Aloo Ke Kebabs (Potato Kebabs)

This tea time snack is a tasty alternative for those who love kebabs but are vegetarian.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup potato boiled and mashed
• 1 cup grated cottage cheese (paneer)
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped cashew nuts
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped fine
• 2 tbsp green chilies chopped fine
• Breadcrumbs/maida for crumbing
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Method:

• Mix paneer and boiled mashed potato well. Add corn flour, ginger grated, white pepper powder, salt and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Knead the potato mix (dough) well until it is smooth and soft.
• Now apply some oil on your palms and put some of the potato mix in the cupped palm of your hand, and form it into a hollowed cup about size of half a lemon. Put some of the chopped cashews, chopped coriander leaves and chopped green chilies in the potato cup, and cover with the potato mix around it to make a ball. Roll each cylinder in breadcrumb/maida and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep pan or kadhai on medium heat and fry the potato rolls until light brown.
• Serve with Green Chutney or Tamaatar Ki Chutney of your choice.

Do You Know?

Dry breadcrumbs are made from very dry bread which has been baked or toasted to remove all remaining moisture, and may have a sandy or even powdery texture. They can be used to make a crisp and crunchy coating for fried foods.

The breads used to make soft or fresh bread crumbs are not quite as dry, so the crumbs are larger and produce a softer coating, crust, or stuffing.

Gobhi Achari

A mouth watering dish, in which, Cauliflower is cooked in Mustard oil. To give flavor of Achar (pickle) Fenugreek, Kalonji and Fennel seeds are added along with other spices.

Ingredients:

• Big florets of one medium sized cauliflower
• 1 medium size onion chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 medium size tomato chopped
• 2-3 green chilies sliced in half vertically
• 1 tsp Kasuri methi
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp amchoor powder
• 1 lemon /lime
• 4 tbsp mustard oil

Pickle Masala:

• ¾ tsp saunf (fennel seeds)
• ¾ tsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds)
• ¾ tsp kalonji (black onion Seeds)
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Blanch cauliflower: Separate florets of cauliflower. Plunge the florets into boiling water (with 1 tsp of salt in it), remove after 2-3 minutes, and finally place them under cold running water to halt the cooking process. Pat dry the florets and keep aside for later use.
• Heat mustard oil in a heavy bottom pan till it starts to smoke. Shut off heat till smoke settles down. Now turn the heat back on. Add chopped onions. Sauté till edges start to turn brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and chopped tomato. Cook till tomato is mushy.
• Add remaining ingredients and blanched cauliflower. Mix it well. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of water. Cover and turn down heat.
• Cook covered for about 3-4 minutes or till cauliflower is dry and pickle fragrant.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Squeeze lemon and serve with Dal and Roti

Blanching of Cauliflower

Do You Know?

Food is blanched to soften it, or to partly or fully cook it, or to remove a strong taste (for example of bacon, cabbage, or onions).

Vegetables continue to cook after they are removed from the boiling water, so it is essential to plunge them into iced water or place them under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process, else they become soggy.

Arvi Cutlets (Colocasia Cutlets)

Boiled and mashed Arvi (Colocasia) mixed with spices, shaped into cutlets and shallow fried.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Arvi (Colocasia)
• 1 tbsp ginger chopped finely
• 1 tsp garlic chopped fine
• 2-3 Green Chilies chopped finely
• 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
• ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp Ajwain (carom seeds)
• Oil to shallow fry

Method:

• Boil colocasia in sufficient water till soft. Cool, peel and mash.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non sticking pan or kadai and add ajwain. As it changes color add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies and sauté.
• Add mashed colocassia and sauté for two to three minutes.
• Add garam masala powder, red chili powder, chaat masala and salt; sauté till the mixture leaves the side of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Divide the mixture into equal parts and shape them into cutlets.
• Heat a little oil in a pan, place a few cutlets on it and shallow fry till golden on both sides. Similarly shallow fry all the cutlets
• Drain them onto an absorbent paper.
• Serve hot sprinkled with chaat masala.

Do You Know?

Ajowan seeds contain an essential oil which is about 50% thymol. It is a strong germicide, anti-spasmodic and fungicide.

It is used in a steeped liquid form against diarrhea and flatulence.

In India the seeds are used as a household remedy for indigestion and colic, and used in poultices to relieve asthma and arthritis.

Baingan Fry

Round slices of Eggplant are coated with spice mixture powder and stir fried. Serve Baingan Fry with Roti and Dal of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 1 big size Baingan (Egg Plant)
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp amchoor powder
• 2 tbsp besan (Gram Flour)
• Salt to taste
• Chopped cilantro and lemon slices for garnishing
• ½ cup cooking oil

Method:

• Cut the baingan into thin round slices.
• Mix chili, turmeric, coriander amchoor powders, besan and salt together in a bowl.
• Spread Baingan slices on a plate and apply this spice powder on both the sides.
• Leave them for 15 minutes.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan on medium low heat. When oil is hot, layer few slices of Baingan on the frying pan. Fry both the sides till crispy.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and lemon slices.
• Serve hot with Roti and Dal of your choice.

Do You Know?

Degorging is a process of salting, rinsing and draining of the slices or cubes of eggplant fruit.

Larger, older eggplants have brown seeds that contain a bitter liquid. Salting eggplants removes some of this liquid and improves their flavor. They also tend to become soft and "melty" when cooked. The fruit is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed.

In general, it's not necessary to salt smaller eggplants since they have fewer seeds than larger eggplants.

Pakodi Raita

Pakodi Raita presents a unique concept of having crispy Besan (gram flour) Pakodi with beaten yogurt.

It is quicker to make than Dahi Vadas (Dahi Bhallas) and taste excellent, moreover, no sweet tamarind chutney is required to enjoy it as filler between two meals or as a side dish with main meal. Temper the Pakodi Raita with cumin seeds and asafetida.

Ingredients:

For Pakoris:

• 1 cup Bengal Gram flour (besan)
• 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped fine
• 1 Green Chili chopped fine
• 1 small Onion chopped fine
• ½ tsp Red Chili powder (optional)
• Pinch of Asafetida powder
• Salt to taste
• ¼ tsp ENO or baking powder

For Dahi:

• 1 cup fresh Yogurt
• 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Green Chili chopped fine
• Salt mix to taste
• ½ tsp roasted Jeera powder
• ½ tsp Red Chili powder

For Tempering:

• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafetida
• 1 tbsp oil

Method:

Prepare Pakodi:

• Mix all the ingredients for Pakodi together to form a thick batter (as for fritters).
• Heat the oil for deep frying, on a medium flame.
• Use a tablespoon (or your hand if you are more comfortable with that) to drop small portions of batter into the hot oil.
• Fry till golden, drain, remove from the oil and keep aside till they come down to normal room temperature.
• Once all Pakodi are fried, dip them in plenty of water and soak for about 10 minutes.

Prepare yogurt mix:

• In a bowl beat yogurt till smooth. Add salt mix, roasted cumin powder, red chili powder. Add seasoning to this.
• For Tempering: Heat oil in a small pan. Add cumin seeds. When spluttering is stopped add asafetida.
• Add this tempering to yogurt mix and immediately cover the bowl so that the aroma of the tempering is absorbed completely by yogurt. Leave it covered for about 10 minutes.

Serving:

• Take out Pakodi from water. Gently press out each Pakodi between palms and place in a flat serving dish.
• Pour yogurt mix over the Pakodi.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and chopped green chilies.
• Keep in fridge covered till required.

Do You Know?

Pakora / pakoda / pakodi / bajji / bhajji / bhajiya is all the same. It is a fried savory snack popularly prepared across South Asian countries

The word pakora is derived from Sanskrit pakvavaṭa, a pakva means ‘cooked’ and vaṭa means ‘a small lump’ or its derivative vaṭaka means ‘a round cake made of pulse fried in ghee’.

Moong Dal Pakodas

Make Pakodas with soaked ground Green Gram and lots of finely chopped vegetables and serve with chutney of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups split Green Gram with skin ( Hari Moong Dal )
• 2 tbsp Green Chilies finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Green Coriander leaves chopped fine
• ½ cup Potato cubed
• ½ cup Cauliflower chopped
• ½ cup Onion chopped fine
• ½ cup Tomato chopped fine
• ½ tsp Cumin (jeera)
• pinch of Asafetida ( hing)
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Chat Masala
• 2 tbsp Corn flour
• ¼ tsp Baking Powder
• Salt to taste
• Cooking oil for deep frying

Method:

• Soak dal for 2 hours.
• Drain and grind in a mixer grinder with minimum water to a paste.
• Beat the mixture with hand to make it a smooth paste.
• Add all vegetables and spices along with 1 tbsp of hot oil.
• Let the batter rest for about ½ an hour at a warm place.
• Heat the oil in a Kadhai or Wok for deep-frying on medium flame. Use a tablespoon (or your hand if you are more comfortable with that) to drop portions of batter into the hot oil. Fry till golden from all sides.
• Remove from the oil and drain them onto an absorbent paper.
• Serve the hot pakodas with coriander / mint chutney or Ketchup.

Do You Know?

The high fiber content of Green Gram yields complex carbohydrates, which aid digestion.

Complex carbohydrates are also effective in stabilizing blood sugar and prevent its rapid rise after meal consumption, apart from keeping body’s energy at a balanced level.

Those who suffer from diabetes or high cholesterol are recommended frequent consumption of Green Gram.

Tuna Cutlets

Tuna is a delicious, inexpensive and nutritious food so it is good to include it in our diet chart.

Here is a recipe for making cutlets using Canned Tuna Fish. Since it is easy to make from canned fish which are easily available in most of the grocery stores, it is one of my favorites.

These cutlets make an excellent appetizer. You can also place it on a bun and have it as a Burger.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of tuna in water (Chunk Light Tuna in water 5oz.each)
• 2 potatoes boiled and mashed
• 1 small onion chopped fine
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped fine
• 2 green chilies chopped fine
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• ½ tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Oil to shallow fry

Method:

• Drain water from tuna and marinate in 1 tbsp of lemon juice for 15 minutes.
• In a big bowl take mashed potatoes, chopped onion, grated ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro, garam masala, salt and corn flour.
• Add marinated Tuna and mix well.
• Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape into flat round cutlets. Roll each cutlet in bread crumbs or corn flour or semolina.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and shallow fry these cutlets on medium heat. Turn the cutlets and add more oil if needed. Fry until they are light brown and crispy.
• Garnish with onion, cucumber and serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

Do You Know?

Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae.

It is an oily fish, and therefore contains a high amount of Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. It is rich in protein also.

Tuna is canned in edible oils, in brine, or spring water. A can of tuna in oil contains about theAdequate Intake (AI) of the US Dietary Reference Intake of vitamin D for infants, children, men, and women aged 19–50 - 200 IU.