Sai Bhaji

I have tasted sai bhaji at my sindhi friends' home and found it very delicious. I asked for the recipe and that I like to share with you.

 Ingredients

250 gm finely chopped spinach leaves

50 gm finely chopped fenugreek leaves

50 gm finely chopped Dill (savaa/soa/sua leaves)

1 cup chana dal(chick pea/Bengal gram)soaked overnight

1 medium peeled and finely chopped potato

1 medium chopped carrot

4 medium finely chopped tomatoes

2 finely chopped green chilies

1” finely chopped ginger

1 teaspoon garlic paste

2 medium finely chopped onions

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker

Add garlic, ginger and green chilies

Add onions and stir fry it till onions become golden.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder and salt.

Add spinach leaves, fenugreek leaves, dill leaves,  chana dal, potatoes, carrot and tomato.

Mix well all the ingredients. Add 2 cups of water.

Close the lid of pressure cooker.

Cook it at medium heat at 8-10 minutes.

Cook for 5-7 minutes on slow heat.

Remove from stove

Blend the whole content in a liquidizer.

Serve while hot with rice or pulav.

Cabbage Soup

Cabbage soup is one of my favorite soups.  It not only helps in reducing weight, but also provides lots of antioxidants.

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

2 cups finely chopped cabbage

1 finely chopped onion

1” finely chopped ginger

½ teaspoon garlic paste

1 finely chopped green chili

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black pepper powder

Salt to taste

½ tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan

Add cumin seeds and stir fry it.

Add onion, ginger, green chili and garlic post. Stir it.

Cook it till onions became transparent.

Add chopped cabbage and stir it.  Add salt and pepper powder.

Add 2 cups of water and cover the pan with a lid.

Cook it over slow flame till cabbage cooked.

Cool it at room temperature and puree in a liquidizer till smooth.

Now again pour the soup in a pan and boil it.

Pour it in a serving bowl.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve while hot.

Moong Dal Palak (Split Green Gram with Spinach)

Ingredients

1 cup Moong Dal (Split Green Gram)

1 cup finely chopped spinach

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1” finely chopped ginger

2 finely chopped green chilies

½ tea spoon garlic paste

A pinch of asafetida

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)

Method

In a pressure cooker pour 2 cups of water.

Add dal, spinach, turmeric powder and salt.

Close the pressure cooker and cook till dal gets properly cooked

Open the pressure cooker and pour the dal into serving bowl.

Heat Ghee in a small Kadhai.

Add asafetida and cumin seeds.

Add ginger, garlic and green chili.

Now add coriander powder garam masala and red chili powder.

Pour this ghee over Dal and mix well.

Serve while hot with rice or parantha.

Gajjar Matter Aloo ki sabzi

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into cubes

1 cup shelled peas

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into cubes

1”ginger finely chopped

½ teaspoon garlic paste

1 medium onion finely chopped

2 green chilies finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes finely chopped

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Method

Heat oil in a Kadhai/wok.

Add garlic, ginger and onion and stir fry it till onions becomes golden.

Add cumin seed.

Add green chilies.

Now add turmeric powder and salt.

Add carrots, peas and potatoes.  Mix it well.

Cover the Kadhai with a lid and cook it over a slow flame for about 15-20 minutes till all vegetables get cooked.  Stir them in between.

Open the lid.  Add chopped tomatoes, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chili powder.  Mix it well.

Again cover the Kadhai with a lid and cook it over a slow flame for 5 minutes.

Open the lid.  Pour the subzi in a serving dish.

Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Serve while hot with parantha or roti.

Stuffed Capsicum

Ingredients

5-6 small capsicum

1 tablespoon oil

For Stuffing

200 gm potatoes

100 gm   shelled peas

1”ginger finely chopped

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon mango powder (Amchoor)

2 green chilies finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Method

Boil potatoes and peas separately.

Peel and mash potatoes.

Heat oil in a pan and fry chopped ginger.

Now add onions and fry them till golden.

Add cumin seeds, green chilies, mashed potatoes, peas and stir it.

Now add all the spices and coriander leaves. Mix it well.

Remove from stove.

Cut all capsicum from the stem and remove it seeds.

Stuff the capsicum with potatoes and peas stuffing properly.

Heat oil in a Kadhai/wok.

Cook all the stuffed capsicum in oil and turn them in between till they get cooked from all sides.

Place them in a serving dish.

Serve while hot with parantha.

Tip of the day # 4

Making Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek ) at home

Kasuri Methi is used as a spice in many Indian recipes especially curries.  Kasuri methi is used in very small amount in the recipe.  It gives a rich flavor to the dish. It is a dry form of fenugreek.  Kasuri Methi can easily prepare at home with Fenugreek.

Ingredients

Fenugreek required to be dried

Method

Remove roots of fenugreek.  Soft stems and leaves of fenugreek will be used for making Kasuri Methi.

Wash fenugreek properly.

Drain the water.

Spread fenugreek over tissue paper for about an hour so that excess water will evaporate.

Put the fenugreek (in small batches i.e., 100 gm at a time) in a microwave safe bowl and microwave them for about 6-8 minutes at full power.

If the fenugreek is fully dried (if not then again microwave for 1-2 minutes), then crush them to powder and cool it at room temperature.

Store in an airtight container and use as per recipe.

Chana dal (Chick pea/Bengal gram) Dhokla

Gujarat is famous for its mouthwatering Dhokla. Dhokla (Khaman) is a street food of Gujarat.  You will find it in all cities/towns of Gujarat, with generous amount of coriander leaves garnishing.

Ingredients

2 cup Chana dal (Chickpea/Bengal gram), soaked overnight

1 cup curd

1 teaspoon eno fruit salt or Soda-bi- carb

1” finely chopped ginger

3-4 finely chopped green chilies

1 tablespoon juice of lime

2 teaspoon sugar

Salt to taste

2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

A pinch of asafetida

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon oil

Method

Coarsely grind the chana dal.

To the chana dal paste, add curd, ginger, green chilies, salt, asafetida, half of the coriander leaves, half of the sugar, half of the lime juice and eno fruit salt or bi- carb.

Mix the whole content.  It should form a little thick batter.

If required, a little water can be added.

Now pour this batter into a container (grease the container with little oil) in which you want to steam/microwave Dhokla.

If you want to make Dhokla using steamer, then boil 2 cup of water in a steamer and then place the container with the batter.  Steam for about 15 minutes and test it with a toothpick.

If you want to make Dhokla in microwave, then place a small bowl half filed with water in a microwave and boil the water.  Now place the container with batter along with water bowl in microwave.  Microwave it at high for about 8-9 minutes and test it with a toothpick.

Now cut the Dhokla into 1” squares with the help of knife and take out the pieces.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining lime juice and remaining sugar.  Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a Kadhai/Work.

Add Mustard seeds in oil.

Now add the Dhokla pieces into oil and remove from stove.

Add sugar- lime juice syrup and remaining coriander leaves.

Mix the whole content and pour in a serving dish.

Serve while hot with green chutney. (recipe : Green Chutney)

Green peas kachori

Ingredients

For dough

2 cup all purpose flour or wheat flour or maida

2 tablespoon oil

Salt to taste

Oil for frying kachori

For filling

2 cup shelled green peas

2 finely chopped green chili

A pinch of asafetida

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon garlic paste

1teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil for roasting

Method

Dough

Sift flour. Add salt and mix.

Add oil and mix it well with your fingers.

Add water to make the dough stiff and knead well.

Cover the dough and keep it aside.

Filling

Coarsely grind the shelled peas and green chili together.

Heat a tablespoon oil in a kadhai/Wok.

Add asafetida and cumin seeds.

Add ginger and garlic paste. Stir it.

Now add sesame seeds, coriander powder, salt, sugar and grinded peas.

Roast the mixture over a slow flame for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring it.

Remove from the stove.

Now add lime juice and coriander leaves.  Mix it well.

Divide this filling into 12-14 parts and make small balls out of each part with the help of your palm.

Divide the dough in 12-14 equal parts and roll them out into thin circular shapes (like a pancake) 

Now place one pea ball each in the center of the pancakes.

Now lift up the edges of the pancake inwards and towards the center, and press the edges down.

Heat oil in a Kadhai/wok.

Deep fry the kachori in hot oil till golden brown on both sides.

Serve while hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney. (recipe : Green Chutney)

Lauki (Bottle Gourd) ke kofte

Ingredients

For koftas

2 cup peeled and grated (with fine grater) lauki (Bottle gourd)

1 cup besan (chick pea/Bengal gram flour)

Salt to taste

½ tablespoon oil for roasting besan

Oil for frying

For gravy

2 medium sized onions (make paste)

2 medium tomatos (make puree)

1 tea spoon ginger paste

1 tea spoon garlic paste

2-3 green chilli (paste)

½ teaspoon of red chilli

½ teaspoon turmeric power

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ tea spoon jeera power (cumin)

2 cardamoms

2 leaves of tejpatta (Bay leaf)

A small piece of cinnamon

Chopped coriander leaves

2 cloves

A pinch of powder of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)(Making Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek) at home)

Salt to taste

2 tablespoon Oil

Method

Heat oil in a Kadhai/Wok

Add besan(Bengal gram flour) to it. Mix it well.

Cook it over a slow flame till besan gets little roasted, and keep stirring it.

Remove from stove.

Add grated lauki and salt to it.  Mix it well.

It will form a soft dough.

Make small balls out of this dough.

Heat oil in a Kadhai (wok).

Fry all koftas golden brown over a medium flame

Drain and keep aside.

Gravy

Heat oil in a pan. 

Add ginger & garlic paste to it. Stir it.

Add onion paste; cook it till the paste becomes golden.

Add green chilli paste and keep stirring it.

Now add the tomato puree to it and cook it till the oil separates.

Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and salt to taste, and stir it well.

Now add water to it and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Now add kasuri methi powder.and cook for another 2 minutes.

Now add koftas in the gravy and cook for 5-6 minutes on a slow flame so that koftas absorbs some gravy and becomes soft.

Pour the kofta curry in a serving dish.

Garnish them with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve while hot with parantha or rice.

Tapioca pearl Khichdi (Sabudana ki Khichdi)

Sabudana ki khichdi is a very traditional recipe.  My grandmother used to prepare sabudana khichdi for fasting days. 

In Gujarat, it is generally prepared for Shivratri or Janamastami festivals.

It is mild spiced, gluten free and a light dish.

Ingredients

2 cup tapioca pearls (Sabudana)

2 medium boiled potatoes, cut into small cubes

½ cup roasted, peeled and slightly crushed ground nuts

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

2 finely chopped green chilies

½ teaspoon black pepper powder

1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

1 teaspoon juice of lime

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Method

Wash the Tapioca pearls, drain the water and keep them aside for 2-3 hours.

Tapioca pearls will become translucent and double in size.

Heat oil in a kadhai/wok

Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and stir it.

Add green chilies and ground nuts.

Add potatoes, tapioca pearls, pepper powder and salt.  Mix it well.

Cook it for 4-5 minutes and keep stirring it so that tapioca pearls don’t stick together.

Remove from stove.

Add half of the coriander leaves and lime juice.  Mix it well.

Pour it in a serving dish.

Garnish with leftover coriander leaves

Serve while hot as a snack or in breakfast.