My Peachy Atlanta Adventure - Part One

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...

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

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 (or 1 tsp crushed red chilies)
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 Tips 
- You can also season the chutney with mustard seeds, jeera and curry leaves. It gives it that extra kick. 


I know you're dying to make dosas now, just so you can dip the dosa into this creamy and "nutty" chutney. Check out India on a Griddle: A Savory Dosa Recipe Worth the Effort. 

Our First Anniversary

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 friends 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!

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)

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

- Coriander chutney....................................................... ½ tsp

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

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

- Salt.............................................................................. Adjust to your taste

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.

OR 

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

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

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

While we were making the Picante Peanut Poppers, we thought why not mix it up a bit and try the recipe with other nuts. We decided on cashews since they are my dad's favorite. The recipe for making crunchy cashews is almost the same as the peanuts one except for the type of nuts and ginger-garlic paste. We substituted chat masala with ginger-garlic paste because it brings the flavor out more.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Raw Cashews, split into halves
• ¼ cup Fine Gram flour, (also known as Besan)
• ½ tsp Chili powder, (adjust to your spice level)
• ½ tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
• ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Salt 
• A pinch of Soda Bicarbonate 
• ¾ tbsp Vegetable oil
• ½ tsp Whole Cumin seeds

Procedure: 

Soak cashew halves in a cup of water for 10-12 minutes. Sieve flour along with chili powder, salt, turmeric,  and soda to mix well. Add sieved mixture into a mixing bowl and mix in jeera, oil and ginger-garlic paste. Into the above flour mixture, add drained cashews and mix well so that they are coated well with the flour mixture. If the mixture seems dry and powdery, sprinkle a teaspoon or less of water and mix. Spray/rub some oil onto a microwavable plate (or dinner plate) and spread the cashews on it in a single layer. Microwave for 5-6 minutes based on the wattage of the microwave. If it is a high powered one, try using at 80% power until the cashews are well roasted. (Hint: you can smell the roasted aroma) Also halfway through, take the plate out and separate the cashews so they roast evenly.

Picante Peanut Poppers

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.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Raw Peanuts
• ¼ cup Fine Gram flour,  also known as Besan
• ½ tsp Chili powder, (adjust to your spice level)
• ½ tsp Chaat masala
• ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Salt
• A pinch of Soda Bicarbonate
• ¾ tbsp Vegetable oil
• ½ tsp Whole Cumin seeds 

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

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, Crunchy Cashews, and Picante Peanut Poppers are just few of the scrumptious goodies we will popping in our mouths with our beverages.

Bring Home the Tropics

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

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

Serve it hot & enjoy!

Oh My Word!! Just look at those glistening cashews just waiting to be eaten. 

bout to Go ahead and drool all over this dessert! 

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):

- 3/4 cup Basmati Rice

- 3/4 cup Moong dal

- 1/4 cup Sugar

- 1/2 cup Brown sugar or Jaggery

- 1 cup Milk

- 5 pods, seeded and powdered Cardamom

- 15 - 20 halves Cashew nuts

- 5 tbsp Butter (unsalted)

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 pongail.

Basmati Rice

South Indian Treasure: Pongali

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).

OR

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!

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 (flatbread 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!

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. 

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!! Happy 2011 Everyone!! 

Hope all of you had a good time bringing in the New Year! We took a break from the cooking and enjoyed the holiday with our friends and family. 

Hope you all included cooking more with us in your New Year's resolutions!!