The word "khana" in Indian Khana Made Easy means food. So come on, let's explore and cook some easy Indian food together including gluten-free and vegan dishes.

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September 12, 2016

Quick and Easy Szechwan Vegetable Rice


We love trying new ways to spice up our meals and making them healthy at the same time. Sometimes, that is hard to do when you are busy working and do not have a lot of time. That is why we love products like Steam in Bag rice blend from ShopRite or Birds Eye Protein blends. These steam in a bag blends usually have rice/quinoa/brown rice with assortment of vegetables.

For our semi-homemade Szechwan Vegetable Rice dish, we used the Steam in Bag - White Rice with Vegetables from ShopRite. It's easy to use. Check out the recipe below:



Serving Size (4 to 6 people)
Ingredients:
- 2 packets of 12oz ShopRite Steam in a Bag - White Rice with Vegetables
- 1 large (or 2 medium) green bell pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp Szechwan chutney
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 slab of tofu*

Procedure:
Slice bell pepper and onion into thin slices and cut into halves. Next, steam the rice bags as per the instructions on the bag and put aside. Heat oil in a medium sized skillet, and add garlic, onion, bell pepper and tofu. Stir for 2 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and saute the mixture under closed lid for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the bell pepper's color changes to light green (soft texture).

Then add the Szechwan chutney and remaining salt, mix well. Add the rice from the steamed bags and mix well. Allow the rice and the vegetables to cook under closed lid for 3 minutes. Then stir for another 1-2 minutes without lid.

Voila! Szechwan rice with vegetables is ready to be served.

***Quick Tip:
Tofu chunks or slices tend to fall apart when stirred. If the tofu tub is frozen for few hours and then allowed to come to room temperature, the tofu tends to become spongy in texture and absorbs the flavors and easy to use. 

September 5, 2016

Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi with Family, Food, and Fun


Lord Ganesha's "birthday" always comes around this time of the year. And every year, my family celebrates this special day with his favorite dishes in addition to performing the prayer. One of my favorite parts of the festival (besides the food) is my dad's narration of how Lord Ganesha was born. 

My relatives were visiting this past weekend, so the "kids" (my cousin, his fiance, my sister and I) performed the prayer and of course enjoyed the food afterwards. 


Top Right: Payasam / Top Left: Undrallu - Steamed Rice, Lentil and Coconut dumplings / Bottom: Pulihora - Tamarind Rice

After all the festivities were done, we all relaxed and enjoyed the evening by sharing memories of past times and childhood stories. We would love to hear about your celebration and food you prepared for the festival; feel free to leave us comments.

Wishing you and your family a happy holiday! May Lord Ganesha remove all your obstacles and make your way or success smoother. 

To learn more about this festival, also check out this article by Lassi with Lavina.