Sanket's kitchen

Palak paneer

2013-09-22T17:16:00.000-04:00

Palak paneer

Ingredients:

Spinach leaves - 3 cups
Minced garlic - 6 pods
Ginger - 1" piece (shredded)
Green chili - 3 small (finely chopped)
Onions - 3 small (finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 small (finely chopped)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Paneer/Cottage cheese - 250 grams (cut into cubes)
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Dry whole spices - Cinnamon - 1" piece, bay leaves - 2 to 3, red chili - 1
Dry powder spices - Turmeric - 1 tsp, cumin-coriander - 2 tsp, red chili powder - 1 tsp, curry powder (shaan) - 1 tsp, garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

Cook spinach - heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. Saute about 2 minced garlic and 1 chopped green chili for about 30 seconds. Now add spinach leaves to it and cook till they are wilted. Close the lid and cook for 1 whistle.

Recipe:

1. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee in a pan. Add onions to it and saute for about 15 minutes on medium heat (onions turn brown). Now add remaining 4 minced garlic pods, 2 chopped green chili and shredded ginger to it. Saute for about 2 minutes. Now add chopped tomatoes and saute for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to 'medium-low' and add salt & all the dry powder spices. Add cooked spinach to it and saute for 2 minutes. Let it cool down a bit, add 1/2 cup water and mix it in a food processor to make a smooth puree (it will be deep green colored).

2. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in the same pan. Add cumin seeds to it. Once cumin seeds start to splutter, add dry whole spices and saute for about 30 seconds. Now add our puree to it and saute for about 5 minutes. Now add paneer and about 1/2 cup water to it and cook for 10 minutes.

Serve hot with roti or white rice.

Enjoy!

Omelette sandwich

2013-09-20T20:17:00.000-04:00

Omelette sandwich

Ingredients:

Butter - 1/2 tbsp
Eggs - 2
Scallion - 1 finely chopped
Green chili - 1 finely chopped
Cumin-coriander powder - 1 tsp
Crushed red pepper - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - just a pinch
Salt - 1/2 tbsp (adjust as per taste)
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped

Whole-wheat bread - 2 toasted

Recipe:

Open two eggs in a bowl. Add all the ingredients and whip everything together.

In a wide bottom pan, heat the butter. Then add eggs to it and cook on a low-medium heat. Cook till it becomes solid, then turn upside down and cook for a couple more minutes.

Stuff it between toasted bread.

Serve hot with ketchup.

Enjoy!

Gujarati-style potatoes (Bataka nu shak - serves 2)

2013-09-18T11:22:00.000-04:00

Gujarati style potatoes

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 (finely chopped into square pieces)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin coriander powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tbsp (optional)
Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Recipe:

1. Heat oil on a high heat in a pan. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds to it. Add asafetida and turmeric powder once mustard seeds start to splutter. Add potatoes to it after about 30 seconds.

2. Cook potatoes for about 15 minutes. Skip stirring in between.

3. Once potatoes are cooked, lower the heat to 'low-medium' and add salt, red chili powder and cumin-coriander powder.

4. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then lower the heat to 'low' and add sugar. Turn off the heat after about a minute and squeeze lemon juice over it.

Serve with roti or chappati.

Note: To make it non-Gujarati, skip sugar and add a pinch of garam masala instead.

Enjoy!

Pan-seared salmon with green-beans and white rice

2013-09-16T12:13:00.000-04:00

Pan-seared salmon with green beans and white rice

This dish is a quick-fix meal. It's very tasty, easy to cook and most importantly, its a perfect balance of proteins, vegetables, healthy fats & carbs.

Ingredients (serves 2 people):

For salmon:
Salmon - 4 fillets
Olive oil- 2 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tbsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin-coriander powder - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp

For green beans:
Green beans - 1/2 pound
Water - 3 cups
Salt - 1/2 tbsp
Black pepper - just a pinch
Lemon juice - few drops

For rice:
Parboiled white rice - 1/4 cup
Water - 3/4 cup (parboiled rice needs more water than regular rice)

Preparation:

1. Marinade salmon - Mix all ingredients (except salmon) from the section 'for salmon'. Add salmon filets to it and coat the fillets with marinade. Leave it outside for about 15 minutes.

2. Wash and rinse white rice. Let it soak in water for about 15 minutes in a pan.

3. Wash and rinse green beans.

Recipe:

You have to cook 3 things almost together to enjoy this dish. So its necessary to be organised and 'think on your feet'.

Step 1. Cook salmon - Heat pan on a high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Once pan is preheated, add marinated salmon fillets to pan and cook on one side for about 3 minutes. Now, turn over the salmon filets, and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes. Salmon becomes flaky when it is perfectly cooked. Put cooked salmon fillets on a serving plate. Note, there is some left over oil and spices in this pan. We'll use this later for green beans. So do not discard it.

Step 2. Cook green beans - This step goes hand in hand with step 1. Heat 3 cups water on a high heat in a cooking pot. Once water starts boiling (about 5 minutes), add green beans to it. Cook for 3-4 minutes till they become crisp-tender. Now, drain the hot water and replace with ice cold water and let green beans stand in ice-cold water for about 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the pan used to cook salmon. Add just green beans (no water) to pan and saute for about 3-4 minutes on a high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and squeeze few drops of lemon juice on it.

Step 3. Cook rice - Heat pan used to soak rice on medium-high flame. Once water starts to simmer, close the lid and lower the heat to low-medium. Cook for about 15-20 minutes (till water evaporates and rice is cooked thoroughly).

For a good presentation, arrange two fillets on one side of dish (one on top of another); put green beans close to salmon and white rice on other side of dish.

Enjoy!

Dal palak ( spinach dal)

2013-09-12T17:55:00.000-04:00

Spinach dal (Dal palak)

Ingredients:

Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Spinach leaves - 3 cups
Moong dal - 1/2 cup (soak in water for 2 hours)
Onions - 2 finely chopped
Ginger-garlic-green chili paste - 2 tbsp (about 5 garlic pods, 1" ginger piece and 1 green chili)
Garlic pods - 2 and green chili - 1 (finely chopped - to cook with spinach)
Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped
Salt - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin-coriander powder - 2 1/2 tsp
Curry powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala - 1 pinch

For tempering - cumin seeds - 1 tbsp, cinnamon stick - 1" piece, bay leaves - 2 to 3, asafetida - 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

1. Cooking spinach: Finely chop spinach leaves. Wash and rinse in water. Now heat 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add chopped garlic and green chili to it and saute for about 2 minutes. Now add spinach leaves to it. Saute for about a minute and close the lid. Cook for 1 whistle in pressure cooker. Once it is cooked, mash it with a food masher.

2. Cook moong dal for about 20 minutes in a cooking pot with closed lid.

Recipe:

1. Heat remaining oil and ghee in a pan on a high heat. Once heated, add cumin seeds to it. Let it splutter, then add asafetida powder, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. After about 30 seconds, lower the heat to medium and add chopped onions. Saute till it becomes golden brown in color (about 10 to 15 minutes).

2. Now add Ginger-garlic-green chili paste and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. By that time, tomatoes becomes mushy and oil starts to ooze from curry.

4. Now add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder, curry powder, garam masala and chaat masala. Mix well and saute for about 2 minutes.

5. Now add spinach and cooked moong dal (with remaining water) to it and mix well. If there is not enough water, add about 1/2 cup water to the spinach dal curry and cook on a medium heat for about 15 minutes.

Serve with plain white rice or chapati.

Enjoy!

Black-bean taco

2013-09-08T16:38:00.004-04:00

Soft & hard taco

Ingredients:

Taco shells - hard or soft (I used ready made taco shells from Taco-Bell)
Black beans - 1 cup
Guacamole - 1 cup (store bought or freshly made from 2 avocados)
Sour cream - 1/2 cup
Lettuce - 1/2 chopped
Salsa - 1/2 cup
Shredded cheese - 1/2 cup (preferably mexican four cheese blend)
Tomato - 1 chopped
Taco seasoning - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Wash and rinse a cup of black beans. Soak in 1 cup water for about an hour. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. After black beans are cooked, open the cooker and add salt and taco seasoning. Mash black beans with masher. If there's too much water in the end, heat black beans in same cooker with open lid till desired consistency is achieved.

2. Heat taco shells as per direction on the box.

3. Finely chop lettuce and tomatoes.

Recipe:

1. Stuff black beans inside a taco shell.

2. Put some guacamole over it.

3. Add a thin layer of sour cream over it.

4. Add some lettuce and tomatoes.

5. Add salsa to it.

6. Finally sprinkle some shredded cheese on to it and your taco is ready.

Enjoy!

Kolhapuri lamb curry (aka tambda rassa) - serves 4 to 6

2013-09-08T14:35:00.000-04:00

Kolhapuri lamb curry

Ingredients:

For marinade -
Lamb pieces - 1.5 lbs - cut it to about 2" pieces
Garlic-ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Green chili - 1 finely chopped
Salt - 1.5 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin-coriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tsp)
Chopped Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

For kolhapuri masala -
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Dry red chili - 6 crushed
Black pepper corns - 1 tbsp
Cinnamon stick - 1" piece
Green cardamom seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cloves - 1/2 tbsp
Javantri - 1/2 tbsp
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Bay leaves - 2 to 3
Nutmeg powder - 1/2 tsp
Dry coconut powder - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tbsp

For curry -
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Black cardamom - 2
Green cardamom - 2
Bay leaves - 2 to 3
Onions - 3 finely sliced
Garlic-ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Tomatoes - 1 finely chopped
Salt - 1 tbsp
Cumin-coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp for garnishing

Recipe:

Step 1 - Marinade: Cut lamb pieces to appropriate size and wash thoroughly under lukewarm water. Make marinade by mixing ingredients from 'Garlic-ginger paste to Chopped coriander leaves' under section 'for marinade'. Add lamb pieces to marinade mixture and leave it for about 2 hours.

Step 2 - Making kolhapuri masala: Heat pan on a medium heat. Once heated, add ingredients from 'cumin seeds to bay leaves' under section 'for kolhapuri masala'. Lower the heat and stir the ingredients continuously for about 2 to 3 minutes till all the ingredients are roasted well and starts to give nice aroma. Now add dry coconut and roast for another 2 to 3 minutes (till coconut becomes golden-brown colored). Now turn off the heat, and add salt and nutmeg powder. Let it cool down and grind it with food processor to make a fine powder.

Step 3 - Cook lamb under pressure cooker: Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker. Once heated, add the marinated lamb pieces to it and fry for about 5 minutes. Now add 2 cups of water and close the lid. Turn heat to medium low and let it cook for about 5 whistles (about 20 minutes). See notes for alternative if pressure cooker is unavailable.

Step 4 - Making kolhapuri curry: Heat 1 tbsp oil and remaining 1 tbsp ghee in a pan on a high flame. Once heated, add cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, lower the heat to medium and add black cardamom, green cardamom and bay leaves. Saute for about 30 seconds, then add sliced onions. Saute onions till they turn brown (about 30 minutes on medium heat). Now add garlic-ginger paste and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes. Now add tomatoes and saute for about 5 minutes till they turn mushy and oil starts to ooze from curry. Now add kolhapuri masala (step 2), salt, cumin-coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Saute dry spices for about 2 to 3 minutes. Now add cooked lamb with residual water (step 3) to the curry. Close the lid and let it simmer on a medium heat for about 20 to 25 minutes. If there is too much water in the end, open the lid and simmer the curry till desired consistency is achieved. Turn off the heat, and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve hot with white rice or chapati.

Enjoy!

Notes:
1. Under step 2 - do not let the ingredients burn under any circumstances; otherwise they will yeild unappetizing bitter taste.
2. You can cook lamb directly in a pan used to make curry. In that case, cook marinated lamb in curry for about 1 hour on medium heat. Lamb is well done when meat starts to seperate from bone easily.

Chicken curry (serves 2)

2013-08-23T11:31:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

For marinade -

Chicken (leg piece - 4)
1/2 tsp fresh ginger paste,
1 tsp minced garlic (roughly 3 pods),
1 green chili - finely chopped
1 tbsp - salt,
1/2 tsp turmeric,
1 tsp coriander powder,
1/2 tsp red chili powder,
1/2 tsp garam masala,
1/2 tsp chicken curry masala,
1/2 tsp black pepper powder,
1/2 cup plain yogurt,
1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves,
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves,
1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice,

For curry -

Oil - 2 tbsp,
Ghee - 2 tbsp,
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp,
Whole spices - Black cardamom - 2, pepper corns - 6 to 8, cinnamon stick - 1" piece, bay leaves - 2 to 3, dry whole red chili - 2,
Onions - 2 finely chopped
Ginger-green chili-garlic paste (ggg) - 1 tbsp,
Tomato - 1 finely chopped,
Dry powder spices - Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp, Red chili powder - 1 tsp, Cumin-coriander powder - 2 tsp, garam masala - 1/2 tsp, chicken curry masala - 1/2 tsp,
Salt - 1 tbsp (adjust per taste),
water - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp - chopped

Recipe:

Step 1 - Marinade: Mix all the ingredients for marinade (except chicken). Add chicken to it and let it marinade in refrigerator for about 8 to 10 hours.

Step 2 - Making curry: Heat oil and ghee in a karahi (or large pan) on high heat. Once heated, add cumin seeds to it. After cumin seeds start to sizzle, turn the heat to medium and add all the whole spices to it. Fry for about 30 seconds till whole spices releases aroma. Now add chopped onion and fry till they turn golden brown (about 10 - 15 minutes), now add ginger-garlic-green chili paste and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes (you'll notice the raw smell of garlic go away). Now add chopped tomato and cook for about 5 minutes (until the gravy becomes smooth and oil separates from gravy). Now add 'dry powder spices, mix well and fry for about a minute. Now add water to it and mix well. Add marinated chicken to it, close the lid, and let it cook till chicken is well done (chicken easily falls apart and turns white from inside). Turn off the heat, garnish with chopped coriander and let it stand for about 10 minutes before eating.

Serve hot with rice or Indian bread (naan, roti, or paratha).

Enjoy!

Egg pomfret (serves 4)

2013-06-09T18:03:00.000-04:00

Egg pomfret

Before reading the recipe, let's make one thing clear. There is no fish used in this recipe. This is an eggiterian recipe. However, it is named so because of its shape as a pomfret fish, where the outer omelet layer represents the skin of pomfret and inner stuffing represents the meat of fish. I learnt this recipe from egg stall owner in Surat, who used to call it as'egg paplet' (paplet = Indian name for pomfret). This dish is cooked in three steps. First is making the omelet, second is making the stuffing and third is making gravy for dish. A bit complicated dish but really worth cooking. Also, its a very rich dish. So make sure to run a mile before you gulp it down. JK :)

Ingredients -

Eggs - 9 (4 for omelet and 5 for stuffing)
Butter - 3 tbsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Onion - finely chopped - 1
Tomatoes - finely chopped - 3
Green chili, ginger and garlic paste (ggg paste) - 2 tbsp
Salt - 2 tbsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Cumin-coriander powder - 2 tsp
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Cheese - 1 cube (finely chop 1/2 cheese cube and use rest of cheese cube for garnishing)
Coriander leaves - chopped - 2 tbsp

Recipe -

Preparation - Boil 5 eggs. Remove yellow yolks and finely chop the egg whites (we'll use it for stuffing).

Step 1: Omelet - Take 4 raw eggs in a bowl. Put 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 tbsp salt, black pepper, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp each of red chili powder and cumin-coriander powder, and 1/2 tsp coriander leaves. Mix everything well with a whisk. Heat 1 tbsp each of oil and butter in a pan on a medium heat. Then pour eggs over the pan to spread evenly. Let it cook for about 5 to 10 minutes till it is well done. Now flip it and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer omelet to a dish. This is our base for stuffing.

Step 2: Stuffing - Heat 1 tbsp each of oil and butter in same pan on medium heat. Once oil is heated, add onions to it and cook onions till they become yellow-brown (about 6 to 8 minutes). Now add 1 tbsp ggg paste to it and sautee for about 3 to 5 minutes. Now add 1/3rd chopped tomatoes to it and cook for another 5 minutes. Now add 1 tbsp salt, 1/4 tsp each of cumin-coriander powder and red chili powder. Sautee for 2 more minutes. Add some water in between if it start to dry. Now add chopped eggs and sautee for 2 minutes. Now add chopped cheese, 1/2 tbsp coriander leaves, and mix well. Turn off the heat, and stuff it inside the omelet (like a wrap).

Step 3: Gravy - Heat remaining oil and butter in same pan. Once heated, add remaining tomatoes and sautee for about 5 mins. Now add remaining salt, red chili powder and cumin-coriander powder to it and sautee for 2 minutes. Now add about 1 cup water and let it simmer for about 5 mins. Then carefully transfer stuffed omelet to the gravy and let the gravy simmer for few more minutes. Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves and shredded cheese (remaining 1/2 cube).

Serve hot with wheat bread.

Enjoy!

Yogurt sauce for tandoori chicken

2013-06-07T19:00:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:

Yogurt – 4 tbsp
Sour cream – 2 tsp
Mint leaves and coriander leaves – 1 cup
Salt – 1/2 tble spoon
Cumin-coriander powder – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Green chili – 1
Ginger – 1” piece

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor to make a smooth paste. Serve as an accompaniment with tandoori chicken to soothe the taste buds.

Enjoy!

PAN-SEARED TANDOORI CHICKEN

2013-06-07T19:00:00.000-04:00

Tandoori chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs (with skin) – 4 pieces
Yogurt – 1 cup – whisk yogurt before mixing all the ingredients
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Tandoori masala – 2 tsp
Salt – 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Cumin-coriander powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Lemon – 1 tsp – freshly squeezed
Coriander leaves – chopped – 1 tsp
Mint leaves – chopped – 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Recipe:

Step 1 – Marinade:
Mix ingredients from yogurt till mint leaves in a bowl to make marinade for chicken. Pierce chicken thighs with a fork and add chicken pieces into marinade mix. Let it marinade for about 8 to 12 hours at least (but not more than 2 days).

Step 2 – Cooking chicken:
1 Pre-heat the oven at 450F
2 Meanwhile heat oil in a cast iron skillet at a high temperature. Add cumin seeds to pan.
3 Nestle the chicken pieces on pan (with skin side down) and let it cook for 2 minutes on high heat.
4 Now lower the temperature to medium and let it cook for about 10-12 minutes. Occasionally, rearrange the chicken on a pan so that heat distributes evenly.
5 Now put the skillet inside the pre-heated oven and let it cook for about 10-12 mins. Then flip the chicken and cook for another 5 mins.
6 Remove the chicken from pan and put it onto a serving plate and let it stand for about 5 mins.
7 Garnish it with coriander and lemon wedge.

Serving tip: Squeeze lemon juice on chicken and eat it with yogurt sauce.

Enjoy!

Tempered buttermilk (Vaghareli chaas)

2013-06-07T12:32:00.000-04:00

tempered buttermilk

Ingredients -
Plain yogurt - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tbsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Green chili - chopped - 1
Curry leaves (preferably fresh leaves) - 10 to 12

Recipe -
1. Take yogurt in a medium size bowl. Mix well with a balloon whip/whisk.
2. Add water to yogurt and mix well again to make plain buttermilk.
3. Add salt and black pepper to buttermilk.
4. Heat oil in a small pan.
5. Once oil is heated, add cumin seeds. Add green chili when cumin seeds start to sizzle. After about 15 seconds, add curry leaves. Fry for about 15 seconds, then pour hot oil over buttermilk and mix well.

Serve with khichdi or biryani or enjoy a chilled glass in hot summer!

Enjoy!

Surati eggs gotalo (modified version of scrambled eggs) - serves 2

2013-05-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

Surati eggs gotalo

This recipe is another version of scrambled egg. However, its a little bit more complicated than simple scrambled eggs. This is the original and authentic recipe coming directly from the owner of an egg stall in Surat, Gujarat (India). Since I frequented this place during my college, I've an emotional attachment with this recipe.

Ingredients:

Eggs - 6 (3 for boiling and 3 for half-frying)
Oil - 2 tbsp (1 for frying eggs and 1 for later use)
Butter - 1 tbsp
For paste - Garlic - 3 pods, Ginger - 1" piece, Green chili - 1
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Powder spices - turmeric - 1 tsp, red chili powder - 1 tsp, cumin-coriander powder - 2 tsp, garam masala - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 chopped
Water - 1/2 cup
Chopped cilantro - about 2 tbsp

Recipe:

Step 1 - Preparation: This is important so as to avoid any rush while cooking.
Boil 3 eggs - these boiled eggs are used to shred over curry in step 3;
Make a paste from ginger, garlic and green chili (GGG paste);
Put all the powder spices in a small bowl;
Finely chop tomatoes and put it in a bowl; add water to chopped tomatoes;

Step 2 - Making eggs 'half-fry': Heat 1 tbsp oil on a medium heat in a non-stick pan. Once heated, gently crack open the eggs into pan (be gently enough to avoid breaking yolk). Evenly spread half of ginger-garlic-green chili (GGG) paste on the top of each of 3 eggs. Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp salt and half of the powder spices over eggs. With a spoon, collect some oil from the side of pan and drizzle it over eggs to fry GGG paste and spices. Now add 1 tbsp chopped coriander on top of eggs. Your half fry is ready when egg white becomes opaque white in color (roughly 10 minutes). Slide over these eggs 'half-fry' into another plate.

Step 3 - Making curry for gotado: Heat butter and remaining 1 tbsp oil on a medium heat in the same pan used to make half-fry. Once butter melts, add rest of GGG paste and sauté for about a minute. Now add chopped tomatoes (without water, use water for later) and mix well. Let tomatoes cook for about 5 minutes (till it gets soft and mushy). Keep stirring in between. Crush tomatoes with spatula after it becomes soft. Now add 1 tbsp salt and remaining powder spices. Fry spices for couple of minutes. Now add water (in which tomatoes were kept) to it. Mix well and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Now shred boiled eggs over curry with a shredder and mix well. Add cilantro and simmer for additional 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Step 4 - Making gotado: Pour curry onto a flat bottomed bowl. Put egg-half-fry on the top of curry and mix everything together using two spatulas. Use your spatulas imagining as if using a knife to chop onions.

Serve with toasted buns or bread.

Enjoy!

Note:

1. Health tip - Since it is a very rich dish, discard 2 eggs yolks from boiled eggs to cut down your cholesterol intake. You may discard it altogether but I think using one egg yolk gives a good texture to this recipe.

2. Since this recipe is very fast paced, I would suggest to prepare all ingredients beforehand in order to avoid rush while cooking.

Spicy egg curry (serves 4)

2013-05-20T10:43:00.000-04:00

Egg curry

Ingredients:

Eggs - 9
Onions - 3 small or 2 medium - finely chopped
Tomatoes - 1 large - finely chopped
Garlic - 5 cloves
Ginger - 1" piece
Green chili - 1
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon stick - 1" piece
Powder spices - Turmeric - 1/2 tsp, Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp, cumin-coriander powder - 2 tsp, garam masala - 1 tsp.
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Water - 1 cup

Recipe:

Step 1 - Boil the eggs - peel them - and vertically cut it into half.

Step 2 - Make paste from garlic, ginger and green chili in a food processor.

Step 3 - Making curry: Heat oil in a pan on a high heat. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds. Add bay leaves and cinnamon stick after cumin seeds start to sizzle. Now lower the heat to medium, and add onions. sauté onions for about 10 minutes (till they turn brownish, become sticky and start to ooze oil). Now add ginger-garlic-green chili paste. Sauté for about 2 minutes (till raw smell of garlic is gone). Now add tomatoes to pan and sauté for about 5 minutes (till they become mushy and gravy start to ooze oil). If tomatoes start to stick at the bottom of pan, keep adding 1 or 2 tbsp of water in between. Now add all the powder spices, mix well and fry the spices for about 2 minutes. Do not let the powder spices burn at any cost (lower the heat if needed, add few tsp of water if needed). Now add rest of the cup of water, mix well and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Now add boiled eggs to curry, cover the lid and let it simmer on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Your spicy egg curry is ready. Serve hot with Indian bread or plain rice or khichdi.

Enjoy!

Pizza

2013-05-19T13:24:00.000-04:00

Pizza

Ingredients:

For making dough -
Wheat flour - 3/4 cup
All purpose flour (maida) - 3/4 cup
Corn flour - 1/4 cup
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Warm water - 1/2 cup (use sparingly to make dough with desired consistency)
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Yeast - active dry vs instant (available in most gorcery stores)

For pizza topping - There are unlimited options. I used to following ones:
Pizza sauce - 1 cup
Onions - 1 thin sliced
Mushrooms - 1 cup
Bell pepper - sliced - 1 cup
Mozzarella cheese - shredded - 1 cup (preferably fresh ball of cheese available in most grocery stores)

Recipe:

Step 1: Activating yeast - For active dry yeast only. There's no need to activate instant yeast.
Use about 1/2 cup lukewarm water (not too hot, not too cold). Add about 1 tbsp sugar. Mix well. Now add yeast, mix well and cover the cup. Let it stand for about 10 minutes. Yeast is activated when the solution turns frothy.

Step 2: Make dough - Put all three flours into a big bowl. Add oil, salt and italian seasoning to it. Add water (from yeast mixture) gradually and sparingly into the flour to make dough with desired consistency. Keep kneading the dough for about 10 minutes. Make required adjustments with oil and water. Ideal dough is non-sticky and stretchable. Make 3 to 4 dough balls.

Step 3: Fermentation: Coat each dough ball with oil. Cover the bowl and let it ferment at room temperature for about 8 to 10 hours (at least 2 hours). After fermentation, knead the dough again to remove air bubbles from dough.

Step 4: Making pizza:
Preheat oven to 450F. Stretch one dough ball into round shape with a rolling pin to make pizza bread. It should be thick enough to hold the toppings. Dust it with some corn meal and all purpose flour (to prevent pizza bread from sticking). Spray cooking oil to pizza stone. Slide the pizza bread into cast iron skillet. Spread pizza sauce, put all the topping, and top it with shredded mozzarella Put the skillet into lowest rack of oven. Let it bake for about 14 minutes. By the end of 14 minutes, turn oven to broiler and let it broil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pizza from oven, slice it with a slicer and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Notes:
1. You can use pizza stone instead of cast iron skillet.
2. Broiling the pizza gives the perfect crispy crust. If you do not like crispy pizzas, skip the broiling part. Instead, remove pizza from the oven after cooking for 14 minutes.
3. Why three flours? - This is because wheat and corn flour makes crispy pizza and all purpose flour makes softer pizza. Hence, using all three flours in above proportions makes pizza with perfect balance of softness and crispness.
4. Why sugar to activate yeast? - Sugar is the food for yeast and it helps to boost metabolism and hence activates yeast faster.

Punjabi dum aloo

2013-04-26T12:42:00.000-04:00

Punjabi dum aloo

Ingredients:

3 tbsp oil
10 baby potatoes
2 medium red onion - finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes - finely chopped
1 inch ginger
4 garlic pods
10-12 cashews (soak in water for 30 minutes)
1-1/2 tbsp salt
2 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
1 dry whole red chili
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp fennel powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp honey
½ tbsp lemon juice
2 cups water
1 tbsp coriander leaves for garnishing

Recipe:

1. Rinse the baby potatoes and wipe them dry. Peel them, wash and rinse again, and soak in water (to avoid darkening of potato surface).

2. Grind the soaked cashew to make a smooth paste.

3. Make a paste of ginger and garlic.

4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker on high heat. When oil is hot add cumin seeds. Once seeds start to sizzle, add chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste. Turn heat to medium and fry onions for about 10 minutes or so until the onions start to caramelize. Now add tomatoes and fry for about 4-5 minutes. Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala and curry powder. Fry for about 2-3 minutes (at this point oil starts to separate from curry). Now add cashew paste and about 1/2 cup water. Fry for 2 more minutes and then turn off the heat. Let it cool down a bit and then grind it in a food processor to make a smooth paste (our curry).

5. Heat 1 tbsp oil on a medium heat in the same cooker. Add black & green cardamom, dry whole red chili, and cinnamon. Once oil becomes fragrant with these spices, add the curry paste to it. Fry till the oil separates (takes about 5 minutes).

6. Add fennel powder, salt, approx 1-1/2 cups of water and potatoes to curry. Cook for 2 whistles in the pressure cooker. Now turn off the heat.

7. Let it cool down a bit, open the lid, and mix everything well. If there is excess water, heat again (without lid) to bring curry to desired consistency. Now add honey, mix well again and garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve hot with Indian bread or steamed basmati rice.

Enjoy!

Jeera Rice

2013-03-04T19:30:00.000-05:00

Jeera rice

Ingredients -

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 tbsp
Water - 2 cups
Ghee (clarified butter) - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
asafetida - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2
Green cardamom - 2

Recipe -

Step 1: Cooking rice - Clean rice with water for 3 times. Soak in water for at least half hour. Discard water used for soaking and replace with 2 cups of fresh water. Put rice and water in a cooking pot. Add salt to it, and turn on the heat to medium. Close the lid and let it cook for about 20 minutes.

Step 2: Tempering - Heat ghee in a sautee pan. Once heated, add cumin seeds. Once cumin seeds start to become black (about 2 minutes), add asafetida, cloves and green cardamom. After 30 seconds, add the tempering to rice and cook as per instruction in step 1.

Jeera rice taste well with any curry or dal recipe.

Enjoy!

Garlicky moong dal (serves 2)

2013-03-04T17:23:00.000-05:00

Garlicky moong dal/lentil curry

Ingredients:

Moong dal - 1 cup (soak for 2 - 4 hours)
Water - 1 cup
salt - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - freshly squeezed - about 1 tsp

For tempering:
Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Green chili - 1/2 chopped
Dry red chili - 1/2 crushed (optional)
Garlic - 3 pods - finely chopped
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (mainly for color)

For garnishing:
Coriander - 1 tbsp chopped

Recipe:

Step 1. Wash and clean moong dal. Soak it for 2 - 4 hours. Drain the water used for soaking and add 1 cup of fresh water and salt. Put it into a cooking pot. Turn on the heat to medium flame. Cover the lid and let it cook for about 25 minutes.

Step 2. Tempering - Meanwhile heat ghee on a medium high in a small sautee pan. Once ghee is hot, add muster seeds. Once seeds start to splutter, add chopped green chili and chopped dry red chili. After 30 seconds, add chopped garlic. After 30 seconds (garlic will become fragrant), add turmeric and red chili powder and pour it over the moong dal in cooking pot. Mix well and cook daal for total of about 25 minutes (as per step 1).

Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve with Paratha or Jeera rice!

Enjoy!

Notes:
1. Dry red chili can be substituted with chili flakes.
2. Discard seeds from green and red chili to cut down hotness.

Paneer tikka masala (serves 2 - 4 people)

2013-02-28T19:06:00.000-05:00

Paneer tikka masala

Ingredients:

For marinade -
Plain yogurt - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Tandoori masala - 1 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Paneer (cottage cheese) - about 10 to 15 ounce (250 to 400 grams) - cubed
Red bell pepper - 1 medium - chopped to medium size pieces

For gravy -
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cooking oil spray - as needed
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dry whole spices - green cardamom - 2, cinnamon - 1" piece, cloves - 4, black pepper - 4, and bay leaves - 2.
Onion - 1 medium - chopped
Tomatoes - 3 medium - chopped
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green chili - 1 chopped
Tandoori masala - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Cumin-coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Kasoori methi powder - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 tbsp

For garnish -
Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp

Recipe:

Step 1 - Marinade: Mix all ingredient form 'For marinade' except Paneer and red bell pepper and whisk well into a paste. Now add cubed paneer and chopped red bell pepper. Coat them with paste and keep it in refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Step 2 - Cook paneer and red bell pepper: I cooked them in the oven. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Spray cooking oil on baking sheet and arrange paneer and bell pepper on it in a single layer. Coat excess marinade over them with a brush. Now again spray some cooking oil over paneer and bell pepper and put it inside the oven. After 10 mins, removing baking sheet from oven, flip them over and cook for 10 more minutes. Now turn oven to broiler and cook for 5 minutes. For the last time, flip paneer and bell pepper and cook for additional 5 minutes. The edges should be blackened by the end. Remove from the oven and put in a container with closed lid to retain moisture.

Step 3 - Making sauce/gravy for tikka masala: Heat 1 tbsp oil on a medium heat in a pan. Once heated add chopped onions and cook till it turns brown (about 8 to 10 mins). Keep stirring onions in between and do not let it burn. Now add chopped ginger-garlic-green chili and sautée them for 2-3 mins. Now add salt and tomatoes and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will help yield maximum flavor from tomatoes. Keep stirring in between and add some water (about 2 tbsp) once in a while to avoid burning. Now add turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder and tandoori masala and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Now turn off the heat and let it cool down. Now mix everything in a food processor to make a smooth paste.

Step 4 - Making paneer tikka masala: Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil on a medium-high in a pan. Once heated, add cumin seeds. Once cumin seeds start to splutter, add dry whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and bay leaves). Sautée for about 1 minutes (till they become aromatic). Do not let the whole spices burn (it will make gravy taste bitter). Now lower the heat to medium, and add paste (from step 3). Let it cook for about 5 minutes. Now add kasoori methi powder and garam masala and let it cook for additional 5 minutes. Keep stirring and add some water in between to maintain desired consistency of gravy. Add paneer and bell pepper to gravy, close the lid and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, sprinkle sugar and mix gently. Your authentic restaurant style paneer tikka masala is ready.

Serve with Jeera rice or Indian breads (roti, naan or paratha)!

Enjoy!

Roasted vegetable pasta

2013-02-27T18:37:00.001-05:00

Roasted vegetable pasta

Ingredients:

Vegetables for roasting – Zucchini – 1, Cucumber – 1, Yellow squash – 1, Egg plant – 1, Red pepper – 1, Onion – 1/2. Cut all the vegetables into medium size chunks.
Vegetables for sauce – Onion – remaining ½; garlic pods – 3 chopped.
Pasta/tomato sauce – 1 cup
Cheddar and mozzarella cheese – 1 cup (1/2 cup for making pasta sauce and remaining ½ cup for baking pasta)
Pasta – 2 cups (I prefer 100% whole wheat fusilli pasta but anything is fine)
Salt – 2 tsp (adjust as per taste),
Crushed red pepper – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Italian seasoning – 1 tsp
Parsley – 1 cup chopped and rinsed
Olive oil – 2 tsp

Recipe:

Step 1 – Roasting vegetables: Pre-heat oven at 400F. Arrange vegetable chunks on a baking sheet. Season with 1 tsp olive oil and ½ tsp each of salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix everything together. Put the vegetables in oven and let it cook for about 30 mins. Stir vegetables every 10 minutes to cook uniformly.

Step 2 – Making pasta sauce: Meanwhile vegetables are cooked in oven, start making pasta sauce. Heat remaining olive oil in a pan. Once heated, add 1/2 chopped onion and chopped garlic. Cook for about 5-7 mins till onions soften and turn pinkish and translucent. Add pasta/tomato sauce. Cook for about 5-7 mins. Turn heat to low-medium and add ½ cup cheese and mix everything well. Add 1 tsp salt, and remaining red pepper, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook for additional 2 minutes. Then add ½ cup parsley and mix well. Turn off the gas. Your sauce is ready.

Step 3 – Cooking pasta: Cook pasta simultaneous with making sauce as per the instructions on pasta packet.

Step 4 – Baking pasta: Mix roasted vegetables (step 1), pasta sauce (step 2), and cooked pasta (step 3) in a baking tray. Top it with remaining ½ cup cheese and put the baking tray in oven. Cook for about 10 mins at 400F. Turn oven to broiler for last few mins to give top layer of cheese a crispy brown touch.
Remove tray from oven and garnish with remaining ½ cup parsley. Enjoy!

Note: Mozzarella cheese tend to be sticky in pasta sauce. However, baking pasta in step 4 helps to make it less sticky while eating!

Enjoy!

Cucumber-mint raita (yogurt sauce)

2013-02-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

Cucumber-mint raita (yogurt sauce)

Ingredients -

Plain yogurt - 4 Tbsp

Cucumber - 1/2 finely chopped

Mint - 1 tbsp finely chopped

Coriander - 1 tbsp finely chopped

Salt - 1/2 tbsp

Recipe -

Whisk the yogurt in a bowl to make a fine paste. Add all the chopped ingredients. Add salt and mix well. Served as an accompaniment with Biryani/pulao to cool off the taste buds.

Enjoy!

Masoor (Red lentil) pulao

2013-02-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

Masoor (red lentil) pulao

Ingredients -

Masoor dal (red lentil) - 1 cup
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Onions (small) - 3 sliced
Green chili - 1 chopped
Ginger - 1.5" piece crushed (1 tbsp)
Garlic - 5 pods crushed (1 and 1/2 tbsp)
Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Whole spices - bay leaves (2 leaves), cloves (4), black pepper (5), green cardamom (2)

Powder spices (masalas) - turmeric (1 tsp), cumin coriander powder (2 tsp), red chili powder (1 tsp), biryani/pulao masala (1 tsp)

Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp

Recipe -

Step 1: Wash and rinse masoor dal and basmati rice. Soak masoor dal and basmati rice separately in water for at least 2 hours.

Step 2: Cook masoor dal - Drain water used for soaking from masoor dal. Add 2 cups of fresh water. Turn on the heat and cook till masoor dal is about 3/4th cooked (roughly 15 minutes on low-medium heat).

Step 3: Making pulao - Heat ghee on a medium heat in an oven safe pan with lid. Once ghee is hot, add cumin seeds. Add whole spices once cumin seeds start to splutter. Cook whole spices for about 30 seconds (till they become fragrant). Do not burn whole spices. Now add sliced onions and cook till it become translucent (8 to 10 minutes). Now add green chili, ginger and garlic to onions. Cook for about 5 minutes (till the raw smell of garlic is gone). Now add tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes (till tomatoes become mushy). Turn the heat to low, add powder spices to it and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes (do not burn powder spices). Now add soaked basmati rice (after removing water used for soaking). Mix gently. Add 1 cup water and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat with closed lid. Now add cooked masoor dal (with the water used for cooking). Mix gently. Cook for about additional 15 minutes on a low heat with lid closed (cook till water gets evaporated).

Step 4: Baking pulao in oven - Pre-heat oven to 375 F while making pulao. Now put the pan in oven. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Step 5: Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve with Cucumber-mint raita.

Enjoy!

Guvar (clusterbean) curry (Serves 2 people)

2013-02-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

Guvar nu shak (clusterbean curry)

Ingredients -

Clusterbeans (guvar) - 250 grams (roughly 1/2 pound)
oil - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Ajwain (carom) seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Besan (gram flour) - 1 tsp
Plain yogurt (dahi) - 2 to 3 tbsp
1 cup water
Asafetida (hing) - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin-coriander powder - 2 tsp
Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp (for garnish)

Recipe -

Step 1: Cooking guvar - Put guvar in a pressure cooker. Add 1 cup water to it. Add half salt, turmeric, cumin-coriander and red chili powder to it. Cook for 2 whistles.

Step 2: Meanwhile whisk the yogurt and gram flour to form a paste.

Step 3: Making curry - Heat oil in a cooking pot on a high heat. Once oil is hot, add ajwain seeds and cumin seeds. Add asafetida after seeds start to crackle. Lower the heat to medium, add remaining half of turmeric and red chili powder to it. Fry for about 30 seconds. Now add cooked guvar (along with the remaining water from cooker) to pot. Mix well. Add cumin-coriander powder, close the lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Now add yogurt-gram flour paste and mix well. Let it cook for another 3-5 minutes with closed lid. Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped coriander.

Traditionally served with Indian bread like rotli or bhakri, accompanied with Gujarati (tuvar) dal and rice.

Enjoy!

The ultimate green salad

2013-02-11T20:19:00.001-05:00

The ultimate green salad

Ingredients -

Cucumber - 1/2 finely chopped
Green onion - 1 finely chopped
Green chili - 1/2 chopped (optional)
Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp
Celery - 1 finely chopped
Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tbsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tbsp (optional)

Method -

Wash and paper dry all vegetables. Chop them. Mix all the vegetables in a bowl. Add salt and pepper and relish it as an accompaniment with Indian meals.

Enjoy!

Ringan no odo

2013-02-10T17:02:00.000-05:00

Ringan no odo

Ingredients:

1 egg plant (Aubergine)
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp asefetida
1 whole dry red chili
5 green(spring) onions - chopped (3/4th for cooking and 1/4th for garnishing)
1 green chili - chopped
1 tomato chopped
3 garlic pods - finely chopped
1" ginger - chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp cumin-corianderpowder
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp garam masala

Recipe:

Step 1 - Bake eggplant: Preheat the oven to 400f. Coat the eggplant with a layer of oil. Pierce it with knife at 4 to 5 places. Place it on a baking sheet and put it into the middle compartment of oven. Let it cook for about 35 minutes. Change the position of eggplant a few times. When it is done, the skin will become wrinkled and it can be swiftly pierced with a a knife. After it is cooked, peel the skin and mash the inside of eggplant. Add salt, turmeric, red chili powder, and cumin-coriander powder to eggplant and mix well.

Step 2 - Cooking: Heat oil on a medium heat. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafetida. Add whole dry red chili after seeds start to sizzle. Now add green chili, garlic, and 3/4th chopped spring onions. Fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Now add tomoato and ginger. Cook for 3-4 additional minutes. Now add mashed eggplant (with added spices) to it and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir every 2 to 3 minutes. Don't let it burn. Add little water if needed. Once it is cooked, turn off the stove. Garnish with chopped coriander and green onions.

Traditionally, Served with ' bajri no rotlo (Indian bread made with millet)', chaas (buttermilk), and jaggery with ghee.

Enjoy!