A wholesome lunch >> Chickpeas with soya granules & baby potato curry with Wheat, Oat and Quinoa Roti

 

Ma made this often. She used dried green peas instead of chickpea. My daughter loves chickpea and so does her dad. So decided to use that instead of dried green peas. The soya granules I used here was to give the curry a texture and ‘chicken mince’ like feeling to con my daughter, who refuses to eat anything vegetarian. Of course the health benefits of soya are all well known. Thrilled to say, it worked!

 

 

 

For the curry:

250 gms chickpeas soaked over night and pressure cooked to three whistles

2 Baby potatoes – boiled and peeled (optional)

1 and 1/2 tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 big onion chopped

1 tablespoon of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup warm water – with your fingers pulp the tamarind and juice it with the help of a strainer to make half a cup of tamarind juice/pulp.

Soya granules soaked in warm water and squeezed (or as per packet instructions)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger - grated

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon red chilli powder (optional) – I didn’t use because of my li’l one

1 and 1/2 teaspoon Coriander dry powder

salt to taste (approx 1 tsp)

1 inch cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon Ajwain or Carum seeds

2 cloves

Oil or ghee – 2 tablespoons

Coriander leaves for garnishing

 

Method:

Heat oil in pan/wok and add bay leaf, cinnamon, carom seeds and cloves. In a few seconds add to this chopped onion and sauté it with ginger  for 2 minutes. Once translucent add tomatoes/tomato paste and sauté more. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander powder and mix well till the tomatoes are soft. Add the soaked soya chunks and mix well. Next add boiled chickpeas and potatoes. Add salt and mix more. Add about 1/2 cup water to this and cover the pan and cook of low flame for 10 minutes. One needs to cook this well for the chickpeas to soak in the masalas. Now, add the tamarind juice to this and cook for 5 minutes more. Check seasoning. Finish with a little bit of Garam masala if you wish. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving with hot rotis.

 

For the Rotis.

Knead 1/2 cup oat bran, 5 tsp quinoa, 1 cup of whole wheat flour into a soft dough and make chapatis or rotis out of it. If you want to make phulkas then don’t add quinoa for the rotis don’t fluff up when put to fire.

 

Voila! Here’s your high fiber, low GI, protein rich lunch ready!

Creamy Prawn Curry

Ananya made this one night for dinner, and I still haven’t forgotten the taste. Each time I make it, i want more of it. you can create wonders by just replacing one ingredient from a curry. This is similar to Malai Curry, but you replace coconut milk with fresh pouring cream and I use tomatoes in this.

You’ll need:

500 gms fresh prawns/shrimps – cleaned, deveined

1 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon Ginger

1 chopped onion (large)

1 teaspoon tomato paste or 1 diced tomato

1/2 to 1 spoon of red chilly powder

1/2 spoon turmeric

1 tablespoon dhania powder

1/4 spoon cumin powder (optional)

1/2 cup pouring cream

3 table spoons of ghee or oil (i recommend ghee)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon Garam masala

Bunch of coriander

Preparation:

Mix lemon juice and turmeric to the prawns and set aside for about 10 minutes. In a non stick pan sauté the prawns till pink. Set aside. Sauté onions till brown in ghee. Add ginger, garlic and sauté come more. After about a minute add the tomatoes, chilly powder, dhania powder, cumin, salt, turmeric and mix well to form a paste. Now stir in the fresh cream and mix well. Add the prawns and mix for about a minute. Pour water as per your gravy requirement. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. After 5-7 minutes, sprinkle garam masala and top with lots of coriander.

Serve with hot steamed rice!

Ketchup girl's favourite recipe

J darling, your frantic chatting, scrapping, calling smsing for the sake of a recipe has prompted me to create this blog. I already know I will devour each and every word that i write :). Simply because, i love eating more than I love my husband. Well, that's just a kind of comparison to express my love for food...the statement MIGHT not hold the entire truth.

So then, I open out to the world, my secret and most favorite recipe: Spinach( Palak) Mushroom/babycorn/paneer(cottage cheese)/tofu/Alu/sweetcorn - take your pick.

Ingredients required:

- 2 bunches of Palak (Spinach)
- 1 medium sized chopped Onion
- 5 table spoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh Cream (Optional)
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- Pinch of Amchoor
- 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric (a little lesser actually)
- Salt to taste9. Your choice of combination: paneer/sweet corn/mushroom/tofu etc.
- 2 teaspoons Oil

- Sugar - to taste (about two pinches)

-Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) - optional.

- chilli powder

- garam masala Powder

Method:

Wash the spinach thoroughly and place in a pan on low fire. Cover pan with lid and leave for 5 minutes. Open to find the spinach reduced to half and steamed. Place the spinach in cold water (retains the beautiful green colour). Leave for sometime. Drain water and puree the palak in a grinder.

Chop mushrooms/paneer- your choice of whatever, and keep aside. In a pan, add oil and add the onions to it, stir and wait till it turns translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for half a minute. To that add turmeric, chillipowder, salt and dried fenugreek leaves. saute. Add the mushrooms and saute further . Add the spinach paste and about 1/4 cup water. To that add sugar, milk, Amchoor powder and bring it to boil. Add water according to the consistency you like.

 

Top it with Garam Masala Powder and Fresh cream. If you have used paneer, garnish with grated paneer or place two roasted red chillies for the glamorous- hotel like food look!

Tastes best with rotis and a mug of chilled KF beer.

Ketchup Girl's extra advice: Puree the spinach and store it in Fridge. Use it when you are in absolute hurry. It takes exactly 6 minutes to make this if puree is ready.