The word "khana" in Indian Khana Made Easy means food. So come on, let's explore and cook some easy Indian food together including gluten-free and vegan dishes.

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Showing posts with label dry fenugreek leaves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dry fenugreek leaves. Show all posts

October 6, 2016

Aloo Methi with Besan (Chickpea Flour)


When I'm making eggs or pasta, I love throwing some thyme or rosemary into my dish. It adds freshness and flavor. It's the same with Indian cooking. We love using mint, coriander, and methi in our dishes. The most common one is coriander; we chop up the leaves and sprinkle them on every one of our vegetable and rice dishes. 

Another one is methi also known as Fenugreek. This herb can be used fresh or dry and the seeds can be used as a spice. You can even use the fresh leaves or the sprouts as a vegetable in a dish. 

My sister's friend gave us a few bunches of this herb so we couldn't wait to make something with it. Better to use it while it's fresh! We decided to make Aloo Methi Besan which translates to Potato and Fenugreek leaves with Chickpea flour. Let's see how it's done below. 


Potato and Fenugreek Leaves with Chickpea Flour

Serving Size: 3-4
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of Methi (also known as Fenugreek) leaves, washed and chopped finely through soft stems
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed to 1cm size
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (or per your taste)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup Fine Besan flour (Chickpea flour) 
- 1/2 tsp whole mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
- Salt per your taste

Procedure
Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil (on low-medium heat) in a medium saucepan.  Next, add mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add garlic and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until they are golden brown. Now add the potatoes and sprinkle a pinch of salt and allow it cook under closed lid for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring intermittently. When the potatoes are soft, add methi leaves and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. 

Remove the lid and continue allowing it to cook more until the excess moisture evaporates and the oil comes out. Now add chili powder and stir for another minute. Next add Besan flour, a pinch of salt, and one more tablespoon of vegetable oil. Stir and fry for 2 to 3 minutes under closed lid. When you smell the fried Besan aroma, switch off the heat and remove from stove. 

Serve with your favorite rice, flatbread or enjoy on its own. I love eating this with yogurt rice and/or roti. How do you incorporate fresh herbs or spices in your cooking? Please share.  

Quick Tip
- If Methi or Fenugreek leaves are not readily available, any leafy green that does relaease too much water when cooked is fine. You can try fresh coriander or kale as well. They will have a different taste. 
- Besan (Chickpea flour) can be found in most Indian grocery stores. Some Whole Foods stores have it listed as Garbanzo bean flour. 

July 20, 2011

Tofu Lovers Rejoice

Here's another tofu delight from our culinary chest that we know your taste buds will love and rejoice. We love cooking with tofu because it is low in calories & fat and high in protein and iron. Now that's goodness we can bite into. There are also varieties in tofu, such as Steak (firm), soft/silken, or dried that you can work with to create a number of dishes. We prefer to use the Steak type in dishes like our Potato & Tofu with Spiced Tomato Sauce because the tofu will not crumble so easily when mixed with the other ingredients. This dish can be served with hot naan, roti, rice (brown or plain) or enjoyed by itself as a side dish. 

Click image to enlarge

Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients: 
- 6 oz (½ block) Extra Firm Tofu (steak type or plain), drain well and cut into 1”cubes                      
- 1 large Potato, microwave, peel and cut into 1” pcs
-  ½ cup of Crushed tomatoes                                                        
- 5 fl oz or 150 mL (small can) of Evaporated milk            
- 1 large Onion, chopped finely
½ cup of  Carrots & Peas (frozen)                                                
- 1tbsp of Dhan-Jeera powder (coriander/cumin)
- 1 tsp of Ginger/garlic paste
- 1 tsp (or to taste) of Chili powder
- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder                                                             
- small handful (approx. 1/8 cup) of Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)    
- 1 ½ tsp (or as needed) of Salt                                                                                        
- 1 ½ tbsp of Vegetable oil                                                                     

Procedure:
1) Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add Dhan-jeera, chili powder, turmeric and mix well. Now add onions, ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
2) Add tofu and potato cubes and mix well to coat them thoroughly with the spice mixture (3-4 minutes).
3) Next add crushed tomatoes and mix well for 3-4 minutes to remove the raw taste and then add evaporated milk into the mixture. 
4) Then add 1 cup of water. Next add salt, methi leaves and cook under closed lid for 7-10 minutes until the gravy thickens and the spices are infused into the tofu & potato. Remove from heat, mix in carrots and peas, and allow it to sit for 5-6 minutes.

Quick Tips: 
- All the spices help elevate the flavor of the tofu and potato in this dish.
- Cauliflower can be substituted for potato. 
- The curry will taste even better if allowed to sit for a few hours or the next day.