Aloo Methi/ Potato Fenugreek Dry Curry

A classic combination of potatoes and fresh fenugreek leaves makes this one of the much loved curry by young and old alike. This delectable curry involves cooking potatoes in a mixture of onion, methi leaves along with tomatoes and other spices. Some people use tomatoes while others do not, I prefer using it as it makes the curry moister. The fragrance and flavor of fresh fenugreek is good enough to make the curry delicious, however I add a coarse powder of fennel and coriander and make it even more appetizing. Use fresh methi leaves instead of the frozen ones as…

Baingan Masala/ Eggplant Dry Curry

Brinjal is a frequently used vegetable in our house maybe after okra, potato, tindora.Another plus is that it is available in the Indian stores throughout the year and so I cook with it often.  Baingan Masala is one dish I learnt few months ago and I have tried it many times since.  There are so many variations of this classic dish; some are prepared with the typical north Indian flavor, others use many spices stuff  it in the brinjal and make it the  bharwan way. Anyway this is my version of Baingan masala which has a touch of Konkani flavor…

Tindora Subzi/ Tendli Upkari/Ivy Gourd Stir Fry

One of the well loved vegetable in our house (just after potatoes) is Ivy Gourd/Tindora. Along with Tindora Rice, Tindora Coconut Curry, this is one dish that I make often when we have Tindora at home. I keep this very simple by adding only the basic seasonings; no complex curry powders or masala powders etc for this curry. I love it when the flavor of the Tindora shines through and is not masked by complicated ingredients.  Adding onion to this is optional. I add it as onions add moistness to the tindora and also prevents it from sticking to the…

Spicy Garlicky Potato Fry

The one vegetable that comes to mind when I think of comfort food is potato. I crave for some potato dishes when I am hungry; a simple potato curry along with rasam not only satisfies the taste buds but chases away the blues.  No wonder this dish made its presence when I was hungry and wanted to eat some potatoes. I love the simplicity of this dish and reminds me of the baked potato fries, mainly because of the way the potatoes are cut. This dish uses lots of garlic and so has a prominent garlicky flavor and the hotness…

Soy Chunks / Meal Maker Chilli

At home we have been on-again off-again fan of the Soy Chunks also called as Soy Meal Maker. Nutrela is the Indian brand that makes this soy protein which has a meaty texture and is a good option for vegetarians. They are easily available in the Indian groceries.  Years ago after I discovered a vegetarian version of soy protein and learnt its nutritional benefits I used to put it in just about anything be it pulao, fried rice, curries etc. Now that I remember, everything except for the smell was a plus. But then eventually we got tired of it,…

Methi Besan Sabji

Around this time of the year (Fall/winter) we get good and fresh methi/fenugreek leaves, dill in the groceries and I make good use of that. I am not too fond of the frozen fenugreek leaves, as I feel that they do not have the same flavor and so I look forward for the arrival of the fresh ones.  Few people I know do not like the intense or bitter cooked taste of the methi, but fortunately we love it at home and so I get an opportunity to try different recipes with it. This methi besan sabji was one of…

Stuffed Okra/ Bharwan Bhendi Recipe

Be it the stuffed eggplant/brinjal (bharlele vaingan), stuffed capsicum, stuffed karela there is something interesting and special about these recipes. It gives one a feeling that lot of time and effort has been put while making the dish.  Having grown up in a Konkani household, most of the stuffing that I know of is prepared using ground coconut masala. Traditionally stuffed Bhindi is prepared based on this curry, with a thicker version of the masala called ‘Maasaolu’.  Anyway, few weeks ago it was close to the weekend and I had only about a handful of these vegetables waiting to be…