Cauliflower Salad 1

Ingredients:

For ghee tempering - ghee and cumin seeds
Cauliflower - 1 cup - cut into pieces about 1/2" -1" size
Green chilis - 1 cut into pieces
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or to your taste)
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tb

Recipe:

Cut cauliflower into smaller pieces.
Boil 3 cups of water and add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.
Add cauliflower and cook it for 4-5 minutes.
Drain water and transfer cauliflower to a bowl.
Prepare ghee tempering and add chilis to it. Let chilis fry for few seconds.
Add it to cauliflower.
Add 2-3 Tb peanut powder, chili powder and salt to taste.
Add 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Mix well.
Remove it to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) You can also add 2-3 Tb fresh grated coconut.

Eggplant Bhaji with Besan Flour

Ingredients:

For oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric, hing powder
Tender eggplant - 1 cup - cut into pieces about 1.5" - 2" size.
Besan flour - 3-4 Tb - sieve it so it has no lumps
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or to your taste)
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tb

Recipe:

Cut eggplant into smaller pieces and soak them in salted (1/2 tsp salt) water for 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse. This will remove bitterness from the eggplants.
Heat pan and add 3-4 tsp peanut oil (will need more oil as eggplant absorbs oil).
Prepare oil tempering and add eggplant pieces. Stir well.
Add salt. Let the eggplant get cooked on medium high heat stirring occasionally (sprinkle water if necessary).
When eggplant is cooked, add chili powder and besan flour and mix well. Let the besan coat eggplant.
Turn heat to medium low and cook for 2-3 minutes until besan gets cooked.
Keep stirring as besan can burn easily.
Remove it to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) Adding hing powder is essential as eggplants and besan create gas.
2) You can add 1/2 tsp cumin powder after you add chili powder as a variation.
3) You can leave besan flour out and add 1/2 tsp black masala as a variation.
4) Use this recipe for spring onions, bell peppers, any chopped leafy vegetable like spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, collard greens, cabbage, zuccini and so on.
5) I prefer to use Japanese eggplants as they are tender and have fewer seeds.

Simple Cauliflower Bhaji 2

Ingredients:

Cauliflwer - 2 cups cut cauliflower - small flowers ( 1" - 1.5" size)
For oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp (or to your taste)
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Brown sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tbs
Freshly grated coconut - 3-4 Tbs

Recipe:

Heat pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil.
Prepare oil tempering.
Add cauliflower. Stir well.
Add  1/4 cup water + salt + brown sugar + chili powder + cumin powder. Mix well.
Keep heat on medium and let the cauliflower get cooked stirring occasionally.
It should not be mushy and all the water should be gone.
Sprinkle with cilantro and coconut.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice

Notes:

1) Vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower have strong pungent smell which can be tamed by cumin.
2) I don't use hing powder or garlic as they both have  strong smells as well.
3) I don't use cover/lid when I cook tender cauliflower as it can get mushy.

Eggplant - Chana dal Bhaji (DaL Wange)

Ingredients:

Eggplants - small egg size - 8 to 10 - cut into half - soak in water to remove bitterness.

Chana dal - wash and soak 1/4 cup for 2 hours

Onion - 1 memdium - chopped
Tomato - 1 medium - chopped

Garlic - 5-6 large cloves

Dry grated coconut - 4 Tb -  dry roasted until lightly brown

Poppy seeds - 1 Tb - dryroasted until. Lightly brown

Cilantro - handful or 4 Tb chopped

Curry leaves - 8-10 

Onion-garlic masala - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Peanut oil - 2 tsp for onions and 2 Tb for tempering

Recipe:

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add chopped onions.

Saute onions until Lightly brown. Add tomato and cook it well.

Blend coconut, ppoppy seeds, cilantro, garlic cloves and cooked onion - tomato and 1/4 cup water in a blender to a smooth paste.

Heat the pan again and add 2 Tb oil.

Prepare oil tempering with black mustard seeds and turmeric powder and curry leaves.

Add chana dal and saute for a minute.

Remove eggplants from the water (discard water) and add to the pan. 

Add 1 cup water and salt to taste and cover the pan and let the dal and eggplant cook on a medium heat.
When the eggplants are tender, add blended wet masala and onion-garlic masala.
Stir well and cover the pan and let it cook for 2 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook until the gravy gets as thick as you want.
Keep stirring as coconut can settle on the bottom of the pan and Burn.

Notes:

1) You can use small potatoes instead of eggplants.

2) This style of cooking eggplants is kind of rustic and should be hot to taste.

3) You can add handful of roasted peanuts while blending wet masala as a variation.

4) You can add 2 Tb roasted sesame seeds while blending wet masala as a variation.

Baby Lima Beans Bhaji 1

Ingredients:

Baby lima beans - fresh or frozen (thawed) - 2 cups
Lemon juice - 1 Tb
Cilantro - chopped 2-3 Tb when serving

Masala:

Onion - 1 medium cut into big pieces

Garlic - chopped 1 tsp

Ginger root - 1 tsp grated

Raw peanuts - 4 Tsp

Green chilis - 3-4

Cilantro - handful

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup grated (or frozen - unsweetened)

Coriander seeds -1 Tb

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp 

Sesame seeds - 1 Tb - dry roasted

Chili powder - 1/4 tsp if needed

Salt to taste

Recipe:

Grind the masala into fine paste by adding little water.

Boil 4 cups of water and add lima beans in it. 

Let them get cooked. Cover and turn the heat off. Keep for few minutes.

Turn the heat on and uncover and add ground masala.

Mix well. Add salt to taste and chili powder if needed.

Let the beans cook until all the water is evaporated. 

You can reserve or add water if you like more gravy.
Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice.

Tranfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Serve with Indian bread or rice.

Notes:

1) You can use green peas instead of Lima beans.

2) You can use potatoes - boiled and cut into 1" pieces instead of Lima beans.

Palak Paneer ( Spinach) Bhaji

Ingredients:

Spinach - washed and chopped fine - 4 cups

Paneer - 200 gms - cubed

Cream - 3-4 Tbsp

Tomatoes - 2 small chopped

Onion - 1 small chopped

Ginger root - grated 1 tsp

Garlic - chopped 1 tsp

Green chilis - 1 chopped

Shahi masala - 1/4 tsp

Dry masala for tempering - 4 cloves + 2" cinnamon stick flat kind + 2-3 green ilaichi + 1 large/black ilaichi (optional)
Salt to taste

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Peanut oil - for tempering - 2 tsp and more for deep frying paneer

Recipe:

Heat 1 cup of water in a large pan. Add cut spinach. Do not cover and cook spinach. 

Transfer to a bowl. Use a hand blender and chop down the spinach. I don't puree it. You can choose the consistency you like.

Take 2"-3" high oil in a wok and deep fry paneer. Transfer it to a plate. (You can also shallow fry paneer or use paneer without frying at all).

Take 2 Tbsp oil from the same oil from frying and add to a pan. Turn on the heat and add dry masala. Be careful as cloves can splatter and cause burns.
Add chopped onion and cook until golden brown.
Add ginger, garlic, chili (you can grind ginger-garlic-chili into paste) and chopped tomato (or puree) and cover and let it cook for a minute.
Add cooked spinach and 1 cup water.
Add salt, chili powder and stir well.
Cook until half the water is evaporated and add shahi masala and cream. Mix well.
Add paneer and cover and cook for couple more minutes so that paneer will absorb the spices.
Serve immediately with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) I always prepare extra ginger-garlic paste (both in equal amounts) and store it in the freezer in glass jars. Thaw it when needed and refreeze it.
2) Don't cover spinach when cooking or it will change from bright green to darker green.
3) You can use frozen chopped spinach if you don't have time to use fresh spinach.
4) Always cover the pan after adding dry masala and remove from the heat. Dry masala can splatter and pop out and cause burns. Heated oil is enough to cook the dry masala. Remove the lid, add
veggies and return the pan to heat.
5) You can use ground cashews (5-6) with milk instead of cream.
6) You can use 2 Tbsp butter instead of oil for dry masala.
7) I don't like the strong flavor of black ilaichi so I rarely use it.
8) With all such variations taste will be a little different every time (I prefer that).

Rustic Kadhai Paneer ( Mumbai style)

Ingredients:

Paneer - 200 gms

Onions - 2 medium ( 1.5 sliced thin, 0.5 cut into large cubes 1.5" to 2")

Tomatoes - 2 medium sliced thin

Bell peppers - 1 medium cut into large cubes (1.5" - 2")

Cilantro - handful chopped finely

Chili powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Peanut oil - for deep frying paneer

Sweet cream unsalted butter - 2 tsp

Dry Masala:

Cinnamon sticks - flat - 2" long

Green cardamom - 5

Black cardamom - 1 large

Coriander seeds - 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp

1 whole dry red chili 

Dry roast all these spices and grind them into fine powder.

Recipe:

Heat oil in a kadhai ( cast iron wok) for deep frying paneer cubes with oil  2" - 3" high in kadhai.

Deep fry paneer until golden. Remove paneer cubes into a plate. 

Transfer oil to another bowl.

Heat kadhai again and add 2 Tbsp oil. Add onion slices.

Cook onions until golden brown. Add sliced tomatoes. 

Keep stirring and cook tomatoes well. Let it cool a little.

Transfer onion-tomatoes to a blender and puree into fine paste.

Heat kadhai again and add 2 Tbsp butter. Add bell pepper cubes.

Keep stirring until bell pepper cubes are cooked more than half way.

Add tomato-onion puree, and fried paneer cubes.

Add salt to taste, chili powder and ground dry masala and mix well.

Add 1/4 cup water, cover kadhai with a lid and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Uncover kadhai and add cubed onions and mix well.

Let it cook again for a couple of minutes until the gravy thickens.

Transfer it to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with Indian bread.

Notes:

1) You can add (1tsp ginger + 1 tsp garlic) paste after you add tomato puree as a variation.

Dum Aloo (Potatoes)

Ingredients:

Small potatoes - 1.5" to 2" diameter - about 25 - steamed and peeled

Tomatoes - 1 large or 2-3 small romano - chopped

Onion - 1 medium - sliced

Cilantro - handful - chopped finely

Green chili - 1 sliced lengthwise (optional)

Cashews - 5-6 - soak for 1 hour

Greek Yogurt - 2 Tb (or regular yogurt 4 Tb)

Shahi garam masala - 1/4 tsp ( 1/8 tsp twice)
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1/4 tsp or to your taste

Salt - to your taste

Peanut oil - 4 tsps

Recipe:

Heat a pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil. Add onions and saute for a minute. 

Reduce heat and add chopped tomatoes. Mix well, cover and let it cook for couple of minutes.
Remove from the heat. Let it cool for  a little bit. 

Transfer to a blender and grind finely. Remove the puree to a bowl.

Add cashews, yogurt to the blender and add little water to blend it.
Grind it finely and set aside.

Heat the same pan again and add 2 tsp oil.

Add 1/8 tsp shahi garam masala and 1 green chili and let it cook for 30 seconds. 

Add peeled potatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato-onion puree and stir well.

Add coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder and salt. Mix well and let it cook for a minute.

Reduce heat (yogurt can break on high heat) and add cashew-yogurt puree and stir well. 

Add 1/4 cup water and cover and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1/8 tsp shahi garam masala, mix well and cook for a minute.

Remove it to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Serve with any Indian bread (keep the gravy thick).

Add more water to the gravy and serve it with rice.

Notes:

1) You can use regular potatoes (NOT Baking potatoes) and cube them into 1.5"-2" pieces.

2) Adding shahi masala at the end again adds more flavor to potatoes.

3) I make extra tomato-onion puree and store it in the freezer. If I am in a hurry, it saves me time while making Dum-Aloo, Kadhai Paneer, Chhole (garbanzo beans) etc.

4) Always cook onions before grinding or they taste bitter.

5) You can steam cook onion and tomatoes with very little water in the pressure cooker and then grind it.

Green Tomato Bhaaji 1

Ingredients:

Green tomatoes - cut into small pieces 1"x1" - about 1cup
Bell peppers -  cut into small pieces 1"x1" - about 1cup
green chilies - 2-3 cut into thin slices
for oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric, hing powder
chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 tsps
freshly grated coconut - 3-4 Tb (optional)
gud or brown sugar - 1-2 Tb or more if tomatoes are tart.
salt to taste.

Recipe:

Heat pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil.  Prepare oil tempering and add green chilies.  Add cut bell peppers and green tomatoes and 1/4 cup water.  Add salt, gud and stir well. Cover for 5 minutes and let it get cooked. Remove cover and check if the tomatoes are cooked well. Add water if necessary and cook more.  It should not be mushy and all the water should be gone. Add 1/4 cup peanut powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for a minute or two and remove from the heat. If you cook this longer then
peanut powder will get burnt.
Sprinkle with cilantro and freshly grated coconut (optional).
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice

Notes:

1) If you add 1/2 cup hot chilis cut fine instead of bell peppers...you can use this as a chutney or hot condiment. When you are using more chilis always add more oil (4-5 Tsp) for the tempering so the hotness of the chilis won't bother your stomach. Just add 1/8 tsp citric acid so it will last for 2-3
weeks in the refrigerator. Don't add coconut if you want it to last longer as coconut can go rancid.
Also add cilantro with tomatoes so it will also get cooked.
2) you can grind it to a fine paste so as to use as chutney.

Potato Bhaji 2

Ingredients:

3-4 medium potatoes
2 green chili peppers chopped
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp grated ginger root + 1 tsp chopped garlic (or 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste)
4 tsp peanut oil for oil tempering
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2 tsp lemon juice
handful cilantro leaves chopped fine
3 Tsp freshly grated coconut (optional)

Recipe:

Boil potatoes and peel them. Cut them into 1/2"x1/2" pieces.
Add salt, sugar to potatoes and mix well.
Prepare oil tempering (NO hing powder with garlic).
Add curry leaves and chilli paste and ginger-garlic paste.
Let this cook for a minute while stirring.
Add potatoes and mix well.
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remember potatoes are already cooked.
Add chopped cilantro leaves.
Add fresh coconut and serve (optional)

Notes:

1) Use as a side dish.
2) Don't add coconut and use as a stuffing for potato wada or samosa.
3) You need more oil for tempering as potatoes absorb more oil than other veggies.
4) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Swiss Chard Bhaaji with Onions.

Ingredients:

Swiss Chard - one bunch
Onions - 2 medium cut lengthwise - about one and a half cups

Green chilies - 3-4 chopped or red dry chilies - 2-3 break into small pieces

Salt to taste

Sugar -  a pinch
Oil Tempering - (oil, mustard seeds, hing powder and turmeric powder)

Recipe:   

   

Wash Swiss chard and cut into 1" pieces. Soak it in a big tub of water, rinse the leaves and take them out in a colander and discard water ( sand settles at the bottom). Repeat the process until all the sand is removed. 

Cut onions and slice them thin.
Prepare oil tempering and add chillies.
Add cut onions and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add cut Swiss Chard leaves and continue stirring until all 
the veggies are tender. Add salt to taste, and pinch of sugar. Mix well and remove from heat.
Add additional 1/2 tsp chilli powder if needed.

Notes: 

1) If you cannot eat green chilies, add red dried chilies to oil tempering.  You can see them and 
remove them before serving.

2) You can add 2 tsp garlic cut lengthwise in oil tempering (don't add hing powder when using garlic in the recipe) and sauté until lightly brown. Add onion after that and follow recipe.
3) You can use any other leafy vegetable like collard green, kale or spinach instead of Swiss Chard.
4) If you don't want to use onion and garlic, omit the step where you add onion in it (Don't forget 
hing powder in the oil tempering) and follow the recipe. When the chard is all cooked add 4-5 table 
spoons of besan flour (or more if needed). Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the besan flour is cooked. This style the vegetable becomes kind of dry. Serve with chapati or roti.

Swiss Chard Bhaaji with Radishes

Ingredients:

Swiss Chard - one bunch
Red Radishes - cup and a half

Green chilies - 3-4 chopped or red dry chilies - 2-3 break into small pieces

Salt to taste

Sugar -  a pinch
Oil Tempering - (oil, mustard seeds, hing powder and turmeric powder)

Recipe:

Wash Swiss chard and cut into 1" pieces. Soak it in a big tub of water, rinse the leaves and take them out in a colander and discard water ( sand settles at the bottom). Repeat the process until all the sand is removed.
Cut tops and roots of radishes and slice them thin.
Prepare oil tempering and add chillies.
Add cut radishes and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add cut Swiss Chard leaves and continue stirring until all
the veggies are tender. Add salt to taste, and pinch of sugar. Mix well and remove from heat.
Add additional 1/2 tsp chilli powder if needed.

Notes: 

1) If you cannot eat green chilies, add red dried chilies to oil tempering.  You can see them and remove them before serving.
2) I don't use onion or garlic when I use radishes as they all are pungent.

3) You can use any other leafy vegetable like collard green, kale or spinach instead of Swiss Chard.
4) Another variation I do with this recipe - When the chard is all cooked add 4-5 table 
spoons of besan flour (or more if needed). Continue stirring and cooking for 2-3 minutes until the besan flour is cooked. This style the vegetable becomes kind of dry. Serve with chapati or roti.

Cabbage Bhaaji 1

Ingredients:

Cabbage - cut thin slivers 1"-2" long - about 2 cups
green chilies - 2-3 cut into thin slices
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
for oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric, hing powder
chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 tsps
freshly grated coconut - 3-4 Tb
gud or brown sugar - 1 Tb
salt to taste.

Recipe:

Heat pan and add 2 tsp peanut oil.  Prepare oil tempering (add cumin seeds with mustard seeds) and add green chilies.  Add cut cabbage and 1/4 cup water.  Add salt, cumin powder, gud and stir well. Cover for 5 minutes and let it steam.  Remove cover and check if the cabbage is cooked well.  Add water if necessary and cook more.  It should not be mushy and all the water should be gone.
Sprinkle with cilantro and coconut.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice

Notes:

1) Cabbage should be cooked to get all the nutrients from it.
2) You can get rid of pungent smell of cabbage by using gud and cumin seeds.

Turnip Bhaaji

Ingredients:

Turnip roots - washed, peeled and cut into 1"x 1/2" cubes - about 1 cup
Turnip leaves - washed and chopped into smaller pieces - about 2 cups
Red dried chilies - 4-5 broken into 1" pieces
Hing/ Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
pinch of sugar

For oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, hing powder (or cut garlic), turmeric powder.

Recipe:

Prepare oil tempering with peanut oil and add dried chilies.  Add turnip roots and stir well.  Add salt and sugar.  Add 4-5 Tb water and cover and let it cook on steam for 4-5 minutes.  Add chopped turnip leaves (if turnip leaves are too tough, substitute them with collard greens or spinach leaves) and keep stirring until cooked.
Serve with any Indian bread like chapati, paratha, puri

Notes:

1) After greens are cooked, sprinkle 2-3 Tb of besan flour.  Stir well until besan is cooked - about 2-3 minutes.
2) Add 4-5 big cloves of garlic cut lengthwise instead of hing powder.  Cook until lightly brown and then add chilies and follow recipe.
I don't use hing powder and garlic in the same recipe as both are very strong pungent flavors. I feel 
that spices should enhance the flavor of the vegetable and not cover /kill it. 
3) You can also add 1 med. onion cut lengthwise after you add garlic.  Cook onion till it is lightly brown and then follow the recipe.
4) Use green chilies instead of dry red chilies.
5) You can coarse grate roots instead of cutting them into cubes (they cook faster).

Cauliflower Bhaji/ Rassaa with coconut 1

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - cut into 1" pieces (try to keep flowers intact) - about 2 cups
Potatoes - 1 medium - peal and cut into cubes - about 1/2 cup
Tomatoes - 2 small or 1 medium - cut into 1" pieces
Curry leaves - 1 branch or 10-12 leaves
Brown Sugar or Gud - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp or to taste.
Salt to taste.

Masala ( Ground Spices):

Fresh coconut - grated - 1/4 cup
Fresh ginger root - peal and grate - about 1 Tb
Coriander powder - 2 Tb
Add 1/2 cup water to grind it into fine paste.

Recipe:

Prepare oil tempering (see recipe).

Add curry leaves. 

Add potatoes.  Saute it for 3-4 minutes and then add cauliflower. Stir well.

Add tomatoes.  Stir well.

Add 1 cup water and cover the pot with a lid.

Let the veggies cook for about 5 minutes or until desired tenderness.

Add ground masala, salt and chili powder.

Cook it for 2-3 minutes without the lid.

Notes: 

1)If you are going to serve it with rice, add more water to have more gravy (called as Rassaa)
2) If serving with chapatis, add less water and let most of the water evaporate while cooking. When you use fingers to eat chapati, you should be able to pick up veggies with a bite size piece of chapati. 

3) When you are making gravy using fresh or dry coconut or peanuts, add the masala at the end of 
recipe.  Stir well so they won't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Remember,  masala should get cooked too but don't stir it so much that veggies will get mushy. 

4) I don't eat curry leaves as they are tough.  
5) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Spinach Bhaaji 2

Ingredients:

2 tsp peanut oil
1/8 tsp hing powder or 2/3 cloves of garlic cut lengthwise.
1 cup frozen chopped spinach (palak) (thaw and squeeze water out) or use 2 cups  fresh spinach.
2 handful toor dal washed well.

2-3 Tb besan flour
3/4 dry red chilies
1/4 tsp tamarind paste (add 4-5 Tb water and mix well)
1 tsp brown sugar or cut gud (Indian brown sugar)
1 cup fresh or frozen or canned corn, washed and drained (optional)

Recipe: 

Cook spinach and toor dal in a pressure cooker.
Heat oil in a flat pan or Kadhai (wok)

Add mustard seeds and let them pop.
Remove from heat and add 1/8 tsp hing powder or garlic and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
Return to heat and add 2-3 dry red chilli peppers.
Add cooked toor dal and spinach and stir.
Add 1 cup of water and let it cook.
Mix besan flour in 1/2 cup of water, add to mixture and keep stirring.
Add tamarind and brown sugar.
Add salt to taste.  Cook for 5 more minutes until all ingredients mix well.
If needed, add water...it should have consistency of soup.
Add corn (optional)
Serve it in a bowl and add 1 tsp of chilli garlic oil on top. 

Serve as a side dish with rice, chapati, paratha, puri, naan or pita bread.

Notes:

1) I use the same recipe for methi (fenugreek) leaves.  
2) I use Toufayan pita bread. I roast pita bread on top of stove (using cake cooling rack). I use tongs and keep turning the bread until it puffs up and then open it and apply 1 tsp ghee on it. I serve this immediately.
3) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Palak with Corn - Spinach Bhaaji 1

Ingredients:

2 tsp peanut oil
1 cup frozen chopped spinach (palak) leaves (thaw and squeeze water out) or use 1 cup cooked fresh spinach

1 cup fresh or frozen or canned corn, washed and drained

Recipe:

Heat oil in a flat pan or Kadhai (wok)

Add mustard seeds and let them pop.
Remove from heat and add 1/8th tsp hing powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
Return to heat and add 2-3 dry red chilli peppers.
Add corn and stir. Let it get cooked.
Add spinach and keep stirring.
Add salt to taste.  Keep stirring until spinach gets cooked.

Serve as a side dish with chapati, paratha, puri, naan or pita bread..

Notes:

1) I use the same recipe for other green leafy vegetables.. 
2) I use Toufayan pita bread. I roast pita bread on top of stove (using cake cooling rack). I use tongs and keep turning the bread until it puffs up and then open it and apply 1 tsp ghee on it. I serve this immediately.
3) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Butternut Squash Bhaaji

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash.
3-4 tsp peanut oil
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp hing powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp methi seeds
1/2 tsp black masala (optional)
2-3 green chilies cut into 1/2" pieces (optional)
salt to taste
1-2 tsp gud (Indian brown sugar) - this recipe might need more gud if squash is not sweet
If you cannot find gud, use brown sugar
handful fresh coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) chopped finely
2-3 tsp fresh grated coconut

Recipe:

Peel butternut squash, and remove seeds.
Cut squash into 1"x 1" pieces.
Cook squash in microwave for 3-4 minutes or in pressure cooker.
Prepare oil tempering with mustard seeds, and methi seeds. Let methi seeds get lightly brown and
then add hing powder, turmeric.
Add green chilies.
Add cooked squash.
Add gud, salt, chili powder and 1/4 cup water.
Add 1/2 tsp black masala (optional)
Cook for 5 minutes until water evaporates.
Add chopped cilantro, fresh coconut and mix well.
Serve with chapaties or thick rotis (bhakari) or pita bread.

Notes:

1) I use the same recipe for red pumpkin also.
2) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Potato Bhaaji 1

Ingredients:

3-4 medium potatoes
2 green chili peppers chopped or 1 Tb chili paste
7-8 curry leaves
1 tsp grated ginger root
4 tsp peanut oil for oil tempering
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp hing powder
1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
salt to taste
2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
handful cilantro leaves chopped fine
3 Tsp freshly grated coconut (optional)

Recipe:

Boil potatoes and peel them. Cut them into 1/2"x1/2" pieces.
Add salt, sugar, chili paste and ginger and mix well.
Prepare oil tempering and add hing powder.
Add curry leaves and potatoes and stir well.
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remember potatoes are already cooked. This is to cook spices.
Add chopped cilantro leaves.
Add fresh coconut and serve.

Notes:

1) Use as a side dish.
2) You need more oil for tempering as potatoes absorb more oil than other veggies.
3) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html

Methi Malai Tofu Bhaaji

Ingredients:

2 tsp peanut oil
4 oz. firm tofu cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup frozen chopped Methi leaves (thaw and squeeze water out)
handful cashew nuts
1/4 cup non-fat milk

For The Marinade:

1/4 tsp fresh garlic paste
1/4 tsp fresh ginger paste
1 green chili paste (optional) add more or add less depending on your taste
handful cilantro leaves chopped fine
1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt
salt to taste
pinch of sugar

Recipe:

Mix all the ingredients for marinade.
Add tofu pieces into marinade and keep in refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Grind cashew nuts in milk and set aside.
Heat oil (or 2 tsp water) in a flat non stick pan.
Add Methi in it and cook it for a couple of minutes.
Add marinated tofu along with marinade and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.
Add cashew paste and stir well until tofu gets coated well.
Serve as a side dish.

Notes:

1) Methi, also called as Fenugreek, can be found in Indian stores. If you are using fresh Methi leaves 
in this recipe, wash and pluck leaves and discard the stems. Wash the leaves thoroughly in water as fresh methi may have sand in it. I add these leaves in a big pot filled with water and stir them well. Sand settles at the bottom of the pan and remove the leaves to a plate and discard the water. Rinse the pot and fill it with the new water and repeat the process twice. Squeeze the leaves to remove excess water and chop them finely.
2) Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names
http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glossv1.html