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, 

VEG MAKHANWALA FOR PPCS

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

This new trial is for you all and for potluck party dearies.

I just tried it without any plan in my head. (That's what happens always), but this one is awesome. It almost tasted like the restaurant one, may be better than that :-)

Its perfect with naan, paratha, puri or simple plain rice.

My 2 year niece had it plain in a bowl just like that. What else other appreciation I need then?

Coming to the recipe,

Ingredients :

Mixed vegetables - 1 big cup, finely chopped into cubes)

(fresh beans, carrot, Cauliflower, green pea)

Green chilly - 1 finely chopped

Onion - 2 big

Tomato - 2 big

Oil - 1

salt to taste

red chilly powder - 1 tsp or to taste

Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Milk - 1/4 cup or fresh cream 1 tbsp

Hung curd - 1 tbsp or Normal curd, try to sieve it and remove water

Butter - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Kasuri methi - 1 tsp(optional)

Kitchen King masala powder - 1 to 1 1/2 tsp(MUST FOR THIS)

Fresh Coriander - 1 tbsp for garnishing

Method:

• First fry all the mixed vegetables and green chilly in 1 tsp of ghee till they are soft(around 10 minutes).
• Keep it aside.
• While you are frying these,
• Boil the onions and tomatoes separately either in a vessel on a  stove top or in Microwave for 2 minutes.(I used the MW)
• Allow these to cool.
• First grind the onion into paste, transfer into a bowl.
• Then paste the tomatoes. Keep it ready.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
• Add the onion paste, fry for few minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and mix well. cook for 2 minutes.
• Now add red chilly powder, kasuri methi, haldi and salt and hung curd. Mix well and cook till it leaves oil from the sides.

• Add the fried vegetables and milk, mix well. Add the Kitchen king masala.
• Cook for few minutes. add the butter before removing it from the heat.
• Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Sending it to the event  

Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng... 

 Keep Smiling,

Double Decker Parathas

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am here after long time. This time it is for our blogger friend veena of veg junction. She is on with her first event and is very much enthusiastic about this. All the best to her.

Today's recipe is from my favorite breakfast.. Parathas... I love parathas. And when I got the recipe in Tarla Dalalji's website, I could not wait to try it.. Even though its a very common dish, the way she made is kid's friendly and my younger daughter loved it very much. 

I just took a basic recipe from her and modified according to my taste.

I followed the recipe from here. She says its good for diabetes. 

She has used the ready cooked chapatis but I prepared fresh(half baked, check the recipe below).

Thats the only difference.

Its little time consuming but tastes great with fresh chapatis

Recipe is copied and pasted from Tarlaji's post with some editing.

Ingredients:

For the carrot stuffing

Grated Carrot - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Finely chopped green chillies - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste.

For The Green Peas Stuffing

Green peas - 1 1/2 cup

(Boiled and mashed)

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Finely chopped green chillies - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste.

Other ingredients:

Oil  or butter(not for diabetic people)  for cooking

Chapati ata to make chapatis.

Method 

For the carrot stuffing

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the cumin seeds until they crackle.
2. Add the carrots, green chillies, lemon juice and salt and mix well.
3. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Keep aside.

For the green peas stuffing

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the cumin seeds until they crackle.
2. Add the green chillies, coriander and salt and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the green peas and cook for another minute. Keep aside.

How to proceed

to make one double decker paratha

roll out three medium size chapatis.

Heat tawa and bake two only one side and one fully(this one is for the center part)

1. Spread 1 tablespoon of the carrot stuffing on one side cooked chapati, make sure to keep the uncooked  side outside.and cover with cooked  chapatti. Then spread 1 tablespoon of the green peas stuffing, place another uncooked chapatti(again uncooked side on the upper side) on the top and press firmly to seal the edges.

1. Cook the double decker parathas on a tava (griddle) on both sides, using a little oil.
2. Repeat with the remaining atta and the stuffing to make more parathas.
3. Serve hot with pickle or sauce or curds.

This is the mini size paratha which my younger daughter loved to have.

Sending these double decker parathas to Veena's event :-) which is started by Kalyani.

And
Priya's
Announcing Cooking With Seeds - Peas

And
Kid's Delight-Colourful Palate  guest hosted by Veena,event by Srivalli..

And
Vatsala's  LGSS-Stuffed Paratha



Keep Smiling,

Carrot and Dates Halwa.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

WISHING EVERY ONE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.... MAY GOD BRING ONLY THE BEST THINGS IN THIS YEAR.

This is my first post in this year 2011.Two nights party and hectic schedule kept me away from blogging. Today I am here with a sweet to start my year so that, the whole year I will keep blogging on sweet things. I am following my fellow bloggers who started the year with halwa.  I am here with carrot and dates halwa which I prepared for dinner tonight. It was delicious. 

My DH got 2 boxes of mini(90g) condensed milk tins and kept for me as I love to use it in my desserts instead of sugar. 

I will be waiting for the chance to use these mini tins which I love to eat just like that if I do not have time to make sweet but desire to have a bite.

Here are the ingredients:
Carrot - 2 big, cleaned, grated
Condensed milk - 1 tin(90g)
Dates - 6(Soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk for 15 to 20 min)
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Sliced or grated almonds - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Method:

• Take 2 tbsp of grated carrot and add it to the dates. 
• Grind this into paste.
• Transfer this into a M/W safe bowl.
• Add the remaining carrot. Mix well and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes to remove the raw smell of the carrot.
• Take the bowl out, add the condensed milk and cardamom powder. Cook on HIGH for 3 more minutes.
• Remove, add the sliced or grated almonds and ghee. Mix well and cook on HIGH till the mixture becomes thick(as it looks in the photo). It may take 3 to 5 minutes as per the M/W settings.
• Serve it hot with cold ice cream ball or refrigerate it before serving to enjoy the chilled halwa.

Sara's ongoing event 

Celebrate Sweets - Sugarless Event Announcement !!... 

which is started by me.

AND 

Srivalli's 

365 Days of Microwave Cooking!

Keep Smiling,

Carrot and Bread Halwa

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

After the event round up, I keep on trying halwa recipes from my friend's blog. Last week, I tried microwave bread halwa. Today it was  Nithu from Nithu's Kitchen'  turn. But, when I went through the recipe, and checked my kitchen, I did not had khoya and condensed milk. (I got big tins, which I did not wanted to use it for so small quantity) But I wanted to try the Halwa with carrot and bread.

And Here I came with my version, which was really relishing.

I too make this halwa very often(Carrot burfi), and it is very normal to use the milk in this Halwa, but I decided to quit it and use the malai or fresh cream which is formed on the top layer of milk, after the milk is boiled on slow flame for long time.(from the milk, which I store and make ghee) 

You can use the ready made fresh cream also.

Ingredients :

Carrot - 3 big, cleaned and grated

Measure the quantity. If it is 2 cups,

add

Sugar - 1 1/3 cup or less (as per your taste)

Fresh Cream - 3 tbsp

Bread - 2 big pieces, crushed.

Sugar - 2 tbsp (this is to garnish the halwa, there is a twist in the taste for these sugar granules!!!)

Ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Dry ginger or clove powder - 1/4 tsp(optional)

grated or crushed nuts - 2 tbsp (I used Cashew nuts and almonds)

Procedure :

Mix the grated carrot and sugar in a bowl and keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Till then, heat 1 tsp ghee in a thick kadai or vessel (in which you are going to prepare the halwa) and fry these nuts.

Keep aside.

In the same vessel, add the carrot and sugar mix(by this time, the sugar will start leaving water)

Keep on high flame and fry it for few minutes, but keep on stirring.

Once the sugar mixes well with it and you will not see the sugar granules, add fresh cream. Mix well. Add the crushed bread pieces.

Keep on frying till the raw smell goes. 

Now add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder(or clove powder). Fry for few more minutes. You can add some more cream if you feel its getting dried.

Add the fried nuts and ghee. Mix well and cook till the mix starts leaving its sides.

Be careful and be in front of the vessel, by stirring it in between.

It takes 15 minutes to get the halwa done.

And it serves 2 to 3 persons.

Remove from heat. Allow it to cool.

Before serving add the sugar, mix well and serve chilled.

You will enjoy those sugar granules in your mouth with the yummy halwa!!!

Keep Smiling,

Carrot Rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 
Hi All,

Posting the recipe for very easy and quick rice which is common for my daughter's lunch box. I always find a way to feed the carrot to my children. Let it be in soup, salad, thalipeeth, wheat dosa, rice or sambhar. Luckily my both daughters like to have the carrot like rabbits. Just wash and clean it and give them while they are playing. Carrots are always in my fridge.

A very common recipe, may be,you will get it in most of the blogs. Here is my share too...

Ingredients :

Rice - 1 cup

Carrot - 1 big  or 2 medium, cleaned, peeled and cut into thick circles.

Onion - 1 big, cleaned and chopped lengthwise

Salt to taste

Warm water to cover the rice

Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

For masala powder:

Cinnamon - small piece

White pepper - 4 to6

Cloves - 3

Cardamom - 1

Bay leaf - 1 small

Take all the ingredients from masala powder, crush it to make coarse powder

Oil - 1 tbsp

Wash the rice and drain it. Keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a cooker or open pan.

Add chopped onions and fry till they change the color. Add the masala powder. Fry for a minute. 

Add the carrot pieces, salt and fry for one more minute. 

Now add the rice and fry till the rice gets mixed with the masala and the color will be slightly changed.

If using cooker,

Add the warm water till the rice is covered. Give just one whistle. Let it cool. Add lime juice. Mix well and serve hot or pack for the lunch box.

If using open pan

Add warm water according to the rice. Water quantity varies with each rice quality. Usually I take 1:2 rice:water first. And after sometime, I will check the rice and adjust the water.

Once its cooked, add lime juice. 

Carrot rice is ready!

Sending this to Announcing "Healing Foods-Carrots" hosted by Suma of VEGGIE PLATTER and linking this to Siri's announcement page.

Keep Smiling,

Tri Colored Chapatis and Tomato Chutney!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Colorful food!!! We all get attracted towards colorful food. Here is the recipe for colorful chapati! My mom and me prepared it together. She loves to try new food and always supports me with my cooking ideas. 

She prepares it for kids parties or some get together functions. 

I will directly go to the recipe as the procedure is long. But I have taken the step by step photos. It will be easy for me to write the recipe and easy for you to follow it to make.

Step 1 :

Ingredients required :

Wheat flour - 1 bowl each for 3 vegetables.

Spinach - 2 big bunch

(I used only one, as I had only one with me)

Carrot - 2 big

Beet root - 1 big

Salt to taste for each dough

Oil for each dough

Be careful about using chilly as it is mainly served for kids. 

Green chilly - 1 for spinach

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp for beet root

Orange color chilly - 1 (optional if you have) 

or skip it.

Oil to fry chapatis.

Step 2:

1. Wash, clean, chop and boil the spinach for few minutes. Remove and put in the cold water for a minute. Strain and puree it with the hands. Do not use blender as it will be watery and needs more flour.

2. Wash, clean and boil the carrot and beetroot separately. (I cooked in the cooker for 2 whistles.)

Mash the carrot and puree it again with the hands. 

3. Grate the beetroot with small grater and keep it aside.

Step 3 :

Take 3 plates or big bowls.

1. Take one cup of wheat flour. Add pureed spinach, crushed green chilly, salt and oil. Knead it into dough.

2. Take another cup of wheat flour in one more plate. Add mashed carrot, crushed orange chilly(if using), salt and oil. Knead it into dough.

3 . Take 3rd cup of wheat flour in third plate. Add Grated beetroot, Red chilly powder, salt and oil. Knead it into dough.

Be careful about adding water  when making the dough. 

Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4 :

Make long rolls with each dough. Like this :

Step 5 :

Follow the photo to keep the rolls on each other :

Step 6 :

Slowly cut the roll into equal pieces :

Step 7 :

Gently press the pieces.

Step 8 :

Roll each piece into chapatis.

Step 9 :

Fry each chapati with little oil.  And chapatis are ready to eat.

 

Now for the Tomato chutney :

Raw or green tomato - 3 medium, cleaned, chopped

Green chilly - 2 or less if for kids

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Curry leaves -few

Garlic - 6 cloves

Jaggery - 1 tbsp or more depending on the sourness of tomato

Fry all the ingredients together for 5 minutes and keep it to cool.

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp

Add the fried ingredients with fresh coconut, salt, fresh coriander and put it into blender to make into fine paste. 

Tomato chutney is ready.

Sending this to Srivalli's monthly event "Kid's Delight,". And this month's theme is 

Announcing Kid's Delight ~ Colouring your Kid's Delight!

I am sending this to 

Announcing Global Kadai - Indian flavoured flatbreads ! by Sandhya of Sandhya's Kitchen

Providing the link back to Cilantro's page as per the rule.

Keep Smiling,