Samosa Chaat

Poha

Both K and I were tired of having the same old cereal and milk for breakfast everyday, so just to jazz things up I made Poha. Simple filling this is a universal delight. I learnt to make poha from my aunt L when I lived with them in Mumbai for a year.
Poha or Chuda Upma as we call it at home it made of flattened rice (easily found in your local Indian grocery store). In Bihar, everyday breakfast comprises of soaked, drained Chuda with yogurt, banana and sugar or gud (jaggery). Makes for a wholesome and filling breakfast.

2 cups poha

A pinch of hing(asafoetida)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

2 whole dry chillies, broken into two

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed into small pieces

1 cup peas (I use frozen ones)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Oil

To Garnish : 1 tbsp each of chopped green chilli and coriander leaves

Wash the poha, drain the water completely and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add the hing and mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add the curry leaves, red chillies, potato, peas and turmeric powder. Mix well, cover and cook till potato is almost done.

Now add the poha and salt and mix well. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with chopped chillies and coriander leaves and serve hot. Enjoy!

Mixed Vegetable Pulao

Like noodles, I think veggie pulao is again a favorite with almost everybody. This kind of pulao is also always a crowd pleaser. A handful of veggies of choice, some whole spices and rice - there is something that is so comforting.

1 cup basmati rice, clean, and soak in cold water for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and keep aside

1 1/2 cups, mixed veggies of your choice (I use the frozen ones)

2 cloves

2 badi/moti elaichi (black cardamom)

2-3 choti elaichi (green cardamom)

2-3 peppercorns

1" cinnamon stick, broken into 2

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 cups of water

1/4 tsp ghee

1/2 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder

Salt to taste

Oil

Heat oil in a dutch oven Add the cloves + badi elaichi + green cardamom + peppercorns + cinnamon stick + bay leaf. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the mixed vegetables now and cook till the veggies are almost done. Add the soaked rice and cook for a minute. Add water + salt + cumin powder + coriander powder + chilli powder + ghee. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook till rice is done and water is evaporated. Serve hot with yogurt or raita. Enjoy !

Birthday Lunch - Peas Pulao, Garlic Asparagus, Kofta Curry, Rich Chocolate Cake

It's K's birthday today. To celebrate, I made Peas Pulao, Garlic Asparagus, Meat Kofta curry and to finish off this great meal, dessert was a rich, moist chocolate cake. This was the first time I was baking a cake, and in all honesty I cannot take credit for this super good cake. Thanks to Pilsbury Cake Mix, the cake was superb and I got all the compliments :)


PEAS PULAO

2 cups Basmati Rice, cleaned and soaked in water
2-3 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1" cinnamon
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1 cup peas (I used the frozen ones)
Oil
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon. When they begin to sizzle, add the sliced onion. Cook till translucent. Add the peas and salt. cook for a minute. Drain water from rice and add to pan. Mix gently. Add 4 cups water and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pan and cook till the water has evaporated and rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Fluff gently and serve hot with curry of your choice. Enjoy !

Patta Gobhi (Cabbage) Sabzi

The last couple of days, we have pretty much been eating out, thanks to the many Christmas lunches and dinners. At the end of it, both K and I were craving for something simple that would be easy on the system. This is an easy dish, made in minutes and you can pretty much experiment with any masala and vegetables. I generally add peas, potatoes and bell peppers, but this time I just used peas and cabbage.

1 small cabbage, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and when they crackle, add the curry leaves and sliced onion. when onion begins to brown, add the green chillies and cabbage. mix well, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Now add all the masalas and salt. Mix well, cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the peas and cook till the water had evaporated and cabbage has cooked. Serve hot with Roti/Paratha and enjoy !!

Tamatar (Tomato) Pulao

What is red and green and tastes great - could be a lot of things but in my case, it was the wonderful Tomato Pulao that K cooked for dinner. This is a simple recipe but has loads of flavor. If you like Tomatoes, then this is the recipe for you.


1 cup Basmati rice, washed and soaked in water
3 tomatoes
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup peas
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Make a puree of the tomatoes (adding water, if necessary) to make about 2 1/2 cups puree. Drain the rice and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the onions. When the onions are caramelized, add the bay leaves, cloves, peas, green bell peppers and salt. Cook for a minute and then add the rice. Mix gently and cook for a minute.
Add the tomato puree and salt. Mix well gently, cover the pan and cook on medium low heat till the rice is cooked and water has been absorbed. Fluff gently with fork and serve hot with raita. Enjoy !!

Asparagus-Mushroom-Peas Bhujiya

I had half a packet each of Peas and Asparagus and some fresh white Mushrooms. I decided to combine all three and make a dish and it came out really good :) Even K gave this dish his sign of approval :)


1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 packet frozen Asparagus
10-12 white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Oil

Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and cook till the onion begins to turn brown. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook till the water in the mushrooms dries up. Now add the peas, asparagus, pepper and salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes or till the veggies are cooked and the asparagus retains a slight crunch. Serve with Rice / Roti. Enjoy.