Showing posts with label lunch box ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lunch box ideas. Show all posts

Broccoli Rice Dish / Vegetarian Broccoli Recipes / Broccoli Rice Recipe

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Broccoli Rice Dish / Vegetarian Broccoli Recipes / Broccoli Rice Recipe


Hi friends, today's recipe is another dish with broccoli. I have already posted a recipe of Broccoli - a basic stir fry with capsicum. Broccoli rice dish is a quick lunch box recipe which comes in handy during any busy day.
This flavoured rice is not so spicy. Its mildly flavoured with the typical Indian spices that go very well with broccoli. The addition of sweet corn makes it sweet and delicate. Overall, the broccoli rice is a neat and clear recipe with no much of preparation beforehand.


broccoli pulav

I have prepared this vegetarian broccoli rice in a pressure cooker making the task much more easier and faster. I have used the normal rice and not the basmati rice which I generally use  for flavoured rice, pulavs and biryanis. However, this broccoli sweet corn recipe is an exception. Now this rice dish is just an idea of preparing these kind of dishes, but you can always modify the recipe to suit your and your family's tastes and likes. 

broccoli sweet corn rice

You can also try other rice dishes like










Preparation


Chop the veggies into chunks and get them ready. Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker.



Add cumin seeds along with the spices namely dalchin ( cinnamon ), bay leaf, cloves, black pepper and cardamom. Do add the cashews also and sauté for a few seconds.


When the cashews turn light brown in colour, add sliced onions and slit green chillies.


Allow the onions to become transparent. Now put the ginger garlic paste.


Mix thoroughly and add the methi leaves.


Fry until the leaves wither. Now add the broccoli, carrot and sweet corn.


Mix well and add the diced tomatoes. Tomatoes are optional. If you wish, you can just skip them and add a little curd.


Saute for a few seconds and add the washed rice and biryani masala powder.


Add sufficient water and salt and cover with the lid.


Cook for 3-4 whistles. Serve hot with any raita of your choice. Or pack for lunch box.

broccoli fenugreek leaves rice recipe indian


Ingredients


Oil  1 tbsp 
Ghee  2 tbsp.
Bay leaf  1
Black pepper corns  13 - 15 corns ( in number )
Cloves  3
Green Cardamom  1
Cinnamon Stick  1"
Cumin seeds  1tsp
Cashews fistful
Onions 1 big
Green chillies  2
Ginger garlic paste 1 1/2 tsp
Methi Leaves  1/2 cup
Broccoli  1 cup
Sweet corn  1/2 cup
Carrot  1/2 cup
Tomatoes  1 big
Rice  1 1/2 cup
Biryani masala powder  1tsp
Salt to taste


Method


  1. Heat oil + ghee in a pan and add the spices along with cumin seeds and broken cashews. 
  2. When the cashews are coloured, add the sliced onions and slit green chillies.
  3. Add the ginger garlic paste when the onions turn translucent. Saute for a few seconds. 
  4. Now add the finely chopped methi leaves. Cook until they wither. 
  5. Add the broccoli, carrot and sweet corn and mix. 
  6. Add the tomatoes, washed rice, biryani masala powder and salt. 
  7. Add enough water and cover with lid. Cook until 3 -4 whistles.
  8. Serve hot with any raita or plain curd.

Notes


  • You can always increase or decrease the amount of veggies in these kind of dishes. I love to have more veggies in every bite, hence add more veggies. 
  • You can use any kind of veggies like beets, paneer, beans, etc,. as per your availability. 
  • Addition of mint leaves will also give a unique flavour and aroma from the dish. 
  • You can skip the tomatoes and add 5 tbsp. of curd .
  



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Simple Drumstick Curry Recipe / Drumstick Vegetable Recipes / Vegan Drumsticks / Muringa curry

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Munagakaya Curry / Simple Drumstick Curry Recipe / Drumstick Vegetable Recipes / Vegan Drumsticks / Muringa curry 


The local market here is bursting with fresh veggies like drumstick ( Muringa ), tender spring onions, green peas, tomatoes , shallots and green leafy veggies like methi etc. Needless to mention the variety of fruits - oranges, grapes, Gulab guavas, watermelons, musk melons are a few. I actually went to the market to buy some tamarind. But seeing the fresh veggies I could not resist myself and bought many of them. I felt as if the veggies were waiting for me to take then along with me. So I grabbed as many as I could. But my son who accompanied me was becoming impatient. Vegetable shopping is one thing that I simply love , especially if its a farmers market.

munagakaya tomato kura

Today I am posting a basic and simple drumstick curry with tomatoes and onions as the base. This is such a side dish that make you leave licking your fingers. The tangy and juicy tomatoes along with the onions give an excellent gravy for the tender drumsticks. This combo of tomatoes, onions and drumstick is a must try in every household at least once during this season. So lets see the preparation of munagakaya curry ( muringa curry ). 
 
simple drumstick curry recipe

You can also check my recipe of drumstick leaves chutney powder aka murungai keerai podi alias munagaku karam podi.

Preparation


Wash and cut the drumstick into finger size pieces. Put them in a tumbler and add water just enough to cover them.


Cook them on a medium flame until the drumstick become soft and tender.


In the meantime, chop the onions and tomatoes finely. Drain the water from the drumstick and keep aside. Do not throw the water, we will want to use it for the preparation of the curry. Heat a pan and add oil in it. Temper it with mustard and cumin seeds.


When they splutter, add curry leaves, red chillies and hing.


After a few seconds, add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. 


Mix well and cook until they are translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell of ginger vanishes.


Add the finely cooked tomatoes, salt, sugar and turmeric powder.


Cook covered until the tomatoes are mushy. Now add the coconut powder, chilli powder, Garam masala powder and coriander powder. 


Give a thorough mix and add the cooked drumsticks along with the water.


Mix well. Check for seasoning and cook for another five minutes to allow the drumstick absorb the juices and spices. Serve hot with either rice 🍚 or roti.

side dishes with drumsticks


Ingredients


Drumstick  4
Onion  3
Tomatoes  2 ( big )
Oil  2 tbsp
Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds  1 tsp
Curry leaves  few sprigs
Red chillies  2
Hing  big pinch
Salt  to taste
Coconut powder  1 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder  1 tsp
Garam masala powder  1/2 tsp
Sugar  1/2 tsp


Method

  1. Wash and cut the drumstick in finger sized pieces. 
  2. Cook in sufficient water until soft and tender. 
  3. On cooking, drain the water and keep the drumstick aside. Retain the water as well for the preparation  of the curry. 
  4. Heat oil in another pan and temper it with mustard seed, cumin seeds, curry leaves, hing and red chillies. 
  5. Add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies and sauté until transparent. 
  6. Throw in the ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw flavour of ginger disappears. 
  7. When the onions turn light brown in colour, add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, salt and sugar. 
  8. Cook uncovered until the tomatoes are completely cooked. Stir in between. 
  9. Sprinkle coriander powder, chilli powder, coconut powder and garam masala powder
  10. Mix well and add the drumstick along with the water that was preserved earlier. 
  11. Mix in well and cook for another five minutes so that the drumstick absorbs all the juices and spices. 
  12. Serve hot with either rice or roti. 

Notes


  • You can also add veggies like potato, carrots, brinjal etc. in the above preparation along with the drumsticks. 
  • Adding dried coconut powder gives a unique aroma and taste to the dish so do not skip on that step. 
  • This is the basic version of the drumstick curry. Keep watching this space for more recipes on drumsticks and other veggies.
  • Some people like to add some garlic pods during tempering. 





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Tasty Cabbage Recipes indian / Indian Vegetarian cabbage recipes / sauteed cabbage recipes /

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Purple Cabbage Stir Fry / Cabbage Curry Recipe Indian Style / How to Cook Cabbage Healthy


Purple cabbage fry is similar to that of the normal cabbage fry except the colour. The procedure of preparing this curry is also more or less same as the other fries like ivy gourd fry, ladies finger fry, cauliflower green peas fry, broad beans fry, simple radish fry, spring onion fry, karela fry, baby potatoes fry, etc. .

purple cabbage stir fry recipe

The nutrients in this purple coloured cabbage is way more than that of the ordinary one. As a matter of fact, the coloured veggies like carrots, bell peppers etc. are more necessary for our health. Health experts also advice us to take more coloured and colourful food which pleases our eyes
👀 and body. So, I do not miss any chance to grab these colourful cuties whenever I see them.

tasty cabbage recipes indian

If you check my broccoli stir fry recipe, I included sweet corn and capsicum. My idea was to make it colourful and tasty
😋. I could have included paneer, red bell pepper for the extra colour, but alas, I did not have any of them on me. I will work on this and let you know the outcome.
For today, its the simple cabbage fry which becomes more appealing with the addition of green peas. I have used the frozen green peas but you can also use the dried peas or fresh peas when available in the market. If you are using the dried peas, then soak them overnight and cook them in the pressure cooker the next morning. Now they are ready to be used in the preparation of this curry. 


how to cook cabbage healthy


Preparation


Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds.



When they splutter, put the chopped onions and slit green chillies in.


Sauté for a minute and add turmeric powder.


Give a stir and add the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle salt and sugar and mix well.


Cover with a lid and cook on low to medium flame. Keep stirring occasionally to avoid burning at the bottom of the pan. When the cabbage becomes soft and tender, remove the lid off and add the frozen green peas.


Mix well and do the seasoning with chilli powder, Garam masala powder, coriander powder and flax seed powder.


Mix well and fry for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and serve with either rice 🍚 or roti.

cabbage recipes indian

Ingredients


Purple Cabbage  1/2 of a medium sized cabbage
Oil  1 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds  1 tsp
Onion  1
Turmeric  1/2 tsp
Green peas ( frozen ) fistful
Salt  to taste
Sugar  1/2 tsp
Chilli powder  1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder  1/2 tsp
Coriander powder  2 tsp

Flax seed powder 1 tsp


Method

  1. Shred or chop the cabbage finely and keep aside.
  2. Heat oil in a pan and temper it with cumin and mustard seeds.
  3. When they crackle, add the chopped onions and green chillies. 
  4. Saute for a minute and throw in the turmeric powder. 
  5. Add the shredded purple cabbage along with sugar and salt. Mix well and cover with a lid. 
  6. Keep stirring in between to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan. 
  7. When the cabbage becomes soft and tender, add the frozen green peas and cook for another 5 minutes. 
  8. Sprinkle all the spices namely, chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and flax seed powder. 
  9. Check for salt and switch off the flame. Serve hot with either rice or roti. This curry can also be used as a stuffing for katti roll or parantha. 

Notes


  • During tempering, you are free to add any ingredients like red chillies, channa dal, curry leaves etc. which give additional aroma to the dish. 
  • You can also include cumin powder in the spices list. 
  •  If you are adding fresh green peas, then add them along with the shredded cabbage and cook covered. 
  • If you want to use the dried green peas, then soak them overnight, pressure cook them the next morning and then use in the curry as mentioned above. 
  • To make it masaledaar, you can add ginger garlic paste as well.
  • You can also add any other veggies like carrots, potatoes, beans and paneer as well. 





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Easy Chayote Squash Side Dish Recipes / Chow Chow Vegetable Side Dish For Chapathi / Easy Chayote Recipes / Bangalore Vankaya Gravy Curry for Chapathi or Rice

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Easy Chayote Squash Side Dish Recipes / Chow Chow Vegetable Side Dish For Chapathi / Easy Chayote Recipes / Bangalore Vankaya Gravy Curry for Chapathi or Rice 


Today's recipe is a side dish for chapati prepared with chow chow vegetable. This is no regular curry. It has got a rich, creamy texture with just the normal ingredients. The addition of lentils like the channa dal and moong dal gives the dish a delicious and homely taste. Actually you can prepare two versions for the same curry that goes with rice 🍚 as well. I have already posted the simple chayote kootu. Though the kootu also included channa dal but the taste of this easy chayote squash side dish gravy was completely different and tasted better than that of kootu

bangalore vankaya gravy curry

To make the dish rich and creamy like that of the restaurant style, I have added some milk. The curry was so delicious 😋 that my man 👨 loved it a lot and had way extra curry with chapattis. To accompany this dish with rice, just avoid adding milk to the gravy. You will be left with a simple yet amazing side for rice which can either be mixed or as a side. The preparation of this Bangalore Vankaya ( Bangalore Kathirikai ) is very easy. Just mix all the ingredients in the cooker and cook. As simple as said. 

bangalore kathirikai recipes


Preparation


Peel the skin of Bangalore Vankaya ( Bangalore Kathirikayi ). Discard the inner seed. Chop into small pieces and keep aside. Wash the lentils and keep aside. Get the remaining ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan and do the tempering with mustard and cumin seeds.


When they splutter, add chopped onion ,slit green chillies and ginger garlic paste.
  

Fry until the onions turn transparent. Throw in the chopped tomatoes along with salt and turmeric powder.


Cook until the tomatoes become soft. Now add the masalas like coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder.


Give a nice mix and add the washed lentils.


Stir in completely and add the chopped chayote pieces and mix well.


I had some leftover purple cabbage fry which I included in the curry. This is completely optional, but if you have any other leftover fry, you can go ahead and add it in your preparation. I do this kind of preparation on a daily basis which adds an extra flavour to the dish. You can add fresh cabbage leaves as well.


Now add sufficient water and cover with the lid.


Cook for 2-3 whistles and switch off the flame. Remove the lid when the pressure subsides. If you are serving this curry with rice, then serve hot after checking the seasoning.


If you are planning to serve this dish with roti, then go ahead and add milk in the gravy.


MIx it well and add little tomato ketchup.


Give a nice stir and check for seasoning. Add chilli powder if you want it more spicy. For me, it was perfect. Let it cook on a low flame until it comes to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathi. Chow chow vegetable side dish  with restaurant style gravy for chapathi is ready. 

chayote squash indian recipes

Ingredients


Chayote vegetable 2 big
Channa dal  3 tbsp.
Moong dal  3 tbsp.
Onion  1 big
Tomatoes  2
Ginger garlic paste  1 tsp
Green chillies  2
Turmeric powder  1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil  2 tbsp.
Coriander powder   tbsp.
Chilli powder  1/2 tsp
Leftover cabbage fry  1 cup ( optional )
Milk 1/2 cup
Tomato ketchup 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Method


  1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. 
  2. Temper it with mustard and cumin seeds. 
  3. Once they crackle, add onions and slit green chillies.
  4. When they turn transparent, add ginger garlic paste. 
  5. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric powder and cook until the tomatoes become soft. 
  6. Sprinkle coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder. 
  7. Mix well and add the washed lentils ( dals ). 
  8. Add the chopped chow chow and the leftover cabbage ( optional ). 
  9. Add water, mix well and cover with lid. 
  10. Cook for 2-3 whistles and switch off the flame. 
  11. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice. 
  12. If serving with roti or chapathi, then add milk and tomato ketchup to the cooked gravy and let it come to a boil. 
  13. Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti. 

Notes


  • You can add any leftover fry curries for this gravy curries. This is purely optional. You can skip this step if you do not have any leftovers. I generally tend to use my leftover foods in this way. Adopting this method, gives a new dish each and every time and prevents food getting wasted. Your family will also get the feeling that they are eating fresh and not leftovers. 
  • Addition of lentils gives a very homely touch to the dish. , So do not skip the lentils. 
  • You can also include other lentils like whole moong or sprouts as well. 


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Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe / Sautéed Broccoli / Pan Fried Broccoli

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Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe / Sautéed Broccoli / Pan Fried Broccoli 


Todays recipe is a simple stir fry just like any other fry curries. But what makes it special is the variety of veggies that are added and the spices that go into it. This is a curry that I prepared using whatever veggies were available to me at the time, but you can basically include anything you like.

sauteed broccoli
Broccoli is a versatile veggie just like cauliflower, carrots, beans, potatoes, green peas etc. It is highly rich in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, chromium and folate. Broccoli is also a very good source of soluble and dietary fibre which thereby helps in reducing cholesterol levels. It also has numerous antioxidants which helps in building immunity in the body.

pan fried broccoli

Though it is not easily available in the local markets, it is quite common in the supermarkets. It is good to include this veggie once in a fortnight considering the fact that it is very gassy. My son is not a great fan of broccoli, but the addition of the other ingredients like paneer, sweet corn and capsicum makes him to forget about the broccoli and enjoy the dish thoroughly.

asian broccoli varieties

You can also check my other simple fry curries which go very well as an accompaniment for both rice or roti :

Snake Gourd Poriyal









Preparation



Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds.


Allow them to splutter. Now add chopped onions and saute until they become transparent.


Throw in turmeric powder and mix.


Now add chopped broccoli and sweet corn seeds.


Add salt and cook covered until the broccoli is 90% cooked. Now add the capsicum ......


.......and cook uncovered until the capsicum is cooked but it still retains its crunchiness. Now add the paneer cubes and mix. You can add homemade herbed paneer for extra flavour. 


Finally add the diced tomatoes and cook until soft.


Sprinkle all the spices namely - chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and flax seeds powder.


Mix it well and check for seasoning. Switch off the flame and serve hot with either rice or roti.

asian broccoli recipe


Ingredients



Broccoli  1/2 of a medium broccoli

Sweet corn 1 cup

Paneer  100g


Oil  2 tbsp

Onion  1 ( chopped )

Salt  to taste

Garam masala  1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Chilli powder  1 tsp

Flax seeds powder 1 tsp

Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds  tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp


Method



  1. Heat oil in a pan. 
  2. Temper it with mustard and cumin seeds.
  3. Once they crackle, add chopped onion. Sauté until translucent and add turmeric powder. 
  4. Add the broccoli pieces and the sweet corn kernels. 
  5. Sprinkle salt and mix well. Cook covered stirring occasionally until the broccoli is almost cooked but not completely cooked. 
  6. Add the capsicum pieces and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. 
  7. Now add paneer cubes and diced tomatoes. 
  8. Cook until tomatoes are soft. 
  9. Sprinkle chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and flax seeds powder. 
  10. Mix well and check for seasoning. 
  11. Switch off the flame and serve hot with either rice, roti or chapathi.


Notes



  • Any other veggies like beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, cabbage, green peas etc. can be added according to the availability. 
  • Addition of flax seeds powder makes the dish more nutritious.



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