Suran Ki Sabzi / Yam Stir Fry (Dry Recipe)

 

           Suran Ki Sabzi / Yam Stir Fry is a simple and a quick dry dish to be had with jeera rice or chapatti / paratha. It also goes well as a side dish with dal-chawal. Yam is a very nutritious tuber and in spite of having a lot of fibre content, it also contains a lot vitamins and potassium. This is a dry recipe and if prepared in this manner, can turn out simply yummy and chatpata. 

          In this recipe, I just added onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies and few dry spices. It was then finished off with lime juice and coriander leaves. This yam stir fry is both spicy and tangy. So check out a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare my version of this amazing dish.

• 500 gms. Yam / Suran, cut into small cubes
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2-3 garlic, sliced
• 1 inch ginger, chopped
• 2-3 green chilies, chopped
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida 
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped 

           Steam the suran for 4-5 minutes or till it is fork tender. Keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida.

          Add the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies and sauté till light brown. 

          Add the steamed suran and salt to taste. Give it a nice mix. 

          Now add all the remaining dry spices. Sauté on a low flame for 2-3 minutes.

          When done, add lime juice and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.       

          Serve as a side dish with either jeera rice or chapatti / paratha.

      Steam the suran for 4-5 minutes or till it is fork tender. Keep aside.

        Heat oil in a pan & temper with cumin seeds & asafoetida.

 Add the onion, ginger, garlic & green chilies & sauté till light brown. 

           Add the steamed suran  salt to taste. Give it a nice mix. 

Now add all the remaining dry spices. Sauté on a low flame for 2-3 minutes.

                 When done, add lime juice and mix well.

                   Garnish with coriander leaves.

             Serve as a side dish with either jeera rice or chapatti / paratha.

Green Papaya Bharta (Kacha Peper Bhorta- Bong Style)

 

            Green Papaya Bharta / Kacha Peper Bhorta is a very simple and a fuss-free Bong recipe. It is typically boiled and mashed Green Papaya mixed with few seasonings which is then enjoyed with hot steamed rice. It is a great comfort food for me when time is a constraint. This quick and simple dish is so satisfying and heavenly. 

          Having the boiled and mashed green papaya with just a tsp. of ghee or mustard oil is another great option and also tastes yummy. However, in this recipe, I added a tempering of nigella seeds, dry red chilies and onion in mustard oil. A handful of chopped coriander leaves is then added to the end product to make it more flavorsome. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional cuisine. 

• 1 medium size green papaya, peeled & roughly chopped
• 1-2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2-3 whole dry chilies
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1 pinch of turmeric powder (opt)
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

         Pressure cook the papaya for 3-4 whistles. Mash or grate it and keep aside. 

         Heat oil in a pan and temper with nigella seeds and red chilies. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the onion, turmeric powder and salt. Fry till light brown. 

          Add the boiled & mashed papaya and mix well. 

          Add coriander leaves and mix well. 

          Serve with hot steamed rice for a comforting meal.

                   Pressure cook the papaya for 3-4 whistles. 

                Mash or grate it and keep aside. 

Heat oil in a pan & temper with nigella seeds & red chilies. Sauté for a few seconds.

                         Add the onion, turmeric powder & salt. 

                    Fry till light brown. 

                Add the mashed papaya and mix well. 

                   Add coriander leaves and mix well. 

               Serve with hot steamed rice for a comforting meal.

           Serve with hot steamed rice for a comforting meal.

Watermelon Rice / Pulihora - South Indian style

 

         Check out this Watermelon Rice or Pulihora in a South Indian style. It is a yummy fried rice using watermelon puree. So this recipe is slightly on the sweeter side. You may add red chili powder or some red chili flakes to make it a bit spicy. 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 healthy meal that can be served as is or 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. They come out real amazing and comforting. 

               Pulihora is often served during festivals and as an offering 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, Watermelon is high on antioxidants and has lot of water content. So it keeps you hydrated for a long time. Its vitamin C content strengthens our immune system. It also boosts immunity, is good for the heart and improves blood pressure and cholesterol. You can replace rice with any millet of your choice for a well balanced guilt free meal.

• 1/2 cup rice
• 1 medium size watermelon, diced / 1 & 1/2 cups strained watermelon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split green gram)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 tbsp. roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Blend the watermelon into a puree and strain it. Set aside. 

          Into a pan, add the rice and the watermelon juice. Bring it to a boil and simmer, covered on a low flame till it is almost done. 

          Now add the salt and continue to cook till all the water has been absorbed. 

          Add the roasted peanuts and give it a mix. keep it covered for 5 minutes. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and dry red chilies. Sauté for a few minutes and wait till it stops spluttering.

          Pour it over the cooked watermelon rice and mix well. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as is or with papad / chips / fryums for a nice comforting breakfast / meal.

                 Blend the watermelon into a puree & strain it. Set aside. 

                  Into a pan, add the rice 

and the watermelon juice. Bring it to a boil && simmer, covered, on a low flame till it is almost done. 

  Now add the salt & continue to cook till all the water has been absorbed. 

Add the roasted peanuts & give it a mix. keep it covered for 5 minutes. 

Heat oil in a pan && temper with mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves & dry red chilies. Sauté for a few minutes and wait till it stops spluttering.

                    Pour it over the cooked watermelon rice and mix well. 

Garnish with coriander leaves & serve as is or with papad / chips / fryums for a nice comforting breakfast / meal.

Pepe Chechki (Green Papaya Stir Fry - Bengali Style)

 

          This is yet another traditional and a simple homemade raw papaya stir fry which is a vegetarian version. It is cooked with some fried bori in the local lingo, meaning vadis or dried lentil dumplings. For the non-vegetarian version, prawns or fish head is added to enhance the flavor. 

          'Chechki' means dry, so the raw papaya is grated and stir fried with a tempering of kalongi (nigella seeds) and then cooked with salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, green chilies and roasted coriander-cumin powder. 

          The end product is garnished with chopped coriander leaves and ghee. The latter can be substituted with raw mustard oil for an authentic touch. It is best enjoyed with plain steamed rice or as a side dish with chapattis or parathas. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 med. size raw papaya, grated
• 8-10 vadi (dried lentil dumplings)
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. kalonji (nigella seeds)
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. ghee / raw mustard oil (opt)

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the vadis till golden in color. Keep aside. 

         Temper the same oil with nigella seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the grated papaya, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder, slit green chilies and the fried vadis.

          Fry on a low flame by sprinkling some water and stirring at intervals. 

          After the moisture has dried and the veggie is cooked, add the coriander leaves and ghee. 

          Give it a mix and serve with rice or chapattis.

         Heat oil in a pan & fry the vadis till golden in color. Keep aside. 

             Temper the same oil with nigella seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.

Add the grated papaya, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder, slit green chilies & the fried vadis. Fry on a low flame by sprinkling some water & stirring at intervals

After the moisture has dried & the veggie is cooked, add coriander leaves & ghee. 

                   Give it a mix and serve with rice or chapattis.

Flaxseeds Chutney (Alsi Ki Chutney)

 

          Flaxseeds Chutney is a very healthy recipe that is very simple and easy to prepare. This delicious chutney is versatile as it can be served as an accompaniment with chapattis, parathas, as a spread on toast or as a dip with veggie crudités, tortilla, etc. 

          This chutney has very few ingredients, mainly garlic, green chilies, a handful of coriander leaves and tamarind paste that is ground to a paste along with roasted flaxseed. Then a tempering of dry red chilies, asafoetida, mustard seeds and curry leaves over the prepared chutney. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this nutritious recipe.

         

          These flaxseeds have a nutty flavor, is a good source of  omega 3 fatty acids and is a power house of nutrition. In the modern world, it is used extensively in preparation of many dishes. It is also a good source of protein, good for digestion and keeps the blood sugar under control. 

          You can also add a tbsp. of this flaxseed chutney to your dal, in any curry that you prepare or as a stuffing into parathas. So this amazing chutney is a worth a try to all health conscious people. 

• 1/2 cup flaxseeds
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2-3 green chilies or as needed
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste 
• 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 tsp. urad dal / split black gram lentil
• 1 sprig curry leaves

           Dry roast the flaxseeds till they turn light brown in colour. Set aside to cool down.

          Then grind along with garlic, green chilies, tamarind paste, salt, coriander leaves and required quantity of water into a smooth paste. 

           Heat oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Sauté till it stops spluttering. 

           Then pour it over the ground paste. Give it a stir and enjoy with idli, dosa, uttapam, roti or paratha. 

           You can also serve this chutney as a dip with pita bread, veg. crudités, French fries, Chips, Kebabs, any non-veg. dishes or as spread.

                   Dry roast the flaxseeds till they turn light brown in color. 

                    Set aside to cool down.

To it add the garlic, green chilies, tamarind paste, salt and coriander leaves.

Add required quantity of water & grind into a smooth paste in a mixer grinder.

Heat oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds, dry red chilies & curry leaves. Sauté till it stops spluttering. 

                    Then pour it over the ground paste & give it a stir.

                      Enjoy with idli, dosa, uttapam, roti or paratha. 

You can also serve this chutney as a dip with pita bread, veg. crudités, French fries, Chips, Kebabs, any non-veg. dishes or as spread.