Aloo-Shimla Mirchi-Methi Ki Sabzi and Idli Karam Podi

What makes a good food? Is it combination of spices or combo of vegetables or company of loved ones or all the above. Most of the times all the above factors make the food taste good. When you eat in the company of loved ones, a simple meal may taste flavoursome. My weekends are quite simple and lazy, all because of rains. Moody dull boring cloudy climate keeps you away from most of the things. I just want to wrap warm around my lil one throwing myself into a couch and wish someone could make a hot cuppa for me (hope Mr.K is readsJ) When you are in no mood to cook, then blame on the weather and rustle up something like this to quick fix that hunger pangs and carvings for hot food.

A simple sabzi with combination of simple vegetables, which calls for handy ingredients like this is a savour for those dull gloomy days. Potatoes, capsicum and methi leaves make an flavoursome side dish with piping hot roti/pulkha’s. This is yet another quick fix for your lunch or dinner menu. Try it!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 big sized Potatoes/Aloo, cubed
• 1 Capsicum/Shimla Mirchi, cubed
• ½ cup fresh Fenugreek leaves/Methi*
• 1 Onion, sliced
• 1 Green chilli, slit length-wise
• 1 tbsp. Red chilli powder
• ¼ tbsp. Turmeric powder
• Salt
• Oil
• 1 tbsp. minced Coriander leaves

PREPARATION:

• Add oil to heavy bottom cooking vessel and when oil gets heated up add sliced onions. Fry till translucent.
• Now add methi leaves and fry till raw smell disappears.
• Then add cubed potatoes, capsicum, green chilli, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt.
• Mix well. Add little water and cook covered until potatoes are completely cooked.
• Garnish with minced coriander leaves and serve with roti or paratha or phulka.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

*NOTE: Seperate the leaves from the stalk and wash thoroughly.

PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:

In a pressure cooker, add oil and fry onions to translucent and then add potatoes, capsicum, methi leaves, green chilli, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and add little water and pressure cook for 2 whistles (or until vegetables are cooked). Garnish with minced coriander and serve.

IDLI KARAM PODI RECIPE/ LENTIL SPICE MIX:

Lentil-Spice powders are something which are easy to make and can be stored for a week or two. These come as rescue when you are running low in a day or running fast in a day. This lentil spice blend tastes delectable with Idli, Dosa and Upma. Just drizzle of this spoon full of this mixture with ghee on idli/dosa/upma enhances the taster. Simple at its best.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Bengal gram/Chana Dal
• ½ cup Urad dal
• 3 tbsp. Coriander seeds
• 10 dry Red chillies
• 6 Garlic cloves
• pinch Asafoetida
• Salt
• Oil

PREPARATION:

• Dry roast chana dal and urad dal separately, on a low flame tossing regularly until they turn nicely red (Don’t burn them). Set aside.
• In the same pan dry roast coriander seeds for 1-2 minutes on low flame. Set aside,
• Now add little oil to a heavy bottom cooking vessel and fry dry red chillies.
• Once cooled, grind the ingredients to coarse powder by adding salt, garlic and asafoetida. Store in an air-tight jar.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

The above lentil-spice mixture is going to participate in MLLA-36, hosted by Aqua of Served with love and event by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. Happy hosting Aqua.