Lauki (Bottle gourd) ke kofte in tomato gravy

It’s a very yummylicious recipe to be served with hot chapatis or paranthas.
One day I offered my maid a bowl of the veggie. She liked it very much and asked for the recipe. After a week she told me that it is such a simple and tasty recipe that she made it almost every day for dinner the past week because her children loved the recipe very much. (Well now I haven’t asked her if she makes it or not ;-)).
I told this thing to my husband. He told me that, very good, you’ve brought a change, even though small one, in someone’s life. I was so happy to hear that. :)

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:

For lauki kofta
Lauki/Doodhi (Bottle Gourd): ½ cup peeled and grated
Ginger: 1/2 tsp grated
Besan (Gram flour): 4 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/8 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Carom seeds: ½ tsp powdered/crushed
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp powdered/crushed
Asafetida: a pinch
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste

For the tomato gravy
Tomatoes: 2 medium finely chopped
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped
Ginger: 1 tsp grated
Oil: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 4-5
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Black peppercorns: 2 crushed
Laung/cloves: 1 crushed
Curd: 1 tbsp (Optional)
Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. Combine lauki, ginger, besan (gram flour), turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, carom seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, coriander leaves, and salt in a bowl.

2. If the mixture is tight then add some water and stir it nicely.

3. Keep a spoonful of this mixture aside for adding to the gravy.

4. Heat oil in a kadai. Take a spoonful mixture of kofta and add it to oil. Add as many as there is space in the kadai. Then fry the koftas on medium slow flame till golden brown in color.

5. Drain and keep aside for later use.
6. In a pan heat oil.
7. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let it splutter.

8. Then add cumin seeds, black peppercorns, clove and curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds.
9. Add ginger and fry till the raw smell has gone off.
10. Add onions and fry till translucent.

11. Add tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt.

12. Stir well and fry till the oil is separated from the tomatoes.

13. Now add the spoonful of lauki mixture with 2 ½ cups of water. Give it a nice stir.

14. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes.
15. Now add curd and stir.
16. Add the koftas, simmer for 2-3 minutes.

17. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:
1. If you want the koftas to be soft then add a little more water to the lauki batter.
2. The consistency of the gravy can be adjusted as per your need.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Aloo Patta Gobhi ki sabji (Potato and cabbage dry vegetable)

While the smell of cabbage is not that good but its recipes are healthy and tasty. Always wash the cabbage in warm water which helps in reducing the smell to some extent.
Cabbage with potato is one among my most favorite routine vegetable. It can be prepared in a number of ways. And believe me, each of them is delicious.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Cabbage: 2 cups shredded and washed with warm water
Potato: 1 large chopped into small chunks
Oil: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard Seeds: ¼ tsp
Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
Garlic-Ginger Paste: 1 tsp (Optional)
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped (Optional)
Red Chilly Powder: ½ tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: ¼ tsp
Curry Leaves: 5-6
Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadai. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
2. Add curry leaves, asafetida and cumin seeds. Fry for a few seconds.
3. Now add ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell has gone off.
4. Fry the onions till translucent.

5. Add cabbage and potatoes, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
6. Cover it with a plate and let it cook 12-15 minutes stirring occasionally in between.
7. If you feel that the veggies are sticking to the kadai then add a tbsp of water. Mix well and let it cook covered.

8. Check if the vegetable is done or not by pressing the potato. If it gets mashed easily then sabji is done.
9. Add a few drops of lemon juice and stir well.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti.

Tips:
1. As an addition you can add tomatoes also to add a flavor to your recipe.
2. Always keep the flame on low.
3. Use minimum water otherwise the vegetable will turn soggy.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Bottle Gourd/Lauki/Doodhi in curd gravy

From the past few months I just got bored of eating the plain cooked bottle gourd/lauki. Even though that too tasted yummy but for a change of taste I added curd to it and wow .… there was a drastic change to the taste. I hope you guys will too enjoy this recipe.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Lauki/ Doodhi/ Bottle Gourd: 250 gms chopped into pieces
Oil: ½ tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Garlic-Ginger paste: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Red Chilly powder: ¾ tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste
Water: 1 tbsp
Curd: ½ cup
Curry leaves: 4-5
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. When the spluttering stops add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Roast for a few seconds.

2. Now add ginger-garlic paste and roast it till the raw smell of those goes off.
3. Add chilly powder and instantly pour water so as not to burn the powder.
4. Now add the remaining spices: coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.

5. Add the lauki pieces and close the lid of cooker.

6. Take one whistle on high and two on low. Turn off the gas. Remove the pressure instantly as it helps retain the green color of the vegetable.
7. Open the lid and stir it well.
8. Now add the whisked curd, stir well and let it simmer for 2 minutes stirring constantly.

9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:
1. Whenever you make any green vegetable in cooker always remove the pressure from cooker after the required cooking, as it tends to retain the green color of the veggie.
2. Do not add much water in lauki because it itself loses some water. But if you find that water is less then add more water after opening the lid and boil it for a few seconds.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Urad Chana Dal

I love eating all the dals and this combination is just no exception. You can always add and remove spices of your choice. I generally do that for a taste change. But the basic recipe remains the same.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
White Urad Dal (Split White Gram): ½ cup Washed and soaked in water for ½ hour
Chana Dal (Split and skinless Bengal gram): ¼ cup Washed and soaked in water for ½ hour
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard Seeds: ¼ tsp
Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
Garlic-Ginger Paste: 1 tsp (Optional)
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped (Optional)
Tomatoes: 2 medium finely chopped
Green Chilly: 1 de-seeded and finely chopped
Red Chilly Powder: ½ tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: ¼ tsp
Clove: 2 freshly pounded
Black Pepper: 2 freshly pounded
Bay Leaves: 1 leaf
Cinnamon: 1 cm long piece
Curry Leaves: 5-6
Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Pressure cook the dals together with salt, turmeric powder and 3 cups of water for 4-5 whistles with one whistle on high and the remaining on low. Let the steam escape by itself.
2. Meanwhile in a kadai heat ghee. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
3. Add curry leaves, asafetida, cumin seeds, clove, bay leaf, and black pepper and cinnamon piece. Fry for a few seconds.
4. Now add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell has gone off.
5. Fry the onions till translucent.
6. Add the tomatoes, red chilly powder and coriander powder. Fry till the ghee separates from the tomatoes.
7. Pour the dal into this gravy and let it cook for a few minutes.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Tips:
1. Do not overcook the dals otherwise it will be very mushy.
2. You can directly make the dal in the pressure cooker i.e. do points 2-7 in the cooker and then pour the dals with water into it. Close the lid and let it cook for 4-5 whistles.
3. Instead of clove, black pepper, bay leaf and cinnamon you can use ¼ tsp of garam masala.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Laung/Lavang/Clove Water

Whenever I do upwaas (yes full day without food and one time boiled water) the next day in my parna (when we break the upwaas we call it by this name) I make whole wheat flour sheera/halwa, gond ka pani and laung water.
Clove has numerous health, skin and hair benefits. Drinking clove water on an empty stomach helps in preventing flatulence and gas.
And well it is not necessary that you need to be empty stomach to drink this tasty water. So come on, let’s make this yummy water.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Cloves: 10-12 (soaked overnight)
Water: 1 liter
Rock Sugar (Mishri): 8-10 tbsp

Method:
1. Put all the cloves on the sil bataa (grinding stone). With the help of the stone grind the cloves in smooth paste by adding little water.
2. Take a vessel and put this paste into that. Add water.
3. Mix rock sugar well into it.
4. The water is ready.

Tips:
1. If the cloves are not soaked properly then you won’t be able to grind them properly.
2. You can increase/decrease the quantity of rock sugar.
3. If you don’t have rock sugar you can use normal sugar also.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Upma

For that small urges of hunger, this healthy upma is a perfect dish. Made quickly and is irresistible.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Sooji: 1 cup
Curd: ¼ cup
Curry leaves: 8-10
Green Chillies: 2 de-seeded and finely chopped
Urad dal: 1 tsp
Peanuts: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Tomato: 1 large finely chopped (Optional)
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped (Optional)
Capsicum: 1 small finely chopped (Optional)
Water: 2 cups
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. In a kadhai take ghee. When it becomes hot add asafetida and mustard seeds. When the crackling sound stops add cumin seeds, urad dal, peanuts, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry for half a minute.

2. Fry the onions and capsicum for a minute.
3. Now add the semolina. Roast it for about 5-7 minutes or till you start smelling a fragrance of sooji.

4. Now add the tomatoes and stir for a few seconds. Add salt. Then add water and stir properly so as to form no lumps.
5. Add curd also.
6. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes while stirring so as it does not stick to the vessel.
7. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:
1. If you don’t want to use curd then replace it with 1/2 tbsp lemon juice.
2. If you love plain upma then do not add the optional veggies.
3. Make sure you have roasted the sooji well.
4. You can increase or decrease the quantity of water used. I generally prefer adding extra water.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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