Fresh Kitchen

Salt & Caviar on my Mind

2010-05-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

Salt & Caviar on my Mind

I recently discovered the amazing world of "salt". I know this sounds crazy considering I have been using salt in cooking forever now. But this is not your everyday salt I am referring to, but flavored salts that can take simple everyday foods from Yah that's Good to Oh My God, I am in Heaven :D

After having used these new found salts, I am finding it almost impossible to go back to plain old salt! There are several places that sell gourmet salts, both in stores and online. I would recommend going to a place that specializes in salts and tasting them if possible. I got all of my salts from this amazing little store in San Jose. The store offers over 200 salts & spices from around the world. It was extremely difficult to walk away with just a few, but loved the few that I brought back home.

Ghost Pepper Salt (SUPER spicy so use sparingly). Went great with avocado & mango

White Truffle salt. Paired very well with baked baby potatoes

Gray salt with Seaweed. Paired with grilled eggplant & pears

Murray River Pink Salt. Paired with the baked baby potatoes & drilled eggplant

Expresso Salt. Paired excellently with caramel ice cream as well as with lavender ice cream.

Given our dinner was already so decadent, I added caviar to the menu. The black caviar was served on boiled quail egg. The red caviar was served on boiled quail egg as well as with home made bread with some sour cream on top.

All these ofcourse go perfectly with a good champagne or mimosa :D

Enjoy !

Watermelon Margarita

2009-07-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yup, its that time of the year, when all you want to do is sit by the pool sip on a cool margarita and just walk around in summer clothes and flip flops all day!

I have been doing quite a bit of that lately, given the amazingly warm temperatures we are experiencing of late. And what better way than to cool off with a margarita! Now, margaritas come in SO many flavors, but I keep going back to one of my favs, Watermelon Margarita. Its so easy to make, and gives you that refreshing burst of flavor and texture!

I am sending across my dual toned drink to Jai & Bee's Click event, where this month's theme is bi-color!

Watermelon Margarita
Ingredients
1. 16 oz seedless watermelon pieces
2. 1/2 lime
3. 6 oz tequila
4. 3 oz triple sec
5. 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
6. 2 cups ice
Method
1. Blend the watermelon slices in a blender and liquefy
2. Add remaining ingredients, including the ice and blend until smooth
3. Add sugar if needed
4. Serve in a margarita glass with a sugar coated rim. Garnish with fresh mint
Enjoy :)

Huppy Mothers Day!

2009-05-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Some fantastic chocolate my sis got us from the land of love, France!!!! This one is a sweet treat for all the hard working moms out there.

Hope everyone gets some rest and TLC :D

Mango-Chocolate Mousse with Vodka

2009-04-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

I promised to post this recipe soon, but that soon didn't come soon enough. Thanks S for motivating me to post this. Do let me know how it turns out!

This is not your typical mousse recipe, but I liked that it was light and of course full of that great mango flavor. I also spiked it with Vodka and chocolate. For those who remember I made it for Holi along with the now infamous Gol Guppa shots (hic hic!).

Mango-Chocolate Mousse with Vodka Recipe

Ingredients
1. 2 cups Mango Puree (I used the Desai Bandhu Alphonso mango pulp.)
2. 1/3 cup powdered sugar
3. 1 cup Plain yogurt (I used full fat)
4. 1 cup heavy cream
5. 1 oz packet unflavored gelatin
6. 1/4 cup vodka (optional)
7. 1 cup chopped good quality dark chocolate
8. Handful of coco nibs or chocolate shavings for garnish

Method

1. In a small saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water. Let it soften for a minute, and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved.

2. In a blender blend together the mango puree and sugar. Add the gelatin mixture, and blend well.

3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the yogurt and vodka.

4. Add some vodka to the chopped dark chocolate and melt the chocolate (making sure it does not burn). You could even just melt the chocolate-vodka mix in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Using a spoon, pour the melted chocolate at the bottom of your dessert/serving glass. Swirl some of the chocolate mix on the sides of the glass as well.

5. In a chilled bowl beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, fold it into the mango mixture gently but thoroughly, and pour the mousse in the chocolate swirled dessert glasses.

6. Chill the mousse for at least 4 hours or overnight.

7. Garnish the mousse with the coco nibs or with mint and mango slices.

The Vodka and chocolate can easily be omitted to make a pure mango mousse. combine. However, I liked the bitterness of the chocolate and vodka that tied in well with the sweetness of the mango pulp. Not to mention the chocolate swirl on the glass made it look even more appealing!

I am sending this chocolate laden treat to Tasty Treats' For the Love of Chocolate event! Given my chocoholic nature, I can't wait to see the entries for this one!

Enjoy :)

Spring Watermelon-Papaya Salad

2009-04-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

I want some now!

Living in California, we are extremely spoiled by great weather. Last week we all complained when the temperature reached 94 degrees saying this was way too hot. 2 days later, we all started complaining about how cold it was when the temperature dropped to a shocking 75 degrees :D.. Oh well, I guess after paying those extremely high home prices/rents/taxes, that's the least we can do eh :P

I for one am thoroughly enjoying the warm spring weather this year! It surely was time to cool it off with a refreshing watermelon-papaya salad which I have blogged about earlier. You can get the detailed recipe here.

Given that nothing speaks Spring like a Crisp Watermelon Salad, I am sending this to Bee & Jai's Click:Spring/Autumn event.

Pani Puri shots, Mango Chocolate Mousse & Wood

2009-03-31T09:42:00.001-07:00

Pani Puri Shots, Mango Mousse and Wood !

Ok, now that's an odd combination if I saw one!! What are these three things doing together I wonder. Well, I made Pani Puri shots & the Mango Mousse for Holi recently, and wood...well that's the theme of this month's click photography event hosted by Jai & Bee. Ok wait, before I go far ahead with this, what are pani puri shots anyhow? I have been asked that question several times these last few weeks (maybe it was those drunken pics post the shots my friends saw;). Pani puri shots are your regular gol guppas but with a punch....the punch being vodka, gin, tequila...you get the drift ;).

The other thing I made for Holi this year was a quick Mango Mousse also spiked with Vodka...well it was Holi with the song Rang Barse blaring away in the background..what can I say :D the Mango Mousse with a chocolate bottom turned out pretty good...or maybe after all that Vodka, everything just seemed to taste g8 :D...either ways let me know if you make any of these and hopefully are less drunk than I was to tell what you really think of them :D

I was planning on submitting this photo to Jai & Bee's fantastic photography event, but alas just realized that I was too late :(...
When I took this pic, I thought oh this came out nicely..but then went on to their site to look at the current entries and was blown away....its hard to believe so many of the entries are by amateur photographers! Check out the dynamic duo behind this event if you haven't already done so!

Pani Puri/Gol Guppa Shots Recipe
Ingredients:
1. 1 pack store bought pani puri puris. There are some folks who make the puris at home which I think would be healthier..but wait who said these were meant to be healthy ;). You can see find home made puri recipes here and here
For the Pani/Tangy Spicy Water
1. 3 tbsp Tamarind Pulp (you can make this by soaking tamarind in warm water for 1-2 hours or even overnight)
2. 4 cups cold water (add more of needed)
3. 1 cup mint (pudina) leaves
4. 3-4 green chilies (adjust to taste)
5. 3 tbsp lemon juice
6. 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
7. 1 tbsp Jeera (roasted cumin) powder
8. 1 tbsp jaggery (adjust to taste)
9. 1/2 tsp black pepper
10. 1 packet salted boondi
11. Vodka, tequila and gin (you can also do JUST vodka..i kind of like the variety with the shots)

Method
1. Blend everything except the water together to make a fine paste. While blending, add water as needed
2. Strain the paste by adding some water if needed
3. Mix the paste with remaining water
4. Add more lemon juice, chili, jaggery or salt as needed. For example I like my water very spicy, but my husband likes his very very sweet...so we make 2 batches of it based on our tastes :)
5. Just half an hour before eating, add the salted boondi to the water
6. Fill 3/4th of the shot glasses with the spicy water. Top it off with the alcohol of your choice namely vodka, tequila, gin. If you like yours stronger, by all means feel free to add more alcohol!

Enjoy..hic hic

I will post the Mango Chocolate Recipe soon..I promise :). For now am off to Vegas for a conference..aah more chocolate and food indulgence!!

Caribbean Spice Stuffed Chicken

2009-03-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Caribbean Spice Stuffed Chicken

When Meeta called for a Caribbean dish for her Monthly Mingle, I had to participate, moreso as it gave me an opportunity to try out a dish from the land of one of my favorite bloggers, Cynthia of Tastes Like Home!!

I have always been fascinated by the whole/rotisserie chicken on display in restaurants, streets of China town, and now in countless stores like Whole Foods, Safeway, Costco and the like. It seemed daunting to be able cook an entire chicken in your own kitchen! And what does one do with so much chicken I wondered. Oh well, try one must, so I decided to take the plunge, and am thrilled I did. So what if it took 2 days and a whole lot of friends to help finish the chicken...all seems justified in the world of culinary pursuits :D

Actually now that I think of it, making whole chicken and then using it in a sandwich, biryani, taco or pasta is a GREAT money and time saving tip! And in these crazy economic times, this is a fantastic way of pushing the $$s further!

The chicken came out perfect....moist yet crispy, and oh so tasty! I followed this recipe pretty closely, with the exception that I stuffed the chicken with wild rice and potatoes to make it a more wholesome meal.

Ingredients
1. 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
2. 1 tbsp olive oil
3. 1/2 tsp ground ginger
4. 1 tbsp brown sugar
5. 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6. 1/4 tsp ground clove
7. 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
8 tsp black pepper
9. 1/2 tsp salt
10. 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
11. 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
12. 2 ounces rum
13. 2 cups pre-cooked wild rice (optional). I get my wild rice from Trader Joe's
14. 1 cup potatoes (optional), diced and pre-cooked
15. 6 lemon slices for the garnish (optional)
16. 7-8 grapes for the garnish (optional)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

2. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, rum, and brown sugar; set aside. Mix together the cayenne pepper, clove, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, salt, and thyme leaves.

3. Remove and discard giblets and neck from the chicken and trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen the skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

4. Rub the Caribbean spice mix under the loosened skin and over breasts and drumsticks. Stuff the rice and potato mixture in chicken cavity. Tie the ends of the legs together with twine. Lift the wing tips up and over back and tuck them under chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on a roasting pan coated with cooking spray

5. Place the pan in the oven for about 90 minutes, until the juices run clear or until a meat thermometer inserted in center of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

6. Garnish with fresh thyme, grapes and lemon slices

Tip: Baste the chicken with the sauce every 20 minutes while it's cooking

Enjoy :)

Seafood Paella

2009-03-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

Seafood Paella

Paella almost ready

Going, going gone!

I have taken the longest blogging break it feels like. As mentioned in my last post, I barely cooked much last year owing to my pregnancy. But now that I am back, seems like am on a wild cooking spree!

I recently met a friend for some tasty dimsum. And post dimsum what do I see next door...a Ranch 99! Being right there, I had to go in and get me some clams n shrimp without a real plan for the clams (isn't that always the case!).

Last week I decided to put those clams to good use with some seafood Paella. Paella is a great dish to make for a number of reasons. Firstly how can you go wrong with shrimp, clams, sausage, chicken and wine :D Moreover, its a complete 1 pan dish, which makes cleanup a snap! I used Tyler Florence's Ultimate Paella Recipe, but modified it based on my friend M's super useful tips n tricks and used ingredients that are easier to find :).

Seafood Paella Recipe
Ingredients
1. 3-pound chicken breast, cut into pieces
2. Smoked Andouille sausages, sliced thick. The original recipe calls for Chorizo sausages sliced thin. I did not find chorizo sausages at Trader Joe's, so picked up the andouille sausage instead and it tasted great! Also, I like my sausage pieces to be chunky vs thinly sliced.
3. 1 dozen littleneck clams, cleaned
4. 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
5. 1 cup red and green bell pepper, diced
6. 1 onion, diced
7. 4 garlic cloves, crushed
8. Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
9. 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed. You could also just boil 5-6 tomatoes, peel and dice them finely.
10. 4 cups short grain Spanish rice. I got mine from Whole Foods in the specialty foods aisle.
11. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12. Salt and freshly ground pepper
13. 6 cups chicken stock. You could also just use warm water instead
14. 2 tsp oregano
15. 1 cup white wine (optional)
16. Generous pinch saffron threads
17. 2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
18. Lemon wedges, for serving

Special equipment:
1. Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet. I got mine from Bed Bath and Beyond for $19.99 and it worked perfectly. Will surely be using it for a long time to come!

Method
1. Rub smoked paprika, salt, pepper, oregano and oil mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

2. Do the same thing (Rub smoked paprika, oregano, salt, pepper and oil mix) all over the shrimp and marinate for an hour in the refrigerator.

3. Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the sausage until browned, remove and keep aside. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and keep aside. Add the shrimp, and remove when it changes color to a pinkish shade or even slightly browned. Remove from pan. Lastly sautee the bell pepper for 2 minutes and remove.

4. In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld.

5. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid.

6. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook.

7. Add some white wine (optional) for flavor

8. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes.

9. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the red pepper flakes and saffron strands. I add the pepper flakes to add some zing to my paella.
When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.

Tyler's note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

And really that's it! Enjoy :)

Pregnant Pause

2009-02-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

Back After a Pregnant Pause

Thanks to all the folks who left comments, sent emails asking where I was, and why the blog was dormant for a while. The reason was I got pregnant, and had the worst case of morning sickness which sadly lasted all day long to the next morning ;).

Even though I wasn't cooking a whole lot, I did enjoy my mom/sister/friends' fantastic cooking for the last few months :P

Now its time to get back in the kitchen post babies, so look forward to posting some g8, healthy, easy to cook recipes!!

Marathi Series: Kanda Pohe & Mixed Bhaji Platter

2007-11-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

Marathi Series: Kanda Pohe & Mixed Bhaji (Vegetable Fritters)

This is the 2nd post in the Marathi food series. You can see the reason for the Marathi series and the 1st post here.

Bhaji Platter or Fritters
Can you guess all the different vegetables in there? Answer is in the next 2 paras !

Quintessential Comfort Food: Kanda Pohe or Spicy Beaten Rice

Every time I call India these days, everyone is busy gearing up for Diwali...making sweet & savory snacks also known as Pharaal in Marathi, buying new clothes and fireworks, and sprucing up their homes among other things! My grandparents are visiting their sons and daughters in my home town of Pune, and just speaking to them over the phone makes me miss them even more :(

What I needed was down right comfort food to make up for me not celebrating Diwali with them (hopefully next yr tho...)! So off I went and cooked up some Pohe and a bhaji (also known as pakoras in Hindi) platter with onion bhaji, potato bhaji, mirchi bhaji, sweet potato bhaji and squash flower bhaji..yummmm! Now this surely was not a bad way to comfort yourself ;).

I won't post the recipe for the pohe, as there are innumerable recipes for that on the blogosphere. You can see some great versions ranging from the traditional version here to an experimental version here.

Bhaji Platter/Vegetable Fritters
Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup onions thinly sliced
2. 1/2 cup potatoes thinly sliced
3. 1/2 cup sweet potatoes thinly sliced
4. 4-5 green chillies or jalapenos slit open partly. Make sure to keep the ends intact
5. 1/2 cup squash flower
(You can add other vegetables like thinly sliced eggplant if you like)
6. 21/2 cups chickpea flour/besan
7. 3/4 cup water
8. 11/2 tsp corriander/dhania powder
9. 1 tsp cumin/jeera powder
10. 1 tsp red chili powder
11. 1 tsp carom seeds/ajwain (optional)
12. Salt to taste
13. 3 cups oil for frying. I use olive oil
Method
1. Add some salt to the sliced onions and keep aside for 5-10 minutes
2. To this add all the other vegetables and the dry ingredients (minus the oil and water). Mix well and let rest for another 2-3 minutes
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan/kadhai
4. Take a tsp of the heated oil and add it to the dry mix. Miss well. This step makes the bhajis nice and crispy!
5. Add water as needed to the mix to make a smooth yet slightly thick batter
6. Batch by batch, drop & fry to a golden brown the onions then potatoes, then sweet potatoes, then squash flowers and then the chilies covered in batter.
The chilies should be added in the end, as they tend to pop up sometimes with the seeds spreading into the oil.

Serve with mint chutney or ketchup.
Enjoy :)

They are here!!!

2007-11-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

They are Here & Fresh Pesto Pasta!!!

The 2 books that Kalyn sent me are finally here and they are absolutely FANTASTIC!!! I 1st received the Vegetables Everyday and though that was great. But then few days later, received the Herbs & Spices: the Cook's Reference book and was in food heaven ;) Its a great book detailing spices from across the world, ranging from African to Indian to Italian to Moroccan and how you can cook with them!

I can't wait to start cooking from both these books. Kalyn, thanks a ton again for these wonderful gems!

Aren't they Beautiful?

Petso Pasta made with Fresh Basil

Inspired by the Vegetables Everyday book, cooked up some Pesto Pasta with fresh basil I have been successfully growing (quite rare for me :() for a while now. The simplicity of the pesto went so well with the multi-flavored shell pasta I picked up on my last trip to Paris. Yes, R & I are pasta snobs where we are not too fond of the wheaty, pasty pasta you get in most stores here. Though I must admit TJs and Whole Foods are quickly making that a thing of the past! w00t!

Since this was one of my few successful attempts to grow my own food, I am sending this pasta to Andrea's Grow Your Own event!
Fresh Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
1. 1 pound pasta of your choice. I used shell pasta
2. 3 cups fresh basil
3. 2 tablespoons pine nuts, untoasted
4. 1-2 cloves of garlic
5. 1-2 jalapeno (optional)
6. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7. 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
8. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
9. 1 cup dill (optional)
Method
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta
2. In a blender, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, jalapeno and olive oil. Blend till its pureed
3. Add the cheese, salt and pepper, and blend again
4. Cook the pasta for about 3 minutes in the boiling water until al dente (should be firm to the touch)
5.Drain and transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Do not rinse the pasta as that will cause all the great nutrients in the pasta to get washed away!
6. Add the pesto and dill to the pasta and toss. Add a drizzle of oil and top with cheese, if you like.
Enjoy :)

Scary Fingers..Getting Ready for Halloween!

2007-10-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Scary Fingers..Getting Ready for Halloween!

I recently found these batty err nuts at Berkeley Bowl recently. Any ideas what they are?

Batty err Nuts!

Chicken Fingers

Who ate them all?

Given, its Halloween tomorrow, what else does one write about other than creepy, crawly, scary food!!! I was inspired by all the crawlies on Food Network which led to these awful looking, but yummy tasting chicken fingers!

Btw, Are people celebrating Halloween tomorrow? If yes, what are people planning to dress up as??? I am still unsure..have a whole bunch of costumes from the last few Halloweens ranging from a devilish angel (how original ;), to a gangster's moll to..u get the drift ;)

Scary Chicken Fingers
Ingredients
1. 1/2 pound chicken breast
2. 2 tsp Cajun Creole seasoning. You can use Paprika instead.
3. 1 tsp black pepper
4. 1-2 tomatoes for the nails
5. 1 tsp olive oil
6. Salt to taste
Method
1. Clean and thaw the chicken breasts to room temperature
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
3. Cut the chicken in thin, finger like shapes. Taper the front to be thinner than the other end
4. Season with the cajun spice (or paprika), salt and pepper
5. On a cooking sheet, drizzle some of the olive oil
6. Place the chicken fingers on the sheet. Drizzle with the remaining oil
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees
8. Cut tomatoes to small nail like shapes. Using a tooth pick piece, nail (ahem!) the tomato pieces to the chicken fingers.
Enjoy :)

Ode to Kalyn's veggies event

2007-10-21T23:42:00.001-07:00

Ode to Kalyn's "Guess 2 popular veggies event"

Crostinis all laid out

Nothing beats fresh basil!

Take a bite!!

A few days ago, the wonderful Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen asked her readers to vote for the 2 most popular vegetables. I had no idea then that my simple response of Tomatoes & Basil, 2 of my all time favorite veggies would win me 2 awesome books! I just received my 1st book, Vegetables Everyday, which is filled with the most wonderfully simple vegetarian dishes. Can't wait to try them out. Thanks again Kalyn!

As a tribute to these super popular vegetables, I made my friend S's basil and tomato crostinis. Again, so simple to put together, yet packed with flavor. The combination of mozzarella with basil, tomato and some good balsamic vinegar is to die for!

Tomato Basil Crostinis
Ingredients
1. 1 packet mini toasts (I get mine from TJs) or bread (baguette/sour dough) cut into bite sized squares
2. Fresh mozzarella cheese
3. Fresh basil
4. Cherry tomatoes cut in half. You could also use regular tomatoes, but tastes better with the cherry tomatoes
5. Good quality balsamic vinegar. I recently bought the balsamic vinegar spray from TJs, and LUVD it, It is such a great idea as the quantity of vinegar is just right when sprayed and spreads evenly!
Method
1. Assemble the mini toasts/bread pieces
2. Layer the mini toast with a slice of the cheese, then topped with the cherry tomato and a leaf of basil.
3. Spray/Drizzle with balsamic vinegar
And really thats it! Enjoy :)

Non Fat Chips (really ;)

2007-10-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

Non Fat Kale Chips..That ought to bring on a smile!

Very Green Kale

Ready to Eat!

Kale is a very healthy, and very versatile vegetable! It is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium. I was shocked to find that Kale was one of the most common vegetables in Europe up until the Middle Ages. Now how do I know all this? Why, thanks to Wikipedia of course !

Kale chips are extremely healthy and tasty. They have almost no fat, and in my opinion tasted better than most of those scary oily, trans fat laden chips out there! I first heard of this recipe from a nutritionist who was brought into work one day to help us all get healthy and live better (ahem!) lives. The only 2 things all of us remember from that session was this wonderful Kale chips recipe and the amazing food the nutritionist handed out at the session (tch tch..I know thats sad :()

I hope I am redeeming myself by posting this recipe, hoping someone out there will get off their potato chip addiction (I soo hope the nutritionist who tried to help us useless souls is reading this :P)!

I am sending this guilt free chip thats actually err good for you to Hima for her Whats your favorite diet food event! Check out her event if you want to purge yourself of all those tempting holiday goodies :(

Now if that doesn't make you smile, may be this will?

The Feed A Hungry Child (FAHC) campaign aims to feed every hungry children, one at a time. This was envisioned by VKN of My Dhaba. To share your smiles with children around the world, visit Vijay, Mahanadi or Jugalbandi's blog along with a few others listed on their blogs to make your contribution. As if the smile was not enough, these wonderful bloggers have thrown in some great prizes like books, spice extracts, dinners, sarees for kids n more!
Kale Chips
Ingredients
1. 3-4 leaves of fresh kale
2. 1 tsp Olive oil or Non fat olive oil spray
3. 1 tsp paprika powder
4. 1 tsp ground black pepper
5. Salt to taste. Make sure you use less salt that normal as kale absorbs salt, and your regular amount may render the chips to be salty
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash and dry the kale leaves
3. Cut/tear the kale leaves into bits sized squares
4. Lay them out on a baking sheet
5. Drizzle with olive oil
6. Top with paprika, salt and pepper
7. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes or till they become crisp. Be careful as these chips bake really quick, so you may want to check after the 1st 4 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Marathi Series: Sabudana Wada

2007-10-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

Marathi series: Sabudana Wada or Sago Fritters

Sabudana/Sago being Soaked

Sabudana/Sago Wada Land Slide

I think most of you know by now that I grew up in Pune in Maharashtra. Pune is a beautiful city which seemingly has it all: an abundance of hills, rivers, greenery and moderate climate for most part of the year. While most will point out that all that is rapidly changing with dried up river beds, construction on the hillsides, I have faith in the people of Pune who are trying to reclaim Pune's beauty. There are several initiatives in Pune to curb hillside construction, create a waterfront area that people can enjoy among other community projects around organic farming and vermi-composting!

I will be posting easy to make dishes from my hometown and state off and on this month. Why you ask...may be its the nostalgia of missing home during the soon to arrive festive season of Dassera / Diwali, lots of family birthdays and just an ode to the city I love!!

The 1st in the series is the ever popular Sabudana Wada or Pearl Sago fritters which are usually eaten when one is fasting! I know, with a meal like this one, I can fast all year round ;). More fasting recipes and details can be found in an earlier post here.

Several fellow bloggers have done an amazing job with the same dish. Check out 2 of my favorite versions at Tee's and Manasi's blog.

Sabudana Wada/Sago Fritters
Ingredients
1. 2 cups sago/sabudana
2. 2 medium sized boiled potatoes,
3. 2-3 green chilies finely grated
4. 1/2 cup coriander leaves
5. 1/2 cup peanut powder
6. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
7. 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
8. 1-2 pinch sugar (optional)
9. Salt to taste,
10. 3-4 cups oil for frying
Method
1. Soak sabudana in water. Drain off all the water and keep overnight
2. Mash the boiled potatoes.
3.Combine sabudana, chili paste, mashed potatoes, coriander leaves, peanut powder, cumin seeds, sugar, lemon juice. Mix well
4. Make small balls of the mixture and flatten them slightly.
6. Heat the oil in a pan.
7. Deep fry these vadas till golden brown and crispy.
Serve with Peanut Chutney

Peanut Chutney
Ingredients
1. 2 tsp red chili powder (add more if you like more spice)
2. 2 cups plain yogurt
3. 1/2 cup coarsely ground peanut (make sure the peanuts are roasted prior to grinding them)
4. Salt to taste
Method
1. Mix together red chili powder with ground roasted peanuts and salt.
2. Add plain yogurt and mix well
Enjoy :)

Cookies 2 way: Saffron & Coffee, Saffron & Orange

2007-10-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Cookies 2 way: Saffron & Coffee, Saffron & Orange

Coffee & Orange Cookies

As promised, I am writing more on the Blogging by mail event. The contents of the package I sent consisted of my home made saffron and coffee cookies, my mom's Kolhapuri masala, organic Japanese cacao and some local fresh produce from my farmer's market. I am a huge fan of the local farmers market which has introduced me to some incredible tasting vegetables and fruits which elevate cooking and eating to a whole new level! You can read Becke's comments on the package I sent her here!!

This is what I sent for the the blogging by mail event

Beautiful honey from my local market

Indian chutneys and sauces made and packaged 10 miles away!

I have posted some of the recipes made using my mom's Kolhapuri masala which I consider worth its weight in gold ;) in some of my earlier posts that you can see here and here. Today, I wanted to share cookies I sent Becke, that use another spice worth its weight in gold, yes the beautiful saffron!

I adapted the recipe from Nupur's original holiday nankhatai recipe. I wanted to make it lower in fat, so replaced the butter with oil and sugar with honey. The end result was crunchy cookies, where the taste was elevated by the addition of saffron and coffee!

As suggested by Asha and the Happy Cook (thanks guys!), I am sending this to Sunita's Think Spice event, where this month's theme is what else, the amazing Saffron!

Saffron & Coffee Cookie (adapted from Nupur's original Nankhatai recipe)
Ingredients
1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/4 cup honey or 3/4 cup powdered sugar
3. 1/2 cup olive oil
4. 1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
5. 4 tsp brewed coffee (add more if you want a stronger coffee flavor)
6. 1 tbsp cup slivered almonds, toasted
7. 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
8. 1/2 tsp. cardamom
9. 1/4 tsp saffron soaked in milk
10. Pinch of salt
For decoration:
1. Almond slices
2. Saffron strands
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees
2. Mix all the ingredients into the dough. Knead very gently to form a dough, using a little water if necessary
2. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes if it is too sticky. Form small balls with the dough
3. Flatten each ball to form a fat disc
4. Decorate with almonds and saffron strands
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes till the bottom of the cookie is just browning
6. Turn off the oven and let the cookies stay inside the warm oven till the top is slightly golden
7. Remove and let cool on a rack.

Saffron & Orange Cookie (adapted from Nupur's original Nankhatai recipe)
Ingredients
1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/4 cup honey or 3/4 cup powdered sugar
3. 1/2 cup olive oil
4. 1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
5. 1 tsp good quality orange extract (add more if you want a stronger orange flavor)
6. 1 tbsp cup slivered almonds, toasted
7. 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
8. 1/2 tsp. cardamom
9. 1/4 tsp saffron soaked in milk
10. Pinch of salt
For decoration:
1. Almond slices
2. Saffron strands
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees
2. Mix all the ingredients into the dough. Knead very gently to form a dough, using a little water if necessary
2. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes if it is too sticky. Form small balls with the dough
3. Flatten each ball to form a fat disc
4. Decorate with almonds and saffron strands
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes till the bottom of the cookie is just browning
6. Turn off the oven and let the cookies stay inside the warm oven till the top is slightly golden
7. Remove and let cool on a rack.
Enjoy :)

Banana-Papaya Bread with Dried Figs

2007-09-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

Banana-Papaya Bread with Dried Figs

My friend S and I decided to bake up a banana bread recently. I was in charge of getting the bananas. Somewhere along the way I got real hungry and ate 1 of the 3 bananas I was supposed to get :(.

Now armed with just 2 bananas in place of the requisite 3, I sheepishly walked over to S's house only to have her promptly come up with a solution...why we can add some papaya to it instead! I had my doubts about the papaya addition, but who was I to say anything given that I had eaten part of the MAIN ingredient..doh!

The end result was that the papaya complimented the bananas just perfectly in this simple yet very tasty banana bread. We eventually got so excited that we started experimenting with chocolate chips in the 2nd loaf (bad idea so won't provide that recipe here ;).

This banana-papaya bread goes to Ahaar's JFI: Bananas event originally conceptualized by the amazing Indira!

Banana-Papaya Bread

Ingredients
1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 2 cups over ripe bananas, mashed well
3. 1 cup ripe papaya, mashed (optional, you can replace this with 1/2 cup of mashed banana)
4. 1 teaspoon baking soda
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 cup butter (you can replace this with olive oil for a healthier version)
7. 3/4 cup brown sugar
8. 2 eggs, beaten (feel free to use 2 cups of ostrich egg ;))
9. 1/2 cup dried figs or any other nuts/dried fruit you have at hand

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar
3. Stir in eggs, mashed bananas, papaya and dried fig until well blended
4. Gently stir this mixture into flour mixture where it just moistens
5. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes or until brown.Insert a toothpick into center of the loaf, where if it comes out clean, the bread is ready to eat!
7. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove, slice and eat
Enjoy :)

Ostrich Egg Frittata

2007-09-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

Ostrich Egg Frittata

We got this humongous egg home one day, half expecting a baby dinosaur to come out of it the longer we refused to crack it open. When we finally did, we were rewarded with a bounty of wonderfully tasty and healthy (lower in cholesterol) version of the regular egg!
Camera used to take the pics below: Non-SLR. Olympus Digital, C-720 Ultra Zoom.
That's what it looked like when we got it

Hammer, chisel? It actually came with instructions!!

Yes, ALL that from one ostrich egg!

This is what we did with it :)

I have been meaning to write about my Ostrich egg escapades for a while now. Just as I am about to do that, I notice that Jai and Bee's 1st photography event theme is EGGS!! Serendipity anyone?

I am sending this eggstatic post Jai & Bee's way. For those who have not tried ostrich egg before, it pretty much tastes like regular egg, only 1 Ostrich egg tastes like 21 of the regular ones ;). Yup, thats right 1 ostrich egg yields yolk and egg-white equivalent to 21 regular eggs :)

Now how did we come about an ostrich egg you may ask. Well, R and I were on a tour of the California missions starting from San Francisco and going all the way down to Santa Barbara when we spotted an ostrich farm on the way! What again? Yes, an ostrich farm where they raise ostriches and allow people to go feed them. The brave ones who decided to go feed the large birds were given a LONG list of Dos and Donts (well Donts mostly :)).

R was just fascinated by the ostrich egg shell and was about to buy just the shell, when the person raising the ostrich convinced him to buy the actual egg with its goodness all intact instead. I kept nodding very vigorously, but alas R was already like a lil kid asking her all kinds of questions as to how many eggs does an ostrich lay in a week, do they protect them like mammals do etc etc. At that time I knew this was a lost cause..oh well...next thing I knew we had this HUGE (understatement!) egg sitting in our backpack where we were instructed to err keep it warm and covered???

Now the moment I heard the words keep it warm and covered, I had scary visions of a lil ostrich staring at us from the back of our car by the time we got home!
Well all ended well with us discovering the joys of ostrich egg, and for some reason we came away wondering if everyone raised ostriches instead of chicken, would that reduce the need to buy eggs as often as we do??? Hmm....now thats a thought, silly one albeit ;)

Kanchana of Married to a Desi was nice enough to highlight eggs as this month's WBB event event originally conceptualized by our favorite neighborhood doc Nandita. This way we get to click our eggs and eat them too ;). Am sending this ostrichy frittata her way!

Ostrich Frittata
Ingredients
1. 4 cups of ostrich egg well beaten. Alternatively you can use 4 regular eggs.
2. 1 cup peeled, cleaned shrimp
3. 1 cup broccoli cut into florets
4. 1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and chopped thinly
5. 1 tsp Black pepper
6. 2 tsp cajun spice (or paprika)
7. 1 tsp olive oil
8. Salt to taste
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees
2. In a deep vessel, add all the ingredients above and mix well
3. Spray a thick bottom skillet with oil
4. Add the mixture to the skillet and let cook in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes of till the egg turns brown
5. Once cooked, cut into wedges and serve.
I served this with some garlic bread. Made for a very satisfying meal!
Enjoy :)

Modaks, modaks everywhere!

2007-09-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

Modaks, modaks everywhere

Modaks Galore

Waiting to be Fried

Last day of the Ganesh festival

Today was the last day of the Ganesh festival. It was so great having friends hop over for the evening aartis...felt very festive and a small taste of the festival in India. I made some modaks for this occasion, and it turned out to be one sweet journey with friends bringing over yummy besan laddoos, cashew laddoos, a variety of fresh fruits and chocolates!! Boy do I love festivals :)

Besan Laddoos made by my friend T

Incidentally, I was in India (Mumbai) 2 days prior to the actual festival start date, and boy was the city already geared up for the big event! Huge pandals with people working till the wee hours of the morning putting in the final touches....aah pure nostalgia :)

I have previously posted the recipe for Modaks as well as additional information on them a while back, which you can check out here :)

Back from Mexico...gourmet heaven :)

2007-09-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Back from Mexico!

Apologies for the long blogging silence, but the main reason is that I have been extremely busy with a lot of travel (fun and work related) and dealing with the amazing response to the new product we just launched.

I will be back with more posts soon. In the meanwhile enjoy the food from our recent trip to Cabo in Mexico :)

When in Mexico...

Simple homemade tacos

Unbelievable crab at Alexander's

Lobster, lobster everywhere!!

Isn't it g8 when your food is grilled right by your table?

Margarita time...

Where the Mayan civilization comes alive...

Papaya Margaritas at the famous Hotel California

The OTHER hurricane ;) and it says DP!!

Street side food

Can't wait to go back....

Idyllic Beaches

2007-08-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

60 Glorious Years & Refreshing Panha!

Indian Flag

Panha Concentrate

Mango Panha

Its been 60 years since India got its Independence, where its fascinating to see how far we have come, as also to know how much more is left to achieve. The last 60 years has seen us work towards eradicating poverty and illiteracy on the one hand, and launch our own space programs on the other. We have seen the green (agriculture revolution) as well as concrete steps to go green and make the environment a healthier one for generations to come.

We have seen the growth of the middle class, with cell phones becoming more of an equalizer across societies every day. We have seen an onslaught of malls, cable TV, yet retained the essence of who we truly are!

We surely have a long ways to go with eradicating poverty, social inequality and corruption, but I have faith and confidence that its only a matter of time before we collectively do so!

My mango panha is a tribute to India's meteoric rise as well as the actual meteoric temperatures we are experiencing this summer :). Its a refreshing drink to a refreshing start of the next set of glorious years for India!!
Refreshing Mango Panha (A tart summer cooler made from raw mangoes, flavored with cardamom and saffron).

Ingredients
1. 2 raw mangoes
2. 3/4 cup sugar
3. 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi)
4. a pinch saffron soaked in warm water
5. Black pepper
6. 1 tsp lemon juice (per glass)
7. Salt to taste
Method
1. Peel the raw mangoes and chop into pieces
2. Boil the chopped mango and sugar in water till the mango is very soft.
3. Drain all the water from the mangoes.
3. Strain the mango pulp.
4. Add the cardamom powder and saffron and mix well.Boil again for another 4-5 mins
5. Store in a bottle and refrigerate. This panha concentrate has a shelf life of 2-3 months if kept frozen.
6. When ready to serve, put 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a glass and top up with chilled water and ice. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and 1 tsp lemon juice.
Note: Instead of the cardamom and saffron, you can add cumin powder and black salt.

This is a perfect summer drink that can be easily packed and carried over to that fun picnic in the sun. Am sending this to 2 super fun events: Anupama's innovative "Fun in the Sun" event & Meeta's Monthly Mingle event!!

2007-08-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Zero Oil Kebabs

What's that again you say? Zero oil kebabs!! Why, and how and why again ?? Well, I have been gorging on some amazing food lately with recent visits to Bong Su (beyond amazing dining experience!), Cascals, Menara...you get the drift!! Given that, I decided to try a zero oil recipe from Nita Mehta's book, Zero Oil Cooking. This is a fantastic book, where every recipe is extremely well thought out. Especially, given how hard it is to make traditional dishes with little or no oil, she works wonders with this theme!

The book has a large variety of dishes, ranging from oil free Chocolate Sandesh to Baked Eggplant to Paneer Makhmali. I decided to try out the minty dal kebab recipe from her book as it was simple and I had all the ingredients ready at hand. And no, in case you are wondering, when the recipe said no oil, it also meant no butter, no margarine etc etc ;). This is truly without any oil or substitutes thereof..I know, hard to believe right!

This goes straight not to the stomach (no oil remember ;)), but to Nupur for her "Z" letter event in the A-Z of Indian Vegetables series.

Zero Oil Minty Dal Kebabs (adapted from Nita Mehta's Zero Oil Cookbook)
Ingredients
1. 1 cup chana (split chickpea) dal
2. 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
3. 1/4 tsp cardammom powder
4. 1-2 cloves crushed
5. 1-2 peppercorns crushed
6. 11/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
7. 3-4 green chilies, grated
8. 7-8 mint leaves, finely chopped
9. 1 onion, finely chopped
10. 1/2 tsp garam masala
11. 1/2 tsp chaat masala
12. Salt to taste

Method
1. Cook the dal with salt, cumin, cardamom, cloves, peppercorn and ginger-garlic till its ready to be mashed.
2. Once cooked, mash the dal with a flat spoon. Make sure all the water is cooked off before you mash the dal.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the mashed dal.
4. Make small round flat rounds/kebabs
5. Grill at 450 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
Enjoy :)
I served this with some hot sauce and mint chutney.

Even without oil, the kebabs did not stick to the baking sheet after they were cooked. You almost didn't miss the oil in fact, given that the dal was already cooked and tasted more like a savory chaat!
However, next time if I am eating these kebabs by themselves, I think I will add some oil while grilling them. If I am making a ragda pattice or a chaat with yogurt and sweet date-tamarind chutney, I will use the recipe as is, with no oil.

2007-08-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

Zafarani Harvest Grain "Pulao"

Nupur's fantastic series the A-Z of Indian Vegetables Series is coming to an end :( This has been an amazing culinary journey for me where I saw bloggers come up with the most amazing variety of entries, where the recipes were mostly Indian but the ingredients were necessarily not!

In order to honor the culmination of this series where the letter "Z" is being celebrated, I decided to prepare a dish with the king of spices, Zafaran or Saffron. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world and also one of the most ancient. It not only elevates the flavor, color and fragrance of the food it is added to, but takes it to a whole new level really. As if that one was enough, saffron has some pretty cool medicinal properties as well!

Now moving on to the Pulao bit, I am not a huge fan of white rice which is why I decided to make this pulao with this amazing harvest grain blend from Trader Joe's. The savory blend consists of orzo pasta, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa. The instructions on the package said one can make an entrée by adding shrimp, so though why not use this to make a flavorful zafarani pulao instead!

I am happy I decided to do so, as this was as tasty as it was healthy. The best part is I got to use the dried apricots sent to me by jen last week. This is my entry to the “Z” series of Nupur’s A-Z of Indian Vegetables

Zafarani Harvest Grain Pulao
Ingredients
1. 1 cup harvest grain blend (mixture of orzo pasta, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa). I used the one I got from my local Trader Joe’s
2. 2 tsp dried apricots of Zardaloo, fine chopped
3. ¼ cup lima beans
4. 1 tsp paprika powder
5. 1/2 tsp biryani masala (available in any Indian grocery store)
6. 2 tsp saffron strands
7. 11/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
8. 3 cups vegetable stock or water
9. 1 tsp olive oil
10. Salt to taste

Method
1. Soak the saffron strands in ½ cup of water and keep aside
2. In a heated pan, add the olive oil
3. When the oil is hot, add the apricots and ginger-garlic paste. Sautee for a 1-2 minutes
4. To this add the paprika and biryani masala and roast for half a minute
5. Add in the lima beans and mix well. Sautee for 1-2 minutes
6. Add the harvest grain blend and sauté for a minute
7. To this add the vegetable stock/water and salt
8. Let cook for 10 minutes or till the beans are done. The harvest blend does not take more than 10 minutes to cook
9. Garnish with some zafaran and zardaloo
Enjoy :)

I paired this with some roasted pappadums.yumm…

2007-08-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

Summer Salad in a Jiffy

Refreshing Watermelon-Papaya Salad
Mint plant I am taking care of for my friend S while she is away!
Its summer, and you have a million things to do and ummm, one has to eat! So what does one do? Cook up quick, refreshing salads of course!

I was inspired by this super simple, but loaded with flavor watermelon salad over at Madhuli's blog. I added a few additional ingredients like mint (given that I now have a HUGE pot overflowing with it!) and some fresh mozzarella. Everything is better with Mozzarella ;)

The entire recipe including prep time took less than 20 minutes to put together. The marriage of the summer fruits with the mint and ginger-honey dressing was just fantastic!! It made for a great summer lunch paired with some freshly baked corn bread. I am quite sure I will be making this my lunch few more times this summer!

Note: anyone looking to add more honey in their diet should get some from their local farmer's market if available. I have been enjoying unbelievably good wildflower honey, as well as a range of honey flavors that took me by surprise!
16 flavors of honey at the Mountain View farmer's market

Summer Salad in a Jiffy
Ingredients
1. 2 cups watermelon, scooped into balls. You could also just cut up the watermelon into bite sized chunks
2. 1½ cup papaya, scooped into balls. You could also just cut up the papaya into bite sized chunks
3. 1½ tsp freshly grated ginger
4. 3 tsp honey
5. 2 tsp lemon juice
6. 1½ tsp red chili Flakes
7. 4 tsp fresh mint, torn into smaller pieces
6. 2 tbsp fresh mozzarella, cut into smaller pieces
7. Salt to taste

Method
1. In a bowl, combine the watermelon and papaya. Keep aside.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, ginger, chili flakes and salt to make the dressing. Mix well.
3. Add the dressing to the fruit and toss well.
4. Top with the mint and mozzarella.
5. This salad tasted best when chilled, but could also be eaten right away.

Enjoy :)

2007-07-31T16:08:00.000-07:00

Blogging By Mail Package is Here!

I was sooo excited to receive a wonderful gift hamper filled with the most amazing goodies from Jen of Fallen Souffle! This is part of a fantastic project started by Stephanie, where I can say with even more conviction now that this was a brilliant idea ;)

Jen put put together a list of her favorite things: very tasty home baked chocolate chip cookies (with whole wheat yay!) and her recipe to go with it, apricots, cherry jam, espresso chocolates, tea in the cutest package saying "We will always have Pearis", and Jack Daniels flavored coffee (w00t!).

Thank you Jen for lovingly putting together such a fantastic array of foods!. I can't wait to make your chocolate chip cookies and of course try the Jack Daniels flavored coffee :P. My favorite part was the prettiest note written by Jen explaining the contents and how much she loves Trader Joes. Guess what Jen, me too!

The Blogging by Mail event has been such fun, where I got to send a package to Becke in Ohio, and received mine from Jen in NC!! I will write about the stuff I sent soon. In the meanwhile you can read Becke's post on it here :) Can't thank Stephanie enough for going through the trouble of pairing the bloggers up and just bringing back the joy of snail mail based interaction :)

2007-07-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

Indian Markets & a Meme

When I was tagged by 3 wonderful bloggers The Cooker, Bhags & Priyanka, I was absolutely thrilled! Thanks so much guys! My very 1st meme, and that too by 3 people ☺...
Now comes the tough part...what does one write for a meme like this however? Well, here the the 7 things that came foremost to my mind!
Also, as part of this meme, here are some fun pictures of a local market in my hometown, Pune

With a smile like that, how can you resist the veggies

Ooh, fresh shrimp anyone?

1. I always want to say I grew up in Pune, but the truth is I moved to a new city every 3 years during most of my childhood. However, the longest years I have spent in one place are Pune, and it was where I met the people who had most impact on me and my life! Will admit however that it was just as fun moving to new places every few years, where the place and the people gave us way more love than we could ever give them!

2. Another fantastic place I lived in was Bangkok. Whyevers? Well, believe it or not, for school! I went to Asian Institute of Technology, which is an amazingly beautiful school 40 kms from Central Bangkok. We had professors and students from over 30 countries, each sharing in each other’s cultures. I had a blast there…traveling, eating great food and making some amazing friends now spread across 5 continents!

3. I adore food. That is the true word to describe it I think! In fact, the men in our family lament that their wives will leave them rather than let go of a certain food! Hehehe….

4. Even though I like food this much, I didn’t enter the kitchen till I moved to the United States. Back in India, I just enjoyed the amazing goodies being churned out in my mom’s, aunt’s, granny’s, neighbor’s kitchens…but never really bothered to learn or try to make then..alas…

5. When I did start cooking, it was a disaster! The 1st attempt to impress R resulted in burnt kheer and burnt omelet…of course I quickly blamed that on the weird hot plate like cooking stove in our new home in the US :-0). Soon R and 2 of his friends who lived next door became my test candidates…I kept experimenting new dishes on them, which they wolfed down with no complaints..other than the occasional “there is more rice inside right?” to my surprised look that all the rice I made (barely enough for 1-2 people!) had been polished off within 5 minutes!!!

6. Other than food, I love the mobile/telecom space. I am that geek you see who changes their phone every few months and has to have the latest phone. No, I don’t have the iPhone however…That’s a whole different story ☺ Every time someone asks me why I love the mobile field so much, I always tell them that when the internet happened we were too young to be at the beginning of it. With mobile however, we now have that chance!

7. I wanted to be a chef at one point of time (werd!), but after a couple of weekend classes at the California Culinary Academy, I realized just how tough it is to be in this business. My amateur chef's hat is off to all those hard working chefs, restaurateurs and just anyone directly connected with the food industry!

Now its my turn to tag 7 fellow bloggers for their meme..yay! I call on these wonderful bloggers:
Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness
Jen of Fallen Souffle
Becke of Columbus Foodie
Sia of Spice Corner
Sharmi of Neivedyam
Cynthia of Tastes Like Home
Jyothsna of Curry Bazaar

Play along if you have time or haven't been tagged before and are bored of talking about yourself ;)

2007-07-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

Yellow Dahi Bhindi/Fried Okra with Yogurt

Many have wondered about the origins of this dish where some people speculate it to be a Gujarati dish and then at times as a Maharahstrian preparation. I am quite unsure of this as well, but what I am sure of is its amazing taste. This is one okra dish that never fails to please. It has converted one too many okra haters into okra lovers!! In fact our friend S loved this dish so much, he had his wife make this for him every day for few months....unbelievable but true!!!

So what is this amazingly transformative dish that is so simple to make? Its a yoghurt based okra dish, which can be the star entree of any party! I do think one of the reasons for this version if Okra's popularity is that the deep frying process completely eliminates the usually disliked sliminess of the okra. Those who are averse to deep frying the okra could also just drizzle with some oil and bake it in the oven instead.

Given the yellowness of this dish, I am sending it to Nupur for her 'Y' of Indian vegetables series.

Yellow Dahi Bhindi/Fried Okra with Yogurt
Ingredients
1. 2 cups okra cut in small, bite sized pieces
2. 4 cups plain yogurt
3. 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
4. 3-4 green chilies, grated
5. 1 tsp mustard
6. 3/4 tsp turmeric (this is where the yellowness comes from!)
7. 1 pinch asafetida or hing
8. 2 tbsp Oil for frying the okra. 1 tsp oil for tempering
9. Salt to taste
Method
1. In a deep pan/kadhai, heat the oil. when oil is hot, fry the okra (till crisp) in batches and keep aside on a tissue paper (to drain the excess oil)
2. In a separate bowl, beat the yogurt till its smooth. Keep aside
3. In a pan, heat 1tsp of oil. When hot, add the asafetida, mustard, green chilies, cilantro and salt till it all splutters
4. Remove tempering from heat and add to the yogurt. Do not add the yogurt to the tempering, but add the tempering to the yogurt instead
5. Add the fried okra and mix well.

Server with Paratha or Rice. If you have leftovers of the Dahi Bhindi, so not heat it, but bring it to room temperature and consume!

Enjoy :)

2007-07-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Watermelon Margarita & Stuffed Watermelon Bites

Watermelon Cheese Bites

Watermelon Margarita

You know summer is here when you get not one but two HUGE watermelons home the same day! Yes, thats exactly what happened to R & me. I picked up what I thought was a nice juicy watermelon from the local grocery store, and the very same day R decides to pick one up from Costco on his way home. We both lay our respective watermelons down and started laughing...more so from the fact that when put next to each other they looked like Laurel and Hardy!!! Well, those who know Costco well can probably guess which came from which store ;)

Given our sudden bounty of watermelon, I decided to make a cheesy watermelon appetizer to match our cheesy grins! Then blended some pretty looking watermelon margaritas to wash down our silliness!!

While we are happy and well cooled with all this watermelon consumption, we still have a fridge filled with more and more and more what else, watermelon!!! I am so excited that Jai & Bee of Jugalbandi are hosting this month's AFAM event where the theme is watermelon. I surely need ideas to use up all that great watermelon in new and innovative ways :)
This is also my submission to this month's AFAM event.

Watermelon Cheese Bites
Ingredients
1. Seedless watermelon cut into 6 individual blocks
2. Crumbled feta cheese. I used fresh Mozzarella as had some ready at hand
3. 1 tsp Olive oil
4. 1/2 tsp Italian herb mix. You could also use just basil, thyme or oregano
5. 2 Green chilies sliced
Method
1. Cut the watermelon into square blocks. Remove the center flesh to make an indent leaving the bottom part intact.
2. In a bowl, combine the cheese, olive oil and herbs. Mix well
3. Scoop out a small spoonful of the cheese mix, and fill the indented portion of the watermelon squares
4. Top with green chili slices (optional)
Serve chilled. These make for great summer party finger food. Enjoy :)

Watermelon Margarita
Ingredients
1. 16 oz seedless watermelon pieces
2. 1/2 lime
3. 6 oz tequila
4. 3 oz triple sec
5. 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
6. 2 cups ice
Method
1. Blend the watermelon slices in a blender and liquify
2. Add remaining ingredients, including the ice and blend until smooth
3. Add sugar if needed
4. Serve in a margarita glass with a sugar coated rim. Garnish with fresh mint
Enjoy :)

2007-07-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

Xtraterrestrial Gobo? Or Good Ol' Burdock Root!

Burdock Root

Burdock Root Pickle

Masala Burdock Root

Now most of us are familiar with those TV ads going BOGO or Buy One Get One Free. But what on earth is Gobo! I recently discovered this amazing vegetable also known as Burdock root in my local Japanese store. Now why would I try to cook something that looks so different from anything I have ever made? For Nupur's 'X' of Indian vegetables event ofcourse! Given that 'X' is such an ahem unique alphabet, Nupur came up with the innovative idea of using that as an opportunity to cook a vegetable we have never made before. Now given a wild card like this, I could not help BUT go wild ;).

So what do I do? I go pick up the craziest looking vegetable that looks barely edible, and resolve to make something R & I can enjoy! I come home, promptly fire up my internet browser and look up what this is and how one cooks it. Much to my surprise, I was delighted to find that the Gobo root has incredible medicinal properties and actually looks quite pretty as a young plant :) Now with even more motivation, I started looking for recipes, most of which were South East Asian style preparations.

Given that Nupur's event calls for predominantly Indian flavors, I decided to cook it 2 ways: a. as a pickle (yumm!) and b. as a spicy vegetable cooked Indian style.
The pickle I absolutely loved (its been pickling a few days now and tastes great!). As for the Indian style vegetable preparation, was not too bad either, where it tasted a bit like potato sabzi.

The key thing with the Burdock root is that it needs to be cleaned well and steamed for 15 minutes at least to make sure it loses its initial hardness. Once you are past that stage, you can use this in fried rice, noodles, and stir frys.

This is what the Gobo looks like once its cleaned and julienned...

Gobo/Burdock Root Pickle
Ingredients
1. 1 Burdock root
2. 1 cup readymade Pickle Mix. I used KaPra's mango pickle mix (available in any Indian store)
3. 1 cup oilve oil
4. Salt as desired
Method
1. Wash and scrub the burdock root with a rough sponge or metal scrubber
2. Cut the root into juliennes and steam for 15 minutes till soft
3. Mix together the burdock root, pickle mix, salt and oil. Mix well.
4. Store in a air tight container. Make sure the oil rises 2 inches over the pickle mix for a longer shelf life
5. The pickle is ready to enjoy in 3-4 days

Masala Gobo/Burdock
Ingredients
1. 1 Burdock root
2. 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
3. 1½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
4. 1½ tsp red chilli powder
5. 1 tsp dhana-jeera powder
6. 1/4 tsp garam masala
7. 1 tsp turmeric powder
8. 1/2 cup chopped coriander
9. Salt to taste
10. 2-3 tsp olive oil
11. 1 tsp lemon juice
Method
1. Wash and scrub the burdock root with a rough sponge or metal scrubber
2. Cut the root into juliennes and steam for 15 minutes till soft
3. In a heated pan, sauté the onions in oil
4. To this add the turmeric and roast well
5. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute or two
6. Add the dhana-jeera powder, red chili powder and garam masala. Roast well
7. Add the steamed burdock root and sauté well
8. Add salt, lemon juice and coriander
9. Let the mixture cook well. Add some water if needed
Server with Naan or Rice

Enjoy :)

2007-07-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

Broccoli Peas Salad

When my friend M asked me to make a broccoli salad in the same vein as the one you get at Fresh Choice, I was stumped! While I haven't been to Fresh Choice in a while, I did remember their broccoli salad as being pretty good. Just as I was about to go looking for the recipe, M comes to the rescue with a link to a few Broccoli salad recipes.

I liked this simple, yet amazingly tasty version that takes mere minutes to put together!! The only change I made was skip the bacon and added some grated carrot instead given that I was making this for M's son's birthday party which had a lot of vegetarian guests attending :)

I recently made this salad for a picnic where it made for one perfectly refreshing summer cooler. Given the fact that this recipe calls for the salad to be chilled ahead of time, definitely adds to its cooling effect!

One of the best things about this salad is that even the hard core broccoli haters ended up loving it (well it does have a lot of mayo to make the broccoli go down smoother ;). Now only if Bush Sr had tried this version, he would not go down in history as the president who banned broccoli from the White House(whoa!!)

Broccoli Peas Salad (inspired by Southernfood)
Ingredients
1. 5 cups fresh broccoli florets
2. 1/2 cup raisins
3. 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
4. 1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
5. 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed
6. 1 cup grated carrot (optional)
For the Dressing
1. 1 cup mayonnaise
2. 2 tablespoons vinegar
3. 1/2 cup sugar

Method
1. Combine broccoli florets, raisins, sunflower seeds, chopped onion, and peas in a salad bowl
2. In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar to make the dressing
3. Add the dressing to the salad and mix well
4. Chill well before serving.

Enjoy :)

2007-07-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Restaurant Review: Green Elephant Gourmet

Tea Leaf Salad

Pic taken by my friend S before the tea leaf salad was all gone!

Star of the evening: Chinese eggplant

Everyone seems to be talking about the famed Burma Super Star in San Francisco. I have been there a long time ago, and have been wanting to go back ever since all those glowing reviews about the new management came out.
Now given that I live in the Peninsula, found Green Elephant Gourmet which a Yelper said was the closest to the SF Burmese hangout this side of the bay! Whats that you say? A Burma Super Star alternative in Palo Alto? Now I surely could not pass this one up!!

I finally got the opportunity to visit this wonderful restaurant with some friends last month and we were not disappointed!! The friends accompanying us are vegetarians , so it always a treat to find great vegetarian food which looks as good as it tastes.

We started with a Tea Leaf Salad, which was actually quite good. A tea leaf salad consists of lentils, sesame, peanuts, lettuce (or at times rice) with sauces mixed in at the table. While the salad was really good, it lacked a bit of spice. A bit of chilli added the much needed kick to this dish. We also got the samusas, which were just Ok.

For the entrees, we really liked the Chinese eggplant and Garlic Chicken! Both these dishes were cooked to perfection with the eggplant emerging as the real superstar :)
All the entrees paired extremely well with the brown rice and jasmine rice we ordered. Apart from the eggplant, the service was another aspect that was superb here. Our friends have a baby (R), where the servers went out of their way to make sure R was comfortable and yes, us as well!

We skipped dessert only because we thought we were too full, but of course that didn't stop us from stopping next door at Rick's icecream which is only the best ice cream I have ever had! Ok saving that one for a different post :). Coming back to the Green Eelephant Gourmet, their wine and drinks menu was pretty standard, nothing off the charts really.

The decor was relatively upscale compared to what we were expecting, with one oddity: there was this huge beautifully laid out table with ornate silverware at the entrance of the restaurant. As time went by we noticed that no one was assigned that table, where it seemed like a mere prop! Never quite seen anything like that at a restaurant before!!

All in all was a very pleasurable dining experience and will definitely go back for more! The only drawback is that its located in yet another strip mall (sigh), but on the other hand the advantage of THIS particular location is that its right next door to the Rick's Ice Cream shop!

My Ratings:
Cuisine: Burmese
Food: Mmm Mmm (very good!). Decent portions. Enough options for vegetarians!
Decor: Yay.
Service: Yay Yay.
Price: Yay. Quite inexpensive, about $12-16 per entree.
Would Go Again: Yay Yay Yay!
Website: Could not find one. Physical Location at 3950 Middlefield Road. Palo Alto, CA 94303

2007-07-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Suralichi Vadi/Steamed Chickpea Rolls

When I read Anupama's Suralichi Wadi entry for Nupur's Marathi cuisine series, my friend S and I felt that we could do it too!

Alas, though the recipe is extremely simple and made for very tasty wadis, it was almost a no go for us! Well, there are several things that may have gone wrong, the core one being us not taking some of the instructions seriously perhaps ;)? Our biggest hurdle was once we pressure cooked the chickpea flour mixture, the cooker just REFUSED to open up. It all started with us smelling something burning, where we quickly shut the gas off, but left the cooker on the hot plate based gas, so guess what, the heat kept going for a while :(

Then after several futile tries of getting the cooker to cool off and of course just open up, we gave up exhausted! Then S had the presence of mind to call the expert, aka her mom (visiting from India) to help figure out the mystery of the un-openable cooker lid...S's mom calmly assessed the situation, and in a way only moms can, somehow got the lid to open up and re-assured us that all was not lost! And how right she was ..If not for her, we would have thrown the whole thing out. But we did manage to retrieve the top unburnt, super tasty part of the steamed mix and roll out those incredible bites of joy :)

So the key issue we think caused the mini crisis was that there was less water in the cooker. And why would that happen you may ask....now therein lies the secret..we substituted the butter milk in Anumapa's recipe with yoghurt (well, we didn't have any buttermilk at hand now did we!) Now that may explain the lack of sufficient water maybe ;)?

Oh well, all is well that tastes and looks well. In our case we had both going for us after the initial panic attack. I surely want to try this again with buttermilk as apart from the cooker lid sticking part, the rest of the process was really simple!

We followed this recipe on Anupama's blog pretty much as is. The only other change we made other than the aforementioned buttermilk replacement, was we didn't fill the wadis with the coconut stuffing, but just sprinkled some fresh coconut on top after the tempering process. Do check out Anupama's version of the Suralichi wadi (also known as Khandvi in Gujrati), as hers look divine!

Enjoy :)

2007-06-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

Bharli Vaangi/Stuffed Spicy Eggplant

Eggplant is one veggie with a lot of names, where if I had so many names I would surely develop an identity crisis! Its known as eggplant, aubergine and brinjal among other names depending on which part of the world you live in. But then its only fair for a vegetable with so many different varieties in terms of shape, color and even taste, to have all these different names. Isn't it amazing how you have the large egg plant which is usually converted to Baingan Bharta in India, the slender long variety which tastes great in a garlic sauce preparation, or then the tiny variety which usually gets stuffed to err its gills!

Apart from this there are countless other ways of preparing the eggplant, so I can't wait to see the entries for the JFI: Eggplant event hosted by Sangeeta of Ghar ka Khana and originally started by Indira of Mahanadi.

My version of the eggplant is a very traditional Maharashtrian way of making it, This involves using the small variety and stuffing it with a mixture of masalas, onions, coriander, peanuts and coconut. The best part is it uses very little oil and is really more steamed cooked than fried. This is my entry for the monthly Jihva For Ingredients:Eggplant event.

Bharli Vaangi/Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients
1. 5-6 small purple eggplants
2. 1 cup diced onion
3. 1/4 cup desiccated coconut (optional)
3. 1/2 cup roasted peanuts finely crushed
5. 2 tsp Kolhapuri masala. Alternatively, you can substitute the Kolhapuri masala with 1½ tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp dhana-jeera powder, 1/4 tsp garam masala
6. 1 tsp turmeric powder
7. 1/2 cup chopped coriander
8. Salt to taste
9. 2-3 tsp olive oil

Method
1. Wash the eggplants and slit it in 4 while keeping the end intact. Add some salt and keep aside
2. In a bowl, mix the onion, coriander, turmeric, Kolhapuri masala, coconut, peanut and salt. To this add 1 tsp oil and mix well
3. Now stuff the eggplants with this mixed filling and tie with an edible thread if needed. I leave about 1/4 cup filling to make a "sauce" for the eggplant
4. In a skillet pan, heat oil and add the remaining filling. Sautee till the onions are translucent
5. To this add the stuffed eggplant. Let eggplant roast for 1-2 minutes on each side
6. Cover with a lid and let cook till the eggplant is tender. Do not overcook. You can add some water if needed.

Serve with naan or rice. Enjoy :)

2007-06-25T23:42:00.001-07:00

Modaks..Mmmmm!

Modak in June you say? I know, I know, the Ganesh festival is still over 2 months away, but when Nupur called for Marathi recipes for the RCI June: Maharashtrian Cuisine event, I just had to make this incredible little pockets of pure joy for this very special event! This event started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine is awesome where it calls for bloggers to post regional recipes once a month. This month its my state, Maharashtra's turn so decided to add a little picture of me in a super traditional outfit called the navvari saree which is a nine, yes NINE yard saree which used to be worn by women in the olden days.

Ok, I digress, now on to the real purpose of this post, MODAKS!! Modaks are traditionally made during the Ganesh festival. Without this special treat which is supposed to be Lord Ganesha's favorite food, this festival is just not complete!!
My mom and grand mom also used to make modaks on Chaturthi fasting days, where they fasted all day long with no food or water!! Once they saw the moon rise in the evening they would be able to end the fast with what else, Modaks! This was truly a fun tradition, where there were 21 modaks made specially for the fast ending ceremony. Now of these 21 modaks, only ONE modak had salt in it..yup, not sugar but salt. So the idea was that one keeps eating the modaks till they reach the salted modak and ofcourse the person fasting as the others had no idea which one had the salt as they were all randomly mixed!
While all this was going down, we kids would sit around the person fasting watching with eager eyes, and drooling tongues as none of us were allowed to eat the modaks till the fast ending ceremony was complete. Aah the torture!!! We would pray and pray that the 1st modak my mom/grand mom picked would be the one with salt so that we would be able to get all the remaining modaks...yes we were true hogs!!

This is my recipe for quick Modaks. Modaks are of 3 kinds really: Ukadiche made with rice flour, Kankiche made of wheat flour and steamed, and Tallele which are made of wheat flour and then deep fried. The latter is the easiest to make and thats the one I am making today!
Modak
Ingredients
For the outer covering
1. 2 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1 cup water (adjust according to the consistency of the dough)
3. 1 teaspoon oil
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Filling & Assembly
1. 2 cups shredded coconut (fresh is preferred. If not, you can use the dry dessicated coconut)
2. 1 cup powdered sugar
3. 1/2 cup ghee
4. 1/2 a pinch of cardamom powder
5. Pinch of salt
6. 3 tbsp Oil for frying

Method
Outer Covering
1. In a bowl, add the water, oil and salt to the flour. Knead into a pliable dough. Keep aside and cover with a wet cloth
Filling
1. In a heated pan add the ghee and let it warm up
2. To this add the coconut and roast for a minute. Add the sugar, salt and cardamom powder and roast well
3. Remove and let cool
Final Assembly

1. Make small balls from the dough. Roll the dough into small round puris
2. Scoop up a spoonful of the filling and place on the puri
3. Roll it up to look like the one on the picture above
4. Heat oil in a frying pan. When oil is heated, fry the modaks till golden brown
Serve with ghee.

Enjoy :)

2007-06-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

Mille Crepe Cake with Vanilla Custard

Ok, now there are a lot of amazing looking (and am sure amazing tasting!) mille crepe cakes out there, but this is one decadent dessert I had been dying to make! So one day my friend S and I decided to just go for it. Of course we didn't have any special ingredients so decided to just make one with ingredients available in our pantry. Now that I look back at that decision, it sounds a bit crazy as who prepares a mille crepe cake with NO prior planning..whoa!!! But then looking at the end result, am I glad we went for it.

Mille crepe cake literally translated means cake made up of a 1000 crepes. Now while noone really uses 1000 crepes to make the cake, one does make about 20 odd crepes, stack them on top of each other with a layer of a decadent filling topping every layer. We used custard for the filling and dusted it with some cocoa powder and nuts which was really great for a 1st time effort. However next time I will surely try the more elaborate mille crepe cake recipes with hazelnut cream, raspberry vanilla custard and the like.

For now, am basking in the glow and happiness of our 1st successful unplanned attempt at putting together this wonderful mille crepe cake ;)! This is my entry to Domestic Goddess' Sugar High Friday - The Sweetest Thing event. She asks fellow bloggers to make and blog about the dessert they crave for most. Totally looking forward to the roundup.

Mille Crepe Cake with Vanilla Custard
Ingredients
For the Crepes Batter: Adapted from New York Times *
1. 3 tablespoons butter
2. 1 1/2 cups milk
3. 3 eggs
4. 3/4 cups flour
5. 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
6. Pinch salt

Ingredients
For the Filling
1. 1 pack of vanilla custard mix (I used Weikfield's)
2. 1 cup roasted hazelnuts (you could use almonds, walnuts, pecans etc)
3. 2 tsp cocoa powder
4. 2 tsp powdered sugar

Method
Crepes: Adapted from New York Times*
1. In a heated pan, cook the butter until its a hazelnut brown and set aside to cool
2. In another pan, heat the milk until it starts steaming. Cool for 10 minutes
3. In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar and salt
4. Slowly add the hot milk and browned butter
5. Remove in a container and let cool.
6. Heat a 9 inch non stick pan, and swab it with some oil. Pour some batter onto the pan with a deep ladle and make sure its spread thinly across the pan
7. Cook the crepe until the bottom begins to brown. Then flip the crepe and cook on the other side for no longer than 5 seconds
8. Remove the crepe and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you have 20 good crepes.

These were the tastiest crepes that I have ever tasted. I think the trick was to cook the butter as the NYT article suggested.

Method
Filling & Final Assembly

1. Prepare the custard as per packet instructions.
2. Once the custard is set, start the cake assembly.
3. For the assembly, lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using a spatula, cover the crepe with a thin layer of the custard. Add some toasted hazelnuts. Cover this with a crepe and repeat the layering process till you have 20 crepes stacked on top of each other with a layer of custard between each layer. I didn't put nuts for every layer, but added them every 4-5 crepes or so
4. Cover the crepe with a plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes at the very least
5. Sprinkle the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and caramalize the top with a blow torch if you have one. Since we didn't have a blow torch, we just heated the bottom of a clean pan, and placed the heated pan over the top of the cake :)

The result was a truly great tasting crepe cake, where the buttery smoky flavor of the crepes went very well with the vanilla flavor of the custard and the crunchiness of the hazelnuts. One caveat however is that given that we used custard for the filling, the cake didn't taste as great the next day!!

Enjoy :)
* The NYT batter recipe was adapted by them from the "Joy of Cooking."

2007-06-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

Spiced Egg Bhurji with Masala Spinach Bread

When Trupti asked us to spice things up at breakfast for the WBB # 12 event, many different possibilities ran through my mind. After all Indian food is rife with great spicy breakfast food ranging from Parathas, Upma, Idlis and Dosas to Indianized versions of Western dishes like Spicy French toast and Scrambled egg or Egg bhurji!

I absolutely love egg bhurji which is really a spicy, masala version of the traditional scrambled egg. R loves bhurji even more, where he has these nostalgic memories of eating bhurji at their local adda (hangout) at 2 am after a late night of partying, movie watching or ahem studying!!

Given that this is our favorite breakfast which indeed has a lot of great spices in it, I decided to make this along with some masala spinach bread for the ever popular Weekend Breakfast Blogging event started by Nandita of Saffron Trail. This week's WBB event is hosted by Trupti of The Spice Who Loved Me, and is aptly titled Spice It Up. Now who can resist that!

Spicy Egg Bhurji(Scrambled Egg)
Ingredients
1. 4 eggs
2. 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3. 1/2 cup chopped onion
4. 1/4 cup chopped tomato
5. 2-3 green chillies chopped
6. 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
7. 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin) powder
8. 3/4 powder dhania (coriander) powder
9. 1/2 tsp red chili powder
10. 1 pinch of garam masala
11. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
12. Salt to taste
13. Fresh coriander

Method
1. Beat the eggs in a bowl and keep aside
2. In a heated skillet, add the chopped onion. Cook till translucent
3. Add the turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and roast till the paste is golden brown
4. Add the jeera, dhania and chili powder and roast for a minute
5. Add the tomato and roast well till the oil leaves the sides
6. Add the beaten egg, and mix it in well till the egg is scrambled and crumbly
7. Add the garam masala, salt, corriander and mix well
8. Let this cook for 1-2 more minutes and its ready to eat!

Masala Spinach Bread
Ingredients
1. 1 loaf of sesame or plain baguette
2. 2 tsp olive oil
3. 2 cups chopped spinach
4. 1 tsp cajun creole spice. You can replace this with red chili powder
5. Salt as needed
6. 1/4 cup grated cheese

Method
1. Slit the bread into 2 halves still leaving one side of the bread connected to the other
2. Toast the bread in the oven for about 7-8 minutes
3. In a heated pan, saute the spinach. Add the creole spice and salt. Mix well. Let the spinach cook till it starts changing color ever so slightly (do not overcook)
4. Top with some grated cheese
5. Spoon this on the heated baguette. Cut into chunks and serve warm

I served this with some fresh strawberries and cream & a glass of OJ. Could not have asked for a better breakfast!

Enjoy :)

2007-06-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Restaurant Review: Sino Restaurant & Lounge

Its a lazy Saturday afternoon where R and I are making dinner plans as in "where should we eat today" ;)? Now that brought me to my current post pondering, isn't this what most people would be thinking at this time as well? So here is my small contribution towards answering that (new) age old question "where should we eat tonight ;)

We recently went to Sino which is this very hip, very mingle (and single ;) friendly lounge & restaurant in San Jose. San Jose, hip you ask..ahem! Well to be fair this restaurant is located in Santana Row, a European style, stone cobbled shopping and dining destination.

While Sino's lounge is hopping with lots of people watching opportunities, R and I went to of course try the food ;)! The restaurant is surprisingly very well separated from the bar area. Interestingly, as you walk into the restaurant section of Sino, you will feel transformed into a warm, romantic setting with red billowy curtains and amazing decor. The lights are muted, music hushed and the tables are well distanced from the other tables (something that seems to be a rarity in California these days!).

The Asian fusion type preparation was good but not excellent. I got the dim sum platter and R got the lamb roast. What contrasting orders we both had, as while mine looked all white and dainty, R's lamb was HUMONGOUS! The picture of the lamb you see in the post is true to size..no alterations in size there!! For the first time R had a problem finishing his lamb in spite of it being perfectly cooked and accompanied by a great tangy sauce. For drinks, I got a chocolatini and R got a glass of Merlot. Nothing special there..pretty regular drinks menu, with tantalizing descriptions for the cocktails.

The dessert now is a different story altogether! R and I shared a decadent chocolate strawberry mousse which was beautifully presented with a crispy butterfly shaped cracker dusted with powdered sugar. NICE!!

I would definitely go back to Sino, not so much for the food alone, but really for a combination of things: pretty good food, really great ambiance, and impeccable service. Of course if you are interested in the the people watching bit, Sino lounge is the place to be seen at :)

My Ratings:
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Food: Mmm (good, not great). Decent portions. More options for non vegetarians!
Decor: Yay yay yay!
Service: Yay.
Price: Nay. This place is definitely pricey.
Would Go Again: Yay!
Website: http://www.sinorestaurant.com/

2007-06-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

Varan Phal aka Daal Dhokli

I just love one pot meals, especially when you are having a super busy week. Well, last week was exactly the kind of week that begged for a quick, feel good meal. Now Daal is the quintessential quick comfort food for me, so opted to make some Varan Phal also known as Daal Dhokli in Gujarati. Varan is daal in Marathi, so simply put Varan Phal is spiced chapati rolled out, cut up and cooked in yellow lentils. The best part about making the varan phals is that you can buy store made uncooked whole wheat chapatis, chop them up into little diamond shapes and use that as your "phal" for the varan.

This dish is so tasty and filling, that its almost a crime that its so simple to put together! We enjoyed out steaming bowls of varan phal with some green salad on the side, and voila we were in comfort heaven!!

This is my submission to Nupur's A-Z of Indian vegetables 'V' letter event.

Varan Phal aka Daal Dhokli
Ingredients
For the Phal
You can use store bought uncooked whole wheat chapati/rotis or make it at home with the ingredients listed below

1. 1 cup whole wheat flour
2. 1 tsp oil
3. Water as required to prepare the dough
4. 1/4 tsp Salt
5. 1/2 tsp red chili powder

For the Varan/Daal
1. 1 cup toor daal/yellow lentils
2. 1 tsp mustard seeds
3. i tsp cumin seeds
4. 1/2 tsp asafoetidia/hing
5. 2-3 curry leaves
6. 1 tsp turmeric powder
7. 2 tsp red chili powder
8. 2 tsp goda masala. This is available in most Indian grocery stores. If not, just replace this with 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp coriander powder
9. 2 tbsp tamarind pulp. You can use store bought pulp or make it at home by soaking tamarind in water for a few hours.
10. 3 tbsp jaggery, grated or broken into small pieces
11. 1 tbsp olive oil
12. Salt to taste
13. 1/2 cup chopped coriander for garnish

Method
For the Phal

1. Mix in all the dry ingredients and ad water to knead the mixture into a dough.
2. Once the dough is pliable, roll it out into chapatis (or like tortillas)
3. Cut the rolled chapati into diamond shaped bite sized pieces

For the Varan (Daal)
1. Wash & cook toor Dal till tender. Mash it lightly when cooked
2. Heat the oil in a deep pan. Add the mustard seeds.
3. Once the seeds start crackling, add the curry leaves and hing/asafoetidia.
4. To this add the cumin seeds and turmeric powder
5. Mix all the ingredients in the cooked dal. If needed pour some water to thin it out where you have enough to cook the chapati pieces in the daal.
6. Add salt, chili powder, goda masala, tamarind pulp and jaggery and mix well
7. Add the chopped up phal/chapati pieces and let the mixture which you can NOW call varan phal ;) cook for another 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally to get all the flavors blended together.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve piping hot.
Enjoy :)

2007-06-14T07:20:00.001-07:00

Recipes from Fellow Bloggers

There are so many amazingly talented food bloggers out there. They range from blogging who talk about every day food which is oh so comforting, to beautifully photographed gourmet works of art which bring one pure joy!

I have been turning to my fellow bloggers recipes and advice where I have been having a blast trying out different recipes sometimes using ingredients I had never even heard of!! I recently tried out 3 awesome (and sure shot crowd pleaser!) recipes from Nupur's & Richa's blogs.

The first dish I made a Bread Bowl Souffle inspired by Nupur of One Hot Stove.

Her recipe has some super tasty ingredients consisting mainly of boursin cheese (aah cheese!), sourdough bread bowl, eggs, mushrooms and spinach. I made 2 variations, one with the exact ingredients on Nupur's post, and another one where I added shredded cooked chicken and some red pepper flakes for the meat & heat lovers! The end result was a super tasty dish that I will surely make again.

The other 2 recipes came from Richa of As Dear As Salt. I tried her Stuffed Peppers, which was a truly unique recipe for me as I had never steamed suffed peppers with chickpea flour before.

Verdict: this is an excellent dish, with just the perfect flavors and the best part is there was NO frying involved (my kind of dish!). I think I overcooked the chickpea flour, which made the filling a bit dry, but overall a truly great find!

The next recipe from Richa's blog was Parwal with Kala Chana.

I was fascinated by the combination of this dish and had to try it. It made for a really good, comforting meal where R who is not very fond of Parwal's tucked it all in with gusto!

I can't wait to try out some more great recipes, especially with the farmers markets filled with new and interesting fresh produce!

2007-06-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Tri-Vegetable Chinese Fried Rice

I was hankering for some good old Indianized Chinese fried rice last weekend, but didn't want to venture to Temptations, the Indo-Chinese restaurant close to my house. Apart from the fact that the food wasn't good, what made matters worse is that the service totally sucked!

But eat Chinese fried rice I must, so grabbed my old recipe book and put together a satisfying meal consisting of Chinese Fried Rice and Tomato mozarella basil crostinis (recipe coming soon!). The moment we polished off the rice, R and I went down memory lane, reminiscing all the amazing Indo-Chinese food we have had in Pune...starting wwith the unhealthy but super tasty food at the myriad of "Chinese" food stalls outside Pune University, to hole in the walls named Golden Dragon or Red Dragon to more upscale establishments like Chung Fa & Kamling.

Ooh, I can't wait to visit India soon!!

This is my submission to Nupur's A-Z of Indian vegetables 'T' letter event.

Indo-Chinese Fried Rice
Ingredients
1. 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
2. 1/4 cup green capsicum sliced thin
3. 1/4 cup green peas
4. 1/4 cup shredded carrots
5. 1/2 cup spring onions finely chopped
6. 3 tablespoons soya sauce
7. 4 teaspoons olive oil
8. Salt & pepper to taste
9. Chili sauce or Ketchup to serve
Method
1. Boil the rice. Each grain of the cooked rice should be separate.
2. Heat the oil in a wok and add the vegetables. Cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the boiled rice, soya sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Serve hot chili sauce/ketchup on the side

Enjoy :)

2007-06-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate, Coconut & Cointreau

When Meeta of What's for Lunch Honey invited us to the biggest blog party with a befitting treat, how could one resist! I came up with some obvious few cake ideas, but given that am not a huge cake fan, I settled on these decadent vanilla-chocolate-coconut cup cakes soaked in Cointreau...YUMMMM!

The combination of all the flavors was truly intoxicating..oh wait or was it just the cointreau! I made quite a few of these cupcakes, and sent them off with R to be taken to work. All I know is he had some VERY happy (hic!) employees all day long ;)
Happy Birthday Meeta and hope to mingle a lot more this coming year!!

Vanilla-Chocolate-Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes (Adapted from Martha Stewart)
1. 11/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1/4 cup olive oil or 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature.I used olive oil to make a healthier version
5. 1/2 cup honey or 1 cup sugar. Again honey makes it a bit more guilt free ☺
6. 3 large eggs
7. 11/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8. 3/4 cup milk

For the Chocolate Ganache
1. 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2. 1 cup heavy cream
3. 1 tablespoon cointreau or any orange liqueur (optional)

For the Topping
1. 1 cup dessicated coconut flakes
2. 2 tablespoons cointreau or any orange liqueur (optional)

Merthod
For the Cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; scrape down bowl, and fold in the vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Spoon batter in greased muffin pans and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to wire rack; cool completely.

For the Chocolate Ganache & Topping
1. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Keep aside.
2. Heat the cream in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, making sure it does not boil out of the pot.
3. When the cream comes to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 tsp cointreau if desired.
4. Allow the ganache to cool slightly.
5. Pour the remaining cointreau over the cupcakes till they soak some of the liqueur
6. Top with the slightly cooled ganache and coconut flakes

Enjoy :)

2007-05-31T23:30:00.000-07:00

Enjoying Delhi through Food

I visited Delhi recently on a work related trip, and had the most amazing food experiences during my short 4 days there! Delhi is well known for its chaats, parathas and just incredible street food.

I cannot cover all the great food I ate, but will highlight my all time favorite: Dahi Puchkas also known as Dahi Sev Batata Puri in other parts of India!!! What are these you ask? These are basically bite sized and sometimes not so bite sized creations filled with potaoes, mint chutney, corriander, sev, yoghurt, slivers of ginger among other things! It basically is a slice (or bite ;) of heaven in your mouth!

Along with the food in Delhi, I also enjoyed some unique sights of Delhi in surely the most crowded of market in India, Chandni Chowk! Delhi is such a great city, with its unique history, tree lined streets, hip clubs, and unbelievable food, be it on the streets or in its restaurants!
Indomitable Qutab Minar! (Pic taken by my friend S)

Street Food Galore

Buzzing Chandni Chowk

Street barber trimming yes, his clients ear hair :)

This is my entry to Bon Vivant's Meals Abroad event. Hope you enjoy this little preview of a city I would love to revisit soon!

2007-05-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

"Poached" Wild Mice

When Bron announced the new Wild Food event, I was truly intrigued! It just sounded so much fun. I looked around in the refrigerator and rummaged for what potentially could resemble a reptile, and found these pears waiting to be ahem, "poached" ;)

I started poaching the pears in wine and then arranged them to look all pretty (erm..), took some pictures, and all of a sudden it hit me that arghhh, mice are NOT reptiles, but mammals! Well, they ARE usually eaten BY reptiles but are not really reptiles themselves!

So now I had these poached pears that tasted really good (what with them being steeped in wine and spices), I decided to go ahead and post the recipe. Do you think I can get away with saying that this was my take on the reptilian theme, where this is wild food fed to the reptiles ;). Oh well, I still love the wild food event idea, so will surely participate next time hopefully with the right entry!

Poached Pear Mice
Ingredients
1. 3 red or pears peeled and halved (don't cut the tail)
2. 1 cup red wine
3. 1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey
4. A spice pouch consisting of 1 stick cinnamon and 2 cloves. I usually just put these in a muslin cloth, and tie it tight
5. 6 cloves & 1 cup peas for decoration

Method
1. Heat sauce pan on medium heat. Add the wine to the heated pan
2. To this add the spice pouch. Add the sugar/honey and stir
3.When the mixture starts boiling, reduce heat and remove the spice pouch
4. Add the pears and let them cook till they are soft but not mushy to touch
5. Let cool. Use 2 cloves per mouse as eyes
6. Drizzle remaining wine-spice-honey syrup on top of the poached pears
7. Serve on a bed of green peas or something green to bring out the paleness of the mice..err pears

Enjoy :)

2007-05-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

Instant Pizza Using Leftovers

Had some carrot and peas vegetable curry leftover from making the chilas, so decided to put it to good use the next day! Apart from the cooked mixed vegetable, I had some masala naan and feta cheese in the fridge. Well that was all it took to put together this very quick and tasty naan pizza with leftover veggies!!

This is my entry to the clever Leftover Tuesday event hosted by Pam this month!

Instant Pizza
Ingredients
1. 1 pack Masala or Plain Naan. I get mine from Trader Joe's
2. Any cooked vegetable curry. See the recipe for the vegetable curry that was leftover from the chila cooking sessiom
3. Crumbled feta cheese
4. 1 tsp olive oil
5. Chives for garnish

Method
1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Brush the naan with some olive oil
3. Layer the dry vegetable curry on the naan. Top with feta cheese
4. Bake in oven for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees
5. Garnish with chives and serve hot.

Enjoy :)

2007-05-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

Spicy Chicken Potlis

My friend S (who happens to be a really good cook) and I have been cooking up a storm lately. We meet up in the evenings after work, and start brain storming on what to invent next. This not only is a really fun process, but also is a great stress buster after a long day. This was even more fun for the guys who proved to be willing guinea pigs to sample the food on offer ;)

On one such occasion, we put together these extremely tasty puff pastry chicken muffins or potlis as we christened them! Poltis are little pouches which old grannies used to carry in the olden days. Well ours looked a lot like the little pouches and like a granny's pouch was filled with a treasure trove of chicken and spices!
Spicy Chicken Potlis
Ingredients
1. 1 pack puff pastry. I usually use the Pepperidge farm brand
2. 3 cups minced boneless chicken
3. 1 tsp garlic paste
4. 1/2 tsp ginger paste
5. 1 tsp red chili powder
6. 1/2 tsp Malwani masala. You can replace malwani masala with 1/4 tsp of garam masala
7. 2 tsp olive oil
8. Salt to taste

Method
For the Filling
1. In a pan, heat the oil.
2. To the heated oil, add the ginger garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes till the ginger garlic turns golden brown
3. Add the chili powder and malwani/garam masala. Saute for a minute
4. Add the minced chicken and mix well. Add salt and let the chicken cook
5. Once chicken is cooked, cool and keep aside
For the Potli
1. Thaw the puff pastry dough in accordance with the package instructions
2. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
3. Roll out the pastry dough and cut into pieces that will fit in a muffin pan
4. Line the muffin pan with the rolled out puff pastry and layer it with the filling mixture
5. Leave some space at the top of the rolled puff pastry. Close the puff pastry at the top to form a little pouch. Take a small piece of the pastry dough and make a ring around the stuffed puff pastry
6. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is a flaky golden brown
7. Serve with ketchup or mint chutney.

Tip: You don't need to spray the potlis with oil before putting in the oven as the puff pastry dough has enough of butter in it.
This is my entry to Arfi's thought provoking Cook and Eat Meat event.
Enjoy :)

2007-05-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Ratalyacha Khees/Savory Sweet Potato with Peanuts

Sweet potato features in the top 10 of my favorite comfort foods! This is really great, given the many nutritional virtues of this versatile vegetable. I say versatile as it can be enjoyed in many different ways, in a dessert, as a savory snack, a binding agent, or by simply boiling the vegetable and mixing it with milk and sugar (yumm!).

Ratalyacha Khees or Savory Sweet Potato with peanuts is one of the more popular fasting dishes in Maharashtra. It always brings back memories of my mom fasting and we EATING! Of course, it didn't really matter that the kids almost never fasted, but it sure made for a great excuse for us to gorge on those tasty, not reminding one of starvation treats ;)

This is an extremely simple and quick recipe to make, and is my submission to Nupur's A-Z of Indian vegetables 'R' letter event.

And yes, the mango in the picture is indeed The Alphanso mango!! We finally got our hands on this precious fruit last evening at $4 a pop, but oh SO totally worth it!!!!

Ratalyacha Khees
Ingredients
1. 2 sweet potatoes grated (I leave the skin on to increase the nutritional value)
2. 2-3 green chillies chopped
3. 1 cup ground peanuts (shengdanyacha koot)
4. 2 tsp olive oil or ghee
5. 3-4 sprigs of coriander finely chopped
6. 1 tsp lemon juice
7. 1 pinch sugar
8. Salt to taste

Method
1. In a pan, heat the oil/ghee. Traditionally we use ghee as oil is not allowed as a fasting food. But given that I cook this on any and every non fasting occasion, I use olive oil :)
2. To the heated oil, add green chillies and sauté till they change color
3. Add the grated sweet potato and saute for 1-2 minutes
4. To this add the ground peanuts, lemon juice and sugar
5. Add salt and coriander.
6. Mix well. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 5-8 minutes or till the sweet potato is cooked. You may need to add some water if needed.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

Enjoy :)

2007-05-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

Quick Stuffed Chila & Microwave Peas Dhokla

I was inspired by Nupur's suggestion that in place of a vegetable starting with 'Q' (is there even such a veggie in existence?), we could submit Quick recipes for her A-Z of Indian Vegetables event! That, along with the need to cook something quick & nutritious on a week night got me looking into Tarla Dalal's rich repertoire of recipes. As expected, that was just the place to find something healthy and easy to make with ingredients I had in my pantry.

This submission to Nupur's event is my adaptation of two such recipes. The Chila came out perfect, but can't say the same about the Peas Dokla (as it evident from the pics :(). The taste of the dhoklas was awesome especially with the peas puree mixed in, but just didn't look as pretty as I would have liked. I think I need to try this recipe again to see if it comes out better!

Quick Stuffed Chilas
Ingredients
For the Chila
1. 1 cup besan (chickpea) flour
2. 3 tsp olive oil
3. Salt for cooking
For the Filling
1. 1 cup peas
2. 1/2 cup chopped carrots
3. 1/2 tsp ginger
4. 1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
5. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
6. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
7. 2 tsp olive oil
7. Salt to taste
Method
For the Chila
1. Mix the chickpea flour, 1 tsp oil and salt. Add water to form a thin, pourable batter
2. Pour a pancake sized spoonful of the mixture onto a heated non stick pan. Spread evenly
3. Let cook well on both sides till golden brown
4. Remove from heat and keep aside
For the Filling
For the stuffing mixture
1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin and mustard seeds. Roast till they splutter
2. Add green chillies and ginger paste. Sautee for a minute
3. Add the carrots and peas and sautee till partially cooked
4. Add salt to taste
Put a spoonful of the filling on one side of the chila and fold the other side to cover it. Serve with mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

Microwave Peas Dhokla
Ingredients
1. 1 cup besan/chick pea flour
2. 1/2 cup boiled green peas
3. 1/2 tsp ginger
4. 1/4 tsp green chili paste
5. 1/2 tsp powdered sugar
6. 1 cup water
7. 3 tsp oil
8. 1 tsp citric acid crystals
9. Salt to taste
10. 1 tsp mustard seeds
11. 2 chopped green chillies
12. 2 tsp corriander
13. Grated coconut
Method
1. Purée green peas to a smooth paste
2. Add 1 tsp oil chickpea flour, ginger, chilli paste, salt, sugar, citric crystals and water
3. Beat well together till it becomes a smooth consistency
4. Pour in a greased microwave dish and microwave with a lid on high for 3 minutes
5. Remove and let stand for 2 minutes
6. Combine 1 tsp oil and mustard seeds, 1 tsp corriander in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes
7. Pour over the baked dhokla
8. Garnish with remaining corriander and grated cocunut
Serve with mint chutney.

Enjoy :)

2007-05-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Quencher Kumquat Ice Cream

When Nupur announced the letter ‘Q’ for her amazing A-Z of Indian Vegetables event, I couldn’t really find a vegetable befetting that letter ! The closest I could come to the sound was Kumquats (well it DOES have a ‘Q’ in there somewhere!). I will submit and post "quick" recipe in the next post instead.

Meanwhile the weather here in North California is getting hotter by the day, so decided to whip up some thirst quenching ice cream topped with the incredible bounty of fresh fruits available in the local farmers markets.
Kumquats are small, oval citrus fruits that are bursting with flavor. It has a sweet outer skin, where the flesh is tart. I usually eat the fruit whole, popping in 2-3 at a time ;)

The sourness of the kumquats balance very well with the ginger and lemon zest added to the ice cream. The topped fresh fruits add that extra “icing” on the already tasty ice cream. This recipe is adapted from the Kumquat growers site
Kumquat Ice Cream
Ingredients
1. 3/4 pound kumquat, with the seeds removed & sliced thinly
2. 1 cup water
3. 3/4 cup sugar
4. 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
5. 1/4 cup lemon zest
6. 1/4 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped (optional)
7. 1 cup fresh fruits for the topping (optional)

Method
1. Add the kumquat, water and sugar in a saucepan; simmer until cooked. This may take about 30 minutes
2. Purée the mixture and let cool. Fold cream into the purée and mix in the lemon zest and ginger
3. Pour the mix into a container, cover and freeze until firm, beating twice at hourly intervals
4. Freeze the ice cream in the refrigerator
Alternatively, you can use an ice cream maker to prepare the ice cream.
5. Top with fresh fruits

Enjoy :)

2007-05-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

Easy Breezy Palak (Spinach) Chicken

Spinach chicken is one of R and my favorite chicken dishes. The 1st time I had it was at the ever popular Shalimar restaurant. Although I loved the taste, I didn't quite like the oil content in Shalimar version. So I decided to de-construct the recipe and try making it at home.

That was over 2 years ago, and now this is a staple, quick chicken recipe in our household. This is also a g8 way for us to get in our regular dose of spinach ;)

Paalak (Spinach) Chicken
Ingredients
1. 2 tbsp oil
2. 1 pound chicken chopped into bite sized pieces (boneless or with bones)
3. 2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
4. 1 cup finely chopped onions
5. 1/2 tsp ginger paste
6. 3/4 tsp garlic paste
7. 1/4 tsp cumin powder
8. 1/2 tsp coriander powder
9. 3-4 green chillies split into 2
10. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
11. 1/4 tsp garam masala
12. 1 tsp lemon juice
13. Salt to taste
14. 1/4 cup water

Method
1. Heat the oil in a wok. Add chopped onions and sauté till translucent
2. Add turmeric powder and sauté for 30 seconds
3. Add green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute
4. Add cumin and coriander powder and sauté for 1 minute
5. Add the chicken and let the chicken brown
6. Add the spinach and sauté
7. Add the garam masala and mix well.
8. Add salt and lemon juice
9. Sauté for another minute. Add the water and let cook with a lid

Serve with Garlic Naan or Saffon Rice.

Enjoy :)

2007-05-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Khus wale Aloo (Potatoes with Poppy & Dill)

Potatoes are an all time comfort food. Which is why I am always looking for new and innovative ways to cook this versatile vegetable. I was inspired by one of my favorite blogger Ashwini's til aloo recipe. Only thing is I didn't have any sesame seeds on me, but had 2 packs (don't even ask!) of poppy seeds and lots of fresh dill! While that explains how this dish got altered, I must say this a super simple recipe with guaranteed satisfaction. I have made this for 2 dinner parties so far, and has been an absolute hit. One of our guests recently mused how such a simple dish can balance subtle flavors so perfectly making every bite an amazing explosion flavor!

The crunchiness of the poppy seeds blends perfectly with the softness of the boiled potatoes and freshness of the dill leaves.

Potatoes with Poppy & Dill Recipe
Ingredients
1. 3-4 medium size potatoes
2. 1/2 tbsp white poppy seeds
3. 1/2 cup finely chopped dill
4. 1/4 tsp ginger paste
5. 1 tsp cumin seeds
6. 1 tsp mustard seeds
7. 1/2 tsp garlic paste
8. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
9. 2-3 red chillies
10. 1 tsp lemon juice
11. 2 tbsp oil
12. Salt to taste

Method
1. Boil potatoes in salted water and cut into medium sized cubes
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter add cumin seeds and red chillies and roast for a minute
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and roast. Add turmeric powder
4. Add poppy seeds and roast for 30 seconds
5. Add boiled potatoes and dill
6. Add lemon juice and salt to taste
7. Let it all mix well together and cook for another 2 minutes

Serve with Naan or Chapati.

Enjoy :)

2007-05-12T23:17:00.000-07:00

Prosciutto Cheese Rolls & Caramel Dipped Strawberries

Prosciutto & cheese is a classic combination that is hard to resist! The most commonly paired cheese with prosciutto is goat cheese, but I soon found out after making this dish that mozzarella & prosciutto is an AMAZING combination as well. The freshness of the Mozzarella paired with the cured meat is goes down real easy ;)

This simple dish with some kale chips which I will write about a later date and finished off with caramel dipped fresh strawberries made for the perfect Friday night meal!

Cheese Prosciutto Rolls
Ingredients
1. 1 block Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
2. 4 prosciutto slices. I like the one from Whole Foods or TJs
3. 4 basil leaves

Method
1. Cut long strips of the cheese and spread out
2. Lay a strip of prosciutto on top of the strip of cheese
3. Top with basil leaf
4. Shape into a bite sized rolls and serve chilled.

Enjoy :)

2007-05-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

Eating Out...at the Thai Temple?

I am not sure this entry qualifies for Stuff You Oughta Know's Carnival of Dining out , but I plan to send it anyways. The event is a really cool one, where bloggers are encouraged to comment about their favorite restaurant scene: local or otherwise.

There are so many such restaurants that I would love to write about given that am lucky enough to live this close to the mecca of good food: San Francisco! But today, I write about the most authentic Thai food I have had outside of Thailand.

Where is this you ask? Believe it or not, but I found amazingly good Thai food at the local Thai temple! Most dishes cost $5, with the desserts costing even less. R and I went there one Sunday afternoon where we had the most incredible Pad Thai, Som Tam, and never ending desserts. Ok, in our defense, I ordered the Som Tam extra spicy and then had to wash it down with desserts and more desserts (yah right ;).

The Som Tam (Raw Papaya Salad) was made fresh where the spices were ground and altered to my taste. Same with the Pad Thai, which seemed to be the most popular dish around, as we were the lucky to get our hands on the last plate being made. As you can imagine, we had to quickly wipe off our satisfied grins to avoid angry stares from people waiting eagerly in the line behind us!!

Desserts vary from sticky rice with mango, to lots of bean and coconut based traditional desserts. All the food is prepared by Thais living in the area so you know you are getting the real deal. Moreover, you eat the food on the beautiful calming lawns of the temple. In warm weather, this is an immensely pleasurable dining experience. This open air food haven is only open weekends (Sundays only I think). Make sure you go early to avoid missing the fast disappearing Pad Thai!

My Ratings:
Food: Mmm... (Good). Not an extensive "menu" so don't look for Kung Pao Chicken here ;)
Decor: The temple grounds overlooking the mountain can't be beat!
Service: Self service
Price: Yay. The $5 entree is worth the visit alone.
Would Go Again: Yay yay!
Website: http://www.watbuddha.iirt.net

2007-05-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Orange Chicken

I have been craving orange chicken for a while now. That combined with the minimal time available to cook dinner tonight was enough incentive to put together this quick simple meal of orange chicken and rice.

Orange Chicken
Ingredients
1. 4 chicken legs
2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
3. 1/4 cup onion, chopped
4. 1 1/2 cup orange juice
5. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6. 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
7. 1 teaspoon pepper
8. 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
9. Salt to taste

Method
1. In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute chicken legs over medium heat until browned and cooked through
2. Remove and cover. Keep warm
3. In the same skillet, add saute onion until translucent
4. Add the orange juice, dijon mustard, soy sauce, pepper, chilli flakes and salt. Keep in mind that the soy sauce is salty, so add less salt than usual.
5. Cook stirring constantly until it thickens slightly
6. Spread over chicken and serve with rice

Enjoy :)

2007-05-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

Restaurant Review: Zeni

Pic courtesy Zeni's website

Now this is one restaurant that can be epitomized as “Zany” !! Went there for a quiet celebration, where the setting was perfect for an enjoyable, sit down dinner with friends. The decor in the back area is fun with large, colorful tables in tune with the communal style eating, which is an integral part of the Ethiopian dining experience. The walls and ceilings were interspersed with artwork and animal skin paintings created by Ethiopian artists. Minimal lighting and lilting music set a relaxing mood.

The Zeni menu is fairly extensive compared to other Ethiopian restaurants. As we were a group of 8, we went in for the entree combo, which included any 4 entrees including a meat or veggie combo. If you haven’t been to an Ethiopian resto, your best bet for 2-3 people would be to get a veggie ($9), or a meat combo ($11) . Dessert consisted of Baklava, which while not g8 is an improvement, considering most Ethiopian restos do not offer any desserts.

The food was very good, and paired well with Tej honey wine. Wine snobs who believe that anything sweet does not qualify as wine, can have the Ethiopian red wine, which also goes well with the food. However, do look at the alcohol content as it is significantly higher than American wines ;-)

My only peeve about Zeni was the servers. This is a sentiment shared by other reviewers of Zeni as well. The servers while not openly unpleasant, don't seem terribly excited about being there!! The only time we got to see even a flicker of animation on our server’s face, was when a guy sitting next to us crashed on the floor, taking a few glasses with him! Even then, the best we got from our server was a startled look, a la Miss Universe on winning the not expected to win crown!!

Other than the servers, and the fact that they did not have the much famed Ethiopian coffee that day, dining at Zeni is a fun experience, provided you get one of the seating areas in the back room. The front portion is fairly kitschy, with a tiki hut for a bar and the standard table and chair seating. The location surely could have been better, as I personally am not a big fan of restaurants located in strip malls, but once you look past that and the impassive faces of the servers (not tough to do ;-), Zeni is a good find !!

My Ratings:
Food: Mmm... (Good). Healthy portions. Lots of options for vegetarians!
Decor: Yay
Service: Nay
Price: Yay. The $45, 5 entree combo cannot be beat especially if you go with a large group. $6-8 for wine and cocktails.
Would Go Again: Yay!
Website: http://www.zenirestaurant.com/

2007-05-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

Refreshing Mango Lassi

Seems like summer is here to stay! Temperatures soared to 90 degrees over the weekend and have been continuing to soar ever since.

R loves a good mango lassi, and so decided to whip up some for breakfast. This made for one refreshing and filling breakfast on a super hot day. It not only kept us cool for rest of the morning, but the resulting sugar high was a welcome side effect ;)

Mango lassi is supposedly a super popular drink in Bombay, but oddly enough the 1st time I had it was in the US! For the true blue Bombayites this was sacrilege, right up there with the fact that I had not watched Sholay till a few years ago! Go figure. Given that I grew up on savoring the prized Alphanso mango in its purest form eaten by itself, mixing it with yoghurt seemed like an unattractive proposition initially. But after a few attempts at trying to find the perfect, non saccharine filled mango lassi, I understood why it is so revered among the legions of left college in the 90s generation !!

Speaking of Alphanso mangoes, R is awaiting its arrival in North California with more excitement than his graduation results! And yes, the thought of traveling to New York to buy even ONE mango from the 1st ever Indian mango export consignment sent to the US (after the 18 yr ban) did cross his mind…not once but several times!!

This is my entry to the timely Summer Fruits Breakfast Blogging event hosted by Padmaja of Spicy Andhra. I hope to be able to post a fresh Alphanso mango based recipe soon ☺

Mango Lassi
Ingredients
1. 3 cups mango pulp. Mango pulp is available in any Indian grocery store. I use the Laxmi brand kesar mango pulp
2. 1 cup plain yoghurt
3. 1 cup cold milk
4. 1/2 cup sugar (alter according to taste)
5. Salt to taste
6. 1 tsp black pepper (optional)

Method
1. Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes till its a smooth consistency. Make sure there are no white swirls from the youghurt or milk
2. Pour into individual glasses and serve
3. Garnish with fresh mango, water melon or any other fruit

Enjoy :)

2007-05-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

Peas & Corn Pattice

Aah, the quintessential question I get asked by my non-Indian friends: what is a pattice. What is it indeed? A pattice is really the equivalent of a patty but with a twist. The Indian pattice is more often than not filled with a spicy vegetable or meat filling, and always brings back waves of nostalgia of the corner bakery where I grew up.

My version of the pattice came about accidentally one day, where I had loads of peas, corn and ready to bake Pillsbury biscuit dough at hand, and some really hungry guests to feed pretty quickly.

This is my contribution to Nupur's incredible A-Z Indian Vegetable line-up

Peas & Corn Pattice
Ingredients
1. 1 pack Pillsbury ready to bake biscuits
2. 2 tsp olive oil
3. 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
4. 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
5. 1 cup chopped spinach
6. 1 onion finely sliced
7. 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
8. 1 tsp red chili powder
9. 1 pinch garam masala
10. 1/4 tsp lemon juice
11. Salt to taste
12. 1 cup cheese (optional)

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Make sure the biscuit dough is at room temperature
3. In a pan, heat some oil
4. Add the onions and sauté till translucent
5. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till brown
6. Add the spinach, peas and corn and sauté for 2 minutes
7. Add red chili powder and the garam masala and sauté for another 2 minutes
8. Add salt and lemon juice to taste
9. Remove from pan and let the mixture cool
10. Spread out the biscuit dough to form the bottom. Layer with the vegetable mix.
Top with cheese. Roll the biscuit so that the 2 ends touch each other (almost like a croissant).

Serve with ketchup or mint chutney. Enjoy :)

2007-05-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Masala Crab for Mom

Cooking crab has long been a fantasy of mine, but I was always daunted by the sheer challenge of cleaning and prepping err, the crab!
One day while at the farmers market R and I gave in to temptation and got home 2 large Dungeness crabs. Well THAT was the easy part. We got home and stared at the crustaceans for the longest time wondering where to begin.

This could have easily turned into a crabby affair, when R decided to use what else but Google, to figure out what to do next. Lo and behold, we found step-by-step cleaning and dividing instructions , with pictures nonetheless! Once the cleaning was done, preparing the crab was a piece of cake given this simple recipe that has been passed down from my grand mom to my mom and now from my mom to me….

Today I am making the very same masala crab for my mom who inspired me to want to cook it in the 1st place. This is also my entry to Food Fight #2, where am really glad Allen of Eating out Loud decided to host this event in honor of Mother’s Day!

My mom is an excellent cook to say the least. She hails from the spice-loving region of Kolhapur in India, and cooks up a feast of dishes from that region. In fact she recently visited us from India, where we were in true gourmet heaven! Every day was a foodie dream come true with multi course meals for lunch and dinner, not to mention lavish breakfasts and tea time snacks! I wish I had spent more time learning some of the traditional recipes, but hopefully will be able to do that on her next visit here!!

Kolhapuri Masala Crab
Ingredients
1. 2 large crabs
2. 1 cup diced onion
3. ½ cup desiccated coconut
4. 2 tsp Kolhapuri masala. Alternatively, you can substitute the Kolhapuri masala with 1½ tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp dhana-jeera powder, 1/4 tsp garam masala
5. 1 tsp turmeric powder
6. 1 tsp lemon juice
7. Salt to taste
8. 3 tbsp olive oil

Method
1. Clean and divide the crab. Preserve the crab shell for presentation
2. In a large pan, heat oil and sautee the onions till they are translucent
3. To this add the turmeric and roast for 30 seconds
4. Add the Kolhapuri masala and saute for a minute
5. Add the crab legs and meat and mix well with the spices
6. Add dessicated coconut and satue for a few minutes
7. Add salt and lemon juice to taste
8. Cover the pan and let crab cook for a few more minutes. Keep in mind that the crab cooks pretty quickly.

Serve as an appetizer, or with with saffron rice/naan. Enjoy :)

2007-04-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Garden Decor

This is my entry to Talk of Tomatoes' creative event: Centerpiece of the Month.

Do you have friends that give you the most amazing and thoughtful gifts? For us, those friends are the wonderfully innovative S & C. They get us incredibly unique and fun gifts that usually symbolize our mutual love for food :) Also, the fact that they live in the Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley definitely helps!

On their last visit to our home, they got us this one of a kind vase hand made by a local artisan. They had filled this vase with fresh organic fruits and vegetables picked straight out of their backyard. As you can see this made for a perfect centerpiece brightening up some cold winter days!

The best part of this gift is that we got to savor the fruits and veggies in many different forms for days to come. Not to mention the versatility of the vase, which looks just as amazing with tulips, orchids, candles, sand and stone, and just pretty much anything you put in it. We cannot thank our friends S & C enough for yet another great find !

2007-03-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Pasta with Chicken & Dill

Ahh, pasta....A word that evokes a feeling of warmth and comfort food for most people as it does for me!

Pasta probably is the one staple that comes in so many forms: angel hair pasta, fetuccine, penne, tortellini, rigatoni, lasagna, ravioli, vermicelli, and the list goes on! Did you know pasta means paste in Italian. The "paste" could consist of different kinds of flour: whole wheat, whole flour, semolina, and corn among others depending on how healthy you want your pasta.

Pasta is also a great way to "hide" veggies for your kids, where you can get flavored pasta with spinach, tomato or artichokes.

Ok ok, now on to the actual recipe ;). I am not a huge fan of pasta smothered in tomato or cream sauce. Which explains why I jumped on this simple, non-saucy recipe shared by a young Italian student on a train going from Rome to Florence!

This recipe is also my entry to Ruth's amazing Presto Pasta Nights round up.

Pasta with Chicken & Dill
Ingredients
1 packet spinach flavored pasta
1 cup diced chicken
1 cup dill, finely chopped
4 green chillies, split in half
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into thin slices
1 tsp garlic paste
3 tsp olive oil
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp pepper
Salt to taste

Method
1. Immerse the pasta in boiling hot water for a few minutes till cooked al dente (cooked firm, but not over cooked or soft). Pass through a strainer and keep aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wok, and to that add the ginger paste. Stir the ginger paste till it turns golden
3. To this add the green chillies and sun dried tomatoes. Add some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to add flavor
4. Add the chicken, and saute till the chicken is tender
5. To this add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning
6. Add the dill and saute for 2 minutes
7. Toss this mixture with the cooked pasta and serve hot

Enjoy!!

2007-02-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

MIXED BERRIES & GINGER PIE

This pie is dedicated to my friend's new born son, as you can see from the crumbling crust inscription resting happily on top of the pie ;).This is also my entry to Cook Sister's blog event Waiter, there's something in my pie!

The recipe for this pie is one R and I have been making over the last few winters. We discovered this recipe while experimenting with a huge pack of frozen berries picked up from the local TJs. Thawed the berries, looked around the pantry, where we had lemons, ginger, almonds, and lotsa alcohol (see how that useful that can be ;). Voila, right there a simple, crowd pleasing "family" recipe was born!

The best part is you can use any left over pie filling, as a berry sauce on almost any dessert, be it crème brulee, ice cream or similar desserts of your choice. Now who can complain about a two-in-one dessert? Or if you are like R, it can be your sugar rush for the week by eating spoon full of the good stuff and justifying it as eating berries that are good for you…..right!

Mixed Berry and Ginger Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Filling:
3 cups of frozen berries. You can use any mixed berries like blueberries, strawberries and gooseberries.
1 cup sugar
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
¼ inch ginger diced thinly
1 tsp lemon juice
½ cup red or white wine
2 tsp orange liqueur (optional)
1 tsp butter

For the Crust:
2 ready to bake pie shells/crusts (1 for the base and the other for the top). I use the TJs gourmet pie crusts, as they are amazingly easy to use
1 tsp butter

Method
For the Pie Filling
In a deep pan, melt the butter. To that add the thawed berries, sugar and wine. Let it cook for a while till the mixture reduces. To that add the lemon juice, ginger and orange liqueur. Let this mixture cook for about 1-15 minutes. Stir occasionally Remember to cover the pan with a lid, as the liquid tends to jump around a fair bit. Taste the filling and add more sugar according to taste.

For the Pie:
1. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees
2. Thaw both pie crusts (if frozen) for about 15 minutes till they come to room temperature and become pliable
3. Place the pie crusts onto your work area and flatten them individually.
4. Gently move one of the flattened pie crusts to a 10 inch pie pan.
5. Add the pie filling and sprinkle with toasted almonds
6. Place the 2nd crust over the filling. Brush with melted butter
7. Wrap the excess top crust to seal the pie. Make slits in the top crust to make sure the steam has an outlet
8. If you have excess dough remaining, you can use it to decorate the top of the pie
9. Bake the pie at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cover the sides with foil. This will keep it from getting too brown (SOMETHING I FORGOT TO DO :(). Bake at 350 degrees for another 25-30 minutes, or till the crust starts to brown.
Note: This pie does not need a lot of cooking time, as the inside filling is already cooked.

Enjoy!!

2006-10-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

TALE OF TWO CAKES

A friend of mine S, had her baby shower last month, and so I decided to bake her a special cake for her special day!
However, as soon as I accepted the invite with a response saying, “I am so there and will bring cake”, I panicked!! I had never baked a “real” cake before. Sure there have been experiments with some upside down pineapple cakes, and some scary looking Halloween cakes, where am sure you could guess at this point which part of it was scary ;)

But as this friend is one of the nicest people I know, I was determined to rise to the occasion. No pun intended {-)
Well, finally the cake did get made. I definitely cheated a bit by using some instant karma err mix. I found this super simple recipe in the book “The Magic of Microwave Cookbook”. My favorite part of the book is a 1977 hand written message from a mother who apparently gifted this book to her daughter. It goes something like this “Forget what you ever knew about cooking. Relax, and have fun! Love always – Mother”. Sound advice indeed!

Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe
For the Cake:
Ingredients
1 package chocolate pudding
1 package (9 ounces) chocolate cake mix (I used moist cake mix)

Method
Prepare pudding according to package directions. Spray the baking dish (12X8 inch) with cooking butter/oil spray. Pour pudding in a baking dish. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour over pudding. Microwave 10 minutes on High, or until a wooden pick inserted in the cake center comes out clean. Once cooled, remove from the baking dish and cover with chocolate frosting.
You can purchase a chocolate frosting package, or prepare it yourself. I also added a little drizzle of cream mixed with sugar syrup on the top to add some color.

For the Chocolate Frosting:
Ingredients
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)
2 to 21/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Method
Combine chocolate and water in a bowl. Microwave 30 seconds on high, or until chocolate melts. Stir until smooth. Mix in butter, cream, and vanilla essence. Beat in sugar until frosting reaches a desired consistency (enough to be able to spread over the cake).

Now the moment of truth: I started out with the ambitious idea of preparing this spectacular cake, which Keiko created. Since my cake wasn’t even close to what she whipped up, I purchased a cake from Trader Joe’s to accompany my chocolate pudding cake (as a backup ;), and topped it with white chocolate shavings and fresh organic roses. All in all the cake episode ended well, with the cake I prepared tasting good, and the cake I purchased and decorated at home, looking great!!

Chocolate Cake from Trader Joe's (decorated at home)

2006-07-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

COLD CUCUMBER SOUP

Given the intense heat wave hitting California this week, I decided to try out fellow blogger Ashwini's chilled cucumber soup recipe.

The soup was very simple to prepare, and was thoroughly enjoyed by R and me in our lush green Japanese Zen garden. We could not have found a better way to cool off!!

I loved the light green color and the creamy yet crunchy texture of the soup. I am usually not a huge fan of cold soups, as soups to me conjure up images of warming up a cold evening! However, this soup is definitely a keeper with its ability to beat any heat wave! It is also ideal as a palate cleanser as a start to a multi-course meal.

I made some minor modifications to the recipe based on what was available in my kitchen. Also added some crunchy garnishings like a fried masala chili & fryums. The spice and crunchiness of the garnish added that extra zing to this very refreshing soup.

Cucumber Soup Recipe
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 spring onion chopped (the small white onion part only)
1 clove garlic
1 green chili chopped
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp or more sour cream
3-4 mint leaves
1 tsp fresh dill
salt and pepper according to taste
For the Garnish
Fryums (available in Indian grocery stores)
Yoghurt marinated chilli (available in Indian grocery stores)
1 mint leaf

Method
1. Add salt, pepper, garlic and chilies to the diced cucumber and onion. Marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Drain excess water into another container and keep it aside.
3. Put all the marinated cucumber and onions into a blender. Add yogurt, dill and mint and blend until smooth. Add the drained water if soup is too thick.
4. Add salt and pepper if needed
5. Pour into inidividual serving bowls and cool in the refigerator for 2 hours.
6. Fry the yoghurt chili, and fryums.
7. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream and garnish with the fryums and fried chili. You can altertaively garnish the soup with a sprig of dill or the spring onion.

2006-07-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

SPROUT BHEL

The inspiration of this recipe comes from a visit to Chaat Paradise in Mountain View.

This was the 1st time I had a "healthy" (or atleast a perception of it being healthy :) version of the famous Bhel. Bhel, is one of the essential street foods of Maharashtra. Beaches and waterfronts of Bombay are lined with vendors competing with each other to sell Bhel puri to evening and weekend strollers. There is probably not a single person in Bombay who has not savored this super yummy snack at some point of time or the other.

Bhel literally translated means a mixture of stuff, and that’s exactly what it is! It’s a mixture of puffed rice, spicy farsan/sev, raw onions, tomatoes, green chilies, potatoes, mint and tamarind chutney, all brought together to pack a punch of spice and amazing flavor!

Sprout Bhel Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the Dry Mix
1 small packet of Puffed rice
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 cup tomato, finely chopped
1 cup coriander, finely chopped
3 green chilies chopped into tiny pieces
¼ cup sliced raw mango
1 packet of Bhel mix/Farsan (available in Indian grocery stores)
3 tsp thin sev
For the Sprouts
1 cup moon sprouts (available in Indian grocery stores). Alternatively, you can soak some whole moong daal overnight in warm water and let hang tied up in a cotton cloth for a day.
1 tsp dhania-jeera powder
1 tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Mint Chutney
I bought this from the Indian grocery store. Alternatively, you could find the recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/109654
Tamarind-Date Chutney
I bought this from the Indian grocery store. But you can find the recipe here: http://great-swad.tripod.com/indiancuisine/id110.html

Method
1. Mix the sprouts, salt, lemon juice, dhania-jeera powder and garam masala in a microwaveable bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of water and cook for 2 minutes in the microwave. Remove and let cool.
2. In a separate deep bottomed bowl, mix all the dry mix ingredients for the bhel, the mint and tamnarind-date chutney, and the sprouts mix.
3. Mix well
4. Garnish with thin sev and green chillies and serve immediately

2006-06-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

Have been meaning to start my blog about the joys of cooking for a long time now, however just didn't get around to it! We moved into our new home in Mountain View in Northern Calif a few weeks ago, where one look at the kitchen had me completely inspired!!

The new kitchen has a bright happy look, where it opens into a lush backyard replete with a Japanese garden created by the previous owners. As you can imagine, we can't thank them enough!!

Hope you guys enjoy the recipes coming out of this fresh new kitchen as much as I do creating them !!!