Veggie Cuisine

Vegetarian Website Award

2011-05-30T14:47:00.000-05:00

Vegetarian

Updated RCI list for 2009

2009-01-14T06:30:00.002-05:00

RCI event list for 2009

January - Chettinad Vegetarian Cuisine - Srimathi from Few Minute Wonders

February - Haryana Cuisine from Easy Crafts

March - Lucknow Cuisine - Vanamala from My Kitchen World

April - Pondicherry Cuisine - Lavanya from Home Cooks Recipes

May - Jain Cuisine - PJ from Seduce your Tastebuds

June - Indo Chinese Vegetarian Cusinine - Mythreyee from Paajaka

All other months in 2009 still available.

RCI event confusion?

2008-05-05T21:09:00.007-05:00

Hi all

Today I was going through a few blogs and I came across a post on RCI at asan khana. The blogger was referring to a RCI Punjab roundup on a blog called Cooking Station. RCI Punjab was hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt way back in June 2007.

I am not aware of this parallel RCI event going on. I am not in anyway connected with this. I am not sure who initiated this event either.

So, is there a plagiarism going on with blog events too? I thought it was only the photos that were being taken!

RCI list for 2009

2008-04-23T05:50:00.007-05:00

Hi all

Here is the list for 2009.

RCI event list for 2009

January - Chettinad Vegetarian Cuisine - Mythreyee from Paajaka

February - Haryana Cuisine from Easy Crafts

March - Lucknow Cuisine - Vanamala from My Kitchen World

April - Pondicherry Cuisine - Lavanya from Home Cooks Recipes

All other months in 2009 still available.

Do let me know if you would like to host any month in 2009.

RCI event list for 2008

2008-04-19T14:00:00.007-05:00

Hi all

It's been a very long time since I updated or posted new recipes on the blog. Life on the homefront has kept me busy with the entry of a new member into my family. Of course, I have been visiting all my favorite blogs and saving interesting recipes for use later :)

Many thanks to all the food bloggers who have been hosting the RCI event and keeping the spirit alive. I have been keeping track of the events month after month. You will surely see updates and posts on my blog in the near future. Until then here is the updated RCI Event list for 2008. If you have any queries or questions or would like to host the event in any month do mail me at veggiecuisine@gmail.com

RCI Event list for 2008
March - Bengali Cuisine - Sandeepa from Bong Mom's Cookbook - Current month
April - Rajasthani Cuisine - Paddukotti from Spicy Andhra
May - North East Indian Cuisine - Bhagys from Crazy Curry

June - Andhra Festival Foods - Vani from Batasari
July - Goan Cuisine - Reena from Spices of Kerala
August 2008 - - Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine - Mona Afzal from Zaiqa
September 2008 - Konkan Cuisine - Deepa from Recipes and More

October 2008 - Assamese cuisine - Priya from Food and Laughter
November 2008 - Parsi cuisine from The Cooker
December 2008 - Awadhi Cuisine - Siri from Siri's Corner

Meet you all soon!

Zucchini chutney

2007-08-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

Zucchini is a versatile veggie that can be easily used in Indian cooking. I make sambar, kootu and curry with zucchini. This time I wanted to try making chutney and the result was amazing. You can eat this chutney with dosa, adai or idli or with a bowl of hot rice and ghee. Yum! This is my contribution to Nupur's A-Z of vegetables.

Ingredients
2 medium zucchini
4 or 5 red chillies (adjust according to taste)
1 small green chilli (for flavor)
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp of urad dal (split black lentils)
2 cloves of garlic (sliced thin) (optional)
1/2 tsp jeera
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

For seasoning
Oil
1/2 tsp of mustard
A few curry leaves
1 red chilli - broken

Method
1. Wash the zucchini, peel the skin and cut into cubes.
2. In a pan roast the red chillies and urad dal without oil. Set aside.
3. Next add oil in the same pan and fry the zucchini till tender.
4. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
5. Then add the tamarind paste and asafoetida and mix well.
6. Transfer the roasted red chillies, urad dal, raw jeera and zucchini veggie mix to a blender.
7. Add very little water and blend to a paste and add salt to taste.
8. Season with mustard, curry leaves and red chillies.

Fusilli with tri color bell peppers

2007-07-27T08:18:00.000-05:00

I came across this recipe in Williams Sonoma's Pasta Cookbook. It looked so colorful that I had to try it out. While the original recipe is for a pasta salad I used the ingredients and came up with a warm pasta dish.

Ingredients
1/2 pound long Fusilli
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper
(use any color you want)
1 tsp of garlic paste
1 tsp of drained capers
1 cup of cubed fresh mozzarella cheese
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 tsp of pepper powder
Salt to taste
Olive oil as needed

Method
1. Slice the bell peppers into long strips (you can also cut them into rings), brush with olive oil and add salt and pepper and roast (at 350 degrees) in the oven until done. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta until al dente. Follow the instructions on the package.
3. Pour olive oil in a pan, add the red pepper flakes and garlic paste and sauté.
4. Add the oven roasted bell peppers and mix well.
5. Transfer the cooked pasta and add salt if required.
6. Remove from flame and add cubed mozzarella pieces.
7. Serve hot.

Aloo Pudine ka Saag

2007-07-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

I harvested fresh mint from my kitchen garden and tried out this recipe for the RCI Punjab Cuisine event hosted by Richa from 'As Dear As Salt'. I was a bit skeptical when I started making this curry because I felt it might taste very different. But once I made the paste and started sautéing it the whole house was filled with the aroma of fresh mint and it was so good. The curry also tastes yummy. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
For the gravy
A medium sized bunch of fresh mint (you can reduce the quantity if you find the flavor too strong. I used a handful of leaves because the home grown mint had a very strong flavor)
1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 green chilli
1 big onion

Other ingredients
2 medium sized potatoes
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 piece of cinnamon
Oil as needed
Salt to taste

Method
1. Make the paste for the gravy and set aside.
2. Either boil the potatoes or simple shallow fry them in oil. I cut the potatoes into cubes and baked them.
3. Pour oil in a pan and add the bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon.
4. Next add the masala paste.
5. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, amchur and turmeric powder. Mix well and cook till the raw smell disappears. Add water if the gravy becomes thick.
6. Then add the potatoes and salt and bring to a boil.

Goes well with roti or pulao.

Simla mirchi chi peeth perun bhaaji (Green bell peppers curry)

2007-06-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

I guess I made it just in time. This is my entry for RCI - Maharashtrian Cuisine - hosted by Nupur from One Hot Stove. Green bell peppers sauteed in a mixture of besan and spices lend a delicious twist to this Maharastrian curry.

Ingredients
4 green bell peppers
1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour) - increase the quantity of besan if you like
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp peanut powder (optional)
1/2 tsp dhania powder
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp mustard seeds
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Oil as needed

Method
1. Wash and chop the bell peppers into square pieces.

2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard and asafoetida.
3. Add the bell peppers and turmeric powder sauté until half cooked on medium flame.
4. Make a dry mixture of besan, red chilli powder, dhania powder, peanut powder and salt and add to the bell peppers.
5. Continue cooking on a medium flame until the bell peppers turn golden brown.
6. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Snake gourd curry with green onions and channa dal

2007-05-31T19:24:00.000-05:00

I am back with an entry for Nupur's A-Z of vegetables event - for 'S'. This is a delicious curry made with fresh snake gourd. I used green onions to give it a rich color and a light hint of onion in the background. The addition of channa dal makes it a nutritious side dish. This curry goes well with roti or plain rice.

Snake gourd curry

Ingredients
1 cup of chopped snake gourd pieces (I used a medium sized snake gourd)
1 bunch of spring onions - finely chopped
1/2 cup of channa dal - soaked in water for 2 hours
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of jeera
1 tsp of red chilli powder
1 tsp of dhania powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
3 or 4 pods of garlic - crushed
Salt to taste
A few curry leaves
Cilantro for garnish

Method
1. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard. Once it splutters add the jeera, curry leaves and garlic.
2. Next add the green onions and saute until tender.
3. Drain the channa dal from the water and add to the onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
4. Next add the snake gourd pieces, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder and salt and mix well.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook till the snake gourd pieces become tender.
6. Remove the lid and cook till the water evaporates.
7. Garnish with cilantro.

Sweet nothings!

2007-05-24T13:17:00.000-05:00

I am back again with a post finally. The last few weeks have been really hectic. Here is my contribution to Coffee's MBP - Something Sweet - for May 2007. Infact, I have not one but a few tried and tested recipes here.

Maple Pecan Cake - This is the best cake I have had in a long time. The best part is that it has maple syrup and no butter at all except for very little vegetable oil. This is truly a big hit. Thanks to Shammi of Food in the main and Taste Goblet for the recipe. Click here and here to view the recipe for maple pecan cake.

Orange Loaf Cake - an amazing cake from my My Rasoi. This cake tastes just like a regular pound cake but does not need one pound of butter. Plus it has a orange taste going on in the background and is simply delicious.

Pecan~Chocolate Chip~Banana~Bread from Baking Bites (formerly Baking Sheet). Click here for the recipe. This bread is fresh and tasty with crunchy pecans and gooey chocolate chips. This bread is a must try along with a steaming cup of coffee.

Eggless Orange Sponge Cake - an easy to make cake from Menu Today. Click here for the recipe.

Banana Payasam from Soumya's blog - The Home Spices. This is a simple yet delicious dessert that will be ready in minutes.

Palak Paneer

2007-05-12T23:22:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe I tried out from Seema's blog - Recipe Junction. I must say that this is the most delicious palak paneer I ever had. I may never go back to my earlier method of making a spinach puree for palak paneer. This is my contribution to Nupur's 'P' of Indian vegetables. Thanks Seema for this wonderful and delicious recipe.

Ingredients

1 box of frozen chopped spinach
1 big onion - chopped
1 big tomato - chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
3 or 4 green chillies
1 cup paneer - cubed and sautéed until brown
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup half and half

Method

1. Thaw the spinach in the microwave. Pour oil in a pan and sauté until soft. If you are using frozen spinach it's important you use the chopped variety.
2. Fry the onions and tomatoes till tender.
3. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, paprika, green chillies and ginger garlic paste and sauté until well blended.
4. Cool and make a paste of this sautéed mixture.
5. Add oil in a pan and cook this paste till the raw smell disappears.
6. Transfer the reserved spinach, add salt and half and half and let it boil.
7. You can add water if you feel the gravy is thick.
8. Add the paneer pieces and mix well.
9. Serve with roti or pulao.

RCI ~ TAMIL CUISINE ~ ROUNDUP

2007-04-29T11:30:00.000-05:00

A big thanks to all of you for participating in the RCI – Tamil Cuisine Event in April 2007. I hope all of you had a lot of fun cooking and sending in your entries. I received many entries – infact 74 to be precise - for this event (some bloggers had posted many recipes in one entry and I split them under various heads as separate entries). It was amazing to see so many new food bloggers enthusiastically sending entries to the event. A warm welcome to all the new food bloggers who have started this wonderful culinary journey.

I have categorized the entries into broad heads as it will be easy to browse through the recipes. Hold your breath as here comes the roundup…

Here’s a peek into what a perfect Tamil meal looks like.
Sharmi from Neivedyam has come up with a whole spread that signifies the Tamil Cuisine.

Deepz from Letz Cook has sent us this vazhai elai saapadu (food served on a banana leaf) a perfect example of wedding meals.

Tiffin
Arisi Upma from Menu Today
Sevai upma - Trupti from The spice who loved me

Upma made by Sajeda of Chachis kitchen

Venpongal from Swapna of Susarlas kitchen

Temple style tamarind rice - Usha from Samayal Ulagam

Masal for masala dosa from Mythreyee of Try This Recipe

Hot pongal and kadalai paruppu chutney from Deepa of Recipesnmore

Lentil donuts in lentil soup vada - Padmaja from Spicy Andhra

Oothappam from Suma of Veggie Platter

Lemon Sevai from LakshmiK of Veggie Cuisine

Spinach uttapam - Coffee from the The Spice Cafe

Tamraind rice - Swapna from Swad of India

Thayir vadai - Priya from Priya's Kitchen

Rawa dosa - Richa from As Dear As Salt

Rawa idli from Mommy friendly recipes

Elumichampazha sadam - Aarti from Aartis corner

Venpongal and Sambar - Sreedevi from Sreelu's tasty travels

Snacks
Murukku - Prema from My Cookbook

Javarsi Vadam - Deepa from Recipesnmore

Yelai vadam - Hema from Vegconcoctions

Rasam
Takkali Rasam - Sharmi from Neivedyam

Paruppu rasam - Jas from Just for fun

Rasam - Kajal from Kajal Dreams

Neem flower rasam - Suganya from Tasty Palettes

Tomato rasam - Coffee from The spice cafe

Spicy rasam - Reena from Spices of Kerala

Vepampoo rasam - Sneha from Kadambam

Podis and chutneys
Paruppu thuvaiyal - Viji from Vcuisine

Paruppu podi - - Sharmi from Neivedyam

Karuvepillaipodi - Revathi from En Ulagam

Rasam powder - Coffee from The spice cafe

Sambar
Arachu vitta sambar - Sheela from Delectable Victuals

Vendakkai sambar - Sharmi from Neivedyam

Sambar - Coffee from The spice cafe

Kootu
Beans kootu - Viji from Vcuisine

Kootu - Bee from Jugalbandi

Pudalangai molagootal - Roopa from Recipe of Choice

Keerai poritha molagootal - Sapna from Indian Monsoon

Sorakkai pal kootu - Sharmi from Neivedyam

Peerakangai kootu - Pavani from Cooks Hideout

Kosu kootu - Lakshmiammal from Cook Food Serve Love

Kuzhambu
Milagu kuzhambu - Viji from Vcuisine

Vatral Kuzhambu - Ayesha from Vivakaarasamayal

Chithambara Kothsu from Menu Today

Morkozhambu - Prema from My cookbook

Thalaga kozhambu - Kanchana from Married to a desi

Poondu kozhambu - Pearlin from Purl up and Crochet

Murungakai vathakozhambu - Ranjani from Eat and talk

Mor kozhambu - Bharathy from Spicy Chilly

Vatral kozhambu - Santhi from Me and my food thoughts

Vatral Kozhambu - Nupur from One hot stove

Celery kuzhambu - Bhagyashree from Crazy Curry

Thakkali kurma - Revathi from En Ulagam

Poriyal (dry curries)
Chettinadu style uppu kari - Sigma from Live to eat

Potato in Tambram cuisine - Nandita from Saffron Trail

Raw banana vegetable - Manasi from A cook at heart

Green peas with lovage seeds - Swapna from Swad of India

Keerai as a side dish - Pooja of Creative Pooja

Other curries
Ennai Kathirikai - Sharmi from Neivedyam

Vadakari - Jas from Just for fun

Keerai masiyal - Pearlin from Purl up and Crochet

Keerai masiyal - Nandita from Saffron Trail

Payatham parrupu masial - Deepika from Ammalus kitchen

Non-vegetarian
Chettinad chicken curry - Sailaja from Sailu's food

Mutton biryani - Maheshwari from Beyond the usual

Sweets/Desserts
Asoga - Priya from Live to cook

Rava kesari - Sharmi from Neivedyam

Sweet pongal - Asha from Foodies Hope

Adhirasam - Prema from My cookbook

Miscellaneous
Neer Moru - Sharmi from Neivedyam

Spiced buttermilk - Swapna from Swad of India

Check out an online index of blogged tamil dishes at Tamil Cuisine started by Revathi and Prema Sundar.

The more the merrier. Also check out the Tambram Recipes at Nandita's blog - The Saffron Trail.

'M' is for Mixed Vegetable Chalna

2007-04-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

This is an entry for the A-Z of vegetables hosted by Nupur. I adapted this recipe from Mallika Badrinath's Vegetarian Gravies. It tastes almost like vegetable kurma. Here is the recipe.

Mixed Vegetable Chalna

Ingredients
Mixed veggies - 1 cup
(Use any combination you like. I used carrots, peas, potatoes and beans)
2 or 3 tomatoes chopped finely
2 onions chopped finely
1 piece cinnamon
2 cloves
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

For the paste
2 tbps grated coconut
2 onions
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
8 or 10 cashew nuts
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
4 or 5 green chillies (adjust according to taste)

Method
1. Pour oil in a pan and lightly sauté the vegetables. You can steam them too but I prefer to sauté them as they do no absorb water and make the gravy watery. Set aside.
2. In the same pan add oil and cinnamon and cloves and sauté.
3. Next add the onions and sauté until transparent.
4. Add the ground masala and fry till the raw smell is gone.
5. Add tomatoes and fry till cooked.
6. Transfer the reserved veggies, add salt and water as much as needed for the gravy.
7. Let it boil and thicken.
8. Serve with rotis or rice.

Updated RCI event list

2007-04-18T09:17:00.000-05:00

Here is the updated list for the RCI Event.

2007

May - Andhra Cuisine - Latha from Masala Magic
June - Maharashtrian Cuisine - Nupur from One Hot Stove
July - Punjabi Cuisine - Richa from As Dear As Salt
August - Oriya Cuisine - Swapna from Swad
September - Karnataka Cuisine - Asha from Foodie's Hope and Aroma Hope
October - Bihar Cuisine - Sangeeta from Ghar ka Khana
November - Tamil Festival Foods - Viji from Vcuisine
December - Kashmiri Cuisine - Trupti from The Spice who Loved me

2008

January - Kerala Cuisine - Jyothsna from Currybazaar
February - Gujarati Cuisine - Mythili from Vindu

March - Bengali Cuisine - Sandeepa from Bong Mom's Cookbook

April - Rajasthani Cuisine - Paddukotti from Spicy Andhra

May - Konkan Cuisine - Deepa from Recipes n more

June - Andhra Festival Foods - Vani from Batasari

July - Goan Cuisine - Reena from Spices of Kerala

I have a request from bloggers who are posting recipes for RCI - Tamil Cuisine on their blog. Please send me your entries with URL and a photo to veggiecuisine@gmail.com otherwise I will not be able to keep track and post the same for the roundup.

Do mail me at veggiecuisine@gmail.com if you would like to host the event for any month in 2008.

Lemon Sevai

2007-04-13T12:56:00.000-05:00

Sevai is a traditional tiffin recipe made with rice and served with potato masala on the side. The original method of making sevai is quite a tedious task wherein you grind the rice, steam it, make balls and pass it through a sevai press. I remember back in India making sevai used to be a family event where mom would make the sevai batter and my dad and brother would help make the soft fluffy sevai by passing it through a traditional sevai maker.

Of course, in today's fast paced world we do get dry rice vermicelli which can be used for making instant sevai. You can find dry rice vermicelli either in the Indian store or Asian markets. Sevai can be spiced up any way you like. One way is to use lemon, just like the recipe below. You can also season with coconut and make coconut sevai or add yogurt and make thayir sevai. This is an entry for Nupur's A to Z of Indian Vegetables and for the RCI - Tamil Cuisine Event.

Lemon Sevai

Ingredients
1/2 packet of instant rice vermicelli
1 tsp of mustard
1 tsp or urad dal
1 tsp of channa dal
1 or 2 green chillies
A few curry leaves
Fresh cilantro for garnish
2 tsp of cashews for garnish
2 tsps of lemon juice
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method
1. Put a big pot of water to boil. Once the water boils add the instant rice vermicelli. Keep stirring and remove as soon as it is cooked. This takes hardly 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook as it will become sticky and lumpy. Drain and spread out on a plate to cool.
2. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard. Once they splutter add urad dal, channa dal, green chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add the turmeric powder and asafoetida mix well and remove from the flame.
4. Transfer the rice vermicelli to the pan with seasonings and mix well. You can do this with your hand (clean hands of course).
5. Add salt, lemon juice and cilantro and mix till all are incorporated.
6. Garnish with roasted cashews.

Muhallebi (Milk Pudding) ~ Monthly Mingle ~ Arabian Nights

2007-04-10T13:40:00.000-05:00

This is my entry for Meeta's Monthly Mingle theme Arabian Nights. This dessert is ready in 10 minutes flat. Of course, you need to allow it to cool and set for about 2 hours. For a faster option, try putting the dessert in the fridge and it will set just like our conventional custard. The original recipe called for rose water and I skipped this step. Just use your imagination to flavor this pudding. You could add kesar color, top it with fruit slices, add mango pulp, etc. Here is the recipe.

Muhallebi

Ingredients
5 tablespoons corn flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 pints (4 cups) milk
1 tablespoon rose water
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon chopped pistachios

Method
1. Dissolve the corn flour in milk in a pan. Ensure there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth.
2. Add cardamom powder, sugar, rosewater and mix well.
3. Place the pan on medium heat and stir till the mixture thickens. This takes about 7 to 8 minutes.
4. Transfer the pudding to a serving bowl, garnish with pistachios and set aside to cool.

I halved the recipe and ended up with one bowl of milk pudding.

Update of the RCI event list

2007-04-02T05:13:00.000-05:00

Here is the update for the RCI Event. A big thanks to all of you for the overwhelming response. The event for 2008 is also being lined up. The list is given below.

2007
May - Andhra Cuisine - Latha from Masala Magic
June - Maharashtrian Cuisine - Nupur from One Hot Stove
July - Punjabi Cuisine - Richa from As Dear As Salt
August - Oriya Cuisine - Swapna from Swad
September - Karnataka Cuisine - Asha from Foodie's Hope and Aroma Hope
October - Bihar Cuisine - Sangeeta from Ghar ka Khana
November - Tamil Festival Foods - Viji from Vcuisine
December - Kashmiri cuisine - Trupti from The Spice who Loved me

2008
January - Kerala Cuisine - Jyothsna from Currybazaar

Do mail me at veggiecuisine@gmail.com if you would like to host the event for any month in 2008.

Tamil cuisine - RCI - April 2007

2007-03-26T13:31:00.000-05:00

As one of the oldest vegetarian culinary heritages of the world, Tamil cuisine is characterized by its aroma and flavor. Achieved mainly by a combination of spices, recipes from the Tamil cuisine use a variety of ingredients like coconut, ginger, coriander, tamarind, curry leaves, etc. As rice is the staple food for most Tamilians, there are a variety of rice preparations that you will come across like lime rice, coconut rice, vegetable rice, tomato rice, etc. And of course there are the side dishes that accompany rice like kootu, sambar, rasam, mor kozhambu, puli kozhambu, vatral kozhambu, etc. A bowl of steaming hot rice with a dash of ghee, a piece of papad and a side dish served on a banana leaf is all but a simple Tamil meal.

Not to forget the sweets, tiffins and the savories that are so much a part of the Tamil cuisine. Some examples of tiffin include sevai, idli, dosa, adai, upma, vada, pongal, etc. served with coconut chutney and sambar on the side.

Snacks are murukkus in all shapes and forms - where there is a delicate balance of flour and spices rolled into a dough, made into different shapes and fried in oil for a longer shelf life. Some sweets include rava laddoos, coconut burfi, mysore pak, etc.

Some parts of Tamil Nadu like Madurai are famous for non-vegetarian foods that include goat meat, chicken and fish. A popular bread called Parota (a blend of flour and ghee) is consumed with a non-vegetarian side dish or vegetable kurma. You will also find similarities between Indian Tamil cuisine and Ceylon Tamil cuisine. Click here and here to learn more about Tamil Cuisine.

So, start your hunt for recipes from the Tamil cuisine and get cooking. Send in your entries by April 25th and I will do a roundup on May 1st. Please feel free to insert the logo in your post. Here is line up of the RCI event.

May - Andhra Cuisine - Latha from Masala Magic
June - Maharashtrian Cuisine - Nupur from One Hot Stove
July - Punjabi Cuisine - Richa from As Dear As Salt
August - Cuisine not finalized - Swapna from Swad
September - Karnataka Cuisine - Asha from Foodie's Hope and Aroma Hope
October - Bihar/Orissa Cuisine - Sangeeta from Ghar ka Khana
November - Still open
December - Yet to decide cuisine - Trupti from The Spice who Loved me

Thanks for the overwhelming response to the event! Looking forward to all the great recipes from the different cuisines of India. Hope all of you have a lot of fun hosting and participating in this event.

Baked onion wheat biscuits, Masala alu paratha and Sindhi Koki - MBP March 2007

2007-03-23T19:47:00.000-05:00

Here are a three more entries for MBP March 2007. It was fun trying out all the recipes for the theme 'Let's roll...'.

Baked onion wheat biscuits
This is a recipe from Seema's Recipe Junction. Seema had taken recipe for methi biscuits I had posted earlier from Shammi's blog and spiced it up with jalapenos and onions. Since the recipe calls for rolling out the roti first I decided to submit it as an entry for MBP March 2007. Incidentally I had also sent in the methi biscuits entry for MBP February 2007.

Masala alu parathas

I found this recipe on Meena's Hooked on Heat. This is an alu paratha with a twist. The addition of fennel seeds and ajwain lends a touch of 'that something' in the background. This is a must try recipe.

Sindhi Koki
I came across the recipe for Sindhi Koki at Manasi's blog - A cook at heart, lululoveslondon and Mythreyee's blog - Try this recipe. Here is my version:

Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour
2 medium-sized onions (finely chopped)
3 green chillies (finely chopped)
1 tsp amchur powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbps fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
Salt to taste

Method
1. Mix the wheat flour, onions, green chillies, amchur powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cilantro and salt and make a dough.
2. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

3. Roll out into parathas and cook with fat-free cooking spray.

Celebrating the regional cuisines of India - Blog event

2007-03-20T15:20:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone

I have been toying around with the idea of starting a blog event. The event called as 'Celebrating the Regional Cuisines of India' (RCI) will be a monthly event and will feature recipes from one particular regional cuisine. You can submit recipes from major categories like starters/appetizers, snacks, side dishes, main course, salads, pickles, chutneys, desserts...anything to do with food, simply let your imagination run wild. Your posts can also include information and tips specific to the chosen cuisine of the month. Anything that will help us understand and appreciate the culture and food of the chosen region. You can post recipes either from fellow bloggers, the Internet, friends or family. You are welcome to submit more than one recipe.

It is a Herculean task to do this all myself so I thought it would be best to invite fellow bloggers to host the event every month. All you need to do is choose the cuisine and the month in which you would like to host the event.

I would like to line up the cuisine of the month starting April to December 2007. Since, this post comes at a very short notice, I will host the April event - the theme will be 'Tamil Cuisine'. I will post the detailed guidelines soon. Here are the broad guidelines for the RCI monthly event.

1. Each event will begin on the first of the month.
2. Post as many recipes as you like on your blog and email the following details to the host's email ID.
(a) Your name
(b) Link to the recipe from your blog
(c) A picture of the recipe
3. Do include any regional info you would like to share about the cuisine of the month in your post.
4. Deadline for all entries will be the 25th of the month.
5. The guidelines for the host of the month would be
(a) Announce the event on your blog at least 15 days in advance which means by the 15th of each month. You can also post reminders to the event on your blog. I will post this information on my blog too.
(b) Give a brief write up about the regional cuisine you are planning to host.
(c) Do a roundup of the event on the 1st of the next month.

So, let's get cooking and celebrate the food and culture of the myriad cuisines of India. If you are interested to host this event email me at veggiecuisine@gmail.com with the cuisine and the month in which you would like to host the RCI.

Please feel free to send me comments and suggestions for the event.

P.S. Can anyone help me design a logo for this event?

Spinach roti ~ MBP March 2007

2007-03-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

Rolling it out… Here comes another entry for MBP March 2007. I found this recipe at Maa Inti Vanta. It was very easy to make and tasted good too. Here is my version.

Spinach roti

Ingredients
1 cup of frozen spinach
Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Besan - 2 tbsp
Cumin powder - 2 tbsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Fat-free canola oil spray

Method
1. Thaw the spinach in the microwave and set aside in a bowl.
2. Put the wheat flour in a bowl and add the besan, cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and knead using curd and water. Set aside for 1/2 hour to one hour.

3. Roll out the rotis and place on a heated tawa.

4. Once slightly roasted spray the fat-free oil spray and turn to the other side. Repeat the process.
5. Serve hot with yogurt or any simple curry.

Kitchen notes:
1. The original recipe calls for ajwain. I did not have it on hand. Do add it if you have it in your pantry. It adds flavor to the rotis.
2. You can use ghee to roast the rotis.

'H' is for Hara Alu

2007-03-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

I was searching for a last minute recipe for Nupur's A-Z of vegetables. I came across this recipe at Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana. I am glad I tried out this recipe as it came out really good. I did make a few variations to the original recipe though. I roasted the potatoes in the oven instead of cooking them with the cilantro-green chilli gravy. Also the original recipe did not include onions and I added onions to enhance the flavor. The result was a cilantro spiced potato curry that was delicious. Here is the recipe.

Hara Alu

Ingredients
4 medium sized potatoes
1 medium onion (sliced thin)
1 cup chopped cilantro
3 green chillies
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
Salt as needed
Oil as needed
1/2 tsp jeera
A few curry leaves

Method
1. Peel the skin of the potatoes and slice them into rounds. Mix in 2 tbsps of oil and spread out on an oven safe tray. Ensure that all the potatoes are coated in the oil.
2. Bake at 425 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes until slightly brown.

3. Grind the cilantro and green chillies into a coarse paste.
4. Pour oil in a pan and season with jeera and curry leaves.
5. Sauté the sliced onions and ginger garlic paste.
6. Add the cilantro-green chilli paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

7. Add cumin powder and coriander paste and mix well.
8. Transfer the oven roasted potatoes, add salt and mix well till the potatoes are evenly coated with the cilantro-green chilli-onion mixture.
9. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Kitchen notes:
1. You can also add pudina/mint leaves along with cilantro.
2. Instead of slicing the potato into rounds, you could also cube them.

Pita pizza

2007-03-14T14:36:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick and easy pizza recipe. Use store bought pocket less pitas and spice them up any way you want. You can customize each pita to suit individual tastes. Add less or more cheese, change the veggies, etc. and everyone in the family can have a pizza with their choice of toppings.

Pita pizza (for two)

Ingredients
2 whole wheat pocket less pitas
1 medium bell pepper
1 medium onion
2-4 tbps of pizza sauce or marinara sauce
Red pepper flakes according to taste
Olive oil
Shredded mozzarella cheese as much as you want

Method
1. Cut the bell pepper and onion into long strips.
2. Brush the pita bread with olive oil.
3. Spread the marinara sauce to cover the entire pita.
4. Spread out the onions and bell peppers on the pita.
5. Top it off with as much mozzarella cheese as you need.
6. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is all bubbly.

Pitas ready for the oven

7. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve immediately.

Pita pizza

'G' is for Gobi Masala

2007-03-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

I adapted this recipe from the Indian Vegetarian Cookbook by Tarla Dalal. This recipe is very easy to make and tastes awesome. The major change I made to the recipe was to oven roast the cauliflower instead of deep frying as mentioned in the original recipe. I also added kasoori methi to give it a hint of the methi flavor. This is my entry for Nupur's A-Z of vegetables. Here is the recipe.

Gobi Masala

Ingredients
1 big cauliflower (use as much as you need as it will shrink once you roast in the oven)
1 cup crushed tomato
1 potato (boiled and cut into cubes)
1/2 cup green peas
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
2-3 onions finely chopped
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 tsp kasoori methi
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Oil as needed

Method
1. Break the cauliflower into big florets and spread on an oven safe tray. Coat with olive oil and bake for 425 degrees for about 60 minutes. Turn the cauliflower every 20 minutes as this ensures that it is evenly baked.

Oven roasted cauliflower

2. Sauté the onions in a pan.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste and the red chilli powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and kasoori methi and mix well.
4. Add the green peas and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
5. Next add the crushed tomatoes and cook till the raw smell disappears. Add water to make the gravy thinner.
6. Add the cubed potatoes and oven roasted cauliflower and let it come up to a boil. Season with salt.
7. Add the half and half and mix well.
8. Garnish with cilantro.

Gobi Masala

Recipe adapted from Tarla Dalal’s – The vegetarian cookbook

Jowar/Sorghum Roti - MBP March 2007

2007-03-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

“Lets Roll !!!!!!!” - That’s exactly what I have been doing ever since I heard the theme for MBP March 2007. I have a long list of recipes, let's see how many will actually convert into posts. I am starting off by posting the recipe for jowar roti which I found in Shilpa's blog Aayi's Recipes.

The fact that I could actually make them is kind of a personal achievement for me. Of course, all the credits go to Shilpa. It means so much to me as jowar roti forms part of a regular meal in my in-laws house. Having spent very little time there, I never got to learn the technique of making jowar rotis. The entire process seemed so intimidating until I came across Shilpa's recipe. As far I know, I think the trick lies in forming the dough and this recipe is absolutely foolproof. You can never go wrong. I will continue working on this recipe until I actually roll out the roti with my palm. Click here for Shilpa's recipe. Also click here to learn how Indira of Mahanandi makes jowar roti. Here is my version.

Jowar/Sorghum Roti

Ingredients
1 cup jowar/sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups of water

Method
1. Pour the water in a pan and bring it to a boil.
2. Switch of the flame and gently add the jowar flour and keep mixing till everything comes together.

3. Once the flour gets incorporated into the water transfer the dough to a smooth platform and knead until it becomes a ball.
4. Divide into equal portions and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, heat a tawa - on medium heat.
6. Sprinkle flour on the board and pat the dough slightly with your hand to make a small round.
7. Roll out into a roti using a rolling pin.

8. Carefully lift the roti and transfer to the tawa.
9. When one side is slightly cooked brush water on the side that is face up before turning it.

10. Remove when the other side is also completely cooked.
11. Serve hot.

Jowar roti

Makes 4 medium sized rotis.

Vegetable Manchuria

2007-03-06T17:08:00.000-05:00

I think this recipe for vegetable manchuria is long due. Infact, I had wanted to post it along with these Indo-Chinese recipes and could not do it. So, I prepared a fresh batch of veggie manchuria and here comes the recipe.

Vegetable Manchuria

Ingredients for the manchuria
1 cup finely chopped or grated cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrots
Salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
All purpose flour as needed to mix the veggies (app. 1/2 cup)
Water as needed to combine the flour and veggies
Oil for frying

Ingredients for the sauce/gravy
1 tbsp - cornstarch (if using corn flour use 2 tbsp)
2 to 3 cups of water (as much as you need gravy)
1/2 tsp of Sriracha hot chilli sauce
1/2 tsp of Sambal Oelek
2 cloves of garlic chopped finely
1 bunch of green onions chopped finely (reserve some for garnish)
Soy sauce - 2 or 3 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Method for the manchuria
1. Combine the cabbage, carrot, salt and red chilli powder in a bowl. Add as much all purpose flour as you need to bind the veggies together.
2. Shape into round balls and deep fry in oil until brown on all sides.
3. Drain on a paper towel.

Method for the gravy
1. Dissolve the corn starch in water and set aside.
2. Pour oil in a pan and add the green onions and garlic and sauté.
3. Add the cornstarch liquid, Sambal Olek, hot chilli sauce, soy sauce and vinegar and bring to a boil. If you find the cornstarch thickening up then add a little more water. The sauce should have a watery consistency otherwise it will thicken up when cooled.
4. Check the taste and add salt if required.
5. Reduce the flame and add the fried manchuria. Mix until the manchuria is blended in the sauce.
6. Remove from the flame and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
7. Serve hot with vegetable noodles or vegetable fried rice.

Vegetable Manchuria in gravy

Remove Plagiarism

2007-03-05T17:09:00.000-05:00

(Icon credit: Sandeepa of Bong Mom's Cookbook)

Click here and here to learn more.

'F' is for French Beans Stew

2007-03-03T18:21:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe from my childhood days back in India. I remember my mom used to make this stew very often and we would eat it with rice and papad. This used to be a Sunday special recipe at my home. I got the recipe from my mom and decided to send in this entry for Nupur's A-Z of vegetables. Once I made the stew I realized that I could eat it as it is, just like a veggie soup. Here is the recipe.

French Beans Stew

Ingredients
1 cup green beans (slit in the center and cut into 2 inch pieces)
1 medium potato (peel skin and cut into thin slices)
3 or 4 green chillies (slit)

A small piece of ginger - crushed
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 or 3 tbsp light coconut milk
1 tsp of corn flour/corn starch
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Method
1. Pour the water and milk in a pan and add the beans, potatoes, green chillies and ginger and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are cooked.

French beans and potatoes simmering in milk and water

2. Lower the flame and add the coconut milk and salt.
3. Dissolve the corn starch in water and add to the stew. This will make it slightly thick.
4. Garnish with cilantro.
5. Serve hot.

French beans stew

Vegetable pot pie for two

2007-03-01T16:50:00.000-05:00

Health recipe!

This recipe is another inspiration from Ellie Krieger's 'Healthy Appetite' from Food TV. I was always fascinated by pot pies and loved watching Marie Calendar's chicken pot pie ads. A steamy hot vegetable filling oozing out of a thick biscuit-like crust always seemed so yummy. A couple of weeks ago I was watching this program on Food TV and Ellie Krieger made it seem so easy and I immediately put it on my ‘recipes to try list’. We had it for dinner and it was quite filling. The flaky crust with the steaming hot veggies was yummy. I made a few changes to the original recipe and here is the vegetarian version.

Vegetable Pot Pie
Ingredients
1 medium potato cubed
1/2 cup frozen green peas and carrots
2 stalks of celery chopped
1/4 cup French beans (fresh or frozen)
1 small onion
1/2 tsp of dried Thyme
1/2 tsp of dried Parsley
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp garlic paste
2 cups of vegetable stock (I used Wolfgang Puck's Organic Vegetable Stock)

Salt to taste (check the sodium in the vegetable stock before adding salt to the filling)
A few sheets of thawed Phyllo dough
Oil as needed

For the roux
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup of milk

How to make the roux
Melt the butter in a pan and add the all purpose flour. Keep stirring until the raw smell of the flour disappears. Add the milk and continue stirring until the sauce thickens.

Method for vegetable pot pie
1. Pour 2-3 tsps oil in a pan and sauté the onions until transparent.
2. Add the garlic paste and sauté.
3. Add the celery and sauté for a minute or two.
4. Next add the cubed potatoes, green peas, carrots and beans and sauté until 3/4 cooked.
5. Add thyme, parsley and red pepper flakes and mix well.
6. Pour the vegetable stock into the pan, add salt and pepper and bring it to a boil.
7. Add the roux and mix well. The veggie mixture will slightly thicken.
8. Set aside and let it cool.

Vegetable pot pie filling

9. Transfer equal quantities of the veggie filling to an oven safe dish. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut into quarters. Place 3 or 4 sheets on the dish and tuck the edges into the dish rim. Optional: top the phyllo dough with grated parmesan cheese for an extra zing.

10. Brush the phyllo sheets with butter. I used fat-free butter spray.

11. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is all brown and flaky.

Vegetable pot pie

Tip: Thaw the Phyllo dough the previous day in the refrigerator. For use on the same day, remove from freezer 2 hours in advance and thaw outside. Click here to learn how to handle Phyllo dough.

Veggie patties in spicy gravy ~ Leftover Tuesdays Event

2007-02-26T08:43:00.000-05:00

The moment I came across Rachels Bite Leftover Tuesdays Event at Dining Hall I was so excited and immediately decided to send in an entry. It's so true that we can make so many innovative recipes out of leftovers instead of eating them 'as is'. I had some leftover veggie patties from our burger dinner and had frozen them. I made a tasty and spicy gravy for the patties and had them with rotis. I got the gravy recipe idea from Foodie's Hope where Asha had posted a recipe for Malai Kofta. Here is my version.

For the recipe for Veggie Patties click here and here.

Leftover veggie patties ready to be defrosted

Gravy for veggie patties

Ingredients
2 big onions
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp garam masala powder
A pinch of turmeric
A pinch of cardamom powder
A pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp of tandoori masala powder
8 to 10 cashews
2 tsps kasoori methi
1/4 cup of milk or half and half
Salt to taste
Oil as needed
Cilantro for garnish

Method
1. Chop the onions and sauté in a 1 tsp of oil until transparent and set aside.
2. Dry roast the coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cashews.
3. Grind the roasted spices and cashews along with the onions, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, paprika, tomato sauce, garam masala powder, turmeric, cardamom powder, nutmeg and tandoori masala powder to a smooth paste.
4. Pour oil in a pan, add the paste and kasoori methi and fry the paste till the oil comes out.
5. Add the milk and mix well.
6. Add salt, mix and set aside. If you want the gravy to be thin, then simply add some more water or milk and bring to a boil.
7. Defrost the veggie patties and place in a bowl.
8. Pour the gravy on the patties and serve with rice or rotis.
9. Garnish with cilantro.

Leftover veggie patties in spicy gravy

Veggie burgers ~ MBP ~ February 2007 ~ Finger foods

2007-02-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

Here is my second entry for Coffee's MBP event. I simply fell in love with this recipe as it has tons of veggies and cracked wheat. Most of the store bought patties have rice (I guess used for binding the veggies together) and mushrooms (I am not a great fan). This recipe is from Anita's blog 'A Mad Tea Party'. I pretty much followed the same recipe. I used wheat buns to go along with the veggie patties. To serve as a starter you can quarter the buns (to get 4 bite-sized pieces). This is a must try recipe.

Veggie patties

Variations to the recipe

I steamed the cabbage and peas. I skipped the beetroots too. I served the burger with tomatoes and onions and garnished with a dash of Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce. Tasted yummy.

Vegetable burgers

Blueberry~Almond~Chocolate clusters

2007-02-21T13:41:00.000-05:00

Mmm. These chocolate clusters are delicious. I was watching Ellie Krieger's program on Food TV last week and she made this wonderful sweet treat. It seemed so easy, that I immediately wanted to try it out. The only variation I did was to use dried blueberries instead of dried cherries. Click here for the original recipe. Here is my version.

Ingredients
12 oz of dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used the Trader Joe's brand. The original recipe calls for only 6 oz of chocolate but I used almost 12 oz as I felt it was not enough to coat the nuts)
1 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup dried blueberries, coarsely chopped

Method
1. Before you begin, line a baking sheet with wax paper (as you don't want the chocolate mixture to solidify before you transfer to the wax paper). Toss the almonds and blueberries in a bowl and set aside.
2. Set up a double boiler on the stove. Melt half the chopped chocolate in the top of the double boiler. Check the end of this post on how to set up a double boiler. Or click here to learn more.
3. The heat on your stove should be on the lowest setting as this will help the chocolate maintain its shiny texture. Also make sure the water in the bottom pan is not touching the top pan.
4. Stir the chocolate until it starts melting.
5. Once the first batch is melted, move the double boiler from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until melted. If you find it is not melting then move it back to the stove, but under a low flame.

Chocolate melting on the double boiler

6. After the chocolate is completely melted, add the chopped almonds and blueberries and mix well.

Nuts added to the melted chocolate

7. Take a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture and gently drop it on to the wax paper.

Chocolate clusters ready to go into the refrigerator

8. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
9. Remove from the fridge and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not store chocolates in the fridge as they lose their color and become pale or white.

Bluberry~Almond Chocolate Clusters

How to set up a double boiler
1. Fill a large pot with about 2-3 inches water.
2. Place a glass bowl on top of this pot. Use one that sits comfortably and does not touch the bottom of the pan.

3. Keep the flame on medium low and heat the water in the bottom pan. The heat from the bottom pot will melt the chocolate in the top pot.
4. Lower the flame way down before adding the chocolate.

Dahi Batete Nu Shak

2007-02-16T13:57:00.000-05:00

This is a mildly spiced, tangy potato curry that is marinated in yogurt and spices. This is my entry for Nupur's - 'A-Z of Indian vegetables' cooking event. This contribution is for the letter 'D'.

Ingredients
1 lb Potatoes
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method
1. Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and cut into cubes. You can use baby potatoes for this recipe. I used the regular ones.
2. Mix the curd, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
3. Add the potatoes to this yogurt mixture and set aside for at least 1/2 hour or more.
4. Pour oil in a pan and transfer the potato-yogurt mixture, add salt and sauté on a medium low heat until the potatoes absorb the yogurt and become brown on all sides.

Dahi Batete Nu Shak

Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe

Blueberry Pecan Coffee Cake

2007-02-14T08:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wanted to bake an easy and low fat cake for Valentine's Day. I found this recipe at Baking Sheet and was very happy with the outcome. This coffee cake is light and fluffy and has no butter. Try it out and I am sure you will be happy you did. You can check out the original recipe here. This is also my contribution to Creative Pooja's theme of the week - Valentine's Day. And here is my version.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely ground, toasted pecans (I used a little less)
3/4 cup sugar
3 tsp egg replacer (dissolved in 4 tbsp water)
1/2 cup egg substitute (I used egg beaters)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Confectioners’ sugar for serving

Method
1. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
2. In another bowl combine pecans, sugar, egg replacer mixture and egg substitute and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add vanilla and beat on high for about a minute.
4. Combine the flour slowly until well incorporated.
5. Toss the berries in all purpose flour until well coated and add to the prepared mixture. Gently fold in the berries into the cake batter.

Valentine hearts ready to go into the oven

6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. You can pour the batter into a loaf pan too. I used heart-shaped moulds as I was baking for Valentine's Day.

7. Cool the cake and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Bluberry Pecan coffee cakes dusted with confectioners' sugar

Puffed wheat snack

2007-02-13T05:43:00.000-05:00

Health recipe!

Traditionally made with puffed rice, Vaggani is a popular breakfast recipe back at my in-laws house. Vaggani is a super simple recipe that fills you up and still makes you feel light (even if you have overeaten!). I wanted to find a low-cal version of the same and stumbled upon wheat kurmura (puffed wheat) at the Indian store. I was thrilled to see it and the next thing I did was to make the wheat version of this recipe. The original recipe does not call for peanuts. But, when I had the leftovers for lunch the next day I added some roasted peanuts and it was good. So, here is the recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup of puffed wheat (remember this reduces by half when you soak in water)
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
3-4 green chillies
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp each urad dal and channa dal for seasoning
A pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsps of instant paruppu podi
Salt to taste
A few curry leaves
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Oil as needed

Method
1. Put the puffed wheat in a colander and place under running water just for about 5 seconds or until completely soaked. Remove immediately and set aside. Do not soak in water!
2. Add mustard, dals, green chillies, curry leaves in a pan and sauté them.
3. Add chopped onions and sauté until soft.
4. Next add the tomatoes (chopped finely) and cook until tender.
5. Transfer the puffed wheat to the pan, add turmeric powder and salt.

6. Then add the instant paruppu podi and mix well till the powder is incorporated with the puffed wheat.
7. Garnish with cilantro.

Puffed wheat snack

Serve hot

Cabbage pappu

2007-02-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

This is my first attempt at making cabbage pappu. Of course, we use cabbage for kootu but never used it for dal/pappu. Also, when I searched the web for this recipe there were very few sites that had the recipe for cabbage pappu. So, here is my version with inputs from a close friend. It turned out delicious!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup chopped cabbage
1 cup channa dal

1 tsp jeera
4 or 5 pods of garlic
1 medium onion chopped
A few curry leaves
3 or 4 red chillies broken
1 tsp mustard
A pinch of turmeric powder

Method
1. Pressure cook the dal, cabbage, jeera and 3 pods of garlic with a pinch of turmeric powder.

Cabbage and dal ready to be cooked

2. Fry the mustard, finely chopped garlic (2 or 3 pods), curry leaves and red chillies.

3. Next add the onions and sauté until soft.

4. Slightly mash the dal-cabbage mixture with the back of a spoon and add to the onion mixture.

5. Serve hot with rice.

Cabbage pappu served with rice

Carrot cupcakes and a Meme

2007-02-08T18:41:00.000-05:00

I love carrot cakes. Whenever, I go to IKEA I don't eat anything from the Cafe except the carrot cakes. But, it is such a huge piece that I would feel full half way through the piece of cake. So, I searched the web for a carrot cupcake recipe and stumbled upon Martha Stewart's recipe. The cupcakes were a great success as they turned out moist and delicious. I used the egg replacer instead of eggs and they still turned out yummy. Here is the recipe. Supriya of Spice Corner and Maheswari of Beyond the Usual have tagged me for this Meme.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tsps of egg replacer dissolved in 4 tbsp of warm water (or use 2 large eggs)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the icing
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

For the cupcakes
1. Combine the sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, vanilla extract and the egg replacer mixture.
2. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, allspice and salt and mix well.
3. Add the flour and mix well.
4. Next stir in carrots and walnuts and mix till it is well blended in the batter.
5. Place paper cups in a mini muffin pan and distribute the batter evenly.
6. Bake at 350° F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
7. Cool completely before frosting.

For the icing
Combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat until smooth. You can either use a whisk or an electric beater.

Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing

Recipe adapted from www.marthastewart.com

Here are the 5 things you don't know about me:

1. I am a writer. I started off my writing career in India as a business journalist and went on to become a consultant writer for many IT companies. I continue to do freelance writing now.
2. Always wanted to do a PhD in Human Resources. I love to interact with people.
3. I am extremely organized. I get very upset when there is clutter around me. For instance, if my daughter throws her toys all over the house, I will not be at peace with myself, until I clean up everything.
4. I am also a perfectionist. I have my own way of doing things and, of course, to perfection.
5. I will never go on rides - like the ones in Six Flags. I remember going on the giant wheel, though, when I was a kid. I was on the tora-tora ride at one time and I remember screaming all through the ride.

Baked methi biscuits ~ MBP Event ~ February 2007

2007-02-07T16:30:00.000-05:00

Health recipe!

Here is my first contribution to Coffee's MBP February 2007 theme - Appetizers/Starters. I tried out the baked methi biscuits recipe from Shammi's - 'Food in the main' blog and they were very good. Click here to get the recipe.

Methi biscuits ready for the oven

The only variation I made was sprayed the biscuits with Pam fat-free spray before putting them into the oven. I baked one batch without the spray and felt the biscuits were dry. I added ajwain too. Serve the methi biscuits as a starter with a dip of your choice. Or simply, have them with a cup of hot coffee or tea. They are very healthy and light too!

Crisp baked methi biscuits

Strawberry-Banana dessert ~ AFAM ~ February 2007 ~ Strawberry

2007-02-05T13:42:00.000-05:00

Health recipe!

This dessert is almost like a smoothie except that I added applesauce and cardamom. And instead of serving in a glass, I served it in ice-cream cups. The applesauce adds a rich and creamy taste to the dessert. This is my entry for Maheswari's AFAM Strawberry event. Click here to read about the health benefits of strawberries. With Valentine's Day round the corner, I am waiting for strawberry recipes from fellow bloggers. I am sure there will be some great ideas coming up!

Ingredients

1 ripe banana
6 or 7 fresh strawberries
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp plain non-fat yogurt (can add vanilla or strawberry yogurt too)
Whipped cream for topping (optional)
2 strawberries for decoration
A pinch of cardamom powder
A few tsps of milk (if required)

Method
1. Peel the banana, clean and dice the strawberries and put in a blender.
2. Add the apple sauce, sugar, yogurt and cardamom powder and blend to a smooth paste. If you feel the mixture is too thick you can add a few tsps of milk. Ensure it comes out thick and creamy.
3. Transfer into serving cups and decorate with sliced strawberries and whipping cream.

Strawberry~Banana~dessert

Serving size - 1 cup

Number of servings - 2

Green pea soup

2007-02-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

Health recipe!

This is the first time I made green peas soup and it came out very well. Sweet, creamy and delicious, this soup is what you should have on a cold winter day. You can serve it with a slice of toasted pita bread or regular wheat bread. This is my entry for Creative Pooja's vegetable of the week - Green Peas.

Ingredients
2 medium onions
1 clove of garlic
1 10 oz box of frozen green peas
1 tsp of dried oregano (use fresh if you have it on hand)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp of oil (use can use butter)
2 cups of water

Method
1. Pour oil in a pan and sauté the onions until they become translucent. Be careful not to burn them otherwise the soup will taste bad.
2. Next add the garlic and sauté.
3. Then add the oregano and mix well.
4. Add the frozen peas and two cup of water. You can add vegetable stock, but water is good enough. Let it simmer for a while until the peas become soft.

Green peas and onions cooking on a low flame

5. Let the mixture cool. Once cooled use a hand blender and puree the soup.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Note: The soup by itself has a creamy consistency. If required, you can add milk or half and half/heavy cream to enrich the flavor. This is purely optional.

Delicious green pea soup

Serving size - 1 cup

Number of servings - 3 or 4

Kohlrabi sauté (Noolkol)

2007-02-01T15:02:00.000-05:00

Health recipe!

Yes, the vegetable in the picture is Kohlrabi or popularly referred to as Noolkol in South India. I bought the Kohlrabi from an Asian store. I hardly find it in the Indian store anymore. Kohlrabi is a lesser known and quite an unpopular veggie and I guess many of us don't even use it regularly. I remember eating a lot of Noolkol back in India.

Fast facts: Kohlrabi is also known as 'cabbage turnip' as it is actually a member of the cabbage family. You can eat it raw or cooked. Kohlrabi is low in calories and high in dietary fiber, and hence, makes an excellent part of any diet. It is also loaded with potassium and vitamins. Click here to read more about this amazing vegetable.

I made a simple curry out of kohlrabi and it goes great with rice and sambar or rasam. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
3 kohlrabies
1 tsp of mustard
1 tsp of urad dal
1 tsp of channa dal
2 or 3 red chillies (you can use green too)
A few curry leaves
Grated coconut (optional, I did not use it)
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method
1. Peel the skin and chop the kohlrabi into small cubes.
2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard, urad dal, channa dal, red chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add the chopped kohlrabi, turmeric and salt and cook covered until the vegetable becomes tender.
4. Garnish with fresh grated coconut (optional).
5. Serve with sambar or rasam and rice.

Kohlrabi curry

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings 4 or 5

Recognize this?

2007-01-31T07:38:00.000-05:00

Tea party - Mini pecan pies and potato pea cups

2007-01-25T14:52:00.000-05:00

I like all food that come in small packages. Precisely, why I loved making these mini pecan pies and potato pea cups. Both these recipes are from fellow bloggers, except that I made a few changes to the recipes.

Mini Pecan Pies
I followed the same recipe from Ahaar. Instead of pouring the filling in a 9-inch pie crust, I used mini graham cracker pie crusts. For this recipe, I used the filling for 12 mini pie crusts. I used light corn syrup and also added chopped pecans to the filling. Of course, I did top off the pies with pecans again. I used 3/4 cup of sugar instead of 1 cup. Click here for the original recipe. I baked the pies for about 40 to 45 minutes. Do keep an eye on these pies as you might end up baking them too much. If you do that, the corn syrup will crystallize and the center of the pie will become very hard. Serve these mini wonders with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Baked mini pecan pies

Potato pea cups

This is a savory treat I absolutely loved making. Once done, they look like a piece of art and are a big hit as a starter to any meal. I came across this recipe at Priya's Kitchen. Click here for the original recipe. Here is my recipe.

Ingredients
2 medium potatoes (boiled and mashed)
1/2 cup of green peas
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tsp of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp of coriander powder
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
Salt to taste
Oil as needed
Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry sheets
1 egg (beaten) for egg wash (you can use butter too)

Method
1. Sauté the onions in a pan with a little oil until soft.
2. Add the green peas and sauté till tender.
3. Add the mashed potatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt and mix till everything is well blended.
4. Thaw the puff pastry sheets and cut into squares (you can make 9 squares from one sheet).
5. Brush with egg wash on both sides and place in a big muffin pan.
6. Put a tbsp of the potato-pea filling and bake at 425°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until brown and flaky.
7. Top it off with the sweet and sour chutney and serve warm.

Potato pea cups

Sweet and sour chutney
For the sweet and sour chutney I used store-bought chutney and followed this recipe:
1 tsp of coriander paste
1 tsp of mint paste
1 tsp of date-tamarind chutney

Mix all the above in a bowl and garnish the potato-pea cups when they come out of the oven.

Grits Upma Kozkhakattai

2007-01-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

Health recipe!

Upma kozhakattai (steamed rice dumplings) is a traditional South Indian recipe made with rice. You can either eat it as a snack or for dinner. It is usually served with chutney and sambar on the side. For my recipe, I substituted the rice with Quaker Grits (the instant variety) - you will find grits in the cereal aisle in grocery stores. Click here to read more about grits. I made ridge gourd chutney and onion sambar to go along with it. Here are the recipes:

Upma Kozhakattai

Ingredients

2 cups Quaker grits
1/2 cup thuvar dal
1 tbsp grated coconut
2 red chillies (broken)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro (chopped finely)
Few curry leaves (chopped)
1 tsp of mustard
1 tsp of urad dal (black gram dal)
1 tsp of channa dal
1/2 tsp of jeera
1/2 tsp of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method

1. Soak the thuvar dal in hot water for about 1-2 hours.

2. Grind the thuvar dal with red chillies and jeera and set aside. You can add water while grinding the dal as you can use this dal mixture as a water measure.

3. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard, urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves.

4. Add the asafoetida and mix well.

5. Next you have to add water to the pan as you need to cook the grits and dal in water. You have to add two cups of water for one cup of grits/dal. So, here we have 2 1/2 cups of grits/dal and need 5 cups of water. Remember, to measure out the dal paste first. So, if you have 2 cups of the dal mixture, then add 3 more cups of water.

6. Add salt, coconut and cilantro to the dal paste/water in the pan and let it boil.

Dal paste/water coming up to a boil

7. Once the liquid comes up to a boil, reduce the heat and slowly add the grits. This process is very similar to making our regular upma.
8. Cover the pan and cook till the grits becomes soft. This will take somewhere between 10-15 minutes. Add water if you feel the grits is uncooked and cook for some more time. Do not completely cook the mixture.
9. Set aside and once you feel you can handle the mixture (when slightly warm) roll into oval shaped balls and steam them for 10 minutes. I used a steamer tray on a big pot of water.

Upma Kozhakattai ready to be steamed

10. Remove and serve hot with chutney and sambar.
11. You can also put the cooled kozhakattai's in an air tight box or freezer safe bag and store in the freezer. When you are ready to eat them, simply microwave for a few minutes and you will have steaming and fresh rice dumplings ready in minutes.

Upma Kozhakattai ready to be steamed

Recipe courtesy: Laxmi Ramachandran

Ridge gourd chutney

Ingredients
2 cups of chopped ridge gourd pieces (you can leave the skin on if you like)
2-3 red chillies
1/2 tsp of tamarind paste
2 pods of garlic
1 tsp mustard
2 tsps of urad dal (black gram dal)
1/2 tsp of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method
1. Fry the mustard, urad dal, red chillies and asafoetida in 1 tsp of oil and set aside.
2. Sauté the garlic.
3. In the same pan add the ridge gourd pieces and fry till they become a little soft.
4. Transfer all the above to a blender, add the tamarind paste and grind to a paste.
5. Add salt to taste.
6. Serve with idli or dosa.

Onion sambar

Ingredients
1 cup thuvar dal
1 onion
1 tomato
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp methi seeds
2-3 red chillies
A few curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp of Laxmi brand natural tamarind concentrate (if you are using fresh tamarind soak and squeeze out water from a lime-sized ball of tamarind)
2 tsp Sambar Powder (any brand or home made)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method
1. Pressure cook the thuvar dal and set aside.
2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard, methi seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft.
4. Add the tamarind paste and 2 cups of water.
5. Then add the chopped tomatoes, sambar powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida.
6. Let the tamarind mixture boil for about 10 minutes or until the raw smell disappears.
7. Mash the thuvar dal a little and add to the tamarind water.
8. Add salt and let the sambar come up to a boil.
9. Garnish with cilantro (optional).

Note: You can add veggies to this sambar if you like. I make plain onion sambar as it is easy to eat especially with snacks.

Chocolate cupcakes with egg replacer

2007-01-21T15:32:00.000-05:00

Health recipe!

Yes, I finally found a substitute to eggs (especially for baking). Not that I am averse to adding eggs, but the egg replacer adds fewer more calories to your cakes and cupcakes. I was so excited when I came across an article in the January 2007 issue of the Vegetarian Times magazine - that talked about egg replacer. You will be amazed to know that egg replacer does not have any egg at all! Instead it is a combination of tapioca starch, potato starch and leaveners that keeps baked goods moist and light. I immediately rushed to the Whole Foods market (you will find egg replacer in all natural food stores) and bought the egg replacer. The one that I bought is made by Ener-G-Foods. And I had to test out and find for myself if this was really good enough. So, I made the The-Devil-in-Me Double Chocolate Cup Cakes from Meena’s Hooked on heat. The result: delicious, moist, fluffy cup cakes.

A fresh batch of chocolate cupcakes straight out of the oven

You can pretty much follow the same recipe from Hooked on Heat for baking these cupcakes. All you need to do is replace the eggs with 3 tsps of egg replacer mixed in 4 tbps of water (the recipe calls for 2 eggs). The math is: you have to use 1 1/2 tsp of egg replacer for one egg. Remember, to dissolve the powder in 2 tbps of warm water before you add it to the remaining ingredients. Otherwise, the cake will not turn out fluffy enough.

The Devil in me Double Chocolate cupcakes

For sure, baked goods with egg replacer will be lower in calories and cholesterol than compared to the ones with eggs. One measure of egg replacer (1 1/2 tsp=1 egg) adds only 15 calories to your recipe. What's more, there is zero cholesterol.

Makes about 30 mini cup cakes

Food bites

2007-01-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I bought a whole wheat baguette from Whole Foods Market. I made two bite-sized snacks out of the baguette. One is the chocolate panini sandwich, that I made in my new panini maker. The other is bruschetta. Here are the recipes for both these bite-sized goodies.

Chocolate Panini sandwich

Ingredients
8 slices of whole wheat baguette (cut them into 1 inch thick rounds)
4 tsps of Trade Joes Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (you can also use Nutella)
Pam fat-free butter spray

Method
1. Spray one side of the baguette with Pam spray.
2. Place the buttered side on the panini maker and spread out the chocolate-hazelnut cream.
3. Cover it with another baguette - buttered side up.
4. Close the panini grill and gently press down on the baguettes.
5. It will take you about 3 to 4 minutes depending on your panini maker.
6. Remove from panini maker when the baguette is brown and you notice deep grill marks.
7. Serve warm. Makes a great dessert.

8. Makes 4 servings.

Chocolate panini sandwiches

Bruschetta

Ingredients
A couple of whole wheat baguette slices (cut into 1/2 inch thin rounds)
Pam fat-free olive oil spray
Store-bought bruschetta (I used the bruschetta from Trader Joes - check the end of this post for a quick-bruschetta recipe)
1 pod of fresh garlic

Method
1. Spray the baguette slices with the olive oil spray and bake in the oven at 425 degrees for about 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown.
2. Remove from the oven and immediately rub the garlic on the warm bread.
3. Line up on a tray and top with the bruschetta.
4. Serve with pasta or salad.

Warm garlic bread served with bruschetta

Quick bruschetta

Ingredients

5 or 6 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion
1/2 tsp of dried basil (use can use fresh basil too)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste (you can also use red chilli pepper flakes)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil

Method
1. Cut the tomatoes into half and remove the seeds. Chop the tomato finely.
2. Chop the onions and the cilantro finely.
3. Transfer the tomatoes, onions and cilantro to a bowl.
4. Add the minced garlic, basil, salt, pepper and cilantro and mix well.
5. Finally add the extra virgin olive oil.

Optional: You can place the tomato-onion mixture on the baguette and top it off with the olive oil instead of mixing it into the mixture.

Banana pepper curry

2007-01-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

So, finally here is the banana pepper curry recipe. Infact, these peppers were labeled as Hot Fryer Peppers at our local farmers' market. When I checked, they said these are also called as banana peppers. So, you can pretty much use any pepper/chilli that resembles the banana pepper. I wanted to make a rich gravy curry out of these peppers but ended up making a dry curry (getting more health conscious of late).

Ingredients
5 or 6 banana peppers
1 medium potato
1 medium onion
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust accordingly as the peppers are quite hot)
A pinch of turmeric
1 tsp of ICP
1/2 tsp of mustard
1/2 tsp of jeera
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method
1. Chop the banana peppers, potato and onions.
2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard and jeera.
3. Add the onions and sauté until transparent.
4. Add the peppers, potato, turmeric, red chilli powder, ICP and salt and cook till the vegetable get tender.

Serve with rice or roti.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings – 10

Instant Curry Powder (ICP)

2007-01-17T13:41:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe from my friend Geetha, who lives in India. It's a very versatile powder that can be used for almost any vegetable - dondakkaya, brinjal, potato, green beans, bottle gourd, broad beans, raw banana, bell pepper, etc. I will be referring to this powder as ICP in my future posts. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup coriander seeds
1 cup channa dal (gram dal)
1 cup red chillies
1/2 cup dry coconut flakes (unsweetened)

Method
1. Dry roast the ingredients one by one in a pan.
2. Set aside to cool.
3. Make a coarse powder in the blender and store in an airtight jar.

Note: Reduce the overall spice when you are using this powder because the ICP has red chillies in it.

Happy Pongal

2007-01-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

Wish all of you a happy pongal!

A hint of things to come

2007-01-13T07:44:00.000-05:00

Baby potato~cherry tomato~green peas gravy

2007-01-11T15:43:00.000-05:00

This is my contribution to Creative Pooja's veggie of the week - tomato. Infact, I got the idea for this recipe from Pooja's baby potato-cherry tomato curry. So, I made a gravy and added the baby potatoes and cherry tomatoes along with green peas for more texture. The result: a delicious lightly-spiced gravy with the flavor of cherry tomatoes bursting in your mouth.

Ingredients
8 or 10 baby potatoes
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup green peas
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsp kasoori methi (roasted and powdered)
1 tbps sour cream
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Oil as needed

Make a paste
1 medium onion - chopped and sautéed in oil
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
3 cloves
1 small piece cinnamon

Method
1. Boil the potatoes in a big pot of water. Cool and peel the skin and prick with a fork all over. You can also microwave the potatoes.
2. Pour 2 tsps of oil in a pan and sauté the potatoes until brown on all sides. Set aside on a paper towel.

Baby potatoes browned on all sides

3. Halve the cherry tomatoes and sauté in the same pan.

Halved and sauteed cherry tomatoes

4. Next sauté the peas.

Sauteed peas

5. Add the masala paste to the pan with a little oil. To this paste also add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste and tomato paste and fry till the oil comes out.
6. Then add the sour cream and kasoori methi and mix well.
7. Add the peas, tomatoes and potatoes along with salt and mix till they are well blended in the gravy.
8. Garnish with cilantro.

Baby potato-cherry tomato-green peas gravy

Serve with roti or pulao.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 5 or 6

Penne Pasta with Lima Beans and Spinach - MBP event - January 2007

2007-01-10T15:04:00.000-05:00

Here is my second entry to Coffee's MBP for January 2007. This time it is from the Italian cuisine. I came across this recipe from Lakshmiammal's blog. We eat a lot of pasta and this one was a variation with lima beans and spinach. While I have used spinach to make stuffed shells, this is the first time I used lima beans in a pasta dish. It tastes delicious and is very nutritious too. Click here for the original recipe. Given below is my recipe with a few variations.

Ingredients
1/2 pound of mini penne pasta
1/2 cup of frozen spinach
1/4 cup of lima beans
1 medium sized onion
1 tsp garlic paste
1 cup pasta sauce
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
Fat free cooking spray
Salt to taste
Olive oil as needed

Method
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and set aside. Pour a teaspoon of oil and mix well so that it does not stick together.
2. Pour oil in a pan and sauté the onions and garlic.
3. Next add the thawed spinach and lima beans and sauté till soft.
4. Add the red pepper flakes and pasta sauce and cook well till it starts bubbling.
5. Lower the flame and add the half and half and mix well.
6. Transfer the reserved pasta into the pan, add salt and mix to coat well with the sauce. (If you have already salted the pasta water then reduce the salt at this stage).
7. Spray an oven-safe dish with the fat-free cooking spray and transfer the pasta mixture into the dish.
8. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 425 degrees till the cheese melts or a little long till it becomes brown. (I usually wait till the cheese browns, but I pulled out earlier this time as my daughter was getting hungry).

Pasta mixture topped with the mozzarella cheese

9. Serve hot.

Pasta straight out of the oven with the cheese melted and bubbly

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings – 4

Dondakkaya (tindora) chutney

2007-01-09T16:02:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick and easy recipe for dondakkaya chutney.

Ingredients
1/2 pound dondakkaya
4 or 5 red chillies (adjust according to taste)
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp of urad dal (split black lentils)
2 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

For seasoning
Oil
1/2 tsp of mustard
A few curry leaves
1 red chilli - broken

Method
1. Wash the tindora and cut into long strips.
2. In a pan roast the red chillies and urad dal without oil. Set aside.
3. Next add oil in the same pan and fry the tindora till tender.
4. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
5. Then add the tamarind paste and asafoetida and mix well.
6. Transfer the roasted red chillies, urad dal and tindora veggie mix to a blender.
7. Add very little water and blend to a paste and add salt to taste.
8. Season with mustard, curry leaves and red chillies.

Dondakkaya chutney

Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Vegetable Chow Mein - MBP Event - January 2007

2007-01-07T16:17:00.000-05:00

This is my contribution to the 'Monthly Blog Patrolling' event hosted by Coffee from 'My Khazana of Recipes'. The moment I read her blog I jumped with excitement. So very true - there are so many recipes that I have saved from fellow bloggers which I would like to try and share through my blog. But, somewhere in the process of posting our own creations we miss giving credit to all the hundreds and thousands of recipes that are posted day after day on other food blogs. You can read about this event in detail on Coffee's blog. However, here is a brief note.

All through 2007 there will be a unique theme chosen for each month and you have to wade through recipes posted on other food blogs, cook and post pictures of the recipe on your own blog as well as send the pictures to 'My Khazana of Recipes' (check this blog for the procedure). Of course, you can come up with your own variations of the recipe but make sure you post the link and credits to the original recipe. As simple as that. The theme for January 2007 is 'Around the World'. So, choose a recipe from any international cuisine and get cooking!

Here is my recipe from the Chinese cuisine for Vegetable Chow Mein. The original recipe was posted by Meenakshi Agarwal from 'Hooked on Heat'. I made a few variations to the recipe. Please click here for the original recipe.

Ingredients
1 packet of Hakka noodles
1 medium onion sliced (you can used spring onions too)
1 cup of shredded cabbage
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 cup of shredded green bell peppers
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1 tsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of Soya sauce (I used light Soya sauce because it has less sodium)
1 tsp of Sambal Oelek (red chilli paste), use more if you want to add more spice
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method

1. Boil the noodles, drain and drizzle the sesame oil on the noodles and mix well. Set aside.
2. Pour oil in a pan and sauté the onions and ginger garlic paste.
3. Next add all the veggies - cabbage, carrots and bell peppers - sauté till slightly tender (not mushy).
4. Add the Sambal Oelek and mix well.
5. Add the Soya sauce and mix till it blends with the veggies.
6. Then add the boiled noodles and salt and mix to coat the noodles with the veggies and Soya sauce.
7. Serve hot or warm.

Vegetable Chow Mein

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 4 or 5

I have been tagged - meme

2007-01-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

Dilip from Garam Masala tagged me for writing my meme. This was pure fun and I really loved writing it. So, here it is - my meme on 3 things that...

3 Things that make me laugh

1. Anybody with a good sense of humor can make me laugh
2. Movie comedy - mainly Tamil movies. I love comedy from Vadivelu and Vivek. I just cannot stop laughing
3. The new words and sentences my 2-year old talks. Of course, it makes me feel happy too.

3 Things that make me cry

1. Senior citizens who have to do things themselves - like shopping, driving, etc. I wish there was someone to help them out.
2. The birth of a baby
3. My childhood - because I can never go there again

3 Things that scare me

1. Lizards
2. Loneliness
3. Pain

3 Things I love

1. Find a quiet place in a library or park and get on with my reading (the list of books is now getting longer)
2. Spend time with my husband and daughter
3. Go on a long drive all by myself with the music on

3 Things I hate

1. Friends who backstab (I have come across many of them and it hurts)
2. People who do not keep in touch (because they are busy, are they?). After all, you need to find time to keep in touch with friends you care about.
3. Cheating

3 Things I don't understand

1. Mathematics
2. How people can be lazy
3. Sleeping till late in the morning. It makes you even lazier.

3 Things on my desk

1. Laptop
2. Bills to be paid
3. My small notebook filled with notes/info from everywhere. This book goes with me everywhere.

3 Things I am doing right now

1. Having my morning coffee - something that starts my day and charges me up. I can never miss my morning coffee.
2. Organizing my CD library
3. Playing with my daughter

3 Things I want to do before I die

1. Travel as much as I can
2. Help children in need
3. Lose weight

3 Things I can do

1. Cook good food
2. Make friends
3. Understand the finer points of life

3 Things one should listen to

1. Surely, their intuition
2. Good friends
3. Constructive criticism

3 Things I would never want to listen to

1. Self praise (people talking about themselves)
2. People talking about their kids all the time. Because I feel every child is unique and you can never compare.
3. Gossip between friends

3 Favorite foods

1. Potato fry
2. Coconut rice
3. Rasmalai

3 beverages I drink regularly

1. Coffee
2. Tea
3. Sparkling cider. This is a new find (orange juice gives me a heartburn)

3 TV shows I watched/books I read as a kid

1. Tinkle comics
2. Spiderman TV shows
3. Tintin story books

Three fellow bloggers I would like to tag

1. Tweety of Fitful Culinaria
2. Lakshmiammal
3. Mad Tea Party

Carrots, peas and potatoes with dill

2007-01-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe published on 'A Mad Tea Party' a few days ago. I tried it out and it was absolutely delicious. Click here for the original recipe. Here are my pictures.

Kadai Mattar

2007-01-03T13:38:00.000-05:00

Here is my first food post this year. I made this recipe a few weeks ago. The addition of tandoori masala to the gravy is a delicious twist to this curry.

Ingredients
2 cups green peas
1 medium onion
1/2 cup of crushed tomato
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp tandoori masala (any brand)
A pinch of turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of kasoori methi
1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
2 tsps of lemon juice
Salt to taste
Oil as needed
Coriander leaves finely chopped for garnish

For the paste
2 cloves
1 small piece of cinnamon
4-5 cashew nuts
1 tbsp coconut

Method
1. Make the paste and set aside.
2. Sauté the green peas until tender and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.

4. Next add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste and sauté.

5. Then add the crushed tomatoes along with the ground paste. Also add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, tandoori masala and kasoori methi and fry till the oil comes out.
6. Add the reserved green peas and mix well.

7. Finish the curry by adding salt and lemon juice.

8. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Kadai Mattar

Serve hot or warm with roti or pulao.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 4

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T12:43:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year image courtesy www.ecardfriends.com

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

Have fun!

Stir-Fried Vegetables

2006-12-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
1 red onion sliced into wedges
2 heads of broccoli separated into florets
2 medium carrots peel skin and cut into rounds
A handful of snow peas or sugar snap peas
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoons cornstarch
2-3 pods of fresh garlic sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
A few drops of hot sauce
Salt
2 tbps canola/olive oil
You can add other veggies like cabbage and beans too

Method
1. Place a large pan over high heat.
2. Pour 2 tsps of oil and add the garlic and chilli flakes and fry for about 30 seconds.
3. Next add the onions and sauté for about a minute and add the broccoli, carrots and snow peas.
4. Add salt and sprinkle a little water and stir-fry till vegetables until tender-crisp. Don't overcook the veggies as they will become mushy.

5. Dissolve the cornstarch in a tbsp of water. Add the red wine vinegar, soy sauce and hot sauce to this and mix well.

6. Pour this mixture over the vegetables and stir-fry till they all look lightly glazed with the sauce.

Serve hot.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 4 or 5
Recipe adapted from Wolfgang Puck's Food cooking class

Vegetable Spring Rolls

2006-12-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

For the stuffing
1/2 cup of shredded cabbage
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 cup of beans cut lengthwise
1/4 cup of boiled hakka/chinese noodles
1 medium onion
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder

For the covering
1 cup all purpose flour
A pinch of salt
2 tsps oil
Water for making the dough

Oil as needed (for deep frying)

Method
1. To prepare the filling - pour oil in a pan and sauté the onions till transparent. Next add all the veggies and sauté until tender and add the boiled noodles. Finish off with red chilli powder and salt.
2. To make the covering - make a dough with all-purpose flour, salt, oil and water (just like the dough for making rotis). Set aside for atleast 30 minutes.

3. To make the spring rolls - roll out the dough as given below.

4. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the center.

5. Moist all the sides of the covering and fold it as shown below.

6. Deep fry the spring rolls until brown.

7. Let the spring rolls cool. Cut them into 2-inch pieces and serve with chilli sauce.

Spring rolls go well along with Chinese noodles or vegetable fried rice.

Recipe adapted from Tarla Dalal's 'The Pleasures of Vegetarian Cooking'

Potato-cauliflower-lima beans curry

2006-12-14T14:36:00.000-05:00

This is my entry for Creative Pooja's vegetable of the week – Potato.

Ingredients
3 potatoes
1 medium sized cauliflower
1/2 cup frozen lima beans
1 medium onion
1 tsp red chilli powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp jeera
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
Few curry leaves
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method
1. Separate the cauliflower into florets.
2. Cube the potatoes.
3. Dice the onions.
4. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter add the jeera.
5. Add the curry leaves and onions and sauté till onions become transparent.
6. Then add the garlic paste and sauté.
7. Next add all the veggies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.
8. Sprinkle a little water and cook covered for about 7 to 8 minutes and without the lid for about 5 to 6 minutes.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Potato-Cauliflower-Lima Beans curry

Serve with roti or rice.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 6 or 7

Chinese vegetable soft noodles

2006-12-13T07:44:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
1 pound of Chinese noodles/Hakka noodles (I used two 200 gms packets Hakka noodles from the Indian store)
1/2 cup of green onions/scallions (cut them into long pieces)
1/2 cup of green beans
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 cup of shredded cabbage
3 or 4 green chillies slit
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method
1. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the noodles. The noodles will cook in 3 to 4 minutes unlike pasta. Drain the noodles and set aside. Add a tsp of oil to the cooked noodles and mix well or else it will stick and become a big lump.
2. Pour oil in a pan and sauté the green onions and green chillies.
3. Next add all the veggies, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. The veggies should remain crisp even after cooking. Do not cook until very soft.
4. Add the cooked noodles and salt and mix until all the veggies and salt are blended with the noodles.

Vegetable soft noodles

I did not add Ajinomoto/MSG. Adding Soya sauce is optional.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 4 or 5

Chinese takeout...the saga continues

2006-12-12T17:36:00.000-05:00

It all started with these two heads of broccoli that were in my fridge.

I got them from the grocery store to make Vegetable Stir Fry. Then I thought why not make an entire Chinese meal.

So I used the essentials

And these veggies

To make this

Will post the recipes soon.

Chinese takeout?

2006-12-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

Capsicum in spicy curd gravy

2006-12-08T06:45:00.000-05:00

This recipe will only take you 15 to 20 minutes to make. You don't need to grind any masala and you can make this curry with just a few ingredients from your pantry. I saved this recipe quite some time ago. Not sure which website I got it from, so not able to give due credits. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 or 3 green bell peppers (use any color you like)
2 medium onions chopped
1/2 cup crushed tomato
3 or 4 green chillies slit into halves
1 cup yogurt (beat with a whisk and set aside)
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method
1. Cube the bell peppers (not more than one inch pieces).
2. Pour oil in a pan, add the onions and cook for a few minutes until transparent.
3. Then add the green chillies and sauté.
4. Next add the bell peppers, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and bell peppers and look on medium-low flame under tender.
5. Then add the crushed tomatoes and cook till the raw smell disappears.
6. Add the yogurt and salt and cook till the gravy becomes thick and blends well with the bell peppers.

Spicy capsicum gravy served with rotis

Serve with roti or naan.

Serving size - 1/4 cup
Number of servings - 4 or 5

Bhindi Masala (Okra)

2006-12-06T14:17:00.000-05:00

Lightly flavored with spices, this gravy with okra is a treat to your taste buds. This is my contribution to Creative Pooja's vegetable of the week.

Ingredients
2 cups of Bhindi/Okra (I used frozen okra. If you are using fresh okra, then cut them lengthwise into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
2 medium sized onions chopped
1/2 cup fresh or canned diced tomatoes
3 green chillies slit
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsps yogurt
6 to 8 cashew nuts
2 tsps poppy seeds (khus-khus)
1/2 tsp of saunf (aniseed)
Salt to taste
Oil as needed
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method
1. Sauté the onions until transparent and set aside.
2. Roast the poppy seeds and cashew nuts separately and make a paste along with the onions.
3. Pour 1 tbsp oil in a pan and sauté the okra until brown. The original recipe calls for deep frying the okra, so I modified it.

Sauteed okra

4. Remove the okra with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
5. To the same pan add the green chillies and saunf.
6. Next add the ground paste, red chilli powder, coriander and cumin powder, garam masala powder and sauté till the oil comes out.
7. Add the diced tomatoes and yogurt and cook for 3-4 minutes till incorporated.
8. Then add the reserved okra and salt. At this stage, you can add water to the gravy and boil for a couple of minutes.
9. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Bhindi Masala

Serve with roti or naan.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 3 or 4
Recipe adapted from Mallika Badrinath's 'Vegetarian Gravies'

Semiya Upma

2006-12-05T21:49:00.000-05:00

Have it for breakfast or as a meal, semiya upma is a popular snack in South India. You can add any veggies you like and it ends up as a wholesome and nutritious meal in itself. Serve it with a little pickle on the side and it tastes delicious. Here is my version of vermicelli upma.

Ingredients
2 cups vermicelli or semiya
1 medium size onion chopped
1/2 cup of grated carrots
1/2 cup of succotash mix (from your grocer's freezer - combination of lima beans and corn)
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of channa dal
3-4 green chillies (adjust according to taste)
Few curry leaves
2-3 tsps of oil
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method
1. Sauté the semiya until brown. You can also spread on a microwave safe plate and microwave for about 2 minutes. Remember to add 1 tsp of oil to the semiya. Once done, set the semiya aside.

Fried Semiya

2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds and channa dal.

3. Add curry leaves and green chillies and sauté.

4. Next transfer the chopped onions and sauté until transparent.

5. Then add the carrots and succotash mix and cook until soft.

Sauteed Veggies

6. Add water (for one cup of semiya you need 2 cups of water) and salt and let it come to a boil.

7. Once the water comes to a boil, add the fried semiya and reduce heat to medium.

8. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes or until all the water dries out.

9. Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Semiya/Vermicelli Upma

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings – 6

Dondakkaya (tindora) curry

2006-12-04T13:29:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick recipe for dondakkaya curry (tindora). Trupti of 'The spice who loved me' had posted a recipe for Tindora Shaak. It was around the same time I made this curry too. But I had a lot of other recipes to post so kept this one in the backburner. So, finally here it comes.

Ingredients
1 pound dondakkaya quartered
1 medium onion sliced
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp jeera
1 tbsp dry coconut flakes/grated coconut
1 tsp crushed garlic
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Few curry leaves
Fresh coriander for garnish
Salt to taste
Oil as much as needed

Method
1. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard, jeera and curry leaves.
2. Add the onions and sauté till transparent.
3. Next add the garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell is gone.
4. Add the dondakkaya, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and coconut flakes and cook till the vegetable becomes soft.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve with rice sambar/rasam.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 4 to 5

Instant paruppu podi/pappula podi

2006-12-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

Eat with hot rice and ghee or add it to any curry, dal powder makes your meal more delicious. I remember my mom roasting a couple of dals to make the paruppu podi. But she also had an easy to make version with dalia. I prefer eating the podi with some rice and ghee and to go along with it some mango pachadi. I also sprinkle a teaspoon of the podi while making dondakayya (tindora) or broad beans curry and it tastes really good. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups dalia (putana dal/putnala Pappu)
1 tsp jeera
A few peppercorns (adjust according to taste)
7 to 8 dry red chillies (add more chillies if you want it hot)
1/4 tsp asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method
1. First roast the dal in a pan and set aside.
2. Next fry the jeera, peppercorns and red chillies.

Roasted dal, red chillies, jeera and peppercorns

3. Transfer the roasted dal, jeera, peppercorns, red chillies and asafoetida to a blender/mixer and make a powder.
4. Add salt to taste and store in an airtight container. Can be stored for more than a month.

Roasted dal powder

Notes:
1. Do not add oil while roasting the ingredients.
2. You can roast a few curry leaves along with the jeera and add to the dal while making the powder.

Raw banana black bean curry

2006-11-30T14:03:00.000-05:00

Raw banana is a commonly used vegetable in Indian cooking. You can either fry them into bajjis or make the South Indian version of kootu. Raw banana fry tastes yummy with rice and rasam/sambar. I added black beans to make it more nutritious. You can add any variety of beans you have on hand especially black-eyed beans. So, here is the recipe.

Ingredients
3 medium raw bananas
1 onion
1 cup black beans (canned)
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp channa dal
Curry leaves for seasoning
Salt to taste
2-3 tsps of oil
Fresh coriander for seasoning

Method
1. Peel the skin from the raw banana, quarter them and cut into small pieces.
2. Chop the onion.
3. Rinse the canned beans.
4. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard. Once it splutters add the channa dal and curry leaves.
5. Next sauté the onions and garlic paste.
6. Add the chopped raw banana, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. If required, sprinkle a little water and cook covered till the banana becomes tender.
7. Add the canned beans and sauté.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Raw banana and black bean curry

Serve with rice and dal/sambar.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 4 to 6

.....And now it's Spinach Roti

2006-11-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

I had some left over dough after making the green puris. So, tried making rotis today. And they taste very good. The ingredients are the same, just roll them out into rotis. If you want to skip the oil while making rotis, simply make phulkas.

Spinach Rotis

Green Puris

2006-11-28T06:26:00.000-05:00

Green Puris - yes they are made with spinach. Eat spinach in any form and they are good for you. So, when Pooja from Creative Pooja announced that the vegetable of the week is spinach I decided that I will send her a recipe this time. This was so much of a coincidence that I was talking to my mom last week and she gave me the recipe for spinach puris. So, here goes the recipe. Sure, you will turn green with envy :)

Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour (atta)
1 cup thawed chopped frozen spinach (or 2 cups fresh spinach)
1 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 to 2 tsps oil for the dough
Salt to taste
Oil for frying the puris

Method
1. Blanch the frozen thawed spinach in hot water for 5 minutes. If you do not have time to thaw the spinach, you can put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes. You still need to blanch it as it removes the raw smell from the spinach. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Once cooled, blend to a fine paste. Add very little water.
3. Mix the wheat flour, red chilli powder, coriander powder, yogurt, milk and salt. Slowly add the spinach mixture and knead into dough. Do check the consistency of the dough. Do not make it too soft as you would not be able to roll out the puris. Set the dough aside for at least one hour before making the puris.

Dough mixed with pureed spinach and spices

4. Heat oil in a pan. Make small balls of the puri dough, roll out and fry the puris.

Green Puris

Serve hot with a spicy side dish.

Recipe courtesy: Shanthi Krishnan

Kadai Cauliflower

2006-11-27T14:35:00.000-05:00

Looks like I am running a series on Kadai veggies. Earlier, it was Kadai Paneer and now it is Kadai Cauliflower. Could not resist trying out this recipe. It came out really delicious and so I decided to share it through my blog. No complicated procedures - this recipe is very easy to make and tastes equally good.

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower separated into florets
1 medium green bell pepper chopped lengthwise (you can use any color bell pepper you have on hand)
1 medium onion sliced
1/2 cup crushed tomato
2 green chillies slit
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp of oil

Salt to taste
1 tsp. coriander leaves for garnish

Chopped veggies

For the masala paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
2 tbsp of thick curd
2 tsps of sour cream
A pinch of asafoetida

Method
1. Put the ingredients listed under masala paste in a bowl and blend with a whisk or spoon. Add a few drops of water if you find it is too thick. Set aside.

Masala paste

2. Boil a big pot of water and blanch the cauliflower in it for about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
3. Pour oil in a pan and sauté the green chillies and set aside.
4. In the same pan add the bell peppers and blanched cauliflower and sauté till the veggies become soft. Set aside on a paper towel.
5. Next add the cumin seeds to the pan. Once they splutter add the onion and ginger garlic paste and sauté till the onions become soft.
6. Add the crushed tomato and the masala paste and sauté till the oil comes out.
7. Add salt and transfer the veggies and mix till everything is blended.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander and the reserved green chillies.

Kadai Cauliflower

Serve with roti or pulao.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 4

Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan

2006-11-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

This is an authentic recipe for Mirchi ka Salan. I got it from a family friend in Hyderabad many years ago. I had noted it in one of my diaries and came across it recently. So, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients
8 or 10 medium sized green chillies (I used 4 big green chillies)
1 medium sized onion
1 tsp sesame seeds (white thil)
1/4 cup coconut flakes/desiccated coconut/copra
2 tsps coriander seeds (dhania)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 cup peanuts
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup fresh yogurt

1 tsp sour cream
1 tsp tamarind paste/pulp (I use Laxmi brand natural tamarind concentrate)
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander for garnish
Oil for making the curry

Method
1. Dry roast the sesame seeds, peanuts, coriander seeds and cumin seeds - one at a time in a pan.
2. Sauté the onion in 1 tsp of oil until transparent.
3. Make a paste of the sesame seeds, peanuts, coriander and cumin seeds along with the sautéed onions and coconut.
4. Slit the green chillies and sauté them in a little oil and set aside. You can remove the seeds from the chillies to reduce the heat. I used big green chillies, so I just chopped them into big pieces.
5. Set the chillies aside and in the same pan add some oil and sauté the ground masala paste along with the ginger garlic paste and tamarind concentrate for about 3-4 minutes.
6. Next add the yogurt, sour cream and salt and mix well till the yogurt is incorporated in the masala.
7. Add water to reach the desired consistency. Make sure you boil the masala well after adding water.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve hot or warm with roti, naan or pulao.

Serving size - 1/3 cup
Number of servings - 4 or 5
Recipe courtesy: Sameena's mom

Quick Pav Bhaji masala

2006-11-22T16:06:00.000-05:00

As a kid, I spent most of my summer vacations in Mumbai (then Bombay) at my grandparents’ house. I have great memories of the holidays, especially food. A trip to Mumbai would mean eating bhel puri, vada pav and pav bhaji from the roadside vendor. Much to the dislike of my grandma and her lectures on cleanliness, we would sneak around and make sure we ate them. Now, of course we make them at home. Here is my recipe for a quick and easy pav bhaji masala. It's simple as you need only two basic veggies and healthy as it is served with 7-grain bread. You can try out wheat bagels, hearth breads, all grain breads and buns - whichever you like.

Ingredients
3 medium sized potatoes
2 medium onions chopped for the gravy
1 medium onion (very finely chopped for garnish)
1 cup of green peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup of crushed tomato
1 tsp of tomato paste
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
2 tsp of pav bhaji masala (any brand)
1 tsp of red chilli powder
2 tsps of lime juice
Salt to taste
2-3 tsps of oil
A pat of butter
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method
1. Boil the potatoes. I usually microwave the potatoes. To microwave, I wash them and wrap them in plastic wrap. And they come out perfect every time.
2. Once cooled peel off the skin and mash the potatoes and set aside.
3. Pour the oil and add the butter in a pan and fry the onions until transparent.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté.
5. Next add the green peas and cook till soft.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, pav bhaji masala and red chilli powder and sauté till the raw smell of the tomato and masala disappears.
7. Then add the mashed potatoes and salt. Add water if you feel the masala is too thick.
8. Once it boils switch off the stove and add the lime juice.
9. Garnish with coriander.
10. Serve the finely chopped onions on the side. Before serving, add ½ tsp of red chilli powder to the onions and mix well.

Optional: Apply butter on both sides and toast the bread before you serve.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 6

Rajma Masala

2006-11-21T21:48:00.000-05:00

Tastes great with roti or naan. I follow an easy method to make Rajma. Instead of grinding the masala I use store bought Rajma masala in the recipe. No one will be able to make out the difference and all you need is just a few ingredients. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients
1 15 ounce can of kidney beans
1 medium onion
1 cup of crushed tomato
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
2 tsps of lime juice
1 tsp of red chilli powder
1 tsp of rajma masala (substitute with garam masala powder if you do not have this on hand)
Salt to taste
2-3 tsps of oil
A pat of butter
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method
1. Chop the onions finely.
2. Pour the oil in a pan. Add the butter.
3. Sauté the onions and ginger garlic paste.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook till the raw smell disappears.
5. Add the red chilli powder and rajma masala and mix till they blend with the tomatoes.
6. Open the can of red kidney beans, drain the beans and rinse in water.
7. Add to the onion-tomato mix.
8. Add salt. At this stage you can add some water if you think the gravy is too thick.
9. Simmer till it reaches the desired consistency.
10. Switch off the stove and add the lime juice and fresh coriander.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 4

Methi Mattar Curry

2006-11-20T22:47:00.000-05:00

The more the merrier! I made this curry during the weekend and was planning to post the recipe during the week. But I saw Seema's version of Methi Mattar Malai at Recipe Junction and decided to go ahead and post my recipe too. I have adapted this recipe from Tarla Dalal's original recipe published in her book Rotis and Subzis. Of course, as usual I found some shortcuts and came up with an easy-to-make recipe.

Methi is truly a tastemaker. Complement it with any vegetable or gravy and it heightens the flavor in any recipe. The same goes with Kasoori Methi - the dried version of fenugreek or methi leaves. A dash of Kasoori Methi goes a long way in enriching the flavor of any gravy. So, go ahead and treat your taste buds with this wonderful green veggie.

Ingredients
1 cup chopped frozen methi leaves (check the freezer section in the Indian grocery store)
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup crushed tomato
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 cup of half and half
2-3 tbps of oil
Salt to taste

For the paste (wet)
1 medium onion
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tbps cashew nuts
1 tsp khus-khus (poppy seeds)

For the dry masala
2 small sticks of cinnamon
4 cloves
A pinch of cardamom powder
3-4 peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds

Method

1. Put the frozen methi in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2-3 minutes or until defrosted.
2. Pour oil in a pan and season with jeera, add the defrosted methi leaves and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until soft and set aside.

3. Make a paste of all the ingredients listed for the wet masala.
4. Slightly roast the ingredients for the dry masala (except the cardamom powder) and make a powder.
5. Fry the onion and once it turns transparent add the peas and sauté until soft.
6. Add the wet masala and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the raw smell disappears.
7. Next add the tomato puree and dry masala and sauté.

8. Add the methi leaves and half and half.
9. Add salt to taste and mix till everything is blended well.

Serve hot with naan, roti or pulao.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 3 to 4

Veggie Quesadilla

2006-11-18T14:19:00.000-05:00

Here is a healthy and yummy recipe for quesadilla. You can add any combination of veggies or spice it up anyway you like. It's up to your imagination. Also you can use any variety of tortilla and there are so many available in the grocery store. You can get spinach, sun dried tomatoes, whole wheat, whole grain, flour - practically any flavor you want.

You can add diced tomatoes to the quesadilla but sometimes it makes it soggy. So, I skipped it in my recipe. Choose any color or a combo of bell peppers and it still tastes good. This is my version.

Ingredients
4 low carb whole wheat tortillas (or any variety you like)
1 red onion
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/2 cup of canned black beans
1 medium green bell pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 cup Mexican four cheese blend
Oil for sautéing

Method
1. Dice the red onion and green bell pepper.
2. Pour oil in a pan and sauté the red onion.
3. Then add the green bell pepper and corn and sauté for 4-5 minutes. You can leave a little crunch in the bell pepper.

4. Add the black beans and mix well.

5. Add the paprika, red chilli powder, cumin powder. Mix well and salt and set aside.
6. To assemble the quesadilla, warm up two tortillas to begin with.

7. Place one tortilla and spread out the veggie filling as show below.

8. Next sprinkle as much or as little cheese as you like on top of the veggies.

9. Place the second tortilla on this and warm up both the sides. Take care while turning the tortilla.
10. Once the tortilla becomes a little hard and the cheese melts remove and set aside. Usually this takes 1-2 minutes.
11. Use a pizza cutter to cut the quesadilla into four pieces.

Optional
Serve with a dollop of sour cream (optional) or some guacamole.

Serving size - 2 slices
Number of servings - 3 or 4

Name confusion

2006-11-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

Hi food bloggers

There seems to be some confusion with my name. I have been posting comments as Lakshmi Krishnan and it is misunderstood as a comment from Lakshmi from Flavors of Indian Rasoi. I am relatively new to the world of food blogging, so decided that I should not confuse the existing bloggers who have known Lakshmi of Flavors of Indian Rasoi for quite a while now.

So, I will now be posting my comments as Lakshmik instead of Lakshmi Krishnan. Also there was a comment that our blogs look similar. So, I have made a few changes to the current blog. I have retained the template as I simply love the layout.

Happy blogging!

Kaju Pakoda - Hyderabadi style

2006-11-17T14:57:00.000-05:00

I came across this recipe on Lavanya's food blog - Hyderabadi Kitchen. I love kaju pakoda and it's my childhood favorite. We always get them from Pulla Reddy Sweets in India. I could not wait to try it out. So here is the Kaju Pakoda hot off the stove. Check out the recipe at Hyderabadi Kitchen.

Bon Appetit!

Stuffed baby brinjal curry

2006-11-16T05:54:00.000-05:00

Okay. Here it is. My version of stuffed brinjal curry. This is adapted from my friend Anu's recipe for brinjal curry. We were discussing one day on how to make stuffed brinjal and she came up with this recipe. The entire credit for this recipe goes to her. It's so easy to make and I thought I should surely share this one. You can make this curry with a few ingredients right from your pantry. It's as simple as that.

I wanted to post this recipe a little later but as I was mentioning to Tweety of Fitful Culinaria, it's a pure coincidence that we ended up working with the same veggies. Even the pictures we click tend to be similar. So, I decided to post the recipe rightaway. As Tweety rightly mentioned in her blog - "there are as many versions to this dish as there are cooks". Check out Tweety's version of stuffed brinjal. I also have a zucchini curry recipe that looks so similar to Tweety's recipe. Will post the recipe soon.

Ingredients
8 or 10 baby brinjals
2 onions
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1 tsp of coriander seeds
1 small piece of cinnamon
2-3 cloves
4-5 red chillies (adjust according to taste)
1 medium tomato
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar
Fresh coriander for garnish
Oil for frying

Method
1. Wash the brinjals and set aside to dry.

2. Blend the onions, ginger garlic paste, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, red chillies, tomato and turmeric in a mixer. Do not add water. A neat trick for this is to add the tomato into the blender first and then the remaining ingredients.

3. Add salt to this puree. This is the only time you get to season the curry with salt.
4. Cut the brinjals into four - go down all the way to the stem of the brinjal.
5. Fill the paste into the brinjal.

6. Pour oil in a shallow pan and arrange the brinjals.
7. If you have any excess paste remaining after stuffing the brinjals add it to the pan.

8. Add the sugar to the pan.
9. Cover the pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes. The brinjals will become soft during this process.
10. Remove the lid and cook till the brinjal skin is charred on all sides.
11. Garnish with coriander.

Serving size - 2 or 3 brinjals with some gravy

Number of servings - 4 to 5

Recipe courtesy: Annapurna

Sautéed Spinach

2006-11-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

Simple, delicious and nutritious this spinach curry can be made in less than 10 minutes. The light hint of garlic in the background along with the onions makes this recipe a winner.

Ingredients
1 10 oz box of frozen chopped spinach
1 medium onion chopped finely
3-4 broken red chillies (or green chillies)
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of jeera
Salt to taste
2 tsps of oil

Method
1. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
2. Once they splutter add the jeera.
3. Add the onions and fry until transparent.
4. Next add the red chillies and the garlic paste and sauté.
5. Defrost the frozen spinach in the microwave and add to the onion mix.
6. Add salt and cook covered for about 5 minutes or until the water dries out.

Serve with rice or roti.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Number of servings - 4

Kadai Paneer

2006-11-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

This is an easy recipe for Kadai Paneer. Tastes just like the one you get in restaurants. The recipe is adapted from Tarla Dalal's cookbook.

Ingredients
1/2 pound of paneer
2 onions chopped lengthwise

1 green bell pepper chopped lengthwise
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp kasuri methi
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup of half and half
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method
1. Chop the paneer lengthwise.

2. Sauté in a little oil until browned on all sides.
3. Keep a bowl of warm water ready. Once the paneer pieces are browned drop them in the warm water and leave them for 30 seconds. Remove and drain on a paper towel. This step is to keep the paneer soft as it tends to get tough when sautéed in oil.
4. Pour oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry till the onions become transparent.
5. Add the green bell pepper and sauté. Don't cook it till very soft.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, coriander-cumin powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste kasuri methi and mix till the raw smell of the masala disappears.
7. Add the paneer, half and half and salt and mix well.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Tastes good with roti, naan or pulao.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 6

Trail Mix - Go nuts!

2006-11-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

I am always looking out for healthier versions and options for food especially snacks. As this is where we tend to eat more junk food. Apart from being a great snack substitute, nuts offer many advantages. They are good for your heart and they have monounsaturated fat that's good for you. Click here to read more about how a handful of nuts can make a difference to your diet.

For this trail mix I used cashews, slivered almonds, dried blackberries and raisins. You can add any variety of nuts or dry fruits like dried apricots, dried bananas, whole almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, walnuts - take a peek into the world of nuts and let your imagination run wild. I get my supply of nuts and dried fruits from Trader Joes, except for raisins (as I like the taste of Sunmaid Raisins). So, here goes the recipe.

Ingredients
(I am not mentioning the quantities as you can add them as much or as little as you like).
Unsalted dry toasted slivered almonds
Roasted and unsalted whole cashews
Dried blueberries
Sunmaid raisins

Method
1. Put all the nuts and dried fruits in a bowl and mix well.
2. Measure 1/2 cup of the nuts and transfer to snack bags.

Ensure that you only use unsalted nuts for the trail mix as it is always advisable to have less sodium in your diet.

Store the nuts in a cool place. Do not put in the refrigerator as they lose all their crunch.

Serving size - 1/2 cup

Simple peas pulao

2006-11-13T07:20:00.000-05:00

This recipe is very easy to make. No masalas or complicated procedures involved. Serve this rice with dal or a spicy side dish and enjoy.

Ingredients
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 cloves
1 small piece of cinnamon

1 or 2 bay leaves
2 tsps jeera
3-4 green chillies
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method
1. Soak the basmati rice in water for atleast 15 minutes. This makes the rice soft and fluffy when cooked.
2. Pour oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or a non-stick pot (it should be able to hold 1 cup of rice when cooked) and saute the jeera, cloves, cinnamon and green chillies.
3. Add the peas and saute till tender.
4. Drain the water from the rice completely and add to the pot.
5. Add the ghee and saute till the rice is slightly toasted.
6. Add the water (2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice) and salt and let it boil. Do not cover with a lid.

7. In about 7-8 minutes the rice will absorb all the liquid and you will see a few bubbles on the top. At this stage, reduce the flame to low and cover with a lid for 10 minutes. Switch off the stove after 10 minutes. Let is rest for a couple of minutes after that.
8. Carefully mix with a slotted spoon and serve.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings 4

Baby potatoes in red gravy

2006-11-10T15:04:00.000-05:00

Baby potatoes are such a versatile vegetable and you can do wonders with it. Steam it, peel off the skin and add a few seasonings and it tastes great with sambar or rasam. Or just use it in gravy and you can eat it with roti or pulao. I have been looking for a recipe for baby potatoes in gravy for quite some time now. The last time I tried it, it did not taste all that good. The spices were too much in the recipe I followed. The recipe I am posting today is adapted from Tarla Dalal's recipe book. I made a few changes and ended up with the recipe just the way I like it. You can also check out how Indira makes Aloo Dum.

Ingredients
8 or 10 baby potatoes (preferably uniform size)
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/2 cup crushed tomato
1/2 fresh yogurt
3-4 tbps of oil

1/4 tsp of tomato paste
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander for garnish

Make a paste
2 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
5 to 6 black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1 tsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp chilli powder (adjust according to taste)
1/2 onion chopped
5-6 cashew nuts

A pinch of cardamom (elaichi powder)

Method
1. Cook the baby potatoes in a big pot of water. Use a fork to check whether they are tender. Drain, cool and peel off the skin. (I avoid the pressure cooker as the potatoes become way too soft)

2. Grind the paste (ingredients mentioned above).
3. Prick the potatoes all over using a fork.
4. Pour oil in a pan and sauté (not deep fry) the potatoes until golden brown.

5. Take out and place on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.
6. In the same pan, add the chopped onions and sauté till transparent.
7. Next add the ginger garlic paste and crushed tomatoes and mix till they blend with the onions.
8. Add the ground paste, tomato paste and cook till the raw smell disappears and add the yogurt. The tomato paste adds a nice color to the gravy.
9. Let it boil for around 5 minutes and then add the baby potatoes.
10. Mix well and garnish with fresh coriander.

Serving size – 3 or 4 potatoes with some gravy
Number of servings - 2 to 3

Dal and White Rice - the anytime comfort food

2006-11-08T18:59:00.000-05:00

Whatever may be the comfort food for the rest of the world, for people from India dal and rice is what is comfort food and takes you down memory lane. Have it for lunch or dinner, dal and white rice is what I call the ultimate comfort food. Here goes the recipe for dal.

Ingredients
1 cup thuvar dal
1 medium size onion
1 medium size tomato
1 tsp garlic paste
3-4 red chillies depending on taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
A few curry leaves
1/2 tsp of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil for seasoning
Corainder for garnish

Method
1. Pressure cook the dal. Use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of dal.
2. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the jeera, red chillies and curry leaves.
3. Next add the onions and fry till they become transparent.
4. Add the garlic paste.
5. Add the tomatoes, cover and cook till it becomes soft and well blended with the onion and garlic.
6. Mash the cooked dal with the back of the spoon and add to the onion-tomato mix.
7. Add salt to taste and mix well.
8. You can alter the consistency of the dal by adding a little water.
9. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings 4 to 6

Potatoes in red bell pepper gravy

2006-11-07T19:34:00.000-05:00

Easy to make and extremely delicious, this potato curry in red bell pepper gravy is truly a crowd pleaser. Try it at your next lunch or dinner party and you are sure get rave reviews from your guests.

Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 medium potato
3 large cloves peeled garlic
2 medium hot green chilli peppers
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbps of coriander/cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp black mustard
1/4 tsp asafoetida
2-3 tbsps vegetable/olive oil
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method
1. Peel off the skin from the potato and cut into bite-size cubes.
2. Pour oil in a pan and and saute the potates until they turn lightly brown.

3. Chop the red bell pepper into squares.

4. Transfer the bell pepper pieces into a blender; add the chilli peppers, garlic cloves, coriander and cumin powder and turmeric powder.

5. Add 1/4 cup of water and grind to a fine paste.

6. Heat oil in a medium non-stick pan and add the mustard and asafoetida.
7. Once the mustard pops add the bell pepper puree, simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add lemon juice, sugar and salt.

9. Add the cubed potatoes and mix till they are well blended.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serving size – ½ cup
Number of servings - 4

Recipe courtesy: Gowri

Indian Chex Mix

2006-11-04T15:40:00.000-05:00

Mixture is a popular Indian snack that is usally savoured during tea time and coffee breaks. But the traditional method is a time-consuming process that also adds on a lot of calories to your diet. I was visiting my favorite aunt, Suguna, and she offered me this delicious mixture that she made with a combination of boxed cereals. That's when I figured out that this is a healthier and easier option to make our Indian mixture with a few store bought ingredients. You don't even have to switch on the stove except for the seasoning part. This can also work as a low sodium option because we do not add any salt (other than what's found on the package). It also doubles up as a snack for kids - just tone down the red chillies during the seasoning part. Here it goes:

Ingredients

Cereals
Rice crispies - 1/2 pound
Kix - 1/2 pound
Cheerios (plain) - 1/2 pound
Cornflakes (plain) - 1/2 pound

Corn squares - 1/2 pound
Note: You can add any cereal of your choice. Make sure you avoid the sweeter ones.

One small packet of Indian mixture - any brand and any combination. I used the Madras Mix from the Indian store.
One small packet of thin sev
1/2 pound of unsalted peanuts
1/2 pound of unsalted cashewnuts

(Here again you can add nuts of your choice preferably unsalted ones)
A few curry leaves for seasoning
2 tsps of mustard seeds
A few red chillies for seasoning
1/2 tsp of asafoetida
1 tsp of canola or vegetable oil

Method
1. Put all the cereals in a big bowl.
2. Add the Indian mixture and sev.
3. Add all the nuts.
4. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated well.
5. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
6. Once the mustard splutters add the broken red chillies and curry leaves and top it off with asafoetida.
7. Mix well and store in an airtight container.
8. You can also measure half a cup of the mixture, put them in snack bags and have them ready to be picked up.

Serving size - 1/2 cup
Recipe courtesy: Suguna Laxminarayan.

Bow-tie pasta with oven roasted vegetables

2006-10-27T06:26:00.000-05:00

Pasta is delicious anyway you eat it. This is a healthy recipe with a lot of yummy oven roasted veggies. If you want to further cut down the calories substitute with a whole wheat pasta and skip the cheese.

Ingredients
1 pound bow-tie pasta or Farfalle pasta
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 medium sized zucchini
1 onion
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbps grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
Olive oil for roasting the vegetables
Pepper to taste

Method
1. Chop all the veggies. Make big pieces of the bell peppers and onions. Chop the zucchini into round pieces.
2. Add olive oil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper to the veggies and combine well.
3. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn the veggies while in the oven to ensure they are well roasted.
4. Once the veggies are roasted set them aside and prepare the pasta.
5. Cook one pound of bow tie pasta according to package instructions. Remember to salt the water before adding the pasta.
6. Pour 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan and add red pepper flakes and garlic.
7. Add the roasted veggies and cooked pasta and toss together.
8. Check for seasonings. You can add more red pepper flakes, pepper or salt to suit your taste.
9. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 6

Bell pepper gravy curry

2006-10-27T05:58:00.000-05:00

A delicate gravy made with light spices. The bell peppers taste awesome in this gravy. You can make the gravy and store in the refrigerator. Just add roasted bell peppers, eggplants or tindora (ivy gourd) when you are ready to use the gravy.

Ingredients

2 medium red bell peppers

2 medium green bell peppers

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1 tsp channa dal (gram dal)

1 tsp dhania (coriander seeds)

1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

4-5 dry red chillies

2 medium onions finely chopped

1 medium tomato finely chopped (or 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp fresh chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Oil for seasoning

Method

1. Toast the peanuts, channa dal, dhania, jeera and red chillies in a pan. Fry each one separately; do not add oil while frying.

2. Powder the roasted ingredients and keep aside. You can add a little water while grinding.
3. Pour oil in a pan, add the onions and fry until translucent.

4. Add the chopped bell peppers and cook till soft.

5. Add the tomatoes and ginger garlic paste and fry till the tomatoes becomes soft.

6. Add the ground paste, salt and a little water and simmer for a while till the gravy is cooked.

7. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with roti or naan.

Serving size - 1/2 cup

Number of servings - 8

Dal Makhani

2006-10-27T05:53:00.000-05:00

An interesting twist to the boring old dal recipe. This mouth watering recipe is easy to make and pleases your guests too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup black urad dal

2 tbps red kidney beans (rajma)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 cup fresh cream or half and half

1 tsp red chilli powder

3 tbps butter

2 tomatoes chopped finely

1 onion chopped

1 tbps oil

Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak the black urad dal and rajma overnight in water.

2. Peel and chop the onion.

3. Wash and chop the tomatoes.

4. Pressure cook the soaked dal and rajma in three cups of water with salt and red chilli powder till soft.

5. Heat the oil and butter in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When it crackles, add the chopped onions and fry till translucent.

6. Add ginger garlic paste and chopped tomatoes. Sauté the tomatoes till they become soft. Fry the mixture till the oil leaves the masala.

7. Add the boiled dal and rajma along with salt.

8. Add garam masala powder and simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes till everything is well incorporated.

9. Add the fresh cream and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot with roti or naan.

Serving size - 1/2 cup

Number of servings 6-7

Palak Paneer

2006-10-27T05:46:00.000-05:00

This is a popular side dish that is served with either roti or pulao. Simple yet elegant, palak paneer is very easy to make and delicious with a light hint of spices in the background.

Ingredients

1 big bunch of fresh spinach (or one 10 oz box chopped frozen spinach)

15 to 20 cubes of paneer

1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes

5 green chillies

1/2 onion (chopped finely)

1/2 tsp of ginger garlic paste

1 tsp of coriander-cumin powder

1/4 cup cashews

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

A pinch of turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method

1. Dry roast the cashews and keep aside.

2. If you are using fresh spinach then wash the spinach, roughly chop them and sauté along with green chillies in one tsp of oil until wilted. Let the mixture cool. Add the cashews and puree the spinach with a pinch of salt and coriander leaves to a smooth paste.

3. If using frozen boxed spinach, sauté only the green chillies in oil. Defrost the spinach in a microwave and blend to a smooth paste along with green chillies, coriander leaves, cashews and salt. Do not add excess water while making the spinach puree.

4.Add 1 tsp of oil in a pan and sauté the onions till translucent.

5.Add the ginger-garlic paste and coriander-cumin powder and sauté for a while.

6.Then add the turmeric powder and tomatoes and mix well till the raw smell of tomato disappears.

7.Add the spinach mixture and let everything boil. If you find the gravy too thick, add 1/4 cup of water.

8.Add the paneer cubes and mix till they are incorporated completely in the gravy.
Optional: You can shallow fry the paneer cubes in oil.

Serve hot with pulao or roti.

Serving size - 1 cup

Number of servings - 5

Easy mac and cheese

2006-10-26T15:41:00.000-05:00

There are a thousand different ways in which you can spice up your mac and cheese. This simple and delicious veggie mac and cheese is surely a treat at the end of a busy day.

Ingredients

1/2 pound elbow macaroni (any brand)

1 small onion chopped

1 cup of broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup of green peas (fresh or frozen)

3 tbsps of unsalted butter

3 tbps all purpose flour

3 cups of milk (preferably whole milk)

1 tsp of cayenne pepper

1 tsp of paprika

2-3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar cheese

Red pepper flakes for garnish

Salt to taste

Olive oil

Method
1. Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni. Once the water bubbles, add salt and the macaroni. Cook as per the package directions or till the pasta is al dente.
2. Heat a pan over medium theat. Add olive oil and saute the onion for a couple of minutes. Then add the broccoli florets and green peas and saute till cooked. Turn off heat and reserve. (Another method to cook the peas and broccoli is to add them directly to the pasta water after the pasta is almost cooked).
3. Make the roux (sauce) by melting the butter in a pan. Once the butter melts add the flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together until the roux bubbles.
4. Then add the milk and keep stirring over medium heat until the sauce thickens. This could take around 4-5 minutes.
5. Add the cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until it melts.
6. Add the reserved veggie mixture and the cooked pasta.
7. Garnish with red pepper flakes.
8. Serve hot

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings - 4