Diwali Festivities

               As many of you might be aware, last week was Diwali, the festival of Lights. Diwali, also known as Deepavali spiritually signifies the victory of good over evil. It is usually celebrated over 5 days. Each day has a special significance.

               First day is the Dhanteras, followed by Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali Chaudas. The third day is the main day, Diwali. For some parts in India, mainly western India, the fourth day marks the beginning of their new year. The festivities end with Bhai Beej dedicated to the sister-brother bond.

               So, wish you all a very Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year too. Hope you all had a great celebration too. In the spirit of the festival, plus my husband's birthday, we had a fun filled weekend which included a special Diwali dinner on Friday evening with a group of friends. The menu for the evening was:

Main Course/ Entrees:

• Masala Cups
• Jeera Paratha
• Shaam Savera
• Corn Capsicum Curry
• Peas Pulao
• Dal Fry

               No meal can be completed without a good dessert, so how can I miss the yummy dessert that we had.

• Chocolate Pani Puri

               Saturday was reserved for his birthday. I made a special plan for him, took him out for Sunset Sailing under the beautiful Golden Gate bridge followed by an amazing dinner.

               Sunday was another Diwali lunch with another group of friends, but this time it was a potluck. The theme for the potluck was regional specialties, so we had a nice variety of food. Some of the items from the huge menu, whose recipes I will be posting in the near future, were:

• Peas Kachori
• Undhiyu - A special curry recipe from Gujarat
• Baked Pakodas
• Sev Khaman - Another Gujarati recipe
• Dal Dhokli
• Tamarind Rice - A Southern Indian Specialty
• Puran Poli - Specialty of Maharashtra, western part of India
• Bajri(Millet) Bread - A specialty from North Gujarat and Rajasthan
• Choorma Ladu - A sweet dish

              Do let us know how your celebrations were. Also, how do you generally plan parties and do you have any tips on managing and executing the plan successfully?

Noodle Pizza

          As you might have figured out, I love experimenting with food and love to mix different cuisines to create Fusion foods. It doesn't always turn out to be good and some just don't blend with each other nicely. But I can definitely say, most of the times its a huge success.
        So today I am back with one of my fusion dish. A couple of weeks back, I had some noodles leftover in my fridge and I wasn't too sure what to do with that. We just didn't like eating it as it is as we had chinese dinner the previous day itself. Then I saw some bread and thought to try something new.  It turned out to be a hit and we make these pizzas pretty regularly now. We have tried it with vegetable noodles, Schezwan noodles and sometimes just plain noodles.

      So here is an quick dinner idea, Noodle Pizza.

Ingredients:

• 4 Slices of Bread
• 1 cup Noodles
• 2 tbsp Schezwan Sauce
• 2 tbsp Pizza Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Oregon
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)

Instructions:

• Take a small bowl, mix the pizza sauce, schezwan sauce and oregano and keep it aside.
• Heat some butter in a pan.
• Place a bread slice and toast it. Once it turns golden brown, take the slice in the plate.
• Spread the sauce mixture on the toasted side.
• Add some noodles and sprinkle some chaat masala and cheese on it.
• Now, place it on the pan and cover with lid. Cook till the cheese melts and the bread is toasted properly.
• Serve hot and enjoy the Noodle Pizza

Vegetable Paneer Samosa

                  Samosa is one of the most common and popular snacks in India. They are found everywhere, from small road side stalls to 5-star restaurants. Samosa is the savory comfort food at its best, that goes well on all days, be it a rainy day to a chilly winter evening.
                  Samosas are essentially deep-fried triangular flour pastries stuffed with potatoes. The stuffing can be anything, though traditionally spiced mashed potatoes and peas are used.
                I tried a slightly different version of it, since didn't feel having a whole of potatoes. Also, instead of using the commonly used refined flour, I opted for the whole wheat flour.
                  So here is my recipe, to satisfy that craving with lesser amount of guilt.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup Refined flour (Maida)
• 4 tsp Oil
• 1 cup grated Paneer
• 1 cup coarsely crushed Green Peas
• 1/2 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Bell Peppers
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-Chilies paste
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Dry Mango powder (Amchur powder)
• 2 tsp Garam Masala ( A mixture of spices)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

• Sieve both the flours and mix them
• Add 2 tsp Oil, salt and water to make a smooth semi-soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep it aside
• Now, heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add Cumin seeds to it.
• Once the seeds starts to crackle, add the ginger-chili paste, onions, bell peppers and saute it for 2-3 minutes.
• Add salt and mix it well.
• Now add the green peas, potatoes, mango powder and garam masala and mix it well.
• Let it cook for another couple of minutes. Make sure to stir it continuously.
• Then add cilantro and mix it well and take it off the heat.
• Now, take the grated paneer in a big bowl. Add the hot mixture and mix it well

• Now, to make Samosa knead the dough properly and divide into smaller portions.
• Roll out each portion into a disc. It should be of medium thickness

• Divide the rolled disc into half. Take each half and shape it into a cone. 

• Take about 1.5 spoon of mixture and stuff the cone. 

• Damp the edges of cone with water and seal it properly.

• Repeat the process with remaining dough
• Now slide each of these samosas in a pre-heated oil and fry it till they are golden brown.
• As a healthier alternative, can also bake them for 25 minutes at 400 F in a preheated oven. Make sure to turn them every 10 minutes.
• Serve with your favorite chutney and/or ketchup

Kothimbir Vadi

              Sunday is usually a lazy day for most people. We usually meet up with our friends on Saturday and end up sleeping really late and that, in turn, leads to late Sunday mornings. So we prefer having brunch since we have already passed the breakfast time. Today was a similar day for us and I was thinking to make something today that is quick, tasty and heavy too. I was looking online for some options and I stumbled upon Kothimbir Vadi, a Maharashtrian dish.

             Kothimbir Vadi or Steamed Cilantro-Chickpea snack, is a very popular dish from Maharashtra, a western state of India. There are plenty variants of this snack. Some prefer it deep fried, some like it stir fried, while some like it simply steamed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped Cilantro
• 1.5 cups chickpea flour (Besan)
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-Chili paste
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp Soda-BiCarb (Baking Soda)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin (Jeera)
• 1 Tbsp Oil

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, add the cilantro and chickpea flour.
• Then, add all the spices, salt, chili powder, turmeric, baking soda and ginger chili paste and mix them well.

• Now, slowly add some water to it to make a batter. The batter should be of thick consistency and not too watery.

• Pour the batter onto a greased pan. Then, using a pressure cooker or a steamer, steam it for 15 minutes or until it is cooked.
• The best way to know if it cooked or not is insert a knife or a toothpick and it should come out clean.
• Once they are cooked, let it cool and cut into small pieces.

• Meanwhile, heat some oil in the pan.
• Add the sesame seeds and mustard seeds, and once they start to crackle, add the cumin seeds and then the cut pieces and mix them well.
• Garnish with coconut and serve it hot.
• Enjoy with your favorite chutney/sauce or simply as is.

Vegetable Appam

             It has being quite a long time since my last post. It was an extremely busy couple of months, first moving to a new place and then a month long trip to India. Getting back to work after a good vacation is always tough. But I am excited to get back in my kitchen and do some cooking, and share them with you.
             Today I got a bit late returning back from work and ran out of groceries. So we had to think of something quick from limited available ingredients. And the first dish that came to my mind was Vegetable Appam. I learned it from my mother-in-law, she made it for us when we were home last month and we loved it a lot. This is ideally suited for breakfast/brunch but we can have it as a light and quick dinner too.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup Semolina
• 1 cup plain Yogurt
• 1/4 finely chopped Onions
• 1/4 finely chopped vegetables (I used cabbage, bell peppers, green peas)
• 3 finely chopped Green Chilies
• 1/4 finely chopped Cilantro
• A pinch of baking soda
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Instructions:

• Take the semolina in a bowl and mix it with yogurt to make a thick batter. If it gets too thick, add some more yogurt. Mix it well and keep it aside for 15 minutes or so.
• In the meantime, heat the appam pan on medium heat. The  appam pan is very similar to the Aebleskiver pan.

• Now add the onions, vegetables, green chilies and cilantro and mix well.
• Then add the salt and baking soda and mix it well. 
• The batter should be of thick consistency, a little thicker than the pancake batter.

• Once the pan is heated, put the batter in each mold of the pan until it is full.

• Once the bottom side is done,about 2-3 minutes, flip the appams over carefully

• Then let them cook on other side for 1-2 minutes until they are cooked and crispy.
• Make the remaining appams in the same way.
• Serve hot with chutney or you favorite sauce.

Vegetable Momos

                    Momos are steamed dumplings originating from the Nepal-Tibet region. Traditionally, they are made with meat filling in the mountains. The vegetarian version is made with veggies and tofu. Here is one of the vegetarian versions.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Refined flour (Maida)
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1/4 cup grated Carrots
• 1/4 cup grated Cauliflower
• 1/4 cup grated Cabbage
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Bell Peppers
• 2 finely chopped Green chilies
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• Salt to taste
• Water

Instructions:

• Sieve the flour
• Add 2 tsp Oil, salt and water to make a smooth semi-soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep it aside
• In a separate bowl, mix the grated carrot, cauliflower, bell peppers and cabbage
• Now add the green chilies and cilantro and mix well
• Then add salt and pepper and mix it well and keep it aside.

• Now, to make momos, knead the flour properly and divide into smaller portions.
• Roll out each portion into a thin disc.
• Put about 1 tbsp stuffing mixture in the center and fold towards the center from all 4 sides and press to seal.

• Now steam these dumplings in a steamer spaced properly for about 10-12 minutes

• Serve hot with some Thai chili sauce.

Batata Vada

                   It has been a year since I started writing this blog to share my rasoi (cooking) experiments. Time has flown by so quickly.

                  Today, I am sharing a recipe which I grew up with in Mumbai. It is the most ubiquitous street food in Mumbai and is an everyday food for many Mumbaikars. It's the Indian slider, the Vada Pav. The dumpling-like balls between the buns, Batata Vada, are primarily made of mashed potatoes. They can also be eaten as-is with a dipping chutney, and are a great option for snacks as well as dinner. I hope you enjoy this Indian street food.

Ingredients:

For Vada

• 6 Potatoes (Boiled and mashed)
• 3-4 Garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
• 2 tbsp Green Chilli paste
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 4-5 Curry leaves
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder

For Batter

• 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup Besan (Gram flour)

Instructions:

• Take the mashed potatoes in a big bowl.
• Add the green chilli paste, garlic and salt to the bowl. You may adjust the chili paste according to the desired spiciness
• Now heat about 1 tsp oil in a small pan.
• Then add the asafoetida, curry leaves and the mustard seeds to the oil.
• Once the seeds starts to crackle, add the cumin seeds and then add the turmeric powder

• Now, add this oil mixture to the potatoes

• Add cilantro and mix it well.
• Divide the mixture into 20 portions and make lemon sized balls/rounds. Keep them aside

• To prepare the batter, take the gram flour in a bowl and add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder to it
• Now, slowly add water and stir properly. Make sure that there are no lumps in the batter. It should be a thin batter
• Heat sufficient oil in a kadai (Pan)
• Dip the potato balls in the batter and add to the oil 

• Deep fry the potatoes balls in the hot oil until they are golden brown on all sides
• Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with chutney and sauces of your choice.

 Tips:

• They are best served with dry Garlic chutney and lightly fried whole green chillies
• To make a slider, apply the the green chili-cilantro chutney and sweet date chutney on the buns, for the desired sweet/spicy level. Place 1-2 vadas in between the buns and Enjoy!!

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

         Today, I got back late from work and was too tired to make an elaborate dinner. I was thinking to make something that is really quick and healthy but still tasty. 
           So here is a quick 10 minute recipe for Baked Stuffed Tomatoes. You may experiment with different kinds of stuffing, and you may also use other vegetables like Bell Peppers or Mushrooms as the base instead of the Tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 4  medium firm Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup Cheese (I used a combination of Mexican and Italian cheese blend)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Onions
• 1/4 cup Chopped Bell Peppers
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 8-10 fresh Mint Leaves
• 1 tsp Dried Basil
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
•  Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the Oven to 400^o F.
• Cut the tomatoes into half
• Then scoop out the inside of each tomato carefully with a knife and keep it aside

• Take the onions, peppers,mint leaves, cheese and the tomato pulp in a bowl
• Now, add the basil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper and mix it well
• Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet with the cut side up
• Put some stuffing mixture, about 2 spoons in each of the tomato half

• Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned

• Serve warm and enjoy

Crispy Spaghetti Balls

                     Tonight, me and my husband were in the mood for some Italian food, but wished for something different than the usual pasta dishes. So, I tried to think of some new Italian dish that would be fun, and not too difficult to make. And I thought of making Spaghetti balls with Tomato sauce. So, here is my recipe for this unorthodox Italian dish. I hope you like it.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Spaghetti
• 1 cup finely chopped Onions
• 1 cup boiled Corn
• 4 cups Hot Milk
• 3/4 cup Refined flour (Maida)
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup Semolina 
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

• Boil the Spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain and keep it aside
• Heat some butter in a pan, and add the onions
• Saute them for a minute or so till they are translucent.
• Now add the refined flour and mix it well.
• Saute the mixture till it is golden brown.
• Then whisk it in the hot milk slowly and mix it well so that no lumps are formed.
• Continue cooking till the mixture thickens.
• Now mix in the corn and spaghetti. Add salt and pepper according to the taste and mix well
• Let the mixture cool down completely.

• In the meanwhile, heat the oil in another pan for deep frying
• Once the mixture has cooled down, add the cheese to it and mix it well
• Then, shape them into small balls. Roll these balls in some semolina properly

• Fry them till they are golden and crisp.
• Serve hot with the pasta sauce of your choice. I tried it with a reduction of this Pasta Sauce.

Spinach Crostini

              As you may have guessed from my previous posts, Spinach is one of my favorite greens. Considering the abundant nutrients in these little green leaves, I try to incorporate in various different dishes and always love experimenting with it

               So here is my yet another spinach dish, Spinach Crostini.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Ciabatta bread
• 4 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Garlic clove halved
• 3 Garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 8 cups Spinach leaves
• 1 cup Italian Cheese (I used Mozzarella and Italian Blend mixed)
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Cut the bread into 1/2 inch thick slices
• Preheat the oven at 400^o F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and drizzle them with Olive Oil.
• Bake them for about 10 minutes or until they are light golden brown.
• When done, let them cool for 2 minutes. 
• Then, with the halved garlic, rub the warm toasts to give them a nice garlicky flavor
• Set the toasts aside. Then, heat a pan over medium heat. 
• Add 3 tbsp Olive oil
• Add the garlic and saute it for a minute or until it is fragrant.
• Now add the spinach and cook it for about 2-3 minutes.
• Then add salt and red pepper flakes and mix it well
• Remove it from heat
• Now, using tongs, arrange this spinach mixture on top of the toasts evenly.
• Sprinkle it with cheese.
• Bake it for another 7-8 minutes at 400^o F until the cheese melts and starts bubbling.
• Serve hot and Enjoy!

Black Chickpea Chaat

          Black Chickpeas Chaat or Chana Chaat is a popular roadside snack in India. It is, like other chaat dishes, spicy and tangy, or chatpata as we call it in India. This dish can also be made with white chickpeas or garbanzo beans, but I like it more with black chickpeas.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups black Chickpea soaked for 6-8 hours
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
• 1 cup finely chopped Tomatoes
• 1 boiled Potato
• 2-3 finely chopped Green Chili 
• 2 tsp Garlic paste
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Oil
• 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1/4 finely chopped Cilantro

Instructions:

• Cook the soaked black Chickpeas. I prefer to use pressure cooker to boil it.
• If using a pressure cooker, cook for 4-5 whistles or tilt they are cooked.
• Make sure they are not overcooked else it will become mushy.
• In the meanwhile, dice the boiled potatoes and keep it aside.
• Once the chickpeas are cooked, drain the water.
• Now, heat some oil in a pan. Add Asafoetida and cumin seeds.
• As soon as cumin seeds start to crackle, add the garlic paste and saute it for about a minute.
• Then add the Chickpeas to it and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Now transfer the chickpeas to a big bowl.
• Add the diced potatoes, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions and green chilies to it and mix it well.
• Then add salt, pepper, chaat masala and lemon juice to the bowl. You can adjust it according to your taste.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve.

 

Aloo Corn Tikki

              Aloo Tikki is a popular Indian snack made by shallow-frying spiced potato patties. Here is my take on this Indian classic. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 5 Medium Potatoes
• 1 cup finely chopped Onions
• 1 cup Corn
• 1 cup Green Peas
• 3-4 Green Chilies
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Dry Mango Powder (Amchur Powder)

Instructions:

• Boil the potatoes till they are soft
• Mash them and keep them aside.
• Mix corn, peas, green chilies and garlic and crush them in a blender or a food processor. I like them half crushed. It adds a nice crunch to the patties.

• Now, mix this corn-peas mixture with chopped onions and mashed potatoes. 
• Add salt and lemon juice and mix it well

• Now, make small size balls and press them in shape of a disc. Make sure they are not too thick in size

• Next, shallow fry them with little to no oil on a pan or a griddle

• Flip them over once and continue cooking, till both sides are turn brownish.
• Sprinkle some dry mango powder on the Tikki before serving

• Serve hot with Cilantro Chutney and/or Tomato ketchup

Sabudana Vada

           Sabudana Vada are fried dumplings made with Tapioca Pearls and Potatoes. They are a delicious snack, crunchy from outside and soft from inside. 

Here is a quick and simple recipe for it:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sabudana (Tapioca Pearls)
• 2 medium Potatoes (Boiled and Mashed)
• 1/4 cup Crushed Peanuts
• 2 tbsp Chili-Ginger Paste
• Chopped Cilantro
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

• Soak the Sabudana in enough water to cover it for about two hours.
• Then, drain off the excess water.
• Mix Sabudana, potatoes, peanuts, chili-ginger paste, cilantro, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.
• You may adjust the chili paste according to the desired spiciness.
• Make lemon sized balls and flatten them between palms of your hands.
• Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry vadas in hot oil until golden brown.
• Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with chutney and sauces of your choice.

Hara Bhara Kebab

              After coming from work today, as usual was thinking what to have for dinner. We had been thinking to use the spinach for couple of days now, and was not too interested in having curry, so finally decided to make Hara Bhara Kebab or in simple words Spinach Peas Kebab.

Hara Bhara Kebab is one of the most popular appetizer/snack in India. It got the name hara bhara from the dark green color of the patty. Whenever we went out for dinner, this appetizer was a must to order.

So here is the simple recipe for this:

Ingredients:

• Blanched Spinach
• Mashed Potatoes
• Crushed Peas
• Chopped Cilantro
• Chili-Ginger Paste
• Salt
• Garam Masala
• Chaat Masala
• Oil

Method:

• Squeeze all the water out of spinach.
• Next, mix all the ingredients, except oil, in a bowl.
• Now, make small size balls and press them in shape of a disc. Make sure they are not too thick or too thin in size.
• We can add some corn flour/cornstarch to the mixture to make it crispier or if the mixture is too soft.
• We can now deep fry the balls, but I personally like them shallow fried with little oil on a pan or a griddle.
• Sprinkle some chaat masala on the kebabs before serving.
• Serve them hot with green chutney or ketchup.