Alu and Green Beans

Green beans is not your everyday vegetable. It's a typical punjabi sabzi that is made once in a while to give taste buds a little workout. It's not one of my favourites but I used to like it once in a while. I am not sure if other regions have some variation to the recipe.

Anks was the first one to guess, being a true punju. Green beans is called phalia in punjabi and someone can correct me but people eat the raw ones right from the farm as a part of snack in punjab. I am not sure if that's the same phalia as this one. Anyways, enjoy the recipe...

Alu and Green Beans

Dedication: To all the green bean lovers, wherever they maybe...

Serving: 3

Ingredients:

1. 300 gms green beans, with its tail cut off
2. 1 large potato, peeled
3. 1/4 tsb mustard seeds
4. 1/4 tsb cumin seeds
5. 2 tsb oil
6. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
7. 1 green chilli, finely chopped
8. 1/4 tsb turmeric
9. 1/4 tsb ground cumin
10. 1/2 tsb coriander
11. 1/4 tsb salt
12. 1/4 tsb ground pepper

Method:

1. Cut the green beans into slices
2. Cut the potato into cubes
3. Heat the mustard and cumin seeds in oil
4. When they start popping add the onion and chilli
5. Fry for a minute and then add the turmeric, ground cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper
6. Add green beans, potatoes and cook for 2 minutes
7. Add 2/3 cups of water
8. Cook over medium heat for 15 min or untill the potaoes are well done
9. Serve with rotis

Hint for next recipe: Are you nuts? Don't sugar coat everything I say.

Gossip of the week: Amisha Patel says, "Men are weaker species". Do you agree or you think she is nuts?

Aloo Baingan Jhol

Baingan or brinjal or eggplant, as it is known in North America, is one of the best sabzis if cooked right. I always loved my Mom's Baingan ka bhartha but it is not easy to cook and if it doesn't cook right, it tastes awful. So, I prefer cooking this recipe which is much easier and very yummy esp. with aloo which complements the baingan perfectly. This is a bengali recipe where jhol means curry/sauce.

The first one to guess this one right was Neetie. So yeayyyyyyy to her. It's funny but I cannot understand why Americans call baingan, eggplant. Maybe because of the oval shape but it was still funny to hear it for the first time.

Aloo Baingan Jhol

Dedication: This recipe is dedicated to two beautiful bengalis, Sonali and Aindrila.

Serving: 2-3

Ingredients:

1. 2 dried red chillis
2. 1 tsb coriander seeds
3. 1 tsb cumin seeds
4. 1 tsb mustard seeds
5. 2 tsb oil
6. 1 medium onion, sliced
7. 1/2 tsb. turmeric
8. 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
9. 1/2 medium eggplant or baingan or brinjal, cut into cubes
10. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
11. 1 medium tomato, chopped
12. 1 tsb. tamarind concentrate
13. 1/2 tsb salt

Method:

1. Grind the chillis, coriander, cumin and mustard seeds to powder.
2. Heat the oil in pan and add onion and turmeric.
3. Fry over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and fry for 1 more min.
5. Cover and cook on medium heat untill the potatoes are cooked.
6. Keep stirring all this while.
7. Add the eggplant and garlic and fry for one min.
8. Add the tomato and fry for another min.
9. Cook and cover for 5-6 mins.
10. Stir in ground spices, tamarind, salt.
11. Add 2 cups of boiling water.
12. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking
13. Serve hot with rice and daal.

Hint for the next recipe: Mr. Bean ate a potato last night and drank green beer because it was St. Patrics Day

Gossip of the week: Sholay movie will be part of teaching course in 5th std. in schools. Is this a good idea?