Goodness of food, from me to you.

Vegan Gumbo

2017-02-02T17:02:00.005-05:00

Gumbo... I read somewhere that in western Africa it is used to refer Okra. It is a very smoky, tangy, soupy broth served with a little rice. I heard it's first reference in the movie Forrest Gump. I Actually tasted it recently when I visited New Orleans. Gumbo is usually non-vegetarian, We got lucky as we found this wonderful place in New Orleans which served Vegan Gumbo and to our good luck, it was introduced just three days before we visited the beautiful city.

I have a perfect and natural substitute for liquid smoke in this recipe. Try it, you will be surprised.

It is a very simple recipe. So let me get to it fast.

Prep time: 10-15 mins.

Cook time: 40 mins.

Servings: 3 - 4.

Ingredients:

Onions - 1 cup, finely chopped.
Tomatoes - 1 cup finely chopped or 1 to 2 tbsp paste.
Garlic - 5 cloves minced or grated
Okra/ladies finger - 4 cups cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Red Beans - 1/2 cup cooked.
Rice - Cooked, about 1/4 cup per serving
Dried Thyme - 1/2 tsp.
Dried Rosemary - 1/2 tsp.
Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp
Dried Red Chilli - 1, choose the heat level for the chilli you are comfortable with.
Nutmeg - grate a little powder.
Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Dijon Mustard - 1 to 2 tbsp based on the flavor you may like.
Ground Pepper - To taste
Chilli powder - To taste
Soya Sauce - 1 tbsp or a little more, adjust according to how it tastes after the broth cooks
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Water - add enough to cover all the ingredients in the vessel and a little more to make good broth. Ready to eat broth must be around lentil soup consistency.
Soya nuggets - a few cooked (optional)
Vegan Balls - a few (optional)

Procedure:

Heat oil in a medium sized vessel which can fit all the above ingredients and fit water as well.
Add garlic and all dried herbs except dried chilli. Saute for a few seconds.
Add onions, a pinch of salt and saute for a few minutes till it starts to turn slightly brown. Add nutmeg powder, mix well.
Add tomatoes and cook till it softens.
Add okra, beans and add water and let it cook. If you use soya nuggets, now is the time to add.
Now mix vinegar, soya sauce and dijon mustard in a bowl and add it to the vessel.
Take the red chilli and on an open stove hold it on the fire. Let it smoke a little bit (be careful not to burn it completely). In a mortar now make a coarse powder of this chilli and add it to the mixture. If you do not have a mortar, you can chop the chilli finely and drop it in the broth.
Add enough salt pepper and chilli powder and let the broth cook till okra is well done. Be careful with salt, you also add soya sauce , hence add salt, only if necessary
After gumbo is cooked, serve it in a bowl with a dollop of rice over it. If you are using vegan balls, now just drop them in the broth. You can garnish it with scallions or parsley or cilantro.

Tip:

Burning the chilli and adding the powder to the broth gives it a very nice smokey flavor. This a great substitute for liquid smoke.

Masal Puri

2014-02-26T16:22:00.001-05:00

Masal Puri!! Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Hmm! what do I say about this chat item? World famous in Bangalore - Mysore region and i should say, you haven't eaten chat untill you have had a taste of the delicious spicy-tangy medley! So behold the fantastic recipe of this much loved recipe, make and enjoy! By the way, this chat is supposed to be eaten hot, hotter, hottest!!! cold masal puri wont give you the kick! and be sure to have a nice desi chai after. for those who do not know desi chai... have a chai latte.

Note: Please do not use fresh or frozen peas or canned peas. It does not give the right texture or flavour. My sister in-law (inspirer of this recipe) said dry yellow peas work better than dry green peas. I could not find the yellow version, so used green.

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook time: 2 hrs (includes peas cooking time)

Servings: around 6 small plates

Ingredients:

1 bag of store bought pani puri or papdi. pani puri is the best match. if you cant get that, get plain papdi.

For the base:

Dry Peas - 1 cup, soaked overnight.
Carrots - 2 medium, peeled and roughly chopped. If you use baby carrots, use upto 6 of them.
Potato - 1 medium.
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste.

cook all the ingredients above thoroughly and let it cool. then take the potato, carrots and about 1/2 cup of peas to grind with the masala.

For masala:

Onions - 3 medium, roughly chopped.
Ginger garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Mint - 1 1/2 cups, finely chopped. keep 1/2 cup aside for later use, and set aside 1/4 cup for garnish.
Coriander/Cilantro - 1 1/2 cups, finely chopped. keep 1/2 cup aside for later use, and set aside 1/4 cup for garnish.
Green chilies - 2.
Red chilies - 2.
Whole Clove - 2. if you use powder, 1/8 tsp.
Whole Cinnamon - 2 inches piece. if you use powder, 1/8 tsp.
Whole Cardamom - 2. if you use powder, 1/8 tsp.
Bay leaf - 2 small or 1 big.
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp.
Mace/javithri - a pinch of the flower or the powder.
Tamarind paste - 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp.
Chat masala - 2 Tbsp.
Garam masala - 1/2 to 1 tsp, use depending on your spice tolerance.
Oil - 1 tbsp.

Method:

Heat oil in a big pot.
Add clove, cinnamon, cardamom, mace, red chilies, green chilies and bay leaf and saute for a few seconds.
Add onion and add salt and turmeric to make it sweat sooner.
Once onions are golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.
Now add tamarind paste. first add 1 tbsp keep the rest handy so that you can add as and when required. cook well.
Now add chat masala and 1/2 cup each of mint and coriander. cook for a minute.
let it cool and gind this masala with the boiled veggies into a smooth paste.
Now Transfer this ground masala into the pot and add water as required to thin it. it should be the consistency of dosa batter/(slightly thinner pancake batter) or slightly thinner.
Now add the 1/4 cup of mint and coriander and 1/2 cup boiled peas and garam masala and cook well. taste to see if this need more tamarind, salt or any other ingredient. add them if something is missing, cook for a few more minutes and masala is ready to be assembled in to the plate with other ingredients.

Chutney's:

you can make these at home or use store bought. I used the Tamarind date chutney store bought

Green Chutney:

This chutney is not only good for chats, it is good for sandwiches as a spread. you can saute veggies with this chutney. It's use is versatile, so make some and keep it in the fridge. it will last for 10 days in there.

Mint - 1/2 bunch. roughly chopped.
Coriander/Cilantro - 1/2 bunch roughly chopped.
Garlic - 1 small or medium pod.
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece.
Green onion/spring onion/ scallion - 4 roughly chopped.
Green Chilies - 2 to 5 use according to your heat tolerance.
Roasted Split chick pea/hurkadale/putani - 2 tsp.
Lime juice - 1 to 2 tsp.
Salt - to taste

Method:

Grind all the above ingredients into a smooth paste using very little water if required. It would turn out much better if you run the putani once and make it into a powder then add the rest of the ingredients.

Date and Tamarind chutney/Sweet chutney:

Date paste - 1/2 cup
Tamarind paste - 1/4 cup or a bit less, use according to your taste.
Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste.
Chili powder - 1/8 tsp or to taste.
oil - 1/2 tsp.
water - just enough to thin the paste as required

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan which can hold all the ingredients. Roast chili powder for 2 or 3 seconds. then add all the ingredients and a bit of water and let it boil till it coats the spoon evenly and medium thick.

For Garnish:

Onion - 1 big or 2 medium finely chopped.
Tomato - 1 medium, Finely chopped.
Mint and coriander: 1/2 cup finely chopped.
Carrot - 1 peeled and grated.
Chat masala: 1 tsp.
Thin sev - 1 cup.

Mix all of the ingredients above except sev in a bowl and keep aside.

Assembly:

in a plate, puncture 6 of the store bought pani puri and pour the masala on to of it. then drizzle the mixed garnish on to of masala. Add the green and sweet chutney according to taste, top with a drizzle of sev and enjoy this chat hot!

Udon Noodle Soup

2013-02-12T17:27:00.000-05:00

Hi friends... It has been a long time since I updated the blog with any recipe. Sorry about that. From now on I will try to be regular. Since it is winter and all I want is a hot bowl of soup, I thought why not put up the recipe of this simple yet delicious soup. It if filling but not heavy. Good for dinner or lunch, just add some tofu to it and it is a complete meal. This soup calls for some sea weed and miso. Miso is fermented barley paste. You can get miso from your local Asian stores or whole foods market. There a a few different kinds of miso, but if you haven't tried it please get the white miso, it is very soft in taste, other types may get a bit over whelming. Sea weed can be omitted from the recipe, but this makes the soup a lot flavourful, try using it if you haven't tried it yet. I have not used udon noodles in this soup [the picture], I ran out of them and had to have this soup, so managed with what i could get from the store near by. If you do not get udon noodles, you can use any thick noodle for this soup. Enough of me yappi'n...So here goes the recipe.

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Udon noodles - 1 bundle, cooked as per the instructions on the bag.
spring onions - 1 bunch, finely chopped
carrots - 1, peeled and finely chopped
Garlic - 3 pods well minced
Bell peppers - 1/2 a cup of any or all colours mixed, finely chopped
Sea weed - 1 sheet
Miso - 2 to 3 tsp
Tofu - 1/2 cup cubes [optional]
Oil - 2 tsp
White or Rice vinegar - 2 to 3 tsp
Soy Sauce - 3 tsp
Salt and pepper - to taste
Water - enough to make a thin borth of all the ingredients and boil noodles

Method:

Put the noodles to cook as per instructions on the bag it came in. Make sure to add adequate salt to the water to slat the noodles.
Heat oil in a pot which can fit in all the ingredients.
Add garlic, carrots, spring onions, bell peppers one after the other sauteing each for a few seconds till the sweat.
Add a pinch of salt to let them cook faster.
Add enough water to make a broth it has to be watery. Let the water come to a boil.
Now add vinegar and soy sauce and let it cook for a few minutes.
Now mix miso with a bit of water to make the paste easily soluble in the broth so that it does not form lumps. Make sure you do not make it very watery. Add miso to the broth and let it cook for a few seconds.
Now tear the sea weed sheet into a few pieces and add to the soup. stir well.
Add the cooked and drained noodles to the broth stir ... turn the stove off. Taste it if you need salt and pepper.. if you do, this is the time to add it. Miso and soy sauce are pretty salty, you have to be careful with salt when you use both of these ingredients together. let it sit for a few minutes and serve.

Lemon Coriander Soup

2012-05-11T20:12:00.000-04:00

I am sure you all must have tasted this delicious soup in some Indo-Chinese restaurants. It is a very simple soup to make it will get ready in about 20 minutes. Add some quinoa/barley into the soup it will become a one pot meal. I tasted this for the first time when our friends Venu and Usha took us to a restaurant near their house. So, without further adieu, i give you the recipe for this light yet satisfying soup.

Perp time: 15 Minutes

Cook time: upto 20 minutes

Serving: upto 3

Ingredients:

Lemon Juice - 1/4 cup
Coriander - a handful, not too much though.
Green chili - 2 to 3 (more if you like it very hot)
Vinegar - upto 3 tsp
Garlic - 4 pods grated/minced or upto 3 tsp paste
Water - upto 6 cups
Tofu - 1 cup diced (optional)
Mushroom - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Spring onions - 1 bunch, finely chopped
quinoa/barley - 1/4 cup (optional) [if you choose to use barley, soak it for 4 hours prior to use]
Corn Starch - 2 tsp (use only if not using quinoa or barley)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat oil in a pot which can hold all the ingredients.
Saute garlic and spring onions for a minute.
Add Mushroom and saute for a minute.
Add water and 2 tsp vinegar and add quinoa or barley if you are using them and let it boil.
In the mean while, take the coriander, green chili, 1 tsp vinegar and two pinches of salt and make a paste of it.
Add tofu and the paste to the soup and stir to mix well.
Now add the paste, salt and boil for 5 minutes.
If you are not using quinoa or barley, mix the corn starch in cold water and mix it in the soup while adding water in the beginning.
Add half of the lemon juice, stir and give it a taste, if it is not sour enough, add more till you get your desired taste. Add salt mix and enjoy this soup hot.

Tip:

If you do not eat green chili, you can eliminate it and use pepper powder instead. just add some cracked pepper in to the soup after it cooks and stir well.

Pineapple Fried Rice

2012-05-11T18:20:00.000-04:00

Hmm... Yes, I know, I know... have been lazy again. So to compensate that, I am going to post a mouthwatering, easy recipe which will make good use of left over rice. You can make fresh rice as well, however, this will taste better with a day's old rice. My friend Nivedita told me that she ate this is in KL when she went to visit her brother, since then I had only been dreaming of it's taste, I can make it now :)... to make it more interesting, you can serve it in a cored pineapple half, not only will the presentations look splendid, rice will absorb more flavour. Also you can add soy nuggets or tofu to make it a complete one pot meal.

Prep time: 10 Mins

Cook time: 10 Mins, (If the rice is ready)
Servings: upto 3

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 2 cups
Spring onions - 1 bunch, finely chopped
Garlic - 4 pods, minced/grated, or 2 tsp paste
Ginger - 1 tsp grated/minced or 1/2 tsp paste
Pineapple - Fresh 1 cup coarsely chopped or 1 14oz can pieces
Tofu - diced, 1 cup (Optional)
Soy sauce - 2 tsp if dark if a lighter use a bit more
Red chili flakes - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp (optional)
oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - 1 pinch

Method:

Heat oil in a wok or a vessel which can fit all the ingredients.
Add ginger and garlic and saute for a few seconds and add finely chopped spring onions, keep sauteing for a minute.
Mix soy sauce, chili flakes, salt, turmeric and sugar in a small cup and set aside.
Add pineapple and saute for a minute. Saute Tofu for a minute as well.
Add rice and mix all the ingredients together
Add the sauce mixture to the wok and mix till everything is well blended.
Serve and eat hot.

Suggestions:

As I suggested earlier, you can serve this rice in a cored pineapple half..yummm!!

Tips:

You can add 1/8 tsp of pineapple essence to the dish, it will make the entire preparation smell more pineappily :)

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

2012-03-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

Roasted bell pepper soup needless to say is very tasty. One sip and you will be a fan of this delicious sweet, sour and peppery soup. It takes few ingredients and is also very easy to make. You can either roast all of your vegetables and make a smooth puree of them or just roast the bell peppers and saute the rest of the ingredients. Either way, this soup will taste good. If roasting all the vegetables, you will reduce cook time to a large extent.

This soup can make a good starter, it is not too heavy. To make it more tasty, use a little sour cream or cream.

So, let us see what it takes to make this soup.

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 to 40 mins depending on the method you choose.

Servings: about 4

Ingredients:

Red bell pepper - 2 big ones
Tomato - 4 medium
Onion - 1 small
Celery - 1 stalk
Garlic - 2 pods or 2 tsp paste
Salt - to taste
Parsley - 1 tsp dry or finely chopped fresh leaves
Basil - 1 tsp dry or finely chopped fresh leaves
Black pepper powder - to taste
Sour cream or cream - upto 2 tsp per cup (optional)
Oil - 3 tsp

Method:

You can roast bell peppers or all the vegetables 4 ways, 1. on the stove top, 2. In the oven, 3. Grill and 4. In the broiler. Whatever method be, you have to put the roasted bell peppers and vegetables in a container after roasting and cover the lid, let it cool and then peel off the skin from bell peppers and tomatoes.
If you choose 1., then just roast pepper on the flame. If you choose to do it in the oven, rub oil on the bell peppers, wrap them in an aluminium foil, place them on a cookie sheet or a oven safe container and roast them at 450F for about 30 minutes in the mid rack of the oven. If you grill them, make sure to drizzle a little oil over them to retain moisture. If you choose to broil them, rub them with oil, line a broiler safe sheet with foil and broil for 10 to 12 minutes.
For roasting vegetables in oven or broiler, chop them into rough chunks, apply oil, put them on a sheet lined with foil and roast in the oven for 25 mins at the same temperature as bell peppers. To Broil them, do it all just the same except you will be roasting all the vegetables including bell peppers all at once for 10 - 12 minutes. For garlic in both the cases, do not peel the skin off, just rub some oil and put them with the rest of the ingredients to roast. After it is done, garlic will slide out when you gently squeeze it.
After peeling tomatoes and bell peppers, blend them all in the blender and follow the rest of the instruction after blending from below.
If you do not roast all the vegetables, then saute all the rest of the vegetables one after the other in the following order. Heat oil in a pot which will hold all of the ingredients plus some more water. Now saute, grated/paste garlic, coarsely chopped onion, coarsely chopped celery and coarsely chopped tomatoes.
To the above ingredients, add peeled roasted bell peppers, salt, black pepper and saute for 2 minutes, turn the stove off and let it cool for a 10 minutes.
Blend all the ingredients in a blender and transfer it to the pot in which you have cooked them. add a little water to thin the soup if it is too thick. Turn the stove back on. Add parsley and basil, cook for 5 more minutes.
Garnish with croutons or parsely and basil or cream or all of them and serve hot to enjoy.

Tip:

While using broiler in apartments, please open the oven door and turn the exhaust fan on at full speed. Otherwise, it will get too hot to stand anywhere in the kitchen.
Fire roasting vegetables gives a smoky flavour, so try roasting them for this soup and see if you like the flavour.

Alasande kalu palya (lobia/cow peas curry)

2012-03-06T18:48:00.001-05:00

Alasande Kalu Palya

Hi there everyone, hope all of you who visit my blog are doing well. I have been away from blogging a very long time and after being nudged by a few friends to write more, I am back again. I had a perfect excuse for my laziness all these days, "My comp is not working"... it was not. We got it fixed a few weeks ago, however I was feeling so comfortably lethargic not do anything. After mentally posting quite a few recipes, I am now making an attempt to put my thoughts into actions (hopefully). It is like me against my lethargy... let me see who wins.

This recipe of alasande, lobia, in Hindi and cow peas, in English, is fairly simple to make, not to mention very nutritious and exceptionally tasty. It is a good match with chapati and rice. Make a paste of this and you can spread it on bread and also use as a dip for your chips. A very versatile thick curry not only to satisfy your sense of smell, it will keep your body happy. Very high in protein, low in carbs and fat.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins (if using ready cooked alasande or about 45 mins)

Servings: About 3

Ingredients:

Alasande Kaalu/ lobia / cow peas - 1 cup soaked over night and cooked well. (use the small red variety if you can find, that gives the best taste)
Salt - to taste
Coriander/Cilantro - finely chopped

For tempering:

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Curry leaves - 1/2 the string

For Masala:

Green Chilies - 3 to 5 (depending on your taste)
Whole pepper corns - 5
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Fresh/ Frozen Coconut - 1/2 cup (grated or pieces)
Ginger - 1 inch piece or 1 tsp paste

Method:

To cook the cow peas/lobia/alasande, soak it over night and pressure cook it with a little salt till it is well done but not mushy. If you do not have a pressure cooker, take a lot of water in a big pot, add the cow peas and enough salt and cook for about an hour or till well done on the stove top. After it is done, drain the peas and set aside. Keep a cups' worth water to dilute the curry as and when required otherwise we will not be using the water in this recipe. Please check the tips part of this recipe for suggestions on using the drained water.
Grind all the ingredients of masala and set aside.
Make the tempering in a pot or pan which can fit all the ingredients by heating oil on medium. Add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Add turmeric, asafoetida. Add the cooked and drained alasande/cow peas/ lobia and saute for a few minutes. Add the curry leaves and a little water, close the lid and let it cook for 2 minutes.
Add the ground masala and salt as required to the cooking alasande/cow peas/lobia and mix well. Add a little water from the drained beans if it is getting too thick too soon. Cover the pot/pan and cook for a 2 to 4 minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and serve with steaming hot rice or chapati. Or let it cool and then grind it in to a fine paste to use as a dip.

Tips:

You can make Saru/Rasam from the drained water or use the water in making soups. Just store it in the refrigerator, it will keep upto seven days.

Gome, ethiopian collard greens

2011-07-19T15:10:00.000-04:00

One more item in the Ethiopian restaurant i was talking about... It is very nutritious, so make it as much and chomp away. This recipe is made many ways, this is just one of the ways to make it. This recipe uses a spice infused clarified butter called Netir Khebbe. In case you can not make netir khebbe, i have given an alternative in tips of this recipe... check it out. Kids may eat their greens this way, try it out, you never know this could be their next favorite.

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Collard/spinach or both - 1 big bunch, washed and chopped
Garlic - 2 pods, grated or 1 tsp paste
Ginger - 1 inch piece grated or 1 tsp paste
Onion - 1 medium sized, diced
Hot pepper of your choice - 1 to 2 [depending on the heat you want]
Netir Khebbe / oil - 2 tsp [follow the link and scroll down for recipe]
Salt - to taste
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

On medium heat, heat a huge pot which can fit in all the ingredients.
Make netir khebbe and add onions, saute for a minute, add some salt and saute till it gets slightly golden brown.
Add ginger and garlic, saute for a few seconds.
Add the hot peppers and saute for a few seconds.
Now add the chopped greens and saute till the wilt a little.
Add enough salt and pepper powder and saute till it is well cooked. Gome is ready to be served on Injera

Tips:

Instead of netir khebbe, you can use 1/4 tsp of garam masala powder when the oil heats up.

Aloo Parantha [Stuffed Indian Flat bread with spicy potatoes and herbs]

2011-07-18T17:14:00.002-04:00

Aloo Parantha is one of the most filling and tasty breads I have every eaten. There are a gazillion ways to make it and every north Indian household will have a special family recipe of their own. I think I learnt to make it from my friend Bhavna's mom, I do not know the exact recipe as I am used to the one of my own. I have to say what ever my friends' mom made was like heaven... I still remember, whenever i fell sick, she would take me to her place ask her mom to make some thing tangy and spicy. It is a privilege and good luck to have a friend like Bhavs... love ya!! and thanks for all the yummy food... It makes a very heavy breakfast and good lunch and dinner item.. If your kids are a lot into sports, this may be one item which will provide them with whole lot of carbs.

Prep time: 40 mins [including the potato cook time]

Cook time: 7 mins each parantha, approx

Servings: 4 or 8 pieces

Ingredients:

For spicy Potatoes:

Potatoes - Medium sized, 4 boiled and mashed
Onion - 1 medium sized, finely chopped or made into a paste
Coriander/cilantro - a handful, finely chopped
Green chilly - 4 finely chopped
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Amchur [dry mango powder] - 2 to 3 tsp [substitute with 2 tsp lime juice, depends on how tangy you like it]
Turmeric - a pinch
Ajwain [celery seeds] - 1 tsp
Kalanamak/black slat - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp [optional, I have not added it in this recipe]

To make bread crust:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Maida/all purpose flour - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Water - enough to make dough
Oil - to roast paranthas, about 1/4 cup

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the spicy potatoes together and keep aside.
Mix the ingredients for the bread crust. the consistency of the dough has to be like the bread dough. not too soggy, not too dry. The idea behind mixing both whole wheat and all purpose flours is to give enough elasticity to the the dough as just the whole wheat makes the crust pretty thick as it does not stretch like all purpose flour and just all purpose flour would make the dough very elastic and chewy. Mixing these two will give the dough the right amount of elasticity.
Take dough out and make a tangerine sized ball and roll it out as shown in the video below:

Heat a pan on medium high place the rolled out parantha on it. let it roast for a minute turn it over, add a tsp full of oil all around the top of the parantha and spread. Flip to the other side and repeat the same. Let both the sides roast to a nice golden brown colour and till you know it is well cooked. Aloo parantha is read to eat, Enjoy!

Serving suggestion:

Goes well with a wide array of sides like baingan bartha and etc. Also can be served just some lime pickle and yogurt... yumm!! Parantha has a lot of flavour by itself, so it can just be had as it is.

Onion tomato Upittu/Upma

2011-07-14T14:21:00.000-04:00

Uppittu in Karnataka and upma for the rest of India is a healthy breakfast/snack item. It is easy to make and very filling. There are a thousand ways one can make upma in... I will try to give a few variation here, you can add or delete a few ingredients and make an upma that you love... I must say this is one of the most versatile items you will ever learn to make. Can be a good snack for kids after school or sports.

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Servings: about 3

Ingredients:

Semolina - 1 cup, dry roasted
Onion - 1 medium, diced
Tomato - 1 medium, diced
Green chillies - 4 to 5 (add according to taste), finely chopped
Curry Leaves - 1 String, finely chopped
Coriander/Cilantro - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Chana Dal (split chick pea) - 2 tsp
Urad Dal (split black gram) - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - a pinch
Water - 1 1/2 to 2 cups
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece grated or 1/2 tsp paste

Method:

To dry roast semolina, heat a pan [which can hold all the upma ingredients] on medium heat, pour semolina into it and keep sauteing continuously till it get fragrant and slightly brown, remove from pan and set it aside for later use. You can also buy pre-roasted semolina in the market, then you can skip this step.
In the same pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cumin and let it splutter. Add both urad dal and chana dal and roast till they get red. Add green chillies, curry leaves and ginger and saute for a few seconds.
Add Onions and saute till the get slightly transparent. Now add turmeric and saute for a few more seconds.
Add tomatoes and enough salt for the entire dish and saute for a few seconds.
Add water, put a lid on the pan and let the water boil.
Now slowly stir the water in the pan in a circular motion, once it starts going round slowly and steadily add roasted semolina into the water. Once all of it is added, simmer the stove, put a lid on the pan and let it cook well about 5 minutes. You will know when all the semolina has turned transparent, if semolina is not cooked and all the water has evaporated, add a little more water and close the lid for 3 more minutes. Check if it is done, put the lid back on and let it sit for 5 more minutes.
Now add cilantro and mix well serve...

Variation 1: [Follow the same cooking method for all variation, just substitute ingredients]

Instead of tomatoes, add surati papdi lilva and also add some crushed black pepper.. this is called kaal uppittu. Very tasty. You can also eliminate onion and add 1/4 cup grated coconut.. even tastier.

Variation 2:

Use Brinjal/Indian eggplant instead of tomatoes and add 1 tbsp vangibath powder it makes yummier upma..

Serving suggestion:

Goes well with any chutney or pickle.

Tips:

If you want to use coconut, don't use onion and vice-verse.. somehow spoils the taste.

Just before you serve, a squeeze of lime gives it more taste and a dash of sugar makes it much more better.

Raw pasta and sauce

2011-07-14T13:03:00.001-04:00

Have you ever tried eating raw food diet, not salads but trying to eat salads with a twist. I love raw vegetables in any form... with a little dressing I wont complain if I have to eat it all the time. Throwing a twist on it by making pasta and a sauce gives it much more oomph. I saw this recipe while browsing somewhere and made it the same day. I just love this recipe for the ease of making and and the taste it packs. If you hate eating vegetables, try this recipe, you may just change your mind about them. This is a raw vegan recipe, if you want you can add a bit of Parmesan cheese to it.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Zucchini: 2 medium sized
Plum Tomato: 2
Red bell pepper: 1 medium sized
Sun dried tomatoes -4
Garlic - a small clove, peeled or 1/4 tsp paste
Red wine vinegar/plain vinegar - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp or 2 pinches
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Olive oil/any oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Chop the tips of zucchini and peel the skin off and dispose it. Continue peeling the flesh of the zucchini into strips till you end up at the seeds.. do not use it, dispose. Put the peeled strips in a bowl and refrigerate till you make the sauce.
If you do not have pre-marinated sun dried tomatoes either in oil or water. Boil water and soak them for about 1/2 hour before you would use them.
To make the sauce, chop all the vegetables into big chunks and make a smooth paste in the blender by adding all the ingredients together. Sauce is ready.
Take the peeled zucchini pasta, arrange it on a plate and pour some sauce on top and chomp it down.. :) .Make sure to put the sauce right before you would eat, other wise it gets soggy and you wont like it much.

Tips:

Kids can help you peel zucchini, so let them do it if they want to.. parents and kids can certainly have fun in the kitchen while making this recipe.

If you do not have zucchini try using cucumber... it will be slightly more watery, but is a good substitute. Since Zucchini and cucumber do not have much of taste on their own, they absorb the taste of the sauce well.

Saaru/Rasam

2011-06-29T15:24:00.001-04:00

As per request of dear Dhan uncle i am posting the recipe of Saaru. Called saaru in Karnataka and rasam for the rest of India is a thin broth which is mixed with rice. Like spaghetti and meat balls are comfort food for many people, saaru anna (rice and rasam) is comfort food for may south Indians. What makes saaru or rasam tasty is the masala powder, I will give the recipe to make it. You can also cut it short and use store bought rasam powder...it is totally upto you. I will give a few variations of rasam here today, however, the masala powder remains the same. Make and enjoy!

Ingredients:

Toor dal [split lentils] - 1 cup, cooked well
Rasam Powder - 1 1/2 tsp, [recipe follows]
Tamarind - 1 tsp
Tomato - 1 cooked with toor dal
Jaggery - 1 small block
Salt - to taste
Coriander - finely chopped
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbsp [optional]

For tempering:

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch
Curry leaves - 1 string

Ramsam Powder:

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Whole black pepper - 2 tsp
Red chilly - 1/2 cup [use according to taste]
Dry coconut - 1/4 cup [grated or cut into strips]

Method:

Dry roast all the above given Ingredients one after the other till the raw smell goes away and they start smelling fragrant. Let it cool completely make a powder and use it as and when required.

Method to make rasam:

Heat oil in a vessel to make tempering. add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add cumin and let them splutter. add the rest of the tempering ingredients and saute for 2 seconds.
Now add the water from the cooked lentils. Mash the lentils and tomato to a paste and add them to the vessel. Thin it out further if it seems thick. The consistency should be of butter milk.
Add tamarind, rasam powder, salt and jaggery and let it boil for 10 minutes.
Add coriander and coconut, cook for 2 more minutes and rasam is ready to eat.

Variation 2

Follow the above method. except for cooking lentils. This is plain tomato rasam.
Make the tempering, add 2 finely chopped tomatoes, saute for a few seconds.
Add salt and let them cook well.
Add enough water and the rest of the ingredients and cook the same way as above... this cooks in 10 minutes and is a quick fix when u need dinner fast.

Variation 3

Instead of cooking tomato with the lentils, grind tomato, rasam powder, coconut and salt and add them to tempering... cook for 2 minutes to get the rawness out add lentils and rest of the ingredients and boil till done.

Serving suggestions:

Goes best with steaming hot rice, clarified butter [ghee] and tempered green beans.

Tips:

For just the tomato rasam, you can choose to add a pod of crushed garlic, it makes it much more tastier.

Vegetarian Mayo

2011-06-22T13:58:00.001-04:00

As per request of a reader, I am posting the recipe for Vegetarian mayo. Substitute milk with soy milk for vegan recipe. It is simple to make. It also packs a lot of fat in it, if you are diet conscious use less of this mayo or use reduced fat milk and oil like canola to help use less fat. mayo is a good spread for sandwiches and can also make a good salad dressing... So make and enjoy!! [will upload picture soon]

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Servings: about 10

Ingredients:

Milk/soy milk - 3/4 cup
Lemon juice - 4 tbsp
White vinegar - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1/2 cup
Mustard paste - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tbsp [depends on how sweet you want it]

Method:

In a blender jar, pour all the milk and start churning it. You may have to monitor the speed at which the oil and milk blend well together and maintain it till all the oil gets well blended.
Now, slowly add oil in 4 batches. Add the first batch and wait for it get well incorporated with milk and add the next. Repeat the process till all the oil gets well incorporated with milk.
Add the rest of the ingredients... give a faster whip for a few seconds and Mayo is ready to enjoy.

Tips:

To flavour your mayo, you may use, black olives or spring onions and etc... try new things you may find a very interesting recipe. Do post it here so that I can learn from you.

Cabbage Alecha

2011-06-03T21:28:00.002-04:00

Mouth watering mildly spiced vegetable dish from Ethiopia. This is generally made with cabbage, carrots and potato. I dropped the potato and put in seeded jalapeno, it tasted better to me. It is slightly buttery creamy vegetable with the fragrance you won't forget. A special clarified butter/ghee called "Netir Khebbe" is used in this recipe. A recipe for which i will give you along with this alecha. I made this once and wanted to eat once more so I made it the next time and the next...:D .. really love it. Hope you love it as much as i do.Alecha is milder than a wat/wot and can compliment the flavor of wot/wat. Since wat/wot is really spicy, this can bring down the pallet a notch. Make this with any of the wot/wats you are making to compliment the pallet. There are a wide array of vegetables with which you can make this Alecha, I liked this particular one a lot. You can add green beans, potatoes, peas and etc... Netir Khebbe can be used in other recipes as well like Mesir alecha and etc. I have read that, in Ethiopia, they make this spiced clarified butter in a large quantity and store it to use for many varieties of dishes. The short cut to make Netir Khebbe would be to use garam masala instead of all the spice list i have given below. I believe in knowing all the recipes, you know like, teach a person fishing, they will eat for life kind of thing. It just gives more flexibility if we learn the basics and we can also improvise when we do not have a few things on hand.

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Servings: about 4

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 2 cups, roughly chopped
Carrots - 3, peeled and roughly chopped
Jalapeno - 1 seeded
Netir Khebbe - 2 tsp, recipe below
Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tsp
All purpose flour - 1 tsp
water - about 3/4 cup
Salt - to taste

Netir khebbe:

Ingredients:

[you can use 1/2 tsp garam masala in lieu of all these spices ]

Clarified butter/oil - 2 tsp
Clove - 1 or a pinch of powder
Cinnamon - 2 pinches powder or a small piece
Cardamom - 1 pods crushed or 2 pinches of powder
Nutmeg - 1 pinch of ground nut meg

Method:

Heat clarified butter or oil in a pan which can hold all the vegetables. Add all the above spices and saute for 5 seconds

Method for Cabbage Alecha:

In the pan of netir khebbe, add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few seconds.
Add the flour and saute till the raw smell goes away.
Add Jalapenos and saute for a few seconds.
Add carrots, saute for a few seconds and all enough salt for the dish, mix in well, sprinkle some water, put the lid on and let it sweat for a few minutes.
Add cabbage, mix in well and add about 1/2 cup worth water, put the lid on and cook till all the vegetables are well cooked. Cabbage alecha is read to eat.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve it with Injera or any kind of bread. Goes well with any kind of dosa or indian roti.

Tips:

If the alecha is watery, mix 1/2 tsp of flour with 1 tsp water well and mix it into the pan cook for 2 minutes, this should take care of the runny mixture. If it is still watery, add some more flour-water mixture.

Gulpapte - a fast dessert

2011-06-02T20:56:00.001-04:00

One of the Karnataka sweets, so easy to make and tasty to eat. It is made with two kinds of flour, ragi or whole wheat. Since whole wheat is more accessible I am posting it's recipe. Same proportions apply to ragi flour as well. Making Gulpapte with ragi flour make it a gluten free dessert. This brings back memories of my childhood at my granny's place. She used to make it and ask all of her grand kids to eat.. I never ate coz I did not like sweets as a kid. Gran used get angry on me for not tasting... :D... Me is what me is, never listened to her. Now when I have to make it to eat, I realize the value of what she used to do. Miss you gran :(... I made Gulpapte last year for the first time and never in my life I imagined liking gulpapte so much that I would repeatedly make them. My mom's favorite and dear husband loves it too so it is a double bonus... It does not have the gran's touch however has her recipe...very simple to make and will get ready in 30 minutes max!!

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Pieces: About 8

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup, grated
clarified butter/ghee - 2 tbsp[can be substituted with 1 tbsp of unsalted butter or very mild flavoured oil]
Water - enough to cover jaggery about 1/2 to 3/4 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup [optional]
Cardamom - 2 crushed or 2 pinches of powder

Method:

In a small pot take jaggery and water and heat till all of the jaggery dissolves.
In another pan, heat clarified butter, add cardamom and flour. Roast till all rawness goes away. You will know when your kitchen starts smelling very fragrant.
Now add coconut and roast for a couple of minutes.
Add the water jaggery mixture little by little and keep mixing so that it does not form lumps. Keep doing this till all the jaggery gets well incorporated into the flour.
Cook till the mixture leaves the pan and forms a ball when you are stirring.
Turn the stove of, set the pan aside and let it cool to touch.
Oil your palms lightly and roll them into lime sized balls to enjoy!

Tips:

If you want to make it richer, add finely chopped nuts and/or raisins.
If you want to store them for longer time, do not add coconut since it will start spoiling faster.

Set Dose, [Pressed rice pan cakes]

2011-05-25T17:30:00.002-04:00

How can I describe the joy it gives me when I put this dose along with sagu in my mouth? The experience is much more than words. Love this soft and sweet dose. An excellent breakfast or snack. Must say, one of the best contributions of Karnataka to the cuisine world.

Prep time: 14 Hours (Includes soak and ferment time)

Cook time: about 3 minutes for each dose

Servings: upto 15 pan cakes

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 2 cups
Poha (pressed rice) - 1 cup
Urad dal (Split black gram) - 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - enough to make the pan cakes
Garnish - grated carrots, finely chopped cilantro and 1 green chilly. About half a cup.

Method:

Wash rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds and poha and soak them for at least 5 hours.
Make a smooth batter in the blender, mix salt and let it ferment overnight. Consistency of the batter has to be like pan cake batter. When you dip the ladle in the batter, it must cover it fairly thickly and evenly... not too runny and not too pasty.
Heat a tawa or a pan well and ladle out some batter, pour on the pan, slightly spread it in a circular motion and pour a few drops of oil along the sides of the dose. You will see a lot of tiny bubbles form and pop, that is a good sign and let it get brown. sprinkle grated carrots, coriander and green chillies. Flip the pan cake and roast for a few seconds. Set dose is ready to be served.

Serving suggestions:

Goes well with Sagu and kobri chutney.

Tips:

If the pan cakes keep breaking, don't worry, just sprinkle 2 tsp of rice flour in the batter and mix well, this should do the trick.

Use non-stick tawa/pan to use less oil.

Sushi

2011-05-25T16:36:00.006-04:00

Need I say more? Sushi in Japanese means vinegared rice, contradictory to wide belief that it is "raw fish". The thing about sushi is except the rice everything else is raw in it. Sometimes the "nori", which is sea weed used is roasted. I am totally in love with this. I can eat it anytime anywhere. The wasabi and ginger served with this makes it more kickin' ... In my experience with wasabi, it can clear the most severe of sinus blocks... the kick it packs is out of this world... You won't be able to handle it unless you take a bite of vinegared ginger along with wasabi. To drink you must try "sake" rice wine... it is sort of sweet and tart at the same time, best had when warm. We tried suhi in a Korean restaurant once which was good then we had sushi in a vegan restaurant and fell in love with it. If you ask me, I fall in love with tasty food very easily, my weakness I suppose. So let me not dealy anymore in giving out the recipe of Sushi..

Prep time: 45 mins

cook time: 25 mins for rice

Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 2 cups, use very starchy rice.

2. Nori sheets - 4 [sea weed sheets, I bought them at whole foods store]

All Raw vegetables are Julienne sliced. Julienne is nothing but match stick thin slices. You can use a wide array of vegetables. Do not use something like potato or starchy ones. There is already rice in it. You can also use flavoured or just plain firm tofu...

3. Carotts: 2

4. Red bellpepper - 1/2

5. Green bell pepper - 1/2

6. Avacado - 1

7. Spring onions - 1 bunch

8. Ready wasabi paste or powder[prepare it according to insturctions on the box] or a horse radish (which has to be peeled, chopped and run in the blender to make a paste. Add a little salt, sugar and vinegar)

7. Raw ginger - 1 medium sized piece

8. Rice vinegar or white vinegar - up to 3/4 cup

9. Sugar - 4 tsp

Method:

Cooking rice:

Wash rice and put it in a filter to drain all the water and let it stand for an hour.
Now boil 4 cups of water in a vessel in which you would cook rice.
Add rice and cook till well done and all water gets evaporated.
After the rice cooks, transfer it into a large plate in which you can move it easily.
Mix 2 tbsp of vinegar and 2 tsp sugar till all the sugar dissolves.
Add 1 tbsp of this sugar-vinegar mixture and thoroughly mix in the rice by fannig on the rice with one hand. If you have a table fan, then switch it on and mix the rice and vinegar.
After 1 tbsp of it is incorporated, add the next tbsp and repeat the process till rice and vinegar gets mixed well. The point of the whole fanning process is to get the water to evaporate from rice faster and making rice more workable, this process makes rice sticky and soft enough to hold any shape you make it in to and cuts easily. Set this aside and let it completely cool. Keep in mind, you don't have to use all the vinegar. If you think rice is getting watery, stop using Vinegar.

To prepare Ginger:

Boil 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 tsp sugar in a pot till sugar dissolves in it. cool completely before using.
Younger the ginger root the better.
Wash the ginger root and peel out it's skin and throw it away
Now peel ginger in to strips, add it to cooled vinegar sugar mixture.
Soak it atleast 2 hours before you would use it.

How to roll Sushi?

There are a lot of videos, this one I found was most user friendly for beginners. She demonstrates with a rolling mat, Actually you don't need one, I did not use one, your bare hands are perfect to roll them.... I made them for the first time, the ones in the picture, not so professional looking... but with practice they will get better... So do not fret too much when they do not turn out to be a perfect shape. They don't hold the shape inside your mouth now, do they? LOL! I am posting a video here as watching it makes it very clear than reading about it... you can google further for more interesting informative videos... This is a very fun recipe to try with kids...Make and enjoy.

Serving suggestions:

Sushi becomes so much better with wasabi and vinegared ginger... please try it. The possibilities with sushi are just endless. You can add cucumber, zucchini and many such veggies. Try and experiment. This dish can be experimented a lot with.

Tips:

Never soak the nori sheet with water, it will tear. when you use water to wet your hands, make sure not even a drop lands on the nori sheet. Keep dipping the knife in water while you cut these rolls, or all the rice will stick to the knife making it impossible to cut further and all your rolls will go bad.

Fajita and burrito bowl

2011-05-17T16:59:00.003-04:00

Fajita, Pronounced as "fa-he-ta" is a tortilla, onion and bell pepper free recipe. If you like them, add them. If you add onions and bell peppes, it is called a burrito bowl in the Mexican fast food chain "Chipotle"You just have to put everything together in the taco recipe and eat it without hard or soft taco shells... Very filling and must say, super tasty... I would eat this all the time if I had the patience to cook so many varieties to put together one dish. My words won't explain the taste and freshness, you have to make it to know..Vegans can use vegan sour cream and cheese or totally eliminate it...so can diet conscious people.

This will take an hour to put together including cleaning...With left overs, it takes less than 10 minutes to arrange..

Ingredients:

1. Cooked Beans - Recipe below

2. Guacamole - Recipe below

3. Tomato Salsa - Recipe below

4. Chopped vegetable - Red\green\yellow bell peppers, sweet corn, onions and tomato (seeded) [slightly saute them on a skillet]

5. Sour cream (reduced fat)

Cooked Beans:

Ingredients:

Pink\black beans - 1 16oz can
Onion - 1 big\2 small, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 to 4 pods, grated or minced, if using paste, 1tbsp
Coriander\Cilantro - a handful, finely chopped
Oil - 2 tsp
Dry oregano - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Jalapeno - 1, seeded and finely chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat and add onions with a pinch of salt and saute.
After onions turn transparent, add garlic and saute for a few seconds, add oregano and saute for a few seconds. Add jalapeno and saute for a few seconds.
Drain and wash beans and add it to the skillet. Add a little water if it is sticking to the pan. Cook for a 5 minutes and it is done.

Guacamole:

Ingredients:

Avocado - 1 (use hass avocado, it has the best taste)
Garlic - 1 pod grated or 1/2 tsp paste
Jalapeno - 1 seeded
Lime juice - 2 tsp
Cilantro\coriander - A handful
Salt - to taste

Method:

Cut the avocado into half, take the seed out and scoop the fruit out of the skin.
Take all the ingredients in to a blender or a chopper and give it a whip till all of 'em mix well together. Guacamole is ready.

Tip:

To choose a good avocado, just press it with your thumb lightly, it has to give slightly to know it is ripe enough for use before you buy it. Trust me, you will not want to use a raw avocado.
To take the seed out, cut the avocado in to half vertically, take your knife hit the seed with the bottom sharp side of your knife, give it a slight turn and it comes out clean.
DO NOT BUY RIPE AVOCADO IF YOU ARE NOT PLANNING TO USE IT THE SAME DAY OR THE NEXT, THEY GO BAD VERY FAST.
You can not store anything made of avocado for more than a day even in fridge, so make it fresh as and when you need it.

Tomato Salas:

Ingredients:

Plum tomato - 3 to 4 medium, finely chopped
Green bell pepper - 1 medium, finely chopped
Jalapeno - 1 or 2 depending on your taste, seeded and finely chopped.
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 pods, minced/grated or paste 1 to 2 tsp
Cilantro- a handful, finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat oil in a pot on medium heat. Saute onion and garlic till onion gets transparent with some salt.
Add bell pepper and jalapeno and saute for a minute.
Add tomatoes, saute for a few minutes, put a lid on the pot and let it cook till it is well done. You can add water if you need. It has to be slightly watery than ketchup.
Add cilantro and lime juice and salsa is ready to eat.

This salsa stores well, for upto 2 weeks in the fridge, so cook a big batch and eat it with rice, salad, tacos chips and whatever you want to try it with.

Method To put fahita together:

Layer beans, rice, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheese one after the other and just spread slightly sauteed corn, onion and green bell peppers on the side and fahita is ready to eat...

Azefa/Azifa [Lentil Salad]

2011-05-16T16:52:00.001-04:00

Azefa is an Ethiopian lentil salad. It tastes out of this world and is so healthy. High in protein and high in taste. Very easy to put together and will fill you up as well. Generally Azefa is served with injera, my bet is it just goes well with any kind of bread or just plain as a salad. Azefa stores well, so you can make it ahead of time and store it for later use. It can be had as a salad, so go ahead and carry it for picnic lunches or just lunch on a work day...It is a starter in an Ethiopian restaurant at NYC... This could be one of those recipes spinsters or bachelors may love for the ease of making it. In the picture as you can see, I have served it with Indian dosa.... Personally, it tasted better with dosa than Injera :)... By the way lentils are just toor in India, not the daal, but the whole toor. In Kannada togari kaalu.

Prep time: 15 mins [if you don't have to soak and cook lentils]

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Lentils - 1 16 oz can or 1 cup (soak it for an hour and then cook it with lot of water and 1 tsp salt for 20 mins till it is well done. Do not over cook, it has to hold it's shape)
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 pods, grated
Avocado - 1, finely chopped
Lemon or lime juice - 1 to 2 tbsp
Mustard - powder 1 tsp or 1 1/2 tsp paste
Plain white Vinegar - 3 tsp
Parsley - 2 tsp dry or 3 tsp fresh, finely chopped
Jalapeno - 1 seeded and finely chopped
Oil - 2tsp
Salt - to taste
Ground black pepper - to taste

Method:

Rinse the lentils from the can after, drain them well, combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl and enjoy. If you have cooked the lentils, Drain all the water and let it cool completely before you combine it with the rest of the ingredients.

Bread Masala Toast

2011-05-16T16:02:00.002-04:00

It is simply called toast in Bangalore bakeries. I remember just getting overjoyed whenever someone got us these super hot toasts to eat. I still remember we had to split one single toast between 4 kids and we fought on who got the bigger piece. It was a serious fight back then but now they are all sweet memories. Sad part of it is, now I can buy or make and eat as much as i want to, but it is not as much fun :(... miss my bro and cousins :D. Sorry for getting nostalgic and emotional, let me talk about the toast a bit more. It is good as a snack for kids and adults, good for breakfast too... add some cheese for a little extra flavour. If you are planning a tea party or just an informal get together, this will be a hit with your friends. If you want them to be of bite size pieces, just cut them after they bake.

Prep time: 20 mins

Bake time: 15 min

Pieces: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Grated carrots: 3 cups
Onion - 1 medium sized, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece grated or 1 tsp paste
Garlic - 2 pods grated or 1 tsp paste (optional)
Tomato - 1 medium sized, finely chopped
Green chillies - 5 to 7 finely chopped (use according to how hot you want the toast)
Garam masala - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (use on how spicy you want it to be)
Cheese - about 1/2 cup, grated (optional). If you have slices, use them 1 per each slice of bread.
Bread - 6 to 8 slice. (any bread of your choice, I used whole wheat.)
Coriander/Cilantro - a handful, finely chopped.
Curry leaves - 4, finely chopped.
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

Heat oil on medium heat in a pan and curry leaves.
Add onions and a pinch of salt and saute till it gets slightly transparent.
Add ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute till the raw smell goes away.
Add carrots and saute till well cooked.
Add tomatoes and saute till well cooked.
Turn the stove off, add coriander and mix well.
Preheat the oven at 350F and on a baking sheet arrange the bread slices and sprinkle cheese on top of them.
Spread the curry you just made and bake them in the oven for 15 minutes. [check after 10 mins, bake time may vary depending on the oven]
If you do not have an oven, toast the bread on a pan over the stove top. Flip the slice and sprinkle with cheese while the other side gets toasted. Then spread the curry.
If you toast bread in a toaster, sprinkle cheese when the toast is hot and spread the curry, toast is ready to eat.. Enjoy!

Ranch Dip

2011-04-27T15:35:00.002-04:00

Ranch dip is a very good dressing for salads, a fab dip for chips and veggies, good for burgers and you can eat it with almost anything just like ketchup... it is creamy and yummy!! I get the low fat or fat free cream cheese to make this dip... you can use the level of fat you want to eat. If you don't get cream cheese where you live, don't worry, hang some yogurt in a muslin cloth and let it drain completely, preferably over night... you will have a product which will resemble cream cheese very closely. The rest of the ingredients are mostly available everywhere... so make and enjoy!!

Prep time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Fat free cream cheese - 8ozSpring onions - 1 bunch, roughly chopped (do not use all of it, just 3/4, eliminate dark green part)
Garlic - 1 pods (use less if you don't like)
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
White Vinegar - 2 tsp
Ground Black pepper - 1/2 tsp (more if you like)
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp or 1/2 tbsp lime juice
Salt - to taste
Capers/kabra - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Parsley - 1 tsp dry 2 tsp fresh
Water - 1 to 2 tbsp to thin the dip if required.

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and make a smooth paste of consistency of ketchup or slightly thinner.

Tips:

To give it more flavour, you can add 1 seeded jalapeno and 1 tsp dill leaves.

To make cream cheese from yogurt. Take the yogurt put it in a muslin/cheese cloth or good quality paper towels (ones which wont tear after getting wet like bounty sheets). Tie yogurt in it, place it in a filter, the ones you use filter fruit pulp or you can use a small vessel which has holes in it. The whole idea is to drain the water oozing out of yogurt into a vessel beneath it. Place this filter on the vessel, make sure it coves the mouth of the vessel, it must not fall inside it. Place tied yogurt in the filter and put this in your refrigerator. Let it drain for atleast 8 hours.

Egg Masala Curry/Boiled eggs in a savory tomato gravy

2011-04-26T14:47:00.002-04:00

I made this exclusively for my husband's friend who was visiting us. He is a non-vegetarian and since we don't cook any sort of meat at home, I made this instead. He said he was happy that we made eggs for him... This dish can be a sort of a bridge between both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. If you are making a lot of NV dishes and would like to have something of a bridge which will appeal to many at a party, you can choose to make this. This is a very good side for pulao/pilaf and Biriyani. Goes well with Jeera rice and plain rice and roti [Indian flat bread]. I used the recipe from my friend's blog. She is an amazing cook... I am posting the same link below. Make and enjoy.

http://sruthiskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/10/egg-curry.html

Paneer Butter Masala [PBM]/ Indian cottage cheese in spicy tomato gravy

2011-04-26T14:29:00.003-04:00

Here is the queen of all dishes according to me. I have always loved it with naan in dhabas and restaurants. I bet nothing can beat a road side dhaba in it's taste. As the name suggests, it is a high fat side... however, in my kitchen, most of the high fat recipes shape up to medium to low fat. Excellent for parties and to take to lunch. Goes well with roti, chapati and naan. My guess is it will also go well as a dip for pita bread and usual bread... try it, who knows, you may discover a new way to eat this dish. Here goes the recipe.

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Indian cottage cheeses/Paneer - 80oz/250 grams (chopped into small cubes and fried)
Onion - 1 medium sized, roughly chopped
Garlic - 2 pods or 1 tsp paste
Ginger - 1 inch roughly chopped piece or 1 tsp paste
Cashew - 4 to 5 pods
Tomato paste - 2 tbsp (6 oz can), 1/2 to 1 cup puree or 3 to 4 whole tomatoes
Garam masala powder- 1 to 2 tsp (depending on the spiciness you desire)
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cuminn powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp (according to taste)
Dry fenugreek leaves / Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Milk - 3 to 4 tbsp
Butter - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Water - enough to make a runny paste of masala and to thin out the gravy to desired consistency
Fresh coriander leaves - 1 tbsp for garnish

Method:

In a blender jar, make a paste of onions, gineger, garlic and cashew by adding very little water.
Heat oil in a nonstick pot on medium heat and add the onion paste plus a pinch of salt and let it get slightly brown.
in a bowl, take tomato paste and thin it out to consistency slightly watery than puree. If you use puree skip this process. If you use whole tomatoes, blend them in the blender without using water or as little water as possible and set aside.
When the onion paste seems to get slightly brown, add the tomato puree and let it cook for a minute.
While the tomato puree is cooking, in a bowl, add garam masala, coriander, chilli, cumin powders, dry fenugreek leaves and add water to make a runny paste. Add this paste to the tomato cooking tomato puree and let it cook for 2 minutes or till it starts smelling aromatic. If you think the mixture is getting too thick, add water to thin it down as much as you desire. Keep in mind, the gravy should not go thinner than tomato puree consistency.
Add desired amount of salt at this point, stir in to mix all the ingredients.
Add fried paneer cubes to the gravy and cook for 5 minutes or till the paneer pieces absorb the gravy.
Add milk and stir in to mix it. Adding milk gives a creamy texture without adding too much butter.
Now add butter and stir it in. You can save a small piece of butter and let it afloat when you serve.
Transfer it into a serving container, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot bread.

Serving Suggestions:

Along with any kind of bread, serve a few lime wedges and sliced onion...Let your guests squeeze the lime to their PBM and after they put the roti and PBM in their mouth let them take a bite of an onion slice... you will see how much they will love it. Some serve very mild green chillies too... yummm.

Tips:

You can make this ahead of time for parties and heat it up the next day. If you refrigerate, it will absorb more Flavour.

To fry paneer cubes, Heat 2 tbsp oil in a big skillet, add these paneer pieces and saute them till they become golden brown on two sides atleast. You can also rub 1 tbsp oil on them and arrange them on a cookie sheet and bake the at 350F for 15 minutes on each side or till they become brown on both sides.

Khara Biscuit / Savory Biscuit

2011-04-26T13:11:00.006-04:00

This biscuit reminds me of Iyengari bakery in Bangalore. There are some signature items made only in bakeries of karnataka, and This is one of those items. If you don't like eating the sweet version of biscuit, just cut the sugar and add a twist by blending green chillies and some herbs to make these amazingly tasty biscuits... the aroma which they emanate when they bake its sublime ... Makes an excellent snack for kids, great for tea parties and other informal occasions. Hmmm.... Here goes the recipe.

Prep time: 20 mins

Bake time: 15 to 20 mins

Servings: 16 to 20 pieces.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour/Maida - 2 Cups
Unsalted Butter/oil - 3/4 cups, if you use oil 1/4 to close to 1/2 cup will be enough. If you use slated butter, use less salt or no slat depending on your taste.
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Yogurt - 2tbsp or the amount needed to make the dough.
Cilantro/ coriander leaves - 1/2 tbsp finely chopped
Green chillies - 6 to 8 finely chopped
Curry Leaves - 1/2 tbsp finely chopped
Dry feugreek leaves/kasuri methi - 1 tsp or you can use fresh finely chopped leaves 1/2 tbsp(optional)
Mint - 1/2 tbsp finely chopped (Optional)
Dill leaves - 1/2 tbsp finely chopped (optional)
Carom seeds/ ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Sieve the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a large plate or tray which will enable you to work with the flour easily.
To the sieved flour, add pieces of butter and rub till the flour forms granules like semolina/rava. If you use oil, please use 1/2 the given quantity first. If you use all of it at once, it may make the dough instantly.. this will do the recipe no good. Keep in mind, you may not need all the oil...if 1/4 to 1/2 cup works then just use that. The oil absorption depends on the flour. The whole point is to blend fat and flour together to make a semolina like consistency.
Now add all the chopped ingredients and rub a little more. Keep in mind to do so gently, if you apply a lot of pressure while rubbing, the texture of the biscuit will go hard.
Add yogurt little by little and start to make the dough. It should form a ball like the pie crust or chapati dough. You may need less or more yogurt to make the dough, so add it carefully.
Now Divide the roll into two balls and roll them to 1/2 cm thick sheet.
Cut the Biscuits out into your desired shape and repeat the same process for the rest of the dough. You can use biscuit cutter to give them interesting shapes...
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and dust a cookie sheet or a baking tray, arrange all these Cookies in it. Be sure to leave a little space between each of them as they expand while baking.
Set it on the middle rack of the oven and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes or till you see a light brown bottom of the cookie and golden brown top...

They are ready to eat as soon as they cool.

Tips:

Use cold butter for extra flaky texture.

I have used less oil or butter coz i wanted to make it low fat. You may use slightly more butter if you need. I have used Whole wheat flour as well, you can try blending, 1/2 of all purpose and whole wheat...All whole wheat flour takes away from the good taste. If you are baking it for the first time, use all purpose flour, next trial you can use whole wheat or blend :D.

Hummus

2011-03-17T13:57:00.001-04:00

Hummus is the easiest and fastest dip/side you can make. Good with any kind of bread, very nutritious and tasty. If you have cooked chick peas, making Hummus takes just 10 minutes. Great for spinsters/bachelors who would want to eat food of value and which cooks in no time. Excellent source of protein and fiber. Good for kids, they will love it. Here goes the recipe. [will upload picture soon]

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Chickpeas - 1 16oz can, or a 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas [kabuli chana]
Garlic - 1 or 2 pods crushed (use less if you don't like garlic)
Tahini (sesame seeds paste) - 1 -2 tbsp or 2 tsp sesame seeds
Mint leaves - 4 to 5
Parsley - 1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dry
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Plain yogurt - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 -3 tbsp or 2 tsp lime juice

Method

Drain the chick peas can and rinse chickpeas once in tap water. Add all the above ingredients into a blender and blend it into a smooth paste. If it gets very thick, add a little water to make it smooth running. The consistency of the paste should be like tomato ketchup.

Serving Suggestions:

Best with Pita bread. It can go with any bread or you can eat it straight away. Good as a dip for chips and vegetables.

Tip:

You can flavour Hummus with any of your favorite flavours. Add jalapeno's or green chillies to make it hot. Add red chillies to give it heat and colour or add 5 to 6 black olives to give it a olive touch. You can make Hummus taste like anything you want. The above recipe is just the basic one.