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 

Dal Tikki | How to make moong daal tikki | Leftover Green grams recipe | Indian pancakes

What happens when you have left over moong dal from the night and in no mood to make parathas for breakfast?! You google and zero in on a dal tikki recipe!! But what happens when you have a peanut sized memory?! You can't remember the recipe when you finally get making it (except for the fact that it had moong dal and may be besan in it) and then you come up with something that will be made in house forever as you and your family loved it!!

Yeah, this is what happened to me few months back, but as I was very busy, couldn't share the recipe.. Finally sharing it now!! It is so amazingly crispy and yummy, even the biggest moong dal haters (my hubby) love it!! It gives a protein packed start to your day and is so healthy!! These tikkis are naturally vegan, gluten free and low on oil (& calories too)!!

You can make this from any other leftover dal/sambhar too!! Check your fridge, do you have any leftover? then get making this!!
Oh and in case you don't have leftover and still want to make it then just pressure cook split green gram ( dhuli moong dal - mogar) with salt, turmeric and red chili powder and use it.

Before that have a look at how crispy and yummy and heavenly golden they look like!!

Ingredients:

1 cup leftover moong daal (cooked) - Any other dal will do too, adjust as per available leftover dal!!
2 Tablespoon of besan (Chick pea flour)
1 teaspoon green chili, ginger and garlic paste
2 tablespoon Idli rava (rice semolina) - if you don't have this then use regular semolina/ sooji/ rawa
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon chaat masala (Optional)
pinch of hing (Asafoetida - optional)
1 small onion finely cut
1 small tomato finely cut
Any other veggie that you want to sneak in (it should cook fast)
Oil for shallow frying

Method:

1) Mix everything in a mixing bowl.
2) Heat a non stick tawa/ skillet / griddle. Once it is hot enough grease it with oil.
3) Make small tikki (flat pancake) shapes in your palms and drop them on the tawa.
4) Let it cook thoroughly on one side, once it cooks flip it and cook thoroughly on other side too. You can make 2-3 tikkis (or as much as your tawa/ skillet can take) at a time.

Serve hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup!! This also makes for a great snack, starter or lunch box food!!

If you want to use even less oil then you can make these cuties in pancake popper (paniyaram pan / appa patra/ aebleskiver pan)!! I am happy to report that I've tried that and it too tastes great!!

Dal tikki | Indian pancakes

Dal tikki | Indian pancakes

+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 

Lauki Thepla | Dudhi na Thepla | Gujarati Thepla | Indian flat bread with bottle gourd

I love thepla. I love Methi Thepla tad more than the doodhi ones. But my hubby favors this one. I make them often for breakfast or for quick, easy, healthy and home made meal while travelling.
Apart from the great taste and flavor I also like that the thepla are complete food with cereal, vegetable and dairy!! All these great features make them perfect healthy choice for packing in lunch box.
They taste amazing with Chhudno/ Murabbo or Mango Pickle!! They also gel well with Milk, tea and coffee!!
I like them hot off the tava, I love them smeared with cold ghee next day!! They stay good for at least a week if you make them properly!!
A lot of Gujaratis add sugar to their theplas, but we don't!! Though I like the sugar version too, I have soft spot for the no sugar variety as that's the one I've been eating all my life..
So here are my mom's Doodhi na Thepla for you :)

Lauki Thepla | Doodhi na Thepla | Gujarati Thepla | Indian flat bread with bottle gourd

Lauki Thepla | Doodhi na Thepla | Gujarati Thepla | Indian flat bread with bottle gourd

Lauki Thepla | Doodhi na Thepla | Gujarati Thepla | Indian flat bread with bottle gourd

Lauki Thepla | Doodhi na Thepla | Gujarati Thepla | Indian flat bread with bottle gourd

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd(lauki/doodhi) peeled and grated 300 gms
2 cups of Whole wheat flour
Salt to taste
2 teaspoon Dhana jeeru (Dhania jeera powder / Coriander and cumin powder)
2 teaspoon green chili, ginger and garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 cup oil (quantity of this may vary based on type of flour)
1/4 cup curd
Oil for cooking

Method:

1) In a mixing bowl take whole wheat flour, add salt dhania jeera powder, chili ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and oil to it. Mix well. When you hold the flour in your fist it should remain binded. If it is falling apart add 1 tablespoon oil and mix again.
2) Now add Grated lauki (bottle gourd) to it mix well (don't give too much pressure else lauki will release a lot of water)
3) Knead the dough with curd. Add curd 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep the dough a little dry as the lauki will release water over time.
4) Take small lemon sized ball of the kneaded dough, roll it in dry whole wheat flour.
5)  Roll it using a rolling pin on a well floured surface.
6) On a hot tawa (Skillet), apply some oil and grease it well and carefully drop the rolled thepla on it.
7) Flip the thepla once cooked on one side. Let it cook on the other side too.
8) Apply oil to this side before flipping again.
9) Once flipped, cook by applying pressure on the thepla, you can use a kitchen towel or spatula to do that. I use traditional datto.
10) Apply oil on the other side as well and flip. Cook by applying pressure in similar manner on other side too.

Repeat the same procedure for the remaining dough. Once properly cooled, store in an airtight container and enjoy them whenever hunger strikes..

Notes:

1) It's important to make thepla immediately as the lauki will keep releasing water and dough will become very sticky if left for longer.
2) Traditionally thepla are made of lauki and methi (fenugreek) but if you want you can experiment with spinach, carrot, Zuchhini, courgette or any other vegetable you fancy.

Methi Dal | Lentil soup with fenugreek leves

I had this healthy and delicous daal first time in office canteen. I really like how healthy yet tasty it is. It also has all the qualities of a comfort food. What more, it goes well with rice or roti!!
But as I've shared before I was hardly interested in cooking while I was working full time. So never asked my colleagues who knew how to make it.
But after shifting to Noida, I've been missing this simple fare a lot. And one afternoon I decided to make it. I could have called my colleagues to get the authentic recipe, but I remembered that it was the weekly meeting time for them and I HAD to cook the daal. So I decided to just guess the recipe and make it..
This is by no means the authentic Andhra methi daal recipe, but it is delicious, healthy and gets ready in jiffy!!
Oh and the measurements are all eye balled. But that won't harm the taste of this simple daal much..

Methi Daal | Lentil soup with fenugreek

Ingredients:

1 cup Toor daal (Arhar daal / pigeon pea split)
1 onion finely cut
1 tomato finely cut
1 cup methi (fenugreek) leaves, cleaned, chopped and washed properly
1 sprig of kari patta (mitho limdo)
2 teaspoon oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai, sarson)
1 pinch asofoetida (hing)
salt to taste
1 teaspoon green chili, ginger and garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder (Cumin and coriander seeds powder)
1/2 teaspoon sambaar masala ( South Indian curry powder)

Method:
1) Wash the daal and soak it for 30 minutes. Then pressure cook it till tender.
2) Meanwhile in a pan take oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds to it.
3) Once it crackles, add kari patta and hing. Then add green chili ginger and garlic paste.
4) Add onions and saute till it turns translucent. Then add methi leaves. Cover the pan and cook till methi cooks too.
5) Now add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes get cooked.
6) Add dhania jeera powder, turmeric and sambar masala. Mix well.
7) Now add the cooked daal to the mixture. Mix well.
8) Adjust water and add salt to taste.
9) Let it boil on medium flame for 10-15 minutes. keep an eye on it..

Enjoy with rice or roti.. I would recommend adding a dollop of ghee to it :)

+techie ZM 

Gaajar no Sambharo | Carrots Stir Fry Gujarati Style

This quick, yummy and healthy stir fry comes in handy on the days when you are hard pressed for time yet want to eat something healthy.
Have with roti and curd and you have a healthy meal ready in jiffy!! Though at my place it was treated more like a salad than a curry. But now a days I don't mind having it is on my mains..
Make some before those delicious carrots disappear...

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

Ingredients:

5 Carrots peeled and grated
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon oil for tadka
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 green chili, slit
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (Optional)

Method:
1) Heat oil on medium flame in a pan.
2) Add mustard seeds to it. Let them crackle.
3) Once they crackle add asafoetida and green chili to it.
4) Let the chili fry properly and then add the grated carrot.
5) Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
6) Cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes. Keep stirring continuously.

And your gajar no sambharo is ready!! Squeeze half a lomon in it if you wish, mix well and eat!!

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

+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