Garam Garam Aloo Paratha!!

Today is Mothers' Day!! Let's take a moment and praise our mothers for their patience, love, support and wonderful culinary talents. I had this whole plan of making her all these different dishes but my plans got messed up when we lost power on Saturday due to the weather and I just decided to stick to simple stuff. I took over her cooking duties for the Sunday and started the day by giving her lots of hugs and love.
I saw potatoes soaking in the pot and I quickly knew what she wanted to eat for lunch: Aloo Paratha (potato stuffed Indian flat-bread). If you want more information about this type of bread, search on Wikipedia. This type of flat-bread can be made with different ingredients but potato is most filling and easiest. This flat-bread can be purchased at any grocery store but you know, it always tastes better when it's made at home with love.

To make the dough and the stuffing you need the following ingredients:
- 5 medium Potatoes
- 3 cups of Atta (durum wheat flour), for making the dough
- 1 cup of Atta, for rolling parathas
- Salt, for taste
- Half of medium Onion, chopped finely (optional)
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tbsp of Coriander (Cilantro), optional
- 1 tsp of Whole Cumin seeds, optional
- Vegetable Oil, for frying parathas

Procedure:
1) Wash well and microwave potatoes for 8 minutes (or until soft). Remove them from microwave immediately and immerse in cold water for 5- 10 minutes. Remove from water and peel the potatoes. Next, crumble them, add salt, chili powder and mix well and set aside. Finely cut fresh coriander and cumin seeds can be added if available.

2) Take the wheat flour in a shallow container (mixing bowl), add salt to taste and mix well. Knead the flour into a smooth dough by using ½ - ¾ cup of water. Add a teaspoon of oil and cover dough for at least 15 minutes. Watch video for further assistance:http://www.youtube.com/watchv=h2fMTSlsdg4&feature=player_embedded

3) Clean the kitchen counter and take the dough of the size of lemon flatten it and dab it with flour on both sides and roll it evenly into a circular size of approx. 6-inches diameter. Spread 2 heaped tbsp of the potato mixture onto half-area of the circle.

Fold over the remaining half onto the potato mixture and seal the ends, representing a ‘D’. Fold it once more to make a quarter and set aside. Prepare similar quarters with rest of the potato mixture.

4) Heat a Non-stick griddle or tawa on medium heat. Roll-out each quarter into parathas evenly to a size of 6-8 inches long triangle and place it on the griddle.

5) Flip to other side after 30 seconds, and spray oil around and on the paratha. Spread the oil evenly with a wooden spatula and flip the other side. Brown the paratha on both sides.


6) Serve the parathas hot with mixed vegetable achar (available in Indian grocery stores), and/or raita.

Spinach Nuggets...Beyond Appetizers!!

Remember Tater Tots from your high school lunches? What about spinach nuggets from fast food restaurants with some spicy dipping sauce. Did you ever think you could make an Indian curry out of them? Here's what my mom had to say. The following is our conversation between mother (M) and I, the daughter (D):

M: Traditionally, Koftas (dumplings) are made using the following method: you first grate vegetables like potatoes, long squash, plantains or even Paneer (Indian Cheese). Then mix the grated vegetable with bread crumbs or gram flour, and then make them into balls. Next you fry these balls and add them to the gravy which you also have to make.

D: What?? All this sounds like a long process. Isn't there a way to shorten this recipe and still eat healthy.

M: I'm glad you asked because there's a way out. You can use tater tots or spinach nuggets as the dry koftas. No more grating or mixing and making balls. All you have to make is the gravy, which is not that difficult.

D: Okay, how do you make it? Oh, maybe we can make this for our guests tonight.

M: That's a good idea. It makes 3-4 servings, so we will have enough.

Here's what you will need:

Ingredients for koftas:

• 1 Packet Veggie Patch Spinach Nuggets - (12 pieces total)

Ingredients for the gravy:

• 2 tbsp Cooking oil
• 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
• ½ tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tbsp Garam Masala
• ½ cup Red Pack Crushed Tomato puree
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Cream cheese
• 1 tbsp Regular Sour Cream
• 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

***It's a good thing we have our Chaunk box (spice box) for some of the ingredients. It makes it easier to store them for cooking.

Procedure:

1) Bake the koftas in a toaster oven at 350°C for 20 minutes, alternately they can be toasted mildly on both sides in a non-stick pan.

2) Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté crushed onions until light golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1-2 min. Then add turmeric, chili and garam masala powder and mix well.

3) Stir in crushed tomato / puree and mix well, add cream cheese & sour cream and mix it into the tomato mixture.

4) Next, add water to make the gravy to a soup like consistency and salt & boil the sauce. Evaporated milk (small can) can be used instead of cream cheese and sour cream to make the gravy.

5) Drop the nuggets into the sauce and continue to heat the curry to boil and remove and transfer into a serving dish.

6) Garnish with fresh coriander and serve the vegetable with rice or any type of bread.

***Quick Tip:
- To avoid koftas /nuggets from breaking, arrange them in the serving dish and pour hot gravy over them. Microwave for 3-5 minutes if needed.

- Fat-free or non-fat ingredients could be used to make a low-calorie dish.

- Mushroom and broccoli nuggets, Tater tots, or Ashoka's Hara Bhara Kebabs can also be substituted for spinach nuggets.

Everything Stew with an Indian Touch!

You've heard of the Everything Bagel, right?

It has different kinds of seeds, onions, salt and other ingredients on it. Well, we have something in the same line but it's a stew. It's called the Everything Stew! It's like a Minestrone Soup. 

It has all the vegetables that were in our vegetable drawer plus beans, grains, different kinds of spices and sauces.

I always believe that the best recipes are the ones that you make up on a whim. Everything Stew is just that. My mom started making the stew this way when we were running out of ideas for lunch and needed to make something healthy and hearty. At first, I was not excited about it, I was like, stew? Come on mom.

But you know what, as usual I was wrong. I think my mom knows I'll change my mind once I taste it (I'm the Official Taste Tester in the family). Kind of like how back in the Kings and Queens era, they had peons and servants taste their food before they ate it. It was to ensure that the food was not poisoned or spoiled. In my case, I tell her whether the food requires more or less of a certain ingredient.

I know, it might seem like I'm being biased to my mom's cooking. Everyone would say their mom's cooking is the best. You just have to try it. I would recommend making this when you want to spice up cooking regime. I like to eat it with potato chips, toasted bread or pita chips.

This recipe makes 6-8 servings and you know what....in just 4 steps you have The Everything Stew!!

Click image to enlarge

Ingredients:
- 1 cup or 1 packet of Brown rice/ Uncle Ben’s rice (cooked)
- 1 bunch of Celery, finely chopped
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 1 can (14.75oz/418g) of Sweet Corn, regular or cream style
- 1 medium size can of Beans (any variety), wash and drain well
- 1½ cup of Crushed Tomato
- 2 tsp of Ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp of Red chili pd / paste
- 2 Red/green/yellow peppers, cut into ½” pieces
- 1 tbsp of Smoked barbeque sauce (optional)
- 2 tbsp of Olive oil or any cooking oil
- 1 tsp of Marjoram (Italian spice)
- ½ tbsp of Salt

Procedure:
1) In a heavy bottomed pan (casserole), preferably of 4 Qtz size heat oil and sauté onions and ginger garlic paste. (Indian Touch)

2) Add celery and peppers until celery is soft and firm. When celery is cooked, add chili paste and tomato pulp for 1-2min.

3) Then add corn, beans, cooked rice, marjoram and salt & cook well (add water to bring the stew to a thick soup consistency).

4) Serve it in a bowl along with veggie sticks or garlic bread or toast. It makes a very satisfying healthy lunch. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-week.

Quick Tips: 
- Barley/ Cracked wheat (dalia) or regular rice can be substituted for brown rice. Any variety of vegetables like carrots, zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower, beans or spinach can be used.

- If available, frozen mixed vegetable packets are convenient and save time in chopping and cooking.

Spice It Up Baby!!

According to Wikipedia, there's a difference between "to season" and "to flavor" with herbs and spices. For instance, to tenderize meat, one may add salt which improves the flavor. Other seasonings like black pepper and basil may transfer some of their flavor to the food.

In addition to how seasonings are used as described above, the timing of when spices are added to the dish is also important. In Indian cooking, there is a technique you could say is used to enhance the flavor of the food. Besides Chaunk, other words for seasoning are Talimpu, Tadka, or Popu which can be all translated to say tempering in English. This technique is often used in dishes from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Whole spices are fried briefly in oil or butter to release essential oils which enhance the flavor of the dish. Then this mixture with the oil is combined with the dish you have prepared.

It is the last thing we do before the dish is done. One time, my mom was making mango daal and she put it aside to make some other dish. I was so excited about the daal, that I just spooned it up with some rice and ate it. Immediately, I realized something was missing. Can you guess?? The chaunk wasn't added to the dish and it tasted weird to me. Anyways, she took her little saucepan out and heated up the oil, added all the spices and mixed it into the daal and Voila! I ate it twice that night.

Here is the little secret I have been dying to share with you so far. Most Indians keep something called a Spice Box (Chaunk or Taalimpu box) in their spices cabinet for easy access. This box contains the following ingredients from counter clockwise: cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dried red peppers, red chili powder, coriander & cumin powder, garam masala, and turmeric.

It is easy to prepare this box; just use a container (with a tight lid) that can hold smaller containers to hold all these spices which can be placed in a kitchen cupboard. You would be surprised to know that this box isn't just used in everyday cooking. Professional chefs use this too to enhance their cuisines. Don't take my word for it, just take a look at the Iron Chef episode with Executive Chef Maneet Chauhan (from At Vermilion restaurant) vs Chef Morimoto: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDMsVs8PjjI. Speed up the video to :40 seconds to see the camera focusing on the Spice Box. In our box, we included the spices we use most and we have salt in a separate container because we use that in everyday cooking. If you would like to learn how to make seasoning for your dishes, please follow this link or take a look on our Cooking 101 page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x96rO6JWUQ&feature=player_embedded

Well, my friends until next time...keep on Cookin'!!! 

Not Your Everyday TOFU!!

I made some mango milkshake to eat with my tandoori tofu. It is a good blend of sweet and spice.

I have tasted my share of different kinds of Indian curries before and let me tell you this...most of the ones you eat at North Indian restaurants like Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Makhani...tend to taste the same to me. They both have similar tomato based gravies that were cooked with the chicken. Been there, done that. Now for someone who is vegetarian, these curries wouldn't even be appealing. So what would they eat? Vegetarians I have chatted with have told me about Tofurkey and Tofu burgers which have the firmness of meat but are made from Tofu and seasoning.
You know, that stuff still sounds Bland to me. I need flavor and spices. I'm not saying, I'm a full fledged Hot curry eater, but I like taste in every bite. My parents are vegetarian and they are always looking for ways to "spice" up their cooking with Indian and American ingredients. My mom decided to make Tandoori Tofu curry to eat with naan (Indian bread). I've had Tandoori chicken at restaurants where the chicken was marinated with the Tandoori spices and grilled, then served with onions and chilies...if you dared to eat them RAW!! We took the concept of mixing the Tandoori spices and marinating them with Tofu. The tofu sucked up all the juices from the Tandoori mixture and when eaten with naan, it was like I was swimming in a pool of flavor. The best part is that it fills you up and it's good for you.

I couldn't wait to share it with everyone I knew...Hey, don't take my word for it, make it at home and let me know how it came out.


Tandoori Tofu Curry:
- 12oz (340g) of **Tofu (steak style, seasoned) 
- 2 tbsp Tandoori Paste
- ½ cup Tomato puree
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
- 1 tsp of Ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp Oil, for cooking
- 1 tbsp of Fat- Free Sour Cream, optional
- 2 tsp Salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp of Red chili powder
- 1 tbsp of Coriander (Cilantro), chopped and used for garnish

Procedure:
1. Remove tofu from its packing and drain the water well. Cut the tofu block into 1-1.5” cubes.

2. In a mixing bowl add yogurt, tandoori paste and mix well. Add the tofu pieces into the bowl and using a flat silicone spatula cover the mixture onto tofu. Marinate for 30min to 1hr.

3. Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium flame. Add onions and sauté until they are golden brown, then add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and mix well for 1min.

4. Add tomato puree and mix the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the tofu along with the yogurt into the pan, add salt and cook for 7-10min until the gravy thickens.

5. If you want to add more color, you can add frozen carrots and peas mix to the curry while its on the stove. Just before removing from heat, add some sour cream and mix well. Do not over mix the curry as the tofu pieces may break.

6. Transfer the curry into a serving dish and garnish with coriander.

7. Serve the curry with naan, rotis or rice for a delicious, nutritious and scrumptious meal. Side additions of raw onions and green chilies will go well with roti or naan (typical north Indian style).

Quick Tips
- Please Note: Tofu Steak can be found in the cut fruit and veggie section of Shoprite. In case the tofu steak variant is unavailable, use the extra-firm type to avoid breakage of pieces

Cuckoo for Coconuts!!

I can't stand this sudden heat wave that has hit the Tri-State area. For the past week, it's been in the 80's and it's only first week of April. It's like Mother Nature got Hot Flashes and it's spewing them onto us. Whenever I feel like the heat is getting to me, nothing makes me feel better like a cool refreshing drink. During my lunch break I drove to Penang restaurant, which is about 10 miles and bought a couple of Fresh Coconuts. The cool sweet taste of the coconut water just makes it all worthwhile to drive so far.

Ahh! That's much better. I got camera shy, sorry for not smiling.

The best part after drinking all the juice is the tender white coconut flesh!! I scooped it all out and enjoyed it ever so slowly.

Now you don't have to get these fresh coconuts from only Malaysian restaurants, you can climb up the nearest coconut tree and cut yourself one too. Just kidding!! They are available in Indian stores or any grocery stores. I like it from this particular restaurant because the coconut is ready for you to drink and eat from it. That's what I call service.

Happy Drinking!!

Boring Soup No More - South Indian Kadhi

Ever since we went to Vatan for dinner last month, I have been craving Buttermilk and Spinach Soup or Kadhi (The Lazy Man's Buffet). This 'soup' is famous all over India and can be made in different ways. I love the way my mom makes it because it can be eaten by itself or with plain rice and papad, plus it is healthy. I'm always trying to eat better but without subtracting the Taste. If you are like me, you don't have to worry about it with this recipe. It has plenty of taste.

My dad and I are going to make this dish tonight. It will be ready by the time my mom arrives from the airport. I have the recipe that she left me in case I wanted to make it. If you want to try this at home, please keep in mind this recipe makes 6 servings (1 cup/serving).


Ingredients for Buttermilk and Spinach Soup (South Indian Kadhi):

Buttermilk - 1 quart / 32 fl oz / 945 ml
Frozen chopped Spinach - 2 cups
*Gram flour (Besan) - 1/4 cup (see quick tips)
Potatoes - 2 medium
fresh Ginger - 1 tbsp, grated
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Seasoning (Taalimpu):

Vegetable Oil - 2 tbsp
Whole Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds (Rye) - 1 tsp

Asafoetida (Hing) - a pinch 
Garlic cloves - 6 finely chopped
Curry leaves - 8-10 leaves
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or as per taste)


Procedure:

1) In a 3 Qt multi-pot or casserole, mix gram flour and half cup of water until it becomes to a smooth liquid without any lumps

2) Add buttermilk and mix well.

3) Microwave the potatoes for 5-6 minutes until cooked and soak them in water to stop cooking. Remove the peel, cut into 1-inch cubes, and set aside.

4) To the mixture add spinach, potato cubes, ginger, turmeric powder, and chili powder and then mix again.

5) Bring the soup to a boil on Medium-Low Heat and continue mixing intermittently. Next reduce to low/medium heat and then boil it for another 4-5 minutes.

6) Remove from stove, add salt, and again mix well. Please put aside for now.

7) To make the seasoning, add oil in a small sauce pan, and heat it on medium. When heat is felt to the palm held over the pan, add mustard and cumin seeds, and then allow them to splutter. Immediately, add garlic and fry for 2 minutes or until golden. Remove from stove and add Hing powder and curry leaves.

Mix it well and pour it over the soup.

8) Serve 1 cup hot soup over 1/2 cup cooked plain rice and enjoy it with crunchy papad or even potato chips. For added taste, add a teaspoon of ghee (melted butter) to the serving. Papad can be toasted in the microwave for 30-40 seconds depending on size.

***Quick Tips
- Please note this soup can be made with either spinach or potato or both of them. Use 2-1/2 cups of spinach or 4 to 5 medium potatoes for 6 servings when used individually.
- You can use whole milk yogurt instead of buttermilk as well. 
- If you want to eat the South Indian Kadhi like soup use 1/3 cup besan; otherwise use 1/4 cup if you want to eat with rice. 

The Lazy Man's Buffet

Everyone knows what to expect when you go for a Lunch or Dinner Buffet at any restaurant. Whether you go with your friends or family, it's always the same procedure and same setting in a restaurant. What I mean is that once you enter a restaurant, you are taken to your seats and then your drink order is taken. Then just like in school, you form a line in front of the buffet tables. One by one, you take a plate, utensils and the different food you want to eat. That's how it's been like in all the places I've gone to...except at one place.
Last week on March 13th my family and I decided to go for dinner before we went to the Zakir Hussain: Masters of Percussion concert in New York City. My mom has been telling me about this place called Vatan in the city for days. We just never had the opportunity to go. I thought, what's all the hungama about? Why have my mom's colleagues raving about it? I gave in and we decided, we'll go.

The word Vatan means Homeland or Motherland. So I'm guessing when you pick it for a restaurant name, you are saying food from the Motherland. In this case, the food offered is from Gujarat, which is N.W India. As we entered the restaurant, there was a place to keep your umbrellas and what not. The waiters and waitresses greeted us wearing gagra cholis and shalwar Kameez (Indian clothes). The ambiance of the restaurant was something different. I didn't feel like I was in a sit down place. I felt like I was back in India, visiting local dhabas or village eateries. There were 6 or so places where we could have been seated. Each had it's own identity and decor. You see in the pictures and links (http://www.vatanny.com/).

We decided to sit by this big Banyan tree with monkeys on its branches (don't worry, the monkeys are fake). And we had the option of letting our feet dangle under the table or sitting in meditation position. We were given menus just to show us the items included in the buffet (this place currently serves only Dinner Buffet). I was eagerly waiting for our waitress to show us the buffet table but there was no table. She began speaking "Please take a moment to take a look at our buffet menu. Once you are finished, I will come back to take them and bring you the appetizers." Now this is what I call style eating. I can eat as much as I want without ever leaving the table and all for $25 per person. Ok, you are thinking, that's pricey but I'm telling you, it's not in the grand scheme of things.

Each plate had the following appetizers: Chana Masala (seasoned chickpeas), Muthia, Khaman, Mirchi Bhajia, Sev Puri, Samosas, Batata Vada, and Ragda Patis. We all agreed, appetizers themselves could have been a meal. Next up, main course...

Main course includes: Toor Daal, Gobi Curry, Batakanu Sak, Chole, Bhaji, Puri, Papdam, and Kheer. Wait just a minute. I am not done. With all these items, you get Pulao, Khichdi and Kadhi. So each of us received a plate that included the main course items and we shared the three items listed above. Now, I'm getting full just from looking and reading this blog, can you imagine how I felt eating it all. When I saw the kheer in my entree plate, I thought that was the dessert. However, I was wrong.

After we all were done, the plates were taken away and along came our desserts: mango ice cream and masala chai (tea). All in all, I would definitely eat here again...next time around I will come with empty stomach, big appetite and loose pants (jk).

Oh did I mention, all their tabletops are like masterpieces of art...don't take my word for it, take a look below:

I wanted to take ours home and hang it on my wall.

Scrumptious Sooji Halwa

 Ingredients:
• 1 cup Sooji (Semolina)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup Water 
• 3 tbsp Butter
• 4 Cardamom (elaichi) pods, remove seeds and powder
• 4 Cashew nuts (Kaju), chopped into pieces
• 10 Raisins

Procedure:
1. In a non-stick sauce pan melt butter and add sooji and roast it on a low medium heat until light golden color (until the aroma comes out)


2. On the side mix milk, water and sugar and bring it to boil and add cardamom powder.


3. Add the boiling milk /sugar mixture into the sooji sauce pan. Caution the mixture may splash so be prepared to lid it quickly.
4. Open the lid after a minute and mix well continuously until all the liquid is absorbed and the cooked mixture starts to leave the pan (4-5 min). Add a tbsp of butter if needed. Remove from the stove and transfer the halwa into a serving bowl.
5. In a small bowl add 1tsp butter and melt it for 30 seconds in a microwave oven. Add cashew pcs and heat for another 40 seconds until golden brown.
6. Add the roasted cashews and raisins into the halwa and mix well.

Pulihora (Tamarind Rice), Made Easy!

Happy Ugadi or Gudipadwa to all!

Ugadi/Gudipadwa is a Andhra, Karnataka, and Maharashtrian holiday which celebrates the arrival of the New Year, which also coincides with the beginning of Spring. This year it falls on a working day (3/16) and so my mom decided to make dishes that don't require a lot of time and happen to be our favorite. Yay for all.

The two dishes are Pulihora (Tamarind Rice) and Sooji Halwa (A Semolina Sweet). Both of these items are served as Prasad (offering to the god) at South Indian temples. Tamarind Rice is a very traditional delicacy which is often served at festivals and weddings.

One of the key components to making this rice dish so tasty, is Chaunk or Talimpu (seasoning). Also, traditional Tamarind rice making involves time-consuming method of soaking tamarind in water, squeezing the juice out, cooking it to make it into a paste, and then mixing it with rice. With semi-processed tamarind paste available these days, tamarind rice can be made in 10-15 minutes. It is a great way to turn your left over rice into a mouth-watering dish enjoyed by all.


Ingredients:
- 2 cups Basmati Rice

Ingredients for seasoning:
* 3 Tbsp Vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup Peanuts
* 2 Tbsp Channa dal (yellow peas)
* 1 tsp Mustard seeds
* 1 tsp cumin seeds
* ½ tsp (Asafoetida) Hing
* 1 tsp Turmeric powder
* 1 tsp Methi powder (fenugreek)
* 1 to 1-½ Tbsp Tamarind paste
* 6 small Green chilies, sliced into half  (3 Red chilies, broken into 1-inch pcs)
* 8 to 10 curry leaves
* 1-½  tsp Salt to taste
* ½ Tbsp Brown sugar (or gud)

Procedure:
1) Cook rice with slightly less water so that the grains are separated and not sticky. Then immediately transfer into a open dish, add a tbsp oil and spread it to loosen the grains.


2) In a small skillet add oil and heat it on medium heat. Hold your hand above the skillet and feel the heat. When hot, add peanuts and fry for 3 minutes. Add channa dal and continue to fry.


3) When peanuts and dal start to turn golden brown, add mustard and jeera and fry until the seeds start to splutter.
4) Add green chillies and a pinch of salt and fry for 2 min., then add hing, turmeric and methi powder. Add curry leaves and mix well.
5) Remove from the stove and add brown sugar. Transfer the seasoning onto the rice.

6) Add tamrind paste into rice and mix it well to a uniform color of deep yellow color. Allow the rice to absorb the seasoning for atleast 30min and serve.



4/26/2010:

Hey you all, just wanted to add that, you can also make this dish with rice noodles or vermicelli. Just follow the same recipe but with cooked rice noodles versus cooked rice:

To learn more about the spices used in seasoning, click here.

Mazzedar Naan Pizza

'The day after the big storm last week, my mom and I decided to spice up things in the kitchen by making our very own pizza. We had shoveled the driveway for 2 hours and wanted to treat ourselves for all the hard work. Below are the list of ingredients and procedure for making 4 individualized pizzas. It became a party once we announced we were making pizza from scratch. (shh… almost from scratch!)

• 4- Tandoori Naan (Costco, Indian or local grocer)
• 1 cup of Spaghetti sauce (any variety)
• 1 small can of Sliced olives
• 1 ball of Fresh Mozzarella cheese thinly sliced
• 1 large Red Bell Pepper sliced
• 1 large Green Bell pepper sliced
• 1 medium Yellow onion sliced
• 6 fresh Mushrooms (baby bella) sliced
• 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp crushed Red pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)

Procedure:

1. In a non-stick saucepan saute the peppers and mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 5-6min and keep it aside.


2. In a bowl mix together spaghetti sauce, ginger garlic paste and crush peppers (for a bit of kick to your pizza)
3. Place a non-stick griddle on medium/low-med heat. Brush the bottom of the naan with EVOO and place it on the pan.


4. Spread the sauce on the naan evenly and arrange cheese slices to cover the naan.


5. Spread the sauteed vegetables and sliced olives evenly over the cheese and drizzle a little bit of EVOO.


6. Allow the naan to grill for at least 5-min or until the cheese melts and the bottom is browned evenly.

7. Voila! Your personal pan pizza is ready to enjoy. Slide the pizza into a plate and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for added flavor. It's great for parties of all sizes.


***Other toppings include: canned or fresh pineapple pieces and olives, shredded grilled chicken (for meat lovers), or even leftover veg. curry. Also try using hummus instead of pasta sauce for a Mediterranean taste).  

Chapata Pineapple

Leftover cabbage curry

How do you eat your naan pizza? Please share your ideas?

The Thinking Behind this IDEA!

A Message to the Indian Khana Made Easy readers,

Home away from home, we always crave for authentic Indian food, but are shunned away from making them because of the laborious work and tons of materials that are required. We all have been in this situation a few times. My mom is an avid fan of Food Network shows and amazed on how each of the chefs focuses on an unique aspect. One of her favorite shows is Sandra Lee’s “Semi Homemade Cooking". Sandra's techniques drew her attention and gave her the inspiration to apply similar methods to Indian cooking; using commonly available ingredients from nearby grocery stores.
She was quite pleased with the results and wanted to share with everyone and that's how this blog was born. It's another vehicle for people interested in Indian cooking to learn to use the spices and make a variety of dishes from our recipes index.With our easy-to-follow instructions, pictures and videos, you’re sure to be a hit at your next dinner or party.

Did I mention that these dishes have another advantage; they are much healthier than their original recipes!