Evolution of Kitchen Gadgets, Part 2 - Coconut Grater and Beyond!

Do you have a favorite kitchen gadget or "toy"? Please feel free to share with us. 

We are no strangers to using kitchen gadgets to ease the painstaking tasks such as grating, powdering, mixing and/or kneading. A couple of years ago, I blogged about one of my favorite gadgets called the Coconut grater in my post titled Evolution of Kitchen Gadgets. Gadgets such as this grater have really cut down prep time for cooking our favorite dishes and made time for other activities. I wonder how people used to perform these tasks before and how much longer it used to take. I certainly appreciate the innovative thinking and creativity behind all these kitchen tool or "toys" as some might see them as. Join me as I explore some "toys" that we have acquired and added to our collection over the years.

#1: Magic Bullet - versatile mini blender

We've used the Magic Bullet to make all our fresh chutneys and lentil podis (ground lentil mixture with spices) for several years now and it's still growing strong.

#2: The Cake Pop Maker, not just for sweets!

Cake Pops was all the craze a couple years ago. I didn't fall into the trend until I saw something similar while traveling in India during 2011 Christmas. It changed my mind about the product and decided to buy one at Target for $15. Check out my post on making Guntapongalalu or Veggie Pops; a popular dish in Telangana, South India.

#3: My Crimson KitchenAid Stand Mixer

My next and favorite gadget since the coconut grater is the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Some girls get clothes and/or jewelry for Christmas and I got the KitchenAid (can you tell I enjoy cooking and baking yet). It was my mom's way of telling me to pursue my passionate and expand my culinary horizon. Thanks, mom! I'll make you proud. As I started using the mixer more often, I realized that it was powerful enough for our Indian recipes as well. I prefer using the mixer when making Sarvapindi*, dough for pooris, parathas, and rotis, and kulfi because it really blends the ingredients well and the texture is smooth not lumpy. Did I mention that it significantly cuts prep time? I figured you already knew that. Until my next gadget update, keep it real FOODIES!!



***Quick Tip: Making the Sarvapindi dough is easy as 1 2 3 (check recipe for ingredients list):
1) Measure the ingredients, one by one and toss into the KitchenAid mixing bowl.
2) While all the ingredients are mixing, gradually pour water until the dough comes together without sticking to the edges. (Hint: not all the water will be used)
3) Finally add the oil. The texture of the dough should be smooth but and not sticky. If it is sticky, add a little bit of flour and run the mixer again.

If you have any questions about any of the gadgets mentioned in this post, feel free to contact us. We would be happy to help.

Macouns, Cortlands, Jonagolds, Golden Delicious, oh my!

Happy Autumn everyone! Wasn't today, such a perfect day for an outing? My friends and I drove through the scenic rolling hills of New Jersey to get to Pennings Orchard for some good ol' apple picking fun. The best part of the drive was the beautiful foliage. I'm thankful that I don't have to go very far to enjoy Nature's gift.

How many can you name?

 
Look at all those apples!! Between all my friends and I, we picked about 2.5 bushels bags worth of apples and we really worked for them too. We walked high and low and to the farthest tip to find the best. Along the way, we ate some too. By the end of the day, I thought I would be all apple'd out but when I got home, I ate more.


***Quick Tips:
- 1/2 bushel per car is required and that cost is $25 USD.
- The orchard is open from 9AM-5PM daily so if you're planning to go on a weekend, go early because it gets crowded real fast.
- Also wear comfortable shoes and clothing for an enjoyable day.

 

Mango Rice Pudding, Finger Lickin' Good!

Ripe ones, green ones, fat ones, and juicy yellow ones. I'm talking about mangoes, of course. Summer isn't the same without mangoes. In India, everyone looks forward to the season because of the mangoes. I still remember the days when my sister and I used to sit on the back porch of my grandparents' house eating juicy yellow mangoes. By the time we were finished, our mouths were covered in juice and my mom would chase us around the house trying to clean us up. Sigh! Those were the days. Now we enjoy mangoes from Ecuador, Mexico, Florida, and if we are lucky, India.  There's just no comparison to the variety of mangoes grown in India.
Furthermore, there's more than one way to enjoy a juicy mango...such as mango rice pudding. Ever since my sister ate this mango rice pudding at a Thai restaurant, she's been dying to re-create it at home. Of course, during her last visit, we did just that. It's not that hard to make and it's so yummy! I mean finger lickin' yummy!

Ingredients' List:

- 1 cup cooked Basmati rice

- 2 cardamom pods, seeded and powdered 

- 4 to 5 oz Evaporated milk (we use Carnation brand)

- ½ cup milk 

- ¼ cup of sugar

- 1/3 cup of Mango pulp (or 1 ripe mango (non-fibrous), peeled, chopped and pureed)

- 1 Mango (ripe and firm), peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

Procedure:

Transfer the cooked rice into a blender, add milk and pulse a few times until the rice is somewhat granular. Pour the rice mixture into a non-stick saucepan and add quarter cup of water, cardamom powder, and evaporated milk. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently for 5 to 7 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Now add sugar and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes and turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then pour the mango pulp and mix well. Transfer the mixture into a suitable container and chill in the refrigerator. Serve the rice pudding topped with the mango pieces. 

Here's to another great season of mangoes in the States!!

****Quick Tips:
- Add a pinch of sugar to the cardamom seeds to make grinding easier. 
- Also check out our other pudding/kheer recipes: Vermicelli and Tapioca Kheer & Rice pudding with Coconut.

Music to my ears...

My friend Ronit Banerjee is on the far right!

I've always been a fan of the ARTS (dance, film, music and theater) and this past Saturday, it was another amazing night. I attended my friend, Ronit Banerjee's last performance at Fat Baby Bar in New York City. He's a talented young musician and I wanted to show my support by going to see his performance. Ronit and his band mates rocked the house with their fusion rock music (including instruments such as the tabla). Looking forward to more gigs next summer.

Click here to listen to clips of Ronit Banerjee's music.

Costco Naan To the Rescue!

My workouts are a lot more fun now that I have a gym buddy; my friend Kathy. We kicked ass in tonight's Zumba class. I was so energized after the class that I couldn't let the good vibe go to waste. When I got home, I made dinner for my family.

Tonight's Special - A Different Kind of Naan Pizza

Browsing through the fridge, I found a container with leftover Eggplant Bharta and a light bulb switched on. Why not use it! Vegetable curries are great to use as toppings on pizzas. I topped the naan with eggplant bharta, pasta sauce, shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese, and fresh basil. Monterrey Jack cheese is excellent when you want to add a bit of spicy flavor to the pizzas. I also combined pasta sauce with the bharta to make it easier to spread on the naans and for flavor enhancement. After topping my naans, I popped them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees (or until the cheese is all melty) and Voila! 

I got two thumbs up from my grandma and that made my night. My mom was happy too; she caught up with her favorite TV shows while enjoying the pizza. 

A Garage Sale with Lots of Family and Big Bowl of Creamy Pasta

Wow, what a mouth full and that's just the title...

This weekend turned out to be too eventful if such a thing even exists. What I really meant was that there was never a dull moment with a packed house from Friday through Sunday.

On Friday, our relatives from Tenn. stopped over for a visit and we all enjoyed some good ol' home cooking courtesy of my mom. The special of the night was Masala Dosa (savory rice crepe) served with Seasoned Potato Curry and our favorite Peanut Chutney. Everyone knows masala dosa is always accompanied with potato curry and some chutneys like coconut chutney for instance. However, we NEVER eat dosa without Peanut Chutney. It wouldn't be right. It's like walking outside with just your unmentionables on. You would feel weird.

So next time you're eating dosas, DON'T FORGET TO DIP your dosas into the dollop of Peanut Chutney on your plate for a flavor burst. You'll thank me later. 

Saturday-Sunday morning and afternoon were spent attending to Garage Sale customers. Yes, I convinced my parents to have one and we made some dough. The stuff that didn't sell was donated to Habitat for Humanity. Saturday early evening and night was a riot. More relatives stopped by (from Atlanta this time) and while the adults sad around talking, the kids (including myself) played to our hearts content with PaperToy Monsters.

Check out Gene Chemzyme AKA The Creature from the Deep

I found the book at a boutique toy shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn and fell in love with it. It has 50 cool papertoys you can make yourself (like the one above) with pre-scored, easy-to-fold designer templates. Then at night, my baby cousin (who will be attending college this fall) made this gourmet pasta dish from a blog that he follows called Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato and Broccoli pasta. Like Emeril, we kicked it up a notch and added more than required red pepper flakes. It was a house full of desis, you shouldn't expect anything less!

Tonight's dinner was a combination of cool, hot, spicy and sweet dishes. We started off with Chili Poppers, Eggplant and Potato Fritters as appetizers, then ate Seasoned Pumpkin Curry, yogurt rice, and finished with sweet Kent Mangoes for dessert.

Overall I think I maintained a healthy figure through the whole weekend and that I can't wait for my Kickboxing class in a few days...Goodnight everyone!!

Hot Breads Bakery - My Favorite Indian Street Food Cafe

What do corn on the cob with queso fresco, fried yams, kenkey, injera, cassava bread, dhal puri, badam vaja, soto ayam, jalebi, empanadas, sabikh, and crepes have in common? Any guesses? They are all varieties of street food found across our borders. Street food is a ready to eat food or drink that is sold on the side of streets in stalls, portable carts, or folding tables, travelling pedestrian vendors, public markets.
My stomach cannot handle street food from a street vendor in India anymore (as I've tried and tested on my previous trips). Man I miss those gol gappas or pani puri served in dried banana leaves. It was all about the experience, you see. Lucky for me there are a few bakeries/cafes that sell such street food near my town. I can enjoy these in the comforts of air conditioned and spacious seating accommodations. The one I really like and go often is Hot Breads Bakery. I reviewed them about two years ago and cited how much I loved their cakes and cookies.
This year, it's all about their take on street food such as samosa chaat, kati rolls, and bhel puri. Oh man just typing these is making my stomach grumble.

Feast your eyes on this mighty filling and mouth watering Samosa Chaat. By far the best I've eaten in the NY/NJ area. It beat out Sukhadia's version in Edison. The breakdown of this meal starts with a warm and toasty samosa that is fried to perfection without being too oily and/or crispy. It is also important to note that the potato curry filling had just the right amount of seasoning without overpowering it. Once this crispy samosa is cut it into pieces, it's layered with other equally flavorful ingredients such as chole curry, tamarind and mint chutneys, sev, chopped red onions and fresh coriander. 

Check out these Super Sized Kati Rolls!

Their Paneer Kati Rolls are good as well! My parents are pretty picky and even they loved them; probably because they were well seasoned. I ate this for lunch and dinner one day because each  half was pretty filling. The Indian flatbread or tortilla is filled with roasted paneer, bell peppers, onions, tomato, and seasoning. It's flavored to perfection. You can ask them to make it mild, medium or spicy depending on your spice level as well as request more tamarind chutney (sweet) to tone down the spicy taste. 

The takeaway from all this talk about Hot Breads is that it doesn't break the bank..hence the term street food. Every "street food" item on the menu is between $5-7 and it's quite filling. That's enough for me to return. Next time, I'm going to try this popular Bombay item called Vada Pav. Have you ever heard of it?

Also check out Wanderfood Wednesdays; where Laura takes you on a journey around the world one dish at a time. Until then, tata!