Green moong vegetable

Green moong or mung beans are extremely nutritious and are a great source of protein for vegetarians. There are a lot of health benefits and you can visit this website to learn more about it and get some amazing recipes: Moong benefits and recipes

This dish tastes great with chappatis and goes very well with hot white rice.

Ingredients:

1. Whole moong beans - 1/2 cup
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1 large
4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Garlic - 4-5 cloves
6. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
7. Green chili - 2 slit in halves
8. Red chili powder - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Salt & oil as needed

 Method:

1. Wash the moong beans a couple of times and  then soak in 2 cups of water overnight. The moong will have swollen as it absorbs some water. 
2. Chop onions, tomatoes and garlic and set aside.
3. In a pressure cooker, add the soaked moong with water, onions and tomatoes. Adjust the quantity of water as needed. Take three whistles and wait for the pressure to completely release.
4. In another pan, heat 2 tbsp oil, add the mustard seeds and let it start crackling, then add the garlic, green chili and curry leaves and fry for a minute. 
5. Add the red chili and turmeric powder and the cooked moong from the pressure cooker. Add salt, mix well and cook on medium flame, till most of the water is evaporated. 
6. Once you are satisfied with the consistency of the vegetable, switch off the flame.

Beans and Aloo sabzi

Beans and aloo is an uncomplicated vegetable recipe and goes well with chappatis and can be easily put in a lunch box. You can make a chappati roll with this veggie and it would be easy to consume it as a quick meal. Of course you can always pair it with a simple meal of dal and rice too. However, you pair it, it is a keeper. I make this on days I don't want to make a beans foogath or poriyal. So let's get cooking!

Ingredients:

1. French beans - 250 gm
2. Potatoes - 1 medium 
3. Onion - 1 medium
4. Tomato - 1 medium
5. Green chili - 2 nos
6. Garlic cloves - 4 nos
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
8. Red chili powder - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
12. Oil and salt as needed

Method:

1. Wash the beans and cut to one inch pieces. Peel potatoes and cut in long pieces like French fries and same size as the beans. Keep the cut potatoes in a bowl of water till you are ready to use it. Slice onions and tomatoes, slit green chilies and chop the garlic.
2. In a pan, heat oil and add the cumin, let it fry for a minute and add the garlic, and let it lightly fry. Add the onions and let it fry till it softens. 
3. Drain the water from the potatoes and add it to the pan. Add salt and all spice powders, mix well. Add the green beans and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and mix well and cook for another five minutes. Lastly add 1/2 tsp of garam masala and mix well and once the vegetables are cooked, switch of the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Raagi pancake

Before I discovered this nutritious pancake, I occasionally made pancake with the store bought ready to use pancake mix. Sometime, midway through this year, I made a decision to improve my family's eating habits and was trying different recipes with healthier ingredients. This recipe is a great creation, as we love it for our breakfasts and my son also eats it during his snack time. I looked online through a couple of recipes and tried a few before settling on this recipe. It's a basic pancake recipe with healthier flours and sugar

Ingredients:

1. Ragi flour - 1/2 cup
2. Oats flour (wheat flour/multi-grain flour) - 1/2 cup
3. Egg - 1 no
4. Coco sugar or powdered jaggery - 2 - 3 tbsp (can add more if you want it sweeter)
5. A pinch of baking soda and salt
6. Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
7. Water - use as needed to make a batter
8. Ghee or oil - as needed for frying the pancake

Method:

1. In a bowl, break the egg, add the sugar, vanilla essence, salt, and baking soda. Whisk the ingredients well. 
2. Add the flour in slowly while whisking and add water as needed to make a pouring consistency batter, so it is a good idea to start with little water and then keep adding as required.
3. Heat a pan, add 1/2 tsp ghee/butter/oil, and then take 1/4 cup batter and pour it into the pan.
4. Once you see bubbles appear all over on the top, flip it and let it cook on the other side for three minutes. Once done, remove the pancakes from the pan and use the batter to make remaining pancakes. 
5. The pancakes are ready to be served. They taste great on their own but you can also serve it with honey.

Notes:

1. You can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to two days, in case you wish to make it over a couple of breakfast meals or snack time. 
2. You can also use only oats flour to make the pancake. But the ragi flour adds a nice grainy texture when you bite into it, plus it's healthy.
3. In case you wish to make blueberry pancake, you add the ghee to the pan, add a few berries in the ghee, let it fry for a minute, then ladle the pancake batter over it and cook as mentioned above.  

Prawns and potato masala

Prawns are eaten around the world and are so versatile, they taste good in a lot of different styles of cooking or preparations and with different herbs and spices. Even plain salted and fried prawns taste so amazing. I usually just fry them with the Goan Rechado paste, as it is extremely time saving, quick to make and is one of the best combinations when you pair it with hot rice, coconut juice curry and a vegetable foogath. But sometimes for a change, I like to make the prawn and potato masala or tamarind prawns and prawns ghee roast. Today I share the prawns and potato masala recipe. It can be quickly put together as all the ingredients are readily available in any Indian kitchen and the method is quick and easy. It goes well with rice and daal or rice and plain curry and a vegetable foogath. It is a typical weekday lunch meal at my home. So let's get started. 

Ingredients:

1. Prawns - 500 gms
2. Potatoes - 3 medium sized
3. Onions - 2 medium sized
4. Tomatoes - 2 medium sized
5. Green chili - 2 nos
6. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
7. Red chili powder - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
10. Malwani masala or any garam masala - 1 tsp
11. Salt and oil
12. Coriander leaves - for garnish

Method:

1. Shell and devein prawns and set aside. Chop onions and tomatoes, slit green chili lengthwise and cube potatoes.
2. Pour oil in a pan, let it heat up, add the chopped onion, let them turn soft and pink, add the salt and ginger garlic paste, fry till the rawness of the ginger and garlic goes away. 
3. Add all the powdered spices and mix well for a minute or two.
4. Then add the potatoes, green chili and tomatoes. Mix well, lower the flame, use a lid to cover the pan and let it cook till the potatoes are almost done.
5. Now add the prawn, increase the flame of the stove and cook till the prawns are done, stirring continuously. Prawns take about five minutes to cook so keep that in mind and switch off the flame when done.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chappatis, parathas or rice and daal.

Rechado Paste for fish fry

 Rechedao fish fry is one of the best known recipes from Goa and is quite popular not only with Goans but also non-Goans and the tourists. Rechado paste is a blend of red chilies and spices ground in vinegar and used to fry seafood like cream dory, tilapia, mackerels, squids, prawns, mussels, pomfret, salmon and king fish. I am sure it can be used with other fish too, but I haven't tried it personally with any other fish. As with all recipes, every family has their own version, and what I share with you today is from my mum-in-law's kitchen, tried, tested and relished by the family for many years! This is made in a large quantity and can be used for up to six months if stored correctly. 

Recipe credit: Rozita Coutinho

Ingredients:

1. Kashmiri Chilies - 100 gms
2. Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tbsp
3. Peppercorn - 1/2 tbsp
4. Cardamom - 4 nos
5. Cinnamon - 3 inches
6. Cloves - 20 nos
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
8. Ginger - 1 inch piece
9. Garlic - 20 nos
10. Vinegar - 350 ml

Method:

1. Dry grind ingredients one through seven. 
2. Add garlic, ginger and vinegar, grind till you get a fine paste. You can use a little more vinegar if needed.
3. Store in a clean dry glass jar that is airtight, and always use a clean dry spoon to take the paste from the jar. Keep the jar in a cool dry place and use as needed. You can use the paste up to six months and it does not require refrigeration. 
4. Use the paste and salt to marinate fish for about twenty to thirty minutes. You can use bread crumbs to coat the fish and shallow fry on all sides till the fish is cooked. 

Prawns in Garlic and Onion

Today's recipe is something I borrowed from my sister eons ago. As I have mentioned earlier, she is a fabulous passionate cook. Since she is a working mum, she likes to keep her cooking simple. And most of the recipes I have learnt from her are simple to cook and delicious to taste. Well she has two kids who are her worst critics, today's recipe is an absolute favorite with not only her kids but with everyone in the family. So that should give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Ingredients:

1. Prawns - 1 cup shelled & de-veined
2. Garlic - 6 cloves
3. Onions - 1 large
4. Spring onions - 3 nos (optional) * see notes
5. Soy sauce - 1to 2  tbsp
6. Green chilly - 1 no
7. Oil - as required

Method:

1. Marinate the prawns in the soy sauce and keep aside.
2. Roughly chop the garlic, green chilly and onions. 
3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add the garlic and onions, including the bulb of the spring onions. Reserve the greens, they will be added later. Let it fry for a minute, stir in the prawns and green chilly. Mix well and let it continue to cook in the pan on the lowest stove setting.
4. Let it cook for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, and when the onions start to caramelize, add the spring onions (the greens) and mix well. 
5. Switch off the flame when the onions have browned and the prawns have cooked. It goes very well with chappatis or as an accompaniment to rice and daal.

Notes:

1. Spring onions are optional. I added them as I had a few sprigs that were close to their use by date.
2. I don't add salt up until the end as the soy sauce is salty. Add salt towards the end after you've tasted the dish.

Cucumber Raita

Raitas are a great accompaniment to any Indian meal. The cool yoghurt pairs very well with the spicy curries and cools the palate and system. Raitas are primarily made with yoghurt and seasoning and vegetables or fruits. Most popular vegetables are cucumber, red onions, tomatoes, radish, carrot and fruits like pomegranate, pineapple etc.are also used. Boondi raita is very popular specially with biryanis. (Boondi - droplets of deep fried chick pea flour) 

Ingredients:

1. Thick yoghurt - 1 cup
2. Cucumber - 2 medium sized, cut in small cubes
3. Sugar - 1/2 tbsp
4. Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Freshly ground pepper - as per taste
6. Salt - as required
7. Coriander for garnish

Method:

1. Whisk the yoghurt in a bowl to a smooth consistency.
2. Add all ingredients and mix well.
3. Refrigerate before serving and garnish with coriander leaves.

Batata Vada

I don't like deep frying food and I very rarely cook deep fried food. But during the lockdown we were trying to cook different types of food, and we were really missing home and Mumbai street food. So I decided to make batata vadas and serve them with pandesals. Pandesals are much like the pau you get in Mumbai, but somehow different. We enjoyed this treat with a hot cup of chai and the cool monsoon weather just added loads of nostalgia to the whole experience. It is a fairly simple recipe to follow and cool monsoon evenings are perfect for this treat. You can serve this with the traditional red garlic chutney, but since I didn't make it, we just had it plain. 

Ingredients for the potato mixture:

1. Boiled potatoes - 5 nos, medium sized
2. Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
3. Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
4. Curry leaves - 20 leaves, broken in half
5. Asafetida (Hing) - 1/4 tsp
6. Garlic cloves - 8 nos
7. Ginger - 1 and half inch piece
8. Green chili - 3 nos
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
11. Salt and oil as needed

Ingredients for the batter:

1. Besan (Chick pea flour) - 3/4 cup
2. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
4. Carom seeds (Ajwain) - 1/2 tsp
5. Water - as needed to make a batter.
6. Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying.

Method:

1. Wash the potatoes well and cook them whole with the skin in a cooker for up to five whistles. Wait for the pressure to release naturally. Add salt while cooking the potatoes.
2. Remove the skin of the potatoes and mash them and set aside. 
3. Finely chop ginger, garlic, green chilies and coriander leaves and set aside. 
4. In a pan, heat oil,  add the mustard seeds, let it splutter, then add the cumin, ginger garlic, and green chilies. Fry it well, while continuously stirring and add turmeric powder, asafetida and curry leaves.
5. Add in the potatoes and mix well. Let it stay on the flame for about three minutes, while you stir occasionally.
6. Let the potato mixture cool down and then make 8 to 10 medium sized balls. You can grease your palm with a little oil to help shape them.
7. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying the vadas and prepare the batter while the oil heats.
8. For the batter - Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and ensure there are no lumps, now add water little by little to form a thick batter consistency.
9. Once the oil is hot, you can drop the vada in the batter and coat the vada on all sides, then gently drop the coated vada in the hot oil. You can fry as many as your pan permits. Ensure that there is enough space for you to flip them on the sides and that the pan is not too crowded.
10. Once they are fried on all sides, will take about five minutes and you will see the color of the vada change, you can remove from the kadai and drain on a kitchen towel. 
11. Enjoy them with pau and garlic chutney.

Paneer Capsicum masala (Cottage cheese and capsicum masala)

I have been trying out a few vegetarian recipes in the last few months and the recipe I share today is a source of great joy and pride for me. My son, who refuses to eat vegetarian food in any form or fashion loves this dish and to me that is a winner.

Don't let the laundry list of ingredients and cooking instructions daunt you. I promise, it is much easier and simpler once you read it and understand the instructions. It is basically the same process followed for many Indian vegetable preparations. 

There are two methods you can follow for the preparation of the sauce or masala:

1) Fry the sliced onions till they soften, then add sliced tomatoes, ginger and garlic in the pan. Cook till they soften and change color. Switch off the flame, cool and make a fine paste in a blender. Heat a pan, add the whole spices and the paste, once it starts boiling and leaving the sides of the pan, add powdered spices and continue with the rest of the instructions below.  

Or. 

2) Grate onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic or chop fine and cook as per the instructions below.

I have kind of gone mid-way and tried to shorten the whole process, by finely chopping onions in my vegetable chopper that gave me a grated consistency. And I used tomato paste to get a rich red color and texture. I also used roasted besan or gram flour to thicken the sauce a bit. The end result was just yummilicious..... and worthy of being served in a restaurant. So here goes!

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 250 gms
• Bell peppers - 2 medium sized
• Onion - 1 medium sized
• Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

For the sauce:

• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Cardamom - 2 nos
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Cinnamon - 1 inch pc
• Bay leaf - 2 nos
• Onion - 1 large
• Tomato Paste - 3 tbp
• Ginger paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Garlic - 1/2 tbsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Roasted besan - 1 tbsp
• Yoghurt - 1/4 cup
• Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - garnish
• Salt and oil as needed

Preparation before cooking the sauce:

• Cube the paneer, peppers and onion into  same sized pieces.
• Roast the besan or chick pea flour in a pan for a minute or so. It will change color and smell. Once it looks toasted and smells nutty, remove from the hot pan and and set aside to cool. Once  it has cooled down add it into the 1/4 cup yoghurt, and mix well and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add a little oil and stir fry the cubed onions for a minute or two on high heat and set aside.
• Add a little more oil to the pan and add the red chilly powder and turmeric powder and quickly add the paneer cubes, sprinkle salt and gently mix the cubes and fry on high heat till they get a good color and set aside.
• Be careful while frying paneer as it can break and crumble if not handled correctly. Also once you add the spice powders in the oil, quickly add the paneer so that the spices are not burnt. Typically chili and turmeric powder burn easily in hot oil and hence speed is of essence.
• Chop the onion as fine as you can, you could also make a paste or grate it.(The large onion listed under sauce)

Method:

• In the pan used above to fry the vegetables, heat 2 tbsp of ghee or oil, add all the whole spices - cumin, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Fry it for a minute and then add the grated or chopped onion, salt and the ginger garlic paste. Fry well on medium to low flame till the raw smell of the onion is gone, this could take a few minutes.
• Add the spice powders - red chili, coriander and turmeric and give it a good stir, add the tomato paste and continue cooking and stirring as needed. Add half a cup of water to mix all the contents well, cover and cook on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till the oil separates from the masala.
• Once the water has evaporated and the masala and oil separate, add the yoghurt-besan mixture and 1/4 cup water and mix well, let it come to a boil and then add the stir fried vegetables. Add more salt if needed and gently mix the vegetables, so that each vegetable is coated with the sauce, cover the pan and cook for a five to seven minutes.
• Add more water if needed in the above step and also check for seasoning.
• Lastly sprinkle the kasuri methi and garam masala on the vegetables, give it a last stir and switch off the flame.
• Finally garnish with coriander leaves and it is ready to be served with roti, paratha or rice.

Lapsi Khichdi (Dahlia)

Lapsi or dahlia (broken wheat) is extremely nutritious. Many of us may be aware that lapsi sweets are made, specially in Gujarat, Maharashtra and the North. But the recipe I am sharing here is savory and ideal for breakfast or lunch and makes for a wholesome meal. You can add as many veggies as you like to make it colorful and healthy. One bowl of lapsi can fill you up and your all set begin a healthy day. You can pair this with a bowl of yoghurt too.

 

Ingredients:

1. Lapsi (Broken wheat) - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 medium sized
3. Tomato - 1 medium sized
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
5. Mixed vegetables  - 1/2 cup ( You can use peas, carrots, french beans)
6. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Curry leaves - a few
9. Oil and water - As required
10. Salt to taste 

Method:

1. Wash and soak lapsi in 1 cup of water before you start chopping/slicing your veggies.
2. In a cooker, heat oil, add cumin, curry leaves,  and onions, let it  fry well. Once onions have turned translucent, add salt, ginger-garlic paste and turmeric.
3. Add the tomatoes and fry well till the oil separates from the masala. Add the veggies and fry for about two to three minutes.
4. Add the lapsi, salt and 2 cups of water, Close the lid of the cooker and cook for three whistles. 

Your healthy meal is ready :-)

 

 

Chicken stir fry noodles with vegetables

This recipe will be greatly appreciated by Indo-Chinese food enthusiasts and is a great one pot meal idea. This meal packs carbs, protein and vegetables, all rolled in one dish, so no need to slog over a side dish. The preparation time is a bit longer due to the number of vegetables that need to be washed and prepared but once that is done, the cooking time is not much.

This is quite a versatile preparation as you can add or skip ingredients based on availability. For example you can use any combination of vegetables that you'd like, though I think bell peppers taste just so great in this recipe and are a visual treat too. But you can add mushrooms, onions, green beans, baby corn, sprouts, sayote etc and substitute them for the vegetables I've used. Even with the sauces, you can play around with the quantity, and if you'd like you can skip the red chili sauce and the fish sauce completely. If you are going to skip these, ensure you season well with salt and pepper. Lastly, I have used sesame oil to pour over the cooked noodles that imparts a nutty flavor to the dish, this is completely optional. You will love this dish if you like stir fried veggies and can make it a complete vegetarian meal. So many options and possibilities! :-)

On that note, let's get cooking!

Ingredients:

• Chicken strips - 250 gms
• Broccoli - 250 gms
• Green bell pepper - 1 no
• Red bell pepper - 1 no
• Spring onions - 15 sprigs
• Carrots - 1 medium sized
• Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
• Garlic - 1 tbsp
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil as needed

Sauce mix: Mix in a bowl and ensure there are no lumps

• 2 tbsp soya sauce 
• 2 tbsp tomato ketch up
• 1 tbsp red chili sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (or 1/2 a stock cube)

Rice noodles - 250 gms

Method:

• Wash and cut the peppers and carrots in strips, and the broccoli in small florets. Cut the vegetables and chicken in even sized shape and size. 
• Cook the noodles as per the instructions, drain and set aside. Pour a tablespoon of oil once drained, to avoid sticking.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the ginger and garlic paste, stir it and add the chicken strips. Season with a little salt. Do not use a lot of salt as the sauces are salty, so be mindful of how much salt you use.
• Fry on high heat and once the chicken is half done, add the broccoli florets and carrots and the sauce mix. 
• Cook on medium flame till the vegetables are almost done, and add the peppers. I prefer my peppers crunchy and not well cooked. If you like well cooked peppers, you can add them earlier into the pot, so they cook a bit longer. Increase the flame and add the vinegar, stir fry for two to three minutes and then add the noodles.
• Mix well and ensure all the noodles are coated with the sauce and all contents are mixed well.
• Top with the spring onions and pour a tablespoon of sesame oil over the noodles. Let it sit for about five minutes and it's ready to be served.