Methya Soppina Chutney - Fenugreek leaves chutney

We are at the airport now feeling awful to go back to our routine. We had great fun on our 5 day vacation. I really don't like to go back to the cold NY.

Well I take back some of the best memories we made here. Next time we come here, we are just going to Key West and no where else. It was such a great place and demands all your time in your visit.

Will catch you all back in my place with more recipes. Adiós for now.

As you guys know, I am a big fan of Fenugreek leaves. This chutney is my mother's recipe. Some of the best taste come from the most simplest of the recipes and this is one of those.

Serves: 3-4

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fenugreek leaves chopped
• 1 tsp oil
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• salt as needed
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing

Method:

• In a pan heat oil, once hot add red chilies and remove only the chilies and keep it aside. 
• To the same oil add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
• Add hing and fry for a second, then add the fenugreek leaves and fry for 2 mins.
• Now add tamarind paste and again fry for 5 mins. Let this cool down.
• To a blender add this cooked fenugreek leaves, red chilies and coconut and grind it with little water to get a chutney consistency. Check for salt and serve with rotti, dosa, chapati or rice.

Oats Veggie Dosa (Crepe)

So I am still in Miami till tomorrow and the weather gets better every time we step out. Yesterday we did nothing till late afternoon and then when to the most bustling place in Miami, the South Beach. You can find all kinds of people here and and they swim, drink, dance and dine all day long.

We just went to the beach, caught the roaring waves for a while, had a mixed fruit yogurt and walked a long way along the Ocean Drive. We went to dine at an Indian restaurant called the Guru. The food there is overrated with more emphasis on decoration rather than taste and is pricy as well.

We returned to our hotel after that and this morning we went to the Gator Safari in Everglades area. We went on an airboat ride and caught glimpses of many alligators. There was also a small show where a man literally played with his croc pals. The birds there are not shy at all and one of them stole ice cream from my hand deceitfully. We are planning to go for a spa before doing our last adventure here, shopping :)

This dosa recipe is best eaten with tangy or spicy chutney and does not need any coconut. I have used quick cooking oats here and it can be replaced with traditional rolled oats as well. With this dosa batter, you can easily make dosas on an iron skillet or non stick Tava, as the dosas come out easily if the Tava is at the right temperature and not too hot.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 10 mins + 1 min per dosa

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup Rava or fine semolina
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 grated carrot
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal or black gram
• A pinch of hing
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 3 and 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder

Method:

• Add oats, rava and rice flour in a microwave safe bowl and heat it for 2 mins on high.
• Coarsely grind this flour mixture in a food processor or blender in pulse mode.
• Remove it to a mixing bowl, add salt, onion, grated carrot, green chili and coriander leaves and pepper powder and mix well.
• To this dry mixture add water and give it a stir. Keep it aside from 15-20 mins.
• In a small spatula, heat oil. Once hot, add mustard and cumin seeds, let it crackle.
• Now add hing and fry for a second and then add urad dal and fry till golden brown.
• Add this tempering to the flour batter and stir again.
• On a hot flat skillet, pour this batter using a round spatula as measurement, circularly in the clockwise direction.
• Add oil on to the outer part of the dosa and roast it. Once roasted turn in over to roast the other side. Continue until the batter finishes. You can also store this batter in a refrigerator.

French Bean Stir Fry

I lay here on the South Beach aka SoBe in Miami, as I write this blog. This recipe was prepared previously.

Yesterday we had been to Key West, utlimate tip of Florida Keys. Reached there at lunch time after the most beautiful drive ever surrounded by crystal clear water on both sides. Had the most wonderful Thai food at a floating restaurant, the reviews to be followed in a few days.

We cycled around the island and went to the beach for a while and floated in lazy refreshing waters on Higgs Beach.

Like this was not enough, we went to the coral reef in a glass bottom cruise and watched the most beautiful sunset of my life. As I told my husband, now I don't have any regrets in life :)

This recipe is a different stir fried method which can be enjoyed with chapatis or rice. Enjoy life folks!

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 pound french beans cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• A pinch of turmeric
• A pinch of hing
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp grated coconut1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• Salt as needed

Method:

• Grind dry red chilies, ginger, coriander seeds and coconut in a blender with very little water.
• In a pan, add oil and heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
• Now add hing to this and fry for 2 seconds.
• Add in the french beans and fry for 10 mins until almost done but still crunchy.
• To the beans add turmeric and fry for another minute.
• Now add the ground masala to it and fry it until there is no moisture left.
• Add salt and check for taste and serve.

Quinoa Sweet potato Salad

Hello and good morning. Yesterday, we landed in Miami, Florida. The temperature is so good that it made up for a 7 month long cold winter. Our hotel has a full equipped kitchen in it, yey! So more cooking coming along.

We got Kia Optima car for our rental, a free upgrade, talk bout getting lucky. The drive was smooth and haven't seen any interesting places yet. Today we are planning to see Key West the entire day. It is about 3 hrs drive from Miami.

Coming to this recipe. Quinoa is one of the super foods like oats. It is packed with rich protein and fibers. It is a South American based grain and is now available everywhere in the world. Every once a week I see to it that we have healthy, whole grain only food. So made quinoa salad. This is one of the basic items of quinoa and as you can see I am exploring the possibilities with this new grain.

It cooks with same amount of water as rice, that is, for 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups of water. It has a distinctive nutty flavor to it goes well with all veggies. This time you will see the continental and mostly Chinese side of usage. Next time I will stick to my South Indian roots :) mom says it resembles a grain called Navane to look at, though Navane is called foxtail millet.

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 15 mins to cook Quinoa + 30 mins to roast all Veggies + 5 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 lb french beans cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 green bell pepper cut lengthwise
• 1/2 big onion cut length wise
• 1 big carrot peeled and finely shredded
• 1 cup Quinoa
• 2 and 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp lime juice or lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• Salt as needed

Method:

• Rinse thoroughly and cook quinoa in a pressure cooker or rice cooker or stove top with given amount of water.
• Preheat the oven to 400K.
• In a plastic zipper bag, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt, pepper and sweet potato pieces. Close the zipper and shake well.
• Transfer the sweet potato along with seasoning to a baking sheet lines with parchment paper and bake it for 20 mins, stirring after 10 mins.
• Do to switch off the oven, bring out the sweet potatoes and add the cut beans and bake for another 5 mins.
• Now bring out the baking tray again and add the bell pepper and onion and bake for other 5 mins.
• In a mixing bowl, add red wine vinegar, sriracha, soy, lemon juice, left over olive oil and salt, and whisk it well.
• To this add the cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables and shredded carrot, give a gentle mix. Check for taste and serve.

Seemebadnekayi mosru sasve - Chayote yougurt sauce

Hello all you beautiful people out there. First of all, thank you for your encouragement, this is my 27th post. I hope one day I publish my own recipe book with my own food photography. Too ambitious isn't it :), a girl can dream. This beats any desk job any day!

So you all remember my boothkumblakayi majjigehuli? This is similar but different in that we don't cook the sauce or the stew, though we use yogurt for both the dishes. As white pumpkin, chayote has high degree of water content, it is easier to cook.

Chayote is used as a common vegetable in Asia, South America and parts of Africa and Australia. There is a striking difference in usage. In India usually it is cooked and in Latin American cuisine, it is used raw for salads mostly. In Thai and Taiwanese cuisine, shoots are used in Stir fries. All in all, this veggie can be baked, fried, stuffed, pickled or can be eaten raw.

Some of the health benefits of chayote are:

1. The fruit, stem and leaves have multiple nutrients.
2. Anti-inflammatory property of chayote reduces blood pressure, kidney stones and indigestion.
3. High in dietary fibers, so they help to normalize motion.
4. Lowers cholesterol and helps to obtain a healthy cardio vascular system.
5. It is low in calorie and fat.
6. Helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
7. Excellent source of Vitamin C and folate.
8. Provides healthy metabolism and immunity.
9. Helps in weight loss due to high water content.
10. Helps to build strong bones, healthy nerve and muscle system.

Serves: 31 tsp 

Preparation time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 chayote chopped into quarter inch cubes
• 1 tsp ghee or clarified butter
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 5-6 curry leaves
• A pinch of hing or asafetida
• 1/2 cup yogurt with enough water to have saucy consistency
• Salt as needed

Ingredients to grind:

• A pinch of turmeric
• 2-3 strings of coriander leaves 
• 1 tbsp roasted bengal gram or hurigadle
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• 1-2 green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

• Grind the ingredients in the to grind section with very little water, in a blender.
• In a small sauce pan, add ghee and let it heat. 
• Once hot add mustard seeds and let it crackle. 
• To this, add hing and curry leaves and fry for 2 seconds.
• Add the chopped chayote, sprinkle some salt and water and cook with a closed lid for 5-8 mins.
• Switch off the gas, add the ground masala to this and slowly add in yogurt stirring constantly.
• Finally, add the salt and check for taste.

Kotthu Parotta

The first time I ate this dish was in Saravana Bhavan restaurant in Edison, NJ. I never knew parotta came like this. I was expecting a round bread, what I got was shredded stuff, not appetizing to look at, but great to taste.

I did some research on this and came to know it was first conceived in Trivandrum, Kerala. Usually this contains egg, but the one I ate at the restaurants didn't have any. So I made eggless and in my style. I have used Marinara sauce here as I had some left over stored.

This is a great dish for kids and healthy too. You can use those left over rotis in this recipe. This is specially good when you are done with same old chapati and want to eat a variety food or when you don't want to prepare any side dish for chapati exclusively.

Serves: 2 -3 

Preparation Time: 10 mins to make 3 parottas + 15 mins 

Ingredients:

• 3 Parotta (or thick rotis or chapatis) cut into 1 inch squares
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 cup tomato puree/tomato sauce/marinara sauce
• 2 tbsp oil
• A pinch of hing or asafetida
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 1 tsp chana dal or split bengal gram
• 1 tsp urad dal or black gram
• 1 small onion sliced lengthwise
• 1 capsicum sliced lengthwise approximately to onion size
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
• Salt as needed

Method:

• In a wok, add oil and heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and wait till they crackle
• Add hing and curry leaves and fry for 2 seconds.
• Now add the chana dal and urad dal and fry till golden brown.
• To this add onion, ginger, garlic and green chili and fry till the onion turn translucent.
• Now add capsicum to this and fry for not more than 5 mins. 
• Add the 5 spice powder to this - turmeric, red chili, garam masala, cumin and coriander powder.
• To this mixture add in the tomato puree and fry until there is no rawness. Add salt and check for taste.
• Finally add the sliced parottas to this and stir for 4-5 mins. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Lauki Kadhi - Bottle gourd curry

I got to know from my readers that they didn't know the benefits of Bottle gourd until they read in my previous post on this veggie. So I am posting yet another recipe using this veggie.

I remember eating this Punjabi dish called Kadhi Pakodi long back in 2010 in Ista restaurant, Bangalore. It is essentially fried onion pakodas dipped in yogurt curry. My recipe is similar to this version, at least the curry part of it.

Instead of deep frying the pakodas in oil, I am shallow frying patties made out of grated bottle gourd.
These patties are so good, I swear I have no idea how much i ate before making curry sauce. So if you ever feel like making an appetizer, stop at the lauki patty.

The curry tend to get thick after becoming cold. Just add hot water before eating and it will still taste yummy. You can eat it with roti, rice or just like that :)

Serves: 3-4

Preparation Time: 15 mins to make Bottle Gourd patties + 15 mins for curry

Ingredients for Patties:

• 1 grated Bottle Gourd
• 1/2 cup Besan or gram flour
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp oil

Ingredients for Curry:

• 1 tsp lime juice (optional)
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt as needed
• 1/2 cup besan or gram flour
• Water as needed
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 green chili
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves

Method for Patties:

• Mix all the ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl.
• Make lemon sized balls and press with both the palms to make flat patties.
• In a flat pan add oil and let it heat. Once hot add all the patties equally spaced next to one another and roast until golden brown.
• Cut each patties into four equal pieces.

Method:

• In a bowl add curd and beat it until smooth.
• To this add chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt and mix it well.
• Add lime juice in case the curd is not sour.
• To this mixture add gram flour and gently fold it in the curd mixture so that no lumps are formed.
• Add water to this to get the curry consistency as much needed. I added about 2 cups.
• In a sauce pan, add oil and heat it. Once hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and let it crackle.
• Now add the green chilies, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste and fry until there is no raw smell.
• To this add the yogurt and gram flour mixture and bring it to boil.
• Once you see bubbles, check for salt and taste. Now switch off the stove, add the patties in the curry and garnish with coriander leaves.

Heerekayi Thovve - Ridge Gourd and Lentil Stew

Heerekayi or Ridge Gourd is a commonly used veggie in India, China and Malaysia. The Bhajjis made out of it is really yummy. People prepare chutney, sambar, kootu and sir fry using Ridge Gourd. It is also known as Chinese or Taiwanese Okra. It belongs to the cucumber family.

Usually it has a sweet taste while cooked. Be carful though, some grown in soil having bones in it, tend to be bitter. So choose wisely. Next time you are in the market trying to purchase this vegetable, count the number of ridges on it. An even number of ridges assures you that the soil was good and the veggie it self is not bitter.

They are natural remedy for jaundice. The other health benefits of ridge gourd are:

1. They are rich in fiber, vitamin C, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc.
2. It is a natural blood purifier.
3. They are rich in antioxidants and are helpful to lower blood and urine glucose.
4. They rich in Beta Carotine for good nails, eyesight and hair.
5. Helps in ease of motion and relieves constipation.
6. Helps in weight loss.
7. Helps to cure piles.
8. Renders good liver health.
9. Improves immunity against diseases.
10. Helps to provide great skin care.

This recipe is best eaten with roti or rice. Found it exceptionally good with rice :)

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 20 mins to cook lentils + 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 Ridge Gourd, peeled near ridges and cut to 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup moog dal or split yellow gram cooked
• 1/4 cup toor dal or split pigeon peas cooked
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• A pinch of hing or asafetida
• 1 green chili slit lengthwise
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• A pinch of turmeric 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped (optional)
• Salt as needed

Method:

• In a deep sauce pan, add oil and let it heat. Once hot add mustard and cumin seeds and let it crackle.
• Now add in hing, slit green chili and curry leaves and fry for a second.
• Add the cut ridge gourd and sprinkle half cup of water and add a bit of salt and let it cook for 5 minutes with the lid closed.
• Stir in the ginger garlic paste and give it a rough mix.
• Add all the 5 spices - turmeric, chili, garam masala, cumin and coriander powders and let it come to a boil.
• Add both of the cooked dal and cook for 5 more minutes with water as needed. (To use with rice you might want to add more water than used with Chapati).
• Add salt and check for taste. Switch of the stove and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Methi Matar Malai

Before I proceed, I promise this will be the last in cream series, at least for a while, since I have run out of cream and not planning to buy any soon.

This is one of the dishes you find in the entree section of any Indian restaurant. Though this is a different version, it essentially includes all basic elements - methi or fenugreek leaves, matar or peas and malai or cream. It can be eaten with rotis or rice.

This dish was pretty challenging, literally. When we went to Indian street, my husband almost picked up ready mix of this dish, thank god I saw it. It doesn't make difference to him if it is home cooked or store bought. Men and their way of thinking is too simple in these things. Anything that can be eaten during meals is all they need. No matter where they come from or how much effort you put in making them :) Anyways, he challenged me to make it restaurant like, at home, and then he wouldn't buy anymore ready dishes. And guess who won it :) Moi!

In other news, all these recipes are making my mom angry. Yes, she is, since my dad demands her to prepare these every time they come to know I have posted a new recipe in my blog. He loves rich foods and he is a heart patient with diabetes. According to him, never regret about eating something when you actually can eat it with your own teeth. Lols! he never likes any healthy food. On the hind side, my father-in-law eats only healthy food (well most of the time).

So we as children (at least to them) are mixed breed. We enjoy anything we eat and are adjusted to all kinds of food, Vegetarian food.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients to grind:

• 3 tbsp cashew nuts soaked in water for 30 mins
• 3-4 green chilies
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 inch grated ginger
• 3-4 garlic pods grated
• 1/4 onion chopped roughly
• 1 tomato de-seeded
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 3-4 cloves
• 3-4 cardamom pods
• 4-5 black pepper corn
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 3/4 onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 cup green peas
• 2 cups chopped fenugreek leaves (add salt to chopped leaves and keep it for 10 mins and drain to remove bitterness)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Salt as needed

Method:

• Grind all the ingredients with little water given under to grind section.
• In a sauce pan, add oil and let it heat, once hot, add cumin seeds and let it crackle.
• Add onion and fry until translucent.
• Then add peas and fry for 2 mins and then add fenugreek leaves and fry for another 5 minutes.
• To this add the ground masala and add water to get curry consistency and bring it to boil.
• Add cream slowly giving a gentle stir simultaneously and then add milk to it.
• Add in sugar and then salt and check for taste. Serve hot.

Rava Upma / Khichdi

Today was such a laid back day, it was awesome. Hence my post is this late. My workouts gave me a bad body ache when I got up. Both my husband and I did our Sunday chores, vacuuming, sweeping, washing and folding clothes and regular cooking.

After a long time we had a good afternoon nap. Spoke to our cousin and his to be fiancee and prepared for the week ahead. As usual we had our heavy Sunday lunch, an evening coffee and snacks, and wanted a delicious dinner.

Rava khichdi or upma is very famous in South India. It is what you usually find in any functions for breakfast or when a guy visits a girl's home for the first time while meeting parents and vice versa. There are many ways to do it. Today, I have made this using Avarekayi or Val Beans. Right now, val beans are not in season, so I have used frozen ones but without any preservatives. It can be prepared without any veggies or the usual beans, carrot, peas, potatoes and so on.

Val beans or field beans are considered exotic in some parts of India. They are available in the cold season and since its cooked and eaten, it brings warmth to the body during cold days. Back in Bangalore, people make all kinds of food using these beans. I love trying them.

Though I am not that crazy about upma, my husband and my father-in-law are biggest fans of it. They can eat it for any or all three meals for the day and with curd or rasam.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 5 mins to cook Val beans + 15 mins preparation time

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing or asafetida
• 1 tbsp chana dal or split bengal gram
• 1 tbsp urad dal or black gram
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 inch ginger shredded
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1/2 cup avarekayi or val beans cooked in microwave for 5 mins on high
• 1 and 1/2 cups Roasted Bhansi Rava (Thick Semolina)
• 3 cups water
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1-2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2-1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp curd
• 1 tsp ghee or clarified butter
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp coconut shredded
• Salt as needed

Method:

• In a wok add oil and let it heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
• Then add in asafetida, chana dal and urad dal and fry until golden brown.
• Now add curry leaves, ginger and green chilies and fry for a minute.
• Add in cooked val beans and turmeric and fry for 2 minutes.
• Now add water and let it come to a boil.
• To the water add salt, sugar, curd and lime juice and give it a stir checking for taste.
• Add in the roasted semolina and mix it well with water until it thickens and the grains of semolina are smooth. It takes five minutes.
• Switch of the stove and garnish with ghee, coriander leaves and shredded coconut. Serve hot.

Note: Always add coconut and coriander at the end so that it does not get cooked much and to retain all the flavor. Ghee is added at the end just to get a good taste.

Salsa Cruda Bruschetta

We had been to Houlihan's in Weehawken, NJ last Saturday. Though it was not the first time in that restaurant, it was first in that area. It was long time since we had been to Houlihan's and my husband was longing to eat their Veggie Burger.

We have a few options there for vegetarian entrees. In particular, we like the veggie club sandwich and the Burger with a green peas patty. This time we ordered Salsa Cruda Bruschetta for appetizer course. I was simply mesmerized by its taste. It felt like I didn't want to eat anything else for my entire lifetime. Yes, it was that great. So if my attempt to recreate this Bruschetta is even 10% close, then I would consider myself successful.

Salsa, simply put is tomato sauce. But it is somehow extended to include anything which has more tomatoes. Salsa can be cooked or raw. Uncooked salsa is known as Salsa Cruda. Anyways I found this page very interesting to understand different types of salsa.

I have used garlic infused butter instead of using garlic directly since I don't like to get garlic pieces in my mouth. Also used is vegetable cream cheese spread. You can use any type of cream cheese, in case you can't find it, you can add cheese while toasting bread to melt it directly on bread.

Serves: 2-3

Preparation Time: 10 mins prep time + 10 mins baking time + 10 mins for assembling

Ingredients:

• 1 French Baguette bread slit into half and cut into approximately 8 inch pieces
• 1/4 stick of butter or 1/4 cup of butter
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 3 firm tomatoes finely chopped
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 8 to 10 basil leaves shredded
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt as needed
• Black pepper powder as needed
• 3 wedges of cream cheese spread
• Grated parmesan for garnishing

Method:

• In a sauce pan add garlic and butter and let it melt . Once melt switch off the stove.
• Using a brush, rub the garlic butter on top of the baguette pieces evenly.
• Bake them in a conventional oven at 425K for 10 mins or until they crisp up.
• In a mixing bowl add chopped onions, tomatoes basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix it together gently folding in to make salsa.
• Once the bread has toasted spread the cream cheese on top of each bread.
• Add the salsa prepared on top of each bread.
• Sprinkle parmesan on top and serve.

Malai Kabul Channa - Garbanzo/Chick peas cream curry

I had some left over shredded cabbage, a cup or more, stored in a plastic zipper bag. I decided to use it with garbanzo beans. Both combine very well. I used traditional method of soaking on boiling instead of using canned ones.

Nowadays I am in mood to make cream based curry. Not that its too rich, but the flavor is really good, if used in right amounts. As mentioned before in previous blogs, if you don't have cream, use equal amount of milk.

So I gave this curry for my husband's lunch this week and for the first time, without me asking, he told it tasted superb. If you know my husband, you know that he is not that vocal about anything. So it was real pat on my back.

This is not a spicy curry but it goes very well with rice as well as chapati. It is good while hot but carries well.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: Overnight Soaking for chick peas + Cooking chick peas + 20 mins 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely shredded cabbage
• 1 cup chick peas soaked and cooked
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp chana dal
• 1 tsp urad dal
• A pinch of hing (asafetida)
• A pinch of turmeric
• 2 tsp chana masala
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1/4 cup cream
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
• Salt as needed

Method:

• In a sauce pan, heat oil, once hot add mustard seeds and hing and let the mustard seeds crackle.
• Then add in chana dal and urad dal and fry until golden brown.
• Now add in the shredded cabbage and fry for 5 mins.
• Add the turmeric, channa masala powder and chili powder and  fry until the raw smell is no more evident.
• To this add the cooked chick peas and tamarind paste and mix it a bit to even out the paste.
• To this add cream and some water to give it a curry consistency, let it come to a boil.
• Once it boils add salt and check for taste. 
• Switch off the stove and add chopped coriander and mix well.

Bhindi Masala - Okra Marsala Fry

So as I told I wasn't that well yesterday. So my husband took on the job of cooking, which includes anything that is kept on a stove, including water :). Though he told he would come back from office and cook something for dinner and next day's lunch, I knew he would be the happiest if I did it all before he can. Sometimes happiness is all you feel when your life partner or best friend is happy. In my case he is both.

Coming to this recipe, I have mentioned before that Ladies Finger or Okra is my favorite vegetable any day. There are numerous traditional methods that can be used to cook Okra, but today my technique is to do a filling method. In this case I have used curd, instead you can also leave the curd and use oil and masalas instead.

There are numerous health benefits of okra, some are:

1. The slime of okra reduce blood glucose levels.
2. It is rich in Vitamin B and folate for safe pregnancy.
3. Helps to reduce kidney problems.
4. Helps with respiration.
5. Promotes healthy skin.
6. Eases motion and aids for digestive health.
7. They are low in calorie and can be eaten as a part of any diet.
8. Rich source of antioxidants and Vitamin C.
9. Rich in Vitamin A for eye health.
10. Rich in fibers, vitamins and minerals.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 30 mins resting time and 30 mins cooking time

Ingredients:

• 1 lb or 1/2 kg okra cut into 2 inch pieces, slit till 3/4th of length 
• 2-3 tbsp curd
• A pinch of turmeric
• A pinch of fenugreek powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• salt as needed
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• 1 onion cut lengthwise
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 green chili finely chopped

Method:

• In a small bowl, add curd, to this add turmeric, fenugreek, chaat masala, red chili, cumin and coriander powders along with salt and mix well
• Fill this curd mixture into every piece of slit okra and after filling all okra let it rest in a bowl for 30 mins.
• Discard the clear slime, if any, left in the bowl after 30 mins
• In a sauce pan, heat oil. Once hot add cumin seeds and let it crackle.
• To this add onions and green chillies and fry until translucent.
• Add in the Okra and fry on medium high without closing the lid. It takes at least 20 mins to fry so be patient.
• Keep turning the okra occasionally and take care so that it is not burnt.
• Finally when there is no more sliminess, add salt and check for taste. 

Review - Payless Shoe Source

As most of you know, Payless is a famous shoe store chain in USA. It is known for affordable shoes. They also sell handbags and other accessories like socks, stockings, small jewelry, winter wears like gloves, hands and scarfs.

Though the store has good collection for women and girls collection, not much in the boys and men section.

So we had been to Payless Shoe Store in 34th street NYC. It was a small but charming store. Not much help offered by the staff. But I was impressed by the collection. There were nice designer shoes for less than $30 a pair. Also there is always a sale any time in Payless.

Sites like Retailmenot and Promocodes carry the latest coupons, with which sometimes you can save up to 50%. The best time to shop is during the start or end of seasons and festivals. Around the time that I purchased, it was Easter (Easter is on 20th April this year). They had brilliant colors and designs. I have purchased before in this chain but there is a drastic change in terms of designs.

They are fresh and in fashion, specially the flats and the wedges. The canvas shoes are totally cute and comfortable with style. The new thing though is their booties, half boots and half sandals. They have complete collection of summer essentials including the good old flip flops. They are stocked up with pastel shades as well.

Below are the 4 pairs I took. The blue sandal looks great on jeans and khaki shorts, the black gladiators are great looks for Capri, the olive booties almost go with everything and can be worn in winter and summer and looks chic, and finally the off white wedge is that one light color shoe which is essential for a Western or Easter wardrobe. I got it billed for $112 but since it was my birthday month I got an extra 25% off, which I almost forgot when I got it billed, but the lady at the counter was kind enough to re-bill this discount and we got enough savings. And my husband quoted the infamous line "Happy wife, happy life" :)

Brown Rice and Lentil Savory crepe - Ade Dose

So though I am all sick today, I was pretty OK when I decided to do Ade Dose yesterday for dinner. Since it requires soaking of ingredients, I could do the preparation yesterday morning itself.

I am using organic rice for this, also known as brown rice. It is very nutritious and beats the boring white rice any day. Brown rice takes longer to cook and to soak. So I soaked brown rice in hot water so that it softens easily.

This recipe uses 3 different lentils as well. They are chana dal or split bengal gram, toor dal or yellow pigeon peas and moong dal or split green gram. All three are used in equal proportion and soaked as well. The version which my mom makes has urad dal (black gram) as well. But this is mom-in-laws recipe and she never uses that.

This dosa is heavy in nutrition and does not necessarily require a chutney as condiment. At home, we eat it with curd, jaggery or molgai pudi (spicier version of chutney powder) with oil. We add hing or asafetida and ginger to reduce the gassiness of lentils.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time:  5 hours soaking time + 15 mins blending time + 1 or 2 mins per dosa

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chana dal soaked overnight or for 5 hours
• 1/2 cup moong dal soaked overnight or for 5 hours
• 1/2 cup toor dal soaked overnight or for 5 hours
• 1 and 1/2 cups brown rice soaked overnight or for 5 hours
• 2 green chilies
• 3 dry red chilies
• 1 inch grated ginger
• 2-3 tsp salt
• A pinch of hing or asafetida
• A pinch of turmeric

Ingredients for tempering:

• Oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• A pinch of hing

Method:

• Grind soaked chana dal, moong dal and toor dal with little water along with both red and green chilies, ginger, hing and turmeric.
• Grind soaked brown rice separately with  little water into a fine paste.
• Add salt to it and mix both the batter until you get an even consistency.
• In a small spatula heat a tsp of oil, once hot add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
• Add hing and curry leaves and fry it for a second or two.
• Add this tempering to the batter and mix it.
• On a hot flat pan or tava add this batter to the center using a spatula and spread it in increasing clockwise direction until it is a rough circle and the dosa is spread thin.
• Add 1/4 tsp of oil around this dosa and let it cook for a minute or two.
• Roast the opposite side as well and fold and remove. Continue this for the rest of batter.

Excess batter can be stored in the fridge and used whenever needed. Once it starts smelling of sourness, its time to discard.

Cabbage Peas Kofta Curry

So yesterday we had been to Indian street on Journal Square, NJ. It was the usual Sunday crowd. Our main purpose was to buy grocery and to look for a travel agent. We had no clue that travel agencies come in such small places and inside of garment shops. But for our luck, all these agencies were closed on Sunday, for which we were thankful. We took some contact numbers and decided we would call on weekdays. What a bummer!

Usually I make lunch for my husband every morning, but yesterday I had too much time in hand and an itch to do something crazy. So I opened the fridge and saw an evident cabbage sitting all alone. Now I didn't want to do the same old stir fry or palya. So decided to do kofta. However, I decided not to fry in oil or roast in oven, but to shallow fry on the stove top.

Some of the benefits of cabbage are:

1. Did you know cabbage is lowest in terms of calories, cooked or raw. A cup of cooked cabbage is just 44 calories, go figure! 
2. They are rich in Keratin for beautiful hair and nails. 
3. Cabbage is a great source of folic acid necessary for DNA specially during pregnancy.
4. It acts like a multivitamin, has multiple vitamins and minerals along with Iron.
5. It has Ketamine (vitamin K), essential for brain function
6. Has sulphur for good skin.
7. Detoxifies blood.
8. Helps to reduce blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
9. It has possible cancer preventive compounds.
10. Cure headaches and hangovers.

In case you are hyper thyroid patient then replace cabbage with other veggies like Bottle Gourd.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 40 mins

Ingredients for Koftas:

• 2 cups finely grated cabbage
• 1 cup boiled and mashed peas 
• 3-4 tbsp corn starch or corn flour
• Rice flour for dipping
• Salt as needed
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1/4 tsp chaat masala
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tomatoes or 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 onion divided and chopped finely
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tsp kasuri methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves)
• 1 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
• 2-3 tbsp cream or milk
• Salt as needed

Method to make Koftas:

• Mix all the ingredients listed in for Kofta section except rice flour.
• Make small lime sized balls and roll it over rice four
• In a flat pan add a tsp of oil and spread over the pan, let it heat.
• Once you see hot air, add all the kofta balls on it and roast all the sides to a golden brown color.
• Once done collect all the koftas on a plate and keep it aside.

Method:

• Boil the tomatoes with 1/2 onion in microwave for 3 minutes along with 1 cup of water and little salt.
• Do not drain and add this to a blender and blend until it comes to a sauce consistency.
• In a sauce pan, add oil, let it heat.
• Once hot add cumin seeds and let it crackle.
• Add in chopped onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry until translucent.
• Using palm of your hand, rub kasuri methi while adding it to the pan.
• Now add the Pav Bhaji Masala.
• Add cream and water as required and bring the curry to a boil.
• Add salt and check for taste.
• Finally add the roasted koftas and boil for a minute and switch off the stove and let it rest for a while in the sauce.

French Bean Curry

Most of the time I have an exact idea of what I want to prepare, so I bring those veggies home which I plan to use in a day or two. But this day, I had weird combination for a curry - French beans, sweet peppers and tomatoes. While they are perfectly OK for a pasta sauce, they are really not a great for a curry. It was rather a brave move, which surprisingly worked.

I do not use anything called Curry powder cause in India, we never make curry out of one powder all the time. I think it was created to trick the tastebuds to think a dish is curry, since curry powder is used.

A dish should have right amount of 5 basic tastes - saltiness, spiciness, sweetness, bitterness and sourness. I have used salt for saltiness (obviously), honey and milk for sweetness, various spices for spiciness, fenugreek powder for bitterness and tomatoes and yogurt for sourness.

This curry is best for chapati and rice. It carries well so its a definite lunch box item.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 25 - 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups french beans cut to 2" pieces
• 1 Bell pepper any color cut into 1" pieces (I used yellow ones)
• 1 large Plum tomato cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp curd
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dry mango powder
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt as needed

Method:

• Cook french beans with 2-3 tbsp water and some salt in a microwave oven for 3 mins.
• In a saucepan, add oil and let it heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let it crackle.
• Add the cut bell peppers and fry for a few minutes.
• Add in tomatoes and the cooked french beans along with its water.
• Add honey and all the spices one by one  (turmeric, chili, dry mango, fenugreek, garam masala and coriander powders) and give a mix every time a spice is added.
• Stir the entire concoction until everything blends well.
• Add the milk and again stir for a while.
• Mix in the curds slowly making sure it does not curdle. Let this boil for at least 5 mins (the more you boil, the more taste seeps in).
• Finally add salt and check for taste.

Boiling French Bean Curry

Sabakki/Sabudana/Tapioca Pongal

Its a beautiful morning and I can, for the first time this year, hear birds chirping outside our balcony. Had a satisfied Friday yesterday. Spoke to my parents and in-laws on Skype and it was quiet exciting. My husband came home late and we had very light dinner.

Today both of us are ready for a good breakfast, so I made pongal. Pongal is traditional rice recipe having moong dal, symbolizing harvest season in India, made on the festival of Pongal. We actually go by festival called Ugadi and our version of pongal dish is called Huggi. Anyways, we have 2 types of pongal dishes. The sweet one and the savory one. This is the recipe for savory pongal. My dad loves pongal and can eat it everyday. My mother-in-law is a pongal expert.

I usually make pongal with rice, poha and oats. So this was totally new for me. Idea for this came from the sabudana khichdi which has a totally different taste and different ingredients.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 mins + 5 hrs Soaking time.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups Tapioca/Sabudana/Sagoo
• 1/2 cup moong dal (split green gram)
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing (Asafetida)
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp crushed cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
• 2 green chilies
• 1-2 tbsp raw cashew nuts
• Salt as needed

Method:

• Soak the tapioca either the previous night or for 5 hours and drain all the starch washing it 3-4 times.
• Cook the moong dal in pressure cooker for 3 whistles with a pinch of turmeric, salt and few drops of oil.
• In a pan add ghee, let it heat.
• Once hot add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
• Now add hing and cashew nuts and fry till golden color.
• Add in chillies, pepper, cumin and grated ginger. and fry for a few seconds.
• Mix the moong dal to this and make sure to add water so that its not dry.
• Add in the soaked Tapioca and about 1-1.5 cups of water and close the lid for 5 mins to let it cook.
• After cooking, tapioca turns translucent, then add salt and check for taste and serve hot.

Maggie Noodle Stir Fry

As Indians, who haven't heard of Maggi, which is a substitute of popular american Ramen noodles. Though it was not often that we ate it in India, it became go-to food in US. It is so easy to prepare that my husband can cook it too. There are lots of varieties and the one which I like the most is Vegetable Atta noodles. It is made of whole wheat and is more nutritious than others.

So why I am writing some instant noodle recipe you ask, and I have a very valid answer. Its not the good old method of boiling water, add the tastemaker and then add for noodles and cook it for 2 mins and your done. Il teach you how to make it yummy, Chinese style.

In the ingredient list is things like Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Rice Wine Vinegar which should be used to get the authentic noodle taste. Though Soy Sauce is available everywhere in the world, I am not sure if you would get Sriracha and Rice Wine Vinegar. I think any hot sauce and any apple juice should do. Though I think hypermarkets should carry these two.

It takes way longer than regular Maggi cooking method, however it is way more tastier and gives a run for the money for any Chinese noodle that you eat at restaurants.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 30 mins 

Ingredients:

• 2 Maggie noodle packets
• 3 cups water
• 3/4 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 big carrot cut length wise
• 1 bell pepper cut length wise
• 1 onion cut length wise
• 1 inch ginger cut length wise
• 2-3 chives ( or spring onion-green part only) chopped 
• 3 garlic pods crushed
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
• Salt as needed 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 3-4 tbsp sesame oil (I used ground nut oil)

Method:

• Cook only Maggi (not with tastemaker) in water for 2 mins, drain using a strainer and run cold water through it (this is method called shocking) and keep it aside.
• In a wok, add oil. Once hot add the garlic and green chili.
• Add in onion and ginger and increase the heat to high. Fry for 2 mins.
• Add the cabbage, carrot and bell pepper and fry for 5 more mins.
• Now add in vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha and the tastemaker and give a stir to the vegetables. 
• Add pepper and cooked noodles and mix it well with the veggies and sauces.
• To this add the spring onions and give it a stir to mix. 
• Now add salt and check the taste.

Marinara Elbow Pasta

So today was part 2 of my birthday gift,  I got dry fruits. Thank you again Maina and Amma. The lady at the lobby has started wondering how do I get packages every day :). It feels like Christmas in April.

After Indian, my favorite cuisine is Italian and then comes Mediterranean, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Sri Lankan etc in that order. For vegetarians, one of the sources of protein is cheese. And in correct quantities, it is really healthy. Most of Italian foods use cheese. There are numerous cheese available in market. I have used Mozzarella, Cheddar, Parmesan, Swiss, Feta and Goat cheese. My favorite is Mozzarella of course since it can be added to anything and is low fat compared to others.

For this recipe I have used store bought Marinara sauce. It can be made at home - boil 3/4 cup of tomato sauce, 2 cups boiled and pureed tomatoes, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper powder, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 boiled and purred carrots and 1 onion boiled and pureed, in a big sauce pan for at least 30 mins and let it cool before using for pasta.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup any pasta ( I used whole wheat elbow pasta)
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp italian herb blend (optional)
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bell pepper sliced length wise (any color)
• 1 onion sliced length wise
• Salt as needed 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp powdered parmesan cheese

Method:

• Boil water in a big container and add pasta and cook it according to the instructions on the package. Different pastas take different time to cook.
• Drain the water and keep the pasta aside.
• In a pan, add oil and let it heat.
• Once hot add onions and fry till translucent.
• Then add the bell pepper and fry for 5 mins.
• Now add the marinara sauce and black pepper powder and cook for 5 mins. 
• To this add basil, italian herbs and oregano.
• Add cheddar and stir the sauce.
• Add the cooked pasta and add salt as needed.
• Switch off the stove, transfer the contents of pan to a serving bowl and decorate with parmesan on top. Enjoy hot.

Veggie Kebab

Thanks to my in-laws, first thing I saw today morning were chocolate and strawberry covered strawberries! Thank you for a very early birthday gift Maina and Amma, I simply love it. I think it is one of the best gift anyone can get, since it is fruit - obviously fruit is healthy, and chocolate - I mean who doesn't love chocolates. I feel they are better than traditional cakes for birthdays and are guilt free eats.

Back to the recipe. I love finger foods. Anything that is bit size and vegetarian, I am game for it! I make these kinds of recipes on Saturdays or Sundays when we have had nice and heavy lunch.

Kebabs were first conceptualized in Middle Eastern Countries and was eaten for breakfast with Pita and Naan breads. Though traditionally, kebab are roasted in fire pits, at home, we can roast it on pan or in an oven. There are numerous kebabs available all around the world.

Do you find yourself with left over bread that is going to expire very soon? Then this recipe is for you. I made it when I had few slices of leftover bread and it turned out to be our favorite. In case you don't have bread you can use more potatoes or use baked beans. In our house, my husband is a potato fan and I on the other hand, don't like it that much. You can fry it in oil and call it cutlets so it can work in both ways. I grated the boiled potatoes since it tends to be more even, you can use the good old mashing method as well.

It is best eaten hot on a cold or rainy day with or without traditional pita/naan.

Serves: 3-4

Preparation Time: For oven baking 1 hour, for stove top 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes boiled, peeled and grated (I used Idaho)
• 2 large carrots grated finely (use the smallest hole of grater)
• 6-8 bread slices coarsely powdered in blender or food processor without water
• 1 small onion chopped finely
• 1 small green chili chopped
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• Salt as needed

Method:

• Mix all the above ingredients in a large bowl.
• Check for salt and add more if needed.
• Pinch a lemon sized ball from the mixture and make a fist and give a rough cylindrical shape to form kebabs. Continue this for the rest of the mixture.
• In a baking tray, place a sheet of parchment paper and place all the hand made raw kebabs and bake it for 1 hour at 350K or 175C, turning it every 15 mins . Make sure they have some space between them before baking.
• For stove top, take a non stick flat pan or grill and roast the raw kebab in batches turning them till golden brown. You can choose to add oil to the pan while roasting, if you need, since there is oil already in the mixture.
• Serve hot with ketchup or mint or coriander chutney.

Thondekayi (Tindora) Gojju - Ivy Gourd Curry

First of all, Happy Rama Navami to all. My day has just started, so I am yet to prepare anything for this festival today. It won't be much though - will make panaka (juice usually lemonade), kosambri (a salad which usually has either soaked moong dal or chana dal or both), majjige (buttermilk), huli avalakki (tamarind based poha recipe) and sajjige (cream of wheat pudding).

Coming to our recipe, I loved Ivy Gourd ever since I remember.  My mother cooks this on some days and its her recipe and is best eaten with rice or chapati. It can also be used to make sambar, stir fry or yogurt stew. This along with ladies finger were staple veggies for me. The whole plant has great benefits. Some are

1. Fruits of Ivy gourd are used to treat leprosy, fever, jaundice, asthma and bronchitis.
2. Fruits are used to remedy skin allergies.
3. Roots are used to treat arthritis, especially joint pains.
4. Paste of leaves are used to clam itchy skin.
5. The plant extracts are being used to treat diabetes.
6. They are antioxidants and immune system modulators
7. Fruits are natural laxatives - helps in motion regulation.
8. It has positive effects on eyes, heart, liver and kidneys.
9. The tonic of ivy gourd helps in detoxification and cleansing of blood.
10. It is anti-bacterial, anti-ulcer and a pain killer.

While cooking, be sure to use young ivy gourd, mature ones are not used. Mature ivy gourd usually have red color and are not crisp like the young ones. They form great summer salads and can be eaten raw. They are known as baby watermelon or gentleman's toes! They are available 6 months in a year and can be grown in your garden with less effort.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 pound or 1/2 Kg Ivy Gourd cut length wise to four parts
• 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing (asafetida)
• salt as needed

Ingredients to grind:

• 2-3 tbsp coconut shredded
• 1/4th of onion
• 3-4 dry red chilies ( 1 used the one which is not so spicy called byadagi) roasted in little oil
• 1 tsp of urad dal (black gram) dry roasted
• 1 tsp of chana dal (split bengal gram) dry roasted
• 1 tsp coriander seeds roasted in little oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds roasted in little oil
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek roasted in little oil

Method:

• Grind all the ingredients in to grind section with water to make it a course paste.
• In a pan, heat oil, once hot add mustard seeds.
• Once they crackle add hing and Ivy gourd.
• Add salt, tamarind paste and water to this and cover and cook for 12-15 mins on medium flame.
• Add the ground mixture to this and cook until the rawness of the masala goes and it combines with the vegetable.
• Check for salt and add more if needed, then switch off the stove.

Sorekayi (Lauki) kootu - Bottle gourd stew

As children growing up in Bangalore, Bottle gourd was seldom used in our household. Only after knowing its benefits, my mother started using it. Following are the benefits of it:

1. Has a cooling effect so helps in aiding digestion.
2. It is good for diabetes patients to reduce thirst and bring down blood sugar levels.
3. Juice of bottle gourd helps in weight loss.
4. Helps to prevent premature greying of hair.
5. It acts as an electrolyte and helps balance the body, remedies constipation and diarrhea.
6. It is excellent in reducing high blood pressure.
7. Remedies Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) like cranberries.
8. Reduces liver inflammation.
9. Regulates body hormone levels and blood cholesterol levels.
10. Is excellent antioxidant.

Though this vegetable is very effective health wise whilst taken in a juice form, as a vegetable it retains most of its properties, if not all. 

Most common recipes of bottle gourd are halwa, kofta and stir fry (subzi). It has a high water content so does not take too much time to cook. This is a different sort of stew, since the normal one, which my mom makes, has too much spice in it. Make sure to remove the outer skin while cooking bottle gourd and wash the slimy fresh skin with water. Inside of it resembles Chinese Okra (Heerekayi). If the seeds are too evident remove the seeds. Did you know it is actually a type of pumpkin? I mean who knew right :)

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 small bottle gourd diced to 1" cubes
• 1/2 cup moong dal (green gram)
• 1 tsp ghee or oil
• 5-6 curry leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing (asafetida)
• Salt as needed

Ingredients to grind:

• 1/3 cup coconut shredded
• 1/3 tsp black pepper corns
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4-5 green chillies depending on level of heat needed
• 1 tsp rice flour or 1 tsp rice soaked in water for 30 mins
• A pinch of hing (asafetida)

Method:

• Grind the ingredients in the to grind section with little water into a paste.
• Cook the moong dal in pressure cooker or in a pan (instructions below).
• In a pan, add ghee and once hot, add mustard seeds.
• Once the mustard seeds crackle, add hing and curry leaves.
• Add in the bottle gourd pieces and sprinkle some salt and little water.
• Cover and cook for 10 mins till soft.
• Now add the ground masala and cook for 5 mins till the rawness is gone.
• Add the cooked moong daal and stir it for 5 mins allowing the veggies, masala and moong dal to combine and then switch off the stove.

To cook in pressure cooker add almost 2 cups of water (we want it to be little watery), a pinch of turmeric and salt. Let it cook for 3 whistles. 

To cook in a pan, first fry the moong dal till it becomes warm and you can smell the moong dal roasting. To this add 2 cups water and pinch of turmeric and salt and let it boil. Once it boils cover and cook it on sim, it takes 30-45 mins.

MenthyaSoppinaAnna - FenugreekLeavesRice

Fridays are rice days for my husband whenever there are no project parties. Rice on Fridays are specially good when you want to have all your energy for outings on weekend. Our weekend starts Friday night. From Monday to Thursday we eat only chapatis.

While buying fenugreek leaves check for flowers, if they exist, then leaves will be bitter.

Fenugreek leaves are know for following nutritional values:

1. Dry Fenugreek leaves are used as Kasuri Methi, a herb used in cooking. It has a great flavor and since it is used as a herb add it only while steaming or near end of cooking.
2. They are used to treat inflammation and eczema. 
3. They are used to treat kidney problems, boils, ulcers and all other skin diseases.
4. It also has a cooling effect on body.
5. It is used to help the easy flow of milk in feeding mothers.
6. Like Spinach, Fenugreek leaves contain Iron and helps in curing anemia.
7. It also helps in lowering blood sugar levels when blended with water and taken first thing in the morning.
8. It has significant amounts of Vitamin K (Ketamine) which is a fat soluble vitamin used to clot blood, to improve your heart health and build strong bones
9. It is a good source of roughage and helps in motion normalcy.
10. It is also known to cure arthritis.
11. It is a great source of protein for vegetarians.
12. It improves hair growth.

Fenugreek leaves can be eaten raw when the leaves are still fresh. They are available all round the year in any Indian market. You can also make chutney, palya (Stir Fry) or majjigehuli (Stew) with it.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 big bunch Fenugreek Leaves (if not fresh, remove the leaves and do not use stalk)
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 3-4 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing (Asafoetida)
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp black gram (urad dal)
• 2 tbsp palya pudi (You can use chili powder instead)
• salt as needed
• 2 cups cooked rice

Method:

• Wash the Fenugreek leaves thoroughly after separating from stems.
• In a pan add oil, once it is hot add mustard seeds and hing, let the mustard crackle. 
• Add urad dal and fry till golden brown.
• Add in the Fenugreek leaves and fry until it shrinks - takes 5 mins.
• Mix in the peas and give it a stir.
• Add in the tamarind paste and fry it again for 5 mins.
• Now add palya pudi and cook it until the rawness of powder disappears.
• Mix this with rice and add salt at the end check for taste.

Chappradavarekayi Palya (Subji) - flat bean stir fry

So couple of days back, one of our close relatives from Houston visited us. I had 3-4 kinds of veggies at hand and wanted to prepare something that goes well with chapati ( one of indian flat breads). Just then I remembered that I had got flat beans from the market a few days back and had forgotten to refrigerate it. To my luck it was still in great shape. So decided to use it.

I always believe in using fresh ingredients. There is a kind of joy in seeing those brilliant colors nature has provided us. Same goes with whole grains. I sometimes wish I had a space big enough as my Indian house. I would love to grow my own greens and veggies. Unfortunately, all I am left with is a small balcony, which I am ready to use shortly to grow some herbs.

Flat beans, in my opinion, are a bit under appreciated compared to the val beans in my place. These beans have more green content as skin can be used when its young and in older ones, more seeds. While making this recipe I had few older ones, of which I used mostly the seeds and not the skin.

I am one of those people who don't like to overcook my veggies. Overcooking tends to not only minimize the nutrients, but will make it appear dull due to lack of good coloring. Not all veggies need tons of oil or spices or coconut to add flavor, in fact the flavor actually gets lost if you try adding more of these. Purpose of adding spice and seasoning is only to enhance the flavor.

This recipe is best eaten with chapati. You can also use it as sides with rice.

Serves: 3

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 lb or 1/2Kg flat beans broken into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 of finely onion chopped 
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal (black gram)
• 1/2 inch ginger grated

Method:

• Microwave the flat beans with half cup water and some salt on high for 8 mins.
• Drain the water and let the cooked beans dry for some time.
• In a pan,  with medium flame add oil and mustard seeds and let it crackle then add urad dal and fry till golden brown.
• Add onion and grated ginger to this and fry until translucent.
• Now reduce the flame to medium low and add in turmeric, chili powder, coriander and cumin powder.
• Give it a mix until there is no raw smell of spices but make sure they don't burn.
• Throw in the flat beans to this and finally add lemon juice and stir it for a few mins until everything blends well.
• Check for salt, add more if needed and serve hot.

All it takes is time

Stress Stress Stress!!! Its all you hear everywhere. People appear to be busy all the time and yet, don't seem to have time for anything. Though the whole world has shrunk into a smaller place, we all are still in a rat race competing with each other. To-do lists, schedules, appointments and so on - are they really helping us achieve to be the perfectionists that we are, or are they being overly abused.

We talk about science and technology improving to a point where nothing seems impossible, although, none of this can improve basic human behaviors like humanity, patience, perseverance, tolerance, kindness, sensitivity and more than anything peace of mind. Ironically enough, earnings are not to fill your stomach anymore. I read this joke somewhere, where in a rich guy and poor guy have a conversation as to why the poor guy spends all his money to enjoy and not save anything for the future to which the poor old guy answers, saving money is to enjoy in future, why enjoy some other time when you can do it now. Seems sensible, doesn't it?

Not only are we as adults stress out, but the kids at a tender age, have to start early to get good grades and have a bright future and become nothing but professionals. Depression is something unknown to my grandmother who is 92 years. The ad on TV, which I saw recently, had this young women with a husband, two kids, a dog and a job "Fighting" depression with some prescription medicine, made me wonder if you have all these what is there to be depressed about.

The best way to deal with stress and tension is to set your priorities straight. You can't have the same priority for two different things, doesn't work that way. We see these all rounders and think how can they be so good at their job, have time for family and do other additional stuffs. The key is to know what is more important. It doesn't make sense to have a marriage with husband and wife working in different parts of the world and being with each other only during weekends or month ends.
Also if you have kids, they have to be your number one priority. Not only does your calm and patience provide an example to them, it also helps you in having a special bond with your children.

Money is needed for somethings, but money can't buy everything. Enjoy life as it comes. Not all are meant to be "Super Heroes". Talk your heart out. Things change and change is the only the constant in nature. Life is too short to hate. Try to meditate for a few minutes and concentrate only on breathing. Yes, your minds tries to run in ten thousand ways, bring it back to that inhale and exhale. Do not worry for every small thing, let things go. Always have an attitude that everything is for the greater good, which might not be visible to you right now, but going forward, you will realize it. Open your senses. Try to listen, smell and see things often without overthinking. Try to be kind, if not, at least be a human. It doesn't take too much effort to hurt others, but surely takes much more to make others happy. Smoke, drugs and alcohol tend to give you temporary solutions, but blinds you from permanent ones. Be silly, laugh frequently but not at others. Treat people how you want to be treated. Same goes for respect and trust. Be thankful to who you are and understand that you are an individual and beautiful.  Don't try to be like someone else. We would all have been clones if we were  made the same and trust me the world would be a boring place. There is absolutely no shame in asking for help. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Praise others openly instead of being jealous internally. Practice modesty. Try and try more every time you fail.

Finally give things time and celebrate life. Everything will be A OK :). Cheers to new beginnings.

Ambode - Lentil Fritters

India is known for fried stuffs. Be it Bhajiya, Vada or Pakoda. They are the best appetizers and the most easiest. One of these are Ambode or Lentil Fritters. It is from Karnataka and you can find most kannada people making it during festivals.

This is not to be confused with Masala Vada, unlike Masala Vada,  Ambode is made during festivals so onion is never added. They are nutritious and tasty. Needless to say if you simply can cook it, you can fry it as well. We make this using chana dal or split bengal gram. Chana dal needs to be soaked in water for at least an hour for this recipe, but the more it soaks in water, the better. I left it in water for almost 6 hours.

They can be enjoyed without any condiments as well. Kids like it with ketchup or tamarind sauce. Ambodes usually become soft after sometime like most of the fried items. Once it is soft or eaten the next day, you can dip it in rasam or curd to enhance the taste or in case its difficult to chew. My father-in-law enjoys eating it with payasa (pudding), another essential dessert during festivals.

While frying, it is best to either use vegetable, sunflower or any other oil which does not have any dominant flavor or pungent odor. Only fry 5-6 fritters in one batch as the temperature of oil might come down if the wok is overcrowded.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 25 mins

Ingrediants:

• 1 cup chana dal pre soaked for at least for 1 hour
• 2 dried red chillies 
• 2 green chillies - finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• A pinch of hing
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves or mint leaves
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 5-6 curry leaves chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• Oil for frying

Method:

• Use food processor to pulse channa dal and dried red chillies. Make sure not to add any water and not to make it a fine paste 
• Add this mixture to a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients to it except oil.
• Heat the oil in a wok and check the temperature. Best test is to add a pinch of this mixture to hot oil, if it comes to the surface then the oil is ready
• Make small lime sized balls of this mixture in hand and flatten it gently on palm and add it carefully to the oil. Do not prepare too many flat balls at once as it can dry if it stands for too long. Add about 5-6 in one batch.
• Fry them until golden brown and even coloring is seen.
• Drain of excess oil using a spider or a spotted spoon and place it on a plate covered with tissue paper.
• Check the fried batch for salt after it cools down a bit. Make the necessary adjustments in case required to the raw mixture and continue frying in batches.

HaalObattu - Sweet Milk Pancakes

This recipe is my mom-in-law's and is made mainly in South India, mostly in Tamil Nadu. It is very easy to make and takes very less effort. It is very different from traditional obattu in the sense of size and method. If you know to make chapati or poori, this is your "cup of cake" :).


We make it only on days where you can take a pass on your diet. Yes it is junk, and like all junk foods its good to taste but might not be necessarily healthy. I have made some small tweaks, wherever I could, to make it a tad bit healthy.


Main ingredients are All Purpose flour (Maida), Fine Semolina (Rava), milk and sugar.  Its really fun to make it and I think it goes well in those pot luck ideas, it carries well and can be refrigerated. While eating this, all I could think of is the peeni and chiroti prepared during functions and aww.. I miss those :(

Serves 4

Preparation time 45 mins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fine Semolina (Rava) 
• 1/2 cup unbleached All Purpose flour (Maida)
• 1 tsp ghee or melted butter
• 1-2 cloves crushed
• Water as needed
• A pinch of Salt
• 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 4-5 Saffron (kesari) strands
• Approx 4 tsp sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
• Almonds, cashews as needed (optional)*
• 1/8 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
• Oil for frying

Method:

• In a bowl mix Rava, Maida, ghee and cloves.
• Add water as needed and knead to make a firm, soft ball in your hand and let it rest for 30 mins
• Heat the oil. And after 30 mins, pinch lemon sized ball of the dough and roll it using a rolling pin to a round shape (like poori) and make as many pooris as possible.
• Fry the pooris in oil and make sure it does not bloat. I used a fork to poke it.
• Keep the fried pooris on a tissue cloth and let most of the oil drain out.
• Now add saffron to the milk and let it boil.
• Add sugar and cardamom seeds once it has boiled and switch off the stove.
• Sir the milk to make sure the sugar has melted completely
• Dunk or dip the pooris in this milk mixture just 5 mins before eating (soak it for more time in case it has to be more soft).
• Decorate it with almonds and cashews and either serve hot or refrigerate it and serve cold.

*Note : You can also use almond and cashew powders as well

Review: Charming Charlie - Accessory Store

If you haven't heard of this store, you ought to visit it. You can either go in-store or online. Not only is the store known for its exuberant accessories but also for scarfs, bags and shoes - a girl's best friend, after diamonds! 

I visited this store for the first time on a trip to Huston at the Galleria, and boy, was I bowled over by the collections. For the first time I saw a store "Color coded"!!! Yes, its true. It was like heaven for a person with OCD like me :) . Recently, I visited the one in Edgewater, NJ and this store was no different. It was definitely smaller in size, but, made up in the charming section. 

The designs are funky and classy. But the best part is the price. You can get a jewelry set for less than $20 (its really cheep compared to other accessory stores) and if your lucky, you can hunt for a cool piece at the clearance section for under $5 bucks. The bracelets and scarfs are to die for and the shoes, though the range is very limited, are chic and trendy. The bags are stylish and are very cheap relative to its looks. Needless to say you can get a bag in every possible color. You can also find small hair accessories and tiaras, clothes (mostly dresses and shirts), belts, though I found these are a bit pricy. The scarfs, specially the pastel shaded ones are the must haves for this spring.

The only downside for this is that you need to visit a store to view most of their collection. The website is not much evolved and look wise, is just ok.  They usually have coupons running in Retailmenot site so you can further reduce your bill. The staffs are very friendly and they help you not only within the store but also if you want to experiment with your looks. They are kind and there for you which will make you feel special (almost like a VIP).

Be sure to take some girl friend along with you as this is not a place for impatient husbands or boyfriends! It will definitely take long as you will have to try before selecting any piece. Lucky for me that my husband was ok with me taking as much time as he had a bench outside to relax. So ladies please visit this place, even if you want to window shop as I assure you, you can't leave empty handed. And guys if you want to give something memorable for your girlfriend or wife, do shop here.

As the name says, this Charlie is too charming!!