Pattagobi ki Sabzi; Cabbage Vegetable?!

In Hindi we say Bhindi ki Sabzi, Aloo Gobhi ki Sabzi, or Tamatar-Palak ki Sabzi and it is understood – but is there an appropriate translation in English for the ‘sabzi’?  I don’t know.  I don’t think I can call them ‘curry’ if they’re dry, can I?  Calling it Okra vegetable, Potato-Cauliflower vegetable, and Tomato-Spinach vegetable, respectively sounds vague.  Then what is the right word to use – stir-fried?

Oh well, here I’m sharing two styles of Pattagobi ki Subzi (Stir-fried Cabbage?) that I usually cook and like the taste of.

Manchow Soup: Indo - Chinese Food

Indian-Chinese food is very popular in India, and is a favorite of many people – whether ordering a Manchow Soup to start meal with, Manchurian as an appetizer at the restaurant, or watching Hakka Noodles cooked in a wok over high flame at the street side.  Some seasonings and cooking techniques of Chinese cuisine adapted to Indian taste and style makes this Indo-Chinese fusion food a different cuisine altogether.

Indo-Chinese Style Manchow Soup

Moussaka & Cacık – Tricky to Speak, Tasty to Eat

I am an eggplant convert, from a hater to a lover.  But apart from the Baingan ka Bhurta (mashed eggplant), Bharwan Baingan (stuffed eggplant) and Aloo Baigan Sabji (potato & eggplant stir-fry) in Indian cuisine, the only other dish I have had most number of times is Eggplant Parmesan in Italian cuisine.

While looking for some more eggplant recipes for variety, I came across “Moussaka”.  What I loved more about it was how I pronounced the name when I told my husband what the menu for dinner was :P

Moussaka and Cacik - Mediterranean Cuisine

Recipe: Spinach & Paneer Stuffed Paratha

This Spinach and Paneer Stuffed Paratha does not mean it is made of Palak Paneer gravy, no.  The chopped spinach and crumbled paneer is cooked with spices and filled as a stuffing into the paratha.  You can make these stuffed parathas for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or freeze the stuffing and use later to make parathas when you are short on time.

Paratha with Spinach and Paneer Stuffing

Recipe: Sugar Glazed Sweet Potato & Sweet Potato Kheer

Sweet Potato (aka Yam in North America; Shakarkandi in Hindi) looked more orangish-pinkish here in US than I’ve seen them as back home.  I used to love eating the creamish-colored sweetened shakarkandi & tried making the same, just gave it a fancy name ‘Sugar Glazed Sweet Potato’, haha.

And when I grated one, it looked like grated carrots, so I experimented Kheer with it & it worked.  Now I’m beginning to think anything can be added to make kheer, hehe!  I especially loved the color – it would have taken a tablespoon of saffron in a regular rice kheer to obtain the beautiful yellowish-orange color that I got with sweet potato itself.

Here’s both, for people with as sweet tooth as mine … enjoy :-)

Recipe: Chana Dal Amti (Maharashtrian Style)

After mostly cooking mixed-vegetable Toor Dals or Chana Dals [Split Bengal Gram] for regular meals, when I cooked Amti I was amazed at how such amalgamation of flavors of herbs and spices add so much punch to Chana Dal.


Amti is a Maharashtrian style sweet-salty-spicy-tangy Dal eaten with rice, more famous as an accompaniment to Puran Poli.  It appears that a special Maharashtrian style ‘Goda Masala’ is used for cooking Amti, but in this Amti recipe that I’ve used (picked from Shobha Indani’s book) it’s a shorter version of the masala.  


So in case you don’t have all the ingredients required in actual Goda Masala (here’s a recipe on Sanjeev Kapoor’s page), then you may go ahead with the recipe below, still tastes great   :-)

Chana Dal Amti - Maharashtrian style Dal

Cream of Broccoli Soup

A personal favorite of mine, this broccoli soup recipe is vegetarian, healthy, quick, and easy.  This simple Cream of Broccoli Soup is from Shobha Indani’s cookbook ‘Swad Sugandh’, serves 6.

Vegetarian Cream of Broccoli Soup

What you need to make vegetarian broccoli soup:

For Stock:	For Soup:
2 Tbsp butter	1 cup milk
¼ cup chopped onion	1 pinch nutmeg powder
1 tsp chopped garlic	1 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp chopped celery	½ cup fresh cream
¾ cup chopped potato	Salt & pepper powder as per taste
2 cup chopped broccoli	For Garnish:
5 cups water*	½ cup broccoli (chopped & blanched)
	Grated cheese

Let’s Begin!

1.  For stock:  Heat butter, add onion, garlic & celery, stir fry few seconds.  Add potato + water & cook till potatoes become soft.  Add broccoli & cook 2 more minutes.  Let cool & then churn in blender to get fine stock.

2.  For Soup:  In a pan, add milk + prepared fine stock & cook till 1 boil.  Add nutmeg powder, oregano, salt & pepper powder, simmer 2-3 minutes.  Finally add cream.  Garnish & serve hot.

Notes:

* You  may use vegetable stock in place of water for a healthier soup, non-vegetarians may add broth.

- Tastes great even without nutmeg powder & oregano (in case you don't have them on hand!)

Broccoli Soup

Enjoy!

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Stuffed Eggplant Potato Onion Curry (Bharwan Baingan Aloo Pyaaz Sabji)

In this bharvan baingan aloo pyaaz sabzi made with Maharashtrian style gravy, instead of all three vegetables any single vegetable can also be used.  Below I have posted the original recipe of Stuffed Eggplant Potato Onion Curry (Bharwan Baingan Aloo Pyaaz Sabji) from Shobha Indani's cookbook 'Swad Sugandh', but keeping everything else as it is, I have cooked only with eggplants (aka brinjal / aubergine), making bharwan baingan here.  This stuffed eggplant sabji (bharvan baigan) with Maharashtrian flavor is very different from the Hyderabadi specialty stuffed eggplants (bangara baingan).

What you need:

For paste:	For sabji:
1 Tbsp Oil	6 small Onions
3 whole Dry Red Chillies	6 small Eggplants (I used 5 though)
1 Bay Leaf	6 small parboiled Potatoes
2 pcs Cinnamon Sticks	2 Tbsp Oil
2 Cloves
2 Cardamoms	For tempering:
1 cup thinly sliced Onion	½ tsp Mustard Seeds
5 cloves Garlic	½ tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp grated Ginger	Pinch Asafoetida
2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro
2 Tbsp grated & lightly roasted Dry Coconut	For garnishing:
1 Tbsp roasted Sesame Seeds	1 Tbsp chopped Cilantro
1 Tbsp Khus-Khus (Poppy Seeds) *I didn't use*	1 Tbsp grated Coconut
¼ cup roasted & shelled Peanuts
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Red Chilly Powder	Serves: 4 – 6
1 Tbsp Coriander-Cumin Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste (I used 1 tsp)

ingredients for bharwan baingan, bharwan aloo, bharwan pyaaz ki sabji