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! :)

Garlicky Tindora/tondekai subzi/ ivy gourd side dish

I've always been a vegetable lover, well at least as far as I remember. (My mom is probably rolling her eyes, because I probably wasn't one when I was very young! ;) Honestly, I don't remember!) We were always forced to try every vegetable as they are good for you in some way or the other. I'm glad these things got forced down my throat when I was probably refusing to eat. I totally appreciate all these different tastes, flavors which would be unknown to me if I hadn't tried them in the first place! -- this comment is specifically directed towards my dearest hubb whose first reaction to every new food and esp vegetable is almost always NO! ;) But, he has taken so much s*** on this topic from me, that he is actually open and enthusiastic to try new vegetables now before announcing he doesn't like it :D There have been times when he's pleasantly surprised, and I'm SHOCKED and almost clutch my heart dramatically (Tee hee hee!!) and he says that he likes/loves the new taste!!

Some veggies haven't been that lucky though! The humble tindora/tondekayi is pretty popular and a staple in Indian cuisine. It is usually made into a simple stir fry or sauteed and eaten as a side with rice and rasam/dal.

This is a version with some onions and tomatoes that goes well with chapati too! Very very simple, but extremely tasty! To some people, if I may add. I'm yet to come up with a form of tindora that hubbs will like/love! :) Meanwhile why not please myself! :D

What you need :
Tindora/tondekayi/ivy gourd - cut into long slices (I prefer slicing them vertically into 4) - about 2 cups
Chopped onion - 1/2 cup or more
Chopped garlic - 2 tbsp or lots more! Love the flavor of it.
Chopped tomato - 1/2 cup
Oil - I used olive oil - 1tsp

Spices :
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - as per your taste
Rasam powder - 1 tsp You can substitute rasam powder with any store bought spice mix (garam masala, curry powder)
Salt


Method :

1. Wash and cut the tindora.
2. Add oil in a pan, add garlic, jeera and onion. I like the flavor of garlic as it heats up along with the oil
3. Fry for about 2-3 mins on medium heat.
4. Add the cut tindora and fry it for about 5-8 mins till its a little tender but not fully cooked.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, chilly powder, rasam powder and salt. Give it a good stir.
6. Cover and cook on very low heat for about 5 mins.

Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Serve hot with rotis or rice. :)

Shrikhand (A tasty popular Indian dessert)

Having grown up in the Karnataka/Maharashtra region I always believed that every Indian knows what Shrikhand is! :D Shrikhand to me is one of the most popular sweets churned out by families for festivals or weddings. Puri shrikhand, I thought was almost as famous and well known as Taj Mahal! :P Hey you can't blame the kid who was almost sick and tired of eating this sweet for every special occasion and the elders could never get enough of it ;) So it made me believe that everyone has to know what it is. You can't even blame the older me who ended up making a many friends from different parts of India who happened to know what shrikhand is and hence I happily concluded that everyone knows Shrikhand! :P

But as I came out of my shell and met more people, I realized there are a ton of people who don't know about this humble yummy and reasonably healthy dessert. There is no ghee, no heavy cream/milk and unlike most Indian sweets/desserts, sugar is probably the only bad thing about this one. Yes, its made from curd/yogurt which is hung overnight and flavored with simple yet divine ingredients like saffron, tons of nuts and cardamom. Use 2% or 1% yogurt to make even less guilty! :) :)

I used store brought yogurt. I usually make 2 versions of this. One of them is "Amrakhand" which is mango flavored and the other is cardamom and saffron flavored. The only effort is hanging the curd and there is no cooking involved. Easily scalable to cater large parties and I haven't met anyone so far who does not like this dessert! :)

The quantities of ingredients can be easily altered. The flavoring is totally up to you. Taste your shrikhand (repeatedly if needed ;) ) to get that perfect level of sugar and flavoring. One guideline is that the final quantity of shrikhand is almost less than half the amount of curd you start with.

What you need:

Plain yogurt (whole or 2% fat)
Sugar - should be fine (use powdered if they are big granules)
Muslin cloth to hang the curd

Saffron - 8 to 10 strands or more.
Milk - to soak the saffron (about 1/4th cup)
Powdered cardamom
sliced or crushed nuts - Pistachios and almonds.


Method:

1. Tie the curd in a large muslin cloth (a light cotton towel should do too.).
-- The way i do it : Spread the cloth on a large bowl/container. Pour the curd into the cloth taking care to restrict it to the container. Tie up the ends of the cloth in the center and make a tight knot as shown in picture. Lift this tied cloth up while keeping the container under it all the time as the water from the curd is going to start dripping. Suspend this arrangement at a convenient spot where it hangs freely with the container below it. I hang it to one of the kitchen cabinet handles and leave the container on the counter to collect the water.

2. Leave this arrangement overnight. The curd is going to release all water and you will end up with a thick curd.

3. Beat this curd with a spoon to remove any lumps. Traditionally there is a special kitchen tool called "Shrikhand paatra" which was used to remove lumps. But I don't use it and the shrikhand turns out just fine.

4. Soak the saffron in warm milk for about 15-30 mins until saffron releases its flavor.
5. Add sugar, saffron milk mixture and cardamom powder to the curd and mix well.
6. Taste and adjust the flavoring ingredients.
7. Add the nuts.
8. Serve chilled with or without puri. YUM! :)

Update(Tip) : My friend Shruti tried this dessert out and she said using Greek yogurt yielded a creamy yummy Shrikhand.