Stir Fried French Beans With Potatoes / Aloo Beans

French Beans is cooked as a dry vegetable with potatoes or without potatoes in an Indian home. French beans are a great source of carbohydrates and dietary fibres. Here I am sharing this simple recipe with step by step pictures....

Ingredients:

French beans - 150 gms

Potato - 1

Cumin seeds - 1 tbs

Green Chillies - 1

Garlic - 3 cloves
Turmeric powder - 1teaspoon
Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon

Garam Masala - 1 teaspoon

Red chilly powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - 1 tbs

Mustard Oil - 5 tbs

Method:

Wash and chop french beans in slants or simple cut. Peel potatoes and cut in small pieces.

Chop garlic and green chillies.

Heat mustard oil in a pan or a kadhai. Well, in India we like to use mustard oil for dry veggies and for mutton dishes because of its strong flavor.

When fumes come out of oil, turn flame on low, add cumin seeds, green chillies and garlic. After 30 seconds add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilly powder and after 10 seconds add chopped vegetables.



Toss veggies with the masala. Add salt now. mix again.



Cover the pan and let the veggies cook on medium low flame.

Keep tossing in between, usually after every 3 minutes. It takes approx 25 minutes to cook completely. You can check by pressing a potato piece.



If done add garam masala powder and mix. French Beans are ready.

Serve with Paratha, chapati, puri..Makes a good and healthy tiffin vegetable too.

Hope you liked it ...

Vegetable Fried Rice - Chinese Style

Chinese cuisine is my top favorite cuisine. Fried rice is always on my mind whenever I cook rice. I also use leftover rice to make it. Its an easy recipe and one can use any vegetable of their choice. Kids love this dish. Here I am sharing Fried rice in Chinese style step by step recipe..

Ingredients:

Steamed rice - 3 cups ( grains should be separate and not sticky)
Vegetables of your choice, chopped very small - Beans, carrot, cabbage, capsicum, onion etc.
Garlic - 5-6 cloves
Salt to taste
Soya Sauce - 2 tbs ( as per taste)
Vinegar - 2-3 tbs ( as per taste)
Pepper powder - 1 tbs
Oil for frying

Method: 

In a wok, heat 5 tbs of cooking oil.

Once hot, add chopped garlic. On high flame saute for 2 minutes, then add chopped onions, beans, carrot. After 2 minutes, add chopped capsicum and then cabbage.

 

Now add 2 tbs salt, 1 tbs pepper powder, 1 tbs ajinomoto, 1 tbs soya sauce, 2 tbs vinegar. Mix for a minute and add rice. Mix properly.



Saute for 5 minutes on high heat and then switch off the flame. Fried rice is ready.

Serve with red chilly sauce.

Hope you liked it...

Boiled Bengal Gram and Spinach in stir fried Tomatoes / Palak Chana Dal

Palak Chana Dal or Boiled Spinach and Bengal gram in stir fried tomatoes is an extremely healthy recipe. The taste is good and a nice variation to dals. Spinach makes this healthier and children will also prefer it over simple dal. I specially love this when it is made by Mom in Law. I learnt this from her. So here I am sharing the recipe for this easy dal....

Ingredients:

Spinach - 500 gms
Bengal Gram / Chana Dal - 100 gm
Tomatoes-  4 chopped
Onion - 1 small chopped coarsely 
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbs
Green Chillies - 2 chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbs
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tbs
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tbs
Salt to taste
Asafoetida - 1 small pinch

Method:

Soak bengal gram for 30 minutes. Then drain water.

Chop spinach leaves. Pressure cook spinach leaves, bengal gram in 2 cups water. Add 1/2 tbs turmeric powder and 1/2 tbs salt. Give it 3 whistles or cook for 12 minutes.

 
In a pan, heat 4tbs of oil. Once hot add cumin seeds, chopped garlic, green chillies and saute for 2 minutes.

Now add chopped onion, saute till it tuns translucent. Now add chopped tomatoes. Add 1/4 tbs salt. Cook for 7 minutes. 

 
Add 1/2 tbs coriander powder, 1/2 tbs red chilly powder, a pinch of asafoetida powder (optional).

At the end add boiled spinach and grams in the tomatoes mixture. Saute and let it cook for 5 minutes or till it becomes thick ( extra water evaporates ). 

Palak chana dal is ready. Serve with light chapatis or layered parathas.

 Hope you liked it .....

Roasted Baingan Bharta / Roasted Aubergine in tomato Sauce

An authentic dish of Punjab, this roasted dish has awesome smoky flavor. Roasted mashed brinjal / aubergine in tomato onion sauce and topped with chopped coriander..oooh its just soo tempting.. Here I am sharing the recipe with pictures...



Ingredients:

Round fresh brinjal - roasted on direct flame or coal
Tomatoes - 3 big chopped
Onion - 2 chopped
Green Chillies - 2 chopped
Garlic cloves - 4 chopped
Asafoetida / Heeng - 1 small pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbs
Coriander powder - 1 tbs
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tbs
Garam Masala- 1/2 tbs
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tbs
Coriander leaves - chopped
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 big tbs

Method:

Peel the black skin from brinjal, remove seeds and hard fibres from the mashed brinjal.



In a wok , heat 4 tbs of oil, add cumin seeds and as they splutter, add chopped green chillies and garlic. Saute.



Now add chopped onions, fry till golden and then add chopped tomatoes and saute while pressing with  spatula.



 After 7-8 minutes add all the dry masalas , salt and heeng, mix.



Add mashed brinjal and mix properly.



Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with chapati or as a side dish.

Hope you liked it....

Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi / Shallow fried Okra in Curd

Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi has a unique taste and gives a rich view. Its an easy dish and a nice variation to our normal stir fried bhindi / lady fingers / okra. Tried this first time and it came out really well. so here I am sharing the recipes with pics ...



Ingredients:

Shallow fried Okra - 1 bowl
Dry Red Chillies - 2-3 whole
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbs
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbs
Coriander powder - 1/2 tbs
Curd - 1 cup whiske
Salt to taste
Mustard oil - 3 tbs

Method:

Prepare Shallow fried bhindi as I have given the recipe earlier.



Now in a wok, heat mustard oil. Once hot add mustard seeds, dry red chillies and let them splutter.



Now add turmeric powder and coriander powder. Saute for 10 seconds. Add 1 cup whisked curd and mix.



Now add cooked okra/ bhindi and mix. For nice colour, you can add 1/4 tbs of kashmiri mirch in it. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Its ready to be served.

Serve it with chapati or parantha.
 

Hope you liked it !!!

Jeera Aloo

Potato is a versatile vegetable and number of dishes can be made from it. A very common yet a very tasty dish Jeera Aloo can be prepared in a jiffy. This is a great tiffin recipe. One can pack anfd carry it while travelling also. Here I am sharing the recipe with pics...

Ingredients :

Potatoes - 3 boiled and crushed
Cumin - 1 tbs
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbs ( optional)
Green chilly - 1 chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbs
Coriander Powder - 1 tbs
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbs
Amchoor powder - 1/2 tbs
Green coriander leaves - chopped
Salt to taste
Mustard oil - 5 tbs

Method:

Heat mustard oil in a wok. Add cumin and mustard seeds. As they splutter add chopped green chillies.

Now add all dry masala as mentioned in the ingredients.



Add boiled potatoes and mix.

Jeera aloo is ready. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with Parantha, chapati or pooris.



Shallow Fried Okra / Bhindi Sabzi

Bhindi or Okra or Lady finger is widely used vegetable in India. Children love it and so do the adults. Its unique flavour and mucilagenous nature makes it different from other vegetables. It comes in summers in India and fresh small okra is best to use for making dishes. Here I am sharing the basic Okra dish.



Ingredients:

Okra /Bhindi - 1/2 Kg
Onions- 1 big chopped lenthwise
Garlic- 4-5 cloves chopped
Green chillies- 2 chopped
Cumin - 1/2 tbs
Turmeric Powder - 1 tbs
Coriander powder - 1 tbs
Red chilly Powder - 1/2tbs
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tbs
Amchoor - 1/2 tbs
Salt to taste
Mustard Oil - For shallow frying

 

Method:

Wash the Okra and cut either lengthwise or widthwise.

Heat 1/4 cup of mustard oil in a wok or a shallow pan. Add cumin, chopped garlic and green chillies. Saute for one minute.Add chopped onion. Saute till onion turns light brown.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and immediately add chopped okra in it. Mix properly. Add salt now and mix.



Keep tossing and turning the vegetable for even cooking. It takes about 20 - 25 minutes to cook.

Once cooked add amchoor powder and garam masala powder and mix.

Serve hot with Paranthas, chapatis, pooris or as a side dish in a meal.



Hope you liked it...