Few Minute Wonders

It has been a while since I had blogged for "This Book Makes Me Cook(TBMMC)" blog event. I promised myself the all of last year that I would do so the next month but never came close to picking a book to read or get inspired by it. Under The Tuscan Sun is the book of the month. I enjoyed the book but I must confess that I had watched the movie some years ago and liked it a lot. It was one of those movies that ends making you feel good. For once a movie inspired me to read the book. I had only read a few pages before I hit the recipe pages. Eggplant rolls was what I was inspired to make. It was easy to prepare and highly rated by my family. Next time you are in the mood to prepare Italian food please give this one a try.

Gadgets:

Baking dish

Grill Pan

Bowl

Measuring Cup and Spoon

Cutting Board

Knife

Oven

Colander

Ingredients:

Ricotta Cheese - 15 oz

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Sun Dried tomatoes chopped - 1/4 cup

Basil - 1 tsp

Garlic Powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Japanese Eggplant - 4

Oil - 1/4 cup (for grilling)

Marinara sauce - 1 bottle ( I used store bought brand)

Mozzarella Cheese - 3/4 th cup

Preparation:

1. Slice eggplant 1/4th inch slices length wise and season with salt and place it in the colander for excess liquid to drain for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Mix the ricotta, chilli, garlic and pepper powder, salt, basil and sun dried tomatoes in a bowl.

3. Heat the grill pan and spray the oil before placing slices of eggplant. Allow grill marks to appear before they eggplant is flipped.

4. Spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce in a rectangle baking pan.

5. Take each slice of grilled eggplant and spread 1 tbsp or so of the cheese mixture and roll it up.

6. Place the open side down on the baking pan.

7. Once all have been rolled add 1/2 cup of the sauce on top of the eggplant and add the cheese.

8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degree F for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

9. Serve with pasta, salad and bread - a perfect Italian dinner and feel you are in Tuscany.

I love anything made with Sabudana be it Kheer/ Payasum, kichidi or tikki . The fluffy texture and its pretty beaded appearance makes it enjoyable to eat and easy on the eye. The only thing we need to pay attention is to make use we soak it right. If we are aware of the technique makes the sabudana making experience an easy one.The addition of peanuts adds the necessary crunch to the soft texture of sabudana. A great food item to prepare during fast days or on a very cold winters night.

Gadgets:

Heavy Wok/ Kadai
Large flat plate
Mesh Colander
Spatula
Cutting Board
Knife
Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients:

Sabudana - 1 cup (use the white one verses the pale one)
Water - Just enough to cover the sabudana plus 1/2 cup extra if needed
Raw Peanuts - 1 cup
Green Chilis - 2
Potato - 1 cut thinly into small pieces
Cumin - 1 tsp
Ghee/ Browned Butter - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon juice
Salt
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Preparation:

1. To a mesh colander add sabudana. Then in running water rinse it well. Transfer it to a wide plate and add eater just to cover the surface of the sabudana. Let it soak for 3 to 4 hours. In the mean time if you feel that the water is absorbed add 1/2 to 1 cup water and let it sit. Drain the excess water if any left before making the kichidi.

2. Dry Roast the peanuts transfer to a moram and allow to cool before removing the skin.

3. Peal a large potato and cut it into wedges and slice it thin.

4. Heat the wok and add ghee and oil.

5. Add jeera, green chilis, curry leaves and potatoes.

6. Cook until the potatoes roast well and then add the roasted peanuts. You can crush and add or add as whole as per your preference.

7. Add sabudana a little at a time and mix well before adding lemon juice, salt and sugar.

8. Mix well and cover and cook on low flame.

9. Garnish with cilantro and turmeric (optional) serve it hot.

This morning I was looking through all my baking books to make something special for my friends birthday. In my mind I wanted something elegant and not too time consuming. A few weeks ago, on one of the Saturday mornings my daughter and I, were drooling watching Nigella Lawson make chocolate pots on the FNW. It has been in the back of my mind to give it a try because it looked gooey and simply delicious. I thought today was a great opportunity to give it a try. Seriously, if anyone wants to make anything simple please do give it a try. I have to confess that I did change the type of sugar used, but it turned out better than I thought it would and the most important thing, the birthday girl loved it.

Gadgets:

Ramekins or individual portion oven safe bowl/ tin- 4

Bowls - 2

Pan - 1

Whisk

Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients:

Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips - 3/4 cup

Butter - 1 stick or 1/2 cup

Eggs - 2

Sugar - 1/4 cup

Granulated light brown sugar - 1/2 cup

APF - 3 Tbsp

Preparation:

1. Melt the chocolate chips with butter in a bowl over the pan of boiling water. When it melts allow it to cool.

2. Whisk together eggs, sugar and APF.

3. Mix both the melted chocolate and the egg mix and pour them into butter coated ramekins.

4. Place them on a baking tray and bake them at 400 degree F for 15 to 20 minutes and serve them hot.

The reason for me to blog about this post is a very charming 3 year old boy affectionately called Sasa. He loves Indian food and likes the veggie kurma from Delhi Kitchen, a local Indian fast food restaurant in San Diego. He happens to be a regular along with his parents to this place. On one of his visits to my house he asked me for the kurma and so I took it upon me to go have dinner at Delhi Kitchen and came up with my version of the dish. I think its a close cousin to Navarathana Kurma minus the nuts and dry fruit. I hope he enjoys what I have prepared for him.

Gadgets:

Wok
Cutting Board
Knife
Blender
Measuring cups and spoons
Spatula

Ingredients:

Onion - 1
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger- 1 inch
Tomato - 1
Veggies (carrot, peas, beans, corn etc) - 1 cup
Ketchup - 1 tbsp
Kasthuri Methi - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 3/4 tsp
Pav Bhaji Masala - 3/4 tsp
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp
Water -1/2th cup
Fresh Cream- 1/2 cup

Preparation:

1. Grind onion, garlic and ginger in a blender into a thick paste.

2. Heat the wok and add 2 tbsp oil. When the oil heats up add cumin seeds allow it to roast for 10 seconds and add the onion paste and salt and cook at medium heat covered. Keep stiring from time to time until the raw smell leaves the mixture.

3. Blend the tomato in the blender and add it to the onion mixture. Add tomato ketchup, cumin powder, pepper powder, garam masala, pav bhaji masala, chilli powder and cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the veggies and 1/2 cup water and allow to cook for some time covered.

5. Garnish with kasthuri methi turn the heat off and add the fresh cream. Mix well and serve with rice or roti.

6. If you have no nut allergy then you can add roasted cashews and raisins.

Though I am open to most cuisines, I still have reservations about flavors. I was not into Thai food as most people are because of the lemon grass flavor. Lemon grass oil is used in India to keep mosquito's away and I did not enjoy that flavor in food. But all that changed a while ago when my brother-in-law Shaker prepared the spiciest and lemon grass flavor free red Thai curry and served it to us. I really started liking the curry and have been making it often.The secret to it was Thai Kitchen's Red Curry Paste. Most red curry pastes have anchovies in them but this brand that I found at Henry's Market Place came without it.

Gadgets:

Cutting board
Knife
Sauce pan
Wok
Spatula
Bowl

Ingredients:

Onion - 1
Broccoli - 1/2 cup
Carrot Slices - 1 cup
Zucchini slices - 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk - 1 tin
Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup
Thai Curry Paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic- 3 cloves
Ginger- 1 inch
Basil leaves
Salt
Pepper
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper - a dash
Oil - 1 tsp for every veggie

Preparation:

1. In a sauce pan add the coconut milk and Thai curry paste and allow to simmer.

2. Heat the wok on high and add the 1 tsp of oil. Saute the ginger garlic and onions without salt to keep it crunchy but get it cooked. When the color of the onions change transfer to a bowl.

3. Add another tsp of oil and cook the carrot, transfer it to the bowl and do the same with zucchini, broccoli and bell pepper.

4. Now add the veggies back to wok and add the coconut milk mixture to it along with turmeric powder, a dash of black pepper and salt.

5. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, add basil leaves and serve it hot with sticky rice.

Happy Deepavali! Inspired by Lavi's cashew katli recipe I decided to prepare it for Deepavali but, I let the cashew katli sit on the stove a little longer because my tray was not ready and hence lost the play dough consistency. Not very happy with my end result I decided to give it a try again. This time I used her recipe as the base and substituted pistachios for cashews.I have to mention that though I powdered the pistachios well they were not fine enough to give a smooth katli. But, I really liked the course texture that I ended up with. It was such a breeze to make this katli and this time I remembered to have my tray ready before I started making the katli.

Gadgets:

Wok or heavy bottom vessel
Spatula
Greased tray
Knife
Food processor or Mixier
Plate

Ingredients:

Pistachios - 1 cup ( powdered)
Saffron - a pinch
Cardamon- 2
Camphor- a tiny bit
Ghee - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 4 to 5 tbsp or enough to cover the sugar

Preparation:

1. Blend together nuts, saffron, cardamon, camphor into a powder.

2. Heat the wok with sugar and water and allow the sugar to melt.

3. Keep dipping the spatula in the sugar and drop the liquid sugar syrup on the plate and tilt it to see if it flows. Keep doing this until you see the drop is stagnant.

4. Stir in the nut mixture well and remove the vessel from heat and pour into the prepared tray. Spread it out uniform with the back of a flat bottom bowl and cut into diamonds.

Note: Once I added the nut mixture it was like a play dough and it was easy to spread it out. So I think your mixture should resemble a dough.

If you have been following my blog for long you would know that I like Oranges. Among all jams I have always relished Marmalade. The bitter sweet taste with a slight tang makes it a very unique jam. I always buy Dundee brand marmalade jam from Trader Joe's, but I have not ever since I decided to make them myself. To my liking Ina Graten of Barefoot Contessa's show featured a wonderful marmalade jam that was her friend Ann's recipe. I followed her recipe but substituted limes instead of lemons. The sugar was also something I adjusted. It is a process but if you have the patience to go with it you will have some delicious marmalade in your pantry for a couple of month.

Gadgets:

Heavy Bottom Stock Pot
Cutting Board
Knife
Measuring Cups
Ladle
Spatula
Candy Thermometer

Ingredients:

Oranges - 6 smaller ones
Sugar - 6 cups
Water - 6 cups
Limes - 1
Lemon - 1

Preparation:

1. Cut the oranges, limes and lemons in half and make half moon slices(very think slices).

2. Add water and cook it to a boil.Then add sugar and allow to dissolve.Cover and let this sit over night.

3. Next day place it back on stove and cook until the liquid starts to boil, then reduce and turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for 2 hours.

4. Cook until the jam reaches a 220 degree F and then turn off the heat.

5. Store in sterilized bottles and enjoy it over a slice of toast.

A recipe that really is a few minute wonder. I know I must have posted this one 2 days ago to help all of you prepare valle cheedai for Krishna's birthday. Though preparation is super fast its the documentation that is time consuming. This recipe is from Mrs. Radha Viswanath a good friend of my sisters. I think it tastes like the cheedai that our moms used to slog to prepare. It takes 5 ingredients to prepare and its as simple as mixing and deep frying. I was so thrilled with this recipe that I wanted to share with all of you and make life easy.

Gadgets:

Bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Wok
Spatula
Paper Towel
Collander

Ingredients: Makes 20-25 cheedais.

Rice flour (store bought) - 1 cup
Udad dhal roasted and powdered - 1/8th tsp
Butter- 1 tsp
Brown sugar - 1 cup
Elachi - 2 pods powdered
Water to form a dough ( a few sprinkles)
Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in the wok to medium. This is very important step.If you keep it on high they will disintegrate.

2. In a bowl add all of the dry ingredients and form the dough( not a wet dough for sure).It might for small cracks but that is fine. It helps them cook well.

3. Make small balls and deep fry.

Masala or Curry are popular terms used in reference to Indian cuisine. Every household has its own ways of preparing the basic gravy. The basis of the gravy is how onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes are incorporated with a bunch of spices. Some like to cook the raw paste of these veggies in oil while another method is to cook them and then make a paste. Once the gravy is made any vegetable or paneer can be added to bring out different flavors. One basic and easy gravy that I often prepare is the one I have presented below.

Gadgets:

Blender
Wok
Cutting Board
Knife
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:

Veggies:Red Onions - 1, Roma Tomatoes - 1, Ginger - 1/2 inch, Garlic Powder - 2 tsp, Kasthuri Methi - 1 tbs, Green Chilli - 1 (without seeds for less spice), Veggies ( used bell pepper mixed colors - 1 cup)

Whole Spices: Shah Jeera - 1 tsp, Cardamon- 1 pod, Cinnamon - 1 inch stick, Cloves - 2
Powdered Spices:Turmeric - 1/2 tsp, Cumin Powder - 1 tsp, Coriander Powder - 1 tsp, Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp, Pepper

salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Sliced almonds for garnish - 1/4th cup

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 1/2 tsp of oil in a wok and add the whole spices to it except the shah jeera or cumin to it. In 20 seconds add garlic powder, onions, green chilli and onions to it and cook it until the onions are translucent.

2. Add tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes or until the tomatoes are well incorporated with the onion. Add all the powders and cook it for 4 minutes. Transfer this mix into a blender jar and blend into a paste.

3. Reheat the wok add oil and add shah jeera and kasthuri methi and allow them to mix in the oil for 20 seconds and then add bell pepper. Add a little salt and cook the peppers.When they are well cooked and slightly toasted add the paste and 1/2 - 1 cup of water and allow it to simmer covered for 5 minutes and serve it hot with rice or roti.

It has been a while since I checked on blogs or blogged. Been busy packing up boxes to move. There are some recipes that I had intended on posting last month but somehow it has been pushed to this month. One evening I wanted to cook something very fast to go with roti and I set out to prepare aloo gobi. This is a little different from the traditional method. I broiled the potatoes and cauliflower which came out very crunchy. I saved a lot of time by cooking the masala separate and the veggies separate. Not kidding the whole thing was done in less than 20 minutes.

Gadgets:

Heavy Wok
Spatula
Baking Trays
Cutting Board
Knife
Peeler

Ingredients:

Red Potato - 4
Cauliflower heads - 2 cups
Green Chili - 1
Red Onion - 1
Tomato- 3
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Kasthuri Methi - 1 tbsp crushed
Cilantro - 1 tbsp chopped
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt
Pepper
Oil - 3 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Peal the potato and cut into big cubes. Mix the cauliflower, oil, salt and pepper and broil in the oven for 15 minutes making sure to toss them in between.

2. Heat the wok and add oil to it.When that heats up at cumin seeds and allow it to pop and add green chilli's.

3. Add onions, garlic, ginger, salt and cook. When that is well cooked add tomato and cook it well with the onions.

4. Add the powders and cook until the tomato and onions are well mixed.

5. When the potatoes are well cooked add them to the mix in the wok and coat it well. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of water to allow the flavours to get absorbed.

6. Garnish with kasthuri methi and cilantro and serve it hot with roti or rice.

One of the best snacks to prepare is vadai. Its so common to south Indian cuisine and is often served for celebrations, offerings and snacks. To most people it is very simple to make vadai's but for me it has been a big struggle. For years I have tried many recipes and instead of making mini doughnut shaped vadais I would often make mini balls out of them. Apart from the shape the texture and taste was another thing I struggled with. The reason being,I wanted to recreate a particular taste and texture. My appa used to buy us some out of the world vadai's, bonda's and baji's from the guy who sold it next to Cross cut road Canadra Bank in Coimbatore. Its easily the best medhu vadai's I have ever tasted.

Gadgets:

Food Processor
Wok
Spatula
Measuring Spoons and Cups
Platter
Paper Towel

Ingredients:

Udad Dhal (I used the broken one) - 1 cup
Rice Flour - 1 - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - a few shakes
Salt
Pepper - Crushed
Green chillis - 2 sliced
Red Onions - 1/3 cup
Water for soaking and grinding - 5 cups
Cilantro - a bunch

Preparation:

1. Soak the udad dhal in water for over 2 - 3 hours.

2. Place the udad dhal in the food processor and blend it adding maybe 1tbsp water at a time. The dough has to be thick and not watery so that is why the food processor helps. Allow the dough to fluff up and double.

3. Add sliced green chillis, onions, asafoetida, cilantro salt, powdered pepper and rice flour to the dough and mix well. Mix the dough with your hands well for about 25 times to allow air to move well through the dough.

4. As per grandma's tip drop a small ball of dough into water and see if it floats. If it does them you can start making vadai's.

5. Coat your hands with water and take half a golf ball size dough in your hands. Pat it with your tumb and make a hole in the center. Slide the dough into oil that has been heated for frying.

6. Fry on both sides until golden brown.Transfer into a paper towel and serve hot.

This bhel is some thing that I wanted to recreate from memory. My uncle used to treat my sister and me to the healthy version of bhel from street vendor. The way he had the ingredients arranged in his cart is something that I still remember. It contained veggies, puffed rice, some magic powder ( mixed spices) ,sauces, crunchy stuff like chips and nuts. He would mix all these ingredients skillfully in his steel bowl and parcel it off into paper cones. What a delight I used to experience when I took a mouthful of the bhel. After big discussion with my sister we decided on the possible ingredients he would have used. Too bad he no longer sells this in my neighborhood to verify. But I made it 3 days in a row and in the end got it close to the vendor.

Gadgets:

My chopper
Cutting Board
Knife
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Steel Bowl
Spatula
Wok

Ingredients:

Puffed Rice - 2 cups
Tomato - 3 roma
Cucumber - 2
Red Onion - 1/4 cup
Spring Onion - 2
Pepper - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Chat Masala - 1 tsp
Sweet Sauce - 3 tbsp
Green Chilli Sauce - 3 Tbsp
Salt
Cilantro - 1/4 cup
Chips - 1/2 cup
Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Any other crunchy snack like mixture.

Preparation: