PANEER MAKHANWALA (RESTAURANT STYLE)-BUTTER FRIED COTTAGE CHEESE IN A TOMATO GRAVY INFUSED WITH WHOLE AND POWDERED SPICES

PANEER MAKHANWALA (RESTAURANT STYLE)-BUTTER FRIED COTTAGE CHEESE IN A TOMATO GRAVY INFUSED WITH WHOLE AND POWDERED SPICES

Paneer Makhanwalla is known as Makhanwalla because not only butter also known as Makhan is used in this dish but also the gravy is creamy due to the addition of the fresh cream. My Punjabi neighbor told me that traditionally they didn’t use onions in the dish, but since my recipe is restaurant style, I thought I will go all the way and indulge in the onions which will add extra flavor to the dish. Although popularly thought of as a Punjabi dish, this dish is actually classified as a Mughlai dish as it is very rich with fresh cream and is a gift from the Mughals who invaded and ruled India. This dish is usually considered mild, as the fresh cream makes the dish mild and tones down the spice of the masalas. This is a hot favorite among Westerners who absolutely love this dish. The blend of the tomato puree, the fresh whole spices, the powdered spices and the fresh cream is a delight to anyone’s palate. This dish is usually eaten with Indian Breads (Roti’s, fulkas, parathas or naans) but my daughter loves this with Rice. She absolutely relishes the Jeera rice and Panner Makhanwalla combo. I guess kids enjoy it because it’s mild and creamy.

Ingredients

Paneer - 250 gms (cut into cubes of 1 inch each)

Grated paneer or cheese - 1/2 tbsp

Tomato Puree – 200gms

Fresh cream – 200 gms 

Butter -1-2 tbsps

Onion - 1

Ginger paste -1 tsp

Garlic paste-1 tsp (optional, I don’t use garlic in my cooking, so I avoid it)

Bay Leaf - 1

Cinnamon (Dalcheeni) - 1" stick

Big cardamom black (Badi elaichi ) - 1

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 2

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Dried fenugreek leaves powder (Kasuri methi powder) - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Fresh Green Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1/2 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Method

For the paneer

I used frozen paneer in this dish and I usually soak them in some hot water for about 15-20 minutes until they become soft like fresh paneer and drain the water after a while through a colander.

For the tomato puree

You can either use 3 big red, ripe tomatoes and make a puree in the blender. I have used the tomato puree from the can as they have a deep red color and I usually stock a few cans in the case of an emergency.

Grind the Onions, ginger and garlic(optional) to a paste.

In a Wok (Kadhai), add 2 tbsps of butter, lightly sauté the paneer and keep aside. The reason we sauté the paneer lightly in butter is to make it tough and not so easy to crumble inside the gravy.

In the same oil add the Bay Leaf, Cinnamon stick, Badi elaichi, Cardamom, Cloves and the cumin seeds. When the cumin gets fried. Add in the onion-ginger-garlic paste. After about 2 minutes, add in the tomato puree, let ir fry well for another 2-3 minutes with the onion paste, Now add in the Kasuri methi powder, Garam masala, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Turmeric powder and Red chilli powder, mix well and fry until you see the oil come out of the masala. This is the indication that the masala is done. The masala should be cooked otherwise  the dish will have a raw masala smell. Now add 2 cups of water. Let it simmer on a low flame for about 5-7 minutes and let all the spices get marinated in the sauce.

If you feel you need more gravy add more water at this point, let it come to one boil then, add the lightly butter sautéd paneer pieces and with a light hand just mix well. Don’t use a heavy hand else you may break the paneer and it will get very crumbled. After about 5 minutes of cooking. Don’t over cook the paneer.  Add the fresh cream and cook for just 2 minutes till one boil appears. Put off the gas, remove the flame. Garnish with Freshly chopped green coriander leaves and grated paneer. You can also decorate the dish by dropping fresh cream in a pattern as a dressing like they do in restaurants.

Serve hot with Roti’s, fulkas, parathas or naans. Enjoy the Paneer Makhanwalla. 

ALOO BAINGAN (POTATOES & AUBERGINE CURRY)

ALOO BAINGAN (POTATOES & AUBERGINE CURRY)

This dish has some fond memories for me. Especially because I used to never like baingan(aubergine/eggplant), but baingan combined with aloo is truly awesome and likeable. This dish never forgets to remind me of the movie, “Sparsh” where Naseeruddin Shah played the role of a blind man and did such a wonderfully convincing act of it. He is an actor par excellence. The scene of the hostel where the blind kids sing, “ Hai re kaisi uljhan, fir se aloo baingan”.  I had made even a comic strip on this, a few years ago.

Click on the comic strip to see the larger picture.

Aloo Baingan

Ingredients

Aubergines (Eggplants/Brinjals) – ½ kilo

Potatoes – 1 big

Onion – 1

Tomatoes – 1

Mustard – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Dry Mango powder (Amchoor powder) – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

De-stem the aubergines, Chop them into cubes and let them soak in warm water with some salt and turmeric for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into cubes. Chop the onions and tomatoes as well. Keep aside. Now the drain the water off the aubergines and rinse well.

In a wok, Add one tbsp oil, add the mustard seeds & cumin seeds, when the mustard starts to splutter. Add the onions, when the onions become transparent, add in the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft, then add the potatoes and the aubergine cubes and mix well, now add the chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafetida, amchoor powder and salt as per taste. Mix everything well, cover with a lid and cook on a low flame. After every 5 minutes give it a stir, you will see that the vegetables have become moist. Always allow it to cook in its own juices. If you see that there is no water, add a bit and cook covered on a low flame. After about 10 minutes you will notice that the potatoes are cooked, check if cooked with a spoon, if not wait until the potatoes are cooked. Aubergines usually get cooked quite fast. Once it is done, serve hot with chappatis or u can have it with dal and rice. Enjoy the Aloo baingan.

Vegetable Lemon Garlic Clear Soup | Light & Refreshing Asian Style Soup Recipe

Vegetable Lemon Garlic Clear Soup

A light, comforting bowl filled with freshness, warmth and beautiful flavours.

There are certain dishes that instantly remind us of family outings and cozy restaurant dinners, and for us, this soup is exactly that. This happens to be my husband Yo’s absolute favourite soup, and without fail, he orders it every single time we visit our favourite restaurants. Over the years, my two little princesses also became huge soup lovers, and watching them happily sip spoon after spoon always made me want to recreate this comforting bowl at home.

The challenge was — I never quite knew how to make it.

So one day, while sitting at the restaurant with a steaming bowl in front of me, I decided to do what every passionate home cook secretly does — taste slowly and carefully, trying to identify every ingredient and flavour, almost like those contestants in MasterChef trying to decode a mystery dish.

A little garlic here… a hint of lemon there… the delicate crunch of vegetables… the subtle warmth of pepper…

And that was how this Vegetable Lemon Garlic Clear Soup was born in my kitchen.

This soup is a beautiful cross between a classic Chinese clear vegetable soup and a refreshing lemon garlic soup. Unlike thick creamy soups, this one is wonderfully light, clean and refreshing. The citrusy tang of lemon paired with crunchy colourful vegetables makes it not only visually beautiful but also incredibly soothing and comforting.

Perfect for rainy evenings, lazy dinners, or even when you simply want something warm yet light on the stomach.

Ingredients

• Onion – 1
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Ginger – ¼ inch piece
• Chilli padi – 1 small red chilli (1–2 according to taste)
• Carrot – 1, thinly sliced into rectangles
• Broccoli – ½ cup florets
• Baby corn – 2 pieces
• White tofu (soup tofu) – a few slices, thinly sliced
• Green cabbage – a few leaves, thinly sliced
• Celery – ½ stick, thinly sliced
• Leek – 1, thinly sliced
• Lemon – 1 large
• Parsley – 2 tbsp, chopped
• Dill – 2 tbsp, chopped
• Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp, chopped
• Cumin powder – ¼ tsp
• Freshly ground black pepper – ¼ tsp
• Soya sauce – ½ tsp
• Corn flour – 2 tsp
• Vegetable oil – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste

Method

Dice the onion. Mince the ginger very finely and crush the garlic gently with the back of a knife before chopping it finely. Chop the red chilli padi finely.

Slice and prepare all the vegetables and tofu as mentioned above in the ingredients list.

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the ginger, garlic and chopped chilli padi along with a little salt. Stir fry gently for a couple of minutes until the beautiful aroma of ginger and garlic begins to infuse into the oil.

Now add the onions and sauté till translucent.

Next, add all the vegetables along with the tofu and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add the soya sauce at this stage and mix well.

Pour in about 2 cups of water and allow the soup to come to a gentle boil.

By now, the vegetables should be only half cooked and still slightly crunchy. This is very important because it helps the vegetables retain their vibrant colours and gives the soup a lovely fresh texture.

Mix the corn flour with a little water, ensuring there are no lumps, and slowly add it to the soup while stirring continuously.

Add the cumin powder and freshly ground black pepper. Let the soup simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

Finally, add the chopped parsley, dill and coriander leaves and switch off the heat.

Now squeeze in the fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt or spice if required.

The lemon gives the soup an incredibly refreshing flavour and beautifully balances the warmth of the garlic and pepper.

Since this soup uses vegetables of different colours, it looks bright, cheerful and appealing — especially for children. A final dash of freshly ground pepper on top makes it even more comforting.

Serve steaming hot.

This soup tastes wonderful on its own, but you can also pair it with crispy garlic bread, toasted baguette slices or even simple fried rice for a wholesome meal.

#SukanyasMusings #LemonGarlicSoup #ClearSoup #VegetableSoup #HealthySoup #AsianSoup #ComfortFood #SoupLovers #HomemadeSoup #LightDinner #VegetarianSoup #HealthyRecipes #FoodBloggers #SoupRecipe #SingaporeFoodBlogger

A TRIP TO SEREMBAN

I am introducing another new segment in my blog - A vegetarian gourmet travelogue. This will cover all the places I have visited & will be visiting and where and how to find vegetarian food there.

Being a vegetarian and traveling has never been easy. But it’s not fun to cook when you are traveling.

A TRIP TO SEREMBAN

I decided to accompany my husband (Yo) for a trip to Seremban since it was our wedding anniversary and he was traveling for work and we wanted to be together to celebrate our 10^th wedding anniversary which is a not to be missed milestone for us.

About Seremban

Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan.

Seremban is situated about 30 kilometres inland from the coast. It is in the Linggi River valley, at the foothills of the Titiwangsa Range. The terrain is generally hilly, and the soil is mostly reddish laterite soil, suitable for the cultivation of rubber and palm oil, thus making Seremban the agricultural centre for the state.

Since the establishment of Seremban, the Linggi River has played an important role in the development of the town.

During the boom period of tin mining, the Linggi River was the major transportation route for tin traders. Today, it is one of the major sources of water for Seremban and Negeri Sembilan.

Transportation

Negeri Sembilan is one of the two states in Malaysia that are not accessible via air transportation (Perlis being the other state). However the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is less than a 30 minutes drive from Seremban, essentially making the airport closer to Seremban rather than Kuala Lumpur.

Weather

The climate of Seremban, like most parts of West Malaysia, is generally hot and humid (tropical) with a mean temperature of about 27-30 degrees Celsius. Most rainfall is experienced during the inter-monsoon periods of April and October. The weather remains generally dry for the rest of the year with occasional showers.

Economy

The state, which been home to a number of multinationals from Japan, South Korea, the United States and the European Union. The manufacturing sector today forms the backbone of the state economy, contributing almost half of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), followed by services and tourism (40.3%), agriculture (6%), construction (2.2%) and mining (0.3%).

Shopping

Jusco Seremban 2, one of the premier shopping destinations in the town was the only outlet operated in the state. Besides this there are many shopping outlets are concentrated in town centre. Wisma Punca Emas, KM Plaza, Parkson Seremban Parade, The Store, Terminal 1 and Era Square, Giant Hypermarket, Tesco Extra, Econsave and Carrefour.

Apart from shopping complexes, Seremban has designated numerous zones in the city to market locally manufactured products such as antiques, textiles, fabrics and handicrafts.

Cuisine

Seremban is famous for its special delicacies comprising Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisine. There’s not much of vegetarian food available is what I thought, but I was surprised to find an Indian pure vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Seremban city. The name of this restaurant was Vasantha Bhavan.

VASANTHA BHAVAN

Speciality: Srilankan & Indian Vegetarian Food

Landmark: The location is opposite peoples' square or city square in town center, neighbour is Chevrolet car shop,

It’s a bit difficult to find, VB is the one with yellow signboard in between car and bike.

Parking: You can park car at behind, approximately 150 meters walk able distance from Carlton Star Hotel.

Menu: The menu of Vasantha Bhavan has many Indian vegetarian dishes and many varieties of beverages.

While I was waiting for my order, I saw many Seremban locals (Indian and Chinese) come and take away food.

The staffs are very friendly I spoke to the guys working there and they told me that it is the only Indian vegetarian restaurant in Seremban and it’s popular because they serve mock meat and food with local flavors in it other than the traditional Indian dishes.

There is a fair amount of Indian population in Seremban, “that” coupled with the fact that tourists like us who visit this restaurant is what keeps it running is what the friendly waiter told me.

I asked them if they provide delivery to the hotels nearby. They said as of now they don’t provide any deliveries.

The food was fresh, the prices were very reasonable, the ambience simple & practical with some wooden table and chairs and some colored plastic chairs.

My husband Yo ordered a Masala Thosai RM 2.50 only and it was very yummy.

The royal Bintan Hotel

ROYAL BINTANG HOTEL

We stayed at the Royal Bintang Hotel which is a 4 star hotel and suggested as one of the best in Seremban. The city and national train station was just a 15 minute walk away. It overlooks the beautiful and serene view of the Seremban Lake Gardens.

Beautiful view from our room

Seremban is the centre of the Minangkabau culture in Malaysia. Minangkabau, derived from the Malay word menang kerbau, which means "winning buffalo", are famous for their unique roof architecture which resembles buffalo horns.

A view of the lake at night from our room

A walk by the lake in the late evening

The lake at night

What I liked about the place was the friendly & helpful staff and the free wi-fi that they provided, which kept me occupied while my husband was working.

Breakfast- We were provided complimentary breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast is a buffet, with a mix of Western and Asian dishes. There aren’t much of vegetarian dishes available, but when I made a request the chef was kind enough to rustle up some vegetarian noodles without egg (please mention not to add in eggs if you don’t eat eggs)

The restaurant also serves a buffet dinner. The hotel has a well stocked bar with a band of Filipino singers crooning some very melodious songs and also sing songs on request providing a soothing ambience. All the staffs were friendly and helpful. The hotel is only a few minutes walk into the town.

Word of caution- Be alert with your handbags or personal belongings if you go for a walk in the late evening, the hotel staff warned me about a gang of purse snatchers on a motorcycle (bike) operating in the city.

Lunch /Dinner – On request the chef can cook for you vegetarian noodles or fried rice.

SHAN KAFE VEGETARIAN CUISINE   

317, Jalan S2 B13, Uptown Avenue, Seremban 2  +606-6017424

Chinese, Take-out

SEREMBAN RED TEA GARDEN SDN. BHD. (紅茶园素食店)

AddressNo 2-D Jalan Temiang, 70200 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Telephone(60) 06 7670887

Chinese vegetarian

FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS

There are a lot of fast food restaurants like McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut etc. You can order for burger minus the meat patties, French fries, potato wedges etc or a freshly baked huge vegetarian Pizza with fresh ingredients.

Who says you can’t be a vegetarian when you are traveling. If there is a will there is a way.

I stayed for 2 days in Seremban and enjoyed the Malaysian hospitality and also indulged in some luxuries which I would love to mention about. While you are in Malaysia in a manicure, pedicure – A special mention to the Doctor Soho’s foot spa which was the best foot spa I ever had. My feet felt like that of a baby, supersoft, I couldn’t help touching my feet and enjoying the softness.

Yo and me also called for the in house masseuse @ Royal Bintang who was a specialist in cracking sprains in your body. The massage was pretty painful, but after it was done you felt very free and relaxed.

Myself and Yo also got a facial done at the Inner Sense Beauty & Wellness Spa at Jusco Seremban 2, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan(this is something most tourists don’t miss). This place is very crowded.

I also got a hair treatment at the Loreal parlor. All these royal indulgences were priced very reasonably.

Stay safe

Seremban is a pretty safe town to travel to. Crime rate is amongst the lowest in Malaysia. Just take the usual precautions when travelling to any town/city: avoid carrying large amounts of cash, wearing excessive jewellery & leaving valuables visible inside one's vehicle

Day 3 - I was off to Kuala Lumpur (KL) one of my favorite places to visit. I went by Taxi and the hotel staff warned me that since I was traveling alone, I must take a taxi from the hotel and chose a driver with the cab company which has its booth at the hotel, as the driver would register all their details with the hotel before they pick up the passenger. The staff also advised me to preferably travel during the daytime. I preferred to listen to them. I left in the afternoon and Yo joined me after work. He took the train to KL and said it was great and light on his pocket as well. I am going to try the train the next time too.

Bye!!! Seremban – I would love to come back here again!!!!!!

COOL CUCUMBER & SWEET PINEAPPLE RAITA (YOGURT)

COOL CUCUMBER & SWEET PINEAPPLE RAITA (YOGURT)

I am not a raita fan but Yo (my husband) likes raita. One such day when I was cooking up a storm for him, I decided to make a special raita for him. Everybody makes a cucumber raita or a pineapple raita. I thought why not combine the two. And lo and behold we had such a refreshing new dish to savor.

Cucumber is very cooling for the system and is good for our skin and eyes.

Pineapple is one of the most popular tropical fruit. Pineapple is rich in vitamin C, it also has fibers, and enzymes that are good for the digestive system and helps in maintaining ideal weight and balanced nutrition.

You can use either fresh or canned pineapples for this dish. But I decided to use the canned ones as they are softer and sweeter (as they are stored in a sugar syrup). If you are using canned pineapples, kindly rinse them under running water once you remove them from the syrup. We don’t want the sugar syrup in our raita.

A CLOSE-UP COOL CUCUMBER & PINEAPPLE RAITA 

Ingredients

Yogurt – 2 cups

Cucumber – 1 big one

Pineapple – 1 cup diced , save some for garnish.

Cumin powder – 1 tsp (freshly roasted and powdered is best)

Salt as per taste

Sugar – ½ tsp

Red chili powder – 1-2tsps

Chaat Masala – 1-2tsps

An Aerial view of the cool cucumber and pineapple raita

Method

Peel and dice the cucumbers into small pieces in a vessel. Drain the water that seeps out of the chopped cucumber, we don’t want our raita to be very watery.

Use thick chilled yogurt, ensure that there is no whey else the raita will be watery.

If the yogurt is not thick, hang it in a cloth, so you can get the thick yogurt.

In a bowl add the yogurt, salt, sugar, cumin powder, 1tsp of red chilly powder and 1 tsp of chaat masala and stir well till the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy. Add in the diced cucumbers and pineapple chunks. After you prepare this keep it refrigerated.

Garnish with some red chilly powder and chaat masala powder before serving.
Serve the cool cucumber and sweet pineapple raita chilled, topped with a few chunks of pineapple. Enjoy this cool delight with your lunch/dinner.

A bowl of the cool cucumber and pineapple raita

ALOO DHANIAWALLE (POTATOES INFUSED WITH FRESHLY ROASTED AND GROUND CORIANDER SEEDS)

ALOO DHANIAWALLE (POTATOES INFUSED WITH FRESHLY ROASTED AND GROUND CORIANDER SEEDS)

Potatoes are an all time favorite with my kids and I like to try new recipes with this vegetable. My friend usually cooks this and sent some for me to sample and I told myself I must try this. I do add coriander powder when I usually make potatoes, but this recipe had loads of freshly roasted and coarsely ground coriander seeds. The aroma was magical and so was the taste. Do try this recipe and enjoy some hot Aloo Dhaniawalle with some hot and fluffy fulkas.

ALOO DHANIAWALLE

Ingredients

Potatoes – 5-6
Green Peas - 1/2 a tea cup (optional)

Ginger paste – 1 tsp

Green chilly paste – 1 tsp

Freshly roasted coarse coriander powder – 2 tbsps

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Garam Masala – 1tsp

Dry mango powder (Amchur) – 1 tsp (optional)

Anardana powder (Pomegranates seed powder)- 1 tsp (optional)

Asafetida – pinch

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Lemon – ½ a lemon juice (optional)

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Another closeup

Method

Wash, boil and peel the potatoes. Mash them and keep it aside. Don’t mash the potatoes into a paste, just crumble them. If you are not good at mashing well, just dice them into chunky cubes. It works both ways.

Freshly dry roast 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds and coarsely grind them.

In a Kadhai (wok), heat some oil add the cumin seeds, once it starts to fry, add the ginger paste and chilly paste and let it fry well. Keep the gas on sim and then add the freshly roasted coarse coriander powder(1 tbsp), coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and amchur powder, you can add anardana powder as well(optional, I haven’t used this in my recipe as I didn’t have it at home), asafetida, and salt as per taste, then add the green peas and let it cook for a while after which add the mashed potatoes. Mix well, check for salt, if less, add now and mix. While mixing don’t mash the potato just turn it gently. Ensure the masala is evenly mixed. Let this cook covered for a few minutes.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and the freshly roasted coarse coriander powder(1tbsp). Yopu can squeeze some lemon on top if you like. Mix well and serve hot with Poori/ chappati or hot rice and sambhar/rasam/dal.

A serving for you

PEERKANGAI THOGAYAL (RIDGE GOURD CHUTNEY)

PEERKANGAI THOGAYAL (RIDGE GOURD CHUTNEY)

Thogyal’s are an integral part of “Tambram”(Tamil Brahmin) cuisine. Life without thogayals would be life without spice for a south indian.

Thogayals add that extra zest to a bland meal, an extra flavor and an extra zing to your palate.

Thogayals are made using different vegetables, but ridge gourd is one of the very popular vegetables added to the conventional thogayal.

Ingredients

Ridge gourd – 1

Skinless split Black gram (Udad dal) - 2 tbsps

Bengal gram (Chana dal) – 1 tbsps

Dried red chillies -2-3

Tamarind – small lemon size

Asafetida (Hing) - ½  tsp

Curry Leaves – 8

Salt as per taste

Method

Heat oil in a Wok (kadhai), Add the udad dal, chana dal and the red chillies and roast until the dals turn pink and the chillies turn plump. Keep aside on a plate.

Now add the coconut, salt, curry leaves and asafetida and roast until the coconut is light pink in color and a lovely aroma is emanating, allow this to cool down as well.

Now, run the roasted dal mixture in the dry mill of your blender to a coarse powder consistency. Keep aside.

Then run the coconut mix and keep aside.

De-skin the ridge gourd (you can add the skin as well provided it’s not very sharp and stringy). Chop the peeled ridge gourd. Meanwhile in the same wok, add some oil, once it’s hot, add the chopped ridge gourd pieces and the ridge gourd skin as well incase you are using and a pinch of salt.

You will notice that the ridge gourd mixture becomes watery, sauté until all the water evaporates. Keep aside.

Once it cools down, run in the blender. Then add this paste with the blended coarse dal and coconut powders.

Check for the salt, if required, add at this stage Run once more in the blender with some water (about 4-5 tablespoonful), this time don’t run the blender too much, just one spin would be enough. Just remember, don’t make it a fine powder. The mix should be coarse. 

This should be coarse as shown in the picture not too fine.

If you grind all the ingredients together and not separately as directed then you will notice that the dals don’t get powdered and if you run it too much to ensure that the dals get powdered then the mixture will be too fine and not so tasty.

All the ingredients get grounded at different levels hence it has to be done separately.

The best way to grind it is always using a stone manual grinder and if not you can achieve the similar taste if you grind in the wet/dry automated grinder which we use nowadays to grind idly/ dosa batter.

HEALTHY GREEN DHOKLA / HARA BHARA DHOKLA

Schools have started and so has the daily grind for me with 2 little school going children and it is very important for me to ensure that the children eat a balanced diet which includes vegetables and greens.

I hid some greens (Spinach leaves, dried fenugreek leaves powder and coriander leaves), in my children’s favorite snack “dhokla”, my kids were enticed by the lovely fresh green colored dhoklas and ate them with delight.

I think it’s a nice way to make kids eats vegetables. Do try this steam cooked recipe packed with nutrition

Ingredients

Besan (gram flour) - 1 cup

Semolina (Rava) - 1 1/2 tablespoons

Spinach leaves (Palak) – 10-12

Kasuri methi powder – ¼ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Sugar – 1tbsp

Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon

Green chilly paste - 1 teaspoon

Garlic paste – 1 tsp (optional)

Citric Acid (Nimbu ke phool) - 1/2 teaspoon or Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Eno Fruit salt or Soda Bicarb – 1 ½ tsp

Tempering

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

White Sesame seeds (til) – ½ tsp

Green chillies – 2-3

Curry leaves – A sprig

Asafetida (hing) - a pinch

For the garnish

Freshly grated Coconut – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves – 3-4 tbsp

Method

Rinse the Spinach leaves and 3 tablespoons of coriander leaves in a colander. Make a fine puree of the leaves in a blender without adding water.

In a big bowl add in all the ingredients except the Eno fruit salt and mix well using water to make a thick idli like batter. Let this rest for 10 minutes.

Add in the Eno fruit salt or Soda bicarb, Add little water and mix well.

You will notice that the mixture rises. Don’t wait too long once the batter rises.

When you see that the batter has risen immediately pour it onto a greased thali and steam, else your dholkas won’t turn out puffy and nice.

Remember the batter should’nt rest after adding the fruit salt.

Once the batter is poured into a deep greased plate, steam for about 10 - 15 minutes in a pressure cooker without the whistle or in a steamer.

When it’s done in a pressure cooker, keep it for about 10 minutes after you hear the whooshing sound of steam coming out through the top nozzle.

Once you turn off the gas, let the dhoklas rest for a while. Check with a knife, insert into the cake, if it comes free your dhoklas are done.

If not, steam cook for some more time.

For the tempering, heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds, when the mustard seeds crackle add in the cumin seeds & sesame seeds. Fry 2 -3 whole green chillies with the stalk, Add the curry leaves, Add in some asafetida and pour this over the steamed dhoklas.

Garnish with Finely chopped coriander leaves and some freshly grated coconut.

Cut into pieces and serve with coriander chutney or tamarind and date chutney.

💮Sharing my Joy 

I would like to pack some of my Hara bhara dhoklas to 

Priya Sreeram’s Fast Food Not Fat Food event.

This event was originally started by Priya Mahadevan 

#HaraBharaDhokla #GreenDhokla #SpinachDhokla #HealthySnacks #GujaratiSnacks #VegetarianRecipes #SukanyasMusings

OLAN (ASH GOURD AND BLACK EYED BEANS IN A MILD COCONUT MILK GRAVY)

I love revisits and I would like to revisit this post of mine posted on the 4th of July 2006. I love this dish, its simple, not too spicy and nutritious. Enjoy this post with new pictures.

OLAN (ASH GOURD AND BLACK EYED BEANS IN A MILD COCONUT MILK GRAVY)

Olan is the one of the simplest dishes of Kerala. I think this dish is very unique to Kerala. The speciality of this dish is it has no spices at all except a little green chillies to add some punch to this otherwise bland dish.

The dish is made with Pumpkins and black eyed beans in coconut milk gravy and the seasoning of curry leaves in coconut oil gives it a totally Kerala feel to the dish.

The dish is extremely nutritious and healthy, it is supposed to be very easy to digest and light on the stomach. This dish is low in calories.

The Brahmins usually eat a lot of Pumpkins as they believe it is good for the brain.

The White Pumpkin is rich in calcium and vitamins B and C and has a high fibre content. The Orange Pumpkin is rich in Vitamins A and B, protein and calcium

The Black eyed Beans (Lobia) though a high calorie food is rich in protein, calcium and vitamins A and B.

Olan is prepared by Kerala Iyers in their weddings, Upanayanam (thread ceremony), for festivals, It could be easily said that no Saddhi (Feast) is said to be complete without the olan.

It is a must try dish, the aroma of the coconut milk and the taste will make u crave for more. Below is the recipe of this “tasty” health food.

Ingredients
1 cup Black-eyed beans (Lobia or Van Payaru)
1 cup White pumpkin / Ash Gourd (Elavan)
1 cup Orange Pumpkin (Matthan)
3-4 nos. Green chillies (preferably slit)
11/2 cups Coconut milk (refer to tip)
5-6 nos. Curry leaves
1 tablespoon Oil (preferably coconut oil)
Salt

Method
Soak the Black eyed beans overnight. Pressure cook it the next day till 3/4th done. Don’t cook it completely else it will get mashed in the olan.
Remove the skin of the White Pumpkin and Orange Pumpkin (the skin of the orange pumpkin can be retained as it gets cooked, provided the skin is tender, if very tough to cut then please de-skin it) and cut it into small square pieces. The chopping of the vegetables is also very important in Olan. It has to be cut into square pieces only.
Cook the vegetables and the half done black eyed beans with salt and the slit green chillies in a little water. When the pumpkins and the beans are completely cooked (don’t overcook the pumpkins, take in a spoon and see if it is soft, that means it is done, don’t cook it to the level that it gets mashed), To the cooked pumpkins and beans add 1cup coconut milk i.e. your second milk (refer to tip) and boil. When it thickens well, add ¼ cup of your first coconut milk.
Bring this to a boil and remove from fire.
Season it by frying curry leaves in 1tbs coconut oil.
Mix well and serve hot.

Tip : Grate ½ a coconut. Squeeze out 1/4cup of the milk from the coconut without adding water, this is known as the first milk which is very concentrated. Grind in a mixie with little water and take one more cup of milk from the coconut.

Nowadays, we can buy coconut milk in a tetra pack, even the ready coconut milk can be used, but incase of using the ready coconut milk, no need to follow the first and second milk etc. just add the coconut milk as per the measure given and follow the method.

**Olan can be prepared with just one type of pumpkin also, that is either the White Pumpkin or the Orange Pumpkin.

BOTTLE GOURD PARATHA /LAUKI /DOODHI PARATHA/ DHEBRA/THEPLA

BOTTLE GOURD PARATHA /LAUKI /DOODHI PARATHA/ DHEBRA/THEPLA

Bottle gourd also known as Lauki and doodhi in India is a vegetable that many find tasteless and associate it with food that is usually served during sickness but the high nutrient value of this vegetable makes it an invaluable food in terms of the health benefits it provides and it would be excellent to add this vegetable to your diet.

Benefits of eating Bottle gourd

Bottle Gourd - Image courtesy -Wikipedia

Bottle gourd is a good source of fiber easy to digest and helpful in curing digestion related disorders like constipation, flatulence and piles.

•  It is an effective food for weight loss as it is low in fat and cholesterol. It contains around 96% water and provides around 12 Kcal of energy.

•  Bottle gourd is also rich in iron and has vitamin B complex and Vitamin C. If you are suffering from bleeding gums or scurvy bottle guard should be included in your diet.

•  Bottle gourd is found to be a very healthy food for hypertension patients because it contains only 1.8 mg per 100gm sodium and 87 mg of potassium.

•  Since the number of calories in bottle gourd is low, it can be used as a food for low-cal diets as well as for small children, diabetics and convalescents suffering from digestive problems.

•  This vegetable has a large quantity of water and contains cooling, calming and diuretic properties.

•  Drinking a glass of bottle gourd juice in the morning helps to prevent a heat stroke during summers.

•  It also helps in curing the burning sensation in the urinary passage because of its water content.

•  Taking a glass of bottle gourd juice in the morning daily can be very helpful for treating graying hair.

•  Conditions like diarrhea can be controlled by consuming bottle gourd.

•  Bottle gourd juice is helpful to curb hunger pangs in starvation condition.

•  A mixture of sesame oil with bottle gourd juice is an effective medicine for the treatment of insomnia condition.

•  Bottle gourd is also effective in treating cardiac ailments, alleviating bronchitis, cough, asthma and biligenic ailments

With so many benefits that the humble bottle gourd has, we should be including it in our diet shouldn’t we? One such dish is the Doodhi paratha or Lauki paratha also known as Dhebra in Gujarat, which is so tasty that we won’t be realizing how many parathas we are gobbling and enjoying the inherent qualities of bottle gourd at the same time. So do try this recipe and enjoy it.

Ingredients

Wheat flour - 3 cups

Gram flour(Besan) – 1 tbspn

Bottle gourd - 1 (peeled and grated)

Yogurt – 1 tbsp

Ginger – ½ inch 

Green chillies  - 2-3 (finely chopped)

Red chilli powder - 1 tspn

Turmeric powder- 1 tspn

Kasuri Methi powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tspn

Cumin powder - 1 tspn

Asafetida – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tspns

Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp

Method

Peel the bottle gourd and grate it. Squeeze out water by pressing lightly between both palms, save the water, you may need it later and can add it to the dough instead of using water. It is better to remove it initially and add later, because bottle gourd has too much water and you may end up with a very runny dough if you don't.  Make a paste of ginger and green chillies and add this to the grated bottle gourd, add 2 tbsps of oil, 1 tbsp yogurt, turmeric powder, kasuri methi powder, red chilly powder, asafetida, coriander powder, cumin powder, sesame seeds and salt and mix well with the grated bottle gourd, allow this to marinate for 10 minutes. After this add the wheat flour and gram flour and mix well, add some more salt at this point as salt added before may not be enough. Mix without adding water so that the flour and grated bottle gourd becomes one mixture. If required slowly add the squeezed out water from the grated bottle gourd that we earlier kept aside. just enough to form a firm dough, and knead till smooth. (like chappati /roti dough). Cover, let rest at least 1/2 hour, and knead again briefly. If resting more than 1 hour, punch and knead dough again before rolling out.

Divide into small balls about golf-ball size, and roll out into 12" rounds on a smooth surface. Heat a tava(flat non-stick pan) on medium flame, cook the paratha on one side first then flip to the other side after 2 mins. Flip one or two times more on either sides, adding vegetable cooking oil until you see brown spots on either sides. Serve hot.

This dish can be eaten with vegetables or with chutney and sauce as well.

It can be served as a nutritious breakfast or a main course for lunch or dinner.

This dish is not only healthy but also tasty.