Tag Archives: Leafy Vegetable

Breakfast time, Snacks

Drumstick leaves Aloo Roti | Easy snack and lunch box idea

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Finding healthy evening snacks are the most difficult for me as most of the snack ideas that are available online are deep fried ones or with bread. Though I bake my own wheat bread and we enjoy it with fresh cream cheese spread, still I have to think of varieties each day to feed my kids who get bored very quickly. 😀

I am also sorry that I always write about my kids. It’s because all my recipe ideas are inspired by what they like and I keep making the dishes they absolutely love. ❤️ Hope it is helpful to mothers like me who want to make their kids eat healthy yet get run out of ideas.

These rotis were found on a day when I had leftover drumstick leaves potato curry and I had to make something quick for the kids. I just added wheat flour and made rotis with it. The kids loved it so much that it has now become a regular in our place whenever I get drumstick or Methi leaves (best way to get leaves in their tiny tummies 😍😍).

This is very filling, yet tasty and very healthy. Best part is it stays soft after many hours. So you can give for lunch box too. Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes 5 Rotis }

1 Tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Jeera/ Cumin seeds

1 Cup mashed Potatoes (Pressure cook potatoes till soft, peel and mash well)

1/4 Cup Drumstick leaves / Moringa leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

2 Cups Wheat flour

1/2 Cup Water

Salt to taste

Ghee to cook the rotis

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat ghee in a pan (I use my iron kadhai for this recipe.). Add Jeera. Fry little and add mashed potatoes along with drumstick leaves, Turmeric powder, Garam masala powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix everything well and cook for two mins.

2. Allow it to cool. Then add wheat flour and water to make a smooth dough. You can add a pinch of salt to this if needed.

3. Make small balls of this dough, dust in dry wheat flour and spread using a rolling pin into rotis of medium thickness (slightly thicker than chapatis).

4. Cook on a hot tawa and use ghee while frying both sides.

5. Remove from flame and serve with mint chutney and curd.

Notes:

* I serve this with Pudina Lehsun chutney and curd. Makes a great combination.

* You can substitute drumstick leaves with Methi or fenugreek leaves too.

* I make and keep these in a steel container and it stays soft even after many hours. So really good idea for lunch boxes.

* The dough also can be made beforehand and refrigerated in an airtight container. Lasts well for a day.

* I add 1/4 Cup leaves to 1 Cup mashed potatoes and 2 cups wheat flour. You can increase the quantity of leaves if you want. I find this ratio good for my kids as the taste is not very overpowering while it gives them the nutrition too.

* You can also check the spicy idlis with drumstick leaves which we Konkanis call Mashinga palle sannamuddo.

* Do try these rotis or your regular parathas with Pudina Lehsun chutney. Tastes amazing.

* One more snack idea which is very filling and my kids’ favorite are these Masala Oats Parathas. Very delicious!

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Curry house, Variety Rice

Palak Paneer with simple vegetable pulao | Easy meal ideas

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Palak paneer reminds me of only one person, someone who is very close to my heart and to whom I owe everything in life – My Amma ❤️. This is her favorite dish and I have so many memories with her love for Palak paneer. Each time I make it, I only wish she was here with me, just to see her eat with so much happiness. 😍

One of the first memories of Palak paneer and my Amma is when she was admitted in hospital during my 4th semester engineering exams due to Vertigo. It was one of my most difficult days as I could not bear to see her suffer and wanted to take care of her but I had my exams on.

Finally I decided to stay in the hospital with her and study, no matter what happens. Those days, when I used to come back after my exams, I brought her favorite foods to cheer her up. One of them was Palak paneer from a nearby restaurant. The glow on her face while eating it is still in my memories. Can never forget the small ray of happiness which this curry brought in those sad times. ❤️

And guess what? My 4th semester exam results were my most scored one in my entire engineering studies. I always say it’s only due to Amma’s blessings. 🙏

After that, I learned to make palak paneer from my aunt Anita Pai mai who was also the reason I started my blog. She encouraged me a lot during my initial cooking days. Amma loved my palak paneer so much that she said it tasted even better than restaurant ones. So whenever I visit them, I definitely make it for her. Just to see the glow on her face. 😍

I had even made it for her and sent it with my brother when he had come here to Qatar on vacation. Here is a picture from my Facebook memories. Palak paneer with Coconut burfis and Til ki Burfi which travelled from Qatar to India, from a daughter to her mother, with loads of love. ❤️❤️

This post became quite a long one but I always wanted to write about these memories as they are very close to my heart. I know Amma will have tears in her eyes while reading this. Loads of love to you Amma. Don’t know when we can meet next but I will definitely make your favorite Palak paneer for you when we meet. ❤️

Hope you all try this curry with pulao. I thank Anita Pai mai for her recipe. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

300 grams Palak or Spinach leaves (about half a large bunch)

200 grams Paneer cubes

4 green chillies

1 Tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Cumin seeds/ Jeera

1 inch Ginger piece, finely chopped

4 to 5 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 medium sized Onion, finely chopped

1 large Tomato, finely chopped

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Garam masala powder

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Clean the spinach leaves well and wash under running water till the dirt goes away.

2. Now heat water with salt in a large pan. Add these leaves and bring to a boil.

3. As soon as it boils and the leaves start changing colour, immediately remove the leaves and wash it in cold water. Allow it to cool down.

4. Meanwhile heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. When it changes colour, add Ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute. Add onion and fry till it turns translucent.

5. Now add finely chopped tomatoes and fry till it turns soft. Mash using the ladle. You can also puree tomatoes and add. Now add Haldi powder, Garam masala powder and red chilli powder.

6. Mix well. Grind the palak leaves along with green chillies and little water to a smooth paste. Add to this. Also add paneer cubes and salt.

7. Cook till the palak leaves changes colour and turns dark green. Remove from flame. Serve with rotis or rice. I usually make my simple vegetable pulao with it.

Notes:

* For vegetable pulao, soak basmati rice for about half an hour. In a pan, add ghee. Also add cloves, cardamom pods, bay leaf and some cashews. Fry till cashews turn brown. Now add drained rice along with frozen or fresh vegetables (about 1 cup for every 2 cups rice used). Cook in enough water adding salt till the rice turns soft. You can also add little milk and saffron when the rice is almost cooked for a richer version of pulao.

* Don’t cook the palak leaves in water as it will lose the nutrients. Just blanch it ie add to the hot water, bring to a boil and immediately drain and wash in running water in a colander. This helps retain the colour of palak leaves.

* I add the stalk part of palak too as it is healthy. Some people add only the leaves and discard the stalk/ stem. I feel if you grind it to smooth paste, then there is no problem in using the stem as well. In fact it gives a thickness to the gravy along with being nutritious too.

* Red chilli powder can be added only if needed since we are already adding green chillies while grinding.

* I used to add milk to the gravy towards the end when I started making palak paneer but now I don’t add as I feel it masks the palak flavour. You can add milk towards the end or garnish with fresh cream if you like it.

* You can substitute paneer with boiled chickpeas for Chole Palak and with boiled cubed Potatoes for Aloo palak or even with mushrooms for Kumbh Palak.

* Our favorite combination with Palak paneer is Vegetable pulao. I also make chapatis and it tastes great with this curry too.

Curry house, Idli Stand, Konkani Recipes

Mashinga palle sannamuddo | Drumstick leaves spicy idlis Konkani style

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I love cooking alone in the kitchen and look for the time when my kids are super busy with their naughtiness, then sneak myself into the kitchen to cook. When I cook, some dishes bring back such beautiful nostalgic memories that they bring so much happiness in my heart. Memories are really a wonderful way to relive those precious moments which can never come back but will be a treasure in us forever, bringing us joy when we think of them. ❤️

Sannamudhos were regularly made by my grandmother and I used to wait for it to be steamed to enjoy them as soon as it came out of the pedavan or steamer with coconut oil. Even now, when I make them, I eat them the same way just to relive those childhood memories. Here is a glimpse of the sannamudhos from the pedavan which my father had gifted me many years back when I was coming here to Qatar. Love it so much. Also, see how cute it looks. 😍

Here, even though we live in Industrial area, the residents have planted many variety of trees and one among them is drumstick tree. My husband plucks the leaves from a large tree near our house and I make sannamudhos as soon as I get them. The aroma of these idlis are one of it’s kind. The whole house smells heavenly when it steams. ❤️

Hope you all try and love them. Drumstick leaves are very healthy and medicinal. So I always try to add it regularly in our diet. Konkanis know this recipe but sharing for those who are new to it. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: {Makes about 13 idlis}

2 Cups Drumstick leaves/ Moringa leaves/ Mashinga pallo

1 Cup Idli Rava/ Rice Rava

Salt to taste

For the masala paste:

1/2 Cup fresh or desiccated Coconut

1 tsp Tamarind paste

5 to 6 Kashmiri long red chillies or to taste (fried in 1 tsp oil)

Coconut oil to grease the idli plates

Step by step recipe:

1. Remove the leaves from the stems. Add to a bowl. Wash well. Drain and keep aside.

2. Take idli rava in a bowl. Wash well, drain and keep aside.

3. Now grind together coconut, fried red chillies and tamarind paste with little water to a smooth paste. Add this to the idli rava mixture.

4. Add about 1/2 Cup water (I wash the mixer and add that water.) to form a thick batter. Add salt and mix well.

5. Now mix in the drumstick leaves. It is a thick mixture just like how it is shown below.

6. Grease idli moulds with coconut oil and add the mixture evenly in the moulds.

7. Steam for 20 to 25 minutes or till a knife inserted in the center of the idli comes out clear.

Just love this pedavan or steamer gifted to me by my dad 😍

8. Enjoy it piping hot with coconut oil or with rice and dalitoy or rasam. Makes such an heavenly combo!

Notes:

* You can substitute drumstick leaves with Methi leaves or finely chopped palak leaves. This sannamudho can be made adding only onion or a mix of onion plus cabbage too.

* I add two cups of leaves for 1 Cup of idli rava. You can reduce the amount of leaves if you don’t have that much available but this quantity gives an amazing aroma as well as flavour to these idlis.

* The amount of red chillies I have mentioned is apt for us as the idlis turn out medium spicy. If you like them more spicy, then you can also add chilli powder before you mix in the leaves.

* Do steam them well atleast for 20 mins on high flame, else there can be rawness in the idli rava.

* Idli rava absorbs water when kept for a while. So if you keep the mixture to rest, it will absorb all the water and you might need to add a little more water to bring it to thick consistency. If steamed immediately, only 1/2 Cup water is needed.

* These idlis are traditionally had with rice and any curry like dalitoy (Konkani style dal) or rasam. You can also enjoy them as it is but don’t forget to dip in it coconut oil or drizzle over it for that heavenly flavour.