Toor Dal Palak / Spinach leaves cooked with split pigeon peas

 

Winter is the only time when Pune sees beautiful, fresh vegetables.
The beans so green, the carrots so juicy you can break them with a snap, the green peas so sweet and the leaves ... methi, dhaniya and palak ever so fresh.
The cauliflowers look healthy and creamy white ... just the way they should be.
And the cabbages resonate with that hollow sound perfectly, when you tap them, that tells you they are well done inside and will be crisp and make that squeaky sound as you cut into it.
I am loving cooking them these days ... there is no satisfaction greater than cutting into fresh vegetables and dunking them into a kadahi and hear that loud sizzle as the moisture touches the hot oil.
That is how vegetables should be. That is exactly how home cooking should sound like.


I have already made Gobhi parathas twice for dinner and once for breakfast. There is something about grating a fresh cauliflower .... also I do not cook the stuffing ... they are too fresh to spoil the taste by cooking and adding too many masalas.
Even Mooli parathas have been enjoyed. As well as Aloo parathas.
Methi parathas have been done just once.
Right now, there are the Palak and the Bathua in my fridge. And also some Sarson(mustard).
Will be making the Sarson ka saag and Makke di roti this weekend for lunch.


And as for fresh green peas ... I love them so much that I add them to everything that I am cooking.
Like the Rui macher jhol that I made for lunch yesterday, the Jhalmuri that I munch on as an evening snack with my tea and also to the scrambled eggs or Egg bhurji that I made for dinner tonight.

This is basically what dominates our winter meals.
The same goes for dessert too.
Ma in law tells us to eat a little gur / jaggery everyday. And some ghee too.
So I usually make my instant Moong dal halwa on some nights and the Lapsi on others.
Both are healthy and hence guilt free.

With the Palak, I often make this Dal Palak.
But this time, when I made it for our lunch, I used the Toor dal instead of the Cholar dal.
And the flavour was so distinctly different that I promptly decided to make a post. It is already very late into the night right now ( gosh! it is already 4:07 in the morning!!) ... could not sleep hence decided to make this post.
So, I will go to the recipe now.

This dal is full of the flavour of garlic as well as the palak.
The addition of ghee also boosts the flavours.
Light, healthy and simple, this dal can be a meal by itself or when paired with just rotis or rice.
A little achar on the side and you are good to go.

Need :

Toor dal / Spilt pigeon peas - 1 cup , washed
Palak / Spinach leaves - 2 cups, washed and chopped roughly
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Garlic - around 10 to 12 cloves, chopped
Ginger - 1", chopped
Green chillies - chopped
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( I use the one I make at home )
Roasted jeera powder - 1 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp (skip if you are vegan)
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Water - 2 cups and a little more
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped

How to :

Pressure cook the dal with salt+haldi and 2 cups of water till two whistles on low flame.
Remove from heat, cool and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadahi or wok.
Add jeera + chopped garlic + chopped ginger + chopped green chillies.
Fry for a minute on low heat.
Do not brown.

Add the chopped palak + a pinch of sugar.
Cover and cook till the palak is done.

Remove cover and add the dal + salt + dal's water and bring to a boil.
Cover and cook on low heat till everything comes together.

Add roasted jeera powder + home made red chilli powder + ghee.

Cover and simmer for a minute.

Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves and a little of the roasted jeera powder and red chilli powder.
Serve hot.

Here is a look of our lunch table today.
I had also made a spicy Aloo matar ki sukhi sabzi ... recipe in the next post.

Till then ... enjoy winter and its bounty of vegetables as well as fruits!!

Vegetable Uttapam

 

 Hello! Hello!!
Wish you a very happy new year 2017!!
Hope you had fun on the last day of the past year and rang in the new one with a bang.

We did too ... in our own quiet way. On the evening of the 31st, we went to our favourite cafe ... Flourworks ... for a cuppa.
B had his usual black one and I went for my favourite coffee l'orange. This is dark too but has orange peels soaked in and a dash of cocoa. It is my all time favourite here.
Of course, we had something to munch on. B took grilled sandwiches and I asked for the chicken stir fried with garlic and Italian herbs much like the one I make at home.
What was beautiful was the evening.
The sun was about to call it a day but there was still a warmth in its last rays. The cafe had a warm ambience too ... all wooden and decked up to greet the enthusiasts who would start coming in when the night starts.
All this helped in fighting the chill in the light breeze ... that made the yellow leaves shower down on the tables and those sitting outdoors.

We sat and reflected on the past year and its happenings.
I, as usual, am a little apprehensive about what the new year would bring for me.
All I pray is that we have good health and stay well.

The past few days have been complete mayhem for us. A friend was visiting with his family and we were totally caught up with them.
While they do have relatives here, which made the tug of war even tougher, they banked on us to take them around. So there I was, managing the home front as well as planning their visits all around the city.
I had to keep in mind the various demands .... temples for the elderly, malls for the teens, toy stores for the kids and of course, shopping in the old city by the ladies.
The days went by in a whiff.

We had the last two days of the year to ourselves and hence, spent them quietly. For dinner, we went to this small, unassuming little place called Gavran Kolhapuri to have a light meal of Pithla and crisp, hot bajra and jowar bhakris. There was a spicy thecha too.
Both of us enjoyed the early dinner while the city geared up for the display of loud music, garish dresses and a splurge on food and drinks. And came back to a peaceful home and the telly.
We did watch the fireworks from our balcony at midnight as well as the burning of Old man 2016.
And then, it was all over. All too soon.
And the next day was just another day.
Routine.

I made a breakfast of a spicy, vegetable sambar ( I really must put up the recipe one of these days ) and some thick, soft kaal dosas sprinkle with milagai podi ... on the first day of the new year.
I had also made a couple of Patishaptas with the same batter ... my first pithe of the season.
Here is quick look ... a phone photo that I shot to share with my facebook page readers.

And then remembered that I have these pictures of the vegetable uttapam that I had made one these mornings.
And decided to make a quick post.

 I had grated in some carrots and added a handful of fresh green peas too.
I love green peas and if it is winter, I add them to almost anything that I am making. You can add beets, coriander leaves or curry leaves ... or anything that fancies you.
Just make sure that it cooks fast as the uttapam takes very less time to cook.

Need :

Idli batter - the recipe is here
Grated vegetables - I used carrots
Fresh green peas
Onion - chopped
Green chillies - chopped
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped
Oil - to smear pan
Salt - to taste

How to :

Mix in salt and a spoonful of oil to the batter.
Add a little water to make it of pouring consistency.

Heat a well seasoned flat tawa or griddle.

Smear a little oil on it.

Pour in a ladleful of batter and spread thickly.
Sprinkle the top of the uttapam with grated vegetables, peas and coriander leaves.

Cover and cook till the base turns crisp and golden brown.

Remove cover and flip it over.

Cook without cover for a round 5 minutes.

Serve hot with chutney.

 Here is a closer look at the spongy, soft inside.

I paired it with my Garlic Tomato chutney. And a cup of ginger tea.
Perfect winter breakfast!

Since I make this very often, here is another photograph that I found. This one has no vegetables in it ... just chopped onions + chopped red and green chillies + curry leaves + coriander leaves.

It is more like the Saantlano (tempered) pithe.

C'ya all around.
Wish you all a wonderful year ahead.


Here are a few ways that I make Idlis.

Here are a few other Breakfast ideas.

Chingri macher Malaikari / Prawns cooked in coconut milk

 

The year went by at the blink of an eye. Or so it seems.
It has been a quiet year for me. And good too ... in some ways.
I have been able to get back into normal routine after the tremendous loss of the earlier year.
And I have learnt that whatever time we have, we need to make full use of it.
We need to stay happy, do what we want to, follow our heart and accept the fact that life can be a bitch at times.
And can love you at others too.

I do not have this habit of making resolutions.
I have never tried to, ever since I was a young girl.
All that I have done is stay focussed and do what I have to do.
I do not bind myself inside a grid of promises ... even to myself.
All I do is to follow life and deal with whatever it gives me to deal with.

I may have had to make compromises .... and I still have to. But then, there are times when you have to do what you have to do.
There are times when you will not like what you have to do. And it will be very easy to just take another road that will take you away from it.
But again, there is this thing called the need of the hour.
And you know you must do it, in spite of not wanting to do it.
That is called the sense of duty.
That is called maturity ... or the right way to take on life.

So when I have to give up something I like to do, to be able to do something that I don't like to, I tell myself that there will be another day, when I will have all the time to myself.
And I go ahead and do what is the right thing to do. Even if I don't like it.
And believe in my heart that everything is for a good.

Like the last few days have gone not exactly like I wanted to.
The one thing that I find  very difficult to accept is being taken for granted.
And ungratefulness.
Those are things I have had to deal with, from people who go by the name of 'friends'.
So maybe, henceforth, I will do something different ... just so that I do not have to go through this hurt in my heart again.
Ever.

This year, I had my trip to the US of A ... which was a wonderful thing to happen.
I saw nature's most wonderous creation ... the gorgeous Niagara falls ... and was overwhelmed.
And was thankful to fate for making me so happy in a long time.

I do not know what the new year will bring for me.
And neither do I want to.
All I pray for is health and a little happiness.
And a little more understanding and accepting in my life. That I will have the strength not to be affected by negativity ... like I always have.
I can do with a little more emotional security. And some me time.
That's all.
Books, music, knitting, travelling ... I can fit in myself.

A few days back, I had bought some very good prawns as we were having guests over.
But they stayed inside the freezer as the guests preferred to eat out most of the time.
So, yesterday, I took them out, wondering what to cook.
I knew I had do at least one more post before the year ended and wanted it to be a good recipe.
Going through my drafts, I found the same old daily food that my blog is famous for.
So decided to make something really good and celebratory.
Peeked into the fridge and saw a can of coconut milk and voila! I knew what it would be.
Quickly made a coconut and peas pulao for B and then set about cooking this lovely, creamy malaikari ... more for you and the blog than for myself.

My Ma makes a malaikari that used to be very, very subtle in flavours ... the coconut milk played a dominant part. I went through a few recipes on the net and saw they were slightly more richer and wanted to try that way. After tasting this, I can say I love both versions now.
Will post Ma's recipe later someday.

This recipe uses onion paste as well as ginger and garlic paste. I could not make a paste so grated the onion ... you can see the tiny bits in the gravy. Did not make much difference to the flavours.
I use ginger + garlic paste and was worried but the coconut milk immediately resolved all doubts ... imparting that beautiful sweetness and rich, smooth creaminess to the gravy.

So here is the recipe.
Do let me know if you give it a try this new year.

 Need :

Fresh water prawns - 250 gms
Onion paste - 2 tbsp ( I used grated onions but do you the paste )
Ginger + garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Whole dry chillies - 2, broken
Whole garam masala - cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom - 2 each, crushed
Bay leaf - 1
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp (I use mustard oil )
Coconut milk - 1 cupful ( I used the thick canned one )
Sugar - to taste
Salt - to taste
Water - half cup

How to :

Clean, devein and marinate the prawns with turmeric powder and salt.

 Heat mustard oil in a kadahi or wok.
Lightly fry the prawns and remove and keep aside.
Do not overcook them.

 

In the same oil, add the bay leaf, dry red chillies and the crushed garam masalas.
Then add the onion paste and a little sugar.
Fry well till the rawness goes away.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry till oil starts to separate from the sides.
 Now add the fried prawns and mix everything together.

 Raise heat, add a little water and bring to a simmer.
Check for salt and adjust according to taste.

Then lower heat and add the coconut milk.
Adjust seasoning again ... the gravy will be a little on the sweeter side,
Cover and simmer for five minutes.

 Remove cover and check for gravy consistency. 
Serve hot.

This malaikari goes very well with plain rice or the Bengali mishti polau.

Enjoy!!