Crunchy Cabbage ~ A Microwave Recipe

Today my post is dedicated to all the working moms who in spite of putting in nine to ten hours a day in office cooks for her family just because she cares. She knows that home cooked food is best for her child even though her heart is crying out for ordering something from outside, to skip cooking for the day, arrange for something to eat quickly and go off to bed, she is just too exhausted at the end of the day. This post goes out to that twenty-first century smart working woman who manages her job inside and outside with equal proficiency.

Crunchy Cabbage

Chana Dal Palak (Split Yellow Chickpeas With Spinach) In the Microwave

In the pursuit of my 'Go Green' drive specially in the season of the abundance of fresh greens available Chana dal palak is one dish which is a must try. Chana dal palak (split yellow chickpeas with spinach) cooks fast and perfect in the microwave. That’s the reason I always prefer micro to pressure cooker cooking for this particular dish. Try this and see how easily it cooks with all the flavors mingled just right…

Chana Dal Palak

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora In The Microwave

One of the most popular dishes of North India is Kadhi Chawal, a soul food of the Punjabis, and a frequent dish in their kitchen. I often make this delicious dish but this time made use of the microwave and it cooked so fast!! Absolutely hassle free and had amazing flavours too, try out this simple, easy and failproof recipe in your microwave.

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

Muttar Paneer (Cottage Cheese With Peas) Microwave Cooked

I make Muttar Paneer (Cottage cheese with peas) an all time favorite veg dish in my family, most of the time in the microwave because its quick and tastes just awesome with all the flavours intact and the paneer rich, succulent and moist leaves you craving for more. Try it in the microwave and see the difference for yourselves.... Here goes the recipe....

Muttar Paneer

Muttar Paneer

Muttar Paneer

Muttar Paneer

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 400 gms Paneer/Cottage Cheese cut in rectangular cubes
• 300 gms peas peeled and boiled with a pinch of salt
• 3 small onions pasted
• 2 tomatoes pasted
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 green chillies slit
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• Salt n sugar to taste
• White oil as per requirement
• 2 tsp ghee/clarified butter

Procedure:

Heat oil in a microsafe bowl for 2 minutes at full power. Now temper with cumin seeds, whole garam masalas ans bay leaf. Again keep for 1 minute at full power. Add the onion and ginger garlic paste and keep for 3 minutes at 100% power. Stir in between. Add the tomato paste and keep for 2 minutes at full power. Add the powdered masalas and seasonings and a little water. Mix well. Add the paneer cubes, boiled peas, slit green chillies and again cook covered for 4-5 minutes at 100% power. Top it with ghee. You can also use fresh cream instead of ghee if you prefer. Give some standing time before serving. Goes well with fulkas/paranthas.

Khichri In The Microwave

How about some Microwave Cooking folks? And that too the easiest of recipes Khichri or Khichuri as we Bongs call it!! This is somewhat “hatke” in the sense that it needs butter instead of oil. And trust me it is one of the yummiest dishes with the least labour. This was one of my most often dishes when I was a beginner, a novice in cooking and it never had failed me. You will need Gobindobhog rice for this and in case its impossible to obtain, use flavourful Basmati. This nutritious, palatable khichuri has a subtle yet distinct flavour of butter combined with cumin seeds and dry whole red chillies. So don’t count the calories, just indulge in…..

Khichri In Microwave

Khichri in Microwave

Khichri In Microwave

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• ¾ cupGobindobhog rice
• ¾ cup pink Masoor daal/ lentils
• 3 onions thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato finely chopped
• 2 medium sized potatoes each cut to 4 pieces, first horizontally then vertically
• 2-3 whole dry red chillies
• 2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 50-60 gms salted butter
• 2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• 2 slit green chillies
• Salt n sugar to taste

Khichri In Microwave

Procedure:

Wash rice and daal together and add the potatoes, turmeric powder, salt, 3-4 cups of water and cook covered for 20-25 minutes at 100% power in the microwave. Check and stir in between. Add more water if needed according to your preferred consistency. Now in another micro-safe bowl, heat butter at 100% power for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds, dry red chillies and heat for another minute at full power. Now add the onions and cook for 2 minutes at full power, add tomatoes sugar, green chillies and cook for 2 minutes at full power. Now pour this into the boiled rice and daal. Mix thoroughly and again put in the microwave for about 2 minutes at 100% power. Switch off the micro. Give it 5 minutes standing time for the flavours to get absorbed perfectly. Serve with a dollop of butter on the top and any fries of your choice…..

Daal Pancharatna (Five Jewels of Lentils) Microwave Cooked

Considering the innumerable positivities of microwave cooking and all your likes of my previous microwave cooked post, I decided on making Dal Pancharatna in microwave and was amazed at the flavour it emanated after cooking. Though it took me some more time than making in the pressure cooker, I was most happy with the result because of its delightful taste. For all those who prefer cooking in the microwave do try out this simple and easy recipe....

Daal Pancharatna

Daal Panchratna

Daal Pacharatna

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 5 types of daal (pulses/lentils) of equal quantities. I used 50 gms each of Laal Masoor, Moong (yellow), Chana( split chickpeas), Toor/Arhar, Urad(dhuli)
• 2 onions chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 medium sized tomato chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 3 green chillies chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• 1 tsp deghi mirch powder
• 1 tblspn white oil
• 2 tblspn ghee/clarifed butter
• Salt n sugar to taste

Daal Pancharatna

Procedure:

Soak Arhar daal, Chana daal n Urad daal for 3 hrs in warm water. This is because the more you soak the lesser time it will take to cook. Soak Moong n Masoor for half an hour. Now boil the lentils with turmeric and salt in a covered micro-safe bowl at 100% power for 30-35 minutes. Take it out. Now in a separate bowl heat oil and ghee together at 100% power for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds, chopped onions, ginger, garlic. Cook for 2-3minutes at 100% power. Stir in between. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes at 100% power. Now pour the content in the bowl with boiled dal/lentils, add red mirch powder and green chillies and again cook for 2 minutes at 100% power covered with lid. Your aromatic Dal Pancharatna is ready to be served with steamed rice or fulkas/paranthas/naan.....Enjoy!!

Cottage Cheese in Spinach (Paalak Paneer)

Here's a very easy version of Paalak Paneer microwave cooked. Since Paalak is now available more or less throughout the year I decided on making this delicious yet healthy/nutritious dish in microwave to escape the heat in the kitchen. It takes very little time and oil and that's why I cook paneer or mushroom dishes mostly in the microwave.

Paalak Paneer

Palaak Paneer

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 350 gms Paneer/cottage cheese cut in cubes
• 750gms spinach/paalak
• 2 onions
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tomato paste
• 1 green chilli
• Whole garam masala ( cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves)
• Salt n sugar to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 2 tblspns white oil
• 1 tblspn ghee(optional)

Paalak Paneer

Procedure:

First boil spinach in a a micro-safe bowl at full power for 5-6 minutes , wash with cold water, drain and make a smooth paste with 2 cardamoms, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and 1 green chilli. Now make a paste of onions, ginger and garlic. Heat oil at full power for 2 minutes and add the onion ginger garlic paste and microwave for 3 minutes at 100% power. Add tomato paste stir and cook for another 2 minutes at full power. Now add seasoning, black pepper powder and spinach paste and microwave for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in between. Now add the paneer cubes, mix in the gravy and again microwave for 2 minutes. Sprinkle some ghee on the top if you want and serve hot with fulkas or paranthas/naan. Enjoy....