Yummy Mixed Veggies!!

This is one of my easiest !

I have been making this mixed vegetable for a while now.. the reason why it came into existence is because my friends sometimes just like to drop in unannounced and of course we chat and then its almost dinner time! So here is something that has a lot of veggies, is good for health and the taste buds love it! and yes! its super quick!!

I must thank all my friends who have appreciated this recipe over time and have asked me for the recipe about a million times.. it is your persuasion that has helped me put this up on the blog. Enjoy!

PS - this is also going to be part of my "ONE-PAN" Recipe series.

INGREDIENTS:

Onion - 1 medium, fine chopped (Opional)

Tomato - 1 medium, fine chopped (Optional)

Green Chilli - 1 small,chopped

Milk/ Creme- 1-2 cup, depending on how thick you want the gravy.

Bag of Mixed Veggies

Fresh Coriander - small bunch, chopped

Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp 

Asafoetida (Hing) - a pinch

Turmeric (Haldi)- 1 tsp

Kitchen King Masala - 1.5 tsp (I use MDH brand)

Shah Jeera (Caraway Seeds) - 1 tsp (optional)

Ghee - 1 tsp (optional)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

OPTIONAL: Before you serve, add tadka with ghee and shah jeera

COOKING TIME: 20 mins

SERVING: Serves 4.

METHOD:

1. Pour oil in a pan, heat it. 

2. Add Cumin seeds, let them splutter.

3. Add Asafoetida and Turmeric powder, move the oil mix. 

4. Add Onion and fry till golden. Add tomatoes and cook till oil separates. (If you are in a real hurry, you can omit the onion and tomatoes and it will still taste great!)

5. Add the bag of veggies and cook covered till done. Make sure the heat is low to medium.

6. Add Kitchen King Masala. Mix in, cook for 3-4 mins. Add Green Chillis.

7. Add milk or if you want it thicker and richer, add creme. Mix well. Remove from fire. (You can add as much milk/creme as you want, to make gravy. I add just enough to move the masala, so mine is like a dry preparation.)

8. Add Salt to taste. Garnish with fresh coriander.

9. To Serve: Add tadka with Shah Jeera spluttered in hot Ghee.

Let me know what you think !!!

Mathra (Dried Peas Recipe) Chaat !

Mathra is a very popular North Indian "Chaat". It is made of Dried Yellow Peas. [Matar means Peas in Hindi, Mathra is made of peas.] It is a coveted item on the Menu list in Weddings and Celebrations across North India. I love it spicy and tangy, just the way it is sold by the local chaat-wala (usually street hawkers) in the bazaar!

It is eaten with a number of accompaniments or sometimes its good all by itself. This could very well be a distant cousin of Ghugni, which is a Bengali favorite (a preparation from the Eastern part of India). This is a simple recipe which is very easy to prepare, takes very little time and is always appreciated.

INGREDIENTS:

Yellow Peas - 2 cups, soaked overnight
Cloves - 3 to 4
Black Pepper - 3 to 4
Haldi (Turmeric) - 1/2 tsp
Bhoona Jeera Powder(Roasted Cumin) - 3 tsp
Chaat Masala - 4 tsp OR according to taste
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium, chopped finely
Tomato - 1 medium, chopped finely
Green Chilli - 1 medium,chopped finely
Ginger - 1/2 inch cube, chopped finely
Fresh Coriander Leaves - a small bunch, chopped
Water - 1 cup
Salt to Taste


COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

SERVING: Serves 6

METHOD:

1. Soak the dried peas overnight.
2. Place the soaked peas in a Pressure Cooker, add clove, turmeric and black pepper. Pressure cook the peas till they are soft.
3. Once done, remove lid and add Bhoona Jeera Powder and Chaat Masala to taste.
4. Add the lemon juice.
5. Add salt, if needed.

To Serve -
6. Add chopped Onion, Tomato, Green Chilli, Ginger and Fresh Coriander leaves as Garnish.
7. Serve with bread or puffed rice or Bhel !

TIP:
For the Jain version, avoid onion and ginger.
The Garnish items can be used all together or even singularly, as preferred.

Rohini's Stuffed Tondli

Tondli or Tindora Zhunka or Kundru is a Gherkin. Like the cucumber this is also a fruit and has similar nutritional value. It is known by various names in different states of India and are prepared in a variety of spices. The Tondli seems like a far off cousin of the Parwal, which is a bigger version of the same. It is said that the Tondli can help reduce blood sugar (Your nutritionist would be the best person to talk about that). Although the taste of tondli is bland, it can be used in many interesting ways.

I love Tondlis, and I have had them only in Maharashtra, India. And therefore, to me this is a typical maharashtrian dish. Of course, this preparation is maharashtrian too.

I tried this recipe from a friend's blog. I have experimented with other traditional recipes for tondli and nothing came close to this one. Rohini's recipe for tondli is by far the best my husband and I have ever tasted !

So dont just read through this post, get started with the preps !!!

Here goes -

http://rohinigore.blogspot.com/2009/08/stuffed-tondli.html

INGREDIENTS:

Tondli - 4 cups

Peanut Powder (Roasted) - 1/2 cup

Dry Coconut Powder - 1/2 cup

Sesame powder - 1/4 cup

Red Chilli Powder  - 1 tsp

Jeera (Cumin) Powder - 1tsp

Dhania (Coriander) Powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Hing ( Asafoetida) - 1/2 tsp

Haldi (Turmeric Powder) - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Fresh Coriander Leaves - 1/2 bunch, chopped

Oil - 2 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

Salt to taste

COOKING TIME: 35 mins

SERVING: Serves 2

METHOD:
1. Wipe dry the washed and cleaned Tondli.

2. Cut off the top and bottom ends. Slit the tondli in the center, keep aside.

3. Prepare the Masala to go into the Tondli.

Masala:

4.Mix the Peanut Powder, Dry Coconut Powder, Sesame Seed Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Jeera Powder, DHania Powder, Garam Masala, Jaggery, Fresh Coriander and Salt to taste.

5. Stuff this Masala into the Tondlis, keep aside.

6. In a pot, heat Oil.

7. Add Mustard Seeds, let them splutter. 

8. Add Hing and Haldi. Cook for a couple seconds.

9. Add the stuffed Tondli and left over masala, if any.

10. Add the water, mix well.

11. Cook the tondli covered for about 7 to 10 mins.

12. Stir and remove from fire.

Serve hot with Roti or Pulav.

The only thing I do differently sometimes from the recipe mentioned above is cutting the tondlis into half, instead of making a slit and stuffing it with the spices.

Enjoy !!