Showing posts with label Capsicum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Capsicum. Show all posts

Stuffed Potato Skins

Crispy potato, crunchy green Capsicum, punchy tomato sauce and oozy mozzarella cheese. That’s what this whole blog post it about.

 Baked Stuffed Potato Skins Capsicum Tomato Mozzarella Cheese Olive oil gluten free


I’ve never baked a potato. Or rather, until last week, I had never baked a potato. And now that I have, I feel I’ve opened a door with many many possibilities.

This recipe is a result of entering a competition that asked contestants to cook with 5 ingredients – Potato, Tomato, Capsicum, Cheese and Olive Oil. You couldn’t leave out an ingredient.
I thought of a few options but decided I really wanted to stuff something. Stuffed capsicum or stuffed tomato may be? But when I mentioned stuffed potato skins, I saw Raj’s eye light up. It’s no secret he loves Potato. That was it then – Baked Potato Skins.

 Baked Stuffed Potato Skins Capsicum Tomato Mozzarella Cheese Olive oil gluten free


Now there is a lot you can do with these Potato Skins, I myself had a dozen ideas, but then I was restricted by the competition rules. Not that I regret that, they were AWESOME just like that.

These little boats to taste-bud-heaven have some lightly stir fried capsicum and an easy-to-make awesome INSTANT super punchy tomato sauce. Apart from the 5 ingredients mentioned above, all you need is oregano or any pizza seasoning, garlic, salt and loads of pepper. This sauce goes amazingly well with pasta and pizza. So increase the quantity and freeze it for rainy days if you wish.

Baked Stuffed Potato Skins Capsicum Tomato Mozzarella Cheese Olive oil gluten free

Step one: Crisping up the potato skins. You want them crisppyyyy:
Wash and scrub those potatoes clean. This is how you build muscles working at home. Exercise for today – DONE. Dry them and rub olive oil all over them. Watch out for those slippery ones that go bouncing all over your counter. Use a fork and prick them all over.
Bake them for 1 hour at 200 C of 400 F. In the meanwhile, move on to steps 2 & 3 and come back to one later.

Step two: Making the AWESOME Tomato sauce.
Chop those tomatoes roughly and fry along with some garlic in a pan with some olive oil. Once the tomatoes are soft, add in the oregano, salt and pepper. If you are like me, pepper == lots and lots of pepper.
Blend it into a coarse sauce. This is a thick sauce. If you plan on using it for pasta, you may want to thin it a little.

Step three: Crunchy crunchy Capsicum.
Chop the capsicum into small pieces. Stir fry in some olive oil until it is slightly cooked. Don’t let it mush up. Sprinkle some salt and keep aside.

Baked Stuffed Potato Skins Capsicum Tomato Mozzarella Cheese Olive oil gluten free

Step one again: Crispy skin dreams come true here.
Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, slice them lengthwise into  half. Using a sharp edged spoon, scoop out the potato gently. Leave around ¼ inch or 0.5 cm of potato still in the skin so it holds it’s shape. Brush generously with olive oil on the inside and outside. Rub some salt.
Now bake it skin side down for 5 mins @ 220 degree C and then flip them over and bake again for 5 mins until the skins are crispy.

Step four: Let’s get the cheese BUBBLING
Assembly is all that it left before oozy cheese. Spoon in the capsicum and the sauce. Then grate over some mozzarella or any stringy melty cheese. This is what my food dreams are made of! Back into the oven for 4-5 mins until the cheese melts and it all bubbly.

Step five: Finish them off immediately!!!

Let’s face it, step five isn’t really a cooking step, but it is the most important step in the process.

 Baked Stuffed Potato Skins Capsicum Tomato Mozzarella Cheese Olive oil gluten free


I did not use the scooped out potato in this recipe. You can stuff it back in. I used it up to make some buttery Aloo Paratha.


Stuffed Potato Skins


 Baked Stuffed Potato Skins Capsicum Tomato Mozzarella Cheese Olive oil gluten freeBaked potato skins stuffed with an instant tomato sauce, fried green Capsicum and Mozzarella cheese.

Recipe Type:  Appetizers / Snacks
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     20 mins
Cook time:     1 hour 45 minutes
Yield:                6 skins

Ingredients:


3 large Potatoes
2 Tomatoes
1 Capsicum
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
5-6 Tbsp Mozzarella Cheese
2 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Oregano
1-2 tsp Pepper
Salt to taste

Method:


Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Wash, scrub and dry the potatoes.
Rub with olive oil and Ppick them with a fork all over.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of Olive oil and add crushed garlic and chopped tomato to it. Cook until the tomatoes have become soft and mushy
Add salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well.
Allow it to cool and then grind to a coarse sauce.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of Olive oil and fry chopped capsicum in it.
Slice the potatoes lengthwise and with a spoon gently scoop out the potato. Leave at least 1/4 inch of potato with the skin.
Rub olive oil and salt on the inside of the potato and outside.
Increase the temperature of the oven to 220 degree C.
Bake the potato skins in oven for 10 minutes, turning the potatoes after 5 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle, stuff them with capsicum, tomato sauce and top with cheese.
Bake for 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.


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Tawa Pulao | How to make Tava Pulao Recipe with Step by Step Instructions

Tava pilaf pav bhaji mumbai street food masala rice tomato

Street food ROCKS!!!

Don't you just agree to that? Many markets across the world are centered around the street food. Streets of Bangkok... Streets of Mexico City... Streets of Mumbai...

I think the true essence of a city lies in its Street Food. You get local food, fusion food and some even carry international favorites. But one thing is a constant in every food street, there is so much variety. After all, variety is the spice of life, isn't it?
I've found these are one of the busiest places in a city, especially after sundown. We have our own little food street in Bangalore which is packed even on weeknights.

Every city has its favorite, and so does Mumbai.

Mumbai is famous for its Vada Pav and its Pav Bhaji. Lurking in their shadows is the Tawa Pulao. Tawa Pulao literally is rice and vegetables cooked on a flat griddle along with some spices and oodles of butter.

Everything tastes better with BUTTER!!! Spoon in as much butter as you desire, it only improves the taste.

Tawa Pulao can be easily made VEGAN by skipping on the butter, or adding some yummy Almond Butter.

Tava pilaf pav bhaji mumbai street food masala rice tomato

Tawa Pulao has now started to become a popular dish outside of Mumbai too. I've eaten it in so many places in Bangalore. It seems to be entering restaurants too. But the street version beats the restaurant version any day. On my list of favorite street food, Tawa Pulao ranks 3rd, right behind the Pani Puri and the Pav Bhaji.

I must credit this recipe to my friend at work. She got this for lunch one day and I simply had to have the recipe. I was pleasantly surprised when she told me the recipe. I couldn't believe it was so easy to make. My friend makes it with only green peas and she adds a chilli paste as well. I add any vegetables I find in my fridge. In the past I've added babycorn, sweet corn, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli etc. I guess you get the picture.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Tava pilaf pav bhaji mumbai street food masala rice tomato

1) If using uncooked rice, wash the rice and cook it in 2 cups of water until it is done but not mushy. Allow the rice to cool and then gently fork it.
2) Dice the vegetables and keep aside. 
3) Puree the tomato in a blender.


Tava pilaf pav bhaji mumbai street food masala rice tomato

4) Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
5) Once they brown, add the onions and cabbage and fry until the onions are translucent.
6) Add all the remaining vegetables and 1/2 tsp of salt and cook until the vegetables are done but still have a bite to them. You can cover the pan to quicken the cooking.



Tava pilaf pav bhaji mumbai street food masala rice tomato

7) Remove the vegetables into a bowl, and place the pan back on heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the tomato puree and cook on low heat for 5-7 mins until the water from the puree evaporates and you get a thick tomato masala.
8) Add the pav bhaji masala and salt and mix well.




9) Add the fried vegetables and mix well.
10) Add the butter and mix well.
11) Add the rice and mix well.
12) Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve.



Tawa Pulao | How to make Tava Pulao Recipe


Tava pilaf pav bhaji mumbai street food masala rice tomato Tawa Pulao is rice cooked with tomatoes, vegetables and Pav bhaji masala. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:          Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              Serves 3-4

Ingredients:


1 cup uncooked Rice or 5 cups of cooked Rice
1 cup Tomato Puree or 2 Juicy Tomatoes
1.5 cups of assorted Vegetables (like Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrots, Green Peas, Green Beans, Capsicum) (Optional)
1 Onion
1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala (If you don't have this available, use Garam masala - 1/4 tsp, Coriander powder - 1 tsp, Amchur/ Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp, Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp, Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp Butter
2-3 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds / Jeera
Salt
Water
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:


If using uncooked rice, wash the rice and cook it in 2 cups of water until it is done but not mushy. Allow the rice to cool and then gently fork it.
Dice the vegetables and keep aside.
Puree the tomato in a blender.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
Once they brown, add the onions and cabbage and fry until the onions are translucent.
Add all the remaining vegetables and 1/2 tsp of salt and cook until the vegetables are done but still have a bite to them. You can cover the pan to quicken the cooking.
Remove the vegetables into a bowl, and place the pan back on heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the tomato puree and cook on low heat for 5-7 mins until the water from the puree evaporates and you get a thick tomato masala.
Add the pav bhaji masala and salt and mix well.
Add the fried vegetables and mix well.
Add the butter and mix well.
Add the rice and mix well.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve.
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Vegetable Jalfrezi Recipe | How to make vegetable jalfrezi | Mix vegetable curry [Video]


Vegetable Jalfrezi recipe with step by step photo and video instructions. Vegetable Jalfrezi is a mixed vegetable curry with a tomato based gravy. Vegetable Jalfrezi is gluten free and can be made to fit a vegan or plant based diet with simple replacements. 

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe


mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian


Guests coming over and you wanna impress them? Or are you just bored of your usual dinner fare? Jalfrezi can be your answer. Try it !

I saw this lovely photo of Jalfrezi in a magazine, it had me salivating. That one photo was my inspiration to try my hand at Jalfrezi. Jalfrezi has made its presence felt worldwide. It was voted to be UK’s most popular Indian curry a few years ago. And who would believe making it was so easy. 

The only effort needed is actually in cutting the vegetables, but you can totally skip it by buying already cut veggies from the supermarket or using your food processor. And you can relax doing your crossword or watching your favorite show on TV, while it simmers slowly. All it needs is like a check around 5-10 mins. Open the pan, peek, stir, close and back to what ever you were doing. Lovely, isn't it?

The best part is, you can add any vegetables you fancy or use up all your leftover vegetables at the end of the week to make it. I would however recommend adding baby corn as I felt it gives it an added crunch. To make it vegan, replace the paneer with Tofu or totally skip it, you won't be missing out on anything.

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian


mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian




If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 



You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email



Video Recipe





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Vegetable Jalfrezi


mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indianVegetable Jalfrezi is a popular Indian mix vegetable curry with a tomato based gravy. Vegetable Jalfrezi is gluten free and vegetarian. It can be made vegan by either skipping the Paneer or swapping it out for Tofu.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:          North Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              3-4

Ingredients:


1 large Onion
3 Tomatoes
0.5 cup Cauliflower florets
0.5 cup Broccoli florets
1 Carrot
8-10 Green Beans
8-10 Baby corn
0.5 Capsicum (or a mix of colored Capsicums/Peppers)
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
50 gms Paneer or Tofu
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1.5 cups Water
3 Tbsp + 2 tsp Vegetable Oil
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala or Garam Masala
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Sugar or Jaggery (Optional but recommended)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
Salt to taste

Method:


1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadhai. Cut the paneer into batons and fry them lightly until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and keep aside.
2. Add the remaining oil to the kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
3. Add the finely chopped onions and saute until golden brown.
4. Add in the ginger garlic paste and saute until fragrant.
5. Puree the tomatoes and add in the kadhai.
6. Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the oil separates.
7. Add in the ketchup and mix well.
8. Now the vegetables like cauliflower, carrot and beans which take a little longer to cook. 
9. Add water.
10. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables are almost done.
11. Now add the remaining vegetables like baby corn, broccoli, capsicum.
12. Add the turmeric powder, kitchen king masala, red chilli powder and salt.
13. Cook until the vegetables are done and the curry has the desired consistency. If it is too thin, you can cook it a little longer.
14. Add the paneer to the gravy.
15. Add sugar/jaggery to suit your taste.
16. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or rice.


Step by Step Recipe with Photos:



mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

1) Cut all vegetables except the onion and tomato into baton sized pieces. Cut the paneer /tofu similarly Chop the onion finely. Puree the tomato. 

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

2) Heat oil in a large pan and add the cumin seeds.


mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

3) Once they brown slightly, add the onions and saute until they are translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and mix well.

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

4) Add the tomato puree. 


mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

5) Add ketchup.

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

6)  Cook on low heat until the oil separates. Approximately 8-10 minutes.

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

7) Now the vegetables like cauliflower, carrot and beans which take a little longer to cook. 

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

8) Add water. Cook on medium high heat until the vegetables are almost done.

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

9) Now add the remaining vegetables like baby corn, broccoli, capsicum.
Add the turmeric powder, kitchen king masala, red chilli powder and salt.
Cook until the vegetables are done and the curry has the desired consistency. If it is too thin, you can cook it a little longer.

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

10) In the meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of oil in a non stick pan. When the oil is hot, add the paneer / tofu.

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

11) Fry until the paneer is slightly brown.

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian


12) Add the paneer to the gravy. Add sugar/jaggery to suit your taste.


13) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.




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Vegetable Stew Recipe [Video]


Vegetable Stew recipe with video instructions. Vegetable Stew is a mildly spiced vegan stew made by cooking colorful peppers, cauliflower, carrots and beans in coconut milk. Vegetable Stew is a gluten free curry.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe


Vegan curry made with mixed vegetables and coconut milk


The weather is confusing, on some days it feels like summer and on others it looks like the monsoons are already here. Today was one such a day. It started out sunny and ended up wet.
When it rains, I feel like having some warm comfort food. Don't you?

And a vegetable stew is just that. It is comfort food personified. I made it with rainbow veggies. You can make it with what you have available, but I find that colorful food cheers me up. I watched this food truck on Eat Street that seemed to have the same thinking. It was a healthy food truck where the chef served everything with a colorful salad. Oooh! today's newspaper is saying food trucks are in town. Yeah, baby! I hope I find myself in the neighborhood of one interesting truck. Let me know if you try one out. Until then our little bhel puri carts will have to do.

Vegan curry made with mixed vegetables and coconut milk


Anyway back to the stew. I will not call this a Kerala veg stew, but it is inspired from Kerala. I made this stew with coconut milk like a lot of Kerala curries. This is my sister's recipe. So its been tried and tested on other people before me :)

Vegan curry made with mixed vegetables and coconut milk

I made it with cauliflower, tri-colored peppers, carrot, and french beans. You can add green peas, potatoes, frankly, any vegetable you fancy in a curry. Anything tastes good with coconut milk, I swear. This curry is mildly spiced, so it does not take you away from the delicate taste of coconut milk and the vegetables.

Vegan curry made with mixed vegetables and coconut milk

It can be eaten with rice or bread. The choice is yours. We enjoyed the stew with rice and spicy jeegujje podi. Ummm... my mouth is watering just remembering my lunch.

Vegan curry made with mixed vegetables and coconut milk

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.


If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 


You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email




Video Recipe






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Vegetable Stew



Vegan curry made with mixed vegetables and coconut milkMildly spiced vegetable stew made by cooking colourful peppers, cauliflower, carrots and beans in coconut milk 

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              3 Servings

Ingredients:


1 cup Capsicum ( red, yellow, orange, green)
0.5 cup Cauliflower florets
1 Carrot, diced
6-8 Beans, chopped
2 cups Coconut Milk
3 tsp Oil
2 Cloves
0.5 tsp Black Pepper
0.5" Cinnamon
1 sprig Curry leaves
1 Onion, sliced
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1-2 Green Chillies, sliced
Salt to taste
Water as required


Method:


1. Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices and curry leaves.
2. Once curry leaves splutter, add the sliced onion and fry until translucent.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables that take longer to cook like the cauliflower, carrot and beans.
5. Add half a cup of water and salt and cover and cook until the vegetables are partially cooked.
6. Then add the capsicum or bell peppers and cook until all the vegetables are cooked.
7. Add in the coconut milk and salt to taste.
8. Simmer the stew for 3-4 minutes.
9. Enjoy it hot/warm with rice/bread.




If you liked this, you may also like:

Vegan glutenfree creamy north indian punjabi dum aloo baby potatoes masala gravy
Punjabi Dum Aloo

Raw banana plantain koftas in a coconut milk based spicy tangy gravy
Raw Banana Kofta Curry
Vegan curry made with eggplant and coconut milk
Eggplant Coconut Curry
Read more ...

Fried Rice with Ginger Garlic Sauce

This fried rice is so tasty, I cannot believe I never tried it before. Sigh.



When I went veggie shopping this weekend, I was extremely disappointed to see that my regular vegetable vendor has closed shop. Nothing excites me as fresh veggies, and he kept really fresh veggies. I’m still in denial. I’m sure it was a one off thing, may be a birthday or something (I’m sooo hoping it’s a onetime thing). So grudgingly I had to find a few new places to shop. To brighten my day, I picked some all colored peppers aka red, yellow and green capsicum. I even picked up zucchini and broccoli in the first shop. The next shop had more of my weekly local vegetables. I picked up some French beans and carrots. I add French beans and carrots to so many dishes – dalia, uppit, sambar, mix veg sabzi etc.




Ok, so I bought all these vegetables, but I just realized today, that I’m out of town the whole of next week and hubby dearest is not going to bother about my precious exotic vegetables lying in the fridge and by the time I come back they will be all shriveled. I had to cook them today, when they are still fresh and smiling




And I did have some wonderful fragrant Basmati rice with me. So I decided to make fried rice. Only this time, I’ve added a twist. This is my own recipe and I simply love it. Henceforth, this is how I will always make fried rice.
.


So grab your sharpest knife and get to work. It’s quite a bit of chopping, I accept. I julienned the peppers, French beans and carrots. I broke the broccoli into small florets. I cut the zucchini into thin semicircle slices
The recipe below makes yummy fried rice for 2.




Fried Rice with Ginger Garlic Sauce


Fried Rice with ginger garlic sauce

Vegetable Fried Rice tossed with a ginger garlic sauce

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          Indian Chinese
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:              2 Servings

Ingredients:

½ each Red, yellow, green Capsicum / Pepper
½ Zucchini
10-12 small florets Broccoli
1 Carrot
10-12 French beans
1 Onion
8-10 cloves Garlic (Garlic cloves in India are very small, 3 of them may make 1 garlic clove abroad)
1.5” piece Ginger
1-2 Green Chillies
1 cup Basmati rice
4 tsp Soy sauce
2 tsp Sesame oil/ Olive oil
2 tsp Rice vinegar or any white vinegar
½ tsp Sugar
1 Maggi magic cube or ½ tsp Ajinomoto (Optional)
6 tsp Oil
Salt
Water

Method:

  • Wash thoroughly and soak the rice for half hour. Drain the water and cook it with 1.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles or until done. Alternatively, follow the instructions for cooking the rice mentioned on the packet.
  • Once the rice is cooked, fluff it and keep aside.
  • In a blender/ mixer, grind together the garlic, ginger, green chillies, soy sauce, olive/sesame oil, vinegar, magic cube and sugar. It doesn't have to be a fine sauce, it can be coarse.
  • Julienne the capsicums, French beans and carrots. Slice the zucchini into semicircles. Break/cut the broccoli into small florets and slice the onion.
  • We will cook each of these vegetables separately as they have different cooking times.
  • Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok/kadhai. Add the French beans and carrot and fry until they are cooked but still crunchy.
  • Remove them and keep aside.
  • Add 1 tsp of oil into the kadhai and now add the peppers. Saute them until they are partially cooked, we want them crunchy.
  • Remove them and keep along with the beans.
  • Add 1 tsp of oil and now add the broccoli and zucchini and cook until they are done.
  • Remove and keep with other veggies.
  • Heat the remaining oil in the kadhai and add the onions. Once the onions are cooked, add all the other vegetables and the sauce.
  • Add the rice and mix well.
  • Add salt if required.
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Beetroot Pulao with mixed Vegetables

It's been over a month since my last post. I can attribute it to nothing but heat, laziness and of course, my travels. With so many recipes in the backlog, I must be more diligent but sometimes laziness just rules :) Anyway, better late than never.

You can love it, you can hate it, but ignoring the bright vibrant magenta vegetable is very difficult. I hate the way it colours almost everything it touches from my chopping board to my hands. But its earthy sweetness lets me forget this. I generally just stick to the simple beetroot palya or sambhar. But this time thought of doing something different. I assumed a beetroot pulao would end up being red and sweet. I was wrong on both accounts. The colour is actually due to turmeric and spices rather than the beetroot and the taste was very earthy rather than sweet. I added other vegetables because I had them. You can add any vegetable you like or skip them altogether. This is one simple one-pot meal I've made multiple times...




Beetroot Pulao with mixed Vegetables

Beetroot Pulao

Pilaf / Pulao made with beetroot and other mixed vegetables.
Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peeled and cubed Beetroot
3-4 Babycorn
1 small Capsicum
1 Onion
1/4 cup Green Peas
50gms Paneer (cut into small cubes)
1/2" piece or 1 tsp paste of Ginger
2-3 cloves or 1 tsp paste of Garlic
3/4 cup Rice (uncooked)
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2-3 dry Red Chillies (as per taste)
1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
1/2" piece Cinnamon
1-2 Clove
1 Cardamom
A pinch Nutmeg
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Milk
3 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 Maggi magic cube (veg)
Salt


Method:

  • Wash the rice 2-3 times. Soak the rice in the 1 cup of water and keep aside.
  • Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, nutmeg and red chillies until slightly brown.
  • Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
  • Grind into a fine powder. You can store this powder in an airtight box for 1-2 months.
  • Heat the oil in a pressure cooker.
  • Add chopped onions and fry until translucent
  • Crush the ginger and garlic into a paste and fry along with the onions until fragrant.
  • Add the pulao powder and mix well
  • Add all the vegetables and mic well. Stir fry for around 30-60 secs.
  • Add the rice along with the water.
  • Add the milk.
  • Add the turmeric powder, maggi cube and salt.
  • Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
  • As soon as you can open the cooker, fluff the rice with a fork to prevent it from forming a sticky mess.
  • Serve hot with some cool raita.


Note:

1) If you are in a hurry, you can replace the pulao powder with 1/2 tsp or more of garam masala or store bought biryani or pulao masala
2) The vegetables used here are optional. You can replace it with anything available and still have a wonderful pulao. By anything available, I mean any of the traditional vegetables used for pulao/biryani and not vegetables like brinjal/eggplant, okra which may mush up on cooking.
3) Maggi's magic cube is a taste enhancer. You can replace it with a pinch of ajinomoto or skip it all together. It is better to skip this if you plan on giving this to kids.


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