Spinach with Pumpkins

This is a great gravy dish in which I have tried using greens by using spinach, ash gourd  and pumpkins. This is an ideal dish for every health conscious, diabetic, weight watchers and children. This is rich in carotene which makes it full of vitamin A, mineral rich with iron ,potassium and zinc and has very less oil. This green gravy can be taken as a base gravy for various dishes like Spinach soup, Alu-palak (Potato and Spinach),Palak –Paneer(cottage cheese with spinach)and various other vegetables that can combine well. In place of pumpkin any other gourd can also be used such as squash or bottle gourd

Ingredients

Spinach – A large bunch, washed, chopped

Pumpkin – 1 cup diced

Ash gourd – 1cup diced

Ginger – ½ inch piece, chopped

Garlic – about 5-7 cloves, chopped

Onions -2- sliced

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Green chillies -2 slit

Juice of half a lemon

Cumin- ½ tsp

oil – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder ½ tsp or as required

Method

To prepare the gravy heat a pan with half a tsp of oil and add sliced onions to it, sauté till transluscent and add ginger and garlic. Add the spinach and cook till the spinach turns dark green. Cool And blend in a mixer till smooth.

In a pan heat another half a tsp of oil add cumin and green chillies. Fry for some time and then add pumpkin and ash gourd and half cup of water, salt and cook covered it is soft enough.Add the gravy, adjust the salt, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and let it boil. Adjust the consistency to your liking. Put off the flame and add lemon juice and stir. Serve hot with Rotis, Parathas, or Rice.

Sweet Potato flat bread or Parantha

I thought of this recipe when I wanted to innovate something healthy, that my little one likes and at the same time is not made entirely of Potatoes!! Just then, I came across the benefit of sweet potatoes and I started to innovate with them. I boiled them, peeled and mashed them added some condiments and yes! now these flat breads, popularly called parathas in India are a favourite in my house. Whenever I make them they are finished to the last bit. They turn out soft, somewhat fluffy and go with any vegetable dish. With a pre-preparation of boiling the sweet potatoes these can be made in a matter of 15-20 minutes.

Well, before I say anything further a duty of nutritionist, some vital things about sweet potatoes.  They are tubers and are similar to potatoes in many respects apart from a slightly sweet taste.  In most parts of India they are considered a vegetable that is eaten during fasts. They are eaten just plain boiled, sprinkled with some honey or jaggery .  Sweet potatoes are an excellent nutrient house. They are rich in beta carotene which is turned into vitamin A. This is particularly good for children as I have observed young children getting spectacles at a young age. Also rich in Vitamin C, Manganese, Copper, iron and vitamin B6. People of younger generation find it easily digestible and can be combined with digestive condiments like asafoetida and ginger to aid digestion in case one finds them heavy to digest.

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes- Boiled, peeled and mashed- 2 cups

Ginger garlic green chilli paste-1tsp

seasame seeds or til    1 tsp

Whole wheat flour- 2 1/2 -3 cups

Curds- 2 tbl spoon

turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder – ½ tsp

Asafoetida  - ¼ tsp

Garam masala or Indian spice powder - ½ tsp

Coriander leaves/ fenugreek(methi) leaves- chopped  - 1 cup

Salt – 1 tsp or to taste

Water  - as required

Oil – As required

Method:

In a bowl combine sweet potatoes , the spices ,salt , ginger-garlic and green chilli paste, curds , seasame seeds , coriander leaves and mix well.

Add the whole wheat flour and required quantity of water and oil and prepare a dough. Keep covered for 5 minutes.

Take some dough in your hands , say the size of a table tennis ball (about 20-30 grams) , dust it with wheat flour and roll it out into a flat bread or paratha .

Cook it on a hot flat griddle till both sides are well cooked. Add some oil or ghee(clarified butter) at the sides. Repeat with the rest of the dough. The entire dough makes about 10-15 of them ,depending  on the size of each parantha.

These paranthas are best served hot and remain soft even after they cool down . They were an instant hit with my 9 year old daughter Prerana  as they resemble a great deal to the famous aloo ke paranthe  (potato paranthas)  with added health benefits. I hope all my readers would like this innovative recipe . In the above picture  I have served them with dudhi moog dal  or bottle gourd with green gram lentils. The later would be my next post.

Spinach and Fenugreek in Coconut gravy

As I mentioned in my last post about my mother being my first teacher in cooking, I dedicate my first recipe to her. In my previous post I have mentioned about green vegetables being a super food.  I have also promised to keep my recipes simple and healthy. Well, the following recipe is a vegetable gravy dish that goes along with rice, bread, salads  or any other main course. It combines spinach and fenugreek but you can combine any two or more green leafy vegetables that are available in your neighbourhood. They are cooked in a coconut gravy and have boiled lentils in them for thickening. I have used bottle gourd  as another ingredient and potatoes, raw papaya, raw plantain can easily replace it .

This dish is a famous one in Karnataka state of South India and such gravies often become a part of regular meals.  They are served as an accompaniment to a combination of other dishes such as boiled rice, rice gruel(kanji) Flat breads(rotis), or millet breads(Bhakri). This is quite a tasty side dish which was relished by all in my family and I hope my readers would love it too.

Spinach and Fenugreek in coconut gravy.

Ingredients:

Spinach –chopped -2 cups

Fenugreek-chopped-1 cup

Onion - 1 medium chopped

Bottle gourd- cut into big pieces -1 cup

Yellow lentils (tur dal) -1/2 cup

Fresh grated coconut – ½ cup

Whole coriander seeds-1 tbl spoon

Dry red chillies- 4-5

Tamarind – a small lump

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Salt-to taste

For the tempering:

Coconut oil-  1 tsp

mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida –a pinch

Curry leaves-4-5

Dry red chilly- 1 –broken into bits

Method:

In a pressure cooker combine lentils, spinach, fenugreek, bottlegourd,  add some onions and spare some for tempering ,add some water and cook till lentils are soft.

Dry roast coriander seeds and red chillies.  In a  blender/mixer jar combine coconut , coriander seeds, chillies, tamarind, turmeric powder, add a little water and blend into a  smooth paste.

In a pan combine the pressure cooked dal and vegetables, blended paste, add a a little water to adjust to required consistency and boil over medium fire. Add salt to taste.

To prepare the tempering , take a small pan heat  coconut oil, add mustard seeds, when they start crackling add asafoetida, chilly bits and curry leaves , remaining onions and sauté. When the mixture starts to release the flavor add it to the gravy, stir for a while. Serve hot.