Mixed Fruit and Vegetable Halwa

This halwa turned out delicious! Try this for Diwali. I hope to post more sweet recipes in the next few days.

Ingredients:
Mixed vegetables and fruits (Pumpkin, Sweet potato, Carrot, Apple, Dates) - 2 cups
Sugar - as needed
Cardamom - 3 crushed
Roasted cashews - 10
Milk - 1 to 1.5 cups
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Saffron - a few strands

Method:
Peel the skin of pumpkin (pooshanikai), sweet potato, apple and carrot. Grate and set aside. Chop dates (about 4) into small pieces.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan. Roast Cashews and set aside.
In the same pan, add grated vegetables and fruits. Fry for 5 minutes. Add milk, saffron, crushed cardamom and cook till the milk is absorbed and the mixture turns soft. Add some more milk if the mixture turns out dry and needs to be cooked for some more time.
Add sugar and some more ghee and simmer for 10 min.  
Garnish with roasted cashews and serve warm.

Note: You can adjust the quantity of each veggie and fruit as per your taste and liking. 

Avial

I tried Avial using frozen vegetables this time. Of course it would taste great when fresh vegetables are used.

Ingredients:
2 cups mixed fresh or frozen vegetables like beans, carrot, potato, chayote squash (chow chow), drum stick, pumpkin, elephant yam (senai kizhangu)
1/3 cup grated coconut
About a cup of yogurt
2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp jeera
1 green chilli
6 cashew pieces
Salt
A few curry leaves
A pinch of hing
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method:
Chop vegetables into long thin pieces and boil in water adding turmeric powder till the veggies are fully cooked. Drain excess water. Let it cool.
Grind coconut, jeera, chilli and cashews to a smooth paste adding some water.
Add this paste and boiled veggies to yogurt. Add salt and hing. Drizzle coconut oil on top and garnish with curry leaves.
Stir well and serve with rice or adai.

If the gravy is thin, add some more yogurt. If it is very thick, add some left over water used for boiling the veggies. 

Beetroot Curry

Many find it hard to cut beetroot. I usually pressure cook whole beetroot and then peel the skin and chop into fine pieces. It makes the cutting part easy. You can also grate beetroot after peeling the skin. That's what I have done here.

Ingredients:

3 medium sized beetroot

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urud dal

2-3 red chillies

Salt

A pinch of hing

1/4 cup grated coconut

A few curry leaves (optional)

Method:

Pressure cook whole beets in water for 3 whistles.

Cool it. Peel the skin and chop into small pieces.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urud dal, curry leaves, red chillies and hing. 

When mustard seeds crackle, add the beets. 

Add salt and fry for 5 minutes.

Add coconut and mix well.

Serve with rice and sambar.

Brinjal Capsicum Curry

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
3 Indian Brinjals/Eggplants
1/2 cup Capsicum/Bellpepper
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1 Tomato
2 Garlic pods
1 tsp grated Ginger
1 Green Chilli
2-3 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Jeera
Salt
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp Sambar powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of Hing
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera and allow it to crackle.
Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli and saute till onion turns transparent.
Add sliced brinjal. Sprinkle salt and fry till brinjal is partially cooked.
Add capsicum, tomato and spice powders and some salt.
Fry till the veggies turn soft.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathis.

Onion Tomato Curry

This is a simple curry that goes well with chapathis.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 Onion thinly sliced
3 Tomatoes chopped
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Jeera
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt
1/2 tsp Chilli powder or Sambar powder as needed
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of hing
1 tsp Jaggery or Sugar
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Heat oil in a pan.
Add jeera and green chillies.
When jeera crackles, add onion and fry till it turns golden brown.
Add tomatoes, salt, chilli powder/sambar powder, turmeric powder, hing and cook till tomatoes turn soft and oil starts to separate.
Add jaggery or sugar. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with chapathis! 

Mushroom Pulao

I am sure mushroom lovers will love this pulao. I added coconut milk to make the pulao delicious and rich! The ingredient list may be long, but it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
2 Garlic pods chopped finely
A handful of sliced mushroom and frozen peas
1 Green Chilli
2 Cloves
1 Stick cinnamon
1 Bay leaf
1 Star Anise
Salt
1 cup Basmathi Rice
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee
Coriander leaves to garnish
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water

Method:

Heat oil and ghee in pressure cooker.
Add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and star anise.
After a few seconds, add garlic, onion and green chilli. Saute for a couple of minutes.
Add mushroom and peas and stir well.
Wash and rinse the rice.
Add the rice. Saute for a minute.
Add salt, coconut milk and water.
Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
Cool and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with any raitha or chips. 

Chayote Squash Curry

Ingredients:
Chayote Squash (chow chow) chopped - 1
Red Chillies - 2
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Salt
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - 2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, red chillies and urud dal.
When mustard seeds splutter, add chayote squash, hing, turmeric, salt and curry leaves.
Close the lid and cook on low flame.
When the squash turns soft, add fresh grated coconut and mix well.
Serve with rice and sambar.

Tindora Rice (Kovakkai Saadham)

Ingredients:
Tindora/Ivy Gourd/Kovakkai sliced - 1 cup
Potato - 1 chopped
Onion - 1/2 cup thinly sliced
Raw/Sona Masuri Rice - 1/2 cup uncooked
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper - 3/4 to 1 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 5 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

Method:
Cook rice in 1 1/4 cup water and set aside.
Heat oil in a wide pan. Add jeera. When it crackles, add hing, curry leaves and onion.
When onion turns golden brown, add sliced tindora.
Fry for 5 minutes.
Now add chopped potatoes, sprinkle salt and cover the pan with a lid.
When the veggies are almost cooked, open the lid and fry for 5 minutes until they turn crispy.
Add cooked rice and ground pepper. Toss everything together without mashing the rice.
Serve with pappad or raitha.

Mixed Greens Salad with Cranberries, Walnuts & Fruits

Try to include different varieties of salads everyday.  Since they are raw, they are very nutritious. This, along with some bread makes a wholesome meal. Measurements are eyeballed.

Ingredients:
Mixed Greens (Spinach, Romaine lettuce, Arugula, Chard) - 3 cups
Walnuts - 3 tbsp
Cranberry - 3 tbsp
Mandarin Orange - 2
Apple - 1

Vinaigrette:
Lime juice or balsamic vinegar - 4 to 5 tsp
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Honey - 1 tsp or more for extra sweetness
Salt
Ground pepper - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Mix the greens, walnuts, cranberry, apple and orange.
To prepare the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over the salad.
Toss everything together.

You can also use store bought salad dressing.

Potato Bell Pepper Rice

This is a perfect lunch box item that can be made in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
Sona Masoori Rice/Raw Rice - 1 cup
Potato - 2 medium
Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum) - 1 medium
Carrot - 1/4 cup chopped
Spring onion - 2 tbsp chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder - 1.5 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Slit green chilli - 1
Oil - 4 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp

Method:
Cook rice in 2 3/4 cups of water and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera. When they crackle, add chopped potatoes and green chilli. Sprinkle salt and saute till potatoes are partially cooked.
Add chopped carrot, bell pepper, turmeric powder, sambar powder, garam masala powder and some salt. Saute till the veggies are cooked.
Gently toss rice with the veggies without mashing the rice. Add salt if needed. Garnish with spring onion.
Serve with raitha or chips.

Notes:
Rice should be cooked in such a way that the grains are separate and not mushy.
Don't mix cooked rice to the veggies all at once. Add gradually and check if the proportion is right.
Adjust the quantities of spice powders to your taste.

Carrot Cucumber Salad

This is a simple and delicious salad. It tastes great as it is and with rice also.

Ingredients:
A handful of grated carrots, chopped cucumber, chopped raw mango pieces and pomegranate.
Salt as needed
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Green chilli finely chopped - 1/4 tsp or less
Mung Dal - 2 tbsp soaked in water for 1/2 hour and drained

Seasoning:
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustards Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Add all the ingredients. Do the seasoning. Pour it on the Veggies and toss well.

Vegetable Pasta - Indian Style

This is my version of Indian Style pasta! Pasta is made from Semolina flour. It's rich in protein and fiber.

Ingredients:
Pasta - 1/2 packet (225 grams)
Vegetables - onion, cabbage, carrot, capsicum, tomato (2 cups)
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - as per taste
Chole Masala or Pav Bhaji Masala - 3/4 tsp
Fresh Parmesan Cheese - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - to garnish

Method:
Follow the directions on the back of pasta packet and cook.
Heat oil in a pan and fry chopped veggies one after another until they are almost cooked but slightly crunchy.
Add chilli powder, salt and chole masala.
Add cooked pasta and toss well.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Sprinkle some parmesan cheese.

Cabbage & Carrot Curry - North Indian Style

This dry curry goes well with rotis/chapathis.

Ingredients:
Sliced Onion - 1 cup
Chopped Cabbage - 2 cups
Carrot - 1
Tomato - 1
Garlic - 2 pods
Green chilli - 1 (or as required)
Salt
Kitchen King Masala - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Oil- 1.5 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp



Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Crackle jeera.
Add garlic, green chilli, onion and fry till onion turns soft.
Add cabbage and grated carrot.
Add salt and masala powders.
When cabbage is 3/4th done, add chopped tomato and stir.
Fry till tomato turns soft.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rotis or chapathis.

I am going to be very busy with some personal work for a few months. So I will not be able to visit your blogs and comment. I will try to post recipes as often as I can.

Keerai Masiyal (Spinach Dal)

Keerai masiyal is a simple and healthy dish usually mixed with rice and ghee and had with some curry.

Ingredients:
Keerai/Spinach - 1 bunch
Thur Dal - 1/4 cup cooked
Salt
Hing - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urud Dal - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 3
Curry leaves - a few

Method:
In a vessel, take cleaned, chopped spinach along with 1/4 cup water, salt, turmeric powder and hing.
Boil till the raw smell goes away and water gets absorbed. It should take about 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Mix in cooked dal.
Do the seasoning and add it to the mixture.
Serve with hot rice, ghee and curry.

This is on it's way to Healing Foods: Spinach event, started by Siri and hosted by Divya. 

Sambar Sadham

Sambar Sadham is a quick and delicious one pot meal adapted from Edible Garden. Thanks for the recipe Nags. I modified the recipe to suit my taste. Piping hot sambar sadham with ghee drizzled all over is very satisfying and comforting any time of the day!



Serves 3

Ingredients:
Oil-1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds-1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-a few
Ginger grated-1 tsp
Salt
Hing-1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Tamarind-small lime size ball
Thur dal-1/3 cup
Rice-2/3 cup
Sambar Powder-2 tbsp
Coconut grated-2 tbsp
Ghee-2 tbsp
Coriander leaves- to garnish
Veggies I used:
Onion Sliced-1/2 cup
Carrot-1
Brinjal-2
Peas-a handful
Capsicum-1 small
Tomato-1

Of course, you can use any veggies of your choice.

Method:
Soak tamarind in 1.5 cups of warm water.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds.
When mustard seeds crackle, add ginger and all the veggies one by one.
Sprinkle salt  and hing.
Fry for 5 minutes.
Extract 2 cups of tamarind water and add it to the veggies.
Add sambar powder, turmeric powder, coconut and salt.
Rinse rice and dal and add.
Add 2.5 cups of water.
Close the lid and pressure cook for 6-7 whistles(till rice and dal become mushy).
When pressure is released, open the lid and garnish with coriander leaves.
Drizzle ghee just before serving.
Serve with raitha and chips.
Note: I have used 2 cups of tamarind water and 2.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice and dal mixture.
You may soak thur dal in warm water for 30 minutes before pressure cooking just to make sure it is fully cooked.

Vegetable Pulao(without onions and garlic)

The addition of onions and garlic will make any dish flavorful and delicious. Some don't include them on auspicious days and festivals. You can try this vegetable pulao on one of those days. It can be made in less than 20 minutes if you have cooked rice.

Ingredients:

1. Oil-4 tbsp
2. Ghee-1 tbsp
3. Cloves-5
4. Cinnamon-2 inch stick
5. Star Anise-1
6. Shahi Jeera-1 tsp
7. Green chilli chopped-1
8. Ginger grated-1/2 tsp
9. Cashews(optional)-6
10. Potato-1 peeled and chopped lengthwise
    
11. Beans-a handful
12. Shredded cabbage & carrot-1 cup
13. Capsicum-1/4 cup
14. Salt
15. Red chilli powder-a pinch
    
16. Basmati Rice-3/4 cup
17. Water-1.5 cups

Method:
Rinse the rice. Add water and cook. The grains should be separate. Set aside.
Heat oil and ghee in a wide pan.
Add ingredients 3 to 9 one by one. When cashews turn golden brown, add potato and chopped beans. Close the lid, lower the heat and let it cook for 5-6 minutes.
Now add cabbage, carrot and capsicum.
Sprinkle sat, red chilli powder. Fry for 6-7 minutes.
Capsicum should not turn soft. It should be slightly crunchy.
Gently mix the rice with the veggies. Add salt if required.
Serve with raitha or plain curd.

Cabbage Paratha

A quick fix meal for dinner or lunch!

For the stuffing:
Shredded Cabbage and Carrot- 2 cups( I used store bought shredded cabbage and carrots)
Salt
Hing- a pinch
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder or finely minced green chilli
Garam masala powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped-a handful
Jeera-1 tsp
Ginger/Garlic grated(optional)-1/2 tsp each(or less)

For the dough:
Whole Wheat Flour-roughly 2 cups
Salt
Water as needed

Method:
Mix the flour and salt. Add water little by little and make a soft dough. Set aside.
Mix all the ingredients required to make the stuffing.
Heat oil in a pan. Fry the veggies until they become soft(2-3 minutes).

To make parathas:
Divide the dough into golf sized balls.
Lightly flour the rolling board.
Take a ball and roll out into 5 inch circle using a rolling pin.
Place 2 tbsp of the stuffing in the center.
Lift the edges and bring together in the center and press the ends well and seal it.
Flatten the ball carefully into a big circle.
Remove any filling that oozes out while rolling the dough.
Heat a griddle. Cook the parathas on both sides with ghee or oil to golden brown.
Serve with raitha/yogurt/pickle.

Mixed Vegetable Kootu

If you have just started to learn cooking, your best bet would be to try this kootu. It is very simple and healthy.

Ingredients:
Chayote Squash(Chow Chow)-1 small
Beans-10
carrot-1
peas-1/4 cup
Mung dal-1/4 cup
Sambar powder-1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Hing-a pinch
Salt

Seasoning:
Coconut oil-1 tsp
Jeera
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves

Method:
Peel the skin of chayote squash.
Chop all the veggies.
Pressure cook them with rest of the ingredient and water for 3 whistles.
Do the seasoning and add it to the mixture.
Serve with hot rice or rotis.

Note: Make sure you add the right amount of water. About 1.5 to 2 cups should be sufficient.

Baingan Bartha

Baingan bartha is a North Indian dish made by roasting brinjal on direct heat and cooking it's flesh with onions, tomatoes and spices to give a smoky flavor. Give it a try even if you are not a brinjal fan and thank me for the recipe ;)

Serves:2

Ingredients:
Brinjals-2 medium
Onion chopped-1 small
Tomatoes chopped-2 small
Green chilli-1
Ginger chopped-1 tsp
Garlic chopped-2 pods
 Jeera-1 tsp
Oil-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilli powder-as required
Coriander leaves-to garnish

Method:
Rub oil all over the brinjals. Roast one by one on direct flame  till the skin turns black and brittle. It takes about 15 minutes on medium flame. Turn it regularly so that it cooks evenly. Set aside and cool.
Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera, ginger, garlic, green chilli, onions and fry till onions turn golden brown.
Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes turn soft.
Peel the skin of roasted brinjals and add the flesh to the veggies. Mash well with a ladle. Cook for a couple of minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis/pooris

Kathirikai Podi Curry(Brinjal Curry)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Brinjal-5 small chopped
Oil-2 tbsp
Curry powder-1 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Chilli powder-1/4 tsp

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Jeera-1/2 tsp
Urud dal-1/2 tsp
Hing-a dash

Curry powder:
Fry these ingredients in a drop of oil till golden brown and grind to a coarse powder
Urud dal-1/2 tsp
Channa dal-1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds-1/2 tsp
Red chillies-2

Method:
Heat oil in a wide pan. Do the seasoning.
Add chopped or sliced brinjals, turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder and stir gently.
Simmer, place a lid and cook until almost done.
Remove the lid. Add curry powder and stir for 2 more minutes till brinjal turns crisp.

This goes to Sanghi's Food Delight for Fall In Love(FIL)-Brinjal

I am in India on vacation :) I have scheduled a few posts once a week. So keep visiting my blog!