Vegetable Pulao

This is again a quick fix recipe when i am in no mood to spend a long time in the kitchen and yet crave a spicy full meal. For accompaniments you may have raita, pickel or just plain curd... or maybe eat it as is. This is a spicy version so mellow down according to your taste.
You will need:

• 2 cups basmati rice (Long grained, fragrant rice)


• 4 cups of water for cooking


• 1 cup mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, cauliflower, beans, potatoes) - dice where required


• 2 medium onions - finely chopped


• 2 green chillies - finely chopped


• 4-5 cashew nuts


• 2 tbsp ghee/oil


• 1 tsp cumin seeds


• 1 tsp mustard seeds


• 1 tsp red chilly powder


• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder


• 2 tbsp coriander powder


• 1 tbsp garam masala


• salt to taste


• juice of 1 lemon


• fresh coriander to garnish

How to:

• Wash the rice and keep aside.


• In a pressure cooker heat the oil/ghee and temper the cumin and mustard seeds.


• Add the cashew nuts and cook till slightly brown


• Add the onions and stir fry till golden brown


• Add all the vegetables and spice and stir well


• Add the rice and all the spices and mix well.


• Add the water for cooking, stir once and close the lid


• On a high flame, cook till one whistle and remove from flame


• Open the cooker only once all the steam has escaped. Add the juice of lime and mix well. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Bedvi Pudi

This is again a traditional rajasthani dish and superbly tasty. Its good as a snack, breakfast or a main meal. Best served with a potato curry though pickle and chutneys work equally well. I love to munch a couple with my cup of tea.

You need:
Urad dal (yellow lentils) - 1 cup
Wheat flour - approximately 2 cups
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 or 2 tsp
Mota masala (optional) - this is a traditional rajasthani masala made with roughly ground fennel seeds, dry ginger, cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds)
Oil - 2 tbsp for the dough and more to fry

How to:
Soak the urad dal 2 hours in advance. Drain excess water from the dal after 2 hours and grind to a very rough paste (2 turns in the mixer should be enough). Add all the spices and 2 tbsp oil to this lentil paste and mix well. Slowly add the wheat flour and knead the dough till it is slightly tight and has stopped sticking to your hand.

Heat the oil in a deep pan. Roll out the dough in small puris (1 cm thick rounds of dough) with a rolling pin. Fry in hot oil till nicely brown and crisp.

Serve hot.

Kele ki chaat

This is a simple yummy sweet and sour concoction of ripe bananas. Easy to whip up and awesomely tasty.

You need:
Ripe bananas - 2
Salt - 1/4 tsp or to taste
Powdered sugar - 1 tbsp
Juice of 1 lemon
red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

How to:

Chop the banans in to rounds. Add the remaining ingredients and toss well. Ready to eat :)

Serve immidiately else the bananas will turn soggy.

Crispy noodle salad

This is like the Chinese bhel that you might find on the streets of Mumbai. A little bit of effort is needed on the crispy noodle part, but the end result is awesome :)

You need:
Hakka noodles - half pack
Cucumber - 1 cubed
Tomatoes - 2 large julienned
Onion - 2 medium - julienned (make sure you cut thin strips)
Capsicum - 1 julienned
Cabbage - Julienned 1 cup
Soy sauce - 3 tbsp
Vinegar - 3 tbsp
Chilly sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomato ketchup - 4 tbsp
salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
Maida (refined wheat flour) - 1 cup
Oil to deep fry


How to:
Mix all the vegetables and sauces together in a bowl. Add salt, Mix well and keep aside.
Heat a deep pan full of water. When the water starts boiling add a tsp of salt and a tsp of oil in it. Add the Hakka noodles and boil for 8-10 minutes or till done. Don't let them become too soft. Also don't break the noodles while adding them to the water.


Once the noodles are done. Strain and soak in a pan of iced water. Strain out the water again and rub some oil on the noodles.


Heat oil in a deep pan. Spread maida in a plate. When the oil is hot, take a handful of noodles and dust them with maida. shake off excess flour and put them in the hot oil. Reduce the flame and fry till golden brown. Remove from the oil and keep aside. You will end up with a nest of noodles. Make sure you put the noodles in only when the oil is really hot.


Once all the noodles are fried you are ready to serve your salad. Taste the vegetable mix and add more sauce/spice according to your taste. While serving, crush the fried noodles to smaller pieces and mix with the vegetables.


You can add a sprinkling of coriander leaves to garnish.

Vegetable upma

Upma has always been a quick fix for me. This South Indian dish can be made with a lot of variations. Mine is a simplified version which includes veggies to give it that i-am-eating-healthy feel.

you need:

thick sooji (semolina) - 1 cup

1 cup chopped mixed vegetables (peas, beans, carrots, cauliflower)

Onion - 1 large - finely chopped

tomato - 1 medium (optional) finely chopped

ginger - 1 inch piece - julienne or grate

green chilli - 1 finely chopped

red chilli powder - 1 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

kadhi patta (curry leaves) - a few

urad dal/ chana dal - 1 tbsp

water - 3 cups

oil - 2 tsp

ghee - 1 tbsp

How to:

In 1 tsp oil roast the sooji till it is slightly brown and fragrant. stir frequently for even cooking.

In another pan, mix the oil and ghee and heat. Temper the mustard seeds and kadhi patta. Add the urad/chana dal and roast lightly. Add the onion and cook till brown. Add ginger and green chilly. Add the vegetables, cover and cook for a minute. Add tomatoes and all spices and cook till tomatoes are soft. Add the water, cover and cook till all vegetables are slightly soft. Add the roasted sooji and cook till all the water is absorbed. In case the semolina is too thick and is still slightly uncooked, add more water and simmer for a bit.

Serve hot garnished with some namkeen, lime juice and coriander leaves.

Dal Dhokli

This is again a very popular traditional Rajasthani recipe that is easy to make and one of my favorites. It's a complete meal in itself and a delight to one's palate :)

You need:
For the dal
Split green moong dal (green lentils) - 2 cups
Onion - 2 medium - finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece - grated
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste
For the dhokli
Wheat flour - 1/4th cup
Gram flour - 1/2 cup
cumin seeds - 2 tsp
red chilly pd - 1/4 tsp
salt- 1/4 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp
water to knead
For tempering
ghee - 2 tbsp (can substitute with oil)
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
green chilly -1 -2 - finely chopped
red chilly powder - 1 tsp

How to:
Mix everything for the dal and put it in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Put on high flame for 2 whistles and remove from flame.
Meanwhile, mix everything for the dhokli together and knead into a soft dough. Roll the dough in a slightly thick round using a rolling pin. Cut out 1 inch squares from this rolled dough. Keep repeating till all the dough is used up.
Open the cooker and add these dough pieces in the hot dal add more water (not more than 2 cups). Close the cooker and simmer on low flame for 15-20 minutes.
Open the cooker once cool. In a pan, heat the ghee, add cumin seeds and green chilly, add the red chilly powder and immediately pour over the contents of the cooker. Mix well.

While serving, add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with green coriander chutney.

Paneer Bhurji

This is a quick fix healthy dish. Just heavenly with hot rotis.
You need:
Paneer (cottage cheese) - 250 gms - crumble it with your hands
Onions - 2 medium - finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium - finely chopped
A handful of boiled green peas (optional)
A handful of finely chopped capsicum (optional)
Green chilly -1 finely chopped (add 2 if you want to spice it up)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp (or 1 if you are really looking for low oil)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp (or spice it up if want)
Salt

How to:
Heat oil in a pan (preferably non stick if you are using less oil). Temper the cumin seeds and add the onions. Fry till they start turning brown. Add the peas and capsicum if you are using them and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft. Add all the remaning ingredients except paneer and cook till the oil leaves sides. You will have to stir often to avoid the mixture sticking at the bottom of the pan. Add the paneer in the end and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot :)