Spicy Minty Okra Stir Fry

Lady's finger is the queen of all the vegetables. I was searching for  recipe online and I found the usual recipes. Currently I am experimenting with  mint leaves or pudina. I have seen people adding kasuri methi in stir fry's. So I thought why not make a stir fry with mint leaves. I loved the minty taste of lady's finger. Hope you like it too.

Recipe Source: My own

Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 20min

Ingredients:

Lady's finger/okra:500gm chop finely in small rounds and apply salt
Onion: 1/2 cup, finely chopped or half of a small onion
Tomato: 1 small finely chopped
Ginger-Garlic paste: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
Amchur Powder/ Dry mango Powder: 1/2 tsp
Kasuri Methi: 1/2 tsp crushed
Mint leaves: 1 cup washed
Coriander leaves: 1 cup
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt according to taste

Procedure:
1. Add 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan.
2. Add the chopped onions and fry till they are translucent, followed by ginger-garlic paste.
3. Once the ginger-garlic paste starts given out aroma add the finely chopped tomatoes.
4. Simmer the flame and add all the spice powders and salt.
5. Add the chopped Lady's finger to which salt is already applied in the pan followed by crushed kasuri methi.
6. In a blender finely chop the washed coriander and mint leaves without adding water which should be powdery by now.
7. Garnish the stir fry with the finely chopped leaves from the blender.

This dish goes well with rice and chappathi's.

Palak Rice

"I am Popeye the Sailor Man!!!", the only words which come to my mind when I hear the word palak. I used to love the way Popeye used to get all his strength from Spinach and used to save Olive from Bluto. His intelligence used to amaze me. I would go to my mom and say I want to have Spinach too. But the moment I used to out it in my mouth I used to spit it out and say, this is palak not Spinach. Ha Ha!!!

Well now I love eating palak. But I think its too late now to get the super-powers from it as I missed it out in my childhood.

Serves:2

Recipe: Veg Recipes of India


Preparation time: 1 hour 30 min

Cook Time:10 min

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice: 1 cup (Soak in water for 1 hour and cook with few drops of ghee so that the grains can be separated)  
Onion: 1 big (finely chopped)
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1  tbsp
Tomato: 1 and 1/2 (chopped)
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Salt according to Taste

List 1:
Spinach Leaves: 1 medium sized bundle (rinse and chop finely)
Mint Leaves: 1 small bunch (rinse and chop finely)
Coriander Leaves: 1 small bunch (rinse and chop finely)
Green Chilli: 5-6
Almonds: 5-6 (Soak in hot water for half an hour and finely chop)

List 2: (Whole Spices)
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Cardamom: 2
Cloves: 3-4
Bay Leaf: 1
Fennel Seeds: 1 tsp (can be substituted with its powder too)

List 3: (Spice Powders)
Chilli Powder: 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala: 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1/4 tsp
Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida: a pinch

Procedure:

1. In a deep bottomed pan/ kadai add ghee followed by all the spices on list 2 one by one till they give out a nice flavor.
2. Add in the chopped onions and fry till translucent followed by ginger-garlic paste.
3. Add in the finely chopped tomatoes till they turn mushy.
4. Grind all the ingredients on list 1 using a blender and make a puree.
5. Once the tomatoes are cooked add the puree and keep stirring on a low flame.
6. Lower the flame and add all the spice powders on list 3 for 3-4 min.
7. Add the cooked rice and mix the puree with the rice.
8. Serve with yogurt or sweet raitha.

Spicy and Simple Cauliflower Stirfry

Gobi manchuri!!! Drool!!!! The only recipe which comes to my mind when I hear the word cauliflower. This is another easy recipe to cook. And trust me it is simply yummy and spicy!!!!

Serves: 2

Cooking time: 20 min

Ingredients:
Cauliflower: 1 and 1|2 cup
Onion: 1 finely chopped
Tomato: 1
Cwumin seeds: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1|2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1|2 tsp
Coriander leaves: for garnish
Salt to taste

Procedure:
1. In a vessel boil water, add salt and a pinc of turmeric powder.
2. Add the cauliflower florets in it and keep it for 10 min.
3. In a nonstick pan, add oil and once it boils add cumin seeds and fry for 30sec.
4. Add the finely chopped onion slices and fry till it turns translucent.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn soft.
6. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder followed by salt.
7. Strain the cauliflower florets and add them in the pan along with water and cook for 10 min.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.

This curry goes well with rice.

Mooga saaru Upkari

This is one of the easiest recipe to cook.  Along with vegetables it is very necessary to include pulses in our diet. This goes weall with rice.


Serves: 4

Cooking time: 30min


Ingredients:
Green gram : 1 cup
Green chilli : 3-4
Salt to taste

For seasoning:
Garlic: 10-12 pods
Red Chilli: 4-5
Oil: 1 tbsp

Procedure:
1. In a deep pan add double amount of water than the green gram.
2. Cook till it boils and is cooked properly.
3. The amount of water can be added constantly till the pulses are cooked properly.
4. Once the pulses are half cooked add the green chilli's slit vertically along with salt.
5. Once the pulses are cooked properly, mash them slightly.
6. With the help of pestle crush the garlic pods slightly.
7. In a seasoning pan add oil and add the crushed garlic pods and cook till they turn slightly brown in color.
8. After the garlic had turned brown add broken pieces of red chilli.
9. Add the seasoning to the cooked green gram.

Names of the week According to Roman Mythology

According to Roman and Greek mythology each name of the week has the following legend behind them.

People called the first day of the week Sunday, the Sabbath, or day of rest. As a day of rest from work, it is the most religiously significant day of the week. Hence, it takes its name from the central God of pre-Christian mythologies- the Sun.

Monday is an abbreviation of Moon day, sacred to the wife of the Sun. Ancient tribes called the goddess of the moon Diana, and built temples for her. It was believed that Phoebus Apollo, the Sun god, drove his flaming chariot across the sky by day, while his wife Diana drove her silver chariot through the sky at night. They loved Diana because she was gentle and beautiful. The woods were sacred to her, as she walked through them. 

Tuesday is named after Tiw, the Saxon god of battle, also known as Tyr. There is an interesting story behind his having only one hand. The gods wanted to capture a terrible wolf spirit Fenris, with a strange chain made by the spirits of the mountains. This chain was made of the most difficult things found in the world: sound of a cat's footstep, beard of a woman, roots of a mountain, voice of fishes, longings of a bear, and a bird's spittle. Fenris agreed to be bound, on condition that a god put his hand in his mouth. Tiw was the only one brave enough to volunteer, and put his hand into the wolf's mouth. Fenris was bound, but enraged at being captured, he bit off the god's hand.

Woden, (Odin in Norse) was the greatest of the Teutonic gods, and gave his name to Wednesday. He lived in a palace built entirely of gold and silver, called Valhalla. Two ravens stood on his shoulders, and when he wanted news, he sent them to fly around the world, and report what they saw and heard.  Around Woden stood maidens called Valkyries, armed with helmets, spears and shields. They were sent down to earth to bring back the souls of heroes slain in battle, to dine with Woden. While they feasted, he listened to their stories and drank mead, but never ate anything himself. This led to his reputation of being odd and capricious!

Thursday was derived from Thor, the strongest of the Teutonic gods. He had a hammer that no man could lift, a pair of iron gloves, and a belt which doubled his great strength when it was fastened.

Frigg was the wife of Woden and mother of Thor. A day was named after her so that she would not be jealous that days were named after her husband and son, and Friday came into existence. Like Venus, she was the goddess of love.

Saturday comes from the Roman god Saturn, in whose honor the Romans used to feast and drink.