PARSI STYLE ‘BHEEDA PAR EEDU’ – EGGS ON OKRA

My 5 year old son calls it LADYFINGER PIZZA!!  

This is a very popular dish in Parsi Cuisine. Parsis love anything and everything with eggs . High in proteins and teamed with veggies makes this a very healthy and power packed meal for children and adults!

Bheeda par edu was an immediate hit with my kiddo and my hubby who wiped off the whole plate in the blink of an eye.  It is an easy dish to make and carry for picnics and whilst travelling.

Recipe: http://myluv4cooking.blogspot.in/2015/07/parsi-style-bheeda-par-eedu-eggs-on-okra.html 

You can enjoy this Parsi delight by itself or with some green chutney and ketchup on the side !

‘MASOOR NI DAAR’ ~~ PARSI STYLE BLACK LENTIL GRAVY (WHOLE MASOOR DAL)

Am sure every family has one such dish that has some very fond memories attached to it! J  My earliest childhood memories revolve around our dad telling us humorous snippets (almost repeatedly every time mom would cook this dish J ) about the escapades few of my family members had with masoor J  …  So, yes, ‘MASOOR NI DAAR’ is THAT special dish for my family ! J

This dish also holds a very special place in my heart.  This was one of the first dishes’ that I cooked independently as a keen teen with a zest for learning to cook !  It is by far my favorite lentil !

And luckily for me, my kiddo shares my love for this lentil (although hubby doesn’t L )

So, our lunch today is a simple meal of PARSI STYLE BLACK LENTIL GRAVY, rotis (Indian Flat Bread), creamy yogurt and salad !…

Ahhhhh… utter culinary bliss ! J J J

Lentils are rich in proteins and they meet a major part of the protein demands of the body. If you are a vegetarian and are concerned about your protein intake, you can ideally incorporate lentils in your regular diet as they offer the third highest level of proteins, after soybeans and cottage cheese.

Ingredients:

1 cup black lentils (whole masoor dal)

1 medium onion (finely chopped)

2 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)

1 green chili (finely chopped)

½ cup soya mini chunks (optional)

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Ground spices:

1 tsp roasted cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chili powder

1 tsp Dhansak masala (can substitute with garam masala powder)

2.5 to 3 cups water

2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Handful of coriander for garnish

Salt as per taste

Method:

• Soak the lentils and the soya mini chunks for at least two hours before cooking since this helps in reducing the cooking time.
• In a deep pan, heat the ghee.  Once the ghee is heated, add the cumin seeds and once they splutter, add the onions and green chilies and sauté till the onions turn brownish in colour.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, chili powder and dhansak masala and mix well.
• Next, add the tomatoes and sauté well till the tomatoes are cooked and the oil separates from the sides.
• Now, add the lentils, soya mini chunks, salt and water to the pan. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentil is completely cooked.
• My Kiddo’s Lunch

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot!

I served it with rotis, creamy yogurt, salad and a lime wedge !

 

WEIGHT WATCHERS SALAD

Healthy, tasty and easy to put together ! Wow!, that’s an ideal combination that I am always on the lookout for !

This Salad meets all these criteria .. Do try it folks. You will love this lemony garlicky salad..!

Ingredients for salad

1/2 Iceberg lettuce roughly broken up into pieces
1/4 white cabbage julienned
2 cucumbers diced (with skin)
2 large tomatoes diced
handful of coriander finely chopped
Pepper powder for seasoning.

Ingredients for dip
2 big lemons
1/2 pod garlic grated
2 tbsp olive oil
1 green chili finely chopped
Pinch of sugar

Method

Prepare the dip by combining all the ingredients and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

**This will ensure that the taste of the garlic, lemon and chili infuse with the olive oil.

Assemble all the ingredients of the salad (except the coriander and pepper) to a large bowl and add the dip. Mix well. You can garnish with the chopped coriander and freshly ground pepper powder.

Enjoyyyy this scrumptious salad all by itself!! It’s that tasty !

GOAN PRAWNS ‘N’ LADYFINGER CURRY

Goan Classic with a Parsi twist (note the potatoes) 

smile emoticon

This curry is one of my husbands’ favorite dishes. Instantly takes him back to his fond memories of home and Goa. The best part is that my 5 year old also loves this curry and its become a family special

Note the **TIPS** that I have mentioned alongside the recipe f

or a tastier curry ! 

Ingredients for the curry masala: 1 fresh Coconut 8-10 Kashmiri Chilies 2 tbsp dry coriander Seeds 2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp Jeera 2 tsp tamarind paste 1 garlic pod sufficient water to ground the masala into a paste Salt as per taste

Ingredients for curry: 150 gms cut Ladyfinger 2 large potatoes diced 200 gms medium deveined prawns 1 medium sized onion finely chopped 1 medium tomato finely chopped 1/2 inch ginger – grated 4 pieces of kokum 150 ml coconut milk 2 tbsp Oil

All the ingredients of the curry masala needs be a ground to a smooth paste. The curry masala has a nice appearance and aroma due to the Kashmiri chilies and the coconut)

**TIP** I roast this ground masala paste on a low flame till all the water evaporates. This gives a stronger taste to the entire curry. This also helps in cooking the coconut and all the other ingredients thus reducing the cooking time later on. You can also freeze this mixture in zip-lock bags for future use.

 

Method:

• In a thick bottomed pan put around 2 tbsp oil and sauté the chopped onion, tomato and grated ginger.
• Once the onion-tomato mixture is semi-cooked, put the prawns and diced potatoes in and stir a little so all of it gets evenly cooked.
• After the prawns are cooked, add the ground curry masala to it and stir it all together. Put the coconut milk depending on how thick/thin you want the curry to be.
• Add the kokum.

**TIP** You can also add water instead of coconut milk to make the curry less ‘coconuty’

• Let the curry simmer for around 5 minutes so that the tastes of the prawns and the masalas blend together. Add the cut ladyfingers to the curry and simmer till the ladyfingers are cooked

Serve with steamed rice and fried fish !! And you will feel like your truly in Goa ! 

• Serve with steamed rice and fried fish !! And you will feel like your truly in Goa !

CHICKPEAS PULAV

This pulav has all the attributes of a healthy meal. High in protein, minerals and fiber ! It is a dish which is tasty, nutritious and simple to make. Originally cultivated in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, have spread their culinary influence to areas all over the world. Like other legumes such as beans, peas and lentils, chickpeas are prized for their high protein and fiber content, and also contain several key vitamins and minerals known to benefit human health. Ingredients: 1 cup Chickpeas 1 cup basmati rice (soaked for about 30 minutes) 1 medium sized onion (finely chopped) 1 medium potato (cubed) 1 medium tomato (finely chopped) 1 green chili (finely chopped) 2 cups water 1 tbsp ginger paste 1 tbsp garlic paste Handful of coriander (finely chopped) oil Salt to taste Ground Spices: 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp Coriander powder Whole spices: 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds 6 black pepper 4 cloves 1 black cardamom ½ inch piece of cinnamon 2 bay leaves Method:

• Boil the Chickpeas till they are tender. Drain and keep aside.
• In another pan, heat the oil and add the roasted cumin seeds and the whole spices. Fry them for a few minutes.
• Now add the onions and green chilies. Sauté till it starts to turn brown.
• Add the ginger and garlic paste and continue sautéing for a few minutes.
• Once the onions are fried well, add the chili powder and turmeric powder and cook till the oil separates from the mixture.
• Add the tomatoes, potatoes and the boiled Chickpeas and mix well.
• Add the pre-soaked rice, 2cups water and the salt and bring to a boil.
• Cover and cook till water dries and the rice is cooked.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Serve with coriander yogurt dip, green salad and a lime wedge. Serve with coriander yogurt dip, green salad and a lime wedge.

SOYABEAN NUGGETS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE

This recipe is especially requested by my vegetarian friends ! 🙂

My hubby and kiddo love Chinese food ! Given an option, my son would drag us all to a restaurant every weekend. But in an attempt to make Chinese meals healthier, I started making them at home. That way, I know exactly what is being consumed by my precious family !

SOYABEAN NUGGETS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE:

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2-3):

1 cup Soya nuggets
2 small onions, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 green chilies, finely chopped
6-7 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large capsicum, chopped
2 tsp of soya sauce
2-3 tsp of Black Bean Sauce
2 tsp corn flour, diluted in half cup water
Chopped parsley and chives for garnish
2 tsp of black pepper
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cook the nuggets by boiling them for around 5 minutes and then strain the water. Keep aside.
Marinate the cooked soya nuggets, with a tsp corn flour, 1 tsp soya sauce, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp of black bean sauce and salt. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
In a thick bottomed wok, heat some olive oil and fry the marinated soya nuggets on medium flame till they are crispy on the outside. Keep aside.
Next, fry the chopped garlic and chopped chillies till they are light brown. Add the chopped onions and fry till the onions leave colour.
Now, that the base of the dish is ready, sauté the capsicum and tomatoes for around 3-4 minutes till they become soft.
Add the remaining sauces, black pepper and the cornflour to the wok. Toss to cover completely.
Add the fried soya nuggets and let it simmer for around 2 minutes. Garnish with some chopped parsley and chives.

Enjoy this homemade healthy Chinese delight with either noodles, fried rice or just as a starter !

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AUBERGINE STIR-FRY

A very healthy Sunday Brunch !

In these summer months, the last thing that anyone wants to do is cook elaborate dishes over a hot stove ! So, to avoid this and to eat healthy, stir-fry’s are an excellent alternative to regular meals

This recipe got whipped together in less than 20 minutes without compromising on the taste !

Ingredients:

• 2 long Aubergines, Sliced
• 1 medium cauliflower, broken into medium florets
• ¼ cabbage
• Handful of French Beans, chopped
• 1 medium Green Capsicum , diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 green chillies, julienned
• Half a garlic pod, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon

Herbs and accompaniments 

• 2 tbsp Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
• 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper powder
• 1 tsp dried Oregano
• 1 tsp dried Thyme
• 1 tsp dried Rosemary
• Salt to taste

Method:

• In a deep casserole, boil water and add the oregano, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and salt to it.
• In this water, boil the cauliflower florets and french beans, keep aside. (These are to be boiled separately)
• Blanch the cabbage peels, keep aside.

All Veggies

• In a thick bottomed wok, heat around 4 tbsp olive oil. Swirl to coat the wok completely.
• Add the chilies and garlic. Stir-fry on high heat for around 30 seconds.
• Next add the onions, capsicum, red bell pepper,tomatoes and aubergines and stir fry for around 3 minutes.

Veggies ready for Stir-Fry

• Add the oyster sauce. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes . Add the Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce and mix well.
• Garnish with Lemon Juice and freshly ground pepper.
• Serve immediately.

Aubergine Stir Fry

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD (LADI PAV)

My first decent attempt at baking whole wheat bread at home with my 5 year old son for help.  Hence the garlic bread roll in the pic is made BY him FOR him !

Fresh baked bread is a special treat, a delicious treasure of a home-cooked meal.
Whole wheat flour is made from whole wheat grains. It’s good to use whole wheat flour as often as you can when baking for your family. But there’s one factor that deters many people from baking their bread with whole wheat flour alone – and that’s the resulting texture of the bread… it can be a little more dense than white bread. On a personal level, we rather like that density, but for those of you who like your bread a little lighter, can opt for all-purpose flour(Maida).
Here goes the recipe (can be used for whole wheat flour as well as all purpose flour)

Ingredients:

4 cups wholewheat flour
1.5 tbsp Dry Active Yeast
3 tbsp sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1 cup Olive oil
2 cups water
1 egg (for egg wash)

**TIP**
To bake an even better loaf, you can reduce the amount of yeast to 1 tbsp (or even less). This will make your dough rise more slowly, so you’ll just need to increase the rising times. You can reduce the yeast in pretty much any bread recipe; a lot of bakers go by the formula, ‘half the yeast and double the rising time.’

Method:

To 1 cup warm water, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Then sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside until the mixture is frothy (around 10 mins).
Mix the flour with the salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the olive oil.
When the yeast mixture is ready, pour that in too, and then begin mixing everything together.
Work the mixture into a firm dough, making sure that the sides of the bowl are clean. Add the remaining warm water as necessary to bring the mixture together.
The dough should be soft and pliable to the touch but not sticky.
Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out on to it. Knead the dough for 10 minutes (**don’t cheat – the time spent kneading is important to the finished result**)
Grease a large bowl, place the dough inside, cover with a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm place for at least an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
(** this depends on the humidity and warmth of your kitchen**)
Once the dough has risen, turn it back out on to the floured surface, punch the air out of it and knead it for a minute more.
Flatten the dough and cut it into equal parts and shape them into balls. Place them in a baking tray and cover with plastic wrap/damp kitchen towel and leave it to rise for about 45 mins.

(**To avoid breaking the gluten,cut the dough into equal parts rather than breaking them into balls**)
Preheat the oven to 375 deg F (180 deg C).
Prepare the egg wash for the bread by combining 1 egg with 1 tsp of water and mixing thoroughly.
Remove the plastic wrap, coat the bread with egg wash and put the baking tray in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden.Cool on a wire rack then serve!

Ahhhh… the aroma of freshly baked bread is what makes this so much more worthwhile !

Enjoy the pav with your favorite Chicken curry or masaledar kheema !

BOTTLE GOURD FRITTERS

Ahhhh…. The satisfaction of sitting in the balcony, the wind and raindrops for company, sipping a steaming hot cup of tea with fritters is absolutely divine!

Come monsoons and I immediately start craving for yummy fritters to be had with a steaming hot cuppa ginger tea! But unfortunately I stay in a place where the ‘Monsoons’ are around for only 15-20 days in a year So, today morning, when the weather was exceptionally lovely with light showers and a gentle breeze, I grabbed the opportunity to make and enjoy these yummy fritters…

This recipe if ideal for kids who don’t like the eat veggies too much and fuss over it ! It is a fantastic snack to enjoy along with ketchup/ chutney and also can be a side dish. You can also go for any other grated veggies instead of bottle gourd, am pretty sure that whoever doesn’t like veggies in their menu, will definitely enjoy having these fritters !

Here goes the recipe..

1 medium Bottle gourd (grated)
2 medium potatoes (boiled and mashed)
4 tbsp chickpea flour ( besan)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 medium capsicum (chopped)
4 green chilies (finely chopped)
Handful of fresh coriander (chopped)
4-5 fresh mint leaves (chopped)
1 tbsp grated garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
4 tbsp breadcrumbs

Spices:
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp dry mango powder
½ tsp coriander powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
**TIP**Squeeze out the extra water from the bottle gourd after grating it.

1. In a large mixing bowl, prepare the batter for the fritters by combining the grated bottle gourd, boiled mashed potato, chickpea flour, onions, capsicum, green chilies, coriander, mint leaves, ginger and garlic. Mix these ingredients thoroughly.
2. Next add all the spices and the breadcrumbs and give it 1 more final mix.

**TIP** DO NOT add water. Bottle gourd itself has lots of water in it. Check for the consistency of the batter and if you feel that it’s not thick enough, add 1-2 tbsp chickpea flour.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan for shallow frying the fritters.
4. While the oil is heating up, make lemon sized balls with the dough.

5. Reduce the flame to medium, wet your palms with oil and press the dough to the shape of a small patty.
6. Carefully slide the patties into the pan.
7. Shallow fry all the patties in batches on medium until the color turns golden brown.

8. Drain the excess oil with a tissue paper.
9. Serve hot with ketchup/chutney. They also taste good on their own

Enjoy !
‪#‎HealthyEqualsHappy‬