Indian Khana, Made Easy

Crispy Rice and Vegetable Patties

2012-02-16T13:13:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago, we posted a recipe about a popular flat bread from Telangana (Southern region of Andhra Pradesh) called Sarvapindi made with rice flour and moong dal. Did you know, you can make another kind of bread with similar ingredients called Karapappalu. The name directly translates as spicy patties.

It's usually served hot with tangy achar (pickled vegetables), but can also be eaten with plain yogurt as shown above. We love making this during the winter season as it warms the senses and fills you up.

Ingredients:
- 2 Carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 Chayote*, peeled and grated
- 1 bunch of Scallions, chopped finely
- ½ box or 5oz of Chopped Spinach (frozen)
- ½ cup Coriander/Cilantro, chopped
- 1/3 cup Moong dal, soaked in water for 30 min (or microwave for 2 min to reduce soaking time)
- 2 to 3 cups Vegetable Oil (for frying)
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups Rice Flour
- 2 tbsp Dry Coconut powder
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp Chili powder (adjust to your taste)
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- ¾ to 1 tbsp Salt (or as needed)

Procedure:
Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium to large bowl and mix well. Then add all the chopped & grated vegetables and soaked moong dal to the dry mixture and mix well.

Slowly add water to the mixture and knead until it is of dough consistency. (Note: raw vegetables release water after few minutes of taking in salt, so keep the dough somewhat dry).

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Shape (lemon size) dough balls into round flat ½ cm thick patties. (Hint: To avoid dough from sticking to your fingers, slightly wet your hands.) Make 2-3 holes into each of the patties for uniform frying. Transfer each shaped patty into hot oil and fry to golden brown/reddish color. For best results: Turn each patty in-between for even frying.

***Quick Tips:

- Shredded zucchini or long squash can be substituted for Chayote.

- You can use wax paper or plastic bag to press the dough into patties.

~Chocolate and Coffee Lovers Unite~

2012-02-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

~Happy Valentine's Day~

Decadent Chocolate Espresso Bean Cookies

It's nice to try different things to spice up one's life. I love cooking Indian dishes with my mom because I feel it brings us closer together. However, lately I've been going on a baking binge...from gingerbread cookies, banana and walnut muffins to seasoned potatoes and carrots. I get inspiration from lots of places including what I see on TV and what I think would go well together. I think some of my mom's cooking skill rubbed off on me (in a good way)! Whenever an idea pops in my head, I have to follow through so I don't fuss over it too long.

Recently my mom brought home a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans that she received from one of her friends. My mom wasn't a coffee lover, but she knew my dad might like them. To her surprise, he didn't care too much about them either. So now we were stuck with a bag full of chocolate bitter beans.

What shall we do with them? I immediately Googled espresso beans and found my next baking adventure, thanks to 101cookbooks. I tweaked the recipe a bit by substituting some of their ingredients with the ones we had in our pantry. Below is the list of ingredients I used for my version.

Ingredients:

- 2½ cups All-Purpose Flour

- 2 tbsp Coffee powder, freshly ground

- ¾ tsp Baking Soda

- ¾ tsp Baking Powder

- ¾ tsp Salt

- ½ cup Cocoa Powder

- 1 cup Unsalted Butter

- 1½ cups Light Brown Sugar and ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar

- 2 Large Eggs

- 3 tsp Vanilla Extract

- ¾ cup Chocolate covered Almonds, chopped

- 6.75oz Chocolate covered espresso beans

- 1.25oz Chocolate covered candied ginger

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Makes 2-3 dozen chunky, medium cookies.

The procedure is similar to what is listed on 101cookbooks. For your convenience, it's listed below:

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, coffee powder and cocoa powder. Set aside.

2) In a large bowl or electric mixer, beat the butter until it is fluffy and lightens a bit in color. Then beat in the sugar - it should have a thick frosting-like consistency. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the first egg gets incorporated before adding the next. Next add the vanilla and mix well.

3) Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix in about four waves. Stir a bit between each addition until the flour is incorporated well. At this point, you should have a moist brown dough that is uniform in color. Stir in the espresso beans, chocolate covered almonds and candied ginger by hand and mix only until they are evenly distributed through the dough.

4) Use roughly one heaped tablespoonful for each cookie and place it onto the baking sheets. Don't worry about them being perfect.

I wasn't quite sure how the addition of the candied ginger would work in this recipe, but to my surprise, it was perfect. With each bite of this decadent cookie, you get a different taste: bitterness, spiciness, and sweetness; without overpowering either of those flavors. We are resisting the temptation of eating more than just one...however, we are still trying.

What are you doing for Valentine's Day? Staying in and cooking or dining out? Feel free to share your experiences with us.

Giveaway - Fickle Flat Bread February

2012-02-09T12:31:00.001-05:00

(click on image to enlarge)

Which of these Flat Breads can you identify? (Browse through our blog for clues.)

With so many breads to choose from, it's difficult to stay loyal to just one variety. Each of these flat breads is prepared with all kinds of flours and lentils and originate from various parts of India. And so, we coined this month as Fickle Flat Bread February, as we explore some of these colorful, flavorful, and healthy breads.

PRIZE:
$5 Starbucks Gift Card

Contest is only open to US resident states and it ends on Feb. 20th. A winner will be selected and contacted.

HOW TO ENTER:

- Email us with your answers at: ikme2010@gmail.com.

- Don't forget to "Like us" on Facebook to stay tuned with for more updates.

Rice and Moong Flat Bread

2012-02-03T23:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a very special day for both of my parents...it was their birthday! Yes, you read correctly. They were both born on the same day. How cool is that! I decided to surprise them both by cooking them dinner. Nothing can compare to a home cooked meal prepared by their daughter...not even restaurant food.
I wanted to awe them with my skills. The last couple of weeks, I've shown my parents that I'm not all talk in the kitchen and I can hold my own. Last night's dinner was a testament to them that I know my stuff. I made one of my mom's favorites, Sarvapindi. It is a type of flat bread made with rice flour and moong dal, sesame seeds, onion, coriander, chili powder and salt. Additional ingredients such as shredded carrot, zucchini, long squash, scallions, or spinach may be incorporated to make it more colorful and tasty.

Ingredients:
- 3 cups Rice Flour
- ¼ cup Moong dal
- ½ to ¾ tbsp Chili Powder (as needed)
- 3 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 1 medium Onion, chopped finely
- ½ cup Coriander (Cilantro), chopped
- ¼ cup Vegetable Oil (as needed)
- 2 ¼ cups Water

Along with the ingredients listed above, I added shredded carrots (2 medium sized) as illustrated in the pictures below.

Procedure:
1) In a large stockpot, add water, moong dal, sesame seeds, chili powder, and 3 tablespoons of oil. Bring it all to a boil, then lower the heat and mix in the rice flour into the water mixture. When thoroughly mixed, remove from heat and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

2) Add chopped onions and coriander to the rice flour and mix it into a dough until it comes together as a smooth ball. (Hint: Sprinkle water if needed) Then divide the dough into 3 portions.

3) The flat bread can be made in an electric skillet or stove top in a flat non-stick pan. Add a tbsp of oil into the pan and spread the ball into the pan with your fingers until it evenly covers the pan bottom (to a 1cm or so thickness).

Use a wooden spatula to divide the bread into quarters and make round holes with your index finger in each quarter.
4) Add 1 to 1½ tablespoons of oil on the flattened bread and in the holes. If making this on stove top, then heat the skillet on medium to high heat. If using an electric skillet, then set the heat to 400°F. Cook covered for 3 to 5 minutes and remove the cover. Then cook on medium to low heat or 325°F until the sides of the bread and the holes start to brown and the sides are loosened from the pan (for approx. 7 to 10 minutes).

I really amazed myself and even received praises from my parents! After finishing dinner, they spent the rest of the evening relaxing and answering phone calls from well wishers. All was good!

***Quick Tip: Sarvapindi can be eaten on its own or served with achar (pickled mixed vegetables) or yogurt.

Did you know: It originates from Telangana (region in Andhra Pradesh). The name is a combination of two words, sarva (rounded container) and pindi (dough). Traditionally, the dough was pressed into a rounded brass container or wok and then cooked over stove top.

Simple Coconut Rasam

2012-01-31T19:36:00.000-05:00

I love rasam. The simplest meaning for rasam is juice. So mango rasam means mango juice. There's also a South Indian dish called rasam. It goes great with any type of rice or also can be eaten as soup. A well known rasam that is offered in most Indian restaurants in the US is Mulligatawny soup (made with pepper). Did you know there are 25 variations of rasam? That's a lot of rasams. I've probably tasted only about 5 in my life, which means I've still got a lot of ground to cover. I love the one I'm going to tell you about today. It's a step up from the basic rasam recipe; additional ingredient is coconut powder.

Ingredients:

- 3 Plum tomatoes

- 2 tbsp Coconut Milk Powder

- ½ tbsp Madras Rasam Powder
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- A pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)

- ½ tbsp Salt

- 400 ml Water

- Coriander, chopped (to garnish)

Procedure:

Dice tomatoes into cubes and grind them in a blender until sauce consistency. Transfer the sauce into a (2qt) container and add rasam powder, salt and coconut powder. (Hint: mix the coconut powder with a little bit of water so when it is mixed into the tomato sauce, it doesn't clump). Bring the rasam to a boil on medium heat (approx. 7-10min). Check to see if all the coconut powder is mixed into the rasam, and no lumps are noticed. Continue to boil for another 2 minutes and remove from heat. Season the rasam with mustard and cumin seeds and hing. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or as soup with croutons.

***Quick Tip:

- If coconut powder is not readily available, then substitute it with 4 tbsp of canned coconut milk.

What is your favorite kind of rasam? Please share with us.

Here's To Another Sweet Jump!!

2012-01-29T21:48:00.001-05:00

Woohoo! We crossed the 25,000 page views mark and the year just got started!

Thanks everyone! This year will be even more exciting than last year; with loads of recipes, reviews and giveaways.

50K page views here we come!!

Udupi's Frozen Mendu Vadas

2012-01-29T17:01:00.001-05:00

Dahi Vada is an Indian chaat that is prepared with vada (donut-like shaped crispy lentil fritters) and yogurt. The vadas are made from urad dal and some spices for added flavor. Making vadas from scratch is a laborious process:
1) Soak the dal in water for at least 5 hours and blend it to a smooth consistency.
2) Mix in salt and other spices, press small portions of the dough into donut like shapes on your palm and fry them to golden brown color.
3) Soak the fried vadas in seasoned yogurt for couple of hours until they are ready to be served.

Although I was able to describe the process in a few steps, it typically takes about half a day to make this snack from scratch. And if you are pressed for time but still want to enjoy this delicious snack, then there is a solution.

The solution is Udupi's Frozen Mendu Vadas. Udupi is another brand under the Deep Foods' Company.

On the Upside
- The vadas are fried and packaged, so there's no need to re-fry them.
- The vadas were moist and not oily. They were very flavorful and light.
- They also do not contain onion or garlic as it is noted on the package.
- The packet contains 8 pieces and costs about 2 USD; so it's reasonably priced.

Downside
Currently available at Indian Grocers.

Below is how we prepared the Dahi Vada from the Frozen vada packet:
- 1 box Udupi Frozen Mendu Vada packet
- 16-20 oz of Yogurt
For seasoning:

- ½ tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)

- ½ tsp Mustard seeds

- 2 Green chilies, finely chopped

- ½ inch piece of Ginger, grated

- 1tbsp Vegetable oil

- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped

- ¼ tsp Salt or as needed

- Tamarind & Date Chutney, to garnish (Optional)

Procedure:

1) Whisk the yogurt and set aside. Heat oil in a small seasoning pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add chilies and ginger along with a pinch of salt. Transfer the seasoning into the yogurt and mix well.

2) Transfer the vadas from the packet into a microwaveable dish. Microwave them for 2-3 minutes with closed lid. Immerse each vada one at a time into a bowl of water. Remove it immediately from the water and squeeze the water out by pressing it between your palms. Then add each one into the seasoned yogurt. (Please Note: Make sure all vadas are in the yogurt and allow them to soak for at least 30 min. - 1 hour.

3) Garnish them with chopped coriander. Serve each vada along with some yogurt in a small bowl and top it with a tbsp of chutney.

Enjoy the coolness with tangy sweet taste!

***Quick Tip: If you prefer a less spicy taste, skip seasoning the yogurt.

Our conclusion: We would definitely recommend this product. The pros out way the cons. It's the perfect size for your family or get together. It saves time and lets you enjoy the rest of your day.

Daily Delight's Fresh Frozen Aviyal Mix

2012-01-22T01:41:00.000-05:00

Ever since we ate Aviyal at Rajni Restaurant, I wanted my mom to try to make it at home. She found a packet of Aviyal Mix at Subji Mandi (Indian grocery store) last week and tried to recreate it. Aviyal is a mixed vegetable dish with a coconut and yogurt gravy sauce, originating from Kerala.

On the upside:
- All the vegetables needed to make this dish were included and they were straight from the source - grown and packed in Kerala.
- The cost of this mix was under 2 USD.

The packet contained fresh frozen pre-cut vegetables and spices found in a typical Aviyal dish:
1-2 Drumsticks
50 grams of Elephant yam
1 medium size Cucumber
50 grams of Snake gourd
50 grams of Long beans
50 grams of Carrot
1 small green mango
3 medium sized green chilies
3 cloves of Garlic
10 curry leaves

The only downside is that the packet didn't come with a recipe. Lucky for us, my mom is a genius. I cheered on as she did her magic.

Below are the ingredients for the gravy:
16oz Yogurt, slightly sour
1 cup Coconut (fresh/frozen), grated
1 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
A pinch of Turmeric
Salt, as needed

Let's get started:
1) Empty the cut vegetables into a heavy bottomed saucepan (3-5 Qt). Add ½ cup of water, ½ tsp of salt and cook until soft and firm.

2) Blend together grated coconut, green chilies, garlic, cumin, and 2-3 tbsp of yogurt until it is a smooth mixture.
3) Add the remaining yogurt, coconut mixture, turmeric and ½ tsp salt to the cooked vegetables. Heat it on medium, stirring regularly to avoid curdling.
4) When mixture is hot, add curry leaves and remove from heat.

Served hot over brown rice

***Quick Tips:
- The packet includes 3 chilies, use 2 if you prefer less spice level.
- On the packet, the serving size is listed as 3 but we found that after combining all the ingredients together, the dish is enough for 4-6.

Our conclusion: The dish turned out well and didn't require a lot of time since most of the prep work was done. Also, the spices included in the packet were packed separately to prevent any wetness or sogginess. We would buy this mix again.

A Kite Festival...Up, Up & Away!

2012-01-14T20:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Sankranti!! Sankranti is a major harvest festival celebrated all over India. It's the only holiday that follows the solar calendar unlike all others which follow the lunar one. On this holiday, families prepare a dish, using rice and lentils from the new crop, which is popularly called as pongali (sweet or savory). Also, one of the popular pastimes on this holiday is flying kites. One can see kids of all ages flying them from rooftops and sometimes even on the streets. As a kid, my mom and her siblings used to compete with their friends to see whose kite can go the farthest. She told me that the sky used to be full of kites of various sizes, colors and shapes.

Every year, Gujarat hosts an international kite festival that is one of the grandest. People from all over (such as Japan, Australia, Malaysia, USA, Brazil, Canada and other European countries) participate in this event.

Did you know this was a favorite sport among the Maharajas? They found the sport both entertaining and a way of displaying their prowess. Trained fliers were employed to fly the kites for them. Slowly, the art caught on and became popular among the masses. Today, manufacturing of kites is a serious business. There are stores in India that are open 24 hours up till the festival so that people can get their kites and supplies to enjoy the sport. I haven't seen anything like that here, but some retail stores do carry kites. I was at Costco the other day and decided to buy one. Woohoo!! Up, up and away into the sky!!

Goodbye 2011, Welcome 2012!!

2012-01-02T20:30:00.000-05:00

Drum Roll Please! Here's the top ten most viewed dishes of 2011: Peanut Chutney AKA The Other Dosa Chutney, Mixed Fruits Instant Custard, Baigan Bharta Sandwich, Stuffed Karela, Paneer Kati Rolls, Coconut Rice, Carrot Halwa, Pongali, Seasoned Pumpkin & Butternut Squash, and Poha Laddu: Sweet Balls of Joy.

Happy 2012!! Hope everyone enjoyed their New Year's Eve. We had a great time. My sister and I went to the city for a dinner party while my parents watched the festivities on TV. I made sure to have a toast with them after I got home. It wouldn't be the same to start the year without wishing them as well. We are looking forward to sharing more of our culinary creations that will woo and awe you.

The Wonders of India - Hyderabad

2012-01-02T16:20:00.000-05:00

Charminar, oh what a beauty!

The last part of our India trip (November 2011) was spent in Hyderabad. It's my birthplace and favorite place to visit whenever we travel to the South. We usually spend time with family as well as do some local shopping. Many changes have occurred since our last visit...both good and bad. With the construction of the flyovers, it was easier to get around and cut travel time (specifically to and from the airport). However, during rush hour times, the traffic seems to have doubled and caused many delays.
The first couple days of the stay we spent getting acclimated with the city and bought groceries. Instead of staying in a hotel, we stayed at our grandmother's place. Near her building, there were a good number of groceries such as Spencer's and Reliance Fresh where we bought produce, snacks, and etc. There were also local shops or bodegas to get household items. It's important to remember that bargaining is essential here and not frowned upon.
When it comes to clothes shopping, there are lots of malls such as Lifestyle or City Center to get the latest fashions and accessories. If one is interested in fancy Indian clothes, we would recommend Neeru's by Banjara Hills. The staff is very courteous and helpful with whatever questions we had about the dresses. We bought a couple of party wear outfits (Anarkali style) and saris. Another trend in fashion now is antique finish costume jewelry and "blinge out" bangles and bracelets. There are a number of shops that sell good quality jewelry sets for a reasonable price. One of our favorite places to shop for bangles is Charminar Chudi Bazaar. Just look at the big smile on my face...

I'm Blingin' Out Baby!!

This picture was taken at Nazeer & Sons Bangles and Jewelers...it's one of the biggest bangle shops in the market. I am styling my new purchase of the gold and silver stoned kadhas (wide length bangles). Another market to purchase jewelry sets is Begum Bazaar. Please note that it is very crowded, so important to be mindful of your belongings.
Before I left for India, I made a list of all the fruits and goodies I wanted to try while I was there. On top of my list was Hyderabadi biryani...it was really spicy but definitely worth it. The next few items were the savory snacks (made with rice flour/besan and fennel seeds).

We always get the most sought after savories from my grandmother's relatives. We inform them ahead of time of the quantity and pick them up on our visits. The last few days of the trip was spent relaxing and securing all our stuff into our luggage so there aren't any overages. It was definitely an exciting and busy trip filled with lots of new sights, eating, and family.

***Quick Tips:
- Other sights in Hyderabad are Buddha Island, Tank Bund, Salar Jung Museum, Golcanda Fort, and Necklace Road. Also try to go see a movie in one of the Imax theaters.
- Good restaurants/eateries: Eatmor inside Ohri's, Karachi Bakery (in Banjara Hills)

2011-12-25T00:53:00.001-05:00

Wishing Everyone

A Very Merry Christmas!!

~A Big Fat South Indian Wedding~

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite movies is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The key takeaways for me from the movie were that weddings are about tradition, bringing lots of family together and food. I guess that's what we have in common with the Greeks.
In India, weddings can span anywhere from 3-5 days including all the rituals. The guest list typically ranges from 400 to 2000 people. The larger figures are more common in smaller communities, where weddings are the key occasions for the parents to invite everyone they know including the community to bless the happy couple. Nowadays the wedding ceremonies have become like a Bollywood movie; glitzy and over the top. One of my friends who recently got married told me his wedding was done at a large scale and even included fireworks for all the main events. I didn't believe him until he showed the pictures. The Indian weddings I've attended in the States are in no comparison to those abroad. My cousin's wedding was spectacular with all the frills and more. One example is that she arrived to the mandap (ceremonial stage) in a palanquin carried by all her uncles. Now that's what I call an entrance...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M2tPUlYjAY

The wedding was one of the most memorable events of my trip. It was filled with lots of laughs, relatives I haven't seen in years, rich and traditional South Indian food, glitzy clothing and jewelry, and best of all...I was a part of my cousin's important day. That's priceless!!

The Wonders of India - Delhi

2011-12-21T10:30:00.000-05:00

Our trip wouldn't be complete without making a stop over in Delhi. I learned to speak Hindi here and still remember it to this day. There is so much to do and see, it's endless. In the past trips, we explored the historical landmarks such as Red Fort, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, Gandhi Museum and etc. This time we decided to take it easy and just have some downtime (which included shopping and spending time with friends). Delhi is one of the best places to go shopping (especially for clothes and trinkets). One of our best modes of transportation were autos; which also meant bargaining with the drivers for better fare pricing. Until one of our family friends told us about the Metro (subway). We used it to get to some of our destinations within the city and guess what, I loved every minute of it. It was fast, frequent, affordable and clean. It reminded me of my metro experiences in London and Paris. Its design is sleek and comfortable. My only concern is that with the ever growing number of people traveling by this mode, it's maintained well.
Oh and nothing completes a day of shopping with some delicious grub. If we were living in India, street vendors and local restaurants would be our main source. As travelers, we dined only at restaurants we've gone to in the past and/or read reviews online. There's also some Western fast food joints such as McDonald's, Subway, KFC for worry-warts! It's better to be safe than sorry.

Haldiram's

Left to Right: Chole Batura, Paneer Tikka, Bhel Puri, and Kesar Pista Kulfi in Matkas

You got to hand it to Haldiram's for presentation. Just look at the batura...it's so big. The paneer tikka as an appetizer was yum. Personally I found the bhel puri to be a bit spicy but I think it's because I'm a tourist now and not a local. Next time, I'll ask for more dahi (plain yogurt) and sweet tamarind sauce. Let's not forget the dessert which was served in little clay pots, also known as matkas. Aren't they so cute? I especially loved this place for its order retrieval. It was easy and way less wait time than in other restaurants.
Our second favorite place to go is Nirula's. They have the best ice cream flavors and savory creations.

One big scoop of Pineapple Pop ice cream in a waffle cone

That's the face of someone who just needed a cool treat and got one. By the way, Pineapple Pop was the flavor of the month and all those calories were totally worth it. A perfect way to end to any day in the sun...

***Now nothing is better than good advise from one traveler to another...here are few tips for future travelers:

Good Shopping Locations:

Lajpat Nagar Central Market – Fancy Indian dresses, casual clothes and accessories
Malhotra Fancy Cloth House
Westside
South Extension

Metro (for fancy, trendy and ethnic shoes)

Part II, Main Market, E-21

Tel: 011-2621306

Janpath – Souvenirs, woven embroidered saris, ethnic jewelry, and accessories

Central Cottage Emporium Industries

Jawahar Vyapar Bhavan

Tel: 011-23320439

Next up is a little taste of the South...here we come Vijayawada and Hyderabad.

The Wonders of India - Agra

2011-12-20T22:45:00.000-05:00

There is nothing greater than undying love and devotion. One of India's most treasured monuments is Taj Mahal which was built by emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved empress Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz's final request for Shah Jahan was that he never remarry and prove his endless love for her by building a beautiful mausoleum. Shah Jahan also had plans of building a mausoleum for himself behind the Taj Mahal so that he may look upon his Mumtaz whenever he pleased. However, he passed away before it was completed and only the foundation remained. He was later buried next to his empress inside Taj Mahal. The story was so beautiful that I couldn't help but cry while our guide was telling it.
The best time to visit the Taj Mahal is during the winter months and go early. One time, we made the mistake of going in the summer and suffered...it turned out to be the hottest day of the year. Let's just say I lost a weight on that trip and it wasn't intentional. This time, we got to the monument early in the morning (around 7ish) and enjoyed the view without the crowds and hassle. If you are planning to hire a guide, make sure they know more than what's written in the guide books. We walked around the grounds a while just taking in the ambiance and also explored the other structures around the Taj; such as the mosque on the left and Mihman Khana on the right. The Mihman Khana was used as a guesthouse during the death anniversaries of Mumtaz Mahal and then as a banquet hall by Indian princes and high ranking British officials during the 18th and 19th centuries.
It was difficult to leave the Taj Mahal but we had one more monument to see in Agra called Fatehpur Sikri. It was the former imperial capital of Mughal emperor Akbar. Just like the Taj Mahal, the city was constructed with influences of Indian, Persian and Islam traditions. The album below is from our tour through Fatehpur Sikri.

If we had more time, we would have stopped by Agra Fort too but we had to get packing and drive to Delhi that day. However, it was a great day filled with lots of picturesque memories of India's national treasures.

The Wonders of India - Jaipur & Ranthambore

2011-12-18T10:30:00.000-05:00

We left the evening of the seventh and arrived in Jaipur on the morning of the ninth. After a long flight all we wanted to do was to sleep off the jet lag. However, it was tough to sleep with all the excitement in the air. Did you know that Jaipur is also known as the Pink City of Rajasthan? In 1876, the city was painted pink to welcome Prince Albert and Queen Elizabeth II and since then the nickname remained. The city is full of rich culture, food and magnificent architecture (such as palaces, forts, and lush gardens).

It's easy to work up an appetite after all the sightseeing and exploration of a new city. We asked around and received some suggestions for quality restaurants that serve tasty Rajasthani cuisine without pinching the pockets too much. The cuisine is rich and simple. During the few days we spent in the city, we enjoyed freshly made breads such as naan and parathas with rich vegetable curries. The best part of Jaipur for me was Choki Dhani. It is a re-creation of an authentic Rajasthani village filled with entertainment for the whole family, crafts & trinkets shops, and an unique dining experience. Words are not enough to describe the food we ate that night. Inside this large clay built hall, there were men dressed in Rajasthani garb serving everyone various types of appetizers, breads, curries, and sweets. Pictures are included in the album.

We put together an album to help you imagine how wonderful our trip was and to get an idea what this great city had to offer its travellers...

The enthusiasm was building up as we headed to the next stop which was the Ranthambore National Park & Tiger Reserve. We stayed in town for two days while we explored the park and all its treasures. Our accommodations were at this hotel called Vatika Resort; it was a short distance from the reserve. It has eight cottages with comfortable beds, bathrooms and flat screen TVs. There was no need to worry about the quality of the food because all meals were prepared fresh each day of our stay. Also, we made all our bookings through a trusted travel agent who we used in the past. They booked two safaris (evening and morning), increasing the odds of us spotting the tigers. Our evening safari was the best one out of the two and to top it all off, we actually saw one of the biggest male Bengal tigers on the reserve. How lucky were we!!!

We left Ranthambore with great delight and headed for our next adventure in the North...to Agra and Delhi!

***Quick Tips:
- There are eight zones or trails around the park where the safari guides are allowed to take passengers. Before planning your trip, we recommend calling the park or your booking agent ahead of time to secure a seat and to inquire about the best zones where more wildlife was sighted so you can try to avoid disappointment. Also if you are going on multiple safaris, make sure that the zones aren't repeated if one of them had no action.
- Depending on when you plan to go to Rajasthan, here are other cities to explore: Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaiselmer, and Bikaner. Also look into going to the Pushkar Camel Fair.

There's No Place Like "Home"

2011-12-10T22:09:00.001-05:00

I love the movie, The Wizard of Oz. It's filled with colorful characters and imagery that makes it enjoyable for anyone. That's exactly how I feel whenever we take a trip to India. It's a place full of wonder and beautiful people. It is also where I spent the first few years of my childhood. It is my connection to my roots and a place I call home. So it is only natural that whenever I'm "homesick", I feel like clicking my heels and waking up in my grandma's place in India. Well, this past November I didn't exactly click my heels to get there, but I might as well have. One of my cousins was getting married and we took the opportunity to go for the occasion, and of course we extended the trip a little to include some sightseeing.

Our trip began in the North and concluded in the South. Then we returned to the States with beautiful memories of sights, smells, sounds, and tastings. My fondest memories were mostly of the tastings. You know, I'm all about the FOOD. Before we left, I made a note of all my cravings and kept it close by so I could take full advantage while I was there. This time, I even managed to take some pictures, so I could look back and indulge.

2011-11-24T10:30:00.000-05:00

A Very Warm & Happy Thanksgiving

To Everyone!!

Upma With A Twist!

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Time to get all the ingredients together with Thanksgiving just around the corner. One of the most popular recipes, besides the Turkey, is the stuffing. The traditional way is making it from scratch or you can just buy the pre-made variety. Since we don't eat Turkey, that's not something we worry about. However, when we host the big dinner, we serve up some of the traditional dishes. Instead of Turkey, we usually make biryani or something hearty like koftas. Last year, we incorporated the stuffing by dressing it up a bit and making a dish out it...desi style. Have you ever heard of Stuffing Upma? You may have heard of stuffing and upma* separately, but have you heard of them together as one dish? We didn't think so and that is why you are seeing it now...in time for Thanksgiving. Serve up something new as part of the dinner or for the morning after. This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:
- 1 packet (5oz/200g) of Bread Stuffing (plain variety, corn or wheat)
- 1 medium Onion, chopped (or use French's onion rings)
- 1 cup of Frozen Peas & Carrots
- 2 medium Tomatoes, cubed
- 1 cup of French Cut Beans, microwaved for 5 minutes
- ⅓ cup of Cashews, halved
- 6 to 8 Curry leaves (optional)
- 4 Green Chilies, finely chopped
- 1 inch piece of Ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tsp of Salt (or as needed)
- 1 tsp of each: Cumin and Mustard seeds
- 4 tbsp of Vegetable oil

Procedure:
1) Start off with preparing the seasoning for the dish by heating oil in a saucepan and adding cumin and mustard seeds. When they start to splatter, add cashews and fry them until golden. Then add onions, green chilies, ginger and saute until onions are caramelized.
2) Then add tomatoes and beans and stir until the tomatoes are cooked. Next add water as per the measurements on the stuffing packet.

Add salt, peas and carrots, and then allow the water to come to a boil, reduce the heat and mix in the stuffing quickly.

3) Stir until the vegetables and stuffing are mixed well and water is completely absorbed. Close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Hint: For flavor enhancement, mix in a tbsp of butter and serve hot.

Upma is a popular South Indian breakfast item made with semolina, variety of vegetables, and spices.

Rich Ricotta Kalakand

2011-11-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

Love Milk? Then you must try this North Indian dessert called Kalakand; which is also known as Milk Sweet. It's really easy to make and fun to eat like brownies. Ooooh, just thinking about it is making me hungry.

Butter not shown

Here's what you need:

- 32 oz of Ricotta Cheese (whole milk)

- 14 oz of Condensed Milk

- 1½ packets (3.2oz/pk or 90g)of Evaporated Milk Powder

- 4 tbsp of Butter

- 10 Nuts (Almonds, Cashews, or Pistachios), cut into 4 pieces

- 6 to 8 Cardamom pods, seeded and powdered

Procedure: Mix evaporated milk powder and ricotta cheese together until all the liquid is absorbed. In a non-stick pan melt butter and fry the ricotta cheese mixture for ten minutes. Add condensed milk into the cheese and keep mixing regularly to avoid the mixture sticking to the bottom. Allow the mixture to cook for 20-25 minutes or until it comes together. Now add the cardamom powder and mix well. Transfer the mixture into a dinner plate or a cookie sheet and spread evenly. In a small pan, heat one tablespoon of butter and evenly roast the nuts until golden brown. Remove from butter and gently press them onto the neatly pressed mixture in the dish. Allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator or keep outside at room temperature and then cut it into squares. This recipe makes 24 squares.

***Quick Tip: Roohafza or Rose water can be used instead of cardamom powder to give a mild rose flavor to the sweet.

Back To The Basics...

2011-11-04T13:08:00.001-04:00

Wow, what an interesting week we had!

We were like thousands of residents in the Northeast who lost power due to the early snowstorm that left a path of destruction behind it. A lot of trees, branches, and power lines were down due to the weight of the snow, making it harder for the plow trucks to clear the area. It was all a big mess. On top of it all, we didn't get to celebrate Diwali the way we planned. Instead we spent it shoveling the driveway and packing all our food into ice boxes. Luckily we had a gas stove and were able to heat up the food and not worry about wastage.
So what did we eat during this whole week? I realized how much we relied on electricity for our everyday cooking. We used the microwave to heat up frozen vegetables for our curries or to speed up cooking time. Even something as simple as making rice turned into a project since we couldn't use our rice cooker. We made it over stove top by candlelight; watching over it to make sure it didn't burn. It was a good learning experience. We also made payasm (Vermicelli Pudding), pav bhaji (mixed vegetable curry served with bread), and simple vegetable curries which can be rolled up in rotis like Kati Rolls.

Update: Power was restored last night and keeping my fingers crossed that we don't lose it again. It was a hell of a week with no heating and light. We went to bed early praying, we would wake up in the morning realizing it was all a nightmare. Our heart goes out to all those who still have no power. Be strong!!

Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar

2011-10-30T21:30:00.000-04:00

Warm Pumpkin Goodness!

Sambhar is a type of vegetable stew or soup that has its roots from South India. Every South Indian state has its own variation. Today, we will be sharing our version, which is from Andhra Pradesh. Now the base of the soups or stews starts off with the broth or stock, and then you combine it with meat, legumes or vegetables. The broth in Sambhar is usually made with tamarind & pigeon peas and cooked with vegetables. The type of vegetables range from carrots, pearl onions, eggplant, tomato, sweet potato and/or okra with a blend of various spices (Sambhar powder can be found at most Indian stores).
In keeping up with the holiday spirit, we made our version with Pumpkin. Here are some great ways to enjoy this chunky dish: In a bowl with pieces of toasted bread; mixed with hot rice and a touch of ghee or clarified butter; or dip your favorite dosa or idlis. This dish is an explosion of sour, spicy, and sweet flavors.

Brown sugar is not shown above

Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs of Pumpkin (Spanish or Calabaza)
- Tamarind (measure size of a lemon)
- 2 tbsp of Brown sugar/Jaggery
- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder
- ½ to 1 tsp of Chili powder (or as desired)
- ½ tsp of Fenugreek powder (optional)
- 1½ tbsp of Besan (if not available, use rice flour or cornstarch)

For the seasoning*:
- 1 tbsp of Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp of Jeera (cumin seeds)
- 1 tsp of Mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp of Hing/Asafoetida
- 5 or 6 Curry Leaves

Procedure:
1) Pick a pumpkin with orange skin and make sure the skin is not woody. Remove the seeds and cut the pumpkin into 2" squares. (Hint: Peel the skin if it seems thick and woody)
2) Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for at least 15-20 min and later squeeze the juice out using at least 1 liter of water. Transfer the juice into a soup pot or large saucepan and add the pumpkin pieces, chili powder, turmeric, brown sugar, fenugreek powder and salt.

Cook on low to medium heat until the pumpkin is soft. (Hint: Knife should pierce the pieces easily)
3) When the pumpkin is cooked and liquid is boiling, mix the besan/flour in ½ cup of water and add to the broth stirring continuously. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the broth thickens and remove from heat and keep aside.
4) Prepare the seasoning (listed above) for soup in hot oil.

***Quick Tip:
- Pigeon peas are added to the preparation of the broth to thicken and reduce the sourness of the dish. Besan/flour and pumpkin help in thickening the dish and reduce the sourness taste.
- Check out Cooking 101 for tips on preparing the seasoning or click here to watch the video.
- Sambhar Powder can be substituted for the following ingredients: Hing, Fenugreek powder, and Chili powder.

Did you know: How closely related sambhar and gumbo really are? 1) They both fall within the same category of soups and stews, 2) have a strongly flavored stock, 3) combined with lots of vegetables to create this thick dish, and finally 4) are traditionally served over rice.

Poha Laddus - Sweet Balls of Joy

2011-10-26T17:41:00.001-04:00

I know you want one or two; or maybe the whole plate!

We've heard a lot from our readers that they like multipurpose ingredients. We agree with that too. No one wants to buy uni-purpose ingredients that aren't affordable. With that in mind, we looked into our spice rack and cupboard to see what sweets to make for Diwali that everyone can make. After chatting up my infamous aunt, we decided on making Poha Laddu. She said it was really easy to make and required minimum ingredients; that works for us.

Just a recap, Poha is another name given for flattened rice. There are two kinds of poha: thick and thin. It is important to choose the right one when cooking with it as results vary. It can be used to make dishes like Garden Poha or mixture (Indian snack). Let's begin making our sweet as we have lots to show you. This recipe makes twenty to twenty-two lime-sized balls.

Ingredients:
- 1½ cup of thick Poha
- ¾ cup of Sugar or Brown sugar
- ¾ cup of Dry Coconut Powder
- 10 Raisins
- 20 Nuts (Any combination of Cashews, Almonds or Pistachios), cut into pieces
- 3 to 4 tbsp of Butter
- 6 to 8 pods of Cardamom, seeded & powdered
- 4 tbsp of Evaporated Milk (or as needed to hold the mixture)

Procedure:

Melt butter in a pan and add all the nuts and raisins. Toast them lightly, remove from butter and set aside. Then add poha into the butter and fry on a reduced flame until it is well roasted. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool. Powder the poha, sugar and coconut separately in a blender. Transfer all the powders into a mixing bowl including cardamom powder and mix well. Add evaporated milk and take portions of the mixture and roll into a ball. Finally take nuts and raisins and press them gently into the ball. Arrange them on a tray and let them dry before serving.

***Quick Tips:

- For a longer shelf life, use melted butter instead of evaporated milk.

- You can use fresh coconut, if grated coconut is not available.

Celebrate For A Cause...

2011-10-25T16:38:00.000-04:00

We believe in giving back to the community and helping the less fortunate. That is why we make time to volunteer and participate in charitable events as much as possible. Sometimes with our busy schedules, it's tough to engage in such activities and so we try other ways to fulfill that duty. In that same respect, it's great to see corporations getting involved as well. They do it by giving deals or promoting an charitable event. For example, every time someone buys their product, a percentage gets donated to charity or by hosting charitable walks and giving away products.
We would like to recognize Tandoor Chef in their efforts in giving back to the community. Tandoor Chef, the leading manufacturer of restaurant quality, all natural frozen Indian cuisine, is hosting a virtual charity drive benefiting the Deepkiran Foundation, which helps provide education to children in remote villages in India. Through the end of October, they will donate $1.00 to the foundation for every new Fan at Facebook.com/TandoorChef. This special donation comes in addition to their regular contributions to the Deepkiran Foundation. They are creating this social media and cause campaign to make a positive impact on the futures of young children through schooling.

The Deepkiran Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports children’s education in the remote villages of Gujarat, India. Education is often not a priority of village elders and the foundation works to give the children various skills, including reading and writing. Both Tandoor Chef and Deep Foods are owned by the same family, who created the Deepkiran Foundation in 2005. This new charity drive is part of Tandoor Chef’s celebration of Diwali, the Hindu New Year. Charity and gift giving are central focuses of the Diwali celebration. “Tandoor Chef is honored to regularly donate to the Deepkiran Foundation, but we want to do even more through this special drive,” said Mike Ryan, VP Sales and Marketing, Tandoor Chef. “Deep Foods is proud to support this important foundation and we hope Facebook users everywhere will be proud to rally behind it.”

Stuffed Jalapeno Curry

2011-10-24T20:42:00.000-04:00

This goes out to all the Heat Seekers!!

I think every family has a network of culinary experts. I know it's true in my own family. One of my aunts is an expert in making spicy curries. Her husband has a high tolerance for spicy dishes. I boast about his tolerance to all my friends. So for this year's Diwali celebration, my mom and I decided to add a spicy dish to the menu. And who better to consult, than my aunt. When I was inquiring about her dishes, she said, "Are you sure you want those recipes?" After some persuasion, she came around to it and sent us the recipe for Stuffed Jalapeno Curry.

How to prepare the peppers for the stuffing (Gloves may be useful when handling the peppers): Wash and dry 7-8 peppers thoroughly. Slit each pepper with stalk end intact. Carefully pry it open and with the handle of the spoon, scrape out the seeds. This step depends on your spice tolerance. If you are a Hot Head, then leave some in there. However, let it be stated that, We Warned You. Then apply salt to the inner surface of each pepper. Once all of them have been prepped, please keep aside.

Stuffing Ingredients:

- 1 Medium Onion, chopped

- 2 tbsp of Coconut Powder

- ½ bunch of Coriander/Cilantro, chopped

- ¾ tsp of cumin powder, roasted

- 3 to 4 tbsp of Vegetable Oil

- Salt, adjust as per taste

Procedure:

1) Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the chopped onion and stir fry for a few minutes. Then take it off heat and put aside for cooling.

2) Blend the following ingredients together: dry coconut powder, stir fried onions, coriander/cilantro, and roasted cumin powder. Pulse the mixture for 3-4 minutes, but do not over grind. Adjust the salt as per your taste. Then stuff the peppers with the mixture and put aside for frying.
3) Heat two tablespoons oil in the pan and gently place the stuffed peppers into the pan. Cook on low to medium flame. (Please Note: if necessary, add more oil for sauteing the peppers)

4) Gently flip each pepper over to cook them evenly. When the peppers are more than half done, add the remaining stuffing. (The remaining stuffing amount depends on how much was stuffed into the peppers prior to this step. Don't worry if there isn't any left over)

5) Saute the peppers until they have a brownish tint and are cooked thoroughly.

***Quick Tip:

- This curry can be enjoyed on its own or with some hot rice (plain or brown) or quinoa.

~ Diwali Specialities ~

2011-10-23T23:18:00.000-04:00

Family and friends, festive dishes, drinks, music, rangoli, and fireworks!!

Since Diwali falls midweek, we will have a small celebration during the week and a grand one over the weekend. We chose an intricate rangoli design to be drawn on the festival day and prepared some dishes such as Stuffed Jalapeno Curry, Powdery Poha Laddus, and Kalakand.

Seasoned Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Curry

2011-10-14T15:25:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a nice spread of gourds we have here. Can you name them all? There are pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet dumpling squash and lots of ornamental gourds. We were passing by this farmer's market and decided to pick up a few for our fall dishes. We love cooking with these sweet and savory gourds because they retain their beautiful color and flavor when cooked. Our two favorite dishes are Seasoned Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Curry and Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar (soup).

Feast your eyes on the first delight: Seasoned pumpkin & butternut squash curry. It is popular both in North and South India and most people eat it with hot rice or roti (also known as chappati). This dish can also be served as the vegetable side dish with your meal. It is enough for 4-6 servings.

Ingredients:

- 1 lbs of Spanish Pumpkin (Calabaza)
- ½ lb of Butternut Squash,
- 1 cup Frozen Carrots & Peas (optional)
- 3 Green chilies, chopped finely
- 1" piece of Ginger, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp of Cumin/Coriander powder (use ½ tbsp curry powder as an alternate)
- ½ tbsp Brown sugar/Jaggery
- 2 tbsp Grated coconut (dry)
- 1 tsp each of Mustard & Cumin seeds
- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder
- ¼ cup of Fresh Coriander/Cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1½ tbsp Vegetable oil

Procedure:
1) If the pumpkin and butternut squash are thick and woody, remove the seeds and peel the skin. Cut them into ½ inch pieces.
2) Heat oil in a pan and add cumin and mustard seeds. When they start to splatter, add cumin/coriander powder, chilies, ginger and turmeric. Stir and then add pumpkin and butternut squash pieces, salt, and brown sugar. Mix well and cook the pumpkin with closed lid for 8-10 minutes or until it is cooked and firm.

3) Stir the vegetable mixture in between, allowing the condensed water from the lid to fall into the curry for moisture.
4) When it is done, add carrots & peas and coconut powder and cook under closed lid for 2-3 minutes. Once that is done, garnish it with chopped coriander.

***Quick Tips:
- Spanish Pumpkin is also known as Calabaza or West Indian Pumpkin. It is available in most grocery and ethnic stores.
- The measurements of butternut squash and pumpkin can be adjusted as per availability.

Green Apple Salsa

2011-10-06T01:59:00.000-04:00

Have we got a treat for you! Today's recipe highlights two ingredients that are quite different from each other, both in taste and texture. One is an herb used as a garnish in many Indian dishes and the other is used to make America's famous apple pie. You guessed it, coriander and Granny Smith apples.

These two ingredients are combined to make one sweet and tangy flavored sauce which we like to call Green Apple Salsa. It's great for dipping your favorite chips. Ours is hearty pita chips.

Here's what you need to get started:
- 1 Green Apple (Granny Smith variety), cored and chopped into small cubes

- ¾ cup of Coriander/Cilantro leaves, chopped finely

- 3 Garlic cloves, peeled & chopped

- 2 Green chilies, chopped small

- 1 tsp of Peanut butter

- A pinch of Turmeric powder (optional)

- ½ tsp of Salt (Adjust to your taste)

Put all the ingredients except for the peanut butter and grind to a coarse texture. Now add the peanut butter and blend again to mix well. Taste to check the salt and adjust if needed.

***Quick Tip: It can also be used as a spread on finger sandwiches instead of mint chutney.

Tis the Season to Go Picking!!

2011-10-04T17:28:00.000-04:00

It's Pick Your Own Apples and Pumpkins Time!! Grab your partner, friend, and/or kids and head over to the nearest farm for a day of good picking. And after you're done picking, be sure to try one of our "Fall Fancies" recipes just in time for the season.

Upcoming "Fall Fancies" Recipes:

Green Apple Salsa

Seasoned Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Curry

Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar (soup)

~Rangoli Contest~ - CLOSED

2011-09-24T21:30:00.000-04:00

Put on your thinking caps and get those creative juices flowing for this special opportunity!

Rangoli is truly a work of art. It is drawn on all Hindu festivals and weddings all over the world, as it is thought to bring good luck. The designs are usually of flowers, simple geometric shapes, religious symbols, intricate patterns or a combination of all of the above. My grandmother once told me that my mom used to win prizes for her unique designs in all the rangoli competitions. Hopefully, one day I can impress her with mine. The material used to create these patterns is dry or wet granulated rice flour (white) and by mixing colors such as vermilion, turmeric, and other natural ingredients. These days, chemical colors are combined to produce more variety of choices. As colored powders are not readily available, we use colored chalk to create these beautiful works of art.
Diwali is the most popular festival and with it just a month away, we are looking into more elaborate designs. In the past, we have drawn simple designs due to the lack of time. The more intricate and unique the design, the more time and colors required to make it more appealing. Below are a few of the designs we have come across and would like to share with you:

This year, we decided to open up the floor and request our readers to share their rangoli designs with us. Please send your ideas to Jahnavi at: IKME2010@gmail.com. All entries must be in by October 22, 2011. We will select one from the submissions, showcase it on the day of the festival and on our Facebook Fan Page for everyone's viewing pleasure. Feel free to use the same email address to send us questions about the CONTEST.

Ended Summer With A BANG-AN!

2011-09-13T17:49:00.001-04:00

I can’t believe summer has come to end. One of my favorite memories was going fruit picking at a local farm. Even my grandmother had fun; she especially enjoyed the hayride around the orchard. We were so famished from picking “all day” that we stayed at the farm for some grub. The staff served up free samples of dishes cooked with the fresh produce. It was such a delight! My favorite was the Charred eggplant, zucchini and red bell peppers. It closely resembled a dish we prepare called Baigan Bharta. By the way, baigan means eggplant in Hindi. We don't grill that often so it was nice trying the dishes at the farm. However, over Labor Day weekend, we finally set up the grill and had ourselves a mini barbecue with corn on the cob and Baigan bharta sandwiches. I brushed the corn on the cob with a little bit of lemon juice, chili powder and salt and it delicious. The sandwiches came out so well, I thought I would share the wealth. Below is the recipe for the filling and it is good enough for 6-7 sandwiches.

Ingredients:

Main Ingredients

- 1 medium sized Eggplant, peeled and chopped into small cube

- ½ cup of Crushed Tomato (use equivalent amount blending fresh tomatoes)

- 1 medium sized Onion (red or regular), chopped finely

- ½ cup of Coriander, chopped

- 1 tsp of Chili powder

- 1 tsp of Salt (Adjust to taste)

- ¼ tsp of Turmeric powder

- 2 tbsp of Vegetable oil

- 2 to 3 tbsp of BBQ sauce (preferably Smoky flavored)*

Procedure:

1) In a skillet heat oil and season with mustard and cumin seeds, when they start to splatter, add a pinch of hing (optional), turmeric and chili powder. Then mix well.

2) Add onions and stir until transparent, add tomato and cook well. Add chopped eggplant and salt, cook well under covered lid mixing intermittently.

3) When the eggplant is cooked well and blended into tomato, remove the lid and add chopped coriander and mix.

Baigan bharta can be served as a side dish for any meal. It can be also be served with roti, naan or rice. For our sandwiches, we toasted whole wheat bread and topped the bharta with Swiss and Cheddar cheese. It was like eating sandwiches hot off the grill; especially with the addition of the smoky barbecue sauce in the recipe and the hot gooey cheese.

***Quick Tip: We used the smoky flavored BBQ sauce to add the charred flavor to the dish; similar to making it with roasted or grilled eggplant.

Ginger & Coriander Relish

2011-09-05T17:24:00.000-04:00

The most popular relish in the United States is made with pickled cucumbers and it's commonly used on hot dogs or burgers. In Indian cooking, relishes or chutneys can be eaten with just about anything. There's one in particular that we prepare on Ganesh Chavithi that goes great with steamed rice and lentil dumplings and that is Ginger and Coriander relish. Along with the dumplings, this chutney goes great with moong dosa, namkeen (savory) pongal, and sooji (semolina) upma.

The main ingredients of course are ginger and coriander. The only prep work involved in this recipe is chopping up the coriander and soaking the tamarind.

Ingredients:
- 4" piece of Ginger, peeled and grated
- ⅓ bunch (1 ½ cups chopped) of fresh Coriander/Cilantro
- ¼ cup of Chutney powder
- 2 tbsp of Brown Sugar/Jaggery
- Size of a lemon of Tamarind or (1 tbsp if using concentrate)
- 1 tsp of Salt (to be adjusted per taste)

Remove any seeds and soak the tamarind in ½ cup of warm water for 15 minutes (if using concentrate, then skip this step). Next blend all the ingredients together on high speed to a smooth paste. If needed, add additional water to make a paste. Lastly, sample the chutney to check for salt and desired sweetness. Adjust as needed.

I think I'll go have some dumplings with the chutney...see you later!

Pani Puri Time

2011-08-31T18:30:00.000-04:00

Our heart goes out to all the families that were affected by Hurricane Irene. We hope that in time all will settle down and life will go on.

We weren't sure how we would be affected by the storm, so we kept cooking to a minimum and munched on snacks.

One of my favorites is Pani Puri. I love pani puri because it's easy to assemble and fun to eat. You know the Pringles jingle, “Once you pop, you can't stop”. That's how I feel about this snack too! It’s so delicious and because it’s a light but filling snack made with healthful, all natural ingredients. You can eat loads at a time without feeling guilty. Also did you know, Pani Puri is an inexpensive and popular snack found all over India? So have a puri, or two or three and be MERRY!

Ingredients for this popular snack include: bite size puris, chickpeas (canned), potato, and pani puri masala (liquid or powder form), and water. Alternately if pani puri masala is not available, tamarind and coriander chutneys and diluted plain yogurt can be used (as illustrated in picture above).

How To Awaken The Senses In This Weather...

2011-08-25T14:30:00.018-04:00

With all the wet weather we've been having, my mood has been taking a big hit. I should be thankful to Mother Nature for gracing us with so much rain but enough is enough. We've seen more rain than sun these past couple of weeks. Anyways, I didn't let this weather get me down, NO SIR!! My mom bought this tea on my aunt's recommendation and this afternoon was the perfect time to try it out.

Hot Tea + Wet Weather = Perfect for Relaxed and Refreshed Mood!

It's the perfect blend of cardamom and black tea to awaken the senses. I like drinking my tea without milk, so with each sip I was engulfed with so much aroma and flavor that I forgot where I was. I started reminiscing about my trip to Kerala where I was surrounded by hills covered in tea plantations and woke up every morning with the sweet aroma of tea. It was the perfect start to the day and set the mood for an enjoyable time. Then I was back in my arm chair finishing the last drop of my tea. Alas, it was nice while it lasted, I will cherish these few moments of Zen.

Quick Tips: This tea is available at most Indian stores; I bought mine at the local Indian grocer.

It's Karela, Not Kerala!

2011-08-17T21:50:00.009-04:00

We wanted to take this opportunity to clear up some confusion about a certain vegetable that gets mispronounced a lot. Kerala is an Indian state located in the Southwest region.

It is a popular tourist destination, known for its backwaters, natural beauty and Ayurveda medicines. Karela, on the other hand, is a tropical vegetable that is also referred to as bitter melon or gourd. It is widely grown in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

It can be identified by its prickly green texture and bitter taste. It's not a favorite among a lot of people because of that reason. So we decided to do something about it. After trying a couple of tricks, we came up with one that works and reduces the bitter flavor. This recipe is called Krazy Karela because some might think we're crazy for eating it. The recipe is enough for 5-6 (2 pieces per serving).

Ingredients:

- 1 lb of Bitter Gourd/Karela, slender dark green variety

- Lime size of Tamarind or 1 tbsp of Tamarind paste (i.e. Tamcon)

- Vegetable oil, for frying

- Salt, As needed

For Filling:

- 1 large Red onion, chopped finely

- 3 tbsp of Dry coconut powder (should be flaky not fine)

- 1 tbsp of Chili powder (Adjust to your taste)

- ¼ cup of Fresh coriander or cilantro, chopped

- Salt, as needed

Follow these steps to remove the bitterness of Karela:
1) Cut the ends of the karela and make a slit lengthwise. If there are any woody seeds remove them using butter knife. Cut the karela into 3” long pieces.

2) In a large pot bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add the karela pieces along with tamarind, salt and a pinch of turmeric. Cook karela in the boiling water until they are soft and firm (a knife or fingernail should pass through easily). Drain the water using a colander and remove the remainder of the tamarind from the karela. (skip this step if using the paste)
Then follow these steps to cook the Karela:
1) In a skillet, heat a tbsp of oil and add chopped onion. Saute the onion until its almost transparent and then add salt, chili powder, and dry coconut powder.

2) Mix it until the water is evaporated and the oil comes out. Adjust the salt and heat (chili spice) level to your taste. Allow it to cool and then mix in chopped coriander.

3) Heat oil in a frying pan until you feel the heat on your palm while its held above the oil (at a safe height, usually 4-5 inches above oil). Turn the heat to medium/high and slowly drop the cooked karela into the oil and fry them to greenish brown. Remove from oil and stuff them with the onion filling.

It is great as a dish on its own or can be eaten with plain or brown rice. I love eating it on its own; that way you can really taste all the flavors.

***Quick Tip: If coriander or cilantro isn't readily available, try parsley.

Sisterly Love!

2011-08-12T21:35:00.009-04:00

Happy Raksha Bandhan to all the brothers everywhere!

Kumkum, rakhi, gulab jamun & carrot halwa
(click on image to enlarge)

In the United States, there are festivals that celebrate mothers, fathers, and grandparents. We have similar festivals in India too. Tomorrow marks a very special festival which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters called Raksha Bandan. On this day, sisters tie a rakhi (sacred thread) on their brother's wrist. The ceremony symbolizes a sister's love and devotion for her brother's well-being and the brother's promise to protect his sister. After the rakhi is tied, the brother presents his sister with a gift and then they both treat each other with sweets. In my family, I have only one sister so early on, we started tying rakhis on our best friends in India. We knew them from a young age and so naturally we considered them to be like brothers. When we moved to the States, we thought we would lose touch and the tradition would end there. However, we managed to keep it going and though we are not there in person, we send them interactive e-greetings that convey the same message. And they send us thank you greetings in return. So, if you are far from your brother on this day, you can send them a virtual greeting from www.123greetings.com; they have a wide selection of cards and it's free to send. It's the thought that matters in the end, you know!

Tandoor Chef Frozen Entrees

2011-08-05T23:15:00.011-04:00

Sometimes it's tough to prepare meals for the work week when your schedule doesn't allow it; even on the weekends. It's nice to be able to grab frozen meals like Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, and SmartOnes from time to time to enjoy a day off from cooking. However, a lot of these choices are more appealing for non-vegetarians and we feel that there aren't a lot of variety for vegetarians. That's why we were delighted to find that Tandoor Chef had a variety of meals for us that were healthy and tasty. YAY!!

Among the box of goodies we received from Deep Foods (such as frozen samosas and vegetarian patties), there were also four frozen entrees by Tandoor Chef (one of their brands).

Kofta Curry with Channa Masala & Spinach Basmati Pilaf

Vegetable Korma with Dal Rajasthani & Cumin-Infused Basmati Rice

At first when we read through the list of the nutrition facts, we noticed that sodium count seemed a bit on the higher side. However, when we tasted the meals, we didn't feel that it was salty. On a positive note, these meals have a good amount of protein (10g), fiber (8-9g) low fat, made with olive oil, and they are a well balanced meal for a vegetarian diet as compared to the original recipes (made with lots of ghee or oil).

Palak Paneer with Dal Makhani & Turmeric-Infused Basmati Rice

Mutter Paneer with Dal Palak & Cumin-Infused Basmati Rice

I felt that the above two meals were more satisfying in terms of nutrition (Paneer - Indian cheese). They have almost twice as much protein with 17g each and they are packed with 8g of fiber (same as the first two). The only drawback is that these two meals have a bit more sodium in them and I think it's because of the paneer. It's hard to flavor the dense cheese without adding more spices. They were all pretty flavorful except the kofta curry which was a bit spicy.

Overall, we enjoyed trying out these meals for our lunches and found that they were a good replacement for a meal here and there. I liked the fact that the pictures on the box aren't misleading. A lot of times, I find that the other frozen meals' pictures show ample portions of vegetables/meat, but when I open up the box, it's quite disappointing. However, with the Indian entrees, what you see is what you get. You do not feel cheated about anything. An important fact to point out is that although these are Indian meals, they were produced in the USA from fresh ingredients (as per label on the box).

Now whenever you want to take a breather from cooking during the work week, try one of these meals. You can feel happy you're eating the REAL DEAL!!

"Corny" Rainbow Salad

2011-07-27T20:30:00.017-04:00

Click image to enlarge

One of the best ways to lose weight and boost your health is to add more color to your diet. So we played with that idea and created the Rainbow Salad. It's so easy that even my sister who always claims she's too busy, took the time to make it and loved it. Now that's saying something!!

- 16 oz frozen bag of Yellow Sweet Corn
- 16 oz frozen bag of White Sweet Corn
- 1 Red Bell pepper, cut into 1cm cubes
- 1 English Cucumber, cut into 1cm cubes
- ½ cup of Coriander, chopped
- 2-3 of Carrots, peeled & grated
- 2 tbsp of Lemon juice

1) Microwave both yellow & white corn for 4 min each and allow them to cool.
2) Then microwave bell pepper for 3 min and cool.
3) Mix corn, pepper, carrots, cucumber and coriander in a large bowl along with lemon juice. Serve cold.

We make it for all our backyard parties and whenever we need a side dish for lunch or dinner. It requires minimal assembly and spices. And these types of salads are very popular in South India, specifically in the Karnataka region.

Substitutions:

- If coriander/cilantro is not available, parsley can be added.

- English cucumber can be replaced with regular cucumber (peel and seed to avoid watery consistency) or green squash.
- Moong Dal sprouts can be used instead of corn.

- Use chat masala instead of lemon juice for a zesty flavor.

Tofu Lovers Rejoice

2011-07-20T12:30:00.002-04:00

Here's another tofu delight from our culinary chest that we know your taste buds will love and rejoice. We love cooking with tofu because it is low in calories & fat and high in protein and iron. Now that's goodness we can bite into. There are also varieties in tofu, such as Steak (firm), soft/silken, or dried that you can work with to create a number of dishes. We prefer to use the Steak type in dishes like our Potato & Tofu with Spiced Tomato Sauce because the tofu will not crumble so easily when mixed with the other ingredients. This dish can be served with hot naan, roti, rice (brown or plain) or enjoyed by itself as a side dish.

Click image to enlarge

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

- 6 oz (½ block) Extra Firm Tofu (steak type or plain), drain well and cut into 1”cubes

- 1 large Potato, microwave, peel and cut into 1” pcs

- ½ cup of Crushed tomatoes

- 5 fl oz or 150 mL (small can) of Evaporated milk

- 1 large Onion, chopped finely

- ½ cup of Carrots & Peas (frozen)

- 1tbsp of Dhan-Jeera powder (coriander/cumin)

- 1 tsp of Ginger/garlic paste

- 1 tsp (or to taste) of Chili powder

- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder

- small handful (approx. 1/8 cup) of Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

- 1 ½ tsp (or as needed) of Salt

- 1 ½ tbsp of Vegetable oil

Procedure:

1) Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add Dhan-jeera, chili powder, turmeric and mix well. Now add onions, ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.

2) Add tofu and potato cubes and mix well to coat them thoroughly with the spice mixture (3-4 minutes).

3) Next add crushed tomatoes and mix well for 3-4 minutes to remove the raw taste and then add evaporated milk into the mixture.

4) Then add 1 cup of water. Next add salt, methi leaves and cook under closed lid for 7-10 minutes until the gravy thickens and the spices are infused into the tofu & potato. Remove from heat, mix in carrots and peas, and allow it to sit for 5-6 minutes.

Quick Tips:

- All the spices help elevate the flavor of the tofu and potato in this dish.
- Cauliflower can be substituted for potato.
- The curry will taste even better if allowed to sit for a few hours or the next day.

Tandoor Chef's Samosas

2011-07-08T20:06:00.036-04:00

The one thing I've learned since watching my mom cook is that sometimes, shortcuts are necessary to cut cooking time. That's why whenever we have company over, we love serving snacks that don't require a lot of assembling or heating time. Recently Deep Foods, leading manufacturers of Indian food contacted us to review some of their products and we were happy to provide our feedback.

So today we will be sharing our thoughts on snacks, specifically samosas made by Tandoor Chef, one of Deep Foods' brands. Three varieties of samosas are available: Palak paneer samosas, jumbo samosas with coriander chutney, and tandoori chicken samosas. We tried the Palak paneer samosas and the jumbo samosas (pictured above).

Click image to enlarge

Samosas contain no artificial flavors and made with 100% natural ingredients. We liked the fact that chutney (dipping sauce) was included but the consistency was watery. We added some ketchup to make it more thicker and bring out the tangy flavor which fit well with the spicy filling. In terms of appetite pleasing, better to grab a samosa than a candy full.

Next up, Palak Paneer samosas:

Click image to enlarge

The flavor test: good taste, medium spicy, and well cooked filling. We liked the crunchy crust and crispy texture after baking them (as per the cooking instructions on the box). Another winning point is that they weren't too oily and are the perfect size for a snack. The spicy taste of these samosas go great with a "cold one" or hot beverages such as Chai or tea. The only con for this snack is that no sauce was included in the box.

Now I will attempt to read your mind...wait for it...You're wondering where you can get some samosas. Currently, these snacks are available at your local Indian grocery store.

Begum Palace - Gem of the North

2011-07-02T23:39:00.064-04:00

My dad celebrated Fathers Day this past Thursday with his two "little" girls: my sister and I. We started off the day by surprising him with a new Smartphone like ours. We were so proud and so was he! We were so famished after we went over all the cool features and setup of his new toy, that we decided to go out for dinner. After dining at most of the restaurants by our town, we decided to trek a bit farther and went to Begum Palace restaurant in Madison.
Although the restaurant appeared small, it was quite the opposite inside. Since we went on a Thursday night, it wasn't too crowded or noisy, which was perfectly fine with us. I especially enjoyed the music; it was a mix between classical Indian, instrumental, and trance. Here are some pictures from our evening for your viewing pleasure.

We started off the evening with some appetizers: Mirchi pakoras, pani puri, and papdi chaat. I loved the pani (seasoned water) in the pani puri a lot; it was cool and refreshing. My parents love spicy food, so they enjoyed the mirchi pakoras. The appetizers were so tasty, we finished them off pretty quick and couldn't wait to dig into the entrees. We ordered Bhooni Bhindi (Green okra cooked with onion, tomatoes and various herbs and spices), Saag and Paneer Koftas (chopped spinach and Indian cheese dumplings in a tomato based gravy sauce), and Achari Chicken kebabs (Hot and spicy Indian chutney infused into the chicken kebabs tossed with onions and topped with cilantro). We ate these with Peshawari naan (Unleavened bread stuff with coconut, nuts and raisins baked in the tandoor) and basmati rice. After all that food, everyone was pretty full but I was still contemplating about dessert. Our dinner was completed with a plate of warm and juicy gulab jamun on the house...we must have charmed the host.

Overall, we enjoyed our evening which was filled with nice conversations, delicious food, and good company. My parents were impressed with the courteous wait staff and the friendly nature of the owner who strolled by a couple times to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. That's what I call SERVICE. I would definitely dine there again!

Here's To Sweet Success

2011-06-26T23:33:00.003-04:00

We all have milestones in our lives that are very special to us such as the 16th, 21st, 30th or 60th birthdays or the 1st, 10th, 25th or 50th anniversaries. We celebrated one too this weekend and wanted to share it with you. We have crossed the 10,000 page views mark and are still going. We had a slow start but now the fun is just getting started.

Thanks for making it possible. We will continue to share our cooking stories and recipes with you so you can learn and enjoy Indian cooking as much as we do.

"Carrots" - A Girl's Best Friend

2011-06-18T23:17:00.028-04:00

My sister likes to cook as well but with her busy schedule it's tough making time for it. Plus she says the ingredients aren't readily available in the local delis and bodegas by her place. What is a girl to do, she says. Whenever we both have some free time, we chit chat about our lives and so on...well today I told her about our new snack, veggie boats. When she saw the posting, she got very excited and I knew why. Some of the pita pockets were filled with her favorite vegetable dish: carrot and moong dal. Sis, I dedicate this to you. Hope you get to make this one of these days and enjoy it.

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs of Carrots, peeled and grated

- 1/3 cup of Moong dal

- ½ cup of Frozen peas

- 1/3 cup of Coconut powder (dry), optional

- 3-4 medium sized Green chilies, chopped finely

- 1" piece of Ginger, grated

- 1/3 cup of green Coriander, chopped*

- 2 tbsp of Vegetable oil

- 1 tsp of Salt or according to taste

Procedure:

1) Add ½ cup of water to moong dal and microwave it for 2 minutes, allowing it to soak for 15-20 minutes.

2) Heat oil in a saucepan and add cumin and mustard seeds. When they splatter, add chilies and ginger and stir for a minute. (Hint: In this step, we are sauteing spices to make seasoning for the dish). Then add grated carrot and soaked moong dal along with water.

3) Add salt, mix and cook under closed lid for 10-15 minutes stirring in between until the dal is cooked and soft but not mushy.

4) Remove the lid and stir in frozen peas and coconut powder. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and serve hot garnished with the chopped coriander.

My sister loves eating this simple dish with rotis or chappatis. You can eat it with soft tortillas or pitas as well.

***Quick Tip: Coriander or cilantro is most often used as a garnish to again heighten the flavor and give color to the dish. Parsley can be substituted if it is not readily available.

Veggie Boats

2011-06-17T12:14:00.124-04:00

Click on Image for larger view

After movies like Super Size Me were released, there seems a lot of chatter on the Internet and news about the increase in junk food consumption and obesity. There is also an increase in healthy eating food shows and the importance of educating the public about this matter like Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Well, we wanted to add our ideas to the pot too and introduce some healthy snacks that are flavorful and help maintain a healthy diet. Veggie boats to the rescue! These are the perfect snack that will excite both kids and adults. They are fun to make and eat. The filling combinations in this snack are not only tasty but also comprised of the major food groups: vegetables, protein (lentils and beans) and carbohydrates. The boats are mini pita pockets cut in half and the fillings consist of carrots and moong dal, chickpeas, spinach and garlic. Here are a few more suggestions to help you get started: leftover vegetables and/or scrambled eggs, and diced and sliced up vegetables used in salad like carrots, lettuce, cucumber topped with feta cheese. These are great for backyard parties, cookouts, picnics or even for an afternoon snack.

Go Green Part 2

2011-06-14T19:52:00.002-04:00

With the overwhelming storms we had over the last few weeks, it seemed like weren't going to the sun for a while. Knock on wood. However, the rainwater replenished and rejuvenated all our plants and trees making our backyard look like a mini rain forest. The trees spread their branches such that they formed a canopy around our deck. We can now enjoy cool nights and breezy days.

Whenever I settle down on our swing, I feel like I'm relaxing on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala or on a hammock in between two palm trees on a tropical island. With weather like this, it's only natural to prepare dishes that add a little beat to your step. I packed this curry and half a cup of brown rice for lunch the other day. It was so good that I couldn't stop eating until I spooned the bowl clean. At that moment, I wished I was eating my lunch on the swing while enjoying the cool breeze passing over me. This "curry" is such a simple and flavorful dish, but don't take my word for it. Go green and make it for yourself and enjoy it.

Here's the ingredients' list and procedure for this dish called Desi Green Curry:
- 1 lb of Green Peppers, chopped into 1" cubes
- ½ cup of Frozen Peas
- 3 Green chilies, finely chopped
- 1" piece of Ginger, grated
- ¾ cup of Grated coconut
- ½ cup of Evaporated Milk
- ¼ cup of Green coriander, chopped
- 1 tsp of Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 2 tbsp of Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp of Salt (or as needed)

Procedure:
1) In a blender, blend coconut, green chilies and ginger to a smooth paste.
2) Heat oil in a saucepan and add jeera, when they splutter add bell pepper and salt. Mix well and cook under covered lid for about 5-7 minutes until the bell pepper pieces are soft but firm.
3) Now add the coconut paste and evaporated milk and cook uncovered for about 3-4 minutes or until you notice a gravy consistency.

Remove from stove and mix in the frozen peas. Garnish with coriander & serve hot with rotis/naan/ pooris/rice.

Quick Tips:
1) For a richer consistency, replace evaporated milk with coconut milk or half & half.
2) You can substitute potatoes for bell peppers (just boil the potatoes in microwave for 5-6 minutes, peel & cube them and follow the directions.
3) Also, coconut can be replaced with 1/3 cup poppy seeds (powder the dry seeds and then add water to make a smooth paste). You can also replace it with coconut milk and dry coconut if fresh coconut is not available with the same measurements.

Rosy Spritzer

2011-06-08T23:02:00.007-04:00

Back in my college days, I used to enjoy the hot summer days at this Asian tea house called Babo's. They had a variety of hot and cold teas, but my favorite was Bubble Tea. For those of you who are not familiar with this drink, it is a milk based sweetly flavored tea beverage with tapioca balls or rice pearls at the bottom of your drink. Sometimes I used to take my books to the cafe and study while I sipped the drink. It was cool and very refreshing. After a while though, I didn't care for the tapioca balls' taste in my mouth and tried something else.

Coincidentally, a few weeks ago, my mom brought out this spritzer for one of our family parties and it was an instant hit. Usually, we have fruit juice and soda for the kids and wine & beer for the adults. However, this drink was so popular that by the end of the party, many of the guests requested us to divulge the recipe.

This unique drink has a bit of everything: sweetness, flare, fizz, fun, and cool taste. The fun part is from making the drink and enjoying it on hot summer days or just any day really. Oh, did I mention that it totally replaced my Bubble Tea craving. I don't have to worry about the taste of the tapioca balls either. It's a Win, Win Baby!

Here's what you need to get started; oh and these measurements are enough for 4-6 servings:

- 1/3 cup of Roohafza or Rose syrup

- 3 cups of Seltzer water

- 3 cups of Sprite (soda)

- 1 tbsp of Basil Seeds (Tukmaria), soak in water for 3-4 hours

Mix all the ingredients together in a water jug or pitcher and add crushed ice before serving! Voila! A perfect spritzer for kids of all ages...even adults.

***Quick Tip: The drink can be enhanced with 1 tbsp of finely chopped Mint leaves or a slice of lime.

Hot Breads Bakery - More than Just Bread!!

2011-06-08T01:07:00.003-04:00

I'm always on the lookout for cute little places to spend some of my down time...maybe to read a book while I enjoy a treat or catch up with friends on my lappy (laptop). I know there's an array of places like coffeehouses and eateries but I really dislike coffee and I don't like noisy places. Furthermore since I moved back to my hometown, I've been exploring more places around my town. One day as I was running a couple of errands for my mom, I passed by this place. It's one of those places where you could easily miss it unless you were on a mission. Anyways, I walked inside and right away I got a whiff of whatever was baking in the oven at the other end of the bakery. At most bakeries I've been to, the menu items consist of the usual baked goods such as breads and more breads and specialty pastries. At Hot Breads, aside from the usual, as you can understand from my title, they have a variety of items to choose from. Here's a short list of some items I do remember from my visit: curry puffs (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian), snacks like bhel puri, chaat, samosas, and more filling meals like pizzas, paninis and vada pav sandwiches. It was like a One stop shop.

It took me a few good minutes to decide what I wanted to order. I'm not sure if you can tell from my illustration above but the order counter was placed between two shelves adorned with mouth watering and appetizing pastries of all flavors and colors. Savory ones on the left and sweets on the right. You might think weird of me but for as long as I can remember, dessert came before dinner, lunch or whatever. I have a sweet tooth that just doesn't rest until it's satisfied. So, I settled on a few curry puffs that were alright because I was so engrossed with the pleasing view of the sweets before me. Each and everyone of them were calling my name, waiting desperately to be spooned into my mouth. After the puffs, I returned to the counter once more, ordered a chocolate mousse cake and brought it back to my cafe style dining area.

Little did I know that my choice wasn't the most popular pastry. I enjoyed it nonetheless since it was nice, creamy and sweet (my unofficial middle name). I heard from one of the staff members that the Black Forest Cake is delicious too...so I will keep that in mind for my next visit. Now I'm not the PR spokeswoman for this delightful place but I gotta tell ya...their pizzas and paninis must be popular. While I was enjoying every last bite of my cake, I saw one the skilled staff making 5 vegetable paninis in one go and man can he move! My short visit became an extended stay filled with good eats, information and company from the staff in between their orders. I finally made my exit and made a note of the items I will try next time I'm in the area.

If you're in the neighborhood, stop in and try some of their goodies. And if you're in a hurry or on the run, you can always place an order over the phone. Maybe I'll see you there sometime...

My New Update - The samosa chat here was appetizing and full of flavor. The breakdown of this meal starts with a warm and toasty samosa which is cooked to perfection without being too oily and crispy. Also it is important to note that potato filling had just the right amount of seasoning to make it flavorful. Next come the toppers which consist of the chole curry, tamarind and mint chutney, sev, chopped red onions and coriander. I think I'm in love.

Is It Summer...Already?

2011-05-31T23:03:00.004-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost a year since we last posted about our summer treats. Just to recap, last year we shared a few recipes that we knew would fill your stomachs such as the Aloo Papdi Chaat and Aloo Tikki Chaat and cool you down like the Roohafza Milkshake. It's just nice to see the sun out and warming everything in sight. I know I missed it dearly; I was sick of all the cold and rainy weather. This year we have a few more up our sleeves that are not only going to turn heads but more importantly keep you refreshed and feeling healthy. Here's the rundown of the upcoming delights in store for you:

- Rosy Spritzer
- Veggie Boats
- Rainbow Salad
- Desi Green Curry

So keep a lookout!

The Many Uses Of Coconuts

2011-05-18T23:06:00.032-04:00

I recently attended a South Indian wedding where the girl's family gifted each of these intricately etched coconuts to the family members of the guy's side (Yay to me). I liked it so much I thought I would share it with you too. They even attached these beaded pins at the bottom so it can be displayed on flat surfaces. I've seen fruit being carved into designs but I've never seen it on a coconut. Now that is a work of art I can appreciate.

Just look at the detail!

I believe that the coconut is a very versatile fruit. Its oil can be applied to the hair to make it more shiny and smooth. Usually the water inside the coconut is very sweet and so most often consumed and then the tender flesh is scooped out and eaten. As you can see in the photograph above, even the dried coconuts are used to make decorations or works of art. The oil and milk are also used in cooking. For our cooking purposes, we mainly use shredded coconut (fleshy part) and in various dishes such as Undrallu or Steamed lentil and rice dumplings, Rice Kheer, and for today's discussion, coconut rice. Coconut Rice hails from the Southern part of India; specifically from Andhra Pradesh. This rice dish has a bit of everything; lentils, nuts, spices, and even vegetables. Now it's important to remember that too much of a good thing is never a good thing. When we post about rice dishes, we're not promoting that one should eat rice everyday but that it's good to try new things.

Ingredient List:

- 1 cup of Cooked Rice

- 15-20 halves of Cashew nuts

- (4-5) sliced Green chilies

- ½ cup of Fresh grated coconut

- 1 tsp each of Mustard /Cumin seeds

- 2 tbsp of Vegetable oil

- ½ cup frozen of Carrot & peas

- 5-6 leaves of Curry leaves

- 1 tbsp of Coriander seeds

- 2 Dry Red chilies

- 1 tsp of Urad dal (black gram)

- 1 tsp or as needed of Salt

1) In a small sauce pan, fry coriander seeds, red chilies and urad dal with an ½ tsp oil for 5 min or until the aroma of coriander seeds come out. Cool the mixture and grind to a powder and set the spice powder aside.

2) Heat oil in a skillet on medium and fry cashews until light golden, add mustard & cumin seeds. When they splatter, add curry leaves and green chilies. Fry for a minute. Add salt and rice, mix well for 2 minutes. Then add the spice powder (from step 1), grated coconut and carrots & peas. Mix again and cook under low to medium heat for 5 minutes.

3) Serve hot.

***Quick Tip: We use a lot of spices in our dishes to elevate the flavor of the dish. If you don't have a big spice rack or variety of spices, you can substitute whatever you like. Also, freshly grated coconut can be found in most Indian stores, otherwise you can grate it yourself.

Hester Street Fair

2011-05-15T22:51:00.109-04:00

It's that time of the year again...the start of the street fairs season. I love it! It gives me a chance to get outside, stretch my legs, and support the local talent. The day before Mother's Day, I attended the Hester Street Fair's grand opening day in New York City. I made an excuse to go to the fair just so I could get something for the two special ladies in my life, my mom and grandmother. My friend and I took our time strolling through the fair; taking in all the sights, sounds and smells. I even found some things for the ladies so I wouldn't go home empty-handed. Here are just a few of the highlights:

As we walked into the fair grounds, we that the first stall was adorned with these beautiful mini garden creations, which are custom designed by Ms. Vashali Maria. They are perfect for all kinds of spaces and gardeners-at-heart, whether you live in a small city apartment or have a greenhouse. I love this idea of bringing inside "a piece of nature" into your home and enjoying it all year around.

Casa Helecho

Next up are the simple and colorful Indian wooden block print designs on clothing, accessories, and home furnishings by Juli Raja. I found some great gift items for my friends' kids (cute lil dresses and shirts for boys).

While we visited a few more of the stalls, we heard some weird sounds coming from nearby and realized they were from our own stomachs...we were really hungry from all the walking.

We came across a stall called La Sonrisa where they were frying empanadas and so we tried one that was filled with coconut curry chicken. It was pretty good. The outside texture and crunchiness of the snack reminded me of these sweets from India called Kajjikayalu or Gujiya which are usually filled with coconut and jaggery. We also had the opportunity to sample some watermelon sorbet where the chefs used nitrogen liquid as the freezing agent as we have seen often on shows like Iron Chef America.
After we sampled more savory treats like cheddar and jalapeno topped pretzels from Sigmund Pretzels and soft tacos from Brooklyn Taco Co., we headed over to Melt Bakery for some dessert. We decided ahead of time we would buy one item from each of the stalls, so we could try more. So at the Melt Bakery, we chose the peach ice cream and brown butter burbon shortbread cookie sandwich. The sweetness of the shortbread cookies complemented the tangy flavor of the ice cream (the one on the far left). It was a winner in my book.

On our way out of the fair, I saw Roni-Sue Chocolates and became super excited. I sampled their chocolate creations at the 2009 Chocolate Show and so I knew how delicious their chocolates were. They didn't have my favorite chocolate and so we went to their store located inside the Essex Market.

I bought a dozen box of truffles for Mother's Day and my friend bought a couple of nickel bags of bacon chocolate for himself and his friends. The next day, I surprised the ladies with a special breakfast and lots of "sweet" love.

Overall, I had a great time at the fair. The food prices were reasonable and fun to learn about the various cuisines and sweet treats. The business owners were really friendly and informative. So, you haven't checked it out yet, go for it. The Hester Street Fair is open every Saturday from 10am-6pm until October. It is located between Hester and Essex streets in Lower East Side, NY.

Mother In Mind...

2011-05-10T13:20:00.004-04:00

Although, mothers should be remembered all the time, I feel that sometimes people remember them even more on Mother’s Day. It almost becomes compulsory to do something extra ordinary on that day. Of course, I am guilty of that as well. Every year, my sister and I pitch in and order my mom flowers. However this year, we went a different route and ordered her an Azalea Bonsai plant to add to her newly sowed garden in our new place. Ever since we moved from our old house, my mom has been reminiscing about her flower garden and how much effort she put into it to bring it to its handsome beauty. And now she has to do it all over again. We thought the bonsai would help her to cope with the loss of the garden and encourage her to add to her collection in the new place. We also ordered Spring Tulips for my grandmother since she is staying with us for a while. They both loved the floral arrangements which are now proudly being displayed in our house. YAY!! I also prepared a healthier version of IHOP’s Belgian Waffle Combo for the two special ladies. I served them a plate of toasted waffles with fresh cut strawberries and bananas. A small gourmet cookie platter with their favorite nutty cookies and more fresh fruit was also served with breakfast.

Since it’s also been a few years since my grandmother came to visit us around this time, my mom made her favorite dish, vada and sambhar*. She soaked the lentils overnight and made the do-nut shaped vadas after her relaxing breakfast.

Oh, what a sight!!

They were both busy for the rest of day since many of our relatives and friends called to wish them for the occasion…just the way it should be.

***The vada and sambhar are very popular in Southern India. Vada is a savory fritter served as a snack but it can be eaten as a meal when dipped in sambhar (spicy lentil and vegetable soup).

~Bhalle Bhalle Chole~

2011-05-02T12:32:00.014-04:00

This is so much more than your meat and potatoes. It's a dish that can be made fairly easily and because it is made with chick peas, you can rest assured that you are eating a protein enriched meal. I don't know why but every time I eat chole, it makes me want to break into a step. Not just any step, but a Bhangra step...like how these guys are doing it here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26nHoYGn0IQ. That's why it's called Bhalle Bhalle Chole. I find that a lot of North Indian restaurants serve this with what looks like an over-sized poori except it is actually a batura. Baturas are made from all-purpose flour, whereas pooris are made from wheat flour. Anyways, this post isn't about batura, it's about chole and all its goodness. I know you are on the edge of your seats waiting for me to tell you the steps to making this dish, so I'll stop here:

- 16 oz can of Chick peas (chole chana/garbanzos)
- 2 large Tomatoes (red & firm), finely chopped or crushed
- 1 medium Potato, microwaved to firm/soft (4min)
- 1 large Onion, chopped finely or grated
- ½ tbsp of Ginger/garlic paste
- 1 tbsp of Chana Masala*
- ¼ cup of Fresh coriander
- 1 tsp or as needed of Salt
- 2-3 tbsp of Vegetable Oil

Procedure:
1) Open the chick peas can and transfer the contents into a colander and drain well. Wash the chick peas under running water to wash off all the salts and preservatives.
2) Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan (pressure pan) or a non-stick saucepan and add grated onion. Fry the onions till golden brown. (Hint: Add a ¼ tsp of sugar to help the onion caramelize quickly). Add ginger garlic paste and mix for 2 min.

3) Now add crushed tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add the drained chick peas, potato (chopped into cubes), chana masala and salt. Then add half a cup of water.

Mix well and cook on medium heat with closed lid for 7-10 minutes until cooked well. If using pressure pan, cook under pressure for 6-7 minutes.

4) Add chopped coriander and serve with hot pooris or warm rotis.

Actually now that I think about it, chole was served at the Diwali celebration at my mom's work last year and it was a big hit. Amongst all the items made for the event, most people came back for second servings for this one.

***Quick Tip: You can substitute chana masala with garam masala as well. If garam masala is not available, then add your own blend of spices to bring more flavor to this dish. Also, if you do not have raw tomatoes, you can use can of crushed tomatoes or salsa.

Hawa Hawaii Pooris

2011-04-30T23:30:00.006-04:00

Whenever we have a craving to eat chole curry, we love eating it with pooris. *Pooris are another type of Indian flat breads which are made with wheat flour. If you have perfected or at least practiced the technique of making dough for chappati or roti, then making dough for pooris is a cinch. The following videos are broken down into easy-to-follow steps from making the dough to frying the pooris. We love eating pooris on cool and breezy nights when we want to eat some warm comfort food. Now with summer around the corner, pooris can also be enjoyed with mango pulp or puree.

Step 1: In a mixing bowl, mix together (3) cups of wheat flour, (1.5) tablespoons of oil, and less than 1 cup of water.

Once you are finished making the dough, you can make the dough balls. These will be rolled out and fried in the hot oil.

Now you are ready to roll out the poori dough balls and fry in the hot oil. Hint: You can drop a tiny ball of dough in the oil to see if it's hot enough to fry the pooris. You will know it's hot enough when the tiny ball comes up to the top and you see bubbles.

Just look at those fluffy pooris floating in the hot oil! Don't let the poori sit in the oil too long; otherwise it will soak up the oil and it will taste oily and heavy. You just have to flip it once or twice until it puffs up and is ready to be whisked out of the pan and into the drying bowl. Then just add it to the pile of hot pooris in your serving dish.

***Quick Tip:
- For fluffy pooris add a little bit of milk when making the dough.
- We used Deep Foods Whole wheat flour to make these fluffy pooris. This multi-purpose flour can be used to make dough for chappati, roti, poori and paratha.

Fun Fact: The title for this post was inspired by one of my favorite songs from a Bollywood movie called Mr. India and the song's name is "Hawa Hawaii".

~Instant Custard Gratification~

2011-04-24T22:05:00.003-04:00

In the spirit of Earth Day, my parents and I spent the sunny part of today re-potting the vegetable seedlings into bigger pots and sowing more seeds in our vegetable garden. It's officially Spring and I love it. The air was filled with aromatic fragrances from the cherry blossoms and it was breezy but not cold. Sayonara Winter and Hello sunny days! After all the hard work, I decided to treat myself to a quick sweet treat...custard. Along with its thick and creamy consistency, I love the various flavors that are available. When we were in India, my mom used to make it for us all the time with these powder packets manufactured by Brown and Polson and Rafhan.

They had a variety of flavors to choose from: good ol' vanilla, raspberry, pineapple, banana and mango. I used to eagerly watch while my mom made it. She heated up the milk, stirred in the powder slowly and then let it set in the fridge. I'm sure the whole process was all of 30 minutes but for a kid, that could seem like a decade. Since those custard packets are not readily available, I made custard-like dessert with the Jell-O Instant pudding packets.

Did you know Jell-O Instant pudding is available in Vanilla, Banana and Pistachio flavors? Pistachio was the biggest surprise for me. The next surprise was how much time it took to make it...5 minutes. No wonder, it says instant on the label. The ones from India required you to store the warm custard in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving it. With Jell-O pudding, it's ready when you want it. And if you want to make it more interesting, add some fruits. I recommend adding apple, banana, orange and mango pieces. Yumm!

Nothing like settling down with a bowl of custard after a long day of gardening!

Halwa In A Hurry

2011-04-07T08:30:00.002-04:00

You've planned this lavish dinner for your guests and every thing's ready and then it hits you. You totally forgot about dessert. Instead of rushing to the super market for a cake or pie, try something new. I know what you're thinking. I can read minds, you know! How will you manage to make something in such a short time. Well, don't you fret...we have the perfect dessert for you.

Mouth-watering Carrot Halwa

I know you're dying to learn how to make it. It's so easy and I bet, you already have the ingredients at home:

1 lb Grated Carrots
½ cup of Condensed Milk
5-6 Sliced Cashews or Almonds
5-6 Raisins
1-2 Cardamom/Elaichi seeds (powdered)
3 tbsp Butter

The best part about making this dessert is that it can be done all in the MICROWAVE. How awesome is that? Now that we have your attention, here are the directions:
1) Melt butter in a large microwaveable container/bowl (for 30-40 seconds).
2) Add grated carrots, mix well and microwave for 8-10 minutes mixing after 5 minutes of cooking. (Hint: Use a lid to cover the container.)
3) Add condensed milk and cook for another 5-8 minutes until the mixture is cooked well and it all comes together. Add the powdered cardamom and mix well. Then transfer into a serving dish.
4) In a small pan, heat ½ tsp of butter and toast the nuts. Then add the raisins and remove from stove. Garnish the halwa with the toasted nuts and raisins.

***Quick Tip: Our procedure was done with an 1100 watt powered microwave. (Please adjust the timing per your microwave wattage)

April Specials!

2011-04-06T00:29:00.006-04:00

Our Motto is and always will be: Making authentic, unique, new Indian vegetarian dishes EASIER for everyone to try!

Over the past year, it's been a fun and good learning experience for us to create and post about all our cooking stories with you. We try to think outside the box and post recipes that would not only attract our readers but also encourage them to re-create them at their homes. Since our motto's focus is about making cooking easier, the month of April has been dedicated to dishes where cooking time is cut and ingredients are more accessible which will make everyone happy.

~Don't worry, these dishes were tested and Mother, Approved~

A Meaningful New Year

2011-04-04T00:44:00.008-04:00

We would like to wish all the South Indians, Khara Ugadi Shubhakanshalu and to all the Maharashtrians, Gudi padvyachya hardik shbhechcha. In plain English, Happy New Year*! Our New Year is determined by the lunisolar calendar. It is similar to the calendars followed by the Chinese, Buddhists, Mongolian, Hellenic and Koreans. Last year, I remember we posted about some of the dishes that are made on this holiday and forgot to mention the most important one: a special mixture called Ugadi Pachadi (in Telugu) or New Year Chutney (direct English translation).

The ingredients from left to right are ripened bananas, tamarind juice (made from soaking dry tamarind in warm water and squeezing the juice out), coconut, dried neem flowers, brown sugar and unripened mango. I heard that people add green chilies and salt too.

After these ingredients are combined, we drink it. The significance of these ingredients is that they represent the various experiences we face in the year ahead in equal doses. I didn't realize there was a philosophical meaning...I thought it was a just recipe that was passed down from generation to generation. What a revelation!
There are several dishes that are prepared on this holiday. In Andhra Pradesh (my birth state) and Karnataka, people make puran poli, which looks like chappati or roti stuffed with sweet lentil. It is served hot with butter brushed over it. It sounds mouth watering but it's not that healthy. Most temples serve pulihora or tamarind rice on this day. Last year, we went the traditional route and made pulihora and sooji halwa.

This year, we kicked it up a notch and made a different kind of pulihora. The main ingredient is an unripened mango which is a bit tangy and a tad sweet. Ooh, I saved the best for last. We also made gajar (carrot) halwa...in the microwave...can you believe it? It came out really well actually.

***Wall Street Journal posted a slideshow on their online page about the New Year celebration from various Indian states:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704628404576264203551594750.html?mod=wsj_india_main

Chak De India!

2011-04-02T00:24:00.037-04:00

I'm not a big sports buff but when I heard the Indian Cricket Team made it to the Finals for the ICC Cricket World Cup, I was jumping up for joy. The team beat out Pakistan in the Semi Finals for this chance. They will be playing against Sri Lanka in just a few hours. To show our support for the team, we made orange/red bell pepper, feta and broccoli (Indian Flag colors) paninis with onion naan for dinner tonight. They came out all gooey and delicious. I will post pictures soon.

GOOD LUCK TO THE TEAM!!

My Peachy Atlanta Adventure - Part Two

2011-03-27T00:06:00.000-04:00

Here are my favorite sights and sounds from the trip. The first of the sights was this long line of motorcycle cops in front of the CNN Headquarters. It looked like they were prepping for a parade or something. By the way, I saw police patrolling the streets on Segways too. Wish I had that picture!

What do you think they were up to? Anyways, our convention was held at the Georgia World Congress Center...it was way too big to capture on film. After the convention I didn't really want to look at it again. The convention officially started on Sunday and apparently that was the same day as the Eastern Conference Playoffs: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Florida Gators. The streets were swarming with people in blue and orange shirts, skirts, face paint holding loads of knick knacks. It was an awesome sight. By the way, the Kentucky Wildcats won and boy was there a lot of partying that night. It was "Dinner Impossible" that night; everywhere we went, there was a 2 hour wait for a table.

I didn't really get to go sightseeing until Friday morning; a few hours before my flight back home. What a Whoop! I've heard so much about the aquarium that I decided to go there first. The Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest aquarium...I couldn't believe it. I've been to aquariums before and I thought what is the big deal. My views were shattered once I stepped inside this place. What a sight! Beluga whales, exotic fish, albino crocodiles, sea anemone and those are just a few things you'll see. It's great for kids of all ages.

Sea Anemone

I touched a sea anemone. I was scared at first but when I saw little kids doing it, I went for it. It was squishy and gel-like. You've got to come try it. Then I got down on my hands and knees and visited the African Penguins' habitat through the Penguin Crawl. I crawled through this small tunnel and was able to get up close and almost personal with them. Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBG0TFCUCvM. Next up are the Beluga Whales***. I was expecting something quite different than what I saw and heard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSVnLrf-oU8. I didn't know Beluga Whales are part Dolphin and part whale (in terms of their size). I thought I was looking at a Frankenstein experiment in action but they were so cute! This is just a fraction of the wondrous creatures at the aquarium. This is a MUST SEE!!

While I was walking through the aquarium, I ran into an acquaintance from the convention. So with my new friend, I headed off to the World of Coca Cola museum. I'm a big Coca Cola fan, so of course I had to go there. After learning about their history and pop culture, we headed off to watch the international commercials. There were so many to watch but I just didn't have enough time, so we made our way to the Tasting Room. You read that correctly. You get taste all the beverages brewed by the company all around the world. I tried fruity drinks made in Latin America, Asia, and even North America. Who knew there were so many beverages? I was hiccuping and full of caffeinated energy by the end of it. Mind you I'm all grown up, I can handle all that sugar in take...there were little kids in there too...I feel sorry for the parents!

Cheers To You!

Before I left the museum, I walked away with my own glass bottle of Coca Cola. The prices were reasonable so I bought some souvenirs. Overall, I had a wonderful time in Atlanta and my next visit will be purely for vacation so I can see what more the city has to offer.

***I apologize for the short video, I think I caught them during their feeding time and wasn't able to get a more close up shot.

Spring Into Holi

2011-03-23T18:40:00.007-04:00

Don't let a little snow and cold weather bring you down. Spring weather is just around the corner. Once I got back from my business trip last weekend, I was ready to party. I was so excited because Sunday, March 20th was an important day for me. It was the first time I would be celebrating Holi (Spring Festival) in New York City in over 15 years. Holi, "the festival of colors", is celebrated by people throwing colored powder and water on each other. Not even the cold temperatures would stand in my way!

In North India, people specifically wear white on this day so the color shows out more. The celebrations typically can be from 3-16 days. If I were in India, I would go out into the street and enjoy with all of my friends and family. Alas, NYC is not India, but it was close enough.

The Holi celebration was hosted by NYC Bhangra and it was a FREE event. It's nice to know there are still people out there following our culture and feel it's important to share with everyone. My friend Avaneesh and I drove into the city for the festivities and had the time of our lives. Even though we parked the car a few streets up from the park, we could hear all the hangama from where we were standing. I couldn't wait to join in the music, the people, and the colors. As we made our way to the festivities, we saw people with colorful faces walking out of the park with big smiles. The festival was full of surprises including an exciting performance by New York Masti, an all Indian Female A Capella group. Also there were various types of dance performances from Indian Classical to Bollywood, Flamenco and Bhangra. Here's a glimpse of one of the Bhangra performances.

For more fun sights and sounds, check out the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBp1shv0xL8

During all the performances, the event's volunteers worked their way around the audience and smeared colors on people's faces. My friend Avaneesh got lucky and the girl with the colors just put a tikka on his face and walked away. I grabbed some color off the plate and smeared some on his face. HA! It's not Holi without color all over your clothes. Good thing he wore his old clothes.

He looks too happy in this picture, doesn't he? He grabbed the color I hid in my hands and smeared it all over my hair...hey, at least now I don't need to go to a salon for highlights.

We were having so much fun that we worked up an appetite and were so glad they served delicious Indian food for a minimal price: samosas, chaat, chole kulche, pani puri, wadaa pav, keema pav, biryani, masala chai and lots of sweets. It was truly an awesome day.

After the festival, we drove back and ate more goodies; the halwa I made for the holiday. In my our culture, we do two things on every holiday: wear new clothes and make something special for the occasion. You can't tell but I wore a new sweater and I made Sooji Halwa.

It was my first time making it and you know what, it came out pretty well. So from our family to yours, Happy Holi!!

My Peachy Atlanta Adventure - Part One

2011-03-21T21:30:00.152-04:00

Last week, I attended an interesting event called PITTCON in Atlanta, GA. It's a conference for product innovation in Laboratory Science. My company was amongst the many who had booths showcasing their products in the week long event. I arrived in Atlanta early Saturday morning and spent the better part of the day and all day Sunday helping to setup our booth. My team and I decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner on Sunday night and went to this Mediterranean restaurant called Truva. It's a good place for entertainment and dessert. I was impressed by the belly dancer's performance; she really knew her stuff and made the evening more enjoyable. For dessert, we ordered two types: Baklava and Kunefe.

I really liked Kunefe, which is pictured above. I haven't tasted anything like it before; it was so creamy and moist. That night was one of the few nights I had a complete meal and relaxes a bit before the convention. The week was filled with product discussions and meetings with various vendors and prospective buyers. I got a chance to walk around and browse through some of the booths. Overall the conference was a valuable and knowledgeable experience for me.
I told myself at the start of the week that I would try to keep a healthy diet so I don't fall sick. There weren't a lot of options and I ended up eating a lot of fried food during the week that I missed eating my simple yogurt rice meal. I thought I would share some of my food adventures from Atlanta to give you an idea of how I survived the week. During the convention, the only place I liked to eat lunch was at Sonny's where I had the best Pulled chicken sandwich ever. I don't know how they make it but the chicken was marinated in their own blend of BBQ sauce and spices. It was simple and delicious and wasn't overly saucy or stuffed.

Affordable sandwich, what a shocker!

Additionally, out of all the restaurant kiosks located in the convention hall, the sandwich prices here were the most economical. The last day of the convention fell on St. Patrick's Day and it was the shortest day of the whole week. Woohoo! After we packed up our booth, we dined at this popular seafood restaurant by the CNN Center called McCormick and Schmicks. Since, Atlanta is known for their seafood, I thought this place would be a perfect way to go. My colleagues were pretty satisfied with their meals but I wasn't too pleased with mine. I think I set my expectations too high and was a bit disappointed with the result.

I had the Ahi Tuna Seared Rare with Crab Roll, Pickled Ginger and Wasabi, pictured above. All I can say about the tuna is that "looks can be deceiving". The tuna wasn't flavorful at all and I ended up cutting the top off and just eating it plain. The best part of this entrée was the seaweed salad. Although the tuna was a downer, I didn't leave the restaurant totally unsatisfied. We ordered this lip smacking dessert called the Decadent Chocolate Trio:

A Collection of Chocolate Treats consisting of a Chocolate Walnut Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream, Mousse Cake and Pot de Crème. The mousse cake melted in my mouth and the chocolate walnut brownie made me forget about the hectic week. I used to think Chili's or diners have the best warm brownie desserts but McCormicks beat them out of the water. I went to bed with a smile on my face that night. My last dining experience was after I explored a bit of downtown Atlanta with my new friends from the convention. We went to Legal Sea Foods. Two of us shared the Legal Experience: blackened raw tuna “sashimi”, oysters legal, shrimp cocktail and crab cake. Pictures aren't included due to the fact that I was stuffing my face with all the delicious samplers. By the time I remembered, the plate was left with oyster shells and forks. I would definitely recommend this place for future visits.

Here are some lessons on general and dining etiquette I learned through the course of the week:
- Book a hotel room/suite with a kitchenette so you can cook your own meals.
- Always pack enough hearty snacks to prevent eating unhealthy food like wings.
- Drink lots of water and exercise...even if that means walking around the hotel.
- Always pack an extra pair of comfortable shoes (in the event heels just don't cut it).

***Oh, don't forget to read Part Two of my adventure which is dedicated to sights and sounds...just for the heck of it.

For The Love of Cheese...

2011-03-09T22:09:00.005-05:00

Ever since my mom bought Feta Cheese from Costco, I've been adding the cheese to everything from paninis, sandwiches, salads, and even rice.

I found a new love: Feta! So it's not surprising that I ended up ordering feta sprinkled dishes at Kefi*, a Greek restaurant by my sister's place in the city (located on 505 Columbus Avenue between 84th and 85th streets). I was surprised to see the place packed and full of chatter considering it was just beginning of the week. The best dish of the evening was the Shrimp and Orzo (cooked with spinach, tomato sauce and feta cheese). I didn't realize how hungry I was until I spooned every last orzo into my mouth. Next time, I'll take pictures without my sister looking. The funniest part of the whole evening was our waiter; he reminded me of Eric from That 70's show (Topher Grace). Every time he strode over to refill our glasses, I couldn't help but giggle. If you're in the neighborhood, check out this place and keep an eye out for the waiter. After dinner we walked back to her place and drifted off to sleep while watching the Star Trek Enterprise marathon.

After my dreaded morning meeting, my sister and I decided to go for brunch at this place she's been talking about, called Good Enough To Eat. This is a great brunch spot; especially after a night of clubbing or you just feel like having eggs. They have over 10 kinds of egg dishes which are served with buttermilk biscuits and strawberry butter. Let me tell you something, the butter was heavenly. Fruit butter is a totally new concept for me. I felt like I was on vacation and dining at a bed and breakfast where you can easily chat with your neighbor. It was cozy and pleasant. My sister told me that during the summer this restaurant has long lines waiting to dine. Now that's saying something.

I ordered the Special Scrambled, which is scrambled eggs with red onion, tomato and fresh dill. It was comfort food for the soul. My sister had the Provencal omelette with roasted red and green bell pepper, Spanish onions and goat cheese. She was very pleased with hers as well. I was in awe with the butter so much that the foodie in me had to know the secret. Apparently it's a mixture of strawberry jam and butter...of course the waiter didn't go into detail. He just said we would love for you to come back and have more at the restaurant. I've already bookmarked this place as a favorite spot whenever I'm in town. After our meal, we took a stroll through Riverside Park and enjoyed the midday. This was a perfect ending to my day. Next time I have a meeting in the city, I know which dining scene I'll be revisiting.

***Interesting Fact: Kefi has been described by various Greeks as meaning the spirit of joy, passion, enthusiasm, high spirits, or frenzy. That's exactly how I felt dining at this restaurant. The name fits the place.

The "Other" Dosa Chutney

2011-02-28T20:17:00.009-05:00

Masala Dosa at Chennai Garden, NYC

What a lovely sight, indeed! Above is a great example of a dosa. It is a kind of crepe which is most commonly made from fermented rice and urad dal batter. Usually, most South Indian restaurants serve dosas with sambar, fiery chutney powder, and coconut chutney. In my experience, the sambar is usually too spicy and so is the chutney powder. The coconut chutney is okay if it's properly made and sometimes, it's too watery which ruins the taste of the dosa. And that is why I have to speak out. I know of another chutney that deserves to take center stage and push the coconut one aside. It's creamy, a little tangy and sweet and oh so flavorful. I used to think this chutney recipe was a well kept secret but my mom only told me recently that variations of it are served in restaurants in Southern India. I guess it's not a secret anymore.

Yummy Peanut Chutney!

Feast your eyes on the one and only chutney that should be accompanied with the rice and urad dal dosa.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Peanuts
2 Dry Red chillies
1" ball of Dry Tamarind or 1 tbsp of Tamarind Concentrate
1 tbsp of Jaggery or Brown sugar
½ Salt tsp or as needed
1 tsp of Vegetable oil

Procedure:
1) Fry peanuts and chillies in oil on medium heat to low heat until peanuts give out the roasted aroma. It should take about 6-7 minutes.

2) If using tamarind, use sufficient water to cover it and microwave it for 15-20 seconds. Allow it to soak for 5 minutes; this will loosen it up so you can squeeze the juice out.

3) Blend peanuts and chillies to a fine powder. Then add salt and brown sugar. Squeeze the juice out of soaked tamarind and add the juice to the mixture. Next, add water to make the mixture wet and blend it to a smooth paste. Taste the chutney to adjust salt or brown sugar as needed and remove from the blender.

***Quick Tip: You can also season the chutney with mustard seeds, jeera and curry leaves.

Our First Anniversary

2011-02-21T12:08:00.216-05:00

Hoorah! This past weekend was marked by a couple of "First" moments for the year. First of, it was our blog's First Anniversary and it is customary on such an occasion to exchange paper made gifts. So we created business cards to hand them out to people and spread the word. Secondly, I went to my First Scandinavian dinner party. Would you believe that my eyes popped out of their sockets when I saw the food laid out in front of me...so many goodies I have never seen.Even though, many were non-vegetarian, I managed to eat some that weren't and they were delicious.

My favorites from the Smorgasbord were the Lefse (potato flat breads, left topmost corner), Norwegian Cheese platter, Curried deviled eggs (bottom left-hand corner), Janssons Frestelse (Made with grated potatoes and onions cooked in cream, right most of picture), Spiced Apple Wedges, and Knackebrod (Crispy bread). I went home feeling proud, having eaten a good portion of the food on the Smorgasbord.
On Sunday my friend, Avaneesh and I drove to the city for our First Cultural Event of the year: The Anamika Navatman Brunch Performance Series - Emerging Artists Dance Program.

They are trained in various types of Indian Classical dances such as Kathak, Kuchipudi, and Bharatanatyam for many years. The emerging artists and their dance descriptions are Srilekha Jayanthi (Kuchipudi solo about Shiva), Umesh Venkatesan (Bharatanatyam solo about Krishna), Melvin Varghese (Bharatanatyam solo about Ganeshanjali), and Mohip Joarder, Reena Shah, Ammr Vandal (Kathak group - members of the Parul Shah Dance Co). Illustrated below are two of the talented artists from the program:

I've attended dance programs mostly comprised of girls. I never had the opportunity to watch men dance. It was quite a treat; the movements and expressions were so captivating.

Overall, the weekend was fantastic. We are happy to share our cooking and cultural insights with you. We feel that posting recipes is one thing but when you share the history behind a recipe or festival, it keeps the audience engaged in the content and makes them feel connected. We thank all of you for your support and hope to keep you coming back for MORE!

A Lovely Valentine!

2011-02-16T23:43:00.048-05:00

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Sugar is sweet

And so are You

Will you be my Valentine?

Do you remember writing poems like the one above, when you were younger? I used to buy Valentine cards that have such sayings and give them out to my classmates in elementary and middle school.For my close friends, I included heart candies in the envelopes. It was easy to please your Valentine at that age. Now older and wiser, Valentine's Day is a bit more elaborate; it's all about wining and dining your date. How can you outdo the previous year's experience? I chose to lay low this year and had dinner with a friend over the weekend. We had a wonderful dinner followed by a couple of desserts. The first was carrot halwa which he made from scratch and didn't follow a recipe. It was pretty good for his first try. The second were cupcakes from Magnolia's Bakery from NYC. So many sweet celebrations! However, my Valentine's dining did not end there.

Since I am now living with my parents, I wanted them to have a pleasant Valentine's too. At first I thought of sending the both off to a nice restaurant but Valentine's fell on a Monday and they both had to work the next day. So I hurried home after work, and prepped for an evening of cooking by none other than myself. Don't worry, I didn't poison them. I've had years of experience cooking for my sister when we were living together and she's never complained. I can cook a mean Chinese fried rice, mushroom risotto and curry puffs.
Anyways, I decided to keep it simple and make something right from our blog. Even though my parents love trying new cuisines, they always yearn for good ol' Indian cooking much much more.

I went the whole nine yards and made Aloo Parathas from scratch and we ate them with raita. My dad chipped in and helped me roll out the parathas and toast them on the pan. For dessert, I made chocolate covered strawberries which were served with dessert wine. Oh by the way, I forgot to mention that my dad surprised my mom with a exquisite Japanese Ikebana flower arrangement.

Quite stunning and intricate, I must say!

Overall, the evening turned out well and my parents enjoyed themselves. Dinner Accomplished, woohoo!

You Gotta Love Rotis (Indian Flat Breads)

2011-02-12T10:51:00.037-05:00

One of my favorite foodie spots when I was in college was The Kati Roll Company in New York City. They made the best kati rolls which are comprised of different ingredients stuffed inside Indian Flat breads. These ingredients range from spiced chicken kebabs, mixed vegetables to Indian cheese and pickle. These rolls were popular not just for the taste but also for their price 4.50 USD. My cravings for these rolls only grew as I got older and I spread the word about this place to everyone. In addition I used to buy extra rolls for my parents whenever I was heading home for the weekend.
Since I loved these rolls so much, I decided to re-create them at home so I can have them whenever I want. And that's what brings me to today's post. I've perfected the kati rolls that are made with chicken but I'm not too good with vegetarian ones. That's where my mom's expertise comes in. She's like MacGyver with cooking. You give her any random vegetable and some spices and she will prepare a magnificent meal for you. Well, I explained my dilemma to her about the vegetarian kati rolls and she began putting things together. I love watching her in the kitchen. It's like watching the Iron Chef or Chopped! competitions on TV. Now to get started on these famous Kati Rolls from NYC, you'll need the following to make 4-5 rolls. This all depends on how much you stuff in each roll as well.

- Paneer....................................................................... 4x4” block, cut into ½” cubes

- Bell Pepper - Green................................................... 1 large, chopped into ½” cubes

- Bell Pepper – Red...................................................... ½, chopped into ½” cubes

- Onion.......................................................................... 1 medium, chopped into chunks

- Achar masala.................................... ½ tsp OR 1 tbsp any type chili achar mashed

- Plain Parathas (round for better wrapping)................. Frozen packet

- Vegetable oil................................................................ 2 tbsp

Now the procedure for these rolls is not difficult at all. You have to just make sure all the spices and vegetables are mixed really well and place a small portion of the mixture onto each of the rotis.

1) Heat oil in a non-stick sauce pan and saute peppers and onions with salt on medium heat. When peppers are soft, add paneer cubes and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add achar or achar masala and saute the mixture until it is mixed well (3minutes). Remove and keep aside.

2) Defrost the parathas for a 15-20 seconds in the microwave. Rub a ½ tsp of oil onto a grilling pan or flat frying pan and heat it on low – medium heat. Fry the roti slightly by tossing it in the pan.

3) Place ½ cup of paneer mixture in the middle of the roti and fold it from sides to cover the vegetable. Hold the roti flaps in place using a wooden tooth prick.

If you're looking for a filling snack besides that other stuff, I think these rolls would be perfect. They are great on the go like the Wendy's Chicken Go Wraps. Also, if you roll them up a bit tighter, you can cut them in half and serve them up as appetizers while watch a game.

***Quick tip:If you have any mixture left over, store in a microwaveable container and save it for later.

Onion Drop Fritters

2011-02-08T20:40:00.002-05:00

Served hot with coriander chutney and ketchup

I have a great appetizer for parties planned for this cold weather...that is fritters. They are sure to warm up any guest; they're warm, crunchy, and delectable. Did you know that fritters are popular in many cultures and known by different names: tempura, pakora, or poppers. The hardest part I think about fritters is to keep them from being too oily or heavy. I've tasted many kinds in restaurants, weddings, family parties and it's hard to find ones that are really good. The most common vegetable fritters are made with onions, sliced potatoes, cauliflower florets, or spinach.

My favorite type of the fritters is made with onions and I have laid out the ingredients and directions for you to try as well.

Ingredients:

- Maida (All Purpose flour)............................ 1 cup

- Corn starch................................................. 2 tbsp

- Onion......................................................... 1 ½ medium, chopped into large cubes

- Bread crumbs............................................. 3 tbsp

- Butter milk / Yogurt..................................... ½ cup (or more to mix the flour into a paste)

- Chili powder............................................... 1 tsp

- Salt............................................................. 1 tsp or to taste

- Soda bicarbonate........................................ 1 pinch

- Green coriander........................................... handful, chopped (optional)

- Vegetable oil................................................ For frying

Procedure:
1) In a bowl mix together maida, corn starch, chili powder and salt. Add butter milk or yogurt and make a paste and allow it soak for 30 minutes.

2) Sprinkle a tbsp of maida on chopped onions and mix to coat them.

3) Add bread crumbs, soda bicarb, onions and coriander to the dough and mix well. The dough should be loose enough to form drops but not too watery (like a pancake batter). Adjust the consistency of the dough with water if needed.

4) Heat oil in a frying pan. The oil should be hot so that a small drop of dough into the oil rises to the surface immediately.

Drop batter (amounts the size of a large marbles) into the oil by hand or use a small ice cream scooper to imitate the same action. Fry the fritters until deep golden color by turning them over a couple of times in between.

Look at those garam garam fritters!

Crunchy Crackling Cashews

2011-02-06T20:30:00.004-05:00

While we were making the Picante Peanut Poppers, we thought why not mix it up a bit and try the recipe with other nuts. While thinking about which nuts to try the recipe with, we decided to go with cashews since they were my dad's favorite.

I didn't think it wise to paste the same recipe twice since almost everything is same for both the ingredients and the directions. The only differences are as follows:

1) Use raw cashews, split into halves

2) Chat masala is substituted with ginger-garlic paste (same measurement)

For cashews lovers across the globe, this one's for you! Enjoy!!

Picante Peanut Poppers

2011-02-04T22:10:00.210-05:00

We transformed the nuts we love to eat into a new snack that would bring smiles to everyone. These "pop in your mouth" bits are a great addition to any party or get together. We've made a bunch of batches for the big game tomorrow. You can either eat them on their own or enjoy them with any cocktail (alcoholic or not). The chili powder adds a bit of a kick to every bite. I've been popping these into my mouth all afternoon...I just love them. It's hard to stop once you get started.

The ingredients for this are as follows:

- Raw Peanuts....................................................... 1/2 cup

- Gram flour/ Besan (fine)....................................... 1/4 cup

- Chili powder........................................................ 1/2 tsp (adjust to your spice level)

- Chat masala......................................................... 1/2 tsp (optional)

- Turmeric powder.................................................. 1/4 tsp

- Salt....................................................................... 1/2 tsp

- Soda bicarb.......................................................... small pinch

- Vegetable oil......................................................... 3/4 tbsp

- Cumin seeds/ Jeera................................................ 1/2 tsp

Let's get cracking:

1) Soak peanuts in a cup of water for 10-12 minutes.

2) Sieve flour along with chili pd, salt, turmeric, chat masala and soda to mix well.

3) Add sieved mixture into a mixing bowl and mix in jeera and oil.

4) Into the above flour mixture, add drained peanuts and mix well so that all the peanuts are coated with flour. If the mixture seems dry and powdery, sprinkle a teaspoon or less of water and mix.

5) Spray/rub some oil onto a microwavable plate (dinner plate) and spread the peanuts on it in a single layer.

6) Microwave for 5-6 minutes based on the wattage of the microwave. If it is a high power one, try using at 80% power until the peanuts are well roasted. (Hint: you can smell the roasted aroma) Also halfway through, take out the plate and separate out the peanuts so they roast evenly.

Quick Tip: For a different taste, replace the chat masala with amchoor powder.

Super Snacks for Super Bowl

2011-02-03T22:35:00.009-05:00

This Sunday the Green Bay Packers are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 45th Super Bowl Championship Event. Although I'm not an avid American Football fan, I like to watch a good game now and then. I've watched some of the games leading up to the big day and these two teams are pretty strong. I can't wait to see them go head-to-head. I've even hyped up my parents to watch it with me. Woohoo! We are going to enjoy the game with good food and company without going too crazy. Above is a sneak peek as to what we're cooking up. Onion Drop Fritters, Paneer Kati Rolls, and Picante Peanut Poppers are just few of the scrumptious goodies we will popping in our mouths.

Bring Home the Tropics

2011-01-30T20:30:00.008-05:00

Let's recap the events of the past few weeks: snow, more snow, and even more snow. Most of our time was spent shoveling, scraping, and salting our driveway, porch and cars for the umpteenth time. I know it sounds like I'm complaining but this is my way of venting and I know some of you feel my pain.

My sunny getaway

With all this awful weather, I just want to escape to a tropical island and relax. For now the vacation will have to wait...and since I can't go to the tropics, the tropics will have to come to me. You're probably confused as to what I'm talking about. While we sent my dad on a mission to the grocery store for some ingredients, my mom and I decorated our table with Hawaiian leis, lit some aromatic candles and made Pineapple Paneer Biryani for dinner. It almost felt like we were on an island with the beautiful setting and warm house.

Ingredients:

•Basmati Rice........................................... 4 cups
•Paneer (cottage cheese).......................... 6 oz (approx. 175g), cut into cubes
•Pineapple............................................... 1 small size fruit (or 20oz can of slices)
•Biryani masala / garam masala (mild)....... 1 ½ tbsp or adjust to desired spice intensity
•Peas & carrots (frozen)............................ 1 cup
•Red onion.............................................. 1 large, sliced finely
•Garlic.................................................... 4 pods, chopped finely
•Salt....................................................... ¾ tbsp or as per taste
•Cashews or almonds............................. 10 – 12 nuts chopped
•Vegetable oil......................................... 3 tbsp

Procedure:
1) Soak rice in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Core and cut fresh pineapple into cubes or cut the canned pineapple slices into ½” pieces.
2) Heat oil in a non-stick wok or Dutch oven. Fry onions and garlic until they start to brown (a pinch of sugar can make onions caramelize faster). Add Paneer cubes and fry until they start to brown, mix in pineapple cubes and stir for 2-3 minutes. Remove from container and set aside.
3) Place the wok/oven again on low heat and add biryani masala and rice (drained from water). Stir for 4-5 minutes until the aroma comes out. Now add 4 ½ cups of water and salt, close it with the lid and cook rice until all water is absorbed (approx. 15-20min).
4) When most of the water is evaporated, add the onions & pineapple mix into rice and mix well and cook the rice until done completely.

At the end, stir in the frozen peas and carrots.

5) In a small pan heat 2 tsp of oil and fry the nuts until golden brown and add to the biryani. Serve hot by garnishing with fried onions for additional taste.

Quick Tip: Fried firm tofu can be substituted for Paneer.

Fan Creations

2011-01-18T21:34:00.010-05:00

To all our readers,

Over time, we added more features to the site so our readers have more insight into how we prepare our cuisine to its perfection.

If you've ever tried, improved or added your flair to any of our recipes, we would like to know. Send us the photos of your creations and we will post them on our Facebook Fan Page. We have already received a few and shared them on our page. For your convenience, here is the link: (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Indian-Khana-Made-Easy/132766373454269)

Sharing is Learning! And as always, keep in touch with us with your comments and suggestions.

Email us at: IKME2010@gmail.com

Sweet For My Sweetie - Chakkar Pongali

2011-01-16T16:45:00.006-05:00

Serve it hot & enjoy!

Oh My Word!! Just look at those glistening cashews just waiting to be eaten. And I know you're about to drool even more than me. I've already told you about "Namkeen" pongali which is made on Pongal as prasad. However, did you know that you can slightly change the recipe and make a sweeter version? Today is your lucky day.

Ingredients (makes 10 servings of 1/2 cup size):

- Basmati Rice............................................................ 3/4 cup

- Moong dal............................................................... 3/4 cup

- Sugar...................................................................... 1/4 cup

- Brown sugar or Jaggery........................................... 1/2 cup

- Milk....................................................................... 1 cup

- Cardamom.............................................................. 5 pods, seeded and powdered

- Cashew nuts........................................................... 15 - 20 halves

- Butter (unsalted)..................................................... 5 tbsp

Procedure:
1) Cook rice and dal together with 5 cups of water either in rice cooker or stove top. Select the cooker or container size slightly bigger to avoid water spillage. Use low to medium heat level for stove top cooking.
2) If using rice cooker, transfer the cooked pongal into a saucepan.

Add milk, sugar, brown sugar and cardamom powder to the pongal and cook on low heat until it is well cooked and all the liquid is absorbed. Add 3 tbsps of butter and mix well.
3) In a small pan, heat the remaining butter and fry the cashews to golden brown and mix it into the pongal.

Basmati Rice

South Indian Treasure: Pongali

2011-01-16T13:05:00.007-05:00

Pongali

The main ingredients of Pongali are rice and lentils...and of course lots of love. We decided that instead of making a totally different sweet for the festival, we would make two types of pongali: one sweet and one savory as mentioned in the post about Pongal. It is preferred that you eat them both when they are warm for the optimal taste. First we will discuss how to make Pongali (the savory kind).

Ingredients for this dish make 6 servings:
- Basmati Rice......................................................... 1 cup
- Moong dal............................................................ 1 cup
- Salt....................................................................... 1 tsp or as needed
-Unsalted butter....................................................... 3 tbsp
For seasoning:
- Cumin & mustard seeds...................................... 1/2 tsp each
- Vegetable Oil..................................................... 1.5 tbsp
- Asaphoetida (hing)............................................. 1/4 tsp
- Curry leaves ...................................................... 5-6 leaves (optional)
- Black peppercorns............................................ 1/2 tsp coarsely ground
- Dried red chilies................................................. 2, broken into two pieces
- Cashew nuts......................................................15-20, as halves
- Ginger.............................................................. 1 inch piece, grated or chopped finely

Procedure:

1) Take rice and dal in the electric rice cooker (>5 cups size) container, wash them thoroughly and drain well. Start off with adding 5 cups of water and add more water if needed. Then add salt and cook (if using smaller size cooker, start with 4 cups of water and add remaining one plus cups at intervals as the water is being absorbed).

If cooking on stove top, use appropriate heavy-bottomed container so that water will not spill over and cook on low to medium heat. Cook until the dal is soft (approx. 20 - 30min).

2) When the rice and lentil mix is cooked, mix in 3 tbsps of butter.

3) In a small saucepan, add oil and heat on medium. When oil is heated, fry cashews until light golden, add red chilies and mix for 30 sec later add cumin & mustard seeds. When they splatter, add pepper powder and a pinch of salt, hing, grated ginger and curry leaves. Mix well and transfer the seasoning into the cooked pongal and mix well.

Quick Tip: To add an extra lil kick serve it with any type of Indian pickles such as Achar or chutneys.

Happy Sankranti To All!

2011-01-15T15:37:00.116-05:00

I love the holidays, don't you? I've had the opportunity to celebrate not only my native holidays but also American ones since I moved here. I realized that every holiday no matter the religion, there are key elements that make them one of the same: prayer, food, family and more Food. The first holiday we celebrate after New Year's is Pongal. It is a harvest festival which is celebrated all through India but called by different names in different regions of India: for instance in the South, it is known as Pongal (Tamil Nadu), and Sankranti (Andhra Pradesh). In the north it is known as Makar Sankranti (Bihar, Goa, Uttar Pradesh), Maghi (Haryana), and Uttarayan (Gujarat and Rajesthan).
I would love to go on and on but I still have to tell you all about the goodies prepared for this holiday. I know you are dying to know...as I am dying to tell you. Just as there are different names for this festival, the food prepared is also different in the regions. In the north, poha and jaggery are eaten together with milk or yogurt, sweets made with Sesame seeds, chikkis (peanuts and jaggery), and multi-colored halwa. In the South, specifically in Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu, Pongali (Telugu) or Pongal (Tamil) is made and also it is served as prasad at the temples. Other items that are made in other areas in the South are Ariselu (flat bread with jaggery) and Sakinalu (rice flour and cumin pretzels).
Wow, by the time I finished typing all those goodies' names, my mouth was watering. Since Sankranti fell on a working day this year, we prepared the popular dish the night before and ate in the morning after prayer. My mom even drew some rangoli before going off to work. She's a Wonder Woman, I tell ya! The Pongali dish was prepared in two versions: Meetha & Namkeen (sweet and savory).

I hope you've enjoyed learning more about our festivities and cuisine. Please feel free to share with us what you did on the holiday. Sharing is Caring!

New Year's Resolution - Veggie Delight!

2011-01-09T23:30:00.030-05:00

Each new year we start off with a new list of resolutions and one that usually tops the list is eating more healthy and staying fit. That means, less junk and more nutritious meals. We know more than ever how hard it is to keeping up with those resolutions through the course of the year. That is why, we are constantly coming up with more and more recipes to keep you on track without sacrificing the taste of your meals.

Furthermore, there are a lot of products that are designed to keep calories down with the help of diet drinks, bar and cereals. However, it's important to balance your diet plan with vegetables to make sure you are getting the necessary nutrients. One of those vegetables is Okra.

It is low in calories and has a good source of many nutrients including vitamin B6 and C, fiber, calcium, and folic acid (according to http://www.everynutrient.com/healthbenefitsofokra.html). We make curries with this vegetable quite often and recently discovered that adding crushed peanuts makes it even more tasty.

Ingredients for Nutty Okra:

- 1.5 lb of Fresh Okra (also known as bhindi/lady fingers)

- 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped

- ½ cup of Roasted peanuts, (coarsely ground)

- ½ tsp of Chili powder

- ½ tsp of Jeera (cumin seeds)

- 3 tbsp of Vegetable oil

- ½ tbsp of Salt (or as needed)

Procedure:

1) Wash and dry the okra very well between towel folds or allow it to dry in open air for 15-20min. Chop the ends of the okra and make it into quarters lengthwise.

2) Heat oil on medium heat in a non-stick pan (saucepan) and add jeera. When they sizzle, add okra and mix well. Close the pan with a lid and allow the okra to soften for 5-6 min (stir in between).

3) When okra is cooked (the color will change from bright green to dull green color), remove the lid and pan fry the okra for 5-6 min mixing frequently (add 1 tbsp oil if needed) until the oil comes out. Now add chili powder and salt and mix well for 1-2 min followed by the peanut powder.

4) Mix the contents and transfer into a serving dish. This can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish with hot rice or rotis.

Quick Tip: Salt is added after the vegetable is cooked to avoid gooeyness.

Indian Khana, Made Easy

Crispy Rice and Vegetable Patties

~Chocolate and Coffee Lovers Unite~

Giveaway - Fickle Flat Bread February

Rice and Moong Flat Bread

Simple Coconut Rasam

Here's To Another Sweet Jump!!

Udupi's Frozen Mendu Vadas

Daily Delight's Fresh Frozen Aviyal Mix

A Kite Festival...Up, Up & Away!

Goodbye 2011, Welcome 2012!!

The Wonders of India - Hyderabad

~A Big Fat South Indian Wedding~

The Wonders of India - Delhi

The Wonders of India - Agra

The Wonders of India - Jaipur & Ranthambore

There's No Place Like "Home"

Upma With A Twist!

Rich Ricotta Kalakand

Back To The Basics...

Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar

Poha Laddus - Sweet Balls of Joy

Celebrate For A Cause...

Stuffed Jalapeno Curry

~ Diwali Specialities ~

Seasoned Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Curry

Green Apple Salsa

Tis the Season to Go Picking!!

*~*Rangoli Contest*~* - CLOSED

Ended Summer With A BANG-AN!

Ginger & Coriander Relish

Pani Puri Time

How To Awaken The Senses In This Weather...

It's Karela, Not Kerala!

Sisterly Love!

Tandoor Chef Frozen Entrees

"Corny" Rainbow Salad

Tofu Lovers Rejoice

Tandoor Chef's Samosas

Begum Palace - Gem of the North

Here's To Sweet Success

"Carrots" - A Girl's Best Friend

Veggie Boats

Go Green Part 2

Rosy Spritzer

Hot Breads Bakery - More than Just Bread!!

Is It Summer...Already?

The Many Uses Of Coconuts

Hester Street Fair

Mother In Mind...

*~*Bhalle Bhalle Chole*~*

Hawa Hawaii Pooris

~Instant Custard Gratification~

Halwa In A Hurry

April Specials!

A Meaningful New Year

Chak De India!

My Peachy Atlanta Adventure - Part Two

*~~*Spring Into Holi*~~*

My Peachy Atlanta Adventure - Part One

For The Love of Cheese...

The "Other" Dosa Chutney

Our First Anniversary

A Lovely Valentine!

You Gotta Love Rotis (Indian Flat Breads)

Onion Drop Fritters

Crunchy Crackling Cashews

Picante Peanut Poppers

Super Snacks for Super Bowl

Bring Home the Tropics

Fan Creations

Sweet For My Sweetie - Chakkar Pongali

South Indian Treasure: Pongali

Happy Sankranti To All!

New Year's Resolution - Veggie Delight!

~Rangoli Contest~ - CLOSED

~Bhalle Bhalle Chole~

Spring Into Holi