Two Cultures and Two Kinds of Dumplings (Mix Veg Tawa Fry with Methi Muthia)

Mix Veg Tawa Fry with Methi Muthia, originally uploaded by Anupama 72.

I must admit this was a dish cooked totally on the spur of the moment. It was Sunday, a day when everyone at home wants to eat something different than everyday cooking but also a day when I experience some kind of inertia which makes me feel extrenely lazy. Come to think of it I would happily live on Toast and Coffee on Sundays , but the husband loves to eat all kinds of tasty food. Poor guy has to eat a packed lunch everyday at work, so obviously he prefers a nice leisurely lunch on Sunday with at least one unique item on the menu. So it was this wish of his 2 Sundays back that motivated me to make this. Its a very simple recipe which looks as if it has taken a ling time to make. But no. I am not one to toil over the stove for hours together to produce one dish. So here's how you go about it:

For the Muthia:

I followed the recipe for the Muthia word to word from Tarla Dalal's Book "Roti-Subzi " which my dear friend Tanuja gave me.I have always been a great Tarla Dalal fan.

• You need: 2 cups fresh Methi chopped or 1 cup kasoori methi
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour,
• A pinch Asafoetida,
• 1 tspn sugar,
• 1 tspn red chilli powder,
• 1tspn ginger paste,
• 2 tblspns hot oil,
• oil to fry

Mix all the ingredients adding water just enough to form a firm dough. Roll out into small balls and fry these in hot oil on a gentle heat. Keep aside. Your Muthias are ready.

For the Tawa Fry:

• 2 cups mixed vegetables chopped but not finely:(Potatoes, carrots, beans, capsicum, baby corn, peas, asparagus tips and even mushrooms if you like them)
• 1 large onion,
• 3 tblspns thick tomato puree,(I used the store-bought)
• 4 cloves of garlic crushed,
• 1 inch piece ginger ground into a paste,(or better still use ready made ginger-garlic paste)
• 1 small stick cinnamon,
• 2 to 4 cloves,
• 2 tspn red chilly powder,
• 1 tspn turmeric,
• 1 tspn garam masala,
• 1/2 cup milk or 2 tblspns cream,
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 tblspns oil for cooking
• salt to taste
• chopped spring onions or coriander for garnishing

Heat the oil in a pan. First add the bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamom. Let these fry a bit. To this add the garlic and ginger pastes. Fry these for a few secs. Then add the chopped onion. Fry till golden. Now add the tomato puree and some water so that the puree does not burn. Cook this mixture for few mins. Then add the garam masala, red chilly powder, turmeric, salt and mix well. Keep adding small amounts of water to the mixture. When this is nicely cooked add some more water. You now need to blend this masala mixture with a hand blender. Before blending remove the bay leaf . Now blend the masala well to a smooth paste. Return the blended paste to its original pan and add the milk and more water to thin it out a bit . The milk brings a creamy flavour to an otherwise spicy dish and kids eat it well. Simmer this masala and add the mixed vegetables. Simmer till all the veggies are tender. Check seasoning and adjust as per your taste. Just before serving add the muthias into this curry and decorate with coriander or finely chopped spring onions as I have. Goes very well with plain parathas.

After cooking this dish inertia struck me again and we had this curry with frozen stuffed parathas which I just microwaved . I always have those in my freezer. You should too