Pav Bhaji

                                                  PAV BHAJI


 

Pav Bhaji is a fast food dish from Maharashtra. One of my families favourite fast food. My 2 year old loves it so much that he can eat it three times a day instead of breakfast and meals.

For pre preparation - 30 to 45 minutes (cutting,  boling and mashing)

For Preparation - 1 and 1/2 hour

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

1. Butter - 4 Tb spoon
2. Onion - 4 medium sized
3. Tomato - 4 medium sized
4. Garlic - 5 to 6 pods
5. Ginger - 1 small pod
6. Capsicum - 1 small
7. Cauliflower - 100 grams
8. Potato - 4 medium sized
9. Green peas - 1/4 cup
10. Chilly powder - 1Tb spoon
11. Pav bhaji Masala (Everest) - 2 Tb spoon

12. 1/2 glass water

13. Salt

Procedure :

1. Finely chop onion, tomatos and Capsicum.

2. Boil the potatoes, peel, mash and keep it aside.

3. Clean the cauliflower and boil it in salted water. Once boiled mash it and keep aside.

4. In a kadhai,  add butter and allow it to melt. Add onion and stir.

 

5. Cover it with a lid for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes open the lid, you will see that onions have turned translucent and light golden.

6. Now add tomatoes and stir, cover it with a lid on medium flame for 7 to 10 minutes. 

7. Add ginger garlic paste and stir. Cook it for 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame.

8. Add chilly powder and pav bhaji Masala and mix well cover it with a lid for 5 minutes.

9. Now add capsicum and mix well. Keep it on low flame for 5 minutes.

10. Add mashed cauliflower and stir for another 5 minutes.

11. Add mashed potatoes and mix will. 

12. Add half a glass of water and mix.

12. Now add green peas and salt, stir and cover with a lid on low flame for 20 minutes.  

13. Add tomato sauce and stir. If the bhaji is too thick add 1/4 glass of water and cover it with a lid for another 10 minutes.

14. While serving pav bhaji, add butter, finely chopped onion and coriander and lemon juice on top of bhaji. 

Stuffed Capsicum (Bharwan shimla mirch)

                  STUFFED CAPSICUM (BHARWAN SHIMLA MIRCH) 

Bharwan shimla mirch is a Punjabi dish made with mashed potatoes. Generally for stuffed capsicum, green capsicum is used but if you wish to use red and yellow capsicum you can go ahead. There are varieties of stuffing used veg and non veg. In this recipe i have used mashed potatoes with other vegetables. You can also use onion in this recipe if you wish. This dish goes well with chapati or can also be served as a starter. Capsicum is rich source of antioxidants and Vitamin C.

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Serves - 3

Ingredients -

1. Capsicum - 3 Medium size
2. Potatoes - 4 medium size
3. Sweet corn - 1/2 cup
4. carrot - 1
5. Cauliflower - 3/4 cup
6. Butter - 2 Tb spoon
7. Oil - 2 Tb spoon

Spices - 

1. Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon
2. Ginger garlic paste - 1 Tb spoon
3. Garam masala - 1/2 tea spoon
4. Pav bhaji masala - 1 Tb spoon
5. Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
6. Red chilly powder - 1 Tb spoon
7. Kasuri methi - 2 Tb spoon
8. Chat masala - 1/2 tea spoon 
9. Salt

Procedure - 

1. Pick fresh green bell pepper wash under running water and slice off the top of the capsicum. With a knife. Gently cut the stem and remove the seeds and keep aside.

2. Boil potatoes and once cool, peel and mash them.

3. Cut carrots into small pieces and boil. Once the carrots are boiled strain and keep aside.

4. Boil the sweet corn kernels, strain and keep aside.

5. Cut cauliflower into small pieces. Clean cauliflower florets by adding them in salt and hot water. Cover it with a lid and let it rest for 10 minutes. Open the lid and remove the water by using strainer or a colander. Wash the cauliflower again in normal clean water. Now your cauliflower is ready to use for cooking. I did not boil cauliflower after this process as it was half boiled.

6. In a frying pan, add butter once the butter melts add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add ginger garlic paste and stir for half minute. Now turn off the flame and add turmeric powder, chilly powder, pav bhaji masala and garam masala. Stiring continuously to make sure spices don't burn. (I did not add onion here but if you wish to, chop one medium size onion finely and after cumin splutters add onion and then add spices)

7. Switch on the flame to low and add carrots, sweet corn and cauliflower. Mix well and cover with lid for 2 minutes.

8. Open the lid stir and add mashed potatoes and salt. Mix well and cover with a lid for another 2 to 3 minutes.

9. Now add kasuri methi, stir and cover with lid for another minute.

10. Turn off the flame and let the stuffing cool down.

11. Once the stuffing cools down, stuff each capsicum till the edge.

12. Heat the pan with oil. Add stuffed capsicum and cover with a lid on low flame till the capsicum is half cooked or fully cooked, to suite your taste.

13. Once the stuffed capsicum is ready, sprinkle chat masala and serve.

Stuffed Brinjal (Bharli vangi)

 STUFFED BRINJAL (BHARLI VANGI)

Stuffed Brinjal is a dry Maharashtian dish which is oftenly made in my family. From my childhood my mother has been cooking it with black masala(Kala masala) which is easily available in Maharashtra. I always thought of making stuffed Brinjal without black masala as its not available in other regions. So I tried this recipe using masala which is easily available in every region of India and it turned out really well. Hope this recipe suites you.

Preparation time - 45 minutes - 1 hour

Serves - 4

Ingredients -

1. Fresh Brinjal - 1/2 kg
2. Roasted groundnut granules - 2 cups
3. Fried grams granules - 1/2 cup
4. Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
5. Red chilly powder - 1 Tb spoon
6. Coriander powder - 3/4 Tb spoon
7. Cumin powder - 1/2 Tb spoon
8. Everest Chicken masala - 1 Tb spoon
9. Ginger garlic paste - 1 Tb spoon

10. Jaggery - 1 Tb spoon 

11. Tamarind - 1 Tb spoon
12. Coriander leaves - 2Tb spoon

13. Oil - 4 Tb spoon 

14. Salt

Note - If you have Kala masala (black masala) you need not use cumin powder, coriander powder and chicken masala. Just add Kala masala in the stuffing mixture with other ingredients and mix well. You can also add dry coconut powder in the stuffing (2 Tb spoon for the above quantity).

Procedure -

1. Roast groundnuts and once cool grind it to granules and keep aside. Make sure you don't grind it to powder.

2. In a grinder add fried grams and grind it to granules.

3. Finely chop jaggery and cut tamarind into small pieces. You can cut it with your hands.

4. In a bowl add groundnut and grams granules, turmeric powder,  chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, everest chicken masala, jaggery, tamarind and coriander leaves. Mix well.

5. Add ginger garlic paste and mix well. In another cup, store 1/2 cup stuffing and keep aside.

6. Now wash Brinjal under running water and wipe each with clean dry cloth. 

7. Slit each Brinjal partially starting from top twice, once horizontal and once vertical. Make sure you don't slit them completely till bottom. The bottom of the Brinjal must be intact.

8. Now stuff the Brinjal with the stuffing. Repeat this with other brinjal. 

9. Once all the brinjals are stuffed, add oil in a kadhai. Once the oil turns hot add stuffed Brinjals.

10. Add 1/2 cup water and salt. Cover it with a lid and keep it on medium flame for 10 minutes. Stirring gently after every 3 minutes. If the water evaporates add little water to avoid burning of brinjals. 

10. Open the lid and add the rest 1/2 cup stuffing stir gently. Add another 1/3 cup water and cover with a lid for 5 minutes. 

11. Open the lid and insert a knife gently in one of the brinjals, if the knife passes smoothly your stuffed Brinjal is ready to serve.

 

 

Pasta in Red sauce

 PASTA IN RED SAUCE

 

Pasta is a traditional Italian cuisine food made out of Durum wheat. I occasionally make pasta especially penne with red sauce. In India, we get pasta made out of both semolina and Durum wheat. I usually prefer pastas made out of Durum wheat. Pastas are available widely in market and is easy to prepare provided you have your sauce ready. you can make red sauce and refrigerate it for 4 to 5 days.

RED SAUCE :

Preparation time - 45 minutes

Ingrediants -

1. Fresh Red Tomatos - 1 kg
2. Onion - 1
3. Bay leaf - 2 leafs
4. Garlic - 1 bunch
5. Butter - 2 Tb spoon
6. Celery - 1 string (Optional)
7. 1 Tb spoon salt
7. Seasoning (Salt and Pepper)

Procedure -

1. Rinse the tomatoes thoroughly and keep aside. In a pot add enough water so that the tomatoes are immersed completely. Add salt and keep it on high flame and bring it to rolling boil. Add tomatoes and boil it for 3 to 4 minutes. Once boiled switch off the gas and cover it with a lid for 20 minutes.

2. In the mean time finely chop onion, garlic and celery.

3. Now Drain the water from tomato pot and peel the skin.

4. In a blender, blend the tomatoes. Make sure you don't add hot tomatoes in a blender else while blending the juice will ooze out of the blender. Make a puree and keep aside.

3.  Place the sauce pan on low flame and add butter. Once the butter melts add bay leaf and garlic, stir  for 30 seconds. Add finely chopped onion and stir till the onion turns translucent.

4. Now add Tomato puree and boil it on medium flame for 2 minutes. Reduce the flame to low and let it boil for another 10 minutes. Add chopped celery and boil for another couple of minutes.

5. Season it with salt and pepper as per your requirement.

6. Once cooled refrigerate it in an air tight container or you can use it the same day.

PASTA WITH RED SAUCE :

Preparation time - 15 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients -

1. Durum wheat pasta - 500 gms
2. Salt - 1 Tb spoon
3. Red sauce - 3 cups
4. Cherry tomatoes - 1 cup
5. Red bell pepper (Small) - 1
6. Yellow bell pepper (Small) - 1
7. Olive oil 4 Tb spoon
8. Onion (Small) - 1
9. Garlic - 8 to 9 pods
10. Dry thyme - 1 tea spoon
11. Seasoning (salt and pepper)

Procedure -

1. In a deep bottom large pot add enough water, salt and bring it to rolling boil. Reduce the flame to medium, add pasta and stir. Keep boiling on medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes or till Al dente. Turn off the flame and immediately drain the water and keep it aside. Do not over boil pasta as over boiling will cause mushy and unpleasant texture. Below is the picture of pasta after boiling.

2. Finely chop onion and garlic. Cut each cherry tomatoes into two pieces and slice off bell pepper into thin strips length wise.

3. Place a sauce pan on medium flame. Add olive oil. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, add onion fry till translucent.

4. Now add cherry tomatoes stir for a minute. Add bell pepper stir, add red sauce stir and cover with lid for a minute. Open the lid add thyme, salt and pepper.

5. Add pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

If you want any clarifications, post it in the comments.

Kadhi

I make kadhi twice a month. As I make homemade butter and ghee I get buttermilk out of it and same day or next day I make kadhi. You can also make kadhi from curd. To make buttermilk out of curd add 2 glass of water to 1/2 ltr curd and churn it for a minute. I learnt this kadhi recipe from my dearest father.

Preparation time -  30 minutes

Serves - 4

Procedure -

1. 1 ltr buttermilk
2. 1 Tb spoon gram flour (besan)
3. 1 Tb spoon sugar
4. 3 Tb spoon oil
5. 1 tea spoon mustard seeds
6. 1 tea spoon cumin seeds
7. 6 to 7 pods garlic or 1 tea spoon aesafotida powder or 1 and 1/2 tea spoon ginger paste.
8. 3 to 4 red chillies
9. 1 string curry leaves
10. Salt

Procedure -

1. In a bowl add gram flour and water. Mix until the lumps are dissolved. You will get a paste like consistency. Add this mixture in buttermilk stir and keep aside.

2. In a kadhai add oil. Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle then add cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chillies. Fry it for a minute, stirring continuously.

3. Now add crushed garlic and stir for another minute.

4. Pour the buttermilk and gram flour mixture in the kadhai and stir. Add sugar and bring it to boil.

5. Boil for 10 minutes on medium flame or till the oil starts separating. Do not add salt until you switch off the flame. If you do so your kadhi might curdle.

6. Switch off the flame and add salt. Stir and serve hot with steamed rice or chapati.

Olive oil and lemon dressing for salad

What can be healthier than salads? One of my best friend has asked me to blog a simple salad dressing recipe and this is what I came up with. 

Preparation time - 10 minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients -

1. 1 carrot
2. 1 cucumber
3. 1/2 cup boiled corn
4. 1/2 cup freshly cut lettuce
5. 1 Tb spoon olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
6. 1 Tb spoon lemon juice
7. Seasoning (salt and pepper)

Procedure -

1. Wash, peel and cut carrot and cucumber into cubes.

2. In a bowl add carrot, cucumber, boiled corn, and lettuce. Mix well.

3. Now add olive oil, lemon juice and season it with salt and pepper. Mix well and serve.

Mooli paratha

There are so many different types of parathas. Aloo, methi, palak, onion, paneer, mooli, etc.

Today I am going to blog about mooli paratha recipe which is punjabi breakfast dish. The most important thing is to squeeze out the mooli water from grated mooli. Squeeze until there is no water left in mooli. 

Preparation time - 1 hour

Serves - 2

Ingredients -

1. 1/2 kg mooli
2. 1 tb spoon red chilli powder
3. 2 finely chopped green chillies
4. 1 tea spoon cumin powder
5. 1 tea spoon coriander powder
6. 1/2 tea spoon garam masala
7. 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander

To knead the dough you can use squeezed radish water.

Procedure - 

1. Wash, peel and grate the radish. Squeeze the water completely from radish in another container and knead the dough in the same radish water. Close the dough container and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

2. Now add green chillies, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and coriander leaves. Mix well. Do not add salt in this mixture, as mooli has a tendency to leave water when salt is added and it becomes difficult to roll the paratha.

3. Heat the tawa on medium flame and take a small ball (small onion sized) from the dough and dust it with flour and start rolling. Roll the dough into 5 cms. Add a pinch of salt and then add around 1 and 1/2 to 2 Tb spoon of mooli mixture in the center.

4. Now gently cover the mooli mixture by lifting the sides of the rolled dough and seal it tightly by pressing it gently at the center. Dust it again in flour and gently start rolling. As we have added salt there might be little juice oozing out, if this happens, dust it with flour and roll again. 

5. Once you roll the paratha, place it on hot tawa and apply ghee or oil. Flip the paratha and apply ghee or oil on another side as well. Parathas usually need more oil therefore it is necessary to apply more oil on both sides so that it becomes moist and crispy.

6. Press the paratha with spatula and fry till it has golden brown spots. Make sure that the paratha edges are fried well.

7. Once both sides are cooked remove it and serve it with butter, ghee, pickle or curd.