Vegetable Stew Recipe | Kerala Veg Stew for Appam

Kerala style Vegetable stew recipe with step by step photos. Appam with Vegetable stew is a famous Kerala breakfast combo variety which is loved by all.Appams are different from the regular dosa as these are lacy thin at the corners and fluffy in the center and are made in a Appam Chatti(kadai) instead of the tawa and hence the appams turn in the shape of kadai.Appam is served with a white coconut milk based curry with vegetables in it.The stew has mild spice levels and also has slight sweetness from the coconut milk but it is very flavorful and tastes delicious with the fluffy appams.The appams are so porous that they absorb the flavor from the stew beautifully and makes it taste more delicious.

Stew is made up of various vegetables and is cooked in a coconut milk with minimal spices but the process to prepare the stew is quite important otherwise you will not get the stew in white color. Freshly pressed coconut milk is the best choice for the stew but if you are lazy like me you can even use tinned coconut milk.I have used coconut oil in the recipe for the authentic kerala taste but if you do not like you can even use the regular oil in the recipe. Try this delicious kerala delicacy-stew with appam if you have not tried it before.

Check out other breakfast combos here in my blog:

• MLA Pesarattu / Upma Pesarattu
• Matar Kachori with Alu ki Sabzi 
• Methi Poori and Potato Masala
• Poori and Mixed Vegetable Saagu
• Vadappam(Riceflour Poori) and Chintaku Palya
• Bilavalige(Rice Flour Chapati) and Pithikipappu

Here is how to make kerala style vegetable stew with step by step photos:

Vegetable Stew Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 45 mins

Cuisine: Kerala | Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

1 small Carrot,peeled and cut into 1" long thin sticks

1 small Potato,peeled and cut into 1" long thin sticks

10-12 french Beans,trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

1/4 cup Green peas

1 small Onion,thinly sliced

2-3 Garlic cloves, cut into long strips

1/2" Ginger,peeled and cut into thin strips

2-3 Green chilies,slit

1 pack(200ml) Coconut milk or 1 Coconut,grated

8-10 Curry leaves

Salt,to taste

to temper:

1.5 tbsp Coconut oil

4-5 Cloves

1" Cinnamon

4 green Cardamoms

8-10 Black peppercorns

Method:

• If you are using freshly grated coconut to extract coconut milk add 1/2 cup warm water to the grated coconut and grind it nicely and strain it to get the thick coconut milk and add 3/4-1 cup warm water to the coconut residue and grind again to get a thin consistency coconut milk.If you are using ready coconut milk empty the contents of the carton to a bowl and add a cup of water to the empty carton and shake it nicely to get thin coconut milk.
• In a kadai/pan heat coconut oil and add cloves,cinnamon,peppercorns and green cardamoms and fry for 10-15 seconds.I forgot to add the peppercorns in the tempering and hence did separately and added later to the curry.

• Add cut ginger,garlic and slit green chilies and fry until the green chilies slightly wilt.Add 5-6 curry leaves and fry for few seconds.

• Add thinly sliced onions and fry until they become translucent,do not let them turn brown.
• Now add all the vegetables(you can add them raw or steamed) and add salt and thin coconut milk and cook until the vegetables are done.

• Now reduce the flame(or remove the pan from the flame) and add thick coconut milk and 3-4 curry leaves and boil it on low-medium flame.
• Adjust the consistency of gravy and seasoning by adding enough water and salt.The consistency should neither be thin or thick.

Serve it with Appam/Dosa.

Notes:

1. You can even add cauliflower along with the other vegetables.
2. Do not brown the onions,spices and vegetables otherwise it will change the color of the stew.
3. Freshly pressed coconut milk tastes best for the recipe but one can use ready one if pressed for time.
4. Coconut oil adds a nice flavor to the stew but if you do not like it you can use regular oil and make it.

Technorati Tags: vegetable stew,kerala style vegetable stew,veg stew,stew for appam,veg stew for appam,side dishes,kerala side dishes

Read More»

Aloo Baingan Recipe | Dry Alu Baingan Sabzi

Aloo baingan recipe with step by step photos. Roti-Sabzi-dal is an everyday fare at our place for dinner and as I always mentioned we need various varieties of vegetables instead of the usual routine vegetables.I usually do not plan the menu ahead and always plan my menu based on the availability of vegetables and sometimes we will be usually left with less quantity which might not be enough to cook for the whole family,then the combinations come to rescue and I must say potato is the clear winner when it comes for combination.You can pair any kind of vegetable with potatoes and one can hardly go wrong with it.I use potatoes with the combination of brinjal, arbi, cauliflower, cabbage, ladies finger, capsicum, broccoli, palak, methi , amaranth greens, green peas, pumpkin etc. to create scrumptious curries to pair with rotis and rice. We usually have either a dry sabzi and dal with roti or vegetable gravy and a simple vegetable fry or vegetable fry and heavy pulses(chole,rajma etc) with rotis.

I love the simple dry sabzis with few masalas as they stand out in flavor compared to the usual masala loaded onion-tomato based dry sabzis.Also, I love the use of mustard oil in the recipes which gives a unique flavor to the curry and I have posted few dry curries earlier which are very aromatic and have unique flavors,do check out my Ajwaini Aloo Gobi with Mustard flavour,Arbi ki Bhujia | Taro root stir fry with Ajwain,Cauliflower Aromatic stir fry recipes.Today's Alu Baingan sabzi recipe is again a simple one with out onion,tomato or garlic and call for very few spices yet it gives a very aromatic and flavorful sabzi.

Check out other brinjal recipes in my blog:

• Baingan Bhartha | Punjabi style smoked and mashed Eggplant
• Begun Bhaja | Bengali style Brinjal fry
• Brinjal-Soya Chunks Curry
• Brinjal Stir fry-with Curry powder
• Vankaya Kobbari Karam | Stuffed Brinjals with fresh Coconut
• Vankaya Kothimeera Karam | Aromatic Brinjal Curry with Coriander
• Vankaya Ullipaya Karam/Stuffed Brinjal with Onion
• Brinjal Sambar
• Mamidikayi-Vankaya Pappu/Raw Mango-Brinjal Dal
• Kalchina Vankaya Pacchadi | Roasted Brinjal Chutney
• Rava Vangibath
• Vangi Poha | Eggplant Poha
• Vangibath/Eggplant Rice-Karnataka Style

Here is how to make aloo baingan recipe with step by step photos.

Aloo Baingan Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Main Course- Side dish

Ingredients:

12-15 baby Brinjals or long Brinjals

2 medium Potatoes

2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

2 tsp grated Ginger

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1 tsp Amchur powder

3/4 tsp Carom seeds(ajwain)

Salt,to taste

2 tbsp Mustard/regular cooking Oil

Method:

• Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into wedges.Wash brinjals and remove stems and cut into 4 pieces vertically and immerse both the vegetables in water for a while.

• Heat mustard oil until it is smoking hot and switch off the flame,if you are using regular cooking oil skip this step.After a while switch it on and once it is not enough add carom seeds and let them splutter.Add grated ginger and fry for a while.

• Now add drained potato and brinjal wedges and saute them until the oil coats all the pieces,then add turmeric powder,red chili powder and salt and mix well.Let them cook covered until the vegetables are tender and cooked but also they should hold the shape.

• Add amchur powder,cumin powder and garam masala and mix well and cook for another 2-3 mins.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Notes:

1. You can add chopped onions and tomatoes in the recipe and also use ginger-garlic paste instead of ginger paste.
2. Mustard oil imparts a nice flavor to the curry,so do not skip it.If you do not like it use regular oil.
3. You can even use a mix of mustard,cumin,fenugreek,fennel and carom seeds for tempering to make it like achari alu baingan.

Technorati Tags: alu baingan recipe,dry alu baingan sabzi,sookha alu baingan sabzi,north indian side dishes,dry curries for rice,side dish for rotis,side dish for rice,punjabi recipes,easy side dishes

Read More»

Aloo Choliya Recipe | Aloo Hara Chana | Hara Chana Recipes

Winters are here and the markets are full of fresh winter vegetables.Fresh Chickpeas is known as Choliya which is also called as hara chana in hindi and is available abundantly during winters.Though its time consuming to clean and shell the fresh Chickpeas but its really worth for the taste and freshness of these winter vegetables. My mom used to roast these fresh chickpeas in pods with salt until they turn slight black and the skin wilts.It used to be fun to shell out the chickpeas from the hot pods and eat them warm with a gossip session with the family members.

Aloo Choliya is popular in North India and is a must prepare winter delicacy. It can be paired with steamed or hot phulkas, but one needs to adjust the consistency of gravy. I usually prefer a thinner version when it is to be served with rice and a slightly thick and creamy version when served with rotis.The preparation process of Aloo Choliya is very similar to Aloo matar and is a very simple recipe which can be directly prepared in cooker.

I have posted few recipes with Choliya earlier - Choliya Paneer Curry and Choliya Pulao if you are looking out for few more interesting recipes with Choliya. You can even prepare a simple Choliya salad with tomato-onion which tastes delicious in its own way. Utilize this winter season and prepare various varieties with these fresh ingredients.

Check out various Winter recipes in my blog:

• Avarekaalu Benne Usli-Karnataka Style
• Fresh Chickpeas Paneer Gravy
• Hare Chane Ke Pulav | Fresh Chickpeas Pulao
• Sarson Ka Saag/Mustard greens Saag
• Pithikipappu/Mochai Beans Dal

Aloo Choliya | Potato-Fresh Chickpeas Curry Recipe:

Serves 2-3 | Author- Prathibha Garre

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Gravy/Sidedish

Ingredients:

2 Potatoes,diced into cubes

1 cup fresh Chickpeas/Choliya

1 Onion,sliced

2 Tomatoes,chopped

1/2" Ginger

4-5 Garlic cloves

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp Amchur powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt,to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Grind onions ,chopped tomatoes, garlic and ginger to a smooth puree.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and crackle cumin seeds.Add the ground Onion-tomato paste and fry until the masala leaves the oil over the edges.
• Add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and fry a couple of minutes.
• Add fresh chickpeas and potato cubes and fry for 2-3 mins in the masala.
• Add salt, amchur powder,garam masala and few coriander leaves to it and fry for a minute.
• Add 1 cup water to it and pressure cook it for 2 whistles and reduce the flame and cook it for 8-10 mins.
• Once the pressure is down adjust the consistency of gravy- thin or thick.
• Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve the curry hot with Steamed Rice or any Indian flat bread - Roti/Naan/Phulka/Chapathi.

Notes:

• If you want to serve it with rice- slightly prepare a thin gravy and if you want to serve with roti make it bit thick,in that case reduce the water in it.
• You can replace fresh green chickpeas with fresh peas in the recipe and follow the same process for a tasty fresh aloo matar gravy.
• One can even replace the potatoes with paneer in the recipe and make Choliya Paneer gravy.Both tastes nice in the recipe.

Technorati Tags: aloo choliya recipe, choliya recipes, hara chana recipes, aloo hara chana curry, potato fresh chickpeas gravy, fresh chickpeas recipes, sidedish for rotis, north indian recipes, gravy side dish, winter recipes

Read More»

Aloo Gobi Matar Recipe | Easy Side Dishes for Roti

Roti with some vegetable sabzi and dal is a routine for my weekday dinners.I do not plan much for weekday cooking and usually decide based on the availability of vegetables in my refrigerator at that time.Sometimes we would be left with less quantity of various vegetables and the resultant curry would be usually a combination of such vegetables.Few vegetables pair up beautifully and aloo is one such versatile vegetable which pairs nicely with almost everything.Today, I am posting a very simple but classic recipe of Aloo Gobi Matar(Dry) sabzi which is a great combination with rice and rotis.

Aloo Gobi Matar Dry Sabzi Recipe:

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:
2 large Potatoes,peeled and cut into 1" thin pieces
1 small Cauliflower,cut into thin florets
1/2 cup fresh/frozen Green peas
1 big Onion,roughly chopped
2 Tomatoes,finely chopped
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2 tsp fresh Coriander leaves ,chopped

1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp roasted Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Amchur powder or juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Kitchen king masala(optional)
1/4 tsp Kasuri methi,slightly crushed
a pinch of Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:

• Blanch the cauliflower florets and green peas separately in salted hot water for few minutes until they are tender and remove them and keep them aside.Do not over cook them.
• Heat oil in a thick kadai and crackle cumin seeds and add sliced onions and ginger garlic paste and fry for sometime until the onions turn pink in color.
• Add the potatoes and fry them for 2-3 mins and add blanched gobi florets and green peas to it and fry them again for another 2-3 mins.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes to it and mix well.
• Cover it with lid and reduce the flame and cook for 8-10 mins until they are soft and tender.You should take care that they would not become mushy.You can sprinkle some water on top of the vegetables for faster cooking.
• Add all the masala powders,turmeric powder and fry for some time.
• Now add slightly crushed kasuri methi and mix well and cover it and cook for 2-3 mins until all the masalas are incorporated.
• Add finely chopped coriander and remove it from stove.If you are using lemon juice add it now.

Serve it hot with Roti/Chapthi/Rice/Jeera rice.

Notes:

1. You can try various combinations like Aloo Gobi,Gobi Matar,Aloo Matar or plain Aloo,plain Gobi sabzi following the same process.Add the vegetable quantities accordingly.
2. You can skip kasuri methi and kitchen king masala if you do not have.But I prefer to add them as they adds a nice flavor to the curry.

Check out other Dry Vegetable curries with aloo and gobi here.

• Gobi Matar
• Aloo Gobi ~ Dry Version
• Ajwani Aloo Gobi with mustard flavor
• Gobi Sabzi 
• Gobi Kasoori 
• Aloo Jeera
• Pudina Aloo

Read More»

Tandoori Aloo Recipe | Indian Party Appetizers

Baby potatoes frequently appear in my pantry and I have blogged various recipes using them like Baby Potato Biriyani, Pudina Aloo, Aloo Palak, Dum Aloo, Chutney waale Dum Aloo, Baby Potato roast and Jeera Aloo. Baby potatoes make the dish look pretty and hence I replace them where ever I can use them instead of the usual potatoes.

Tandoori Aloo is made with the par boiled baby potatoes marinated in a spicy aromatic yogurt mixture and is grilled in oven until they are crisp.It can be served as a finger food or as an appetizer in parties.I sometime even stuff them in frankie rolls,they taste delicious too.

You can marinate them for long for up to 15 hrs or even upto a day,the more they marinate the better the flavor and taste of Tandoori Aloo.

Tandoori Aloo Recipe:

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

20-22 Baby potatoes

1 1/3 cup Fresh Hung Curd(made with 2 cups fresh Curds)

1 1/2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
2 tbsp Roasted Chana powder (Besan)

1 tbsp Tandoori masala*(ready made)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1 tsp Kasuri Methi

1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Chili powder(gives good color and less spice)

a pinch of green and black Cardamom powder

1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Oil,to bash over potatoes while grilling

1 tsp Chat masala,to sprinkle

Method:

• Wash the baby potatoes and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles.Cool them.
• Peel the potato skins and prick the potatoes with fork to make tiny holes in it.This will help in absorbing better flavors while it is marinating.
• Pour the thick curd in a muslin cloth and place it in a strainer and place it on a vessel to trap the water from it.Keep it refrigerated until its usage,it takes 1-2hrs to get thick hung curd.
• Add ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder,roasted cumin powder,red chili powder,tandoori masala,roasted chana powder,kasuri methi(crush it in your hands before adding),tomato ketchup,garam masala,cardamom powder,salt and oil whisk well until you get a uniform mixture.
• Add boiled,peeled and pricked potatoes and mix well.
• Marinate the potatoes in the yogurt mixture overnight or up to a day.The more you soak the more it will absorb flavors.
• Preheat the oven at 180 degrees(350 F) for 10 minutes.
• Spread a microwave foil over the baking sheet and grease it well with oil and carefully place the potatoes giving some space in between each other.
• Bash or sprinkle some more oil over the potatoes and bake it in preheated oven for 15-20 mins.Keep an eye over the potatoes after 10 minutes.After 10 mins turn them over and bash the potatoes with extra oil and bake them again until they turn golden brown in color.

Sprinkle chat masala over the potatoes and serve them hot.

Serving suggestion:You can serve them over a bed of thinly sliced onions,capsicum,tomatoes with generous squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle chat masala over the top of potatoes.You can serve them as they are or prick them with toothpicks and serve as an appetizer in parties.

*Tandoori masala is easily available in the shops which gives a nice flavor to potatoes.If you do not get it,you can still make these potatoes.Increase the quantity of Garam masala to 1 tsp and also add 1 tsp Coriander powder,1 tsp Red chili powder(spicy variety) and 1 tsp Chat masala to the yogurt mixture and mix well and follow the same recipe.

Notes:

1. Do not pressure cook the potatoes for long,they should be parboiled as they are baked again in the oven.
2. Marinating the potatoes for long will make the potatoes tasty,the more they soak the better they taste.
3. If you want you can add a pinch of red food color to the yogurt mixture.I do not add food colors in my cooking and hence I avoided it.That is the reason I add Kashmiri chili powder and tomato ketchup which gives a better color to potatoes.

Read More»

Spicy Potato Roast | Crispy Aloo(Alu) Fry

I have mentioned many times before that I love baby potatoes and never miss a chance to pick them up during my shopping.You can check out various baby potato recipes like Baby potato biriyani, Dum Aloo chutney waale, Pudina Aloo and other recipes here.I try to use baby potatoes in place of various recipes as I prefer them.I usually make this simple Potato roast for weekend lunch as it is very simple and complements sambar or rasam very well.

Spicy Potato Roast | Crispy Aloo Fry:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

18-20 Baby Potatoes or 4 Big Potatoes

2 tbsp Tamarind pulp

3/4 tsp Red Chili powder or  Garlic chili powder

1 tsp Kurala Podi/Multi purpose curry powder (Optional)

Salt to taste

to temper:
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
2-3 red chillies,broken
a sprig of Curry leaves
2 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Dilute the tamarind pulp with enough water and add cleaned and washed potatoes and salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle.Let the pressure drops and drain the potatoes and let them cool.
• Peel the skins off and keep them aside.If the baby potatoes are big,cut them into 2.If you are using normal potatoes cut each of them into 8 big chunks.
• Heat the kadai and add oil and heat it.
• Add mustard seeds and let them crackle and then add urad dal,red chillies and curry leaves to it.
• Add the boiled and peeled baby potatoes(or the cubes) and fry them in oil on HIGH flame for 2-3 minutes.Keep them stirring in between so that the potatoes are well covered with oil and roast evenly and also take care not to let  them burnt.
• Once you see the brown patches on the potatoes,if you feel the oil is more you can remove the oil from the sides by gently handling the potatoes or otherwise leave it.I try to remove the extra oil at this stage as we do not need more now to fry them.
• Now reduce the flame and let them roast over low flame for approx 8-10 mins.Keep stirring them to avoid them burnt and also make sure you roast them evenly.
• Add salt,red chili powder(or garlic chili powder) and Kurala podi and stir them to coat the potatoes with all the spices.
• Roast for another 2-3 mins on low flame.

Serve them immediately with hot rice or as a side dish for sambar/rasam with rice.

Notes:

1. These kind of roasts/fry will loose their crispiness after a while,so its better to serve immediately.
2. In case you want to serve later you can roast them again in the same pan for 4-5 mins on medium flame to get the crispiness back at the time of serving.
3. You can follow the same process for Arbi and Raw Bananas.
4. I like the addition of Kurala podi in the recipe,if you do not have you can avoid it.

Read More»

ALOO GOBI Recipe- Dry Version

There are many simple recipes that I cook on a regular basis but never make it to my blog.One such recipe is Aloo gobi which I prepare quite frequently . I am posting a very simple version that goes well with rice, pulav, roti or any other flat bread. Now straight to the recipe.

Aloo Gobi Curry -Dry Version Recipe:
(serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
2 cups Cauliflower florets or 1 small Cauliflower
2 medium Potatoes,cut into 1"sticks
1 big Onion,sliced
1 tsp Coriander leaves,chopped
2 Green chillies,finely chopped
1 tsp grated Ginger
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Amchur powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
a pinch of Asafoetida
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Method:

• Cut cauliflower into florets and clean them.Drop them in salted hot water and keep them for a while(approx 10 mins),this process will helps in floating any unseen worms.
• Cut potatoes into thin slices,cut them to match the size of cauliflower florets which helps in even cooking.
• Heat oil in a big heavy bottomed kadai and crackle cumin seeds.Add asafoetida to it and fry for 10 seconds.
• Add finely chopped green chillies and grated ginger and fry well for 30 secs.
• Add thinly sliced onions and fry well until they are translucent.
• Add chopped potatoes and fry well for 3-4 mins by stirring in between.
• Add cauliflower florets to it and mix well.Fry for 2-3 mins and add 2 tsp water and cover it and cook over low-medium flame for 7-8 mins until the vegetables are cooked.Please check in between and also give a stir,if needed add little more water.
• Once the vegetables are cooked increase the flame and let the vegetables roast a bit for 2 mins.
• Add red chili powder,salt,turmeric powder,garam masala,amchur powder and mix well.Cover it and cook for 2-3 mins.

Garnish with coriander and serve it hot with Rice/Roti/Naan.

Variations:

1. You can even add tomato to the recipe.Add 1 finely chopped tomato after the vegetables are added.
2. You can add green peas to the same recipe.
3. You can adapt the same recipe(with or without tomatoes) and make combinations like potato-capsicum,gobi-matar,potato-peas,potato-brinjal.The recipe works well for all these combinations and you can experiment with many other as well.
4. You can skip amchur powder in the above recipe and add juice of 1/2 lemon at the end.
5. You can add Ginger-Garlic paste instead of ginger in the above recipe.
6. You can boil the potatoes and cauliflower florets ahead and while making the recipe skip the cooking part and proceed with the same recipe.

Read More»

Alu fry | Potato fry Recipe

Potatoes might be one of those veggies which are liked by almost everyone.This vegetable is so versatile and one can make the simplest recipes like fry or french fries which tastes divine or even in many other forms like parathas,stew,gravies,curries,fillings and snacks.Today's post is a very simple yet tasty recipe which does not require any kitchen skills.Just chop the veggie,toss in oil and sprinkle spices and the fry is ready.It takes time to cook but one need not to give constant attention if you maintain the low flame.Now off to the recipe directly.

Potato Fry | Alu fry Recipe:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
3 large Potatoes
2-3 garlic pods(optional)
3/4 tsp Red chili powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Peel and dice the potatoes into very small cubes.Drop them in water.
• Heat oil in a wide pan or kadai add diced potatoes and slightly crushed garlic pods and fry well until they are crisp.
• Once it is crisp and golden color,add required amount of salt and red chili powder to it and mix well.

Serve it hot with rice,rasam and papad.

Notes:

• The additional of garlic pods is entirely optional,slightly crush them while adding.It gives a nice flavor to fry.

Variations:

• You can follow the same process for vegetables ladies finger, brinjal, tindora (dondakaya). You need to fry them according to the respective time required by them.

Read More»

Jeera Aloo | Alu Jeera | Cumin Potatoes

You all know by now that how much I love these baby potatoes as I have already posted many recipes with it and I would like to use them where ever they can be easily replaced with the regular potatoes.Aloo jeera is generally prepared with cubes of alu but I feel that these baby potatoes add a pretty look to the dish.I tasted this for the first time from a colleague's lunch box,she had brought parathas with jeera alu and some North Indian achaar.I still remember how every one attacked her lunch box for a bite of this delicious potato and pickle with paratha.I fell in love instantly with the extremely flavorful jeera alu and I immediately took the recipe from her.The freshly roasted and ground masala does the trick and always keep the spices minimal to get the actual taste of the dish.This is a very dry dish and is ideal for traveling as well.Try this simple but extremely flavorful cumin potatoes and I am sure even you will fall in love with them like I did.

Jeera Alu Recipe:
(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
15-18 Baby potatoes or 4 normal Potatoes
1 tsp Red chili powder
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Amchur powder
1 tbsp Coriander leaves
1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

for tadka:
2 Green chillies,finely chopped
1 tsp Cumin seeds
a pinch of Hing
1 tbsp Oil
Method:

• Pressure cook baby potatoes for 1 whistle and simmer for 5 mins and switch off the flame.After the pressure drops,drain and cool the potatoes and peel the skins off.Prick the potatoes once or twice using a fork.If using regular potatoes,peel the skins off and cut into 1" cubes.
  
• Dry roast cumin seeds and coriander seeds until dark brown and then pound them in a mortar and pestle to a coarse powder.Take care not to burn those spices otherwise it will spoil the taste of it.
  
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add pricked boiled potatoes and shallow fry them on low-medium flame for 7-8 mins until you get to see the brown patches and they become crisp.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add hing and crackle cumin seeds and then add finely chopped green chillies and fry well until they are crisp.
• Add freshly ground coriander-cumin powder,amchur powder,red chili powder to the oil and add crispy fried baby potatoes and add enough salt and mix them well and let them roast on medium to high flame for another 3-4 mins.
• Add chopped coriander and mix well.

Serve them with parathas and North Indian achaar or with rotis or pulavs as a side dish.
Serve them hot as they are crispy when hot.Even when served at room temperature they tastes very nice and flavorful.
Notes:

1. This can be carried for journeys along with rotis,just avoid coriander leaves in the recipe.
2. Pricking the baby potatoes helps in not bursting and also it absorbs the masalas.
3. Always use freshly ground masala to this,it really gives a nice flavor to potatoes.
4. You can even add 1/2 tsp lemon juice to it for extra tangy punch.

Read More»

Aloo Stuffed Chilli Peppers | Bharwa Mirch

I have already posted a variety of stuffed mirch with ground nuts stuffing which is typically Andhra style,today I am posting the North Indian version of stuffed mirch.Generally in North India the stuffing would be either with besan with few spices or the traditional alu stuffing.In fact these alu stuffed peppers(before shallow frying) can be used as a base instead of plain chillies to make the famous mirch bajji which turns out extra delicious.When I posted my earlier version many of you thought that these would be spicy,the truth is they are not at all spicy and even a small kid can eat them as the process I used took care of removing the spiciness from the chillies.Don't you think a bite into a stuffed mirch along with your meal makes the meal really more exotic and delicious?If so please proceed with the recipe and enjoy making them.
Ingredients:
8-10 long thick light Green chillies/Poblano peppers(bajji variety with less spice)
4 Potatoes,boiled and peeled
2 tbsp besan
1 Onion,finely chopped
2-3 tbsp chopped Coriander
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Amchur powder
1 tsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Saunf
1 tsp Jeera
1/2 tsp Ajwain
a pinch of hing
Oil to shallow fry
Salt to taste
Method:

• Wash and slit the green chillies and remove the veins and seeds of it.
• Bring water to a boil with some salt and add the green chillies and blanch for a minute and drain them.I really can't judge the spiciness of chillies even though they are light green in variety,some times they turn out very spicy for me.So I do blanch my green chillies to reduce the heat from chillies,if you like spicy food you can avoid this step.This process not only reduces the heat it also helps in consuming less oil while shallow frying.
• Boil the potatoes,peel them and grate them and keep it aside.
• Dry roast saunf in a pan and pound it in a mortar pestle to get a coarse powder.
• Dry roast besan until the raw smell goes away and gives its aroma and cool it completely.
• Heat a tsp of oil in a non-stick pan and add onions and slightly saute it for about a minute and remove them aside,no need to fry it completely.You can even avoid this step but I recommend this.
• Mix the fried onion to the grated alu and then add roasted besan,salt,red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, saunf powder, amchur powder,chopped coriander and lemon juice and mix well.
• Fill the chillies with this mixture tightly,it really takes lot of stuffing inside.Wet your hands and press on top of the stuffed mixture,you can even sprinkle few drops of oil on the top of the stuffing in the mirch.This helps in holding the mixture tight without spilling it when frying/roasting it.
• Heat the oil in a tawa and crackle jeera and ajwain and add a pinch of hing.Place these stuffed chillies with the stuffing facing down(always shallow fry the stuffed side first).Let it roast on low flame until it is fried,it takes 6-8 mins approximately,close it with lid while roasting.Now turn and roast on the other side for 3-4 mins.

Serve it hot/warm with hot rice and ghee or roti as side dish.You can even serve it as a snack.

Read More»