Tag: onions
Achari Gobi Aaloo- Cauliflower and Potatoes Sauteed in Pickling Spices
As I have mentioned many times before, my darling husband loves cauliflower. To say he loves it, is an understatement. I like it as well but don’t make it often enough for him. I keep trying to explain to him that I need new ways of cooking the same vegetable if I want to post the recipe on the blog.
I found a fabulous looking head of cauliflower at the supermarket and picked it up immediately. I wasn’t sure how I was going to cook it. As I was going through my pantry, I came across some Indian condiments including spicy pickles. Most Indian pickles consist of fennel, cumin and onion seeds, etc.
I decided to use these spices in the cauliflower dish and make it with potatoes- which is the classic combination most people are familiar with.
I also used mustard and fenugreek seeds with a combination of onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. This is the type of dish you will find at Indian weddings in India. It’s rich, vibrant and full of flavor. It is also very appealing to the eye and did I mention delicious! The sweet cauliflower is a great complement to the flavorful spices in there.
I cannot tell you how my husband devoured this dish. He didn’t want me to share it with anyone- which I normally do since I churn so much food out of my kitchen- I like to give some away. He wanted to have it all to himself and asked me to make this dish again.
I guess its back to drawing board for me- trying to come up with new cauliflower recipes…. Enjoy- this one is a keeper.
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3-4 white potatoes, cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon onion seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 medium white onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 inch ginger, sliced thin
- 3 serrano chilies, deseeded and sliced
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
In a large wok like pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, cumin, fennel, mustard and fenugreek seeds. Saute for a minute on high heat, or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and Serrano chilies. Saute for 5-7 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the cauliflower and potatoes. Mix well and add the salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well, turn the heat to low and cover and cook for 15 minutes. Take the lid off to check if the potatoes are tender. Turn the heat up and cook the excess moisture accumulated at the bottom of the pan. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes on high. Check for seasonings and add the cilantro before serving.
Shrimp and Spinach Stir Fry with Black Bean Sauce
I am always looking for new recipes to make with shrimp. It is such a favorite in our house that I know what ever I make, it will be a hit- well almost everything.
I remembered a dish we have at a local Chinese restaurant- Hunan Spring. It is a black bean and shrimp dish.
I decided to replicate it and went looking for black bean sauce. I actually wanted the dried black beans to make it from scratch but since I didn’t give myself ample time, I had to make do with the prepared black bean sauce. I also bought fresh Florida pink shrimp from Freeman’s fish market.
I decided to buy a bag of baby spinach to add to the dish- it is so much easier to have a dish with protein and a vegetable together. All I had to do was make some delicious brown rice. My secret to brown rice is sauteing it with a mixture of butter and olive oil and then cooking it with chicken broth. It gives the rice tons of flavor and makes it scrumptious.
As I predicted, the dish was a hit. Everyone loved it. Sia had it with a glass of milk and Anil and I had it with a red- I know a white would have gone a lot better- but I really felt like drinking a red. My rule about pairing wine and food is that you should drink what you feel like with you have cooked. It will definitely taste good!
- 1 pound large shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 2 medium white onions, sliced thin
- ¼ black bean sauce
- 2 tablespoons garlic chili sauce
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
Place the shrimp in a large ziplock bag. Add the garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well and marinate for 2-3 hours.
In a wok like pan, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the sliced onions and sauté on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the marinated shrimp and sauté for a minute. Add the black bean sauce and garlic chili sauce. Mix well and add the spinach. Saute till the spinach wilts down. Taste for seasonings and add salt if necessary. Serve hot with brown rice.
Indian Omelet Sandwiches with Potato Home Fries
After a busy, hectic but delicious Thanksgiving weekend I am usually in the mood for ethnic food. I crave really spicy food. In fact I wanted it so much that I went to Edison and ate Indian street food to my hearts content.
The craving for spicy food prompted this particular meal. It makes a great breakfast but I made it for dinner. This Indian style omelet is served on the streets in Delhi, where I grew up. I remember going to an open market near our home and eating this with white bread. Yum- white bread is delicious and so I decided to buy a crispy baguette and make omelet sandwiches. Onions and chilies are chopped and sauteed. Eggs are beaten with fresh cilantro, salt, cayenne pepper and garam masala. I added extra cayenne in mine- yum!
While I was trying to decide what to serve with the sandwiches, home fries came to mind. While I was in school, my parents owned a deli. My Mom would make the most delicious potato home fries to serve with breakfast sandwiches. I replicated those for this meal. The home fries are quite easy to make – boiled potatoes, green or any colored peppers and the key ingredient was dried oregano. The were cooked on the griddle until crispy. At home, I made them in a cast iron skillet to ensure a nice golden brown color and even cooking.
The whole meal turned out really delicious. I made a cheese omelet for my daughter as she is not into the spicy egg concoctions. I gave her some veggies on the side and called it a night. I somehow didn’t feel like drinking wine with this particular meal- I guess my childhood memories didn’t include the alcoholic beverage. Although a beer or a riesling would be delicious!
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ cayenne pepper
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Beat the eggs with salt, garam masala, cayenne pepper and cilantro and beat well. Keep aside.
- 2 teaspoons extra light olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 serrano chilies, chopped
2 sour dough rolls, cut in half and toasted
In a large non-stick frying pan, add olive oil. Add the onions and chilies and sauté on medium heat till the onions are golden brown- about 5 minutes. Add the egg mixture and cook on medium heat till the egg mixture begins to cook. Roll into an omelet shape and cut into half. Serve each half in the toasted roll with home fries on the side.
Home Fries
- 4 medium yellow potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
In a small saucepan, add the potatoes and top with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till the potatoes are soft.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- ½ red pepper, chopped
- ½ yellow pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
In a non stick frying pan, add the olive oil. Add the peppers and potatoes. Mix well and cook on medium high heat, turning once in a while so the potatoes begin to brown. Add the oregano, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well and cook for another 15- 20 minutes or, till the potatoes are crispy and golden brown. Check for seasonings and sprinkle with cilantro and serve with egg sandwiches.
Easy Meatball Lasagna
There is a constant argument in my house about serving red sauce with any pasta meal. While I like red sauce, I like variety more- so I end up experimenting with different kinds of sauces or sometimes no sauce at all. My husband is not too happy when the pasta is served without a sauce.
This dish is a compromise since it has the red and white sauce. I had the leftover meatballs from the previous day and I felt quite adventurous. I sliced the meatballs and sauteed them in a little oil and kept them aside. I wanted to make a lasagna with the left over marinara sauce in the fridge. I didn’t have any ricotta cheese- I decided to substitute a bechamel sauce instead. To give the sauce a little body and texture, I sauteed some onions before adding the all purpose flour and creamy fontina cheese. Fontina cheese is a must ingredient in my fridge. It is mild and nutty and melts really well on anything.
I layered the no-cook lasagna noodles (another ingredient found in my pantry) with the two sauces and the meatballs. I topped it all with some shredded cheese and stuck it in the oven. I was very excited to taste this experiment. I was hoping my daughter and husband will feel the same excitement when they taste it- and they did. They both loved it! I was extremely happy and very proud of myself.
It is easy to come up with ideas for left overs if your pantry and fridge are well-stocked. With lasagnas, sky is the limit- you can add as much or as little- as long as the ingredients are good and fresh.
I served it with a salad and a Merlot.
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Peppers and Onions: A Side Dish Recipe to serve with Grilled Sausages
I love sausage and pepper sandwiches. I love the savory sausage with the sweet peppers and onions. Typically green pepper are served with the dish- I prefer sausage and pepper sandwiches made out of the red and orange peppers. I usually start with the sausages and then add either crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. I then proceed with the onions and peppers- lots of oregano and basil later- a great dish is done! I toast a crusty baguette and rub the insides with a fresh garlic clove. The sausage and peppers are then topped with either a sharp provolone cheese or fresh mozzarella. It’s a great sandwich, especially with a great glass of cabernet.
In the summer, I do a variation of the sandwich. I am in no mood to spend a lot of time in front of the stove. We like to grill as much as possible- especially on the weekends. I always have chicken sausages in the fridge/freezer. This time I bought aged cheddar and spinach ones from Costco- they are delicious! Anyway, I grilled them and slices of a large baguette drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic. I cooked the peppers and onions quickly on the stove with lots of fresh basil and brought it outside. We had all the components of a sausage and pepper sandwich separately- and they all tasted really well together. It was a yummy and simple meal- perfect for a Sunday evening or a weeknight.
Indian Style Rice and Beans
I had volunteered at Sia’s school to cook something for the healthy table at the fair. The foods at that table have had vegan, ethnic and healthy desserts in the past. I initially thought of baking a healthy bread or the chocolate zucchini bread I posted a few days ago- but then I thought maybe I should make a one pot rice dish instead – and maybe even a vegetarian one. The recipe on this blog calls for chicken broth but I made it with water for the fair. I decided to make a pulao, which is a rice dish that can include vegetables, beans or meat. I usually make a pulao with vegetables or meat- I thought maybe I should do an Indian version of rice and beans. Mexican and Indian flavors have so much in common, especially cumin, cilantro and the chilies. I wanted to include the cilantro sauce my grandma used to add to her pea rice dish. It is such a great way to give great flavor to the rice- cilantro, onion and garlic are blended and cooked with cumin before basmati rice is added. It is delicious! I decided to combine the two cuisines and come up with a one pot meal! I am in love with one pot meals- they are so convenient, especially if they are kid friendly. In this case, the rice has the protein from the beans- so I would pair it with a salad and call it a day. My daughter does not like salad dressing, so she eats lettuce without anything! – how weird it that?? I guess whatever works for her- I tell her she is missing out on all the delicious salad dressings out there but then she doesn’t like ketchup either! I digress- the rice dish was a big hit at the fair. I added raisins to it- I can’t help myself- I love the sweet juice right in the middle of the savory cilantro and garlic flavor. I was a little concerned about some people not liking the sweet with the savory but I think it was okay. The kids and adults enjoyed it!