Dahi Bhindi

Mor kulambu, Gujarathi Kadhi, Rajaasthani Kadhi, Dahi Bhindi! How many yoghurt based dishes and a lot similar in preparation! However twisting any of the above even a little, needs a name change!

I have adopted the dahi bhindi recipe from here. I guess I can blindly follow any recipe from this site and trust it will turn out fabulous!

To make this we need:

a tbsp coriander powder
a tsp cumin powder
2 tsp besan powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 1/2 cup think yogurt
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
few chillies (green should be good, i had to use red though :()
cumin and mustard seeds for tempering
200 gms of bhindi, washed and dry (Pat dry with a kitchen towel, cut them into big pieces and fry in a tsp of oil for 3-4 mins. I also added a little bit of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.. Leaves a nice aroma while frying)
1 big onion, chopped (The original recipe din't have this, Though I couldn't imagine this without onions, so...)

Method:

Heat some oil in a pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds, once the mustard seeds splutter, add the red chillies, onions, garlic and ginger and fry for a little bit.  Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and besan powder and fry for a while.. Just till it leaves aroma.. Add the prepared bhindi, fry for a few mins and add diluted yogurt. Adjust the seasoning and cook for 10-15 more mins.. Serve with piping hot rotis or rice!

Butternut Squash and Zucchini Fried Rice

This one is a perfect Lunch box recipe. I have used zucchini and butternut squash(Oh! I seem to have become a fan and regular eater of butternut squash! what to do. It is firm.. or soft.. or mushy.., depending on how long I leave it on the stove, and every time it turns out perfect and tastes so good and blends well with everything!). Its very quick and easy to make too! Cooking rice is in fact the most time consuming part in this preparation.

Zucchini and Butternut squash can be substituted with any available veggies, But of course, I cannot guarantee that they will not be look spoilers! 

Zucchini and Buttercup fried rice with Beetroot Raitha..

To make this we need:

1 tbsp butter

salt and olive oil as required

A tbsp of Light soy sauce

chopped butternut squash and Zucchini
Julienne onions and some shallots

few garlic cloves, chopped

slit green chillies and black pepper as required

cooked rice 3 cups

A Closer look of the fried rice!

Heat a pan and splash in some olive oil and butter. Fry the onions, shallots (Yes, don' even bother about tempering, remember this is not a traditional dish? ;)) chillies and garlic and add in the chopped veggies. add in the soy sauce and cook till the veggies are done. add the black pepper and mix with cooked rice. 
And, Voila we are ready to serve! I did with some beetroot raitha.


Beet root raitha recipe: Mix a cup of grated beets with curd, salt and black pepper powder as required.


Do not miss out the butter and soy sauce. Essential for the flavor!

Passion Fruit!

Malaysian Veg curry

I had been eating out in Malaysian and Thai recipes quite a few times in the past weeks/months and that inspired me to try this one. Especially I love the Pad see ew jay, Pad Thai jay and Thai green curry, besides this Malaysian veg curry. Original recipe can be found here


I should first mention that its not very authentic. I had to twist the original recipe to make it completely vegetarian and suit the available ingredients.


To make this we need:


To Grind:


Onion -  1 whole big onion, roughly chopped
few mint leaves
turmeric powder
red chillies according to taste, 1/4 cup chopped squash
2 green chillies
a tbsp of garam masala, 1 tbsp coriander powder, salt as needed
ginger - little more than what we normally use
Garlic - few cloves
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp black pepper powder


along with oil and usual tempering ingredients


And vegetables: 2 cups of Soy chunks, mushrooms, carrots, butternut squash, all chopped and combined

Grind all the ingredients together to make a fine paste. Heat a pan with some oil and add the paste. Keep stirring till the oil separates, this might take a while. Then add all the chopped vegetables and also the coconut milk and some water. adjust the seasoning and cook till the veggies become soft and cooked.


This goes very well with steamed Jasmine rice!