Shrimp Curry

Fresh Shrimp - 10 to 15 medium sized ones
Mustard Oil / Olive Oil - 3 tbsp.
Garlic Cloves - 4, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Green Chili - 2, finely chopped
Onion - 1 medium sized, finely chopped
Homemade Tomato Paste - 2 tbsp.
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Cayenne Pepper - a few pinches
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turbinado Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Water - 1 cup
Cilantro for garnishing


Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add the grated ginger, garlic and green chili. Toss for a few seconds.

Then add the chopped onion and 1/2 tsp sugar. Cook on medium low till the onion caramelizes.

Add tomato paste, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cook for a few minutes.

Now add the shrimp and cook for a minute more.

Add a cup of water, salt and mix everything well. Cook till the shrimp is done and the gravy thickens. Remove from heat, sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice or roti.

Instead of shrimp, we can add a few poached eggs to the same curry base to make a vegetarian dish.

Pickled Chili Peppers

Red, Green & Yellow Chili Peppers / Jalapenos - 8, cut into thin rounds

Carrot - 1/4, peeled and thinly sliced

Red onion - 1/4, thinly sliced

Rice / White vinegar - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Garlic - 1 clove, peeled and lightly crushed

Sea salt - 1 tbsp.

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp

Black peppercorns - 10, lightly crushed

Bay leaf - 1

 

Heat the vinegar in a steel saucepan with the water, garlic, salt, sugar, oregano, peppercorns, and bay leaf until simmering, and the salt and sugar are dissolved.

Add the chilies, carrots, and onions. Cook in the pan for a minute, then cover, remove from heat, and let it stand for 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture into jars, close them, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Storage: The pickles will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator, and will start to lose kick after that.

Adapted from http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2014/10/pickled-jalapeno-chile-recipe/

Badam Barfi / Almond Fudge

Blanched Almond Flour - 21/2 cups (I used Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour)
Sugar - 1 cup
Water 3/4 cup
Saffron - a pinch of strands
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Roast the almond flour over low heat for around 5 to 10 minutes till it emits a nutty smell. Keep aside.

Mix sugar and water and a few strands of saffron and heat it in a heavy bottomed pan. Once the sugar melts and the syrup slightly thickens(before it comes to a boil), add the almond flour and mix. (If the sugar syrup is too thick, the barfi becomes brittle and hard)

Continue to mix over low heat for around 10 minutes till the mixture becomes a soft dough. In between add a couple of tsp of ghee. Do not cook for long as again this will turn the barfis hard.

Transfer it to a ghee greased plate and knead for a couple of minutes using the backside of a small bowl. Apply a little ghee to the back of the bowl also before you start kneading.

Transfer the dough between two parchment paper and roll into desired thickness. Cool for a few minutes and cut to diamond shape.

Cool completely and remove and transfer to an airtight container.

Masala Puri with Potato Curry / Deep fried bread with potato curry

For the masala puri:

Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup
All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Coarsely Ground Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Ajwain - 1/4 tsp
Water
Oil for Deep Frying

For the potato curry:

Yukon Gold Potatoes - 2 big, cut into cubes
Chana Dal / Split Chick Peas - 1/3 cup, soaked in water for at least an hour
Frozen Green peas - a handful
Mustard Oil - 1 tbsp.
Dried Whole Red Chili - 2
Paanch Phoron / Mix of whole five spices(cumin, mustard, fenugreek, fennel, nigella( - 1 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Tomato - 1, chopped
Salt
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 2 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1 tsp
Raw Sugar / Jaggery - 1 tsp

Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add the dried red chili and the whole spices. Then add the hing and sauté for a few seconds till strong aroma of spices come out.

Add the cubed potato and turmeric. Mix well. Then add the soaked chana dal, green peas, salt, red chili powder, cumin & fennel powder, sugar and about 4 cups of water.

Close the lid, bring to full pressure, then reduce and cook for 5 minutes or upto 3 whistles.

Mix the flour together and add the remaining spices and a tsp of oil. Add water little by little to make a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for a few minutes. Knead again and make small balls. Flatten & roll them into puris and deep fry both sides in hot oil.

Serve the hot puris with the potato curry.

Adapted from http://riappyayan.blogspot.com/2014/10/masala-puri-runny-potato-curry-kolkata.html

Machher Mathar Chorchori

Snapper Head - 1
Mustard Oil - 3 tbsp.
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch, finely chopped
Onion - 1 big or 2 small ones, thinly sliced
Potato - 1 big Yukon gold, chopped
Tomato - 1, chopped
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Paanch Phoron / 5 spices - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 2, chopped
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt


Heat mustard oil in a pan and fry the fish till done and brown on both sides.

In the same pan, add a pinch of paanch phoron, chopped green chilies, chopped garlic and ginger.

Then add thinly sliced onion, salt and sugar. Cook till the onion gets soft.

Add the chopped potato slices, turmeric and salt. Cook till the potato is done.

Now add chopped tomato, red chili powder and cook till everything comes together.

Add the cooked fish head, break it into small pieces and mix with the onion and potato. Cook covered for a couple of minutes more.

Chia Cashew Pudding (Raw & Vegan)

Raw Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Water - 1.5 cups
Chia Seeds - 4 tsp
Maple Syrup / Honey - 1 tbsp
Pure Vanilla Extract - 1 few drops
Orange Zest - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Mint - for garnishing

Serves two.

Soak the cashew nuts in 1.5 cups water overnight. Blend in vitamix along with the water for a minute. Divide the cashew milk in 2 small serving bowls.

Add 2 tsp chia seeds in each bowl. Add a few drops of vanilla extract, orange zest (if using) and drizzle some maple syrup on top. Reserve the bowls in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Garnish with mint leaves, drizzle some more maple syrup on top and serve chilled.

 

 

 

 

Peach Strawberry Almond Smoothie

Slivered Almonds - 1/3 cup
Water - 1 cup

Frozen Banana - 1, (slice a ripe banana and freeze it for a few hours)
Ripe Peaches - 2, pitted and sliced (preferably frozen for a few hours)
Frozen Strawberries - 6
Raw Honey - 2 tsp.

Soak the almonds in water overnight. Blend along with the soaked water in a high speed blender like vitamix till milk like consistency. Do not strain.

Add slices of frozen banana, peaches, strawberries, honey to the almond milk and blend till smooth. Serve immediately. These smoothies are very thick and can be served as a soft serve ice-cream.

Pan Seared Halibut with Rosemary Crust

Halibut Fillet - 2 (around 5 oz each, preferably refrigerated overnight to keep the fish firm)
Rock Salt
Pepper
Flour - 1 tbsp. (APF or use brown rice flour for gluten free option)
Fresh Rosemary Leaves - 1/2 tsp, chopped
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat till it is almost almost smoking hot.

Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Mix the rosemary leaves with the flour. Dust the fillet with the rosemary flour.

Add the olive oil to the smoking pan. Place the fish fillet on the pan, reduce the heat slightly and cook for around 5 minutes till the bottom is brown and crispy. Carefully flip the fillet and cook on the other side for a few minutes more.

Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Crispy Tahini Kale Chips

 

Lacinato Kale / Dinosaur Kale - 1 bunch
Tahini / Sesame Paste - 4 to 5 tbsp
Ground Flax Seeds - 4 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp (as required)
Garlic Cloves - 2, minced
Rock Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 275F
Mix tahini, flaxseeds, garlic, salt, pepper together. Add olive oil as required to make a thick paste. Keep aside.

Wash kale leaves well and dry completely. Tear the leaves into bite sized pieces and discard the middle stem.

Massage the kale leaves with the tahini paste to coat all the leaves well. Place in a single layer on a couple of foil lined baking sheets.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes till the kale is completely dry and crispy.

Black Beans Spaghetti in Peanut Sauce, gluten free

Black Beans Spaghetti - a handful
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp.
Garlic Cloves - 4, sliced
Assorted Vegetables - Frozed Green Peas, Frozen Sweet Corn, Carrots
Rice Wine Vinegar - 1 tbsp.
Low Sodium Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp.
Peanut Butter - 2 tbsp.
Tahini - 2 tbsp.
Red Chili Flakes

Mix peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, tahini , chili flakes together to make a sauce. Keep aside.

Add the spaghetti to a large pot of boiling water and cook for around  5 minutes till they are done.

In the meantime, while the spaghetti is getting cooked, heat a large skillet. Add olive oil and the sliced garlic. Saute for a few seconds and then add the vegetables.

Cook on high heat for a few minutes. Add the boiled spaghetti and the peanut sauce. Mix well. Serve hot.

 

Steamed Fish with Lemon & Shallots

Fresh White fish like Red Snapper or Trout Fillet - 2
Butter - 1 tbsp.
Shallot - finely sliced, about 1 tbsp.
Ginger - 1/2 inch, julienned
Garlic - 2 cloves - finely slived
Lemon - 1, cut into thin roundels
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Green Chili - 3
Rock Salt


Preheat oven to 400F.

Pat the fish fillets dry. Add soft butter, shallots, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, green chili and salt. Mix together.

Take 2 aluminum foils. Place a few lemon roundels on bottom and place the fillet on top along with the shallot mixture. Place a couple of lemon roundels on top.

Cover the foil tightly over each fish fillet to make an airtight pocket.

Place on a baking tray and bake for around 20 to 25 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Kimchi Fried Rice

Brown Rice - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Olive oil - 1 tbsp.
Garlic - 3 cloves
Shallots / Red Onion - 1/4 cup, chopped
Jalapeno - 1/2, finely chopped
Low Sodium Soy Sauce - 1 to 2 tsp
Fresh Shrimp - 10, optional
Kimchi - 1/2 cup
Fried Eggs - 2

Serves 2

Cook rice and water together till done. Keep aside to cool down. Alternatively, leftover cooked brown rice also works well.

Heat a skillet and add olive oil. Immediately add the garlic, jalapeno and shallots and cooked till the shallots begin to caramelize.

Add the kimchi and shrimp. Saute till the shrimp is cooked through and the kimchi slightly crisps up.

Add the cooked rice and 2 tsp soy sauce. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Divide into 2 bowls, add a fried egg on top and serve hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprouted Green Mung Beans Chaat

Sprouted Green Mung - 1 cup (sprouted from half cup raw green mung beans)
Cucumber - 1 small, chopped
Red Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Green Chili - 1, finely chopped
Tomato - 1 small, chopped
Boiled Potato - 1 small, chopped (optional)
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Roasted Unsalted Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice - of 1 whole lemon
Rock Salt - to taste
Aamchur powder / Dry mango powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Tamarind Date Chutney - 2 tbsp

Mix all the above ingredients together, drizzle some more chutney on top and serve immediately.

Roasted Red Snapper with Lemon & Thyme

Whole Red Snapper - 1, (scaled and gutted, around 1.5 lbs)
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp.
Pink Himalayan Salt / Rock Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Lemon - 1, cut into thin roundels
Fresh Lemon Thyme - a few sprigs
Garlic - 2 cloves, crushed

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Put a tsp of olive oil on the foil.

Wash the whole snapper well and pat dry with a paper towel. Place on the baking sheet.  Apply olive oil all over and sprinkle salt and pepper and rub well everywhere including the cavity.

Arrange a few lemon slices, thyme leaves and crushed garlic inside the cavity. Place the remaining lemon slices over the fish.

Drizzle a little olive oil on top and bake for around 30 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Black Eyed Peas Curry

Dry Black Eyed Peas - 1 cup
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp.
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/4 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Tomato - 1 big
Salt
Water - 3 cups
Yogurt - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg - a pinch
Allspice - 1/4 tsp


Soak the black eyed peas in plenty of water overnight. Drain and wash in fresh water. Keep aside. Mix all the spices with the yogurt and keep aside.

Heat a pan and add oil. Add the cumin seeds and once they begin to sizzle, add the hing. Remove the pan from heat and add the yogurt spice mix. Mix well and return the pan to low heat.

Cook till oil separates from the mixture. Add the chopped tomato and cook till it turns into a pulp.

Add the black eyed peas, salt and water and cook in a pressure cooker for 6 minutes after full pressure is reached.

Ghugra / Savory Green Peas Pie

Adapted from http://tongueticklers.com/2014/03/a-pinch-of-this-a-handful-of-that-ghugra-savoury-hand-pies-with-green-pea-filling-and-a-giveaway/

Flour - 2 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Salt - 2 pinches
Water - 1 cup

Frozen Green Peas / Shelled Fresh Green Peas - 3 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 4, finely chopped
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Raw Sugar / Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Raw mango Powder / Aamchur - 1 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbsp. (only use fresh coconut)
Cilantro - a handful (optional)
Salt

Peanut Oil for deep frying

Makes around 25 small pies

Mix flour, salt and oil together well till the flour becomes crumbly. Add water little by little to make a stiff dough. Cover and keep aside.

Heat a large pan and add the oil. Add cumin seeds and once they begin to sizzle, add chopped green chilies, asafetida, ginger. Saute for a few seconds and then add the green peas.

Mix well and cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, salt, raw sugar, aamchur, coconut, cilantro. Mix well and cook till the mixture comes together. Remove from heat and using a fork, mash the green peas to crush them gently.

Heat oil in a wok / kadai for deep frying.

Take small walnut sized balls of the dough, roll into circle, stuff 1 tsp of green peas filling on one half of the ball, fold the other half and pinch the edges together to seal the pie.

Deep fry on low heat till they are light brown on both sides (if you want crispy pies, they have to be fried on low heat). Drain on kitchen towel and serve immediately with tamarind chutney.