Baby Potato Fry – Absolutely divine

It’s happy times at home! My son is home for a complete two months this summer after FOUR years! He is home to do a summer internship with a local company in Pittsburgh.  Our dinner this evening was the humble rice and sambhar (vegetable stew) and baby potato fry. This is a perfect combination for a quiet evening and one of my son’s favorites.

Potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates, vitamin C and dietary fiber and supply good amounts of potassium, magnesium, niacin and thiamine. Their reputation for being fattening is quite undeserved. Its not the potatoes which are at fault, but the way they are cooked. Many people say that the skin of the potato contains most of the nutrients. This isn’t entirely true. While the skin is a good source of fiber and vitamin C, containing about 20 percent of the recommended daily allowances for these nutrients, the majority of the potato’s nutrients are found in the pulp. You can almost double your intake of most nutrients when you eat both the pulp and the skin of a potato. There are more than 5,000 known varieties of potatoes.

Baby Potato Fry

Ingredients:

1. Baby Potatoes – 15-20
2. Rice flour – 1 tbsp
3. Besan ( Chick pea flour) – 1 tbsp
4. Kashmir Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
5. Salt – 2 tsp (adjust according to taste)

For seasoning:

1. Oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds – 2 tsps
3. Urad dal – 2 tsps
4. Curry Leaves – 5-6 sprigs
5. Asafetida – a small pinch

Method:

1. Boil the potatos for 5-7 mins. Do not let the potatoes cook fully as it will break the potatoes.
2. In a large pan mix the rice flour, besan, Kashmir chilli powder and salt and keep it aside.
3. Peel the skin of the potatoes and mix the potaoes and the dry ingredients together. Make sure to coat all the potatoes with the dry ingredients.
4. Heat a large pan add the oil. Once the oil heats up, add all the seasoning ingredients.
5. Now add the coated potatoes and cook under medium heat till all the potaoes are cooked and turns golden brown in color. We eat with our eyes too and the consistency and colr makes the entire dish very appetizing.

Enjoy this simple dish and do post your comments.

Veggie version of Spaghetti & Meat balls

My meat eating friends can talk for hours on their favorite spaghetti & meat balls which made me do this veggie version.  A thing or two I learned in the process is this dish is super freezer friendly, easy to make and delicious! Of course, this is not for a day when you want those squeaky clean low carb/ low fat diet days. This can be a safe bet when you want to indulge yourself once in a while. It is indeed high in protiens due to the use of the vegetables and soya granules. You can make the veggieballs in large batches and store it in your freezer.

Spaghetti & Veggie Balls

Ingredients:

For the Spaghetti:

Spaghetti – 1 pack (use whole wheat spaghetti for a healthier option)

For the Sauce:

1. Pasta Sauce – 1 bottle (Tomato & Basil is a good option)

 For the veggieballs:

1. Soya Granules – 1 cup (I used Nutrela Soya granules available in Indian stores)
2. Beasn (Gram flour) – 1 tbsp
3. Onion – 1 large finely chopped
4. Garlic – 3-5 pods finely chopped
5. Ginger – 2 tsps finely grated
6. Potatoes – 1 cup boiled & mashed
7. Mixed Vegetables – 1 cup (peas, carrots, beans) boiled
8. Green chilies – 3-4
9. Cashews – 2 tsps roughly chopped
10. Cilantro – 1 tbsp finely chopped
11. Cumin powder – 2 tsps
12. Coriander powder – 2 tsps
13. Garam masala – 1 tsp (available in Indian stores)
14. Bread crumbs – 1 cup
15. Salt according to taste
16. Oil – ½ cup

Method:

1. Bring to boil 4-5 cups of water in a large sauce pan. Add a tsp salt and add the soya granules. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Strain the granules. Squeeze any excess water and keep it aside.
2. In a mixing bowl add the soya granules and all the ingredients except the bread crumbs and oil. Mix them all together and make lemon sized balls.
3. Coat the balls with bread crumbs and shallow fry them over medium heat.
4. Bring Pasta Sauce to a boil over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Gently stir in the cooked veggieballs. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until the pasta sauce and the veggieballs are all well mixed.
5. Serve over hot spaghetti and garnish with parmesan cheese – optional.

Cauliflower Burji

Cauliflower in my cooking always had a limited use as I typically added the vegetable when doing vegetable biryani or a mixed vegetable curry. I came across the cauliflower burji recently and loved it. With some alterations and additions to the dish, it was a yummy treat with rotis (Indian tortillas).

Cauliflower is low in fat, high in dietary fiber, folate, water and vitamin C, possessing a very high nutritional density. Low carb dieters can use cauliflower as a good substitute for potatoes as they can produce a similar texture or mouth feel, without the starch of potatoes.

Here is the recipe for Cauliflower Burji:

Cauliflower Burji

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower – 1 cut finely cut or grated
2. Carrot – 4 grated
3. Onion – 1 large finely cut
4. Ginger – 1 large piece grated
5. Green chilies –  4-5 (adjust according to your taste)
6. Peas – 1 cup (optional)
7. Salt – 2 tsps
8. Turmeric – 1 tsp

For Seasoning:

1. Oil – 2 tsps
2. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
3. Cumin (jeera) – 1 tsp
4. Channa dal – 1 tsp
5. Urud dal – 1tsp
6. Asafetida – a small pinch
7. Curry leaves – 3-4 sprigs

For garnishing:

1. Lemon juice  of 1 lemon
2. Cilantro – ¼ cup

Method:

1. Heat  a wok or a pan. Add oil and the ingredients for seasoning. Let the mustard splutter.
2. Add the ginger and green chilies to the seasoning. Add onions and the rest of the grated vegetables and the peas.
3. Mix all the ingredients and add the salt. Let it cook for around five to seven minutes under medium flame. No need to add water. The water in teh vegetables will aid in the cooking process.
4. Add the lemon juice and cilantro and mix it all together.

Serve the hot burji with rotis, naans, rice or parathas. I am sure you will love this simple dish and it will become a staple in your home cooked lunches and dinners.

Simple & warms up my soul – Mor Kuzhambu/ Dahi Khadi/ Majjige Huli

Yogurt is a staple that is associated with every Indian. It is used in so many ways and it gets into our tummies one way or the other. It is an important source of nutrition and has the unique quality of being eaten in its natural form or made tastier by adding a range of vegetables, spices and condiments. It can also be cooked into a variety of dishes.

There are various ways this dish can be prepared. Typically in the southern part of India this dish is made as coconut gravy and in northern part of India, it is made out of garbanzo beans powder (besan). My favorite combination is mor kuzhambu , rice and potato fry – well I use only 2 tsps of oil for 3 large potatoes. So, it is indeed healthy! Yum! :)  I have tried to mix n match various styles to get the “healthy” method. This version uses less of coconut. This version goes well with either rice or rotis (tortillas).  Here is my version of mor kuzhambu recipe:

Ingredients:

Yogurt – 2 cups
Oil – 3tsps
Onion – 1 large finely chopped
Okra – ½ cup chopped
Red chili – 2-3
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Cumin (jeera) – 1tsp
Fenugreek (methi) – ½ tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Salt – 2 tsps or according to taste

To grind:

Coconut –2 -4 pieces; 1 tsp if using dry coconut powder
Roasted gram dal (Pottu Kadalai) – 3tsps
Cumin (Jeera) – 2tsps
Coriander (Dhania) – 2tsps
Pepper – 2-3 pods
Asafetida – 1 small pinch
Tamarind pulp – 1tsp
Garlic – 2 pods
Green chillies – 7-9

Method:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients that needs to be ground except the green chilies. Grind it to a smooth paste.
2. Mix the ground mixture into the yogurt. Add turmeric, salt and okra and let it cook under low heat.
3. In a pan add oil and let it become hot. Add mustard and let it splutter and then add cumin, fenugreek, red chilies, curry leaves and onion. Fry till the onion gets transparent.
4. Keep stirring the yogurt mixture till it starts frothing on top. Now add the onion mixture to the yogurt and let it boil for a couple of minutes.

Enjoy this dish with Potato fry and here is how I do it. It bursts with flavor and is absolutely wonderful combination with the mor kuzhambu.

Potato Fry – Ingredients:

1. Potatoes – 3 large skinned and diced into small pieces
2. Mustard seeds – 2 tsps
3. Curry leaves – 1 sprig
4. Asafetida – 1 small piece
5. Oil – 2 tsps
6. Chili powder – 1 tsp
7. Coriander powder -  tsps
8. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
9. Salt – 2 tsps or as per taste

 Potato Fry – Method:

1. In a large pan, add the oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida.
2. Add all the powders to the oil and fry it for a few seconds.
3. Add the diced potatoes and mix it all together. Cook it on medium heat till the potatoes gets cooked and becomes crispy.

I can assure you that your kitchen will smell divine with all the spices you have roasted for both these dishes.  Do try out and let me know your thoughts about this dish.

Akki Roti – Rice & Oats tortilla

Akki Roti (Rice tortillas) is such a versatile dish in the Karnataka region in India. There are family specialties and secret ingredients and touted as one of the best dishes by each one of them. As I was planning to make akki roti the other day, I was looking to see how I could make this healthier. Less rice flour and more protein. Here is my version. It tasted very good and you can eat it without the guilt of packing up all that starch and unwanted carbs.

Vidhyu's Akki Roti

Ingredients:

Rice Flour – 1 cup
Rolled quick oats – 1 cup
Cabbage – ½ cup grated
Onion – 1 large finely chopped
Carrot – 3 finely grated
Ginger – 1 tbsp grated
Green chili – 8-12 finely chopped (you can adjust depending on how hot or bland you require)
Cilantro – 3 tbsps finely chopped
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsps (adjust according to taste)
Sugar – ½ tsp

Method:

1. Dry roast the oats for  few minutes and grind it into coarse powder
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and mix it all together. The water from the cabbage, onion and carrot should be enough to bind the ingredients into a soft ball. Knead it for a minute or so and set it aside.
3. Set a flat griddle and let it even ly heat for a few minutes.
4. To make the tortillas, I cut a plastic cover (zip loc) and place it on a flat surface. Divide the dough into large lemon size balls. Take a ball and press it on to the plastic sheet to make tortillas. Since the dough will be very soft you will be able to press the tortillas into shape by using your palm. You will not need the roller.
5. Slowly ease out the tortilla from the plastic sheet into the griddle and cook both sides till it gets cooked thoroughly. This should not take more than a minute or so. You can add drops of oil or clarified butter when it cooks.
6. The tortillas are so tasty by themselves. You can also serve them with condiments such as pickles, raita or chutneys.

 

Try my version of akki roti and let me know how it turned out.

The humble sambhar – Indian lentil and vegetable stew in tamarind sauce is not so humble in its goodness after all

 

The southern part of India boasts of several versions of sambhar depending on the place and location. A sambhar is a dish that is cooked for a daily quiet meal with the family members as well as a staple in any celebrations. As I was getting ready to do my sambhar during the weekend, I sat down and listed all the ingredients that go into this simple dish. All the ingredients, when we break it down; has so many medicinal as well as properties that require our body to stay hale and hearty. Typically, a sambhar is a concoction of tamarind juice, cooked lentils, vegetables, coconut and sambhar powder. All the herbs and spices are dry fried and ground into a fine powder. Now a days, you get ready made sambhar powders in your local Indian stores.

I pulled my medicinal plants encyclopedia from my home library and started jotting down all the goodness the ingredients in your sambhar provides you. Here it is:

	Ingredient	It’s goodness
1	Coriander (seeds and leaves)	Coriander is more often used as a spice than as a medicine. Nevertheless, an infusion of the herb is a gentle remedy for flatulence, bloating, and cramps. It settles spasms in the gut and counters nervous tension.
2	Thuvar / Toor dal (pigeon peas)	Thuar dal is nutritionally important, as they contain high levels of protein and the important amino acids methionine, lysine, and tryptophan. Thuvar dal is useful in the treatment of internal organ swelling. Some herbal practitioners/researchers are of the opinion that it diminishes the swelling of internal organs like stomach, liver, intestines etc. In case of wound or cancer of these organs it is helpful in reducing them.
3	Fenugreek (methi)	Fenugreek is often used in herbal medicine in North Africa, Middle East, China and India, being esteemed as a remedy for a wide variety of conditions. The nourishing seeds are given during convalescence and to encourage weight gain, especially in anorexia. They are also helpful in lowering fever. The seeds’ soothing effect makes them of value in treating gastritis and gastric ulcers. They are used to increase breast-milk production. Fenugreek is also anti-diabetic and lowers blood cholesterol levels. In China, fenugreek is used to treat cervical cancer.
4	Cumin (Jeera)	Cumin relieves flatulence and bloating, and stimulates the entire digestive process. Reducing abdominal gases and distension, it relaxes the gut as a whole. In Indian herbal medicine, cumin is used for insomnia, colds and fevers. Cumin mixed into a paste with onion juice is applied to scorpion stings.
5	Black Pepper	The familiar sharp taste of pepper reflects the stimulant effect it has on the digestive tract and the circulatory system. Pepper is commonly taken, either alone or in combination with other herbs and spices, to warm the body. It improves digestive functions in cases of nausea, stomachache, flatulence, bloating, constipation or lack of appetite. The essential oil eases rheumatic pain and toothache. Pepper is antiseptic and antibacterial, and reduces fever.
6	Red Chilies (Cayenne)	Cayenne heating qualities make it a valuable remedy for poor circulation and related conditions. In particular it improves blood flow to the hands and feet and to the central organs. Cayenne is taken to relieve gas and colic, and to stimulate secretion of the digestive juices, thereby aiding digestion. It helps to prevent infections from establishing themselves in the digestive system and will counter infection if present. A pinch of cayenne powder is excellent in gargles for sore throats. Finally, extraordinary as it may seem, cayenne is useful for some types of diarrhea.
7	Asafoetida	In Middle Eastern and Indian herbal medicine, asafoetida is used for simple digestive problems such as gas, bloating, indigestion, and constipation. Asafoetida’s volatile oil, like that of garlic has components that leave the body via the respiratory system and aid the coughing up of the congested mucus. Asafoetida is taken (usually in tablet form) for bronchitis, bronchial asthma, whooping cough, and other chest problems. Asafoetida is also known to lower blood pressure and thins the blood.
8	Mustard seeds	Mustard Seed has long been relied upon to improve the digestive system and to promote a healthy appetite. As an irritant, Mustard stimulates the gastric mucous membrane and increases the flow of gastric juices (also having some effect on pancreatic secretions), all of which help to advance good digestion. Herbalists have also used Mustard Seed to relieve obstinate hiccups. The mucilage content in Mustard Seed may help to calm an upset stomach due to acid indigestion and also produces a laxative action. Mustard Seed is a stimulant that warms and invigorates the circulatory system, encourages blood flow, and is also said to aid in the metabolism of fat in the body.  It is also considered a diaphoretic, an agent that helps to increase perspiration, which can lower fever and cleanse toxins from the body through the skin. This factor is also useful for colds and flu. One of the oldest uses of Mustard Seed has been as an emetic, a medicine that provokes vomiting. This is especially valuable when used in narcotic poisoning when it is desirable to empty the stomach without the accompanying depletion and depression of the system.
9	Curry leaves	Curry leaves increase digestive secretions and relieves nausea, indigestion, and vomiting. They also treat diarrhea and dysentery. The leaves are considered a hair tonic in India and believed to slow the graying process. They may also be used as a poultice to help heal burns and wounds. Juice from the tree’s berries may be mixed with lime juice and applied to soothe insect bites and stings.
10	Tamarind juice	Tamarind is a wholesome and cleansing fruit that improves digestion, relieves gas, soothes soar throats, and acts as a mild laxative. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is given to improve the appetite and to strengthen the stomach. It is also used to relieve constipation. However, mixed with cumin and sugar, tamarind also prescribed as a treatment for dysentery. In southern India, tamarind soup (milagu rasam) is taken to treat colds and other ailments that cause the production of excessive mucus. In Chinese medicine, tamarind is considered a cooling herb, appropriate for treating the condition called “summer heat”. The fruit is also given for loss of appetite and vomiting in pregnancy.
11	Turmeric	In the last two decades, turmeric’s ancient use as a treatment for digestive and liver problems has been largely confirmed by scientific research. Due to its anti-inflammatory, blood-thinning, and cholesterol lowering properties, turmeric is now used to reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Applied externally to the skin, turmeric is useful in treating a number of conditions, including psoriasis, and fungal infections such as athlete’s foot.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants – Andrew Chevallier

So how do you make sambhar? Here is my simple method. You can go as complex as you want and the tastes can also get as complex as you want. This recipe is devoid of coconut and does not require any grinding.

Ingredients:

Toor dal – 3 cups pressure cooked and coarsely mashed
Tamarind water – 2 cups
Vegetables – 2 cups diced (mixed vegetables such as beans, carrot, green peppers, potato etc)
Onion – 1 diced
Tomato – 4 diced
Sambhar powder – 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 3 tsps or according to your taste requirements

For seasoning:

Oil – 2 tsps
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Channa dal – 1 tsp
Red chili – 2-3
Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs
Asafoetida – a small pinch

Method:

1. Wash toor dal, pressure cook it along with half the tomatoes and turmeric.

1. Soak a lemon sized tamarind and squeeze it to make two cups of tamarind water.
2. In a large bowl, add the tamarind water and the diced vegetables, onion and tomato. Add salt and bring it to a boil or till the vegetables gets tender. Now add the sambhar powder and mix it all together and bring it to a boil.
3. Coarsely mash the cooked toor dal and add it to the boiling mixture. Mix everything together and lower the heat.
4. In a small pan, heat the oil and add mustard (let it splutter), channa dal, chilies, asafoetida and the curry leaves and pour it into the bowl. Your sambhar is ready!

Serve the sambhar with rice and a vegetable side dish.

Rice, sambhar, spinach curry & microwaved papad

Coriander/ Cilantro Chutney walnut Rotini Pasta

I am continuing my Pasta trip in this blog. I absolutely love this type of pasta called “Rotini”. It is spiral in shape and any dressing or sauces used in this dish sticks into the crevices of the pasta and brings in the incredible taste every time you bite into it. Rotini means “twists” and are two inch lengths of thick screw-like pasta from Northern Italy. The shape was inspired by children since it is fun-to-eat and pairs well with a wide variety of sauces. 

Rotini Pasta

 

In an authentic Italian cuisine, Rotini is usually paired with a combination of cheese and a sauce or cheese and pesto. Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy. The name is actually representing the way the sauce is made by pounding, crushing herbs and garlic as in the word “pestle”. 

Typically a pesto/ chutney is made of basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic and other herbs. We had friends over for lunch last weekend and they enjoyed my version of Rotini.  I used whole wheat rotini.  I used cilantro, walnuts and garlic to make the chutney. Check it out – Try it – Enjoy.  It tasted very good. 

Cilantro Pesto & Rotini Pasta

 

Ingredients: 

Whole wheat Rotini – 1 packet
Cilantro – 1 bunch washed thoroughly
Green chilies – 5
Ginger – a small piece
Walnuts – 3 tsps
Raisins – 3 tsps
Almonds – 2 tsps blanched and slivered
Cherry tomatoes – 10
Oil – 2 tsps
Lemon juice – 1 lemon
Salt – 1 tsp 

Method: 

1. Fill 3/4th of a large sauce pan with water and bring it to boil. Add 1 tsp of salt to the boiling water. Cook the rotini Al Dante.  Strain the rotini.  Drizzle 1 tsp of oil and mix in to the rotini. This will avoid rotini to stick to one another.
2. Grind cilantro, green chilies, ginger, and walnuts coarsely. Add salt, lemon juice and oil and mix it all together.
3. Mix the ground pesto to the rotini. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves. Add the tomatoes, raisins and almonds. Mix everything together and serve.  

I am sure you will fall in love with this dish.