Peas/ Matar kachori

My daughter is a big poori and paratha fan, who always want either one of these in her lunch box. I used to search different varieties of parathas and one day when I visited a friend, she gave us aloo/ potato kachori, which was flaky, crispy and tasty. We all ended up eating more than two kachoris, which was impossible. Remembering that, as I didn’t have potatoes at home, I tried kachori using peas filling which were so yummy and delicious. These peas kachoris have become a hit among our guests. They are so easy to make and so delicious that everyone will like these.

Peas/ mater kachori is a crisp, flaky texture with flavorful peas filling. Adding amchur/ dry mango powder gives a nice tanginess which can be replaced with lemon juice. This can be had as a snack or as a breakfast.

In this, the green peas filling is made along with the spices and stuffed in maida which is rolled to a flatbread and deep fried.  

Ingredients:

1. All Purpose Flour- 1 Cup
2. Whole Wheat Flour- ¼ Cup
3. Salt- as required
4. Ghee- 1 tbsp
5. Water- required to knead

For the filling:

1. Green Peas- 1 Cup
2. Green chili - ginger Paste- 2 tbsp
3. Red Chilli powder- 1 tbsp
4. Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
5. Dry mango powder- 1 tsp
6. Chaat masala powder- 1 tsp
7. Salt- as required
8. Oil- 1 tbsp
9. Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp
10. Fennel powder- 1 tsp
11. Gram flour/ Besan- 2 tbsp
12. Oil- for deep frying

Method:

1. Take the flours, ghee, salt and required the amount of water in a mixing bowl and knead to a smooth dough. Keep this aside covered with a damp cloth.
2. For the filling:
3. Boil the green peas till done, drain, mash them coarsely and keep this aside.
4. Heat oil, splutter cumin seeds. Add the ginger- green chili paste and stir well.
5. Add the red chili powder, turmeric powder, dry mango powder, chaat masala powder, fennel powder, and salt. Stir.
6. Add the gram flour along with the boiled and mashed peas and saute for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame.

For the Kachoris:

1. Make an equal number of balls from the dough. Roll and spread the dough ball using a rolling pin.
2. Add 2 tbsp of the stuffing in the middle and bring the edges to the center and pinch them. Roll and shape them into circular discs and repeat with the remaining.
3. Heat the oil in a big pan for frying. Drop the kachoris and fry till they become golden brown and crisp.
4. Serve them along with tamarind chutney or green chutney or along with your favorite pickle.

Easy Potato and Peas Dry curry/ Easy Aloo Matar For Chapatis

This is one of the easiest side dish, which goes along with rotis or pulav. It is optional to add the pav bhaji masala, without that masala also this tastes great. If you have potatoes and green peas in your pantry, then within minutes a tasty dish would be ready.

In this, the cubed potatoes and green peas are cooked along with the spice powders and finished off by adding crushed dried fenugreek leaves which give an amazing flavor to the gravy.

This dish is pretty easy to make and adds a zing to any meal. When potatoes are paired with green peas, it gives an amazing combination, which is liked by all. Try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes (cubed)- 2 Cups
2. Peas- 1 Cup
3. Onions (chopped)- 1 cup
4. Green Chillies (slit)- 3 nos
5. Red Chilli Powder- 2 tsp
6. Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
7. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
8. Cumin Powder- 1 tsp
9. Pav Bhaji Masala- 1 tbsp (optional)
10. Dried Fenugreek Leaves/ Kasoori Methi- 2 tbsp
11. Oil- 1 tbsp
12. Cumin Seeds- 2 tsp
13. Salt- as required

Method:

1. Heat oil, splutter mustard and cumin seeds. Drop the chopped onions along with green chillies.
2. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and cumin powder.
3. Add the cubed potatoes and stir till everything gets well blended. Pour about ½ a cup of water and cook the potatoes by closing with a lid for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the green peas and let this cook for another 5 minutes. Saute well, add the pav bhaji masala, stir.
5. At last after 5 minutes add the dried fenugreek leaves, mix and switch off. Serve with hot chapatis or rotis.

Mixed Sprouts Curry

I usually soak moong dal to sprout, so that we can consume it raw in a salad or in cooked form. My kid loves cooked sprouts and my husband likes it raw. This came to my mind when one day I soaked all the pulses to sprout and so instead of adding this in salad, I made a curry out of it which was not only delicious but full of fibres, vitamins, nutrients and it goes on.... (of course you all already know about its benefits)

With all the mixed sprouts, this dish tastes excellent and this has become a regular dish whenever somebody comes over for lunch or dinner. This is so easy to make, just that we should be ready with the sprouts.

In this curry, I have ground tomatoes along with coriander leaves and so it tasted yumm..Sprouts are readily available in the market but freshly sprout it at home and you can see the difference.

Ingredients:

1. Moong Sprouts- ½ Cup
2. Chana dal Sprouts- ½ Cup
3. Horse Gram Sprouts- ½ Cup
4. Green Peas Sprouts- ½ Cup
5. Onions (sliced)- 2 nos
6. Tomatoes- 2 nos
7. Coriander Leaves (chopped)- 3 tbsp
8. Green Chillies (slited)- 2 nos
9. Ginger and garlic paste- 1 tbsp
10. Garam Masala Powder- 1tsp
11. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tsp
12. Turmeric Powder- 1tsp
13. Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
14. Oil- 2 tbsp
15. Mustard seeds- 1tsp

Method:

1. Mix all the sprouts in a bowl and pressure cook for upto 3 whistles.
2. In a kadai heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, in this add the sliced onions and green chillies.
3. When the onions turn translucent add the ginger and garlic paste and stir well till the raw smell disappears.
4. Meanwhile put the tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes and peel the skin. Grind the tomatoes and coriander leaves to a fine paste.
5. Add this tomato- coriander leaves paste in the above onion mixture and stir well.
6. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder and mix till everything is well blended.
7. Add the cooked sprouts, salt and little water for the gravy. Let it boil for few minutes and switch off the flame. Serve hot.

Vegetable Stew- a normal day delicacy..

Vegetable stew is a perfect accompaniment with appam, chapatis and so many other breakfast items. Stew can be made with chicken and mutton as well. This mild and creamy curry can be made very easily.

I learnt this from one of my close friends. After marriage, I was not very good at cooking and my friend helped me with this easy and simple curry for chapatis. In this recipe, instead of coconut milk,we can also add regular milk and an amazing curry will be ready within minutes.

I love the subtle flavors and also the thick and creamy gravy. With simple ingredients we can make a dish which will be loved by all. So, without wasting any time I am into the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Carrots (chopped)- 2 nos
2. Potatoes (chopped)- 2 nos
3. Onions (cubed)- 1no
4. Green peas- ½ cup
5. Ginger (crushed)- 1 tbsp
6. Peppercorns- 1 tbsp
7. Curry leaves- few
8. Coconut milk- ½ cup
9. Cloves- 2 nos
10. Cinnamon- 1 small stick

Method:

1. Boil the vegetables, ginger and peppercorns in pressure cooker by adding little salt and keep this aside.
2. When the pressure is gone add the spices and let it cook till all the water gets evaporated.
3. In this add the coconut milk and curry leaves. Simmer for one minute and serve this with appam, idiyappam or with chapathi.