BEET GREENS MEDLEY

My husband purchaged beet roots from the grocery with lots of fresh beet greens. Generally, those beet greens go straight way from grocery bag to trash bag, but I thought not to waste, would love to make by it something new with traditional Bengali touch. I punch it other few vegetables and it gave an absolutely delicious side dish. Try and enjoy this simple but delectable beet greens medley.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb or 250 gm Beet Greens
1 Medium Eggplant
2 Medium Potato
1 White Radish
1 tsp Panch Phoron (combination of carom, fennel, fenugreek, nigella and cumin seeds)
2 Dry Red Chillies
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Sugar (as per taste)
4 tbsps Mustard Oil (you may use any oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash beet greens thoroughly and now chop it.

Cut eggplant and potato in medium sized cubes. Cut raddish in 1" thin slices.

Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaves, panch phoron, dry red chilli and asafoetida in it. Saute for 30-40 seconds. Add vegetables in it. Fold nicely and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add ginger paste, turmeric powder and salt in it. Mix well. Cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes on medium heat.

Now add beet green in it. Mix nicely. Again cook for another 8-10 minutes on medium low heat. Keep stirring occasionally. Let the water evaporates from it completely. Switch off the heat.

Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.

Linking to: Favorite Recipes: Vegetarian Recipes

 

MYSORE PAK (SNC EVENT)

Hi Friends,

I am a part of very interesting contest 'South vs North Challenge' organised by Divya Pramil of You too can cook Indian food.

Mysore pak is a traditional and popular sweet of Karnataka. Actually people make it on Deepawali or any festive time. Very few ingredients are used in it, but little tricky. I was scared to make it, because I made this first time here. But now I fallen love on it as tastes absolutely divine.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Gram Flour
3/4 Cup Ghee
1/4 Cup Oil
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water

FOR GARNISH: 2 tbsps coarsely pounded Pistachios.

METHOD:
Grease a tray with little ghee and set it aside.

Mix oil and besan nicely.

Boil sugar and water in a pan, to get the required consistency of syrup. (The required consistency means, when you drop syrup in a bowl water, it should stand without getting dissolved)

Add the besan mixture to the syrup. Keep stirring.

Add ghee little by little and keep stirring continuously till the mixture changes in texture, colour and starts leaving the edges. The mixture not be sticky anymore. Pour the mixture into the greased tray.

Garnish with coarsely pistachios on the top.

Grease a knife with little ghee. Slice it to desired shapes by knife while it is still warm.

Enjoy this mouthwatering Mysore Pak!!!

Linking this recipe to: Divya, our Southern team. 

 

CHICKEN STEW - BENGALI STYLE

Here chicken and vegetables cooked over medium low heat, using very less oil and spices. Actually, this recipe foot-stepped into Bengali kitchen since British era. The Bengali style of chicken stew is only a local version, that is widely spread throughout Europe. I used vegetables, which were available in my pantry, may add additionally green beans, long beans, papaya and green peas also. It is favorite to kids too. For grown ups, add little more Indian green chillies for a spicy kick. Thinking of having less spicy food, after having spicy food for long time, for a change. The taste of this chicken stew cooked with vegetables just gives this curry a unique flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
24 OZ / 750 gm Chicken
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt (sour curd)
1 Large Red Onion
2 Carrots
1 Green Bell Pepper
2 Potatoes
5-6 small Leeks
3 Bay Leaves
8-10 Peppercorns
3 Pods Cardamoms
2 Cloves
1" Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
5-6 Pods Garlic (minced)
1" Ginger (minced)
2-3 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1 1/2 tbsps Lemon Juice
2 tbsps Chopped Cilantro (coriander leaves)
2 tbsps Olive Oil
1 tbsp Butter
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash the chicken pieces nicely. Marinate chicken with yogurt. Keep aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Cut onion in cubes, carrot in 2" long slices, potato and bell pepper in slices.

Heat olive oil and butter in a wok. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon. Saute for 40-50 seconds, till a nice aroma comes out.

Add cumin seeds, saute for another few seconds followed by adding onion in it. Fry till onion gets translucent. Add minced ginger and garlic in it. Saute till onion turns golden.

At this point add potatoes, carrots, coriander powder and turmeric powder in it. Saute for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.

Now add chicken, green chillies and bell pepper in it. Fold nicely. Cover and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Stir occassionally.

Add 1&1/2 cup warm water, salt and leeks in it. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes, stir occasionally on medium heat.

Add cilantro and lemon juice in it. remove from heat.

Serve hot with bread toast, roti or simple with steamed rice. 

MY FIRST GUEST POST

Hi Friends,

Yes, so finally I got this opportunity of doing my first guest post. The main thing is, it is one of my favourite vegetarian blog, Random ramblings :) of Meena Bhatia, my very close friend. Everything is so well explained in her blog. I often go back to her space for tips and tricks.

Meena is now conducting an event “BE MY GUEST CHEF” . I got that opportunity to be her
First Guest Chef.

The recipes I shared there, is a simple but flavorful vegetarian recipe, 'Sweet and Sour Pumpkin'. Which quite satistisfies our tastebuds, an exceptionally delicious vegetarian dish.

Here I am sharing my certificate of  first guest post, given by Meena. Thank you so much Meena for giving me such opportunity. I am really honoured by you dear today.

So, friends please visit my first guest post and leave your comments on 'Here'.

MUSHROOM FRY

Few years before mushrooms vegetables were not that much popular in all parts of India, but now it is becoming very famous. It is a good source of potassium and trace element, a good anti-oxidant. This mushroom fry is really very easy and tasty meal. If you like little spicy food, it is the perfect one. Goes perfectly well with any rice dish as well as rotis or parathas.

Recipe source & acknowledgement: www.vahrehvah.com

INGREDIENTS:
8 OZ / 227 gm Mushroom
1 Medium Onion (finely chopped)
3-4 pods of Garlic
4-5 Peppercorns
2 Medium Tomatoes (chopped)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Bay Leaves
2 pods Cardamoms
2 pods Cloves
1/2" Cinnamon
2 Green Chillies (chopped)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder - optional (or according to taste)
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsps Oil
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash and cut mushroom in slices.

Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaves, cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon. Saute for 20-30 seconds, followed by adding 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in it. After few seconds, add chopped onion in it.

Add little salt and turmeric powder in it. Saute for 2-3 minutes till onion gets translucent. Now add ginger garlic paste and chopped green chillies in it.

Fry for another 2-3 minutes and add chopped tomatoes in it.

Fry till tomato gets cooked. At this time, add mushroom in it. Fold well.

Add  3/4 cup water in it. Cook covered for 2-3 minutes.

Then cook it uncovered for another 7-8 minutes uncovered, so that maximum water gets evaporates. Remove from heat, set aside.

Crush garlic cloves, peppercorns and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in pestle and mortar. Heat butter in a separate pan.

Add crushed garlic-peppercorns-cumin mixture in it. Saute for 1 minutes, till nice aroma comes out.

Add cumin powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder in it.

Now pour the cooked mushroom in it. Mix well.

Keep stirring till water evaporates from it completely. Add chopped cilantro and fold nicely. Remove from heat. 

Serve hot with rotis, parathas or rice.

Enjoy!!!