Kadai vegetable ( Mixed vegetable medley sautéed in freshly ground spices).

I am the kinds who salivates over vegetables. I love vegetables.

When I go to the farmers market, I temptingly look at the array of fresh veggies. Often times I have wondered how can someone drool over vegetables?? Well, I guess it is possible. I have to have atleast  1/3 rd of my plate filled with vegetable for every meal. Sometimes it is more than 1/3 rd!

I therefore am always on the look out for easy ways to make delicious vegetables. One of my favorites is kadai vegetables, which is basically sautéing your choice vegetables with some freshly roasted and ground spices. Pair this with some roti ( flat bread) or rice and dal and I am all set! It is super simple, super-easy and super-delicious! What more do you need for a weeknight dinner? By the way, kadai means wok in Hindi.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Carrots: 2 medium sized.
Red potatoes: 2-3 medium, cut into quarters.
Zucchini: 1 medium
Cauliflower florets: 1 cup
Jeera ( cumin seeds): 1/4 tsp
Onion: 1 medium, diced
Ginger: 1 inch minced
Garlic: 3-4 cloves, minced
Tomato paste: 1 tbsp
Dried red chilli: 2 medium
Jeera ( cumin seeds): 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp 

Garam Masala powder: 1/8 tsp

Kasoori methi( dried fenugreek leaves): 1 tsp
Salt : to taste
Sugar: pinch
Cooking oil: 1 tbsp
Cilantro ( coriander leaves) for garnishing.

To roast and dry grind:
Coriander seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin: 1/2 tsp
Methi seeds ( fenugreek seeds): 2 nos
Black pepper: 1/8 tsp

Method:

Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds , methi seeds and black pepper and coarsely powder/grind it using a coffee grinder. Keep aside.

Cut the carrots, and zucchini lengthwise into 2 inch long pieces.

Heat oil in a wok/ sauté pan. Add cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add the red chillit, garlic, ginger and  onions, sauté for a few minutes. 

Add the haldi ( turmeric powder) sauté for 20 seconds,then add the tomato paste. Sauté until the tomato paste leaves oil. 

Add the vegetables in the order of the time required for them to cook beginning  with those that take the longest like the potatoes and cauliflower. 

When they are half cooked, add in the carrot strips and the zucchini strips the last.Add salt and sugar.  

When the vegetables have cooked, add the ground spices, a pinch of garam masala, the kasoori methi. Let it cook for a minute more.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. 

Serve hot with roti or rice!

Enjoy! I am bringing this to you all ladies and gentlemen at the wonderful Fiesta Friday at its new home! Let the party begin!

Cooking made easy:

Any combination of vegetables can be used. You could use squashes, root vegetables .. Anything really.
To save time, I tend to cut the vegetable that takes the longest to cook first, add it to the pot and cook the rest in that order, adding each one as it is chopped.

Tip for healthy living:

There is no diet that restricts vegetable intake. Did you know that vegetables have no calories and therefore can be eaten in any amount.. Well pretty much. They are also very filling, making you fuller faster. They add value to the diet by providing all the required daily vitamins and minerals and much needed dietary fiber.

Food for thought:

Change is the end result of all true learning. Leo Buscaglia

Jeevkadgi Bajo/Phodi ( Fried Breadfruit)

Jeevkadgi also known as Breadfruit in English is one of my favorite vegetables.

Yes, it is not a fruit! It is a vegetable that grows in tropical countries. Growing up, we had a tree in our yard which bore plenty of these fruits. Yes, I am referring to it as a fruit now because that is the botanical way to relate a tree/ plant to its fruit.:) Anyways, we curry it, we fry it.. We cook it several different ways and I for one like all of them!! Jeevkadgi bajo is a very popular snack consumed with the evening tea. It is also served as an appetizer.

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:

Jeevkadgi (Breadfruit): 1/4 medium sized breadfruit cut into 0.5 cms thick slices.( around 12-14 slices).
Chick-pea flour( besan): 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp( you can use lesser depending on your spice level).
Hing( asofoetida): a pinch if using powder, 1/4 tsp if using solution.
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/4 cup ( enough to make a thick batter)
Oil: for frying( I use coconut oil)

Method:

In a small bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, red chilli powder, hing( asofoetida), salt and water and make a thick batter that can coat the breadfruit slices easily and does not drip off!

Heat oil in a kadai/ frying pan to 400 deg F. You could also use a deep fryer if you have one.

Dip each slice of breadfruit  in the above batter until it is completely coated and drop it gently into the hot oil.

 Drop just enough slices that fit the frying pan in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding results in poor quality of the end product. 

Fry until well done on both sides, about 2-3 minutes each side on medium flame.

Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels so as to soak the excess oil.

Serve hot with some chutney/ ketchup or as is! Goes well with a cup of chai, as an appetizer or as a side-dish for lunch/dinner.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Previously when I made jeevkadgi bajo, I would find that at times the vegetable inside is undercooked and hard. I have now figured out a way to solve this problem. Once the breadfruit has been sliced, spread it on a microwave-safe plate and cook it in the microwave for just 1 minute and then soak it in the batter and fry. You can rest assured you will never find hard breadfruit inside!

Tip for healthy living:

Dandruff can be treated by rubbing the scalp with lemon/ lime juice . Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and then rinse it out. A few such washes will make your scalp and hair look much better.

Food for thought:

Eagles commonly fly alone. They are crows, daws, and starlings that flock together. John Webster

Garlic Sautéed Beets With Leaves.

I have to have some greens everyday.  While I was familiar with the greens available in India , and often cooked it,here availability is a issue as these are only available in Indian grocery stores.During winter,my trips to the Indian store are rather infrequent. This got me on an adventure experimenting with the greens available in the vicinity.We have a  farmer's market nearby which I often frequent and came across fresh beets with its leaves. 

Back home we use the beets alone and throw the leaves. I decided to try and use the leaves. It came out yum. 

Here's the recipe:

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Beets with its leaves: 4 nos
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Garlic: 4 cloves, chopped and lightly crushed
Dried Red chillis: 4 nos
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the beets with leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. This allows the sand / mud settle at the bottom. Separate the leaves and stem from the beets. Now chop the beet leaves and keep aside. Peel the beets,dice them and keep aside.

Heat oil in a sauté pan/ wok on medium heat. Add crushed chopped garlic, sauté  until you smell the aroma of garlic. 

Add red chillies/ chilli pepper flakes.Add the diced beets and the chopped stems, lower the flame, cover and cook for 5 -7 mins. 

Now add the chopped leaves, salt  and cook on low flame until done without covering, approximately for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot with rice/ bread/ baked chicken/ baked fish.

Cooking made easy:

The above recipe can also be made with other greens like spinach, broccoli rabe. The only additional ingredient to be added is 1/2 tsp jaggery/sugar. This combats the bitterness of the greens. Beets being naturally sweet, does not require additional sugar/jaggery to be added.

Tip for healthy living:

Beets are great for good health. They are supposed to support anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and detoxification effects in the body.Beet is a liver-protective food and apparently helps reduce blood-pressure.Beet is a favorite part of raw-food diet and beet juice is very popular.

Food for thought:

An idle mind is a Devil's workshop.(H.G.Bohn)

Quick easy mixed vegetable pulao ( pilaf)

For the longest, making vegetable pulao for me was a long-drawn process to be saved only for weekends when I had the time. I used to always think you have to grind and make a coriander/ cilantro or mint based green paste then sauté this, do that... Just thinking about it used to tire me out. My mother-in-law broke that myth for me. To date, her vegetable pulao is the best! Every time she visited us, I just couldn't stop eating! I decided to learn the recipe from her. It is simple, quick and absolutely lip-smacking! My husband's all-time favorite! Here's the recipe.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice : 2 cups
Ghee( clarified butter):1tbsp
Olive oil: 2 tbsp
Onion: 2 medium chopped
Garlic : 5 cloves chopped fine
Ginger: 1 inch chopped fine
Green chillies: 4 chopped fine
Tomato: 1 medium chopped
Frozen Mixed vegetables: 11/2 cups
Mushrooms: sliced 1 cup( optional).
Soya chunks: 1/2 cup
Cashew nut : 1 tbsp chopped(optional)
Garam masala: 1 tbsp
Haldi ( turmeric powder):1 tsp
Water: 4 cups + 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash basmati rice thoroughly and keep aside 15-30 mins before adding it to the pan.

Boil one cup water with a pinch of salt. Turn off the heat, add the soya chunks and keep it aside for 10-15 mins. Then squeeze the excess water out of the soya chunks and keep it in a separate bowl.

In a sauté pan/wok/pressure cooker heat olive oil and ghee. Add chopped garlic, sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped ginger and again sauté for 30 seconds. Now add the chopped onions and sauté until golden brown. Add chopped cashew nuts and strained soya chunks. Then add chopped tomatoes and green chillies and sauté for 3-4 mins until the tomatoes are wilted. Now add haldi( turmeric) powder and garam masala powder, sauté for a minute. Add the drained basmati rice and sauté for 2-3 mins or until the rice crackles. Add the mixed vegetables.Now add 4 cups of boiling hot water and salt. Mix well. Once you see the liquid is boiling, reduce the flame to low, cover it and cook for 15 mins. (If adding mushrooms,mix it in at the end of 10 mins).After 15 mins, switch off the flame,fluff the rice . Keep it covered for another 15 mins before serving.

Serve hot with raita or plain cucumber salad.

I love mine with slices of avocados .

Cooking made easy:

• Learn to use what is available in your pantry. There is no hard and fast rule for cooking. We can always improvise, experiment within reason.
• Any combination of mixed vegetables can be used for pulao.I used frozen mixed vegetable comprising of peas, carrots, beans and corn.You can use fresh vegetables of your choice.
• You can use ghee alone for the pulao. I use a combination of oil & ghee to make it a little less fattening.
• Instead of fresh ginger and garlic, ginger garlic paste can be used if you are in a rush.
• The reason for adding mushrooms towards the end is to avoid overcooking the mushrooms.
• Make sure that you use hot water and not cold. This makes cooking faster.
• If using pressure cooker, do not put the weight ( whistle) on.
• Fluffing the rice at the end of 15 mins ensures that the top layer of the rice does not get hard.

Tip for Healthy Living:

Incorporate at least 20-30 mins of physical activity into your day. This could be any type of recreational activity you like or just part of your daily life. For example: walking briskly to the busy stop, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. This not only burns calories but also improves your general health and facilitates a sense of well-being.

Food for thought:

Desire is the root cause of misery.(Buddha)

Poddale ( snake gourd) upkari/ toran ( stir fry).

Poddale ( snake gourd) upkari/ toran ( stir fry).

My in-laws are simple, down-to-earth people. They are vegetarians. In India, being a vegetarian means they do eat vegetables and dairy. They do not eat anything that has eggs in it. Of course, vegetarians in India don't eat fish, chicken or any meat. Coming back to my in- laws,they have always inculcated a healthy lifestyle.One of the common vegetable that my mother-in-law makes is poddale ( snake gourd) upkari or stir- fry. She states that this is one of my father-in-laws favorite vegetables!

Poddale aka snake gourd has different names in different parts of India. It is known as paddavalakai in Kannada, padval in Marathi and so on. You can find more here http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichosanthes_cucumerina
This is one of the vegetables that is gentle on the digestive system and can be safely eaten when one is sick or is on any kind of elimination diet. It also is known to have several medicinal values.

The stir fry is easy and quick to make and requires very few ingredients. This is one of my favorites for weeknight dinners.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Poddale ( snake gourd) :2 medium sized.
Mustard: 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds ( jeera): 1/4 tsp
Green chillies: 1-2 (as per your spice level) ( I use one when I am making it for my little ones).
Coconut oil: 1 tsp. ( you can use any cooking oil of your preference, I use coconut oil in mine).
Jaggery(molasses)/ sugar:1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Fresh grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( optional).

Method:

Cut the snake gourd (poddale)lengthwise twice. Remove the seeds inside and keep aside.Then slice thinly horizontally so that you have 2 cms long thin slices and keep aside. Slit the green chillies and keep aside.

Heat a sauté pan/ wok on medium heat,add 1 tsp coconut oil. Now add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the cumin seeds, then the slit green chillies. Now add the sliced poddale ( snake gourd)& sauté.Add a little bit of salt and 1tsp sugar. Reduce the flame to low, cover the pan and cook until the vegetable is soft enough to eat. Generally takes about 15 minutes.

Garnish with freshly grated coconut. Serve with rice & rasam or dal.

Cooking made easy :

Vegetables in the US tend to have higher water content and hence do not require additional water to be added while cooking. But if you find the pan getting too hot or you are in danger of burning the vegetable
then you can sprinkle some water and let it cook to your desired level of softness. It should not be mushy.

Food for thought:

Treat others the way you would be like to be treated.