Palak Paratha

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

You will need:

1. Spinach/Palak: 2 cups - roughly chopped
2. Green chillies: 2-3 nos.
3. Garlic pods: 2 nos.
4. Wheat Flour: 3 cups
5. Salt: According to taste
6. Cooking Oil: 1 tsp
7. Water

Palak Paratha

To cook:

• Boil water in a pan and add the chopped spinach. Let it simmer for at least 5 minutes. Then set it aside and let it cool
• Once cooled, puree the boiled spinach along with the green chillies and garlics in a blender
• Now mix the wheat flour, spinach puree, salt and oil in a bowl. Add water and knead into a dough
• Roll the dough into 6" chapatis and cook on a skillet spreading oil on both sides
• Serve hot with your favorite curry!

Spring Onion and Garlic Rice

This is a quick and easy rice dish to make, especially when you have no veggies left in your pantry!

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2 people

You will need:

1. Rice: 2 cups
2. Spring Onions: 2 bunches - chopped
3. Garlic pods: 3-4 nos- diced
4. Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
5. Cumin seeds: 1 tsp  
6. Red chilli powder: 1 tsp (optional)
7. Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Water: 3-4 cups

Spring Onions & Garlic Rice

To cook:

• Pressure cook the rice. Once done, spread the rice on a dish and let it cool. Set this aside. Else use leftover chilled rice for a better taste!
• Heat oil in a wok and add the mustard, cumin seeds and the diced garlic. 
• Once the garlic turns brown, add the chopped spring onions. Stir for approx. 3 minutes and then take the wok off the heat. Spring onions get cooked pretty quickly!
• Now add the rice, salt and red chilli powder and mix well. Serve hot! 

Dal Dhokli

Dal dhokli is a very traditional and popular Gujarati dish. Easy to make, wholesome food!

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Dhoklis:

You will need:

1. Wheat Flour: 1 cup
2. Chickpea flour (besan): 2 tbsp
3. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
4. Red chilii powder: 1/2 tsp
5. Water: 1 cup
6. Oil: 1 tsp
7. Asafoetida/Hing: 1 pinch
8. Salt: according to taste

To cook:

• Mix all the ingredients along with the water to knead into a dough
• Roll the dough to make 3-4 chapatis 
• On a heated skilled, gently roast the chapatis until a few brown spots start to appear. The chapatis do not need to be completely done. Half baked is good enough!
• Now cut the chapatis into diamond/square shapes and keep them aside

Dal Dhokli

Dal 

You will need:

1. Toor dal: 1 cup
2. Peanuts: 1/4 cup
3. Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
4. Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
5. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
6. Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp
7. Jaggery: 1 tbsp
8. Tamarind paste: 1 tsp
9. Curry leaves: 4-5 nos.
10. Green chillies: 2-3 nos.
11. Cilantro: for garnishing
12. Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp
13. Ghee: 1 tbsp (optional)
14. Hing/Asafoetida: a pinch
15. Salt to taste
16. Water

To cook: 

• Pressure cook the dal along with the peanuts and set them aside. 
• Once done, heat the oil/ghee in the cooker and add the mustard and cumin seeds along with the hing, turmeric powder and red chili powder.  Once the seeds start to splutter, add the green chillies.
• Now add the cooked peanut and dal along with the water. Then add salt, jaggery and the tamarind paste.
• Once the dal starts boiling, add the cut chapatis and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Make sure each chapati piece is added separately so as to avoid sticking or forming lumps. 
• Garnish with cilantro and some ghee on top! 

Tip:

For a quick meal, simply use frozen or leftover chapatis and add it any leftover dal, rasam or sambhar. 

Gobi Manchurian

Preparation time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 4 people

You will need:

1. Cauliflower: 1(large) - cut into florets
2. Onion: 1 no. - chopped
3. Capsicum/Bell peppers: 1 no. - finely chopped
4. Garlic pods: 2-3 nos.
5. All purpose flour/Maida: 2 cups
6. Corn Flour: 1/2 cup
7. Cooking Oil: 2-3 tbsp
8. Soya Sauce: 1 tbsp
9. Tomato ketchup: 1/2 cup
10. Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
11. Water
12. Salt - according to taste

Gobi Manchurian

Gobi:

• In a bowl, add the maida, corn flour, red chilli powder, salt and water until you get a smooth batter. Mix well so the flour doesn't form lumps. Do not make the batter too watery. 
• To this, add the cauliflower florets.
• In a wide bottomed pan, add the oil and let it heat. 
• Then deep fry the flour covered florets until they turn golden brown. Once all the florets are done, set them on a tissue paper to drain excess oil. Then set them aside.

Sauce:

• In a wok, add 1 tsp oil, chopped onions and garlic.
• Once the onions turn translucent, add the peppers and stir until they are al dente. 
• Then add the tomato ketchup and soya sauce and mix well. I don't add salt here since the soya sauce is salty enough!
• To this, add water and 1 tbsp of corn flour so that the sauce thickens. You can add more water if you would like the sauce to be of gravy consistency.
• Once the sauce is cooked, add the fried cauliflower florets and let it simmer for approx. 5 minutes. 
• Serve it hot as an appetizer. Perfect with a cup of chai!

Simple Dal with a twist

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 people

You will need:

1. Toor Dal: 1 cup
2. Chana Dal: 1/4 cup
3. Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
5. Garlic pods: 1 no.
6. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
7. Red chillies: 3-4 nos.
8. Coriander
9. Water: 1 cup
10. Oil: 1 tsp
11. Asafoetida/Hing: 1 pinch
12. Salt: according to taste

To cook: 

• Boil the toor and chana dal in a pressure cooker. The chana dal adds thickness to an otherwise liquidy dal. 
• Once the dal is cooked, add water, salt and coriander and bring to boil.
• Temper this with oil, hing, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies and garlic. 
• Makes a great combination with rotis!

Easy Capsicum Stir Fry

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2 people

You will need:

1. Capsicum/Green Pepper: 1 nos - chopped
2. Potatoes: 2 nos
3. Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
5. Curry powder: 1 tsp
6. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
7. Red chill powder: 1 tsp
8. Besan/Gram flour: 2 tsp
9. Peanut powder: 1 tsp (optional) 
10. Water: 1/2 cup
11. Salt: according to taste

Capsicum Stir Fry

To cook:

1. Heat oil in a skillet and add the mustard and cumin seeds.
2. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the turmeric powder, chopped peppers and potatoes. 
3. Once the vegetables are done, add salt and red chilli powder. 
4. Add the water and let it simmer. 
5. Once the water starts to boil, add the gram flour. Stir quickly to avoid getting lumps. 
6. Then add peanut powder and mix well.
7. Serve hot with chapatis!

Spinach Rice

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 people

You will need:

1. Spinach:1 bunch - roughly chopped
2. Onion: 1 no. - diced
3. Green chillies: 2-3 nos.
4. Garlic pods: 1 nos.
5. Cumin seeds:  1/2 tsp
6. Cloves:  3-4 nos.
7. Cardomon: 3-4 nos.
8. Black Pepper seeds: 3-4 nos.
9. Cinnamon: 1/2 inch stick
10. Bay leaves: 1 no.
11. Cashews: 3-4 nos. 
12. Dhaniya-Jeera powder: 1/2 tsp
13. Cooking Oil: 1 tsp
14. Salt - according to taste
15. Rice: 1 1/2 cups: washed

Spinach Rice

To cook:

• Heat water in a pan and add the chopped spinach. Once done, keep it aside and let it cool
• In a blender, puree the cooked spinach, green chillies and garlic.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds and the rest of the spices. 
• Once you get an aroma of the spices, add the diced onions and saute until golden brown.
• Now add the pureed spinach mixture and stir for about 2 minutes.
• Add the washed rice and the dhaniya jeera powder and mix well. 
• Add about 3 cups of water and salt. Close the lid and let it cook until you get a couple of whistles. 
• Serve hot with raita!

Zucchini Stir Fry

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

You will need:

1. Zucchini: 3 nos - chopped
2. Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
3. Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
4. Curry powder: 1 tsp
5. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
6. Salt: according to taste

Zucchini Stir Fry

To cook:

1. Heat oil in a skillet and add the mustard and cumin seeds.
2. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the turmeric powder and diced zucchini. 
3. Keep stirring until the zucchini turns soft, then add salt and curry powder. 
4. Mix well and serve it hot with chapatis or rice!

Avial - Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 people

You will need:

1. Ivy Gourd / Tondekayi: 150 gms - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
2. Carrots: 2 nos - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
3. Green chillies: 3-4 nos.
4. French Beans: 50 gms - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
5. Coconut (wet) - 1/2 cup
6. Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
7. Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
8. Yogurt: 2 cups
9. Cooking oil: 1 tsp
10. Salt: according to taste

Avial

To cook:

• Boil the vegetables along with two green chillies and set it aside. 
• In a blender, add the coconut, cumin seeds and the remaining green chillies. Add 1 cup of yogurt and blend well.
• In a pan, add the blended mixture to the boiled vegetables and bring to boil. Add salt according to taste. Add the remaining yogurt and mix well. 
• Temper it with oil and mustard seeds.
• Serve it with hot rice! 

Spinach Curry - Palak Gojju

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 people

You will need:

Spinach:1 bunch - roughly chopped

Onion: 1 no.

Coconut (dry): 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds:  1/2 tsp

Tamarind pulp:  1 tsp

Green chillies: 2-3 nos.

Cooking Oil: 1 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida: 1 pinch
Salt - according to taste

Spinach curry

To cook: 

• Boil water in a pan and add the chopped spinach. Once cooked, drain the water and keep the cooked spinach aside.
• In a blender, add the cooked spinach along with the onion, mustard seeds, green chillies, coconut and tamarind pulp.
• Blend this into a smooth paste, add a little water if the paste becomes too thick.
• Once the paste is done, transfer this to a bowl and add salt and mix well. 
• Temper it with oil, mustard seeds and hing. 
• Goes well with chapatis or rice.