This is a great way to turn your greens stir fry into something interesting. In this recipe I have made use of spinach and added some fish eggs fritters (pakora) to it to give a non-veg. touch. It turned out real yummy and took this simple and healthy dish into the next level. Very easy to prepare, you can enjoy as a main course or side dish with any type of rice or Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
Fritters -
- 1/2 cup fish eggs, cleaned and mashed
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
- oil to deep fry
Stir Fry -
- 2-3 bunches of spinach, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp. mustard oil
- 1 dry red chilies
- 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. ginger, grated
- 1 tsp. garlic, grated
- 1-2 green chilies, slit
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
- 1 tsp. ghee
Fritters - In a bowl, mix together the fish eggs, salt, turmeric powder and nigella seeds. Heat the oil in a kadai / pan and drop spoonful of the mix in batches. Deep fry till golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside.
Stir Fry - Heat oil in a pan and temper with dry red chili and nigella seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. Now add the onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté till light brown.
Add the chopped spinach, green chilies and all the dry spices. Mix well and cook on a low flame till half done.
Now add the fried fish egg fritters. Combine everything well and cook till all the moisture has evaporated.
Switch off the flame and add the ghee. Give it a stir and serve with plain steamed rice or chapati.
Mix fish eggs, salt, turmeric powder & nigella seeds. Heat oil & drop
spoonful of the mix in batches. Deep fry till golden in colour. Drain on a
kitchen towel & keep aside.
Heat oil & temper with dry red chili & nigella seeds. Sauté few seconds.
Now add onion, ginger & garlic. Sauté till light brown.
Add chopped spinach, green chilies & all dry spices. Mix well & cook
on a low flame till half done.
Add fried fish egg fritters. Mix & cook till the moisture has evaporated.
Switch off the flame & add the ghee. Give it a stir.
Serve with plain steamed rice or chapatti.
This mutton curry has an unique name as it was one of the dishes served to the first class passengers of the Frontier Mail during the colonial period. Both Indian & English spices were used in the preparation of this delicacy.
So it is actually a toned down version of the typical Indian mutton curry, as some coconut milk or yoghurt were added to suit the British palate. It was then served either with rice, bread or dinner rolls. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
There are many variations to this unique recipe, depending on the train routes. Coconut milk and tamarind juice were used by the Southern railway, the Northern railways used vinegar instead and the Eastern railways used potatoes and mustard oil as the medium of cooking. The tempering also differed accordingly. However, I have made use of potatoes, both coconut milk and yoghurt, omitting the tamarind.
- 500 gms. mutton with bones, cubed
- 1-2 potatoes, boiled
- 3 tbsp. mustard oil
- 2 dry red chilies
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1" cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cardamoms
- 4-5 cloves
- 1/2 tsp. whole peppercorns
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp. red chili powder
- 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder
- 3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup yoghurt
Pressure cook the mutton with salt to taste and 1 cup water for 20 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle or till done. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the boiled potatoes till golden in color. Keep aside. Mix the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices with 1/4 cup water. Keep aside.
Temper the same oil with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.
Add the onion and stir fry till light brown. Add the spice paste and sauté till the oil separates. Add the tomatoes and cook till it is mashed.
Add the boiled mutton along with the stock and simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. Add the fried potatoes and coriander leaves. Simmer further for 2 minutes.
Now add the yoghurt and coconut milk. Mix everything well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Switch off the flame and serve with poori, paratha, chapatti, pulao or plain biryani.
Heat oil & fry boiled potatoes till golden in color. Keep aside.
Temper same oil with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms,
cloves, peppercorns, cumin seeds & fennel seeds. Sauté few seconds.
Add onion & stir fry till light brown.
Add spice paste & fry till the oil separates.
Add tomatoes & cook till it is nicely mashed.
Add boiled mutton & stock. Simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes.
Add fried potatoes & coriander leaves. Simmer further for 2 minutes.
Add yoghurt & coconut milk. Mix well & cook for 1-2 minutes.
Serve with poori, paratha, chapatti, pulao or plain biryani.
Ravioli is an Italian dumpling made of pasta dough. It is generally served with some sauce and topped with grated cheese. Here in this recipe I made a kheer (Pudding) out of it with a coconut filling. This is then steamed and dunked into milk which has been reduced considerably.
I have used some evaporated milk to cut short the time. Condensed milk too can be combined with fresh milk and used. Serve this yummy dessert, preferably chilled, garnished with chopped nuts, raisins and saffron. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
- 1/2 cup maida (plain flour)
- 1/2 cup cup rice flour
- 1 tbsp. ghee (clarified butter)
- pinch of cardamom powder
- pinch of saffron
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut
- 500 ml. evaporated milk
- 4 tbsp. sugar or to taste
- chopped nuts, raisins & saffron to garnish.
In a bowl, mix together maida, rice flour, cardamom powder, ghee and saffron. Knead into a soft dough with required quantity of water. Keep aside for 30 minutes. Sauté the coconut till light brown in color. Keep aside.
Divide the dough into 3 portions. Roll out each portion into a big circle. Cut into round shapes just like a small poori with the help of a cutter or any lid.
Take one small poori and place a little of the coconut filling in the centre. Cover with another poori and seal all round the edges.
Make patterns on the edges with the help of a fork. Steam in a pressure cooker or a steamer for 10 minutes. Keep aside.
In a pan bring the milk to a boil. Add sugar and simmer for 5 minutes on a low flame. Drop the steamed ravioli and simmer further for 5-7 minutes. when cool enough, chill and serve, garnished with chopped nuts, raisins and saffron.
Knead a dough with maida, rice flour, cardamom powder, ghee & saffron
with required quantity of water.
Keep aside for 30 minutes.
Sauté coconut till it turns light brown in colour.
Keep aside to cool.
Divide dough into 3 portions. Roll out each portion into a big circle. Cut
into round shapes just like a small poori with the help of a cutter.
Take one small poori & place a little of the coconut filling in the centre. Cover
with another poori & seal edges. Make patterns on the edges with a fork.
Steam in a pressure cooker or a steamer for 10 minutes. Keep aside.
The steamed ravioli.
Thicken milk & dip them in it.
Serve, garnished with chopped nuts, raisins and saffron.
It is a well known fact that this soup has its origin from the British Raj. It is also called as an Anglo Indian Soup. The name derives from the Tamil word 'Milagu' & 'Thanni', meaning 'Pepper Water'. Whatever the reason, this soup tastes simply superb and very filling too. It is a curried soup with the flavors of lentil, rice, apple and all other spices.
It is finished off with coconut milk and lime juice to get a tangy taste. So if you are looking for a light meal then go for this amazing curried soup. For this you need to check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
- 1/2 cup tuvar dal (split pigeon pea lentil), soaked for an hour
- 1/4 cup brown rice, soaked for an hour
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder
- 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
- 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
- salt to taste
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 4-5 cups water / vegetable stock
- 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp. fried onions
Heat oil and sauté the onion till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste, and all the dry spice powders mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil separates from the sides of the pan.
Add the chopped apple, soaked tuvar dal, soaked rice and the stock. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
When cool, blend into a puree. Adjust the consistency as desired. Simmer on a medium flame till it comes to a boil.
Switch off the flame and add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves and fried onions for an exciting light meal.
Note-
1. Carrots and potatoes are also used in this soup, but I had to skip the latter as it was not readily available at that moment. And I substituted potatoes for rice.
2. For a non-veg. version you can add chicken stock / mutton yakhni.
Soak dal & rice in sufficient water for an hour.
Heat oil & sauté onion till light brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste & all dry spice powders mixed with a little
water. Sauté till oil separates from sides of the pan.
Add chopped apple, soaked tuvar dal, soaked rice ....
...... and stock.
Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
When cool, blend into a puree. Simmer on medium flame till it comes to a boil. Switch off the flame & add coconut milk & lemon juice.
Serve, garnished with coriander leaves & fried onions.
