STIR FRIED CARROTS

Today I am going to share with you a healthy yummy very easy to make 'stir fried carrots'. No garlic or onion is used here. This colourful and delicious side dish I saw in my lovely friend Meena Bhatia's space, Homely Food. Though I made some modifications, but trust me, it is a very flavourful stir fry by using very less oil.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Large Thick Carrots (washed & peeled)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 Dried Red Chilli
1 tbsp Gram Flour (besan)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
8 Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 tsp Sugar (optional)
2 tsps Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Cut carrots into 1" long slices (like almost the size of french fries). Keep it aside.

Dry roast cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dried red chilli for 2 minutes. Pound coarsely and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or pan. Put mustard seed, stir till it splutters. Add curry leaves in it.

Now add carrots and stir well for 2-3 minutes.

Mix turmeric powder and salt in it. Fold well.

Lower the heat, cover and cook for 7-8 minutes, (stir in between twice) till carrots are tender.

Add pounded spices and sugar in it. Keep stirring for a minute, so that sugar and spices are incorporated well with the carrots.

Add gram flour in it. Keep mixing for another 2 minutes on medium heat.

Sprinkle coriander leaves and lemon juice on it. Fold well and remove from heat.

Serve hot with rotis or parathas.

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway

Sending to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Sending to: JCO's Gain Popularity event

MANGO LASSI

'Lassi' is a popular yogurt based very refreshing drinks for hot Summer days, originated in Punjab and purely non-alcoholic beverage. Actually, this drink is a cross between smoothie and milk shake and is very creamy, smooth and tastes heavenly. Adding mango pulp in lassi is called as Mango Lassi. 

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Mango Pulp
1 Cup Greek Yogurt (thick)
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
1/4 tsp Ground Roasted Cumin Powder
1/4 tsp Black Salt
1 tbsp Sugar (optional)
5-6 Ice cubes
3-4 Strands of Saffron (crushed)

METHOD:
Blend mango pulp, greek yogurt, cardamom powder, black salt, ground roasted cumin powder, sugar, saffron and 2-3 ice cubes for 2-3 minutes.

Now pour in serving glass. Garnish with 2-3 ice cubes and a thin layer of mango pulp. Serve immediately.

Linking to: Show you style series -Mango by Viji

Linking to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Linking to: JCO's Gain Popularity event

PEAS SPINACH RICE (MATAR PALAK RICE)

This is a simple but wonderful and healthy rice, very unusual combination prepared within minutes. I tried out this recipe from my lovely friend Meena Bhatia's space, Homely Food. I made little bit changes according to my taste buds. This rice dish is an one pot meal - cinnamon, cardamom, mace and caraway seeds added an extra flavour to it. Let me show you, how I made this delicious rice dish...

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Kalo Jeera Rice (you may use any fragrant rice)
2 Cups Chopped Spinach (washed)
3/4 Cup Green Peas (frozen)
3/4 tsp Caraway Seeds / sha-jeera (may use cumin seeds instead of that)
2 strands of Mace
3 Pods Cardamom
1" Cinnamon
3 Cloves
5-6 Black Peppercorns
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Green Chilli (chopped)
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves (cilantro)

METHOD:
Boil rice with salt, till it is 80% done. Drain off the excess water and set aside.

In a pan or wok, heat clarified butter with oil. Add caraway seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and black peppercorns.

Let it crackles, add green chillies and chopped spinach in it. Stir it for 1-2 minutes.

Add peas, turmeric powder, little salt (mind it the rice already has salt) and lemon juice in it again mix lightly.

Mix cooked rice gently now. Take care not to mash the rice or break it. Add chopped coriander leaves on the top. Peas palak pulao is ready to serve with cucumber raita.

It is very healthy and comfortable pulao as I used very mild and minimum spices in it. You can adjust the spice level if you wish.

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway

Sending to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Sending to: JCO's Gain Popularity event

SEV TAMETA NU SHAAK (SEV TOMATO GRAVY DISH)

This is a super quick yet healthy tangy sweet Gujarati delicacy prepared by sev and tomato. Few people use methi gathiya instead of sev. This dish is very popular in every Gujarati household. Simple ingredients, fast to cook and tastes amazing.......

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

INGREDIENTS:
4 Medium Tomatoes (cut in medium cubes)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
6-7 Curry Leaves
1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
2 Finely Chopped Green Chillies (according to taste)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp Coriander Powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tsp Sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves (kasuri methi)
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 cup sev
1/2 cup Water
Salt To Taste
1 tbsp Oil

METHOD:

Heat oil in a wok/pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafoetida in it. Stir till they splutter. Now add chopped onion and curry leaves in it.

Stir till it turns pinkish. Add ginger garlic paste now. Fry for a minute or two, till raw smell goes.

Add coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Keep stirring for a minute.

Add chopped tomatoes, green chillies, sugar and salt in it. 

Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Now add 1/2 cup water in it. Cook with lid covered for 8-10 minutes on medium heat, once done like a gravy.

Rub dried fenugreek leaves within your two palms and sprinkle on the gravy. Add lemon juice and turn off the heat now.

Sprinkle some coriander leaves on top.

While serve, add sev on the top and few coriander leaves for garnishing. Serve hot with rotis, theplas or parathas for a delicious meal.

NOTE: Tomato curry can be cooked earlier, but the sev must be added just before serving, so that it remains crunchy or crispy.

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway

Sending to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Sending to: JCO's Gain Popularity event

SWEET MANGO PICKLE (AAM KA MITHA ACHAR)

Firm and unripe mangoes are choosen for this pickle. This is an easy to make mango pickle, generally made in every Bengali household, where 'paanch phoron' is used. The mango flesh is cooked easilly within the jaggery and sugar syrup and the pickle is thickens a bit. Mango absorbs all the flavors of the spices, very luscious and yummy. You can store it in refrigerator it should last for 1 year. 

INGREDIENTS:
250 gm Raw Mango 
150 gm Jaggery
100 gm Sugar
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/3 tsp Cumin Seeds (jeera)
1/3 tsp Fennel Seeds (saunf)
1/3 tsp Fenugreek Seeds (methi)
1/3 tsp Nigella Seeds (kalonji)
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds (rai)
3 Whole Dried Red Chillies
1 tbsp Oil (preferably mustard oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Firstly, wash and wipe dry the raw mangoes. Cut mangoes in slices, discard the seeds.

Dry roast cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds and 3 whole dried red chillies for 2 minutes on medium heat. Let it cool a little. Pound coarsely and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add asafoetida in it. Saute for few seconds, add mangoes and turmeric powder. Saute for another 3 minutes on medium heat. Add jaggery and sugar directly, lower the heat now. 

Now jaggery and sugar melt. Add salt in it and let mangoes cook in the syrup for 5 mins on lower heat. When the density of the gravy will be thicker, remove the pan from heat. Sprinkle coarsely pounded spices on it. Fold well. Your luscious mango pickle is ready now.

Store the mango pickle in a clean or sterilised jar. Keep in a cool dark place or refrigerator. Enjoy!

Linking to: Show you style series -Mango by Viji .

Linking to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Linking to: JCO's Gain Popularity event