Spinach - Egg Fry

Ingredients

Spinach: 1 bunch; finely chopped

Eggs: 3

Oil: 2 tablespoons

Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon

Onion: 1; Medium, finely chopped

Salt: to taste

Chilli powder: as per taste

1. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add chopped onion and saute till oinon turns transparent.

2. Add finely chopped spinach and saute for a minute.

3. Beat the eggs into a vessel and add salt, chilli powder. Mix well.

4. Pour the egg mixture over the sautéed spinach and fry till egg is cooked well. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice or chapatti.



Boiled Potato fry - 2

I've blogged earlier a different way of cooking boiled potato fry. In this recipe I used chilli powder instead of green chillis.

Ingredients

Potatoes : 4

Salt : to taste

Chilli powder : to taste
Turmeric powder: big pinch
Oil : 1 table spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tea spoon
Cashew nuts: 5 (optional)
Chana dal : 1/2 tea spoon
Urad dal : 1/2 tea spoon
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Onion : 1; small, finely sliced (optional)
Coriander leaves : for garnishing

1. Boil, peel the skin and mash the potatoes (don’t mash them into fine paste).
2. Add salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cashew nuts, dals, curry leaves and sauté for 1 minute. Add onions and sauté till onions become translucent.
4. Now add the potato mixture and combine well. Sauté on low heat till the raw smell of turmeric is gone. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Beetroot fry

This dish had been in my drafts for a while. I've learnt this dish from my mother. A simple and easy way to cook beetroot.

Ingredients

Beetroot: 1; medium sized

Onion: 1 small; finely sliced

Garlic: 4 flakes

Mustard Seeds: 1 teaspoon

Urad dal: 1 teaspoon

Chana Dal: 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds: (Optional)

Roasted gram dal: 3 tablespoons

Chilli Powder: to taste

Salt: to taste

Curry Leaves: 1 twig

Grated coconut (fresh/dry): 1 tablespoon

Oil: 1 tablespoon

1. Peel the skin of beetroot, cut into pieces of desired size. Add enough salt and pressure cook. Drain the water.

2. Grind roasted gram dal, salt, chilli powder and garlic flakes into powder.

3. Coat the cooked beetroot pieces with the powder mixture and grated coconut.

4. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add curry leaves, dals and cumin seeds. Saute till dals turn brown.

5. Add the sliced onion and saute till it turns translucent.

6. Add the beetroot pieces and stir fry on low flame for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot with chapatis.

Paneer Bhurji

I was craving for paneer but don't want to go for regular palak paneer or paneer rice. So when i searched internet for other paneer varities, I came across paneer bhurji - simple and easy paneer delight. I just used the most common ingredients from all the recipes. Apart from grating, it took just 10 minutes to prepare the recipe and I found it as an alternative for egg fry. I've used a non-stick wok to avoid burning of paneer.

Ingredients

Grated paneer : 2 cups
Onion : 1 big; finely chopped
Green chilli : 2; finely chopped
Tomato : 1 big; finely chopped
Turmeric powder : 1 pinch
Coriander powder : 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder : 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder : 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves : 1 twig (optional)
Water/ skim milk : 25ml (about 1/4 cup)
Salt : as per taste
Oil : 2 tablespoons
Chopped coriander leaves : 1 tablespoon

  

1. Heat oil in a wok. Add curry leaves. chopped onion, chopped chilli and saute till onion turns translucent.

2. Add chopped tomato and saute till cooked.

3. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. Mix well.

4. Add grated paneer, salt and mix well.

5. Add water/milk and cook on medium flame till it evaporates. Stir occasionally to avoid the burning of paneer.

6. Add garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Serve hot with chapati or bread.

Few bloggers have used canned tomatoes, cumin powder and kasur methi powder also. You can take the call as per your taste.

Aratikaya Vepudu (Raw Banana/Plantain Fry) - 1

In my childhood days I used to make fuss to eat this fry whenever my mom cooked it especially during festivals. I only grew fond of it once I started preparing it as per the recipe provided by my mother. A simple yet an yummy dish that can be used as an offering to God (don't add onion and garlic, instead of oil use ghee) and goes well with chapati, dosa, puri and rice.

Ingredients

Aratikaya/Raw banana/ Plantain : 2; Peel skin and cut into cubes of desired size
Turmeric powder : 1 big pinch
Salt : to taste
Chilli powder : to taste
Roasted gram dal/putnala pappu/venchina senagapappu : 3 tablespoons
Garlic : 3 flakes
Grated fresh coconut : 1 tablespoon (optional)
Onion : 1 small; finely sliced (optional)
Mustard seeds : 1 teaspoon
Chana dal : 1 teaspoon
Urad dal : 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds : 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Oil : 2 tablespoons

1. Cook chopped plantain cubes in required amount of water, turmeric powder and salt. Drain and keep aside.
2. Grind roasted gram dal, chilli powder, salt and garlic flakes into powder. Add to the cooked plantain cubes along with grated coconut. Mix well so that the cubes are coated with the powder mixture evenly.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the dals, cumin seeds, curry leaves and saute till the dals turn brown.
4. Add the sliced onion and saute till they turn translucent.
5. Add the cooked plantain cubes coated with powder mixture and grated coconut. Stir fry on low flame for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Tip : Soak chopped plantain cubes in water+turmeric powder+salt to avoid them turning black in colour. 

Carrot Fry

This simple and delicious carrot fry can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. Only grating carrots takes time.

Ingredients

Carrots : 2; grate
Salt : to taste
Chilli powder : to taste
Mustard seeds : 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds : 1/4 teaspoon
Urad dal : 1/2 teaspoon
Chana dal : 1/2 teaspoon
Onion : 1; small, finely sliced
Garlic : 2 flakes; crushed (optional)
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Oil : 2 tablespoons

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
2. Add the dals and saute till they turn brown.
3. Add curry leaves, cumin seeds, chopped onion and crushed garlic. Saute till onion becomes translucent.
4. Add the grated coconut and saute for 3-4 mins.
5. Add required amount of salt and chilli powder. Saute till the raw smell of chilli powder is gone (may be for 3-4 mins).
6. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice and chapatis.

Facts about carrot : Carrots are nutritional heroes. They are good source of pectin fibre (calcium pectate) that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties. They are also good source of vitamin A, B and C.

In order to assimilate the greatest quantity of the nutrients present in carrots, it is important to chew them well. They are the exception to the rule - they are more nutritious cooked than raw. Carrots are one of the best sources of carotene which is a strong antioxidant, but carrots also contain other phenolic compounds that are antioxidants. Carrot greens can be eaten and are high in vitamin K, which is lacking in the carrot itself. Scientists have given us another reason to eat carrots - Falcarinol a compound found in the popular root vegetable has been found to have an effect on the development of cancer.

Boiled Potato Fry - 1

Ingredients

Potatoes : 4, big
Turmeric powder : ½ tablespoon
Salt : To taste

For seasoning

Mustard seeds : ½ tablespoon
Urad dal : ¼ tablespoon
Chana dal : ¼ tablespoon
Cumin seeds : ¼ tablespoon (Optional)
Cashew nuts : 6, halved
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Coriander : To garnish
Green chillis : 4
Onion: 1, finely chopped
Oil : 2-3 tablespoons


1. Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and mash them. Don’t mash them into fine paste, there should be few lumps of potato.
2. Add salt and turmeric to mashed potatoes and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cashew nuts, dals, curry leaves, chillis and saute for 1 minute. Add onions and saute till onions become translucent.
4. Now add the potato mixture and combine well. Saute on low heat till the raw smell of turmeric is gone. Garnish with chopped coriander.

This is the recipe I commonly use to prepare potato fry for masala dosa and chapati. For poori, the entire process is same except that after step 3, I’ll add a cup of water to the seasoning and then put potato mixture into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes before removing from heat.

Spinach-Moong Dal Fry

Preparation and cooking time : 20 minutes

Ingredients

Spinach : 1 bunch, chopped
Toor dal or moong dal : 2 table spoons
Green chillis : 3
Coriander : 4 twigs
Garlic : 3 flakes
Onion : 1, finely chopped
Mustard seeds : ½ tablespoon
Chana dal : ½ tablespoon
Urad dal : ½ tablespoon
Cumin seeds : ¼ tablespoon
Dry red chillis : 2, de-seeded (Optional)
Turmeric : 1 pinch
Salt : To taste
Oil : 2 tablespoons


1. Make coarse paste of garlic flakes, green chillis and coriander leaves.
2. Boil the toor dal or moong dal, and chopped spinach in just enough water (half a cup of water, approximately) for 5 minutes.
3. Heat oil, add the mustard seeds and once they splutter, add the cumin seeds, dals, dry red chillis, curry leaves and saute for half a minute.
4. Add the onions and saute till transparent. Add salt and turmeric powder and saute further for a minute. Add the ground paste and stir fry for 5 minutes
5. Add the boiled spinach leaves and dal mixture and saute for 10 minutes (without lid) or till done. Serve hot with rice.

Benefits of spinach : Spinach is known as a rich source of iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium and several vital antioxidants. It is also the source of folic acid (Vitamin B9). To benefit from the folate in spinach, it is better to steam it than to boil it.