Tag: serrano chili
Potato Cakes with Cheddar Cheese and Dill
I made these potato cakes for get together a friend was having. She was expecting about 7 to 8 women and wanted me to make some snacks for the ladies. My initial thought was to make some chicken tikkas but then we realized some of the women were vegetarian. Instead of making two separate dishes, I decided to do a vegetarian one.
After doing a lot of thinking, I came up with these potato cakes. I grew up eating these on the streets of Delhi, India. They are called ‘Aloo Tikki‘(aloo means potatos and tikki is like a cutlet or croquette). The typical ones include boiled potatoes, onions, cilantro, etc and are served with a green chutney.
I decided to make a potato mixture with onion, ginger, green chilies as well as some bread crumbs and a sharp cheddar cheese. The cheese made the cakes soft and gooey on the inside. I also added flavorful dill and cilantro into the mix.
These cakes are great to serve as appetizers or a light meal. A nice salad and green chutney on the side is an ideal lunch.
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Easy Breakfast Dish-Kerala Style Scrambled Eggs
I somehow always forget to make eggs for dinner or even lunch. I take them out for breakfast on the weekends or unless I am baking- which seems to more and more often these days.
A cousin was in India recently and told me about her trip down to Kerala and described the cuisine. One of the things she couldn’t stop talking about were scrambled eggs cooked south indian style. She carefully described the ingredients or whatever she could decipher. While I was listening, I thought I will definitely make these but didn’t think of writing down the ingredients (duh). Anyway, a couple weeks went by and suddenly the scrambled eggs came to mind. It was one of those evenings where there wasn’t much in the fridge and I wasn’t in the mood to make an elaborate meal.
Now, I had forgotten most of the ingredients for the dish- but I was able to come up with what ever I thought belonged in there considering the part of India we are talking about. Mustard seeds, curry leaves and coconut were the main ingredients- and I had all of them. I also had fresh cilantro, tomatoes, onions and green chilies-perfect.
I used all the ingredients and came up with a fantastic, quick and delicious dinner. I made fresh rotis with it. That is what my husband and I ate. For my daughter I made plain scrambled eggs- she is not into fresh tomatoes, green chilies, etc.
I added extra cayenne pepper for myself. I like things spicy but my dear husband likes it really mild. It was really enjoyable- I plan to use more eggs for dinner in the future. Maybe a nice mushroom omelet with gruyere- yum, that sounds delicious. Try the easy scrambled eggs for your next quick meal.
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4-5 curry leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- ¼ cup white onion, chopped
- 1 serrano chili, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes, or halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Beat the eggs salt, cayenne pepper and cilantro. Keep aside.
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add mustard seeds and sauté for minute on medium high heat or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the curry leaves, coconut, onion, chili and ginger. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or till the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the beaten eggs, stir till the eggs are cooked yet still soft. Serve with fresh rotis or tortillas.
Indian Breakfast Recipe: Scrambled Eggs with Green Onions and Cilantro
As you have probably guessed by now or maybe not… that most Indian dishes include onions, cilantro, chilies, etc… this includes breakfast as well. A very popular way to make scrambled eggs in India is to saute chopped onions, green chilies and tomatoes. The egg mixture includes salt, lots of cayenne pepper and tons of chopped cilantro. Once the egg mixture is combined with the onions, etc- a perfect breakfast dish is created. It is usually served with soft white bread on the streets but can be eaten with a roti or parantha as well. I remember eating this mostly for breakfast growing up- but once in a while, if I was lucky, my Mom would make it for dinner! She would make us individual portions in a small metal bowl – she would cook the eggs right in there on the stove and place it in our plates with a parantha! It was delicious! You should try it with a tortilla in case you can’t get your hands on an Indian flat bread.. the combination is great. Although it’s very delicious with sliced bread or even a fresh baguette. I made this particular dish with green onions- no real reason except that I like the color of green onions and they are milder in taste and flavor- any kind of onion will do. Tomatoes are optional- some people don’t like the soft tomato texture in this dish, but I love the tang and color they provide. Cilantro, to me is the key in this dish- although I love it in any and every thing I make. I go through tons of cilantro and absolutely love the very mild leafy onion taste it imparts- some people don’t care for it, in which case, parsley can be substituted. I also like to top the egg dish with garam masala- it gives every bite a very distinctively Indian flavor. Garam masala being a combination of a number of dry spices ground together to form a powder used to cook and garnish. It can be purchased at the grocery stores now but if you are able to make it yourself or know someone who makes it- do try the homemade one- there is no comparison in taste, aroma and flavor! I do make my own in bulk and freeze it to keep fresh. The aroma reminds me of childhood- I remember my Mom mixing the spices together in a large circular metal tray before she would grind them up- every time I mix the spices myself, the smell takes me back…