Dosakaya pappu(Indian Cucumber with lentils)

Dosakaya Pappu(Indian Cucumber with lentils)

Bitter gourd fry

Bitter gourd fry

Potato curry

Potato curry

Ingredients:

3 Potatoes

1 onion(large)

1 tomatoes(large)

2 green chillis

fresh coriander

1tsp Kasuri methi

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika

Seasoning:

3 tsp oil

1tsp mustard seeds

1tsp Jeera

1/2tsp urad dal

1tsp gram dal

4 dry red chilli

curry leaves

Procedure:

1. Peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch pieces, boil them and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan add seasoning and fry for few seconds.
3. Now add finely chopped onions and chilli. Fry till onions are transparent.
4. Add tomato pieces , salt , turmeric and paprika. Cover the lid and cook till tomatoes are mushy.
5. Add boiled potato pieces, kasuri methi and 1 cup water to the mixture. Cook it till you get the required consistency . Serve it with Rice, Poori or Chapathi.

Beetroot Rice

Beetroot Rice

Ingredients:

3 small cups white rice(cooked)

2 beetroots (medium)(finely chopped)

1 cup green peas

1 big onion 

3 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

cashew nuts

groundnuts

curry leaves 

1 red chilli or green

coriander

4 dried red chillis

Salt

Vegetable oil

Masala:

1/2 tsp MTR Pulao Mix

1 tsp kasuri methi

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

Raitha:

1 Cucumber

Yogurt
salt

Procedure:

1. Boil finely chopped beetroot, drain  and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add minced garlic cloves and stir it for few seconds then add cashews and groundnuts followed by curry leaves, chilli, mtr pulao masala, bay leaves and stir them for a few seconds.
3. Now add onions and fry them until onions are transparent.
4. Now add boiled beetroot pieces, peas , remaining masala and salt. Let them cook for 5 minutes on low flame, stirring occasionally.
5. Add rice to this mixture, cover the pan and let it cook on low flame for few minutes. 
6. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve it with raitha. 

Raita:

1.  Chop cucumber to small pieces
2. Add salt and yogurt to this and serve.

Upma

Doenjang jigae (Korean Soybean paste soup)

Kongnamul guk (soybean sprout soup)

www.maangchi.com/recipe/kongnamulguk

Channa masala

Kala chana salad

Ingredients:

Kala Chana

Onion

Tomato

Jeera or cumin seeds

Coriander

Vegetable oil
Lemon juice

salt

Directions:

1. Wash and soak chana in water over night.
2. Drain water and pressure cook chana with a little salt till the chana become tender.
3. Set the pan on medium flame and add oil. After a few seconds add jeera followed by chana.
4. Sauté them for few seconds, turn off the flame and add freshly chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander to the mixture.
5. Drizzle few drops of lemon juice and serve.

    

Eggplant with coriander (Vankaya koththimeera karam )

Ingredients:

Egg plant

Ginger

Coriander
Green Chilli
Vegetable oil
salt

Directions:

1. Wash and cut eggplant into bite size pieces.
2. Make a paste of coriander , ginger and chilli without adding water.
3. Set the pan on medium flame and add oil. When the oil is hot enough add  eggplant pieces and some salt.Cover the pan with a lid and saute them occasionally, making sure that they don't burn.Saute them  until the eggplant pieces become soft.
4. Now add the spice mixture to it and let it cook for 4-5 minutes.

     Serve this dish with plain rice. 

Gai Lan(Chinese Broccoli) with Hoisin Sauce

I first came across this vegetable in a chinese restaurant called gourmet dumpling house in china town boston. This is an authentic chinese place, well I call it authentic coz the place had a lot of chinese customers. What me and my friends observed was that every table was having a huge serving of green vegetable.  We asked the server what it was and found that it was gai lag , chinese broccoli. It was served with oyster sauce, but I am a vegetarian so I came home and tried it with different combinations that I had in my kitchen. It turned out great and was YUMM... Hope you like it too.

Ingredients:

Gai Lan 

1 garlic cloves 

1-tbsp sesame oil 

1-tbsp Hoisin Sauce

1-tbsp Chilli oil

2- tbsp finely chopped green onion

salt

Directions:

1. Wash and snap the stems of  Gai Lan unto the soft parts of the stem. Cut them into bite size pieces.
2. Blanch the vegetable i.e., put them in pot of boiling water for a 5-6 seconds and immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice cold water (we do this to stop the vegetable from cooking further). Then strain and set aside. OR
   If you don't want to go through the hassle, just sauté the vegetable.
3. In a pan add oil and mashed garlic pieces followed by green onion. Saute them for 3-4 seconds.
4. Add the braised Gai lan , chilli oil and hoisin sauce to it, mix it and remove it immediately.

Serve this dish with plain rice. Do not over cook, it tastes good when crunchy. It has a lot of health benefits as its rich in Vitamins and minerals like A,C, K and Iron. If you are a health buff and crave for healthy nutritious food like me, you should try this one.

Gai Lan with Hoisin Sauce

Korean style bean sprouts Salad

Korean style Mung bean sprouts

Ingredients:

1 cup Mung Bean sprouts 

1 garlic cloves 

1-tbsp sesame oil 

1-tbsp soy sauce

2- tbsp finely chopped green onion
1/2- tbsp Korean hot pepper powder

salt

Directions:

1. Wash and drain mung bean sprouts in cold water and pick out the brownish rotten beans.
2. Put them in pot of boiling water for a minute. Then strain and set aside.(Note: Make sure you don't cook it for too long, it makes  the sprouts soggy)
3. In a bowl add finely chopped garlic clove, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, hot pepper power and salt.
4. Add the boiled Mung bean sprouts to the seasoning and mix well.

You can serve it as a side dish with any Asian food you make.

Asian chives pancake

Asian Chives Pancake

Sorakaya palakura pulusu/ Bottle gourd and spinach stew

Sorakaya palakura pulusu/ Bottle gourd and spinach stew

Bobbatlu

Bobbatlu

Palak paneer

Palak Paneer

Gummidikaya pachchi vadiyalu

Gummadi Pachchi Vadiyalu

Ingredients:

Garlic Bread

Garlic bread

Easy and tasty snack or a starter, I bet you will fall in love with it. 

Ingredients:

French Baguette

6 garlic cloves 

olive oil 

unsalted butter

italian seasoning

parsley

salt

Directions:

1. Finely mice and crush the garlic.
2. Mix butter , finely chopped parsley, garlic, italian seasoning.
3. Cut the bread into half along the length and spread the paste and sprinkle some salt.
4. Pre heat the oven at 350 degrees, place the bread in the oven and drizzle some olive oil on top.
5. After 3 minutes turn the oven to broil mode and let the bread stay for 4 minutes or until butter melts and bread is crisp or golden brown along the edges.
6. This step is optional , add lemon zest on top.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap

Bibimbap(BEE-beem-Bop) is a korean rice dish, usually served in a stone pot , and with hot chilli sauce.The stone pot makes the rice crunchy and tasty. I had this dish for the first time at a korean restaurant Koreana in boston and fell in love with it. A very healthy , easy and a tasty dish. Hope you like it.

Ingredients :

• Steamed white rice
• 4 baby carrots, julienned
• 4 baby zucchini, julienned
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 bunch spinach
• 4 shiitake mushrooms or portabella dried or fresh
• 1 egg
• 3 garlic pods
• Firm Tofu
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• sesame oil
• Soy Sauce

Sauce:

• Gochuchang Paste (fermented chilli paste, you can get it in any asian store)
• sprite or spring water

Directions:

1. Cook white rice and set aside.
2. Mix 1/2 tea spoon salt in zucchini and set aside for 30 min, then sauté them in a pan (on high) until slightly transparent.
3. Wash bean sprouts thoroughly 3 times, place them in boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain them and wash them with cold water. Add a tea-spoon of sesame oil and 1 clove of minced garlic to the bean sprouts and set aside.
4. Place spinach in boiling water for 2 minutes, place it under cold water and then squeeze it. Add 1 tea-spoon sesame oil, 1 tea-spoon soy sauce and 2 cloves of minced garlic to it and mix thoroughly.
5. Add 2 spoons of oil in a pan , sauté the mushrooms for a minute.
6. Add 1 spoon of oil in a pan, sauté carrots for a minute.
7. Cut firm tofu into small cubes and roll them in a mixture of all-purpose flour and chilli flakes. 
8. Add oil in a pan and fry the tofu cubes until golden brown. 
9. Heat oil in a wok , add egg and cover it with a lid, cook it moderately.

     Preparation of sauce:

     Mix Gochuchang paste and some sprite ( or spring water and sugar mixture)