Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread cookies

I got this recipe online, and they turned out simply amazing!! You have to try them out if you love gingerbread cookies. Ginger and chocolate go great together! And the cookie is soo soft and chewy! YUM!! :)

Ingredients:
7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Method:

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oondhiyu

So finally, after seeing my mom make oondhiyu every single year, I FINALLY made it myself, when I went to Bombay this November, and I was really impressed by myself;) simply coz I could actually make it, and well it turned out awesome!!! I made 2 vessels worth of oondhiyu, and it all got over in a DAY!!! NO LEFT OVERS!:)

This is my mom, and Kumud aunty's(my fav aunt) recipe.

The measurements mentioned below make 2 whole pots worth of oondhiyu. This preparation does not even require that much oil, and it is amazingly tasty! Here it is... ENJOY!



Ingredients:

500gms papdi seeds and the papdi
250gms thin papdi, whole
2 raw banana cut into small pieces with skin
500gm small brinjals slit
1kg purple yam, peeled and cut into small pieces
400gm sweet potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
100gm green garlic finely chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 1/2 bunches of cilantro, finely chopped
1 coconut freshly ground
4 green chillies finely chopped
4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
salt to taste
a pinch of asafoetida
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup finely chopped green garlic for garnish

Muthia:

3/4 cup wheat flour
1 tbsp gram flour(chana flour)
a pinch of asaefoetida
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3/4 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons fenugreek leaves finely chopped
water enough to bind the dough
vegetable oil for frying

Method:

Masala preparation:
In a large bowl, put in the freshly ground coconut, same amount of cilantro finely chopped, sugar, chillies, green garlic, garlic and salt to taste. Mix it well in the bowl.

Muthia preparation:
In a large bowl, mix all the muthia ingredients together and form about an inch size long muthias, they should not be round, but more elongated.

In another large pan, heat the oil on medium heat, till ready for frying. Fry all the muthias. Leave them on the side.

Oondhiyu preparation:
In a large dish, start filling the green masala, prepared earlier, into the brinjals and the bananas. Once that is done, put in the yam and sweet potatoes and put the remaining masala in the dish. Leave about 1/2 cup for the papdis. Mix everything in the large dish, except the papdis, properly with your hand.

In another smaller dish, put both, the papdis and the seeds, and the remaining masala, and add the baking soda and about 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix it well with your hand. Now we are ready to cook.

In your largest pot:), on medium heat. Put in the oil and let it heat. Add in the papdi, and cover the pot, and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Then put in the brinjals, let it cook for 5 minutes. Then put in the yam, and bananas, and let it cook again for about 7 minutes. Finally put in the sweet potatoes and all the masala remaining in the dish and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Last but not the least, add in the muthias. Now let it cook slowly, stirring it from time to time for about 30-40 minutes on medium heat, until well cooked. Make sure that the pot is always covered! If needed, transfer into another pot, so that all vegetables can cook evenly. Garnish it with the remaining chopped green garlic.

The oondhiyu is ready to eat!!!:) ENJOY it with puris and shrikhand!! :)

Rava sheera

Again, I made this today, along with the kala chana for Dasherra! Enjoy! :)

Happy Dasherra! :)



Ingredients:
1 cup rava(sooji, semolina)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ghee(clarified butter)
a pinch of saffron
3/4 teaspoon of cardamom powder
2 tablespoons coarsely ground pistachios and almonds

Method:

In a saucepan on medium heat, roast the rava for alteast 10 minutes till it browns up a bit. Then add in the ghee, and saute it till well blended for abou 2-3 minutes.

Add in the saffron in a little bit of the milk, and microwave it for a few seconds to get the color from the saffron. Add this to the remaining milk and add the milk to the rava mixture. Mix it well. Add in the sugar and the cardamom powder and the almond and pistachios. Blend it well for a few minutes. And its done! Yes, you have a desert in no time at all!

Garnish with coarsely chopped almond and pistachios.

Kala chana(gujarati style)

It is Dasherra today, the day Raavan was killed ;)! So, I decided to make kala chana with rava sheera. Both came out really tasty. Ofcourse according to me! :D My mom used to make it at the end of Navratri after she was done with her fasting and I want to continue that tradition that she followed.

So here is the recipe:)



Ingredients:
1 cup kala chana(actually red in color)
1 medium sized potato
1 tablespoon chana aata(yellow gram daal flour)
5-6 kadi patta
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
1 green chilli finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Method:

Firstly the kala chana has to soak overnight in a bowl, that has been covered, and also make sure there is enough water to soak it in.

Next day, pressure cook the chana and the potato together, for about 6 whistles. Once done, remove the peel of the potato once cooled down, and cut it into small cubes.

In a small saucepan, on medium heat, roast the chana aata for about 5-7 minutes.

In a saucepan, on medium heat, add the oil and let it heat up. Put in the kadi patta, mustard seeds, asafoetida. Once it starts crackling, add in the ginger chilli paste. Then saute it for a minute. Add the turmeric, chilli, coriander powders. Saute it for a minute. Then add in the chana potato mixture with all the water in the pressure cooker. Let it cook on medium heat. Add in the roasted chana aata. This is done to thicken the gravy of the daal. Add the sugar and salt.

Once it thickens, add in the cilantro for garnish! Eat it with puris! YUM! :)

poha chevdo

This Saturday, I had a sudden urge to make roasted poha chevdo! YES! Roasted indeed!;) less oil, but amazingly tasty!! Its my favorite kinda chevdo, and I love having it with tea in the mornings! YES another weird habit of gujaratis;) lol!!, To have snacks with tea in the morning. But its an awesome combination! Anyways, I went to the indian store and got the ingredients, and made this delicious chevdo. Trust me, it does NOT take more than 1/2 hour to make it!



Ingredients:
4 cups thin poha(flattened rice)
1/2 cup broken cashewnuts
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup white raisins
1/2 cup dahlia(yellow gram daal)
6-7 kadi patta
About 4 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 green chillies coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon chilli powder
salt to taste
pinch of rock salt to taste

Method:

First in a huge saucepan, roast the poha one cup at a time, till it is crisp for about 2-3 minutes/cup of poha. This is on medium heat. Put this into a large bowl.

Next, in the same saucepan, heat the 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil at medium heat, and then add the kadi patta and green chillies and fry them. Remove them into a second large bowl. Next, fry the peanuts, remove them into the same large bowl. Next, fry the cashewnuts, remove them into the same large bowl. Next, fry the dahlia, remove them into the same large bowl. Add the raisins to this same bowl.

Now, add the roasted poha to this bowl with all the fried mixture and add the chilli powder, turmeric, salt and sugar, and mix until well blended!

In the same saucepan, remove the dirty oil and add fresh 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and on medium heat, add the entire mixture into this saucepan and mix it well for about 3-4 minutes. Now wait for it to cool down and its ready to eat!!! :))

Gujarati Daal

Another gujarati favorite and my favorite too:) The sweet gujju daal!! YES! I know that most people dont like it sweet, including my dear husband, and I DO make it separately for him by adding the jaggery right in the end for myself! The one without the jaggery tastes awesome as well. Its even better the following day!;) A great combination is the bhinda vegetable, with rotli and this daal!

The days I am craving for some real authentic gujarati food, I make the above combination and its so satisfying!! There is nothing like home made food! :)

Ingredients:
1 cup toor daal(yellow lentils)
3 cups water
2-3 tablespoons jaggery
1 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter)
4-5 kokum pieces
10 - 15 raw peanuts
5-6 kadi patta
6 small cinnamon pieces
6 cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic
2 green chillies finely ground
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon methi(fenugreek) seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Method:

First wash the daal and then pressure cook it with the water, kokum and peanuts for about 7 whistles. Once the pressure cooker opens, use a hand blender to blend the daal into a paste. The kokum might break in the process as well but that is OK. It just adds to the flavors ;) I usually add the jaggery while pressure cooking it. You can jolly well eliminate it!!:)

In a saucepan, on medium heat, put the ghee till it melts. Then add the asafoetida, mustard seeds, methi seeds, kadi patta, cinnamon and cloves and let it crackle. Once that is done, add the ginger, garlic and chilli paste and saute it. Add in the turmeric and salt, and saute it for a minute. Add in the daal and mix it well. Add the garam masala, and keep heating it until it gets a nice consistency, where in it is NOT watery, NOR is it too thick. Garnish it with cilantro and be ready to indulge!!:)

Bhinda Bateta nu shaak(Okra potatoes vegetable)

This is such a simple vegetable, and so damn yummy!! Especially with yogurt and rotli, it tastes so good! It has always been my brother and my favorite vegetable, and as kids, we would fight over the burnt pieces of bhinda! That was the best part about bhinda! ;)

Bhinda or Okra or Lady fingers :), can NEVER be washed directly under water! The best way is to take a wet paper towel, and clean individually to remove the dirt! Yea tedious for sure, but the end result is awesome ! ;) That's what keeps me going in cleaning it;)

Once that is done, cut the top and bottom of each bhinda. Then start chopping them horizontally into small pieces.

Another TIP while picking bhinda, that my mom had mentioned is that while picking bhinda in the grocery store, take each one in the hand, and snap the end of it with your thumb. If it cracks easily, its good! Another tedious job. LOL, well bhinda sounds like a very tedious vegetable to eat, but as I said, you will NOT regret the effort !! :) I used to go grocery shopping with my mom, and I would observe her, smelling fruits, cracking the ends of bhindas, and various other quarks;)! I get it all now!!

Ingredients:
2 pounds bhinda
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
pinch of asafoetida
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 tablespoon ginger garlic chilli paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder(more if you like it spicy!:) )
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
salt to taste
1/2 tomato diced into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon sugar! (I am gujarati after all!;) )
cilantro to garnish

Method:

Firstly, microwave the diced potatoes for about 2 minutes. They will be soft.

In a saucepan, put oil on medium heat. After 2 minutes, put in the potatoes, and fry them till they brown up a bit. Add in the asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin seeds until they start splattering. Then add in the ginger garlic chilli paste. Saute it for about a minute or two. Then add in the cut okra, and saute it. You MAY need to ad in a little more oil to get them to crisp up! Add in all the remaining spices, like turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt and saute it. Let it cook and crisp up. DO NOT saute it too often else it will become mushy! Add in the tomatoes after about 15 minutes.

This may take about 1/2 hour to cook up completely, in total. But ITS WORTH it! ;) add in the sugar and saute it. Add in the cilantro on the top as garnish. Ready to eat with rotlis and yogurt! YUM! :)

To make it punjabi style, I add in about 1/2 an onion, thinly sliced, when adding in the ginger garlic chilli paste and wait for the onions to become pinkish. It gives a great taste!

Vegetable Pulao

This is my family creation, started by my grandmother and it goes delicious with the gujarati kadhi! It is so simple and delicious that it can be eaten alone with yogurt or with the kadhi and it would taste just as good! Great for taking to work for lunch as well ;)

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
1 carrot, peeled and diced into tiny pieces
1/2 cup peas
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced into tiny pieces
4-5 small cinnamon pieces
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
a pinch of asafoetida(hing)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
salt to taste

Method:

Soak the rice in a pan with 2 1/2 times the quantity of water, for about 1/2 hour.

In a large saucepan, put oil on medium heat. Put cumin seeds, asafoetida and cinnamon pieces and let them be till you hear a crackling sound. After that put in the carrots, potatoes and peas and saute them for a couple minutes. Add in the garam masala and salt and saute again. Put in the rice and the water and let it cook, keeping the saucepan covered!

After about 20 minutes, stir the pulao mixture to remove any stuck pieces at the bottom. Keep stirring occasionally till all the water has evaporated, and the rice does NOT appear sticky! Its ready to eat! :)

Beet goat cheese salad

This is our favorite salad to make! Its simple, does not take much time, filling and amazingly delicious!:)

Ingredients:
1 bag mixed greens
1 beet boiled and cut into thin slices
1/2 log goat cheese
1/5 cup walnuts pieces
1 scallion cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette dressing(more or less depending on the way you like your salad!)

Method:
Put the mixed greens, scallions, beets into a bowl and add the dressing. Toss it until all the greens are covered in dressing. Plate it into 2 plates, and top is with walnuts and goat cheese, equally distributed!

I usually make variations of this same salad, by adding tomatoes and/or cranberries, or even use red wine vinaigrette instead of balsamic vinaigrette. Especially in the summer this salad is so light and refreshing! Too bad that summer is over, and its cold again,, back to hot preparations!!

Balsamic vinaigrette

Once you understand how vinaigrettes are made, its very simple to create your own vinaigrette recipes, like I created this one and its simply delicious!! :) Key is the acid should be half quantity of the extra virgin olive oil, and you can use any acid you want, like lemon, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste

Method:

In a blender, put the balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, pepper and finely chopped garlic and blend it until well blended. Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil while blender is on, and make sure its completed blended.

Make any salad you like with this dressing. Its so good!

Olive Tapenade

I am a huge Giada fan, and hence have learnt a lot of italian terminologies, as well as dishes cause of all the Everyday Italian shows that I have seen so far!! I modified this recipe with parsley and capers. I have made crostinis as well as veggie sandwiches with this spread. It is delicious! Meat lovers, can make meat sandwiches with this spread, cheese, and thinly sliced meats and ofcourse some arugula for freshness.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup pitted black olives
1/3 cup pitted green olives
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons parsley
1/4 cup roasted peppers
1/2 - 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend it for a couple minutes. Make sure the consistency is not too fine. Its ready! As simple as that!

For crostinis, take a baguette, thinly slice it, and lightly toast it in the oven brushed with olive oil. Once toasted, put the tapenade on it and its ready to serve!

For veggie sandwiches, take a baguette, slice it horizontally but not through the entire baguette. Spread the tapenade evenly all over. Layer it with tomatoes, grilled red onions, grilled zucchini, cheese(mozarella or provolone), and arugula! Sounds delicious! isnt it! :)

Papdi chaat

Here is the recipe for papdi chaat! This recipe is crazy delicious as I mentioned in my previous entry!

Ingredients:
2 boiled potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes
About 20 puris broken into big pieces
(One can even use tortillas, cut into small squarish pieces and fry them till cripsy golden brown)

1/2 cup sev
Dahi wadas(Recipe for Dahi Wadas in label: Appetizers, Snacks)

Method:

In a serving dish, plate the puris at the bottom, then spread the potatoes all over. Then plate the dahi wadas as in the dahi wada recipe method. After putting the yogurt, date tamarind chutney, and spices, sprinkle sev generously on the top and then garnish with cilantro.

You will NOT have leftovers! ;)

Dahi wadas

I had some friends over yesterday for dinner, and I had decided to make dahi wadas since they are so popular with everyone! I dont know anyone who does not like dahi wadas!! It is a perfect blend of fried wadas with yogurt, tamarind chutney and spices! I learnt how to make these from my dear mom, who made the best dahi wadas!

So coming back to last night's dinner, I had friends over and decided to make papdi chaat instead of serving dahi wadas, and they turned out amazingly delicious! :) Papdi chaat is made with puri and sev, where puri is fried small rotis made with white flour. You can even make puris out of tortillas, cut them into small pieces and fry it. I will post the papdi chaat recipe next :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup urad daal
2 green chillies
1 teaspoon ginger minced
salt to taste
oil for frying

2 cups nonfat yogurt
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder(make sure the cumin seeds are roasted and freshly ground)
1-2 tablespoons date tamarind chutney (Recipe in Label : Chutneys)
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Method:

Soak the ural daal in water overnight. Next morning put all the ural daal in the grinder with very little water, and grind it along with the green chillies and ginger until it is pasty and of smooth consistency. It should NOT be watery at all! it should be of thick consistency for the wadas to be fried well. Add salt to taste.

Heat the oil at medium to high heat in a large frying pan. Wait till the oil is really hot. You can ensure this by putting a drop of the batter into the oil and if it rises up quickly, you know that the oil is ready. Now drop in tablespoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry the wadas till golden brown. Let them rest on a plate for a couple minutes.

Keep a large bowl with water next to the stove. Next soak the fried wadas into the water for 2-3 minutes and then squeeze them between your hands, till the water is drained out. Put them in a container and let them sit in the fridge for an hour for them to be cold.

In a medium bowl, take the yogurt and mix it with a little water, and a pinch of salt and the sugar, and mix it until it is well blended. It should again NOT be of runny consistency. It should be smooth.

When ready to serve, in a serving dish, place the wadas neatly. Now pour the yogurt mixture all over the wadas. Drizzle the date tamarind chutney all over it. Sprinkle salt, chilli powder and the cumin powder all over evenly. And finally garnish it with cilantro! Its ready to eat!:)

Tiramisu

Everyone's favorite -- TIRAMISU! :) This is Giada's recipe and it rocks!

Ingredients:
*6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
2 teaspoons dark rum
24 packaged ladyfingers
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

Method:

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.
In a small shallow dish, add remaining espresso and rum. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.

Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.

Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Cabbage potato vegetable ( patta gobi aloo sabzi )

I love this recipe! It can be made in 15 minutes and its delicious and healthy! :) I love the combination of this veggie with gujarati daal and rotis! YUM!

Ingredients:
1/2 cabbage finely shredded (I shred it in the food processor, its extremely quick!)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
pinch of asafoetida
4-5 curry leaves
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger minced
1-2 green chillies minced
1 medium sized potato
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon garam masala
pinch of chilli powder
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
salt to taste
1 small tomato chopped into tiny pieces
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
finely chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

Method:

Peel the potato, dice it into small pieces, and microwave it in a dish for about 2 minutes. Saves the cooking time for the potatoes to soften!

In a large saucepan at medium heat, put the oil and let it heat for a couple minutes. Put in the asafoetida and the mustard seeds, and wait for it to splatter. Once is starts splattering, put in the curry leaves, and the garlic, ginger, chilli paste. Saute for a couple minutes, and then put in the potatoes, and wait for them to brown up on all sides. Then add the shredded cabbage, and saute it again for about 3 minutes till its well coated with the oil and the fresh spices. Put in the masalas and the tomato and saute it again for about 4 minutes. Dont overcook it!

Garnish it with the cilantro and its ready to eat!:)

Date Tamarind Chutney

This sweet chutney is soo versatile! It is used in chaats, indian appetizers or even with regular food! I usually make it in bulk and store it in the deep freezer. It keeps very well, and tastes just fine every time I want to use it. This recipe below is the way my mom used to make it, and its simply fabulous! I follow her recipe, and here it is!

Ingredients:
3 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup tamarind OR 1/4 cup tamarind paste
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup jaggery
1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder
5-6 cups of water

Method:
In a large saucepan, put all the ingredients and let it boil for about 15 minutes. Let it cool once the water has reduced to about 2/3rds. Put this mixture in a blender and blend it for a couple minutes. Put this mixture through a strainer into a container. Strain it out completely to get a smooth consistency in the container. It should not be runny. It should be smooth in flow. Store it in small containers and freeze it for future use!

Batata wadas

Last Sunday, I had this urge to eat pav wadas, an indian fast food dish, readily available at any street or any corner of Bombay! I was making batata wadas for the first time, and was extremely enthusiastic about it! They turned out really tasty(thats's me praising my own food! ;) ) and Raj, who had never eaten a pav wada, loved it too! Here goes the recipe!

Ingredients:

3 medium boiled and peeled potatoes
2 green chillies finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
pinch of asafoetida(hing)
salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the batter:
3-4 tablespoon of gram flour(besan)
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste
1/5 cup of water

vegetable or canola oil for frying

Method:

First step, mash the potatoes, not completely though.

In a deep pan, on medium heat, put the oil. Once hot, put in the asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and let it splatter. Then put in the ginger, garlic, green chillies, and saute for a couple of minutes. Put in the mashed potatoes, and the spices, namely turmeric and salt, lemon juice and cilantro. Mix it until well blended. The paste is ready.

Now for the batter, in a small bowl, take the gram flour, with the spices and mix it until blended. Now put in water a tablespoon at a time, and put just enough to make a thick pastey like batter. It should NOT be runny. It should be smooth and thick enough to be able to coat the potato mixture.

Now, make small balls of the potato mixture. They should be about the size of small limes.

Heat the oil for frying in a saucepan at medium heat. Put a drop of the batter, if it comes up immediately, the oil is ready to fry. Now coat each potato mixture ball in the batter, and put it immediately into the oil. Put about 4 at a time for frying. Fry them until golden brown about 1-2 minutes each side.

The batata wadas are ready!! :) To make the pav wadas, cut the bread roll in half, put a little garlic chutney, tamarind chutney and the batata wada, and ENJOY! :)

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Ok! These are the most delicious cookies that I have ever made! Especially when they come out straight from the oven, oh my god! They simply melt in my mouth! AND Raj's mouth! LOL! Yea, he IS THE Cookie Monster! These cookies simply DON'T last in my kitchen! Here is the recipe.. you can modify it if you dont like hazelnuts, and just use chocolate chips. Another variation is, add chocolate chunks! It makes it even more chocolicious!! ;)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces English toffee candy (recommended: Heath or Skor bar), finely chopped
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, and chopped
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips OR same quantity of chocolate chunks

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1-inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Red wine vinaigrette

For orzo salad, or any other kinda salad! Its yum! Make sure you use good quality honey as well as extra virgin olive oil. I used to use store bought honey, and then I switched to this clove honey, that I bought from the Oakville Grocery store in Palo Alto, and I simply love that honey! It is it's money's worth! Make the vinaigrette so flavorful!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Orzo Salad

This is one of my favorite summer salads! Raj loves it too. I always make the entire quantity mentioned below, and we take it for lunch. Since its a cold salad, it doesnt require reheating as well. Also, it has carbs, proteins and veggies, all in one! ;)

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken OR vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.
Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Berry healthy smoothie

I have been gyming more regularly now a days, and me being a vegetarian, I do not get a substantial amount of protein intake, hence I started having this smoothie that I make in minutes! We had gone to the farmer's market on Sunday and we got these really sweet strawberries and raspberries. I love raspberries in any form, icecream, chocolates or even cakes! One can even make this with blueberries or blackberries! Ok now for the recipe...It is simply berrilicious!!;)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups low fat vanilla soya milk(available at Trader Joe's)
1 banana
8-10 frozen strawberries
12-14 frozen raspberries
1 teaspoon sugar(or splenda)
About 5 ice cubes

Method:

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend it until really smooth and well blended!

Enjoy the berry healthy smoothie! ;)

Tzatziki dip

This dip is excellent with a bunch of different foods. Goes great with falafel sandwiches, OR pita chips OR fresh veggies like carrots, celery, brocolli OR even with any kinda chips!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups non fat greek yogurt ( available at Trader Joe's)
1 peeled and grated cucumber
1/2 small lemon
salt to taste
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 big clove or 2 small cloves finelly chopped garlic
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Method:

Strain the grated cucumber between the hands, to remove all the water possible! In a bowl add the greek yogurt and whisk it until it is of smooth consistency. Add the chopped garlic, parsley, cucumber, lemon juice from the 1/2 lemon, salt and pepper and mix it all well until blended. Simple and easy! :)

Harissa sauce

I made this sauce for the first time a couple days ago, and it turned out to be delicious in the falafel sandwich. A little bit goes a long way.;) Raj loved it too. He kept making fun of me that we could just add any kinda italian dressing with some fresh herbs until he tasted this one!

Ingredients:
15 - 20 dried red chillies
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon caraway seeds(suva)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon of salt
About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Soak the dried red chillies in warm water for about half an hour. Then remove the seeds from all the chillies.

In a grinder, finely grind the caraway seeds, cumin and coriander seeds. Add the red chillies and salt and grind this mixer. Finally add the fresh herbs, that is mint and cilantro to this mixture and grind it once more. Remove it in a storage container. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the entire mixer and cover up to 1/2 cm above the mixture in the container.

Falafel sandwiches

Yumm! Raj and I both love falafel sandwiches and I make them quite often. I usually make falafels, with tzatziki dip, hummus and harissa sauce, as well as some salad in a whole wheat pita. Its delicious and I make extra so that I can take it for lunch the next day as well!

Ingredients:
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
vegetable oil for frying

Whole wheat pitas
Harissa sauce (recipe to follow)
Tzatziki dip (recipe to follow)
Hummus (recipe to follow or you can buy hummus from Trader Joe's)
romaine lettuce cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 tomato diced into small cubes
1/2 peeled cucumber diced into small cubes(remove the seeds before chopping)
1/4 onion finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of chilli powder


Method:

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.

Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

To make the salad, in a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, cucumber, and onions. Mix it with little salt and pepper to taste, as well as a pinch of chilli powder and mix it.

To assemble the falafel sandwiches, cut the pita into 3/4ths lengthwise and open it up. Layer it with hummus and harissa sauce. Add the chopped romaine lettuce, salad, and the falafel balls, and the tzatziki dip. Add more lettuce and salad for that extra crunch! and its ready to eat ! :)

Chana(Chole) masala

Chana masala is one of the most popular, all time favorites of most people!!! Its easy to make and so tasty and it tastes even better the next day, because the flavors blend in by the following day. Traditionally eaten with bature(A HUGE ROUND FRIED ROTI!) but you could eat it with rice or roti/naan, or even bread! Yumm!! My hubby's favorite too! :) I like to make my food from scratch most of the times, especially the chana masala, because it just tastes so much more flavorful and tasty.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup garbanzo beans(from a packet)
1/2 large onion finely chopped
2 teaspoon garlic ginger paste
3/4 tomato finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 potato
a pinch of asefoitida
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon chilli powder(depending on your spice level!)
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 1/2 teaspoon chole masala(you can get this in a packet at any indian grocery store)1/4 cup brewed black tea
1/2 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander and a few finely chopped onions for garnish
salt to taste

Method:

Boil the garbanzo beans and the potato in a pressure cooker with about 3 - 4 cups water for about 6 whistles. Once done, peel the potato and cut it into medium sized cubes. Smash about 1/4 cup of boiled garbanzo beans into a pasty consistency.

In a deep saucepan, put the oil and on medium heat, let the oil warm up. Put in the asefoitida and cumin seeds, and let it crackle. Put in the onions and saute them till they are slightly brown. Put in the ginger garlic paste, and the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and stir it till well blended. Put in the tummeric, chill powder, cumin powder, salt, and chole masala, and stir again till well blended. Put in the boiled garbanzo beans, and the potato, along with the water in the pressure cooker and stir it again. Put in the brewed black tea, this is for the chana color. Put in the smashed garbanzo beans too. Let this cook on medium heat for about 15 - 20 minutes till the water thickens a bit.

Garnish with the fresh coriander and onions. Its ready to eat! :)

Pita chips

This is an excellent snack with various kinda dips! Its healthy too, to snack on after a tiring day at work!! I have made these a few times and they always turn out great! It lasts for about 2 weeks. It goes great with the following dips: Muhammara, Hummus, Tzaztki, recipes coming next ;) Its gonna be a mediterrnean string of recipes!


Ingredients:

4 whole wheat pita bread(Trader Joes)
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Method:

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

Cut the pita bread into neat triangles, by first slicing it into half to make semi circles, and then cutting each semi circle in quarter circles. There should be 16 quarter circles, which you will then cut further into half, to make 32 pieces in total.

Spread the pieces onto a baking sheet, and coat them completely with the olive oil. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and oregano over the pita triangles uniformly.

Bake them in the oven, for roughly about 15-20 min, until they are slightly brown. They will still be a little soft. Remove it from the oven and let them cool. Once cooled, they will be crisp and ready to eat with the dips! Enjoy!

Banana crunch muffins

These are simple delicious!!!!! And it comes out awesome every single time that I have made them!! Make sure you use overripe bananas, a perfect way to use those ripe bananas, that you wouldn't want to eat otherwise! ;) I had a little bit of cinnamon for that extra zing. Trust me, they come out superb, a delectable morning snack with coffee!


Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 cup small-diced walnuts
1 cup granola
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Dried banana chips, granola, or shredded coconut, optional


Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don't overmix.

Fold the diced bananas, walnuts, granola, and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each 1 to the top. Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

Tex-Mex Salad

A delicious salad, light and refreshing for the summer! :)

Ingredients:
1 bunch romaine lettuce roughly chopped
1 avocado chopped into bite size chunks
1 tomato chopped into bite size chunks
2 corn ears
1/8 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/8 cup finely chopped spring onions
1 cup fried bite size tortilla strips
1 lemon juice
double the lemon juice quantity of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon good honey
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 3/4 tsp tabasco sauce
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Method:

Char the corn ears on the gas until well done. Let it cool slightly and remove the corn off the ear in a bowl.

Put the romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, onions, cilantro all in the same bowl.

For the dressing, mix the lemon juice, honey, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and tabasco sauce in another bowl and mix it well until blended.

Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and toss it lightly to coat all salad ingredients with dressing.

Plate it and top it with tortilla chips and cheddar cheese! YUM!! :D

Bengan(Eggplant) Bharta

Eggplant is not a favorite with many people, but try this recipe and its surely gonna be a hit!! ;)

Ingredients:
1 Large eggplant(bengan)
1 small onion finely chopped
1 1/2 - 2 tsp garlic ginger green chilli paste
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 small tomato finely chopped
2 sprigs of green onion finely chopped
1 tsp cumin/mustard seeds
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 - 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder(if the green chilli is not spicy enough!!)
salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
chopped coriander for garnish



Method:
First, roast the eggplant. It can be done in 2 ways:
1.) I usually roast it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 450 degrees and then broil it on all sides for about 4 minutes turning it periodically to burn all sides of the eggplant. I do this cause I have an electric stove and not gas.
2.) A friend of mine suggested to do it on the electric stove and turning it periodically for about 15 minutes or until it starts to wrinkle and the skin is burnt. Basically, we are cooking the eggplant before putting any flavoring into it.

Once that is done, cool it slightly and then remove the contents from the eggplant by removing the outer skin. Mash the mixture completely.

In a deep pan, heat the vegetable oil, put in the cumin/mustard seeds until they start crackling, and put the asefoitida too. Put the chopped onions, garlic, ginger and chilli paste and cook at medium heat until it turns slightly brown. Then put in the tomatoes and the tomato paste and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Put in all the masalas, and then the eggplant, and half of the chopped green onions. Let it cook for about 8-10 minutes until the eggplant has caught all the various flavors n garnish with the remaining chopped green onions and coriander.

Eat it with hot rotis!! :)

Gujarati Kadhi

This is one of my favorite gujarati dish!!! Its made out of yogurt, and its delicious with jeera rice! Yumm!!



Ingredients:

2 cups yogurt
4 cups water
2 tbsp gram flour(besan)
2 small green chillies(1 if you like it mildly spiced)
a small piece of ginger
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
3/4 tsp methi seeds(fenugreek seeds)
a pinch of asefoitida(hing)
3-4 curry leaves(kadhi patta)
3-4 cloves
3-4 pieces cinnamon
salt to taste
sugar(optional, though I LOVE it sweet!! ;) )
1 tbsp clarified butter(ghee)

Method:

Put the yogurt, gram flour, water, ginger, chillies, coriander in a blender and blend it well.

In a large pot, put the clarified butter, and on low heat wait for it to melt and warm up. Put the cumin seeds, methi seeds, curry leaves, and asefoitida and let it crack. Once you start hearing the cracking sound, put the mixer in the blender into the pot, and start stirring the mixer. Put salt to taste, and add sugar if you like it with a tinge of sweetness!

The trick to amazing gujarati kadhi is to keep stirring it continuously for 15-20 minutes, until the kadhi starts boiling, and the color changes to a mild yellow. And its ready!! Garnish it with coriander leaves, and have it with jeera rice!:)

Brownies!

I am putting up this recipe by popular demand!! :) These are the BEST brownies I have ever eaten. Veryy DELICIOUS!! Its one of my favorite chef Ina Garten's recipe. I make sizzling brownie sundaes with these brownies, and they are always a hit with my friends ;)

Ingredients:

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut piecesPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1
1/2-inch sheet pan.

Method:

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Thai salad

A delicious refreshing summer salad! veryy Yummy!!

Ingredients:

For the salad:
1 napa cabbage thinly chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup long thin slices of cucumber
1 cup fried wonton strips
2 tbsp lightly toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp chopped scallions
sprigs of coriander to garnish


For the peanut sauce dressing:
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 1/2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soya sauce
2 tsp chilli sauce
4 tbsp vegetable oil


For the cilantro lime dressing:

1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander
1 lime juice squeezed
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt to taste


Method:

Mix all the salad ingredients, except wontons and sesame seeds in a large bowl and toss it.

For the peanut sauce dressing, mix all the ingredients except oil. Pour in the oil and stir it in till well blended.

For the cilantro lime dressing, mix all the ingredients except oil, till well blended. Stir in the oil till well blended.

Pour in the 2 dressings, making sure not to overpower the salad with too much dressing. It should be just enough to coat the salad. There should NOT be any dressing at the bottom of the bowl. Lightly toss the salad.

Sprinkle the salad with the wonton and the sesame seeds and toss it lightly.

Its ready to eat!! :) Enjoy!

Paneer Koftas

Ingredients:

For the Kofta:
3 medium sized potatoes peeled
1 cup grated paneer
1/2 + 2tbsp besan(gram flour)
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp finely ground fresh coriander
2 freshly ground green chillies
salt to taste

Oil to fry

For the ground masala:

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
4-5 whole black peppercorns
2-3 whole cloves
1/4 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp roasted cashewnuts

For the curry:

1 tbsp ghee or oil
1 finely chopped small onion
1 tsp freshly ground garlic ginger
1 finely chopped tomato
2-3 bay leaf
1/4 cup tomato sauce or 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup water OR 3/4 cup 2% milk
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste

1bsp chopped fresh coriander for Garnish.


Method:

For the Koftas, boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker. Once done, and cooled, drain out the water and put in the remaining ingredients and make a paste out of it. Cover it and let it sit for about 1/2 an hour to let the ingredients blend together.

Take a frying pan and pour enough oil to be able to fry. Heat it for about 7 minutes on little over medium heat. To test whether the oil is ready, put a tiny bit of the kofta dough and put it in the oil, and if it rises up to the surface immediately, then the oil is ready! Make small balls of the dough and fry about 5 at a time till they are crisp and golden brown on the outside. Put them on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

For the ground masala, roast all the spices minus the nuts, on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring it continuously until you start getting the lovely spice smell! Grind it finely in a mixer along with the cashewnuts until it is a paste like consistency.

In a large saucepan, put the ghee or oil. Let it heat for about 1 min on medium heat. Put the ground masala and saute it for about 2 minutes on low heat. Meanwhile on the side, take a small saucepan and heat up 1/2 tbsp oil for about a minute and then saute the bay leaves, onions and garlic ginger paste till the onions are slightly brown. Put the onion mixture into the ground paste mixture and mix it in well. Now put in the chopped tomatoes and the paste/sauce and cook it on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Put all the remaining dry ingredients like turmeric powder, garam masala and salt and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the cream + water OR milk and let it bubble for a bit.

You can now put in the koftas just few minutes before eating. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Vegetable Koftas

By request from my masi(aunt), although shes a great cook herself. :)

Ingredients:

For the Kofta:
3 medium sized potatoes peeled
1 1/2 cups diced carrots and green beans , peas
1/2 + 2tbsp besan(gram flour)
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp freshly minced garlic
1 tsp freshly ground ginger
2 freshly ground green chillies
1/2 tsp amchur powder
salt to taste

Oil to fry

For the ground masala:

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
4-5 whole black peppercorns
2-3 whole cloves
1/4 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp roasted cashewnuts

For the curry:

1 tbsp ghee or oil
1/2 tbsp ghee or oil
1 finely chopped small onion
1 tsp freshly ground garlic ginger
1 finely chopped tomato
2-3 bay leaf
1/4 cup tomato sauce or 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup water OR 3/4 cup 2% milk
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste

1bsp chopped fresh coriander for Garnish.


Method:

For the Koftas, boil the vegetables in a pressure cooker. Once done, and cooled, drain out the water and put in the remaining ingredients and make a paste out of it. Cover it and let it sit for about 1/2 an hour to let the ingredients blend together.

Take a frying pan and pour enough oil to be able to fry. Heat it for about 7 minutes on little over medium heat. To test whether the oil is ready, put a tiny bit of the kofta dough and put it in the oil, and if it rises up to the surface immediately, then the oil is ready! Make small balls of the dough and fry about 5 at a time till they are crisp and golden brown on the outside. Put them on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

For the ground masala, roast all the spices minus the nuts, on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring it continuously until you start getting the lovely spice smell! Grind it finely in a mixer along with the cashewnuts until it is a paste like consistency.

In a large saucepan, put the ghee or oil. Let it heat for about 1 min on medium heat. Put the ground masala and saute it for about 2 minutes on low heat. Meanwhile on the side, take a small saucepan and heat up 1/2 tbsp oil for about a minute and then saute the bay leaves, onions and garlic ginger paste till the onions are slightly brown. Put the onion mixture into the ground paste mixture and mix it in well. Now put in the chopped tomatoes and the paste/sauce and cook it on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Put all the remaining dry ingredients like turmeric powder, garam masala and salt and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the cream + water OR milk and let it bubble for a bit. You can now put in the koftas. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Eat this with rotis or rice! It is very tasty, I guarantee you! :)

Guacamole

Excellent dip!! Also, very healthy, contains no oil and avocado has all the good fat! :)

Ingredients:

2 ripe Haas avocados
1 roma tomato diced into small pieces
1/2 red or white onion finely chopped
1 lemon or 2 small limes
1-2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno finely chopped(remove the seeds, else it will be very hot!)
salt and pepper to taste


Method:

Cut the avocado length wise, all around with the seed in the middle. Twist the avacodo with both hands, one going clockwise and the other hand going anti-clockwise. Remove the seed. Scoop out all the ripe avocado with a spoon into a big bowl.

With a fork, start breaking the avocado into smaller pieces but NOT smashing it. It should look chunky. Squeeze the lemon or lime over the avocado. Put in the diced onions, tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper and fold it in gently in such a way that the avocado does NOT break further. Fold it till well blended.

Its ready to be eaten with tortilla chips or even pita chips! ( baked pita chips recipe next!)

Mexican Lasagna

An Italian classic, gets a south of the border twist! My husband Raj loves mexican food, he likes the spiciness of it, but you can only have tacos or enchiladas, but after a while that becomes boring. So I combined one of my favorite foods Lasagna, with the flavors and ingredients that my husband loves so much!

Ingredients:

3 corn tortillas ( available at Trader Joes )
1/2 can of black beans
1/2 small can of sweet corn kernels
1 small roma tomato finely chopped
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1/2 large red/yellow bell pepper
1/2 tbsp of chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp tabasco sauce ( or less depending on how spicy you like it! )
3/4 cup mexican cheese blend ( available at Trader Joes )
1/3 cup salsa sauce
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin powder


Method:

In a small saucepan, put in about 2 tsp vegetable oil and let it heat up at medium heat. Put in the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Put in the 1/2 can of black beans and 1/2 can of corn kernels and stir it till blended. Put in the tomatoes and cilantro, salt, pepper, tabasco sauce and cumin powder. Mix it all well, and leave it for about 5 minutes at reduced heat. This mixture is ready.

In another flat pan, pour the remaining 2 tsp of vegetable oil, heat it at little more than medium heat. Add the thinly sliced bell pepper and onions and saute it for about 5-7 minutes until the onions are browned and the bell pepper has specks of black on it. This mixture is ready.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To assemble, put about a tbsp of salsa sauce and spread it at the bottom of a square baking pan. Put a corn tortilla on the top. Put half of the vegetable mixture, and spread it evenly on the corn tortilla to cover it properly. Put half of the black bean mixture and spread it evenly and thinly. Put half of the remaining salsa sauce, and spread it evenly. Put 1/3 of the mexican cheese blend and spread it evenly.

Cover this with another corn tortilla and repeat the above assembling procedure. Top it off with the last corn tortilla and spread the remaining 1/3 of the cheese on top. Cover the baking pan with an aluminum foil and put it in the oven to bake. Keep it in for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and keep it on broil for 2 minutes for the cheese on the top to brown and melt really well.

Cool it for 2 minutes after removing it from the oven and its READY!!! Cut it into 4 pieces and eat away this delicious Mexican Lasagna with guacamole and salsa and Doritos!!!! :)

Berry Crisp

Do you love pies but find that the crust leaves you feeling heavy and weighed down? Well, I have the perfect recipe for you. Its my berry crisp! One part berries, one part buttery flaky crust and all parts yummy and triilicious! :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/2 cups black berries
1 cup blueberries
1/2 lemon
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats ground
1/2 stick unsalted cold butter diced into cubes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Method:

Put all the berries in a bowl with the lemon and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and a tbsp of flour. Mix it to just blend it and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to release the juices.

In another bowl, mix 1 cup flour, the remaining granulated sugar, light brown sugar, ground oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk it enough to blend it well. Add the sliced almonds and also the cold butter and start mixing it well with your hands to let the butter incorporate into the flour mixture. It should form a lumpy mixture.

In a baking dish, pour the berry mixture and spread it evenly onto the dish. Top it off with the flour butter mixture evenly on the berry surface to form the crust for the berry crisp.

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Place this baking dish on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil to not let the juices overflow at the bottom of the oven. Let the berry crisp bake for about 50 minutes. And voila! Its ready!!

Have it with a scoop of vanilla icecream and I dare you to limit yourself to one serving! :)

Note: You can even divide the mixture into ramekins to make individual portions.

Mediterranean Rolls

My husband Raj and I like going to California Pizza Kitchen many a times, and we ate these appetizer rolls once and really liked it. It had simple ingredients and looked pretty easy to replicate! I have made a few varitions to this appetizer and it comes out really tasty every single time! Its well received by whoever has tried them! So go ahead and try it out:)

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
1 japanese eggplant thinly sliced
1 1/2 small white onions thinly sliced
7-8 crimini mushrooms cut into cubes
6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
4-5 sun dried tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozarella + Fontina cheese
5 large flour tortillas
olive oil to brush
salt and pepper to taste

Method:


Put the cut bell peppers, onions, eggplant, mushrooms, garlic and parsley in a large bowl and mix it along with 1/4 cup olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Grill these veggies on a hot grill pan, until the veggies look done, well charred.

Once cooled, mix the veggies with chopped sun dried tomatoes. Take a flour tortilla, and spread 1/5 of the mixture in the middle of the tortilla. Put parmesan cheese, fontina and mozarella cheese in the middle on top of the veggie mixture. Roll the tortilla from one side, onto the veggie cheese mixture and slowly start rolling it over until it forms a thin wrap. Cut it diagonally into 3 pieces. Do the same for the remaining 4 tortillas.

Take a baking sheet, covered with aluminum foil. Put these cut rolls on a sheet, brush both sides with olive oil and bake it in an oven at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Turn each roll and brush it again with olive oil and bake it until golden brown for 12 more minutes.

They are ready to eat! DELICIOUS!! :)

Methi(fenugreek) theplas

This is a savory bread, like roti but with a lot of fresh and dry spices, and greens! Its really tasty and can be eating with yogurt and pickle or with potato bhaji(potatoes in spices). Its another one my dear mom's concoction.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 1/2 bunch of fenugreek leaves
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 tsp freshly ground garlic
1 tsp ground green chillies
a pinch of asefoitida(optional)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup yogurt
Enough water to bind the dough(start off slowly)


Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and bind it together into a dough like consistency until its malleable and not sticky! Keep binding it to incorporate it in a proper manner.

Once completed, apply little oil on the entire surface. Cover the bowl and keep it for about half an hour before rolling it out into thin rotis using little flour on the board so that it doesnt stick to the surface.

On the pan, at medium heat, put a little bit of oil, on both sides so that it turns out crisp and delicious!

Eat it hot with yogurt and pickle and relish it!

Dudhi(bottle gourd) theplas

This recipe is for a friend Sonia, who's husband Sameer does not like dudhi!;) Hopefully after she makes these theplas, he will start liking dudhi.

This is a savory bread, like roti but with a lot of fresh and dry spices, and a vegetable! Its really tasty and can be eating with yogurt and pickle or with potato bhaji(potatoes in spices). Its one my dear mom's concoction.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
About 1/2 dudhi(bottle gourd) peeled and finely grated
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 tsp freshly ground garlic
1 tsp ground green chillies
a pinch of asefoitida(optional)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil



Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and bind it together into a dough like consistency until its malleable but not sticky! Use the water from the bottle gourd to bind the dough. If needed, add more water, but ONLY IF needed! Keep binding it to incorporate it in a proper manner.

Once completed, apply little oil on the entire surface. Cover the bowl and keep it for about half an hour before rolling it out into thin rotis using little flour on the board so that it doesnt stick to the surface.

On the pan, put a little bit of oil, on both sides so that it turns out crisp and delicious!

Eat it hot with yogurt and pickle and relish it!

Chocolate Tiramisu

I got this recipe from one of my favorite chefs, Giada DeLaurentis. I have been watching her show since almost a couple years now and she is brilliant. Her recipes are simple, elegant in presentation and yummy. I have tried a lot of her recipes and they have all turned out excellent! I was lucky enough to go for her book signing too ;)!! So here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

6 ounces container mascarpone cheese
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp dark rum
Chocolate Zabaglione, recipe follows
2 1/2 cups espresso coffee, warmed
24 crisp ladyfinger cookies (recommended: Savoiardi found in Italian gourmet stores or www.amazon.com)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish
Dark chocolate shavings, for garnish

Method:

Place the mascarpone cheese in a large bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the cream and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Then fold in the chilled Chocolate Zabaglione. Mix the dark rum in this mixture and fold it just enough to blend. Cover and refrigerate.

Whisk the warmed espresso and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in another medium bowl until blended. Line a 9 1/4 by 5 by 2 3/4-inch metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing the plastic to extend over the sides. Working with 1 cookie at a time, dip 8 cookies into the espresso, and arrange in a single layer side by side over the bottom of the prepared pan.

Spoon 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies to cover. Repeat dipping 8 of the cookies in the espresso and layering the cookies and remaining mascarpone mixture 2 more times. Dip the remaining 8 cookies in the espresso and arrange side by side atop the tiramisu. Press lightly to compact slightly (the last layer will extend above the pan sides). Cover the tiramisu with plastic and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Unwrap the plastic from atop the tiramisu. Invert the tiramisu onto a platter. Remove the plastic. Sift the cocoa over the tiramisu, and with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, make dark chocolate shavings and sprinkle over top.

Chocolate Zabaglione:
2 tablespoons whipping cream, or heavy cream
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry Marsala ( available at Trader Joes )

Pinch salt.Add cream and chocolate to a heavy small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, Marsala, and salt in a large glass bowl until blended. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, but do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Whisk the egg mixture over the simmering water until it is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Using a large rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate to chill completely.

Spiced Banana Nut Bread

The banana nut bread turns out really moist and its healthy too since it uses whole wheat flour! Try it once and you will not be able to resist it!

Ingredients:
==========
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon + a pinch of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/8 cup buttermilk
2-3 ripe(almost black) bananas
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans

Method:

=======

Heat oven to 350°. Grease or spray 1 loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mash bananas with a masher or with a fork.

Dissolve soda in buttermilk-- use a larger container as it will foam up quite a bit.

Mix all dry ingredients, make sure its well blended.

In the banana bowl, add the buttermilk, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly until well blended.

Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and blend it with a spatula, and add the chopped nuts.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out ALMOST clean. Totally clean will mean a dryer loaf.

Cool 15 minutes after removing from oven. Remove it from the loaf pan finally. And let it cool completely before slicing it.

Potato corn cakes

Ok, I know I was going to put up the recipe for vegetable sandwich but I like this recipe a lot, and its really tasty and turns out really good. I try to control the amount of oil that goes into it to make it healthy.

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes parboiled(for about 5 min in boiling water)
1 cup cooked corn
1 small onion finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
3 green chillies finely chopped
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp rice flour
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.) Grate the potatoes coarsely along with the skin. Coarsely chop the corn in the food processor.

2.) Saute the onions in a pan with the butter.

3.) Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well till its all blended.

4.) Make small pancakes out of the mixture and put little oil in a pan and put the pancakes till they turn slightly brown. Brown them on the other side also. Put them on a tissue paper to drain out the excess oil and its ready to eat!

You can eat this with the cilantro mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

Cilantro mint chutney

This is a very popular chutney, that one has as a dip with various appetizers or even with food. It can be made as spicy as you want, depending on your capacity ;) And moreover it goes with the vegetable samosas!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of cilantro washed
10 - 12 mint leaves washed
3 - 4 green chillies(depending on how spicy you like it)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 small onion roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

Put all the indredients in a food processor or a blender and process it until it turns into a green paste with a smooth texture.

THATS IT! :) And you have your cilantro mint chutney ready!

You can even put this on a slice of bread with butter on it first, and have it has a snack. Or you can make a vegetable sandwich.

I will be posting that recipe next:) ENJOY!

Vegetable Samosa

So for my signature recipe, I have vegetarian samosas for you today! Everyone loves vegetarian samosas. So here we go!

Ingredients:

2 Large potatoes (or 4 small potatoes)
1 cup peas
1 small onion diced
2 large garlic
same size ginger
3-4 green chillies(depending on how spicy you want it)

Spices:

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh coriander
puff pastry

Method:

1.) Boil the peas and potatoes that have been peeled. Let it cool down and mash it completely.

2.) In a pan, take about 2 tbsp oil, let it get slightly hot, and then we ate the finely chopped onions. I have the chopped ginger, garlic and onion paste, and I put that along with the onions. Saute it till it becomes golden brown.

3.) Next we add the mashed mixture, and add all the spices(give measurements for all the spices) and let it cook for about 7 minutes, till its all well mixed.

4.) We let the mixture cool.

5.) Now to assemble our vegetarian samosa, we take the thawed puff pastry and put about a tablespoonful of the mixture and cover it! Brush it with some olive oil for a crusty top.

6.) Next you bake them in the oven at 350 degrees preheated oven till they turn golden brown, which is for around 5 minutes. Voila! The samosas are ready!!:)

You can eat them with cilantro mint chutney or with ketchup. ITs DELICIOUSSSS!!!!!

Next, I shall be giving you the recipe for cilantro mint chutney.

Inputs for the vegetable samosas are most welcome!!

Three generations of delicious recipes!!

Three generations.... I am talking about my grandmother, my mom and aunts(her 2 sisters) and myself. That makes it 3 generations worth of recipes, thats what I would like to give to you'll!! :) My grandmother, born in 1932, was a homemaker and my grandfather would have his friends over and his clients over all the time. My grandmother would make all sorts of delicious Indian food, with varieties. She had amazing strength.

She passed on her cooking skills to my mother and my 2 aunts. They made their own variations to the dishes increasing the database of recipes! Then came the additions to the database with different cuisines, adding their own special warm touches to the dishes.

And my mom passed on her cooking expertise on to me. I make my own variations to her recipes plus I create some of my own. I add my own vegetarian touches to different cuisines. Have you ever heard of Mexican Lasanga;)?

I will soon be posting my first recipe, it being vegetarian samosas! :) Look out for this recipe. Its coming soon! Ciao!

About Amisha's kitchen

Hi folks! This is my first attempt at writing a blog. I mainly want to share my recipes with people. I love cooking and I have been cooking since I was 8 years old! My mom would be cooking in the kitchen, making scrumptous food for us, and I would be standing by her side, watching her work her magic on the fresh ingredients and making delicious indian food! My mom is my inspiration. I want to promote healthy vegetarian cooking. I want to promote indian food.

I do make chicken sometimes, for my husband who loves meat dishes;) but he has started appreciating vegetarian food too.He tells me that I am turning him into a vegetarian;) One can derive nutrition from vegetarian food too and you can make it delicious!

I will soon start posting recipes. I would love to hear comments if one tries them out. Adios for now!