Methi Muthiya

Methi / Fenugreek Leaves - 1/2 bunch, wash and pluck the leaves
Besan - 4 tbsp
Whole Wheat Flour / Amaranth flour - 4 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Oil for deep frying the dumplings

Mix all the above ingredients and prepare a stiff dough sprinkling a little water if required.

Divide into small portions and shape into 1 inch long 1/2 inch rolls.

Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown. makes about 15 dumplings.

Can be used to make Undhiyo or can be served as pakodas with some tomato ketchup.

Khatti Meethi Gujrati Dal

Tur Dal / Pigeon Peas lentil - 1/2 cup
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch
Water

Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Hing
Curry leaves - 5
Green Chillies - 3, finely chopped
Tomato - 1, small, chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch, grated
Raw peanuts - a handful
Grated Jaggery - 3 tsp

Cook dal in a pressure cooker along with salt, pinch of turmeric and sufficient water. Mash the cooked dal well.

Heat oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves.

Add the chopped tomato, green chillies and ginger. Cook till the tomato becomes mushy.

Add the dal, peanuts and grated jaggery. Add some water to reach desired consistency..

Bring it to boil and boil for 5 minutes, Adjust the seasonings and serve hot.

Green Beans Foogath

Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's Khazana of Indian Recipes

Green Beans - 1/2 lb, trim both ends and dice finely
Red Onion - 1/2, finely choppes
Green Chillies - 3, finely chopped
Peanut Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 8
Salt
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. Temper with mustard seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.

Add the chopped onion and saute till transparent.

Add the diced beans and salt. Cook covered on a low flame for 5 minutes.

Add the grated coconut and mix well. Cook for a few minutes more. The beans should remain crunchy.

Add the lemon juice and serve hot.

Vegetable Macaroni

Whole Wheat Elbow / Brown Rice Macaroni - 1 cup
Green Beans - 15, cut  into 1 inch long pieces
Carrots - 2, into into thin 1 inch long pieces
Red Bell Pepper - 1, cut into thin long pieces
Frozen Green Peas - a handful
Frozen Sweet Corn - a handful
Ginger - 1 inch, cut into thin slices
Garlic - 2 big cloves, cut into thin slices
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt
Soya Sauce
Sriracha Hot Sauce
Tomato Ketchup

Boil water in a big saucepan. Once the water comes to a boil, add sufficient salt. Now add the macaroni and cook till al dente. Drain, add a few drops of olive oil, mix well and keep aside. (Ideally we should cook the pasta and the sauce in such a way so that the noodles can be drained and directly added to the cooked sauce without waiting).

Take a big cast iron skillet. Heat it well on high heat. Add the olive oil and immediately add ginger and garlic slices. Saute for a minute. Then add the remaining vegetables and salt. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, tossing frequently. The vegetables should not be overcooked and should remain crisp.

Add a dash of soya sauce, sriracha sauce and tomato ketchup. Mix well. Add the drained macaroni and toss for a minute. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Garlic Chutney

Garlic Cloves - 10, big
Dry dessicated coconut - 2 tbsp
Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp
Dried Red Chillies - 4
Tamarind Pulp- 1 tsp
Salt
Peanut Oil - 1 tsp

Heat 1 tsp oil in a cast iron skillet and roast the garlic cloves. Remove and keep aside. In the same skillet dry roast rest of the ingredients (except tamarind and salt) separately.

Mix everything together and coarse grind in a grinder.

Green Beans with Black Pepper Powder

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2010/03/alu-borboti-bhaja-stir-fried-potaoes.html

Green Beans - 1 lb
Red Potatoes - 2
Peanut Oil - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt
Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fresh ground black pepper

Wash the beans, trim the ends and cut into small pieces. Cut the potato into thin longish pieces.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a cast iron skillet and temper with nigella seeds. Add the green beans, a pinch of turmeric and salt. Let it cook for 10 minutes, tossing frequently. When the beans are almost done, add fresh ground black pepper to taste. Saute for a couple of minutes more and remove.

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil till smoking hot. Add the chopped potatoes. Sprinkle a little salt and turmeric. Saute till crisp and brown on all sides. Remove and serve with the sauteed green beans.

Aloo Tikki

Red Potatoes - 2, boiled and cooled
Red Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Green Chili - 4, finely chopped
Cilantro / Mint - a handful finely chopped
Kasturi Methi - 1 tsp, crushed between palms
Roasted peanuts - 1/2 cup, coarsely crushed
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Aamchur - 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala - 1 tsp
Salt

Whole Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs for coating
Oil for shallow frying

Grate the boiled potatoes and mix gently with the rest of the ingredients.

Make small balls and flatten them. Roll them in bread crumbs.

Heat a little oil in a cast iron skillet. Add a few of the tikkis and shallow fry on both sides till golden brown.

Serve with tamarind chutney.

Chard with Mixed Lentils

Lentils - 3/4 cup, mix of yellow mung, red masoor and chana dal
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt

Green / Red Chard - 1 bunch, washed and chopped finely along with the stems
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Pearl Onion - 20
Garlic Cloves - 4, finely sliced
Ginger - 1/2 tsp, finely sliced
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp

Cook the lentils in a cooker with sufficient water and turmeric and salt. Keep aside.

Heat a pan and add olive oil, pearl onions and hing. Saute till the onions change color and brown slightly.

Add ginger and garlic for saute for a minute more.

Add the chopped chard and coriander, cumin, red chilli powders. Cook till the chard wilts and the liquid evaporates.

Now add the cooked lentils and a cup of water. Bring it to boil and cook till the desired consistency is reached. Add a dash of lemon juice and serve hot.

Lacinato Kale Stir Fry

Organic Lacinta Kale - 1 bunch
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 8, chopped finely
Dried Whole Red Chilli - 2
Salt
Water - 1/2 cup

Wash the Kale well and chop finely along with the stems.

Heat oil in a big skillet. Add the red chilli and chopped garlic. Saute for half a minute.

Add the chopped kale. Saute on high flame for a minute.

Add half cup water, reduce the flame, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the cover and cook for a couple of minutes more till all the liquid has dried up.

Vangi Bhath (Spicy Eggplant Rice)

Brown Rice - 1 cup, cook in a cooker till done and spread on a plate to cool
Eggplant - 10, small,
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Green Chillies - 4, finely chopped
Salt
Curry Leaves - 5
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Wet Tamarind - 2 tsp, soak in a little water
Jaggery - 2 tsp
Bisi Bele Bhath Powder - 1 tbsp
Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, green chillies and red onion. Cook till the onion becomes slightly brown in color.

Cut the eggplants just before adding them to oil to prevent discoloration. Cut them lengthwise into thin long pieces. Add to the pan and mix well with the oil. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, curry leaves. Saute for 10 minutes.

Then add a cup of water, salt, tamarind paste, jaggery, bisi bele bhath powder and cover the pan and cook on medium low till the eggplant is soft and completely cooked.

Mix the cooked rice with the eggplant. Toss roasted penuts on top and serve.

Lunch Box - Dec 5

    Brown Rice, Vangi Masala, Crispy Chickpeas

   Matar Pulao and Tondli with fennel Powder

   Chickpea Rice and Stir Fry Carrots

Mustard Greens Stir Fry

Mustard Greens - 1 bunch, washed and finely chopped
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garlic Cloves - 6, finely chopped
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Water - 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice

Heat oil in a big skillet. Add the mustard seeds.

Add chopped garlic and saute till they begin to change colow.

Add the chopped mustard greens, salt and red pepper flakes. Saute till the leaves wilt.

Add half cup of water and cook till the liquid evaporates. Sqeeze a little lemon juice on top and serve.

Brussel Sprouts with Chana Dal and Coconut

Adapted from http://spiceandcurry.blogspot.com/2010/11/narkol-diye-brussel-sprouts-spicy.html

Brussel Sprouts - 1/2 lb (half bag)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Chana Dal - 1/4 cup, soak for an hour
Mustard Seeds / Panch Phoron - 1/4 tsp
Dried shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Dried Whole Red Chilli - 2
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Sugar

Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Wash the brussel sprouts and remove the outer leaves. Cut off the tough bottom stem and chop the sprouts finely lengthwise.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds / panch phoron and the dried whole chilli. Then add the coconut and saute till the coconut begins to get brown.

Immediately add the chopped brussel sprouts, soaked chana dal and the rest of the spices. Mix well and cover and cook on medium low flame for around 15 minutes. In between remove the cover and stir so that the vegetable doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan.

When the brussel sprouts look a bit shrinked, sprinkle some fresh ground black pepper and remove from flame. Serve with brown rice and dal.

Dal Puri

Adapted from http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2010/11/dalpoori-aur-aloo-tamatar-ki-sabji.html

Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Salt
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Water
Ajwain / Carom Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Nigella Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 cup, soaked overnight
Whole Red Chilli - 2
Bayleaf - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
TRurmeric - a pinch
Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt

Oil for deep frying

Mix the flour with salt, ghee, carom & nigella seeds and sufficient water to make a stiff dough. Keep it covered with a wet kitchen towel for 15  minutes.

Using a ricecooker or traditional cooker, cook the chana dal with sufficient water and whole red chiili and bayleaf. Discard the bayleaf and the red chillies.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, ginger and hing. Add the cooked dal, salt, red chilli powder and cook till the liquid evaporates. Mash the dal and remove from heat and cool completely.

Heat oil in a kadai on medium low for deep frying. Make small balls of the dough, flatten them and put 1 tbsp of the chana dal filling in the centre. Cover the filling with the edges of the balls and seal and using a little oil, roll into puris.

Fry the puris in batches on medium low heat till golden brown on both sides. Serve with spicy potato curry.

Spicy Potato Curry with Tomato gravy

Adapted from http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2010/11/dalpoori-aur-aloo-tamatar-ki-sabji.html

Red Potato - 4, boiled and cut into medium sized pieces
Peanut Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 tbsp, grated
Tomato - 1, big, chopped
Turmeric - a pinch
Roasted Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Cilantro for garnishing
Water - 2 cups

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet. Add cumin seeds and hing. After a minute add grated ginger, chopped tomato, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel, red chilli powders and salt.

Cook for around 10 minutes till the tomato becomes mushy and oil begins to leave the sides of the pan.

Add the boiled chopped potato and water.  Adjust seasoning and cover the pan and cook on slow heat for 15 minutes till the gravy thickens.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with puris or kachoris.