Jackfruit Seeds Masala

My mom used to make it back in India and we loved this dish. I have actually been eating jack fruits here but haven't really tried to make this dish at home with the seeds. I bought jack fruit from a local store in San Diego and I collected the seeds from the fruit. This time I wanted to make this dish with the seeds. I asked my mom for the recipe and I made this dish. It turned out very good. My husband also liked it. It is a mix of spicy and tangy taste. So you can never dislike this dish. I just have very few seeds. I had bought already cut jack fruit and so I had about 15 seeds only. So i managed to make this dish with these seeds. They were also really small seeds. So we were actually fighting for the dish. Had I known that this would happen I would have bought more . It happens you see :-) Next time I am going to buy more of it so that I can collect more seeds and make sufficient quantity so that we don't fight  ;-)

These seeds are good source of protien which I just read here

Ingredients:

Jack fruit Seeds - 15 (I had only 15 :-( )

Shallot - 1 cut lengthwise

Tomato sauce - 2 - tbsp

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder - 1tsp

Turmeric - a pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Cook the jack fruit seeds separately. I cooked it along with rice in pressure cooker for 3 whistles and it was perfectly cooked. Remove the skin from the seeds and cut it lengthwise into half or 4 pieces depending on the size. 

Heat oil in a pan. Add onions. Saute till it caramelizes. Then add turmeric, red chilli powder and the seeds. Saute it till the spices blend well with the seeds. Add salt and mix well. 

Fry for about 3-4 mins and add tomato sauce and mix well for another 2 mins. 

When the seeds are well mixed with the spices and sauce, remove and serve with rice or roti. 

Sending this to Shoba's Cook it Healthy - Proteinicious and to Taste of Pearl City's Anyone Can Cook Series - 24

Take care and catch you soon. 

Cauliflower Subzi/ Sauteed Cauliflower

I learnt this recipe from my husband. One day I was very sick and I couldn't make anything for our dinner. He prepared this cauliflower subzi along with rasam rice and it was tasting very good. My husband is a good cook and he always says that this dish is his specialty ;-). I make this often as its our favorite subzi. Very simple dish but it tastes good for rotis, or even plain rice. 

Ingredients:

Caluliflower -1 cut into small florets

Onion - 1 medium size chopped medium size chunks

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste 

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Sambar powder - 1 tbsp or according to spice requirement

Musatard - 1 tsp

Urad Dhal - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. when it splutters add urad dhal and jeera and asafoetida. When it turns brown add onion and saute well till it caramelizes.

Add cauliflower and saute for a min. Add turmeric, red chilli, sambar powder and mix well. Sprinkle water when ever necessary to cook the cauliflower. 

When it turns tender, add salt and keep frying till the water is well absorbed and the vegetable is well cooked. 

When it gets cooked remove from heat, garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with hot rotis. 

Take care and see you soon!

Reposting Eggplant Curry - Baingan Bartha

Eggplant is not my kinda veggie. Somehow from my childhood I have an avertion to eggplants. But one day when we went on a vacation to Jaipur, I had a chance to relish yummy makkan rotis and delicious baingan bhartha in the roadside dhaba. This was my first eggplant attack and it has remained my favorite dish ever. I just found out from my cousin that this is my aunt U's favorite too!! So i want to dedicate this to her. Wish I could cook it for her in person. She lives in India and I hope one day i can make this super duper dish for her.

Ingredients:

Eggplant - 1

Onions - 1 finely chopped

Tomato - 2 ( 1 chopped and 1 for grinding)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric - a pinch

Garam masala / baingan bartha masala - 3 tbsp

Green chilli - 1 ( if need be)

Salt - to taste

For seasoning:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

To Garnish:

Corriander leaves

Earlier i used to cook the eggplant by tossing it on top of the stove untill it gets cooked well and you get smoky smell. But this time i tried keeping the eggplant in the oven for 30 -45 mins preheated to 380 degrees. It came out so well. I could peel the skin so easliy and the best part is no mess and no struggle to clean. 

Procedure:

First cook the eggplant in oven pre heated to 380 degrees for about 30 -45 mins. Keeping looking in between to avoid burning. Keep aside when cooked.

Grind tomato, ginger  garlic paste, chilli, garam masala powder, turmeric powder into a nice puree. This will give the gravy a thick and a nice flavor. 

Now in a pan heat oil and add cumin seeds. First add onions and fry till it becomes transparent. Then add chopped tomato and keep frying for 3 mins untill tomato is almost cooked. Now add the tomato puree, salt and let it boil for some time till the oil sperates from mixture and the raw smell fades.

Add water if necessary. Thats it! Its amost over. Now mash the eggplant and add it to the gravy and let it cook for about 5 mins till everything blends well.

Garnish with corriander. Add extra butter on top for more taste. Now this has become my husband's favorite too!!! You can eat this with roti or bread or even have it with rice. 

Sending this to Charitha's C for Colorful curries event 

Chole Bhature

My first attempt to make Chole Bhature on Valentine's day was super hit. I learnt the art of making quick bhature from my cousin Maya. She told me about this Rhodes brand white dinner rolls. It is the closest to the bhature we get in restaurants. We loved it. Its his favorite dish and now I don't think we will ever order Chole bhature in restaurants. Believe me its really good. 

Ingredients:

For Bhature

Rhodes white dinner rolls - 6

Oil - for frying

I am not trying to market any product but just took a picture of this so that our friends get the right product that I used. 

For Chole

Kabuli Channa/ Garbanzo beans - 1 cup soaked overnight and cooked

Shallots - 2 medium size chopped fine ( we can use onion also)

Tomato - 2 pureed

Ginger and garlic- 1 tbps cut finely

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp

Channa Masala - 1 tbps

Oil - 3 -4 tbsp

Potato - 1 medium size, boiled and cut into medium size cubes

For Garnish:

Onion - chopped fine

Cilantro - chopped fine

Lime - cut into cubes

Preparation:

Heat the pan and add oil. When it is hot, add onion and fry until it turns brown. While frying, add pinch of salt to it. It enhances the taste of onion in food and cooks faster. When it is frying, add ginger and garlic. 

Now add tomato puree to the mixture and let it cook until the tomato gets cooked well. We can add red chilli powder and mix well. 

When the tomato is almost cooked, add channa masala, salt and sufficient water and let the whole mixture cook for about ten mins.

When oil seperates, add cooked potatoes and channa and let it cook in the mixture for another ten mins. You can dilute according to your need. 

When it blends well with the potato and channa, remove from heat and garnish with cilantro. 

Bhature:

Make pooris with the rolls and deep fry in a pan heated with oil.

Serve hot bhature with chole and garnish with chopped onion, cilantro and some lime. 

Sending this to Hearth n Soul hosted by Girliechef

Bindi Fry / Lady's Finger Fry

I am kind of stuck with lots of work. My husband and I are having some travel plans which came up all of a sudden. So we are busy with our plan. Though I have lots of time for the travel, we were stuck with some minor paper work. Anyways, I cant give excuses like this. Jumping about this dish, my friend in India, used to bring this type of bindi fry. I never liked bindi so much because of its slimy texture. Though after cooking it the right way it is not so the very thought about the sliminess would make me not try this vegetable. One day she brought it to work and it was really nice. It was not slimy, it was very nice, crunchy and tasty. From then I asked my mom to make it that way.

Ingredients:

Lady's Finger - 1 lb
Oil - 2 tbps
Turmeric -  1 tsps
Salt - to taste
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsps
Sambar Powder / Curry powder - 3/4 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. When hot add cumin seeds and let it fry for few seconds.

Now add turmeric, red chilli powder and sambar powder.

Add cut lady's finger and mix well till it takes all color from the turmeric.

Fry for about 2 mins. Add salt. Fry under medium to low flame till it becomes tender.

You will see that the sticky thing will go gradually when you fry under medium heat for some time.

Cook till it is completely non sticky. If you want it crispy, let it cook for more time in low heat.

Serve it with hot sambar rice, roti.

Thanks to Akhila for her award. It skipped out of my mind. Am sorry for posting it so late. But I thought better late than never :-)

Thanks Akila :-)

Paneer Masala

I posted the fried rice and actually forgot about my mention on Paneer Masala. Weekend was actually busy. We went to the Diwali Mela in our temple complex. It was fun. Cultural programs, lots of food, etc. It was a mini fair. We would not miss this mela every year. Its fun. Sunday just passed not doing anything. This way I forgot about my recipes and posts. Only now I had some time and was reminded about my recipes. Had taken few clicks but haven't posted yet. Will come up with them as soon as possible. Now let me explain this super easy paneer masala.

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 finely chopped
Tomato - 1 finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Paneer - 7 oz cut into cubes
Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsps
Garam Masala- 1/2 tbsp

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan and add fennel seeds. In few seconds, add onions and saute till the onions caramelizes. Now add tomato and fry for another 5 mins.

Add turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala and add some water to make it sufficient gravy. Let it cook till raw smell fades.

In another pan, heat little oil and add paneer. Fry till paneer becomes brown.

Add paneer to the gravy and mix well. Let it soak in the gravy and serve with fried rice.

Kovakkai / Ivy Gourd / Tindora Stir fry

My mom used to make this simple saute back in India. I love this vegetable. It has a very simple taste and acquires flavors from the spices we use. Just a simple saute but a very tender texture and taste. This vegetable has such great nutritional benefits. My mom used to make this not only because I love it, but it is one of the few vegetables my dad can have that is useful to lower his blood sugar levels.So it is very good for people with high blood glucose levels. I never made this vegetable here in US because my husband doesn't like it much. But the other day I asked him to give it a shot and eat this just like how we eat many other veggies that we do not like. He tried it and actually liked it and was ready to eat often. I am so happy that he liked it because its is easy when we have similar tastes you see ;-) 

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd/ Tindora - 1 LB cut lengthwise
Oil - 1 tbsps
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsps
Urad dhal - 1 tsps
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Red Chilli - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sambar Powder or Curry Powder or garam Masala - 3/4 tbsps
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add urad dhal, asafoetida, jeera curry leaves.

When urad dhal turns light brown, add tindora. Keep stiring once in a while. Sprinkle water and close it. Stir occasionally and sprinkle water till tindora cooks well. It will become tender when cooked and the skin will slightly shrink .

The moisture in the vegetable will absorb the spices and tastes good. I did this saute just till the vegetable cooked and became tender. In case you need it crispy, add little more oil and keep it in medium heat and more time until it turns crisp after the entire moisture is absorbed.

 Serve it with roti, poori and just hot steamed rice.

Moong and beans saute

When ever I make beans saute, its always a simple saute with grated coconut at the end of it. Though it tasted good, I was really bored of making the same type with beans. When I was talking to my mom today, she asked me to try this one. It was different way to make beans. Tasted good with the crunch of moong dhal and some spices added to it made the dish flavorful.

Ingredients:

Beans - 1 - 2 cups Chopped
Moong Dhal - 1/4 cup
salt - To taste
Corriander Powder - 1/2 tbps
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red Cilli powder - 1/2 tbps
Oil - 1 tbsps
Mustard - 1 tsps
Urad Dhal- 1 tsps
Curry Leaves 6-8 leaves

Preparation:

In a vessel, add beans, moong dhal, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder. Mix these ingredients well and leave it aside for 5 mins.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard. When it splutters, add urad dhal, curry leaves and asafortida. When uradh dhal turns golden brown, add this mixture. Mix well.

Sprinle water, cover it and let it cook occasionally checking and stirring in between. Add water now and then, to cook the moong dhal along with beans. Cook until moong dhal is well cooked.

Serve with with rice or roti.

Keerai Masiyal - Spinach saute

I happened to remain dormant for about a week. There is no big reason. Somehow was caught up with lot of other work the whole week. Felt guilty for not looking at the blog for a while. Thought should definitely post something today. I made this today for my lunch. I love greens. In a week I make spinach atleast twice. I like to mix it with just steamed rice and eat. Or just cook it with some moong dhal and just add salt to it and i could eat a cup of it. This time I made this sauté. Its slightly different from our regular keerai kootu.

Ingredients:

Spinach - 1 bunch
Onion - 1/2 finely chopped
Tomato - 1 chopped fine
Ginger - 1 tbps chopped
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsps
Asafoetida - a pinch
Green Chili - 1 slit into half

Preparation:

In a pan heat a tbsps oil. Add cumin seeds . Let it fry for few seconds and add asafoetida. Now add green chilli and ginger. Saute for about 10 seconds and add chopped onion. Fry for about a min and then add tomatoes.

Saute till tomato is almost cooked. Now add spinach, salt and mix well. Close it with lid and keep checking and mixing once in a while till spinach cooks well. Cook in medium heat. Add water only if necessary.

Once it is cooked, serve it with hot steamed rice and papad or with roti.

Sending this to Umm Mymoonah's Anyone can Cook

Hope to see you soon!!!

Dhal Fry

When I was talking to my mom about what to cook one day, she told me that she made this toor dhal curry and it came out well. We usually use this technique for moong dhal but now we used the same recipe for toor dhal too. Most of the time, I just make some dhal and rasam for our lunch along with a vegetable. But everytime I made dhal, I used to just season it with curry leaves and mustard, add salt and mix it with rice. This time I tried this recipe and it was different and came out well. Not too elaborate yet tasty. 

Ingredients:

Toor dhal - 1/4 cup
Big Onion - 1/2 chopped fine
Tomato - 1 chopped fine
Green chilli - 1
Ginger - 1 tbsp chopped fine or grated.
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - a pinch

To Season
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsps
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsps
Urad Dhal - 1 tsps
Asafoetida -  a pinch
Curry leaf - 6-8 leaves

Preparation:

In a pressure pan, heat oil and add mustard. When splutters, add urad dhal and add curry leaves cumin seeds, asafoetida and fry for few seconds. Addgreen chilli, ginger and fry for few seconds. 

Now  add onion and fry till it caramelizes. Add tomato and fry till it becomes tender. Add turmeric powder, mix well.

Add toor dhal and salt. Mix the ingredients well and add sufficient water to cook toor dhal. 

Close pressure cooker and let it cook for 2 sounds. (Mine needs 2 sounds. It varies according to different pressure cookers)

Mix well and garnish with cilantro. Serve it with hot rice along with papad. 

Its different from the regular dhal fry. 

Sending this to Umm Mymoonah's Anyone can cook

Note: You could cook toor dhal seperately and then add it to the sauteed onion tomato and mix well and cook for about 5 mins and remove from heat. I somehow feel the pressure cook method simpler and easier. Consumes less time. 

Brussel Sprouts Curry

My mom used to make this dish when we were in Ooty, India. We used to get fresh brussel sprouts and one main reason I would love it is because it looks like a cabbage (smaller version) .I call it baby cabbage. I would feel so good to eat these small cabbage. I used to admire this vegetable so much that I used to analyse the layers and question my mom so much that she would loose temper. I was super excited when I found this here and everytime I bought it from the grocery store I would tell my mom about it and we would discuss about the days we spent in Ooty. :-) Now getting into business, first let me give you some health benefits.

Health Benefits: (Source :http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10)

Brussel sprouts provides cholestrol reducing benefits when steamed.

It has various cancer preventive nutrients

They are excellent source of vitamin C ans beta - carotene. Also rich in Vitamin E

It has various nutrients that help to regulate the body's inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system and prevent unwanted inflammation. 


Ingredients:

Brussel Sprouts - 15 (I had only 15) Cut into 4 or 8 depending on the size
Onion - 1/2 big chopped fine
Tomato - 2 pureed
Saunf / Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsps
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Garam Masala - 1 tbsps


Preparation:


Boil 4 cups of water and cook brussel sprouts in it. Cook till it just becomes tender. 


In a pan, heat oil and add fennel seeds. Fry for few sec and add onion. Fry till it caramelizes. Now add ground tomato puree, garam masala and fry till color changes. Add tomato ketchup and mix well. Add salt and let it cook for few mins. 

When everything blends well and oil separates, add cooked brussel sprouts and mix well.


Drizzle some water and cover it.  Let it cook well so that the gravy mixes well with the brussel sprouts. 

Once the water evaporates, remove from heat garnish with cilantro and serve with hot bread, chapathi or rice. 

Have a Wonderful Day!

Zucchini in onion tomato gravy

I love Zucchini but never tried to make any dish out of ite. Its one vegetable that was in my list of veggies that I haven't tried. This time, when we went grocery shopping, I bought zucchini and told myself that this time I am going to check this veggie off my "must try veggie" list. Today, when I was thinking about my dinner, this zucchini came to my mind. Thats the story behind my zucchini in onion tomato gravy...

I never thought zucchini would have so much nutrition. When I read about it, it amazed me. Its is rich in Vitamin c and has anti inflammatory properties.

It prevent risk of having multiple sclerosis

Very good for eyes.. It is said to contain sufficient amounts of folate, pottasium vitamin A.

Prevents heart disease and controls cholestrol levels.

Ingredients

Zucchini - 1 chopped into cubes
Onion - 1 medium size , finely chopped
Tomato - 2 small (pureed)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsps
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsps
Garlic - 3 pods choped finely
Garam Masala - 2 tbsps
Turmeric - 1 tsps

Preparation:

Heat pressure pan with oil. Add fennel seeds and garlic. Fry for few seconds and add onions. Fry for about a min.

Add tomato cut into small pieces or puree . Add salt, turmeric, garam masala and mix well.

Now add zucchini, mix well and let it pressure cook for just 2 sounds. If you are not using pressure cooker, you can add zucchini and sufficient water and let it cook in medium low stirring once in a while until it is cooked well.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot chapathi or rice.
Happy Cooking!!!

Sending this to Wholesome Whole food by Michelle

5 Dhal Subzi

I made methi roti the other day and was hunting for side dish. We can have roti with yogurt and pickles but I wanted to make something different. Thats when my co sister called and she told me about this 5 dhal recipe. Her mom cooks this dish and it is everyones favorite in her house. And now it became our fav too.. Its made out of 5 dhal and it goes well with roti, puri, idly, dosa, rice and what not.. Its healthy and at the same time tasty. It took me so long to post this recipe.  I was busy with the regular routine and I posted other dishes but dint get a chance a to write this dish. Today I wanted to post this one by hook or crook. Getting to the recipe, below are ingredients you will need...

Ingredients:

Toor Dhal - 2 tbsps
Urad Dhal - 2 Tbsps
Channa Dhal - 2 tbsps
Moong Dhal - 2 Tbsps
Horse Gram Dhal dhal - 2 tbsps ( Soak for about 3 hrs) ( You can use masoor dhal instead of horse gram)
Oil - 2 tbsps
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsps
Mustard - 1 tsps
Onion - 1 medium chopped finely
Tomato - 2 finely chopped
Ginger - 1 tsps finely chopped
Garlic - 1 tsps chopped
Green Chilli - 1 slit into half
Garam Masala - 1 tbsps
Salt - To taste
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric - 1 tsps
Cilantro - To garnish
Water - 2.5 cups

Preparation:

Heat pressure pan with oil, when hot, add mustard . When splutters, add cumin seeds add ginger , chilli, garlic and asafoetida and fry for few seconds.

Add onion, and fry until transparent. Add tomato and fry for another 2 mins.

Now add 5 dhals and mix everything well. Add salt,Turmeric, garam masala and water. Mix well and pressure cook it for 2 sounds.

If you are not using pressure pan, you can use a pan and add water and cover it. Keep in medium until dhal becomes tender.

You can have this with rotis or puri. Very tasty and healthy dish.
Sending this to Priya's Low calorie low oil event started by Pari also to Divya's show me your curry event

See you soon...

Tomato Onion Curried Sauté

Tomatoes and Onions are great combination. I love this sauté with almost any dish. It tastes great with bread, chapathi, dosa, idly. You can just mix this with rice and it tastes really yum!! Today being Sunday, I was too lazy as usual to do anything. I made this sauté in the morn and we used it in different forms at different meals of the day. Morn, we had it with bread as a sandwich. In the noon, I mixed it with rice and we had it for our lunch along with some chips and now for dinner, I just diluted it with water, heated it little bit and its ready for my hot idlis. :-) This one dish served my day. :-) People at home cant really guess the secret as we use it in solid and diluted forms...

Ingredients:

Tomato - 3 big chopped into small cubes

Onion - 2 medium sized chopped into small cubes

Ginger Garlic paste / grated - 1 tbps

Turmeric - A pinch

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsps 

Green chilli - 2

Salt - to taste

For seasoning 

Mustard - 1 tsps

Oil - 2 tsps

Urad dhal - 1 tsps

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsps

Asafoetida -  A pinch

Curry leaves - 7-8 leaves

Cilantro - to garnish

Preparation:

Heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add urad dhal, cumin and asafoetida. When it turns golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and green chili. Fry for few seconds and add onion. 

Fry onion till it becomes transparent. Add turmeric and red chilli powder. You could add garam masala if you need. But I don't really add that. 

Now add tomatoes and keep frying till tomatoes are cooked well. Add salt and remove from heat when tomatoes are completely cooked. 

Delicious all rounder dish is ready in jiffy!!!!

Sending one also to PJ's Healing foods-Tomato  and also linking it to Siri's Healing Foods Event

Other dishes to PJ's event - Sautéed tomato raitha