Okra-Fenugreek Leaves Dry Curry

Hi!!

Bhindi and Methi, yes! You heard right. I know it’s an unusual combination but believe me it’s absolutely worth it. Okra is abundantly available these days and Methi/fenugreek is slowly eloping from the market, so when I got hold of a bunch of fresh looking Methi, I could not resist myself. We all love methi and I love Okra too and I look forward trying new recipes with both the vegetables.

Recently, a reader asked me if I could post a recipe with Okra, though I sent her links of the recipes I have posted earlier yet it set me thinking that I should attempt something new and interesting.. I realized it was quite sometime that I posted anything with the two vegetables..The last recipe I posted using Bhidi was Smoked Cottage Cheese Okra which was about two years back and using Methi was stuffed Potato-Fenugreek Paratha which was about 3yrs back..hmmm, so many years passed by and I never realized..never mind.. this post will take care of that.

I must tell you that this particular curry is simple to make with no extravagant spices. It’s perfect for everyday cooking which can make you feel longing for more bites..and isn’t that what we want for our regular meals, simple ‘ghar ka khana’/ simple home cooked food with a twist and turn here and there, which is good for health and light on the stomach. This curry falls absolutely in the comfort food category which you can cook regularly and will not harm you, as a matter of fact both Fenugreek and Okra are extremely good for digestion..

If you are looking out for more Okra recipes to try then you can also check out Crispy Okra with Caramelized onions, Okra In Poppy and Sesame, Dahi Wali Bhindi, Bendekaayi Gojju and in Methi preparations amongst the many recipes that I’ve posted earlier, I insist on trying Methi-Baingan Bharta and Maatvaadi Palya, which are again every day curries.

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Okra-Fenugreek Leaves Curry

Preparation Time:20mins

Cooking Time:15mins

Serves:2-3

Difficulty Level: Moderately Easy

 

Ingredients

400-450gms Okra (washed and patted dry)

1onion, finely chopped

1cup Fenugreek leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tomato, finely chopped

3-4tbsp oil

1/2tsp cumin seeds

1/2tsp mustard seeds

a pinch of asafetida

1/2tsp turmeric

1tsp red chili pwd

1tbsp coriander pwd

1tsp cumin pwd

1/2-3/4tsp amchoor/ dry mango pwd

salt to taste

Method

Heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds, reduce the flame and splutter the cumin seeds. Add asafetida.

Tip in the onions and sauté. Once the onions are cooked, tip in the fenugreek leaves, salt to taste and cook. The leaves wilt and start cooking.

Add half the turmeric powder and Okra and sauté. Cook the Okra uncovered initially on high flame and then on low flame. The trick is to cook the Okra perfectly without letting it’s color change.

When the Okra is half cooked, add the tomatoes and cook.

Cook the Okra till it’s almost done, now add all the dry spices and remaining turmeric powder. Cook for 2more minutes and then turn off the flame.

Serve with hot chapati or phulka.

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Gobhi Keema..Minced Spicy Cauliflower, Step Wise & The Winner of January’s ‘ONLY’ Event Giveaway

 

Hi!

Here I’m with an interesting and tasty post today which is just apt for people who would like to enjoy the non-veg specialties the veggie way. This is a fuss free curry which I personally feel tastes best with paav or even naan.

I use this curry to make stuffed buns too. The buns are filling and amazingly tasty.

Ingredients

3 cups minced Cauliflower

2 onions finely chopped

2tbsp ginger-garlic paste

5tbsp tomato puree

2tsp red chili pwd

1/4tsp turmeric pwd

salt to taste

2tbsp coriander pwd

2-3 kitchen king masala

a pinch of garam masala

a cup of milk

1/2 cup chopped coriander

a mix of clarified butter and oil for cooking

whole spices-

2-3 bay leaves

1 small piece cinnamon

1 black cardamom

Method

Heat the oil-ghee combination and add the whole spices and sauté.

Add the g-g paste and sauté followed by chopped onions, cook till light brown in colour.

Mix the tomato puree, salt to taste, red chilli, turmeric and coriander powders and cook till oil separates. Add the kitchen king and garam masala.

Add the cauliflower and mix thoroughly.

Pour the milk and mix again, cover and cook till done.

Mix the coriander and serve hot.The coriander adds an amazing flavour to the curry, so do not miss on that.

 

The Gobhi keema can also be used to make sandwich which can make a very filling and healthy breakfast.

Coming to the winner of the giveaway of ‘Only’ Street Foods of the World hosted by Archana. Out of the 28 entries in the round up under the Indian category, I’ve used random.org to pick the winner. I had to count in the sequence of  round up as there was no numbering, so please others verify too…

No.5 is of Paneer Pav Bhaji, posted by Shruti Rasoi. Shruti Rasoi, as you must be aware that the giveaway is for bloggers Publically Following Foodelicious. Please inform me in which way are you publically following my blog. Once you have confirmed me your following, mail me your address with landmark and pin code, phone number to cookingoodfood@gmail.com. In case the current winner fails to respond in two days or she is not a follower of my blog, I will pick another winner.

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Multi Purpose Daal Palak ..Dry Version

 

Hi all!

Go Green is the slogan for winter with so many greens available abundantly. Today I’m posting a healthy version of daal/curry. I’m using both names, daal and curry as it is made using lentils and greens. The version that I have made is a dry one but the same after adding more water can be made as a daal too and can be had with rice. The dry version tastes best with bread, paav, phulka or can be used as a filling to make sandwich too which I did, and one can check the post here.

It is very tasty as has no extravagantly used spices. It has natural flavours of the spinach, lentils and the other added veggies. The version I’ve made has more of a Noth Indian touch but the same curry can be given a South Indian touch by adding Curry leaves and Asafoetida (heeng) during tempering.

Daal Palak-

Serves-3

Preparation Time:30mins

Cooking Time:15mins

Ingredients

6oz  Pigeon Peas/ Tuvar Daal

2big handfuls Spinach (finely chopped)

1big onion (finely chopped)

1large tomato (finely chopped)

1 piece ginger

2cloves garlic

3-4tsp refined oil

1tsp mustard seeds

a large pinch of kasuri methi

Spices

1-1/2tsp coriander powder

1tsp cumin powder

1-1/2tsp red chili powder

1/2tsp +1/4tsp turmeric powder

1/2tsp Amchoor (dry Mango) powder

Method

Wash the lentils and soak it in water for half an hour.

Add a drop of oil and 1/4tsp turmeric pwd. Cook it in pressure cook till the grains are cooked but not mushy.

Heat oil and add mustard.

Once the mustard splutters, add crushed ginger and garlic . Fry them till the aroma is produced and it turns golden in color.

Add the chopped onions and sauté.

Tip in the tomatoes sauté. Add salt and the spices. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Add the kasuri methi.

Remove the excess water from the cooked lentils and add it to the onion-tomato mix.

Also add the spinach. Mix properly and cook till done. Do not cover the pan at any point of time and cook on high flame.

 

Serve hot with pav.

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Watermelon White’s/ Rind’s Jhunka, Step by Step

Hi!

Today I’m posting a very healthy and tasty recipe which is just perfect for this summer. With the temperatures soaring over 40C, the body dehydrates easily and one fruit that helps prevent that is, Watermelon. After eating the juicy flesh, one is always left with the rind which has an inner soft white part and outer hard green part.

The watermelon rind is normally discarded but I must tell you, it is very rich in minerals and obviously water too, being a part of the fruit.This semi-dry curry makes use of the white part which is just below the red portion, is juicy and fibrous without the sweetness. So, this curry is a good source of adding dietary fiber to your food and the best part is it’s low calorie too. This curry makes good use of a part which otherwise people normally throw. So, it’s a preparation made, best out of waste.

When cooked, the Watermelon white has a taste which closely resembles the cucumber. This particular preparation is quite popular in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra i.e, Nagpur and close by areas. The food in this area is spicy and makes surplus use of oil and chilies. I’ve definitely not used that much oil and that many chilies but have added enough chilies to produce a good flavor as the rind is quite mild. So, unless made a little spicy, the curry does not get the right kick..

The Jhunka is traditionally eaten with Bhakri but I make Jowar rotis very regularly these days. My family loves this preparation especially my MIL was thrilled to see that such a tasty curry can be made using the white. She was so ecstatic after tasting the curry that she told me that she will teach this to all her co-sisters and SIL.

Water Melon Rind’s Jhunka

Preparartion Time:15mins

Cooking Time:10mins

Serves:3

 

Ingredients

1cup water melon white, grated

4tbsp heaped gram flour, besan

2-3tbsp sour curds

5-6 green chilies

1tsp coriander powder

1tbsp coriander stems, chopped

a large pinch, good quality asafetida/heeng

1/2tsp turmeric powder

4-5tsp oil

1tsp mustard seeds

Method

Roast the besan/ gram flour on low flame, till an aroma is produced.

Heat oil and let the mustard splutter.

Add green chilies, heeng/asafetida followed by turmeric.

Add the grated white portion, mix.Sauté.

Add salt to taste. While adding salt, please keep in mind that the rind will lose water and reduce on cooking. Cover and cook till half done.

Add chopped coriander stem and mix.

Add roasted gram flour, mix.

Add the curds and mix.

Add the coriander powder and red chili powder if required. Mix.

Add enough water to get a semi dry consistency, mix and cook covered till done.

Serve hot with rice or roti, I served it with Jowar Roti.

I’m going out on a vacation for a 4days, will come back and acknowledge all entries for ‘Only’ Cooking With Chocolate, those who have not sent their entries, rush your recipes till 31st May.

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Hariyali Chana Masala

Hi All!

Like my previous post of Lentil  & Spinach Sandwich, I’m posting yet again a combination of protein and greens in a very tasty ‘Avatar’. My family loves the chickpeas and that makes it easy for me to give the kid an additional dose of protein in an easy and many ways.

I was once again greedy while picking the greens from the vegetable mart. The fresh green leaves attract me so much that I’m tempted to buy them at once. And once I’ve bought them, I’m in a hurry to finish them before they perish. This curry was concocted in a hurry in order to finish a lot of greens.

Once I had finished cooking this curry and tasted a bite, I told myself of making the mistake of buying excessive greens more frequently as the curry was finger licking tasty. I gave the curry to S in his lunch box along with Phulka and fresh salad. He called me especially to tell that whatever ‘new’ I had made was extremely tasty. I was beaming with joy and was mentally saying ‘tell me something new’ as I already knew how tasty it was….

Do not relate this curry to the Chana Palak served in restaurants, as this curry not only uses spinach but many more greens, making it more flavorful. Plus unlike restaurants, I've made this very low in oil and have not used any potent spices or garam masala. So the curry retains all natural flavors of the greens..

This curry is extremely versatile, I had made it dry, as I wanted to give this in the lunch box, but it can be made in a gravy fashion and eaten with rice. The dry version itself can be eaten as a 'Chaat' garnished with chopped onions and 'Sev' as the curry itself is tangy and ‘chatpati’. The curry, when stuffed in bread, makes an excellent sandwich. I had made the sandwich for the kid’s snack box and he had loved it.

                     HARIYALI CHANA MASALA 

                                                        Serves:3
                                                        Preparation Time: 20mins
                                                        Cooking Time:15mins

Ingredients

1-1/2cups pre-soaked & pressure cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas
1medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped
2-3tsp grated ginger

To grind together

2handfuls spinach leaves
a small handful coriander leaves
a small handful mint leaves
1tbsp coriander seeds
1tsp cumin seeds

Spices

1tsp roasted cumin powder
1tsp red chili powder
3/4tsp turmeric powder
3/4tsp rock salt
3/4tsp dry mango powder (Amchoor)
2tsp coriander powder

Method

Blanch spinach and shift in cold water.

Heat about 4tsp oil.



Add ginger and sauté.



Add onions and sauté till slightly golden in color.



Add tomatoes.



Tip in all spices and salt to taste, mix thoroughly. Cook till tomatoes are mushy and oil separates.



Add the cooked chickpeas and mix thoroughly. Crush a few chickpeas to get an even texture.




Grind all ingredients under ‘to grind together’ to make a fine paste. Remember, with temperatures soaring high, the greens oxidize fast and it’s quite difficult to retain the green color. So, it’s advisable to grind them just before adding to the curry. Add the green paste to the chickpeas. Mix and cook for a minute or two.



Serve with roti/rice.

Sending this to my event ‘Only’ Snacks & Starters hosted by Raji at Vegetarian Tastebuds as this can also be eaten as a 'Chaat'. To Priya and Vardhini's Healthy diet- Vegetarian Side Dishes

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