Palak Potato Cutlets

Palak is very nutritious rich in iron and has the goodness of Vitamin A & C. These cutlets are a good way of making children consume the greens and is also made differently without bread crumbs but using fried gram and chiroti rava.

Ingredients

1 bunch palak
3 potatoes boiled
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp cumin pwd
3 tbsp of fried gram pwd
2 tbsp of chiroti rava
1 chopped onion
1 bunch coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method

Clean and chop the palak. Blanch the palak in hot water for 5 minutes and puree it.
Boil and mash the potatoes. Take a tbsp of oil in a pan and add chopped onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste, boiled potatoes, pureed palak, chili and cumin pwd, salt and mix well for 5 mnts. Garnish with coriander leaves. Make flat cutlets of the mixture and shallow fry till crisp. Tastes best when eaten hot.

MANGO HALWA

Everyone loves mangoes. I remember as a kid when I visited my native in summers there was this huge mango tree at my cousins place laden with juicy mangoes. We made a small hole in the ripe mango and sucked it till every bit of juice came out. The mangoes used to be so juicy that itd would drip on our hands and clothes but it was so much fun and we relished every bit of it.

We bought some delicious mangoes last week and I used a few to make this halwa. I made this with chiroti rava and the halwa had the strong flavour of the mangoes. It was good and I finished most of it myself.

Mangoes are rich in vitamin A & C and are also a great nourisher for the body.

Ingredients
1 cup mango pulp
½ cup chiroti rava
¼ cup sugar.
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp cardamom pwd
1 cup water
Raisins for garnish

Method
In a pan add 1 cup water and ¼ cup sugar and bring to boil. When the sugar melts add the chiroti rava and the mango pulp and keep stirring for 5 minutes on medium heat till the mixture begins to nicely boil. Add a tbsp of ghee and the cardamom pwd and stir for about 10 mints till the halwa thickens and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Garnish with raisins. Transfer the halwa into a plate greased with a tbsp of ghee and cut into shapes when cool.

The halwa can be eaten warm or cold. I refrigerated it and enjoyed eating it cold.
For the halwa choose mangoes which are very ripe and juicy.

Papaya Vermicelli Halwa

Another papaya recipe for all lovers of this delicious fruit. Since papaya is rich in vitamins, minerals & iron you can use your imagination and experiment. The fruit is delicious on its own so whatever you do with it the result will not disappoint.

Papaya Vermicelli Halwa

Ingredients
1 cup papaya pulp
2 tbsp grated jaggery
1 tsp cardamom pwd
½ cup vermicelli
½ cup milk
1 tbsp ghee
Nuts & raisins for garnish

Method
Choose a papaya which is ripe and juicy.

In a kadai take 1 tbsp ghee and add the papaya pulp and 2 tbsp of jaggery and stir nicely for 3-4 minutes.
Add the vermicelli and milk and stir for 5 minutes till the vermicelli is cooked.
Add the other tbsp of ghee and mix till the halwa is nicely done and it starts leaving the sides of the pan.
At this stage you can add the cardamom pwd. Garnish with nuts and serve.

Hot & Sweet Papaya Thoran

Vandya from Veggies unlimited had blogged about the health benefits of the delicious papaya. The humble papaya is loaded with vitamins and is rich in calcium phosphorous and iron. Her post encouraged me to be innovative with the fruit and I’ve posted 2 recipes of papaya which are very easy to make and taste good.

Go ahead and try them and make papaya a part of your daily diet.

Hot & Sweet Papaya Thoran

This thoran has a unique taste and is a blend of the sweet papaya and the hot green chilli.

Ingredients
1 cup grated papaya
1 green chilli
2 spoons grated coconut
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method
Choose a papaya which is just ripe & firm so you can easily grate it.
Grind coconut, green chilli and jeera into a coarse paste.
In a kadi take a tsp of oil and season with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Add the ground coconut mixture, grated papaya and salt to taste. Stir for a minute. Papaya thoran is ready.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Chicken & fish has become a regular in our home these days. We’ve reduced our intake of red meat and have opted for healthier versions of non-veg food. Of course nothing beats the consumption of fresh vegetables & fruits and that too has become part of our daily meal.

This gravy goes well with a mild flavored rice like jeera rice, ghee rice or peas pulao. It’s also a good accompaniment for idlis and dosas.

Ingredients

1/2 kg chicken
1 onion chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp red chilli pwd
3 tbsp coriander pwd
1 tbsp turmeric pwd
2 tbsp garam masala pwd
3 tbsp coconut paste
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Clean and marinate the chicken with 1tbsp turmeric pwd, 1tbsp chilli pwd, 1tbsp coriander pwd and 1tbsp ginger garlic paste for 2 hours.

In a pan take a tbsp of oil and add chopped onion and fry for 2 mints. Add the ginger garlic paste and tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes are mushy. Add the remaining chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala pwd and sauté for 5 mints till the masalas are fried well. Add the marinated chicken & salt and cook for 5 mints on a low flame stirring occasionally. Add the coconut paste and a little water and cook covered for 10-15 mints till the chicken is tender. Garnish with coriander leaves. Do not make the gravy watery. The consistency should be slightly thick.

Masala Vadas

My mom always made amazing vadas. Her vadas were always a hit specially her urad dal vada which was perfectly round and crisp. I’ve tried to make them a couple of times but all my attempts at the urad dal vada were a failure. However I managed to get the recipe of her masala vada and made this for our evening snack. They were great with a hot cup of tea.

Ingredients

1 cup chana dal
½ pod garlic
1 inch piece ginger
2 green chilles
1 chopped onion
1 sprig chopped curry leaves
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

Soak the chana dal for 3-4 hrs. I soaked it overnight. Grind to a coarse paste along with the garlic, ginger and green chilles. Add the chopped onion, chopped curry leaves and coriander with salt to taste. Make flat small vadas of the mixture and deep fry in oil. You can even add finely chopped methi/palak to the vada mixture.

Tip: Add 2 tsp of hot oil to the dal mixture. This helps to make the vadas crisp.