Lingering Tastes

Khatta Meetha Tikha Baingan

2007-03-06T15:16:00.000-08:00

Does the title give you an idea about the dish?? Its such a long name for a simple dish, but nothing else can describe this dish!!

I have no clue about the origin of the dish. I mean is it maharashtrian, punjabi or from somewhere else. The only thing I know about its origin is... Mom's kitchen!!! I totally LOVE this dish. It has all the tastes packed in it.. spicy, sweet and sour!!

Ingredients:
4 small brinjal
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbspn shredded jaggery
1 1/2 tbsp tamrind paste
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
2 cups of water

Method:

Slit the brinjal like a "+" shape on one end.
Mix all the other ingredients and squeeze together with fingers and mix well.
Set aside for 10 mins.
Stuff the mixture in the baingan. Some mixture will remain.
In a hot pan, add about 2 tbspn of oil.
When hot, add the brinjals one by one.
Add the remaining mixture.
Add about 1 cup of water.
Cover and cook on high heat till it starts boiling, then lower the heat to medium.
Keep on changing the brinjal's position.
Let cook till the brinjals are thoroughly cooked on all sides.
Check in between, and add the remaining water little by little so that the gravy doesn't become too dry.
Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Enjoy with phulkas or rotis or steamed rice!

Garlic Methi Paneer

2007-03-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

I had some leftover paneer in the fridge. Thought of making paneer makhani, but then thought... nahhh too heavy!!! Then I remembered I had methi lying in the fridge, and I had to make something out of it. Would have made methi paneer pulav, but then thought NOT making rice as we already had biryani last night... rice 2 days in a row.. not healthy!

So thought of making methi paneer. Had never made this before. Though of googling, but thought otherwise and decided to go with my mood and come up with something.

And it sure did turn good. What a healthy meal... methi paneer, dahi kadhi and rotis!

Ingredients:
4 cups, washed n chopped methi leaves
1 cup cubed paneer
5-6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp dhania-jeera powder
1/4 tspn chilli powder
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

Method:

In a tbsp of hot oil, add the garlic and saute till fragrant.
Add the onions and green chillies and saute till the onions are translucent.
Now add the paneer and fry till they turn golden brown on some sides.
Add the sugar, turmeric powder, dhania-jeera powder, salt and methi leaves.
Cover and cook till the leaves become a little limp.
Enjoy with rotis!

Prawn Biryani

2007-03-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

Prawn or shrimp biryani.. yummmy!! Thats just about it you can say about this dish!! Prawn biryani is something one can make in a jiffy and still taste like heaven!! I usually make this with malwani masala. But sometimes use normal chilli powder too. Malawan is a coastal area in maharashtra and is know for its seafood and spicyyyy food :)

Ingredients:
20-25 shrimps
3-4 cloves
1 small stick of cinnamon
1 elaichi (cardamom), crushed
1-2 bay leaves
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 onion, chopped
2 tbspn ginger, chopped
1 1/2 tbspn garlic, chopped
2 tbspn chilli powder
1 tspn turmeric powder
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked
3 3/4 cup water
2-3 tbspn Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a saucepan.
Add the whole masala (cloves, elachi, cinnamon, bay leaves).
As it starts to splutter, add the ginger garlic and saute.
Add the onions and fry it on medium heat till it turns pink and translucent.
Now add the tomatoes, chilli powder and turmeric and fry continuously for 3-4 minutes.
Cover and simmer till the mixture releases oil.
Now add the shrimp, 1/2 cup cilantro and the soaked rice.
Mix well, add salt and water.
Cover and cook on high heat till the rice comes to a boil.
Now lower the heat and cook till well cooked.
Garnish with cilantro and enjoy as it is or with raita.

Fried Shrimps

2007-03-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

Last night was a shrimp fiesta! Made some prawn biryani and prawn fry alongwith some raita and sat in front of the TV and had a lovely dinner! Well I mention TV specifically coz after almost a gap of 2 yrs, we got the cable! Yeah we had decided to get of the hook as we were slowly turning into couch potatoes! So we got it out and started taking some classes such as language and swimming and stuff.

Anywayz back to food :)

I am not a great fish eater. But when it comes to prawns/shrimps, I can have a lot of it :) Love the way my mom makes shrimp biryani, shrimp curry, fried shrimps, shrimp masala.. etc etc!! Will post these recipes hopefully soon :)

Ingredients:
15-16 mid-sized prawns
Salt to taste
1 tbspn chilli powder
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1/2 tspn tamrind paste
3-4 tbspn suji (rava)
Oil for frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients, except the rava.
Keep aside for 15-20 mins.
Heat a pan with some oil.
Pat the shrimps one by one on the rava, and place on the pan.
Cover and cook for 2-3 mins on medium heat.
Uncover and let it cook for another minute tehn turn.
Let cook on teh other side.
Serve hot as a side dish.

Paneer Mixed Veggie Parantha

2007-02-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tbspn salt
Warm water
Little oil

1 cup grated paneer
2 handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
1/2 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped finely
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lemon/lime juice
1/4 cup peas, boiled
1 medium potato, boiled and smashed
1 inch ginger, chopped finely
1-2 green chilles, choppped
1 tbsp dhania-jeera powder

Method:

Knead the flour with oil, salt and warm water enough to make a soft dough. Set aside for 15-20 mins.
Mix all the other ingredients and smash well.
Roll out a small of dough and stuff a small ball of the stuffing.
Enclose it properly and roll it out gently.
Do not worry if the stuffing comes out a bit. It looks and tastes better :)
Cook the parantha on both sides till golden brown using oil or ghee.
Enjoy it as is with some butter and/or with curd and pickle!

Neer Dosa

2007-02-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

Neer dosa or water dosa is the best thing to make when you feel like having dosa but haven't soaked and fermented the dal-rice combo as required to make the usual dosa. Since it requires about an hr or so of soaking the rice, you can make this real quickly and is a good dish to serve when you have surprise visitors.

The authentic way of making this dosa, is to grind the rice with some coconut. But I wanted to avoid using coconut just so that its is healthier. So I completely avoided it and also I added chopped curry leaves and chopped cilantro to the batter just for that zing. But its not the authentic way.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice, soaked in warm water for a min. of 1 hr
1 spoon rice flour (optional)
2-3 curry leaves, torn
2-3 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:

Grind the rice with as little water as you can add.
As the rice starts grinding, add more water and keep on grinding.
Remove the batter in a bowl, and add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Add more water if required. The consistency should be watery.
To make the dosas, heat a griddle and wipe some oil on it.
Neer dosas are not made like the traditional dosas where you to spread the batter.
Instead you splash the watery batter on the tava (griddle) and swirl around if required.
It should form thin layer.
It should form small holes on the surface.
Let it cook completely on the bottom.
If you want it crispier, turn on the other side and heat it as well.

Enjoy with chutney and sambhar.

Cilantro-Dalia Chutney

2007-02-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

When one thinks of chutney, one invariably thinks of idlis and dosas!! And its the same vice versa!! Thats exactly what I had for lunch today! Neer dosa with green cilantro chutney.

Mom used to make chutney with coconut as the main ingredient. But after I got married, I learnt this chutney from my MIL. What mom used to make is imprinted in my mind and soul... and I LOVE it. But for a healthier version, read using lesser coconut, I make this chutney on a regular basis at home now.

A simple chutney can be enhanced by giving it some tadka (tempering). It just changes the whole look and taste of a chutney.

Like most of my cooking, even the chutney I make, I NEVER measure ingredients. But have tried my best to make a note while I made it today.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup grated coconut OR About 2 1/2 sq. inch of coconut piece
1/2 cup Split Dalia
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
8-10 curry leaves
3-4 green chillies
3-4 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1/2 tspn sugar
1 inch tamrind ball
Salt as per taste

For tempering:
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 pinches of asofoetida (hing)
1 dry red chilli, broken into pieces
2-3 curry leaves

Method:

For the chutney, grind all the ingredients with water.
If required, add more water till you get the desired consistency.
And then add the tempering/tadka of mustard seeds, hing, dry red chillies and curry leaves in ghee.

Black Eyed Bean Soup

2007-02-03T21:33:00.000-08:00

Wanted to have some protein rich food for dinner. So I had soaked black eyed beans in noon to make some sabzi out of it. But then thought of eating sabzi roti for dinner wasnt too inviting. Gave some thought and decided to make soup out of the beans instead. I had no clue how it would turn out but decided to go ahead with the experiment. And it turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:
1 cup black eyed beans
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 stalk leek, chopped
1/3 cup carrots, chopped
1 green chili, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1/2 tspn dried parsley
1/2 tspn dried rosemary
1/2 tspn dried thyme
3-4 sorigs cilantro, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Method:

Pressure cook the beans with some salt with some water. Reserve the water to use as stock.
In a stock pot, heat some oil and add garlic, chili and onions and saute till the onions turn transparent.
Now add the celery and leek and saute further.
Add the beans, carrot, dried herbs, stock and cilantro. Mix.
Add salt n pepper and let it simmer for about 20-25 mins on low heat to let all the flavors bind.

Have it as is or with some garlic bread :)

Green Beans Sabzi

2007-02-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

This vegetable is so versatile in its use. You can just steam it, boil it, add in soups etc etc. But I love to have it as a sabzi cooked the indian way. At my mom's place we used to make this very simple. You can make it as a curry to but I used to like it this way coz it retains its crunch. The best way to cook this is to make it crunchy and not over cooking and making it soggy! I always like to have this simple meal with some roti and dal too.

Lunch yesterday was roti, farasbi bhaji (green beans sabzi) and some sweet n sour lime pickle given by a friend. Simpleee :)

Ingredients:
3 cups green beans, chopped
1 potato, cubed or medium sliced (optional)
1-2 green chillies, chopped or slit vertically
1/2 tspn ajwain
2-3 curry leaves
1/4 tspn mustard seeds
1 tspn jeera (cumin seeds)
1/4 tspn turmeric
A pinch of Sugar
Salt to taste

Method:

In some oil, put a tempering of mustard seeds. As they start spluttering, add the curry leaves and jeera and saute.
Add the ajwain and saute a bit.
Add the turmeric, sugar, beans, potato and salt.
Cover and cook for about 8-10 mins.
When cooked, the beans should have a crunch but not undercooked either.

Enjoy with rotis.

Palak Khichdi

2007-02-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

This is what I had for lunch today! I love this simple yet heart warming dish. Just the perfect rice dish to have in winter... and any other time ofcourse.

My first introduction to this dish was some 4-5 years ago in THE shopping suburb of Bombay.. BANDRA.. in this restaurant which I visited for the first time too... Sheetal Bukhara. I still remember the first bite I took of the palak khichdi and my romance with this dish has blossomed since then :) Truly heart pleasing, comforting, simple dish... which let me add... a few restaurants still suck at! You have to get the right soggy consistency and the right amount of garlic and onion bites in between. I cant stop raving about this dish!!

When in Bombay (I still don't like it calling Mumbai but slowly getting accustomed with the new name), I never attempted making this dish. When I it tried here for the first time a year back.. it had the right taste but not the right consistency. But now I get it PERFECT!! Mom says she still cant make it right.. M dying to feed her my haath ka palak khichdi.. For heavens sake.. this must be THE one dish I can make better than mom!! :)

Today I made this with baby spinach that I had in the fridge. You can use spinach bunch too, as I usually do :) I always use basmati rice for this dish as it imparts its own special flavor!

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice, washed and drained
2 cups water
About 2 handfuls of baby spinach
4-5 garlic pods, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tomato, chopped (optional)
1 green chili
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp garam masala
A pinch of sugar
A pinch of turmeric
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee

Method:

Blanch and puree the spinach with the green chili. Set aside
In a hot saucepan, add the oil and ghee.
Add the garlic and saute for about 5 seconds, then add the onion and saute till they turn pink and translucent.
If using, add the tomatoes and stir.
Now add the rice and mix well with the onion and garlic.
Add the spinach puree, turmeric, sugar, garam masala, salt and stir well.
Add the water and milk.
Cover and let it boil on medium heat.
The dish is done when the rice is fully cooked and **the spinach puree still floats on top.

Enjoy with a dollop of ghee if desired :)

Note:
** Check in between when the rice is cooking. If desired add 1/2 cup water more. You want the end result not seperate rice grains but a sticky mushy khichdi.

Pohe

2007-02-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

Speaking of pohe/poha brings back sooo many memories!! Mom used to usually serve this as breakfast on Saturday mornings or as an evening snack on saturday evenings. Its such a versatile dish.

I know it is prepared all over the south of india, but for some reason I used to always associate it as a maharashtrian dish! This dish can be stirred up on a moments notice and is a staple snack when you have unexpected guests!!! Hot poha served with garma garam chai!! Ahhhh.. bliss!!

As easy as it is to make this dish, it is still considered an expertise by some. The whole expertise lies in how much the poha needs to be soaked. The end result should be separate poha and not sticky. You get basically 2 kinds of poha.. thin and thick. With the thin poha you can make daDppe pohe which I will post sometime later. Thick poha is used to make this dish.

I remember this as one of the first breakfast dish I learned to make... well I only made it maybe twice before I got married :) and that too the poha was soaked and squeezed and given to me by mommy dear. hehe.

Also, every maharashtrian knows this.. its kinda funny. Traditionally... for an arranged marriage, when someone comes over... like you know... when the guy with his family meets the girl and her family... this is the STANDARD dish to be served.. POHE!!!! I remember someone saying (jokingly ofcourse) that they declined the proposal cause they were not served pohe... hahaha. You get the idea... pohe is that much associated with this tradition!! But ofcourse the norm is changing in some households where they don't serve poha on this occassion... :)

Also, this is such a verstaile dish... you can make just kanda pohe that is poha with just onions like I have made today. Or Batata pohe... poha with potatoes or kanda batata pohe, which was the usual way it was made at mom's place. You can also make it by adding some veggies like tomatoes, peas and/or carrots! Cool isn't it?

And it is always garnished with chopped cilantro leaves and grated coconut... I don't use coconut as I try and limit coconut usage in my house.. You know lesser calories ;)

Makes 1 serving
Ingredients:
2-3 Curry leaves
1/4 tspn mustard seeds
A pinch of hing (Asofoetida)
A pinch of sugar
Salt as per taste
1 green chilli chopped, or sliced vertically
1/2 onion, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup thick poha
1/2 - 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

In a hot pan, add a tbsp of oil and put a tempering of mustard seeds.
As it starts spluttering, add the curry leaves, green chillies and hing.
Now add the onions and saute till they turn translucent.
Meanwhile as the onions are turning translucent, wash the poha in water and soak it for about a min.
Squeeze out all the water and transfer the poha on a dish and separate it out.
After the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes if wanted.
Add the turmeric, sugar and salt.
Add the soaked and squeezed poha.
Mix well.
Add the lemon/lime juice and stir well.
Serve on a plate and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!!!

Stir Fry Ginger Chicken

2007-01-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-31T10:34:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-31T10:07:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-31T09:54:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-22T15:59:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-12T11:54:00.001-08:00

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

2007-01-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-11T12:56:00.001-08:00

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

2007-01-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-04T11:16:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-03T16:46:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

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!