Green Beans Potato Sabzi

This is another simple sabzi to make, similar to the tiranga sabzi described in a previous post.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 2 cups of cut green beans ( about 1/2 to 3/4 " length) 
• 1 red potato cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/8 tsp asafoetida ( hing )
• 1/2 tsp subrus masala ( spice mix - see prior post for details )
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 stems of cilantro leaves and stems cut separately ( optional )

Chopped ingredients

Directions:

1. In a non-stick pan, put oil and start heating. 
2. Put 1-2 cumin grains to check oil temperature.
3. When oil is hot add cumin seeds, then asafoetida, subrus masala, and potato. 
4. Stir well to cover potato pieces. 
5. Add beans, salt and  mix well. Add 2 tbsp water, and cover while on stove to steam.
6. After 10 minutes reduce heat, add cilantro stems. 
7. Add 1 tbsp water if needed, cover, continue heating for 5 minutes
8. Check if potato and beans are cooked by mushing with spoon a piece of potato and bean. Cover and heat for 5 more min if needed. Garnish with Cilantro leaves. 

Below are the three stages of cooking:

After adding potatoes

After cooking 10 minutes

The finished sabzi

Tiranga Sabzi

One of our favorite vegetables is Tiranga Sabzi, or Three-Colored Vegetables. The name is generic but in my case, the three vegetables we use are green / bell peppers, red potatoes, and carrots. Coincidentally, these are the colors of the Indian flag (more or less, haha). The last three ingredients comprise the 'tadka', so named for the sound it makes when the oil becomes heated.

Chopped carrots and bell peppers

Ingredients (Serves 3-4):

• 1 Bell Pepper
• 2 Carrots
• 2 Red Potato medium size( your favorite potato variety )
• 1 to 2 tbsp Vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida) 
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chili/cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Chop all the vegetables in strips approximately 2.5 x 1 cm (see photo)

Vegetables fully cut to size

2. Add the oil to a frying pan and heat it on medium-high heat (6 out of 10 on my stove)
3. Add a small amount of the cumin to the oil until it starts to simmer. 
4. Once it does, add all the 'tadka', lower the heat to low-medium (4/10) and add the potatoes. 

5. Partially cover the potatoes to steam them and heat for 7 minutes.
6. Add carrots
7. Add bell pepper, mix and heat for 5 more minutes

8. Make sure all three kinds of veggies are cooked. If not, heat for another 5 minutes.
9. Add salt, mix well, lower heat, and heat for 5 minutes. 

The dish is easy to make, quick, and relatively healthy. It is usually paired with roti, a common type of Indian bread. This is arguably the most patriotic sabzi an Indian can make, as the colors match those of the Indian flag!

Ready to eat!

Indian-Style Eggplant Dish (Eggplant Sabzi)

Eggplant is prepared in many ways. It has many names, such as Brinjal, Baingan, Ringna and Waange. Eggplant comes in many varieties, shapes, sizes, and colors. Here I am going to describe how to prepare Japanese eggplant in an Indian style.

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 2 Japanese eggplants (about 10 inches long, 1 inch diameter).
• 1 medium size red tomato
  
• 2 tsp Rajah Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (hing)
• 2 tsp subrus (haldi-dhania-mirch concoction)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
  

Directions:

1. Dice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick discs.
   
2. Dice tomato into medium size pieces (about 18).
   
3. In a 2 quart pan, add oil. Heat on medium heat.
4. Add mustard seeds. When they begin to make noise, turn off the heat.
5. Add cumin followed by fenugreek, asafoetida, and subrus.
   
6. Add eggplant and toss so as to cover all pieces with oil and spices. Add 2-3 tbsp water. Put on medium heat with cover for 10 minutes.
7. Add tomato pieces and Rajah Garam Masala. Mix well. Cover and simmer for another 7 minutes.
8. Add coriander just before serving.

It can be made as a mixed vegetable by adding complementary vegetables such as potato, carrot, peas, or spinach.

Aloo-Muter-Tamater

This soupy preparation can be made mild, zesty, or rich by varying the spices added. Yogurt or mashed potatoes can be used to thicken the preparation. On special occasions, one may use almond paste, and add cashews or raisins.

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 2 medium sized potatoes
• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 medium ripe tomato
• 2 tbsp oil (use ghee if adding yogurt)
• 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
• 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
• 3 tsp subrus
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• Corriander leaves, finely chopped
  
  

Directions:

1. Peel the potato and dice them into about 1/2 inch cubes. If not using immediately, store in cold water. Alternatively, use steam-cooked potato, remove skin, and make 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Dice tomato into 1/2 inch cubes.
3. In a 2 quart pan, start heating oil on medium heat. Add 1-2 seeds of jeera.
4. When a seed of jeera puffs, add remaining jeera, followed by hing and subrus.
5. Add potato and fry so as to cover all pieces with oily mix. If using raw potato, cover and let simmer for 7 minutes.
6. Add 2 cups of water, salt, and peas. Cover and let it simmer for another 7 minutes.
   
7. To thicken the gravy, mash 4 pieces of potato. Add diced tomato, ginger paste. Cover and let it simmer for 7 more minutes.
8. Add corriander just before serving and mix. Serve hot in a bowl.

This dish with rice or bread serves as a simple meal. Many vegetable soups can be made this way. With little modification it can be made in a crockpot. Non-vegetarian friends coming over too? Share these crockpot bbq recipes with them.

Sabzi

Sabzi is a general term for vegetable. Here I am going to describe a tri-color mix of fried vegetables, specifically carrot, potato, and bell pepper.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 2 bell peppers
• 3 carrots
• 2 potatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
• 3 tsp subrus
• 2 tsp salt to taste
• 2 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
• Sugar or jaggery to taste

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and carrots, and cut into 1" julian strips.
2. Cut bell peppers in half, seed them, and cut into 1" julian strips.
3. In a nonstick pan, put oil on medium heat. Add 1-2 cumin seeds to the pan. When they puff up, the oil is sufficiently hot.
4. Add the remaining cumin seeds, asafoetida, and subrus. Fry it by moving the pan 2-3 times.
5. Immediately add the potato and carrot. Coat the vegetables by moving them to and fro with spatula (Chefs do this by tossing). Cover and let steam for 10 minutes.
6. Add cut bell pepper, mix them well, cover and let steam for another 7 minutes.
7. Sprinkle salt, amchur, and sugar. Mix well and cook for 3 more minutes.
8. Turn off the heat.

Most Indian fried vegetables follow the basic pattern laid out in this recipe. Similar tri color combinations can be made with cauliflower, peas and tomatoes, or with green beans, carrots and potatoes. Fried okra sabji can be made same way. For okra, one must add amchur, as it removes the strings that steamed okra will have. Enjoy!