Palakoora pappu or Indian spinach gravy

Quick, easy and tasty approach to make palakoora pappu or spinach thavve

Ingredients -

1. Frozen spinach 2 cups ( washed and ready to use)
2. Toor dal / khandhi pappu - 3/4 cup
3. Onion - 1/2 chopped
4. Green chillies - 2 or 3 depending on spice level (finely chopped)
5. Tamarind paste - 1 tablespoon
6. Ginger - 1/2 inch finely chopped
7. Garlic cloves - 2 finely chopped
8. Cilantro - 1/4 bunch
9. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Salt as needed
11. Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
12. Ghee - 2 tablespoons
13. Asofaetida - pinch
14. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
15. Cumin/Jeera - 1 teaspoon
16. Curry leaves - 6
17. Water - 2 cups

Method -

1. Clean toor dal thoroughly with water.
2. In a pressure cooker, add toor dal, water, spinach, onions, green chillies, ginger,galic,tamarind paste,turmeric, salt,red chilli powder and cilantro. Mix well and add 2 drops of ghee before the lid is closed.
3. Place the cooker on the stove and cook for 3 whistles.
4. Once the steam has evaporated, add the seasoning.
5. For seasoning, heat the ghee, add asofaetida,mustard,cumin,curry leaves and as they splutter, add the seasoning to the pappu in the cooker.

Enjoy the quick and easy pappu with rice or roti !

Bendakaya vepudu / Bhindi Fry / Bendekaayi Palya

Ingredients -

1. Okra - 1 Kg
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Olive Oil - 2 table spoons
4. Mustard - 1 tea spoon
5. Cumin/Jeera - 1 tea spoon
6. Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 1/4 bunch
7. Curry leaves - 6
8. Red chilli powder - 1 tea spoon
9. Turmeric - a pinch or 1/4 tea spoon
10. Salt as needed
11. Asofaetida - a pinch

Method -

1. Heat the oil in a wide non-stick pan ( I emphasize on a wide pan as the taste and texture varies with the steam and moisture)
2. Add asofaetida, mustard, cumin and as they splutter, add curry leaves
3. Ensure that the spices do not get charred. Add finely chopped onions.
4. Once the onions turn brown, add the cut okra to the mixture.
5. Using a spatula, keep frying the vegetable to remove the sticky nature of the okra pieces.
6. After 5 minutes, close the lid of the pan and let it cook for 15 minutes. Keep stirring in between every 5 minutes to avoid charring. Closing the lid is important to retain the moisture of the okra pieces.
7. Once the okra pieces are well fried and cooked, add turmeric, salt, chilli powder and coriander leaves, mix thoroughly and close the lid for 5 minutes.
8. Stir the mixture again and close the lid for 5 more minutes.
9. Switch off the heat and let it remain closed for 10 minutes before you serve.

The perfect taste of this curry is achieved by balancing the frying and cooking methods.
Okra is rich in Vitamin K and is known to be essential for the synthesis of the sphingolipids, and therefore proper brain and nervous function.

Serves taste and nutrition !

Spinach fry

Ingredients:

1. Organic triple-washed baby spinach leaves - 2 cups
2. Extra virgin olive oil - 2 table spoons
3. Garlic Cloves - 4(nicely chopped)
4. Salt - a pinch
5. Green chillies - 1(nicely chopped0

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan
2. Add green chillies and Garlic and fry till the garlic pieces turn golden brown
3. Add spinach and fry in the mixture for 2 minutes..
4. Close the lid of the pan, reduce the heat and let the spinach cook for 3-5 minutes.
5. Ensure to stir the spinach fry to prevent burning.
6. Add a pinch of salt and a tea spoon of lemon juice(optional)

Enjoy the healthy spinach fry with hot rice or bread.

Indo-American salad

Owing to my husband's taste in Lemon, cilantro and mint , I thought of preparing a yummy yet healthy dinner tonight. Outcome is this delicious salad which I thought would post on my blog.

Needed:
1. Beetroot - 1
2. Shredded carrot - 1/4 cup
3. Spinach - 1/2 cup
4. Bean sprouts - 1/2 cup
5. Red capsicum - 1/2
6. Cashew - 6
7. Raisins - 6
8. Onion -1/2
9. Mint leaves - 4
10. Cilantro / Coriander - 2 strands
11. Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons
12. Salt - 1/2 tablespoon
13. Sugar - 1/2 tablespoon
14. Thousand island ranch - 2 tablespoons
15. Olive oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:
1. Fry cashew, raisins, onion and red capsicum in olive oil till they turn brown.
2. Boil spinach in 1/4 cup water for ten minutes, drain and keep it aside.
3. Cut beet root into small cubes and boil in 1/2 cup water mixed with salt and sugar till the beet gets soft.
4. Add roasted capsicum, spinach, beet, onions, cashews and raisins to a big bowl. To this mixture add shredded carrots, sprouts, chopped Ming leaves, cilantro, lemon juice and ranch, mix all the contents gently without smashing to retain salad texture.
5. Add salt and pepper as desired to get the required taste.

I served the above salad with some boiled eggs and there goes my healthy recipe.

Jowar Roti or Joladha rotti

Ingredients

1. Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
2. Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1 table spoon
4. Cilantro or coriander - 1/2 bunch (coarsely chopped)
5. Butter - 2 table spoons
6. salt as needed
7. Jowar flour - 1 cup
8. Oil as needed.

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in jowar flour and knead into dough.
2. Use milk, water and ghee to knead the dough
3. Make 4 balls out of the dough.
4. On a tawa, press the dough ball flat into a roti using your hands.
5. Immerse your hands in water to softly spread the dough ball. Make a hole in the center to facilitate equal heating of the roti.
6. Add half a tea spoon of oil around the roti and place the tawa on the stove with closed lid.
7. After a minute, turn the roti and heat it without the lid.
8. Switch off the stove after a minute or two, let the tawa cool down and repeat the process for other dough balls.
9. Serve rotis with curd.

Majjige huLi

    

Ingredients

1. Chana dal - 1/2 cup
2. Coriander seeds - 5 table spoons
3. Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon
4. Ginger - 1/4" piece
5. Coriander or Cilantro - 5 strands
6. Coconut - 1/4 cup
7. Green chillies - 3
8. Chayote Squash or seeme badnekai - 1
9. Butter milk - 1 cup
10. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
11. Asafoetida - a pinch
12. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
13. oil - 1 table spoon
14. Salt - 1/2 table spoon or as needed

Method

1. Soak chana dal in water for 30 minutes
2. After 30 minutes, drain the chana dal, add coriander seeds, cumin, ginger, cilantro, coconut, green chillies and chana dal into a blender and grind into a fine paste
3. Cut chayote squash into tiny cubes and boil them in water.
4. Add turmeric and 1/4 tablespoon salt to the boiling vegetable.
5. Once cooked, add the grinded paste to the vegetable, keep stirring.
6. Add another 1/4 tablespoon salt and churned buttermilk.
7. Keep stirring for 5 minutes while it cooks.
8. Switch off the stove.
9. In a saucepan, take oil and add mustard seeds, as they splutter, add asafoetida.
10. Add this seasoning to the dish and close the lid.
11. Leave it with closed lid for 15 minutes to enjoy the flavors.

Badam Kheer, Almond payasam

Ingredients

1. Almonds or Badam - 1 cup
2. Milk - 4 cups
3. Sugar - 1 to 2  cups as needed
4. Saffron - 1/2 tea spoon
5. Water - 2 cups

Method

1. Soak saffron in cold milk and keep it aside.
2. Boil the water, turn off the stove, soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour.
3. Drain the almonds from hot water, peel the skin and grind into a fine paste using 1 cup of milk
4. Measure the almond paste and keep the same amount of sugar aside.
5. Cook the almond paste for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. As the flavor comes out, add the rest of the milk, sugar, saffron milk and stir for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Switch off the stove and place in the refrigerator.
8. Serve it cold to enjoy the flavors.