Methi capsicum masala reccipe

Another weekend comes up and thought of going out for lunch but was looking difficult due to kids’ classes. Also there was hardly any vegetables at home except for some basic stuffs. Hence thought of putting a meal of jeera rice, dal, eggs and a capsicum curry.

This capsicum curry has a nice flavourful base and is different from the usual curry base I do. Though I served it with jeera rice hubby dear is of the opinion that it will go well with rotis and parathas.

Anyway let me share the recipe.

Ingredients

Onion - 1 , roughly chopped

Tomatoes - 2, roughly chopped

Green chilli – 1/2

Ginger – 1 inch

Garlic – 2-3 cloves

Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp.

Peanuts – 1 tbspn

Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Kashmiri chillies – 2 whole ones (you can more if you want more colour)

Jeera – ½ tspn

Methi leaves – ½ cup (fresh leaves)

Capsicum – 2 medium ( chopped into cubes)

Turmeric powder – ½ tspn

Salt

Water - One cup

Method

• Keep a thick bottom kadai on stove and add oil, add the cashews, peanuts, coriander seeds, tomato, onion,  ginger, garlic,  green chillies and whole kashmiri chillies and sauté for a while, you can sauté it together until everything just wilt away and no need to brown it. Remove the contents to a mixer jar and let it cool.
• Make a paste of the mixture in the mixer.
• Keep the kadai on the stove again and add oil/butter/ghee
• Add jeera and once it splutters add the chopped capsicum. Sauté it for a while and then add the methi leaves (you could chop it if you want) and followed by the ground masala.
• Add turmeric powder, salt and required amount of water and bring the curry to a boil.
• Garnish with a pinch of garam masala or you could add whole spices in at any stage of cooking the curry
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips and notes: You may increase the number of kashmiri chillies for colour and heat.

You may also increase or decrease the level of water and adjust the consistency of the curry.

Thanks and regards

Chaithanya

Pasta in white sauce with leeks, mushrooms and capsicums

Weekend breakfast demanded by my 3 yrs old daughter : ) Recipe as follows

For white sauce
Butter - 60 gms
Flour- 50 gms
Hot milk - 600 mls

For pasta
Uncooked pasta- 2 cups
Whey - 1 cup (have saved the whey after removing paneer from milk)
Water - 1 cup
Capsicum (bell peppers) - one red one
Mushrooms - 1/2 cup chopped
Leeks - 7-8 no.s
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Olive oil - 2-4 tbspn

For seasoning 
Oregano
Pepper
Salt
Chilli flakes
Grated cheese

Method

Heat up the butter in a shallow pan, add the flour whisking thoroughly and then pour in the hot milk little by little whisking continuously so that no lumps are formed.  You white sauce is ready and keep aside

Cook pasta in pressure cooker for one whistle adding whey and water ( Disclaimer : my new method :) )


Heat up the pan, pour in 2-4 tbspn of olive oil. Add in finely chopped leeks and saute till the leeks wilt off, throw in the chopped mushrooms and capsicums, saute for 2-3 minutes and then add in the cooked pasta. Pour in half cup of white sauce and season with oregano, chilli flakes, pepper and salt. Grate in cheese as required and serve hot!

Mushroom capsicum masala in coconut milk

Had made some hot and sour soup the previous night to remove the heaviness in head due this weather :) A reason to make the soup too and for breakfast I was making idiyappam and when I thought of a side dish to go for it, thought of making use of the half pack of mushroom and half cut capsicum.What better way to utlise it sooner than spoiling it or terribly waiting for its exit from the refrigerator . Hence this curry, was sure yum and dear husband kept praising the curry and we all enjoyed it with idiyappam. Following is the recipe

Mushroom capsicum masala in coconut milk

Mushroom - 200 gms

Capsicum- 1 med size

Onion - 2 med or 1 large one

Tomato - 2 med ones

Ginger - garlic paste  1 tbspn

Green chillies - 2 - 3 no.s

Curry leaves- few strands

Oil - 1 tbspn

Coconut milk - 1/2 cup ( thick milk)

Masalas : Pepper powder, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Garam masala powder, Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn each or to you taste buds 

Salt - as reqd

Method

Heat oil in a kadai or a thick bottom pan and saute the onion, ginger and garlic paste and chillies. Add in the tomatoes when the onions turns translucent. Throw in the chopped mushrooms and squarely chopped capsicums. Saute for a while . Add in the masalas. Cover and cook for sometime. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for another five minutes stirring continuously. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with Idiyappam :) or rice, rotis