Spaghetti with broccoli and tomatoes

Ingredients:

100gms spaghetti cooked as per instructions on pack
100gms broccoli florets
100gms ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1tbsp dry basil
1tbsp dry oregano
1/4 tsp red chilli or paprika flakes
Salt to taste
2tbsp butter (optional)
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper powder - a dash

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. When hot add chopped garlic and fry till garlic begins to brown.
2. Add broccoli florets and saute for 2-3 mins.
3. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, basil, oregano and chilli flakes. Cover and cook till brocolli is al dente (almost done).
4. Add in the spaghetti, a dash of black pepper powder and toss well. Cover and cook for 1 minute.
5. Turn off flame. Add the butter and mix well. 
6. Serve hot with orange juice and fresh salad.

If you prefer this richer, add 2-3tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese on top before serving. This tastes great without any cheese.

South Indian vada curry

Ingredients:

For the vada
Chana dal/Bengal gram -1 cup, soaked for 4 hours
Whole red chillies - 2, soaked with the dal
Coriander leaves - 3-4 tbsp, finely chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Onion finely chopped - 1/2 cup
Oil for deep frying
Oil - 2 tbsp, for tadka
Bay leaf - 2-3, for tadka
Jeera - 2 tsp, for tadka

For the  gravy
Onion -3/4 cup (finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 cups (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup, diluted with another half cup water to a total of 1 1/2 cups

For the masala mix
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Green chilli  - 3-4, can be adjusted to desired spice level, but it tastes best on the slightly spicier side
Fennel seeds/saunf- 1-1 1/2 tsp. I like to use more as it give amazing flavour
Cloves - 4-5
Green cardamom - 2-3
Grind the above together to a paste with little water

Method:

1. Drain the water from the dal and rinse it well. Grind the dal+red chillies with salt,  turmeric powder with as little water as possible. 
2. Mix chopped onions and coriander leaves with the vada batter.
3. Heat oil in a kadai, drop tbsp full of batter and deep fry on medium heat till golden brown. Once cool enough to touch, break the vadas into 4-5 pieces and set aside.
4. For the gravy - Take a couple of tbsp of the hot oil in another kadai or pan, add bay leaf and jeera and saute for few seconds, then add onions and saute until golden brown. 
5. Then add salt and the ground masala and saute for a few more minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes, and turmeric powder. Cook on medium-high flame till oil separates.
6. Then add the coconut milk, adjust salt and bring it to boil. Let the raw smell of coconut dissipate, there will be a hefty aroma of the spices and the coconut that will occur in a couple of mins.
7. Add the vadas and simmer for five minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot either alone as a snack or with south Indian 'parotta' (you can find frozen variety at the grocery store or make your own - which is a lengthy process on its own), or puri.

Homemade bread rolls

Kavita Sharma shared this lovely recipe for homemade bread. It turns out fluffy and delish!

Ingredients

All purpose flour/maida- 500 gms
Fresh yeast- 1 1/2 tbsp & if dry yeast-3/4 tbsp
Oil- 2 tbsp
Milk- 1/2 cup
Eggs- 1 for mixing & 1 for brushing.
Sugar-  4 tsp
Salt-  1 tsp
Poppy seeds-  1tbsp

METHOD :

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water
2. Sift flour and salt together, add the oil and one egg to the flour. Add yeast mixture and enough
warm water to make a soft dough.  Knead well.
3. Cover with a wet cloth and leave for 2 hours to prove.
4. Knock back the dough and put it in a loaf dish. Knock down or punching back the dough is very important process and takes about 20 mins of kneading continuously.
5. Brush with beaten egg and keep aside for 10 mins and brush again.
6. Sprinkle poppy seeds.
7. Bake in a hot oven for about 10 mins or till done (will double & golden brown. Temperature 200 to
220 C or 400-425 F

Potato Frittata

One more tasty dish from Ajita's kitchen!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil (can use regular/olive oil or even butter)
1 medium potato
1 medium onion
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
3 eggs
Handful of coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Grate the potato and onion and keep separate.
2. Heat the oil in a pan. When its hot add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and
saute a bit more.
3. Add the potato and cook until the potatoes are soft. Add the coriander.
4. Spread the mixture across the pan evenly.
5. Break three eggs into the mixture carefully, ensuring the yolks remain intact.
6. Sprinkle salt & pepper and close the lid. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve hot with salad or garlic bread.

Winter vegetable soup

This yummy recipe has been shared by my buddy Ajita! Thanks, Aji!

Ingredients:

1 whole beet root

2 carrots

1 tomato

1 small onion

Water 1.5 cups (can substitute with vegetable stock)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Clean and grate all veggies and chop tomatoes finely. 

2. Put them all in an open pan to boil. Once the color of the boiling liquid changes remove the pulp and mash it.  

3. Add a dash of salt and pepper and the mashed pulp to the boiled liquid and add half a lemon. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Voila! Hearty healthy winter soup is ready! This will be a little sweet tasting.

Pongal Recipes

So its Pongal today, the harvest festival - one of the very important festivals especially in South India. Sitting here in the US, I do miss home and all the festivities that go with Pongal. This day is also celebrated as Makar Sankranti in the rest of the country and is marked by fun, good food, friends and family and the hope for a bountiful year ahead. So here are the Pongal dishes we make at home.

We make two types of Pongal: Venn Pongal - a savoury variety and Sakkarai Pongal - a sweet dish. Traditionally, pongal is cooked in a clay or brass pot (vengala paanai/pot) that is decorated with flowers and is used specifically for this purpose. These are accompanied by aviyal and vadai.

Pongal
The basic preparation for both the varieties is the same. This is my variation of pongal where I use more daal than usual because I like the taste and consistency.

Ingredients:
New rice (any variety) - 2 cups
Moong daal - half cup
Tuver daal - half cup
Milk - 4 tbsp
Water - 5 cups

Method:
1. Wash the rice and daals together a few times. Add the washed rice/daal mixture, 4 cups of water, and the milk to the decorated pot. If you don't have a pot handy (like me :)) use any large stockpot.
2. Put this on the stove and bring to boil. Traditionally when making pongal on the festival day the stove is cleaned, rangoli applied to it, the pot is decorated with tilak/kumkum, and flowers and the food is cooked outside. The exact Sankranti time is noted and the pot is put on the stove a few minutes before this time to allow the water is to boil over. At the moment the water boils over, the family gets together in front of the stove and bangs steel plates and shouts 'Pongal-o-pongal' and a prayer is offered to the Sun God.
3. Once the water boils over, the pot can be covered and left to simmer or if you're impatient like me, transfer the mix to a pressure cooker and cook on medium for 3 whistles.

VennPongal ingredients:
Half cup ghee
Half cup or more of cashew nuts
2 tsps black pepper
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste
Jeera - 2 tsp for tempering

1. Once the cooker cools down, take out a third of the cooked rice for sweet or sakkarai pongal.
2. While the cooker cools, chop up half a cup of cashew nuts...more if you like it and fry them in the ghee. Add the curry leaves and jeera when the cashews turn golden and remove from heat.
3. Add salt and coarsely crushed black pepper to the remaining rice mixture. Add the hot ghee and cashews and mix well. Serve piping hot with aviyal.

Sakkarai/sweet pongal ingredients:
Jaggery - half cup
Brown sugar - quarter cup
Cashews - half cup
Raisins - quarter cup
Ghee - quarter cup
Cardamom/elaichi powder - half tsp
Water - 3/4 cup

1. Heat the water and melt the jaggery and brown sugar in it till they dissolve completely.
2. Add the rice, cardamom powder and mix thoroughly ensuring that all the rice is thoroughly mashed.
3. Fry the cashews in ghee till golden, add the raisins and fry for a few seconds. Add this to the rice/jaggery mixture and stir till thoroughly incorporated. Enjoy hot.

Jammu Style Rajma

This recipe is also courtesy of my lovely friend Kavita Sharma! Girl, your dishes are super yum!

Ingredients:

Rajma - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 2 large, finely chopped
Onions - 2 medium, finely chopped
Masala paste - grind together 2 inch piece of peeled ginger, green chillies to taste
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Ghee or clarified butter - 2 tbsp
Oil (anything except canola or olive oil) - 2 tbsp
Turmeric (haldi) powder - 1 tsp
Dhaniya (coriander) powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida  (hing) - 2 pinches
Bay leaf - 2
Cloves - 3
Kashmiri red chilli powder - to taste (remember you're also adding green chillies, so go easy!)
Black  salt - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste (remember you're using black salt! so go easy!)
Water - 4-5 cups


Method:

1. Soak the rajma over night or for a minimum of 6 hours.
2. Pressure cook the rajma with salt,  1 inch stick of cinnamon and around 4 cups of water for 4-5 whistles on a medium flame. This should take around 15-20 mins.
3. Take oil and desi ghee both. When it is hot, add cumin seeds, hing, bay leaf, cloves and finely chopped onions.
4. Cook stirring occasionally. When it turns red add ginger chilli paste.  Saute for a minute.
5. Add the tomatoes, haldi, dhaniya powdr, kashmiri lal mirch and garam masala.
5. When the gravy it starts leaving oil from the sides add cooked rajma.
6. Cook over slow flame for 15 mins.
7. Add 1/2 tsp black salt
8. Finally garnish with green coriander
9. Serve hot with rice or naan! Add a dollop of butter before serving if desired.

Caramelised sugar

Ingredients:

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 1/4 cup

Method

1. Combine sugar and water over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Add a couple of drops of lemon juice to the mixture and bring it to a boil stirring continuously.
3. Once the mixture starts boiling DO NOT stir or the sugar will crystalize.
4. Let the mixture simmer till it starts turning amber coloured.
5. Remove from flame and immerse the bottom of the pan in ice cold water to stop the caramelization process. If it crosses amber and turns darker, the sugar will burn.
6. Use immediately in recipe of your choice! Pour over ice cream, toss roasted nuts and dry fruits and use that as condiment, coat apples...caramel can be enjoyed in many ways!
 

Ginger Ale

This recipe is courtesy of my good friend Kavita Sharma! Thanks, Kavi!

Ingredients :
-Ginger - 300 gms (peeled and grated )
-Sugar - 1kg
-Whole red chillies - 10 to 12
-Cinnamon - 3 to 4 sticks
-Cloves - 10 to 12
-Nutmeg - 2 to 3
-Citric Acid - 20gms
-Sodium Benzoate - 2 pinch
-Water - 3750ml

Method :
1. Put nutmeg in a white cloth, tie it up and crush it. Now add it with all the above ingredients except sugar, citric acid and Sodium Benzoate in water. 

2. Cover and boil it for 45 mins. Turn off the gas. Let it cool for 15 mins.

3. Add 1kg sugar (keeping aside 1 cup of both sugar and water). Mix it well. 

4. Use 1 cup boiled water and 1 cup sugar and caramelise it. 

5. Add the caramelised sugar and citric acid (not to be cooked) to the water.
6. Next day add Sodium Benzoate.  Strain and store. Remember to store it in clean sterlized bottles!

Maanga (raw mango) vatha kuzhambu

Ingredients:
One medium size raw mango cut into long strips
Marble sized ball of tamarind - about 1 tsp tamarind paste
2-3 green chillies, slit vertically
1 tsp Sambhar powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
Marble sized ball of jaggery (gud)
2 tbsp oil
2 1/2 cups water
Few curry leaves

Method: 
1.  In a kadhai or pan add the oil. When it is hot, add the methi and mustard and when they crackle add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
2. Add the raw mango pieces and sambhar powder, green chillies, hing and fry for 2 mins.
3. Add water and all the other ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce flame to simmer and cover and let boil till mango pieces become soft and water reduces by a third. Serve with hot rice and potato fry.
4. The kuzhambu us supposed to have a tangy and spicy taste with just a hint of sweetness from the jaggery. You can adjust the amount of sourness by reducing the tamarind paste or using raw mango that is slightly tangy rather than really sour.

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
6 hard boiled eggs
3 tbsp finely chopped olives in brine
3 tbsp pickled jalapeños, finely chopped
2 tbsp powdered Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp oregano seasoning
1/4 tsp dried parsley
2-3 tbsp whole milk OR half and half OR cream
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Vertically cut the eggs into halves and remove yolk. Put the egg whites into the fridge to chill.
2. Mash the yolks and add all the other ingredients except salt and milk or cream.
3. Mix well and add just enough milk or cream to make the mixture moist.
4. DO NOT add salt before tasting the mixture. Since cheese, jalapeños and olives will all have salt, taste the mixture first and of needed add salt.
5. Spoon a heaped tbsp of the yolk mixture into the hollow of the egg white. Serve chilled.
6. There are many variations for the filling. The yolk is the only constant and you can experiment with combinations like finely chopped onions, deseeded and finely chopped green chillies for a Desi twist; add mayonnaise and chopped green onions. These are great as a snack or starter.

Portobello Taquito

I know its been a long time since I posted a recipe to this blog, but I've been held up with tons of things happening, including a move from India to the US. One thing that I am certainly enjoying here is the massive variety of fruits and vegetables that are available year round :-). I have been letting the cook inside have a lot of fun, experimenting with different cuisines, making my own salad dressings and pasta sauces et al. Here is my version of a Portobello Taquito.

Ingredients:
3  large portobello mushrooms, chopped coarsely
1 small onion chopped finely
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp jalapeno in brine
1/4 tsp cumin/jeera powder
1/2 cup crumbled paneer (can be replaced with mozzarella cheese if you want it to be richer)
salt and red chilli powder to taste
5 tbsp olive oil
leftover phulkas or tortillas

Method:
* Pre-heat oven to 425F alternately
1. Heat a kadhai, add 3 tbsp olive oil.
2. Add minced garlic and fry for a few mins, then add chopped onions and cook till onions start turning golden.
3. Add jeera powder, jalapenos, mushrooms, salt and red chilli powder. Cook till all the water from the mushrooms evaporates.
4. Add the paneer and cook for about 2 more mins.
5. Put a generous helping of the mushrooms on a phulka or tortilla and roll it up. Brush the outside with olive oil and bake in preheated oven for about 12 mins till outer shell turns crispy. Serve with salsa and a salad on the side.

Note: If you do not have an oven, you can apply oil to the roti and roast it on a tawa till it turns golden and crispy. Then add the stuffing and roll it up before serving. Traditional taquitos require that the roti or tortilla be deep fried, but I like to avoid anything deep fried, so roasting makes good sense :-)

GopalKala (Janmastami Special)

Lord Krisna took all the lunchboxs of his friends and mix them together to make this Prasada called 'GopalKala'.

All the Gops (Krishna/Kanha's friends were called Gops) were shy share their food with Kanha. Some one got just beaten rice, some body just curd, everyone some thing which was available at home and packed by their mother. Kanha, the beloved son of Yashoda use to get nice food every day. Kanha noticed that his friends never share or show what they get in lunch, so one day he insisted them to show what they got. With lot of hesitation finally Gops show him what they got with them. Kanha took every thing and mixed together. He equally divided it among all and made this wonderful meal called "Gopal kala". This story of Lord Krishna emulates  - sharing, caring and bonding among friends.

GapalKala

Ingredients
Beaten Rice (Poha/Avalaki) - 1 cup
Puffed Rice (Murmure) - 1 cup
Curd - 1 1/2 cup
Finely chopped Cucumber - 1 medium size
Finely chopped Coriander - 1/2 cup
Freshly Grated coconut - 1 cup
Soaked Gram Dal (Channa dal) - 1 cup)
Salt - 1/2 spoon
Sugar - 1-2 spoon ( asper  your taste)
Green chillies - 1-2
Ginger
Ghee - 1 spoon
Jeera - 1 spoon

Method
1. Soak Beaten rice  for some time and drain the water.
2. Mix Beaten rice, puffed rice, curd, cucumber, chopped corriender, soaked channa dal, grated coconut, salt, sugar in a bowl.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, give takda  of jeera and grated ginger and green chillies.
4. Mix this takda in the bowl.
5. Its ready to serve.

Veg steamed Momo's

Believe me, this time when I made momo's it was fun. A nice recreational activity at home :) with my husband and kids, who helped in chopping veggies and doing the table arrangement. So I can not call it just  my recipe... :) Easy and yummy with minimal ingredients requirement. Try this one.

Ingredients:

All purpose floor - 2 cups.

Water

Finely chopped cabbage - 2 cups

Grated Carrot - 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1 table spoon
Finely chopped french beans - 1/2 cup (bit blanched in salted water)
Salt - as per taste
Black Pepper - as per taste.
Sesame oil - 2 table spoon

Method:

1. Nead dough of all purpose floor (Maida) with water and keep it aside.

2. Heat Sesame oil in pan, saute ginger garlic paste for 1 minute.

3. Add all the vegetables into it, sprinkle salt and black pepper and mix it well.
4. Keep lid on the pan and give one steam for the veggies to get cooked.
5. Turn off the heat and let this stuffing get cool for some time.

6. Roll thin rotis' (pan cake) of 5' diameter. Take it in hand and fill the stuffing and cover it from one side to other, like a semicircle, press the sides properly. Now take the two edges of it and join them.

7. keep these momo's in steamer and steam it for 5-10 minutes.
8. Place them into serving plate, and serve it with tomato or chilli sauce.

Kesar-Elaichi kulfi with caramelised walnuts

I need to thank my brother for buying me this awesome Kenwood icecream maker from UK. Unlike the ones available in India, this one has a bowl that can be frozen ahead of time, then used to churn the icecream, washed and then reused. No more having to freeze tons of ice and messing around with ice-salt concoctions :) I've been making my own icecream for the past couple of years and have got a few recipes that I have perfected and can share :)

Ingredients:

200 ml milk
200 ml Amul fresh cream
3 egg yolks
100 gms sugar
50 gms walnuts, chopped
50 gms raisins (optional)
10-12 strands of kesar (saffron) Can use essence and color if kesar is not available
1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder

Method:

1. Soak the kesar in warm milk for 15-20 mins before you begin.
2. Whisk the egg yolks nicely with half of the sugar. Add the milk and cook on simmer, stirring continuously, till the custard begins to thicken. DO NOT BOIL!!! If you boil it, the egg yolk will cook and the milk will spoil.
3. Add the kesar, half the elaichi powder to the custard and blend well with belnder or mixer.
4. Let this mixture cool to room temperature and then freeze for 1 hour.
5. While the custard is setting in the fridge, let's get the walnuts ready. For this, add the remaining sugar and walnuts into a saucepan an sprinkle 1tsp water. Once the sugar melts, turn the heat down and keep cooking till the sugar turns brown (caramelizes). Add the rest of the elaichi powder and remove from flame. Set this aside and once cool, break it up into raisin size bits. Refrigerate.
6. Chop the raisins coarsely and refrigerate.
7. Once the custard is really cold (begins to set at the edges) we need to churn it in the icecream maker. Churn for about 30-35 mins or until the mixture resembles whipped cream.
8. Add in the walnuts and raisins by the spoonful while the machine is still churning. Let it mix well for about 10 more minutes. Once done, transfer the contents into kulfi molds and freeze for 5hrs or more until it becomes solid. Alternatively, you can freeze this in a plastic container for 3-4 hours till it becomes firm but still scoop-able :)

Have fun beating the heat with this delicious home-made kulfi!