Roti upma

Hi Friends,

This is another recipe that I try couple of months back, but could not post earlier. Its an innovative idea with left over chapati's. For Indian's its either rice or roti that is eaten as a main portion a night. Mostly, people of south have rice for dinner and people of north have roti's. Not just dinner but roti is a most for people of north in lunch as well. But, we people of Odisha, where do we lay? No idea, for most of the urban population of Odisha, it is rice in lunch and roti for dinner. This holds good for some of the rural population as well. So, we are a mixture right. We have breakfast as Chakuli Pitha, Chitau Pitha (similar to Dosa of south), however our curries resemble mostly north. But, yes our facial and figure resemble Bengali's and our tradition is almost similar to Bengali. I got distracted from the original topic a bit,lets now go back to main topic.
For people who prefer chapati or roti, it is common to have left over's. So, what do you do with these. Just warm them and have with curries, milk or chai or have you come up with something innovative.

I am sure, you must have tried something or the other at times. Here, is one such recipe that I prepared after being inspired by other foodie blogger's. Its a normal stir fry recipe with less oil and spices.Try it once, it is a makeover of the dull left over roti's.

Ingredients :- 

3 to 4 left over chapati's torn into small pieces.

1 green capsicum chopped

1 red pepper bell chopped

1 yellow pepper bell chopped

1 Onion chopped

1 green chili chopped

1/2 tbsp black pepper powder

salt as per taste

olive or canola oil 1 tbsp

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:- 

Heat a pan. Add oil, when oil is hot add onions, stir fry till it turns pink. Add chopped vegetables and stir fry for 3 mins. Add roti peices. Mix in salt and pepper powder. And fry for another 2 mins. Now turn off the flame, add lemon juice and serve hot.

Chili Gobi

Hi Readers,

In Winter's when Cauliflower and Gobi is readily available in Indian market, and we like hot fried foods in chilly weather, this is a dish that would be liked by people of all ages, especially children as they like Chinese recipes more.Here is a recipe for you.

Ingredients:

250 gms fresh Gobi or Cauliflower florets half boiled

2 medium Capsicum or colored Bell peppers

1 large Onion

for the batter:

1/4 cup All purpose flour

2 tbsp. Corn flour

1/4 cup Water, approx

1/4 tsp Pepper powder

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste, optional

Salt to taste

2 tbsp All purpose flour, to dust

Oil, to deep fry

Other ingredients:

4-5 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4" Ginger, finely chopped

2-3 Green(or red) chillies, finely chopped

1 tsp Celery(or thick Coriander stems), finely chopped

1 tbsp Vinegar

1 tbsp Soya sauce

2-3 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

1 tbsp Red Chili Sauce or 1-2 tsp Red Chili paste

1/4 tsp freshly ground Pepper

Salt to taste

2-3 tbsp Oil

Method:

Remove the stem and seeds and the white internal layer of capsicum (or bell peppers) and cut into 1" cubes and keep aside.

Cut a large onion into large 1" cubes and separate into layers.

Cut Cauliflower  into medium size. Boil it till it's half done & keep it aside. 

Take a bowl and add corn flour,all purpose four, ginger-garlic paste(if adding),pepper powder and salt and add 1/4 cup of water and mix it nicely to form a thick coating batter, beat the batter nicely with out any lumps. Do not make this batter thin as it will not hold the coating. So add the water in stages to get a thick coating consistency. And 1/2 tbsp soya sauce to it.

Heat oil in a deep curved pan for deep frying

Dip the Cauliflower in the maida batter and deep fry until they turn light golden brown in color. 

Heat oil in a deep wok and add finely chopped ginger, garlic,celery and green chillies and fry until light brown in color.

Add diced capsicum(or bell pepper) pieces and fry on high flame for 1-2 mins until the capsicum pieces slightly wilt. Add diced and separated onions and fry on high fame for a minute. Do not let them fry for long and loose the crunchiness of vegetables.

Reduce the flame or remove the wok from heat and add vinegar, soya sauce, tomato ketchup, red chili sauce(or paste), salt and pepper. Remember that all the sauces contain some salt, so do not add more salt. Return to heat and mix all the sauces nicely on low flame for a minute.

Add the fried Cauliflower pieces and increase the flame and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until they become piping hot.

Serve it hot. 

Bajra roti(pearl millet roti)

Hi Readers,

Bajra or pearl millet has high nutritious value and has many benefits.

Bajra is high in proteins with a good amount of amino acids

It is a good source of iron, which helps formation of hemoglobin in blood thus preventing anaemia.

It is a moderate source of vitamin B1, which is required for a healthy nervous system.

It is specially effective for bleeding piles, epilepsy, insomnia, impotency, high blood pressure, diabetes and tuberculosis.

It is easily digestible and has the lowest probability of causing allergic reactions.

Bajra, being gluten free, is a very good food choice for those suffering from celiac disease who cannot tolerate gluten.

It is highly effective and recommended for cases of severe constipation and stomach ulcers.

The presence of phytic acid and niacin in bajra helps in lowering the cholesterol.

Being rich in fiber content , bajra is good for diabetics, keeping the glucose levels normal.

Bajra Roti is common food of Rajasthan and Gujurat. And after knowing the many good qualities of this grain I am trying to accommodate this to my normal diet.

Ingredients :- 

3 cups Bajra flour

1 cup warm water

salt to taste

oil or ghee 

Method :- 

Bajra unlike Jowar has a bitter taste, so it needs special care while making roti's. The flour is not kneaded into batter at once, but the ladies knead flour for one Roti at a time and immediately make roti's. It tends to become bitter if you allow it to stay for a longer time. So, while kneading, take the flour in a large plate or flat bottomed bowl. Add little water in one side. Mix flour and knead to a small dough. Immediately give it a roti shape using hand. Or u might use the roller to make it into that shape but this dough is not sticky enough and tends to break so take special care. Heat a tawa and bake this bread it takes longer time as the roti's would be thicker than normal chapati. When brown spots appear on each sides, add oil or ghee spread all over and serve hot. This goes well with raw onion,green chili , garlic chutney and traditional baigan bharta or any traditional curry. 

I have added chopped onions, green chili to the batter before making roti's. This tends to weeken the bitter taste a little. I have served it with bottle gourd or lauki ki labji. 

Gobi Chana Masala

Hi Readers,

This recipe is a special one for me. It was prepared by my granny. After, long time I tried her dish. This one uses Gobi, aloo and Chana dal to make the curry. I do not know whether to call this a curry or a dal fry.

Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

1 cup chana dal soaked for 1 hr

10 to 15 florets of cauliflower into medium size pieces

1 medium sized potato cut into cubes

1 large onion chopped into thin slices

2 medium tomatoes chopped

1 inch ginger chopped 

4 flakes garlic chopped

few coriander leaves

1 tbsp cumin seeds 

salt to taste

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp oil

1 green chili chopped

1/2 tbsp garam masala

Powdered masala - 

1/2 tbsp saha jeera

3 to 4 cloves

2 small cardamom

1/2 stick cinnamon

Method :- 

Pressure cook chana dal for two whistles . Add salt and turmeric to it before pressure cooking. Leave it aside. Dal should keep its shape intact. Heat a pan, add one tbsp oil and add potato and cauliflower. Add turmeric powder and salt as per taste and cook till cauliflower is half cooked. Keep aside and heat the pan. Add oil, when oil is hot add cumin seeds, when it starts to splutter add green chili, onion. When Onions turn pink, add chopped ginger and garlic. Cook till the raw smell is gone. Add chopped tomato, salt, turmeric powder and cook till oil starts to separate. Add in the cauliflower and potato. Add the cooked dal and water if needed. Add in powdered masala and 1/2 tbsp garam masala. Cook till cauliflower is done. Serve hot with steamed rice or hot chapati.

Arhar Palak ki dal

Hi Readers,

This is my other recipe on Christmas eve. Dal palak is a common recipe in my house hold. I usually make Dal palak by pressure cooking Dal and palak and adding a tampering of Cumin and garlic to it. However, this time, I have made the same following a Nita Mehta recipe of it. It is a nice detailed variations with spices, flavor and aroma to the simple Dal palak recipe.

Nice recipe for occasions, I would not make it every day as it uses lots of ghee.

Ingredients :- 

1 cup Arhar or Toor Dal

3 bunches of Spinach washed and chopped

3 cups water

salt to taste

1 tbsp turmeric power

1/2 tea spoon finely chopped ginger

1/2 tea spoon finely chopped garlic

1 green chili chopped

Tampering :- 

1 medium tomato chopped

1 medium onion chopped

3 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp red chili powder

1/2 tbsp garam masala

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tbsp amchur powder

Method:- 

In a pressure cooker add Toor dal, chopped spinach and water. Add turmeric powder, salt, chopped ginger, garlic and green chili. Pressure cook in medium flame till 1 whistle. Now, reduce flame and cook in simmer for another 6 to 7 mins. Keep aside. Take a tampering vessel. Heat it, add ghee.When ghee is sufficiently hot, add cumin seeds, Onion. When onion is fried add tomato, garam masala, coriander powder, amchur powder and red chili powder. When tomato is done, add the tampering mixture to Dal. Serve hot with steamed rice. 

Subz Hyderabadi

Hi Readers,

I am back again with another Indian recipe. This is a mix vegetable curry cooked in curd based gravy and sprinkled with a spice mixture that gives its authentic aroma. I tried this recipe for the first time on Christmas eve. Well, my husband(one who tastes everything that I make and is best critic for me) liked it very much. Winter is best season for this curry as all ingredients are available fresh in this season.

Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

Carrots - 2 medium size- chopped roughly

10 -15 french beans - Chopped 

1 medium long brinjal or eggplant  - slit in middle and then cut into 1/2 inch size

1 medium size potato - cubed

1 cup green peas

10 -15 florets of cauliflower

Gravy :- 

3 medium onions finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 cup Curd whisked

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp red chili powder

2 dry red chili 

2 bay leafs

Oil for frying

salt to taste

Powdered Ingredient :- 

2 Cardamom or Chhoti elaichi

3 to 4 clove or Laung

1 inch Cinnamon or Dalchini

1 tbsp Saha Jeera or Big Cumin seeds

Method :- 

Heat Oil in a pan. Fry all the vegetables( potatoes at a time, similarly other vegetables one by one) except peas and keep aside. Boil peas and keep aside. Now in a pan take 1 tbsp oil. Add bay leaf & dry red chili, when it starts to change colour, add Onions and fry till it turns pink. Add ginger and garlic paste and cook for 2 to 3 mins. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix it well, sprinkle little water if it sticks to bottom. Make a paste. Add fried vegetables, 1 cup whisked curd and cook over medium low flame. Add water if required. Add salt and cook till all vegetables are done. Sprinkle powdered spices and serve hot with Chapati, nan or steamed rice.

Note :- In above recipe I have added about 50 gm of Paneer cubes. The authentic recipe do not have paneers,however, adding paneer do not make in changes to the aroma and flavor of recipe. 

Stuffed Bitter Gourd or Karela

Hi Readers,

Despite the bitter taste of Bitter Gourd or Karela, it is usually a favorite vegetable for most Indian's. I like the Karela crispy fries made along with potatoes. Though, stuffed Karela is not my favorite, it is one of the favorite dish of my husband. So, yes Karela or bitter gourd finds a  place in my kitchen quiet often.

I am not providing you the ingredients for this recipe below, because I am going to provide few different types of stuffing. The common & major ingredient is whole Karela or bitter gourd. For the stuffing, depending upon the number and size of Bitter gourd, please adjust the quantity of ingredients. So, here goes the recipe for you.

Halve whole karelas lengthwise in the middle. Wash and boil in water, adding salt and haldi. Discard the excess water.
When a little cool, scoop out the middle seedy portion from the boiled karela pieces to make space for the stuffing.
Fill the stuffings* into each half of boiled karela. Heat a little oil on a flat non-stick frying pan and fry the stuffed karelas on low fire  - first on karela side and then on stuffing side. Press lightly on each stuffed karela while frying the stuffing side to flatten it as much as possible. Fry till nicely brown. Serve as side dish with rice.

*Variations of Stuffing :
1 : Heat mustard oil – add finely chopped onion. Fry a bit and add mashed boiled potato, salt, red chilli powder. Fry well on sim stirring the mash till it leaves a nice fried aroma and turns brownish.
2 : Heat oil. Add mashed potato, salt, red chilli powder. Fry a little. Add a bit of mustard-garlic-haldi paste and fry well.
3.   Mix together besan, chopped onion, chopped green chilli, salt to taste and a few drops of mustard oil and use this as stuffing.
Variation :  Boil Karelas whole, adding salt and haldi. Take out, cool and make half slit on the body of each boiled karela – in the middle portion on one side. Scoop out the seedy interior and stuff with any of the above three stuffings.
4:Heat oil. Saute onion, green chilli, garlic – all finely chopped. Fry a little. Add crushed badi . Mix well and fry. Use this as stuffing inside the whole karela.
5: Heat mustard oil, add mustard and garlic paste,add hali, salt and red chili powder. Cook till water is removed, take care not to over cook, mustard paste turns bitter if over cooked. Fill in the stuffing and fry the Bitter gourd again over medium flame.
Dust the stuffed whole karelas with a sprinkle of rice flour/cornflour and fry on pan nicely, rolling all over. Or deep fry.
Stuffed Karelas are great accompaniments with plain rice.