This is a signature dish of Morocco which is prepared in a special pan called the Tagine. Hence the name "Vegetable Tagine". This is the first time I am trying and found out that it is very easy to cook. Healthy and nutritious, it is also hassle free, as you just need to arrange all the veggies in the tagine, drizzle some spices mixed with olive oil and cook, covered, on a low flame. It is that simple. No stirring required. So it is very good for the elderly and during pregnancy as it is slow cooked in steam.
The veggies are cooked in steam and it can be relished with some plain steamed rice or paratha/ naan/chapati for the Indian palate. But traditionally it is relished with some couscous. You can go ahead and add any veggies available and you will have a sumptuous and a delicious treat in front of you. So if you are able to get a Tagine, go ahead and give it a try by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
- 1 cup each of sliced veggies (Tomato, onion, eggplants, green plantain, sweet potato, tapioca, assorted bell peppers, broad beans & yam)
- 2 small salad radish, sliced
- few broccoli florets
- 1 tsp. ginger, grated
- 1 tsp. garlic, grated
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
- 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
- 1 tsp. zaatar powder
- 1/2 tsp. sumac powder
- 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
- 3-4 tbsp. olive oil
- 2-3 fresh whole green / red chilies (opt)
- few strands of saffron
- 1 cup water
- few olives, sliced
In a bowl, mix together ginger, garlic and all the dry spices along with olive oil . Keep aside.
Take a tagine bowl and first arrange the tomatoes and the onion at the bottom. Then place the broccoli in the centre with yam, tapioca, sweet potato and green plantain slices all round it.
Then place the eggplants and the broad beans. Top it up with the radish slices and the assorted bell peppers around it. Lastly place few sliced tomatoes.
Drizzle the prepared spice mix and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and saffron. Place the fresh chilies and add 1 cup water.
Cook, covered on low flame for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve, garnished with sliced olives.
Place tomatoes & onions placed at the bottom of the Tagine bowl.
Then place the broccoli in the centre. Yam, tapioca, sweet potato & green
plantain all round it.
Next place eggplant & broad beans on the sides.
Then radish in the centre with assorted bell-peppers on the sides.
Some sliced tomatoes on the sides.
Make a paste with ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, roasted coriander-cumin powder, zaatar powder, sumac powder & olive oil.
Drizzle spice mix all over the veggies.
Sprinkle coriander leaves & saffron. Place fresh chilies over the veggies.
Close with the lid.
Cook, covered on a low flame for 30 minutes.
The end product.......Yummy Vegetable Tagine.
Serve, garnished with sliced olives.
This is a healthy and a nutritious soup which is light on the stomach but helps satiate your hunger pangs. It has the goodness of whole lot of veggies like green papaya, yam, broad beans, tapioca, eggplants, green plantain, sweet potato, etc.
More veggies can be added to this delicious one-pot meal. I had to make with whatever was readily available. We usually have this hearty soup for dinner along with some bread sticks.
- 1 cup each of cubed yam, sweet potato, tapioca, broad beans, eggplants, green papaya, green plantain
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. garlic. chopped
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cups broth
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
- 1 tsp. tomato paste
- juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste
- 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
- pinch of red chili powder (opt)
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the garlic till it changes colour. Then add the onions and sauté till translucent.
Add rest of the veggies, salt, turmeric powder, pepper powder, tomato paste and the stock. Pressure cook for 1 whistle.
Add lemon juice and serve, garnished with coriander leaves and a sprinkle of chili powder.
This is a simple, traditional Sindhi style dal recipe cooked with chana dal (Bengal Gram Lentil), spinach, fenugreek leaves and eggplants. Other veggies and greens too can be added. As I just had spinach, methi and eggplants available, I made use of them to make it. A wholesome and a nutritious treat. It is had with some Sindhi pulao, paratha or chapatti.
There are various methods of preparing this delectable dish and this happens to be my version. Chopped tomatoes and tamarind juice can be added to give it a tangy flavor. Otherwise, make use of lime juice to attain the taste as I did so in this recipe. A little bit of ghee along with oil for the tempering adds to the ultimate flavor. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
- 2 bunches spinach, washed, rinsed & chopped
- 1 cup methi leaves (fenugreek), chopped
- 1/2 cup chana dal (Bengal gram lentil), soaked for 30 minutes
- 2 eggplants, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1" ginger, grated
- 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1-2 green chilies, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
- 1 tsp. roasted coriander powder
- 3 tbsp. oil
- 1 tsp. ghee
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
- 1 tsp. tomato paste
- coriander leaves, fresh chilly & sliced lime to garnish
Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and add the onion, ginger, half of the garlic and chilies. Sauté till light brown in color. Add the chopped eggplants and sauté for 2 minutes on medium flame.
Now add the chopped greens, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt to taste and coriander powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes till well combined.
Add the soaked chana dal and 1 cup water. Pressure cook for 6-7 whistles. Mix well and mash it up slightly. Transfer it to a serving bowl.
Heat the remaining oil and ghee. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for a few seconds. Add the asafoetida and the remaining chopped garlic. Sauté till it changes color.
Add the tomato paste and sauté for a few more seconds. Pour over the prepared Sai Bhaji and serve, garnished with coriander leaves, lime and fresh chili.
Spinach, Fenugreek leaves, soaked chana dal, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies
and chopped eggplants.
Turmeric powder, roasted coriander powder, asafoetida, red chili powder, cumin
seeds & tomato paste.
Heat 2 tbsp. oil & saute onions, ginger, half of the garlic & green chilies till
light brown.
Add chopped eggplants & saute for 2 minutes.
Add spinach & fenugreek leaves.
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, roasted coriander powder & salt.
Add soaked chana dal & 1 cup water.
Pressure cook for 6-7 whistles.
Mash it up slightly.
Heat oil & ghee & temper with cumin seeds, asafoetida, remaining chopped
garlic & tomato paste.
Pour the tempering on the prepared dal & serve.
Undhiyu is a mixed vegetable curry with few fenugreek dumplings in it. This very popular Gujarati delicacy is very nutritious and a wholesome dish as it has all the goodness of vegetables and greens. Traditionally it is prepared in clay pots, but to make it faster, pressure cooking method is perfectly fine.
Made as a dry preparation, this festive dish is relished with poori or thepla. However, it also tastes good with paratha or chapatti. A lot of preparation goes into making this yummy vegetarian fare, but it is worth the effort. I personally prefer drizzling some ghee to the end product for some added flavour. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
Muthias--
- 3/4 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
- 3 tbsp. besan (gram flour)
- 1 cup methi (fenugreek) leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. roasted coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
- 1 tsp. red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
- 1/2 tsp. amchur powder
- 1 tsp. ginger, grated
- 1 tsp. garlic, grated
- 1-2 fresh chilies, chopped
- 1 tbsp. oil to knead the dough
- oil to deep fry
Mix together atta, besan and all the dry powders. Add the oil and combine well. Then add the cumin seeds, chopped methi leaves, ginger, garlic and fresh chilies.
knead into a stiff dough with required quantity of water. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
Form oval shape small balls out of the dough. Heat oil and deep fry them few at a time till light golden brown in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside.
Masala for the stuffing--
- 1/2 tsp. pepper powder or to taste
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh coconut, grated
- 3 tbsp. roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
- 10-15 roasted cashew nuts
- 1 tsp. ginger. grated
- 1 tsp. garlic, grated
- 1 fresh chili, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
- 1 tsp. red chili powder
Powder the cashew nuts, sesame seeds and peanuts into a coarse powder. Combine with all the other ingredients and keep aside.
Undhiyu Vegetables--
- 1 potato, cubed
- 1 green plantain, sliced
- 1 cup yam, cubed
- 1 cup sweet potato, cubed
- 6-7 eggplants, slit
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1 cup broad beans (Sem ki Phalli), cut into half and separated
- oil to deep fry
Tempering--
- 3-4 tbsp. oil
- 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp. carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1/2 tsp. asafoetida
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp. ghee (opt)
Preparation--
Heat oil and deep fry the yam, green plantain, potatoes and sweet potatoes in batches. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside.
Stuff the eggplants with the prepared masala and keep aside. Now combine the rest of the masala with the vegetables.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and temper with ajwain, cumin seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida, followed by the broad beans and green peas. Sauté for a few seconds.
Add the rest of the veggies and top it up with the fried muthias. Add the water mixed with turmeric powder and salt to taste. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
Transfer it to a separate pan and add more water if gravy consistency is required. Simmer for 2-3 minutes on low flame. Drizzle with some ghee and serve with poori, paratha or just plain chapatti.
Ingredients for making the muthias.
Atta, besan, all the dry masalas & oil are mixed together.
Methi leaves, ginger, garlic & fresh chilies added to make the dough.
Keep aside the dough for 10 minutes.
Make oval shaped balls out of the dough.
Deep fry the Muthias.
Ingredients for the masala stuffing.
Sesame seeds, roasted peanuts & roasted cashew nuts grounded to a
coarse powder
Mix grated fresh coconut, chopped coriander leaves, grated ginger & garlic,
lime juice & chopped fresh chilies.
Add salt to taste, roasted coriander-cumin powder, red chili powder &
turmeric powder.
Prepared Masala for the stuffing.
All the veggies for Undhiyu.
All veggies chopped & eggplants slit.
All veggies deep fried, except eggplants.
Broad beans & frozen green peas mixed with some of the masala.
Masala stuffed inside eggplants & also mixed with other fried veggies.
Temper oil with cumin seeds, carom seeds (ajwain) & asafoetida.
Add broad beans & green peas to the tempering oil.
Followed by rest of the fried veggies.
Lastly add Muthias, 1 cup water mixed with salt to taste & turmeric
powder. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
Transfer to a separate pan & add more water if gravy consistency is
required. Simmer for 2-3 minutes on low flame. Drizzle with some
ghee & serve with poori, paratha or just plain chapatti.
This is a traditional Bengali delicacy where small river water fish is cooked in a banana leaf. It is a very simple and an easy recipe as too much of preparation is not required. All it needs is to mix all the ingredients and cook in a banana leaf on a low flame. And in just 20 minutes it is ready to be enjoyed with plain steamed rice.
It can also be steam cooked to perfection. These small river water fish can be substituted with anchovies too. They are especially prepared during special occasions. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
- 200 gms. Morula maach (fish), cleaned and rinsed well
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. red chili powder
- 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
- 2 tbsp. mustard oil
- 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh coconut, grated
- 1 tbsp. mustard paste
- 1 tsp. lime juice
- banana leaves as required
Marinate the fish with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder for 5 minutes. Then mix with rest of the ingredients.
Now place a banana leaf on a pan and transfer the contents on it. Cover with another banana leaf and lid. Cook on a low flame for 8-10 minutes.
Flip it over and cook, covered for another 8-10 minutes. When done, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with hot steamed rice.
Marinate fish with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder & red chili powder
for 5 minutes.
Then mix with rest of the ingredients.
Now place a banana leaf on a pan & transfer the contents on it.
Cover with another banana leaf & lid. Cook on low flame for 8-10 min.
Flip it over & cook, covered for another 8-10 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves & serve with plain steamed rice.
