Chinese Bitter Melon Stir Fry

Ingredients
- 2 Bitter melon (also known as Chinese Karela)
- 1 large onion, sliced and chopped in half
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup dry coconut
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
- 3 to 4 tsp vegetable oil
- salt for taste

Procedure
First cut the bitter melon once lengthwise and then chop into 1/4" thick slices.

Heat oil (on medium flame) in a medium saucepan and add garlic and onion. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add bitter melon, sprinkle salt and cover with lid. Stir every few minutes until onions and bitter melon are caramelized about 8 to 10 minutes. When the bitter melon is soft, remove the lid and add tamarind paste and fry the mixture for another 3 to 4 minutes or until oil comes out.

Next add chili powder and coconut powder and continue to stir fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. Switch off heat and add coriander. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Silky Broccoli Parmesan Soup

Recently, my grandma had to go to the hospital for some testing. In preparation for the test, the hospital emailed us a detailed list of all the food she had to avoid for 24 hours but maintain a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. My mom and I were trying to figure what that means and what to make for dinner that evening.  

You see, non-vegetarians can manage with boiled/steamed chicken or fish and vegetables. My grandmother is a pure vegetarian and has certain diet restrictions. After browsing through our pantry and refrigerator, we settled on soup. Everyone loves soup. 

Below is our version of a "creamy" and silky Broccoli Parmesan soup that is both high in protein and low in fat. 

Ingredients

- 3/4 lb Broccoli floret

- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

- 1/2 tsp chili paste

- 1-1/2 cups milk

- 2 Tbsp milk powder

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- fried onions or croutons, for garnish

- 1/2 tsp salt or as needed

- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Procedure

Cut the broccoli floret into 1/2 inch pieces including the stalk. Make sure to peel the stalk before cutting it into pieces and transfer the broccoli pieces into a microwaveable container. Next, add ginger-garlic paste, chili paste, milk powder, and drizzle with olive oil. Microwave with covered lid for three minutes. Transfer the steamed broccoli into a blender and add milk and 1/3 cup of water and blend it to a smooth consistency. Transfer the soup into a saucepan and add Parmesan cheese and bring it to a boil. If it is very thick, add additional water or milk. Serve the soup hot, garnishing with fried onions or croutons. 

Quick Tip

We recommend using a high powered blender like the Vitamix blender or Magic Bullet for blending the ingredients together. 

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.