Palak (Pop eye’s favourite….mine too)

Palak as other veggies and green leaves can be used to prepare various dishes such as pakoras,  gravies,  garnishes, rice, baked etc….

I’ve been instructed to just immerse the palak in boiling water for just a minute or so and then to remove and keep aside and that is exactly what I do ,when I need to puree the palak .

1.Palak gravy

Ing:

Palak – two bunches

Onions chopped – one large

Tomato chopped – one medium

Ginger garlic paste – one tsp

Garam masala – one tsp

Chilli powder – as per choice

Coriander powder – about one and half tsp

Jeera seeds – a pinch

Salt to taste

Oil – about a tsp

Paneer or cheese – optional

Method :

Wash and prepare the palak puree as mentioned above.

Heat kadai,add oil , when heated add jeera seeds, ginger garlic paste and the garam masala.  When the ginger garlic paste has turned a light golden add the onions and tomato to it and fry till the tomato is well done [almost gravy like consistency]. To this add the palak puree and the chillie and coriander powders and salt. Finally add the cubed cheese or paneer to it.

Can be served as gravy for rice as well as for paranthas, chapathis and rotis.

·        If using Paneer,cube them and toss them for about two – three minutes in warm water to make it soft.

·        I sometimes toss the Paneer in warn ghee to give a golden shade.

2. Dal Palak

Ing:

Moong dal – half cup

Palak – one bunch

Shallots [sambhar onions/small onions] – about five – six peeled and chopped

Tomato ,medium size ,chopped – one

Turmeric powder – half tsp

Dry red chillies – as per choice

Garlic – one or two cloves

Mustard seeds – half tsp

Jeera seeds – half tsp

Salt to taste

 Oil for seasoning about one tsp

Method:

Wash palak well and puree it ,keep aside.

Wash moong dal  and pressure cook it with the garlic a few pieces of shallots and tomato.

Heat kadai ,add oil and season  with mustard seeds and  jeera seeds. Once they start crackling add the dry red chillies,the remaining shallots and tomato to it and fry . Then add the cooked dal ,pureed palak and salt and mix well. Let it simmer for a minute or two.

Can be served with rice and rotis etc.

3. Masala Palak Rotis

Ing:

Palak – one bunch , pureed

Wheat flour – one cup

 Onion minced – one large

Ginger garlic paste – half tsp

Chillie powder – as per choice

Salt to taste

Oil

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients to form a dough,add water to make the dough if required. Knead the dough well and keep aside for half an hour.

Pinch off golf ball size of dough and roll it into thin rotis,adding the required quantity (about half tsp) of oil cooking it on both the sides.

Serve hot with pickle of your choice.

4. Aloo Palak

 Ing:

Palak, washed and chopped  - one bunch

Potatoes, peeled and  cubed   - two / three depending on the size

Ginger garlic paste – half tsp

Jeera seeds – a pinch

Chillie powder – as per choice

Haldi – a pinch

Salt to taste

 Oil

Method:

Boil the cubed potatoes in salt water, drain and keep aside.

Heat the kadai, add oil and when warm add the ginger garlic paste, jeera seeds chillie powder and haldi to it. Then add the potatoes  and taking care not to break them,turn them around so that the masala is coated evenly on the pieces .Next add the palak to it and mix carefully.

Serve as accompaniment for rice and rotis.

This can be rolled in to make Frankie rolls.

5. Palak Rice

 This can be prepared in the same manner as Pulao, the only addition to the recipe would be two bunches of pureed palak and half a cup of diced potatoes.Serve the prepared dish with pappad.

Chicken Mince  Koftas
Ing:
chicken mince - 400 gms
ginger garlic paste - one heaped tsp
onion ,ground to a paste- one small [large onion]
chilli powder - as per choice
 egg , beaten [optional] - one small
salt to taste
corn flour or maida - one tbspn
minced coriander - one heaped tbspn
oil for frying
Method:
Mix all ingredients and keep aside for 10 mins. In the mean time, heat the kadai and add the oil for frying. The oil shoud not be too hot that steam arises , if so ,slow down the gas.
Add the marble sized chicken koftas ,let it turn golden brown,or on certain occasions ,based on the ingredients added may turn a darkish brown.
Serve hot or cold with a sauce of your choice ,can also be converted into Kofta gravy and can be served with Pulao or plain rice, chapatis or panthas.

Electric rice cooker  Recipes

Pullao

1.Masala pulao

Ing:

Rice – one cup

Onions chopped – one medium size

Garam masala powder – one tsp

Chillie powder – as per choice

Salt to taste water

Method:

Wash rice well and add the required amount of water. [usually it is 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice] Add all the ingredients to the rice  and place it in the electric cooker and let it cook.[about 20 – 25 mins max] Add a tsp of ghee or oil to the cooked pulao and use a fork to fluff the rice.

Serve it with any type of gravy or dal, fresh veg.salad, pachidis, papads, pickle, curd raitha etc.

2.Veg. pulao

Ing:

French beans chopped – 100 gms[or just take a fist full of beans and chop it up]

Carrots chopped – one medium size

Green chillie slit – as per choice

Whole garam masala[clove –three (lavangam), cinnamon (pattai) – about an inch , cardamom,crushed lightly  - one]

Rice – one cup

Water as required

Salt to taste

Ghee – about a tsp

Method :

Wash the rice well and add all the ingredients to it and let it cook.Once the rice is cooked , add the ghee and fluff the rice with a fork.

Green peas pulao can be cooked in the same manner,the peas ( about half or three- fourths of a cup ) should be thawed in advance and should be added to the rice when the rice is almost done.

Another easy dish to prepare in the rice cooker is the humble Ven pongal  I would call a powerful delicacy any time.

Ing:

Rice – half a cup

Moong dal or paasi paruppu – one fourth of a cup

Pepper corns ,crushed – a few

Ginger ,minced  - about one centimetre

Salt to taste

Water – about one and half cups

Milk – about three fourths of a cup

Method:

Wash the rice and dal well , add  all the ingredients to it and let it cook. Once it is done add a tsp of ghee to it and fluff with a fork.

Serve with sambhar or coconut chutney.

If any one has a specific dish in mind please let me know, will put up the recipe .

Hey everyone!
                Its been a long time now since i've put up anything new on the blog.Have been exploring the city and its people and most importantly the different types of cusines that are available and sure to put one in overdrive indulgence.Must admit though the extras have gathered where they really ought not to,the wallet especially has become lighter.

 If you are from Chennai, walk into The Verandah @ Vivata byTaj Connemara to have a taste of the Raj cuisine of the Anglo-Indians.Its on until the 27th of this month.

Chapati

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – two cups

Oil/fat - about a tbspn

Salt to taste

Sometimes I do add a tsp of sugar to it

Water as required

Method:

Sieve flour, add the remaining ingredients to it and make dough. Set it aside for an hour and then knead it well. Divide it into small balls. Roll out and bake well on both sides on a hot tawa.

Parathas

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – two cups

Salt to taste

Oil or fat

Water as required

Method:

Sieve flour. Rub a little fat/oil along with the other ingredients to make smooth dough. Keep aside for about an hour. Knead well and divide into even sized portions. Roll out about ¼ ” thick, then smear a little fat all over the rolled out dough and fold it into half and you can either roll it out to a circle or you can roll it out into a triangle. Bake on both sides on a hot tawa for about a minute on each side, then add a little oil/fat  around the edges and on the top of it, turn it over and take it down after about thirty seconds.

Bhaturas

Ingredients:

Maida – about one and half cups

Potato, boiled and mashed – one

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Water required quantity

Method:

Sieve the flour ,add the mashed potato, salt and the required quantity of water to form a soft dough. Keep aside for about half an hour, roll out into puris and deep fry in hot oil and serve hot.

*Semolina (sooji), bread crumbs  are added at times instead of potatoes.

Bati

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – one cup

Curds  - about half a cup

Salt to taste

Oil

Method:

Sieve flour, beat the curds well and add the salt and a little oil to the flour along with the curd and make dough adding sufficient water. Divide into even sized balls, flatten it lightly and create a depression in the middle of the ball by pressing in the centre with your thumb. Boil these balls in hot water for about ten minutes and remove. Using a knife cut across the balls lightly without cutting it deep, then fry them in hot oil until light golden. Serve hot with a little ghee over it.

Tandoori naan

Ingredients:

Maida – about two cups

Baking powder – about half a tspn

Salt to taste

Ghee – about one and half tbspns

Egg – one

Milk – about one fourth cup

Curds – about two – three tbspns

Sugar – one tspn

 Gingelly seeds – about two tspns

Cold water to mix

Method:

Sieve together salt , flour and baking powder, beat the egg with milk and sugar and add to the flour and mix. Add the required amount of cold water and mix well, next add the curds and mix well. Add ghee and knead well. The dough should be soft and very smooth.

Keep aside for about an hour and divide it into even sized balls. Brush over with a little ghee and keep aside for a further fifteen to twenty minutes. Roll each ball out into an oval shape and then using your hand pull one side to elongate the dough. Smear the top of the naan with gingelly seeds and bake in the oven.

Chicken pepper fry

Ingredients:

Chicken – 250 gms

Onions ,thinly sliced – two

Tomatoes ,chopped – one

Fresh coriander ,chopped – about a tbspn

Freshly ground pepper – two /three tspns

Salt to taste

Oil – about a tbspn

Red wine (optional) – about two /three tbspns

Method :

Heat oil in the kadai ,add the onions and fry till they turn a light pink in colour,then add the tomatoes and fry well.

Add the chicken ,along with the required quantity of pepper and salt and mix well,now add the wine to it,mix well ,cover and let it simmer for a while on reduced flame.

Once the chicken is tender and cooked add the coriander and remove from fire

Egg and Cheese spread

Ingredients:

Hard boiled eggs , chopped – two

Grated cheese – about half a cup

Fresh ground pepper  - one tspn

Tomato sauce – one tbspn

Butter – half a tspn

Method:

Add the eggs and all the ingredients in a blender and blend it to a smooth paste.

Can be spread on hot toast or relish it with just fresh bread.

Can be preserved in the fridge for about three to four days.