Mamma's Melting Pot

Gluhwein: A taste of Bavarian Christmas

2016-12-05T18:11:00.003-08:00

The crowd gathered for the Lighting Ceremony

Last weekend, I went to Leavensworth, WA with my family. It was a very well planned strategic move from me and my daughter, aimed at the true-blue homebodies- my husband and son. In order to drag them out anywhere, it takes a great deal of tact, energy and an innate resistance to overpowering charm and puppy eyes.
Now, Leavensworth was worth all that effort. It is a charming small city in Chelan county in Washington state. The entire town is designed after a Bavarian village with quaint barn-style roofs and cobblestone sidewalks and murals depicting the countryside and culture on walls. It is pleasant and charming year round but we were told that this town was magical during the Christmas season. Besides, it was the 50th Annual Christmas Lighting Ceremony. Friends who visited there, assured us all these combined, it would be extra-magical! (They also know I am a sucker for magic and magical things. Haha!)
And guess what? It was! The smiling faces, the food, the cheer in the air, the views and the lights...it was magical. We ate Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, snacked on roasted chestnuts and once the temperatures dropped, we had a delicious mulled wine called Gluhwein with huge, sweet cookies.

The Lights. It is so much better in person!

Now the wine got me. I have made mulled cider in the past but this potent wine was like putting on a soft, warm sweater made from the finest pashmina. It warmed us up, right from the toetips to our scalps, as we waited out in the cold for the official lighting ceremony to start.
My husband described the taste of the wine as full-bodied and flavoured like an "arishtam" or an ayurvedic tonic, with distinct notes of whole spices. Since we both loved it so much, I had to come home and make it before my memory of it faded. Not to mention the Gretchen, one of the very friendly event workers there who took a liking to me after I told her about my food experiments, and gave me a recipe to get me started.

Mulling the wine. I used a Zinfandel.

"People dont cook daily anymore. They dont realize their kids have no smells to come home to or to remember special days. We as kids could smell the air as we walked inside and say what our Mom was cooking and for what occasion", she reminisced.
I agreed. I wonder about these things too. But that is for another post.
Coming to the recipe, this is very simple to make but can really make a great impression on whomever you serve it to. From my personal experience, any wine can be bettered by making it mulled. And the last tip: serve it warm. But if you have leftovers, they taste so yummy at room temperature too.
So here goes the recipe to Gluhwein:
(serves 4 responsible adults)

Ingredients:

Peel of 1 orange (Rinse and gently scrub away first in warm water to get rid of any pesticide residue or protective wax on it)
20 cloves
4 sticks of cinnamon
5 whole pods of cardamom
1 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
750 ml of your favorite dry red wine
1/2 cup brandy or Kirsch

Method:

In a enamel pot (avoid steel, aluminum or unseasoned cast iron) heat the brown sugar, nutmeg and the whole spices in wine.

Ensure the mixture doesn't boil. It needs to simmer gently. Stir occasionally. Do it for 30 minutes. Then let it cool on the stove-top and steep for a couple hours for a minimum of 3 hours.

Right before serving, reheat, filter and stir in the brandy or Kirsch. Divide into glasses and sip away and you might experience a tiny bit of the magic we felt on that beautiful winter day at Leavensworth.

My home-made version of Gluhwein.

Serve it with a nice warm cookie on the side or like us, a slice of plum-cake.

Sambar with roasted coconut gravy. (Varutharacha sambar)

2016-08-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Sambar is a staple in many South Indian households and is much more than the "delicately spiced, yet robust lentil based veggie stew" that it is served at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every home has its own recipe and every cook claims his/her recipe is special. Historically speaking, there are theories that says sambar was an attempt by Sambhaji (brother of the legendary Chatrapati Shivaji, the beloved ruler of Maharashtra) to cure his homesickness.
I don't want to go that long back in time, but I remember that as a child, sambar was never my favourite dish. My Mom's version of sambar had a spicy, aromatic clear-ish broth with diced colocassia roots, okra and whole pearl onions that would burst in my mouth with a mild sweetness. The sambar would be consumed poured over idlis, or hot steamed rice with a poppadom on the side. The rules were eat it or go hungry so I would make do with whatever Mom cooked swapping the sambar for a bowl full of curds or dry chutney powder. But then I had my first "hotel sambar". Now this version of sambar tasted sweeter, was heavier on the lentils, so thicker and skimped on the veggies. But as a child I loved the combination of sweet and savoury and the lack of veggies were much appreciated. From then on, I welcomed my Mom's sambar but only after stirring a spoonful of powdered jaggery or sugar. That craziness lasted a few years!
When I got married my true culinary education started under the guidance of my Mother-in-law who had to be the fastest cook in the world with magic at her finger tips. Everything she cooked was beyond delicious. Her sambar took my world by a storm! It was nothing like my Mom's, my Aunt's or even my Grandma's sambar. Her sambar had this thick coconut based gravy, and a variety of uniformly chopped veggies that would coat anything that it was poured on and just kicked up the quality of a simple meal into feast-like feel-good-iness. That sambar reinforced ambitions in me to be able to make it like her someday and make her proud.
I never nailed her sambar....at least not yet! But every time I go visit her, she asks me to make my sambar. As I comply and tell her it is a poor copy of hers, she shuts me down every time saying that she loves my version better. And I consider myself blessed!

How we use up our sambar: By drowning idlis in them! :-)

So here goes my version of sambar:

Coconut gravy:
2 tbsp +2 tbsp of fresh grated coconut
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 marble sized ball of seeded tamarind

Sambar veggies;
250 gms of peeled and cubed white pumpkin
250 gms of peeled and cubed yellow pumpkin (Kibocha squash is a good alternative)
2 drumsticks, peeled and trimmed into finger length pieces
1 handful of peeled whole shallots/ pearl onions
Roughly half cup of trimmed and halved gavar beans
1 large Chinese eggplant, cubed
3 tomatoes, quartered
2-3 green chillies, slit
1/2 cup of tur dal/ yellow lentils, washed well
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Topping:
1/2 tsp asafetida
1 tsp fenugreek powder/ 1 tbsp Qasoori methi
1 tbsp chopped coriander/cilantro leaves and stalks

Tempering:
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafetida
1 sprig curry leaves
2 dry red chillies

Preparation:
1. Dry roast in a pan, 2 tbsp of coconut, coriander seeds, until lightly browned and gives out a nutty aroma, for about 5-7 mins in medium heat; then add the tamarind and chilli powder, roast for about a minute and then grind into a fine paste with the 2 tbsp fresh coconut and a little water.

2. In a pressure cooker or a dutch oven, cook the lentils and the sambar veggies with a tsp of salt and turmeric powder gently. Take care that it is cooked tender and not mushy. Gently stir in the coconut paste into this and bring it into a light boil and simmer for about 2-3 minutes until the coconut is cooked. Stir in the asafetida, the fenugreek and coriander leaves. Take off the fire.

3. In a small tempering pan, heat the oil and add the mustard, cumin seeds, asafetida and when the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the curry leaves and red chillies. Take it off the fire and carefully swirl the oil to cook the chillies and curry leaves in the residual heat of the oil. These can get burned easily. Now, while still hot, pour this tempering into the sambar container, stir well twice and cover it with the lid. The sambar will absorb all the tempering flavours and aromas in 10 minutes.

4. Check and adjust the salt and serve this sambar with rice, dosas, idlis or medu vadas.

And dont forget to let me know how your sambar turned out, if you and your family liked this version and your feedback. Bon appetit!

Mamma's Texas Caviar

2015-03-09T17:47:00.004-07:00

Mamma's Texas Caviar...doesn't the name sound fancy? But under the fancy name hides a delicious, wholesome salad which is so versatile it can be eaten as a salad, served as a side with a meat or fish entree as a main course or paired with simple pita or tortilla chips and eaten as an appetizer/snack.

This dish can be made in a number of ways, with your choice of dressings/vinaigrettes and beans.
My first taste of this dish was at Costco where they served a sample of this amazing salad which prompted me to buy a container of it. There was only one problem: It got over in 15 minutes!

So then like I always do, I went through the ingredient list and decided to replicate it.
And because I didn't have a fixed recipe to go by, I let my taste buds take over and go with what I loved and didn't.

This is one of those recipes you get right from the first try. This was also one of those recipes where I went out of my regular path and bought home something that I have never bought: Jicamas. They look like huge potatoes but are shaped like Rutabagas. Taste-wise, they are a cross between apples and potatoes, and have a lightly sweet, crunchy and refreshing bite to it.

And one amazing and healthy snack/meal that you wouldn't really mind digging into. So here goes.

Serves 4, 1 cup/bowl each.

Ingredients:-
2 cups cooked/ canned & rinsed black eyed peas
1 red, 1 green and 1 yellow bell pepper, cleaned, and diced in the same size as peas.
1 cup sweet corn
1 large Jicama, peeled, sliced and diced. (if you cant find it, add diced apples or pears)
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 large English cucumber- diced
1 small bunch parsely, cleaned and chopped finely

1 navel orange, zested and juiced.
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Apple cider/Red Wine vinegar - as needed for acidity (about 1 tsp)
Salt and Pepper- as needed
Sugar- to taste.

Method:- 1. In a small bowl or dressing shaker, mix together the Orange juice, finely chopped zest, EVOO, S&P, and Sugar and whisk until you get an emulsion. It needs to look like beaten egg. lightly yellow and opaque. If it still stays watery, add a tsp of Apple Cider or Red wine vinegar to increase the acidity. You may also use Lemon juice instead of the vinegar.

2. Stir in the chopped parsley.

3. Let it chill in the fridge in an air tight container for about 20 minutes.

4. In a larger bowl, mix the beans and the chopped veggies and corn and stir gently.

5. Drizzle the dressing on top to coat everything. Combine well, taking care to not crush the beans.

6. Check Salt and seasonings, adjust and Serve. Enjoy! :-)

Mamma's Beef Gyros

2015-01-13T19:03:00.001-08:00

I am very picky when it comes to eating out. And most times that stubborn attention to my gut instinct pays off and we find ourselves some fabulous grub. This last Christmas when we went holiday shopping, we found our famished selves exploring the food court there.
Now, mall food courts are not exactly the epitome of fine eating. Yet we come here again and again because of the layout here. This food court is planned out in such a way that it offers a wide variety of cuisines from all over the world. We have Japanese, Mexican, Indian, Italian, and American, to name a few. To add to that there are more varieties to American: specialty grill, subs and Pacific Seafood.
It was here that I first had my first perfect Gyro.
Now don't get me wrong.... I have eaten plenty Gyros, Falafels and Shawarmas as I am in love with the cuisine immensely, but most of the times, it was not a perfect experience. Sometimes the meat resembled chewy flavorless diced kitchen sponge, sometimes the seasoning were not adequate or too much. One sad gyro I had at a Seattle event was chewy mystery meat wrapped inside a lukewarm pita, sprinkled with a few scant lettuce ribbons.And the falafels that I had from another restaurant were nothing but deep-fried too-salty balls of dough, whose only saving grace was the few drops of tahini or tzatziki they are served with.
With these experiences under my belt, I was not expecting anything dramatic when decided to go with Mediterranean fare again, to escape the heavily rice and cheese laden burritos or greasy, overloaded burgers. But a huge surprise awaited me as I placed my order and watched the chef assemble my order, behind the glass half-wall of the bar.
The Pitas were toasted nicely in a grill until it got those lovely diagonal marks on them. Then they were loaded up with a hefty serving of cooked strips of lamb and beef. I could see tiny green flecks of herbs and crushed coarse pepper on them. It was topped off with another hefty serving of chopped salad, comprising of lettuce and greens and drizzled finally with a Greek yogurt sauce.
The first forkful of salad and a piece of meat was what you call a zingy, refreshing party in my mouth. The fresh aroma of citrus-y zest, parsley and freshly cracked pepper jolted me and clearly knocked me out of every jaded wall of my previous bad experiences.
The meat was very tender and had the distinctive taste and aroma that you get from well marinated lamb and beef. Now, the sauce really tied everything together, very well. Spices similar to the ones I tasted in the meat, were here too. The otherwise bland and thick Greek yogurt was beautifully thinned down and seasoned just right. I got the unmistakable taste of a good olive oil too.
When foods well-made like that crosses my path, I usually come home and recreate it. It took me a couple of tries, but here is my version. I am a fan of halal mutton which is sold a good hour's drive from my home, and since I didnt have it, omitted it. And I don't buy lamb. So I made them with beef twice and chicken once. Both are good choices and you can pick either. If you are making it with chicken, use boneless, skinless thighs and you will have succulent morsels that are moist, unlike chicken breasts.
So here you go...
This recipe yields 8 loaded pitas, one per person.

Clockwise from top left: Marinated meat, stir fried meat, Greek Yogurt sauce and Chopped Salad

Ingredients:-
For the Marinade
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 small bunch curly leaf parsley, chopped finely (divided)
Zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

2 tomatoes
1 head iceberg lettuce
2 English cucumbers, diced
Your choice of greens like spinach, kale or any store bought green mix

1 cup Greek Yogurt

1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 lbs lamb/ chicken thighs/beef--- thinly sliced into 1 inch strips (If you are grilling, marinate the steaks in the marinade, grill steak whole and then slice them into thin strips against the grain)
8 pocket-less pitas

Method:-

Marinade:-
1. In the Olive oil, whisk together the garlic, mint, oregano, lemon zest and half the chopped parsley together. Stir in salt and a hefty dose of pepper. Divide it into two parts: 1/3 and 2/3. Seal it with a wrap or lid and refrigerate it for 30 minutes, for the flavors to mingle.

Marination:-2. Meanwhile, lightly pound the beef with a meat hammer, to reduce the cooking time. Then throw in the meat and 2/3 of the marinade into a mixing bowl and marinate for half an hour, tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Chopped Salad:-3. Wash, dice the tomatoes and cucumbers, and roughly chop the lettuce. Rinse and drain the greens. Use a salad spinner or paper towels to get most of the water out. Keep aside.

4. Stir in the reserved 1/3 marinade into the yogurt and whisk well until fully incorporated. Check seasonings and adjust salt and pepper.

5. In a wok or grill pan, stir fry/grill the meat along with the sliced sweet onions after shaking off the excess marinade. it will be done in very short time about 4-5 minutes. When the meat is cooked, toss in the remaining parsley, remove it and keep it warm . Toast the pitas.

Assembling:-

Set a warm pita on a plate, then top the pita, add a portion of the cooked meat, then drizzle a little of the yogurt sauce, top with greens and chopped veggies, crack fresh pepper and salt on top and drizzle with a little more yogurt sauce for a second time.
And your Gyro is ready. Enjoy!!!

Mamma's Holiday Butter Spritz Cookies

2014-12-24T15:45:00.003-08:00

First, let me wish you all a Merry Christmas! :-)

From the past 2 years, I have started the tradition of gifting my dear ones a box of organic, homemade cookies. All this has started after I got myself this Cookie press. It is nothing but a small pump with steel cut-out discs to shape cookies into different shapes. But, the main pro on having a Cookie Press is that, it makes it a cakewalk to make cookies in large numbers without compromising on the shape and taste that gets affected when you are doing it in batches, by hand.

My cookies are inspired by those tinned Danish Sugar Cookies that you get around Christmas season. I love them but don't trust the processed stuff that we get here in U.S. So I decided to make them at home. I used the base recipe provided by my Cookie press booklet but altered the butter and sugar to my taste.
And in case, you don't have a cookie press, by all means make these and roll them into a log, freeze then slice and bake. You will have perfect little round bite sized cookies, without the fancy shapes.

Here is my tried and tested recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup softened salted butter (3 sticks)
1.5 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs/ egg substitute
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour

Preparation:-

Preheat oven to 385 °F. (This is what works for me. Read tips below)
Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the eggs and beat well.
Add the vanilla and combine but do not beat too much. Over-mixing after adding vanilla might get some of the alcohol in it to evaporate and reduce the aroma.

Sift the flour and make a well in the center. Add the liquid ingredients and mix with an electric mixer until a soft but non-sticky dough is formed. Roll the dough into logs fitting the cylinder of the cookie press. Keep the dough covered to keep it from getting dry.

Now fill the cookie press with a log of dough and in a CLEAN and COLD cookie sheet, press the designs on. Bake for 7 minutes and cool down pan between bakes.

I have 4 cookie sheets and I use 2 alternately to optimize time. After every bake, wipe down the cookie sheet with a clean towel, to remove residual grease.

Repeat until the dough is all used up.

This will make about 6-8 dozen cookies. You can easily halve the recipe, if you need a smaller batch. But these will last long in an air-tight container, on your counter. So go ahead, and fill up that cookie jar with these dainty beauties.

Some tips while using cookie presses for baking:
1. Stick to the proportions, strictly.
2. Use a clean and cool cookie sheet every time as you pipe out the designs on.
3. Different ovens work differently. Find out the right spritz temperature in which the cookies neither browns at the bottom nor remains uncooked. Start at 350 and increase upwards by 15 degrees. It should be somewhere between 350 and 400 degree Fahrenheit.
4. These cookies are soft chewy ones. You could crunch them up by arranging the entire lot in a cooling rack and baking them at 275 for 10-15 minutes.
5. Pretty them up further by studding the piped out cookie dough with sprinkles or sugar crystals.

Chiwda Deepawali Faraal 4/5

2014-10-19T13:14:00.004-07:00

When we were kids, and our neighbors were the best people in town, we used to have a truckload of Faraal in a dedicated container, from the neighbors. As kids, the chaklis and shankarpalis would go first and then the karanjis and laddoos. Chiwda would be what was left in the bottom. But that would get rid of distractions and we would carry the entire container to our small Tea table and enjoy them by the handfuls, with hot, sweet tea.
After a decade in U.S. when homesickness made us miss the Faraal packets and spicy-sweet chiwda, I decided to call up my sweet neighbor Aunty of old times and ask her for the recipe. She surprised me by emailing me the recipe through her kids.
And I have been using her recipe adding a small touch every year, to accomodate a healthy lifestyle and matching the availability of ingredients.
Made with a variety of fresh and dry ingredients, this dish uses very little oil and lasts a long time when prepared right. Make sure to remove any trace of moisture from the ingredients and utensils, as any moisture will mess with the taste and freshness of Chiwda.

Ingredients:-

2 sprigs of curry leaves
6-7 green chillies- chopped
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1/2 cup dry coconut slices (khobra/kopra)
1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup split chana daliya
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Asafoetida (hing)
2 cups puffed rice (kurmure)
2 cups thin beaten rice (poha)
2 cups of rice crispies (as in the unsweetened cereal) (optional)
1/2 cup of oil in a bowl with a teaspoon to measure out. (you may not need all of it)

Salt to taste
Sugar - to taste.

Method:-
Making Chiwda requires low heat, a heavy and big wok or pan, and lots of patience.
To begin, heat 2 tsp of oil in the pan, in medium heat and fry the curry leaves and green chilies until crisp and dry. Drain, remove them and keep aside.

Next, in the same oil, roast the peanuts carefully without burning them, until they are cooked through. and crunchy. Drain and keep aside.

Next, roast the coconut and daliya until they are crispy and roasted well. Drain and keep aside.

Now add 3 tsp of oil to the pan and when it is hot, add the hing, cumin seeds, crushed coriander and turmeric. Stir well until browned lightly, then add the kurmure, poha and rice crispies (if using). Toss gently and well. The turmeric goes a long way to show which parts need stirring. When evenly coated, the entire contents should be yellow.

Now add the reserved ingredients to the mix and toss gently to roast. Its quite a workout for the arms, but you can rest once the poha turns crispy and crunchy when you taste one. Should take about 15-20 minutes or longer depending on the quantity of the chiwda.

When all ingredients are roasted well and crunchy, sprinkle the salt and the sugar and toss well again, turning off the heat. Let it cool completely, and then store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Enjoy!

Mamma's Pakkaavada (Ribbon Pakoras) Deepawali Faraal 1/5

2014-10-19T11:22:00.002-07:00

My Mom makes these beauties only on two or three occasions every year. One is for Diwali and the other is for Onam. The third time is whenever we bed, plead and bribe her to make some. But the reason why she doesn't make these on a regular basis is--- us! We eat it up! We gobble these up before the day is over and with her health issues, no matter how many hours she puts on these- roasting, kneading, squeezing them out and standing long hours frying them in hot oil - its all gone within hours, irrespective of how much she makes. I used to be clueless, when she used to be mad about the big dabba (container) being empty at tea time...but now I know! It doesn't last in my house either. :-D
Love You Mom! <3

Indian Kitchen Press with its various discs. Similar to a cookie press, but used for deep fried savories.

Ingredients:-1 cup rice flour
2 cups besan (gram flour)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder
1 tsp onion powder (*this ingredient makes all the difference*)
1 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
Water- enough to make a smooth dough (approximately 2 cups, but you wont need it all)

Oil- to fry

Pakkaavada Disc used to make ribbon pakoras.

Method:-Dry roast the rice flour and besan separately. Let them cool, mix them together.
Boil 2 cups of water. Take one cup and dissolve the salt, chilli powder, onion powder, and hing in it. Now make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the coconut oil in the center. Onto the coconut oil, pour the cup of water with spices and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, using the remaining water as needed, knead the dough into a stiff but pliable dough. Spread a tsp of coconut oil in your hands and pat the dough. Divide the dough into balls sized approximately to fit into the barrel of your Kitchen Press. Brushing the insides of the barrel and the contact points of the press is also a good idea. It makes the cleanup later, a breeze!

Now use the ribbon pakoda disc inside the barrel and squeeze out the ribbons directly on to hot oil. Do not overcrowd.
Deep fry both sides on medium heat until bubbles are very few and the pakoda is crunchy and golden brown.

Drain on paper towels.
Store the completely cooled pakkavadas in air tight containers, and serve with tea.
Enjoy!

Mamma's Rava-Coconut Laddoos - Deepawali Faraal 3/5

2014-10-18T22:02:00.001-07:00

Sweet and chewy, these are my very own recipe painfully developed by trial and error, over the last two Diwalis, with the inclusion of sweetened baking coconut, instead of freshly grated coconut, so that they could have a longer shelf life. The only sad part is that after all that trouble that we go through to make these, they don't last more than 3-4 days in our house.

Ingredients:
4 cups fine rava (semolina)
10 oz sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1.5 cups sugar
1.5 cup water
1 fat pinch of saffron strands
2 tsp cardamom powder
Raisins as needed (Golden green raisins recommended)

Method:
In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the ghee. Into this add the rava and stirring constantly, roast it until the rava turns a light pink and glossy. It should be around 7-8 minutes. Switch off the fire and stir in the coconut flakes and cardamom powder.

Let the rava coconut mixture cool.

Now in another pan, boil 1.5 cups of water and throw in the strands of saffron. Stir in the sugar and bring it to a boil. Boil for a few minutes until the syrup turns thick into 1 string consistency. 1 string consistency is when you spread a drop of the syrup between your index finger and thumb-tip and it should form a string when you touch and separate them.

Now, pour this hot syrup into the rava coconut mixture. Stir well and let cool slightly. Now, with clean hands, mix them all together and form uniform balls out of them, carefully embedding one or two raisins on each laddoo.

Repeat the process with all the laddoos and let them cool down completely.

Now if you are working with a large batch, chances are that the mixture will dry out about 3/4th way into the laddoo rolling. In that case, don't panic and add 1 tsp of hot milk into the mix, knead lightly and continue making laddoos. but don't add too much as that can make your laddoos crumble or become too soft. Refrigerate in an air tight container, and it should last up to a month.

Making them last that long....that is another story. Enjoy!!

Savory Oats Uttappa

2014-10-05T23:09:00.001-07:00

When people say Oats and Milk, I am one of those people who mentally gag. No offense to anyone, but I just cant eat sweetened oats. It could be the texture or it could be the idea of a sweet dish early in the morning, but I just dont do Oats and fruits/Milk. Period!
Over the past few years, Oats became center staged as a health food,but I wasn't sold. I have always believed most whole grains with bran can be equally or even more healthier. But my Ma and Pa in law absolutely adore Oats. They can eat it three times a day in any form. They both suffer from Diabetes and prefer Oats, rather than eating rice. But they were out of ideas soon and it was while cooking for my diabetic in-laws, and trying out healthy, no-other-carb-added, nutritious recipes I discovered what a joy it is to cook savory oats recipes.
And as an added bonus, I started enjoying my savory Oats creations too!
Now, Oats and I are on much better terms. (wink!)

Here is the proof: Oats Veggie Uttappa :-)
Ingredients: -
For the batter:-
1 cup thick yogurt
2 inch piece of ginger
1 cup milk
2 cups Oats (I used old fashioned rolled oats)
2 peeled fat carrots
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sugar

For stirring in (texture):-
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage
1 cup chopped french beans

Method:-

In your blender, blend all the batter ingredients until smooth. Now to the batter, add oats, the finely chopped cabbage and chopped french beans. Keep aside for 20 minutes to soak.

Check salt and consistency of batter. Add some more milk to get the right thickness.
In a pan, spread 1tsp of oil/ butter and pour 3 small uttappas. Do not spread. Cover with a lid. Cook on low for about 3 minutes. Remove lid, flip and let the other side cook. Serve hot with sambar/chutney/ as is. Enjoy!!!

Mexican Tamales

2014-09-23T10:56:00.001-07:00

My obsession over International cuisines continue as I take a quick stop at Mexico.

According to the Wikipedia, "A tamale is a traditional Meso-American dish made of Masa (a starchy dough, usually corn-based), which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating. Tamales can be filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, chilies or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned."

I wanted it to be as authentic as it could be. So I stuck to the original recipe and seasonings as much as I could. But catering to Indian and American households, I have also provided the substitutions wherever possible.

My Tamales are made with a basic Corn Masa Flourand not the powdery-fine, corn flour/ corn starch that is commonly found and is used as a thickening agent in soups and gravies. Try to find a flour with a high fiber content to keep them nutritious and healthy.
This is a pretty straight forward recipe and feel free to add your own twists and customization.

Here it goes:

Step 1- Filling:-
First we start with the filling. I had some leftover rotisserie chicken from Costco which I deboned and chopped up fine. Here is the spice mix you can use to cook your choice of chicken, pork, ground beef or beans, depending on your preference.
1 lb or approximately 1/2 kg of partially cooked black and kidney beans/chicken/pork/ground beef
3 dried Pasilla chili (Substitution: Chipotle or Paprika powder ~2 tbsp, soaked in 1/4 cup warm water)
1 tbsp Corn oil
1 tbsp garlic paste or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 cup water
Salt to taste

In a sauce pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic paste if you are using it for a minute, then add the protein that you are using. Now add all the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil and simmer gently, on low for 1 hour. (If you are using raw beans, you could use a pressure cooker to cook it in the same mixture.) The goal is to get the spice into the meat or beans and make it really tender.
Once the water thickens up stir gently and remove the lid and make it mostly dry.
Keep it aside.

Step 2: Readying the Corn Husks:-16 Corn husks or Tamale leaves (you could use banana leaves, which are also used traditionally to make tamales)
1 lemon

This is simple. Boil a large pot of water, then squeeze the juice of a lemon into it. Soak the leaves/ husk into this water and let soak for 10-15 mins. After 15 minutes drain them well. This step removes small bugs or germs from the leaves and also softens the leaves so that they become more pliable.
Keep aside.

Step 3: Making the Masa or the corn dough mixture for the Tamales:-
2 cups Masa or whole corn flour
1 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup lard/ butter or corn oil (I used oil though lard is preferred)
2 cups of vegetable/chicken stock or water

Stir together the flour, salt and baking powder well. Then using clean hands, knead in the butter/lard or oil that you are using. Lastly use the stock or water and knead it into a soft and slightly sticky dough. It should be spreadable by a spoon.
Keep aside.

Step 3: The Assembling of a Tamale
Take a drained Corn husk, and using a spoon, spread a thin layer of Masa batter on the smooth side of the husk, leaving a little space on the top and bottom.
In this, at the center put a small or large amount of filling, but always just enough to get coated by the Masa batter from all sides. The mixture must be enclosed, in the Masa.
Now gather the top and bottom ends and gently press along (from outside) the seams to seal the mixture in, and using a chef's cord or a thin strip of corn husk, securely tie the ends, holding the shape.

Step 4: To cook the Tamales:
In a large lidded pot, add about 1/3 part of water. Then using an inverted bowl, elevate and place a steamer to keep the tamales out of water. Stack the tamales carefully and cover with lid. Steam for an hour. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Serving Suggestions:

These flavorful goodies can be eaten as is, after peeling off the husk. But you may also serve them with Salsa, hot sauce and Sour cream on the side.
I served mine with a dollop each of Sriracha and Sour Cream.

Enjoy! :-)

Kerala style Pork Curry - Memories of an awesome childhood.

2014-09-22T18:06:00.003-07:00

I was born and raised in a family of great cooks and grew up with wonderful neighbors and family friends who were excellent cooks too. S Aunty was the one who exposed my taste buds for the first time to the magic of deliciously decadent Trichur style of cooking. Every Easter and Christmas, her family would start their hard work in kitchen early, to create a feast fit for a king and we were fortunate to be invited to be a part of their celebrations.
We would pig out on Pork, Beef and Chicken, prepared at least two ways with Raitas, rice, rotis and veggie preparations (that sadly, I cant remember, but yet very delicious) all washed down with one small glass of the sweetest Goan port wine that us kids were allotted.
That is where I was reborn as a true non-veg foodie enthusiast after my years of trying my hand at Vegan and Vegetarian lifestyles, at that tender age. (Thanks mostly to butchering videos promoted by Maneka Gandhi on television).
Anyways, S Aunty's cooking and the sweet memories we spent together as one big family, stayed with us even after the families changed homes and moved away, then to different parts of the country. Christmases and Easter were never the same again.
Mom wouldn't cook beef or pork in her kitchen, so I and my brother's only hope of sating our beef or pork cravings would be to order it from eateries but then there was no one who would cook it like hers.
And there came a time when I almost gave up pork because it never measured up to the good stuff we were used to.
I came to U.S and one of the best things here was the availability of great cuts of meat, easily. That is when that cravings I put behind me years back came back with a vengeance. I started experimenting with the memory of tastes I had and my own logic for help. I also had notes from the times I picked Aunty's brain on our visits to Trichur.
This curry is still not as yummy as what she made but yes, it is one of the simplest and most delicious ways to prepare pork. The gravy can be thickened or made dry as a fry. The onions cook down and give this dish a heavenly sweetness that no other ingredient can give it, coupled with the aroma of the other green ingredients. A pork belly is the recommended cut for this recipe and needs to be slow cooked for about 2-3 hours. Due to my health needs, I have used top loins which are the leanest cuts of pork and they end up dry if overcooked. So I have cooked it on low for about 45 minutes.
So adjust your cooking time accordingly.
Also it tastes even better the next day. So leftovers can cause family fights....be advised! ;-)

Ingredients:
3 lbs pork, cut into cubes
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or Paprika)
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp salt

2 large onions, sliced thin
1 tbsp crushed ginger
1 tbsp crushed garlic
6-7 chopped green chillies
2 sprigs curry leaves

10-12 cloves, 3 green cardamoms and 2 " piece of cinnamon, toasted lightly and ground into a powder.

1 tbsp + 1 tbsp of oil

Method of Preparation:-

Mix together the pork cubes, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric and leave in in the fridge to marinate.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a dutch oven and saute the onions in it until softened. Add the green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Let it get slightly browned and aromatic, in a low fire.
In another shallow pan, heat the other tbsp of oil and sear the pork without crowding them. Do it in batches if necessary.
Add the seared pork cubes into the onion mix. Deglaze the searing pan with 1 cup of water and add into the onion mix.
Stir everything well, cover and bring to a boil. Add half of the ground spice mix. Now, reduce the fire and cook until the pork is done. Fattier or bone-in cuts may need more time, but loin or other lean cuts may be ready in as few as 15-20 minutes.
In the last 15 minutes of cooking, increase heat, remove lid and stir continously and get the gravy thickened to your preference. Check salt and adjust if needed. Stir in the remaining ground spices and remove from fire. Enjoy!

Mamma's Perfect Choco-Chip Cookies

2014-07-12T02:41:00.004-07:00

Chocolate chip cookies are something of a habit here, in my house. Kids expect me to make it every couple of months and keep our humongous cookie jar filled, and I do that gladly. There is a reason, why I do it gladly- it has to do something with one big change we made when we could, to a better, healthier lifestyle.

It was not always like this. There used to be a time when I was scared of baking. Once my son got to the toddler stage was when I started paying more attention to the packaging labels and noticed the tough-to-pronounce ingredients there. We stopped buying them altogether. But how would you explain your refusal to buy packaged cookies to a toddler who absolutely loved his "chokochikookie???"

Introducing... my Chef Guy. Read more about how I met him in my next post! :-)

I had to give him a healthier option. I'd watch the food channels where baking cookies were what they did between basting the roast. I would hear it from the Moms at the park, how they baked a batch and they binged on it because it was so good when it was warm. I wondered, was it that easy? If it was that easy, why am I not making it for my poor kid suffering from choco-chip cookie withdrawal?

The answer lay in my cold, cold feet. So I dragged my feet up and down the baking isle of our local Publix and got all the ingredients mentioned in my favorite recipe. It was nerve-wracking to pick up even flour. Enriched, unbleached, self raising, whole wheat, healthy blend and so on. After pissing off hubby (who hates shopping) and 2 and a half tantrum from his son later, I finally settled on an enriched, unbleached all purpose flour and walked out of the store.

At home, I laid out the ingredients in neat order on the counter. I gingerly followed the directions to the T and creamed and mixed and stirred and folded. I sent a silent prayer heavenward before thrusting the cookie sheets in the oven. And twelve minutes later came out my first creation from the world of cookies. I am strictly not a cookie or cake person. 1 sliver of a slice and 2 cookies are the max I can stand in a day. So it wasnt until S had 6 and sonny boy grabbed the third one,I decided to take a bite and see how it tasted. I took a bite...it was warm, the chocolate chips were gooey and filled my mouth with sweet warmth. The cookies were perfectly soft and chewy, but as I swallowed, the unmistakable tightness in my throat, that comes from too much sweetness, made me freeze, in my tracks. I put down the cookie and immediately knew I had to improvise.

The next day, using the leftovers and tweaking the recipe,I made my second batch. This time, I tasted it first. It was perfect! Just perfect!
That incident was 9 years back. To this day, I haven't changed my recipe.
Today, I have 4 kids in the house, 2 mine and 2 my son's best friends. Its almost 1.30 a.m. and they are laughing, watching some goofy kids movie and playing and talking as if its the middle of the day. Right between the circle is a plate full of the same cookies and I take to the side table a huge jug of lemonade. My son takes a cookie and takes a bite and unplanned, his eyes meet mine and he smiles and winks at me- a natural reflex for him. That smile creates the memories of that toddler drooling and munching on his chokochikookie and I beam back with a wink.

And I am sitting here, in the kitchen listening to their laughs and typing out this recipe. It is an odd time, but maybe the time to write this recipe down, cant get any better. :-)
(Makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on your cookie size. These are about he size of your palm, sans the fingers. Does that make sense?)

Ingredients:-3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick) sweet cream butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large fresh eggs
2 tsp tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semi-sweet /milk chocolate Chips

Method:
Preheat oven 350°F.
Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth in a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer.
To this add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated into the sugar butter mix.
In another large bowl, stir the flour, salt and baking soda, very well.
Make a well in the center and slowly add the wet mix into the flour mix. Carefully combine them using the electric mixer until a very sticky and soft batter if formed.
Now, using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the two cups of chocolate chips
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop 1 tbsp of the batter into the pan, leaving about 1 1/2 inch of space. these cookies spread beautifully. if you dont leave that space, you will end up with a single sheet of cookie instead of the separate ones. 9 is perfect number for a standard cookie sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. If you want chewier ones, bake an additional 2 more minutes.
Cool them in the pan for 5 minutes and using a thin spatula lift them off the parchment and cool them on a cookie rack.
My family says skip the rack and grab them right off the pan. Either way, enjoy them with a cup of cold milk. Enjoy!

Mamma's Savory French Toast

2014-07-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Peeps,

Its been almost 6 months now, that I joined Chef at Large and found myself in the middle of World Class Foodies, who are just as crazy as me when it comes to food. It was here that I met Sonal G. She is one of the most talented and creative bloggers I have come across. She not only became a very good friend, but also mentored me on the finer aspects of blogging and cooking. She never fails to amaze me with her huge collection of recipes that is every bit amazing and unique as her.

Her blog "Simply Vegetarian 777" has a dedicated number of followers who stay tuned in to the yummy vegetarian posts she churns out systematically.

I adore her and always tune in to her blog, so it came as a very pleasant surprise when she asked me to feature in a Guest post in her blog. I accepted in a heart beat! Thank you Sonal. I am honoured! :-)

Now, I am a staunch non vegetarian who goes cranky if I dont get my animal protein. I need some meat or fish or eggs on a daily basis in a very small portion. Au contraire, Sonal's blog features vegetarian recipes which are her forte. I couldn't think of anything vegetarian that Sonal hasn't attempted on her blog. But she graciously let me use eggs in my recipe, and I made her some French Toast but, with a twist.

Savory French Toast: A french toast made without all that sugar, but absolutely yummy.

You can visit my Guest post and get this recipe here. Please visit,try and do let me know how you find my recipe. xoxo

--Mamma

Mamma's Stuffed Bruns

2014-06-14T21:02:00.004-07:00

Sometimes there are certain dishes, that you want to make since a long time, but doesnt. Not because you cant make it, but because you have never seen it made. For me that dish was Paav aka Bombay buns.
There are countless bakers in the small, narrow streets of Mumbai who wake up before the sun does, knead, bake and sell these delicious, simple staples to stores or door to door, fresh and steaming hot. They offered a variety of fresh baked goodies from a few different kind of paavs, doughnuts (not the American kind, but a soft long roll stuffed with creamy icing), pizza bases and cake rusks.
The Brun Paav aka crusty roll was one of my most favorite items among them. Brun paavs sold those days around 50 paise per roll. The seller was an old man we called Babu. His family made and sold paav for years and Babu was the second generation in this business and he brought them out to sell in his trusty cycle, hanging hot from burlap bags filled to the brim. Now, these burlap bags attached to the handlebars of his cycle. It was an actual art trying to not hit his knees on the steaming bags, and burn his skin. he would pedal his cycle with a lean on either side and knees turning away from the cycle which was pretty much pedalling with his heels. It was quite a sight, watching him ride his cycle in the mornings with a full load, which gave us kids something to be amused at.
Without fail, Babu arrived at 6.15 a.m. every morning. We brought hot "kadak paav" as it was called, at 2 for a rupee, Babu, carefully wrapping it in a piece of pre-cut newspaper piece, so that us kids didnt burn our hand. Mom would have boiled the milk and cooled it down byt hen for us. We would tear off pieces off the paav, dip it into our milk and eat it with relish. The salty, soft interiors and the chewy crust sweetening as we chewed was quite the experience. May God bless that sweet guy!
To replicate this experience, I would always wait to go back to India, sometimes two to three years so that I could catch up on all the flavors I grew up with Brun Paav always remained an item on that list.
Now switching back to the present, I finally found a fail-proof Brun paav recipe from a fellow Mumbaiite and blogger, Shailja Tomar Gonsalves, and under her mentoring recreated the same magical taste in my own kitchen. And its a keeper!
Now, after making three batches of Brun Paav in 4 days, I had to experiment. And this recipe is the result of that curiosity. How do you make a perfect recipe, perfect? Stuff it up with spiced meat!
presenting my Stuffed Bruns...and I dedicate my post to the amazing Shailja, without whom I would still be waiting for my India trip to enjoy my Brun paav!

Ingredients:-
Bruns: 4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp yeast ( I used active dry yeast)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

2 tbsp melted butter
Warm water + 1 tsp sugar to bloom the yeast
Warm water -as needed to knead
3 tbsp milk - to brush the buns

Filling:
1 lb ground meat ( beef or mutton)
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped green chillies
1 sprig tender curry leaves, chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp ground garam masala made from fennel seeds, green cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves.
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp of the rendered fat from browning the meat or 2 tbsp of your favorite oil
Salt as needed

Method:-
1. In 1/2 cup warm water stir in 1 tsp of sugar, and then stir in 2 tbsp yeast. Leave it aside to bloom for about 10 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes, it should be frothy.

2. Stir together the flour, butter, sugar and salt well until combined and make a well. Into this well, add the bloomed yeast mixture. Incorporate it into the flour as much as possible. Now, use the warm water and knead the dough into a soft, lightly sticky dough. You can use a mechanical mixer or use your hands. Pour a little oil in your palms and pat it all over the kneaded dough and leave it covered with a tight fitting lid, in a warm place to rise, for an hour.

3. In a pan, brown the ground meat with a little salt and pepper. Drain the meat, once browned, reserve for later. If you dont care for the Saturated fats, use that fat to saute the onions. If not, use 2 tbsp of oil and saute the onions. When they turn soft and translucent, add the minced garlic, ginger, green chillies and chopped curry leaves, and saute well until tender and aromatic. Now reintroduce the reserved ground meat and add all the dry spices and stir well.Cover and cook for about 15 minutes on low heat until all the spices are incorporated into the meat. Switch off the heat, stir in the chopped coriander leaves and let it cool.

4. Meanwhile, check on the dough. It should have doubled in size. Roll it by hand, on a floured surface into a cylindrical shape. Now using a knife, divide and cut into 12 pieces. Roll the 12 pieces into rounds. Leave in a pan, covered to rise for 45 minutes. It should rise and double again. Even if it did not, at the end of 45 minutes, you can still move on to the next step.

5. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

6. Grease your palms lightly. Take each round and make a well. Divide the meat mixture into 12 parts and stuff one part inside the dough well. Gather the edges on the top, and lightly twist and press it on to the top and gently roll the stuffed roll to form a ball.

Keep the ball on a lightly greased baking pan.

Now, repeat the steps until all the meat mixture and dough is used up.

7. Brush the stuffed rolls with a little milk all over. Place an oven safe pan with 1 cup hot water on the bottom shelf to make the crust chewy. Now bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the top of the buns are lightly reddish brown and hard when tapped.

8. When done, cool off in a bread basket, on top of a clean towel.

Serve them warm with tea for breakfast or as a filling snack.

Enjoy!!!

Easy Peasy Doughnut Holes

2014-06-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe came to me when I told one of my American friends Sherry R, how I ended up craving doughnut holes throughout my pregnancy, but always after my dinner, and how insane it was to send my poor hubby out on a doughnut run. Ok, I have done it in my hormone driven craziness, but more than 3 times a week? That was the insane part! Buying it and freezing it seemed like a good option until I tried to defrost it. The soggy, sticky, lifeless thing did not resemble like the dreamy glazed puffed up beauties I was craving in the first place. That was when I decided to up my standards and make my own hot, fresh doughnut holes.
And for the ones who still wonder what doughnut holes are, they are small, round, bite-sized doughnuts that the Doughnut chains claim are the bi-product of making doughnuts. I don't buy that! I believe these babies are better than real doughnuts, due to their amazing "poppability" and portion control and they need to be giver a better name than doughnut holes, which sounds like you-know-what, a term for mean people.
So here is my version of Doughnut holes, which my dear friend Sherry and I, both have adapted, because it is so much more better than its Vegan version, which we tried recreating in those early experimenting days.
This recipe makes 12 poppers.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg
4 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioner's sugar (optional)

Doughnut holes, rolled in confectioners sugar, while still hot.

Method:-
Cream together the butter, sugar and milk.

Then add the egg and beat lightly until combined well. When combined, add the vanilla and stir well.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Make a well in the center of the dry flour mixture and pour the egg mixture in. Stir gently. Do not overmix.
In a cast iron or enamel frying pan, heat oil until approximately 350 - 375 degree Fahrenheit.
Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the hot oil. Some balls might turn over on their own as the bottom gets cooked and they puff up. If not turning over on its own, help a little using a fork or spoon.
Fry until its golden brown all over.
Remove from oil, drain well and roll in powdered sugar or enjoy as is.
Goes perfect with Coffee and Tea.

Mamma's Pineapple Lemon Rice

2014-05-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

Raised in Southern India, my carb of choice has to be hands-down, Rice.
Every vegetable or meat cooked in our home was designed to be eaten with rice or a rice flour dish. That kind of carb dependence takes a lot of years to outgrow, you know?!
I was lucky enough to be exposed to the melting pot of Indian cultures that is Mumbai where I kicked my rice dependency and happily embraced the flat-breads, fried breads and mainly, wheat!
But even then, my reboot meal remains rice. Sometimes in my enthusiasm or distracted moments, I overestimate the amount of rice to cook. Mostly I cook a little extra because I love my leftovers. After a tiring day at the gym, or running too many errands for the kids, I would like to make a small meal of leftovers.
Now, this post is all about those says when you dont get to utilize those leftovers. In my mind, I always connect Lemon rice to our Summer Vacations. Mom always made a tangy, zesty lemon rice when she made too much rice or for the long train trips during Summer. Summer vacations meant taking a long, two-day ride in a chugging, diesel-engine train, all the way to the lower tip of the country, in sweltering heat.Budgets were low and outside food from peeps who didnt speak a language we could understand was out of the family rule book. So Mom made tried and tested menu items for the first day in the train. Nothing perishable could withstand the second day of the trip, when the bogeys turned into ovens and baked everything inside under the hot Andhra sun. Mom's lemon rice was a life saver for the first day. She would also deep fry marinated Tuna pieces that had to be finished on the first day. She would make oil packed lemon pickles and Ginger in tamarind and jaggery, too. The next day there would be bread (which would be baked drier even in its unopened packing in the heat) and a jar of Kissan mixed fruit jam, to ease it down.
It may sound like the worst trip, but the kids had the most fun in those trips. We made new friends, sang and played, and climbed up and down the sleeper berth ladders a gazillion times while the grownups took a break from all the worrying and work and settled down to read or take naps. All of us looked forward to these trips, in short!
My Mom's lemon rice had been an inspiration to me always. She made it with almost al-dente rice, never sticky and tinged with that gorgeous yellow color from the turmeric. The tangy, comforting taste of the tempered rice always brings back a rush of childhood memories with it, that never fails to bring a smile to me.

Lemon Rice, made my Mom's way, served with my Chilli Chicken Curry. Mmmm, Heaven, I tell ya!

A few days back, hubby brought home a huge pineapple, in season, from Costco. I had been looking at Pineapple recipes since that morning, but for some reason couldnt get my mind off Mom's lemon rice. Putting one and one together, I decided to make something different, yet simple for dinner and that is how this recipe was born.
So here goes:

Ingredients:-
2 cups Sona Masoori rice, cooked in 4 cups of water, and 1 tsp of salt and cooled. (you may also use leftover rice, from previous night)
2 cups (small) diced, ripe pineapples
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split black gram
1 or 2 dry red chillies
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp oil

Method:-
In a large nonstick pan, heat oil and temper the mustard seeds, black gram, curry leaves and dry red chillies in that order. Stir in the turmeric and add the diced pineapple. Add a tsp of salt. Saute until tender.
When the pineapple pieces are no longer crunchy, add the rice half cup at a time and incorporate into the tempering mix. Add lemon juice, salt and a tsp of sugar and stir well until well combined. Now cover and cook on low heat until the lid is steamed well. Takes about 15 minutes.

Serve warm, with a Spicy Chilli Chicken Curry or Cashew Chicken Curry or Mamma's Whole Chicken Curry in a Tomato Gravy.
It goes very well with Spicy Vegetarian Sides like Rajma, Chole or Paneer curries.

Enjoy!!! :-)

Mamma's Whole Chicken Curry in Tomato Gravy

2014-05-30T23:47:00.000-07:00

I have always been a big fan of chicken since childhood. Mom's chicken curry was the ultimate bribe, to get me to do anything. When guests came over, all I could pray was, for leftovers. That was how much I loved Chicken Curry. Now that I am really watching my food quality and cooking healthier meals, I realized I have to try finding a better way to make Chicken curry without coconut milk or the rich cashew paste, which used to be my go to recipes. That is how this recipe took form.
A bowl of rice served with this chicken curry is heaven, and it may be just as yummy, served with two chapatis. This curry is the leanest version I have managed to make. Also, I use a tender Chicken or a couple of Cornish game hens, with their skin removed. The using of a whole chicken is what makes this curry full of flavor. You just cannot get that kind of wholesomeness with dry chicken breasts without bones. With the skin added, this curry goes to a whole another level and gets that golden, floating oily layer at the top which just makes eating it with rice even delectable.
This recipe, uses only 2 tsp of oil and you can add or reduce the gravy content by adding water. Adding more oil to it wont make a difference, but depending on your preference you can make this curry with the chicken skin or without.
So here it goes:-

Ingredients:-
1.5 kg whole chicken (about 3 lbs)- skinned, cleaned and chopped into medium pieces.
2 large onions - thinly sliced
1 can of tomato paste (about 6 oz)
6-8 green chillies, slit
1 large piece of ginger, crushed
12 pieces of garlic, crushed
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tbsp
2 tsp Spice mix (1 bayleaf, 3 green cardamom, 1tbsp fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 2-3 cloves and 1 small star anise roasted and powdered)
Curry leaves- a handful
2 tsp oil
Coriander leaves- to garnish.

Method:
1. In a heavy bottomed nonstick pan, heat 2 tsp of oil and swirl it around and add the chopped onions to it. Add a tsp of salt to it and saute well.

2.When glossy, add the green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves to it. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and half of the powdered spice mix to this. Be very careful and do not let it burn. Keep stirring for one minute.

3. Now add the chicken pieces. Add a little more salt (abt 1/2 tsp ) and mix well. Now cover with a tight lid and lower flame to medium and let it cook for 15 minutes.

4. While its cooking, mix the tomato paste with 3 cups of water. After 15 minutes, give the chicken a very good stir and add the mixed tomato paste and water to it. Mix gently and cover with the lid. Bring to a boil and again reduce it to medium. This time let it simmer for almost 20-25 minutes.

5. After 20-25 minutes, it should be a little thicker and giving out a nice aroma. The meat will be really tender. If not, cover and cook another 10 minutes. Add the remaining spice mix and check salt.

6. Remove from fire and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

7. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Did I tell you, this curry becomes even better the next day? :-)

Mamma's Tomato Mini-Pies (Pictorial)

2014-05-19T10:12:00.002-07:00

These pies are a result of my switching over to a much healthier lifestyle, ironically. I used to buy refrigerated pie dough for my pies and had a few boxes of them left. I had to find a way to get rid of them soon, before i switched over to a homemade crust and no more processed stuff from the grocers.
I call these stuffed, baked, savory goodies mini-pies, purely because I don't know what else to call them and also because they are made from Pie crust. The tomatoes I used for these are fresh beefsteak tomatoes. Its kind of important to prep your tomatoes before baking, if you don't want your pies to be soggy.
The stuffing can be really versatile. This recipe used a onion-chive-cream cheese topping on the tomatoes. But I have also used Basil Pesto and toasted Pine-nuts on top of the tomatoes, in the past and they were quite yummy too. Other ideas also include Pepperoni and Fresh Mozzarella, Spinach and Goat cheese and Mushrooms and Ground Beef sauteed with Ginger and Garlic. (Oh yeah! So many possibilities!)
These make amazing appetizers or a delicious brunch/breakfast item, as well. This recipe makes 6 mini pies.

So without much ado, here goes:

Ingredients:-
1 pk refrigerated pie crust (2 sheets)
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
3 tbsp finely chopped green onions
1 8-oz pk of Cream Cheese/ Neufchatel Cheese (softened)
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
2 large beefsteak tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
1 egg- for egg wash (make egg wash by beating lightly 1 tsp of water with one egg)
1 tbsp Nigella seeds (for sprinkling on top of egg wash)

1 cup or bowl that is slightly wider than the beefsteak tomato slices in circumference

Method:-Slice each beefsteak tomatoes into 3 thick slices (excluding the top-most and the bottom slices. make the top and bottom slices thin so that you will have 3 thick, uniform slices that sit flat.) Now, place the slices in single layer on paper towels, and sprinkle salt on top and bottom of each slice. Leave for 15 minutes on each side to drain maximum liquid out of them. Change paper towels if needed.
Bring the pie crust to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425 degree Fahrenheit.

Mix together the chives, onions, cheese and cream cheese together adding a little salt and pepper to taste.Use a single beater of a hand mixer or use a fork. Using a stand mixer is not recommended.

Flour a rolling surface and gently spread out a pie crust sheet on it. Roll out gently with a floured rolling pin until smooth and rectangular, about 1/2 inch thick.

Repeat with the other sheet and make sure they are uniformly sized, though not necessary to be accurate.
On one sheet, place the 6 prepped tomato slices, uniformly spaced (at least 2 inches of space between each). Sprinkle ground pepper on top.

Divide and spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the tomato slices.

Now brush egg wash, all over the exposed parts of the loaded pie crust. Cover the first loaded pie crust sheet, with the other sheet of pie crust and press down gently so that it sticks to the bottom sheet of crust.

Now, carefully using the cup/bowl/glass cut around the tomato slices to get mini-pies that are slightly larger than the tomato slice.

You may crimp the edges of the pie using a fork if they are threatening to come apart.

Carefully, lift each mini pie and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Cut a small vent on top of each pie, brush with egg wash, sprinkle a few nigella seeds and bake them at 425 degree Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes, or until the tops become a light golden brown and lightly crack.

Now, let them cool slightly as the filling can be hotter than the exterior.

Serve them as a snack/appetizer or as a yummy main course with a soup and salad on the side. Enjoy!

Seared Salmon with Ponzu Sauce and steamed Bok Choy

2014-05-13T19:59:00.003-07:00

I have always leaned toward Chinese and Japanese cuisines, whenever I felt like venturing out of my food comfort zones. And these two nations have never disappointed me with their light sauces and fresh ingredients where one flavor doesn't kill off the other or weighs you down as a meal.
Ponzu sauce is a citrus based dark brown sauce, very common in the Japanese cooking.
This version in the recipe is a lighter version. The authentic version is made by simmering Mirin, Rice Vinegar, Tuna flakes and Kobu together and then adding some citrus juice to it.This meal is one of the first non-Indian meals I have attempted to put together. The recipe was simple and everyone loved it. The original recipe courtesy goes to Food Tv, my food guru in the days when I couldn't cook anything. over the years, I have adapted the original recipe to suit my family's taste. Also, I serve it with either cooked plain rice noodles or with Corn on the Cob, as a side. This recipe serves a family of 4.

Ingredients:-

Salmon Fillet with Skin, served on a bed of Rice Noodles, drizzled with Ponzu Sauce and Steamed Baby Bok Choy. I used Jalapenos for some extra kick in my Ponzu.

For the Ponzu Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup veggie/chicken stock
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tbsp of orange zest
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2-3 thai green chillies, chopped
2 stalks of spring onion, thinly sliced (bottoms and top separate)

Other Ingredients:-
1 lb of fresh bok choy, rinsed well and trimmed
4 salmon fillets (Now the original recipe calls for skinned fillets but I am a big fan of crispy seared fish skin, so I used fillets with skin on them and seared them skin down first, then cooked it on the other side too. If you choose to cook with skin, see my note on serving below*)
Salt and Pepper

Directions:-
Whisk all of the Ponzu sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Steam the Bok Choy and keep aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the salmon with the salt and pepper, lay the fish rounded side down in the pan (*skin side down if using fillets with skin) and cook until golden and crisp on 1 side, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, turn and cook the fish on the remaining side to the desired degree of doneness, about 10 to 11 minutes for fish cooked through.

Divide the salmon and bok choy among 4 plates and serve each drizzled with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the ponzu.

A Variation: Tilapias (pan-roasted with a sprinkling of seasoned panko bread crumbs to give it some crunch) made using the same recipe.

*Salmon fillets with skin need to be served in a different way. Spoon a couple table spoons of Ponzu sauce in a plate, and lay down the fillets skin-side up so that the meaty side is in contact with the sauce at the bottom.

Pass extra sauce at the table. Leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week, or even be used as a dip for Sashimi or Tempura fried Seafood.
Let me know how you like it! Enjoy!

Scotch Broth - A delicious soup from Scotland

2014-05-08T11:25:00.001-07:00

I am a big fan of simple food such as Soup and Bread. There is something deeply comforting about dipping a piece of chewy bread into a shimmering hot liquid composed of veggies and possibly meat, and popping it into the mouth. The single-minded, repeated motions of scooping up the chunky liquid, on a fat spoon and balancing it on its way to the mouth has a way to calm the mind and settle the growls of a hungry stomach.
Having made clear my point, that I love soups, let me move on to today's edible experiment at Mamma's Melting Pot.

I have been on the lookout for using up my barley pearls, and many experienced foodies suggested soup. I particularly loved the notion of getting barley grains in soup mainly because of the texture. I also have fond memories of my dear friend T, bringing me hot soup when I had one of my bad, evil Sinus infections. Her soup was a God -send! The soup itself was light with a few chicken pieces and cooked barley at the bottom, and I could see perfectly cooked veggies in the clear broth, which emanated the spicy savory aroma of freshly chopped parsley. I wasn't in a position to ask her what it was called or how it was made, due to the pressure in my forehead and the facial pain. All I knew was I was hungry and I gobbled it all up, grateful for angels like her in my life. But the soup never left my mind.

After almost a year, as the foodies discussed possibilities of barley in soup all I could think of was my buddy's soup. As I described the soup, a couple of them identified it as Scotch Broth- the basic soup made by the Scots. Traditionally, the soup is made of 4 main ingredients: Beef or Lamb, Swedes/Neep aka Rutabagas, Barley and Parsley. Every thing else can be substituted or played with. And so it was decided!
I made it yesterday night and served it with Fresh Bread buttered and toasted with Homemade garlic Butter.
I didn't have time to go get some soup bones or lamb from Butcher so I used up a pound of beef stew meat I had in the freezer. I am glad I used that because, the meat was extra lean and there was hardly any fat to skim off, in the soup. The soup was nutritious, very hearty and light. It filled up everyone without weighing them down. And making it was very simple too. This recipe is here to stay!
Here is how I made it:

Ingredients:-
1 lb of lean Stew Meat (Mutton, Lamb or Beef)- trimmed into bite sized cubes.
(Alternately, you can also use Meat or Chicken Stock. Instead of adding meat and water, just add meat stock)
1 cup diced Rutabaga (also can be substituted with turnips)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onions
2 cups diced leeks
1 cup diced mushrooms
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup pearl barley, soaked for a couple hours.
Salt and Pepper
Cold water- 12 cups
1 tbsp butter
1 cup minced fresh parsley (garnish)

Method:-
In a large Soup pan, melt the butter and lightly saute the garlic. When garlic is sweaty, add the onions and keep sauteing for another couple of minutes until soft. Add the meat, some coarsely crushed pepper and a tsp of salt. Stir once and add the water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add the barley. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on simmer for another 30 minutes.
Skim off and discard any fat that rises to the surface.
Add the chopped veggies (save the parsley) to the soup for the last leg of cooking. Simmer for about another 30 minutes or until veggies are cooked. Take care they are cooked to the point they are tender but not crumbling.

Switch off the heat, add the chopped parsley and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with Toasted bread sticks or Garlic bread.

To make my special Double Garlic Butter, Mince 5 cloves of garlic very finely and add to 2 sticks of salted butter,softened to room temperature. Stir in 1 tsp of garlic powder. Mix well using a hand mixer or a food processor or just a fork. Refrigerate in a closed container for an hour, before using. You can also roll it into tiny balls, and freeze for later use.

Use this butter to butter up the toast generously, then bake them/toast them in the oven until desired "toastiness" is achieved, and serve with the soup.
Enjoy!

Falafels - A yummy Vegetarian Treat from the Middle East.

2014-05-05T11:38:00.001-07:00

Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food, usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of ameze (appetizers). (quoted from Wikipedia)

I have been wanting to try making thee for a long time now. Finally last Friday, I decided to go with my Middle East dinner theme and make these for my family. I bought some cute-looking Mini Pitas from the local grocers' and picked up some fresh herbs and feta. The rest I had in my pantry.
You wont believe how simple these are, to make once you have everything prepped.
So here goes the recipe:

Falafel Patties:- (makes ~30 patties)

Ingredients:
2 cups soaked chickpeas, soaked one full day and night
Oil, for frying
3 tablespoon olive oil
5-6 cloves minced garlic

1 whole bunch green onions (white and green part) finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 lemon's juice
2 teaspoons cumin powder
3 teaspoons coriander powder
salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Drain the water used to soak chickpeas, then rinse well. Drain the chickpeas very well.
Using a food processor, pulse the garlic, drained chickpeas, green onions, parsley, mint, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper together. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil while pulsing. Pulse until the mixture is finely ground and a little fluffy.
Using damp hands, form tiny golf ball sized balls and press lightly to form a patty.
Traditional falafels are made into ball shape. I made them into patties because, personally I feel they cook much better that way, especially since I am using raw soaked chickpeas and not cooked chickpeas from a can.
Heat about 3 inches of oil in a cast iron pan or fry pan. Repeat with the rest of the patty mixture, to form patties.
Over medium heat, fry the patties to a golden brown. High heat is not advised as the insides may not get cooked, leaving the outsides too browned.
When evenly golden brown, take the patties out of the oil and drain on paper towels.
Keep aside.

For the Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp tahini paste (or pulse 1/4 cup soaked sesame seeds with 2-3 cloves of garlic and a tbsp of sesame oil and make your own)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper - to taste
1 tbsp minced mint and parsley
1 whole cucumber, grated

Method:-
Add everything to a blender except the mint, parsley and cucumber and pulse until smooth. Stir in the cucumber, mint and parsley, cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate until needed.

For the Pita Pockets:
Large or mini Pita pockets, warmed --count 3 minis per person or 1 8 inch pita per person (with 3 patties for stuffing)
Chopped Iceberg or Romaine lettuce
Pickled veggies like carrots, cucumbers etc (optional)

Assembling:-
Take a Pita pocket, stuff it with some lettuce, one or two pieces of pickled veggies and a Falafel patty. If you are using a bigger Pita or Lafa (Taboon Bread, usually served in the Middle East), you can use 3 patties.
Drizzle a tablespoonful of the yogurt sauce inside the pita but over the patties and serve immediately.
Remember to not keep the Pita and Falafel for long once you add the yogurt sauce.

Eat it as a dinner, breakfast or even as a snack. These never disappoint! Enjoy! :-)

Also see, Kashk-E-BaadamJan or Eggplant Dip, another delicious way to enjoy your Pitas with.

Spinach and Bacon Gnocchi (Italian Gnocchi from scratch)

2014-04-15T18:55:00.003-07:00

After a long spell of Vegetarian Fare, I was in the mood to break that spell with something I haven't tried before. In that idea-craving mental state, I went through my resources- my cookbooks, my magazines and my bookmarked recipes. And finally decided on this cute little pasta that is simple to make and tastes really good.
Gnocchi: Gnocco (singular) is a thick, soft pasta that can be made from semolina, or wheat flour or all purpose flour.
It is usually eaten as a first course and replaces pasta and the soup course. I have always heard from Italian friends that they never buy Gnocchi from the supermarkets, but its always made at home. I had a lot of apprehension in making something that was totally outside my comfort zone. But they assured me, that is exactly how they felt about making samosas from scratch too! And I knew from experience how tasty the result could be if I succeeded.

Once I made up my mind, things got easier. There was no fancy ingredients to be bought, there were no lengthy preparations to be done. I had all the ingredients at home. So here was how I got to the end product.

Ingredients:-

For the Gnocchi:
2 cups all purpose flour or whole wheat flour
8 oz ricotta cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
Salt- to taste

For the Spinach and Bacon Gnocchi:
1/2 stick butter
2 tbsp fresh, minced garlic
2 tbsp chopped bacon
A bag of fresh baby spinach
1 tsp dried basil or 3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
freshly grated Parmesan- to top
1 recipe Gnocchi
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Method:

1. Mix together all the Gnocchi Ingredients. You could use a hand mixer or stand mixer. (I used my hands. I knead chapathi flour on an almost daily basis for my dinner. Kneading by hand comes naturally to me.)

2. Knead it until it forms a stiff but nonstick dough.

3. Cut the dough into 8 equal parts.

4. Stretch each portion and roll into a long cylinder, of ~ 1/2 inch thickness, then cut into tiny bits.

5. Take each bit and using the back of a fork, roll into gnocchi and dry them out a bit in a single layer for an hour.
I used 2 forks because my single forked attempts kept giving it a gnocchi shape only on one side. If you are not sure how to go about it, search for gnocchi videos on you tube. There are some really good ones out there, discussing technique.

Now this step takes hours if you have a larger batch to roll. Shamelessly employ your kids, neighbor's kids or anyone else who makes the mistake of walking by when you are doing this dread-work.

6. Now after what will feel like the longest hours of your life, once you are done with the rolling of gnocchi, let the rolled Gnocchi bits dry out for an hour in a single layer. You could also skip the drying and go directly to the boiling, if you want it faster.

7. Boil a pot of salted water. (You may add a tablespoon of oil to this water, though these Gnocchi wont stick to each other unless you cook a lot of gnocchi in one go.) Lower the heat to a simmer - a medium flame, should do.
8. It is recommended that you add the gnocchi into this water in small batches. Do not stir. When they float up on their own, they are done. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and keep aside.

Now, following are the directions to make this yummy, simple dish that I made with my Gnocchi:

Spinach and Bacon Gnocchi

1. In a pan, melt 1/2 stick butter and add 2 tbsp fresh, minced garlic to it. Saute for a minute, then add 2 tbsp chopped bacon to it until cooked. It could be crisp or soft according to your preference.

2. To this, add baby spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted. Add fresh ground pepper and 1 tsp dried basil or 3 tbsp fresh chopped basil. Stir.

3. Add the cooked gnocchi and stir gently. Check salt.

4. Remove from fire, serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan on top.

Enjoy! :-)

Roasted Bell Pepper and Chicken Dip

2014-03-16T22:07:00.004-07:00

They say Necessity is the Mother of all Inventions. While creating this recipe, my necessity was abundance. Ironic...right?
I had too much of these multicolored peppers from Costco and I didn't know what to make with them, as all the cooking I did up to that point involved green Bell Peppers or Green Capsicums.
Now these were sweeter, crunchier and had a sourish quality to them.
They hung out in my refrigerator that weekend and until the next weekend, when I finally decided to make something out of them. Now weekends at our home are sacred. We don't do pasta (Hubby), we don't do spicy stuff (kids) and we don't do hard-to-prepare items (Moi- coz I am the laziest person in this planet when the weekend arrives finally!)
I checked out a couple of recipes over the Internet and ruled out almost all of them because they kept on appearing with pasta recipes or some other stuff which I was in no mood to make. But what caught my attention was how many recipes asked for the Bell Peppers to be roasted and then used.
That kind of gave me the idea to this super simple recipe.
For this recipe, you can use canned chicken breast or leftover cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken sans the skin.

Ingredients:
3 large bell peppers (any one of the colors pictured above will do, but I prefer red ones) - washed, seeded and cut into flat pieces as in the picture
Olive Oil and Salt - enough to drizzle and sprinkle over the bell pepper sections

1 can or 10 oz of boneless, skinless, cooked chicken breast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dry basil/ 4-5 leaves of fresh basil (For another yummy variation, sub Basil with Dill)
salt and pepper - to taste

Preparation:-
1. Lay the cut bell peppers (cut-side down) in a plate and drizzle olive oil over it to coat. Sprinkle some sea salt on top. Lay them flat skin side down on a cast iron skillet or lipped cookie sheet. Now you can either bake them in a 375 degree F oven or on a gas top in the skillet, for a few minutes until it resembles the image below.

2. Now, peel the cling film-like skin from the roasted peppers and scrape off any burnt parts gently.
Add the remaining ingredients and the peeled, roasted peppers and pulse until your preferred consistency is reached. Chunky or smooth, this dip is delicious.

3. Now chill them for an hour or more before serving. You can serve them on french bread or as a dip with crackers or use them as a sandwich filling. Possibilities are endless!

Enjoy them your way! Bon Appetite!

Mamma's Mutton Curry

2014-03-13T17:55:00.004-07:00

In my personal opinion, Mutton or Goat Meat has one of the cleanest flavors out of any other meats. My Mutton Curry is the combination based on the Mutton Curry preparations of two of the strongest characters in my Family--My Mom and My Father-in-Law. I have found their recipes for this dish absolutely out-of-this-world-yummy! But
During the hot summer months, Mom used to forego the easily available Chicken (supposed to increase body heat) and buy Mutton instead, which she believed to have a cooling effect on the body.
She used to make it spicy, the heat coming more from the green chilies and ginger rather than the cayenne.
We used to have it with Chapatis or Rice and always with a side of salted yogurt, cooked as a Morucurry or raw as in a Raita.
Years passed but the combinations of spicy Mutton Curry and Yogurt has always been a great source of comfort to me. Yet, the recipe of the Mutton Curry was pretty much hazy to me.
When I got married, my Father-in-law surprised me with the best Mutton Curry I have ever tasted and inspired me to pay more attention to spices and cooking techniques. His Mutton Curry was a full-flavored curry, but less spicier than Mom's. He never used oil in his curry but his secret was the mutton fat bought separately from the butcher, in which her fried the marinated pieces of meat in its own juices, spiced delicately with his secret spice mix.
When he was diagnosed with heart disease, the women of the family made it their personal business to cut down the fats and make him, healthy and wholesome food. Animal fat had to go! But we didn't have the heart to deny him his favorite Mutton Curry once in a while. My MIL, being a vegetarian, passed down to me the responsibility of cooking the meat for him.
Now, I had to make sure it tasted good, to his liking and also was was safe for his heart.
So I used his spice mixes and Mom's techniques and made this Curry.

To make a long story short, he loved it. The price I had to pay for it is that he doesn't make his version anymore. He just buys the meat and gives it to me, with a smile. That does it for me! :-)
Hope you all like this recipe too.

Ingredients:- Mutton (not lamb) : about 3 lbs (shoulder or leg works best. Also make sure you have bones in the meat. Fewer things in this world are as yummy as the bone marrow from the goat bones, smothered in the gravy.)- cut into bite sized pieces.
1-inch piece of cinnamon- 2
Star anise- 1 whole and a couple broken pieces
1 bay leaf
6 Cloves
1 large Black Cardamom

Red Onions: 3 large, peeled and chopped into thin slices
Green Chillies : about 10-12 (reduce or add as per your heat tolerance), chopped
Curry Leaves - 1 large sprig
Fresh ginger, minced : 2 tbsp
Fresh Garlic Minced: 2 tbsp

1 tsp cinnamon (powdered)
1 tbsp Fennel Seeds- powdered
1 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp Chili powder
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Pepper (freshly ground) - 1/4 tsp

3 large potatoes, each- cut into 8 pieces
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
2 cups of thick coconut milk (divided)
Garam Masala powder

Coriander leaves/ Cilantro: 1 bunch, washed, trimmed and chopped

Method:-
In a Dutch Oven, or a very heavy Pan, heat 2 tbsp Coconut Oil and fry the whole Cinnamon, Cardamom, Star Anise, Bay Leaf and Cloves, until the cloves crackle a little.
Add the onions and a little salt, and saute it, until soft and glossy. Add the minced ginger and garlic and green chilies and saute well. When the mixture is a little softer and aromatic, stir in the spice powders (Cinnamon, Coriander, Chili, Pepper, green Cardamom and Turmeric) and 1 tsp salt.
Now reduce heat and add the cut pieces of Mutton to the Onion mix. Stir well until coated. Add 1/2 cup of the coconut milk, to help with the coating of the spices. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for about 15 minutes on low heat.
After 15 minutes, remove the lid and stir well. It should be more watery than it was before.
Add 1/2 cup more of the coconut milk and add 1 cup water. Throw in the Curry leaves and potatoes, stir well cover with lid once again. This time slow cook for 30 minutes. If needed, stir occasionally.
Check meat for done-ness. If not cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
When meat is really tender, and seasonings well permeated, stir in the last of the coconut Milk, Garam-masala and coriander leaves. Take off the heat. Stir well and cover and let sit for 10 minutes before serving with Rice or Chapatis.

A Kachumber Salad (chopped cucumbers, green chilies,onions and tomatoes in salted yogurt) goes very well with it. Featured here, is my Mutton Curry with some Yogurt Rice.
Enjoy!

Sabudana Jeera Bites

2014-03-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

For Maha Shivraatri, the Hindu Festival held in reverence of Lord Shiva, I made some yummy Tapioca pearl Khichdi aka Sabudana Khichdi. Now, I shouldnt have made that delicious Kheer! My kids filled up on the dessert first and there was almost 2 cups of the delicious khichdi left. But the problem with this Khichdi is that it doesnt taste that great the next day. A self-appointed advocate for saving food and reducing wastage, I came up with this makeover, inspired by the Sabudana Vada which follows a similar recipe.
The makeover was a hit and hope you all make extra Khichdi to just try this one out.

Ingredients: Leftover Sabudana Khichdi- 1 cup (follow the link above for the recipe)
2 medium boiled potatoes.
Crushed Roasted Jeera (Cumin Seeds) and grated coconut-- to roll the balls in
salt to taste
Peanut Oil--- to fry

Method:-Mash together the potatoes and khichdi together to form a smooth-ish dough. Add salt as needed.
Form into small bite sized balls.
Roll in the grated coconut and crushed jeera mixture. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Heat peanut oil until really hot. Try inserting a wooden spoon into the oil. It should be sending up bubbles. This is a good sign of oil getting to the required temperature. Note that if the oil isn't hot enough, the balls can disintegrate in the hot oil or absorb a lot of oil.
Now, deep fry the Jeera Bites until browned all over. When done perfectly, it should be crunchy from the outside and soft from the inside. Serve hot, with your favorite chutney.