Monday, June 22, 2009

Curry puffs

Easiest recipe for curry puffs. I made this yesterday for my husband as Father's day special. Ofcourse I dont make it from scratch but I use puff pastry sheets, which makes my life very easy to make these tasty puffs.IngredientsPepperridge farm puff pastry sheetsvery little maida or roti flourfor stuffing:potato choppedcarrot choppedbeans choppedbatani (peas)Garam masala - 1/2 table spoonchat masala - 1/2 table spoonRed chilli powder - depends on tasteSalt to tasteJeeraOilLime/lemon juice - 1 table spoon (optional)Method of PreparationRemove the puff pastry sheets from freezer and keep it outside for defrosting it. You can even use microwave...

Saturday, June 20, 2009

My Container Garden & Eggplant Sandwich

My container garden is doing pretty good except for the two tomato plants and squash have practically overgrown the pot, but I'm going to risk it for this summer and leave them in there. Lesson for next season is to buy some bigger pots. Here are a few pictures.MintCherry TomatoesCayenne PepperGrilled Eggplant Sandwich:I had a roasted eggplant sandwich with sautéed spinach, roasted red peppers and provolone cheese called “Aunt Nina’s Sandwich” in a small Italian Café type place recently. Though the sandwich itself was very bland, I liked the combination of ingredients. So I tried to recreate it at home; I used Ciabatta bread and spread store-bought...

Friday, June 19, 2009

Kohlrabi Greens curry

As a child I was never a picky eater and my mom never had any issues with my food. But I did have some absolute favorites (like eggplant, okra fry, potato fry, majjiga pulusu to name a few) and I also had some that I didn’t like as much. I would say to myself: “Amma, why can’t you make dosakaya pappu (cucumber dal)?? Why do you have to make this curry?” I never liked dosakaya kura, don’t know the reason.But I loved all leafy greens no matter how they were cooked. But after coming to the US, I never found some of the greens we find in India like chukkakura, I don’t even know the English name for it. At least Indian stores in NJ are always stocked...

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Maize poha chudva/chevda

This item reminds me of my childhood. My mom n dad when they go to hyderabad exhibition they used to bring the maize poha from there and then my mom used to prepare chudva out of it. It tastes crispy and nice. Try this recipe and I can guarantee you wont be disappointed by the taste. This recipe can take a little time and patience to make but tastes very good.IngredientsMaize pohaOilPeanutsChick pea (putnalu)Red chilli powdersaltcitric acid (a pinch or two)OilMethod of preparation1. Take a vessel and add oil to it and heat it.2. After the oil is heated up, take a small amount of maize poha and spread it in a bowl type spatula with holes. (I shall...

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Cornmeal Crusted Tofu

Some weeknights I’m all geared up to cook lot of dishes and some days I’m so down that warming up leftovers also seem to be stressful. So I made this meal on one of those days when I was in the mood to cook. Menu included Cornmeal crusted tofu with broccoli polenta, sautéed garlicky bok choy and my quick pan gravy.Recipe adapted from Veganomicon.Ingredients:Extra firm Tofu – 1 lb., drained and pressedSoymilk – ½ cupCorn Starch – 2tspFor the cornmeal crust:Cornmeal – ¾ cupGarlic – 2 cloves, mincedGround cumin – 1tspChili powder – 1tbspCayenne pepper – ½ tspSalt – 1½ tsp (or to taste)Lemon zest – 1tbspMethod:Cut tofu into 8 pieces widthwise; then...

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Pear and raspberry almond cake recipe (gluten free/ vegan)

Chef has baked a lovely pear and raspberry cake recipe in the kitchen.A soft yellow almond sponge bottom with a moist and fruity raspberry almond top with sliced pears to finish the cake off perfectly.The fruit and almond combination flavours of this cake taste beautiful, you have an almond sponge cake texture at the bottom and a gorgeous moist raspberry cake on the top layer, the bottom and sides of the cake have a tasty scone type taste and texture as the cake is twice baked.Chef uses canned fruits to bake this cake so there is no need to be blending fresh fruits for the juices as the fruit juices from the tins help to moisten the cake.Once...

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