Curry And Beyond

Broccoli and Cashew Pulao

2013-04-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

This I promise is a quick one pot meal. This is an awesome go to recipe when you are either too lazy to cook (happens to me once in a while) or not motivated enough or have more exciting things to do and looking for some quick fix.

For me in those days of desperation and many a times time crunch, I always make Pilaf / Pulao. Its a one pot meal and goes well with a side of any Raita (Yogurt dip) or just plain yogurt and some pickle. The last option of course is just ordering pizza and just sitting back and relaxing. I believe life is too short to sweat over little things.

Today's recipe is Broccoli and Cashew Pulao, so if you are not a big fan of Broccoli feel free to substitute it with cauliflower florets. This was made for a quick lunch for me and the biggest broccoli fan (my 5 year old). With the weather warming up I let him play for a while with his school friends after I pick him up from school. Its such a beautiful feeling to see the kids enjoying the outdoors. Its been gorgeous weather, these couple days. Don't want to jinx it. So not much time to prepare lunch, I cooked this Pilaf for the very first time and loved it.

Ingredients

1 cup rice washed and soaked in 2 cups water
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2-3 green chillies slit lengthwise
handful golden raisins
1/4 cups cashews

1 tsp cumin seeds

2-3 cloves

2-3 black peppercorns

cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp cumin coriander powder
1-2 tbsp chopped Cilantro
Oil

Preparation:

In a thick bottomed sauce pan, heat oil. Add Cumin seeds, when they crackle, add cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick. Add ginger garlic paste and let it saute for about a minute. Add the cashews and raisins. When the raisins plump up, add the dry spices and the freshly chopped Cilantro.Next add the broccoli florets and the green chillies. Mix it well. Now add the rice which you had kept aside with the water. Add salt. Give it a good stir, and cook uncovered on medium heat till almost 90% of the water has dried up. Now set the stove to the lowest flame and cook covered for about 5 minutes. Take it off the heat , fluff it well and serve. You could serve this with any raita of your choice or it tastes good as is. This recipe serves 2-3.

Hokkaido Milk Bread and Rolls With Tangzhong

2013-03-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is the bread for the month of March we had to bake for the "We Knead to Bake" Bread Baking event.

Until Aparna our fearless leader heading this group announced about this bread, I had never even heard about Hokkaido Milk bread and Tangzhong.

Thanks Aparna for your detailed step by step instructions and ample of tips, It was quite easy to bake this bread. Check out her space here and see for yourself and learn more about Hokkaido Milk bread. Its a popular bread in South Asian bakeries across the world. It has a soft pillowy texture and I can promise you this, once you taste this bread you would want to bake this again and again. That's the Hokkaido Magic !!!

Original Recipe from 65 Degrees Tangzhong "65C Bread Doctor" by Yvonne Chen and adapted from Kirbie's Cravings.

Ingredients:

For the Tangzhong (Flour-Water Roux)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Milk

For the Dough :

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp powdered milk
2 tsp instant dried yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup cream
1/3 cup tangzhong (Use Half of the tangzhong from above)
2 tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces softened at room temperature

Preparation :

Making the Tangzhong (Flour-water Roux): In a saucepan, whisk together flour, water and milk until smooth and there are no lumps. Now place the saucepan on the stove and over medium heat, let the roux cook till it starts thickening. Keep whisking constantly so no lumps form and the roux is smooth. Watch the roux/Tangzhong until you start seeing "lines" forming in the roux/tangzhong as you whisk it. take the pan off the heat. Le the roux/tangzhong cool completely and rest for about 2 to 3 hours at least. It should have the consistency of a soft and creamy creme patisserie. If not using immediately, transfer the roux to a bowl and cover using plastic wrap. It can be stored in the fridge for about a day. Discard the Tangzhong after that.
Making the Bread Dough : Making this dough in the food processor makes it much easier as it is a bit sticky and could take some time, and effort to knead it by hand. Put the flour, salt, sugar, powdered milk and instant yeast in a food processor and pulse a coupe times to mix. In another bowl mix milk, cream and tangzhong ( half of the tangzhong which you just made above) till smooth and add to the processor bowl. Run on slow speed until the dough comes together. Add the butter and process till you get a smooth and elastic dough. the dough will look a bit sticky, but kneading it will make it smooth. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl turning it so that it is well coated. Cover with a towel and let the dough rise for about 45 minuets to 1 hr or till almost double in volume.
Place the dough on your working surface.I made 1 loaf (7" x 3") and 6 small rolls. I divided the dough into two equal pieces first. Then divided the first half into three equal pieces to make a loaf. The other half was divided into six equal pieces for six rolls.
Shaping of the portions for the loaf and the rolls is the same : Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape about 1/8" thick. Take one end of the dough from the shorter side of the oval and fold it to the middle of the oval.Take the other end and fold so it slightly overlaps the other fold. (See the Collage in Aparna's blog here.) Roll this folded dough with the rolling pin so the unfolded edges are stretched out to form a rectangle.Roll the rectangle from, one short edge to the other, pinching the edges to seal well. Do this with each of the larger pieces and place the sealed edges in a well oiled loaf pan. Cover and leave the dough to rose for about 45 minuets to an hour.
I repeated the same process for my rolls. Just before rolling up each rectangle, I added about 1 tbsp Raspberry Jam in the center carefully brought all the 4 sides together and sealed it to form a roll. Repeat this with the other 5 dough pieces. Now place them in a well oiled cake Pan. Cover and let it rise for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Brush the tops of the rolls and the loaf with milk(or cream) and bake at 325 F (170 C) for about 30 minutes till they are done (beautifully brown on top). Cool for about 5 minutes and then unmould and transfer to a rack till slightly warm. Enjoy !!!

This Recipe makes enough to make One loaf (9" X 5" loaf pan) or Two small loaves (6" X 4") or (7" x 3") or One mall loaf (6" X 4" ) or (7" X 3" ) and 6 small rolls

Chole Saag - Chickpeas with Broccoli Rabe

2013-03-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

You can call me one sneaky mom when it comes to incorporating not so desirable but highly nutritious vegetables into my kids favorite dishes. Broccoli Rabe is a great source of Vitamins A, C and K. Also has Potassium, Calcium and Iron.

I have been thinking of creative and delicious ways to cook Broccoli Rabe. Even though it has Broccoli in its name , it is no way related to the Broccoli vegetable. The leaves do surround a cluster of small buds which resemble small heads of Broccoli.

I first heard about this green leafy vegetable on the Rachael Ray Show and since then haven been waiting for an opportunity to cook it. I must say that its an acquired taste and does have a bitter flavor so I thought of adding it to a classic dish such as Chole Masala / Chickpea Masala would make it at least palatable and appealing to my kids. This trick worked. Since we all LOVE chole at our house and its requested at least once a week, I was ready to try this beautiful leafy vegetable with my Chole recipe. I made some Jeera Khulcha (Cumin Flatbread) which complimented my dish so well and my Chickpeas with Broccoli Rabe can now be a regular at my house.

Here's the recipe from Sadhna Ginde for the Khulchas which I have tried and they were so soft and perfect.

Ingredients :

1 cup boiled chickpeas / 8 oz can Chickpeas
1/2 bunch Broccoli Rabe chopped (2 1/2 cups)
1 red onion minced
2-3 green chillies minced
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 cup tomato puree
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder
3 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice(optional)
1/4 cup cream (optional)

* If you do not find Broccoli Rabe, you can substitute any leafy vegetable of your choice (Spinach , Mustard greens, Collard greens, Escarole etc)

Preparation:

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a minute then add the minced onion. Let it turn golden brown on medium flame. When you no longer get the raw onion smell, its time for the tomato puree and the minced green chillies. Stir it well. Let it cook until the oil comes up (its an indication that its cooked).
Now add the dry spices (turmeric, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder and salt). Mix it well. Add the boiled chickpeas. Let it cook covered for about 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped Broccoli Rabe. Mix it well. Cook covered until the Broccoli Rabe is wilted and looks well incorporated. Now add 1/4 cup cream(optional). Let it cook for another couple minutes. Take it off the heat and add freshly squeezed lime juice. Mix it well. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

Bajre Ki Roti - Indian Flatbread (Pearl Millet)

2013-03-08T14:54:00.002-08:00

Bajra / Bajri also known as Pearl Millet is an ancient food grain. India is the largest producer of Pearl Millet according to Wiki. It has numerous health benefits and recently it has gained more popularity because of it being gluten-free.

Bajre ki Roti is more popular in the state of Rajasthan in India. Because of its easy accessibility it is more of a farmers food. Its highly nutritious and filling , so its a great food of choice for the humble farmers who relish these with raw red onion and Lahsun ki chutney(Garlic and Red Chilli Chutney). These could be paired with any vegetable side dish of your choice. Many enjoy them with just ghee and jaggery. Its food that is so simple, humble and yet Divine. A taste of Vibrant and Beautiful Rajasthan with each and every bite of this precious Barje Ki Roti.

Ingredients:

3 cups Bajra Flour /Pearl Millet Flour
warm water
salt
Ghee/Clarified butter

Preparation :

Making the Dough : Add salt to the bajra flour. Now make a little well in the center and add warm water. Mix the flour and water and knead the flour adding water little by little at a time. The moment the dough somewhat comes to together, its done. Do not add any more water. Knead this for a minute. Divide the dough into 8-9 balls The texture of this dough is a bit crumbly. Do not panic its going to be alright. I've been there. I saw my mom make these with such ease but when I tried them for the very first time I was panic stricken and I just wanted to quit and never make them again. So it does require a bit of practice. But its still doable if you are attempting these for the very first time. Kneading this Bajra flour dough is a bit different than our regular wheat flour dough. Since this is gluten free there's no binding agent in this dough. To make it a bit easier many add some wheat flour to the above recipe. That not only makes it easy to knead the dough but makes it much easier to roll out the Rotis.

Rolling the Rotis: I have used a 1 gallon Ziploc Bag to make the Rotis. Cut the Ziploc bag on the 3 sides so that it makes 2 sheets. Now making this Bajre ki Roti is easy peasy. Just flatten a ball of dough between the palms of your hands. Place this between the 2 cut sheets of Ziploc. Using a rolling pin roll gently so that it is about 6 " disc. These Rotis /flatbread are a bit thick. Now carefully remove the top plastic sheet and gently turn the the Roti from the bottom sheet onto your palm. Heat a hot griddle /Tawa. Cook this bajre Ki Roti on medium flame. Once the underside is cooked, turn it over and cook the other side as well. Apply ghee liberally and serve with any vegetable side dish. We enjoyed our Bajre ki Roti with Aloo Baingan Ki Subzi (Potato and Eggplant Subzi) and Achaar(pickle)

Adai Dosa - Rice and Lentil Crêpes

2013-03-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

Adai is a healthy protein packed option for breakfast , lunch , dinner or maybe snack. These Dosa/Crêpes are very versatile and can be served with Chutney, Sambhar, Jaggery and even Ketchup.

In fact if truth be known, I heard about the existence of Adai dosa after I was married and learnt how to make them from my MIL. Since its so nutritious and I have a picky eater in my 5 year old kid, this has become a regular now. Though I have to admit I still love my regular dosa (Rice/urad dal), but once in a while I enjoy these Adai as well. My Kids enjoy them with ketchup or Mulaga Podi(chutney powder). Me and my hubby love our chutney. My MIL enjoys her Adai with jaggery which was a little surprising to me as well. Yes, I wasn't aware of this combination. But believe me it does taste divine, hot adai just off the griddle with jaggery. My FIL loves it with Mulaga Podi. So there you go everyone is happy.

If you have some leftover batter just refrigerate it and use it when required. The batter is good for up to 5 days.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice *
1/4 cup Urad dal/Split Black gram
1/4 cup Tuvar/toor/split pigeon peas
1/4 cup Chana dal/Bengal gram dal
1/4 cup Whole green moong/moong bean
1/4 tsp Asafoetida(Hing)
2-3 whole red chilies
1 green chilli
1" ginger
salt
oil

* I have used Sona masoori rice in this recipe. Sometimes I use Pooni rice too.

Preparation:

Wash and Soak the rice and lentils/dal in about 4-5 cups water for 4 hours. Soak the red chilies with it too. Drain the water and grind the rice/lentils coarsely along with the red chilies, green chilli and ginger. Just add enough water for grinding. The consistency of the batter should be like pancake batter. Now add salt and asafoetida. Mix it well.
Heat a Dosa Tawa or griddle. Keep it on medium heat. Now take a ladleful of the batter and pour onto the Tawa/griddle. Now using your ladle spread the batter in a circular motion. You can make the crêpes as thick or thin as you desire. I like mine to be medium thick. Traditionally they are a little on the thicker side. Apply some oil around the Adai. When its cooked turn it and let it cook on the other side as well. Continue making the Adai in the same manner.
Your Adai is ready to be served. This recipe yields 16-18 medium size Adai Dosa.

Shalgam Aur Mutter Ki Subzi - Turnip And Peas Subzi

2013-02-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

This reminds me of my childhood when mom made this subzi. I couldn't resist buying it on my visit to the local produce market. When I saw these fresh turnips I had to buy them. Many a times I'm guilty of impulse buying. But I'm glad I bought these and made Shalgam Aur Mutter Ki Subzi for my family. This gave me an opportunity to share a few memories from my childhood with my kids. Also I made this Subzi in my cast iron skillet and the taste was phenomenal.

Ingredients:

4 medium Turnips(Shalgam) washed , peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen peas
2-3 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 large tomato chopped
1" ginger grated
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp Coriander-cumin powder
salt to taste
oil

For the garnish

freshly chopped Cilantro
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Preparation : Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter add ginger ,chopped tomatoes and slit chillies. Fry for about 2 minutes. Then add the dry spices (turmeric, red chilli, coriander-cumin powder, salt). Give it a good stir. Add the cubed turnips. Mix it well. Add about 1/4 cup water and let it cook covered on medium heat till its almost cooked (8-10 minutes).Do check it from time to time and stir it as well. Add the frozen peas and mix it well. Cook covered till the turnips are fully cooked.(About 4-5 minutes). Take it off the heat and add lime juice. Mix it well. Garnish with freshly chopped Cilantro. Serve with Phulkas ,Roti or Parathas. Could be served as a side dish along with dal and rice as well. This recipe serves 4-6.

Eggless Chocolate Avocado Cake - Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cake

2013-02-06T14:01:00.001-08:00

Though I have a few chocolate cake recipes on my blog, I always get requests for recipes of Eggless Cakes. So I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. This recipe which I tried from Joy the baker is a keeper . I loved the cake and the fact that it uses Avocado and unless someone told you wouldn't even know it has avocado. It just so happened that I had a couple Avocados, and I was looking for a cake recipe and this is what I found. This is a great cake for Valentine's Day ! I would even fill and frost it with chocolate ganache. I'm still not too sure about the Avocado butter cream yet. Maybe someday , I might give it a try. Until then enjoy this almost guilt free treat.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt *
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup mashed avocado( about 1 medium Avocado)
2 cups water
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

* The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp salt, I cut it by half. She has used Avocado Butter cream frosting and I have frosted my cake with chocolate butter cream frosting. These are the only changes I have made.

Preparation:

Preheat Oven to 350 degree F . Grease and flour two 8"or 9" round pans.
In a big bowl Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa together and keep it aside.
In a another bowl add oil, water, the mashed avocado,vinegar and Vanilla extract. Mix it well. Add sugar and whisk it well.
Now add the wet mix to the dry and whisk it until smooth.
Pour the batter into the greased cake pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool for about 15 minutes. Then invert them onto cooling racks to cool completely.
This cake can be enjoyed as is or you could frost and fill it with the icing of your choice. I have used Chocolate butter cream. Joy the Baker has frosted her cake with Alton Brown's Avocado Butter cream frosting.

Cinnamon - Ginger and Chocolate Chip Pull-Apart Bread

2013-01-31T21:30:00.000-08:00

It was such a beautiful experience to be able to bake this Pull-Apart Bread. This is my entry for January's "We Knead To Bake" bread event. I was inspired by the enthusiastic, creative and passionate bread bakers of "We knead to Bake". I'm so proud to be part of this group.

Now what is "We knead to Bake" you might ask. Aparna Balasubramanian who is the author of the blog - "My Diverse Kitchen" came up with this brilliant idea of getting like minded food bloggers together who needed some kind of motivation to be able to bake bread on a regular basis. So this group was created to share our experiences and enjoy this process of bread making. She gave this group a beautiful and fitting name " We Knead to Bake ".

We are required to bake one bread a month and this month's theme is "Pull-Apart Loaf". You can find more details here. She gave us the recipe and we could use any filling of our choice. I have used Cinnamon, Ginger and chocolate Chip filling. I made this bread keeping in mind what my kids would like as its no point baking something and everybody at home cannot enjoy it. Also I was sure if I just add chocolate chips to this recipe its guaranteed to be an instant hit with the kids. They were as excited as I was and they couldn't wait to pull this bread apart. LOL ! Thankfully I baked two loaves, as I had a smaller loaf pan. I was extremely pleased by the outcome. I was very nervous to begin with but now I'm hoping to bake more of this delightful pull-apart bread. Next time though I want to bake a savory bread for myself and hubby. For the kids I'll bake a sweet version again.

Ingredients:

For the Dough

1/2 cup warm milk
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 3/4 to 3 cups All purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tbsp butter soft at room temperature
3/4 cup milk (+ 2 tbsp to brush over the bread)

For the Filling

1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Chocolate chips
3 tbsp melted butter

Preparation:

In a bowl dissolve 1 tsp sugar and 2 tsp yeast in 1/2 cup of warm milk. Keep it aside for 5 minutes or until the yeast mixture bubbles up.
I used a food processor to knead the dough but you could knead it by hand as well. In the food processor bowl , take 2 3/4 cups flour , sugar , butter and pulse a few times to mix. Add the yeast mixture and 3/4 cup milk and knead till you get a soft , smooth and pliable dough. If the dough is sticky sprinkle little flour at a time until you get a non-sticky dough. (I did add a little dough as my dough got a little sticky).
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well oiled bowl, turning the dough so that it is coated with the oil as well. Cover and keep it aside to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours till it is almost double in volume.
Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Now deflate the dough and shape it into a square. Next roll it to a 12" X 12" Square. Brush the square with melted butter. Next sprinkle the mixture of brown sugar ,cinnamon and ginger. Now sprinkle your chocolate chips. Use your rolling pin to lightly press your topping onto the dough.
Use a pizza cutter and slice the dough from top to bottom into 6 even strips.(Don't panic, they do not have to be perfect). Now stack each strip on top of the other one by one with the topping facing upwards. You could use the 1st and the last strip and stack them in the middle so that it looks neater and almost perfect.
Using a sharp knife cut straight down through the stack into 6 equal stacks.
Grease and lightly flour a 9" X 5" loaf pan or in my case I have used two 7" x 3" loaf pans. Layer the square slices cut sides down into the loaf pan(s). Cover the loaf pan (along with the slices) with a towel and keep it aside to rise for 1 hour.
Lightly brush the top of the loaf with some milk. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for about 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Rava Idli- Steamed and Savory Semolina Cake

2013-01-22T12:17:00.003-08:00

This recipe is another favorite of mine as it can be prepared in a jiffy. This is a quick and easy recipe to make Idlis. This requires no soaking,no grinding and no fermenting .No making any preparations ahead of time. This is an excellent goto recipe if you are out of ideas and need something which could be prepared in minutes and everybody would love it at the same time. This could be made for breakfast, lunch , dinner, brunch or just for snack. Idlis are very versatile in this regard. Just serve them with chutney or ketchup and you are good to go. This can also be packed for school lunches as well or take it to work. They travel so well and if you have leftovers which I doubt just steam them in a microwave for 25-30 secs and they are good as freshly made.

In my house my younger one who is five has a newly acquired love for Idlis and Mulaga Podi (chutney powder). He is my picky eater. So I keep coming with creative ways for him to enjoy his meals. In these Idlis you could add grated carrots and other veggies as well. Add them towards the end, just before you add the Eno fruit salt. And, yes I love Eno fruit salt. It makes fermenting so easy- Just a matter of seconds and makes our life so easy.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rava/ Sooji / Semolina
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 + 1/4 cup water *
10-12 cashews
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp white urad dal
2 green chillies chopped
2-3 curry leaves
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
freshly chopped cilantro
1 tsp Eno fruit salt

* First add 1/2 cup water and if the consistency is too thick, add a little bit of water at a time (not more than 1/4 cup though). For my recipe, I used the entire 1/2 cup water + 1/4 cup water =3/4 cup water. Its always easy to add water but once its added cannot be removed.)

Preparation

Heat oil in a skillet /Kadhai. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add urad dal, followed by curry leaves and cashews. Next add the green chillies. Fry for about 30 seconds. Add Hing and immediately add Rava/Sooji and roast on medium to low flame for about 2 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and allow it to cool.
In the meanwhile get the Idli maker /steamer ready. Add water in the steamer and allow it to boil. Make sure you add just enough water and not too much so that it does not touch the bottom most plate/tray of the Idli maker. Grease the Idli plates/trays.
Add yogurt and water to the roasted and seasoned Sooji. Whisk it well. Make sure there are no lumps. Add freshly chopped Cilantro leaves and salt to taste.
Now the Eno fruit salt is added just before you are ready to make the Idlis. Add it to the Idli batter. Mix it well. Spoon the batter into the rounded moulds of the Idli plates. This recipe yields 12-16 Idlis depending on the size of the Idli plates/trays. Carefully place the Idli stand into the Idli Maker/ Steamer/. Cover and let it steam cook for about 10 minutes.
Insert a knife/tooth pick into the center of the Idli and check if Idlis are done. If the knife /tooth pick comes out clean , they are ready. Take it off the heat. Let it cool. Using a spoon, scoop off the Idli's from the Idli trays and serve. These could be served with your choice of chutney, sambhar or Mulaga Podi (Chutney powder).

Broccoli Ke Pakode - Broccoli Fritters

2013-01-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

On a dull, gloomy and rainy day what's the first thing which comes to your mind,especially if you are a foodie like me - Garma garam pakode(piping hot fritters) with a cup of hot and steaming adrak wali chai (ginger tea). Made these Broccoli fritters and cardamom and ginger tea to make this dull day into somewhat of a happy day.

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups Besan/chickpea flour/gram flour
2 1/2 cups broccoli florets (about 20 florets)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder)
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1/2 tsp baking soda (optional)
salt to taste
1/2 to about 3/4 cup water
Oil for frying

Preparation:

Heat oil in a frying pan/ kadai . Make sure there's enough oil to deep fry these pakoras/pakode/fritters.
In a bowl mix all the above ingredients except broccoli and Oil. Mix it well making sure there are no lumps. Start by adding only 1/2 cup water. You are looking for a thick consistency so that the batter gets evenly coated onto the broccoli florets. Now add the broccoli. Mix it well. Adjust the salt. (If you think the batter its too thick feel free to add just a little water maybe 1 tbsp at a time is a good idea).
To check for oil to be at the right frying temperature .For this take a small piece of bread or maybe a drop of this batter and carefully drop into the oil. If it touches the surface and rises up very quickly, the oil is too hot. Reduce the heat and wait for the oil to get to a lower temperature(heat). If the bread/batter is still at the surface and takes too much time to float then the oil is not hot enough.Increase the heat and do the temperature check again ( I know it sounds a bit primitive , but believe me it works.) Ideally I would say if the bread crumb touches the surface and comes up in about 20-30 seconds, its at the right temperature.
Now very carefully drop a spoonful of this fritter batter into the oil, one a at time. Do not over crowd, Add about 4-5 fritters/pakode at a time. Fry till they are a beautiful golden brown color. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place it on a plate covered with about 2 layers of paper towels to absorb all the excess oil. Repeat this process until done.
Serve these piping hot Broccoli ke Pakode /Broccoli fritters with mint and Cilantro chutney or ketchup. It goes well with steaming hot cup of ginger and cardamom tea. This recipe serves 4(or not ) and you get about 20 medium size fritters.

Khaman Dhokla - Steamed and Savory chickpea flour cake

2013-01-13T15:04:00.001-08:00

This is a delicacy of Gujarat. Khaman Dhokla is a snack which could very well make an awesome breakfast or have it with your evening tea. If you have guests coming over and want to make something which is quick, easy and delicious- think no further , this is the snack you should make. I made this for breakfast today and my kids and hubby loved it. Not to mention I was the most happiest as I was craving for these for quite some time and today was able to make them. Now, if you want a piece of this soft, spongy and delicious Khaman Dhokla, what are you waiting for..go ahead make them as soon as you can and enjoy.

Ingredients:
For the Batter:

1 cup besan/chickpea flour/gram flour
1 tsp ginger - green chilli paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Eno fruit salt
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

For the tempering:

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
4-5 curry leaves
3-4 green chillies slit lengthwise.

Preparation:

In a bowl mix together chickpea flour, yogurt, water, turmeric, salt, ginger-green chilli paste and oil. Mix it well and make sure there are no lumps. (At this point you are adding all the above Batter ingredients except ENO. - this will be added just before you are ready to steam your Khaman Dhokla.)
Heat some water in a pressure cooker or steamer. Grease a deep plate/thali/container which should be able to fit into the pressure cooker/steamer with the lid being covered. Keep it aside.
Now to the above Khaman Dhokla batter, add the most important ingredient- Eno fruit salt. Mix it well. Eno salt acts as a fermenting(Khaman) agent and instantly ferments the batter. Immediately pour the batter onto the greased thali. Cover and steam cook for 12 -14 minutes. (If you are using a pressure cooker close the lid without the whistle ). Check if done by inserting a tooth pick or knife in the center of the dhokla. If it comes out clean , then its done. Take it off the heat and let it cool.
In the meanwhile heat oil in a small pan/kadhai. Add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the sesame seeds. Add the curry leaves and the slit green chillies. Fry it for about half a minute. Take it off the heat and pour it over the Khaman Dhokla. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Now cut the Dhokla into squares or diamonds. Serve it with green cilantro chutney, tamarind and date chutney or ketchup.

Black-eyed Peas with freshly ground spices

2013-01-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

It is said that eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day brings prosperity in the new year. Some believe it brings you good luck. I did make it couple days later. Hoping it still brings me and all my readers some prosperity and good luck.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried Black-eyed peas /Lobiya/Chowli
1 cup tomato puree
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
oil

For the freshly ground Spice blend

1 tblsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 black peppercorns
4 whole dried red chillies
1/2" cinnamon stick
3 cloves

Dry roast all the above whole dry spices in a pan.Cool and grind in a food processor until well blended. I like my texture to be a bit coarse. Keep this spice blend aside.

Preparation:

Soak the dried black-eyed peas in about 5-6 cups water and keep it over night. If you are pressed for time as I was , I did the quick soak method. I heated 6 cups water in a pan and when it came to a rolling boil, got it off the flame and added the washed dried black eyed peas. Cover and keep this aside for about 30-40 minutes. In the time its soaking I had enough time to make my tomato puree and my spice blend.Now in a pressure cooker add the soaked black-eyed peas with the water. Add salt to taste and turmeric powder. Add 2 cups more water so that the black-eyed peas do not get burnt. Cook for 5-6 whistles or until the Black-eyed peas are tender. Take it off the heat and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan or Kadai. Add the tomato puree and let it cook on medium flame for about 3-4 minutes. Stir from time to time. Soon the oil will separate which indicates the puree is cooked. Add your freshly ground spices. Mix it well. Add the cooked Black-eyed peas along with the cooking liquid into the pan. Mix it well. Adjust the salt. (If you are planning to serve this with rice, I do add about 1-2 cups water at this point and then bring it to a boil.) Cover and cook on low heat for about 7-8 minutes.
Black-eyed peas with freshly ground spices is ready to be served. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve it with cumin rice or plain rice. Goes well with hot phulkas/roti/chapati (Indian flat bread) as well. This recipes serves 6-8. If you happen to have leftovers , it tastes just as good. Especially on a cold wintry day, just enjoy a warm bowl of this Spicy black-eyed peas with some chopped red onions, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Badam aur Gajar ki Kheer - Almond & Carrot Kheer

2013-01-03T11:02:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

What better way to begin the new year other than with this lip-smacking and delicious dessert !!! Badam kheer or almond kheer is best enjoyed during winter in India. The consistency is not as thick as Rice Kheer or Semiya Kheer (Seviyan). You could also call it Badam Milk - Almond and Cardamom infused Milk. Traditionally they use Saffron. It gives it a beautiful color and makes it more exotic. Since I did not have saffron, I have used grated carrot for that beautiful color and perhaps making it healthier in the process.

Ingredients:

3 cups milk
1/4 cup almonds(Badam)
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup sugar
handful broken cashews
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp Ghee/unsalted butter

Preparation :

Soak the almonds in boiling hot water for about 10-15 minutes and peel them. (Be very careful here as to not burn yourself with the hot water).
Next grind the grated carrot and peeled almonds to a paste. Use 1/4 cup milk as well. This makes the grinding much easier.
In a thick bottomed pan /Kadai melt the ghee and fry the cashews. Next add the almond/carrot paste. Fry on low-medium heat for about a minute. Now add the remaining milk. Bring it to a boil on medium flame. Add sugar and cardamom powder. Let it simmer on low heat for about 6-8 minutes.
Badam aur Gajar Ki Kheer is ready to be served. This could be served warm or chilled. It just tastes divine either way.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2012-11-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

I know I say this too often now, that this again is another of my quick and easy recipe. What can I do I just fall in love with recipes which could be made in a jiffy and still taste delicious. I have used Ragu cheesy double cheddar sauce in this recipe. You could use Cheddar cheese or Velvetta cheese if you do not have this. Enjoy this soup.

Ingredients :

3 cups Broccoli florets (steamed or blanched) *
1/2 cup Ragu Cheesy double Cheddar sauce
1 small red onion finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup All purpose flour
2 cups low fat milk
2-3 tbsp butter
black pepper
salt

* If you want to save some more time, just cook/steam the broccoli in microwave for 3-4 minutes. I just wash the broccoli and cook/steam it covered. No need to add any water as when you wash the broccoli it will retain some water.

Preparation :

In a saucepan melt butter on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute till you no longer get the raw smell.
Add flour and mix it really well and cook it for about couple minutes ( Keep stirring continuously or else the flour will stick to the bottom of the pan and will burn easily.) The flour will get a beautiful golden color
Add milk and mix it well making sure no lumps are formed. Next add the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Add your broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes.
Finally add the Ragu cheesy double Cheddar Sauce. Mix it well. Let it simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Your Broccoli and Cheese soup is ready to be served. This recipe serves 4.

Diwali Sweets- Ladoos

2012-11-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

Happy festivities !!! If you are looking for a recipe for Ladoos, look no further. Have five different kinds of ladoos to choose from. If you are like me and still looking around for last minute ideas for Diwali sweets, these recipes could come handy. Hoping all of you have a joyous Diwali. Shubh Deepawali

Besan Rava Ladoos- Ladoos made of Chickpea flour and Semolina

Besan Ladoos- Chickpea flour ladoos

Rava ladoos - Semolina/Sooji Ladoos

Poha Ladoos- Aval/Flattened Rice Flakes Ladoos

Dalia Dal Ladoos- Roasted Gram/Maladdu

Dalia Dal Ladoos / Maladdu

2012-11-12T08:10:00.002-08:00

Wishing you all a Very Happy, Prosperous and Safe Diwali.

It's that time of the year already. Time does have the tendency to go unbelievably fast. This used to be and still is my favorite festival of all. Diwali is a time when I'm so thankful for the gift of family here and back home. Growing up in India I remember making preparations for Diwali a month in advance. People cleaning their houses and maybe getting them painted. Everybody looked forward to wearing their festive best clothes on Diwali day. Lots and lots of delicious sweets and savory snacks. Of course as kids we had fireworks Kids and adults would get together in the evening and light all the fireworks. It would be a beautiful display and the sky would be all lit up magnificently. It is the festival of lights so its an usual sight to see the houses have diyas lit up. Some have the diyas adorning the entrance to the house or apartments. Not to forget the beautiful Rangolis welcoming you to their house. Its a five day festival. People exchange sweets and visit family and friends. Have lots of happy and sweet memories. How my heart yearns to just magically be transferred to my beautiful and vibrant India(Mumbai) and be with my extended family this Holiday season.

Ingredients:

2 cups Dalia dal - Roasted Gram
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup warm ghee
1/4 cup cashews fried in 1 tbsp ghee

Preparation:

Dry roast Dalia dal on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Grind and keep it aside. Grind the sugar so as to make it a super fine consistency.
Now add the ground dalia dal , sugar, fried cashews and the warm ghee.
Mix it well and make ladoos immediately. This makes 21 ladoos.

Kakdi ki Subzi - Tangy and Spicy Cucumber

2012-11-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

I always associated Cucumbers with Salads and Raitas(Dip). I would never have thought about cooking with cucumbers/kakdi. This is my sister's recipe. Once on a phone call with my sister I happened to mention to her I have no vegetables in the house and it was almost time to make lunch. I said my fridge just has some cucumbers, tomatoes and jalapenos. She said make Kakdi (Cucumber) ki subzi. That was the first time I heard of such kind of subzi. I made it and it was super delicious and super easy to make. I've been making this subzi since then and its become a regular at out house now. It goes well with hot phulkas (Indian bread).

Ingredients :

2-3 medium sized Cucumbers (Kakdi) peeled and chopped
1 large tomato chopped
*2 jalapenos chopped
2-3 curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder
salt to taste
oil

* You can reduce the heat of this dish by just using 1 jalapeno. If you do not have jalapenos use 2-3 green chillies instead.

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When they crackle add curry leaves followed by tomatoes and chopped jalapenos.Let it cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Now add the dry spices- turmeric powder , red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder and salt. Give it a good stir. Add the chopped cucumber and mix it well. Cook covered on medium-low heat for about 7-8 minutes. Just keep stirring from time to time and sprinkle a little water if required.
When cooked take it off the heat and garnish with freshly chopped Cilantro. Serve this tangy and spicy Kakdi (Cucumber) Ki Subzi with hot phulkas.

Peanut butter and Nutella Milkshake

2012-10-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

This could be a quick and delicious breakfast option if you are pressed for time. It's a great snack. It's easy and so delicious that the kids love it. I must admit I wasn't really into peanut butter and could not really understand how its such a favorite here in the US. But now so many years later I'm transformed, now I absolutely have to have a jar of peanut butter in my pantry. My kids love Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches and I from time to time eat them too. It's an easy and delicious snack or breakfast option. With kids constantly on the go from school and back and their extra curricular activities, we busy mothers do need such easy choices.

Another thing I also have in my pantry is Nutella . It's another of my kids favorite snack/breakfast option. I just make plain Nutella sandwiches or make Peanut Butter and Nutella sandwiches. They are awesome. So it wasn't a surprise when my kids suggested we make Peanut butter and Nutella milkshake. We tried making it and loved it.

Ingredients :

2 cups milk
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp Nutella
1 cup crushed ice

Preparation : Blend all the above ingredients in a blender until smooth. That's it. Your Peanut Butter and Nutella Milkshake is ready. This recipe serves 2.

Poha / Rice flakes Ladoo

2012-10-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

These ladoos are a must try if you haven't tasted these Poha ladoos. Like me you will be mesmerized and surprised as I was myself, the foodie that I am. I was surprised as to how easy it was to make them and loved the texture and crunch . It did not feel like it was Poha. Poha being a staple in my pantry, how come it took me so long to make these little delectable delights. But as they say its "Better to be late than never ". I had recently heard about these ladoos from my mother in law. So decided to give it a try for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Since it was a big hit at my house , I'm surely going to make them again for Diwali. If you are like me then I know you don't really need an occasion or excuse to make these. I suggest just make them whenever you feel like and see for yourself whether what I'm bragging about these ladoos is true or not. Would love to hear from you. In my house these ladoos barely made it to the next day. My 9 year old came back from school yesterday and asked me "Mommy can you make more of those Poha ladoos ?." That's what I'm about to make today.

Ingredients :

2 cups thick Poha/Aval /flattened Rice flakes
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup warm unsalted butter/ghee
1/4 cup chopped almonds fried in 1 tbsp butter/ghee

* You could use regular granulated sugar- just grind it once to make it super fine. Also feel free to use any kind of nuts.

Preparation :

Dry Roast Poha / Rice flakes on medium heat till they change color to a beautiful golden brown. Then take it off the heat and grind. Keep it aside. Make sure its medium to low heat as the Poha burns very easily.
Fry the chopped almonds in about 1 tbsp butter /ghee. Keep it aside as well.
Now you have to just mix all the ingredients in a bowl - dry roasted Poha , fried nuts, sugar and warm butter/ghee. Shape them immediately into ladoos. Just take a little of this mix into your palms and shape them into round ladoos. Its good to make them immediately. If the mix dries up a little, DO NOT PANIC just add about 1 tbsp warm butter and resume. That's it.
This recipe yields 11 ladoos. They are so irresistibly good that I'm afraid you will have no leftovers. If you do then just store them in an air tight container and they are good for a week.

Karele ki subzi - Bitter Melon in tomato and peanut sauce

2012-09-12T21:08:00.001-07:00

I love Karela or bitter gourd / bitter melon. Every time I see it at the produce market I end up buying them. The only problem is I'm the only one in my house who loves them. Because of its bitter taste most people stay away from them. I could say its an acquired taste - some love them and some cannot stand them at all.

I wish everybody could give Karela a try because it has tons of health benefits.It has antiviral, antimalarial, anticancer and cardio protective properties. Also its found to be beneficial for people with diabetes.

Ingredients :

4 karela /bitter gourds / bitter melons
2 tomatoes chopped
2-3 green chillies slit
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp cumin -coriander powder
1 tsp amchoor powder(dry mango powder)
1/4 cup toasted and ground peanuts
salt to taste
3-4 tbsp oil

Preparation:

Cut the Karela / bitter melons length wise and scrape out the seeds which are discarded. Then slice the karela and sprinkle salt on them liberally. Keep them aside for about half an hour. Salt will help to release most of the bitter juices from the karela. Now wash it really well.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the tomatoes and green chillies. Add the dry spices- turmeric, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder, amchoor powder and salt. Mix it well. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes till the oil separates and then add the sliced karela. Stir it well. Add about 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on medium flame for about 8-10 minutes. Just about when the Karela is almost cooked add the ground peanuts and mix it well. Cook uncovered on slow flame till karela is cooked (about 2-3 minutes).
Karele ki subzi - Bitter Melon in tomato and peanut sauce is ready to be served. Garnish with freshly chopped Cilantro. Enjoy it as a side dish with some cumin rice and dal or with hot phulkas / rotis.

Zucchini Malai Kofta

2012-09-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are not familiar with Koftas, they could be described as meatless meatballs or vegetable balls. These koftas are then cooked in a creamy sauce and served with any Indian bread or rice. This might look like a laborious recipe, but once you have tasted this delicious and classic dish you will want to make them again and again.

This is my mom's recipe. She makes these koftas with bottle gourd (lauki/doodhi). I've made her recipe with Zucchini since I had them and I'm trying to find more and more recipes with this summer vegetable. I happen to get them for free- one of our family friends has her own vegetable garden and this has been a good season for Zucchinis.

Ingredients :

For the koftas

3 cups of grated Zucchini
1/4 cup grated Paneer (Indian Cottage cheese)
2 green chillies chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp cumin - coriander powder
1/2 cup chickpea flour / besan
1/4 cup bread crumbs
corn starch (optional)
salt to taste
Oil for frying

For the Gravy :

1 cup onion puree
1 1/2 cups tomato puree
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 bay leaves
1 black cardamom
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp cumin- coriander powder
10-12 cashews soaked in milk(grind)
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
oil

Preparation :

Making the Koftas - A very important tip to remember to make perfect koftas is to squeeze all the juices out of the vegetable(zucchini). This could be retained and used to knead the dough or use it in the gravy.

Mix all the ingredients mentioned under koftas except oil. Make it like dough and gently make 16-18 lemon size balls. These are then deep fried on medium flame until golden brown. The oil should not be too hot or not hot enough. We are trying to cook the zucchini as well while frying the koftas. Now if the koftas fall apart feel free to add a little chickpea flour/bread crumbs. Sometimes when the Zucchini is not squeezed well it might retain a little water. DO NOT PANIC. Now the corn starch comes to the rescue. Just roll the koftas onto a plate sprinkled with corn starch and fry. Keep the koftas aside.

Making the Creamy and rich gravy

Heat oil in a pan/ Kadai . Add the bay leaves and black cardamom. When the cardamom splutters, add the onion puree. Fry on medium high till its turns golden. Add the ginger garlic paste. Fry for about a minute and add tomato puree. Stir well. Now add all the dry spices- turmeric, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder and salt. Let it cook on medium until the oil separates(this is a clue your gravy is cooked). Now add about 2 cups water. Let it boil and then add the koftas. Let the koftas cook in the gravy covered for about 5 minutes on medium - low flame. Now add the cream. Stir well. Add the ground cashews-milk paste. Give it a good stir. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Your Zucchini Malai Kofta is ready. Serve it with any Indian bread (Naan, Parathas, Phulkas, Roti ) or with cumin rice.

Neer Dosa - Rice Crêpes

2012-08-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Neer Dosa are Rice Crêpes which are popular in Karnataka in India. 'Neer' literally translates to water in

Tulu. Neer Dosa are made with watered down rice batter, that explains the name. These Dosa could be served for breakfast with coconut or tomato chutney. They could be enjoyed for lunch / dinner too along with your favorite vegetable side dish or for the non-vegetarians it pairs up well with a chicken or fish dish.

I do have to warn you, these Neer Dosa / Crêpes are very addictive. You can not just have one. Once you taste these beautiful , fluffy and super white crêpes, you seem to lose count of how many you had. Just saying Don't tell me , I did not warn you.

I learnt to make these Dosa recently from one of my friend from Mangalore. Though the foodie in me always loved eating them whenever I was invited for lunch/dinner at our friends. Now the blogger in me wanted to try these dosa first hand and be able to make them and eat them whenever I desired. Since my hubby and kids love them as much as I do I was ready to make them. Of course it gives me a recipe for my blog as well.

Those of you who have attempted to make these and were not happy with the results and for those who have never attempted to make them. I would suggest try at least one more time. I was scared myself since the batter is so watery in consistency I wasn't sure whether it would work for me. But if you had an opportunity to taste this delicacy you will be so much in love with them and would love to try to make them at home.

Ingredients:

2 cups Sona Masoori rice
3 1/2 cups water
salt to taste
oil

Preparation :

Wash and Soak the rice in about 4-5 cups of water for 3-4 hours or overnight. Drain the water and grind rice with 1 cup of water in a grinder. Add salt and the remaining 2 1/2 cups water and mix it well. It should be a watery or say butter milk consistency.
Now heat a Dosa tava or griddle. Keep it on medium flame. Take a paper towel dipped in oil and just wipe the hot tava with it carefully. ( This prepares your griddle for making the dosa and they do not stick onto them.)
Now take a ladleful of the batter and pour it onto the Tava/griddle. The way I do it is I pour the batter in a circle towards the outer edge of the tava and the batter being of such watery consistency just flows towards the center. Now apply some oil around the dosa. Cover and cook for about 30 secs. Then with a spatula just go around the dosa and gently fold it in half and then another half. They look like pretty lace handkerchiefs.
Continue making the the dosa as above. This recipe yields 25 medium size dosa. We enjoyed our dosa with coconut chutney.

Helpful Tips:

Making Neer Dosa with Non- Stick Pan : Most of my friends who make these Dosa , use a Non-stick pan to make them. A non-stick pan not only makes it easier to make Neer dosa but takes less oil as well. On a Non-stick pan just pour a ladleful of batter and gently rotate the pan using the handle. This ensures the batter is spread in a circular manner and makes uniform dosa. Apply very little oil all around and cover and cook for 30 secs. Using a spatula turn into a semi circle and fold again into a triangle. That's it. (I don't own a non-stick - I went a little crazy I must say and tried to be too heath conscious and got rid of all the non-stick cook ware in my kitchen. Its been like 4 years now. Also the non-stick was almost worn out and I thought that was not healthy. )
Every time you make a dosa just stir and mix the batter really well.
Keeping the Tava/Griddle on medium heat is the key. If it gets too hot the dosa might start to stick to the tava. If that happens. Just scrape it off. Adjust the heat and using the paper tower dipped in oil, wipe the tava again. Start over again.
When making the Dosa- the first 2-3 might not be the way you wanted- don't lose heart- it gets better. So just make the first 1-2 dosa small (Use less batter for the first couple dosa / crêpes).
If you think the batter needs more water feel free to add a little say another 1/4 cup. If its too much water they are hard to make as well.
It might need practice. I do make fermented dosa (rice and urad dal) and Rava dosa on a regular basis so making this did not seem hard.

Zucchini in Tomato Sauce- Zucchini ki Subzi (No Onion No Garlic)

2012-08-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Zucchini is a beautiful summer vegetable. No wonder you see more of it around this time of the year. One of my friend has her own backyard vegetable garden. Since she has a green thumb, there is an abundance of Zucchinis, tomatoes, peppers, okra, green beans, cucumbers in her garden. Thanks to her I get all these fresh vegetables. This Zucchini is from her garden.

This recipe is without onion and garlic. Feel free to use it in this recipe though. I'm just trying to have a few recipes without using onion and garlic. Its not that we have stopped eating it any more. In India there are certain days which are auspicious to the Hindus. On those days they cook without using onion/garlic. Some seem to follow this and some don't - to each his own. As for me I don't really follow it but I would like my blog to be able to cater to a majority of the people.

Also I love experimenting with food and try to have a minimalist approach. Just because I have so many ingredients(spices) I could use in my Indian cooking I don't really have to use all of them in the same dish- do I. Just a thought.

Ingredients :

1 medium size Zucchini cubed
2 large tomatoes chopped
2-3 green chilies chopped
6-8 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin-coriander powder
3-4 tbsp Olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation :

Heat oil in a pan or Kadai. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves followed by tomatoes and green chillies. Let it cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Next add the dry spices- turmeric, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder and give it a good stir. Add the chopped Zucchini. Stir it well. Season it with salt. Add about 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on medium to low flame for about 20- 25 minutes or until the zucchini is cooked. Check from time to time.
Your Zucchini Ki subzi is ready to be served. Serve this delicious Zucchini in tomato sauce with Parathas, Naan or hot phulkas (Roti /chapati). This goes well with plain rice as well.

NASCAR Cake - Car Racing theme Cake.

2012-08-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

I made this cake for my son's 9th birthday. He is into car racing - NASCAR. He follows this sport religiously and Jeff Gordon is his favorite driver. He drives the #24 car. So it's a no brainer whenever I have to bake a cake for his birthday- it has to be car racing theme. Jay's Birthday was on August 12th but just got around to post this today. Well they do say its Better to be late than Never.

Happy Birthday Jay , Love you !!!

Its a 9" Vanilla Cake torted and filled with buttercream Icing. The Frosting is buttercream as well. I have used the Wilton's #233 grass tip for the grass and the race track is covered with Wilton's Black Sugar Sprinkles.

Rooh Afza and Banana Milkshake

2012-08-08T13:44:00.001-07:00

Rooh Afza is a concentrated and sweetened rose syrup which can be added to plain chilled milk and is a great beverage for summer. Kids love this refreshing drink because of its beautiful strawberry pink color. I always have a bottle of Rooh Afza in my pantry. Rooh Afza literally translates into "Refresh the soul". Especially during Ramadan lot of people break their fast in the evening with a Rooh Afza drink- It can be added to plain water and made into a sherbet or can be served as a milkshake.

Ingredients:

2 bananas chopped

2 cups milk

2 tbsp Rooh Afza syrup

1 cup ice cubes

Preparation :

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. This recipe serves 4.