CHOlE PAlAK
It’s a leaner, meaner version of chole, loaded with spinach.
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 35 mins
Serves: 7
Ingredients
4 bundles of spinach (500-600 gm after cleaning)
1 cup uncooked chickpeas (soak for 6-8 hours)
2 large tomatoes, quartered
2 medium onions, chopped finely
5-6 garlic cloves, chopped finely
3-4 green chillies
1 tsp red chilli powder
1½ tsp jeera powder (cumin powder)
2 tsp oil
Salt as per taste
Method
Pressure-cook chickpeas with 1 tsp salt and 4 cups water till 8-10 whistles.
Clean the spinach thoroughly, discard the stems and chop coarsely.
Place spinach leaves, tomatoes and 1 tsp of salt in a pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes (do not add water). Allow to cool, then separate the spinach and tomatoes.
In a blender, grind the tomatoes and green chillies into a paste.
Heat oil in a pan; sauté garlic. Add onions; sauté until browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for 5-7 mins.
Season with jeera powder and red chilli powder.
Cook till the paste leaves the sides of the pan, then add spinach purée and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the boiled chickpeas and salt; cook for 2 mins. Serve hot.
PAV BHAJI UNJUNKED
It’s a healthy spin on the roadside favourite — so good you’ll never know the difference.
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves: 5-6
Ingredients
1½ cup moong sprouts or ½ cup uncooked green moong (soak for 6-8 hours, drain and keep covered for another 12 hours)
2 medium potatoes
1 cup green peas
¾ cup cauliflower,
chopped coarsely
¾ cup French beans, chopped finely
¾ cup carrots, chopped finely
4 medium onions, chopped finely
4 medium tomatoes, chopped finely
2 medium capsicum,
chopped finely
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped finely
12 large garlic cloves
3 dried red Kashmiri chillies (soak in hot water, let stand for 4 hours) or 2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp sugar
4 tsp pav bhaji masala
4 tsp salt (or as per taste)
lemon juice as per taste
2 tbsp oil
Method
Drain the water from the Kashmiri chillies.
Pressure-cook potatoes till 3 whistles; peel and grate.
Pressure-cook moong sprouts and peas up to 2 whistles; mash coarsely.
Pressure-cook French beans, carrots and cauliflower for one whistle; mash coarsely.
In a blender, grind peeled garlic with 2 tbsp of chopped onions, Kashmiri chillies (or red chilli powder) and a pinch of salt with 1/3 cup of water.
Heat the oil; sauté remaining onions for 2 mins. Add capsicum; sauté for another 5 mins.
Stir in the chilli-garlic paste; sauté till mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Add tomatoes, pav bhaji masala and salt; sauté for 3-4 mins.
Add the potatoes along with remaining boiled and mashed vegetables, moong and peas along with 2 cups of water; cook for 5 mins.
Add sugar and cook for another minute. Add lemon juice before serving. Garnish with coriander.
Courtesy: Unjunked
(Selfcare publications)