Potato Stuffed Green Chillies | Aloo Mirapakaya Bhajji

Its winters and this is an apt snack for the cold weather. In Hyderabad, where I used to stay you can find many stalls selling piping hot Chilli Bhajji's we call it mirapakaya bhajji. Vendors usually serve it with coconut chutney with onion sprinkled all over the bhajji. I just miss them. So I thought of making them but with potato stuffing and it was delicious. Here is the recipe... happy cooking....

Ingredients:

Green Chillies - 6 (big ones that are used for bhajjis, here in Maharashtra they call it Bhavnagari Mirchi. In Andhra we call it bhajji mirapakaya)
For the batter:
Besan – 1 cup
Rice flour – 3 tsp
Ajwain – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda – a pinch
Salt to taste

For the stuffing

Boiled & mashed potato – 1 cup
Chopped onion – ¼ cup
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
Carrom seeds/Ajwain/omam - 1 tsp
Garam masala – a pinch
Salt to taste

Method:

Mix all the ingredients with required water mentioned for the batter to prepare a medium thick batter. Keep aside.

For the stuffing: In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix well. Keep aside.

Wash and dry the chillies. With a knife make a vertical slit in the middle of chillies on one side. Insert the spoon and pluck the thick white vein in the middle along with the seeds. After preparing the chillies, start filling them with the potato mixture.

Heat oil on medium high. Dip the stuffed chillies in batter and gently drop from the sides of kadai into hot oil and deep fry until golden. Remove to a paper towel. Serve.

For the batter: Mix all the ingredients with required water mentioned for the batter to prepare a medium thick batter. Keep aside.
For the stuffing: In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix well. Keep aside.
Wash and dry the chillies. With a knife make a vertical slit in the middle of chillies on one side. Insert the spoon and pluck the thick white vein in the middle along with the seeds. After preparing the chillies, start filling them with the potato mixture. Heat oil on medium high. Dip the stuffed chillies in batter and gently drop from the sides of kadai into hot oil and deep fry until golden. Remove to a paper towel. Serve. 

This recipe is off to Jagruti's PPCS, Hope you enjoy making this as much as I did :-) Good Luck...

Bharwa Karela | Stuffed bitter gourd

This is my DH's fav dish. Actually he likes bitter gourd and he likes it stuffed. I have tried different stuffings, but this one came out really well. To keep the nutritional value I haven' t used much oil but the dish was amazing. You can actually cook with less oil, it is just that it requires patience as it takes a little longer. Do try this even if you dont like bitter gourd coz Im sure that you will change your opinion about this veggie. Happy cooking...

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd/Karela - 4 medium sized
Besan/Chickpea flour/kadalai maavu - 4 tbsp heaped
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Aamchur powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds/Saunf - 1 tsp (crushed)
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

For the gravy

Onions - 1
Tomato - 2
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Jaggery powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Peel and make a slit in the bitter gourd. Remove the seeds.

 Rub bitter gourd with salt and turmeric and keep aside for atleast 2 hours. 

In a kadhai, add all the ingredients mentioned for the filling(except oil and salt). Roast the mxiture until brown and raw smell goes away.  Now add salt to taste 

 

Fill this mixture in the bitter gourd. Tie the gourd with a clean thread tightly. 

 

In a kadhai, add oil and the tied gourds. Cook the gourds until just done. 

Heat oil in kadhai and add onions. Cook till onions are little browned.

Now add chopped tomatoes. 

Once tomatoes are mushy, add the remaining besan filling, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, jaggery powder and salt. Add water as required and cook until the gravy comes together.

Remove the thread from the bitter gourd and add them to the gravy.

Peel and make a slit in the bitter gourd. Remove the seeds. Rub bitter gourd with salt and turmeric and keep aside for atleast 2 hours. 
In a kadhai, add all the ingredients mentioned for the filling(except oil and salt). Roast the mxiture until brown and raw smell goes away.  Now add salt to taste and fill this mixture in the bitter gourd. Tie the gourd with a clean thread tightly. 
In a kadhai, add oil and the tied gourds. Cook the gourds until just done. 

For the gravy:

Heat oil in kadhai and add onions. Cook till onions are little browned. Now add chopped tomatoes. Once tomatoes are mushy, add the remaining besan filling, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, jaggery powder and salt. Add water as required and cook until the gravy comes together.  Remove the thread from the bitter gourd and add them to the gravy. Cook for about 2 minutes while gently turning them over. 
Serve hot with phulkas.

Sending this to WTMLevent & Gayathri's page

Bharwa Lauki Masala | Stuffed Bottle Gourd in Tomato sauce

I know a lot of people do no like this vegetable but I love it. Lauki/Bottle gourd is an amazing vegetable for weight watchers(like me :-) I stuffed the bottle gourd with soya granules and it enhanced the taste of the dish. A perfect side for phulkas and chapati, this dish is filled with fibre and protein. So do try it... Happy cooking...

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd - 1 medium
soya nuggets - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2  tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

For the gravy

Tomato puree - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and peel the bottle gourd. Scoop out the pulp in the middle, it should resemble a hollow tube.  Spray some oil in a kadhai and cook this until just done. Do not make this mushy, bottle gourd should keep the firm texture

Boil and drain water from soya granules. Now add these soya nuggets and the bottle gourd pulp in a blender and grind to a coarse paste.

 

Heat oil in kadhai and add the paste. Add the dry spices and saute the mixture for about 5 minutes. 

Once cooked fill the hollow bottle gourd with this mixture.

Cut the bottle gourd into 2 inch roundels.  Spray a little oil in a flat kadhai and cook these roundels until you get a brown color on both sides.

For the gravy

Heat oil in kadhai. Add cumin seeds, once they splutter add tomato puree.

Add dry masalas and cook until raw smell goes away and oil start leaving the sides. 

 

Arrange bottle gourd roundels on the serving plate and pour the gravy over it. Add coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or phulkas.

Wash and peel the bottle gourd. Scoop out the pulp in the middle, it should resemble a hollow tube.  Spray some oil in a kadhai and cook this until just done. Do not make this mushy, bottle gourd should keep the firm texture. 
Boil and drain water from soya granules. Now add these soya nuggets and the bottle gourd pulp in a blender and grind to a coarse paste.
Heat oil in kadhai and add the paste. Add the dry spices and saute the mixture for about 5 minutes. Once cooked fill the hollow bottle gourd with this mixture. Cut the bottle gourd into 2 inch roundels.  Spray a little oil in a flat kadhai and cook these roundels until you get a brown color on both sides.

For the gravy

Heat oil in kadhai. Add cumin seeds, once they splutter add tomato puree. Add dry masalas and cook until raw smell goes away and oil start leaving the sides. 
Arrange bottle gourd roundels on the serving plate and pour the gravy over it. Add coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or phulkas.

Sending this to WTMLevent & Gayathri's page