We invited readers to share some of their favourite recipes with us. As part of a continuing series, we publish three recipes we've received so far:
Here, Sucharita Sen shares her recipe for Mutton Malaikari:
Cuisine: Bengali
Type: Non-vegetarian
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 500 gm mutton
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 cup onion paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp green chilli paste
- 7-8 dry red chillies
- Ground cinamon, jayitri (mace), cardamom, nutmeg
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Marinate mutton with salt, ginger paste, chilli paste
- Heat ghee in heavy bottom pan and add onion paste. Fry till oil separates.
- Add marinated mutton and ground masala.
- Cook till mutton pieces are half cooked.
- Transfer to a pressure cooker and add hot water.
- Cook till mutton gets soft and gravy is of fine consistency.
- Heat some ghee in a pan and add dry red chillies. When they are already fried, pour the entire gravy with mutton into it.
- Cover immediately and serve with steamed rice.
Health quotient: Mutton (non-veg protein) is a good source of protein with respect to essential trace elements like zinc, and assimilable high amino acid qualities.
Next, Vinay shares this recipe for Poha:
Cuisine: Madhya Pradesh
Type: Vegetarian
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup poha (beaten rice)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
- Salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- Groundnuts
- 2 green chillies
- 1 onion
- Oil for cooking
Preparation:
- Wash the poha in water, add slat and sugar and keep for five minutes.
- Heat a pan and roast the groundnuts for two minutes.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and add mustard seeds, jeera.
- After a miute add green chillies,chopped onion.
- Once onion is translucent add haldi powder and red chilli powder.
- Add the poha to this and mix well.
- Reduce heat and allow to cook for two minutes.
- Poha is ready, serve with sev and lemon.
Health quotient: Poha contains lots of starch which gives a lot of energy. It is a healthy breakfast option.
Preeti shares her recipe for Stir-fried Pasta:
Cuisine: Italian
Type: Vegetarian
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked macaroni/pasta
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup thinly sliced veggies of your choice (carrots, bell peppers, beans)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika/chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (optional)
- Oil
- Salt
Preparation:
- Heat oil in a pan, add the onion and fry till cooked.
- Add the veggies and stir fry for three-four minutes. They should retain their crunchiness.
- Add the herbs and chilli flakes and fry for another minute.
- Toss in the pasta and mix well.
- The pasta is ready to serve.
Health quotient: Uses very little oil, lots of vegetables, whole wheat pasta can be used to make it very healthy.
Next is Geeta's recipe for Palak Rice:
Cuisine: Indian
Type: Vegetarian
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch palak leaves (spinach)
- Small bunch of mint leaves
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves
- 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 green chillies
- 1/2 cup coconut slices
- 1/2 coconut, grated
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
- Salt
- 2 tsp masala powder
Preparation:
- Prepare the rice and wash the palak and mint leaves.
- Fry the palak in a pan with a little oil.
- Blend the fried palak in the mixer with coconut slices, ginger, garlic, green chillies and mint.
- Take another pan, pour in a little oil, add mustard, jeera, curry leaves.
- Add the onion and fry.
- Later add palak paste to the masala and add salt.
- Keep this on a low flame for sometime till the paste is cooked well.
- Now add the cooked plain rice to the mixture with a squeeze of lemon and mix well.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut and server with potato wafers.
Health quotient: Green leafy vegetables are for good for health, hair and eyes.
