Enjoy Indian Food

Bread Pakoda

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:02:00 +0000

When you say "Bread Pakoda", you don't really think of it as a "light" food. I have tried to modify the original recipe by using Pam cooking spray instead of deep frying it.

I first had bread pakoda at SEEPZ canteen. They served it with their delicious chutney. I made it myself after my marriage and was shocked to see how much oil was gulped down by that bread while frying. So I never made it ever again. But then just the other day, I thought of shallow frying it.

Bread Pakoda
Ingredients

For Stuffing
2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, mashed
1/4 cup green peas, boiled (optional)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 green chili, minced (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice

4 sandwich thins

For batter
1/2 cup besan/chickpea flour
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp paprika
A pinch of baking soda
water as needed to make batter

Pam Cooking Spray

Method
1. Mix mashed potatoes with remaining ingredients to make stuffing. Set aside.
2. Make a thick batter with besan and remaining ingredients. Set aside.
3. Heat tawa/pan.
4. Open each sandwich thin. Stuff potato mixture. Close and dip in the batter so it is fully covered with besan.
5. Using cooking spray, shallow fry all the thins.
6. Preheat oven to 350 F
7. Transfer cooked pakodas onto a baking tray. Bake for about 10 minutes flipping once.
8. Enjoy with tomato ketchup.

Note
1. You could have used leftover potato bhaaji or fry ginger-garlic paste and then add mashed potatoes.
2. I baked it after shallow frying so the besan batter is fully cooked. Since I am not deep frying it, this step is necessary.

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Vegetable Curry with Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:15:00 +0000

I have blogged about several green curries already. One common ingredient in all these green curries is coconut. I was thinking about ways to reduce coconut and use some omega 3s. I suddenly thought about the pesto that I had frozen.

Vegetable Curry with Pesto
Ingredients
1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
A handful of crowder peas (frozen)
A handful of yellow corn (frozen)
1/2 packet stew vegetables (frozen - potatoes, celery, carrots and pearl onions)
1/2 packet leafy greens (frozen - collard greens, kale, mustard greens)
6-7 grape tomatoes, halved
6-7 red radishes, quartered

1/2 cup Arugula Pesto

1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dhansaak masala or garam masala

Method
1. In a deep saucepan, add all the vegetables with turmeric powder and 1/2 cup water.
2. Cover and let it cook - without letting it too mushy. Add water if needed
3. Once the veggies are cooked, add paprika, dhansak or garam masala and pre-made pesto.
4. Add water to obtain the desired consistency. Add salt. Bring to boil.
5. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.
6. Serve over a warm mound of rice.

Note -
1. You can use any veggies of your choice. I tend to go overboard and add tons of veggies.
2. In this experiment, I didn't add any oil.

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Arugula Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:05:00 +0000

The only goal of this pesto was to finish off that arugula without getting wilted in the fridge. But once the pesto was ready, I used it not only for the ubiquitous pasta but also for making vegetable curry and daal!!:-D

Arugula Pesto
Ingredients
4 cups arugula leaves
1 cup walnut halves
4-5 garlic cloves
salt to taste
black pepper
1 lemon, freshly squeezed

Method
1. Roast walnut halves on medium heat. Let it cool down.
2. Grind with the remaining ingredients.
3. Refrigerate till ready to use.

Note -
1. I pour this pesto in small containers and freeze till ready to use.

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Rainbow Sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:07:00 +0000

This is just a variation of my veggie wraps. I use flaxseeds bead from Whole Foods or Ezkiel bread from Food for life for making these sandwiches. I toast the bread lightly before stuffing them. These sandwiches make a good lunch item.

Rainbow Sandwiches

Ingredients

4 slices of Flaxseed bread or Ezkiel bread, toasted lightly

curry hummus (homemade or store bought)

veggies to stuff

cucumber, thinly sliced

red, yellow, orange bell peppers, cut into rings

spinach leaves

Pickled turnip, thinly sliced

Method

1. Toast the bread slices.

2. Spread hummus.

3. Stuff the veggies.

4. Cut into halves

5. Use toothpicks to hold.

Note -

1. I generally make hummus at home to avoid oil that is added to the store bought hummus.

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Split Pea Idli

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:33:00 +0000

Split pea idli served with a spoonful of agave necar

I have changed the ratio of daal and rice here. I also used green split daal + urad daal combo.

Split Pea Idli
Ingredients
3/4 cup green split pea daal
1 1/4 cup urad daal
1 cup brown rice
1/2 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds

salt to taste

1/2 tsp baking soda (optional, only needed if the batter doesn't ferment due to cold weather)

Suggested Accompaniment
Sambar
Chutney
or
Agave Nectar (Gudiya's fav combo)

Method
1. Soak daals, rice and methi seeds overnight.
2. Grind to a smooth paste adding salt. Do not add too much water.
3. Cover and let it ferment for 8 hours.
4. Steam idlies in the idli containers.
5. Serve hot idlies with sambar

Note
1. If the batter is not fermented, just before making idlies, you can add baking soda.

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Mirchichi Koshimbeer

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:23:00 +0000

Few bell peppers and a half-used tub of baby spinach were awaiting my intervention. I wanted to make a salad. Why not our good old koshimbeer? - I thought. I decided against fodNi - tempering. But if you like, go ahead and season it with tempered oil with cumin seeds and asafoetida.

Mirchichi Koshimbeer
Bell Pepper Salad
Ingredients
2 cups Diced bell peppers - red, orange, yellow
1 cup Shredded spinach
salt to taste
2 tbsp daaNyache kooT/roasted, unsalted peanut powder
1 lemon, freshly squeezed

Method
1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Squeeze lemon and mix again.
3. Serve.

Note -
1. If desired, you can add tempered oil with cumin seeds and asafoetida

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Butternut Squash Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:57:00 +0000

This recipe is heavily influenced from my Maharashtrian heritage. It's nothing but a variation of the upaasachi bhoplyachi bhaaji. I have modified the original recipe by not using toop/ghee/clarified butter, adding turmeric powder and shredded spinach. I also used pressure cooker. I served this stew over cooked quinoa for a hearty meal.

Butternut Stew
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw, unsalted peanuts, soaked for 4 hours
4 cups butternut squash chunks, peeled
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
1 cup water
2 green chilies, slit (optional)
2 cups shredded spinach
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp shredded/grated ginger

Method
1. Soak raw peanuts in a bowl of water for at least 4 hours.
2. In a pressure cooker, add peanuts, cumin seeds, spinach, turmeric powder, ginger, green chilies - if using and water.
3. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Open the lid when steam is released completely.
4. Add 2 cups water, butternut squash and salt. Bring to boil and simmer till the squash is cooked.
5. Adjust the consistency adding more water or letting it evaporate to make it thick.
6. Served on the bed of cooked quinoa.
7. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Note
1. Butternut squash cooks quickly so I didn't add it along with the peanuts in the pressure cooker. If you want it to have mushy squash, you could add it with peanuts.

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Arugula Adai

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:03:00 +0000

Generally, I use Arugula in salads or sandwiches. But today, I decided to use it as a topping for my adai. Whenever I make adais or oothapams, I usually use all the daals that I can find in my pantry.

Arugula Adai
Arugula Pancakes
Ingredients
Soak overnight
1/4 cup urad daal
1/4 cup chana daal
1/4 cup green peas daal/split green peas
1/4 cup brown rice

You will also need
salt to taste
1/4 cup minced onion
few green chilies, chopped (optional)
A handful of Arugula leaves

Method
1. Soak all the daals and rice overnight or for 6 - 8 hours
2. Drain. Grind to a smooth paste adding water as needed. Add salt. Cover and keep it for fermentation.
3. Stir in onion and green chilies.
4. Heat a tawa/pan. Pour a ladleful of batter to make a thick dosa. Top with some arugula leaves.
5. Drizzle oil as needed. Cover and let it cook.
6. Once cooked, you can serve it as it or flip on the other side and cook for another minute or so.
7. Enjoy!

Note -
1. Arugula cooks quickly.
2. If the batter doesn't ferment or you want to use it immediately after grinding, you can add a pinch of baking soda.

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Veggie Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:56:00 +0000

January means eating healthy!!;-) It lasts for about a month. But I am hoping that at least we make better & healthier choices throughout the year. So keeping up with my new year resolution & yearly tradition, I am sharing a healthful eye-catching veggie wrap.

You can always buy a readymade spinach wrap available at the super markets. But I made my spinach wrap "fulka" style to save on oil.

Veggie Wrap
Ingredients
3 Spinach wrap - homemade or readymade
1 curry flavored hummus - homemade or readymade

Veggies
Few strips of orange, red and yellow bell peppers
Few leaves of spinach, shredded
few slices of pickled turnip (available at middle eastern stores)
few shreds of carrots

Method
1. Spread curry hummus (or any other flavored or plain hummus) on the spinach wrap.
2. Spread all the raw veggies in the middle.
3. Wrap and eat!!

Note -
1. Cut the veggies thinly so it will be easier to wrap the wrap!!
2. I made spinach wrap and hummus at home. But you can use the store bought ones too.
3. I will soon share the recipes of wrap and hummus.
4. Pickled turnip is available in glass jars at the middle easterns stores.

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Summer Rolls for winter

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:04:00 +0000

Instead of using rice noodles, I used alpha alpha sprouts. Peanut or almond butter dipping sauce is a must for these health packed rolls.

Summer Rolls

Ingredients

4 rice papers

For stuffing

A handful of alpha alpha sprouts

A handful of arugula

A handful of mung bean sprouts

Few leaves spinach, shredded

1 carrot, peeled & shredded

Few pieces of red, orange and yellow bell peppers, diced

Few sprigs of cilantro, use one sprig per roll

Suggested Accompaniment

Almond Butter Dipping Sauce

Method

1. Soak one rice paper at a time in a pie dish. As it gets pliable, keep it on a working surface. Stuff all the raw veggies in the middle.

2. Fold the top and bottom ends and then fold the side ends to make a roll.

3. Cut into two or three pieces at a slant if desired.

4. Serve with a dipping sauce

Note -

1. Soak the rice paper just enough to make it soft. Too much soaking will make it mushy and soggy.

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Almond Butter Dipping Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Almond Butter Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
1/3 cup almond butter, well stirred
1 tbsp rice vinegar
Few drops of soy sauce
1 tbsp agave necar (more or less based on the desired sweetness)
salt to taste
Few splashes of hot sauce such as Sriracha (optional)
spoonful of water - as needed
1 tsp lemon juice

Method
1. Blend all the ingredients together.

Note -
1. Stir the almond butter from the jar before taking it out.
2. You can also use peanut butter

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Forks over knives - My attempt - Chholay

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:49:00 +0000

Just a few days back, I got a chance to watch "Forks over knives" documentary. I was really impressed with Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn's research about plant based, sugar free and oil free nutrition. I won't say that I will be completely vegan with sugar free and oil free diet. But I would like to take some baby steps in that direction in the coming new year. You will see some recipes that I have been trying over last few years which are oil free and surprisingly, fit the bill.

As a first recipe, let me introduce something that my family has been enjoying and yes, it doesn't have a single drop of oil. Now, some traces of fats are already there in the beans and other ingredients as above Dr. team stresses. But I have not added any additional oil. and yes, it does taste good. As I said before, I am not going to change our diet drastically to make it oil-free, but these are some experiments that were approved by my esteemed panel of judges!! ;-) (Read daughter and husband!!)

I have several other recipes of chholays - masala chholay, paneer chholay, palak chholay, Dhingri Chholay (with mushrooms), Khatte chholay, Dry Chholay etc. But all of those recipes are different compared to the following version. You will know why!

Chholay - My Fork over knives experiment
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup soaked garbanzo beans or 1 can garbanzo beans
salt to taste
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 medium yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 12 pieces
1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste, preferably freshly made
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chholay masala or garam masala
1/4 cup finely minced cilantro

Suggested Accompaniment
Rice Medley
Bell Pepper Koshimbeer

Method
1. In a pressure pan or pressure cooker, combine chopped onion, tomato, potato pieces, ginger-garlic paste, garbanzo beans, turmeric powder, garam or chholay masala, salt and minced cilantro.
2. Add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure drop of its own.
3. Open the lid. Add 1/2 cup water. Mash few potatoes to give some thickness.
4. Adjust for salt.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Note -
1. I usually prefer soaking the garbanzo beans rather than using canned version. If using can, make sure that you rinse and drain the beans. In that case, you may need just 2 whistles of pressure cooker since they are already cooked.
2. If you like it more spice, use 2 green chilies, minced and spicy chili powder. Add it along with all the ingredients.
3. Chholay masala is available at Indian stores. I personally prefer Badshah brand but several other brands like Everest, MTR etc may also work equally well.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Tutti Frutti Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:24:00 +0000

I used my clipped recipe of Orange - Cranberry bread from "Good Housekeeping" as an inspiration. I modified the recipe to make the Tutti Frutti cake. Though the cakes shaped like a loaf are known as tea or coffee "breads"; I prefer to call this version as a "cake".

Tutti Frutti Cake
Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium oranges, make 1 tsp orange zest and 1/2 cups orange juice

Mix
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Whisk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tbsp butter, melted
4 oz cream cheese (optional)
*1 tsp orange zest
* 1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed

You will also need
2 cups chopped tutti frutti

Method
1. Preheat oven 350 F
2. Grease 5 mini loaf pans.
3. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
4. Using an electric beater, beat eggs, butter and cream cheese - if using.
5. Add orange zest and juice. Beat again till creamy.
6. Add egg mixture to dry flour mixture. Mix well.
7. Add tutti fruiti and mix.
8. Pour into the greased mini loaf pans. Using a knife make sure that the batter is distributed evenly.
9. Bake for 50 minutes.
10. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
11. Cool completely on a wire rack.
12. Refrigerate and then cut into pieces.

Note -
1. Cream cheese is an optional ingredient.
2. When chillied, it's easier to cut uniformly.

Credits

We wish you a Merry Christmas!!

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Dodol

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:43:00 +0000

Today, I am showcasing another delicacy from Goa - Dodol. I have not made it but just bought it from Mumbai.

I think Bebinca and Dodol go hand in hand. If I have to go for taste, I like Bebinca more than Dodol. Dodol has a rustic sweetness probably due to Goan jaggery. That is a little overwhelmingly sweet for me.

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Bebinca

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:02:00 +0000

Costaz Bebinca - "Bebinca is popularly known as the Queen of Goan sweets. It has a rich golden brown colour and enticing flavour. A multi-layered sweetness that melts in the mouth." This is what the description on the pack says!

A Goan Christmas is incomplete without Bebinca - Portuguese influenced dessert. I got mine ready made from Mumbai.

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Coconut Macaroons

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:44:00 +0000

Macaroons was the first cookie I ever baked in my life. I didn't plan on it. We were newly married then. I sent my husband to buy a coconut for making chutney with dosas. I really thought that the nearby supermarket would surely have all the ingredients for my cooking needs. [ I once remember asking the customer service about dates and rose syrup; they had not even heard about these two items. I am happy to report that in just few years, most of the supermarkets started carrying Medjool Dates; rose syrup is still missing!] Anyways, let's get back to my husband's search for coconut. He spotted a good coconut in the veggie section but he was not sure how we would break it. In Mumbai, naraLwala would do it. So he asked around and got home a packet of grated coconut. I was happy to see it. Without reading the label, I made the chutney using a fistful of coconut flakes. That chutney was cloyingly sweet! My husband has a sweet tooth so he loved it and I hated it. I read the label and it was sweetened coconut. I was so mad. I didn't know what to do with the remaining packet? It stayed in the fridge for some time and as luck would have it, I read a recipe in our local newspaper. I wanted to use that sweet coconut and also the recipe appeared very simple.

I made it and it turned out really good. I liked it as it was a cookie recipe without any added butter.
However, I had a slight problem. Whenever anything special was made, we used to always share with our neighbors in Mumbai. and suddenly in my apartment building I felt very lonely. It was just my husband and I then, with 3 dozens of cookies. We hardly knew any neighbors. It was a strange feeling to eat all by ourselves. So those cookies lasted us almost a life time.

Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
1 package (14oz) coconut flakes
2/3 cup sugar
6 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1. Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a big bowl.
2. Stir in egg whites and vanilla extract.
3. Line cookie sheets with a wax paper.
4. Drop cookie dough using a scoop. Keep enough space between the cookies
5. Bake 325 F for about 20 minutes or till the edges of the cookies are golden brown.

6. Remove from the cookie sheet. Place on a wire racks.

Note -

1. This recipe gives 3 dozen cookies.

Credits

Local Newspaper Recipe Clipping (Author unknown)

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Oatmeal-Raisin-Choc Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:35:00 +0000

This is the recipe from my clippings of "Good Housekeeping".

Oatmeal Raisins Choc Chips Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Beat

1 stick or 1/2 cup butter, at room temp.

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

You will also need

1 1/2 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oats

3/4 cup raisins

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Method

1. Mix all purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F

3. Beat butter, and both sugars till creamy.

4. Add egg and vanilla and beat again on a low speed.

5. Add flour mixture and beat again.

6. Spoon in oats, raisins and chocolate chips. Make a cookie dough.

7. Line a wax paper on the cookie tray.

8. Using a cookie or small ice cream scoop, drop cookie dough on the tray. Make sure that the cookies have good space between each other.

9.Bake for 15 minutes.

10. Transfer the cookies on a wire rack, using a spatula.

11. Let them cool down completely. Store them in an airtight container.

Note -

1. This recipe gave me 33 counts of cookies.

2. Use butter and egg at room temperature for better results.

Credits

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/

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Palmiers

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:58:00 +0000

I do not bake as much as I would like. But Christmas cheer is in the air. I found myself signing up for baking cookies for a good cause. I decided to start with the simplest of them all. Frankly speaking, just a week ago, I didn't know how simple "Palmiers" are if you have a frozen puff pastry handy. I saw a recipe in the "Cooking Light" for savory spirals. Then I thought what if I make sweet version, won't that be Palmiers? So I googled and found that that's how they make Palmiers.

Even those who have never baked cookies before, do try it and impress your family and friends.

Palmiers
Fan Shaped Cookies
Ingredients
1 packet frozen Puff Pastry packet like Pepperidge Farm

1/2 cup + 1/2 cup sugar
1/4tsp + tsp salt

Sprinkle (Optional)
Green and Red sugar crystals for turning them into holiday cookies

Method
1. Thaw puff pastry sheets on the counter for about 40 minutes.
2. Spread 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp salt on to your working surface.
3. Unfold one pastry sheet onto sugar and salt mixture as if to cover as much sugar mixture as possible.
4. Use your rolling pin to roll it slightly.
5. Using you blunt or butter knife, make a mark lightly at the center of the sheet - lengthwise.
6. Now fold one side till this line and fold the other side till the line as below.
7. Pull them together to make a roll.
8. Cover tightly using a saran wrap. Keep on a plate. Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
9. Repeat the above procedure using 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp salt for the remaining pastry sheet. Keep that roll in the fridge too. Clean up the mess of sugar/salt remnants!!
10. Preheat oven to 400F
11. Take off one roll and place on the cutting board. Remove the wrap. Cut thin slices - about 18 - 20
12. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookies with at least 2" space between them.
13. Bake for 6-7 minutes. Flip and bake again for 6-7 minutes.
14. Take them out. Place them on a wire rack using a spatula. Let them cool down completely.
15. Repeat the same procedure for the second roll from the fridge.

16. When all the cookies have cooled down, you can do these optional steps to dress them up in green and red colors. Sprinkle green and red sugar crystals (such as Wiltons') on all the cookies. I sprinkled half the cookies red and the other half green.
17. Place them back on to the cookie sheet. and bake for just 1 or 1 1/2 minutes till sugar crystal stick to the cookies but do not melt completely.
18. Place them back on the wire rack to cool down.
19. Once cooled off, store in an airtight container.
20. Share & enjoy!!

Note -
1. Each Pepperidge Farm puff pastry packet has 2 pastry sheets.
2. Addition of green and red colors was my idea. The real recipe stops at step 15.
3. Cut uniformly thin slices about 18 - 20. So 2 puff pastry sheets will give you about 36 - 40 cookies.

Credits
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/palmiers-recipe/index.html
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Paatra Chaat

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:01:00 +0000

I had heard about this Gujarati dish called "Paatra Chaat". I have no idea how it is made. But after finding chaat chutney, paatra roll (aLuwadi in Marathi) in the freezer and some Kashi 7 grain pita crisps in the pantry, I thought of making this paatra chaat for the Sunday supper.

Paatra Chaat

Ingredients

1 roll of paatra or aLuwadi (readymade will work too)

Kashi plain pita crisps or puris used in chaat

Sweetened yogurt - Whisk together

1/2 cup yogurt

sugar to taste

salt to taste

Multipurpose chaat chutney

Nylon sev, as needed

Garnish

Generous pinch of chaat masala

Minced cilantro/coriander leaves

Hot chili sauce such as Sriracha

Method

1. Thaw and microwave paatra rolls. Let them come to room temperature. Cut into 2 or 4 pieces so they can fit on the cracker, pita chip or puri.

2. Drizzle multi purpose chaat chutney over paatra.

3.Drizzle sweetened yogurt.

4. Sprinkle nylon sev.

5. Add a dash of hot sauce such as Sriracha

6. Sprinkle cilantro and chaat masala

7. Serve immediately.

Note -

1. Never make chaat too much in advance.

2. Do not deep fry paatra. Otherwise it will be too oily.

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Green Peas Daal Appe

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I had this green peas daal around so decide to make some use of it. I decide to make Appe because I can even freeze them to reuse later. I serve appe with chutney, rasam, saar, sambaar or even sweetened dahi to make dahi-appe.

Green Peas Daal Appe
Ingredients
1/3 cup green peas daal
1/3 cup chana daal
2/3 cup urad daal

salt to taste
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp baking soda (optional)

Oil for greasing the Appe Paatra/pan

Method
1. Clean and rinse the daals. Soak all three daal for 6-8 hours.
2. Grind to a smooth paste adding asafoetida & water as needed. Do not make the batter watery.
3. Stir in salt. Mix well. Cover and keep aside.
4. You can keep it for fermenting or you can make appe immediately by adding baking soda. If the batter is well fermented, you may not need baking soda.
5. Heat appe pan. Add 1/2 tsp of oil in each appe cavity. Add spoonful of batter. Drizzle some oil around each dumpling. Cover and let it cook.
6. Remove the lid and flip the appe. Add more oil if necessary. Make sure the appes are cooked and are brown.
7. Serve with chutney, sambar, rasam or saar of your choice.

Note -
1. Appes can easily be frozen for later use.
2. Above proportion gave me about 49 appes.
3. You can add minced onion, green chilies, curry leaves etc in the fermented batter for a different taste.

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Orange Marmalade Bundt Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:31:00 +0000

I feel that a Bundt Cake pan just elevates the ordinary cake onto a pedestal level. I was looking for a simple semi-homemade recipe with Orange Marmalade. Betty Crocker's website has a recipe for "Orange Pound Cake". I more or less followed the recipe but used orange marmalade. The result was really good.

Orange Marmalade Bundt Cake

From Bettry Crocker.com

Ingredients

1 pack Betty Crocket Yellow cake mix

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

3 large eggs

1/4 cup oil

1/2 packet mascarpone cheese

2 tbsp orange marmalade

Few drops of orange extract (optional)

For a Glaze

2 tbsp orange juice

Generous 2 tbsp powdered sugar to sprinkle

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 F

2. Make cake batter using the instructions on the back of the packet. Use milk instead of water and use 1/4 cup oil.

3. Stir in orange marmalade and beat again to make a smooth batter.

4. Grease your bundt cake pan. Pour the batter uniformly.

5. Bake for about 40 mins or till if the skewer inserted comes out clean.

6. Let the cake cool down in the pan for 10 minutes.

7. Invert onto a serving plate.

8. Let it cool down completely - about an hour.

9. Drizzle orange juice all over the cake.

10. Add powdered sugar into a wired mesh sieve (gaaLNe in Marathi). Sprinkle the sugar all over the cake.

11. ENJOY! :-D

Note -

1. I didn't bother to make the real glaze by heating orange juice with sugar. But you can try it.

Recipe Credits

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/orange-pound-cake/a042f289-ccb4-49e9-90fd-83615fec1a45

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Butternut Quinoa

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:20:00 +0000

My resolution for December is to use all the stuff that's lying around my pantry. So this week, you may find some unusual recipes. :-) There was a recipe of Butternut Squash Risotto on the back of the frozen butternut packet. This recipe was the inspiration for creating my version. I have substituted quinoa instead of sticky Arborio Rice. I have changed the recipe to suit to our taste.

Butternut Quinoa
Ingredients
1 cut butternut squash (10 oz frozen)
1 cup raw quinoa
salt and black pepper

Tempering
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup chopped onion

Suggested Accompaniment
Grilled Chipotle Salmon

Method
1. Cook quinoa according to the manufacturer's instructions. Let it cool down. Set aside.
2. Microwave butternut pieces adding spoonful of water for about 3 minutes - as instructed on the back of the packet. Let it cool down. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan or a wok.
4. Add cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Saute for 30 seconds. Add onion. Fry for 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 2 minutes.
5. Now stir in cooked and cooled quinoa. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well.
6. Add butternut pieces. Stir gently taking care not to break the pieces.
7. Cook for 5 minutes. Cover. Switch off the gas.

Note -
You can add chili paste such as Sriracha to spice up this quinoa.

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Bhindi Do Pyaza

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:35:00 +0000

Call it bhendi, bhindi, bhinda, ladies fingers or okra - this vegetable is my most favorite veggie. Gudiya took me out for my last birthday when my husband was out of town. We dined at an Indian restaurant. Knowing that her father is away on my birthday, Gudiya asked me - "So what are you going to have?". I felt good to be pampered by my little daughter. I ordered "Bhindi do pyaza". I noticed that they had added red, orange and yellow bell pepper pieces making this dish look really vibrant. I tried to use the same technique here.

Bhindi Do Pyaza

Okra with onions and bell peppers

Ingredients

2 cups cut okra, cut into 2" pieces with slit

salt to taste

6 pieces of bell peppers (red, orange, yellow peppers - 2 each)

1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder

1 tsp paprika/mild chili powder

A pinch of garam masala

1 tomato, sliced, remove the pulps and seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Tempering

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 cups thinly sliced onions

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Method

1. Heat oil in a nonstick kadai/wok. Add cumin seeds. As they sizzle, add onions and ginger-garlic paste. Saute on a low flame till onion is browned but not burnt. It should be reduced in the volume.

2. Now, add powders and add okra, tomato and bell peppers. Saute on a medium flame for 10 minutes.

3. Add remaining oil. Cover and let it cook for 15 minutes or so till the veggies are cooked.

Note -

1. I wanted to reduce the amount of oil - though 2 tbsp oil is still a bit more than my usual quota. If you like the okra to be crispy, you may need to increase the oil proportion a lot more, and cook without covering it with a lid.

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Chipotle Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:22:00 +0000

I found this recipe in the "Family Circle" magazine. I had a can of "Chipotle chillies in Adobe Sauce" in the pantry. This recipe came in handy.

Chipotle Salmon

from Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients

2 salmon fillets - boneless, skinless

2 Chipotle chillies in Adobe sauce, chopped

salt

pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven 450 F

2. Rinse and pat dry Salmon fillets. Spread chopped chilies with chipotle sauce, salt and pepper over the fillets.

3. Place them uniformly in a baking tray.

4. Bake for 15- 20 minutes till the salmon is cooked through.

5. Serve with salad or butternut quinoa

Note -

1.After using a portion of chipotle chilies, save the remaining portion in a separate container and refrigerate.

Credits

Family Circle

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Jeera Quinoa

noreply@blogger.com (Meera) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:23:00 +0000

I love cooking with "Quinoa". It's truly a miracle grain. I use many of my "rice" recipes and substitute quinoa. Today I am sharing Jeera Quinoa like jeera rice. Serve this simple dish with any spicy curry of your choice.

Jeera Quinoa
Cumin scented Quinoa
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
salt to taste
1/2 cup frozen green peas

Tempering
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp ghee/toop/clarified butter
2-3 cloves
1 bayleaf
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera

Garnish
1 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Method
1. Cook quinoa according to the instructions on the back of the packet. Use double the amount of water.
2. Let it cool down completely.
3. Heat oil and ghee in a saucepan.
4. Add cloves, bay leaf and cumin seeds. As they sizzle, and cumin seeds change the color, stir in cooked & cooled quinoa.
5. Add salt to taste. Mix well.
6. Stir in frozen green peas.
7. Cover and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on a medium low flame.
8. Garnish with cilantro - if using.

Note -
1. This is a very simple and bland quinoa dish. So serve with a spicy curry of your choice. I served it with shrimp curry.

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