Pav Bhaji

This Mumbai delicacy is easy to make while being a veggie fix for the kids. Just the thing when you want to eat something warm and spicy.

You need:

• 1 large potato - diced into cubes
• 1 cup of mixed vegetables - peas, carrots, cauliflower, beans, capsicum
• 2 large onions - finely chopped
• 2 large tomatoes - finely chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic - crushed
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Butter - 2 tbsp
• Red chilly powder - 2 tsp
• Pav bhaji masala - 3- 4 tbsp (available ready made in the market)
• Salt to taste
• Lemon slices and chopped onion to garnish

How to:

• Boil the potato and mixed vegetables together till soft (one steam in a pressure cooker will do)
• Heat the oil in a deep pan and saute till lightly brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft.
• Add the pav bhaji masala, salt and red chilly powder and cook till the oil leaves the sides
• Mash the steamed vegetables well and add to the onion mixture. Mix well and add water if needed to make it a thick paste.
• Add the butter and stir well
• While serving add lemon juice and chopped onion. Serve with lightly roasted Pav ( a kind of bun)

Maggie Aglio Olio TM

This is hubby's recipe for Maggie.. I am TradeMarking it for him right here...100% original and makes the ho-hum same noodles extra special.

You need:
Maggie noodles - 1 pack
Black olives - a handful (chopped)
Jalapaenoes - a few pieces - depends on how spicy you like it (chopped)
Garlic - 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Chilly flakes - 1 tsp
Oregano - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

How to:
Make maggie as per directions on the pack. Heat the oilve oil in a pan. Saute the garlic, olives and jalapaenoes for 1 minute. Add the salt, oregano and chilly flakes. Stir in the maggie. Ready to eat :)
The perfect midnight snack!!

Matar ki subzi

A long gap in this one. This is the usual accompaniment to the Bajre ka Khichda.
You need:
- Peas (Matar) - 2 cups (make sure they are the really small ones, they have the sweet flavor needed for this dish)
- Ghee - 1/2 cup (sorry folks - needed here.. cannot make it without ghee)
- Milk - 1 cup
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
- Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
- Salt to taste

How to:
- heat ghee in a pan. Add turmeric and salt. Add the peas and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add red chilly powder and milk. Cook till the gravy thickens a bit. Serve hot.

Bajre ka Khichda and Matar ki Subzi - 1

This is a traditional rajasthani dish.. meant for cold weather. It's your typical comfort food that makes you feel nice and warm all over. You can the salty version with peas or the sweet version with Bura (powdered sugar). The ingredient that gives it the taste is ghee (Clarified butter).

I'll split this post in 2 parts. One deals with the Khichda (that's a kind of porridge) made from Bajra (Pearl Millet) and the other with a peas preparation that you eat the khichda with.

So part 1. For the Khichda:
You need:
Pounded Bajra - 2 cups
Water - 6 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 1 cup

How to:
In a large cooker add the pounded bajra, water and salt. Close the cooker and give 5 whistles on high flame. Let the cooker cool. Open and put it back on medium flame. Add milk. Keep cooking for another 15 minutes stirring occasionally to avoid the khichda sticking on the bottom of the cooker. Add more water if needed. The consistency should be semi-liquid. Cook till the millet is soft to eat. Add the ghee and beat it into the khichda. Serve hot with matar ki subzi, green, chutney, and pickle.

Shortly coming up - post 2 with the matar ki subzi.

Vegetable Porridge

Not like the usual bland porridge, this daliya is healthy and tasty. Perfect for any meal and quick and easy to make.

You need:
Broken wheat (Daliya) - 1 cup
Split moong dal (green gram lentil) - 1/2 cup
Onions - 2 finely chopped
Tomato - 1 finely chopped
Chopped mixed vegetables - 1 cup (carrots/peas/cauliflower/turai/bottle gourd)
Green chilly - 1 finely chopped
ghee - 1 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Juice of 1/2 lemon
water - 5 cups
Salt to taste

How to:

• In a pressure cooker, heat the ghee and fry the daliya (broken wheat) till it is fragrant and nicely roasted.


• Add onions and cook for 1 minute


• Add tomatoes, green chilly and the other vegetables and cook for 1 more minute


• Add everything else except lemon juice and mix well


• Close the cooker and cook on high flame for 1 whistle


• Reduce the flame and cook for another 10 minutes


• Remove from flame and let the cooker cool before opening


• Open the cooker, add the lemon juice and mix well. Ready to eat. Tastes yum with green coriander chutney and pickle.

Breadrolls

This is something that makes me drool on a cool rainy day. Crispy, fried, hot.. just what the day needs to make it perfect.
You will need:

• Boiled potatoes - 2 ( if you like veggies you can also use, 1 boiled potato and 1 cup of mixed boiled vegetables)


• White bread slices - 6 (don't use brown bread as it soaks in more oil)


• Green chilly - 1 chopped


• Coriander leaves - a handful - chopped finely (optional)


• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp


• Red chilly powder - 1 tsp


• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp


• Salt to taste


• Oil to deep fry

How to:

• Finely mash the potatoes/ vegetables


• Add all the remaining ingredients except bread and oil. Mix well. Taste to check if the spice is according to your taste and adjust the mixture.


• Cut off the brown edges of the bread slices


• Dip one slice of bread in a little water and quickly squeeze it out tight between your palms. This moist bread will be the covering of the roll


• While holding the pressed bread slice in your hand, put some filling in the center. Fold the bread slice diagonally and press the ends closed to make a long roll


• Make all 6 rolls and if you have time cover with a moist cloth and keep in the fridge for 15 minutes


• Heat oil in a deep pan. Fry the rolls till they are golden brown in color. Remove from flame and serve hot with ketchup

Roasted rosemary vegetables

This is a quick fix I do when in need for a quick snack. Comfort food at it's best.
You need:
Red bell pepper - 1/2
Yellow bell pepper - 1/2
Capsicum - 1/2
Potato - 1 large
French beans - a handful
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Rosemary - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

• Chop the bell peppers and capsicum in large pieces. Break the french beans into 1" pieces. Slice the potatoes like chips.


• Heat a griddle and add the olive oil


• Roast the vegetables on the griddle till they are slightly soft and brown - almost like barbecuing them.


• Toss the vegetables with salt, pepper, rosemary and lime juice.


• Ready to eat with a thick piece of wheat loaf