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.

Paneer-Dahi-Tikka(Paneer Marinated In curd and Barbecued)

Paneer-Dahi Tikka Skewer on the Barbecue

Paneer or cottage cheese is similar to the    cheese. Paneer makes a wonderful starter/appetizer/main course snack. In my house if there is a party then paneer as appetizer as well one vegetarian dish as main course is a must else the meal as grand as it may be would be incomplete for my family members. Paneer tikka made on non-stick tawa/ pan is very easy to make but barbecued paneer is the best. Changing the marination of the paneer make tremendous difference in the taste and flavor of the Tikka. Paneer Dahi Tikka is oil less and very easy to make but extremely tasty.

Preparation Time: 45-50 min. (Marination time included)

Cooking Time: 5-10 min / Skewer

Servings: 6 Medium Servings

Ingredients Required For Making Paneer-Dahi-Tikka:

• 250 gm. Paneer (Cottage cheese/Ricotta cheese)

• 100 gm. Thick Fresh Curd

• 50 gm. Cream (Optional)

• 1/4Teaspoon Coriander Powder

• 1/2Teaspoon Red Chili powder

• 1/4Teaspoon garam Masala

• 1 Teaspoon Garlic paste (Optional)

• 1 Teaspoon ginger past.

Ingredients of Marinade for Paneer-Dahi-Tikka

• Different color bell pepper

• Salt to taste

Direction For Making Paneer-Dahi –Tikka:

• Cut paneer to 3-4 cm. Cubes.

• Take

• Curd

• Garlic paste

• Ginger paste

• Salt

• Garam masala

• Dhaniya powder

• Red chili Powder

• Cream and beat nicely to make thick, creamy, marinade for Paneer-dahi-tikka.

Spices in cream and curd mixture for making Marinade

Marinade for Paneer-Dahi Tikka

• Dip each paneer piece carefully in the Curdy-Creamy-Marinade and keep in a bowl.

• Pour the remaining marinade on the paneer pieces.

Paneer in Marinade

• Cover and keep for marinating for 30 min.

• Cut the pepperoni to 3-4 cm. cubes after removing the seeds.

• Skewer the marinated pepperoni first and then paneer piece. Alternate the paneer and bell pepper pieces.

Marinated Paneer and Yellow Bell Pepper In Skewer

• Each Bell pepper-Paneer pair should be 1 cm. apart from the other Paneer-pepperoni pair.

• Keep the skewer with paneer on the red hot charcoal barbecue and keep turning regularly to make sure that all side of paneer get cooked uniformly.

• When the edges start getting slightly brownish-black remove the skewer from barbecue and serve the hot paneer-dahi –Tikka and bell pepper pieces with salsa sauce or my favorite Indian sauce made from coriander-mint (http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html)

Tips:

• Do not cut the paneer pieces small and thin else they will break while skewering or fall off while barbecuing.

• Never keep the skewer directly on charcoal they should be kept above the charcoal not on it.

• Remember when it is garlic paste and ginger paste then take as said in recipe. Do not change it to garlic-Ginger paste, else the taste will change.

Suggested variations:

• Par boiled cauliflower can be skewered along with bell pepper.

• Barbecued tomato pieces taste great with Paneer-Dahi-Tikka so thick pieces of fleshy tomatoes can be skewered along with Pepperoni.

• Cherry tomatoes can be skewered after giving them a prick with tooth pick.

• Those who do not wish to eat garlic can avoid garlic from marinade mixture.