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Showing posts from 2012

Towards an Authentic Taco Meal

Even since I got introduced to international cuisine, tacos always meant the special shaped, crispy things...back in India, I even tried making them from scratch (shaping them over a rolling pin or something). Then, in the US, the taco shells came from a box, and made for good grad school gathering chow. And then came the trips to the west coast, with those soft Masa tacos, and obviously, there's no going back now. In my mind, the distinction between Tex-Mex and true Mexican food is much more clear now. No more over-salty taco seasoning packets for me. Rick Bayless is my new hero, Patti's mexican table my new favorite show, and simple, fresh ingredients are the order of the day.  The problem? I didn't have this realization when I lived in localities with huge Latino populations, and where I live now, many of the basic ingredients are just harder to find...everything from Queso Fresco and Masa-Harina (I bet stores around my older apartments must have even carried fresh

A simple and satisfying Gujarati meal

You don't always need to go crazy when someone is coming over for a meal...Some times, just simple, home-style, tasty meal and old friends can make for a wonderful time. This was one of those meals... As with most Gujarati meals, you have lots of different dishes, but each one fairly simple to make. Typically, you serve one or two farsans (savory items), one or two misthan (sweet items), one or two main shaak (vegetables), one Kathol (beans), dal and/or kadhi, salad, rice, roti, achar, chutney and papad. This was my menu: Samosa and chutney Patra (They came out from a frozen box). (a good gujarati menu should have one fried and one steamed "farsan" or savory items.  Another good combination is lilva kachori / vatana ghughra and khandvi / dhokla). Shrikhand (Yes, the desert is a part of the meal) Gajar no Sambharo (The salad component) Fansi dhokli / pakodi (The main shaak/ vegetable) Khatta Mag (The kathol component) Rice and Roti (I skipped some of the con

Dabeli

This one's a keeper for every time you have friends coming over and you're tired of doing same old pav bhaji. Dabeli is actually much easier to put together, since there's no veggies to prepare, nothing to fry (as in Vada pav) and most of the ingredients are already in your pantry. It's just a simple, no fuss, chatpati dish for a fun-filled evening with friends. Just add a dessert, and you're good to go. I always think of two people when I make this - a friend of mine and my mom-in-law. They both love it. So here's the recipe for both of them:  Filling: Boil, peel and mash potatoes. Heat some oil in a pan. Add whole jeera, and chopped onion (the quantity of onion should be small. Unlike curries, you need just a little bit of onion for this). Saute till translucent (do not brown). Add some chopped tomato and saute some more. Add a little bit of Haldi, red chilli powder, dhani-zeera powder, salt and a big handful of Dabeli Masala (I use Spicezza brand). Saut

Diwali Special : Chachar Pachar

Many Indian families follow the tradition of making a dish with 5, 7 or even 9 vegetables on Diwali. I guess it's a way to make sure you eat something healthy in the middle of all the sweets and treats. I started following my in-law's tradition of making chachar-pachar, a dish with 7 vegetables after I got married, but this is the first year I didn't end up with too big a pot. Also, each one was cooked perfectly. The key was to keep the vegetable pieces slightly on the bigger side, and of course, timing them correctly. Here's what I did. Peel and dice 1 big yukon gold potato, 1 red-skinned, indian style, white flesh, medium sweet potato and 1 big carrot into about 1 inch cubes, keep in water until ready to cook. Peel a big block of Dudhi (Lauki) and dice into 1 inch cubes. Peel 4-5 Parwal (the small, oblong, watermelon like looking vegetable) completely and cut into half. Cut 4-5 baby eggplants into 4 pieces each. Wipe, dry and then cut Okra into about 2 or 3 pieces e

Mushrooms with a twist..but superquick

Achari Kumbh: (Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe..pasted from his website ) This makes a great appetizer..is super duper quick to make and pretty tasty..just be careful with the salt...I wasn't and ended up with slightly salty version. Also, L. pointed out that mustard oil would have been nice in this dish, and now that I sat down to document, what do I notice? the recipe calls for mustard oil! This is what I'm married to folks! Ingredients • Button mushrooms 25-30 • Mustard oil 3 tablespoons • Asafoetida 1/4 teaspoon • Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon • Onion seeds (kalonji) 1/2 teaspoon • Fennel seeds (saunf) 1/2 teaspoon • Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon • Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1/4 teaspoon • Ginger-garlic paste 2 tablespoons • Red chilli powder 1 1/2 teaspoons • Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon • Black salt (kala namak) 1/2 teaspoon • Salt to taste • Vinegar 3 tablespoons • Cucumber,for garnish a few slices Method Sepa

Appeasing the kid in your husband, and you.

If you're one of those couples, where you say "veggies", and he thinks "potatoes"; you say "protein" and he thinks "cheese"; you say "fiber" and he thinks "pizza", then this recipe would make both of you happy. Well..there aren't any potatoes here, but still..it has the flavor profile that most veggie-haters can bare. And admit it, some days, when the summer veggies are still around, but it's a cold rainy day in fall, you want some ooey-gooey cheesy - ricey stuff too! (Inspired by a Sanjeev Kapoor Recipe) Here's what I did: Took two big peppers - one green and one red and slit it into half cross-wise. Remove the seeds and ribs (can keep the stems if you like). Lightly salt and rub with a little bit of olive oil and set aside for about 10 minutes. In the mean time, finely chop one small white onion, one clove of garlic, a small green pepper (I had a good one from the farm), and finely dice one carrot. He

Question: What's common between Sichuan and Satara?

Answer: Oil, garlic, chilli, peanuts, sesame seeds, scallions and cilantro. Both the regions have figured out the magic of this combination...almost identically...and it's some combination. Caution - this can be extremely addictive.A restaurant near my home, called Sichuan Gourmet makes these absolutely addictive cold noodles. Here's my attempt to re-create them: Boil thin noodles (the ones they use are closer to angel hair pasta), I ended up using rice noodles, since that's what I had around. Cool the noodles in cold water and set aside. Roast peanuts lightly and crush coarsely. Also roast sesame seeds and crush very coarsely. Coarsely crush garlic. Heat some vegetable oil and add the garlic on medium heat and let it cook. When it's cooked for a bit, add a pinch of red chilli flakes and cook some more (do not brown). Now, add a paste made with spicy chilli powder (like cayenne) + paprika + water into the garlic oil, and then turn off the heat. Let the oil cool dow

A sure cure for homesickness

You really can't go wrong with this if you're seriously homesick. But I didn't say this was an easy cure. It takes time and patience...but as you go through the process, you re-live the moments spent in the distant past and you remember every utensil in your mother's kitchen used for making this - the big iron Peni (Kadai), The stainless steel Kathrot (Paraat) and the charni (sieve). You struggle to find the right substitute utensils and hope the ingredients sort of taste the same. They don't. But it's still worth the try. Churma Laddoo. Take some (about 2 cups) of coarse whole wheat flour (for Laddoo). This is not Sooji. It's not the atta for Roti. It is also not Lapsi. It will be marked as Laddoo flour. Add about 3/4 cups of ghee and rub into the flour. Basically, if you hold the flour, it should almost form balls. This is called "Muthi Padtu Mon". Now add whole milk to form a very soft dough. Remember, the coarse flour is going to absorb a

Harvest Bounty - Kale and white bean soup

It's that time of the year again. Farm share...flooding in Kale and Collard greens and Zucchini. After a few weeks of losing the battle and throwing away produce, I decided I won't give up. So last evening, I started fighting the fridge overload like a warrior princess, and grilled up a whole bunch of veggies, made a big Chinese stir fry, Pay bhaji and a big pot of soup. I feel like I might have conquered the veggie army for 3-4 days. Here's the soup recipe. It's inspired from many online recipes..and this is my version: In a big pot, heat some olive oil. Add a cup of diced (not too small) red onion, a cup of diced carrots (also keep it chunky) and stir. After the onion softens a bit, add half cup each of diced red and green peppers. Saute everything for a few more minutes. Add one big clove of finely chopped garlic, a big block of finely chopped ginger, and finely chopped rosemery, thyme and oregano (remember, it's farm share season, but don't over do the he

Toss out the hot cocolate packet

I've been drinking hot chocolate from packets at work occasionally, and every time I read the ingredient list, it makes me cringe. So here's a better version. It's really not that much work... 2 cups nonfat carnation dry milk (doesn't have to be non-fat) + 1 cup sugar + 1 cup ghirardeli double chocolate mix (yes, it's not pure coco, but does have a much shorter and innocent ingredient list). Mix and keep in a container. Take about a quarter cup in a mug + hot water = afternoon survival.

Brownies and Cookies : Thursday Tea at the Lab

I signed up for the Thursday tea at the lab, and people loved the spread. I hardly put in any effort, and wasn't particularly impressed myself...but it worked out well. Here are some recipes I used: Cheesecake Brownies : I didn't use the chocolate chips, and used Ghirardeli semisweet chocolate. David Lebovitz's Cheesecake brownies (copied from his blog ...copy right belongs to him.) Cheesecake Brownies One 9-inch (23cm) or 8-inch (20cm) square pan Adapted from Ready for Dessert (Ten Speed) For those of you who like higher brownies, use an 8-inch pan. 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped 2/3 cup (130g) sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup (70g) flour 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips 8 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature 1 large egg yolk 5 tablespoons (75g) sugar 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. Line

Granola

I don't remember the proportion...but usually get it right... Old fashioned rolled oats + vegetable oil + honey + salt + brown sugar + cinnamon + chopped almonds + vanilla. Mix everything, spread in a tray and bake in a 300 degree oven and bake till brown on the edges. (mix a few times in between). Cool. Should become crunchy.

Quinoa Salad

I made this the day mom was leaving for India. She was feeling a little uneasy and didn't feel like eating. One taste of this, and she asked for more. That must mean something... 1/3 cup white quinoa. Rinse it well. Add 2/3 cup water, add salt and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 mins or so, cover and let simmer till cooked (about 10 mins). You will see small sprout like stuff coming out from the seeds. Let cool. Chop asparagus (or any other veggies) into big bite sized pieces and saute in some olive oil with salt and pepper. When it's almost done, add some sliced almonds, so they get toasted a bit too. Finally add some dried cranberries to the mixture and add it all to the quinoa (many variations possible here). Now add fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, a big squeeze of honey, and a tiny bit of olive oil and mix. Add chunks of goat cheese and serve at room temperature or cold.

Spanakopita

Filling: Two bags of spinach, cleaned, blanched, finely chopped. Heat olive oil, add chopped red onion (half medium is enough), 1 clove of garlic, a big pinch of dry thyme, a palm full of dried oregano, some red chilli flakes, salt, pepper. Let cool. Add about a cup of ricotta, about a cup of feta, mix well and set aside. Thaw filo in the fridge overnight. Melt butter and mix some olive oil with it. now brush the bottom of the pan, add one layer, brush with butter, keep adding layers (around 8-10 layers). Spread the filling. Repeat 8-10 layers again. Brush with butter, score the top with a knife (to make slicing later easier) and bake in a 375 over for about 45-50 mins. Serve warm. Slight variation on the filling: olive oil + chopped garlic + red chilli flakes + dried oregano + chopped onion + chopped green onion + baby spinach + chopped parsley + salt + pepper. Let the spinach cook, and then let the mixture cool. Now press with hands to remove liquid, and chop it on the chopping bo

Methi-Makai Kabab

I think I read a similar recipe in NYTimes. Here's what I did. Grind corn (I used one big fresh one and a big handful of frozen one) into fairly fine paste. Heat oil, add some cumin seeds + a big pinch of Hing. Add the corn paste, ground ginger + green chilli paste, salt and keep stirring till a thick paste is formed. Add some sugar (this is optional). Add a handful of finely chopped fresh baby methi, a little chopped cilantro, and keep stirring some more till methi cooks (doesn't take too long). Add fresh bread crumbs (I used crumbs of one side bread slice). Stir a little more and then let it cool. Form into patties and fry with tiny bit of oil. Serve with chutneys.

The Chilli Paneer

This one was made from a combination of recipes...but I liked it better than any I've had so far...and people I served to seemed to like it too, so this one's a keeper..here goes: I used 2 packs of Maya brand paneer...let it thaw at room temp for 3-4 hours. Cut each block it into 6X6 = 36 pieces. Add 1 tsp of ginger paste + 1 tsp of garlic paste + 1 heaping tsp of fresh minced garlic + a big pinch of salt, rub into the paneer and let it marinate for about half an hour or so. In the mean time, Chop 2 medium onions into square chunks. Also chop 1 1/2 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper (I used several small yellow rainbow peppers) also into square chunks. I did not use any other kind of peppers. Take about 1/3 cup of corn starch and sprinkle over the paneer. Rub with hands (preferably, do not add water) so that the cornstarch coats the paneer. The moisture from the marinade should be enough to make a dry batter. Heat oil in a big wok and add the paneer pieces in a single

Greek Salad

L. ate this for dinner!!! If you have a salad hater husband, who likes all things tangy, and has had fried mac and cheese for an evening snack, you can consider making this one for dinner. Washed and dried lettuce leaves (I just used plain old romaine hearts) + a big handfull of cherry tomatoes sliced in half + 1/3 of seedless cucumbers (my new love) cut into half moon slices + a big handful of calamata olives, sliced in half + a big handful of crumbled feta (mine had some herbs in it) + greek creamy dressing. Toss and serve. Greek creamy dressing (proportions are approximate) : 1 Tbsp mayonnaise (this acts as an emulsifier) + 2 Tbsp low fat yoghurt (that's what I had around) + 1/4 cup red wine vinegar + 1 big pinch of dried oregano + salt + pepper. Whisk everything properly and start pouring extra virgin olive oil till the dressing thickens. Taste and adjust the taste. This dressing once and for all freed me up from worrying about what's in those "creamy" looking sto

Rasiya Muthia

The Kathiawadi in me is somehow wide awake this winter...and I crave a lot of that rustic style food - adad ni daal, Olo... I came across this recipe for Rasiya muthia and made it today. http://foodgardenandfun.blogspot.com/2009/09/rasiya-muthiya-rice-dumplings-in-gravy.html I pretty much followed the directions, and got good results, except I couldn't prevent the yoghurt from curdling slightly...and added some sugar to the recipe..but it was delicious..It's the gujarati, vegetarian version of Matzo Ball soup...super healthy and very very comforting... Here's my version for a quick reference : Mash leftover rice, salt, haldi, mirch and Besan into a dough. Do not use water (or use sparingly). Make small dumplings (I made tiny round ones). Heat some ghee, add musturd seeds, let crackle, add zeera, curry leaves and hing. Add the chaas with grated ginger, haldi, red chilli, chopped cilantro, salt and sugar. Let it come to a boil, add the muthia, cover and cook for 8-10 mins til

Oatmeal many ways

It started with the packet oatmeal.....then I figured, why not buy the big pack of instant oatmeal and make it from scratch...then I discovered rolled oats...and finally steel cut....I thought I would never go back to the instant stuff again, but today, I made the instant one with a twist, and it was fairly good too...I think all three forms have their own charm...here's how I make them all.. Instant: Heat 1 tsp ghee (you read that right). Add two handfuls of instant oatmeal, a few pieces of walnuts and toast for about 2-3 minutes, till fragrant. Add a cup of water, and a pinch of salt. let it boil. Add about a cup of milk, some brown sugar (maybe even cinnamon, I didn't use it though), and some regular sugar. let it cook for 3-4 mins, and serve warm. Rolled: for 1 part rolled oats, use around 4 parts water, add about 1 part brown sugar, a big pinch of salt, a dash of cinnamon, and bring to boil. cook for about 5 mins. Serve warm, with milk on the side. Steel cut: The previous

Forgotten Gem - Paneer Bhurji

This is such a classic, but somehow I never think of making it. Thankfully, I got L. to make Paneer while I was traveling, and we had to figure out a quick dinner after I got back, so this worked out perfect! Make paneer from about 1/2 gallon of milk, using a lime. L. managed to get a super smooth, creamy consistency...(note to self: ask him to make it next time). Heat about 2 tbsp of oil in a kadai. Add some cumin seeds, 1 smallish (by US standard) chopped, red onion, about 3-4 small cloves of garlic (use only 2 if normal big size), also chopped, about half an inch of fresh ginger, finely chopped, and saute everything till onion browns slightly on the edge (you want a little crunch in the end). Now, add a handful of finely chopped cilantro leaves, saute for a few seconds, add corriander powder (not a lot, maybe a tsp), 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp amchoor (if cooking for L.), and saute till the spices are fragrant (just a few more seconds), then add finely chopped tomatoes

Killer Quesadillas

I just came up with these...seriously good stuff..Note to self : make more often...also make when you entertain) Heat olive oil, saute 1 pack of sliced white mushrooms (yes, white, not cremini), on a high heat till slightly brown. lightly salt, remove and set aside. Heat more olive oil in the same pan, add thickly sliced green pepper, red pepper and white onion (first slice, then cut peppers into three, and onions into 2). Saute on high heat for a very brief amount of time and salt. Remove and set aside. Heat oil (again!) and add medium sliced half savoy cabbage. Saute on high heat very briefly, salt lightly and mix all the veggies back in. Remove on a plate and set aside. Believe it or not, but heat olive oil again, add 4 medium cloves (if big, add 3) of garlic, finely chopped. Add about a tablespoon of dried oregano, a big pinch of red chilli flakes, and saute briefly (don't let it burn, but the garlic can be slightly browned). Add a small can of plain tomato sauce, a small pinch

Fun and easy appetizers/small bites

Caramelized onion and goat cheese: Heat some olive oil + butter. Add two large thinly sliced onions, salt, a pinch of sugar and caramelize - about 25 mins. Add a pinch of dried thyme. Take the goat cheese out of the fridge to soften for half an hour. Thaw store bought puff pastry as per instructions on the pack. Dock with fork. Cut into small bit sized pieces. Bake as per instructions (usually at 450 for 15 mins). break the top with the back of a spoon to make space for filling. top with a small amount of goat cheese, followed by the onion topping. Serve. Polenta rounds: I used TJ's ready cooked polenta. Slice it thin and fry on both sides in some olive oil. Top with a combinations of chopped capers, green olives, sun dried tomatoes, feta, red chilli flakes, parsley and oregano. Serve. Pesto Flat bread: Take a big lavash bread. Spread two big spoonfull of pesto. Add some caramelized mushrooms sparsely, spread mozzarella (key is to not overdo any of the three things). Bake in a 400

Eggless Black Forest

This one is inspired by modifying a couple of recipes...it was a wonderful trip down the memory lane, thinking about Monginis Black Forest Cakes on New Year's Eve... The cake: 1 1/2 cup A.P. flour. + 1/2 cup coco powder (Hersheys pure) + 1 cup sugar + 1/4 tsp salt. Sift all these ingredients into a bowl. Add 3 tbs melted butter + 3 tbs vegetable oil + 1 tbsp sour cream + 2 tbsp yoghurt + 1 tsp vanilla + 3 tbsp hot water, and whisk well. Now add 1 tbs white vinegar, mix. Mix 1 1/2 tsp baking soda + 3 tbs warm water. Add to the batter, mix and divide into two prepared (buttered and floured) 9" pans. Bake at 350 for about 20 mins (till testers come out clean). Cool on a rack. Notes: The ingredient list is a little cumbersome, but they all kind of play an important role, especially since this is an eggless cake. The butter gives a good taste, but oil makes the cake more moist. sour cream (which is kinda optional) and yoghurt also helps make it moist, yoghurt also provides some pro