Life 'n' Such

Tehsin gave me this recipe earlier, but I had not taken it down. And yes, I do make kadhi, but it is never perfect, so this time I wrote it down. My son loves yogurt. So he likes to eat this kadhi with Moong khichdi.

Ingredients:

1 bowl yogurt,
2-3 tsp chickpea flour (besan),
turmeric,
corriander seeds (dhania) pdr,
cumin (jeera) pdr,
red chilli pdr,
salt,
oil for cooking,
fenugreek (methi) seeds,
cumin (jeera) or mustard (rai) seeds,
optional chopped tomatoes, curry leaves, chopped onion, fresh green hot peppers, fresh cilantro (dhania)

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients up to salt, and keep it ready in a bowl.

In oil, fry methi seeds, till brown, add rai or jeera, then onion chopped (optional), and cook till translucent.

Add curry leaves, and tomatoes(optional), green chilli.

Add yogurt mixture, add water, cook till done. Stir continuously.

Fresh cilantro or coriander for garnish.

Note: Once I did not have chickpea flour, and I used all purpose flour instead, and it worked fine.

No Comments | In: Food, Indian, Recipes | | #

Okay, first I have a confession, I hated sprouts as a kid. Okay another confession, I ate two slices of coconut cream pie yesterday. Oh! why did I do that?

Back to the sprouts, I don’t remember whether its the taste, or how they looked, but I regret that now so much.

But, now since I know, that they are good for me and you, I make a big pan of it once a week. I add it to almost everything.

I added it last night to my bowl of pasta and spaghetti sauce, (it doesn’t have a loud flavor, so it does not change your original dish’s flavor, but you add more punch to your meal)

You can sprinkle some on your salad, or add it to your sandwich. You can add it to your rice and make it a pilaf. So so versatile.

This is the best way I discovered to get sprouts.

Wash the Mung beans a couple times. Then soak them in water for about 8-9 hours (in colder places, soak them in hot water , not boiling). Then drain off the water. And let them sit covered for another 8-9 hours, till you see the little tail-like sprouts.

You can wait, for a few more hours, if your want the sprouts longer. But this is how I like them.

Then I just give it a little boil say 5 minutes, (don’t over boil, or you will lose the crunch). Now they are ready to be used anyway you like it.

P.s. Now I am regretting the coconut pie so much! Bad bad thing to do, especially 2 slices, oh! No retribution though for this act of mine. Just self torture.

No Comments | In: Food, Indian, Other, Recipes | | #

I love this!

And I had no clue, this was that easy!

So without further ado, here we go.

(Now you get a clue, what I was doing in Kashmir, learning more Kashmiri recipes from MIL) Enjoy my dear friends.

Ingredients:

Eggplant (baingan), long and thin, about 3-4 inches long
tamarind, either dried or concentrated, and dissolved in water to create a thin consistency
our usual spice mix: red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder (all or any of these as per your availability
oil for frying and some for cooking
fried onions,

Method:

Wash the eggplants thoroughly, now to cut them holding the heads, only slit them twice lengthwise, not all the way through (I have taken pictures, dont you worry). Then, deep fry them in oil, till they are golden. After all are fried, put them in the tamarind water.

Now in another small pan, put some oil, add the fried onions, when it gets a bit hot, add the spice mix. Now when the spices are cooked, put this on the eggplant, give it a slight stir, and get the whole thing to a boil. Then simmer on slow heat for sometime, till the eggplants are very tender.

Done. I love to have this hot with steamed rice.

No Comments | In: Food, Kashmiri, Other, Recipes | | #

Today we are making doodhi ka halwa. I am learning how to make it from my MIL.

Ingredients:

2 large doodhis,
3-4 cups of sugar,
about 1 or 2 cups milk,
3-4 tbsp fresh cream (malai),
2 tbsp ghee
for garnishing: cashews cut in halves (sliced lengthwise)

Method:

I peeled, grated the doodhi (2 big ones), core removed because of the seeds.

Now put it in a large pot (non-stick preferably) and put about 3 cups sugar for 2 large doodhis. Put lots of malai, ghee, and milk.

I think the milk will curdle to form little balls.

Cook on high heat for sometime stirring constantly. Towards the end, when all the liquid has evaporated, it will start looking shiny, and the ghee will separate out. That’s when its done.

Stir in the cashews. Yummy! One of my favorites!

This can be relished hot or cool.

No Comments | In: Dessert, Food, Indian, Kashmiri, Other, Recipes | | #

A different recipe for the king of vegetables. (remember the serial ‘baingan raja’ we used to watch as kids in India).

I saw this recipe on TV, and I cannot wait to try it out. It looks so beautiful, so visually tempting. Yumm.

Ingredients:

oil,
mustard seed 1 tsp,
cumin seeds 1 tsp,
garlic,
green hot pepper chopped (hari mirchi),
asafoetida (hing),
red dry chilli,
turmeric (haldi),

yogurt mixed with rice flour and little water,

eggplants (baingan) baked or roasted on flame

Method:

Heat the oil, put the mustard seeds, let them pop, add the cumin, let them sizzle, add the garlic, green peppers, and curry leaves. Add some water to prevent burning. Add the hing and the haldi. Now put the yogurt rice flour mixture, stirring continuously. Let it come to a boil, add salt, and then drop the eggplants one at a time.

(While roasting the eggplants, cut some slits through them, then roast over flame, or on barbecue, peel off the skin, when they are hot)

I think this will taste great with rice, naans, rotis, or even a slice of bread!

No Comments | In: Recipes | | #

Crab curry with rice

I am a chicken, when it comes to handling dead stuff especially if it is not cut up and cleaned. Like a whole chicken, lamb or a goat, a whole fish….all these freak me out! So you can imagine, how I must have reacted when I saw a bunch of crabs in my friends kitchen’s sink!

I screamed so loudly, that everyone in their house came running to check on me. So you see, me and a crab or a lobster; dead or alive is out of the question!

But dont worry lifensuch readers, my daring and bold friend Tehsin is not a chicken like moi. She has very generously contributed a recipe, she learned from our dear friend Anita and Anita’s mom. i.e. Crab Curry!!!! Also, she has taken a lot of pictures for you all. (even the pictures scare me )

So here you go!

Ingredients:

crabs; ofcourse
oil for cooking,
coconut, shredded
turmeric,
corriander (dhania) powder,
red dried chillies (or chilli powder)
tamarind paste (if you dont have tamarind, you can use tomatoes, it will give a slight different taste than tamarinds)
chopped onions,
salt as per taste,
water for cooking

Method:

Heat oil, then roast shredded coconut until light brown. In a blender, grind roasted coconut, red chillies (whole if possible; if not available, you can add chilli powder), turmeric, corriander powder, and little tamarind paste (this entire coconut paste should be very fine).

Fry chopped onions in oil until light brown. Add the coconut paste (described above). Fry for about 5 more mins; add crabs; add salt and little water; let stimmer for abt 5-10 mins until crabs are done.

To make sure crabs are cooked; check if the blue color on crab has turned orange/white; if yes then its cooked.

Garnish with corriander leaves.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

Tips for handling live crabs: Anita’s mom suggests getting the live crabs in a brown paper bag, and putting them in the freezer section of the refrigerator. Let them be in there overnight. Or you can drop them alive in hot boiling water. I know sounds horrible right? But I guess this is the way its done.

Notes: You can use the exact same coconut paste to cook chicken, fish, mutton etc. It will taste completely different.

2 Comments | In: Food, Indian, Recipes | | #

Okay I admit, I confess. I should be learning to cook from my mom, and instead I am just hogging away what she cooks everyday.

It is just sooooooooooo good.

She just throws together things, and in minutes, voila, one after another fantastic stuff! She makes cooking look so easy!

Ingredients:

fenugreek leaves (‘methi’),
potatoes chopped (‘aloo’),
mustard seeds (‘
onions (chopped,
asafoetida (‘hing’),
cumin seeds (‘jeera’),
garlic chopped,
dried mango powder, (‘amchur’)
red chilli powder (‘mirchi’) or green peppers
jaggery (‘gud’)
corriander powder (‘dhania’)
oil for cooking
salt, as per taste

Method:

In oil add hing, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds, garlic, then add onions and potatoes. Fry till potatoes are half cooked (reddish in color). Add finally the leaves. Cover and cook till all done. After add salt, jaggery, amchur, green chillies or red chilli powder and dhania powder. (cook on sim, cover and cook). Done. Tastes best with rotis or ‘phulkas’ (Indian whole wheat flat bread)

No Comments | In: Food, Indian, Other, Recipes | | #

Picture above: chat made with leftover sprouted moong curry.

I am going to lot of weddings these days (one perk of being home, lots of parties, lots of weddings, lots of foods)!

And its not the same ol’ paneer, chicken, mutton. These days desis have gone ‘conti’ (that’s how my sis’in law calls continental food ). There is pasta, pizza, salad bars, and the list goes on and on.

All this is great, but my heart skips a beat when my eyes fall on our traditional desi ‘chaat’ stall, with our bhaiyaji dipping one after another puris in khatta mittha chutney! I rate chaat counter at weddings as Yum-O Paani puris, sev puris, dahi puri, ragda patties. Yum – Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

So incase you dear friend are in some cold or exotic location, where you do not have access to a chaat wala bhaiyaji, I have this super easy super healthy way to make mittha chutney. Courtesy, my mom!

(Do not worry, I will also give you options for different ways you can have some chaat in your life) After all, isn’t that whats life’s all about? Something sweet, something hot, something spicy, something tangy.

Here you go.

Ingredients:

Dates, good arabic dates, not dried out completely (khajoor)
tamarind or tamarind concentrate (imli)
Jaggery, (gud)
Spice mix: salt, red chilli powder, black salt, dhania-jeera powder

Method:

Put everything in water, and let it soak for half an hour. Then boil it for sometime. Add spices in it. Let it cool a bit, then using a blender, grind it. And finally strain out the fiber. Done.

Note: Quantities to be used are about a handful of each of the main ingredients, and for the spices, start with 1/2 tsp of each, and then mix, and add more of anything you desire, according to taste.

I had previously said that I would list the possible ways you could have chaat, not necessarily the usual paani puri, etc. But easily found at home ingredients, like chick peas (chole), kidney beans (raajma), or others. Basically, chop up tomatoes, onions, cucumber, cilantro, green peppers etc, add the boiled beans to it, and salt, black pepper, lemon juice (if you like add a ‘tadka’ of mustard and cumin seeds in little oil. Drizzle some of the chutney on this, and sprinkle some crispy ‘sev’ and voila, a healthy nutritious snack is ready with at-home ingredients!

6 Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Indian, Recipes | | #

This is a truly versatile recipe, you can bake/fry/grill it. You can use any fish fillets you like. And all the magic happens in minutes. How wonderful does this sound, especially, when you are back from a long day at work, and you want something quick for the entire family?

Let me break it down for you. First marinate or not, your choice. Then bake in an oven or grill it outdoors, or fry it on a pan with very little oil. Hmmm…its sounding better and better, right? Yup, the recipe is easy breezy!

Also, you can put any seasoning you like, Indian spices, or rosemary garlic, or just plain ol’ salt n’ pepper! Oh yes, it would be great if you have good quality olive oil.

Ingredients:

Fish, (salmon, tilapia, etc)
seasoning as per your taste, (look above for different options)
olive oil for drizzling on top of the fish.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 deg F. Sprinkle the spices or salt and pepper, and drizzle lots of olive oil. Then bake the fish for about 10 mins (more or less depending on the instructions on the packet). Flip the fish, and bake for additional 5-8 minutes.

Its done.

I love eating this with baked potato fries, or microwaved corn, or sauteed vegetables and ofcourse a big hearty salad.

Yumm Yumm!

No Comments | In: Food, Kashmiri, Other, Recipes | | #

Also called as ‘Red’ Chicken by Fadia and Ikram (Fauzia’s kids). This is so good, they want to eat red chicken everyday!

Mumtaaz Dar aunty made up this recipe (trial and error). Now it is perfected. Get a jar of Hot curry paste (the brand she used is Patak, but I am sure any brand will work)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Hot curry Paste
3 tbsp tomato sauce/puree,
2 tbsp tomato ketchup,
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste,
1 tbsp olive oil,
salt as per taste
chicken legs and thighs (about 12 pcs)
4 medium sized red skin potatoes (peeled and chopped lengthwise into 4 pieces)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then drop the potato and chicken pieces in it, and coat each piece with the marinade.

Marinate overnight, and bake at 400 degree F for some time, and then at 350 till the chicken is cooked completely. (you might have to toss the pieces around once while baking)

3 Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Indian, Kashmiri, Recipes | tags: baked chicken, curry, potatoes. | #