Tag: potatoes

Cauliflower and Potato Dry Curry (Sabzi)

Every once in a while I crave simple Indian food. There is no rival when it comes to cauliflower sabzi. I bought a small head of cauliflower this time, and it was starting to go bad. So my husband decided to cook it up with some potatoes for an easy lunch. We ate it with some frozen rotis from the Indian store. We always have a couple of these in the freezer for when we don’t feel like making fresh ones. Always buy Haldiram frozen rotis… The rest aren’t as good. 😬

This sabzi is a favorite among caterers, and anyone packing their own lunchbox. It’s super easy to make a. Plus, it freezes really well! It is also completely vegan! To be honest, most Indian curries are vegan, at least the ones we make at home daily. Only the rich curries served in restaurants aren’t vegan.. Anyway, here’s our recipe for potato and cauliflower sabzi!

Servings: 2, Prep time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • Potatoes 2 medium
  • Cauliflower 1 medium head
  • Canola oil 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds (black) 1 tsp
  • Asaphoetida powder 1/4 tsp
  • Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala 2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp
  • Salt as per taste
  • Water as needed

Instructions

  1. Cut the cauliflower head into 1/2 inch pieces. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/4 inch pieces as well
  2. In a pan, heat the oil till smoking. Then add the mustard seeds and let them pop
  3. Add the asaphoetida and watch it bubble for about half a minute
  4. Add the chopped veggies, cover and cook for 2 mins
  5. Add all the spices and salt. Stir well, then add a splash of water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
  6. That’s it! Serve and enjoy..

Tips

  • The asaphoetida I have is from an excellent source and it is very strong. So, I only add a punch if it. The asaphoetida we get in Indian stores in the US isn’t all that great. Add 1/4 tsp if you have the US version.
  • I cut the veggies in different sized pieces so I can cook them all together. If you want the sabzi to look very pretty, cut all veggies in the same size and add the cauliflower to the pan after the potatoes have cooked for about 5 minutes so the cauliflower doesn’t over cook.
  • Eat this with any bread on hand! You can also stuff this inside a sandwich, or mix into rice and dal. I have also made Indian style burritos out of this sabzi.. Basically, you can eat this as you like. It’ll taste good with everything
  • Do not change the proportion of garam masala and other spices. This is a garam masala forward recipe, and that is what you should mostly taste

Once we start eating this sabzi, we know we’ll end up finishing it. I always try making enough for two meals. It never makes it past the first meal. 🤣 This dish is only as good as the quality of your produce, so make sure it’s top notch. I hope you guys give this a try, and as always let me now how it goes in the comments… 😬

Vegan Creamy Kofta

The kofta is a favorite among all ages and cuisines in India. It arrived in India much like kebab did, and quickly became a staple. The flavorings, sauces and base ingredients were changed to suit the sub continent tastebuds. Today, anything which is cooked in ball form is called a kofta. Everyone has their own recipes, but of course there are the more commonly known varieties like Malai Kofta, Nargisi Kofta etc.

In my house, kofta is made out of ingredients nobody likes otherwise. This includes all squashes for sure. This recipe was born out of the need to use up some acorn squash I had, and we didn’t want any soup. Once we ate it though, we realized we were going to keep making it. I switch up the gravy I use with these, but the one included here is hands down the most decadent of the lot and it’s vegan!!

Servings: 6, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Kofta

  • Acorn squash 1 small
  • Yukon gold potato 1 medium
  • Cornflour 1 tbsp
  • Chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric 1/4 tsp
  • Salt according to taste
  • Oil for cooking

For the Gravy

  • Onion 1 large
  • Cashews 8-10
  • Ginger 1/2” piece
  • Garlic cloves 5
  • Fennel seeds (saunf) 1 tbsp
  • Cardamom seeds (elaichi ke dane) 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp
  • Garam masala 1 1/2 tsp
  • Oat milk 1/4 cup
  • Canola oil 4 tbsp divided
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Water as needed for consistency
  • Salt according to taste

Instructions

  1. Add 2 tbsp oil to a pan and set it on medium heat.
  2. Roughly chop onion, ginger and garlic. Then add to the hot oil and sauté till translucent
  3. Add the fennel seeds, cardamoms seeds and cashews. Cook for 2-3 minutes
  4. Add all the spices to the pan and sauté until fragrant, maybe 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool completely
  5. In the meantime, roughly peel and chop the squash. Then funky mince it using a food processor
  6. Prick the potato all over with a fork or toothpick. Microwave in 5 minute intervals till a knife slides in easily
  7. Peel the potato once cook enough to handle and mash in a bowl
  8. Add the minced squash, cornflour, salt and the spices to the potato and mix well
  9. Make golf ball sized patties (kofta) out of the mix and flatten slightly
  10. Add a thin layer of oil to a pan in medium heat, then cook and sear the kofta till crispy on the outside
  11. Once the gravy mixture is cool enough, blend with a little water
  12. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil to a the pan in which you cooked the gravy mix, then add cumin seeds when hot
  13. Add the blended gravy mixture to the pan and sauté for 4-5 minutes
  14. Add the oat milk and mix well. Then add salt and water as needed.
  15. Let the gravy come to simmer and then it’s ready to be served. Place a kofta or two in a bowl, too with gravy and enjoy!

Tips

  • This recipe with work with any squash, but excess water will need to be removed. You can also skip the squash entirely and use carrots, or just potatoes!
  • I like to on fry the koftas and that’s why they’re flat. You can definitely deep fry them as well. Add another teaspoon of cornflour if they start to collapse in the fryer
  • These also taste amazing in the gravy I made in my post on paneer gravy: https://everything-nothing.home.blog/2019/10/03/paneer-curry-and-butter-naan/
  • The gravy in this recipe is also super versatile and I can eat it by the spoon. Just add tofu or paneer if you aren’t vegan and it’s ready to go! This will also taste good with any other koftas you might make.. 😬

Anyone who loves Indian food knows how delicious koftas are, and this recipe is doubly amazing because it’s vegan! I hope you give this a try soon and let me know how it goes!

Weekday Indian Lunch

A typical Indian lunch or dinner consists of a serving of vegetables, a serving of lentils for protein, a small serving of salad and rotis. Some people prefer to end the meal with rice, others take some chutney or pickle with their meal. I used to hate it when my mom made me finish everything on my plate when I was younger, or made me drink a glass of milk everyday, or made sure I ate plenty of lentils and salad. Now, I see the value in it and I’m infinitely grateful.

I recently had a bout of terrible gastric problems. Everything was causing a lot of gas, acid reflux and abdominal pain. My mom made me promise I’ll eat like I used to back at home for a while. To my surprise, it helped a lot and most of my problems went away. Of course, the major culprits were dairy and tofu, which I’ve stopped eating. Sigh. Anyway, this post has recipes for moong dal, and okra and potato dry vegetable. I’ll post more recipes for lentils and vegetables soon!

Servings: 2 Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the moong dal

  • Split green gram with skins (moong dal chilke vali) 1/2 cup
  • Dry fenugreek leaves 2 tbsp
  • Salt 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
  • Canola oil 2 tsp
  • Black mustard seeds (rai) 1 tsp
  • Asaphoetida (hing) 1/8 tsp
  • Granulated sugar 1 tbsp
  • Water 1 cup

For the okra and potato dry vegetable

  • Indian okra 1.5 lbs (around 0.6 kg)
  • Potatoes 1 medium
  • Black mustard seeds (rai) 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder 1/8 tsp
  • Chili powder 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder 2 tbsp
  • Salt as needed
  • Canola oil 4 tbsp

Instructions

For the moong dal

  1. In a pressure cooker, heat the canola oil till smoking, then add mustard seeds
  2. Once seeds have spluttered or popped, reduce the heat to low and add the asaphoetida, followed by the turmeric powder
  3. Add the lentils (green gram), dry fenugreek leaves, salt and sugar and mix well
  4. Add the water and stir well. Then close the lid of the cooker and increase the heat to high
  5. Once the first whistle goes off, reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes.
  6. Release pressure naturally, then this ready to eat!

For the okra and potato dry vegetable

  1. Wash the okra thoroughly and dry very well. Cut the okra into slices along the cross section
  2. Peel and cut the potato into 1/4” cubes
  3. Heat the canola oil in a pan.
  4. Add the potatoes and cook till tender, then remove to a plate
  5. In the same pan, add black mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. Then add the slices okra
  6. Mix gently, then add all spices except coriander powder. Sauté till spices are fragrant. Add salt and mix gently
  7. Spread the okra into as thin a layer as possible and let it cook till it is a little crispy and all the stickiness has gone.
  8. Add coriander powder and potatoes. Mix well and serve immediately!

Tips

  • These two things can be made side by side. Put the lentils to cook, then start with the vegetable prep. The dal will be cooked by the time you start cooking the vegetable, and the pressure will release naturally by the time the vegetables are cooked. If making roti, you can start making those after starting to cook the vegetable. This way, everything will be ready at about the same time.
  • You can wash and dry the okra beforehand, so it’s very dry when you start cutting it
  • This dal freezes very well. I always make some extra for days when I don’t want to cook
  • You can use 1/2 cup of chopped fresh fenugreek leaves instead of dried ones in the dal recipe
  • You can get more okra and eliminate the potato entirely from the recipe as well. While buying okra, make sure each one is soft and pliable. This makes a good vegetable. If the ones is hard, the texture of the vegetable will not be good
  • The cooking time will vary depending on how you handle slime. Okra is very slimy, and the longer you cook it, the less slimy it becomes. I hate okra’s texture so I cook the vegetable till it becomes a bit crispy
  • Don’t skimp on the oil in the vegetable recipe, it’s required for good texture.
  • Start with a small amount of salt. Okra shrinks a lot while cooking, so you can add salt later if required.

I have learnt these recipes by watching my mom cook, so they’re all somewhat special. I get very nostalgic while eating a typical Indian home cooked meal. I hope you give these a try and as always, let me know how it goes!

Instant Pot Dum Aloo

I’ve never been able to eat yogurt on its own. It has a very specific smell and texture, which I really do not like. However, I can eat a lot of it in this dish. Dum Aloo originated in the northern state of Kashmir in India. It has many variations around the country. This recipe is for my favorite one! Moreover, it’s made in an instant pot. So there’s very little chance of something going wrong. I’ve adapted the recipe from Rachna’s kitchen corner. Her website has a bunch of good Indian recipes, so definitely check it out!

Servings: 6 Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 8-10 minutes plus the time for natural release of pressure

Ingredients

  • Baby potatoes 12-15
  • Canola oil 4 tbsp
  • Cashews 15 or Cashew pieces 1/4 cup
  • Fennel seeds 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Chickpea flour 1 tbsp (optional)
  • Tomatoes 2 medium
  • Bay leaf 1
  • Black cardamom (also called badi elaichi) 1
  • Cloves 1 tsp
  • Turmeric 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
  • Coriander powder 2 tsp
  • Garam masala 2 tsp
  • Cumin powder 1 tsp
  • Crushed dry fenugreek leaves 1 tsp (optional)
  • Plain yogurt 1 cup
  • Water as required
  • Salt according to taste

Instructions

  1. Soak cashews in boiling water for at least 15 minutes, then transfer to a blender. Add the fennel seeds and blend until fairly smooth. Save the soaking water and add it to the blender 1 tsp at a time for easier blending
  2. Clean and peel the baby potatoes. Then prick the surface with a toothpick all over.
  3. Switch on the instant pot to the sauté mode and add the oil to the pot.
  4. Once heated, add the baby potatoes. Turn once in a while until the potatoes are a nice golden brown. Remove on a paper towel.
  5. Add the cumin seeds to the heated oil in the instant pot.
  6. Add the bay leaf and cardamom, then add chickpea flour and sauté for 2 minutes or till the raw smell goes away
  7. Add the ground cashew fennel paste and sauté for 2-3 mins. In the meantime, grind the tomatoes in the same blender jar
  8. Add the tomato purée to the instant pot and cook till oil is released.
  9. Grind the cloves in a mortar and pestle. Add the turmeric, coriander powder, chili powder, clove powder and garam masala to the pot and sauté till the spices are fragrant.
  10. Beat the yogurt in a bowl with a fork until smooth. Reduce the heat setting on the instant pot and add the yogurt. Mix vigorously
  11. Add the baby potatoes and enough water to cover everything (at least 1.5 cups)
  12. Add salt according to taste and put the lid on the instant pot.
  13. Cook on high pressure for 8 mins (10 if the potatoes are larger than expected) and let the pressure release naturally.

Tips

  • If baby potatoes are not available, you can cut up some normal potatoes. The cooking time should be reduced to 4 minutes in this case.
  • If you do not have black cardamom, use 2 green cardamom pods or 1/4 tsp cardamom powder. If using the powder, add with other ground spices
  • This can also be made on the stove. Follow the recipe as written, and cook covered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender instead of pressure cooking
  • Please make sure to reduce the heat when adding yogurt and mix vigorously. This will prevent the yogurt from curdling.
  • You can skip the chickpea flour in the recipe, but I’ve found it helps stabilize the yogurt.
  • This gravy is very flavorful and I’m sure it will work with anything you add to it. Try vegetables or chicken!
  • Enjoy this with rice, naan or any bread of your choice.
  • Please make sure you prick the potatoes well. This helps the gravy to penetrate inside and it flavors the potatoes. It will taste bland if you skip this step

I absolutely love this recipe and make it at least once a month. It’s not super difficult and it freezes really well. I was skeptical at first since it has potatoes and yogurt. However, the taste and texture did not change at all on defrosting. It will only last for about a month in the freezer, so make you eat it all before then! I hope you give this recipe a try and as always let me know how it goes!