Roasted Bell Pepper (Simla Mirchi) Raita (Yoghurt sauce)

 I make 2 versions of the Roasted Bell Pepper Raita. One with red bell pepper and other with green. Red seems to go well with north Indian dishes and green with south Indian food. I am sure they can be interchanged; I haven't tried them yet.

Red Bell Pepper Raita (for North Indian dishes)

Ingredients

Red Bell pepper - large - 1

Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 teaspoon

Red chili - 1

Chat Masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Hing (Asafoetida) - 1/8 teaspoon

Salt 1/3 spoon

Cilantro - 1 tablespoon chopped

Yoghurt plain - 1/2 cup

Method

If using an air fryer, set to 400 degrees F and time about 18 minutes (adjust based on your model/make)

make a few incisions on the bell pepper and roast it. Let it cool completely.

Alternately you can also roast in an oven or on a gas flame/grill.

Once cooled, remove the skin of the bell pepper and cut into large pieces.

In a mixer grinder, add the bell pepper, jeera, chilli, chat masala, hing, cilantro and salt and make a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl, add half cup yoghurt and mix well Taste and adjust the salt. If too spicy add little more yoghurt and mix well. It should be tangy, spicy at the same time. Enjoy this as a side dish with your favorite pulav/biryani/roti/naan etc

Green Bell Pepper Raita/kichdi (for south Indian dishes):

Ingredients

Green Bell pepper - large - 1

Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 teaspoon

Red chili - 1

Salt 1/3 spoon

Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves

Coconut grated - 2 tablespoons

Yoghurt plain - 1/2 cup

Method

If using an air fryer, set to 400 degrees F and time about 18 minutes. (adjust based on your model/make)

make a few incisions on the bell pepper and roast it. Let it cool completely.

Alternately you can also roast in an oven or on a gas flame/grill.

Once cooled, remove the skin of the bell pepper and cut into large pieces.

In a mixer grinder, add the bell pepper, jeera, chilli, coconut, curry leaves, and salt and make a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl, add half cup yoghurt and mix well Taste and adjust the salt. If too spicy add little more yoghurt and mix well. It should be tangy, spicy at the same time. Heat pan in a small pan, add 1 teaspoon oil and half teaspoon black mustard seeds. Once they splutter add it to the bowl and mix with the kichdi/raita.

Enjoy this as a side dish with your favorite south Indian food. It also works great as a side for idli and dosa.

Mushroom Matar (Pattani in Tamil) Kurma recipe

We made the Mushroom Matar (Pattani) Kurma recipe based on the video from Chef Deena. It came out really awesome. The instructions were in Tamil language, turn on subtitles for instructions in English.

https://youtu.be/v28scCbVx8Y?si=by43hyOlycy2hiP8

I made a couple of changes to the recipe.

a. After all the onion, spices, tomatoes were cooked, I made a coarse paste with them. This allows all the spices to be ground and integrated with the gravy.

b. I added above gravy and then added the coconut and cashew nut paste, added the mushroom and peas, boiled for a few minutes.

c. I sliced the fresh mushrooms and boiled them in a separate saucepan with some water, so they cook and become tender. 

d. Since I used frozen organic green peas, I placed the peas in a porcelain bowl, added water and drained the water. Next, I added some water to the peas and microwaved for 2 minutes so they were cooked and soft.

Enjoy with your favorite roti, naan, paratha, basmati rice or jeera rice,

Organic butternut squash baked with black/kidney beans (Mexican style) with guacamole, cheese with side of roasted potatoes

Organic butternut squash baked with black/kidney beans (Mexican style) with guacamole, cheese with side of roasted potatoes. 

Great dish with no added carbs barring the optional potatoes. Very nutritious, high fiber and lots of protein as well from the beans and cheese.

20 min prep time.

Ingredients needed:

Black beans dry - 1.5 cups (or 2 cans or Organic black beans)

Tomatoes - 2

Red Onion - 1

Jalapeno Pepper - 1

Organic Butternut Squash - Medium size - 2

Potatoes (Red or white) 6-8

Black Beans Prep: Do this the night before - 5 minutes

Add 1.5 cups dry black beans to an instant pot, wash them in water and drain.  Add 4.5 cups of fresh water, half teaspoon salt. Close the instant pot lid and set to sealing. Select Pressure Cook for 30 minutes and Select delay start of 6 hours.

The black beans will soak overnight and be cooked when you wake up!

If you do not want to use fresh beans, use 2 Organic Black Beans can, fully drained and rinsed with water.

In the morning, drain the cooked black beans in a medium saucepan and add coarsely cut 1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 jalapeno split vertically, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 spoon paprika or 1/8 spoon red chilli powder, 1.5 teaspoons Taco Seasoning and boil for 5 minutes. Add some chopped cilantro in the end.

I prefer the Trader Joes Taco seasoning or Safeway brand Organic packet.

Baking the squash: You can do this in the morning - 5-7 minutes

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F

Wash the squash and dry them. Trim the top slightly and cut in the middle to make 2 halves. See picture for reference (baked butternut squash - Search (bing.com))

Remove all the seeds and fiber in the core. Take half a spoon Olive oil and apply to the inside of the squash (not exterior skin side).

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on all the squash halves (after applying Olive oil).

Place the squash face down (i.e. skin side on top) on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

Roasted potatoes - 5 minutes

Since your oven is going to be working for an hour, this is an appetizer you can make at the same time.

Wash and dry the potatoes. Take the potatoes and cut into half. add them to a small baking pan, add 1 teaspoon olive oil, pinch of ground black pepper. Now you can add rosemary or Italian seasoning. Another option is to add some Taco Seasoning. Mix them well so all surfaces are fully coated. Place the baking pan next to the sheet with the squash.

Guacamole: 5 minutes

Scoop out 1-2 ripe avocados in a bowl and add half a teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Taco Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon fresh Cilantro, 1/2 lime juice and mash/mix well.

Assembling: 5 minutes

Once the squash is baked, beans & guacamole are ready then you can assemble.

Take a baked squash and fill with black beans, top with cilantro and some Mexican cheese on top.

Enjoy your meal! See the pictures below.

Kesar Pista kulfi

Ingredients

Whole milk 4 cups (1 liter - 1000 ml)

Saffron ( kesar) strands about 10

Pistachio kernel without shell 20-25

Whole raw cashews ( not salted) 10

Cardamom pods 3

Sugar 1/3 cup

Procedure

Bring the milk to a boil in a thick bottom vessel

Take out about 4 tablespoons milk and transfer to a cup. Add the saffron strands and keep aside

Lower the heat to mediums or low and continue till volume of the milk reduces by half

Make a coarse powder of the pistachio,  cashew and cardamom kernels.  Discard the cardamom pod skin

Add the saffron soaked milk with strands, sugar and pistachio/cashew powder to the milk and heat for 2 minutes. Turn off heat completely. 

Let milk mixture cool down to room temperature 

Pour the mixture into popsicle mould or small Dixie cups. Seal the top with aluminum foil. Insert a popsicle stick if available from the top through the foil.

Freeze overnight or for 8 hours minimum.

Remove foil and kulfi from mould.  Enjoy your home made Kesar pista kulfi!

 

 Commonly used recipes - handy links

1. Punjabi Khadi  - I use 4 cups of water instead of 7 in recipe. Also adjust red chilly poweder to suit your taste.
2. Rava Dosa - Good recipe - adjust green chillies as needed. Pudina Chutney can be made without garlic.
3. Rava Upma - Use coarse Rava/Sooji. Add 1 carrot finely chopped with onion. I use 2 cups water for 1 cup of Rava. You can also add some peas with the carrots.
4. InstantPot Khichdi
5. Chilla Recipe - super high protein - very easy to make
6. Bhindi Do Pyaza gravy
7. Matar Paneer - I lightly fried the paneer in oil along with julienne ginger slices and then added to the gravy
8. Palak Paneer
9. Vegetable Kurma - Saravana Bhavan Style - reduce green chilles and chilly powder to your taste.
10. Crispy Tofu in Air Fryer
11. Jeera (cumin) rice  - I use 2 teaspoons NOT 2 tablespoons of Jeera. 
12. Homemade Custard without using a premix box - instead of Vanilla, use saffron soaked in milk and top with crushed pistachios to make Kesar Pista custard. You only need corn starch powder which is super cheap and milk to go with it.
13. Carrot Halwa
14. Bisibelebath Powder (Kannada)
15. Bisibelebath (Kannada)
16. Aval Payasam (Poha Kheer with jaggery) (Tamil)

Popular recipe websites/YouTube channels

• Hebbars Kitchen - you can also get the Android or iOS apps
• Your Food Lab
• Venkatesh Bhat
• Yogambal Sundar
• Srirangam Radhu

Avocado Mor Kuzhambu (yoghurt sauce dish)

When I first broached the subject of using Avocado in this dish, everyone frowned at me. Once they tasted it, they were licking their fingers and had seconds. Here is the recipe for you to try out.

Preparation time - 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Ripe Avocado - 1

Grated coconut - 3-4 Table spoons

Red Chili   - 2 

Fresh curry leaves - 6 leaves washed

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Cooking oil - 1-2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder - 1/8 teaspoon

Yoghurt - 2 cups

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon 

Procedure:

In a saucepan add the turmeric powder, salt, scooped avocado and the yoghurt.

Grind the coconut, 1 chili, curry leaves to a smooth paste. You can use a green chili instead of red.

Mix the paste into the same saucepan with other ingredients

Use a hand blender to mix the avocado with the yoghurt and other ingredients.

Heat the cooking oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds and 1 chilli. Once the mustard seeds crackles, pour over into the saucepan. mix it and taste. Adjust for salt and add red chilli powder/sambar powder per your taste if needed.

Your Mor Kuzhambu (yoghurt dish) is ready to be enjoyed with Rice and vegetable of your choice, Dosa, idly or anything else you like. Here is a picture of what this looks like.

Variations: 

1. If  you dont have coconut or a way to grind, just use 3/4 teaspoon of sambar powder instead.
2. If you make Mor Kuzhambu using a different method, just add an avocado scooped and blend it in using a hand blender.

Tomato and Peanut Chutney

 Ingredients

• Ripe tomatoes - 3
• Raw or roasted peanuts - 3 tablespoons
• Fresh grated coconut - 2-3 tablespoons
• Urad Dal - 1 teaspoon
• Dried red chillies - 2 broken
• Hing/Asafoetida - 1/8 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves fresh - 12 leaves washed
• Cooking oil - 4 teaspoons
• Black mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Ginger - half inch piece sliced
• Cilantro chopped - 2 teaspoons
• Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
• Sambar powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Steps

• Part One - prepare garnish
• Heat a frying pan, add 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• Add the mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves (half quantity) and a pinch of Hing/asafoetida
• Once the mustard seeds crackle, turn off the heat and shift the contents to a bowl
• Part Two - prepare chutney
• Cut the tomatoes into 4 pieces each
• Heat the same pan, add 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• Add the Urad dal and fry till sligth brown
• Add the tomatoes, peanuts, ginger, remaining curry leaves, salt, sambar powder and fry
• Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons water if needed
• Once the tomatoes are cooked and mushy, turn off the heat
• Add the cooked tomatoes mixture into a mixie/grinder jar, add the cilantro leaves and make a fine paste
• Shift the paste to the same bowl with the garnish in part one
• Adjust salt by adding more if needed. Add a pinch of red chilli powder if more spice is needed

Enjoy the chutney with your favorite dish like idli, dosa, vada, pakora etc or mix with rice, ghee and eat