Stir Fry Oyster Mushrooms with Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 250gms oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 100gms green peas
• 1 bunch spring onion, chopped
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 2 green chillies
• Some fenugreek seeds
• Pinch of turmeric powder
• 1tbsp peanut oil
• 2tbsps sesame oil
• 1tbsp oyster sauce
• 1tbso light soy sauce
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Wash and slice all vegetables.
• Heat wok, add peanut and sesame oil and heat until oil begins smoke.
• Add fenugreek seeds and sliced onion. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
• Add all the vegetables and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Toss well.
• Fry the vegetables for further 5-6 minutes over medium heat.
• Turn off the flame and serve hot.

Shallow Fried Tofu

Ingredients:

• 300 gms tofu packet
• 2 tbsps soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp finely diced ginger
• 1 tbsp finely diced garlic
• 2-3 finely chopped green chillies
• 3-4 tbsps sesame oil
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil for shallow fry the tofu
• 5-6 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 5-6 tbsps minty-coriander cheese
• Salt to taste

Method:

Shallow Fried Tofu

• Gently remove tofu from packet and invert into a plate. Carefully slice into 6 pieces by cutting tofu lengthways, draining off excess liquid. Keep aside for 10 minutes. 
• In a bowl, mix ginger, garlic, green chillies, fish sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, sesame oil and salt well. 
• Now marinate all the tofu pieces with this mixture for about 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a wok or saucepan and shallow fry the tofu pieces on each side for about 1 minute over low heat. Remove them to a platter.

Dipping Sauce

• Heat extra virgin olive oil and minty-coriander cheese in a wok until the cheese and oil mix well over low heat. Remove the sauce to a bowl.
• Serve hot with shallow fried tofu.

Pumpkin with Ridge Gourd: My Mom's Recipe

Ingredients:

• 300gms pumpkin, seeds removed, cut into 1'' cubes (keep or remove skin as your prefer)
• 200gms ridge gourd, peeled and cut into 1'' pieces
• Some fenugreek seeds
• 1 large onion sliced thinly
• 2-3 dried red chillies
• 3tbsps finely chopped garlic
• 1/3 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp sugar or jaggery
• 3-4 tbsps mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a flat  pan and add the dried chillies and fenugreek seeds and fry till spluttering stops.
• Add the dried red chillies and fry for half a minute.
• Add the garlic and onions and fry till onion is soft.
• Add the powdered spices and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the pumpkin, ridge-gourd, sugar or jaggery and season with salt. Mix well.
• Fry till pumpkin and ridge gourd are cooked well over a medium heat.
• Remove from the heat and serve hot with rice or chapatis or rotis.

Cabbage, Green Peas and Potato Fry/ Bondha Kobir Bhaji

Ingredients:

• 300gm finely chopped cabbage
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium size potato, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh green peas
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 3-4 dried chillies
• 1/3 fenugreek seeds 
• Pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste
• 1/3 freshly ground black pepper
• 6-7 tsp mustard oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a heavy bottom kadai or wok.
• Add fenugreek seeds and dried chillies. Fry for 10 seconds.
• Add onion. After 30 seconds, add cabbage, peas and potato. Stir fry the vegetables for around 3-4 minutes.
• Add salt, turmeric powder and grated ginger. Fry for 20-25 minutes or till the vegetables cooked over medium heat.
• Add ground pepper and mix well.
• Turn off the heat and serve hot with rice or roti.

Pointed Gourd & Potato/ Potol aru Alur Jul

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size potato, cut into medium size pieces
• 4 pointed gourd, cut into medium size round pieces
• 2 medium size onion, ground
• 4-5 tsp mustard oil
• 2-3 tsp peanut oil
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/3 tsp ground garam masala
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 dried chillies
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai or wok. Add fenugreek seeds. Fry till they become black in color. Then add dried chillies and bay leaf.
• After 7-10 seconds, add ground onion and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and little water. Stir for 3-4 minutes.
• Add potato and pointed gourd. Mix well and further stir for about 5-6 minutes.
• Now add 1 cup of water. Cover and cook till done over medium flame.
• Turn off the flame and add garam masala. Mix well.
• Transfer the mixture to a plate or bowl and add 1tsp of ghee.
• Serve hot with rice or roti.

Banana Stem Fry

Ingredients:

• Banana stem 250gm, finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 6-8 dried jackfruit seeds
• 3 dried whole chillies
• 5 tsp mustard oil/ vegetable oil
• Some cracked black pepper
• 1/3 tsp chilli flakes
• Turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste

Preparation of banana plant pith

• Take the stem and cut lengthwise the outer shell
• Remove the shell by pulling apart. Keep on removing the shell, there may be more than one.
• Once you reach the core, peel it very carefully from the surface.
• Now cut it into round slices, while doing so, lots of thread like fibres will come out, remove that by spindling it on your finger tips.
• Now cut the slices into small pieces.
• Now put chopped stem in a bowl, add some salt and mix well. Leave for 10-12 minutes. Salt will help to release lot of water.
• Squeeze out a handful banana stem  and discard the water.
• By this method remove all excess water from the chopped stem, now it will look like roughly meshed stuff.
• Now this is ready for cooking.

Method:

• Wash and boil/roast jackfruit seeds till half boil. Remove and keep aside.
• heat oil in a saucepan or kadai and add chopped onion and dried chillies.
• After 1minute add ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• Now add chopped stem and jackfruit and stir fry for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle some water and cover with a lid.
• Cook over low heat till the banana stems are soft and all the water dries out.
• Serve hot as side dish with rice and daal.