Sambar

One of the most popular and well loved dishes from the southern part of India is sambar, and each of the 4 states have their own slight variations of it. I lived in chennai most of my life, so naturally my sambar gravitates toward the tamil version. Here's the recipe:

Toor daal - 1 cup

Shallots - 5 to 6 (else 12 small onions, or 1 big onion)

Green chilis - 4

Carrot - 1

Tomatoes -2

Eggplants - 2

Okra - 2

Bottle gourd or Sorakai - 1/2 small

Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Cilantro - for garnish

Hing - a big pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Water - 8 cups or more

Cook the daal with about 2 1/2 cups water in a pressure cooker for about 10 whistles, till it is really mushy and smooth. In a pan, add a tbsp oil and add the onions and chilis. Chop all the veggies into cubes. Fry till the onions are translucent and add all the other veggies. Fry till tender. In the cooked daal, add the sambar powder, chili powder, salt, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, sugar and some water. Mix well. Now add that to the veggies and pour the rest of the water. Let it simmer for about 10 min. In a seperate pan, add 1 tbsp oil  and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the hing. Once it starts to splutter add the tadka to the sambar. Garnish with cilantro.

Carrot halwa

One of the easier and healthier indian sweets out there is carrot halwa. I remember when we were really young, my mom would make this halwa, but it was such a time consuming process. It would take at least 2 to 3 hours to make this, and would involve constant stirring. Not any more tho, with condensed milk and koya being readily available every where, it take a just a fraction of the time to make. Here's the recipe:

Carrots grated - 4

Condensed milk - 1 small tin

Cardamom  powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Sugar - 2 to 3 tbsp

Milk - 1/2 cup

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the ghee and add the grated carrots. Fry till the raw smell is gone, and then add the condensed milk. Add the milk and sugar and stir till it is of the right consistency. If you like your halwa really thick, leave it on longer. Add more milk if you like it more runny. Add the cardamom powder and garnish with slivered almonds. Tastes really good hot or cold. Serve with some vanilla ice cream if you are having guests. 

Tip: I chop my carrots in the juicer of my preeti mixie. If you don't add any water, the carrots are really coarse, just like you grated them. Saves a lot of time. 

Grilled tuna steaks

This was completely my husband's dish. I don't eat seafood and I totally dislike how it smells and tastes. I know I  know, it's really good for you. But hey, I can't help it. Although these did look good and I had to snap a pic real quick. Here's how he made them:

Tuna steaks - 3

For the marinade:

Chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Tandoori masala - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and apply on the fish. Marinate for a couple of hours and grill them for about 5 minute on each side. Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings.

Chicken nugget sandwich

There are those days when I don't feel like making dinner and we wouldn't want to go out either. So this is one of those quick fix meals that we have. We do need to eat something right? I always have chicken nuggets in the freezer for my kid, and for times like this. I don't give them to him often, but sometimes they are life savers. Here's how I made these:

Chicken nuggets - 2 per roll

Chibatta rolls - 3

Onion -1

Tomato -1

Cucumber - 1
Capsicum - 1

Lettuce - optional (I didn't have any)

For the spread :

Yogurt: 3 tbsp

Honey Mustard: 1 tsp

Hot Sauce - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Mix them all together

Grill the nuggets. Slice all the vegetables into discs. Layer the roll with the spread and add the veggies and the nuggets. Serve with extra sauce.

Baingan ka bharta

Egg plant : 1 big

Onion - 1

Tomatoes - 2

Tomato paste - 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Peas - 1/4 cup

Green chilis - 2

Salt - to taste

Red chili powder - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1 tbsp

Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Coat the eggplant with some oil and make slits with a knife. Place the eggplant in a baking dish and bake in a 400F preheated oven for about 30 min, till it is tender and the skin starts to peel off easily. Leave it to cool.

Chop the onions and tomatoes and keep aside. In a pan, add the oil and saute the onions and green chilis till golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and the tomatoes. Fry till the tomatoes are soft and add the peas, tomato paste and the masalas. Peel the eggplant and mash the flesh till soft. Add the pulp to the pan and fry till well incorporated. Add some water if it's thick. Fry till it reaches the desired consistency. Serve with rotis.

I love this just as a spread on bread. It's really tasty, and people who do not like brinjal should give it a try. You would never know it had brinjal in it.

Chicken tikka masala

Usually chicken tikka masala is made by marinating the chicken pieces, then grilling them and adding them to the gravy that is prepared separately. I made it the easier way, by doing it all together. But it was still a very tasty chicken dish. The chicken in India somehow tastes a lot better than the one in the US. But this is one of those dishes where it's hard to spot the difference. 

To marinate:

Chicken thigh meat- 1 pound

Yogurt – 2 tablespoons

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp 

For the gravy:

Tomatoes – 2

Onion – 1 

Capsicum - 2 cubed

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Green chillies – 3

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Chicken masala - 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Cream - 4 tbsp

Marinate the chicken pieces with all the ingredients for 2-3 hours in a refrigerator. Heat a pan and add 1 tbsp oil. When it's hot, add the marinated chicken pieces and fry till they are dry, or you can grill them if you like. Remove from the pan and keep aside.Add another tbsp oil and add the onions, capsicum, ginger, and garlic and chilis. Saute till onions turn golden brown. Add tomatoes and saute till the oil separates from it. Now add the masalas and salt and add the cream. Add the chicken back and add some water. Cover and cook till it reaches the desired consistency. I like it with more gravy. Serve with naan, roti , rice, whatever you prefer.

Baked french fries

Kids love french fries but the restaurant ones are greasy and turn limp really quickly. I think the baked ones are so easy that almost everybody makes them. Here's my version:

Russet potatoes  - 3

Salt - to taste

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Garlic powder - 1 tsp

chat masala - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Chop the potatoes like french fries and boil them in water for 5 min, till half done. Now, drain and sprinkle with the masalas and oil. Toss till well coated. Spray some non stick spray on a baking sheets and spread the fries in a single layer. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 22 min. Turn once half way thru. Enjoy them hot with ketchup.

Buffalo chicken salad with blue cheese dressing

Buffalo wings are awesome, but they are loaded with tons of calories and fat. Just 2 to 3 tiny pieces can have enough calories as a normal indian meal. I came across a show on fit TV where the host of the show was talking about this low fat buffalo chicken salad, and I wanted to try it immediately. It really is a very easy and tasty salad. I did cheat with a store bought low fat blue cheese dressing that I had in my pantry. Here's the recipe:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts - 2

Hot sauce (Not the chinese variety, the american one) - 2 to 3 tbsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Iceberg lettuce - 1/2

Celery stalks - 1

Red onion - 1/2

Blue cheese dressing - 1/2 cup

Grill the chicken breasts with some salt and pepper and cut into bite sized pieces. In a pan, add the butter and the hot sauce. When the butter melts, add the chicken and mix well. Stir till completely coated. Now, roughly chop the lettuce and celery and slice the onion really thin. Toss the salad with the dressing and top with the chicken. Serve with extra hot sauce. A really easy and flavorful dish.

Tofu and spinach empanadas

Empanadas are a common Latin american delicacy, and the filling mostly comprises of meat like ground pork,beef or chicken. Maybe the similarity in my dish and the original ends with the name. But no matter what you call it, I can tell you this was one healthy and complete dish that tastes much better than the picture does justice for. Tofu is not something that many people like, and those who do swear by it. I am one of those people, but my hubby does not share my love for tofu. I feel that tofu is like a blank canvas, and it takes up the taste of anything you cook it with. In this dish, it surprisingly tasted so much like scrambled eggs, that I didn't have to convince him to take a bite. He believed that the filling was egg and loved it. I had some leftover  pizza dough in my refrigerator, and used it to make my empanadas. Now that I think about it, maybe I should have named them calzones. Anyway, here's the recipe:

For the dough:

Refer to my Broccoli and pepper pizza post.

For the filling:

Onion - 1 small

Capsicum - 1

Spinach - 2 cups

Tofu - 3/4 pack

Marinara sauce - 1/2 cup

Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp

Black pepper - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Garlic - 2 cloves

Chop the veggies really fine. In a pan, add the oil and the garlic and red pepper flakes. When the garlic is aromatic, add the onions and capsicum and fry till tender. Add the spinach and fry till it's wilted. Now add the tofu and cook for some time. Add the salt and the marinara sauce. Keep aside till it's cool enough to handle.

Take dough the size of tennis ball and roll out into 1/2 inch thickness. Now add 3/4 cup filling and roll it into half and seal the sides with water. At this stage, you can brush the outside with egg wash. It will give it a golden brown exterior. I skipped this part and hence the dull looking empanada.

Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 17 to 20 min. Serve hot with marinara sauce or hot sauce.

Roasted red pepper hummus

Cooked Chickpeas/garbanzo beans - 1 1/2 cups

Tahini - 2 tbsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Garlic cloves - 2

Green chilis - 2

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Dried oregano - a pinch

Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp

Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp

Roasted red peppers(jarred) - 1

salt to taste

Cilantro - handful leaves

Blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste. Enjoy with pita chips. Really a healthy and flavorful dip. You can use it as a spread on sandwiches, or serve it with cut veggies. 

If you would like to make your own tahini sauce, here's an easier version.

Roast some sesame seeds and grind with some olive oil.

Spinach and carrot dosa

Most of us no longer have the privilege of feasting on dosas and idlis for breakfast except on weekends. Naturally they have moved into the dinner league. Although we have dosa with almost any curry that's at home, sometimes there is none. I feel really guilty when we have them with chutney, and skip on the veggies for dinner. This spinach dosa is a great way to sneak in some veggies. It tastes so good, that my toddler does not mind the funny green color. He actually likes the funky green dosas. Here's how I make them:

Dosa batter
Spinach - 2 cups
Carrot -1

Microwave the spinach with 1/2 cup water for 5 min.
Chop the carrot into small pieces.
When the spinach cools, grind it along with the carrot and add to the batter.
Make the dosas the usual way.

Nuchchina Unde - Steamed and baked

I like to try new recipes from different regions, and this one is from karnataka. The original version is steamed and is really high in protein and low in fat. You just have to mention that and boy, I'm hooked. I modified the original recipe, steaming them first, and later baked them which resulted in them being really crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They could be served as appetizers, but were so filling that they served well for dinner. Make a batch of them and freeze them for later, or have them the next day as veggie burgers. They are super versatile.

Toor daal - 3/4 cup
Moong daal - 1/4 cup
Chana daal -  1/2 cup
Red chilis - 6 to 7
Ginger - 1 inch
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1
Cilantro - a few sprigs
Green chili -2
Peas - 1/4 cup
peanuts - a handful
Salt - to taste

Soak the daal for 4 hours. Grind with red chilis,cumin,ginger and salt. Now steam in a cooker for 10 min. Remove and add the chopped onion, green chili, cilantro and peanuts and peas. Shape into patties and bake them in a 375F preheated oven for 20 mins. Serve with ketchup or yogurt dip, like I did.

Here's the recipe for the Yogurt dip:

Ginger - 1 inch

Green Chilis - 2

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Yogurt - 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Grind the Ginger, green chilis and cumin seeds with a little water.

Add to yogurt and add salt.

Serve with the unde and enjoy them hot out of the oven.

Peanut soy noodles with vegetables

I really like to incorporate whole grains in almost all our meals, and whole wheat pasta is one of my favorites. But somehow none of us care for pasta with marinara in our home. So I always make it chinese style. I guess most of us do it that way. This recipe is one of the easiest ones to make, because there's not cooking. That's right. It's just raw and cooked veggies, tossed in this incredible peanut soy sauce, topped with toasted sesame seeds. Here's the recipe:

Dried whole wheat pasta  - a bunch

Broccoli florets - 2 cups

Sugar snap peas - 1/4 pound

Red bell pepper - 1

For the sauce:

Peanut butter - 1 1/2 tbsp
Sou sauce - 1 tbsp
Toasted sesame oil - 1 tsp
Red chili flakes - 1 tsp
Black pepper - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
Hot pasta water - 2 tbsp

toasted sesame seeds - 2 tbsp

In a big pot, bring water to a boil.
Salt the water with a generous pinch and add the pasta.
When the pasta is half cooked, add the broccoli and snap peas.
Drain when pasta is cooked, but not mushy - Al dente.

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and thin with pasta water.
Toast the sesame seeds and keep aside.
Add julienned red pepper to the pasta and veggies and toss with the sauce.
Top with the sesame seeds.

This dish tastes good hot or cold.

Instant besan laddoos

I am not a fan of sweet stuff, so I don't really make them too often. But my kiddo who's 4 really loves laddoos. My grandma made divine boondi laddoos when we were kids, but I do not have the boondi ladle with me, nor the expertise to make them. But one day, I came across this recipe for microwave besan laddoos, and was inspired to try them. They turned out perfect. You need just a few ingredients and it takes 10 minutes to make.Here's how you make them.

Besan - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee - 5 to 6 tbsp
Sugar  - 1 cup
Cashews - a few
Raisins - few

Add ghee to the besan and microwave for 5 minutes. After every minute, mix the besan and check to see if it's burning. At the end of 5 minutes, it should be toasted and smell really good.
Powder the sugar, confectioners sugar does not work that well in this recipe.
Let it cool for some time and add the powdered sugar, cashews and raisins.
Make into balls of your desired size.
If the mixture is dry, add more ghee.
If you fancy your besan laddoos to be more moist, increase the quantity of ghee.
stores for up to a week. (If they last that long :)

Gobi Manchurian - Dry

Continuing with the Chinese tradition, this is probably one of the most popular Indo-Chinese dishes. Yes, I did try baking this too, but somehow it never really comes close to the deep-fried version. It looks like a long process, but really is very easy to make once you start.

So here's the recipe: 

1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into florets

All-purpose flour - 4 tbsp 

Cornflour - 4 tbsp 

Rice flour (optional) - 1 tbsp 

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

Black pepper - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

For the sauce:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic  - 4 cloves

Green chillis - 3 

Chili powder - 1 tbsp

salt - to taste

Soy sauce - 1 tbsp

Chili garlic sauce - 1 tbsp

water - 3 tbsp

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Tomato ketchup - 3 tbsp

Spring onions - 2

Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.

In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornflour, rice flour, salt, black pepper, ginger-garlic paste and water to make a thick paste. Dip the washed and drained florets into the batter one at a time and drop into the hot oil. Do not crowd the vessel. Reduce flame and deep fry till the gobi is almost cooked. Remove onto absorbent paper and keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok or pan and once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic, green chillis and ginger and stir fry on high for a few seconds.

Reduce to medium heat and add the other ingredients except water. Combine well and cook for a minute. Add 3-4 tbsp of water and cook till the sauce looks done.

Add the deep fried Gobi and combine. Toss on high flame for 1-2 mts. Turn off heat. 

Garnish with the chopped spring onions.

Serve immediately.The more it sits, it loses it's crispy texture and becomes really mushy.

Baked vegetable spring rolls

I loveeeeeeeeeeee chinese food. I mean, is there anybody out there who doesn't? But if you are a vegetarian, the choices are really limited. Spring rolls are one of those options and they can be really versatile in the kind of filling you can use. I try to bake almost anything that is usually fried. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Well, this is one dish that tastes just as good as it's fried version. 

Here's the recipe for my guilt-free version:

Spring roll or Egg roll wrappers: 12

For the filling:

Chopped cabbage- 2 cups
Carrot - 1
Red pepper - 1/2
Green onions - 2
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic cloves: 2
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - a pinch
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Hot sauce - 1 tsp
Egg white - optional

Thaw the wrappers.
In a pan, bring a cup of water to boil.
Add the veggies and close the lid.
Let them cook till the raw smell disappears, but still remain crunchy.
Grate the ginger and add the other spices.

Now, take a wrapper and add a spoon of filling in one corner of the spring rolls and roll halfway.Now brush the edges with the egg wash and fold the edges inward and continue rolling the spring roll to enclose completely. Brush with egg wash.

Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 15 to 20 min till crisp outside.
Serve with any chinese dipping sauce.

Roast chicken with Vegetables

Don't you love looking at the thanks giving spread in magazines and on TV? I would just drool looking at the amazing spread on the table. But having come from a totally different culture and religious background, I never had the chance to actually be a part of thanksgiving. So, this year we decided to make a thanksgiving meal at home that comprised of roast chicken(since I'm not a fan of the turkey), mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce. It turned out really good, and we did not "Indianize"  any of the dishes, so I personally found it to be a bit bland for my palette. However, the chicken was a huge hit, but my personal favorite has to be the vegetables that roasted with it. Really tender and flavorful.

Recipe for the roast chicken:

2 to 3 pound bird

Roasting pan

Seasonings:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Black pepper - 2 tbsp

salt - to taste

Garlic powder: 1 tbsp

Paprika - 1 tbsp

Cumin powder: 1 tbsp

Coriander powder: 1 tbsp

Juice of 2 lemons

Vegetables for roasting:

Carrots,broccoli,onions,celery - cut into big chunks

Clean and wash the bird and pat dry.

Mix all the seasonings together and rub all over the chicken.

Lift the skin and rub the seasoning under it and also inside the cavity.

Place the chicken in the roasting pan and add the veggies to the side.

Preheat the oven to 400F and roast for about 45 to 60 mins, till brown and crisp outside.

Get the guys to carve at the table, which can actually be pretty challenging if you have no idea what to do.

Will post the recipes for the other side dishes soon.

Broccoli and pepper pizza

I love pizza, I mean who doesn't? Hubby dear swears that he has an aversion to cheese, but can't resist a good slice of the pie. Now the pizza that we get from any pizzeria is loaded with cheese and calories, and I feel guilty after just a small slice. So to satisfy my cravings, I make it at home. This time I tried to incorporate some thing healthy too, broccoli. I have tried making the base with just whole wheat flour, but that resulted in a pizza that was dense and totally disappointing. So, I found that the best way to make it is with half whole wheat and half all purpose flour.

Method:

All purpose flour: 1 cup

Whole wheat flour: 1 cup

Yeast: 1 packet

salt: 1 tsp

Sugar: 1 tbsp

warm water: to dissolve the yeast

vegetables: your choice

pizza sauce: 3/4 cup (I used store bought marinara sauce)

part skim mozzarella cheese: 1 cup

Base:

In a bowl, add warm water and the yeast, salt and sugar.

Set aside and leave it till the yeast starts to froth.

Now add the flours and knead well.

Spray some olive oil spray in a bowl, and keep the dough in it, covered for about an hour.

The dough should have doubled. Now punch the dough and roll it out.

Toppings:

I had broccoli, onions,peppers and tomatoes.

Spread some pizza sauce on the base, add the vegetables and top it with cheese.

Bake it in a 400F preheated oven for about 22 min.
Don't mind the shape tho :)