Recipes With a Twist
Posts tagged vegetables
Methi Malai Paneer
Aug 26th
Methi Malai Paneer
This one is for mom. While growing up paneer based dishes used to be a staple in our house and I cannot even remember how many different kinds my mom, grandmother and my aunts could make! (I grew up in a large family and shared about 12-13 wonderful years under one roof with my parents, brother, grandparents, aunts and uncles, great grandmother and most adorable cousins.
Few weeks ago we had planned a dinner with our friends and I don’t know from where I started thinking about this indulgent paneer dish my mom used to make. I thought of giving it a try, trying to remember the flavors and ingredients.
The paneer came out very flavorful and fragrant (thanks to Kasoori methi) and I think was very close to what my mom used to make. Next day I called my mom to confirm the recipe and to my surprise I was pretty close- only my version had a little extra step – she never used any onions and I did. I liked the flavor of lightly browned onions. Last week I made it again and wrote down the recipe (I did use onions again!)
You need:
3 tbsp oil (I used Canola)
1 1/2 medium/1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek leaves, I used MDH brand Kasoori Methi)
3/4 + 1/4 cup whipping cream
1 lb paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cubed – for this dish I bought the paneer form an Indian store but you can make the cottage cheese at home as well
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp MDH Kitchen King Masala
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 Water
2 tbsp Maggie Hot n Sweet Chili Sauce (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of Asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a wide wok or Karahi
2. Add Asafoetida, followed by garlic and onions
3. Cook on medium heat until onions are slightly brown, stirring every couple of minutes
4. Add tomatoes, and continue cooking on medium heat until tomatoes are soft and onions and tomatoes mixture start leaving the sides of the wok/karahi leaving oil on the sides.
5. Add salt, turmeric, MDH Kitchen King Masala, Kasoori Methi and saute for couple of seconds.
6. Add 3/4 cup cream and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add water and milk and bring it to boil. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
8. Till this point the sauce is almost cooked and is very mild. At this point I took out some for my son and added few cubes of Paneer for him separately. Since he liked his version, I amalso tagging this post as ‘Toddler Friendly’
9. Take out few table spoons of sauce in a cup, Add Maggie Hot n Sweet Chili sauce and mix well. Put it back in the Karahi and mix well. This is optional – only if you like mild hot and sweet flavor. If you don’t have this chili sauce on hand you can also try regular ketchup with 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp red chilies.
10. Add paneer cubes, stir in 1/4 cup cream and simmer on low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook the paneer as the cubes will start breaking
11. Sprinkle the garam masala and chopped cilantro
Serve hot with Naans or Roti (Indian Flatbreads)
Note: You can adjust water / milk quantities as per your liking. This recipe makes a medium consistency curry –not too dry and not too watery either
Total Preparation Time : Approximately 30 minutes
Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup
Jul 26th
Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup
This post is long overdue. Last few days it was little hard to keep up with things. Even though it is getting late at night, I decided today I will make an effort to get back on track 
.
I made this soup few weeks ago as I experimented with these two ingredients: Brown Lentils and Collard Greens. I had tried both of them in separate recipes and my son enjoyed them all. This time I wanted to make something with both greens and lentils with a mild flavor that my son will enjoy as well. It made a great nutritious low calorie soup for us and since my son enjoyed it couple of days in a row (with rice and butter), I am happily tagging this recipe as ‘Toddler Friendly’.
You need:
1 red onion, onions
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bay leaf
3 large cloves garlic
1 carrot, chopped
1 small zucchini , chopped
1 cup brown lentils
1.5 cups collard greens, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp salt / or to taste
A pinch of nutmeg powder
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp clove powder
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pot or a pressure cooker
2. Add bay leaf and garlic and fry for few seconds.
3. Add onions, fry on low for about 5 minutes.
4. Add carrots and zucchini and cook for few minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, cumin powder, salt, nutmeg, clove powder and turmeric powder and cook for couple of minutes.
6. Add brown lentils, collard greens and about 6 cups water and pressure cook for about 15 minutes.
7. If not using pressure cooker then cook for about 40-50 minutes on low-medium heat until brown lentils are cooked and vegetables are tender.
8. Adjust water and seasonings as per taste
9. Add lemon juice and oregano.
Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup
Serve hot! Its tastes great with toasted sourdough bread and makes a wholesome quick lunch – add some rice to the soup, lunch packed in less than 5 minutes
Chana Biryani
Jun 13th
Chana Biryani
I read a similar recipe years ago and found the combination of chickpeas or chana in a biryani dish very different. Usually a vegetarian biryani is made with assorted diced vegetables and I have never seen one with chickpeas served anywhere (or the places I ever ate at). Over the years I have made chicken biryani countless times (even with different recipes) and trying this one out was I guess on a back burner. Lately, I have been using chickpeas a lot – seems like I have found my long lost love for them as I don’t remember making dishes with chickpeas so much. Since these days I always have boiled chickpeas on hand, last weekend I finally decided to make this biryani for a potluck dinner with my family. In addition to chickpeas I also added potatoes as they go very well together. We ate at our neighborhood lake park, and hot biryani with chickpeas on a cool evening just hit the spot!
You need:
3 cups long grain (basmati) rice
4-5 medium onions, sliced
3 large tomatoes, chopped
3.5 cups boiled chickpeas (chana)
3 medium potatoes, diced
2 bay leaves
3 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
3-4 cloves
1/2 tsp cinamon powder
3 tbsp Canola oil
pinch of Asafoetida powder
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp MDH Meat Masala
2 tbsp MDH Kitchen King
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3-4 tsp salt – or to taste
10 fresh mint leaves
3 tbsp fresh cilantro leaved, chopped
3 tbsp milk
1. Boil 10-12 cups of water in a large pot. Add rice, few mint leaves and some salt. Boil rice until almost done-a rice grain breaks in two when pressed between two fingers. Do not overcook, drain water.
2. Heat oil in a deep pan/karahi. Add Asafoetida powder, bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, garlic and saute for few seconds.
3. Add onions and fry until golden brown(medium heat). Take out about 1/3rd of onions and keep aside.
4. Add tomatoes, all spices, salt and cook on medium heat until tomatoes are mushy and the tomato-onion mixture start to leave oil.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F
Cook chickpeas and potatoes
6. Add potatoes, remaining mint leaves,1/4 cup water, cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add 1 cup water, chickpeas/chana cover and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes. Cook uncovered for couple minutes.
7. Take a large baking dish-9*13″ or larger. Grease its base with oil. Spread a layer of rice. Spread a layer of chickpeas (along with the curry). Sprinkle little fried onions (saved from before)
Chana Biryani prepare layers
8. Alternate layers of rice and chickpeas (number of layers depend on size of the baking dish used). It is up to you whether you want the top layer to be chickpeas or rice. I just had a handful of chickpeas left I spread them on top layer along with some fried onions (saved from before).
9. Spread milk all over the top layer.
10. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 18 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with some sliced white onions on side and yogurt.
Serves – 8
Mili-Juli Sabzi (Mixed Vegetable medley with chickpeas)
Jun 5th
Mili Juli Sabzi-mixed vegetables medley
Here is very easy Indian dish that just needs few minutes of preparation and needs very little attention while cooking. Mixed vegetables are traditionally made with several variations using different combinations of vegetables like peas, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, peppers and the list is endless. Basically whatever you have on hand . Last time I made it, besides using some of my favorite vegetables, I also added chickpeas (garbanzo beans) to add some protein and increase the nutritional content.
You need:
2 cups chopped carrots
2 medium potatoes, chopped
1 cup boiled chickpeas (you can use canned to save time)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup peas
2-3 tbsp Canola oil
pinch of Asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 whole kashmiri mirch (red chilies)
1 tsp Mango powder (Amchoor)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp red pepper
2 tsp salt
3-4 tsp MDH Kitchen King masala
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a wide wok or karahi.
2. Add Asafoetida powder and after couple of seconds add whole kashmiri mirch and cumin seeds.
3. After the seeds splutter add the remaining ingredients and saute on high heat for couple of minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until all vegetables are tender and spices are nicely blended. (You may need to add couple of teaspoons of water if vegetables seem to stick to the wok.
Serves 6
Enjoy this rainbow of vegetables with yogurt or raita with nan or rotis (Indian flatbreads).
Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Reduced Fat)
Apr 22nd
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I am a big fan of Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheddar soup. Although I usually prefer lowfat/or at least reduced fat soups, I usually can’t resist this soup on a cold (even rainy) afternoon. I have tried a few recipes from different sources and all were way too rich. So I made few changes, increased quantity of carrots and blended the soup for a creamy and rich texture.
Last weekend I made a big batch for my family – served soup and toasted bread for adults and as pasta sauce for little one. I boiled macaroni (overcooked) and mixed with soup for my son. Since my son liked it – one day with pasta, one day as soup and one day with rice, I am happily tagging this recipe as ‘Toddler Friendly’. Even though it is a reduced fat recipe, it tasted pretty much like the original rich soup.
You need:
1.5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups milk
6 cups water
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cups carrots, grated (medium size)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 tsp garlic spread/seasoning mix
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup cream
1. Heat butter in a large pot.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup-saute garlic
2. Add bay leaf and garlic and cook for few seconds. Add onions and saute for few minutes and cook until medium brown.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup-saute vegetables
3. Add the broccoli and carrots and saute for few minutes. Add nutmeg, garlic seasoning and oregano and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Sprinkle flour slowly and cook over low heat, stir constantly for couple of minutes.
4. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer in medium heat for about 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add milk and cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. The soup should be thickened by now.
6. Pour in batches into a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and puree (I just pureed 3/4th the soup as I like some bigger pieces of vegetables as well).
7. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Adjust salt and pepper.
Serve hot, garnish with shredded cheddar.
Tip: For added flavor, you can also use low sodium Chicken broth instead of water. Although, I usually use water to keep the soup ‘vegetarian’. Chopped garlic and seasonings add lot of natural flavor to it.
Serves 6
Quick Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice
Apr 8th
Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice
Here is a 15 minute meal that tastes great and is loaded with great stuff- assortment of vegetables, garlic and rice. This recipe is based on ‘Indian style Chinese’ food we get in local fast food/restaurants in India and I am sure is different than any traditional Chinese fried rice recipe. But these are the flavors we have grown up with and still enjoy even living thousands of miles away from India. It tastes best if you have cold leftover rice. I usually plan ahead and cook more white rice couple of days before I want to make it.
You need:
1 medium onion
3-4 cloves minced garlic
2-3 tbsp canola oil
1 lb bag frozen stir fry vegetables (or a blend of frozen or fresh baby corn, carrots, broccoli, green beans, water chestnuts, red peppers)
4-5 cups cooked white rice
In a bowl mix following:
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1.5 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp chili sauce (or more as per your preference)-the one I use is also loaded with garlic
Heat oil in a wok/karahi. Add garlic and saute for few seconds. Add onions and cook on medium-high heat until translucent. Add stir fry vegetables (no need to thaw if using frozen) and cook on high for about 5 minutes. 
Stir in the sauce mixture and cook on high for another 2 minutes. Add cooked white rice, mix well on low heat and then cook on medium high for couple of minutes (Keep stirring and if using long grain rice, it’s Ok of this may break the rice grains.
Enjoy!
An easy variation: stir in cooked grilled chicken/scrambled eggs along with the sauce mixture
Mexican style vegetable soup with black beans and rice
Mar 20th
Mexican style Vegetable soup with black beans and rice
Karahi Paneer
Mar 3rd
Karahi Paneer
I like MDH Karahi Chicken Masala and use it pretty often when I make a chicken curry dish such as ‘Karahi Chicken’. I used the same masala this time to make a vegetarian dish – Karahi Paneer. Paneer is a form of cottage cheese that is prepared in a number of ways- scrambled, curries, stuffed and so on. It can be very easily made at home and when in a pinch can be bought from almost all Indian stores. Paneer dishes find their way in most North Indian menus.
Karahi Paneer is a mildly spiced yet a flavorful dish with undernotes of onion and coriander seeds (from MDH masala) ,green bell peppers,black cardamom and fenugreek leaves.
You need:
1 lb. Paneer, chopped in medium sized pieces
2 onions, sliced
4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (more if you like the flavor)
3-4 tbsp cooking oil
3 tbsp MDH Karahi Chicken Masala (or more if you like spicy)
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger paste
2 pieces black cardamom (halved)
1-2 tsp MDH Kasoori Methi (When I buy a pack, I slightly dry roast them in a pan and store them in an airtight container)
salt to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf
Heat the cooking oil in a Karahi or deep heavy bottom pat. Add black cardamom and bay leaf and fry for few seconds. Add chopped onions and garlic, reduce heat and fry until golden brown. Add ginger paste and fry for few seconds. Add MDH Karahi Chicken Masala, 1/2 tsp salt and cook for few seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mushy, spices seem to be nicely blended and the mixture seem to leave oil. Add pepper and cook for few more minutes.
Tomatoes are cooked, peppers added, ready to add water in 5 minutes
Add Add two cups of water and bring it to boil. Add paneer and and cook for about 5 min on high heat and simmer for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle mashed leaves of Kasoori Methi and add the lemon juice. Adjust salt if needed. If needed, add more water to adjust curry (if adding more water, make sure to bring it boil). Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves and serve with naan or rice.
Servings: 4-6
Karahi Paneer
This is not a very hot dish however you can increase the ‘hot’ factor by increasing the quantity of the masala.
Sindhi Kadhi (Vegetable medley simmered in tangy lentils curry)
Feb 9th
Sindhi Kadhi with rice
I just came back from a trip to India. I visited my family after four years for a short vacation and to attend my brother’s wedding. Besides being excited to meet my family after such a long time, on my flight from London to New Delhi, I could not stop thinking about this flavorful dish my grandmother used to make when I was little. It used to be a family feast with my cousins, aunts and uncles all dining together to enjoy this Sindhi Kadhi with plain rice and some fried potatoes. I decided to learn it from my grandmother and together she and I spent some time to make it one more time for the family.
You need (Serves 6-8):
1/2 lb Yellow Pigeon Peas (Arhar or Toor daal)
30 gm (or more) Tamarind soaked in 2 cups hot water for 20 minutes
Curry leaves (leaves from 3-4 stems or 20-25 leaves)
Mint leaves (half bunch/20-25 leaves)
Mint,Radish,Green Beans,Okra
4-5 tbsp cooking oil (Canola/vegetable)
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1 lb Radish, sliced
1/2 lb Green Beans
1/2 lb Okra (Bhindi)
1/2 lb Tomatoes
2-3 medium Potatoes
salt to taste
Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp or more to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
6 cups water to boil the Pigeon peas
2-4 green chillies
1. Combine the water, lentils (Yellow pigeon peas), turmeric, and salt in a large pot and cook over high heat. Bring the lentils to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the lentils are tender and water and lentils are nicely blended together, about 20-30 minutes. Alternately, you can pressure cook the same (5 minutes!).
Strain the boiled lentils
2. Strain the boiled lentils using a fine strainer to prepare a thin smooth soup.
3. Strain the soaked tamarind using the same strainer to extract the pulp. Alternately you can use Tamarind paste as well.
3. Strain the soaked tamarind using the same strainer to extract the pulp. Alternately you can use Tamarind paste as well.
4. Heat oil in a large stock pot and add mustard and fenugreek seeds. Cook for few seconds, after the seeds splutter add radish slices and green beans. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes.
Stir fry Radish and Green Beans
5. Add chopped tomatoes, red chili powder and cook for few minutes until tomatoes are nicely cooked. Add the strained lentils and add more water if needed (This strained lentil mixture should not be thick). Add curry and mint leaves and sliced green chillies. Bring the mixture to boil and add the coarsely chopped potatoes. Continue cooking for 15 minutes or so on medium heat till the potatoes are almost boiled.
Sindhi Kadhi simmering
6. Add tamarind pulp and okra and let it simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes or so until the potatoes and okra are fully done and flavors seem to be nicely blended ( You can tell by a fragrant minty aroma). Adjust water according to preference although my entire family loves it when it is clear soup like consistency (although with chunky vegetables).
Serve with rice. My father does not forget to suggest that to savor the flavors, take less rice and more kadhi
It was a memorable trip and I cherish the time I spent with my grandmother bonding over this recipe in her kitchen.
Sindhi Kadhi served with rice
Chopped Spinach, with Ranch
Nov 29th
Spinach is a staple in my recipes. Besides cooking the traditional Indian spinach curry, I add it in lentils, soups, pasta, appetizers, dough, and wherever possible! Here is a simple recipe I use to prepare a spinach side that I can just toss in or use in other dishes.
1 pack frozen spinach
2 tbsp Ranch dressing (I used Hidden Valley’s lite version)
1 tsp butter
Thaw frozen spinach as per the directions. Heat butter in a frying pan and add the thawed, chopped (if not using chopped simanch, then chop it after thawing) spmianch. saute for couple of minutes. Add Ranch dressing, mix well and turn off the heat.
Cut calories: Instead of ranch dressing, add few cloves of minced garlic to the butter and add salt and pepper (any other seasoning) to taste