Quinoa Cauliflower Biryani

I got introduced to quinoa sometime last year, as a great substitute to rice. Its gluten-free, high in fiber and is a complete protein that provides all nine essential amino acids for good health. Its not technically a grain but still counts as a 'whole grain' food. After learning all its benefits, the only question was how best to use it in recipes. Biryani is my favorite dish in the world, but I always make a meat-based biryani. So this time I tried a vegetarian biryani using cauliflower and peas, and substituted the rice for quinoa. Turns out its pretty good! Has all the flavors of a good biryani, and you won't die of guilt.

Ingredients:

For quinoa:
Rainbow Quinoa - 1 and 1/2 cup
Green Cardamom seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black cardamom - 1
Cloves - 3-5 pcs
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
Bay leaf - 1
Water - 2 and 1/4 cups
Salt to taste

For cauliflower:
Cauliflower florets - 2 cups (from one head)
Green peas (fresh or frozen) - 1/2 cup
Ghee/oil - 1 tbsp.
Onion - 1 large, thinly sliced
Green chilli - 3 or 4, thinly sliced
Ginger - 2 tbsp, minced fine
Garlic - 3-4 cloves, minced fine
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Green Cardamom seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 3-5 pcs
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
Bay leaf - 1
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Yogurt - 1 and 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Cilantro and mint leaves - a handful each, chopped coarsely

For garnish:
Cashews, almonds, raisins, dried cranberries, thinly sliced onion - a handful or as per your liking
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Safrron strands - a good pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cilantro and mint leaves

Method:

First fry all the ingredients for garnish, one at a time in some ghee. First the almonds, then the cashews, then raisins, then cranberries and finally finely sliced onions. Collect them all in a bowl and mix.

For the Quinoa:

Wash the quinoa thoroughly and drain. In a large saucepan, add a teaspoon of oil or ghee. Add cardamom seeds, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. When you get a good aroma, add the washed quinoa and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add some salt (about a teaspoon) and water. Cover and cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, until most of the water has been absorbed. Then turn the heat off and let sit for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.

For the Cauliflower:

In a dutch oven, add oil or ghee and heat on medium. Add cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. When you get a good aroma, add the onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Saute on medium heat until onion turns golden. Add coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric and garam masala. Fry for a few minutes until the raw smell dissipates. Add about half a cup of water, salt and mix. Add cauliflower and peas. Also add the cilantro and mint (save some for final garnish). Give it a good mix. Cover and cook until cauliflower turns tender but still has a slight crunch, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low, and add the yogurt and gently stir it in. Keep stirring so the yogurt doesn't split, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Final assembly:

Heat the milk in a bowl and add turmeric powder and saffron strands.

In a deep pan or dutch oven, first add a layer of quinoa. Sprinkle some saffron turmeric milk and garam masala. Then add a layer of the cauliflower gravy. Sprinkle with the nut mixture. Repeat the process until you have a final layer of quinoa. Add the last of the saffron turmeric milk and nuts. Finally garnish with mint and cilantro. Cover tightly with a lid. You can bake this at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle some lemon juice on top for added flavor, but its optional.

Serve hot with raita, pickle and pappadums!

Enjoy!

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Okra Stirfry (Ladies Finger/Bhindi Stirfry)

I got this very simple and delicious recipe from my mother-in-law.

Ingredients:

Okra/Bhindi - 250 gms
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Asofoetida - a pinch
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and clean the okra. Chop off the ends and slice them in medium thickness.
Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add urad dal, asofoetida, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Add the sliced okra to this and stirfry so that the oil and powders coat all over. Sprinkle salt and continue stir frying for about 10 mins. Okra will start to shrink in size and get a cooked green colour. Serve as a side dish with rice.

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Chinese dumpling sauce

Ingredients:

Low sodium light soy sauce - 3 tbsp
Tamari - 2 tbsp
Coconut aminos - 1 tbsp (optional)
Sesame oil (i used chilli sesame oil) - 2 tbsp
Malt vinegar - 2 tbsp
Coriander root and stems, chopped fine (cilantro) - 2 tbsp
Ginger, minced fine or grated - 2 tbsp
Green onions, finely chopped - 2 tbsp (1 stalk)
Sweet chili sauce - 1 tsp.

Method:

Mix all ingredients and let marinate for at least half an hour before serving.
Taste and adjust as per your liking.
For an extra kick, I also ground some sichuan pepper corns and sifted it to let a small sprinkling of it into the sauce.
If you have regular sesame oil, then use 2 tbsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp chilli oil or to taste.
I was making dumplings too, so sprinkled a small amount of garlic in the sauce too (that I was going to use for dumplings).
Sprinkle some toasted white sesame seeds on it too if you like.

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Zero-oil Tomato Sambar

I've made this sambar a few times now. Its a one pot meal that requires no effort except for prepping the veggies. When in a hurry, I only use tomatoes and make a tomato sambar. You can add additional veggies to this recipe.
Veggies that go well in this sambar are spinach, carrots, beans,  snake gourd (padavalanga), drumsticks, ivy gourd (tindora/kovakka),sweet potatoes, potatoes, taro (cheppankezhangu/chembu/arbi), bell pepper, green peas.

Ingredients:

Lentils – 1 cup (use toor dal/masoor dal/moong dal/ or a mixture of these)
Tomatoes – 3, chopped
Onions – 1, chopped
Green chillies – 3, chopped fine
Ginger – 1″ thick, minced
Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Sambar powder – 3 tbsp.
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – 1 tsp
Water – 2 cups
Additional veggies are optional – eg. carrots, beans, snake gourd (padavalanga), drumsticks (moringa oleifera), ivy gourd (tindora/kovakka), sweet potatoes, potatoes, taro (cheppankezhangu/chembu/arbi), bell pepper, green peas.
Salt to taste
Cilantro – a handful, chopped

Method:

Add all ingredients into a pressure cooker and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. After it’s cooked, sprinkle the cilantro over the top – do not forget this step because it lends the tomato sambar that signature flavor. It’s that simple!

You can have it with brown rice, and a side of other veggie dishes. Or on its own like soup.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I love making a soup as one of my Christmas dinner courses. Last year I made a delicious pea soup. I did not have the time to take photos and note the recipe down, since I had guests coming over and I was in a mad rush to get everything done on time. I think I'll make it again before the winter ends.

This year, I decided to use a vegetable I've never cooked or even tasted before. I was looking at the all the fresh seasonal vegetables at a local farm here, called Donaldson Farms. They have amazing chocolate milk there! I saw different types of squash on display, and they all looked beautiful! I've rarely eaten anything from the squash family (except for pumpkins) so decided to give butternut squash a try.

I made this in advance on Christmas Eve and served it as my second course on Christmas with Gougères.

I referred a few videos on how to cut this up. I must say, it was a lot of work and requires more strength than I had thought. Especially making the first cut in half.

I mostly followed the recipe on Food.com This recipe called for fresh parsley, which was then pureed along with the other ingredients. I feel pureeing parsley ruined the taste of the soup. It gave that raw green grass sort of taste, which made me feel like a cow eating grass! It also ruined the beautiful orange color of the soup and gave it a sickly green hue. So I would avoid this next time, and probably follow another video.
If I had watched this video first, it would have made my life much easier!

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, peeled, diced (about 5 cups)
1 medium onion, large dice (1 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 apple, skinned, large dice (1 cup)
48 ounces chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped - my recommendation, do not use!!
1 tablespoon thyme, fresh, chopped
crouton (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Method:

1 Roasting: Preheat oven to 450. Peel and dice squash into 1/2 inch pieces (see tip at end). Dice onion into 1/2 inch pieces. Toss squash and onion with olive oil and spread pieces onto a large flat baking pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes - add diced apple - and continue roasting another 10-20 minutes (30-40 total roasting time).
I would rather roast the squash halves next time, and then puree it with sauteed onions, apple and herbs.
2 Tip: while you are roasting, make some "cheese toasts". Put some shredded cheese on top of bread rounds (we like gruyere or parmesan). Bake 10-15 minutes until crispy. These cheese toasts are fantastic soup toppers! I made Gougères.
3 Place roasted mixture into blender with about half the chicken broth; puree (keep hand on lid because hot liquids can cause the top to "explode" off with built up steam). Add remaining chicken broth, half-and-half, and herbs; puree.
4 Transfer mixture to saucepan; reheat gently.
5 Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of paprika.
Tip: to prepare squash, first cut squash in half horizontally. Place flat end onto cutting board to stabilize squash and use a peeler to remove skin. Remove seeds. Then cut into lengths, and then into diced pieces.
Note: if you have leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving, add about 1/2 cup, which will thicken the soup and add a nice smoothness.
My notes: Other recipes used carrots, bay leaf and sage too. Worth trying next time instead of parsley.

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Muringakka Theeyal

Theeyal is a delicious tangy curry that's popular in Kerala. Some of the popular theeyal are:
Ulli Theeyal : made with red pearl onions
Muringakka Theeyal : made with muringakka (moringa oleifera pods)
Pavakka Theeyal : made with bitter gourd

Here is a recipe for muringakka theeyal.

Ingredients:

Muringakka/Drumsticks (moringa oleifera pods) - 3-5 nos.
Red pearl onions - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Black peppercorns - 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Dried Red chillies - 8 + 3 nos.
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp
Water - 1 cup
Asafoetida - a pinch
Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

Wash the drumsticks and chop off the dry ends. I also gently scrape them with the blade of my knife, because I've seen my mom do this as well. Cut the drumsticks in 2 inch sizes. Peel the red onions.
Tip: Soaking the red pearl onions in water for about 10 mins, will helps the skin peel off easily.
Chop a quarter of those onions.

In a pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped onions, grated coconut, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and 8 whole red chillies. Roast it on a medium heat till the coconut turns brown. Ensure that you are stirring constantly so that there roasting is even, and the coconut does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. This takes about 10-15 mins of roasting. Here's a before and after photo:

Allow it to cool and add a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds. (I also added a pinch of red chilli powder and a pinch of coriander powder, but its optional) Grind this mixture with about 2 tbsp of water to a smooth paste like chutney.

In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil. Add the red pearl onions and give it a swirl for about a minute on medium heat. Add the chopped drumsticks and fry for about a minute. Add turmeric powder and mix. Dissolve a tablespoon of tamarind paste in a cup of water. Pour this into the pan. Add salt and bring it to a boil. Allow it to cook for about 5 minutes. Add the ground mixture to this, add more water if required. Let it cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Add a pinch of asafoetida and a tablespoon of shaved jaggery. (it's not going to taste sweet, it helps in cutting the extreme sourness).

In another small frying pan, heat a teaspoon of oil. Splutter mustard seeds, add a sprig of curry leaves and break 3 dried red chillies into it. Temper it for half a minute and pour the mixture into the theeyal.

Serve with rice and other sides of your choice.

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Canneloni Florentine

This is a dish I first ate at a vegetarian Italian restaurant in Bangalore called Little Italy. Its one of the fewest restaurants where I did not miss meat!

Ingredients:

Canneloni tubes - 12 tubes

For canneloni filling:
Butter - 4 tbsp
Onion - 1, chopped fine
Garlic - 6 large cloves, minced
Carrot - 2, peeled and grated
Spinach - 2 cups,chopped
White pepper powder - 2 tsp
Salt
Breadcrumbs - 2 tbsp
Feta cheese/Grated paneer/Ricotta cheese - 1/2 cup, crumbled

Cheesy Bechamel sauce:
Butter - 4 tbsp
Flour - 2 tbsp
Milk - 2 cups
Shallot - 1, whole, peeled
Cloves - 6
White cheddar cheese - 1/4 cup grated
Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp. grated
Salt
White pepper powder - 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder - a pinch

Spinach layer: (optional)
Spinach - 1 cup, chopped coarsely
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Rosemary - a small sprig

Tomato pasta sauce - 4 tbsp (optional)
White Cheddar cheese for garnish - 1/2 cup, grated
Parmesan cheese for garnish - 3 tbsp

Method:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
Start with Bechamel sauce:
Take the whole peeled shallot and pierce cloves into it.
In a saucepan, pour milk and warm on low-medium. Place the piece of shallot with cloves into it, to allow the flavor to seep in.
In another saucepan, melt butter and add flour to make the roux. Mix for about a minute till the raw smell of flour is gone. Whisk in milk, little by little to get a creamy but less thick sauce. Add grated cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. Take a taste test and adjust salt (as cheese contains salt too). Add white pepper powder and nutmeg powder.

For filling:
Melt butter in a pan. Saute chopped onions and garlic till its translucent. Then add grated carrots and salt. Now add chopped spinach, white pepper powder and allow for spinach to wilt. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add crumbled feta cheese, breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp of the bechamel sauce.
Fill the canneloni tubes with this filling

Spinach layer:
Heat olive oil in the same pan used for filling. Add rosemary (rub it with your fingers first to release flavor). Then add chopped spinach and allow it to wilt.

Assembly:
In a casserole dish, first pour the cheese bechamel sauce.

Spread the spinach layer on top of this. Now arrange 6 or 7 canneloni tubes to form a layer. Pour more bechamel sauce over this. Sprinkle white cheddar sauce. Place remaining canneloni tubes to form second layer.

Pour remaining bechamel sauce. Spread pasta sauce or marinara sauce, if using. Finally sprinkle white cheddar and parmesan over it.

Bake the casserole for 40 mins.
Note: Do not make the bechamel sauce too thick, or the canneloni tubes will not cook.

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Gobhi Manchurian - Cauliflower Manchurian

This is an Indo-Chinese recipe, that's very popular all across India. Cauliflower is known as Gobhi in Hindi.
I heard a funny story about a pure vegetarian software engineer in India, who was sent to China on an assignment. Being vegetarian, your options are pretty much limited in China. This guy confidently accepted the assignment, thinking that he can order Gobhi Manchurian and survive. To his horror, there is no such thing as Gobhi Manchurian or Gobhi Anything in China! This is a vegetarian dish using common Chinese ingredients and techniques, but only found in India. ;-)

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 medium
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Corn Starch - 1/4 cup
Soy Sauce - 5 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Pepper - 1 tsp
Yellow onion - 1 medium, minced
Garlic cloves - 3, minced
Freshly grated ginger - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Rice vinegar - 2 tsp
Siracha sauce or Sambal Olek - 1 tbsp
Maggi Hot and Sweet Tomato sauce - 1/4 cup (substitute: 1/2 cup tomato puree)
Apricot Jam - 2 tbsp (Substitute: 1 tsp sugar)
Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp, plus more for frying
Green Onion (spring onion) - 1 stalk, minced

Method:

Wash cauliflower florets. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the cauliflower on an oiled baking sheet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and roast until just tender, turning once, 12 to 15 minutes total. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of the red chilli powder, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the water and mix well to make a batter. Add another tablespoon or so of water if the batter is too thick.
In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dip the cauliflower in the batter, then arrange in the hot skillet. Fry until golden brown, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes total. Optionally, you can also deep fry it. Transfer the cooked cauliflower to the baking sheet and return to the oven to keep warm.
Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon coriander, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the 1 tbsp apricot jam, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tsp rice vinegar, Sriracha (or Sambal Olek), Maggi hot and sweet tomato sauce (or tomato puree). Add 3 tablespoons of the Spring Onions and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and the flavors have blended, about 5 minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup of water is the sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Return the fried cauliflower to the pan and spoon on the sauce to coat, turning the cauliflower gently to coat with sauce. Serve immediately. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon green onions.

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Kovakkai Poriyal - Ivy Gourd Stirfry

This is the first guest post on this blog, from one of the biggest followers of my blog, my dear husband!
Now that he has started trying his hand in cooking, he surprised me one day when I came back from work, by cooking up this beautiful poriyal. I have never tasted anything like it before and it was scrumptious! He even plated it and took photos for me to post this on the blog. How sweet! Hopefully there will be more guest posts on the way.
This recipe is followed from Solai's True Chettinad kitchen blog.

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd/Kovakkai/Tindora-1/2 kg
Big onion- 1 (cut length wise)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Chana dal (roasted and powdered) - 2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Mix the sambar powder and salt needed with the kovakkai and keep aside for 15 minutes. Now keep the kadai (wok) in the stove. In one table spoon of oil, splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the onions and garlic, fry till golden brown. Now add the kovakkai pieces and sauté in the oil itself for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of water, mix well, close the kadai, reduce the flame and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Check in between if there is enough water in the wok. When you feel that the veg has been cooked till soft, increase the flame and let all the water content evaporate. The oil you added in the beginning will come out at this stage. Now add the Bengal gram mix kept ready and mix well. If you cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring continuously, the Bengal gram powder will form a coating on the kovakkai and it will get roasted well. If you don’t have Bengal gram powder, paruppu podi (toor dal powder) can be used.

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Hummus (Hummous)

Hummus or pronounced as Hummous in the Middle East, is a ground chickpea, tahini dip that goes great with almost anything! As a child, my dad would bring home Arabian Barbecued chicken or Chicken Broast on days we decide to eat takeout. In Riyadh, Chicken broast was a popular local fast food. A popular fast food joint was Maccoys, where the queues are sometimes so long, it goes far out of the store. Hummus is always a free accompaniment with any item on the grill.
After I left Saudi Arabia, I missed hummous so much that I started making my own. It comes close to what I used to get there, but I guess it will never match upto the magic of food back in Riyadh.
This is more of a taste and go recipe. You keep tasting it as you're grinding the ingredients and add whatever you feel the hummous needs more of.
If you're wondering what tahini is, it's a paste of ground white sesame seeds. I used to make my own tahini as well while I was in India, but you can find them easily in most grocery stores in the US.

Ingredients:

Chickpeas - 1 cup, soaked overnight in water (about 8 hours)
Tahini - 2-4 tbsp
Garlic - 1 large clove, minced fine
Lemon juice - from half a lemon
Water - 3 cups (for boiling chickpeas)
Extra virgin Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Paprika - a pinch (optional)

Method:

Boil chickpeas with enough water in a pressure cooker, for about 6 whistles. Drain and store some of the remaining water. In a mixer, add the boiled chickpeas, tahini sauce, garlic, 1/4 cup drained water, salt and lemon juice. Grind till it becomes a coarse paste. Add olive oil and grind a bit more. Don't make it too fine like peanut butter, its good to have a few chunks of chickpeas for texture.

Store in a bowl. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and drizzle more extra virgin olive oil.

Hummous can be used as a dip for carrots, cucumber sticks, or pita chips, tortillas and crackers. Or as I said, you can eat it with fried or grilled chicken. Falafels and hummus are a killer combination! Smear it on toast or shawarma sandwich. Serve with accompaniments such as olives, pickled radishes, turnips, cucumbers, feta cheese. The choices are endless!

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Vendakka Pachadi - Stir fried Okra in yoghurt sauce

Okra is a vegetable that I would steer clear of as a child. My dad used to say that his mother would prepare okra curry like beef curry during the lent season. And nobody would miss eating meat, coz it has a meaty texture. I never liked the slimy gooey texture, but after being married to someone who loves this vegetable, I had to prepare it to keep him happy. The okra stir fry is one of his favorites and my mother-in-law gave me the easiest recipe for it.
For a change, I tried this pachadi (South Indian gravy made with yoghurt). Its definitely healthy for you.
Okra is high in fibre and also high levels of antioxidants and vitamin A.
The key to making a good okra recipe, is to slice it in thin circles, about 1/4 inch thick, and to sauté it in a wide pan so that it can spread out, stirring regularly, until most of the moisture dries up and its slime free. If the pan is overcrowded, the okra will release a lot of moisture and become a slimy mass.

Ingredients:

Okra - 2 cups, sliced
Red pearl onions - 5, sliced (can use 1/2 red onion as substitute)
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green chilli - 2 (or to taste)
Turmeric - a pinch (optional)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Plain yoghurt - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

Whisk yoghurt with water, salt and roasted cumin seeds in a bowl, and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Sauté pearl onions and green chillies till they turn brown. Add a pinch of turmeric, if using. Now add sliced okra pieces and fry till okra is cooked to a good crisp (takes about 15 to 20 mins). When done, take it off the heat and allow it to cool.
Dunk the okra mixture into the bowl of whisked yoghurt.
Serve with steamed rice.

Inspiration from Edible Garden.

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Samosa Chaat

My previous post was about Punjabi Samosas. In this one, I'm using the same samosas to make a flavorful Indian snack called Samosa Chaat.

Serving Size: For one plate

Ingredients:

For samosa chaat:
Samosas - 1 or 2
Chana masala - 2 tbsp (recipe below)
Green chutney - 1 tbsp (use coriander chutney/mint chutney/ Coriander-mint chutney)
Date and Tamarind chutney (Sweet chutney)- 1 tbsp
Plain yoghurt - 2 tbsp, whisked with a pinch of salt
Red Onion - chopped, 1 tbsp
Tomato - chopped, 1 tbsp
Cilantro - chopped, a pinch
Chaat masala - a pinch
Black salt - a pinch (optional)
Red chilli powder - a pinch
Fine sev - 1 tbsp

For chana masala:
White chickpeas/garbanzo beans - 1 cup, soaked overnight
Oil - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red onion - 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
Garlic clove - 1
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Tomato - 1, chopped or Tomato paste - 1/4 cup
Amchur (dry mango powder) / Anardana powder (dry pomegranate seeds) - a pinch
Chole masala or garam masala - 1 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

Chana Masala:
This recipe is different from the one I posted earlier. So you could use that one minus the coconut milk, or this one.
Boil the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker for about 6 whistles. Drain and keep aside.
Grind garlic, ginger, green chilli and half of the chopped onions into a paste.
Heat oil in a deep pot. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, red chilli powder, turmeric and temper for 10 seconds. Add the rest of the chopped onions and sauté till it becomes translucent. Then add the ground paste and fry for another 4-5 minutes. Add tomato paste or chopped tomatoes. Sauté till tomatoes are mashed or sauce is boiling. Add cooked chickpeas, amchur/anardana powder, chole masala/garam masala and salt to taste. Add 1/2 a cup of water, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Samosa Chaat:
Place samosas on a plate and break them a little.

Pour a ladle of the chana masala over it.

Add chopped onions and tomatoes over it. Drizzle yoghurt over it. Drizzle a bit of green chutney and sweet chutney (date and tamarind chutney). Sprinkle a pinch of chaat masala and a pinch of red chilli powder. Also sprinkle black salt, if using.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and fine sev. Yum!

Inspired from Chakali.

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Punjabi Samosa

Ingredients:

For stuffing:
Potatoes - 6, medium
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 3-4 (increase or decrease according to your spice level)
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Crushed black peppercorn - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Amchur (dry mango) powder or Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Crushed dry roasted coriander seeds - 1 tbsp (optional)

For samosa cover:
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Wheat flour (Aata) - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Carom seeds (Ajwain) - 1 tsp
Oil - 4-5 tbsp
Water - about 1/4 cup

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Dough for the samosa wrappers:
In a mixing bowl, mix 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup wheat flour together. You can also use 2 cups of all purpose flour and leave out wheat flour. Add salt, carom seeds and  oil. Mix well with your hands, it will become crumbly. Add a little water and knead it to a firm dough. Cover and leave for 15-20 mins.


Make the filling:
Wash and peel potatoes. Pressure cook with salt and enough water to cover the potatoes, for about 4 whistles. Or you can boil them on an open stockpot till its cooked.
Drain and mash roughly. You need to have some chunks in there too.
Grind green chillies and ginger into a paste.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds, asofoetida, red chilli powder and fennel seeds. Allow it to temper for 10 seconds and add the green chilli - ginger paste. Sauté for few seconds and add green peas, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Now add the mashed potatoes and mix. Add garam masala, amchur/anardana, black pepper. Taste and adjust salt. Mix well and take off heat. Let it cool down completely.

Make the samosas:
Roll the dough into lemon sized balls. Now roll it out with a rolling pin into an circular or elliptical shape. Cut it in half with a knife. Fold the cut edge in half and stick them together. You can dab some water for help in sticking. It should form a nice cone shape. Fill this cone with the stuffing in keep it compact. Then pinch and fold a portion of the outer edge. Then pinch from two sides and close together in the middle. Pull the edge up a little. You can refer Sanjeev Kapoor's video recipe below to understand this technique. From 8:08 onwards.

Heat oil in a deep wok or frying pan to a medium heat. Deep fry the samosas till they turn an nice golden brown color.

Serve with date and tamarind chutney and/or coriander-mint chutney. If you don't have these chutneys, you can use ketchup as well.
Or you can use these to make an amazing Samosa Chaat.
Enjoy! :)

Notes: You can store these samosas in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and fry them whenever you're ready to eat.
Oil can be any vegetable oil like canola oil or even olive oil for a healthier option.
You can even bake these samosas instead of deep frying for a healthier snack. Just pre-heat the oven to 400°F, and bake the samosas on a baking sheet for 15-20 mins until they're golden brown.

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Sambar - South Indian Vegetable Stew

During my childhood, sambar was such a staple in my house, that I used to hate it! Can't believe I love it so much when I started preparing it on my own. So easy to prepare and you really don't need anything else when you have it with rice. Goes very well with idlis too. (I hated idlis too, but I still brought an idli thattu (idli maker) all the way from Pathanamthitta to New Jersey, so I better well make some!)

Credit: I followed Vazhayila's recipe to the T. Came out just like the way my mom used to make it.

Ingredients:

Split Red Lentils (Split Masoor Dal) or Split pea lentils (Toor Dal) - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt to taste

Water - 1 1/2 cup

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Onion chopped - 1

Green chili - 2-3

Vegetables chopped - 2 cup (any veg of your choice, i prefer carrot, potato, ashgourd (padavalanga), drumstick (moringa oleifera), ivy gourd (tindora/kovakka), french beans)

Tomato - 1 or 2, chopped

Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tablespoon

Sambar powder - 2 table spoon (storebought or homemade)

Asafoetida (Hing) - a large pinch

Salt to taste

For Tempering:

Oil

Curry leaves

Mustard seeds

Dried red chili  - 2

Method:

Wash and drain lentils. Add lentils with salt and pressure cook with just enough water for 3 to 4 whistles. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can use a regular saucepan and cook the dal until its soft.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large dutch oven and saute onion and green chilies for a couple of minutes.

Add diced vegetables and saute for 2-3 minutes, followed by tomato.

Dissolve tamarind pulp in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of warm water and mix with Sambar powder.

Add this along with cooked lentils to the pot, with just enough water. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 20 mins.

Uncover when cooled, simmer again for a couple of minutes, add a pinch or two of asafoetida and chopped cilantro (optional).

Tempering:-Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it starts to splutter add red chilies and curry leaves. Pour it over the sambar. Serve hot (or some people like it cold too) with Idlis, Dosa or Rice.

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Beetroot Pachadi - Beetroot in Yoghurt sauce

 

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 2 nos.
Yogurt - 1 cup
Red onion - 1/2, chopped
Ginger - 1 small piece, chopped
Green chillies - 2 or 3 chopped
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chilli - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil -1 tbsp.
Salt to taste

Method:

Boil the betroots in a saucepan with water. Cook for about 15 minutes or till you are able to stick a fork into it, but is not too mushy. Take it off the heat, drain the hot water, and pour cold water in it. Once it has cooled down, grate the beetroot. Whip yoghurt in a bowl with salt and a little water.
Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds. Then add cumin seeds, dried red chilies and curry leaves. Then add onions, ginger and green chilies and saute for about 4-5 minutes till the onions soften. Add grated beetroot and saute for a minute or two, Turn off the heat and allow to cool down. Add it to the whipped yogurt and mix.

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Achinga Payar Thoran - Yard long beans stir-fry with coconut

 

Ingredients:

Achinga payaru/Pacha Payaru/ Yard long beans - 1 bunch
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Shallots - 3 or 4 or half of a small onion, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
Green chili chopped - 2
Dried red chili - 2
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt

Method:

Clean and chop the beans finely in very small circles.
Heat oil in a pan and add Mustard seeds.When they pop up add dried red chilies and curry leaves.
Add shallots/onions, garlic and green chilies.
After 5 minutes, add chopped beans and salt and mix well.
Sprinkle 3 table spoons of water , keep everything to the centre and cook it covered for 4-5 minutes or till it is dry and the beans are cooked.
Add coconut mixture and toss well. Saute for a couple of minutes or till it is dry and done.
Serve warm with rice.

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Chena Mezhukkupuratti - Stir fried Elephant Yam

Chena Mezhukkupuratti is a very tasty mezhukkupuratti which is easy to prepare and can be served with rice.

Ingredients:

Chena (Elephant Yam) : 1/4 kg
Shallots  - 10 no
Green Chillies - 2 nos (Cut legth wise at the bottom only)
Coconut Oil - 4 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required

Method:

Cut the yam into cube pieces. Slice the onions thin.

Cook chena with salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder (Do not overcook, as mezhukkupuratti will not come out well with mashed chena. I learnt this the hard way. Also cutting them into very small pieces can also lead to mashing up).

Pour oil into a hard bottomed pan and add green chilly and Onion slices.

When the onion turns golden brown, add the cooked vegetable.

Fry for some time until all the water disappears and the mezhukkupuratti appears dry.

Mezhukkupuratti is ready to be served with Rice.

An earlier one I prepared in India:

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Potato Thoran - Potato stir-fried with coconut

2nd January 2012
Happy New Year!
Just got back from the place where I grew up - Riyadh. Its probably the last time I would visit this country, so feeling a bit sad and homesick.
I made sure I jotted down most of the recipes of what my mom cooked during my stay :)
Will post em when I make it on my own and take a picture of it.
Had an annoying journey back, with a 5 hour long wait in Mumbai.
Reached home and a serious jet lag set in. So I just logged in to work from home and set my status as 'Away. Call if urgent' and went to sleep.
Woke up 4 hours later but still feeling tired. I had brought some of my mom's fried prawns and beef cutlets. So dinner was almost set. I cooked some rice, made some kerala dal and wanted a thoran too. As there was no vegetable available in the fridge, I saw a few potatoes lying in my vegetable rack. I had no idea if a potato thoran even existed. But what the hell, I just googled it and apparently it does exist lol.
So I gave it a try since its really no effort if you have some grated coconut lying around in the freezer.

Ingredients:

Potato - 1 large
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Shallots - 2-3
Garliic - 1 large clove
Green chillies - 2-3
Mustard seeds
Turmeric powder
Curry Leaves

Method:

Peel potato and cut into long thin slices. Put in a bowl of water to avoid discoloration.
Chop shallots, green chillies and mince garlic.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to splutter. Add shallots, green chillies and garlic. Stir for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
Add potatoes and mix. Then add grated coconut, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Stir, and bring everything to center of the pan. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of water into the pan, cover and allow to cook for about 5-8 minutes. Wait till water almost dries up and mix again. Serve with rice.

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Aviyal - Mixed Vegetables in a Coconut and Yoghurt gravy

Credit: Kairali Sisters' e-book pg.20

These precautions you must follow in preparing Aviyal:

1. All vegetables are cut only lengthwise (2inch by 1/2inch)

2. Do not overcook or you'll end up in a soup.

3. The following vegetables are never used:

· Beetroot - as it discolours the entire Aviyal as red

· Tomato, Cabbage and Ladies Finger(Okra) makes Aviyal watery

· Sweet Potato, Radish, Turnip, Cauliflower & Mushroom are best avoided

· Instead of Tamarind use Raw Mango & a splash of Natural Yoghurt to get the

sour taste

4. Depending upon availability the following Vegetables go well together:

1. Plantain(Raw Green)
2. Yam - Chena
3. Brinjal
4. Carrot
5. Beans - Long Runner Beans
6. Drumsticks(with proper Indian/Sadhya Vegetables)
7. Green Raw Mango
8. Potato
9. Snake Gourd -Trichosanthes Cucumerina
10. Ivy Gourd - Kovakai - Tindora
11. Courgette - Zucchini instead of Cucumber

Ingredients:

1. Raw Green Plantain – 50 grams

2. Brinjal - 50 grams (optional - I did not use)

3. Tindora - 50 grams (optional)

4. Yams- 50 grams

5. Carrot – 50 grams

6. Green Beans/Long String beans - 50 grams (I used french beans)

7. Courgette/Ash Gourd - 50 grams (I did not use)

8. Potato - 50 grams (optional)

9. Drumsticks - 50 grams

10. Green Chillies – 2

11. Raw Mango -1/2

12. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

13. Salt – to taste

14. Water - 200ml

15. Grated Coconut – 1 cup

16. Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

17. Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs

18. Curd – 2 tbsp

19. Coconut Oil- 2 tbsp

Method:

Mise en Place [10 mins]

1. Cut all vegetables into 2 inch by 1/2inch pieces like French Fries. Keep them

separate.

2. Grind Coconut, Cumin seeds, Green Chillies to a fine paste. Keep aside.

Golden Touch Steps [40 mins]

1. In a deep bottomed pan, add all Vegetables, add water, Salt, Turmeric powder &

slow cook for 20 mins.

2. Now add the Coconut paste, mix well, sprinkle the Coconut oil & Curry leaves,

leave on low flame for another 10 mins, by now it will be dry & done

3. Allow to cool.

4. Mix in the Yoghurt and leave it covered.

Note:

** Place the slow cooking Vegetables at the bottom of the vessel. Eg: Drumsticks,

Carrots. Place Yam & Brinjal in the middle layer. Place the fast cooking items in the

topmost layer.

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Koottu curry - Chick peas and mixed vegetables

The Kairali sisters' e-book contains two types of koottu curry - one spicy version and the other sweet version. I actually liked ingredients from both and kind of combined it into my own version. I loved it the way it turned out. I intended to add chena(yam) into this as per the recipe, but I realized that I ran out of it by using it in the other dishes. So I replaced it with Chembu(taro) and it still tasted divine!

Ingredients:

· 1 cup Black Chickpeas, soaked in water for at least 3 hours
· ½ cup Plantain(Pachakkaya) cut into chickpea sized pieces
· ½ cup Elephant Yam(Chena)/Chembu(Taro) cut into cut into chickpea sized pieces
· 1 medium Carrot, cubed
· ½ cup grated Coconut
· 4-5 pearl Onions, skinned
· ½ tsp Turmeric powder
· 2 tsp red Chilly powder
· ¼ cup Sarkara/Jaggery
· Few Curry leaves
· Few dry Coconut chunks(Thenga kothu)
· 1 tbsp Coconut oil
· ½ tspMustard seeds
· ½ tsp Cumin seeds
· Salt as required
· 2 dried red chillies
· ½ tsp black pepper or pepper powder
· 1 tbsp Oil

Method:

1. Cook the Chickpeas with Water and Salt until soft (Use a pressure cooker to
cook fast, or soak in boiling water for at-least 8 hours).
2. In a thick bottomed vessel, cook the Plantain and Yam/Taro, Carrots with enough Water to
just cover the Vegetables.
3. Add Turmeric powder and Salt.
4. Keep the vessel covered to prevent drying out.
5. When the vegetables are soft add the cooked Chickpeas, along with some of the
Water used to cook Chickpeas.
6. Adjust Salt, ¾ tsp Turmeric powder, 2 tsp Chilly powder and ¼ cup of Jaggery.
6. In another pan slightly fry the grated Coconut, cumin, black Pepper with the pearl Onions.
Coarse grind this mixture and add to the cooked Chickpeas.
7. Mix well and let the Water evaporate. Splutter the Mustard seeds in Coconut Oil
and then add the dried Chillies and dry Coconut chunks (Thenga Kothu).
8. Pour this over the prepared Koottu curry.

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