The passionate tofu

A lot of people I know treat tofu as the poor step sister of paneer, the creamy rich Indian cheese. I first began using it in my cooking as a convienience (since it is more readily available) and later in my classes, to accomodate my vegan students. Eventually, firm or extra firm tofu has now become more of the norm for me rather than an exception. It actually absorbs flavor beautifully. This lovely delicate sauce that showcases two of the seasons gifts - tomatoes and red peppers offer a perfect match for the mild tofu.

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Decisions and pan roasted lamb

So can one survive a professional mis-step in the recession? I do not know the answer to this question yet, time and time alone will tell? I can only hope that the answer is yes...

This week, after some consideration I have decided to quit my job and focus on wrapping up the book, now called the CIT (contemporary Indian table), you knew that one.. and look for a more locationally compatible job. I have never actually taken on bet on letting go of something without another posibility on hand, but this time I am doing this, how practical is this time alone will tell.

For dinner this week, was this amazing lamb that I put together, if you like lamb like me, you should definitely give it a try...

Pan Roasted Spicy Lamb

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Serve 2-3 people

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 pound lamb on the bone cut into pieces (I used shoulder lamb chops)

1/3 cup yogurt

2-3 tablepoons oil

2-3 pods cardamom

2-3 cloves

2 bay leaves

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Mix the ginger-garlic paste with salt, chili powder and rub on the lamb.

2. Apply the yogurt on the lamb.

3. Heat the lamb and add the cardamom, cloves and bay leaves and cook for a few seconds.

4. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring lightly until the onions soften and begin to curl and turn gently brown on the edges.

5. Add the lamb and cook on low, stirring and turning occasionally from time to time. The onions gradually turn brown and melt and cling to the lamb, the yogurt evaporates and the lamb turn a beautiful brown and is fork tender. The process takes about 25 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Rustic Lentil Parathas

My friend Priti has this dream of wanting to host a rustic Indian party - dishes that are authentic, simple and true to the unblemished earthy soul of Indian cooking.

Lentils parathas from Punjab is one such. Rustic Indian cooking in several ways, caters to the use of leftovers and uses very basic culinary techniques. The use of leftovers speaks to general lack of refridgeration is a rather warm country.

This morning for breakfast I used leftover lentils to make these parathas. The recipe is my creation, since I do not really have an original one. It is comforting and simple. A wholesome meal and we could not held generously slathering on the butter. I actually used 2 cups of leftover lentils of different types.

Dal Parathas - Lentil wholewheat spicy flatbreads

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Makes 10 medium breads

Ingredients

2 cups of leftover cooked dal

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups wholewheat flour (atta)

1/2 teaspoon carom seeds

1 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 onion, very finely chopped

3-4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Sesame seeds for toping

Butter or ghee for serving

Method of Preparation.

1. Place the lentils in a food process and blend to a puree.

2. Place in a bowl and stir in the red chili powder, salt and add the whole wheat flour.

3. Add the carom seeds, tomato, onion and cilantro and mix with your hands to form a moist pliable dough.

4. Roll into small 4 inch circles.

5. Press with some sesame seeds

6. Heat a gridle pan and place the bread on the pan, the non-sesame side and cook for 1-2 minutes.

7. Turn and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, and then add a little cooking oil, and cook lightly till crisp and brown, turn and repeat.

8. Remove from fire.

9. Serve hot drizzled with additional butter and mango chutney if desired.

Note: The lentils that I used were fairly most and well seasoned. To get the well seasoned effect, the spices need to adjusted according to the lentils being used.

An ungodly hour - a simple recipe

I am actually uploading some really nice pictures my brother has taken of his current trip to the east coast. I am up waiting while flick uploads the pictures, in bars of pink! I was around today. I took Aadi for a check to the immunologist. I was a little sad to see, how excited he was at the prospect of being taken to the doctor by me. Usually, dad does this. Well, such is life...

This morning I was really feeling on top of my act, because I woke up in time to make a good breakfast for all of us (we were all at home, but I tend to sleep in on Saturdays!), until I saw what my daughter had scribbled while I was making breakfast. LOL!

It read, " On Saturday, I went trick or treating! Mas is taking so long to get my eggs ready. Aadi is eating his rewards!Ma gave me my egg now, I don't have a spoon with my egg, I have a fork"

Gosh, tough crowd. Well, I made this fairly straighforward paneer recipe a couple of weeks back, try it!

Paneer Manoranjan - Indian cheese with mushrooms

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/8 teaspoon asafetida

1 cup diced tomatoes (I used a mixture of red and green)

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon tandoori masala

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 lbs paneer, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chaat masala

1 tablespoon ghee or butter

1/2 cup diced portabella mushroom

Cilantro to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and wait for the seeds to sizzle. Stir in the asafetida.

2. Add in the tomatoes, chili powder and tandoori masala and the ginger and saute for 20 seconds.

3. Stir in the paneer and salt and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the chat masala.

5. In a separate pan, heat the ghee and add the mushroom and saute for 2-3 minutes.

6. Mix into the paneer and garnish with cilantro and serve.

Messing with the tested and tried!!!

Rich and creamy palak paneer - pureed spinach, with cream and chunks of Indian paneer cheese is one of the few Indian dishes that my children love. Granted, I use chillies quite sparingly but my kids love this dish. Actually, so do students!

However, with all the spinach in the garden, over the summer, I wanted to simplify this dish a little more without loosing it's appeal for the kids. I added almonds and just a hint of cream (which actually can be dispensed) with. With some quick co-ordination, I had this dish done in 20 minutes.

Actually that really is where the standard lies, I think people are now getting a little jaded with the 30 minute rule. Nah! here I jest!!!

While a lot of the food I cook, is rather quick and simple I also am not really a believer of cutting corners for the sake of reaching a "quick cook" target. One cooks as needed, and until food is done. Anyhow, this still does not change the fact that my palak paneer was pretty much done in less than 30 minutes.

Tangy Palak Paneer - Spinach with almonds and paneer cheese

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup hot water

20 almonds

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teapoon coriander powder

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

4 cups of chopped fresh spinach

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)

3/4 cup of diced paneer (can be substituted with tofu)

2 tablespoon fresh heavy cream (optional)

1 lime - cut into small wedges

Cilantro to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Place the almonds in the water and set aside for about 10 minutes. This step can be skipped if you use pre-blanched almonds.

2. Heat the oil and add in the cumin and coriander powders and cook for a few seconds. Add in the ginger and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion is tranluscent.

3. Add in the spinach and tomatoes and mix well. Turn the heat to low and cover the pot and let the spinach wilt. This process takes about 5 minutes.

4. In the meantime, peel the almonds.

5. Turn off the heat, you should have the spinach wilted, with some water released from both the spinach and the tomatoes. Stir in the salt and red chili powder and let the mixture cool just a little.

6. Place the spinach and the almonds into the blender and blend for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is very smooth.

7. Place this mixture back into the pot and stir in the paneer or tofu and cook through. Stir in the cream ( if using) and mix well.

8. Squeeze in half the lime and stir and garnish with cilantro.

9. Serve with rice or bread and enjoy!

Red Therapy

A plate full I can deal with, a food processorful is daily fare, but there has been much more than usual going on. I am reaching the end of something I have worked on for a while but am really loosing steam on the project.

Also, my son is getting to a new phase, we are trying to get him more independent for next year. It might seem long, but is not that much in the real scheme of things. Aadi and I don't deal with change well. I am really struggling with little things like not helping him with the t-shirt that both of us know he can handle by himself. I have a harder time being firm with him. In general, there is just too much going on, as with other things when I am stressed out I cook. Lately I have been blogging a little more than usual, oh well there are worse things that I could be doing.The beetroots and the beetgreens are quite normal this time of the year, but yesterday I stared at the latest batch like I had never seen them before. Well, if you really focus on the vivid color it is truly quite stunning - hence beetroot red. Well, I have to confess now that I put this in perspective I dont think anyone other than the beet can mimic this stunning color. So it really is not an apt expression but then again, neither is turning tomato red.

I decided to capitalize on the natural sweetness of the vegetable and made beetroot halwa. This is my first attempt at making this, I have for some reason just not done much with beets except roasting them. I loved the results. I used lowfat milk some sugar and clarified butter.

We ate this greedily for breakfast before we set off on a one-day trip to explore the valley. You shall hear about that later.

Beetroot Halwa

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

6 small to medium sized beets

2 cups lowfat (2% milk)

3 cardamoms

1/2 cup sugar (adjust this to your taste)

2 tablespoons ghee

Toasted coconut to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Peel the beets and grate them in a food processor.

2. Place these in a heavy bottomed pan and pour the milk over the beets. The effect of the milk turning pink is quite dramatic.

3. Add in the cardamoms and cook the liquid on medium low heat stirring occasionally until the milk is almost evaporated, you can seed the beets again in clumbs with the thick liquid boiling away around the sides.

4. Add the sugar and continue cooking until all the liquid is evaporated.

5. Add the ghee and mix well the the mixture is a soft, dry glistening mass. I cook this to leave some texture in the dish, you can grate the beets finer for a completely mashed variation.

The theme for this month's Sugar High Friday is vegetables, so I am sending this red creation over to the expatriate kitchen, that is hosting the event for August. The event was started by the Domestic goddess.

Cilantro Paneer and Potatoes

I made this awfully simple dish, but was quite blown away with how flavorful it had turned out! It was inspired by a similar dish I had tasted at my friend Vivek's house but the gingery overtones were just a little bolder in this dish. See somehow I think different people handle and percieve spices differently, this is why recipes end up tasting different from person to person. By this I mean the tiny nuances that cannot be camputured irrespective of how specific a recipe is. A small illustration is that my househelper often assists me with chopping veggies, I tell her to chop onion finely, what I end up with is medium fine in my opinion. Now, with ginger it ends up being the other way around she always grated this using the fine blade of the grater I end up using the coarser side.

Anyhow, here is how I made this dish, tastes fresh and light, works well with simple white rice.

Cilantro Paneer and Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp oil
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp grated ginger
1 onion finely chopped
1 cup cubed paneer or tofu
1 potato, parboiled, peeled and cubed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 green chilly
1 tomato
1 tsp garam masala

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and let this cook briefly for a few seconds.
2. Add the ginger and onions and saute for 1-2 minutes.
3. Mix in the paneer and potato with the salt and cumin-coriander powder and cook for another couple of minutes.
4. Grind the cilantro, green chilli and tomato in a blender with about 1/4 cup water.
5. Pour this over the paneer and potato mixture and cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with garam masala and enjoy!

Quick Cook Bhartha

I often end with having to deal with the "gap" factor when I am interviewing people, while I am sometimes skeptical I do realize that taking a few years off is ok! Actually, in my mind what is the purpose behind the time off, this is hard to discern. I have to tell you, two days back I had taken the morning off to deal with a few kid related issues, and let me tell you the multi-tasking that I needed to accomplish within the three hours in my mind was nothing short of fantastic. Granted some of this does get compounded by the fact that I have a compressed but busy work day waiting for me, but nonetheless this multi-tasking is pretty intense and can certainly be gainfully translated to the workplace if placed in perspective.


Well, my morning was like - I woke up saw the snow realized we would have a school delay, it gave me some more breathing roon with the breakfast routine, I actually used that extra time to place the eggplant on the gas to char roast it. What happens with this is that the eggplant is cooked till the skin is burnt and blackened. I remove from fire and set aside to cool.

It needs pretty minimal attention. I got dressed, left my KG going daughter with hubby, went out cleaned the car, took my son to the doctor in Briarcliff (20 min NW), spent an hour, went 15 minutes north dropped off my son to pre-school/daycare (late). Braved off 40 minutes north, stopped at Costo to pick up a couple of things then, picked up my contact lenses and made it into work. Lord, did not feel like I had any time off.


Well, back in the evening I had the charred eggplant waiting for me. I literally took 15 minutes to cook it though.

Easy and Satisfying Naan

Someone told me about this method, I have to tell you, I am yet to teach a class where I do not get a request to make saag paneer and then asked about naan making. I like to make naan using yeast but realize that it is not quite the same. This recipe is a little heartier and textured because I have used white whole wheat flour and some rye flour. If you do the same using white flour as is done in restarants you shall get something really close.

So this is what I did,

Naan - Puffed Indian Breads

Makes 6-8

Ingredients

3 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups yogurt

Extra flour
Butter for topping (optional)

Method of Preparation

1. Sift the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda.
2. Rub in the oil and mix into a smooth dough with the yogurt. Add the yogurt gradually, the dough should be moist but not sticky.
3. Cover and let this sit for 2 hours in a warm place.
4. Knead the dough well, adding extra flour if needed.
5. Divide into 6 pieces, roll out into round or oval 1/4 inch thick pieces.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 525 degrees.
7. Place the naan on a hot tawa and let this cook till puffed and lightly browned on both sides.
8. Quickly place this in the oven and let this cook for 3-4 minutes till puffed up and browned on both sides.
9. Brush with butter if desired and serve hot.

Thinking Sprouts! - Palak Lobia Chaat

Well, we really do not have a consistent thing so to speak for the new year, actually the only so called holidays we do something set and planned for is valentine's day where it is Anshul's job to figure out what to do and thankgiving which is my big thing. Actually Christmas is also becoming a tradition too, where we go to Laur's house who is probably the most amazing baker. Anyhow this year, we decided to go to the Indian restaurant Royal Palace that tends to do a news year's eve shing ding.

One of the good things about having generally low expectations is that you are less likely to be disappointed. Actually in this instance I was pleasantly surprized the food was very good and the bartender was very jovial and music appropriately noisy. They had this interesting appetizer that I had to come and try to re-create. Mine looks a little different, overall a somewhat complex preparation with all its multiple layers but in my opinion worth the effort! Actually the highlight of this exercise was sprouting my own lentils, I used small red lentils (lal lobia) and used the method loosely described here. I opted for the jar method.

Palak Lobia Chaat - Sprouted Lentils and Spinach Spiced Salad

Served 4-6 people

Ingredients

For the pakoras

1 cup besan (chick pea flour)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
2 green chillies minced
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
1 tsp black salt
1 bunch fresh spinach (not baby)
Oil for frying

Other Ingredients

1/2 cup tamarind chutney
1 cup yogurt
2 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp salt
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
3/4 cup sprouted lentils
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Beat the besan to remove all the lumps and stir in the spices.
2. Add about 1 cup water to make a batter.
3. Heat the oil.
4. Stack the spinach leaves together (about 4-5 per pakora), remove any thick stems if needed and dip lightly into the batter (enough to coat and bind.
5. Fry on medium heat till well crisped and browned on both sides.
6. Set aside to drain on paper towels (we would need about 4 pakoras per person).
7. In a large bowl lightly toss this with the other ingredients and serve while the pakoras are still warm for a good contrast of textures and flavors.

A very interesting creation but I think this would be more of a meal than just a starter for me.

Saag Chicken on a winter's day

This is what the backyard looked like for most of this weekend. The kids went out and built a snow man, I pretty much lay low for most of the weekend. Last night I made some sinfully indulgent and good saag chicken and jeera (cumin rice). I actually used some pre-roasted chicken, I had roasted two cornish hens earlier this week and one was left over. The cornish hens

were interesting I shall post about them later, so I skinned and chopped up one of them. I cooked the chicken with a mixture of spinach and kale (frozen).



Saag Chicken a la simple

For the sauce

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
A couple of cloves and cardamom and a small stick of cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
2 cups fresh spinach (or 1.5 cups frozen chopped)
1 cup chopped fresh kale or 3/4 cups frozen
1 small can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup broth

For the Chicken

1 tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato diced
1 tsp salt
1 lbs cooked chicken on the bone (store roasted should work well)
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp garam masala
3 tbsp chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the ginger, onion and cumin seeds and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinamon and stir through.
3. Add in the green with the salt and turmeric and mix well till wilted.
4. Add in the tomatoes and broth and cook the mixture till heated through.
5. Cool slightly and blend well in a strong blender.
6. While this is cooling heat the oil and the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes and add in the tomatoes with the chicken and coat with the mixture.
7. Add in the spinach mixture with half the cream and let it simmer for 8 minutes.
8. Mix in the garam masala and the remaining cream and cilantro and cook through.
9. Serve with jeera rice and some good wine.

Tomatoey Rice

Tomato rice, originally uploaded by brinku11.

My son Aadi loves tomatoes, he can eat them in any form - raw, in food, as a main dish, I think you get the picture. The was a time in my house, I would keep pureed tomatoes handy to add to his food as an incentive to push him to eat further. One day, he asked me whether it was possible to make a dish that was all tomatoey, so that he would not have to keep pleading for that spoon of tomato. Since he eats a fair amount of rice, I realized that he had come up with a novel solution to his own problem and actually helped me create a very healthy wonderfully festive dish. The colors of this tomato rice enliven any meal therefore it makes a wonderful addition to any holiday or party table. The simple flavors complement most cuisine. The gentle flavors of the leek add both additional color and taste to the dish.

Tomato Rice - Rice with tomatoes and vegetables

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 onion finely choped
2-3 bay leaves
3-4 cardamoms
2 leeks finely chopped (white and tender green parts)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup toasted cashew nuts
3 tomatoes chopped
1.5 cups basmati rice soaked for 3/4 hour and drained
1 cup green peas
1/2 cup corn
3 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds, when they crackle add in the bay leaves, cardamoms and onions and leeks.
2. Cook on very low heat stirring frequently for 10 mintues till the leeks are soft and begin to turn golden.
3. Add in the chili powder, salt, cashew nuts and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add in the rice and stir throught and mix the remaining ingredients.
5. Add in 2.5 cuts of water, bring to a simmer and cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
6. Check in between for the water and add upto a half cup if needed, the rice should be moist but not too moist.
7. Turn off the heat, leave covered for 10 minutes before serving

Sweet and Spicy Chickpea Salad

This basic chickpea recipe is one of my favorite staples for the party and potluck season that we are heading into. It essentially consists of a spicy base, and is cooked in a crock pot, infused with a lot of fresh scallions, tomatoes, black pepper, fresh lemon and pomegranate seeds. This time I did something a little different, I cooked the chickpeas and marinated them in pomegranate juice, to give them a nice rich dark color and them followed my normal procedure. It produced a lovely tangy dish with a nice touch of sweetness.

Sweet and Spicy Chickpea Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chickpeas (till the are still not very soft)

2 cups pom wonderful juice

1 tsp black or sea salt

3-4 tbsp oil

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 tsp whole fennel seeds

1 onion finely chopped

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

2-3 green chillies minced

2 tsp salt

2 tsp garam masala powder

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1 cup chopped fresh scallions

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup fresh mint

3 limes

To garnish

A generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

Chopped cilantro

Grated radish

1 cup Pom wonderful pomegranate seeds

Method of Preparation

1. Soak the chickpeas in the juice for 5-6 hours.

2. Heat the oil and add the cumin and fennel seeds and when they sizzle.

3. Add the onion, ginger and chillies and cook for 10 minutes until beginning to turn golden brown.

4. Place the chickpeas with the juice in a large crock pot, add in the onion mixture with the salt and garam masala and simmer for 3 hours till the juice is absorbed and the chickpeas are soft.

5. Mix in the scallion and tomatoes and cook for another 30 minutes.

6. Stir in the cilantro, mint and squeeze the lime juice.

7. Serve warm (not hot) with a lot of black pepper, cilantro, grated radish and pomegranate seeds.

Pinenut Saffron Popsicles - Chilgoza Kesar Kulfi

We had traveled to Antartica in 1999 (what seems like a lifetime ago), on a ship. Outside of the other interesting aspects of the trip, it was nice to be able to spend so much time with other travelers. I did have a camcorder back then, but did not use a digital camera.
There were other on the ship who did and as one person told me, you have got to love digital - no bad pictures. I think of this one because, this particular recipe turned out lovely but was a bear to photograph. Thankfully, with some editing I have a somewhat respectable picture.

Lentil and Potato Salad, er chaat!

Once upon a time, I would have never thought of pairing these two unusual creatures and once upon a time I would have missed out a good very satifying gastromical experience!

In general, I have actually been watching more TV than I have in a while. Well, I cannot resist this great American soap opera that we call elections. There is the economic crisis, the first so-called African american candidate, and of course the "hockey mom" who is perfectly comfortable raising her little baby, through some remote control, since she seems to be anywhere but with the baby. Well, down to more earthy issues, here is a lentil and potato salad a la indiene - Alu-Massur Chaat

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 russet potatoes

1 cup cooked brown lentils (sabut masur)

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp chaat masala

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup sour cream

2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 lime

Method of Preparation

1. Cook and peel the potatoes, coarsely chop into medium-sized pieces.

2. Mix in all the remaining ingredients except the lime and chill for 2 hours.

3. Squeeze the lime over the salad and eat with any think else that is interesting.

2. Place in a mixing bowl and add the lentils and onions.

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.

Dressing up the Taro

There are some bloggers who present with such beauty and specificity that you want jump right out of the blog and into their kitchens. One such blog is the saffron trail, where recently Nandita featured Arbi ke Tikkey, a lovely way to dress up the humble Taro.

I followed her recipe pretty closely, with tiny tweaks, could not leave out my beloved chat masala now, could I?

Arbi Ke Tikkey - Spicy Taro Cakes

Makes 8

Ingredients

8 medium sized taro

2 limes

1 tsp cumin-coriander powder

1/2 tsp crushed carom seeds

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp chat masala

1 tsp black salt

1 tsp salt

Oil for frying

To garnish

Onion rings

Cilantro

Additional Chat masala

Freshly ground black pepper

Method of Preparation

1. Cook the taro for 10 minutes, till parcooked. Cool and remove the skin.

2. Squeeze the juice of 1.5 limes on the taro, and add the remaining spices to the taro. Let this sit for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

3. In a shallow skillet, add the taro in a single layer and cook on medium-low heat for about 6 minutes on each side. This should allow a thick golden crust to form on each side.

4. Remove from the oil and let this cool slightly.

5. Squeeze with the remaining lime, add the chat masala and pepper.

6. Garnish with onions and cilantro and serve with a chutney if desired.

This dish would make a great side dish for any other fish or chicken dish.

Bell Peppers - Shimla Baigan Bhartha

Shimla Capsicum Bhartha, originally uploaded by brinku11.

You know, I've got to tell you, I think we Indians should patent the word capsicum, I have so gotten used to saying, "bell pepper" but a part of me longs for that somewhat small slightly spicer and really flavorful capsicum.

But, on the other hand, I love colorful red and yellow peppers which you do not find so readily in India. A red bell pepper is amazingly flavorful, especially roasted. Of course, nothing like a smoked eggplant! Mix them together, you get a scintilating mix of taste and flavor.

Try this luscious bhartha, which is very simple, just takes a little time to roast the vegetables.

Shimla Baigan Bhartha

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion finely chopped
2 tsp very finely shredded ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced green chillies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup frozen green peas (thawed)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 tbsp chat masala

Method of Preparation

1. On an open flame, gas or grill roast the eggplants and peppers till the skin turns black. For the eggplant the outer skin should char and begin to crack.
2. Place the peppers in ziplock bags to cool for 10 minutes, the moisture helps with peeling the skin off. The eggplant can be placed on a plate.
3. Remove the dark skin of the eggplant and the peppers,
4. Coarsely chop the peppers.
5. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds, followed by the onion, ginger and garlic.
6. Saute this till the onions begin turning golden, add in the eggplant and peppers and mix well, mashing the mixture while stirring.
7. Add in the chillies, salt, cumin-coriander powder, tomato paste and continue mixing on medium heat. Cook in this manner for about 5 minutes.
8. Add in the peas, cilantro and chat masala.
9. Serve hot

Sending this entry to Pooja, at My Creative ideas, for Jhiva and Vow - Bell peppers.

Chicken boti kabab masala

Having cream handy is a really bad thing, it makes one want to use the cream more often than is needed. This friday I wanted to do something classic but quickly. I had some chicken legs that I had marinated a day back in tandoori masala. So a variation of the classic tikka masala emerged. Tikka by defination is made of chunks of boneless chicken and the sauce is much smoother. However, this recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser as well.

Chicken Boti Kabab Masala

Serves 4

For the Boti

1 cup lowfat yogurt
1 tbs tandoori masala (I use the commercial Swad Brand
6-8 skinned chicken drumsticks
1 tsp salt (optional)

For the masala gravy

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1 cup baby bella mushroom, sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Marinate the chicken with the yogurt, tandoori masala and salt if using for 6-8 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheight.
3. Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, turn and cook for another 10 minutes. Reserve any marinade leftover.
4. Let this cool sightly.
5. In the meantime, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds.
6. Add the cumin-coriander powder and the mushrooms, onions and garlic, cook stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes, chicken, salt and cook on high for 10 minutes.
8. Add in the saved marinade with 1/2 cup water and cook on low for 10-15 minutes.
9. Check the seasonings and add in the cream and mix well to let the flavors mix and cook through for about 2-3 minutes.
10. Stir in the garam masala and garnish with cilantro and serve with any kind of Indian bread.

Through a quick scan of the blogosphere, I realized Meeta at What's for Lunch honey was hosting her monthly mingle featuring Bollywood Cooking. I think I could send this out to mingle and dance with the stars, so here it goes.

Green Chickpea and Corn Kadhi

I found these really pretty daity pods at the local store. I had never used these green chickpeas before but wanted to do something with them. After I brought these home, I discovered some very tart yogurt that had been sitting in my fridge for a while.

I am a big fan of Kadhi - that nutrious yougurt based soupy concoction tempered with whole spices and curry leaves thickened with besan or chickpea flour. If you love kadhi as much as I do, you will be convinced that sour yogurt was made for Kadhi not the other way round. Well, I made kadhi mixed in with fresh corn and the results with rice was perfect for a cool day.

Green Chickpea and Corn Kadhi

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1.5 cups very tart yogurt

3 tbsp besan or chickpea flour

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1/8 tsp asafetida

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 dried red chillies

1-2 green chillies

10 curry leaves

1/2 fresh green chickpeas

1/2 cup fresh corn

2 tbsp fresh cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Mix the yogurt, besan and salt with 2 cups water and set aside.

2. Heat the oil and add the ginger, cumin and mustard seeds.

3. When the seeds begin to pop add the red chillies.

4. Add in the green chillies and curry leaves and stir well.

5. Mix in the yogurt mixture, bring to a boil reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Add in the corn and chickpeas and cook for another 15 minutes.

7. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

This entry is sent out to this weeks - WHB that is being hosted by Jay and Bee at Jugalbandi.

This blog if you have not checked it out, is a treat for the senses, the photography is amazing, it makes food seem spiritual.