Bell-pepper Potato and Onion dry vegetable (Shimla Mirch Aloo Sabzi)

This is a popular Indian recipe served with chapatis / rotis.Potato adds a unique taste to this vegetable and the aroma of capsicum and onions is sure to lure you.


Ingredients :-

• 2 Capsicums 
• 1 Potato
• 1 Large chopped onion 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
• 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 
• 1/2 tsp dry mango or amchur powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• Oil for cooking
• Salt to taste 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed

Method :-

• Wash Capsicum, Potato and Onion into vertical pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry onions it till it turns golden brown, take it out in a bowl.
• Repeat the same process with potatoes and keep it aside
• Add Cumin seeds to oil and let it splutter add chopped capsicum to this, sprinkle salt and turmeric powder on it.Stir it well and cook it covering with a lid for about 5 minutes till it becomes tender.
• Add fried onions and potatoes to this and stir it well.
• Add Dry Mango powder, red chili powder and coriander powder to this, mix it well and cook it for about 5 minutes
• Serve hot with Rotis.

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Palak Pratha (Spinach Bread)

Palak paratha recipe is a healthy variation of paratha.It is made with fresh Spinach leaves and whole wheat flour 
and can be served with curry, pickle or fresh yogurt.


Ingredients :-

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• Fresh spinach leaves finely chopped - 2 cups.
• oil or melted butter
• salt - 1/2 teaspoon.
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp.
• Green chili - 1 finely chopped
• asafotedia powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• lemon juice - 2 tablespoon
• water for forming dough.
• ginger finely chopped - 1 tablespoon

Method :-

• Wash Spinach leaves and chop it finely.
• In a bowl, add flour, salt,chopped spinach leaves,Cumin powder, green chili, asafotedia powder, 1 tablespoon of oil and Lemon juice.
• Add water little by little and from dough. Knead well, Cover and leave aside for 10 minutes
• Knead again and then make 6 round balls.
• Take each ball, dip in dry flour. Sprinkle a little flour on the board. Place the dough ball on it and roll out into a thick round.
• Heat girdle. Put the round on it. Cook for 5-8 seconds. turn again. apply little oil. 
• Cook on both the sides adding a little oil. Both the sides should have brown spots on them.
• Serve hot with any curry,pickle or yogurt.

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Fried Okra and Gram flour (Besan Bhindi Sabzi)

Ingredients :-

1. 500 gm bhindi
2. 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
3. 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
4. 2 teaspoon coriander powder
5. 5 tablespoon besan ( gram flour )
6. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
7. Oil for frying
8. Salt as per taste
9. 1/2 teaspoon amchur powder ( dry mango powder)
10. 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
11. 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
12. 1/4 teaspoon asafotedia powder

Method :-

1. Wash Bhindi and dry them off, divide it to lenghtwise sections.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except cumin seeds and asafotedia, to this add 1 tablespoon oil.
3. Add oil in a pan to this add cumin seeds and asafotedia, now add bhindi to this and stir it for a while, cover it with a lid for 2 minutes and let it cook.
4. Sprinkle the mixture in the bowl over bhindis, cover it with a lid for about 2 minutes.
5. Now open the lid and stir it and let it cook for about 10 minutes on a gentle flame.
6. Serve hot as a side dish with rice / chapati / rotis.

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Carrot Tomato Salad

This is a tasty salad recipe made from carrot and Tomatoes.


Ingredients :-

• 2 small carrots
• 1 tomato
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• green coriander for garnish
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon   cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon asafotedia
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• salt as per taste

Method :-

• Clean the carrots and shred it.
• Cut tomatoes into small pieces
• Add oil in a pan, once its heated up add cumin seeds and asafotedia.
• To this add curry leaves and green chilies
• Add carrot to this mixture and stir it for 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and stir it for about 1 minute, to this add sugar and salt.
• Garnish it with freshly cut coriander leaves.
• Add curry leaves and green chilies
Carrot

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Dates

Substitute dates for raisins when baking if you can.Dates are high in fiber and natural aspirin.

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Variety

Try not to eat the same foods all the time - variety adds interest.To check your variety quotient, see how colorful the fruits and vegetables are that you've piled in your grocery cart.

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Cheese

When you're choosing a cheese, remember that the words processed, product or cheese food mean it is not real cheese

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Bell pepper and Gram flour vegetable (shimla mirch and besan sabzi )

Shimla Mirch as it is called in Hindi or Bell Peppers in the West or Capsicum in India, Australia, Malaysia etc all mean the same vegetable which cooks in minutes and is used in a variety of dishes in everyday life from salads and soups to Paneer.

Ingredients :-

• 1 tablespoon besan ( gram flour)
• 1 tablespoon wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon jowar flour
• 4 medium sized Capsicum chopped into pieces
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
• 1/4 tablespoon heeng (asafotedia)
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• salt to taste

Method :- 

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and asafotedia, cook it for a minute.
• Add chopped capsicum, salt and turmeric to this mixture.Cover it and cook on a gentle flame for about 5 minutes, keep on stirring it in between.
• In a bowl mix gram flour , Jowar flour and wheat flour sprinkle this on the capsicum and cover it for about 2 minutes.
• Now open the lid and stir it well, to this add coriander powder, chilli powder, sesame seeds and sugar.
• Stir it well and cook it for about 5 minutes on a gentle flame.
• Enjoy it with chapatis.

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Raw Mango and Onion Chutney

This is a tasty tangy raw mango onion pickle (originally a Gujarati recipe ) which my mom always prepared in summers, its a must try :)

Ingredients :-

• 1/2 cup grated raw mango
• 1/2 cup grated onion
• 2 tbsp grated jaggery(gur) or 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 tsp black salt
• 1/4 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• salt to taste

Method :-

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Keep aside till the jaggery melts.
• Cover and keep refrigerate till required
• Serve the chutney with lunch everyday.This lasts for up to 3 days if refrigerated.

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French beans and Peas Sabzi

French beans with peas is one of my favorite Sabzi, it tastes wonderful with chapati an curd.following is the recipe for it. 

Ingredients :-

• French Beans 250 gms
• Boiled Peas-1 Cup
• 4-5 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• Cumin Seeds-1 tsp
• ginger 1 tsp finely shredded
• asafoetida (Heeng)1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder-1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
• Salt-To Taste
• Oil-1 tbsp

Method :-

• Wash and cut french beans into small pieces, boil it in pressure cooker for about 2 whistles.
• Heat the oil in the pan, to this add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger paste, asfotedia and garlic cloves.Fry it for 2 minutes.
• Add boiled french beans to this and cook it for about 5 minutes.
• Add turmeric, salt , red chilli powder and coriander powder, stir it properly and cook it for for 2 minutes.
• Add boiled peas to this, stir it and cover it with a lid and let it cook for about 10 minutes on a gentle flame.
• French beans and peas sabzi is ready, relish it with curd and chapati.

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Tomato Curry

This is a lovely simple dish to eat alongside some plain boiled rice or chapati.
Ingredients :-

• 4 tomatoes finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1/4 tablespoon of turmeric
• salt as per taste
• 2 tablespoon of jagerry powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon of oil

Method :-

• Heat the oil in a pan, add green chilli, garlic, ginger, bay leaf and cinamon saute it for a minute.
• Add mustard and cumin seeds to this mixture, fry it for a minute.
• To this add curry leaves and tomatoes and stir it for about 5 minutes.
• Add half cup of water, turmeric and salt.
•  Cook over a gentle heat for 20 mins until tomatoes have turned all pulpy.
• Add jaggery to this mixture.
• Cook it for 5 mins and keep on stirring it in between.

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Dalia Upma (Broken wheat upma )

This is a tasty and healthy recipe using dalia or broken wheat.This is a nutritious form of eating wheat as it is not refined and does not loose out on any of the nutrients that are present in whole wheat. It is a good source of the daily requirement of fiber and manganese in your food. 
Ingredients :-

• Broken Wheat Rava or Dalia- 1 cup
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 1/4 cup boiled peas
• Few Curry leaves
• 1 tablespoon Ghee
• 1 tablespoon Mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds
• 1 green chilli finely chooped
• Salt- to taste
• 1/2 table spoon turmeric powder.
• water 3 cups

Method :-

• In a pressure cooker add 1 tablespoon of Ghee and add dalia and roast it for 5 minutes,   then add 3 cups of water.Cook it for about three whistles.
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green Chilli and curry leave, cook it for about 1 minute.
• Add onion and fry till golden brown, now add turmeric powder and salt to this mixture.
• Add chopped tomatoes and boiled peas to this.
• Add the roasted Dalia to this and fry for about 5 minutes.
• Mix it well and fry for another couple of minutes.
• Dalia is ready.Serve hot and enjoy.

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Punjabi Kadhi (Gram-flour and yogurt curry)

Ingredients :-
For pakoras

• Gram flour (besan) 3/4 cup
• Onion , finely chopped 1 medium
• Ginger, grated 1 inch piece
• Carom seeds (ajwain) 1 teaspoon
• 1 green chilli finel chopped
• Salt to taste
• Oil to deep fry

For Kadhi

• Yogurt 1 cup
• Gram flour (besan) 2 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Oil 1 tablespoons
• Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 Green chilli finely chopped
• Ginger, chopped 1/2 inch piece
• 2 bay leaf

Method :-

• Mix all the ingredients for pakora, except oil, adding about half a cup of water
• Heat sufficient oil in a kadai, drop small portions of the besan mixture and deep fry till golden brown. 
• Drain and place on an absorbent paper and set aside.
• For kadhi, beat the  yogurt well add besan, turmeric powder, salt, fenugreek seeds and 3 cups of water and keep it for about 10 minutes.
• Heat the oil in pan, add bay leaf, cumin seeds and green chilli Stir-fry for half a minute.
• Add ginger and stir-fry for a minute. Add yogurt mixture. 
• Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add fried pakoras and continue to simmer for four to five minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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