Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Twice baked potatoes

You need
Potatoes - 4 (big ones suitable for baking)
Onions - 1/4 (finely chopped)
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Garlic - 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Cheese - shredded Monterey jack and cheddar combo or any other combo you have. 
Dried Basil - (Optional)
Spring onions/Green onions - Optional


Method


  • Using a fork poke the potatoes all around, so they don't explode while baking.
  • Place them on a baking tray lined with foil. Oil the potatoes well. 
  • Add a dash of salt and bake at 400F for 1 hr and 15 minutes. It could get done in 1 hr itself.
  • Turn them over half way to brown both sides
  • Cool them.
  • Make a slit on one side of every potato and scoop out the inside leaving the skin intact.
  • In a pan add oil and sauté the onions and garlic until light brown and set aside.
  • For the filling - In a bowl combine the potato insides, onions, garlic, butter, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, cheese and optional ingredients together. 
  • Fill the empty potato pockets with the above filling.
  • Top with cheese and bake at 350F for 15 minutes or just until cheese melts.
  • Serve warm



Stuffed mushrooms

You need
Button mushrooms - 6
Cheese - Shredded Monterey jack & cheddar or any other combo
Mayonnaise - 1 tablespoon
Garlic - 1 (minced)
Salt
Pepper
Green chillies - 1/2 (finely chopped)
Capers - 1 teaspoon
Olive oil


Method


  • Remove the stem of the mushrooms and scoop out a little of the inside of every mushroom to make room for the filling.
  • Place the scooped out portion in a bowl.
  • Add mayonnaise to it, salt, pepper, green chillies, capers, garlic and mix well.
  • Spoon this mixture into the mushrooms. Top with cheese.
  • Add a dash of oil to the mushrooms and bake at 375F for 15-30 minutes or until cheese melts.
  • Serve warm



Baked pasta



You need
Whole wheat Pasta - any shape
Red pepper - 1/2 cup (diced)
Yellow pepper - 1/2 cup (diced)
Carrots - 1/2 cup (diced & steamed)
Broccoli - 1/2 cup (small florets, steamed)
Onions - 1/2 cup (diced)
Garlic - 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Pasta sauce - tomato based - 1 cup
Cheese - Shredded Monterey jack and cheddar or Any cheese combo
Oregano
Olive oil
Salt
Red chilly flakes
Pepper


Method




  • Cook the pasta according to directions, drain them and set aside. Add salt to pasta while boiling.
  • In a pan start by adding olive oil followed by onions and garlic and sauté until onions turn translucent.
  • Add red pepper, yellow pepper, broccoli, carrots, salt, pepper, red chilly flakes, oregano and sauté well until the vegetables are cooked and combined well.
  • Add 1/2 cup of pasta sauce to the above and combine.
  • Now add the cooked pasta to the vegetables and combine everything for a minute.
  • Layer an oven safe bowl with pasta and cheese. Finish off with cheese on the top.
  • Cover the bowl with foil and bake at 350F for 15-30 minutes or until cheese melts well.
  • Serve warm









Saturday, September 25, 2010

Palak Paneer (Paneer in spinach gravy)

You need
Palak (Spinach leaves) - 1 bunch (Chopped)
Paneer - 1 cup (small cubes)
Onions - 1/2 (Finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 (Finely chopped)
Cinnamon powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Amchur powder (Dry mango powder) - 1 teaspoon
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
Garam masala - a pinch
Salt
Oil


Method


  • In a pan add oil and saute the onions until they turn translucent.
  • Add tomatoes, spinach leaves (Palak leaves) and cook until they become soft.
  • Cool and grind the above ingredients to a fine paste.
  • In the same pan, add oil and splutter cumin seeds. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and then pour in the spinach paste. Add required water to bring the right consistency. Add salt, cinnamon powder, amchur powder, coriander powder and bring it to a boil. Cover to avoid the mixture from spluttering everywhere.
  • Add the paneer cubes and finish off with heavy cream. 
  • Serve warm with rotis/parathas/rice.
  • Serving suggestion - Sprinkle a pinch of garam masala before serving.

Monday, September 20, 2010

"Holy cow!"

What would happen if cows got extinct, or maybe just disappear from the food chain?


I am not going into the reasons as to why or how such a thing would happen. But a few (a lot actually) things came up today while I was going through the aisles in my neighborhood store, that really brought out this question. Can we call it a boon to have cows, just to favor mankind for so many different reasons or else are they destined to be on this earth to be slaughtered for the love of flesh. More than half the population considers milk as the super power for strong bones and a healthy body and nobody even wants to disagree on that. Cow's milk is the main source of all other dairy products - cheese, butter, cream, milk powder, ice cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, Formula milk, butter milk, ghee, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese and many, many more. 


Do you think you can live without making/eating those yumm sweets, desserts, appetizers or even without drinking the simplest milk shake? But at some point people will and can opt for something else if they don't even see milk on the aisle. I am sure the big brand names would come up with something like 'HULK' - gives you the power of milk or something named 'Just like milk-Just for you'. Since other animals are still existing in our story here, the options are still there.


We see the cow not just in the dairy section, but also on all other food products which contain milk or any other dairy product and we find the cow itself in the meat aisle. More than loosing all the dairy from the cow, if we loose the cow, it is the cow itself that we are going to miss. All meat lovers maybe can never find any other meat to replace the cow. They love this animal so much they produce and consume so much of it, never ending. The amount of meat consumed by this generation is way beyond how much our grand parents or even our great great great grand parents consumed. I am not going into the statistics of it, but I am positive it is going up, no matter even if the economy goes down.....hehehe.


Holy cow!, this animal definitely is a super power in this world. It's not going to happen suddenly, but gradually, slowly the time will come when this animal will disappear. And it is in human nature, for man kind will always go in search of an alternative. So be prepared...for a change................



Friday, September 17, 2010

Rava Dosa

You need
Rava - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Salt
Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 5 (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
Pepper corn - 5 (crushed)
Asafoetida - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil


Method
  • Mix together rava, rice flour, all purpose flour and yogurt with some water and bring it to the right consistency ( lighter than dosa batter).
  • Add the cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves, peppercorns, Asafoetida, salt and mix well.
  • Keep aside for at least 1 hour.
  • Use the batter to make rava dosa.
  • Make sure there are holes while pouring the batter on the tava to get the right look.
  • Serve hot with chutney and sambar.








Saturday, September 11, 2010

Simple sambar

A quicker easier way of making sambar for everyday cooking. 


You need
Vegetable (Okra/white pumpkin/yellow pumpkin/Green pepper/pearl onions) -1 cup (diced)
Cooked toor dal - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Methi seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Green chilly - 2 (slit)
Curry leaves
Tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon
Sambar powder - 1 tablespoon
Salt
Oil
Coriander leaves - finely chopped
All purpose flour (optional) - 1 tablespoon

Method
  • In a deep pan add oil and splutter mustard seeds, add methi seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, Asofetida, vegetables and sauté for a minute.
  • Add tamarind paste followed by water, sambar powder and salt and allow it to come to a boil.
  • Boil until vegetables are cooked. Now add the cooked toor dal and mix well.
  • Boil for about 5-8 minutes.
  • If the sambar is too runny, mix all purpose flour with water and add it to the sambar.
  • Garnish with corainder leaves and serve hot over steamed rice.


Cream of mushroom

I have tried this particular soup so many times in several different ways, but this method was the best I could ever get. It turned out like the ones served in restaurants. 


You need
Button Mushroom - 2 cups (chopped)
Onions -1/2 (finely chopped)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Heavy cream - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 1 tablespoon
Parsley


Method


  • In a deep pan start by adding olive oil followed by onions and garlic cloves. Saute for a minute and add 1.5 cups of mushrooms and saute until mushrooms shrink and become soft.
  • Add flour and and sauté until the flour turns light brown and then add milk. Add water if required. Blend the ingredients with an immersion blender and bring this to a boil.
  • Add salt and pepper and reserved 1/2 cup of finely chopped mushrooms and boil.
  • Finish off with heavy cream, butter and finely chopped parsley.
  • Serve hot.

Roasted tomato & Basil

With the winter months coming soon there is nothing better than hot steamy soup to comfort the soul. The words roasted and basil purely bring out the aroma in the dish. It makes your house smell wonderful. You will know soon. 


You need
Tomato - 4 (halved)
Onions - 1 (diced)
Fresh Basil (finely chopped)
Garlic - 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg - a pinch
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Olive oil
Heavy cream/milk - 1 cup


Method


  • In a baking tray assemble the tomato, onions and garlic. Drizzle some olive oil on them, add salt and pepper and place it in the oven at 350F until they are roasted. Don't let them burn. 
  • Peel the tomato and set the oven vegetables aside.
  • In a deep pan, add olive oil followed by the roasted vegetables and sauté for a minute. Add water and blend the ingredients with an immersion blender until smooth.
  • Add required salt, pepper and nutmeg and bring this to a boil.
  • Finish off with heavy cream, fresh basil and butter.



Cream of Celery

Celery, though a new entrant in my kitchen has definitely taken the top spot in being the most fibrous and flavorful vegetable in the same kitchen. It has a nice crunchy texture to it that makes it good in stir fries, diced in hot & sour soup or manchurians. But this soup is the ultimate which brings out the whole vegetable. It is a hit amongst the kids, trust me, unless your kid is really fussy.


You need
Celery - 3 cups (Peeled and diced)
Onions - 1/2 (Finely chopped)
Potato - 1 small (Diced)
Garlic - 2 cloves (Finely chopped)
Salt
Olive oil
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Pepper
Heavy cream/Milk - 1 cup
Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)


Method
  • In a deep pan add olive oil, garlic, onions and sauté until onions turn translucent. Add celery and potatoes and sauté.
  • Add water and boil the vegetables until they become soft. 
  • Use an immersion blender and blend the celery and potato broth to a smooth consistency.
  • Add salt, pepper, heavy cream/milk and water if needed and allow to boil for another 5 minutes.
  • Optional - You could add a few finely chopped celery and allow to boil.
  • Garnish with parsley and butter and serve hot.
  • Note - Straining the soup is optional if you need a silky smooth texture.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Paneer Tikka

You need
Paneer - 2 cups (diced)
Capsicum - 2 cups (diced)
Onions - 2 cups (diced)
Green chillies - 6 (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Kasoori methi - 1/2 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Salt
Lemon - 1 
Yogurt - 1cup
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Skewers 
Baking tray covered with foil paper


Method


  • In a bowl, add yogurt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, kasoori methi, salt, oil and juice of half a lemon and mix well. This is the marinade.
  • Add the diced capsicum, paneer, onions and green chillies to the marinade and allow to sit for 24hrs. You could even leave it for 30 minutes if you are in a hurry.
  • Dip the skewers in water so they don't burn when you grill or put them in the oven
  • Start inserting the paneer, capsicum, onions and green chillies alternating each other into the skewers and place them on the baking tray.
  • Place the baking tray into the oven at 350F and cook until the paneer is done but still soft. It could get rubbery if you leave it too long.
  • Brush or spoon some left over marinade on the skewers every 10-15 minutes. 
  • Once it is done, squeeze juice of lemon over the skewers and serve hot.
  • Note - Grilling could be another option.





Yellow pumpkin stew

A short note on this dish is that it could be a 'NO NO' in some houses. The pumpkins give the natural sweetness apart from the coconut milk and the green chillies add a little zing of spiciness to this dish. It may not be a favorite amongst those who eat a lot of spicy food. But in my house this was a hit and I guess it got introduced into the kitchen from my aunt who makes it so often that sometimes it gets a little too much. Just give it a try and see if its a hit or miss with your family.


You need
Yellow pumpkin - 1 cup (diced)
Coconut milk - 1-1.5 cups
Green chillies -2 (slit)
Curry leaves
Salt


Method


  • Boil the pumpkin along with the green chillies and curry leaves in little water.
  • When the pumpkin is almost cooked, add in the coconut milk and salt and allow to come to boil. Dilute the coconut milk with water while using. (Helps reduce the richness of the dish and make it lighter)
  • Serve warm





Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Tomato pulav

You need
Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
Onions - 1/2 (finely chopped)
Garlic cloves - 1 (finely chopped)
Cinnamon powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Green chilly - 1 (slit)
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Oil
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves

Method
  • Soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes.
  • In a deep pan, add oil, onions, green chillies, garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Add turmeric powder, cinnamon powder and tomatoes and sauté well until oil oozes oil. Add a little more oil if needed in case the tomato gravy sticks to bottom of pan. 
  • Add 1.5 cups of water to the pan and allow to boil.
  • When it bubbles add in the rice, needed salt and butter. Cover and cook on medium heat until you see holes on the rice.
  • At this point reduce the heat to low and cook until rice is done.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm.

Aroma

How good it is to guess a food by its smell?

All of us would have done it at some point in our lives. The aroma of  Indian food reaches your neighbors and you hear a knock on your door. Your neighbor at your door wanting a little taste of what you made or maybe just peeking in to get a sneak peak of the dish. Whatever, only when you are able to relish the aroma of any food can one flavor what he/she eats. The expectation grows, for the food to be tastier than its smell. 


Curry leaves are my pet in that aspect....Ooh!! They beat everything else and they are so flavorful, these simple leaves add so much of zing to a dish. Garlic cloves are my next darlings. Just 2 cloves is enough to draw a crowd. And how about cinnamon, green chillies, nutmeg and all the exotic spices. Cooking keeps your senses awake at all times. At least even if you don't it awakens your senses, I must say... :-) 




Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Mushroom & Peas

You need
Button Mushroom - 5
Peas - a handful
Onions - 1/2 (sliced)
Tomato - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves 
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Pepper - 1 teaspoon
Kasoori methi - 1/2 tablespoon (crushed)
Salt
Oil
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1 tablepoon
Cinnamon powder - 1 teaspoon
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Cashew nuts - a handful (powdered)


Method


  • In a little oil fry the whole button mushrooms with pepper and salt. Fry until they shrink.
  • In a separate pan add oil and fry the onions until they turn translucent along with the ginger garlic paste.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook until they become really soft. Cover and cook if you need.
  • Cool and grind the onions and tomatoes into a fine paste.
  • In the same pan add oil, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, onion-tomato paste, coriander powder, cinnamon powder, salt, water and allow to cook well.
  • Add the mushrooms and peas and cook for about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add kasoori methi, butter and finally add the cashew powder which will help bringing the gravy together.
  • Cook for about 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.



Chole

You need
Channa - 1 cup
Onions - 1/2 (finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 (finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies (optional) - 2
Channa masala - 2 tablespoons
Garam masala - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Tamarind date paste - 1 tablespoon
Salt
Lemon - 1


Method
  • Soak the channa overnight.
  • Boil the channa till it is done well. Do not half boil.
  • In a pan add oil followed by cumin seeds, onions, ginger garlic paste and saute.
  • Add tomatoes, turmeric, red chilly powder, green chillies and sauté well until the tomatoes get really soft.
  • Add channa masala, garam masala, tamarind date paste and the water from the boiled channa and mix well.
  • Cook for few minutes and then add channa, salt, butter and cook well for about 5-8 minutes.
  • Mash a portion of the channa in the pan to get a good consistency.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves, chopped onions and a dash of lemon juice.
  • Serve with hot puris.