Chilly Cauliflower

I always get confused what should I make as a side dish for our daily dinner/lunches. And that is why  I experiment with the vegetables. Now a days I prefer the baked version of anything. It is so healthy... right? And easy too!! That is why I made this spicy cauliflower recipe for the dinner. Hope you will enjoy it.

Ingredients :

1. Cauliflower- 1 small
2. Cornflour- 3 tbs
3. Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp
4. Garlic- 3 cloves
5. Salt to taste
6. Green chilly- 4
7. Soy sauce- 1 tbs
8. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
9. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
10. Red bell pepper- 1/2
11. Oil


Procedure :

Cut the cauliflower in medium florets. In a pan boil water with salt. Add the florets and cook for 3 to4  minutes till the florets become a little tender. Now in a bowl mix cornflour , 1/2 tsp black pepper , red chilly powder , salt and ginger-garlic paste. Add little water to make a thick batter. Drain the water from the florets and dip the florets in the batter. Preheat the oven at 400 F and bake the florets for 15 minutes. Do turn the florets in between. Now in a pan add 1 tbs oil and chopped bell peppers, saute them for 2 minutes. Add the chilly , soy sauce , remaining pepper powder , garlic and the remaining of the batter. Stir fry everything until it thickens. Add the baked cauliflower and mix well. Sprinkle some salt and turn off the heat.

Palak Paneer

In our house we both have always been in anti-palak group. We had tried different versions of paneer recipes but not the simplest  Palak Paneer!! Its just that we thought we won't like the taste of spinach at all. But we were wrong!! This simple vegetarian recipe won our heart. It is a healthy recipe indeed.

Ingredients :

1. Paneer- 10 to 12 medium pieces
2. Spinach (Palak)- 2 bunches
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil- 2 tbs
5. Green chilly- 4
6. Garlic- 5 cloves
7. Chat masala- 1/2 tsp
8. Lemon juice- 1 tbs
9. Ginger- 1/2" stick
10. Sour cream- 2 tbs
11. Cumin seed- 1/4 tsp
12. Coriander seed- 1/4 tsp
13. Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
14. Chicken masala powder- 1/4 tsp

Procedure :

In a pan add the spinach and some salt and water. Heat it on high temperature until the water starts to boil. Switch off the gas and drain the water. Let the spinach be cooled down a little and put them in the blender jar. Add the green chilly, ginger and blend it well. Do not add much water while blending. Crush the coriander seeds and heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin , coriander , minced garlic and let them fry for a minute. Add the spinach mixer to it and mix well. Cook it over medium heat and stir in between. After 5 minutes , the gravy will turn a little dark , add all the masala powder and mix well and cook over low flame. If needed , add little water. When the gravy starts simmering, add the paneer cubes. Cover the pan and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream and adjust salt level. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the lemon juice. Serve hot with paratha or rice.

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and cooking with love.

Chole Bature Recipe

Chole bature, a spicy Punjabi recipe. A famous breakfast option in North India. Do not forget to have a glass of lassi with Chole bature. Its an awesome combination!! I have already shared the bature recipe with you. Today I am going to share the chola recipe.

Ingredients :

1. Kabli chana (chickpeas)- 1 cup
2. Salt to taste
3. Onion- 2 large
4. Tomato- 1
5. Red chilly powder- 2 tsp
6. Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp
7. Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
8. Coriander seed- 1/2 tsp
9. Coriander powder- 1 tbs
10. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
11. Hing- 1/4 tsp
12. Bhuna garam masala- 1/2 tsp
13. Tamarind paste- 1 tsp
14. Butter- 1 tsp(optional)
15. Oil- 4 tbs

Procedure:

Soak the kabli chana in water for at least 24 hours. Keep changing the water in between. Now in a pressure cooker add the washed kabli chana , some water and little salt. Pressure cook the kabli chana on medium flame until 4 to 5 whistles come. Remove the cooker and let the steam evaporate. 

Meanwhile Chop the onion roughly. Keep some (2 tbs) chopped onion aside. Heat 2 tbs oil in a kadhayi and add chopped onion , chopped tomato and crushed coriander seeds. Let them fry on medium heat until the onion turns lightly brown. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down. Blend the onion-tomato mixture in a mixer grinder. 

Heat remaining oil in kadhayi and add the paste. Keep frying the paste on low flame. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes. Add all the remaining masala powder and keep frying the paste. When the paste turns little dark, add the boiled chana to it. Mix well and let the chana get fried with the paste for 3 to 4 minutes. Add some water and cover the kadhayi. Let it cook over low flame. After 5 to 6 minutes, add salt and tamarind paste to it. Mix well. Cook over medium flame till the water dries up and reach the expected consistency. I prefer the kabli chana gravy to be mildly thick which is perfect with some paratha or puri. Adjust the salt level before turning off the heat. Add the scoop of butter to it and serve it hot with bature (for recipe click here). Sprinkle the chopped onion on top of it.

Do participate in the ongoing event Bake with your heart, last date of participation is 7th January.

Bhindi Besan Fry

A crunchy fried bhindi....can be served with a hot cup of tea or with some hot rice daal. I love to eat it alone because of its little sour taste. Do try this recipe, it takes only few minutes to cook.

Ingredients:


1. Bhindi (Lady's finger)- 15 to 20
2. Besan (gram flour)- 1/2 cup
3. Cornflour- 2 tbs
4. Vinegar- 1/2 cup

5. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp                          
6. Dry mango powder- 1 tsp
7. Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
10. White pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
11. Oil to deep fry

Procedure:

Cut the ends of the bhindis and slice along the length. In a large bowl mix besan , cornflour, salt , chilly powder, mango powder , cumin powder , pepper and ginger-garlic paste.  Mix everything well. Add the vinegar slowly and mix every time. Make a paste of it. This paste should not be too watery or else it will not coat the bhindis well. 

One can also make the paste using water instead of vinegar. But vinegar gives a nice sourness to the coating and it binds really well. Now dip the bhindis in this batter and heat oil in a kadhayi to fry them. The oil should be medium hot for frying the bhindis. If it is too hot , the coating will start getting burnt before the bhindi is cooked from inside. After frying keep them on paper napkin to soak excess oil and serve hot bhindi besan fry.

Do not forget to participate in the event Bake with your heart.

Moong Daal Vada Ki Subzi

Its one of my favorite subzi preparation. The crunchy moong daal vadas are prepared from split yellow moong. You can use these vadas as tea time snack also. And when you prepare the gravy and put these vadas into that , they turn into tasty semi soft vadas. An exception to the daily normal daal -roti-subzi combination.

Ingredients :

1. Moong daal- 1 cup
2. Green chilly- 3
3. Tomato- 3
4. Onion-2
5. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Chilly powder- 1/4 tsp
7. Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
8. Ginger-garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
9. Garlic- 3 cloves
10. Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
11. Hing- 1/4 tsp
12. Oil
13. Salt to tatse

Procedure :

Soak the daal in water for 3 to 4 hours. Drain it and blend it in a mixer. In a pan heat 1 tbs oil and add the daal paste to it. Mix the paste well with a wooden spatula and keep stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky. Be careful because this paste tends to stick to the bottom easily. Now take the sticky daal paste in a bowl and add 1 small chopped onion , 2 chopped green chilly , cumin , 1 small chopped tomato and chopped garlic , salt. Mix well and make small balls from the mixture. Keep them aside. Heat oil in a large kadhayi for deep frying the moong daal vadas. When the oil is ready , add the vadas one by one and fry them over medium flame until they turn brown in color. Remove the vadas and keep on paper napkin to remove excess oil. 

Meanwhile heat 2 tbs oil in a separate pan and add remaining chopped onion , green chilly. When the onion turns brown , add chopped tomato and ginger- garlic paste. Cover the kadhayi for 2 minutes and cook over low flame. Next add turmeric powder , chilly powder , hing and cumin powder. Mix well. When the paste turns a little dark brown in color , add water and cover with a lid. You can mash the tomatoes with the help of the spatula. Adjust the salt level and add the deep fried vadas to it. Keep cooking over low flame until the gravy turns a little thick. The vadas should be a little soft while soaking the gravy. Turn off the heat. Serve hot Moong daal vada ki subzi with roti or paratha. 

Tips : Do not keep the fried vadas for a long time before adding them to the gravy as this will make them a little hard. So it is advised to prepare the gravy side by side while deep frying the vadas and immediately add the vadas to the gravy and cook them over low flame.

There are hardly 10 days left to the end date of the ongoing event What's on your kebab platter , so those who have any entries and have not yet submitted them do it fast or else you will loose the opportunity to participate in the event to win a gift.

Tok daal Recipe (Khatta Daal)

Tok daal is my dad's hot favorite during the Summers. He insists my mom to make tok daal or khatta daal every alternate day as he says that sourness of raw mango helps us fight the scorching heat outside. You can use any daal for this , but the main ingredient for it is Raw Mango , which you have to choose very carefully. The taste of the daal comes from the sourness of mango.

Ingredients :

1. Masoor daal (soaked in water for 10 minutes)- 1 cup
2. Raw mango- 1
3. Salt to taste
4. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
5. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Hing (Asafoetida)- 1/4 tsp
7. Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
8. Kasuri methi (dry)- 1 tsp
9. Oil
10. Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp


Procedure :

Peel the mango and chop it into small cubes (do not make the pieces too small or else they will be totally mashed). Heat oil in pressure cooker and fry the mango pieces with salt  red chilly powder and turmeric powder for a minute. Add the daal to it and add water up to your desired level. Check the salt and cover the lead of the cooker. Pressure cook the daal on high flame until one whistle. When the daal is done , let the steam come out completely. After that heat your tadka pan and add 1 tbs oil , hing , kasuri methi , cumin and mustard seed. The cumin will start spluttering , after the kasuri methi changes its color , turn off the gas and add the tadka to the daal. Mix it well. You Tok daal is ready.

This daal tastes better with hot rice.

Potato- Carrot Tikki

Tikkis are the spicy...sweet and sour pattis made up from some vegetables in North India. The tikki itself is not that spicy , but the chutney that we use with it makes it delicious. Mainly you will hear about the aloo ki tikki in the shops which are made up of potato stuffed with peas and some other things. Here I have tried a different tikki , a tikki made up of potato and carrot.

Ingredients :

1. Potato- 3
2. Carrot- 3
3. Salt to taste
4. Aamchur powder- 1 tsp
5. Roasted cumin powder- 1 tbs
6. Green chilly- 4
7. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
8. Hing (asafoetida)- 1/2 tsp
9. Arrowroot- 2 tbs
10. Oil

For the chutney :


1. Curd (mixed with a little water)- 3 tbs
2. Tamarind pulp- 2 tbs
3. Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
4. Sugar- 4 tsp


Procedure :

First boil the potatoes and the carrots. Peel their skins and mash them in a large bowl. Add chopped chillies , salt , aamchur , 1 tsp cumin powder , pepper , hing and arrowroot. Mix everything well. Now form small pattis from the mixture and keep them aside. 

Heat 3 tbs oil in a flat surface non stick pan. When the oil is a little hot , add the pattis to it. Fry them over low flame until they turn dark brown. Change the side of the pattis and fry them again. Now to fry the tikkis you will have to use enough oil otherwise they will not turn out well. The arrowroot will make the tikkis crunchy. Keep the tikkis on paper napkin to remove excess oil.

In another pan add cumin seeds and heat it. When the cumin seeds start spluttering , add little water to it. Then add the tamarind pulp and 1 glass of water. Add the sugar to it and bring it to boil. Remove it from the gas when it thickens.

Now Serve the tikkis with curd and the tamarind chutney. Sprinkle the remaining roasted cumin powder on the tikkis.

You can have a look at the other tikki recipes of mine :
 Chicken tikki
Sending this to Anyone can cook series 30.

Sending this to the event Breakfast Club by Scrumptious Sally.

And to the event Healthy lunchbox Ideas.

Sending this to the event Joy from fasting to feasting.

Egg Curry

I never liked the egg curry that my mom used to make. Same with my hubby...he simply hates egg currry. So I have never tried my hands on it. But this time I thought to give it a try....tried to make it more flavorful so that both me and my hubby will like it. And it turned out so well that when he started he was a little disappointed to see egg curry on the menu , but when he finished his dinner , he was asking for some more!! It feels so good naa??

Ingredients :

1. Egg (hard boiled)- 2
2.Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
3. Coriander powder- 1/4 tsp
4. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Roasted cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Ginger-garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
7. Onion- 1
8. Tomato- 1
9. Garlic- 4 cloves
10. Green chilly- 1
11. Cumin- 1/4 tsp
12. Oil
13. Salt to taste


Procedure :

First make some small cuts into the eggs and marinate them with turmeric , ginger-garlic paste , coriander , salt , red chilly powder and cumin powder for half an hour. Now heat oil in a kadhayi for deep frying the eggs. Deep fry the eggs such that they get a nice brown crunchy surface. Remove them and keep them on a paper napkin to remove excess oil. 

Now heat 2 tbs oil in a pan and add chopped garlic , green chilly , onion and tomato to it. Fry them for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it come back to normal temperature. Blend them into a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. When they start crackling , add the tomato paste and fry it till it changes its color. Add a little turmeric , coriander , red chilly powder to it and the excess of the marinate. Mix well and cover it. After 4 to 5 minutes add the eggs to it and fry the masala for another 3 to 4  minutes. Add water and adjust the salt level. Cook until the gravy reaches a semi thick consistency. Turn off the heat when its done and sprinkle a little lemon juice (optional).

Sending this to Anyone can cook : series 29.

Sending this to Subzis for roti event.

Sweet Sesame Cauliflower

Its a fried recipe of cauliflower. Though the name suggests that its a sweet dish , but the green chillies and the vinegar has given it a nice twist.

Ingredients :

1. Cauliflower florets- 10
2. Cornflour- 2 tbs

3. Red chilly powder- 1/4 tsp

4. Ginger-garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Dark soy sauce- 1 large tbs
7. Vinegar- 1 tbs
8. Green chilly (thinly chopped)- 2
9. Honey- 1 tbs
10. Sesame seed- 1 tbs
11. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
12. Oil to deep fry

Procedure :

Mix cornflour , red chilly powder , salt and ginger garlic paste in a bowl. Add 4 to 5 tbs water to make a thick paste. Now add the florets and mix them softly and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan for deep frying the florets. When the oil is done , add the batter coated florets into it. Fry them on low flame until they turn a little brown.

In another pan add soy , vinegar , green chilly , sesame and pepper. Heat that pan and add the fried cauliflower to it. Mix well and sprinkle some salt. Add honey to it and toss the pan on high flame so that the soy sauce gets soaked up quickly. Soak half of the florets in soy sauce and keep the other half a little white in color, this will give a nice black and white color combination. Remove it after it becomes dry and serve hot.

Sending this to Anyone can cook event and to the Iftar night event.

Sambar Recipe

Sambar is a vegetable stew made with tamarind and is a very famous recipe in South India. It is usually served with steamed rice or vada , idli etc. 

 

Ingredients :

1. Arhar daal- 3/4 cup

2. Lauki (small pieces)- 1 cup

3. Brinjal (small)- 2

4. Tamarind pulp- 1 tbs

5.Salt to taste

6. Hing- 1/4 tsp

7. Sambar powder- 2 1/2  large tsp

8. Onion (finely chopped)- 1 small

9. Mustard seed- 1/2 tsp

10. Curry leaves- 10

11. Jaggery- 1 tsp

12. Oil

Procedure :

Soak the daal in water for an hour. Now in a deep bottom kadhayi add the daal and 2 cups of water and boil it. Cover the kadhayi and mash the daal after certain intervals. Add some more water if needed. When the daal is done and almost mashed properly , add salt and the chopped vegetables to it. Cover and cook till the vegetables are done. Now in another pan heat oil and add mustard , curry leaves , sambar powder , onion. Fry them for 2 to 3 minutes till the onions are done. Now add this fried onion mixture to the daal and add jaggery , tamarind. Mix well and bring the whole thing to boil. After 3 to 4 minutes turn off the heat. Serve it hot with idli.

Tomato Rasam With Spicy Papad

Rasam is a South Indian soup which is made from tamarind juice , tomato and many more spices. When I was in Chennai for my job , I used to have rasam everyday with my food and from there I fell in love with it :)....yesterday after a long time I made tomato rasam at home and I loved the taste. And I like to have the rasam with roasted spicy papad.

Ingredients :

1. Tomato- 3
2. Green chilly- 1
3. Turmeric Powder- 1 pinch
4. Garlic- 4 cloves
5. Rasam powder- 1 large tbs
6. Jaggery- 1/4 tsp
7. Sugar- 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Lemon juice- 1 tbs
10. Black pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
11. Oil
12. Curry leaves- 7 to 8
13. Cumin seeds (Jeera)- 1/2 tsp
14. Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
15. Asafoetida (Hing)- 1/4 tsp
16. Water


Procedure :

Chop the tomatoes and garlic. In a kadhayi add tomatoes , garlic , green chilly , rasam powder , turmeric , jaggery , sugar , salt , pepper and water (around 3/4 cup). Heat the kadhayi and cover it. After 4 to 5 minutes , stir the mixture and mash the tomatoes roughly. Fry the curry leaves separately in a pan and add 3 to 4 curry leaves to the kadhayi. Cook the mixture for another 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the whole mixture cool down to room temperature. Blend the mixture in hand blender. Now heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add jeera , mustard , hing and remaining curry leaves. Fry them for 2 minutes and add to the tomato mixture.  Sprinkle the lemon juice in the rasam. Serve the tomato rasam.

You can also add tamarind pulp to the rasam.
Sending this to the event Whip Up Something New and to Any one can cook :series 26 event.

Chickpeas (Kabli/ Kavli Chana) in Red Coconut Curry

 Here I have come back with one another Chickpeas (kabli chana) recipe. I have always kept a safe distance from the red chillies as my mom had told me that red chilly creates trouble for the stomach. But this recipe seems so tempting that I can't help but going against her...sorry Mom.

Without uttering a single word , lets start with the ingredients :

1. Scraped coconut- 3/4 cup
2. Coriander seed- 1 tsp
3. Dry red chilly- 4 to 5
4. Garlic- 5 to 7 cloves
5. Ginger- 1/2 inch
6. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
7. Hing powder (asafoetida)- 1/4 tsp
8. Chickpeas- 1 bowl
9. Turmeric paste- 1/2 tsp
10. Lemon juice- 1/2 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Cumin powder (Jeera powder)- 1/4 tsp
13. Garam Masala- 1 pinch
14. Oil
15. Kasuri methi (dry)- 1 tsp
16. Curry leaf (fried)- 7 to 8


Procedure :

Soak the chickpeas in water for one night and next day cook it in a pressure cooker (add a little salt to the water) until 5 whistles. Meanwhile blend red chillies , coriander seed , garlic , ginger properly. If needed add a little water so that no large substance remains there. Mix this with the scrapped coconut.

Now heat 2 tbs oil in a non-stick kadhayi and add this coconut mixture. Let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. If it starts sticking to the base , add a little oil. When you will get a roasted aroma of the coconut and chilly , add very little water to it. This will collect all the spices that have been sticking to the kadhayi.

Add the kasuri methi and the garam masala. Now for garam masala I always prefer a freshly prepared one , because of its aroma. Add turmeric , cumin powder , hing and salt. Roast this for one more minute and add 1 cup of water to it. Add the boiled chickpeas , tamarind paste and fried curry leaves.

                                            

Cover the lid. Cook it over low flame. Before removing it from the flame add lemon juice , a green chilly and few coriander leaves. 

This post goes to Kerala Kitchen for this month's event which is hosted by Magpie of Magpie Recipes. As chickpeas are a great source of protein , hence I am sending this to Cook it healthy event organized by Sobha.