Vegetable rich tahiri

I am an avid follower of Sangeeta Khanna on facebook. She posts her recipes & useful tips & tidbits on facebook under the caption Healthy Living with Sangeeta Khanna. Her tips, recipes & information have opened the world of food to so many like never before.....

I read about Tahiri pulao on Sangeeta Khanna's  blog. Tahiri is a mixed vegetable pulao from Uttar Pradesh. And I have been wanting to try it. She has a variety of Tahiri recipes on her banaras ka khana blog. And some days back , she had shared a mixed vegetable tahiri recipe .This is on her other food & recipe blog called healthfood desivideshi.  I tried it with some variations .Needless to add, I loved it !

Ingredients :3/4 cup rice (  used basmati tukda ) , 5-6 Cauliflower florets,1/4 cup  cauliflower stems cubed or cut into medium slices, 1/4 cup broccoli stems cut into medium slices, 1 tbsp peas,1/4 cup potato peeled & cubed ( optional ), 1/4 cup carrots cubed, 1/4 cup beans roughly chopped ( into half an inch a piece ) , 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp jeera,8 peppercorns , 2 cloves , 2-3 green chillies finely chopped, 1 inch ginger cleaned & grated, 1 tsp haldi, salt to taste.

Method : Heat ghee  a pressure pan on low flame..Add jeera.As soon as jeera turns aromatic, add the crushed pepper corns & cloves ( I crushed them in my small grinder jatr ...it can be done with pestle as well ).They will soon get fragnant. Add green chillies & ginger. Fry all nicely for aminute. Add all the vegetables except the cauliflower florets.Mix all nicely so that all spices & veggies get together. Add haldi .Mix all ingredients in pressure pan again.Add salt.Give the ingredients a stir so that salt gets mixed with all veggies.Add rice.Mix all the ingredients in pressure pan .Fry all for 2-3 minutes. Add cauliflower florets.Give the ingredients a  stir. Add water ( Added 1.5 cups water as rice was 3/4 cup ) .Stir everything for the final time. Close the pressure pan with lid.Cook for 2-3 whistles. Put off gas. After it cools. remove the whistle.After 10-15 minutes, open the lid & look at the Tahiri pulao ! It looks delicious. Serve with dahi , raita, papad, or vegetable salad or eat it just like that !

This rice was not at all spicy.So if you like it more pungent & spicy,please feel free to add more of spices ( cloves, peppercorns ) or green chillies & ginger or a combination of all as per your taste. Sangeeta Khanna has added quite a bit of spices, if you read her recipe.I use very little spices as I am used to  less spicy food.

Saatvik chhole.

I had read about this authentic chhole recipe in Sangeeta Khanna's blog banaras ka khana.I had tried it before .I had skipped posting what I tried.I had used grated raw mango in place of aam chur. I tried it again .This time I made use of kairi preserve or raw mango preserve.

My mom realised that many kairis had been given to us by our neighbour who has planted mango trees at their factory grounds.Since,mango pickle is not relished  throughout the year.this is because , somehow,the mango pickle loses its crunchiness as , she thought of grating the kairis.Then she added salt,haldi & hing to the grated kairi.And we bottled this kairi preserve to add to dishes as a souring agent in dishes if a change in sour taste was needed.The bottled kairi preserve is stored in refrigerator.

Ingredients : 1 /2 cup kabuli chana &  1 tbsp chana dal soaked overnight, 1 tsp kairi preserve, 1 hari mirchi roughly chopped,1-2 byadgi mirchi broken into pieces, 1bay leaf,3-4  peppercorns,1 clove, 1/2 inch grated ginger ,1 tsp dhania powder , 1/2 tsp jeera powder, salt to taste, 2  tsp oil.

Method : Pressure cook the soaked chana & chana dal with salt for 2-3 whistles.Then slow down the gas & cook for 15 minutes.Put off gas.


Grind all dry spices.Add adrak & hari mirchi to dry ground spice mixture & grind again.

Take oil in kadhai.Heat the oil.Drop the ground spice mixture in that.After the aroma wafts across, add the pressure cooked chana chhole mix to the spices in kadhai.Mix nicely.Add raw mango preserve.Mix nicely.Let it all boil for 10 minutes.It will start thickening .If you need it to be watery,add water. Put off gas.Serve with rotis,naan ,bhature and rice.

This came out so nicely that I am thinking of making it again & again. No bother of chopping onions & tomatoes .And the taste is so authentic !

I added amla candy piece to the water in which the kabuli chana & chana dal was being cooked.This gives the chana the brown tinge .No haldi was added.Even a teabag can be added to water or tea in a small potli ( a thin piece of cloth with tea wrapped & bound ) can be dropped in the water which pressure cooks the chhole.Using tea bag gives the same brown tinge to chhole.I added a pinch of baking soda to the chhole chana dal mix while it was pressure cooked so that the kabuli chana & chana dal are cooked mashably well !

I did not have badi elaichi & so skipped using  it. In the original recipe ,it is added.I added both byadgi mirchi as also 1 hari mirchi as byadgi mirchi has little pungency .

Akhi Masoor ki dal

• I had some masoor  in my kitchen.I had not made it for quite some time. Sangeeta Khanna had shared a recipe on this lentil.I thought why not try it out .And it turned out to be so satisfyingly yummy ! 

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• Sangeeta Khanna has given many versions of sabut masoor ki dal.I tried only one of  the many recipes.
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• Ingredients : 1/3 Cup sabut masoor, 1/4 tsp pepper powder, 1/4 tsp roasted jeera powder, 1/4 tsp grated ginger,1 small onion chopped,1 small tomato chopped, 1 green chilly chopped, 1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing, 1 tsp ghee,salt to taste.

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• Method : 
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• Make puree of chopped onions,tomato ,hari mirchi & adrak.Add this puree  to washed masoor .Add haldi ,hing & salt to taste.Add 1 cup water ( 1 cup water to 1/3 cup dal...proportion is 1 : 3 ) .Pressure cook on high up to 1 whistle.Then lower the flame & cook for 10-15 minutes.Put off gas.When the cooker cools,remove whistle followed by  the lid.Serve masoor with roti and or rice.

I had forgotten to add ghee while cooking.I added ghee when I removed the lid. The taste of dal was awesome. And texture superb ! I am going to make this often .

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Seasonal fruit parfait

Sangeeta Khanna's food blog banaras ka khana  introduced me to the fact that just milk & rajgir ladoos can make a wonderful cereal .And to a lazy  person like me ,this was too yummy .I loved the flavour ! Moreover,rajgir ladoos have no oil and or ghee.Rajgir danas bound by jaggery ! Then through her blog post on healthfooddesivideshi,I learnt to add fruits & dahi to rajgir  laddoos to make morning breakfast cereal !

And here is my recipe...actually it is Sangeeta Khanna's recipe just tweaked a little, by me  !

Ingredients : 2 Rajgir laddoos,1 orange desseded & peeled & cut ,3-4  strawberries cut, 1 chikoo deeseeded ,peeled &  cut & 1 apple deeseded & cut , & peeled,1 banana peeled & cut into thin slices, 3-4 tbsp dahi or milk  ,1 tbsp crumbled cookie or crumbled cake ( optional ) .this quantity is enough for 1 person.

Method : Take a glass tumbler ( so that one can look at the parfait & start oogling at it ) .Drop 2 rajgir laddoos inside it.Add the seasonal fruits like bananas,apple,oranges,strawberries even black & green grapes,etal In fact any seasonal fruit can be added .Moreover,in any quantity.Add yoghurt ( I prefer yoghurt....alternatively milk can be added or maybe a mix of both  ) ..... on top of the fruit mix.Now add crumbled cookies or cake.Let it stand for 10 -15 minutes.

Now take a spoon & try to mix all the ingredients reaching upto the bottom.And just eat it spoon by spoon ! It is just heavenly !

Instead of cookie or cake ,dry fruit can be added for the crunch like almonds,cashews,walnuts.etc.Even kismis can be added for extra sweetness.Though the jaggery in the laddoos will impart the needed sweetness !

Masoor gobhi nimona

I wanted to try something different with gobhi.I thought of Sangeeta Khanna's banaras ka khana .I came across one masoor dal ka nimona.I decided to try it out .Also winter is getting late to Mumbai.I thought, if i tried this winter dish,maybe winter will be tempted to arrive soon !

I had whole masoor at home.I used whole masoor in place of masoor dal .I made very little as it was just for one person that is me.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup whole masoor ,1/2 cup washed cauliflower florets,1 small potato peeled & cubed,i roughly chopped tomato,1 tsp grated ginger,cumin powder 1/4 tsp,coriander powder 1/4 tsp,haldi 1/4 tsp,jeera 1/4 tsp,1 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook whole masoor ( 1/4 cup masoor with 1/2 cup water ) with chopped tomatoes,haldi & salt for 2- 3 whistles.Then slow down the gas.Cook on slow flame for 5 minutes.Put off gas.

Take oil in kadhai.Heat it.Add jeera.When they crackle,add cubed potatoes.Slow the gas to low flame.Saute for 4-5 minutes.Add cauliflower florets & grated ginger .Mix nicely.I added 1 tbsp water as I found all veggies had started sticking to the kadhai bottom.Saute for another five minutes.Add jeera powder & dhania powder now.Mix nicely.Add salt. Mix. Put off gas.Transfer the contents of kadhai to the masoor tomato mix. Simmer the masoor tomato mix with added veggies on slow gas for 10-15 minutes.Put off gas. Whole masoor nimona is ready.

I skipped adding fresh hara dhania as I did not have it.Yes, loved the flavours.The dish becomes thicker as it cooks & water evaporates.

Rajma revisited

I have made rajma quite a number of times.I read about a simple rajma dish in Sangeeta Khanna's blog here .I tried it out.And it was  a hit ! Authentic  taste.I was hooked.Since then ,I have made rajma following her recipe while adding my own two cents to the recipe.

Ingredients : 1/2 cup rajma beans soaked overnight ( used the  buff coloured ones ) ,2 tbsp oil,1 large onion finely chopped or minced in mixer or grated,2 medium tomatoes chopped ,1 small carrot chopped ( optional ) ,1/2 tsp flax seed powder  ( optional ),1/2 tsp jeera,1 bay leaf, 1 -2 hari mirchi finely chopped, 1/2 tsp ginger paste or grated ginger,salt to taste.

Method : I used buff coloured beans this time.I used oil for this recipe.Once ,I have used butter as well.Butter,ghee or oil can be used as per choice.

Pressure cook rajma beans after throwing the soaked water.Cook in fresh water .Cook till 2-3 whistles& then keep gas burner on slow & cook upto 10 minutes.Put off the gas.Keep aside.

Pressure cook chopped tomatoes & carrot till one whistle.Put off gas.Keep aside.

In a kadhai, take oil.Add jeera.When they splutter,add chopped green chillies & ginger ( paste or grated ) .Fry nicely.Add onions now & fry nicely till raw smell of onion goes away.Add the bay leaf & fry it with the onions.

Add flax seed powder to the kadhaiMix nicely. This gives body to the gravy & is good omega fat.Instead of carrot, flaxseed powder can be added .Alternatively, one can make without carrot and or flaxseed powder.


Meanwhile cool the cooked tomatoes & carrot.Make a puree of the tomatoes & carrot in blender.Pour this carrot tomato puree into the kadhai.Mix nicely.Now add cooked rajma & mix nicely.Let it start simmering.Add salt to taste.Let it boil for 10-15 minutes.Water can be added to thin the gravy if needed.After it has boiled for 10-15 minutes,put off the gas.Serve with chapatis and or rice.

My parents loved the flavours ! This is really simple recipe with hardly any spices.And this has to be tasted to believe, that without any fuss,rajma can taste so well !

Broccoli dal

I have come to love broccoli as it cooks very fast & is quite tasty with just afew spices.So for a  lazy person like me ,it is a boon !

I have tried a broccoli dish earlier from Sangeeta Khanna's blog & today I tried one more of her broccoli dishes.Her broccoli lentil soup came out very well.The original recipe by Sangeeta Khanna is here .

I changed some ingredients.I skipped using celery & garlic.I used green chillies instead of red chilly powder.Moreover ,I cooked long enough for broccoli to lose its crunchiness.

Ingredients : 1 tbsp whole masoor,1 tbsp split green mung dal,300 gm broccoli washed & cut into florets, 2 small tomatoes chopped,1 medium sized onion chopped fine, 2 green chillies chopped, 1/2 tsp ginger washed & grated,1/2 tsp cumin seeds,1 tsp ghee,1/4 tsp haldi,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook the dals with onions,green chillies,grated ginger & haldi.Add the broccoli stalks which have chopped fine in the pressure cooker with the dals. I pressure cooked for 2 whistles & then lowered the flame & cooked for 5 minutes before turning off the gas.After the pressure has eased,take out the cooked stew & keep aside.

Meanwhile ,heat gheee in a kadhai.Add cumin seedsWhen they splutter ,add broccoli florets & stir fry for 5 minutes.Add salt.Mix nicely.Now add chopped tomatoes & cook for another five minutes.Add the dal stew to this broccoli tomato mix & bring to a boil.Add more water if dal type consistency is needed.Put off the gas & serve with chaptis and or rice.

I loved the simple flavours.Mine was thick stew.It was unlike soup .Yet ,it is dal veggie combo which spells nutrition !

Broccoli stir fry.

I had brought broccoli & wanted to try a  stir fry.I googled  Sangita Khanna's blog healthfood desi videshi .I was amazed to see many recipes using broccoli.I selected this  detox recipe.

I did not have soy nuggets.Hence ,I made this sir fry without soy nuggets.

Ingredients :  3 cups broccoli florets,1 medium onion finely chopped,1 tomato chopped,2 green chillies chopped,1 tsp ginger  & garlic (both grated),1 tsp pepper powder,2 tsp soya sauce, 2 tsp  oil,salt to taste.

Method : Warm oil in a pan.Add grated  ginger garlic & saute it.Add green chillies & onions.Saute them as well.The onions will get translucent,Add the soya sauce & 1 tbsp  water.Mix nicely.

Add broccoli florets.Add salt.Stir all the ingredients well.Add pepper powder.Mix again.Cover with a lid & cook for five minutes.Add chopped tomatoes & mix with all ingredients.Cover with lid & cook for 5-10 minutes.

Serve hot with rotis.I ate this with rotis & loved the new flavours that I discovered.

Add salt carefully as soya sauce contains salt & green veggies have their own salt content.

Cauliflower peas potato nimona

I heard or rather read about nimona recipes at Sangeeta Khanna's blog banaras ka khana.I was interested in knowing about it.Moreover since I am someone who will try to test any recipes which are easy to whip up,I delved deeper.She has many nimona recipes like masoor nimona with gobhi,peas nimona,aloo gobhi matar nimona to name some.I picked up aloo gobhi matar nimona & tried it.Mine came out thicker.I am sure ,it thickens up as it cools, just like oondhiyon & bisi bele bhaath.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup boiled,peeled & diced potato chunks ,washed & boiled cauliflower florets ( bring water to which haldi & salt has been added & drown the florets in it & bring it to a boil .This is to  3/4 cup,3/4 cup peas,1-2 green chillies,2 pods garlic,1/4 inch ginger,1 tsp dhania powder,1/4 tsp black pepper powder,1/4 tsp jeera powder,1tsp jeera,1 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Heat  cauliflower florets in water with turmeric & salt to remove pesticides.I added peeled & cubed potatoes as well.After one boil of the water.Put off gas.Let the florets & potato cubes remain in the hot water. Keep aside.

Take the peas in a mixer & churn the mixer once or twice so that a granular mixture ( not paste ) of peas is obtained.Keep aside.

Take a kadhai.Add oil.Heat up the kadhai.Add cumin.After,they splutter, add the hot florets & potato cubes,Fry the veggies nicely till they slightly change colour.Add salt. Mix.Add the spices. Mix nicely.After 1-2 minutes, add the chilli ginger paste.Mix nicely. Let it heat the veggie spice mix for 1-2 minutes.Add the ground green peas  to the kadhai.Mix all nicely.Let it cook for 4-5 minutes till veggie mix starts sticking to the bottom of kadhai.Add 1 cup water & mix. Let the water veggie mix simmer for 4-5 minutes. Put off gas.

Serve nimona with rice and or rotis. It goes well with both.

This was my second attempt & today ,it turned out just a bit  more salty than I like.Still,I loved it ! It has a very different taste from the usual gram masala added gobhi sabzi.So ,if you want to try some different tasting sabzi with gobhi this winter,please give this a try.You can also try masoor nimona,hare chane ka nimona...all from banaras ka khana.And believe me ,you will be delighted with the results.This is because,Sangeeta is too good  a food blogger.Her recipes are detailed & finely tuned.

Cauliflower in carrot tomato gravy.

Winter is the season of fresh cauliflowers ,carrots,tomatoes etal...so many vegetables to choose from. Aloo gobhi ka nimona at Sangeeta Khanna's blog "Banaras ka khana " was the inspiration for this recipe.

Ingredients :Cauliflower cut or broken into florets 1cup,medium sized tomatoes 2,carrot peeled & cut into chunks,peas 1/4 cup, 1 medium onion chopped ,1green chilli, 1/2 inch ginger cleaned & grated,few curry leaves,1/2 tsp garam masla,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method :Take oil in a kadahi & heat it up.Now add cauliflower florets & peas.Saute them in oil.Cover with alid & cook.After 2-3 minutes,remove lid ,add hing ,haldi & salt.Mix nicely & again cover with lid & cook.Add some water if you feel that the veggies are getting stuck to bottom of kadahi.

Grind onions,ginger,green chilly & curry leaves into a paste.Add this paste to the kadhai & mix nicely.Let the vegetable mix simmer in the kadhai.Grind together carrots & tomatoes in the mixer.Add this carrot tomato paste to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Add salt & garam masala.Mix nicely .Put off the gas.

Now put the contents of the kadhai into a vessel which can be fitted into the pressure cooker.Pressure cook the mixed vegetable dish for two whistles.Put off the gas.Let the cooker cool.Remove from the cooker & serve with chapatis & or rice.

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