Lasuni Gobi (feeds 2-3)

Delicious Lasuni Gobi

This is a yummy and filling appetizer from India with a Chinese twist on it. And this makes it different from the traditional Indian taste. It comprises of fried cauliflower florets coated with tangy and spicy sauce concoction. This recipe can be made well in advance and can be heated up when needed. It goes well with Punjabi food. Also it tastes great all by itself.

As its name suggests, it uses 2 main ingredients - Gobi i.e. cauliflower  and Lasun i.e. garlic. It also uses chinese sauces - soy (which gives a salty tangy taste)  and chili (to spice it up). Other ingredients are easily available in your day-to-day pantry.

Let's have a look at the ingredients and then its process.

Ingredients :-

For the batter :

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic (grated fine)
3/4 - 1 cup water (for thick batter)

20-25 bite sized cauliflower florets, washed and rinsed
Oil for frying

For the gravy/sauce :

2 tbsp oil
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped fine
2 green chillies chopped fine
Salt (as required)
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp red chilli sauce
3 tsp tomato ketchup
coriander, chopped for garnish
scallions (green part), chopped  for garnish

Process :-


1. Mix flour, salt and garlic. Add water to form a thick paste. Thick enough to coat the cauliflower florets. Keep aside.

Bite sized cauliflower florets -washed and rinsed

Florets dipped in thick batter - ready to get fried

2. Pour oil in a large frying pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. Start dipping 4-5 florets in the thick batter (make sure they are coated evenly) and fry till they are golden brown and cooked through.

Do not over crowd the pan with more florets else the temperature of oil will be reduced and florets will turn soggy instead of crispy.

Deep fried golden florets

3.  Once all the florets are fried, mix soy sauce, chili sauce and ketchup in a bowl properly. Keep this mixture aside. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or a skillet.

Soy sauce, Chili sauce and tomato ketchup

Soy, chili and ketchup mixture

4.  Add onions and saute it they turn slightly golden and translucent. Now add garlic, saute for a minute - don't let it burn. Add green chillies, saute and then add all the fried yummy florets. Also add the sauce mixture and mix gently - don't let the florets fall apart. Taste and add salt if necessary as soy sauce already contains salt.

Sauteed onions - slightly golden and translucent

Chatpati Lasuni Gobi - garnished and ready to eat

5.  Garnish with finely chopped coriander and scallions. Serve hot.  

Eat, live and enjoy!!!

Strawberry Jam

Strawberry Jam



Welcome Spring! Cool, pleasant breeze, sunny and clear skies, flowers blooming, kids playing and varied array of berries back in season. So, i thought of making use of one of my favorite berries - Strawberries!! Did you know that jam, jellies, preserves and marmalades are all different forms of preserving the best fruits of season? Here's what i found, might help

• Jam is made with whole fruit that is cooked down to release the pectin.
• Jelly is made with fruit juice.
• Preserves use the whole fruit without breaking it up.
• Marmalade uses the zest and pulp, and the juice, however not the whole fruit.

Today i am going to make strawberry jam and to make the process a little bit quicker i am slicing the strawberries into halves or quarters according to their sizes. Also I like the strawberry fruit pieces when the jam is cooked through, it tastes good and looks good too. The recipe i am writing will make a little less than 16 oz. bottle of jam. Here's what you will need :

Ingredients :-

16 oz. / 1 lb fresh strawberries, cut into halfs or fourths
1 cup sugar
1/2 lemon's juice
1 whole lemon's zest
2-3 tbsp water

Strawberries - washed, cored and halved/quartered

Procedure :-

1.  On a medium-high in a heavy bottom saucepan take sugar and add water to it - just to moisten the sugar. Keep stirring.



Strawberries starting to release juices

2.  Once the sugar starts to boil, add cut strawberries and let it simmer.

3.  This process takes some time, strawberries will start releasing the juice, the color in the saucepan will turn to red due to the strawberry juice. Let it simmer. Keep stirring from time to time.

4.  After around 20-25 mins. you will see that strawberries have softened and start falling apart. Also the liquid changes to deep red color and the jam starts to thicken and starts coating the sides of the saucepan.

Color changes from red to deep red



5.  Now there are a couple of signs that will help you to decide whether jam is done or not.


     a)  When you run your finger through the back of your stirring spoon and it forms a  line, it means  jam is done.
     b)  Jam should have a consistency as that of honey.
     c)  Jam starts sticking the sides of the saucepan. 




A line is formed when you run your finger through the spoon

Jam coats the sides of the saucepan

6.  Once the jam is done, let it cool completely. Fill the jam in an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for a couple of months.


7.  Spread it on fresh hot toast or spread on whole wheat chappatis (Indian bread) and roll it up. This is a healthy option for kids. Whichever way you eat, you will be proud of your own creation :)

BASUNDI (feeds 5-6 approx.)



Basundi

Today's recipe is a sweet dish made from whole milk. This dessert reminds me of my childhood days. We had basundi in our house for a lot of occasions, sometimes even without occassions :) I love sweets and so i believe there shouldn't be any occassion to prepare sweet dishes. Enough about myself, let's focus on our recipe. Basundi is  famous in many parts of India. This dish is time-consuming but needs very few ingredients. There is one more dish called "RABDI" which is richer than basundi (recipe follows).  If you start making  basundi and have more time, you can make rabdi too, this way you get to taste 2 sweet dishes, the more the merrier :)

Basundi

Ingredients :-

1 gallon whole milk
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cup sugar
25-30 almonds
10-15 cardamom seeds freshly ground
1/4 tsp nutmeg pwd.

Directions :-

1.  First of all, soak almonds in warm water. The reason   
     behind this is till the basundi is done, they become soft
     and  this makes it easy to slice them.

2.  Making basundi is a very simple process, but you need to
     stir it constantly else milk will stick to the bottom and
     basundi will have a burnt smell which no one will like.

3.  Start boiling the milk in a heavy bottom deep vessel on
     medium heat. This is going to take a while, about 1 - 1 1/2
     hour. Yes, you read it right, it is a long process and you
     need to keep an eye on it every minute, stirring it
     constantly but trust me the outcome will be delicious!!!

4.  After more than an hour, you will see that the milk
     changes its color. When it turns pale white in color and
     milk thickens a bit, add sugar and cardamom-nutmeg
     powder to it. Stir till sugar melts, about 5-7 mins., turn off
     the heat.

5.  Peel the almonds or leave its skin on and slice them
     diagonally. Sprinkle them over the basundi. Chill and
     serve.

Tips :-

1.  Basundi is a long process to make so i suggest you to make
     it in advance. If you want it for lunch, make it the
     previous evening and let it sit through the night in the
     refrigerator.

2.  Basundi and puri is a very famous combination. Other
     things, which go along with it are aloo sukhi bhaji and
     vegetable pulav. Try this menu, it is short and sweet :)

Rabdi :-

If you want to make basundi and rabdi both, take some thickened milk in another pan (before adding sugar) and keep stirring and boiling for some more time. Finally, it will be in semi-solid state, now add sugar. Once sugar melts, add sliced almonds. Chill and serve. Both sweets stays fresh for about a week when refrigerated.

Rabdi can be either by served by itself or pour chilled rabdi over hot jalebis and serve..... Yummmm..... Basically if you like sweets made from milk then you are on the right page :) Enjoy!!!

BAKED PASTA WITH ROASTED VEGGIES

Baked pasta with garlic bread and roasted brussel sprouts

This is an easy to make pasta dish and loved by everyone. This is for my dear friend who had asked for this recipe from so long. I fell in love for Italian food through a couple of Italian restaurants and one of the shows on food network : "Everyday Italian". I learned making many of the Italian dishes through this show. I sometimes had to make changes to the recipe to make it 100 % vegetarian, but it worked fine.  Also I learned a lot about the Italian culture and places over there. If I get a chance, I will surely love to visit this beautiful country.  Here's one of my favourite recipes which I love to make and love to eat.  According to me, this is a perfect example of 'comfort food'.  Join me in experiencing Italy through this delicious recipe!!!


Ingredients :-

1 large red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch
   cubes
1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup baby portabello mushrooms, cut into fourths
3 cups roasted red pepper and garlic sauce (if you can't find
   this, use marinara sauce)
1 pound large shells pasta
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt (acc. to taste)
1 tsp black pepper powder divided
1 tbsp dried italian herb mix divided
3-4 tbsp extravirgin olive oil, little extra for greasing the pan


Directions :-

1.  Pre-heat oven to 450 F

2.  On a baking sheet, toss red bell peppers, zucchini, summer
     squash, red onion, salt, black pepper pwd., italian herbs
     and olive oil. Roast for about 15 mins. until veggies turn
     tender.

3.  On a separate baking sheet, toss mushrooms with salt,
     pepper pwd., italian herbs and olive oil. Roast them for 15
     mins. til tender and all the water gets evaporated.
     (We are roasting them in a separate sheet because
     mushrooms have a tendency to leave lots of water when
     they cook, so we don't want them with other veggies).

4.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil on high
     heat. Once the water starts bubbling, add a handful of salt
     and then add the pasta. Stir it and let it cook for about 6-7
     mins. When you bite into the pasta, it should be still hard.
     (They will complete the rest of the cooking in the oven).
     Drain the pasta in a colander.

5.  In a large pan, combine pasta with roasted vegetables,
     grape tomatoes, sauce, 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup
    Parmesan cheeses (mix the rest of the cheeses and keep
    them for later). 

Pasta coated nicely with sauce, roasted veggies and cheese

6.  Mix everything gently till all the ingredients are combined
    and all the pasta is coated with sauce. At this point you can
    taste your pasta and add salt and pepper if you want.

Pasta ready to go into the oven

7.  Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan with oil and pour all the pasta in
    it. Top with the remaining cheeses and bake it in the oven
    for 20-25 mins. until all the cheese is melted and top is
   golden. Enjoy it with garlic bread and roasted brussel
   sprouts (recipe follows) on the side.

The cheese has melted and pasta is ready to eat!

Buon appetito!

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Ingredients :-

1 pound brussel sprouts
Salt (acc. to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
3 tbsp extravirgin olive oil

Directions :-

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 F

2. Cut of the brown ends of the brussel sprouts and pull of   
     any yellow leaves on the outside. Cut the sprouts into 
     halves.

3. On a baking sheet, toss brussel sprouts with olive oil, salt
     and pepper till they are coated evenly with the seasoning.
     Bake them for 30-35 mins. till they are crunchy and
     golden on the outside and soft on the inside. (Shake the
     pan from time to time to bake the sprouts evenly).

Dig in and enjoy!!!

GARLIC BREAD

Mouth-watering Garlic bread

This is a very simple and mouth-watering recipe, easy to make at home. This bread can be eaten just by itself as a snack or as a side dish with pasta or pizza. I posted this recipe on a special demand by my dear friend :) Enjoy!!!

Ingredients :-

4 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature - this is important)
2 tbsp extravirgin olive oil
6 big cloves of garlic grated
salt (acc. to taste)
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
2-3 pinches red chilli flakes
1 loaf of ciabatta bread

Bread ready to go in the oven

Directions :-
 
1.  Pre heat oven to 425° F.
 
2.  Mix all the above ingredients (except bread) properly in a bowl. 
 
3.  Cut the bread in half, horizontally and spread the above mixture evenly on both the halves. 

Bread lathered with garlic spread

 
4.  Arrange the loaves butter side up and bake at 425° F for 7-10 mins. until golden on top and crunchy on the sides.

5.  Cut them into 1-inch thick slices using a serrated knife and serve warm.

Variations :-

1.  For a nice cheesy touch, spread grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese mixture on top and let it sit in the oven for 2-3 mins. till cheese is melted.

2.  Try making this bread using french or italian baguette or any multigrain loaf. To make the bottom crunchy, you can let it sit in the oven for a couple more mins. (just keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn). I tried making this with multigrain loaf and it tasted awesome! and of course it is healthy.

3.  To make herb-garlic bread, omit the italian seasoning and chilli flakes. Instead, add 1 tsp each of fresh cut rosemary and thyme to the above mixture and bake it. It tastes wonderful!

Garlic bread

CHIVDA/CHEVDO

The chana dalia, peanuts and curry leaves add a fried crunchy taste to this chivda

 This is a special snack made specially during Diwali but you can also make it any other time. As this is spicy in taste, it goes well with ladoo. So chivda and ladoo is a famous combination. This is a healthy snack as it contains less oil. It goes perfectly well with tea/coffee and so will make a great afternoon snack. You can make it any time of the year and can store it outside for around 10 days. This can make a tasty and healthy snack even if you are travelling as it stays fresh outside. This is also a good snack for kids to take at school or even eat at home.
 

Chivda/Chevdo

 

 

Ingredients :-

2 cups poha (flattened rice) thin (it comes in thick and thin varieties)
2 handfuls of raw peanuts
2 handfuls of chana dalia (you can increase/decrease the amount of peanuts and chana dalia acc. to your taste)
10-15 curry leaves/sweet neem leaves
2 tsp white sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd. (or less if you want the chivda to be less spicy)
salt - acc. to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd./haldi pwd.
2 pinches asafoetida/hing

The peanuts, dalia and curry leaves add a fine color and texture to the chivda

Directions :-

1.  Heat oil in a non-stick vessel on medium heat.
2.  Once the oil heats, add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Now add turmeric pwd. followed by asafoetida. Add sesame seeds, stir them and add curry leaves.
3.  Add peanuts and saute them continuously for about 2-3 minutes till they are lightly fried.
4.  Add chana dalia, lower the flame and stir them for couple more mins. Be careful in this step  as dalia can burn quickly.
5.  Now add poha, red chilli pwd.,salt and sugar. 
6.  Stir it lightly with spatula or just toss it lightly (if you keep stirring continuously, poha might break) for about 8-10 mins till the poha become crunchy.
7.  Let it cool and store it in an airtight container. It stays fresh outside for about 10 days.

Variations :-

1.  You can also add a handful of golden or black raisins for the chewy texture.
2.  You can also add 1/2 tsp of whole coriander seeds with the curry leaves. Saute them and they will get crunchy and give a nice smoky taste to the chivda.
3.  Instead of red chilli pwd. try adding chopped green chillies for heat. Add them once you add the curry leaves and saute them for a minute till they get fried. When you eat the chivda, the fried chilli bites give a nice hot taste. Also they will help preserving the natural color of chivda.   

PEANUTS AND DATES LADOO / PEANUTS AND DATES BALLS

Roasted peanut-date ladoos

This is a sweet but healthy dish surely loved by kids and adults as well. It's an very easy dish to prepare. This is healthy as it contains all the good things - peanuts, dates, ghee and jaggery. You can easily find ghee and jaggery in any Indian grocery store. From what i have learned since childhood is that jaggery is healthier than sugar. Also it goes very well with peanuts. As kids, we used to eat roasted peanuts and jaggery  together, that combination tasted awesome! It is also very filling and ofcourse healthy. When you are looking for jaggery, try to find the "Kohlapuri jaggery" - it is yellowish white in color and has a nice sweet taste. Ghee is a very common ingredient used in India for all kinds of sweet and savoury dishes. You can even make ghee at home. This dish can also be eaten when you are on "upvas" or "fasting".

Ingredients :-

1 cup plain roasted peanut powder (recipe follows)
1/2 cup dates finely chopped
1/2 cup kohlapuri jaggery (If you don't find jaggery, you can add sugar)
1/4 - 1/2 cup ghee melted

Directions :-  

1.  Mix all of the above ingredients except ghee.

2.  Taste and see if you need more jaggery (the level of sweetness changes from person to person, also it depends on how sweet the dates are), add accordingly.

3.  Now add 1/4 cup of melted ghee, mix and try to make ladoos (the size you wish to eat :)). If the mixture is falling apart, add more ghee and form them into ladoos.

Roasted peanut-date ladoos

4.  You can store ladoos in an airtight container for about a week on the shelf. If the weather is too hot, then their shelflife will be less.

Variations :-

1.  You can omit the dates and just make the PEANUT LADOOS for a change. They taste equally nice.

2.  If you are making these ladoos in winter, you can add 1/2 tsp of dry ginger powder to it for a little warmth.

Directions for "Roasted peanut powder" :-

Buy raw unshelled peanuts from a grocery store. Roast them in a non-stick pan on medium heat for about 10-15 mins. or till the peanuts turn light brown in color and its skin starts to come off. It is important to toss them continuously or they will burn. Let them cool completely. Now grind them fine in a grinder or food processor. You can save some roasted peanuts and eat them with jaggery as i told you before. You can store these roasted peanuts or peanut powder in a glass jar on the shelf for about 15-20 days. Peanut powder can be used in many different vegetables/curries and salads.