PURPLE CABBAGE SALAD

Ingredients

I small purple cabbage grated 

2 spring onions finely chopped

1small piece of carrot grated

1tbsp sunflower seeds

Dressing

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Balsamic vinegar

Salt as per taste

1/2 tsp pepper

Method

Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Place grated  cabbage , grated carrot and chopped spring onions in a big bowl.

Pour dressing over the veggies and toss well to coat. Add sunflower seeds and stir well.
Season to taste (the salad may need more salt at this point). 

Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, toss before serving and enjoy.

BHINDI FRY

Ingredients

750 gm Frozen bhindi

1 onion finely sliced

1tsp kalonji or onion seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

1tbsp coriander powder

2 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp freshly ground pepper

 

Method

Do not thaw the frozen bhindi, keep it outside for 15 minutes.

Take a non stick frying pan , add olive oil. 

After it becomes hot add cumin seeds , kalonji , then add sliced onions and sauté till brown.

Add coriander powder and bhindi along with salt. Stir well.

Cover with a lid and keep stirring every 3 minutes. 

Once bhindi gets half cooked add pepper powder according to your spice level .

Cook on low flame with lid on. 

Once bhindi is cooked , serve it along with rice or roti.

MUSHROOM AND MIXED LEGUMES CURRY

 

Ingredients

10 button mushrooms chopped into big chunks

1 can mixed legumes , drained and rinsed (rajma, black eye peas, chole)

1 big onion finely sliced

1 tomato finely chopped 

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp goda masala 

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

Method

Heat a kadai , add olive oil.

Add ginger garlic paste and sliced onions, sauté till raw smell of ginger garlic goes off.

Add mushroom pieces and mix well .

After 2 minutes add all the spices , salt and mix well .

Add the drained legumes and a glass of water and boil it on low flame. 

After 10 minutes add chopped tomatoes and cook until all the spices are blended with legumes .

Enjoy this curry with chapati. 

TOMATO RASAM

Ingredients

1/2 cup tomato purée

4 cloves garlic

3-5 curry leaves

1/2 shallot finely chopped

1 tbsp coconut oil

1tsp mustard seeds

1-2tsp Shakti rasam powder

Salt to taste

Method

Take a bowl , add tomato purée along with 2 cups water and mix well. 

Take a kadai and add the above tomato purée mixture , rasam powder, salt and boil it for 15-20 minutes. 

Take a small frying pan , add oil .

Once it is hot add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped garlic and shallots.  

Fry for a minute and pour this onto the boiled tomato mixture. 

Cover it with a lid and enjoy this rasam with rice. 

ALU KORMA

 

Ingredients

3 large Potato  chopped into bite size pieces
1 Onion finely chopped
1 Tomato finely chopped
7-10 nos Cashew nuts
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp turmeric  powder
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Chili powder
3-5 nos Curry leaves
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Soak cashew nuts in hot water for 1 hr.
Make a smooth paste  and keep aside.
Cut potatoes into bite size pieces and boil till 1/2 done
Now deep fry these oil till nice brown color appears on the top.
Take a kadai  and add oil.
Add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste and curry leaves.
Cook till onions  turn into light brown color.
Now add chopped tomato, chili powder, garam masala,turmeric powder and salt to taste.
Mix well, turn the flame to medium  and cover to cook further.
Now add the cashew  paste and 1 glass water.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Now add the fried potato and cook further for another 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with roti or pulao.

SHEZWAN NOODLES

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 packet plain noodles

2 tsp soya sauce

1/2 cup cabbage finely chopped or julienned

1 small carrot julienned

3 tbsp garlic finely chopped

10 dry red chilli

4 tbsp oil

spring onion to garnish

salt and water as needed

 

Method

Boil enough water and cook the noodles as per the package instructions. It hardly takes 4-5 minutes after you add the noodles to the boiling water. Drain and wash immediately to prevent sticking.

 

Soak red chillies in hot water for 30 minutes or boil water and add the chillies, cook for 5 minutes. Cool down and grind to a paste. Make sure to grind properly.

Finely chop all the required garlic, vegetables and keep all the other ingredients ready.
Heat a kadai with enough oil, add a red chilli followed by the chopped garlic. Fry just for a minute,taking care, not to change its colour.Do not over fry. Add the chilli paste.
Give it a fry for minute over medium flame until the oil separates. Add chopped carrot first, fry for 30 seconds in high flame, then lastly cabbage.
Stir fry for a minute over high flame.
Add  salt, chilli sauce, soya sauce, pepper powder. Stir quickly and add the cooked noodles.
Mix or toss well so that everything gets mixed up evenly. Adjust salt and add oil if needed. Transfer to the serving bowl.

Notes -
If noodles get stuck to each other before you add along with veggies, just sprinkle some water to loosen it.
You can add spring onion in this recipe, finely chopped – white part after garlic, green part finally for garnish.
You can grind the chilli paste ahead and store in refrigerator and use it as needed (just for the sake you cannot grind too little chilli to make smooth paste).
Do not over fry garlic as it will not lend the flavor we need for this recipe.

Adding lots of garlic is must for this recipe. Otherwise no flavor. 

Sesame oil and olive oil works Serve hot as such or any manchurian side dish .

BHINDI MASALA (OKRA MASALA)



   Ingredients

    1 kg bhindi/okra

    1 medium size onion, chopped

    2 medium size tomatoes, chopped

    1 tsp ginger garlic paste

    2 tsp coriander powder

    1 red chili powder

    1 tsp garam masala powder 

    1tsp cumin seed
     salt as required 

     2 tbsp oil for frying bhindi

 

      Method

Rinse the bhindi well in water.

Dry them on a large plate on their own or wipe with a kitchen towel.

remove the base and stalk while chopping the bhindi.chop into 1 or 2 inch pieces.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadaI or pan, add the bhindi and saute till they are completely cooked.

Taste the bhindi and if the crunchiness has gone and the bhindi have become soft, it means they are cooked.

Keep the sauteed bhindi aside.

Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan.

Add  cumin seeds, chopped onions and fry till they become translucent.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for  a minute or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears.

Add the chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.

Now add chilli powder , coriander powder , stir well and saute for a minute.

Add the sauted bhindi, salt and mix so that the onion-tomato masala coats the bhindi well.

Add garam masala powder , cook for 2-3 minutes, stir in between.

Serve the bhindi masala hot or warm garnished with some coriander leaves and accompanied with chapatis, rotis or naan.