Onion, cucumber, tomato raita

All of us know how effective yoghurt is in fighting the summer heat.  And as we move towards summers I’d like to share a recipe that will help you beat the summer heat to some extent with ingredients such as cucumber, onion, mint and fresh coriander – a combination that is sure to help you protect yourself and your loved ones from heat wave.

Ingredients:

125 ml                  Yoghurt (dahi)

¼                            Cucumber (finely chopped)

1 small                  Tomato (finely chopped)

1 small                  Onion (finely chopped)

1 small                  green chilli (optional) (finely chopped)

Salt (according to test)

1 pinch                 Red chili powder

¼ Tsp.                   Mint powder

¼ Tsp.                   Cumin powder

10 gms                 Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)

Water

Procedure:

1. Take yoghurt and beat it into a thin mix.  Add a little water.
2. Add salt, red chili powder, mint powder and cumin powder.
3. Add finely chopped cucumber, tomato, onion and chilli and mix.
4. Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander.

You can add other vegetables such as finely chopped carrots or capsicum.

Serve as a side-dish with rice-dal, pulao, puris or chappatis. 

Wadi Chawal (Rice with spicy nuggets made of lentils)

I love wadis and like many Punjabis nothing can beat those from Amritsar or as we lovingly call them Amritsari Wadis.  A wadi is made of Urad Dal (Maanh ki daal) and spices. 

Today I’m going to share a recipe that I make when I’m really tired or don’t feel like cooking or really hungry and have forgotten to cook or…

A wadi is quite spicy so there is actually no need to add any spice, so if you can’t handle a really spicy fare, please limit yourself to just salt and don’t add the optional ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 Tsp               Cumin (Jeera)

1 Table spoon Sunflower oil              

1 1/2                Wadi

20 gms.           Rice 

1 medium        Onion or Shallot (cut length-wise)

1 small pc.       Ginger (cut in small cubes)

2-3                  Whole red chillies (optional)

Salt (according to taste)

Red chillies (according to taste) (optional)

Water

250 ml Oil

Procedure:

1.                  Wash rice well and let it soak for 10-15 minutes.

2.                  Heat oil and add wadi to it. 

3.                  Heat till it is light brown.  Add cumin and red chillies.  

4.                  Lower the gas flame.

5.                  When the cumin starts spluttering, add ginger. 

6.                  When the ginger is somewhat red, add onion.

7.                  When Onion is cooked (not brown), add rice and cover it with water.

8.                  Put enough water so that it doesn’t stick at the bottom of the  pot.

9.                  Let it cook for approximately 15 minutes.

10.              You can break the wadi once cooked.

11.              Serve with plain yoghurt or raita or Dahi Pakodiyaan.

Personally, I love the spicy version and for me, this combination is a healthy wholesome meal but it’s all a matter of taste.  I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Bon appetit!

Simply delicious potatoes - chaTapaTey aaloo

Potatoes… how we love to hate this veggie!  We, especially Indians, put them in several vegetables and then complain how we hate to do it because these make us obese, etc.  French fries, country potatoes, aaloo bhaja, aaloo bonDaa, aaloo Tikki… and we’ve not yet heard the end of this potato debate.  I’ll let those interested in talking talk and share another delicious potato recipe with you… many of you must have already tried it so it is just a ready reminder if you are still trying to think of a recipe that you'd like to cook this afternoon or evening.

Ingredients:

4-5 medium           Potatoes (boiled, peeled and cut into small cubes)
Salt (according to taste)
1 pinch                  Red chilli powder (according to taste)
¼ Tsp.                   Turmeric powder
1 Tb. Sp.               Sunflower Oil
1 Tsp.                    Cumin (jeera) 
1 Tsp.                    Coriander seeds (dhania)
1 pinch                  Asafoetida (hing)
1 Tb. Sp.               Garam masala powder
1 Tsp.                    Amchoor powder (powder made of dried unripe mangoes)

Procedure:

1.                   Heat oil.

2.                   Add cumin and coriander seeds.

3.                   When they start spluttering, add asafoetida, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric
             powder and mix well.

4.                   Add garam masala and amchoor powder.
5.                   Mix well.
6.                   Add boiled potatoes that you’ve already peeled and cut in small cubes.

7.                   Mix well.

8.                   Let it cook at low flame for approximately 5 minutes.

Serve as a side dish with chapattis, rice or poories.

This easy recipe is excellent if guests come uninvited and without informing (quite a few of us have gone through this experience). 

This dish can be eaten during Navaratri by those who avoid onions, etc., during this period.
These potatoes can be used in other ways that I’ll share with you soon.

Meanwhile, have a lovely potato day J

Simply delicious

The other day I bought some precooked frozen vegetables.  These had been advertised as Chinese wok-style vegetables and were so tasteless that I didn't know what to do.  I didn't want to throw it all.  And I was actually considering that when I had an idea and as it turned out this simple idea saved the day for me. 

The vegetables were finely cut and I think that they hadn't added anything.  I guess some supermarket giants think that we vegetarians will eat anything.  Please note that this is not the case and we do deserve well cooked food.  And if you are like me and can't eat anything that's bland and tasteless, here's what I did to make it eatable.

Ingredients:

1 cup   Precooked frozen vegetables (finely chopped)

1 Tsp   Mustard seeds

2          Whole red chillies

Curry leaves

Oil

Salt (according to taste, please taste the precooked vegetables and adjust accordingly)

4 Tsp   Grated Coconut

Procedure

Heat oil in a pan.

Add mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. 

Add Salt and mix.

Add Grated coconut and mix.  Lower the flame.

Add precooked frozen vegetables, mix.  Cover and leave for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with rice and lentils.

It took me 5-6 minutes and I didn't have to throw the whole thing out and had a delicious meal.  I hope that you'll enjoy this recipe.