Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Spinach and Tofu Stir Fry With Panchforan

As winters approach and spinach season arrives, I cannot help but include tons of recipes with these wonderful greens in our daily menu. This Spinach and Tofu Stir Fry is a simple, quick recipe to prepare for your family.

Thankfully the kids love spinach in all forms – especially when served with paneer or tofu. Paalak paneer (cottage cheese in spinach gravy) is a family favourite and is on a repeat at least once a week throughout winter (yup! we take our spinach very seriously). We also do a spinach stir fry with our special five-spice mix (panchforan) and that gave me an idea to come up with this new recipe.

Tofu is a great source of vegetarian protein and while some of us aren’t the biggest fans of the soft variety, I am yet to meet someone who says no to the stiffer chewy kind. And that’s the kind which works best in this recipe. You could use it as is or stir fry in a teaspoon of oil to enhance flavours. This dish is best enjoyed with hot phulkas and daal but tastes as good with rice too.

Step By Step Spinach and Tofu Stir Fry Recipe

1. Wash, drain and finely chop the spinach and keep aside. Then cut tofu in desired size pieces, lightly stir fry and drain on a kitchen towel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Then in the same pan or skillet add oil. To the hot oil add finely chopped garlic, turmeric, and panchforan. Once the spices start to splutter, add spinach and cook covered until almost done. Then uncover and make sure the water dried out 95% before adding tofu and salt. At this point, you could also add green chilies if using

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Once the spinach is cooked and the water has dried, add tofu and mix well. Next, add chopped tomatoes and let it simmer for another 5 minutes till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Taste for salt. Garnish with crushed peanuts and serve hot with rice and daal or phulkas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Spinach-Tofu Stir Fry

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 95

Serving Size: 2

Calories per serving: 83

Ingredients

  • Spinach, finely chopped- 3 cups
  • Hard Tofu cut in desired size pieces-1 cup
  • Garlic, finely chopped- 1.5 teaspoons
  • Tomatoes, chopped- 1/2 cup
  • Panchforan- 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric -1/2 teaspoon
  • Green chilies-2 (optional)
  • Mustard oil-1.5 teaspoon
  • Salt-1 teaspoon or as per taste
  • Crushed peanuts for garnish-2 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and stir fry tofu till light brown; drain excess oil on a kitchen towel and keep aside
  2. To the same pan, add panchforan, garlic and turmeric and stir till the spices start to crackle. Be careful to not burn them or it would make the dish bitter
  3. Add spinach,cover and cook till almost done; Then uncover and dry out the water discharged
  4. Add tofu,tomatoes,salt ,mix well and simmer for another 2-3 minutes till tomatoes are soft and mushy
  5. Turn off heat, garnish with crushed peanuts and serve with hot phulkas or daal and rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/spinach-tofu-stir-fry/

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Recipes

Dahi Baingan | Eggplant in Yogurt Gravy

Don’t you absolutely love the festive season? Aside from the fact that we get to enjoy all the delicious food, it is also such a wonderful opportunity to take some time out for the loved ones, people you cherish, spend time with them and just set aside the strain of everyday routine. Diwali in our household is just that.

It is a great deal of work and weeks of meticulous planning and execution, what with limited help and two wee ones, but it is a kind of busy that I thrive on. There is something about this festival that infuses me with exceptional energy and gusto and makes me want to really push my limits. I remember when my eldest was just about 2 months old and I was still battling postpartum woes and Diwali was round the corner. I had obviously not planned much but on the festival day, just couldn’t help walking down to the flower market and buying flowers and sending the husband packing to buy diyas and sweets. Miraculously little S too cooperated and we got a beautiful puja done with the in-laws who were visiting. There is something special about this festival for sure. Do you agree?

The Detox!

So, after a week-long of Diwali festivities and enjoying a whole lot of decadent (read rich) meals and sugary desserts our systems were craving for something soothing and light. And to be honest, I had spent sooo much time in the kitchen prepping for Diwali, I wasn’t really looking forward to spending more than half-hour in the kitchen. And that is why this Dahi Baingan happened.  I had eaten the Hyderabadi rich and spicy version of eggplant in yogurt several times but this light, and stewy version I tried only after my marriage at my husband’s house. But for some reason or the other never ended up preparing it earlier. Anyhow, there is a right time for everything and our post-Diwali “detox” seemed like a good enough reason to prepare this delicacy. So, here is a step by step recipe for you to try at home.

Step By Step Dahi Baingan Recipe

1. I used Thai baby eggplants and they do taste the best but you could use any other variety, just make sure to dice them into small pieces so they cook well. Also, try and avoid thick-skinned eggplants as they do not work well with this recipe. Once chopped, soak the eggplants in water with salt for 15 minutes so as to take away their metallic taste. Then drain, pat dry and marinate with some red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garlic salt (or normal salt) and tandoori Chicken Masala (optional) for 20 minutes.

Baingan preparation by OneWholesomeMeal

2. Next, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves and once the seeds start to crackle, add finely chopped onions and cook till nice and brown, then add the marinated eggplants and cook till soft.

 

3. While the eggplant is cooking, in the same bowl used for marinating eggplants, whisk some yogurt, garlic salt, and ajwain. If the mixture is too thick add some water to achieve a runny or desired consistency and check for salt. Turn off the heat once the eggplant is cooked through. Then add the yogurt mixture to the cooked eggplant and stir. Temper it with ghee, red chilies, and curry leaves. Serve your dahi baingan hot.


Dahi Baingan (Eggplant in Yogurt Gravy)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 2

Calories per serving: 160

Ingredients

  • Baby eggplants, halved -2 cups
  • Yogurt-1.5 cups
  • Finely chopped onions-2 tbsp
  • Red chilli poder-1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder- 1 tsp
  • Turmeric-1/2 tsp
  • Tandoori Chicken Masala-1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Curry leaves-1 tbsp +1 tsp
  • Black mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon plus a little extra
  • Caraway seeds- 1/2 tsp
  • Garlic salt- 1tsp +1 tsp or as per taste
  • Chopped garlic-2
  • Oil-1 tsp
  • Ghee-1.5 tsp for tempering

Instructions

  1. Wash and cut the baby eggplants into halves and soak in salt water for 15 mts to take away the metallic taste
  2. Drain, pat dry and marinate the eggplants in a deep bowl with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, Tandoori chicken masala and 1 tsp salt. Cover and let it rest for 20 mts
  3. After 20 minutes heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and add mustard seeds and curry leaves
  4. Once the seeds start to crackle , add chopped onions and cook on a medium flame till nice and brown
  5. Add the marinated eggplants and cook till soft
  6. In the meantime, in the same bowl used for marinating eggplants whisk together yogurt, garlic salt and caraway seeds. Add little water if the mixture is too thick and taste for salt
  7. Once the eggplants are soft, turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt mixture
  8. Temper with ghee, dried red chilli,chopped garlic and mustard seeds and serve with some hot plain or flavoured rice like tomato rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/dahi-baingan-eggplant-in-yogurt-gravy/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Guest Blogs Lunch | 1pm Meal

Kerala Style Pumpkin Stir Fry | Mathanga Eriserry


And as promised, here is the first in the series of many guest blogs that I would be sharing with you here at OneWholesomeMeal. Our debut guest blogger is Sathiskumar Shanmugam from Chennai.

Sathiskumar ShanmugamA recruiter by profession, Sathis, who was born and brought up in Sri Lanka, first started to cook when he moved to India ten years ago for higher studies. He started experimenting with new recipes from local magazines and newspapers and then subsequently drew inspiration from a multicultural environment at his workplace. His own food he mentions is a mix of South Indian, Sri Lankan, and Malaysian cuisines.

Cooking is his passion and now his food blog Tastepot showcases recipes form different parts of the country. Here you can not only find original authentic recipes but also a lot about the history of food of different regions of India.

Here he shares the recipe for simple yet delicious Kerala style pumpkin stir fry or Mathanga Eriserry. Pumpkin is a popular and commonly used vegetable in South Indian, East Indian, and Sri Lankan cuisine. In Tamil, it is called Parangikkayi and in Sinhala, Wattakka. The health benefits of pumpkin are well known and combining it with nutritious coconut milk, increases these benefits manifolds. For Erissery, normally pumpkin is cooked with roasted coconut. Adding cooked red oriental beans is optional.


Kerala Style Pumpkin Stir Fry (Mathanga Eriserry)

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin - 150 gm
  • Grated Coconut - 50 gm
  • Cumin Seeds - 1.5 tbsp
  • Green Chilli - 1
  • Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp
  • Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
  • Dried Chillies - 2
  • Curry Leaves - A Few
  • Salt - As per taste

Instructions

  1. Wash, peel the skin and chop pumpkin into small pieces.
  2. In a pan add enough water, chopped pumpkin pieces, turmeric powder & salt and cook till it becomes soft & dry. (You can also mash the cooked pumpkin)
  3. Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, and green chilli to a fine paste adding a little water.
  4. Add coconut paste to the cooked pumpkin and mix it well. Cook till it becomes thick.
  5. In another pan, heat coconut oil and prepare the tempering with mustard seeds, curry leaves, & dried chillies. Pour the tempering on the curry.
  6. In the same pan roast 02 tbsp of grated coconut till it becomes golden brown. Pour it on the eriserry and mix well.
  7. Yummy erissery is ready for serving.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/kerala-style-pumpkin-stir-fry-mathanga-eriserry/

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Soba Noodles Salad with Grilled Eggplant

This soba noodles salad is inspired by the flavours of the Thai cuisine.

When one thinks of Thai food, what instantly comes to mind is a blend of sweet and spicy flavours. On one hand, you have the fresh herbs and a tropical medley which lingers long after the meal is over. And on the other, the Thai curries loaded with coconut are absolutely delectable. However, when one doesn’t want to indulge in heavy meals like that a Thai salad is a good option.

My love for Thai food is second only to our Indian. This may be because the two cuisines (and the cultures) have so much in common. Until a few years ago, like most of us, whenever we wanted to enjoy a good Thai meal at home, our instant resort would be the readymade curry pastes. A lot of us also, are put off by the usage of fish sauce in Thai food and again are restricted to just the curries.

With time I have learned however to enjoy similar flavours. Without the heaviness of coconut cream or the addition of fish and oyster sauce. A few simple ingredients which one can store in their pantry for an extended period of time without the fear of them going bad can be used to put together a simple, healthy, and delicious Thai meal. Want to know how? Then follow my soba noodles salad recipe below 🙂

Soba Noodles Salad with Grilled Eggplant

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3

Calories per serving: 125

This is an extremely forgiving recipe and you could add other roasted veggies like carrots and pumpkins too. If mangoes are not in season, you could add grilled or fresh peaches too.

Ingredients

  • Soba noodles boiled as per package instructions-2.5 cups
  • Egg plant cut into 2X2 inch cubes-2 cups
  • Baby potatoes,cubed-1/2 cup
  • Dried basil-1.5 teaspoon
  • Fresh Rosemary-2 sprigs
  • Rice vinegar- 1/2 cup
  • Honey-1.5 tablespoons
  • Salt- 1/2 teaspoon or to taste + 1 teaspoon for grilling eggplants and potatoes
  • Sesame oil-1 teaspoon
  • Lime juice-1.5 teaspoon or to taste
  • Garlic pods crushed-2
  • Cajun spice-1/2 teaspoon
  • Chopped green chilli (optional)-1
  • Sriracha chili- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Cayenne pepper (optional)- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Olive or sesame oil for grilling eggplant and potatoes-1 tbsp
  • Red onions , thinly sliced-1/2 cup
  • Fresh or canned ripe mangoes, cubed if available -1/2 cup
  • Fresh basil and/or cilantro, chopped fine-2 tablespoons
  • Roasted and salted peanuts-2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Mix rice vinegar, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic pods, cajun spice, green chilies, sriracha chili and cayenne pepper well till the ingredients dissolve and keep aside.
  2. Boil the noodles as per package instructions adding a teaspoon of oil while boiling to avoid clumping. Once cooked place under cold running water to stop cooking process, drain and keep aside
  3. Wash and chop eggplant to desired size pieces (preferably 2X2 inch squares) ; soak in salt water for approximately half hour then drain and dry with a paper towel to wipe off excess moisture. Place the chopped eggplants in a deep bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1.5 teaspoon dry basil.Mix well. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grill the eggplant for 15-20 minutes or until soft
  4. Wash, dry and half the baby potatoes , drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, add 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1.5 teaspoons of dried rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grill the potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until soft
  5. Cut mangoes to small cubes and keep aside
  6. Slice red onions as thin as possible and keep aside
  7. Chop fresh basil (optional) and cilantro and keep aside
  8. Once the noodles have come to room temperature add all the above ingredients to it in a deep bowl,add dressing, mix gently so the dressing coats the ingredients well; test for salt, garnish with chopped herbs, and peanuts and serve.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/soba-noodles-salad-with-grilled-eggplant/

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal

Roasted Bell Pepper and Chickpea Hummus

What is the best way to enjoy all the goodness of chickpeas? I think I hear you scream – Hummus!

Who doesn’t like this middle eastern dip? It is one of the best ways for vegetarians to enjoy protein and for moms to camouflage some veggies into these deliciously healthy treats.

Hummus_OneWholesomeMeal

There are no hard and fast rules to make hummus. Fruits, veggies, or herbs, whatever your family favourites are, toss them in with some boiled or roasted chickpeas, add a garnish of your choice and you are sorted. One ingredient however I feel is indispensable and that is garlic. While I usually add chopped garlic to my hummus, this time I decided to swap it with some roasted garlic and boy did it make a difference to the flavours. Roasted garlic is a definite ingredient in my hummus from now on. It keeps very well in the refrigerator for a week to ten days.

Celery_Hummus_OneWholesomeMeal

 

You can get creative with the garnish. While I have recommended pomegranate arils in my recipe below, you may also use zaatar or paprika or flavor or spice. Healthy garnish options are flaxseed, chia seed, and even sesame. Whatever you decide, the most crucial garnish is olive oil. Let me know what you did in the comments below.

Roasted Bell Pepper & Chickepea Hummus

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 98%

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 166

Ingredients

  • Roasted Red bell pepper - 3/4 cup
  • Roasted Chickpeas- 1 cup
  • Lime juice- 4 teaspoons
  • Roasted Garlic- 1.5 teaspoons
  • Spice Mix- 1.5 teaspoons (Make the spice mix by blending 1 teaspoon caraway and 1.5 teaspoons coriander seeds)
  • Rice Wine Vinegar or Regular Vinegar- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Rock salt- 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
  • Red Chili (minced)-1
  • Pomegranate Arils -1 tablespoon (optional)
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil-1 tablespoon
  • Water- As required

Instructions

  1. Bring all roasted ingredients to room temperature
  2. Blend all ingredients except oil in a high power blender till a grainy consistency.You might need to add some water to the mixture and scrape down the sides.If you like your hummus smooth then you could blend it longer to a smooth paste. The texture would not make any difference to taste
  3. Add half a teaspoon oil to the blended mixture and pulse for 2 secs
  4. Drizzle the remaining oil on the hummus and serve with a side of crackers or veggies like celery or carrots

Notes

The pomegranate arils impart slight sharp flavour to the hummus which some may not like so feel free to omit it from the recipe

https://onewholesomemeal.com/roasted-bell-pepper-chickpea-hummus/

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

White Matar Sabzi | White Peas Curry

I tried white matar sabzi for the first time, only after my marriage. Up until then, I had always eaten it as a part of chaat or ragda-patties. But this sabzi is a regular feature in the menu at my in-laws’ and it tastes absolutely delicious with hot rice.

White matar or white peas, is a cousin of chickpeas, only much faster to cook and much easier to digest. Some like it just done, and some a tad bit mushy, but it tastes equally great both ways. I do not need to educate you about the benefits of eating lentils. We all know they are the best source of vegan protein and like most lentils, the white matar is best eaten freshly cooked. If stored for long after cooking, it loses its taste and gets harder to digest. It is also famous as ghugni, a kind of street food in the East Indian states of Odisha and West Bengal.

Coming back to the recipe, please note that the boiling time would differ based on the quality of matar and kind of pressure cooker. But it takes approximately 7 minutes from the time pressure sets in. Scroll down for the full recipe of the white matar sabzi.

White Matar Sabzi

Prep Time: 7 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 7 hours, 20 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3

Calories per serving: 200 per cup

Ingredients

  • White Matar, washed and soaked overnight or a minimum of 6 hours - One cup
  • Onions ground to a paste- 3/4 cup
  • Tomato ground to a paste- A little over 1 cup
  • Ginger garlic paste- 1 tablespoon
  • Bay leaf- 1 big
  • Dried red chilies- 2 small or as per taste
  • Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
  • Asafoetida- Pinch (optional)
  • Black cardamom -1 (optional)
  • Garam Masala- 1 teaspoon or 1.5 teaspoons if you like it spicier
  • Coriander powder -1/2 teaspoon
  • Cumin powder-1/4 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Red chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Oil or ghee- 1.5 tablespoons plus a little extra while roasting spices
  • Water-1.5 cups
  • Chopped coriander-1.5 tablespoons for garnish
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Red chili powder-1/2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Oil or ghee- 1.5 tablespoons plus a little extra while roasting spices
  • Water-1.5 cups
  • Chopped coriander-1.5 tablespoons for garnish

Instructions

  1. Boil the white matar with 1.5 cups of water, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt until soft and keep aside.
  2. Heat oil in a deep thick bottomed wok and add the whole spices (bay leaf, cumin, black cardamom, dried red chilli) and asafoetida. Immediately reduce the flame to medium-low and continue stirring for about 15-20 seconds. By this time the spices would start to crackle and release aroma.Add onion paste and increase the heat to medium high, stirring continuously . Add ginger garlic paste after a minute and continue to stir till the paste turns brown and starts to come together, then add all the powdered spices. Continue to cook on a medium high flame with continuous stirring till the mixture starts to release oil and you get a distinct aroma of cooked spices. If at any point the mixture starts to get dry, add 1 teaspoon of oil or ghee (preferably latter) and continue to stir. You could also add 2 tablespoons of water , however it effects the final taste mildly. This process of cooking spices with onions would take 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add tomato paste and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes till a homogenous mixture is formed.
  4. Add boiled matar into the masala mixture and mix well. Add warm water if the mixture is too thick and taste for salt. Bring to boil, then reduce flame to low, cover and let it simmer for 3 minutes. At this point you could add a teaspoon ghee for a beautiful flavour and aroma.Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 15 minutes or more for flavours to soak, garnish with chopped coriander and serve with rice or roti.

Notes

Please note that the boiling time would differ based on the quality of matar and kind of pressure cooker. But it takes approximately 7 minutes from the time pressure sets in. How I boil in a pressure cooker- Place the cooker with the contents on a high flame till the pressure sets in (indicated by a hissing sound once the steam starts to form); then reduce the flame to low and let cook for 5-7 minutes.

https://onewholesomemeal.com/white-matar-sabzi/

 

 

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