Purple cabbage sabzi

I had chanced upon this purple cabbage in the marjket. I got it as I wanted to taste it. I shredded as small part of it & ate it raw with some poha which has been mixed with chutni powder & til oil & some finely chopped raw capsicum & grated carrot.This was my Ekadashi fasting recipe.It was fresh & crunchy.

Next I googled for a sabzi recipe using purple cabbage...its also called red cabbage...don't know why. Its not red at all. Though I think after cooking , it does turn red or rather pink as can be viewed in the snaps.

I came across this easy recipe which is sans coconut. I added green chillies to it &  added 1/ 3 cup water in installments to tone down the crunchiness !

Ingredients : 250 gm shredded purple cabbage, 1/ 4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp urad dal, 1 byadgi mirchi broken into 2-3 pieces,1-2 green chillies roughly chopped,8-10 curry leaves, 1/4 tsp hing, 1/4 tsp sesame seeds,1 tbsp oil, salt to taste.

Method : Heat oil in a kadahi. Add mustard seeds.After they pop up, add urad dal. Once urad dal turn golden brown , add the broken pieces of byadgi mirchi & curry leaves. Fry them for a few seconds. Add shredded purple cabbage & chopped green chillies. Give all ingredients a good stir by the ladle.Add 1/ 4 cup water. Mix all ingredients again. Let it cook for 5-8 minutes. Add salt to taste. Mix all ingredients again so that salt is nicely mixed up. Add remaining water. Again, give a good stir. Cook for 5-6 minutes or till almost no water is left in kadahi. Put off gas.

Toast sesame seeds in another kadahi till they start spluttering up. Alternatively  toast them in microwave for thirty seconds. Put off the microwave. Again toast them for another thirty seconds.

Garnish purple cabbage side dish with toasted sesame seeds. Serve as side dish for rotis and or rice.

My sabzi was not so crunchy as I wanted it to be softer .Hence, I had added water. It was a little salty. So I added, juice of a quarter of a lemon & then it was good.

Tomato Gojju

One of the food blogs that I  follow is Saffron Trail by Nandita Iyer.She is  a doctor by profession. The other day, she had posted tomato gojju recipe.I was tempted top make it as shes stated that this recipe is from Karnataka.I did make the recipe after asking my mom for the recipe.

The recipe became possible as there were quite a few small ( lemon sized ) tomatoes in the refrigerator.

Ingredients : 5/6 tomatoes  chopped  roughly, 1 tbsp chickpea flour or besan 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/ 4 tsp fenugreek or methi seeds,   1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1-2 byadgi mirchi broken into 2-3 pieces each, 1-2  green chillies chopped,  a few curry leaves, 1 tsp jaggery, optional : 1 tsp or less of sambar or rasam powder or any everyday curry powder ( being used for making daily vegetable ) , salt to taste.

Method : Heat oil in a kdahai.Add mustard seeds.After they splutter add methi seeds.After they pop up , add jeera.Next add curry leaves & byadgi mirchi followed by turmeric & hing.Add tomatoes & mix all ingredients in kadhai.Keep cooking on slow gas flame. After 10-15 minutes, tomatoes will become mushy.Take care that the tomatoes do not stick to kadhai bottom.Add salt  to taste.This will make tomatoes all the more mushy. Add jaggery. Mix nicely.After five minutes, add the curry powder or sambar or rasam powder or combination of all three powders . Mix. Take 1tbsp besan & mix it with little water & make apste with no lumps in it.Add it to tomato spice mix in the kadhai constantly mixing with the spoon as it is being added to the kadhai. Keep stirring the spoon in the kadhai till the besan paste has become one with the tomato spice mix.Add more water if consistency is too thick. Bring the mix to a boil Put off gas. Serve with rotis and or rice.


This is  very tangy dish.And very easy & quick dish to make.Besan is added to make it thick.In other versions, soaked chana dal- tur dal mix is ground with coconut to make the gojju thick in place of besan.

I added more curry leaves as I had many of them in stock. One can add more chillies and even more curry powder as per  taste.Or it can be without curry powder .Or it can be with curry powder & no green chillies. Instead red chilli powder can be used.

Sprouted Matki usal

Matki or moth beans are used to make a tangy usal or beans curry.When any beans like matki are sprouted,it is all the more beneficial for health.

I have brought a sprout maker recently online .I make sprouts in that.Though ,I would hardly ever advise anybody to buy it as it occupies space & is not that useful.Beans can be sprouted in thin cloth as this post shows.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup moth beans,1 tomato,1 onion,2-3 green chillies,1/2 " grated ginger, 1/2 tsp any readymade sabzi masala powder,1/4 tsp mustard seeds,1/4 tsp curry patta powder ( optional ) or 1 tsp chopped curry leaves  ,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,2 tsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Sprout the moth beans .Keep aside.

Clean & finely chop onion,tomato & green chillies.Take kadhai & put oil.Put on gas.After oil heats up ,add mustard seeds.When they crackle,add chopped onions & grated ginger followed by chopped green chillies. Saute them in the oil.Add haldi & hing.Now add the sprouted moth beans .Mix nicely.Add chopped tomatoes & curry patta powder ( optional ).Mix nicely.Add ready made sabzi masala powder.Add salt to taste.Add half cup water or less, if dry version of curry is preferred. Now pressure cook all this beans veggie mix up to 2 whistles. Sim down the burner. Cook for another 10 minutes on slow flame. Put off the gas.After the cooker has cooled,remove the matki usal & serve.

Alternatively ,pressure cook sprouted moth nbeans upt o 2 whsitles & then on slow flame for 5-10 minutes. Put off gas.Keep aside.

In a kadhai prepare vagar of mustard seeds. Add ginger , kadipatta, green  chilli paste. Add hing & haldi. Mix all nicely. Saute nicely. add finely chopped onions. Saute nicely till it turns translucent. Add tomato puree or finely chopped tomatoes.Saute nicely by mixing all ingredients. Add salt . Remember toadd slt sparingly as sprouted moth beans have been cooked with salt .

Add pressure cooked sprouted moth beans. Mix all nicely. Add water depending on how much watery usal is needed.If dry usal is needed, no need to add water.


After the cooker has cooled,remove the matki usal.Serve it with chappatis and or rice.

I prefer watery version as it can be mixed with rice as well in place of dal or sambhar or rasam.For carrying in tiffin box to office,a drier version would be convenient to avoid spillage.

I had curry patta powder & so I used it.Alternatively,curry pattas can be used.

If no onion version is needed, skip the step of adding finely chopped onions & sauteing them.

If usal has turned out too watery, add 1/2 tsp flax seed powder. Mix nicely. After 15-20 minutes, the usal would be not so watery. 

Coconut free Veg Kurma

I made veg kurma with coconut earlier.I wanted to try out a recipe sans coconut.Hence, this recipe.

Ingredients :

For sabzi : 3/4- 1 cup cauliflower florets,1/4 cup beans stringed & chopped into 1/2 " pieces, 1/4 cup carrot peeled & chopped into 1/2 " pieces,1/4 cup capsicum roughly chopped,1/4 cup green peas,2 tsp oil,1/4 tsp haldi,1/2 tsp cumin,1 /2 tsp garam masala powder,salt to taste.

For gravy : 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped,1 onion roughly chopped,1/2 carrot peeled & roughly chopped( optional ) , 2-3 green chillies, 1/2 ' ginger finely chopped,1 tbsp dalia or daria dal or roasted chana dal & 4 cashews,1 -2 tbsp dahi( optional ) , 1/2 tsp flaxseed meal ( optional )

Method : Cauliflower is supposedly ,the vegetable that is loaded with pesticides.So ,I have started boiling the florets in water, to which a pinch of salt & turmeric has been added.After one boil,the florets can be used for cooking.Keep aside the  boiled florets .

Pressure cook beans,carrots & peas .Pressure cook tomatoes & onion as well.Keep aside.

Powder dalia & cashews.Add finely chopped green chillies & ginger.Add pressure cooked tomatoes,onions & just half a carrot ( optional ) which as been pressure cooked to the dalia cashew mixture.Blend all together in mixer.Keep aside.

In a pan or kadhai take oil.Heat it.Add cumin.When they splutter,add chopped capsicum.Add haldi.Mix.Add cauliflower florets.Add salt.Let it cook for five minutes.Add salt.Mix nicely.Add pressure cooked veggie pieces...beans,carrots & peas.Mix nicely.Now add the gravy that is tomato onion dalia cashew mix to the kadahi.Mix nicely.If it is too thick,add water.Add garam masala powder .Bring it to a boil.Put off gas.Serve with chapatis and or rice.

The gravy turns out pretty thick.The gravy has a creamy texture perhaps due to cashews.Though I used 3 green chillies,it was not spicy at all.Those who want more spicier versions can add more chillies and ginger or any spice which they prefer.

Another method : Take oil in a kadhai.Heat it up.Add cumin seeds.Let the cumin seeds splutter.Add onion, green chillies & ginger to mixer & make a coarse paste.Put this coarse paste in kadhai.Shallow fry this paste till raw smell of onions disappears.Make a coarse paste of tomatoes & carrots & add it to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Cook till raw smell of tomatoes disappears. Add salt. Add chopped potatoes,capsicum , partially boiled florets ,carrots , beans & peas. Mix .Add haldi.Mix again.Let it cook.

Powder dalia & cashews in mixer & add to the kadhai.Mix with all vegetables.Add half a teaspoon of flaxseed meal ( optional ) as it is good fat.Mix nicely. Add 1 tbsp of yoghurt ( optional ) to the kadhai & mix. Add garam masala powder. Now transfer the contents of kadhai into a small vessel which can fit into the pressure cooker.Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup water.Mix nicely.

Pressure cook for 2 whistles.Slow cook in pressure cooker for 10 minutes.Put off gas.Let cooker cool.Remove lid.Veg kurma can be served as a side dish for chapatis and even as an accompaniment for rice.

Veg manchurian.

I have made vegetarian manchurian balls in gravy before.They had become hard balls.They could be cut with fork & yet they were hard.So,I googled & came across this recipe here .

I made some changes.And the dish turned out better than last time.Yes,even my kid agreed that this time around,this was a good dish !

Ingredients :

For Manchurian balls :1/4 cup mashed boiled potato,1/4 cup grated cabbage,1/4 cup grated carrot,1/4 cup cornflour ,1 /4 cup  maida,1 tsp grated ginger,2-3 tbsp oil,salt to taste .

For gravy : 1/4 cup finely chopped & washed spring onion greens,1 tsp grated ginger,1 tbsp soya sauce,1tbsp corn flour,1 cup water,salt to taste.

Method :

Manchurian Balls: In a bowl mix all ingredients that is mix mashed boiled  potato,grated carrots,grated cabbage,ginger ,corn flour,maida & salt .Leave 1 tbsp maida asde to roll the veg balls in before frying them.

After mixing all ingredients nicely,shape small balls of the size of small lemons from the veg flour mix.Keep aside.

Start heating a paniyaram vessel.I prefer paniyaram vessel as it uses less oil.Moreover,I am afraid of spilling oil in large kadahis.Put oil drops in each of the inlets of the paniyaram vessel.Drop the balls -one each in each inlet.After sometime,turn the balls all upside down one by one.They will have browned bottpoms.After some time,check if the bottoms have browned.Sides may look light coloured & unfroed.Turn them around in the inlets so that they also get fried.In short,see that alls ides of balls are evenly fried.Put off the gas.Take out the balls & keep aside.

In another vessel,take 1tbsp corn flour & water.Mix nicely & start heating up the vessel.Add spring onion shoots & grated ginger to the vessel.Add soya sauce & mix.Keep stirring to see that no lumps are formed.Add salt to taste always remembering that soya sauce & balls both have salt in them.Add the veg balls that have been kept aside into this vessel.After it has boiled,put it off.If it is too watery,add more corn flour & boil it stirring constantly.If it is too thick,add more water & boil it once.

The veg manchurian is ready.This is a good side dish for veg fried rice as also veg hakka noodles .

Mixed vegetable korma

There is a new advertisement for a pressure cooker brand.It shows a young girl being taught to make vegetable korma recipe by her mom.Her mother says that the particular pressure cooker is a handy tool for making vegetable korma.In that ,the recipe is a breeze !

I googled for the recipe & came across this .I made a few changes because I did not have the same veggies as in the original recipe.

Ingredients : 1 small cauliflower destemmed & cut into florets,1 potato peeled & diced into cubes,1 large carrot diced ,1/4 cup peas, ,1 medium onion finely chopped,1/2 capsicum roughly chopped,2 tsp oil,1/4 tsp turmeric,1 /4 cup dahi, 1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste,1 tsp readymade schezwan chutney ( optional ).

Masala paste : 1 heaped tbsp dalia or roasted chana dal , 1tbsp fresh coconut, 1 tsp dhania powder ( I had no sabut dhania hence used dhania powder), 2 cloves, 3 byadgi mirchis ,1/2 inch ginger finely chopped, 1 inch cinnamon stick,1 tbsp dahi,2 small tomatoes,finely chopped.

 Cauliflower is supposedly ,the vegetable that is loaded with pesticides.So ,I have started boiling the florets in water, to which a pinch of salt & turmeric has been added.After one boil,the florets can be used for cooking.Keep aside the  boiled florets .

Make a paste of all the masala ingredients except  tomatoes.The masala  paste must be fine.Then add tomatoes & a wet paste will be the result.Keep aside.

In the pressure pan or kadhai,saute the finely chopped onions in oil till they are transluscent.Add haldi & hing.Add the schezwan chutney,Mix nicely.Add all the diced vegetables except cauliflower florets..Mix nicely.Saute them for 4-5 minutes.Add salt.Mix nicely.Add the wet masala paste. Mix nicely with the sauteed veggies.Add dahi.Mix nicely.Pressure cook for 2 whistles.Then lower the flame & cook on slow flame for 10-15 minutes.Now put off the gas.When the pressure has subsided that is when the cooker cools down ,remove whistle.Open the lid of pressure cooker & take out the vessel containing the mixed verggie mix. Add the cauliflower florets & mix with the veggie mix. Simmer this veg korma for 5-10 minutes.Put off gas. Serve mixed veg korma with rice & or rotis.

The korma turned out little spicy than what I am used to eating .Maybe, the schezwan chutney was the culprit.More curds or dahi can be added to dilute the pungency.

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 !

Paneer butter masala

I wanted to try a new paneer dish as my kid loves paneer .I came across this paneer butter masala here.I made some changes as my kid eats less spicy foods.

Ingredients : 100 gm Amul paneer cubes,2 small tomatoes,1 tsp grated ginger,1/2 tsp chilli flakes,5-6 cashewnuts,1/4 tsp garam masala powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric,1/4 tsp hing,2 tsp oil,2 tsp Amul butter salt to taste.

Method : Take butter & oil in a kadhai.After the butter melts,add grated ginger.Fry it in the oil butter mix.Meanwhile puree the tomatoes in a blender with 1 tsp chilli flakes ( red chilli powder can be used as well ).Pour this blended tomato mix into the kadahi.& fry nicely.Add one bay leaf to the kadhai & mix so that the tomato gravy is covering apart of the bay leaf.Let this mix boil.

Cut the paneer cubes into smaller size if needed.

After the tomato puree has boiled, add turmeric & hing.Mix nicely.Meanwhile take 5-6 cashews & powder them in the mixture.Add this powdered mixture to the kadhai.Add the cashew mix to kadhai after the raw tomato smell disappears ( this means boiling tomato puree for 10-15 minutes ).Mix powdered cashews nicely with gravy.The gravy will start becoming thick.Add half cup water or less if thicker gravy is needed.Add salt & garam masala.Mix nicely.Add paneer cubes & bring the whole thing to a boil.Let it simmer for 5 minutes.Then put off the gas.Serve with chappatis.

My kid found the garammasala too much.So next time,I will put just 1/8 tsp of garama masala per 100 gm of paneer for this  dish.Moreover,she loves paneer cubes & gravy is simply discarded.So it must be semi dry or thick gravy.

Pineapple raita

I love raitas.They rarely need cooking .So ,they are ready in a jiffy ! I cam across pineapple raita  in restaurants & was hooked.

Nowadays as I have become lazy & tend to stay at home,I try recipes to bring in variety.So I got pineapple slices available at a street fruit seller.It is priced at Rs 10/ only for 5 slices & decided to make this raita.

Ingredients : 5-10  pineapple slices roundly cut,1/2 tsp  cumin seeds ,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/2 cup yoghurt,salt to taste.

Method : Roughly chop the pineapple slices into chunks.Keep aside.Take yoghurt & whip so that it becomes like cream.Add salt & mix nicely.

Add the chopped pineapple chunks into the dahi.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Dry roast cumin seeds on tawa on low flame for 1-2 minutes.Let it cool.Roughly powder them with a pestle.Sprinkle this powder on the pineapple dahi mix.Sprinkle red chilli powder on the raita as well.Enjoy with pulav,roti Or just by itself !

This is a sweet-tangy raita ! And immensely popular !

Naval kol sabzi

Naval kol is a cabbage like vegetable .It is shaped like any onion .Its colour is like green cabbage.It tastes like cabbage .It is a solid mass unlike cabbage which has layers.

I love this vegetable as I like variety.It is quite a tricky vegetable.It may look fresh & yet may be hard to cut as also get cooked.It has leaves like radish.I discard the leaves & only use the solid mass for sabzi.I peel the vegetable to remove small offshoots which are there on the outside & cut it like any other vegetable.If I find any part of the vegetable very hard,It has to be discarded as it will not cook .The rest can be cut & cooked.

Ingredients : 2 navalkols- chopped into half inch pieces,1 green mirchi-chopped into 2-3 pieces,1-2 sprigs of curry leaves,1/2 tsp urad dal,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4tsp hing,1/2 mustard seeds,1tbsp oil,1tbsp fresh dessicated coconut,salt to taste.

Method : Heat oil in a kadhai.Add mustard seeds.When they  pop up,add urad dal.After urad dal has turned golden ,add mirchi & kadi patta.Then add the navalkol pieces along with haldi & hing.Mix all.Cover with a lid & cook for 5 minutes.Remove lid & sprinkle some water.Mix & cook again for 5minutes.Prick the navalkol pieces to see if they have turned tender.If tender ,add coconut & salt & mix nicely & cook covered with lid for another 2-3 minutes.Put off the gas.Serve sabzi as side dish to chappatis or even as an accompaniment to rasam-rice.

If they are not tender,add some more water.Cover with lid & cook again.After the veggie pieces have turned tender,add salt & coconut.Mix nicely.Cover with lid & cook for 2-3 minutes.Put off gas.Navalkol sabzi is ready.