Stir-fried Zucchini

This is very easy to make and tasty.

Ingredients

3 large Zucchini cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ajwain seeds
2 Tbsp gram flour (Besan)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste
1 Tbsp Oil

Method

1) Mix Gram flour, chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt together and mix it with the cut Zucchini and keep aside.
2) Heat Oil in a pan, add cumin and ajwain seeds and let them splutter
3) Add the Zuccini and stir-fry until the spices are covered and Zuccini is tender and crispy.
4) Server with Hot rice or Roti.

Mushroom-Matar (peas) Curry

Ingredients

2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 cup green peas
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp grated ginger
2 Tbsps chopped fenugreek leaves or dry fenugreek leaves
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of turmeric powder
½ tsp lemon juice (optional)
Salt to taste

Method

1) Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. Once they crack add turmeric powder, grated ginger, chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and cook for 4-5 mins or until tomatoes are soft and reduce to half.

2) Add mushrooms and peas and add fenugreek leaves after mushrooms are half cooked and cook until mushrooms are cooked. Turn off the heat.

3) Add lemon juice at the end and serve hot with Steamed rice or Roti

Spinach Stir fry

I usually make spinach with Toor Dal. I tried this fry and liked it a lot and i am going to make spinach only this way from now onwards :-) It tastes great with either Roti or Rice. Easy to make and Healthy.

Ingredients

6 to 7 cups of fresh chopped spinach
1 big finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic (5 to 6 crushed garlic flakes)
1 Tbsp roasted chickpea/dalia/putnala pappu powder
salt to taste

For seasoning

1 Tbsp Oil ( I use Olive oil)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of asafoetida
pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp black gram dal (Urad Dal)
2 dry-red chillies de-seeded
2 green chillies cut lengthwise
few curry leaves
Method

1) Heat Oil in a Pan, splutter mustard seeds, add cumin seeds and Urad dal and once Dal turns light brown add turmeric powder and asafoetida, minced garlic, red chillies, green chillis, curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Do not burn

2) Now add the Onions and salt and fry until onions turn light brown. Add the chopped spinach and stir fry in medium heat until spinach is cooked which will take around 10 mins.

3) Turn off the heat and spread roasted chickpea powder and mix.

Serve Hot with Roti/ steamed Rice

Spinach Soup

Ingredients

2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 small onion chopped (around 1/2 cup)
1 small potato cooked and mashed (around 1/4th cup)
1 tsp oil
1/4th cup milk
small piece of cinnamon stick
salt and pepper to taste
Method

1) Heat Oil and fry onions for a minute and add spinach and fry for another minute.Add a cup of water and cook spinach for 3 to 4 mins.

2) Blend spinach-onion to smooth with milk and mashed potato.

3) Mix the Puree to the water you used to cook onions and spinach, add more water if required and bring to boil.

4) Add salt and pepper to taste

serve hot with your favorite croutons

Bell Pepper Soup (Capcicum)

Ingredients

2 large peppers chopped, 1 Yellow and 1 red (capcicum)
2 garlic cloves peeled
1 small onion (1/2 cup chopped)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt to taste
Method

1) heat Oil olive and throw in cumin powder, add chopped onion and fry for a minute and then add chopped red and yellow bell peppers, garlic and cover and cook in medium-low heat for around 10 mins

2) Once the ingredients are cooled, blend them into smooth paste with 2 cups of water and Strain the juice to the same pan you used for frying the veggies.

3) Bring the soup to boil, add salt and pepper. At the end add dried Basil and serve Hot with your choice of bread

Stir-Fried Vegetables in Peanut-Chilli Sauce

Ingredients:

1 green capsicum chopped into big pieces
1 red capsicum chopped into big pieces
2 medium onions chopped into big pieces
2 carrot thinly sliced
1 bunch of spring onions,finely chopped
1 small cup of frozen/fresh green peas
1 cup cabbage chopped into big pieces
1 tsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp soya sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed in 2 Tbsps of water
For sauce:

7-8 garlic flakes
4-5 dry red chillis (deseeded)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 tbsp of grated jaggery (or brown sugar)

In a Pan bring 1 cup of water to boil add garlic, red chillies and simmer for 7 to 8 mins till the spices are softened, remove and cool. Grind them with roasted peanuts, jaggery and 1/4 cup of water.
Method

Heat Oil in a pan, fry grated ginger for few seconds and then add carrots and fry for a minute. Now add capcicum, cabbage, Onions and fry until vegetables are tender and still crispy. Do not overcook.

Add the peanut sauce, soy sauce and salt and stir-fry until the vegetable are coated with sauce.
Now add the cornstarch mixed with water and stir-fry for few mins.

garnish with spring onions and server hot with white rice or fried rice.

Spinach with Mango and Dals (Lentils)

Trying to avoid food which contains more oil or butter for some days. here is the healthy, easy to make and tasty :-) Dish. I had frozen unriped mango pieces and fresh washed spinach from costco so making this just took less than 10 mins of my time.

Ingredients

1/4th cup Moong Dal (
1/4th cup Chana Dal (Bengal gram)
4 cups of chopped spinach
1/2 cup unriped mango pieces
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

for seasoning/tempering
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 to 4 whole red/green chillies (adjust to your spice level)
pinch of asafoetida
curry leaves (optional)
1 tsp minced garlic
Method

1) Wash both the Dals and pressure cook with chopped spinach, unriped mango pieces, turmeric powder Do not overcook. You should just make sure that Dal just cooks so that we retain the shape of the chana Dal.

2) For seasoning, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Once they splutter add minced garlic, chillies, asafoetida and pour on the cooked Dal-spinach and slightly mash the Dals.

Server Hot with Steamed white/brown rice.

Stuffed BitterGourd Curry

I am trying to change my eating habits for good health and also to reduce weight so trying healthy vegetables. I made this curry last night and it was not tasting that much bitter. Not sure if the bitter gourd itself is having less bitterness or the style of making it made difference. Anyway I was able to eat comfortably.
Here are the medicinal benefits of Bitter guard
Ingredients

6 to 7 medium sized Bitter Gourd(cut each into 2 pieces at the center and remove seeds)
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds

For Curry Paste

1/4 cup roasted peanuts
2 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1 tsp redchilli powder (adjust to your spice leve)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
3 to 4 cloves of garlic
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomatoes
little bit of tamarind
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
piece of ginger
salt to taste
Method

1) Gring all the ingredients for the paste into paste and stuff the BitterGourd with the paste. Keep the remaining paste aside.

2) Heat 1 Tbsp oil, splutter mustard seeds and add stuffed Bittergourd and fry in low heat until they turn brown. This may take 30 mins or more and you need to turn the bitter gourd in between so that it will cook all the sides. You don't have to stir many times since it is in low heat only but make sure not to burn it :-)

you can do other work by keeping this and it is better to fry at low heat for long time.

3) Once the veggies turn brown add the remaining paste and fry upto 5 mins

Server Hot with Rice or Chapathi.

Next time I will try this in microwave and see how it goes because we don't have to keep monitoring incase of microwave.