Thulli (Doodh Dalia)

Something for the sweet tooth ~ Thulli (Doodh Dalia)

Satisfying my sweet tooth ~ Thulli

While Indians relish and enjoy their food at every meal in a day, their next love without a doubt, is the love for ‘traditional Indian sweets’. In Hindi, we call Sweets as Mithai. I can reasonably say that India, by far has the most colorful and diverse range of food and tastes to offer more than any other country in the world. Every region has it own specialties. There are different forms of rice puddings, milk sweets, burfis, pastries vegetables & fruits dipped in aromatic sweet syrup and the list goes on. Apart from these, there are mithai’s made only during special occasions, festivals etc. These mithai’s are also decorated with saffron, raisins, almonds, pistachios, thin pure edible silver and gold and the more. Today I will share a simple, yet very satisfying mithai dish and is sure to please any sweet tooth. This mithai is specifically called as Thulli by Marwari’s which simply translates into dalia cooked in doodh and spices. It tastes heavenly.

Recipe: (Makes for 4)
1 & 1/2 cup dalia (cracked wheat or wheat rava)
1 & 1/2 - 2 cups doodh or milk
Sugar as per sweetness
some kesar (saffron)
2 -3 elaichi or cardamom split open and powdered
A few kishmish or golden raisins
A few badam or almonds slivered
1 -2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter

In a pressure cooker, heat ghee and saute the dalia until you get the aroma and the dalia turns a little brown and looks toasted. Add twice the amount of water and pressure cook it until done. Soak the kesar in some warm water and keep it aside for a few minutes so that color is infused in the water. Soak the kishmish also in another vessel with warm water so that it plumps up. In the meantime, bring milk to a boil and add the cooked dalia, sugar to it and stir for a few minutes. Add more milk if the mixture becomes too thick. Let it be of a thick pouring consistency as this tends to becomes more thick when it cools down. Add the elaichi powder; kesar water, kishmish & stir well. You will smell the aroma of the elaichi and kesar infusing into the dalia doodh mixture. Turn off the stove and let it cool a little bit. Decorate it with slivered almonds, a little more kesar and kishmish. Serve warm.

Simple and served warm to satisfy my craving ~ Thulli

Hara Channa Pulao

My family’s favorite Pulao ~ Hara Channa (Green Chickpeas) Pulao

Fresh Hara Channa (Green Chickpeas) in it’s pod

Pulav or Pulao or Pilaf is usually a medley of vegetables or just a few, cooked with rice and spices. The variety is just innumerable. Today, I will share with you one recipe that will blow your mind off; Okay, not literally, but you get the point that how tasty it will be. The pulav is made of hara channa. Yes, it’s Hara Channa. Not many people make pulav with this wonderful, protein packed legume, but once you make it, you will be so glad you did.

Hara Channa is seasonal but frozen ones are available all year around. I went for grocery shopping this week and found hara channa so fresh that right then I decided to make it for the next day and bought it. It comes in a pod very similar to peas. Agreed, it is a bit tedious work to remove the legume from it’s pod but trust me, it’s all worth the effort.

Recipe: (Makes for 6 people)
2 cups Basmati rice soaked for atleast 30 mins
1 - 2 cups hara channa
1 small onion chopped
A few cloves, whole peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp oil
1 -2 green chili slit
2 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
1 -2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp dhania or coriander powder
A few golden raisins (kishmish)
2 elaichi or cardamom slit open and preferably powdered
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. Then add the cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and let the aroma infuse in the oil, then add the onions and saute well. Add the hara channa and saute for a few more minutes. Add the red chili powder & dhania powder. Now add the rice without the water and mix well so that the oil coats each grain. Then add twice the amount of water, salt and kishmish and bring it to a boil. Cover it with a lid and lower the flame to low and let it cook for another 10 -15 minutes. Mix gently in between so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the vessel. When the rice is almost done, turn off the heat but keep the lid covered so that the further cooking can happen from the remaining hot steam from the rice itself. Squeeze some lime juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with raita and you will be very happy to learn this delicious recipe.

A spoonful of Hara Channa Pulao

Tip: If you do not find fresh or frozen hara channa, use dried or canned chickpeas(garbanzo beans) instead. Of course, you need to soak the dried chickpeas overnight, cook it and then use in this dish while cooking rice.

Pearl Onions in Dahi Gravy

Onions Onions ~ Pearl Onions in Dahi Gravy

Pearl Onions in Dahi Gravy

Onions - What can I say about them? Or where do I start saying about them? Because it is such a versatile vegetable that I doubt I can ever live without it’s presence in most of my dishes. With the varieties ranging from pearl onions, shallots, white, red, yellow and the abundance use of it in various cuisines and cultures, the list just can go on. It has a pungent aroma and some people tend to not enjoy it in cooking. Nevertheless, it is a very humble bulb that has been in use since ancient times and has some important medicinal properties too. Today, I wanted to remember and honor this multifarious bulb and prepare a dish to submit for JFI February event’s theme “Onion“.

Recipe: (Serves for 4 people)

2 small bags of red pearl onions
1/4 cup yogurt or curd beaten
1 tsp haldi or turmeric
2 - 3 tsp red chili powder (or as per your taste)
1 tbsp dhania or coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
2 -3 cloves, 1/2 cinnamon stick
2 - 3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Peel the skin of the onion and soak it in water for about 10 minutes.

Pearl onions peeled

Then, drain the water, slit the center crosswise halves without cutting the joint end so that the onion is still in tact. Mix the above mentioned masala including salt. If time permits and you have the patience, you can fill each slit end with the masala; also make sure to double the quantity of masala ingredients in case you decide to stuff the onions. Below is a sample stuffing that I did for a better understanding.

Onions stuffed with masala

But I did not stuff as the onions were small enough to absorb the sauce that will be made shortly. Mix the curd with the masala, add water if needed and set aside. You don’t want too much curd but just enough to coat the onion and some gravy. Heat oil in a pan. add cloves, cinnamon and let the aroma start to infuse the oil. Now add jeera. In a few seconds, add the curd mixture and saute for a minute. Now add the onions, mix well so that the curd mixture coats the onions well. Add little water if necessary. Cover it with a lid. Check and mis well every few minutes and add very little water if needed so that the curd mixture does not burn away. The curd sauce will infuse through the slit ends of the onions makes each and every layer fill with aroma and flavor. Serve hot with
Paratha’s or Chappati or Roti or Naan bread or Tortilla.

Pearl Onions in Dahi Gravy

Rigatoni with legume and vegetable soup

Humble, Satisfying & Wholesome ~ Rigatoni with legume and vegetable soup

Soups are always comforting and soothing. It could be had as part of a meal or a whole meal by itself depending on it’s ingredients. I was in a mood for something thick, hearty, wholesome, satisfying and of course what can ring a bell but Soup. I wanted something like a minestrone yet something different. I thought I will put my culinary skills to test and tried my variation of Minestrone. The result was a humble satisfying meal with pleasantly surprising medley of flavors which did not clash with each yet stood by itself in every scoop.

There is no hard and fast rule for this soup. Just throw in whatever vegetable is available fresh and use your imagination of herbs and spices to suit your taste. Of course, try my recipe and I bet you will fulfill the desires of your taste buds.

Vegetables and Rigatoni Pasta saute

Recipe: (Makes for 4 - 5 people)

Few Broccoli florets
1 potato diced into 1/2″ thick pieces
1 beet, diced into 1/2″ thick pieces
1 carrot cut into 1/2″ thick round pieces
2 -3 shallots diced
Parsley - fresh or dry
Basil - fresh or dry
1 cup Rigatoni Pasta - I use Brown rice pasta
1 8oz can chickpeas
Few Crimini mushrooms cut into half or any mushroom of your choice
2 -3 garlic cloves crushed
1 scallion or spring onion or green onion chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Heat oil in a sauce pan, add the garlic and shallots and saute. Now add the potatoes, carrots, beets, pasta and mix so that the oil coats all through the vegetables. Add some water and cover it with a lid until the pasta and vegetables are almost cooked. Now add more water depending on the consistency you like, salt and pepper & bring it to a boil. Add the chickpeas, mushroom, broccoli and mix well. Finish it off with herbs, scallions and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve it with toasted bread if needed.

Rigatoni Pasta with Vegetables and Chickpeas served with whole grain bread

Besan ki Childa

Channa Dal powdered to become Besan(Chickpea flour)

Besan ki Childa (Chickpea flour pancakes) is one recipe that relieves me from my everyday thinking “What to cook?”. This dish is healthy as besan is nothing but Chickpea flour or Gram flour as it is called in India. It is mixed with vegetables of your choice & spices and poured like dosa or pancakes onto hot iron pan. So, you see there is no guilt in relishing this simple yet heavenly dish a little more. I call it “The Vegetarian Omelet”

My husband & I love this dish and we can eat anytime of the day be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner; of course served hot, although I do not mind eating it at room temperature. One cannot go wrong with this recipe. Besan being one of the basic ingredients in our kitchen, this is such a handy dish to prepare. Because of the vegetables and spices, you do not need a chutney to be served alongside but a coriander/cilantro chutney would only do more good.

Recipe: (Makes about 10 -12)
1 & 1/2 cups besan
1 carrot shredded
1/2 bell pepper - green finely chopped
1 medium size onion finely chopped
1/2 cup thawed corn, mashed a little
1/2 cup thawed peas (optional)
Few sprigs of cilantro finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
Salt to taste
Oil
1 green chili finely chopped (optional)

Mix all the vegetables and cilantro with besan. Add some water and bring it to the consistency of a dosa or pancake batter. Add the chili powder, salt. Heat a non-stick pan or a cast iron pan, add a tsp oil and spread all over. On a medium flame, pour the batter and spread it into round shape just like the dosa or pancake. Drizzle a tsp oil around the batter.

Childa batter cooking on a cast iron pan

Allow it cook for a couple of minutes until golden brown then flip to cook on the other side. Serve hot with or without chutney; either way it tastes YUM-O!

Besan ki Childa - The Vegetarian Omelet

Crispy roasted Arbi

Simply Roasted ~ Arbi

Arbi or Arvi or Seppankizhangu or Colocasia or Taro

Arbi or sometimes called as Arvi is the Taro root vegetable. It is extensively used in south Asia. In the Indian state of kerala, it is widely used as a main staple or a side dish or as part of other dishes. In Gujarat, the leaves of Arbi is used to prepare another popular dish called “Patra” which consists of tamarind and other spices. In TamilNadu, it is called as seppankizhangu which is usually a dry roasted side dish.

It is cooked just like a potato but it’s skin is not edible. After peeling it’s skin, the vegetable could be used in a variety of ways to prepare dishes. Growing up, my Mom would make these roasted golden brown, crispy arbi’s that will make every one’s taste buds dance in triumph. They were crispy outside and soft and melt-in-your-mouth inside and we would eat it just like that or with roti’s or rice. Yum.

Today, I will share my version of arbi which is kind of south Indian style and slightly differs from my Mom’s way, yet it turned out great; verdict, my family.

Recipe:
8 - 10 Arbi
4 - 5 medium size shallots or onions sliced. I prefer shallots for it’s mild onion flavor and it crisps up well.
1 tbsp sambar powder
A few kari leaves
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
A pinch of hing or asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil

Pressure cook arbi until just done and not too mushy. Remove it’s skin, cut into big pieces and keep it aside. Heat oil in a non-stick pan as arbi tends to stick to stainless steel and add mustard seeds, let it splutter then add urad dal. Wait until it turns golden brown, then add the shallots and saute until it is cooked. Add the kari leaves and also the sambar powder and salt. Mix well. Now add the cut arbi pieces and slowly mix them so that the oil is coated evenly. Let it cook on medium flame for a few minutes. Do not disturb it. Turn the pieces and let it cook more. Check for seasonings. If you want to crisp more, you can a couple of teaspoons of rice flour or besan flour. Serve hot with
Paratha’s or Chappatis or Rotis or Naan bread or Tortillas or rice and sambar. Believe me, it tastes heavenly.

Roasted Arbi with Shallots

Mixed Vegetable Sandwich

I was contemplating -
“What shall I cook?”
“Hmm may be some soup and bread”
“Na, may be some wrap and a salad on the side”
“Or may be the one pot meal, khichdi“

Then as I was looking through the vegetables that I had sitting in my refrigerator, suddenly something struck me and I wondered why not I put together all these vegetables and make a neat sandwich or as the queen of 30 minutes meals, Rachael Ray calls it, “sammies”. I could not think of a better way to make use of these vegetables which was not only quick to put together but also so delicious. It’s quick, healthy and delicious.

Vegetable mixture on whole grain bread before toasting

Recipe:
1/2 bell pepper - green & red finely chopped
1 carrot shredded
1/2 onion finely chopped
some peas thawed and mashed a little
small wedge of cabbage shredded (optional)
1/2 tomato finely chopped
some cilantro finely chopped
Salt to taste
finely ground black pepper
1 - 1&1/2 tbsp sooji or rava or semolina
2 - 3 tsp of milk
Shred some cheese of your choice (optional). I prefer fontina.
Bread of your choice. I prefer Sprouted Whole Grain bread.

Dissolve the rava in milk and make it into a slightly loose paste. Add more milk if necessary. Let it sit for a few minutes. Mean while mix all the vegetables. To this, add the rava mixture, salt and pepper and mix well. The rava mixture will bind the vegetables together and also form a crust when you cook it on the pan. Heat a non-stick pan. Apply butter. Take a spoonful of the vegetable mixture and tightly apply onto a bread. Place the bread with the vegetable mixture side facing down slowly onto the pan so that the vegetables are still intact in the bread. Let it cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes. Using a spatula, press it a little so such the vegetables get nicely crisp and brown and then slowly turn the bread to cook on the other side. Cover it with another slice of bread. Then the entire bread now so that the covered bread also toasts a little bit. Slice it and server hot. If you use cheese, add the cheese when the vegetable mixture side is cooked and the bread is turned. Add the cheese and cover it with another slice of bread and let the cheese melt before turning the bread again. Lunch is served hot, crisp and cheesy!

Hot & Cheesy Vegetable Sandwich

Dahi Bhindi

Source: Wikipedia

Bhindi is called as Okra (American English) is also known as Lady’s Finger (British English). It is one of those vegetables that everyone loves. Whether is is roasted, fried and added to a gumbo, this vegetable can adhere to any spices and gives us a spoonful of satisfaction. Bhindi has some stickiness when it’s slit open. So, apart from its use in a variety of dishes, it’s sticky substance is used in Mehndi also as it supposed to give good texture when drawing mehndi.

Whenever my Mom prepared bhindi whether it is a side dish or used on sambhar or any curries, growing up, we all wanted more of bhindi. It’s very hard for me to describe the delectable flavor of this vegetable in simple terms. As a loyal fan of bhindi, today I am sharing one recipe which I had learnt from my sister-in-law.

Recipe: (For 4 people)
1/2 - 2 lbs bhindi
1/2 cup yogurt or curd
1 - 2 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
1 tbsp Masala
1 - 2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Add the masala to the yogurt and beat well until smooth. Add water if needed. Cut the ends off of the bhindi and slit open. You can keep it this way or further cut length-wise into half again. Pour the yogurt mixture over the bhindi and mix well so as to coat every bhindi. You only need a coating of this mixture so just add only that much yogurt. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Bhindi coated with yogurt and spices mixture

Then heat oil in a non-stick pan and jeera. I prefer using non-stick otherwise the yogurt mixture from the bhindi tends to stick and burn in a stainless steel. Now, add the yogurt coated bhindi and mixture well. Leave it open on low flame for a few minutes and stir occasionally until cooked. You will encounter the stickiness from the yogurt but they go away as you cook them. Add salt and enjoy it with Paratha’s or Chappatis or Rotis or Naan bread or Tortillas.

Bhindi served with paratha and salad

Refreshing OJ

Simple and Refreshing ~ Orange Juice

Orange is a fruit from the citrus tree. It is widely grown and comes in varieties such as navel orange, persian orange, blood orange and more. An assortment of dishes and by products could be made from Oranges. This includes but not limited to Orange oil, Orange Marmalade, Orange Blossom honey etc and of course the pure and simple Orange Juice. Being in California gives me the edge to enjoy this juicy fruit all year around although it’s season mainly starts in late fall. Almost every home here in the bay area has a citrus tree; be it a lemon, lime or orange. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to pluck the fruit with my hands from the tree and squeeze the juice. It is simple, satisfying and very refreshing.

Recipe : (Makes 2 glasses)
6 Navel Oranges or any orange of your choice
Citrus Juice Extractor - I love my Black & Decker from Amazon. It’s compact and prefect, easy to clean.

Cut oranges into halves. Cut two layers of orange for garnish later. Use the Orange juice extractor fitting into the juicer and press on the cut side onto the juicer until all pulp is squeezed out. Repeat with the remaining oranges. I like my juice with maximum pulp; after all, they contain the most fiber. You can adjust the amount of pulp you want in this juicer. Amazing. Pour the juice in a glass. Cut into the orange piece half way and garnish it around the edge of the glass. I have also sprinkled some jeera powder (cumin) on top for extra zing.

simple and refreshing OJ

Aloo Sabzi

Back to Basics ~ Simple Satisfying Aloo Sabzi

Boiled Aloo

Aloo or Potato is a vegetable that every kid and adult loves to eat every single day. Somehow I was not a big fan growing up as there were so many variety of vegetables to choose from growing up back in India. Later on when I started to notice the versatility of this vegetable I really started to appreciate it more and more. The umpteen variety of dishes that could be made from this vegetable is something to be awed at. It is is rich carbohydrates, Potassium and Vitamin B. You don’t have to make anything complicated to enjoy this vegetable; something as simple as baking it and sprinkling with salt and pepper is enough to relish this wonderful vegetable. I call aloo sabzi as “quintessential every household food”. Of course, the preparation is different in every household and today, I will share my version.

Recipe:
5 -6 medium size aloo
2 medium size tomato
1 medium size onion
2 -3 cloves of garlic
1/2 -1 tsp ginger (optional)
1 green chilli chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
1/2 - 1 tbsp Masala
Salt to taste

Boil aloo and cut in cubes. Puree tomato, onion, ginger garlic. In a pan, heat oil and add the chillies and jeera. Add the tomato/onion puree, masala and saute well until oil separates. Add some water to increase the gravy. Optionally you can also add some milk. If the tartness is less in the gravy, add some beaten yogurt mixture. Allow it to boil, add the aloo and salt. Mix well. You can also squeeze some lime or lemon juice or even amchur powder. Serve hot with Chappatis or Rotis or Naan bread or Tortillas or simply bread.

Aloo Sabzi with Roti

Pav Bhaji

Mumbai Street Food ~ Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is a dish which is a medley of mashed vegetables and spices served with Pav or Bread. It is mainly considered as a street food in India which is rich is flavor and aroma. One can say that “Who wouldn’t like Pav Bhaji?”. From kids to adults, everyone loves Pav Bhaji and is always a hit with the whole family. It is also a very easy recipe although it looks complex. As long as you have a few necessary ingredients for getting the real bhaji taste it definitely is an easy dish to prepare. I can describe this dish in one line as “aesthetically pleasing Mumbai street food“. The taste of this varies a little bit in every city but the basic ingredients remain the same. Today, I will share with you my version of this mouth watering recipe.

Recipe: (Makes for 4 people)

6 medium size potatoes
1 large & 1 medium size onion chopped
3 - 4 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 - 1/2 head of cabbage
1/4 - 1/2 head of cauliflower
1 medium size green bell pepper (capsicum) chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup peas
2 carrots
2 - 3 tomatoes chopped
A couple of lime or lemon wedges
Salt to taste
Pav Bhaji Masala (I prefer Badshah brand’s taste). You can also get it from Amazon or Indian stores.
1/2 stick Butter (Unsalted preferred) or 2 tbsp ghee
1 Packet of Pav or Bread
Cilantro for garnish

Wash the vegetables. Cut the potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage and carrots into large pieces and pressure cook them until they are soft enough to be mashed. In the large vessel, add some oil (or butter or ghee if you prefer). Add the garlic and onions and saute. Now add the tomatoes and saute well. Add the pav bhaji masala and saute for just a few more seconds before adding the mashed vegetables. Add salt and mix well. Taste it and adjust it by adding more pav bhaji masala. In the end add the chopped bell pepper and peas. If you are adding fresh peas, add it right after the onions. Squeeze some lime juice. You can also top it with off some butter or ghee.

Heat a pan, add butter or ghee and toast the pav for a few seconds until they turn golden brown. Flip and do the same. Serve the bhaji hot with chopped onions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice on top of the bhaji with the pav.

Gobi(Cauliflower) Paratha

Gobi balls mixed with spices for paratha

Paratha is a flat bread that originated ( I suppose) in India. It is usually made from whole wheat flour, pan fried and it could be either plain or stuffed with vegetables; the most common stuffing is aloo (potatoes). The paratha can either be round, square or triangular and the stuffings varies from paneer, aloo, cabbage and more. But my Mom-in-law made this delicious, flaky, melt in your mouth gobi (cauliflower) paratha the other day and it was so yum. I did not feel guilty eating an extra because I gave myself an excuse that it’s only made from whole wheat flour and cauliflower and not deep fried.

Stuffed paratha’s could be eaten just by themselves or could be accompanied by pickle, dahi(yogurt) or a simple dal(lentil). I prefer it with simple home made dahi which again I learned to perfect it from my Mom-in-law that too from a low-fat milk. Now tell me, won’t I eat an extra paratha after all it is made from the goodies?

Recipe:
2 cups whole wheat flour (Approx for 4 - 6 people)
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
1 whole gobi or cauliflower - chopped fine in a food processor or grated
2 tsp red chilli powder or as per your taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
some cilantro or coriander chopped
1 - 2 tsp Amchur powder
1 tsp Garam Masala (optional)

Add some salt to the finely chopped gobi and keep it aside for about 30 minutes. In the meanwhile, add salt, water and oil to the flour and knead well to form a consistency of a pizza dough or Puri. Take almost handful dough and make round balls. Coming back to the gobi , after 30 minutes, the gobi would have started to release soome water. Squeeze all the water out of the gobi using your hand. Now add the cilantro and spices mentioned above and taste. Adjust if needed. Roll out the dough balls a little bit say about 4inch diameter or whatever is comfortable for you and place the gobi mixture in the middle.

Close the loose ends of the dough such that the mixture is completely sealed. Now roll out the dough. It’s okay if the gobi mixture comes out a little bit here and there. Use some flour to roll out whenever needed or if the dough sticks to the board or your counter top while rolling out.

Heat a pan, put this stuffed dough for a few minutes. Flip the side. After a couple of minutes, add 1 tsp of ghee or oil and flip again. With a spatula press it all around for a minute until it turns golden brown. Again flip and repeat the above step on the other side. So it’s totally 3 flips only and your hot Gobi Paratha’s are ready to be relished with some dahi or anything that satisfies your palate.

Tortellini with crisp Vegetables

Tortellini Pasta

Pasta is a type of food made from a dough using flour, water and/or eggs. There are many variations of shapes and ingredients that can constitute pasta. A few examples are spaghetti (solid long cylinders), fusilli (swirls), lasagna (sheets), macaroni (hollow cylinders), tortellini (ring-shaped). Tortellini’s are usually filled with vegetables, cheese or meat. Pasta is typically made from flour but these days we can find pasta’s made from whole grain, brown rice, quinoa and more.
Pasta is usually made with tomato or marinara sauce, but I am not a big fan of such combination. I feel that the flavor of tomatoes over powder all other ingredients and the past in itself. Instead I like it based on olive oil only. You can any vegetable of your choice. I am also cooking with wine, but it is optional. Cooking wine evaporates the alcohol from it and concentrates the flavor further; so I like the richness from the concentration.

Recipe: (Makes for 4 people)

1 lb tortellini (I used cheese filling)
1 carrot diced
1/2 bell pepper diced
few string beans cut small
1/4 cup corn (thawed)
A few shallots chopped
A few broccoli florets
1 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Parsley for Garnish
1/4 cup white wine (optional but preferred)

Boil water in a vessel. Add the broccoli and cook until it crisp tender. Remove it and keep it aside. Use the same water and cook the tortellini and some salt. While it is cooking, heat olive oil, add the pepper flakes, garlic, shallots, string beans, carrots and mix well. Saute for a few minutes. Add wine and let it cook until all the alcohol evaporates and the wine reduces and its flavor gets concentrated. Check if the pasta is al dente(almost cooked).
Now add corn to the reduced wine and mix. Add the pasta and toss. Use some pasta water if the pasta feels dry. Add the broccoli in the end and toss. Garnish with parsley. I generally keep dry parsley ready to use all year around. The flavor from the wine reduction really enhances the flavor of this dish. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and some grated parmesan cheese if needed. Now tell me, do you really miss the tomato sauce? I doubt it.

Khichdi

Comfort Food ~ Khichdi

When I think of comfort food, nothing but Khichdi that comes to my mind. Growing up my Mom would make khichdi in a variety of ways including mung dal, toor dal, masoor dal and more. This dish is very easy to prepare and your imagination is the limit to prepare this dish. Any kind of vegetables you may like could be added or it could be made with just plain rice and dal. It is also a no fuss dish with just very simple flavors and without the complexity of too many spices. It is also a one pot, okay, not a one pot, but one pressure cooker meal; all the vegetables, rice and dal go into one pressure cooker and you are all set. Today I have tried to use a variety of vegetables including some unusual ingredients; the net outcome was still the same soothing and satisfying meal with every spoonful.

Recipe: (Makes for 4 people)

2 cups brown rice (or white rice)
1 cup toor dal
1 carrot diced
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1 small bunch of swiss chard chopped
< 1/4 cup corn
< 1/4 cup peas
< 1/4 cup string beans cut
1 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds or jeera
1 green chili pepper slit length-wise
1 tsp red chilli powder or per taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste

Vegetables for khichdi

Soak the rice with double the amount of water for at least 30 minutes. Soak the toor dal also is possible with twice the amount of water. In a pressure cooker, heat ghee and add jeera. Then add the green chili, carrots and string beans saute for a few seconds. Then add the rice excluding the water and mix well with the vegetables so that ghee can coat every grain of rice. Now add the toor dal and water. Add the turmeric, chilli powder, salt, black pepper and mix. Cover the cooker with the lid and let the pressure come out at least 5 - 6 times before you turn off the flame. You can open the pressure cooker after about 10 minutes or when the pressure is completely calmed and no hissing sound is heard. Add the bell pepper, corn, peas, swiss chard now and mix well as these vegetables can cook through easily from the heat of the mixture. I also prefer the bell pepper to be a bit crunchy so I add it in the end. If you are using fresh corn or peas, add it along with the carrots in the beginning.
Top it off with a small dollop of ghee and your hot khichdi is ready to be enjoyed and you won’t even notice that it is made with brown rice.

Khichdi with a drizzle of ghee

Dalia (Wheat Rava or Cracked Wheat Upma)

Cracked Wheat or Wheat Rava

Wheat is an important human food. Wheat grain is such a staple food that it is used to make flour for breads, cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles, couscous and for fermentation in making beer and more. Wheat is a nutritious food containing Protein, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Iron and very less amount of fat. In Northern part of India, wheat is the main staple food. I grew up eating it day in and day out that not a single day goes by without wheat in my family’s diet. A hot and fluffy Chappatis or Rotis made by my Mom even with a side of raita or pickle was the best thing to eat in this world. It is one of the most versatile food to cook. Today I have decided to awaken my taste buds with a wonderful childhood dish - Dalia.

Recipe: (Makes for 4 people)

2 cups cracked wheat
1 small onion (optional) chopped
< 1/4 cup peas
< 1/4 cup corn kernels (optional)
< 1/4 cup diced carrot
< 1/4 cup green
< 1/4 cup of diced potatoes
< 1/4 red bell pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds or jeera
1 - 2 tsp red chilli powder or per taste
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tbsp Oil
2 - 3 tsp Ghee or clarified butter
1/2 lime or lemon juice
Salt to taste

Heat ghee in a pan and saute the cracked wheat on medium flame until it is toasted. Then add twice the amount of water and pressure cook it. in the meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, add jeera. Add all the vegetables and saute well. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric, salt and mix well. Sprinkle some water if necessary to cook the vegetables. Once the vegetables are cooked, mix in the cooked cracked wheat. Squeeze the lime juice, garnish with cilantro and serve hot. This dish could be eaten any time - breakfast, lunch or dinner. It definitely feels light on your stomach. So, eat up your Dalia and this is my entry to Monthly Mingle.

Warm & soothing spoonful of dalia