Corn Pulav

This is a very basic, all in one pan recipe. I hope the simplicity of this recipe will encourage my very busy University student friends and working youngsters to eat more at home .
By optional in most of my recipes, I mean to convey, if you have it, use it. If not, no need to go to especially buy it.Go right ahead and cook and omit what you don't have.

Serve with plain yoghurt,raita, kadhi,choley or rajma


Ingredients: Serves 2 (if its just pulao for a meal)

1) 1 tea cup Basmati rice = 1/2 mug
2) 1 can or eqivalent amount frozen corn
3) 1 tsp Cumin seeds (jeeru)
4) 1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder (haldi)
5) 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
6) salt to taste
7) 2 tea cups boiling water ( double the amount of rice)
8) 2 tbsp. Vegetable oil
9) 1 or 2 slit green chilli (optional)
10) 1/2 tea cup washed chopped kothmir(optional)
11) Few Curry leaves/ limda/ kadhi patta (optional)
12) Few cloves chopped garlic(optional)



optional:
1 chopped onion
1 chopped tomato
few cubes frozen spinach (no need to thaw. Just rinse to wash off ice crystals) (then u can omit kothmir)

Method:


Wash rice few times with cold water. Soak in water.
In a pan , add 2-3 tbsp oil
Add jeera.wait till it crackles or changes colour.
Add chopped onion. fry for 1-2 minues
Add garlic.stir.
Add limda+green chillies. stir for few seconds.
Add haldi. stir.
Drain off water from the rice in a seive.
Add rice to the pan. stir. let it fry for a minute or two
Add salt+chilli powder+ tomatoes+spinach. stir.
Add water.

Add corn. stir.

Bring it to a boil.

Cover with a lid and simmer till rice is cooked. (about 15-20 mins. or till water is absorbed.

Switch off the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes before serving.

Sambhar Simplified with yellow mung dal

Traditional Sambhar is prepared with Tuvar dal which takes much longer to cook than Mung dal.
Mung dal can be cooked in a pan, avoiding the much dreaded pressure cooker generally used by moms in an Indian kitchen!


Ingredients: (2-3 servings)

1/2 cup (yellow) mung dal ( Best is to first soak the dal and while you are doing the rest,it has time to soak
or,wash+soak in the morning before leaving for work.)
2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
mustard seeds (rai) 1 tsp
haldi 1/2 tsp
hing a pinch
Limda (few - if you have, rinsed)
sambhar powder 2-3 tsp ( more if you want spicier)
oil 2 Tbsp.
salt to taste
lemon juice
kothmir (optional) washed and chopped



In a large pan, add oil.
Medium heat
Add mustard,limda (do vaghar)
add onions
stir till it softens
add hing,haldi and sambhar powder
stir
add tomatoes,stir, cover and cook till softened
add the dal
add 2-3 cups boiling water
cook until dal softens(gets cooked)

Add salt to taste
add lemon juice to taste

sprinkle kothmir

MOONG DAL

Lentils and beans are the source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
Lentils are very easy to cook.
Normally served as accompaniments to rice or Indian flatbreads, on a cold evening, you can enjoy it instead of soup too.

Ingredients:

1 cup green or yellow gram (moong dal)
2 tbsp vegetable/olive oil
1 large onion - finely chopped
1 green chilli -sliced
1/2 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp grated ginger (optional)
2 cloves of garlic - pounded (optional)
1 tomato - chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander (optional)
salt to taste
few slices of lemon


Method:

Wash and soak gram for 1/2 hour to a couple of hours. ( In case there is no time to soak, wash it and go ahead...it will just take a bit longer to cook)

Cook in a large pot with 3 cups of water. Bring it to a boil. Then continue to cook on a low heat, covered, until softened. Add more water if necessary.

Heat oil in a small pan. Add cumin seeds . When they splutter, add onions, green chilli and turmeric.
Stir until onions soften.
Add garlic + ginger
Stir again.
Add tomatoes. Stir and then add chilli powder.
stir well , cover and let it cook for a minute or two on low heat.

Add it to the cooked dal. Mix well.

Continue to cook for a few more minutes.

Add salt to taste.

Sprinkle coriander.

Sqeeze lemon to your taste.

How to make Paneer

Paneer is readily available in Indian grocery stores.
Making paneer at home is easy and gives you the choice of using semi - skimmed milk.
Also, its much cheaper to make your own Paneer than buy off the shelf.

Ingredients:
Milk ( whole,semi-skimmed or skimmed) - 1 litre
white vinegar / lemon juice - or yoghurt  3 tbsps

Process:

In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil while stirring occasionally so it doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the pan.

When it boils, lower the heat to a minimum and add vinegar or lemon juice little by little , stirring simultaneously until milk just curdles.

Switch off the heat.

Pour into a colander lined with a kitchen towel or a muslin cloth or just any clean cotton cloth.

Wash the fresh paneer with cold water to remove residues of the vinegar or lemon.

Even out the paneer in the cloth and place weight on it (I usually use the pot I used to boil the milk filled with water)

After 15 minutes or longer , you can cut the paneer in to cubes while still in the cloth and then gently remove the pieces and place in box or on a plate.

This fresh paneer can be used to make matar-paneer, paalak-paneer,kofta , paneer parathas ,rasgullas,sandesh etc.

HUMMUS

Serves 4 portions. Great with Pita bread or as sandwich spread or with salad.
Chick peas- 1 Can ,drained and washed
Lemon juice-few tbsps (to your taste)
6 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley-washed and minced(optional)

3-4 garlic cloves -chopped(optional)

salt to taste

In a food processor, puree the chick peas,and rest of the ingredients.
Add little bit of water if necessary. Add salt to taste.

Transfer on a plate . Drizzle with some olive oil. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper, black pepper and cumin if you like.

Chinese Aubergines(Eggplant/Brinjal)

This recipe has always turned out mouth wateringly delicious. Of course, one must enjoy aubergines in the first place!

Can be served with plain steamed rice or ginger fried rice or stir fried noodles.

Ingredients:

1 large Aubergine ( or 200 Gms. chinese eggplants) cut into cubes.
2 inch piece of ginger (minced)
8-10 cloves of garlic (minced)

Sauce:

1/2 cup Soya Sauce ( equal parts of dark and light soya sauce)

2 tablespoons coconut vinegar (or any white vinegar)

2 tablespoons rice wine (optional)

1 tablespoon sugar

Combine in a small pan ,bring to a boil and simmer for one minute.

Method:

Heat oil in a wok.

Stir fry onions,capsicum and aubergines one by one.Remove and keep aside on a plate.

Fry garlic and then ginger.

Add finely chopped green or red chillies if you desire.

Mix corn flour and water in a small bowl and pour into the wok. Simmer . Add the vegetables whilst stirring simultaneously
till it thickens.

Add the sauce and mix well.


If the sauce becomes too thick, add stir in some water.

Chick pea,Tomato,Cucumber chaat

Chick peas for protein,Tomatoes and cucumber for the goodness of veggies,yogurt for the protein and calcium.

A very satisfying meal in a jiffy.

Serves 1/2/3 depending on how hungry you are!

Ingredients:

A can of chick peas (drained,rinsed)
Tomatoes (1 or 2 washed and cut into cubes)
Cucumber (An 8 inch piece or more if you like -washed,cut into cubes)

Optional-
Onion (1 - peeled and chopped fine)
Boiled potato (1- peeled ,cut into cubes)
Chopped green coriander

1 or 2 Finely chopped green chilli

Yogurt (to your liking)

1-2 tea spoons of a good authentic Chaat Masaala.

Salt to taste


Take a large bowl.
Mix all the ingredients together.

Sit in front of the TV and indulge!