Vali Bhaji / Mayalu Pannache Koshimbir

Malabar Spinach Salad / Koshimbir 

Supriya, my fb friend had posted her mom’s recipe of Mulangi Pannache koshimbir (Raddish leaves Salad) on her page Mom’s Kitchen to Mine... I instantly felt in love with the recipe... I had lots of Vali bhaji growing in my balcony. Wanted to give it a try with Vali Baji and voila!

It was delicious. Radish leaves would taste a bit different due to the pungent peppery taste of the leaves, but enjoyed this salad too. Simple recipes are always delicious. 

I followed the recipe.. Wash the leaves thoroughly... and then cut it. Sprinkle little salt and leave the leaves for 10 minutes... wash it again and then add the other ingredients. 

I used desiccated coconut but would prefer fresh coconut.

Ingredients 

10 to 12 medium size Malabar Spinach Leaves cut into fine strips 

1 Green Chilli chopped

1 tsp Lime juice 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Sugar

1 to 2 tbsp Fresh Coconut grated or Desiccated Coconut 

2 tbsp Roasted Peanuts crushed

Method 

Take a bowl, add the Malabar spinach leaves, green chilli, salt to taste, sugar and lime juice. Mix well. Now add the coconut and peanuts and toss well. Serve it immediately. 

Singju

Singju is a very healthy popular Manipuri salad and is eaten mostly as snacks. Singju can be made with various types of vegetables, leafy vegetables and herbs. Some of the herbs are locally found only in Manipur.
Cabbage, lotus stem, coriander leaves, spring onion, onion, stink bean, cauliflower, raw papaya, banana flower are some of the vegetables used for making singju.
There is vegetarian version and the other is the non - vegetarian, one where the fermented fish is added.
I learnt this recipe from a lady who belongs to the Kuki tribe in Manipur. There are many ways each one makes singju. This is her version. She used cabbage, onion, coriander leaves and boiled white peas with crushed roasted chillies and salt.
Here I have add lotus stem, roasted perilla seeds (Bhangira / Bhangjeera) power with Pink salt and roasted chickpea powder in addition to the above ingredients.

Ingredients
1 cup of Cabbage cut into thin slices
Few slices of Lotus Stem
1 small Onion sliced
1/2 cup of White Peas boiled
2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
1 tbsp Roasted Chickpea powder
2 Roasted Red chillies crushed or as per the spiciness you like
1/2 tsp Roasted Perilla seed powder with Pink Salt
Add salt if required

Method
Take a bowl, add the cabbage, lotus stem, onion, boiled white peas, roasted chickpeas powder, roasted crushed chillies and roasted perilla seeds powder with pink salt. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the coriander leaves and mix the ingredients together. Serve it immediately.

Chickpea and Cottage Cheese Salad with Raw Mango and Coriander Chutney Dressing...

Chickpea and Cottage Cheese Salad with Raw Mango and Coriander Chutney Dressing...

This salad has an Indian touch made with green raw mango and coriander leaves chutney with a drizzle of mustard oil for flavour.... This can be served as a vegetarian starter dish.

For the Dressing

Ingredients

1 small bunch of Coriander leaves chopped

1 small Raw Mango chopped

2 Green chillies

1 small piece Ginger sliced

Salt to taste

Method

Take a grinder and add coriander leaves, green chillies, raw mango, ginger and salt. Grind it into a paste. 

For the Salad

Ingredients

2 cups of boiled Chickpeas

1 cup of Cottage Cheese cut into small pieces

2 Cucumber cut into small cubes

2 Tomatoes cut into small cubes

1 Onion chopped

Few Coriander leaves chopped

1 tbsp Lime Juice

Green Chutney

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Mustard Oil

Method

Take a bowl. Add the chickpeas,  cottage cheese, onion, tomato, cucumber and coriander leaves. Mix it.  Add the salt and lime juice. Mix it. Add the green chutney and mustard oil. Mix it. This salad can be served as a vegetarian starter. 

Raw Papaya Salad

Raw Papaya Salad

For the Salad Dressing
Ingredients
1 tbsp Lime juice
2 to 3 Thai Bird Chillies seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic minced
1 tbsp Thai Fish sauce
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
Salt to taste

Method
In a blender combine the lime juice, fish sauce, chillies, garlic, sugar and salt,  blend it. Set aside for 10 minutes.

For the Raw Papaya Salad
Ingredients
2 cups Raw Papaya shredded
1 Carrot shredded
1 Tomato cut into small strips
1 Onion finely chopped
2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
2 tbsp Mint leaves roughly chopped
3 tbsp Roasted Penuts crushed
Salad Dressing

Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the papaya, carrot, onion, tomato, mint leaves and 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Add the dressing and toss to combine thoroughly. Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves and crushed peanuts. Serve immediately.

Healthy Chochos y Tostado

Healthy Chochos y Tostado
It is a delicious snack for in between meals. It is an Ecuadorian street food.
Chochos is a vegetarian dish made with lupini beans, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, limes and  tomato sauce. It is served with maiz tostado, plantain chips, avocados and hot sauce.

The original Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup of cooked lupini beans
1/2  Onion thinly sliced
1 Tomatoes thinly sliced
Juice of 1 Oranges
Juice of 1/2 Limes
1 small bunch of Cilantro finely chopped
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp of Tomato sauce or ketchup
Salt to taste
For Garnishing
Maiz tostado OR Plantain chips OR Popcorn
Avocado
Hot Sauce

Method
Combine onions, tomato ,lupini beans, tomato sauce or ketchup, chopped cilantro, lime juice, orange juice, olive oil and salt. Let the lupini beans marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator before serving.Serve cold with maiz tostado, plantain chips, avocado and hot sauce.

Ecuadorian Hot Sauce
Ingredients
4 Green chillies
½ bunch of Cilantro leaves including the tender stem
3 Garlic Cloves
Juice from ½  Lime
1/2 Onion finely chopped

Method
Combine the hot peppers, cilantro, garlic cloves and lime juice in the blender. Add 1/4 cup water and blend well.Add the chopped onions and salt to taste.

Taking the idea from the original recipe
Here is my version of Chochos y Tostado

Ingredients
1/2 cup Soya beans boiled
1/2 Carrot boiled and cut into small pieces
1/2 Beetroot boiled and cut into small pieces
1/2 Onion chopped
1/2 Tomato chopped
1/2 Cucumber cut into small pieces
1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
1/4 tsp Lime juice
1 tbsp Ketchup (Home made) OR Store brought
1/4 cup Fresh Pineapple crushed in a blender

For Garnishing
1 tbsp Toasted Corn (Fresh Corn boiled and toasted on the skillet)
1/4 tsp Raw mango chopped
1/4 tsp Hot Sauce
Khakra Strips (Make Masalaup Chapati with out oil, cut into strips and microwaved for 2 minutes)

Method
Mix all the ingredients expect for the garnishing. Keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes. While serving garnish with toasted Corn, hot sauce, chopped Raw mango and Khakra strips

Fruit salad with Curd and Dill leaves

Fruit salad with Curd and Dill leaves

Ingredients

1 cup of any Mix Fruit cubes  ( Apple, Orange, Pear, Pineapple, Pappaya, Sweet lime..... )

1 tbsp of Pomegranate 

1 tbsp Finely chopped Minced Leaves 

1/2 cup of beaten Hung Curd

1/4 tsp Dejon Mustard paste

Rock Salt to Taste

1/4 tsp Pepper powder

Method

Take a mixing bowl. Add the curd, salt, pepper powder and mustard paste. Mix it. Add the fruits and the dill leaves. Mix it and serve.

Healthy Crispy Malabar Spinach and Fruit Salad

Healthy Crispy Malabar Spinach and Fruit Salad
Ingredients
Few tender leaves of Malabar spinach
1 Whole Wheat Chappati / Tortilla  crisped and broken into pieces
2 tbsp of Papaya chopped
Few seeds of Pomegranate
1/2 tsp of Lime juice
1/2 Tomato chopped
4 Almonds crushed
Salt to taste
Pinch of Chilli flakes

P. S. Pineapple, Kiwi, orange, watermelon can be used

Method
Mix in all the above ingredients and serve immediately.

Healthy Green Garden Salad with Su style Dressing

Healthy Green Garden Salad with Su style Dressing
For the Dressing
1/4 tsp Chilli flakes
1/4 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp Pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Lime juice
1/2 tsp Celery leaves chopped
2 tbsp Curd
Method
Mix all the above ingredients and keep it aside.

For the Salad
Ingredients
1 cup Lattuce leaves cut into big pieces
Few Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 of each Red and Yellow Capsicum cut into cubes
1 Cucumber cut into cubes
1 Carrot cut into pieces and boiled
1 Broccoli cut into pieces and  boiled
Few French Beans cut into pieces and Boiled
1/2 cup home made Cottage cheese crumbles
2 tbsp  broken Walnuts

Method
Mix all the above ingredients and keep it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Add the dressing just before serving.

Idli chat, Burnt garlic and methi rice and Herb salad

Indo  western with leftovers.  Idli chat, Rice with burnt garlic, methi leaves and paneer , and herb salad with marinated mango and sea salt.

Idli chat
Ingredients:
Some left over Idli batter
Curd 1 cup
Sweet tamarind chutney 2 tbsp
Chat masala 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Salt and sugar to taste
Coriander leaves
Sev 4 tbsp

Method:
Fry the Idli batter in hot oil into small balls. Mix the curd with sugar and salt. Add the fried balls. Sprinkle chat masala, chilli powder. Put the sweet tamarind chutney. Add coriander leaves and sev.

Burnt garlic and methi rice

Ingredients:
garlic chopped 4 tbsp
methi chopped 4 tbsp
Green chillies 1tsp
Paneer    1/2 cup cut in to small cubes
olive oil 2 tbsp
butter 1 tbsp
Cooked rice 2 cups
Salt to taste
Lime juice 1 tbsp
Sweet chilli sauce 2 tbsp
Chopped almonds 2 tsp

Method
Take olive oil in a vessel and heat it up. Add chopped garlic. Let it brown well. Add methi leaves , green chillies and paneer. Saute it well. Add the rice, salt, lime juice, sweet chilli sauce and butter. Mix well and the rice is ready to serve. Garnish with chopped almonds.

Herb salad
Ingredients
Cucumber, onion and tomato  chopped
1 each
Herbs - Basil and Bramhi
Sea salt to taste
Marinated raw mango chopped  1 tbsp
( small raw mangoes marinated in sea salt kept in a jar)
Method
Mix all the ingredients together.