Alu Potoler Dalna / Pointed Gourd Curry

Adapted from http://gouriguhas.blogspot.com/2010/06/aloo-potol-er-dalna-curried-potatoes.html

Patol - 15 (small), cut into cubes
Red Potato - 2 (small), cut into cubes
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Bay Leaves - 3 (big)
Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Greek Yoghurt - 2 tbsp

Beat the yoghurt well. Mix turmeric, red chilli, cumin and coriander powder. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a big saute pan. Add the cubed patol. Fry till the patol starts changing color and becomes light brown. Remove from oil and keep aside.

In the same pan, add remaining 2 tbsp oil. Put the cumin seeds and bayleaves. Add the cubes potatoes and cook till they are half done.

Remove the pan from heat and add the yoghurt masala mixture, salt and sugar. Stir continuously. Bring the pan back to heat. Cook till oil starts separating from the masala.

Add the fried patol and 2 cups of water. Cook till the vegetables are completely cooked and the gravy reaches desired consistency.

Crispy Chana / Crispy Chickpeas

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2008/12/crispy-chole-crispy-fried-chickpeas.html

Chickpeas - 1 cup, soak overnight and cook in the cooker till done. The chickpeas should be just cooked and not mushy. Drain the liquid.
Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, finely chopped
Garlic - 4, finely chopped
Green Chillies - 4, finely chopped
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Aamchur / Dried Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Brown Rice Powder - 1 tsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a large saute pan.

Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and cook till the onion becomes light brown.

Add the boiled chickpeas, salt, sugar, turmeric, red chilli powder, aamchur, coriander powder, garam masala powder and cook everything mixes well and the liquid dries up.

Increase the heat and add the brown rice powder and toss for a few minutes till the chickpeas get a crisp coating.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Sauteed Kale with Garlic & Red Onions

Kale - 1 bunch, remove thick middle stem and roughly chop
Red Onion - 1/2, thinly sliced
Garlic Cloves - 4, thinly sliced
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt
Apple Cider Vinegar / Balsamic Vinegar / lemon juice - 1 tsp
Water / Vegetable Stock - 1 cup

Heat olive oil in a large wide saute pan. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Then add the sliced red onions and cook till they caramelise.

Increase the heat and addd chopped kale in batches and toss till they wilt.

Put the vegetable stock /water, salt and red pepper flakes and cover and cook for 10 minutes more.

When the water dries up and the leaves become soft, remove from fire. Add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice and serve immediately.

Lunch box - Nov 7

Tomato Basil Pasta & White Beech Mushroom Stir Fry

Brown Rice & Beans Pilaf and Tondli Stir Fry

Khichdi and Karela Fry

Lunch Box - Oct 31

Matar Pulao, Konkani Tindora, Fried Curd Chilli

Mushroom Rice, Brussel Sprouts Stir Fry, Papad

Mujadarah, Butternut Squash with Black Beans, Badam Halwa

Black Beans and Vegetable Quesadilla

Adapted from http://radishesandrhubarb.blogspot.com/2010/08/black-bean-quesadillas.html

Whole Wheat Tortilla / Lightly cooked Chapati - 4
Black Beans - 1/2 cup, soak overnight and cook in the cooker till done
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Yellow Onion - 1/2, sliced
Green Bell Pepper - 1/2, sliced
Red Bell Pepper - 1/2, sliced
Garlic - 4 cloves, thinly sliced
Green Chilli / Jalapeno - 2, chopped
Red Pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Cheddar Cheese - 1/2 cup, grated
Salt
Pepper

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan. Mash half the black beans and add it to the pan. Then add the other half of the beans, cumin powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Saute for a few minutes, remove and keep aside.

Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil and add the garlic slices. Then add onion, green chilli and the bell peppers. Adjust salt and pepper. Saute till the vegetables are done but crisp. Keep aside.

Heat a tsp of oil in an iron skillet. Spread one tortilla with a little cheese. Put half of the cooked beans on top. Then add half of the sauteed vegetables and sprinkle some cheese on top. Gently lift the tortilla and place it on the skillet. Press another tortilla on top.

Cook for a few  minutes until the bottom tortilla becomes brown and crisp. Flip it over, add a tsp of oil and cook the second side. Repeat the process for the other 2 tortillas. Cut the tortillas into wedges and serve.

Butternut Squash with Black Beans

Adapted from http://www.ecurry.com/blog/curries/dry/butternut-squash-with-black-beans-and-walnuts/

Butternut Squash - 1/2, peeled and cut into cubes
Black Beans - 1/2 cup, soaked overnight and cooked in cooker till done
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp, finely sliced
Green Chillies - 4
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Toasted Walnuts - a handful
Lemon Juice
Salt
Cilantro - a handful for garnishing

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and green chillies.

The add the butternut cubes and ginger slices. Cook on high heat, tossing frequently, till the cubes turn light brown on all sides.

Add black beans, salt, cumin and red chilli powder, a quarter cup of water and cover and cook till the cubes are tender.

Add the toasted walnuts, lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

Palong Shak'er Chorchori / Bengali Style Mixed Vegetables with Spinach

Baby Spinach - 2 cups
Butternut squash - 1 cup, cut in cubes
Sweet potato - 1, small, cut in cubes
Radish - 4, small, cut in cubes
Eggplant - 1 cup, cut in cubes
Bori / Dried Lentil Dumplings - 1/2 cup
Panch Phoron - 1 tsp (5 spice mixture of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek, nigella, fennel)
Dry Red Chillies - 2
Green Chillies - 3, chopped
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Mustard Powder - 1 tsp, mix with a little water to make a thick paste
Salt
Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the boris and saute till golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

Heat the mustard oil in the same pan. Temper with panch phoron and red chilli.

First add the sweet potato and butternut squash. Saute for a few minutes. Then add radish and eggplant, green chillies, turmeric and salt. Saute on high heat for a few minutes and then cover and cook till the vegetables are almost done.

Add the spinach leaves and mustard paste. Cook for a few more minutes. Sprinkle the fried boris on top and remove from heat.

Green Peas Rice

Brown Rice - 3/4 cup, cook in the cooker till done, fluff with a fork and keep aside
For more flavor, the rice can be cooked in the cooker along with all the whole spices. Remove the spices and cool.

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Black Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 5
Cinnamon - 1
Black Peppercorns - 10
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bayleaf - 1
Star Anise - 1

Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Frozed Green Peas - 1 cup
Salt
Pepper
Heat oil in a pan. Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin seeds, bayleaf, star anise.

Saute for a few seconds and then add the ginger, frozen peas and salt and pepper. Cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes till the peas become tender.

Mix rice and the roasted cashewnuts, adjust salt and pepper and remove from heat.
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Tindli / Kundru / Ivy Gourd with Coconut

Tindora / Ivy Gourd - 40, ends trimmed and cut sidewise into thin roundels
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 5
Turmeric - a pinch
Spicy Chickpea Powder - 1 tbsp
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt

Heat oil and temper with mustard seeds.

Add the tindora roundels and saute on high heat for a few  minutes.

Add grated coconut, salt and a pinch of turmeric, reduce the flame and cook for about 10 minutes till the tindora slices become soft and lightly brown.

Add curry leaves, red chilli powder, chickpea powder and cook for five minutes more. Serve hot.

Mujadarah - Jordanian Rice with Sprouts

Adapted from http://mimismommy.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/mujadarah-entry-for-blog-bites-event-8/

Brown Rice - 3/4 cup, soaked overnight
Sprouts - 1 cup, any or mix of lentil and beans sprout can be used, I used green lentil sprouts
1 each of black cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, bayleaf
Cloves - 5
Red Oinion - 1 small, thinly sliced
Sugar - a pinch
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

Heat oil in a pan. Add the sliced onion and sugar. Saute on low heat till it caramelises well and becomes slightly crisp. Remove from the pan and keep aside.

In the same pan, add the spices. Then add the brown rice, sprouts, salt and pepper and saute for a minute.

Transfer the entire mixture to the rice cooker and cook with 2.5 cups of water till done.

Remove, fluff with fork, sprinkle the caramelised onion on top and serve.

Badam Halwa / Almond Fudge

Almond Flour - 1/2 lb, around 12 heaped tbsp
                         I used Bob's Red Mill finely ground Almond Meal/Flour
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 6 tbsp (adjust according to taste)
Saffron - a few strands, mix it with the milk
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 2 tbsp
Roasted Cashew nuts and Raisins - handful


Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan.

Add the almond powder and saute on medium heat for about 10 minutes till it emits an aroma and changes color slightly.

Add milk and sugar and cook stirring continuously for around 20 minutes. The mixture will initially become bubbly and then start thickening. Remember that the halwa thickens further when it cools down.

When the mixture becomes fairly thick, add the another tbsp of ghee and cardamom powder and the dry fruits. Mix well and remove from heat. Serve at room temperature.

Can also be served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Karela Chips

Karela / Bittergourd - 1
Brown Rice Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil for pan fry or deep fry



Mix brownrice powder, turmeric, salt and red chilli powder and keep aside.

Wash the karela and pat dry. Cut it sidewise into very thin roundels. Remove the seeds. Mix the roundels with the brown powder mix and marinate for atleast 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Lay the karela pieces in one line and cook till the bottom side becomes brown. Then flip them and cook till the other side becomes brown. Remove and serve

Alternatively heat oil in a kadai and deep fry them in batches till they are crisp.

Radish Rasam

Adapted from http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/10/radish-as-comfort-food.html

Tur Dal (Pigeon Pea)- 1/2 cup, Cook in the cooker with water and a pinch of turmeric till done

Oil - 3 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry Leaves - 5

Red Radish - 5, cut in thin round slices
Radish Greens - a bunch (optional), chop into small pieces

Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind  - 2 tsp, soak in a little water
Rasam Powder - 3 tsp
Salt
Heat oil a pan and temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.

Add the sliced radish and saute for around 5 minutes.

Add turmeric, chilli powder, rasam powder, tamarind, salt and mix well with the sliced radish.

Add half cup water and cook the radish for a few minutes. Then add the tur dal, add some more water and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice with a little homemade ghee.

Brussel Sprouts Stir Fry

Adapted from http://superyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/brussel-sprouts-curry.html

Brussel Sprouts - 1/2 lb, around 12, wash and remove the hard bottom and outer leaves and cut in quarters  lengthwise

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
Onion - 1/2, chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp (grated)
Tomato - 1, small,  chopped
Roasted coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - a pinch
Salt



Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan. Saute the brussel sprouts till light brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and temper with cumin seeds and hing. Add onion and ginger  and cook till the onion becomes soft. Add chopped tomato, salt, sugar and the rest of the spices and cook till oil leaves the sides of the pan.

Add the brussel sprouts and mix well with the masala. Sprinkle a little water, stir in between  and cook for around 10 minutes till the sprouts are tender.