Zaiqa

Simple vegetable subzis are so good along with Roti and perfect for a light nutritious meal. Cauliflower is one such easily available, immensely nutritious vegetable that is usually ignored, disliked and not valued for its many benefits.

Phool Gobi ki Subzi – Cauliflower with Tomato and Onion

Did you know?
Cauliflower comes in 4 different colors, purple cauliflower, green cauliflower, orange cauliflower (also called as the ‘cheddar cauliflower’) and white cauliflower. The most common variety is the ‘White Cauliflower’. Cauliflower should be used within a day or two once they are brought home, as they begin to rapidly perish and loose their flavor. This ordinary veggie is abundant in vitamin-C, complex carbohydrates, folate, fibre and antioxidants. Hence it helps lower blood cholesterol and is good for your heart health. It also helps detoxify the body and reduces the risk of cancer as it contains several cancer-fighting and harmone regulating compounds.

Cauliflower can be incorporated into the diet in several different ways. In winters, I love to have a simple pureed cauliflower+asparagus bisque in the chilly winters. Cauliflower pakoda/fritters is great as a snack and I also prepare it for Iftaar during Ramadhan.

Chopped cauliflower florets and tender outer leaves

This subzi is one that I most usually prepare for meals at home. Do not discard the outer leaves of the cauliflower. Wash the cauliflower florets thoroughly in cold salted water and drain them in a colander. Discard the tough stems and chop the tender leaves and stems to add to the florets for the subzi.

Phool Gobi ki Subzi – Cauliflower with Tomato and Onion

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 2 tsp
Yellow Onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp
White Cauliflower head – 1, medium sized, washed properly and cut into small florets along with its tender outer greens
Tomato – 3, large, washed properly and finely diced
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Salt – to taste

Method:

1. In a saucepan at medium high heat, pour canola oil and as soon as it warms up, add the sliced onion and sauté them until they are soft. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry along for 30 secs.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes along with the red chilli powder and salt. Pour about 3o ml warm water and close the lid. After 1-2 minutes, add the cauliflower florets. Close the lid and let cook until the cauliflower is done. Sprinkle a little more water if needed. Serve along with Roti.

Tip: Any leftovers? Just finely chop the leftover subzi and use it as a stuffing for Parathas. Phool Gobi stuffed parathas are yummy and nourishing.

Luv,
Mona

Snacks at the evening time after a small afternoon siesta were always so looked forward to by us all kids during my childhood in Hyderabad. Mirchi ke bhajiye, Palak ki pakodi, Aloo ke bhajiye, Pyaz ki pakodi, Bhelpuri, Aloo cutlets with chutneys, Samosa, or a variety of Fruit-chaat etc are the usual typical Indian tea time snacks.

Black Chickpeas-Kala Chana     ~     White Chickpeas-Kabuli Chana
Top-Pressure cooked Chana; Middle-Soaked Chana; Bottom-Dried Chana

There are two types of Chickpeas found in the market, black chickpeas called as Kala Chana in Urdu, and white chickpeas called as Kabuli Chana in Urdu. The black chickpeas are also sprouted and consumed in salads or lightly stir fried for a nutritious snack.

Note: Fresh chickpeas are green in color, in fuzzy pods, and are called as Hara Chana or Hari Boot. Have a look at them here. Fresh green chickpeas are sweetish in taste and taste awesome when dry roasted in pods in pans on stovetop until lightly charred, then shelled and eaten warm. When these green fresh chickpeas are dried in sun, they get dark in color with brown skin and rock like, called as the Kala Chana or Black Chickpeas. When these black chickpeas are skinned and split, we get Chana Dal or Bengal Gram. Instead when the black chickpeas are roasted and then skinned, we get Phula Chana, also referred to as Dalia or Bhuna Chana or Roasted Chana.

Spicy Black Chickpeas – Chatpate Kale Chane

During a recent visit to one of the grocery stores here, I spotted a bag of Kala chana which I quickly bought home and decided to enjoy them the way one of my aunt used to prepare during my childhood which I had always loved.

Spicy Black Chickpeas – Chatpate Kale Chane

Ingredients:

Dried Black Chickpeas/Kala Chana – 200 grams
Salt – 2 tsp
Canola oil – 1 tsp
Kalonji – 1 tsp
Dried red chilli – 1, whole
Cumin seeds/Zeera – 1 tsp
Red Ripe Tomato – 2, medium sized
Amchur powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Onion – finely chopped, for garnish
Cilantro – finely chopped, for garnish
Green chillies – finely chopped, for garnish

Method:

1. Wash and soak the dried kala chana covered overnight in cool fresh water.
2. The next day, drain the water and wash the kala chana in cool water. Drain and put them in a pressure cooker. Pour 1 glass of cool water and add salt into the cooker and pressure cook the chana until tender, around 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a pan at medium heat, pour oil and add the kalonji and zeera. As they splutter, add the tomatoes, stir and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes. Add the red chilli powder and amchur powder and stir them again. Add the pressure cooked kala chana with the water and stir gently to mix well, half cover the pan and let cook until it is mostly dry. Add a few more splashes of water if needed. Once done, the chana should be fairly dry.
4. Serve them into individual plates. Garnish with chopped onion, green chilli and cilantro. Enjoy with a cup of warm evening tea as a snack.

Luv,
Mona

Pulses are an essential component of Indians meals. They are the main source of protein and iron in an Indian diet.

Split husked Moong dal~Dhuli hui Moong dal and Tomato

Moong is one variety among the common Indian pulses. Whole Moong, as called as Green gram, in Urdu language is called as Hari Moong. These whole moong beans are sprouted to increase their vitamin C content and consumed in salads or sauteed lightly. Split moong with skin is called as Chilkon wali moong. And split husked moong, which I have used today to prepare this dish is called as Dhulli hui moong ki dal.

Tamatar-pyaz wali dhulli Moong dal
served with store bought warm whole-wheat Afghani bread

Split husked moong is oval shaped and pale yellow in colour. I love to prepare them this way in a tomato-onion mixture for breakfast as my Ammi used to do during my childhood.

Tamatar-Pyaz wali Dhulli Moong dal – Tomato-Onion flavored split husked Moong lentils

Ingredients:

Split Moong Da/Dhulli hui moong dal – 1 cup
Canola oil – 2 tsp
Onion – 1, finely sliced
Tomato – 1, large, finely chopped
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Cilantro – 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Method:

1. Wash and soak the split moong dal for about an hour in cool fresh water.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan at medium heat and add the sliced onion. Stir and cook until just lightly browned. Add the chopped tomato, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well and cover the lid and let cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are mushy.
3. Drain the dal and to the tomato onion mixture. Mix well and pour in 1 cup warm water. Cover and let cook until the dal is soft but not mushy. Add more water if needed. Once done, remove from heat, garnish with cilantro and serve warm immdiately.

This delicious dal is my entry to the event ‘Delicious Dals from India’ being hosted by Suma at her blog Veggie Platter.

Luv,
Mona

The combination of Soya nuggets and Spinach is very healthy with added nutrition from Soya proteins. Soya is an excellent source of protein including all amino acids, being the only vegetable whose protein is complete. It is also a good source of calcium, vitamins, omega-3-fatty acids and dietary fiber. Benefits of Soya include promoting heart health with LDL cholesterol (Bad Cholesterol); preventing Cancer and alleviating menopausal symptoms.

Dried Soya Nuggets available in the market  ~  Soaked Soya Nuggets

Soak Soya nuggets in surplus fresh cool water for 1-2 hours. Later, squeeze them, drain the water and put the squeezed nuggets in a dry bowl. Add fresh cool water to it and again squeeze them, drain the water and put them in a bowl. Repeat this about 8 times, until there is no lather in the water when you squeeze them while washing them up. This is important, otherwise the lather in soya will cause severe flatulence. So, be careful there.

Likewise, Spinach or Palak, the most common green leafy vegetable is rich in iron, hence valuable for the treatment of anemia. It is also full of various antioxidants and vitamin A,B and C, folate, potassium and ample dietary fiber. Including Spinach regularly in your diet also improves eye health and fights against cancer.

Soya palak along with Rice and Lemon Dal ~ My Lunch plate

Wash the leaves thoroughly and pat them dry before you chop them to ensure that there are no pesticides.

I prepare this curry quite often in my house as a replacement for Palak Gosht. The Soya nuggets that I have used here taste yummy paired with spinach. They are available at various food stores very commonly.

Soya Palak – Spinach with Soya Nuggets

Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak – 300 gms, chopped (Fresh or frozen)
Canola oil – 1 tbsp
Yellow onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Dried Soya nuggets/Soya Vadi – 3/4 cup
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin seed powder – 1 tsp
Roasted coriander seed powder – 1 tsp
Tomato – 1, large, finely chopped

Method:

-In a pan, add the sliced onion and stir fry it for a few seconds. Add the soya nuggets and fry them along stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
-Add spinach and the remaining ingredients. Pour in half cup water and mix well. Cover the lid and let it cook until the spinach is tender. Serve warm.

Go Unplugged: Earth hour, a worldwide voluntary movement initiated by WWF in the year 2007, to raise global awareness against climate change, is 1 day, 5 hours and 18 minutes from now, depending on where in the world you live. Be sure to participate by turning off all non-essential lights and electrical appliances for an hour on March 28, 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, that is tomorrow ~ www.earthhour.org

Remember it is not only at the Earth Hour to do our part to save the earth, we have to be conscious all the time and practice ways to save our earth for a healthier, safe and cleaner place to live. Teach your kids to always shut down lights when not in use. It is one thing my parents have always taught me. Contributes a lot in conserving energy.

Also, head over here to watch the very pleasant Hyderabadi culinary celebrity – ‘Kunwar Rani Kulsum Begum’, the niece of Salar Jung III, dishing out a wonderful TAMATAI MURGH. Enjoy the video!

Luv,
Mona

Finally the snow seems to be melting away and I can hear water running down on the streets into the drains through everywhere. It wont be long when the piles and piles of snow will slowly flow away and evaporate, and I am so looking forward to it all inshallah.

Frozen Moment #5 – Spring’s not very far from now

The weather was in single digits yesterday, after a long long time. I was very delighted to take a walk, and feel the cool but bearable winds. During the days, sunlight streaming in through windows when the sky is clear and not cloudy gives me utmost pleasure and awaken my dull and boring days.

Today I prepared Khatta shorba, one of the easiest, light and delicious Hyderabadi curry that I enjoy along with Khadi dal and Chawal for a filling dinner or lunch.

Aloo-Gosht ka Ka Khatta Shorba – Aromatic Soured Meat Stew

Khatta Salan means ‘tangy curry’. Sometimes the curry is also referred to as Khatta shorba means ‘tangy stew’. The sourness from the tomatoes and tamarind, a slight heat from red chilli powder and the subtle sweetness from onions along with the roasted spices impart an aromatic and delectable flavor to this tomato stew. This same tomato base or shorba is used in many other versions of the khatta shorba, which are Karele ka Khatta Shorba, Bhendi Ka khatta shorba, Arvi-Gosht ka khatta shorba etc.

Aloo-Gosht ka Khatta Salan – Meat & Potato in Aromatic tangy Tomato Stew

Ingredients:

Lamb shouldermeat with bones – 600 gms, washed and cut into bite size pieces
Yellow Onion – 3, large, finely sliced
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – 2 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs, fresh
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Roasted Cumin seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Roasted Coriander seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes – 5, large red and ripe, finely chopped
Potatoes – 3, medium sized, quartered
Tamarind juice/Lemon or Lime juice – 3 tbsp
Canola oil – 5 tbsp

Method:

• In a large pressure cooker at medium high heat, add oil, and as soon as it warms up add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder and meat bones. Let cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add tomatoes and cook along until it starts leaving oil. Pour in water to cover and pressure cook until the meat is cooked.
• Add the quartered potatoes and tamarind/lemon/lime juice and around 2-4 cups of water to the meat stew and let it cook  half covered for a further 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat and serve.

Suggested Accompaniments: Chawal and Khadi dal.

Note: You can replace potatoes with peeled and quartered turnips to make it ‘Shalgam aur Gosht Ka Khatta Salan’ – Turnip and Lamb meat in a Tangy Sauce.

Luv,
Mona