Aloo Methi

Fenugreek or methi is a green leafy vegetable with many health benefits. This dish is delicious and can be served with parathas or poories :)

Ingredients (serves 4)

3 cups methi chopped (fenugreek)

4 medium size potatoes peeled & cubed 

1 small onion chopped fine (optional)

1 medium tomato chopped fine

1 inch ginger chopped fine

1/2 tsp green chillies chopped fine

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seed (jeera)

1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi)

1 tbsp coriander powder (dhania)

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp mango powder (amchoor) (optional)

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. 

Add cumin seeds, ginger, green chillies & when cumin seeds crackle, add onions & fry them.

Add tomatoes & cook for sometime.

Add potatoes stir & add 2 tbsp water and cover them to cook.

Once potatoes are softened, add methi leaves & salt and cover for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add turmeric, coriander powder & mix it well.

Let it cook for about a minute on medium heat.

Add the mango powder and mix it well. 

Turn off the heat. Aloo Methi is ready to serve.

Tips

* Methi leaves, even if they look clean, are very dirty so to remove that always wash them really well (2 or 3 times) before chopping.

* This vegetable becomes less after cooking so always take care of amount of salt.

* You can use boiled potatoes in this and then you don't have to wait for potatoes to be cooked first. 

* Can easily be made without onions, just leave that out.

* Do not cover the saucepan for more then 2 or 3 minutes after adding methi leaves, or your vegetable will not have a beautiful green colour.

Oreo Brownie

World's favorite cookie in brownie!!!! Sounds so yumm :D .... It's my elder son's 16th birthday & I decided to make Oreo brownie & cupcakes for him, as he loves Oreo cookies. He had class whole day so I had to save them from my lil one till his brother is back :D.... & then when they finally had their favorite brownie, I enjoyed cute smiles on their faces while they polished off almost all brownies :D

Ingredients 

1 cup plain flour (maida)

2 tsp cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened)

1 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp soda bi-carb

1/2 tsp baking powder

100 gm or 7 tbsp vanilla yogurt 

5 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

6 tbsp milk

20 Oreos separated 

(20 disks of cream side & 20 disks crushed)

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚ C

Sieve together flour, Cocoa, soda & baking powder.

Melt dark chocolate & butter over double boiler

Add sugar & mix well. Add yogurt & mix really well.

Mix 3/4th of crushed Oreos with flour so they wont settle down after baking.

Fold flour & milk alternately, making sure to end with flour.

There should be no lumps.

Pour 1/2 of the brownie batter into a greased & dusted baking pan.

Arrange cream Oreo disks, cream side up, & pour rest of the brownie batter.

Sprinkle remaining crushed Oreos.

Place in the oven & bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Once ready, cut into 2" x 2" pieces & Enjoy :)

Tips

* These brownies are little on drier side 'cause of biscuits, so if you want you can pour chocolate sauce over it before serving.

* Cool the brownie completely before cutting.

* You can use curds in place of yogurt.

* Serve these brownies with a glass of milk, everyone will love them :)

Non Fried Bhindi

There are many ways to make this vegetable but frying is one of the most popular one. But I just can't muster the courage to eat that much oil so I cook it in another simple way, that everyone enjoys without the guilt feeling :)

Ingredients

250 gm bhindi (ladyfingers/okra) chopped

1 small onion sliced thinly

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp jeera

1 tbsp dhaniya powder

3/4 tsp amchoor powder

1/2 tsp haldi

1/2 tsp chilli powder

Salt to taste

Method

Wash dry and chop bhindi.

Heat oil in a wok & add jeera.

Fry onions till translucent.

Add bhindi, salt & amchoor. Stir, cover & cook on slow flame for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Bhindi will be cooked in its own moisture.

Check if its done by cutting it with a spoon.

If its not done then cover & cook for just about a minute or two.

Uncover and put rest of the masals, stir & cook for a minute & it's done.

Serve with roti, parathas etc.

Tips

* Ladyfingers should be fresh, green & unripe. They will cook fast and will not lose the beautiful green colour due to over cooking.

* Always wash and DRY ladyfingers before cutting. I wash them the night before and leave them to dry overnight, saving me from drying each one with a kitchen towel.

* Refrain from stirring a lot after they are cooked, or you will have a Bhindi Bhurji ;)

* It can be made without onions in same way.

Nariyal Panjeeri (Coconut Panjeeri)

Every year my mother used to make different kinds of Panjeeris on occasion of Gokulashtami. And we as kids used too love them. This year I too tried my hand on Coconut Panjeeri, praying that it come out as good as mom's. The result was really very good. Tasted them next day as we can only eat after bhog (offering to God). I was hoping that My kids too will enjoy them as much as I used to enjoy in my kidoo days :D ... and when I gave them prasad, they just loved it :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Scraped Coconut Shreds 

1/4 cup almonds

1/2 cup makhana

2 tbsp melon seeds

2 tbsp raisins (kishmish)

1 cup Sugar 

1 1/2 cup Water 

2 tbsp Milk 

1 tbsp Ghee 

1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder

Method

Heat a pan, add the coconut shreds and fry gently over moderate heat.

When the coconut milk moisture is somewhat lessened, remove it from heat.

Take ghee in same pan & roast makhanas. Remove and roast melon seeds & almonds in same pan.

Now in a seperate vessel, boil water over moderate heat.

When the water boils, add the sugar and keep on stirring till the sugar water boils.

Add the milk to the boiling sugar syrup, and remove scum that comes up.

When the sugar syrup reaches a thick syrupy stage (2 strings consistency), add the fried coconut shreds, cardamom powder along with melon seeds, makhanas & almonds.

Stir constantly till everything blends together.

If your sugar syrup was not thick then stir this till the mixture looks thick. Remove from the heat and pour into a ghee-smeared plate.

Flatten the surface evenly with the help of an oiled spatula.

When cold, cut into squares or diamond shapes and serve.

Tips

* Chashani or sugar syrup should be thick for setting of Panjeeri.

* With chashni's thickness also remember that the liquid should not be less otherwise the Panjeeri will not set properly.

* If after mixing you feel that it's not going to set because of less moisture, add little hot water and stir again on low flame. 

* You can add cardamom powder in chashani (I do that so that I don't forget to add it).