Wednesday 26 August 2015

Healthy Fried vegetables curry gravy



Healthy Fried vegetables curry gravy
Healthy Fried vegetables curry gravy
Vegetables are cooked in many ways but when fried are tastier in spicy curries than just plain vegetable. Usually it is deep fried using lot of oil. yes it is tastier too when combined with oil. today I am going to to make a fried vegetable curry gravy using an air fryer with very little oil.

Vegetables
Vegetables



                                      Recipe summary
                                                   For
                       Healthy Fried vegetables curry gravy


Preparation time:45 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hrs (Every vegetable is air fried separately)
Serves: 10

Preparation
1. Peel 200 grams chayote and slice into bite-size cubes. You can use a potato peeler. Use gloves when peeling it because slippery sap will ooze from the vegetable. This vegetable has no taste.So, marinate in salt over night.
Vegetables
Vegetables

2. Take 150 grams tindora, slice off both ends and  and cut into bite size pieces. You can add salt to it and keep in the refrigerator the previous night. If you marinate in salt it will be tastier.

3. Next is 100 grams green (unripe) cooking mango, sliced into bite-size cubes. It is not necessary to peel the mango. I did not peel it. But if you wish you can peel it. Mango peel gives a nice aroma. The mango flesh will impart sourness to the curry.

4. Slice 250 grams egg plant into bite-size cubes. After you cut the eggplant, immerse the cut pieces in a bowl of tap water. You can add a little salt if you like. Immersing the eggplant pieces will prevent them from discoloring due to oxidation.

5. Peel 80 grams cooking plantain (unripe). Use gloves when peeling the plantain. A sticky gum in the skin will discolor your hands.

6. After peeling off all the skin, still using the gloves, slice the plantain into bite-size cubes and put the pieces in a bowl of water. Immersing the plantain slices in the water will prevent them from discoloring due to oxidation.

7. Slice 200 grams okra (ladies finger) into bite-size pieces.

8. Slice 50 grams broad beans into bite-size pieces.
Healthy Fried vegetables curry gravy
Healthy Fried vegetables 
curry gravy


Air frying

 9. Fry egg plant for 30 minutes.
10. Fry okra 25 minutes.
11. Fry broad beans 10 minutes.
12.Fry plantain pieces 20 minutes.
13. Fry tindora 30 minutes.

14. coarsely chop 150 grams onion and 15 grams garlic, peeled and halved vertically and fry for 10 minutes.

All vegetables are coated lightly with oil and a little salt sprinkled.
Vegetables are stirred half way during air-frying.

Method

1. In a large pan add 2 tbsp  vegetable oil and heat it up. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and add 1 dry red chili broken into small pieces and fry for 20 seconds then add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds and 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, Fry for 30 seconds.

2. Add the half fried 150 grams onion, coarsely chopped  and 15 grams garlic, peeled and halved vertically. Fry for 5 minutes.

3. Add 4 green chilies, sliced thin and 10 curry leaves, chopped,  and fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add 80 grams tomato, cut into wedges and fry for 5 minutes.

5. Now add all the fried vegetables one by one and stir well and fry for 5 minutes.

6. Add the chayote slices and mango slices and mix well.

7. Add 2 tbsp curry powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Stir to mix well.

8. Add 4 cups of water and mix well. Increase the heat and bring to the boil quickly.

9. Reduce the heat, cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

10. Add juice from 15 grams of tamarind and 1 tsp salt and cook for 3 minutes.

11. Add 1 cup coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes.

12. The curry is ready.Serve while hot with rice or flat breads like chapatti.  

Healthy Fried vegetables curry gravy is ready.
    
                                    
                 Recipe follows in detail with pictures.


Preparation time:45 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hrs (Every vegetable is air fried separately)
Serves: 10
  
Ingredients:
Main
250 grams egg plant, sliced into bite-size cubes
200 grams chayote, sliced into bite-size cubes
200 grams okra (ladies finger), sliced into bite-size pieces
Ladies finger or okra
Ladies finger or okra
50 grams broad beans, sliced into bite-size pieces
Broad beans
broad beans

100 grams green (unripe) cooking mango, sliced into bite-size cubes
80 grams tomato, cut into wedges
80 grams cooking plantain (unripe), sliced into bite-size cubes. Cooking plantain is different from banana which you eat when ripe.
150 grams tindora (Ivy Gourd), sliced into bite-size pieces
Tindora or Ivy gourd
Tindora or Ivy gourd
150 grams onion, coarsely chopped
15 grams garlic, peeled and halved vertically
4 green chilies, sliced thin
10 curry leaves, chopped

Spices
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp fenugreek seed
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 dry red chili broken into small pieces
2 tbsp curry powder

Others
1 cup coconut milk or cream
4 tbsp vegetable oil
15 grams tamarind pulp, juice extracted
4 cups of water – we want a lot of gravy

Preparation
Chayote (Chow -Chow)
Chayote (Chow-chow)

Peel the chayote. You can use a potato peeler. Use gloves when peeling it because slippery sap will ooze from the vegetable. This vegetable has no taste.so marinate in salt over night.
Chayotesquash  or chow- chow
chayote Squash or chow-chow 
Cut  both ends of tindora and cut into bite size pieces. You can add salt to it and keep in the refrigerator the previous night. If you marinate in salt it will be tastier.



Tindora cut pieces
Tindora  cut pieces 

It is not necessary to peel the mango. I did not peel it. But if you wish you can peel it. Mango peel gives a nice aroma. The mango flesh will impart sourness to the curry.

Raw mango
Raw Mango 
After you cut the eggplant, immerse the cut pieces in a bowl of tap water. You can add a little salt if you like. Immersing the eggplant pieces will prevent them from discoloration due to oxidation.

Eggplant sliced and dipped in salt water to prevent discoloration
Eggplant sliced and dipped in salt water to prevent discoloration

Plantain also needs to be peeled. Use gloves when peeling the plantain. A sticky gum in the skin will discolor your hands.You can use a potato peeler to peel it. But it will waste a lot of the skin. Plantain skin is said to be very nutritious. Fried skin also tastes good. Plantain skin has tough fibers on the outer side of the skin. This is all we need to remove. With a knife make a slit at the top on the skin. Holding the slit part together with the knife gently pull the skin towards you. The hard fiber will come out easily exposing a rough surface. Sometimes the fiber may break in the middle before reaching the bottom of the plantain. Then use a potato peeler to remove the smooth green skin from were the fiber broke off.
Cut pieces of green plantain
cut pieces of green plantain

After peeling off all the skin, still using the gloves, slice the plantain into bite-size cubes and put the pieces in a bowl of water. Immersing the plantain slices in the water will prevent them from discoloring due to oxidation.

Cut plantain pieces are immersed in water 

Cut plantain pieces are immersed in water
Cut plantain pieces are immersed in water

Method

This is time consuming because we are going to use Air fryer to fry the vegetables one by one. 
Next we will fry the vegetables. Eggplant, okra, broad beans, plantain pieces, tindora and onion need to be fried. These are usually deep fried. But you can shallow fry them as well. You will need a lot of oil to fry them. So I fried them in an air-fryer. It took more time than deep frying. You have to fry these vegetables individually because the frying time will vary for each of these vegetables. I coated each batch of vegetables with 1/2 tea spoon of vegetable oil. I fried all of them at 180 degrees Celsius heat setting.

Egg plant took 30 minutes



Egg plant in a fryer
Egg plant in a fryer.



Egg plant before frying salted and squeezed
Eggplant before frying salted and squeezed

 Okra 25 minutes 


Okra in an air frier
Okra in an air frier

Broad beans 10 minutes


Frying broad beans in air frier
Frying broad beans in air frier


Okra and broad beans fried in an air frier
Okra and broad beans fried in an air frier

 plantain pieces 20 minutes
Tindora 30 minutes
Tindora in the Air fryer
Tindora in the Air fryer


Fried tindora
Fried tindora.

 Add the onion 10 minutes.
Onion garlic are frying in the fryer
Onion garlic are frying in the fryer

I did not fry the mango and chyoto. They are not suitable for frying.

The vegetables immersed in water will need to be drained and dried in a kitchen paper towel before frying.

In a large pan add the vegetable oil and heat it up. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and add  dry chili and fry for 20 seconds then add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds, Fry for 30 seconds.

During the cooking process, you should stir the vegetables frequently to prevent them from burning and also to ensure even cooking of all the vegetables.

Add onion and garlic already half fried in the air fryer and fry for 5 minutes.
Cumin , fennel and adding the fried onion
Cumin , fennel and adding the fried onion 

Add green chili and curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes.
Add green chili,curry leaves
Add green chili,curry leaves

Add tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes.
Adding  tomatoes
Adding tomatoes

Now add all the fried vegetables one by one and stir well and fry for 5 minutes.



Adding tindora and okra
Adding tindora and okra


stir frying Mixed vegetables
stir frying Mixed vegetables

Add the chayote slices and mix well.


Adding chayote
Adding chayote

Add the mango slices


Add the mango slices
Add the mango slices


Now add curry powder and turmeric powder. Stir to mix well.
Adding curry powder and turmeric powder
 add curry powder and turmeric powder

Add water and mix well. Increase the heat and bring to the boil quickly.

Reduce the heat cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Add tamarind juice and salt and cook for 3 minutes.

Add coconut milk. And cook for 3 minutes.

The curry is ready.

Serve while hot with rice or flat breads like chapatti.


It is a time consuming curry. It is worth the effort as we can have a guilt free curry. I make the curry and freeze for a week in small quantity.



















































































Thursday 20 August 2015

Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans

Black eyed beans (or peas) are white legumes with a prominent black spot resembling an eye. They are highly nutritious food providing protein, fiber, potassium, zinc and other nutrients.

In the Southern United States, it is believed that eating black eyed beans on a New Year's Day will bring prosperity throughout the year. There are several stories as to the origin of this custom. The tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck at the Jewish New Year, is recorded in the Babylonian Talmud. Along with black eyed peas, bottle gourd, leeks, either beets or spinach and dates are considered good luck symbols in the early Jewish tradition in the 16th century. (Source Wikipedia)

In the Southern United States, the black eyed peas are typically cooked with a pork and diced onion, and served with a hot chili sauce or a pepper-flavored vinegar.

Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans
Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans

                                     Recipe Summary
                                               For
                 Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans

Preparation time:30 minutes
Cooking time:25 minutes
Serves:6


1. Soak 100 grams dried black eyed beans over night. Drain and discard the soaked water. Add the soaked beans to a medium sized sauce pan. Add water to cover the beans fully. Boil for 30 minutes or until the beans are soft. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large pan or a pot add 2 tbsp vegetable  oil and heat it.

3. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and add 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp fennel seeds. Fry for 30 seconds.
Ingredients

4. Add 100 grams onions, coarsely chopped  and dry chili. Fry for 5 minutes.

5. Add 1 green chili, thinly sliced; 1  red chili, thinly sliced and 6. chopped curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes.

7. Add 1 cup of water; 1 tsp turmeric powder; the boiled black eye beans and 50 grams yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin and long slices.Cook for 3 minutes.

8. Add 80 grams carrot, diced in a food processor and  cook for 3 minutes.


Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans
Fried rice with kale 
and black eyed beans
9 Add 100 grams kale, shredded in a food processor and cook for 2 minutes.
10. Add salt and mix.

11. Add 6 cups cooked rice and mix well.

12. Cook for about 3 minutes.

13. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

14. Garnish and serve while the rice is still warm.
        
    Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans is ready.
                                  
  
                      Recipe follows in detail with pictures.



Preparation time:30 minutes
Cooking time:25 minutes
Serves:6

Ingredients
Main
6 cups cooked rice
100 grams kale, shredded in a food processor
100 grams black-eyed beans
Others
100 grams onion
50 grams yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin and long slices
80 grams carrot, diced in a food processor
1 green chili, thinly sliced
1 red chili, thinly sliced
5 curry leaves, chopped
1 dry chili
Spices
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil


Ingredients for Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans
Ingredients for Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans
Preparation
Soak black eyed beans over night. Drain and discard the soaked water.
Add the soaked beans to a medium sized sauce pan. Add water to cover the beans fully.
Boil for 30 minutes or until the beans are soft.
Drain and set aside.

Method
In a large pan or a pot add the oil and heat it.

When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and add cumin seeds and fennel seeds.
Fry for 30 seconds.
Frying cumin seeds and fennel seeds.
Frying cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

Add onions and dry chili. Fry for 5 minutes.
Frying onion
Frying onion

Add green chili, red chili and curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes.
Adding green chili, red chili and curry leaves
Adding green chili, red chili and curry leaves

Add 1 cup of water and turmeric powder.
Adding 1 cup of water and turmeric powder.
Adding  1 cup of water and turmeric powder.
Boiling
boiling

Add the boiled black eye beans and bell pepper.
Cook for 3 minutes.
Adding the boiled black eye beans and bell pepper.
Adding the boiled black eye beans and bell pepper.

Add carrots cook for 3 minutes.
Adding carrots
Adding carrots

Add kale and cook for 2 minutes.
Adding kale
Adding kale 

Add salt and mix.
Add salt and mix
Add salt  and  mix
Add cooked rice and mix well.
Cook for about 3 minutes.
Adding cooked rice
Adding cooked rice

Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Fried rice is ready.
Fried rice is ready
Fried rice is ready

Garnish and serve while it is still warm.

Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans
Fried rice with kale and black eyed beans

Moringa Fried Rice
Moringa Fried Rice

YOU MAY LIKE TO SEE




Wednesday 19 August 2015

Simple vegetables and noodles soup

Adding vegetable to the soup makes it very tasty and nutritious.



Simple vegetables and noodles soup
Simple vegetables and noodles soup



                              Recipe summary
                                          For
                 Simple vegetables and noodles soup

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time:20 minutes
Serves: 3


1.In a stock pot (I used a wok) add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and heat it. When the oil is hot add 90 grams onion, roughly chopped and fry for 5 minutes.

2.Add 5 grams ginger finely chopped or grated and fry for 2 minutes.

3. Add 25 grams each of green and yellow bell peppers 
(a quarter of a bell pepper), chopped into bite size pieces; and 30 grams of asparagus, cut into bite size pieces and fry for 4 minutes.
Vegetables

4. Add 25 grams cucumber (a quarter of a cucumber), chopped into bite size pieces, and fry for 3 minutes.

5. Add vegetable stock and water. I dissolved a vegetable stock cube in 2 1/2 cups of hot water and added it.

6. Add 150 grams cauliflower,  cut into small florets and 50 grams cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces and boil for 5 minutes.


Simple vegetables and noodles soup
Simple vegetables and 
noodles soup

7. Add 3 packet of noodles and 50 grams of greens of your choice, cut into bite size pieces. I used baby kai-lan.

8. Boil for 3 minutes or till the noodles are boiled. 

9. Serve immediately.

10. If you like you can add soy sauce.

Simple vegetables and noodles soup is ready.
                                  
                  Recipe follows in detail with pictures.


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time:20 minutes
Serves: 3

Ingredients:
Main
3 packets noodles packets

Vegetables
150 grams cauliflower,  cut into small florets
50 grams cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces
25 grams yellow bell pepper ( a quarter of a bell pepper), chopped into bite size pieces
25 grams green bell pepper ( a quarter of a bell pepper), chopped into bite size pieces
25 grams cucumber (a quarter of a cucumber),  chopped into bite size pieces
30 grams asparagus', cut into bite size pieces
50 grams of greens of your choice, cut into bite size pieces. I used baby kai-lan.


Others
90 grams onion, roughly chopped
5 grams finger finely chopped or grated
2 1/2 cup of vegetable stock
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Ingredients for Simple vegetables and noodles soup
Ingredients for Simple vegetables and noodles soup


Method
In a stock pot (I used a wok) add oil and heat it. When the oil is hot add the onion and fry for 5 minutes.
Frying onion
Frying onion


 Add ginger and fry for 2 minutes.

Adding garlic and ginger
 Adding garlic and ginger


Add bell peppers and asparagus and fry for 4 minutes.
Add bell peppers and asparagus
Adding bell peppers and asparagus 

Add cucumber and fry for 3 minutes.
Adding cucumber
Adding cucumber

Add vegetable stock and water. I dissolved a vegetable stock cube in 2 1/2 cups of hot water and added it.
Adding vegetable stock and water.
Adding vegetable stock and water.

Add cauliflower and cabbage and boil for 5 minutes.
Adding cauliflower and cabbage
Adding cauliflower and cabbage

Crush the noodle packet to break the noodle into smaller pieces. Some people believe that long noodles give long life and therefore will not break the noodles.
Crushed noodle and green
Crushed noodle and green

If you encounter long noodles, take a mouthful and bite off the noodles that is outside your teeth and let them fall into the soup bowl.

Add noodles and green leaves.
Adding noodles and green leaves.
Adding noodles and green leaves.

Boil for 3 minutes or till the noodles are boiled. Check after 2 minutes to see whether they are soft. If the noodles are cooked, the soup is ready.

Serve immediately. If you let the noodles remain in the soup for long they will become soggy and tasteless.

If you like you can add soy sauce.

Simple vegetables and noodles soup
Simple vegetables and noodles soup