Stir Fry Ginger Chicken

As I strolled in my kitchen, I wondered what to cook! Definitely was getting hungry and I knew I had mere 20 mins until my stomach would start to growl :) Looked into the fridge... and there I saw 2 small pieces of thawed boneless chicken! Hmm.... want something spicy I thought to myself. And then it flashed... I could make something with ginger as the main ingredient and dare and post my recipe for the JFI ginger event.

This was going to be my first ever submission to JFI event!! And here I was daring to try and make something absolutely new.. my own lil creation. I thought, let me try. If it dosent turn out good, I wont send it to JFI event.

So I set out in my kitchen... first by putting some basmati rice for boiling with some salt.

Then began my adventure.. and boy was the end result yummmm or what?!! Exactly what I was desiring.. spicy and tangy... warmed my soul :)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sliced boneless chicken
3 tbsp of ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green chili, chopped
3 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1/4 tspn Chinese 5 spice
1/4 tspn sugar
1/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced vertically
1/4 cup green bell pepper, sliced vertically
3-4 strands of bamboo shoots
2-3 baby corn
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt n Pepper to taste
1 tbspn Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water
Ginger julienne, for garnish
1 green onion, green part, chopped

Method:

• Marinate the chicken in salt n pepper and set aside for 5-10 mins
• In a screaming hot wok, swirl Olive oil on all sides and add the chicken and stir fry till fully cooked.
• Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and saute further for abt a min.
• Now add the vegetables, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, five spice and stir well.
• Add the broth and cook till it starts boiling.
• Add corn starch mixture and boil further till the sauce thickens.
• Garnish with ginger juliennes and green onions.

Enjoy with steaming hot rice. Yummmm!!

Red Thai Curry

Thai is one of my favourite cuisines. Red and green thai curry is like the safest dish to order in any Thai restaurants. This dish I have been making since quite some time now.. its become like that dish I make when I want something to be quick to be out on the table and yet want something not so ordinary! Also its a nice dish to make when you have unexpected friends over! I always have a can of coconut milk in the pantry and most of the times I also have canned bamboo shoots and baby corn in the pantry or in the back of my fridge!! The freshnes sof the dish and its complex flavors comes from the basil leaves. If incase you dont have basil leaves, by all means use dried basil instead.

The best thing about this dish is you really dont need ANY measurements. Just eye ball everything! Add more or less of the veggies and chicken. Eliminate the chicken slices and fish sauce to make it completely vegetarian.

We usually have it with plain jasmine rice or jasmine rice infused with lemon/lime/orange zest. Or even with basmati rice if I don't have jasmine rice at home!!! Its sooo damn versatile :)

Ingredients:
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cup chicken broth/ veg broth / water
1 tspn soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
1/4 cup tofu, cubed (optional)
1/4 cup boneless chicken, sliced (optional)
1/2 tspn brown sugar (Use the usual sugar if you dont have brown sugar)
2 cups of assorted veggies of your choice
(I usually use mushrooms, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, bamboo shoots, baby corn)
1 1/2 - 2 tbspn red thai curry (You get this in any supermarket in the asian aisle)
6-7 basil leaves, torn
1 tbspn olive oil

Method:

• In a screaming hot wok, swirl the Olive oil on all side and add the chicken and stir till fully cooked
• Slide the cooked chicken on one side of the wok, and on the other side add the curry paste and saute in the oil for about 30 secs.
• Add the coconut milk slowly and dissolve the curry paste completely.
• Add the broth or water and stir.
  
• Once it starts boiling, add the sauces, sugar and salt if required.
• Immediately add the veggies and cook for not more than a min, or else they will get soggy.
• Add the basil and cook till it wilts.

Serve hot with rice and ENJOY! :)

Shrimp Wontons

As said in the earlier post, I wanted to make something new and exotic. So I thought of making shrimp wontons. I went through a lot of recipes and mixed and matched to suit my palate. After I made them, I wondered why I had never made them before!! It was soooooo easy to make and so yummm!!! I could have deep fried them, but that wouldn't be an healthy option ofcourse! I could have steamed them too but I decided to boil them instead! :) I figure we can make this same dish vegetarian by simply eliminating the shrimps!! Will try that some other day. I have so many fillings in mind.. I will be tired trying them all... One at a time I say to myself :)

This makes about 18-20 wontons

Ingredients:
10 shrimps, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup cabbage, chopped finely
2 whole chestnuts, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
2 tbspn ginger, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, chopped
1/2 tspn green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbspn soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tspn sugar
18-20 wonton wrappers
Salt to taste (You can eliminate this, as the sauces will usually balance the saltiness)
1/2 cup water or 1 egg, beaten for sealing the wontons.

Method:

• Mix all the above and set aside for 10-15 mins for all the flavors to bind together.
• Fill each wonton wrapper with a teaspoon heap of the shrimp filling and seal them using water or egg.
• Boil them in boiling water till the wontons become transparent and start floating.
• Enjoy with some chilli garlic (I had this readymade) and ginger soy sauce (recipe given below).

Ginger Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp ginger, chopped
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
1 scallion, chopped

Mix all the above and use as a dipping sauce.

Chinese Style Fish Bake

Chinese was the theme for Sunday Night dinner. Wanted to try something new and exotic! And healthy at the same time. Just then remembered that I had bought some wonton wrappers and decided to make shrimp wontons and fish. Googled a lot for some chinese style fish but nothing really interested me. So thought of just coming up with something new all by myself!

The ingredients I used were everyday chinese ingredients you will find in your pantry. It was simple and quick to make and the end result was delicious!!!

Ingredients:
2 Fish fillets (I used Tilapia ofcourse.. hehe)
1 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 tspn vinegar
1/2 tspn sesame oil (Optional)
1/2 tspn sugar
1 tbsp ginger, chopped
1 tbsp garlic,chopped
1/2 tspn green chiliies, chopped (optional)
1 scallion, chopped
Salt to taste

Method:

• Marinate the fish with all the ingredients and set aside for 1/2 an hr.
• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and bake the fish for about 15-20 mins or till fully cooked.
• Sprinkle with some more green onions for garnishing.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Omelette

Satrday morning is eitehr getting up early and going for a jog.. or waking up 9ish to a hot cuppa coffee in bed! And going forward (still in bed) making calls to friends and family in India! And before you know, its already 11/11.30am!!! So have to go in for a quick fix brunch!

Weekend brunch usually has to do something with egg. So for last saturdays' brunch, I made some stuffed omelette, suagsages, toast and ofcourse no brunch is complete without orange juice! :)

I usually make omelettes with any stuffing I come across in fridge.. and always top it up with cheese ;)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 onion chopped
1-2 green chillies, chopped
4-5 button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tspn italian seasoning
2-3 sprigs cilantro, chopped
2 cheese slices (or 1/4 cup grated cheese.. I used Cheddar slices)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Method:

• Beat both the egss with salt n pepper, until light and fluffy. Keep aside.
  
• On a hot pan, saute onions in olive oil...until caremalized or almost brown.
• Mix all the ingredients except cheese and saute further.
• On a hot pan, spread some olive oil, and pour the egg batter and cover and cook on medium heat.
• When the top looks cooked, uncover and spread the mixture and cheese, on half of the omelette.
• Cover again and cook on low heat, till the cheese melts.
• Fold and have it with toast!

Thai Drunken Noodles

I have such a back log of recipes over the weekend!! Will try and post them or else I might forget the recipes of the new stuff I tried. As it is, I am so not a person who cooks by measurements!! Its always eye balling.. If I feel, I make it more spicy or less spicy, more or less tangy and so on and so forth. But nowadays I have started to try and measure (again approximate as I will never use measuring spoons other than for baking!)... just for the blog. But it really is difficult! Hmm.. anywayz... back to the recipe!

As said in my earlier post, I wanted to try and make the drunken noodles that i had for the first time ever(!) in Krung Thai, Las Vegas. Well, my version didnt taste exactly the same, but OH MAN.. was it good!! All the tastes tied together... spicy, tangy, sweet and sour!!! It was one of my best creations! But let me warn you... it was SPICCCYYYY!!! On a scale of 1-5 for spiciness, it was 6.. hehehe!!! I guess one can decrease the spiciness by adding less chili flakes and green chillies.

I didnt get the dark color I was looking for... which I later thought might be coz of the absence of Oyster sauce which I didnt have on hand. If you add oyster sauce, do add less salt.

Ingredients:
4-5 oz Thai Flat Rice Noodles (I brought these from Trader Joes)
3/4 cup cubed tofu
1/4 cup diced or long slit boneless chicken
1/4 green bell pepper, sliced vertically
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced vertically

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbspn chopped garlic
1/4 medium onion, chopped
2-3 green chillies, chopped

Marinade:
3 tbspn red chilli flakes
2 tbspn vinegar
2 tbspn fish sauce
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tspn sugar
1/2 tbsp fresh ground pepper
1 tspn Salt

1 1/2 tbspn soya sauce
1 tbspn Oyster Sauce (I didnt add it)
1/4 cup Basil leaves, chopped

Method:

• In a bowl, marinate the tofu with red chilli flakes, vinegar, fish sauce, lemon juice, sugar, ground pepper and salt.

• Spoon 3-4 spoons of the marinade and add to the chicken.

• Assemble all and keep aside for 1/2 an hr, so that the tofu and chicken soaks up on the flavors, or else the tofu will taste really bland.

• Boil enough water (to cover the noodles). As soon as it starts boiling, add **2 tbsp of salt and 1 tspn oil** to it and immediately add the flat noodles.
• Keep on stirring so that the noodles dont stick to each other. Cook for about 15 mins or till it is cooked el dante.
• Drain the noodles with cold water and set aside.
  
• Place a wok on high heat and swirl olive oil in the wok on all sides.
• Add the chopped garlic, onions, green chillies, cilantro and saute.
  
• Immediately add the chicken with its marinade and stir fry till it is cooked properly.
• Now add the tofu alongwith its marinade, vegetables, noodles, soya sauce and the basil leaves and stir well to bind all the ingredients.

Garnish with some more cilantro and/or basil leaves and serve.

Note:
** Salt is added, so that the noodles soak some salt flavor, or else it will be bland. Oil is added to minimize the sticking of noodles.
**You can make this dish vegetarian, by eliminating chicken and substituting fish sauce with soya sauce however the flavor wont be as robust.

Thai Fish Satay

Friday night dinners are usually out or we order in a pizza. This friday I did not want to eat out and no pizza either. I had this strong urge of eating thai. So thought would make simple... Chicken Satay and Red Thai curry with Jasmine rice. But as evening approached, I had this tempting need to taste the same spicy n tangy drunken noodles that I had in Vegas at Krung Thai!! I could actually taste them... hehe!

So I set out googling and after going through tonnssss of recipes, I made a rough sketch in mind how I would make mine!! As usual hubby dear asked me what I was preparing. When told about the drunken noodles.. he was like.. and what about appetizers???! I was like hmm... chicken satay maybe? He was like nah... feel like eating some fish!! Now I had no clue what thai appetizer I could make with fish! And I was already in the kitchen and had no time to google.

Hubby dear suggested I make something on my own.. get creative! He believes that when I try something new, it usually is nice. So I hesitantly decided to make Fish Satay... on the lines of Chicken Satay... but with a difference!

And it turned out amazingly goood!! Yuummooo :)

Ingredients:
All Approx
2 fish fillet (I used Tilapia)
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Thai Red Curry
1/2 tbspn red chilli flakes
1 tbsp fish sauce
A pinch of sugar
Pinch of turmeric
6-7 Basil leaves, chopped
Salt & Pepper
4 tbspn water

Method:

• Marinate the fish with all the ingredients except basil.
  
• In a hot pan, add some olive oil and shallow fry the fish.
• When it turns crisp and brown, turn around and fry.
• After its done, place it on the serving dish.
• to make the sauce, add the leftover marinate and water in the pan and **deglaze the pan.
  
• Add basil and stir till the basil wilts and pour over the fish.

Enjoy!

Note:
**This means liquid is added to loosen and dissolve the brown bits and pan drippings at the bottom of the pan that form during cooking and basting. This pulls all the flavor possible out of the cooking process. Deglazing liquid is usually broth, a marinade, or wine. Deglazing is the first step when cooking many sauces.

Rava Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth in any form is one of my favourite snacks! I associate thalipeeth with a quick evening snack.. but ofcourse you can have it anytime of the day! Like I had it for lunch yesterday! :)

Thalipeeth.. whenever I think of thalipeeth I remember my mom making it on saturday evenings or my maid serving them for evening snacks. Mom had trained the maid very well, nothing close to my mom but nevertheless! :) The best was to have them when it was raining.. piping hot!!!!

Nowadays I make a lot of variations of thalipeeths.. packing them for my hubby for his mid evening snack. I will post them as I make them :)

Ingredients:

*All approx*

1 cup coarse Rava(sooji)

Water (just enough to cover the rava)

2 green chillies, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tspn ginger, chopped

3-4 curry leaves, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 pinch sugar

salt to taste

Method:

• Mix all the above and keep aside for about 15 mins for the rava to soak properly. The rava puffs up just a bit.
• The consistency should be a lil thinner than idli batter. If needed add a lil more water.
• On a hot griddle, spoon a lil oil and spread the above batter and cover.
• When it starts sizzling, uncover and let cook for 2-3 mins more or till the bottom is cooked.
• Turn it over and let it cook further.
• The more you cook (on medium to low heat), the crisper it will become.

You can eat it as it is or with some butter or ghee!! Yummm...

Minestrone Soup

This is my all time fav. Italian soup. Winters n soups go hand in hand and tats the reason for all the soups I m making for dinner!!

Minestrone soup is a such a healthy, dense, hearty Italian vegetable soup, which you can turn into non-veg by adding bacon, or chicken cubes etc! But I personally like it veggie! Its such a versatile soup.. you can add as many veges you want or use whatever you have on hand. One can make the base tomato sauce from scracth or for a quick version use store bought marinara/pasta sauce or tomato paste/sauce!!

Minestrone soup is basically a tomato based soup with lots of veges (peas, broccoli, mushroom, zuchini, carrot, bell pepper, potatoes etc), beans and pasta. The key ingredient I add is fresh basil leaves which gives it the edge! I didnt have many veges on hand last night neither did I have the kidney beans or gorbanzo beans to add to it. Even then it turned out so yummy we were left licking our fingers (read spoons)!!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsn chopped garlic
1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 cup marinara soup (I used Hunt's Cheese n Garlic)
1 1/2 cup vegetable/chicken broth or water
Mixed veges chopped in big chinks (I used peas, broccoli, green bell pepper and carrots)
3/4 cup boiled pasta (any shape. I used whole wheat Penne)
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Salt n pepper

Method:

• In a hot pan, add olive oil and saute garlic, onions and celery.
• To this add the sauce and broth/water and simmer it for 15-20 mins.
  
• Add the chopped veges and pasta, salt and pepper and simmer it further for 5 mins.
  
• Add basil leaves, stir and turn the heat off.
  
• Ganish with parmesan cheese.
  
• Enjoy it as it is or with garlic bread.

Fruit Cake with Rum

Yum... fruit cake or Plum cake as it is known in India has been on of my favouratie cakes since aI was a kid! When I think of plum cake I visualize the dark brown cakes we used to get in the grocery (yeah grocery.. aka kirana stores and not bakery!) stores.. ofcourse without rum!! But rum in cakes always facinated me and reminded me of the specialty cakes from the high end bakeries!! So I searched and searched for a Fruit cake with rum recipes.. book marked atleast 5 and then finally settled for this one!

I had planned to bake this cake for christmas, but since Christmas was falling on a monday (I dont eat eggs on monday and this recipe calls for an egg) this year... i mean in 2006 :) I pushed it to bake it for New Years.. but then I had still not purchased the RUM!! ..and I was not going to bake this cake without rum!! And hubby was insisting on having rum in the cake too...

So after pushing it way to much.. I baked this cake atlast last week. I got this recipe from this site. I have been a long time admirer of Archana and have been wanting to bake atleast one of her cakes. And so I decided to start of with the fruit cake!! I just altered it a bit...

The alteration I made were:

• I didnt have cake flour, so substituted it with 1 cup minus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (maida) flour.
• Instead of shahajeera I used nutmeg powder
• Instead of golden raisins, I used chopped dates
• Instead of cherries, I used a mix of tutty fuity and fruit peels
• I added 1 cup of chopped almond
• And I did not use any cashews.

This batter made a 9*13 pan cake and I baked it for 1 hr. And I brushed the cake with rum for 3 consecutive days... yummmmm!!!

I have been enjoying the cake since then... HEAVEN!! Herez a closer view of the cake showing how nice n soft it is..

Sauted Spinach

This is a quick n' healthy side dish which can be altered using other green vegetables like mustard leaves, kale etc. Its simple, yet very distinct and you would want to eat more n more :)

Ingredients:
Baby spinach, washed
1 tbspn Olive oil
3 tbspn minced garlic
1tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tspn red chilli flakes (optional)
1 pinch sugar
Salt & Pepper

Method:

• In a hot pan, add the chilli flakes and garlic and saute for a while.
• Add the spinach in batches and stir.
• Add the salt, pepper, soy sauce, sugar and saute till the spinach wilts.

Enjoy!

Chicken Vegetable Noodle Soup

Dinner last night was chicken noodle soup with the side dish being spinach stir fry.

A nice hot n spicy soup on winter nights just warms the soul... I am a total soup person and love soups in most forms... vege, chunky, creamy :)

The chicken noodle soup is so quick to make and tastes awesome. You can use any veges you have on hand like green/red/yellow bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, zuchini, and even some tofu if you have some.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
23- green chillies, chopped
1 tspn vinegar
1 tspn soya sauce
Mixed veges of your choice (I took carrots, green bell pepper, mushroom, broccoli)
1 cup boiled noodles
Boneless Chicken pieces (optional)
2 cup water or chicken/veg broth
1 sring onion, chopped
Salt & pepper

Method:

• Boil water along with the chicken (I made chicken stock by boiling the chicken with bones and then shredding the flesh), salt & pepper. If you have broth, use broth instead of water directly.
  
• After it comes to a boil add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
• Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Stir Fried Bok Choy

I got some amazing baby bok choy from the chinese store. So, alongwith the soup I also made some stirfired bok choy. We have started having these stir fried greens a lot these days. The amazing aroma n flavor of the garlic is just enuf to start your mouth watering. And well greens are healthy too.

Ingredients:
8 Baby Bok Choy - seperate into leaves, & discard the thick bottom stalk.
2 tbspn Olive oil
3 tbspn minced garlic
1tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp chilli sauce
1 pinch sugar

Method:

• Mix the soy sauce, chilli sauce and sugar.

• Put the wok on high heat. When it is screaming hot, add olive oil and swirl it twice around the wok.
• Now add the garlic and saute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
• Immediately add the bok choy and stir on high heat till it starts releasing its juices and shrivels a bit.
• Add the paste, salt n fresh ground pepper.

Enjoy!!

Asparaus Leek soup

I have never got leek in my house! Always saw recipes usuing this, but somehow never bought it! This time when I saw it, I just picked it up saying I will make soup out of it.. not knowing if I could actually do it. But as I picked it up, I though of teh asparagus lying in the fridge and just thought of a recipe on the spur!

Hubby dear didnt like it much coz the soup has a bland taste. However I liked it.. with a lil pepper it gives it the needed spice... I will make it but only for moi :)

Ingredients:
3-4 chopped cloves of garlic
1 stalk of celery chopped
6 asparagus, cut into pieces (discard the woody stems)
2-3 leaves of leek
1/2 of a small potato
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Method:

• In a hot pot, saute garlic and celery in the oil till it releases a lovely aroma.
• Add asparagus, leek and potato. Saute for a min.
• Add the stock and let ti come to a boil.
• Lower the heat to medium and let it simmer till the potato is cooked.
• Let it cool a bit and grind to a smooth paste in a blender.
• In the same pot, add some more garlic n celery (gives a nice crunch while having the soup) and add the soup and let it simmer for 5 mins.
• Serve and garnish with mint leaf.
• Enjoy it as is or with some garlic bread.

Serves: 2

Bangda Curry

We found this new Chinese place which sells fresh fish!! Anyone will be surprised to hear how we stumbled upon this place... on our way to temple!!! Yeah its just 2 blocks away!

Anywayz, we got a nice black pompfret and just 1 bangda. I m not into eating fish but hubby loves them. I have found out that I do like tilapia though. And I baked the pomfret last night for dinner but before I could click some pictures, hubby had already started as he just couldnt wait.. hehehe!! And I liked the pomfret too. I think I like fish which dont have a very strong taste and thus.. tilapia and pomfret :)

Getting back to the bangda curry. This is the way my MIL cooks. She is an excellent cook and I have learnt most of the south indian curries from her... she has lived her entire life in Karnatak. Now even my MOM is an excellent cook too. Everyone says I have picked up after my mom :) I love to hear this but I just cant make things as good as her.. Nowayz!!

Now my mom and MIL have entirely different ways of making fish curry.. so I am lucky that I can make curries both MIL style n mom style :)

As i said before I have learned this curry from my MIL who has learnt from her MIL :) And thus the tradition continues!!!

Ingredients:
1 bangda medium slices washed with turmeric n salt
1/4 medium onion sliced vertically
1/2 tsp jeera
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
1 tspn tamrind paste
1 inch ginger
2 big cloves garlic
1-2 sprigs of cilantro
2 tbsp chilli powder (increase or decrease according to taste)
1 tbsp garam masala powder
Salt as per taste
1 pinch of turmeric


Method:

• In a heated pan, saute the onions in abt 1 tspn oil till they turn translucent.
• Now add the jeera and saute till the jeera turns color. Be careful not to burn the jeera.

• In a belnder, grind the onion-jeera alongwith cilantro, ginger and garlic with some water.
• Make into a fine paste and pour over the fish.
• Add the turmeric, salt, tamrind paste, chilli powder and garam masala powder and mix and let it marinate for 1-2 hrs.

• In a hot pan, add 1 tspn of oil and add the marinated fish.
• Add water to the desired consistency* and get it to a boil and immediately turn the heat to medium.

• Let it simmer on medium heat for about 20 mins, after which the greeninsh curry will turn into a nice deep red color.
• Done... have it with bhakri or rice.

Note:
* Add little more water than the desired end consistency as while boiling the water will evaporate.
** If there is leftover curry (without the fish) break 1-2 eggs in the boiling curry to make this into egg curry!

Verdict:
"Heaven"... these are the words from my hubby as soon as he tasted the curry!!! I was sooo happy as this is the first time I made this one!!

Baingan Bharta

Alongwith the bangda curry, I also made baingan bharta. Reason... the baingan was lying the fridge for quite sometime and I wanted a backup for the fish curry, just incase I dont have the curry! Well I did have... not only the curry but also the fish!!!! My mom will be very happy to hear that I did have the fish... as I used to always hog the fish curry and the onus of having the fish was on my mom n maid!!! hehehe.

Back to the baingan bharta...

Ingredients:
1 nice eggplant (baingan)
3/4 medium sized onion chopped
4-5 chilles
4-5 curry leaves
4-5 cloves of garlic
salt
turmeric
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven at 425F.
• Punture the baingan with a fork all over, and coat it with oil.

• Place the baingan in the oven and roast for about 1 hr to 1 hr 15 mins till the baingan shrivels completely.

• Meanwhile, coarsely ground the curry leaves, green chillies and garlic with a mortar n' pestle. This is gives a very distinct taste as compared to chopping these.

• Remove from oven, and remove the skin gently.

• Cut the stalk off and place the baingan pulp in a bowl and pound it with a pestle till the pulp softens and is seperated without any threads.

• Heat oil in a pan, and add the chilli-garlic-curry leaf paste and saute for about 2 mins on medium heat, till you get a nice fragrance (khamang vaas in marathi).
• Add the onions and saute till they turn translucent.
• Now add haldi, mix and add the baingan and mix. (You can add a tbspn of water to help mixing)
  
• Let it simmer on medium heat, covered for about 5 mins.
• Garnish with cilantro.
  

Potato Crisps

The winter plays tricks with your tatse buds! You fill hungry for no rhime or reason sometimes... and you want something realllyyy spicy! At least I do :)

So yesterday at noon, when this mood hit me, I just made some simple potato crisps. Its so easy yet heavenly!!

Ingredients:
1 potato cut like french-fries
1 tbsp Chilly Powder (more or less according to taste)
1/2 tspn turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbspn Oil

Method:

• Heat a pan and add oil
• When its very hot, add the spices.
• Saute and immediately add the potatoes and salt.
• Cover and cook without any water. The steam will cook the potatoes.
• When done, serve it on a plate and sprinkle the lemon juice. Enjoy!!
  

Indian Burrito

Last night wanted something quick and healthy... Hubby dear came up with this idea and it turned out yummmy!!

I had soaked masoor dal to make a sabji out of it. But then just gave it a tempering of just chopped garlic, chilli powder, turmeric and added the saoked masoor and cooked it with salt. Tats it!

And then started with the Indian Buritto ;)

Here is how...

Ingridients:
Any leftover cooked vegetable (I used cooked masoor dal)
Vertically sliced 1/2 medium sized onion
Vertically sliced 1 tomato
Chopped green chilles
Chopped cilantro
Cheese (optional)
Rotis - 4

Method:

• Place the cooked rotis on a tava or griddle and top it with the vegetable.
• Layer it with the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilles and cheese if you want.
  

• Sprinkle with a lil salt.
• Fold the roti like a buritto and pin (close) it with a toothpick so that the stuffing doesnt fall out.
  
• Let it cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins to get the bottom crisp.

• Voila!! Its ready to eat.. You can eat it as it is or with some ketchup.

Baked Tilapia

As I mentioned earlier, we have been trying to eat healthy these days. So try and eat baked fish or chicken or soups for dinner... atleast during the weeknights! As weekends are aphazard.. you know having friends over or going out et al! :)

I am not a fish person. But hubby dear loves fish. Poor thing doesnt get to eat as much fish coz of moi! Used to have slamon before... but its tooo strong a taste for me. However I tried tilapia and I think I like it. So tilapia is the fish for me for now :)

Had been having soups in a row for quite some time. Had some frozen tilapia in the fridge (had got from Costco) so thought of baking it. Though for a while and came up with this recipe... and it turned out pretty good. Made a side dish of sauteed spinach with garlic which hubby had with some basmati rice (he was sooo hungry cudnt wait for the fish to bake :) !!!)

Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
2-3 Tilapia fillets
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic. finely chopped
3-4 white button mushrroms, cut lenghtwise
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped.
1 stalk celery
Salt n' pepper
2 tspn Olive Oil

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
• Marinate the fillets with salt n' pepper and keep aside.

• In a pan, add olive oil. When hot, add garlic, onion, celery and mushroom and cook for 2 mins on high heat. Add the parsley and mix.

• Lay the fillet on a aluminium foil and place the marinated fillets on them.
• Layer it with the sauted veges. Sprinkle a lil more salt n' pepper and a dash of olive oil and fold the foil to form a packet. Place this on a tray.

• Place the tray in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 12-15 mins or until cooked.

• Unwrap the foil and slowly place the fillet on a serving dish and spoon some liquid (juices from the fish) over it. Enjoy!

Chicken n' Pasta Soup

I prepared this soup a day after my 3rd year anniversary. Wanted something healthy as we are trying to eat healthier... thus this soup. Turned out quite yummmyy!! :)



Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup water
4-5 pods Crushed or chopped Garlic
1/2 medium sized onion Chopped
1 stalk of Chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1 cup Boiled pasta
1 potato cut into medium cubes
1 cup chopped boneless Chicken
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Dry or fresh rosemary, thyme ground black pepper

Method:

• Heat olive oil in a pan and then add chopped garlic, onion and celery and let them sweat for a while.
• Now add the boneless chicken and saute till the chicken is cooked.
• Add the potatoes, carrots, chicken broth and water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
• After it boils, add pasta, ground black pepper, salt, rosemary, thyme and let it simmer covered for over 20-25 mins.
• Serve hot with garlic bread.

Maharashtrian Thali

Hubby dear had an urge to have a thali special for lunch on the first day of the year! Being a maharashtrian, I decided on making Maharashtrian Thali. This is how it turned out....



Clockwise from left:
Batatycahi Bhaji (Potato Vegetable),
Methi bhaji (Fenugreek Leaves),
Kelyachi kaapa (Shallow fried Raw Banana),
Masala Bhaat,
Waran bhaat,
Phulke,
Limbu chutney and..
In the center is Pithla.

On the side:
Palak Amti
Vermicelli Kheer

A simple hearty meal to start off the new years :)

Happy New Year

A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year to everyone!!!

I have been religiously browsing through many a food blogs since past few months. Always wondered if I could create my own blog too but always held back. My thinking was... am I good enough to create a food blog?? But then somewhere I remember reading that these blogs are not just a web page showing your culinary skills, but also a food diary.

Then after lot of convincing from dear hubby & friends, I have dared to create this blog. Am a novice in blogging and am hoping to learn as I go ahead :)

First step was to come up with a blog name. After a lot of pondering, I came up with this name. For me food is all about aromas n flavors and lingering tatstes... tickling your taste buds and bringing back memories associated with them! And hence this name!