Vegetable Jalfrezi

Vegetable Jalfrezi is a type of South Asian curry which involves frying  pieces of meat, fish or vegetables in oil and spices to produce a dry, thick sauce. The dish can range in heat from a medium dish to a very hot one.

This English word derived from a Bengali word “Jhalpharezi”, in Bengali, ‘jhal’  means spicy food; in Urdu/Persian, ‘parhezi’  means suitable for a diet. Other main ingredients include bell pepper, onion and tomato.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Medium pot of water
Salt	1 tsp
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tsp
Cauliflower cut into bite size florets	1 cup
Baby corn cut into bite size pieces	1 cup
Carrots chopped	1/2 cup
Oil	1 Tbsp
Onion chopped	1/2 medium
Ginger minced	1 tsp
Garlic minced	2 tsp
Tomato Sauce	1/2 cup (4 oz)
Bell Pepper chopped into bite size pieces	1/2
Frozen Green Peas	1/2 cup
Salt	to taste
Coriander Seeds (dry roasted and powdered)	2 Tbsp
Garam Masala	1 tsp
Red Chili Powder	optional and to taste
Tomato deseeded and chopped	1 small
Lemon Juice	to taste

Method

Bring pot of water to a boil, add salt and turmeric powder. Add cauliflower, carrots, baby corn and boil for 3 minutes. Strain the vegetables and drop them into a bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking. Drain and keep aside after 1-2 minutes. 

In a non-stick skillet or pan, heat 1 tbsp Oil. Add onions and cook 2-3 minutes until light golden. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and cook until the oil separates. Add bell pepper and green peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the half boiled vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, and baby corn), salt, powdered coriander, garam masala and optional red chili powder. Mix well and cook until veggies are tender but not mushy.

Sprinkle a little water over the veggies occasionally to provide moisture so that the dry spices do not burn. Add tomato and mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle lemon juice and mix.

Serve hot with roti, chapati or naan.

You can also use this as stuffing for frankie.

Tiranga Upkari

Upkari is a Konkani word for something like a stir fry, with very little oil. It sometimes has a tempering of mustard and curry leaves, garnished with grated coconut. It is served as a side dish.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5-10 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Baby corn sliced	1 cup
Beans chopped	1/2 cup
Carrots chopped	1/2 cup
Oil	1 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	5-6
Green chilies	1-2
Salt	to taste

Method

Half boil baby corn, beans and carrots. 

Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves. Add in slit green chili and all the vegetables. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle water if needed. Serve as a side dish.

Lazy Man's Garlic Bread

Garlic bread, consists of bread topped with garlic and olive oil or butter and may include additional herbs, like oregano. It is then either grilled or broiled until toasted, or baked in a conventional or bread oven.

I call this a lazy man’s recipe because here we use readymade bread and ready garlic butter.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Bread slices	5
For spread
Butter (soften butter before using)	4tsp
Garlic paste	1tsp
Pepper powder	½  tsp
Oregano	½ tsp
Garlic powder (optional)	to taste
Salt	to taste
Cheese Powder (optional)	to garnish

Method

Mix all the ingredients for spread in a bowl (check for salt).

Spread the paste on the bread slices (1/2tsp on each side). Sprinkle extra garlic powder and oregano if needed. Add grated cheese.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees for 5 minutes and then place bread slice on the microwave tray and place the tray on the grill and set for 2 minutes. Check for the crispy side and soft center. If required you can grill longer depending on your liking.

Making garlic bread on tava

Heat tava for 1 minute on high flame lower flame to low and place bread slice on one side, keep for 30 seconds to a minute and flip and fry on the other side. Add cheese on top side and close lid if you wish to have melted cheese. Fry on a low flame to achieve a crispy bottom and melted cheese on top.

You can garnish bread slice with a pinch of cheese powder just before serving.

Points to remember

·        Instead of using the homemade spread you can use Amul Butter with Garlic and Herbs. It has all the herbs, salt and pepper powder. 

Can also be served with Jalapeño Soup

Jalapeño Soup

Carrot Cake

A very moist, healthy, cake made from grated carrots and whole wheat flour. The best part is, it can be made eggless or with eggs. This cake can be served with a sweet, yet light carrot glaze.

Carrot is a cool season crop and when grown at 15°C to 20°C will develop a good color. Therefore it is more grown in hilly areas and areas where the temperature goes down below 20°C in winters. 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients	Quantity	Quantity for Eggless
Carrots grated	2 cups	2 cups
Eggs	3	-
Sugar	½ cup+2 tbsp	½ cup+2 tbsp
Whole Wheat flour	¾   cup	¾   cup
Cinnamon Powder	½  tsp	½  tsp
Salt	a pinch	a pinch
Baking Soda	½  tsp	½  tsp
Baking Powder	¼ tsp	¼ tsp
Oil	2 tbsp	5 tbsp
Curds	-	3 tbsp
Vanilla essence(optional)	few drops	few drops

Method

Sift together all dry ingredients like flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder 3 times.

Grease 8 inch cake tin using oil and line the base with parchment paper.

Pre heat oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.

Beat together eggs and sugar using a hand blender till sugar dissolves.

Add carrots to the bowl and mix well. Add all dry ingredients and mix using a spatula. 

Add oil and vanilla essence. Mix together. The cake should be at pouring consistency.

Pour the batter in the cake tin and place the cake on the middle rack. Bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Eggless version:

Sift together all dry ingredients like flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder 3 times.

Grease 8 inch cake tin using oil and line the base with parchment paper.

Pre heat oven at 170°C for 10 minutes.

Coarsely powder sugar in a blender. Whisk together oil and curds. Add sugar, whisk till sugar is completely dissolved.

Add carrots to the bowl and mix well. Add all dry ingredients and vanilla essence, mix using a spatula. Add few teaspoons of milk if you feel the cake batter is too dry. The cake should be at pouring consistency.

Pour the batter in the cake tin and place the cake on the middle rack. Bake at 170°C for 40-50 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the cake to separate any sticking on the edges. To demold the cake, it with cake board or a plate and flip the cake on it. Cake cooling rack works best.

For Glaze:

Ingredients	Quantity
Carrot juice	5 tbsp
Icing sugar	4 tbsp
Orange Juice (optional)	2 tbsp
Gelatin  (optional)	½  tsp

Method

Soak gelatin in 2 tbsp of water. Mix together carrot juice, orange juice and icing sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil on high heat and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the gelatin mixture, mix well and boil for 2-3 minutes. You can strain the mixture if you feel the glaze is lumpy.

Cool down to room temperature and then pour over the cake. Keep the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes for the glaze to set.

You can serve this with vanilla ice-cream.

Points to remember:

·        Let the cake cool down completely before adding any icing or glaze.

·        The thickness of the glaze really depends on your liking. If you like a thicker glaze you can reduce on the flame.

Party Cracker Bites

Party Cracker Bite is quick to make and a perfect appetizer for a party, hence the name. It is a finger food, eaten in one bite.

Preparation time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4-5 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Maska Chaska Biscuits	20
Curd	200 ml
Finely chopped vegetables  (Onion, carrots, capsicum)	½ cup
Coriander leaves	1tsp
Green chili (finely chopped)	1
Sweet Corn	1 tsp
Vinegar	1 tsp
White pepper Powder	½ tsp
Oregano (optional)	for garnish
Chili flakes (optional)	for garnish

Method:

Hang curd in Muslin Cloth for 1 hour.

In an air tight jar mix vegetable, salt, vinegar and pepper powder, close lid and keep in fridge with lid tightly closed for 2 hours.

Mix vegetables and hung curd, add coriander leaves and adjust salt.

Arrange the biscuits on the serving platter add 1 teaspoon of sauce on each biscuit, sprinkle oregano and chili flakes. Serve immediately.

Points to Remember

·        You can hang curd and marinate vegetables in advance and store in an air tight jar in the fridge. Keep them separately.

·        You need to assemble the dish just before serving.

·        Any packet curd can be used as it has good thickness.

Similar Recipe

Biscuit Chaat

Mushroom Ghee Roast

Mushroom Ghee Roast is a Mangalorean dish made from grated coconut, tamarind, and cashew nut gravy simmered in ghee taking the gravy to a whole new level. I generally serve it with Chilly Cheese Naan.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 4 people

Recipe Courtesy: Sanjana Pai

Ingredients	Quantity
Button Mushrooms	200 gms
Ghee	1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Onions (finely chopped)	1 cup
Cashew nuts	50 gms
Coconut Grated	½ cup or 100 gms
Kashmir Red Chilies	5-6 whole
Tamarind Paste	½ tbsp
Salt	to taste

Method

Wash mushrooms and pat dry using paper towel. Chop into bite sized pieces.

Grind together coconut, cashew nuts, red chilies into a smooth paste, adding very little water.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and oil in a non-stick pan. Once hot, add onions and fry for a minute. Add half a teaspoon of salt and fry till onions are soft but not brown. Now add the ground coconut masala. Mix and fry till oil separates from the gravy (appoximately10 minutes). Now add the tamarind paste. Cook till tamarind paste blends into the gravy.

Add chopped mushrooms to this gravy, mix and keep frying till mushrooms are slightly soft. Add water little at a time. Cook the gravy till mushrooms are cooked completely and keep frying till oil separates from the gravy. Adjust salt. Add a teaspoon of ghee and fry for just one minute.

Serve hot with Neer Dosa, Appam, Rice or Roti.