Gajar-Methi ki sabzi (Carrot-Fenugreek leaf vegetable)

Gajar - Methi ki sabzi 

Come winters and in Indian subcontinent market is flodded with Red juicy carrots(Gajar) and fresh green methi (fenugreek leafs). In most of the places methi is ssold in bunches, but many places we get pickied leafs of methi by weight. What ever the way we get it, the green and red color of methi and carrot compliment each other exactly in the same way as the sweet taste of carrot and slightly bitterish taste of methi compliment erach other.
Gajar-Methi ki sabzi is an Indian vegetarian savory packed with micronutrients and dietary fibers. It is normally paired with Roti /parantha. I love to have with dal-chawal (boiled rice and pulses).
Diabetic people who cannot consume potatoes, this vegetable preparation is excellent substitute to aloo-Methi.
Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serving: 4 large servings

Nutritional Value: (Approx. values) for vegetable made from 200g methi leafs and 100 g carrots.
170 Cal
28g Carbs
10g Protien
15g Dietary Fibers
140mg Sodium
12g Sugars
10g Fats
200mg Calcium+
5mg Iron+
1070mg Potassium+
12066IU Vitamin A+
110mg Vitamin C+

Ingredients Required For making Methi-Gajar Ki Sabzi:

• 200 gm Cleaned Fresh Methi Leafs (Approx. 1 thick bunch)
• 100 gm Carrots (Preferably red carrots not orange one)
• 10 ml. Cooking oil (I use Mustard oil)
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 Whole red chili
• 1Pinch Hing(Aesafotida)
• Salt To Taste

Direction For Making Gajar-Methi Ki sabzi:

• Wash the clesaned methi leafs in flowing water. Transfer the washed methi leafs in a sieve and allow all water to strain from it.
• Wash and cut the carrots to small pieces.

Chopped Carrot 

• Chop washed methi leaves finely.

Chopped Methi 

• In a thick bottom wok take oil and heat on high flame (do not heat it to smoking state). To the hot oil 
• Add 
• Cumin seeds
• Red chili
• Hing 
• When thr seeds have spluttered and red chili color changes wonderful oroma of tempering will come. Add carrot and bring hr heat to medium and cook till carrotspieces loose there shape and color changes. (Carrot pieces will shrink.)

Carrots added to the tempered oil 

Carrots cooked

• Add chopped methi leafs. Mix Nicely and cook on high flame for 1 minute.

Methi added to cooked carrots

• Add salt and mix.
• Cover and cook on low heat with intermittent stirring for 3-4 minutes. Methi leafs will wilt and will look a bit more darker. This is the state at which the heat should be switteched off. Cover and allow the vegetable to cook in the steam and residual heat.

After 3minutes of cooking 

• Removed ther cooked vegetable in a bowl and serve hot with Roti/Parantha, or Dal-Chawal.

Gajar-Methi ki sabzi 

Tips:

• Allow all water to drain from washed methi leafs. Else excess water in methi will ask for longer cooking and this changes the color and taste of vegetable which is not desired.
• Cut bcarrot to smaller pieces. Thick pieces of carrot give wrong texture to vegetable.
• Add methi only when gajar is almost done. Because methi i9s cooked for short time to retain its color, texture and taste.
• Overcooking of methi will cchange its atste to unsavory bitterish taste.

Suggested Variations: None.

Gajar Ka Halwa /गाजर का हलवा (Carrot dessert)

Gajar Halwa

Carrots are much sought after vegetable in winters when they come in dark red color and are extremely juicy. Apart from being used in salad and soups they are used to make cakes and desserts. In winters piping hot Gajar ka halwa is the most favorite of all Gajar preparations. Whenever carrots used to be in my vegetable basket my son and daughter would start salivating at the thought of treat of Gajar ka halwa so I had no options but to make it time and again till the red juicy carrots lasted in the market.

Nutritional Value/100 gm (approx. Value) :

Saturated Fat 0.037g,  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.117g,  Monounsaturated Fat 0.014g,  Sodium 69mg,  Potassium 320mg,  Total Carbohydrate 9.58g,  Dietary Fiber 2.8g,  Sugars 4.54g,  Protein 0.93g,  Vitamin C10%,  Calcium 3%,  Iron 2%.  Thus with nuts sugar / jaggery added to it along with the milk it makes wonderful, nutritious, healthy very filling dessert.

Preparation Time: 20 min. Cooking Time: 90 min Servings: 6 medium helpings Ingredients Required For Making Gajar Ka Halwa: 1 kg. Carrots (Gajar) Carrots 1.5 Lt. Full Cream Milk 150 gm. Sugar 10-15 Almonds 10-15 Cashew nuts 15-20 Raisins 1 Teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter) 100 gm. Khawa (Optional) 2-3 Green Cardamom Directions for Making Gajar Halwa: Wash carrots nicely of all dirt attached to it. Grate carrots. Grated Gajar Pound the green cardamom. Cut the nuts  finely. Take ghee in a thick bottom wok and heat on high flame till it is smoking hot. Lower the flame and add pounded green cardamom and cook for 30 seconds. In one Teaspoon of Ghee 2 pounded Green Cardamom Add grated carrots to the oil and cardamom mixture. Grated Gajar added to Ghee cardamom mixture Bring the flame to high and mix the carrots and oil nicely cook for 2-3 min. on high flame with constant mixing. Lower the flame and cook till all the juices of carrots are dried up. It will take 20-30 min. After 20 min. of cooking on low flame Add milk to the Pan fried carrots and mix nicely. Bring the flame to high till the milk starts boiling. Milk added and brought boil  Once the milk boils bring the flame to low and cook with occasional stirring till the mixture dries up and the carrots get cooked. Stage when Sugar should be added  Add sugar and mix nicely. The mixture will become slightly wet again as sugar will lose its water so cook  on low flame with constant stirring till all liquid dries and the halwa becomes semi-dry. Sugar added Sugar mixed and cooked for 10 min. on low flame Stage when Khawa should be added Take a thick bottom wok and heat it on gas. Lower the flame and add Khawa to hot wok and cook it for 2 min.  Khawa being cooked for 2 min. on low flame Before the Khawa starts becoming brown add the halwa in it and mix properly. Carrots cooked with milk and sugar added to khawa Cook for 2-3 minutes with constant stirring. Khawa mixed Add finely cut almonds, cashew nuts, raisins and mix. Nuts added to Gajar Halwa Gajar ka halwa is ready to be served. Take some halwa in a bowl put some nuts on the top of it and serve. Gajar Halwa Tips: Regular stirring is a must to ensure that the halwa does not get settled at the bottom and get burnt. Cooking must be done on low flame to ensure proper cooking of carrots and halwa not getting burnt. Wok or container in which halwa is being made should be thick bottom. Suggested Variations: The amount of milk can be increased to 2-3 lt. from 1.5 lt. If you do not wish to add Khawa then milk: carrot should be 2.5: 1Kg. For making the halwa more healthy and nutritious sugar can be replaced with jaggery. Halwa with jaggery is especially good for ladies post-delivery. Before adding Khawa cooked halwa can be pan fried with 4-5 teaspoon of ghee. Green cardamom powder can be added before adding the nuts. Pistachios, Walnut can be added along with other nuts. To make halwa quickly carrots can be cooked in 1/2lt. milk and then 500 gm. milk made can be added to it and cooked to semi-dry state. Amount of sugar should be reduced I to 75 gm. if milk made is added.

Pav Bhaji (Bun Bread With vegetable)

Bhaji for Pav bhaji

Pav Bhaji with butter and salad

Pav Bhaji is a special preparation of Maharashtra, India. It can be taken for lunch, dinner or even as evening snack. The aroma of Bhaji is heavenly and Pav (unleavened small bread) heated with butter along with reddish color Bhaji tastes yum and requires great will power to resist. My husband treated me to Pav Bhaji when I reached Pune after marriage, since then I am hooked to Pav Bhaji, and when I like something I have to learn how to cook it. One thing I learnt that when you make anything at home you can experiment and do lots of variations. I share my recipe with you all. Learn how to make and make your own variations and enjoy the delicious Pav Bhaji.

Preparation Time: 30min.

Cooking Time: 60min.

Servings: 5-6 large servings of Bhaji

Ingredients required for Making Bhaji:

• 100 gm. Cauliflower

• 50 gm. Cabbage

• 10 – 20 gm. Carrot (One small size carrot)

• 50 gm. Capsicum (Two medium size capsicums)

• 25 gm. Red bell pepper (Lal Shimla mirchi, one medium size)                                                                                                                                                                                       

• 150 gm. Onions

• 200 gm. Potatoes (5-6 Medium size potatoes)

• 200 – 250 gm. Tomatoes

• 50 gm. Garlic – Ginger paste

• 100 gm. Pav Bhaji masala

• 10-15 gm. Red Kashmiri Mirch powder

• Red chili powder to taste

• 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

• Salt to taste

• 100gm. Butter

• 8- 10 Sprigs of green coriander leaves.

• 5 - 6 Kadi patta( curry leaves)

Directions for Making Bhaji:

• Boil the potatoes.

• Peel the boil potatoes.

• Mash the boiled and peeled potatoes and keep them aside.

Boiled mashed Potatoes

• Cut finely cauliflower, cabbage, and carrot after washing.

Finely cut vegetables

• Cut finely capsicum and red bell pepper and keep them aside.

• Cut finely tomatoes and keep them aside.

• Cut onions very fine and keep them aside.

• Wash, drain green coriander leaves and cut them finely.

• In a cooker take finely cut cauliflower, cabbage, carrot and half of finely cut capsicum and red bell pepper.

Mixture of vegetables ready for boiling in the cooker

• Add 1/2 Tea spoon of salt and one cup of water, put the lid of cooker and keep for boiling on high flame.

• When pressure builds in the cooker lower the flame and cook for 10 min.

• Remove the cooker from gas and allow it to cool.

• Keep a thick bottom wok on gas on high flame.

• Put 100 gm. butter in the hot wok.

Butter being melted

• When the butter melts add kadi patta in it.

Kadi patta in melted butter

• When kadi patta become brownish in color and the fragrance of kadi patta starts coming out add finely cut onions in it.

Onions being cooked with the seasoning of kadi patta

• Lower the flame and cook the onions till they just start turning brown.

• Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a min. or so.

Stage of cooked onions with ginger - garlic paste when Tomato should be added

• Add finely cut tomatoes and cook toll the mixture leaves the edge of wok.

• Add boiled potatoes and mix thoroughly.

Mashed Potatoes added to the mixture of cooked onions and tomatoes

•  Cook with regular stirring till the mixture leaves the edge of wok.

 Mixture of cooked potatoes,onion,and tomatoes

• Add boiled vegetables with all liquid in the cooker and mix nicely.

Boiled Vegetables added to cooked onion, potato, tomato mixture

•  Cook with stirring and mashing.

• Keep on adding little amount of water in between.

• Add finely cut capsicum and red bell pepper, mix and cook with regular stirring and mashing.

• When the mixture becomes homogenous add salt to taste red chili powder, Kashmiri mirchi powder and turmeric powder and mix thoroughly.

Turmeric powder, salt, chili powder added to the mashed mix of boiled vegetable

• Cook for a min. or two, and then add Pav bhaji masala.

Pav bhaji powder added to the mixture of mashed vegetables

• Mix thoroughly then add 100 ml. of water and cook for 5 min. with regular stirring.

• Bhaji should look like a paste; no vegetable pieces should be seen in the bhaji.

• Cover and remove from heat.

• Add 3-4 tea spoons of cut coriander leaves and mix.

• Beautiful red color bhaji with a wonderful flavor is ready.

Bhaji ready for Pav Bhaji

• Take the bhaji bowl/plate put a blob of butter on it, decorate it with coriander/ strawberry/cherry/ringlets of onion and tomato as per your liking.

Bhaji for Pav bhaji ready to be served

Bhaji for Pav Bhaji

•   Serve hot bhaji with Pav, and salad and a piece of lemon.

Directions for heating Pav:

• Heat a tawa/pan on high flame.

• Cut Pav into two halves from the sides.

• Put butter on the hot tawa and when the butter melts put the Pav from the exposed side on it and press with a spatula till it becomes of brownish pink color.

melted butter and Pav being heated

• Repeat the same with all Pav.

Direction to make salad for Pav bhaji:

• Take finely cut onions, coriander leaves, Green chilies mix them and serve.

Salad for Pav bhaji

Pav Bhaji with salad lemon and a dollop of butter

Tips:

• Bhaji should be neither too thick nor watery in consistency.

• Except for some red and green pieces of capsicum and red bell pepper rest of the vegetables should be homogenous paste in bhaji.

• More the butter used better the taste of bhaji.

• Never grind the boiled vegetables and boiled potatoes in mixture to make paste.

• More the vegetables are cooked with regular mashing tastier the Bhaji becomes.

• Keep on adding little amounts of water when the Bhaji is being cooked so as to maintain proper thickness of Bhaji.

Suggested Variations:

• One tea spoon of amchur powder (dry raw mango powder) can be added to increase tangy taste.

• French beans, beetroot can be also added to the mixture of vegetables while boiling.

• Boiled Peas can be added to the bhaji before adding Pav bhaji masala but they should not be mashed.

• Pieces of cottage cheese can be added to the bhaji before adding Pav bhaji masala cheese pieces should not be mashed.

• Homemade unsalted butter can be taken for making bhaji.

• For those who do not eat onions and garlic amount of potatoes can be increased and along with kadi patta cumin seeds can be added followed by ginger paste.

Upama ( Low calorie dish prepared from Semolina)

Upama

Upama is very low calorie but high on nutrition and easy to digest. I was introduced to it by one of the hostel warden in Jaipur (Rajasthan) and I just loved it and now my family loves the Upama made by me. It is a savory dish mainly made in southern part of India but eaten by most of the Indian with equal zest. So what is stopping you!!! Try it with porridge and fruits as a combination for breakfast and make your family healthy.

Preparation time: 5-10 min.
Cooking time: 15 min.
Servings: Serves generous helping for 4 people.

Ingredients Required For Upama : 

• 150 gm. Suji (Semolina)

Roasted semolina(suji)

• 100 gm . Finely cut mixed vegetables.(carrot, french beans, peas, cauliflower). 

Mixed vegetables

• 1 Medium size finely cut Onion.
• 1'' Ginger piece (grated).
• 1 Medium size finely cut Tomato. 

Finely cut Tomatoes

• 2Tea spoons finely chopped Coriander leaves.
• 4-5 Curry leaves.(sweet neem leaves)
• 2 Tea spoons Urad dal.
• 1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds.
• 1/2 Tea spoon Mustard seeds.
• 2 Green chilies finely cut.
• Salt to taste.
• 10 ml. cooking oil.
• 150 ml. Water.

Direction To Make Upama 

• Take a thick bottom wok and roast suji to light golden color on low flame.
• Keep the roasted suji aside in a bowl.
• Put oil in the wok and let it heat .
• Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, urd dal and cook for 1 min. The mustard seeds, cumin seeds will split and urd dal will become golden in color.
• Add onions and cook till transparent in color.

Onions being cooked to transparent stage
after seasoning with mustard seeds,
cumin seeds, curry leaves and urd dal.

 

• Add green chillies, ginger and cook for 1/2 min.
• Add all vegetables and cook for 2-3 min. 
• Add tomatoes and cook till they become soft.
• Add roasted suji and mix thoroughly so that the vegetables get coated with suji. 

Mixed vegetables, tomatoes, suji being cooked

• Add salt and mix again.
• Add water and mix 

Water added to the mixture of suji and vegetables.

• Cover and cook on low flame for 10 min.

After adding water the wok is covered and kept on low heat

• Add coriander leaves mix nicely.
• Cover and remove from flame 

Tips : -

• Suji can be roasted and stored this makes the morning work easy as well as avoids suji getting spoiled ( infested with pests).
• Never use Pumpkin, Brinjal, Baigan, bottle gourd (Lauki), cabbage, Drum sticks,in upama.

• Upama can be used as evening snack also.Filling yet light.   

Upama ready to be garnished and served

Upama is ready to be served and of course eaten with coconut/ground nut chutney / Coriander mint chutney 

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

/ Hariyali chutney

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

Suggested Variations :

• To make it more attractive for children you can add cashew, raisins, cherry in little amount.
• Instead of suji finely broken wheat for upama can also be used.