Tag Archives: Indian

FOOD

Sweet potato chaat

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Chaat is an Indian street food. It literally means to lick – meaning the dish is so good that you will be left licking your fingers. There are umpteen varieties of chaat, and an upcoming cookbook by the Food Network judge Maneet Chauhan is dedicated to this genre. In my case, it was the solitary sweet potato staring at me that led me to create this easy chaat that was gobsmacking, lip smacking good. Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet potato, peeled, cut into small cubes and washed
  • 2 tsp cooking oil (I used vegetable oil)
  • 1 tsp chaat masala (available at Indian stores, but you can use curry powder in a pinch)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small tomato, finely chopped
  • 1 green chili, finely chopped
  • 1/4 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp tamarind chutney (available at Indian stores, but you can add pomegranate or date molasses)
  • 1 tbsps sev (chick pea sticks – available at Indian stores, but you can use a few potato chips crushed for crunch)
  • Slice of lemon (adds visual interest/additional tartness if needed)

How to:

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and fry till the sweet potatoes are fried nicely and turn dark. Keep tossing frequently to prevent it from burning. This took about ten minutes on a medium flame for me. Turn off the stove.

2. Sprinkle the salt and chaat masala on the cooked sweet potatoes and toss.

3. Take a platter and scatter the sweet potatoes on it. Now drizzle the tamarind chutney on top. Layer the rest of the vegetables on top of the sweet potatoes. Finish with a flourish of sev on top and a lemon slice on the side.

4. Finish eating and of course do tell me if it was lip smacking good:)

FOOD

An absolutely divine malai kofta

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I’ve made malai kofta (aka home made cheese balls in a creamy gravy) many times in my life. But I never ever tried my mom’s recipe. Well, it isn’t mom’s original recipe, but one that she learned by saving some hard to come by money to attend cooking classes in Mumbai when I was a kid. Not only did mom expand her knowledge of cooking, but my brother and I were the fortunate recipients of her wonderful creations. Given the current “stay home” situation, I’ve been browsing through many of her recipes and decided to finally make her version of Malai Kofta. Not only did the dish turn out absolutely divine (my mom said so herself!), but I was doubly grateful that my mom took the time to make these exotic creations with some frequency when we were kids. It is a dish that requires quite a few ingredients and takes some time, but I promise you that you will have no leftovers on your plate or in your fridge.

Ingredients for the koftas:

  • 350 gms paneer, finely grated
  • 3 tbsps whole wheat flour or one slice of bread (I used low carb 647 bread) (for binding)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 4 chopped green chilis
  • 1 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp of garam masala
  • Oil to shallow or deep fry the koftas

    Ingredients for the spice paste

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh or dry grated coconut
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 6 small green chilis
  • 2 tsps chili powder
  • 2 large bunches of coriander leaves (cilantro)
  • 2 tsps coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp white poppy seeds (khus khus)
  • 1 inch piece ginger

    Ingredients for the gravy
  • 4 tbsps ghee or vegetable oil
  • 4 tomatoes crushed and set aside with the liquid
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • salt to taste

    Ingredients for garnishing

  • 1 tsp coriander leaves finely chopped
  • 1 tsp finely sliced almonds

How to:

1. Knead the paneer well, mix the flour or the slice of bread softened with a tad bit of water, and all the ingredients for the koftas except for the oil and shape into round balls. Deep or shallow fry the balls in oil and set aside on a paper towel to drain.

2. Put all the ingredients for the spice paste into a blender and grind into a fine paste with just enough water so the paste is a gravy consistency.

3.Heat the ghee or oil for the gravy in a pan and fry the spice paste well for about five minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes, cream, and salt and cook the gravy for 10 -15 minutes. Turn off the stove.

5. Just before serving, transfer the gravy to a serving dish, add the kofta balls, and if you want, decorate with some finely sliced almonds and cilantro.

6. Serve hot with rotis, pita, naan, or rice.

FOOD

Delish green beans with coconut

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Many moons ago, when my mom had to leave for India for an extended period of time to care for my grandfather, she wrote down a bunch of recipes of the staple, time honored dishes that my family from Kerala had served for generations in their kitchen. Before I had any money to buy any sort of cookbook, these recipes became my guidepost; a primer that ensured that I would carry on creating the tastes of my mother, grandmothers, aunts and more in my kitchen. Of course, in the rush to give me these recipes, mom sometimes missed writing exact quantities or an ingredient, but they were enough of a foundation to enable me to cook.

Beans Poduthol, also called as Thoran, is a simple dish of whatever veggies are on hand, some oil and spices and lots of freshly grated coconut. It is the kind of dish that is not only super yummy and healthy, but also makes me feel with every spoonful that all will be okay in this world.

Ingredients:

  • A pound of beans, washed, destringed and cut into small pieces
  • A tbsp of oil (traditionally coconut oil is used)
  • A tsp of mustard seeds
  • A tsp of urad dal (skip if you don’t have this, it adds crunch)
  • One or two dried red chili pods broken
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • Four tbsps freshly grated coconut
When I copied mom’s recipe into my first attempt at organizing recipes.

How to:

1. Heat oil in a pan.  Fry the mustard seeds, urad dal (if using) and dried chilly pods.  When the mustard seeds start popping, add the beans, turmeric powder, salt and cumin powder and toss well.

2. Cover and cook till the beans are cooked, yet crunchy (about 10-15 minutes).

3. Add the fresh coconut and toss a few times.

Enjoy!

PS. You can prepare cabbage, spinach, carrots, and raw bananas in a similar fashion.