Nutrella Cutlets

I have tried over the years to work with meatless sources of protein. I just feel, once in a while it is good to have options. The latest in my quest is Nutrella or soy nuggets.

I also recently picked up a package of these soy grains that look a lot like cous-cous in the local store. I made these cutlets using a combination of these grains and let me tell you these were good! I used them as veggie burgers and they went down very well with the home crowd.

Nutrella Cutlets - TVP cutlets

Makes about 12 medium sized cutlets

Ingredients

For the cutlets

1 large sweet potato (cooked and peeled)

1 regular potato (cooked and peeled)

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup prepared TVP ( this is soaked in hot water and then the excess water is squeezed out

1 cup frozen peas

2 green chillies, finely minced

2 tbsp cilantro, finely minced

2 tsp chat masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garam masala

For the batter and breading

1 egg

3-4 tbsp all purpose flour

water as needed

1 tsp salt

1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (whole wheat panko works well)

Oil for frying.

Method of preparation

1. Mash all the ingredients for the cutlet together into a firm mixture, since a fair amount of frozen vegetables are used, if needed add a little chick pea flour for tightness

2. Shape into hamburger sized patties.

3. Beat the egg with flour, water and salt to form a thick batter.

4. Dip the cutlets into the batter and coat well with the breadcrumbs.

5. Place in the fride for 1 hour.

6. Heat the oil and fry well on both sides.

7. Serve with ketchup or as veggie burgers in buns.

Dal Makhani and Dahi Methi Bhindi

I had blogged earlier about the bhindi recipe, but nothing like simple good creamy dal Makhani. I recently made this to teach Aeisha how to make this.

She is an interesting person who has made her way to my culinary studio. She is a second generation American-Pakistani who ideally would love someone to teach her Pakistani cooking but will settle for Indian, as long as the spices are not too different. As I tell her, the spices are almost the same but their use is sometime not the same across the different parts of the sub-continent or even the country we call India. Anyhow, good food is a universal thing.

Dal Makhani - Creamy Urad Dal and Red Kidney Beans

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole urad dal (mapte beans)
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp finely grated ginger
2 tomatoes finely chopped
1 can red kidney beans
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp red chili powder
1/3 cup cream
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation
1. Pressure cook the dal with 2 cups water and salt for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil and add the cumin followed by the onion and ginger after a few seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the dal and drained kidney beans, chili powder and simmer for 30 minutes.
5 . Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve with rice or roti.

Why Yellow?

I was out of town for about a week, this past week, just before leaving I read about this cause - Clicking Yellow for Bri in a blog I enjoy reading a lot.

The original Click Event being hosted at Jugalbandi, that hosts a monthly food photography event. Maybe, this was on my mind since all through Tampa Bay, Fl. Possibly, it was the general upset, I have to tell you it seems almost every other person that I know, ends up falling prey to this disease.

The corn and pepper came later, the other yellow was just on my mind.

Dearest Bri,

please keep the spirits up. People like me hope and pray that tomorrow will be better.

Ever felt that there was a connection and you could not tell why? This outbreak had troubled me just because....As I was about to submit this, I read further and realized that Bri was the daughter-in-law of Cynthia and Bill,

they had attended my son's rice ceremony by chance (She was with someone we knew and wanted to see this event) and Cynthia had taken some of the best pictures on my son at this event.

Here is the recipe that was created from the Corn and Pepper

Roasted Corn and Pepper Chowder

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 ears of corn on the cob

2 yellow bell peppers

2 tbsp butter

2 shallots finely chopped

2 pods of garlic

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 16-oz container of chicken broth or 4 cups homemade broth

1 tbsp black pepper

Additional salt if needed

1 lemon

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Method of preparation

1. Roast the corn and bell peppers on the open flame. The corn needs to start turning black at spots and the bell peppers are charred completed outside.

2. Set the corn aside to cool, and place the bell pepper on ice to rub the blackened skin off.

3. Heat the butter and add the shallots and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the sweet potatoes and chicken broth with salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Chop the roasted pepper and mix in.

6. Cool and puree in a food processor.

7. Remove the roasted corn from the cob.

8. Bring the puree back to simmer add in the corn, squeeze the juice of the lemon and stirr in the cilantro and serve hot.