ALOO PALAK RICE (Spinach potato rice)

We all love aloo-palak right?? This rice is a lovely combination of palak, aloo, onion and tomatoes. Garlic and ginger are there to perk up its flavors. It is so simple and easy, gets done within 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Any variety of spinach - 2 cups, cleaned, washed and drained

Small potatoes - 2, cubed

Onion - 1, chopped

Tomato - 1, chopped

Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsps

Fresh ginger - 1" piece, grated

Garlic - 4 pods, chopped fine

Kasoori methi - 2 tsps, crushed

Cooking oil -4 tsps

Jeera - 1 tsp, for seasoning

Salt to taste

Recipe cuisine: North indian; Category: Lunch / dinner

Prep time: 15 mts; Cooking time: 10 mts

Serves 3

Onion cut, ginger grated and garlic chopped. Spinach and potato cut; rice soaked in water for 15 mts

In a pressure cooker, oil added, jeera seasoned, then garlic, ginger and onions added and sauteed, then the tomatoes, chilli powder added, and sauteed till it becomes a mushy paste

Then spinach and potato added, mixed well, drained rice, salt and kasoori methi added 

Now, 2 cups of boiling hot water added, cooker lid closed, after steam comes, lower the flames, and cover with a small cup and cook for 10 minutes.

In this picture, the one below shows the rice after 5 minutes, and the one on top shows the rice after 10 minutes of cooking . Rice has been transferred to a hot casserole.

Serve the rice steaming hot, just a bowl of yogurt/curds will suffice.

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Please check out my other rice varieties here.

GREEN PEAS MASALA

Green Peas Masala......................laden with fresh or frozen peas............low in calories, but high in everything else......contains lot of protein, fiber and micronutrients, prevents stomach cancer, has anti oxidants, has strong anti-inflammatory properties, and hence prevents heart-diseases, alzheimer's, arthritis, bronchitis, osteoporosis, regulates blood sugar, rules out constipation, lowers bad cholesterol.......and as far as I know.....am yet to come across people who do not like peas!!!
This recipe is also my daughter's, she had llearnt it from a friend of her's, instructed me how to do it, and I did it perfectly. And served it with poories, which are a favorite of my grand children!
More than anything, this is a Healthy dish too.....no butter, no fresh cream!

Ingredients

Fresh or frozen peas - 8 cups

Onions - 3, chopped

Tomatoes - 6, chopped

Garlic - 5 pods

Ginger - a small piece

Green chillies - 2, slit

Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 3 tsps, well crushed

Chilli powder - 2 tsps

Coriander powder - 2 tsps

Jeera powder - 2 tsps

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Dry roast in microwave and powder

Methi/fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tsps

To Season

Cooking oil - 8 tsps (4 tsps to use intially, and 4 tsps later)

Cloves - 4

Cardamom - 4

Cinnamon sticks - 3-4, small

Bay leaf - 1, broken into bits

Recipe cuisine: North Indian; Category:  Lunch / dinner

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time; 15 mts

Serves 6-8

In a pressure pan or cooker, heat up 4 tsps oil and add onions, green chillies, garlic and ginger and saute well.

Add the chopped tomatoes, and saute until they become mushy

Allow to cool down, blend to a puree and keep aside.

In the same pressure cooker or pan, add the rest of the oil, and season all the spices mentioned above

Add the tomato puree, and chilli , jeera, dhania powders and the crushed kasoori methi to it and mix well

Now add the peas, salt and sugar

Add some water, cover with lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles

Picture below shows the cooked peas masala

Add the methi-jeera-coriander powder

Mix well and serve hot, garnished with coriander / cilantro leaves

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

* There is another way to cook this also. You can cook peas in a microwave steamer, simmer the gravy and then add it.

* Is a very good side dish for rotis and rice.

PUDINA / MINT THOGAYAL

Often fresh herbs are forgotten to be included in our daily diet. Mint aka Pudina contains an anti oxidant which is very effective in giving relief to seasonal allergies. Mint contains menthol, which is a natural decongestant and treats cold and relieves sore throats, it calms and pacifies an upset stomach, treats heart burns, is a natural anti-microbial agent and breath freshener.

Ingredients

Pudina - 1 bunch, cleaned, stems removed and washed well

Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

Split urad dhal - 2 tsps

Red chillies - 3

Grated coconut - 3 tsps

Tamarind paste - 3/4 tsp

Cooking oil - 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch/ breakfast

Prep time: 5 mts; Cooking time: 5 mts

Serves 2-3

Washed pudina being drained

Cooking oil heated in pan, and hing powder, urad dhal and red chillies added. 

Fresh coconut loaded in the blender jar

After the urad dhal turns golden, add the mint leaves

After they shrink a bit, switch off. If you roast too much, mint leaves lose their nutritive value.

After cooling down, all loaded into the blender jar, where coconut is there already

Grind with minimum water possible, if you want a thick thogayal. Serve with hot rice, a dash of ghee, and with fried or microwaved  appalams, it is heavenly!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

*Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

ROASTED BEET-AVOCADO-SPINACH PANINI

Avocado............is rich in mono-unsaturated fats, and this quality makes its texture creamy and smooth. It contains lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals, reduces cardiovascular diseases, helps weight loss, reduces symptoms of arthritis, contains more potassium than banana, protects eye sight and protects liver from all kinds of diseases.
Beets................reduce dementia risk, combat constipation, boost eye health, lower heart disease and fight cancer.
Spinach...............low in fat, high in protein, fiber, vitamin, calcium and manganese
These three wonders go inside this panini to keep us fit and healthy. Daughter's recipe, of course....
Check my other beet recipes...beetroot halwa, beet pulav, beet arachu vitta sambar, beet-onion curry and beet raita

Ingredients

Beets - 12

Spinach - 4 cups

Avocado - 6

Basil pesto - 1 1/2 cups

Cream cheese spread/goat cheese - 1 cup (store bought)

Mayonnaise - 1/4 cup (store bought)

Hot sauce to sprinkle over

Onion - 1, big, sliced thin

Salt to sprinkle over beets

Recipe Cuisine: International; Category: Lunch / Dinner

Prep time: 30 mts; Cooking time: 10 minutes for each batch of paninis

Serves 6-8

Peel and pressure cook whole beets

Wrap them up in foil as 3 small bundles, keeping 4 in each, sprinkle some olive oil and salt over them, and grill in oven at 400 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 30 mts

Spread the basil pesto on one side of the panini. I am showing you the making of 2 at a time.

Spread goat cheese over the other slice (this can be replaced by cream cheese spread, if goat cheese isn't available)

Here are the healthy wonders which have made this panini

Slice the roasted beets, and keep the first layer

then some sliced onions

then some sliced creamy avocados

drizzle some hot sauce over

a layer of spinach

Drizzle some mayo over

Close the panin with the slice wherein we have applied goat cheese/cream cheese

After sprinkling the panini press with olive oil, keep the 2 paninis

Cover and cook till done to golden color

Here are they!!! Just imagine, by eating a single panini, how many veggies go into our tummies.....isn't it wonderful???

Serve hot & healthy panini with a small dose of Ginger ale and enjoy!!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

* If you do not have a panini press, you can make them in electric sandwich makers, or on a tava, where you keep the paninis pressed with something heavy.

*sprinkle some red chilli flakes, if you want your paninis to be spicier.

BROWN RICE DOSA (Brown rice and black lentils crepe)

Since always lot of protein has to be pumped into whatever dishes I make for the kids, I thought of trying out dosas with brown rice and black urad dhal. It came out so well, so tasty and crispy.
Here I am, sharing this excellent recipe with you all.
One more thing is, this batter can be quickly ground in the blender itself. So, the hassle  of using the grinder, then washing and wiping it , are all saved.
You want to have a look at my other Dosa varieties? 

Ingredients

Brown rice - 2 cups

Split black urad - 1 cup

Tuvar dhal - 3 tbsps

Methi seeds/fenugreek - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Enough oil to make the dosas

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Breakfast/Dinner

Soaking time: 3-4 hours; Fermenting time: Overnight; Cooking time: 3-4 mts for each dosa

Yields 15-16 Dosas

Picture below shows all the measured ingredients, then soaked in water for 3-4 hours, then the ground batter, salt added to it,  and finally the fermented batter.

Heat the tava, pour a ladle full of batter and spread to thin dosa, drizzle oil around it, allow it cook on medium flames till that side becomes golden in color, then the next picture shows the flipped over dosa.

Serve with Vegetable chutney and molagappodi

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

*Using the whole white urad dhal is bound to improve the dosa color.

* Onions can be chopped, some veggies finely chopped and added, and oothappams & soft dosas can be made.