Alu Matar - take 2

This week, I am paired with Nisha of Nisha's Kitchen for Blog Hop. She has very simple, delicious and homely food on her blog. Very comforting indeed. As I was going through her blog, I wanted to make something with potato as it had been some time since I cooked this versatile vegetable.

I am sure potato has a soft corner in most of our hearts & palates. Unless you are on a diet or watching your carbs. Even then, its difficult to resist. After searching, I settled on this Aloo Parwal Curry. The only issue was, I didn't have Parwal. So I settled for Green Peas.

The result is that I have another Alu Matar recipe - totally different from mine. Its a quick, easy and tasty dish that goes perfectly with rice and roti. Here's my recipe:

Serves: 4 - 5

Ingredients
700 gms Potatoes - boiled and cubed
1 cup Fresh / Frozen Green Peas
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Tomato - finely chopped
2 Green Chillies - finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan. When hot, add the Cumin Seeds and let them splutter.
2. Add the Onion and Green Chilli and fry till the Onion turns golden.
3. Add the Ginger & Garlic Pastes and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Now add the Tomato, Salt, Red Chilli Powder and Turmeric Powder and cook till the masala comes together.
5. Add the Potato and Peas and cook till the peas are cooked.
6. Serve hot with rice / rotis.

This goes to the following events:
Radhika's Blog Hop Wednesdays #16
Ayesha's Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy
Priya's Healthy Diet Event hosted by Vardhini

Mixed Vegetable Pulao

That's us sitting together at the dining table and eating together for 6 days now. V still tries to tell us he wants to go eat in front of the TV, on the Sofa or watch cartoons on my phone. We are trying (and succeeding) to make him sit on the table and eat with us. He’s getting better. He hasn’t been to the naughty corner (for food) in the past 2 days.

He never saw what he was eating till now – atleast not consciously. He would be busy with something (either playing with his cars OR watching TV OR playing something on my phone) and we would just feed him. Last night when I put the dish in front of him on the table, he looked at it and said he wants carrots and peas. We were like – that's good.

We gave him all the vegetables and he finished the whole bowl – that's a different issue all together.

Here's the recipe:

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients
1.5 cups Basmati Rice - washed and soaked in excess cold water
1 cup Chopped Mixed Vegetables
1 Onion - sliced
2 Chillies - slit vertically
1 Tomato - chopped
2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Bay Leaf
4 Cloves
4 Green Cardamoms
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
1 tsp Shajeera / Caraway Seeds
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Chopped Coriander for Garnish

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan. When hot, add the Bay Leaf, Cloves, Green Cardamoms, Cinnamon Stick and Shajeera and fry for a minute - I generally fry till the cloves swell up.
2. Add the Onions and fry till they turn translucent.
3. Now add the Ginger Garlic Paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Add the Tomato and cook till the masala comes together.
5. Now add the Mixed Vegetables and cook till they are almost cooked.
6. Drain the rice and add to the pan and mix well.
7. Add 2 cups of water and salt and bring to a boil. Turn to sim, cover and cook till the rice is done.
8. Check in between - each brand of rice need different amounts of water - add accordingly.
9. Once is done, garnish with Chopped Coriander and serve with raita / curry.

This goes to the following events

Veena's Kid's Delight - Colour Palette that was started by Srivalli

Radhika's Let's Cook - Rice
 

Vegetable Kothu Paratha / Kothu Roti

This is the famous road side food in Chennai. I’ve never eaten it in Chennai, but when my cousins came to visit me last year, they made this for us and it was very tasty and different (for us).

They made it with Chicken and Egg. I wanted to try making it with Vegetables for a long time now, but never got around to do it. I was going through Amy’s blog and found that Kothu Roti is part of the Sri Lankan cuisine as well.

Serves: 2 – 3 as main course OR 4 – 5 as snack

Ingredients
5 Layered Parthas – cooked and roughly chopped (I used store bought frozen ones)
2 Onions – finely chopped
3 Green Chillies – finely minced (adjust)
2 cups mixed vegetables (I used Carrots, Beans & Peas)
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
2 Tomatoes – finely chopped
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder (optional)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
20 Curry Leaves (1 sprig)
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste (remember that the parathas will have salt in them)

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan – I used a frying pan as its easier to mix everything.
2. Once hot, add the Mustard and Cumin Seeds and let them crackle.
3. Add the Green Chillies and Curry Leaves and saute for a minute or so.
4. Add the Onions and fry till they turn transparent..
5. Now add the Ginger and Garlic Pastes and fry till the raw smell goes.
6. Add the tomatoes, Turmeric, Coriander and Chilli (if using) Powders and cook till the masala comes together.
7. Now add the Vegetables, mix and cook till they are done.
8. Now add the chopped parathas and mix well and cook till the parathas are heated through.
9. Serve hot with Raita or on its own.

Note 1: I have torn the parathas with hand. The pieces are not uniform, but we don’t mind.
Note 2: You can add boiled vegetables to reduce the cooking time.

After our dinner, there was enough left for my lunch box the next day.

This goes to the following events:

Priya's Cooking with Seeds - Peas

Veena's HLI - Peas that was started by Kalyani.

Valli's Snacks Mela

Priya's Flavours of Sri Lanka that was started by Nayna.

Couscous Upma

I first tasted Couscous in April 2010 in Paris in a Moroccon food court. I loved the texture. I've been trying to use it but P doesn't like it a lot. I made Couscous upma long back. But P didn't like it. So I never made it again.

Different story today... I gave P and V Macaroni & Cheese and I made this for myself.

Though I did not make it like regular upma, I absolutely loved the texture and the taste.

I had only green peas in my freezer so I didn't use any other vegetables. I made an extra portion to take to work for lunch. And since I wasn't giving this to V, I did make it a little extra spicy.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Couscous
1/2 cup Frozen Green Peas - You can use other vegetables as well
1/2 Onion - finely chopped
1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
10 Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Oil
1 cup Water
Salt to taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves to garnish

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan.
2. When hot, add the Chilli Flakes, Mustard Seeds and Cumin Seeds.
3. When they crackle, add the Onion and Curry Leaves and fry till the Onions turn transparent.
4. Add salt and mix well.
5. Add the Peas (and other vegetables) and cook till they are almost done.
6. Now add the Couscous, mix and add the water.
7. Get the water to a boil and simmer till the water is absorbed.
8. Add the chopped Coriander Leaves and mix and serve hot.

This goes to the following events:

Priya's Cooking with Seeds - Peas

Veena's HLI - Peas that was started by Kalyani.

Vegetable Cutlets / Patties

The other day, I wanted to make something spicy for P and me and was wondering what to give my 3 year old. I realised there's a huge potato lying in my cupboard and I decided to make cutlets for him.

It was another way to give him vegetables. A simple, easy and healthy recipe that can be adapted to suit individual needs and tastes very easily.

I made a simple spicy spaghetti dish for us (recipe to follow) and made these cutlets for V. He ate this without much fuss.

Ingredients
500 gms Potatoes - boiled and mashed
1 cup boiled and mashed vegetables (I used Carrots, Cauliflower and Green Peas)
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Paprika Powder
1/2 tsp Amchur (Dry Mango) Powder / Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil for pan frying

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients except Oil and make patties of desired shape & thickness.
2. Heat Oil in a pan on medium high and put the patties one by one.
3. Let the patties cook for about 3 - 4 minutes each before turning and cooking them again for 3 - 4 minutes.
4. Serve with tomato ketchup

Note: I haven't used any "binding agent". So I let the patties cook well before turning them so they don't "break".

This goes to the following events:

Pavani's Kid's Delight Event Announcement – Deceptively Delicious that was started by Valli

Valli's Snacks Mela

Priya's Cooking with Seeds - Peas

Vardhini's Sinful Delights

Matar Paneer

Another recipe from Sailu's Food. This is probably the most cooked dish in our house from her blog. P is in love with the dish. I made it for one of our friends and she loved it as well. This is another proof that you just can't go wrong with her recipes if you follow them right.

We eat it with rotis and rice.

The very first time I made this dish, I didn't have a few ingredients (Kitchen King Masala, Kasuri Methi and Cream) but it still tasted good. But with all the ingredients, it tasted just perfect.

Since we make this regularly, we avoid the cream. We use cream only when we are expecting some guests.

Without any more blabbering, here’s my version of the recipe:

Ingredients
250 gms Paneer – Cubed
1 cup Frozen Green Peas
1 Large Onion – finely chopped
2-3 Green Chillies – finely chopped
3/4 tsp Ginger Paste
3/4 tsp Garlic Paste
1 Tomato – Finely Chopped
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves)
1/4 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala Powder
1 tsp Cream
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to Taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves for Garnish.

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan. Saute the Onions and Chillies till the Onions turn translucent.
2. Now add the Ginger and Garlic pastes and fry till the raw smell goes.
3. Add the Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder, Red Chilli Powder and mix well.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes - until the tomatoes are cooked well.
5. Take a hand blender and grind to a coarse paste.
6. Add a cup of water and bring to a boil.
7. Now add the Peas and Paneer and cook till the Peas are done
8. Now add the Kitchen King Masala, Kasuri Methi (crush this between the palms of your hands) and Garam Masala and mix well.
9. Turn off the heat and add Cream and mix.
10. Garnish with Chopped Coriander Leaves and serve with Rice / Roti.

This goes to the following events:

Radhika's Let's Cook - Subzis

Jayashree's Healthy Lunchbox Ideas - Paneer that was started by Kalyani

Priya's Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday - 26th July 2011(Volume 51)

Gobi Matar Subzi / Cauliflower Green Peas Curry

Yes. Its been more than 10 days since I last blogged. Not an intentional break.

Things were extremely busy - at work and at home. Whatever little time I got in between, I was too busy taking care of my plants. FYI, I have planted 2 rose bushes in my back garden. Can't wait for them to grow... I am so excited.

My parents are coming this weekend and I am too excited. I can finally take a break from cooking and stop planning dinners. Its so nice to have dinner ready on the table by the time you get back home. Can't wait for the weekend...

Now back to the dish... I prepared this more than 10 days ago. I was browsing through Pratibha's blog to participate in this month's T & T that's hosted by Sushma. T & T was started by Zlamushka and is now taken over by Lakshmi.

I found this recipe. It had been ages since I prepared Cauliflower. So I tweaked it a bit and the result was delicious.

Here's my version of the recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 kg Frozen Cauliflower Florets
1 cup Frozen Green Peas
2 Medium Onions - chopped
6 tbsp Chopped Tomatoes
1.5 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala
1/2 tsp Kasuri Methi
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tbsp Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt to taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnish

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add the Cumin Seeds and let them crackle.
2. Add the onions and fry till the colour changes.
3. Add the Ginger Garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Add the tomatoes, Salt, Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder and Cumin Powder and cook till oil separates.
5. Add the Cauliflower florets and Green Peas and cook till done.
6. Now add the Kitchen King Masla and Kasuri Methi and mix well.
7. Turn off the heat and add the Lemon Juice and mix well.
8. Garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves.
9. Serve with Rice or Roti.

Alu Matar

No... I am not away. I was extremely busy last week. With the world cup matches and other things. Just didn't have the time or the energy to write anything. But today I thought its high time I posted something. So I am giving you this recipe.

I prepare Alu Matar in 2 ways. This one is the simpler one. I'll post the other one another day.

I love to prepare this dish as it has absolutely no frills attached to it and I can never get it wrong (that's the main reason).

One of the easiest dishes to make to have with chapati. Finishes by the time the chapatis are done. It goes well with rice as well.

Ingredients:
3 Medium Size Potatoes - peeled, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 Onion - Chopped
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 Cup Fresh / Frozen Peas
Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat some oil in a pan and add the Cumin seeds.
2. Once they start spluttering, add the Onion and fry it till brown.
3. Now add all the dry spices and salt and fry for 2 mins (take care the spices don't burn).
4. Add some water and put the potatoes and the peas.
5. Cook till the potatoes are done. Adjust water as needed.
6. Get the desired consistency and take off the stove.
7. Serve hot with roti or rice.

Green Peas Pulao

I have been searching forever for a Green Peas Pulao that the restaurants serve you. Its extremely simple and tasty. Not too many masalas – Just right enough to be eaten on its own or with any of the side dishes.

When Jayasri announced Blogger's Marathon and chose Rak's Kitchen as the blog, I started going through her "Home Made" section. I found this Green Peas Pulao that I wanted to try out as it didn’t have 101 spices. This was THE recipe I was looking for.

It was amazing on its own and was very tasty with the Prawn Curry I that I made as a side dish. Since it was less spicy, it wasn't that difficult to feed V (who’s been saying "hot" for everything even remotely Indian now a days).

Thought I have followed Rak's recipes word for word, I am writing it down here as this quantity is just enough for the three of us.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice – washed and soaked for atleast 20 mins
1 cup Frozen Peas
1 Onion – Finely Sliced
2 Chilles – Slit length wise
1 1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Bay Leaf
1 Inch Piece Cinnamon Stick
1 tsp Shah Jeera (Caraway Seeds) / Cumin Seeds
2 1/4 cup Water
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to Taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves for Garnish

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan. Add the Bay Leaf, Caraway Seeds and Cinnamon Stick and fry for a minute.
2. Add the Chillies and fry for 2 minutes
3. Add the Onions and fry till they become transparent.
4. Add the Ginger Garlic Paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
5. Now add the Peas and mix well.
6. Strain the rice and add it to the pan. Mix well, add the water and salt and bring to boil.
7. Cover the pan and cook till done (approx 10 to 12 mins).
8. Garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve.

This goes to Jayasri's Blogger's Marathon without a doubt. This also goes to Sara's Corner's Healing Foods - Ginger and Garlic. Healing Foods was started by Siri of Cooking With Siri.