Fenugreek leaves, also called Kasuri Methi, is an herb/ vegetable with a bitter but an addictive taste. I find myself adding it to everything from rice, to chicken and also rotis. People often like to mix methi with spinach to mellow out the bitterness. I am sharing a recipe where methi is used as a vegetable and to which paneer is added, and so the sweetness and richness of paneer also mellows out the bitterness of methi. This is a highly fragrant winter dish that goes beautifully with almost any indian bread-chapatis, naans, rotis or parathas or with some daal and rice.
Soups, Sides & Salads
The Hearty Summer salad
My summer lunches revolve around salads like this one, made with gluten free grains, garden fresh vegetables, some sort of protein and fresh herbs or greens. I do try to keep things interesting so as not to eat the same thing all the time, but I admit I’ve become a little obsessed on this particular one lately. It is full of flavor, refreshing and filling, with a satisfying mix of textures from the fresh cucumber, juicy & ripe grape tomatoes, sweet green chickpeas and the chewy wholegrain sorghum.
Pesto Pasta with Fresh Garbanzo Beans
Summer calls for simple, easy and fresh meals. The kind that is big on taste, but requires little effort to prepare. If you love to eat pasta salads in summer, which I can’t think of a single reason why you wouldn’t, then this is the recipe you will make frequently! This pesto pasta with fresh garbanzo beans is light, satisfying, flavorful and a breeze to make. It’s great for lunch or dinner, to take to potlucks, picnics or barbecues.
Masala bharay baingan/Dry Masala Stuffed Eggplants
Do you love eggplants? Well I do. I love for the variety of ways it can be cooked – stuffed, roasted, grilled, sautéed, stir-fried, and in curries and spreads. Eggplants come in many shapes, sizes and colors. In terms of taste they are all very similar, only the texture and degree of bitterness varies somewhat. Today’s recipe uses baby eggplants. They are small and round about the size of a hen’s egg. They have more tender and mild flesh, and can be eaten whole, skins and all. Stuffed with dry spices and cooked to perfection, this recipe is such a cute and tasty way to serve one of my favorite veggie and is quite simple and easy to do.
Mochar Ghonto or Stir Fried Banana Blossom
Growing up I was fortunate enough to be exposed to all sorts of different foods and regional Indian cuisine. My dad served in the Indian Air Force and was posted at various states across India. Hence my mom got the opportunity to learn how to cook and prepare some of the local dishes. Many of which she included in her everyday cooking. One such dish was ‘Mochar Ghonto’. It is a traditional Bengali preparation of the banana flower. It is a healthy, tasty and an easy dish but preparing the flower for cooking is a bit tedious process. However for your convenience I have made this dish with canned banana blossom.
Aloo Gobhi
A quintessential Punjabi sauté of cauliflower and potatoes. It’s also the dish that became so associated with the film, ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ that (back in 2003) the DVD’s include an aloo gobhi cooking lesson from the director and her mom. This dry dish is ideal to serve as an accompaniment to meats or poultry or lentils or on its own with chapatti or paratha. And if you can save some for the next day, sandwich it between 2 pieces of bread and take it to school or office for lunch.
Creamy Kala Chana Soup
A healthy, creamy and chunky soup that is mild enough to be kid friendly and layered with flavors of cumin and ginger to please adult taste buds.
Recent Comments