Cauliflower Cabbage Thoran

• 1 small cauliflower or about 1-1/2 cups of florets
• 1 small cabbage
• 1 cup green peas
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 green chilly slit (increase the spice quotient by adding one more)
• 1/2 inch ginger chopped
• 1/4 tsp red chilly powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• dash of sugar
• salt to taste
• oil for frying
• 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Clean the cauliflower - separate the florets and soak in salt water for at least 20minutes. Rinse with fresh water and allow to drain.

2. In a wok or pan heat the oil and toss in the mustard, when they splutter add the curry leaves and give it a stir. Add the chopped onions, cabbage, green peas, green chilly and ginger and fry till the onions turn translucent.

3. Add the red chilly powder, turmeric powder, toss till the masala is fried but do not burn. Add some water and salt to taste and a dash of sugar. 

4. Add the cauliflower florets and mix it well along with the rest of the masala.  Cover and allow to cook till almost done (do not overcook the cauliflower - the florets should not begin to crumble but have a slightly crunchy bite)

5. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Kerala Aviyal(Veg mix in Coconut sauce)

I feel that Avial is Kerala’s version of Ratatouille. It really is a bunch of random vegetables cut up to the same size and shape, layered and cooked. In this version, the vegetables are mixed with crushed coconut and spices and some kind of souring agent – mango, tamarind or yogurt. Most people I know use green mangoes in avial, but personally I hate mangoes in Avial. Yogurt is my preferred souring agent, I have never made it any other way! The vegetables used also vary depending on the availability and personal preferences, but I feel that drumstick is a must have vegetable in Avial. I found fresh drumsticks at the Indian store this time, I’ve always had to settle for the frozen variety before. If you can’t find drumsticks, don’t worry, it tastes pretty good even otherwise. I have listed the vegetables I used, but feel free to use anything else that you can find- like zucchini, squash, yard long beans, yam etc. 

Ingredients

• 1 drumstick
• 2 carrots
• 1 large white potato
• 1 green plantain
• 1 snake gourd
• a few green beans
• 1 eggplant
• 1/2 cup peas
• 6 green chilies, slit (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 3/4th cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup sliced shallots
• a few curry leaves
• 2 tbsp oil (coconut oil is the best, I used olive oil)
• 1/2 cup thick yogurt

Method

Split the drumsticks in half  and cut into 1” pieces. Peel the carrots, potatoes and plantain and cut into thin 1” long pieces. Cut the snake gourd and eggplant also into the same size and shape. Break the edges of the green beans and cut into the same size. Split the green chilies in half.
Arrange all the vegetables in a large pan, add the chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and split the green chilies. Add 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp oil. Cover and cook on very low heat till the vegetables are tender. The vegetables should give out some liquid, but check the pan occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the veggies.
While the vegetables are getting cooked, place the grated coconut, shallots and cumin seeds in a food processor and process it for a few seconds to make a coarse mixture.
Once the vegetables are cooked, add the coconut mixture, curry leaves and the remaining tbsp of oil to the pan, mix gently and cover and cook on low heat for 4 more minutes.
Stir in the yogurt and let it gently heat through for a minute or so. Remove from the heat and serve warm.

Potato Peas Fry(Aloo Matar) and Spring Onion Sambar

Potato Peas Fry(Aloo Matar)

Aloo Matar is a north Indian recipe. This can be prepared as stir fry and also as curry. This is my children’s favorite and I cook this very often. The liking for this started after seeing some cooking oil advertisement in TV (Aloo Matar Aur Bahut Saare Matar) some years back. Fresh green peas gives a lovely taste when cooked with potato.
Potato is known as Urulai Kizhangu in Tamil and as Aloo in Hindi. Green Peas is known as Pachai Pattani in Tamil and as Matar or Mutter in Hindi.
Cooking time: 25 minutes approximately

Ingredients

• Potato – 2 no
• Green peas – 1 cup
• Onion – 1 no
• Tomato – 1 no
• Green chilli – 1 no
• Red chilli powder – ½ tea spoon
• Coriander powder – 1 tea spoon
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tea spoon
• Cumin seeds – ½ tea spoon
• Curry/coriander leaves – few
• Salt – as per taste
• Oil – 2 tea spoon

  Method

  
  
• Chop potato, onion, tomato, green chilli and curry/coriander leaves.
• Heat a pan with oil; add cumin seeds and when cumin seeds splutter well, add chopped onion, curry leaves and green chilli; fry for few minutes.

• When onion is transparent, add chopped tomato and coriander leaves; fry for few seconds and then add green peas.

• Add all dry masala powders, mix well and fry for few seconds.

• When the peas are partially cooked, add chopped potato, ½ cup of water and salt; cover and cook in low flame till potato and onion are cooked soft (if needed sprinkle little water); fry for some more minutes till water evaporates to get a dry veggie.

• Serve hot with rice or chappati.

Tips

• Fresh green peas can also be replaced with frozen peas.

Mango Spring Onion Sambar,Aloo Matar with Rice and Papad

Spring Onions Sambhar:

Ingredients:

Green onion 1 large bunch
Mango 1 small size
Thuvar Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thuvar dal + salt + few spoons of oil+ Mango. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles. Set aside

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is translucent.

Then add tomatoes and fry till they wilt. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for about 2 minutes.

Add cooked thuvar dal now. Bring this to boil. Add the chopped green onions plus tamarind paste and sambar powder and cilantro leaves. Cook briefly and remove from heat.

In a separate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items. Tun this tempered spices over the sambar prepared.

Aloo Gobi Matar Sabzi(Cauliflower Potato Peas Curry)

 Aloo Gobi Matar Sabzi(Cauliflower Potato Peas Curry)

 Aloo Gobi is a popular spicy and flavorful dish made with potatoes and cauliflower.  It is finger-licking delicious and goes very well with rotis, naan, phulkas or any pulao.
Here is the recipe for Aloo Gobi..

Ingredients:

 Aloo Gobi Matar Sabzi(Cauliflower Potato Peas Curry)

• Potatoes - 3 medium size
• Cauliflower - 1/4 kg
• Peas - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Ginger/garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chillie powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Bay Leaf - 1
• Salt - As required
• Oil - 3-4 tbl spn

How To Prepare Aloo Gobi Masala:

• Wash and peel potatoes and cut them it into small cubes.  Finely chop onion and tomato and keep aside
• Cut the cauliflower into small florets, wash and blanch them by putting them in boiling water and letting them remain in the water for a few minutes, then drain the water completely.
• Add a little bit of turmeric and salt to the potato cubes and mix well.
• Heat oil in a kadai and fry the potatoes till they are golden brown, remove and keep aside.
• In the same kadai, add a little bit more oil and add bay leaf and finely chopped onion.  Fry till the onions turn light brown.
• Add turmeric and mix well.  Then add ginger-garlic paste, jeera powder, chilli powder, tomatoes and salt and mix well and saute for a few minutes till it gives a good smell.
• Now add the fried potatoes and cauliflower, mix well and add enough water to cover the veggies, close it with a lid and cook on medium flame till the veggies become soft.  Check for salt if required.
• Add garam masala powder mix well and let it cook for a minute more and switch off.
• Try this with rotis, parathas, or any pulao.  Its so delicious!

MUSHROOM PEAS PULAO/PILAF

MUSHROOM PEAS PULAO

A Simple and delicious pulao for Mushroom lovers.I always love to prepare one pot dishes as it is quick and easy with very less chopping,less ingredients and no grinding. I have not used any powders for this pulao, so if needed add according to your taste and enjoy.

This is one of my daughter's favorite.:)

For this pulao you need
6- 7 nos. of Button Mushrooms 1 cup of peas 1 onion 1-2 nos. of green chillies(acc. to ur taste) 1 tsp. of ginger-garlic paste 2 nos. of cardamom 1 Bay leaf 1" cinnamon stick 2 nos. of cloves 1 star anise Salt Ghee

MUSHROOM PEAS PULAO

Oil

Preparation

Wash and slice the button mushrooms, chop the onion and split the green chilly lengthwise.

Heat oil and ghee in the pressure cooker. Add bay leaf, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and cloves. Saute for a min.

Add the ginger-garlic paste, saute it until the raw smell extracts from it . Add the mushrooms and peas and saute it for 5 mins. Meanwhile wash the rice. Drain the water and keep it aside.

After 5 mins, add rice with these mushroom and peas , saute it for a min. 

Now add two cups of water along with salt and allow it for 2 whistles.

When the pressure is down,this delicious pulao is ready to be tasted...................

 

Peas Mushroom Masala

Matar mushroom masala, mushroom and matar cooked in spicy onion tomato gravy and richen by cashew paste. Serves best with rotis, paratha or pulaos. .

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
4 cardamoms
1 stick of cinnamon (dalchini)
1 cup chopped onions
2 tbsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tbsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander (dhania) seeds powder
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
1/4 cup cashewnut (kaju) paste
1 1/2 cups green peas
200 gms mushrooms (khumbh) , cut into halves

For The Garnish2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

 

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cardamoms, cinnamon stick and onions and saute till onions turn golden brown in colour.
2. Add the ginger-garlic paste, mix well and cook for 2 minutes on a medium flame.
3. Add the tomato puree, chilli powder, coriander seeds powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt and cook till the oil leaves the masala.
4. Add the cashewnut paste dissolved in 1 cup of water and mix well.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to a boil.
6. Add the green peas and mushrooms and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or till the green peas are cooked.
7. Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Aloo Matar/Potatoes Peas Gravy

Aloo Matar

Aloo Matar

When I was Pregnant, Every dinner included potato in some form or another.  Steamed potato, baked potato, mashed potato; with gravy or without, you name it and we ate it.   We had potato every night, in fact, my huby still eats potato with steamed veggies and some kind of meat, every night of the week.  So, to no great surprise, I got sick and tired of eating the same kind of potato.  I put the potato on the back burner, in search of new and exciting flavors.


Potatoes are a very versatile ingredient in Indian cooking.  You can find potato recipes all over India, from the tips of the Himalayas to the coasts of Kerala.  I think the potato must be the vegetable people turn to the most when they need something quick, filling and nourishing.   To give you an idea of just how many Indian recipes there are for potatoes, here is a small sampling of the versatility of the humble potato
Potatoes with cauliflower (aloo gobi)
Potatoes mashed together with mixed vegetables and served with bread (pav bhaji)
Pan fried potato and vegetable cutlets
spicy mashed potatoes enveloped in dough and deep fried (samosas…check out our baked version of samosas)
Breads stuffed with spicy potatoes (aloo parathas)
Vegetable dumplings made with potatoes and cheese and covered in a creamy curry sauce (malai kofta)

….the list is almost endless.




A popular restaurant dish which comes from Punjab.This technique the quickest way to make the basic masala required in most Indian recipe Serves: 6
Time: 1 hour
Spice Level: low (if you want it spicy feel free to add more chilies or a spoonful of red chili powder)

Cabbage,Peas and Carrots Stir Fry

This is a very simple dish but is a comfort food for me. I remember eating this as a child and for some reason we never made this when we started living on our own. I can eat this just by itself with some steam rice and it would be heaven for me.
It might not be very special for everyone but it is close to my heart so I thought I’ll share this recipe.
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Shelf Life : 1 day
Serving Suggestion : With Rice it goes great