Aloo Capsicum Bhaji / Bell Peppers Potato Curry | Indian Curry Recipes

Bhaji is a simple curry prepared with vegetables. This is one such curry I prepared aimlessly. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was going to do and how I was going to make this curry for the Methi Paratha for which I had prepared the dough. All I wanted was a potato capsicum combo, which we love and I wanted to make it little spicy, since LO was not going to eat that. I was planning to give Kavin just the paratha with some yogurt or milk. So I went ahead, out and out to prepare a spicy bhaji to go with the parathas.

Ingredients:
Serves - 3-4
Potatoes - 3
Green Bell Peppers / Capsicum - 2
Tomato - 2 ripe
Oil - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - a big pinch
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder  - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp
Water - 1 cup

Method:
Cut the potatoes and bell peppers into 1 inch cubes. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a kadai and fry the potatoes in high heat. It should be enough if the potatoes form a golden crust on them and it is not needed that the potatoes should be cooked through. Remove and set aside. In the same kadai add a few drops of oil and fry the bell peppers/capsicum. Fry until it starts to brown, in high heat. Remove and set aside. Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai and add the cumin seeds and the ginger garlic paste. After about a min, add the chopped tomatoes with a pinch of salt. When the tomatoes become mushy and cooked completely add the spice powders and mix well. After about a minute or so add the water, cover and allow it to boil. When it comes to a boil, add salt and potatoes. Cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers now and and cook covered for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with any paratha of your choice.
Notes:
Freshly squeezed lemon juice and chopped raw red onions are other garnish suggestions. You can always add more water as needed for the curry's consistency. The frying of the potatoes and capsicum prior to making the curry is purely optional. I just like the smoked flavour. 

Mocha Pancakes | Eggless Pancake Recipes

If you are a morning coffee person, you would love these for breakfast. If you are not a coffee person, you would love these anytime. This is a super simple chocolate pancake recipe, with no eggs. The touch of coffee is sure to wake your senses and get you geared up for the day. 

Ingredients:
Makes 8 pancakes
Adapted from Sailu's recipe
All purpose flour / Maida - 1 cup
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 2-1/2 tsp
Instant Coffee Powder - 2 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp - melted
Oil -  2 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 2 tbsp plus more if needed

Method:
Whisk the dry ingredients together using a sieve or whisk until well mixed without lumps. Mix the butter, oil, milk and water. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk briskly. The batter should be well mixed, but a few lumps are fine. Set the batter aside until the griddle is heated. When it is heated, use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter and pour on the griddle. Let it spread on its own. When bubbles start appear on the top, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two. Serve with maple syrup or chocolate spread, okay, there cannot be too much chocolate, can it.. 
Notes:
If you want to make it vegan, skip the butter and substitute milk with almond, soy or coconut milk. If the batter is thick, add one or two more tbsp of water as needed.

Butternut Squash Rajma Kurma | Indian Curry Recipes

A tasty, wholesome curry with lots of flavours. That is how I would define a korma. This recipe is true to that definition. A delicate vegetable and hearty beans combined with yogurt and spices, it is a great side for Jeera Rice and Rotis. This can be treated as a base recipe and different combinations of vegetables (Butternut squash, Pumpkin, Winter melon, Bottle gourd) and beans (Rajma, Black Eyed peas, Chickpeas) can be added. This recipe serves a large crowd, so I make and freeze half of the portion for later use.

Ingredients:
Serves - 4-6
Recipe from Priya
Butternut Squash - 1/2 of a squash - cut into half inch cubes
Red kidney beans / Rajma - cooked - 2 cups
Onion - 1 cup - chopped
Tomato - 1 - chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Make a paste:
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Khus Khus / Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp

Method:
Make a smooth paste with yogurt, khus khus and cashewnuts. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry the onions until they are soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for another minute. Add the chopped tomato with a pinch of salt and saute until they turn mushy. Add the spice powders and fry for a minute. Throw the cubed butternut squash pieces and saute for about 5 minutes. Add half a cup of water and cover and cook until the squash is almost cooked. Add the cooked beans, ground paste and salt to taste. Mix in required quantity of water for the kurma and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot with roti or pulao.

Kathirikai Gothsu / Brinjal Kothsu | South Indian Curry Recipes

Like most South-Indian homes, we almost never run out of dosa batter. But whenever it happens, a quick upma or pongal is my saviour. Ven Pongal is best had with Coconut chutney. I was in this assumption until one of my friends told me what he was having for breakfast. Ven Pongal with Kathirikai kothsu. It was a new combination which I have not tasted before. I had been wanting to ask his wife how she made the gothsu, but never got a chance to ask. So I set out to make it myself one fine day. 

Ingredients:
Serves - 3-4
Eggplant - 1 large - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Onions - 1/2 cup -chopped
Ripe Tomato - 1 small - chopped
Tamarind - size of half a lime - soaked in 1 cup warm water
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 2-3 cups
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Spice mix
Dry red chillies - 3 big
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - a pinch

Method:
Heat a few drops of oil and roast the ingredients under spice mix for a couple of minutes. Allow to cool and make a fine powder in a mixie. Extract thick juice from tamarind. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a wide pan and add the mustard seeds and urad dhal. When the mustard splutters add the onions and fry for a minute. Add the chopped tomato and eggplant and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the tamarind juice, turmeric, salt and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook until the eggplant is cooked through and mushy, about 12-15 minutes in med-high heat. Stir occasionally while cooking. When the eggplant is fully cooked and most of the water is evaporated, mash it well with the back of the ladle/wooden spoon. An old fashioned mathu would work perfectly in this case. Add the remaining water and the spice powder. Allow to come to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve for idli/dosa/pongal.

Vazhaikai Milagu Kari / Plantain Pepper Curry | South Indian Curry Recipes

When we were produce shopping before a few weeks, DH saw me buying plantains and was excited that I was going to make Bajjis. Yeah, he loves any food deep fried. He forgot about that and when the next time when I bought them, he asked "Didn't you buy one last week. What happened to that one?" I said I put them in the kootu I made for Thiruvadhirai (a religious festival). I assured him this time the plantains will go into making bajjis, but instead I made this pepper curry. No, I didn't break the promise, I reserved some for the bajjis, which I hope I will make soon :).

Also do check out my other recipes with Plantain, Vazhaikai Podimas and Vazhaikai Varuval.

Ingredients:

Adapted from Mallika Badrinath cookbook

Serves -  3

Vazhaikai / Plantain - 2 small

Fresh Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp

Black Peppercorns / Milagu - 3/4 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Water - 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method:

Grind the peppercorns and cumin seeds into an almost fine powder in the mixie / coffee grinder. Add the grated coconut and 2-3 tbsp of water and make a smooth paste. Peel the plantains and cut them into approximately 1 cm cubes. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the plantains and stir for about a minute or two. Add the ground paste,salt and water and cover and cook in medium heat until done. Stir occasionally to prevent the curry to stick to the bottom of the pan. When the plantains are fully cooked, remove to a bowl and serve.