Baba Ganoush

1. Give me Pita bread with Baba Ganoush and/or Hummus and I am all set for dinner. I do not need anything else. These are the two most amazing dips middle east has ever given us. These are also so simple to make. So here is my recipe for Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Baba Ganoush

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium sized American eggplant
2. 1/4 cup tahini or roasted sesame seeds
3. 3 large garlic clove
4. 1/4 cup kalamata olives
5. Few pickled jalapenos
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
7. 2 tablespoon lemon juice
8. 1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut the eggplant lengthwise and poke some holes in it and roast on flame on the stove turning occasionally for 5-7 minutes. Cut it into large pieces and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Roast garlic for 10 minutes on the same pan

Let it cool a bit and scrape the flesh out of the eggplant and grind it to a paste with all the ingredients. Enjoy with warm pita bread

Here are some recipes for Hummus. Enjoy!!!

Hummus with Olives

Roasted Cauliflower Hummus

Artichoke Hummus

Goan Stir fried beef and dal

The way we have been eating is been changing lately. We are trying to eat less carbs and when you eat less carbs you would have to eat something else which would make you full and keep you satisfied for a long time...TADAHHHH enter meat...

So during this week's grocery run, instead of getting ground meat I got sliced meat and I made this beef stir fry from the North West state of Goa and it was great. I served it with rice and Goan dal for the kids and for people who do not want to eat rice, I served it with Barley

Goan Stir Fry 

Goan style beef stir fry

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb stir fry meat
2. 1 medium small onion sliced into half circles
3. 1 large tomato chopped
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
5. 1 serrano chillie chopped fine
6. 1 tablespoon oil
7. 1 heaped teaspoon ginger garlic paste
8. 2 big pods of garlic chopped fine
9. 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
10. 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Marinate the meat with salt and pepper and vinegar and ginger garlic paste  for atleast 1 hr.

Heat a pan and fry the meat on low flame for 20-30 minutes.

In a different pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add the garlic and the chopped chillies and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meat into this pan and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minute, give a taste test and garnish with cilantro and serve

Goan Masoor Dal (Lentils with Tomato)

Goan Masoor Dal

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup masoor dal
2. 2 tomatoes chopped fine
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and mustard seeds
4. few dried red chillies
5. few curry leaves
6. 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
7. 1/2 tablespoon oil
8. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, salt, hing
9. 1/4 cup sliced onions

Cook the masoor dal along with tomatoes with turmeric with 2 cups water for 30 minutes. In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin and mustard seeds and the dried red chillies and curry leaves. Add the hing and fry for 20-30 seconds. Add the onions and fry till they start becoming dark. Add this to the dal and bring to a boil. Add salt and lemon juice if using and boil for 7-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve

Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos are my kids favorite Mexican items to eat

Chicken Taquitos

Chicken Taquito Dinner

Chicken filling for Taquitos

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups cooked chicken either cubed or shredded (I got rotisserie  chicken from Kroger)
2. ½ cup each of plain cream cheese, shredded Mexican three cheese blend, ½ up red or green enchilada sauce (store bought)
3. 2 tablespoons taco seasoning

Tortillas for taquitos (I used 4 medium sized flour tortillas and 10 street size corn tortillas*)

Mix all the ingredients (except tortillas) together till well incorporated and set it in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (Mine was dark baking sheet, so I preheated to 400 degrees)

Lay foil on a baking sheet and spray with non stick cooking spray. Add 1-2 tablespoon of chicken filling to each tortilla and roll into less than 1 inch roll and put it seem side down on the baking sheet. Spray with some more cooking spray on top of the taquitos and bake for 10 minutes. Roll them to a different side and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve with beans, rice and salsa or enjoy as a snack

*Cover the tortillas in a paper towel and add some water on top and bottom of it and heat for 15-20 seconds. This will help in the tortillas not getting torn while rolling

Aloo Kanduri Salan

Aloo Kanduri Salan

Aloo Kanduri ka Salan

Ingredients:

1.  1 medium large potato peeled and cut into 2 inch long ¼ inch thick slices
2. 12 oz kanduri/Tindora cut into quarters or thinner length wise
3. 1 medium small red onion sliced
4. 1 tablespoon oil
5. ½ teaspoon each of salt, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder

In a pan heat the oil and fry the Kanduri + onions for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients + ½ cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve

Hara Bhara Gosht

Hara in Hindi means Green. The curry I made today is green lamb curry. It is super delicious and flavorful either with Naan or rice.

Hara Bhara Gosht(Lamb cooked in spicy coriander gravy)

Hara bhara Gosht

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb cut into bite size pieces
2. 1 tablespoon oil
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala
4. 3/4 teaspoon salt
5. 1 heaped teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6. 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
7. 2 medium large tomatoes chopped fine
8. 1 large onion chopped fine
9. 2 green chillies (Serrano) or 1 Jalapeno 
10. 1 bunch coriander, tougher parts taken off

Marinate the lamb pieces with all the spices and set aside.

Grind the coriander and green chillies with the lemon juice

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the lamb and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cover and cook for 10 more minutes. A the coriander paste and stir to combine. Add 1 cup water and cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Check the taste for salt and lemon juice and adjust accordingly. Enjoy

Mutter Mushroom Paneer

Mutter Mushroom Paneer

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup paneer cubes (about 100 grams)
2. 1 small can tomato sauce
3. 1 cup cleaned and sliced mushrooms
4. ¼ cup fresh or frozen peas thawed
5. ½ teaspoon each of salt, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder
6. 1 tablespoon oil

For paste

1. 1 medium onion
2. 1 inch ginger peeled
3. 3 garlic pods peeled
4. 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

Grind ingredients under paste with as little water as possible. In a pan heat the oil and fry the paneer pieces for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In the same pan add the onions and fry for 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Add ½ cup water and paneer back to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Birds nest

Bird's Nest( Eggs cooked in grated potatoes)

Bird's Nest breakfast

Ingredients:

1. 4 eggs beaten
2. 2 medium large potatoes peeled and grated on the thick side
3. ½ teaspoon each of salt, fresh ground black pepper, coriander powder

Spray a 12 muffin pan with non stick spray. Pre heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix the potatoes with all the spices. Divide them into the 12 muffin tins and press them on the bottom and to the sides. Make some space in the middle. Divide the beaten eggs into the muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through (Check with a toothpick) Sprinkle with fresh herbs like cilantro or  tarragon and serve warm

Persian Lima Beans and Dill Rice

In Los Angeles, there used to be a Persian restaurant which was my hubby’s favorite place. And my favorite was Lamb shanks with the Lima beans Dill rice. This rice is extra ordinarily delicious. I just love it.

When I give it to my kids I call it the “hairy rice” because the dill looks like little hair stuck to the rice and it adds some fun to the rice and the kids like it.

Persian Lima Beans and Dill Rice

Dill and Lima Beans rice

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups basmati rice cooked according with ½ teaspoon salt to the directions on the package.
2. 1 bunch Dill stripped form the tough steams and chopped
3. 1 can small lima beans rinsed and drained
4. 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.
5. ½ tablespoon olive oil

In a pan heat the oil and add the lima beans to it. Cook them for 5 minutes. Mash some of them with the back of the spoon. Add dill to it and mix well. Add the rice and the lemon juice and mix well. Serve with your favorite chicken or lamb dish