Eggplant Yougurt Curry(दही बैंगन)

While growing up I have eaten this sabji very often. Now also when I don't have much time and want to eat on lighter side, I opt for this sabji.

Ingredients:-
(1). 1 medium size eggplant
(2). 1 teaspoon mustard seed
(3). 1 teaspoon cumin seed
(4). 2 table spoon oil
(5). salt to taste
(6). 1 table spoon red chili powder (optional)
(7). 2 teaspoon coriander powder
(8). 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
(9). 1 teaspoon asafoeteda
(10). 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
(11). 2 cup fresh yogurt
(12). half cup water
(13). chopped coriander leaves

Recipe:-
Cut eggplant into half inch pieces. Take oil in non-stick pan, add mustard and cumin seed, once seeds started cracking add asafoeteda and eggplant. Add salt ,turmeric powder and water. Let it cook until vegetable is started to become soft (about 12-15 mins on medium-high setting).(Insert toothpick in eggplant and if goes easily inside the eggplant it means eggplant is cooked)
If you think vegetable is not done and water in the pan is becoming less , add little more water. Once eggplant is cooked add red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala , mix well in sabji(curry) and let it cook for another 3-5 minutes. Switch of the stove. Take the non-stick pan from the hot stove , let the curry cool for 5 minutes and then add yogurt. Make sure yogurt is mixed very well with eggplants. Garnish the dish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve it with hot any type of hot parathas or rice.

Tip:-Instead of adding red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala in sabji you can mix all these in yogurt with little salt and mix this spiced yogurt into dish.

Paneer Tikka Masala(पनीर टिक्का मसाला )

Another one of my favorite Punjabi dish. Main vegetables are onion, tomatoes, bell pepper and paneer.You can find paneer at pretty much any Indian grocery store and some big retail store such as Costco also now carry it.

Ingredients:-

(1).  3 big tomatoes 

(2). 2 small onions

(3). One cup cubed cut paneer

(4). 1 medium size bell pepper(red or green)

(5). 2-3 table spoon oil

(6). 1-2 teaspoon asafoeteda

(7). Salt to taste

(8).1 table spoon red chili powder(or to taste)

(9). 1 teaspoon garam masala

(10). 1 teaspoon chhole masala (chana puri masala)

(11). half  teaspoon turmeric powder

(12). 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

(13). 1 teaspoon ginger paste

(14). 1 teaspoon chopped garlic(optional)

(15). half cup whole or 2% milk

(16). Coriander leaves for garnishing

(17). Cashew halves(optional)

Recipe:-

Cut bell pepper and  one onion into big chunk(kind of square).  In nonstick pan take 1 table spoon of oil , add pinch of asafoeteda and add paneer into it, cook the paneer from all side( they should look little brownish in color/grilled). Take the paneer out on paper towel to remove unnecessary oil. In the same pan add cut bell pepper,onion and pinch of salt, let it saute for 5-7 minutes, if you think vegetables are sticking add little bit of water. Once it is done take them out in one bowl. We want to keep vegetable little crunchy.

Dice the tomatoes and remaining onion.
In the same nonstick pan take 2 table spoon of oil and add cumin seeds. When seeds starts cracking, add asafoeteda ,onion and pinch of salt. Saute onion till it turns golden brown then add chopped garlic,ginger paste,tomatoes, turmeric powder, garam masala ,chhole masala in it. Let it cook for  5 minutes on medium flame. Take the gravy from the stove , once it cool down a bit put in in mixture to make puree or you can use hand blender to make puree. Start the stove, add puree and add red chili powder and let this cook for 6-7 minutes if you think it is getting thick fast add half cup water. Now add paneer, sauted vegetables and salt to taste. Cook for 5 more minutes and switch off the stove. Slowly add half cup milk into dish and stir it well. Garnish with the dish with coriander leaves and cashews.

Serve it hot with butter naan or parathas. You can also serve it with pilaf or basmati jeera rice.

Paneer Tikka Masala 

Paneer Tikka Masala 

Tip:-  If you don't have paneer you can use organic extra firm tofu just grill in oil to get more firmness.

Vegetable Upama (ऊपमा )

Upama requires very less time to cook and very less preparation before hand. Yet it is very healthy dish, you can eat as your breakfast or in snack.

Ingredients:-
(1). 1  cup soji/rava
(2). 3 tablespoon chopped onion
(3). 1/3 cup frozen mixed vegetable or peas and carrots
(4). 4 florets of broccoli , cut into small pieces
(5). 2 table spoon oil
(6). 1 small chopped green chili(optional)
(7). Salt to taste
(8). 1 teaspoon mustard seed
(9). pinch of asofoetida
(10). 2 cup warm water
(11). Coriander leaves

Recipe:-

• In medium size non-stick pan heat oil.
• Add mustard seeds, wait for them to crack. You can add 1 teaspoon urad daal in tadka.
• Add asofoetida ,green chili, onion and pinch of salt. Wait for onion to become slightly brown.
• Add soji and mix it well. To make sure there are no lumps, keep stirring. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add mix vegetables broccoli and water, mix everything well. Keep stirring so that there is no lump in Upama. Cook Upama for 7-10 minutes, you should see Upama is moving smoothly as whole in non-stick without sticking in pan. Switch off the gas.
• Garnish Upama with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with coconut or peanut chutney.  You can serve Upama with cooked black chana (kadala curry) also.

Tip:- You can make Upama without any vegetable.

Sambar(संभार)

My friend and I used to go 'Sankalp Restaurant'  in my town to eat dosa and sambhar when we craved the authentic South Indian food taste. I love the aroma of spices in sambhar. It makes you more hungry.  I tried to make so many time but it never used to turned out that well than my mother in law showed me how to make it, and now I am making pretty good sambhar. So courtesy of my mom in law I am sharing this recipe. She tells me that you can put any vegetable you like there is no rule and no limitation. Just go creative. She also make sambhar with small onion(shallot) it is called 'Ulli Sambhar' or Onion Sambhar.


Ingredients:-
(1). Two small cup tuver dal
(2). 2 table spoon Sambar powder
(3). 1 big onion cut into big chunks
(4). half green bell pepper cut into big chunks
(5). 1 small cup frozen/fresh ratalu or violet yam pieces (optional)
(6). 1 small cup frozen/fresh yam pieces(optional)
(7). 1 small  cup potato cut into big pieces
(8). 1 small cup eggplant cut into big pieces
(9). 2 table spoon oil
(10). 2 dried red chillies(optional)
(11). 1 teaspoon mustard seed
(12). pinch of asafoetida
(13). 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
(14). salt to taste
(15). 2 tablespoon tamarind paste
(16). half teaspoon garam masala.
(17). Curry leaves dried or fresh
(18). Chopped coriander leaves
(19). 6 pieces fresh drum sticks cut inch in length(frozen should be fine too).

Recipe:-
Start the stove and boil the tuver dal in pressure cooker. In one big deep pan take oil and  put mustard seed. Wait for mustard seed to crack, add asafoetida, red chillies, curry leaves and onions. Let it cook for couple minutes, add salt, turmeric, garam masala, tamarind with other vegetables(from 4 to 8). Mix everything well.  Add one cup of water, let the vegetable cook for 5-7minutes until vegetables starts to soften. Stir occasionally. Now add the boiled tuver dal in this gravy, once again mix everything well. If you think sambhar is thick add 1 cup water. Let Sambhar cook for another 8-10 minutes, stir in between. Switch off the stove  Boil drum stick by adding pinch of salt. Add them in to Sambhar. Garnish Sambhar with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with idli, dosa or uttapam.

Tips:-You can also use pumpkin and sweet potato in sambhar. Do remember Sambhar powder contains good amount of salt ,so salt it wisely. If you don't have tamarind paste you can substitute with lemon juice.

BhajiPanv(भाजीपांव)

Bhajipanv is one of my favorite dish. I make it(only bhaji) frequently at my home as dinner.

It is one of the dish which you can cook with very few ingredients and in less time if you are in hurry or learning to cook.  These are the main key ingredients for this yummy dish are cauliflower,potato,peas and carrot(for vegetables) ; onion and  tomato(for gravy); panvbhaji masala, turmeric and salt(as spices) and oil .  Trust me it will be as delicious as mentioned recipe below.

Ingredients:-
(1). 2 cup cut cauliflower
(2). 1cup cut brinjal/eggplant
(3). 1 cup peas and cut carrots
(4). 2 boiled potatoes
(5).1 cup cut capsicum
(6). 1 cup chopped cabbage
(7). 1 finely chopped green chili
(8). 3 tablespoon oil
(9). 1 chopped tomato
(10). 1 chopped onion
(11). 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
(12). 2 teaspoon turmeric
(13). 2 teaspoon red chili powder
(14). Salt to taste
(15). 2 tablespoon (MDH) panvbhaji Marsala
(16). 1 teaspoon asafoetida
(17). 1 teaspoon Garam masala
(18).1 teaspoon mustard seed
(19).1 teaspoon cumin seeds
(20). coriander leaves
(21). 1 small cup melted butter or butter spread

(22). 1 cup cashew halves

Recipe:-
 Boil vegetables(from 1 to 6) in pressure cooker or in vegetable boiler. Make sure the vegetables are mushy and can be smashed easily.  In nonstick pan take 3 table spoon of oil and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When seeds starts cracking, add asafoetida ,onion and pinch of salt. Saute onion till it turns golden brown then add chopped garlic, green chillies,tomatoes, turmeric, garam masala and panvbhaji powder in it. Let it cook for  5 minutes on medium flame. Now in this gravy add boiled vegetable and mix them well, if required add half cup of water. You can use the water in which vegetables are boiled.  Add salt and red chili powder. and let it cook for another 8-10 minutes on slow flame. Turn off the stove. Garnish the Bhaji with chopped coriander leaves and cashew halves(optional) .

Heat up the skillet 2 spoon melted butter and toast Panv in it until both side become crispy and light golden brown. If you want spicer one then when you  melted butter , add 2 teaspoon garlic chutney and little chilly powder mix well  and then toast Panv in this Masala.

Serve BhajiPanv with some chopped onion and slice of lemon on side. You can also serve Bhaji with Pilaf or you can put Bhaji in the burger bun and serve as burger.

Tips:-  If you don't eat very spicy you can avoid using red chilly, garam masala, green chili.

If you don't have onion and tomato or just say you are getting lazy ; you can use pasta sauce(with garlic & herbs)(1 cup) for gravy as substitute.  You can make club sandwich using this bhaji as main filling.

I think it is really good way to introduce new vegetables to kids who are picky in eating, because in the end all vegetable will be smashed and hard to differentiate.