PALAK PANEER

Most vegetarians love Paneer for its taste , nutiritional value and versatility. When Paneer is cooked with Palak or Spinach it gets even more tasty and  has many healthy benefits. Here's my recipe of Palak Paneer.... simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches spinach or palak, washed and finely chopped
• 250 gms fresh paneer or cottage cheese , cut into cubes
• 2 medium sized tomatoes grated
• 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
• 2 to 3 green chillies finely chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 6 to 8 flakes garlic
• ½ tsp mustard seeds or rai
• 1 tsp coriander or dhania powder
• 1 pinch turmeric or haldi powder (optional)
• 3 tbps oil
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

Grind ginger garlic and keep aside. In a thick kadai or pan put chopped onions and finely chopped spinach . Cover with fitting lid and steam for 3 to 5 minutes. Allow to cool . Now blend the spinach and onion mixture in a blender and keep aside. Place a washed kadai or pan on the flame. Put oil and allow to heat. When hot, lower fame and add mustard seeds. Allow to splutter. Now add ground ginger- garlic and green chillies. Let them splutter for a minute or so then add the grated tomato.Mix well and allow to cook, while stirring. The tomato will initially give out some water. Let it cook on low flame. As the water evaporates in a few minutes, add the coriander powder and turmeric. Allow to cook for a couple of more minutes, then add the ground spinach. Mix well, cover and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then open lid and put in the chopped paneer. All salt, mix well , cover and cook on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off flame and serve hot in an attractive glass dish with hot rotis or naans

Sindhi Aloo Mutter or Peas Patata

Winter is here and so are fresh and lovely vegetables, Green peas are both sweet and inexpensive at this time of the year and making aloo mutter is common in Sindhi homes. Here's my recipe. Make it and enjoy it with either rice or roti,


Ingredients:

1. 1 cup shelled peas
2. 2 medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into small pieces
3. 2 large tomatoes grated
4. 2 green chillies
5. I inch piece ginger
6. 1 tsp. coriander powder
7. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
8. ½ tsp red chillie powder
9. ½ tsp cumminseed (Jeera) powder
10. 4 tbsps. oil
11. 1 mug water
12. Salt to taste
13. Few coriander leaves finely chopped

Procedure:
In a small pan boil peas with 1½ cups water on medium flame for 5-7 minutes till tender.

In a kadai or thick bottomed pan heat oil. Add finely chopped ginger, and green chillies. Stir for a minute or two. Reduce flame and add potatoes. Stir well for a couple of minutes. After a couple of minutes add tomatoes. Now add the dry spices – coriander, turmeric, red chillie powder and cumminseed powder. Mix well. Next add boiled peas after draining out the water. Keep aside the drained water. Keep stirring the peas and potato mixture till tomatoes are completely dissolved. Add the water that you have kept aside, salt and an additional half-cup of water. Cover and cook on low flame for a few minutes, till potatoes are well cooked. You can put a knife or fork into one piece of potato and a pea grain to find out if they are cooked.

Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Bajra Dodha or Bajra Roti

All of us have wheat rotis round the year, but winter is a good time to add Bajra Rotis to the daily menu. Bajra is highly nutritious and good for health. Also, a meal with Bajra rotis sustains you for several hours. Here’s how you can make them at home.
Ingredients:
• 1 bowl Bajra flour
• One small onion finely chopped
• 4 flakes garlic (peeled and ground)
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• A few methi or fenugreek leaves finely chopped (optional)
• A few coriander leaves finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsps oil for kneading and some more for making the dodhas

Procedure:
Put the flour in a large plate. Add all ingredients and knead into a soft dough with warm water. Divide the dough into five or six portions. Heat tawa or girdle . Flatten each portion of the dough with both hands into a thick round roti. Put the roti on the hot tawa and cook on medium flame, till it is evenly brown. Turn the roti over and allow the other side to likewise cook. Turn it over when done. Now put one teaspoon of oil and let the roti get crisp. Turn over and do the same with the other side. R:emove from tawa and serve hot with your meal . This roti/dodha tastes great just with fresh mint /green chutney.

Vegetable Pancakes

Looking for a light vegetarian snack to serve to your guests this festive season, try making my version of vegetarian pancakes…

Ingredients:

For the filling:

·        1 small bowl of fresh green peas

·        1 medium sized potato , boiled, peeled and finely chopped

·        1 medium sized onion finely chopped

·        2 green chillies finely chopped

·        1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped

·        6 to 8 curry leaves

·        A few coriander leaves finely chopped

·        ½ tsp mustard seeds

·        ½ tsp jeera or cumin seed powder

·        1 tsp dhania or coriander powder

·        ¼ tsp red chillie powder

·        ½ tsp Amchoor powder

·        Salt to taste

·        2 tbsps oil

For the Pancakes:

·        2 Eggs

·        4 tbsps Maida

·        1 cup milk

·        Salt and pepper to taste

·        2 to 3 tbsps oil for frying the pancakes

Procedure:

For the Filling:

Boil peas in a little water till soft. Drain out water and keep aside. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a kadai. When hot,lower flame and add mustard seeds. Allow to crackle, then add ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Now put in chopped onion and sauté till translucent. Next add boiled peas and potato. Add dry spices , salt to taste and coriander leaves , turn around well for a minute or two. Cover kadai and allow to cook on lowest flame for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove lid, turn around the mixture and keep aside.

For the Pancakes:

In a large bowl, break eggs and beat well with an egg beater. Slowly fold in the flour/maida spoon by spoon and milk, (alternating) to have a  smooth and well blended batter . Add salt and pepper to taste and your batter  for pancakes is ready.

Heat a non stick pan with 1 tsp oil. Lower flame and pour one ladle of the pancake batter. Turn around the pan so that the batter is evenly spread out. Allow to cook for a minute till golden. Turn over the pancake and do the same on the other side. Take out the pancake on a chopping board. Put one tbsp of the peas –potato filling at one end of the pancake, and roll it to the other end. Cut off any uneven edges on the sides with a knife. Fry all pancakes and fill and roll similarly. Arrange pancakes in a tray/serving dish and serve hot with tomato ketchup/chillie sauce or green chutney.

3. Moong Sprouts in Canapes:

Ingredients:

·        1 bowl of sprouted moong

·        1 medium sized onion finely chopped

·        1 medium sized tomato finely chopped

·        2 green chillies finely chopped

·        1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped

·        4 to 6 curry leaves

·        ½ tsp Jeera or cumin seeds

·        ¼ tsp red chillie powder

·        ¼ tsp haldi or turmeric powder

·        ½ tsp dhania or coriander powder

·        A few drops of lemon juice

·        2 tbsps oil

·        Salt to taste

·        A few coriander leaves finely chopped

·        1 small bowl of bhel (fine) sev

Procedure:

Heat oil in a kadai. When hot, add jeera seeds, green chillies , ginger and curry leaves. Allow to splutter. Add chopped onion and cook till translucent.  Next, add tomato and cook on low flame for a couple of minutes till soft. Now put in sprouted moong and all the dry spices with salt to taste. Mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off flame and allow to cool a little. Arrange canapés on a tray. Fill each canape with a spoon of the  cooked moong mixture and serve garnished with sev and coriander leaves.