Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is a favorite dish among Indians. Pav is a type of bun and Bhaji is a spicy dish of mixed vegetables. You may add any vegetable of your liking in the Bhaji and if you don't eat Potatoes, you may swap it with Raw Bananas. If you add beetroot your bhaji will have a red colour as below so don't be intimidated by the colour!!

Ingredients:

• 2 Potatoes peeled and diced
• 1 cup Cauliflower florets
• 1 cup cut Mixed Vegetables (Carrots, beans, green peas, corn, sweet potato, beetroot)
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 Green Chilies 
• 1 tbsp finely chopped Ginger
• 2 Tomatoes chopped
• 1/2 tsp Red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 Cardamom
• 6 Cloves
• 1 tsp Jeera
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 2" pieces of Cinnamon
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tsp Kasuri Methi
• 1 tbsp Saunf
• 2 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp Sambar Powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (Adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup chopped Coriander leaves
• Pav Buns (As required)

Method:

1. Pressure cook the mixed vegetables along with the cauliflower and potato for 3-4 whistles.
2. Heat a pan and add the butter, asafoetida, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and Jeera. When the jeera starts to crackle, add the ginger, green chillies and tomatoes and saute the tomatoes till it is cooked nicely to a pulp.
3. Add the cooked vegetables, turmeric, red chilly powder, saunf, kasuri methi, salt and sambar powder and mix well. Mash the vegetables as you stir and adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding water if required (This bhaji should be thick so don't add too much water) Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes so that the tastes blend in well.
4. Switch off the stove and add the lemon juice and coriander and server hot with pav buns toasted with butter.

Channa Masala

Protein rich chickpeas (channa) in tomato gravy makes a yummy side dish for chappatis / poori or batura.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Kabuli Channa (Chickpeas) 
• 1 Tomato
• 2 Cardamom
• 5 Cloves
• 1" piece Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 Tea bag
• 1 tsp Sambar powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp grated Ginger
• 2 green chillies (Adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Kasuri methi
• 1 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds (Saunf)
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tsp Lemon juice (Optional and Adjust to taste)

Method

1. Wash and soak the channa for 6-8 hrs and then pressure cook it for 6 whistles along with the tea bag and salt and keep aside.
2. Grind the tomato, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, fennel seeds, ginger and green chillies and keep aside
3. Heat the pan and add the oil, bay leaf and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the ground mixture and cook it for a few minutes. Then add the cooked channa after squeezing and removing the tea bag. Add the Kasuri methi, turmeric, sambar powder and salt and allow it to cook for a few more minutes so that all the flavors blend in.
4. Remove the chole from fire and add the lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with roti/ poori/ batura/ rice.

Malai Parwal

This is an awesome recipe from Shanti Krishnakumar's cook book. Not many like Kovakkai in my house but everybody loved this dish and Kovakkai is a very healthy vegetable too.
 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Kovakkai (Parwal / dhondakkai) cut thinly, length wise
• 1 Tomato chopped
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1" Cinnamon Stick
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom
• 10 Cashews
• 1/4 cup grated Coconut
• 4 Red chillies

Method

1. In a pressure pan, heat oil and add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. When the cumin seeds start spluttering, add the tomatoes and saute well.
2. Add the Kovakkai / Parwal, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt and mix well. Add 1/4 cup water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
3. Meanwhile, grind the cashews, coconut, and red chillies to a fine paste and keep aside.
4. When the pressure is released from the pan, take out the lid and add the ground paste and garam masala. Add milk and cook in low heat till the gravy thickens and becomes creamy.
5. Serve hot with any Indian flat bread of your choice. It goes well with rice too!

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is everybody's favoruite and here we go for the yummy recipe..

Ingredients

• 500 gm /4 bunches / 7 cups Spinach Leaves(Palak)
• 2 Tomatoes, cut into halves  (Optional)
• 500 gm Paneer, cut into 1” pieces
• 2 tbsp Oil (Olive Oil preferably)
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 3/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 1 tsp fresh Ginger, grated
• 2 Green chilies
• 2 Cardamom
• 1" piece Cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seed powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder (Optional)
• 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
• 1 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)

Method

1. Wash the spinach leaves and microwave it along with tomatoes, green chilli, ginger and 1 tbsp water in a microwave safe bowl on high for 8-9 min or till the tomato and spinach are cooked. 
2. Cool them and remove the skin of the tomatoes and puree the spinach tomato mixture in a blender along with the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a wok and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds turn brown add the blended spinach mixture. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and red chili powders and cook for 5-10 min till the raw smell of the Spinach is gone.
4. Add the kasuri methi, paneer cubes and salt and cook for 10 more minutes till it attains the desired consistency.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the milk or cream. Serve hot with roti/naan/parata.

Suggestions/ Notes

• If you don't want to add the Tomatoes along with Spinach you may skip that but adding tomatoes add more flavour in this dish.

Sending this to  Show Me Your HITS series #4 Iron Rich foods event hosted at Erivumpuliyumm.

Methi Malai Mutter

Methi Malai Mutter is my all time favourite. I wanted to try it at home and it came out great. No one could believe it was without Onion and Garlic. The taste was just awesome and from now on I wouldn't order this from a restaurant again! Methi Malai Mutter goes very well as side dish to Roti/ Naan/ Parata/ Pulav. This recipe serves 2-3.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Green peas
• 1 tbsp Kasoori methi
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk / Half&Half
• 1 Tomato finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 
• A pinch of Sugar
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)

To Grind

• 1 tsp Poppy seeds (Khus khus)
• 15 Cashews
• 1" piece Ginger
• 2 Green chillies
• 2 Cardamom
• 2 Cloves
• 2" Cinnamon stick
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1/4 cup Whole milk

Method

1. Soak the poppy seeds and cashews in 1/4 cup warm milk for 10 min.
2. Grind it with the other ingredients to grind and keep aside. Add more milk for grinding if required.
3. Heat oil in a big saucepan and add the butter to it. When the butter sizzles, add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds turn a little brown add the ground masala and fry it for a few minutes.
4. Then add the green peas and whole milk/Half&Half and simmer till it becomes thick or reaches your desired consistency. (Mine took almost 30 min)
5. Add the sugar, salt, tomatoes and kasuri methi and mix well. Simmer for a few more minutes and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot!

Suggestions/ Notes

1. If you use Half&Half instead of Whole Milk, it takes relatively lesser time for the gravy to become thick and creamy.

Avial

Avial is very popular in the whole of South India. It is a nutritious blend of all vegetables cooked in coconut gravy. It can be eaten with Rice / Chappati.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Vegetables ( I used plantain, elephant yam(chena), carrot, beans and chembu/colocasia. )
• 3 Green Chillies
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 cup Grated coconut
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 - 3/4  tsp
• 1 spring Curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp Coconut oil

Method

1. Cook the Vegetables in the microwave for around 8 min or till the veggies are just cooked but firm. Alternately you may cook the Veggies in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle.
2. Grind the coconut, turmeric, green chillies and cumin seeds in a mixer and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a big pan and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard starts crackling add the curry leaves, then the cooked vegetables, the ground coconut paste and salt. Mix everything well and simmer for a few min till the veggies soak in the flavour.
4. Serve hot with Rice.

Potato Curry with Yogurt Gravy

This is one of my favourite curry from Manjula's Kitchen. The original recipe uses only Potato but we can use a variety of vegetables, such as green peas, carrots, and cauliflowers, as a substitute for the potatoes but the recipe for the gravy remains the same.

Ingredients:

• 2 large boiled potatoes
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida
• 2 teaspoons besan (gram flour)
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 tablespoons yogurt
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups of water

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes until they are tender.
2. Peel and cut them in bite size pieces.
3. Mix the yogurt, ginger, green chilies, turmeric powder, coriander powder and paprika into a paste.
4. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the cumin seeds and asafetida.
5. After the cumin seeds crack, add the bay leaf and besan (gram flour). Stir for about half a minute until the besan (gram flour) is golden-brown.
6. Add the yogurt paste and stir-fry for about 2 minutes on medium heat until the paste starts leaving the oil from the sides.
7. Add the potatoes and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add about one cup of water. After the gravy boils, let it cook on low-medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust the water in gravy to your liking. 
9. Add the cilantro and salt and continue to cook for a few minutes. Serve with any kind of bread.