Mix Vegetable Curry in Fresh Coconut Milk

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,Hi All,I remember the game we used to play in our childhood. "color, color which color do you want?" One kid will ask the other kids to guess the color by asking for the hints. It was not only colors, it might be fruits, vegetables, flowers etc. Why am I talking about  this game now? Because you have to guess the vegetables and colors put in this gravy. of course without looking at the picture. And if you ask me, which vegetable do you want, my answer is all the vegetables with all the vibrant colors. Yes! I love all the vibrant color vegetables(except ridge gourd).

My younger daughter is very choosy about the food she eats. So I have to do a research(☺) on how to mix and match the vegetables so that she gets attracted towards the food and eat happily or how I can hide these vegetables in any form to feed her.

So, this is why this curry came in my kitchen. The other day she was hungry and was not in a mood to eat our regular sabji, roti. When I opened the fridge, I saw these colorful bell peppers which I bought it to make Paneer dish. It is difficult here to get colored bell peppers. We get it sometimes in the market. So whenever I I see them, I bring and store. I thought of making fried rice, there was a big no from both the kids. Suddenly I thought of making Thai curry, but when I checked the time, it was 9 in the night. No chance of any supermarket to be opened that time to get ready Thai curry paste, I thought of giving a try without curry paste. And here is the result. I was really very tasty and they both had it happily, even my husband too. Only sad part was it was not enough for four of us! :-( .

And that's why I have not given the title as THAI CURRY.

Thai and Mexican food is my favorite. But, do I hate food from any part of the world!! hehehe! NO way!

Notes :

• Before I start the recipe, You can use any vegetable you have or you like. Bamboo shoot is mainly used in Thai food. Broccoli gives the unique taste. But I do not get bamboo shoot here and was not having broccoli at home.  
• It's always best to use fresh home made coconut milk. The taste always differs with the ready made one. But, if you don't have time to make the milk at home, you can use the ready pack. It takes just 10 minutes to make the coconut milk. Soon I will post the detailed recipe for the same.
• I have used the Ching's secret Red chilly paste and Green chilly paste. You can replace it with any other brand or home made  chilly paste also.
• You can parboil the vegetables if you don't like the crunchy taste. But I have used directly. 

Serves 4

Coming to the recipe,

Ingredients :

Oil - 1 tbsp(I have used olive oil, you can use the normal oil)

Onion - 1 big, sliced

Cabbage - 1 cup chopped

Beans - 1 cup, cut diagonally

Carrot - 1/2 cup, cut diagonally

Green, Red and Yellow bell peppers - 1 1/2 cup, sliced

Fresh green peas - 1/2 cup

Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Green chilly paste - 1 tbsp

Red chilly paste - 1 tbsp + little more if you want it spicy

Fresh coconut milk - 1 1/2 cup

Water to add.

Cooked rice to serve with the curry. The curry  tastes best with rice than roti or chapati. I love to have it just like that ;-)

Method:

• Keep all the ingredients ready. So that you will not miss anything to add. 
• Heat the oil in a thick pan or kadai.
• Add onion and allow it to brown, Mix it in between. 
• Add the ginger-garlic paste, saute it.
• Add the peas and beans first(they take more time to cook) cook on a slow flame.
• After two minutes, add the bell peppers and saute for a minute. Now add carrots and cabbage at the end.
• Mix it properly and allow to cook for two- three minutes. 
• Add salt, green and red chilly paste. Mix well. 
• Add the fresh coconut milk. mix well and close the lid. Cook for few more minutes. 
• If you feel the curry is thick, add some water to adjust the consistency. 
• Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves(optional)

Off the stove and keep it for few more minutes.

Curry is ready to serve. 

I have a few recipe links from my friends from other blogs. Please do check and enjoy these curries.

* Pongal Kootu by Seema

* Perfect Thai curry from Jagruti.

* Chickpea dumplings gravy by Nayna Kanabar

* Spinach Kofta Curry from Jayashree

* Mushroom matar masala from Avin

Keep Smiling, 

OKRA IN KOKUM CURRY for PPCS

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

10th of September! I am here again, presenting you my recipe for POTLUCK PARTY CYBER STYLE which is started by Jagruti and this month Sowmya Karthy of  http://nivedhanams.blogspot.in/ is hosting the event. 

OKRA or LADY FINGER or BHINDI again! Yes! last time I brought Okra Chutney which was liked by many of you all. This time also I am with Okra dish. I had planned something else for the party but when I tasted this curry I thought this special curry should go to our Party first.

Without much introduction lets go to the ingredients directly. 

 

Ingredients:

Okra or  lady finger - 10 to12 big

Oil - 1 tbsp to fry 

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Kokum - 1tbsp soaked in warm water for 1/2 an hour(i tbsp is enough as kokum is strong)

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 2 tsp or as per the taste

Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Oil - tsp 

To make curry powder

Dry roast

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

Green chilly - 1, chopped

Curry leaves - few

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp, grated

Ginger - 1/4"

 

Method:

Wash and pat dry the bhindi , cut into 1" pieces. 

Fry in a pan with 1 tbsp oil till light brown adding a dash of lime juice.

Dry roast all the ingredients in a pan and when cold, grind into a coarse powder. Add the kokum paste and grind into fine paste.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Add the ready paste and fry till it leaves the sides. Add  salt, jaggery, salt and haldi. Mix well and cook for few minutes. 

Add 1 cup of water and cook for a minute. Check the taste and consistency of the curry. Adjust it if necessary. 

Add fried Okra. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.

Remove from the fire. Wait for some time(at least half an hour) before serving so that okra gets the curry taste in it. Make it hot before serving.

Serve with Chapati or hot rice and ghee and Paapad. 

Sending it to the event 

Keep Smiling, 

SPICY SPROUTED FENUGREEK SEEDS MASALA(Reposting)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

They say sprouts is good for health. Any sprouts? I am not sure, but this one is really a healthy sprout and I enjoy having it a lot.

Thrice a week I have a habit of having a tea spoon of methi seeds in the morning with hot water. I love methi seeds and never miss any chance of adding it into our food. I add it in curries, sambhar, dal, sometimes in some sabji. So how about making the whole curry with methi seeds. But that will go directly in to the dustbin as these seeds are very bitter if prepared directly. So the best way is to soak them, allow to sprout and then use in a spicy, tangy dry curry.

Fenugreek seeds have their unique taste and contribute a huge part when comes to health. Its good for diabetes. It controls the diabetes to some extent(of course with other intakes or controlled diet)

If we take a tea spoon of methi seeds with a glass of water when suffering with diarrhea, it comes under control. 

Soak the seeds in the night and paste it in the morning. Apply it to the hair for an hour and wash it, a very good tonic for your hair.  

Ingredients:

Fenugreek seeds or Methi seeds - 1/2 cup

Soaked for 6-8 hours. Drained and then kept in a cotton or muslin cloth for a day or till it gets sprouted.

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp(optional)

Onion -2 big, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 big, finely chopped

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Green chilly - 2 slit

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

water - 1/2 cup

Fresh coriander to garnish

Method:

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
• Add cumin seeds and Mustard seeds. 
• Add onion and fry till brown. Keep on stirring.
• Add Ginger and garlic paste. fry for a minute.
• Add tomato and little water. Mix well and cook till the tomato is half cooked.
• Add sprouted methi seeds and other ingredients. 
• Mix well. 
• Add some more water. 
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Adjust the seasoning.
• Check the seeds, cook till soft. (It may take another 5 minutes.)
• Garnish with fresh coriander.
• Enjoy it with soft chapatis.

My aunt says its stays good for 3-4 days so good while travelling, but I never kept it more than one day...

Sending this to Soumya (of Nivedhanam)'s event 

 HITS – Diabetic friendly and HITS page"

 

Keep Smiling,

SPICY SPROUTED FENUGREEK SEEDS MASALA

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

They say sprouts is good for health. Any sprouts? I am not sure, but this one is really a healthy sprout and I enjoy having it a lot.

Thrice a week I have a habit of having a tea spoon of methi seeds in the morning with hot water. I love methi seeds and never miss any chance of adding it into our food. I add it in curries, sambhar, dal, sometimes in some sabji. So how about making the whole curry with methi seeds. But that will go directly in to the dustbin as these seeds are very bitter if prepared directly. So the best way is to soak them, allow to sprout and then use in a spicy, tangy dry curry.

Fenugreek seeds have their unique taste and contribute a huge part when comes to health. Its good for diabetes. It controls the diabetes to some extent(of course with other intakes or controlled diet)

If we take a tea spoon of methi seeds with a glass of water when suffering with diarrhea, it comes under control. 

Soak the seeds in the night and paste it in the morning. Apply it to the hair for an hour and wash it, a very good tonic for your hair.  

Ingredients:

Fenugreek seeds or Methi seeds - 1/2 cup

Soaked for 6-8 hours. Drained and then kept in a cotton or muslin cloth for a day or till it gets sprouted.

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp(optional)

Onion -2 big, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 big, finely chopped

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Green chilly - 2 slit

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

water - 1/2 cup

Fresh coriander to garnish

Method:

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
• Add cumin seeds and Mustard seeds. 
• Add onion and fry till brown. Keep on stirring.
• Add Ginger and garlic paste. fry for a minute.
• Add tomato and little water. Mix well and cook till the tomato is half cooked.
• Add sprouted methi seeds and other ingredients. 
• Mix well. 
• Add some more water. 
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Adjust the seasoning.
• Check the seeds, cook till soft. (It may take another 5 minutes.)
• Garnish with fresh coriander.
• Enjoy it with soft chapatis.

My aunt says its stays good for 3-4 days so good while travelling, but I never kept it more than one day...

Sending this to Soumya (of Nivedhanam)'s event 

 HITS – Diabetic friendly and HITS page"

 

Keep Smiling,

Colourful curries : Reposting for the event

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

 Hi All,

How are you all?

Again some reposting for the event.

But I kept on wondering which one to choose for this event, Is it fine if I take dals, or sambhars or curry???

Then thought of giving chance to my older posts  which did not get more attention :-)))

So here are the two recipes which I am reposting for the event which is going on in Charita's blog.

First is

Sindhi Curry(Veg curry with Gramflour)

AND


Many and more Veg. Sambhar



The event is going on here:

Event Announcement : "C for Colourful Currys"

Keep Smiling,

Potato gravy(ಬಟಾಟೆ ರಸಪಲ್ಲ್ಯಾ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My mom's one of favorite food, which has helped her umpteen number of times when she was in a hurry, when she had unexpected guests or when we were hungry and wanted to have some fast gravy that goes well with chapati or puris.

Batati rasapalya or potato gravy which is watery but tasty.

Mom makes on stove and I tried it in microwave. The taste differs. But both tastes good.

Coming to the recipe,
Potato : 3 big, washed, peeled and cubed
Onion - 1 big, cleaned, chopped finely
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Tamarind pulp or whole tamarind - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp or 1 tbsp if you like it spicy
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder  a pinch
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Garlic crushed - 1 tsp(optional)

Method:

Take oil in a M/w safe dish.

Cook on HIGH for a minute.

Add mustard seeds and again cook for 30 seconds.

Now add onion, garlic, curry leaves. Mix well and cook on HIGH again for few minutes till you see the onion changing the color. 

Open, add the cubed potato and all other ingredients. Mix well. 

Cook on HIGH for a minute.

Open, add 2 big glasses of water, mix and cook it on HIGH for 10 minutes or till the potato is cooked and the masala is mixed well.

Season the taste and garnish with fresh coriander( optional)

Serve with hot chapati or Puris.

Sending this to Srivalli's 

Announcing Microwave Easy Cooking Event ~ Curries ...

Started by  herself

Keep Smiling,

Egg and Spinach Curry

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As all of you know I am an eggatirian! I keep on trying new recipes with egg. This one is one of those trials which was mainly for my younger daughter who does not eat spinach at all. 

I will come directly to the recipe, (Its last day of the month for many events, but could not post most of the recipes as I got stuck with some other works)

Ingredients:

Eggs - 4 boiled

For gravy:

Spinach - 1 bunch

Onion - 1 big, peeled and cubed

Tomato - 1 big, cleaned and chopped

Green Chilly - 1

Ginger - 1" piece, cleaned and chopped

Cinnamon - 1/4" piece

Cardamom - 1 small

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Method:

• Clean the spinach, wash and cut. Add all the ingredients except oil, salt and red chilly powder.
• Boil together for 5 minutes.
• Once cool, grind it into a fine paste.
• Cut the boiled and peeled eggs into desired sizes or shape
• Heat oil in a kadai.
• Add the spinach puree. Cook it for a minute. Add salt and chilly powder. Mix well. 
• Add a glass of water. Cook for a minute. Adjust the seasoning.
• Add the eggs. Cover and cook for few minutes.
• Egg and spinach curry is ready to serve with rice, chapati, dosa or bread.

Sending this to 

Akila's  event 

DNSW:E - Jan 1st to Jan 31st

Keep Smiling,

Punjabi Kadi Pakoras for ICC

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am happy to be a part of Indian Cooking Challenge. Indian Cooking Challenge is the event hosted by Srivalli where every month,she gives us a challenge to make one traditional recipe. Till last month, I never went through the rules or the event as I thought its only for experienced chefs!! True, I thought its not my cup of tea.

But last month when I was chatting with Srivalli, she asked me why I did not join this event all these days, when I told the reason, she insisted me to go through the rules at least. When I finished reading, my expression was "arre, yeh to itna easy hai!!" and one more thing came into my mind that even my event "COOK AND CLICK" had the same theme, but I could not take it longer as I did not get more entries or only one entry for each event (in 4 events).

Now, coming to this challenge, Making Punjabi Kadi Pakoras or Pakods kadi is my first entry to ICC. Srivalli got this a recipe from Simran who blogs @ Bombay foodie I am really excited to prepare this one as its very interesting. Many times I have prepared kadi pakoda but the other methods. But it was a long time again that I prepared this type. So here I am presenting my

"PUNJABI KADI PAKORAS FOR ICC"

There is one advantage when making this one. You will get pakoras to eat before they go into kadi. My suggestion to everyone is make more batter to make those extra pakoras, or else you will get only kadi on the dining table!

Coming to the recipe,

To make Pakoras:
Gram flour - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1 medium, thinly sliced
Water to make thick batter
Oil to deep fry

 Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl.

Add the water to make batter of semi thick consistency.

Heat oil in a kadai. When hot, drop the batter with a spoon or hand to make small pakoras. Fry till golden brown to get crispy pakoras.

Transfer these into a bowl or plate and keep it aside.



For making Kadi:

Curds / Yogurt - 1 cup
Gram flour or besan- 1/3 cup
Water - 4 to 5 cups

Mix the curds and gramfour to remove lumps.

Add the water to get thin batter to make kadi.

Ingredients for kadi:

Oil -1 tbsp

Onion - 1 large, sliced

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds or Jeera- 1 tsp

Ajwain or Carom Seeds- 1 tsp

Methi seeds or Fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder a pinch

Salt to taste

Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

To add it later:

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Amchur/ Dried Mango powder - 1 tsp

Get ready to make kadi:

Heat oil in a kadai or deep and round vessel.

When hot, add mustard seeds, let splutter.

Now be quick to  add cumin seeds, methi seeds and ajwain. Wait for 10 seconds.

Add sliced onions and fry till brown.

Keep on a low flame, add curd and besan batter.

Add turmeric, salt and red chilli powder.(I must say here that, I was not sure of adding salt at this stage, as I always believed if I add salt before only, the butter milk will get curdled, but as I had to follow the rules I added it.) And nothing happened to the kadi.

Bring it to a boil, boil it atleast for half an hour.

Wait till you get thick kadi.

Now add the fried pakoras and boil it for some more time(may be 2 minutes)

Give final touch by adding garam masala and amchur powder before taking it from heat.

Punjabi Kadi Pakora is ready to serve with hot rice.

This is for  Indian Cooking Challenge

Keep Smiling,

Pea Nut Gojju

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

This is the curry I learnt from my cousin who has already shared her few recipes with me in my blog. She is settled down in Sagar after marriage and learnt all the traditional food from that region. Whenever I get chance to talk with her, I speak only about the food and her daughter.

This gojju or curry is very easy to make but tastes good with hot rice and coconut oil.

Ingredients :


For paste:
Peanut - 1 cup
Fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilly - 2
Fresh coriander - handful
Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp(optional)


Water  - 1 cup or more(as per your requirement and consistency)

For tempering
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few(not in the photo, as I did not had in the night when I made this)
Green chilly or dry red chilly - 1 


Method: 

Take all the ingredients under "for paste"  in a mixi or blender and grind into a fine paste. 

Add water as per your requirement. The gojju should be medium thick.

Transfer into a serving bowl.

Take oil in a small kadai.

When hot, add mustard seeds. When splutter, add cumin seeds, green or red chilly and curry leaves. Fry for a minute. Add this to the ready gojju.

Serve as it is or just warm it for HALF A MINUTE. 

Serve with hot rice and 1 tsp coconut oil(if you like the flavor) on it!

Its heaven!!

This is my last minute entry to (sorry, I missed to visit her blog since last month!)

 Divya's Show Me Your Curry!

AND

Priya's Guest hosting "Only" event with "Low Oil/Low Calor...

(linking it to Pari's event announcement page)

Keep Smiling,