Paneer Butter Masala

It's been a hectic few weeks and I've not been able to update the blog as often as I would have liked to. No worries though, I have multiple posts for you today.

I am also happy to share with you that my blog has been selected by blogville as an editor's choice blog. Apparently only 1% of the blogs on their site get this recognition, so I'm quite pleased :)

Today I bring to you a simple Paneer dish, which can be made pretty quickly, with very little fuss. I call it my version of paneer butter masala, but this one is made with less butter than the original recipe usually demands.


Ingredients
Paneer/Cottage Cheese : 1/2 lb or 250 gms
Onion: 1 small finely chopped
Tomato: 2 large
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds: 1 tsp
Onion seeds/ Kalaonji: 1 tsp (optional)
Ginger garlic paste: 2 tsp
Cream: 1 cup
Butter: 1/4 cube or arnd 1 tbsp
Oil as required
Chilli Powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Butter Chicken/Paneer Butter Masala powder (optional) : 2 tsp
Garam Masala : 1 tsp
Coriander Powder (only use if not using butter chicken powder): 1.5 tsp
Cinnamon/cloves powder (only use if not using butter masala powder): 1/2 tsp
Red color (optional)
Kasoori Methi, Cilantro for garnishing

Kitchen Items Required
Thick bottomed pan to cook and a wooden spoon

Method

1)Melt butter in the pan and add oil and when hot, temper the cumin, fennel and onion seeds. Add onion and fry till it changes color. Add in the ginger garlic paste.
2)Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes completely break up and form a nice puree.
Note: Use nice red juicy tomatoes for this recipe. Else use canned diced tomatoes like I did.
3)Now add all the powders (chilli, turmeric, butter masala (or coriander/ cloves, cinnamon)) and mix well. Add water as required. Add salt. Check for spice and acidity and adjust accordingly.
4)Add cream and keep stirring till it completely blends into the gravy.
5)Slowly add the paneer ( cut into bite sized cubes)pieces and toss delicately so they don't break up.
Note: Paneer cubes can also be fried to avoid them from crumbling. I did not fry them in this recipe.
If you are frying the paneer, just after frying it, dip it in a cup of hot boiling water. This way the paneer will remain soft, despite frying.
6)Garnish with Kasoori Methi and cilantro
Note: I used a store bought chicken butter masala powder which gave the dish a red color. If you want the red color and do not have the butter masala powder, add a little bit of red color to a tsp of milk and add it into the gravy just after adding all the masalas.

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Pepper Prawns (Shrimp) Kerala Style

Black Pepper is a spice known for its medicinal properties, apart from its uses in food as a cooking spice. I remember my mom giving us "Miryacho Kasaay", a spicy concoction made of pepper, onions and milk, whenever we developed a cold. This tiny seed has the spice potential of an atom bomb and was used as currency in ancient times (aptly referred to as Black Gold).Click here to read more about this interesting spice and its nutritional benefits.
Pepper adds a different bite to the food when compared to chilli spice. I love food made of pepper,be it pepper chicken, pepper fish or veggies (particularly like gerkins (tendli) made in a pepper sauce). The recipe I have for you today has a Kerala influence to it and was first made by a friend who hails from there. Use coconut oil to get the authentic flavor and aroma but you can always use any other oil as a substitute

Ingredients
Large Prawns: 1 lb
Onions: 2 Large, thinly sliced
Pepper: 2 tbsp
Garlic: 4 cloves finely chopped
Ginger: 1 inch piece julienned
Green chillies: 2
Curry Leaves: 12-15 leaves
Turmeric Powder: 1.5 tsp
Red Pepper/ Chilli Powder: 2 tsp
Coconut Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: to taste
Cilantro for garnishing

Kitchen Items Required
A wide mouthed vessel or pan to cook and a spatula
A bowl for marination

Method

1)Clean and de-vein the prawns. I prefer retaining the shells, but you can remove the shells as well, if you so desire.
2)In a bowl, mix all the powders (pepper, chilli and turmeric) and also some salt and marinate the prawns in the powder mixture. Don't add water. The salt will be able to pull out enough water from the prawns for the marinade. Marinate the prawns for around 2 hours.
3)To a wide bottomed pan, add coconut oil. Add the onions and fry till they become soft.
4)Add the curry leaves, ginger juliennes, garlic and green chillies and continue stirring well till the onion is thoroughly cooked and just starts changing color to golden brown.
5)Now add the prawns with the marinade and cook on high heat for about a minute or two. Add additional spices as required.
6)Add a little bit of vinegar/lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
7)Can be served as a side dish; is also an excellent accompaniment with drinks.
Note:
a)Like fish, prawns cook very fast. If they overcook, they turn hard and rubbery and are not tasty to eat. So make sure you cook them just enough till they start curling up and the shells change color.
b)Don't get scared seeing the quantity of spices. This dish has a lot of onion whose sweetness, absorbs the hotness of the pepper. However if you are reducing the number of onions, reduce the quantity of spice too.

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Fish Curry using Coconut Milk - No grinding

This post has been long due. Today we had a fish meal at home and I was finally able to take some pictures of the fish curry I made. My ancestors in Mangalore might be rolling in their graves if they heard that the masala for the fish was not ground. A typical Mangalorean fish recipe entails finely grinding whole spices - long and short chillies, whole piece of turmeric, tamarind, coriander, mustard and cumin seeds. All these spices and freshly grated coconut are ground either on a stone or in a worst case scenario a mixie. Using powders thus is totally out of question.
I obviously do not have a grinding stone here in Atlanta, but I normally use a mixie and grind whole spices for the masala. So when a good friend asked for a recipe without grinding, I was wondering how it would turn out. I'm glad to say that the gravy got rave reviews from my husband who is a very tough critic.


Ingredients
2 Pomfrets: gutted,cleaned and cut width wise into pieces
Onion: 1 Small, thinly sliced
Tomato: 1
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tsp
Chilli Powder (I use the extra hot variety) : 4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 2 tsp
Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp
Tamarind Paste: 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp
Cilantro: for garnishing (optional)
Coconut Milk: 1 Can
oil: 2 tsp

Kitchen Item Required
A broad thick bottomed vessel to cook the fish in
A bowl to mix all the powders in

Method

1)In a bowl, mix in all the powders (chilli, turmeric, coriander, cumin) and the tamarind water. Add hot water to the tamarind paste to get tamarind water. The resulting mix should not be too watery. Just make a thick paste and keep aside
2)Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel and when hot add onions. Fry onions till they turn golden brown.
3)Add ginger garlic paste and stir for 10-15 seconds.
4)Now add the paste from step 1 and fry the masala on medium high heat for about a minute till the spices are nicely roasted but not burnt. Add tomato and stir.
5)Now add the coconut milk into the mixture and bring to boil. Keep stirring the milk so it does not curdle up.
6)Add water if required only and bring the gravy to boil.Add salt. Taste the gravy to see if anything is required. If you need more sourness, you can add a little bit of vinegar.
7)Now add the cleaned fish and bring to another boil. Switch off the stove.
Fish cooks very fast. It will split up into pieces if you stir it or cook it too long. So handle it delicately.
8)Serve hot with rice.

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Garam Garam Pakoras (Onion, Cabbage, Bread, Potato, Spinach)

Pakoras or Pakodas are a easy to make yet amazingly delicious fried snack, savored with a hot and tangy sauce, usually accompanied by a cup of hot tea.. Eating hot pakoras watching the pitter patter of the rain outside is a childhood memory for many of us.
Pakoras are a great party snack because they can be made quickly if you have all the ingredients readily available at home. The only time consuming thing is the actual process of frying them. They don't really taste that great eaten cold, so you will have to make them just before you are ready to serve them, for maximum enjoyment.
There is a huge assortment of pakoras made in Indian homes, starting from the onion pakora to the paneer, from bread pakora to palak. In Mangalore, we used to enjoy pakoras made of this plant called "taikulo" which used to grow wild every rainy season. I have wonderful memories of climbing up our neighboring hill to pick up "taikulo". Mummy used to thoroughly clean it before it was cut into small bits to make pakoras :)
There are minor differences in the way the batter is made for the different type of pakoras, although the base ingredients are pretty much the same. In this recipe I describe to you the method of preparing onion, cabbage, palak, potato and bread pakoras. All the others can be made pretty much in a similar fashion. I list the ingredients just once, while I change the method slightly. Leave me a comment if you have trouble understanding the recipe.

Ingredients
Onion/Palak/Bread squares: 1 cup
Gram Flour/Besan : 1 cup or less
Rice Flour : 2 tbsp (optional but suggested, see notes below)
Cumin Seeds/Ajwain : 1 tsp
Red Pepper/Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Baking powder: 1/4 tsp (optional)
Finely chopped ginger: a little
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil for deep frying

Kitchen Items Required
Bowl to mix the batter
Fryer/ Pan for deep frying with a slotted spatula

Method for Onion Pakoras

1)Cut the onions into thin long strips, sprinkle a lil bit of salt and keep aside
2)In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together ( besan, rice flour, salt, baking powder, ajwain or jeera, chilli powder, turmeric powder and ginger)
3)Now add in the onions to the mixture and nicely mix them with the besan batter. Add just enough water to be able to make a nice ball of the onion besan mix.
Note:
a)Take care to see that you do not add too much water while making the batter. Onion and cabbage pakoras are made with relatively drier batter when compared to the other pakoras. Adding the salt to the onions brings out their natural juices thus reducing the amount of water to be added to the batter.
b)The rule of the thumb while making Onion pakoras is that the amount of besan should not exceed the amount of onions. For eg: if you use 1 cup of onions, you should use a maximum of 1 cup of besan. This way the pakoras become crispy with the distinct flavor of onions and do not get soggy.
4)Heat oil in a pan/fryer. When it is hot, drop in small quantities of the batter by hand into the hot oil
5)Fry the pakoras till they turn into a deep golden color.
6)Remove and strain into a kitchen towel
7)Serve hot with spicy sauce and masala chai :)

Cabbage pakoras are made in a similar fashion. Replace 1 cup of onions with 3/4 cup of finely chopped cabbage and 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions. You can also add in 1 finely chopped green chilli for the additional zing.

Method for bread pakoras

1) The ingredients for the batter remain the same.The difference is in the consistency of the batter. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Now add water to make a batter consistent to a thick dosa batter.
2)Cut the sides (crusts) off the bread. Make 4 squares of one slice of bread.
3)Heat oil and dip the bread pieces one by one into the batter before adding them to the oil. Remove from oil when the pakoras turn golden.
Note: Do not add ginger while making bread pakoras.

Aloo (Potato)Pakoras are made in a similar fashion. Cut the potatoes into thin round slices and sprinkle a bit of salt. Now dip them into the batter and deep fry them as in the case of bread pakodas. Remove when crisp. Unlike bread pakodas you can dip all the potato slices into the batter at one time and then fry them. You can increase the amount of spice for the aloo pakoras by adding a little more chilli powder.

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Pakoras are also made in the same way. However once the paneer is cut into chunky cubes, just sprinkle a little chilli powder and amchur (mango) powder on it and let it rest a while and then dip these cubes into the batter and deep fry for a tasty pakora.

Method for Palak Pakoras

1)Mix all the dry ingredients.
2)Do not add cumin/ajwain to the mixture
3) Finely chop some palak (spinach). You can optionally mix baby dill leaves as well for a very nice flavor. Add 2 finely chopped green chillies, ginger and a little cilantro (coriander leaves) as well.
4)Now add in the chopped greens into the dry mixture and add enough water to make a thick batter easy to handle. Again the amt of the greenies should be more than the amount of besan in this case.
5)Now make bite sized balls and fry.
Note: Could be a delicious way of making your kids eat their greens :)

Some Tips:
a)Keep trying on getting the consistency right. Start with very little water and then add more if required. Do not add too much water and then you might need to add more besan to adjust the consistency and then add more of the veggies to balance. Avoid that.
b)When making the batter, particularly for the bread, aloo and paneer pakodas, ensure you mix the batter well so it has no lumps in it.
c)Salt is one of the most important ingredients in pakoras which can make or mar their final flavor. Try to taste the batter before dipping the veggies so the salt is adequate. For onion pakodas, since onions are initially salted, be careful while adding the salt to the mixture. Also, after the first round of pakodas are made, taste them to see if any spice is missing. If more salt is needed, add it then. If more spice is needed add some red chilli powder.
d)You can add either Jeera or Ajwain to the batter. Avoid using both since they have a strong distinct flavor and using both might be too overpowering.
e)I highly recommend adding the rice flour because it adds crispiness to the pakoras. However be sure not to overheat the oil, since rice flour tends to brown faster than the besan.
e)The sky is the limit when it comes to the assortment of veggies/greens that can be used to make pakoras. You could make long chilli and capsicum pakoras or jack fruit(raw) or diviso guzo (My mangy friends will know what I'm talking abt) or brinjal or even mixed veggie pakoras. Experiment and come out with your own pakora variations.

I've tried to squeeze in as many varieties of pakoras in this post. It's not as complicated as it looks :) If there is any confusion , do leave a comment or send me an email and I'll be able to help you.

For more pakora recipes, please look at the foodista link below:

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Coconut Barfi with Condensed Milk

By now you should know that I'm all for quick cooking. Every once in a while I do enjoy toiling over my food, but most other times I look for quick ways to make the same items without compromising on the flavor and the aroma.
I generally make coconut barfi in a traditional way, first making the sugar syrup and then adding in the coconut and cardamom and ghee. This time I tried using condensed milk to make barfi and believe me when I say, I will not be making barfis in the traditional way for a long long time. It took half the time and effort to make the condensed milk version and the taste was great too.


Ingredients
Coconut Powder/Grated Coconut: 2 cups
Condensed Milk: 1 can (8 oz)
Cardamom Powder: 1 tsp
Ghee/Clarified Butter: 1 tbsp
Almonds for decoration
Extra Sugar (if required only)

Kitchen Items Required
Thick bottomed vessel to make the barfi and a wooden spatula
A greased dish or plate to spread the barfi on
Knife to cut the ready barfi

Method

1)Dry roast the coconut for just a minute or two on very low flame till it gives out a good aroma. Do not brown or fry it
2)Now add in the condensed milk (I use the Carnation sweetened condensed milk)and mix it nicely into the coconut mixture. You can increase the heat a bit. Keep stirring till the condensed milk has nicely incorporated with the coconut. Taste and check for sweetness. Add in more sugar if you want it sweeter.
3)When the mixture becomes relatively dry, add in the ghee into the mixture and stir well. Add in the cardamom powder and mix
4)Grease the plate/dish with a little ghee and pour the barfi mixture.
5)Using a spoon flatten out the barfi and nicely pack it closely and let it cool
6)Once cool, cut into desired shapes, decorate with almonds and store in a cool place.

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Vegetable Puffs

I am always on a lookout for recipes that are easy to make. When I was having a party at home, I was looking for finger food and quick to make snacks and asked my good friend Pooja for some ideas. She suggested veg puffs. I made them and they were a big hit. I've made these puffs often since. The egg and chicken version of these puffs also turn out very well.

I wouldn't dream of making these puffs in India simply because of the unavailability of the ready made puff pastry sheets there. However, why would you want to make these in India, when any reputed bakery will serve hot, melt in the mouth puffs. I particularly remember the yummy veggie puffs from Iyengar's bakery in Bangalore. They used to be my weekend breakfast or tea snack.

For those really patient souls among you, who would want to make the puff pastries from scratch, here is a very good video and recipe from one of my favorite food chefs, Sanjay Thumma

I however, would like to stick to my reliable pepperridge farm puff pastry sheets to make these.This is my recipe for the Puff Stuffing

Ingredients
•Boiled Potato – 1 Large
•Boiled Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup
•Onion : 1 small finely chopped
•Ginger-Garlic paste -1/2 tsp
•Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
•Red Pepper/ Chilly powder - 1 tsp.
•Garam Masala -1 tsp
•Cilantro /Coriander leaves finally chopped
•Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
•White Vinegar/ Lime juice
•Salt as per taste
•Oil a little
•Water: to close the pastries.

Kitchen Items Required
•Vessel to make the stuffing with a spatula
•Microwave safe vessel to boil the veggies and potato
•Cookie Sheet/ Alluminium Foil to make the puffs

Method

1)Remove the required number of puff pastry sheets from the packet and leave them out for defrosting. I make 9 puffs from one sheet.
2)Add oil to the hot pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Now add in the onions and fry till golden brown.
3)Add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies, and the rest of the spices ( turmeric, chilli and garam masala) and stir
4)Toss in the boiled potatoes (coarsely mashed) and the mixed vegetables into the masala and mix it well. Add salt.
5)Add in the cilantro and lime juice/vinegar and stir.
6)Remove from heat and keep aside for cooling
7)Cut each of the puff pastry sheets into 9 individual rectangles
8)Using a spoon, scoop in enough filling in each of the rectangles and fold. Use water to close the ends and you can use a fork to give it a nice edged shape
9)Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When hot, place the filled in puffs in the top rack for baking. Bake for 10-15 mins. Remove when puffs have turned into a lovely golden color.
Note:
a) You can fold the puffs into any of the desired shapes. While squares and triangles are the popular ones, some people even roll the pastry sheet into rounds and make a half moon shaped pastry. I don’t roll the sheet. I like to use it as is for maximum puffing up of the pastry.
b) You can even brush on some egg wash on the pastries before baking them. This will give them a nice glazed look and color.
c) You can use any stuffing of your choice to make these pastries. Samosa stuffing or vada paav stuffing can also be used instead of the stuffing mentioned above.
d) Make egg or chicken puffs in a similar fashion using boiled eggs ( ½ an egg per puff) or ground chicken. Experiment and make your own signature puff pastry. Good Luck :)

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Quick Veggie Pasta with an Indian twist

Hubby has just left for Europe on a business trip and it's really boring to cook when he's not around. As I mention in my welcome note, the very reason I took to cooking is because of his encouragement and the excitement and appreciation he shows to all my culinary experimentations, however weird the results turn out to be. To my credit, or should I say, good luck, I've served him more good food than bad :)

When I'm not in the mood to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I revert to my trusted pasta dish. The recipe that I have is obviously drawn from the Italian Pasta, but has an Indian twist to it. I prefer using cilantro to parsley and I also add a little Chilli paste to spice it up a bit. I use very little cheese as well.

I generally have a few packets of pasta lying around at any time in my pantry. Our personal favorite is penne, but in this recipe I use a mix of penne and tri color Rotini, just to add a bit of color. You may use any pasta you like with this. Just follow the instructions on the box for cooking the pasta.

This is a super easy recipe, made with store bought marinara sauce (You could use any of the brands; all of them are pretty good).


Ingredients
•Penne Pasta and Rotini : 1/2 box, around 150 gms
•Scallions: about 1/2 cup, finally chopped
•Garlic: 3 cloves, peeled and chopped
•Chilli Paste: 2 tsp
•Marinara Sauce: 2 cups
•Mixed Vegetables: 3/4 cup (I use the packaged frozen mixed veggies. If you are using fresh veggies, you can add in cubed carrots, beans, and peas)
•Red and Yellow Bell Peppers: ¼ cup
•Parsley or Cilantro Leaves chopped
•Parmesan Cheese shredded to top the pasta before serving
•Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO): 2 tsp
•Butter : 2 tsp
•Water to boil the pasta
•Salt : 1 tbsp

Kitchen Items Required
•Thick Bottomed Vessel to cook the pasta
•A colander to drain the pasta
•A pan to prepare the sauce
•Microwave safe bowl to cook the vegetables
•A serving plate with a pasta spoon

Method

1)Heat around 10 cups of water in a thick bottomed vessel and bring to a boil. Add 2 tbsp of salt and 2 tsp of butter. When the water is hot and boiling, add in the pasta. Cook Al dente (not undercooked, but not too soft). It should take about 10-15 mins. Remove from heat, drain the pasta into a colander, close with an aluminium foil to keep hot and keep aside.
2)In a microwave safe bowl, cook the veggies in a little bit of water, on high for 2 minutes. Remove and drain the water.
3)Keep pan on flame and add EVOO. Stir in the scallions and the garlic. Add the veggies, and the bell peppers, cilantro/parsley and stir.
4)Add chilli paste and the marinara sauce. Add salt. Keep stirring till the sauce becomes hot. Remove from heat.
5)Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl. Pour in the sauce on top and mix in using a pasta spoon.
6)Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top before serving.

Note:
a)You don’t fry the veggies when making pasta. They should be soft and cooked, not over fried.
b)I mostly make the non veg version of this pasta using the same recipe. The difference is to add finely chopped chicken and reduce the amount of vegetables. However first fry the chicken in olive oil so it cooks well and then add the other ingredients as directed above.
c)If you want to stick to the authentic Italian version of the pasta, eliminate the chilli paste, add some basil leaves as well while frying the garlic

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Chocolate Mousse

Well, who needs an introduction to Chocolate Mousse? If I ever come face to face with the culinary genius who made this (sometime in the afterlife), I will surely give him/her a curtsy bow, fit for royalty. Mousse is said to have originated in France, but quickly gained popularity in the Americas and the rest of Europe because of its irresistible taste and soft texture. Mousse in French means foam and as its name suggests this decadent dessert is made by foaming (whipping) eggs, heavy cream and of course chocolate.

Hubby and I still have a laugh when we remember the incident of a server, who could not pronounce the word mousse correctly. In Manipal, there was a cafe called Cosmo, which served yummy Mousse. We went there often to enjoy it, but even more to hear the server there call it Mouse-a :)

Now for the recipe:

Ingredients
•Bittersweet Chocolate/ Dark Chocolate: 100 grams
•Unsalted butter : 1 tbsp
•Heavy Whipping Cream: 1 cup
•Sugar: 2.5 tbsp or as per taste
•3 egg whites
•3 egg yolks

For Decorating
Optional: Whipped Cream and Chocolate Shavings

Kitchen Items Required
•Bowls: To whisk the egg whites, melt chocolate, for yolks
•A mixing bowl to combine everything together
•Pan ( for water bath )to melt chocolate
•A whisk/ hand mixer /electric mixer
•Spoons
•Serving bowls: 4

Method

1)Using a mixer or a whisk, whip the cream well till it forms soft peaks. Refrigerate it.
2)Place water in a pan and let it become warm. Now place a bowl in it and add in the chocolate chunks and butter. Melt the chocolate and butter by stirring vigorously till the mixture is smooth. Do not overheat the mixture. It needs to be just warm, not too hot. Once molten, allow to cool slightly.
3)Add the yolks to the chocolate butter mixture. Make sure the temperature is cool enough so the yolks don’t cook in the chocolate. If the chocolate is hot, wait till it cools down to add the yolks.
4)In a separate container, whisk the egg whites mixture till it starts thickening. Slowly add in the sugar and continue whipping till soft peaks form.
5)Carefully follow this step: To the chocolate butter yolk mixture, add the egg white mixture. Slowly fold it in, do not stir vigorously to avoid the mixture from diluting, losing the mousse consistency. Now add in the cold whipped cream you prepared in step 1, spoon by spoon, gently folding it in. Do not and I repeat, do not, be in a hurry.
6)You can then spoon the ready mousse into serving cups. I was able to make 4 full cups using the above measurements. Refrigerate for 8 hours to completely set.
7)As an optional step, before serving , you can add in some whipped cream and chocolate shavings as decoration.
Note:
a)The two most important aspects of this recipe are 1) the temperature of the chocolate before the yolks are added in
2) the way the different mixtures are slowly folded together. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to delicately fold in the whipped cream, so it does not lose its volume. If you fail this step, you might as well be eating chocolate milk shake instead of chocolate mousse the next day
b) Raw eggs are used in the recipe. If you have concerns about this, you could use pasteurized eggs which are readily available in any American supermarket. I am not sure if these are available in India. I think they should be.
c) If you are planning this dessert for a party, it should be made a day in advance, so it can nicely set in time for the party. This is a make ahead dessert. Do not make this if you want an instant dessert.
d)This is a fantastic dessert to make for your valentine. And in this case, don't forget to add in a liquor( Kahlua would be amazing) for that additional zing. You may also use a nice heart shaped serving bowl for additional effect :)

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First Day of Spring

Let me state upfront that this post has nothing to do with food.

I just wanted to share with you the pictures of a beautiful tree that has bloomed in front of our house. A pesky beetle had somehow made it inside the house and I was trying to drive it away thus opening the balcony door. I know! It took a beetle to get me to the balcony, because although it's officially spring (Yesterday (3/20) was the first day of spring for 2009), it's still cold and I don't venture out on the balcony or for that matter, out of the house, except while going to the gym.

So I was pleasantly surprised , when I got on the balcony to see this beautiful tree standing there with lovely white flowers. Just 15 days earlier, the tree was completely barren and to see such a transformation was a pleasure indeed. Although I've never given the tree a second glance till date, today I feel proud like a mother would feel when her child achieves something gr8 :) I feel a sense of belonging, a sense of ownership...

I couldn't wait for hubby to get home to show him our tree (I told you... a sense of ownership :) ) He said it was a cherry blossom tree and since I haven't seen one before, I have to agree. I even pestered him to click pictures from all angles, so I could save them for posterity. So here I share them with you and you'll know I'm not exaggerating when I say I have the most beautiful tree in Atlanta :)

While the first picture, gives the view of the tree from our balcony, the others were clicked from outside the house. The building you see is where we live, on the 2nd floor. You can click on the individual pictures to see the high res images.

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Bhindi Masala

I’ve been chastised by a few friends that I don’t have many veggie recipes on this blog :) So I’m making an earnest effort to include as many vegetarian recipes as I can, although that means my poor hubby will have to make do with veg food for sometime. But then again, he shouldn’t be complaining. It’s Lent anyway.

The truth is that we are both staunch non vegetarians, if there is a category like that. We like our meats and fish and will be perfectly happy even if a single greenie does not make it to our plates. We sure would be a bad example for healthy eating!! Most of the veg food I make is more of a compliment to the main meat/fish dish or a breakfast item - a Dal with a fry fish and rice, or a Sambhar with dosas, or a simple salad to go with a meat roast.

Today was a different story though. I consciously wanted to cook a vegetable dish, looked in the fridge, found some okras (bhindi) that I had picked up 2 days earlier and decided on bhindi masala. Bhindi is one of the few vegetables that I like to eat, with cabbage and cauliflower close behind. Hubby likes beans and hates cabbage. So the only form in which we eat cabbage is in pakodas…Oh that story is for another day.

Coming back to bhindi masala, it’s a yummy dish, and can be cooked quite fast as well, particularly if you have already cut bhindi.


Ingredients
•Bhindi/Okra/Ladies Finger : 1 Lb
•Onion: 1 chopped fine
•Tomatoes : 2 finely chopped
•Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tsp
•Green chillies: 2
•Turmeric Powder: ½ tsp
•Curry Powder/Kitchen King: 1 tbsp
•Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
•Red Pepper Powder/Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
•Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
•Hing/ Asafoetida powder: a pinch
•Oil: 1 tbsp
•Oil: for shallow frying
•Cilantro/Coriander Leaves, chopped

Kitchen Items Required
•Pan for shallow frying bhindi and a perforated spoon
•Vessel for cooking and a wooden spatula

Method

1)Wash, cut and pat dry the bhindi using a paper towel.
2)Shallow fry them in oil till they are soft and almost cooked. Remove from pan and keep aside on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Note: Fried bhindi are less likely to turn out sticky. The frying process should take around 5 minutes.
3)Place cooking vessel on stove and add oil. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
4)Add the hing powder and then the onions and fry till onions change color and turn light brown.
5)Add in the ginger garlic paste and green chillies slit lengthwise and stir well.
6)Add all the spices (turmeric, cumin, curry, chilli) and mix well ensuring the spices don’t burn. Now add finely chopped tomatoes, mix well and cook till the tomatoes get soft and oil starts leaving the sides.
7)Add the bhindi into the vessel and slowly fold it into the masala. Cook for a couple of minutes or till the bhindi is well mixed in and totally cooked. Garnish with cilantro
8)Serve hot with chapatti/ roti
Trivia: We ate bhindi masala with corn tortillas. Weird I know! But we quite enjoyed them that way :)

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