Green peas kachori

This kachories are our family favorites. Crispy outside and moisty inside.......they are little pieces of awesomeness :) My hubby loves to eat them just as it is with some green and temerind chatneys while I take my time making a kachori chat and dig in ;) A perfect teatime snack especially when it is raining outside. If you are too health conscious than go ahead and bake them instead of frying.....they will still come out delicious :)

Ingredients: serving size: 4 people

For outer layer:

All purpose flour: 1+1/2 cup

Suji: 2 tbs

Oil/ghee: 1+1/2 tbs

Water

Salt to taste

For stuffing:

Onion: 1 medium

Ginger paste: 1 tbs

Garlic paste: 1 tbs

Green chilli paste: 1 tbs

Green peas: 1 small pack

Salt to taste

Turmeric: 1 tsp

Asafetida: 1 tsp

Chilli powder: 1/2 tbs

Dhana-jeera powder: 1 tbs

Sugar: 1 tbs

Lime/aamchur powder: 1 lime juice/1 tbstbs

 Recipe:
 In a big bowl, combine all purpose flour, suji, salt, oil/ghee and mix well. Let it aside for 5 minutes. Add water little by little and prepare a dough like paratha. Not too soft, not too hard.

Wash and crush green peas and set aside.

In a pan, heat some oil, add asafetida and turmeric. Add finely chopped onion, little salt and cook it till little brown.

Add ginger, garlic, green chilli paste and let it cook for couple of minutes.

Add green peas, salt and cook on low- medium flame. Cook until you have dry mixture,
 It should not stick to your spoon anymore. This will take a long time. You can also microwave it to dry all the moisture. It is very important that all moisture go away, otherwise kacories will not be able to stay crisp for longer.

Once cooked, add chilli powder, sugar, dhanajeera powder, lemon n juice/aamchur powder. Taste and correct all the spices.

Roll small chapati from dough, stuff little of the mixture with a spoon, seal off and discard extra dough. Make sure to keep rolling the stuffed kachori in between your palms to make it perfect round.

Heat some oil and fry these kachories at medium flame till golden brown.

Enjoy with chatneys or tea :)

Dry bitter guard ( karela) subji

This is the recipe I developed when I was looking for a cure to control my blood sugar levels during my gestational diabetes. It worked wonders. Just one serving of this karela sabji in the lunch used to regulate my blood sugars all day long. And funny thing is, this happens to be my Hubby's favorite vegetable too. And now I am so blessed that both my kiddos just love the way I cook this bitter vegetable. Hope you like it too.

Ingredients: serving size 4

Bitter guard: 10 medium size

 Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 2 tsp

Asafetida: 1 tsp

 Turmeric: 1 tsp

Dhaniya powder: 2 tbs

 Salt: 4 tbs

Sugar: 1 tbs

Gram flour: 4 tbs

Lemon juice: from 1 lemon

Cumin powder: 1 tbs

Red chilli powder: 1/2 tbs

Oil: 3 tbs

Cilantro for garnishing

Method:
 1. Wash and cut bitter guard in think slices. Add 3 tbs salt, mix well and set aside for half an hour.

2. After half an hour, wash and rinse bitter guard properly to take all salt out, let it dry for another half hour.

3. In a pan heat 3 tbs oil, add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add cumin seeds, asafetida, turmeric powder and washed and dried bitter guard.

4. Add some salt and let it cook stirring occasionally.

5. Once bitter guard is almost done, add gram flour, cover it and let it cook for 5 minutes at medium flame.

6. Add sugar, chilli powder, cumin powder, dhaniya powder, lemon juice and mix well. Cover turn off gas and let it set couple of minutes.

7. Serve and garnish with cilantro.

PS: Add more sugar if you still find the bitter taste bothersome. Many completely omit the use of sugar while eating bitter guard. Choice is always yours :)

Orange Rasam

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4

Ingredients:

• Toor dal - 5 tsp
• Tomato,chopped fine - 3
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Asofoetida(hing) - a pinch
• Orange Juice,freshly pulped - 1/2 cup
• Coriander leaves,finely chopped - 1/4 cup
• Orange Zest - little bit(for flavor)
• Salt to taste -
• To powder:Rasam powder
• Jeera/ Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 4-5
• Toor dal - 1/2 tsp
• Seasoning:
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - as per requirement

Method:

1. In a cooker boil 4-5 tsp of dal in 1 1/2 cups of water. When its done add chopped tomatoes,hing,turmeric powder and mix it well.
2.  Now in a pan add ghee and do the seasoning mentioned above, then to this add the dal mix and let it bubble up.
3.  Now squeeze the juice out of 3-4 orange and store it separate.
4.  Now in a blender add the mentioned ingredient under rasam powder and grind them smooth or coarse. Then add to the mix. Let it boil for few mins. To this finally add fresh orange juice and stir it well. Add salt and garnish with coriander leaves and switch it off.
5.  I served it with cauliflower pakoda/cauliflower fry. Love this rasam so much. Enjoy the sweet,tangy rasam with hot white rice.

Masala Broccoli

Ingredients: serving size: 4

4 crowns of broccoli, small pieces

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger paste

2 green chilies, finely chopped

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp asafetida

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp jeera powder

½ tsp red chili powder

1 tsp sabji masala

Salt to taste

1 lemon

Recipe:

1.       In a pan, heat oil and when hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida and turmeric powder

2.       Add onion and cook until golden brown

3.       Add ginger and chilies. Cook for 2 minutes.

4.       Add broccoli, add salt and cover it. Cook for 10 minutes on medium.

5.       Add sabji masala, chili powder, jeera powder and lemon. Cover it and cook for 3 minutes on slow.

6.       Serve hot with chapatti and yogurt (non vegan)

Kick Ass Soup

Ingredients: serving size: 8 cups

1 beet root

1 large carrot

3 celery sticks

1 large onion

3 cloves of garlic

2 jalapeño chilies

2 tablespoon ginger paste

1 lemon

1 cup whole grain elbow macroni

1 cup chana dal

Salt and pepper to taste

6 cups water

1 tablespoon oil

Recipe:

1.      Boil chanadal with some salt until it is tender. In another vessel, boil elbow macroni with some salt until al Dante.

2.      In a pan, heat some oil.

3.      When hot, add onions and cook until golden brown

4.      Add ginger garlic and finely chopped chilies

5.      Add finely chopped beet roots and carrots. Cover cook for two minutes with a little salt

6.      Add finely chopped celery and cook for 2 minutes

7.      Add cooked chana dal, water, add salt to taste and pepper, cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add lemon and a tea spoon of lemon zest.

8.      While serving, add cooked elbow macroni, butter or cheese (non vegan) on the top. Have it with bread, salad or rice.

Note: I enjoy this soup alone without any sides since it has everything in it. carbs, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals you name it. You can go creative and use different style/color pasta instead of elbow macroni and any kind of lentil instead of chana dal. BTW, did I mention this soup is great if you are cold? ;)