Veggies Made Easy ? Bottle Guard & Capsicum

Bottle guard used to top the list of most hated vegetables during our childhood apart from Bitter guard, greens and the likes. This humble veggie comes in my priority list now, after years of abundance These quick & easy recipes were very handy when I was working and staying away from home, as they require less of skills and time to prepare.  Again the following recipe for Veggies made easy - Bottle guard calls for very few ingredients and retain the natural flavors and nutrition of the vegetable intact.

Bottle guard is loaded with minerals and has lot of water content in it. Best way to enjoy the veggie is to add very few spices and cook for 7-10 minutes only.

A versatile veggie, it can be transformed into various dishes such as, raitas made with curd, Koftas, stuffed chapattis and even can be used to bake a cake!

Since I like simple and plain cooked veggies, the above recipe is made with;

1 cup of Bottle guard cubes
1 green chilly
2 cloves of garlic (optional)
1 tsp of oil
salt as desired

Method:  If the Bottle guard is tender do not peel the skin, just wash it and dice in bite size pieces. Heat oil in a wok and add the cloves, green chilly and the diced cubes. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add salt, cook another 4-5 minutes on medium heat and put off the flame.

Enjoy a healthy veggie just as it is. I normally eat this dish without any accompaniment, just plain bottle guard in my bowl and a fork to accompany

The other simple variation is to add capsicum and make the dish. Any colorful capsicum will do good.

Ingredients;

(makes for 2)

2 cups of Bottle guard cubes
1 cup of diced capsicum
1 small onion
1 tsp of red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp Mustard seeds
Salt as desired
3 tsp. of Oil

Method: Wash and dice the bottle guard and Capsicum in bite size pieces. Peel and slice onion. Heat oil in a wok and add mustard seeds, let it crackle. Add sliced onion and all the dry spices. Cook for 2 minutes. Add Bottle guard and cover the wok with a lid, keep stirring in between and let it cook for 5-6 minutes.

Add diced capsicum and cook for another 2 minutes. Put off the flame and sprinkle fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapattis or plain rice.

Note;

Bottle guard release water while cooking, cook it on high heat if you want to avoid watery recipe.
Always cover and cook veggies for fast cooking and better nutrition.
Add salt at the end, as salt makes the veggie release water.
Capsicum should not be overcooked for better taste and crunchy texture.
Quick and good recipe for the morning rush hours of cooking.
Veggies made easy are real simple recipes for good health and better nourishment.

Enjoy the natural taste of veggies, cook lite and stay healthy. Take care.

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