Punjabi Kala Chana Masala - Chola/sookha chana/Black Chick Pea gravy

Chickpeas, also known as Garbanzo beans, Indian peas or Kabuli chana, are the brown coloured beans of a legume plant. These are green when raw and turn brown when dried. These are nutritious and rich in protein that makes the diet healthy. And the Black chickpeas or kala chana or Bengal gram or cholar dal(in bengali) are darker seeds and has smaller seeds and a rough coat. White chickpeas are lighter coloured, has larger seeds and a smoother coat.
Nutritional Value of Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram) :
Chickpeas are high in protein and one of the earliest cultivated vegetables. Chickpeas are rich inPotassium, Phosphorus, magnesium and Calcium. It also has good amount of Iron, Sodium, selenium and small amount of Copper, Zinc and Manganese. Chickpeas are rich in choline with good amount of Vitamin A and C. It also has small amount of Vitamin E, K, B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid.
Black chickpeas have a higher fiber content than Kabuli chana/white chickpeas and hence a very low Glycemic Index(GI) which may make them suitable for people with blood sugar problems.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas: 

Chickpeas make nutritious and healthy diet. It reduces cholesterol, prevents constipation and helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. Daily consumption of Chickpeas reduces risk of coronary heart disease and iron deficiency; helps stabilize the blood sugar levels.
So, include these members of legume family in your diet as much as possible to have a healthy diet.

Punjabi Kala Chana masala/Black Chickpea gravy

This recipe of kala chana is from Punjabi cuisine, is very tasty and flavourful, try it out.......................

Ingredients :

Kala chana/ black chickpeas/Chola : 1 cup
Boiled Potatoes : 2 (medium)

Onion : 2 (medium-chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste : 2 tblsp.
Tomato : 1 (big-chopped)
Tomato paste/puree : 2 tblsp.
Green Chilli : 1 or 2(chopped)
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2-3 tsp.
Coriander powder : 2 tsp.
Punjabi Chole Masala : 2 tsp.(I used Sanjeev Kapoor's Chloe masala; it was great)
Garam masasla powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste 
Oil : 2-3 tblsp.
Whole garam masala  : 2-3 of each(cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves) 
Chat masala/dry mango(amchur) powder : 1 tblsp.

Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing



Method :

• Soak chick peas over night if possible or for 3-4 hours in hot water. Black chick peas soaks faster than white chick peas/ kabuli chana. Then pressure cook the dal until done about 20 minutes. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Boil potatoes until tender and cut into small pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan, add whole garam masala, wait for a minute , then add finely chopped onions and green chillies. Fry for a while, when onions turn slightly brown, add ginger-garlic paste. Stir to mix together. Add finely chopped tomatoes in it. Stir until tomatoes get soft ad pulpy.
• When tomatoes are soft, add all powdered spices with 1/4 cup water to cook the spices well. Stir fry the masalas until oil seperates, then add tomato puree/ paste into it. Stir again until it mixes well with the masala paste. Now add boiled chickpeas and potatoes. 
• Stir for a while, then add reserved water from boiled chickpeas and if needed add little more water, total about 1 and 1/2 cup of water. Season with salt. In medium heat, let it cook for about 6-7 minutes or until you get desired consistency of gravy, not too thin, not too thick kind. I like some gravy to enjoy with roti, paratha. 
• When the gravy is right, remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves. Sprinkle some chat masala or dry mango powder/amchur powder over it and enjoy...................
  

Goes well with puri, roti/chapati or paratha, naan, any kind of Indian bread..............

Sending this to MLLA 19, hosted by EC of SImple Indian Food, event is the brainchild of Susan of The Well-seasoned Cook...

Bengali Winter Vegetable Medley

Chilly winter is in season now almost allover the world (not in my place, though..we're enjoying cool poolbath). So my today's post is on winter vegetables. Beets, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, Spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, fresh green peas are some of the vegetables available during Winter in India. Like, Roots and tubers, often considered as mere carbohydrate filters, are also vitamin-rich. One medium-sized potato can supply up to a third or more of the body's daily requirement of vitamin C, as well as some of the B vitamins. Sweet potatoes are similarly nourishing, and provide the body with vitamin A. Carrots are another source of vitamin A. Green leaves - whether from cabbage or such leaf vegetables as spinach - are rich sources of vitamins A and C. Vitamin A is essential for eyes and skin, while vitamin C is necessary to maintain a healthy connective tissue, Calcium, very important for the bone structure of growing children, and iron, necessary for healthy blood, are also provided by these plants. Other green vegetables, such as broccoli, peas and kale, also include some of the B vitamins, a large group needed by the body to extract energy from carbohydrates. The nutrients that vegetables contain are invaluable, so have your 5 a day.
I'm posting a Bengali Winter Vegetables Medley today....very easy and simpliest recipe without much spices, but absolutely delicious..in this recipe you'll see the simplicity of Bengali Cuisine.

Ingredients:

Beet root : 1
Carrots : 1 or 2
Cauliflower : few florets
Potato : 1 or 2
Green Peas : 1/3 cup
Dry red chilli : 1 (break into 2)
black cumin seeds/kala jeera/kalonji : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2-3 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing(only available during winter in India)

Method :

• Cut carrot, beet and potato in medium cube like pieces. Cut each cauliflower florets into 2 or 4 pieces. 
• In a pressure cooker, cook beet, carrot and potato until tender for 1 or 2 whistle.
• In a pan, heat 2 tblsp. oil, fry cauliflower florets a little until light brown and keep aside. In the same oil (add oil if needed), temper with dry red chillies and black cumin seeds. Wait for a while, when chillies change colour and seeds crackle, add boiled vegetables, fried cauliflower and green peas. Add salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Add a little water and mix spices well with the vegetables. Add sugar and stir fry together for 2-3 minutes in medium flame. 
• Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

This medley is going to take part in  
Monthly Mingle: Winter Fruits and Vegetables , hosted by Sudeshna of Cook Like A Bong and event is masterminded by Meeta of What's for lunch, Honey?

Kumror Choka/chakka - A Pumkin Delight from Bengali cuisine

Kumror choka or chakka, is an absolutely delightful dish made from pumpkin, belongs to bengali cuisine. The method of cooking this dish differs slightly from home to home. Every home has their own touch on it. But the main ingredients are always the same...pumpkin, potato and kala chana or black chick peas. Some people also add parwal/patol/pointed guard, too. But that is optional. The spices also play an important role, here. The taste differs there. Today, I'll share my mom's recipe of Kumror Chakka, as we call it. Her spicing system is the secret touch in this dish. I think my mom makes this dish the best. It goes very well with roti, luchi(phulka) or paratha and even taste very good with rice. Try it out, who havn't tried it yet..it's absolutely yummy................

Ingredients :

Pumpkin(kumro) : 1/2
Potato : 2(medium)
Chola/kala chana/Black chickpeas : 1/2 cup (soak overnight or 4 hours in hot water)
Panch phoron : 2 tsp.(1 tsp. for tempering+1 tsp.dry roasting)(5 spices- fenugreek, mustard, white cumin, black cumin & fennel/aniseed(mouri) seed - mix each in equal quantity and store for future use)
Bay leaves : 1
Green chilli : 1 (slitted)
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Ghee(clarified butter) : 1 tblsp.
Bengali Garam masala : 1 tsp.(grounded powder mix of 1" cinnamon stick, 2-3 cardamoms, 3 cloves)
Raw peanuts : 1 tblsp.
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves(optional)

Method :

• Cut pumkin in big cube like pieces and potatoes in medium sized cubelike pieces. The pumpkin pieces should be bigger than potatoes, as pumpkin cooks faster than potatoes.
• Soak chickpeas overnight if possible, otherwise soak in hot water for 4 hours. 
• Dry roast 1 tsp. panch phoron on hot tawa until seeds start to splutter and turn light brown, you'll get the aroma,too. Remove from heat and immediately grind in coffee grinder and keep in an airtight container for future use.
• Fry raw peanuts and grind coarsely into little pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan, temper with bay leaf and panch phoron, when seeds start turning light brown, add pumpkin and potato pieces. Add salt, slitted green chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add all powdered spices and kala chana or chick peas now. Mix well adding 2-3 tblsp. water into it.
  
• When spices blend well, add 1 cup or enough water to cook the veggies. When water dries up and the veggies are cooked, check the seasoning and add sugar now. Mix well, the taste will be a blend of sweet and spicy. Add ghee and garam masala. Mix well, stir for 1 minute and remove from heat.
• Lastly add roasted panch phoron powder and fried peanuts. (this is the secret spice in my mom's recipe...oops, secret is out, mom)
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, if available. 
  

The aroma of roasted panch phoron powder makes this dish so different and chick peas add the crunch, here......Serve hot with rice or rotis............try it out
 

Sending this veg. and legumes delight to MLLA : 18 to Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons, event is a brainchild of Susan of The Well-seasoned Cook

Broccoli-Brinjal Fry

Today, I'll share a quick stir fry recipe combining broccoli and brinjal. As broccoli is quite hard to incorporate in our Indian taste bud, I look for some interesting way to put this vegetable in our diet. Specially, kids are quite reluctant to eat this vegetable. Broccoli taste good while still in shape after cooking, not over-cooked. So one day, I made broccoli fry this way and my daughter liked it and from then she eats broccoli. I add this vege in pasta or pulao, someway in our diet because of the health benefits of this. Read more to know the health benefits and include broccoli in your diet.
 Broccoli is well established as one of the major anti-cancer foods. Numerous studies have concluded again and again that people who eat an abundance of broccoli have fewer cancers of the colon, breast, cervix, lungs, prostate, esophagus, larynx, and bladder. Broccoli contains some 3% of protein and is one of the richest vegetable sources of calcium, iron and magnesium, also loaded with antioxidants and protective phytochemicals which reduces the risk of many diseases, like Cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cataracts and osteoporosis. Broccoli also contains some of the highest levels of vitamins A and C of any food.

Health Benefits :

• Anti-Cancerous - protective against bladder, ovarian, prostate even lung cancer
  
• Heart healthy
• Phytonutrients in Broccoli helps in detoxification, the cleansing process through which our bodies eliminate harmful compounds.
• Support stomach health
• An Immune system booster
• A birth defect fighter : Folic acid present in broccoli prevents many birth defects. So, pregnant woman must include Broccoli in their diet.

This broccoli-brinjal fry goes very well as a side dish with roti, paratha or even rice.

Ingredients :

Broccoli head : 1 (big)
Brinjal : 1/2 cup (cubed)
Onion : 1(medium-sliced)
Garlic : 3-4 cloves(grated)
Tomato : 1(small-chopped)
Green chilli : 2 (chopped)
Mustard Seed : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp. (as per taste)
salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2-3 tblsp.

Method :

• Cut each florets into half to quarter pieces(as desired). Cut brinjal in medium size chunks. Soak cut broccoli florets in hot water for 5 minutes with a pinch of salt.
  
• Heat 1 tblsp.oil in a pan, throw the broccoli florets, add little salt and stir fry them for a minute or two. Cover lid and lower the flame to sim. Stir fry time to time uncovering the lid. Fry until it gets tender and lightly browned. It won't take long about 5 mins. Remove and keep aside. This way, you can cook them without much oil added.
  
• In the same pan, heat up 1 tblsp.oil and add brinjal pieces. Sprinkle little salt and fry them too until soft and browned. Keep aside. In same pan, add rest of the oil, temper with mustard seed, when splutters, add grated garlic and onions. Saute until onions get soft, add green chillies, tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder.
• Mix well all the masalas and then add fried broccoli and brinjal pieces. Mix well with the masala and stir fry for 3-4 minutes in medium flame. Add sugar and mix well. Check the seasoning. Add if needed. Take care, while frying, broccolis should not loose their texture. Do not over cook them.
  

Combine it with any cooked dal and serve hot with roti, chapati, or rice. You can see, It needs very less oil, less spice and still taste yummmmmmmmm..try this out

This is on the way to Sudeshna's event, "Think Spice: Think Turmeric",

which is a branchild of Sunita of Sunita's World. 

Pyaji (Bengali Onion Pakora)

Onion pakora is known as Pyaji in bengali...it's one of a kind mouthwatering snack.....have them with tea as an evening snack or have it as a side dish with dal, chawal(rice).


While making onion pakora, I took this onion and garlic still life picture for this month's Click photo event : Allium @ Jugalbandi.


Ingredients :
Onion(big) : 2 (chopped)
Chick pea flour(besan) : about 1/2 a cup or as needed
Green chilli : 2( finely chopped)
Fresh coriander leaves (chopped) : a bunch
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp.
Baking Soda : a pinch
Oil for shallow deep frying


Method :

• In a big bowl, first take onions, green chillies and coriander leaves.
• Then add all the other ingredients. Mix together, then add water slowly as needed and make a smooth creamy batter, not runny.
  
• If the batter is too thin, add some more chick pea flour.
  
• In a pan, heat enough oil, drop one big spoonfull of batter, one by one. Make pakoras thin, then it will be more crispy. Fry till dark brown from both sides. Fry in medium flame so that inside of batter can cook.

Serve hot immediately with tea..................

Macher Dimer Kalia (Curry with fish Roe)

Macher dim, or fish egg or fish roe is fully ripe internal ovaries or egg mashes of fish. In Bengal, deep fried fish roe is a delicacy and they are so tasty, once you try, you'll be hooked to it. Among all the sweet water fishes, Rohu and Hilsa fish roe's are mostly eaten in Bengal. One great bengali food blogger and my friend, Sudeshna of Cook like a Bong, she explains very well all about fish roe. Visit her page to know how to make fish roe vada. I had no idea that Fish roes are so popular outside India too, mostly in Asia and Europe.
In this post, I'll share the recipe how to make curry with fish roe, which we call MACHER DIMER KALIA(Kalia is a term of bengali cooking, where the sauce is based on onion-ginger-garlic paste with lots of onions and little more oil is used than regular fish curry, basically it's a rich preperation)
I used Hilsa fish roe, vada recipe here



Ingredients :
Fried Fish roe(macher dim) vada
Onion : 3(medium)
Ginger-garlic paste : 1" ginger+2 cloves of garlic
Tomato : 1(medium)
Green chilli : 2 (Slitted)
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2-3 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
For tempering :Bay leaf : 1 + Cinnamon stick : 1(1") + 2 cardamoms + 3 cloves
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Ghee(clarified butter) : 2 tsp. (optional)
Garam Masala powder : Grind together 2 cardamoms, 4 cloves and 1(1") cinnamon stick

Method :

• Keep aside the fried fish roe vadas.
• Slice the onions lengthwise. Make a paste of ginger and garlic.
• Heat oil in a pan, temper with the ingredients, when they start to crackle, add sliced onions. In medium flame, fry the onions till dark brown with a pinch of sugar. It should be soft but not crispy, so lower the flame. It will take about 5 minutes or so. This way, the curry will take a darker shade.
  
• Add ginger-garlic paste, stir for a minute, then add chopped tomatoes and chopped green chillies. Fry till tomatoes get pulpy and soft. Then add powdered spices with 2 tblsp. water. Stir till oil seperates. Add fried fish roes, mix well with spices.
  
• Add 1/2 cup of water and in medium flame let it cook for 7-8 minutes. When water evaporates, check the seasoning. It should be a dry gravy. Drop 2 tsp. ghee(clarified butter) and garam masala powder over it. Mix well with the gravy and remove from heat.
  

Serve hot with rice...........Unglia chatte rahe jayoge(you'll keep licking your finger even after finishing your food, it's so tasty)
This traditional bengali delicacy is for my event Spotlight : Fish

Sorshe Bhetki (Fish in mustard seed gravy)

Bengalis has a special love for mustard, not only mustard oil is most preferred cooking oil, but also seeds and paste are widely used in bengali cooking. Not only fishes, vegetables and even egg are also cooked with mustard paste and why it shouldn't be, Mustard is referred as one of the World's healthiest spices, which has numerous properties beneficial for health.

Mustard seed :
Research shows that mustard seeds have Phytonutrient Compounds that is protective against Gastrointestinal Cancer. Mustard seeds emerged from our food ranking system as a very good source of Selenium, a nutrient which has been shown to help reduce the severity of asthma, decrease some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and help prevent cancer. They also qualified as a good source of magnesium. Like selenium, Magnesium has been shown to help reduce the severity of asthma, to lower high blood pressure, to restore normal sleep patterns in women having difficulty with the symptoms of menopause, to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, and to prevent heart attack in patients suffering from atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease.
Mustard seeds also qualified as a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as a good source of iron, calcium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, protein, niacin and dietary fiber. (Information source : WHF foods)

Mustard Oil :
Mustard oil has the lowest amount of saturated fat(only 1%) and quite a good amount of monounsaturated fat(76%), the most desirable fat in our diet because it helps to decrease the LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood and helps to increase the HDL (good) cholesterol. Good sources of monounsaturated fat are macadamia nut oil, olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and most nuts. Visit this page for more information on which oil is good for you.
Today I'll share Bengali's all-time favorite and one traditional fish recipe, which is Sorshe Mach(Mustard is sorshe in bengali). I made it with Seabass fillets, which is very close to Bhetki fish(or Koral in Bangladeshi fish store) and another advantage of seabass is it has less bones, who has difficulty eating fish because of bones, they should try this fish. It is very sweet in taste and has no odour(fish smell). Can be substituted with Red Snapper. This recipe taste great when made with carp like Rohu or Hilsa.



Ingredients :
Bhetki (seabass or red snapper) fillets : 4-5 pieces
Onion(medium) : 1 (chopped)
Mustard seed(sorshe) : 2 tblsp.
Black cumin seed(kalo jeera/kalonji) : 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 3 tsp.
Chilli powder : 1/2 - 1 tsp.
Green chillies : 2 for grinding+1(slitted)
Mustard oil : 2 tblsp. for cooking + 1 tsp. for garnishing
(Mustard oil enhances the taste of mustard seed paste)
Any other oil : 2 tblsp. for frying
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing(chopped)

Method :

• Wash fish pieces, pat dry. Rub with 1 tsp. turmeric powder and 2 pinches of salt on fish pieces. If possible, keep them aside for 5-30 minutes.
• Preperations : Prepare mustard seed paste, by grinding mustard seed with a pinch of salt and 2 green chillies. ( while grinding, mustard seed tend to taste bitter, salt prevents that. so don't forget to add salt while grinding) Grind as fine as possible. Make a paste of rest of the turmeric and chilli powder in 3-4 tblsp. water.
  
• In a pan, heat oil, fry the fish pieces until brown on both sides on medium flame. Keep them aside.
• Take another pan for cooking(never use the same oil where you fried fish, as the oil gets black because of turmeric.). Heat Mustard oil, when the oil is really hot and the smoke comes out, lower the flame and temper with kalonji, then add chopped onions. Fry till light brown.
• Then add turmeric-chilli powder paste and fry for 1 min. then add mustard seed paste. Fry for 2 min. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Add salt, slitted green chillies and fried fish pieces. Cover the lid and cook for 5 minutes.
• When gravy thickens to a desired consistency, add 1 tsp. mustard oil and coriander leaves. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice.

This traditional bnegali fish recipe is off to
my event Spotlight : Fish
Check out my Pomfret fish curry recipe.

Mix-vegetable Do pyaza

Do pyaza is a style of dish originated from Northern part of India, mainly Delhi and Punjab, influenced by the imperial kitchens of Mughal Empire. The famous cuisine is found in most restaurants abroad. Do pyaza means double the amount of onions, used here than regular sabzi preperations. Another theory suggests this dish was named in honor of Mullah Do-pyaza, a scholar and royal advisor who was part of the 'Nine jewels' of the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This preperation can be made with any vegetable, like potato, Bhindi(okra), Bell pepper etc. But the most favorite is with non-veg. preperations like Chicken or lamb do-pyaza. Can be substituted with anything, paneer and even shrimp...
That day I was searching for vegetable do-pyaza recipe and stumbled upon this Subzi Mirchi do pyaza recipe from master chef Sanjeev Kapoor ... which sound great to me and over that this dish is made with only green chilli, which gave this dish an entirely distinctive taste, that's why this dish is called Subzi(vegetable) Mirchi(green chilli) Do pyaza
You can assemble any kinds of vegetable, I added cauliflower, carrot, green beans, potato, sweet potato and bell peppers. The recipe asked for Bhavnagri chillies, which I didn't have, so used regular green chillies and baby onions, I substituted that with sliced regular onions. But I would love to try sometime the exact version when I have all the ingrdts.



Ingredients :
Cauliflower(medium sized florets) : 1 cup
Potato, Sweet potato, carrot
Green Beans & Bell peppers ( Cut all vegetables in 11/2" thick pieces
lengthwise)
Onion : 4 (2 thickly sliced and 2 chopped)
Tomato : 2 (thickly sliced)
Green chillies(slitted from the middle) : 4-6 (adjust to your level)
Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tblsp.
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 3 tsp.
Roasted cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Khus-khus/poppy seeds/posto : 2 tblsp.
Yoghurt : 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil : 3 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves

Method :

• Heat oil in a pan, add sliced onions and fry until golden brown in medium flame. Keep them aside.
• In the same oil, add cumin seeds, when splutters, add chopped onions and fry till brown, then add ginger-garlic paste. Stir for minute or two, then add turmeric, coriander, roasted cumin powder, half of the green chillies mixed with 1/2 cup of yoghurt. Stir well and cook until oil seperates.
• Then add all the vegetables with little salt over it. Stir well to coat spice paste well with the vegetables. Add 1 cup of water, cover the lid and in medium flame let it cook.
• Meanwhile, make a paste of poppy seeds, rest of the green chilles and few sprigs of coriander leaves.
• When water almost evaporates ans veges are almost cooked, add tomatoes, fried sliced onions and poppy seed paste. Check the seasoning, add rest of the coriander leaves, mix well and in low flame, cook for another 4-5 minutes until vegetables are tender and water dries up completely.

Serve hot with rotis, parathas and goes well with rice,too......ennnnnnnnjoy
Sending this side dish to Viki's Kitchen
who is hosting "Side dish for chapathi".

Masala Brinjal ( Spicy eggplant curry)

Brinjal or eggplant or Begun in Bengali is a very low calorie fruit but used as a vegetable. It is high in water content and excellent source of Folic acid and Potassium. It helps to block the formation of free radicals and is very common vegetable in Indian households. I've tried this recipe from an Indian recipe site but lost the link. It's a keeper recipe, I'm telling you. Goes very well as a side dish with chapati, Paratha or even rice, too.


Ingredients :
Long/oval Purple Bringal : 2
Onion(medium) : 1 (chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tblsp.
Tomato(medium) : 1(chopped)
Green Chilli : 1
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1 or 2 tsp. (+ or - accr. to you)
Coriander powder : 2 tsp.
Cashewnut : 7-8
Dessicated or fresh cocconut : 1/2 cup
Oil : 3 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Cut the brinjals in medium chunks. Add salt and keep aside. Make a paste of cashewnuts, green chilli and coconut. Set aside.
• In a pan, add 1-2 tblsp. of oil, fry brinjal pieces until lightly browned. Sqeeze out as much oil possible and keep them aside.
• In same oil, add rest of the oil, temper with mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to crackle, add chopped onions, fry till they get soft and lightly browned. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for 2-3 minutes.
• In a cup, mix all the powdered spices with 3 tblsp. of water and a pinch of salt. Add this mixture to the pan. Cook till 2-3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Saute until tomatoes softens and oil seperates.
  
• Now add coconut-cashewnut paste and mix well with the spice paste. Stir for 2 minutes, then add fried brinjal pieces. Mix well and add about 1/2 cup of water. Season with salt, but in small amount, not the whole as it's a dry gravy dish, so add rest of the salt when you have your desired gravy. Cover the lid. It will take about 5-7 minutes as brinjal cook real fast.
  
• When gravy thickens, check the seasoning, take the pan out of the heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot..................
  

Sending this yummy side dish which goes very well
with any Indian bread to Viki's Kitchen who is hosting an event named "Side dish for chapathi"

Kadhai Paneer

Kadhai paneer, one of the popular dish of paneer from the state of punjab, India, where Paneer or Indian cottage cheese and bell peppers are the main ingredients, which is flavoured with kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves), ginger-garlic and a blend of light Indian spices makes it a mouth-watering dish. It can be a perfect accompaniment to bread or rice, which will make you satisfied at the end of your meal.


Note : Paneer is available in all Indian stores, can be made at home, too. Check here. So without any more delay................
let's check the ingredients :
Paneer : 1 and 1/2 cup (cut in 1" cube like pieces)
Green Capsicum/bell pepper : 1 (deseed and cut into big chunks)
Onion : 1(medium-cut into big chunks)
Tomato Puree : 2/3 cup
Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tblsp.
Green Chilli : 1 (chopped)
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp. or to taste
Kasuri Methi : 1 tsp.
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 3-4 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Heat 2 tblsp. Oil in a pan, shallow fry the paneer cubes until light brown on both sides. Take out from the pan and drop them in a bowl of hot water for 10-15 minutes. This will keep them soft.
  
• In the same pan, heat rest of the oil, add sliced onions and a pinch of sugar and saute till onions turn transculent. Add bell peppers and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add gren chillies and ginger-garlic paste, saute again for a minute or two in low flame.
• Then add powdered spices, dissolving them together in 4 tblsp. of water. Mix well with onion-ginger-garlic paste. Fry the masala paste for 2-3 minutes until oil seperates and coats onions and peppers nicely.
• Add tomato puree, kasuri methi and paneer cubes. Mix well everything. you can add little water(1/2 a cup), depending on how much gravy you want. Add salt to taste. Cover the lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes until peppers are cooked and paneer cubes softens and there should be enough gravy left to coat paneer and peppers well. Note: it's a dry gravy dish.
  
• Check the seasoning and serve garnishing with fresh coriander leaves. Enjoy with hot chapati, paratha or any Indian flat bread, even with rice.
  

Sending this yummy paneer and bell pepper recipe to
AFAM : Bell Pepper, hosted by The most active
blogger I know, Priya of Priya's easy & tasty
recipes this month, event started by Maheswari
of Beyond The usual

Baingan Bharta with Bell Pepper

Baingan Bharta is a roasted eggplant dish originated in the villages of Punjab. Baingan Bharta is a healthy dish - eggplant/baingan is the main ingredient here, is low in fat and sodium and high in dietary fiber, vitamins C and B6 magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Eggplant are roasted on open flame in this recipe to get a smoky flavour. Add to that the tomatoes, green chillies and onion and you've a low calorie mighty nutritional punch in one single dish. For this recipe, large eggplants are prefereable, as it has less seeds and easy to roast.
To make a little variation from regular bharta, I added Capsicum/ green bell pepper in it and it tasted really great. I love to cook this dish with mustard oil, as it gives a distinct flavour to this recipe. I would like to share with you the recipe today............ Hope you all also like it



Ingredients :
Eggplant/bringal/baingan : 1(large)
Green bell pepper : 1 (medium-cut in cubes)
Onion : 1 (large-chopped)
Ginger : 1"(grated)
Garlic : 4 cloves(grated)
Green chillies : 2 (chopped finely)
Tomato : 1 (large-chopped finely)
Cumin seed : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.(as per taste)
Coriander powder : 2 tsp.
Cumin seed powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Mustard oil : 2 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Slit from the middle upto the stem, keep the stem intact. To roast the eggplant, brush mustard oil all over the eggplant and sprinkle little salt over it and stand it on a burner of a gas stove over a medium flame. After one side is charred(turns black), turn to the other side holding the stem. Do the same thing until all sides upto the bottom of the eggplant is throughly charred and the flesh is cooked. ( It can also be done on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 500F for 0 minutes, but it won't develop quite the right smoky flavour)
• Just after the whole bringal is charred, drop into a bowl of cold water, it helps the charred skin to come off easily. After 5 minutes, take out the skin. Cut the stem out and mash the flesh or pulp thoroughly, (there shouldn't be any lump left) and keep it aside.
• Heal oil in a pan, temper with Cumin seed. When they crackle, add onions. Saute for a minute, then add capsicum and saute with the onions. Theh add grated ginger-garlic, green chillies. Saute again for 1-2 minutes.
  
• Then add tomatoes and saute until tomatoes get pulpy, then add all the powdered spices. Cook until oil seperates from the spices. Add the mashed eggplant and mix well with the spice paste. Season with salt and saute for few more minutes.
• Garnish with fresh corinader leaves.
  

Serve with any Indian bread or rice and as a side dish in combination with Garlic-flavoured masoor dal/Chana dal with eggplant.
Sending this delicious side dish to
Priya @ Priya's Easy & tasty recipes
who is hosting AFAM : Bell peppers this month,
event started by Maheswari of Beyond The Usual.

Scrambled Paneer Sandwich w/Focaccia

You all know how my daughter is a paneer fanatic (yes, extremely in love with paneer)...if she could only eat paneer(Indian Cottage Cheese), that would be ideal for her. So I try to make different things with paneer....I usually make Paneer bhurji(scrambled paneer) to have with chapatis as a side dish, this time I added few vegetables to make it more healthier, it tasted real yum...and I made a sandwich(with focaccia-Italian bread with herbs) with vegetable paneer bhurji filling . It was heavenly ..............

Consuming Paneer or cottage cheese(as it contains the milk fat/saturated fat) in daily basis is not a healthy option for adults as well as children, but once or twice a week is not bad at all. It's a great source of calcium and protein.

Veg. Paneer Bhurji Filling for sandwich

Ingredients :
Paneer or firm Tofu : 50 gms.
Carrot : 1/3 cup (chopped)
Capsicum : 1/3 cup(chopped)
Corn : 1/4 cup
Onions : 1 (small-chopped)
Green chilli : 1 (chopped)
Tomato : 1 (small-chopped)
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
(use vegetable of your choice like, cauliflower, potato, peas etc.)

Method :

• Crumble the paneer or tofu finely with hand and keep aside. Heat 1 tblsp. oil in a pan, add chopped up vegetables and in low flame fry until done with a pinch of salt added. keep them aside.

• In the same pan, heat rest of the oil, add chopped onions, fry until they turn light brown, then add chopped green chillies and tomatoes. Fry until tomatoes softens, now add crumbled paneer or tofu and fried veges. Stir to mix all the ingredients, add turmeric and red chilli powder and season with salt. Mix well and stir for another minute.
  
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Mix well. It's ready to serve.
  

The filling can be served as a side dish with any Indian bread(chapati, naan or paratha). Serve it hot.................otherwise, it tends to harden a bit and don't taste as good when hot.


To assemble the Sandwich.........

• Take a focaccia or any other bread, toast it, apply a layer of butter or margarine.
• Then lay few lettuce leaves. Over that lay a thin layer of paneer bhurji filling, then add some cucumber and tomato slices.
• Sprinkle little black pepper powder and give a big bite.......................

Off course, serve the sandwich hot, not cold..........................

Sending this yummy sandwich to Me and My Kitchen
who is hosting an event named EFM: Breakfast Series
Also on the way to Divya's photo event- Show me your Breakfast

Narkel Sorshe Patol (Pointed Gourd in Coconut-Mustard Sauce)

This is another bengali delicacy of Pointed gourd or Patol in bengali. Parwal or patol is mainly available in Summer season particularly in Eastern India (Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Utttar Pradesh). It is a good source of Carbohydrate, Vitamin A & C and also contains some essential trace elements (magnesium, potassium, copper, sulfur and chlorine).
This is a very easy to make and quick recipe and I'm posting this recipe for my dear friend, Suparna of Food Fascination, who loves bengali food very much and tried and loved some bengali patol recipes, too.......So, Suparna It's for you..........




Ingredients :
Parwal/Patol : 3-4 nos.
Mustard seeds : 2 tblsp.
Poppy seed : 1 tblsp.
Green chillies : 1 or 2 (as per taste)
Cumin Seed : 1 tsp.
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Dessicared or fresh coconut(narkel) : 1/3 cup
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.

Method :

• Wash and then trim the edges of parwals. Cut all of them lengthwise in half. Smear a little turmeric and salt on them and fry light brown on both sides. Keep aside.
• Dry grind mustard and poppy seeds with green chillies and a pinch of salt.
  
• In the same pan, when oil is hot, temper with cumin seeds. Add the paste with 3 tblps. of water. Add 1 tsp. of turmeric powder and fried parwals or potols. Cook the mixture and coat parwals well with the paste and stir until the raw smell of spices go away, for about 2-3 minutes. When spice paste dries, add 1/2 cup of water, just to cook the vege. Cover the pan and cook in medium heat.
  
• Pointed gourd cooks very fast. When water almost dries up, add fresh or dessicated coconut and coat well with the gourds. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes in low heat. (It's dry preperation, the spice paste will coat the gourds)
• You are done...enjoy with plain rice.
  

Authentically, it's done by steaming. You can make it in pressure cooker without the whistle attached. Coat the spice paste and coconut with turmeric and salt all over the gourds in a bowl, drop 2 tblsp. of oil and steam it for 10 min. My mom sometimes makes it inside the big bowl of freshly prepared hot rice. She preperaes the paste in a bowl and keeps that bowl into a freshly prepared hot bowl of rice for 1/2 an hour and it's ready. But that way, it becomes little soggy, I like to have it little dry and fried, so I make it this way, my mom also do it this way.

Stir-fry Watercress(Halim Shak) & Radish Green (mulo shak)

Wonderful Watercress…Mother Nature’s idea
for the perfect natural multi-vitamin, body cleansing detoxicant, and curative powerhouse...an ancient green traced back to Persians, Greeks, and Romans....a powerful antioxidant....this green weed/aquatic plant carries a peppery and mild tangy flavour.
Watercress is a better source of vitamins C, B1, B6, K, E, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, and Potassium than Apples, Broccoli, and Tomatoes…It is a true SUPER-VEGGIE!
By weight, Watercress has more calcium than milk, more vitamin C than an orange and more absorbable Iron than Spinach (spinach is loaded with Oxlactic/Oxalic acid, which blocks the natural absorption of iron)
For more information on Watercress visit this and this link.
watercress is claimed to be of assistence with :
cancer relief and cure, blood purifier, skin clarifier, kidney problems, kidney stones, infections, infertility and many more...

Pic. Source : www.watercress.com

Nomenclature
Botanical: Lepidum sativum
English: Cress, Watercress
Sanskrit: Chandrasura
Hindi: Chansaur, Jal-Kumbhi
Bengali: Halim; (Jal) Halim-saak
Gujarati: Asaliya
Marathi : Ali
Tamil: Ativerai
Telegu : Adiyaalu
(sorry, friends....before I've reffered watercress in bengali as Kolmi saak, which is wrong, after lots of research, I've found out from some right source, that It is known as halim shak, I've updated all the names)

Now to the recipe.....I like to cook watercress this simple way without much spices..............


Ingredients :
Watercress : 1 or 2 bunch
Eggplant/bringal : 1/2 cup (cubed)
Dry red chilli : 1(break in half)
Black cumin seed/kalonji : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Green chilli : 1 (chopped)
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

• Wash watercress bunch under running tap. Drain and then chop in small pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan, when oil is hot almost smoking, add dry red chilli and kalonji seeds. When chilli turns brown, add green chillies and chopped up watercress and eggplant. Stir, at this time, watercress will release little amount of water. Let the water evaporate, then add salt and turmeric, mix well.
  
• Stir for -3 minutes , then add 1/3 cup water to cook. Cover the pan and in medium flame let it cook. When water dries up, add salt to taste. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes. You are done.

Serve hot with plain rice...once you taste it, you'll fall in love with this green vege.

Stir-fry radish green(mulo shak bhaja)

Radish green is also a good source of Iron and taste great. I make radish green in the same manner as watercress. Use the green part of radish(chopped), some chopped radish, bringal/eggplant and spices are same as above recipe. Also cook in the same manner. Taste great with white rice.

Amaranth, another superfood, loaded with minerals and vitamins..for recipe and to know the health benefits of amaranth, click here.
All these green, totally nutritious recipes are going to a great event SWC : Cooking with Green started by Lakshmi of Taste of mysore and this time hosted by Sowmya of Creative saga

A complete meal with beetroot chapati(beetroot flat bread)

The Indian flat bread which is popularly known as chapati, is made out of Atta or whole wheat flour, is made by grinding the whole wheat kernel which is full of bran and germ. It is a daily food item in every Indian household like mine. This time to make it more healthier, I made my chapati dough with grated beetroot. We all know the health benefits of beetroot. Beetroot are an excellent source of folic acid and a very good source of manganese, potassium and fiber.
There are many methods of making this chapati. Some does it with boiled beetroot, too. But I think using fresh beetroot in chapati dough is much healthier option as it will retain all the valuable nutrients in it. I made it more healthier not frying it like a paratha but just brushing up a little oil. And the end result, a soft, red colored delicious chapati which you can just eat itself. I served it with simple chana dal and beet-gajar-er charchari(beet-carrot fry) from Sandeepa.



Ingredients :
Whole wheat flour/Atta : 3 cups, plus a little extra for dusting
Beetroot : 2 (small)
Black cumin seed(kalonji) : 1 tsp.
Salt : 1 tsp.
Black pepper/red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Butter : 1" cube/ Oil : 1 tblsp.
Lukewarm water : as needed to bind the flour
Oil : for brushing

Method :

• Grate beetroot finely. Take the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, kalonji, black pepper. mix them well and then rub in the butter or oil finely. Add the grated beetroot. Squeeze out the juice from the beetroot before adding it and add the juice in the flour. Mix everything together.
• Now add lukewarm water little at a time and mix until you have a soft dough. Transfer to aflat surface and knead well until the dough is smooth and pilable. Cover it with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Make small balls out of the dough. Flatten each ball by pressing them between your palms and keep on a flat surface. Dust with little flour and roll it out to an 7 in. diameter circle.
• Preheat a tawa/griddle or a wide frying pan over medium heat and place the rolled out breat on it. Cook for 30 sec. and turn it over. Now brush the top surface with little oil. Turn it over again and brush the other side with oil. Cook until browned on both sides.

For Chana Dal with green peas, you need :
Chana dal : 1 cup
Green peas : 1/3 cup
dry red chilli : 1
Bay leaf : 1
Cardamom : 2
Cloves : 2
Cumin seed(jeera) : 1 tsp.
Green chilli : 1 (chopped)
Dessicated coconut : 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp.(optional)
Sugar : 1 tsp.
salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.

Method :

• Soak chana dal in hot water for 4 hours. Pressure cook it until soft. Add 1/2 cup warm water(This is a semi-liquid dal, so don't add much water-adjust with your quantity) to the dal and add little salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and 1 tsp of sugar in the dal and cook for 2-3 min. in the cooker. Set aside.
  
• Heat oil in a pan, when hot but not smoking, add dry red chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds. When they turn brown, add green chilli and coconut, stir for a minute, then add the cooked dal. Lastly add gren peas. In Medium heat, let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Adjust the salt and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

For Beet-gajar-er charchari recipe, click here. I added a potato too to increase the quantity, tasted great with beetroot chapati. Thanks Sandeepa for sharing the recipe.
Sending this yummilicious red(my favorite food color) thali to Curry Leaf who is hosting FIC:Favorite this month, event started by Sunshinemom of Tongue Ticklers.

Potato & Shrimp Fry

I'll share a quick and delicious side dish today. This tastes great with any lentil(dal) dishes or just with plain hot rice. My mom used to make this whenever we had shrimp at home.



Ingredients :
Shrimp(small or medium) : 10-12
Potato : 1(small)
Onion : 1(small)
ginger-garlic paste : 1 tsp.
Green chilli: 1/red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Tomato : 1(small)
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Cut potatoes in small pieces. Chop onions, green chillies and tomatoes finely. Wash shrimp and rub with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
• Heat whole oil in a pan, fry the shrimps until light brown(about 2-3 min. on each sides) on both sides. Do not over fry shrimp. It will get hard and won't taste good. Keep aside. Cut in small pieces.
  
• In the same oil, fry potatoes till tender. Keep aside and in the same oil, add onions and fry till soft, add green chillies(if using) and ginger-garlic paste, saute for a while, then add tomatoes. Stir fry for another minute or two. Now it's time to add shrimp and potatoes.
  
• Add a pinch of turmeric, red chilli powder(if using) and salt to taste. Stir and mix everything together. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
  

Serve definitely hot, otherwise it won't taste the same.

Okra in roasted sesame and poppy seed sauce

Okra is known as Bhindi in India, and also referred to as Ladies' Fingers because of its shape. Okra is highly nutritional vegetable. It is,

• Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium, low in calorie
  
• High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Manganese, Protein, Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Zinc and Copper

The health benefits of Okra :
Okra is full of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fiber helps to lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. The other half is insoluble fiber which helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy, thus decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially colon cancer.

Okra is very common vegetable in Indian diet, has several recipes from different regions of India. I think, in which way you cook this vege, it'll taste great, That's why, I love this vegetable so much. This recipe I found in one Indian cookbook by Mridula Baljekar, one England based Chef and cookbook writer, I want to share this recipe with you today...it is something very different and delicious. This is an onion-garlic free recipe as many people in India do not use onion and garlic during religious festivals. But you won't miss those ingredients in this reciep..try out sometime..........I added few ingredients, like tomatoes in the recipe and potatoes with okra to increase the quantity.




Ingredients :
Okra : 10-12 pods
Potato : 1 (medium)- optional
Tomato : 1/2 (medium)
Black mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Sesame seeds : 2 tblsp.(tablespoon)
White poppy seeds : 1 tblsp.
Dessicated coconut : 2 tblsp.
Dry red chilli : 1
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

• Heat a non-stick tawa/griddle over medium heat and dry-roast sesame and poppy seeds, stirring constantly, until they are a shade darker. Transfer them to a plate and return the pan on heat. Add the dry chilli(broken up in 2) and coconut and roast them, until coconut turns a light-brown colour and dry chillies turn dark. Transfer them to another plate and let them cool.
  
• When cool, using a coffee mill, grind all the roasted ingredients together until smooth. Keep aside.
  
• Wash the okras, top and tail them and cut them each into 2-3 pieces(about 1") depending on their size. If using potatoes, cut them lengthwise in 1/2" thick pieces.
  
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, add cumin seeds. Follow with the okra, potatoes and little salt. Stir-fry for 2 min. and add chopped tomatoes. Stir for another 1-2 minutes. At this moment, add 1/2 cup of water, reduce the heat and close the lid. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until they are cooked.
  
• Stir the roasted ground spices into the okra and potatoes until they are fully coated with them. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve as a side dish with plain rice or chapati or parantha.
  

Sending this easy-to-cook okra side dish to Mahimaa who is hosting 15 minute cooking event @Indian Vegetarian Kitchen, events deadline is MAY 20th...
On another note, My dear friend Lakshmi of Taste of Mysore has given me this "I Love Your Blog" award. Thank you so much, Lakshmi. I love your blog, too.
I would like to pass this award to all Indian Food-bloggers, who devotes their heart and soul to their blogs and share their creations with us all....I love all of yours blogs..feel free to pick this up..this award is all yours...