Chana Palak (Chickpeas With Spinach)

Chana Palak is delightful and tasty dish from the Punjabi cuisine.This famous Indian side dish combines nutritious spinach & healthy chickpeas to create a hearty curry. One of the most loved Indian combo where cooked chickpeas is mixed along with sauteed spinach, seasoned and served warm with roti or rice.

Ingredients :

Chick peas / kabuli chana : 1 cup
spinach / palak - 1 cup, nicely chopped
Onion - 1, chopped
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Red chilli - 1, chopped
Toamto puree - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Chana masala powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

Soak the chick peas over night and pressure cook this and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add cuin seeds when seeds are splutter then add onion, fry until golden brown.

Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped chilli and all spice powder, fry for this few minutes.

Now add chopped spinach and tomato puree, cook this for 2 to 3 minutes.

Then add cooked chana and little water, cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve hot with Rice or Roti.

 Sending this to Radhika's "Let’s Cook #13 ~ Greens ", Amy's "Hot & Spicy Treats - Festive Food", Vardhini's "Love Lock Series - Legumes" and Umm Mymoonah's "Healthy Morsels- Pregnancy" event and Chef Al dente's "Gimme Green" event
 

Spinach & Vegetable With Mustard Sauce

One of the very famous recipe of Orissa is leafy vegetables with mustard paste. I learnt from my friend who is an Oriya..This is a very healthy dish goes well with chapatti/ steamed rice. A highly nutritious dish which goes well with plain rice or with roti.. I had some fresh palak and other vegetables so decided to make this curry.

Ingredients :

Spinach / Palak - 1 bunch chopped
Potato- 1, medium, cut in cubes
Flat beans - 5-6, cut in long pieces
Kohlrabi - 2 medium, cut into cubes
Brinjals/ eggplants - 2, small, cut in cubes
Badi- 8-10 fried
Tomato- 1 meduim size sliced
Red Onion- 1, medium, sliced
Mustard oil- 2tblsp
Panch phoron- 1 tsp (Mix of Celery seeds, cumin, fenugreek, kalonji & fennel seeds )
Dry red chillies- 2 nos
Turmeric powder/ Haldi- ½ tsp
Salt as per the taste

For gravy:

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
Poppy seeds- 1tsp (Optional)
Garlic cloves- 3 pods
Green chilly- 2
** Grind the above ingredients & make a fine paste **

Method:

Heat 1 tblsp oil in a kadai.  Add all the vegetables except brinjal, tomatoes and spinach. Shallow fry for 2-3 min.

Then add mustard paste on it, mix well  sauté it few second. Immediately add 1 cup of water to the vegetables. (Don’t fry the masala too much to avoid the bitterness)

Add salt as per the taste & turmeric powder. Cover the pan with a lid.

When the curry will start boiling add the brinjals. cover the lid. let the curry boil till all the veggies are cooked.

Now remove the lid add the chopped spinach, tomatoes. Mix well. Let the curry cook for another 5 mins till the spinach gets cooked. Add the badi pieces.

Now the gravy part is done will do the seasoning.....

Heat oil in a another pan. Add 1 tblsp of oil. Add dry red chillies & panch phoron, let it crackle. Then add the red onions. Sauté till it it beomes soft.
Now add the gravy in to the seasoning and mix well. Turn off the gas and cover with a lid for 5-10 mins.

Serve hot with Plain rice or Roti.....
Sending this to Radhika's "Let’s Cook #13 ~ Greens" event, Srav's "Vegan Diet – Only Plant Based" event, Umm Mymoonah's "Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy" event  and Chef Al dente's "Gimme Green" event

 

Round-up of Spotlight : Colourful Holi Part - II

Welcome to the 2nd edition of my Spotlight : Colourful Holi  roundup! February was an awesome month for colourful holi recipes appearing on food blogs across the web. Here is the second part of the amazing entries this wonderful  event generated...

Pasta / Noodles

Pasta in White Sauce from Amu's Recipes
Capsicum Cabbage Egg Noodles from My Healthy Happy Kitchen
Alfredo pasta (multi colour) from Food Slice

Bread / Paratha

Beetroot Poori from Zesty Palatte
Poori Aloo Masala from Cuisine Delights
Homemade naan from Ramya Recipe
Golden puris and parathas from Spicy Food

Strawberry Pooris from Aromatic Cooking
Braided Bread with Cheese from Spice n Sugar Tales
Spanakopita (spinach pie) from Hot Pot Cooking
Pooran Poli from Spice N Flavors

Puran Poli from My Kitchen Flavors - Bon Appetit!
Kabab

Tri-coloured Vegetable Kabab from Preeti's Kitchen Life
Tandoori Paneer or Paneer Tikka from Good Food
Tandoori Chicken from Recipe Junction
Plantain Kebab from Spice n Sugar Tales
Paneer Tikka from Sweet Karam Kapi
Murg tikka (Chicken Tikka) from My Healthy Happy Kitchen
Dal Kabab from Preeti's Kitchen Life
Harabhara kabab from  Preeti's Kitchen Life
Crispy Prawn Kabab from Cookbook Jaleela

Part III coming soon..........

Re-posting in Kerala Kitchen

I am sending some recipes to Cook Ezee's "Kerala Kitchen" started by Ria and Rose

Cauliflower Potato Masala ~ In Kerala Style

Bitter Gourd Thoran

 

Banana Halwa

Malabar Chicken Curry 

Chickpeas Curry Kerala Style

Potato Chickpeas Kurma

Spicy Egg Kurma

 

 



Bombay Masala Toast Sandwich

Bombay Masala Toast Sandwich is a very popular in Mumbai. You will find a sandwich stall near every almost college, near railway stations, in markets etc. The flavor of green chutney is goes well with sandwich. Bombay Masala is made from boiled and mashed potatoes , which are tempered with spices and drizzled with chaat or sandwich masala. Serve hot with green chutney and tomato ketchup. 

Ingredients :

Green Sandwich Chutney :

Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 2
Salt
 
For the potato filling:

Mashed Potato - 2 cup
Onion – 1/2, finely chopped
Tomato – 1/2, finely chopped
Green chilly –  1, small, finely chopped
Curry leaves – 1/2 sprig (optional)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Other ingredients :

8 slices of bread – brown or white
a few thin round slices of onions, tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber
Amul Butter or any other brand of Butter
Sandwich Masala or Chaat Masala

Method :

To make the green chutney :

Grind the ingredients for the green chutney with little water to a smooth paste. If this chutney remains, then you can use it as a dip for pakoras, samosas, or even serve it as a side dish with pulaos or biriyani.

To make the potato filling :

In a pan, heat some oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds,let them splutter. Then add onions. Fry the onions till transparent.

Now add chopped tomatoes. Fry the tomatoes till they become soft and are cooked.

Add the chopped green chilli. Add the all the spice powders mentioned above. Mix them well.

Now add the mashed potatoes. Add salt. Mix the stuffing really well. Keep on stirring on a low flame so that the mixture does not stick to the pan, cook for 5 minutes.

Let the mixture cool before you start using it for the sandwich.

To make the sandwiches :

Firstly, trim the edges of the bread. Apply butter evenly on the bread. Now apply the green chutney on the bread.

Apply green chutney on one bread. On the another bread layered mashed potatoes mixture. Keep  one or two onion, tomato and capsicum rings on this mixture. Sprinkle some sandwich masala or chat masala.  

Now cover this potato laden bread with another slice of bread, to which both butter and chutney has been applied. In a sandwich toaster or grill, toast or grill the sandwich till browned from both sides.

Remove and apply some butter on top of the sandwich. The butter melts. Ah….. melted butter on hot sandwich. Its crisp from outside and spicy and soft from inside.

Serve the sandwich cut into two with the green chutney and tomato ketchup. 
   

Sending this to My ongoing event "SPOTLIGHT : Lunchbox Ideas", Simply Food's "Lets cook Speedy Snacks" event, Rujuta's "Kid's Delight" event, Julie's "EP Series: Herbs & Spices" event, Dr.Sameena's "Snacks" event, Rasi's "I'm The Star" event, Umm Mymoonah's "Healthy Morsels" event and Charu's " Teatime " event



Vegetable Corn Soup

Sweet corn soup is very tasty and easy to make. This vegetarian soup is a fat free. The delicate flavour of corn makes this soup a favourite of many people. The vegetable soup variation adds a lot more nutrients.

Ingredients :

Fresh Corn - 1/2 cup
French beans - 5-6,finely chopped
Cabbage -  1/2 cup, finely chopped
Carrot -  1, finely chopped
Cauliflower Florets - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 pods, finely chopped
Vegetable stock - 5 cups or water
Sugar - 3/4 tbsp
Refine oil - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Black Pepper - as required

Method :

In a heavy bottomed vessel or wok, add fresh corn and vegetable except cabbage with water. Cover and cook over a medium flame for approximately 10 minutes or till the corn and vegetables are tender.Keep aside.

Heat oil in an another wok, add finely chopped onion and garlic, cook for 3-4 mins ten add boiled vegetable and corn, black pepper, sugar and salt, stir to mix well.

Now add vegetable stock, cook 5 mins in low flame.

Then add the cornflour mixture and go on stirring till the soup thickens. Turn off heat and pour into soup bowls.

Spread some black salt and black pepper powder.

Serve Hot & Njoy............

Sending this to Srav's "Vegan Diet – Only Plant Based" event, Resh's "Comfort Food" event, Umm Mymoonah's "Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy" event,



HOMEMADE DAIRY FREE NUTELLA

Recipe Source: Twenty one no gluten
You can find the original recipe here

Ingredients

1. Hazelnuts-1 cups
2. Canola oil- 1 tsp
3. Cocoa powder-1/4 cup
4. Honey-1/3 cup
5. Vanilla extract-1/4 tsp (optional)

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C
• Spread hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the skins are blistered a little.Allow this to cool a bit.
• Transfer it onto a clean kitchen towel, wrap it and rub vigorously to remove as much skin as possible.Let it cool completely.
• In a food processor ,grind the hazelnuts until it forms a paste.Now add the rest of the ingredients and grind until it is smooth.
• Store in a jar and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

NOTE: Adjust the amount of honey according to your taste or desired consistency.

ENJOY!!

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