Diwani Handi

Diwani Handi

Mixed vegetables in a spinach based gravy! Not only does it sound interesting but it is extremely healthy too. 

The biggest problem I have is to make my son eat green veggies. He will coolly separate his onions, peas, broccoli from the dish and pile them up on one side of his plate. And so I have to keep coming up with new ideas to interest him in his platter of veggies. 

Thanks to Popeye the sailor man he is fond of spinach. So its spinach and veggies today!!

Ingredients

1 cup cauliflower, chopped

1 cup French beans, chopped

½ cup carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp green chilli paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp ghee

¼ cup cashews, soaked and mace into a paste

For spinach puree

1 bunch spinach

3 green chillies

Boil the spinach and green chillies with salt. Cool and puree. Keep aside.

Parboil the chopped vegetables.

Heat the ghee. Add bay leaves and chopped onions. 

Saute for a few minutes and then add the ginger paste, garlic paste and green chilly paste. Cook.

 Add the dry masalas and fry till the masalas are well cooked. 

Add the spinach puree. Once it comes to a boil add the parboiled vegetables. 

Cook for some time and then add the cashew paste. 

Simmer for a few minutes and then take off the heat. Drizzle some cream on top.

Lasagna

Lasagna

I find pasta very interesting. 

First of all there are so many of them : long pasta, ribbon cut pasta, irregular pasta, stuffed pasta, and so on and so forth. Then there are sub varieties also : Anelloni, Bucatini, Capellini, Fusilli, Ziti, Fettuccine, Lasagna, Linguine, Tagliatelle, etc. and just imagine in older days all these used to be made by hand.

Lasagna is something which I love to make. It is simple and easy. And you can experiment with the fillings. 

Here I am layering the lasagna sheets with chicken mince and spinach. You can layer them with mixed vegetables, corn, broccoli, even crushed soya granules. The white sauce is cheesy and the red sauce has the acidity of tomatoes. The contrast between these two are not only a feast for the eyes but also for the taste buds.

Ingredients

Lasagne sheets

For the chicken mince stuffing

150 gms chicken mince

4 garlic pods, chopped

100 gm tomato puree

Salt to taste

Chopped green coriander

For the spinach layer

1 bunch baby spinach, chopped fine

2 garlic pods, chopped

Salt to taste

For the béchamel sauce

4 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

1 onion, sliced

2 cups milk (you might need to add more if the mixture becomes too thick)

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Pinch of nutmeg powder

First of all prepare the fillings.

Start with the chicken filling. Put a pressure cooker on gas. Add some olive oil. Saute the chopped garlic. Add the chicken mince and cook well on high heat. 

Add the tomato puree and salt and cook till the puree is almost dry. Close the lid of the cooker and give one whistle. After the pressure drops open the lid and check the mice. If it is too liquidy then dry it a little.

For the spinach layer you have to simply lightly saute the spinach. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic, spinach and salt to taste. Saute on high heat till the spinach leaves wilt. Make sure the mixture is dry.

After the fillings are ready you can start on the lasagne sheets and the béchamel sauce.

For the béchamel sauce infuse the milk with onion, bay leaves and cloves. Put them all to boil. After one boil turn off the gas and let it sit for 1 hour. Strain the milk.

Heat a pan and add the butter. 

Sprinkle the flour and mix well. Slowly add the milk and keep stirring so that no lumps remain. Make a smooth emulsion. Take off the heat. Sprinkle salt, nutmeg powder, oregano, black pepper powder and cheese.

Put a pan of water to boil. As it starts boiling add the lasagne sheets 2 at a time and boil till they are semi-soft. Keep aside.

Now you have to simply layer all these ingredients.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Take a baking dish. Spread a layer of chicken mince. 

Now arrange a layer of lasagne sheets. Spread another layer of mince and then a layer of spinach. 

Arrange a second layer of lasagne. 

Spread some more mince on top. Then spread a layer of béchamel sauce. 

Sprinkle some grated cheese on top. 

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

 

Hariyali Murg

Hariyali Murg

How may ways can you cook chicken? Turns out if needed/forced you can actually cook chicken in thousands of ways. 

This happens when your child refuses to eat anything else than chicken. How many times can you coax, cajole or bribe him? So the inner deviousness of a mother surfaces and you come up with thousand ways to incorporate healthy vegetables with the chicken making it a one pot meal.

In this dish I have used palak, methi and kasuri methi. This gives a strong flavour to the chicken and if you are not a methi lover you can cut back on the methi and kasuri methi. My son, however, has no issues with a slightly bitter taste and so I am using the greens quite liberally.

Ingredients

1 bunch spinach

1 bunch methi

2 tbsp kasuri methi

800 gms chicken

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 onions, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

3 green chillies

1 tbsp cumin powder

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

½ cup milk

Wash the chicken and apply some salt to it. Keep aside as you prepare the rest of the dish.

Finely chop the palak and methi and wash them really well. I usually wash them four times because even a grit of sand can ruin the whole dish.

Heat some oil and add the cumin seeds and green chillies. When they start spluttering add the ginger and garlic pastes.

 Fry for a minute then add the chopped onions. Fry till the onions become translucent. 

Add the chopped tomatoes, cover and cook till they are mushy. 

Now add all the dry masalas. Saute till the oil starts leaving the sides. 

Add the chopped palak and methi. 

Add the salt, cover and cook till all the water evaporates and the greens look dry. 

Now add the chicken pieces and saute for five minutes on high flame. The chicken pieces will be well coated with the masala. Add crushed kasuri methi. 

now slowly add the milk, stirring all the while.Once it comes to a boil then cover and cook till the chicken is done. 

This is a very simple recipe and yet it has a very complex taste.

No onion no garlic Spinach corn

No onion no garlic Spinach corn

Palak is a versatile dish. Be it soups, gravies or combined with vegetables, they taste good. Tasty and nutritious, a deadly combination. I am so happy that my kiddo loves eating spinach. Have to thank Popeye the sailor man. That is one good effect of cartoons that I can’t negate.

I personally love lots of garlic with my spinach. However when friends come over who are total Jains then I have to modify the dish. This no onion no garlic presentation is easy to make and lip smackingly good.

Ingredients

1 bunch spinach leaves

1 cup seet corn, boiled

1 tomato, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric powder

 Salt to taste

½ cup milk

Trim the stems of the spinach and wash them well. Boil the spinach leaves and once cold puree them.

Heat some ghee. Add the cumin seeds. Add the chopped tomato and saute for some time. 

Once the tomato is mushy add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala and salt. Fry for a minute or two. 

Now add the pureed spinach and boiled corn. Cook on low heat for some time. Once it starts simmering add the half cup of milk. Cover and cook till the ghee floats on top.

Makhmali Spinach Corn

Makhmali Spinach Corn

Spinach and corn is an awesome combination. I usually make it with lots of onion and garlic. I am specially fond of garlic. So when I had friends coming over who did not eat any onion or garlic I was in a fix. How was I supposed to add flavour to the dish? Boiled corn and boiled spinach can be very bland if not accentuated by some strong flavour. So I decided to try this out and it turned out very well. 

Ingredients

2 bunches of spinach
2 cups corn
1 ½ cups milk
1 tsp cumin seeds
 Salt to taste
1 tsp garam masala

Boil the corn with some salt and sugar. This makes the corn more juicy. 
Wash the spinach well and chop very fine. Heat a little oil. Add the cumin seeds. Now add the spinach and saute on high flame for 5 minutes. Now add the corn and garam masala and toss for a few minutes. Add the milk and let it simmer till cooked. Add the salt at the last. 

Spinach Paneer Momos

Spinach paneer momos

One of the best things about Delhi is the abundance of Momo vendors. Every little market has at least a few cycle momo vendors. They have these momo steamers strapped to the carrier, with paper plates and napkins hanging from the handle bars.
 Momos, dumplings, wontons, are popular street food nowadays. Of Nepalese and Tibetan origin they are now a staple of every market in North India. 

When I moved to Leh I was happy in the knowledge that I was going to Momo land. With a strong Tibetan influence on the Ladakhi cuisine momos are aplenty here. 

Though I am a staunch non vegetarian I fell in love with the vegetarian variations of momos found here. The best I liked were the Spinach paneer momos and the Butter potato momos. 
The spinach paneer momos w
ere especially tasty mainly because of the kind of spinach found here. Unlike the light green long variety of palak we are used to, the palak here looked more like a distant cousin of the bok choy. The short, stubby leaves are a deep deep green and are liberally used in noodles, soups and other Chinese cuisine. 

Ingredients

For the filling

2 bunches spinach (you can use the local variety), chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ajinomoto (optional)
200 gms paneer, crumbled
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter. Add the garlic and onions and saute till he onions are translucent. Add the chopped spinach. Saute, cover and cook for 5 minutes till the leaves are wilted. Add the crumbled paneer. Saute. Season with salt and pepper. Your filling is ready. 

For the momos

2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
Water to knead

Mix the flour and salt. Make a hard dough using the water. Knead for 10 minutes. Coat with some oil, cover and keep for 20 minutes.

 Make small balls of the dough. Roll out into thin chapatis. Cut roundels. Put the filling in the middle of the roundel and bring the dough together to enclose the filling. Pinch or pleat as desired. 

Steam the momos in a momo steamer for 20 minutes. 

Savoury Egg Muffins

Savoury Egg Muffins

Mothers are devious creatures by nature. They have to be when they have to force health and goodness down their kids’ throats everyday. 

I fail to understand why my son does not realize that if he eats fruits and vegetables it is not going to benefit me in any way. I am not going to have better eyesight, sharper mind or fitter body if he ingests fresh and healthy food. On the other hand those junk foods are  a burden on the pocket now and will be later if he has to face childhood obesity, diabetics and what not.

These Savoury Egg Muffins are a good way to sneak in all that your child detests. This being the summer month I didn’t get carrots or beans. So I made do with spinach and corn. Since I was making it solely for him I also added some cheese. You can avoid cheese if you wish.

 Ingredients

2 eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup spinach, chopped

¼ cup corn, boiled

¼ cup cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Beat the eggs and add rest of the ingredients to it. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius. Pour the egg batter into moulds and bake for 20 minutes.

Hara Bhara Kabab

Hara Bhara Kabab

Ingredients

1 bunch spinach

3 potatoes, boiled

100 gm paneer, grated

3 green chillies, chopped

½ cup chopped coriander leaves

1 cup grated cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chaat masala

2 cups bread crumbs

Blanch the spinach leaves in boiling water. Squeeze them dry and chop them.

Mix together boiled and mashed potatoes, chopped spinach, grated paneer, chopped green chilies, coriander leaves, salt and chaat masala. Mix well. If the mixture seems too sticky add a few tablespoon bread crumbs.

Take a little ball of the mixture and stuff with grated cheese. Close the ball and shape into tikkis. Roll it in bread crumbs. Do the same till all the potato mixture is used up.

Cover the tikkis with cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.

Deep fry.

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer

I am forever indebted to Popeye The Sailor Man who made spinach a glamorous dish for my son. I have never had any problems with him eating spinach, in any form. Palak Paneer is a very basic but evergreen dish. 

There  are many variations to the dish. You can add onion and garlic. You can make it without them. Add ginger and tomato if you want. I have made this particular recipe a bit rich for parties.

Ingredients

1 bunch spinach

2 garlic pods

1 large onion, puréed

1 large tomato puréed

5-6 garlic pods, chopped

1 tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Blanch the spinach and 2 garlic pods in boiling water. Drain and reserve the stock. 

When the spinach cools down blend it in a mixer.

Heat some oil/ghee. Add the cumin seeds. Add the chopped garlic and sauté. Now add the puréed onion. Fry for a while and then add the puréed tomato.

 Cook till oil starts leaving the sides. Add the garam masala. 

Now add the puréed spinach. 

Mix well and add a cup of the reserved stock. Season with salt. Cover and simmer for some time. Now add the paneer pieces. Simmer some more. 

Your palak paneer is ready. You can garnish with grated paneer or fresh cream.