Category Archives: Veg Recipes

Paneer Capsicum Stir Fry

Paneer Capsicum Stir Fry is an easy and tasty paneer recipe. The paneer is first marinated with chilli powder, ginger and garlic paste and then added to the onion and capsicum. This recipe is ready to eat in half an hour and is a great choice if you have sudden guests at home or need to pack tiffin. The ingredients added are simple and are easily available in the kitchen.

You can have them as a starter too. This Indo-Chinese recipe goes well with chappatis, rotis,pulkas. Paneer lovers would really enjoy the crunchy taste of onions and capsicum along with the soft paneer.

For more paneer recipes click Palak Paneer, Paneer Tawa Masala. Now let us see how to make Paneer Capsicum Stir Fry?

Ingredients

200 g  paneer cut into cubes

1 capsicum cut into  squares

1 onion cut into squares

10 -12 cloves of garlic (finely chopped )

1/2 tsp chilli powder

2 green chillies (finely chopped)

5 tsp of oil

1/2 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp soy sauce

salt to taste

Method

The process involves 3 steps.

  1. Marination of Paneer

  2. Stir Fry of Capsicum and onion

  3. Combining the marinated paneer with the Capsicum and Onion

 1. Marination of Paneer

Take the cut paneer in a small bowl and add ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder and salt. Give a slight mix so that the ginger, garlic paste and chilli powder along with salt mixes evenly. You can use a spoon instead and delicately mix so that the paneer does not break into smaller pieces. Be careful while handling the paneer.

Take a small pan and heat it for 2 minutes. Add 1tsp of oil and heat it for a minute. Now add the marinated paneer to the pan and heat it for a few minutes (not more than 2 minutes)on medium flame. This process will help in further mixing the marinate with the paneer. Now let it sit till the other step of stir-frying the onion and capsicum are done.

2. Stir Fry of Capsicum and Onion

Take a pan and heat it. Now add 4 tsp of oil and heat it on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and green chillies. Sauté till the garlic turns golden brown. Now add the soy sauce and vinegar and stir for a few minutes.

Then add onions and capsicum, mix well so that the vinegar and soy sauce blends with the capsicum and onions. Now heat for around 5 minutes on medium flame.

3. Combining the marinated paneer with the Capsicum and Onion

It is now time to add the marinated paneer to the capsicum and onion. Mix all the ingredients well but as before be careful not to break the paneer. Keep it on a medium flame for 5 more minutes. Give a final mix . Remove from the flame immediately and serve hot.

If you keep heating then the crunchy taste of onion and capsicum will not be there as it will be overcooked.

Enjoy eating and do let me know how it tastes.

 

 

 

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is an easy, healthy  Indian dish in which cottage cheese or paneer is added to spiced palak. Palak is spinach. The combination of palak and paneer is a delicacy and can be eaten with Indian bread like roti, naan and chapati. It can also be eaten with rice like ghee rice and jeera rice.

Palak is nutrient-rich and paneer has high protein content. Paneer and palak along with spices make a rich delicacy.  Vegans can use tofu instead of paneer. This is one of the most awesome gravy with spinach.

I have added paneer in this recipe without frying, but you can fry the paneer in oil for two minutes if you want. For a richer Palak Paneer, you can add cream.

Ingredients

4 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon ghee

1 bunch palak (stem removed)

4 medium-sized onions (chopped)

3 green chillies

1 bay leaf

4 cloves

1-inch cinnamon

1 cardamom

5 cashew nuts

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi

1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

Method

Blanching of Palak

Take around 500ml of water in a vessel and heat it till it starts to boil. Add green chillies to it. Then add half a teaspoon of salt and washed palak to it. Allow the palak to remain in the water for a minute and then drain the water. Wash again with cold water so that the green colour of spinach is retained.

Grinding the palak

Add the blanched and cooled palak and green chillies to a mixer. Without adding water grind the palak along with the green chilli. Then add a few drops of water to get a semisolid paste of palak puree.

Making of Onion masala

Keep the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom ready. Take a kadai or a heavy thick bottomed pan or a cast-iron skillet and heat it. Then add oil and heat it for 2 minutes. Now add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom to the heated oil.

 

After a minute add onions and stir. Add cashew and keep stirring till the onions turn golden brown.

Then add kasuri methi after crushing in the fingers and add ginger- garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell of the ginger -garlic paste goes.

Now add chilli powder and keep stirring for a few minutes. Then switch off the gas stove. Allow it to cool.

Grinding of the onion masala

Transfer the cooled onion masala to a mixie jar. Grind it without adding water. Then add a few drops of water to get a smooth paste.

Making of Palak Paneer

Take the kadai and heat it. Add ghee and heat it for less then a minute. Now add the ground onion masala into the kadai and fry until the raw smell of onions is not there. This usually takes 5-10 minutes.

Then add palak paste and mix thoroughly. Allow it to cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and mix well. You can add cream if you want. I have not added it to this recipe.

Cook till the colour changes to a darker colour.

Finally, add the paneer and stir gently such that the paneer does not break. Cook for 2 minutes and switch of the gas stove.If you want your paneer to be crispier then fry them in oil and then add to the above palak.

.

 

Your delicious and mouth-watering Palak Paneer is ready! Enjoy:)

How to make Elephant Yam Fry?

Elephant Yam Fry is tasty as well as healthy dish. It is usually called ” Vegetarian Fish Fry”.Elephant Yam Fry is a favourite of many and this spicy dish tastes good with sambar rice, rasam rice, curd rice, lemon rice. In this recipe, the yam is fried on a Tawa after tender cooking it with the spices.

Yam is called as “senai kilangu” in tamil and “suran” in hindi. Although Elephant Foot Yam is very tasty we must be careful while cutting it as it causes itching which persists for some time. But it is worth trying.

Precautions to be taken while cutting Elephant Yam

Elephant Yam has the tendency to cause itching both on the skin and on the tongue due to the presence of calcium oxalate. So some precautions should be taken while cooking it.

a) Apply coconut oil on the skin before touching the yam for cutting.

b) First remove the skin, cut the yam and then wash it.

c)Soak the Yam in tamarind water or buttermilk first and discard it.

d) If you skin is very sensitive then using rubber gloves is recommended.

Baking or pressure cooking the yam before cutting helps to reduce itchiness. However, in this recipe I have cut the Yam first and then cooked. Since I cook it with the masala it is more tasty.

Always go for the bigger yam as the smaller ones tend to cause more itching.

 

Now let us see, how to make Elephant Yam Fry ?

Ingredients

5 tablespoons oil

500 g of Yam (cut into thin slices)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon ginger – garlic paste

1/4 teaspoon mustard

2 pinches asafoetida

a sprig of curry leaves

1 cm size tamarind

1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

 

Method

Cooking of Elephant Yam

Take the cut yam pieces in a bowl and wash them. Then add water and add a piece of tamarind. Squeeze it well so that the pulp mixes with the water. Leave it for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the water and transfer it into a kadai. Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder,ginger-garlic paste and salt.

   

Then add 100ml of water. Close it with a lid and heat it on a high medium flame for 10 minutes.    

After 10 minutes remove the lid and keep heating till there the water evaporates. The yam should be half /tender cooked.

Tawa frying the Elephant Yam

Now take a heavy thick-bottomed Tawa or a cast-iron skillet and heat it for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat it for another 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked yam to the Tawa and keep heating it on a low medium flame. If you want you can do it in 2 batches but I have done it in a single batch here.

You can add more oil if you want.

Occasionally (approximately around 4 minutes)keep turning the yam or stir the yam gently so that it does not get burnt. Keep doing this till you get the desired crispiness.

Tempering the Elephant Yam

Take a tempering pan and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Allow it to heat for a minute. Then add mustard and allow it to splutter. Add asafoetida and curry leaves. When the curry leaves changes colour and becomes crispy, switch off the gas. Add it to the yam on the Tawa.

Wheat roti /Kothumai roti from wet grinding

In this recipe of Wheat roti/Kothumai roti the whole wheat is soaked and blended coarsely to a semisolid paste and rotis are made from this. It is another option instead of making the usual dosa. Sometimes we get bored eating the same type of dish every day and at that time this dish becomes handy.

Since it is coarsely ground the fibre content is more and the taste is different from wheat dosa and wheat roti (made from wheat flour). This dish takes good with chutneys as well as gravies like onion chutney, coriander chicken masala or even plain coconut chutney.

Here you do not pour the batter like a dosa nor roll it like the usual roti but you pat it directly on the tawa using hands. If you are not comfortable with your hands you can also use a spoon. I have not used onions and green chillies but if you want you can add to increase flavour.

 

Ingredients

250 g of Whole wheat( for 5 medium sized rotis)

1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

5 teaspoons of oil

Method

Soaking the wheat

Wash the wheat thoroughly. Soak the whole wheat for 2 hours at around 25 to 30°C in around 400 ml of water. Remove the water using a rice strainer.

Grinding the wheat

Transfer the wheat to the mixer .Add salt and blend it. Do not add water.

After some time add water gradually in few drops to form a coarse semi-solid paste. Do not add excess water as it will become watery.

Making of the wheat roti

Take a tawa and heat it .Apply oil using a brush. Do not add excess oil as it will be difficult to pat the batter. Now take a ladleful or handful of batter. Keep it on the tawa and immediately spread it equally on the tawa. You can use your hand or the ladle.

While using your hand if you feel the heat or it is difficult to spread the batter keep adding few drops of water till you get a circular uniform roti.

Now spread a teaspoon of oil uniformly on all sides of the roti Allow the roti to get heated up for around 2 minutes on high medium flame. Flip it over and allow it to cook for another 3 minutes.

If you want crispier roti you can heat it for a longer time.

Remove the roti from the tawa and serve hot with onion chutney…. trust me its the best combination

Ragi Vermicelli Upma

Ragi Vermicelli Upma is a  healthy, holistic South Indian vegetarian dish that can be taken for breakfast. As ragi is calcium-rich and thereby fortifies the bones it can be given to children and the elderly too. This gluten-free, vegan dish helps in checking sugar levels too.

To make it healthier you can add vegetables like carrot, beans and peas too. The same process can be followed for making wheat vermicelli upma, fox millet (thinai) vermicelli upma, pearl millet(kambu)vermicelli upma. A similar recipe is that of Lemon Sevai , which is also healthy.

This upma can taken with coconut chutney, pickle, banana or curd depending on your choice. For children, you can give it with banana. The best option is coconut chutney.

Method

Method for cooking the Ragi Vermicelli

The method varies for a brand and usually this procedure is written in the packet itself. Here I am using Anil brand wheat vermicelli.

Ingredients

180 g ragi vermicelli

1 litres water


Method

Take water in a big vessel. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is wv4.jpeg

Add the ragi vermicelli to the water so that it is fully immersed in water for 2 minutes. This is done to soften the ragi vermicelli.

Draining of water

Drain the water immediately. Remember you can’t use a colander as the vermicelli can easily pass through the holes. So you can use a micro-perforated strainer. If you do not have a strainer you can drain the water using the following method.
Close the vessel with a lid, hold the lid and the vessel together and slightly tilt the vessel so that only the water comes out. Finally, all the water is drained and only the softened vermicelli remains.

Cooking of the Ragi Vermicelli

Place this ragi vermicelli on an idli plate as shown below. Do not overcrowd it. You can use two idli plates if you want.

Keep this in an idli cooker and steam it for around 8 minutes. After the 8th minute, switch off the flame and remove the idli plates from the idli vessel. Allow it to cool.

Preparation of the ragi vermicelli upma

Ingredients

3 tablespoon oil

1 big onion (finely chopped)

2 big chillies(finely chopped)

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon broken urad dhal

1/2 teaspoon chana dhal

2 pinches asafoetida(hing)

a sprig of curry leaves

1teaspoon salt or salt to taste

1 tablespoon coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Method

Heat the pan or Kadai and pour oil. Wait for 2 minutes for the oil to get heated. Add mustard and allow it to splutter.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Rice%2Bsevai%2B3.jpg


At this stage add urad dhal, chana dhal and asafoetida. Let the urad dhal turn slightly brown.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is wv2.jpeg


Now add onions, green chillies and curry leaves and saute. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is wv8.jpeg

Saute till the onions turn slightly brown.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is wv7.jpeg

Then add the cooked ragi vermicelli and sprinkle the salt. Mix well. Finally, garnish with coriander leaves. Mix well so that the coriander leaves get distributed evenly and serve hot.


Enjoy the tasty dish with coconut chutney:)

Rajma Masala

Rajma masala is a gluten-free vegan dish that is rich in protein. The red kidney beans when spiced up and added to onions and tomatoes give a delectable taste which makes Rajma masala the chosen dish for special occasions. It is usually served with hot white rice, basmati rice, zeera rice or even rotis.

It is prepared by various methods. The most popular way is to boil the Rajma well and then spice it up. But in this method, the spices are directly added to the rajma and cooked. Then the fried onions and tomatoes are added. Rajma tastes best when it is well cooked on slow fire.

Ingredients

2 and a half tablespoons of oil

200 g of Rajma (Red Kidney Beans)

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 big onion

3 medium sized tomatoes

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi

1 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

Method

Soaking of Rajma

Wash the rajma multiple times and drain the water using a colander. Now soak it in water. There should be enough water such that the rajma is fully immersed. Make sure that the water level is around 2-3 cm above the rajma.

Close it with a lid. Allow some space for air to enter .This prevents the sticking of the Rajma.

Soak the rajma overnight for approximately 8 – 9 hours for best results.If you forget to soak use hot water to soak and this will hasten the process.

Soaking of the rajma helps to cook it well and reduce bloating .

Pressure cooking Rajma

Wash the soaked rajma properly and drain the water. Transfer it into a vessel that can be placed in the cooker. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and 2 drops of oil. (oil is added to prevent overflowing).

Now add 500 ml of water. (water level should be approximately more than twice the amount of rajma )Add ginger-garlic paste and salt.

Add garam masala. You can also add garam masala while adding chilli powder itself. Stir well and close it with a lid.

Take a cooker and add around 2 cm of water (so that when you place the vessel containing rajma the water level rises to 1/4 level of the vessel).

Note: Do not add more water as the water will tend to come out and do not add less water as the water will evaporate fast and the rajma will get burnt..

Now place the vessel with rajma in the cooker. Cook it for around 8 -10 whistles and switch off the flame. Allow the cooker to cool and release the pressure. Now, open the lid.

Check if the rajma is cooked. The shape should be intact and it should mash when pressed. When cut the colour should be uniform. If there is colour variation that is a combination of pure white and cooked rajma colour (which is off-white), then the rajma needs to be cooked further for another 2 whistles or as required. Older rajmas tend to cook slower compared to the newer ones.

How to make Rajma masala?

Take a pan and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Allow it to get heated for a few minutes. Now add onion and saute till it turns golden brown.

Then add the tomatoes and sauté further till you get a mushy paste.

Now add the well cooked rajma to the mushy paste.

Crush the Kasuri methi and sprinkle on the masala. Cook on low flame for ten minutes or till you get the desired consistency. If you want you can also add 2 teaspoons of cream to give a richer taste. However, I have avoided it for health benefits.

Enjoy Rajma Masala with rice or roti and share your views in the comments 😊

How to cook rice?

Cooking rice is a simple process but when you explore further you will learn a lot about it. Usually, white rice is used in everyday cooking and it cooks faster. But nowadays many have become health conscious and have started using brown rice.

On the basis of processing white rice is classified into two that is

a) Raw rice -In Tamil it is known as pachai arisi. This is directly obtained from paddy and cooks faster. Basmati rice and Zeera Samba rice are available as raw rice.

b) Boiled rice- In Tamil it is known as puzhungal arisi. This is processed rice and cooks slower. Basmati rice is also available as boiled rice.

Brown rice takes even a longer time to cook.

The cooking time varies depending on the type of rice you choose. The cooking time of rice also depends on many factors – variety of rice, whether pressure cooked or closed with a lid or cooked without closing the vessel, the mode of heating (gas stove, induction stove heat emission, microwave) and even the weather. By experience, you will know how to cook rice in all situations.

For example let us see how to cook rice on a gas stove with a closed lid using boiled rice at a normal temperature, say 25 to 30-degree celsius

Ingredients

1 cup of boiled rice

2 cups water

Method

Wash the rice around 2-3 times. Use a colander basket or a rice washing bowl to drain off the water. Take a saucepan or any vessel with a lid( make sure that the saucepan or vessel is big enough so that the water does not come out and the lid closes tightly and prevents the steam from escaping) and add the required quantity of water. Heat it to a gentle boil on medium flame.

Add the washed rice into the water at this stage.

Close the lid tightly and heat it on medium flame for 20 minutes. Switch off the gas stove and allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes. Do not open the lid.

After 10 minutes open the lid and fluff up the rice using a fork or spoon. Rice is usually bland and hence can be eaten along with a side dish like rajma masala, chicken curry or egg curry. You can also enjoy a whole variety of dishes with rice.

Rice tastes better when eaten hot. If you are eating along with dal or sambar you can add 1/2 a spoon of ghee to increase the flavour.

Note: You can add salt if you want but I have avoided salt for health benefits.

If you want softer rice you can add 2 teaspoons of extra water and increase the cooking time to 25 minutes instead of 20 minutes.

Enjoy eating rice, a staple food of India and many other asian countries with your favourite gravy!!

 

Kovakkai Chutney/Ivy Gourd Chutney/Dondakaya Chutney

Kovakkai chutney or Ivy gourd chutney is a South Indian vegan dish that is very tasty. This goes well with dosa, idli and uttapam.

This vegetarian recipe can also be taken with rice. While taking with rice you can add a small piece of tamarind (1/2 inch)when you are sauteing the kovakkai, tomatoes and green chillies.

It is known as Kovakkai (in tamil) and Dondakaya (in telugu). There are several other names like tindora, thondekai and ivy gourd. Kovakkai has several health benefits. Some of them are reducing blood sugar, improving metabolism and bone health.

Now let us see how to make Kovakkai chutney…

Ingredients for tempering

1/2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon  urad dhal

 2 pinches asafoetida

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

a sprig of curry  leaves

Other ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

7 Kovakais/Ivy gourd (chopped in small circles)

4 medium-sized tomatoes(chopped)

3 green chillies

1/4 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

Method

Sauteing

Take a kadai or a heavy thick bottomed pan or a cast-iron skillet and heat it. Add 1 and a half tablespoon of oil and allow the oil to get heated. Add the chopped Kovakkai / Ivy Gourd and saute for a few minutes until it turns slightly brown in colour. 


Now add the tomatoes, green chillies and salt. Saute further.

 

Saute till the tomatoes become mushy and the green chillies change their colour. Then put off the flame. Allow the tomato-kovakkai masala to cool and then grind it.

Grinding of the tomato-kovakkai masala

Grind the tomato- kovakkai masala first without adding water. If required you can add very little water( a few drops) but remember not to add more. Pour the ground chutney in a bowl.

Tempering of the chutney

Note: Always do tempering on a low – medium flame.

Take a tempering pan and heat it. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil and heat for 1 minute. Then add mustard and allow it to splutter. 

Add asafoetida and urad dhal. Let the urad dhal turn slightly brown.

At this juncture, add the cumin seeds.

Then without further delay, add curry leaves. You will notice that the curry leaves become crispy with time. Switch off the flame and add this to the ground chutney in the bowl. 

Give a quick stir to find your kovakkai chutney ready!! 🙂

Serve the chutney with either dosa, idli or uttapam.

Beetroot Poriyal (Beetroot Palya) Stir Fry

Beetroot can be made in a variety of ways but the most common recipe is beetroot poriyal. This stir fry recipe is a common side dish for an authentic South Indian meal. It can be taken along with plain white rice and sambar or rasam rice. It also tastes absolutely delicious with curd rice. Even brown rice can be taken with it. This instant recipe involves simple tempering along with onions and topped with grated coconut.

 Beetroot is a great source of manganese, folate, potassium, iron and vitamin C. It has a high concentration of nitrates that reduces blood pressure and is good for the heart.

 Beetroot Pepper Fry is another special recipe made from beetroot. The nutritious benefit of beetroot makes it very popular. 

 In this recipe of Beetroot Poriyal, the beetroot is cut into smaller pieces which makes the cooking process even faster. Adding coconut enhances its flavour.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon broken urad dhal

5 medium-sized onions(finely chopped)

5 long green chilies(finely chopped)

a sprig of curry leaves

2 tablespoons grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste


Method

Heat the pan and pour oil. Wait for 2 minutes for the oil to get heated. Add mustard and allow it to splutter.

 


After the mustard is spluttered, add urad dhal. Make sure it turns slightly brown in colour.


Now add onions and give a quick stir.

 Next add curry leaves, green chilies and saute till the onions turn golden brown. I have added 5 green chilies. The quantity of green chilies varies for each person. Depending on the variety and how spicy you want the dish to be, you can decide the quantity.Beetroot usually has a sweet taste and so to curb the sweetness, I have added more green chilies.

Add the chopped beetroot and give a quick stir.


Close the lid and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. You will notice that the beetroot has released some water.


Now add salt, mix well and cook till the released water dries up.


Finally, sprinkle the grated coconut and stir. Ta-da!! your beetroot poriyal is now ready to be relished.Eat hot and do let me know how it tastes in the comments 🙂

 

Paneer Tawa Masala

 Paneer tawa masala is a quick and easy recipe awesome with rotis, nan and chapatis. In this recipe, the paneer is marinated and then added to the masala. Marinating increases the flavour of the paneer.

Paneer is a good source of protein and calcium. Children would love it.

Ingredients

a) For Marination

400g paneer 

3 tsp of curds   

2 tsp chilly powder 

2 tsp garam masala 

4 tbsp of oil     

1/4 tsp salt

b) For Masala

4tbsp of oil 

1 big onion ( finely chopped) 

4 medium tomato (finely chopped)

4 green chillies (finely chopped) 

2 tsp of ginger and garlic paste 

1  tsp chilly powder 

1 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp chat masala 

1/4  tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp of coriander leaves (finely chopped) 

1/2 tsp of kasuri methi 

1/2 lime 

1/2 tsp salt 

Method

 In this recipe, there are three parts

 a) Marination

 b) Preparation of the masala

 c) Combining the marinated paneer and masala                                                  

a) Marination

Take the paneer in a mixing bowl. Add curd, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt as given. Leave it for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the masala.

b) Preparation of the masala

Heat the tawa and pour oil.Then add onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute.

Once the onions turn brown in colour, add the chopped tomatoes.

Put the powders- turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, chat masala, cumin powder.

Finally, sprinkle salt. Sauté further.

Add little water and mix till the tomatoes blend with the masala.

c) Combining the marinated paneer and masala

 Add the marinated paneer to the prepared masala and sauté till the mixture blends for about 10 minutes.

For the finishing touches, squeeze a lemon and sprinkle some Kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves) and mix thoroughly.

And last but not the least garnish the masala with some coriander leaves. Your paneer tawa masala is now ready to taste, serve hot and let me know if you enjoyed it in the comments.