Aloo Bhindi Masala

Step by step procedure to prepare a simple and tasty side-dish for roti/chapathi - Aloo Bhindi Masala.  Bhindi is my favourite vegetable, I am so delighted to post my first bhindi recipe. For this masala, we are shallow frying potato and okra (Ladies Finger) and putting it together with the spicy and creamy tomato and onion paste to make a delicious gravy. This masala goes as best sides for roti/chapathi/naan and also tastes good with rice. Now we will see how to prepare Aloo Bhindi Masala.

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Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 40 min
Serves: 2
Category: Side-dish
Recipe by Vidhya

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Ingredients

To Fry

Bhindi/okra/ladies finger - 200 grams chopped

Aloo/Potato - 2-3 Medium sized chopped lengthwise

Oil - 2 tablespoon

To Blend

Tomato - 2 Medium sized

Onion - 1 large 

Garlic - 1 or 2 pods

Ginger - 1 inch

Green chilli - 1

Other Ingredients

Turmeric powder - a generous pinch

Chilli powder - 3/4 spoon

Garam masala powder - 1 spoon

Coriander powder - 1/2 spoon

Kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves - a pinch crushed

Salt - as per your taste

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Method

• In a kadai/pan, add a tablespoon of oil. When it is hot add the chopped okras. Fry it until the edges are slightly brown. Make sure the moisture is thoroughly removed and okras are fried nicely. It is not fried properly, it will make the gravy mushy. 
  
• Remove the fried okras from kadai and keep it aside.
  
• Now, in the same kadai, add a tablespoon of oil. When it is hot add chopped potatoes. Here, peel the potato's skin off before you chop it. you can chop it any pattern you want. 
  
• Fry it until it becomes golden brown in the edges. Remove it and set aside.
  
• In the meantime, you can chop the tomato, onion, ginger, chilli and garlic. Blend it to make a smooth paste using a blender.
  
• Again, in the same kadai, add the tomato onion paste, add a pinch of turmeric powder and allow it to cook. When it starts boiling add garam masala, coriander powder. chilli powder and salt. Give a stir and cook for less than a minute.
  
  
• Now add the fried bhindi and potato to the gravy and stir it gently. Bring the heat to low and cook for another 10 - 12 min, this allows the masala to get nicely blended with the vegetables.
  
• Lastly add the crushed kasuri methi and give a stir. Remove it from hot plate.
  
• Now the tasty Aloo Bhindi masala is ready to serve.
  

Note:

• Wash the okra, spread it on a towel or kitchen cloth and remove the moisture completely before cutting it.
• Do not add water to the gravy, especially after adding okra to it.

Broccoli curry

When I moved to a different country I was not getting many vegetables that were available in India. So I tried broccoli which is considered to be a nutritious vegetable. Broccoli curry is one of the dishes I tried and the outcome was really tasty. The procedure is very simple, toss the broccoli in onion and tomato mixture with regular spices. This curry serves best as sides for poori/roti/chapathi.

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Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 2
Category: side dish
Cuisine: Indian
Recipe by Vidhya

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Ingredients

Broccoli - 250 grams

Tomato - 1 Medium sized, finely chopped

Onion - 1 Medium sized, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 pods finely chopped

Kadugu or Mustard seeds - 1 spoon

Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon

Chilli Powder - 1/2 spoon or as per your taste

Garam masala powder - 1/2 spoon

Salt - as per your taste
oil - 1 spoon

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Method

• Remove the florets, wash and keep it aside.
  
• Chop onion, garlic and tomato.
  
•  In a kadai, add a table spoon of oil, when it is hot add mustard seeds.
  
• Once the mustard seeds splutters, add onion and garlic and fry till onion turns transparent/golden brown.
  
• Now add chopped tomatoes add a pinch of turmeric powder. Mix it well and cook until tomatoes become mushy.
  
• Add chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt.
  
• Give a stir and add broccoli. Mix it well with cooked curry.
  
• Close it with lid and cook for 15 - 20 min in medium heat. Stir occasionally. Sprinkle little water in between/when curry looks dry.
  
• When it is all blended Broccoli curry is ready to serve.
  

Spinach/Palak roti

Spinach rotis are very similar to our ordinary rotis. Simple to prepare, health and as well as tasty. The roti that I am talking about is not paratha and no need to use any spices in

your roti dough. Spinach rotis goes well with any curry, dal recipes. Look out for step by step procedure with photos for making spinach rotis.

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Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 2-4 min each roti
Serves: 10 medium sized rotis
Category: roti
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Vidhya

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Ingredients

Wheat flour - 2 cups

Spinach - 1 - 1 1/2 cups, tightly packed

Water - 1 glass

salt - 1/2 table spoon

Ghee - 1 table spoon (optional)

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Method

• Wash the spinach well and grind it in a blender. Add water to blend it. Don't worry about amount of water - if you add more water while grinding spinach, you can reduce water while preparing the dough.
  
• In a bowl take wheat flour, salt and add the ground spinach.
  
• Make it as thick dough or as per how you make dough for roti/chapathi.
• Add a table spoon of ghee (optional).
  
• knead it nicely for at least 5 - 7 min to get soft chapathi.
  
• Make chapathi using regular procedure.
• Me and my family found it very much yum with Potato and cauliflower fry.
  

Cauliflower and Potato Fry

Cauliflower and Potato Fry is a dry side dish goes well with roti/chapathi. Simple to prepare with very minimal ingredients tossed in these vegetables. When you are tired of using onions, tomatoes, garlic etc., this curry is the best choice. I usually prepare this for rotis, but this curry tasted best with spinach roti. Look out for step to step procedure with photos -Cauliflower and Potato Fry.

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Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 25 min
Serves: 2
Category: Side-dish
Cuisine: Indian
Recipe by: Vidhya

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Ingredients

Potatoes - 5 small or 2 large potatoes chopped lengthwise

Cauliflower - 200 grams

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 1/2 to 2 table spoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 table spoon

Chilli powder - 1 table spoon or as per your taste

Garam masala - 1/2 table spoon

Salt - as per your taste
oil - 2 table spoon

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Method

• Chop the potatoes lengthwise as shown in the picture below. Soak them in water until we use it for cooking.
  
• Cut cauliflower into florets. Take a cooking vessel, fill it with enough water to submerge cauliflower. Add a table spoon of salt and a generous pinch of turmeric powder, allow it to boil. Now Add the florets and cook for 10 min. strain the water and keep the florets aside.
  
• In a kadai/pan, pour 2 table spoon of oil, when it becomes hot add jeera. You can reduce the heat to low now as jeera might get over fried.
  
• Add the chopped potatoes and give a stir.
• Add turmeric powder.
  
• Stir occasionally and cook potatoes for 15 min or until it is cooked. 
• Now add cauliflower and give a stir.
  
• Add chilli powder and salt.
  
• Stir it and allow it to cook for another 5 - 7 min.
  
• Add garam masala and cook for another 10 min in low heat.
  
• When it is all blended the curry is ready and serve Cauliflower and Potato Fry with roti/chappati.
  

Cauliflower and Peas Masala

Cauliflower or Gobi has an aromatic flavour by itself and it turns out to give amazing dishes when it blends with other spices. I am a big fan of gobi and I like to make gobi masala with the combination of other veggies. This is one such interesting recipe, where gobi is put together with peas and capsicum, and cooked in spicy tomato base. This simple and appetising gravy would be the best side-dish for your rotis. Look for step by step photos explains the method to prepare Cauliflower and Peas Masala.

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Preparation time: 25 min

Cooking time: 40 min

Serves: 2

Cuisine: Indian 

Category: Side-dishes

Author: Vidhya

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Ingredients

To Grind

Onion - 1/2 cubed

Tomato - 1 roughly chopped

Garlic - 4 cloves

Ginger - 1 inch

Green Chilli - 4
Capsicum - 1/2 cubed

Other Ingredients 

Cauliflower - 250 grams

Peas - 3/4 cup (I used fresh peas)

Capsicum - 1/2 Chopped lengthwise
Onion - 1/2 Finely chopped

Turmeric powder - 1/2 table spoon

Garam masala - 1/2 table spoon

Chilli powder - 1/2 table spoon

Coriander powder - 1/2 table spoon

Salt - 1 1/2 table spoon or as per your taste

Water - 3/4 cup
Oil - 1 table spoon
Butter - 1 table spoon

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Method

• Chop all above mentioned vegetables and keep it ready.
  
• Cook Gobi and Peas in boiling water for about 10-15 min, it should be half cooked. Strain the water and keep it aside.

  

  Cooked Gobi and Peas

• In a thick bottomed kadai pour a table spoon of oil, when it is hot add green chillies, ginger, garlic and cubed onion. Fry it till onion turns transparent.
  
• Now add cubed capsicum and tomato. Stir until tomato gets mushy.
  
  
• Once the heat is reduced grind the content. Make sure it is smooth with no pulp.
• Take the same kadai used for cooking onion and tomato, add a table spoon of butter to it.
  
• Once it is melted, add finely chopped onions, stir it for a minute and add capsicum.
  
• When capsicum is half cooked, add the ground paste. Stir it well until the content is cooked and raw small goes off.
  
• At this stage I added little water. Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt, give a stir.
  
• Then add gobi and peas to the kadai, mix it well with the spicy tomato base.
  
• Add garam masala. At this this stage you can add 1/2 cup or more depending on thickness of the content(I added half cup water). Close it with a lid and allow it to cook for 10 - 15 min. Keep the stove to medium/low. Stir the content occasionally.
  
• Cook until water reduces and everything gets blended well. 
  
• Serve hot Cauliflower and Peas Masala gravy with roti, chapathi or naan.

Notes:

• If you are using frozen peas, put it in hot water separately for 10 min no need to be boiled with cauliflower. Add it to the gravy along with cauliflower.
• If you are using dried peas, soak it in water for overnight or for 7-8 hrs. Pressure cook the peas for 3 whistles and add it to the gravy along with cauliflower.