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Life happens! As with all of us, when things get busy and I don’t get enough time to spend in my kitchen to whip up ‘signature’-level concoctions, I tend to stay in my comfort zone and create a few dishes from home that I grew up eating and learnt to make from my mom. This is the food that made me into who I am and how I cook.
I believe we all are a product of the environment we were raised in – it shapes us in so many different ways anddefines our personalities. The food we eat growing up is an integral part of that environment and nourishes both, our body and our mind, molding us into who we are and how we fit into the world today. I have lived away from home for several years, gone through lifestyle changes, adapted to different cultures, acquired new tastes and even became a Mom along the way, but this is what I often crave and most naturally cook; this is me!
Join me in my comfort cooking zone and enjoy the simplicity of these elegant, home-style Indian dishes.
Read on … »
When it comes to soups, sky is the limit. Whether created using the season’s best ingredients or making the most of your pantry staples, soups can be an elegant first course or a hearty meal in itself. From delicate broths to thick stews, they can be luxurious, festive, nourishing and comforting.
The beauty of soups also lies in the fact that they are really easy to make and can be prepared in no time, especially after a full day at work. With vegetable or chicken stock as the base along with some vegetables and a fresh herbs from the refrigerator and few items from the pantry, these one pot concoctions are one of the most economical meals. You could always make more quantities and refrigerate the left over or freeze it for lunch or dinner for some other day.
I have a new found love for making soups these days and have been working on a few soup-making techniques over the past few weeks. I wasn’t much into making soups at home until recently, when I made this rich creamy soup for dinner on a cold winter night. That kicked off the “soup season” in my kitchen and these days, be it lunch or dinner, soups are totally on!
Join me in my kitchen as I celebrate the “simmering success” of a pot of soup!
In my post today, I am covering some popular soup recipes that are available in cans at the supermarket or are usually on the menu of cafés, restaurants or delis. I am putting my own spin on these classics – Chicken Noodle Pasta Soup, Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice and Beef Barley & Mushroom.
All these soups are quite similar in nature. Most of the recipes call for chicken stock along with a few vegetables, some chicken, whole grains or pasta and fresh herbs or condiments from your pantry. You can make vegetarian versions of all of these soups by replacing chicken stock with vegetarian stock and taking chicken out of the equation.
I start my soups by sautéing garlic in olive oil along with some onions and carrots to enhance the flavor of the stock and then add the rest of the ingredients to create a thick, rich stew like soup. I don’t particulary care for celery, so you will not find it in any of my recipes but feel free to add it if you like it. In the recipes below, I have replaced celery with sweet green peas that I always have handy in my freezer. Also, an essential ingredient in a soup is a well-flavored stock. Someday, I’ll try to make my own, but in the meantime my preference is Pacific Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth.
These soups are really very easy! Try it for yourself and you will never ever go back to the can or the packet. I wish I had tried my hand at it earlier.
Chicken Pasta Soup
I am not very fond of the old-fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup. I think it’s too bland and mushy and makes me feel all the more down, when I am already sick. I would rather have my comforting khichadi than a bowl of that soup! But my husband and daughter love it. So this one’s for them….
I have replaced the slimy egg noodles in the traditional recipe with some healthy whole grain pasta and squeezed in some lemon juice along with lemon slices to give it a refreshing taste. Lastly, I garnished it with some crispy mushrooms introducing a whole new dimension to the flavor of the soup. Now that’s gotto make anyone feel better!
Serves 2 meals or 4 first courses
1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced (optional for garnishing)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 bay leaves
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
½ cup whole grain pasta (rotini or penne)
4 cups (32 oz. /945 ml /1 qt box) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1-2 cups water (if necessary)
1 lemon, ½ juiced & ½ sliced
4-5 sprigs parsley, stems removed, leaves finely chopped
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium – high heat and fry the mushrooms till they get brown and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside on a paper towl to soak up excess oil.
In the same pot, sauté garlic and onions along with the bay leaves in the remaining oil (add more if needed) till they become transluscent, for 2-3 mins. Stir in the carrots, peas along with the chicken and season with salt, pepper and fresh chopped parsley.
Continue sautéing for 3-4 mins till chicken is cooked half way through and then add the lemon juice and slices. Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and continue boiling uncovered for 10-11 mins till the pasta cooks (See the packet of pasta for cooking duration).
Add water if necessary. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for another 10-15 mins.
Ladle the soup in a bowl, garnish with crispy mushrooms and serve hot with side of bread.
Chicken & Wild Rice
This soup is widely popular as the Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice or Minnesota Wild Rice soup and is usually a thick and creamy soup (Here’s an example by Sher). In my version, I have taken the cream out of the picture and made it into a rich and flavorful stew-like hearty soup. Rosemary is a strong herb and adding it to this soup gives it a wonderful aroma and enhances the taste.
Go ahead, take a sip!
Serves 2 meals or 4 first courses
½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
4 cups (32 oz./945 ml/1qt box) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups water
½ cup fast cooking wild rice
2 sprigs of rosemary
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium – high and sauté garlic and onions till they become transluscent, for 2-3 mins. Stir in the carrots, peas along with the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Continue sautéing for 3-4 mins till chicken is cooked half way through and pour in the stock and water. Throw in the rosemary sprigs and let them float in the liquid as it comes to a boil. Stir in the rice and cook uncovered until the rice is tender and the liquid is reduced to half, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Ladle the soup in a bowl and serve hot with side of bread.
Barley & Mushroom
Here’s a vegetarian version of another classic Beef Barley & Mushroom soup. I have modified the original soup by using vegetable broth instead of beef broth and striking beef off the ingredient list (since I don’t cook or eat it). Barley is a rich, nutty cereal grain with an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency and pairs perfectly well with the earthy mushrooms. Barley does take a while to cook, but once added to the simmering broth, there is not much effort needed. Serve with some whole grain bread, a robust red wine, or a salad and make yourself a deliciously healthy meal!
 Serves 2 meals or 4 first courses
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
4 cups (32 oz./945 ml/1qt box) vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken or mushroom stock
4 cups water
½ cup pearl barley
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium – high and sauté garlic and onions till they become transluscent, for 2-3 mins. Stir in the carrots, peas along with the mushrooms and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
Continue sautéing for 2-3 mins more and pour in the stock and water. Stir in the barley and cook uncovered until the barley is cooked and the liquid is reduced to half, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Ladle in a bowl and serve hot.
Crispy & spicy Fish Fries, hot & tangy Shrimp Curry and cool & refreshing Sol Kadhi are all synonymous with Malvani cuisine. Malvan is a quaint little town located on the southernmost tip of the Konkan coast in Maharashtra, surrounded by the Sahyadri mountain range on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. With its beautiful beaches, historic forts and delicious Malvani cuisine, this place is a very popular tourist attaction.
When I was a little girl, my parents took me to Malvan for a vacation. I have faint memories of the boat ride to the Sindhudurg fort, when I tasted the salty sea water for the very first time  , the time I spent on the beach collecting all kinds of sea shells from the sand and ran frantically at the sight of a crab  and had nothing but curds and rice for lunch and dinner all week long  .. Yes, this big seafood buff was once totally aversive to seafood! I hated the smell so much that I wouldn’t even go anywhere close to it. But somewhere along the way ( I don’t remember how) I grew on to it and now I love eating and cooking all kinds of fish and seafood. My all time favorite in this category is, without a doubt, the food of Malvan.
Here are some of my favorite Malvani recipes….
Fish Fries
(Malvani Style shallow- fried Fish Fries)
“Fish Fry” in any Indian lauguage means hot and spicy filet of fish with a crispy coating thats is formed by either deep or shallow frying. Malvani style fried fish is slightly different from the Bengali or South Indian style depending on the regional spices and other ingredients used for the coating the fish before frying it.
I always take the shallow-fry route to making fried fish. With my Maharashtrian roots, my recipe reflects the Malvani style. I created this basic recipe with a filet of farm rasied, fresh, never frozen Tilapia. It also works well with any firm, white-fleshed fish, as well as shrimp or scallops. I like to marinate the fish in fresh ginger-garlic-herb marinade and then dredge them in a spicy rice flour-semolina mixture before shallow frying. The resulting crust is always crispy, not too thick and refreshingly spicy.
Bite into one of these spicy & crispy fish fries and I guarantee you will come back for more!
Serves 4
4 filets of firm-fleshed fish like Tilapia, cut into 2-inch long pieces
(usually made with Pomfret or Bangda fish in India)
1 tbsp turmeric powder (use more than half for disinfecting and cleaning the fish filets)
oil, extra virgin olive oil or any other (for shallow frying)
The Marinade
2 -3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
½ inch peice ginger, coarsely chopped
1-2 small green chilies, coarsely chopped
1 cup packed (a generous handful) cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
lemon zest from 1 lemon (cut the lemon into wedges for garnish)
¼ cup extra virgin oilve oil
The Crispy Coating
1:1 cup of rice flour: sooji/rava (semolina)
½ tbsp turmeric
½ tbsp red chilli powder (or paprika for less heat)
1 tbsp garam masala or your favorite fish curry masala
Rub turmeric on to both the sides of the tilapia filets, wash, cut into chunks and keep aside.
In a food processor/grinder/blender combine all the ingredients for the marinade and grind it to a coarse-fine consistency paste. Pour it over the fish chunks making sure they are well coated and leave it in the refrigerator for about half an hour. (Marination process is not necessary but recomended)
In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the “crispy coating” in a medium sized plastic container with a tight lid (I use one of these). Snap the lid on and shake the container so that all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Preheat a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle a little amount of oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Remove the fish chunks from the refrigerator and dredge each piece in the mixture for “crispy coating” and drop them into the frying pan. Fry the chunks on each side till they turn golden brown, for about 5 -7 mins on medium high.
Add more oil, if necessary or if the fish chuks seem to soak up all the oil in the pan as they fry.
Serve warm with lemon wedges or with lemon juice drizzled on them while they are still hot, so that they absorb the most flavor.
…
Shrimp Curry
(Malvani Shrimp Curry)
There’s no better shrimp curry than “Malvani Shrimp Curry”. A little heat with all the spices, a little sweet with the coconut milk and a little tangy with the kokum - the flavors wonderfully balance in this beautiful brown rustic curry that’s perfect base for some succulent shrimp to float in.
Living in the US, I haven’t found this type of shrimp curry on the menu of any Indian restaurant here, so I devised my own way of making it just the way I remembered it to be served in the Malvani restaurants in Pune. I truly relish this particular curry every time I make it and it goes very well with chapatis or roti or even when served over a bed of steamed rice or pulav.
Try my Shrimp Curry and check off Malvani food on your to-cook list.
Serves 4
¾ lb shrimp (about 30 shrimp, size: 31-40 count), peeled and deveined
2-3 tbsp oil
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1-2 pinches of asofotida/hing
1 tsp garam masala
salt
1 cup (about ¾ of 7oz. can) lite coconut milk
3-4 petals or 1 tbsp liquid extract of kokum
cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing
Ground Masala
2-3 dried red chilies (or use 1 depending on desired level of heat), soaked in hot water
2-3 tbsp oil
2 medium or 1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 medium garlic cloves, smashed
1½ cup coconut, grated fresh or frozen thawed
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
2-3 peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
Start with the “Ground Masala“. In a pan or kadhai heat oil over medium-high flame and add the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds along with the onion, garlic and coconut. Fry till the mixture gets a light brown color. Cool down and transfer to a food processor/grinder/blender. Add the soaked red chillies and grind to a coarse-fine consistency paste.
In the same pan or kadhai, heat oil over medium high and add turmeric, cumin and asofotida. When the seeds start to splutter, add the “ground masala” and continue frying. Season with garam masala and salt. Stir in the coconut milk along with the kokum extract and simmer for 15-20 mins till oil seperates and the flavors blend in.
Finally add the shrimp and cook for 5-6 mins, till the shrimp turn pink and is perfectly cooked. (*If you don’t plan to serve this dish right away, don’t add the shrimp to the curry. When ready to serve, bring the curry upto a boil and add the shrimp while continuing to simmer for 5-6 mins)
Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander. Serve hot with chapati or tawa roti or over a bed of rice.
…
Sol Kadhi
(Cold Coconut Milk Soup)
Sol Kadhi is a cool refreshing soup from the Malvan/Konkan region that is now gaining popularity throughout India. Made with coconut milk as the base and spiked with kokum, herbs and spices, it is also referred to as an energizing drink and a great coolant, especially in the hot summer months.
Whenever I went to any Malvani restaurants in my hometown Pune - Mahesh Lunch Home or Nisarg, I would order more than a glass of sol kadhi to keep me going, before, during or even after the meal. It’s a perfect “pick me up” drink that sets you in the mood for some Malvani food and also works great during or after the meal to douse the flames if the hot & spicy food gets out of hand!
I am very passionate about my favorite drink; here’s how I make the kadhi for my “soul”….
Serves 4
1 can (about 1½ cups) lite coconut milk
water, equal to the quantity of coconut milk (I usually empty the coconut milk can and fill it with water to get the exact measurement)
1 medium garlic clove, smashed
½ inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped
3-4 cilantro sprigs (I use the leaves and stems)
1 small green chilli (optional)
a pinch of hing (asofotida)
salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp kokum extract (Refer to Concoctions 101 for making your own kokum extract)
Combine all the ingredients in the blender and mix thoroughly. Serve chilled in a glass as an appetizing drink or in a bowl as a cold refershing soup.
I miss those days when we went out on dates all the time 
Dinners at datesy restaurants, cocktail nights at upscale lounges, crazy clubbing and bar hopping, romantic weekend getaways; we did it all! We went out a lot before we had the baby. Life’s changed now and we spend a lot of time at home, with our little girl. Going out on dates is certainly a bit of a challenge now, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a date nights anymore. When the baby’s off to bed, it’s a date night at home!
Here’s a simple but stunning menu that sets the mood right!
A Wine Just-for-Two
Moscato D’Oro from the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley CA, is a fresh, floral and beautifully balanced white wine with a crisp, clean finish and a bit of spritz. Lightly sweet and refreshing as a tropical breeze, lush with honeysuckle aromas and sweet-citrusy flavors, this wine is great for sipping after dinner as a dessert wine or for casual drinking in any season.
With its seductive fruity-floral character and perfect serving for two, this wine is a perfect way to start or end your date night!
Go over to A Meal without Wine for more wine tasting notes.
Grilled Shrimp with Pasta in Alfredo Sauce
There’s something special about shrimp! My date night dinner was indeed a special one and there had to be shrimp on the menu.
I didn’t want to order take-out or spend too much time in the kitchen making dinner. So, to keep it quick and simple yet elegant, I decided to grill some garlic-herb marinated shrimp and serve them along side of pasta tossed in a quick alfredo sauce and crispy garlic toasts. The shrimp absorb all the flavors of the garlic and herbs and are wonderfully succulent when grilled to perfection. The crunchy garlic toasts and the creamy alfredo pasta add a neutral flavor and a different combination of textures. They are a great accompaniment, but certainly don’t steal the show away from the shrimp!
This main dish has three different components, but trust me – it’ll all come together in no time. Be sure to read and understand the steps below thoroughly, if you decide to give it a shot. If you gather the ingredients and stick to my method, you should be done with all the three components within 30 mins (40 tops!). This is kitchen multi-tasking at its best!
Serves 2
Garlic -Herb Shrimp
10-12 large shrimp (size: 31-40 count), peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsbp (about 1/2 spring) rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp (about 1 sprig) oregano leaves, finely chopped
½ lemon, zested and juiced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
wooden/bamboo skewers (optional for easy grilling)
Pasta
½ lb pasta (rotini, penne, bowtie, etc)
water
salt
Alfredo Sauce
1 cup light (or heavy) cream
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted light (or regular) butter, softened (I used Smart Balance)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Parmesan cheese)
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Garlic Toasts
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-6 (1-inch thick) slices French baguette
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
Combine the garlic and herbs along with the lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the olive oil. Mix well and let the shrimp marinate in this mixture for about a half hour till you prepare the toasts, pasta and alfredo sauce.
Preheat the oven to 400 deg F for making the garlic toasts.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Till the water comes to a boil, cut the baguette into 1 inch slices and peel garlic. Arrange the bread on an aluminium foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the bread slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set them aside.
Add a generous quantity of salt to the boling water and throw in the pasta. Cook until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally, about 10 mins.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Heat the cream over low-medium heat in a deep sauté pan. Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the saute pan, gently toss it to coat in the alfredo. Continue simmering on very low heat.
While the alfredo sauce thickens, preheat the grill pan to medium-high. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and skewer 5 per stick and place the shrimp on the grill pan. Grill on each side until they turn pink, about 4-5 mins, basting with the remaining marinade as they cook.
As soon as you place the shrimp on the grill pan, pop the baking sheet with the bread slices into the oven. You will then be free to turn the shrimp and gently toss the pasta again while the bread bakes for about 5-6 mins and becomes crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and immediately rub the garlic cloves over the hot toasts.
Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl. Top with more grated cheese and chopped parsley. Season with more freshly ground black pepper.
Plate the shrimp skewers, pasta and a couple of toasts together and serve warm.
Vanilla Custard with Raspberry Coulis
A date night dinner should end on a romantic note, right? Here’s a perfect dessert that marries the two individuals that were destined to be together- a creamy vanilla custard and ravishing red raspberries.
It’s a simple vanilla custard made by baking milk and eggs together, just like a traditional flan! I love the flan, but I wanted to get creative with the topping (or should I say “bottom”) and make something else instead of the usual caramel. Mmmm, how about a light raspberry sauce?!
Raspberries give this dessert a sexy twist! The deep red raspberry sauce forms a pool of “love” in which the custard sits and soaks. The soft ‘n’silky custard melts in your mouth followed by the raspberries that explode as you bite them leaving a sweet-tart lingering taste behind.
Try my lovely dessert and feel the “love” on your date night!
Makes about 4 ramekins
Vanilla Custard
¼ cup sugar (or more to suit your taste)
1 cup whole/reduced fat or low fat milk
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
Light Raspberry Sauce
a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tbsp water
½ tsp sugar (or more to suit your taste)
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
In the meantime, add the vanilla extract to the milk in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside.
While the milk cools, whisk together the eggs and the sugar in a bowl till the sugar seems to have dissolved completely. Then add about half of the hot milk into the egg-sugar mixture and continue to whisk. Finally whisk the remaining hot milk into the egg mixture.
Pour the milk-eggs-sugar mixture into ramekins and arrange in a hot water bath. Bake in the center of the oven until dry and set in the center, 60 to 65 minutes.
Remove from the water bath and let cool. Tightly cover each ramekin with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.
Just before serving make the raspberry sauce. In a small pan or saucepan, dissolve the sugar in water, then add raspberries. Simmer for about 3 min then stop the heat and let the raspberries cool down in the syrup.
Top it with the raspberries sauce and some fresh raspberries. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Every other Chrismas holiday, we go to India. This year we enjoyed Nia’s first Christmas here, in America.
This has been a snowy winter overall and there was a snow storm a couple of days before the holiday, making it a perfect white Christmas for us. And when Nia was done playing outside in the snow, she was more than happy to help daddy decorate the “Kissmas Tee“.
While they were busy having fun, I was planning the dinner menu. My idea of a holiday dinner was something special but at the same time something stress free; something that could be made ahead of time so that I get to relax and enjoy it but definitely something traditional and something memorable.
Here’s a recap of our holiday dinner…..
The Menu
Red Wine – Norton Reserva Malbec 2003
Norton Reserva Malbec 2003 is a smooth, medium-bodied red wine. Slightly fruity and earthy in nature, this rustic wine from Argentina is great for pairing with meat and stands up to the spicy Indian cuisine.
Herb Marinated Lamb Chops
I prepared the lamb chops using my own ‘signature‘ recipe presented earlier in one of my posts. They served to be an elegant first course and were a great accompaniment with the velvety, red Malbec.
Chicken Biryani
(Layered Basmati Rice dish with Chicken and Vegetables)
Biryani is a definite party pleaser! Biryani for Indians is like Lasagna for Italians and is usually on the menu for special occassions. This rich and elaborate preparation is made by layering partially cooked basmati rice and vegetables/lamb/chicken/fish in a sauce that is flavored with exotic spices and . The vessel is then covered and sealed on with dough and everything is cooked together on a low flame for a long time.
I love biryanis – veggie, chicken, mutton, shrimp, all of them! I have made several attempts in the past to make biryani the traditional way using dum cooking method (process of slowly cooking partially cooked food in a tightly sealed vessel for a long time) but have failed time and again Sometimes the rice and/or meat would be undercooked and then there were some other times when the bottom layer would stick to the bottom of the pot and get badly charred. That would permeate the whole dish with an unpleasing burnt -like taste and smell. Undeterred in my will, I have now figured it all out, by sheer trial and error. The skinny on this is, to fully cook all the different layers seperately (in a single pot!) and assemble them together (in the same pot).
So making my chicken biryani for the holiday dinner was a perfect idea. I took me a little over an hour in the morning of Christmas Eve and all I had to do was to pop it in the oven and finish off just before dinner. That way, by dinner time, the biryani had been sitting for a few hours and all the different flavors mixed and mingled well with each other.
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. Follow this easy recipe and see for yourself how to deconstruct and reconstruct the biryani into a one-pot delicious concoction!
Serves 4
1 lb chicken legs and thighs (this will be about 2 leg-thigh joint pieces that u will find in a packet at wholefoods)
The Marinade
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp Everest Chicken Masala (or garam masala)
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
salt
The Rice
3 cups of basmati rice, wash 2-3 times and soak for about 1/2 hour and drain the water
4.5 cups of water (proportion for this is 1:1.5 rice:water and not 1:2 as usual)
salt
1 tsp oil
1-2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1-2 green cardamoms (elaichi), whole
1-2 cinnamon sticks
The Garnish
1/2 cup oil (canola, corn or vegetable)
1 medium onion, sliced
handful of cashews and raisins
1/4 cup milk
1 pinch saffron strands
ghee (clarified butter)
handful cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 bolied eggs, halved (optional)
The Gravy
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup canned tomato sauce (= 1 small 8 oz. can of sauce…NOT PASTE)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tbsp garlic paste)
1 inch ginger, grated (or 1 tbsp ginger paste)
(*I prefer to use the readymade pastes for the marinade and fresh ginger/garlic for the gravy/curry)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin (jeera)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt
1 tbsp Everest Biryani Masala (or garam masala + 1-2 cloves, 1-2 cinnamon sticks,1-2 bayleaves, 4-5 peppercorns)
3-4 baby potatoes or 2 medium potatoes, quartered
handful fresh cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
Seperate the chicken legs and cut the thighs into smaller pieces. Make slits on them and mix them with all the ingredients for marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or atleast for 6-8 hours.
Warm milk and soak saffron in it. With a spoon, try to crush the saffron in the milk to give the milk a beautiful yellow color.
Combine all the ingredients for rice and cook the rice seperately in pressure cooker/stove top/microwave or rice cooker.
In the meantime heat the oil in a big non-stick pot (preferably with steel handles. Ultimately you have to put this pot inside the oven) and fry sliced onions for garnishing till brown. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Similarly, fry cashews till light brown and set aside. Lightly fry raisins in the same oil, for a min or so and set aside. Then fry raw potatoes till they get a light brown coating and set aside.
In the same hot oil, add onions, cumin, ginger and garlic and fry till onion is light brown. Add tomato sauce, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, chopped cilantro and biryani masala. Mix well and saute till oil seperates out of the gravy. Add 1/4 cup water and continue cooking till oil seperates again.
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Add the fried potatoes and chicken, along with all the marinade, mix well, cover and cook till chicken is almost cooked, but not completely. Stir occassionally. If there’s a lot of liquid in the gravy, cook on medium high till the gravy is reduced.
Layer the rice over the cooking chicken. Sprinkle saffron milk and some ghee over the rice. Top it with brown onions, cilantro, cashews and raisins.
Cover with aluminium foil and finish cooking in the oven for 25-30 mins.
*If you are preparing biryani ahead of time, complete this last step of cooking it in the oven just before serving.
Mix gently and serve hot with the side of cool raita.
Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Raita
(Yogurt-based Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad)
Raita was born to be had with biryani ! This combination, made with cucumber, tomatoes, onions in yogurt, has a super cooling effect after a bite of the hot and spicy biryani. All the veggies are diced and combined with beaten yogurt and tossed with green chillies and cilantro. It is then seasoned with salt and a pinch of sugar. The sugar masks any sourness in the yogurt and the green chillies add a little zing.
Creamy and crunchy, chicken biryani is best enjoyed with this refreshing raita!
Serves 4
1 large or 2 small (Kirby or pickling) cucumbers, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups beaten yogurt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped for garnishing
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Toss together diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and yogurt. Add green chillies and fresh cilantro, season with salt and sugar and serve chilled.
*Have some carrots in your refrigerator? Go ahead and add shredded carrots to the raita!
Cake Pudding
(Cake Pudding with Instant Coffee and Walnuts)
Desserts usually get sidelined when I am cooking an elaborate meal. This time, however, I decided to take on the home stretch – my very own cake pudding.
This is a no-stress, no-bake cake pudding that can be whipped up in a matter of few minutes! It is my mom’s ‘signature’ recipe. All she does is pours cold coffee (instant coffee in cold milk) over crumbled cake and garnishes it with walnuts and heavy cream. After sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, the cake soaks up all the coffee and turns into a soft, fluffy, creamy, bitter-sweet pudding. I have added my own twist to my mom’s original recipe by introducing chocolate and alcohol into the mix.
Simple and easy, this rustic pudding is my all time favorite homemade dessert!
Serves 4
The Cake
2 store-bought or home-made plain pound cakes (or any other sponge or vanilla flavored cake).
If you are in the mood of baking , make your favorite vanilla/sponge/pound cake or even a box of your favorite plain cake mix. Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes before proceeding.
Pudding Filling
3 cups cold milk (your choice of whole/reduced/low fat/fat free)
6 tbsp instant coffee powder, like Nescafe
½ cup dark rum (Bacardi/ Old Monk)
1-1½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy/light whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate like Ghirardelli Espresso Escape
Break the cakes into small pieces/crumbs by hand into a large bowl.
Add a little water to the instant coffee and mix it to form a thick paste. Add the paste to the cold milk along with the splash of dark rum and mix well making sure there are no coffee lumps in the milk. Pour the mixture over the cake crumbs into the large bowl. Add chopped walnuts and mix gently so that the cake is evenly moistened with the coffee-milk mixture and the walnuts are evenly spread throughout the mixture.
Lay the moist coffee-cake mixture into a deep glass dish or triffle glass bowl.
In another bowl, beat the cream with a hand mixer or electric whisk. When it starts to thicken, add the vanilla extract and sugar and continue to beat until firm, about 5 mins on high speed setting. Spread the whipped cream on top of the cake.
With a vegetable peeler, peel the chocolate bar to create chocolate shavings. Decorate the pudding with a generous layer of chocolate shavings on top.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
“It’s the end of Fall ” That’s what my darling hubby has been saying since the beginning of Fall! He gets very sad when it’s time to say goodbye to Summer. But I, on the other hand, just love Fall. I love the smell of the cool, crisp air and the changing color of the leaves; I love to wear my warm sweaters, flaunt my beautiful pashminas and take out the cozy blankets that have been packed away; I love the Indian and American festivals that season brings along with it and last but not the least, I love the seasons eatings – the apple ciders and the pumpkin spice!
This year, Diwali came and went just in time for Halloween and the festive treats went on all week long! Honestly, I am not much into Halloween’s trick-or-treats but I’m definitely into the lots and lot’sa bright, orange pumpkins that Halloween brings along with it! (Here’s an interesting article on Halloween & Pumpkins)
Here’s a couple of my pumpkin concoctions…..
Pumpkins are a popular vegetable in the US and you see them everywhere, especially in Fall, which is the biggest pumpkin harvest season. Pumpkins are used in sweet or savory dishes and around this time of the year, you will find millions of recipes featuring pumpkins on Foodnetwork and in a lot of restaurants as well. Pumpkins are one of my favorite vegetables (or fruit?!) and till I moved to the US, I knew only a few ways to fix them. So when they are in season, I make it a point bring them home and make a couple of my favorite recipes. One way I make pumpkins is Bhoplyachi Bhaji (Pumpkin Curry) and the other way is Bhoplyache Bharit (Pumpkin Raita or Salad).
Bhoplyachi Bhaji
(Pumpkin Curry)
This is a very simple and easy way to make pumpkins. It’s a one pot concoction – fill it, shut it, forget it (only for a little bit!). Cubed pumpkin is added to a spicy and sweet curried broth and simmered till it gets soft and mushy. The sweetness in the broth is due to jaggery or sugar and the spicy kick is due to the “Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala“. Crushed roasted peanuts gives this curry a little crunch and cilantro adds a fresh flavor and a beautiful contrast green color. Be it roti or steaming basmati rice, this hot’n'sweet curry is a great accompaniment!
Serves 2
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 pinches aesofoetida
3-4 cups (3-4 handfuls) pumpkin cubes, 1″x1″ (This will be about 1 lb of pumpkin. To cut the pumpkin, run the knife along the outer, hard skin. Cut only the orange part into cubes and discard the outer skin and the inner seeds)
salt, to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
1-2 tsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala (Some Indian stores in the US carry this masala. If you just can’t find it, you can use the regular Garam Masala)
1 tbsp jaggery powder or 1-2 cubes jaggery cubes(If you use Garam Masala, please use 1 tsp sugar instead)
2-3 tbsp roasted peanut powder (coarsely grounded) (See concoctions101)
1/4 cup, grated coconut, fresh or frozen thawed
1-1½ cup water
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Heat oil in a frying pan or kadhai with lid (use some kind vessel with a lid). Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of aesofoetida.
When the seeds splutter, add the pumpkin cubes and sauté for a min. Add the coconut, the peanut and jaggery powders and season with salt, goda/kala masala and red chilli powder. Add water, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins on medium low heat, stirring once in a while, till the pumpkin is well cooked.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.
Check out similar recipes of Pumpkin Curry on A Cook @ Heart, Evolving Tastes, Anna Parabrahma, OneHotStove & Mad Tea Party
Bhoplyache Bharit
(Pumpkin Raita/Salad)
Pumpkin is quite an unusual ingredient for making a raita, but I am sure every Maharashtrian has had this raita atleast once in their lifetime! Its quite a popular side dish on the Maharashtrian menu and it ranks high on the nutrition charts.
Soft, mushy cubes of pumpkin are added to the cool yogurt and then garnished with a hot tempered oil that is seasoned with cumin seeds and asofoetida. Adding a few pieces of chillies gives this raita a spicy kick and garnishing with cilantro gives it a fresh green flavor. Try this sweet and creamy raita, I am sure it will be your favorite pumpkin concoction as well!
Serves 2
2 cups (2 handfuls) pumpkin cubes, 1″x1″ (This will be about 1/2 lb of pumpkin. To cut the pumpkin, run the knife along the outer, hard skin. Cut only the orange part into cubes and discard the outer skin and the inner seeds)
water, for cooking
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1-2 pinches aesofoetida
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped
1 cup yogurt (any kind)
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Add the pumpkin cubes to a pot of boiling water and cook till they are soft and mushy. Alternatively, cook them in the pressure cooker.
Once cooled, drain the water from the cooked pumpkin and set aside. Cooked pumpkin refrigerates very well for 3-4 days.
Add yogurt, salt and sugar to the mixing bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a small frying pan or kadhai. Add cumin seeds along with a pinch of aesofoetida and pieces of green chillies. When the seeds and chillies splutter, turn the heat off and pour the hot tempered oil over the yogurt in the mixing bowl. Combine all the ingredients well and add the pumpkin cubes. Mix gently so that all the pumpkin gets evernly coated with the yogurt but its okay if a few of the pumpkins get mashed up; it adds to the thick, creamy texture of the raita.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve on the side of rotis with subzi or khichadi or pulav or even parathas.
Check out Vaishali’s website Happy Burp for her variation of this recipe and a cute pumpkin story that I had heard in my childhood!
We are big fans of the hot and spicy Thai food and its usually our first choice when it comes to the “take-out” dinner time. It happens about couple of times a month when a local Thai restaurant, Tuptim, comes to the rescue. In just a few minutes after that phone call, we have a piping hot Thai Red Curry or a spicy Thai Fried Rice on our dining table!
But is Thai food so quick and easy to make, in just a matter of minutes? Yes it is! With a few specific Thai ingredients in my pantry, minimal prep work and a few items from the refrigerator, I made at home few Thai dishes that looked and tasted just like our favorite restaurant food!
So next time you are in the mood for some Thai food, call me and order Thai take-out from my kitchen!
It was my first time making “real” Thai food at home. I have taken the semi-homemade route before, using some cans or jars, but the real fun lies in making it from scratch! As usual, I started with some research on Thai cuisine basics, special regional ingredients, preparation methods and so on. I found a great book “Complete Thai Cooking” by Hamlyn at our public library in Montclair NJ. This book truely is a bible of Thai cooking and it covers the cuisine basics and includes some authentic Thai recipes.
At the heart of Thai cooking lie the curry pastes red, green and yellow. I decided to try my hand at the red curry paste. Next stop was at a local Asian store, where I found all the special Thai ingredients viz. lemon grass, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, fish sauce and the shrimp paste. You could find some of these products at regular grocery stores or you could also substitute some usual ingredients that are quite similar to taste like lemon zest for lemon grass or ginger for galangal and lime zest for the kaffir lime leaves.
Thai Red Curry Paste
Here’s a basic recipe from the book. The book used measurements which were a little bit complex, but I have tried to simplify them. The recipe is red hot just like the name says! Keep a watch on your spice meter when preparing this paste; add less red chili if you prefer milder dishes. This curry paste can be used for making Thai curries, chicken, seafood or vegetarian curries but as you read, you will see how I used it to spice up my fried rice too!
Makes about 1/2 cup of paste
8-10 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water, drained and roughly chopped (I used the seeds but if you don’t prefer it to be too hot, remove the seeds while chopping)
3/4 lemongrass stalk (Please do not use more than this for the specified quantity of paste. Too much of lemon grass can easily spoil the texture of the curry as it doesn’t dissolve or soften on cooking). If you don’t have lemongrass, use the zest of 1 lemon
10-12 cilantro stems (without leaves. This is a great way to use the stems that usually end up in the trash)
1 shallot, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 galangal or 1 inch piece of ginger
2 tsp coriander-cumin powder (dhana-jeera powder) Alternatively, 1 tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp cumin powder. (All the recipes I found used cumin and coriander seeds, but from my personal experiences, these seeds cannot be easily ground to a fine powder and can spoil the taste of a dish. Hence, I used available powders)
6 black peppercorns, slightly crushed (If not crushed, they don’t grind well in the food processor)
2 tsp shrimp paste + some of its oil
water, as required to add moisture while making the paste
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and grind to a thick paste. Add water, as necessary.
Transfer the paste to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator till you are ready to use. It can be refrigerated for 3-4 weeks.
Gang Gai
(Chicken in Red Curry)
Gang Gai, our typical take-out order is sliced chicken breast cooked in red curry sauce, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, red peppers, string beans, some green peas and basil (Thai Holy basil). Its classic dish with no nonsense flavor of chicken emphasized by the robust and fragrant aroma of the Thai Red Curry Paste. The coconut milk, which is the base of this dish, helps soften the heat of the chillies and the rather neutral flavor of bamboo shoots acts as a foil to the spicy sauce. Adding the veggies, not only adds a contrast of color but also gives it a healthy twist.
In the book, I found some curry basics but no specific recipe for this favorite curry dish, so I came up with my own. Try my Gang Gai recipe, I promise its keeps up with the restaurant standards!
Serves 2
1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins (I found that these are better than using chicken breast for making Thai curries or fried rice or even Chinese stir-fries, as the meat is more tender and juicier). Alternatively, use chicken breast.
1-2 tbsp oil
5-6 Thai Holy Basil leaves (If you can’t find Thai Holy Basil, use regular European basil)
1/4 cup Thai Red Curry paste (homemade or store bought)
1/2 small onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
handful bunch (about 6-8) string/green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can (about 1½ cups) lite coconut milk
1/4 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
handful (about 1/2 cup) bamboo shoots (fresh or canned)
salt
1-2 large fresh red chillies, diagonally chopped
2-3 kaffir lime leaves, torn (1/4 tbsp lime zest)
1 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
cilantro or coriander, roughly chopped for garnishing
Cut the chicken tenderloins in to 1 inch bite site pieces and set aside. If using chicken breast, cut along the lateral side of breast pieces so that you get two thin breast pieces out of one and then chop them into 1 inch bite size pieces.
Heat oil over medium heat in a wok or a large skillet and stir fry the basil leaves along with the curry paste for about a min. Add onions, red pepper, string beans and fry for another min. Stir in the coconut milk with peas and bamboo shoots. Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 2 mins, stirring occassionaly.
Season with salt; add red chillies, kaffir lime leaves or lime zest and sugar. Mix well and add the fish sauce. Stir thoroughly to combine everything very well and cook till the coconut milk just starts to boil and the chicken is cooked well.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with steamed Jasmine rice.
Kow Pad Ped
(Spicy Fried Rice with Shrimp)
Thai Fried Rice dishes are usually quite mild but our local joint has a spicy version that’s pretty much on our order most of the time. I was very excited about trying this one at home. When I started my research on how to make Thai-style fried rice, I found that there is no hard and fast recipe – usually whatever is on your hand meat, poultry, seafood or bean curd (tofu) or simply veggies. That’s how I went about preparing it too. It had to look spicy red and had to be loaded with all the good stuff shrimp (I love those!) and veggies (I love those too!) and has to be nice ‘n’ spicy. I just went with the flow, my intuitions and transformed my vision in to a delicious reality.
Here it is, Kow Pad Ped, just the way they serve at the restaurant!
Serves 2
1 cup Jasmine rice, wash 2-3 times and soak for about 1/2 hour and drain the water
1¼ cup water
3-4 tbsp oil (use 1 tbs oil out of this while cooking rice)
5-6 Thai Holy Basil leaves (If you can’t find Thai Holy Basil, use regular European basil)
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 inch ginger piece, finely chopped
1-2 large fresh red chillies, diagonally chopped
1/4 cup Thai Red Curry paste (homemade or store bought)
2-3 kaffir lime leaves, torn (1/4 tbsp lime zest)
1/2 small onion, sliced
1/4 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 scallion (spring/green onion), cut up into small pieces
handful bunch (about 6-8) string/green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
4-5 broccoli florets
10 large shrimps, peeled and deveined
1-2 splashes of dark soy sauce
salt
pepper
1 tsp light brown sugar
cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Add water to the washed and drained rice with salt and 1 tbsp of oil and cook the rice seperately in pressure cooker/stove top/microwave or rice cooker.
Blanch broccoli and string beans in boiling water for 2 mins each and set aside.
Heat 2-3 tbsp oil over medium heat in a wok or a large skillet and stir fry the basil leaves, chillies, garlic and ginger along with the red curry paste for about a min. Add onions, red pepper, string beans, broccoli along with the shrimps and fry for 2-3 min. Splash the soy sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add rice and sprinkle the sugar on it. Mix well and stir-fry for about 2 more mins.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Everyday Maharashtrian food is simple, quick, healthy and very flavorful. Poli or chapati (wheat bread), bhaji (vegetable), koshimbir (salad), bhaat (rice) and amti or varan (legumes/lentil stews) is pretty much on the daily menu in every home. Primarily vegetarian, with lots of fresh ingredients, minimum usage of oil, mild or sometimes no spices added and with very few seasonings, Maharashtrian food is high in nutrition value and brings out the true flavors of the of the ingredients used.
But this everyday food doesn’t always have to be humble and modest, right? So I thought of dressing this ordinary food up a little and giving it a new look and feel! I preserved the same high nutrition value and retained the true flavors of the food using some new techniques and making some cosmetic changes.
Take a sneak peek inside my makeover studio! Read on…..
Gajar-Kakdi Koshimbir
(Carrot-Cucumber Salad/Raita)
Growing up, we have always had kakdichi koshimbir (cucumber salad/raita) in some form or the other at least once a week. My mom made it several different ways: with yogurt or with lemon juice, may be with some peanut powder or sometimes with some other veggie like carrot, tomato, onion, etc. My favorite used to be the citrusy and crunchy one with lemon juice and peanut powder. This was the first candidate for my “Extreme Makeover” challenge!
The usual way of making this refreshing koshimbir is to dice or shredded the cucumbers and the carrots but I shaved the two into thin long strips and they got a glamorous new look! The light green cucumber and the deep orange carrot ribbons beautifully compliment each other in color, texture and flavor. The lemon juice adds a citrusy zing, the peanut powder gives it a little crunch and thinly sliced green chillies make it a hot and yummy 
Without further ado, presenting the all-new Gajar-Kakdi Koshimbir……
Serves 2
 2 pickling cucumbers
(I wouldn’t recommend the large slicing cucumbers for this salad)
2 carrots
1 small green chilli, micro sliced
3-4 cilantro sprigs, leaves finely chopped
2 tbsp, roasted peanut powder
salt
1 pinch sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
Peel the cucumber skin and then continue peeling it on all sides till you reach the seeded part. Discard the seeded part or snack on it with a little salt and pepper. Similarly, peel the carrot skin and continute peeling it into thin shavings till you reach the core part and cannot feel further. (Peeler with a lateral blade might be easier than the one with a longitudinal blade)
In a bowl, combine the cucumber and carrot shavings with the green chilli slices, cilantro, peanut powder, salt, sugar and drizzle the lemon juice on it. Mix well and serve refreshingly chilled.
Flower-Batata Bhaji
(Cauliflower & Potato Roast / Subzi)
This was another regular on our table back home that was a winner especially amongst us kids. Cauliflower and potato are a classic combination for making a stir-fry kinda bhaji or subzi. When preparing this concoction stove top in a frying pan or kadhai with bare minimum spices and seasoning, the potato finishes cooking a bit faster than the cauliflower. So while the potato gets a little mushy, the cauliflower is just al dente. This makes it a great stir fried accompaniment for the poli or chapati.
How did I give this unpretentious and delicious recipe a brand new makeover? Instead of stir frying the two vegetables, I roasted them. I tossed the two with raw tadka (made without heating the oil) and then left them alone in the hot oven for sometime. Roasting the cauliflower at high temperatures makes it sweeter and even more crunchier and roasting the potatoes at high heat makes them crisp on outside and tender on the inside. The golden brown color on the surface of the vegetables due to roasting jazzed up the overall look.
With its appealing new look and an appetizing new flavor, this madeover bhaji is a winner of all time!
Serves 2
1/2 large cauliflower, broken into medium sized florets (about 3 cups)
3 small red potatoes, cut up into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp oil (EVOO, canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 – 1 tsp red chilli powder (for desired level of heat and spice)
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped
Preheat oven to 425 deg F (220 deg C).
Whisk together the oil, turmeric, cumin seeds, red chilli powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add the cauliflower florets and the potato cubes and toss well so that they are evenly coated with the oil mixture.
Place the tossed vegetables in a aluminium foil lined baking dish (makes it easy to clean!) and roast in the pre-heated oven until lightly golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Varan
(Split Pigeon Peas /Toor Daal)
Varan Bhaat is particularly very near and dear to a Maharashtrian. So is it for me!
Varan is Toor Daal in it’s simplest form. (Read PuSiVa‘s post on it). Typically, varan is made by pressure cooking toor daal with a pinch of turmeric and hing(asafoetida). When cooked, the daal mashed up and mixed well to a pulp-like consistency, seasoned with salt and a tiny bit of sugar or even jaggery (that’s typical Maharashtrian cooking!) and is simmered over the stove. When ready it is ladled over steaming grainy rice, topped with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter) and sprinkled with some lemon juice.
Some other ways I love to have varan is by putting ghee and dipping bites of poli in it or simply slurping it up as a soup. However I have it, this simple concoction tastes like home to me, anytime! (Here’s how Nupur has her “Waran Bhaat“ )
For the makeover challenge, I put an exciting spin on the classic recipe. I cooked the toor daal as usual and then in the simmering stage, I poured over a little hot chilli – garlic infused oil (i.e. tadka with chilli and garlic). The hot green chillies added a bright color along with a spicy kick and the garlic gave it a wonderful aroma.
With a makeover, the varan got a fabulous new look, but it is still the same old comforting food, at heart!
Serves 2
1/2 cup toor daal
1½ cups water (See ratios and proportions)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 pinch asofoetida (hing)
1 tsp sugar/jaggery
1-2 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1-2 small green chillies
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped
Wash and drain the toor daal in a stainless steel pressure cooker vessel. Add the water, turmeric, asofoetida, salt and place it inside the pressure cooker. Cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3-4 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 – 15 mins. Toor daal needs more cooking time as its a little tougher as compared to other daals.
When the cooker cools down, remove the vessel and mash the cooked daal using the back of the ladle or a whisk to a pulp-like consistency. Transfer it to a medium sized pot, add some water if needed and season it with salt and sugar or jaggery. Simmer for 10 – 15 mins.
While the daal is simmering, heat the oil/ghee in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds along with the green chillies and smashed garlic cloves. When the seeds splutter and the chillies and garlic are slightly fried (just about a min or so), remove from heat and pour over the simmering daal. Stir and continue to simmer.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Whenever I say, “I’m from India”, most of the time, people here in the US say, “Oh, I love Indian curries!” or some say “I can’t do curries” or like that woman sitting next to me on a flight to SFO asked, “So tell me a recipe to make an authentic Indian curry!”
All over the world, the word “curry” is exclusively assosiated with Indian food. My idea of a curry is a concoction made with veggie or non-veggie stuff and is either mildly or heavily spiced with some kinda thick or thin, sauce or gravy as a base. Sometimes I use onions and tomatoes or sometimes I use coconut or coconut milk to make the gravy and then other times, I add some dairy item like yogurt, cream or even milk to make the curry.
So c’mon over and join me in my kitchen as I whip up some curried concoctions
Murgh Masala
(Chicken Curry)
Perfect when served with rice or roti, this traditional chicken curry is the first non-veggie dish I learnt to make, more than 15 years ago. Of course, over time, I have modified and improvised it a lot, but the basic recipe still calls for an onion-tomato curry spiced with the basic masala. Its a very easy recipe for someone who doesn’t have the time to or doesn’t prefer to grind a fresh masala. However, I do recommend marinating the chicken for atleast an hour before cooking; it helps to maintain the moisture in the chicken and does not make it dry or chewy. In addition, I also prefer to use the chicken thigh pieces with bone-in, because the thigh meat does not dry out as the breast meat and when you use thighs with the bones, the bones add to the flavor of the chicken as it cooks, as well as to the fun of eating the it “right off the bone”.
With a great spicy flavor and a beautiful brown color, this classic chicken curry is an all time favorite!
Serves 4
1 lb chicken thighs, skinless, bone-in (but if you prefer, you can use boneless instead)
2-3 tbsp canola/vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
3/4 cup canned tomato sauce or homemade purée of 1 large tomato
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp red chilli powder (optional, for desired level of heat)
1 tsp chicken masala (I always use Everest Chicken Masala) or garam masala (if you don’t have chicken masala)
salt
For the marinade:
1 cup yogurt (whole / low fat)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (for homemade paste, mince 1 garlic clove and 1 inch piece of ginger)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp red chilli powder (optional, for desired level of heat)
1 tsp chicken masala or garam masala
salt
cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Clean the chicken and cut into 2-inch pieces. In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the marinade along with the chicken pieces, mix well and cover it with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for atleast 1 hour.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium flame and throw in the cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the onions along with the garlic and ginger. Sauté till the onion turns light brown in color. Add the tomato sauce, turmeric, red chilli powder, chicken or garam masala and continue frying till oil seperates out. Add a little water, about 1/4 cup and continue frying over medium heat till oil seperates out again.
Now add the chicken along with the marinade to the onion-tomato masala int he pot and mix well. Rinse the bowl in which the chicken was marinated with minimum quantity of water (not more than 1 cup) and reserve the water. (This adds to the overall flavor of the curry and you also do not waste any of the good marinade)
Add the reserved water to the chicken, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins till the chicken is cooked and the yogurt blends well with the onion-tomato masala.
Garnish with cilantro/coriander and serve hot with rice or rotis.
Fish Hirva Masala
(Fish in fresh Green Curry)
A refreshing combination of cilantro (coriander), green chillies and grated coconut, the hirva masala is a versatile base in Maharashtrian and its regional- Konkani or Malvani seafood curries. My mom makes a delicious masoor daal amti (lentil stew) using the hirva masala and a hint of kokum (a deep purple berry-like fruit with a sour and pleasing flavor from the western coast of India. Click here for an elaborate explanation), which was an inspiration for me to create this recipe of fish curry.
In this recipe, I sauté onions in hirva masala along with some basic spices and a couple of kokum petals or a few dashes of kokum extract. Sometimes, I like to stir in a little amount of lite coconut milk, to make it extra rich and creamy, but you can absolutely do without it and this dish tastes just as good! In the end, when all the ingredients are well cooked, Tilapia fish cubes are added and simmered till they cook. Ready in minutes, my fish curry will take you right on the beautiful Konkan coast of Maharashtra!
Serves 2
4 filets of firm-fleshed fish like Tilapia, Halibut, Swordfish, Sea Bass, Cod, etc. cut into 1-inch chunks
(usually made with Surmai fish in India)
2 small or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp turmeric powder (use more than half for disinfecting the fish filets)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds/mori/rai
salt
dried red chilies (optional), for desired level of heat
1½ tsp garam masala / or you favorite fish curry masala
3-4 petals or 1 tbsp liquid extract of kokum
½ cup lite coconut milk (optional)
cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing
For Hirva Masala:
1 cup grated coconut (thawed if using frozen)
2 big or 4 small garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 inch peice ginger, coarsely chopped
1-2 small green chilies, coarsely chopped
1 cup cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
Rub turmeric on to both the sides of the tilapia filets, wash and keep aside.
In a food processor/grinder/blender combine all the ingredients for “hirva masala” and grind it to a coarse-fine consistency paste.
In a pan or kadhai heat oil and add turmeric powder, cumin and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to splutter, add finely chopped onion and fry till translucent and light brown in color. Add the “hirva masala”, garam masala, salt and fry for 8-10 minutes, till oil seperates from the masala. In the meantime, cut the fish filets into 1 inch cubes.
*This is the deciding point where you could choose to add coconut milk or not. If you don’t add, your dish is going to look like this.
If you decide to use the coconut milk, stir it in at this point. Then, add the fish cubes and kokum and cook covered for only 4-5 minutes on medium high till the fish absorbs all the flavors and cooks in the curry. Do not overcook the fish otherwise it will lose its flavor. Also, gently stir or shake or swirl the pan to mix everything otherwise the delicate fish flesh might fall apart.
Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander. Serve hot with chapati or tawa roti.
Methi Mutter Malai
(Fenugreek Leaves and Green Peas in Mild Creamy Curry)
I have fond memories of Methi Mutter Malai from a really nice restaurant in Pune, India. I had it for the first time at Portico restaurant, where I was celebrating one of my birthdays with the family and we all just loved the unique flavor of this wonderful dish. Since I started cooking experiements in my own kitchen, I tried my hand at making Methi Mutter Malai at home, as this amazing item is not available on any of the desi restaurant menus here! Fresh methi or fenugreek leaves are available at the Indian stores here in NJ, but if you can’t find them, most Indian stores will carry the frozen packets as well.
 Fresh Methi leaves at Bhavani Cash & Carry, Iselin NJ I am not sure of its true roots, but this rich dish definitely seems to be a part of the “Mughlai” cuisine family. Green peas and methi leaves are simmered in a luscious creamy sauce made with of cashewnuts, yogurt and cream. The mild spices, the creamy curry and the green peas add a delicate, sweet flavor which takes away the bitterness from methi.
This royal veggie curry is a great way to make that “emperor” in my house get his daily dose of veggies ;)
Serves 2
2 cups (approx 1/2 bunch) methi (fenugreek) leaves
1/2 cup green peas (thawed if using frozen)
2-3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin/jeera
Salt
1&1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup milk (whole/lowfat)
2 tbsp malai (Heavy Cream/Half ‘n’ Half)
For White Masala
2 small or 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cashewnuts (broken pieces or coarsely chopped)
1/4 cup yogurt (whole/lowfat)
3/4 inch peice of ginger, coarsely chopped
1-2 small green chilies, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp malai (Heavy Cream/Half ‘n’ Half)
Rinse methi leaves, chop and set aside.
In a food processor/grinder/blender combine all the ingredients for “white masala” and grind it to a smooth/fine consistency paste.
In a pot/kadhai heat oil and add cumin and when the seeds start to splutter, add the white masala. Turn the heat down and stir to mix the white masala with the oil. If heat is not turned down, the whole kitchen will be splattered with the white masala!
When the masala is mixed with the oil thoroughly, cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Simmer for a minute, uncover lid, stir, add 1/2 cup of water* (Use the water that will be available by rinsing the blender after grinding the masala. This adds to the overall flavor of the curry and gives you the 100% use of the ground masala!) and cook again covered for 3-4 minutes or till the water is absorbed into the masala.
Repeat the above step once more.** (The mixture of raw onion and yogurt has to be thoroughly cooked, otherwise it will make the curry bitter!)
Add garam masala, salt, sugar, peas and methi leaves and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes and add milk and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occassionally.
Garnish with heavy cream/half ‘n’ half. Serve hot with roti/naan/rice.
No matter how busy I get, I really like to cook something every night during the week. I try to make it fast and easy, but at the same time nutritious, full of flavor and pleasing to the eyes. Today I am posting recipes for some jhatpat subzis that you could easily make in minutes. Serve them with rotis, raita salads or rice and you will have a hearty weeknight dinner. In these recipes, I have used very simple ingredients to create unique flavors that will satisfy your growling stomach in no time!
Chilli Pepper Cauliflower
Inspired by the desi-chinese flavors of chilli pepper chicken/shrimp, I came up with this recipe for a cauliflower subzi. Tiny cauliflower florets are sautéed with red chilli flakes and ground black pepper with a hint of freshly grated ginger. The heat from the chilli flakes and the black pepper powder and the freshness from the earthy ginger will tickle your taste buds!
Serves 2
1 cauliflower, cut up into tiny florets.
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 inch length piece of ginger, skin scraped and minced
2-3 tbsp oil, canola/ vegetable/ sunflower
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
salt, to taste
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Soak the cauliflower florets in water (to remove any dirt or worms). It is important that you make very tiny florets so that they absorb all the flavor of the basic ingredients, chilli, black pepper and ginger.
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the pinch of asofotida. When the seeds splutter, add the cauliflower florets. Stir fry for a couple of minutes.
Add the red chilli flakes, black pepper powder, minced ginger, salt and mix well. Cook uncovered on medium-high for 10 mins stirring occassionally. The cauliflower should be al dente, cooked but it should still have a crunch to it.
Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rotis
Another way to enjoy this yummy concoction is to use it as a stuffing for parathas.
Bhindi Elaichi Masala
(Cardamom Spiced Okra)
This is one of the recipes handed down to me by my mom. To please my sister, who would eat bhindi or bhendi (orka) anytime, she came up with several recipes: simple stir fried with no spices, with tangy yogurt curry, cut into thin strips and made crispy with spicy garam masala or paired with other vegetables. One of my favorites was when mom made it this way….thin strips of okra, potatoes, tomatoes and onions are stir fried in the usual tadka (oil, mustard, jeera, asofotida and turmeric powder) and then spiced with elaichi (green cardamom).
Elaichi is a wonderful spice. It adds great scent and flavor to any recipe. A lot of Indian cooking calls for adding the whole cardamom pods to a vareity of dishes, especially rice dishes like pulavs and biryanis and some desserts too. In this recipe, a little amount of crushed elaichi seeds are added in the end and it just gives this everyday subzi a brand new makeover!
Serves 4
1/2 lb orka (bhindi/bhendi), cut into thin strips (see picture)
  
1 medium red or yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1-2 medium red or white potatoes, cut into french fries-like strips
1 medium tomato, cut into thin strips
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
salt, to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
1 pinch sugar (for that Maharashtrian touch)
4-5 green cardamom seeds (elaichi), crushed
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of asofotida. When the seeds splutter, add the vegetables. Stir fry for a few of minutes. Season with salt and red chilli powder and add a pinch of sugar. Traditional Maharashtrian cooking calls for a little sugar in all savory recipes to bring out the flavors.
Cook covered for 10-15 mins on medium low heat, stirring occassionally, till all the vegetables are well cooked. Add crushed elaichi and mix well. Let it simmer for 5 more mins on low heat.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rotis.
Kobi Kaanda
(Cabbage Onion Stir Fry)
This is a typical Maharashtrian quick stir fry of shredded cabbage (kobi/gobi) and thin long slices of onion (kaanda/pyaz). With a just little seasoning of salt and red chilli powder and no other spices added, this recipe brings out the natural flavors of the vegetables. The onion when stir fried becomes soft and silky and releases its natural sugars which perfectly complements the firm and crunchy cabbage, which does not have its own flavor but takes it up from the spices or other vegetables used with it. Try it and I guarantee you will love it!
Serves 2
1/2 large cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
salt, to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of asofotida. When the seeds splutter, add the onion and sauté for a few of minutes till translucent. Add the cabbage and season with salt and red chilli powder. Cook covered for 10-15 mins on medium low heat, stirring occassionally, till the cabbage is almost cooked, but still has a little crunch to it.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rotis.
Some other variations of this recipe are just cabbage or cabbage paired with potatoes or green peas.
Sundays are kinda relaxed in my house. Its family time with a peaceful mornings watching cartoons with our little one, followed by a nice brunch, may be a trip to the supermarket or the mall, some errands here and there, a few chores in between and then its time for the Sunday dinner. With dishes like Herb Marinated Lamb Chops, Chicken Pulav with Creamy Carrot Raita and Berries with Choco-Rum Sauce on the menu, we make Sunday a “fun day” indeed!
Herb Marinated Lamb Chops
Lamb chops are my new found love! A few weeks ago, I tried lamb chops for the very first time at Casa Mono, a Spanish Tapas by Mario Batali in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of NYC. The lamb chops were grilled to perfection and when I took the first bite, it just melted in my mouth. This unforgettable experience was an inspiration to this recipe.
I marinate the lamb chops in a citrusy cilantro-mint marinade and sear them in a pan on high heat to lock in the juices and to form a dark brown crust. Then I finish them off by roasting them in the oven for a few minutes along with the remaining marinade. The roasting process cooks the meat and slightly warms up the marinade, which forms a complementary sauce for the chops. The sauce maintains its nice green color and its fresh flavor as it does not get a chance to fully cook and enhances the flavor of the juicy tender lollipops of meat.
Posing like ballet dancers in a beautiful formation, these chops are a little bites of heaven!
Serves 1-2
3 lamb chops (I picked up the pre-packaged New Zealand Lamb Chops at Wholefoods)
For the marinade:
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (pudina), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
salt
fresh ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Generously season the lamb chops with salt and fresh ground pepper and keep aside.
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the marinade and mix well pulse it several times. Pour all of the marinade over lamb chops and massage them a little making sure each chop is well coated with the marinade. Cover with a plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
Heat a flat pan or an iron skillet on medium high heat. When the pan is sufficiently hot, shake and remove excess marinade and sear the chops on the pan for about 4 mins on each side, till a dark brown crust is formed. Place them on a baking sheet, pour the remaining marinade over the chops and finish cooking them in the oven for about 5 mins or until they are done to the desired level.
Serve hot.
Chicken Pulav (Pulao/Pilaf)
(Rice with Chicken)
Pulav or Pilaf is a North Indian delicacy and is one of the most popular rice dishes made for everyday meals or for special occassions like parties or even banquets. Indians routinely make this dish with different vegetables like potatoes, peas, green beans or with chicken, mutton (lamb or goat) or even prawns (shrimps). As tasty as Biryani, which is layered rice and meat or vegetable dish, the Pulav, which is simply a seasoned rice dish, is much easier and quicker to make.
In my recipe, I start off by carmelizing onions along with some whole spices and herbs and then sauté the chicken and rice together with the onions to give the characteristic light brown color to this Pulav. I also use chicken stock instead of water which adds incredible flavor to this dish. Simmering on the hot stove, this one pot concoction slowly releases its wonderful aroma in the kitchen that soon permeates throughout the whole house!
Serves 4
2 cups basmati rice, soaked in water for about 1/2 hour (*1 cup of raw rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice)
1/2 lb chicken thighs, skinless, boneless or bone in, cut into small pieces
2 medium red (or yellow) onions, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
3-4 tbsp tbsp good oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp coriander seeds (dhana/dhania)
4-5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin
2 cinnamon sticks, about 1 inch each
4-5 cloves
4-5 whole black pepper corn
2 bay leaves
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (pudina), finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped and some additional for garnishing
3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
4 cups, purchased chicken stock (you can also use water)
In a thick bottomed large pot with a lid over medium high heat, heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add onion, ginger and garlic along with codiander seeds, green cardamom, cinnamin, cloves, pepper corns and bay leaves. Sauté for about 5 mins till the onions are translucent and light brown in color. Add the garam masala along with the chicken, fresh mint, cilantro and green chillies. Season with salt and cook covered for about 5 more mins stirring occassionally.
Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the above mixture. Mix well and stir fry uncovered for a few more minutes. Add the chicken stock or water and simmer covered until all the liquid is absorbed and the chicken and rice are completely cooked. Stir occassionally to make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot too much.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with cool Creamy Carrot Raita
Creamy Carrot Raita
(Carrot – Yogurt Salad)
Raita is a great accompaniment to any hot and spicy Indian dish. Made with or without yogurt (a lot of typical Maharashtrian raitas or koshimbirs are made without yogurt) they have a super cooling and refreshing effect on the palate.
In my version, shredded carrot and beaten yogurt are tossed with green chillies and cilantro and seasoned with salt and a little bit of sugar. The sugar brings out the sweetness of the carrots and masks any sourness in the yogurt. Simple and healthy, my creamy carrot raita pairs perfectly with the piping hot chicken pulav.
Serves 4
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups beaten yogurt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped for garnishing
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Toss together shredded carrots and yogurt. Add green chillies and fresh cilantro, season with salt and sugar and serve chilled.
Berries with Choco-Rum Sauce
I love berries, all kinds, blue, black, red (raspberries) and pink (strawberries). In summer when the stores have great deals on all types of berries, I go on a shopping spree. You will definitely find some or all of the berries in my refrigerator anytime during the summer months. Usually, I simply have them plain as a snack or serving of fruit after dinner, but sometimes I like to jazz them up.
Ice cold berries are generously drizzled with hot white chocolate-rum sauce. The white color of the chocolate sauce adds a wonderful silky backdrop to the colorful berries and the rum spikes it up. It’s a great way to enjoy the explosion of berries throughout the summer!
Serves 2
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup strawberries
For the sauce:
1/2 cup white chocolate chunks or chips (If you have chocolate bar, just chop it coarsely)
2 tbsp heavy/light cream
1 tbsp white rum
3 dashes pure vanilla extract
Pop the berries in the freezer while you prepare the hot chocolate sauce, to get the ice cold effect for the dessert.
Place a heat proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water below.
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in this bowl and heat just until the chocolate melts, stirring continously, for about 5 – 7 mins.
Remove the berries from the freezer and serve with the hot chocolate -rum sauce drizzled on top.
After a long, hard day or on a cold winter night (and those times when I am stuffy and sniffy), all I crave for is some warm, comforting khichadi. I have fond memories from my childhood, when mom used to cook this simple and easy one pot concoction of rice & moong daal. Traditionally it is paired with kadhi (warm, spicy buttermilk) but I usually take the shortcut and have it with cool mattha (Maharashtrian version of salty lassi or spiced up buttermilk). The hot and spicy roasted chilli-garlic thecha (Maharashtrian version of chilli garlic chutney) on the side definitely kicks it up a notch!
This, for me, is the most comforting, comfort food.
Garlicky Khichadi
(Rice and Lentil with Garlic)
Khichadi is a popular dish throughout India. Some like it mild, some like it spicy; sometimes its soft & mushy and other times its perfectly cooked, fluffy & distinctly grainy (this is how I like it). Nutritious and easy on the stomach, it is a staple meal for a lot of Indians. I add my personal touch and turn this simple concoction into a very elegant one by using fresh garlic.
The general rule of thumb is 2:1 proportions of rice:daal. I use 1:1 to take some of the weight off the starchy rice carbs and add more of the healthy daal protein.
Serves 2
1 cup basmati or any white rice like jasmine, sona masoori, surti kolam (or up health factor by using brown basmati rice!)
1 cup split moong daal with skin (any other variety works well too)
1-2 tbsp good oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 pinch asofotida
1-2 dry red chillies
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp, garam masala
salt, to taste
3&1/2 cups water
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped for garnishing
Wash and drain the rice and daal together and keep aside.
In a pressure cooker/pan or a medium pot with lid, heat the oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the pinch of asofotida, dry red chillies and chopped garlic. When the seeds splutter and the garlic is slightly browned, add the the rice and daal. Then add garam masala and salt and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
Add water, cover with the lid and cook for 15-20 mins until the rice and daal mixture has absorbed all the moisture and is dry and fluffy. Alternately, if using a pressure cooker/pan, cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 mins.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Mattha
(Spiced Buttermilk)
Mattha or spiced buttermilk is a cool and savory drink. Growing up, I remember my mom churning the butter every week and we would get to enjoy the fresh home made buttermilk. With a little hint of spices and fresh herbs, this refreshing drink is very healthy and aids in digestion. As you can imagine, it has a very soothing and relaxing effect. Sit back, relax and enjoy every sip of this cool concoction!
For the mattha, you could either use the ready buttermilk available in the grocery stores or mix water and yogurt, 1:1 proportion and then add the spices and herbs.
Serves 2
2 cups buttermilk or 1 cup yogurt (whole, reduced, low or non fat) mixed with 1 cup of water (if using low or non fat, increase the qty. of yogurt and decrease qty. of water to suit your taste)
1/2 cm piece of ginger, minced
1 small green chilli (optional)
2-3 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
1-2 pinches cumin (jeera) powder
1-2 pinches coriander (dhania) powder
And my secret ingredient,
black salt, to taste
Alternatively, you can use
1/2 tsp MDH Chunky Chaat Masala instead of cumin, coriander and black salt.
Add all the ingredients to the yogurt-water mixture or the ready buttermilk and stir well.
Serve chilled.
Thecha
(Ground Roasted Chilli-Garlic)
The heat from red chilli and the spice from garam masala in the khichadi are not quite enough for me. I need to spice it up more, with the thecha. Green chillies and garlic are roasted and ground together to form a coarse paste. The smoky flavor from the roasting adds to the heat of the chillies and the aroma of the garlic. Cool it down with a little bit of yogurt and you won’t be able to resist this fiery-icy concoction.
 
Now, traditionally, the chillies and garlic are roasted on a flat pan with some oil. I have taken the oil out of the equation. And also I don’t want to use too many utensils (who’s gonna wash them??) Your kitchen tongs can do the job and all they need is a rinse later on.
Serves 2
3-4 small green chillies (Very hot! Use less chillies for desired level of heat/spiciness) (See Concoctions 101)
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup yogurt (any kind)
3-4 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1 pinch sugar (this adds the Maharashtrian touch)
With a pair of kitchen tongs, roast the chillies and garlic cloves by holding them directly on the stove flame till they turn dark brown-black in color. If you don’t have a gas stove, you can roast them on a frying pan/flat iron skillet. You may use a few drops of oil, but if you don’t, they will roast just fine.
Coarsely pound the two using a pestle and a mortar (as shown above). Add the rest of the ingredients and combine with the pestle. Alternatively, you can use a mini food processor and it will deliver the same product. Just remember to pulse and not run it continuously.
This can be a great side item to spice up any meal. As I do, it can be had with khichadi or any other rice concoction and goes very well with parathas too.
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