Tag: No onion no garlic

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Desi style pasta – no onion no garlic

Desi style pasta

We all know that pasta is an Italian dish. Be it the white bechamel or the red arabiatta, the flavours are mouthwatering and definitely would make you want more.

Garlic and herbs like oregano , basil take the level of taste to another world. They can taste bland but rich and flavourful with cheese and nutmeg.

But did you also know that you can make it in am Indianised way. Yes no basil, no oregano just Indian spices that can make mouthwatering pasta .

I did come across a lot of recipes named desi style pasta. It was navratri, a no onion no garlic time for us. Dinner options were making my head spin. I need a filling, lipsmacking dish that doesn’t require much effort or time. I also remembered the code no onion no garlic.

I had some uncooked pasta in the pantry waiting to be picked. So I decided to fulfill its wishes. That packet of pasta would be dinner tonight.

So here goes my desi style no onion no garlic pasta.

Ingredients

  • Pasta -200 GM’s
  • Salt as per taste.
  • Olive oil – 3-5 tbsp
  • Tomato chopped – 2
  • Capsicum chopped -1/2
  • Chilli powder-2 tbsp
  • Pepper powder-1 tbsp
  • Sugar -1/2 tbsp
  • Coriander powder – 2 tbsp
  • Tomato sauce -1 tbsp make sure you get the no onion no garlic variant
  • Coriander leaves for garnishing
  • Water to boil pasta
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

  • Boil the water required for cooking pasta with a tbsp of salt and tbsp of olive oil.
  • Once water starts boiling add in pasta and cook till Al dente.
  • Drain and cool the pasta. Make sure they don’t stick to one another.
  • In a pan add 3 tbsp of olive oil.
  • Add chopped tomatoes,and sugar.
  • Cook until tomato is mushy.
  • Add chilli powder, coriander powder and pepper powder.
  • Cook for 3-4 mins until raw smell of spices go away.
  • Add chopped capsicum.
  • Cook closed for 2 mins.
  • Adjust salt. Add tomato sauce boil for a minute.
  • Add in the cooked pasta. Give it a mix.
  • Squeeze half a lime and turn off gas.
  • Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.
  • This can be served with just hung curd.

This pasta is spicy cause we use chilli and pepper powders together. As a variation instead of the three powders you could also add sambar powder.

The spice of the chilli and pepper, tanginess of tomato, sourness from lime make the pasta taste absolutely lipsmacking. You only need curd for a side. But of you are someone who loves spicy food, then you should definitely try this out.

Most importantly this has no onion no garlic so you can also make this during festivals or when you’re breaking a fast.

I paired this with capsicum and mushroom tempura and paneer capsicum stir fry. These again do not have onion and garlic. Do let me know.in comments if you’d want me to share those recipes.

I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa.

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Spicy cow peas kurma – no onion no garlic

Cow peas kurma with no onion and garlic

With dussehra a lot many of us were into fasting, some didn’t take non vegetarian food and few like me wanted to take food without onion and garlic.

Not only for dussehra but also for certain auspicious days we tend to avoid adding onion and garlic to food. In South India, typically during the month of Purattasi ( mid September to mid October) people generally give up non vegetarian food cause of devotion to Lord Narayana and it’s an auspicious month.

These ten days during dussehra, I avoided added any onion and garlic to food and didn’t consume any outside food.

Dinner options were getting very limited. For lunch I planned to make the neivedhyam ( offering) for the day , which would become our lunch as well. A variety rice paired with boiled and tempered lentils also known as Sundal in the south. This would be offered to the God and kolu at homes.

But dinner for a big headache. For a person like me who tries including if not garlic but onion in most dishes, cooking during these days was challenging. That is when I started whipping out recipes without onion and garlic. Believe me they tasted equally good. I’m here giving you a recipe of a kurma that has no onion and garlic, but had lipsmacking taste. This goes well with rotis, phulkas, plain rice and even pulaos.

Ingredients

  • Cow peas – 100 GM’s
  • Tomato – 2 chopped into chunks roughly
  • Red chilli whole – as per your spice level
  • Potatoes – boiled, peeled and cubed
  • Cloves -2
  • Cinnamon -1′ piece
  • Cardamom -2 pods
  • Ginger – 1/2′ piece
  • Turmeric powder -1 tbsp
  • Shredded coconut – 4 tbsp
  • Salt – as per taste
  • Oil for tempering and sautéing
  • Cumin seeds -1 tbsp
  • Bay leaf -1
  • Saunf / fennel seeds -1 tbsp
  • Cashew – 4-5 pieces
  • Coriander leaves for garnishing
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

  • Soak cashew , cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, saunf in hot water for 20 minutes.
  • In a pan add oil saute tomato chunks, red chilli and ginger piece.
  • Once cooked until mushy ,cool it.
  • Once cooled add mushy tomatoes, soaked ingredients, shredded coconut and turmeric powder to blender and blend them smooth.
  • Dry roast cow peas in pan for about 3-4 minutes until you get slightly roasted aroma.
  • Boil it in pressure cooker with water and salt for about 5 whistles.
  • Release steam, cool drain and keep aside.
  • In a pan temper cumin seeds and add tomato masala paste.
  • Saute for a while add little salt.
  • Give it a light boil.
  • Add cooked cow peas and potato.
  • Mix it with the gravy, adjust consistency with water.
  • Boil for 5 minutes in simmer until you get kurma consistency.
  • Adjust salt.
  • Turn off gas ,add lemon juice ,mix and serve garnished with coriander leaves.

The quantity of ingredients mentioned above is for two people. You can scale up as per need.

The kurma is spicy cause of red chilli and ginger, with a light tinge of tanginess fro the lemon juice.

The kurma is a great side to rotis, phulkas, plain rice and pulaos. Do try out and let me know.

Cooking without onion and garlic is not difficult and there are lipsmacking recipes that taste equally good. I will be sharing a couple more if such recipes.

I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa.