Dal palak

Serves:  3-4 people

Ingredients:

1. Tool dal  - 3 tbsp
2. Palak - 3 cups
3. Garlic - 1 tsp minced
4. Onion - 1 medium (chopped)

For grinding:

1. Grated coconut  - 1 cup
2. Tamarind - 1 tsp 
3. Green chillies - 2-3

Method

1) Pressure cook the palak and onion

2) Grind the coconut, tamarind and chilles

3) Heat oil. Add the garlic

4) Add the cooked palak and onion. Add haldi powder and salt as per taste

5) And the ground paste. Bring to a boil.  Serve with rice/roti.

Cabbage wadi

Serves - 2-3 people

Ingredients

1. Cabbage - 3 cups
2. Besan - 1 cup
3. Ginger - grated - 1 tbsp
4. Green chillies - 2-3 finely chopped
5. Coriander cumin powder - 1 tbsp
6. Sesame seeds (White til) - 1.5 tsp

Method

1) Mix all ingredients. Add salt as per taste

2) Coat a flat vessel with oil. Spread the mixture

3) Sprinkle the sesame seeds

4) Steam for 20-25 minutes. Pierce a knife to check if its cooked (The knife should come out clean). Cut into pieces ans serve hot.

5) Optionally, you can shallow fry the cut pieces with little oil before serving. I prefer the non fried version for health reasons.

Veg fried rice

Serves - 2 people

Ingredients

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Spring onion greens - 1 cup
4. Spring onion whites - 1/2 cup
5. Carrot - 1/2 cup
6. Cabbage - 1 cup
7. Soya sauce - 1 tsp
8. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
9. Garlic - 1 tsp minced

Method

1) Pressure cook rice separately. Once cooked, spread on a plate and let cool.

2) Heat oil. fry the onion for 2 minutes.

3) Add the garlic and again fry for a minute.

4) Add spring onion (both green and whites) and fry for 2 minutes

5) Add the carrot and cabbage and fry for 5 more minutes

6) Add soya sauce and pepper powder. Mix well. Keep stirring for another 2-3 minutes. (Sorry, forgot to take a picture here)

7) Add the rice and mix well. Add salt as per taste.

8) Keep covered. Let cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Alu tikki

Ingredients

1. Potatoes - 4  (Boiled and mashed)
2. Onion - 1 medium sized
3. Green chillies - 2-3 finely chopped
4. Ginger - 1 tsp grated
5. Garlic - 1 tsp minced
6. Lime juice - 1 tsp
7. Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
8. Chili powder - 1 tsp
9. Semolina (Rawa) - 2-3 tbsp 

Method

1) Mix all the other ingredients except rawa. Add salt as per taste

2) Shape them by making a round ball between your palm  and pressing them (I used  a ready made tikki shape)

3) Coat with rawa. Shallow fry. Server hot.

Peas palak

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients

1. Palak (Washed and coarsely chopped) - 4 cups
2. Peas - 2 cups
3. Ginger grated - 1 tsp
4. Garlic minced - 1 tsp
5. Onion chopped - 1
6. Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Chili powder - 1 teaspoon (you can use more or less as per taste)
9. Butter - 2 tbsp

Method

1) Cook the palak in water for about 10-15 mins  till it is soft.
2) Cook the peas for 10-15 minutes in water
30 Drain the water from the palak.

4) Once the palak cools down, blend in a blender

5) Heat butter in a kadai. Add the onion and and fry for 2 minutes

6) Add the ginger and garlic

7) Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and chili powder

8) Add the blended palak and peas. Add salt as per taste. Let boil. Serve hot.

Tomato and sweet corn soup

This is my mother in laws creation, hubby loves it!

Ingredients

1. Tomatoes - 8 to 10
2. Sweet corn - 4 cups (That comes to about 2 whole sweet corns, I use more since we love it this way, but you can also use less)
3. Pepper powder - 2 tsp
4. Butter - 1 tbsp
5. Sugar - 2 tsp

Method

1) Pressure cook the tomatoes and sweet corn separately

2) Strain all the water from the tomatoes and allow to cool down

3) Once cooled, blend the tomatoes in a blender

4) Strain the blended paste

5) Split the cooked sweet corn in two parts. Coarsely blend one half and leave the other half as it is.

6) Keep the tomato puree on flame.

7) Add the ground sweet corn and also the whole sweet corn

8) Add pepper powder, sugar, butter and salt as per taste. Serve hot.

Alu mutter

This is my mum's version of this very popular dish. Very easy to prepare so this recipe can be used when you are in a hurry.

Ingredients

1. Onion chopped - 1
2. Garlic minced - 1 tsp
3. Tomato chopped - 1
4. Peas - 3 cups
5. Potato chopped - 1
6. Chili powder -  As per taste
7. Haldi powder - A pinch

Method

1) Heat oil. Fry the ginger and garlic.

2) Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes

3) Add the chopped potato and again fry till potato is cooked

4) Add the tomato and fry till oil separates

5) Add the chili powder , haldi powder and salt as per taste

6) Add the peas

7) Add little water and keep covered for some time so that the peas are cooked and flavors are absorbed

8) Serve hot with roti.