Geetika's Recipes!

a collection of practical recipes

Main Course

Charmoula Vegetable Satay

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Ingredients

For The Marinade (makes 1/2 Cup)
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped coriander (dhania)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic (lehsun)
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dry red chilli flakes (paprika)
salt to taste
3/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp chopped ginger (adrak)
1/2 tsp green chilli paste
1 tbsp hung low-fat curds (dahi)
1 tsp cornflour
1/8 tsp sugar substitute

Other Ingredients
1 1/4 tsp oil
1 1/2 thick slices of brinjal (baingan / eggplant) (baingan/ eggplant) , cut into quarters
6 red capsicum cubes , deseeded and cut into 25 mm. (1”) pieces
3 blanched mushrooms (khumbh) , halved
6 yellow capsicum cubes , deseeded and cut into 25 mm. (1”) pieces
6 cauliflower florets , blanched
6 green capsicum cubes , deseeded and cut into 25 mm. (1”) pieces
6 onion cubes , cut into 25 mm. (1”) pieces
6 carrot roundels , cut into 6 mm. ( 1/4”) thickness and blanched

Method
For the marinade

  •     Combine all the ingredients along with 1 tsp of water and blend in a mixer to smooth paste. Keep aside.

How to proceed

  •     Heat ½ tsp of oil in a broad non-stick pan, add the brinjal and cook on a slow flame for 3 to 4 minutes or till the brinjal is light brown in colour from both the sides.
  •     Combine the brinjals and all the remaining ingredients including the marinade in a bowl and toss well. Keep aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
  •     Thread a piece of red capsicum, mushroom, yellow capsicum, cauliflower, green capsicum, onion, carrot and brinjal on a satay stick.
  •     Repeat the same with the remaining ingredients to make 5 more satays.
  •     Cook each satay on a non-stick tava (griddle), using 1/8 tsp of oil, till the vegetables turn golden brown in colour on all the sides.
  •     Serve hot.

 

Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with sweet Potatoes

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2 teaspoons oil
1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger, from a 3-inch piece
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (can be replaced with normal tomatoes)
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 dried hot red pepper or dash of red pepper flakes
1 cup boiled chickpeas
1 cup spinach
1 can coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger

To serve:
Whole roasted sweet potatoes
Coriander leaves to garnish

Heat the oil in a large pan.  Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.

Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two. When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are warm through.

Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes, with coriander or cilantro leaves garnish.

Crispy Roasted Cauliflower

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Ingredients

1/2 head cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt
Red chile flakes

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

On a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle cauliflower florets with olive oil. Season with salt. Roast, turning occasionally, until golden brown and just tender, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with red chili flakes.

Baked Doodhi Kofta Curry

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Ingredients

For The Doodhi Koftas
1 cup thickly grated bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1/4 cup besan (bengal gram flour)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp sugar
a pinchsoda bi carb
salt to taste

For The Tomato Gravy
6 tomatoes
3 whole dry kashmiri red chillies
2 tsp coriander (dhania) seeds
2 tsp chopped green chillies
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
1/2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp low fat milk
3 tsp oil

For The Garnish
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

Method
For the doodhi koftas

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions and shape them into round koftas and microwave on high for 2 minutes or steam in a steamer for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Keep aside.

For the curry

1. Boil a vessel ful of water and add the tomatoes to it.
2. Remove after a few minutes, peel and blend in a mixer to a smooth purée. Keep aside.
3. Dry roast the red chillies and coriander seeds and grind them coarsely. Keep aside.
4. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai, add the green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
5. Add the prepared tomato purée,3/4 cup of water, sugar and salt, mix well and bring to boil.
6. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder and cornflour-milk mixture and boil for few more minutes.
7. Add the prepared koftas to the curry and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Serve hot garnished with coriander

LAUKI MOONG DAL

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INGREDIENTS
Bottle gourd (lauki/doodhi), peeled and grated 4 inch piece
Split green gram skinless (dhuli moong dal), soaked 1 cup
Salt to taste
Ginger, chopped 1/2 inch piece
Fresh mint leaves 8-10
Oil 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida a pinch
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon 1/2 inch stick
Curry leaves 6-8
Lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoon

METHOD
Boil the moong dal with four cups water, salt and ginger in a deep non-stick pan till it is almost done. Add the lauki and cook. Add mint leaves and continue to cook till the dal is completely done. Mash it with a hand blender. Heat oil in non-stick pan. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds, cinnamon and curry leaves and sauté till fragrant. Add it to the dal and mix. Add lemon juice and serve hot with steamed rice.