Showing posts with label Carrot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carrot. Show all posts

Vegetable Cutlets with Coriander Mint Chutney | Indian Veg Cutlet Recipe [Video]


Vegetable Cutlet Recipe with step by step video instructions. Indian veg cutlet is a shallow or deep fried patty made of potatoes, mixed vegetables and spices. Vegetable cutlet may be coated in semolina or breadcrumbs. This recipe of vegetable cutlet is vegan.


In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

how to make vegetable cutlets recipe, aloo tikki recipe, vegan cutlet recipe, beetroot cutlet recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

I’m free I’m free… from those hectic schedules to those late night calls. I’m finally free, for a short while, but I know to appreciate the smaller things in life.

So what did I do? Well, I actually went to the mall on a weekday evening. Really!! With no laptop to burden me, I happily went to the happiness sale at Bangalore Central. And then I went to my sister’s house and had her cook me dinner. I know, could I get any lazier? I like laziness :D. And then I actually started reading my library book. Oh my dear books have been neglected this entire time. I issued booked, renewed them and then returned them. But finally, I’ve started on “Gone Girl” and am liking it till now. I even went out and watched Minions. Acche din (Good days).

how to make vegetable cutlets recipe, aloo tikki recipe, vegan cutlet recipe, beetroot cutlet recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


I’ve been trying to cram all the good things in these 2-3 weeks I’ll have before the next project and the next grind starts. So Saturday night, I made my childhood favorite – Vegetable Cutlets, to celebrate. It is still my favorite, but I don’t like what I get in Bangalore. I miss my Goan cutlets with little pieces of red beetroot in them. That’s something special to Goa I think, beetroot is added to cutlets and samosa’s there, and believe me, it just makes them extra special. Tasty, yummmm. 

Veg potato vegan snacks Cutlet patty fritter Coriander cilantro kothmir Mint pudina hari green Chutney


Cutlets are so easy to make. All you need are mashed vegetables and desire to make something of them. For most non vegetarian cutlets, egg is used as a binding agent to bind the breadcrumbs, but this is a Vegetarian blog, so not eggs here mister. Just use a mixture of milk and flour and dip the cutlets in that before dipping it into semolina or bread crumbs. You can use bread crumbs, but cutlets always have semolina or rava coating on them. If you skip this, the rava coating just disintegrates once it is in the pan and you are left with a shapeless cutlet and oil full of rava. I am speaking from experience here.

Veg potato vegan snacks Cutlet patty fritter Coriander cilantro kothmir Mint pudina hari green Chutney

how to make vegetable cutlets recipe, aloo tikki recipe, vegan cutlet recipe, beetroot cutlet recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


I decided to go an extra step and I made this nice green chutney to go along with the cutlet. It tastes just as delicious with ketchup or just like that. But then, I am a chutney girl. Always been one. So I made this chutney, bought some Pao, stuffed some sliced onions and tomatoes and made my local burger. Skip all this and enjoy it just as it is, or go full gourmet and add sliced avocado, cheese or anything else you fancy. It  is all upto you and your family’s taste buds.

Veg potato vegan snacks Cutlet patty fritter Coriander cilantro kothmir Mint pudina hari green Chutney


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! 



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Video Recipe





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Vegetable Cutlets with Coriander Mint Chutney


how to make vegetable cutlets recipe, aloo tikki recipe, vegan cutlet recipe, beetroot cutlet recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.comIndian veg cutlet is a shallow or deep fried patty made of potatoes, mixed vegetables and spices. Vegetable cutlet may be coated in semolina or breadcrumbs. This recipe of vegetable cutlet is vegan.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:          Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              8-10 Cutlets

Ingredients:


For the cutlet:



3 to 4 Potatoes, medium sized
0.5 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, green peas)
0.5 Beetroot
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves
1 tsp Red chilli powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Garam masala
2 Tbsp Flour (maida)
3-4 Tbsp Fine semolina (Chiroti rava)
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the chutney:


0.5 cup Fresh coriander leaves 
0.5 cup Fresh mint leaves
1 Green chilli
1 clove Garlic
Salt
Water

Method:


To make the Cutlet:


1. Boil the potato until done. Peel and mash them.
2. Chop carrot and beans finely. Boil them along with the peas until done.
3. Peel and chop the beetroot and boil until cooked.
4. Drain and add the vegetables along with chopped coriander leaves to the potato.
5. Add all the spices and salt to the potato and mix well. If the cutlet mixture feels wet, add either bread crumbs or dip a slice of bread in water and immediately remove it out, squeeze out the water and crumble the bread into the mixture.
6. Divide the mixture into 10 equal parts and roll them into balls. Gently flatten the balls to make a patty. You can be creative and make fancy shapes too with a cookie cutter.
7. Heat oil in a pan. You can either shallow fry or deep fry the cutlets.
8. Take the flour in a shallow plate and add 0.25 to 0.5 tsp salt to it. Add water by the spoonfuls and whisk until you have a smooth slurry.
9. Dip the cutlet in the slurry and dip in semolina and place it in the pan.
10. Cook on each side until it is golden brown. Remove from heat once both sides are cooked.
11. Serve hot with Ketchup or Chutney

To make the Coriander Mint Chutney:


1. Grind everything in the mixer/blender with 1 tbsp of water


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Brown Rice Fritters

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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.




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Eggplant Coconut Curry
Read more ...

Baked Bread Rolls

I am blank! Just like a paper. 

There are times when you want to write but you don’t know what to write. It is called a writer’s block. Most of the times I am blank, but not about writing, but about cooking. What is that called? Cooking block? Chef’s block? Cooking lunch and dinner is pretty easy for me. 

I am a chapatti/roti lover so most days it is chapatti with some vegetables that are there at home. But I hate thinking about what to make for breakfast. And then start the calls. I call up my mom and my sister and ask the same question “What should I make for Breakfast?” and I get the same answer “Please don’t ask me, I’m confused too” :(




May be the women in office face the same issue everyday too. The women’s association in office started an online competition for quick and healthy breakfast recipes. I was extremely excited, I thought with at least the 200+ women in office, I’ll get many recipes. I, myself, submitted the recipe for my oats idlis. I must say though, that competition did not do much more than flooding my inbox with emails. I barely got any new recipes. Some were not healthy, some were not quick, some I would not even call breakfast. I did win the third prize though :).




I got the idea for this breakfast recipe when on a hungry weekday evening we went to a tiny shop to eat Vada Pao and Break pakoda and my sister remarked that she prefers break roll. The idea stayed in my head and from that seed grew a tree, that tempted me to make bread rolls. As I have mentioned before, I try to avoid deep frying, so I baked it. I stuffed with a combination of potato, carrot, cauliflower, spices and cheese. Stuff it with anything that takes your fancy, the bread is your stage… :) You can have it as a snack with nice hot cup of tea on a rainy evening….*slurp* or as a breakfast.



Definitely, a kid friendly recipe. I can vouch for that. What’s not to like? Bread, potatoes and cheese :) The only suggestion I have is: have it hot, it loses its crispness once it is cold. Dunk it in some cool mint chutney or some tangy ketchup. Or like us, just have it on its own. But have it, for sure :)







Baked Bread Rolls



Bread stuffed with a vegetable mixture, rolled and baked to make a roll.

Recipe Type:  Snacks/ Appetizer
Cuisine:          International
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:              12 rolls

Ingredients:



12 Bread slices
2 small or 1 large Potatoes
1 Carrot
1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped Cauliflower
1 small Onion
1 Green chilli
1-2 cloves of Garlic
1 Tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
2 cubes or 3-4 Tbsp Cheese (Grated)
2 Tbsp Butter
½ tsp Cumin seeds
3 tsp Oil
½ tsp Turmeric powder / Haldi
A pinch of Garam Masala
A pinch of Dry Mango Powder / Amchur
Salt
Water

Method:



1. Boil and peel the potatoes. Mash them roughly.
2. Finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot, green chilli and the cauliflower.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds.
4. Once the seeds brown, add the onion, chilli and the garlic.
5. Once the onion is slightly browned, add the carrot and cauliflower.
6. Cover and cook until the vegetables are done. They should still have a bite in them, don’t overcook them.
7. Add the spices and the mashed potatoes and mix well.
8. Add the coriander leaves.
9. Remove from heat and keep aside.
10. Cut the edges of the bread slices.
11. Using a rolling pin flatten out the bread.
12. In the center of the flattened bread, add a spoonful of the mixture and the cheese.
13. Wet the sides of the bread and join them.
14. Apply butter on the roll from outside
15. Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.
16. Place the rolls on a cookie sheet in one layer and cook for 10 mins.
17. After 5 mins, flip the rolls.
18. Depending on the power of your oven you may need to keep it in for more or less time.
19. It should be crisp and golden brown.


    P.S: Don't throw out the edges. You can use it to thicken gravies and soup. You can also use it as a binding agent in tikkis and patties. For a soup which uses bread edges, watch out for my next post :)
    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.
    Read more ...

    Vegetable Fried Rice

    Who doesn't like the greasy Indian Chinese fried rice? Pair that with some spicy manchurian, and we have a dinner going... It has become so popular that tiny roadside carts also sell you some tasty fried rice at lower cost... But some of the best things are made at home when you know how hygienic it is... And this works perfectly for a busy week night dinner as it hardly takes any time to prepare.





    Vegetable Fried Rice


    Rice and vegetables stir fried together.

    Recipe Type:  Main Course
    Cuisine:          Indian Chinese
    Prep Time:     30 minutes
    Cook time:     60 minutes (Includes cooking rice)
    Yield:              2-3 Servings

    Ingredients:

    3/4 cup uncooked or 2-3 cups cooked Rice
    1 Carrot
    10-12 Green Beans
    1/2 Capsicum
    2 Spring Onions or 1 Onion
    1" piece Ginger
    3-4 cloves Garlic
    1-2 Tbsp Soy sauce
    1/2 tsp Ajinomoto / Maggi magic cube (Optional)
    1 tsp Pepper
    1/2 tsp Vinegar
    3 tsp Oil
    2-3 drops Lime juice
    Salt

    Method:


    • Rice needs to be slightly under cooked and dry for fried rice. So cook the rice with a little less water than usual and for little less time. I cooked with a tbsp less than 1.5 cups of water and it generally takes 5 whistles or 10 mins for my rice to cook in the pressure cooker. I cooked for 4 whistles instead. Add a few drops of lime juice so that the cooked rice has separate grains.
    • Once the rice is cooked, spread it out on a large plate until ready to use.
    • Chop the carrot and beans into small cubes and boil them until half done.I microwaved them for around 6 mins.
    • Julienne the capsicum and onions. If the spring onions are very small, you can use more.
    • Crush the ginger and garlic into a fine paste.
    • Heat oil in a kadhai / wok and once it is hot, add the onion and fry.
    • Once the onions are slightly translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and capsicum and fry for 1 min
    • Add the beans and carrot and cook until the vegetables are almost 90% done. They should retain their bite. Do not overcook them.
    • Add the 1 tbsp soya sauce, pepper, vinegar, ajinomoto or maggi magic cube and mix well.
    • Add the rice and mix well
    • Add salt and any other sauce as per taste
    • Serve hot with some spicy manchurian
    Read more ...

    Gobi Manchurian

    The first time I had this, I loved it. It was in a cafe, we friends went to after our tuition in the 10th standard. It cost us Rs.20 back then in a moderately priced cafe. Back then, we did not have it as an accompaniment, we ate it as the main meal. Spicier than home food and newer flavors, it tingled our senses. And it has been tingling ever since...



    Gobi after frying

    Gobi Manchurian



    An Indian Chinese appetizer of deep fried cauliflower in a spicy sauce

    Recipe Type:  Appetizer
    Cuisine:          Indian Chinese
    Prep Time:     20 minutes
    Cook time:     40 minutes
    Yield:              3-4 Servings

    Ingredients:


    200 gms Cauliflower
    2 Spring onions or 1 Onion
    2 Tbsp chopped Spring onion greens
    1.5" piece Ginger
    4 cloves Garlic
    2 Green Chilli (Slit length wise)
    2 Tbsp Capsicum (finely chopped)
    2 Tbsp Carrot (finely chopped)
    2 Tbsp Cornflour
    1 Tbsp Flour / Maida
    3-4 Tbsp Soy sauce
    1 tsp Chilli sauce
    1/2 tsp Vinegar
    2 tsp + 2 cups Oil
    1/2 tsp Ajinomoto / Maggi magic cube
    Salt
    Water

    Method:

    • Crush and grind the ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Alternatively, use ginger-garlic paste. I prefer using fresh as I feel it gives it a better fragrance.
    • Mix the cornflour and flour with 1/2 cup water. Add 1 tsp of the ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp soya sauce and salt. Add more water if needed, the consistency should not be very thin, it should be sufficient to coat the cauliflower
    • Break the cauliflower into smaller florets
    • Heat 2 cups Oil for deep frying in a kadhai
    • Dip the cauliflower in the batter and deep fry until golden brown and keep aside
    • Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadhai, add the onions and once they are translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and fry until fragrant
    • Add the other vegetables and continue frying until they are done,
    • Now add the remaining batter prepared for the cauliflower. Add more water to get a gravy. If you want it dry, you may not need to add any water.
    • Add all the sauces, vinegar, ajinomoto / maggi magic cube and salt and cook for 2-3 mins.
    • Add the cauliflower and cook for 1 more min.
    • Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot


    Read more ...

    Bombay Pav Bhaji

    The reason I call this the Bombay Pav Bhaji is because I eat and make 2 kinds of Pav bhajis and it gets confusing about which one I'm talking about. The other one being the Goan Pav bhaji ( recipe will be posted soon). The Bombay pav bhaji is the red coloured pav bhaji most commonly eaten across India in restaurants or small chaat carts / gaadis . As a kid, eating out meant small snacks in the evenings, as restaurant culture had not yet caught on as it has today. We would go on my dad's Bajaj scooter to our favorite chaat cart/ gaadi in the market to eat Pav bhaji. With very low tolerance for spices, I was generally stuck eating just butter pav. But as I grew up, the spice tolerance also grew and I was able to enjoy this spicy red bhaji with the greasy yet amazingly tasty butter pav. I'm sure a lot of us have similar memories of the 1990s. Till date, whenever I go home, I make it a point to go to the same gaadi and eat the same pav bhaji. I don't know his secret recipe that makes it so yummy, but I do make it my way at home... The recipe that follows is the way I make it at home...









    Bombay Pav Bhaji


    A popular Bombay street food consisting of spicy mix vegetable mash and bread rolls/pav.

    Recipe Type:  Snacks
    Cuisine:          Indian
    Prep Time:     30 minutes
    Cook time:     30 minutes
    Yield:              2-3 Servings

    Ingredients:

    3 medium Potato
    1 cup chopped Tomato
    3/4 cup chopped Onion
    1/2 cup chopped Capsicum
    1/4 cup chopped Carrot
    1/2 cup Cauliflower (broken into small florets or chopped)
    1/4 cup Green peas
    3-4 cloves or 1 Tbsp paste of Garlic
    1" piece or 1 Tbsp paste of Ginger
    2 Tbsp Pav bhaji masala (In case you don't have this available, use Garam masala - 1/2 tsp, Coriander powder - 1 tsp, Amchur/ Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp, Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp)
    A pinch of Garam masala
    2 Tbsp Butter
    Red chilli powder - To taste
    Salt - To taste
    A handful of Coriander leaves
    Lemon wedges

    Method:

    • Boil and peel the potatoes
    • Boil the carrot, cauliflower, peas and capsicum.
    • Grind the ginger-garlic into a fine paste.
    • Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a kadhai or pan
    • Add the onions and fry until golden brown.
    • Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant.
    • Add the tomatoes and fry until soft and cooked.
    • Add all the remaining vegetables and mash them.
    • Add all the spices and salt.
    • Add a little water to achieve the desired consistency
    • Boil for 5-6 mins
    • Add 1 tbsp of butter on top
    • Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
    • Serve hot with some lemon wedges, chopped onion and buttered Pav





    Read more ...

    Vegetable Biryani (2 ways)

    After a short trip to Sri Lanka where we struggled to find veg food, our taste buds were craving for some spice and lots of vegetables. I wanted to make and eat something that celebrated our wonderful Indian cuisine. It had also been a long time since I had made biryani, I'd almost forgotten the recipe taught to me by my friend's mom. So I tried to recollect all I could and gave it a go. It definitely was the tastiest biryani I've ever eaten (may be cause I made it :P) Below is the recipe how I made it (1st one). There are a few things missing here that are present in an authentic biryani as I made it with things readily available. I have not added potato, black cardamom and saffron/kesar. You can add the potato along with the other vegetables. Black cardamom needs to be added to the rice as well as the masala (1 each). Few saffron strands are mixed with milk and added to the rice. I skipped all this and as I know it, it made no difference to the biryani tastewise. Also, I used regular rice and not Basmati. I highly recommend using Basmati as it adds to the fragrance. I am listing down 2 recipes below, 1st one is how I made it and the 2nd one is an easier method.


    Vegetable Biryani
    






    The masala before layering







    Recipe 1 : How I made it:

    Vegetable Biryani


    Rice cooked with vegetables and a spicy masala

    Recipe Type:  Main Course
    Cuisine:          Indian
    Prep Time:     30 minutes
    Cook time:     60 minutes
    Yield:              2-3 Servings

    Ingredients:

    1 cup / 10-12 florets Cauliflower
    1 Carrot
    1/2 cup Peas
    12-15 Beans
    2 medium Onions
    2 medium Tomatoes
    4-5 cloves Garlic
    1 " piece Ginger
    1/2 cup Curd/ Yoghurt
    1/2 cup Mint
    1 cup uncooked Rice
    3.5 cups Water
    4 Cloves
    2 1" pieces Cinnamon
    4 Green cardamom
    2 Bayleaf
    A few strands Mace
    8-10 Peppercorns
    1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
    1/4 tsp Ajwain
    6 tsp Oil
    1 tsp Red Chilli powder
    1 tsp Turmeric powder
    1/2 tsp Garam masala
    2 tsp Coriander powder
    1/2 tsp Cumin powder
    2 Tbsp Milk
    Salt


    Method:

    • Take 3 cups of water in a kadhai/pan. Add 2 cloves, 1 bayleaf, 1 piece of cinnamon, 2 Green cardamoms, few strands of mace and 1/2 tsp of salt.
    • Wash the rice and add to the water and boil until the rice is almost done.
    • Remove the spices from the rice and drain excess water if any.
    • Heat 4 tsp oil in another kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
    • Once they brown, add the 1 chopped onions, remaining cloves, cardamom, bayleaf, peppercorns, ajwain and cinnamon.
    • Cook until the onions are translucent.
    • Grind together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
    • Add it to the kadhai with the onions.
    • Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and the garam masala and cook for 1 min.
    • Add all the roughly chopped vegetables and 1/4 cup water and cover and cook on low flame until the vegetables are almost done.
    • Add more water if needed.
    • Grind the mint leaves with a little water and add it to the curd and whisk to remove any lumps.
    • Add this to the masala and cook for 1 min.
    • Add salt and remove from heat.
    • In another pan, add the remaining oil.
    • Once the oil is hot, add the remaining onion sliced lengthwise and fry until brown.
    • Add one layer of the masala over the onions
    • Add one layer of rice
    • Again add a layer of masala and then one layer of rice.
    • Sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk and cover the kadhai and cook on low flame for 10-15 mins.
    • Mix well and serve hot with raita.

    Recipe 2: Easy way out


    Ingredients:

    Cauliflower - 1 cup / 10-12 florets
    Carrot - 1
    Peas - 1/2 cup
    Beans - 12-15
    Onion - 2 medium
    Tomato - 2 medium
    Garlic - 4-5 cloves
    Ginger - 1 " piece
    Curd - 1/2 cup
    Mint - 1/2 cup
    Rice - 1 cup
    Water - 2 cups + 1/2 cup
    Cloves - 2
    Cinnamon - 1" piece
    Green cardamom - 2
    Bayleaf - 1
    Mace - few strands
    Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
    Oil - 6 tsp
    Chilli powder - 1 tsp
    Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
    Biryani masala - 1-2 tbsp
    Salt

    Method:

    • Cook rice along with cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, bayleaf, mace and 1/2 tsp of salt. You can pressure cook the rice until it is done. Add a little less water than you regularly do so that the rice is not too mushy. We need the rice grains to be separate.
    • Remove the spices from the rice and keep aside.
    • Parboil the vegetables outside until they are half done. Especially carrot and beans that take a little longer to cook. You can microwave them on high for 3-4 mins.
    • Heat 4 tsp oil in another kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
    • Once they brown, add 1 chopped onion. Cook until the onions are translucent.
    • Grind together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
    • Add it to the kadhai with the onions.
    • Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and biryani masala and cook for 3-5 mins.
    • Add the vegetables cook on low flame until the vegetables are done.
    • Add more water if needed.
    • Grind the mint leaves with a little water and add it to the curd and whisk to remove any lumps.
    • Add this to the masala and cook for 1 min.
    • Add salt and remove from heat.
    • In another pan, add the remaining oil.
    • Once the oil  is hot, add the remaining onion sliced lengthwise and fry until brown.
    • Mix the fried onion, masala and rice. Heat once again if needed.
    • Serve hot with raita
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    Vegetable Pulao

    In the early 1990s, cable TVs had just entered homes, infact, TVs had just entered a few homes. International brands were unknown to most except probably those who had travelled abroad. Internet was virtually unheard of and computers unseen by most. Weekends were 1.5 days long and travels by Bajaj scooters. The only McDonald we had heard of was the old farmer who had pigs and ducks on his farm. Eating out was restricted to local foods like pao bhaji, sev puri, samosas and dosas. Eating out was an extravagance, a luxury. Families ate out once in 1-2 months. Sundays became special affairs. Sunday was a day to cook out specialities by the woman of the house. The menu for sunday until lunch was pretty much fixed. Idlis with hot sambhar and spicy chutney for breakfast. And my mom's special Pulao and Chana masala for lunch. How we lusted for the lunch. All the while, playing in the street, the mind was still in the kitchen smelling in the aroma of pulao. My mom's simple yet delicious vegetable pulao was always a favourite among friends and relatives. I use the same recipe, the same ingredients, but I can never match up to the pulao of those early sunday afternoons of my life. But each time I make this pulao, the feeling of nostalgia envelopes me.




    Vegetable Pulao


    Indian rice pilaf made with vegetables and whole spices

    Recipe Type:  Main Course
    Cuisine:          Indian
    Prep Time:     30 minutes
    Cook time:     20 minutes
    Yield:              2-3 Servings

    Ingredients:

    1 cup Rice
    2 cups Water (Or how much is needed to cook 1 cup of rice in a pressure cooker)
    1 cup Assorted vegetables  (Roughly chopped Cauliflower, Potato, French beans. Carrots and Green Peas)
    1 Onion
    1 Tomato
    2-3 Green Chillies
    5-6 Black peppercorns
    1-2 Cloves
    1" stick Cinnamon
    1 Bayleaf / Tej patta (dry)
    1 cube Maggi magic cube (veg)
    2 Tbsp Oil
    Salt

    Method:
    • Wash the rice and spread on a muslin cloth to dry until ready to use.
    • Heat oil in a pressure cooker
    • Add the finely chopped onions and slit green chillies
    • Add all the whole spices and fry until the onions are light brown
    • Add the tomato and fry for 1 min
    • Add the rice and fry for 30secs - 1 min
    • Add the water. Crush the magic cube and add it to the cooker.
    • Add salt. The magic cube itself has salt, keep that in consideration while adding salt.
    • Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or until the rice is done.
    • Serve hot with raita or pickle



    Read more ...

    Dalia Pulao | Broken Wheat with vegetables

    I always thought Dalia was a sick man’s food.  Until my sister convinced me it was actually tasty.  I bought broken wheat from the store but still stared at it with apprehension. Then almost a month after buying it, I decided it was high time I used it. Pleasant surprise! That’s what it was. It tastes very much like uppit/ upma. And it is supposed to be very healthy as the broken wheat is hardly processed.

    Dalia Pulao | Broken Wheat with vegetables


    Thick porridge made using broken wheat and vegetables.

    Recipe Type:  Breakfast
    Cuisine:          North Indian
    Prep Time:     15 minutes
    Cook time:     40 minutes
    Yield:              2-3 Servings


    Ingredients:

    ½ cup Dalia/ Broken Wheat
    1 cup mixed Vegetables(French beans / carrots / capsicum/ green peas)
    1 small Onion
    1 small Tomato
    2-3 Green Chillies
    5-6 Curry leaves
    2 cups Water
    3 tsp Oil
    1 tsp Cumin seeds
    ½ Tbsp Lime juice
    A handful of Coriander leaves
    Salt

    Method:

    • In a pressure cooker, add 1 tsp of oil and lightly roast the broken wheat for around 1 min. (You can skip this step)
    • Remove the broken wheat into a plate
    • Add the remaining oil in the cooker and add the cumin seeds
    • Once the cumin splutters, add the curry leaves, chopped onions and chopped green chillies
    • Fry until the onions are done
    • Add the tomato and fry for 1 min
    • Add the remaining vegetables and fry for another 1 min
    • Add the 2 cups of water and salt
    • Add the broken wheat and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or 10 mins.
    • Add the lime juice and freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot

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    Masala Rice with Capsicum and Carrots

    It was a Friday night and all my fridge had was one tiny carrot and one capsicum... bored to venture out in the rain to buy more veggies, I decided to make do with what I had.... This was the first time I made masala rice and all I can say is it will soon become a regular item on my menu... so easy to make and yet so tasty and filling. You can use any vegetable you have left over, or if you have no veggies around, just make it plain, it tastes just as good....



    Masala Rice with Capsicum and Carrots


    Rice cooked with vegetables and a coconut-spice based masala.

    Recipe Type:  Main Course
    Cuisine:          Indian
    Prep Time:     30 minutes
    Cook time:     30 minutes
    Yield:              2-3 Servings

    Ingredients:

    1 Capsicum / Green bell pepper
    1 Carrot
    1 small Tomato
    6-8 Curry leaves
    1 cup uncooked Rice
    1 tsp Cumin seeds
    2 tbsp Urad dal / Split black gram
    1 tbsp Chana dal / Split Bengal gram
    1 small stick Cinnamon
    2 tbsp Peanuts
    2-4 dry Red Chillies
    2 tbsp Coriander seeds
    1/2 tsp Amchur
    1 tsp Turmeric powder / haldi
    2 tbsp grated fresh coconut(Optional)
    1 tsp Mustard seeds
    2 tbsp Ghee / Clarified butter / Oil
    Salt

    Method:

    • Cook rice as per instructions or as you regularly do. I pressure cook it with twice the quantity of water.
    • Heat 0.5 tbsp. of ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, coriander seeds, peanuts and red chillies. Fry until the chillies crisp up and the urad dal turns light brown.
    • Allow this masala to cool and then grind it to a coarse paste along with coconut.
    • Julienne the capsicum and carrots or slice them finely. Chop the tomato finely.
    • Heat the remaining ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds
    • Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and the vegetables
    • Fry until the vegetables are done and then add the ground masala and cook for 1 min
    • Add the haldi and amchur and mix well
    • Add the rice and mix well with the masala
    • Add salt and cook for another 2 mins
    • Enjoy it while it is hot




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