Beans & Roasted Chana Dal Stir Fry (Beans with roasted Bengal Gram)

          This is a simple and an easy homemade style beans curry, sauteed along with some roasted chana dal. The combination works extremely well. This is one healthy side dish that can be done in no time. It requires minimum of effort and serves as a perfect side dish with either rice or chapattis. 

          You can also replace the chana dal with fried moong dal and dish out a new version. I added some sambar powder for a South Indian flavour, but you may substitute it for garam masala too if preferred. Made into a roll, they can be a great lunch box meal too or a quick meal on the go. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 300 gms. beans, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp. split urad dal (black gram lentil)
• 1 tsp. raw rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup roasted chana dal
• 1 tsp. sambar / rasam powder
• 1 tsp. lime juice 
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh grated coconut and sliced fresh red chilies to garnish (opt)

          Steam / boil the beans till they turn soft and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and temper with the mustard seeds. 

          After it stops spluttering, add the fenugreek seeds, urad dal and rice. Sauté till the dal changes colour.

          Add the onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Fry on a medium flame till light brown. 

          Now add the steamed beans, salt, turmeric powder and roasted chana dal. Mix everything well and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes.

          When done, add the coriander leaves, sambar powder, lime juice and red chili flakes. Give it a toss and switch off the flame.

          Keep it covered for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with coconut and fresh red chilies and serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis. 




Note - 
1.  If you are using normal chana dal, remember to first soak it for an hour,  half boil it and then use as required. Same goes with the moong dal too. 

                Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds. Then add fenugreek seeds, urad dal 
                and rice. Sauté till dal changes colour.

                   Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies & curry leaves. Fry on a medium
                   flame till light brown. 

                   Add steamed beans, salt, turmeric powder & fried chana dal. Mix well &
                   sauté for 1-2 minutes.

                   Add coriander leaves, sambar powder, lime juice & red chili flakes. Give it
                   a toss & switch off the flame.

Garnish with coconut & fresh red chilies & serve as a side dish with either 

                    rice or chapattis. 

Spinach Fried Rice

          This is a wholesome one-pot meal in itself with the goodness of some power packed proteins and carbohydrates. Very easy and simple to make, any leftover rice can be easily turned into this tasty spinach fried rice. It is also an excellent lunch box meal and can be enjoyed with raita and papad. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 4-5 cloves
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1-2 whole red chilies
• 1-2 onions, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. red chili flakes
• 2-3 bunches of spinach, chopped

          Pressure cook the rice in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 1 whistle. Spread on a plate to cool down. Heat the oil and ghee in a pan.

          Temper with the cumin seeds, red chilies, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Now add the onion, ginger and garlic. Continue to sauté till they turn slightly brown. Add all the dry spices (except salt) and sauté for a few seconds.

          Then add the chopped spinach, followed by salt and red chili flakes. Mix everything well and cook on a medium flame till dry.

          Add the cooked rice and combine well. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and transfer to a serving plate. Serve with raita and papad.

                    Heat oil & ghee. Temper with cumin seeds, red chilies, bay leaves, cinnamon,                                    cardamoms & cloves. Sauté for a few seconds.

                             Add onion, ginger & garlic. Sauté till they turn slightly brown. 

                                Add all dry spices (except salt) & sauté for a few seconds.

                                Then add chopped spinach,

                                followed by salt & red chili flakes. 

                                 Mix well & cook on a  medium flame till dry.

                    Add cooked rice & mix well. Fry for 2-3 min. Transfer to a serving plate. 

                                 Serve with raita & papad.

Spicy Aloo Gobi Matar Stir Fry (Potato Cauliflower Green Peas Curry)

          A new version of mine, this spicy Aloo Gobi Matar (Potato-Cauliflower-Green Peas) stir fry is a dry recipe that goes very well as a side dish. It can be enjoyed with any Indian bread or rice preparation. 

          A great lunch box option, it can be rolled into chapattis / tortillas for a quick meal on the go. You can do many variations with the tempering and the spices. Cauliflower, being a winter special is one of my favourite veggies, every time I make, it is a delight to relish.

• 1 med. size cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 potato, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, chopped
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantity of fennel, fenugreek, mustard, cumin & nigella seeds)
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped  

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with the panch phoron. After it stops spluttering, add the potatoes and sauté for 2 minutes or till it turns slightly brown.

          Now add the cauliflower, onion, ginger, garlic, green peas, green chilies and all the dry spices. Mix well and cover.

          Cook on a medium flame by turning at intervals till the veggies turns soft. Sprinkle water at times if required.

          When done, add the lime juice and give it a toss. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with rice or chapattis.

Plum Semolina Muffins

         Made this simple & easy eggless semolina muffins with some plums thrown in. It is a great way to use up any leftover fruits lying in the refrigerator. They are a perfect treat anytime of the day and can be served as a tea-time snack too. 

          They can also be relished as an after-meal dessert by drizzling some chocolate sauce or rabri a la Indian style. Pack them for a kiddie lunch box meal if required and can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for later use. 

• 1 cup semolina (sooji) - makes around 10
• 2 plums, sliced
• 1 tsp. butter
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup castor sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter / oil
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp. pistachios, sliced or any dry fruits
• 1 tbsp. cherries, chopped
• pinch of saffron 
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• muffin liners
• castor sugar and cherries to garnish

          In a bowl mix together semolina, salt, cardamom powder and sugar. Then add in the butter, followed by the yoghurt and milk. Combine everything well and leave aside for 15-20 minutes.

          Heat butter in a pan and sauté the sliced plum for a minute on a medium flame. Set aside to cool down.

          After 20 minutes, check the consistency of the semolina mix. It should neither be too dry or too soft. Add more milk if required.

          Lastly add in the pistachios, cherries, baking powder, baking soda and the sautéed plums. Mix well. Place the muffin liners onto a muffin pan and spoon the batter into it.

          Bake in an oven at 180 degrees C. for 20-25 minutes. Do the toothpick test to ensure it is perfectly baked. 

          Cool on a wire rack and sprinkle some caster sugar. Garnish with a small piece of cherry and enjoy as an after meal dessert or serve as desired.

                         Place the muffin liners onto a muffin pan & spoon the batter into it.

                     Bake in an oven at 180 degrees C. for 20-25 minutes. Do the toothpick test 

                     to ensure it is perfectly baked. 

                                  Cool on a wire rack & sprinkle some caster sugar. 

                        Garnish with a small piece of cherry & enjoy as an after meal dessert 

                        or serve as desired.

Okra Tomato Curry

          This is a super quick, easy and an equally delicious curry of Okra & Tomatoes. It takes very little time to dish out and can be enjoyed as a side dish both with rice or chapattis. I just gave a tempering of cumin seeds and asafoetida and finished it off with the addition of coriander leaves for some added flavour.

• 300 gms. okra, cut into 1" thickness
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tomato, sliced
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds. Add the okra and sauté for 2 minutes.

          Now add all the dry spices, garlic, green chilies and onion. Cover and stir fry on a medium flame by stirring at intervals. Sprinkle some water if needed.

          When the okra turns soft, add the tomato and continue to cook, covered for 2-3 minutes. Now add the coriander leaves (keep some to garnish) and toss well.

          While serving, garnish with the remaining coriander leaves and relish as a side dish with rice or chapattis.
     

Stuffed Soybean Paratha

          Parathas, be they plain or stuffed are very nutritious and makes for a delicious treat. So here comes a healthy and a wholesome weekend breakfast menu of stuffed soybean parathas. Relish them with any side dish, pickle, yoghurt or butter. 

          They can also be had for lunch, dinner, snack, brunch or as a lunch box meal too. In fact you can enjoy them anytime of the day. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

Stuffing-

• 1 cup soya nuggets
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. carom seeds (ajwain)
• 1 tsp. garlic, grated
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida 
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1-2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp. fried onions

Dough

• 1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. oil 

          Soak the soya nuggets in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes. Squeeze out the water and blend till smooth.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds and carom seeds. Saute for a few seconds. Then add the garlic and green chilies. Fry till the garlic changes colour.

          Add all the dry spices and mix well. Immediately add the ground soya and sesame seeds. Saute for 1-2 minutes on a medium flame.

          When done, add the lime juice and give it a stir. Keep aside to cool down. Add the fried onions and coriander leaves and mix. Now the stuffing is ready.

          In a bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, salt and oil. Add required quantity of water and knead into a stiff dough. Keep aside for 25-30 minutes.

          Divide the dough into equal portions and roll out each portion into a small circle just like a poori, by dusting some flour.

           Spoon 2 tbsp. of the filling in the centre and bring all edges together to secure firmly. Stuff the remaining dough with the prepared filling.

          Now roll out each filled up dough into a large circle / chapati by dusting some flour. Heat a tawa / griddle and fry the rolled out stuffed parathas one at a time by drizzling some oil over and around the edges.

          Fry them till they are light golden in colour on both sides. Serve them hot with any side dish, pickle, yoghurt or butter.

                                  Soak soya chunks in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes. 

                                 Squeeze the water & blend till smooth.

                   Heat oil & temper with cumin seeds & carom seeds. Sauté few seconds. 
                  Add garlic & green chilies. Fry till garlic changes colour.

                                 Add all dry spices & mix well. 

                    Add ground soya & sesame seeds. Sauté for 1-2 min. on a medium flame.

                                  Keep aside to cool down.

                         Add fried onions & coriander leaves & mix. The stuffing is ready.

                                 Spoon 2 tbsp. of the filling in the Centre. 

                                 Bring all edges together to secure firmly. 

                                  Flatten it a bit with your fingers.

                     Roll out each filled up dough into a large circle / chapatti by dusting
                     some flour. 

                                  Heat a tawa & fry the parathas by drizzling some oil.

                                Fry them till they are light golden in colour on both sides. 

                                  All the parathas are now fried.

                               Serve them hot with any side dish, pickle, yoghurt or butter.