French Beans & Moong Dal Stir Fry (French Beans with Split Green Gram)

  

          This is a simple homemade style french Beans stir fry cooked with split moong dal (green gram lentil). I added some sambar powder to give a South Indian flavor. It is best relished as a side dish with hot steamed rice, paratha or chapatti, curd rice, sambar rice or rasam rice. 

          French Beans and the split green gram lentil have a fair amount of fibre and protein. So it is a perfect side dish for the young and old alike. Made into a roll / Frankie, it can be a great lunch box meal too. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazingly healthy stir fry dish.

• 400 gms. Beans, chopped
• 1/4 cup split moong dal, dry roasted
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 whole dry chili, broken
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 tbsp. chana dal (Bengal gram)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, finely chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. sambar powder
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Boil the chopped French beans and the roasted moong dal in enough water till they are soft. Drain and keep aside. 

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

          Add asafoetida, urad dal and Chana dal. Sauté till the dals changes color. Add the onion, ginger, curry leaves and garlic. Sauté till light brown. 

          Add the boiled French beans-moong dal, salt, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on low flame. 

          When done, add lime juice and coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice, curd rice, rasam rice, paratha, tandoori roti or chapatti. 

                        Heat oil & temper with red chili & mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

                   Add asafoetida, urad dal & Chana dal. Sauté till the dals changes color. 

                         Add the onion, ginger, curry leaves & garlic. Sauté till light brown. 

                       Add the boiled French beans-moong dal, salt, turmeric powder and 

                       sambar powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on low flame. 

           When done, add lime juice & coriander leaves.

                       Serve hot with steamed rice, curd rice, rasam rice, paratha, tandoori 

                       roti or chapatti. 

Echore Chingri Bharta (Raw Jackfruit Prawns Curry - Bengali Style)

          You must have had Baingan (eggplant) bharta, So how about trying Raw jackfruit & Prawns Bharta? I came across this traditional Bengali recipe and so decided to give it a try. The method of cooking was unique, in the sense that the jackfruit was first deep fried and ground instead of boiling it and then cooking it with fried prawns. The end product was just so amazing and yummy. It can be enjoyed with either hot steamed rice or chapati. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

  

           You do not get to see such out-of-the-box recipes. It is an old recipe that you usually get to see our mothers and grandmothers cooking. I personally am on the lookout for such rare recipes and waste no time in trying it out. It is a must-try recipe and I am sure all jackfruit lovers will  appreciate it. So Bon Appetit!!

• 1 small raw jackfruit, cubed
• 1/2 cup prawns, deveined & cleaned
• any oil for deep frying
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 2 tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder

          Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the chopped jackfruit till light golden brown in colour. Drain and keep aside to cool. Blend into a smooth paste by adding some water.

          Heat 2 tbsp. mustard oil in a pan / kadai and sauté the red chilies. Drain and crush them. keep aside. Then fry the prawns till it changes colour. Drain and keep aside. 

          Temper the same oil with nigella seeds and sauté for a few seconds. Add the garlic and asafoetida and stir fry till light brown. 

          Add in the onion and green chilies. Sauté till light brown. Now add the blended jackfruit mix, salt, turmeric powder, crushed red chilies and cumin powder.

          Stir fry on a low flame for 2-3 minutes and add the fried prawns. Continue to cook till dry. When done, add the remaining mustard oil and switch off the flame.

           Toss well and garnish with the crushed fried chilies. Serve as a side dish with rice or chapattis. 

                       Temper oil with nigella seeds & sauté few seconds. Add garlic &
                       asafoetida and stir fry till light brown. 

                      Add in the onion and green chilies. Sauté till light brown.

                        Add blended jackfruit mix, salt, turmeric powder, crushed dry red
                        chilies and cumin powder.

                       Sauté on low flame for 2-3 min. Add fried prawns & cook till dry. 

                    
                      When done, add remaining mustard oil & switch off flame. Toss well.

                        Garnish with the crushed fried chilies. 

                                Serve as a side dish with rice or chapattis. 

Raw Mango Stuffed Baby Eggplants

          As I am always on the lookout for any simple and easy recipe that is bursting with flavours, I decided to try out this tangy stuffed eggplants. It is a perfect side dish for rice or chapattis. The stuffing is that of grated raw mango and other basic ingredients, easily found in all kitchens. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this eggplant delicacy.

• 8-10 small eggplants, slit crosswise
• 1/2 cup roasted chana dal, powdered
• 1/2 small mango, grated
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• oil to shallow fry

          In a bowl, combine together all the above mentioned ingredients (except eggplants and oil) with some water to form a paste.

          Now stuff it in all the slit eggplants and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and carefully place them on it and sprinkle some salt over it.

          Cover and cook on a low flame by turning them with a spoon / fork at intervals. Sprinkle water too as and when needed. 

          When the eggplants turns soft and are cooked, switch off the flame and gently transfer them to a serving dish. Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

                          Mix all the ingredients (except eggplants & oil) with some water to 

                          form a paste. Now stuff it in all the slit eggplants.

                                  Heat oil & place them on it & sprinkle some salt over it.

                          Cover & cook on a low flame by turning them with a spoon / fork 

                           at intervals. Sprinkle water too as & when needed. 

                     When the eggplants turns soft & are cooked, switch off the flame and 
                     gently transfer them to a serving dish. 

                                 Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

Bharwan Baingan (Stuffed Eggplant Curry)

          This is an amazing side dish where baby eggplants are slit and stuffed with some aromatic spice mix and then slow cooked to perfection. Non Eggplant lovers too will simply love this preparation. Enjoy it with parathas or chapattis or as a side dish with curd-rice, sambar rice, jeera rice or a simple dal-chawal. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 10-12 small eggplants. slit in the center
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 3 tbsp. fried peanuts, ground
• salt to taste
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped (for the stuffing)
• 1-2 tbsp. red chili flakes
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves to garnish

          In a bowl, combine together all the above mentioned ingredients (except eggplants and oil) with some water to form a paste.

          Now stuff it in all the slit eggplants and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and carefully place them on it and sprinkle some salt over it.

          Cover and cook on a low flame by turning them with a spoon / fork at intervals. Sprinkle water too as and when needed. 

          When the eggplants turns soft and are cooked, switch off the flame and gently transfer them to a serving dish. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

                          Mix all ingredients (except eggplants and oil) with some water to 
                          form a paste.

                                Slit the eggplants.

                               Now stuff it in all the slit eggplants.

                               Heat oil & place them on it & sprinkle some salt over it.

                    Cover & cook by turning them at intervals. Sprinkle water when needed. 

                               Garnish with coriander leaves & serve with rice or chapattis.

Kasuri Yam (Suran) Stir Fry

       
          If you have had enough of Aloo Methi, then prepare it the same way with Yam (Suran). It simply tastes yummy. It is perfect as a side dish with either rice or with chapattis / parathas. The addition of kasuri methi and chopped coriander stalks enhances the flavour and makes it more delicious & tasty. 

• 500 gms. yam, boiled and chopped into small pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp. kasuri methi, crushed
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida (hing)

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil and saute the yam till light brown. Keep aside. Heat rest of the oil and temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida.

          Add the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies and saute till light brown. Add the yam, salt, turmeric powder and kasuri methi and fry further for a minute. Serve as a side dish with chapatis or rice.