Alu - Shimla Mirch Subzi / Potato - Capsicum Curry for CCC

I hate capsicum. I really hate it. Then why did I make this dish, you might ask. For my older one. You see, he's eating new vegetables at school during his lunch. So he comes back and asks me to make that vegetable.

I had been avoiding making this dish for a long time now. I know I was being a bad mother. But I really hate capsicum to that extent. But one fine day, my husband got the vegetable and insisted I make it. I wasn't left with much of a choice then.

My pinni (mother's sister - my usual source of recipes) had given me this recipe when I was in Scotland. She wanted me to make it for Preetham. But I could never get myself to make it. Finally I made it.

I can't say I liked it. But my husband and my son liked it. Infact, I made it twice within a week and it was polished. So I guess it wasn't bad. :)

Ingredients:
1 medium Capsicum / Green Pepper - cubed
2 medium Potatoes - chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 medium Onion - chopped
1 medium Tomato - chopped
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Oil
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan. When oil is hot, add the Cumin Seeds and let them sizzle.
2. Now add the Onions and cook till they change colour.
3. Add the Ginger Garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Stir in the Tomatoes, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and Salt and cook till the tomatoes are soft.
5. Now add the Potatoes, Capsicum and half cup water. Mix well and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
6. Once the pressure goes down, remove and serve hot with rice / rotis.

This joins the May Week 4 Cooking from Cookbook Challenge Group.

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 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

Ala Badun - Sri Lankan Spicy Potatoes & Onions

After a mild November, December has come with the harsh winter. Its freezing... The only thing I like about December are the lights and excitement of Christmas.

We've put up our Christmas tree today. V was very excited. He's going to Santa's grotto at his nursery tomorrow. Don't know how he'll react then. I am so excited for him. Hee hee...

Anyways. When I saw that Priya is hosting Flavours of Sri Lanka, I started googling for Sri Lankan vegetarian recipes. The one recipe that appeared on every website I visited was Alu Badun - spicy potatoes and onions. And its been ages since I prepared my Alu Fry. So I decided to give this a try.

 It was completely different from whatever I've had till date... In a very nice way.

Ingredients
2 big Potato - boiled, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 big Onion - finely chopped
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1 tsp Ground Mustard (See Note)
1 inch Cinnamon stick
2 tsp Lemon Juice
3 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. In a bowl, take the Potatoes and mix with Salt, Turmeric, Chilli Powder and Paprika Powder.
2. In a pan, heat the oil.
3. Add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
4. Now add the Onions, Ground Mustard Seeds and Cinnamon and fry till the Onions turn golden brown.
5. Add the Potatoes to the pan, mix well and cook till the Potatoes are heated through.
6. Add the Lemon juice, mix well and turn off the heat.
7. Remove the Cinnamon Stick and serve hot with rice / roti.

Note: Soak 1 tsp Mustard Seeds in warm water for about an hour. Crush the seeds using Mortar & Pestle / Mixie to the desired consistency.

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

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.

Potato Leek Soup

Probably one of the easiest soups I have ever made (till now). I first had it when we went to Blair Drummond National Park in June 2010. We ordered it for V as we thought he might enjoy soup. He did enjoy it but couldn't finish it. As usual, I finished it. It was quiet tasty.

Though this is very common in the UK, I couldn’t get myself to have it. I never knew what leeks were and didn't want to try – thinking they'll taste bad (I am not too sure of the UK taste buds). But this proved me wrong.

It had a very delicate flavour and was very filling. Later I got to know that Leeks were part of the Onion family but not as strong as Onions themselves. Apparently, they are good for health as well – they are supposed to lower the bad cholesterol.

With V liking soups, I thought I should try this soup. So I started "googling". I found a lot of recipes. I went through a few and came up with this and it was what I wanted. The best part about this soup was the cooking. The smell that filled the kitchen when the Leeks touched the hot butter was enough to make me want to finish the soup fast and dig in.

Ingredients:
250 gms Leeks Chopped
3 Potatoes Peeled and Chopped (I cut in ½ inch pieces for faster cooking)
1 tbsp Garlic Paste (Optional)
1 Vegetable Stock Cube (I used the low salt one)
2 cups Water
2 tbsp Butter
Salt to Taste

Method

1. Melt butter in a pan.
2. When it melts, add Leeks and fry for 2 minutes.
3. If adding Garlic Paste, add it now and fry for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the Potato and mix well.
5. Crumble and add the Stock Cube. Add water and mix.
6. Cover and Cook till the Potatoes are done.
7. Taste and adjust the salt.
8. Serve it with bread roll

Note: You can blend the soup if you don't want the bite. I blend it for my son. Me and P like the "bite" version.

This goes to Reva's A.W.E.D. - British. A.W.E.D was started by DK of Chef In You.

Alu Fry / Potato Fry

One of my favourite all time item. I can eat it day in and day out. I've always liked it (even when I was in India). So the other day, when I decided to make Methi Dal, the only sabji that came to my mind was this.

This is one of those simple recipes that you can never get bored of. This recipe is from my mom (not her sister - who is my usual source of recipes). Here goes...

Ingredients:
1/2 Kg Potatoes - cooked and cubed in desire size (I cut into 1 inch cubes)
2 tsp Split Urad Dal
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
15 to 20 Curry Leaves
3 tbsp Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
3 to 4 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan. Once its hot, add the Urad Dal.
2. Once the Urad Dal starts to change colour, add the Cumin Seeds and let them splutter.
3. Now add the Curry Leaves, fry for 30 seconds and add the Garlic Paste.
4. Keep stirring fast as the paste might burn and you definitely don't want that.
5. Now add the potatoes. Mix well.
6. Now add the Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric and Salt. Mix well and keep tossing till the potatoes look really dry.
7. Serve hot as a side dish. This tastes excellent with any Dal, Curd or just on its own with rice / roti.

This is going to Veggie / Fruit a month hosted by Divya of Dil Se. The theme this month is Potato. This event was started by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes.

This is also going to Complete my Thali – Subjis hosted by Padmaja of Seduce Your Tastebuds and started by Jagruti of Joy of Cooking.

Alu Methi / Potato with Fenugreek Leaves

Simple foods are the best. You can never get enough of them. You can never say they are boring. Today’s dish fits into that category perfectly.

It just has the basic ingredients which can be found in any Indian Kitchen. The only thing that you might need to get is Methi (Fenugreek Leaves). I am sure every one has potatoes at home all the time.

I used frozen Methi which is readily available for me in the Indian Stores. You can use fresh as well. Make sure you wash it well.

Ingredients:

2 big Potatoes – chopped into 1 inch cubes (boil if you are using fresh methi)
100 gm Frozen Methi
1 Onion – finely chopped
2 dry red chillies – tear in the middle
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tbsp Oil

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan. Once its hot, add the red chillies and fry for 30 seconds.
2. Then add the Mustard Seeds and let them pop.
3. Now add the Cumin seeds and let them crackle.
4. Add the onions and fry till they turn brown.
5. Add the potatoes and fry for a min.
6. Now add the methi, half a cup of water, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
7. Cover and cook till the potatoes are cooked. Add more water if necessary.
8. Serve with rice / roti.

This is going to Veggie / Fruit a month hosted by Divya of Dil Se. The theme this month is Potato. This event was started by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes.

Another interesting photo I have to add is the below one. I found this potato yesterday when I was making Upma. This is the first time I am coming across a different shaped potato. So I thought it might be interesting to post it.

This is also going to Complete my Thali – Subjis hosted by Padmaja of Seduce Your Tastebuds and started by Jagruti of Joy of Cooking.