Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

 

 

A very easy yet flavorful and spicy soup recipe - you will surely love this!

Ingredients and Method:

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped (optional)
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1.5 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, precooked in microwave with water
2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup pulled cooked chicken*
1/2 avocado, chopped for garnish
Few jalapenos
1/8 tsp cumin powder, oregano, onion powder,
Salt and black pepper to taste
Garnish: Lime juice, cilantro
Tortilla chips

1. Heat oil in a stockpot.  Add garlic and sautee. Add the green chillies and jalapenos. Add the onions and sautee till translucent.
2. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Sautee for 5 minutes until a smooth paste is formed
3. Add cumin powder, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
4. Add the black beans and corn along with the water from the corn.
5. Add 2 cups of chicken broth.
6. Bring to a rolling boil.  Add pulled cooked chicken. Then simmer and cook till the soup condenses.
7. Add cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, and lime juice. Garnish with crushed tortilla chips.


For chicken: Boil water in a separate saucepan. Add salt and stir.  Add 1/2 chicken breast and cook for a 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.  Pull the chicken apart and add to the stock pot.

Note: SKip the chicken and chicken broth for a veg option. Use veg stock or just water. Make your soup as watery or as thick as you wish.

Note: For kids, skip the green chillies.

Roasted Corn and Black Beans Salad

Aint nothing complicated about a salad - As long as you like the marriage of the ingredients that go together, you are the king of your own salad. The key ingredient of this salad, however, is the Roasted Corn and Beans part. You cannot skip this step for the ultimate smoky taste.

1 Corn on the cob, roasted on cooking range flame
1 cup black beans - use canned beans, completely rinse the beans off of the liquid in a colander, let dry partially, roast black beans for 3 to 4 minutes on high flame in a skillet in some olive oil
2 boiled eggs, chopped
Croutons
1 medium roma tomato, deseeded and chopped
1/4 cup diced red onion
Hidden Valley Southwest Chipotle dressing
Salt
Black pepper
and oh Romaine Lettuce, cut in bite size pieces - when washed lettuce should be completely dry and put it aside in the freezer for few minutes before mixing.
Mexican shredded cheese

Mix all the ingredients together. Sprinkle cheese and croutons as per your quantity.  Drizzle dressing. Serve right away.

Southwestern Salsa Verde Soup

Southwestern Salsa Verde Soup

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt
Black Pepper
1/4 cup cream of Asparagus
1/2 cup corn, roasted
1/2 cup black beans, roasted
1 zucchini, peeled and pan roasted
1 Chicken tenderloin (Cut into bite size pieces)
Lime juice
Cilantro
Italian seasonings

1. Heat oil. Add the garlic and roast till fragrant.  Add the onions and let brown. Add the carrots and bell peppers and cook for about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of store bought green salsa or salsa verde. Stir and let cook for few minutes.  Add 1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth and mix well.  Let cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Now add the cream of asparagus, 1/2 tsp red chlli powder, salt, black pepper, and mix well.  Let cook for another 5 to 8 minutes. As this base thicken, add 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock to prevent the base from burning.  Set aside to cool.

3. Heat butter in a pan. Add zuchinni (chopped in small bite size pieces). Roast uncovered until tender and brown.  Add corn and black beans and continue pan tossing and roasting them. Add a pinch of chopped cilantro and toss again. Set aside.

4. Now its time to puree the base that we made earlier. Puree the base in a food processor.  Use some stock to loosen it up if its too thick. 

5. Add the base on the roasted vegetables in the pan itself. Add 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock and mix well making sure that the base doesnt stick to the pan.  Add the chicken pieces.  Add another 1/2 to 1 cup if you feel the soup is too thick. Bring to rolling boil. Chicken tenderloins should cook by now but just check for doneness to make sure.

6. Garnish with lime juice and Italian seasonings.

Note: I added the chicken so late in the process to prevent the chicken from getting too tough. You can add it a litle earlier if you wish.

Veg. Sweet Corn Soup

Hurricane Irene has begun to rear its ugly head in Delaware. Many parts of the East coast have already been hit.  People are on a lockdown at their homes with lots of water and non-perishable foods. But in this wet and dreary weather, I find comfort in something hot and spicy - like this Indian n Chinese fusion food - Sweet Corn Veg Soup.  You will be surely be slurping this dish till the end...

Ingredients and Method:

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups of water

1/2 egg, beaten

Salt/Black pepper

16oz can cream sweet corn

1 serrano pepper, very finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger, very finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic, very finely chopped

1.5 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1. Heat oil in a pot.  Turn the flame to low. Add the garlic, ginger, and green chilli. Sautee till aromatic without burning.

2. Add the creamed corn and stir. Let cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add water and chicken bouillon cubes. (Skip the cubes if vegetarian. Alternatively you can add veg broth)

4. Let come to a boil.

5. Add the soy sauce and vinegar. Cook for another 2 minutes.

6. Add the egg very slowly. While adding the egg in a thin stream, whisk the egg around with a fork (in the pot) with you other hand. 

7.  Take about 2 to 3 tbsp of water. Add cornstarch and whisk well. There should be no clumps. Add to the pot and mix well. The soup will thicken.

7. Let cook for another few minutes.

Serve hot. Makes about 4 medium size servings.  

Corn Chaat - Corn Salsa

A quick and easy snack recipe - this Corn Chaat is sure to tingle your taste buds. I do not have exact measurements for this recipe but a rough description of what went in and how should suffice.

4 corn on the cobs

2 medium roma tomatoes

1/2 big red onion.

Salt

Black pepper

Cilantro for garnish

Lime juice

Finely chopped 2 to 4 green chillies

Chaat masala ** Key ingredient (Found in Indian grocery stores)

Pinch of sugar

1. Start my fire roasting the corn on your stove top.  Keep the corn constantly moving on the heat so as to not burn the kernels.

2. Using a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels off of the cob

3. Add all the above ingredients and toss well. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to let the juices run.

Serve with chips.

Vermicelli Upma - A Quick and Healthy breakfast

Vermicelli or as it is called in India - Semiya is nothing but fine pasta but the Bambino one that I get from an Indian store is made from semolina or rava.  Very easy to cook and very fast to cook. Even a beginner can get a hang of it. The key, however, is to add the water to the cook the semiya with caution especially if you are beginner. My beginning experiences with semiya ended up looking like a big starchy gooey mess. I always add frozen or fresh veggies to such breakfast items to boost its nutritional value. But, the original recipes add green peas at the most. 

1/3 cup Bambino Vermicelli

1/3 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables - corn, green peas, and green beans

1 dry red chilli

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch of white urad dal

Dash of asofoetida

4 to 6 curry leaves

8 to 10 dry roasted peanuts

Few cashews (optional)

2/3 cup hot water

Garnish: lime juice, cilantro, shredded coconut

1. Heat about 2/3 cup of water.  Add frozen veggies to the them. I did that so the veggies would defrost/cook and the water would retain the nutrients. 

2. Heat very little oil in a pan.  Add the vermicelli to the pan and roast it on low flame until golden brown.  You have to constantly keep moving it with a spatula so that it does not burn.  Set aside.

3. Add some oil.  When hot, add the mustard seeds and let sputter. Keep the flame on low.  Quickly add urad dal, curry leaves, dry red chilli (break it in two pieces), asofoetida, and peanuts.  Tilt the pan to a side so the contents are immersed in oil.  Flame should be on low so as to not burn the contents. 

4. Add the finely chopped onions and sautee for 3 minutes.  Add the frozen veggies (drain and reserve the hot water) and mix well. Let cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add a pinch of sugar and salt to taste and mix.

5. Add the roasted vermicelli and mix well.  Add about half of the hot water that we reserved after draining the veggies.  Cover and let simmer and cook.  The vermicelli will absorb all the water slowly and cook in that process.  Check for doneness. When the vermicelli is soft to bite, it is ready to eat.  Just like pasta or noodles, the doneness meter will be different for each one of us. I like the vermicelli al dente (a bit of bite) so I did not put the entire water. So it is better to be safe and add half at first and if necessary follow up with the remainder.

Garnish with shredded coconut, cilantro, and some fresh lime juice.

Polenta Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Stuffing stuff is so stuffy!!! But its fun to stuff stuff with stuff that you just bought and stuff! So here is a dish that made from poblano peppers that I stuffed with stuff I found from my local grocery store - the stuff is called Quick Cooking Polenta, a dish that is made from ground cornmeal.  Stuff yourself ;)

4 Poblano peppers
1/2 cup Quick Cooking Polenta (available in your local grocery stores)
Garlic cloves, 2 to 4
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
16 oz can of corn kernels
1/2 crushed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Handful of parsley sprigs, chopped finely
1/2 cup full fat milk (lower % will also work)
2 cups of hot water ( you may not need it all)
1/2 cup Queso Fresco cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Wash and pat dry the poblano peppers. With a sharp knife, cut open the pepper leaving the sides intact.  Deseed and devein the pepper.  Follow the step with all of them. Wash your hands. Preheat the oven at 350F.  Oil an oven safe baking dish, and place the peppers on it. Oil the peppers with your hands. When the oven is ready, insert the dish with the peppers. Let cook for five minutes. Turn the peppers and let cook for another five minutes.  The skin of the peppers should appear slighly burnt.  Remove the peppers and keep aside and cover until ready to use for stuffing. When cool, remove/peel the outer skin of the peppers.

Heat butter in a saucepan. Add 2 to 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic and let brown slightly. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped onion.  Cook until translucent.  Drain the can of corn of any water. Add the corn, stir and let cook for a few minutes.  Add the polenta and toss well.  Add salt, black pepper, tomato sauce, the chipotle pepper with some adobo sauce, and chopped parsley.  Add half o the hot water.  Keep stirring and cook the polenta on medium flame. it will start clumping up and sticking to the sides, so keep working the spatula and add milk as it thickens.  Use the remainder of the water if necessary taking care that no clumps are formed.  This process should take about 5 to 8 minutes.  Add the parmesan cheese and keep stirring as it melts and binds the polenta.  You do not want the polenta to be too thick or too watery. 

Preheat the oven to 350F again.  Right before you are ready to stuff the peppers, crumple the queso fresco cheese and add to the sauce pan and give it a quick stir.  Now make equal parts of the stuffing, and stuff the peppers with the mixture as shown. 

Line them on a baking sheet/dish, and bake for 5 to 8 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.  Serve hot.

As the polenta sits, it starts clumping up so this dish must be consumed hot. I never cooked or worked with polenta before, so I am sure I will have more versions of this recipe.  I based this recipe on Food Network's recipe that I found online.

Roasted Cabbage n Cream Corn Soup

This was such a 'shot in the air' recipe! I had some leftover roasted cabbage from when I tried to make asparagus rolls in cabbage, which turned out to be a flop dish and never made the blog.  But, I felt so guilty in throwing out the asparagus that I had cleaned, cut, cooked, and toiled away to make patties out of, that I ended up using them as filling in parathas! Gosh they were yummy - Note to self : Recreate Asparagus Patty Paratha!! Anyhow, so I had the roasted cabbage and an open but unused can of creamed sweet corn.  So, I just let my hands guide me. And it turned out quite alright.  The recipe is quite similar to sweet corn chicken soup found in India. 

3 to 4 leaves of roasted cabbage
1 15 oz can of creamed sweet corn
1 egg, beaten
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
Few drops of sesame oil
1 to 2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and Black pepper
1 tbsp vinegar
Pinch of sugar
2 to 3 cups of water
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Take out about 3 to 4 full leaves of cabbage, wash, and pat dry.  Heat oil in a flat pan and let the cabbage roast on low heat.  Season with salt and pepper.  It should roast, not burn.  When wilted and roasted, set aside. Give it a coarse chop so we can add it to the soup.

Heat vegetable oil. When really hot, add the ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Roast for a few minutes but do not let it burn. Now add the previously roasted cabbage cut in bite size pieces and roast a little.  Add the creamed corn and mix well.  Add the soy sauce and sesame oil.  Stir and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes.  Now add the water depending on how watery you want the soup.  Crush the bouillon cubes and mix.  Let it come to a rolling boil.  Add the beaten egg either in drops (like egg dropped soup) or stir the soup with a fork as you drop the egg to create thin lines.  Add salt, pepper, and sugar.  Before serving add some vinegar as per taste.  Serve hot!

Matkay May Matki

I am sick and tired of seeing Matki in Matki usal. I mean it does have a charm of its own but  yesterday I was not in a mood to make chapatis. But this soup marathon has got to stop. I am getting lazy to make the chapatis and the rice and the dal and the raita just because I made Matkichi usal !! I guess the next few recipes will have to be Indian food.

Ingredients and Method:

1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp each of ginger and garlic paste
1 cup frozen vegtables
1 cup Ragu Pizza sauce
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 chicken bouillon cubes (optional)
1 15oz can of red kidney beans
1 cup soaked matki or moth beans

Soak the moth beans for 6 to 8 hours in water.  Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.  Add 1 small finely chopped onions and sautee until translucent.  Add 1/2 tsp ginger paste and 1/2 tsp garlic paste and sautee till aromatic.  Now add 1 cup frozen vegetables and stir for a few minutes.  Add 1 cup Ragu Pizza Sauce and stir.  Let sit for a few minutes until oil separates from the paste.  Add 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp Weber Cajun Seasoning, 1 tsp worcestershire sauce, and 2 chicken bouillon cubes.  Add the matki.  Pressure cook the mixture for 2 whistles.  When all the pressure is released from the cooker, add a can of red kidney beans and let it come to a boil.  Now simmer the soup uncovered for 10 minutes.  Serve with hot cheese bread. 

For cheese bread recipe visit : http://slurpnburp-mithu.blogspot.com/2011/02/cheese-melt-bread.html

Green Medley Soup

Yes! My son has passed the "Give me whatever" and gone into the "Give me chicken and pizza without any veggies" stage!!  Now mommy has to think of ways to hide the veggies in breads, chapatis, sauces, and soups. So here is something I put together this morning.  This is a pretty basic soup that even adults may enjoy. The following recipe would only serve one person so adjust the quantity accordingly. 

Method and Ingredients:

Butter
4 Broccoli stems
2 Handfuls of baby spinach
1/4 cup creamed corn (canned)
Chicken stock or Vegetable Stock
1/4 cup chopped white onions
Pinch of cumin seeds
Seasonings: Add a pinch of turmeric, garlic powder, italian seasonings, and black pepper
Shredded cheese

Cook the vegetables thoroughly either in a pot of boiling water or in a microwave bowl in water or using a pressure cooker. Do not add more water than necessary because we will be using the same water to make the soup and we want the soup to be on the thicker side. Ofcourse you could throw the water out but remember all the nutrients from the veggies go in this water, so you do not want to waste it. I used chicken stock instead of water to cook the vegetables.

In a stockpot, heat some butter.  Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Now add the onions and give it a stir.  When onions appear translucent, add some chicken stock or water and let cook a bit more.  When onions are cooked thoroughly, add the boiled veggies.  Remember do not add too much stock/water from the boiled veggies because feeding a water soup to a toddler is painful!! Give it a good stir and let it come a quick boil.  Add garlic powder and italian seasonings. Add a pinch of turmeric and black pepper.  Stir well.  Let cool a bit.

Now blend it to a thick soupy paste using a food processor. Serve in a bowl.  Add shredded cheese and stir well. 

Caution: Remember, melted cheese is sticky and hot and could scald your toddler's mouth. Careful!!

Chick-n-Asparagus Casserole

2 cups Egg Noodles
2 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 to 4 serrano peppers
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 of 10 oz can Cream of Corn
1 10oz can of Cream of Celery Soup
2/3 cup cooked chicken (Skip chicken for a vegetarian recipe)
2/3 cup black beans, canned
Dash of garlic powder and parsley
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp All purpose flour (if needed)
1 bunch of Asparagus, washed, patted dry, and stemmed
Shredded cheese, Mexican blend preferred
Fried onions (optional)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the onions and serrano peppers and sautee until onions turn brown.  Add the tomato sauce and mix. Let the mixture cook and reduce a bit (3 to 4 minutes).  Add the cream of celery soup and stir well. Let it come to a boil stirring frequently.  Now add the cooked chicken, black beans, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, and parsley.  Continue cooking for a few minutes and let cool a little bit.  If the mix appears watery, then add 2 tbsps of all purpose flour to the pot and stir constantly to mix it in. Make sure there are no lumps.  This will thicken the mixture a little.

In a flat pan, heat some olive oil or butter and lay the asparaugs flat.  Add some salt and black pepper.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Do not cover and cook and do not overcook as this will go on the casserole and cook some more in the oven.

Cook the egg noodles as per packet instructions (about 5 minutes for 2 cups of noodles). Drain the noodles and drizzle some olive oil. Toss and set aside. 

Preheat the over at 350F.  Grease a round 8 inch baking pan.  Add the noodles in the pan.  Pour the prepared mixture over the noodles.  Sprinkle cheese generously on the top so that all the noodles are covered.  Now line the asparagus as shown.  Sprinkle some fried onions on the top (optional). Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot. Keep hot sauce handy !!

Quinoa Corn Cake

Its Monday morning and the baby is still sleeping. This means a little more think to think creatively.  I open my fridge and see some leftover corn from the weekend's burritos dinner.  Corn always triggers corn tikkis (corn cakes) in my head but I wanted to give it a little twist.  So I thought of adding quinoa instead of potatoes.  Surprisingly enough, they turned out pretty good. Now, I cannot wait for the hubby to come home so I can experiment on him. 

Ingredients and Method:

1/2 cup corn kernels, canned
1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
1/2 chicken bouillon cube
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp all purpose flour
Dash of garlic powder, paprika, italian seasonings, hot sauce
Few chopped cilantro
Salt and Black pepper
Panko crumbs to coat

1. Cook the quinoa in a microwave with water and chicken bouillon cube. Alternatively, one can use chicken stock instead of water or just plain water would work as well. Generally, it is one part quinoa to two parts liquid.
2. Let the cooked quinoa stand and completely cool so that there is no moisture left before adding the remaining ingredients.
3. Add all the ingredients except the panko breadcrumbs.  Mix well. Add the all purpose flour a little at a time just to bind the mixture. The consistency should be thick enough that one can pack it into small balls. You can let the mixture stand for a few minutes so any moisture gets absorbed making it easier to make the cakes.
4. Now we are ready to make the Quinoa Corn Cakes. Divide the mixture into balls of equal size. I got about 6 medium size balls. Pack them into balls and flatten them out.  Heat oil in a griddle and keep the flame on medium high. Roll the cakes into the panko breadcrumbs and put them on the griddle.  Drizzle more oil as necessary. About 3 to 4 minutes on each side should do the trick.  Cakes should be golden brownish at the end. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Note: Panko breadcrumbs burn relatively faster so do not cook on high heat as the breadcrumbs crust will burn leaving the egg uncooked. 

Alu Corn Tikki in Palak Saag

I wanted to do something different with the saag. Koftas work with curry!! So why not tikkis with the saag. I thought it worked, my hubby said "He was confused!", you tell me what you think!

Palak Saag:

3 cups cooked spinach
3 medium tomatoes
1 green chilli
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp kasoori methi
Dash of asafoedita
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp each of cumin and coriander powder
1/4 tsp of garam masala or butter chicken masala or dal makhani masala

Pressure cook the spinach with the tomatoes, a pinch of turmeric, and the green chilli.  When cool, coarsely blend it in a food processor.  In a pan heat some oil, add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they sputter, add the asofoedita and the kasoori methi.  Now add the blended spinach.  Add the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin and coriander powder.  Cook covered on medium flame for about 5 minutes.
 
Alu Corn Tikki:

2 medium boiled potatoes, smashed

1/2 tbsp ginger paste
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1/2 cup corn
Some cilantro
Juice of half a lime
salt to taste
1/8 cup each of wheat flour and semolina

If using frozen corn, soak the corn in water and cook it in the microwave for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the water and set the corn aside.  Boil potatoes the same way in the microwave making sure they are completely dunked under salty water.  Not doing so will dessicate the potatoes.  Cook in the microwave for 5 to 8 minutes or until completely cooked.  Drain water set aside. 

When cool, mash the boiled potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. 

Make equal sized small balls or tikkis from the mixture.  Flatten them out.  Coat the tikkis in the mixture of the flour and semolina.  Dust excess off.  Have all the tikkis ready before shallow frying them.  In a pan, drizzle some oil and arrange tikkis in a circle.  Cook on low to medium flame so as to not burn the tikkis. Flip the tikkis once and continue shallow frying until they are golden brown.  You may have to drizzle some more oil through this process. 

Right before serving, add the tikkis to the saag. Serve with rotis or rice.

Maka Palak - Corn in Spinach Curry

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen spinach

1 fresh corn

1/8th cup uncooked peanuts

1/4th cup toor dal (cooked)

2 tbsp besan (gram flour)

1 serrano pepper or 2 small green chillies

1 small tomato, finely chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

Dash of asafoedita

1/4th tsp each of turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala powders

1 clove garlic

Salt and Sugar to taste

Tempering on the top: 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and garlic

Method:

In a pressure cooker, boil the spinach, cut corn (as shown in the picture), peanuts, and a pinch of turmeric powder, and salt in some water. It took about 8 whistles for my pressure cooker. If you are unsure about yours, do 6 whistles, check for doneness, and redo if needed.  Take out the corn and set aside.  Reserve the liquid from the cooker for cooking. You can also cook the toor dal at the same time. If you cook it together with the spinach, make sure the dal is cooked all the way as it should completely disintegrate in the spinach.

In a pan, heat oil, when hot add mustard seeds, when they crackle, add couple squirts of asafoedita followed by the greeen chilli.   Once you smell the aroma of the asafoedita (few seconds), add the spinach and peanuts mixture.  Add the toor dal.  Sautee the mixture real well. Using a spatula, stir the spinach for couple minutes so it disintgrates. Now, add all the spices - turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes allowing the spices to cook. Add some of the reserved liquid if necessary (not too much because the consistency of this curry is supposed to be thick not watery). Now, sprinkle the besan in the pan. Stir the mixture for another 3 to 4 minutes in order for the besan to cook. Now add the corn (which you previously cooked in the pressure cooker) and stir.

In a tempering pot, heat oil, add cumin seeds, and garlic (finely chopped) (add 2 if you like). Pour over the spinach mixture and stir. Add some sugar and more salt if necessary.

- The toor dal and besan serve as thickners - so adjust the quantity as per your taste.

- I have been adding lesser heat (chillies or chilli powder) than usual because my toddler eats the same meals. Feel free to increase the heat as per your taste.

- I did not add the entire cut corn becuase then you would be overcrowding the spinach. But, I went ahead and cooked it because I like to eat by dipping it in the curry. I added about 4 or 5 pieces only.