Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Bharwa Baingan | Stuffed Eggplant

Are you Team Baingan (eggplant/aubergine) or are you not? I am one huge fan. And this Bharwa Baingan might just me my favourite!

The gooey, metallic texture, and taste which some people tend to dislike, is what makes it extremely palatable to me. No kidding! The same isn’t true for the rest of my family though. The only way they will eat it is in bharta (roasted eggplant mash)or prepared Greek style with tons of parmesan. And I do not blame them. Eggplant is an acquired taste and more often than not, tastes best when cooked with citrus or tangy ingredient like tomatoes.

One of my childhood favourites is Methi-Baingan or eggplant cooked in mustard oil tempered with lots of garlic and panchforan (a five-spice mix) and flavoured with tomatoes and fresh fenugreek leaves. It is the best and will forever remain close to my heart but this Bharwa Baingan might just give it a close competition. It is THAT good!

I tried it first courtesy a friend who cooked it using her friend’s recipe. When I posted the behind the scenes images on my Instagram stories, another chef friend from my Taj days gave some fantastic suggestions which I incorporated when I made it again. It turned out amazing.

Let’s Get The Baby Eggplants Out

Baby eggplants are what we use for this dish. Not only do they cook quicker, but are also easy to work with. Make four slits but not all the way through and let them soak in cold saltwater for 15 minutes. Then drain and wipe off the excess moisture with a kitchen towel.

In a deep bowl, mix together coarsely ground roasted peanuts, toasted sesame, minced garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder, desiccated coconut, coriander powder, and salt. Use your fingers to mix together the ingredients so the flavours get well incorporated. This is going to be our filling for the eggplants.

 

Prepare a wide dry plate. Spoon 1-2 tsp of the mixture into the slit eggplants making sure to fill them all the way to the top and place it on the prepared plate while you get ready for the tempering.

To a thick bottomed wide pan or skillet, add oil, and once hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds and curry leaves. Once the seeds start to crackle, add the stuffed eggplant, and reduce the flame to low. Cover and cook until 70% done.

Then add the remaining peanut-sesame masala mixture. Stir and mix on a low flame for a minute and add chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are mushy and eggplant cooked through.

Turn off the heat and add fresh tamarind juice (prepared by soaking tamarind pulp in warm water, letting it sit in the water for 15 minutes and then straining) and jaggery. Mix well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes so the flavours absorb and serve hot with ghee rice or chapatis.

Bharwa Baingan (Stuffed Aubergine/Eggplant)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 2-4

Ingredients

  • Baby eggplants, slit partially into fours-10-12(refer image above)
  • Roasted whole peanut- 1 cup
  • Roasted sesame- 4 tbsp
  • Desiccated coconut -3 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder-1 tsp
  • Chili powder- 1.5 tsp or as per taste
  • Coriander powder- 1.5tsp
  • Minced Garlic- 3-4 medium sized pods
  • Salt-1.5 tsp or as per taste
  • Mustard Seeds-1/2 tsp
  • Cumin Seeds-3/4 tsp
  • Curry Leaves- 10-12
  • Tomatoes- 1cup, finely chopped
  • Tamarind water-2 tsp
  • Jaggery-2.5 tsp
  • Chopped coriander-2 tbsp or as desired
  • Oil-3-4 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Slit the eggplants vertically but not all the way through and let it soak in cold salt water for 15 minutes. Then drain and wipe off the excess moisture with a kitchen towel.
  2. In a deep bowl, mix together coarsely ground roasted peanuts, toasted sesame, minced garlic, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, desiccated coconut, coriander powder and salt. Use your fingers to mix together the ingredients so the flavours get well incorporated. This is going to be our filling for the eggplants
  3. Prepare a wide dry plate.Spoon 1-2 tsp of the mixture into the slit eggplants making sure to fill them all the way to the top and place it on the prepared plate while you get ready for the tempering.
  4. To a thick bottomed wide pan or skillet, add oil and once hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds and curry leaves. Once the seeds start to crackle, add the stuffed eggplant and reduce the flame to low. Cover and cook until 70% done.
  5. Then add the remaining peanut-sesame masala mixture. Stir and mix on a low flame for a minute and add chopped tomatoes.Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are mushy and eggplant cooked through.
  6. Turn off the heat and add fresh tamarind juice(prepared by soaking tamarind pulp in warm water, letting it sit in the water for 15 minutes and then straining) and jaggery. Mix well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes so the flavours absorb and serve hot with ghee rice or chapatis.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/bharwa-baingan-stuffed-aubergine-eggplant/

 

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Lauki Chana Dal | Bottle Gourd with Lentils

Lauki Chana Dal is the perfect one-pot meal to give you the wholesomeness of bottle gourd and lentils.

As summer peaks it gets harder to spend time in the kitchen. But also, Mother Nature makes sure we stay hydrated by flooding us with the best summer bounty. Most veggies available through summer have high water content. This makes it easy to digest while having a cooling effect on our system. The gourd family is one such. Vegetables from this family such as cucumbers, angled luffas, pointed gourd, bottle gourd are all high in water and fibre, making them an almost complete meal in themselves.

Bottle gourd is one such staple summer veggie in our household. It is a popular vegetable in the south and southeast Asian region where summer gets extremely hot and sultry. Growing up, this vegetable featured regularly on our menus throughout the week during summer. Many of us from India also know it as Lauki. It is usually not a very well-liked vegetable due to its watery taste. However, if prepared well most people do grow to like it as my fussy husband has 😉 I remember enjoying it with hot ghee rice and chilled yogurt on a hot summer afternoon with some raw onions mixed with pickle masala on the side.

The Benefits of Lauki Chana Dal

Although very healthy, the veggie is low in protein. But that problem gets addressed as soon as you add Chana dal (split chickpeas) to it. It also makes for a much more delicious one-pot meal. Using mustard oil enhances the flavour multiple-fold but feel free to use the oil of your choice. Another key ingredient is fenugreek seeds. They are well known for their multiple benefits. However one needs to be careful while cooking with fenugreek as using an excessive amount makes the food bitter and so does overcooking it.

Using a pressure cook reduces the cooking time to a great extent, however you could use a normal thick bottomed wok as well. Here is a stepwise instruction with images to make this tasty dish.

First, I peeled and cubed a small-sized bottle gourd and kept aside. Then to hot oil, I added fenugreek (methi)seeds, finely chopped garlic, asafoetida, and green chilies (as per taste) and sautéed on medium-low flame for a few seconds making sure the methi doesn’t burn.

To that, I added pre-soaked chana dal (washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes) and turmeric and mixed everything well.

The last step – I added the cubed bottle gourd and salt, mix, and pressure cooked for 5 minutes till the pressure set in. Then turned off the heat and let the pressure release on its own and took off the lid and cooked till the water (good quality bottle gourd releases a lot of water) reduced to the desired consistency.

If you are using a normal wok, just cover and cook till done, keeping the flame to medium-low and stirring intermittently. There is no need to add additional water.

This curry is enjoyed best with hot rice and daal but tastes good with chapatis too.

Lauki Chana Dal


Lauki-Chana Daaal (Bottle Gourd with Split Chickpeas)

Ingredients

  • Lauki/Bottle Gourd, cubed- 1 small size (1.5 cups)
  • Pre-soaked Chana Daal/Split Chickpeas)- 2 tbsp
  • Finely chopped garlic -4 pods
  • Green chilies-1-2 or as per taste
  • Methi/Fenugreek seeds-1 tsp
  • Asafoetida-1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric-1 tsp
  • Salt-1.5 tsp or as per taste
  • Mustard oil-1 tbsp or any oil of choice

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a thick bottomed wok then reduce flame and add asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, green chilies and garlic and sauté for a few seconds till the fenugreek seeds start to release an aroma and change colour . Make sure to stir continuously and not increase the flame as the seeds burn fast and that would spoil the dish
  2. Then drain and add pre-soaked chana daal and turmeric seeds and mix well
  3. Finally add the chopped bottle gourd and salt and pressure cook for 5 minutes from the time pressure sets in
  4. Then turn off the heat and let the pressure release on its own and take off the lid and cook till the water (good quality bottle gourd releases a lot of water) reduces to desired consistency.If you are using a normal wok, just cover and cook till done, keeping the flame to medium low and stirring intermittently. There is no need to add additional water .
https://onewholesomemeal.com/lauki-chana-daal-bottle-gourd-with-lentils/

 

Categories
Breakfast | 8am Meal Dinner | 8pm Meal

Savoury Masala Oats | Tasty And Healthy

I have a love-hate relationship with Oats. I love to hate it! But there are people in La Familia who like it and couldn’t stop raving about it especially after having the ready-to-eat Masala Oats version from a popular Indian brand.

Oat-hater me hesitatingly and grudgingly accepted it was quite delicious indeed. Now, a more sensible version of me would have simply reordered from my Indian grocer’s and be happy with it. However, I am neither simple nor sensible and do like a good challenge. So, I did the unthinkable! I tried to create my very own version minus the not so great stuff which these ready to eat versions have!

Now, I have never cooked oats in my life. So it did take me a few attempts to perfect this recipe. But once that was done, I was pretty chuffed with myself. I cannot call myself an oats-hater anymore, maybe a grudging lover. I have used chicken stock here and have to admit that it is one ingredient that imparts the maximum amount of flavour. If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet feel free to substitute it with vegetable stock but try not to use water. Pretty please! Also, I skipped salt as both cheese and stock have a lot of salt. You can add salt as per taste and the stock used.

Here is an easy to follow video of the masala oats recipe. For detailed steps scroll down.

I used the old fashioned rolled oats. You can use steel-cut or instant versions without much effect on the taste. You might need to adjust the amount of liquid to be added and the cooking time would differ as well. Try this recipe for yourself and don’t forget to share how you like it!

Masala Oats by OneWholesomeMeal

 


Savory Masala Oats

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3-4

Calories per serving: 250

Ingredients

  • Old Fashioned Rolled Oats- 1 cup
  • Chicken or Vegetable Stock-2 cups
  • Chopped onions-1/2 cup
  • Minced garlic- 1 tbsp
  • Chopped and blanched veggies of choice-1 cup (I used carrots, orange bell peppers, cauliflower and green peas)
  • Stir-fried tofu cubes -1/2 cup (optional)
  • Garam Masala-1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1tsp
  • Spring Onions, chopped fine- 3 tbsp for garnish
  • Grated Cheddar and Pepper Jack Cheese-1/2 cup
  • Butter-2 tbsp+1 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan and roast the Oats till just brown.Keep the flame low all the time and e careful not to over roast
  2. Transfer and keep aside and in the same pan melt the remaining butter and add garlic and cook till brown followed by chopped onions. Keeping the flame to medium-low fry the onions till nice and brown
  3. Add butter-roasted oats, chicken/veg stock,turmeric powder, garam masala and mix well. Cook covered for a minute till the oats are almost done
  4. Add blanched veggies and tofu and mix well
  5. Add shredded cheese, mix, taste for salt and add salt if needed
  6. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot!
https://onewholesomemeal.com/savoury-masala-oats/

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Spinach Chicken Indian Style | Palak Murgh

A search for spinach and chicken recipes online will throw up many options of spinach, chicken, and cream. While this recipe does have all three ingredients, this spinach and chicken Indian style, is perfect for a cold winter day.

I woke up to a relatively chillier day today. It is mid-January and so far winter has not made its presence felt, but today was nippier. 18 degrees may not seem like cold at all for people living in colder climates but for us dwellers of the sub-tropics living in apartments with no internal heating, it starts to feel like winter has finally arrived. Let me be honest, I do not mind the cold weather. What I miss is the lack of sun on most days. That makes it harder for me.

That said, cold weather is also a good excuse to enjoy good food. This Palak Murgh recipe I am sharing today is one such. Apart from the fact that this is bursting with flavours and quite simply a one-pot meal, it is also extremely forgiving as a recipe. You can easily tweak the spice and richness levels based on your taste. To start, you could use pureed, blanched, or chopped spinach as I did. Please feel free to omit the tomatoes. But I do like how spinach and tomatoes complement each in a dish and would recommend adding it. You may consider decreasing or increasing the number of tomatoes based on the level of tang you desire.

Spinach Chicken Indian Style by OneWholesomeMeal

 

Things to Keep in Mind

1. I have used 2.5 cups of chopped spinach but if you would like, you could easily up it to 3.5 cups and might consider blanching and pureeing it. Make sure to adjust tomatoes accordingly. The ration I usually work with is 2.5 cups chopped spinach for 700 grams of chicken.

2. Another thing I always stress upon is to use thighs and drumsticks. They taste best in Indian Curries. I almost never use breasts. And when I do I make sure to marinate them overnight or a minimum of 3-4 hours in oil, lime, red chili, turmeric, and salt so the meat doesn’t taste as chewy and dry.

3. And last but not the least, for your spinach and chicken Indian style, add a teaspoon or two of ghee while roasting the spices. It takes the taste to another level. However, I usually avoid this step for everyday meals. Adding half a cup of heavy cream towards the end helps in balancing spices but makes the dish very rich too. I have added just a teaspoon or so in the recipe shared below but feel free to omit or increase the quantity based on your preference.

 

 


PAALAK CHICKEN

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3

Calories per serving: 125

Ingredients

  • Chicken, cleaned and cut into desired sized pieces- 700gm (I used thighs and drumettes)
  • For the Marinade:
  • Turmeric- 1 tsp
  • Red Chili Powder-1 tsp
  • Lemon juice -2 tbsp
  • Ginger-Garlic paste-1 tbsp
  • For the Curry:
  • Whole Cumin-1 tsp
  • Bay leaf-2
  • Cinnamon-1 one inch stick
  • Star Anise-1
  • Dried Red Chilies -2 (optional)
  • Coriander powder- 1 tsp
  • Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
  • Chicken Curry Masala or Garam Masala- 1.5 tsp
  • Ginger-Garlic paste-1 tbsp
  • Spinach, chopped fine- 2.5 cups
  • Onion, vertically sliced- 2 cups
  • Tomatoes, pureed- 3/4 cup
  • Salt- 1.5 tsp or as per taste
  • Heavy Cream- 1tbsp
  • Mustard Oil-2 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Mix the cleaned chicken with all ingredients of marinade and keep aside for 30-45 mts
  2. Then heat oil in a deep, thick bottomed wok and add whole spices (cumin, red chilies, bay leaf, cinnamon and star anise) and stir on a medium high heat till the spices are fragrant
  3. Add onions and stir on a medium high flame till they are light brown, then add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder and mix well for 2 minutes
  4. Then add Chicken Curry Masala or Garam Masala and sauté for another 3 minutes
  5. Add marinated chicken and cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes, then add chopped spinach, mix well and cover on a medium flame
  6. Cook covered with intermittent stirring till the chicken in 60% done, then add tomato puree and salt, cover and cook till done
  7. Turn off the heat and drizzle with some heavy cream and serve hot with a side of chapatis or rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/spinach-chicken-indian-style-palak-murgh/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Cheesy Rice With Vegetables

This cheesy rice with vegetables is a simple, easy to prepare, perfect lunch box recipe with leftover rice.

The refrigerator – one of the best life-saving inventions of mankind. It is hard to imagine how people survived during pre-refrigerator days. And refrigerated leftover rice is always a life saviour. There are so many ways one can use it from fried rice, pancakes, to cutlets.

Fried rice has to be one of the most versatile of recipes. While I make the basic no-spice variations to mildly spiced, Thai and Indonesian kinds, this fuss-free cheesy rice with vegetables has to be one of my favourites. Flavoured only with onions and curry leaves, the hero is a Mexican Four Cheese Mix which gives this dish a gooey almost risotto-like taste and flavour. It is a mixture of shredded Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla and Asadero Natural cheeses and it features regularly in a lot of my recipes. My absolute favourite – in a mildly spiced curry, on a toast or even fried eggs.

This cheesy fried rice tastes great hot or even cold making it a perfect lunchbox recipe. Works wonderfully well with a side of protein or even as is. The possibilities are limitless with what veggies or proteins go into it. I usually add carrots, corn, spinach, and green peas. One could also add pre-cooked shredded meat, tofu, or paneer to make this a more wholesome meal.

Cheesy Rice with Vegetables by OneWholesomeMeal


YOUTUBE LINK for the video recipe

Cheesy Veggie Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 200 per serving

Ingredients

  • Pre-cooked refrigerated rice- 2 cups
  • Chopped Spinach-1 cup
  • Garlic, finely chopped-1 tsp
  • Parboiled Cauliflower- 1 cup
  • Grated Carrot- 1 cup
  • Green Peas-3/4 cup
  • Boiled Sweet-Corn- 3/4 cup
  • Mexican Four Cheese Mix- 1 cup
  • Finely chopped Onion- 1/2 cup
  • Curry Leaves- 2 tbsp
  • Black Mustard-1 teaspoon
  • Oil or Butter- 1 tbsp
  • Salt- 1/2 tsp and 1 tsp or as per taste

Instructions

  1. Boil water, turn off heat and add cauliflower florets with 1 tsp salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes, drain and keep aside
  2. Heat oil in a pan then add black mustard seeds, chopped garlic and curry leaves; add chopped onions once the seeds start to crackle
  3. Add par-boiled cauliflower and cook covered on a medium flame with intermittent stirring ; add 1/2 tsp salt while the cauliflower is cooking
  4. When cauliflower is 80% done then add spinach and carrot and sauté for two minutes then add peas and corn followed by rice
  5. Sauté for another minute then add cheese and mix
  6. Once the cheese starts to melt, taste for salt, give it one final stir and serve
https://onewholesomemeal.com/cheesy-rice-with-vegetables/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Achaari Paalak Gobhi | Perfect Winter Curry

Peak winters demand a heart-warming curry with loads of warming spices, slight kick and heat from the chilies. This Achaari Paalak Gobhi ticks all those boxes and  is packed with tons of nutritional goodness.

When one thinks of winter veggies, a myriad of colours pops into our minds. For instance, Carrots, peas, methi, spinach are some of my personal favourites. Another family favourite though not as colourful is the cauliflower. It usually makes it to our meals a few times a week in the winters. Being a versatile vegetable, the cauliflower or gobhi can be served in the form of curries, stir-fries, and grilled. When one is eating a vegetable so often, repeating the same old recipes sometimes gets a tad too boring, don’t you think so?

How the Dish Came to Be?

To be honest, I started to prep for the usual curry. The plan was to mix some carrots with spinach instead of the staple potato or peas. That is when my eyes fell on the bottle of shredded (mashed) mango pickle. I had carried it from India a couple of months ago. Not everyone in the family is a big pickle fan like me. Hence the bottle was still sitting half unfinished. As I stood chopping the spinach, I made a mental note to eat the pickle more often. In the next moment, it occurred to me – why not use the pickle in the cauliflower curry? After all tangy “Achaari” versions of a lot of vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries are extremely popular. And just like that, this curry happened.

I highly recommend not going easy on the green chilies as the heat complements the sourness from the pickle perfectly and makes the taste much better.

Step By Step Achaari Paalak Gobhi Recipe

1. Prepare all ingredients – blanched spinach, coarsely chopped tomatoes, green chilies squared onions and pickle.

2. Blend all prepared ingredients except onions; then heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, star anise, green chilies. When seeds start to crackle, add onions and cook till translucent, then add powdered spices-turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and red chili powder and roast for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add potatoes and steamed cauliflower and cover and cook till 70% done. Then add carrots and peas and cover again on a medium flame for another 5 minutes or so. By this time all the veggies would be cooked through. This is a good time to add the prepared spinach-tomato-pickle mixture and salt and let the entire mixture simmer for another 5 minutes drizzle some cream if desired.

4. Serve hot with steamed rice or hot phulkas.


Achaari Paalak Gobhi Served by OneWholesomeMeal

Achaari Paalak Gobhi

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 230

Achaari Paalak Gobhi

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower (florets separated and cut to desired size)- 2 cups
  • Medium-sized Potato (cubed)-1
  • Carrots (chopped into small cubes)- 1/2 cup
  • Green Peas- 1/2 cup
  • Blanched Spinach(cooled to room temperature)-1.5 cups
  • Green chilies-2 (optional)
  • Tomatoes (coarsely chopped)-1 cup
  • Onion (medium sized, cut into squares)-1 cup
  • Mango Pickle pulp- 1tbsp
  • Bay leaf-1
  • Star anise-1
  • Cumin seeds-1 tsp
  • Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
  • Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
  • Garam Masala- 1tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
  • Red Chilli powder-1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Salt-1/2 tsp+1tsp pr as per taste
  • Whipping cream-1tbsp (optional)
  • Mustard oil or any other cooking oil of choice-1.5 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Heat water in a deep bowl and add cut cauliflower florets with 1/2 tsp salt and let it sit for 15 minutes the. drain and keep aside
  2. In a blender make a coarse paste of blanched spinach, tomatoes , mango pickle pulp and one green chilli and keep aside
  3. In a thick bottomed deep wok, heat oil and add cumin seeds, bay leaf and star anise, green chili,lower the flame to medium once the seeds start to crackle and spices start to release their aroma
  4. Add onions and sauté till translucent, the add all the powdered masalas(turmeric powder, coriander, powder, cumin powder and garam masala) and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes with constant stirring till the spices are roasted and fragrant
  5. Then add potatoes and steamed cauliflower florets and cover and cook on a medium flame with intermittent stirring till 70% done
  6. Add carrot and peas and give the mixture a nice stir and cover and cook further for another 5 minutes. If you feel the wok is getting dry and the veggies are sticking to the base, you could add a few tablespoons of water and cover.Keep the flame to medium low at all times
  7. After 5 minutes or so the veggies should be almost done, then add the pureed spinach-tomato-pickle mixture and mix all the ingredients well
  8. Add salt,cover and simmer for another 5 minutes, drizzle some cream if desired and serve hot with steamed rice or roti
https://onewholesomemeal.com/achaari-paalak-gobhi/

[kkstarratings]