JEERA RICE

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup long grained Rice (Basmati rice)
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 1/2 tbsps Caraway seeds (Shah-jeera)
2 tbsps chopped Coriander leaves
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsps Clarified butter (Ghee)
2 Green cardamoms
1" Cinnamon
2 Cloves
4 black peppercorns

METHOD:
Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the sliced onions and mix well. Heat oil in a wok. Add 1 tbsp of clarified butter. Fry onion slices on medium heat till they are golden brown. Drain on paper towel and keep aside for the garnish.

Put 2 cups of water to boil on medium heat.

Heat a flat frying pan by adding the remaining clarified butter. Add green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and caraway seeds. When the seeds start crackling, add chopped coriander leaves. It will give a nice aroma. Now add the rice in it and stirring for 5-6 minutes.

Add hot water and salt. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Now cover the lid and simmer the flame. Please dont keep opening the lid from time to time. It will be perfect in 15 minutes.

Now uncover it and place on the serving bowl by garnishing with fried onions.

Serve hot with any spicy curry or raita.

TIPS: You may use cumin seeds instead of caraway seeds.
          If you want to avoid onions, rice will be looking very nice white colour.

Linking to: Spotlight: Rice/Rotis @ Cuisine Delights & Recipe Junction

PALANG SHAKER GHONTO / SPINACH VEGETABLES MEDLEY

INGREDIENTS:
2 bunches of Spinach
2 Potatoes
1 Red Radish
1 medium sized Eggplant
1 Tomato
1 Bay leaf
2 flakes of Garlic (optional)
1 tsp Panch Phoron (A combination of cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, onion seeds and carom seeds)
1 1/2 tbsps Ginger paste
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp of dry roasted Cumin seeds (powdered)
2 Green Chillies (chopped finely)
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp Mustard oil
1 tsp Clarified butter (ghee)
A pinch of Garam masala
Fried Bori (optional)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash spinach thoroughly and chop. Now cut potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes into dices.
Cut radish into 1" long thin slices.

Heat mustard oil in wok. Add panch phoron, bay leaf and crushed garlic. Saute for 30 seconds. Add potatoes and radish, fry a little and cover the lid for 3 minutes. Stir occasionally till potatoes get half cook. Now add eggplant, cover the lid and fry for a little.

Add ginger paste, coriander powder, cumin powder and chopped green chillies. After frying for a minute add tomatoes in it. Cook till all spices leaves oil. Add spinach,  fried bori, salt and sugar now. Cook 15-20 minutes over medium flame.

Now add roasted cumin powder, garam masala and clarified butter in it. Mix well.

It is now ready to serve with steamed rice.

TIPS: My mom didn't put fried bori with the vegetables. She roughly crushed fried bori and sprinkled on the top of Ghonto.

BEGUN BHAJA / FRIED EGGPLANT

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium sized eggplant (Brinjal)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsps Corn flour
2 tbsps Lemon juice
2 pinches of Sugar
1/2 cup  Mustard Oil 
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Chop eggplant in thick rounds/half rounds or cut vertically. Wash and pat dry.

Marinate the pieces of eggplant with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, corn flour, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Apply this marinade on the both sides of all eggplant slices. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Heat mustard oil to smoking. Slide gently the eggplant slices into hot oil and fry till crunchy and Golden brown on low heat.

Take out from oil and drain on a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

Serve hot with daal and rice.

TIPS: As we marinated with little corn flour, so eggplant will be crunchy and not absorb much oil at the time of frying.

VEGETABLE CHEESE OMELETTE & PICKLE CREAM

INGREDIENTS:
2 Eggs
1 tsp chopped Tomato
1 tsp chopped Green Bell Pepper
1 tsp chopped Red Bell Pepper
2 tsps finely chopped Onion
1 tsp grated Carrot
1 Green chilli (finely chopped)
1 tsp finely chopped Cilantro
1 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsps Cheddar cheese
A pinch of black pepper powder
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Beat eggs, milk, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, onions, cilantro, salt, black pepper powder and green chilli in a bowl. Beat till it foamed.

Heat oil in a non-stick fry pan and pour the mixture. Simmer till it firmed. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on the top.

After a minute, fold the omelette and give it a semi circular shape. Press from the both side.

Now your omelette is ready, cut it by pizza cutter by 3-4 pieces and serve with pickle cream.


FOR PICKLE CREAM DIP
Take 1 tsp of any mixed pickle puree and 1 tbsp of yoghurt. Blend together smoothly. Pour in a small bowl and serve with omelette.

METHI GOBI ALOO HODGEPODGE

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium sized Potatoes (parboiled)
1 medium sized Cauliflower (taken florets only)
2 bunches of Fenugreek/methi Leaves (chopped)
1/4 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Garlic pods (crushed)
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Green Chilli paste
1 tsp Dry Mango powder
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Salt
Oil as required

METHOD:

Cut the potatoes lengthwise into thick pieces. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok, shallow fry the potato pieces. Keep aside.

In the same wok again heat 3 tbsps of oil. Add the cauliflower florets, cover the lid and stir occasionally. Fry for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Then keep aside the fried florets.

Again, heat 2 tbsps of oil in same wok. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida. When seeds start spluttering, add crushed garlic pods, ginger paste and green chilli paste in it. Stir for a minute.

Now add fenugreek leaves and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, till it gets brown texture. At this point add fried cauliflower and potato pieces. Saute properly. Now add dry mango powder, lemon juice and salt. Mix well and switch off the oven.

Serve hot with rotis or parathas.

SPINACH RAITA / SPINACH YOGHURT SALAD

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of Spinach leaves
2 cups of yoghurt (thick)
1 green chilli (finely chopped)
1 dry red chilli
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 pinches of chat masala
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste.

METHOD:
Boil spinach leaves for 2-3 minutes and dont cover the lid at this time. Drain all the water. Squeeze out all the water from spinach leaves also and chop finely.

Roast dry red chilli and cumin seeds. Grind roughly and keep aside.

Take yoghurt, green chilli, sugar, salt with 1/2 cup of water in a large bowl. Blend it nicely.

Now add chopped spinach, roasted cumin-red chilli powder with the blended mixture and mix well. Sprinkle chaat masala at the top.

Serve cold with rotis, parathas or any kind of rice dishes.

FULKOPIR MALAI CURRY

INGREDIENTS:
1 large Cauliflower (taken florets only)
3 Green Cardamoms
2" long Cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1 bay leaf (Optional)
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 cup of Coconut milk
3/4 cup yoghurt (beaten)
1/2 cup Onion paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
2-3 green chillies (finely chopped)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup Oil
1 tbsp Clarified butter (ghee)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Roughly crush cardamoms, cinnamons and cloves.

Heat oil in a wok. Fry the florets of cauliflower till light brown. Keep aside.

In the remaining oil, add cumin seeds, crushed cardamom-cinnamon-cloves and bay leaf. Saute for 30-40 seconds. Then add onion and ginger paste in it. Stirring till it leaves oil.

Add beaten yoghurt, red chilli powder and fried cauliflower pieces. Mix well. Cover with lid and stir occationally cook for 2-3 minutes.

Now add coconut milk, green chillies, sugar and salt. Stir well for mixing. Cover with lid till cauliflower get almost cooked.

Remove from heat and add clarified butter, again mix well.

Serve hot with steamed rice or pulao.