Easy dinner recipes that can be enjoyed with your loved ones

If you are in a dinner rut, its time to expand your horizons. Here are delicious vegetarian recipes you can make in under 30 minutes. One recipe is the famous dish of north India and another one in southern India. You can cook them at your home and can enjoy them with your family and friends.

Also Read: Punjabi Dishes: Best Delicacies To Include In Your Low Calorie Diet

Punjabi Kadhai Recipe

For Kadhi mixture

• 1.5 cups yoghurt 
• 3 cups of water 
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 generous pinch of asafoetida 
• 1 to 1.5 teaspoon salt 
• 8 tablespoon Besan 
• Oil

For Onion Pakoras

• 1 cup thinly sliced onions 
• 1 cup besan 
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• ½ teaspoon ajwain 
• Salt as required
• Water as required

For Punjabi Kadhi

• 1  chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• ¾ to 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds 
• 2 chopped green chillies
• 2 broken red chillies
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 8 to 10 curry leaves
• 2 tablespoons mustard oil

Also Read: Aloo Ke Gutke Recipe To Help You Prepare This Delectable Garhwali Dish At Home

INSTRUCTIONS

Making curd mixture

• In a bowl take 1.5 cups sour curd, whisk it well till smooth.
• Add 8 tbsp gram flour, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and 1 tsp salt to the whisked curd. Stir and mix everything again. Add 3 cups water and stir again make a smooth mixture without lumps, if there are lumps, then break them with a wired whisk or a spatula or with your fingers. keep the curd mixture aside.
• Making onion pakoras for punjabi kadhi
• Take the 1 cup gram flour/besan in a bowl and add ½ tsp ajwain/carom seeds, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and ⅔ tsp salt or as required.
• Add 1 cup thinly sliced onions.
• Mix everything well and keep aside covered for 30 minutes.
• This will allow the onions to release their water in the mixture.
• Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or Kadai with a spoon or with your hands drop the pakora batter in the oil.
• Fry till the pakoras are crisp and golden.
• Remove the fried pakoras and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed.

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Making kadhi recipe

• In another pan or Kadai, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil. Make sure to use a large bottomed pot so that while boiling, the kadhi does not spill.
• Add the 1 tsp cumin seeds, 8 to 10 methi seeds and a generous pinch of asafoetida. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle and the methi seeds to change their colour. 
• Add ⅓ cup chopped onion. Stir and saute for 3 minutes on a low flame.
• Then add 1 tbsp chopped ginger, ¾ to 1 tbsp chopped garlic and 2 green chillies, chopped. Stir and saute for a minute.
• Now add 8 to 10 curry leaves, 2 dry red chillies. Stir and saute for a minute on a low flame.
• Then add the curd mixture.
• Stir very well.
• Increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. keep on stirring often so that the bottom does not get browned. time is taken to cook the kadhi will be around 14 to 16 minutes.
• After the kadhi has come to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer the kadhi for more 6 to 7 minutes. the kadhi will thicken. Now add the onion pakoras in the kadhai. stir gently. Cover with a lid and let the onion pakoras be soaked in the kadhi for 8 to 10 minutes. Lastly, sprinkle some garam masala powder on the Punjabi kadhi.
• Serve the Punjabi kadhi pakora with steamed rice or cumin rice, topped with few teaspoonfuls of ghee. you could also have kadhi with rotis or parathas. However, the combo of kadhi chawal is very popular and taste very good.

Southern Style Okra with tomatoes and rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups sliced okra
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tomato
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

• Combine the rice and 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring the rice to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 18 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let stand with the cover on for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, wash the okra and dry it thoroughly. Peel and chop the onion. Remove the stem and seeds from the green pepper and cut it into 1/4-inch dice.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the okra; cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and set aside.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.
• Dice the whole tomatoes and add them—and their juices—to the onion and bell pepper mixture; reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the okra and sugar to the tomato mixture. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
• In a small bowl, combine the 2 teaspoons of flour with about 1 tablespoon of cold water. Whisk or stir to form a smooth paste.
• Add the flour mixture to the okra and tomatoes and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
• For serving, spoon the okra over the rice.

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