Sheem Paturi (Flat Beans Curry - Bong Style)

 

           Paturi is a traditional Bengali recipe where the fish is coated in mustard paste and is steamed. It is generally cooked, wrapped in a banana leaf. But today I would like to share my version of a paturi style recipe with flat beans. 

          It is a very simple, easy and equally delicious dish. As banana leaf was not available, I cooked the flat beans, mixed with all the mentioned ingredients in a dum style. This side dish can be had with steamed rice or chapattis. So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional dish. 

• 400 gms. flat beans, chopped in half
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil

          In a pan / kadai, transfer the chopped flat beans and all the above mentioned ingredients. Mix everything well. 

          Cover and cook on a low flame by sprinkling some water at intervals till it is done.

          When the veggie turns soft, switch off the flame. Your curry is done. It is that simple and easy.  Relish as a side dish with either steamed rice or chapatti.

                   In a pan / kadai, transfer the chopped flat beans

                     and all the above mentioned ingredients. 

                       Mix everything well. 

Cover & cook on a low flame by sprinkling some water at intervals till it is done.

          When the veggie turns soft, switch off the flame. Your curry is done. 

           Relish as a side dish with either steamed rice or chapatti.

Strawberry Pulihora (Strawberry Rice - South Indian style)

 

          Check out this Strawberry Pulihora, which is a spicy and tangy fried rice using fresh and juicy strawberries that are slightly sour. At times you can use lemon juice or tamarind pulp for more tanginess. It can be relished for breakfast, snack, a quick brunch / lunch or as a lunch box meal. 

            Very easy to prepare, it is also a perfect picnic meal that can be served with any chips, papad, fryums or pickle. It is also a quick dish if you already have some cooked rice. This way you can combine both strawberries and rice to come up with this fusion dish. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this wholesome and comforting fruit based one pot meal. 

               Pulihora is a traditional rice dish, popular in South India, especially Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Typically, lemon juice or tamarind pulp is used to make this dish tangy and flavorful. They come out real amazing and comforting. 

               Pulihora is often served during festivals and as prasadam in temples. It is also known as Puliyogare in Karnataka and Puliyodarai in Tamil Nadu. A great way to use up any leftover rice is to prepare this simple and yummy rice dish.

               On the other hand, Strawberries are high on antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C. It also boosts immunity, is good for the heart and improves blood pressure and cholesterol. As it is low in sugar, it is good for diabetics. In that case, you can replace rice with any millet of your choice for a well balanced guilt free meal.

       

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 10-12 fresh strawberries, rinsed, drained  chopped
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split green gram)
• 1 tbsp. chana dal (Bengal Gram)
• 10-12 whole peppercorns
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. roasted cashew nuts / peanuts
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Add the strawberries into a pan along with 1/4 cup water, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp. oil. 

          Cook on a low to medium flame till all the water has evaporated and it turns soft and mushy. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

          Then add the dry red chili, ginger, peppercorns, urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida, green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the cooked rice, strawberry paste, salt and cashew nuts. Mix everything well and sauté for 2 minutes. 

          When done, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. 

          Serve with papad, chips or fryums for a nice comforting breakfast / meal.

Add the strawberries into a pan along with 1/4 cup water, a pinch of salt & 1 tsp. oil. 

Cook on a low to medium flame till all the water has evaporated & it turns soft and mushy. Keep aside. 

       Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

Add the dry red chili, ginger, peppercorns, urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida, green chilies & curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.

Add the cooked rice, strawberry paste, salt & cashew nuts. Mix everything well & sauté for 2 minutes. 

When done, switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves. 

Serve with papad, chips or fryums for a nice comforting breakfast / meal.

Raw Papaya Sambharo - Gujarati style

 

          Raw Papaya Sambharo is a Gujarati style accompaniment that is traditionally served with fafda, which is a deep fried savory dish. Sambharo can also be termed as a chutney or salad that goes well with either dhokla, thepla, chapatti, paratha or as a side dish with dal-rice combo. It can also be had as it is just like a salad. 

          Healthy and nutritious, it can be prepared in a jiffy as it has very few ingredients. It is cooked al dente, so it has a crunch in every bite. The use of green chilies can be adjusted accordingly. In the absence of fafda, I enjoyed this amazing dish with Middle Eastern Lavash bread. So give this dish a try by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional recipe. 

• half of a medium raw papaya, grated 
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• 1 sprig curry leaves 
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Remove the seeds and the pith from the papaya. Then grate it and keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. 

          Then add the green chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Now add the grated papaya, salt to taste and turmeric powder. Mix everything well and continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

          When done, add the lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with  fafda in a typical Gujarati style. 

          You can also relish it with thepla, dhokla, chapatti, paratha, dal-chawal or as a salad. 

 Remove the seeds & the pith from the papaya. Then grate it & keep aside. 

         Heat oil in a pan  temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. 

      Add green chilies, asafoetida & curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. 

Add the grated papaya, salt to taste & turmeric powder. Mix everything well & stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

                  When done, add coriander leaves and lime juice. 

Serve with  fafda in a typical Gujarati style. You can also relish it with thepla, dhokla, chapatti, paratha, dal-chawal or as a salad. 

Cranberry Pulihora / Cranberry Rice - South Indian style

 

           Check out this Cranberry Pulihora, which is a spicy and tangy fried rice using cranberries that are naturally sour in taste. At times you can use lemon juice or tamarind pulp for more tanginess. It can be relished for breakfast, snack, a quick brunch / lunch or as a lunch box meal. 

            Very easy to prepare, it is also a perfect picnic meal that can be served with any chips, papad, fryums or pickle. It is also a quick dish if you already have some cooked rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this wholesome and comforting one pot dish. 

               Pulihora is a traditional rice dish, popular in South India, especially Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Typically, lemon juice or tamarind pulp is used to make this dish tangy and flavorful. At times, I also prepare pulihora with raw mango, coconut, tomato, curry leaves or sorrel leaves and using the same method. They come out real amazing and comforting. 

               Pulihora is often served during festivals and as prasadam in temples. It is also known as Puliyogare in Karnataka and Puliyodarai in Tamil Nadu. A great way to use up any leftover rice is to prepare this simple and yummy rice dish.

       

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed & drained
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split green gram)
• 1 tbsp. chana dal (Bengal Gram)
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. roasted cashew nuts / peanuts
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

           Add the cranberries to a pan along with 1/4 cup water, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp. oil. 

          Simmer on a low to medium flame till all the water has evaporated and it turns soft and mushy. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

          Then add the dry red chili, urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida, green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the cooked rice, cranberry paste, salt and cashew nuts. Mix everything well and sauté for 2 minutes. 

          When done, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. 

          Serve with papad, chips or fryums for a nice comforting breakfast / meal.

Add the cranberries to a pan along with 1/4 cup water, a pinch of salt & 1 tsp. oil. 

Simmer on a low to medium flame till all the water has evaporated & it turns soft & mushy. Keep aside. 

      Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

Add the dry red chili, urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida, green chilies  curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.

Add the cooked rice, cranberry paste, salt & cashew nuts. Mix everything well & sauté for 2 minutes. 

     When done, switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with papad, chips or fryums for a nice comforting breakfast / meal.

Thekua (Indian Cookies - Bihari style)

 

          This is a traditional and a very popular Bihari style deep fried snack that is typically prepared during Chhat Puja. They are offered to God and served as prasad. It is prepared with wheat flour along with few other ingredients and then deep fried to perfection. They turn out crisp and crunchy from outside and soft inside. These cookies are also relished as a tea time snack. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare these regional festive sweets.

          

           Cardamom powder, semolina, fennel seeds, dry coconut flakes, ghee and jaggery syrup goes into making these yummy biscuits. 

          However, I also added a little bit of pistachio and almond powder, which is purely optional. As dried coconut was unavailable, I substituted it with dry roasted coconut. 

          Special Thekua molds are used to prepare them. But you can create any design of your choice with the help of a toothpick or fork. Traditionally they are deep fried in ghee to a golden brown color during the festival. 

          They can be stored for almost a week if stored in an air tight container. Hence, it can be enjoyed as and when desired. 

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp. semolina
• 2 tbsp. dry roasted coconut
• 2 tbsp. powdered pistaschios & almonds (opt)
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
• 2-3 tbsp. ghee
• 1/3 cup jaggery powder 
• 1/4 cup warm water
• oil to deep fry

          Mix together the jaggery and warm water till it melts. Then strain and keep aside. 

         Mix together whole wheat flour, semolina, pinch of salt, pistachios & almonds powder, roasted coconut, cardamom powder and fennel seeds. 

          Then add the ghee and combine with the flour into a breadcrumb like consistency. It should form a lump and hold its shape. 

         Slowly add the jaggery syrup, little at a time, and knead into a tight dough. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. Knead again and divide into small equal portions.

          Take each portion and give the shape of a leaf. Then mark with a toothpick. 

          Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry them on a low flame, few at a time, till light golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel.

          Cool them completely and store in an air tight container. Enjoy as a tea time snack. 

Mix together whole wheat flour, semolina, pinch of salt, pistachios & almonds powder, roasted coconut, cardamom powder and fennel seeds. 

                       Then add the ghee.

Combine with the flour into a breadcrumb like consistency. It should form a lump  hold its shape. 

Slowly add the jaggery syrup, little at a time, & knead into a tight dough. 

                     Cover & keep aside for 10 minutes. 

                  Knead again and divide into small equal portions.

     Take each portion & give the shape of a leaf. Then mark with a toothpick. 

        Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry them on a low flame, few at a time, 

                    till light golden in colour. 

                     Drain on a kitchen towel.

                     Cool them completely & store in an air tight container. 

                Enjoy as a tea time snack.