Recipe> Aloo Gobi (Bengali style)

Image: Florets

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Indian cuisine can become oily with an extra dose of masalas that is not always welcoming. I personally like my food which is low on oil, masalas and light on the stomach. Being a Bengali, my personal favourites are masoor daal with kalonji and garlic tadka, steam rice, aloo bhaja and of course, kalo jeerey diye macher jhol. (If you'd like, I'll post the recipes one at a time).

Since the last few days, we've been attending quite a few parties and I am craving for my light, low oil and non-greasy meals. So today I prepared 'aloo phul kophir chechki'. My personal favourite. This can be had with rotis, puris, paranthas or as an accompaniment with rice and daal.

This is my favourite because of the low oil and the less masala factors. Here's the simple recipe:

Ingredients

• Cauliflower - 250 gms
• Potato - 1 large
• Green Chilies - 2 nos.
• Kalonji (Onion seeds) - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a kadhai and add the kalonji and allow it to splatter for a minute.

2. Drop the potatoes that have been cubed into small size and washed well.

3. Once the potatoes have browned, add the cauliflower that has been cut into small florets and the green chilies slit.

4. Add salt to taste and keep cooking with a lid and stirring occasionally to check that it does not stick at the bottom.

5. Check whether the potato and the cauliflower are cooked well. They should have browned and turned a bit crispy. Serve hot.

Recipe> Indian Style Stir Fry Beans

Image: Green beans

Text by: Tanya Munshi

For non-vegetarians, any form of veggie is very boring. I am not generalizing this view, as I myself love vegetarian dishes, in spite of being a non-vegetarian. But I am talking about those who particularly don't like the greens and call it 'ghaas-phoos' and make faces when they see them on the dining table.

One way to combat this attitude is how vegetables are made and presented. Recently, I cooked up beans in the most chat-pata way that everyone seemed to like. Try this at home, I am sure your kids will like it too.

Ingredients:

• Beans - 250gm to 500gms
• Curry leaves - 5 - 10 nos.
• Green Chillies - 1- 2 nos.
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Hing - a pinch

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadhai and add the curry leaves, cumin, mustard and hing.

2. Once they begin to splatter in the hot oil, add the beans cut into one inch pieces.

3. Saute for a few minutes, then add the salt and coriander powder and the green chillies. (Don't slit the green chillies, if kids are going to have it. You can remove the chillies before serving them.)

4. Cover with a lid and keep checking for doneness and keep stirring.

5. The beans should get a slightly brownish-dark texture (somewhat like a roasted texture).

6. Serve hot with daal and rotis.

Do let me know your views if you have tried one of my recipes. Thanks!

Recipes> Potatoes in Curd

Image: Boiled potatoes waiting to be dipped into a delicious curd gravy

Image by: Avlxyz

Text by: Tanya Munshi

It’s just one of those days when you keep wondering what new to cook and you seem to run out of ideas. Then some cookbooks come in handy and the first page that you flip to is the answer to your boredom. Well, this is what I found on one such occasion –

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Potatoes – small/ big (depending on the size and the number of people having a meal) –If the potatoes are big in size, then cut into half.
  
• 1 cup Curd
  
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
  
• Salt – to taste
  
• 1 teaspoon jeera powder (cumin)
  
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  
• ½ teaspoon Sugar
  
• 2 Green chillies
  
• ½ cup Fresh coriander leaves – chopped
  
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
  

Method :

1. First boil the potatoes in salt water for about 20 mins in an open pan or pressure-cook the potatoes. All this without peeling the skin of the potatoes. Drain and set aside.
   
2. In a glass bowl, mix together the curd, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, ground cumin and sugar.
   
3. In a non-stick wok, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Sauté for about a minute.
   
4. Reduce heat and add the curd mixture and stir well.
   
5. On a medium flame cook for about 2-3 minutes, cover it with a lid in between, to let it cook in the steam.
   
6. Then add the fresh coriander leaves chopped and the green chillies in to the gravy and mix well.
   
7. Add the peeled, halved potatoes into the mixture and allow them to cook in the gravy.
   
8. Give it another 5-7 minutes of cooking and take it off the flame. Serve hot. While it can be had with chapattis, but tastes best with steamed rice.