Pumpkin and Potato Stirfry

Pumpkin isn't a favorite with several. But, it is a vegetable that is relished in several states like U.P., Bihar and West Bengal. The sweetness in Pumpkin tends to go very well with the subtle taste of Potatoes and that's why Pumpkin is widely made with Potatoes. In Bengal, a dish called 'Kumro Chenchki' is very popular and is basically a Stir fry with Red Chillies and Potatoes. Here is what you need to make this simple dish:

About 3 cups pumpkin ( cleaned of seeds and fibers, skin on, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
2-3 pieces of Dry red chillies
About 2 cups Potatoes (Skin removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1/2 tsp Panch phoron (5 Spices)
1 Tbsp Sugar
Salt
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder and Turmeric
1 cup of water
1 Tbsp Mustard / Vegetable Oil - It tastes better with Mustard Oil
1 pinch of Asfoetida (hing) - Optional


Recipe:
Heat the Mustard oil in a frying pan until smoking. Now add the Panch Phoron, Asfoetida and Red Chillies (broken into small pieces) into the oil and let them crackle. Add the pumpkin, potatoes, salt, sugar, red chilli powder adn the Turmeric. Stir Fry for 4-5 mins. Add the salt and pour the water. Cook for another 5-6mins or till the vegetables get a bit soft. Serve hot with Luchis or Rice.

My mom used to add Black peas or Black Chana in the mustard oil. That also tastes really nice! You can try that too.

Batata Sabji (Potato)

Here is a maharashtrian recipe which I think has a variant in the alu masala made for Dosa(s). This can be used as a filling for a snack item or maybe eaten with rawa pooris or with roti. My husband loves it and I am sure you will like it too.

Batata Sabji
6-7 medium sized potatoes
1 Tsp of Turmeric
1 Tsp of Sugar
Salt
5-6 curry leaves
1 Onion - thinly sliced
1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
Fresh Coriander

Take a pressure cooker and add the potatoes with water. Boil the potatoes in the pressure cooker and keep it aside for them to cool down. Once the potatoes are at room temperature, peel the skin and mash them slightly with the help of a Spatula. Take a heavy bottomed frying pan and add oil. Heat the oil on the gas. Once the oil gets hot, add the onion slices, curry leaves, mustard seeds and Turmeric. Stir them for 30 secs and add the potatoes. Mix well using a Spatula. Add the salt and sugar and fresh coriander. Keep stirring for another 5mins and then put of the gas. Serve it with Roti or Pooris

Aloo Sabzi(With Kalonji)

Potatoes or Batata (in Marathi) or Aloo (In Bengali) is a very important vegetable for the Indians. Not that I am negating the Mashed potatoes or the deep fried wedges or the thin french fries of the west but just saying that even though we try hard to stay away from Potatoes (ofcourse, because of its carb/starch content!), we simply can't resist a nice alu-matar (Potato-pea) curry or a simple batata sabji with curry leaves in a dosa. Here is once recipe which was made on Sundays by my mom and served with hot, maida pooris (luchis as the Bongs would say). It's pretty easy to make and tastes heavenly!

2 Cups of potatoes cut into tiny pieces
1 Tsp of Black Cumin Seeds (Kalonji)
Salt
1/2 Tsp of Turmeric (Haldi)
1/2 Tsp of Sugar
2 green chillies
2 Tbsp of Oil
100ml water

Take a frying pan and pour oil into it. Heat the oil and add the green chillies(split into halves) along with the Black Cumin seeds. Stir for a minute and add the Turmeric. Stir for 10secs and add the Potatoes. Stir the Potatoes using a spatula and let it fry. Now, add the water & the salt & sugar and cover the frying pan with a lid. Let the potatoes simmer and allow the curry to evaporate. Put of the gas and pour the potatoes in a clean utensil. Serve it with hot luchis or pooris.

Poori

If I were to ask my Australian friend who has been in India for the last 3 yrs, to define a Poori, she would immediately say - ' a hot, fluffy, ball of flour, deep fried in hot oil!!' and the very sound of it would probably give a heart attack to all my 'on diet' friends who have been gorging on them since their childhood and suddenly realized what a sin it was. But, it is a sin that we should definitely indulge in but I agree, in moderation. Probably, four times in a week - would that be 'in moderation'??
So, here is a what you need to do:

5 cups of flour(Maida) or wheat flour(Atta)
6 Tbsp of Oil
1 Tsp of Salt
2 Tbsp of Yogurt(optional)
Water

Put the flour in a bowl and add the salt and 1 Tbsp of Oil. Now, add water at a time and start mixing the flour using your hand. add the yogurt(optional) to make the flour soft. Keep a tab on the water as this will define the composition and consistency of the flour. keep on kneading till you form the dough. Add another Tbsp of Oil on the dough and knead it for another 4 to 5 mins. Once you see that the dough is ready with no particles remaining in the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth and keep it in the refrigerator for 15-20mins. After this time, take the bowl out and make small (golf sized) balls of the dough, with your hand. Roll these balls with your hand to make round and smooth balls.
Now, take a rolling pin and 1 (golf:)) ball in one hand and press it slightly in the center. Keep it on the rolling board and using the rolling pin, roll it into a circle of 4-5" diameter. If the dough tends to stick, add some hot oil from the frying pan(just a few drops). Btw, it is a good idea to put the frying pan on the gas and add the remaining oil to heat. Once the dough balls have been rolled into pooris, fry them one after another in the hot oil. Keep the flame in moderation or the pooris will get burnt! Press the sides of the poori while frying or you may also scrap oil (from the pan) on the body of the poori and see the poori puff up like a fluffy ball. Turn it over using a spatula and fry the other side. Take out the poori and drain the oil using a tissue paper. Serve it hot with Brinjal Fry or Aloo (Batata) Sabji

Brinjal Fry (Begun Bhaaja)

Brinjal or eggplant or Aubergine (I have always preferred the last one - just for the way it sounds:)) comes in various sizes and shapes. I should also mention, in various colours too. Whether it is the royal purple or a beautiful pale green or the tiny white ones - they all taste great when made with a pinch of salt. I have always felt that there is certain vastness about a brinjal. Not just because of his round, large shape (Very royal - with the crown, I must say!) but because it drinks all the oil from the frying pan whenever you tend to cook it! Yes. Brinjal absorbs a lot of oil and that's why it is always recommended that you use it with salt as that prevents it from absorbing the entire oil. I have a very simple recipe to share which goes well if you are planning to have pooris or maybe Dal-Rice. Infact, I am going to give you not one but two great ways to make 'Brinjal Fry'.

Brinjal Fry (Without Batter)

1 Large, well rounded Brinjal
Salt
Oil

Wash the brinjal in running water. Cut the brinjal in small - 1.5" cubes. Put them in an utensil and add salt. Rub the salt evenly and keep them aside for 5-7 mins.
In a heavy bottomed pan or a frying pan, add 5 Tbsp of Oil and heat the oil after putting it on the gas. When the oil gets hot, put 2 or 3 pieces of the brinjal at a time (depending on the size of the pan). Let it fry till one side becomes brown. Turn it using a tong or a spatula and fry the other side. Add oil, if required. when both sides are brown and the brinjal is soft, take it out and drain it using a tissue paper. Once all the pieces are fried, serve them with hot Pooris.

Brinjal Fry (With Batter)

1 Large, well rounded Brinjal

6 Tbsp of Gram Flour (Besan)

1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 Tsp of Jeera Powder

Salt

Water

6 Tbsp of Oil

Wash the brinjal in running water and after wiping it clean, cut thin slices of 1cm depth. Add salt and keep them aside for 10mins. Now, take the gram flour in a bowl and add the salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder and add 100ml of water. Stir it to a fine and smooth batter. Now, put the frying pan on the gas and add the oil (6 Tbsp). Once the oil gets heated, take 1 brinjal slice at a time, dip in the batter and fry it in the hot oil. Turn the piece using a spatula or a tong and make sure both sides are fried. The batter should have now hardened and become golden brown in colour. Make sure you regulate the heat once the oil is heated, so that the slices don't get burnt. In a similar way, fry the other slices. Take them out and absorb the excess oil using a tissue paper. This one tastes better with Dal and hot rice.