Potato Bhaji Sandwich and Special Coffee

This is my childhood school friend N's special coffee recipe. Though I am not very fond of coffee especially after afternoons, coffee at her home is always an exception. She beats the coffee to make it frothy. When milk is added it retains some of its frothiness and the well blended sugar and coffee makes it very special.

Potato Bhaji is another of my mother's tiffin sandwich or breakfast sandwich recipes. When the bread is crisply toasted with butter on both sides, it tastes delicious. We usually buy oatnut whole grain bread, but to taste it in its real version I some times buy white bread to make this sandwich. 

Special Coffee

Ingredients

1 teaspoon instant coffee

2 teaspoon sugar or as desired

1 cup of milk or as desired

Method

Put the sugar and coffee powder into a cup and add just 1/2 spoon of water. Don't add more water else the froth will not be formed properly. Beat it with a spoon the same way you would beat and egg. I beat it at least for 5-10 minutes till a bubbly froth is formed. Add hot milk and stir well. Serve immediately.

Potato Bhaji Sandwich

For Potato Bhaji recipe in Konkani style click here. 

Ingredients

Bread slices

Potato bhaji 

Butter for frying

Method

Heat a tava on medium heat and oil it with butter. Put two bread slices on the tava for a second so that they are slightly heated. Reverse the slices and spread potato bhaji on one of the slices and cover it with the other slice. Toast both sides till crispy and serve immediately. 

Quinoa Khichdi/ Quinoa Stirfry with Peanuts

I make Quinoa Khichidi or Quinoa Upma very often for breakfasts. Come Spring and we feel very hungry whole day. I even wake up hungry and crave for a heavy breakfast. Wish I had a robot who could keep a variety of breakfast items ready for us every morning! Wishes apart, thats why my last post was about breakfast too.

I was introduced to Quinoa a few months back at a salad bar and I became quite inquisitive about this grain which tasted great and felt light on the stomach. I researched more on the internet and came across many recipes. I tried to make salad with a lemon dressing, but it tasted very bland to me. And that is when I decided to try to make Indian style recipes. I tried to make pulao like khichidi, but the quinoa got crushed and mushy when I mixed it with the vegetables and the dal. That is when I decided to make this lighter flavor version which retains the actual flavor of Quinoa while still making it spicy. 

Ingredients 
1 cup Quinoa
1/2 cup peanuts
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro or coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or jeera
1 medium potato (boiled, peeled and chopped into cubes)
2-3 green chilies or as per taste
5-6 curry leaves or karipatta(washed)
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or as per taste
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon oil

Method 

Roast the peanuts on medium flame. Coarsely powder them. I put them in the mixer and give a pulse or two to get a coarse powder. I usually don't skin the roasted peanuts as I feel the brown skin is healthy, but they can be skinned if desired.

Boil 1/2 cups of water and put quinoa in it. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook covered on low flame till the quinoa soaks up all the water. If you feel the quinoa is still not soft, you may add 1/4 cup more water. 

Once cooked mix in sugar and peanut powder and keep aside. 

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Stir for a second and add curry leaves and finely chopped green chilies. Add the cubed potato and sprinkle red chili powder. Stir the potato well so that is coated with all the spices. Add the quinoa and mix well with the potatoes. Adjust the sugar and salt as per taste. Season the khichidi with lemon juice and coriander leaves. Serve hot. 

Kanda Batata Pova / Poha / Phovu

This is a very popular breakfast dish or snack in Maharashtra. We make pova very often for breakfast as it is healthy and filling. It is an easy to prepare and garnish it with a little sev or chooda, it makes a sleek breakfast. If you don't want to eat onions in the morning, you can skip adding it. 


Ingredients
1 medium potato
1 medium onion
4 tea cups or around 100-150 gm medium beaten rice (mota pova)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf in Hindi)
2 tablespoon peanuts or fresh green peas
2 green chilies or as per taste
3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon sugar
salt for taste
2 tablespoon oil


Method
Wash and soak the peanuts (if using) overnight or for at least 3 hours. Wash the beaten rice or pova well with water and drain the water. Mix salt and sugar with the pova as per taste.  Leave aside for 10-15 min. Chop the onion finely. Peel and chop the potato into desired sized cubes. Chop the green chilies finely. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop add the the fennel seeds and turmeric powder. Add chopped green chillies and fry till they are light brown. Add the chopped onion and fry till it is light brown. Add chopped potato and peanuts and mix it well with the seasoning. Add one cup water a pinch of salt and cook covered till the potato is soft. Add the pova or beaten rice and mix well. If the pova feels dry then sprinkle 2 handful of water over it and mix well. Adjust salt as per taste. Cook covered over low flame for 5-8 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and sev and serve hot.


Preparation time: 30 min
Serves: 2

Middle Eastern Brown Lentil Soup

This is a Middle Eastern style lentil soup. It is very simple to prepare and makes a one dish meal when served with bread or even pita bread. The whole secret of making a great lentil soup is the right amount of lemon juice and cumin powder added during the time of serving. 


Ingredients 
1/2 cup brown lentils or whole masoor dal with the brown skin
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon coriander seed powder
5 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 medium sized carrot
1 tomato
1/4 stick celery
1 medium white/yellow onion 
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds powder for garnish
3 tablespoon Cilantro/Coriander leaves or Parsley for garnish
salt for taste


Method
Wash the brown lentils well and soak them for 6-8 hours in water. After soaking, wash the lentils with fresh water and keep aside. Chop the onion, tomato and carrot into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan and and chopped garlic, chopped celery and onion. When the onion is transparant add the carrots and the tomato. Mix in coriander seeds powder, 1 teaspoon  cumin seeds powder, turmeric powder and cayenne pepper. Add the lentils and salt. Pressure cook till the lentils are soft. Whisk the lentils till the lentils are mixed with the vegetables. Garnish with lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder and coriander leaves/parsley. Serve hot. 

Blackened Salmon with Simple Rice Pilaf

I have had blackened salmon at many restaurants in Bay Area. Having grown up eating sea fish with lean meat I am was not used to eating fresh water fish like salmon, tuna or rohu (which is found in Indian rivers). I do enjoy eating the tuna sandwich at subway though. So when ever I am eating out I prefer salmon well cooked with lot of seasoning and spices. I found this recipe from a dear friend and now its a regular at my home too. Blackened seasoning can be found in some stores around the coast. I didn't find this seasoning at my local grocery stores, so I looked up the internet and found this recipe. I modified this recipe for making the seasoning.

Blackened Seasoning:
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon red chili powder or as per taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
2 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

Mix the above spices well.



Ingredients for Salmon:
1 fillet of salmon - around 300-400 cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tablespoon of blackened seasoning with the above recipe or store bought blackened seasoning
lemon for garnish.
Salt for taste

Method 
Apply salt and the seasoning mixture to the salmon on all sides and marinate it for at least and hour. There are two ways of frying the salmon. Either you can melt butter in a pan, dip the salmon in butter on both sides and put the salmon to fry on a pan. This is a traditional way and the result is definitely yummy. 
A healthier method I follow is to coat a shallow frying pan with 2 tablespoon oil and put the salmon skin side down. I put the pan on high heat till the side is blackened and well cooked. Flip it to the other side and cook till it is blackened on the other side. Garnish with lemon juice and serve hot with pilaf.




For the Pilaf:
Ingredients:
1 cup rice (basmati can be used here. I used adobo as an experiment and it came out to be very flavorful too)
2 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 teaspoon salt or as per taste
4-5 strands of saffron
Method:
Heat the stock. Pressure cook or pan cook the rice with the stock, saffron and salt till it is well done. 

Stir Fried Colorful Chinese Rice with Nine Jems

This colorful chinese rice is a great treat during the cold windy winters. It is extremely healthy option as there so many vegetables go in preparing the stir fry. We usually buy vegetables from our local farmers market at Mountain View. Any vegetables available on hand can be used to make the stir fried chinese rice. But I buy vegetables in little quantities, like 4-5 beans, few flat peas and like wise for the stir fry. 

I use at least nine different vegetable to make this rice and hence the explosion of colors. This rice is a hit with the kids and is a great way to make children eat their vegetables. I have used carrots and red bell pepper for the red color. Green bell pepper, beans, peas and brocoli for the green color. Corn for the yellow color. Apart from this I also use cauliflower, onion and eggplant, cabbage and spring onions. 

Ingredients 
2 cups of rice (I use basmati)
1 medium onion (sliced)
half a piece of red and green bell pepper (julienne) 
2 bunches of spring onions
two - four tablespoons of chopped vegetables available on hand (choose from cauliflower, brocoli, cabbage, carrot, peas, corn, eggplant, beans )
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoon red chili sauce or optionally tomato ketchup
oil for frying 
2 chopped green chilies
1 tablespoon ginger (chopped)
1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)
salt and pepper for taste


Method 
Wash the rice well and cook it in 3 1/2 cups or water till it is 3/4 Th done. I usually pressure cook the rice. Heat oil (as required) in a pan and stir fry all the vegetables (excluding the onion, spring onions and bell pepper) on high heat. Keep aside. 
Add 3 tablespoon oil in another pan and add the ginger garlic pieces. Fry for a minute on high flame and add chopped chilies. Add sliced julienned bell pepper and sliced onions and stir well. Lower the flame and add soy sauce, red chili sauce and vinegar. Mix the rice and stir fried vegetables well with the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with finely chopped spring onions and cook till the rice is hot. Serve immediately.

Sweet Moong Dal Khichidi

This is another sweet khichdi which is made by my mom. She makes the moong dal khichidi and also the Sweet Chana Dal Khichidi as both are very healthy as they contain legumes or dals with high protein content. Many combinations can be used to prepare this dish. One can use 100% moong dal, or 100% whole moong, or 50 % basmati rice and 50% moong or moong dal. It turns out to be very tasty in any of the combinations. Whole moong needs to be soaked for 4-5 hours before making the khichidi. Here I have used 50 % basmati rice and 50% moong dal. I am sending this entry to Say "Thank You Mom" Event organized by Satya.  

Ingredients
1/2 cup moong dal

1/2 cup basmati rice

1 cup grated coconut

1 cup powdered jaggery
raisins and cashew nuts for garnish (optional)

1 teaspoon cardamom powder

2 tablespoon ghee

Method

Cook the basmati rice and moong dal in a pressure cooker or in a pan. The rice should only be cooked to 3/4th of its consistency and it should not be fully cooked. Keep aside till the rice cools down. In another pan heat ghee and add the nuts, raisins, jaggery and grated coconut. Mix well on low flame till both are combined well. Add the rice and moong dal to this mixture and mix well. Add cardamom powder and cook covered on low flame for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot with sliced banana slices and a teaspoon of ghee on top of the khichdi.

Kasay / Kasaya / Konkani Tea

We had been on a yoga retreat during thanksgiving and were discussing about kasaya being an alternative for tea or coffee. Kasaya(pronounced as Kah-sha-yah) was a regular feature at my grand parents home when I was growing up. Konkanis have this as a substitute to tea or coffee during breakfast or evening snacks. Both I and my sister loved kasaya always had it for morning breakfast and evening snacks. As we grew up we indulged in Boost, Complan, Bournvita and other powders but never got addicted to tea or coffee.

Coriander gives a boost to the digestive system and helps to cure indigestion, flatulence and gas. It is cooling by nature and cools down the acidity caused by overeating rich foods. It helps to stimulate lost hunger and helps to cure ulcers and stomach sores. Cumin seeds are rich in iron and help to cure digestive disorders. Fennel seeds are good to cure any digestive disorders and it is common tradition in India to have a pinch of fennel seeds after every meal. Kasaya is great to keep cough and cold away during the cold winters. Kasaya can be prepared with 1 part milk or 1/2 part milk and part 1/2 water. If you are a vegan it can be prepared just with water. 

Ingredients for Kasaya powder:
1 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup fennel seeds
1/2 cup cumin seeds

Method 

Roast the seeds in a pan on low heat till they are crisp. Take care not to burn them. They can also be toasted in the oven. Completely cool the roasted seeds and grind them into a fine powder. I use a coffee grinder to grind my spices. Store in an air tight container. This powder stays good for 1-2 months but refrigeration can extend its life by another 2-3 months. But it is always good to prepare it on monthly basis to retain the original flavor of the spices. 

To prepare 1 cup Kasaya: 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of kasaya powder

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar or any other sweetener

Method:

Put the water in a vessel and add the kasaya powder to it. Get it to a boil and add milk. Give it a stir or two and remove from heat. Keep the vessel covered for 3-4 minutes to let the flavor of the spices steep  into the kasaya. Strain the kasaya with a tea strainer. Add sugar as per taste and serve hot.

Raw Mango Sabzi

Vegetable Pulao, Masoor Dal and Mango Sabzi

I found great quality raw mangoes at my Indian grocery store this year. The mangoes were very sour like their Indian counterparts, so I made pickles, mango rice and this sabzi many times during this summer season. This khatti chutney or sabzi if you call it makes a great combination with bland dal or varan.

Ingredients  

1 raw mango

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

4-5 methi seeds
1 teaspoon kalonji seeds or onion seeds

1/2 -1 cup cup jaggery or as desired

1 teaspoon red chili powder or as per taste
1/2 teaspoon haldi power

1 teaspoon oil

salt for taste

Method 
Cut the raw mango into 2cm cubes. Remove the mango seed and discard it. Heat oil in a pan and add methi seeds. Fry for a minute and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds pop add kalonji seeds, haldi and red chili powder. Stir for a minute and add the cut raw mango. Cover and cook till the raw mango is soft. Add jaggery and salt and cook till the jaggery is mixed well with the mango. Serve hot.

German Mashed Potato

This post is dedicated to German Bakery in Pune. When I was working in Pune, we would hang out at this Bakery on weekends. One would see people of all origins around here. There were many Osho Ashramites who would visit here for lunch or dinner.The fragrance of their hot garlic bread was just out of the world. They also had an assorted range of pastries and desserts. I particularly loved their dish of mashed potatoes with mushroom. I have tried to make my own version of it. It is a very simple dish to prepare and makes a great brunch on lazy weekends.

 

Ingredients  

2 large potatoes

1 big red onion

10-12 medium sized button mushrooms

2 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoon cream 

4 tablespoon milk

salt and pepper for taste

 

Method 

Thinly slice the onion and fry it in olive oil till light brown. Keep aside. Remove the woody stems of the mushrooms and wipe them clean with kitchen paper. Slice them thinly and add them to the same pan in which the onions were sauteed. Saute them for 3-5 minutes and then cover and cook them for 5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper as per taste and remove them from heat and set aside. Boil the potatoes. The potatoes will be done when they fall apart when they are forked. De-skin the potatoes and mash them well adding milk, cream, pepper and salt. 

To serve, make a layer of the mashed potatoes and then add the mushrooms and fried onions on top. Serve hot with garlic bread. I added a sliced apple and "onions in vinegar" on top of the dish.

Sweet Chana Dal Khichdi

Hope everyone had a wonderful Diwali festival week. During the Diwali pooja this year I made chana khichdi as offering for the Gods. Chana khichdi is another sweet dish prepared at Konkani homes. I have heard of broken wheat and dal khichdi, but in my house we make it with rice. Moong or moong dal khichdi is also prepared in a similar manner and is a very healthy dessert. We also add sliced banana slices as topping on this khichidi.


Ingredients 
1 cup chana dal
2 cups basmati rice
2 teaspoon cardamom powder or elaichi powder
2 cups grated coconut
2 cups powdered jaggery (or use 50% jaggery 50% sugar)
cashew nuts and raisins for garnishing
3 tablespoon ghee for garnishing


Method 
Roast the chana dal till light brown and keep aside. Wash the basmati rice well. Cook both the chana dal and basmati rice with 2 1/2 cups water till rice is half done. Keep aside till it cools down completely. Mix jaggery or jaggery+sugar, which ever combination is used, grated coconut in a heavy bottomed pan. Cook it on very low flame till till the jaggery melts and mixes with the coconut. Mix in cardamom powder. Mix the cooked rice and dal into the coconut mixture and heat on low flame for 5-10 minutes till   sweetness of the jaggery is absorbed by the rice. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashew nuts and raisins. Top the khichdi with the dry fruits. Sliced banana slices can be placed on top as topping. Serve hot. 

Simple Khichidi -2

This is an extremely easy and delicious khichidi recipe I tried recently. Consuming seeds and nuts like til or sesame seeds, flax, peanuts, almonds etc is good during the winter season. This khichidi is extremely light on the tummy and yet good for the cold winters as it uses sesame powder. Vegetables can be optionally used in this khichidi.This is a good upwas recipe as it doesn't use ginger, garlic or onions.

Ingredients  

1 cup basmati rice

1 cup moong dal

1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

2 tablespoon til or sesame seeds

1/2 cup cut vegetables (choose from potato, carrot,  peas, corn, beans)

1 tablespoon coriander-cumin powder (dhania jeera powder)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala or goda masala powder (omit if you desire less spicier version)

1 teaspoon gur(jaggery or mollases) or sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder or as per taste

pinch of asafoetida

1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon grated coconut for garnishing

salt for taste

Method 

Wash the dal and rice and drain the water. Keep aside. Roast the sesame seeds till crisp and grind them into a fine powder. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start popping add sesame seed powder. Fry for a minute and add dhania-jeera powder, asafoetida, chili powder and turmeric powder. Add curry leaves and ginger. Stir a few times and add the vegetables and cardamom powder. Fry for 3-4 minutes and add the washed rice and moong dal. Saute till the spices blend completely with the rice. Saute on low flame for 5-8 minutes. Add 4 cups of boiling hot water and salt for taste. Cook on low flame till the rice and dal are well cooked. Garnish with ghee, coconut and coriander leaves.

Mangalore Goli Baje

Goli Baje is another of traditional Mangalorean speciality equivalent to Kanda baje in Maharashtra and pakode in North India. Hence it is very popular in Udupi region which has many temples. Goli Baje does not contain rice, onion and garlic and yet tastes great.  It can also be considered upwas or fast food. Goli baje like any fried snacks, should be consumed immediately when it is hot or else it becomes soggy and loses its crispiness. I serve it with coconut chutney and the recipe follows after the goli baje recipe.
 

Ingredients  
1 cup maida or all purpose flour
1 tablespoon besan or chick pea flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2-3 green chilies or as per taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup curd or yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar or as per taste ( I like them a little sweeter)
1/2 teaspoon jeera or cumin powder

4 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves or cilantro
pinch of pepper powder
4-5 curry leaves
salt as per taste
oil for frying

Method 

Sieve the flour, besan, salt and baking soda. Add ginger, chopped green chilies, curry leaves , cumin powder, and sugar to the yogurt and give it a pulse or two in the blender. Take care not to make a smooth paste of all the ingredients mixed in the yogurt. Mix the yogurt paste with the flour. Add water if required to make a thick paste. The consistency should be thinner than roti dough and thicker than the idli batter. Add coriander leaves, pepper powder and adjust salt and sugar. Heat oil in a pan and drop "grape-sized" batter in the hot oil. Fry till golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Coconut Chutney
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced or grated coconut
1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate or small piece of tamarind
1 tablespoon sugar
pea sized piece of ginger
3 green chilies or as desired
salt for taste

Method
Add as little water as possible to the above ingredients to make a smooth paste.

Spring Onion Stirfry/ Zhunka

Zhunka can be prepared with many vegetables like methi or fenugreek, cabbage, carrots, spring onions and onions. I got a couple of bundles of spring onion from my local grocery store and planned to make this dish. The base is made of besan or chick pea flour which is rich in protein. The process involves partially cooking the vegetables and then coating them well with chickpea flour. The vegetables are then cooked to perfection along with the chick pea flour. In Maharashtra it is also called poor man's dish as the ingredients are readily available at low cost and the nutrition content is also very high. It goes very well with roti, but traditionally people have it with bhaktri or millet (Jowar/Bajri) rotis. 

I also use non-stick utensils to make zunka as it is easier to cook chick pea flour. If cooked in traditional iron or steel pans the chick pea flour sticks to the bottom and gets burnt and the flour on the top half doesn't cook well. 

Ingredients 

3 cups chopped spring onions

1 medium onion

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

4-5 cloves of garlic (around 3 tablespoons)

4 finely chopped green chillies or as per taste

1 cup besan or chick pea flour

1 tablespoon jaggery

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

pinch of asafoetida

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves or karipatta 

salt for taste

1 tablespoon oil

Method  

Fry the chick pea flour on low flame for 4-8 minutes or till the raw smell goes away. Keep aside to cool down. Crush the ginger and garlic to make a fine paste and keep aside. 

 Heat oil in a non stick pan and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and asafoetida. Coat the curry leaves well in oil and then add garlic and ginger paste. Fry on low flame till the raw smell goes away and then add chopped green chilies. Cook the chilies for a minute and add chopped onions and saute it for 4-5 minutes. Add the spring onions and cook uncovered for 4-8 minutes till the spring onions are half cooked. and the raw smell is gone. Salt the vegetables as per taste. Add jaggery, red chili powder and turmeric powder and mix well. 

 Now sprinkle the besan in 2-3 batches on the vegetable mixing well each time. Sprinkle few handful of water or as required to make the besan a little moist. Cook covered stirring occasionally to avoid big lumps on besan from forming.

Curd Curry/ Takka Ambat

I tasted this curry at my friend C's home and I got this recipe from her. This ambat is another twist to the normal "Randayi" or coconut curry made in a typical Konkani home. Ambat means "sour" in Konkani and curd is added in the end to give this curry a tangy taste.

Alsando or chawli (long beans), raw banana, magge (also called Konkani cucumber or lemon cucumber), ashgourd (called kuvale in Konkani and petha in Hindi), yam or suran and ghosale (ridge gourd) can be used to make this curry. Which ever vegetable is on hand can be used individually or in a combination with the other vegetable. I used raw banana and long beans to make this curry.

Ingredients

1 cup vegetables cut in cubes (choose from the above mentioned vegetables; I used raw banana and long beans)

 1 cup grated coconut

 1/2 cup curd or yogurt

3-4 red chilies (byadgi or kashmiri chili will give the curry a rich red color)

4 pea-sized piece of tamarind or 1/4th teaspoon tamarind concentrate

1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil or any other oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

5-8 curry leaves or karipatta

1 teaspoon jaggery or gur or 1 teaspoon sugar

Method 

Boil or pressure cook the vegetables in a little amount of water and a pinch of salt. Fry the chilies in 1/2 teaspoon oil. Grind into a fine paste with tamarind, jaggery and coconut using as little water as possible. Mix the paste with the boiled vegetables and get the curry to a boil. Mix curd with water need to get the curry to a desired consistency. Remove any lumps in the curd. Add the curd to the curry and salt the curry as per taste. 

Cook on low flame for another 2-3 minutes. 

Seasoning:

Heat coconut oil in a seasoning pan and add mustard. When the mustard starts to splutter, switch off the gas and add curry leaves. Stir and add it to the curry. Cover the curry for 5 minutes so that the flavor from the seasoning gets infused into the curry. Serve hot with rice. 

Yana's Chicken Hawaiian Salad

This is a recipe inspired by the Chicken Hawaiian salad at Yana's Restaurant in Pune. I have very fond memories of going to Yana's with my office colleague and sometimes with my sister. The sizzlers's at Yana's are out of the world and incomparable to any other sizzler joint. 

This is very simple to prepare the salad, but the sweetness of the pineapple and flavor imparted by the two varieties of bell pepper make a great combination with the chicken. Those who don't eat chicken can substitute it with paneer or tofu.

Ingredients 
4 chicken breast pieces
1  cup mayonnaise
1 cup thick yogurt or curds
1 green pepper or capsicum
1 red pepper or capsicum
1 yellow pepper or capsicum
1 pineapple or add as per taste 
salt for taste
pepper for taste
1 tablespoon sugar (only if the pineapple is not sweet)


Method  

 Cook the chicken breast pieces in water added with little salt. Cool down and cut the chicken into bite size pieces. De-seed the peppers and cut them into elongated stripes. Cut the pineapple into small chunks and mix in sugar if the pineapple is not sweet. Mix yogurt and mayonnaise well. Add the cut peppers, pineapple and chicken pieces. Add salt and pepper as per taste. Serve immediately. 

13 Lentil soup

I found 13 lentils bag at my Oroweat Outlet. I bought this as an adventure to try recipes out of the 13 good lentils. The soup tastes yummy and is a great combination with soft bread loaves. Because of the lentils it is quite a heavy soup and can make a hearty lunch or dinner.



Ingredients
1/2 cup of 13 lentils or any lentils on hand
1 medium onion
1 carrot
3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 stack of celery
1 medium tomato
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder or red chili powder
1 teaspoon vinegar or as per taste
salt for taste

Method
Wash and soak the lentils for 8-10 hours or overnight. Pressure cook the lentils or cook on a stove top with salt and chopped tomatoes. Add the broth instead of water while cooking the lentils. Heat oilve oil in a pan and add chopped onions. When caramelized, add chopped carrots, celery and garlic. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and chili powder. Mix well with the vegetables. Add the boiled lentils and get the soup to a boil. Add water if a more liquidish consistency is desired. Check for salt and mix in vinegar. Serve hot with french loaves.

Baigan ka Achar / Brinjal Pickle / Pickled Eggplant

Last few days have been busy with things flying out of the blue at me. Things have left me exhausted and me being a kind of a perfectionist makes life harder for me :) When I was in India I saved all the photos of all the delicacies and my travels in the computer at my home. And I forgot to copy my photo folder from my computer back at my home in India to my laptop while I was returning back to US. Being quite a big folder, the transfer failed quite a few times and I am planning other ways to transfer it. That's another thing on my mind. On my vacation I joined a month of yoga and meditation class. It has made me realize the importance of living in the present and not worrying excessively about things which have not been done or which cannot be done. Yoga has been a wonderful addition to my daily schedule and helps me relax through things which life throws at me. As my friend E says "Start with the baby steps first and things will be fine".

Well, coming back to this interesting pickle made with eggplant. I had two eggplants on hand which I bought from the farmer's market last week. I had made eggplant fritters and sabzi last week so instead of repeating the same sabzi's I thought about this pickle. I got to taste this pickle at a friend's home in India and was instantly hooked to it. It tastes good even if chili powder is not added and it is an excellent choice for kids who do not like spicy pickles. It is also a healthier version as it does not use much salt like the other pickles. I usually eyeball the ingredients so the ingredients listed are not in exact proportion. They can be adjusted as per ones individual taste. A great option to spread on bread instead of jam! Instead of eggplant, combination of cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, turnips (shalgum), green chilies, carrot can be used individually or in a combination. I am not sure how pickling raw banana will taste..but its a sure thing to try! Apricots and prunes can be used to made chunda or murabba kind of spicy bread/roti spread.

Ingredients

2 medium sized eggplant
1 1/2 tablespoon crushed yellow mustard seeds (this can be obtained at any Indian store or black mustard seeds can be coarsely powdered)
1 1/2 tablespoon kalonji or onion seeds
1/4 teaspoon methi or fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon saunf or fennel seeds
2 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon salt or as per taste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
2 teaspoon red chili powder roasted for 1-2 minutes (use more if you want it spicy)
15 tablespoon oil (preferably mustard oil)

Method

Wash the eggplant and pat it dry completely. Cut the eggplant into 1 inch cubes. Put oil in a pan and add turmeric powder. Add the eggplant pieces and cook on high flames stirring constantly and gently. Cook for around 8 -10 minutes. Mix in salt, sugar, tamarind paste and vinegar. Keep aside. Roast the fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, onion seeds and mustard seeds for 4-5 minutes or till crisp. Pound it very coarsely using a spice grinder mortar and pestle. If using a electric grinder give a pulse for 2-3 seconds. We don't want to powder it but to just bruise the spices so that they will immediately infuse the flavor when added to the oil. Add the spices to the pickle and mix well. Keep the pickle in the sun for 2-3 days and later store it in the refrigerator. This pickle keeps good for around 10-15.

Coriander Lassi

Last few days were spent in preparations for traveling and I am enjoying the amazing weather in Bangalore now. I am still recovering from the jet lag induced due to the 13 1/2 hour time difference in California and Bangalore time zones. Currently, I have said ta ta to my kitchen and having a great time with my parents and sister. I have few ideas in mind to try the traditional dishes with vegetables and locally available ingredients...but that will have to wait for a few days now.. I guess :)) I had a few drafts and thought of posting this lassi. I try to use a lot of coriander in my dishes as it is beneficial for overall health. We make this lassi at home during summers as my husband is a great fan of it. It is very soothing during the summer season, but due to the cold weather, we do not make this in winters. But I guess we can make it year round in India. Mint leaves can also be used to substitute coriander. I usually have this with khakra to satisfy late morning hunger pangs.

Ingredients
1/4 cup curd or 1 cup buttermilk

1/8 teaspoon jeera or cumin powder

salt for taste

3 tablespoon coriander leaves

1/8 teaspoon chaat masala powder or jal jeera powder or samahan powder

Method
Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Add ice cubes if desired.

Paneer Tandoori with Green Masala

I made tandoori paneer a few weeks back for dinner. Lately we have been eating lot of the regular panner dishes with the red- onion + tomato+adrak+lasun masala, so last week I made this green paneer tandoori for a change. The concept is not new to me as I occasionally bake fish or mushrooms coated with this paste.

In the past few weeks I am caught up with work, vacationing and engaged in doing shopping and packing for my upcoming India trip. I have been keeping a close track of posts by my blogger friends but I have not found much time on hand to write and post any of my drafts. In fact I was lucky to see my to do posts in my drafts folder in the nick of time and posted this recipe just few minutes before the event deadline :P. This recipe goes to the JFI:Paneer event. Enjoy the tandoori paneer with basmati rice.


Ingredients
500 gm paneer or Indian cottage cheese
vegetables (I used onions, tomatoes, capsicum)
handful of coriander leaves or as per taste
10-15 mint leaves or as per taste
250 gm curd or yogurt or 150 gm cakka or hung curd
2-3 green chilies or as per taste
1 teaspoon jal jeera powder or chaat masala powder (optional..if you are not using this add a pinch of black pepper to the marinate)
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1/2 medium sized onion
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoon oil
salt for taste

Method
If yogurt or curd is used, hang it in a muslin cloth for about an hour to allow the water to drain and to obtain curd of thicker consistency. Chop the vegetables andpaneer into 2 inch pieces. Grind all the ingredients except the curd, vegetables and paneer into a smooth paste. Mix in the hung curd or cakka well with the ground paste. Apply to the vegetables and let it marinate for about 1 hour.



Line the vegetables on a greased pan or on skewers. Bake in a pre-heated oven for around 30-40 minutes at 450 degrees. I baked the paneer for around 20 minutes and the vegetables for longer time.