Vegetable Cutlet

Vegetable Cutlet is my favorite appetizer. Whenever I have served it in parties, everyone has just loved it. I generally refrigerate the cutlets after rolling out in bread crumbs. Right before the party I fry it so it can be served hot.

Quantity about 15-16 pieces

Ingredients:
5 large boiled potatoes mashed
1/2 cup french beans chopped
1/2 cup carrots finely chopped
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 large onion finely chopped (preferably red onion)
3-4 green chillies chopped
1 tbsp ginger grated
3 tsp Corainder powder
1 and 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 and 1/2 tsp dried Mango powder
2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
2 tsp Dried Kasuri Methi
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup fresh corainder leaves
3 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
2 cups Bread Crumbs

Fresh Garam Masala (to be ground)
2 cloves
2 green cardamoms
4 black pepper

Mix the ingredients below to make batter:
1/2 cup white flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt


Directions:
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, green chilli, ginger, cashews, and raisins. Saute it for a few seconds, then add onions. Saute onions until golden brown. Add french beans and carrots, cover and cook until soft. Now add the coriander powder, red chilli powder, and mango powder, then mix it well. Add mashed potatoes, salt, sugar, kasuri methi, garam masala powder, and roasted cumin powder. Mix all the spices with the potatoes, then add coriander leaves. Turm off the heat. Wait till the mixture cools down. Divide the mixture equally in small balls and flatten it to give it a shape of cutlet. Dip it in the batter, then roll it out in the bread crumbs. Heat oil on high heat and fry the cutlet. Make sure to turn the heat to medium while the cutlets are frying. Before frying the next batch, make sure the oil is really hot otherwise the cutlets may break. Serve with coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.

Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji

Pav bhaji is a very popular dish from Mumbai. You can find it almost everywhere in Mumbai. This dish is easy to make and both kids and adults love it. I find it healthy since it is a combination of all the green and red vegetables. It can be also packed for school lunch.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
Cauliflower 1 cup chopped 
1/2 medium size Capsicum diced
2 Carrots diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup french beans cut
2 medium sized potato cut in halves
2 Green chillies chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 tbsp ginger grated
4 cloves garlic grated
2 medium sized tomato
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 stick butter
5 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala (Badshah brand, you can find it at any indian grocery store)
Salt to taste
1/2 Lemon Juice

Directions:
Boil the vegetables - cauliflower, capsicum, carrots, green peas, french beans, and potato in a pressure cooker with 1 and 1/2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Release the pressure, then strain the water out of the vegetables, and keep it aside. Peel the potatoes and mash it, then mash the vegetables separately. Heat butter, add green chillies, add onions. Saute onions until brown, then add ginger and garlic. Add tomatoes, cover and cook until the tomato is soft. Add pav bhaji masala, coriander powder, and red chilli powder. Saute until it leaves oil, then add the mashed potatoes and stir for 2 minutes. Add the mashed vegetables and mix it well and leave it to cook for 2 minutes on medium flame. Add salt, and about 1/2 cup of water to the bhaji and leave it to boil for another 2-3 minutes on medium flame, while constantly stirring it.  Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and garnish it with corianger leaves if you like. Serve the bhaji with fresh pav which you can find in indian grocery stores.

Vegetable Biryani

 

 

The first time I was offered vegetable biryani from Deez Biryani Corner in Defence Colony, in Delhi, I was literally in shock to know that there could be a vegetarian biryani. Well, I fell in love with the vegetarian biryani but didn't know how to make it until I found the secret spice, called "Shan's Bombay Biryani Masala". I gave it a try, and guess what, it came out delicious....beware you can't stop eating. If you find this spice, you will not need to make biryani from scratch.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cup basmati white rice

3 tbsp ghee or canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion cut in thin long slice

1/2 tbsp ginger grated

3 cloves garlic grated

1/2 cup green beans julienned

1/2 cup carrots julienned

2 tomatoes chopped
2 tsp coriander powder (preferably fresh ground)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder

3 tbsp bombay biryani masala (Shan brand)

1/3 cup yogurt
1/3 cup water
6 strands saffron
2 tbsp chopped almonds (optional)
2 tbsp raisins (optional)
2 tbsp milk
Salt to taste

Directions:
Cook rice, make sure not to overcook it, then drain water from the rice. Add salt, and 1/2 tbsp ghee to the rice and keep it aside. Heat the remaining ghee, add cumin seed, let it splutter. Add onions and sauté until golden brown. Add carrots and beans and sauté it until it is lightly cooked. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Add ginger, garlic, coriander powder, red chilli powder bombay biryani masala and cook it on medium flame until it leaves oil. Add water to the vegetables and let it boil for a minute, then add almonds and raisins. Turn off the heat and let the vegetables cool down. Whisk the yogurt and add it to the vegetables.  Add saffron to the milk and heat it for 15 seconds in microwave. Heat oven on 400 degrees on Bake. Spread a layer of cooked vegetable mixture in a baking dish, then spread a layer of rice over it making several layers. Pour the milk over the rice so it spreads properly. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake it on 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with raita, kaali daal, or a paneer dish.

Kadhai Paneer

This is my son's favorite dish. He actually wanted to learn how to make a paneer dish and so both of us together invented this recipe and it came out really good. It is simple to make and goes well with Rice, Naan, or parathas. In fact you can also use the leftover paneer to spread it on bread with some cheese, and then toast it, and serve for breakfast. It tastes really yum!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cup Paneer

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 tsp Black Mustard seeds
Asafoetida (heeng) a pinch

1 Green chilli chopped

1 and 1/2 Onions chopped

1 tbsp Ginger grated

4 cloves Garlic grated

2  large Tomato chopped

3 tsp Coriander powder (preferrably fresh ground)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1 tsp Methi leaves

1/4 cup Tomato paste

1/2 cup Milk
Salt to taste
Oil

Directions:

Add oil to the pan and heat it. Add jeera, rye, heeng, and green chilli. Now add onions and sauté it until it is golden brown. You can cover and cook the onions on low flame until it is soft. Add ginger and garlic, sauté it. Add tomatoes, cover and cook until it is soft. Add coriander powder, turmeric, red chilli powder and sauté it until it leaves oil. Now add tomato paste and mix it thoroughly. Add milk for gravy. Thinly slice the paneer and add to the gravy. Serve with hot parathas, naan, or pulao.

Pakori ki Kadhi

Kadhi is a dish made from yogurt and besan (chick pea flour). The dish is typically from Rajasthan, Gujrat, and Punjab. The style is different in various parts of India. This particular recipe is unique to Rajasthan. It is very important to follow each step carefully to get the perfect taste. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
For the Pakoras:
1/2 cup Besan (chickpea flour)
1/4 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/4 Ajwain
Baking powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Water
Oil for frying

Directions:
Add besan and the rest of the ingredients for the pakora, then add water to make a amooth paste. The paste should be of the consistency of cake dough. Heat oil in a frying pan. Drop small sized ball of the batter in the pan and deep fry it until brown. Remove the pakoras, then add it to a bowl of water. Squeeze excess water out of the pakoras and keep it aside.

Ingredients for the kadhi:
1/4 cup Besan
1 cup Yogurt
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Asafoetida (heeng) a pinch
1-2 Green chilli
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 cup Water
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves

Directions:
Mix besan, yogurt, turmeric, and water together. Use a whisk to mix it. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, heeng, green chilli, red chilli powder. Then lower the flame and add yogurt batter to the pan. Keep stirring until it comes to a boil. Note if the consistency seems too thick for you then add a little water. Leave the kadhi to boil for 20 minutes. Then add salt and the pakoras to the kadhi, leave it to boil for another 5 to 6 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with roti, paratha or plain white rice.

Aloo Parval

I dedicate this recipe to my mother. This is a typical dish from Bihar. Growing up my mom used to make Aloo/Parval during special pujas or when guests came over. I still remember how much I enjoyed this dish. I have to tell you that the vegetables grown in Bihar have so much taste in them, it is unimaginable. The Parval is so soft and tasty you can never think of finding that kind anywhere else.  

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

6 medium sized Potatoes peeled and cut

1 pound Parval

1 Green chilli chopped

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

2 medium sized Onions

1 tbsp Ginger grated

3 cloves Garlic
1 1/2 Tomato

3 tsp Coriander powder (preferrably freshly ground)

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

Salt to taste

Oil

Directions:

Heat oil, add parval and potatoes. Cover and cook it on medium flame until it is cooked. Remove it from the pan. Add more oil to the pan, heat it. Add cumin seeds, green chilli, then add onions, sauté it until golden brown. Add ginger and garlic, sauté it. Make a paste of turmeric, red chilli powder, and dhaniya powder in a little water. Add the paste to the pan and sauté it until it leaves oil. Add tomatoes, cover and cook it until soft. Add potato and parval, add salt, then cover and cook so it absorbs the spices. Serve with paratha or with rice and daal.

Egg Curry

I turned vegetarian fifteen years ago but I allowed myself to have eggs mainly because this was the main source of protein for me. My daughter loves egg curry, this is her favorite dish. Though my husband and my son are not fond of eggs, I still make it for the two of us. We love it with hot plain white rice, it is yummy.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

6 Boiled Eggs

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Green chilli chopped
1 1/2 Onions
1 tbsp Ginger grated
3 cloves Garlic grated
2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 1/2 Tomato
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Oil

Directions:
Heat oil, add cumin seeds, green chilli, then add onions. Saute onions till golden brown. Add ginger and garlic, sauté it. Now make a paste of turmeric, dhaniya powder, red chilli powder in a little water, and add it to the pan. Saute the masala till it leaves oil. Add tomatoes, cover and cook it till is soft. Add water and boil the gravy. Heat oil in a separate pan and fry the eggs, then cut it in halves. Add the fried eggs to the gravy. Serve it with plain hot rice or rotis.

Adraki Gobhi

Recently I went to a restraunt where I tried Adraki Gobhi. I really enjoyed having it with Aloo Paratha. I came home and tried out the dish and it came out very good as my husband says, better than the restraunt. Before I forget how I made it, I want to write down the recipe, so you can give it a try as well.

Serves 6

Ingredients
1 Cauliflower cut in small florets
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Green chilli chopped
1 1/2 Onions chopped
1 tbsp Ginger cut into thin long strips
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Dry mango powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Oil

Directions:
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, green chilli, ginger, then add onions. Saute onions till golden brown. Add a little water and make a paste of turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder. Add the paste to the pan and saute it until it leaves oil. Add the cauliflower, add salt, cover and cook until it is soft. Add cumin powder and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with roti or paratha.