Aloo Ke Parathe (Stuffed Indian Flatbread)

1. Whole wheat flour, appx 2 cups
2. Oil
3. 2-3 Potatoes - boiled, peeled, mashed
4. Salt to taste
5. Red chili powder, 1 tsp or to taste
6. Sugar 1.5 tsp
7. Juice of a small lemon
8. Coriander powder, .5 tsp
9. Cumin powder, 1 tsp
10. Garlic, 2 pods, minced
11. Ginger, 1 inch, minced
12. Garam masala, 1 tsp

Instructions:
1. Make a dough of the whole wheat flour using water. Add some oil to knead into a smooth dough.
2. Mix mashed potatoes with salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, lemon juice, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.
3. Pinch out a small ball of wheat dough and flatten it using a rolling pin as shown in this post.
4. At the center of this flattened dough, place a small ball of the mashed potatoes.
Note: Try to keep the potato ball size to be the same size as the size of the dough you pulled out in step 3.

5. Now swirl the sides of the flattened dough around the potato ball like this and then seal the sides by joining all the sides together as shown below.
6. Pinch out the top of the excess dough.
7. Flatten this (dough ball stuffed with potato filling) with your hands. Use a rolling pin to flatten the opposite side of the ball.
8. Cook on medium heat on a pan on one side until it starts to form small black dots or lines on the side that is in contact with the pan.
9. Smear minimal oil on the upper side and then flip.
10. Repeat step 8 and 9 for this side.

Serve warm as dinner with Raita and pickles.

Potato Cutlet/ Fritters

This is adapted from my mom's recipe but turned out nowhere like her's. It was good nonetheless but I'll call it a starter on this one.

1. Bread crumbs
2. Boiled, peeled, mashed potatoes
3. Salt to taste
4. 1/2 tsp Red chili powder
5. Finely chopped red onion
6. 1 tsp Garam masala
7. 1-2 tsp Lemon juice
8. 1/2 tsp coriander powder.
9. Oil for frying

Instructions:
1. Mix all the salt, spices, and lemon juice into the mashed potato.
2. Add 5-9 tsp bread crumb and make small cylindrical balls.
3. In a plate, spread bread crumbs and roll the potato balls in this.
4. Heat oil in a wok and shallow fry the balls until brown on each side.

Serve with hot and sweet sauce or ketchup.

Chana Dahl (Split Yellow Gram Stew)

1. Split Yellow Gram or chana dahl, 5-8 fists
2. Fennel, 1 tsp (optional)
3. cumin seeds, 1 tsp
4. ghee, 1 -2 tsp
5. Red chili powder, to taste
6. salt, to taste
7. cinnamon sticks, 2-3
8. Lemon juice
10. Tomato paste, 1 tsp (optional)
11. Garlic, 2 pods minced
12. turmeric powder, 1 tsp

Instructions:
1. Heat a pressure cooker.
2. Melt ghee.
3. Add cumin, cinnamon and fennel seeds
4. When they start to sizzle, add garlic.
5. When the garlic turns golden brown, add turmeric powder and mix.
6. Add washed chana dahl and saute.
7. Add tomato paste, lemon juice, and salt and mix.
8. Add water.
9. Boil covered for 4-5 whistles in the pressure cooker.

You can mix some chopped fresh cilantro and serve warm with steamed rice, as a soup, or as a side with Indian flat-bread and some vegetables.

Tandoori Paneer Tikka (Cottage Cheese Kebob)

Perfect recipe for a summer barbecue! It was a hit this weekend :)

1. 1 bottle tandoori paste
2. red/green/orange/yellow bell peppers cut in squares
3. mushrooms
4. red onion cut in sqaures.
5. Salt
6. Oil
7. Paneer cut in cubes

Instructions:
1. Mix paste, oil, and salt to form a marinade. Marinade the veggie and paneer in this overnight.
2. Thread veggie and paneer on a bamboo skewer.
3. Grill evenly on each side on a barbecue.

Serve warm with coriander chutney, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sprinkle chaat masala.
Wrap it up in a whole wheat tortilla for a satisfying lunch and call it Paneer Kathi Roll :)

Voila...a scrumptious treat is ready to devour!!

Sabudane ki Khichdi (Savoury Sago seeds - Indian Style)

This is my mother in law's recipe. She likes to add some sugar and peanuts to it but I decided to omit for health reasons.

This is one high carb dish that serves as a good one pot lunch or heavy breakfast.



Ingredients:
1. Sago seeds, soaked in water for 6 hours.

2. Salt to taste

3. 2 cups Hash browns

4. 1 onion, chopped

5. 6-7 Fresh Curry leaves, washed

6. Oil

7. 1 tsp Turmeric powder

8. Sugar (optional)

9. 1 tsp Mustard seeds (rai)

10. 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

11. A pinch of heeng

12. Fresh coriander leaves, chopped

13. Red chili powder

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a wok.

2. Add some mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.

3. Add jeera seeds and let it sizzle.

4. Add onion, curry leaves, turmeric powder, and heeng.

5. Saute until translucent.

6. Add has browns and cook until they turns golden brown.

7. Add red chili powder and mix well

8. Add Sabudane and Salt

9. Turn the flame to medium-low and cook until the sabundana loses its colour and becomes translucent.

10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve warm as a main dish.

Tossed Vegetable Salad

I find this the most guilt free and enjoyable meals. Be it main course, side, or appi - Salad will never leave you feeling wrong. I am still learning when it comes to salad recipes but whatever I make now seems to please Mr. Hubby. This recipe is a basic salad with store bought dressing. You can choose to make the dressing at home. I find the store bought ones very convenient and lasting. I am very fond of Balsamic Vinegar for health reasons and because it gives my salad just the right kick of sourness.

1. Broken pieces of romano lettuce.
2. Fresh tomato wedges
3. 1 cucumber,cut into bite size pieces (whatever shape to like)
4. Red onion, finely chopped
5. Balsamic vinegar dressing

Instructions:
1. Throw it all together.
2. Toss.


Voila. A fresh salad is ready. Check out more salad recipes here.

What do you add to your salad to make it different?

Indian Style Potato Cheese Sandwich

If you are the one who counts calories and carbs, you might want to skip this. However, if you like to indulge in a healthy but tasty carb intake, this one is for you.

I had a bunch of leftovers in my fridge. Namely, half a red onion, boiled potatoes, and curry leaves. This is what I did to them.

1. curry leaves, a few sprigs
2. oil
3. mustard seeds
4. cumin seeds
5. 1 thai green chili, minced
6. 2 pods of garlic, minced
7. 2 boiled potatoes, peeled and mashed.
8. salt to taste
9. 1/2 red onion, chopped
10, heeng, a pinch
11. 2 tsp coriander powder
12. 1-2 tsp amchoor (dry mango) powder
13. 1-2 tsp garam masala
14. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
15. brown bread slices
16. cheddar cheese single/slices. I used kraft.

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a wok
2.  Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3. Add cumin seeds and heeng.
4. When the cumin seeds sizzle, add turmeric powder, onion, garlic, curry leaves.
5. Saute until the curry leaves look slightly crisp and covered in oil and the onions are translucent.
6. Add potatoes, coriander powder, garam masala, salt.
7. Mix well and cook until the potatoes are well coated with the spices and onions and start to turn golden brown.
8. Add amchoor powder and mix well.
9. Take 2 pieces of brown bread and line one slice of bread with a cheese single.
10. Top it with this potato mizture.
11. Cover this with the other slice of bread and put it in a sandwich maker.
12. Let it grill until the sandwich maker says it's done.
13. Serve with ketchup.

Perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or snack.
Tip: This potato filling can also be used as a filling for samosas.

Vangi Bhaath (South Indian Rice Pilaf with Eggplants)

I was looking for a new recipe. I had eggplants and wanted to try to use it differently. I had heard of Vangi Bhath from my friend and decided to give it a try. This time, I made the spice mix at home and now have a ton to use in the future. But I swear I won't make the spice mix again! It felt like a lot of work and my grinder died in the process :(
This is one expensive Vangi Bhath lol

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1. 2 cups steamed white rice, cooled.
2. 1 brinjal/eggplant/baigan cut in wedges
3. 6 sprigs of fresh curry leaves
4. 1 fist of cashewnuts
5. Oil
6. 1 cup and 1 tbsp chana dal (split yellowgram)
7. 3/4 cup and 1 tbsp urad dal (white lentils)
8. Salt to taste
9. 4-5 Dried red chili
10. 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp Heeng
11. 1 thai chili, minced
12. 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
13. Pulp of a small ball of tamarind.
14. 8-10 tsp Coriander powder
15. 3-4 cloves
16. 3 1 inch cinnamon sticks
17. 1 tbsp poppy seeds
18. 1 tbsp jaggery
19. 1 tsp, mustard seeds

Instructions:
1. Dry roast 1 cup chana dal, 3/4 cup urad dal, cinnamon sticks, cloves, poppy seeds, 3 dried red chili.
2. Set aside and let it cool.
3. Heat oil in a wok and fry 3 sprigs of curry leaves until crisp.
4. Grind the above dry roasted ingredients with crisp curry leaves, coriander powder, 1/2 tsp heeng, 1 tsp salt. Set aside this spice mix.
5. In a wok, heat oil and then add mustard seeds.
6. When it splutters. add 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal, 3 sprigs of curry leaves, 1/4 tsp heeng, thai chili, 1/2 dried red chili, cashewnuts and fry until the lentils turn golden brown.
7. Next add turmeric powder, jaggery, tamarind pulp, and eggplants and cover and cook until al-dente.
8. Add 1 tsp spice mix and steamed rice.
9. Mix and cook on low heat for 5-10 mins.

Serve with cucumber raita and garlic papad.

Source: Monsoon Spice.