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.

Aaloo Palak

This recipe is very special and one of my favorites. I am thrilled to share my simple , easy to follow recipe of this traditionally  slow cooked laborious process, all without compromising on an ounce of flavor.

My home made version is not doused with cream and butter which often is the reason for flavor in many restaurants. I like to rely on the natural taste of the ingredients and add to the deliciousness with perfect combination of spices and stay away from the cream.

Much like for me,  this will quickly become one of your favorite weekend meals.

1 pound of baby potatoes, boiled and peeled (around 10-12)
3 bags of baby spinach (about 12-13 cups of fresh spinach)
1 large red onion, peeled and diced
3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
3 green chillies (substitute: 1 serrano)
3 cloves
1/2 inch stick of cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsps salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
3 tbsps cilantro, washed and finely chopped
In a large saute pot, melt 2 tbsps butter and add the oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the cumin seeds and just when it starts turning light golden brown,  add chopped onions. Keep sautéing on medium-high heat until the onions are golden brown, around 10-12 minutes. Drop the heat to low.

In the meantime, using a blender, make a puree of roughly chopped tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. No extra water needed since the tomatoes will lend a lot of water.

Add this pureed tomato mixture to the simmering onions. Make sure you are on low heat, there will be some spluttering. Mix well and let cook covered for 15 minutes until the tomato puree and spices are cooked and infused together with the onions and cumin.

Uncover and let the tomato sauce simmer on low heat. In the meanwhile, puree the baby spinach in a blender with few tsps of water. You will have to do this in batches. Make sure the spinach is a puree and not too watery. It is raw spinach at this time.
Add the pureed spinach to the simmering tomato sauce. Mix well and let simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, while mixing every 10 minutes. You will notice a change from a bright green to a darker and earthier green as an indication of being done.

Add salt, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well, add the halved cooked baby potatoes to the spinach sauce. Let simmer over medium heat for another 20 minutes. Check for seasoning, sprinkle cilantro and turn off the heat. Tastes great with any indian bread or basmati rice.

I like to serve this the day after because the baby potatoes have more time to absorb all the flavors. Tastes quite divine!

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.

Bread Upma

Bread Upma literally translates to scrambled (sauteed) bread. This is my childhood memory on a plate. A staple in south indian households, often a great after school snack for kids, and a great way to use day old bread.

This demonstrates the simplicity of good food. Served with mint chutney, this is my perfect supper.

Although often made with plain white bread, I used simple wheat to make it more hearty.

10 slices wheat bread (serves 4), crumbs removed and chopped into 2″ pieces
1 tbsp canola oil + 2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp channa dal (bengal gram lentil)
1 tsp urad dal (black gram lentil)
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (popularly available brand is “L.G”)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 chillies, finely chopped (indian, thai or serrano kind
3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp lemon juice

Heat oil and butter in a pot, over medium heat. Just when the butter starts melting add mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the butter starts turning golden, add both lentils in. Fry for a minute until the lentils starts turning golden brown.

Now add the finely chopped green chillies and onions. Fry for 5 minutes until the onions soften and are cooked thoroughly. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt, mix well and drop the heat to low while preparing the bread to add in.

Remove the crusts off the bread and chop once vertically across the middle and thrice horizontally to create 6 pieces out of every slice. Prepare all 10 slices similarly. Add the pieces to the onion mixture and mix well. Add the tablespoon of water so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Mix this all together so the spice onion mixture coats all the bread pieces evenly. The volume of the bread will drop but, it will still keep it’s texture.

Leave on low heat for 5 minutes stirring once in  while. This will help the bread soak up all the flavor from the onion spice mixture. Add chopped cilantro and lemon juice, stir and serve hot with mint chutney.

The lentils stay crunchy, the spices with the little butter add a nutty savory flavor with the bread hearty and chewy. It really is a party in your mouth.

Garlicky Carrot and Potato stuffed Wontons

This makes a perfect tea time snack and is great served as an appetizer. It’s quite easy to make and needs only a few ingredients. I love working with wonton wrappers because sky is the limit when it comes to options for it’s filling. Here is one of my creations served with a ginger-scallion sauce.

20 wonton wrappers (makes 10)
2 large potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1″ piece ginger, minced
4-6 indian or thai green chillies, minced
3 carrots, peeled and grated
2 tbsps salt
3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
3 tbsp unsalted butter

For the sauce:
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha sauce(optional)
3 tbsp  scallions, finely chopped
1 “piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp lemon juice

Heat a large skillet and melt butter until golden brown. Add onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies.  Saute for 5 minutes over medium-high until the onions are cooked until translucent, not just brown yet. Add the grated carrots and 1 tbsp salt. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until the carrots are done.

Add cilantro and remove from heat. Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl and let cool. Boil potatoes and peel. Add the potatoes to the mixing bowl along with the carrot mixture. Mash together adding the remaining tbsp salt until it comes together like a filling.

Place a tbsp of the filling on a wonton wrapper. Wet the edges of with water. Place another wonton wrapper over it and use a fork to press the edges together immediately so the water helps to stick and seal the edges.

Prepare all of them and set them aside for 20 minutes before frying or steaming. In the mean while mix the soy sauce, sriracha sauce, ginger, lemon juice and scallions in a bowl and set aside. This is the dipping sauce. It is a really versatile sauce that can be used for many other asian inspired dishes.

The filled wonton wrappers can be prepared two ways. I fried half of them and steamed the remaining half.

Heat a wide-deep skillet with canola oil for frying. Keep the heat low and drop in two wontons at a time, fry until golden brown and set aside over a paper towel to drain.

In another pot, fill water about 2-3 inches high and let it come to a gentle boil. Drop in two wontons at a time and cook for 2-3 minutes until the inside is completely warmed and the skin is perfectly soft. Serve with the ginger scallion sauce.

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.

Methi and Potatoes in Coconut Curry sauce

2 potatoes, washed and boiled until just firm and cooked

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 cup methi leaves, washed

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1 cup light cream
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp salt

Paste ingredients :

1/2 cup coconut

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

1 inch piece ginger

3 garlic cloves

1/2 -3/4 cup water

1 tsp salt

5-6 indian green chillies

Blend the above paste ingredients together until smooth and set aside.

Heat a pan with oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and saute until golden. Add the onions and cook until soft.  Pour in the blended mixture and let cook for 20 minutes over medium-high heat.

Add the methi leaves, remaining salt and cook for another 10 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the cream over low heat and let cook for another 5 minutes. Peel the boiled potatoes and crumble it gently into  bite size pieces and add to the simmering curry.

Sprinkle cilantro on top and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Sere hot with rice or with any indian bread.

Potatoes in Tomato-Fenugreek Gravy

Here is how I used some great south indian ingredients like fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and mustard seeds with potatoes and tomatoes. It makes a comforting and spicy side dish to any bread or steamed rice.

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split black gram dal (Urad dal)
1 tsp fenugreek(methi) seeds
10-12 curry leaves, chopped (leaves from 1-2 stems)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp canola oil

To make into a paste :

3 medium tomatoes, halved
1 ” piece ginger, rough chopped
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated fresh cocnut

Add the tomatoes, ginger, asafoetida powder, coconut, red chilli powder and salt. Grind together into a smooth paste and set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, as soon as it starts popping, add the black gram dal and fry until it starts to turn golden. Add the methi seeds, fry for 10 seconds and add in the chopped onions, half of the curry leaves and saute until the onions turns golden.

Add the pureed tomato-coconut mixture and a tsp of salt  to the onions stir well. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the tomato masala cooks through. Mix in the chopped potatoes, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.

Sprinkle rest of the curry leaves on top and serve with chapati or with steamed rice.

Fried Tomato and Onion Rice

I call this the South Indian risotto. It has the same comfort and warmth to it. On a cold day, this is one of my favorite things that I look forward to.

 

1 cup basmati rice (I used brown basmati rice)
2 tbsps butter
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
8 indian green chillies, split into two lengthwise
1″ piece ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, diced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cup of rice, cover and let simmer over medium heat for 35-40 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let cool.

If using white basmati rice, follow the same procedure, just use 1 1/2 cups water per cup of rice and simmer for 20-22 minutes to cook completely.

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. As soon as they start spluttering add garlic, ginger and green chillies.Fry for a minute, add the onions and turmeric powder.

When the onions start turning golden brown, add the tomatoes, salt and coriander powder. Mix well, cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Uncover, add the cilantro and stir together.

At this stage, this makes a great side dish on its own, served with chapathi or naan.

Add this tomato-onion mixture to the cooked rice, mix well together and serve warm.

Chilli Paneer

This dish is inspired from one of the popular cuisines in India :  Indo-chinese food. A whole genre based on merging chinese and Indian ingredients uniquely catered to the Indian palette. If you have never heard about it or eaten this food, you either have to fly to India, visit the few Indian restaurants in the US that have it or of course try this recipe(more to come) at home!

1 packet of paneer, sliced lengthwise into slabs ( This is a standard size available in most Indian stores)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
8-10 indian green chillies, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2″ piece ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp + 2 tbsp oil
1/3 cup ketchup ( I used the hot and sweet Indian variety, you could use regular too)
1 tbsp tsp soy sauce
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium non-stick pan.  Place the paneer pieces and cook until browned, around 2 minutes. Turn over, brown the other side (around a minute) and remove from heat and set aside on paper towels. Cut the slabs into half, so they are bite size pieces.

Add 1 tsps oil to the remaining oil in the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook for 2 minutes and add the onions. Saute over high heat until the onions soften and brown. Add soy sauce, coriander powder, lemon juice and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Add ketchup. Mix well and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fried paneer pieces coat well, sprinkle with cilantro on top and serve.

The soy sauce and ketchup add enough salt to this dish, no extra salt is needed.

This dish goes to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Paneer Balls

Paneer is a comforting and luxurious ingredient. Stuffed in bread mixed with a few herbs and spices, it makes a decadent appetizer to serve at any party. It is easy and quick to prepare.

Recipe courtesy of my always resourceful mother-in-law.

1/2 cup paneer, crumbled
5 slices white bread
1/2  small onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 indian green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt

Microwave the paneer for 30 seconds to soften it. Crumble it with your hands. The heat of your hands will make it creamy.  Add the onions, cumin seeds, green chillies, coriander powder, cilantro and salt. Mix it with you hands together to form the filling.

Place a little ball of the filling in the center of the bread. Fold the corners of the bread over the filling and press within the palm of your hands to make a ball of the bread with the filling inside. Press hard to make sure it is completely sealed. If the bread is too dry, dampen your hands which will help the bread bind better.

Heat a pot with oil up to half way through over medium heat.  Gently drop the balls into the oil and fry until golden brown on all sides, around 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with ketchup.

Chickpeas and Methi leaf Curry

Methi(aka Fenugreek) Leaves and Seeds are common ingredients in Indian cooking. They have a slightly bitter but intensely nutty and savory flavor. Added to any gravy or vegetable curries, it adds a great depth. Herb combination of Methi leaves and Cilantro is just a great flavor treat!

Using chickpeas or potatoes with methi leaves is most common. Here is a version of methi leaves with chickpeas in a tomato/onion masala.

1 32 oz can Chickpeas
1 cup Methi leaves (aka Fenugreek leaves) cleaned & washed
5 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/3 cup cilantro

To make into a paste:
1 stick Cinnamon
4 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
8 Indian green chillis (use 4-5 for a milder version)
1 ” Ginger piece
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 large tomato
1 medium onion
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup water

Add all of the above paste ingredients to a blender. Add the cup of water and blend everything together to make a smooth paste. Set aside.

Prepare the methi leaves: pluck the leaves from the stem and discard the stems. Put all the leaves in a bowl and fill it with cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, all the dirt and grit will sink to the bottom. Gently pick the leaves out the water, pat dry with a paper towel and rough chop the leaves and set aside.

In a pan heat 5 tbsps canola oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan off the heat and pour the blended spice mixture into the pan stirring the mixture and the oil together. If you pour the mixture into the oil while still on heat there will be a lot of splattering. Put the pan back into medium heat, sprinkle 1 tsp of salt and cook this masala for 15-20 minutes stirring ever 5 minutes. The raw flavor and smell of the spices will mellow down as it simmers. Your kitchen will smell insanely good by now!

Add remaining salt, garam masala powder and the chopped methi leaves. Mix throughly. Let this cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and cilantro making sure the chick peas is really coated well in the masala. Cook for another 7-8 minutes, remove from heat and serve hot. I served it over a bed of hot basmati rice and with Chapatis. Naan would be great too!

This curry tastes even better the next day when the chickpeas has completely soaked into the masala sitting in it all day! In fact I always make this dish in the morning and serve it for dinner. The flavors intensify and marry better the longer it sits.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. Here are the rules if you want to participate and  here’s Who’s Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging if you’d like to join the weekly celebration of cooking with fresh herbs.

Asparagus in an Egg Blanket

This lazy cold sunday morning brought out the inspiration for this recipe.  Much like pigs have blankets and a dish named after them, I decided asparagus need blankets as well! And why not an egg one, because we all know asparagus and eggs are a fantastic combination. What makes this better? Parmesan cheese of course!

8 asparagus spears (trim off the woody ends)
4 eggs
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
4 indian green chillies (substitute 1/2 jalapeno or 1 serrano) , finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a grilling pan over medium-high heat. Grill the asparagus for 3-4 minutes and set aside on paper towels. In the remaining butter on the pan, add the marinara sauce and warm through for 2 minutes.

Crack 2 eggs into a large bowl, add 1/4 tsp salt, 2 green chillies, 1 tbsp cilantro and 1 tbsp milk. Whisk the eggs for 30 seconds-1 minute until it’s light yellow. Heat a non-stick pan and melt 1 tbsp butter over low heat. Add the egg mixture and swirl the pan around so it evenly spreads in the pan. Cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes until the eggs are completely cooked and set.

Slide gently over a plate and while it’s hot sprinkle 1 tbsp parmesan cheese over it. Place 4 of the asparagus spears inside and roll the omelet gently.

Make the remaining 2 eggs into an omelet similarly and roll with the last 4 asparagus spears. Place both on oven proof plate, spoon the marinara sauce over it and the remaining parmesan cheese.

Put the plate under a broiler until the cheese is melted, around 30 seconds to a minute. Keep a watch so you don’t burn the cheese. Serve hot.