Rainbow In and Out

Rainbow Mix-vegetable


HAPPY HOLI to all my visitors and fellow bloggers and to their families...May all the colours of Rainbow fills your life with happiness in this Holi and forever............
On the occassion of this colourful festival, I would like to share this colorful dish which I 've learnt from my mom. She is very creative in cooking and everyone's beloved cook. She used to make this sabji in winter time where we consumed almost all the winter vegetables in one palatte. I love this sabji, it's easy to cook and takes very less time to make. My daughter calls this, "Rainbow vegetable" and she loves it. This dish is very nutritious and delicious at the same time.


While I was making this dish on a cloudy, gloomy day, I found this amazing dual rainbow outside of my window. So rainbow in and out of my kitchen.

Ingredients :
Beet : 1/2 cup(cubed)
Carrot : 1/2 cup(cubed)
Green Beans : 1/2 cup(cubed)
Potato : 1/2 cup (cubed)
Ladies finger/okra/Bhindi : 1/2 cup
Cauliflower : 1/2 cup (cut in small florets)
Green/red/yellow Capsicum : 1/2 cup(cubed)
Green peas : 1/3 cup
Corn : 1/3 cup
Dry red chilli : 1 (break into 2)
Mustard seeds : 2 tsp.
Urad dal : 2 tsp.
Chana dal : 2 tsp.
Curry leaves : 10 nos.
Greeb chillies : 2 (chopped)
Tomato : 1(small-chopped)
Onion : 1 (medium-chopped)
Garlic : 3 cloves (minced)
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Oil: 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Cut all the vegetables in small cube like pieces. Boil first 4 vegetables together until tender not mushy. Drain and keep aside.
  
• In a pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil, fry cauliflower, okra and capsicum until done with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
• In the same pan, heat rest of the oil in full flame. Oil should be real hot. Temper with dry red chilli, curryleaves, urad & chana dal and mustard seeds. After you temper, make the flame to medium. Don't let them burn, when seeds crackle, add onions , garlic, green chilli and tomato.
• stir it for 2-3 minutes, make a paste of it. Add turmeric and chilli powder and all boiled and fried vegetables. Mix everything well, season with salt. Lastly add green peas and corn (if you're using frozen one, if using fresh boil with other veges).
  
• Mix well and stir for another 2-3 minutes and you're done. Serve in a bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

It's a dry preperation. So no water added. Goes well with roti, puri, paratha and it's a good filling for Dosa(rice & lentil pancake)..........

HAVE A COLORFUL AND MASTIFUL HOLI............ENJOY

Masala dal & Broccoli N Potato in black pepper sauce

I am sure like me you also are in search for some simple and easy to cook recipes to make our daily meals something enjoyable. Today I would like to share with you some simple, easy to cook recipes which make your meal simply divine. Masala Dal and Broccoli N Potato in Black pepper sauce with chapati, a comfort food for anybody............
This masala dal recipe, I tried from this cooking site(Daawat) and I just fell in love with this dal.



Ingredients for Masala Dal :

Toor dal (split gram) : 1 cup
Onions : 2 (medium)
Garlic : 3-4 cloves
Ginger : 1 "
Tomato : 2 (medium)
Green chilli : 1 ( chopped)
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 2 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Butter or Oil : 2 tblsp.(tablespoon)
Cardamoms & cloves : 3 of each
Cinnamon : 1 (1")
Salt to taste
A bunch of coriander leaves

Method :

• Soak the dal in hot water for about 30-45 minutes. Boil it in the pressure cooker for only two whistles. It should be just boiled and not too soft. In the blender, grind together 1 onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli, coriander leaves and tomatoes. Set aside.
• Heat oil or butter in a pan, add cinnamon, cardamom & cloves, wait till they turn brown, then add the other onion sliced in it. Fry till brown, add grounded masala, adding all the powdered spices in it and salt. Stir fry well adding little water. The trick to get this dal very tasty, fry the masala well in low flame for about 5-7 minutes.
  
• When all the water evaporates and oil seperates from the masala, pour boiled dal in it and 1/2 cup hot water to make gravy. Add salt to taste. Boil for a while to get your required consistency. Masala dal is ready..........

Serve hot with roti, paratha, or plain rice and papad. I prefer this delicious dal with some spicy vegetable dish. I will share that, too. This is my mom's one of the unique recipes which I learnt from her and still couldn't forget the yummy taste of it.
Broccoli N Potato in black pepper sauce
My mom used to make this with potato only, but I like to add some green vegetable with it. I am a green vege fan :-)


Ingredients :
Baby potatoes or plain potato : 7-10 pieces
Broccoli : few florets (big pieces0
Black pepper powder : 4-5 tblsp.(tablespoon)
Ginger paste : 2 tblsp.
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp.(teaspoon)
Salt to taste
Oil : 3 tblsp.

Method :

• If you're using baby potatoes, then use as whole, otherwise cut in medium size pieces. Boil them until tender not too soft. Cut the broccoli florets in big chunks and cook in microwave until nearly done. It takes about 5-7 minutes in High.
  
• Heat Oil in a pan, add ginger paste and turmeric powder. Stir fry for a minute and then add black pepper powder mixed with 1/4 cup hot water. Cook for 4-5 minutes until oil seperates. Then add potatoes and broccoli florets. Mix well with the masala paste, add salt to taste.
  
• Cook in low flame uncovered for 2-3 minutes. You are done.

Wasn't it easy to cook and something different..............I am sure you all will love this.
I am sure these easy to follow recipes are just perfect for this
nice event "Recieps for rest of us : Dinner" at
Siri's Corner, which is initiated by Ramki
Of One page Cookbook. So sending them to you, Siri...........





And only Broccoli n Potato in black pepper sauce goes to "Think spice : Think Pepper" event hosted
this month by Divya Vikram of Dil Se. This nice event was originally started by Sunita of Sunita's World.

Masala Gobi/Aloo Phulkopir Dum (Spicy Cauliflower)

Cauliflower is such a vegetable which you add in any dish, it will taste great. That's why, how much we are bored with cauliflower, we have to have this beautiful flower in our home. This is the most favorite recipe made of cauliflower and I make it quite often. It is very easy to make and goes well with anything, like roti or paratha or simple plain rice.
If you want to know some facts, nutritional properties and health benefits of cauliflower, then go to Paajaka recipes by Mythreyee, who is hosting JFI:Cauliflower this month.


Ingredients :

Cauliflower : 1
Potato : 2
Green Peas : 1/2 cup
Onion : 1 (medium-grated)
Ginger : 1 tsp.(minced)
Garlic : 3 cloves(minced)
Green chillies : 2
Tomato : 1 (medium-chopped)
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
Poppy seeds : 2 tsp.
Cashew nuts : 8-9 (broken into pieces)
Curd/yoghurt : 1/2 cup
Oil : 3-4 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Cut the cauliflower in big florets. Take salted water in a bowl and soak the cauliflower pieces for 1/2 an hour. Drain and keep them aside. Cut the potatoes in medium size pieces and boil them. Keep them aside.
  
• Grind poppy seeds and cashew nuts into a paste in a coffee grinder. Make a smooth paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies.
• Heat Oil in a pan, sprinkle little salt and turmeric powder over the cauliflower pieces and fry until they are golden brown. take them out and in the same oil, add onions and fry till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes. Dilute turmeric, chilli(add according to your taste), cumin and coriander powder with 3 tblsp. water and add into the paste. Stir and cook till tomatoes are pulpy.
  
• Add little yoghurt time to time and blend well with the masalas until whole yoghurt is used. Stir fry till oil shows seperately. Add cauliflower and potatoes. Fry for about 2-3 minutes turning on all sides to coat the masala well.
  
• Lastly add poppy seed paste and mix well with the masala. Add green peas now. Add 1/2 cup water to make a thick gravy. Check the seasoning and cover and cook on low flame for 5 minutes. When the gravy thickens, take it out of heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
  

Serve hot with roti, paratha, rice or pulao.........enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Sending this yummylicious dish to Mythreyee of Paajaka Recipes who is hosting JFI : Cauliflower this month, which is originally started by Indira of Mahanadi.
Also sending this masala gobi to Siri's event "Recipe for rest of us : Dinner" , which is initiated by Ramki of One page Cookbook.

Ghugni (Dry Yellow/White Peas Curry)

Ghugni or dry white peas curry is another all time favorite snack or any time food of bengalis. Tradtionally, it is served as a late breakfast or evening snack. Today, I would like to share with you the recipe...................it's very easy to make and you can make anyone happy with this...at least in my home, this is my husband's all-time favorite snack or actually you can serve him anytime.....


Ingredients :
Dry white/green/yellow peas(vatana) : 1 cup
Potato : 1 (medium)
Onion : 2 (medium)
Tomato : 1 (medium)(blanched)
green Chillies : 1 or 2(slitted)
Ginger-garlic paste : 2 tblsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
Cumin powder : 2 tsp.
Bay leaves : 2
Cardamom : 2 or 3
Cinnamon : 1(1")
Cloves : 2 or 3
Cumin Seeds : 2 tblsp.
Dry red chilli : 1 (medium)
Salt to taste
Oil : 3 tblsp.
Tamarind Juice : 3-4 tblsp. or lime juice
Fresh coconut slices : few (small)(optional)
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Soak the dry peas overnight or 3-4 hours in hot water. Pressure cook with little salt until it is just done not mushy.
• Dry roast cumin seeds and red chilli until light brown and immidiately grind them into fine powder and store in a contaimer for later use. You can keep it for long time.
• If using tamarind juice, take 1 small ball of tamarind pulp and soak in 4 tblsp. of water for 10 minutes. Then squeeze the pulp, throw away the seed and pulp and you will get the juice. Keep it aside.
• Cut the potatoes in small pieces. In a pan, heat oil, fry the potatoes until brown and keep aside. In the same oil, add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, when they change their color, add onions and fry until it gets brown.
• Then add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, green chillies and stir fry some more until tomatoes get soft. Then add all the powdered spices and add 2 tblsp. of water and mix the spices and cook until oil seperates. then add the boiled peas and potatoes.
• Mix well with the spices, season with salt and add 2/3 cup water and let it cook for 5-7 minutes. Remember : It's not a dry preepration, it has to have semi-thick gravy. It tastes better when hot.
  
• Finally, add coconut slices over the top and take it out off heat.
• Serving : Take a bowl, put the dal, sprinkle some sliced red onions, coriander leaves and roasted cumin-red chilli powder and a spoon of tamarind or lemon juice.

It can also serve as a main course meal, then it tastes amazing with puri or paratha.

Want to send it to My Legume love affair : Sixth Helping-Hot & Spicy hosted by Suganya of Tasty Palettes, originally started by Susan
of Well seasoned cook

Badhakopir Tak(sour) Dom ( Cabbage in tomato gravy)

Cabbage is a fall and winter vegetable in India. Back home, my mom used to make this cabbage dish in winter nights. Cabbage gives our body a warm feeling and the combination of tomato & cabbage is like heaven. This dish tastes little sour from the tomatoes, that's why the name is tak dom. 'Tak' in bengali means sour. Read the benefits and do's and don'ts of preparing & eating cabbage here.


Ingredients :
Cabbage Head : 1
Tomato : 2 (medium)
Potato : 2 (boiled & cut into cubes)
Green Chilli : 1 (slit into two)
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

• Boil the potatoes and cut into medium size cubes. Cut cabbage into square like big chunks like this shown in the picture.
  

Microwave the cabbage in High for 4-5 minutes or until half done.

• In a pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds and slitted green chilli. When cumin seeds start to crackle, add tomatoes. In medium flame, stir until tomatoes get soft. Then add all the powdered spices and sugar and with 2 tblsp. water mix well and cook until oil seperates the masala.
• Then add boiled potatoes and cabbage. Mix well with the masala paste and pour 1 cup water. (note: it's not a dry preperation, there should be little curry left).
• When the vegetables are just done and the gravy thickens, take the pan out off heat.

Serve hot with chapati or plain white rice. It tastes best when hot, off course.
So, this winter treat is on the way to Winter Treat Event by Trupti of Recipe Center.

Paneer Makhani

A North Indian dish made with Paneer(Indian cottage cheese) cooked in rich creamy tomato gravy. Makhani( something cooked and sauted in butter or thick cream)
Nowadays, we can buy Paneer from market. You can make it at home, too. It's easy but little time consuming.

How to make Paneer

Ingredients :
1 litre Milk
11/2tsp. vinegar or 1tsp. lemon juice

How to prepare:

• Boil the milk in a pan.
• When it's boiling add lemon juice or vinegar, while stirring.
• When milk curdles fully, turn off the gas and keep aside for 5 minutes. Let it cool for 5-7 minutes.
  
• Pour it on to a cotton/muslin cloth and tie it with a tight knot. Hang it on a high level so water can drain faster.
• When all the water is drained from the paneer, shape it into a rectangular block.
• Now place the cloth under heavy weight for 2-3 hours before using it.
• Take paneer out of the cloth and slowly cut in 1" cube or rectengular pieces.

Now let's move to the main recipe.....................for that you need

Ingredients :

Panner : Around 15 pieces.

Onion :1 (Medium big)

Tomato : 2 (chopped)

Ginger : 1 inch piece 

Garlic : 4-5 cloves          

Chilli powder : 2 Tsp.

Cumin powder : 1 Tsp.

Coriander powder : 2 Tsp.

Sugar : 1/2 Tsp.

Butter/oil : 2 Tbsp.
Thick Cream : 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Cilantro/coriander leaves for Garnishing   

Method :

• Deep fry the paneer pieces until light brown. Don't overfry them, it hardens the paneer. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
• Grind Onion, ginger, garlic and mix with all the powders and make a fine paste.
• Heat the pan with butter/oil, add tomatoes and cook until it becomes soft.
• Mix in the Onion paste and cook till butter/oil floats on top.
• Add cream, salt and sugar and mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the Paneer and in slow flame cook another 5 minutes, garnish with Cilantro leaves and serve hot.

Serve with naan, roti, paratha or rice.

Soy Muttor

Soy Muttor (Soya nuggets with green peas)

Nutritional value and importance of Soybean are not unknown to anyone nowadays. Soybeans are considered by some to be a source of complete protein. For this reason, soy is a good source of protein for vegetarians. According to Wikipedia, The gold standard for measuring protein quality, since 1990, is the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) and by this criterion soy protein is near to being the nutritional equivalent of meat and eggs for human growth and health. Hence, I try to keep this super-value food in my weekly menu at least once. This is one of my favorite recipes of soybean, want to share with you all.............enjoy and don´t forget to add your remarks about this recipe................This soya dish I cooked for JFI : SOYA hosted this month by SIA of Monsoon Spice which is brainchild of Indira of Mahanandi.







To make this delicious dish, you need.........

Ingredients :

1 cup Soya nuggets
3/4 cup green peas
1 tsp. cumin seeds (jeera)
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp. ginger-green chilli paste
1/2 tsp. garlic paste
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tan coriander powder
2 tsp. Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/2 cup Yoghurt (dahi)
3-4 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. oil
Salt to taste

Method to cook:

• Soak the soya nuggets in hot salted water for 1/2 an hour and pressure cook it for 5 minutes. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds . When it crackles, add asofoetida, ginger-green chilli paste, garlic paste, onions and saute it until onions are soft and transparent.
• Then add tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and cook on a slow flame for about 5 minutes or until oil comes out.
• Then add the curds, gram flour, milk to the above gravy and mix it finely. After few minutes add soya nuggets, green peas, season with salt and sugar, mix them all and finally add 3/4 cup of water.
  
• Let it cook for another 4-5 minutes in medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.
  
• Serve with roti, paratha, puri or rice....but serve hot.
  

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vegetable Kofta Curry

As it is my first posting, I´ll start with my family´s one of the favorite relish. Normally on Friday dinner I make this dish as it takes not soooo long but quite a few time and on friday dinner there is no rush unlike other day.......

For this recipe you need...............

Ingredients for Kofta:
Carrot : 1 cup
Cauliflower : 3-4 florets
Potato : 1 medium
Cabbage : 1 cup
Green Peas : 1/2 cup
Ginger paste : 1 tsp.
Garlic Paste : 1 tsp.
Green Chillies : 2 (cut in fine pieces)
Coriander leaves
cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Besan or gram flour : 1 cup or as required
Salt to taste

Ingredients for curry :
Tomato puree : 4 tbsp.
Onion : 1(medium-chop finely)
Ginger paste : 1 tbsp.
Garlic Paste : 1 tbsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.table
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Cardamom, Cloves : 2 of each
Cinnamon stick : 2 (1 inch)
Bay leaf : 1
Cream : 3 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Oil

Now how to make the kofta :

• Boil all the vegetables together and mash them finely. Squeeze all the water from vegetable. Leave the peas as it is.
• In the mashed vegetable, add all other ingredients and mix them finely.
• Add enough besan or gram flour to this mixture to make round balls. Your vegetable kofta is ready to fry.
• In a heavy bottomed pan, deep fry these koftas from all sides. Drain excess oil and keep them aside on a paper towel.

Note : For frying, oil should be real hot. First fry one ball and check it is coming right or not, then fry the others. Then lower the heat and fry them slowly to cook them properly.



It´s time to make the curry :

• In a pan, take some oil. When it is hot, add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. When the flavour comes out, pour the finely chopped onion and fry until golden brown.
• Into this, add ginger-garlic paste and stir fry them for 1-2 minutes. Now add tomato puree and stir it for 2-3 minutes. In this, add red chilli and coriander powder. Mix them with the puree and stir until oil comes out.
  
• Then add little water and cook it for few minutes. When the curry is little thick, add the cream. Mix it finely and stir it another minute or two. The curry is ready to serve.
  
• Just before serving, add the koftas in the gravy and cook for 4-5 minutes, otherwise the koftas will be soggy. Serve hot with rice or parotas or rotis.............

Accidentally, I lost the end picture. So, I couldn't post it this time. I Surely will post as soon as I will get another one. Thanks for understanding...........