Baby corn palak

baby corn palak

This is a very famous preparation of North India. The Blanched baby corns cooked in Spinach gravy is a must try during this winter season. A mild spice gravy  tastes good with Naan or milk phulkas!!!

Ingredients:

6-8 baby corns

3 bunches of spinach(500 gms)

2 large onions

1 green chili

1 teaspoon  ginger garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon kasuri methi

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder(laal mirch)

1 teaspoon coriander powder(dhania)

1/2 teaspoon dry mango powder(aamchoor)

1/2 teaspoon black salt(kaala namak)

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder(jeera)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon asafeotida(hing)

2 tablespoon ghee

salt according to taste

For garnishing

Boiled corn kernels

Method:

Blanch baby corns in boiling salt water for 5 minutes and keep them aside

Blanching baby corns

Wash and clean spinach properly, Boil/blanch it, Ground the boiled spinach into puree.

Ground the onions and chili into a fine paste.

In a kadahi heat ghee and add hing & jeera. When the seeds starts to crack, add the onion paste and saute it for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. 

Onion paste

Add the ginger garlic paste and saute. Add all the mentioned spices and mix well.

When the paste starts to leave the sides of the kadahi ,add the spinach puree and mix well. Let it cook on low flame for 10 minutes.

Cooking palak puree

Cut the baby corns into half length wise. Add them to this gravy and let them cook in it for 5 minutes on medium flame. Adjust the consistency of the gravy according to desire.

Finally garnish it with corn kernels and enjoy with roti or bread of choice!!

Baby corn palak is ready.....

Veg Jalfarezi

Winter season brings in a whole lot of different vegetables. Its a great time to prepare variety of dishes using many vegetables. Make soups, dry vegetables, starters or any sweet dish with them.

Here is one of winter special "Veg jalfarezi". 

Jalfarezi means marinated vegetable or meat cooked in little oil with onions, tomato and green chilies. 

Ingredients:

1cup cauliflower florets

vegetables for jalfarezi

2 large potato(cut into small pieces)

1/2 cup peas

2 large carrot( cut into half length strips)

1/2 cup corn kernels

8-10 french beans(cut into small pieces)

2 Medium capsicum(cut into strips)

2 medium onion(cut into strips)

2 green chilies (cut length wise)

2 large tomatoes(cut into thin strips)

1 table spoon ginger(cut into thin strips)

2 table spoon tomato sauce

1 tablespoon curd

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder(kaali mirch)

salt according to taste
2 tablespoon ghee

For garnishing:

Chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Blanch or par boil the mentioned vegetables: Cauliflower,beans,potatoes,peas,corn kernels and carrots.

In a kadahi, Heat ghee and add onions, ginger& chillies. Saute till onion turns light in colour.

stir frying tomato and capsicum

Add tomatoes and stir fry them, add capsicum too. To these stir fried vegetables add tomato sauce and mix well. Add all the spices and well beaten curd to this and mix well.
Now add the blanched/par boiled vegetables and mix all the ingredients nicely.
Cover it with a lid and let the vegetable cook for 2 -3 minutes on low-medium flame.
Finally garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Veg Jalfarezi is ready!! enjoy this with  Milk phulkas

Optional notes:
One can make variations in choice of vegetables to be added in this dish but mostly above mentioned vegetables are used to prepare it.
Instead of curd one can add cream also to give it a little sweet taste.

Baked Vegetables in white sauce

This is my favorite vegetable preparation. A simple but very tasty dish. The creamy and rich gravy of cheese and white sauce is the essence of this dish. Enjoy this as it is or with Garlic Bread.

Baked vegetables

Ingredients:


2 large potatoes( cut into small pieces)
1cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup carrots(cut into small pieces)

vegetables for the dish

1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup baby corns(cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup french beans(cut into small pieces)
1 large onion(cut into small)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
salt according to taste
1 cup white sauce
2 tablespoon cheddar cheese(grated)
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1 cup grated cheese

 Method:
In a frying pan, heat butter and add onions. Saute for few minutes till they become light in color.
Add all the( nicely cut) vegetables and saute again for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper and mix well

sauteing vegetables

.Cover the lid and let the vegetables cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
Now add the white sauce and cheese, mix well and remove from heat.

after adding the white sauce

Preheat the oven at 200 degree .
 In baking container, Put the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese and cornflakes on top of the vegetables and bake this in oven at 250degree for 15 minutes.

Tasty Baked vegetables is ready!! 

Optional notes:

One can also add corn kernels and paneer to this dish.

Aloo chane ki subji

A very tasty and tangy curry which is easy and quick to prepare. Serve it with Bervi poories, it tastes really good with them.!!!

Ingredients:

Boiled channa and potatoes with chopped tomatoes

1 cup Bengal gram(kaala channa)
2 medium sized potato
2 medium sized tomato(nicely cut into small pieces)
1 green chili(nicely chopped)
1 teaspoon ginger chopped and crushed
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds(methi daana)
1teaspoon black salt(kaala namak)
1 teaspoon coriander powder(dhania powder)
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder(lal mirch)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon dry mango powder(aamchoor)
1 teaspoon cumin powder( bhuna jeera)
1/2 teaspoon asafeotida(hing)
2 tablespoon ghee
2 cup water
salt according to taste
Method:
Wash and soak the kaala channa overnight. Boil the potatoes and channa.
In a kadahi, heat ghee and add hing & methi danna. To this add ginger and chili. Saute them for few seconds.
Add tomatoes and saute again till they become more tender. To this add all the spices mentioned above and mix well.
Add the boiled channa and potatoes and mash a little with help of a big spoon or masher. Mix well with other ingredients. Add water and let this gravy boil for 10 more minutes on low flame.

Aloo chane ki subji  is ready. Serve and enjoy with Bervi poories!!!

Khumb-e-khass

This Khumb (mushroom) delicacy is prepared in rich gravy of whole dried milk. Enriched with flavors of cashew nuts and Makhana (eurayle ferox), This is a perfect dish for this festive time.!!

Mushroom dish garnished with sliced peanuts

This preparation is for 6 person

Ingredients:

10-15 button mushrooms

1/2 cup cashew nuts

1 cup eurayle ferox(makhana)

3 large onions(ground into fine paste)

 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

1 cup grated whole dried milk(mawa/khoya)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi)

1 teaspoon red chilli powder(lal mirch)

Khoya/mawa

1.5 teaspoon coriander powder(dhania)

1/2 teaspoon dry mango powder(aamchoor)
1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin seeds(jeera)

1 teaspoon roasted jeera powder

1 teaspoon black salt(kaala namak)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 table spoon ghee

2  green cardamon pods(ilaechi)

Method:

Preparing khoya gravy 

In a kadahi, heat ghee and roast the cashew nuts and makhana, keep them aside on an absorbent paper.
Now again heat ghee, and add jeera and ilaechi. When they start to crack, add ginger garlic paste along with onion paste. Saute the pastes. When the paste turns brown and starts to leave oil, put the khoya/mawa and mix well. Add all the spices mentioned above and saute well. Add mushrooms,cashew nuts and makhana and mix well. Cover with lid and let it cook for 10 minutes on low flame.
Finally garnish with sliced peanuts.

Delicious Khumb-e-khas is ready. Enjoy with Special breads.

Optional notes:
One can also add boiled peas along with the other ingredients to give a colorful touch.

Spicy eggplants

Small eggplants filled with mixture of spices and cooked on low heat. Tastes great with Indian breads !!!

Ingredients:
7-8 small eggplants
1 large potatoe (cut into wedges)










For filling:

filling mixture 

1 tablespoon red chilli powder(lal mirch)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi powder)
1 tablespoon dry mango powder(aamchoor)
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 tablespoon coriander powder(dhania)
1/2 tablespoon roasted cumin powder(bhuna jeera)
1/2 tablespoon black salt(kaala namak)
1 tablespoon common salt
2 tablespoon mustard oil
1 table spoon mango pickle paste
For tadka:
1 teaspoon fennel seeds(saunf)
1 teaspoon onion seeds(kalaunji)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds(rai)
1 teaspoon asafeotida(hing)
2 tablespoon mustard oil
For garnishing:
nicely chopped coriander leaves
Method:

filling the eggplants with mixture

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling. Wash and  make cuts the eggplants enough so that they could be filled properly. Fill them nicely with the filling mixture.

Filled and coated eggplants cooking on low heat

In a kadahi, heat oil and put saunf, rai, kalaunji and hing. When they start to crack, place the eggplants and sliced potatoes. Coat them with the remaining filling mixture. Cover with lid and let them cook on low-medium flame for 15-20 minutes. Turn them  in between, so that they could be cooked from both sides.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Delicious Spicy eggplants is ready

Baigan ka bharta

Mashed eggplant gravy .Yummy in flavor and tasty to eat!!!! 

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants (oval shaped)

2 large tomatoes(pureed)

1 large onion (sliced)

1 green chilli
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder(dhania powder)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi)
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder(lal mirch)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon dry mango powder(aamchoor)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds(jeera)
1 teaspoon black salt(kaala namak)
1/2 teaspoon asafeotida(hing)
salt according to taste
2 tablespoon ghee/butter

For garnishing
chopped coriander leaves

Method:

eggplant after boiling

Peel and wash the eggplants. Cut and boil them for 3 to 4 minutes. In a kadahi, heat ghee/butter and add hing & jeera. When they start to crack , put onion slices ans saute them for few minutes. Now add the tomato puree and saute again. Add all the mentioned spices and mix well with the paste. Add the boiled eggplant, mash and mix well with the other ingredients. Let this bharta cook for few minutes on low flame.

Tasty Baigan bharta is ready . Enjoy it with roti or paranthas of your choice.

Optional notes:
There are two method of preparing this dish, 1: by roasting the eggplant directly on gas or in oven. 2: by boiling it . I had presented here my way of making this dish by boiling the eggplant . I find this way more easy and hygienic.

Chatpati Bhindi

A chatpati dish which can be used like pickle too

Ingredients:

250 grams fresh lady finger/okra (Bhindi)

2 table spoon mustard oil (for cooking)

For filling:

4 table spoon  gram flour (besan)

2 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania)

1 teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirch)

1 teaspoon dry mango powder (aamchoor)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon Fennel seeds (saunf)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

1/2 teaspoon black salt (kaala namak)

2 table spoon Mango pickle (aam ka achchar)

1/2 teaspoon hing

2 table spoon mustard oil 

salt according to taste

 Method:

For filling:

In a shallow pan, roast gram flour till the color changes into light brown.  Add mustard oil  and saute it for 2 minutes. Add spices, saunf & hing and saute them too. Now add the pickle and saute again for few more minutes.  Filling is ready , allow it to cool at room temperature.

Preparation for bhindi: 

Wash and  cut the cap and lower end of okra. Make a long cut in each okra as it is to be  filled  and coated with the prepared filling. Fill each okra and coat it with remaining filling . In a shallow pan,heat  mustard oil and put okras. Cover the pan ,and let okras cook on low flame for 15 minutes. Turn them occasionally for proper cooking.

Chatpati bhindi is ready. Have them like a subzi or like pickle.

Serve them with chappatis or paranthas. 

Optional notes:

I had used mango pickle , One can also use lemon pickle, mixed vegetable or chilli pickle  according to desired taste.   

Pappad ki subzi

This preparation is for 3 


Ingredients:


3 Poppadom(of any flavour)
2 large potatoes
2  large tomatoes
1 green chilli
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoon curd
1 Teaspoon coriander powder(Dhania powder)
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder(haldi powder)
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder(lal mirch)
1/2 teaspoon Dry mango powder(aamchoor)
1/2 teaspoon Black salt(kala namak)
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds(jeera)
1 teaspoon asafeotida(hing)
2 tablespoon ghee
2 cup water
salt according to taste


Method:


Break poppadoms into four quarters and keep aside.  In a Pressure cooker, heat ghee and add hing & cumin seeds.When the seeds start to crack,add green chilli and ginger.To this add tomatoes and saute them till they become tender. Add all the spices mentioned above and saute . Now add potatoes and stir well. Add water ,curd and finally poppadoms. Seal the lid of pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes on high flame and 10 minutes on low flame.

Pappad ki subzi  is ready.
Enjoy this dish with Phulkas or Plain paranthas.

Optional notes:


One can increase the chilli flavour as desire.