No Ginger Garlic or Tomato Chana Masala

My Husband loved chole but after he is diagnosed with UC he cannot have spices  as well as tomatoes so he stopped eating that but I was feeling bad that he can not have this so I tried to make chole without tomato and I skipped ginger garlic too. He can have ginger and garlic but in moderation so I didn’t wanted to even add it. Turned out that he love this chole and told me to keep this recipe for him, so I told him its going to be on my blog so I can go back and review it when I forgot how did I made this. I did the same thing for Rajma masala , instead of tomatoes I made puree of onion and carrot and add rajma and it becomes delicious dish. So playing around ingredients and spices and you can create your favorite dish in no time. To add some color and vegetable, I added carrot in it but you can skip it.

Ingredients  :

1 can white chickpeas (drained and washed)

¼ cup Cashews

1/2 carrot chopped in small bites

1 medium onion

1 tsp. Cumin seeds

1 inch piece of Cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. Chole masala powder

1 tbsp. Turmeric powder

1 tbsp. cumin coriander powder

Salt to taste

Lime juice to taste

1 tbsp. Oil

Method:

Make a puree of onion and cashews with little water.

Heat a oil in pan, when is heated add cumin and other whole spices, when its nice and fragrance, add onion puree and cook till water goes away and puree is little brown.

Add powder spices and mix it. At this stage you can add ginger garlic and tomato puree if using it.

Add chickpeas and carrot. Add enough water to cook and needed gravy.

Add salt and cover the pan and let it cook till it gets desired gravy consistency.

Before serving add lime juice and sprinkle some coriander leaves and enjoy with hot paratha or puries or rice.

Hearth and Soul blog hop: Leap year edition - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Lisa's MLLA information page

A2K - A Seasonal Veg Table: March Welcomes Your Vegetarian MLLA and Eat Your Greens Recipes

Rajma Pulao - Red Kidney Beans Pilaf

We all love to eat rajma – chawal (rice) so this is same dish but cooked in one pot instead of two separate ones. Cooked first rajma in gravy and then add rice so it soaked all the flavor from rajma masala and end result, one irresistible bowl of happiness.  Rajma is nothing but dark kidney beans which is easily available everywhere. If you are using can one, make sure you washed it nicely and take out all the access sodium in it and put it in masala. If you are using dry one then soaked it water for 8-10 hours and then pressure cook it , cook it till it’s done and take out the extra water  and proceed with the recipe. Both kinds of beans will give you same flavor, can one is less work while dry one is more, so choice is yours. I like spicy so I add chilies and other spices as per my taste but you can adjust it with your family’s spice level.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Basmati or any other good quality rice uncooked , washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes if possible

1 cup of Kidney bean, cooked

Few whole black peppers,

 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks

2 whole green cardamoms

1 bay leaf

1 onion chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp.  green chili paste

Salt as per taste

2 tbsp. or as per taste red chili powder

1 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 tbsp. Garam masala powder

1 tsp. Cumin seeds / Jeera

2 tbsp. Oil

Few leaves of fresh mint

Method:

In a heavy bottom pan, add jeera ,  when it starts to change color, add all the whole spices, after that add onion and cook till its brown. Then add tomato and cook it till its mushy. Then add ginger, garlic, chili paste and all powder masala, cook for a minute or two till its cook .

After that add rajma and rice and enough water to cook the rice, Mix it nicely and add salt. You can cook this in pressure cooker too, its quick rather than pot. Cover and cook till the water is gone and rice is fully cooked, hold back yourself to mix it with spoon, it will break the rice and you spoil it. When its about to done, add fresh mint on top and cover it again.

When is done, take it out and enjoy as it is or with raita, papad or pickle.

Hearth and Soul blog hop: Leap year edition - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Baked Avocado Egg Rolls

We usually don’t eat out that much and specially not  to famous food joints because we don’t find that much vegetarian options but whatever we find we stick to it and try to make that at home because if they can make it , I am sure anyone can replicate that in their own kitchen because some of the times it's not very hard, just like this Avocado Egg rolls from Cheesecake factory. After making this at home with very less money you don’t feel like throwing your money for same food with less quantity and not healthy and costly too. So make this cheesecake factory style avocado egg rolls at home for lunch and instead of frying I baked it and it was really good and it goes with cilantro sour cream sauce and with that lunch is done in under $3 and that too without burning gas and going out. So here you go with easy recipe of Egg rolls which you can make it for any party or get together and it will be surely hit.

Ingredients :

1 Avocados, halved, peeled and seeded

¼ cup diced onion

1 tomatoes ( I didn’t added because of dietary restriction)

2 tbsp. Chopped fresh cilantro

As per taste salt and lime juice and black pepper powder

8 Spring rolls or Egg roll Wrappers

For the Cilantro Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup sour cream

1 Jalapenos (Seeded and finely chopped)

¾ cup fresh chopped cilantro

2 tbsp. Mayo

1 clove garlic finely chopped

As per taste lime juice, salt and pepper

Method

To make sauce, Combine, sour cream, mayo, jalapenos, cilantro, garlic and mix it. Add salt, pepper and lime juice and mix it and keep it aside till you are making rolls.

In a bowl add mashed avocado, onion, tomatoes, cilantro and salt , pepper and lime juice and mix it.

Take one wrapper, put 1 tbsp of avocado stuffing and put it in one corner. Bring the bottom edge of the wrapper tightly over the filling, folding in the sides. Continue rolling until the top of the wrapper is reached, just like you make spring rolls. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrapper with water, pressing to seal.  

Repeat till you done with wrapper and stuffing.

You can either bake it or fry it so if you are frying work it in batches and fry 2-3 rolls for 2-3 minutes until browned and take it out and put it on a paper towel.

If are baked it, apply oil to baking dish put the rolls and lightly brush rolls on both sides and bake it at 400 for 8-10 minutes , turn it when the top side is little brown.

Serve immediately with cilantro dipping sauce. 

Hearth and Soul blog hop February 3rd week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen



A2K - A Seasonal Veg Table: Eat Your Greens

Magas | Chickpea Flour Fudge

Some of the food dishes in my house like year around favorite, We don't wait till some festivals to come so we can make it and eat it, Magas is like this one too, It's nothing but sweet usually eaten during Diwali and Christmas, Yes in Christmas too. I don't know why people just think about cookies and cakes for Christmas, where I am from Which is Western part of India, we make all the sweets and savory snacks which usually everyone make it in Diwali , we as a Christians , we make those goodies along with cake in Christmas too.  So this is usually mom made this in Christmas and after coming here, I try to make whenever we feel like it. So this is basically chickpea flour  but the thick flour not the usual one and with ghee and sugar and cook it and you are done. I got   Magas recipe from my sister's blog, who else can make this same as your mom, of course your sister.

Ingredients :

1 cup (250 Gram) Thick Chickpea flour - coarsely ground chickpea flour
1 Cup Ghee
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Milk
1 tbsp. Cardamom powder
Charoli (chironji) as needed for  garnish 

Method : 

Mix milk and 3 tbsp ghee and rub the chickpea flour(besan) thoroughly.
Keep covered and set aside for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes or so, just pulse the flour in the food processor till big lumps are broken and you get coarse texture.
Heat a nonstick pot on a medium high heat.
Add the flour to the pot, and 1 cup of ghee. Make sure the flour is covered with ghee.
Roast the flour till nice pink, for about 20 minutes. 
Let it cool down completely before you add powdered sugar to it.
Add as much sugar as you need for the sweetness and then beat the mixture thoroughly.
Pour in a greased dish, garnish with charoli seeds or make it round balls, as per your desire you can make shapes.

Hearth and Soul blog hop February 3rd week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen