Vegetable Broth or Stock

Vegetable broth or stock is an essential ingredient in soups, flavored rices as mexican, mushroom, and few more Chinese dishes. It is nutritious and flavorful recipe that adds flavors to the dishes.

 Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Oil,

1 Bay Leaf,

1/2 Tbsp Peppercorns,

9 Large Garlic Cloves,

2 Large Onions, cut into big chunks,

2 Large Tomatoes, cut into cubes,

4 Carrots, cut into big pieces,

4 Stalks Celery, Chopped,

4 Stalks Spring Onions,

4 Stalks Leeks,

10 to 12 Parsley Springs,

1 Gallon/16 Cups Water,

Salt to taste.

Preparation:

• Wash the vegetables well.
• Take a heavy bottom pan and add oil to it.
• Add in the garlic to the oil and turn on the flame.
• Once the oil is warm, add in the bay leaf and peppercorn.
• Add all the vegetables in one after the other and allow them to cook for a while (approximately 5 to 6 mints).
•  Now, add in water and allow the vegetables to boil on a high flame and close the pan with a lid.
• Once the water starts boiling, remove the lid, reduce the flame and allow the vegetables to simmer on low flame for an hour.
• After an hour turn off the flame and allow the stock to cool a little and drain the liquid and trash the vegetables.
• Allow the stock to cool down to room temperature and refrigerate it for 5 to 7 days. 

Brown Rice Dosa

One week end we picked up Brown Rice bag from the grocery store instead of white. Since then I was constantly looking out for brown rice recipes as I want to prepare some thing different. My search came to an end when I found this recipe on 'The Chef and Her Kitchen' blog. I prepared these dosa's thrice and every time they tasted very well. Here is the recipe with my changes to it.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups Brown Rice,

1 Cup Urad Dal (Skinless),

1/2 Cup Chana Dal,

1 Cup Rice Flakes (Poha),

2 Tbsp Methi Seeds,

Salt to Taste,

Ghee/Oil to roast the dosa.

Batter Preparation:

• In a bowl add urad dal, chana dal, rice and methi seeds and wash them thoroughly with water.
• In the same bowl add water to the ingredients and soak them for 9 to 10 hours or over night.
• Next day morning, or after ten hours soak rice flakes in water for an hour.
• After an hour, mix all the soaked ingredients and blend them into a fine paste by adding water. Make sure that the paste is thick in consistency.
• Add salt to the batter and leave it to ferment it. Batter can also be fermented in preheated oven for 20 to 30 mints.

Dosa Preparation:

• Heat a non stick pan on a medium flame.
• Once, the pan is hot, mix the batter well and place a big ladle of batter on the pan and spread it on the pan in a circular motion to form a uniform shaped dosa.
• Add ghee/oil on the edges of dosa and cover it with a lid.
• Let it cook on medium flame for a mint or two and remove the lid.
• Turn the dosa on to next side and allow it cook for a mint or two.
• Once the dosa is done with texture of your choice (smooth or crispy) remove it and serve it a chutney of your choice.

Badam Soy Milk

Milk delicately flavored with Badam/Almond is a punch of nutrition's, tastes well when served both warm and cold. Nuts in this makes it tastes very well, can be served as a part of your breakfast or with light dinner.
On a diet cautious side I choose Soy milk for this recipe and it tasted well too.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Blanched Almonds,

2 Cups Soy Milk,

20 gms Cashew nut,

30 gms Almonds,

30 gms Pistachios,

1/4 Tbsp Mace Powder,

1/2 Tbsp Cardamom Powder,

1 gms Saffron Strands,

4 Tbsp Sugar

Preparation:

• Add soy milk to a pan and let it boil on low flame.
• Mean while make a fine paste with 3/4th of the blanched almonds in a blender. And cut the rest almonds into small pieces.
• Add almond paste and 50 gms of saffron strands to the milk and keep boiling it.
• Now, add cashews, pistachios, mace powder, cardamom powder in a dry blender and make a powder of them.
• Add half of this nuts powder to the boiling milk and simmer the milk on low flame till the milk quantity reduces to an 1 1/2 cup.
• Turn off the stove and serve the milk to serving glass and add 1 tbsp prepared nut powder along with chopped blanched almonds and saffron strands.
• Serve hot or cold of your choice.

 

Jeera Aloo

Jeera Aloo, another version for Aloo fry, a dish that needs no introduction. Aloo fry, Potato fry, French Fries what ever the name is, is the dish preferred by most of the people. This recipe of 'Jeera Aloo' I got from Sanjeev Kapoor's Khazana. It tasted very well when served with rice. Goes well with roti as well.

                             

Ingredients:

4 Table Spoons Oil,

3 Large Potatoes Boiled and cut into cubes,

2 Table Spoons Jeera/Cumin seeds,

1 Table Spoon Crushed Coriander seeds,

1 Table Spoon Red Chilli powder,

1 1/2 Table Spoons Dry Mango Powder,

1 Table Spoon roasted Cumin Powder,

Salt to Taste.

Preparation:

• Heat oil in an wok, and once done add cumin seeds.
• Once the cumin seeds change their color to brown light in color, add crushed coriander seeds and saute it for a minute or two.
• Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, salt and cumin powder. Mix them well and saute the mixture for two to three minutes.
• Now add boiled potato cubes and toast them till brown in color.
• Serve hot with rice/roti.

Sev Tomato

We got new neighbors a month ago, Gujarati couple. 'Sev Ki Sabzi' is what I heard for the first time from them. In their words, 'Sev ki sabzi is very easy and quick dish that goes well with any kind of rotis'. I thought of giving it a try and picked the version of 'Sev Tomato' from Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana. It is really a quick dish, and went well when served hot with rotis.

Ingredients:

 4 to 5 Medium Sized Tomatoes,
 1 Cup Sev (I preferred Bhujia Sev),
 2 Table spoons oil,
 1 Table spoon Red chilli powder,
 1 Table spoon Jeera powder,
 1 Table spoon Coriander powder,
 1/2 Table spoon Turmeric powder,
 Salt to taste,
 1/2 Table spoon Mustard seeds/Rai,
 1/2 Table spoon Jeera,
 8 to 10 Curry Leaves,
 Pinch of Asafoetida,
 3 Green Chillies, slit into half,
 1 Table spoon Sugar,
 1 cup finely chopped green coriander.

Preparation:

• Cut the tomatoes into medium sized pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan, and when the oil is hot add hing and mustard seeds and saute it for a while and add jeera and saute it.
• Once the mustard seeds and jeera start jumping add, green chillies to it and again saute it till the chillies got fried well and add the curry leaves.
• Now add tomatoes and saute them for a while. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, sugar, half cup of finely chopped coriander leaves and salt.
• Mix the ingredients well and cook them for a while with a lid.
• Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the remaining half cup chopped coriander leaves.
• Finally, add the Sev just before serving.

Punjabi Bhindi/Okra

Ladyfingers/Okra/Bhindi, is one of my favorite dishes, I like it served in any style. My interest on  Okra made me choose 'Punjabi Bhindi' as my first post. I borrowed this, from 'Sanjeev Kapoor's Khazana'.A simple and very easy to cook recipe that goes well with both rice and roti. 


   

Ingredients:

250 Grams Okra, cut into cylinders,
2 Medium Onions, sliced,
2 Green Chillies, slit,
2 teaspoons Red Chilli Powder,
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder,
2 teaspoons Coriander Powder,
1 teaspoon Dried Mango (Amchur) Powder,
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds,
Salt to taste,
2 tablespoons Oil.

Preparation:

• Wash and dry Okras, make sure that Okras are not wet. 
• Heat Oil in a non stick pan and allow it to heat. 
• Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and sliced green chillies, saute it for half a minute.
• Add onions and saute them till brown.
• Now, add okras and toss to mix them with onions, green chillies and cumin seeds.To this, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and dried mango powder (amchur).
• Mix well and cook on low heat till the vegetable is done.
• Serve hot with rice/roti.