Travel Experiences & Healthy Food, Tasty and Easy Recipes – Vegan, Gluten Free, Diet, Diabetic Friendly, Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Keto, Paleo, Anti Inflammatory and World Cuisine made at home.
INGREDIENTS: 2 Cups Kidney Beans (Rajma) 2 Tbsp Butter 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds 1/2 Tsp Asafoetida (Hing) 2 Medium Onions 2 Medium Tomatoes 1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic-Green Chilli Paste 1 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder 1 Tsp Coriander Powder 1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder 1 Tsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) 2 Tbsp Coriander Leaves 1 Tbsp Cream (Optional) Water Salt to taste
METHOD:
Soak Kidney Beans in enough water for 10 hours, preferably overnight.
The following day, rinse the beans once again and add this to a pressure cooker with enough water.
Give 4 whistles. Depending on the variety of Rajma the time will vary. I used the light pink Rajma beans and this cooks faster. So after 4-5 whistles check if they have cooked well. If not give a couple more whistles until they cook through. Switch off flame and let it cool.
To save time, you can also soak the beans in the morning, boil at night and store the beans in the refrigerator and make it the next day.
Now for the masala, melt some butter in a deep wide pan. Don’t burn.
Splutter Cumin seeds and add Asafoetida.
Now add in the Ginger-Garlic-Chilli Paste and stir for a few seconds.
Add in finely chopped Onions and sauté until they turn light brown and shrink in size.
Also add in finely chopped Tomatoes and salt.
Stir and cook until the Tomatoes soften and look mushy.
Add in the spice powders – Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder & Garam Masala. Adjust spices as per taste.
Combine and cook everything well. Mash the mixture lightly with the back of your ladle.
Now, open the pressure cooker after making sure the pressure has released completely.
The Kidney Beans should be completely cooked. Press the beans to test or taste it. The rajma should have a melt in your mouth texture.
Add these to the masala you prepared. Mix well.
You can use the boiled Rajma stock if any or add additional water to the curry and cook for a few more minutes. The consistency should be medium thick and not too watery.
Add salt if necessary, crushed Kasoori Methi leaves and also finely chopped Coriander Leaves.
You can add cream and additional butter but I didn’t add any and still tasted so creamy and fabulous!
So easy yet so tasty! This is how my mother-in-law makes and I love it this way!
INGREDIENTS: 250 Grams Parwal 1 Tbsp Mustard Oil 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder 1 Tsp Coriander Powder (Optional) Salt to Taste
METHOD:
Wash and chop off the edges of the Parwal. Now slice them into halves and halve them again. So you’ll have 4 pieces of each Parwal. Discard any black or brown tough seeds. You can scrape them off or take them out with the help of a pointed knife.
In a pan, heat Mustard oil. You can use regular oil but taste is always better with Mustard oil.
When the oil starts to smoke, add Cumin Seeds and let it splutter.
Lower the flame and add Parwal and mix well.
Stir and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Cover with a lid and cook on low flame stirring occasionally until they soften. You can do a sample taste test to see if they are cooked. Takes around 5-10 minutes.
Add Salt, Turmeric Powder and Chilli Powder. You can also add Coriander Powder.
Mix well and cook for another 1-2 minutes covered.
Switch off the flame and serve hot with Rice or Rotis.
INGREDIENTS: 1 Bunch Spinach Leaves 5-6 Cashew Nuts 1 Green Chilli 1/2 Tsp Sugar 2 Tomatoes 1 Inch Ginger 4 Garlic Cloves 1 Tbsp Oil 1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta) 2 Onions 1 Tsp Coriander Powder 1 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 1 Tsp Kasoori Methi 1 Tsp Garam Masala 250 Grams Cottage Cheese (Paneer) 1 Tsp Ghee 2 Garlic Cloves (Tempering) 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder (Tempering) Salt to Taste Water
Grind Tomatoes, Ginger and Garlic into a thick paste. No need to add water. Keep this Red Paste aside.
In a wide pan, add Cashew Nuts, Green Chilli and Sugar along with enough water and keep it on high to boil. Sugar helps reduce the bitterness of Spinach leaves.
Switch off flame once the water comes to a boil.
Add washed and cleaned Spinach leaves and blanch until the leaves wilt. Should take a minute.
Transfer the contents on a sieve and pour ice and cold water over this. This helps to retain the vibrant green colour of the leaves.
Once the mixture cools down, grind into a smooth Green Paste.
In a wide pan, heat oil and add a Bay Leaf. I’ve used Mustard Oil.
Now add Onions, very finely chopped. I used a Chopper. You can chop using a knife or grind it roughly in a mixer.
Brown them evenly by stirring.
Now add the Red Paste you made earlier.
Also add salt to help the Tomato paste cook faster.
Keep stirring and cook for a few minutes.
Now add Coriander Powder and Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder and mix well.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Crush Kasoori Methi between your palms and add this to the gravy along with Garam Masala.
Now add the Green Paste you prepared with Spinach and mix well.
Add water depending on how thick you prefer. You can add more water if you are serving with Rice and a thicket consistency if serving with Roti/Naan.
Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Now add fresh Paneer, washed and diced and mix well. You can alternatively lightly shallow fry them in butter and add to this.
Cover and cook for a few more minutes and switch off flame.
For the tempering, heat some ghee and add chopped Garlic Cloves to this. Once they brown, switch off flame and add Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder. Mix and pour this over the Palak Paneer Gravy.
Serve this hot with Roti/Paratha/Naan/Rice.
Blanched Spinach Leaves, cooling downFinely chopped OnionsBay leaf in Mustard oilSauteing OnionsRed PasteVibrant Green PastePreparing the masalaAdding the Green Palak paste to the masala.Diced Cottage CheeseTempering Thick Palak Paneer gravyServed hot with Rotis
INGREDIENTS: 4 Cups Cooked Rice 3 Cups Yogurt 1/4 Cup Water 1 Tbsp Ghee 1 Tsp Mustard Seeds 1 Dry Red Chilli / Fresh Green Chilli 1 String Curry Leaves 1 Tsp Asafoetida Powder (Hing) 1 Tsp Urad Dal 1 Tsp Chana Dal 1 Tsp Grated Ginger Fresh Pomegranate Seeds (Optional) Salt to taste
METHOD:
First cook rice. You can check the pressure cooker method for Basmati Rice here!
If you are eating the Curd Rice immediately, add the Yogurt and water as per the consistency you prefer. If you are planning to eat this later, you can prepare the tempered rice first, and add the Yogurt mix later. So let’s prepare the tempering first.
In a heavy bottom pan or tempering bowl, heat Ghee.
Splutter Mustard Seeds.
Lower the flame and add the Urad Dal & Chana Dal and sauté till it changes colour. Don’t burn.
Break the Red Chilli or Slit the Green Chilli and add to this. Switch off flame if the temperature is too high.
Add chopped Curry leaves, Grated Ginger and Asafoetida Powder.
Add this mixture to the rice along with salt and mix well.
Smoothen Yogurt in a bowl by stirring with a spoon continuously in a clockwise direction.
Whenever you are ready to eat, heat the rice once again and then add the Yogurt. Add water if you prefer a thinner consistency. I don’t prefer heating post adding Yogurt. Add salt if required.
Garnish with some fresh pomegranate seeds and serve hot with Bharwan Karela, Achaar, Fried Chillis, Papadam or any spicy sabji!
INGREDIENTS: 15-20 Baby Potatoes 4 Tbsp Mustard/Refined Oil 2 Tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera) 1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta) 2 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 2 Tsp Turmeric Powder 1 Cup Water 1/4th Cup Coriander leaves 1 Tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi) 3 Tbsp Yogurt 6-7 Kashmiri/Byadgi Red Chilies 1 Inch Cinnamon (Dalchini) 2 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi) 1 Tsp Coriander Seeds (Akha Dhania) 1 Tsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf) 1 Tsp Peppercorns (Kali Mirch) 6-7 Garlic Cloves 1 Inch Ginger Salt to taste
METHOD:
First let’s prepare the Potatoes.
Wash all the baby Potatoes thoroughly because the whole potatoes with the skin will go in this recipe. You can also make this recipe with peeled potatoes or even normal potatoes diced if you don’t have access to baby potatoes.
Now poke holes with the help of a fork on all sides of each potato at multiple places.
Place these potatoes in a pressure cooker. Add enough water & salt.
On a high flame, give 1 whistle, lower the flame and give another whistle.
Switch off flame and let the Potatoes cook & cool down in the steam.
Once the steam escapes, open the pressure cooker. Discard all the water and on a cloth/paper towel, let them dry and cool down further.
Now to make the masala, grind all the ingredients marked in Orange with a little water into a fine paste. If you don’t have peppercorns/coriander seeds, you can use them in their powder form too. I’ve used Kashmiri Red Chillis. If you don’t have them, use Byadgi since both give good colour and texture without the extra spice.
Take a pan, the same in which you will make this Dum Aloo.
Add the 4 Tbsp Oil. Once hot, shallow fry these baby potatoes until all sides look wrinkly and get a darker shade. You can also deep fry them if you want.
Transfer the potatoes on a cloth/paper towel to let them release any extra oil onto the towel. Once cool, you can re-poke the potatoes.
Now heat the leftover oil in the pan and splutter cumin seeds.
Add the Bay Leaf.
If the oil is too hot, switch off flame and add the Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder & Turmeric Powder and mix well.
Now add the fried Potatoes.
Also add the masala and salt. Mix well. You can keep this marinated for 10-15 minutes. If not, simply cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Make sure to not burn the masala.
Now add water, mix well. Cover & cook for 5 more minutes.
Open and you should see oil separating from the masala.
Now bring the heat to low, whisk the yogurt and add to the masala stirring continuously. Cook for a minute and switch off flame.
Add Kasuri Methi & Coriander Leaves.
Dum Aloo is ready to be served with Steaming hot Jeera Rice or Ghee laden Rotis!
Dum Aloo garnished with Kasuri MethiFried Baby Potatoes marinated in MasalaGarnished with freshly chopped Coriander LeavesServed with hot roti & saladOne happy plate
INGREDIENTS: 1 Cup Basmati Rice 2 Cups Mix Chopped Veggies (Green Peas, French Beans & Carrots) 1 Tbsp Ghee / Oil 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds 1 Bay Leaf 1 Inch Cinnamon Stick 3 Cloves 3 Peppercorns 1 Finely Chopped Green Chilli ½ Tsp Grated Ginger 1 Finely Chopped Onion 1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder 2½ Cups Water Chopped Coriander Leaves
METHOD:
Wash the rice thoroughly until the starch runs out and you see clear water.
Soak this rice in enough water for 30 minutes, drain and keep aside.
In the meantime, heat Ghee in a pressure cooker.
Splutter Cumin Seeds.
Add the Bay Leaf, Peppercorns, Cinnamon Stick & Cloves and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
Add chopped Green Chillis, Grated Ginger. Fry for another 30 seconds.
Add chopped Onions and saute until translucent.
Now add the chopped mixed vegetables. I used Carrots, french Beans & Green Peas, You can use other veggies too. Mix well.
Add in the soaked rice, mix everything gently and sauté on a medium flame for a minute, while stirring continuously.
Now add in the Garam Masala and Salt.
Also add 2 ½ cups of hot water. Mix well & close the lid with the whistle on.
Pressure cook on high flame for 2 whistles.
Switch off flame & allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
Add Coriander leaves and fork the rice to let the grains separate before serving.
Soaked rice & chopped veggies in the Pressure Cooker.Rice and Vegetables covered in Masala.Veg Pulao served with Raita, Tomatoes & Chana MasalaEnjoy this Pulao with Raita/Gravy/Shorba/Kadhi
Boiled Black Eyed Peas (Chawli) – Soaked overnight
Boiled Moth Beans (Matki) – Soaked overnight
Coriander Leaves/ Mint Leaves
Salt
Method:
Vegetable:
So take any deep vessel like a cast iron skillet, clay pot or any uncoated cookware.
Add ghee/olive oil. You can use mustard oil, coconut oil or sesame seed oil.
Add fresh ginger garlic paste. Sauté till lightly brown.
Add chopped Onions. Sauté till translucent.
Add Turmeric powder & salt to taste. I also added a Maggi masala cube. You can avoid that or replace with just pepper or a pinch of any Indian masala powder like garam masala/sabji masala/kitchen king.
At this point add your favourite vegetables. I normally add the hard veggies that take longer to cook first. So I added green peas first and after a few minutes the button mushrooms went in. Then the fresh kale. Before using, make sure to wash them well, discard the hard stalks/stems. (You can reserve them to add into juices or soups.) and just tear them up and add after the mushrooms soften.
Cover & cook. You can sprinkle some water if its too dry. Let it cook until the leaves start to wilt.
Add in spring onions and bell peppers. Give it a mix and switch off the flame immediately. I like them a little crunchy so I don’t let them cook much. The heat from other veggies cooks them just enough.
Red Rice:
Cook Organic Red Rice and keep aside.
Boil soaked Black Eyed Beans (Chawli) & Moth Beans (Matki). Add this to the rice.
Add salt & mix well.
Garnish with coriander/ mint leaves.
Serve the rice and veggies with fresh cut salad and buttermilk.
You can follow more of my healthy recipes in my food section #DivyashreeEats on my Instagram handle @divyashree_mangalorkar. Here is a link to the pictures of this recipe. Do follow me on Instagram 🙂
It may be necessary for some, but I really don’t believe in following measurements. I just add according to what feels right in terms of texture and consistency. Also constant tasting after ever step helps you know how you are progressing with the recipe. You can always go a little here and there with the ingredients to suit your taste buds. That shouldn’t be a problem. A little common sense is required especially when using spices and salt! If you are trying something new, try with a lesser quantity so that even if you fail, you’ll always have another chance at doing something better than your first attempt. So don’t stress. Cooking is fun!
I love colorful food and try to use a lot of vegetables. It not only looks beautiful, but it is highly nutritious too.
So here’s what I experimented the other day at home. It’s a Pizza that tastes amazing; looks gorgeous and your tummy will thank you for the healthy treat!
Do try it out and comment below on what’s your take on it. If you’ve tried your very own twist, post your versions here and I’d love to try those out too! So here goes the recipe for today…
Cauliflower Crust Tava Pizza!
Ingredients (Pizza Base)
Boiled Cauliflower – A quarter approx.
Boiled & Peeled Potatoes – A Medium Sized approx.
Grated Cheddar Cheese – A small slice is what I used. You can add more.
Amul Garlic & Herbs Butter – A small slice again.
All purpose Flour – 1 Tbsp approx. You can avoid this or replace with any Gluten Free flour like Almond flour.
Egg – 1 whole egg. You can avoid this too if you are a pure vegetarian or add some Chia seeds mixed with water after it thickens .
Salt – As per your taste.
Ingredients (Pizza Sauce)
Onion – 1 small onion to medium, roughly sliced.
Garlic Cloves – 3 or 4 is fine.
Dried Chilli or Chilli Flakes – Just 1/4th
Tomato Ketchup – 3 Tbsp or you can add Tomato Puree
Butter – Very little.
Salt – As per your taste.
Ingredients (Toppings)
Tomatoes – 1 should be enough.
Baby corn – 2 to 4.
Bell Peppers – Quarter of yellow, red and/or green.
Jalapeños – I used 5 sliced homemade pickled Jalapeños.
Pepper Corns – Around 5 crushed/powdered.
Oil/Butter & Oregano – Very little to Sauté & for taste. Or you can use Amul Garlic Herbs Butter.
Salt – As per your taste.
Method: (Start With The Base)
Take a deep bowl and add all the ingredients – Cauliflower, Potato, All Purpose Flour, Whole Egg, Amul Garlic & Herbs Butter, Grated Cheese and Salt. If you do not have the herbs butter, you can add oregano and sautéed garlic to the mixture.
Mash all the ingredients so that all of them get blended really well. You need not necessarily make this into a smooth paste. The consistency should be that of a paste. If you feel the mixture is dry, then add a little milk cream or water. If the mixture is watery, then add a little more flour to thicken the mixture.
Take a non-stick tava (pan) and grease it with the Amul garlic & herbs butter.
Pour the mixture and spread it evenly on the tava.
The texture should look somewhat like this :
If you want the base to be on the crispier side, apply a thin layer on the pan. I poured the entire mixture to create a thick base that’s soft and creamy.
Place the pan on the gas on a medium flame and let it cook well. It will easily come off from the pan and when it’s a light brown shade, flip over. You can take a plate and slide it on the plate from the tava and then flip the plate over on the pan to avoid breaking the base.
It will look like this, once it is cooked well on both sides. Switch off the flame and keep aside in the same pan. We need this later after the toppings come in. You can also eat it like that because it tastes good too!
Method: (The Pizza Sauce)
In another non-stick pan, add butter and once it is hot, sliced onions, Sauté till light brown.
Add whole garlic cloves, dried chilli or chilli flakes and switch off the gas once you get a mild fragrance from the garlic.
Let it cool and then transfer it in a grinder.
Add salt and tomato ketchup. You can use fresh tomato puree as well. I used a Tomato ketchup that already had onion and garlic. So it tasted better.
Blend all the ingredients in the mixer and spread the sauce over the pizza base evenly.
Here’s what it looked like on my pizza base:
Method: (Toppings)
In the same pan, add a little butter if required.
Add to this, the cut vegetables – Tomatoes & Baby Corn. Add Bell Peppers. You can add Chicken, Paneer (Cottage Cheese) & Mushrooms too if you want more taste.
Add pickled Jalapeños and sauté for sometime till everything is cooked through.
Add salt & herbs to taste.
Get the pizza base that has been spread with pizza sauce.
Equally distribute the sautéed vegetables on top of the base covering it completely.
Sprinkle Pepper powder.
Switch on the gas and again heat it on medium flame to warm it.
Last but not the least, grate some cheese over the pizza.
Take it off the gas, slice it in equal portions and serve.
A Philomath’s Journal 