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Stuffed Capsicums with Tomato Gravy

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

Whenever you think of cooking something stuffed, one of the first things that comes to your mind is Stuffed Capsicums, also called Bell Peppers or Shimla Mirch. So naturally, that was what came to my mind too. I had eaten this dish at a friend’s place years ago (I don’t even remember how it tasted anymore!) and since then I had thought of making my own variation someday. Capsicums are not only colorful and pretty to look at, they are also rich in Vitamins A and C, are low in fats, and are a significant source of iron, zinc and thiamine! And what better way to enjoy these delicious peppers than in the form of Stuffed Capsicum Baskets with Sauce!! Here’s my recipe for Indian style Stuffed capsicums. The smell and taste is sure to sweep you off your feet!!

Ingredients

For the Stuffing
4 medium-sized red or green capsicums
4 medium-sized potatoes
1 large onion
1 cup shredded or grated cheese
1 cup boiled peas
2 tbsp bread crumbs(optional, good for binding)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (optional)
2 tbsp salt (or add to tatse)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp each of garam masala, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and dhana-jeeru powder
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

For the Sauce
6-8 large tomatoes- chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded coconut
4-5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp each of mustard and cumin seeds
1 cup water

Method
For the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a small pan, add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Now add the onions and fry then till they turn golden brown. Add all the remaining ingredients and saute for 2-3 mins. Allow this mixture to cool and then blend well with the water in a grinder to make into a smooth paste or sauce.

Take the capsicums, remove their tops and clean the inside to remove seeds and the white edges. You can use the entire capsicum bowl for the stuffing, or cut it lengthwise to make 2 containers out of each capsicum. This might be easier if you are going for individual servings.

Boil the potatoes and peas and mash them together with the bread crumbs. Now combine all the remaining ingredients for the stuffing except cheese and onions. Take a little oil in a pan, saute the onions and then add them to the filling mixture. Add a tsp of sauce to each capsicum shell, then add the filling, layer agian with sauce and finally add the cheese on the top. be liberal with the sauce as lack of it could make your capsicum very dry.

Arrange the stuffed capsicum shells in a baking tray. Now apply a layer of oil to the outside of each capsicum with a brush or your finger and bake in an oven at 250 degrees for 15-20 mins, or until they are cooked and start giving out an aroma.

Remove from oven, the slowly transfer the Stuffed Capsicums to a serving dish, garnish with chopped coriander and pour the remaining tomato gravy all over and around it. Serve hot with Parathas or Rice!!

Posted in Recipes - Curries, Recipes-Entrees/Snacks | 15 Comments »

Vegetable Manchurian Gravy

Friday, August 24th, 2007

A colleague at work who read about my review on the restaurant Spice Hut was surprised to know that there actually exists a cuisine called Indian-Chinese which is very popular in India. So to her benefit, and for all the others who savour Indian food, here’s my Veg Manchurian Gravy which will leave you smacking your lips! It has most of the Indian spices, but the gravy is soy-sauce based, hence the name Indian-chinese

This tastes best with the Chinese-style Fried Rice, and once you finish reading this post, hop on to that recipe to make a complete meal!! (photo courtesy Zeenews)

Ingredients
1 cup grated cabbage
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup cauliflower florettes – shredded
4-5 finely chopped French beans
1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions
1/4 cup finely chopped green capsicum
1/3 cup refined flour (maida)
2 large tbsp cornflour (to hold and bind the veggies)
1 egg – beaten
2 large tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp vinegar
2-3 tbsp oil
Water – around 4 cups to make the gravy

Spices: 1/2 ginger and 5-6 garlic cloves,2-3 green chillies (all finely chopped)
1 tsp sugar,1/2 tsp msg (optional, salt- to taste

Method
Reserve the chopped greens of the spring onions for garnishing.

Mix all the veggies in a bowl, add the beaten egg, spring onion, capsicum, refined flour and one tbsp of cornflour. Add the salt for this mixture according to your taste (remember, the gravy will have salt too) and mix thoroughly. Take a spoonfull of this batter and shape into small balls. (Do NOT add water)

Now heat sufficient oil in a wok or pan and deep-fry vegetable balls, 3-4 at a time so they do not stick to each other, on medium heat until they turn golden brown.
Remove and keep them on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

Now heat 2 tbsp of oil again and add ginger-garlic and the green chillies. Then add soy sauce, sugar, MSG and salt to taste. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Dissolve the cornflour in a cup of water and add slowly to the gravy. Also add the vinegar to it. Stir till the sauce starts to thicken. When it looks reasonably thick, remove from flame and keep aside.

Now add the fried manchurian balls and mix well. Garnish with spring onions and Serve hot with Veg Fried Rice !!

Tip: You can use bread crumbs instead of cornflour while making the veggie balls.

Note: MSG (Monosodium glutamate) enhances the flavour and is commonly used in chinese food preparations. But some people have reported allergic reactions to it. So unless you are sure you have eaten it before, you can safely omit it from the above recipe to avoid any allergies

Posted in Chinese, Recipes - Curries | 9 Comments »

Chatpate Chhole

Monday, August 13th, 2007

Dear friends, yesterday a dear friend of mine saw my blogsite for the first time and requested me to add Chhole recipe to it. Another site published my article on Splenda translated into French and Italian. I am so glad that more and more people are slowly visiting and liking/linking to my site. This is what helps me keep writing and feel happy that I’m making a difference, even a small difference in somebody else’s life!! Chhole is a traditional punjabi curry recipe, and when you go to restaurants, you see it served with Bhatura, which is a big, puffy fried puri(bread) made from all-purpose flour. Today I will share my Punjabi Chhole recipe with you. Hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients
Chickpeas – 2 cans
Onion- 1 big, chopped finely
Tomato puree- 1/2 can
Milk – 3-4 tbsp
Spices -Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp, green chillies – 2, salt, red chilli powder, dhana-jeeru powder and lemon juice to taste, 2-3 bay leaves, turmeric-1 tsp, cumin seeds, garam masala powder-1 tsp
Oil – 3 tbsp
Chopped coriander to garnish

Method
if you are not using the ready-made chickpeas available in cans, you should soak them in water for at least 2-3 hours, then pressure cook them. Now heat a saucepan, add oil, cumin seeds, chopped green chillies, bay leaves, and ginger-garlic paste and once the seeds and chillies start spluttering, add the onions. Cook till onions turn golden brown. Add the tomato puree and some water to make the curry. Once the tomatoes are cooked and mixed well with the onions, add the turmeric and red-chilly powders, garam masala, salt and dhana-jeeru powder. Slowly add the cooked chick-peas and mix with the gravy. Mash some chickpeas to thicken the gravy and add some milk. Milk not only kills the too-tangy tomato taste, but also makes it smoother and creamier. Cook covered for 10-12 mins, or until the chickpeas are thoroughly cooked and become soft. Add lemon juice if needed, and garnish with onion rings and fresh coriander.

Serve hot with Puris or Bhaturas!!

Tip: You can also add some Everest Chhole masala (available at grocery stores) is you do not have garam masala.

Similar Recipes:
Hariyali Koftas
Spicy Dum Aloo
Malai Kofta Curry

Posted in Recipes - Curries | 6 Comments »

Akbari Paneer

Monday, August 13th, 2007

Paneer, or Cottage Cheese, can be enjoyed in various forms, and I can totally relish eating just raw fresh paneer, but the avenues that it provides to cooking are just amazing! Add these cubes to any veggie curry and it transforms into something rich and delicious. So here’s another rich and creamy variation that involved shredded paneer, and its my husband’s absolute favourite. It’s called Akbari Paneer. I first tasted it in a desi restaurant in california, and have been a fan ever since. It has now become a regular paneer delight in our house as it’s simple to make and tastes great with any naan, bread or jeera rice!

Ingredients

Paneer – half a slab, shredded
Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
Capsicum half green and half red – finely chopped
Cashews – half cup
Milk – half cup
Tomato Puree – half cup
Fresh cream (Malai) or Whipping Cream – 3 large tbsp
Tandoori Chicken Masala-2 tsp
Dry coriander flakes- 2 tsp
Spices – cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp, bay leaves – 2, ground cinnamon-half tsp, turmeric and red chilli powder-to taste, salt and lemon juice-to taste, sugar-1 tsp

Method
Shred the paneer and keep it in the fridge.

Heat oil in a saucepan, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon and bay leaves, dry coriander flakes, onions and capsicum and saute for some time till cooked. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato puree, and saute again.

Take the cashews in a grinder, add some milk to it and grind it into a smooth paste. Leave some cashew pieces behind for garnishing.

Now add the cashew paste to the pan and fry everything together for 7-8 mins. Add a little water, then add the remaining spices and let it cook covered till all flavours get mixed well. Finally add some fresh cream or whipping cream and mix well to achieve desired consistency, which is thick and creamy.

When ready to serve, add the grated paneer to the gravy, mix well, and garnish with fresh coriander, slivered cashews and some more cream! Serve hot with Rice or Bread!

Similar Recipes:
Malai Kofta Curry
Methi Malai Mutter

Posted in Paneer, Recipes - Curries | 9 Comments »

Egg Curry

Sunday, August 12th, 2007

Though I’m a vegetarian, my dad used to make me and my brother eat eggs as they are high in protein content, and that’s how I still like eating omelettes and rush to IHOP when the eggs-pancake urge builds to a crescendo:) Well, there’s one more egg recipe that I really enjoy, and that’s the Egg Curry. Here’s how I make it, and if my husband, who’s actually a food critic, loves it, I’m sure you will too.

Ingredients
4-5 eggs- boiled
Onion- 1 big, chopped finely
Tomato puree- 1 medium-sized cup
Coconut Milk – half can
Spices – Ginger-garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder and lemon juice to taste, 2-3 bay leaves, turmeric-1 tsp, cumin seeds, garam masala powder-1 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Chopped coriander to garnish

Method
Boil the eggs and keep them aside to cool.

Take a saucepan, add some oil, cumin seeds, bay leaves and the ginger-garlic paste. Saute for some time. Then add the chopped onions and fry till golden pink. Now add in the tomato puree and a little water and saute over medium flame for 5-7 mins.

Add the remaining spices- turmeric and red chilli powder, garam masala, and salt, and finally add the coconut milk. Keep stirring continuously as you add the milk, and increase the flame a bit. Once it starts boiling, lower the flame and cook covered for some time.

Cut each egg into 4 pieces (or halves if you like big pieces). Remove the yolk from the centre and mix with the curry. Now put the eggs in a serving dish and pour the curry on the top.

If you are using a crock pot for the gravy, saute the onions in the pan then add all the ingredients along with the tomato puree into the pot. Add the spices and finally the coconut milk and let it cook for a couple hours.

Garnish your Spicy Egg Curry with chopped coariander and serve hot with Jeera Rice or Paneer Parathas!!!

Posted in Recipes - Curries | 11 Comments »

Shahi Paneer

Friday, August 10th, 2007

“Paneer”, or cottage-cheese, is as well-known amongst Americans as Indians. And I personally have friends who love it so much, they make me take them to Indian restaurants for lunches whenever possible. So here’s a simple paneer recipe called “Shahi Paneer” that you can easily make at home! It is also by names like “Paneer makhani” or “Paneer makhanvala”. So no matter what name you are looking for, the technique remains the same:)

Ingredients
Fresh Paneer – (slab can be found at indian grocery stores)
1 Onion
1 cup Tomato puree
Spices -Ginger-garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder and lemon juice to taste, 2-3 bay leaves, half stick of cinnamon, turmeric-1 tsp, cumin seeds, garam masala powder-1 tsp
Chopped coriander and some shredded paneer for garnishing
1/2 cup Whipping cream
2 tbsp Oil for saute

Method
Chop the onions and grind them on Pulse so that its minced, but not blended.

Now take a huge pan, add some oil to it and then the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds and the onion. When its golden and cooked entirely, add the tomato puree and saute for some time. Then add all the spices- chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and mix well. Add some water to create enough gravy then cook covered for 5-10 mins on medium flame.

Then add the whipping cream and stir continuously and cook for another 10 mins. When the gravy looks thick and creamy, add the lemon juice to taste and let it cook.

Slice the paneer into small cubes. You can keeep the paneer referigerated for 3-4 days, but remove it and keep outside at least for 15 mins before you want to serve the curry. Now add the paneer cubes to the gravy, cook another 5 mins and take it off the flame.

Garnish with coriander and shredded paneer when ready to serve. Enjoy your Shahi Paneer with Naan or Vegetable Fried Rice!

Tip: If the paneer is hard, cut into cubes and dip in salt water for 5 mins. This will make it soft!

Posted in Paneer, Recipes - Curries | 4 Comments »

Gujarati Dal and Kadhhi

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

I have a friend who comes from the southern part of India, and the first thing he ever asks me to cook when we meet is the Gujarati-style Kadhhi….yeah, for people who know it and have relished it tons of times, it would sound like a joke, for its probably the easiest things to make!! However, these happen to be favorite gujarati recipes for a lot of people, and not just gujaratis! I’d like to dedicate this post to my friend who savours this simple recipe the most, and also the Gujarati dal, which perhaps requires a little more skill…

Kadhhi
Ingredients: 3 cups buttermilk, 1 cup chickpea flour (besan), 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp each of cumin, mustar and methi (fenugreek) seeds, 5-6 curry leaves, 2 green chillies, sugar or jaggery to taste, water

Method
Take 3 cups sour buttermilk and add one cup chickpea flour (besan) to this while you keep stirring continuously to avoid making any lumps. When the buttermilk and flour have blended well, heat a saucepan, add 2 tbsp ghee, some jeera seeds, methi seeds, 2 green chillies cut into small pieces and 5-6 curry leaves (limdo). When the seeds splutter, add the buttermilk mixture to it. Then add some jaggery or sugar, salt to taste, and some lemon juice if needed. Add some water if you need to make it thinner in consistency. Let the mixture boil on low flame. Keep stirring occasionally and cook uncovered for 8-10 mins. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Jeera Rice or Khichdi!!

Gujarati Tuver Dal
Ingredients: 3 cups Tuver Dal, 10-12 raw peanuts, 1 tsp each of mustar, cumin and methi seeds, 5-6 curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetids, salt, sugar/jaggery, red chilli powder, dhana-jeeru powder (dry coriander and cumin powder), lemon juice to taste, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 chopped tomato, chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method
Take 3 cups tuver dal and pressure cook it (covered upto 5 whistles) with a little extra water to make it soft. Add the peanuts to the dal while cooking. Now take a saucepan, add some mustard and jeera seeds, a pinch asafoetida and when seeds splutter, add the cooked dal in the pan. Add water to reach desired consistency; you can mash the dal partially to create a thick dal. Then add salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, dhana-jeeru powder, sugar or jaggery, lemon juice(to taste), half chopped tomato, 5-6 curry leaves, and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the flame and let it cook for 2-3 mins. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice!!!

Tip of the day: If you manage to find “Dry Kokam” in an indian grocery store, use that instead of lemon juice to introduce tremendous flavour to your dal or kadhhi.

Posted in Healthy Food Recipes, Recipes - Curries | 1 Comment »

Hariyali Koftas – Paneer Koftas in Spinach Gravy

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

As we kick into the summer, its nice to use more green leafy vegetables as part of your diet. I tried eating salads for a few days, but then my heart craved for something nutritious yet appealing to my palette, and that’s when I started preparing a concoction called the Hariyali Koftas. They are not only tasty, they have a high fibre content, high protein, vitamin A and calcium, and the dish blends perfectly well with bread or rice. Hariyali koftas are basically vegetable and paneer koftas cooked in thick and creamy spinach gravy. It’s easy to make, and sometimes provides a welcome change from the traditional Malai Kofta Curry.

Ingredients:
Spinach (2-3 cups for the gravy)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp oil
2 tsp each turmeric, red pepper, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste
1/2 onions(finely chopped)
1/2 cup tomato puree
4-6 tbsp heavy whipping cream
salt and lemon juice – to taste
chopped coriander – for garnish

For the koftas
4-5 potatoes – boiled and mashed
5 tbsp grated paneer(cottage cheese)
2 tbsp grated cheese
salt, garam masala powder, lemon juice – to taste
half-cup assorted dry fruits-cashews,almonds and raisins, chopped finely
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Method:
Mash the potatoes for the koftas and add all the spices and lemon juice in it. Mix the grated paneer and cheese together. Now make a small ball with some of the potato mixture. Flatten it a bit to make a small hole in the centre and fill it with the paneer/cheese mix, and put some dry fruit mix in it too. Then roll the ball again so as to make a smooth even oblong-shaped kofta ball. Make as many koftas as you need and store them in the referigerator for some time. Now fill the saucepan with some oil and fry the koftas 2 at a time, after rolling them in the all-purpose flour so that they stay firm and do not disintegrate in the oil.

For the gravy, take some oil, add cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste and onions and saute for a minute. Then add the dry spices-garam masala, red chilli powder, and turmeric and let them mix with the onions. Now add the tomato puree, salt and let it cook for some time. Boil the spinach and blend it, then add it to the pan. Lower the heat and let it cook with the spices for 5-7 mins. Slowly add the whipped cream and keep stirring continuously till the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Now cook this covered for another 5-10 mins.

When you are ready to serve, arrange the koftas in a serving dish, then pour the gravy on the top, and garnish with shredded cheese or paneer and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapati, bread or jeera rice!!!

Posted in Paneer, Potatoes, Recipes - Curries, Spinach | 1 Comment »

Rasgulla – Traditional Bengali Sweet – Fun and Foo