Cabbage Kofta Curry

Cabbage kofta (in appe pan)

Ingredients:

Cabbage (grated): 200 gm
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.

For the curry:

Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fennel seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Poppy seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Black peppercorns: 1/4 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Tomatoes (chopped): 2
Yogurt: 1 cup
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Kasoori methi: 1/2 tsp.
Cream: 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. To make kofta, mix the grated cabbage with salt, red chili powder and coriander powder.
2. Mix well with hands and make medium sized round balls and keep aside.  
3. Heat the appe pan on low heat and when warm, add a drop of oil in each cavity. 
4. Put one cabbage ball in each cavity. DO NOT COVER. 
   
5. Let cook for some time and turn the kofta to other side. Let cook both sides and remove from the appe pan and keep aside. 
   
6. To prepare the curry: heat 2 tsp. oil and crackle cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the whole spices: coriander seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds and black peppercorns. 
7. Add the onions and saute them until transparent and starting to brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir. Let cook until the raw smell goes away. 
8. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Cover and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Remove cover and stir. 
   
9. Turn off the flame and let it cool. 
10. When cooled, grind to a smooth paste adding a little water. 
11. Heat the same pan again and add a tsp. of oil. Add the paste and a cup of water. Stir and bring to a rolling boil. 
12. Add the yogurt and mix well. Let cook for about 10 minutes. 
    
13. Add the red chili powder, turmeric powder, tamarind. Mix and let everything cook for about 5 more minutes. 
14. Add the garam masala and kasoori methi and give a stir. Turn off the flame. 
15. Just before serving add the koftas to the curry, garnish with a tsp. cream and freshly chopped coriander leaves. 

Apple Carrot Basil Soup

Winters are knocking on the door and we have already experienced our first snowfall. Temperatures are dropping down real quick and we crave for warm comfort foods (and drinks) in this weather.. This is the perfect time for warm soups. I had received a soup maker last winter as a gift and there is no better time to put it to good use now. This soup recipe is made in a soup maker but can also be simmered on a stove top. The ingredient which makes this soup special is the soup spice mix (soup masala) which I add to all my soups.

This is a warm and comforting soup and the mix of apples and carrots elevated the taste to another level. I have gotten the idea of mixing apple and carrots from this recipe: http://www.carveyourcraving.com/apple-carrot-soup-feel-better-soup/

Ingredients:

Apple (chopped): 1
Carrots (chopped): 3
Garlic: 3 cloves
Basil leaves: a handful
Yellow onion (chopped): 1
Lemon juice: 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Soup Spice Mix (Soup masala)
Black pepper (optional)
Cream for garnish (optional)

1. Wash and chop the apples, carrots, onion and garlic and add to the soup maker. 
2. Add the washed basil leaves, lemon juice, salt and soup spice mix. 
3. Add the required amount of water and turn on the soup maker. My soup maker prepares the soup in just 6 minutes! 
4. If preparing on stove top, add the chopped apples, carrots, onion, garlic and basil leaves to a mixer. Add water and grind to a smooth paste. 
5. Add this whole mix to a large pot and add water depending upon the required consistency of the soup. 
6. Add the salt, lemon juice and soup spice mix. Mix well and bring to a boil. 
7. Reduce the heat and simmer on medium flame for 10-15 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency. 
8. Turn off the flame and pour directly into a soup bowl. No need to sieve it. 
9. Sprinkle black pepper and garnish with cream if desired. Serve hot! 

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Beetroot Soup

Fall has officially begun and the days have started to get cold. As we feel the little chill in the air, we do crave something warm, soothing and yummy which is filling as well. So this is the first soup I prepared to welcome the season of fall. I made this soup in my soup maker, wherein I just dump everything and get yummy, creamy soup in just 20 minutes. But this can also be prepared traditionally on a stove top.

Ingredients:

Beetroot: 2
Tomatoes: 4
Carrots: 2
Parsley leaves: a bunch or according to taste
Ginger: 1 inch
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Soup Spice Mix (Soup masala) : to taste

1. Wash and chop the beetroot, tomatoes, carrots, ginger and parsley nicely. Save some of the parsley for garnish. 
2. Add little water and grind all the vegetables to a coarse paste. 
3. Transfer this paste to a big boiling pot and add 4 cups of water. Add the salt and the soup spice mix and mix everything well. 
4. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the soup reaches the desired consistency. 
5. Add to the serving bowl, garnish with fresh parsley, sprinkle black pepper and serve hot! Enjoy. 

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Pao Bhaji in Slow Cooker

I belong to Jaipur and Pao-Bhaji at roadside stalls at Pandit Pao Bhaji has always been my favorite snack all my life. I have always missed the Pandit pao bhaji and have prepared the same many times. But this particular time, as I was exploring the many benefits of my slow cooker, I thought to give a try to prepare the bhaji in the slow cooker; and trust me, I have never been able to prepare a richer, creamier and yummiest pao bhaji before on my stove top.

So here's the step by step method that I followed to achieve the yummiest ever pao bhaji!

Ingredients:

Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1 big
Vegetables of choice (I used cabbage, capsicum and carrots)
Boiled potatoes: 4
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Mango powder: 1 tsp.
Tomatoes (roughly chopped): 2
Peas: 1 cup (I used frozen peas)
Pao Bhaji masala: 2 tbsp.
Butter to add over the bhaji

1. Add the cooking oil to the slow cooker and add the onions. Turn on the slow cooker on low and let the onions get warm for a while. 
   
2. Add the chopped and diced vegetables next: cabbage, capsicum and carrots. You can use other vegetables as well. 
   
3. Next, add the boiled and roughly chopped potatoes. 
   
4. Add the dry spices: salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mango powder. 
   
5. Add the tomatoes. 
   
6. Add the peas and the pao bhaji masala. 
   
7. Try and stir all of it together. Add a cup of water. 
   
8. Cover and leave overnight. 
9. In the morning, turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid and add the dollop of butter. 
    
   
10. Serve hot with pao bread. Enjoy! 

You can prepare the same on stove top if you don't own a slow cooker using the same recipe or this Pao Bhaji recipe I use to prepare on stove top. 

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Versatile Vegetable Curry

Many a curry recipes have been shared by me previously but this one is nothing like any other: it's a totally different curry; a versatile vegetable curry. So what is this versatile vegetable curry? It's a curry base for so many dishes but totally unlike any other curry base. I have prepared and shared many curry bases like tomato base, yogurt, cashew curry, green curry and so on.. But this base curry contains vegetables. Yes, vegetables which are not liked, hidden in the base curry and more visible vegetables added to the curry in form of koftas etc. So, how about vegetables inside vegetable curry? A double dose of vegetables in a single meal, isn't it?

This curry is prepared adding vegetables which can be carrots, beetroots, zucchini, peas, pumpkin, bell pepper, or any other greens etc. which are usually eaten less or straight away disliked: both by kids and adults. This is also a great way to add nutrition to the diet by adding vegetables which are otherwise lying in the refrigerator and nobody is agreeing to eat, which happens with everyone at some point of time. I have used carrots and beetroots in this recipe but you can use any disliked/less preferred or to-be-used-soon vegetable to this curry. The fun part? Nobody can make out the taste of vegetables in the curry.

This curry can then be used as a base for so many vegetables like zucchini kofta, potato kofta, paneer kofta, paneer, base for egg curry and even as masala base for tempering dal. You can also use it with any simple stir fry like potato and peas stir fry: just add this curry base and voila! your potato peas curry is ready (which has more vegetables in it.. shhh don't tell anyone). Stir fry any vegetable: zucchini, brinjal, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot and add this base to make vegetable curry inside vegetable curry (inception). This can also be used to transform any left over subzi. You get the idea..

So how to prepare? Here's a description:

Ingredients:

Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Asafoetida: a pinch
Onions (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Tomatoes (chopped): 4
Beetroot (chopped): 1
Carrots (diced): 3
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp. (optional)
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.

 

1. Make a puree of the beetroot and carrots with enough water (grind in a mixer until smooth, there should be no chunks of vegetable otherwise it will no longer remain a secret). Keep aside. 
2. Heat oil in a deep pan/kadhai. I used my cooker without lid. Crackle the cumin seeds and add asafoetida. 
3. Add the onions and saute until they are transparent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, salt, red chili, turmeric and coriander. Mix and let cook on low flame. 
4. When the tomatoes begin to soften, add the vegetable puree. Mix well. Let cook on low flame for about 20 minutes until the gravy begins to thicken. 
5. Add garam masala and mix well. Turn off the flame. 
6. The curry base is ready. Congratulations, you have now hidden the vegetables inside a curry and nobody will ever know. Add some paneer or koftas and serve with chappatis or rice. 
7. If someone asks why the taste is different, just be really confident and say you experimented a new curry base today and you think it's awesome. Don't tell about this recipe to your husband/kids. Enjoy!

Loved this recipe? Do share your valuable comments and/or feedback in the comments section below and do share a picture if you try this recipe. Also, don't forget to connect with me on Facebook for regular yummy updates. 

Vegetable Manchurian

Hubby has always been fond of Indo-Chinese food and I absolutely detest it! Yeah that's why they say: "opposites attract". I told him I was going to prepare Vegetable Manchurian for him for his birthday and he got really excited. Then I went to shop for groceries for the Manchurian and I saw his eyes lighten up when he saw the cabbage and bell pepper and carrots. But I procrastinated preparing for a whole week and he kept asking me whatever happened to the Manchurian I was preparing. Finally on the day before his birthday, he told me just prepare the damn Manchurian today!! I have been dreaming for it since so long and I have no idea if you are even going to prepare it! I couldn't procrastinate more as it was his birthday and finally prepared these delicacies.

This is a dry version of Manchurian to be had as a snacks and trust me, ME who HATES Indo-Chinese also liked this light, simplified and flavorful version of Manchurian. I made this recipe in my Appe Pan. Do try this recipe and I'm sure you will love it!

Recipe is inspired from www.vegrecipesofindia.com and I made my own modifications.

Ingredients:

For the Manchurian balls

Carrots (grated): 1
Red bell pepper (chopped finely): 1
Cabbage (chopped finely): 1/4
Spring onions (chopped finely): 1
Corn flour: 2 tsp.
All purpose flour: 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Black pepper: 1 tsp.
Little oil to grease Appe pan

For the Manchurian Sauce:

Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Garlic (grated): 3 cloves
Green chilli (finely chopped): 1
Spring onion (finely chopped): 1
Soya sauce: 3 tbsp.
Tomato ketchup: 2 tbsp.
White vinegar: 2 tsp.
Corn flour: 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.

1. First to prepare Manchurian balls. Take finely chopped vegetables. 
   
2. Mix together in a big bowl with salt, pepper, corn flour and all purpose flour. Do not add water, the water in the vegetables will be enough to bind them. 
3. Now make balls from all the mixture and keep aside. If you can't make balls then also don't worry as appe pan will help for in the balls.  
4. Heat the appe pan on medium-low heat and after 5 minutes add a drop of oil in each cavity. 
5. Add the prepared balls to the app pan. If you could not bind nicely to prepare balls, just add the mix to each cavity as it is. Cover for 10 minutes. Well that sure looks funny.. haha I could not make balls so just added the vegetable mix. 
   
6. After 10 minutes, remove cover and carefully turn the balls to other side. If you could not make balls, then carefully check with a spatula if the bottom is cooked and ready to be turned. If it's cooked, the slowly turn all the balls to other side. Surprise! You now have perfect rounded Manchurian balls.. Appe pan magic! 
   
7. Cover and let cook for another 10 minutes. Remove cover and the Manchurian balls will be ready. 
   
8. Now we prepare the sauce. As it is dry Manchurian to be had as snacks, so little sauce is enough for the Manchurian balls to coat them with flavor. 
9. Heat oil and add the onion and fry. Add the ginger and garlic and let cook for about a minute.
10. Add the soya sauce and the tomato ketchup. Mix well and add the salt and black pepper powder. 
11. Now add all the prepared Manchurian balls to this sauce.  
    
12. Stir the sauce slowly so as to coat the Manchurian balls evenly.
    
     
13. Turn off the flame and add the vinegar. Garnish with spring onions and serve hot! 

Makki di Roti te Sarson da Saag

Makki di Roti te Sarson da Saag: Punjabiyan di shaan!! (The pride of Punjabis)

Well, this is the first food which comes in mind when we talk together of winters and Punjab!
Oh yes, and as of almost all the Sikh households, this is the pride food of our home as well. As the winters begin to set in in India, we see lush bright mustard greens in the vegetable markets and the preparations begin to prepare this awesome Sarson ka Saag which undoubtedly goes with flavorful makki ki roti.

Unfortunately we don't get mustard leaves where we live so I prepared Palak ka saag instead. It tasted yummy and a wonderful alternative where mustard greens are not so easily available. In this post I'm sharing the recipe of both Palak ka saag (how I prepared it) and Sarson ka saag (recipe by my Nani ji) and also how to prepare the perfect Makki ki roti..

Palak ka saag recipe:

Ingredients:

Spinach leaves: 500 gm
Onion (chopped): 1 large
Tomatoes (chopped): 2
Ginger (chopped): 1 inch
Garlic (chopped): 3 cloves
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Cooking oil: 1 tsp.
Makki flour: 3 tsp.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Ghee: 2 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Onion (finely chopped): 1

1. Wash and chop the spinach leaves. Assemble all the other chopped vegetables: onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilli. 
   
2. Add about 3 cups of water in a deep vessel or a pressure cooker and add all the chopped vegetables to it. Bring to a rolling boil in open flame.  
   
3. Turn off the flame and remove all the vegetables and let them cool. 
   
4. When cooled, grind them all to a smooth puree like mixture. Keep aside. 
   
5. Heat oil on medium flame and add the spinach paste to the pan. Stir well and let cook. Do not cover. 
   
6. Keep stirring and cooking. Add some water which was boiled with the veggies to the saag and keep stirring and cooking. Water is added because the saag will soon become dry in the process of cooking but will not be cooked properly. So adding water and stirring will give more time for saag to cook. This whole process will take about 15 minutes. 
   
7. Now add the makki flour to the saag. It will start getting thicker in consistency. Add the salt and the red chilli powder. 
   
8. Keep stirring and after few minutes the water will evaporate and it will become the saag consistency. Turn off the flame. 
   
9. Now prepare the tempering for the saag: Heat the ghee on medium flame and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the onions and fry until they start getting brown. Turn off the flame and add the tadka to the saag. Mix well and cover. 
   
10. You can remove cover and serve after 10 minutes. Saag is ready. Serve hot with a dollop of butter, makki ki roti, gud and achaar. 
    
    
    
    

Makki ki roti recipe:

Ingredients:

Makki flour: 2 cups
Warm water to knead the flour
Salt to taste
Carom seeds
Ghee: to top the makki roti

1. Take the makki flour in a kneading bowl and add in salt and carom seeds. Mix well. 
2. Begin by adding very little warm water to the flour and then mixing it with fingers. Keep adding little water and mixing the flour until it reaches a crumbling consistency. 
3. After that try and bind little flour together. Start keeping the little bits of binded flour to the side and again adding very little water and try to bind more bits of the flour. Continue keeping the binded flour to the side and try to make one big lump of the binded flour. 
4. Makki aata will not require a lot of water so be careful about adding water. Bind the whole flour into a big lump of dough and roll it between your palms to give it a round-like shape. the final product must not be sticky.  
   
5. Now will begin to make roti of this dough. Pinch a small ball of the flour and make it as round as possible by rolling between your palms. 
   
6. Lay it on the flat surface and press the ball lightly with your fingers. Don't apply a lot of pressure of it will disintegrate. 
7. Flatten it a little more with your fingers and then try to lift it up carefully with a flat spatula. Sprinkle some dry makki flour at the bottom if required. 
   
8. Now lightly begin to roll it with the help of a rolling pin. Apply very light pressure, keep checking if you can lift it with the spatula. The roti might have little rough edges on the side, it's normal. Take care not to make too big roti otherwise you won't be able to lift it up with the spatula. 
   
    
9. When it's done, lift up the roti with spatula and put it on the tawa on medium-high flame.
10. Flip the side and press with a kitchen cloth. 
    
11. Flip again and keep cooking till the roti is done: light brown spots will appear on the roti. Prepare rotis from all of the dough in this way. 
    
12. Serve hot hot with Sarson ka saag or Palak ka saag. 
     
    

Sarson ka saag recipe (Recipe courtesy my Nani ji)

Mustard greens: 500 gm
Spinach leaves: 150 gm
Makki flour: 50 gm
Dried red chili: 2
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Green chili (chopped): 2
Onion (chopped): 1
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Garlic: 2 cloves
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Cream: 1/2 cup
Ghee: 3 tbsp.

(This quantity of saag will serve 4 to 6 people; you can adjust the ingredients according to requirement).

1. Wash and chop finely the mustard greens and spinach leaves. 
2.  Pressure cook for 3 whistles with two cups of water. 
3. While the greens are getting pressure cooked, add the salt, red chili powder, garam masala, ginger and cream to the makki flour. Mix well. 
4. Heat 1 tbp. ghee and fry the flour mixture on medium flame until it starts getting golden brown. Turn off the flame and keep aside. 
5. By this time, the mustard and spinach would be boiled. Let cool and grind to a smooth paste in the grinder. Keep aside. 
6. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. ghee and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the dried red chillis and onion. Fry until it starts getting brown. 
7. Add the garlic and green chilli and mix well. Let cook for a minute. 
8. Add the cooked flour mixture; mix well and let everything cook for 2-3 minutes. 
9. Now add the ground mustard and spinach paste. Mix well and turn the heat to medium-high. Let cook for 3-4 minutes. Do not cover. 
10. Turn the flame to medium-low and let cook for another 10 minutes. Turn off the flame, add a dollop of ghee and serve hot with Makki ki roti (procedure explained above), gud, papad and achaar. Enjoy !!!

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