Cauliflower with Yoghurt and Soy Sauce

Adapted from http://www.ecurry.com/blog/curries/dry/pan-fried-cauliflower-with-yogurt-and-soy-sauce/

Cauliflower - 1, small, broken into medium sized florets
Greek Yoghurt - 1/2 cup
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1/2, grated
Garlic - 4 cloves, grated
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Vinegar - 2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Green Chillies - 2, finely chopped
Salt
Sugar - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp
Parsley - a handful, chopped, for garnishing

Make a marinade of beaten yoghurt, soy sauce, vinegar, grated onion, grated garlic, grated ginger, chopped green chillies, salt, sugar, turmeric.

Dunk the florets in the marinade and let them sit at room temperature for atleast 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. Add the cauliflower florets and remaining marinade in the bowl to the hot oil.

Cover and cook on high heat for 10 minutes. Then uncover and cook  at medium heat till the oil starts to separate from the spice mix.

If the spice mix sticks to bottom, add a tsp of water and scrape out the pan. The florets should be cooked but remain crunchy. The dish should be dry with no gravy. Serve hot.

Dal Panchratan / Five Lentils Dal

Adapted from http://www.cookingandme.com/2011/07/dal-panchratan-pancharatni-dal-curry.html

Red Lentil / Masoor Dal - 1 tbsp
Yellow Lentil / Mung Dal - 1 tbsp
Split Pigeon Peas / Tur Dal - 1 tbsp
Split Black Lentil / Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Split Bengal Gram/ Chanda Dal - 1 tbsp
Water - 5 cups
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt

Peanut Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 5
Garlic Cloves - 4, finely sliced
Green chillies - 2, chopped
Yellow Onion - 1/2, very thinly sliced
Tomato - 1, peeled and chopped
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Mix the lentils together, wash well, add 5 cups water, turmeric and salt and bring to boil. Simmer and cook for an hour till the lentils are soft and mushy. Alternatively, they can be pressure cooked till soft.

Heat oil in a big skillet. Add mustard seeds. One the seeds begin to pop, add the cumin seeds. Then add sliced garlic, curry leaves and green chillies. Cook for a minute and add the sliced onion. Cook till the onion begins to caramelise. Now add the chopped tomato and cook till the tomato gets soft.

Add the cooked dal and red chilli powder, if using, and mix well. Simmer for a few more minutes and serve hot.

Rice Pudding with Rum and Raisin

White Basmati Rice - 1.5 tbsp (I used Tilda Basmati Rice)
Milk - 1/2 gallon (I used Homestead Creamery Whole Milk)
Rum - 1 tbsp
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Pure Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Sugar - 5 tbsp or to taste

Soak the rice in warm water for a couple of hours. Soak the raisins in the rum.

Add milk to a heavy bottomed pan. Wash and drain the rice well and add it to the milk and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour. Keep stirring in between so that the milk doesnt burn.

Once the rice is very soft and the milk reaches creamy consistency add the sugar and vanilla. Cook till the sugar melts. Add the soaked raisins and rum, stir well and remove from heat.

Spaghetti with No-Meat Balls

Brown Rice Spaghetti - 4 oz
Salt for pasta water

For spaghetti sauce:
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Roma Tomatoes - 10, peeled, deseeded and chopped
Yellow Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Garlic Cloves - 4, thinly sliced
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Fresh Basil Leaves - 15
Vegetable Stock / Water - 1/2 cup

For No-Meat balls:
Boiled Baby Red Potato - 1, grated
Cooked Chickpeas or Green Peas - 1/4 cup, coarsely mashed
Cooked Kidney Beans or Black Beans  - 1/4 cup, coarsely mashed
Parsley - a handful, chopped
Pecorino Romano Cheese - 1 tbsp
Worcestireshire Sauce - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Salt
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/4 tsp
Egg - 1
Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Grated Cheese - to serve (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and run under cold water. Keep aside. (Ideally we should cook the pasta and the sauce in such a way so that the noodles can be drained and directly added to the cooked sauce without waiting).

Mix beans, potato, parsley, cheese, worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt. Make small balls, dip in beaten egg and roll in bread crumbs. Drizzle olive oil on top and bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, till they turn brown and crispy. Alternatively they can also be deep fried in peanut oil till golden brown on both sides.

To prepare the sauce, heat a deep skillet over moderate heat. Add olive oil, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion gets soft.

Add tomatoes and basil leaves. Bring to a simmer, add a little water or vegetable stock and cook for about 30 minutes till the sauce thickens.

Place pasta on dinner plates, top with meatballs and sauce and grated cheese and serve immediately.

Stuffed Bread Cutlet

Whole Grain Bread - 6 slices
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Onion - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Green Chilli - 3, finely chopped
Mixed Vegetables - grated beetroot, grated carrot, green peas, grated boiled potato, etc - 1 cup
Boiled Chickpeas or any other kind of cooked beans - 1/4 cup, coarsely mashed (optional)
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Trim the edges of the bread slices and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion, green chillies and ginger. Cook till the onion gets soft.

Add grated beetroot and carrot. Cook for a few minutes till the beetroot gets soft.

Now add the grated boiled potato, mashed beans, salt, cumin powder, red chilli powder. Mix everything well. Cook for a couple of minutes more till the filling comes together. Leave aside to cool down.

Take half cup of water in a shallow plate. Dip a slice of bread in the water and immediately squeeze out the water. Take a small ball of the vegetable filling and place it in the middle of the wet bread. Tightly wrap the bread around the filling.

Deep fry on medium high till golden brown. The temperature of the oil is important. It should not be too low otherwise the bread will soak up a lot of oil. If the temperature is right, the cutlet hardly soaks any oil and is very crispy. Serve with a side of salad.

Chutney Sandwich

Mint leaves - 1 cup, loosely packed
Cilantro = 1/2 bunch, chopped
Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped
Garlic Cloves - 1, grated
Ginger - 1/2 tsp, grated
Fresh Coconut - 2 tsp, grated
Lemon Juice / Tamarind Extract - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 1 tsp, grated
Salt - a pinch
Olive Oil - 1 tsp (optional)

Mix all the above together and make a smooth paste in the grinder / blender.

Whole Grain Bread - 4 slices
Cheese / Butter
Sliced Cucumbers, tomato, onion, boiled potato - optional

Cut the edges of the bread and slice them into triangles. Spread some soft cheese or butter on each slices and then spread a tsp of the chutney. Put a few slices of cucumber / tomato / boiled potato on a slice of bread and place another slice of bread over it to make a sandwich.

If desired the sandwich can be lightly toasted in a cast iron pan with some butter/olive oil.

Crispy Plantain Chips

Plantains - 2
Salt
Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Peel the plantains and cut them into thin circular slices. The thinner the slices, the crispier the chips turn out.

Mix salt, chilli powder, turmeric to the slices and keep them aside for a few minutes.

Deep fry in batches on medium low heat till they turn light golden brown.

Drain on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Sending this to http://gourmetglobal.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-blogging-event-seriestaste-of.html

Croquette

Fresh Homemade Paneer - 1 cup, crumbled or grated (or if non vegetarian, 1 lb ground organic chicken)
Yukon Gold Potato - 1
Red Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 6 cloves, 3 of them sliced and 3 of them grated
Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Homemade Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1 tsp
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Raisins - a handful
Lemon Juice - half lemon

Egg - 1
Salt- a pinch
Red Chilli powder - a pinch
Whole Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup or Coarse Corn Meal
Peanut oil for shallow frying

Bake the potato in a preheated oven till cooked. Alternatively boil it in very little water till cooked. Cool down and grate it or coarsely mash it. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the sliced garlic cloves and fry for a couple of seconds.

Add the chopped onion and green chillies and cook on medium low heat till the onion gets soft and starts to caramelise. In between, when the onion is half cooked, add the grated ginger and garlic.

Now add the mashed potato, grated paneer(or ground chicken), salt, sugar, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and cook on low fire for a few minutes till the mixture comes together as a smooth dough (or till the chicken is cooked). Mix the chopped cilantro, lemon juice and raisins and keep aside to cool down.

Heat a cast iron pan and add some oil for shallow frying. Beat the egg with salt and red chili powder.

Take a small ball of mixture, press it a little to form a patty. Dip it in the egg wash, roll in bread crumbs and shallow fry till golden brown on both sides. Serve with raw onion, ketchup and mustard sauce.

Spicy Stovetop Popcorn

Organic corn kernels - 3 oz or around 1/2 cup
Peanut Oil - 1 tbsp
Butter -1 tsp
Salt
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Paprika (optional) - 1/4 tsp

Take a large flat skillet and put it on medium low heat. Add oil, butter, salt, chilli powder and the corn kernels. Cover with a tight fitting lid.

Gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. After a few minutes the kernels will begin popping.

Once the popping starts in earnest, continue shaking the pan by moving it back and forth. Once in a while try to keep the lid slightly ajar away from the face for a second only just to let the steam from the popcorn release so that the popcorns are crispy.

Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat and keep the cover on for a minute.

Now remove the cover, sprinkle paprika on top and enjoy warm crunchy spicy popcorns.

Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli - 2 bunches
Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 6, thinly sliced
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
For sprinkling on top:
Parmesan Cheese - 2 tsp
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Basil Leaves - 4, shredded
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Lightly toasted Pinenuts / Walnuts - 1 tbsp

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Cut the broccoli into big florets. Mix together with salt, pepper, red chilli flakes, garlic, olive oil.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange the florets on the sheet in a single line.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes till the florets start getting slightly caramelised. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese, lemon zest, basil leaves, olive oil, walnuts on top and serve.

Onion Chips

Adapted from http://siddhiscookingexperiences.blogspot.com/2011/06/crispy-onion-chips.html

Onion (big) - 1
Cilantro - 1/2 bunch, finely chopped
Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch
Chaat Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - 1 tsp, grated
Brown Rice Powder - 1 cup
Hot oil - 2 tsp
Peanut oil for deep frying

Cut the onion into half. Chop one half into pieces and make a fine paste in the blender. Keep aside.

Chop the other half into very very fine pieces. Add it to the onion paste. Add salt, chopped cilantro, green chillies, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, chaat masala powder, grated jaggery. Leave aside for 10 minutes.

Now add 2 tsp hot oil and mix in the rice powder. Adjust the quantity of the rice powder and knead the entire mixture to form a soft dough. There is no need to add any additional water. The moisture from the onion paste should be sufficient to make a soft dough.

Heat peanut oil on medium flame for deep frying. Apply a little oil to the palms. Pinch a small ball of the dough and press it between palms to make a small flat roti. The flatter the chips, the crispier they turn out.  Add it to the hot oil and fry till brown on both sides. The chips are very crispy and stay crisp in an airtight container for a couple of days.

Grilled Grapefruit with Ginger and Brown Sugar

Adapted from http://www.athoughtforfood.net/2010/12/recipe-broiled-grapefruit-with-brown-sugar-and-ginger/

Grapefruits - 2
Brown Sugar - 2 tbsp
Crystallized Ginger / Dried Ginger Powder - 1/4 tsp

 

Cut the grapefruits into halves. Trim the bottoms of the grapefruits so that they sit up straight. Loosen them a bit from the side white membrane and cut them into segments.

Place them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar and ground ginger. If using crystallized ginger, cut them into tiny pieces and sprinkle on top of the grapefruits. Set the oven to broil. Place the sheet in the oven under the broiler so that the grapefruits are as close as possible to the broiler heat.

Broil for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.

Crispy Cabbage Pakoda

Cabbage - 1 cup, very finely shredded
Red Potato - 1/2, grated
Red Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped
Cilantro - 1/2 bunch, finely chopped
Besan / Chickpea Flour - a handful
Brown Rice Flour - a handful
Salt
Chaat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Aamchur / Dried Mango Powder - 1 tsp
Peanut Oil for deep frying

With firm hands, mix all the above ingredients well. Do no add any water. The moisture from cabbage and onion should be enough to bind the mixture and make a dough. If the dough has too much liquid, add a little more besan.

Make small balls of the dough and press gently to make flattened shape like patties. Try to make the patties as flat as possible so that they are extra crisp and cook fast.

Immediately fry on medium low heat till golden brown on both sides. Serve with tomato ketchup.

Pad Thai

Brown Rice Noodles - 4 oz or 1 fistful
Cabbage - 1 cup, chopped
Onion / Scallion - 2 tbsp, chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, thinly sliced
Bean Sprouts - 1/2 cup
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Eggs - 2, scrambled
For sauce:
Soya Sauce - 1 tbsp
Tamarind - 1 tsp, soak in 1 tbsp warm water for 15 minutes
Palm Sugar / Jaggery - 1 tbsp, grated
White Wine Vinegar - 1/2 tbsp
Coarsely ground roasted peanuts - 2 tbsp

Cook the noodles in boiling salted water till just shy of al dente. (Later the noodles will cook on high heat along with the sauce for a few minutes). Rinse in cold water and keep aside.

While the noodles is cooking, squeeze the juice out of the tamarind and discard the tamarind pulp. Mix this juice along with the soya sauce, vinegar, grated palm sugar. Taste the sauce, it should taste sour first and then sweet.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and saute for a minute. Then increase the heat and add chopped cabbage. Sprinkle a little salt. Cook only for a couple of minutes on high flame. Do not overcook as the cabbage should remain crunchy.

Add the bean sprouts, scrambled eggs, boiled noodles and the tamarind sauce. Continue to cook on high heat for a few minutes, stirring and mixing the noodles continuously.

Remove from heat, toss the ground peanuts on top and serve immediately.

Roasted Baby Broccoli with Caramelised Onions

Baby Broccoli - 1 bunch
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 4, finely sliced
Red Chilli Flakes - 1/4 tsp
Vidalia Sweet Onion / Red Onion - 1, cut in thick roundels
Salt

Heat oil in a cast iron pan. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for a minute.

Add the baby broccoli and salt and toss everything together and cook for a couple of minutes.

Arrange the onion roundels on the broccoli and drizzle oil on top.

Transfer the pan under the broiler and cook for around 5 minutes till the onion begins to caramelise and becomes brown at the edges. This goes very well with pesto pasta.