Poha

Both K and I were tired of having the same old cereal and milk for breakfast everyday, so just to jazz things up I made Poha. Simple filling this is a universal delight. I learnt to make poha from my aunt L when I lived with them in Mumbai for a year.
Poha or Chuda Upma as we call it at home it made of flattened rice (easily found in your local Indian grocery store). In Bihar, everyday breakfast comprises of soaked, drained Chuda with yogurt, banana and sugar or gud (jaggery). Makes for a wholesome and filling breakfast.

2 cups poha

A pinch of hing(asafoetida)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

2 whole dry chillies, broken into two

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed into small pieces

1 cup peas (I use frozen ones)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Oil

To Garnish : 1 tbsp each of chopped green chilli and coriander leaves

Wash the poha, drain the water completely and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add the hing and mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add the curry leaves, red chillies, potato, peas and turmeric powder. Mix well, cover and cook till potato is almost done.

Now add the poha and salt and mix well. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with chopped chillies and coriander leaves and serve hot. Enjoy!

Aloo Do Pyaza

This is my father's signature recipe and a family favorite. A generous dose of garlic enhances the flavor of this potato curry. Try this recipe and I assure you, you will not be disapointed. Served with Rice or Puri, this makes for a wonderful meal.
1 lb potatoes, boiled and quartered (I used white potatoes and kept the skin)
10 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 onions, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ghee
3 green cardamom
3 whole cloves
1" cinnamon stick
Chopped coriander leaves, to garnish
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil
Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic for about a minute and then add the chopped onions. When onion turns pink, add the potato +turmeric powder + chilli powder + salt. Cook on low heat till the onion begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Add 3 cups water + chopped tomato, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, with a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind green cardamom + cloves + cinnamon stick.
Heat ghee in a small pan. Add the cumin seeds and when they begin to crackle, add the coarsely ground spices. Mix well and add to the potato curry. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes more. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Puri / Paratha or steamed rice. Enjoy!

Mixed Vegetable Pulao

Like noodles, I think veggie pulao is again a favorite with almost everybody. This kind of pulao is also always a crowd pleaser. A handful of veggies of choice, some whole spices and rice - there is something that is so comforting.

1 cup basmati rice, clean, and soak in cold water for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and keep aside

1 1/2 cups, mixed veggies of your choice (I use the frozen ones)

2 cloves

2 badi/moti elaichi (black cardamom)

2-3 choti elaichi (green cardamom)

2-3 peppercorns

1" cinnamon stick, broken into 2

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 cups of water

1/4 tsp ghee

1/2 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder

Salt to taste

Oil

Heat oil in a dutch oven Add the cloves + badi elaichi + green cardamom + peppercorns + cinnamon stick + bay leaf. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the mixed vegetables now and cook till the veggies are almost done. Add the soaked rice and cook for a minute. Add water + salt + cumin powder + coriander powder + chilli powder + ghee. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook till rice is done and water is evaporated. Serve hot with yogurt or raita. Enjoy !

Spaghetti with Meatballs

I love pasta. In fact I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like pasta. As students, both K and I lived on pasta a couple of days a week. It was an inexpensive and filling meal. One of our all time favorites is Spaghetti with Meatballs. This is a simple recipe, but full of flavor. I did used ground turkey and Prego's Tomato-Mushroom sauce for this. With K helping me, this meal took about 30 minutes from start to finish. Rachel Ray, here I come :) :)

Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
10-12 mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cheese, grated
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Salt to taste

Mix all the above ingredients. Pre-heat the oven at 400 F. Lightly spray a baking tray. Make medium sized balls with the ground turkey mix, and bake for 15-20 minutes (depending upon your oven). Once done, remove from oven and keep aside.

Whole grain spaghetti (about 1 generous handful)
1 jar Pasta sauce of your choice
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves and grated cheese for garnish

Cook spaghetti al dente according to directions on the package. Keep aside 3 ladleful of the pasta water, drain the spaghetti and keep aside.
In a deep bottomed pan, heat the pasta sauce. Add the reserved pasta liquid. Gently add the meatballs and let simmer on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the spaghetti, mix well. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves, grated cheese alongwith a slice of garlic bread. Enjoy !!

Chana Dal

This dal is comes under the "comfort food" category for me. Ma used to make Chana Dal as a treat if we did something great and so I have very happy memories associated with this Dal. Her cooking has a lot of influence of Uttar Pradesh, since she spent her formative years there. It is a very simple recipe where Ginger and Garlic enhance the slightly nutty flavor of the Dal.
Ma would cook the dal for about 2 hours, but I don't have that kind of patience, so I cooked the dal in the pressure cooker. Served with rice or Paratha this is like heaven for the taste buds. Try it, and you will not be disappointed.
Nutrition Info : Chana dal has a low glycemic index so it is good for Diabetics. It is also high in fibre, protein and Zinc.

1 cup Chana dal, cleaned
1" ginger, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (you can increase the amount, depending upon your heat comfort)
1 tsp ghee
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander for garnish
Cook the dal + 2 cups water + ginger + turmeric + salt in a pressure cooker till done. Release the steam, remove the cooker cover and on low flame cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a small pan and add cumin seeds + garlic. Cook for a minute and add the garam masala powder + red chilli powder. Mix well and pour on the cokked dal. Add the chopped coriander leaves, mix well and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. (You can add a little water if the dal is thick). Serve hot with Rice / Paratha and a serving of cool Raita. Enjoy !

Pepper Chicken Curry

Recipe Adapted from : Sailu's Food

Sometimes, some recipes just call out to you. I saw this recipe on this blog and it was so interesting that I just had to try it out. I had never used Saunf (Fennel Seed) before while cooking chicken. The combination of the spicy pepper and mild fennel was so intriguing. I am glad to say the dish was as great at it looked. This is one dish that will be featuring often in my house now :)

1 1/2 lb of chicken, remove skin, cleaned (I used drumsticks)
2 onion, sliced fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1" ginger, minced
4 green chillies, sliced lengthwise
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp saunf (fennel seed) powder
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Oil
Chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

Heat oil in a pan and cook onions till brown. Add the sliced green chillies and the ginger-garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the chicken pieces and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes.
Now add salt + turmeric powder + coriander powder + saunf + ground pepper and mix well so that the chicken pieces are well coated. Cook covered for a couple of minutes and add the chopped tomato. On medium heat, cook till the tomato is cooked and oil separates.
Add 1 cup of water (if you want thick gravy, use 1/2 cup of water), cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Serve hot with steamed rice / Paratha / Dosa. Enjoy !

Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken is comfort food in K's home. It is the panacea for every disappointment, stress ... whatever ails you :) We don't generally have fried food in our home, but this is an exception. This is K's signature dish.

5 chicken drumsticks
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp vinegar
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
Remove the skin from the drumsticks, clean and keep aside. In a bowl mix salt +vinegar + chilli powder + turmeric + cumin + curry powder. Using a knife, make a couple of slits on the chicken, add to the marinade and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a flat bottomed pan. Add the chicken pieces and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or till the chicken is well cooked, turning the drumsticks a couple of times. Serve hot with Parathas and Raita. Enjoy !
(If you don't want to fry it, you can grill it or bake it too. Tastes equally good :) )

Pindi Chole

Chole / Garbanzo - a favorite with everyone. There are so many different ways of cooking this nutty bean. It is near impossible to go wrong with this bean. This recipe is from my friend T's mom, Aunty C. Her Chole-Bhatures are by far the best I have tasted till date. She would make this everytime T and I went home. I was very enamoured by the fact that her choles would have a rich chocolatey-brown color. Now I know her secret :) which I am going to share with you.

1 cup dry garbanzo, soaked overnight in warm water
1 large onion, sliced lenghtwise
1 tea bag
2" ginger, grated
1 fat clove garlic, grated
3 tomatoes, chopped fine
1/2 tsp turmwric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp Anardana (Pomogrante seed)powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Oil
To Garnish
1/2" ginger, sliced thinly
Chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp oil

Drain the water from thegarbanzo, rinse a couple of times. In a pressure cooker, add garbanzo + tea bag + 3 cups water and cook for 3 whistles. Remove from heat and keep aside. When the cooker cols, drain the garbanzo beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the tea bag.

In a pan, heat oil and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the onion and cook till the onion tuens brown. Add garlic + grated ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the tomato + turmeric powder + chilli powder + coriander powder + cumin powder + anar dana powder + salt. Mix well and cook till the tomato-masala paste is cooked and oil separates. Now add the cooked garbanzo bean + 1 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Cook till the water has almost dried. The gravy should be thick at this point.

To serve : Heat oil in a pan till it is almost smoking. Add the sliced ginger and cook till the ginger begins to brown. Add this to the cooked Chole, sprinkle some chopped coriander and serve hot with Bhature / Paratha. Enjoy !

Potato Kadhi

Kadhi comes under the "comfort food' category for me. In my house, kadhi is universally loved and Ma would sometimes add Pakoras (fritters), sometimes Potato, sometimes plain Boondi ... served with plain rice and pickle ... it was pure bliss.
This is my sister's recipe. Instead of the Pakoras, I added 2 potatoes, but the basic recipe remains the same. I generally make a large batch and have it over the next couple of days :)
2 cups yogurt
1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Few curry leaves
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 dry red chillies, broken into two
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder, divided
4 cups water
Salt to taste
Oil
In a mixing bowl, mix yogurt and besan till smooth and there are no lumps in the batter. Now add 4 cups water and turmeric powder and mix well.
Heat oil in a large pan. Add the hing + mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add the cumin seeds + curry leaves +methi seeds + dry red chilli + chopped onion. Cook on medium heat till the onion begins to brown. Now add the yogurt-besan mix, cubed potato, salt, coriander powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, amchoor powder. Bring to boil, lower heat and cook till the yogurt-besan mix and potatoes are cooked, stirring occasionally. In a small pan, heat a little ghee/ oil and add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. Mix and pour over the kashi. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional), and serve hot with plain boiled rice and Mango pickle. Enjoy!

Panchratan / Panchmel Dal

The afternoon rain left me craving for something that was wholesome and comforting. I always associate cold weather with Kadhi, Pakoras and this Panchratan / Panchmel dal. Made with 5 dals and a generous use of tomatoes, this Dal is nutritious and very, very comforting. I generally have this by itself, without any Rice or Roti. This is my contribution for the JFI:Tomato event over at RP's Workshop.

1/4 cup Split Urad dal
1/4 cup Chana Dal
1/4 cup Sabut (Whole) Masoor Dal
1/4 cup Split Moong Dal
1/4 cup Tur / Arhar Dal
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (I used 2 handfuls of grape tomatoes, cut into half)
2 cloves
1/2" dalchini (cinnamon)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2" ginger, grated
6-7 curry leaves
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Chopped coriander to garnish (Optional)
Salt to taste
Oil
Clean and wash all the dals. In a pressure cooker, add the dals, 3 cups of water, turmeric powder, a few drops of oil and cook till the dals are cooked. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the grated ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.Cook for abut a minute and then add the tomatoes and Salt. Mix well and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and cooked. Add the Dal to this tomato tadka, mix well and on low heat let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot. Enjoy !

Simply Red - Tomato Curry

This recipe is from Dad - my father in law. He is truly a foodie. He enjoys not only eating good food, but also cooking. What I like best about his cooking is the use of minimal ingredients and is big on flavor. Thanks to him, I have learnt some Mangalorean recipes and manage to surprise K once in a while :)
Ripe, juicy tomatoes, a few curry leaves, browned onions and green chillies - they all come together in this immensely satisfying and comforting curry. RP of the wonderful My Workshop is hosting the JFI for this month which is tomatoes. This is my contribution for this fun event.

Lunch today : Garlic Naan, Baked Potato, Tomato Curry

8 large tomatoes, slice into 8 pieces each and remove the skin
2 medium onions sliced and brown in oil
3-4 green chillies, sliced
6-7 curry leaves
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till brown. Add the curry leaves and sliced green chillies. Cook for a minute, then add the sliced tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well, cover and let cook till the tomotoes begin to break down. Add one cup water and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked and the gravy is thick. Serve hot with Roti /Paratha. Enjoy !!

Bharwa Baingan - Stuffed eggplant

K had got these beautiful eggplants from the local farmer's market last weekend. Thankfully, even after a week of lying in the 'fridge, they were fresh. I was craving for "Bhare (Stuffed)Baingan" but did not want to use an elaborate recipe. Surfing the Net I found this simple recipe from this blog. I made a few minor changes and believe you me, the taste was divine :)
8-10 pieces of tiny eggplants
1 tbsp red chili powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp jeera powder
1 tsp chaat masala
Salt, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Chopped coriander leaves, to garnish
Mix red chilli powder + coriander powder + garam masala powder + jeera powder + salt + lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside. Wash the eggplants, pat dry and slit them through the middle (see picture). Now put the filling into the slits of the eggplants. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the eggplants. Cover cook on medium heat, turning them once in a while so that the eggplans are evenly cooked. Sprinkle chaat masala, and the chooped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice - Dal or with piping hot Parathas and Raita. Enjoy !

Cabbage Stir-fry

I have been travelling extensively the last couple of days, surviving solely on artery-blocking, cholestrol increasing food. My entire system was crying out for something simple, yet healthy. Afterall the body can survive only so many meals from Denny's, Mickey D and the like.
This recipe is courtesy my brother in law D

1 medium sized cabbage, finely chopped
2 green chillies
1 tbsp mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and when the seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves + cabbage + turmeric powder. Mix once, cover and cook till the cabbage is almost done, stirring occasionally. Now add salt to taste and lemon juice. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes or so. Serve hot with Roti / Paratha and Raita. Enjoy !

Masoor Dal

When I saw Sandeepa's post "Masoor Dal", I took a trip down memory lane. I always associate this Dal with the Rains or cold, bitter winter. Ma would do the tadka with tomatoes and garlic - heavenly taste. This dal is a simple one, with no masalas (spices) - the Panch phoran, tomatoes and garlic give it the delightful flavor.
(Recipe adapted from Sandeepa)

Split Masoor Dal

1 cup Masoor Dal
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp Panch phoran
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander to garnish
Oil
Pressure cook the Dal with turmeric powder, Salt and 3 cups of water for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk the dal gently, till mixed, adding 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water to make the dal a little thin. Keep aside.
In a pan, heat oil and add the Panch Phoran, garlic, green chillies. Cook for a couple of minutes, till the garlic turns light brown. Now add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are cokked and oil separates. Add this mix to the dal, bring to boil and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. (You can add some more water, if you want a thinner consistency). Now add the lime juice, mix well, garnish with the chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with plain rice. Enjoy !!

Say No to Plagiarism

Image courtesy : Sandeepa of A Bong Mom's cookbook

Yahoo! India believes it is right to pass off other people's work as its own. Read the details about this here and here. We take a lot of time and effort to work on our blog(s) and it pains me to see a certain section of people take such a casual attitude to our hard work. It just takes a moment to ask permission or give credit where it is due. Is that so difficult ?
Please join me and my fellow bloggers to protest against this crime.

Happy Holi

Lal Chana - Red Garbanzo Curry

Both K and I like Garbanzo. As a student, many a meal was made using the combination of Rice, Spinach and Garbanzo beans. For variety we used to switch between the white, green and reddish brown garbanzo. Hummus, Garbanzo curry, as a snack ... there was no end to how we used this versatile bean.
One of my favorite garbanzo curry is the way Ma makes it. Today, I am going to share her recipe with you.

1 cup dried garbanzo, soaked overnight in warm water
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 onions - 1 onion sliced fine; 1 onion chopped fine
2 garlic pods, chopped
1" ginger, grated
2 Bay leaves
1 black cardamom
1" stick cinnamon
2 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1 potato, cubed (I used Red potato)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
To garnish : 2 green chillies, sliced lengthwise & chopped coriander leaves
Oil
In a pressure cooker, put garbanzo beans, chopped tomato, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves, cubed potato, 1 tbsp oil, 3 cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Remove from heat and cool.
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the sliced onion and cook till the onion turns brown. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt and cook till the masala is cooked. Keep sprinkling water occasionally so that the masal does not stick to the pan. Add this masala to the garbanzo curry and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes, till all the flavors have blended. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chillies and serve hot with Rice / Paratha / Roti. Enjoy !!!

JFI:Aloo Parwal Bhujiya - Potato-Indian Gourd Stir Fry

Parwal or Potol(as it is called in Orissa) was the constant vegetable during the hot summer months back home. This tiny little green gourd ( similar looking to the Tinda ) along with Opo Squash was what you got in abundance and my mother constantly had to improvise in cooking methods to get us to eat this vegetable.
When I saw Trupti post a recipe with this vegetable, I walked down nostalgia lane. Imagine my delight when I found a packet of Parwal in the frozen food aisle of the Indian grocery store. I called up Ma and got this recipe from her. This is my entry for JFI-Potato.
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into long slices
1 packet frozen Parwal
1 small red onion, sliced fine
1 dry red chilli, broken into two
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Chopped coriander leaves, for garnish (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add the sliced onions. When the onion turns pink, add the potatoes. Cook till the potatoes are half done. Now add the Parwal, turmeric powder, coriander powder and dry red chilli. Mix well and on low heat cook till the potatoes and parwal is cooked, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste, mix well, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti/ Paratha. Enjoy !

Tomato Chutney

I love tomatoes in any form - stuffed tomato, raw in salads, soup, chutney ... This tomato chutney is a staple in my house. The smoky taste of the tomatoes, coupled with the slightly sharp mustard oil ... it is a dance session for the tastebuds.
2 juicy beefsteak tomatoes
1/4 red onion, chopped fine
1 green chilli, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp mustard oil

Wash the tomatoes and pat dry. Lightly coat the tomatoes with a couple of drops od mustard oil. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan, place the tomatoes, cover and cook on medium low heat till the tomaotes are cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a bowl, add the chopped onion, chilli and salt. Add the cooked tomatoes and using a potato masher, mash to pulp. Add 1/2 tsp mustard oil and mix well. Serve as an accompaniment with Rice / Paratha. Enjoy !

Sweet Delight - K's Apple Pie

Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream