Easy Pumpkin Sabzi

My friend Seema, who is a good cook had told me last evening how to convert a quarter kilo pumpkin into a dish for dinner. I confessed that apart from the pumpkin there was not much in the way of vegetables. She assured me that I would need only dry masalas available in most kitchens. First of all I cut the pumpkin into one inch cubes . Then in my favorite kadai I put one tablespoon cooking oil, when it became hotI put in half a teaspoon of rye,(mustard seeds) quarter teaspoon of methi seeds, a pinch of hing and then pumpkin pieces mix well, then add a teaspoon of salt and two pinches of haldi . Now add a green chilli cut into three or four pieces and two tablespoons of water, mix well, cover and cook on slow flame.

After 10 minutes add gur (jaggery) to taste and squeeze half a lime. Mix again and sprinkle half teaspoon of chaat masala.

If gavar is available, a handful of cut pieces can be added with the pumpkin pieces.
If you want it more spicy add a half teaspoon of red chilli powder with the green chillies.

Now enjoy your rotis with this simple pumpkin subsi.
Serve a cutori of dahi with the dinner.

Till my next blog, bye.....

Quick Brinjal Vegetable (Sabzi)

Two days back I came home from office ready to make the subzi for the rotis. I was confident that some vegetables would be there and i would cut, chop, and cook.
That's all there is to making a vegetable.Ha !
When I opened the fridge I was in for a rude shock.
There were 3 small ,pathetic looking, sad brinjals. And the rest of the frigde was as bare as Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.!! Whatever was I to do, my son Ramesh would be home in half an hour, and look expectantly at the dining table, then at the fridge.

Never one to say die, I looked around for something else to go with the brinjals. I discovered two shrivelled tomatoes, probably kept aside for a salad. WELL Sorry -- no salad today ..!
I grabbed the tomatoes, rather I clutched the 2 tomatoes, as if somebody was waiting to snatch them from my hands..

Then I went to the onion basket. Thank God!! there was better luck here Three big onions. WILL do I thought to myself in glee.

The dinner was saved by the onions. They would provide the body for the vegetables !..!..

I put all the vegetables into a tub of water.... Then peeled the onions and cut them into one inch cubes
Next came the brinjals , sufficiently rehydrated !...!..now. I destemmed them and cut them into one and half inch length strips. I took a medium sized kadai put 3, maybe 4 spoons cooking oil nd 2 pinches of mustard seeds, and a dash of hing. Then I added the onions and tossed them for 5 minutes on high flame. Now I added the brinjal peices, 2 pinches of haldi and a teaspoon of salt.

Now I was ready for the tomatoes shrivelled no longer, nicely rehydrated. Chopped them into one inch pieces and added them to the kadai. NOW !...! I knew I had surely forgotten something. The best thing was to taste a piece of brinjal... which I did. OH ! no.. I had completely forgotten the green chillies.I ran to the fridge and yanked the door open, God help me, I mutterred. and you wont believe it. there were four healthy lucious green chillies.. S a v e d !!.. !...
. I snatched up two chillies cut each into 3 one inch pieces , and dumped them into the kadai.
A lovely mouth watering aroma invaded th kitchen. Saved.

Saved by three shrivelled , miserable brinjals ..!...! .

Pushpa Ma'am's