Back to Basics : Cumin-Coconut Powder

Pin It Now! One thing that sits on my shelf almost always is the cumin-coconut powder - jeera khobra powder. I never knew about this magical ingredient until I moved to this land and craved some authentic maharashtrian food. This is the  ingredient that gives a homey flavour to curries and the khichdis. When my mom added it to khichdi its aroma spread throughout the house and we knew what we were having for dinner that night.

 She made this jeera khobra powder fresh in her beloved mortar-pestle each time she required it. The crushing of seeds by this method released their fragrant oils. I do not own a mortar-pestle though,so I make it in my indian mixie. To save time I make about a cup of it every time and store it in the rack. A tsp of the blend is just enough for most recipes.

What you need is :
1C dry shredded coconut
2tbsp cumin

 How to :-
 Grind both into a fine powder and use as required.Optionally you can lightly roast them and then grind. That would increase shelf-life even further.

Goes to Back to Basics event hosted this month at Served with Love. Visit the round-ups for useful tips and how-tos to make your life in kitchen easier and faster.

A Versatile Grilled Sandwich

Pin It Now! Last week has been crazy. I was busy on the work and family front. I planned to post a recipe but did not quite get to it. Today's recipe is an all time favorite of ours. While we do like typical Indian meals on weeknights, I also try to break the monotony by making grilled sandwiches once a week.
A good sandwich starts with a GOOD BREAD. I repeat Good. Bread. Not grocery store bread. They become soggy and do not stand up to our chutneys. We love the breads at this and this bakery. These breads are both healthy and have a great taste. I particularly love the Tomato-Basil loaf.

There are several options for the sauce or chutney. I have used - Sun-dried tomato hummus, Basil pesto, Mango chutney,mint-cilantro chutney. All are equally delicious and healthy too.
We have also experimented with several toppings like - sun-dried tomato, slices of boiled egg, red-yellow-orange bell peppers.
The recipe I present today is a general method. Feel free to mix and match. You never know what you might like.


Recipe :-
 2 or more slices of bread
 Fillings- cucumber,spinach,red bell pepper

 Cheese - mozarella cut into strips or use cheese slices in deli section
 Chutney or Spread - sun-dried tomato hummus

• Spread the chutney on the 2 slices. 
• Place the spinach,cucumber and cheese on one of the slice. Top with the other.
•  
• Toast on both sides inntil the top is crispy using a non-stick griddle. . You can spray some oil or butter.

Great to pack into lunch-boxes.

Cabbage with Peas

Pin It Now! Cabbage - I do not know many who like this vegetable. I too disliked it until I saw this recipe. Yesterday I  made a shortcut version of this recipe and its changed my opinion about cabbage for ever.

 Before I rave further, here's the recipe : -

Cabbage with Peas ( Inspired from this recipe at eCurry )

For tempering :-
4 cardamom pods (opened to expose the seeds)
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1/2 C chopped tomatoes
1 tsp grated ginger or ginger paste
2 dry red chillies broken in big pieces
2 green chillies  broken in large pieces
1 tsp turmeric powder


2C finely shredded cabbage
1/4 C peas (frozen or fresh)
 salt to taste
 oil as required
 1 tbsp garam masala
 1 tbsp ghee
  

• On medium heat saute the cardamom,cloves,bay leaf until the oil is fragrant. Add the turmeric,dry red ,green chillies and ginger paste fry till slightly brown. 
•  Then add the tomatoes and saute till oil separates and mixture is lumpy.
•  Then add the shredded cabbage. Mix well. Simmer,cover and cook till the cabbage is soft but slightly crunchy.
•  Can take around 10 min.The cabbage will reduce in quantity.
•  Then add salt and mix well.Add the peas and mix again.
• Cook uncovered for another 3-4min till the water evaporates and the mixture is dry.
• Finally add the garam masala and the ghee. Taste and add more salt if required.
• Serve with some roti for a healthy meal.

The aroma of the whole and ground spices take it to a whole new level.We have loved this new twist to this neglected veggie. It has finally found its place on our meal menu.

'Korma' Sutra

Pin It Now! Any korma dish always reminds me of this restaurant named 'KormaSutra' in Kansas where i spend some time before moving to Houston. The place was always crowded. The food was average so am sure it must be the name that attracted many hungry souls.

On another note this weekend I made some Minty Peas and Pineapple Korma for a homely lunch. The recipe is from the sarcastic, humorous and delicious blog -  Jugalbandi. The recipes from this blog have not let me down as yet and this one is no exception.

I made some modifications to the recipe to suit our tastes. I omitted the tamarind extract and the roasted red peppers since i had none at hand.

Here is my version of the recipe :

Minty Peas and Pineapple Korma
( Inpired by this recipe on Jugalbandi )

What's needed :-
1/2 C dessicated coconut reconstituted in 1/4C hot water
3/4 can of pineapple ( U can use a whole can)
1/2 C peas 
1/4 cup cashews
1/3 tsp paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
a tiny bit each of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves(3Cs +N)
2 green chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp coconut milk 
1/2 onion thinly sliced onions
2 tsp ginger
1 tomato chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1. Blend together - coconut,paprika,cashews,3Cs+N,green chillies,tumeric and paprika. Dry grind and then add coconut milk just enought to make a smooth paste. The paste smells heavenly.
2. In a pan fry the onion and ginger in the oil. Add some salt so that onion browns up.Then add the tomato and the mint.
3. When the mixture is pulpy add the coconut paste.Add salt and some water to get desired consistency.

4. Once the mixture has come to a boil add the pineapple,peas. Mix well. Check seasoning and add more salt if required. Garnish with more mint and serve with fresh rotis or rice.


Goes to Nupur's Blog-Bites - Potluck edition hosted at One Hot Stove.
                                *******************


And by the way I read the review of Raavan on this blog. And then I happen to see it last weekend. And then I read the review again. Turns out that though this review had me ROFL its still very much the truth. So if you are looking for a good laugh you know where to go !

Tomatillo Chutney

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Glossy green tomatillos are making quite an appearence in the market these days. I have been picking up some every week. 

With these week's batch I made this fresh-tangy tomatillo chutney.  This is a nice creamy,tangy, spicy spread that goes well with any dal or subzi. The quantities in the recipe are approximate and can be adjusted to suit one's palette.

And now on to the recipe :-

5-6 tomatillos chopped into chunks

2-3 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts ( I used some from the roasted unsalted peanut jar sold in the nuts section)

2 green chillies diced

1/2inch piece of ginger
2 cloves of garlic

salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

handful of chopped cilantro

For tempering :-

 2 tbsp oil

 2 tsp mustard seeds

 2 dry red chillies broken into pieces

• Dry grind the peanuts into a fine powder. Keep aside.
• In a skillet heat some oil. Add the ginger,garlic,green chillies and fry for 1-2 min till fragrant. Take care not to burn.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and saute till tomatoes are soft and cooked. Cool completely.
• In a blender add the peanut powder,tomato mixture, salt ,sugar,cilantro and blend to a smooth paste. Taste and adjust seasoning.Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Temper the oil with the mustard seeds and broken chillies and add it to the blended paste.

There you have it satisfaction in a bowl. We had the chutney with a rice and dal meal. I generally make a batch over the weekend and have it earlier in the week. 

The peanuts lend a creamy texture pair well with the tangy tomatoes. If you feel the tomatillos are tart increase the quantity of sugar.

No-Cook Strawberry Icecream

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Motherhood is rewarding and challenging in many ways. If you are a mother then am sure you will agree with me.

For me pregnancy was full of various emotions - joy,anxiety,nervousness and occasional bouts of depression. Before motherhood it was all about me and myself. Visits to the mall and eating out were a weekend ritual. I surprise myself these days how I do not enjoy these things any more. Shopping has now become an occasional activity. Eating out has been restricted to kid-friendly places.

I enjoy being home and playing with Aamod. His soft touch, his innocent actions and sneaky little grin all lighten up our home these days. With him around the house is in a chaotic state. But I absolutely do not mind it. We can find the strangest of things in the weirdest of places. Just yesterday I found my wireless mouse in the dish washer !!

Being a mother is a privilege though it does come with a fair share of hardwork.

One of my good neighbourhood  friends is stepping into the mommy world. A couple of friends and myself had a babyshower for her this week. My contribution was this luscious Strawberry Icecream. I love strawberry in any form. If you love fruit then this icecream is for you.

This no-cook egg-free icecream is inspired from this recipe on Kitchen Parade. For the amount of effort this one needs the results are gorgeous !.

Here's my version of it :-

1C whole milk

1/2C cream

4oz cream-cheese cut into chunks

16oz strawberries chopped

1C sugar ( you can reduce it to 3/4C if your strawberries are tart)

1tbsp lime juice

1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Freeze in an air-tight container.

2. Once the mixture starts freezing from the side then blend using an hand-blender.You can use an ice-cream maker at this stage. Repeat this step 3 times to avoid ice-crystals.

3. Tastes best as a soft serve.

 The original recipe called for 8oz cream-cheese though I just had 4oz on hand. This ice-cream bursts of strawberry flavor though is not as creamy as the mango ice cream I previously  posted. You can increase the quantity of cream to make it all the more creamy. It has nice pink color without any addition of additional food colors.

Homemade Granola

Pin It Now! For quite sometime now I was like most grocery shoppers who would walk up to the cereal aisle and mindlessly pick up their favourite brand of cereal and put it into their shopping cart. I was always under the impression that cereal was healthy. Until I read how much sugar the oats, the bran and corn flakes were dunked in.
We have switched to the healthiest option now - Plain Oldfashioned Oats. With a handful of fresh berries and nuts these make a very healthy breakfast.

However recently I learned making another healthy version of granola. With just a few tbsp of honey this granola had become an instant favorite in my house.
I actually got inspired from this blog that has many variations of granola. I have bookmarked almost all of them for me to try out. This weekend I made this version substituting with some of the ingredients I meant to use up.

 Homemade Granola
 ===============

•  Combine :-    

                            2 C old-fashioned oats
                            1/2 C diced nuts ( I used a mix of almonds,peanuts and walnuts)
                            1/4 C dessicated coconut
          Roast over medium heat till nicely toasted. About 7-8 min. Keep close eye to avoid burning.

• In a saucepan combine :                              
                              2 tbsp vegetable oil
                              3 tbsp honey.
                              pinch of salt
  Stir over medium heat till it comes to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla.
   
• Pour the honey-oil mixture over the oats and nuts mixture. Toss to coat well.
• Spread onto a baking pan and bake at 350deg F for 5-7 min till slightly brown.
• Add 1/4 C of dried fruit ( I added raisins and dates), 4 tbsp of wheat germ(optional) to it.

• Cool and then store in an airtight container. Enjoy with some milk or yogurt for a breakfast or snack.
  
  
  

Tomato Chutney - South Indian Style

Pin It Now! Last weekend was packed with several potlucks and birthday parties. That left no time for me to do any grocery shopping. Besides pantry staples like onions , tomato there were not many veggies at home. So the challenge for yours truly - to get by a week without grocery shopping.
     Every evening the pantry would be ransacked to find whatever needed to be used up. Actually its pretty amazing what you discover to make a wonderful meal. I found several different legumes ,cheese.frozen pesto and flours.

     For a weekend brunch I used an instant uttapam packet to make some onion uttappams. To go with that there was tomato chutney south indian style. And its recipe is what I shall share with you today.

The original recipe is from DK of Chef In You. I am fillled with much gratitude everytime we enjoy this one. Its made its appeareance quite a few times now.

Now for the recipe :-

 3 tomatoes diced
 1 onion diced
 1/2 an inch ginger
 4-5 tbsp fresh coconut ( I use the frozen one )
 2 crushed red chillies ( more if you like spicy )
 1 tsp sambar powder
 1/2 tsp chilli powder
 salt to taste
 2 tbsp oil

 For tempering :-
 1 tsp mustard seeds
 2 tsp urad dal
 5-7 curry leaves
 2 tbsp oil

 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

1. In a pan heat some oil. Add the tomatoes,onions,ginger and dry red chillies and saute till tomatoes are cooked. Let cook for sometime.
2. In a blender add the above mixture,coconut,salt, sambar powder and chilli powder. Blend till a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Splutter the mustard seeds in oil. Add the urad dal, curry leaves and allow the urad dal to brown.
4. Add the tempering and cilantro to the blended mixture. Check for salt. Serve with dosa or idli.

We love the smoky and burnt taste of the urad dal. It pairs very well with the tangy tomato. You can add more ginger to get a nice hot chutney.

Want some ?

 Goes to this month's Healing Food - Tomato event started by Siri of Siri's Corner.

Indian Quesadillas with roasted tomato salsa

Pin It Now! Using the words 'Indian' and Quesadillas in the same line would raise eyebrows. Isnt it ? But actually I do not like the grocery store tortillas.They have some kind of bitter after-taste that puts me off.
So this week I tried masquerading rotis as tortillas and made some Spinach,Goat Cheese and Caramelized onion quesadillas with some roasted tomato salsa. Quite a mouthful of title but a flavorful one !

Quesadillas and Salsa

 

This was a fun-meal a nice change from the usual dal,sabzi,rotis.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

1. Cut 4-5 tomatoes in half and sprinkle salt,pepper and 2-3 tbsp of olive oil. Add 5-6 cloves of garlic and coat the tomatoes and garlic nicely with olive oil and the spices. Spread on baking tray (lined with foil for easy cleanup) cut side up. Bake for 20 mins till the tomatoes have wilted and turned brown from below.

2. When cooled finely chop the tomatoes and garlic.To this add :

                 1/2 an onion finely chopped

                  salt to taste

                 crushed red chillies ( amount depending on how spicy you want)

                 handful of cilantro

3. Enjoy with your favorite chips or with the quesadillas below.

The amount of tomatoes and garlic is approximate. I just use what ever  leftovers I have in the crisper. And when I see tomatoes at 88c/lb I cant wait to make more of this salsa. I have made it a couple of times now and we are always craving for more. Actually its the flavor of the roasted tomatoes and garlic that we enjoy very much.

 

Now to the quesadillas - 

This recipe is more of just assembling and then letting the quesadillas cook themselves.

1. Finely cut 1 onion into thin strips and saute for a few minutes till lightly brown and caramelized. 

2. Place a roti ( I used the frozen one from Costco) onto a hot pan and let it cook on both sides.

3. Now spread some of salsa(recipe above),caramelized onions and the baby spinach(store bought works best) and finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes(optional).

4.Spread some crumbled goat cheese and place another cooked roti. Press down.

5. Cut into wedges and serve with roasted tomato salsa.

This quesadillas is really an explosion of flavours. The sweetness from the onions, creaminess from the goat cheese and slightly tart tomatoes and salsa.If you have never tried goat cheese before then try picking some at your next trip to the grocery store. Use them where you would use your other cheeses and see if you like it.

See ya !

Alphonso Mango Icecream

Pin It Now! Summer vacations in my childhood were marked by frequent visits to my favorite ice-cream shop located in the heart of Pune,India - Kawre Colddrinks. This place served all the summer flavours - mango,anjeer(figs),pistachioand so many more. My favourite was the Mango Icecream using the freshest Alphonso mangoes of the season.
The hapus(alphonso) mango is one of the sweetest varierty of mango. Its extremely popular in the state of maharastra speically in the konkan region.

 source : Wikipedia

More about it here.

Though we do not get alphonso(hapus) in Houston what we get is the tinned mango pulp.Not that good as fresh mango but we still love it.
This week I invited few of my very dear friends for tea party. I kept the menu simple but flavourful - sweet and spicy dabeli, crispy-crunchy chivda,date cake for the ones with a sweet tooth and to wrap it up - mango ice-cream. The mango-icecream was oh-so-good. It replicated the Kawre magic quite easily.

So without further adieu here's the recipe.

Adapted from Jugalbandi's Express Mango Ice-cream.

Ingredients:-

1 14oz can sweetened condensed
1 can kesar mango pulp (one avalaible in indian grocery store)
 1 8oz container of cool-whip (fat-free ok)

1. Mix the pulp and the condensed milk to smooth.
2.Now add the cool-whip and blend with a hand blender till the mixture is smooth. To avoid spluttering blend first at low speed and be sure to use a tall container.Alternately you can also blend in a jar blender.
3. Freeze in a air-tight container until set. Makes about 2 quarts

This is so soft creamy thatI did not get much time to take the pics before it started melting.Also everytime one of us open the freezer we stop to have a spoonful of it ! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you Jai and Bee for this wonderful recipe.

Taste Of Yellow - Mango Crumble

Pin It Now! The rain gods have played havoc here in Houston today. Its been quite sometime since I experienced the fierce side of Mother Nature. And while I kept my little one occupied with rain songs like "Yere Yere Pausa.." (rain rain come again.. if you mean to translate it literally) I certainly did not mean it. For firstly I had to drive and second that it was the long weekend and I really did not want to spend it at home.

But still it was a good break from the sultry sticky humid weather that we have been experiencing lately. As with every weekend I had a dessert planned for this one too. A nice warm mango crumble to complement the cool outsides. The moment I saw it on this site I knew it was my kind of dessert - simple,fruity and not overly sweet.

I did not have enough mangoes to fill up my ramekins so I added a few strawberries. The end result was really a treat !
Here's how I made it :-

Ingredients

2 (or more) ramekins full of chopped mango and strawberry
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp crushed red chillies
2 tbsp honey

For the topping :-
1 tbsp whole wheat flour (atta)
2 tbsp coursely crushed almonds
1 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
2 tbsp turbinado sugar ( any brown sugar would be equally good)

1. Mix the fruits,cinnamon powder and the honey and toss gently. Fill into individual ramekins.
2. Mix the ingredients for the topping until the mixture resemble course breadcrumbs.
3. Top the ramekins with topping mixture.
4. Bake at 350F for 10-12 mins till mixture is bubbly and top browns. Take cake not to dry out the mixture by baking it longer.

It was so good. The sweetness from the honey and the heat from the mangoes,a perfect combination.

 

Thanks Sunita for yet another wonderful recipe !

Stuffed Spinach (Palak) Parathas

Pin It Now! What do I do when I have a big batch of washed, freshly cut spinach to use up ? I make us some stuffed spinach parathas.
Actually I am a big fan of all kinds of stuffed parathas - Aloo,Muli,Methi..the list goes on. Fan as in the eating kind not the making one.. I have tried my hands a couple of time and the result was just satisfactory - not great , just fair.

This time I attempted some again and the result was more than just satisfactory making them blog-worthy. Actually these parathas are much easier to handle than any of the other kinds I tried before.

The recipe comes from my aai (mom). She always packed them for lunch with some cilantro chutney. As a kid I loved them because of their green color and enjoyed them with some pickle and yogurt.
Here is my recipe for them : -

For the Stuffing :-
1 or more bunches of chopped spinach
2 cloves of garlic
4-5 tbsp of gram flour
1-2 tbsp chilli powder
oil to fry
salt to taste

 For the dough
 1-2 C whole wheat flour (atta)
 water for kneading
 2 tbsp oil

To make the dough
1. Mix all the ingredients for the dough and make a soft dough.
 Keep aside for 30 min.

To make the stuffing
1. Heat some oil in a pan and add garlic.
2. When garlic turns brown add the spinach, salt, chilli powder and mix well.The mixture releases moisture.Cover and cook till the spinach has wilted.
3.Open the lid and add gram flour. Mix well. Gram flour will absorb all the moisture. Simmer and cook for another5-7 minutes till mixture is dry and lumpy.
4. Cook on high heat if required and allow the mixture to cool before making parathas.

To make the parathas :-
 1. Take agolf ball sized ball of dough and place 1tbsp of mixture in center.Bring the edges together to make ball. Press down and roll carefully into parathas.
 2. Parathas might be thick at first but make sure that the filling does not spill out.
 3. Fry on tava till golden brown with some oil.

I served mine with some garlic chutney. Great for kids lunches !.
Goes to the Kids Delight event hosted by Srivalli at Spice your life .

Summer Dessert - Date Walnut Kulfi

Pin It Now! As a child summer vacations were marked by a visit by the Kulfiwallah in the afternoon. And mind you not any kulfiwallah. This particular one patronized by everyone in my neighbourhood sold the creamiest and nuttiest of the kulfis. But as time passed our summer vacations were replaced by summer classes and later by full-time jobs. The childhood kulfiwallah too found another lucky neighbourhood.

I never thought that I would be making this dessert at home. But I did ! And it turned out to be exactly similar to the kulfi I relished a few years back.
The recipe is very simple. Just mix and freeze ! Result is a creamy,nutty and absolutely delicious dessert.

Ingredients
 12 oz can evaporated milk
 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
 1 C heavy whipping cream
 1/4 C chopped walnuts
 1/2 C chopped pitted dates ( I used the pitted dates sold at Walmarts)

1. Line a round or rectangular baking tray with cling wrap (plastic wrap). This makes it easier to remove the kulfi.
2. Soak the dates in 1/2 C milk or water and let stand for 5-10min till cooled.
3. In a blender pulse 1/2 of the walnuts and dates till the mixture is smooth.
4. Add the evaporated and condensed milk,cream and pulse till the mixture is smooth and creamy.
5. Pour into a baking tray and freeze for 6-7hours till set.

Unlike other ice-creams it is not required to pulse the mixture every few hours to remove the sugar crystals. Cut into slices and enjoy !
I served this kulfi at a Chaat Party hosted for some dear friends. The leftovers were a huge hit at work !
Sending this childhood favorite dessert to be Monthly Mingle - Sweet Treats hosted by Erin at The Apartment Kitchen and started by Meeta of What's for Lunch Honey.

Our Anniversary and some curry...

Pin It Now! Yes, it was our anniversary this month. Five years back on a pleasant day we promised to be with each other through thick and thin. Ever since, its been a whole new life for both of us. There was laughter and there were tears. But for most part there was love and understanding. And today even though I do miss the warmth of my family back home I feel truly blessed to be with him. Who else could have put up with so many kitchen experiments ?
Like this baby corn and green beans curry. It was rustled up with whatever caught my fancy at that moment. Nonetheless it resulted in a dish I was proud of.

Cashews are the new cream here.The whole spices lend their wonderful sweet aroma to the dish. The crunchy vegetablse get along very well with the thick gravy making it perfect for dinner or lunch.

For now here is a recipe for baby corn and green beans curry : -


1.  Make a paste of following :- 

• 1/2 an onion diced
• 2 green chillies
• 1/4 inch ginger
• 7-8 cashew

2. In pan add oil and add : 1 bayleaf, 2-3 cardamoms, 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon
3. Add the onion paste and fry for 1 min. To this mixture add the following:-

• 1 tomato chopped
• 1-2 tsp chilli powder

4. Chop baby corn and green beans into 1/2 inch pieces or shorter if you prefer. Add them to the pan.
5. Mix well and add water to get the desired consistency.Add 1-2 tbsp of thick yogurt to get a creamy texture.
6. Bring it to a boil and garnish with chopped cilantro.

The vegetables should have a slight crunch and must not get mushy. Serve hot  with rotis or rice