DAL PALAK

This dal palak tastes great with rice or hot rotis, a flavourful North Indian cuisine with wonderful combination of lentil, spinach, garlic and ghee. I like to include greens in my regular diet. This is a very comfort food and I love to prepare this in specially winter days. Try it, easy to make but finger licking delicious dal recipe, I would say.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Split Green Gram Lentil (Mung dal)
2 Cup Baby Spinach
2 Bay Leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 medium sized Tomato (chopped)
1/2 tsp minced Garlic
1/2 tsp minced Ginger
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1 tbsp lowfat Sour Cream
1 tsp oil
3 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add spinach and green chillies in it. Saute for 3 minutes.

Grind spinach and green chillies with 2 tbsps water to make a smooth paste. Set aside.

Wash split green gram lentil nicely and pressure cook it till 3 whistles. Let is cool naturally. Keep aside.

Heat clarified butter in a pan. Add bay leaves and cumin seeds, when cumin seed crackles, add asafoetida in it. Add minced garlic and ginger in it. Saute for 30 seconds. Now add chopped onion, fry till onion turns golden.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder in it. Saute for another 2 minutes. Now add Tomatoes and salt in it.

Fry till tomatoes get mushy, now add spinach paste in it. Mix nicely for another 2 minutes.

 

 

Now add boiled lentil in it and mix thoroughly. Mash the lentils with the tip of spatula. Add little water if needed. Cover and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.

Now add sour cream in it. Again fold nicely. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with steamed rice or hot rotis or naan or parathas.

TIPS: Do not over cook the dal and dal should not be mushy as the spinach tends to
          discolour quickly.

Linking to: Favorite Recipes: Vegetarian Recipes

PUNJABI STYLE ALOO PARATHA

It is a popular North Indian breakfast recipe or you may say stuffed parathas - a very popular and staple breakfast recipe in Punjabi community.  But it's become equally popular in all over India and overseas. It is stuffed with a spicy filling of  boiled potato, you can make this mixture according to your taste and choice, a great meal loved by all - delicious pack for lunch box.

INGREDIENTS:
(for 3 parathas)
1 Medium Potato (parboiled)
1 1/2 Cup Whole-Wheat Flour (atta)
1 tbsp finely chopped Onion
1 tsp finely chopped Green chillies
1/3 tsp very finely grated Ginger
1/3 tsp Dry Mango powder (amchur)
1 tbsps finely chopped fresh Coriander Leaves (cilantro)
1/4 tsp Red Chilli powder (as per taste)
A pinch of Garam masala
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
3 tbsps + 2 tbsps Oil
1/2 tsp Butter for garnishing
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Combine whole-wheat flour, 2 tbsps oil and little salt in a flat bowl.

Mix water and flour. Knead it to make a soft dough.

Cover the dough with a wet cloth and leave it for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, mash the potato with onion, green chilli, ginger, dry mango powder, coriander leaves, red chilli powder, garam masala, roasted cumin powder and salt. Potato should be mash very well, should not be any lump in potato mixture. Mix thoroughly and keep aside.

Now divide the dough into 3 small balls. Take a ball, roll it out in a small circle. Smear a little oil in the center and put little potato filling in the center of the rolled out dough.

Draw the edges towards the center as shown in picture below.

Seal the edges tightly. Now by applying pressure with fingers, press the edges down and dust it with little flour.

Gently roll the stuffed dough with a rolling pin, make sure that the parathas don't break, flatten to the size of a roti. Now put the aloo paratha on a hot griddle or flat frying pan.

When golden brown patches appear on the side, just turn on the reverse side of the paratha. Sprinkle with little oil (or may use ghee too). Flip again, and sprinkle little oil on the other side also. Stack all the parathas in the roti busket or cassarole.

Serve aloo paratha hot with butter or curd or any spicy pickle.

Sending to: 'Only' Healthy Lunch Box Ideas @ Foodelicious

Linking to: Favorite Recipes: Vegetarian Recipes

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.