My Lunch - Veg Fried Rice, Red Chard & Boiled Egg

Veg Fried Rice, Sauteed Red Chard & Fried Boiled Egg

Walnut Pesto Pasta

Whole Wheat / Brown Rice Elbow pasta - 1 cup
Walnuts - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - a handful, chopped
Basil - a handful, chopped
Garlic Cloves - 4, grated
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Green Chili - 1
Salt
Parmesan Cheese - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Boil 8 cups of water in a big pan. Once water starts boiling, add 3 tsp salt and drop the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, lightly toast the walnuts in a cast iron skillet. Add basil, cilantro, garlic, walnuts, green chili, cheese and olive oil together and make a paste in the food processor or the grinder.

Cook the pasta to desired softness. Drain water and immediately add the pesto. Toss everything together to coat the pasta with the sauce. If it feels dry, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water. Add some shredded fresh basil leaves on top and serve.

Red Kidney Beans Salsa

Dried Red Kidney Beans - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Red Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Cucumber - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Jalapeno - 1, finely chopped
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Tomato - 1, chopped
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

Soak the kidney beans in plenty of water ovenight. Drain, add 2 cups of fresh water, a little salt and cook in the pressure cooker for 7 whistles after full pressure is reached. Remove and drain any liquid.

Mix chopped onion, tomato, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro together. Add the cooked beans. Make a simple vinaigrette of lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Drizzle it over the salsa. Sprinkle some fresh black pepper on top and serve.

Nalen Gurer Sandesh / Fresh Cheese Balls with Date Molasses

Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
Lemon - 1 big, or Organic White Vinegar - 1/4 cup mixed with 1/4 cup water
Nalen Gur / Date Molasses - 10 tbsp

Squeeze juice out of the lemon and sieve the lemon juice so that it has no solid particles. Mix it with half cup of water and keep aside.

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.

As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice or vinegar gradually and stir the milk gently. When the cheese starts separating from the whey, turn off the heat.

Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or handkerchief.

Wrap the cheese in the cloth, and rinse under cold water for at least 3 minutes, and squeeze well to remove as much liquid as possible.

Once it is drained, place on a dry, clean plate and knead the cheese by dragging the palm of your hand hard for at least 20 minutes until the cheese almost rolls into smooth soft dough.

Add the gur and knead for a few minutes more.

Take this mix in a nonstick pan and cook on very low heat for around 10 minutes till all the moisture is removed.  Remove from heat, knead once more, cool a little and make small flat balls of the mixture.

Adapted from http://ahomemakersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/01/nolen-gurer-sandesh-bengali-cottage.html


Sending this recipe to the event Cook.Eat.Delicious - Desserts happening @ Sensible Vegetarian

Slim Jim Eggplant with Onion and Tomato

Slim Jim Eggplant - 8
Olive Oil - 2 tsp + 1 tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 3, chopped
Red Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Tomato - 1 big, chopped
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp

Cut each eggplant into half lengthwise from between. If the eggplants are longer than 5 inches, cut them into half and then cut each half into 2 pieces lengthwise.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a nonstick pan. Add the eggplants in a single layer, skin side up. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric, lower the flame and cover the pan.

Cook till the bottom side gets caramelised and the eggplant gets a little soft. Flip and put the skin sides down now and cook covered for a few minutes more till the eggplants are completely cooked. Sprinkle a little water if required in between. Remove the cooked eggplants and keep aside.

Add a tbsp of oil and fry the garlic for a minute. Then add the chopped onion and cook till the onion gets soft.

Add the chopped tomato and cook till the tomato gets mushy.

Now add back the cooked eggplant, a little salt and red pepper flakes. Mix well, cook for a minute and remove from fire. Serve over toasted whole grain bread.

Chicken in Yogurt

Chicken - 1 pound
Plain whole Milk Yogurt - 1 cup
Butter - 1 or 2 tbsp.
Whole Black Peppers - 10
Garlic - 5 pods, grated
Salt
Raw Sugar - 1 tsp
Freshly ground Black or White Pepper - a sprinkle (optional)

Beat the yogurt well and keep aside.

Heat a skillet. Add the butter and black peppers.

Add the chicken and grated garlic. Cook on high heat for a few minutes.

Remove the skillet from heat and allow it to cook slightly. Add the beaten curd, salt and sugar. Mix well.

Cover and cook on low heat till the chicken is done. If required can sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top. Serve hot.

Potato and Zucchini Latkes

Zucchini - 1 small
Red Potato - 1 big or 2 small ones
Eggs - 2
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Garlic Cloves - 5, grated
Corn meal - 1 tbsp
Brown Rice Powder - 1 tbsp

Peanut oil for frying the pancakes

Grate the potato and the zucchini. Add a little salt and leave aside for 10 minutes. Then place them in a clean kitchen towel and wring well to remove all moisture.

Place the grated potato zucchini mixture in a bowl. Add eggs, salt, pepper, cayenne, grated garlic, corn meal and brown rice powder. Mix well.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a cast iron skillet. Add 2 tbsp of the pancake mixture. Flatten with the back of the spatula to make a small round shaped pancake. Cook on medium low heat till the bottom browns. Flip and cook till the other side also browns. Serve hot with your favourite chutney.

Rajgira Puri / Deep fried Indian bread, gluten free

Rajgira / Amaranth Flour - 2 cups
If you want the puris to be crispy, add a tbsp of brown rice flour
Salt - 2 pinches
Warm Water - 1 cup (may require less or a little more)
Oil - 1 tsp
Peanut oil for deep frying

Mix rajgira flour with salt. Slowly add warm water and make a soft dough.

Knead the dough well. When the dough forms a round ball, add 1 tsp oil and knead for a minute more. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Heat peanut oil in a wok / kadai over medium high heat.

Remove the damp cloth and knead the dough once. Make small balls of the dough. Place each ball between two oiled plastic sheets and using a rolling pin roll into small round shape.

Deep fry on both sides till golden brown. Remove on paper towel to soak excess oil. Serve with your favourite vegetable curry.

Sauteed Mushroom with White Wine

Sliced Shitake Mushroom - 1 cup
Sweet onion - 1 small, thinly sliced
Garlic Cloves - 3, minced
Red pepper Flakes - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
White Wine - 1 tbsp (I used Chardonnay)
Fresh basil for garnishing

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for a few seconds.

Add the thinly sliced onion and salt. Cook on low flame till the onion caramelises.

Add the chopped shitake mushroom  and mix well. Saute for a few minutes till the mushroom gets soft.

Now add the chardonnay and cook for a minute more. Remove from fire, garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.

Kumro Bharta / Spicy Mashed Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash - 1 small
Kala Chana Sprouts / Black Chickpea Sprouts - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Paanch Phoron - 1 tsp (a mix of cumin, fennel, nigella, fenugreek, mustard seeds)
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Green Chili - 2, chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, grated
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Salt

Place the kala chana sprouts in a sauce pan, cover with an inch of water and bring to boil. Reduce the flame and simmer for around 30 minutes till the chana gets soft. Remove from heat and drain the remaining liquid.

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the butternut squash  into 2 pieces, lengthwise. Remove the seeds from inside. Take a baking sheet / dish and add 1/4 inch water. Place the squash cut sides down and bake for around an hour till the squash is fork soft. Cool and remove the skin and coarsely mash.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the panch phoron and hing. Then add the green chili, grated garlic and chopped onion and cook till the onion gets soft.

Add cooked kala chana, mashed squash, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well and cook for a few minutes more till the spices mix together. Serve hot.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Adapted from http://www.eatingrules.com/2011/10/how-to-make-fluffy-quinoa/

Quinoa - 3/4 cup
Water / Homemade Vegetable Stock - 1 cup
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Salt
Pepper
Red Onion - 1/4 cup, chopped
Tomato - 1 small, chopped
Cucumber - 1/2, chopped
Parsley / Cilantro - a handful, chopped

Place the quinoa in a strainer and wash well under running water. Leave in the strainer for sometime so that all the water drains out.

Dry roast the quinoa in a pan on low flame for 5 minutes till it begins to smell nutty.

take a cup of water in a saucepan and bring it to boil. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan(but leave a little opening for the steam to escape) and simmer till all the liquid is absorbed. Cool down a little and fluff with fork and keep aside.

Mix olive lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil to make a simple vinaigrette.

Mix cucumber, red onion, tomato, cilantro together. Add the cooked quinoa. Pour the vinaigrette on top and mix well. Serve as a salad.

Double Chocolate Torte, with almond flour

Blanched Almond Flour - 1/2 cup
Dark Chocolate Chips - 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup
Cocoa Powder - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Large Eggs - 3
Raw Honey / Turbinado Sugar - 1/2 cup
Melted Butter - 1/2 cup
Pure Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put ½ cup chocolate chips in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground to the texture of gravel

Mix in almond flour, cocoa powder and salt and pulse for 10 seconds to combine everything well.

Add 3 eggs and vanilla to the food processor and pulse again.  Then add raw honey and butter. Pulse all ingredients together until smooth

Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the mix.

Transfer the batter into a well buttered round cake pan.

Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and cut into triangles and enjoy this rich, dense, moist, decadent slice of cake.

Sending this recipe to the following event http://culinaryvibes.blogspot.com/2012/08/event-cook-eat-delicious-desserts.html

 

Black and White Wednesday - Sprouts - Beginning of a new Life

This picture is my entry to Susan's Black & White Wednesday - Culinary photos.

Urad Dal Papdi / Lentil Crackers

Adapted from http://www.sailusfood.com/2011/10/04/navratri-special-chitti-budagalu-recipe/

Brown Rice Flour - 1 cup
Urad Dal / Black Gram Flour - 1 cup
Water
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Extra Brown Rice Flour for rolling the papdis
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Mix brown rice flour, urad dal flour, salt, cayenne and nigella seeds together.

Add water little by little and knead to make a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Apply a little oil to the palms and knead the dough again. Make marble sized balls out of the dough.

Heat peanut oil in a kadai on medium low flame for deep frying. Take 2 plastic sheets, apply a little oil and sprinkle a little brown flour. Take each ball and place it between the 2 sheets. Press with the back of a small tumbler to make a small round. Prick with a fork all around.

Remove the top plastic sheet and drop the round papdi in the hot oil. Repeat this for the other balls. Fry around 10 papdis per batch till golden brown on both sides and remove on a paper towel. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

These crispy gluten free papdis taste like Bengali nimkis and can be had as it is as a snack or can be used as a base for papdi chat.

Layered Brown Rice, Chickpeas and Eggplant

Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/layered-picnic-in-a-jar-recipe/index.html

For Rice Layer :
Brown Rice - 1 cup, cooked
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Salt

For Chickpea Layer :
Chickpeas - 1 cup, cooked
Yellow Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Garlic - 2 pods, grated
Ginger - 1/2 inch, grated
Turmeric - a pinch
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt

For Eggplant layer :
Baby Eggplant - 10, cut into quarters
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, grated
Curry Leaves - 5
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Tomato - 1, chopped
Jaggery / Palm Sugar - 1 tsp

Mix a little salt, lemon juice and chopped cilantro to the cooked brown rice and keep aside.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic. Cook till soft. Then add chickpeas, ginger, salt, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon and cook for a few minutes till the spices mix together. Sprinkle a little water if the spices start sticking to the bottom of the pan. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the mustard seeds and once they begin to pop, add curry leaves, onion and garlic and cook till soft. Then add the sliced eggplants, salt, turmeric and cayenne. Mix well and cover and cook on low flame till the eggplants are cooked. Midway, lift the cover and add chopped tomato and grated jaggery.

To assemble, layer a jam bottle first with rice, then chickpeas and then eggplant. To serve on a plate, serve rice, chickpeas and eggplant side by side.