Bharwa Turai

 

#turai #ridgegourd #bharwaturai #vegetablescookeddifferently #chatpatiturai #stuffedturai #stuffedvegetables

Ingredients: 2 turais (approx 200gm) peeled, 2 tbsp roasted groundnut powder, 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilly powder, 2 tsp dry mango powder or amchur, salt to taste, 1 tbsp oil, 3/4 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp garam masala

Preparation Time: 25 min (serves 4 as a side dish)

Recipe:

1. Slit the turai from center vertically, such that it remains intact (not cut in two halves). Now, cut 2 inch big pieces out of it (as shown in the picture). Keep aside.

2. In a mixer pot, add groundnut powder, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, chilly powder, amchur and salt. Ground it to a very fine mixture. The filling/ stuffing is ready.

3. Now, heat a wide mouth kadhai/ pan and add oil. Keep the gas at low. In the meantime, fill the stuffing in the open slits of turai pieces. Gently press it inside. You might have observed that we haven't used any specific binding agent like besan or maida or some liquid - the reason being turai has a high water content level to retain this stuffing. So not to worry about the mixture falling apart.

4. Add the sesame seeds to the oil. Once they splutter, add garam masala and a pinch of turmeric powder to give a good color to the outer skin of turai. Now, immediately place the stuffed pieces of turai in the kadhai. Speed matters or else garam masala would turn black and you may need to redo everything. If you are not very quick or confident, I would recommend to first place the stuffed turai and then add garam masala and turmeric powder.

5.  If any extra filling remains, liberally add it to the kadhai.

6. Now, keep the flame medium and sprinkle about 1 tsp of salt over the pieces evenly. Cover with lid. After 2- 3 minutes, check on the pieces. Turn them gently and cover again. Keep checking intermittently on them until they are cooked. They are cooked when a tooth pick/ or knife can be easily pierced through. 

7. Plate it by garnishing with coriander leaves and a dash of lemon juice. You may eat it cold as well coupled with dashmi or fulka or chapati!       

Stuffed capsicum

#capsicum #stuffed #bengalgram #besan #steamed #lessoily

Ingredients: 8-10 small (about an inch sized) capsicums, 2 heaped tbsp of bengal gram flour i.e. besan, 2 tbsp oil, 2-3 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 3 tsp dry mango powder or amchur, 1 tsp asafoetida, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp fennel seeds, 3-4 tsp sesame seeds, 2 tsp garam masala,  1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation Time: 25 min (serves 4-5)

Recipe:

1. In a pan, heat a tbsp of oil. Season it with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds and asafoetida. Upon cracking, add besan (flour) to this and mix well. Keep the gas flame at low to medium and stir the flour intermittently for 3-4 minutes

2. In the meantime, scoop out the crown and the inner seeds of the capsicums with a pointed knife and keep aside.

3. Check on the flour mixture on the gas. Add all the spices to it and salt to taste. Mix well. Sprinkle little water so that the mixture is soft and can be held together. Cover with a lid to allow cooking and mixing of spices thoroughly for a minute or so. Ensure that the gas flame is low. Switch off the gas later.

4. Check on the flour mixture by pressing it with your fingers. It should be easily binding. Now, divide this mixture in number of portions = number of capsicums. 

5. Stuff the capsicums with these portions each and keep aside.

6. In a shallow pan, add a tbsp of oil and heat on medium flame. Now, carefully place the stuffed capsicums in the pan. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and cover with a lid. After half a minute, remove the lid and toss/ turn the capsicums gently. Cover with lid and repeat the process every half a minute. This would result in even cooking of the capsicums. 

7. when the capsicums' skin gets wrinkles and color changes, insert a knife to check if cooked well. If the knife can be pierced through easily, then bingo, the capsicums are ready!

8. Plate the capsicums and garnish with coriander! You may sprinkle some chaat masala if you like to enhance the tangy taste.You need not re-heat it while serving.

Tips: Stuffed capsicums go best as a side dish with Kadhi, pulao, puran poli or dashmi.

Pasta chaat

 

#tangy #chat #pasta #differentpasta #crosscuisine #experiments #yummy

Ingredients: 4 cups of boiled (as directed) pasta, 1/2 tbsp oil, 2-3 tsp schezwan sauce (Ching's), 1 tbsp tamarind chutney (ready to use), handful of fresh peanuts, 2 cups water, salt to taste, zero number sev for garnishing  

Preparation Time: 10 min

Recipe:

 1. Heat a pan and add oil. To this, add the peanuts and saute for a minute on medium flame till they change color. Now add the schezwan sauce and saute well. To this immediately add the tamarind chutney and two cups of water. Add little salt to this and allow cooking for 3-4 minutes at low gas.

2. The mixture will thicken slightly and the sauce for the chaat is ready. Now, if the pasta is longer than an inch, then halve them. To the sauce, add the pasta and serve hot garnished with sev!

 

Turai chutney

#ridgegourd #gourd #chutney #drychutney

Ingredients: 1 cup of skin of ridge gourds (skin of approx 2 big ridge gourds), 2 garlic cloves, 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tbsp roasted (with skin removed) groundnuts, 1 green chilli,  10- 15 curry leaves

Preparation time: 10 min

Recipe :
1. In a mixer pot, add the skin of ridge gourd, green chilli, curry leaves, garlic clove and groundnuts.

2. In a small seasoning pan, heat the oil and add mustard and sesame seeds. Allow them to crackle.

3. Now add the grounded mixture to thw pan and stir well. Turn of the gas immediately and keep stirring continuously.  The hot pan is enough to make the chutney properly dry. Add salt to taste.

4. Mix it well and serve it with rotis or as a side dish with dals.

Mirchi vada

#bhajjiya #vada #mirchivada #nonfried #variety #snacks #monsoon_special #side dishes  

 

Ingredients: 6 big green chillis/ mirchis, 2 cups besan i.e. gram flour, 2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp red chillie powder, salt to taste, 2-3 tsp amchur or dried raw mango powder (you can use 2 tsp tamarind pulp instead), 2 tsp asafoetida, 2 tsp + 1/2 tbsp. oil, 1 tbsp. finely chopped onion and tomatoes each,  1 lemon  

 

Preparation time: 25 min

 

Recipe: 

 

1. Wash the chillies and dry them with a napkin. Make a vertical slit in each and keep aside.

 

2. In a bowl, add besan, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt to taste, amchur/ tamarind pulp, 2 tsp oil and asafoetida. Mix the ingredients with one hand first. Now add water, slowly to form a consistent paste that can be easily spread over the chillies (not very thick but easy to spread). Do not make it thin.

 

3. Now, cover the chillies with the paste by evenly applying the paste to each of the chilli. Stuff the remainder paste in each of the chillie proportionately.

 

4. In a steamer, grease it with oil and then place all the covered chillies there. Steam for 15 min approximately. The color of the mirchi as well as the covering would change. If not, allow steaming for some more time.

 

5. Now, heat 1/2 tbsp. oil in a non stick pan (shallow). place the steamed mirchis in the pan and on medium gas, stir fry the same for 3-4 min. Remove the vada's on a platter.

 

6. Mix the onion and tomato and add 2 pinches of red chilli powder and salt to taste. Mix it well. In the slits of the hot mirchi vadas, add this mixture and serve it with a dash of lemon juice!

 

Patra or Allu patra/ steamed colocasia

 

#side dishes #variety #patra #allu #arbi_k_paan #colacasia_leaves

 

Ingredients: 6 allu/ colocasia leaves, 2 cups besan i.e. gram flour, 2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp red chillie powder, salt to taste, 5 tsp amchur or dried raw mango powder (you can use 4 tsp tamarind pulp instead), 2 tsp asafoetida, 2 tsp + 1 tbsp. oil, 1 tbsp. sesame seeds, 2 tsp mustard seeds

 

Preparation time: 25 min

 

Recipe:

1. Wash the allu leaves properly and remove the stems. Keep them vertical to allow excess of water to drain off.

2. In a bowl, add besan, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt to taste, amchur/ tamarind pulp, 2 tsp oil and asafoetida. Mix the ingredients with one hand first. Now add water, slowly to form a consistent paste that can be easily spread over the leaves (not very thick but easy to spread). Do not make it thin.

3. Spread a leaf on platform with top (smooth) side up. Put a portion of the paste formed in step 2 on this leaf and spread out evenly either with a nylon spatula or your fingers. It should be a single layer only. Now place another leaf on top of this and spread some paste evenly on it. Roll the leaf starting from the point where it has two ends coming to the tapered point. Keep it aside. Repeat this process for the other 4 leaves as well.

 

4. Now, place the rolls in a steamer and steam them for 15 min. Check if the color of leaves has changed to dull green or not. If not, then allow steam cooking for a few more minutes. Then remove from the steamer and allow cooling.

 

5. Slice the roles with an angle to form patra or vadi or cakes of up to 3-4 mm thickness.

 

6. In the meantime, add 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and heat it for seasoning. Add mustard seeds and sesame seeds. Wait for half a minute until they all pop and turn light gold. Now add the sliced patras to this and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Mix it well. And keep them on low flame for 3-4 min. with intermittent stirring.

 

7. Team it with your menu or munch on as a tea- time snack!   

Shimla Mirch Besan/ Sukha Besan/ Capsicum dish

#shimlamirchbesan#sukhabesan

#capsicumdish

#besan#sidedishes#vegetables

Ingredients: 1 cup of squared cut capsicum (1.5 cm size), 2 cups besan or gram flour, 4 red dry chilli, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp asafoetida, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp dry mango/ amchur powder, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, 1 big tbsp oil

Preparation time: 20 min

Recipe:

1.       Heat a pan and add oil. Heat the oil for seasoning. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and asafoetida and red chillies.

2.       Add capsicum to this and sauté for 2-3 minutes till it changes color on medium gas.

3.       Add besan to this and parch at low gas for 2 minutes by continuously mixing the ingredients. Then turn the gas at medium flame and parch for another 2-3 minutes with continuous stirring till the besan color changes to golden. This will ensure that the besan will not taste raw or stick to the teeth.

4.       Now, add turmeric powder, amchur powder and salt. Mix well.

5.       Sprinkle half a cup of water in this and add sugar. Mix the mixture well and sprinkle some more water. Cover with lid and turn the gas low. Allow it to cook for 3 minutes or so.

6.       Remove the lid and check if the besan is cooked or not (check its stickiness in between fingers). If it sticks, then sprinkle some water (don’t add much water or else it will become damp, we are making a dry besan) and mix well. Do not cover with lid now. Allow it to cook on low gas for 5 minutes. Keep stirring intermittently. Leave it open in order to make it sukha/ dry.  

7.        The Sukha besan is ready.

Tips: Instead of amchur powder, you can as well use raw green tomato. One chopped tomato should be added along with capsicum and cooked. Fenugreek Leaves can also be used instead of capsicum to make methi besan.