Alu Raita

I wrote and hit delete on several lines trying to best describe this raita! Simple, flavorful, delicious, versatile! Just like its main ingredient, potato, you can eat this raita with anything to add a special touch to your meal. It is one of my preferred accompaniments for Bisi bele bhaat, paratha, thepla, pulav, you name it. Let's get straight to the recipe. Try it to believe how tasty it is! :)

What you need :
Equal amounts of -- 
Boiled potato - cut into small cubes or mashed into chunks
Finely chopped onion
Finely chopped tomato

Plain yogurt/curds
Finely chopped cilantro/dhaniya patta
Salt to taste
sugar - a pinch (Optional)

Tempering:
Oil
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Whole red chilly or Green chilly slit
Hing

Method:
1. Make tadka with ingredients under "tempering". Fry till the chilly (green or red) is slightly fried- about a minute.
2.  Mix the potato, onion, cilantro and tomato with salt and a pinch of sugar if desired. Add desired amount of beaten curd. Add a few spoons of water if your curd is very thick to get raita like consistency.
3. Finally mix in the tadka and serve!! :)

Gobi Paratha (Cauliflower stuffed flatbread)

Stuffed Parathas = YUM!
Gobi paratha is one of my all time favorites. My mom made the yummiest parathas and gobi was undoubtedly one of my faves. My lunch box would have a large stack of stuffed parathas as I'd need enough to share with all my friends(who were equally in awe of the yummy parathas!)

I know there are several different ways of making gobi paratha. Some stuff in raw cauliflower, some pan fry it and so on. My mom would use the microwave to pre cook the cauliflower, and so do I. I find that this method saves a lot of time and the stuffing comes out dry and perfect to easily stuff and make the parathas. The key to easy paratha making is to have a stuffing that is dry and sans moisture. Moisture would cause the stuffing to leak out/parathas to break.

Gobi paratha fresh on the griddle

Note: The thing with parathas is I can never go by a set quantity of ingredients. Just mix some amount of basic ingredient (vegetables, cauliflower in this case) adjust seasonings as per taste. Ended up making more stuffing, great! Reuse it to make grilled sandwiches with cheese. :) Less stuffing = plain chapatis. :) So, there are estimates specified in the ingredient list.
Other stuffed paratha ideas : Broccoli tofu stuffed paratha

What you need:
Cauliflower(I used one small head)
Ginger(About 1/2 an inch)
Green chilles - 4-5
Finely chopped cilantro - 3 tbsp or more. I love to add lots of fresh cilantro.

Seasonings used:
Red chilly powder - adjust as per taste
Coriander cumin powder (Dhaniya jeera powder) - 1 to 2 tsp
Dry mango powder(Amchur powder) - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Kasoori methi - 1 tsp

Dough:
Whole wheat flour
Water
Oil

Method:
1. Make a soft dough by mixing flour and water. Almost double the amount of water to flour. You could add other ingredients to the flour like salt, oil, seasoning. But I just used flour and water.

2. Knead the dough well. Apply about a teaspoon of oil to the dough and keep it covered for about 15-30 mins. Knead again and your dough is ready.

To make stuffing:

Cauliflower stuffing ready!

1. Pulse the cauliflower florets with ginger and green chillies in a food processor. I use my Ninja food processor and it takes me less than a minute ;) Alternatively, you could grate the cauliflower and mix in green chilly+ginger paste.
2. Add the seasonings to cauliflower mince and mix well. Reserve the cilantro for the end.
3. Microwave this mixture for 6-8 minutes, mixing well once every 2 minutes.
4. The stuffing is done when : There is no raw smell and the mixture is dry. If you squeeze a pinch between your fingers it should not release any water. Slight moisture is ok.

To make stuffed parathas:
1. Take a small ball of the dough, roll it out a bit. Place stuffing into the dough, seal the edges and roll it out gently without applying much pressure.
I could not take step by step pictures, wikihow has some good pics on the procedure here
 2. Roast on a hot griddle with a few drops of oil or ghee.

Paratha rolled out and ready to be cooked

Serve hot with some curd or pickle! :)

Veggie "meatballs" and spaghetti with tomato cilantro sauce

Being a vegetarian, I'm always fascinated by the vast variety of interesting sounding meat dishes! Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chicken wings, Shepherd's pie, hot dogs etc. Thanks to the new vegan and vegetarian awareness, a lot of these dishes have been recreated with vegetarian options and I get to experience the different flavors while I stick to my no meat policy. :)
Thanks to the veggie protein options, I now know what buffalo chicken wings and shepherd's pie tastes like with veggie options. :)

One such attempt of mine was to create veggie meatballs and spaghetti at home. It came out pretty tasty but the meatballs were not firm enough and they were falling apart. The second trial was much better and here is the recipe. I have tried to make it nutritious and incorporate different veggies and added some protein.

I also made my own pasta sauce and made it with tons of cilantro(add any herb of your choice).

Veggie meatballs

Veggie meatballs ready!

What you need : (I ended up with 15 meatballs)

Veggies for meatballs

Baby bella mushrooms - 8-10 (I really like their flavor, but you could use a mix of different mushrooms or any other mushrooms)
Onion 1/4th medium
Summer Squash - 1/2
Green bell peppers - 1/2 from a medium sized
Spinach - a handful

Quick cooking oatmeal ground up : 1 cup
green chillies - cos I'm an Indian who stuffs green chillies even into an Italian classic :P (optional)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Salt to taste.
Herbs/seasoning of choice : i used some dried parsley. Other options : basil/Italian seasoning/oregano
Extra firm tofu (drained and crumbled) - about 1/2 a cup.(Optional)
Note:I used tofu to add some protein. It is going to make the meatballs soft, and u might need extra oat flour/corn flour/bread crumbs for binding depending on how much water your tofu retains. I drained the tofu till it was fairly dry and 1 cup of ground oatmeal was good enough for binding.


Method :

1. Chop all the veggies into chunks.
2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add the garlic and wait till it browns. Add the onion and fry for 2 mins. 
3. Add green chillies, if using.
4. Add the mushrooms, squash and peppers. Cook for 5-8 mins till the veggies cook.
5. Then add in the spinach and cook for 2 mins. Let the veggie mixture dry up.
6. We want the veggie mixture to be as dry as possible. Once it cools, pulse it through a food processor.
7. Mix well : powdered oats, crumbled tofu and veggie mixture with salt, seasoning. Check taste.
8. Make balls as shown. Try to pack them tightly.
9. Refrigerate the meatballs for a couple of hours or more. This helps them firm up and for the flavors to blend in well. 
10. Next you could either pan fry them with a tsp of oil till they are brown/crisped or cook it in the oven. I pan fried them on medium to low heat and move them gently around the pan.

    

    Stir fried veggies in the food processor

    

    Ground oatmeal,veggie mixture, crumbled tofu

Spaghetti with Meatballs

What you need:

Veggie meatballs

Pasta sauce/marinara sauce of choice - I used this

Spaghetti noodles/angel hair pasta- boiled as per packet instructions

Grated Cheese - I used fat free mozzarella cheese
Olive oil 1-2 tsp
Garlic - optional

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic and fry till its fragrant.
2. Add the pasta sauce and spaghetti and toss well to coat the noodles.
3. Add the veggie meatballs and sprinkle cheese on top.
4. Cook covered till cheese melts.
Serve hot.

Alternatively, you could assemble the pasta, sauce and meatballs together in an oven proof dish, add cheese and then bake it till cheese melts. 

Tomato cilantro pasta sauce

Dried chilli pepper

On our trip to Costa Rica last year I acquired some kind of dried chilli pepper. We ate at a small restaurant and the pasta sauce had a brilliant smoky spicy flavor, I totally fell in love with! The chef there was really nice and when I asked him about it, he handed me a small plastic bag with a bunch of these dried chilli peppers. Too excited about my acquisition, i did not have the presence of mind to ask about the details of these peppers. :-|

Occasionally I make pasta sauce with these smoky hot little bombs of flavor! I hope that I find out what these peppers are called, so that when I run out of my stash, I could actually identify them and buy some ;) I'm posting a pic of the chilli pepper, anyone knows what it is?
Add any dry red chilly pepper per your taste or add any other form of heat you'd like : red chilly flakes, green chillies, jalapeno etc etc. 

Other than the chilli pepper, this sauce is very simple, like an Indian marinara sauce. Lots of cilantro, garlic, onions and tomatoes are all cooked together. Add different veggies like celery, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms to make a veggie rich sauce - minus the extra sodium and preservatives in store bought sauces. You could make a chunky version by chopping the vegetables or a smooth version by pulsing the veggies thru a food processor.
Try using fresh vegetables and fresh tomatoes. The fresh taste is really great!

What you need :
Tomatoes 3 medium ripe
Onion 1/2 medium
Garlic 5-8 cloves
Mixed veggies -optional
Water or vegetable stock : 1-2 cups
Cilantro - I added about a large handful. Add as per your taste OR use other herbs of choice
Hot peppers or chilli powder - coarsely powdered in a mortar and pestle
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Haldi/turmeric powder - optional. I used it for color.
Salt
Sugar 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method :
Finely chop the onion and garlic.
Pulse the veggies and tomatoes(including cilantro) in a food processor to yield a slightly chunky puree.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add the garlic and fry till its fragrant.
Add in the onions and cook till raw smell goes away.
Add the red chilli pepper powder/flakes.
Next, add the tomato and veggie puree. Fry for about 5-6 mins stirring.
Add in the water/vegetable stock, seasoning, salt and sugar. Bring it to a boil.
Simmer on low heat for about 30-40 mins till all the flavors are well blended.
Blend it for a smooth sauce if desired.

Serve with any pasta. :)

Simple mushroom fry with garlic and curry leaves

I love mushrooms!! My friend Bhavana thought of me when she made this delightfully simple and tasty recipe and shared it with me. ;) and I'm so so glad she did. It has very few ingredients, is very fast to make and the result is YUMMY! I tried it and fell in love with the flavors! My only regret? I should have made more! :D

We ate it with a simple curd rice. Serve as a dry side to go with dal rice and make a simple meal worth remembering!

Served with curd rice

What you need :

Simple ingredients!

Baby Bella mushrooms - quartered about 1 cup
Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves sliced
Curry leaves- about 15 of them thinly sliced
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Fennel seeds(saunf) 1/4 tsp
Oil 1/2 tsp

Haldi/turmeric powder: a pinch
Salt
Red chilly powder to taste
Fresh lime/lemon juice 1/2 tsp


Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic, mustard and fennel seeds. Wait for mustard to splutter.
Then add the curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds.
Add mushrooms. Saute the mushroom for a minute.
Add the haldi, salt and red chilly powder. Mix well.
Cook for about 5 mins or more till mushrooms are done. The water released by mushrooms is absorbed by the spices and it gives a nice coating.
Take off heat and add the lime juice.

Ready to gobble up!!! :)

Root-y Roti. (Beetroot-sweet potato-carrot paratha)

Colorful, flavorful root vegetables come together to yield this delightful and health-ful roti/paratha. It is recommended to have 5 servings of veggies per day(Wow!). How many do we actually do? How well do we mix our veggies to get most if not all the nutrients we need?
This is not really a "recipe" or some great preparation. Just an idea to sneak those veggies into your diet in an easy and tasty way.
I have used beetroot, carrots, sweet potato and flavored it with ginger to make a puree. You can use this puree in many different ways :

1. Mix it in your roti dough to make colorful rotis and include them in your regular meal. The rotis will be soft and flavored and go well with any side.
2. Make paratha dough with it - use spices and extra seasoning and they can be eaten with just curd/pickle.
3. Add some puree in your rice- a colorful fun rice to go with your usual dal/sambar side :)
4. Make a pulav with rice/qunioa/other mix grains for a healthy one pot meal.
5. Sneak some puree into your curry/gravy dish to add that extra dose of health

..the possibilities are endless! If you try this, or have any new ideas of using it, please write a comment and I'd love to try it as well. :)

The recipe here is for paratha and I'm going to freeze some puree as "health cubes" and see how that goes ;)

Mixed root vegetables ready to be boiled

Basic root puree:

1 large beetroot
2 carrots
1 sweet potato
1 inch piece of ginger -more if u like a strong ginger flavor.
Salt- optional

Method :
1.  Scrub and peel the beet and sweet potato. Chop it into big chunks. We're going to boil it, so don't waste your energy in chopping these hard veggies :P
2. Chop carrots.
3. Boil all the veggies and ginger with minimal amount of water till they are cooked thru. You want the puree to be as thick and concentrated as possible.
4. After it cools down, make a puree and get thinking on what you'd like to do with it! :)

Rooty puree

Paratha:

Beetroot sweet potato and carrot paratha

What you need:

Basic root puree 1 cup
Wheat flour 2 cups
Salt
Crushed garlic 
Finely chopped cilantro
Red chilly powder- per taste
Dhaniya jeera powder
Garam masala - optional
Chaat masala -optional
Kasoori methi (dried methi leaves)
Plain yogurt/curd
Oil

Method:
Mix the whole wheat flour with all the dry ingredients. Mix in the puree and some curd. Try to mix the dough with the moisture from curd and veggie puree only and avoid adding water. This will make the parathas really soft.
Roll out parathas as you'd like -folded, laccha, plain and roast them with a little ghee/oil if desired.
Serve hot! :)

Dal Makhni - healthy version.

Health food is hot! :D I say it with a smiley, but I'm in awe at the awareness around healthy eating and how most people in today's world have all their facts and numbers right when it comes to nutrition.  A lot of conversations include terms like trans fat, saturated fat, omega 3 acids, folates, protein with the best amino acid combination and the list goes on. ;)

It's a great thing though, that a lot of folks are making educated choices about what they eat! Especially in today's stressful lifestyle with little time for exercise. Not to mention the reduced times available to churn out a nutritionally complete meal for the family.

The challenge for a complete foodie is to strike that middle ground where you eat healthy and yet not compromise on the taste. A lot of food blogs online have tons of ideas to achieve this. Here is one such attempt of mine to make that creamy tasty Dal makhni with no heavy cream and very little butter. I use a bit of ghee. I find that ghee adds tremendous flavor when used in tadka(tempering), especially for Dals. I have used soft tofu to add the creaminess and some fat free milk to bring in the natural milk/cream flavor.
Hmm.. so let's analyze the results here. About 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp ghee are the bad things. Good things : Lentils and beans that provide protein and fiber. Tofu to add more protein.Really yummy taste- totally worth it. :) :)

You can always add more butter and simmer the dal with some heavy cream if the health bug hasn't got to you yet for the more authentic Dal makhni! :)
Which makes me wonder..What were the health numbers (cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure) of the Nawabs and Rajas who ate these rich dishes on a daily basis?? ;)

What you need:
Dals:
1/2 cup whole urad dal
1/4th cup Rajma (Kidney beans)
A little less than 1/4th cup chana dal (Bengal gram)

Soaked dals ready to go into the pressure cooker with ginger, chillies and turmeric .

1 tbsp Finely chopped ginger
2 green chillies - finely chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

For tadka/tempering:
1 tsp ghee
4 Garlic cloves finely sliced
Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds(methi)
1 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
Asafoetida (hing)- a pinch
2 med tomatoes-freshly pureed
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder to taste

Fenugreek seeds, cumin, garlic, bay leaf and fresh tomato puree

Garam masala powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
1 tsp sugar - This is optional. But it helps add that sweetish taste that comes from fresh cream/malai.

About 1/4 th cup Soft tofu
1/4 th cup milk - fat free will do!
1 tsp butter (optional)
Finely chopped cilantro for garnish






Method:
1. Wash and soak the 3 dal mixture overnight.
2. Pressure cook the dal with turmeric, ginger, green chillies and some salt. Cook for 6-8 whistles. We want the dal to be completely cooked. Once cooked, mash the dal just a little bit so its smooth and uniform - not to a paste.
3. Fresh tomato puree - Chop the ripe tomatoes into chunks and blend it to a puree with some water.
4. Heat ghee in a deep pan. Add the garlic. Once it is golden, add cumin, fenugreek seeds, bay leaf and hing.
5. Add the tomato puree and let it cook for 2 mins.
6. Next, add in the cooked dal, chilly powder and water if needed.
7. Mix well and bring it to a boil.
8. Add salt, sugar, garam masala powder and adjust seasoning.
9. Add butter. Cover and cook the dal on very low heat for 20-25 mins. Stir occasionally and add few spoons of water if it becomes too thick.
10. While this cooks, blend the tofu and milk together to a smooth puree.
11. Add the tofu puree to dal, mix well. Cook on low heat for another 10 mins till all the flavors come together.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with jeera rice or roti.

Caramel Pudding

There are several versions of this simple and yummy dessert. Flan, caramel custard, caramel pudding are what I'm familiar with. They have different textures and cooking methods.
My mom used to make this version of caramel pudding for a long time and I still love this dish for the sheer simplicity and the yummy taste of it. It is a perfect make ahead dish which requires you attention for like 5 mins and then takes its own course!
Eggs and milk are mixed together with sugar and flavoring. Sugar is caramelized and then the mixture is cooked in a pressure cooker. Can't get simpler, can it? :) Making the caramel might be a little tricky for first timers, but I have tried to explain it as best as I can.
I have always been happy with the results by sticking to a few simple rules. Make sure you read the tips in the end.
Serve it chilled with some fruits, nuts and add whipped cream/chocolate syrup to make it fancy. Or, serve it in its best form - simple and plain! :)

Note: If you prefer a very and creamy dense pudding, the oven made one is probably better. This version is a light, fluffy and soft.

What you need:
A wide ish stainless steel vessel that can go in the pressure cooker. See pics.
Pudding
Eggs - 4
Milk - 500 ml
Sugar -
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

Sugar for caramel - About 6 tsps.

Optional flavoring : Try using one of these flavors as per your taste.
Instant coffee granules
Nutmeg powder
Cardamom powder

Method:
1. Beat milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla till they are mixed well. I usually pulse it all in the blender for around 30 seconds. Its fast and easy ;)
If you are using any of the optional flavoring, add it and mix well.
2. Check taste for sugar. Keep in mind, it needs to be a lil less sweet as some sweetness from caramel gets added to it. Keep it aside.

3.  To make caramel : Dust the sugar for caramel fairly evenly in the vessel you want to use. Heat this on a medium to low heat till sugar starts to melt. Keep moving the vessel so that it doesn't burn. Continue heating until sugar caramelizes and turns a golden dark brown. Take care not to burn the sugar - a very dark brown is what you don't want. Sway the vessel so that the caramel forms an even layer on the bottom of the vessel. Take off heat.
Alternatively you could make caramel in another pan and pour it in the vessel you want to use. But I find the above method easiest and less cleanup.

Sugar slowly starts browning

Start tilting the container to mix dry and caramelized sugar

                        

Continue the process till all the sugar caramelizes

All the sugar has caramelized. Sway the container to coat evenly with caramel

Caramel layer ready!

 

Tip: At this stage the caramel is extremely hot, so handle with care. One time, I was naive enough to dip my finger in it :P

5. Add some water in the pressure cooker, keep a small bowl at the bottom - I do this because my vessel is kinda shallow and keeping it directly in the cooker would mean water getting into your pudding.

6. Place the vessel with caramel into the cooker.  Pour the milk and egg mixture into it.
7. Pressure cook this with the whistle on, for about 4 whistles.
8. Switch off heat and let cool completely before taking out the whistle/opening the cooker. 
9. To take out the pudding : Invert a flat serving plate on the pudding vessel and turn it upside down. Slowly lift the vessel and you'll have your beautiful caramel pudding ready to chill in the fridge! :)

A properly done caramel pudding would have a nice (but very thin) layer of brown caramel on top and soft pudding at the bottom.


Important tips:
1. Caramel cooling : If the caramel is still hot and runny, the egg and milk mixture may mix with it and you might not get the thin layer of caramel. If you are using milk and eggs straight from the fridge, you don't need to worry about this as the cold milk will solidify the caramel as soon as you pour it in.
If you are using room temp milk, let the caramel cool and harden completely before pouring the mixture in.

2. Its important that you let the cooker cool completely before taking out the pudding. That's why I call it a make ahead dish. You spend the 5-10 mins in putting it all together, wait for the whistles, switch off the heat and then forget about it for 3-4 hours. When you come back, you're ready to put your pudding in the fridge.

Veggie fajita and cast iron cooking!

Cast iron is back with a bang!! I might be a little late jumping onto the cast iron bandwagon.But better late than never. ;) No, seriously! I've read so so much about cast iron cooking - the taste, the health benefits, the smoky yummy flavor that I could not help myself but buy one of these beauties. Pssst..and they are CHEAP ;) SO yea, my story is pretty much the same as tons of stories online, so feel free to scroll down straight to the recipe.
Bought a skillet, did my research about seasoning and use and kept it inside that I'll use it soon. The cleaning and heating after every use did sound daunting to my time pressed life style! Thus it kept lying around. One fine day, I decided to reduce non stick use in my kitchen. I say reduce and not stop cos I still feel they are way too convenient.some day maybe! And cast iron cookware resurfaced! This time hopefully my determination sticks!

Made this delightfully simple veg fajitas to use up leftover rotis. And I now see what the hype of smoky flavor and taste with cast iron is all about! Try it to believe it! :)

Add veggies of your choice an get creative with the seasoning. 

 What you need:

6 tortillas or rotis (great way to use leftovers)
1/2 cup onion -long slices
1/2 cup bell pepper sliced(i used green and orange)
1/2 cup broccoli sliced
Fajita seasoning mix
1/2 tsp Green chillies chopped -optional
Grated cheese as per taste

Guacamole, sour cream etc if you want an authentic Mexican meal. We just rolled the veggie cheeses mixture in rotis an it was a heavenly easy meal.

Method: 

Heat the skillet and add 1 tsp oil to coat the pan fully

Once the oil is hot, add onions and green chillies(if using). Saute for a min.

Then add the bell peppers and broccoli and other veggies if adding. Roast all the veggies till they are tender. Keep stirring as they might stick.

The cast iron pan will roast the veggies and slightly caramelize them to a brownish tinge and that's what brings out the heavenly smoky flavor.

Add the fajita seasoning, salt little 1/4th cup of water and cook until water evaporates.

Finally add grated cheese and take off heat. Keep it covered for 2 minutes. Alternatively you could add cheese later when you make rolls if you don't prefer it melted.

Serve this mixture with warm tortillas and sides of your choice. YUM! :)