Tandoori Gobi

I looooooooooooooooooooove Cauliflower. And recently my family has also been gobbling up cauliflower when I roast them up. I have made the roasted cauliflower way too many time and I was ready for something different and here comes tandoori gobi.

Tandoori Gobi

Tandoori Gobi

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium cauliflower cut into florets
2. 1 cup whole milk yogurt squeezed out of excess water
3. 1 teaspoon each of ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, salt, tandoori mix (or ½ teaspoon each of coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel, mango amchur, ajwain)
4. 2 tablespoons besan
5. ½ tablespoon oil
6. 1 tablespoon kasoori methi
7. Pinch of red color if desired

Blanch the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside in a colander so that extra water drips.

In a cheese cloth hang the yogurt and sqeeze as much as water out as possible.

In a pan heat the oil and fry the ajwain and fennel seeds and on a low flame add the besan and keep frying for 5-7 minutes stirring continuously. Let it cool. Add all the ingredients to the yogurt and mix well. Add the cauliflowers florets and mix well. Set aside for atleast 30 minutes.

 Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a oven safe tray with cooking spray and spread the cauliflower florets in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and bake 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with chaat masala before serving if desired and enjoy

Egg plant ans shrimp in coconut gravy

Eggplant with Shrimp

Egg plant ans shrimp in coconut gravy

Ingredients:

1. 12 oz shrimp peeled and deveined
2. 3-4 cups chopped eggplant (if using the big American eggplant, I usually peel it)
3. 1 medium small onion chopped
4. 1 teaspoon each of ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric
5. ½ teaspoon each of salt, cumin
6. 1 cup coconut milk
7. 2 tablespoon oil

Marinate the shrimp with turmeric and salt for 15 minutes

In a pan heat ½ of the oil and fry the shrimp till they become pink. Drain and set aside.

In the same pan add the remaining oil and add the onions and fry till they start becoming brown. Add the eggplant and all the spices and mix and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add shrimp and the coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and taste test for salt. Adjust accordingly. Enjoy

Fish cakes

Fish cakes

Fish cakes

Ingredients:

1. 3 fillets white fish (I used swai)
2. ½ teaspoon salt
3. 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder
4. 1 large potato boiled and peeled and mashed
5. ½ teaspoon each of salt, coriander powder, cumin powder
6. 1 serrano chillie, seeded and chopped fine
7. 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
8. Handful of coriander chopped fine
9. 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
10. Oil for frying fish cakes

Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt and onion and garlic powder. Spray a frying pan with non stick spray and on medium low heat fry the fish fillets 4 minutes on each side or until barely cooked. Let cool.

Crumble the fish fillets and mix with mashed potato and all the other ingredients. Add some flour at a time till you can form dough balls. Divide into 8-10 portions and roll into balls and flatten into patties ½ inch thick. Patt them into a plat spread with bread crumbs and press so that the crumbs stick to the fish cake.

Heat oil in a frying pan and on medium heat fry the patties 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve as an appetizer or as a side dish with dal and rice

kakadi dal

Kakadi dal

Ingredients:

1. 1 cucumber melon, peeled and seeded and chopped
2. 1/3 cup toor dal
3. 1 tomato chopped
4. ½ teaspoon each of cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, asafoetida
5. Few curry leaves
6. 2-3 dried red chillies broken
7. 1 tablespoon sliced onions
8. 2 garlic pods chopped fine
9. ½ tablespoon oil

In a pressure cooker, cook the dal along with cucumber melon and tomatoes for 5-6 whistles. Let all the steam escape, open the cooker and mash the dal.

In a small pan heat the oil and add the urad dal, cumin and mustard seeds along with curry leaves and red chillies and fry till they start to splutter. Add the onions and fry till they start becoming brown. Add garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add hing and cut the heat. Add the tempering oil to the dal mix and add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot steamed rice

Long beans with red beans

Long beans with red beans fry

Long beans with red beans fry

Ingredients:

1. 1 bunch long beans cut into 1 cm long pieces
2. 1 cup canned red beans or black eyed peas drained and rinsed
3. ½ cup paneer cut into 1 cm pieces (optional)
4. ¼ cup dessicated coconut
5. ½ teaspoon each of cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, coriander powder, salt, chilli powder
6. Few curry leaves
7. 2-3 dried red chillies broken
8. 1 table sppon oil

Heat oil in a pan and add the urad dal, cumin and mustard seeds along with curry leaves and red chillies and fry till they start to splutter. Add the long beans and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add paneer if using and fry for a few minutes. Add red beans or black eyed peas and add all the spices and mix to combine. Fry for 5 more minutes. Add dried coconut and fry for 2 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with roti or steamed rice and kakadi dal

Ground beef curry

I have been making dry ground beef recipes recently quite a bit for my Meat pockets. They have become my kids favorite school lunch. They are taking it to school quite often

Ground beef curry 

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb ground beef or lamb
2. 1 teaspoon each of finely chopped garlic, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilli powder
4. 1 cup black beans (canned) -drained and rinced
5. 1 cup corn (optional)
6. 1/2 cup chopped onions
7. 1 cup chicken broth
8. 1 potato and 1 carrot (optional)
9. cilantro for garnishing

Heat a pan and fry the onions without any oil for 5-7 minutes. Add the beef along with all the spices and salt and cook for 5-7 more minutes or until its cooked through. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minute stirring occasionally. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with hot steamed rice or roti of your choice

Mauritian Dhol Puri

These days most of my new dish inspiration comes from the TV...no surprise there I think. So...the country of interest this time was Mauritius. It is an interesting fact that Mauritius is the only African Island that is predominantly Hindu.

But anyway, the recipe I made today is the Mauritian all famous Dhol Puri...which is basically dal stuffed paratha and it is super delicious. And it is typically served with Lima bean curry. But since the roti already had lentil stuffing in it, I served mine with Aloo curry


Mauritian Dhol Puri (Lentil stuffed Indian bread)

Dal stuffing

Dhol Puri with Potato Curry

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup chana dal
2. 4 cups all purpose flour
3. 1 teaspoon salt divided
4. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder (optional)
6. oil for frying

Dry roast the chana dal on low heat for 10 minutes. make sure it doesn't burn.

In a pressure cooker , cook the dal with 1.5 cups of water for 6-8 whistles. Once the pressure escapes, open the cooker and let it cool. Grind the dal to a course powder and mix with 1/2 salt, cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder if using and set aside.

Mix the remaining salt and turmeric to the all purpose flour and mix it with little water at a time until a smooth dough is formed. apply oil to your hand and roll the ball of dough so that oil is applied to it all around. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.

Dive the dough into 12 parts. Spread one part to 4-5 inches circle. Add a tablespoon full of the dal and make it into a dumpling. Spread some flour on a smooth surface ad roll with rolling pin into a thin circle.

Heat a griddle. Add some oil and spread it and add the rolled roti to it. let it fry for 1 minute. Add some oil on the top and flip the roti and let fry for 1 minute. Flip again and cook for 1 more minute if needed else take it to a plate and serve with your favorite curry or Potato curry

Eggplant and lamb rice

This week's trip to the Indian store got us some dill weed and I wanted to use it as fast as possible.  I made Dill and Lima Beans Rice and I was planning to make it again and make some lamb side dish to go with it. But then I decided to make some rice with lamb and I followed this Labanese lamb rice recipe to the A...meaning I changed it quite a bit

So...my recipe for today is Eggplant and lamb rice with Dill

Eggplant and lamb rice with Dill

Eggplant and lamb rice with Dill

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb cut into 1 inch pieces
2. 2 tablespoons oil
3. 2 bay leaves
4. 1/2 cup chopped onions
5. 1 medium small American eggplant cut into small cubes (and if possible peel the thick skin)
6. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
7. 1 cup dill weed
8. 2 cups long grain Basmati rice
9. 1 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, coriander powder
10. 1/2 teaspoon each of chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala
11. 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
12. 1 teaspoon sambar powder (Optional)

Note: Because I was feeding kids with not so strong teeth I pressure cooked the lamb pieces for 3 whistles with 1/4 cup water and half of the salt and turmeric

In a pan heat the oil and fry the bay leaf for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start becoming brown. Add the peeled chopped eggplant with all the spices, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the pressure cooked lamb and stir to combine. Add 2 cups of rice and sambar powder if using and stir to combine. Add 3.5 cups of hot water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the dill and lemon juice and stir to combine. Give it a taste test and add more salt if required. 

For serving, spread a tablespoon of plain yogurt on a plate and serve lamb and dill egg plant rice on top of it. And serve with sliced onions

Cabbage rice

I was going to make Chicken Tikka and I was looking to serve it with some vegetables and rice. But then I found the rice recipe which has lots of cabbage in it and thats what is our dinner today.

Cabbage rice with Chicken Tikka (Spicy marinated roasted chicken...aka red chicken)
and Raita (Yogurt side with onions)

Cabbage Rice

Chicken Tikka

Dahi Raita

Cabbage Rice
Ingredients:

1. 2 cups cabbage sliced thin
2. 1 cup rice cooked as per directions
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, salt, finely chopped garlic
4. few curry leaves
5. 2 dried red chillies
6. 1/2 cup sliced thin red or white onions
7. 2 tablespoons sambar powder or less to taste
8. 1 tablespoon each of  oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice, roasted desiccated coconut
9. 1/2 cup fresh green peas

In a pan eat the oil and fry the cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chillies for a minute. Add the onions and fry for a few minutes. Add the cabbage abd fry for 7-10 minutes along with the salt. Add garlic and peas and stir well. Add flushed up rice and the sambar powder and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and  add the lemon juice and cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with dry  chicken tikka or chicken tikka masala and raita

Spinach Rice

Sometime I want to eat rice but I do not want to eat the plain white rice. So I made different recipes with rice like

Eggplant and Lamb rice
Fried rice
Beet root rice
Sorrell leaf rice
Cilantro rice
Avocado rice
Cabbage rice
The recipe I made today is with Spinach and it is great to get some good spinach into the kids stomachs. And its pretty delicious and quite easy to make

Spinach Rice (Rice cooked with spinach)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice
2. 1 cup spinach from a can drained
3. 1 tomato chopped fine
4. 1 tablespoon oil
5. 1 medium small onion sliced thin
6. Few curry leaves
7. 2 green chillies slit
8. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and salt (or to taste)

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin and curry leave for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start turning brown. Add the tomatoes and slit chillies and cook for 5 minutes. Add the ground spinach and stir well. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Add washed rice and lower heat to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Enjoy

Cheese cake

Cheese cake is something I had no idea about when I first came to the US. The first time I had it, I hated it. I was expecting the texture to be more like the pastry cake we used to find back in India, but it is sooooooooo different. But by and by I got used to the taste and now its one of my favorite deserts.

Please thing it is so difficult to make it and they just go buy it. I think its much healthier (if I may say so...wink wink ) to make it at home. And it is pretty easy also. So here is an easy recipe for Cheese cake

Cheese Cake 

Cheese cake

Ingredients for crust:

1. 11/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 crackers or 4 full length crackers from the pack)
2. 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
3. 3 tablespoons melted butter
4. 1 pinch salt

Ingredients for cheese cake:

1. 16 oz 1 pack  or 2 packs of 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
2. 2 large eggs
3. 1 cup confectioners sugar
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the ingredients of the crust and prepare a 9 inch round pan. Add the crust mix and press it onto the bottom and by the sides

For the filling, beat the cream cheese with the sugar well. Add the eggs and vanilla to the mix and mix again until everything is incorporated. Add the filling to the pie pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Cover the pan and bake for 20 more minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. 

Let it cool and serve as is or with some fruit topping

Another Crispy Fried Fish

I have tried a few recipes for Fried Fish  or Crispy fried fish but the one I tried this time was great. So I have to blog it ofcourse and served with with rice and Raw Mango gravy

Crispy fried fish (Shallow fried marinated salmon fish)

Crispy fried Salmon

Ingredients:

1. 3 thick salmon fillets cut into 1 to 11/2 inch wide pieces
2. Oil for shallow frying

Ingredients for marinade:

1. 1 heaped teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2. 1 tablespoon each of lemon juice, plain yogurt, 
3. 1 tablespoons corn starch
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade and apply on both sides to each and every piece. Set aside atleast 30 minutes. The longer the fish is marinated, the better it is

Heat oil in a pan for shallow frying. Fry 5-6 minutes on each side on medium heat. Drain and enjoy with rice and dal or Aam ka khatta or as a snack and enjoy