Bendakaya stuffed (stuffed bhindi/okra)

 

 

 

Bhindi is stuffed with spices and shallow fried to make a very tasty subji. Onion and garlic are not used in this recipe.  As it is shallow fried, it has very little oil. When washed and dried carefully, the dish is not slimy or gooey.

 

Ingredients:
 

• 500 gms /1 lb bhindi/okra
• 2 to 3 tbsp oil

For masala stuffing:

• 2 tsp roasted dhania (coriander) powder

• 2 tsp roasted jeera (cumin) powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 3 tbsp til (sesame) seeds

• 3 tbsp dry coconut powder

• 1 tsp amchur or 1 tsp tamarind paste

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ¼ tsp turmeric

Directions:

1.     Wash and dry the bhindi. Wipe them on a kitchen towel so that there are no traces of water.

2.     Trim both the ends and slit it lengthwise, without breaking or cutting in to pieces.

3.     Combine all the masala ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

4.     Spread the bhindi in a microwave safe plate and cook them on medium heat for about a minute or two.

5.     Fill the bhindi with the masala mixture.

 

6.     Heat oil in a flat sauce pan and cook the bhindi on low heat.

7.     Stir them occasionally taking care not to break them. Cook them till they are done.

8.     Serve the bhindi hot.

                                   

 

 

 

Majjiga pulusu (Buttermilk pulusu)

Pulusu in Telugu refers to stewed vegetables or greens etc cooked in tangy tamarind juice or any similar sauce. Majjiga pulusu is a buttermilk based stew. In Tamil Nadu it is called  Mor Kuzhambu. The North Indian version of it is kadhi. The recipe calls for vegetables cooked in a tasty combination of mild spices and coconut etc in sour curd. Vegetables like lauki (bottlegourd), bhindi (okra), carrot and tomato etc.are used in this pulusu. If all the vegetables are available, it is fine.  even with some available vegetables, the dish will be tasty!

Ingredients:

·        1 cup lauki or any summer squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

·        ½  cup white gourd, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

·        A few carrots, peeled and cut into long pieces

·        2  tomatoes, sliced

·        3 or 4 okra, cut into one inch long pieces

·        5 or 6 chopped  bacchala kura leaves  (Malabar spinach)

·        2 or 3 green chilis

·        A few curry leaves

·        1 to 2 cups of sour yogurt or buttermilk
       Salt to taste

For masala paste:

·        2 tsp chana dal

·        2 tsp rice

·        1 tbsp coriander seeds

·        1 red chili

·        About ½ inch ginger

·        2 tsp shredded coconut (fresh or dry)

 For seasoning:

·        2 red chilis

·        1 tsp methi seeds

·        ½ tsp mustard seeds

·        ½ tsp jeera seeds

·        A pinch of hing

Directions:

1.     Soak chana dal, rice, coriander, and one red chili for 2 hours.

2.     Grind with ginger and coconut. Add to buttermilk or whisked yogurt and set aside.

3.     Boil squash, gourd, and carrots.  After they are half cooked, add okra, tomato, and chilis. 

4.     Add buttermilk mixture to vegetables and keep stirring. 

5.     Heat 2 tsp oil in a small pan, add the seasoning ingredients. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the seasoning to the pulusu.  Turn the heat off. 
 Add salt.

6.       Garnish with cilantro and curry leaves and serve.

Note:

If there is no time for soaking the ingredients for masala paste, you can have a short cut, using besan (chick pea flour), rice flour, dhania powder, grated coconut mixing well in buttermilk and adding it to the cooked vegetables. The rest of the procedure is the same.

Capsicum (bell pepper) stuffed with paneer

 

Ingredients:

·        4 or 5 small or medium sized capsicum

·        1 cup grated paneer (cottage cheese)

·        3 tbsp grated carrot

     ·        3 tsp cilantro

·        1tsp finely chopped green chili

     ·        Salt to taste

Directions:

1.     Wash the capsicum. Cut them lengthwise into 2 pieces. Remove the seeds and the stem.

2.     Mix all the ingredients nicely and stuff the capsicum pieces with the mixture.

3.     Arrange the pieces in a microwave safe pan. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on medium heat for 3 minutes.

4.     Check the capsicum and microwave for 2 more minutes, if necessary. The capsicum must be soft to touch when ready.

Note:

Paneer is available in the Indian stores in many cities of USA.

In place of paneer, tofu can be used.

Alternate stuffing:

Grind onion, garlic, chili powder and salt into a paste. Fry in 2 tsp oil till onion is cooked. Stuff the peppers and microwave.

Palak paneer (paneer in spinach gravy)

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

·        cup  paneer cut into cubes

·        2 to 3 cups spinach (either fresh or frozen)

·        1 or 2 green chilis

·        ½ inch ginger

·        1 medium onion

·        tomatoes cut into small pieces

·        2 pods garlic (optional)

·        ½ inch cinnamon stick

·        2 or 3 green cardamom

·        2 black cardamom

     ·        2 or 3 cloves

·        ½ tsp turmeric powder

·        ½ tsp chili  powder

     ·        ½ tsp coriander powder

·        ¼ tsp jeera powder

·        Salt to taste

·        1 tbsp yogurt

·        2 tbsp kasuri methi soaked in water

Directions:

1.     Grind spinach along with green chili and ginger to a paste.

2.     Grind onion and garlic to a paste.

3.     Fry cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in 3 tsp oil.

      4.     Add onion garlic paste. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
      5.     Add the masala powders and  fry for 1 minute
      6.     Add the tomato pieces.
      7.     Add the spinach paste after 3 minutes.
      8.     Cook for 10 minutes.

9.     Add paneer pieces. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

10.  Add the soaked kasuri methi after removing the water.

11. Add yogurt. Keep stirring for 3 minutes.

Note:

If preferred, the paneer can be either deep or shallow fried.

Many Indian stores in USA keep fried paneer in the frozen section.
Paneer can be replaced by baby potatoes





 

Guthi vankaya kura ( stuffed eggplant) (baigan)

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

          ·        8 or 10 small round eggplant

          ·        Egg plant masala*

          ·        3 to 4 tsp oil for frying

 

Directions:
 

1.     Wash eggplant. Cut them in quarter length wise, keeping them uncut at the stem end.

2.     Fill them with masala mixture.

3.     Arrange them in a microwave safe dish. Sprinkle a little water.

4.     Cover and cook in a microwave safe dish for 5 minutes.

5.     Turn the eggplant in the pan and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.

6.     Heat a flat pan. Put 2 or 3 tsp of oil. Arrange eggplant carefully.

7.     Cook on medium heat, shifting eggplant from time to time.  Use a fork or spatula so that the eggplant is not crushed.

8.     When all the sides of the eggplant are uniformly cooked, remove from stove and serve.

Note:

If using long eggplant, cut into two inch long round pieces and then use them

If the eggplant are with seeds and not very tender, you may add 2 tbsp of dry coconut powder and  2 tsp amchur to the masala and use for stuffing

Alternate stuffing:

 

Cilantro and green chili paste.

Onion garlic (optional), chili powder and salt, coriander powder (optional)

Ground into a paste and stuffed.

 

*Eggplant Masala :

You can make the masala in a larger amount and store it for a long time. Very little oil is used only for frying red chili. The rest of the ingredients are roasted without oil. So the shelf life of the masala is good.  Also the masala can be used for kundru, beerakaya (ridge gourd) and summer squash like zucchini etc.

1/2 cup chana dal (chickpea dal)

1/2 cup  urad dal (blackgram dal)

1/2 cup coriander seeds

2tsp fenugreek seeds
 red chilies or chili flakes (amount according to taste)

2 to 3 tsp hing

Salt to taste

 

Heat a pan and add a few drops of oil.  Fry the chilis/chili flakes. 

Transfer them to another plate and roast all the other ingredients separately until they give a nice aroma.

When the mixture is cool, grind them all together in a blender or mill.  The powder need not be too fine; it can be coarse. 

 

 

Naan

 

 

 

Ingredients:

      ·            3 cups flour (preferably  use half whole wheat and half white flour)

·       1 ½ tsp salt

·       ½ tsp dry yeast

·       ½ tsp baking powder

·       ½ tsp baking soda

·       1 tsp sugar

·       ½ cup milk (lukewarm)

·       ½ cup curd (yogurt)

·       2 tbsp oil

·       1 tbsp kalonji seeds

Directions:

1.   Add the sugar to lukewarm milk.  Add the yeast and let it stand for 15 /20 minutes.

2.   Add salt, baking powder and baking soda to the flour. Sifting together makes the mixture uniform.

3.   Pour the yeast mixture and yogurt and mix the flour well. Add enough water to make a soft dough.

4.   Add the oil and keep kneading on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes.

5.   Cover with a wet cloth and let it stand in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours.

6.   The dough starts rising and in about 2 or 3 hours, it   double in size. Press it down and cover it again.

7.   Make 2 inch diameter round balls and roll the naan to about 6 inch long oval shape discs pulling ends to stretch into shape.

8.   Sprinkle a few kalonji seeds and roll again.

 

The naan can be made like rotis on a hot pan and puffing up on flame or in a hot oven. Brush with ghee and serve.

 Note:

If the outside temperature is warm, the dough rises faster. If it is cold, it may need more time to rise. So depending on the outside temperature the dough has to be given enough time to rise.
 

For healthier and more nutritious naan, you may use only whole wheat flour with very tasty results!

 

      

Matar paneer (green peas and paneer)

 

  

Ingredients:

·       2 cups  paneer or tofu cut into cubes

      ·       2 to 3 cups green peas
      ·       1 medium sized onion diced
      ·       2 pods garlic (optional) cut into pieces
      ·       ½ inch ginger cut into pieces
      ·       4 medium sized tomatoes
      ·       2 tbsp yogurt
      ·       1 inch cinnamon stick
      ·       3 or 4 green cardamom
      ·       2 black cardamom
      ·       3 or 4 cloves
      ·       1 bay leaf
      ·       1 tsp coriander powder
      ·       ½ tsp cumin powder
      ·       ½ tsp garam masala
      ·       ½ tsp turmeric powder
      ·       ½ tsp chili powder
      ·       Salt to taste
      ·       2 tbsp oil
      ·       Cilantro for garnish

Directions:
 

       1.   Grind onion, ginger and garlic into a paste.

       2.   Puree raw tomatoes.

       3.   To hot oil in the sauce pan, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.
       4.   After one minute, add onion masala paste.
       5.   When the oil is separating, add turmeric, chili, coriander, and cumin powders.
       6.   Add the tomato puree.
       7.   When the mixture starts boiling, add the green peas and keep cooking on low heat
       8.   Add paneer pieces.
       9.   Add salt and garam masala.
      10. After 3 to 4 minutes, add the yogurt. Let cook for 2 more minutes.
      11. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

Notes:

      If preferred, the paneer can be either deep fried or shallow fried to make it tastier.

      Many Indian stores in USA keep fried paneer in the frozen food section.
      Paneer can be replaced by baby potatoes.