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Warm Indian Potato Salad

A few more weeks of August left- might as well take advantage of the grilling season and make some delicious sides! Potato salad is always a winner- this one is a bit different with Indian flavors…

warm-potato-salad

  • 1 pound yellow potatoes boiled and cut in 2 inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 3 scallions chopped
  • 1 serrano chili deseeded and chopped
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro

In a wide skillet heat the olive oil and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Add the chopped potatoes once the spices begin to sizzle. Saute on high heat to brown the potatoes about 10 minutes. Once the potatoes are golden brown add the scallions and the serrano chili. Then add the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, garam masala and salt. Garnish with the cilantro.

Roasted Eggplant with Peas

  • 1 medium sized eggplant

Place the eggplant on to a grill or under a broiler. Char the skin from all sides, making sure the eggplant is nice is tender once done- about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep aside and let cool, take skin off and mash with a fork.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons stems of fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons stems of fresh cilantro
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 cup peas
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the dill, cilantro, onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coriander powder, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and sauté for an addition 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes. Add the peas, cilantro and dill. Mix well and let cook for 5 to 6 minutes or till the peas are heated through. Check for seasonings and serve warm.

A Fusion Recipe: Indian Style Shrimp Fried Rice

indian-style-shrimp-fried-riceSo, I love this rice dish- it’s a nice fusion between Chinese and South Indian cuisines. I was at a market and saw local Long Island pink shrimp on sale. I decided to be kind to the fish monger and only asked for half a pound- it was cruel of me to have him clean and devein those tiny little shrimp! Anyway, what was I going to do with just half a pound of tiny shrimp especially since everyone in my family loves them. I had recently seen a fried rice recipe on television and thought that would be a great way to use a small amount of shrimp! I am not sure what inspired me to combine the two cuisines- I love eating both fried rice and lemon rice. I enjoy the mustard seeds and the coconut in the lemon rice and I love a well made fried rice – and shrimp is quite prevalent in both the cuisines- so I thought why not combine all the flavors. Also, typically the take out fried rice is full of fat and sodium- same with the lemon rice in restaurants. Making it at home is a great way to control what goes in your family’s mouth.

I sauteed cumin, fennel, mustard seeds with garlic, I then sauteed finely chopped shrimp and curry leaves. I have to say, curry leaves are one of my favorite herbs to use- they have a very unique earthy flavor. I love using them with chicken, pork, fish and mutton! The lemon rice I usually make has shredded coconut, although I sometimes cook the white rice in coconut milk and eliminate the coconut on top. In this case, I decided to use the shredded coconut- I usually have it in my freezer so it’s always handy. The lemon juice and fresh cilantro finished the rice dish off really well. I paired the rice dish with some grilled vegetables smothered in a peanut sauce- will post the recipe on Monday!

I think this was a great way to stretch the buck and feed the whole family a delicious meal. My daughter loved the rice, especially the shrimp in it. I gave her the vegetables but without the peanut sauce. She had so many friends in pre-school who were allergic to peanuts, that she thinks she shouldn’t be eating them either. My husband and I enjoyed our dinner with a nice Riesling- it was a delightful evening!

read more …

Sauteed Eggplant and Peppers

eggplant-and-peppers1I have been making this dish for a very long time now. It is a combination of two eggplant dishes- one that my Mom makes and another that I read years ago in an Indian cook book. My Mom’s dish is quite complicated to make and includes a lot of steps. I love the texture of the dish especially because it includes roasted peanuts. The one from the cooking book includes onion and fennel seeds- which remind me of tangy pickles! Most people in India, pickle vegetables and fruits with a mix of spices that sometimes include onion and fennel seeds. There is a specific mango pickle I think of that has those spices. Whenever I taste and smell that mix, it reminds me of sweet and tangy things. I decided to combine the two recipes and add the onion and fennel seed mixture as well as some raisins and peanuts to give the dish more texture. It turned out to be a very easy and quick dish to make. The eggplant cooks down and becomes very soft and silky. The red peppers give the dish great color and sweetness. I use crushed tomatoes that add a sweet and sour taste. My favorite part of the dish is getting a mouth full of eggplant, peppers with some golden raisins and roasted peanuts all together! This dish can be served with some lentils and rice or it can make a wonderful side with fish, chicken, pork or steak!

  • 1 big eggplant or 2-3 Japanese eggplants, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 2 small red peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon onion seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 2 inches ginger, chopped fine
  • 1 cup crushed tomato
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • ¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Process the onion, ginger and garlic. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin, onion and fennel seeds. Cook on high for about 10-20 seconds or when they start to sizzle. Add the onion, ginger and garlic mixtures. Saute on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomato, sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the eggplants and the peppers. Mix well. Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and lower the heat to medium low. Cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes or till the eggplant and peppers are soft. Adjust seasonings and add the raisins and peanuts. Garnish with cilantro.

Keema Gobi (Ground Meat with Cauliflower)

keema-gobiWe made this dish for a cooking class a few days ago. When I was trying to come up with a menu, I wasn’t sure if I should add this dish. It is a concoction that is not very popular amongst Indians as well as Indian restaurants. I wasn’t sure if people would be interested in learning a dish they have never heard of! This is a dish I grew up with- my Mom learned it from her Mom and now has passed it down to me and my sister-in-law. Keema is a word used for ground or minced meat in India.  Typically ground goat meat is used with peas or potatoes, but I tend to use either pork or dark meat turkey.  The addition of cauliflower is not typical but it is absolutely fabulous. Somehow the broken down soft cauliflower goes really well with the well seasoned ground meat.  It is essentially a one pot meal and can be enjoyed with frozen naan or a vegetable rice pulao. All the people who attended the class really loved the aromatic flavor of the dry spices and the wonderful mix of the meat and the cauliflower.  Overall it was a successful class!

  • 1 pound ground pork (dark meat turkey can be used as well)
  • 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 green cardamom crushed
  • ½ inch stick cinnamon
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 1 medium white onion minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3-4 inch piece of ginger minced
  • ½ cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup cilantro for garnish

In a deep pan, heat the oil and add the bay leaf, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
In the meantime, mince the onion, garlic and ginger in a processor. Once the spices begin to sizzle, add the processed onion mixture. Saute on moderate heat until the mixture turns light brown. Add the crushed tomatoes and saute for another five minutes. Then add the ground meat crushing it down with a wooden spoon to separate and cook. Saute the meat with the tomato mixture for another five minutes. Add coriander powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt. Now add the cauliflower florets and cook on medium heat covered till the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes. Take the lid off and turn the heat to high and sauté the mixture till the moisture has evaporated, about 7 to 8 minutes. Adjust seasoning, and sprinkle cilantro before serving.

Keema Gobi1

Savory Frenchtoast

savory-french-toast-21I am not sure if a lot of people are aware of savory French toast. I grew up with it, my Mom used to make it for dinner all the time. There was a street vendor near our house who sold the same thing but took it to a different level! He added onions, cilantro and lots of Serrano chili. Over the years it was my brother who replicated the dish at home. Recently I asked him how to make it. Today since it was snowing, my husband remembered the dish – it’s definitely a comfort food- and we made it.
The original dish is made with white bread, I wanted to be healthy and used whole-wheat instead. It also tastes great if you add grated cheese in the egg mixture.
Growing up we used to have the savory French toast with ketchup. Recently I have discovered a jar of tomato chutney sold at Trader Joes, which goes perfectly with this dish.
We really enjoyed the French toast with a hot cup of Masala Coffee – you wonder what that is? Well I will have to divulge that another day!

  • 4 pieces sliced bread
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup green onions, chopped
  • 1 serrano chili, chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Egg Mixture

In a wide, shallow plate add the eggs, salt, cayenne pepper and the water. Beat until everything is mixed well. Add cilantro and mix. Keep aside.

Heat a large non-stick pan and add one teaspoon oil. Add half cup of the green onions, serrano chili and sauté on medium heat for about a minute. (Work with 2 slices at one time) Take each slice and dip in the egg mixture and place on top of the cooking green onions and serrano chili. Cook for at least 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Flip both the slices to cook the other sides for another 4-5 minutes. Once both sides are cooked well, place one slice on top of the other (like a grilled cheese sandwich). Cut in half and serve.
Follow the same steps with the other two slices with the left over green onion and egg mixture.

Toor Dal and Rice Pulao with Peas

toor-dal-and-rice-pulao-with-peasThese two dishes are the ultimate comfort food for me! It made me want to eat both the rice and the dal today as I stepped outside in the cold and felt the 18 degrees! Also I wanted to give my daughter something light to eat since she was home sick with a fever and sore throat. Typically this dal is made in a pressure cooker, it doesn’t take very long at all, about 10 minutes. I included the regular cooking method so more people can try it. I typically add an ingredient similar to tamarind to add a sour element to the dal. It’s called ‘kokum’ and is only available at the Indian stores. I decided to substitue the ‘kokum’ with lemon juice. The lemon juice adds a good sour flavor and is a good substitute. The smell of cooked rice is very nostalgic, gives me a happy warm feeling inside.. perfect for this weather.

Toor Dal

  • 1 cup toor dal
  • 3 cups water or more if needed
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 serrano chili, chopped (take the seeds out if too spicy)
  • Tempering

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ a lemon, squeezed
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro

In a large pot, add the toor dal and the water with turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Unless you are using a pressure cooker, this dal takes a while to cook, about 40 minutes. Keep it at a simmer and add water as needed.
In a separate small frying pan, heat the oil or ghee and add the cumin and mustard seeds.
Cook till they sizzle, about a minute.
Once the dal reaches the needed consistency, add the cumin and mustard seeds.
Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice and the cilantro.

Rice Pulao with Peas

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  • 2 cups chicken broth or water
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 teaspoon salt

In a heavy pan, heat up the olive oil and add the cumin seeds. Add the onions once the cumin begins to sizzle. Cook the onion on medium heat till golden brown. Add the rice and stir till it is opaque, careful not to burn. Add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil and cover on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas right on top and cover and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.