Mint Chutney - Minty Freshness with a Spicy Kick

Refreshing Mint Chutney

This past Friday (6/10), we celebrated National Herbs and Spices day with Mint. 

I love mint. It's one of the easiest herbs to grow. Just sow some seeds in soil and watch it spread like wild fire. Every once in a while, we just chop off a bunch and make something with it. With the hot weather lately, we decided to go with mint chutney. It's cool and refreshing.

This chutney can be eaten with rice and/or spread on bread and enjoyed as tea sandwiches.

Ingredients
- 3 cups Mint leaves
- 3-1/2 Tbsp Chutney powder
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter
- Size of lime of Dry Tamarind, microwaved for 45 seconds and set aside
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (or as per your taste)
- 1 Tbsp Brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Dhanjeera powder (ground coriander and cumin seeds)
- 1/4 cup Dry coconut powder (optional)
- 1 tsp Vegetable oil

Procedure
Separate the mint leaves form the woody stems, and then wash and dry them thoroughly. Next, chop the leaves finely. In a shallow pan, heat oil on low-medium flame, and the chopped mint. Fry them until wilted and keep aside and let it cool.

In a blender, add the cooled down mint along with the other ingredients. Next add 1/2 cup of water and grind to a coarse sauce like consistency. Additional water may be added if needed. Adjust the salt and spice level.

And Voila!! It is ready to be served and enjoyed. We enjoy eating this chutney with rice, roti, idlis and/or pongali.

Cool Down with Eggplant Raita (Yogurt Dip)

GOT EGGPLANT?? My mom stopped by the farmers market the other day and bought this large and round eggplant. She couldn't help it; it was so beautiful. It called out to her, "bring me home and cook me". So she did. 

Eggplant is such a versatile ingredient. You can make anything with it: dips, curries, stew, or just throw it on a grill. I especially love eating eggplant with my grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Tonight, my mom decided to cook it another way to help us stay cool in this weather. She made eggplant raita (yogurt dip) to eat with rice and roti. Eggplant raita closely reminds of Baba Ganoush, a popular Middle Eastern dish. 

Eggplant raita dish has two of my favorite ingredients: eggplant and yogurt. Let's get cooking:

Ingredients

- 1 lb large and round size eggplant, peeled and chopped into small pieces

- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 tsp urad dal

- 1 tsp whole mustard seeds

- 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds

- A pinch of turmeric powder

- 2 green chilies, finely chopped

- 3/4 cup Whole milk plain yogurt

- 1/2 tsp Salt (adjust to your taste)

- A few sprigs of fresh coriander, chopped finely (optional)

Procedure

In a medium saucepan, heat oil on low-medium temperature. Once you feel the warmth on palm, add urad dal, mustard and cumin seeds. Then add green chilies and turmeric powder. Once the mustard cumin seeds start to splutter, add the chopped eggplant. Stir the mixture together and cover and cook under lid for 8 to 10 minutes. Lift the lid after that time and check to see if the eggplant is cooked. 

(Hint: take a flat wooden or silicon spatula and try to cut or split the eggplant to see if it's cooked. If it cuts easily, then it's cooked. If it doesn't then, cover with the lid and cook for a few more minutes.) Once the eggplant is cooked, add salt and transfer the mixture into a serving dish and let it cool. Once it cools, add the whole milk plain yogurt and mix thoroughly, Garnish it with coriander and voila!

Quick Tip

- If using 2% or 1% milk plain yogurt, please add 1/4 cup of sour cream to the dish to make it thicker. 

A Special Surprise, Just in Time for Ugadi!

It's always a delight when relatives come to visit, especially during the holidays. My grandma arrived a few days ago and just in time for Ugadi.  She makes the journey every year even though she's aged quite a bit. It's always a delight to see her nonetheless. 

I don't mean to sound childish but I always get excited when my grandma unpacks her things. She always comes bearing gifts...they are usually sweets and savories of all kinds. 

I collected all the sweets together to show you guys. Most of the Indian sweets are made from rice and lentil flour. 

The top plate shows all the sweets I grew up eating. Pootarekulu (also known as paper sweets) is a popular sweet from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. Powdered white sugar or brown sugar is stuffed in between the thin sheets made from rice flour. 

Next to Pootarekulu is Pheni, which is shredded, flaky rice flour roasted in ghee. It is usually eaten with sugar and hot milk. We eat this from time to time for breakfast. We put a handful in a bowl, mix in sugar and pour hot milk on top. It is really yummy. 

Next to pheni is cashew nut brittle made with cashews and jaggery (Indian brown sugar). Last but not least is Arisalu, which is behind the brittle. These thin, round patties are popular in Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and are made from rice flour, brown sugar, and ghee. Arisalu are one of my sister's favorite Indian sweets. 

The bottom plate has an assortment of sweets made from lentil flour, rice flour, nuts and dates. Some of these sweets are Kaju Kattli, Milk peda, Mysore Pak, Bandar Laddu, Kajja, and Balushahi. Milk or doodh peda has become one of my favorite sweets. They pedas are heavenly and I can easily eat all of them in minutes. 

The first thing we do on Ugadi is pray and eat Ugadi pachadi. I did just that before leaving for work.  After work, I came straight home and indulged in more Ugadi specials like Halwa poori (a popular sweet from Telangana), and Green Mango Pulihora that my mom made. 

Wishing you Happy Ugadi from our family to ours!! 

March Lentil Madness - The More Lentils, the Merrier!

Just because National Nutrition Month (March) is coming to an end, doesn't mean your effort to eating right has to. It's important to eat a well balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, and fat to maintain an active lifestyle and enjoy life.

Below are few more lentil enriched dishes that we know you will enjoy:

Chunky Chana (chickpea) and Potato Curry

Steamed Rice and Lentil Dumplings (Undrallu) with Ginger and Coriander Sauce

Easy Indian Chili

Pongali

Easy Dal Makhani

 The fun just started! We have more dishes for you to try...

March Lentil Madness Continues with Yellow Cucumber Dal

There are a variety of dishes that can be made with different kinds of dal. In South India, when we make dal, we usually cook it with vegetables and spices and eat with rice. One of my favorite dishes is with Dosakaya.  

Dosakaya dal mixed with rice and garnished with sesame and potato vadiyalu (fritters)

Dosakaya is a type of cucumber; which is yellow in color (pictured below). We use this vegetable when making this dish as well as when making pickle. Pickle means vegetables and spices that are cured in oil (like kimchi). 

It's time to get cookin'. Below are the ingredients for making the Dosakaya dal:

2 medium firm Dosakaya (yellow cucumber, pictured above)
1 cup Toor dal
1 tsp chili powder or as per taste
1 tsp Tamarind paste (or lime size tamarind can be used)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt, as per taste
Ingredients for seasoning
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1-1/2 tsp cumin seeds
10 to 12 curry leaves (fresh or dried)
1/8 tsp Hing (Asafoetida)

We like using our pressure cooker when cooking dal. It's easy and cooks the dal fast. Let's begin: 

Peel and chop dosakaya into 1" pieces. (Please note: we don't discard the seeds; it's as per your taste.)

Add toor dal to the pressure cooker and wash dal. Then add water to the cooker so that the water reaches 1" above the dal. Next add dosakaya, turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt. 

Pressure cook the dal and dosakaya for 12 to 15 minutes until done. After the pressure is released, open the lid and mix in the tamarind. (Please note: if using tamarind, soak it in hot water and squeeze out the juice to add to the cooked dal mixture. If using tamarind paste, just measure out the amount and add it). Mix lightly to not mash the dosakaya pieces. 

In a small saucepan, heat oil over a low-medium flame for the seasoning. Next add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add hing (asafoetida), and curry leaves. Turn off the stove, and add the seasoning with oil into the dal and serve hot.  

Bon Appetit! 

March Lentil Madness - Spinach and Mango Dal

HAPPY NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH!!!

As college basketball season gains momentum, so should our focus on eating better and putting the Spring back into our step. We're celebrating National Nutrition month with dal or lentils. Dal dishes can be prepared and enjoyed in many ways.

Spinach and Green Mango Dal

Ingredients

1 medium green (unripened) mango, peel and chop into 1" cubes

10 oz (or 250g) frozen chopped spinach

1 cup Toor dal (also known as pigeon peas)

1-1/2 tsp red chili powder (or 3 green chilies, chopped)

1/2 tsp fenugreek powder (also known methi powder)

1/2 tsp Turneric powder

1-1/2 tsp salt or as needed

Ingredients for seasoning

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp (a pinch) Hing

Procedure
We used a pressure cooker for this recipe but a heavy bottomed saucepan or Dutch Oven can be used as well.

Cook toor dal, mango, green chilies, fenugreek powder, and turmeric with sufficient water in a pressure cooker until dal is cooked well. Then set aside. Next, heat oil in a medium saucepan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add hing and garlic. Stir for one minute and add the frozen spinach. Mix well and cook under closed lid for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and add the cooked dal and mango mixture. You may add additional water until it's to your desired consistency. Finally, add salt and cook under covered lid for additional 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat.

The spinach and green mango dal is now ready to be served and enjoyed with your favorite grains, whether it be rice or roti.  

We received an honorable mention on 2016 National Nutrition Month Blogroll - Savor the Flavor of Eating Right for this post. We're so excited!! 

Keep Calm and Eat Tomato & Coriander Soup

With this ever changing weather, it feels nice to relax and enjoy the day with a bowl of hot soup and a good book. Check out our spin on the traditional "rasam" dish, which we turned into a soup. Let us know what you think. 

Ingredients
- 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp coconut milk powder
- 2" fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 2 small green chilies, chopped
- 1 tsp salt (or as needed)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup water

Procedure
Mix corn starch and water. Place all ingredients and starch mixture into a blender and run until it is a smooth uniform liquid. Transfer the liquid into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Switch off the stove and serve hot.


Quick Tips
- We used our Vitamix blender (Smoothies option) for blending all the ingredients.
- For more "rasam"/soup recipes, click here.

Rasoi Magic Methi Malai Mutter Curry

Methi Malai Mutter Curry

Whenever my sister visits, my mom likes to teach us something new; a dish that will be easy to make and doesn't require a lot of ingredients.

Today, we learned how to make Methi Malai Mutter using Rasoi Magic spice mix. Using the spice mix reduces time spent in the kitchen and the need to have so many ingredients.

Serving size: 4 to 5

Ingredients
- Entire packet of Rasoi Magic Methi Malai Mutter
- 300 ml milk
- 200 g green peas (we used frozen peas and carrots mix)
- 4 oz frozen methi (optional)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

We followed the instructions on the back of the packet as follows adding in the additional ingredients: 

Mix the entire packet of spice mix with milk until well dissolved and keep aside. Microwave the frozen carrots and peas and methi for two and half minutes and set aside. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry methi, peas and carrots for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the spice mix mixed with milk and cook till the gravy thickens. Serve hot with rice, roti or naan.

Our Review:  We would definitely recommend all to try this product as it was easy to use and make. It is low in spice level and you can easily make it spicier by adding chili powder or garam masala when frying the vegetables. We enjoyed eating this curry with rice and roti. We look forward to trying more recipes after using this product by Rasoi Magic.


Quick Tips
- The spice mix is made of skim milk, onion, sugar, cashew nut, salt, coriander, garlic, rice flakes, whey, Fenugreek leaves, corn starch, and other spices.
- If frozen methi is not readily available, you can also add green bell pepper or French cut beans; making sure they are cooked or microwaved for enough time before adding the spice mixture.

Gluten Free Valentine's Sweets for Your Sweetheart

This Valentine's Day surprise your "sweetie" with sweets that don't break their diets!

Ragi Laddus

Go the distance and make something healthy for your loved ones. Ragi Laddus made with Indira Foods Ragi Huri Hittu Special are rich in calcium, iron, protein, fiber and gluten free. These laddus or balls can be enjoyed as a dessert or for breakfast.

The mix contains popped ragi (finger millet) powder, sugar, dried coconut, cashew nut, milk powder, cardamom and nutmeg. 

It is very easy to make these laddus with this mix. For every cup of the mix, you add 1/2 cup of milk and mix into a dough like consistency. Then you roll into lime size round balls. 

Quick Tips

- Indira Foods Ragi Huri Hittu Special can be purchased at most Indian grocery stores; we bought ours from Patel Brothers. 

  
For other gluten free dessert ideas, please check out Ricotta Kalakand (milk sweet) and Mango Rice Pudding. Wishing you and yours a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Ragada Patties - A New Twist On A Popular Mumbai Street Food

Everything was white and fluffy around my neighborhood today. I've seen my dad clear our driveway at least three times since the morning. However, snowmaggedon 2016 aka Jonas is still going strong and covering whatever was cleared with more white powdery flakes. 

We are hunkering down and staying warm with hot beverages such as hot tea with ginger and spices as well as hot chocolate with marshmallows. 

Although, we didn't join the bandwagon of people "storm shopping", we had everything we needed for situations like this right inside our food pantry and freezer. PHEW!! We just decided to go shopping for dish ideas in there. 

Luckily, we had everything we needed to make one of my mom's favorite street foods, Ragada patties. 

Ragada patties are a popular Mumbai and Hyderabadi street food. My mom and her siblings used to enjoy eating this snack in the good old days, as she told it.

The patties, which are fried potato cutlets, are lined along this large hot tava (similar to the Chinese wok) on the street carts. When a customer approaches the cart, the street vendor toasts a patty on the tava and tops it with ragada (dried yellow peas mixture), sev, tamarind/date chutney and coriander chutneys.

It's definitely a comfort food worth having during this cold season. Check out our own twist in this comfort food for those who don't want to spend all day cooking. 

Ingredients:

for Ragada

- 1 cup dry peas (yellow or green)

- 1 medium onion, chopped finely

- 1/4 cup Hunt's tomato sauce (or 2 plum tomatoes pureed)

- 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste

- 3 tsp Dhanjeera powder (dhanjeera is ground coriander and cumin seeds)

- 3/4 tsp chili powder

- 1 tsp garam masala

- 1/8 tsp turmeric

- 1 Tbsp brown sugar

- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped

- 1 Tbsp lemon juice

- Salt, as per your taste

- 3 Tbsp Vegetable oil

- pinch of hing (optional)

for patties

- pack of frozen hash browns 

for Ragada patties assembly

- tamarind/date chutney

- coriander chutney

- sev

Instructions

 1) Soak peas in plenty of water over night. Discard the soaked water and wash the peas with fresh water. In a separate pan, add peas and enough water to cover them and slightly more. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pinch of hing. Pressure cook the peas for 7 to 10 minutes. 

2) Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan. Hover your palm over the pan and when you feel the heat, add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add hing and mix. Then add chopped onion ans saute for 2 to 3 minutes until onion is translucent. Next add turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, dhanjeera powder and mix well for 30 seconds. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomato sauce and stir for couple of minutes to remove the raw taste. 

3) Next add the cooked peas mixture, 1/2 tsp salt and additional water into the pan. Cook for 10 minutes at low/medium heat under closed lid. (Note: bring mixture to gravy consistency, as shown in picture below.)

4) Taste and adjust salt if needed. Remove from stove ans add lemon juice and brown sugar. Mix well. 

5) Instead of making the fried potato cutlets from scratch, we improvised and used store bought frozen hash browns instead. Simply, defrost the hash browns and toast them to your liking. 

Check out these toasty hash browns just waiting to be topped with ragada gravy. 

6) Place each toasted hash brown in your favorite bowl, top with the ragada mixture, sev, and your favorite chutney (as shown below). I love eating mine with tamarind chutney. 

Hope you enjoyed our take on a popular street food. We like re-creating our favorite street foods that we grew up with at home because we can't always fly to these exotic destinations to enjoy such yummy comfort food whenever we want. 

Have a favorite Indian street food you'd like us to re-create? Let us know. For now, good night and stay warm. :-) 

"Wholly" Vegetarian Meatloaf

Traditionally, meatloaf is made with ground meat such as beef or pork and other ingredients and then rolled into a loaf and baked. Since, I don't eat either of those meats, I never really looked into it further. 

I found this recipe on a blog I follow called A Pinch of This. The blog is run by Payal, a Certified Holistic Health Counselor who wants to bring the inner chef out in each of us and help us be creative in our cooking. 

Vegetarian "Meat" loaf

When I saw this recipe for a Vegetarian "Mealoaf" on her Facebook blog, I had to give it a try. The meat protein is substituted with other types of protein that any vegetarian can appreciate, such as tofu, oatmeal and lentils. 

I adapted the recipe from A Pinch of This with ingredients we had at home. I cooked whole masoor dal instead of using precooked lentils from Trader Joe's (listed on her blog). I also added toasted walnuts to add more hearty flavor to the loaf. 

Overall, the taste and texture were great. Each time I made this dish, I've added and/or substituted ingredients and it's turned out great. I would definitely recommend it for vegetarians and protein lovers alike. I've made this dish a few times already and love taking it to work everyday. Keeps the hunger away and leaves me feeling full and good about myself. Below is the recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole masoor, cooked and well drained (which equals to about 9oz cooked masoor dal)
8 ounces extra firm tofu (drained, pressed and crumbled)
1 cup quick cook oats (or old fashioned oats)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and ground
5 Tbsp ketchup
3 Tbsp BBQ Sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp sage

Saute garlic, onions and celery on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until mixture is cooled and then remove from heat. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and add the cooked garlic, onions and celery. Spoon mixture into a loaf pan and top with a generous layer of extra ketchup. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Quick Tips
- I didn't have all the fresh herbs so I used Italian seasoning mixture for the rosemary and sage and fresh thyme from my plant.
 

Cornbread Stuffing with a Cornucopia of Vegetables

Carrots, Celery, Red Onion and Cornbread Oh Yum!

Another holiday has come and gone, but the leftovers are still being enjoyed; the best part of Thanksgiving.

This year we spent the holiday at my uncle's place and took our favorite vegetarian dishes over including Vegetarian Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Blueberry pie, and Brown Sugar Glazed Sweet Potatoes.

The following recipe is for the most moist and flavorful vegetarian stuffing I've ever eaten. I don't have to feel guilty eating so much of it, especially with a cornucopia of vegetables.

Ingredients

- 7 oz Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 4 Celery stalks, stringed and chopped finely
- 1 medium Red onion
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped finely
- 1 cup French cut beans
- Vegetable oil
- 1 Red or Yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 1" cubes
- 1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 2 to 3 green Chilies, chopped finely
- 1/4 cup Craisins (dried cranberries), optional
- 1/2 tsp Salt

Procedure
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet and stir fry onion, celery, carrots, and bell pepper for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle salt and cook the vegetable mixture under tight lid. When the vegetables are soft, remove lid and add vegetable broth, and cover the skillet to allow the mixture to boil. When it boils, remove the lid and lower the heat to low and add in the cornbread stuffing and mix well. Remove from heat and garnish with Craisins (dried cranberries) and serve.

(Please Note: add additional broth or water if the mixture looks dry. Cover with a lid and allow the water to be absorbed well for 2 to 3 minutes.) 

How was your Thanksgiving holiday? What was your favorite dish? Looking forward to hearing about your foodie stories. 

~Best Wishes this Diwali~

Let the positive light triumph over any negativity in your life. Best Wishes for you and your family from our family!

Dusshera Wishes for Everyone

From Top Right: Chutney Powder Rice, Mustard Rice, Tamarind Rice, Coconut Rice, and Lemon Rice

In honor of Dusshera and Batkamma (a floral festival of Telangana celebrated by Hindu women), we prepared five kinds of rice dishes.

 My personal favorite is tamarind rice because I love the combination of the tang flavors from the tamarind and the crunchiness of the peanuts. 

Which rice dish is your favorite? How did you and your family celebrate Dusshera today? We would love to hear your stories. 

May this Dusshera light up for you, the hopes of happy times and dreams for a year full of smiles!  

Healthy Start with Super Foods

We are continuing our tradition for Dusshera with dishes made with Super Food ingredients such as brown rice, lentils, tofu, quinoa, and leafy greens for eating healthier and better.  These dishes will bring balance to all the foods you may be making for the holiday season.  

We're starting off the dishes with TOFU!! It's healthy, protein enriched and easy to cook. 

Tofu Butter Masala Curry

We're always trying new spice mixes to help us in the kitchen. At one of our most recent grocery shopping trips to Patel Brothers Cash and Carry (in Parsippany), we found Suhana branded Paneer Butter Masala Mix -  great for gravy style curries. 

You can use this spice mix with any protein (paneer, tofu, or meat). We had tofu at home so we used that instead of paneer. Below is our recipe:

Ingredients
- 1 cup tofu (firm or extra firm), cut into 1" cubes
- 2 medium tomatoes, crushed (or you can use 150 grams of tomato puree)
- 1/4 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 50 grams of Suhana Paneer Butter Masala Mix
-  3 tbsp unsalted butter 
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 cup water


Procedure
1) Make a paste of Suhana Paneer Butter Masala Mix and milk and set aside. 
2) Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onion and cook until the onion mixture looks translucent. Then add crushed tomatoes and cool till the oil oozes out. 
3) Add the paste and cook for two to three minutes. 
4) Add water, tofu, and butter. Cook till gravy thickens. Then add frozen peas and carrots and cook for a couple minutes. Turn off stove and garnish with fresh coriander. 

***Enjoy with your favorite flatbread, rice and/or quinoa.***

Spice Mix Review
The spice mix is easy to work with and doesn't require a lot of steps. A lot of times, we find that spice mixes tend to be on the spicy side but this spice mix was just right. Everyone enjoyed the curry and it was easy to eat with chappati or roti as well as rice. We would definitely recommend all to try.

A Brother Like No Other!

I finally got the opportunity to tie Rakhi on someone for Raksha Bandhan... thanks Sunil (my brother-in-law), you're the best.  

Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that celebrates the bond and duty between brother and sister.  The sister ties the sacred thread around her's brother's wrist and makes his favorite. Then the brother gives his sister something she likes. 

Knowing that my brother-in-law is a foodie like me, I knew he would love something sweet but not too sweet. I did some research and found this recipe that was perfect for him. Feast your eyes on this Strawberry Pizza.

A Strawberry Pizza by A Spicy Perspective (click on name for link to recipe)

It is a sugar cookie base with soft goat cheese and honey cheese spread, topped with freshly sliced strawberries. I also added a few mint leaves for pop in color.

It was a hit with everyone, especially Sunil. Yay for all.

Mirchi Restaurant - Spicing It Up with South Indian Dishes

It has been a while since we went out as a family including my grandmother. This past weekend was surely a delight in that respect. My sister and my brother-in-law came to visit us and spent some quality time with the parents and of course me. All of us went out to dinner together to this newly opened South Indian restaurant called Mirchi (chilies in English) located in Parsippany NJ. This restaurant replaced another Indian restaurant  located in the same complex called Amiya.

When you enter the restaurant, on your right you will see a party room with a bar and as you walk further into the lobby, you will see the concierge desk. To the left of the desk is the entrance to the dining area (click here to see pictures). The dining area is very spacious and comfortable. In the back, there's a glass door leading to the wine cellar, which I thought was really cool.

We started off our dinner with a couple of vegetarian appetizers: Gobi 65 and Baby Corn Pepper Fry. 

Gobi 65*

Gobi 65 is a dish where well marinated cauliflower florets are brown to perfection (description from menu). These florets were definitely cooked, marinated and seasoned very well. Additionally, the portion size was adequate for 4 or more people. We were a party of 6 so we got about 3 pieces each and were very satisfied.

The Baby Corn Pepper Fry failed to meet the same flavor expectations as the Gobi 65. I felt the corn was more doughy than crispy and the taste was not as satisfying. 

We had never dined here before so we had no idea about entree portions. We ended up ordering 5 separate dishes to make sure everyone was happy.

My parents and grandmother are vegetarian so they ordered mixed vegetable Uttappam, Rava Masala Dosa, and Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani.

According to my dad, the Mixed Vegetable Uttapam was a good size and tasty. The Rava Masal Dosa and Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani didn't make the cut. Both my mother and grandmother were disappointed in their dishes. 

ENTREES CHOICES

Top Left -  Garlic Naan
Bottom Left - Vegetable Biryani
Right - Malabar Fish Curry

My sister, brother-in-law and I (the non-vegetarians) shared the Shangri-la Biryani and Malabar Fish Curry with Garlic Naan. All 3 of us really enjoyed the Malabar Fish Curry served with plain white rice. The fish curry was made with selected fish pieces simmered in tamarind pulp and coconut milk. It was quite tasty and flavorful. You can't go wrong with coconut milk; it makes everything taste better and rich-er. 

Third disappoint of the evening was the Shangri-la Biryani,  combination of Chicken 65 and biryani. Before we placed our order, we specified that we all wanted our dishes to be Medium spicy, which in my book means, add some chilies to our dish. However, our biryani and the chicken lacked flavor. It was not until I added the spicy raita that I actually tasted something in my biryani. It was like eating saffron rice with crispy chicken. The combination was did not suit us at all.



Takeaways from our experience - 3 STARS 

- The portions for appetizers and entrees are big enough for two people.
- When placing your order, specify your spice level: Mild, Medium and Spicy. If you order biryani, it should be spicy, not bland.
- The best part of our dining experience was the service. The waitstaff were helpful and friendly.


Although half of our dishes were disappointing, I would definitely dine here again as it was my first time. I would never dismiss going to a particular restaurant again if it rated 3 or more stars in the first experience. Next time, I will stick to regular Hyderabadi Dum Biryani instead something totally exotic. Also, I will steer clear of anything on the menu with dish titles ending with 65, not my cup of tea.



***Until next time, happy eating. If you know of a good Indian restaurant for us to try, let us know.  Looking to dine out, check out our Restaurant Reviews page for suggestions. ***

Celebrating Flavors with Tandoori Tofu and Coriander Chutney Sandwiches

Congratulations to Swathi for sharing her re-creation of one our recipes with us. 

Recently, one of my relatives reached out and asked us for some protein enriched recipes to make for her family. One of the recipes that came to mind instantly was the Tandoori Tofu curry. It's easy to make, healthy and high on the protein list. She tried the recipe and shared her experience with us. We love it when people make our recipes their own. 

Check out the Tandoori Tofu and Coriander Chutney Sandwiches above. Don't they look so tasty and inviting. I just want to take a bite into one right now. 

She modified the recipe so she could stuff the curry into the bread rolls to make sandwiches. She spread coriander chutney on one side and Tandoori Tofu curry on the other side. She also added cucumber and onions slices and sprinkled a little lemon juice to add more flavor. 

Mama Mia! My mouth is watering just thinking about all these flavors. Great job Swathi! 

QUICK TIP:

- Shred or grate the tofu before making the curry so it won't be clumpy in the sandwich. 

- The bread rolls can be substituted with any other kind of rolls if you are allergic to gluten like potato rolls. This curry goes well with jeera rice. 

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The Wonders of the Mediterranean - Rhodes

06/15 - We arrived in Rhodes after a day's journey on the Aegean sea. 

Rhodes is the island with the RED STAR

Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands (a group of 12 larger islands plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea). It is the island group's historical capital. 

Shortly after breakfast, we left the ship to venture out into the city and take in the history. The city of Rhodes can be navigated by car, bus or walking about. We didn't know what to expect so we initially took a bus tour around the historical sites. Afterwards we realized most of the important sites are close to the port so got off the bus and walked around.

One of those historical gems is the Colossus of Rhodes (pictured above is where it once stood). After an earthquake in 226 BC, the 30 meters statue was reduced to rubble. It was known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Another popular tourist attraction is the Grand Master's Palace of the Knights. It is a medieval castle -- one of the few examples of Gothic architecture. 

The palace is full of things to see from paintings, canons and canon balls, clay oil lamps, bone needles and combs, and mosaics (shown below). 

One of my favorite parts of the visit was capturing the essence of these mosaics; they are from the Byzantine empire and 2nd century BC. I couldn't walk away without taking a few snapshots with my Samsung phone. 

We walked down the cobble stoned path inside the palace and found a cafe hidden within the walls for a light lunch. 

We dropped our bags and relaxed  at this quaint little cafe/bnb. We enjoyed the infamous Greek salad and bruschetta and for dessert, we ate baklava and ice cream. YUM!!!

As we finished up lunch, I caught up with a friend on google hangout. ***Note: Always double check the time difference before waking up your friends before the crack of dawn.***

My dad is 'chillaxing' with a Pina Colada

After a long day of sightseeing, we stopped over at the sunset bar and grabbed some tropical cocktails. Perfect ending to a good day.



Stay tuned...the fun has just began...onwards to Mykonos...the island with the famous windmills!