Jain Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is a world-favourite recipe. Who can resist the sight, aroma and flavour of this delicious curry dish with soft and succulent paneer chunks floating in a spinach gravy?
Though the recipe typically uses onion and garlic. But for those who want to enjoy this during vrat season, this recipe can help.

NO ONION-GARLIC PALAK PANEER

Ingredients:
Spinach/Palak - 2 small bunches
Tomatoes, medium - 4, blanched
Green chilies, medium - 3 to 4
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsps
Jeera - 1 tsp
Haldi - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Add chopped and washed spinach to a pressure cooker along with green chilies and salt and cook for just 1 whistle. Remove, cool and grind to a paste. I like to keep the paste little chunky rather than too fine.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. Let crackle.
3. Add blanched and chopped tomatoes (or pureee) along with haldi and let cook a bit.
4. Now add chili powder (careful here as we have already used green chilies) and dhaniya powder. Cook till tomatoes/puree is cooked.
5. Finally add garam masala and let simmer for few minutes more.
6. Now add the spinach puree and mix well. Check for salt. Do not cook for too long after adding spinach.
Remove and serve hot with chapati or rice.

Besanwali bhindi

          Besanwali bhindi has quite a few culinary interpretations. It could be gram flour-coated okra crisp fried or sautéed, spices could vary, and so on. This one here uses my mother's special spice mix that she prepares for a capsicum curry.

BESANWALI BHINDI

Ingredients :
Okra/Ladiesfinger/Bhindi (chopped into 1 cm long pieces) - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds (sarson) - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder (haldi ) - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Gram flour (Besan) - 1.5 tbsps

Spice mix :
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1 tsp
Dry red chilies - 2 medium

Method :

1. Dry roast the spice mix ingredients, let cool and coarsely grind in a mixer.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let crackle. Add jeera and once it crackles as well follow it up with the cut okra and haldi. Mix well and let cook (uncovered) till about half done.

3. Add salt at this stage and let cook some more. Meanwhile dry roast the gram flour/Besan on low flame till it lets out an aroma. Take care not to over-roast it. Keep aside.

4. When the okra is 3/4th done, add the ground spices and mix well. Let cook while stirring occasionally for about 7-8 minutes more. Finally add the roasted besan, mix and let cook for just 2 minutes more. Remove and serve hot with desired accompaniment.

Stuffed Karela in Gravy

        What's the one vegetable that tops the list of 'Least liked veggies' ??? Of course, Bitter gourd, or the humble 'Karela'!! It's always a challenge to serve the more likeable vegetables in as different and interesting variations as possible, so imagine how much the mind needs to rake up its creative juices to make the un-interesting vegetables, appealing!!
Here, I attempt a simple stuffed Karela in a basic gravy....

STUFFED KARELA IN GRAVY

Ingredients :
Tender Bitter gourd (Karela) - 2 medium
Salt - 2 tbsps
Chili powder - 1 tsp

Gravy :
Tomatoes - 3 medium
Red Pumpkin (cubed) - 1 cup
Onions - 2 medium
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 2 tsps
Turmeric poweder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 2 tsps

Stuffing :
Crumbled paneer - 1 cup
Finely chopped spinach (palak) - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Oil for shallow frying

Method : 

1. Peel the bitter gourd to remove the ridges and make it as smooth as possible. Cut into 1cm thick roundels, scoop out to make them hollow and add to a bowl. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and 1 tsp chili powder. Shake well and keep aside for about 10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, grind onions, ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Grind tomato and red pumpkin separately.

3. Wash the bitter gourd roundels well in running water and drain. Steam cook with a little bit of salt sprinkled over them, for about 10 minutes or till 3/4th tender. Keep aside.

4. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a kadhai/pan. Add jeera and let crackle. Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste along and sauté for about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add salt, turmeric pwder, chili powder, garam masala and let fry. Once the oil separates, add in the tomato-pumpkin gravy. Stir occasionally and let cook for 5 to 7 minutes more. Check for salt and turn off the flame once gravy is done.

6. For the stuffing, just keeping it simple - mix together the crumbled paneer, spinach, salt, chili powder and garam masala. 

7. Fill this stuffing inside each steamed karela round. Heat oil for shallow frying. Gently drop in the stuffed karelas and fry on low to medium heat, on both sides till golden brown. Remove and drain excess oil.

8. When ready to serve, warm the gravy. Place the fried karela on the serving plates and gently pour the gravy on top or around. Garnish with coriander.

Mirch ka Salan

Mirch Ka Salan, a typical Hyderabadi dish, the very mention of which can get our taste buds tingling!!!

Salan, or curry, is a popular base that is combined with several vegetarian and non-vegetarian options - Mirch, Gobhi, Gosht and many more, list would be endless.

[Note : The original recipe calls for Bhavnagari Chillies, but since I couldn't get those, used the Bajji Mirchi instead. The taste was just as awesome, trust me :) ]

MIRCHA KA SALAN

Ingredients :

Bajji Mirchi - 8 

Capsicum (cut into 1" long strips) - 1/2 cup (optional)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1/4 tsp

Chili powder - 2 tsps

Dhaniya-Jeera powder - 2 tbsps

Tamarind (Imli) pulp - 1 tbsp

Chopped fresh coriander - 2 tbsps

Water - 2 cups

Oil - 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Dry Masala

Roasted Peanuts - 2 tbsps

Roasted jeera - 1 tbsp

Roasted Sesame(Til) - 2 tbsps

Grind to a paste

Ginger - 1/2" piece

Garlic - 6 cloves

Onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)

Tomatoes - 1 cup (chopped)

Coconut (fresh, grated) - 3 tbsps

Method :

1. Wash and slit the chilies. De-seed and fry in oil. Or you could shallow fry in lesser oil, which is what I did! Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan, add jeera, mustard seeds, methi seeds and curry leaves. Let crackle. Now add the ground paste and stir well. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the dry masala mix to this gravy and stir again. Let cook on a medium flame till oil starts to separate. Add 2 cups water and tamarind pulp and bring to a boil.

4. Finally add the green chilies and capsicum , along with chopped coriander. Check for salt and let simmer on low till gravy thickens.

Serve "hot" :)

Mixed Vegetables in gravy

Come winters and vegetable-shopping turns into a pleasure; carts laden with fresh cauliflower, bright-red carrots, greens in every shade imaginable!! Where summers would be a challenge about what to cook, winters would pose a different challenge - what to cook first !!!
Mixed vegetables in gravy remains one of my favourite dishes that mom makes, esp in winters. An assortment of rich veggies in a simple gravy, this preparation goes well with rice and Indian breads alike.

MIXED VEGETABLES IN GRAVY

Ingredients :

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Potatoes - 2 medium (diced)
Green Peas - 1 cup
Carrots - 2 medium (diced)
French Beans - 1 cup (chopped into 1 inch long pieces)
Knol Kohl - 1 medium (diced)

For the gravy :

Tomatoes - 2 large or 3 medium (chopped)
Onion - 2 medium (chopped)

For the spice paste :

Coriander (Dhaniya) seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin (jeera) seeds - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilies - 2
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Misc :
Green chilies - 2 medum (slit)
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder (haldi) to taste
Oil - 2 tbsps
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Pressure cook the vegetables along with enough water, salt and turmeric powder, take care not to over-cook.

2. Grind together the dhaniya seeds, Jeera, dry red chilies and coconut to a fine paste using little water.

3. Heat oil in a kadhai and add mustard seeds. Add the slit green chilies and sauté.

4. Now add the chopped onions and fry till it loses its raw aroma. Add the chopped tomatoes, sauté a bit. Sprinkle salt and cover-cook till tomatoes are well done.

5. Add the cooked vegetables to the gravy and mix well. Stir in the ground spice paste as well. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes till the spices coat the vegetables. Check for salt and remove from heat.

Transfer to the serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander before serving.

Raw Banana Curry

Raw banana is an interesting vegetable, that is known for its starch and fibre content but is also high in potassium. It's a game changer for quite a few recipes, but makes for interesting dishes on its own too. Like this grated Raw banana curry....

GRATED RAW BANANA CURRY

Ingredients :

Raw Banana (Kachcha Kela) - 1 large
Green Chili - 1 medium(sliced)
Ginger - 1" piece (chopped)
Salt to taste
Hing (Asafoetida) - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut -  2 tbsps
Curry leaves - a few

Tempering :
Oil - 2 tbsps
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1/2 tsp
Split Black gram (Urad dal)  -1 tsp
Split Bengal gram (Chana dal) - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Wash the raw banana and steam cook with the peel intact, till the peel changes colour (i.e, becomes brownish). This should be approximately 10 minutes, take care not to let it become too soft else we will have difficulty grating it.

2. Remove and let cool. Peel the banana and grate it. Keep aside.






3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they start crackling, add the chopped green chili and ginger. Saute for a bit.

4. Now add the urad and chana dals and fry for about half a minute. Finally add in the grated raw banana. Stir well to let the oil coat it evenly.

4. Add salt to taste along with hing. Finally add the grated coconut and curry leaves. Cook for about 5-7 minutes stirring in between.
Remove and serve hot.

Microwave Aloo

Technology can be both a boon and a bane. Yep, I know, this phrase is so oft repeated that it might have lost its sheen now!! But my only belief is that as long as we use technology to help run our life and not take over it, we should be pretty OK in this day and age :)
For example, a quick potato curry in the microwave is a God-saver when you are racing against the clock.

MICROWAVE ALOO

Ingredients :

Boiled, peeled and cubed potato - 2 medium (or halved baby potatoes - 1 1/2 cups)
Boiled, peeled and cubed sweet potato - 1 cup (optional)
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Curry powder - 1 tsp (or any masala of your choice, for eg, Garam masala)
Chopped coriander

Tempering :
Olive oil - 2 tbsps
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 2 tsps

Method :

1. Add the cubed potatoes in a micro-proof bowl. Add salt to taste, turmeric powder, chili powder and curry powder. Mix well with a light hand so that all pieces are evenly coated.

2. Tempering is one thing I have yet to muster courage to do in the micro itself !! So I still prefer the traditional way. Heat the olive oil in a tempering ladle or small pan. Add the jeera and let crackle. Now add mustard seeds, and once they crackle too, pour the tempering over the potato cubes.
Mix well.

3. Cook on high in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Remove, stir once and cook on high for 3 minutes more. Remove and sprinkle the chopped coriander.
Serve hot as desired.

Crispy Bitter Gourd

Crisp fried Bitter gourd is quite a popular accompaniment and cuts away from the normal curry preparations using this Oh-so-healthy vegetable!! But then what's life without a little indulgence??

CRISPY FRIED BITTER GOURD

Ingredients :

Bitter gourd (Karela) - 3, medium (de-seeded)
Bengal gram flour (Besan) - 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder (Hing) - 1/4 tsp
Coriander (dhaniya) powder - 1 tbsp
Oil for frying

Method :

1. Slice the bitter gourd into thin round slices. Soak in a mix of tamarind juice and salt for about 10 minutes. This will mitigate its bitterness.

2. Rinse the karela slices in clean water and add to a bowl.

3. Now add the gram flour, salt, chili powder, hing and dhaniya powder. Mix gently and let rest for about 10 minutes.

4. Heat oil in a shallow pan on medium heat. Drop in the karela slices carefully a little at a time. Deep fry till golden brown. Else you can also toss the slices in a little oil and microwave till crisp, which would be a much healthier option.
Serve as desired.

Crisp Okra(Bhindi)

A vegetable that is popular with young and old alike...there are many ways of preparing a bhindi subzi (curry), from the simple one using just salt, turmeric powder and chili powder to the more elaborate stuffed versions.
Here is a semi-fried variation...

                                                                  CRISP BHINDI

Ingredients :

Bhindi - 250 gms
Besan - 2 tbsp
Corn starch - 1 tbsp
Dhaniya pwd - 1 tbsp
Chili Pwd - 2 tsp
Garam masala - 1.5 tsps
Salt to taste
Oil - for shallow frying

Method :

1. Wash, dry and de-stem bhindi and cut them lengthwise.

2. In a bowl, add the bhindi, besan, corn starch, chili pwd, garam masala and dhaniya pwd. Mix lightly and leave for about 1/2 hour.

3. Heat oil for shallow frying. Add salt to the bhindi and mix again.

4. Shallow fry the bhindi few pieces at a time till golden brown. Drain excess oil and serve.

Banana Stem Specials

        The Banana tree is a wonder in itself. Not only are its different parts edible and used in different culinary preparations, they also have amazing healing properties.
The banana(plantain) leaf is rich in chlorophyll and it has been an age old tradition in many parts of the world to serve food on Banana leaves. The leaf is also used as a wrap in many steamed dishes which lends a unique and extremely healthy flavour and quality to the preparation.
The use of the banana flower and stem have amazing healing properties where the overall digestive system is concerned. The stem especially is known to be so effective that it is believed to help clear Kidney stones!!!
Recently I had a completely detoxifying meal at Sanjeevanam, the Kerala Veg restaurant, where none of the curries are cooked in oil. One of them was steamed banana stem curry which was simply too good.
I list here few simple recipes using the banana stem that can only do good, and taste excellent as well.

Tip : Ask the vegetable vendor to help you select as tender a stem as possible. The best method to cut it right for any dish is :
- Peel the outer layers till you are left with a slender pearl white tube that looks like it cannot be peeled further
- Cut into discs, you might encounter thick fibre on the surface, simply wrap them around your index finger and continue slicing
- Once you have sliced the stem tube, stack them a few at a time and chop them into 1 cm long pieces. For salads, use the discs as a whole.
- Soak them in diluted sour buttermilk till ready to be used in the preparation. This prevents them from changing colour, i,e, darkening.
                                                             BANANA STEM SALAD
Ingredients :
Tender Banana Stem - 1 (sliced into discs)
Green chili - 1 long
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Method :
1. Add the sliced banana stem into a salad bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice, sliced green chili and salt to taste. Mix well. Let rest for 10-12 minutes.
3. Serve.
                                                                -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
                                                               BANANA STEM CURRY
Ingredients :
Banana stem - 1 (Sliced and chopped)
Salt to taste
Dessicated coconut - 2 tbsps
Curry leaves
Tempering :
Oil - 1 tbsp
Rai - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chili - 1
1. Soak the chopped stem in sour buttermilk till ready to use. Strain and cook with water and salt to taste till well done. Strain the water and keep the stem aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, let crackle. Add the Urad dal and red chili and saute for a bit.
3. Add the cooked banana stem pieces and stir well. Check for salt and adjust accordingly if needed. Add the dessicated coconut and curry leaves and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes and remove.
Serve hot.
                                                              -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
                                             BANANA STEM STEW (MOR KOOTTU)

Ingredients :
Tender Banana Stem - 1 (Sliced and chopped)
Slightly sour whisked curds - 1 cup
Haldi - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - a few
To grind to a paste :
Jeera - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 3 tbsps
Dry Red Chilies - 2
Tempering :
Oil - 1 tsp
Rai - 1 tsp
Method :
1. As mentioned above, soak the chopped banana stem in buttermilk till ready to use. Strain and cook in water along with haldi and salt till well done. Drain the water and keep the cooked stem aside.
2. Soak the jeera, red chilies and coconut in a little water to soften. Grind them to a paste in a mixer.
3. In a saucepan, add the whisked sour curds and add the ground paste. Stir and cook on a low flame to avoid curdling.
4. Add the cooked stem and curry leaves as well and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Check for salt and adjust if required. If the stew is a bit runny, mix 1 tsp rice flour in 1 tbsp water and add to the pan.
5. For the tempering, heat oil and add the rai. Once it splutters add to the stew. Serve hot.

Beans with Dal curry (Paruppu Usuli/Usili)

Paruppu (Dal/Lentils) Usuli or Paruppu Puttu as it's commonly known in South India is a curry that is made with lentils blended with spices and cooked along with vegetables of choice.
This is one of my many favourites from the repertoire of my mother's cooking and when served along with South Indian kadhi and Pepper rasam, the deliciousness (and balancing factor) of the dish simply sky-rockets!!!
I have mentioned here the recipe for using French beans with the dal, however this curry can be prepared using any vegetable imaginable - carrots, banana flower, cauliflower, raw banana, cluster beans...or even Broccoli !!

BEANS PARUPPU USULI

 Ingredients :
French Beans - 250 gms (chopped)
Toor Dal (split pigeon peas) - 1 cup
Chana Dal (Bengal gram) - 1 tbsp
Dry red chilies - 2
Hing (Asafoetida) powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 to 5 tbsps
Rai (Mustard seeds) - 1 tsp
Urad dal (split black gram)  - 1 tsp

Method : 
1. Wash and soak the Toor dal and Chana dal for about 30 minutes. Drain and leave in a colander or sieve.

2. In a mixer, blend the drained dals, red chilies, salt and hing. Use very little water, say about 1-2 tbsps and grind to a coarse paste (fine semolina/rawa consistency)

3. Spread this mixture on a steamer/Idli plate and steam cook for about 15-20 minutes

4. Meanwhile, cook the chopped beans (or vegetable of your choice) with a pinch of turmeric till tender. Drain and keep aside.

5. Remove the cooked dal and spread it on to a wide plate and let cool. Once down to room temperature, lightly crumble using hands to prevent any lump formation. A neat trick is to give it a very quick run in the mixer, just 2 quick turns, which will help break down the dal clusters formed during the steaming.

6. Heat oil in a pan and add the urad dal, followed by rai. Once rai splutters, add the cooked dal and mix well to let the oil coat the lentils all through and cook evenly, for 5 to 7 minutes. Again, make sure no lumps are visible.

7. Now add the cooked vegetables and mix well. Check for salt, and let cook for about 4 to 5 minutes more. Optional to garnish with curry leaves.
Remove and serve hot.