Semolina Upma (Roasted Semolina cooked with vegetables)

This is a quick and easy snack item, ready in less than 10 minutes once you have all the ingredients ready and the vegetables sliced and diced. My toddler also enjoys this for her dinner and if a picky eater like her can eat some of this, I guarantee you, the rest of us will eat it up in no time!

Prep time: 15 min

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients: Vermicelli (or even rice noodles will do)- 1 cup, Broccoli (10 florets), carrot (1 long stick), green peas (fresh or frozen) - 1/4 cup, tomato (1- medium), serrano peppers (1), ginger (1/2 inch), lime juice (2 -3 tsp), 2 and 1/4 cups of water,salt to taste

Ingredients for tempering: 2 tsp canola oil or olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp black gram dhal

Cook away...

> Dice the carrots and tomato, serrano pepper

> Heat a pan on medium and dry roast the semolina for a couple of minutes until golden brown and set aside

> Heat the same pan on medium high and add the oil and ingredients for tempering

> Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add all the chopped vegetables and grate the ginger on the top

> Saute for about 3-4 minutes

> Now add the water and salt to taste

> Once water boils, add the roasted semolina and lower the heat and continuously stir

> Stir until all the water is gone and turn off the heat

> You can garnish with cilantro and/or some cashew halves roasted in oil/butter

> Serve hot!

My Thoughts..

> I usually skip the serrano pepper if I am making this for my toddler (and the cashews too) and I substitue the oil with a little bit of butter for the tempering

> You can add more vegetables to this, if you like (potato, zucchini, onions, green beans, cauliflower...the possibilities are endless :))

> I usually serve this with some ginger chutey or tomato chutney on the side (yum!) or even tomato ketchup

For the next post, I want to do a little write up about the concept of tempering (that I use in almost every recipe) and a little info on the ingredients involved, hopefully with some pictures.

Enjoy!!

Yummy Tomato Chutney

(Picture coming up soon..)

I got this yummy tomato chutney recipe from my mom. I used to love it as a kid and anytime my mom made it, I would pretty much finish up half of it if not more. It goes very well with rice as well as bread (chapati) or any south indian snacks like idly (steamed rice cakes) or Dosa (Pancakes made with lentil batter).I've tried hard over the years to make it exactly like my mom makes and I am pretty good at it now..but never as good as mom :)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients: 1-2 tsp canola or vegetable oil , 4-5 Medium sized tomatoes (Roma),about 2 Serrano peppers (you can do one if you don't want it too spicy),1 teaspoon roasted fenugreek powder **,Good amounts of cilantro (half a bunch or so),1 teaspoon sugar, couple of pinches of turmeric, salt to taste

**(I buy Fenugreek seeds from the Indian store, dry roast a handful of them till they start changing color and then grind them up in a spice grinder. This powder keeps for months together so I usually make it once and use it for the next 2-3 months.)

Ingredients for tempering: 2 tsp canola oil or vegetable oil,2 tsp mustard seeds,2 tsp black gram Dal ,couple of dried red chillies broken in half , pinch of asafoetida

Cook away...

>Dice tomatoes into medium (bite sized) chunks.

>Slice Serrano peppers into halves. Roughly chop the cilantro (I include the stems too, because they enhance the taste, I think)

>Heat oil in a pan and add tomatoes and Serrano peppers. Let them cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

>Add the roasted fenugreek powder, turmeric,sugar and salt to taste ( I add about a teaspoon and a half). >Add the cilantro as well and let these cook for another minute or two. Stir them all together.

>Take the mixture aside and let it cool. Once cool, throw it into a blender and blend till it's a semi-soft paste (some people prefer it to be a completely smooth chutney, I like a few chunks of tomato here and there in mine).

>Heat oil in a pan and add the tempering ingredients. once the mustard seeds start to splutter, turn off the heat and add this tempering to the prepared chutney.

>Yummy tomato chutney is ready to eat! So simple, so much flavor.

My Thoughts...

>If you made the chutney with one Serrano pepper and it still feels spicy, you could add a tablespoon of non-fat yogurt to it. Makes it mild and still tastes yummy

> If you want to make the chutney last a bit longer (south indian pickle-style), cook the tomatoes in extra canola oil (maybe about half a cup) and add some tamarind to it while it cooks and then blend it all together when it cools. This lasts about a couple of months for sure, if stored in the refridgerator

Enjoy this versatile chutney with just about anything!

Cauliflower with Garbanzo Beans

I saw Tyler Florence's show a few years ago on Food Network and he made this Indian dish( I remember being excited at the prospect of a Food Network Chef attempting to make Indian food!) with Cauliflower and Garbanzo beans. I don't remember what exactly he did at that point or what specific ingredients he used, but I've cooked up my own recipe using those two main ingredients and a bunch of Indian spices. I like my cauliflower and am always looking out for ways to make it interesting, colorful and flavorful. So here's one way to do it! :)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients: Cauliflower(1 head), Garbanzo beans(1 can), Onions(2 medium), Tomatoes(2 medium), Ginger(1/2 inch ginger root), serrano peppers(2), Salt to taste, Turmeric(a couple of small pinches), Red chilli powder(2 tsp), Cumin powder (1 tsp), Coriander powder(1 tsp), Cilantro(as much as you want - for garnish)

Ingredients for tempering: Olive oil (2 tsp), mustard seeds(2 tsp), Cumin seeds(2 tsp), dried red chilli(1 whole) - Optional

Cook away...

> Separate the cauliflower florets and wash and drain. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans

> Dice the onions, tomatoes and serrano peppers

> Heat a pan on medium high and add the Olive oil and ingredients for tempering

> Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the onions and serrano peppers and cook while sauteing,until the onions start to turn golden brown

> Add tomatoes and turmeric and stir some more

> Grate the ginger (using a microplane) on top of the mixture and stir everything and cook for 3-4 minutes

> Now add the cauliflower and cook for a couple of minutes

> Add the garbanzo beans and salt to taste and cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes till cauliflower is cooked to your liking

> Turn the heat to low, add red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and stir to combine the spices well with the cauliflower and garbanzo

> Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro

> Serve hot with rice or naan or chapathis!

My Thoughts..

> If you don't have the Cumin powder or the Coriander powder on hand, don't worry! The dish will taste wonderful even without those two

> Skip the serrano peppers (or alternately the red chilli powder) to reduce the spice level

If you make the cauliflower this interesting, who wouldn't want to eat it!

I love Garlic...and not just to repel those vampires! (The Stinking Rose)

(This is from their website)

(Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, roasted Garlic, Olives and Basil)

 

(Fettuccine with Arugula pesto and Sun dried tomatoes) 

We were in the California Bay area over the weekend. The moment we planned the trip a month or so ago, we knew that one of the things we would definitely do while in the bay area is to visit Little Italy in San Francisco because we absolutely have to eat at The Stinking Rose. I do love myself some good Italian food and a few years ago, while my husband and I were exploring Little Italy on a pleasant spring afternoon, we saw this place and thought we'd check it out since we are both HUGE garlic lovers.(Garlic = Stinking Rose, but of course you knew that!). We stepped into the restaurant and the first thing we see is a store - full of garlicky stuff. Garlic flavored extra virgin olive oil, pasta sauces, all kinds of gourmet garlic products. And the decor of the restaurant was just so cool (see the picture -they have garlic braids hanging across the entire ceiling and paintings and murals with garlic).This is definitely a garlic lover's paradise and not for the weak hearts because, boy, can you smell that garlic aroma the moment you step in!! We ate at the Stinking Rose that time, and several times after that over the years, before we moved out of the area. So when we went back there this weekend after almost 4 years, I was so happy that the ambiance and the quality of food was just as wonderful as I had remembered.

There are a lot more choices for the meat-eating population, but there's more than enough for us vegetarians as well.The thing I was looking forward to most was the Garlic chutney (or sauce) that they serve with their yummy warm foccacia bread. This is a potent chutney because it has raw garlic in it! I am guessing it's made with extra virgin olive oil, parsley and small thinly sliced garlic bits.You (I) can definitely lose track of how many bread rolls you just ate with that chutney! We ordered a side of the Garlic Yukon gold mashed potatoes. I ordered the Fettuccine pasta with Arugula pesto (out of this world) and my husband ordered the Angel hair pasta with tomatoes, basil, olives and of course, roasted garlic (so so good). We cleaned up our plates within minutes. We also tried their Margherita Pizza and Gnochetti during a previous visit and those were great as well.

Next time you are visiting the SF bay area,I highly recommend trying this place out. I cannot wait to go back, maybe in a couple of years again *sigh*..oh, unless they open one right here in the Chicagoland!

Green Bell Pepper with Onions and Chickpea Flour

Green Bell Pepper is one of my most favourite vegetables if not THE most favourite one! Why? There's so much you can do with it, it's easy to chop/slice, cooks fast and has such great flavor, not to mention it's packed with vitamins and antioxidants. What's not to like about it?

This recipe comes from my mom. She makes it pretty often and so do I. It involves few ingredients and it's very easy to make. So here goes...

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: Green Bell Pepper(4 - large ones), Onions(2 - medium), Chickpea flour(Besan - 3/4 cup), salt to taste,turmeric (a pinch or two), Red chilli powder (1 tsp)

Ingredients for tempering: Olive Oil (2 tsp), mustard seeds (1 tsp), cumin seeds(1 tsp), black gram dhal(2 tsp), dried red chilli (2 - whole)

Cook away...

> Heat a non-stick pan on medium high and add the chickpea flour

> Dry roast it for a couple of minutes, constantly stirring it, until it just starts to get golden brown. Turn off heat and transfer to a separate bowl

>Dice the Onions into long thin slices and the bell pepper into half inch slices

>Put the pan back on medium heat and add the Olive oil and the rest of the ingredients for tempering

>Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the onions and the turmeric and let it cook for 3-4 minutes while stirring, until the onions are cooked

> Now add the bell pepper slices and the salt and cook on medium heat covered with a lid for 5-7 minutes until the bell pepper is almost cooked

>Add the chilli powder and cook for an additional minute or so

> Now add the dry roasted chickpea flour and stir so it combines well with the onions and the bell pepper

> Cook the entire mixture for another couple of minutes

>Turn off the heat and transfer into a serving bowl

>Tastes great with Rice or Chapathis or just by itself!

My Thoughts..

>You could skip the dry roasting of the chickpea flour and just go ahead and add it to the bell pepper and onion mixture but I've found that dry roasting it enhances it's flavor that much more and just makes the dish extra yummy

>In the past, I've also added a little bit of tamarind juice (extract) while cooking the onions and bell peppers. It adds that little tangy taste to the dish

>You can skip the onions if you don't have them on hand, it will still taste good!

Until next time, add some bell pepper to your day :)

Lentils with Spinach and Edamame

(We cleaned up the serving dish even before I could take a picture...:))
This is a high protein, high fiber,overall a really healthy dish. A good one for vegetarians(like me!) especially, since we try so hard to make sure we get enough protein into our daily meals. Plus it's so flavorful you'll want to eat more than one serving of this and you could too, with no guilt whatsoever :)

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: Lentils(raw - 1 cup), Spinach( 1 bunch or about 3 cups - washed and drained), Edamame (fresh or frozen- 1 cup), serrano pepper(1 - sliced), Salt to taste, Red chilli powder(2 tsp), Turmeric (a couple of pinches)

Ingredients for Tempering: Olive oil(2 tsp), Mustard seeds (1tsp), Cumin seeds(2 tsp), Black gram dhal(2 tsp),dried red chillies(2- whole), asafoetida(a small pinch)

Cook away..

>Cook the lentils on stove top with about 3/4 the usual quantity of water (typically it's 2 parts of water, but for this dish you want the lentils not cooked to a paste. You still want them cooked but you want to see each grain separate. I usually start by adding 1 cup of water to 1 cup of raw lentils and add any extra water as needed while it's cooking)

> Add a little bit of salt (half a tsp or so) while cooking the lentils

>Roughly chop the spinach

>If you are using frozen edamame, thaw them in the microwave for a couple of minutes

>Heat a pan on medium high and add the olive oil and the ingredients for tempering

>Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the serrano peppers, spinach and the edamame and stir

>Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and cook until the spinach wilts down

>Once the lentils are cooked (like in step 1), add the spinach and edamame mixture to it and let them all cook for a minute or two on low heat

> Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with rice or chapathis!

My Thoughts..

>I've made this in the past with spinach and some frozen shredded coconut. Tastes awesome..

>You can substitute the spinach with pretty much any green leafy vegetable (Kale, Methi leaves)

>Great way to get those leafy greens into your diet!

Try this...am sure you'll make it again and again...

Punch it!

This one's a summer time family favourite. I got the recipe from my sister-in-law and have made it several times over the last few years and it has been the star of the party every single time. And it's so easy and so delicious and such a treat on a hot, humid, Chicago summer afternoon!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: a few thirsty people :)

Ingredients: Orange Sherbet (or even Orange sorbet - 1 quart), Sprite (1 liter), Orange Juice (no pulp - about 4 cups), Mango pulp (optional - 1 16oz can), Ice

Punch it...
> Combine all the above ingredients in a Punch bowl and serve!

My Thoughts...
> This is such a versatile punch, you could use so many alternate ingredients - ginger ale instead of Sprite, you could add half and half of Orange soda (Fanta) and Sprite or any lemon soda, throw in some orange zest, add some lemon juice or lemon zest, add some grated Ginger maybe (yum!)
> I tend to add the ingredients in installments as the guest arrive, that way it's always cold and always creamy because of the freshly added Sherbet
> This is one drink that is loved by kids and adults alike!

So serve this in your next summer party and leave your comments on what a big HIT this was with everyone!
(I didn't take a picture of this when I made it this weekend, but I am sure I'll make it at least one more time before the end of this summer and next time I'll definitely take one)

Bell Pepper Masala

This is my most favourite Green Bell Pepper recipe ever! It's heavily inspired by my mom's recipe, just a few minor changes. It is packed with so much flavor, don't be surprised if you want to eat it all! This involves making a quick blended masala (mixture of several spices) which you'd add to the bell pepper and cook them together.


Prep time: 30 minutes


Serves : 4-6


Ingredients for Masala: Coriander seeds (1 Tbsp), Cumin seeds (2 tsp), Dried Red chillies whole (3), Sesame seeds (2 tsp), Mustard seeds ( 1 Tbsp), Black gram dhal (1 Tbsp), Peanuts (1 Tbsp), sugar (2 tsp), Tamarind extract(half a cup), Olive oil (3 tsp)


Ingredients: Green Bell Pepper (Medium - 5), Olive oil (2 tsp), salt to taste, turmeric ( a small pinch), mustard seeds (2 tsp), Dried red chilli halves (4), cumin seeds ( 2 tsp)


Cook away..
>To make the Masala paste, heat a pan on medium high and add the oil.
> Add all the ingredients for the Masala (except the tamarind extract) and roast on medium heat until the coriander seeds turn golden brown
> Let the mixture cool a little then add to the blender and add the tamarind extract
> Blend to a fine paste, add a little water and some salt (half a tsp or so)
> The masala paste looks like the second picture above
> Now put the pan on medium high heat again and add Olive oil
> Slice the Bell peppers into half-inch pieces
> Add the mustard seeds, red chilli halves and cumin seeds to the hot oil
> Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the sliced bell peppers and cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, occasionally stirring
> Add the salt and turmeric and cook for another couple of minutes
> Now add the masala paste to the bell peppers and cook the whole thing for a few more minutes, until the masala combines well with the bell peppers and the bell peppers are cooked
> Transfer the bell pepper mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro
> Serve with hot rice or chapathis!

My thoughts...
> You can skip adding the sugar to the masala paste, I add a little bit so it gives that little sweetness to balance the slight tanginess of the tamarind
> You can also add some cilantro to the masala before blending it
> You can cook indian eggplants with the same masala paste, yummy!

Quick-n-easy Zucchini

I've found that Zucchini is one versatile vegetable. Although not commonly used in Indian cooking, I've seen it works nicely whether you make a curry with it or throw it in along with all the other vegetables when you make sambhar (i.e. lentil soup). Another dish that I love to add Zucchini to is Pasta (see recipe for Spaghetti with Chilli Garlic Vegetables, adding zucchini to it makes it even better!). This recipe is a perfect side dish whether you serve it with rice (white or brown) or Chapatis (bread)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients: Zucchini (3), Onions (medium - 2), serrano peppers(1), Cilantro, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric (a pinch), Olive oil (2 tsp)
Ingredients for tempering: Mustard seeds (2 tsp), Black gram dhal (2 tsp), Cumin seeds (1 tsp)

Cook away....
> Heat a pan on medium high and add olive oil
> Add all the ingredients for tempering
> Dice the onions and serrano pepper
> Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the onions and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the serrano pepper, turmeric and saute for another 3-4 minutes
> Dice the Zucchini and add to the onions
> Add salt (to taste, about 1.5 tsp) and red chilli powder and cover with a lid and cook for another 5-7 minutes till the zucchini cooks
> Add the cilantro for garnish and serve while hot!

 My thoughts...
> None, really. Enjoy the yummy Zucchini :)

Mint Pulao with Cucumber Raitha (Mint flavored rice with Yogurt chutney)

This one is a Mint lover's delight. Packed with so much flavor and such a feast for all senses.

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 1 cup white basmati rice, 1 cup brown basmati rice, 1 cup fresh mint leaves, 1 cup cilantro, Juice of half a lime, serrano pepper (1), whole cloves(4-5), cinnamon stick (half), cardamom powder (1/2 tsp), cumin (1 tsp), Onion (1 large), Olive oil (3 tsp), butter(2 tsp), Salt, cashew halves (10-12)

Ingredients for Raitha: 1 cup Yogurt, 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk, seedless cucumber(1), shredded carrot(1 cup), cilantro (1/2 cup), salt

Cook away...

> Wash the rice and set aside

> Blend the Mint leaves with the cilantro, serrano pepper and lime juice to a paste

> Heat a pan on medium high and add olive oil and 1 tsp of butter

> Add the Cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick to the pan and saute

> Add the Onion slices and the cardamom powder and saute for a couple of minutes

> Add the Mint paste to the onions and cook for 5 minutes

> Now add some salt and the washed rice and saute so the paste and spices combine with rice.

(The aroma emanating in your kitchen at this point is out of this world!)

> Add the entire mixture to a rice cooker and add 4 cups of water and cook until the rice is done

> In a pan, add the remaining 1 tsp butter and add the cashews and fry till they turn golden brown

> Once the rice is cooked, garnish with the cashews and serve with cucumber raitha on the side

Raitha Preparation:

> Dice the cucumber into small pieces

> Combine the cucumber, carrots, cilantro, yogurt and buttermilk in a bowl and mix thoroughly

> Add salt to taste

My Thoughts...

> You can make this dish entirely with white rice. I combine the white and brown so we don't lose on the good the brown rice has to offer :)

> You can skip the serrano pepper in the mint paste if you want this dish mild. Adding the serrano pepper only makes it medium spicy

> You can skip the cinnamon stick or the cloves if you don't have them on hand. It will still taste delicious

Until next post... Happy Eating!

Spicy Aloo with mint (Potato curry packed with heat!)

This is a quick-n-easy Potato recipe that's bursting with flavor. If you like your potatoes, you will definitely like this one. And it's flexible enough so you can make it less spicy and it will still taste great.

Prep Time: 30 minutes (most of it for peeling and dicing potatoes!)
Serves: 4
Ingredients: Medium sized Idaho potatoes(6), Roma tomatoes(2), medium Onion (1), serrano peppers(2), fresh mint leaves (a couple of sprigs), Cilantro (half a cup), Salt, Red chilli powder (2 tsp), turmeric (a couple of pinches), Olive oil for cooking, cashew halves (about 10)
Ingredients for Tempering: Mustard seeds (1 tsp), Cumin seeds (1 tsp), Black gram dhal(i.e. lentils - 2 tsp), dried red chilli ( 1 whole, halved)
(Here's a little info on "tempering" for my non-indian friends. It's essentially adding either ground or whole spices to oil to bring out the flavours of the spices and enhance the dish. it is an integral part of Indian cooking, added at the beginning of cooking a dish or towards the end. Depending on which region of India the dish you are cooking belongs to, the ingredients of tempering vary. No matter what your ingredients are, notice how the kitchen fills with the aroma of the spices once you add them to the oil!)
Cook away...
> Peel and dice the potatoes into half-inch pieces. Put in a microwave-safe dish and add some water and cook in the microwave for 6-7 minutes
> Dice the tomatoes and slice the onions and serrano peppers and chop mint leaves and cilantro
> Heat a saucepan on medium high and add about 2 tsp of Extra virgin Olive Oil
> Add all the ingredients for tempering and wait until the mustard seeds splutter.
> Now add the onion and cook until golden brown. Add the serrano peppers and tomatoes and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
> Add the turmeric and mint leaves and saute
> Add the cooked potatoes and salt and red chilli powder and cover with a lid and let it cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes
> Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped cilantro and cashews (roasted lightly in a tsp of oil or butter)
> Serve with Naan, Chapathi, White rice or Brown rice
> Dig in!

My thoughts..
> To cut down the heat, limit to one serrano pepper or don't add the red chilli powder or both
> Still spicy? Eat it with half a cup of chilled plain yogurt on the side
> You could serve this with a little salad on the side: Some sliced onions, shredded carrots, cucumber slices, chopped cilantro squeezed with some lime juice and some salt

Do try this and let me know how you like it!