Carrot Paysa

When my Mom first made this a long time ago, back home, I was too hesitant to even try it. I couldn't imagine anything like a paysa made with - of all things - carrots.
I don't have much of a sweet tooth and therefore, am a bit shy to try new things in that area (very unusual for me otherwise).

Well, anyway I made this dish yesterday with some tweaks of my own, and boy, was it ever good!! So, here goes the recipe and let me know how it turns out!

Ingredients:

1. Shredded Carrots - about 3 or 4
2. Milk
3. Soaked almonds
4. Cashews
5. Sugar

Method:

1. Cook the shredded carrots with just enough milk - I used the pressure cooker.
2. Once cooked and cooled, put the cooked carrots, soaked almonds and cashews together in a blender and make a smooth paste.
3. Heat a pan and some more milk (use quantities required)
4. Add the carrot paste and boil for about 5 to 10 minutes longer or until it becomes thick.
5. Add sugar as per taste.

You can garnish this with some fresh pistachios and serve either hot or cold.

Enjoy your drink!

P.S - will post a picture soon- it not just tastes great but is also very pleasing to the eye.

Capsicum Sutta Bhaji

This recipe is a specialty of my mom. It's a great accompaniment for chapati but also goes very well with rice. You could use eggplant instead of bell peppers if you prefer. You could also include potatoes with bell peppers. But I just prefer the plain bell peppers or eggplant bhaji.

So here goes the recipe -

Ingredients:

1. Green Bell peppers - 2 or 3 (If you want to use eggplant instead- 1 or 2 would be sufficient)
2. Plain Yogurt - 2 tbsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Green chillies - 2 nos.
5. Oil for tempering
6. Mustard seeds for tempering
7. Hing - a pinch for tempering
8. Curry leaves - a couple
9. Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tsp

Method:

- If you have a gas stove you can fire roast the green bell pepper or eggplant directly on the flame. Using a pair of tongs you can turn it around on all sides so it gets evenly roasted.
- If you have an electric cooking range like I do, you can smear a little oil on a cooking tray and the bell pepper and put it in the oven for about 15 to 20 mins or until it looks roasted. Keep turning the sides, so it gets evenly roasted.
- Pull out and let it cool.
- Once it cools down, mash it coarsely with a fork (if you are using eggplant, peel off the outer skin and then mash)
- Add the plain yogurt and salt. Mix well.
- Now, heat oil in a small pan for tempering.
- Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add hing, green chillies and curry leaves and pour it on the mashed bell pepper and yogurt mixture.
- Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve with chapati or rice.

I hope you enjoy it.

Vegetable Biryani

Sharing my recipes has been one of those things I have wanted to do for a while now, but somehow it just never happened!

Well, here we go...

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups ( cook with 2.5 cups water and half an onion immersed in the water)
2. Cut Green Beans - 1/4 cup
3. Cut Carrots - 1/4 cup
4. Cauliflower (florets) - 1/4 cup
5. Green Bell Peppers - 1/4 cup (chopped)
6. Thinly sliced Onions - 1/2 cup
7. Mint Leaves - 1 bunch (coarsely chopped)
8. Plain yogurt - 1.5 tbsp
9. Badshah Pulao and Biryani Masala
10. Kishmiri Mirch - 2 tsp
11. Salt - as per taste
12. Corriander for garnishing
13. Oil - 2 tbsp
14. Cinnamon Stick - 1inch (optional)
15. Cardamom - 2 pods (optional)
16. Cloves - 2 nos. (optional)
17. Bay Leaf - 1 no. (optional)
18. Fried cashews and raisins

Method:

Cook 1.5 cups of Basmati rice with 2.5 cups of water along with half an onion. The onion will help keep the rice grains separated.

Microwave cut green beans, carrots and cauliflower separately till they are
In a deep heavy bottom pan, heat oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves.
-Stir for a few seconds till you can smell the aroma.
-Add almost all the thinly sliced onions (save some for deep frying and garnishing) and saute.
-Next add the green bell peppers and saute. Once half done, add the boiled green beans, carrots and cauliflower and saute for a minute.
-Now add chopped mint leaves and give it a stir.
- To this, add salt, Badshah Pulao and Biryani Masala, red chilli powder and mix well
- Once the masala is well coated on the all the vegetables, add plain yogurt and stir until the oil separates. Keep this gravy aside.
-Now take another deep dish - preferably oven safe.
-Spread 2 tbsp of ghee to the bottom of the dish.
- Make layers of the rice and the vegetable gravy beginning and ending with rice.
- You could sprinkle a little milk on top if it looks too dry (optional)
-Cover and bake in an oven at 200 degree C for 15 to 20 minutes.
- If you do not have an oven, cook the gravy a little more and layer the rice and gravy in a heavy pressure cooker and tightly close the lid and keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Before serving, mix the rice and gravy, garnish with deep fried onions, cashews and raisins.
- Serve hot.

Try this recipe and let me know how it went.... Bon Appetit.

P.S: Will post a picture of this dish very soon.