DALIYA MATAR VADI

This is like a one dish meal, a very tasty ,no fuss one too.I got introduced to it, after my marriage.It was regularly made at my in-laws' and now at my home too.My mom in law would make it with rice. What I found strange was that they would treat it like a sabzi/ dry vegetable and eat it with roti. Eating roti with rice seemed strange.But I would always have it without roti,like one would have a thin, slightly watery khichri.I too make it with rice , but few years back, I adapted it to daliya/broken wheat/bulgur.It looks like khichri, but is certainly not a dish meant for the invalid.You can use your imagination, add veggies/keema/boneless mutton/nutrela , so on and so forth .To make it special add fried sliced onions on top.

INGREDIENTS:

Daliya/Broken wheat OR Rice( you can also use cooked rice)-1 cup

Peas-1 cup

Vadi-preferably large spicy Urad dal/ Moong dal -1

Turmeric powder-3/4^th tsp

Salt-to taste

TEMPERING/TADKA:

Ghee/clarified butter-1 -2 tsp

Garlic chopped (OPTIONAL)- ½ to 1 tbsp

Jeera/Cummin seeds-1 tsp

Red chilli powder( if want really spicy)-1/2 tsp

Asafoetida( Hing) powder-1/4tsp.

METHOD:

Wash daliya in a fine strainer. These days ,the varieties one gets(Aahaar) ,are usually pre roasted & quick cooking and don't require to be soaked. Put this in a pressure cooker, along with the peas, turmeric powder , vadi, salt and 7 cups of water. If you wish to fry the vadi and add , you can do that too. But a lighter option would be to heat the ghee that you are going to use for tempering, in a tadka pan, throw in this vadi and shallow fry it. Remove it and use the left over ghee for the tempering/tadka. Place the lid on the cooker and pressure cook on high heat till one whistle . Thereafter simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from fire. Let the pressure drop of its own. Add tempering…Heat ghee,add jeera , hing, red chilli powder ( if using).Stir and add to the daliya in the cooker. If it seems thick, add some water and salt. Serve hot. You can have it with/without roti.

VARIATION:

1.Use rice instead of daliya.

2. Add vegetables.Cut the vegetables into large pieces, so they don't become mushy after pressure cooking. You can cook the daliya in a large, deep pan and cook without pressure.

3. Add boneless meat/keema/ chicken.For this first cook the mutton/keema till 3/4^th done and then add to the daliya.if adding chicken,just stir fry chicken in a liitle bit of oil and add.

4. Add nutrela, nutri nuggets as per the instructions on the box.

5.Add dal of your choice, after soaking and /or partial cooking,depending on its cooking time.

MIXED VEGETABLES-STIR FRY NORTH INDIAN STYLE

An adaptation of the Oriental /continental stir fry vegetables. It's a very light healthy low calorie tasty preparation. Whenever I make it, the feedback I get is very encouraging. So do try it. You can make it as part of your main course or have it like a snack, like my daughters do.

INGREDIENTS:

Paneer, cut into cubes of 1 inch-100 grams

Cauliflower-5 florets

Beans, cut diagonally into two-100 grams

Carrot, sliced diagonally 1/4^th inch thickness-100 grams

Mushroom, if small cut into two and large cut into four-100 grams

Lotus stem, sliced diagonally 1/4^th inch thickness -100 grams

Baby corn, slice diagonally into two-100 grams

Onion,chopped into 8 and the layers separated-1 medium

Green, red and yellow capsicum-1/4^th of large one of each colour.

Corn(Tinned or frozen)-2tbsp

Green peas-100 grams

Tomato, one large,with seeds removed, chopped into 6 pieces-1

Garlic chopped fine( Optional)-2tbsp

Cummin seeds(Jeera sabut)-2 tsp

Red chilli powder-1tsp

Garam Masala powder-1/2 to 1 tsp

Sugar( To preserve the green colour of the green vegetables)-1 tsp

Salt-to taste

Oil-2tbsp

METHOD:

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add paneer and stir fry, till brown spots appear. Remove with a slotted spoon. Now add cumin seeds to the oil. Add garlic , if using and stir on high heat till slightly brown. Add sugar. Now add vegetables in the order of cooking time required i.e first lotus stem, then cauliflower and /or broccoli,carrots, green peas,beans, baby corn, mushroom followed by corn .After each vegetable is added cook on high heat for about 5 minutes.So by the time you add ,mushroom , lotus stem would be optimally tender.TThe vegetables must be constantly stirred.The vegetables must be crunchy not mushy.Now add onion .Cook on high heat for 5 minutes.Then add the 3 coloured capsicums along with tomatoes.Cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add paneer.Mix gently ,so tomatoes don't become pulpy.Add salt, red chilli powder and garam masala .Serve hot. Its best to make this just before serving.

CORN ON THE COB IN COCONUT MILK GRAVY

I love coconut and anything made with coconut or coconut milk,. Hence, yesterday when an old friend & college mate, came to stay with me, I decided to innovate and made this corn in coconut milk.Since she, like me, is from the Southern part of India, I could boldly experiment,confident that she would not be averse to coconut milk, unlike a lot of people from the Northern part of India. I was delighted when I got compliments from family , friends and colleagues.I was told in no uncertain terms, to post the recipe before the night ended!!!So here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Corn on the cob,tender,large size, cut into 1 inch pieces-3

Onion, medium size, chopped-1

Onion, medium size, ground-2

Garlic,chopped-1tbsp ( grind with onion)

Ginger, chopped-1 tsp ( grind with onion)

Tomato,medium, ground-2

Green chilli slit-1

Refined Oil- 3 tbsp

Cloves-2

Cinnamon-1 inch

Green cardamoms-2

Bay leaf-1

Sugar-1 tbsp

Besan/Gram flour-2 level tbsp

Coconut milk powder-2 small sachet(Nestle)

Red chilli powder-1/2 to3/4 tsf

Turmeric powder -1/4 to 1/2 tsf

Salt-to taste

METHOD:

Heat the oil in a deep pan.

Add clove, cardamom, bay leaf and cinnamon.

Add the chopped onions and cook till they turn pink.

Now add ground onion-ginger- garlic paste and cook till slightly brown.

Add turmeric and chilli powder.(Preferably mix in a tbsp of water and add)

Add the tomatoes and cook on high heat till it starts leaving oil.

Add bhuttas or corn and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk powder , mixed with 1.5 litres water and 2 tbsp gram flour.

Add salt and sugar.

Cook on high heat till one boil.

Now reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes till corn is slightly tender.

Take off the fire.

Add slit green chilli

Serve hot with rice.

VARIATIONS:

1.Can omit ginger, garlic paste.

2. Can omit tomatoes.

3.Can omit clove,cardamom , cinnamon and bay leaf.

4.Make South Indian stew style, by omitting tomatoes, clove,cardamom , cinnamon and bay leaf, replacing with hing/ asafoetida, 2 dried red chillies,1 tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp jeera or cummin seeds, few curry leaves.No turmeric is used and add ½ tsf coarsely freshly ground black pepper in place of red chilli powder.

LASSAN WALI MOONG DHULI DAAL

A very tasty simple daal. A favourite of mine and my dear friend Rapti.

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dhuli daal-1 cup

Garlic -5 cloves

Garlic chopped 1 and a ½ tbsp

Ginger chopped -1 tsp

Refined oil-1 and a ½ tbsp

Ghee /Clarified butter-1 tsp for tadka

Asafoetida/ hing-1/4 tsp

Jeera sabut/Cummin seeds-1 tsp

Haldi /Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Lal mirch/red chilli powder-1/4 tsf

Green chilli with a slit( cheera in hindi)-1

Salt-to taste

METHOD:

Wash daal and keep it in a strainer to drain water.Take ½ tbsp oil. Heat it. Add 5 cloves of garlic, without chopping.Saute on high heat till black and burnt. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Keep for 10 minutes for oil to imbibe the flavour of garlic.Now throw the garlic and add 1 tbsp oil to the remaining oil and turn the gas on.Add chopped garlic and ginger. Sauté till golden.Now add the daal and sauté a little. Add haldi , lal mirch powder, salt and mix.Now add 3 cups water.Bring to boil. Then lower heat and cover with a lid for 10 to 15 minutes till daal is cooked. Remove lid and bring to one boil by raising the heat.Take off the heat. Add tadka by heating ghee,add jeera , hing, green chilli.Serve hot with rice or roti.

TORI WITH VADI

A nice simple sabzi, a favourite of my husband.

INGREDIENTS:

Tori ( Can substitute with zucchini) Peel and cut into pieces of ¾ inch size- 250 gm

Tomato medium , chopped into small pieces-1

Urad daal spicy Vadi-1/2

Jeera sabut( Cummin seeds)- ½ tsf

Asafetida/hing-2 pinches

Turmeric powder-1/4^th tsf

Red chilli powder ( preferably coarse powder)-1/4 tsf

Refined Oil- 1tsf

Salt- to taste

METHOD:

Heat oil.Add jeera and hing.When jeera splutters,add vadi and sauté it.Add haldi and lal mirch powder.Now add tomato, lower heat and cover for 5 minutes.Open and mash tomato with a spoon. Add tori and mix. Cover with a plate and cook on low heat. Check after 5 minutes that it is not sticking to the pan.Add ½ to 3/4^th cup water and simmer for 10 more minutes. Open and add salt.Raise the heat and wait till it comes to full boil. Take it off the heat. Serve with phulkas.

Tip-While cooking green vegetables add a pinch of sugar , to keep the veggies green.

MALPUA

Malpua and rainy days….an inseparable combo. When my mom in law was alive, the moment it would rain, we would demand malpuas. For the last many years, probably since her demise, we had'nt had them.With the recent cloudburst in Delhi, there was tremendous nostalgia for the same. So here I was making malpuas after so many years….The nicest part is that , you don't need a sugar syrup for this kind of malpua. So for diabetics, one can use sugar substitute and make it, which one cant do with the recipes requiring syrup.

INGREDIENTS:
Maida- 1 cup

Milk -2 cups

Sugar/Sugar free natura-1and a ½ tbsp to 2 tbsp. (When using sugar free natura, the amount used in terms of volume is the same as for regular granulated sugar.But in terms of weight they are not equal)

Aniseed/saunf- 1/2 tsp

Black pepper ( Uncrushed)/ kali mirch sabut- 1/2 tsp

Refined Oil- For frying

METHOD:

Mix all the above ingredients.Keep for about ½ hour.Mix well again. Heat oil in a frying pan for deep frying. When it turns hot, lower the heat, pour the batter slowy, with a ladle . Now raise the heat.It will spread and become like a fried egg.Turn it so as to enable it to cook on both the sides. It should be golden in colour.Remove from the oil and place on an absorbent paper ,like a kitchen towel, to absorb excess oil. Serve hot .You can serve it with rabri/Kheer too.Tastes awesome.If serving with kheer/Rabri one can reduce the amount of sugar in the batter.

HUNG CURD, CHEESE AND VEGETABLE DIP

This is a favourite of my daughters and their friends. It is a must at all their parties.

INGREDIENTS:

1.Curd -400 gms.Hang in a muslin cloth for 1 hour

2.Chopped onion-½ cup

3.Chopped garlic-1/4^th to ½ cup,depending on one's taste.

4.Green chillies chopped-2

5.Cheese spread-I used 3 different ones , 1/3^rd box each of Brittania classic plain, masala herbs and Mexican Chilli.( One can use variety of flavours and innovate)

6.Chilli oregano seasoning( FAB INDIA)-1 tsp

7.Juice of Lemon-1

8.Salt-To taste

9.Red , yellow and green bell pepper chopped very fine-1/2 each of medium size

10. Cucumber peeled, deseeded and chopped fine-1 ( Taste before adding lest you should add a bitter one)

METHOD:

Blend the ingredients 1 to 8 in a blender.Add 9 and 10. Mix well. Serve with chips, or crudités which are traditional French appetizers comprising raw vegetables like cucumber, carrots, Red & Yellow bell pepper, Zucchini, asparagus spears, etc, cut into strips or cauliflower, broccoli, cut into bite size florets.Try making it. Its delicious.