Indian Vegetarian Recipes - Dum Gobhi

(Cauliflower steamed with herbs and spices)

Ingredients :

1 lb. cauliflower
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp tumeric
2 tsp grated ginger root
1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
1 green chili, chopped
1 tbspn nonfat plain yogurt
2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp garam masala

Method :

1. Wash, drain, and cut cauliflower into 1 inch flowerets, including stem.
2. Combine chili powder, ginger, tomato, green chili, tumeric with the yogurt in A small bowl.
3. Spray with pam, use nonstick pan, use a little water, whatever you do to nonstick yourself.
4. Put Cauliflower into pan then pour spices over the top.
5. Cover pan tightly and cook over Low heat for 10-15 minutes (Cauliflower will steam in the spicy mixture).
6. Stir in half the cilantro leaves, increase heat to medium, and cook with lid off, for another 5-6 minutes, to drive off excess moisture. Turn off heat and sprinkle with garam masala and reamaining cilantro. Make sure all liquid is driven off, serve with basmati rice. 4 servings, less than 98 calories

GARAM MASALA :

2 oz. black cardamom pods, 1 oz piece of cinnamon stick, 1 oz. cloves,
2 oz. peppercorns

1. Heat a heavy skillet, reduce heat, add pods and cinnamon. Move them around for two minutes.
2. Add cloves and peppercorn, and shuffle for another minute.
3. Turn off heat, but continue shuffling until the heat is out of the pan.
4. Pour roasted spices into grinder and grind till you have a fine powder.
5. If not fine, strain it, and discard what won't pass through strainer.

Indian Vegetarian Recipes - Dum Ka Karela

Serves: Four
Time required: One hour 15 minutes plus baking time

Ingredients :

12 bitter grounds (karelas)
Salt to taste
15 g ginger paste
15 g garlic paste
1 tsp (5 g) turmeric powder
Butter for basting and greasing.

For the filling:

150 g paneer, grated
60 g groundnuts
1 tbs (15 g) sesame seeds
15 g coconut
1 tsp (5 g) cummin seeds
2 (120 g) large onions
5 cm ginger, julienned
1 1/2 tsp (7 g) coriander powder
1 tsp (5 g) chilli powder
Salt to taste
2 tbs (30 ml) tamarind pulp
15 g jaggery, crushed

For the tempering:

3 tbs (45 ml) sesame oil
1/2 tsp (2 g) cummin seeds
1/2 tsp (2 g) mustard seeds
1/4 tsp (1 g) fenugreek seeds
24 curry leaves

Preparation Method :

1. Wash and slit the bitter gourds on one side. Remove the seeds and rub with salt.
2. Arrange on a tilting tray and keep aside for at least an hour. (Keep the bitter gourds overnight if you prefer them to be even less bitter).
3. Put enough water in a pan. Add salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, and turmeric powder. Stir and bring to a boil.
4. Add the bitter gourds and blanch them until soft. Drain and keep aside.

To prepare the filling:

1. Remove the brown skin and roughly chop the coconut. Dry roast the coconut, groundnuts, sesame seeds and cummin seeds in a frying pan until each emits its unique aroma.
2. Hold the onions with tongs and roast them directly over the flame until the skin is charred. Cool, peel and roughly chop the onions.
3. Grind all these ingredients, except paneer, with 1/4th cup water to fine paste.
4. Add paneer, ginger, jaggery, corriander powder and chilli powder to the paste and mix well.

To prepare the tempering:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan and season with cummin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
2. Stir over medium heat until they begin to crackle. Add curry leaves and stir.
3. Pour over the paste, mix well and divide into 12 equal portions.
4. Put a portion of the filling into each of the blanched bitter gourds.
5. Arrange them in a greased roasting tray with the slit side on top. Cover with foil. Punch a few holes in the foil and cook on dum in the pre-heated oven at 275oF for 30 minutes, basting at regular intervals.
6. Remove and uncover.

To serve: Remove to a serving dish and serve with cummin-tempered whole potatoes and buttered seasonal vegetables on the side.

Indian Curry Recipes - Soya Kofta Curry

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

100 gms soya granules
1 potato, boiled, peeled & mashed
2 green chilies
A pinch of nutmeg powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
Soya refined oil for deep frying
2 tbsp. soya refined oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup boiled onion paste
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
3-4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Soak soya granules in lukewarm water for about 15 minutes. Squeeze to remove excess water.

2. Mix soya granules, mashed potato, green chilies, nutmeg powder and salt. Add besan to this mixture mix well and then make small koftas. Deep fry these koftas in moderate hot oil until crisp. Remove and keep aside.

3. Heat oil, add bay leaf and boiled onion paste, cook till oil starts separating. Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste, cook for a moment then add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and cook nicely.

4. Add water, garam masala, adjust salt and then add koftas and coriander leaves. Cook till done. Serve hot.

Indian Curry Recipes - Drumsticks in Gram Flour Curry

Serves: 6
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients :

3 drumsticks, peeled & cut into 5 cms pieces
2 1/2 cups gram flour, sieved
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafetida
8 curry leaves
2 onions, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, chopped
6 green chilies, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sugar
1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
Salt to taste

Directions :

1. Boil drumstick pieces in water till the centers and seeds are soft.

2. Mix gram flour with water to make a thin paste.

3. Heat oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. When the seeds pop, add the onions. Fry till the onions are translucent.

4. Add tomatoes and drumsticks. Stir fry gently for 2 minutes.

5. Add gram flour mixture, green chilies, turmeric, salt and sugar. Stir gently till cooked and creamy, so that no lumps should be formed.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or rotis.

Indian Rice Recipes - Onion Rice

Ingredients :

1 cup rice.
1 medium sized onion.
1/2 cup green peas.
3 minced green chillies.
little garlic.
Mustard and cumin seeds for seasoning.
cut coriander leaves.
salt to taste.

Method :

1. Cut onions into thin long slices.
2. Boil the rice separately.
3. Heat oil in a pan and season with mustard and cumin seeds.
4. Add cut onions and green chillies, fry until onion is light brown in color and add green peas. Pour little water and allow the mixture to boil till the mixture is dry.
5. Add the boiled rice and coriander leaves into the mixture and mix well.

Indian Rice Recipes - Vaangi Baath (Brinjal Rice)

Ingredients :

Brinjal - 300 gms
Onions - 2-3 medium sized
Coriander powder, Chilli powder, Salt to taste
Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Cooking oil - 2 tbsps
Finely chopped coriander leaves

Method :

1. Cut the brinjal & onions to not very fine pieces. If you cut the brinjals too fine, they will get mashed up and will lose their taste.

2. Saute the onions till they get transparent. Then, add the brinjals also.

3. Add the spice powders and saute the curry for 4-5 minutes.

4. Cook the rice in the quantity of water mentioned above. Do not overcook.

5. Allow it to cool and then mix it with the curry just prepared above taking care to see that you do not mash them up.

6. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

7. Serve hot.