preserve this in refrigerator for 5-6 days. 

Simple and quick Cabbage Sabji

The health benefits of cabbage are innumerable. It is a rich source of vitamin C and is useful in the treatment of constipation, stomach ulcers, headache, excess weight, skin disorders, eczema, jaundice, scurvy, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, eye disorders, heart diseases, ageing, and Alzheimer's disease. No reasons to unlike cabbage now. Here is a simple and quick recipe of cabbage with potato.

Ingredients:

Shredded Cabbage - 2 cups 

Potato  - 2

Onion - 1

Green chillies - 3, 4

Red chillies - 2 (optional)

Turmeric powder

Curry leaves

Cumin seeds

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan. add cumin seeds, curry leaves. Once they start spluttering add green chillies, red chillies and sliced onions. Let it cook until the onions turn brown.

2. Add shredded cabbage, potato and mix well. Add turmeric powder, salt and sprinkle some water so that they don't stick to the bottom. 

3. Cook until the veggies become tender. At the end mix grated coconut and serve.

Checkout the Cabbage Soup recipe here

Rajma Curry Recipe

Rajma is also known as Red Beans or kidney beans. Though Rajma curry or Rajma Masala is a popular punjabi dish it is on the favorite list of most of the people in the northern part of India as Rajma - Chawal combo. Yes it goes very well with rice, but it can be served with roti,chapati, nan or any other bread too.

Here is a very simple and easy recipe to make this rajma curry.

Ingredients:

Rajma (Kidney Beans) - 1 cup

Onion - 2 (chop finely or blend)

Tomato - 2

Ginger-garlic paste - 1sp

Green Chillies - 3,4

Garam masala powder - 1tbsp (take whole masala and grind them-cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper)

Coriander Powder - 1tbsp

Red chilli powder(optional) - 1/2 tbsp

Kasuri Methi

Chopped coriander

Oil - 1 sp

Butter - 1sp

Salt

Procedure:

1. Soak Rajma overnight and cook in pressure cooker (I usually give 8-10 whistels) till done, they shouldn't be too mashed up.

2. Take oil in a pan, add one by one-cumin seeds, onion,  green chillies, ginger garlic paste and saute them. 

3. Add chopped tomatoes. Masala powder, coriander powder and mix well. 

4. Add the water drained from boiling rajma to this mixture and let it cook nicely for 10-12 min or till the whole mixture has mashed properly. Add more water if required.

5. Now its the time to add rajma, mix well, add kasuri methi, salt and butter. Let it cook for another 10 min or so till the masala is absorbed into the rajma nicely and the whole mixture is blended and a nice gravy is formed. 

6. Garnish with coriander (I forgot to add here before clicking!) and serve hot

Arbi ki Sabzi with Dahi (Curd)

Arbi is known by many names Arvi / Colacasia / Taro Root / Ghuiyan / Seppankizanghu(Tamil) / Chembu(Malyalam) / Kesavina Gedde(Kannada). 

Like its name, there are numerous ways of cooking it too. Boiled, Dry, gravy, stir fry, chips, stew and so on. It is a starchy vegetable like potato which can be boiled and peeled and is said to be very nutritious.  

One of my favorite ways of cooking it is with curd. Here is a a simple recipe for Arbi ki Sabzi with Dahi.
Ingredients:
Arbi - 10
Onion - 1big
Green chillies - 3, 4
Tomato - 2
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 sp
Coriander pwd - 1/2 sp
Red Chilli pwd - 1/2 sp(optional)
Curd - 1 Cup
Chopped coriander
Salt as per taste

Procedure:

1. Wash arbi and boil in cooker upto 3 whistles

2. After cooling, peel them and put in cold water.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add jeera, green chillies, onions and fry till onions turn translucent.

4. Add tomatoes, mix well, add salt, haldi, coriander powder and red chilli powder if you want it spicy

5. Mix all the ingredients and cook for 3-4 min until the whole mixture is done well.

6. Cut the arbi into small pieces and add it to the mixture. Mix well. Cook for another 3-4 min.

7. Once arbi gets coated nicely with the rest of the ingredients, add curd, mix well

8. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve

[Note: Peeling of Arbi may cause itching sometimes. Before peeling apply any oil on your hands to avoid itching]

Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada also called as Dahi Bhalla is a popular dish of north and western India. The recipe is very simple, you too can master it with a couple of trials. A mouthwatering snack and a perfect dish to beat the heat

Ingredients:
For Vada:

Urad Dal - 1cup
Grated Ginger - 1/2 sp
Green Chillies - 2-3
Salt as per taste
Pinch of baking soda
Oil for frying

For Serving:

Fresh curd - 3 cups 

Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp

Jeera (cumin )powder - 1/2 tbsp

Chopped coriander

Salt

Procedure: 

1. Soak urad dal for 3 hours. Grind it to a paste without adding (or very little) water along with ginger, green chillies and salt

2. Heat oil in a frying pan, take the batter and shape it in the form of a vada and deep fry till golden brown

(If required you can add little water and adjust the consistency)

3. Once you have fried all the vadas put them in warm water for 3-4 minutes. Remove, squeeze out the extra water and keep them aside.

4. Prepare the curd. Beat the curd well without any lumps. Mix red chili powder, cumin powder, salt and keep it in the refrigerator.

5. Just before serving, place the vadas in the deep serving dish, pour chilled curd over them.

6. Garnish with chopped coriander, red chili powder, cumin powder and serve chilled. [Tamarind chutney and coriander chutney can also be used for garnishing]

Karela Curry

Karela or bitter guard is not on many's favorite list. But, seeing its innumerable health benefits, it is wise to include it in our food often. In every karela preparation, efforts are made to lessen its bitterness either by adding extra ingredient or in the way of making.

Try out this karela curry, wherein we will be frying them a little bit and use curds to get rid of the bitterness. It tastes really different and good.

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd - 4-6 sliced
Curd - 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Salt to taste

Oil few spoons.

Wet Grind these to a Thick Paste:

Pepper - 1-2 spoons
Green chilies - 5

Thoor dal - 1 cup(soaked for 1 hour)
Tomato - 1
Ginger - 3-4 (1inch size)
Garlic 4 -5 cloves

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds - 1/4 spoon

Urad dal - 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies - 3
Curry leaves few
Oil for shallow frying.

Procedure:

1. Wash and clean bitter gourd. Pat dry them. Trim their ends off. Slice them to thin rings.2. Heat oil, in a shallow pan. Fry bitter gourd till crisp and dark in parts. Leave over tissue paper for a while

3. Heat a deep heavy bottomed vessel. Add oil and wet ground paste to it. Fry them till they loose their raw smell. Then add asafoetida, salt, turmeric and yogurts. Mix them well. Let them come to 1-2 boil.

4. Now is the time to add fried bitter gourd and bring it to boil as well.

5. In a separate pan we will prepare the seasoning. Heat oil, add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, red chilies, pepper and curry leaves. Once they start spluttering switch off and spread this seasoning over the gravy made above.

Serve warm along with plain rice or rotis.

How to make Lauki ki sabzi / halwa?

Bottle guard also known as Sorakkai, Lauki, Dudhi is actually a fruit in botanical sense but considered as a vegetable generally. It is a perfect vegetable for summer as it contains 96% of water apart from essential minerals, protiens and fibres.

I have given the recipe for both lauki ki sabzi and halwa. Now decide what do you want to make today!

Recipe for Lauki ki sabzi

Ingredients

Chopped (1 inch piece) bottle gourd 1 cup
Finely chopped Onions ½ cup
Finely chopped juicy Tomatoes 1 cup
Ginger Galrlic paste 1 spoon
Chopped Coriander Leaves
Jeera (Cumin) Seeds ½ tea spoon
Garam Masala 1 tea spoon
Red chili powder1 tea spoon
Haldi (Turmeric) Powder ½ tea spoon
Salt to taste
Fat Free Yogurt/Curd 2 table spoons
Cooking Oil 2 table spoons

Preparations

1. Heat oil in a thick bottom pan over medium heat and sprinkle jeera seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add chopped onions. Then add ginger garlic paste.

2. Saute the mixture, the onions will first turn translucent and then slightly brown, at this stage add tomatoes. Stir the mixture well and mash tomato pieces with spatula so that all the juices are released.

4. Reduce the heat. Add garam masala, red chilli powder, haldi powder. Sprinkle salt.

5. Mix the masala well until spices leave their raw aroma. Add yogurt and stir again. Bring the heat to medium and after few minutes, you’ll see oil floating in the corners of the pan. This is the right stage to add chopped bottle gourd.

6. Reduce heat and simmer until the veggie is very tender and the masala has thickened, about 10 minutes. If you want the dry sabzi, stop at this point. If you want the gravy, add 1/2 cup water and simmer for couple more minutes untill the desired thickness is achieved.

7. Sprinkle freshly chopped coriander and serve with hot rotis.

Recipe for Lauki ka halwa

Very easy and delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

Grated lauki 3 cups
Sugar- 1 cup
Ghee- 2 tbsp
Raisins & Cashews - 1 spoon
Cardomom powder - 1/4 tsp
Procedure :
1. Choose tender guards. Peel the skin, remove seeds.

2. Put the grated guard in a thick heavy pan (non- stick preferred). Add sugar and let it cook on medium low heat. The sugar guard mixture releases more water. Cook untill all the water evaporates.

3. The mixture becomes a mass. Add ghee and stir for few minutes till all the ghee is incorporated into the mixture. Add fried cashews and resins.