Mooli Ki Bhaji or Bhurji (Radish Leaves Vegetable)

This is a healthy punjabi dish & is very easy to make. It tastes excellent with hot chapaties or parathas & is one of the favorites in my family :)

Ingredients

2 bunches Radish leaves, Chopped fine

1 Radish, Peeled & chopped fine

1 tsp Ghee / Oil

½ tsp Ajwain Seeds

1 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 Green Chili slit (optional)

Salt to taste (use less here)

Method

Heat Oil in a wok & add ajwain seeds & green chili.

Add Radish & Radish leaves. Sauté for a minute.

Add Salt & cover the vessel and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes.

Once the vegetable is soft in its own moisture, add coriander powder & turmeric powder. Sauté till its little dry.

Serve hot with chapaties & Parathas.

Tips

* This vegetable becomes less (almost half of what you have cut), after cooking so always take care of amount of salt.

* Remember the radish leaves should be tender & green.

* I never add any water; vegetables are cooked well in their own moisture.

* Don't cover the vessel for more than 2 to 4 minutes or the beautiful green color will be lost.

Chocolate Walnut & Cranberry Cake

Few months ago we shifted to our own house after it's renovation & it was really tiresome to set the house all over again. That's when I thought of making something different...baking always lifts my spirit ;) .... So I searched & found this amazing recipe. Awesome brownie-like cake with lovely chocolate flavor and crunch of cranberries & walnuts. 

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups plain flour (Maida)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup applesauce 

1/2 cup plain soy milk

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1 tbsp powdered sugar + pinch of cinnamon powder

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. 

Mix in cranberries & walnuts to the flour.

Combine applesauce, milk, & oil. 

Add sugar and mix well.

Add dry mixture to wet mixture in batches, folding each time lightly.

Pour the batter in greased tin.

Bake for 50 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool on a wire rack. 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar + cinnamon.

Tips

* This recipe makes 1 big (about one kg) cake. So you can half the recipe to get smaller cake.

* I used homemade apple sauce (refer to album "Basic Recipes" for recipe).

* Cow milk can be used instead of soy milk.

* You can use any other vegetable oil in place of olive oil (I like olive best).

Aamla Sabji

Gooseberries or aamlas are very good source of vitamin C & should be included in your diet. Its health benefits are numerous. Here is a simple & quick to make recipe of Aamla which even kids enjoy

Ingredients
1/2 kg green aamla (gooseberries)
3 tbsp mustard oil
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp ajwain
2 tsp Saunf-Dhaniya powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
Salt to taste

Method
Wash aamla & pressure cook till two whistle with just 2 tsp water.
Open & let them cool slightly.
After steaming like this, it's easy to chop the aamlas.
Take oil in a wok & heat.
Add jeera & ajwain & all other masalas.
Add chopped aamlas.
Sprinkle just half a tsp of water & cover the wok with a lid.
Keep the flame minimum & let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring in between.
Your Aamla Sabji is ready, it's eaten like a pickle with roties or parathas.

Tips
* This vegetable can be kept for about 10 days in refrigerated condition.
* Always take fresh green aamlas.
* If your aamlas are overlooked in pressure cooker then don't sprinkle water while cooking in wok.

Khatta Meetha Karela

Health benefits of Bitter Gourd or Karela are many. But it's not easy to feed them to everyone due to its bitterness. Here is a simple recipe that I tried from Archana's Kitchen & my son & in laws just loved it.

Ingredients
6 bitter gourd
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp asafoetida powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dry mango powder OR 1 tbsp tamarind paste
4-5 curry leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp of jaggery, or more to suit your taste
¼ cup of roasted crushed peanuts
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp of freshly chopped coriander leaves

Method
Scrape bitter gourd lightly, slit & remove seeds if they are hard.
Boil bitter gourd in salty water for few mins & dice them.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat.
Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and allow them to crackle.
To this add the asafoetida, turmeric powder & stir in the steamed bitter gourd and simmer for a few minutes.
Stir in the red chilli powder, dry mango powder or tamarind paste, coriander powder, cumin powder & jaggery.
Continue to stir on low flame, until the jaggery melts & gets well combined into the vegetable.
Turn off the heat at this stage & stir in the crushed peanuts & coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Tips
* I made it without peanuts as my Father-in-Law has it's allergy
* You can use tamarind paste instead of mango powder.
* Don't over boil bitter gourd.