Cheesecake

Every year I make cheesecake around the holidays. I make only once  because I can not stay away from it. Last weekend I promised my friend that I'll bring cheesecake to her Christmas Party, and made it on Saturday morning. Of course it was a great hit at the party.  I used the recipe from Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook.
My husband does not like cheesecake. He teases me and says that he likes to eat cheese and cake separately;-)

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 Cup sugar
1 egg yolk

Cheesecake
5 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softend
1 3/4 Cups sugar
3 Tablespoons all- purpose flour
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
1 Tablespoon grated lemon peel, if desired
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 pint whipping (heavy) cream

Garnish
3/4 pint whipping cream
1/3 slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease 9-inch spring-form pan with butter; remove bottom. In medium bowl, mix all crust ingredients with fork until dough forms; gather into a ball. Press one-third of the dough evenly on bottom of a pan. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown; cool. Assemble bottom an side of pan; secure side.  Press remaining dough 2 inches up side of pan.

2. Heat oven to 475 F.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 3 Tablespoons flour, the orange peel, lemon peel and salt with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth.  Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in egg yolks and 1/4 whipping cream on low speed until well blended.  Pour into crust.

3. Bake 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 200 F.  Bake 1 hour longer.  Cheesecake may not appear to be done; it will become firm as cheese cake cools. (Do not insert a knife to test for doneness because the hole could cause cheesecake to crack.)  Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer.  Remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack away from drafts 30 minutes.

4. Without releasing or removing side of pan, run metal spatula carefully along side of cheesecake to loosen.  Refrigerate uncovered about 3 hours or until chilled; cover and continue refrigerating at least 9 hours.

5. Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen again.  Remove side of pan; leave cheesecake on pan bottom to serve. In chilled small bowl, beat 3/4 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff.  Spread whipped cream over top of cheesecake. Decorate with almonds.  Store covered in refrigerator.

Chocolate Fudge

It has been over 3 months since I wrote anything. Not that I've not been cooking, I did not have the time to sit and write.  I'm planning to post at least a couple recipes every week in the upcoming new year.

 This past week I have been baking quite a lot. I got this easy recipe for fudge from a colleague. It is known as Mrs. Eisenhower's Fudge. It is easy to make and tastes awesome.

Ingredients:

4 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 Cups evaporated milk(one 12 ounce can)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Cups semisweet chocolate pieces
3(4 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
1 pint marshmallow creme(two 7 ounce jars)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Cups chopped pecans

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, milk and butter.  Bring to a vigorous boil, stirring often; then reduce heat and simmer 6 minutes, stirring continuously.
 2. Meanwhile, place the chocolate, Marshmallow Creme and vanilla into a large bowl. Gradually pour boiling syrup over the chocolate-marshmallow mixture and beat until chocolate is melted. Stir in nuts.
3. Pour into a buttered 11x16-inch Jellyroll pan and store in a cool place for several hours to harden before cutting into 1-inch squares.

4. Store in a covered tin.
 

Onion Pakoda

Pakoda is one of my favorite snacks from childhood. We used to make a beeline to the kitchen every time she made it. Yesterday my daughter wanted to have them for snack. We had a mother-daughter time together making it.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 green chili, chopped
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped fresh mint
1 T chopped fresh curry leaves
2 T peanuts
1 T cashew nuts(optional)
1/8 t turmeric powder
1/2 t chili powder
little asafoetida
salt to taste
1/2 C besan(chick-peas flour)
1 C rice flour
1t ghee
oil to deep fry

Method:
1. Heat oil for frying.
2. Mix the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl. Leave it for 5 minutes.Add the rice flour and besan. Mix well. Sprinkle little water if needed. Add ghee and 1 tablespoon hot oil; and mix.

3. When the oil is hot enough add pakoda mixture with hand(sprinkle over oil). Cook till golden brown. Repeat the process with the entire mixture. Serve with ketchup(kids love it) or green chutney and sweet chutney.

Gongura Pappu

Couple days ago my neighbor gave me a bag of Gongura leaves from her garden. I was skeptical about using it because the leaves are very sour. I did not know how much it will be liked by my family. It is very popular in Andhra, where they make a pickle out of it. There are 2 types of gongura, one with green stem, which is slightly bitter and one with red stem. I had the green stem leaves. My husband looked for a recipe online and read it out to me and I made it for lunch. It was not well received by my kids, but my husband enjoyed it.

Ingrdients:
1 onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
2 green chili, slit
1 t sambar powder
1/2 t chili powder(optional)
1/2 t turmeric powder
salt to taste
3 C chopped Gongura leaves
1/2 C cooked toor dal
For seasoning:
2 t oil
1/2 t mustard seeds
1/4 t urad dal
1/4 t cumin seeds
1/8 t asafoetida
2 red chili

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan to medium. Add the ingredients for seasoning. Add onion and green chili and cook till translucent. Add tomato, sambar powder, chili powder and turmeric powder; cook for a 5 minutes.  Add chopped gongura and salt; pour enough water; cover with a lid and cook. Stir in cooked toor dal; cook for 2 more minutes and remove from stove. Serve as a side dish with rice and sambar.
 

Thai Seitan Stir-Fry

Seitan("say-tan), also known as wheat-meat or mock meat, is made from wheat by washing away the starch until only the wheat protein or gluten is left. You may find this on the menu of some Chinese or Thai restaurants.

You'll find seitan in the refrigerated or freezer section of natural food stores or some grocery stores. Seitan can be cooked in many ways. It can be stir-fried, baked, broiled or grilled.

I had this pack of seitan in my refrigerator for some time. Couple days ago, I came across a recipe in one of my books, The Vegetarian Bible, and tried it for dinner. It came out very good. My daughter who is not a big fan of mock-meat, relished it.

Ingredients:
1 package(8 ounces) seitan, drained and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded
3 cloves garlic
1 piece peeled fresh ginger(1 inch)
1/3 C soy sauce
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C lime juice
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t salt
3 T oil
1 medium oinon, chopped
2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 C fresh broccoli florets
1/4 C shredded fresh Thai basil(or regular)
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
4 C baby spinach
4 C cooked rice
1/4 C roasted peanuts, chopped

Method:
1. Place seitan slices in medium bowl. Combine jalapeno, garlic and ginger in food processor; process until finely chopped. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, red pepper flakes and salt; process until blended. Pour mixture over seitan; toss to coat. Marinate at least 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add onion, bell peppers and broccoli; stir-fry 4 minutes. Add seitan with marinade and green onions. Bring to a boil. Stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender(3 minutes) and seitan is hot. Add spinach in batches, stirring until wilted.
3. Stir in basil just before serving. Serve over hot rice. Sprinkle with peanuts.

I used sesame oil. It gave a nice flavor to the dish. Thai basil brings a beautiful aroma to the dish. I also used some cauliflowers. Bok Choy could also be used instead of spinach.

Eggplant And Coriander Tostadas

This year I'm having a good harvest of eggplant. I've been finding a lot of recipes with eggplant these days.Last night I roasted eggplant with yellow pepper and onion and topped crispy French bread with it. It was an awesome dinner. We had it with Creamy Corn Soup. It is easy to make

Ingredients:
1small eggplant, cut into cubes
1/2 red pepper(capsicum), cut into cubes
1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
2 T olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 small loaf wood-fired bread, cut into 12 slices
1 small ripe tomato, halved
2 T chopped fresh mint
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 oz slivered almonds, toasted

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 475 F. Put the eggplant, capsicum,onion and oil in a large bowl and mix to coat. Spread 
out in a a single layer in a large roasting pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn and bake for another 10 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a bowl, add garlic and season with salt and pepper.
2. Placce the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes,or until crisp. Rub the cut side of tomato onto one side of each bread slice, squeezing the tomato to get as much liquid as possible, then finely chop the tomato flesh and add to the vegetables with mint and cilantro.
3. Spoon the vegetables on the tomato side of bread and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

I used yellow pepper instead of red, and used toasted peanuts in place of almonds. I spread a little hot sauce on the bread for spice. I used crusty French Bread.

Cauliflower Pulav

I was talking to my friend last week, and as usual, our conversation moved to food. We got to discuss different kinds of pulav. I got inspired, and decided to make Cauliflower Pulav last weekend. This is the first time I tried it this way. It turned out very delicious indeed. I served it with Peas Kurma. It was so good that there was no left over for my brother to take home.

Ingredients:
2 T Oil
1 Bay leaf
1 small piece cinnamon
2 cloves
1 cardamom
few cashew nuts
1 Onion, sliced
2 C Cauliflower florets
1 Potato, cubed
2 C Basmati rice
2 C Coconut Milk
2 C Water

To make paste/ pound:
2 Pods garlic
1-inch piece Ginger
4 green chili
1 t Saunf

Method:
1. Wash and soak rice for 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, cardamom,and cashew nuts, and fry for couple minutes.
3. Add sliced onion and cook till it is translucent. Stir in the ground masala, and fry for 3 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables and mix to coat.
5. Stir in coconut milk and water. Bring to boil.

6. Drain water from rice and stir it into the saucepan. Add salt. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook till rice is done, about 15- 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with Kurma.

Idiappam or Sevai(Rice Noodles)

Popularly known in Canada as String Hoppers, Sevai or Idiappam is a delicious South Indian dish made with rice flour. It is home made rice noodles. It is a tedious job to make it the traditional way. When I was in college, my neighbor taught me an easy way to make this. I love to eat it plain with sweet coconut milk. My mom makes lemon sevai and coconut sevai. It is similar to lemon rice and coconut rice. In Tamil Nadu, people have it for breakfast.  I had brown rice flour at home and made Sevai with it for lunch one day last week.

Ingredients:
2 C rice flour or Sevai flour
4 C water
1 t salt
1/2 t oil
2 C sweet coconut milk

Method:
1. Boil 4 cups water in a heavy bottom pan with salt and oil. Stir in the rice flour. Keep stirring to make a dough. Make sure that there are no lumps. Reduce heat and stir till the dough is cooked. A tooth-pick inserted should come out clean. Remove from heat and keep covered.
2. Take enough dough in Sev maker and press to make noodles over greased idly plates.Steam cook for 10 minutes. Remove from cooker. repeat process with remaining dough. Serve with sweet coconut milk or make lemon or coconut sevai. Look for recipe below.

Lemon Sevai
Juice from one lemon

Mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, red chili and green chili,and curry leaves, for seasoning
salt to taste
1 t turmeric powder
1/4 t asafoetida

Loosen cooked and cooled plain sevai(2 cups) in a  large bowl.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, chili and curry leaves. Stir in turmeric powder and asafoetida. Remove from heat and stir this to plain sevai, along with lemon juice and salt. Serve with coconut chutney.

Coconut Sevai:
1/2 C fresh shredded coconut
Mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, green chili and curry leaves, for seasoning
salt to taste
1/4 t asafoetida

Loosen cooked and cooled plain sevai(2 cups) in a large bowl.
Fry coconut in 1 teaspoon ghee to golden brown. Remove from heat and mix it with plain sevai.
Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in the same pan and temper mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, green chili and curry leaves. Mix this with sevai. Add salt and asafoetida and mix gently. Serve with coconut chutney.


.

Paneer-Makkana Curry

Recently I bought a lot of Paneer, as it was on sale. As I was browsing through my recipe books, I came across this recipe that had lotus seeds and paneer. It looked interesting. I have used Makkana(lotus seeds) to make kheer. They taste like popcorn when toasted. I thought that it would be a different way to cook them and made it for dinner.  It was delicious.

Ingredients:
3/4 C grated onion
1/2 C grated Khoa
1/2 C milk
1 C thick curd(yogurt)
1 t red chili powder
1 T cumin-coriander power
salt as required
1/2 t Garam Masala
1/2C chopped tomatoes
1/2 C green peas
1/4 C Makkana(puffed lotus seeds)
1/2 C Paneer cubes, fried
Cilantro for garnish

Method:
1. Roast Makkana in little oil; keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a broad pan to medium heat, and fry onion till golden.
3. Add cumin-coriander powder, chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Stir for a couple minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes.
4. Stir in whipped curd and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add cooked peas, and makkana  with just enough water. Cook till it becomes thick.
5. Add milk, khoa, and fried paneer cubes. Bring it to a boil and remove from stove. Garnish with cilantro before serving. 

Dahi Vada

My mom always orders Dahi Vada when ever we go to Indian restaurant.  My daughter likes it too. But,it is a risk to order Dahi Vada. It will be a bust if the vada is hard or yougurt is sour.

Ingredients:
20 Medhu Vada
2 C fresh plain yogurt,whisked with a little salt
4 green chili
1/2 - inch ginger(optional)
1/2C chopped fresh cilantro
Boondi(optional)

Method:
1. Make Medhu Vada without onion. As soon as you remove vada from oil, dip into a bowl of water for 2 seconds and press lightly to remove water. Place vada in single layer on a shallow tray.
2. Grind chili, ginger, cilantro and salt to a paste.
3. Stir this into whisked yogurt. Spread the yogurt over vada.  Garnish with boondhi.

Note:
If you do not like the green look of dahi vada, omit the green chutney and sprinkle chili powder and chopped cilantro on top.
Do not use yougurt that is sour.

Medhu Vada(Urad Dal Vada)

My sister makes the best Medhu Vada in my family. It is always perfect in shape and texture. For many years I could not make vada like hers. Then I learned  the secret. Now, my vada comes out well. But hers is still the best.  Last year, my neighbor's dad, who was visiting , gave me some tips for soft and crisp vadas.  Last week my mom said that she made Medhu Vada using split black gram(urad dal). I tried the same last weekend. They turned out  very well indeed. I was reminded of "vada malai" in temple.  I had a lot of left over vada, and made Dahi Vada next day. My daughter loved it.

Ingredients:
1 C Whole Urad
1 t rice
green chili, as per requirement
salt, as required
1 t asafoetida

curry leaves

1. Soak dal and rice for 2 hours.
2. Drain and grind with chili, adding very little water to a slightly coarse batter. Make sure the batter is fluffy  while grinding. Add salt and asafoetida. Remove the batter and stir in curry leaves.
3. Heat oil in a pan.  Dip your fingers in water; wet a plastic sheet; take a tablespoon size batter and pat it on the sheet; make a hole in the center and slide it into the hot oil. Depending on the size of the pan, you can fry 2-4 Vada at a time. Fry on both sides till golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter.
3. Serve with coconut chutney and sambar.

Note:
Chopped onion can be mixed into the batter.
Vada can be soaked in sambar and served as Sambar Vada.
 Do not soak the dal for too long.
Make sure not to grind the batter too smooth.
Make the vada immediately.

Bluberry Cake

I had a lot of blueberries in my refrigerator that I had to use before we left for Canada last week.  In January 2012, I read a recipe for blueberry cake in Woman's Day by Valerie Bertinelli, and made it. It was an easy recipe to follow and is low in calories too. Since it was July 4 last week, I thought it would be a great idea to make the cake again.  Also, it was a nice gift to bring to my sister. We all enjoyed it for breakfast while visiting her. I served a warm slice with Maple Walnut ice cream. Oh it was heavenly!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
3 3/4 C plus 1 T all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 3/4 C buttermilk
1 1/2 C granulated whiet sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 t freshly grated lemon zest
2 C fresh blueberries
2 T coarse sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, salt and 3 3/4 cups flour; make a well in the center.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, buttermilk, sugar, oil and lemon zest.  Pour into the well of the flour and stir to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon flour to evenly coat.  Fold all but 1/2 cup of the blueberries into the batter.  Spread the batter into the prepared pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries.
5. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar and bake until the cake is brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes.
6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unfold(remove the outer ring) and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note:

It is alright to have a few lumps in the batter. Be cautious not to over mix.

Sambar Powder

My mom always makes Sambar Powder in bulk for all her children. I freeze some and store some in the pantry. Even after 2 years the flavor does not change.  She usually gets the ingredients powdere in the flour mill. I'd like to share her recipe on my blog.

Ingredients:
4 Cups Dry Red Chily
7 Cups Coriander Seeds
1 CupToor Dal
1 Cup Black Peppercorn
1 Cup Cumin Seeds
1 Cup Methi Seeds
1 Cup  Mustard Seeds
3 teaspoon Turmeric power

 Powder everything  in a blender. Store in air tight container

Creamy Doodi(Bottle Squash)

The first time I had bottle squash was at a party. The dish tasted very good, but I was not able to guess the vegetable in it.  When my friend told me what was in it, I was floored. I got the recipe from her, have served it at many of my parties.  It is a creamy dish that can be served with flat bread or rice.

Ingredients:
1 inch cinnamon, 2 clove, 1 cardamom
1 C chopped onion
2 t ginger, garlic, crushed
2 green chili, slit
2 goda masala
1/4 t turmeric powder
1 t Kashmiri mirch(red chili powder)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 C chopped bottle squash(doodi)
1/2 C fresh curds(yogurt)
salt to taste
To make paste:
1 T cashew nuts
1 t almonds, blanched
1 t poppy seeds

Method:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan to medium heat; add cinnamon, clove, and cardamom and stir for a minute. Add chili, ginger, and garlic; saute for 2 minutes. Stir in onion and cook well for 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, and cook till soft. Stir in turmeric powder,chili powder, and goda masala.  Add doodi, salt, and enough water.  Cover and cook on low medium, till doodi is soft, for 20 minutes.
2. Mean while, blend cashew nuts, almonds and poppy seeds with little water to make a paste.
3. Stir in the paste to doodi; add yogurt; mix well and cook for 10 minutes.  Add water as required.  Serve with hot roti, naan, or rice.





 

Dosa Powder(Chutney Powder)

I love my mom's Dosa Powder. She uses various pulses like chick peas, dry green peas, and sesame seeds along with the usual ingredients. I make it the traditional way.

Ingredients:
1 C Channa dal
1 C Urad dal(black/white)
1-1 1/2 C Red chili(adjust according to taste)
pebble size tamarind
asafoetida to taste
salt to taste
oil for roasting

Method:
1. Roast everything separately in 2 teaspoon oil.
2. Cool slightly before powdering separately. Do not roast tamarind.
3. Roast chili last.
4. Add salt, and asafoetida; run everything together in the blender once.
5. Store in air tight container.

Note:
Powder dals to your requirement, smooth or little coarse.
Mix in powdered red chili according to taste.

Tomato Chutney

Over the years of cooking I've come across many ways to make Tomato Chutney. But, I love my mom's recipe the best.

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes
4 green chili(adjust to taste)
1 t mustard seeds
1 1/2 t urad dal(black or white)
1-2 red chili(optional)
1 t fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a pan to medium heat; temper mustard, urad dal,and chili. Remove from pan.
2. In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon oil; roast tomatoes till the skin breaks. Remove from heat; allow to cool.
3. Grind everything in a blender. Mix salt to taste. Serve with idly or dosa.

Note:
Cherry tomatoes work well for this recipe.

Methi Dosa

Who doesn't like dosa. Oh those crispy crepes, whether they are plain or stuffed, dosa is my all time favorite.  My mom makes all kinds of dosas, not just the traditional ones.  She used to make methi dosa at least once a week.  I made it for dinner tonight, and served it with tomato chutney. My kids like to eat dosa with nothing but dosa powder(மிளகாய் போடி)

Ingredients:
2 C par-boiled or idly rice
1/2 C raw rice
1/ 2 C urad dal

1 handful fenugreek seeds
salt to taste
oil for making dosa

Method:
1. Soak rice and dal separately for 4 hours.
2. Grind  rice and dal to a smooth batter. Add salt and allow it to ferment over night.
3. Heat a griddle; pour 1/2 cup of batter and spread it thin. Drizzle with oil; cook on both sides to golden brown. Serve with dosa powder or chutney.

Portobello "Cheese Steaks"

With my daughter being away at camp this week, I am cooking with mushroom almost every day. Portobello Mushroom is great for grilling. I use it in panini sandwiches and salad. Browsing through one of my vegetarian cook books, I came across a quick lunch recipe using Portobello. Since, I had a lot of pita bread that I bought to make falafel, I  made "Cheese Steaks" wrap  and served it gyro style for lunch yesterday along with corn and black bean salad.  It was awesome.

Ingredients:
2 medium portobello mushrooms,stems removed
olive oil spray
2 medium peppers(yellow or green), thinly sliced
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t coarsely ground black pepper
2 T water
1 T balsamic  vinegar
4 pocket less pita
2 C part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded


Mehod:
1. Spray both sides of mushrooms with olive oil and broil for 5-7 minutes till the top is cooked. Transfer to cutting board and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices; set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion, pepper, salt, pepper, and water; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in vinegar; remove from heat. Gently stir in sliced portobellos.
3. Meanwhile, place pitas on a large cookie sheet; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Heat pitas in oven, preheated to 400 F, until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
4. Roll each pita into a cone; tightly wrap the bottom half of each with parchment paper or foil to help hold its shape and prevent leakage.  Fill pita cones with warm mushroom mixture.

Vegetable Barley Soup

Few weeks ago Beef Barely Soup was served for lunch in our school. Since I do not eat meat,  I started looking for vegetarian version of the same, and came upon a recipe on About.com. I made a few variations to the soup and cooked it in slow cooker. It turned out very well. It was a hearty meal.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Carrot, peeled and diced
1 Zucchini, diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1/2 Cup diced or crushed tomatoes
1/4 Cup barley, washed and soaked for 4 hours

1/4 Cup white Navy beans, soaked for 4 hours
1 Cup water or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano
salt and pepper, to taste

Stovetop Method:

1. In a large stock pot, sauté onion, and garlic in olive oil, until onion is cooked.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring it to a slow simmer.
3. Cook till barley is soft, 30 minutes, or longer.
4. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Instant Pot Method:

1. Turn Instant Pot to sauté mode. Heat oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.

                                                        

2. Add the chopped vegetables and herbs.

                                                       

3. Add white beans and barley to the pot.

                          

4. Stir in crushed tomatoes.

                                        

5. Pour in 1 cup of broth. Add salt and pepper. Turn the pot off from sauté mode.

                                                             

6. Secure the lid to the pot to seal. Set the Instant Pot to Bean Chili mode (will be 30 minutes). 

                                                             

7. Quick release pressure, if you are in a hurry, or natural release pressure.

                                                             

8. Serve hot with rustic bread.

                                                

Note:

You can add other hardy vegetables to the soup.

I mixed 2 teaspoons better than bouillon vegetable base with water.
I added 1 cup vegetarian beef to the soup. 

Raw Papaya Kootu(Stew)

I never knew that raw papaya could be eaten until my mom saw it  in the Indian store and asked me to buy it. I came home and looked up online and found that it can be eaten cooked in salad, curries, and stew. It can also be used to make Thai salad.  I made a stew with this vegetable as per my mom's recipe. It tasted like bottle squash. We had it with roti. It can also be served with white rice.

Ingredients:
1 raw papaya, peeled, seeded and diced
1 T Channa Dal
1/2 C cooked Toor Dal
1 t Sambar Powder
1T Curry Powder
1 t oil 
mustard seeds, urad dal, red chili, and curry leaves for seasoning

For Curry Powder:
1 1/2 t Channa Dal
1 t Coriander Seeds
5 red chili(adjust to taste)
1/2 t oil

Method:
1. Roast the ingredients for Curry Powder in 1/2 teaspoon oil, and blend to make powder
2. Take papaya and Channa Dal in a saucepan. Add enough water to it. Add Sambar Powder and salt; cook till papaya is cooked.
3. Stir in mashed cooked Toor Dal to cooked vegetable. Stir in Curry Powder; bring it to a boil.
4. Temper mustard seeds, Urad Dal, red chili, and curry leaves in 1 teaspoon oil and pour into the stew.  Stir in 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida. Serve hot with rice.

Coconut Dosa(Crepe)

My mom used to make different types of dosa for us when we were growing up.  Coconut dosa used to be a favorite of mine.  I made it last night for dinner. My daughter protested because she only likes regular dosa. But, I persuaded her to try it,and of course mom is always right, she liked it. This dosa can be prepared immediately after grinding.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C grated fresh coconut
1 1/2 C par-boiled rice
1/2 C raw rice
3 T toor dal
1 1/2 T urad dal
1/2 T methi seeds
10 green chili(adjust to taste)
salt to taste
asafoetida

Method:
1. Soak rice and dal for 3 hours.
2. Grind with chili and water to a smooth batter. Add grated coconut and grind until smooth. Stir in salt and asafoetida. Add enough water to make a thin batter.
3. Heat griddle, pour  a ladle full of batter, and drizzle with oil. Cook on both sides till golden. Serve with chutney or chili powder(dosa powder).

Drumstick Sambar

I believe that every expat has something that they miss from their Mother land. I have a few things too.. Drumstick is one of them. Oh the fragrance of Drumstick Sambar! When ever I see this vegetable in the Indian store, I buy them and freeze them. This morning, my son thundered downstairs to the smell of the sambar that I was making for dinner. Both my kids love drumstick. They call it "Long  Kaai" Sambar, because the vegetable is long and slender. There was no complains at the dinner table tonight about the dish!

Ingredients:
2 t olive oil
3 drumticks, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 1/2 C tamarind extract(small lemon size tamarind),or paste mixed in water
2-3 spoon Sambar powder
1/8 t turmeric powder
1/2 C cooked toor dal
salt to taste
mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves for tempering

Method:
1. Heat oil in a sauce pan to medium heat. Add mustard, fenugreek seeds curry leaves and asafoetida to temper.  Add the drumstick and Samabar powder, and turmeric powder;  fry for 2 minutes. Stir in tamarind water, and salt; cook for 10 minutes, or until the smell of tamarind and sambar powder leaves.
2. Stir in cooked dal. Add water if the Sambar is too thick. Make sure that the Sambar is not too watery. Bring it to slow boil. Remove from heat. Season with curry leaves. Serve over hot rice.

Note:
Adjust the amount of Sambar powder according to spice level.

Chocolate Truffle Torte

Last week was my husband's birthday. I was going to make Mango cake. But the mangoes at home were not ripe enough, so  I asked him what he wanted and got a request from my daughter. Guess what she wanted. Chocolate Cake! No surprise there. So, I went through my trusty Betty Crocker  cook book, and decided to make Chocolate Truffle Torte. I could not find hazelnuts anywhere in my town. I  had to drive 10 miles to buy them. But it was worth the trip. You should have seen my husband's reaction when he took the first bite. Made me happy to see it.

Ingredients:
1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 C stick margarine or butter
1/2 C all-purpose flour
4 eggs, separated
2/3 C hazelnuts, finely chopped and toasted
Chocolate Truffle Filling
Whole or chopped hazelnuts, if desired

Method:
1. Heat oven to 325 F. Grease bottoms and sides of 2 round 9x1 1/2 inches, with shortening. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper.
2. Melt chocolate chips and margarine in heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; cool 5 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Stir in egg yolks until well blended.
3. Beat egg whites in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until soft peaks form.  Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites.  Fold in toasted hazelnuts.  Spread in pans.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until tops of cake appear dry and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes. Run knife along side of each cake to loosen; remove from pan to wire rack.  Remove waxed paper. Cool completely.

5. Prepare Chocolate Truffle Filling. Spread 2/3 cup of the filling on bottom layer. Top with other layer. Frost top and sides with remaining filling.  Drizzle with any remaining filling and garnish with hazelnuts.

Chocolate Truffle Filling:

2 C semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 C stick margarine or butter
1/2C hazelnut-flavored nondairy liquid creamer

1. Heat chocolate chips and margarine in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted; remove from heat.
2. Stir in creamer. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, just until thick enough to mound and hold its shape when dropped from a spoon.  If filling becomes too thick, microwave on High 10 to 15 seconds to soften.

Vada Paav(Potato Slider)

Recently, I found these little pretzel dough slider buns at Costco. Immediately  I thought that they would be perfect to make Vada Paav. This is a popular Bombay street food. It is nothing but fried potato dumpling on a bun, spread with garlic chutney and green chutney.  My kids have never had this dish before. I made it for lunch last week, and they loved it.  My daughter said that she passed it around in her Biology class and that her friends liked it too. Now here is another chaat item that they can order the next time we go to an Indian restaurant.

Ingredients:
For the Potato Vada
3 medium potato, boiled and mashed
2 green chilli
1 pod garlic
1-inch ginger
4 curry leaves
1/4 t turmeric powder
1/4 t asafoetida
salt to taste
1 t oil
1/2 t mustard seeds
1/4 t urad dal
 oil to fry
For dumpling batter
1 C chick pea flour(besan)
1 pinch baking soda
1/2 t turmeric powder
salt to taste

For Paav
10 Slider bun
butter to toast
garlic chutney
green chutney

Method:
1.Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a saute pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal and asafoetida and fry for 1 minute. Pound ginger, garlic, chilli and curry leaves in a mortar. Add this to the saute pan, and stir for 2 minutes.  Stir in the mashed potato, turmeric powder, and salt.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Mix the ingredients for the batter in a mixing bowl. Add enough water to make a batter without lumps. When lifted the batter should fall like a ribbon.
3. Shape the potato mixture into small balls.  Dip them in the batter and deep fry them. They should be golden brown. Keep them aside.
4. Slice the buns. Butter the insides, and toast them on a griddle.

To build the Vada Paav:
1. Spread  the inside of the buns with garlic chutney and green chutney. Sandwich the potato dumplings between the buns and serve them warm.

Morekali

It's only Tuesday, oh I wish it was Friday. It seems like a long week already. I need something to comfort me. What better way to be comforted than eating your favorite childhood food. I made a second batch of  yogurt on Sunday while there was already enough in the refrigerator. What to do with all the extra sour yogurt? My mom suggested that we make morekali (மோர்களி ). This is a sour rice cake made with rice flour and sour yogurt. The only ingredient that brings spice to this dish is more milagai (மோர்மிளகாய்), which is cured green chili. Green chili is soaked in yogurt and salt and dried in sun. This is something my mom used to make every summer. This would be used through out the year. 


Ingredients:

1 Cup rice flour
2 Cup sour curds, beaten and mixed with water
1/2 Cup water
salt to taste
1 teaspoon fresh chopped cilantro

For seasoning:

2 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon urad dal
8 moremilagai (cured green chili)
1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
curry leaves

Method:

1. Mix rice flour to buttermilk and salt. Make a thick batter.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a medium cast iron pan. Add cured green chili (more milagai). When they are crisp and blackened, add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida. Then add the batter. Add cilantro and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Cover and cook until the kali thickens, forms a ball and doesn't stick to the bottom. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.

4. Stir in a tablespoon coconut oil and spread on a greased tray. Use a greased knife to make slices. Serve hot. Some people like to eat it with sugar.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

It has been 2 months since I wrote anything on my blog. So many things were happening.  First my sister visited from California for 2 weeks. I was involved in organizing her baby shower.  May went by with spring cleaning and getting my garden ready for vegetables. It is almost a year now since I started this blog, and decided to start writing again. So, here I am.
Yesterday, I made broccoli soup. I love the creamy broccoli soup from Taco Bell. It is a creamy soup with Cheddar cheese in it. It only takes about 20 minutes to make this.   

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, diced

3 Cups broccoli florets

1/2 teaspoon each o garlic powder and thyme

2 Cups vegetable broth or water

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1 1/2 Cups light cream or whole milk

1 Cup Cheddar cheese (shredded)

1/2 Cup Gruyere cheese (optional)

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Salt as required

 

Method:

1. Melt butter in a 4 quart Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot. Add onion, and carrots. Cook until soft, 4 minutes.

                                                                

2. Add broccoli, thyme, garlic powder, and stock. Simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove 1 Cup of cooked vegetables and keep aside.

                                 

3. Remove 1 cup of cooked vegetables and keep aside. Blend the remaining vegetable with an emulsifying blender.

                                                               

4. Place flour in a small bowl. Add milk gradually to make a smooth paste. Whisk mixture to the  pot. Add the reserved vegetables. Cook on low medium heat until bubbly, 3 minutes.

                                             

5. Turn the stove off. Stir in the chesses and serve immediately. Garnish with Parmesan cheese before serving.

                                              


Note:

You can blend the soup in a blender if you do not have an emulsifying blender.