STUFFED LADYFINGER / BHARWA BHINDI / SLITED LADYFINGER

INGREDIENTS
1/2 kg ladyfinger (Bhindi)
2 sliced onions
2 chopped tomatoes
oil for cooking

For Stuffing:
1 tsp salt (adjust according to your taste)
1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1/2 tsp chilli powder (adjust according to taste)

1 tsp sambhar masala (I used MDH masala)
1/2 tsp amchur powder or chaat masala (dry mango powder)
1/2 tsp sounth powder (dry ginger powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi powder)
1/2 tsp garam masala


METHOD
In a bowl mix all the ingredients mentioned under stuffing. Keep aside.

Wash and pat dry ladyfinger. Slit it from center keeping the sides intact. If ladyfinger is big in size first cut into half and then slit.

Fill the generous amount of filling inside ladyfinger.

Heat oil in pan, for this recipe you will require more oil ( I used nearly 1/2 cup oil).

Add ladyfinger in hot oil, make sure oil is hot. Cook on high flame for 5 minutes, then reduce the flame to low and cook for 15 minutes or till it becomes tender.

In other pan, add some oil and saute sliced onions till golden in color. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till tomatoes become soft. Transfer this in cooked ladyfinger. If you have leftover masala add on top. This will balance the taste from inside out.

Mix well and serve hot with chapati.

Notes:
1. Adding sambhar masala zing up the taste. I prefer using only MDH masalas, you can use brand of your choice.

2.  You will require little extra oil here.

3. If you don't have leftover masala little salt in onion-tomato paste. 


Pictorial:








1. In a bowl, mix well all dry spices.

2. Wash and pat dry ladyfinger. Cut into half if it's long.

3. Slit keeping the ends intact.

4. Fill with dry spices mix.

5. Heat oil in pan. Make sure its hot.









6. Add ladyfinger. First cook on high flame for 5-8 minutes, then reduce the flame to low and cook for another 10-15 minutes or till ladyfinger becomes tender and soft.

7. In other pan, add some oil, saute onions till golden in colour. Add chopped tomatoes.









8. Cook till tomatoes become soft and tender.

9. Once ladyfinger is cooked add onion-tomato masala. Mix well. Add leftover masala mix if any.

10. Serve hot!

BREAD UPMA

These days bread upma is very famous. I remember it having a lot during my childhood. I am not very fond of it but kids like it, so for the sake of kids I tried my hand on it after ages. Here is one of the simplest and quick tiffin recipe for school kids.

Serves : 2-3 persons 
INGREDIENTS
8-10 bread slices
2 large chopped onions
2 large chopped tomatoes


1/4 cup water
3-4 tbsp oil
4-5 tbsp butter or ghee
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (Raai)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi powder)
1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
few curry leaves
salt and pepper to taste


METHOD
Trim the edges of bread, take 3-4 edges and crumble them roughly with hand. Slice bread in cubes as shown in pic below. Mix crumb in cubed bread. Sprinkle some water over bread cubes nearly 1/4 cup but in batches tossing the bread cubes simultaneously, to make all the cubes moist.

Take around 3-4 edges of bread and crumb them using your fingers.

Put some oil in large pan, add mustard seeds, let it splutter, add curry leaves. Now add butter let it melt. Add onion and saute till golden in colour. Add turmeric and coriander powder with salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes and cook till soft and tender. Add sugar. Finally add cubed and moist bread.

Mix well till all the masala is well coated. Turn off and serve with tomato sauce or pack in kids school tiffin box.

NOTES:
1. Sprinkling water over bread cubes will keep them moist for long time and help masala to get coated well. 

2. It's advised to make more masala otherwise bread it will taste bland.



Pictorial:

1. Trim the edges of bread.









2. Crumble 3-4 leftover edges likes this.

4. Cut bread into cubes like this.

5. Mix crumbled bread in this and sprinkle around 1/4 water on bread cubes.

6. You can see the bread have become moist and soft.

7. In large bowl, add some oil and mustard seeds, let it splutter.

8. Add some butter.

9. Saute onions till it sweats.

10. Add salt, pepper, turmeric powder and coriander powder.

11. Add tomatoes.

12. Cook till becomes tender and soft.

13. Add sugar.

14. Add bread.

15. Mix well till masala is well coated, cook for another 2-3 minutes, garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve.

CHANA LAUKI SABZI /BOTTLE GOURD VEGETABLE / BLACK CHANA LAUKI

Many kids don't like bottle-gourd because of it 's natural blandness in taste. Most of us either make it plain as dry vegetable or with chana dal as wet vegetable. But this time I tried making this with black chana. This vegetable is not only very healthy but tastes great too. It's a yummy change for kids, specially for those who are not very fond of lauki.

Serves: 4-5 medium sized bowls
INGREDIENTS 
1/2 cup kala chana (brown chickpeas)
1 cup chopped bottle gourd (Lauki / Gheeya)
1 medium sized chopped potato
2 medium sized finely chopped onion
2 medium sized finely chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi powder)
1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)


1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp all - spice powder (garam masala)
2-3 tbsp oil or ghee
salt and red chilli to taste

METHOD:
Wash and soak chana overnight. Next morning transfer peas in pressure cooker with 1 cup water and cook till done. Let pressure cooker de-pressurise naturally.

Add chopped bottle gourd, potatoes, salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Give 2 whistles on high flame. Turn off the flame and keep aside.

In  a pan, add ghee or oil, put cumin seeds. Let it splutter.

Add chopped onion. Saute till golden in color. Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add red chilli, coriander powder, garam masala and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Mix well. Add chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook till tomatoes become soft and tender. 

Open the bottle gourd and chana cooker. Mix onion-tomato paste in it and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatis.

Pictorial:








1. Cook washed and soaked chana in pressure cooker.

2. Chop bottle gourd and potato.

3. Once chana is just cooked add bottle gourd, turmeric and give 2 whistles. Turn off the flame and let it de-pressurise naturally.









4. It's done. Keep aside and prepare masala.

5. Add oil in pan, let cumin seeds splutter.

6.  Add chopped onion and saute till golden in color.

7. Add ginger garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

8. Add salt and other spices.

9. Add tomatoes.

10. Little water.

11. Cover and cook till tomatoes are soft and tender.

12. Masala is ready.

13. Transfer cooked lauki and chana in it.

14. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati.

COCONUT BEANS ALOO / BEANS ALOO / BEANS VEGETABLE

INGREDIENTS
1 large finely chopped onion
500 gm beans
2 finely diced potatoes
1/4 cup desiccated coconut powder (sukha nariyal powder)
2 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi powder)
1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchur powder) (optional)
oil for cooking
salt and chili to taste

METHOD
 Heat some oil in pan and deep fry finely diced potatoes till little crisp, don't turn them brown. Keep aside on absorbent paper.

Take 2-3 tsp of oil in pan, add chopped onion and saute till translucent. Add beans and cook on medium flame stirring meantime for 3-4 minutes. Add fried potatoes and saute for another 2 minutes. 


Add salt, chili, turmeric powder, coriander powder and dry mango powder. Mix well. Cover with lid and cook for another 3-4 minutes or till beans become soft.

Add coconut powder. Turn off the flame and keep it covered for 5 minutes so that coconut and all the spices settle in beans.

Serve hot with chapatis.

NOTES: 
1. Deep frying potatoes is optional, you can add potatoes without frying too, fried potatoes enhances the taste and flavor.

2. When frying potaotes make sure not to turn them brown else they will become dry and crispier.

3. I diced potatoes fine as they look pretty with finely chopped beans.

4. Adding amchur powder is optional, this gives mild tangy taste. Make sure not to add too much.


5. I forgot to take the pic of fried potatoes, please excuse.

Pictorial:

1. Add some oil in pan, saute onion till translucent.  Deep fry diced potaoes and keep aside.

2. Add beans and saute for 3-4 minutes on medium to high flame.

3. Add fried potatoes and saute for another 2 minutes.

4. Add salt, red chili, haldi powder, dhaniya powder and amchur powder. Mix well.

5. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or till beans become tender and soft.

6. Uncover and add coconut powder.

7. Serve hot with chapati.