Garlicky Roasted Red Pepper Ravioli

This dish came about from one my favorite party dips made with roasted red peppers, garlic and cream cheese. Using those flavors to make a tangy, spicy and creamy roasted red pepper sauce worked perfectly with simple cheese ravioli. Apart from being really simple to put together, this dish is so flavorful that it’s almost hard to believe it can be made in under 30 minutes!

1 pound cheese ravioli (I bought fresh ravioli)
1/2 cup cream cheese
4 indian green chillies (this makes the dish spicy. Use 2 serrano peppers or 1 jalapeno to make the dish milder)
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bunch of scallions (green onions) , discard an inch from the bottom including the roots
4 red peppers, fire roasted (you can store bought or roast your own)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cilantro, washed
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp + 1 tsp salt
zest from one lemon
3 tbsps capers, roughly chopped

Pulse blend together garlic, scallions, green chillies and cream cheese. Add 1/2 cup cilantro, cumin powder, 1 tsp salt and roasted red peppers. Blend completely to make a smooth sauce. No extra water is needed since the red peppers tend to render liquid. I like to make my own roasted peppers. I use tongs to hold the peppers with its top stem and roast over a gas flame. Keep turning them evenly until you see evenly charred skin. Let them cool completely. Simply scrape the skin off with a towel, you should be left with a perfectly roasted soft pepper.

Pour the sauce into a skillet and gently warm the sauce over medium-low heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, 1 tsp salt, zested lemon and chopped capers.

Simmer the sauce over medium heat for 10 minutes. In the meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water over high heat to a rolling boil. Drop the ravioli in the water and cook for 3-5 minutes until done. the ravioli will float to the top when done. Drain the pasta and drop into the simmering sauce.

Serve hot with some fresh bread. Not only is the best part the cheesy ravioli with the tangy sauce, but using the bread to scoop off leftover sauce is simply heavenly.

Stir Fried Garlic Tofu Noodles

Some of my favorite weeknight dinners are simple stir fried dishes. This version came about simply with ingredients I had in my fridge, combined with my love for singapore noodles. With garlic, ginger and turmeric as base flavors, this stir fried noodle is a great way to incorporate tofu into your meals.

8 oz rice noodles (approx.220 grams)
1 large red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
2″ piece ginger, peeled
5 cloves garlic, peeled
5 indian green chillies (makes this dish spicy. substitute with 1 serrano to make it mild or feel free to leave out chillies all together)
3/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed
2 cups sweet corn (I used frozen, can be substituted with fresh)
14 oz extra firm tofu  (you could also used super firm tofu)
handful of fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola oil

Cube the fresh tofu into 1″ pieces and place between dry towels and gently squeeze any excess moisture out. Make sure you don’t break the pieces.

In a pan heat one tbsp canola oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the tofu to the hot oil. Make sure you stand away and drop the pieces in gently, facing away from your body. There will be some spluttering. Let cook for 3 minutes. Gently move the tofu around and get an even light brown on them. Remove the tofu onto a paper towel using a slotted spoon and let them rest.

Add the remaining tbsp of oil to the leftover oil in the pan and heat over medium heat. Finely chop ginger, garlic and chillies together. Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric powders to the oil and fry for 20 seconds and then add the chopped garlic, ginger and chillies. Fry over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add thinly sliced red onions and sautee for 7-8 minutes until the onions are cooked and start slightly browning. Add 4 cups of spinach along with a tsp of salt. Mix well and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. The spinach will wilt and give out a bit of water which should help you scrap any spices in the bottom of the pan and create a unified aromatic base for our noodles.

Add the frozen corn with the remaining tsp of salt, mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Uncover, increase the heat and cook another 5 minutes. Add the pre-sauteed tofu to the corn mixture and toss together gently. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes which will allow the tofu to soak in all the flavors of the vegetables and spices. Add almost all of the chopped cilantro with a little saved to add just before serving and turn of the heat.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a few drops of oil to the water and then drop the rice noodles in it. The oil will keep the noodles from sticking to each other when cooked and drained. Cook the noodles according to your package instructions. Mine took just about 3 minutes. Drain the noodles, let sit for a minute to make sure all the water is drained.

Add the noodles to the vegetable-tofu mixture and toss together gently. Use tongs to separate the noodles and mix well to make sure all the spices, vegetables and color mix evenly.

Sprinkle the reserved fresh cilantro on top and serve warm.

Macaroni – The Simple Indian Way

This is my favorite go-to recipe. With ingredients that I always have readily in my pantry, it makes for a delicious, comforting and easy to make meal.

1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp cumin powder
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
5 indian green chillies, finely chopped  (substitute: thai chillies or serrano chillies)
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped into bite size pieces
4 large tomatoes
1 cup green peas
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp canola oil

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add cumin and coriander powders. Fry for 30 seconds (the spices can burn easily, so keep stirring) until the spices are slightly toasted. Add the finely chopped garlic, chillies and onions. Saute until the onions turn translucent.

Add the sliced onions in and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the onions turn golden brown. I finely dice a couple of onions to blend into the dish and leave a couple of onions sliced to give a bite to the dish.

Puree 4 whole tomatoes (no water added). The tomatoes itself, will give enough water to make this a thin puree. Pour this over the golden brown onion mixture. Add 1 tsp salt, green peppers and green peas.

Mix well, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water and cook covered over medium heat for another 10 minutes. This will cook the raw tomatoes along with the peas and soften the green peppers.

Add the garam masala and cilantro. Add another 1/3 cup of water and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes.

During this time, bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil and drop the elbow macaroni in. Cook according to packaging instructions. Around 6-7 minutes until al dente (perfectly cooked but with a slight bite). Drain the pasta and put the hot pasta back in the pot it was cooked in.

Add the tomato-peas-onion sauce to the cooked pasta, mix well an serve hot with your favorite bread.

Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Green Lentil Soup

This is a soup recipe adapted from BHG. The original recipe called for pumpkin, red lentils and chickpeas, but with sweet potatoes, green lentils (french puy lentils) and chickpeas in my pantry, I decided to improvise. The sweet potatoes and green lentils turned out to be a great substitute for the pumpkin and red lentils.

I also had sage in stock. Since I am a sucker for sage with sweet potatoes, I decided to fry the sage in butter first and then start the soup with the sage infused butter. The crispy butter fried sage also makes a great garnish.

I was quite pleased that I could make enough and share with friends at work. It turned out to be a great lunch perfect for that rainy day!

4 medium sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
1 32 oz can chickpeas
3 cups green lentils, dried ( I prefer using dried and cooking it in stock, rather than using pre cooked lentils)
1″ piece ginger, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 large tomatoes, chopped
6-8 fresh sage leaves
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 dried bay leaf (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp cumin powder
4 tbsp butter
12 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp salt ( split into four 1/2 tsp quantities to be added in layers)
juice from 1 lemon

Melt butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Add sage leaves which will start becoming crispy after some spluttering. Remove sage and set aside.

In the sage infused butter left behind in the pan, add garlic, ginger and onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions are cooked translucent.

Add chopped carrots, 1/2 tsp salt and sauté for 5 minutes until the carrots just start getting tender. Add cubed sweet potatoes, chickpeas, 1 tsp salt, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders. Cook for 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes just start cooking.

Add chopped tomatoes, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the sage leaves. Cook for 2 minutes and add the lentils, bay leaf and measured vegetable stock. Cover and let cook over medium heat for 40-45 minutes.

Uncover and check for doneness. The lentils should be perfectly tender (but not mushy), the sweet potato, chickpeas and carrots should also be tender yet hold their shape but will melt in your mouth into an explosion of flavors. Add chopped cilantro and lemon juice, turn off the heat and serve hot with any fresh baked bread of your choice.

I served the soup with pumpernickel bread and loved the combination of the smoky earthy soup with the deep and intense pumpernickel bread. The combination was perfect.

Coconut Chayote Squash Masala

This kind of Squash, a prominent vegetable in Indian cooking, is known as Chayote squash in markets in the US. The local name we know and call it by is Chow Chow, which certainly sounds more fun! It is typically used to many varieties of stews. It is a juicy/watery vegetable with a light and delicate flavor.

This variation makes it an easy weeknight meal and an ideal side dish for Indian breads or a steaming bowl of basmati rice. Personally, the garlic-ginger-coconut combination makes it divine!

4 chayote squash, washed and peeled
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 large potato, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1″ piece ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 serrano peppers, finely chopped
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/3 cup freshly grated coconut
3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp salt

Heat a non stick pan over medium heat. Add the chopped serrano, ginger and garlic. Stir for a 30 seconds and make sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes until they turn translucent. Add tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes soften.

Add cumin, coriander and turmeric powders. Sauté for 6-7 minutes minutes until the strong spices mellow down slightly and get incorporated well with the veggies. Add the chopped potatoes, squash, salt and mix well together. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Check a couple of times in between and stir the veggies to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom. If they do, then sprinkle a little water and lower the heat.

Uncover and make sure the squash and potatoes are cooked well. Insert a small knife into the center of veggie and make sure they are cooked through. They should to still hold their shape but also be tender.

Sprinkle the coconut and cilantro and cook uncovered for another 6-7 minutes which helps blending all the flavors together. It is best served hot like most other Indian curries.

Superbowl Super Snack

Here are a few of my successful experiments of the day – three kinds of crispy snacks with two different kind of dips. It all started with a craving for crisp onion rings and french fries to mindlessly reach for while watching the game. But that unfortunately entails waiting forever to have it delivered and eating something with an unimaginable amount of grease and salt. Making a snack at home turned out to be easy, healthy and just incredibly delicious.

I made two dips – Caramelized onion Dip and a Herb infused ketchup. Served with two types of crispy potatoes and oven toasted pierogi.

Pierogis are stuffed dumplings much like ravioli. You could call this the eastern/central european ravioli! It is a pillowy soft dough typically filled with potatoes, onions and cheese. Although they taste the best made from scratch, the second best option is to buy them from the frozen section usually next to the stuffed pastas. Unlike pasta, they are typically not served with heavy sauces but more with light sauces like a brown butter sauce or just plain fried onions on top.

Inspired by fried raviolis, I oven roasted the pierogis and served then as a snack and not an entrée.

Two kinds of potatoes:
4 large potatoes( You will need long ones than the round kind)
1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp  red chilli powder (substitute paprika if you don’t want any heat)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tbsp dried basil

For the dips:
Dip 1 :
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup indian yogurt or greek yogurt ( if you are using regular yogurt, drain using a cheese cloth overnight to remove all excess water. you will be left with a creamy thick yogurt)
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp canola oil
Dip 2:
4 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp  green chilli paste
1/2 tsp mint paste
1/2 tsp coriander paste
1 tbsp water

Oven toasted pierogis:
1 pound pierogi ( frozen)
1/2 tsp salt

Pre heat the oven to 400F.

Dip 1:

Heat a non-stick pan with a tsp of canola oil. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until the onions are browned and crispy. In a bowl mix together the sour cream and yogurt. Add the crispy onions, cilantro, crushed red peppers and salt. Mix well and serve with the crispy potatoes.

Dip 2:

Mix all the dip ingredients together and this is ready to serve! Although adding ketchup with herbs seems kinda crazy, trust me, this is the best dip you have ever eaten. It pairs extremely well with potatoes and anything that needs a kick up.

Oven toasted Pierogis:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the frozen pierogis in and cook until the pierogis float to the top. That means they are ready to come out. Drain any excess water and place them on baking sheet greased with a little canola oil. Bake for 10 minutes until brown on one side. Turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes until crispy. Serve with the spicy herbed ketchup. This turned out to be the perfect combination. Crisp on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside,  dipped into a spicy tangy sauce is just heavenly!

Potato Crisps:
Wash the potatoes well. Slice two potatoes lengthwise into large thin strips about a 1/4 inch thin. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread the slides evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, turn the slices around and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, sprinkle potatoes with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp chilli powder.

Bake for another 5 minutes and serve hot with dips.

Fries:
Cut the remaining two potatoes into french fries style pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes. They should be browned  by now, then add salt, cumin, chilli and coriander powders along with the dried basil.

Back to baking for 5 more minutes and serve hot with the dips.

Bombay Sandwich – The Queen of Street Food

One of the best things about India and the thing I miss the most food-wise is street food. Here’s one of my favorites, the bombay sandwich. A simple yet soul satisfyingly delicious snack perfect for an appetizer or served with coffee or tea. The thing I love about this is you can make this with things you probably always have in your pantry. The only extra step is to make the chutney which is the star of this dish.

For the chutney you need :

4 green chillies (indian or thai variety preferably, serranos or jalapenos are a good substitute)
1/2 cup Cilantro
1/3 cup Mint
1/2 tsp Tamarind paste
2 Garlic cloves, peeled
1/2″ piece Ginger, peeled
1 tbsp grated Coconut (frozen works fine)
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Salt
2-3 tbsp Lemon juice

To make the sandwich:

3 slices of white bread- makes one sandwich (classically made with white bread, substitute with wheat or grain bread, not with any stonf flavored bread like rye)
1 white onion, slicked thinly lengthwise
1 large tomato, sliced thinly into rounds
1 large potato, boiled, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

Blend all the chutney ingredients together in a blender with as little water as possible. You want a smooth texture almost the consistency of room temperature butter.

Fill a pot of cold water an add some salt. Drop in the potatoes and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are completely cooked. Peel and slice into thin rounds and set aside. Remove the crusts off the bread, slice the onions and tomatoes and set aside.

Spread the chutney liberally on the first slice of bread. Place a couple of the sliced onions and tomatoes on it. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the chutney liberally on the second slice of bread and place it on the first slice with veggies, chutney side up.
Place the sliced boiled potatoes on the second bread, add a pinch of salt  and pepper. Spread the third slice with chutney and place on top of the potatoes chutney side down. Press down slightly.

Cut into four pieces serve at room temperature.

Chickpeas-Mint Patties

A simple and healthy snack with insanely great flavors. With the lemon-cilantro-garlic sauce, it’s a marriage made in heaven!

1 13 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cumin powder
3/4 tsp coriander powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to  400F

In a blender, add the the chickpeas, mint, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, cumin and coriander powders, garlic and salt. Pulse blend a few times with no extra water added. Drop the egg and blend completely. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Grease a baking tray or a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray liberally. Drop a tablespoon of spoonful of mixture on the sheet and gently flatten them with the back of your spoon.Make the rest of the mixture into patties and place then an inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes until one side is browned and turn them over and bake 10 more minutes until completely crispy. Serve warm with the cilantro-garlic dipping sauce.

I am entering this dish into the EFM-Savories event hosted by SrishKitchen.

Fettucini with Caramelized Onions and Green Peppers

Thanks to the torrential down pour with 50 mph winds, I get to eat this for dinner!  What’s better on a cold rainy day than hot creamy pasta. This version is sweet from the caramelized onions and spicy(ofcourse!) from the serrano, creamy and hearty thanks to the béchamel.

3 tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano peppers, minced
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, sliced thin lengthwise
1 cup peas (i use frozen peas)
2 green bell peppers, seeds removed and sliced lengthwise
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
2-3 cups béchamel sauce
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp cilantro, washed and finely chopped
1 pound fettucini

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettucini and cook until al dente according to package instructions (Around 8-9 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large pan and add garlic and serrano peppers. After a few seconds add the onions and bay leaf. Cook on high heat until the onions are caramelized. Add the green peppers, peas, salt, cumin and coriander powder. Mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes until the peppers just start softening.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the béchamel sauce. I used 2 cups, you can use 3 cups if you like your pasta with a lot of sauce. Add the basil, cilantro and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta into this sauce, mix well together so all the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce and serve with your favorite bread.

I am sending this recipe to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Quesadilla – A quick Indian inspired version

After a long day at work or at home, making different things to eat is always frustrating and puzzling! I always wonder how my mom managed to cook different meals 3 times a day every single day, and work full time, and have kids and still stand at the end of the day! Kudos to my mom and mothers everywhere.

This dish will hopefully make your lives a little easier!  It’s quick, easy and tasty.

4 flour tortillas (You could also use chapattis/rotis)

1 cup shredded cheese (I use a mixture or monterey jack, pepper jack and cheddar)
1/3 cup Pickled jalapenos (optional)

For the Filling :
1 large onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped into 2 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (discard seeds for a milder flavor)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, jalapenos and fry for 30 seconds. Add onions and stir fry until onions are cooked and completely translucent. Add tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes until they breakdown and start to form a sauce with the onion. Add green bell peppers, salt, coriander and cumin powders and mix well . Cook 7-8 minutes until the spices mellow and the bell pepper softens. Stir in cilantro, remove from heat and set aside.

Grease a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the pan and spread one tablespoon of the veggie filling evenly just shy of the edges. Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheeses over the filling and top with 3-4 pickled jalapenos. (To make the dish mild, skip this step with the extra pickled jalapenos)

Top the second tortilla over this and gently press down and the filling will gently fill out to the edges. Turn the quesadilla over and cook until this side crisps and browns. Remove and let cool.

Make the rest of the tortillas, filling and cheese into quesadillas. Once they are easy to handle and cooled down for a few minutes, halve or quarter them and serve with sour cream.

I have sent this recipe to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Spinach-Ginger Patties with Tomato Relish

I love the combination of spinach and ginger. One of my favorite South Indian side dish is mashed spinach with ginger and mustard seeds. I wanted to take those flavors and make an appetizer out of it. Here is what you need:

1 bag baby spinach, finely chopped
2 large potatoes (or 3-4 medium/small potatoes)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2″ piece ginger, minced or grated
5 white bread slices, crust removed, torn to small pieces
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
3-5 canola oil for shallow frying

For the tomato relish:

2 large firm tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl mix together the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salt and lime juice and set aside. This is your relish.

Boil the potatoes until  tender, peel and mash them in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the onions, ginger, coriander powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice, cilantro and salt. Combine everything together well. Now add in the bread and chopped spinach and mash everything together with your hands. It might seem like too much spinach, but the minute it hits the warm potatoes it will wilt down to quarter its volume. Cover this mixture and let it rest for 20 minutes in the refrigerator while it tightens up.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add about 4-5 tbsp of oil just enough to cover the base of the pan. Form 3-4 inch patties gently place in the heated oil.  Shallow fry on both sides till brown (around 4 minutes per side). Serve warm topped with tomato relish.

I am entering this recipe to the “EFM – Savories” event hosted by SrishKitchen.

My Signature Veggie Burger

This is my solution to the dry soy or imitation meat veggie burgers they sell in markets. My signature veggie burger recipe uses simple vegetables, spices and herbs and makes a great looking and yummy burger.

1 cup fresh broccoli
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 idaho potatoes, chopped into half
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (also known as japanese bread crumbs)
2 tsp mint chutney (if you cannot find the chutney, substitute with 2 tsp fresh mint leaves)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
8 curry leaves (about one stem), washed and chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
3 serrano peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1″ ginger piece, minced
2 tsp butter 
1 tbsp lemon juice
Burger buns (I used sesame buns) 

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and let it boil for 5-7 minutes until tender. Strain and transfer into a bowl. In the same water add half of the peas( 1/4 cup), let cook for 3 minutes, strain and transfer to the same bowl with the broccoli. Now add the potatoes and let boil until fork tender. This could take anytime between 10-15 minutes. I reuse the same water for all three to add richness to flavor by using a slotted spoon to remove the broccoli and peas. 

While the potatoes are boiling…..

Add the mint chutney, minced garlic, ginger, lemon juice and salt into the bowl with the broccoli and peas. 

In a non stick pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the serrano peppers, coriander and cumin powders and fry for a 5-10 seconds. Now add in the onions, curry leaves and the remaining 1/4 cup peas and fry for 5 minutes until the onion is browned. Transfer this mixture with the butter and all, in with the broccoli and peas and do a quick mash.

 

Add in the boiled, peeled potatoes and the break crumbs and mash everything together. If your mixture is too soft and you feel you cannot form it into patties add more bread crumbs until you get a slightly firm texture. Add the chopped cilantro, check for seasoning and your burger patties are ready to be made.

In a nonstick pan over medium-high heat add a teaspoon of oil and let the pan preheat for a couple of minutes. Make a patty with the mixture and place it in the oil. Lower heat to medium and let cook for a couple of minutes or until the edges turn brown. Since most of the ingredients in the mixture are already cooked, it will not take that long. Flip it over and brown the other side as well, use exta oil if needed. Make the rest of the mixture into burger patties and line them up on a baking tray or cooking sheet and let it cool for a couple of minutes.

Toast the burger buns. Place the burger patty on the bottom bread.  I like to spread mint or cilantro chutney on the top bun and serve it with a big steak of tomato and white onions and squeeze some lemon juice on them.

I sent this recipe to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Green peppers and Orzo with garlic – brown butter sauce

1 pound Orzo pasta
2 green peppers, seeds removed and diced 
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped ( I include the seeds for extra heat, you could remove seeds or skip using this pepper)
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp dried mint 
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, around 8-10 minutes (Follow your package for instructions.)

In the meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet melt 4 tbsp butter on medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeno and let cook for a minute. Keep stirring to avoid burning the garlic. The butter will become a golden brown and this is brown butter or ghee. Add in the coriander and cumin powders and fry for a few seconds. This is your brown butter sauce.

Add in the onions and keep stirring for another 5 minutes to slightly brown the onions. Add in the green peppers, salt and let cook for 5-7 minutes or until the peppers are soft but not soggy. Add the mint and cilantro mix once and take off heat and set aside.

Drain the pasta well and transfer into a mixing bowl. Add the green pepper garlic brown butter mixture and mix it all together. Check for salt and serve.

I have entered this post to the Foodie Films Event hosted by Joelen’s Culinary Adventures

Mini Samosas

Samosa in the traditional fashion is quite big and the dough is made from scratch. It’s a long and hard process. Although I do love to make it that way, sometimes you just want to find a faster and simpler way to do it without compromising its flavor. This is the recipe I came up with to solve that problem. It is ideal to serve as an appetizer because it is bite-sized.

3 large yukon gold potatoes, washed and cleaned well
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed to room temperature
2 Indian Green chillies ( Substitute with 1 serrano pepper) Use half the quantity to make it milder)
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1″ ginger piece, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dhaniya(coriander) powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ghee
Oil for frying

12 Wonton wrappers (available at most grocery stores)

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water for 12-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked until fork tender. Drain, let them cool and peel .

In the same hot water blanch the peas for 2 minutes. Drain and lay it on paper towels to slightly dry.

In a large mixing bowl add the ghee, cumin powder, dhaniya powder, chilli powder, cilantro, lemon juice,garlic,ginger, salt and green chillies. Add in the cooled, peeled poatoes and mash it all together. Dont over mash, you want some chunky peices of potatoes. Taste for salt, adjust according to your taste and then add in the peas and mix them all together. This is your filling.

Heat a pan filled with canola oil for deep frying over medium heat. While the oil is getting heated, place a small amount of the filling in each Wonton wrapper and wrap according to package instructions. Line them on a baking pan with greased with cooking spray.

After about 3-minutes of preheating the oil, drop the heat to medium-low or low heat. Fry each samosa about a minute or two on each side until golden brown.

Drain on a paper towel and serve with Cilantro or Mint chutney.

Black Eyed Pea Fritters

Here is one of my favorite appetizers. An extremely easy, delectable, vegetarian dish. I’ve made it so many times for all my friends and family that it’s almost my signature dish!

2 cups black eyed peas, cooked (canned works equally as well)
Blackeyed peas : Also known as Lobia or Chowli in Hindi or Karamani in Tamil( depending on what indian store you have nearby!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
3 green chillies finely chopped
2 teaspoons melted butter
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (preferably minced or grated)
1 tablespoon coriander leaves (Cilantro)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (substitute option : Rice flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Mash the cooked peas in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, green chillies, cumin and coriander powders, melted buetter, salt, coriander leaves and mix well. Now add the all-purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder mix and shape into the size of a golf ball.

You can keep the golf ball shape or flatten it and make into a disc/burger patty of kinds depending on the presentation. You can shape into flat dics and use it as a great burger patty and serve it in between burger buns with coriander/mint cutney slathered on both buns with some raw onions and tomato salad on top. Or serve the golf ball shape with some coriander/mint chutney.

You can deepfry or shallowfry(pan fry) this dish depending on how you like it.

Deep frying :

In a large, deep frying pan, heat about 1/2-inch of oil to 350 degrees F*. Once the oil is heated right, keep the heat at medium-high to medium. Carefully add the balls/patties to the hot oil and fry until golden on 1 side. Carefully turn the fritters over and continue frying until golden on the second side and cooked through in the middle. Remove and drain on paper towels and serve with a lemon wedge.

Pan frying/Shallow Frying :

In this method of cooking, flat patties are the only way to go. Make about 1/2 inch thin patties (thick ones will take longer to cook). Take a flat pan heat it on medium-high for 3 minutes. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and place the patties (2 or 3 at a time depending on the size of your pan). Spoon in some oil (vegetable or canola) around the patties. Let it cook on one side for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn it over and repeat same for the other side. Remove and drain on paper towel and serve with a wedge of lemon.

*Oil temperature : Don’t have a fancy thermometer that reads temeprature of oil? me neither! The simplest way to know if your oil is ready to fry up these fritters is: when the oil is heating, use the backside of any wooden spoon/spatula and insert it in the oil. You will notice that when the oil is hot enough, it was start bubbling around the wooden spoon in the oil.