Bhuna Jeera, as it is called in India, roasted cumin seeds can add a distinct tangy flavour to any recipe. It can be used a spice while cooking and it goes really well when added to yogurt drinks, cocktails, fruit punches and salads. Prepare Bhuna Jeera (roasted cumin powder) at home by simply roasting cumin seeds in microwave for 1-2 minutes moving it every 30 seconds so that it does not burn. Grind the roasted seeds to a coarse powder and store in air tight container.
Tag: spices
YOGURT DILL DIP-दही की चक्का सोई चटनी
Gluten Free, quick and nutritious
Ingredients:
750 grams yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
2 inch frozen crushed green chilli
2 teaspoon dill weed or fresh dill
Preparation:
Put yogurt in the muslin cloth and hang it for 1-2 hours for the water to drain out.
STEPS:
Step 1. Remove yogurt block from the muslin cloth and put it in a container.
Step 2. Add salt, frozen garlic, frozen crushed green chilli and dill weed.
Step 3. Mix everything thoroughly and store in refrigerator.
Handy Tips:
1. You can be as creative as you want to be , replace Dill weed with other herbs like chives, rosemary, basil, mint, coriander or spices like red chilli pepper, black pepper.
2. You can also add finely chopped bell peppers, mushrooms or cucumber.
Roast Eggplant Mash (Baingun Bharta)-गुणों वाला बैगुन भर्था
Why this recipe? How is it green? Am I saving some time by following four steps or less recipes?
GLUTEN FREE, Source of dietary fibre, vitamins and rich in antioxidants compounds
Using Pre sautéed onions and pre roasted eggplant/Aubergine is saving 15-25 minutes of your time.
You save: 40% of fuel energy and 15-25 minutes of your precious time that is about 8 to 10% of the total time you spend in kitchen on an average(assuming you spend a total of 2-3 hours in a day in the kitchen).
COOKING TIME: 10-15 Minutes with preparation following time saving tips
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon oil
1 large roasted egg plant, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 big tomato chopped
2 big onions chopped small (and sautéed, if you followed save time for next time tip)
2 inch frozen ginger
1 inch frozen chopped green chilli
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon of mango powder or pomegranate powder
Coriander leaves or spring onion for garnish
STEP 1. Put bay leaf and cinnamon into heated oil, let them get brown and add sautéed onion (If using fresh cut onion , sauté until they are translucent)
STEP 2. Add chopped roasted aubergine, salt, chilli powder and coriander powder
STEP 3. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté until all water from tomatoes dries out
STEP 4. Add pomegranate powder or mango powder before putting it in serving dish.
HANDY TIPS:
Aubergine/eggplant can be roasted right on the stove by putting it on a metal mesh or in the oven. Conventional recipe requires it to be roasted in a clay oven called tandoor. To get the smoky flavour on an oven or stove roasted eggplant, follow the process in smoking hot tip
To ensure energy efficiency and minimize carbon footprint of your cooking, put the eggplant in the oven when you are using the oven for some other baking. Roasted eggplant can be stored in fridge for days before you make the bhartha/Mash.
To save time for this recipe use pre sautéed onions that you stored in your fridge the last the time around. (remember the save time for next time tip)
Cocothai curry-गरीथाई करी
SERVES: 3-4
Why this recipe?
Gluten Free , Quicker than any quick recipe. Just 3 Steps
COOKING TIME: 6-8 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds(white til seeds)
1 tablespoon of Thai curry paste (Red, Green or Yellow)
1 can of coconut milk or coconut cream
500 grams of mixed frozen vegetables or fresh mixed veggies
STEP 1. Put sesame seeds in heated oil. Stir for 30 seconds and add thai curry paste to it.
STEP 2. Thaw frozen veggies in microwave for 2-3 minutes or steam fresh veggies with a cover in microwave for 2-3 minutes.
STEP 3:Add coconut milk, thawed frozen vegetables and salt. Keep it on the heat for 2-3 minutes with lid covered. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes with lid covered.
HANDY TIPS:
1. You can add boneless chicken or any other meat to make it a non-vegetarian option.
2. This preparation can be served as a soup, a topping on grilled veggies or meats or as curry to go with rice or with roti, naan or bread.
3. Bring your creative side to play and add some flavourful herbs like lemon basil, rosemary, cilantro or dill.
4. If you do not have readymade curry paste, make a paste with ginger, green chillies and fresh curry leaves or coriander leaves for a green curry.
Coconut Veggie – Cocotom curry-तु॑गटम सब्ज़ी
SERVES: 3-4
Why this recipe?
Gluten Free , Quicker than a quick recipe.
COOKING TIME: 6-8 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
5-10 tender curry leaves
2 medium sized chopped tomatoes
1 can of coconut milk or coconut cream
500 grams of mixed frozen or fresh vegetables
½ teaspoon of red chilli powder
1 square inch of frozen chopped green chilli
2 square inch of frozen grated ginger or 25 grams fresh ginger
STEP 1. Put mustard seeds and curry leaves in heated oil. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute.
STEP 2. Add chopped tomatoes, ginger, green chilli and red chilli powder and let it simmer for 2 minutes with lid covered.
STEP 3. Thaw frozen vegetables or steam fresh veggies in microwave in the meanwhile for 2-3 minutes
STEP 4. Add coconut milk, thawed frozen vegetables and salt. Keep it on the heat for 2-3 minutes with lid covered.
HANDY TIPS:
1. You can add boneless chicken or any other meat to make it a non-vegetarian option.
2. This preparation can be served as a soup, a topping on grilled veggies or meats or as curry to go with rice or with roti, naan or bread.
3. Bring your creative side to play and add some flavourful herbs like lemon basil, rosemary, cilantro or dill.
Luscious Indian baby pumpkin-पश्छिम के बेसनी टिंडे
SERVES: 2-3
GLUTEN FREE, HIGH IN PROTEIN AND FIBRE
Why this recipe? How is it green? How am I contributing to making this earth green by following four steps or less recipes?
Using Pressure Cooker will take 8-10 minutes whereas it will take 20-25 minutes in a regular pan.
You save: 70% of fuel energy and 10 minutes of your precious time that is about 5 to 8% of the total time you spend in kitchen on an average (assuming you spend a total of 2-3 hours in a day in the kitchen)
This is a completely gluten free recipe that is a delicacy from Western India.
COOKING TIME: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons jeera (cumin)
1 pinch of hing (asafoetida powder)
1 big tomato chopped
1 tablespoon besan (chickpea flour)
½ kilo tinda (baby pumpkin), each cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ tablespoon haldi (turmeric powder)
½ teaspoon garam masala (all spice)
1 square inch of frozen chopped green chilli
2 square inch of frozen grated ginger or 25 grams fresh ginger
100 ml or 1/2 glass of water
Dhania (coriander) leaves for garnish
STEP 1. Put asafoetida powder and cumin seeds in heated oil and let it brown.
STEP 2. Add chopped tomatoes and besan (chickpea flour), sauté it with tomatoes for 2-3 minutes for chickpea flour to roast. This will take 1-2 minutes.
STEP 3. Add all of the rest of ingredients and 1/2 glass of water before you close the pressure cooker/pan lid.
STEP 4. Let it whistle 1 time (4-5 minutes) and open the cooker after all steam is released (it might take 5-7 minutes). Add garam masala and coriander leaves as you serve.
HANDY TIPS:
Asafoetida has a very unique flavour, the recipe will still come out fine, even if you decide not to use it.
Always wait for the steam in pressure cooker to release by itself. This is a safety precaution as well as retains all flavour of the food.
Replace Cream with Milk-हलकी फुल्की सलाह
Most exotic rich Indian recipes suggest using cream, butter and butter oil (ghee) but all of these can be replaced with more healthier and easily available alternatives. For example, in a conventional Butter Chicken or Daal Makhani recipe replace cream with milk to make the gravy creamy. For Daal replace water with milk and for Butter Chicken increase the amount of nuts (almonds or cashews whatever you are using).
Revive that creative side in you and try using coconut milk once in a while to give that distinctive flavour to a routine recipe.
Boneless Tip-बिना हडडी की सलाह
Butter chicken comes out the best with boneless chicken. It is also easy to serve and eat when it is boneless
Green Tip-दमदार सलाह
Save Earth- do your bit!
If you do not already have a regular heavy base pan and planning to buy one, consider buying a pressure cooker instead. All pressure cookers are usually made of heavy metal base as they work on a steam system. You can use the bottom part of the cooker as a pan without the cover when you are not pressure cooking. Pressure cooker of the right shape and size can serve both purposes, pan and as well a pressure cooker. Do your bit to save this planet. You save 70% fuel energy and your time and energy by using a pressure cooker.
SPICY SWEET SQUASH/PUMPKIN-खट्टा मीठा सीताफ़ल
SERVES: 3-4
GLUTEN FREE- LOADED WITH VITAMIN A,C and FIBRE -QUICK TO MAKE
COOKING TIME: 8-10 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon oil
1 small squash/pumpkin (about 500 grams) cut into 2 inch pieces with skin
1 pinch hing (Asafoetida powder)
2 teaspoons jeera (Cumin)
2 teaspoons methi seeds (Fenugreek)
1 teaspoon crushed saunf (Fennel seeds)
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala
STEP 1. Put hing (Asafoetida powder), methi seeds (Fenugreek seeds) and jeera (Cumin seeds) into heated oil, sauté for 20-30 seconds.
STEP 2. Throw in the cut pieces of squash/pumpkin, sugar, salt, red chilli powder and ¾ cup of water.
STEP 3. Cover the pan and let everything cook until squash turns soft and turns a little dark in colour.
STEP 4. Add garam masala and serve with coriander leaves garnish
HANDY TIP:
Asafoetida has a very unique flavour, the recipe will still come out fine, even if you decide not to use it.
You do not have to take the skin off for most sitaphal/petha (in India)(squash/pumpkin in North America) for this recipe, however if you have already used a particular kind of pumpkin that is known for coarse skin, you may remove the skin.
Four Steps or Less 