Navratri Special: aaloo tamatar ki sabji

Navratri is here with all its joy and splendour... People fast on these auspicious days but if you have variety in ur menu then this becomes a treat, I will be posting various recipes to make the Navaratri's special and unforgettable.

Aaloo Tamatar ki sabji (Vrat)

Ingredients:
5 medium sized potatoes (Boiled)
4 medium-sized tomatoes (Finely Chopped)
2 green chilies
1tsp Ginger Paste
Sendha namak to taste
1tsp Turmeric powder
1tsp Red chilly powder
1tsp Cumin powder
1tbsp Coriander powder
Fresh Coriander
2tbsp oil or Ghee

Procedure:

• Heat ghee in kadahi, add in cumin seeds, when it stops cluttering add in chopped tomatoes.
• Add in green chillies and ginger.
• Mix well. Saute till the tomatoes starts to leave oil.
• Add in salt + cumin powder + coriander powder + turmeric powder + red chilly powder.  Mix well.
• Cook until the tomatoes are cooked well.
• Now add in the cubed potatoes. 
• Add in 3 cups of water and the chopped coriander.
• Let this cook on low flame.
• Remove from flame.
• Serve with poori.

lauki ka raita

Raita accompanied with heavy Kuttu ki puris makes it easily digestible. 


Ingredients:
250gms Yogurt
1/2 cup Lauki (Grated and Boiled)
Sendha Salt (Vrat)
1tsp Cumin Powder
1tsp Red Chilly Powder
1tsp Black Pepper Powder
1 cup Water
 (in total)

Procedure:

• Peel the Lauki.
• Grate it.
• Now take a pan, add in grated lauki and 1/2 cup water in it.
• Let it boil.
• After 8 minutes remove lauki from water and keep it aside to cool down.
• After 10 minutes when lauki is cooled down take a bowl.
• Add in yogurt + sendha salt + cumin powder + red chilly powder + black pepper powder.
• Whisk all this well.
• Add little water if you think that the consistency is too thick.
• Add in the boiled grated lauki.
• Mix it.
• Serve chilled.

Mint and Coriander chutney (Vrat ki Chutney)

A chutney accompanied with the appetizers on the fast day makes the snacks delectable.

Ingredients:
250gms Mint
200gms Coriander
2 lemons
2 Green chilies
Sendha Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Separate the leaves from the mint and coriander bunch.
• Wash them well
• Put all this in a jar, squeeze lemon.
• Add in salt.
• Grind this into a thin paste like consistency.
• If required add in water.
• Serve with tikkis.

  

Navratri Namkeen (Vrat)

This Namkeen is very simple to make.. and makes a good appetizer for the people who are fasting on this auspicious day... All you need is:

Navratri Namkeen (Vrat)

Ingredients:

200gms Makhana

200gms Groundnut

250gms Poatao wafers (unsalted)

200gms Sabudana

Sendha Salt to taste

Black Pepper Powder

Ghee or oil to Fry

Procedure:

• Heat Ghee in a Kadahi.
• Fry the chips. Strain and keep it aside.
• Then fry the groundnuts, strain and keep it aside.
• Fry the makhanas. strain and keep it aside.
• Lastly fry the sabudanas. strain and keep it aside.
• Now mix in salt and black pepper powder.
• Mix and keep it in a air-tight container.

Sabudane ki Tikki

An appetizer for a fasting person, goes well with chutney meant for Navratri.

Sabudana Tikki

Ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes

2 green chilies

1tsp ginger paste

1cup sabudana

Sendha salt to taste

1tbsp cumin powder

1tbsp coriander powder

1tbsp red chilly powder

Fresh coriander

Oil to fry the tikkis

Procedure:

• Soak the sabudana  in water for  2 hours.
• Remove from water and squeeze well.
• Take a bowl, add in potatoes. mash well.
• Now add in sabudana + green chilies+ ginger + salt + cumin powder + coriander powder + red chilly powder.
• Mix well. Add in the fresh coriander.
• Divide this mixture into equal balls. 
• Make them into a round shape flat patty.
• Heat oil or ghee in a pan, shallow fry them from both sides.
• Serve hot with chutney.

Street style Club Sandwich

This sandwich inspired by a sandwich I used to have in Bhopal. This one is quiet famous among the Bhopalites.
A very simple but a very tasty recipe.

Street style Club Sandwich

Ingredients:
12 Bread Slices

For the Potato Mixture:
3 medium sized potatoes
1/2 cup green peas
1 small-sized onion
2 green chilies
Salt to Taste
1tsp Cumin Powder
1tsp Coriander Powder
1tsp Red chilly Powder
Fresh Coriander

For the other layer of the sandwich:
3tbsp Mint and coriander Chutney
7-8 slices of cucumber
7-8 slices of tomato
250gms mozzarella cheese
Salt to taste
Chilly flakes
1 medium-sized onion
1tbsp butter
2tbsp refined oil (to toast the sandwich)

Procedure:
For the Potato Mixture:

• Peel the potatoes. Mash them well.
• Add in onions + peas + green chilies + salt + cumin powder + coriander powder + red chilly powder + coriander. 
• Mix all this well. keep it aside.

Assembling of the Sandwich:

• Take a bread slice spread butter over it. Now spread 1tbsp full of potato mixture over it.

• Spread evenly if required you can add more potato mixture.
• Now spread 1 tbsp of cheese over the potato mixture.

• Place a bread slice over it.
• Spread 1 tbsp full of mint and coriander chutney over it. Now put a slice of cucumber and tomato over it.

• Spread some cheese over it.
• Sprinkle salt + pepper + chilly flakes over it.
• Place another bread slice on top of it.
• Heat oil in a pan, toast the sandwich in it from both the sides till it turns golden in color.
• Serve hot with Ketchup.

Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup

This is a soup from the Asian culinaries  which is spicy and sour in flavour. Liked by one all it can be made both veg and non-veg.  I am posting a veg variant of it.

Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1 small sized onion (Chopped)
1/2cup Carrots (Finely Sliced ) Long
1/2cup Capsicum (Chopped)
4-5 cubes of Paneer
6 cloves of Garlic
2 Green Chillies
1tsp Ginger Paste
A pinch of Ajinomoto
2tbsp Soya Sauce
2tbsp Vinegar
1tbsp Green Chilly Sauce
1tbsp Red Chilly Sauce
Salt to taste
1/2tbsp White pepper powder
1/2tbsp Black pepper powder
2tbsp Cornflour
1/2tsp Sugar
2tsp Oil
4 cups of Vegetable Stock

Procedure:

• Mix cornflour in 3tbsp Vegetable Stock. Stir well so that no lumps are made. Keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a wok, add in garlic + ginger.
• When it is cooked add in Onions + green chilies.
• Saute this for a while, then add in chopped capsicum + carrots.
• Let this saute for 5 minutes.
• Do not overcook as it has to be little crunchy.
• Then add in the vegetable stock.
• Now add in the cornflour mixture in it. Stir well.
• Let this boil till it thickens.
• Add in soya sauce + vinegar+ green chilly sauce+ red chilly sauce.
• Add in salt + white pepper powder + black pepper powder + sugar.
• Mix well. Add in paneer cubes.
• Let it boil.
• Serve hot.