Veg Indian Recipes

French Beans are one of the most commonly eaten green beans in India. Most Indian households make french beans as a dry vegetable either with cubed potatoes or without them. This French Beans recipe is a new curry style recipe which is rich with coconut milk and cashew paste. It can be had with Indian breads like Roti, Paratha, or over rice. I am sure your family and friends will be pleasantly surprised by this French Beans recipe!

French Green Beans in Coconut and Cashewnut Masala (Indian Style)

Ingredients

Serves 4

500 grams French Beans (chopped into small pieces).
2 Big Onions - 100 grams (Grinded or blended to a paste with a little water).
1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste.
3 Big Tomatoes - 200 grams (Grinded or blended to a paste with a little water).
Thick Coconut Milk - 100 ml. (You can substitute with 200 grams fresh grated coconut).
Cashewnuts - 50 grams (Boiled in a little water, and grinded to a paste).
1 Large Bay Leaf.
2 Teaspoons Indian Garam Masala Powder.
1/2 Teaspoon Turmuric Powder.
1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder.
100 ml Cooking Oil.
Salt to taste.

Method

In a pot of boiling water, cook the chopped french beans till they are al-dente (just under cooked). Drain and cool immediately under running cold water. Keep aside. This will retain the fresh green color of the french beans. You may also add a little baking soda to the boiling water to help retain the color of the french beans.

Now in a deep frying pan or wok, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, slip in the Bay Leaf. Now add the onion paste. Keep stirring the paste till it starts to turn pink. Now add the Ginger Garlic paste and stir till the paste turns light brown. Add the tomato paste and cook. Keep stirring so that the paste does not stick to the bottom of the pan. When the tomato paste is well cooked and the oil starts to leave the sides of the pan, add the Garam Masala Powder, Red Chilli Powder and Turmuric powder. Stir for a minute and add the cashewnut paste and the coconut milk. Keep stirring and cook for another minute or till the paste is well cooked, and starts to leave oil.

Now to this gravy or masala, add the cooked french beans and stir thouroughly. Cook the French beans in the masala for 3 minutes, stirring in between. Add a little water if the curry starts t stick to the bottom of the pan. When the masala seems to permeate the french beans, add 1 cup of water and boil for a minute. Add salt to taste. Remove to a serving dish. Your French Beans in Coconut and Cashewnut Masala is ready.

To Serve
Garnish the dish with slices of tomatoes and a sprig of coriander or cilantro. Serve hot with Bread or Indian breads like Chapati, Paratha, Naan or Kulchas. Can also be served as a curry with Rice.

One of the most popular street food in India is Pav Bhaji or Pao Bhaji (a spicy potato based vegetable curry with capsicum, tomatoes, cabbage, and lots of unique spices, served with Pav, a type of bun) and Pulao. You will find Pav Bhaji - Pulao stalls at every street food corner in India. This Pulao recipe is an authentic street recipe and is absolutely lip-smacking! You can use left-over rice for the Pulao and it is a satisfying meal by itself.

Pulao (Street Style)

Ingredients

Serves 4

A big bowl of boiled and fully cooked rice - (500 grams)
1 Onion -(Sliced)
8-10 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
2 Large Tomatoes - (chopped)
1 Large Potato -(Boiled, Peeled and Chopped)
Cabbage - 100 grams - (Finely shredded)
1 Medium Carrot - (Finely chopped)
50 grams Peas (shelled)
1 Large Capsicum or Green Bell Pepper - (finely chopped)
2 green Chillies - (optional, finely chopped)
2 Teaspoons Pav Bhaji Masala - (preferably Everest or Badshah brand)
1/2 teaspoon Turmuric powder
100 grams Butter or Cooking Oil (preferably Amul butter)
1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder - (optional)
Salt to taste
50 grams Coriander leaves or Cilantro for the garnish - (finely chopped)

Method

Heat the butter in a frying pan or wok. When the butter is hot, add the chopped onions and garlic. Stir for a minute and add the shredded cabbage, peas and carrots. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Check to see if the carrots and cabbage are cooked. Add the green chillies and tomatoes and cover till the tomatoes are cooked.

When the tomatoes are cooked, add the Pav Bhaji Masala, Turmuric Powder and Red chilli powder. Stir. Add the chopped boiled potatoes and incorporate in the mixture. Add salt to taste. Finally add the chopped capsicum and the boiled rice together. Mix together properly and cook the Pulao over medium-high heat, stirring it every now and then so that the Pulao has a smoky fried flavor.

To Serve

Serve in individual plates and garnish with chopped Coriander leaves. You can also serve a wedge of lemon with the Pulao.

Mushrooms, also known as Khumb or Dhingri in India are very rarely used in everyday Indian cooking. Matar Mushroom (Peas Mushroom Curry) is the most popular Mushroom curry dish you will encounter in Indian restaurants. And there are people who will die for their Matar Mushroom! After the ubiquitious Paneer Butter Masala, Matar Mushroom ar probably the most popular vegetarian curry dish on any Indian restaurant's menu. Trust me, if you like Mushrooms, Matar Mushroom is one Indian curry you should not miss. So without any further ado, let's get down to the recipe.

Matar Mushroom/Khumb Mushroom (Peas and Mushroom in a spicy Indian gravy)

Ingredients: - Serves 4

200 grams Peas (Fresh or frozen)
200 grams Button Mushroom (Khumb/Dhingri - Indian)
2 Large Onions (Ground to a paste)
4 Large Tomatoes (Blended to a paste)
1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste
50 grams nut paste (Cashew nuts preferably, boiled for 5 minutes and ground to a paste)
1 Large Bay Leaf (Tez Patta - Indian)
3-4 Cloves (Laung - Indian)
1-2 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi- Indian)
2 Teaspoons Garam Masala (Readymade Indian Curry Powder, preferably 'Badshah' or 'Everest' brand)
3 Tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the peas and boil in water for 5 minutes or till they are cooked. Drain and keep aside. Blanch the mushrooms in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and keep aside.

Now in a wok or deep pan, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the Bay Leaf, Cloves and Cardamoms. Immediately afterwards, add the onion paste, Ginger Garlic Paste and the Cashewnut paste. Keep stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook till the paste is pink/light -brown and cooked. Now stir in the Tomato paste and cook till the tomato paste is cooked and the oil starts appearing over the gravy. Keep stirring so that the gravy does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Now add the Garam Masala and let it flavor the gravy.

A little secret; for a unique restaurant style taste, I prefer to use 'Badshah' brand 'Nawabi Meat Masala', instead of the Garam Masala. If you want the gravy to be a little more spicy, you can add some red chilli powder at this stage. Now add the cooked peas and blanched Button Mushrooms to the gravy and cover for 2 minutes. Your Matar Mushroom is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve hot with Tandoori Roti, Naan, Chapati, Paratha, Bread or with Rice.

"Roti" or "Chapati" is an Indian flat bread much like the Mexican Tortilla. The Roti is rolled out of unleavened whole wheat dough and roasted on a flat griddle (Tava). Roti is the most popular bread in North, East, West and Central India, and is served with almost all Indian meals. Roti is eaten with all Indian vegetables and Curries and can also be used as a bread to roll stuffings.

The Roti is very easy to make as the dough is kneaded almost instantly and does not require any yeast or any other leavening agent. Most Indian households knead the dough fresh for every meal and the Roti is almost invariably served freshly rolled and baked. Some prefer to puff up the Roti over the fire after it is cooked on the griddle and some like to keep it flat. Some variations of Rotis are Parathas (Indian Fry Bread), Puris (Indian Deep Fried Bread), Naan (Nan) and Kulchas.

I am posting here the recipe for the most basic Roti or Chapati. If you want, you can make the dough in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for 3 days. However for the best Rotis, it is advisable to knead the dough just 30 minutes before you make the Roti.

Indian Roti or Chapati Recipe. (Unleavened Flat Indian Bread)

Ingredients: (makes 10 Rotis)

250 grams Whole Wheat Flour
1 tbsp Oil or Ghee (Clarified Indian Butter)
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
Water to knead the dough
More Whole Wheat Flour (for dusting the Rotis when rolling)

Method:

In a mixing bowl, take the flour and add 1 tbsp oil. Rub the flour between your palms so that the oil in incorporated the dough. Add 1 tsp salt (optional). Now add water, a little at a time and knead the flour to make a stiff dough (same consistency as a pizza dough).

For best results, cover the dough with cheese cloth and leave it for 30 minutes.

Now take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms. Flatten the ball of dough by pressing it in a seperate bowl of whole wheat flour. Dust the flat dough liberally on both sides with the flour.

Place the dough on a flat surface and with a rolling pin roll out a 6 inch flat Roti. Use circular movements of the rolling pin to get a perfect circle which is evenly thick all over. The Roti should be as thin as a slice of cheese single or pepperoni. If the dough gets stuck to the rolling pin while rolling, dust it with more flour.

Cooking/Roasting the Roti or Chapati:

Now heat a Tava or a flat Griddle, reduce the heat to medium and flip the rolled out Roti on the griddle. Cook it on one side for about 10-15 seconds and flip it over before you start to see big brown spots (undercooked). Cook on the other side for another 15-20 seconds or until you see brown spots to indicate the Roti is cooked on this side. Keep turning the Roti on the griddle so that it does not stick. Finally, flip the Roti again on the fist side and finish cooking for another 5-10 seconds. Alternatively, you can remove the Roti from the griddle and place the first side (undercooked) on a direct flame for 5-10 seconds to puff the Roti. Remove when the Roti is puffed and cooked.

Serve Rotis hot with any hot Indian vegetable or Curry. You can brush the Roti with a little hot Ghee or Oil for an authentic taste.

A 'Kadhi' is basically a bland Indian curry or gravy primarily consisting of a yoghurt and water base thickened with gram flour. Various herbs and spices are added to the 'Kadhi' to give it a very distinct flavour.

Almost all regions in India have their own variant of the 'Kadhi'. In North India, the 'Kadhi' has gram flour ' onion pakodas' (onion fritters or dumplings) added to make a more hearty kadhi. The 'Sindhi'community has their own version of the kadhi which does not have yoghurt at all, but uses tamarind pulp to give the kadhi a sour taste. Gujarat is a state in West India where kadhi is an important part of the everyday meal. The 'Gujarati Kadhi' has a little sweet and sour taste and is very simple to make. It goes great served piping hot over plain boiled rice.

Gujarati Kadhi

Ingredients:

2 cups Youghurt (preferably a little sour)
5 cups water
2 teaspoons Gram flour (Besan)
1 teaspoon Ginger-Chilli paste (can be made at home; pound together 1 inch piece of ginger with 2 green chillies)
5-8 Curry leaves (or 1 stalk)
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rye - Indian)
1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi Daana)
1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (Heeng)
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
2 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon Sugar (or to taste)
1 tablespoon chopped Coriander leaves
1 tablespoon Oil or Clarified Butter(Ghee - for tempering)

Method:

In a pot, beat together the yoghurt, gram flour and water to form a smooth gravy. Take care to see that no lumps are formed. To this mixture add the ginger-chilli paste.

Now heat the oil in a pot. Add the fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start to sputter, add the curry leaves and asafoetida. Pour this tempering over the yoghurt -gram flour curry (kadhi). Bring the kadhi to boil, stirring continously so that it does not boil over. Add salt and sugar to taste. Boil the kadhi for 3-4 minutes so that the gram flour in the kadhi is cooked and does not have a raw taste. The kadhi should have the consistency of a thick soup. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot over plain boiled rice or with Roti or Chapati (Indian Bread). Can also be had by itself as a hot soup.