Penne Pasta in Green Sauce

Pasta is one of the most versatile dishes to work with. Unfortunately, while I am all for the red and spicy gravy, the partner prefers a white creamy one. Hence, the middle ground is definitely an exciting challenge. This green sauce was an experimentation – a very successful one at that. It had enough chillies to soothe me, and enough extra cheese to keep the better half satiated.

Preparation Time:

40 Minutes

 

Ingredients:

1. Mint: Half a bunch
2. Tomato: 1/2
3. Green chillies: 3
4. Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 Tsp
5. Milk: 1/2 cup
6. Corn Flour: 1 tsp
7. Cherry Tomatoes: 6
8. Baby Corn: 4
9. Mushrooms: 6
10. Pasta (Penne): 200 gms
11. Butter: 4 tbsp
12. Cheese: 3-4 tbsp
13. Salt: As required

Methodology:

1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the Mushrooms and baby corn.
2. Heat the vegetables with just enough water (1.5 cups would be ideal). Add 1/2 tsp of salt when the water starts boiling.
3. Meanwhile, saute mint leaves, half a tomato, ginger-garlic paste and green chillies in one Tbsp of butter. After the mint leaves have reduced (it takes about a minute or two), let them cool and then grind them int a smooth paste. Add water if required.
4. In a wide and thick bottomed vessel, heat about 3 tbsp of butter. After it has melted, add the corn flour and stir it for a while.
5. Add milk to the corn flour. After the milk has started boiling, add the vegetables.
6. Meanwhile cook the Pasta in salted water. As soon as the pasta is done, drain the water and keep the cooked pasta under running water. Shake off the excess water.
7. Add grated cheese to the sauce. After the cheese has melted and been mixed well, add the mint paste.
8. Finally, add the pasta. Mix it well and serve, topping it with grated cheese if required.

Notes:

• I added cheese because the green chillies I used were unexpectedly spicy. If you don’t like cheese much, reduce the amount of chillies added.
• If multi-tasking is difficult, finish the sauce before cooking the pasta. The lesser resting time for the pasta, the better.
• Adding salt in the boiled vegetables and in the pasta, not to mention the inherent saltiness of the processed cheese requires a lot of intuitive balancing. If in doubt, just add 1/4 a tsp in each case.
• I cooked the vegetables in “just enough water”, since I wanted to add the water to the sauce. The vegetables were semi-cooked, and I didn’t want to lose the nutrients.

Fried Okra in Tomato Gravy

For about ten years (and counting), my mother’s bhindi-ki-subji has been an absolute favourite. She would make it once in 6 months (if at all), and only if someone was expected for dinner (and preferred rotis over rice). I would always hover around the kitchen, and keep having one bhindi-per-visit, so much so that she always made extra to accomodate my cravings (she’s a kind soul she!).

Of course after marriage, I tried making it and found that though the recipe was straightforward, making it wasn’t as easy. Either the bhindi was half-cooked, or it was crispy-fried. The gravy was never the right consistency – it was too runny, the proportions were always wrong and what not. About 8 unsuccessful tries later, I realised that the key to making it right was “to not make it healthy”. It explained why amma made it so rarely.

Preparation Time:

30 Minutes

 

Ingredients:

1. Ladies Fingers/Okra – 200 gms
2. Onions – 2
3. Tomatoes – 2
4. Green Chillies – 3
5. Ginger – 1 inch piece
6. Garlic – 5 cloves
7. Mustard – 1.tsp
8. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
9. Salt – as required
10. Oil – for frying.

Methodology:

Fried Okra

1. Keep a thick bottomed vessel on stove with enough oil for deep frying.
2. Cut the Okra into long pieces (roughly 2-3 pieces per okra).
3. Start putting them in oil (about 10 pieces at a time).
4. Grind the onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic together and keep aside. Also, grind the tomatoes.
5. In another pan, heat a little oil, and add mustard seeds.
6. When they cackle, add the onion paste. Add turmeric powder and salt.
7. Wait for the pieces to shrink slightly, before taking them out.
8.  After the paste becomes semi-dry, add the tomato paste. Keep stirring in medium flame till the gravy is thick and dry.
9. Add the fried okra pieces, and mix them well.
10. Garnish the subji with coriander leaves and serve.

Notes:

• The dish is best with a higher ratio of Tomato:Onion.
• The Okra should be fried so that it shrinks and is ready to absorb the taste of the gravy. The colour would have become darker green. If the oil is very hot, this usually takes about two minutes on low flame.

Black-Eyed Peas Salad

It would never do to serve rotis with only salads – a semi-liquid side-dish is required. However, what if both can be combined? This no-oil healthy salad is very easy to make, and surprisingly, does not require another dish to compliment it.

Preparation time:

15 minutes

Ingredients:

1. Black-eyed Peas – a Fistful
2. Tomatoes – 2
3. Carrot (grated) – 1/2 cup
4. Cabbage (grated) – ½ cup
5. Onions – 2
6. Green Chillies – 2
7. Salt – To taste
8. Pepper powder – 1 tsp
9. Coriander leaves – to Garnish
10. Lemon – ½

Methodology:

1. Soak the Black-eyed peas in water and let it stand for an hour.
2. Pressure cook the peas with half a teaspoon of salt and in enough water to cover them
3. After checking that the peas are fully cooked, drain the water and let them cool.
4. Cut the tomatoes, onions and green chillies into very small pieces. Add the grated carrot and cabbage.
5. Mix these ingredients with the boiled peas.
6. Squeeze the lemon into the salad.
7. Add salt, pepper, and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Notes

• If the peas haven’t been soaked already, they can be boiled in water and then pressure-cooked. About 2 whistles on high flame, and 5 whistles on the low flame does it.
• The peas should be soft enough to be mashed by hand.
• Other salad ingredients, like cucumber, beetroot, radish etc can also be added.

Pasta in Egg-Cheese White Sauce

Creating motley of tastes in an otherwise bland white sauce has always been a challenge for me. I tried many versions – with and without cheese, with and without eggs, with only tomatoes and jalapenos (That was a pure delight!), and finally, decided to leave no stones unturned. The recipe below is definitely fattening, but the outcome is worth once in two months guilt trip down the unhealthy road.

 Preparation time:

 40 minutes

 Ingredients:

1. Carrot – 1
2. Eggs – 2
3. Onion – 1
4. Maida/ All purpose Flour – 3 tsp
5. Butter – 5 tsp
6. Milk – ¼ cup
7. Oregano – 1 tsp
8. Chilly Flakes – 1 tsp
9. Pepper – 1.5 tsp
10. Grated Cheese – 4 tbsp
11. Coriander leaves ( and stems) – 4 tsp (finely chopped)
12. Olive oil – 1 tbsp
13. Macaroni (ideally elbow) – 100 gms

Methodology:

1. Finely slice the carrots and then cut them into thin strips.
2. Cut onions into long thin pieces.
3. Hard boil an egg and cut it into small cubes.
4. Take a small pan and heat some olive oil.
5. After it has heated, add the onions, and toss them till they become transparent. Switch it off, and keep it aside.
6. Take about 5 teaspoons of butter, and put it in a pan for melting.
7. After it has melted, add 3 teaspoons of maida, and keep stirring it for about 5 minutes on low flame.
8. Add milk little by little and keep stirring it.
9. Add about half a cup of water, and then add chilly flakes, pepper, oregano and salt.
10. Add the egg pieces, carrots and fried onions to the white sauce. Add the grated cheese and stir till it melts completely.
11. Switch off the gas. Add coriander leaves and a raw egg. Mix them all thoroughly. Check for salt and keep it aside.
12. In a large vessel, heat the macaroni with enough water to cover them. Add about a spoonful of salt and some olive oil (I used the oil leftover after frying onions).
13. When they are fully done, drain them off the hot water, and keep them under running water for a few seconds.
14. Drain the water completely and add them to the sauce.
15. If required, heat it again and serve.

Notes:

• For getting the pasta without breaking, the hot-cold water idea works and so does adding oil. But the cheaper fragile varieties still end up sticking tot he vessel if allowed to stay and cool for long. So this time, I saved it for the last, and just drained and added them to the sauce instead of allowing it to to rest till the white sauce was done.
• I hard boiled it by adding the egg to enough water so that it was completely immersed, and then bringing the water to boil in medium flame. The lid was then closed and the egg allowed to rest for about 10 minutes. After that, I washed it in cold water and peeled it.
• Finally, white sauce can quickly become a disaster if one is stingy about butter. I have had a lot of problem by equally measuring maida and (solid) butter.

Mixed Vegetables in Coriander and Milk gravy

I added some additional ingredients to the usual tomato-onion gravy purely on whim, and the result was a very delicious side-dish.

Preparation Time:

40 minutes

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower – ½ cup (Separated into small florets)
• Carrots – ½ cup (cut into small cubes)
• Peas – ¼ cup
• Onion – 1
• Tomato – 1
• Coriander leaves – ¼ of a bunch (with the stem)
• Curry leaves – 15
• Green chillies – 2
• Ginger – 3” piece
• Garlic – 5
• Red Chilly Powder – ½ tsp
• Cumin – 1 tsp
• Milk – ¼ cup
• Curd – ¼ cup
• Lemon – a quarter
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt – as per taste

Methodology:

1. Grind the following into separate pastes.
• green chillies, garlic and ginger
• Onions
• Tomatoes, Coriander and curry leaves. Add some milk if required.
2. In a pan, heat some oil, and add cumin.
3. When they cackle, add the chilly-ginger-garlic paste.
4. After a few seconds, add the onion paste, and fry till they start changing the color.
5. Add the tomato-Coriander paste. followed by chilly powder and salt.
6. After mixing them well, add all the vegetables.
7. Add some milk and curd and close the lid.
8. After about 5 minutes, stir the ingredients and again close the lid.
9. After the dish is done (it will take about 5-10 minutes more), squeeze a quarter of lemon, and serve it hot with rotis.

Notes:

• Although the dish was delicious, I wish the bright green of coriander had retained.  Next time I will experiment by adding the coriander paste right in the end, rather than letting the vegetables cook in it.
• Though I used 3 vegetables, this gravy will go well with plain potatoes or cabbage too.

The Adai Vadai

Leftovers can be painful, especially when there isn’t enough to use them for the next day. It’s a shame to let Adai batter, with so many dals and nutrients, go to waste. However, with some modifications, they make some really tasty vadais.

Ingredients:

1. Leftover Adai Batter
2. Beaten Rice – one handful
3. Salt – as required
4. Oil for deep frying

 

Methodology:

1. Coarsely grind the beaten rice (one round in the mixie is enough).
2. Add it to the adai mix, along with salt. Keep adding the beaten rice till the batter becomes thick (like a pakoda batter).
3. Heat the oil, and gently put in the vadais .
4. Wait till they are golden brown on both sides before taking them out.

 

Notes:

• My proportion for adai is 1 cup rice, 1/3 cup each of blackgram dal, Bengalgram dal and toor dal. During blending, salt, asafoetida, red chillies and curry leaves are added.
• The frying time is about the same as that for medu vadai.
• Beaten rice is added to make the vadais crisp.
• Adding the beaten rice may make the mix bland. So, more salt, pepper or red chilly powder can be added. Its totally up to you!

Simple Fixes – Vegetable Rices

Racing against a ticking clock can be a daunting task while cooking. What if you have 20 minutes, minimal vegetables and no energy whatsoever?

These simple fixes come to rescue. The short recipes listed below take about 10 minutes of your energy in the kitchen (if that), and about 25 minutes to get ready.

Methodology:

1. Wash rice thoroughly with water, and keep it in the cooker. I use a 1:2.5 ratio of rice : water.
2. Wait for 2 whistles on high flame, and 1 on low flame before turning it off.
3. Spread rice on a plate and allow it to cool down.
4. For tomato rice:
• Cut two tomatoes and 1 green chilly into small pieces after removing the seeds.
• In a small kadai, heat about 2 tsp of oil. When it heats up add mustard seeds.
• When they cackle, reduce the flame and add green chillies. 10 seconds later, add tomatoes.
• Add salt (about ½ a tsp), sambar powder (1 tsp) and asafoetida.
• Stir it till the tomatoes are semi-mashed before removing it from stove. Mix it with rice and serve.
5. For Carrot/Beetroot Rice
• Cut 1 green chilly into small pieces. Grate the carrots or beetroot (2 are enough for 2 people, and use the bigger end of the grater).
• In a small kadai, heat about 2 tsp of oil. When it heats up add mustard seeds.
• When they cackle, reduce the flame and add green chillies. 10 seconds later, add the grated vegetable.
• Add some salt, and after about 20 seconds on medium flame, remove it from fire. Mix it with rice and serve.
6. For Curry Leaves/Pudina/Coriander rice:
• Separate the leaves and grind it with green chilly without adding water.
• In a small kadai, heat about 2 tsp of oil. When it heats up add mustard seeds.
• When they cackle, reduce the flame and add the ground mix. Add salt and asafoetida.
• After about 20 seconds on medium flame, remove it from fire. Mix it with rice and serve.
7. Cabbage-Capsicum rice:
• Cut Cabbage into fine leaves, and capsicum into small cubes.
• In a small kadai, heat about 2 tsp of oil. When it heats up add mustard seeds.
• When they cackle, reduce the flame and add green chillies. 10 seconds later, add capsicum.
• Add salt and Asafetida. After stirint it for 30 seconds, add cabbage.
• Sprinkle some water and close the lid. Remove from fire after 5 minutes, and add it to the rice.
8. All of the above have some common traits:
• The vegetables are not fully cooked. They are se mi-cooked so that their full flavour is retained, and they are also crunchy.
• It can all be jazzed up by adding onions, peas and ginger-garlic paste. I love the simpler versions though.
• All of them go amazingly well with Raitha (try onion or Okra).

Black-eyed Peas in Beetroot gravy

I am not a fan of Beetroot (unless it’s the halwa, raitha, paratha or the cutlet). But when hubby decided to buy 1 kg of beetroot “just for kicks”, I got desperate and started experimenting.

Preparation time:

30 minutes (If you leave the soaking duration out)

Ingredients:

1. Black-eyed Peas – 1 cup (soaked in water for an hour)
2. Beetroots – 2 (small)
3. Tomatoes – 2
4. Onions – 3
5. Green Chillies – 2
6. Ginger – 3”
7. Garlic cloves – 6
8. Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
9. Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
10. Red Chilly Powder – 1 Tsp
11. Garam Masala Powder – 1.5 tsp
12. Sugar – ½ tsp
13. Lemon – a quarter
14. Coriander leaves – For  garnishing
15. Salt to taste
16. Oil – 1 tbsp

 

Methodology:

1. Cut beetroots and tomatoes into quarters, and grind them together.
2. Grind green chillies, ginger and garlic along with onions into a smooth paste.
3. In a pressure cooker, add oil. When it is hot, add Cumin seeds.
4. When the seeds cackle, add the onion paste.
5. Stir it for about 30 seconds before adding salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder and garam masala.
6. Add the tomato-beetroot paste and sugar. Mix them thoroughly.
7. Add the black-eyed peas with about ½  a cup of water and close the pressure cooker lid.
8. Wait for 2 whistles on high flame and 4 whistles on low flame.
9. After opening, squeeze a quarter of a lemon and mix them together.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves, and serve it with jeera rice or roti.

 

Notes:

If the peas are not soft enough (or not soaked at all), then 2 whistles on high flame, and 8 on low flame usually does the trick.

French Beans in a Creamy gravy

I was never good with French beans – other than the basic south indian subjis (with coconut or as paruppu usili – yum!), I didn’t know how to make it work with rotis. So, I tried using my mother’s idea – making the gravy creamier by adding cashewnuts and a little milk. The result was a pleasantly spicy gravy which nicely complimented the vegetable.

Preparation Time:

40 Minutes

Ingredients:

1. French Beans (cut into small cubes) – ¾ Cups
2. Coconut – ½
3. Onions – 2
4. Ginger – 4” piece
5. Garlic – 5 cloves
6. Tomatoes – 2
7. Cashewnuts – 5
8. Almonds – 5
9. Cloves – 4
10. Cumin – 1 tsp
11. Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
12. Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
13. Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
14. Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
15. Sugar – 1 tsp
16. Milk – ½ cup.
17. Salt to taste
18. Coriander Leaves for garnishing

Methodology:

1. Finely grind the coconut pieces with a little water to make a smooth paste.
2. Boil Cashewnuts and Almonds in water for about 3 minutes and then grind it.
3. Blend the following into separate pastes (add a little water if needed):
1. Onions
2. Ginger and Garlic
3. Tomatoes
4. Heat a little oil, and add cumin seeds. When they cackle, add cloves, onion paste and then, the ginger-garlic paste.
5. Stir till they start changing color. Then add the tomato paste.
6. Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder.
7. Now add the beans, and close the lid to allow the beans to cook on a low flame.
8. After the beans are half cooked (about 5 minutes later), add the milk, coconut paste, and the Almond-cashewnut paste. Mix the gravy thoroughly and close the lid.
9. Finally, add sugar.  Remove from fire and add coriander leaves.
10. Serve it with Jeera rice or Chappati.

Notes:

• Beans can also be cooked separately and added to the gravy. I tend to avoid that though due to the loss of nutrientswith the water.
• Sugar is used to blend all the different tastes together. Grated jaggery also works.

Dal Chawal – Kadi Pakodi

Kadi Pakodi with Dal Chawal is my favorite combination. It works especially when you are in a hurry and still want a wholesome and tasty dish. The total time to prepare the two is about 20-30 minutes.

Dal Chawal

Preparation Time:

20 Minutes

Servings:

2

Ingredients:

1. GreenGram Dhal – ½ Cup
2. Rice – ½ Cup
3. Pepper (or cloves) – 5
4. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
5. Asafetida – 1 pinch
6. Water – 3 Cups
7. Ghee – 2 tsp
8. Salt – as per taste
9. Coriander leaves – for garnishing

Methodology:

1. Wash and Soak Dal and rice together for 5 minutes.
2. In a pressure cooker, add Dal, Rice, Pepper (or cloves), turmeric powder, asafetida and salt,
3. Add water and close the lid. Put the weight on.
4. Wait for 2 whistles on high flame and 1 on low flame before turning it off.
5. After cooling open the lid. Mash the dal-rice combination together, and add ghee and coriander leaves.

Notes:

• Moong Dal can also be used for making it. A tsp of lemon juice in the end would go very well with Moong-Dal Khichdi.

Kadi Pakodi

Preparation Time:

20 Minutes

Servings:

2

Ingredients:

1. Besan/ BengalGram Dhal Flour – 7 tsp
2. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
3. Chilli Powder – 1.5 tsp
4. Onion – 2
5. Garlic Cloves – 5
6. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
7. Curd – 1 Cup
8. Asafetida- 1 Pinch
9. Water – 1.5 Cups
10. Oil – As required
11. Salt – as per taste
12. Kadi Patta / Curry Leaves – 7

Methodology:

1. For making the Pakodi:
1. Mix 6 tsp of besan with ½ tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of chilli powder, salt and asafoetida.
2. Add water and make it into a thick paste (Similar to an idli batter).
3. Heat enough oil for shallow frying. Pour spoonful of batter in the oil one by one in a roughly spherical shape.
4. Wait till the pakodi becomes golden before taking it out.

2. For making the Kadi:
1. Finely chop the onions. Cut the Garlic cloves into big pieces.
2. Beat the curd with 1 cup water to get a thin mix. To this, add ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp chilli powder, salt and asafetida.
3. Heat 2 teaspoonful of oil and add mustard seeds.
4. After they cackle, add curry leaves and garlic. When they start changing color, add onions.
5. After the onions have turned translucent, add the curd mixture.
6. When the kadi starts boiling and becomes thicker, add the pakodi bits.

Notes:

• Thicker the kadi, the better the taste. The ideal consistency is that of a dosa batter.
• If the kadi is thin, dissolve some besan into water and add it to the mix.