Lal Bhoplyache Bharit /Red Pumpkin Raita#SundayFunday

I enjoying having salad or raita with every meal. My hubby too loves this raita and also the sabzi prepared from this vegetable. Lal Bhopla Bharit is a raita made with steamed red pumpkin, yogurt and is then tempered with flavorful spices, this is prepared in every Maharashtrian home. This raita is a great accompaniment to roti ,pulao and biryani where its sweetness balances the spiciness.

This appetizing raita is a great side dish, if you are fasting and is sure to be loved by those who do not like pumpkin. 
Serve Lal Bhoplyache Bharit with roti for a main course meal or on festival thali.

Here we get different types of pumpkin-

Lauki - in Hindi or Bottle Gourd in English and Dudhi in Marathi.

Red Pumpkin or Yellow Pumpkin or Squash or Kabocha Squash as some call it, here we call it in Marathi as Lal Bhopla and Kaddu in Hindi. I like buying the ripe one which turns red and is also sweet in taste, so we call it Red Pumpkin/Lal Bhopla.

Then we have Ash Gourd/ Winter Melon/ White Pumpkin which is call Kohllaa in Marathi and in Hindi Petha Kaddu from which the famous Agra Petha is made from.

Ingredients 
250 Grams Lal Bhopla/Red Pumpkin- chop into cubes
1 Cup Thick Yogurt - beaten
2 Green Chillies – finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
A Spring Curry leaves
1 Teaspoon Desi Ghee
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
Salt to Taste

Method

Boil the pumpkin with a tablespoon of water or pressure cook for a whistle. Let the pumpkin cool then mash it with a spoon.

Add yogurt, salt, sugar, chillies and mix well. In a laddle, heat ghee, add the mustard seeds when they splutter, add the curry leaves and asafoetida. Pour the seasoning to the bharit/raita.

Give it a mix and serve with chilled.  
Labels: Red Pumpkin, Raita, Salads, Main course, Healthy,  Vegetarian, Yogurt, Sunday Funday 

In our today's event for Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. I thank our host for this week's event
Rebekah Rose Hills of http://rebekahrose.blogspot.com/the theme is "Squash It To Me".

• Autumn Harvest Fall Soup by Our Good Life
• Beef and Butternut Squash Chili by Making Miracles
• Couscous-Stuffed Red Kuri Squash by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Yogurt by Cooking With Carlee
• Curried Squash Soup by Palatable Pastime
• Lal Bhoplyache Bharit /Red Pumpkin Raita by Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Bruschetta Pattypan Squash by Food Lust People Love
• Seared Scallops with Spaghetti Squash by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spaghetti Squash 2 Ways by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Potato & Dal Khichdi - Pressure Cooker

Khichdi, is a dish in made of rice, lentils and sometimes we add veggies whatever available at home. Most people think that khichdi as bland, tasteless and as food for babies or the sick. A well made khichdi is delicious, full of protiens, satisfying, nourishing, and most of all it's a complete one pot meal . Not much of pots and pan to wash. Make this in a pressure cooker, it cooks in a jiffy and yet tasty. 

This is also perfect to make when you are tired or want to russel up something healthy and quick then this recipe is for you.  My mother used to make this very often during monsoon, when it's a rainy day, no fish or meat at home and we relished this steaming hot.

Serves 2

Measurement - 250 Ml Cup 
Ingredients
1 Cup Rice - you can use any rice, long or short grain rice
1/3 Cup Masoor dal - or of your choice
1 Veg Stocks cube
1 Large Potato - cubed
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon Garam masala powder
Himalayan Pink Salt to taste
1 Teaspoon Sugar
A Sprig Curry Leaves
1 Medium Onion - thinly sliced
2 Green chillies - slit
2 -3 Tablespoons Oil

2½  Cups Hot Water

Method

Wash the dal, rice and keep aside.

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the potato cubes on high flame till the start to get brown.

 Add the, curry leaves sliced onions & chillies

fry till the onions start to brown, add the soup cube and mix well

Add the dry powders, salt to taste (be careful soup cube contains salt), sugar, mix all well, 

Add the  rice &  dal and fry  for just a minutes taking care not break the rice.

 Add 21/2 cups hot water cover with lid & pressure cook on medium high flame for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and let the steam settle/slightly cool down.

Open  the cooker and give it a light stir with fork. 

Serve piping hot with pickle, papad & raita 

Cucumber Tomato Raita

Ingredients

1 Cup Chilled Thick Yogurt - whisked

1 Cucumber  - diced

1 Medium Tomato - diced

Himalayan Salt to taste

½ Teaspoon Sugar

A Dash of  Pepper powder - optional

Method

Just mix all ingredients together and raita is ready.  Serve garnished with mint leaves. 

Enjoy with Potato & Dal Khichdi !!

Labels : Potato,  Masoor Dal,  Rice,  Khichdi, One Pot Meal, Pressure Cooker, Raita, Salads, Multi Cooker Monday, Vegan , Gluten Free, Healthy, Main Course, Serves Two

Multicooker Monday August 2020:
Here are other recipes using Small Kitchen Appliances

• Crockpot Lo Mein from Veggies First Then Dessert
• Cheesy Chicken Chili - Instant Pot from Food Lust People Love
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup from Making Miracles
• Potato & Dal Khichdi - Pressure Cooker from Sneha's Recipe
• Slow Cooker Lechon Asado from Palatable Pastime
• Toaster Oven Roasted Salted Almonds from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Zucchini Chips from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Vegetable Tahiri And Raita With a Twist#FantasticalFoodFight

Tahiri is a rice  is cooked without meat. Rice and vegetables are cooked together. Potatoes, pea and carrots are a must as vegetables in Tahiri . In Kashmir, Tahiri is served on street carts.
This recipe is made in the pressure cooker, so quick and easy that it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

Serves 5 

Ingredients 
2 Cups Rice
1 Large Potato - cut into big cubes
2 Carrots - cut into big cubes
1/2 Cup Peas
1/2 Cup Oil
1 Cup Onion - sliced
1.1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Yogurt - beaten
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Chilly powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic paste
2 Green chilies
2 Tomatoes - cut in big cubes
Whole spices
4 Cloves
2 Sticks Cinnamon
8 Peppercorns
2 Green Cardamons
1 Black Cardamon
3 Cups Hot Water

For the Raita With a Twist
2 Cups Thick Yogurt - beaten
2 Cucumbers - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Pizza seasonings
1 Tablespoon Coriander leaves - finely chopped

Method

Wash and soaked for 10  minutes.
In the mean time chop all the veggies required.

Heat oil in a pressure pan, fry onion light golden brown , add garlic paste with all the spices, fry well. Add in potatoes, carrot and peas. Fry for 2 minutes on medium high flame. Add yogurt and keep stirring till well incorporated. Then add rice and stir lightly. Add hot water and place  whole green chilies, tomatoes on top ( do not stir). Cover and bring it to a rolling boil.  Then cover the pressure pan with the lid,  cook on high flame for two whistles only.  Let the cooker cool down a little. 

Open the cooker and lightly  fluff the rice with fork and serve hot.
For the Raita With a Twist 

Mix the ingredients for the raita and serve with steaming hot Tahiri. Enjoy.

Labels: Rice, Vegetarian, Raita, Salads, Carrot, Potato, Pressure Cooker, 30 Minutes Meals, Fantastical Food Fight, Main course, Kashmir
You can learn more about our group and how to join in the fun over at this site.


#FantasticalFoodFight

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Matar Pulao With Raita

Matar Pulao and Onion Raita is a served as a main course and is a classic combination. It is filling and quick to make.  In this I, have added biryani masala and its gives an awesome taste to the pulao.  So let's go to the recipe...

Serves 2
Ingredients
1 Cup Basmati Rice
1 Large Onion - finely chopped
1/2 Cup Green Peas
1 Teaspoon Biryani Masala
2 Green Chillies - slit
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Stick Cinnamon
2 Cloves
2 Peppercorns
1 Bay Leaf
2 Green Cardamons
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Ghee
2.1/2 - 3 Cups Water

1/4 Cup Brown Onions for garnishing

Method

Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for 15-20 mins. Then drain, keep aside.

In a pan add oil + ghee, add jeera. Let it crackle. Then add all the whole spcies and saute for a minute add onions and saute till onion becomes translucent. Then add green peas, green chillies and biryani masala. Saute for a couple of minutes. Then add the rice and fry for few minutes add salt to taste. Add water and let it come to a boil, cover and cook till done. Let it rest for 10 minutes then fluff the rice with a fork lightly.

The pulao is ready.  Garnish with brown onions and serve with Onion Raita.

For the Onion Raita
Ingredients
1 Cup Fresh Curds - beaten
1 Onion - finely chopped
Salt to taste
White Pepper powder to taste

Method
Mix all the ingredients to gether. Onion Raita is ready.

This is Day 5 of the Marathon theme Combos from Countries - India.

Labels : Green Peas, Rice, Salads, Main course, Blogging Marathon, Vegetarian, Raita

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

An InLinkz Link-up

Veg Biryani

I prepared this Veg Biryani, for our Christmas Lunch and our guest enjoyed the biryani.  This is very easy and quick to prepare.  If you chop the veggies and keep  ready, the rest are all ingredients that at there in the kitchen. 

Ingredients

750 Grams Rice
3 Potatoes - cut into large pieces
1 Cup Yogurt
8 Nos. Alu Bukhara / Dried Apricots
1 Large Capsicum - cut in large cubes
1/2 Cup Soya / Dill Leaves - finely chopped
1/2 Cup Barik Methi - finely chopped
1 Cup Peas
2 Carrots - cubed
1 Cup French beans - cut in big bits
4 Large Tomatoes - sliced
1 Cup Onions brown - fried onions
1 Tablespoon Ginger - Garlic paste
3 Teaspoons Chilly powder
1.1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala powder
2 Teaspoon heaped Coriander powder
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Zaffron / Saffron
3/4 Cup Oil

For the Carrot Raita

2 Cups thick curds - slightly drained

2 Large Carrots - grated

1 Green chilly - finely chopped

1 Teaspoon Dill/ Soya 

1 Teaspoon Coriander - finely chopped

Method

Soak rice for 30 minutes,  then boil rice with salt till 80% done and keep aside.

Add chilly, turmeric,  and coriander powder in the yogurt and mix well, keep aside.

Mix saffron in milk ¾ cup.

Heat oil add barik methi and fry then add ginger- garlic paste fry well then add the tomatoes, stir fry for  a minutes, cover and cook till they are soft and mushy.  Then add the potatoes and fry,  then add masala mix yogurt and fry well.  Then add fried onions only half the quantity keep the other half for the rice. Then add the beans, carrots, peas and fry well, cover and cook till veggies are nearly done,  add alu bhukara, dill, the capsicum mix well, cover and cook till potatoes are done. Lastly add the garam masala stir and switch off the flame.

 In heavy bottom vessel add 2 tablespoons oil and ¼ cup water grease the pan well then add 1/2 the quantity of rice then all vegetable with gravy then again rice, sprinkle fried onions, the milk with saffron. Cover and keep on dum on griddle first on high flame for 10 minutes, then reduce the flame to medium low and cook for 15 minutes.  Serve hot with carrot raita.

For the Raita - Mix all the ingredients and serve chilled with the Biryani.

This is my entry for the BM #48, theme Biryani.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#48

Labels: Biryani, Blogging Marathon, Rice, Vegetarian, Apricots, Dill, Barik Methi, French Beans, Carrot, Raita, Capsicum

Tawa Pulao - Mumbai Street Food

This is the day 2 recipe that I have choosen from  here  for the Blogging Marathon.

Tawa pulao is a famous street food of Mumbai. A city which is always bustling with activity. People here have no time to look at eachother. Each one is running the rat race and moving with ticking of the clock. The fast life that they lead, people have less time to prepare meals, and you will find the street stalls busy with activity preparing meals for them.

This delicious rice is served in all street stalls in Mumbai. Tawa pulao as the name suggests is made on a tawa or large iron griddle. Pav bhaji masala is used for making this pulao and also uses veggies similar to that of pav bhaji. Tawa pulao tastes delicious when eaten fresh and hot. This can be served with raita or plain curd. ‘Tawa’ means griddle and ‘Pulao’ means "rice’. So basically tawa pulao is a rice preparation particularly made on a flat griddle on high heat (since I do not have a large tawa , made it in a large kadai). I like tawa pulao because it is a meal in itself as there are veggies too in it. In Mumbai you will get Tawa Pulao any time of the day. This Pulao is prepared in the same tawa in which pav bhaji is made and hence pav bhaji masala is main in ingredient, it contains a variety of spices. This pulao is usually served with raita on the streets of Amchi Mumbai.

Ingredients
2 Cups  Basmati rice – cooked
1 Onion –  chopped finely
1 Tomatoe –  chopped
1  Large Carrot –  diced into small pieces
1/4 Cup Green peas
1  Capsicum –  diced
2 Teaspoon Ginger - Garlic paste
A pinch Garam masala powder
2 Teaspoons Pav Bhaji masala powder
1 Teaspoon Red Chili powder
1 Tablespoon Coriander leaves - chopped

1 Green chilly - chopped
Salt - to taste

1 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Cup Oil 

1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds

1 Tablespoon Lemon juice

Method:

Cook the rice and keep aside to cool.

Parboil all the vegetables except the capsicum and keep aside.

Heat butter+oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds allow it to crackle. Then add ginger-garlic paste and onion. Fry till slightly browned, then add tomato and saute till mushy, oil starts leaving the sides.Then add capsicum and saute for a minute  only. Add red chilli powder , garam masala powder and pav bhaji masala powder, salt to taste and saute till well blended. Then add the boiled veggies. Add  sprinkle little water (just for the spices to combine).  Add cooked rice and mix well. Cook in high heat for 2mins then switch it off. 

Squeeze lemon juice and add chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot, onion raita and with fried Appalam.

For the Boondi Raita:

1 Cup Thick Fresh Curds
1/2 Cup Masala Boondi
A pinch of Salt
A pinch of Chilly powder
A pinch Roasted Cumin powder

Method

Beat the curds well mix the boondi in the curds, add salt to taste and Serve with a sprinkle of chilli and cumin powder.

This was delicious.  

My Notes:
You can also prepare this with the previous day rice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#47.

Labels: Blogging Marathon, Rice, Street food, Vegetarian, Raita, Boondi, Carrot, Green Peas, Capsicum, Mumbai

Punjabi Chole - No Onion No Garlic

This is a Jain recipe. The Jain's do not eat onion and garlic in their cooking. This is still a very tasty dish even though, no onion or garlic is used in the preparation. But the Jain use a little extra oil to balance the taste and texture of their dishes. So do not cut down the quantity of oil in the recipe. 

Making no onion no garlic recipes is a challenge. This theme is chosen for the Blogging Marathon, so you find in the previous two days all Jain recipes.

Though there is no onion no garlic in this chole it is still delicious and has an excellent taste. When I tasted this chole it reminded me of the chole samosa plate that is served at Bandra Linking road which I, relish. This taste exactly same as that. So here's the recipe.

Ingredients
2 Cups Chickpeas - boiled
3 Dry Red chillies
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Bay Leaf
A pinch of Asafoetida
A spring Curry leaves
1 Tablespoon ginger - green chilly paste (see notes)
1/2 Cup Tomato - chopped
3 Medium size Tomatoes - blanched, skinned and pureed
1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Red chilly powder
1/2 Teaspoon Amchur powder
2 Tablespoons Chole masala (click here for the recipe)
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoon Coriander - finely chopped
3 Tablespoon Oil
Salt to taste

Method

In a pan heat oil,  add cumin seeds, bay leaf, red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Then add ginger chilly paste. And fry well, then add the tomatoes chopped, salt to taste, turmeric, red chilly powder, chole masala and fry well till oil separates. Then add tomato puree. Fry well add amchur powder and sugar and fry well till oil separates add boiled chole and water, and let it boil covered for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

We had this with Two Grains Roti and Mint Boondi Raita.

For the Mint Boondi Raita

Ingredients

1 Cup Thick Curds

1/2 Cup Salted Boondi

1 Tablespoon Mint leaves - chopped

1/2 Teaspoon Sumac / Red Chilly powder

Salt to taste

1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

Method

Mix the curds, boondi, salt  and sugar and mint together.  Remove it in a bowl and sprinkle sumac.  Serve chilled.

Notes:
For ginger – chilly paste: 50 grams ginger + 30 grams chillies wash clean and grind to paste, store in the refrigerator .

Labels:  Chickpea, Complete Meal, Healthy, Jain food, Main course, No Onion No Garlic, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten free,  Mint, Raita