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Girl talks, giggles and good food with a splash of alcohol - now thats a perfect recipe for a great girls’ nite! No matter how busy we get, my girl friends and I make it a point to meet up regularly. It is our much needed time, away from all those day-to-day things, just getting together and having a ball of a time.
Sometimes it does become a little difficult to get out and meet up – like this last time a couple of weeks ago. That didn’t stop us! We just got together at my place for a girls’ night in! The guys were out somewhere, the kids got to have a playdate while we hung out out in the family room, sipping our favorite wines by candle light, chatting, laughing and relishing a savory array of homemade “brew-skeh-tehs”!
Read on … »
Light, crispy and decadent baklava reminds me of my first and the worst encounter with the phyllo dough. Seeing it on TV, I was inspired make that scrumptious dessert at home, but within no time, I got frustrated dealing with the phyllo dough. I somehow managed to complete the task at hand and ended up with a not-so-bad baklava that day. But I decided I never want to see the phyllo dough ever and switched to the ready-to- use phyllo cups for making cute little concoctions.
…This was a couple of years ago; now I am fearless with the phyllo! After I ran into it again at school, the ultra-thin, incredibly delicate phyllo sheets don’t seem to be scary any more.
Sure, phyllo dough is very high-maintenance and you might be tempted to take the easier route with the puff pastry dough, but with some patience and careful handling you can bake it like a pro!
Some basic ground rules I learnt when working with phyllo:
- Ready to use phyllo dough is sold frozen in the grocery store, usually found near the pie crusts and pastry sheets in the freezers. It needs to be thawed before using, usually overnight in the refrigerator or if you are short of time, a 3-4 hours at room temperature.
- If you don’t need the entire pack, you can separate out a few sheets and refrigerate (up to 2 weeks) or refreeze the remaining sheets by wrapping them back in to the package.
- To prevent the sheets from drying or cracking out, keep them covered in plastic wrap with a damp kitchen/paper towel on top of the plastic.
- Use a soft-bristled brush to butter or oil (canola or vegetable only, no olive oil) the sheets as firm bristles can cause them to easily break or tear. Don’t worry if a sheet tears, just stick it back.
- Prep the fillings ahead of time and save the phyllo for last. Also, do not wrap the fillings too tightly or they may burst the dough.
- When layering or folding the sheets, don’t worry if they are not perfectly aligned or flat. You can always trim the edges.
- Phyllo dough can burn easily, so watch while it’s baking.
Phyllo adds a special flavor and texture to any dish. You can use it as a light and flaky crust for making sweet and savory tarts or pies. It’s also works great when wrapped up with all kinds of fillings for making appetizers. Just keep in mind the basic rules when working with phyllo and you’ll have light, crisp and delicious baked goodies in no time!
Phyllo Triangles with Mushroom Kheema
(Phyllo Pastries with Minced Mushroom Filling)
The appetizer form of the savory Greek pie filled with a mixture of spinach, onions and feta cheese, Spanakopita, comes in the shape of triangular phyllo pastries. I have tried ready-to-bake product from the supermarket and enjoyed authentic Greek pastries at home. After a formal training on phyllo handling at school, I successfully recreated the spanakopita triangles at home from scratch. Once I got the folding technique, all kinds of ideas were bursting in my head and I mixed in some amazing fillings for the triangles – shredded smoked mozarella with sun-dried tomatoes, herbed goat cheese with crushed walnuts and one of the best ones I made were with my very own mushroom kheema
Apart from making triangles, you can roll the phyllo sheets to make spring rolls, wrap it around with the ends open to make cigar-shaped hors d’oeuvres or cut it in squares and bundle the edges up to form little pouches and even make your own phyllo cups by baking the little squares of sheets in muffin pans.
Makes 15-16
phyllo dough sheets, thawed and covered with a plastic wrap and damp towel (refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or refreeze the remaining sheets by wrapping them back in to the package)
about 1 cup melted unsalted butter/canola/vegetable oil, for brushing
1 cup filling (mushroom kheema or any other of your choice)
Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
On a clean surface, lay one sheet of phyllo dough. Using a soft-bristled pastry brush, quickly coat the sheet with oil/melted butter. Fold it in half towards yourself, along the length and brush it with a little more oil/butter.
Place about a tablespoon of the filling in the bottom center and fold the corner up towards the sheets opposite edge, forming a small triangle (as shown in picture 2 above)
Fold the triangle along the sheet to form another triangle (as shown in picture 3 above)
Repeat the steps till you reach the end of the sheet (as shown in pictures 4-6 above).
Brush the triangle with oil/butter and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet (as shown in pictures 7-8 above)
Repeat with the remaining sheets and filling.
Bake for about 8-10 mins, until golden brown.
Cool down for a about 5 mins and serve.
…
Phyllo Tart with Roasted Red Peppers, Goat Cheese and Carmelized Onions
After my classic savory and sweet tarts, here’s a crispy, flaky phyllo tart that has all the delicious goodness of a French tart but without all the fat of a regular pastry. I particularly love the combination of caramelized onions, goat cheese and roasted red peppers. It always works wonders, like in the piadina I had made earlier.
Phyllo tarts are made the same way regular puff pastry tarts are made, by lining the tart pan with the dough. But the interim step of blind baking the tart shell is not required. Since the phyllo sheets are so thin, even with a number of sheets stuck to each other to form the shell, the tart turns crispy and golden brown within a few minutes and finishes baking along with the filling in it.
For 1 3×3 tart
2 phyllo dough sheets, thawed and covered with a plastic wrap and damp towel (refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or refreeze the remaining sheets by wrapping them back in to the package)
melted unsalted butter/canola/vegetable oil, for brushing
The Filling:
1 slice of jarred, roasted red pepper in water, diced
about 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
about 2 tbsp caramelized onions
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
Toss all the ingredients for the filling gently in a bowl, season with salt and pepper.
On a clean surface, lay one sheet of phyllo dough. Using a soft-bristled pastry brush, quickly coat the sheet with oil/melted butter and lay another sheet on top of it.
Cut the the two sheets (stuck to one another) into half (around the edges of the tart pan) and lay each piece on top of the other by brushing butter/oil in between.
Brush the tart pan with butter/oil and line it with the prepared phyllo sheets, making sure it sits it snug, folding the edges over.
Pour the filling mixture in to the prepared tart shell and bake for about 8-10 mins till the crust turns golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
Remove from the tart pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
I can’t really go without Indian (or Maharashtrian) food for too long. After a week or two, I start craving for the aromatic masalas, roasted cumin, fried mustard seeds, cilantro, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coconut…..I can go on and on….guess it’s natural since I am an Indian. Spices are the cornerstone of Indian cooking and it is the perfect blending of spices that gives Indian food its subtly magical flavors, aromas and textures. One such skillfully blended spice mix is the Goda or Kala Masala from Maharashtra, India’s mid-western coastal state.
It is this classic “black” spice mix that gives Marathi food a “magical” flavor. This dark brown, spicy- sweet masala is the base of most of Maharashtrian vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes, just like the popular Indian Garam Masala. What makes the Kala or Goda masala unique is the use of rustic ingredients and the method of individually roasting and grinding an array of spices that are mixed in to make a dark aromatic blend.
Every family has their own version of the recipe and so does mine. While I have access to the creator of my family’s recipe a.k.a. my grandmother, I have never ever ventured into the labor intensive process of making my masala since I get my annual supply from her or my mom. I usually store it in the refrigerator and use it to recreate the flavors of home-cooked food, I had growing up. It’s hard to find this particular spice mix in the grocery stores outside India, however, if you made a trip there you can bring back a packet from any local manufacturer in any city of Maharashtra or go for the most-trusted commercial brand that would be available all over the country. Now, if you want to conquer the world of Marathi cuisine and master the masala-making technique, have a cup of tea with one of my fellow bloggers, Anita and get the low down from her. Her recipe is a close match to my family’s. But if you’re just not up to it and would still like to enjoy the deliciousness of this traditional masala, here are some awesomely lazy and lazier versions that seem to work as well.
Today I’m sharing a couple of typical dishes that are made in Marathi households using the spicemix. Enjoy these authentic flavors or try using the masala as rub on the meat for your next bbq, sprinkle it over chicken or fish before grilling or roasting them or in your next batch of rice for something completely different.
Chincha Gulachi Amti
(Maharashtrian Sweet & Sour Stew of Lentils)
The Kala or Goda masala is a key ingredient in everyday Maharashtrian food, especially in the amti, a very basic lentil stew. This daily dal is delicately spicy and gets it’s characteristic sweet and sour flavor from jaggery (i.e. unrefined /palm sugar) and tamarind. My mom makes different versions of this amti by adding diced baby eggplants, onions or cut drumsticks and they all taste delicious. For me, and a lot of the Marathi folks out there, amti-bhaat (i.e. lentil stew over steamed rice) is the most comforting comfort food in the whole world!
Serves 4
½ cup toor daal
1½ cups water (See ratios and proportions)
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
½ tsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1½ tsp Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala
1 tbsp sugar/jaggery (See Concoctions 101)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
salt, to taste
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
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.
Heat oil in a medium pot and add mustard seeds along with turmeric and pinch of asofoetida. When the seeds splutter, pour in the mashed daal and stir gently to combine. Rinse the vessel in which daal was cooked and mashed with water and add this water (up to 2 cups) to the pot to dilute the mixture.
Season with salt, goda/kala masala, red chilli powder, jaggery and tamarind paste. Mix well and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot over steamed rice.
…
Bharli Dodki
(Stuffed Ridge Gourds)
The bharli vangi i.e. stuffed baby eggplants or bhoplyachi bhaji are a few of the popular Maharashtrian curries that have the goda/kala masala as a key ingredient. While I often make the two curries, I like this particular one made by stuffing chunks of ridge gourd (a.k.a Dodka/Toorai/ Turia/ Chinese Okra) with a mixture of crushed roasted peanuts, powdered jaggery, cayenne pepper and of course, the goda /kala masala. Ridge gourd has a subtle flavor and get’s spiced up in this spicy-sweet curry. It goes well with hot rotis or over steamed basmati rice.
Like many Maharashtrian home chefs, my mom uses the gourd to make the curry and then instead of discarding it’s peeled ridges, she uses them to make a lip-smacking chutney along with sesame seeds, dried grated coconut and spices. It’s a wonderful way to make the best out of waste and works great as a condiment on the side.
While I am not a big fan of the chutney made with the tough, dry ridges of the gourd, I simply love its curried form. I often like get Chinese Okra from the Asian stores here, in the US and with my abysmal jar of the masala (thanks to my mom and grand mom who never let it run out!), I recreate the flavors of this rustic curry in my home, far away from home.
 Serves 2
2 medium-sized ridge gourds (Dodki / Chinese Okra), ridges peeled, ends discarded and cut into 2-inch long chunks with slits
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 pinches asofoetida
about 3-4 cups of water
The Stuffing Mix
1 tsp red chilli powder (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it that hot)
1-2 tbsp 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)
¼ cup crushed jaggery
¼ cup roasted peanut powder (coarsely grounded) (See concoctions101)
salt
 Combine the ingredients for the stuffing and stuff the chunks of the gourd by opening the slit and filling the mix in it.
Heat oil in a deep sauté 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 stuffed gourds and sauté for a min. Add water, mix well and cook covered for 15-20 mins on medium high heat, stirring once in a while and uncovered for 15-20 mins more, till the water evaporates and results in a thicker curry/gravy.
Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.
Coming up next in the series of things I learnt at school, are tarts. I love both kinds – savory & sweet. A savory tart filled with cheese and all kinds of meats and veggies is great as an elegant hors d’oeuvre, appetizer or light main course and a sweet tart for dessert, filled with fresh fruits, rich nuts, irresistible chocolate or smooth ‘n’ silky cream….sounds yum  . They make an elegant impression, showing off their outer beauty by revealing the fillings that go inside the shell. I believe serving a narrow slice of tart or a little tartlet is a stylish way to add finesse to any occasion. (Alright…I think you got the point?!)
While, I have acquired the skill of making the pastry dough for the tart shell after going to culinary school, I have to say that it’s not that easy if you wanna try it, just for kicks. It’s also not something for the weak at heart or if you are obsessive compulsive about a clean kitchen  . It will get dirty, it will be a royal mess and it will take time to clean up. Steel yourself!!! Just go to the store and grab frozen pastry dough or a few tart shells and fill’em up with the most amazing things!
Read on … »
After a long eventful break, I’m back with my signature concoctions with a twist of California! Well, sort of…
The boxes have gone out of sight; we cheated at unpacking and I have a ton of stuff in the garage! But the useful things are out which make our new house, a cozy home. Most importantly, the kitchen is back in business and I’m also back to blogging from the other coast of the country. In the upcoming posts, I promise to bring you California-inspired concoctions, as I explore my new neighborhood and my new state!
In the first few weeks as we were settling in, I made some simple but unusual jhatpat subzis for lunch and dinner. When it comes to cooking day-to-day food, I like to play with the ingredients once in a while and make something different, for a change. It certainly adds fun to my cooking and a pizazz to the everyday dishes!
Read on … »
Montclair has been our home for 6 years now. But all good things must come to an end…..so long Montclair!
It was a great run and I will always cherish all the wonderful memories we have made living in Montclair. I still remember us driving into Montclair’s little downtown several years ago while we were exploring towns closer to my new workplace. We were so taken up by the cozy clutter of eclectic restaurants and antique shops, the hilly, windy roads, pretty parks set against dueling Franco and Anglo architecture from when it was smaller villages called Cranetown, Speertown and Watchung.
I have seen Montclair grow in leaps and bounds during the real estate boom but thankfully it hasn’t crashed and burned like some other neighborhoods. Now, more than six years later, it is time for me to move on and away from Montclair! In the last few weeks, I’ve been busy packing up boxes, keeping the pantry lean and refrigerator clean as we prep for our big move. And today, I’m sharing a few recipes that were inspired by my pantry and refrigerator clean up. The strangest bedfellows can make for some signature concoctions!
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The recipes that I am sharing today reflect the characteristic “Brahmin” cooking style from my native state in India – Maharashtra. The traditional cooking emphasizes on creating uncomplicated dishes in which the veggies or legumes are delicately spiced and cooked by using simple methods like sautéing or braising. I believe it is these culinary techniques that preserve the true flavor of the food and give this cuisine it’s intricate flavors, intoxicating aromas and succulent textures of home-style Indian food.
Being a Maharashtrian, it’s no surprise that these and many such authentic dishes are on the list of my “constant cravings”. Time and again, I find myself cooking this food and relishing every bite of it!
Mix ‘n’ match or pair them with steamed basmati rice or any kind of Indian breads for a well-balanced meal!
Read on … »
Who doesn’t like to sit back, relax and have fresh, homemade food make it’s way to you?! I sure do! It usually happens once in a while when mom comes over and takes over the kitchen.
I have to admit; as much as I love cooking, I love it more when I can get mom to make all my favorite things like lip-smacking chutneys, crunchy pohe chivda, spicy hot green chilli pickles that I can relish for a long time after she’s gone back home and not to forget her very own signature concoction. While I make all the dishes she makes, somehow they taste better when mom conducts the orchestra!
Of course, when she’s in my kitchen, I too join her and get a crash course on Maharashtrian cooking and we have our impromptu recipe exchange sessions – some old, some new, and some that are created together on the spur of the moment. Only this time, we had one more chef putting her little nose in our soup!
Now, this last trip, she got the blogger bug from me and created a few recipes that are internet ready!…So, for Mother’s day this year, I am sharing a couple of concoctions that mom whipped up, right here, in my kitchen. Join us as we have fun cooking with my mom!
Read on … »
A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing the New Books aisle at my local library when my eyes caught a book called Grilled Pizzas and Piadinas. First of all, the idea of grilling pizzas seemed a bit unusual to me! and what’s a piadina?! I wasn’t sure but I definitely wanted to find out!
As I dug in, I learned all about a specific subset of pizzas that the author, Chef Craig Priebe, was talking about - those baked on the grill. The book shows how passionate he is about his pizza and that grilling pizza on a grill (indoor or outdoor) is truly an art! The first chapter is on grilling gear and then the book moves on to steps for making the crust. Great cookbooks, like this one, are all about technique; you can play with the ingredients and create your own toppings! For those of you who prefer a step-by-step approach, there are a variety of specific recipes as well.
For me, the beauty of this book lies less in those specific recipes and more in the grilling technique. I found it to be a truly inspirational cookbook that taught me to create a unique and innovative pizza; wanna see how my pizza and piadina turned out?!
Grilled Pizza with Roasted Garlic, Sausage, Onions, Mushrooms and Cherry Tomatoes
(Indoor Grilling Method using a Cast-iron Skillet)
Chef Craig Priebe, in his first cookbook, Grilled Pizzas & Piadinas, gives his innovative take on the world’s favorite food – pizza. Most of his pizza creations call for familiar ingredients in unexpectedly surprising combinations! But the bottom line is that by grilling the pizza base you don’t get the melted cheese on top like the “regular” pizza. Instead, Chef Priebe focuses on the earthy, lightly charred curst of the pie and plays with the fresh toppings.
The book even includes a basic pizza dough recipe but if you are in a rush (like I am most of the times!), Priebe recommends store-bought fresh or refrigerated Pillsbury Pizza Dough for the crust. So with this for the base, I created a white pizza sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and topped with sautéed chicken sausage, mushrooms, onions, roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, and basil confetti. Give it a try and you’ll fall in love with pizza all over again!
Makes 4 personal pizzas
Topping
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + for Herbed Grill Oil
4-5 garlic cloves, smashed and skinned
2 fully cooked chicken sausages, diced
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
5-6 basil leaves, julienned
Parmesan cheese, grated and shaved
Pizza Crust
1 pack of Pillsbury Pizza Dough
Making the topping
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and dry roast the garlic cloves till they turn light brown in color. There is no need to add oil since the natural oil released by the cloves is enough for the roasting process. Remove the garlic and set aside.
In the same pan, heat a tbsp of olive oil and sauté sausage till it turns light brown. Remove the sausage and set aside.
Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil and sauté onions and mushrooms till they turn light brown in color. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Assembling the Pizza
Wipe the pan with a paper towel moistened with olive oil. Preheat the pan over medium-high heat for 5 mins.
Open the dough packet and spread open the dough on a lightly floured surface. Depending on the size of the grill pan cut the sheet of dough into smaller squares, so that they fit on the grill pan. Pick up the piece of dough with both hands and lay it in the hot pan. The crust should bubble on top within a min. If not, turn the heat up a little.
After 2 mins, check the crust by lifting an edge with your tongs. When bottom turns brown, remove it to the cookie sheet. 4. Turn the crust over and brush it with Herbed Grill Oil.
Preheat your broiler.
Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese, followed by about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Sargento Italian cheese mix. Spread the sausage, mushrooms and onions along with halved cherry tomatoes evenly over the base and garnish with basil and roasted garlic.
Reheat the grilling pan for about a min. Slide the pizza back into it and brown the bottom until crispy, 3-5 mins.
When the bottom is golden brown and crispy with grill marks, transfer the pizza onto a cookie sheet and place it under the broiler for about a min until the top is sizzling hot.
Transfer the pizza to a plate. Garnish with julienned basil and Parmesan shavings. Serve immediately.
…
Piadina with Carmelized Onions, Goat Cheese, Arugula and Roasted Red Peppers
After the grilled pizzas, the author moves on to a mouth-watering section of grilled piadinas in the cookbook. Piadina is a popular Italian flatbread sandwich that can be filled with almost anything! Traditionally, piadina dough is unleavened but Chef Priebe shares his secret with the readers  . Piadinas using pizza dough! He says that if it’s made this way, it will be a thicker and a slightly softer version of the traditional unleavened flatbread, but will have the same look and feel! The book suggests a regular store-bought pizza dough, but I used the Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough and rolled it to make it even thinner than usual.
So with the cookbook as my userguide and a semi-homemade shortcut, I created my very own piadina with carmelized onions, goat cheese, peppery arugula and sweet roasted red peppers. Go ahead, take a bite!
Makes 2 piadinas
herbed/plain goat cheese
2 jarred roast red peppers, diced
handful of arugula leaves
Carmelized Onions
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sugar
garlic salt/reg salt
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
The Flatbread
1 pack Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough
Carmelized Onions
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet on medium heat and add onions along with sugar and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until they turn light brown, for about 15-20 mins. Reduce the heat to low and splash with balsamic vinegar. Cook for a couple mins till the vinegar vaporizes.Remove from heat and let it cool down a little bit.
Preparing the Flatbread
Preheat a flat griddle over medium-high heat for 5 mins.
Break open the packet of readymade dough and roll to make it even thinner, about 3-4 mm of thickness. Depending on the size of the griddle, cut the sheet of dough into smaller pieces.
Lay the rolled dough on the hot pan and cook for about a min or so, till bubbles form on the surface.
With a pair of tongs, check the bottom side to make sure it is golden brown and flip to grill the other side.
Cook for about a min until golden brown and remove from the pan.
Stack the cooked breads on a paper towel and wrap them so they stay warm.
Assembling the Piadina
Spread the flatbread evenly with goat cheese and carmelized onions. Top it with arugula and diced roasted peppers. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fold the bread over to secure the filling and serve along the side of chips and a drink.
This year, I had a “Spring fling” with asparagus
As Spring started to bloom in the grocery stores, I couldn’t keep my hands off those beautiful green-purple, neatly stacked bunches of asparagus. As an asparagus lover, I think, it’s flavor peaks during the months of April and May. This year, I kicked off the ”asparagus season” in my kitchen with Easter breakfast, when I used it as soldiers to dip in the soft-boiled eggs. From then on, I have been using it in my cooking here and there; trying to make the most of it while the season lasts!
Nothing says Spring quite like asparagus. With its lush green color and delicate grassy taste, asparagus is the essence of my Spring concoctions!
Spring Minestrone
(Spring Vegetable Soup)
A simple vegetarian soup that makes the most of Spring veggies - a delightful green Spring Minestrone! This light but hearty soup is a great combination of textures and flavors with pasta, asparagus, green beans and peas in a delicate broth. What really gives this soup a nice flavor, is some basil pesto. It’s usually drizzled on top as a garnish but I like to add it while sautéing the vegetables for the soup, just the way I use hirva masala for my fish curry. This way, I think, the pesto flavor is completely assimilated by the soup, in the vegetables and the broth.
Served hot or at room temperature, every spoon of this soup is a sip of Spring!
Serves 2 meals or 4 first courses
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
a bunch (3-4 stems) spring onions or scallions, sliced
10-12 asparagus stems, diagonally chopped into 1-inch pieces
½ cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
6-8 green beans, diagonally chopped into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup Basil Pesto
4 cups (32 oz./945 ml/1qt box) vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken stock
½ cup (a handful) short shape pasta (like mini shells, elbow, ditalini, fiori). *Cut the carbs - use ½ (15 oz/425g) can cannellini, garbanzo or butter beans
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated, for garnishing
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium – high and sauté garlic and spring onions till they become transluscent, for 1-2 mins. Stir in the pesto along with the asparagus, peas along with the green beans and cook for about 4-5 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle boil. Add the pasta or beans (if using), reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 8-10 mins so that the pasta cooks and the flavours can come together. You don’t want to let it boil hard.
Ladle in a bowl and serve with some Parmesan shavings and freshly ground black pepper.
Pasta with Asparagus & Peas in Lemon Cream Sauce
Here’s a delicious pasta dish that’s ready in minutes! It uses few ingredients that compliment each other, giving you a wonderfully balanced combination of flavors. A rather usual, cream sauce gets a facelift when combined with lemon juice and is a perfect base for whole-wheat pasta, which generally needs a slightly stronger flavoring to match to it’s distinct robust taste.
An excellent combination of warm comforting food and fresh Spring vegetables, this pasta dish is now my favorite quick-fix lunch or dinner!
Serves 2
2 handfuls (about 2 cups) whole wheat pasta such as penne, rigatoni, fusilli
10-12 asparagus stems, diagonally chopped into 1-inch pieces
½ cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp olive oil
1-2 garlic clove, minced
1-2 spring onions or scallions, diced
1 lemon, zested and juiced (zest for garnishing)
1 cup light cream or half ‘n’ half
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated
flat leaf parsley, chopped, for garnishing
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous quantity of salt to the boiling water and throw in the pasta. Cook until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally, about 10 mins. Add asparagus during last minute of cooking time. Place frozen peas in a colander. Drain pasta-asparagus mixture over peas, so that they will thaw from the steam and set aside till ready to add to the sauce, while reserving the water in which it was cooked.
Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet or frying pan over medium – high and sauté garlic and spring onions till they become transluscent, for 2-3 mins. Add the juice from the lemon and continue to sauté for another min. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir constantly until the sauce thickens.
Return the cooked pasta, asparagus and thawed peas to the pan. Stir gently until the pasta and the vegetables are warmed through and get evenly coated witht the sauce.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Asparagus Prosciutto Wraps
I like the salty-meaty taste of prosciutto and have been wanting to try this recipe by Rachel Ray that I saw it on the television on one of her shows.
It’s a simple and easy way to dress up the asparagus and turn it into a fancy looking appetizer or snack. The saltiness of the prosiutto is just enough and the lemon adds another “spring-time” dimension to the overall flavor.
Asparagus & Zucchini Crudi
And lastly, another recipe from my favorite Foodnetwork star. This elegant salad looked very good on television and tasted out of the world in reality. The fresh and clean flavors of the dish tasted like Spring in every bite!
Friday, March 27th 2009, was Gudi Padwa, New Year’s Day for Indians from the state of Maharashtra in western India.
 Image Courtesy: My Dad May this new year bring new hopes, new dreams, fulfilment of wishes and greater chances of prosperity!
Being a Maharashtrian, I celebrate this festival every year in a way that fits my lifestyle here in the US. Back home, my parents go through all the steps every year and follow the age-old religious rituals. Early in the morning on Gudi Padwa, you will see the “Gudi“ all decked up and standing upright on the terrace of our house in Pune, India. After setting up the Gudi , my dad will be getting ready for the pooja (special prayer) while my mom is busy in the kitchen, cooking about 10-12 items (yeah!!) for naivedya (food offering) – to be offered to God and the Gudi.
Here’s a snapshot of what she made this year….
 Image Courtesy: My Mom
My mom strictly abides by all the rules – gets up early, takes a bath, cleans the kitchen and starts the prep and cooking without eating anything for breakfast. Also, there’s no tasting of this special food before the prayer and offering is done. Hat’s off to mom, she does all this in a matter of 2-3 hours in the morning!
 Gudi Padwa '09 at home in Pune
On the contrary, my Maharashtrian New Year celebration is pretty low key. Like most Indian festivals, the festivities happen over the weekend, when there’s more time to have friends over, make a trip to the temple or cook special foods and celebrate the festivals. For this particular festival, there’s no hoisting of “Gudi” in my house, but I do try to follow my mom’s steps and get into the kitchen to make only a few (phew!) of those “goodies” specially for Gudi Padwa!
So, join me as I bring on this Maharashtrian New Year with a wonderful array of authentic Maharashtrian dishes!
Hirvi Chutney
(Green Chutney with Cilantro and Coconut)
This vibrant, green chutney is regular and rather usual condiment served on the Maharashtrian thali (plate). Cilantro gives it a wonderful aroma and green chillies add a tasty kick to this chutney. With creamy coconut as the base and minimal seasonings, it can prepared in moments by quickly grinding everything in a blender.
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup coconut, grated fresh or frozen thawed
1½ cups cilantro/coriander (leaves and stems)
2-3 small green chillies (See Concoctions 101)
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp cumin & coriander powder (dhana-jeera powder)
salt
water, as required
Combine all the ingredients in a blender/grinder/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 serve. It can be refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.
Khamang Kaakdi
(Cucumber Yogurt Salad/Raita with Mustard -Turmeric Oil)
This is a simple Maharashtrian koshimbir of diced cucumber and beaten yogurt with an elegant twist. A creamy cucumber-yogurt raita gets a sudden face lift when garnished with the hot phodani (Marathi) a.k.a tadka (Hindi) (termpered oil with mustard seeds, turmeric and asofoetida). It introduces a new dimension to the overall flavor of this cool, refreshing koshimbir.
Serves 2-4
1 long or 2 Kirby cucumbers, diced
2 cups beaten yogurt
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
½ tsp sugar
Phodani Garnish
1-2 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, vegetable or corn)
½ tsp mustard seeds (mori/rai)
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches of asofoetida (hing)
Toss together diced cucumbers and yogurt. Add green chillies and fresh cilantro, season with salt and sugar.
Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and add mustard seeds, turmeric powder and asofoetida. When the seeds splutter remove from heat and pour over the mixed salad. Stir to incorporate the oil in the salad and refrigerate till ready to serve.
Garnish with more cilantro and serve chilled.
Papad
(Fried or Roasted Indian Crackers/Wafers)
These are disks of flavored dried beans (typically urad daal), rice or potato that are either deep-fried, fire-roasted or even microwaved (like I did!) before they are served as an appetizer, snack or a side accompaniment.
 A variety of Papads at Bhavani Cash & Carry, Iselin, NJ You’ll find a huge vareity of flavors at most of the Indian food markets. Look out for the most popular brand called Lijjat Papad, a unique women’s organization from Mumbai, India that provides employment only to women.
Make as needed
A packet of readymade papad (I used plain urad daal papads)
Pop 1 papad in the microwave oven at a time and microwave high for upto 30 secs. (works well for most microwave oen brands)
Alternatively, deep fry in hot oil for 5-10 secs flipping once or roast over the stove top flame with the help of tongs flipping several times, making sure it doesn’t burn but at the same time there are no raw patches left.
Masale Bhaat
(Maharashtrian Spicy Rice Pilaf)
A staple of any Maharashtrian wedding menu, this special rice preparation is a spicy, vegetarian and Maharashtrian version of the North Indian Pulav. The spice that really makes this dish “masaledaar” (spicy) is the Maharashtrian Goda/Kala Masala. Adding a vareity of veggies like peas, gherkins (thondli/tinda), cabbage, cauliflower, onion and eggplant (single or combination) to this quick and easy one pot concoction not only enhances the flavor but also adds to the overall color and texture of the dish.
We Maharashtrians love to pour a generous amount of melted ghee (clarified butter) over it just before serving. Trust me, it tastes awesome!
Serves 2
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
½ cup peas, fresh or frozen thawed (or any of the veggies from the list above)
1 cup Basmati rice
2 ½ cups water
salt, to taste
½ tsp red chilli powder
1½ 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)
grated coconut, fresh or frozen thawed (optional for garnishing
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
ghee (clarified butter optional)
Rinse the basmati rice in water and set aside.
Heat oil in a large pot and add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder and pinch of aesofoetida.
When the seeds splutter, add the peas and sauté for a min. Add the rice and sauté for another min or so.
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 rice soaks up all the water and is well cooked.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and grated coconut. Serve steaming hot with a teaspoon of melted ghee.
Tomato Saar
(Curry leaf -scented Tomato Broth)
Tomato Saar is a spicy, curry flavored tomato broth and is a classic culinary creation of the state of Maharashtra. It’s a very well-balanced combination of flavors – slightly sweet, slightly tangy, slightly spicy and slightly salty. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual tomato soup. Maharashtrians like to pour it over steamed white rice or Masale Bhaat or simply slrup it all up like a soup.
Serves 2-4
1 lb tomatoes, halved (Alternatively, use 2 cans of readymade tomato soup)
water, as required
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
4-5 curry leaves
salt, to taste
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp sugar
grated coconut, fresh or frozen thawed
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
Place the tomatoes in a large pot and pour water till they are just immersed in it. Bring it to a quick boil over meduim-high heat and then reduce the heat till the tomatoes cook peel and get soft and mushy. Alternatively, pressure cook the tomatoes, letting the cooker whistle for 3-4 times and then simmering for 5 mins.
Let it cool and purée the tomatoes along with the water used for cooking in a blender or in the same pot using a hand blender. Pass it through a sieve to remove the skin pieces.
(Ignore the above two steps if using readymade tomato soup)
Heat oil in a large pot and add mustard and cumin seeds along with the turmeric powder, a pinch of asofoetida and the curry leaves.
When the curry leaves and seeds splutter, stir in the puréed tomato. Season with salt, sugar, red chilli powder and stir in the coconut and cilantro.
Simmer till ready to serve.
Flower Hirva Rassa
(Caulifower in Green Curry)
The most popular vegetable preparation is “batatyachi bhaji” (stir-fried baked potatoes) but I like to make this spicy, rich cauliflower stew that goes very well with the pooris. It’s another Maharashtrian classic preparation in which cauliflower is braised in a sauce that is spiced with a little garam masala, onions and the Maharashtrian “Hirwa Masala” made with grated coconut, ginger, garlic, green chillies and fresh green cilantro. You can add other vegetables like potatoes, peas and carrots or simply leave the cauliflower simmering in the fragrant green curry till it gets soft and mushy.
Serves 2-4
1 medium cauliflower, cut up into small florets and rinsed well
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1-2 pinches asofoetida (hing)
1-2 dry red chillies (optional)
1 cup Hirva Masala
1½ tsp garam masala
½ cup peas, fresh or frozen thawed
¾ – 1 cup of water
salt, to taste
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
In a pan or kadhai heat oil and add turmeric powder, cumin and mustard seeds along with asofoetida and dry red chillies (if using). When the seeds start to splutter, add finely chopped onion and fry till translucent. Add the “hirva masala”, garam masala, salt and fry for 8-10 minutes, till oil seperates from the masala.
Add the cauliflower florets along with peas. Stir in water and cook covered for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat till the cauliflower absorbs all the flavors and cooks in the masala-flavored broth.
Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander. Serve hot with poori, chapati or tawa roti.
Pooris
(Balloon Bread)
Pooris are deep-fried Indian version of the unleavened, whole wheat flatbread and are well known for their characteristic puffed up balloon-like shape. A perfectly puffed up poori is pale golden brown in color and is an interesting combination of textures – a crispy, microfilm top and a soft, slightly thick bottom. Everyone has their own way of kneading, rolling and frying so that every poori puffs up to a perfection!
Here’s the ”Maharashtrian” take on the whole process that I learnt from my mom:
Kneading – Add a little rava/sooji i.e. semolina flour (1 cup:1 tbsp – flour:rava ratio) and a small amount of hot tempered oil (It’s called “Mohan“. I have no idea how or why it got this name!) to the flour and then knead it into a medium firm dough. This will make sure the poori becomes and stays crispy for a longer time.
Rolling – It’s not a good idea to use flour for dusting while rolling the dough (since it comes off while frying and burns into black particles that stick to the poori leaving an unpleasant taste and color), but instead dip the tiny dough ball into the hot frying oil for a second and then rolling it into about 3-4 inch diameter rounds.
Frying – Pour enough oil to fill the wok/pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a tiny pearl-sized piece of dough will sizzle and rise to the top. Fry one poori at a time. Slowly slide the poori along the edge of the pan to avoid splashing of the hot oil. Use the slotted spoon to gently splash hot oil over the floating poori to puff it up.
Timing – Timing is also important for the most enjoyable poori- experience. If possible, time the frying process as close to serving.
Makes 15-20 pooris
3 cups whole wheat flour (I recommend Bhavani Nature Fresh Whole Wheat Atta)
 Bhavani Nature Fresh Atta at Bhavani Cash & Carry, Iselin, NJ
3 tbsp semolina (rava/sooji)
scant ¼ cup oil (heated till it bubbles up) + for deep frying (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
salt
water to make the dough
In a large mixing bowl or a platter, place the flour and make a well in the center. Add salt, rava/sooji, hot oil and stir in water in small quantities so as to incorporate it in the flour and form it into a medium-firm dough. Cover with a damp cloth or paper towel and set aside for about half to 1 hour.
When ready to make the pooris, pour enough oil into a large frying pan or a wok about a third of the way, to reach a depth of about 2 inches or so. Heat the oil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, remove the covered towel form the dough. Rub some oil onto your palms and knead the dough once again into a large ball. This will make the dough a little bit softer and easier to roll. Divide it into small round 1 inch diameter balls by rolling in between your palms.
When ready to roll into a poori, take a dough ball, dip it in the hot oil in the frying pan for a second and flatten it between your palm and the rolling board/surface. With the help of a rolling pin, roll it into a 2-3 mm thick, flat, 4 inch diameter circle.
Slide the poori slowly along the edge of the pan. It will gradually move to the center of the pan, floating in the hot oil, bubbling vigorously.
At first, the poori will sink in the center. At that point, use the slotted spoon and gently splash hot oil over the poori which will cause it to puff up. Let it fry till the bottom part turns golden brown (about 15-20 secs since this would be the thin crispy side) and then flip it over.
Continue to fry for another min or so till the thicker side also turns golden brown. In the meantime, roll another poori and remove the fried one with the slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
Serve hot.
Gulab Jamun
No, I didn’t make these! I took a short cut on this last course and opened a can of Amul Gulab Jamun for dessert. Warm up in the microwave or serve chilled from the refrigerator and they are just as great as the fresh ones!
Friday, March 20th, was “officially” the first day of Spring ’09 and we woke up to a dusting of fresh snow! And one last time (my husband hopes!), we saw fat snowflakes clinging to the still, leafless branches of trees and frosting the bushes and shrubs white. “A not-so-warm welcome to spring!”, I thought to myself as I filled my cup of coffee and went back to the window. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful sight, first thing in the morning!
 
As I took the first sip of my coffee and turned my computer on, I was glad I didn’t have to commute in the morning and had the luxury of working from home. But most signs of snow were gone by mid-morning and within a couple of hours it had started to warm up a little, melting the snow away. Soon the sun came back up in the sky, reminding us that spring is just around the corner!
Since I was at home all day and it was still a little cold out there, a hearty bowl of soup that needed very little effort and not much time, sounded like a perfect idea for lunch. Well, the “soup season” is not over yet! So here’s another one, to make the most of the season while it lasts….
Escarole with Cannelini Beans, Pasta and Asiago Cheese
Ah, Escarole and White Bean Soup! I had been wanting to try this soup recipe after seeing my favorite star chef make it on Foodnetwork and I also had all the ingredients on the list readily available from a pasta dish that I made for dinner a couple of days back.
So I pulled a pot out of the cabinet and started sautéing some onions and garlic. Then I chopped up some escarole and threw it in along with the cannellini beans and poured in the chicken stock. To add more weight to the soup I decided to stir in little pasta elbows and grated Asiago cheese. Half an hour later look what I got!
Escarole adds a nice green touch to this delicious soup. The pasta and Asiago cheese are a hearty addition to this wonderful slew of nutritious veggies and white beans. After one bowl of this rich soup for lunch, I was ready log off from work and take the rest of the day off!
Serves 2 meals or 4 first courses
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
½ bunch of escarole, roughly chopped
1 (15 oz/425g) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups (32 oz./945 ml/1qt box) vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken
½ cup (a handful) short shape pasta (like elbow, ditalini, fiori)
¼ cup grated aged Asiago cheese
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium – high and sauté garlic and onions till they are fragrant and become transluscent, for 2-3 mins. Add the escarole and sauté until wilted, about 2 mins. Stir in the beans and season with salt and pepper.
Continue sautéing for 1-2 mins more. 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).
Turn the heat down and simmer for 10-15 mins.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Grate Parmesan cheese over each and serve hot with bread sticks.
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.
“Ice is my middle name”, said my husband as he entered the house. It was freezing outside and I too got back to our cozy warm home with Nia just a little before him.
With the snow falling outside and subzero termperatures around us all we craved for dinner last night was a rich, warm and hearty meal. Hmm, I thought what could be more perfect than a big steaming bowl of nourishing soup in this mid winter freeze?!
Dinner’s ready! Thaw off with this quick and easy one pot concoction!
Curried Winter Squash Soup
(Butternut Squash Soup with fresh Ginger and Garam Masala)
Soups are a perfect heart-warming meal for cold winter nights. With a salad or some hot wholegrain bread on the side, you turn a simple soup into a good solid meal for you and the kids too!
Winter Squash Soup is a terrific soup, especially for winter meals! Couple of days ago, when I was at Wholefoods, I picked up a Butternut Squash from a pile of winter squash in their produce section.
(Here’s a quick quiz: Point out the butternut squash in the picture below? Click here for the answer)
Butternut Squash is an excellent ingredient for a thick, creamy soup and garam masala with all its spices gives it an amazing twist! Simply dice the squash, and sauté it with onion, garlic and garam masala. Add chicken/vegetable stock to it and mix in some ginger at the last stage for a wonderful earthy flavor. Bring it to a boil and continue to simmer till all the ingredients are cooked through. After a quick whirl in the blender and let it sit on the simmering stove till you are ready to eat.
Try this healthy soup recipe tonight. It won’t take you more than 15 minutes of prep work and 30 minutes of cooking. The complex flavors in this creamy yet light soup will warm up your heart and wake up your palate!
Serves 4
1 butternut squash (about 1-1½ lb), chopped in 1 inch cubes, outer skin discarded
1 medium onions, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or butter)
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 -2 tsp garam masala (alternatively, you could use Curry Powder or Ground Cumin and Ground Coriander)
red pepper flakes (for desired level of heat)
1½ inch fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 -5 cups (enough to cover all the squash cubes) your favorite chicken/vegetable stock or water
½ cup light cream or half ‘n’half + some for garnish
salt
fresh ground black pepper
cilantro/parsley leaves for garnish
Sauté onions in olive oil/ butter in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until transclucent, about 3 to 5 mins. Add garlic, garam masala, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt continue to cook for another minute.
Stir in the cubed squash along with the stock/water and finally mix in the ginger. Bring it to boil and continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 30 mins.
Purée soup in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return soup to pot.
Adjust the seasonings to your taste and stir in the cream. Keep soup simmering over low heat until ready to serve.
Garnish with some cream and cilantro/parsely leaf and serve hot with a side of bread or salad.
Soup can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered.
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!
Its that time of the year, when everyone in India is celebrating…..
Navratri & Dasara followed by Diwali, are the two festivals that evoke wonderful memories of the time I spent with family and friends back home. Its been almost eight years since I moved to America and I haven’t been able to time my travel so that I can join them in these festivities. However, the spirit of the season is very much alive in me and I do my best to enjoy the festivals with the same excitement and enthusiasm, at my home away from home.
I grew up in a family where a great emphasis is placed on the religious aspect of the festivals and everything is strictly done by the books. I didn’t get very much involved in all those rituals and customs then, but now looking back, I appreciate all the things my parents do, even today, to preserve and carry on the family traditions. Somehow, I never got those complex rules in my head. So when I left my parents’ cozy nest and took off to a land far far away, I redesigned some of those traditions and created some new ones to retrofit America. I do simple things like placing a jhendu phool on our altar (yes, we have a beautiful altar in our home where Jesus and Ganpati live in perfect harmony) during Navratri, may be a visit to the Indian temple on Dasara, lighting the whole house with diyas for Diwali and celebrating with family and friends here.
Of course, ’tis the season and there’s every reason to enjoy those festive delicacies! Here are a few of my favorite things….
Basundi for Dasara
(Creamy Milk Pudding)
During the Navaratri festival, my parents have the puja performed daily by offering fresh garland of the jhendu (marigold) flowers on each of the nine days followed by naivedya (food offering) before lunch. Mom prepares vegetarian food every morning including a sweet item on the naivedya menu for each of the nine days!
I am not a big fan of sweets and as a kid, I remember getting bored of eating those sweet dishes prepared everyday for nine days. I would only be waiting for Dasara, the tenth day, when dad would go over to the Chitale store in the morning and bring home a litre of their sweet, creamy “basundi “.
Basundi is a very simple sweet dish prepared by boiling milk. Sugar and some spices are then added and milk is simmered till it reduces to half the quantity. The reduced milk is then chilled for a couple of hours to make a thick and creamy milk pudding.
Try my basundi recipe, its as close as you can get to the Chitale store in Pune!
Serves 4
4 cups whole milk (You could use reduced fat milk but I wouldn’t recommend low fat or skim milk for this)
5-6 saffron strands
1 can sweetened condensed milk (Milkmaid, Nestle La Lechara or Carnation)
4-5 green cardamom pods (elaichi), seeds removed and powdered or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
charoli or chironji, for garnishing (These are aparently dried and roasted melon seeds with almondish flavor. Here’s more details on Chef In You and Mahanandi)
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and add the saffron, sweetened condensed milk and cardamom powder. Mix well and continue to simmer for 25-30 mins, stirring continuously, making sure milk does not overflow or stick too much on the sides or bottom of the pot.
Remove the pot from heat, scrape the milk sticking to the sides or bottom and let it cool down to room temperature. Pop it into the refrigerator for atleast 2 hours before serving.
Garnish every bowl of basundi with 8-10 charolis and serve chilled.
Diwali Brunch with Brown Pohe
(Flattened Rice with Cumin and Peanut Powder)
Diwali is one reason to make all the special “faral” items. Back home, even today, my mom goes the whole nine yards and sincerely makes everything for the Diwali faral Laadoo, Chivda, Chakali, Shankarpali and what not! She has been making all that ever since I remember and we have always done justice to her efforts by enjoy all those goodies on all the days of Diwali.
In my family, we usually have the big ”faral” on Narak Chaturdashi. My parents host a morning brunch on this day and have relatives and friends over. Growing up I remember us kids bursting fire crackers outside while mom busy working in the kitchen preparing for the big brunch. Obviously the table would be set with all the faral items, but mom liked to make a couple of freshly prepared dishes to go with them. The most popular request for a freshly prepared dish used to be for the ”Brown Pohe“.
Brown Pohe are not the healthier brown version of regular pohe , like brown rice; nor are they made the usual way with turmeric or mustard or onions or any other ingredients. This pohe recipe is our family recipe that has been handed down through generations and I have never had it anywhere else but home. It’s simply made by stir frying pohe with cumin seeds, few green chillies for some heat and roasted peanut powder with salt and sugar seasoning. The peanut powder gives the white pohe a characteristic “brown” color and hence the name.
With it’s simple and earthy flavor, this elegant dish is a centerpiece of my Diwali spread!
Serves 2
2 handfuls (about 2 cups) thick pohe (flattened rice)
1 cup roasted peanut powder (general rule of thumb is to have 2:1 proportion of pohe:peanut powder)
2-3 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped
salt
1 tsp sugar
quartered lemon wedges
cilantro/coriander, finely chopped for garnishing
coconut, frozen thawed or freshly grated, for garnishing
Take the pohe in a colander or sieve and rinse thoroughly under running water, making sure all of it is completely soaked. Set aside to drain completely.
In the meantime, heat oil in a frying pan/wok/kadhai over medium heat and add cumin seeds. When they start to splutter in a min or two, add green chilies. Then gently fluff the wet pohe in the colander with your fingers to loosen them up and add them to the pan. Stir in the roasted peanut powder and season with salt and sugar.
Mix well, drizzle some lemon juice by squeezing 1-2 wedges and cook covered on low heat for about 5 mins stirring occassionally.
Garnish with cilantro and grated coconut and serve warm with a side of a lemon wedge.
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.
Today I am gonna tell you the story of a happy little tummy….
When lil’ Nia turned six months, we introduced her to solid foods. Just like all other American born babies and also as instructed by the pediatrician, she started with the Gerber Rice Cereal mixed with breastmilk or formula. She was just thrilled with her new food that tasted and felt so different on her inexperienced palate, that hadn’t seen anything outside the world of milk! Seeing her excitement for solid foods, we quickly purchased some jars of first vegetables like carrots, peas and green beans and some first fruits like apples, pears and bananas. Although my babygirl seemed to be enjoying it all, I was not quite happy giving her all that commercial food. I decided to dive into the world of babyfood and cook some for real!
(The babyfood recipes posted here are for babies 6-12 months of age. Please note that some ingredients may not be suitable for your baby. Use your discretion to substitute ingredients in the babyfood recipes below)
Baby’s First Khichadi
(Ground Rice and Lentils for baby)
The soft, mushy, not-so-spicy khichadi is the first solid food given to most babies in India. I followed the traditional recipe and cooked this babyfood for the first time using rice, moong daal, salt, jeera and pure ghee in lotsa water. This delicious baby concoction was then puréed in the blender and served warm to a hungry little tummy, who took it all in, the very first time! Guess what, the serving size was a teenie tiny table spoon
It was a very good start, but after all that, was she going to have just a couple of tbsp khichadi ?! It didn’t seem to be the most efficient way to cook babyfood! With a little more reseach and some chit-chatting with new desi mommies around that time, I devised a perfect recipe!
Sharing some sweet memories of Nia enjoying the lip-smacking good khichadi…..
Before we jump on to making khichadi for the baby, here’s some prep work to be done ahead of time……
1 cup basmati or any white rice like sona masoori, surti kolam or paraboiled rice (used for making idlis, dosas, etc)
1 cup moong daal (yellow moong daal without skin)
1 cup split masoor daal (orange masoor daal without skin)
I liked to use 2:1 proportions of daal: rice to up the health factor and make it more nutritious.
Combine the rice and the daals and wash thoroughly. Spread the washed mixture on a flat surface like a paper towel lined cookie sheet or a large kitchen cloth and leave it for upto 48 hours to dry.
Alternatively, you can air dry overnight (about 8 hours) and then lightly roast it in the oven for 2-3 hours at minimum setting or microwave high for 1-2 mins stirring in between, till it is completely dry.
Grind the dried daal-rice mixture to fine powder for younger babies (6-8 months) or coarse for older babies (8-10 months). For babies more that 10 months old, try grinding half of the mixture coarsely and add it to the remaining half of the unground mixture. Store it in an airtight jar.
§ A tip from my mom: Toor daal is a little difficult for the baby’s sensitive digestive system. Also, other types of daals, especially the ones with skin like whole or split moong daal or masoor daal or urad daal might not be easy for the baby to swallow. So it is better to introduce these at a later stage, around the age of 10-12 months.
To make about 4 tbsp khichadi (this will be more than enough for 2 meals in a day for ages 6-8 months)
1 tbsp rice-daal powder (gradually increase the quantity as your baby starts taking in more)
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp vegetable du jour (chopped spinach, peas, corn or tiny chunks of potatoes, carrots, green beans, etc that are ok for the baby)
1 pinch jeera (cumin seeds)
1 pinch garam masala (Yes! I wanted my daughter to get used to our desi spices right from the beginning and now, at 18 months, she can handle spicy food very well. Most times, I don’t have to cook seperate food for her)
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped (do not use this in the first few weeks of introducing this baby food)
1/2 small garlic clove, minced (again, do not use this in the first few weeks of introducing this baby food)
1/2 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
Combine all the ingredients above and cook covered in a small stainless steel vessel placed inside a pressure cooker. Cover the lid of the pressure cooker and bring the it to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 mins.
Alternatively, you can cook the khichadi stove top over medium heat by combining all the ingredients in a small pot till everything is cooked and most of the water is absorbed.
After the pressure cooker cools down, remove the vessel and mash the cooked daal-rice khichadi to mash the vegetables, if added, and also to make sure there are no lumps in the khichadi.
Garnish with a few drops of ghee and serve at a warm-cool temperature.
A special thanks to Anuya & Mitali for sharing with me their tips on khichadi making.
L→R: Anuya with Ved & Mitali with Arav
Baby’s First Palak Soup
(Puréed Spinach Soup for baby)
Baby’s soups are the easiest to make! I accidently created this recipe for palak (spinach) soup for Nia one day while I was making Palak Paneer for dinner. I had boiled a bunch of spinach leaves along with a potato for the main gravy of the dish when I realized I could use a little bit of the purée and turn it into a hearty soup for the baby. The benefits of spinach are well known to everyone. A leafy green vegetable, spinach with its delicate texture and a jade green color provides more nutrients than any other food.
It turned out to be a great idea and Nia loved the palak soup!
Here’s a picture of Nia finishing her tiny bowl of Palak Soup…..
To make 1 cup of palak soup for the baby (refrigerate left over for upto 2 days)
2-3 handfuls of spinach leaves (substitute spinach with green peas, green beans, tomato, pumpkin, butternut squash, etc. that suits your baby)
1 baby or new potato (this is the thickening agent, especially good with spinach, peas, tomato or green beans)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1-2 black pepper corns
1 small bay leaf
1/2 small garlic clove, mashed
salt
Wash the spinach leaves and give them a rough chop. Place in a small pressure cooker stainless steel vessel or in a small pot along with water, just enough to cover all the leaves well. Wash and peel the potato. Quarter it and drop it in along with the spinach leaves.
Add cumin seeds, garlic clove, peppercorns and bay leaf. Season with salt and bring to boil. Let it simmer to cook the spinach and potato, for about 10 mins and then allow it to cool.
Once the spinach and the potato have cooled down, discard the garlic clove, bay leaf and the pepper corns (You should easily find them floating around in the container). Strain the cooked spinach and potato, reserving all the water that was used for cooking them. Purée the spinach and potato in a blender, adding the reserved water to make it a thick soup like consistency.
Pour it into a tiny little bowl and feed it a warm-cool temperature with a baby-friendly spoon.
So, this was the story of a happy little tummy! Now, who wants to try some babyfood?……… I know two people who will jump right at it! Right Chuns & Fats?!
“Fiesta dinner tonite!”, read the text message on my husband’s cell phone, as he was getting down at the train station and rushing towards his car to get home.
After a long day at work and a long commute to and from the city, I like to put a smile on his face by making his favorite foods for dinner. With a Citrus Minty Mojito, Guacamole and Smoky Chorizo Quesadillas on the menu, I turned a regular weeknight into a fiesta night!
Citrus Minty Mojito
We are in “Mojito Mood” all the time. We’ve tried making mojito several times with the simple formula using white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice, but it has been substituted by simple syrup everywhere), lime, seltzer (carbonated or sparkling water) and ofcourse mint, but it never seemed to create the magic concoction that you can get outside at a bar or a restaurant.
For my fiesta dinner, I decided to make the mojito, but there was no seltzer in the house. No problemo! I mixed in some Sprite instead and it did the magic!! Did I crack the Bartenders’ secret code?!
The lemon-lime flavor of the soda adds to sweetness of the mojito and makes it crisp and even more refreshing. The strong minty and citrusy flavors from the orange and the lime mask the pontent flavor of rum. This classic cocktail definitely sets in the ”fiesta” mood for any night!
For one glass of Mojito
10 mint leaves
1 orange slice (or a quarter)
2 lime slices (or quarters)
1 peg rum (I recommend using the 10Cane Rum. This sugar cane rum is light bodied and has a little flavor of its own apart from its general sweetness that makes it a great base for this cocktail. Any other white rum might give a different effect.)
4 tbsp simple syrup (Simple Syrup formula available here)
ice
Sprite, to top it off
Put the slices of orange and lime along with the simple syrup, rum and mint leaves in a small glass. Muddle the leaves and citrus slices by pressing them with a pestle or a wooden spoon until juicy and fragrant.
Fill a tall glass with about 1/3rd level of ice and pour the muddled mixture onto it. Top it with Sprite and serve.
Guacamole
Guacomole was a perfect dip that came along with a little (tortilla) chip and went with every sip of the minty mojito. Its one of our favorite appetizers, that’s ready in minutes and is packed with a nutrient punch. I used to buy it readymade at Wholefoods all the time, until one day when I closely observed our server at Charritos in Hoboken, make it for us right on our table!
The sweet crunchy red onions, refreshing red tomatoes and the hot jalapeño combined in with the creamy decadent fruit, make it a perfect fiesta concoction.
Serves 2
2 medium or 3 small ripe avocados (pop them in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before preparation if serving right away)
1/2 a lime juiced or 1/2 -1 tbsp is using from a bottle
1/2 small or 1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 small or 1/4 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
handful cilantro/coriander , finely chopped
3-4 dashes Tobasco/Hot sauce
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Halve and pit the avocados. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh (both yellow and green parts) into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados using either a fork or potato masher, leaving them still a bit chunky. Drizzle lime juice over the mashed avocados to avoid them from turning brown.
Mix in the rest of the ingredients well and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Guacomole can be made ahead of time. Sprinkle a little lime juice and lay the clear plastic wrap tightly close to the surface of the guacomole and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
It can be stored this way for upto 1 day. Once the plastic wrap is taken off, all the quantity has to be consumed, else it will turn brown and lose flavor.
Smoky Chorizo Quesadillas
The crunchy, golden brown quesadillas were the last ones to join the chip, dip and the sip.
Flour tortillas are wrapped with chunks of smoky chorizo sausage sautéed with onions and garlic and loaded with lotsa cheese. They are then baked off on a hot grilling pan that makes the cheese melt and gives them beautiful brown grill marks. Smoky Chorizo Quesadillas are a perfect match for the Guacamole and the Mojito.
Serves 2
2 links of Spanish Chorizo sausages (smoked pork sausage spiced with cumin and garlic), cut up into chunks
1 small or 1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
handful cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp EVOO and some for brushing on the quesadillas
salt
black pepper
2 (8-inch) flour tortillas
shredded cheese, Sargento® Shredded Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Mexican Cheese
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onions, garlic, jalapeño and the sausage chunks and sauté for about 5 mins till the onions are soft and the sausage is cooked. Add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper and take it off the heat.
Lay out the flour tortillas on a flat surface. Top with the sausage filling and the cheese, spreading evenly over 1/2 the side of each tortilla. Then fold over the remaining 1/2 side of the tortilla and press to seal.
Heat a large grilling pan over high heat. Brush one side of the stuffed tortillas with oil and place that side onto the grilling pan. Then brush the other side with oil. Leave it untouched over medium heat for about 3-4 mins till the cheese melts and deep golden brown grill marks appear on the bottom side. Turn it over and similary cook the other side for 3-4 mins.
Let cool for a few minutes. Slice into 4 wedges and serve with the guacamole.
¡Buen apetito!
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.
This summer, as the markets started filling up with all the wonderful veggies, fruits and herbs, I brought home for the very first time a pot (yes! they actually sell the herbs directly in the pots these days, it’s taking “freshness” to the next level, I must say) of leafy, aromatic, vibrant green Basil.
I have seen Giada De Laurentis on TV, going crazy for this one particular herb. She uses it practically in all of her recipes, savory and sweet too! I have had basil in several concoctions before, but never really handled it myself. Talking of basil, what’s the first thing that jumps right at you? For me, it’s the good ol’ pesto! Naturally, that was my first experiment with it.
I followed the renowned chef’s recipe step-by-step.
“
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste.
”
The result was an intensely aromatic and very flavorful chutney-like concoction! I decided to play around with it……
Italian Chutney Sandwich
Yes, that’s what I made first with the pesto, which looked and felt just like our very own desi coriander-coconut chutney. Smothered with generous amounts of pesto and stuffed with grilled chicken and crunchy grilled vegetables, this hearty sandwich is now a lunchtime favorite!
Serves 2
4 individual ciabatta/olive rolls or 1 large loaf of ciabatta
basil pesto
2 portobello mushrooms
1 zucchini, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 regular medium eggplant, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 tbsp EVOO (Rachel Ray’s abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle salt & pepper over the chicken breasts, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms. One after another, grill the chicken breasts, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms until they are tender and grill marks appear. Cool completely.
Slice the ciabatta bread in half and spread both sides with pesto. On the bottom slice, stack the grilled veggies and chicken breast pieces. Sprinkle some more fresh ground black pepper and place the top half of the ciabatta.
Alternatively, you can use any of your other favorite vegies, fresh mozeralla cheese slices, prosciutto slices, etc. and have your sandwich your way. Don’t forget the key ingredient, Pesto!
Primavera Pizza
In summer, the vegetables are definitely more flavorful than the rest of the year. With all the fresh vegetables that are suddenly available, you see a lot of “primavera” around you in restaurants, cafes, etc. Pasta Primavera is the most common dish made by tossing all the vegetables with pasta. But another dish that is equally popular is the Primavera Pizza. Smothered with the pesto as a base sauce, loaded with summer veggies, topped with oooey gooey cheese and a little meat factor (the hubby has to have it in every meal!), every slice is a triangle of paradise!
Serves 2
15oz. store-bought whole wheat pizza dough
basil pesto
1 portobello mushrooms
1 zucchini, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 regular medium eggplant, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
2 jarred roasted red peppers
2-3 tbsp EVOO (Rachel Ray’s abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup (1/2 packet) Sargento Reduced Fat Mozeralla shredded cheese
Grill the chicken and vegetables as in the above recipe and cut into thin, long slices.
Preheat oven to 425 deg F.
Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thick and transfer it to a pizza or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the pesto, top it with the chicken, onion and green pepper on one half of the pizza and roeasted vegetables on the other half and finally sprinkle the cheese.
 
Bake on the bottom rack for about 18 – 20 minutes till the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
Take it out of the oven and season with black pepper. Cut it into slices and serve hot with some ice cold beer.
*Recommended Heineken Premium Light beer
Pesto, Pasta & Peas
Pasta dinners are the quickest and the easiest and pesto makes a perfect no-cooking sauce. I toss hot cooked fetuccini in the pesto and throw in some green peas. The peas look like little beads entagled in the fetuccini ribbons, drenched in the pesto sauce. This elegant pasta dish is not only a treat for your eyes but also for your tastebuds!
Serves 2
1/2 pound (i.e. 1/2 packet) of fetuccini ( or other types like rotini, bow ties, fusilli etc that allow the pesto to get in and coat well)
1/4 cup frozen green peas, defrosted
3-4 tbsp basil pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to add to the pasta later, if needed.
In a mixing bowl, add the hot pasta and the peas to the pesto and toss well to coat evenly. Add the required quantity of reserved liquid for desired moisture level. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve warm with garlic bread or on a side of vegetables, meat or fish.
Summer Vegetables Au Pistou
So, what else did I do with the pesto, still holding it’s wholesome goodness and sitting in the refrigerator for over 2 weeks? Eureka! I had some zucchini, and red pepper also hanging in the refrigerator along with the pesto. I just sautéed the vegetables in the pesto and look what I got?!
Serves 2
1 zucchini, cut into quarter slices
1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2-3 tbsp basil pesto
salt
freshly ground black pepper
In a small frying pan or skillet on medium heat, warm the pesto and add the vegetables. Sauté for 3-4 minutes and season with some salt and pepper. Serve hot as a side dish with pasta, meats or fish or make an elegant bruschetta topping!
You may add other vegetables like asparagus, green beans, summer squash or yellow onions. Chicken tenderloins or shrimps would definitely kick it up a notch!
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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