Moong Dal Rice Khichadi

If you are in a hurry and want something to cook very quickly then Moong Dal Rice Khichadi comes to mind. It uses all the usual daily ingredients one normally have at home. Most of the ingredients like Rice, Moong Dal (Yellow Lentil Splits) usually are stored for long periods in everyone's homes. Only a few fresh ingredients like curry leaves and chillies are required.


Ingredients -

• Washed and drained rice (3/4 cup)
• Washed and drained Moong Dal(Yellow Lentil Splits) (1/4 cup)
• Curry Leaves
• Green chili
• Coriander Leaves finely cut
• Cumin Seeds
• Mustard Seeds
• Asafoetida (Hing)
• Turmeric
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Garam Masala
• Grated fresh coconut for garnish (optional)
• Ghee / Oil
• Salt
• Water (2 cup)

Method - Wash rice and moong dal and keep it aside.

Washed Rice and Moong Dal

Coriander Leaves, Chillies and Curry Leaves

         Heat the pressure cooker till dry and add 2-3 tbls. of ghee / oil. 
         Once oil is hot add Cloves,Cinnamon. Then add mustard seeds, 
         cumin seeds and hing (Asafoetida).
         Once seeds start to splutter add curry leaves and green chili.
         Then add washed rice and moong dal.Mix it well. Then add turmeric,
          garam masala.

Rice, Moong Dal heat

         Mix it well and saute for sometime. Then add water twice the quantity 

         of rice and moong dal and close the pressure cooker. Heat cooker till you

         get 2 steam whistles. After the cooker has cooled a little , open the lid and

         add grated coconut and coriander.

         Moong Dal Khichadi is ready to be served.

Rice Khichadi is served

Paneer Bhurgi

On the streets of Bombay ( Mumbai ) relishing the taste of egg bhurgi with bread use to be a favorite part of my life during the college days. For the people who are vegetarians paneer bhurgi is an excellent alternative and it tastes as good as the egg bhurgi.

Ingredients -

• Grated Paneer ( Cottage Cheese )
• Onion
• Tomato
• Garlic cloves
• Curry Leaves
• Green chili / Red chili powder
• Coriander Leaves finely cut
• Cumin Seeds
• Mustard Seeds
• Asafoetida (Hing)
• Turmeric
• Garam Masala
• Grated fresh coconut for garnish (optional)
• Oil
• Salt

Method - Grate paneer and keep aside.

Grated Paneer ( Cottage Cheese )

Chopped onions and garlic

Chopped tomatoes, coriander / cilantro, curry leaves

          Heat a pan and add 2-3 tbls. of oil. Once oil is hot add mustard seeds, 
          cumin seeds and hing (Asafoetida). Once seeds start to splutter add 
          garlic,curry leaves and green chili.
          Add chopped onion and tomato to it. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
          Put some salt. Then add turmeric and red chili powder (if you are not
          using green chilies).
          Add garam masala and mix it well.

Mixture of onions, turmeric etc sizzling on oven

          When mixture is cooked add grated panner and mix well. Cover with lid
          and cook for few mins.
          Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Paneer Bhurgi garnished with coconut and coriander leaves

          Paneer bhurgi is ready to eat with bread / roti / chapati.

Note - You can use paneer bhurgi in a pastry sheet to make paneer puffs.

Baingan Sabji ( Eggplant Curry / Wangi Bhaji )

People generally like the recipes made from baingan ( Eggplant ). So here is another recipe made from the favorite baingan called "Baingan Sabji".

Ingredients –   

• 4 medium size brinjals ( aka Eggplant )
• Onion 1
• Tomato 1
• Garlic (2-3) chopped
• Ginger small piece
• Red chili                1 tsp
• Garam masala      ½ tsp
• Turmeric               ¼ tsp
• Cumin powder      1 tsp
• Salt
• Sugar
• Oil
• Coconut grated and coriander leaves for garnish

Method   Cut brinjal / Eggplant into pieces. Sprinkle little salt on it. 
                   Fry brinjal in oil for few minutes. Cook fried brinjal in a pressure
                   cooker till it becomes soft (2 whistles). 
                   Heat oil in a pan, add garlic ( fodni ). Add chopped onion, 
                   tomato, ginger, turmeric stir fry till onions turn transparent
                   or tomatoes turn soft. 

                   Then add cooked brinjal, red chili powder, garam masala, 
                   cumin powder, coconut, salt, sugar. Mix it very well. 

                   Add very little water and cook it. Garnish with coriander

                   leaves and coconut. Baingan Sabji is ready.

Baingan Sabji / Eggplant Curry garnished with coconut

 

Paneer Masala

 Paneer Masala is primarily a Punjabi entree. It's a dish with rich gravy which could have cream, cashew paste. I always thought it was hard and time consuming till figure out this easy recipe for it :)
Ingredients -

• Paneer
• Onion - 1 medium-sized one, chopped fine
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder
• Garam masala
• Red chilli powder
• Tomato paste  (or 1 tomato, pureed)
• Tomato sauce / ketchup - almost 1 tbsp
• Kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves - 1 generous pinch
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Cream - 1 cup
• Oil 
• Salt to taste

Method - Add 2 tbsp oil to a hot pan and swirl around until the base of the 
                   pan is well coated. Add in cubed paneer pieces. Lightly fry the 
                   paneer cubes until golden brown.Remove it from pan and keep  
                   aside. Drain excess oil from paneer cubes by lying them on paper 
                   napkin. 

Fried Paneer Cubes kept on paper napkin to drain excess oil

                   Add oil again to the same pan and put chopped onion. Fry it until 
                   golden brown. Then add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. 
                   Then add coriander powder, chili powder, garam masala and salt 
                   to taste. Fry it until the masala is mixed and cooked. 
                  Add tomato paste. If you don't have tomato paste ready, then puree
                  1 medium-sized tomato and add it. Then put tomato ketchup/sauce .
                  Put generous pinch of kasuri methi in it. Add milk to it and mix well. 
                  Cook for few minutes - covered - on low fire .

Curry just before adding paneer cubes

                  Once the mixture is cooked well add fried paneer to it. 
                  Finally put cream, mix well and simmer for few minutes on low fire. 

Delicious Paneer Masala

 
                  Paneer masala is ready.

Baigan ( Eggplant / Brinjal ) Bharta

A simple recipe using Bringal or Eggplant is Baigan Bharta. It is a cold dish though initially bringal is heated to a pulp. It requires the large size brinjal.

Ingredients - 

•  1 Big Eggplant / Brinjal
• Onion
• Green chili
• Coriander Leaves Chopped
• Coconut grated
• Sugar
• Salt                       

Method - Grease brinjal with little oil and bake it. If you have gas stove then 
                    keep bringal on it and bake it. If you have oven then keep 
                    aluminum foil in a baking dish and keep brinjal on it. Bake it at 
                    400 degree F. Make sure it is cooked from all sides.

Baked Brinjal

                    Remove skin of brinjal and mash it with fork in a pot. Fork helps to 
                    make brinjal lumps free.

Mashed Brinjal/Eggplant

                    Take fine chopped onion, small pieces of green chilies, chopped
                    coriander leaves and grated coconut and mix it into mashed brinjal.
                    Add little sugar and salt to taste.

Clockwise Chopped chillies, onion , coriander , coconut

                    Baigan (Eggplant/Brinjal) Bharta is ready to serve.

Baigan Bharta ( Brinjal / Eggplant )

                    Note - You can add curd/yogurt into baigan bharta if you like.

Capsicum / Bell Pepper Paneer Fry

A quick and easy recipe to do is bell pepper paneer. It has a distinct flavor of bell pepper.
Ingredients – 

• Capsicum / bell pepper
• Paneer ( Cottage Cheese )
• Turmeric 
• Red chili powder 
• Cumin seeds
• Cumin-coriander powder 
• Garam masala 
• Salt 
• Oil

Method –Cut Bell pepper into small pieces.

  

                   Cut paneer into small cubes.

                   Heat oil in a pan and add cumin. As soon as cumin seeds splutter 
                   add bell pepper pieces into it. Sprinkle little salt and let bell pepper
                   pieces cook till they become tender. 

                   Then put paneer cubes into the same pan and saute for few mins.  
                   Make sure not to over fry paneer pieces. Paneer should remain soft. 

                   Then add turmeric, red chili powder,  cumin, coriander and garam
                   masala powder. Add salt if needed. Mix it very well and cook it for 
                   few minutes.

Bell Pepper Paneer Fry

                  Bell pepper-paneer fry is ready to serve.

Peas-Potato Rice Pulav

If you want to cook a single dish which is quick, spicy and filling, then the peas potato rice pulav is an excellent choice. You can add sliced carrot, cauliflower if you wish.
Ingredients -

• Rice
• Potato 
• English Peas (Matar)
• Onion
• Cumin Seeds
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Cardamom
• Bay Leaf
• Ginger-Garlic Paste
• Green Chili Paste
• Turmeric 
• Water
• Salt
• Ghee/Oil
• Coriander leaves, Coconut for garnish
  

Method - Wash rice and keep aside. Cut onion and potato into thin vertical
                    slices and keep aside. Put a ghee/oil in a hot pan or cooker.
                    Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf 
                    into hot ghee. When cumin seeds start to splutter add onion and
                    fry for few seconds. Add ginger-garlic and green chili pastes to it.
                    Saute till paste is brown. Add english peas(Matar) and potato. 
                    Then put rice and mix it well. Add turmeric very little. 
                    Add salt to taste. Put enough water as per rice quantity and 
                    cook till rice is done.
                    When rice is done, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and 
                    grated coconut.
                    Peas-Potato rice pulav is ready to serve. Kids love this pulav
                    and it's an excellent way to mix nutritional veggies.

Peas Potato Rice Pulav

Alu Baingan (Potato Brinjal / Eggplant)

   One day I was getting late for preparing lunch. I was planning to cook stuffed Baingan which is a little time consuming. I got a call from my friend Rashmi. While talking to her I mentioned I was getting late to prepare my afternoon lunch. Rashmi then told me about this quick and easy recipe of Alu Baingan. Here is the recipe and the photos that I took that afternoon. Thanks Rashmi for sharing this Alu Baingan recipe.

 Ingredients -

• Brinjal/Eggplant
• Potato
• Chopped Onion
• Amchur powder( if not use tomato)
• Ginger- Garlic Paste             
• Cumin(Jeera) Powder
• Coriander (Dhania) Powder
• Turmeric
• Red chili Powder
• Garam Masala
• Oil
• Salt

Method -Cut Brinjal/eggplant into small pieces. Make pieces of potato.

Chopped brinjal, onion, potato

                   Heat oil into pan.  Add chopped onion once oil is hot. 
                   Put ginger-garlic paste. Add potato pieces into the pan. 
                   When potato is half cooked add brinjal into it.
                   Cook it till brinjal  and potato are soft. 
                   Add all powders cumin, coriander,turmeric,Red chili,
                   amchur( if amchur powder not available then add tomato pieces) 
                   and cook for few minutes. 

Chopped Tomatoes

                   Finally add garam masala and cook for 2-3 minutes. Garnish 
                   with chopped coriander leaves.
                   Mouth watering Alu baingan is ready.

Alu Baingan served with chappati (flat wheat bread)

 

Stuffed Lady's Finger (Okra / Bhendi) Fry

Lady's Finger (a.k.a Okra) which originated in Africa, is now a common household vegetable. Many people do not like the Okra due to it's mucilaginous (or slimy) nature. The recipe given below makes Okra crispy and very tasty to eat.

Ingredients - 

• Lady's Fingers (Okra) washed, dried with cloth 
• Grated Coconut
• Turmeric
• Red Chili powder
• Cumin powder
• Coriander Powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil 
• Sugar for taste

Method - Cut lady's fingers into slits and keep aside. Take turmeric, red chili 
                    powder, cumin and coriander powder, salt and sugar add it to the 
                    grated coconut.
                    Mix the above ingredients throughly and the stuffing is ready.

                    Now fill each lady's finger with this stuffing.

Freshly Cut and Stuffed Lady's Fingers

                    Heat little oil in a flat pan. 
                    Keep all filled lady's fingers in the pan and cover the pan with lid 
                    on low heat. Cook till all lady's fingers are soft and crunchy. 
                    Make sure to check each side of lady's finger is cooked.

Stuffed Lady's Finger ready to serve