A stir fried warm salad with fresh vegetables and kidney beans .... perfect, healthy meal for cold winter days

 Hi all!!
Hope you are having a wonderful festive time.
I did not have the time to come here and greet you but here is wishing you a beautiful Diwali and a prosperous new year!
The festive season has started in India long back with Ganesh chaturthi and continues still. Now with Diwali and then with Christmas and then New year and so on.
We Indians have no dearth of festivities and festivals.
And may we continue to celebrate life thus ... always.

Diwali this year has been more boisterous than the last two years, all around.
Last night, we saw crackers bursting with gutso and the air was so filled with thick smoke that we could only see the lights of our immediate neighbourhood.
The rest of the city seemed to be plunged into darkness.
We, as usual, take pleasure in watching the fireworks from our bay windows. Both of us do not believe in buying and burning crackers.
Rather, we set deck the house with flowers and lights and offer puja, prasad and aarti to the gods in the evening after the customary call home.
Mummy tells us the muhurt of the puja and perform the aarti then.

This year I made the family tradition of kachoris, puris and aloo ki sabzi for dinner.
And gulab jamun for dessert.
I have not made gulab jamuns for ages and B loves them. So made them.
Offered the food as prasad to the gods and then had a quiet dinner while watching the fireworks.
And of course in between attending to the occassional phone calls to wish us.

I have been caught up with some work that has been eating into my time for the last few weeks.
And no matter how much I tried, it was extremely difficult for me  to sit down and pen something here.
This will go on for some more time.
And so I will be taking a break from posting here.

I will, however, try to come and write a post or two and update you with the happenings ... but cannot promise.

Today, I will leave you with this beautiful warm salad made with seasonal fresh, winter vegetables.
I throw in as many vegetables as I can . And add some legumes to give it some body as well as balance.
I do not add any extra carbs ... you can throw in some cooked rice or noodles too, in which
case you will need to increase the amount of your condiments or sauces , if you are using them.

This makes for a full meal on any winter day or night.
You can also add some croutons and some plain Tomato soup on the side of you are having this for dinner.
This is my favourite dinner and I often add pieces of boiled or stir fried chicken , boiled eggs or sausages to it too, for that extra kick of protein.
And, of course, taste. :-)


Need :

Fresh winter vegetables - cut into slices
I used carrots, capsicums, cabbage, cauliflower, purple cabbage, fresh corns , spring onions, green peas, etc.
Boiled kidney beans
Chopped garlic
Chopped ginger
Onions - cut into slices
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Mixed herbs (optional)
Olive oil or any white cooking oil
Fresh lemon juice
( You can add vinegar too but lemon juice is a better choice for winters )
You can add kind of sauce you love

How :

Heat the oil in an open pan or kadahi / wok.

Add the garlic + ginger.

Raise heat and add the vegetables one by one.

Quickly toss and add the rajma / kidney beans.

Mix well on high heat.

If using any protein, add now.

Add salt + herbs + lemon juice + black pepper and give a quick toss.

Remove from heat before the vegetables turn soggy.

This is best eaten hot or warm.

So settle back in your softest couch and draw your warmest throw around you.
Have your bowl of hot soup ready beside you and a plateful of this super salad in your hands.
And sit back and enjoy your dinner snug in warmth, with maybe a movie on the telly.
While the quiet, cold, winter night sets itself on the world.

Bye all for now.
Will catch you the soonest.

Till then ... take care.
And enjoy every moment of life with kindness and joy in your heart!!

Burnt garlic noodles with stir fried vegetables

( Non vegetarians can add slices of chicken, sausage or eggs to this too. )

Durga came and left.
Lokkhi came and left.
I was so caught up with a thousand things that I hardly opened the laptop. I was away from facebook too .... I did a small customary post for Bijoya, though.
And now, life is filled with numerous chores that need to be done before Diwali.

Pujo went well this time.
I was more relaxed, actually went out with B, visited pandals, offered pushpanjali and had bhog too.
Ate from the food stalls a couple of times ... would have loved to eat more but my tummy drew the line.
I did share a couple of photos on my Kitchen-e-Kichu Khonn's page on face book.

Anyway, here I am, when realisation struck that I have not wished you all, my readers a Subho Bijoya!
I know it is a little late in the day but do accept my good wishes on Bijoya.
May the good always prevail in your lives.

Amongst other things, which included a short trip out of town for a few days, I am also swamped with a lot of knitting projects right now.
Recently completed this top ... so sharing a shot with you. Do let me know what you think of it.
I will make a fresh post along with the pattern in my other blog in a few days.

Coming to today's recipe, I had made this quick noodles stir fry on one of our busy, rainy days.

I usually make Chinese for dinner ... which is why I can never make a post on them.
But this was made for a light lunch and so got to see the light of the day.

Unless I am making Hakka noodles, I love a little garlic in my noodles. In this recipe, I tossed the noodles in burnt garlic. And the flavour that burnt garlic gives is awesome.
I love the slight hint of sweetness from them after they have caramelised well.

As for the vegetables on the side, they are not actually dry. I added a little sauce to give them some body and bring everything together in harmony.

Quick to make, light on the tummy.

This is a perfect one in all dish.

 Need :

Noodles
Cooking oil
Vegetables - cut in slants
( I had baby corn, zucchini, yellow bell peppers, red bell peppers, cauliflower florets, purple cabbage ,mushrooms )
Onions - cut into thick rings
Garlic - minced well
Ginger - chopped well  
Green chillies - chopped
Chilli flakes
Chilli vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Corn flour
Sugar
Salt

How to : 

Boil the noodles in enough salted water.
Drain just before they are completely cooked and hold under running water to cool completely.
This will give you the perfect al dente noodles .... not over cooked and mushy.
Mix in a spoonful of white oil and toss well.
Keep aside.

In a kadahi, heat oil on low heat.

Add ginger + garlic + green chillies + the rest of the vegetables and fry on high heat.
 Keep stirring all the while.
Add thickly sliced onions + crushed black pepper powder + salt.

Mix corn flour in a little water + a little sugar .
Pour over the vegetables and fry well till dryish.

In a kadahi, heat a little cooking oil.
Let in the minced garlic and a little sugar.
Fry well on low heat till they turn completely brown.

Add in the noodles, salt and chilli vinegar.
Raise heat and toss well vigourously.

Sprinkle the chilli flakes and remove from heat.

To serve, lay the noodles on a plate and pour the vegetables over it. 
This is best eaten hot off the wok.

Enjoy!!

Kheema stuffed paratha for Panchami and the festive season

 

 ( Vegetarians can make this using Soya granules as the filling. )

I uploaded these photos at eight in the morning sharp, today. Right after my exercise session.
And right on my first and only cup of tea for the day.
But as soon as I was about to write the first word, the day stepped in.
Breakfast needed to be done ... which was the favourite Aloo paratha. I had prepared the filling last night and the atta was done too.
But they needed to be taken out, brought to room temperature, rolled out and fried.
And just after b'fast was done, I came back and had just sat down when the bell rang.
I knew it right then .... this post will not have today's date.

But I can be very thick headed when I want to.
And I decided that I will make this post before lunch. That's it.
Easier said than done .... especially when the day is 'make lunch for two days' day.
Besides, it is Puja too.
So evenings will be spent at the puja mandap.
Which will mean eating out for me. But not for B.
Since the food stalls have too much of non vegetarian stuff all over, B does not feel comfortable eating from them. There are a few vegetarian stalls too ... but too few and far between.
And they too have only singara / samosas or sweets.
One cannot spend five days or evenings only on them.

(10:00)
So I prepare food for B at home. Either he eats and goes, or packs and eats later with me.
And hence the flurry in the kitchen.
Not to mention the darned weather outside. It has been pouring like there is no tomorrow, for days at a stretch. On Mahalaya, I had played Mahisasurmardnini on Youtube and willed myself to feel that Durga Puja is just around the corner.
But it was so dark and gloomy and wet outside, with the rain dripping down the window panes and a persistent fog hung all around that I stopped at the first song.

But today, the sun has finally emerged and the clouds are passing by a little hesitantly. There is a crispness in the air and it is very, very cold suddenly.
I pray that the weather holds and decide to play the Mahisasur mardini after all. But just as I started to hum, I knew I may not be able to listen to it for a long time now.
Not without my throat constricting and my eyes filling up. Not without thinking of Bapi.
And my home .... that will no longer be the same again.

(1:00)
So, I immerse myself into this load of cooking.
And while I type this, I keep one eye on the pan of rajma simmering away, while the okra is frying in another kadahi for a kadhi.
The third burner holds a deep kadahi full of vegetables and white matar / vatana boiling vigourously.
I am making the very favourite Santula ... bit this time I am adding some matar too. The rest of the boiled matar will go into the making a spicy ghugni that I will pair with Luchis on Shaptami day.
I have just removed a pressure cooker full of spicy Punjabi chole too.
So I am all sorted for the coming days.
Both for lunch and dinner.

Ok .... here is a quick shot sharing with you.

(It is 4:00 now!)

I have been occasionally posting daily food from my kitchen in an album on my facebook page ... so if you are following me there, maybe you will get a glimpse of all these food in the coming days of Durga Puja.
And yes, I plan to make some good b'fasts too ... so will try to post them as well.
Fingers crossed.

I have a beautiful recipe of chicken mince stuffed flat breads today.
Inspite of posting a non vegetarian recipe on my last post, I thought I will put this up for you.
I have used chicken mince here for two reasons .... one, I eat it more often than the mutton kheema; and two ... well ... I get it more easily than the mutton kheema.
And more importantly, it cooks faster and is a breeze to make.

You can follow the recipe here.
Do cook the kheema very dry  ... otherwise, the moisture will make it very difficult to stuff the paratha.
Do not add the curd or onion paste ... they will only  release water.
Do use chopped onions and green chillies though.
If you find it still moist, do add a spoonful of corn flour to it.

Typically, Bengalis make parathas, especially stuffed ones, with maida or refined flour.
But I make them with atta.

Need :


For the dough:


Atta or wheat flour
A little oil
Salt
Warm water

For the stuffing :

Chicken keema .... cooked very dry

How to :

 Knead the atta into a soft, pliable dough.
Cover and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.

Break off medium sized balls from it.

Use some dry flour and flatten the ball. Stuff it with some filling.
Cover carefully.

Roll out into a paratha.
Do use dry flour when rolling, so that the paratha does not break open.

You can refer to any of the stuffed parathas recipe here for the procedure, step by step. 

Heat a flat pan or a tawa.
Put in a paratha and dry roast on both sides first.
Apply oil and fry till brown and crisp on both sides.

Vegetarians can make this Soya kheema for stuffing.

(5:25)
 Serve hot.
You can make some raita on the side.
Or enjoy it with just plain ketchup ... like I do.

Wishing you all a very happy Durga puja and a beautiful Navaratri too!!
Enjoy!!!

(6:24)
There! I did it finally!