1. Mixed Vegetable Soup
Winters are marked by fresh and lovely vegetables such as the leafy greens or the starchy tubers. If you are looking for ideas to make the most of these delights while the season lasts, here are some of our best winter vegetarian recipes you can cook at any time of the day. Make use of seasonal ingredients and warm flavours and are perfect to enjoy with your family on a chilly day.
- 3 Cups mix vegetables (tomatoes, carrot, peas, tendli, french beans)
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- For tempering:1 tsp oil
- Few curry leaves
- Cook all the above-mentioned vegetables in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water.
- After it is steamed thoroughly, blend it in a blender.
- Strain with a coarse strainer.
- Add the tempering of oil and curry leaves, salt to taste, jeera powder and pepper powder.
Serve hot!
2. Palak ka Saag
Palak saag is an easy to cook, spinach curry made with spinach, maize flour and some basic spices.
- 7 tbsp oil
- 3 Brown cardamom
- 10 Kashmiri whole chillies
- 25 Whole garlic
- 250 gram Whole spinach
- Salt to taste
- In a pressure cooker add mustard oil, brown cardamom, kashmiri whole chillies, whole garlic, whole spinach (saag), little salt and water.
- Put all of the above in a pressure cooker and let the spinach (saag) cook till 1 whistle.
- Serve the Saag steaming hot.
3. Besan Chilla
Besan Chilla also known as Besan ka Cheela are simple protein-packed & aromatic spiced gram flour pancakes from North Indian cuisine.
- 2 cups Gram Flour (Besan) • 2 tbsp Onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp Tomato (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp Capsicum (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Green Chilli (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- ½ tsp Carom Seeds (Ajwain)
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 pinch Asafoetida (Hing)
- 1 cup Water (adjust as required)
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Oil
Firstly, take a big bowl and add besan, carom seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, and asafoetida and mix well.
- Additionally, add 1 cup of water and mix well and make sure the besan batter is lump-free.
- Further, add finely chopped onion, tomato, green chilli, ginger-garlic paste, capsicum, and
coriander leaves and mix all the ingredients well.
- If it is required then add some more water. Gram Flour Batter for Cheela should be runny, adjust the water to get the right consistency.
- After that, heat a nonstick pan/tawa and grease with little oil.
- Once the tava is hot enough then pour the besan veggie batter and spread it to make the round shape of cheela or Indian Pancake.
- Let the cheela gets cook on one side or till gets golden brown then drizzle some oil on top and then flip it using a spatula.
- Further, cook for another few minutes on medium flame or till gets golden brown.
- Once both sides are cooked properly, remove them to the plate.
- Finally, hot and crispy masala besan cheela or savory pancake is ready to serve.
Serve this besan chilla with coriander chutney, sweet tamarind chutney, or tomato ketchup.
4. Corn Pulao
Corn pulao is a spiced and tasty variant of pulao made with tender corn kernels, fragrant rice, piquant onions, and bold herbs and spices. Make this easy recipe of corn rice for quick weekday lunch or dinner and pair it with some salad or raita for a wholesome meal.
- Basmati Rice – 1 cup
- Sweet corn – 1 cup I used frozen
- First, extract Coconut Milk – 1 cup
- Water – ½ cup
- Salt to taste
- Ghee – 1 tblspn
- Onion – 1 large sliced
- Tomato – 2 chopped
- Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tblspn
- Green Chilli – 3 slit
- Bay Leaf – 1
- Cashews – 5
- Kishmish – 6
- Cinnamon / Pattai – 1 small stick
- Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins.
- Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add in cashews, sultanas, cinnamon, bayleaf, and saute for 30 sec.
- Now add in onions, green chilli, salt and saute for 5 mins till they turn golden.
- Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min.
- Add in tomatoes, sweetcorn and mix well.
- Add in the drained rice and saute well in the ghee.
- Now add in coconut milk and water. Bring it to a boil.
- Simmer the cooker and cover the pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle.
- Simmer and Cook for 15 mins, and leave it covered for 10 mins.
- Now open the pan and fluff it up.
Serve with raita.
5. Khoya Stuffed Matar Ki Tikki
A great contrast of flavors. Sharper outside and sweet inside. Balance the flavors with a tangy pea tikki stuffed with a sweet khoya and date filling.
- 1 1/2 tbsp desi ghee
- 1 1/2 tsp zeera
- A pinch of heeng (mixed with water)
- 3 tsp green chillies, chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 1 bowl peas (de-shelled)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- to taste salt
- 2-3 tbsp besan
For the filling:
- 60-70 gms khoya
- 2 tsp green chillies, chopped
- 3 tsp pista (heaped), chopped
- 1 tsp coriander leaves
- 2-3 dates, chopped
- oil to pan grill / shallow fry the tikkis
- In a pan add ghee, zeera, heeng water, green chillies and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the peas, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Saute till the peas start to brown a little on the outside.
- Once cooked, blend the coarsely in a mixer. Do not make a fine paste. Mix besan to it and make a stiff mixture.
- In a bowl crumble the khoya. Add chillies, pista, coriander leaves and dates. Mix well.
- Take some of the pea mixture in your hand and stuff it with the khoya filling.
Shallow fry these tikkis in a pan and serve with tangy chutneys.