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Stir-Fried Vegetables

Ingredients1 red onion sliced into wedges
2 heads of broccoli separated into florets
2 medium carrots peel skin and cut into rounds
A handful of snow peas or sugar snap peas
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoons cornstarch
2-3 pods of fresh garlic sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
A few drops of hot sauce
Salt
2 tbps canola/olive oil
You can add other veggies like cabbage and beans too

Method1. Place a large pan over high heat.
2. Pour 2 tsps of oil and add the garlic and chilli flakes and fry for about 30 seconds.
3. Next add the onions and sauté for about a minute and add the broccoli, carrots and snow peas.
4. Add salt and sprinkle a little water and stir-fry till vegetables until tender-crisp. Don't overcook the veggies as they will become mushy.

5. Dissolve the cornstarch in a tbsp of water. Add the red wine vinegar, soy sauce and hot sauce to this and mix well.

6. Pour this mixture over the vegetables and stir-fry till they all look lightly glazed with the sauce.

Serve hot.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 4 or 5
Recipe adapted from Wolfgang Puck's Food cooking class

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Ingredients 

For the stuffing1/2 cup of shredded cabbage
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 cup of beans cut lengthwise
1/4 cup of boiled hakka/chinese noodles
1 medium onion
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder

For the covering
1 cup all purpose flour
A pinch of salt
2 tsps oil
Water for making the dough

Oil as needed (for deep frying)

Method1. To prepare the filling - pour oil in a pan and sauté the onions till transparent. Next add all the veggies and sauté until tender and add the boiled noodles. Finish off with red chilli powder and salt.
2. To make the covering - make a dough with all-purpose flour, salt, oil and water (just like the dough for making rotis). Set aside for atleast 30 minutes.

3. To make the spring rolls - roll out the dough as given below.

4. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the center.

5. Moist all the sides of the covering and fold it as shown below.

6. Deep fry the spring rolls until brown.

7. Let the spring rolls cool. Cut them into 2-inch pieces and serve with chilli sauce.

Spring rolls go well along with Chinese noodles or vegetable fried rice.

Recipe adapted from Tarla Dalal's 'The Pleasures of Vegetarian Cooking'

Potato-cauliflower-lima beans curry

This is my entry for Creative Pooja's vegetable of the week – Potato.

Ingredients
3 potatoes
1 medium sized cauliflower
1/2 cup frozen lima beans
1 medium onion
1 tsp red chilli powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp jeera
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
Few curry leaves
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method1. Separate the cauliflower into florets.
2. Cube the potatoes.
3. Dice the onions.
4. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter add the jeera.
5. Add the curry leaves and onions and sauté till onions become transparent.
6. Then add the garlic paste and sauté.
7. Next add all the veggies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.
8. Sprinkle a little water and cook covered for about 7 to 8 minutes and without the lid for about 5 to 6 minutes.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Potato-Cauliflower-Lima Beans curry

Serve with roti or rice.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 6 or 7

Chinese vegetable soft noodles

Ingredients 1 pound of Chinese noodles/Hakka noodles (I used two 200 gms packets Hakka noodles from the Indian store)
1/2 cup of green onions/scallions (cut them into long pieces)
1/2 cup of green beans
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 cup of shredded cabbage
3 or 4 green chillies slit
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method1. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the noodles. The noodles will cook in 3 to 4 minutes unlike pasta. Drain the noodles and set aside. Add a tsp of oil to the cooked noodles and mix well or else it will stick and become a big lump.
2. Pour oil in a pan and sauté the green onions and green chillies.
3. Next add all the veggies, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. The veggies should remain crisp even after cooking. Do not cook until very soft.
4. Add the cooked noodles and salt and mix until all the veggies and salt are blended with the noodles.

Vegetable soft noodles

I did not add Ajinomoto/MSG. Adding Soya sauce is optional.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 4 or 5

Chinese takeout...the saga continues

It all started with these two heads of broccoli that were in my fridge.

I got them from the grocery store to make Vegetable Stir Fry. Then I thought why not make an entire Chinese meal.

So I used the essentials

And these veggies

To make this

Will post the recipes soon.

Chinese takeout?

Capsicum in spicy curd gravy

This recipe will only take you 15 to 20 minutes to make. You don't need to grind any masala and you can make this curry with just a few ingredients from your pantry. I saved this recipe quite some time ago. Not sure which website I got it from, so not able to give due credits. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients 2 or 3 green bell peppers (use any color you like)
2 medium onions chopped
1/2 cup crushed tomato
3 or 4 green chillies slit into halves
1 cup yogurt (beat with a whisk and set aside)
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method1. Cube the bell peppers (not more than one inch pieces).
2. Pour oil in a pan, add the onions and cook for a few minutes until transparent.
3. Then add the green chillies and sauté.
4. Next add the bell peppers, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and bell peppers and look on medium-low flame under tender.
5. Then add the crushed tomatoes and cook till the raw smell disappears.
6. Add the yogurt and salt and cook till the gravy becomes thick and blends well with the bell peppers.

Spicy capsicum gravy served with rotis

Serve with roti or naan.

Serving size - 1/4 cup
Number of servings - 4 or 5

Bhindi Masala (Okra)

Lightly flavored with spices, this gravy with okra is a treat to your taste buds. This is my contribution to Creative Pooja's vegetable of the week.

Ingredients2 cups of Bhindi/Okra (I used frozen okra. If you are using fresh okra, then cut them lengthwise into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
2 medium sized onions chopped
1/2 cup fresh or canned diced tomatoes
3 green chillies slit
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsps yogurt
6 to 8 cashew nuts
2 tsps poppy seeds (khus-khus)
1/2 tsp of saunf (aniseed)
Salt to taste
Oil as needed
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method1. Sauté the onions until transparent and set aside.
2. Roast the poppy seeds and cashew nuts separately and make a paste along with the onions.
3. Pour 1 tbsp oil in a pan and sauté the okra until brown. The original recipe calls for deep frying the okra, so I modified it.

Sauteed okra

4. Remove the okra with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
5. To the same pan add the green chillies and saunf.
6. Next add the ground paste, red chilli powder, coriander and cumin powder, garam masala powder and sauté till the oil comes out.
7. Add the diced tomatoes and yogurt and cook for 3-4 minutes till incorporated.
8. Then add the reserved okra and salt. At this stage, you can add water to the gravy and boil for a couple of minutes.
9. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Bhindi Masala

Serve with roti or naan.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 3 or 4
Recipe adapted from Mallika Badrinath's 'Vegetarian Gravies'

Semiya Upma

Have it for breakfast or as a meal, semiya upma is a popular snack in South India. You can add any veggies you like and it ends up as a wholesome and nutritious meal in itself. Serve it with a little pickle on the side and it tastes delicious. Here is my version of vermicelli upma.

Ingredients2 cups vermicelli or semiya
1 medium size onion chopped
1/2 cup of grated carrots
1/2 cup of succotash mix (from your grocer's freezer - combination of lima beans and corn)
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of channa dal
3-4 green chillies (adjust according to taste)
Few curry leaves
2-3 tsps of oil
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method1. Sauté the semiya until brown. You can also spread on a microwave safe plate and microwave for about 2 minutes. Remember to add 1 tsp of oil to the semiya. Once done, set the semiya aside.

Fried Semiya

2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds and channa dal.

3. Add curry leaves and green chillies and sauté.

4. Next transfer the chopped onions and sauté until transparent.

5. Then add the carrots and succotash mix and cook until soft.

Sauteed Veggies

6. Add water (for one cup of semiya you need 2 cups of water) and salt and let it come to a boil.

7. Once the water comes to a boil, add the fried semiya and reduce heat to medium.

8. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes or until all the water dries out.

9. Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Semiya/Vermicelli Upma

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings – 6

Dondakkaya (tindora) curry

Here is a quick recipe for dondakkaya curry (tindora). Trupti of 'The spice who loved me' had posted a recipe for Tindora Shaak. It was around the same time I made this curry too. But I had a lot of other recipes to post so kept this one in the backburner. So, finally here it comes.

Ingredients
1 pound dondakkaya quartered
1 medium onion sliced
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp jeera
1 tbsp dry coconut flakes/grated coconut
1 tsp crushed garlic
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Few curry leaves
Fresh coriander for garnish
Salt to taste
Oil as much as needed

Method1. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard, jeera and curry leaves.
2. Add the onions and sauté till transparent.
3. Next add the garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell is gone.
4. Add the dondakkaya, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and coconut flakes and cook till the vegetable becomes soft.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve with rice sambar/rasam.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 4 to 5

Instant paruppu podi/pappula podi

Eat with hot rice and ghee or add it to any curry, dal powder makes your meal more delicious. I remember my mom roasting a couple of dals to make the paruppu podi. But she also had an easy to make version with dalia. I prefer eating the podi with some rice and ghee and to go along with it some mango pachadi. I also sprinkle a teaspoon of the podi while making dondakayya (tindora) or broad beans curry and it tastes really good. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups dalia (putana dal/putnala Pappu)
1 tsp jeera
A few peppercorns (adjust according to taste)
7 to 8 dry red chillies (add more chillies if you want it hot)
1/4 tsp asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method1. First roast the dal in a pan and set aside.
2. Next fry the jeera, peppercorns and red chillies.

Roasted dal, red chillies, jeera and peppercorns

3. Transfer the asted dal, jeera, peppercorns, red chillies and asafoetida to a blender/mixer and make a powder.
4. Add salt to taste and store in an airtight container. Can be stored for more than a month.

Roasted dal powder

Notes:
1. Do not add oil while roasting the ingredients.
2. You can roast a few curry leaves along with the jeera and add to the dal while making the powder.