Cabbage Rice

Here is another dish from my mother-in-law's recipe collection.

Ingredients (Serves 3)

Cooked rice – 2 cups

Cabbage (finely chopped) – 1 ½ cups

Onion (finely chopped) – 1 medium

Bell pepper (finely chopped) – 1 cup

Salt to taste

Pepper powder to taste

Method

Cook rice and keep aside. In a wide pan, add oil and sauté the onions till they turn translucent. Add the chopped bell pepper, cabbage and salt and cover and let it cook well (approx 8-10 minutes). Add freshly ground pepper powder and mix with the cooked rice. Serve hot with your favourite raita. 
Recipe linked to Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter

 

Sabudana (tapioca pearls) Khichdi

This is a traditional dish from the Indian state of Maharashtra.  Even though it is usually made on fasting days when people are not supposed to eat rice/rice related products, my mother used to make this yummy khichdi quite often. So if you are looking for something to make this evening, here goes.... 

Ingredients

Sabudana – 3/4^th cup

Curd – 1/4^th cup

Green chillies (finely chopped) – 1-2

Cumin seeds – 2 tsps

Peanuts (peeled, roasted and coarsely powdered) – 2 tbsps (more if you want the khichdi to be more spicy)

Salt to taste

Oil

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Wash the Sabudana and soak in the curd for about 30 minutes. When you are ready to make the khichdi, heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. As they sizzle, add the green chillies and half of the peanut powder. Sauté well and once it is well combined, add the soaked sabudana (it would have soaked up all the curd). Add salt and a splash of water if it feels too dry. Add the cumin powder, if using and let the khichdi cook on low heat for about 5-6 minutes. Add the remaining peanut powder and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot. Bon Appétit.

Note – 1) I added the peanut powder in two batches as I wanted the crunch to be felt more.  You can very well add the whole amount in the beginning itself.

             2) Along with the cumin seeds you can also add some cumin powder if you like the flavour of cumin.

Spaghetti with Meat (less) Balls

I have always wanted to try spaghetti with meat balls but have never done so because the meat balls are usually made with beef/turkey, both of which I do not eat. It suddenly dawned on me that I might as well make my own vegetarian version...so here it is. Instead of the cutlet recipe that I followed for the vegetable balls, feel free to try your favourite kofta recipe. I am sure it will taste great. 

Ingredients

For Marinara Sauce

Canned tomatoes – 1 14.5 oz can (I used a can of diced tomatoes with onion and garlic)

Onion (finely chopped) – 2-3 tbsps

Garlic (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Fresh basil (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Dried oregano – 1-2 tsps

Olive oil – 2 tbsps

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For Meat (less) Balls

I followed the recipe for cutlet that has been posted here - http://squaremeals.blogspot.com/2011/08/green-vegetable-cutlet.html. Instead of shallow frying them, I deep fried the balls. Next time around, I will be baking them as the frying made them a little oily. 

For Pasta

I used whole wheat spaghetti. You can choose your favourite variety and follow the cooking instructions on the pack.

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and garlic to it. Sauté till the onions turn translucent and the garlic loses its raw smell. At this point, add the tomatoes, basil and oregano and let it simmer for 5 minutes or till it thickens a bit. Mash the tomato pieces if they are too big. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to suit your palate.

Place the cooked and drained pasta on a plate, place a few vegetable balls on it and top with the marinara sauce and grated Parmesan cheese. Bon Appétit.

Note 1) You can replace the canned tomatoes with fresh ones, that have been blanched. Blanching involves putting the tomatoes into boiling water for about 1 minute and then removing them into cold water. After they cool down a bit, peel the tomatoes and dice. 
         2) If using fresh tomatoes, increase the amount of onions.

         3)  I used fresh basil as I have a plant at home. Dry basil will work well too.  

Masala Dosa Wrap

A few years ago, MTR (the famous restaurant chain of Bangalore) opened a branch in Chennai and they had a dosa wrap on their menu. If I remember right, the dosas came with a layer of green chutney, red chutney and potato masala. Unfortunately, the chain did not catch on in the city of Saravana Bhavans and Sangeethas...so I decided to make this dish as a tribute to MTR. 

Ingredients

Dosa Batter (recipe available at http://squaremeals.blogspot.com/2011/01/kara-dosa-spicy-dosa.html

For Masala (8 dosas approx)

Potatoes (cooked) – 2 big

Onion (finely chopped) – ½ big

Green chillies (finely chopped) – 2 (more if you want it spicy)

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1- ½ tsps

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. As they start spluttering, add curry leaves, onions and green chillies. Sauté till the onions turn translucent and add the cooked potatoes, turmeric powder and salt. As you mix in all the ingredients, mash the potatoes and add a little water and cook for a few minutes till the masala comes together nicely. Alternatively, you can mash the potatoes before adding them.

Make sure it does not get too watery or too dry. You can start making the dosas at this point. After you spread the dosa on the pan, add a few drops of oil (optional), cover with a lid and let it cook well. As the dosa starts turning slightly brown and crispy, spread 2 spoonfulls of masala (change according to the size of your dosa) as evenly as possible. I decided to serve the chutney separately, but you can of course spread it on the dosa. This dosa does not need to be flipped, so you can fold it and serve hot. Bon Appétit.

Note  1) I cooked the potatoes in the microwave. You could do the same or let it cook in the pan with the onions and chillies. This will take longer though.

           2) Do not make the dosas too thin or they will not hold the weight of the masala.

Spicy-tangy Pickle

Pickles have always been my favourite, with rice, idlis or dosas. I miss my mother’s avakkai, maavadu and the other pickles she makes every year. In the US, I have tried making maanga thookku and instant mango pickle, but I seem to get bored of them very quickly. Yesterday, when I went to the Indian store to buy my groceries, I saw red sorrel leaves/ Gongura leaves in the vegetables section.

This red stemmed leaves are tangy and a rich source of iron, vitamins, folic acid and anti-oxidants. This vegetable is used with lentils, as gravy for mutton, chicken etc. The most well known recipe is the gongura pickle, which is yummy.

I have had this from my mother’s and mother-in-law’s kitchens. So, when I saw it in the Indian stores yesterday, I decided to make it myself. The recipe for this pickle is simple and easy.

Ingredients

Gongura leaves – one bunch

Tamarind extract – 1 cup

Red chilli powder – 2 to 3 tbsp

Oil – ¼ cup or 5 to 6 tbsp approx

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Pluck the gongura leaves off the stem, wash them and drain the water completely. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and sauté the leaves nicely. The leaves will reduce in volume and will ooze out water. Add tamarind extract, chilli powder and salt and mix well. Remove from stove and allow it to cool.

Grind the gongura mixture in a blender to make a smooth paste. Heat rest of the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the paste and mix nicely. Keep stirring the paste until you see oil oozing out of the paste.

The tangy, spicy gongura pickle is ready. Mix this pickle with rice and serve with raita or papad or serve it as a side dish for rice, idlis or dosas.

 

Note 1) Gingelly oil enhances the taste of pickles and is good for your heart’s health. I always use gingelly oil for my pickles and find it really good.

       2)  Keep this pickle at room temperature for a day or two before storing it in the refrigerator.

Green (Vegetable) Cutlet

You must be wondering why the cutlets are called 'green'. It's simple, green was the color of the day in my ingredient list. You can of course change it to make 'red cutlets' by adding red capsicum, carrots, beets etc. 

This recipe is from master chef Sanjeev Kapoor...need I say more?

Ingredients

Potato (boiled and mashed) ­­– 1

Frozen peas (thawed and mashed) – ¼ cup

Capsicum/bell pepper (finely chopped) – ¼ cup

Onion (finely chopped) – ¼ cup

Cumin seeds – 1 ½ tsp

Ginger (finely chopped) – ½ tsp

Garlic (finely chopped) – ½ tsp

Green chillies (finely chopped) – 1-2

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp (more if you like it spicy)

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Almonds (crushed) – 10

Whole wheat flour/Aatta ­– 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Lemon juice – 1 – 2 tsps

Bread crumbs – from 1 slice

Salt to taste

Oil 

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. As they start sizzling, add the chopped ginger, garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and sauté for a minute more. Add the vegetables and salt and continue sautéing. Add crushed almonds and whole wheat flour and sauté for two minutes more. Keep aside.

Add the sautéed mixture, coriander leaves and lemon juice to the mashed potato and mix well. As the oil heats in a pan, shape the cutlets and roll in the bread crumbs till nicely coated. Instead of pouring the oil all at once, I kept adding it at intervals, as the cutlets were cooking. Fry till they turn brown and crispy and serve hot with ketchup/chutney. Bon Appétit. 

I have made a few changes to the original recipe, so for those of you who want to try the original here is the link - http://sanjeevkapoor.com/mixed-vegetable-cutlets.aspx

 

Note   1) Chop the vegetables as finely as possible, else the cutlets will not hold their shape.

           2) Pulse the almonds in the small jar of your mixie to crush them. Make sure they are not completely powdered.

           3) Use the same jar for making bread crumbs too. A few rounds in the mixie and you'll have home made bread crumbs. 

Baingan (eggplant/brinjal) ka Bharta

The main process in making Baingan ka Bharta is the roasting of the eggplant. If you have a gas stove, this can be done by placing the eggplant directly on the flame and roasting it till its peel looks completely burnt. Since I do not have that option, I had to make do with the oven (it is much easier trust me!).  

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Eggplant (roasted) – 1 big

Chopped onions – ½ cup

Chopped tomatoes – ¾ cup

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Green chillies (chopped/slit) – 2 (more if you like it spicy)

Garam masala powder (optional) – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves (chopped finely) for garnish

Oil – 1-1/2 tbsps

Salt to taste 
Method

If roasting in the oven, brush the eggplant with a little oil (I used olive oil), place it in a baking dish and set the oven to Broil. This was my first time working with the broil setting and I wasn’t sure what the result would be. But after about 25 minutes on high, the eggplant was ready. Even though the skin did not look charred, it was perfectly cooked inside. Do keep an eye on the eggplant, because I am sure not all broil settings are made equal.

Once the eggplant has cooled, remove the peel, take out the inner flesh, mash it and keep aside. In a pan, add oil and sauté the chopped onion. As the onion starts turning translucent, add the tomatoes and green chillies. Add salt and turmeric and keep sautéing till the tomatoes are completely cooked. At this point, add the mashed eggplant and mix well. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapathis/rotis.

Whole Wheat Orange Loaf

I had a few oranges that had been lying at home for more than 2 weeks (luckily they did not spoil). I wanted to use them up and one evening I suddenly came up with this. This is a combination of the muffin and the raisin bread recipes on the blog. I wasn’t sure how it would come out so I made it with half the measure. I wasn’t planning to add any sweetener but the orange juice wasn’t sweet enough and I had to add some honey.

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour – 1 cup

Baking powder – 2 tsps

Orange zest – 1 heaped tsp

Orange juice (freshly squeezed or store bought) – ½ cup

Honey – ¼ cup

Oil – 2 tbsps

Dried cranberries – ¼ cup  (you could add raisins or maybe even candied ginger)

 

Method

Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add orange zest, orange juice and honey and mix well. Fold in the dried cranberries and bake in a greased loaf pan or muffin tray at 350⁰ F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick/knife comes out clean. 

Note – A handheld grater works really well for zesting citrus. Make sure you don’t grate too hard else the white pith will make it bitter. The zest gives an added flavour to any dish. 


Recipe sent to http://foodssrilanka.blogspot.com/2011/09/love-your-food-dont-waste-it-new-event.html

Watermelon Granita and Popsicle

While watching the Food Network on Saturday, I saw a recipe for watermelon juice with mint and lime. Later that day, I visited their website and keyed in watermelon and out popped some interesting recipes. The granita and popsicle recipes caught my eye and I made both immediately. The recipes are from Ellie Krieger and Emeril Lagasse, chefs on Food Network. The measurements have been changed to suit my need.

Ingredients

Watermelon (cubed) – 3 cups (or more if you want to make more)

Lemon Juice – 1-2 tbsps (add more or less according to your taste)

Mint leaves (finely chopped) – a handful

Sugar to taste (optional)

Method
For Granita

Puree the watermelon and strain out the solids completely. Blend the solids once more to get out any remaining juice and then discard. To the strained puree, add lemon juice, mint leaves and sugar (if using), mix well and transfer to a freezer safe bowl. I did not add sugar as the watermelon was sweet enough. You could also add the mint leaves while making the puree.

Freeze for 2-3 hours, making sure that you scrape the mixture with a fork every 20-30 minutes. This gives the granita a crystallized look. 
Garnish with mint leaves and enjoy it on a hot summer afternoon. Bon Appétit. 
For Popsicle

Pour the blended mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for 6-8 hours or until it sets.  I can't think of a better way to beat the summer heat! 
Links to original recipe 
1) http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/watermelon-lime-and-mint-granita-recipe/index.html
 2) http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/watermelon-lime-freeze-pops-recipe/index.html 
Recipe linked to Food on Fridays at Carole's Chatter

Falafel

I have always loved falafel, eaten on their own or inside a pita sandwich. I had assumed that cooked chickpeas were used in this recipe but my assumption was proved wrong by a chef on the Martha Stewart Show. 

Ingredients

Chick peas (soaked overnight/10-12 hours) – 1 ½ cups

Onion (diced) – 1 medium

Green chillies – 2-3 (depending on heat level)

Cumin seeds/powder – 1 tsp

Parsley leaves – a handful

Coriander leaves – a handful

Mint leaves – a handful

Salt to taste

Method

Place the soaked chick peas in a food processor/mixie and give a quick pulse. Add the onions, chillies, cumin, herbs and salt and give a few more pulses till the mixture comes together well. Remove into a bowl and roll into small balls. As you do this, heat oil in a pan and get it hot and ready for frying the falafel.

Making sure you don’t put in too many balls at a time, fry the falafels till they turn dark brown and crispy. Serve hot with a Cup of Joe (I am a coffee person) or chai!! Bon Appétit.

Note – Do not forget to soak the chick peas over night or at least for 10-12 hours. They almost double in size when soaked well.

Recipe sent to http://saffronstreaks.com/blog-events/announcing-cooking-with-seeds-event-chickpeas/


Host Line up - http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/01/cooking-with-seeds-host-line-up.html

Methi Paneer

This recipe is from Anita Kuppuswamy's (a popular folk singer from Tamil Nadu, India) weekly cooking show. 

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

Diced paneer – 1 cup (more if you prefer)

Methi (Fenugreek) leaves – ½ cup

Chopped Onion – 1 medium

Cinnamon stick – 1

Cloves – 2-3

Peppercorns – 3-4 (more if you want it spicier)

Methi seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsps

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Coriander (dhania) powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Curd – ½ cup

Milk – ½ cup

Oil – 1-2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Water

Method

Boil water in a vessel and drop the paneer pieces into it. This makes the paneer soft and more porous. In a vessel, add chopped onion, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and water and let it cook. Once the onions are completely cooked (not mushy), remove and place in a blender. Once it has cooled a bit, blend into a smooth mixture. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the methi seeds, cumin and ginger-garlic paste. Once the raw smell of the ginger-garlic paste is gone, add methi leaves and sauté for a few minutes. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander and salt and let it boil for a couple minutes. Add the ground mixture and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes. Once the gravy has come together, add milk and let it boil. As soon as little bubbles start appearing, add the curd and mix well. After a minute or so, add the diced paneer and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with rotis or rice. Bon Appétit!

Super Omelette!!!

I was watching the Cooking Channel one morning and saw this recipe. I do not remember the name of the person who made it but the recipe sure made an impression.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Eggs – 4-5 (depending size)

Finely chopped onion – ½

Finely chopped bell pepper – ½

Finely diced tomato – 1

Milk – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

Separate whites and yolks and place in different bowls. Add milk and salt to the yolks and beat well. Whisk the egg whites till they form soft white peaks. This is one painful process if done by hand but the final result makes it all worth the effort. Once the egg whites are ready slowly fold in the beaten yolks. Use a spatula or fork and make sure you don’t deflate the whites. Heat oil in a pan (I spread it all over the pan including the sides – this will help the omelette to come out without sticking). Pour in the egg mixture, add the chopped vegetables and cover with a lid. Keep on medium heat and let it cook completely (6-7 minutes). In between the process, run a spatula through the sides of the omelette to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan. Cover and cook till done. Sprinkle pepper and salt (if required) and serve hot.  

Note - You can mix it up with the vegetables and also, if you want smaller omelettes, that can be done too. Keep in mind that once the yolks and whites are mixed, the whites will not hold their fluffy texture for long.