Kathrikka Rasavangi

Rasavangi is a dish my mom makes on and off, but, I never paid much attention to it until recently. Of course, in keeping with my fusion passion, the recipe here is probably not traditional, but tweaked a bit to suit my taste...

Rasavangi is typically made with eggplant, but, I think next time I would like to try it with a different vegetable, say, bitter gourd...

It is usually served with hot white rice, ghee and a mild vegetable side like butternut squash poduthuval or Zucchini & Snake Beans poduthuval.

The masala paste for this can be made in larger quantity and refrigerated or frozen for later use (thaw in a hot water bath, not microwave)

Ingredients 1 large eggplant, cut into largish chunks 1 medium tomato,diced 1 medium yellow onion,diced 2 cups cooked toor dal, mushed curry leaves and cilantro for garnish 2-3 Tbsp tamarind paste/concentrate (adjust to taste) 1 Tbsp brown sugar or jaggery water salt to taste 2 Tbsp canola oil

for the masala paste: 1 cup coriander seeds ½ cup dry grated coconut (or fresh) 1 indian bay leaf ½ star anise 2 cloves 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns 4-5 dry red chilies ¼ cup chana dal

for tempering: 1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a few curry leaves

Preparation
heat oil in a pan, toast the masala paste ingredients till chana dal turns golden brown; stir constantly so as not to burn the other ingredients; set aside to cool a little; then, blend to a fine paste

in a pan, add the tamarind paste, some salt, enough water to cover the eggplant pieces and let it simmer till eggplant gets tender (skin loses color)

add the masala paste, onions, tomatoes, cooked toor dal, and brown sugar to the pan; stir well, let it simmer till onions cook through and the flavors meld; adjust salt to taste

this is a fairly thick dish, about the consistency of chili or a thick stew, but, add a little water if needed to keep it smooth

tempering adds a nice finish and flavor: heat a tbsp of oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds and let them pop, then add some cumin seeds and curry leaves, turn off heat, let cumin seeds plump up in residual heat and the curry leaves get crispy; garnish the rasavangi dish with the tempering; stir well before serving

broccoli soup

This recipe is sort of a trimmed down version of cream of broccoli soup as it uses 2% milk instead of heavy cream.

Among the many kitchen essentials my mom gave me as a wedding gift, the ones that get used the most are the pressure cooker, idli steamer and mixie (aka heavy-duty blender).

While I generally do not like to pressure cook vegetables, it works great for making vegetable soups.

for the roux:
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk, warm
1 Tbsp butter, room temperature

Ingredients
1 head broccoli, coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1-2 serrano or jalapeno, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp Madras curry powder
salt to taste

½ cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
spring onions for garnish
sliced roasted garlic chips for garnish (optional)

Preparation

throw the broccoli, onions, garlic, serrano, with a pinch of salt and curry powder, in the pressure cooker with enough water and cook till mushy

meanwhile, make a roux of sorts:in a saucepan, add the flour and dry roast till flour turns golden brown, taking care not to burn; slowly stir in the butter without clumping; then add the warm milk gradually, while stirring constantly; add half the cheeses and keep stirring; let it simmer till it thickens a bit

using a potato masher or other suitable instrument, mash the veggies in the pressure cooker, add the sauce from step above, adjust flavors and let it simmer till well incorporated; serve warm topped with grated cheese, roasted garlic chips and chopped spring onions

Tindora (Kovakkai) Curry

Known popularly as Kovakkai in the South, Tindora in the North, Coccinia grandis, used to be ubiquitous when I was growing up.

My mom usually pan fries it, or makes paruppusili out of it. This tindora curry recipe was sort of thrown together for a quick side dish to accompany rotis one weeknight... and it is a wonderful tagine-stye dish to serve with couc-cous or even just quinoa or brown rice.

for the masala paste:
¼ cup grated coconut (dry or fresh)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 indian bay leaf
1 star anise
1 tsp white poppy seeds
5-6 dry red chilies
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp tomato paste
water as needed

Ingredients
1 medium onion,diced
1 medium tomato,diced
1 lb green tindora, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
½ to 1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)
curry leaves and cilantro for garnish (optional)
salt to taste

Preparation

1. combine the masala paste ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a fine paste
2. heat oil in a pan, sauté the masala paste, onion & tomatoes, with a pinch of salt, till onions turn translucent
3. add the tindora, kidney beans, brown sugar and some water; cover and let the tindora cook
4. off heat garnish with cilantro/curry leaves, adjust salt to taste
5. serve warm with rotis or basmati rice

pad kee mao (vegetarian drunken noodles)

Until recently, quite surprisingly, I hadn't come across the reference "Drunken Noodles" or "Drunkard's Noodles" for this dish. It was brought to my attention by my sole recipe requester (hey girl, you know who you are) and so, here is my vegetarian version of the recipe sometimes known as Pad Kee Mao.

Ingredients
1 pkt flat wide rice noodles : the Vietnamese style dry noodles sticks i usually get - BÁNH PHÓ - just needs to soak in hot water for a bit and is ready to use
sugar snaps, bean sprouts, tofu (marinated in soy sauce, if preferred), spring onions, napa cabbage, onions, bell peppers, garlic, thai chilies or serranos, all chopped to desired size
on the side: cucumber, tomatoes, lime, and cilantro for garnish

for the sauce:
tamarind concentrate
peanut butter
brown sugar
sambal oelek
nam prik pow (optional)
chili basil paste



Preparation

1. cook the noodles per package directions, drain, rinse well, toss with some oil, set aside
2. combine the sauce ingredients, stir well set aside - the exact amounts of each ingredient is left to individual taste - nam prik pow/chili-basil paste and sambal oelek bring in the heat, brown sugar and peanut butter bring in a mild sweetness, and tamarind concentrate adds the sour touch; balance these ingredients to taste - my blend usually has pronounced heat, slight sweetness, and discernible sourness
3. stir fry the vegetables till crisp-tender, add the sauce a little at a time, add the noodles, stir till sauce is well incorporated
4. off heat, garnish with cilantro and spring onions
   
5. i like to slice some cucumber and tomatoes and serve on the side as this is usually quite a fiery hot dish; add some lime wedges if extra tartness is preferred
   

strawberry daiquiri

I've looked at Ice Cream/Yogurt Makers and walked away many times before.

We make yogurt from a culture without a fancy apparatus anyway, and, I figured, better to keep the temptation at bay - if I can easily make ice cream at home, i might end up having it everyday, was my reasoning...

But, the Ice Cream/Yogurt Maker was on my Wish List anyway...

Last Christmas, we exchanged our Wish Lists as usual, and my brother gifted us a Cuisinart Ice Cream/Yogurt/Sorbet Maker! We have been trying different things with it at home ever since... This frozen strawberry daiquiri is one such. And, to my surprise, I have made ice cream only 3 times in the last 2 months. Yay!

We still have a ton of berries we picked last summer from local farms, all frozen of course. And looks like it will be berry season again in a few months and we need to use up the stash.

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries
2½ cups water
1 cup granulated sugar (less if you don't like it sweet)
¼ cup lime juice (more if you like it tart)
½ cup light rum

Puree the thawed strawberries in a blender, then, add the other ingredients and process till smooth. Turn ON the Ice Cream maker and pour the strawberry mixture into the freezer bowl and leave it on for about 20 minutes till the mixture become slushy.

Serve up and Enjoy!

Curry Leaf Chutney

Curry Leaf chutney one of my favorites and is pretty simple and fairly easy to make if I can find curry leaves, which is not always the case. I have tried growing my own, but probably the seeds were not quite happy or I left it out exposed to cold too much, they never survived so far. I have not given up hope yet.

Ingredients
1½ cup loosely packed curry leaves
1-2 jalapeno or serrano (remove seeds and membrane if too hot)
1 cup grated coconut (dry or fresh)
1 Tbsp urad dal
1 Tbsp toor dal
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
some water

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, toast the dals and mustard seeds till urad dal turns golden brown.
2. Off heat, add the curry leaves and toss them around in the residual heat of the pan.
3. Allow to cool a bit; then, combine the coconut and chilies, grind to a fine paste, adding water as needed.
4. Stir in some salt to taste.

Tempering is optional, I always like it as it adds a nutty flavor and gritty texture to an otherwise smooth chutney, and is visually appealing.

Tempering ingredients:
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp canola oil

Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and allow it to pop, then add the cumin seeds, allow them to plump up, and turn off heat. Garnish the chutney with the tempering. Stir well before serving.

Curry Leaf thogayal/thohayal is another wonderful way to enjoy these leaves: make it just like coconut thogayal recipe, with the curry leaves as the additional ingredient.

brown rice dosai

Dosai happens to be a favorite meal at home, especially with a variety of chutneys, sauces and dips.

Just like sourdough or artisan breads, it is nice to keep a batch of dosai batter fermenting/rising while the current batch is being used. When i was growing up, dosai and idli batter were always handy, all home-made. As it ages, the dosai batter gets a nice sour flavor and can be used to make another of my favorite dish called oothappam.

Served here is brown rice dosai, with cabbage sambar, curry leaf chutney, and mango chutney.

Dosai batter needs some TLC before it is ready to use.
Ingredients for dosai:
1½ cups brown rice
2 cups par-boiled rice
1 cup urad dal
2 Tbsp fenugreek seeds

Soak the above in enough water, preferably overnight, or at least 6 hours. Drain. Rinse well. Grind into a fine paste, adding water as needed to form a thick-ish batter. Then, leave it to ferment in a container covered with a breathable cloth. This takes about 8-12 hrs in summers, but a lot longer in winters.

So, I usually dissolve about a teaspoon of rapid rise yeast in lukewarm water to activate it. Then gently stir this mixture into the batter. Preheat the oven to 170F, and turn it off. Let the batter sit in the pre-heated oven for a few hours. I found that even after the oven cools off, it is still warmer than "outside", so, the batter ferments well overnight.

When batter seems ready, add salt to taste, a little water if needed to make it easily spreadable... to get the batter to the right consistency takes some practice.

Spray some oil on a pan, heat it to medium high, spread the batter evenly, cook both sides, serve warm.

a cup of chai

On and off I write about how much I like a good cup of Chai. Brewed perfectly to taste. Black tea. With spices. Milk and Sugar.

This is not so much a precise recipe... but, just a general approach to the pleasures of Chai.

Per cup of Chai, I roughly use a tablespoon of strong plain black tea (loose leaf: orange pekoe, ceylon, darjeeling - whichever is handy) with 10 oz of water. About 2 tablespoon of whole milk. About 1 black cardamom pod, 1 clove, 1 green cardamom preferably crushed, a tiny piece of ginger crushed. About 1½ tablespoon of sugar, more or less, or honey.

Bring all except the sugar to a boil in a pan. Off heat, cover and let it rest a minute. Strain. Stir in sugar or honey. Add more milk, if preferred. Enjoy!

This Chai recipe is a bit different from how I like to serve tea. Brewing tea in a teapot, and serving with milk and sugar on the side is more of a ceremony, enjoyed on a lazy weekend. With some snacks preferably.

Chai is a pick me up. Made without much pomp and splendor. Just a simple cup to wash the blues away...

French Toast Two Ways

Classic french toast remains D's favorite.

I try to keep it very simple:

Beat some eggs and milk with some (brown) sugar; dip a slice of bread in the egg mixture and toast on a non-stick buttered hot pan; cook both sides to preferred doneness; drop a spot of butter and let it melt on top before serving; sprinkle some powdered sugar if preferred and serve warm; D likes maple syrup on top.

A strong cup of Indian Malabar or Costa Rican Peaberry brew usually rounds out this breakfast to D's satisfaction.



Classic French Toast has its merits, no doubt. But, since I prefer savory to sweet, this variation of the recipe came about on a lazy Saturday morning. And looks like my wee one likes this savory version better than the classic sweet version.

• Chop some scallions and chilies finely; beat the eggs and add the scallions and chilies, some salt and curry powder; mix well, keep handy;
  
• preheat and butter the waffle iron; pour some of this egg mixture on the waffle iron, then a slice of bread, and some more of the egg mixture and cook it just like waffles;
  
• the mixture is more watery than waffle batter so the waffle iron might steam a little, so handle carefully;
  
• when done, remove from waffle iron, sprinkle some grated jalapeno cheddar and some home-made bag cheese.
  

My wee one likes ketchup with it. Or, I should say, she likes ketchup with the waffle on the side.

Serve warm with a steaming cup of chai.

fun kitchen tools

I have always wanted a toaster oven, but, D kept asking

"what would we do with our toaster?"

"ummm... we could store it in the basement; maybe sell it; or, use it as a spare one downstairs...besides, a toaster oven can do much more..."

"nah. we don't really need a toaster oven."

And there ended these wonderful exchanges, usually rationalizing that we need to be strict about expenditure.

For D's birthday, my parents-in-law treated us to a nice lunch.

Plus, they gifted us a toaster oven! I am sooo excited...

Plus a bunch of fun kitchen tools pictured here.


While I do cook a lot, I have been skeptical about fancy kitchen gadgets, so, I just splurged on a basic kitchen knife set and a grater with multiple settings. After a lot of thought I got a mandoline slicer. And D caved in and got us a cherry pitter a couple of years ago.

So, this set of kitchen tools pictured above is a great gift as we would not have bought it for ourselves... Thanks Dad & DP!

Now, the fun part was, they had removed the packaging and handed each one to us and asked us to guess its purpose. We fared poorly on that:-(

Just to pass along the fun, i invite y'all to leave a comment with your guesses :-)

coconut thogayal

Thogayal (or, thohayal) is a versatile chutney-like dish: can be served with hot rice, or with dosai and rotis. It is usually pretty thick - holds shape when rolled into a ball:)

It happens to be a popular dish at home as D asks for it (are you making some toga-yell today?) and despite its fieriness, my wee one seems to relish it with dosai.

Ingredients
1 cup grated coconut (fresh or dry)
2 Tbsp toor dal
1 Tbsp urad dal
2-3 dry red chilies
1 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. dry roast the dals on medium heat till they release a nutty aroma and urad dal turns light golden brown
2. combine the toasted dals and rest of the ingredients and blend to a coarse thick paste; adjust salt to taste; add water only if needed;
3. serve with dosai, adai, rotis or even hot basmati rice
   

Sweet and Sour Noodles

There are quite a few possible variations on the sweet-and-sour sauce that makes this dish interesting and different each time I make it. Sometimes a dash more of vinegar and orange juice, sometimes more brown sugar, sometimes a bit more of soy sauce...

Ingredients
1 pkt rice noodles
sugar snaps, sliced
bean sprouts
baby corn, sliced
broccoli florets
green and red chilies, sliced (remove membrane and seeds to reduce heat)
spring onions, chopped to 2" pieces
½ medium sweet yellow onion, sliced thin
3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
½ pkt extra firm tofu, cubed
1 Tbsp oil
sweet and sour sauce:
1 cup vegetable broth
¼ cup plain white vinegar
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup kecap manis*
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar*
* if kecap manis is not handy, use 4 Tbsp of brown sugar instead of 2 Tbsp, adjust to taste
---------
1 Tbsp cornstarch
some water
---------
for garnish:
cilantro and chopped spring onions

Preparation

1. bring all the sauce ingredients to a gentle simmer and let it reduce and thicken a little; dissolve corn starch in some water and add it to thicken the sauce some more; adjust sauce to taste by balancing vinegar and sugar to suit your sweet and sour taste; set aside
2. marinate the tofu in some of the sauce while sautéing the vegetables and cooking the noodles
3. cook the noodles per package directions, drain, run under cold water, drain well, toss with some oil so they don't stick together; set aside
4. heat oil in a pan, add the onions, chilies, ginger and garlic, sauté till fragrant; add the vegetables and a little of the sauce, stir fry till crisp-tender
5. add the marinated tofu and stir fry some more
6. toss in the noodles and a little sauce at a time, stir well
7. off heat, garnish with cilantro and chopped spring onions, serve warm

Home Canning: thokku and pickles

As a newlywed, I discovered the delights of canning.

When I was in my mum-in-law's kitchen for the first time, she opened a can of salsa she had made for one of our meals. D was pretty matter-of-fact about it, but, it made a deep impression on me.

My mom has always made pickles, vadams, snacks and such at home, stored them appropriately and served them year round.

I hadn't done any canning and was new to the Art of Putting Food By. So, I read books, scoured the web, and experimented with boiling water bath for canning.

First summer after we moved to Oregon, we went garage-sale-hopping and found a wonderful pressure canner for $2! Of course, the pressure gauge was broken, but D was confident of finding one online and getting it fixed. Which he did, of course, the gauge cost 20$! Still, at 22$, it is a steal for a 5 gallon pressure canner.

Now, even though I have a precious pressure canner for all my canning needs, boiling water bath remains my favorite as it meets the needs of most of the foods I can, like: indian pickles, salsa verde, salsa roja, veggies, tomatoes, pasta sauce, marinara sauce, berry jams and fruit syrups.

Indian pickles are not quite the same as pickling with vinegar.

Generally, they are packed in oil with spices and salt; some undergo a bit of cooking; some, like thokku, are sautéed, simmered, and undergo reduction till oil separates.

Many need to sit in a cool dark place for a few weeks to mature and develop.

Some are simply brined.

Some are simply allowed to soak in a blend of spices, salt, and oil, and served along with the savory liquid - my favorite of this kind being the tender/baby mango pickle called "maavadu", or "kadugu manga" when mustard seeds are used.




Tomato Thokku and Green Chili Thokku
Thokkus are almost like paste: smooth, not chunky. Generally, I blend the thokku ingredients into a paste when raw, then roast it in oil, stirring frequently till oil separates and is reduced to a thick, spreadable consistency. Can immediately. Store in a cool dark place for 2-4 weeks before serving.

Tomato thokku: tomatoes, paprika, red chili powder, salt, jaggery or brown sugar, oil
Green Chili thokku: green chillies, asafoetida (tiny bit), salt, oil, brown sugar, brown mustard seeds, tamarind

I am omitting exact measurements here. Adjust to taste. Make small or large batches as you desire... I usually make large batches and can them and let them mature in the cool dark basement:-)

Tomato thokku mixed in with some cream cheese makes a great sandwich spread.

Chili Lime Pickle
Green chilies, slit; fairly thin-skinned lime, cut into pieces; garlic cloves, chopped (optional); salt; chili powder; asafoetida; fenugreek, crushed; black mustard seeds,crushed; oil
sauté chilies and lime in oil, add the spices and salt, adjust to taste, cook over medium high heat stirring constantly till oil separates; can immediately; allow to mature for 6-8 weeks before using.

As it matures, the chilies mellow out, and the tanginess of lime takes over in a pleasant way, balanced with the salt and brown sugar; the lime skin gets soft and fork-tender. It goes perfectly with south-indian style yogurt rice, aka "thayir shadam".

If not canning, store in an air tight container in a cool dark place (or in the fridge) for a few weeks before using.

Again, I am omitting exact measurements here. Adjust to taste. Make small or large batches to suit your needs...

Also, substitute chili and lime with mixed vegetables, or just garlic for variation.

Gado Gado with Peanut Dressing

Peanut sauce/dressing is something I tend to over-indulge on. Served warm with satay or spring rolls, dressed on mesclun greens or Gado Gado Indonesian salad, peanut sauce always seems to bring a certain satisfaction hard to describe...

For the Gado Gado salad, simply blanch or steam favorite vegetables to crisp-tender - I went with some green beans from my garden, some red potatoes, cauliflower, onions; add some fresh raw vegetables like cucumbers, carrots and crisp Romaine lettuce; I added some slices of Asian pear from our garden for a crisp tart-sweet crunch. Hard boiled eggs cut into wedges, bean sprouts... Arrange them all in a plate, drizzle some peanut sauce and enjoy!

Ingredients:
3-4 generous tablespoonful of chunky peanut butter
2 Tbsp nam prik pow
1 Tbsp kecap manis
½ cup boiling hot water

Stir all the above ingredients together to make a thick dipping sauce. Add more hot water for a thinner version. Garnish with sliced chilies.

Kecap manis, when I discovered it about 5 or 6 years ago, became an instant favorite and a staple in my kitchen. It is wonderfully thick, dark, sweet soy; not salty; good marinade...

Nam Prik Pow

This nam prik pow recipe is basically just roasted chili paste as I haven't developed a taste for shrimp paste or fish sauce and so I don't use it in my recipes.

We had a ton of thai dragon chilies from our garden last year and we hung the last few plants out to dry while it still was full of super hot chilies.

This roasted chili recipe was a wonderful way to use up the dry red chilies. But any other type of chili would work just as well for this paste. It lasts for weeks (if you don't use it all up, that is) if refrigerated in an air tight container.

Ingredients
1 cup loosely packed whole dry red chilies
1 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped (or ½ medium red onion)
8-10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup canola oil for frying

1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 Tbsp brown sugar


Preparation:

1. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar and tamarind concentrate stir well and set aside
2. Heat a tablespoon oil in a pan and sauté the shallots and garlic; set aside
3. Toast the dry red chilies; set aside to cool a little
4. When cool enough to handle, combine the roasted chilies, jalapenos, sautéed shallots and garlic and blend into a fine paste
5. Heat 3-4 Tbsp oil in a pan, add the blended chili paste and over medium high heat, start frying it; add a little oil at a time as needed and stir frequently till aroma develops, and the chili paste turns dark and gets roasted well, and oil starts separating
6. Allow to cool completely, stir in the soy sauce, tamarind, brown sugar mixture

chunky vegetable soup

My idea of a wonderful mid-week meal for a cold winter night: Soup served piping hot.

Weeknight dinners work out great especially if I prepare ahead during the weekend. Like, soak and cook some beans ahead of time, so that on a weekday morning, I can throw things together for a spicy bean soup in the slow cooker, leave it on low, run off to work, and have the wonderful aroma of a hot and ready meal welcome us home...

Well, I am not always well-prepared. So, I look for short-cuts in prep time, not the taste, during weeknights. Of course, some would argue that flavor takes time to develop, and anything I "throw together" can't be all that good...

Hm. Be that as it may... uniform satisfaction so far at my table seems to indicate otherwise:-)

Ingredients:
vegetables of your choice: cauliflower, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cut into chunks
onions, garlic, green chilies and tomatoes, cut into chunks
salt to taste
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
1 Tbsp Madras curry powder
1 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp canola oil
4 cups vegetable stock

Preparation:

1. heat the oil in a pressure cooker; sauté the onions, garlic and tomatoes with a pinch of salt and the spices; allow the spices to bloom
   
2. throw in the vegetables, brown sugar, tomato paste, vegetable stock and some water; put the lid on and pressure cook just enough to get the vegetables soft and cooked but not too mushy
   
3. uncover the pressure cooker, stir well, adjust to taste and gently simmer for a few minutes till flavors come together
4. serve hot off the stove
   

Vegetable Kababs

I wanted to make something simple yet satisfying for D's birthday meal. These vegetable skewers seemed like just the thing. The marinade is quite simple.

There was something quite romantic about standing out in the cold patio, right next to the comforting warmth of the grill.

Ingredients:
bell peppers, onions, potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, squash, mushrooms, pineapple chunks, queso fresco chunks etc
marinade:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

Preparation:

1. combine the marinade ingredients, stir well, set aside
2. dice the veggies and queso fresco to fit the skewers without falling apart
3. partially cook the potatoes in microwave or stove-top
4. marinate the veggies for about 10 minutes or so, reserving some marinade for brushing on the skewers when cooking
5. assemble the vegetables on the skewers
   
6. grill the vegetables over high heat, turning the skewers
7. alternately, instead of skewering, just throw the veggies into a grill basket and roast them
8. Marinate the portabella and grill it for about 4-6 minutes, a little away from direct heat.

Grilled portabella makes a great burger-of-sorts for a light and tasty sandwich.

zen meal three

Eggplant and tofu seem to go well together, especially with asian flavors. Zen meal two was very satisfying a while back. And I wanted to make another simple wholesome meal.

Collard greens is a favorite, usually cooked up as y'abesha gomen, served with injera. This time, i wanted to keep it light and simple.

This recipe is open for variations with flavors. My flavor sauce is only one suggestion.



Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh collard greens or mustard greens, chopped
salt to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)

1 Chinese long eggplant, cubed
½ pkt firm tofu, cubed
1 small bundle soba noodles
1 Tbsp canola oil

Flavoring sauce:
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or sushi vinegar)
1 tsp kecap manis (or ketchup, or just brown sugar)
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
½ Tbsp whole black pepper, crushed
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1. combine the flavoring sauce ingredients, stir well, set aside
2. cook the soba noodles per package directions, rinse in cold water, drain well; add a little of the flavoring sauce and let the noodles steep in it for a while
3. steam the mustard or collard greens with some salt; off heat, stir in some lemon juice and a dash of Tabasco sauce; adjust to taste
   
4. heat oil in a pan, add the tofu and some flavoring sauce, pan fry it turning the tofu cubes often to cook all sides; remove from pan and set aside
5. add the eggplant and some flavoring sauce, some water, cover and cook till eggplant is tender and done
6. assemble the tofu, eggplant and soba in a serving plate, serve the greens on the side
   

Bok Choy Bites

Many of the cookbooks I have are presents from D, to inspire me as well as to subtly hint at what he'd like to eat:) One such book is The Traditions, Techniques, Ingredients and Recipes of Japanese Cooking by Emi Kazuko (recipes by Yasuko Fukuoka). I have a few popular favorites from this book that I make often like Teriyaki Chicken, Fried Aubergine in Miso Sauce, Cucumber Broccoli Miso Pickle.

Whenever D is in the mood for sushi, he likes these bok choy bites as well, so I just make them on request. It is an acquired taste for me and am not terribly fond of it. But it is growing on me.

Ingredients

1 bunch Shanghai bok choy (not baby bok choy), stalks cut off, whole leaves washed - about 8 large leaves

flavoring for bok choy bites:
1 Tbsp low sodium/light soy sauce
1 Tbsp sake (optional)
1 tsp sushi vinegar
1 tsp sherry or cider vinegar
1 tsp mirin
½ tsp cayenne pepper powder or red pepper flakes

Preparation

1. Bok choy bites:bring a big pot of water to boil, add the whole bok choy leaves (don't tear them or chop them); cover and cook till leaves are soft and change color and are cooked; drain, run under cold water, drain well
2. combine the flavoring for bok choy bites, stir well, keep handy
3. in a shallow dish, layer one cooked bok choy leaf at the bottom, add some flavoring sauce, another leaf, more flavoring sauce and so on till all the leaves are stacked on top of each other and drenched in the flavoring sauce; set aside for 10 minutes or so till chicken is done
4. then, carefully gather the layered leaves, squeeze out excess liquid, and roll them into longish "logs"
5. trim ends if they are uneven, and cut into 2" pieces, top with toasted sesame seeds

brussel sprouts curry

Late Summer, early Fall, I like to get large fresh bunches of Brussels sprouts from nearby farms and try to figure how-many-ways-can-i-cook-it-and-still-like-it, sort of like the Iron Chef show.

This recipe works fine with frozen baby b. sprouts as well. It is very similar to stuffed eggplant dish, except the masala paste used for stuffing is a little different here. Of course, any favorite stuffing can be used instead of the one I am listing below.

The fun part for me usually is the prep-work where I get to slit the b.sprouts and stuff them... rest is just letting it cook on medium heat with enough moisture till tender and done.

Ingredients

masala paste: 2 Tbsp coriander powder 1 Tbsp cumin powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder 1 tsp brown sugar 3 Tbsp canola oil

other: 1 medium onion, sliced fine cilantro for garnish ½ can of diced tomatoes with chipotle (or, 1 medium tomato diced finely) 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced (optional) some slices of pickled jalapenos and carrots (optional) 1 pkt frozen Brussels sprouts (or fresh if available) salt to taste

Preparation

1. Masala Paste: combine the coriander, cumin, cayenne powders and brown sugar, with 1-2 Tbsp of oil, stir well to form a masala paste, set aside
2. if using frozen b.sprouts, thaw them, either in a microwave or with hot water
3. slit the brussel sprouts and stuff them with a little of the masala paste
4. heat oil in a pan, saute the onions and garlic; add the brussel sprouts, tomatoes, some salt, and any remaining masala paste, a few Tbsp water, stir well, cover and cook on low heat till cooked through and flavors meld
5. garnish with cilantro, serve warm with roti or paratha, or even basmati rice
   

This recipe is for a dry curry; but, add more tomatoes and water, adjust flavors to make a gravy of sorts as in baby eggplant curry recipe.

green jackfruit curry

 

My mom used to make many dishes out of young green jackfruit during the jackfruit season. But, this was not one of them. My mom's recipes are more traditional. This curry recipe here is sort of made-up as I wanted something quick. Since I get canned green jackfruit pretty much year round, this recipe is a favorite as it is easy to throw together in under 20 minutes.


Ingredients
1 20oz can young green jackfruit, packed in water
½ 14oz can coconut milk
½ 14 oz can diced tomatoes with chilies
2 Tbsp garam masala powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder (adjust to taste)
½ tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
1 head broccoli, florets, plus stalk sliced thin
1 medium onion diced
1 medium potato,diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
chopped cilantro for garnish

Preparation

1. wash, drain and chop the green jackfruit into bite-size pieces
2. heat oil in a pan, add the onion, bell peppers and a pinch of salt, sauté over medium-high heat till onions turn brown
3. add the potatoes and broccoli stalk, a little water, cover and cook till they are crisp-tender
4. add the diced tomatoes, green jackfruit, broccoli florets, garam masala powder, brown sugar, cayenne pepper powder, coconut milk, some water, a pinch of salt; cover and simmer on medium-low till curry gets thick and rich
5. off heat, adjust salt to taste, garnish with cilantro; serve warm with basmati rice

Pepper Chicken

Boneless skinless chicken breasts marinated and cooked with spices, along with veggies, seems to be D's favorite meals. While I don't care much for chicken (or beef, or pork or seafood), I do try to cook just chicken breast for him on and off.

This pepper chicken recipe surprisingly came out pretty close to Chettinad flavor that D seems to enjoy a lot. A side of bok choy bites, inspired by the recipe in Emi Kazuko's book is an interesting accompaniment.

Instead of chicken, substitute chopped veggies and cook them in the black pepper sauce to keep the meal free of meat.
for the pepper sauce:
2 Tbsp whole black pepper
4-5 dry red chilies
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
1 1"-piece Indian cinnamon (dalchini)
---------------
2-3 Tbsp light soy sauce
2-3 Tbsp lime juice
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
1 medium shallot, diced finely
1 tsp brown sugar
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, thawed, diced


Preparation

1. Black pepper chicken: toast the dry ingredients for the pepper sauce, then, combine all the ingredients for black pepper sauce (except lime juice) in a blender and grind to a fine paste
2. marinate the chicken breast pieces in some of the black pepper sauce for about 10-15 minutes; reserve the remaining sauce for cooking
3. heat oil in a pan, drain the marinated chicken and throw them into the hot pan, toss them around till all sides brown a little; add the black pepper sauce, some water, cover and cook till chicken is done (about 170 °F or so in the middle of the thickest piece); adjust flavor if needed

Alternately, use veggies like eggplant, bell pepper, squash etc., - even the stalks left over from making bok choy bites can be cleaned and used here - cook as above in pepper sauce and serve hot with sticky rice.