I love grilled sandwiches. They have become something of a staple for my weekend breakfast. The sandwich filling varies depending on my mood and the contents of my fridge/pantry – mashed potatoes, paneer slices, the vegetable side-dish from last night’s dinner. This tomato baby corn filling, spiked with Italian spices, is one of my reigning favorites.
Vegetables
Red Chura Bhuja: Crispy Red Poha with Peas
A spin-off on the snack Chura Bhuja with Mattar, this dish uses the healthier red poha (flattened rice) instead of white.
The method of making crispy red poha is exactly the same as for white poha – the only difference with red poha is that it is a little less easy to figure out when the grains are cooked enough. With white poha, the color change to golden is a sure indicator. With red poha, the color is already dark when you start so you need to be more watchful. Red poha turns crisp and ready to eat in about 5-6 minutes. Take a little nibble to make sure.
Mushroom Fried Rice
Leftover boiled rice gives us plenty of opportunity for reshaping into new avatars, doesn’t it? I had a tempting pack of button mushrooms with me and used it for this mushroom fried rice tonight.
Aloo Posto: Poppy Seed Spiced Potatoes
Aloo posto is a popular Bengali dish – potatoes cooked in poppy seed paste, served with pooris or plain boiled rice. This delicately flavored curry gets its spice kick from two other trademark Bengali ingredients: mustard oil and panch phoron.
Carrot Onion Raita – Crunchy Yogurt Dip
Carrot onion raita (yogurt dip) – this cool, tangy accompaniment with its hint of sweetness, give the perfect balance to spicy Indian gravies.
Onion Tomato Parathas
Prepare a fabulous Indian meal with wheat flour, onion and tomatoes – and no other vegetables! Make stuffed onion tomato parathas (pyaz-tamatar parathas). This onion-tomato filling came to be as I was out of other vegetables and it was raining too heavily for me to venture out and restock. Sometimes, necessity and laziness can produce wondrous results. Onion tomato parathas are proof!
Dahi Aloo: Quick Potato Yogurt Curry
It is no hyperbole to say that dahi aloo is the quickest vegetable curry ever. Ideal for days when you have no time to cook a full meal. Ditch those ready-to-eat boxes- just keep boiled potatoes and yogurt handy and in minutes you can make dahi aloo. This curry goes well with chapatis, or even toast if you’re in a time-saving mode.