MIXED VEG/RAM BHAJI(No onion-garlic)

An artistic blend of pungent,sweet and sour flavoured vegetables.I just love this version of mixed veg.We always get to relish it once a year during navratri bhandara(navratri community kitchens).Every state in India has its very own signature version of mixed vegetable from undhiyu to shukto,from diwani handi to avial.This one is a holistic recipe often prepared during auspicious community gatherings,hence this is also a Satvik recipe(no onion-garlic)

COURSE:
MAIN,Serves:8

INGREDIENTS:

• Spinach greens (palak):1/4 bunch
• Radish greens(mooli ke patte):leaves from 3 radish or 1 cup
• Fenugreek greens(methi bhaji):fistful
• Radish(mooli):1
• Carrot(gazar):1/2
• Cauliflower(phool gobhi):1 bowl
• Tomatoes(tamatar):3 tomatoes
• Colocasia(arbi):1/2bowl
• Apple gourd( tinda) 1/2 bowl
• Peas(matar):fistful
• Potato(aloo):1 
• Pumpkin(kaddu):100 gms/1 bowl
• Brinjal(Baingan):3
• Okra(Bhindi):5
• Capsicum(shimla mirch):1/2
• Assorted beans(french beans etc)1/2 bowl
• Ginger green chilly paste(adrak harimirch paste):1.5 tbsp
• Asafoetida(Hing): 1/4 tsp
• Whole spices(Khadey masale):1 bay leaf(tej patta),2 black cardamom(moti ilayachi),3 inch cinnamon stick(Dalchini)
• Cumin seeds(zeera):1 tsp
• Mustard seeds(rai): 1tsp
• Turmeric powder (Haldi powder)1tsp
• Red chilly powder (Laal mirch powder):1.5 tbsp
• Salt(Namak):as per taste
• Hot spice powder(garam masala powder): 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder(Dhania powder):2 tbsp
• Oil:5 tbsp
• Water:2 glass full

INSTRUCTIONS:

Wash all the three greens,pat dry and finely chop the spinach,radish,fenugreek leaves.Keep aside.

Wash the cauliflower,cut into medium size florets and par boil in salted water for 5 minutes.Drain the water and keep aside.Chop the beans into 1/2 inch pieces.Deseed and chop capsicum into 1/2" pieces.
Remove the head and cut okra into 1/2 inch pieces.Chop pumpkin(with peel),tomatoes into cubes.

Peel colocasia,potatoes,apple gourd,carrot,radish and cut into 1/2"cubes.

Remove the stem of brinjal and chop into cubes.Let it rest in water to avoid oxidation.

Heal oil in a heavy bottomed wok/kadai.Add asafoetida and the rest whole spices along with cumin and mustard seeds.Let them splutter for about 30 seconds.




Add Green chili-ginger paste.Cook for about 30 seconds.Now add all the vegetables one by one along with the chopped greens.Saute for about a minute.









Add turmeric powder and salt.Cover  with a lid for 5 minutes.







After 5 minutes add red chilly powder and coriander powder except hot spice powder.Add about 2 glass full of water.Cover with the lid and leave it to cook for 15 minutes on slow flame stirring and checking occasionally.

After 15 minutes remove the lid and check if the vegetables are cooked and tender.Add garam masala .You may add  little water if you need a semi liquid consistency.It should not be very dry.





Remove from flame when done.

RECIPE NOTES:

• Best  accompanied with puri and raita.
• Use of spinach and radish leaves is a must.Rest vegetables can be adjusted according to personal preference.
• 1 Bowl = the steel bowl shown in the picture,Approximately 120 gms

FRUIT CREAM

Its spring time and i am enjoying a pleasant sunny noon at home.Its time to bid a fare well to Winter!So why not prepare a dessert which is loved by children and adults,absolutely effortless and easy to make and is as pleasing as this sunny noon which i am enjoying after a long winter..

Course:
Dessert

INGREDIENTS:

• Fresh Cream:200 ml
• Ice cream:Vanilla Flavour 1ltr pack
• Sugar: 3tbsp
• Apple:1 bowl chopped into 1/4" pieces
• Pineapple:1bowl chopped into 1/4" pieces
• Chikoo:1 bowl chopped into 1/4" pieces
• Pomegranate:1 bowl peeled 
• Grapes:10-12 nos slit into half vertically
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Remove the ice cream from freezer about 20 minutes before you begin to prepare

In a bowl,chop the apples and put some sugar to coat the apples,this prevents them from getting brown.Cut other fruits as well.Wait for about 5 minutes till the sugar melts in the fruits.

Now,pour cream on the fruits,mix well.

Finally,add the partly melted ice cream and mix all ingredients gently with the help of a spatula.

Refrigerate for 5 minutes.Serve in a transparent bowl/shot glass.Top it with some fresh cut fruits and serve!

RECIPE NOTES:

1. You may use fruits of your choice,banana,kiwi,strawberry goes well with fruit cream.
2. Melting of Ice cream helps it blend well with the ingredients,which speeds up the process.

MATHRI :Indian Tea Time Snack

Mathri is a deep fried crisp round disc like snack which is relished with pickle or tea.Mathri always take me to my childhood memoirs when maa prepared this savoury tea time snack during festivals and otherwise.Those days,we didn't snack on fancy wafers unlike today's children.All we had available were these and the famous glucose biscuits,which we loved dipping in our tea.There was a  joy in doing small things which is missing in today's fast pace life.Recalling back and paying a tribute to maa's mathri.

INGREDIENTS:

Maida/All purpose flour:                                         500 gms
Clarified Butter/Ghee:                                            5 tbsp-6 tbsp
Oil:                                                                       5 tbsp and for frying
Carom seeds/Ajwain:                                            1 tbsp
Coarsely ground Black pepper/Kali mirch:               2 tbsp
Red Chilli flakes/laal mirch dardari kuti:                  1tsp
Dried Fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi:                     2tbsp
Salt:                                                                     1tsp
Water:                                                                  1 glass approximately

INSTRUCTIONS:

Take maida in a wide flat dish.Dig a small hole in the centre of the flour.

Add all the spices and ingredients except water.

Mix them gently till it resembles like bread crumbs as shown in the picture.

Knead a stiff dough gradually adding  water ,do not add all water at once.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and leave the the dough to rest for 5-7 minutes .

Now make a tennis ball sized dough round.By using both the palms,spread it wide in a long cylindrical shape.As shown in the picture.

Now cut equal  1/2" rounds,which will be almost a bid marble sized ball.

With a rolling pin(belan) make small,thin round puri.Make incisions on both sides of puri with the help of a fork or a knife.This punctures the puri  and does not make it fluffy.

Once puri's are ready for the first batch,heat oil in a deep wok/kadai.Once the oil is hot enough,one by one add these puri in the wok.Put the flame between low to medium  and deep fry.

Once the mathri is fried from one side and turns light golden in colour,Flip the side and fry till they they change to light golden from both sides.Drain and remove on an absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

Like the first batch,fry the remaining ones.

Cool the fried mathri and store in an air tight container.These mathri have a shelf life of 20 days.Enjoy them with tea or relish it as a snack with lime pickle(nimbu achaar)

RECIPE NOTES:

• Ideally, ghee as a softening agent(moyan) is added for better flavour but i have substituted it with part oil.You may use only oil for kneading and leave ghee.
• Black pepper and kasuri methi can be adjusted as per personal taste and preference.
• Children are not much fond of black pepper,u may omit black pepper,ajwain seasoning itself adds flavour  the flour.

****THE MEASUREMENT USED IN PARTICULAR RECIPE ARE FROM THE SPOONS SHOWN IN THE PICTURE,PLEASE USE THE SAME****, 

INSTANT HALDI PICKLE

Haldi or Turmeric is considered as an auspicious spice amongst Indians.This is extensively used in the Indian cuisine,be it raw or in a dried powdered form.
Today, I am demonstrating my favourite winter pickle.This pickle is eaten fresh and can be stored for longer consumption as well.I make quantity which easily runs for a week for the two of us.Then I prepare it fresh as required.Do try this pickle,it has great health benefits as haldi/turmeric is considered as antiseptic,natural pain reliever,good for skin and many more.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Haldi/Turmeric Root                 250 gm
• Sarso/Mustard oil                               200 ml or 1 cup
• Sauf                                                   1.5 tsp
• kalonji                                                1.5 tsp
• Asafoedita                                         1/4 tsp
• Rai                                                     1/4 tsp
• Red chilly powder                              1 tbsp
• Amchur powder                                 1 tsp
• Salt                                                    2 tsp
• Garlic cloves peeled                          8 nos

Instructions:

1. Scrape the haldi roots with a knife or a peeler.Wash them with water and pat dry on a clean dry cloth or keep them under the sun till dry.
   
2. Heat oil in a wok,let the oil heat to smoking point.Now switch off the flame for the oil to come back to room temperature.
3. Chop the haldi roots  into julienne/matchstick like shape.You can grate them as well .
   


4. Reheat oil,temper with kalonji,rai,sauf,hing.Add theAdd haldi julienne,stir for a while and cover it with a lid for about 5 minutes on medium flame.
   
5. After 5 minutes,remove the lid .Add salt,red chilly powder and amchur powder.Stir well.
   
6. Switch off the flame after 2 minutes.Now,add the whole garlic cloves to the ready pickle.
   
7. Stir well.Cool and store in sterilised glass/ceramic bottle.
8. The pickle is ready to eat.
   

Recipe Notes:

1. You may grate the peeled haldi instead of chopping into julienne.
2. Garlic is absolutely optional,though it enhances the taste,u may avoid it as per your taste and convenience.
3. Sterilising bottle means wash it thoroughly with hot water and drying it under the sun.
4. Spices can be adjusted as per individual preference and taste.
5. For storing it for a longer period of time.Heat some more oil ,cool it to room temperature and pour in the bottle till the pickle is well covered with oil.

Hindi to English:

• Haldi                                   Turmeric root
• Hing                                    Asafoedita
• Kalonji                                 Nigella Seeds
• Sauf                                    Fennel Seeds
• Rai                                      Mustard grains
• Amchur Powder                  Raw Mango Powder

SINDHI KADI

Today, i am in the mood of preparing something which is not a regular mundane kadi and why not?one should always take a break from the regular stuff in life.So let me share with you the recipe of Sindhi Kadi.This is a Sindhi delight . An aromatic flavourful kadi with lots of vegetables which makes it wholesome.If you are bored from the routine kadi,dal or sambar.Do try and share your experience.


COURSE:
MAIN COURSE/LUNCH

INGREDIENTS:

• Oil                                                For frying,for kadi about 4 tbsp
• Besan Flour/Chickpea flour         1 bowl 
• Methi Dana/Fenugreek seeds       3/4 tsp
• Zeera/Cumin seeds                     1 tsp
• Curry Patta/Curry leaves             6-8 leaves  
• Red chilly powder                        2 tsp
• Haldi/Turmeric powder               1/2 tsp
• Dried Amchur whole                    3 
• Dried Kokum flower                     4 
• Water                                         1 ltr

VEGETABLES REQUIRED

• Tomatoes                                 2 medium sized grated or finely chopped
• Potatoes                                  2 medium sized peel and cut into half horizontally
• Drumstick                                1 roughly peel and cut into 4'' pieces
• Bhindi/Okra                             7-8 trim the head slit length wise,keep it whole
• Bringal                                     2 medium sized slit vertically into 4 parts
• Tinda/Apple gourd                   1 peeled and cut into 1/4' pieces vertical wedges
• Gavar Fali/cluster bean            7-8 trim edges and keep it as it is.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak amchur and kokum flower in little water for about 15 minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile,Heat Oil in a kadai and fry okra,bringal and tinda for about 5 minutes.Keep aside.
   
   
   
   
3. Now,in another thick bottomed pan(i have used pressure cooker)heat 4 tbsp oil,temper it with methidana and zeera.Let it crackle.Now add kadi leaves.
   
4. To this add besan flour and stir it continuouslytill it turns golden and starts giving an aroma.Do not stop stirring,else you will burn the flour.
   
5. Immediately add haldi and red chilly powder to the besan.Quickly pour about 1 ltr of water to it.
   
6. To this,add grated tomatoes and bring this to a boil.
   
7. Once this is boiled,add gavar fali boil for another 5 minutes.Now add the rest vegetables  with soaked amchur and kokum along with the water they were soaked in.Leave this on Sim for 15 minutes,you may cover this with a lid leaving some space for the steam to pass.
   
   
   
   
8. Once the oil begins to float on the kadi,its ready.
   
9. Serve it with hot steamed rice.

RECIPE NOTES

1. You can use any vegetable you like,some people prefer cauliflower,arbi also.You may add it as per your preference .Use of gavar,tomato,potato is essential.
2. For the tangy flavour I have used tomatoes,amchur and kokum flowers.One may use any of the below combinations which ever is convenient:

• Tomato and tamarind paste
• Tomato and kokum (the black one which is available with grocers )soaked in water for some time