Cabbage ki sabzi - Simple cabbage saute

Many dishes that I cook are learnt from my elder sister - Anita, specially the vegetarian recipes. Her sabzis are so delicious that my son - D can eat them without any coaxing or bribes. They are that good! And she makes the best phulkas. So the combination is quite amazing. This holiday I learnt quite a few sabzi recipes that can be had with rotis or chappatis. You can also team them with a nice daal and steamed rice. Usually I make cabbage thoran, that teams well with spicy meat curries. But if your looking for some flavourful cabbage, this is one of the recipes you could try.

Recipe credit: Anita Arakal

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage - 400 - 500 gms
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - medium
4. Green chilly - 2 nos, or as needed
5. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Curry leaves - a few leaves
8. Salt and oil - as needed

Method:

1. Wash, and slice all the vegetables and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and when they stop spluttering add the onions , and saute on medium flame till they turn translucent.
3. Add salt and turmeric, add the tomatoes and chilly, and mix well.
4. When the tomatoes soften, add the cabbage and mix well. 
5. Cook on slow flame for five to seven minutes or till the cabbage is done.

Prawn/Shrimp in Red Thai curry

I love curries, specially coconut based spicy curries, they could be Indian, Thai, Malay or Filipino, I love them all. Thai curries are a delicious way to get many veggies into your meal without having to focus on a separate vegetable side dish.The only preparation required to cook this curry is washing and dicing of vegetables and cleaning the shrimp. The actual preparation of the dish is easy peasy lemon squeazy ! Those are my son's words not mine. :D

Ingredients:

1. Prawns/Shrimp - 250 gms (shelled and de-veined)
2. Onion - 1 small, cubed
3. Mixed vegetables -  - 1 cup (mix of cauliflower, egg plant, carrot, sayote, french beans, baby corn, snow peas, or any vegetable of your choice)
4. Red Thai curry paste - 2 tbsp to 3 tbsp
5. Coconut Milk - 400 ml
6. Oil - as required

Method:

1. Wash and dice all vegetables.
2. In a pan, heat oil, add the the diced onions, fry it for a minute or so. Add the shrimp and let it fry on high heat for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the red curry paste and fry till it is aromatic. Add the vegetables and continue mixing and frying, and then add the coconut milk.
4. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer on medium to low flame for 5 to 7 minutes or till your vegetables are cooked but still crisp. you don't want the vegetables to be mushy.
5. Check for seasoning and consistency and switch off the flame. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Drumstick and tur dal curry

This recipe has been sitting in my drafts for way too long. I remember, when my mum lived with me, every morning post breakfast she and I got into a huddle of sorts in an effort to plan the meal for the day. During those days, at least most week days we cooked a vegetarian meal and stocked the fridge accordingly. On this particular day, the fridge seemed bare, and the only vegetable there was drumsticks. There was absolutely nothing else. I was dreading the thought of making lunch that only had drumsticks. But my mother's knack for making a curry out of anything amazes me. I guess that's what mothers are all about. Waving their invisible wands and cooking with the most mundane ingredients and turning them into a delicious meal.

Drumstick and Tur daal (aka pigeon pea) curry also known as Saango ani daalechi kadhi in Konkani, is a tasty curry that goes well with a simple meal of steamed rice and a pickle or fried fish. This is a traditional Mangalorean curry made with coconut and spices. In fact there are many such unheard of combinations that are a regular feature in a Mangalorean household. You can make a similar curry with eggplant instead of drumstick, other vegetable curries include different types of pulses, winter melon, bottle gourd, cauliflower etc that can be cooked with coconut, red chilly and other spices. More recipes on that later. For now I'd say, this is a must try for people who like coconut based curries and are keen to try vegetable curries.

Recipe credit: Cecilia Sequeira

Ingredients:

1. Drumstick - 3 nos
2. Tur Daal (pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup
3. Tomatoes - 2 medium

Grind the below mentioned ingredients with water:

1. Coconut - 1 cup, grated
2. Onion - 1 small (roughly chopped)
3. Garlic - 2 flakes
4. Kashmiri red chillies - 3 nos
5. Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard seeds (rai) - 1/2 tsp
7. Coriander seeds (dhania) - 1 tbsp
8. Tamarind - 1 small lime sized ball
9. Turmeric powder(haldi) - 1/2 tsp

Tempering:

1. Oil - 2 tbsp
2. Curry leaves - 10 -15 nos
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Cook the dal and tomatoes in a pressure cooker, let it cook for two whistles and switch off the flame.
2. Once the dal is cooked, add the ground masala, drumsticks and salt to the pan. Let it come to a boil and then add water as per the desired consistency. Let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. For tempering, use a small pan, pour oil, when the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, when they stop crackling, put off the gas flame and add curry leaves.
4. Put this oil immediately into the pan containing the curry.
5. You can temper the curry just before or after you put off the gas flame.

Tasty karela sabzi - Simple Bitter gourd saute

I gotta admit, I am no fan of karela or bitter gourd. I struggle to understand how people can eat this vegetable and love it. And yet when my sister promised me that I would love this preparation, I was a bit sceptical. However, this dish was devoured within minutes of its preparation and the soft phulkas that we ate it with, just added to its heavenly taste. So I won't say any more, except that the actual number of ingredients and complexity of cooking is minimal. A novice can cook this and win hearts. And if you don't like bitter gourd, you must try it, you will love this preparation. I recently cooked this for my extended family, who by the way eat this vegetable regularly. They absolutely loved it!

Recipe credit: Anita Arakal

Ingredients:

1. Karela (Bitter gourd) - 250 gms
2. Onions - 250 gms
3. Green chilly - 2 nos
4. Salt - as per taste
5. Oil - as needed

Method:

1. Peel and slice the onions, chop the green chilly. Wash the whole gourd in water, cut into half, lengthwise, remove all the core and seeds from the centre and slice thinly.
2. Heat a pan, add two to three tablespoons of oil, when the oil heats up, add the sliced onions and add the sliced gourd on top of the onions, without mixing. Let it remain for a minute or so.
3. Start stir frying on high heat at intervals the first five minutes. Add the green chilly.
4. Lower the flame to simmer and let it cook for about forty minutes, stirring at regular intervals. The vegetable needs to turn brown evenly and become less than half it's original quantity.
5. Add salt just before you put off the flame. Mix well and it's ready to be served with hot chappatis.

Colorful Chicken Salad

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

Every new year one of the things that I resolve to do is eat healthy, by adding more vegetables and fruits to my diet. This year is no different and I have decided to consume more salads to up the health quotient. This 2019 I wish all of you healthy food, lots of physical activity and stress free lives..... who am I kidding (eye roll- that's boring).

This new year I wish for you lots of happy times with loved ones that will turn into happy memories, more travelling and experiencing life, enjoying simple things in life and great food that turns even a dull day into a special one. 

On that note, let me share this super easy and quick salad that looks appealing, tastes great and is simply colourful.

Ingredients:

1. Iceberg lettuce - 1 medium sized head
2. Cucumber - 1 large, diced in cubes
3. Tomatoes - 1 large, deseeded and cubed
4. Red, Yellow & Green pepper - 1 each, medium, deseeded and cubed                                     (You may either choose one or add all three, its optional)
5. Boneless Chicken - 1 cup cooked and shredded/ cubed
6. Salt & Pepper - To taste
7. Honey Mustard Sauce - 2 - 3 tbsp or as needed

Method:

1. In a salad bowl, tear the lettuce leaves into bite sized pieces and add all veggies.
2. Next add the seasoning and the sauce.
3. Mix the salad well so the sauce and seasoning coats all the vegetables. You can do this with a Use two large spoons to mix the ingredients well or you could also use your hands to ensure all the leaves are coated.
4. Your cucumber chicken salad is ready to be served.

Note: Add the seasoning and sauce ten minutes before serving time.