Hara Kaddu Sabji (Green Pumpkin Curry)

This simple dish tastes great with hot parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread). Team with a dal and you've got a terrific vegetarian meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green pumpkin chopped in small cubes
• 1 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
• Pinch of asafetida
• 1 dry whole red chili
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder)
• 2-3 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp mustard oil

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pan and add asafetida, whole dry red chilies and methi seeds.
• When the seeds begin to splutter, add the garlic and stir-fry till brown.
• Add pumpkin and fry for a minute. Add salt, chili powder, turmeric and stir to mix well.
• Add the green chilies and cook covered till pumpkin is cooked. Mix in amchoor powder.
• Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Cottage Cheese Salad

One can prepare salad with anything - fresh vegetables, canned vegetables, fruits, eggs and seafood. Here I have prepared salad with cottage cheese along with peas and baby mushrooms. Tomatoes not only provide nutrition but give color also to the salad platter therefore they are added to salad..

Ingredients:

• ½ pound Cottage Cheese slices
• ½ pound Green Peas
• 5-6 Button Mushrooms
• 2 small firm tomatoes
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro finely chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper powder
• Chaat masala
• 1 lemon/lime

Method:

• Heat butter in a frying pan and sauté paneer slices. Take them out in bowl.
• Stir fry peas and mushrooms in the same frying pan in remaining butter. Take them out in a separate bowl.
• Crumble the paneer and add salt, chat masala, black pepper powder and chopped green chilies. Mix well.
• Add salt, black pepper powder and chat masala in peas and mushrooms also.
• Cut tomatoes in fancy styles.
• Arrange in a salad plate. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Squeeze lemon over paneer, peas and mushrooms.
• Serve fresh.

Aloo Matar Gobhi Ki Tehari (Vegetable Pulao UP Style)

Tehri is a rice dish, very popular in North Indian Homes. Rice is cooked with Potatoes, Cauliflower and Peas.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 large potato peeled cut into big chunks ( around 8 pieces)
• ½ pound cauliflower cut into chunky flowerets
• ½ cup green peas
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 green chili chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1” cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cloves
• 1 tsp dry ginger powder
• ¼ tsp asafetida
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups water
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add asafetida, bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves. Stir for few seconds. Add chopped onion and fry till onion is light brown.
• Now add potatoes and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add in cauliflower and peas, stir fry for another 3-4 minutes. Add all other ingredients along with rice, except water.
• Stir fry rice for 3-4 minutes. Now add water and stir.
• Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Only one whistle is enough to cook rice (You can cook in covered pan also till rice is done).
• Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool.
• Serve hot with Salad, Onion Raita, Pickle/Chutney and Papad.

Do You Know?

Rice absorbs water during cooking (either by boiling or steaming).

Rice is cooked by two methods:

1. In one method it is cooked in just as much water as it absorbs (the absorption method),

2. In another method it is cooked in a large quantity of water which is drained before serving (the rapid-boil method).

Electric rice cookers, popular in Asia and Latin America, simplify the process of cooking rice.

Rice is often fried in oil before boiling, or oil is added to the water; this is thought to make the cooked rice less sticky.

Moong Dal Halwa

This is a traditional recipe of making Moong Dal Halwa (Green Gram Dal) in which dal is first soaked and ground and then fried in ghee. Although this process is little lengthy but outcome is really good.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups split skinned green gram (Dhuli moong dal)
• 1 cup ghee ( clarified butter)
• 1 cup khoya
• 2 cups sugar ( can be modified according to taste)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp powdered cardamoms
• 2 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
• 1 tsp Rose water
• Few strings of Saffron

Method:

• Wash and soak lentils for 1 hour.
• Blend it with minimum water to a make a thick paste.
• Fry dal in ghee, in a heavy bottom skillet, on medium fire until it becomes light brown in color.
• Put the sugar and water to boil in another pan. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves completely. Boil for 5 minutes.
• Add this sugar syrup to fried dal. Cook, stirring vigorously until the mixture becomes thick. Add khoya, dry fruits, cardamom powder, Saffron, rose water and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Garnish with nuts and serve hot.

Do You Know?

Khoa or khoya or mawa is a dried whole milk. It is normally white or pale yellow, similar to ricotta cheese, but lower in moisture and made from whole milk instead of whey.

There are three types of khoya - batti, chickna, and daan-e-daar. Batti, meaning “rock,” has 50% moisture by weight and is the hardest of the three types; it can be grated like cheese. It can be aged for up to a year, during which it develops a unique aroma and a mouldy outer surface. Chickna (“slippery” or “squishy”) khoya has 80% moisture. For daan-e-daar, the milk is coagulated with an acid during the simmering and has moderate moisture content. Different Khoa is used for different preparation.

Khoa was originally produced by heating milk in an open iron pan and placing over a medium fire for several hours. The milk was simmered at 175–180°F (about 80°C), an ideal temperature to avoid boiling and minimize scorching.

Paratha Stuffed with Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

We Indians love to eat parathas… especially during winters…for morning breakfasts. Crispy paratha stuffed with paneer is nutritious and easy to prepare. Enjoy it with green coriander chutney and/or pickle.

Ingredients:
For Dough

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup Maida (all purpose flour)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• Warm water

For Stuffing:

• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp chaat masala
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp oregano or crushed ajwain
• Ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil to pan-fry parathas

Method:

• Mix wheat flour, Maida, salt, oil and knead it into smooth dough using warm water. Cover the dough with moist kitchen towel and keep aside for 1 hour.
• Mix all the ingredients for stuffing.
• Follow : Method VI Making Paratha
• Divide the dough into 6-8 equal sized balls. Flour a clean surface and roll each ball out into a puri (circle) about 3-4" in diameter.
• Place a tbsp of stuffing on one puri and cover with another puri. Press the edges together well.
• Roll out to the size of paratha very gently (sprinkling some whole-wheat flour on the surface where it is rolled out) so that the filling does not come out.
• Heat a griddle on medium flame and place a paratha on the griddle. Flip the paratha when tiny bubbles rise on the surface. Drizzle a bit of ghee on the top and spread well over the surface of the paratha. Flip the paratha again after few seconds and drizzle ghee on this surface too. The paratha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown. Remove from the griddle and repeat with the other parathas until all are cooked.
• Serve with green cilantro chutney and/or pickle.

Churmuri Salad (Grated Radish Salad)

Simple nutritive and quick to make salad made with grated radish, tomato and green chili.

Ingredients:

• 2 Mooli (radish) peeled and grated
• ½ tomato finely chopped
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Green bell pepper and boiled potato for decorating salad plate

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients and arrange on a serving plate.
• Add salt just before serving.

Do You Know?

Radishes are suggested as an alternative treatment for a variety of ailments including whooping cough, cancer, coughs, gastric discomfort, liver problems, constipation, dyspepsia, gallbladder problems, arthritis, gallstones, kidney stones and intestinal parasites.

Methi Aloo (Baby Potatoes with Fresh Fenugreek Leaves)

In winter nothing like eating hot crispy parathas in breakfast with vegetable made of fragrant fresh methi leaves (Fenugreek Leaves) cooked with Baby Potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound baby (small) potatoes (washed and scrubbed well)
• 2 small cloves of garlic
• ¼ tsp asafetida
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh fenugreek leaves (methi)
• 3-4 tbsp mustard oil or any other cooking oil
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp crushed red chili
• salt to taste
• 1 whole dried large red chili

Method:

• Remove the stems of methi and chop the leaves finely. Wash methi several times in the water. Strain it.
• Wash and scrub the potatoes. Do no peel them. Cut them into half.
• Heat oil until it smokes, reduce the flame and add asafetida and whole dried red chili. Immediately add chopped garlic and fry until medium brown. Do not burn the garlic otherwise it will become bitter.
• As soon as the garlic changes color add potatoes, and fry till pink over low heat. Potatoes should be more than half done after frying.
• Add chopped methi leaves, turmeric powder, salt, and red chili powder and mix well. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or till the potatoes are done.
• Uncover and cook till all water, if it is there, is evaporated.
• Serve with hot crispy paratha.

Paneer Shimla Mirch (Cottage Cheese with Green Bell Pepper)

This delicious dish is made from a Paneer and Shimla Mirch (Green Bell Pepper). You enjoy more if Shimla Mirch is crunchy. Use tofu instead of paneer, for a vegan dish.

Ingredients:
1 pound paneer/ cottage cheese, cut into 1 ½ " cubes
1 large sized green bell peppers/ capsicum cut into 1 ½ " square pieces
2 large onions sliced thinly
1 tsp ginger grated
1 tsp garlic finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp vegetable cooking oil
Pinch of orange color (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan on a medium to high heat. Add the onion, garlic and Fry till soft.
Add all the dry ingredients, tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously till masala leaves oil.
Now add the paneer and green bell peppers. Mix well and check for salt. Season if required. Cook for 4-5 minute. Don’t overcook, shimla mirch should remain crunchy.
This dish should have almost no gravy - just a coating sauce. If it is too dry, add 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Mix in pinch of food color if you like.
Turn off the heat and spoon the curry onto a serving platter.
Garnish with some grated cottage cheese and serve with naan or paratha.

Do You Know:
Cottage cheese is a great alternative milk protein source that is long been popular with the dieting crowd. It is low in fat and carbohydrates while high in protein

The term "cottage cheese" is believed to have originated because the simple cheese was usually made in cottages from any milk leftover after making butter. The term was first used in 1848.

Cottage cheese should ideally be eaten within 10 days

Bhuna Keema Kaleji (Minced Meat with Liver Curry)

Liver is cooked with minced goat meat and spices.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb ground/minced Mutton ( Goat/Lamb)
• ½ lb Liver cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp Ginger grated
• 1 tsp Garlic grated
• 2 medium Onions finely chopped
• 2 Green Chilies finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Yogurt
• 1 Bay leaf
• ½ tsp Caraway Seeds (Shahjeera)
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
• ½ tsp Cumin Powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely chopped Coriander leaves

Method:

• Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan and add bay leaf and Caraway Seeds. Fry till they turn slightly darker. Add onion and fry until lightly browned.
• Add garlic and stir-fry for a minute.
• Add liver pieces and fry for 1 minute, now add minced mutton, ginger, green chilies, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and red chili powder.
• Fry for five minutes breaking up any lumps of minced meat if formed. Add a cup of water.
• Cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Add salt and garam masala powder. Simmer covered until minced mutton and liver are cooked well.
• Add lemon juice, mix, transfer it in a serving Dish.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with Tandoori roti.

Do You Know?

Goat liver has a strong flavor. It should have a bright color with a moist but not slimy surface and a fresh smell. Prepare it the day you buy it, or store it loosely wrapped in the refrigerator for no more than 1 day. Goat liver is available in supermarkets frozen. It is available fresh in butcher shops.

Goat liver can replenish the blood, tonify the liver and improve eyesight.

Soya Flour Paratha

Addition of Soya Flour to wheat flour increases the nutritional quality of the paratha. It also provides a distinctive aroma and saturated feel to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup gram flour ( Besan)
• 1 ½ tbsp defatted Soya flour
• ½ tsp to taste
• 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• Ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil to pan-fry parathas

Method:

• Mix the wheat flour and besan.
• Add 3 tbsp cooking oil, carom seeds, green chilies, coriander leaves and salt to taste and mix well.
• Knead the wheat flour mix into smooth, firm dough and keep aside in refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Divide all the dough into equal sized balls.
• Flour a clean surface and roll each ball out into a circle about 4” in diameter.
• Sprinkle some dry wheat flour over it (flattened dough ball). Now roll it into a finger shaped structure. Coil this into a spiral.
• Flour the rolling surface lightly and very gently roll out the spiral into a flat circle about 5-6” in diameter.
• Heat a griddle and put a paratha over it. Flip the paratha when you see tiny bubbles rising on the surface of the paratha. Drizzle a bit of ghee/oil on the top and spread well over the surface of the paratha. Flip again and drizzle some more ghee/oil on this surface too. The paratha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown.
• Serve with Salad and/or Green Coriander Chutney and /or any other side dish.

Do You Know?
Soya flour is a rich source of high quality vegetable protein with low calorie and fat content.
Soya flour is manufactured from good quality soya beans by thoroughly removing husk from the seed, removing fats and then grinding the seeds fine under most hygienic conditions.

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe with peas, mushrooms and tomato sauce.

Ingredients:
For stuffed chicken breast:

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves, skin removed
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp black pepper powder
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup green peas
• ½ cup chopped mushroom
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Tomato Sauce:

• 2-3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil and add peas and chopped mushroom. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Mix in salt and pepper. Keep aside.
• Marinate chicken breast pieces in salt, black pepper powder, 1 tbsp oil and lemon juice for 15 minutes.
• Place each piece of chicken between 2 sheets of butter paper or in a food storage bag. Pound gently to flatten, using a rolling pin or smooth side of meat mallet.
• Place small amount of peas mushroom mixture in the center of each flattened piece of chicken.
• Fold ends over the peas mushroom mixture; roll up, beginning with long side. Secure rolls with toothpicks.
• Place chicken rolls on a plate; cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.
• Fry chicken rolls for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown.
• In a separate pan heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil and fry onion till golden brown. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add tomato paste; chili, turmeric, coriander powders and salt. Fry till oil separates. Add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil.
• Add chicken rolls, simmer covered till chicken is tender.
• Serve with Paratha or Tandoori Roti.

Tips:

Never freeze cooked meat while it is warm. It must be completely cold before it is packed.

Do not re-freeze cooked meat that has been frozen and thawed completely.

Cook the meat again thoroughly and then re-freeze (this is probably not a good idea as the meat will be highly overcooked by this process, but it can be used in emergencies).

Crispy Bhindi / Lady Finger / Okra

Ingredients:

• 1 pound okra wash, dry, remove top and slit into 2 lengthwise
• 2 tsps rice flour
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp amchur powder ( raw mango powder)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon Juice
• Cooking oil for frying

Method:

• Heat the cooking oil on a medium flame. Do not heat the oil too much as okra burns quickly when deep fried.
• Put the okra in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle all the other ingredients on it. Season with salt just before frying or else the okra will release water and become soggy.
• Fry the okra a little at a time, until crisp.
• Garnish with onion or cilantro and serve with plain boiled rice and plain Dal.

Do You Know?

Okra is easily dried for later use. Dishes produced using dry okra gives much the same results as does the fresh product.

In some lands the seeds rather than the whole young pods are of most interest. When ripe the seeds yield edible oil that is the equal of many other cooking oils. It is used in Mediterranean countries and the East, where edible oils are produced less.

The ripe seeds of okra are sometimes roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee. A close relative of okra, roselle, is used as a source of fiber for cloth.

Murg Hari Mirch Ka ( Chicken with Green Chili)

A marinated chicken recipe with distinctive flavors of Green chilies and curry leaves

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless chicken, cut into small pieces
• 1 tbsp fresh coarsely ground black pepper corns
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tsp Chicken Curry Masala (available at Indian Grocery Stores)
• 2 tsp All Purpose Flour
• Salt to taste
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 4-5 green chilies chopped fine
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tblsp oil

Method:

• Mix yogurt, ginger garlic paste, black pepper corns, chicken curry masala, all purpose flour and salt in a bowl and marinate chicken in this for about an hour.
• Now heat oil in a wok and add curry leaves and green chilies.
• Fry in chicken along with marinade.
• Cook on slow fire stirring frequently till chicken is tender.
• Serve hot with roti (Indian Flat Bread)

Do You Know?
Rubs are concentrated applications of seasoning blends rubbed into the surface of meats.

Rubs give food more flavor than a mere sprinkling of seasoning.

To apply a rub, start by moistening poultry, meat or vegetables with a little vegetable oil, olive oil or water. Rub the dried seasoning onto the surface before cooking.