Eggplant & Chickpeas Stir Fry

         A simple and a nutritious side dish to go with your chapatti or rice. I have combined eggplants along with some boiled kabuli chana (white chickpeas) and simply stir fried. The tempering is done with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. I added some urad dal for the crunchiness and amchur powder to give it a tangy flavour. 

          Eggplants generally have low calorie benefits as it contains vitamin k and iron. Kabuli chana too contains fibre, vitamins and proteins. So the combination of these two makes for a very healthy side dish.

• 4 long eggplant, cubes
• 1/2 cup kabuli chana (white chickpeas), soaked overnight & boiled
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split black gram lentil)
• 1 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. amchur powder (dry mango powder)
• coriander leaves & fresh chilies to garnish 

         Heat oil in a non-stick pan and temper with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida and urad dal. 

          Sauté till it changes colour, then add the eggplants, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté on low flame.

         When halfway done, add the garlic and onion. Continue to fry on a low flame till the eggplants are soft. 

          Add the boiled chickpeas, red chili powder and amchur. Give it a stir to combine well. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves and fresh chilies.

Thai Green Vegetable Soup

             This is a very refreshing and a light soup in Thai style. I have used Thai green curry paste, kaffir lime leaves, galangal (Thai ginger), lemon grass along with lots of different veggies, coconut milk and some vegetable stock. For a non-veg. version, boneless chicken along with chicken stock can be added.

              This aromatic soup is a perfect meal in itself for weight watchers as it has all the goodness of vegetables. For more variations, you can add noodles, prawns, mushrooms, baby corn and broccoli too. The list is endless.       

• 2 cups cubed vegetables (broad beans, bottle gourd, green papaya, French beans, carrots, radish & onion)
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1" galangal, sliced
• 1 fresh chili, slit
• 2 tbsp. Thai green curry paste (store bought)
• 3 cups vegetable stock / water
• 8-10 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 lemongrass stalk, cut  into 3 pieces
• 1/2 cup thick coconut milk
• salt to taste
• 1/2 pepper powder or to taste
• coriander leaves, lime leaves & fresh chilies to garnish

          Heat oil in a pan and sauté the Thai green curry paste on a low flame for a few seconds. 

          Add all the chopped vegetables, lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal, green peas, fresh chili, stock, salt and pepper powder.

          Pressure cook for 1 whistle. When cool, discard the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves.

         Just before serving, add the coconut milk and heat through and serve in individual soup bowls, garnished with chopped coriander leaves, lime leaves and fresh chilies.

Achari Chole (White Chickpeas Stir Fry)

          Want a simple side dish to go with either rice or chapattis? Then try this chatpata version of an easy stir fry of kabuli chana. It is sautéed with some chopped garlic, green chilies and pickle masala, thus giving it a spicy, tangy and a garlicky flavor. I added some homemade grated mango pickle masala. You can add any of your choice. It is perfect as a side dish with either rice or chapattis. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing dish. 

          

• 2 cups boiled  Kabuli Chana / Chole / White Chickpeas
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. pickle masala
• 1-2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

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

         After it stops spluttering, add the chopped garlic and green chilies. Sauté till it slightly changes color.

          Then add the boiled chickpeas, chili powder, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté for a minute or two. 

         Now add the pickle masala and mix everything well. 

         Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as an appetizer or as a side dish with roti, chapatti or paratha. 

         Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. 

After it stops spluttering, add the chopped garlic & green chilies. Sauté till it slightly changes color.

Then add the boiled chickpeas, chili powder, salt & turmeric powder.

             Now add the pickle masala & mix everything well.

                  Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve as an appetizer or as a side dish with roti, chapatti or paratha. 

Multi Coloured Neer Dosa (Thin Rice Crepes - Mangalorian Cuisine)

          Neer Dosa is a speciality from the Mangalore region of India. They are thin and fluffy rice crepes made out of rice paste, with or without coconut. This is an instant version where I have used rice flour as the basic ingredient.

          These multi coloured Neer Dosa has the goodness of spinach, carrots and beetroot, besides tomato paste and turmeric powder to complete the colour combination. They not only have a visual appeal but are also healthy.

          They are a wholesome and nutritious meal by itself as they are cooked without oil, except for greasing. They serve as perfect breakfast recipe and are generally relished with any non-veg gravy. They equally tastes great with sambar and coconut chutney too.

• 2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 4 & 1/2 - 5 cups water
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 bunch spinach, chopped
• 1/2 medium beetroot, grated
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste (store bought) + 1/2 tsp. kashmiri red chili powder
• salt to taste
• coconut chutney to serve
• sambar to serve
• oil to grease the skillet

          In a bowl add the rice flour, coconut milk and water to make a runny batter just like buttermilk. Grind the spinach, carrot and beetroot separately to a paste by adding very little water. Keep aside.

          Divide the rice batter into six bowls. Add the carrot paste, beetroot paste, spinach paste, turmeric powder and tomato paste + red chili powder into each of the bowls, leaving one for the white colour.

          Grease a nonstick tawa / skillet with very little oil. Let it heat up and then sprinkle some water. After it evaporates, wipe it clean with a kitchen towel.

           Pour 2-3 ladleful of the batter (depending on the size of the ladle and the pan). Swirl it around for an even coating, Drain excess batter if any.

          Cover and cook on a low flame for a minute. Remove the cover and gently fold into half with  a spatula and then into a rectangle. Keep aside.

          Make similar neer dosa from the remaining coloured batter, using a different ladle for each bowl in the above mentioned method. 

          Keep them separately as it tends to stick if stacked one over the other. Serve with chutney and sambar.

                                     
       

Green Plantain Poriyal (Tamilian Cuisine)

          This is one of the versatile South Indian side dish, usually had along with sambar-rice or curd-rice. It goes very well with chapati / roti too. Very simple and an extremely easy preparation, this dish can be prepared in no time. Poriyals are a common every day meal in any Tamilian household. Beans, carrots, okra, cabbage and beetroot too can be made the same way.

• 3 green plantains
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 dry red chilli, broken
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. fresh coconut, grated

          Pressure cook the plantain in enough water for 1 whistle. When cool, chop into small cubes and keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and dry chilly. After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and urad dal.

          Saute till the dal changes colour. Now add the boiled plantain and salt and saute for a minute on medium flame. 

          Add the coconut and switch off the flame. Mix well and serve as a side dish with rice or with chapattis.

Neer Dosa (Rice Crepes - South Indian Style)

          Neer Dosa, a speciality from the Mangalore region of India is a delicacy in itself. Devoid of any oil, it is not only healthy but a very wholesome breakfast dish, which to my opinion can be had any time of the day. 

          It is generally relished with some non-veg. gravy, but it also tastes equally great with the usual sambar and coconut chutney. Neer in the local lingo means water and dosa is a crepe. So it is a paper thin crepe made out of a watery batter of just rice, coconut milk, water and salt to taste. 

          This is an instant version made with homemade rice flour, but you can very well follow the long procedure of soaking the rice and grinding it. It needs no fermentation and can be made with brown rice too for a more healthier version. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• salt to taste
• oil to grease the pan

          Mix together the rice flour, salt, coconut milk and water and make a batter of liquidity consistency, just like buttermilk. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.

          Grease a non-stick tawa / griddle with very little oil and wipe clean with a kitchen towel. Pour 2-3 ladles of the prepared batter and swirl around to form a circle. 

          Remove excess batter if any. (There is no need to drizzle oil over it). Cover and let it cook on a low flame for a minute. Fold it in half and then into a rectangular shape. 

           Make similar dosa in the same method by just wiping the tawa with the greased kitchen towel. Serve with any non-veg gravy, sambar or chutney.

                   Grease a non-stick tawa with little oil & wipe clean with a kitchen towel. 
                   Pour 2-3 ladles of batter & swirl around to form a circle. 

                            Cover & let it cook on a low flame for a minute. Fold it in half.

                                  Then fold into a rectangular shape. 

                                 Serve with any non-veg gravy, sambar or chutney.

Grilled Fish (In Microwave)

          To all the fish lovers, here is an absolutely healthy and an easy fish grilled in a microwave. This delicious fish can be served as an appetizer to any meal. Do not forget to sprinkle some fresh lemon juice and some pepper / red chili  powder over it. 

          If had with some salad as an accompaniment, serves as a complete meal. It is a great alternative to any deep fried fish. In this recipe I have used Rohu fish, but any fish can be tried in the same method.

• 4 pieces of Rohu fish
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lime
• oil for basting

          Marinate the fish with salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, lime juice and olive oil for 3-4 hours.

          Carefully place the marinated fish on a greased microwave high rack. Transfer this in the microwave and place a drip tray underneath to collect the juice.

          Grill for 25 minutes turning halfway and basting with oil. When done, let it stand for 5 more minutes inside the microwave. Serve with a sprinkle of lemon juice.

                    Marinate fish with salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, lime juice &
                    olive oil for 3-4 hours.

                  Place marinated fish on a greased microwave high rack. Transfer this in 
                  the microwave and place a drip tray underneath. Grill for 25 min. turning
                  halfway & basting with oil. 

                               Serve with a sprinkle of lemon juice.