Kundru/tindora/tendli stir fry- no onion, no garlic recipe

Plant a radish, get a radish, never any doubt. That's why I love vegetables, you know what they're about! ~Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt

All green veggies, (when fresh!) are a hit with me and this simple kundru dish is no different. I instantly admired it for its crunch and bite. It is one of the staples in my kitchen.

This is an easy and quick recipe for a light meal. It serves well as a side.

You will need
Kundru- 250 gm,cut into long strips
Tomato- 1 medium, chopped
Salt- 1/2 tsp or to taste
Haldi/Turmeric powder- 1/4th tsp
Dhaniya powder- 1 heaped tsp
Red chilli powder- 1/4th tsp
Heeng/ Asafoetida powder- 1 pinch
Jeera/Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Oil- 1/2 tbsp

Method
1. Heat oil in a wok.
2. Add heeng and jeera. Let jeera sizzle and brown.
3. Add Kundru. Toss it around on a medium flame. Cover and cook on a low flame for a few minutes. Check often.
4. Add all the masalas/spice mixes and the chopped tomatoes. Turn and mix the vegetable.
5. Cover and cook for a few minutes more. The tomatoes will turn mushy. Check if you can cut the kundru slice with a spoon. If you can do it easily, it means its done. If you cannot, it needs a little more cooking time.
6. Serve hot with Chapatis/ Rotis or pack in the Lunchbox/Tiffin.

Enjoy!

Paneer Bhurji - Scrambled cottage cheese

This is a very simple dish. It is yummy and an all time favorite. It also serves as a vegetarian version of egg bhurji (scrambled eggs).

It is especially good as a mess free filling in the rolled paranthas. So, pack your lunch honey!

You need:

1. Paneer (crumbled)- 200gm ( I make it at home...so this is an approximate measure)
2. Capsicum/green bell pepper- 1 tbsp finely chopped
3. Onion- 1 small, finely chopped
4. Tomato- 1 small, chopped
5. Salt to taste
6. Jeera (cumin seeds)- 1/2 tsp
7. Garam masala- 1/4 tsp (you can increase it to get a spiced up version)
8. Haldi powder (turmeric powder)- 1/4 tsp
9. Red chilli powder (optional)- 1/4tsp
10. Coriander leaves for garnishing
11. Oil- 1 tbsp

To make:

1. Heat the oil in a pan or Kadhai.
2. Add Jeera seeds and let them sizzle. 
3. Add onions and fry till they are translucent. You can add green chillies here if you like.
4. Add salt and turmeric. Mix well and add capsicum.
5. Fry for 4-5 minutes. Capsicum should retain its crunch.
6. Add crumbled paneer and garam masala. Also, red chilli powder if you have not used green chillies.Fry for a 2-3 minutes. Add Tomatoes.
7. Mix well and cover for a few minutes on low flame.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with Roti or Paranthas or even as a filling for sandwich.

Note: If you have store bought paneer, then soak it in hot water for 8-10 min before using it. It softens the paneer and improves texture.

Enjoy!

Gajar matar ki sabzi / carrot-peas vegetable

This is a classic from the winter menu at my home. The juicy red carrots and tender small peas were a tempting combination. It was served on the side with namkeen Khichda/Kheech ( salted porridges made from different grains). It could be eaten just with a normal chapati (Indian flatbread).

I had not made this veg in a long time, just because I did not find the right type of carrots. I usually get the orange/yellow ones in the markets here and many times they did not match up to the taste of the red ones. I was reminded of the recipe by my hubby, who wanted to eat this one. I tasted the carrot and thankfully it had a sweet flavor which is the USP of this recipe.
I decided to give it a try and I'm was pleased by the results ..:)

It brought back the cool winter memories of my home town. I know its nearly Holi (the festival of colours) time and here I'm writing the post for the departing winters.


Gajar- matar (For 2 people)
Ingredients
1. Carrot- 1 big, washed and cut into pieces (half moon shape)
2. Peas- shelled, 1/2 katori (fill a 100 ml bowl)
3. Oil- 10 ml approx (use less oil, if you are preparing in microwave)
4. Jeera (cumin seeds)- 1/2 tsp
5. Haldi (Turmeric powder)-1/4 tsp
6. Lal mirch (red chilly powder)-1/4 tsp
7. Dhaniya powder (coriander seeds powder)- 1 heaped tsp
8. Salt to taste

Method:
Take a kadhai/ wok and pour oil in it. Heat it up a bit.
Add jeera seeds and let them sizzle for 10-15 seconds. Add haldi followed by the carrots. Sauté the carrots for a while and add peas. Cook for about 30 seconds. You might need more time if your peas are not tender and small.
Add the remaining spices and mix well, so that spices coat the veggies.
Cover and adjust the heat to medium low. Cook for a few minutes. Keep turning in between. When the carrots become soft but not mushy, then your vegetable is ready.
Serve hot with Khichda, chapati or parantha.

Karela fry/ fried bitter gourd

Karela or bitter gourd is not a vegetable which I relish much. The reason is obvious; it's bitter. 

When I learnt this recipe from my mother-in-law and was expected to make it, I was a little apprehensive....but I'm so glad I tried. This preparation is marvelous (even though it's common in north India) as it removes the bitterness and brings out the flavor of Karela beautifully. Though it requires some pre-prepration, its a must try especially for those who don’t like bitter gourd.  

Pic

Ingredients
1. Karela/ bitter gourd - 6, small
2. Sarson oil/ Mustard oil (for frying)
3. Onion- 1 medium
4. Garlic-3
5. Ginger-1" piece
6. Green chillies- 2
7. Salt for marinating + for cooking
8. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
9. Coriander powder-3-4 tsp
10. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
11. A simple string 
Method
1. Wash the gourds thoroughly.
2. Make a slit in the middle and remove the seeds.
3. Fill in some salt and also rub salt on the outside thoroughly .
4. Keep overnight.
5. Make a coarse paste of onion, garlic, ginger & green-chillies.
6. Add the spices- salt, Red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder as per your taste to the paste. (Quite a lot of people fry this paste but I chose not to)
7. Wash the karelas thoroughly in order to remove all salt.
8. Fill them with thespice  paste and tie  with a string in order to close the opening firmly
9. Heat oil for frying.
10. Fry all the filled and tied karelas till they lose their green color and become brownish.
11. Serve as dry veg with roti (indian flatbread).

Kaddu ki sukhi sabzi (dry Pumpkin vegetable)

Life is full of learning opportunities. This is especially true where the culinary skills are concerned. Most of us have learned a lot from our mothers, but our mother in-laws have also been good teachers.
They introduce us to a very varied style of cooking. Foods which you barely ate are made in a such a way that they become a staple in your diet. One of the dishes which I have learnt from my mother in-law is a simple but fulfilling kaddu (pumpkin)vegetable.

Ingredients
1. Oil- 1Tbsp
2. Pumpkin diced- small
3. Methi dana (fenugreek seeds)- 1/4 tsp
4. Heeng (asafoetida)- a pinch
5. Haldi (turmeric powder)- 1/4 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Tomatoes- 1 medium sized
8. Onions- chopped, 3/4 cup
9. Green chillies- 1, chopped
10. Ginger - grated, 1 tsp
11. Sugar- 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp depending upon the hotness of chilli used
12. Red chilly powder- 1/4 tsp

Method
1. Heat oil.
2. Add methi dana, heeng and haldi in that order.
3. After 1 min or when methi dana starts to brown add onions, diced pumpkin, tomatoes, green chillies and ginger.
4. Cover and cook on a medium flame.
5. Add a little red chilly powder when it starts cooking.
6. When its almost done. Add half- one tsp of sugar and stir it.
7. It is done when pumpkin is fork tender and not totally mushed up.
8. Serve hot with chapati (Indian flatbread).

Enjoy!