Rice Crispy Snack Mix

Happy New Year everyone! I can't believe it's 2019 already. It's been over a year since I got married and settled down in my "new life". 

2019 - Is a new year of opportunities, possibilities, and of course recipes. We're starting the year off with a fun snack that is not only for children anymore. In fact, adults may jump up for joy for this snack as it's crunchy and has a bit of kick to every bite. 

We had so much fun making Indian snacks with corn flakes (corn flakes mixture), that we wanted to make more snacks with other cereals like such as Rice Krispies cereal.  You can use Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal or a generic brand. 

This snack mix is simple and easy to make. We took an ordinary cereal and kicked it up a notch with some spices. 

Ingredients

- 8 oz Rice Crispy Cereal or Rice Krispies cereal

- 1 cup peanuts

- 2/3 cup roasted chana dal

- 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

- 15 to 20 curry leaves (optional)

- 1 tsp citric acid

- 1 tsp chili powder (adjust per your taste)

- 1 tsp Dhan-jeera powder (ground coriander and cumin)

- 1 Tbsp salt

- 1 Tbsp Chat Masala

- 4 to 5 Tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure

1) Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Fry the peanuts and then add chili powder, dhanjeera powder and fry the mixture for 15 seconds. Next, add curry leaves and fry until they are crisp. Then, add citric acid and salt and mix well for another few seconds. 

2) Transfer the rice crispies into a large microwaveable bowl, and then, add roasted chana dal, pumpkin seeds and all the fried ingredients. Mix well and microwave for 4 to 5 minutes based on the microwave oven power in 2 minute intervals mixing intermittently. Adjust salt and chili powder if needed and microwave for another minute. Sprinkle the chat masala and mix well. 

3) Allow the mixture to cool down for 10 minutes.The mixture is ready to serve. Enjoy on its own or with your favorite beverage. 

The Fruits of Our Labor

We explored the "Land of Smiles" through sights, sounds and smells. The aroma of fresh fruit filled the air and we couldn't help ourselves...so we tried some. Click play to see the slide show.

We searched online to see what was in season and used this blog post, 19 Thai Fruits You Must Try and used it as a guide. We tried langsat or longkong, sapodilla (known as sapota in India), pomelo, Roselle, mini pineapple (native to Chiang Mai), Indian gooseberry, passion fruit, rambutan, jackfruit, pineapple, guava, small bananas, fresh coconut water, sugar apple, as well as freshly squeezed fruit juices.

The only place I found an Indian gooseberry tree was on Koh Samui island. The tree was planted right next to a rest stop  where we stopped at to get a drink. The rest stop owner was amused by our excitement over the gooseberries, that he plucked a whole bunch for us. I was all SMILES!

My husband and I have an ongoing feud about which fruit is better: jackfruit or durian. He thinks the aroma of jackfruit is stronger; and I beg to differ. I think Durian is a very stinky fruit and can't get past the smell to even try it. What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.  

The best part of trying all the fruits for me was when I ate sapota (shown above). Sapota looks like a kiwi fruit on the outside but inside the flesh is caramel brown. When it is ripe, the flavor is sweet like caramel but not too sweet. I bought a half kilo of this fruit and ate them with joy.

My husband, Michael, felt the same way about Pomelo. He bought it every chance he got. It was in season and it was really good. Pomelo looks like a giant grapefruit but the morsels inside are sweet. It was refreshing. We found the best fruit in the supermarkets. They were reasonably priced and some were already peeled and cut.

We really did enjoy the FRUITS of our labor. The labor of walking around all the cities and looking at all the sights until our feet were sore. We're not complaining though. I would do it again if it meant I can eat more sapota or custard apple.

Stay tuned for more sights, sounds, and smells of Thailand coming up soon. 

Familiar Walks of life in Thailand

My husband and I left the confines of the city to spend two weeks in the "Land of Smiles" for our honeymoon and it only took us 20 hours to get there. We prepared for our little adventure watching YouTube videos, taking advice from friends and relatives, and reading books about the tropical paradise.

Our journey started in Bangkok. After a goodnight's rest, we were ready to hit the town. We filled up on tropical fruit and omelettes for breakfast and started exploring the neighborhood by our hotel (Ibis Styles Bangkok Khaosan Viengtai). It was right in the middle of all the action...DAY and NIGHT!

Walking through the streets of Bangkok felt like Deja vu. The streets, sounds, and smells were all too familiar. I guess because we both have walked through hustling and bustling streets in our own home countries to know this was no different. It was nice. We were about to cross Khaosan Rd when we heard music and these beautiful ladies in gold colored saris and jewelry dancing in the street.

They were followed by group of musicians

... and then a float which was adorned with lots of colorful flowers and at the top of the float was a Buddha statue.

It reminded me of an Ūrēgimpu or parade that I've seen in Andhra Pradesh. Except this was more for religious purposes. The people on the float were handing out trinkets as blessings to followers and local business people.

The only other time I've witnessed this kind of parade outside of India was during Lunar New Year in Chinatown, NYC. The local martial arts school students dress up in lion or dragon costumes and perform dances around the town. They go from business to business collect money and give blessings. It was fun to watch.
We may be from different countries but we all have similar beliefs and traditions. Even though my home is far away...I felt right at home here. Stay tuned for more from our trip...

Mushroom and Bell Pepper Schezwan Stir Fry

Inspiration can come to you at any given time...when you're dining at your favorite restaurant and you get a whiff of the dish that's passing by. 

When you are roasting a blend of spices and the aroma of these spices hits your nose just right and you think of your next dish.

It can also happen when you open your fridge and see the ingredients laid out in front you. I'm pretty sure the last one is what inspired my mom to make I will be talking about today. 

My mom likes Indo- Chinese cuisine; some dishes that she likes are Cauliflower Manchurian, Chili Paneer, and Szechuan noodles with vegetable stir fry. There are restaurants in my hometown that specialize in this cuisine but we can't go there all the time. Whenever we like a dish, we try to re-create it at home.

She likes the idea of vegetable tempura where the vegetables are lightly battered and fried. You can still taste the vegetable inside and it's crispy. She also likes the various sauces in Chinese cuisine that are spicy and salty. However, these sauces aren't always made with vegetarian ingredients. That's when she discovered Ching's Secret products. Ching's Secret is an Indian brand of Indian Chinese cuisine with a product portfolio which includes instant noodles, instant soups, Desi Chinese masala, sauces and Schezwan chutney.

With vegetables: white button mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions...and the Ching's Secret Schezwan sauce in hand, she sprang into action to create something yummy.

Ingredients
- 8 oz white button mushrooms (large size), sliced
- 2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1" cubes
- 2-1/2 to 3 Tbsp Ching's Schezwan sauce
- Approximately 1/2 cup of vegetable oil*, for frying 
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour* (add a pinch of salt to the all-purpose flour and mix it with some water to make a sauce like consistency for the batter)


Procedure

1) Toss the sliced mushroomed into the flour mixture or batter.

Heat oil in a saucepan on high to low medium flame and add the flour coated mushrooms into the oil, ensuring they lay flat in small batches.

2) Fry them for 5 minutes turning them over intermittently. When the mushrooms turn slightly brown, remove them from the oil and set aside. *Helpful hint: Let the mushrooms cool in a bowl covered with paper towel so it can absorb the excess oil.

Then, add handful of bell pepper pieces in the remaining batter and fry them too. Transfer the fried pieces into the bowl as well. 

Next, add the remaining bell pepper and onion into the oil and fry them lightly on medium to high heat. When they start to brown lightly, remove them and add them to the bowl with the other fried vegetables. 

3) Transfer the remaining oil and bring back the pan to the stove with medium heat and add all the vegetables, the Szechuan sauce and two pinches of salt. Mix well and stir fry with sauce for 3 to 4 minutes.

. 

4) Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with chopped scallions. This dish can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish with brown rice. 

We love re-creating dishes we tried when we go out for dinner. We can add our own little touch to them. We are so fortunate to have brands like Ching's Secret that make it easy for us to experiment with new cuisine.


*Quick Tips: 

• A low calorie and gluten free version of this recipe can be done by skipping the tempura frying with all-purpose flour. Quickly stir fry the veggies in 3 tablespoons of oil on high heat with a pinch of salt and toss them further with the Schezwan sauce.
• Not all of the oil is consumed in the final recipe

It Started with a Celebration!

Top, left to right: Date and Almond Laddu, Egg curry
Center, left to right: Cauliflower curry, Saag Paneer with Garlic Naan
Bottom, left to right: Mango Mousse, Pulihora (Tamarind rice) and Poornalu (Sweet Lentil Tempura)

I love Indian festivals!! They are a reminder for us to be thankful for what we have and be hopeful for what we can achieve in the future. Last Friday, we celebrated with good food, friends and family. 

Here's to many more occasions to celebrate with our loved ones!! 

Dosa Heaven in Brooklyn

I can't believe there's only one dosa restaurant in all of Brooklyn! One?? That's so disappointing. What's worse is that, there's at least half a dozen North Indian restaurants in this area. 

I rather eat hot and crispy dosas over Chicken Tikka Masala any day. 

The "dosa heaven" I'm referring to is about the dosas I made at home. My husband and I decided to stay at home and clean this Labor day weekend. I made dosas as a reward. I made them using the homemade dough my mom gave me when I lasted visited their place. MOMS think of everything!!  

What better way to enjoy dosas than with dosa chutney and potato curry. Dosas would be naked without them.

I never understood why restaurants always served dosas with coconut chutney but not peanut chutney. They don't even have peanut chutney as an option. Is it because of allergies? 

Peanut chutney is only made at home. Why isn't it served outside of the home? It's not like it's difficult to make. The chutney consists of peanuts, tamarind, dried red chilies, salt, brown sugar and oil. In my opinion, coconut chutney is only good with idlis not dosas. 

What do you think about the potato curry served with dosas at the restaurants? I never liked it; it's tasteless and lumpy. My mom makes the potato curry with mixed vegetables so you're not just eating POTATO. Besides potatoes, she also adds cauliflower, French cut beans, carrots and peas in her recipe. It's a healthier version. 

I didn't have all the vegetables from her recipe, so I improvised and used: baby bella mushrooms, soy beans and cashews in with the potatoes. It turned out well and my husband liked it so it's a win in my book.

I hope to see more dosa places pop up in my area. The Brooklynites are missing out on our cuisine and culture. 

What is your "dosa heaven"? Which do you prefer: peanut chutney or coconut chutney with dosas? We would love to hear from you.