Vegetable Fried Rice January 26, 2008

ÊA rainy, cold day like today deserves something spicy and piping hot! My sis had sent this recipe to me a few weeks ago and it was a perfect One Pot Meal to try tonight. Its simple and takes as long as a cooker (electric rice cooker or pressure cooker) takes to cook.

What You Need

• 1 tsp of Ghee (or Butter)
• 1 tsp of Olive oil (my modification- I ran out of ghee
• 1 Cup Basmati Rice
• 2 Cups of water
• A medley of vegetables (beans, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, potato- any vegetable except the squishy, gooey kind like okra will do well); True to form, I used frozen asian stir fry mix comprising mushrooms, snap peas, water chestnut, edamame etc.
• 2 Tbsps of Tomato paste or puree
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala
• 1 tsp Amchur
• 1-2 chopped green chillies or 1 tsp of red chilli powder (if you want it spicy)
• Salt to taste
• Topping- cubes of home made paneer 
• 2-3 Green Onions

How its Done

1. Heat the ghee and oil in the pressure cooker pan (or a wok or fry pan, if using electric rice cooker)
2. If you’re using fresh vegetables, add them to the oil first.If you use frozen, microwave thawed vegetables ( as I did), add the rice first and saute till almost transluscent ( ensures that the rice is coated with oil/butter that will keep it fluffy and separate, rathe than sticky). Then, add the thawed veggies and saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste or puree, mix well. If using pressure cooker, add the water, all the masala powders (garam, chaat, amchur), stir and cover with pressure cooker lid and whistle till it starts hissing with steam. Reduce heat and let cook for 5-8 minutes and then turn off heat. If using, electric rice cooker, transfer the veggie-rice mix to the cooker pan, add water and the masalas, cover and switch to “cook” mode till done.
4. While the rice is cooking, heat a non- stick frying pan and add a tad bit of olive oil to heat. Chop the green onions finely and add the white part to the hot oil and stir fry. Toss the paneer cubes with some garam masala and lime juice and add it to the sauted green onions and cook till the paneer browns a little (in a non-still frying pan, the cubes need to sit undisturbed for a few minutes to form the brown crispy cover). This makes a fun topping to the fried rice.
5. When the rice is done, mix it while taking care that you don’t break or mash the rice grains.

Serve hot with the paneer topping, chopped green onions and a cool cup of yogurt on the side. The spiciness of the rice meal is perfectly complemented by the yogurt.

Tomatillo Garlic Rasam and Beans Usili January 20, 2008

This is a quick weeknight meal- takes less than an hour to make start to finish. Again, hail microwave! That has to be the greatest discovery in the 20th century (or is the internet the greatest discovery….I guess the jury’s still out on this one!). Anyway, getting back to my south indian meal. The recipe for Beans Usili is from my mother in law. G loves usili and the first time I made usili was in 2004, after observing G’s mom make it. Now, usili has to be part of a meal with rice and a gravy dish to be enjoyed (although, it tastes really yummy with a cup of curds(yogurt) as well) and I usually make it with rasam (or vethakozhambu- something tangy to complement it). The idea of tomatillo rasam was inspired by my mom. She uses tomatillo as a substitute for tamarind ( tomatillos are tangy and sour and are usually used to make salsa verde; you can read more about it here), and makes sambar, pulinkarry etc. The Tomatillo rasam is also a comforting soup on a cold, winter day!!

What You Need

For the Usili

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• 1 16 Oz pkt of frozen french cut beans (frozen regular cut beans will also work well)

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• 1/2 cup of tuvar dal (Yellow Lentils)

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• 2 dried red chillies

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• 1/2 tsp of asafoetida powder or a 1 mm piece (if using the block kind)

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• Salt to taste

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• 1 tsp oil for tempering

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• 1 tsp mustard seeds

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• a few curry leaves

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( Tip: If you want, make extra usili mix and freeze it. You can also make usili with cabbage, kottavarangai (or guar), or long beans).

For the Rasam

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• 6 tomatillos

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• 1 1/2 tsp of Rasam Powder

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• 1/2 tsp of asafoetida powder of a 1 mm piece (if using the block kind)

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• Salt to taste

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• Cilantro (coriander leaves), finely chopped

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• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

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• 2 cups of water

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• 1 tsp of canola oil

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• 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds

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• 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

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• 1/2 tsp of methi seeds

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• 1 dried red chilli

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For the Rice

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• 1 cup of rice

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• Microwave rice cooker

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• 1 3/4 cups of water

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How its done

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1. First, take the tuvar dal, add enough water to barely cover the dal and nuke it in the microwave for two minutes (you can also just soak it with the red chillies for about 15 minutes but since I’m in a hurry, and its cold here in the US, I prefer to microwave). Add the red chillies and asafoetida and let soak for 5-10 minutes.

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2. Lets get started on the rasam. Cut the tomatillos into quarters, add to a microwave safe bowl with some salt and water. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes. In the meanwhile, heat a tsp of oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the cumin seeds, methi seeds and red chilli and roast for a minute. Now add the microwaved tomatillos, the water, rasam powder, salt and let simmer till it comes to a boil.

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3. While the rasam is simmering, microwave the frozen beans to thaw and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then grind the soaked dal with chillies, asafoetida and salt to taste with very little water. Transfer to an oiled microwave safe flat container and microwave for 3 minutes. Let cool for a minute. While that is cooking in the microwave, heat a frying pan, and heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the beans and salt and saute for a few minutes. Crumble the cooked tuvar dal mix and add to the beans. Mix well and let cook for a few more minutes, till the flavors are all combined. The rasam should be boiling by now. Add the minced garlic and let simmer for a minute. Then turn off heat. Add the chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) to the rasam.

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4. Now, you can turn your attention to making the rice. Rinse the rice, add enough water (a little less than double) and follow your microwave rice cooker’s instructions for the perfect, fluffy rice.

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While the rice is cooking, the flavors in the rasam and the beans will become more concentrated……..A perfect dinner on a winter night- steaming rice, with tangy rasam and spicy beans. The garlic flavors in the rasam complement the simple flavors of the beans usili…I had three helpings of this today!

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Edamame Hummus and Tortilla Chips January 17, 2008

Being a vegetarian, getting enough protein becomes challenging. While lentils are a great source of protein, another very versatile ingredient that comprises 16% protein is edamame, or green soybeans.  You can read about edamame here. I  add edamame to as many dishes as I can- I use edamame for recipes traditionally using peas, I add edamame when I make Maggie noodles, pasta…you name it! I stock up on frozen shelled edamame from the grocery store and defrost it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. In some recipes (soups and stews), you can just add it frozen.This is my favorite snack to whip up when I have unexpected guests and not too much time. I also usually have a couple of packets of Whole Wheat tortillas (they are great as chapattis for a quick meal on a work day).  

 What You Need

• 3 Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 Clove garlic, minced (optional)
• ¼ Teaspoon Cumin Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon coriander powder
•  Salt and pepper to taste
•  Flax Seed to sprinkle (Optional)
• 1 Cup frozen edamame

How its Done

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
2. Stack the tortillas, cut them in half, then quarters, then eighths- you have 24 chips.
3. Lay them out on a pizza pan (which has holes) or on a cookie sheet over parchment paper
4. Mix the ingredients 2 to 5 and use a basting brush to spread some of this mixture evenly over all the chips.  Sprinkle the Flax Seeds on top. Keep the excess mix aside
5. Pop the chips in the preheated oven for a few minutes, till lightly browned. Turn off heat.
6. Thaw the frozen edamame (a minute or two in the microwave usually does the trick) and transfer to your blender7.     Add the excess mix from step 4 and blend till it’s a fine paste. Add water for a thinner consistency.

Your Chips and dip are ready. If you like it spicy, you can add some crushed pepper flakes when blending. Try this the next time you have guests over..its yummy and its good for you!!  

Chile Rellenos with Chipotle Black Bean Sauce January 11, 2008

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G and I cooked dinner together last night and what a meal it turned out to be! It was a gourmet meal at home. We evolved the dish as we started making it.

What You Need

For the Rellenos

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• 4 Banana Peppers

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• 1 cup of frozen corn, bean, edamame mix (Soycatash)

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• A Dash of Cumin Powder

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• A Dash of Coriander Powder

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• ÊA Dash of Garlic powder

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• Lemon juice

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• Salt and pepper to taste

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• Goat Cheese

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• Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella

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• 1 Frozen pastry sheet, thawed per instructions ( optional)

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For the Sauce

(this is a lot of sauce so you can freeze the excess and use it as pizza sauce, base for a chicken dish or for a vegetable wrap)

• 1 Can Refried Beans with jalapenos (I used the fat free kind)

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• 1/2 a Can of Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce

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• 2 Cups of Tomato puree

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• 1 Teaspoon Cumin powder

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• 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander powder

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• Salt and pepper

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• 2 Teaspoon of Tamarind Extract

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How its done

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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

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2.Defrost the vegetables in a microwave and mix the spices, lemon juice, salt and peper and keep aside

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3.Prepare the banana peppers by making a slit along the length of the peppers and remove the seeds and the veins inside

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4.Stuff the peppers- layering thus: First a bed of goat cheese at the bottom, then the vegetables, topping with the mozzarella cheese.

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5. Now, roll your pastry sheet so you get 4 squares big enough to wrap around the banana peppers

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6. Wrap the banana peppers with the pastry sheet and place on a parchment covered cookie sheet

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7.Bake for 20-30 minutes, till the pastry in golden brown

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8.When the Rellenos are baking, prepare the sauce. Blend the refried beans, tomato puree, chipotle peppers and transfer to a saucepan.

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9.Add the spices, tamarind, salt and peper to taste and bring to a boil and then simmer- all for about 20 minutes.

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The relllenos with sauce were absolutely delicious. The vegetables and cheese inside were light, warm and bubbly, and the sauce tastes smokey, tangy- a perfect combination. We made a simple side salad with greens tossed in balsamic vinegarette, topped with goat chese and the almonds or the left over vegetables from the stuffing.

Poi PanCrepes January 9, 2008

G and I spent a week in the Big Island, Hawaii in December’07- our long-awaited, much needed and very well deserved vacation! Big Island is idyllic- a perfect spot if you just want to chill by the pool and on the beach, enjoying the balmy weather in shorts….We did that for the most part. We also did the “sightseeing”- Kailuea volcanos and the Waipio Valley waterfalls by Helicopter, drive around the island to tropical Hilo, Aka Aka Falls, and Kona. As you might guess, I look for unique foods wherever I go and we found something very interesting in the Big Island. Its a small restaurant call U-Top-It in Kona. Their PanCrepes (which are being patented by the Chef, I believe) are unique in that they have Poi (or Taro, also called arbi or arvi in hindi, Chepankazhangu in Kerala Tamil and Sepankazhangu in Chennai). The Poi is purple in color and is traditionally made as a mash (akin to Mashed potatoes) and is a staple in Hawaiin diet. Although, they wouldn’t tell me the recipe, my guess is that the PanCrepe batter is made with buckwheat, eggs, milk, butter and then blended poi is added to it. The concept at U-Top-It is you can make your own- U top your PanCrepe with toppings of your choice. G made his own while I ordered the Garden Vegetarian PanCrepe. They both looked yummy. G’s toppings came cooked with the PanCrepe (and looked exactly like an Utthappam). My PanCrepe was stuffed with the veggies and looked like a stuffed rava dosa. They were really delicious….and was the best vegetarian meal we’d had on the island. More than anything, they reminded us of our Moms. So, here’s what we ate and we thought of you, Ammas…