Bell pepper Jalfrezi

Last weekend two things happened, perused Nupur's 'J' episode in the A-Z Vegetables series, visited the grocery store where I found tricolor Bell Peppers which looked fresh and inviting and ofcourse I picked a pack.
Richa's Jalfrazie came to mind immediately and I was going to give it a whirl. I have noticed Jalfrezi in restaurant menus but something about the explaination of the dish itself or the fact that I did not know much about it had a role in me not having tasted this dish before. Next up was finding out what Jalfrezi meant, stir fried in a thick sauce, with either vegetables or Chicken is the gist of what I learnt.


Pretty much followed Richa's recipe and the end result was colorful, tasty and lip smacking.
Ingredients
1. 3 Bell peppers (Red, Green, Yellow) seeded cut into strips.
2. 1/2 Red Onions Chopped lengthwise
3. 1 Carrot cut into strips
4. 1 Potato cut into strips
5. 12 Fresh Green Beans French Cut
6. 6 garlic cloves chopped
7. 1 1/2 inch ginger piece grated
8. 1 tbsp Chilli Powder
9. 1/2 tbsp Chicken Masala Powder (I did not have garam masala)
10. 2 tsp cumin powder
11. 2 tsp turmeric powder
12. 2 tsp oil + 2 tsp ghee
13. Salt to taste

Blend
1. 2 Ripe tomatoes
2. 1 tbsp tomato paste
Puree the tomatoes along with the tomato paste


Method
1. In a pan heat oil and stir fry the Green Bean, Potatoes and Carrots till they are done and set aside.
2. In the same pan heat the ghee add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes, add the bell pepper strips and saute till they start turning a little brown on the edges.
3, Add the garlic and grated ginger and saute them for a few minutes.
4. Add the powders and mix them well.
5. Now add the tomato puree and salt and cook on medium heat till the raw smell goes and the water has evaporated and the gravy is thick.
6. Now add the stir fried veggies, give it a good mix and turn off the heat after 4-5 minutes.

Green Chana with Mangoes and Potatoes

Desi Momz Club
I join Sandeepa in Calling All Moms to come share your experiences, ideas and frustrations. We all have wondered at some time or the other "What do moms in my situation do?". Here is a wonderful way to find out and if you have ideas share them, offer advice. Our very own round table in Cyberspace.

Green Chanas - I noticed them in the grocery store very fresh in their pods about 4 years ago, I looked at it for a while debating if to buy it or not. I did not buy it then but started looking for them after I saw Indira's post on them, but they seemed elusive, so settled on the Frozen variety. The dried Channa are delicious but the green ones have a special taste all their own.




Ingredients
1. 1 1/2 Cups Green Chana
2. 1 Onion Chopped fine
3. 4 garlic cloves chopped fine
4. 1/2 inch ginger grated
5. 1 Red Tomato
6. 1 Small Mango cut into small pieces
7. 2 Potatoes peeled and cubed
8. 1 Tbsp Corriander powder
9. 1 tsp cumin powder
10. 1/2 tbsp Red chilli powder
11. 1 tsp turmeric powder
12. Seasonings: mustard cumin and curry leaves
13. salt to taste

Method
1. Heat oil in a Pressure Cooker add the seasonings, when the mustard starts to splutter add the onions and saute till translucent.
2. Add the garlic and grated ginger, saute for a few minutes.
3. Now add in the powders mix well.
4. Add the tomatoes and saute till soft.
5. Add the Green Chana, add salt and about 1/4 cup of water. Close the lid and cook for a whistle or cook for about 6-8 minutes till chana is almost cooked.
6. Now add the chopped Mango and Potatoes and cook till potatoes are soft.

Serve hot with Chappathis or Rice.

The crunchy Chana, soft potatoes and sour mangoes give it a unique taste.