Kala Chana nu shaak | Desi Chana | Black Chickpea recipe | Healthy Protein packed vegan meal | Dry Kala Chana

This Gujarati kala chana nu shaak is one of my favorites!! It is so easy, so healthy yet so tasty!! I enjoy making it and I love eating it!! It can give you a healthy dose of protein.. The combination of this kala chana curry the way my mom makes it with kadhi and bhakhri is simple yet deliciously filling!

It tastes good on it's own too. This is just a little different than Kondakadlai Sundal (Chana Sundal)..
The day your fridge is empty or your energy level is low, make this simple gluten free & vegan curry and see your mood soar!! Just don't forget to soak it overnight :)

In north India this simple chana are made on the 8th day of Navratri festival (Kanjak) and offered to young girls, considered as Goddesses, along with halwa & puris!! Delicious!! My little girl and her papa loves it with Puri (puffed Indian bread) and that is how it is often eaten at my place!!
Sometimes I make a healthy chane ki chaat by adding finely cut onions, tomatoes, chaat masala and green chutney to it!

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed vegan meal

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed gluten free meal

Ingredients:

1 Cup Kala chana / Deshi Chana / Black Chickpeas soaked for at least 8 hours.
Salt to taste
1/ teaspoon Green Chilli and ginger paste (Adjust according to taste)
1.5 teaspoon dhania jeera powder (Cumin coriander seeds powder)
1/2 wedge of lemon (Optional - but I love adding it)
2 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds / rai/ sarson
pinch of hing

Method:

1) Pressure cook Chana (chick peas) with salt till tender. It's really important to cook it properly. To check if it is properly cooked, take a cooked chana and squeeze it between your thumb and a finger. It should squeeze easily. If it doesn't then you should cook it further.
2) In a kadai (pan/wok) heat 2 tablespoon of oil and add mustard seeds (rai) to it.
3) Once rai (mustard seeds) crackle, add a pinch of hing to it.
4) To this immediately add properly cooked chana without water.
5) Add green chilli and ginger paste and dhania jeera powder and mix well.
6) Let it cook for 5-10 minutes, or till no water is visible.

Squeeze lemon juice before serving.

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed vegan meal

+techie ZM

Vegetable Cheese Roti roll | Quick meal | Vegetable cheese tortillas | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

What do you do when you are crazy hungry but have almost no time to whip up something? What happens when you have to have your breakfast on the go? Add to this the fact that you want to eat healthy yet craving for something yummy! For those of you who have such questions (just like me), I have found an answer!!

The quickest, healthiest roll that can act as breakfast, lunch, snack or even light dinner!! Oh and not to mention tastiest!! You can pack it in the lunch box of your little one and rest assured that it will come back empty!!

These rolls are complete food with cereal, dairy protein and veggeis! Add to it goodness of peanut butter, freshness of herby green chutney or tanginess of tomato ketchup and you have got a winning combination on your hand. 

The great part about these rolls is that they are amazingly flexible. You can make them with rotis (Indian flatbread) or use ready made tortillas. You can make a vegan version of it by replacing cheese with tofu!! If you have nut allergy then use regular butter or other vegan butter!!

Check out the beauties.. 

Vegetable Cheese Rolls | Quick meal | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

Vegetable Cheese Rolls | Quick meal | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

Ingredients (for one roll):

1 roti /  1 tortilla ( If you want to make it gluten free, use glutenfree tortilla)
1/2 teaspoon peanut butter/ regular butter ( I use FebIndia's crunchy peanut butter without added sugar)
2 pinches of salt
2 pinches of black pepper
1 tablespoon green chutney or tomato ketchup
2 tablespoon grated cheese of your choice (Cheddar, cottage cheese/paneer, ricotta will go great) use tofu for a vegan version.
1/2 small finely cut onion
1/2 small finely cut tomato
1/8 cup finely cut or shredded vegetable of your choice (Cucumber, carrots, Zuchhini, bell peppers/Capsicum, Broccoli can be good choices)

Method:

1) On your work surface put your roti/ tortilla.

2) Spread peanut butter on that.

3) In a bowl mix all other ingredients.

4) Spread them on top of the roti.

5) Roll and cut if needed. If planning to carry as an on the go meal, pack it in a cling wrap or foil.

And you are good to go!!

Vegetable Cheese Rolls | Quick meal | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

Vegetable Cheese Rolls | Quick meal | Peanut butter rolls | Lunch box recipe

+techie ZM 

Bhindi ki Sabzi | Punjabi Sabji | Stir Fried Okra curry | Ladies finger curry | Cutting and cleaning bhindi

Bhindi AKA Okra is the most favorite curry at home! My love for this green veggie is the talk of our family (& my work places). At my first job, everyday someone or the other would bring bhindi. It was a big office and I virtually knew everybody and everybody knew me!! So every day at lunch hour I would get a call telling me that there is bhindi, "Aavi jao" (Come over)!! My grandma too fanned my love for bhindi by making it everyday during my vacations!!

Thankfully hubby too has a great liking for it. So needless to say, our offspring too takes after us on this matter!! The result - Bhindi every week in the season!! Though the bhinda nu shaak that I grew up on was a little different than the version my hubby grew up on. I make both versions and like them both, when it comes to bhindi I don't discriminate ;) . The one I am sharing today is Punjabi version as my MIL makes it.. It is vegan, gluten free and paleo! Simple, quick and yummy!! Check it out..

Punjabi Bhindi Curry | Okra Stir Fry

Ingredients:

500 gms Bhindi/ okra/ ladies finger, washed, wiped and cut into half inch length

1 big or 2 medium sized onions, peeled and cut into long slices

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (you can adjust according to your taste, we don't eat too spicy/hot food)

1 teaspoon dhania powder/ coriander seeds powder (I use dhania jeera powder/ coriander cumin seeds powder as I normally have this in stock) 

2 tablespoon oil

Method:

1) Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai (wok/pan).

2) Now add onions to it, let them turn translucent. Keep stirring.

3) Once they turn translucent, add cut bhindi/okra to the kadai (wok).

4) Mix well. Let it cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

5) Now add turmeric and salt. mix well and cover. If your kadai/wok/pan is not thick bottomed, keep a tawa/ skillet under it.

6) Let it cook covered for 15 more minutes. Keep stirring in between.

7) Once the bhindi cooks, add dhania jeera powder (coriander cumin seeds powder) and red chili powder.

8) Mix well and cook for 5 more minutes.

I love bhindi with kadhi or dal. Though along with curd and roti they fulfilling and healthy meal.

Notes:

1) It's very important to wipe the okra/bhindi. If you skip this step, it will be slimey and not so appetizing. If planning to make it in the morning then you can wash bhindi at night and cover it with a dry kitchen towel. Next day spread them on another dry towel under fan. They will dry out fast and then you can skip wiping them!

2) While cutting okra/bhindi check for mature (pakat/ gharda) bhindi. You should discard them as they won't get cooked. They are generally big and difficult to cut. To verify further, try to snap it in two by bending it. If it doesn't snap then it is indeed mature and needs to be discarded.

3) Remove the dincha (top) of the bhindi as it won't cook.

Punjabi Bhindi Curry | Okra Stir Fry

Punjabi Bhindi Curry | Okra Stir Fry

+techie ZM 

Mango Chutney | Kache Aam ki Chutney | Aam ki khatti mithi chutney

Summer is here, so are mangoes!! I am a ripe mango freak, give me keri no ras, mango shake, smoothie or even simply cut (or even whole) ripe mango and I am happiest!! I am not much into kaccha aam, but if you convert that raw mango to preserves like, Pickle, Chundo, Murabbo or this chutney then I'll happily lap it up!! This is more like Indian mango jam :)

This chutney is so similar to the quick version of chundo!! And it not only tastes delicious, it also helps in surviving the deadly Indian summer with goodness of onions and raw mango!! It's easy and quick to make and loved by all!! It goes well with rotis, parathas, bhakhari, puri & breads!!

So grab those raw mangoes and get making my MIL's version of raw mango chutney!! Naturally vegan, gluten free!!

Mango Chutney | Kachhe Aam ki Chutney

Ingredients:

3 raw Mangoes / kachhe aam (medium size) - peeled and grated
1 small onion - finely cut or grated
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method:

1) In a heavy bottomed pan , take grated raw mangoes, onion and ginger. Mix well.
2) Let it cook till all the water evaporates. Keep stirring in between.
3) Now add sugar and mix well. Cook till all the water from sugar too evaporates, add red chili powder and salt. Mix well.

The mango chutney is ready. Let it cool down and then store in a GLASS (and not in anything else) jar in the fridge!!

Mango Chutney | Kachhe Aam ki Chutney

+techie ZM

Gawar Phali ki Sabzi | Guwar Phali nu shak | Gujarati Shak | Cluster beans curry

Guwar phali is something that I relish with Gujarati dal and Phulka Rotli!! Naturally Guwar phali doesn't have a pleasing flavor, but add to it 2 secret super flavors and the resulting healthy curry is bursting with flavors!! Miss adding them and you have food fit for cows ;)

I had a rather interesting mis adventures with this sabzi during my second job. Two of my colleagues (& friends) and I were sharing a home and kitchen. It was a last day of job for one of our roomie and she decided to surprise us with some cooking. 

She was generally dis interested in cooking and related chores but that day as a gesture of farewell she wanted to cook something for us. So she went ahead and cut the only sabzi we had in stock  - Guwar phali!! She also kneaded the dough!! But there were a few catches.. The dough was too sticky to roll and the she had used up all the flour!! We didn't have garlic and carom seeds  - the 2 secret flavors needed to make the tasty guwar phali curry!! After she realized the mess we were in, she decided to wake us up and share the news!! Needless to say we had one of the worst meal of our lives, but at the same time we had one of the hardest laugh of our lives :) Sometimes bad food too can create good memories ;)

So without further ado, here is the healthy, tasty, quick and vegan curry with 2 secret flavors ;)

Ingredients:

250 gms Cluster beans (Guwar Phali) - stringed and cut inch long

1/2 teaspoon green chili and ginger paste 

4 garlic cloves - peeled and crushed (Lahsun / Lasan)

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds ( Sarson/rai)

1/4 teaspoon carom seeds (Ajwain)

2 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon besan (Chick pea flour)

pinch of hing

1.5 teaspoon dhania jeera powder (Cumin corrinader seeds powder)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 teaspoon sugar (otpional - but I like it)

Method:

1) Pressure cook Guwar Phali.

2) Now in a kadai (pan), take oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds to it. Once they crackle add carom seeds and hing.

3) Now add besan (chick pea flour) and Pressure cooked Guwar Phali sans water.

4) Add salt, dhania jeera powder, green chili ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Mix well.

5) Let it cook till all the water evaporates and masala is coated well to the phali. Add sugar if using..

Serve with daal and roti.. From leftover you can also make guwar dhokli (shaak ma dhokli) something that I am crazy about!!

+techie ZM 

Capsicum Potato curry | Aalu Shimla Mirch Sabzi | Quick Bell Pepper Curry

This is one more curry that I learnt from my MIL. It's quick, it's easy and it's tasty!! I love it as it's quick to make and is healthy..
It gives such a relief on a busy day when you can just throw in the ingredients in the pan and go about doing your job, while this tasty curry gets cooked in jiffy!! It is vegan and paleo!! With Raita and rotis it makes for a filling meal and of course it's healthy. It can also be used as stuffing in sandwiches!! Yumm...

Capsicum Potato Curry | Alu Shimla Mirch | Quick Capsicum Curry

Capsicum Potato Curry | Alu Simla Mirch | Quick Capsicum Curry

Ingredients:

1 big Capsicum (Bell Pepper/ Shimla Mircha) - cubed

1 big Potato - cubed

1 medium sized tomato -cubed

1 Onion - cut in long slices

1 Tablespoon oil

pinch of jeera (Cumin seeds)

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/5 teaspoon dhania jeera powder (Cumin Corriander seeds powder)

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (you can adjust this according to your taste)

Method:

1) In a thick bottomed kadai/ wok (or in a non stick pan) take oil and heat it. Add jeera (cumin seeds). Once the jeera turnes brown, add onions and saute.

2) Once the onions turn translucent add capsicum (Shimla mirch / bell pepper) and saute for 2 minutes.

3) Now add potatoes, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, dhania jeera powder ( cumin corriander seeds powder) and mix well.

4) Cover and let it cook till potatoes become tender. Keep stirring between to ensure that the curry is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. If curry starts sticking then reduce the gas flame and put a tawa (skillet/griddle) under the kadai/ wok.

5) Once potatoes get cooked, add tomatoes to the curry and mix well.

6) cover and cook for 4-5 minutes and your curry is ready...

Capsicum Potato curry | Aalu Shimla Mirch Sabzi | Quick Bell Pepper Curry

Capsicum Potato curry | Aalu Shimla Mirch Sabzi | Quick Bell Pepper Curry

Capsicum Potato curry | Aalu Shimla Mirch Sabzi | Quick Bell Pepper Curry

+techie ZM 

Punjabi Aalu Gobi Sabji | Aloo Gobhi Curry | Alu Gobi Adaraki | Potato Cauliflower Curry

Zini has finally started formal school!! Now she goes to school in a bus wearing uniform!! Today she even got homework!! Makes me realize that my little girl is growing big!! Thankfully she likes the school and has made a friend whom she was seen hugging today!! Touchwood..
So now I am back to having some free time. Hence here is the recipe of Punjabi Alu Gobi ki sabji that I made today. My hubby is a very fussy eater. There are very few vegetables that he likes to eat and thankfully Alu Gobi is one of them. It is one of Zini's favorite too!! As a result I make this curry every week!!
Why I like it? It's so easy to cut and clean and gets cooked in a jiffy. It is also flavorful, delicious, healthy and naturally vegan!! If you are averse to potatoes then you can replace it with peas or can altogether skip it. During my Hyderabad days, I was very thankful for Aalu Gobhi as it came in handy in morning rush hour!! So if you are in hurry but want to eat something tasty yet healthy, go for this simple curry..

Punjabi Alu gobi curry

Punjabi Alu Gobi curry

Ingredients:

Cauliflower (Phool Gobi) - 1 medium sized

2 Medium sized potatoes

finely cut ginger (Adrak) - 1/8 teaspoon

2 Tablespoon oil

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)

2 teaspoon Coriander seeds powder (Dhania Powder)

Method:

1) Wash and cut Cauliflower in florets, remove stems. Soak in salted water to get rid of germs if any.

2) Peel and cut potatoes of almost the same size as the cut cauliflower florets.

3) In a thick bottomed Kadai (Wok), take oil and heat it. Add finely cut ginger to it, let it brown a little.

4) Now add the cauliflower (sans water) and potatoes to the wok.

5) Add salt and turmeric powder, mix well.

6) Cover and cook for around 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring in between, esp if you wok is not thick bottomed / non stick.

7) Once the cauliflower and potatos are about to get cooked (are about to get mushy), add red chili powder and Coriander powder. Mix well.
8) Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve with rotis..

Notes:

1) You can increase or decrease the amount of red chili powder as per your liking.
2) In case you don't have coriander powder, replace it with coriander - cumin powder or curry powder (garam masala) in reduce amount.
3) You can replace potatoes with peas, or totally skip it.

Punjabi Alu gobi curry

Punjabi Alu Gobi curry

+techie ZM 

Palak Paneer/ Aalu Palak

Paalak (Spinach) is not very popular otherwise, but transform it into this mouth water dish and suddenly the same old, boring paalak turns very attractive.... The best thing about this healthy curry is that it is a powerhouse of iron, vitamins and protein (if using paneer (cottage cheese) or tofu). And it is extremely flexible, lending itself to vegan version by accommodating tofu in place of paneer (cottage cheese) or paleo version by allowing use of potato in place of paneer.

This is my MIL's version of this curry with little time saving modifications from me. If you want to check out other authentic Indian & Punjabi recipes, check out the recipe Index. Enjoy....

Palak paneer / spinach curry with cottage cheese

Palak paneer / spinach curry with cottage cheese

Ingrediants:

Onions – 2 medium sized

Tomatoes – 2 big

Green chilly - 1

Ginger

Garlic

Palak (Spinach) – 250 gms

Paneer (Cottage Cheese)– 100 gms (For vegan version use tofu, for paleo version use boiled potatoes cut into pieces)

Red chilly powder

Salt

Garam masala/ curry powder

Method:

1) Blanch Palak by putting it in boiling water. Once cooled make paste of palak in mixer (i keep it coarse, you can make fine paste if you like). Don’t throw away the water, use it to make paste.

2) Make paste of Onions, tomatoes, green chilly, garlic and ginger in mixer. Add water if needed. I keep this paste also coarse, you can also make fine paste.

3) Heat oil in a pan, and sauté the onion, tomato, chilly, ginger, garlic paste in it, till the oil separates.

4) Once oil separates, add salt, a little red chilly powder and garam masala. (remember that we already have green chillies to make it spicy, if you don't want it too spicy then you can avoid red chilly completely)

5) add the palak paste to it, cook it for a minute.

6) Now add Paneer/Aalu

            you can either deep fry them

           Or you can shallow fry them on a greased tava.

           Or you can put them as it is by cutting into pieces (This is what i do, it's healthier & less time
           consuming :))

7) Mix well, add water if needed.

8) Cook for 10 mins, or till the extra water evaporates.

You can serve the curry with Fulkas, Tandoori Rotis, Parathas or Rice, use leftover curry to make Palak Paneer Puris :)

Palak paneer / spinach curry with cottage cheese

Palak Paneer[/caption]

+techie ZM