Palak Aloo Parathas | Spinach potato stuffed flat breads

We had a really long weekend 5 days precisely and me and my blog were on a holiday too.Lately I think i'll blame the weather for making me feel too lazy to blog luckily i drag myself to cook something simple and this is one such easy lazy day meal that kids and elders will enjoy equally!

Spicy Vegetable oats - south indian style

Oats is the new healthy breakfast in all households.While we all know its healthy we also know its not all that easy to gulp down a mug of oats!!

Oats are readily available in many flavoured packs these days but I hardly use up the oats I got ages ago so why would I get a new pack.Looking at this recipe my mom would ask "why cant you just have it when you know its healthy!" well i can just swallow it but I would be happier if i had it more easily with liking.

This can be used as baby food too.My lil one hates oats so disguise it with fruits and other flavours so he can eat it atleast a bit!

Preparation time - 20 minutes

You need                                                                                          

Oats half cup
Water 1 cup
Vegetables - carrots,capsicum,peas
Oil 1 tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Mustard - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Onions 1 medium
Tomato 1 small
Sambar powder 1/2tsp
Tomato sauce 1 tsp
salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

• Soak the oats in one cup of water for 10-15 minutes.Cook it until soft.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds once they pop, add curry leaves, onions, followed by finely chopped vegetables and peas.
• Add the tomato now and add salt for the vegetables.
• Add sambar powder and sauce now stir for 2 minutes.
• Add the cooked oats and some water to combine it all.
• Cover and cook until all is mixed well in the spices.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Spicy healthy yummy oats is ready.

Spicy Vegetable oats - south indian style

Oats is the new healthy breakfast in all households.While we all know its healthy we also know its not all that easy to gulp down a mug of oats!!

Lauki/Bottle gourd kofta curry

Lauki is the hindi name for bottle gourd.For the longest time i(even my mom) used to make this vegetable only with dal and ground coconut the south indian way.Until my mom told me she got tired of adding dal to it and tried the sabji just with onions and tomatoes tastes good really good infact with chapathis.This curry is so common in north indian hotels but I used to wonder how it may taste.

Bottle gourd is supposed to be good for nursing mothers this is another vegetable i was made to eat day in day out and also once i told my DH its good he used to bring it so often i actually got sick of it.But like you know necessity or boredom is probably the key to innovation.So I didn't innovate but this is a tried and tested dish I though i must try it out too.

It is a good curry to go with flavoured rices and any indian flat breads.My daughter had few koftas just as it is before they went into the gravy.So thats a good idea too.

You need

To make the kofta balls

Bottle gourd a small one or half a large one grated
Salt a pinch
Besan/kadala maav/bengal gram flour 5 tablespoons
Turmeric powder a pinch
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Oil to deep fry

• Peel the bottle gourd and grate it finely.
• Sprinkle some salt this will release excess water out of the bottle gourd.Strain the water and use it for the gravy later.
• Add salt and chilli powder along with besan to the grated bottle gourd and mix well.Sprinkle some water if needed.
• Make small balls/koftas out of this mixture and deep fry to golden brown.Drain on kitchen towels.

To make the gravy

Whole spices to fry - Aniseeds/saunf,star anise one petal,cloves 2,cardamoms 2,cinnamon a small piece,coriander seeds 1 tablespoon

Onion 1 large

Green chilli 1
Tomato  1 large 

Ginger 1 inch piece

Garlic 4pods

Cashews 5-8 numbers

Coriander leaves to garnish
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder/haldi 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp or according to your tastes.

• Grind Onion, green chilli,ginger garlic, cashews to fine paste.
• Grind tomatoes to a fine paste adding some water.
• fry cumin and whole garam  masala in oil.
• Add the ground onions chilli paste let the raw smell of spices go away.
• Add tomato paste stir well for 3-4 mins.
• Add the water squeezed out of the grated bottle gourd.
• Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
• Let the spices cook well and add enough water to make a gravy as per need.
• Add the fried koftas and cover and cook for 10 minutes

Lauki kofta curry is ready to be served with hot rotis or Jeera rice.

Lauki/Bottle gourd kofta curry

Lauki is the hindi name for bottle gourd.For the longest time i(even my mom) used to make this vegetable only with dal and ground coconut the south indian way.Until my mom told me she got tired of adding dal to it and tried the sabji just with onions and tomatoes tastes good really good infact with chapathis.This curry is so common in north indian hotels but I used to wonder how it may taste.

Radish/Mooli parathas

Just got  back after a really nice relaxing Xmas break and its still hard to wake up for school in the morning.I pity the lil one who had to get going today.Tonight will be a simple dinner this radish/mooli paratha which i love a lot because I'm still in holiday mode and the weekend is right here too.

I love parathas they are most easy to make and also no compromises on the health factor because we have veggies going in too.I make them when theres no mood to make a side dish for chapathis.People make chapathis with almost everything now.I even saw on tv recently someone made plantain/vazhakka parathas.I so wanted to try it that i kept delaying to use the raw plantain in the fridge it ripened and turned into pazham pori!!Thats not a good thing but still bananas are really versatile and healthy be it the raw or ripe form!

Mostly if its parathas the side dish would be a simple raita but you can serve any dish along with it.

Preparation Time half hour resting time + coking time 10 mins

You need

Radish grated 1 large                                                                                                    
Ginger grated 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cumin seed powder 1/2 tsp
Haldi/turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chopped green chillies 1/2 or chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves 3 tablespoons
Lime juice 1 tablespoon
Wheat flour/atta 3 cups
Water less than 1 cup
Oil or ghee as per need

• Add all of the above listed stuff into the wheat flour and make a soft dough.Cover and keep for half hour.
• Now pinch lemon sized balls of dough and roll them out into thin discs.
• On a hot tawa/pan, cook both sides of each disc applying oil/ghee on the sides and centre.
• Serve hot parathas with dal fry or baby potato raitha or plain curd and pickle.

Enjoy a wholesome vegan paratha for dinner :)

Sending this Dish it out - Light dinners , Only parathas and flatbreads , Kids delight-cooking with whole grains

Radish/Mooli parathas

Just got  back after a really nice relaxing Xmas break and its still hard to wake up for school in the morning.I pity the lil one who had to get going today.Tonight will be a simple dinner this radish/mooli paratha which i love a lot because I'm still in holiday mode and the weekend is right here too.

Dried peas curry

We all know legumes and pulses are good for us and I can also tell you they come to my rescue many a time.When I'm out of vegetables or when I want to make a simple snack look no more turn to your healthier friends - pulses.

I make this curry atleast once every week, it definitely goes well with chapathis or rotis, rice, dosas and idiyappam and appam, etc.

 Another good thing about these are that it doesn't need too much soaking time unlike other pulses and also once soaked it cooks faster.

You need
Dried peas soaked for a few hours 1 cup
Oil 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp

To make a smooth paste 
Onion 1 large
Tomato 2 medium
Ginger 1 inch piece
Green chilli 1

• Pressure cook the pre-soaked dry peas for 2-3 whistles about 10 minutes on a medium flame with a pinch of salt. 
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the onion,tomato, ginger, green chilli and fry well.
• Once this cools transfer it to a mixer and blend to a smooth paste.
• Heat a little oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin seeds, fry well.Next add the ground paste.Add the masala powders - coriander and garam masala.
• Add the cooked peas.
• Now let this boil and check for salt.

Serve hot with rotis and tomato rice.Add chopped onions and a sprinkle of lemon juice for that extra bit!

Dried peas curry

We all know legumes and pulses are good for us and I can also tell you they come to my rescue many a time.When I'm out of vegetables or when I want to make a simple snack look no more turn to your healthier friends - pulses.

Rajma Chawal - Red kidney beans curry with rice

Everyone is health conscious these days and with the increasing choice for unhealthy/junk food that our kids prefer to have it becomes our duty to supply healthy food at home.My LM is a choosy eater I'm still trying to make her eat her veggies and pulses she does love certain veggies and pulses but not all.She mainly hates onions and tomatoes now salads are her best bet!

I used to be a big fan of these red kidney beans that i used to make dal makhani so often then DH started complaining that it got too boring.Red kidney beans need to be cooked well unlike other legumes else they taste way too bland.This recipe was such a life saver we all loved it with our rotis and rice too.

Recipe source - Here

Rajma/Red kidney beans 1 cup
Cumin seeds/Fennel  1 tsp
Green chillies 1 slit at the top

Onions 1 large
Tomato 2 medium
Ginger 2tsp chopped finely/Grated
Dhaniya/coriander+cumin/jeera powder 2 tsp
Turmeric powder/haldi 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Salt to taste
Onions to serve
Lime juice/Amchur to taste (optional)

To cook the red kidney beans:
- Soak the rajma over night or more longer i soaked it the previous day afternoon.
-Into the pressure cooker add few whole spices -3/4- cardamoms,3-4 cloves and a piece of cinnamon,a bay leaf, few black peppercorns, now pressure cook the red kidney beans until soft that will need about 10-12 minutes on medium flame or for a 4 whistles.(or use canned red kidney beans will be faster and easier) Alternatively make a small pouch with the whole spices add it to the cooker while cooking the beans and take it out when its done.
- Add salt to taste for the beans in the cooker.

To make the gravy

•  Heat oil in a pan, add the Fennel, onions and fry well.Once thats done add the ginger and green chillies.
• Next add the tomatoes and let this get cooked until mushy.
• Add the turmeric powder, dhaniya-jeera powder and fry until the raw smell goes away.
• Add the cooked beans and cook well in the gravy.
• Serve hot with chopped onions, lime wedges and chopped coriander leaves with rotis, naans or steamed rice.

Flavourful rajma is ready to be served with rotis or steamed rice.

Sending this to Veggie/Fruit of the month - Onion at  Sowmya's  and Priya's VFAM page 
and Foodabulous Fest - Ramzan and Mango season 

Rajma Chawal - Red kidney beans curry with rice

Everyone is health conscious these days and with the increasing choice for unhealthy/junk food that our kids prefer to have it becomes our duty to supply healthy food at home.My LM is a choosy eater I'm still trying to make her eat her veggies and pulses she does love certain veggies and pulses but not all.She mainly hates onions and tomatoes now salads are her best bet!

Vegetable Pulav

Everyone makes pulav/pulao, but this method i learnt this time from my mom yes its never too late to learn especially recipes.Now on this is going to be the recipe for my pulav.

My mum made this for my birthday and yes after many years i was with her thanks to baby :) so last year my birthday was extra extra special in more than one way.

You need
Basmati rice 1 cup
Onion 1 small sliced finely
Tomato 1 small sliced finely
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water 2 cups
Whole spices - cardamoms, cloves,cinnamon - 3 -4 pieces each
Vegetables 1 cup or more of mixed vegetables - i used carrots, beans , peas and capsicum.

Coriander/cilantro - a bunch
Mint leaves a bunch
Oil/butter 2 tablespoons

• Soak the rice for about half hour and drain it and set it aside.
• Heat oil in a vessel, add whole spices, once they pop add the onions.
• Now add the ginger garlic paste and tomatoes.Let the tomatoes get smashed well.
• Add the rice and let it turn translucent now add the water and salt to taste.
• Add the chopped cilantro and mint leaves.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until rice is done well.
• Heat oil in another pan, add the chopped vegetables and let it fry unti half done.
• Just before serving the rice add the fried vegetables and serve hot.

• Serve hot vegetable pulav with any vegetarian curry or chicken curry.

Until next time :) 

Sending this to WTML, Dish in 30 minutes, Foodabulous,

Vegetable Pulav

Everyone makes pulav/pulao, but this method i learnt this time from my mom yes its never too late to learn especially recipes.Now on this is going to be the recipe for my pulav.