Doddapatre Tambuli Recipe [Video]

Doddapatre Tambuli is a traditional summer curry made with coconut and curd from Karnataka. This curry is made with Mexican mint leaves or Ajwain Patta.

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There has never been a better time to make Tambuli or Thambli as now. This summer heat calls for eating something that cools your insides.

Every region in India has a yogurt (curd) based curry that is popularly made in summer. Tambuli is one of those curries in Karnataka. It is very similar to Majjige Huli, but is much simpler and cooler. The main difference is Majjige Huli is boiled, while the Tambuli is not cooked, hence, usually needs to be consumed fresh.

Doddapatre

Doddapatre is known as Big Thyme or Mexican Mint in English, Ajwain Patta in Hindi and Karpooravalli in Tamil. It is a leaf that has a pungent and distinct aroma that is closest to the aroma of bishop's weed or ajwain, although unrelated. Some people equate the aroma to that of oregano or mint. This distinct aroma and taste becomes mild when the leaves are combined with yogurt and coconut to make the Doddapatre Tambuli.

My first interaction with this dish was at a Temple. On the coastal belt of Karnataka, there is a Lord Ganapati temple at Idagunji. When my grandfather frequented the place, one had to walk for miles together to reach it and it was hidden away tucked into a forest. I've seen the temple change from a small village temple to a quite popular one. When I used to visit the temple with my parents, it was still pretty small and the highway gave no indication to the tucked away temple. With no Google maps, one had to know the road before hand or had to ask the village folks for directions. It was here that they served a simple meal for lunch - Rice and Tambuli. It was and has been the only meal at a temple that I have relished.

Tambuli can be made with a variety of greens, but the recipe differs slightly with each green. Some are cooked longer while some are used raw. Doddapatre is mildly sauteed until it turn slightly yellow and wilts, this makes them milder in taste. The browned leaves are ground to a fine paste along with green chilli and fresh coconut. Whisked curd or buttermilk is added along with some salt. Then a tempering of cumin seeds and curry leaves, and Tambuli is ready to be served. Tamuli is not heated again, unlike most other curries. Tambuli is served with steamed rice.

P.S - This recipe has been reposted. The recipe was originally published in 2014. Images have been updated and a video has been added. The recipe remains the same.

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

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Doddapatre Tambuli

Doddapatre Tambuli is a traditional summer curry from Karnataka that is made with coconut, buttermilk or curd and doddapatre leaves, also known as Mexican mint or Ajwain Patta. This cooling curry is served with rice.

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          Karnataka
Prep Time:     5 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              2 Servings

Ingredients:

20-25 Doddapatre Leave, chopped
0.5 cup Fresh Coconut, grated
1.5 cups Curd
1 Green Chilli
1 tsp Cumin seeds
A few Curry leaves
3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add the chopped doddapatre leaves.
2. Saute until the leaves wilt and turn slightly yellow.
3. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
4. Fry until the doddapatre turns slightly yellow.
5. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
6. Grind it along with coconut, green chilli and a little water to a fine paste
7. Heat oil in the pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they brown, add the curry leaves.
8. Remove the pan from heat and add the blended paste. Mix well.
9. Add in whisked curd or buttermilk. Add salt to taste.
10. Add in more water if it is very thick.
11. Serve it with hot rice

If you liked this, you may also like:

Majjige Huli

Avial

Boondi Raita

Read more ...

Avarekalu Saaru Recipe | How to make Hitikida Avarekaalu Sambar (Huli) [Video]

Avarekalu Saaru or Avarekaalu Huli is a winter special curry made in Bangalore, with seasonal hyacinth beans by double peeling them and cooking them in a coconut and spice based masala. This Avarekalu Sambar is vegan.

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Avarekalu, is a delicious bean that is very local to the region around Bangalore-Mysore. It is very similar in profile with edamame beans, just much smaller in size. They flood the markets in Bangalore around this time of the year aka winter. They are either sold whole, with the beans still in their pods or sometimes, loose beans removed from the pods. There is even an entire fest dedicated to these beans at the Food Street near V.V. Puram in Bangalore. The entire food street gets obsessed with these avarekalu and you will see them being used so creatively in so many recipes. There are dosa, thalipettu, curries, sweets, and what not. If you are in Bangalore, this is one traditional fest you should not miss. 

I first ate avarekalu when I moved to Bangalore. The first time I ate in this avatar of Hitikida Avarekalu Saaru was when my friend got it for lunch at work. It was her grandma's specialty and it was super delicious. I managed to get the recipe from her and after several confusions about the quantities of the ingredients, I finally got it right to suit my palate. Since then, come winter, I make this curry multiple times.

When I first posted this recipe back in 2014, I never imagined it would be my most popular recipe on the blog. Come winter and the popularity of this Avarekaalu Saaru recipe starts rising. After 5 years, I decided it was time I reposted this recipe along with a video that gives you step by step instructions on how to make this Hitikida Avarekaalu Saaru.

(Clockwise from top left) Whole avarekai, Shelled avarekalu, peeled avarekalu, peeled and unpeeled avarekalu

Hitikida Avarekaalu Saaru is a South Indian vegan curry made from double peeled avarekaalu or hyacinth beans. You can make this curry with any fresh beans you have available - edamame, fava, double beans, toovar or even avarebele (lentils of hyacinth beans). Hitikida refers to the process of squeezing out the beans from their cover. The beans are double peeled to make the curry, first the beans are removed from the pods and next from their really thin cover. If you are bored to do the second step, you can cook it with the cover on, only they will take a tad longer to cook. While soaking the beans in water before squeezing them out is the traditional way to peel them, I found that freezing them overnight in a bag works wonders. It is much easier to squeeze them out when frozen and thawed. 

The curry is actually a sambar or huli which is made with freshly ground sambar masala. The masala is simple and contains coconut, aromatics, whole spices and ground spices. The curry can be enjoyed as a side with akki rotti or chapati when it is thicker in consistency and with rice when it is thinner in consistency. 

Enjoy!

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 upto.

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

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest 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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Avarekalu Saaru | Hitikida Avarekaalu Sambar

Avarekalu Saaru or Avarekaalu Huli is a winter special curry made in Bangalore, with seasonal hyacinth beans by double peeling them and cooking them in a coconut and spice based masala. This Avarekalu Sambar is vegan.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:          South Indian 
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Yield:              2-4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 cups Avarekalu or Hyacinth Beans
0.75 cups grated Coconut
1 Tbsp Poppy seeds
1 small Onion
1 Tbsp chopped Garlic
A pinch Asafoetida
1 - 2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1.5 Tbsp Coriander seeds
1/2" piece Cinnamon
1-2 Cloves/
1 tsp Tamarind
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
8-10 Curry leaves
2 tsp Oil
Salt
Water

Method:

1. To double peel the avarekalu or hyacinth beans, remove the beans from their pods.
2. Soak the beans in water for 30-45 minutes or freeze them ovenight in a ziploc bag or a box.
3. Pat the beans dry on a kitchen towel.
4. Gently squeeze out the bean from its peel.
5. Boil the beans in mildly salted water until soft.
6. While the beans cook, make the sambar masala by grinding together coconut, onion, garlic, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, asafoetida or hing, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and tamarind along with a little water.
7. Once the beans are cooked, add the sambar masala along with 1-2 cups of water and allow it to reach a boil.
8. If you are planning to eat it with rice, add more water, and if with chapati or rotti, add less water.
9. Add salt as required. Remember the water was salted while cooking the beans.
10. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds.
11. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves.
12. Pour this tempering into the curry and remove from heat.
13. Serve hot with rice, rotti or chapati.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Avarekalu Uppit

Rasam

Kaalu Palya

Read more ...

Jeera Rice Recipe | How to make Jeera Rice [Video]

Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice is a simple flavorful rice main made by cooking Basmati rice with whole and ground cumin seeds. Jeera Rice is earthy, fragrant, healthy and delicious. It also fits into various diets - vegan, gluten-free and plant based with no or minimal alterations.

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I always considered December as the slowest month of the year at work. With everyone in the world looking forward to the holidays and doing their last minute holiday shopping, baking boozy cakes, and making travel plans. This year hasn't turned out to be that - Slow. Come December, and I've been busier than usual at work, and it may have something to do with the holidays. May be everyone wants to complete what they started before going off to enjoy some quality time with family. And that means we are all working twice as hard and scrambling to get stuff done at office. All in all, extremely exhausting and stressful. Add in all those pending treats from friends and dinners with family. It's led to me barely cooking on weekdays.

And when I am stressed out or busy, all I look forward to is comfort food. And my idea of comfort food is simple Indian food, especially, Rice. I hate to say this, but I think I secretly like rice. I spent a better part of my life, telling people how much I hate rice and how much I love wheat. If it was a battle of the cereals, my teenage self would have fought front and center of the wheat army. But now a days, I realize that although I eat wheat more regularly than rice, I tend to lean towards rice when I need comfort. And with such chaos at work, I've never needed more comfort. And this Jeera Rice is that and more. It is flavorful comfort food that is easy on your body and time.

This Jeera Rice is not hot nor heavy on the spices, but it is definitely not flavor less. It has loads of that earthy cumin flavor. Plus it has the fragrance of Basmati Rice. You can get all chefy on this recipe and add all sorts of whole spices, but I kept it simple. Of all the spices out there, Cumin has to be my favorite. I add cumin to my tadka all the time.

You can make Jeera Rice two ways, one by tempering leftover rice with cumin seeds and the other by cooking raw rice along with cumin seeds. This recipe is the latter. I made this Jeera Rice in a pressure cooker, you can also make it in a pan or in a rice cooker. Jeera rice is Vegan, gluten free and healthy. It can also fit into a plant based diet, by totally eliminating the oil in the recipe.

Jeera Rice is almost always accompanied by a flavorful Dal. There are several recipes of Dal on One Teaspoon Of Life that will go wonderfully with this Jeera Rice.

• Restaurant style Dal Fry
• Pancharangi Dal or Panchmel Dal
• Palak Dal
• Heerekai Tove
• Dal Makhani

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 upto.

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

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest 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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Jeera Rice Recipe

Jeera Rice is a vegan and gluten free rice main dish made by cooking basmati rice along with cumin seeds.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     50 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked Basmati Rice
1.5 cups Water
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 Green Chilli, chopped
3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice 5-6 times until the water runs clean. Drain and keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds.
3. Once they brown slightly, add in the chopped green chilli.
4. Add the basmati rice and mix until the oil coats the rice grains.
5. Add in the water and cumin powder.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Cover and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or 5-8 minutes after the pressure builds up.
8. Serve hot with dal.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Corn Spinach Pulao

Ghee Rice

Mint Rice

Read more ...

Mint Rice Recipe | How to make Pudina Rice | Pudina Pulao Recipe [Video]

Mint Rice or Pudina Pulao or Pudina Rice is a simple vegan one pot dish of fragrant Basmati rice cooked along with a fresh mint puree, vegetables and spices. Perfect for weeknights when you are short of time.

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Monday blues came in early this week. I had a one day weekend. Just Sunday… Sigh! I technically had a Saturday, but that was spent attending an event at Office and all my usual Saturday stuff landed into my Sunday and I was left with no rest day.

Between my load of laundry and dusting the house, I have absolutely no idea where that Sunday just disappeared into thin air. Literally, I blinked and my weekend was over.

I’m a planner, at least I try to be most of the times. Not necessarily execute all that I planned but plan I do. My weekly meals are all well planned on Saturday. I buy all the groceries and vegetables over the weekend and chalk out a small menu on a post it and stick it onto my fridge. This way I don’t need to stress out on weekdays wondering what to cook next. I still fret around about what to cook, but that fretting is now limited to Saturdays. I also wash all my vegetables and fruits on the weekend and sometimes chop them and store them in the fridge to make my weeknights easier. With my erratic work schedule, I need all the prep I can do.

Guess what happens when the planner loses one day of prep time. She panics!!!

That’s when come out simple recipes that can be whipped up in a jiffy. And so I made this evergreen Mint Rice or Pudina Rice. I did not have to go out and buy anything. Well… at least not the hero of the dish – the Mint. I’ve spoken a lot about my little Mint patch many times before, so I won’t bore you with that once again. 

This Mint Rice requires no prep in advance at all. It also uses exactly 2 vessels – the blender or mixer and the pressure cooker. Just blend together the mint, coriander leaves, spices, ginger and garlic and cook it along with the rice and some optional vegetables in the pressure cooker. You can use your rice cooker or even a deep saucepan to make this Mint Rice.

I added potato, tomato and green peas. You can skip them or go ahead and add vegetables like green beans or broccoli. I assure you it will taste amazing. 

Mint Rice tastes great with mixed vegetable Raita or plain yoghurt.

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 upto.

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

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest 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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Mint Rice | Pudina Rice | Pudina Pulao

Mint Rice is a one pot dish of rice cooked along with a mint puree, vegetables and spices.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     35 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped Mint leaves
0.5 cup chopped Coriander Leaves
0.75 cup Basmati Rice
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 Potato
0.25 cup Green Peas
1-2 Green Chilli
1 Tbsp chopped Ginger
1 Tbsp chopped Garlic
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
0.25 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Cloves
1" Cinnamon stick
1 Bay Leaf
0.5 Lime
3-4 tsp Oil
1.5 cups Water
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice until the water runs clean. Drain and keep aside.
2. Slice the onions and chop the tomato. Peel and dice the potato.
3. In a blender or mixer, blend together the mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilli, ginger, garlic, coriander powder, cumin powder and juice of half a lime along with 1-2 Tbsp water to a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon and the bay leaf.
5. Fry for 1 minute on medium heat or until fragrant.
6. Add the onions and fry until browned slightly.
7. Now add the green peas, potato and tomato and fry for 30 seconds.
8. Add the mint-coriander paste and mix well.
9. Add in the rice and mix well.
10. Add 1.25 cups of water, garam masala and salt to taste.
11. Cover and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or 5-8 minutes after the pressure builds up.
12. Serve hot with raita.

Read more ...

Misal Pav Recipe | How to make Misal Pav [Video]

Misal Pav Recipe. This video shows how to make popular Maharashtrian spicy vegan curry called Misal. Misal is a curry made with sprouts and coconut that is topped with Sev or Mixture and served with Pav.

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Bangalore has the weirdest weather of all places I've been to. It can be bright and sunny one day and pouring cats and dogs the next. We ran through October like it was Summer, barely a hint of chill in the air and the Sun was all powered on. And then we got loads of rain, just when I was ready to get those light trousers and leather footwear out !!  Finally, since mid-November, the chill has been setting in and it feels like Winter, at least in the evenings. The days are still as hot as Summer.

When it's cold outside, I want to stay cozy inside and eat warm spicy curries while lazily watching reruns of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. And this Misal Pav totally fits the bill. It is spicy, hearty and best of all, you can top it up with awesome crunchy things.

When I think of Misal Pav, it takes me back to my college days. Thursday night dinner in hostel was Misal Pav and it was actually horrible. If one were to eat that Misal Pav, one would never ever dare to eat one again. I don't know how the cooks in the hostel mess could mess up something so simple, but they managed to put up an unappetizing dish in the name of Misal Pav. It was only when I ate Misal Pav in a Maharashtrian restaurant that I came to appreciate the flavor and texture of this spicy vegan affair.

Misal pav is a simple yet complex dish. It is simple to cook, but the flavors are complex, the textures are complex. Misal consists of 3 main things:

• Usal - Usal is a quick curry made from sprouts. Sprouts are boiled with turmeric, salt and a little bit of asafoetida. You can add other spices to usal when you want to have it plain, but when you are cooking usal for Misal Pav, it is best to keep it simple. Generally, moth bean sprouts or matki sprouts are used for Misal Pav, but if you don't have moth beans, just use mung beans or any other sprouts that you can.
• Kat - The spicy coconut based curry that dominates the flavor of Misal Pav is called the Kat. Kat is made by grinding together spices, coconut, onion and tomatoes and boiling them until the flavor develops. I have used Kokum as the souring agent in the Kat, you can use tamarind pulp instead. Kokum helps in giving a darker color to the Kat, that you may miss if you use tamarind. If you have access to Misal masala powder, then you can use that instead of the whole spices I have used.
• Sev/Mixture/Farsan - This is the fun part of Misal Pav. Misal is always topped with crunchy spicy mixture. You can use any topping of your choice - papdi, ghatia, sev, chiwda etc. The more you add, the better it tastes. Only thing to remember is to add this at the end, while serving, else your mixture will get soggy and loose its texture and flavor.

Serve Misal with toasted Pav or regular bread. And always serve it piping hot!!

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 upto.

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

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest 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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Misal Pav Recipe | How to make Misal Pav

Misal is a popular spicy vegan Maharashtrian curry that is served with Pav bread. Misal is made with sprouts and coconut and is topped with Sev or Mixture.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            Maharashtrian, Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the Usal:

2 cups Sprouts
2 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
A pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the Kat:

1 large Onion
1 large Tomato
0.5 cup grated Coconut
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Clove
1" Cinnamon
0.5 tsp Pepper
1-2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 Tbsp chopped Garlic
1 Tbsp chopped Ginger
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
3-4 Kokum peels or 1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1-2 cups Water
Salt to taste

To assemble the Misal:

1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato, finely chopped
2 cups Sev or Mixture
0.5 cups Coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method:

To make the Usal:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
2. After the mustard seeds splutter, add the sprouts, turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida (hing) and 1 cup water. Cover and cook until the sprouts are cooked.
3. Grind the clove, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, garlic, coriander powder and cumin powder into a coarse masala without any water.

To make the Kat:

4. Soak the kokum peels in 0.5 cup warm water and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add the coarsely ground masala.
6. Saute the masala until fragrant, then add chopped onion.
7. Once the onions are slightly browned, add in chopped tomato and grated coconut.
8. Fry for 2-3 minutes, then grind everything to a smooth paste with a little water.
9. Pour back the masala into the pan.
10. Add in turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, soaked kokum peels or tamarind pulp and 1 cup water. You can remove the kokum peels after a while if the gravy has reached the sourness you desire.
11. Allow it to come to a boil and let it boil for 8-10 minutes.
12. Adjust seasoning if required. Add more water for a looser consistency. If you want a thicker consistency, boil it longer.

To assemble the Misal Pav:

13. To serve the Misal Pav, add the usal in a bowl.
14. Pour over the spicy kat.
15. Top with finely chopped onion, tomatoes and coriander leaves.
16. Top with sev or mixture and serve with toasted pav.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Goan Pao Bhaji

Bombay Pav Bhaji

Tawa Pulao

Read more ...

Aloo Methi Recipe | How to make Punjabi Aloo Methi [Video]

Aloo Methi is a popular mildly spiced North Indian dry curry made by tossing boiled potatoes with cooked fenugreek or methi leaves. Aloo Methi is a quick and simple vegan curry.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

Hiya friends!! I'm back.

I hope you guys had a wonderful Diwali with your friends and family. I had my best Diwali in several years. Last year, we were in Bali for Diwali. The year before that, we were in Cambodia. So it's been a few years that I actually got involved in the festivities. This year, we decided to go home to Goa for Diwali and it was the best decision ever.

We met all our neighbors and we reminisced about the good old days. We cooked snacks and sweets and distributed it among friends and family. I met my school besties and had some good laughs. And I went for the one event that you will never get outside of Goa - the Narakasuras!!

While Diwali is celebrated by the whole country, each region has a different religious significance attached to the festival. In Goa and most of Karnataka, Diwali is celebrated as the day when Lord Krishna slayed the demon Narakasura. In Goa, people build effigies of Narakasura prior to Diwali, and on the Diwali eve's night, these Narakasuras are paraded throughout the city and burnt in the wee hours of morning of Diwali. Although I've lived in Goa most of my life, I never ventured out at night to see these creations. This time was our first and it was amazing. I applaud the creativity and hard work of all the people who created these beauties. If you are ever in Goa around Diwali, make sure you don't miss this competition, it is worth watching. 

While I never wanted to come off the Diwali high, I had to. So now I'm back to work, although I must say unwillingly. And I'm back to everyday cooking too. Eating the rich festival food, definitely made us all crave for some simple home cooking. 

I will be sharing my Diwali cooking soon, but until then I have this simple yet delicious Aloo Methi for you guys. This Punjabi style Aloo Methi is one of the quickest curries to make, and yet it is a family favorite. Aloo Methi is a simple mildly spiced curry made by tossing boiled potatoes along with cooked methi leaves. Aloo Methi tastes best with Roti, Naan or with Rice and Dal.

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 upto.

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

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Aloo Methi Recipe

Aloo Methi is a popular North Indian dry curry made with boiled potatoes and fenugreek or methi leaves. Aloo Methi is a mildly spiced vegan curry.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                2

Ingredients:

1 bunch Methi Leaves or 3 cups Fenugreek Leaves
2 medium Potatoes, boiled and cubed
0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
3-5 dry Red Chillies
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp Coriander Powder
3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Chop the methi leaves and add 0.5 tsp of salt. Mix well and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
2. Squeeze out as much water from the methi leaves as you can and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds.
4. Once the cumin seeds brown, add the dry red chillies.
5. Saute for 30-40 seconds and add the ginger garlic paste.
6. Saute until fragrant.
7. Add the methi leaves and fry until wilted.
8. Add the asafoetida, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well.
9. Add a little water and cover and cook until the methi leaves are completely cooked.
10. Add in cubed boiled potatoes and mix well.
11. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
12. Serve hot with chapati or roti.

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Ghugni Masala | Kala Chana Masala [Video]

Ghugni Masala is a vegan and healthy curry made from black chickpeas or kala chana. The chickpeas are simmered in a masala made from pureed onions, tomatoes and spices. A perfect gluten free accompaniment to roti or naan bread.

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What's a better way to start of a week than with a healthy meal? And this Ghugni Masala or Kala Chana Masala is as healthy as it gets.

Kala Chana or Ghugni are desi black chickpeas. If you aren't Indian, there is a possibility you haven't seen the black chickpeas. Black chickpeas are smaller, denser and have a rougher skin than their cousin, the more popular, white chickpeas. Black chickpeas have more fiber and a lower glycemic index and make it perfect for someone trying to lose weight or just lead a healthier life. 

Also, I just love them!

I enjoy eating the black chickpeas way more than the lighter variety, also known locally as Kabuli Chana. And what I love even more than the black chickpeas? the water it is cooked in or the aqua faba. The black chickpeas release a lot of umami into the water that they were boiled in, making it perfect for using in curries. Which is why in this curry, we don't use regular water, we use the water in which the chickpeas were boiled. The water adds color as well as an oomph to the curry. 

Ghugni Masala is a very simple curry to make and stores brilliantly in the fridge. 

The curry is simply made by simmering boiled black chickpeas in a masala made from pureed onions and tomatoes that have been flavored with 4 simple spice powders - coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. Whole spices are also used in the recipe to make the dish even more fragrant. If you don't have all the whole spices, just use what you have.

Kala Chana Masala fits right into the vegan diet as well as a gluten free diet. To make the dish fit the plant based diet, just replace the oil with water.

Kala Chana Masala tastes best when served with Naan bread or Roti, but you can also serve it with rice. In case serving with rice, adjust the consistency of the gravy.

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 upto.

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Video Recipe

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Ghugni Masala | Kala Chana Masala

Ghugni Masala is a vegan and healthy curry made from black chickpeas or kala chana. The chickpeas are simmered in a masala made from pureed onions, tomatoes and spices. A perfect gluten free accompaniment to roti or naan bread.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     8 hours
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     8 Hours 30 Minutes
Yield:                2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup Black Chickpeas or Kala Chana
2 medium Onions
2 medium Tomatoes
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Bay leaf
2 Cloves
1 Mace
1" Cinnamon
1 tsp Coriander Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Kasuri Methi (Optional)
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Soak the dried black chickpeas overnight. Pressure cook them the next day with 0.5 tsp salt until they are cooked.
2. Puree the onion and tomatoes separately.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
4. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the bay leaf, cloves, mace, cinnamon and cumin seeds.
5. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until fragrant.
6. Add the onion paste and saute until slightly browned.
7. Now add the tomato paste and all the spice powders and cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes while stirring frequently.
8. Add 1 cup of water in which the chickpeas were cooked.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
11. Add kasuri methi and mix well.
12. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
13. Serve hot with roti or naan bread.

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