Masala Toast with Ginger Tea

Generally, I am not a breakfast person and like to have an early lunch instead. However, whenever I am in a mood for breakfast, Masala Toast with Ginger Tea is something that I love to have. It is quick, healthy,tasty and highly satisfying. So here is the recipe -

Masala Toast

Ingredients 

Sliced Multi Grain Bread - 1-2 slices per person

Finely Chopped Red Onion - 1/2 cup

Finely Chopped multi-colored Capsicum - 1 cup

Finely Chopped Green Chilies - 2-3 (depending on how hot you like it)

Finely Chopped Cilantro - A Couple of teaspoons

Buffalo Mozzarella - Optional

Oil - 1 tbspn

Salt to Taste

Method

Heat the oil in a pan

Add green chilies and fry for a minute

Next add the finely chopped onions and let them cook

Lastly add the capsicum and cook for a minute. Leave the capsicum crispy and do not overcook it.

Sprinkle some salt to taste

Now lay the sliced bread in a baking sheet

Spread the vegetable mixture on the slices

Add some Mozzarella if you like

Bake on the "Toast" setting of your oven for 3-4 minutes.

Optionally, bake at 375 degree Celsius for 5 minutes

Serve Hot!!!

Ginger Tea

Ingredients

Water - 1 cup

Red or Black Tea - 11/2 tspn

Sugar or Jaggery - 1 -11/2 tspn

Grated Ginger - 1 tspn

Whole Milk - 3 tbspn

Method

Take the water in a pot and add some Sugar or Jaggery to it. I prefer Jaggery because it gives a more wholesome flavor than refined sugar

Put the water to boil

Once the water starts boiling, add the ginger and the tea in this order

Let it boil for 45 seconds 

Turn of the stove and cover the pot and let the tea steep for 2-3 minutes

In the meantime, heat the milk in a cup in the microwave. 

Once the tea is steeped, pour the hot tea in the cup through a tea filter

Enjoy a steaming cup any time of the day.

Kashaya - An Ayurvedic Winter Drink

Today's is a different post and has something to do with our individual health. As we settle into the cooler months of winter, our digestive fire goes down leading to vaat and kapha provoking disorders like lethargy, body ache, cough, cold, flu etc. To overcome these seasonal disorders, I have been giving my family an ayurvedic spice drink called "Kashaya" every morning before starting the day. Different families have different recipes for this drink, but given below is my recipe. Drink this first thing in the morning and all the seasonal ailments would remain at bay.

Ingredients

Water - 4 cups
Coriander Seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Whole Black Pepper - 5-6
Whole Cloves - 5-6
Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
Fresh Ginger - 1/2 inch
Jaggery or Honey - Optional as sweetners

Method

Take 4 cups water in a pot
Add all the spices and bring it to boil
Let the tea boil till the water reduces to 2 cups
Remove from the stove and filter the tea removing all the spices
Add Jaggery or Honey to sweeten
Drink hot

Note

If you are adding honey as sweetener, let the tea cool to slightly above room temperature. Do not add honey to hot tea as heat destroys all the enzymes and naturally occurring vitamins in honey.

Mexican Inspired Stuffed Capsicum

Ingredients 

Medium Multi Colored Capsicums - 6
Mexican Rice Mix - 1 Packet
Heinz Chipotle Beans - 1 can
Cumin Powder - 1 tspn
Coriander Powder - 2 tspn
Cayenne Powder - 1 tspn
Salt to taste
Grated Mozzarella - 1 cup
Guacamole - of 1 Avocado
Sour Cream - 1/2 cup
Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup
Chopped Tomatoes - 1/2 cup
Chopped Cilantro - 1/2 cup







Directions

Cook the Mexican Rice as per the directions on the pack.
While the rice is cooking, char the capsicums on the stove, so that they are cooked, but still firm. Keep them aside to cool
Empty the can of beans in a pot. Bring it to a boil adding cumin powder, coriander powder and cayenne powder
Once the capsicums are cooled, gently cut off the tops and remove the seeds
Fill the capsicums half way through with rice followed by beans and top them off with grated mozzarella
Bake at 375 till the cheese starts bubbling
Gently remove from the oven and top it with Guacamole, sour cream, onions, tomatoes and cilantro
Serve hot.

No Soy Vegetarian Burger with Spicy Chipotle Aioli

No Soy Vegetarian Burger

Ingredients

Onions - 2 medium, chopped
Carrots - 2 medium, chopped
Red Capsicum - 1 large, chopped
Potato - 1 large, boiled, peeled and mashed
Green Peas - 1 cup
Red Kidney Beans - 1 can
Garlic Cloves - 3-4
Green Chillies - 3-4
Chopped Cilantro - 1 cup
Bread Crumbs - 1 cup
Ground Coriander - 5 tbspn
Ground Cumin - 3 tbspn
Ground Cayenne Pepper - 1 tbspn
Ground Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) - 2 tbspn
Sugar - 2 tbspn
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/2 cup


Directions

Heat half of the oil in a pan and cook the onions, carrots, capsicum and peas.
Add the ground coriander, cumin, cayenne, garlic and green chillies
Cook the spices for 2 minutes on low heat
Next add the mashed potato, red kidney beans, dry mango powder, sugar and salt
Stir well and leave it on medium heat till the mixture is cooked through
Leave the mixture to cool and bring it to room temperature
Now pulse it through a food processor or with a hand mixie
Next add the bread crumbs and cilantro and mix it well
You can further cool the mixture in the refrigerator for it to firm up. But this is an optional step depending on the consistency of your mixture
Now make about 1/4 inch thick and 4 inch round patties
Add the remainder of the oil to a griddle
Char grill patties on both the side
Serve hot on a bun with tomatoes, onions, cucumber and a Spicy Home Made Aioli

Spicy Home Made Aioli

Aioli is a lovely and fragrant Provencal sauce made of Garlic, oil  and eggs. The word comes from  a combination of 2 words - Ail+oil which lilteraly means garlic + oil. The modern version include various flavorings along with the basic ingredients like basil, chopped nuts, fennel tops and like what we are making here - chipotle peppers and cayenne peppers.

Ingredients

Mayo/ Vegan Mayo - 1/2 cup
Crushed Garlic - 1 clove
Lemon - 1/2
Chipotle Pepper - 1
Cayenne Powder - 1/2 tspn
Sugar - 2 tspn
Salt - to taste

Directions

Mix all the ingredients for a yummy aioli that could be served over burgers, soups etc or as a dip for sweet potato fries, cut veges, etc

Breakfast Ideas

Everyday morning I am faced with a problem of making something quick and new for breakfast. While I can always reach out to the box of cereal kept over the fridge, my son has allergies to some of the contents in processed cereal. So that becomes an option only in times of extreme emergencies. He sometimes prefers scrambled eggs or milk with toast and jam. But just like with all kids (and adults alike), he gets bored of the sameness and likes to have variety in his breakfast.

So I thought of compiling a list of breakfast items that are quick to make, healthy and offer a lot of variety in terms of nutrition as well as taste. Also, since I have a philosophy of eating only hot food for breakfast, I have excluded smoothies, shakes, yogurts etc from my list below.

I hope it would be a useful resource for everyone who faces the breakfast dilemma every morning. I will be adding the recipes for each of these items in due course.

Western Breakfast


Eggs served with Multigrain Toast/ English Muffin/ Multigrain Muesli Buns

• Scrambled with onions and veggies
• Plain Scrambled
• Half Fry
• Full Fry
• Vegetable Omelette
• Spinach Omelette
• Poached
• Frittata

Multi-grain Pancakes served with pure maple syrup, butter  and seasonal fruit

Multi-grain Waffles serve with pure maple syrup, butter and seasonal fruits

Oat Recipes - I prefer using rolled oats to steel cut or instant oatmeal because the cook faster than steel cut oats and are a healthier option than instant oatmeal.

• Cooked Oats with milk, sugar and seasonal fruits
• Cooked Oats with salt, pepper and green peas
• Cooked Oats with maple syrup, walnuts and apple
• Cooked Oats with honey, almonds and cranberries,

Indian Breakfast

Poha

• Onion Poha
• Potato Poha
• Peas Poha
• Carrot and Cauliflower Poha

Upma 

• Rava Upma
• Cracked Wheat/ Daliya Upma
• Cooked Daliya with Coconut and Jaggery

Thalipeeth - This is a Maharashtrian Favorite 

• Bhajani Thalipeeth
• Multi Grain Thalipeeth
• Upavas Thalipeeth

Dhirde/ Chilka/  - A quick instant dosa variety from Maharashtra

• Besan Dhirde
• Rice Flour Dhirde served with Jaggery Milk
• Rice Flour Dhirde with Chillies and Garlic
• Moong Dhirde

Idli 

• Kanchipuram Idli
• Idli Fry
• Coconut Idli

Dosa

• Plain Dosa
• Rawa Dosa
• Masala Dosa
• Mysore Dosa
• Spring Dosa

Uttapam

• Onion Uttapam
• Plain Uttapam
• Cheese Uttapam
• Tomato Uttapam

Appe

• Idli Batter Appe
• Instant Rawa Appe
• Urad Daal Appe
• Sweet Rice Flour Appe
• Vegetable Appe
• Onion and Coriander Appe

Paratha

• Aloo (Potato) Paratha
• Paneer Paratha
• Mooli (Raddish) Paratha
• Sooji Halwa Paratha
• Carrot Cauliflower and Paneer Paratha

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Ingredients

Rosemary Focaccia Bread - 1-2 based on the thickness and diameter of the bread
Red Bell Peppers - 2 Large
Baby Eggplant or Stripped Eggplants - 2 medium
Onions - 3 Medium
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/2 cup
Italian Seasoning - 2-3 tspns
Coarse Salt - to taste

Directions

Cut the Red Peppers into quarters and keep them aside
Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices and keep them aside
Slice onion into rings and keep them aside
Heat a cast iron griddle on the stove with some EVOO
Once the griddle is hot, place the Red Peppers on the griddle and cover to avoid splattering of oil
After a few minutes turn them on the opposite side and continue cooking on medium heat till they are completely cooked. The skins might turn black which add to the flavor of the the sandwiches
Next cook the eggplant on the griddle. Add oil to the griddle as required
Lastly cook the onions
Sprinkle the Italian Seasoning and salt on the vegetables
Place the grilled vegetables on the focaccia bread and assemble the sandwich
Cut the sandwich into pieces and serve either with a soup or a salad.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

One of my many favourite things about Spring are the delicate shoots of Asparagus. I love their soft green color with beautiful ornate tops. Their nutty flavor takes me back to the monsoons in India when we used to boil whole in-shell peanuts in salt water and savor them one peanut at a time taking our own sweet time.
Those were the days when time was abundant and memories were made out of those sweet moments. But now, when time is such a luxury, I usually just char grill these babies and have them with salt and pepper.
But once in a while when I do have more time on my hands and the weather outside is perfect for having some warm soups, that is when I make this comforting soup which has now become a family favorite.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Cream of Asparagus

Ingredients -

Olive Oil - 2 tbspns
Butter - 2 tbspns
Asparagus Shoots - 1lb
Shallots - 1 medium
Spring onions - 1 bunch
Spinach Leaves - 8 - 10
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Vegetable Stock - 4 cups
Whole Milk or Cream - 3/4 cup
Green Chilies (Optional) - 4
Freshly Ground black pepper - 1 tbspn
Sugar - 3 tspns
Salt to taste


Directions -

Heat olive oil and butter in a pan
Finely chop the shallots and the white onions the spring onions
Add them to the hot oil-butter mixture and fry till golden brown
Chop the spinach leaves and add them to the pan
Snap off the woody stocks of Asparagus and cut them into 1 cm pieces. Save some of the top shoots for garnish. Blanch them separately in another pan or in the microware
Add the cut Asparagus to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes till the Asparagus turns tender
Next add Vegetable Stock, Crushed Garlic, Crushed Green Chilies, Salt and Sugar
Bring it to a boil
Puree the soup with a hand blender
Add cream and black pepper and serve hot with finely chopped green onions and blanched Asparagus Tops.

Handvo (Spicy Lentil Cake)

Ingredients

For the Cake

Rice - 1 Cup
Split Moong Beans (Moong Daal) - 1/2 Cup
Split Chickpeas - 1/2 cup
Split White Beans (Urad Daal) - 1/2 Cup
Black Eye Beans - 1/2 cup

Ginger - 1 inch
Cumin Powder - 2 tbspns
Cayenne Powder - 1 tbspn
Turmeric Powder - 1 tspn
Dry Mango Powder (Aamchur) - 2 tbspn
Sugar - 3 tbspn
Salt  to taste

For Tempering

Oil - 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves - 12
Asafoetida Powder - 1 tspn
Sesame Seeds - 2 tbspns
Mustard Seeds - 2 tbspsns
Fennel Seeds - 2 tbspns
Red Chili Flakes - 1 tbspn

Directions

Soak the rice and lentils in water for 3 hours
After 3 hours, remove extra water and grind it into a smooth batter along with the ginger
Add Cumin Powder, Cayenne Powder, Mango Powder, Turmeric, Sugar and Salt
Heat half of the oil and add to the batter
Pour the batter into a baking sheet so that it would be about an inch in  thickness
Preheat the oven to 375F
Bake the cake for 40 minutes

While the cake is baking prepare the tempering by heating the remaining oil in a small pan
Once the oil is hot, add Mustard Seeds, Asafoetida Powder, Curry Leaves, Chili Flakes, Sesame Seeds and Fennel Seeds

Remove the cake from the oven after 40 minutes. Pour the tempering evenly over the cake while the cake is still hot.

Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with Mint or Coriander Chutney.

Vegetarian Pulled Pork Sandwich with Home Made Barbecue Sauce and Caramelized Onions

A little disclaimer here before I get into the actual recipe for this dish - being a vegetarian, I have never eaten pork and don't really know what a pulled pork sandwich tastes like or how the texture is. However, since it is a such a big craze wherever you go now-a-days, I thought of making my own vegetarian version. 

You see, it may or may not taste like the real deal. So you may or may not call it a pulled pork sandwich. But I would say, keep an open mind as this recipe is quick to make, pretty healthy and the end result tastes amazing, if not like an actual pulled pork sandwich.

Ingredients

Finely Shredded/ Sliced Red Cabbage - 21/2 - 3 cups

Burger Buns - 4

Oil - 2 tspns

For the Barbecue Sauce 

Ketchup - 3 tbsps

Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tbspns

Black Strap Molasses - 1 tbspn (You can use regular molasses if you do not have BSM)

Brown Sugar or Gur - 1-2 tbspn

Chipotle Peppers in tomato sauce - 1

Cumin Powder - 2 tbspns

Coriander Powder - 2 tbspns

Garlic - 2 cloves

Caramelized Onions

Sliced Onions - 11/2 cup

Oil - 2 tspns

Directions

Heat oil in a pan

Add the cabbage and cook for a couple of minutes till the cabbage is cooked, but still firm 

In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce

Once the cabbage is cooked like above, add this sauce to the cabbage

Cook till the sauce thickens in about 3-5 minutes.

In a separate pan, heat 2 tspns of oil

Add onions

Fry on a low to medium flame till the onions are caramalized

That's it folks Serve hot on a bun with caramelized onions.

Cracked Wheat, Steel Cut Oats and Cracked Millet Porridge (Khichadi) with Peas and Carrots

Cracked Wheat, Steel Cut Oats and Cracked Millet Porridge with Peas and Carrots

Recipe development has always been my passion. While cooking time tested, traditional recipes has a place in everyday cooking, I like to challenge myself in the kitchen by coming up with some brand new recipes or modifying the traditional ones to give them a total makeover.  My challenge is to come up with dishes which are tasty and at the same time being a mom and a health freak, I have to make sure that they are also very healthy.

Also, while developing recipes with a full fridge and pantry is always exciting, my biggest challenge is to come up with recipes with ingredients on hand as grocery shopping is always the last item on the to do list.

So last week, when I had only carrots, frozen peas in the refrigerator, was not in a mood for rice or chapati and had only half an hour before putting dinner on the table, I found some whole grains in the pantry and came up with this recipe.

I was extremely happy the way it turned out. Apart from being super tasty, it is super healthy, is a whole meal with grains and vegetables and could be something you could serve on a regular basis if you are suffering from conditions like high sugar or diabetes.

Would love to hear from you all on what you think of this recipe.



Ingredients


Grated Carrots - 1 cup
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Chopped Onion - 1 Medium

Cracked Wheat - 3/4 cup
Steel Cut Oats - 3/4 cup
Cracked Millet (Bajra) - 3/4 cup. (If you cannot get cracked millet, you can buy them whole and pulse them in the grinder a few times to crack them)

Boiling water - 4 - 5 cups

Cumin Seeds - 2 tspns
Asafoetida Powder - 1/2 tspn (Optional)
Red Chili Flakes - 3 - 4 tspns
Finely chopped Garlic - 5 cloves
Oil - 1 tbspn
Clarified Butter - 3 tbpns
Salt to taste

Directions

Heat Oil and 1 tbspn of clarified butter in a pan
Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and chili flakes
Once the cumin seeds start crackling, add the chopped onion
Fry the onion till golden brown
Next add the carrots and green peas and cook for a couple of minutes
Now add the cracked wheat, oats and millet and cook for 3-4 minutes
Add boiling water, salt and half of the chopped garlic to the pan
Cover the pan, reduce the flame and let it cook for 15 - 20 minutes
Take it off the stove, once the grains are cooked and the consistency is similar to that of a porridge

For the Garnish

While the khichadi/ porridge is cooking, in a separate small pan heat the remainder of the clarified butter
Add 2 tspns of chilies and the remaining of the garlic
Fry the garlic till it starts turning color

Serve with the clarified butter garnish and chopped cilantro, with sliced red onion on the side.

Kale and Spinach Cakes in Cashew Tomato Gravy

Ingredients

Kale and Spinach Cakes with Tomato Cashew Gravy

For the Tikkis 
Boiled Potatoes - 4 Medium
Cooked and pureed Spinach - 1/2 cup
Cooked and pureed Kale - 1/2 cup
Crushed Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Crushed Green Chilies - 4
Sugar - 2 tspns
Salt to taste
Oil - 3-4 tspns for shallow frying
Dry Rice flour or Bread Crumbs for coating the cakes

For the Gravy

Onions - 2 Small to Medium
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch
Tomatoes - 2 Large
Cashews - 1/2 cup
Cumin Powder - 2 tbspns
Coriander Powder - 2 tbspns
Red Chili Powder - 1 tspn
Oil - 2 tbspns
Sugar - 2 tspns
Salt to taste

Directions

For the Tikkis

Mash the potatoes in a large bowl
Add the cooked spinach, kale puree
Add the crushed garlic, chilies, sugar and salt
Mix thoroughly
Form into medium sized cakes/ tikkis
Dust the cakes with Panko crumbs or rice flour
Shallow fry the cakes with a little bit of oil until both the sides are golden brown

For the Gravy

Blend the Onions, garlic and ginger in a food processor to form a paste
Heat oil in a pan
Add the Onion - Ginger -Garlic paste to the oil
Cook until the paste is golden brown
In the meantime, puree the tomatoes in the food processor
Once the Onion paste is cooked, add the tomato puree
Cook the puree till all the water evaporates
Add Cumin, Coriander and Chili powder and cook for a couple of minutes
Blend the cashews in the food processor with half a cup of water to form a smooth blend
Add this to cashew puree to the pan
Add water to the pan to adjust the consistency of the gravy.
Add Salt and Sugar
Bring the gravy to a boil and thicken it to a desired consistency.

Serve with Green Onions

After The Hiatus....

Kundan and Glitter Glue Rangoli

The last few weeks were crazy in every which way which. They kept me away from my blog all along. And while this hiatus occasionally kept nagging at me to get back and start writing, it nevertheless rejuvenated me from inside out.

It all started in September with the beginning of Navratri - The 9 day festival of Goddess Durga. This was a time for cleansing and contemplation for me. A time to connect with my higher self and thank the goddess for this beautiful life that she has bestowed on me.

Diwali Faral

While this festival was filled with celebrating the Goddess in her 9 different forms, in the hindsight, I feel like those were the more peaceful days before I got sucked into a whirlwind of celebrations - what with  weddings to attend, anniversaries and birthdays to plan, family to visit from abroad and festivities like Dassehra, Diwali to celebrate.

Top that up with extremely high workload at my day job, and what you get was living one day at a time and making the most of that day. Celebrating each day with renewed fervor and at the same time keeping myself firmly grounded by thanking the Universe for each and every moment of this glorious time.

Well, and while the blogging had definitely stopped during this period, what continued with twice the force was the cooking.  Cooking traditional Maharashtrian Diwali Snacks (Faral), cooking for guests, cooking for DS, cooking for DH, making the Prashad and so much more.

While cooking Diwali Snacks was a major event for me and a few of my close friends, I will share those recipes some other time. In the meantime here are a few other recipes that I made during the last few weeks.


Kale and Spinach Cakes in Tomato Cashew Gravy

Cracked Wheat, Steel Cut Oats and Cracked Millet Porridge (Khichadi) with Peas and Carrots

Vegetarian Pulled Pork Sandwich with Home Made Barbecue Sauce and Caramelized Onions

Diwali Faral

A 30 Minute Affair

Watching food shows on T.V. is one of my favorite pass times. Though most of the shows here in North America are geared towards meat eaters and American diet/ recipes, I find loads of inspiration on these shows to come up with some of my own recipes.

One such all time inspirations is Jamie Oliver. I just love the energy and passion that he brings into his cooking. Just looking at him create his art so passionately makes me get off the couch and enter the kitchen to create something magical.

One of his shows that I use to follow regularly was his 30 minute meals. I loved the idea of creating a whole spread in less than 30 minutes.

So last week, I decided to give it a try and see if I could come up with my own spread in 30 minutes. What I created was pretty impressive, considering there was no previous planning that went into creating this meal. Yes, it did take me 35 minutes instead of 30, which I could have avoided, had I planned earlier.

But you see, inspiration is like a butterfly. It does not come to you all planned. And once it comes to you, you need to capture its beauty and appreciate it with your whole being. Because it will just fly away the very next moment. And in those few moments, what you create is always beautiful.

So here is what I created in my 30 minutes -

Sauteed Zuchini and Red Peppers
Lentil Cakes
Saffron Infused Yogurt Dressing
Tomato Salsa

All these served with Warm Whole Wheat Tortillas for Make Your Own Wraps.

Saffron Infused Yogurt Dip

Ingredients

Yogurt -3/4 cup

Saffron - 1 pinch

Cayenne powder - 1 pinch

Turmeric - 1/2 pinch

Sugar - 1 tspn

Salt - To Taste

Directions

Combine all the ingredients

Serve cold.

Quick Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

Diced Red Ripe Tomatoes - 2

Chopped Medium Red Onion - 1

Green Chilies - 1-2

Cilantro - 1/2 cup

Salt to Taste

Sugar - 1 tspn

Directions

Layer all the ingredients in a bowl

Mix when ready to serve

Quick Lentil Cakes

Ingredients

Moong Daal (Split Moong Beans) - 1 cup

Chana Daal (Split Chickpeas) - 2 Tspns

Green Chilies - 2-3

Garlic Cloves - 1-2

Ginger - 1/2 and inch

Salt to taste

Oil

Directions

Soak both the daals in water for 15-20 minutes

Once soaked blend them into a coarse paste along with the chilies, garlic and ginger

Add salt to taste to the paste

In a frying pan take some oil so that it covers the bottom of the pan

Once hot, with a teaspoon, start scooping dollops of the lentil paste into the pan

Flatten them to form a 1/4 inch thick dice

Let them cook on one side till golden brown

Flip them with a spatula and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes more

Remove from the pan and serve hot with ketchup, chutney or a dip

Sauteed Red Peppers and Zucchini

Ingredients

Julienne Red Peppers - 2

Julienne Zucchini - 2

Oil - 1 tbspn

Cumin Powder - 11/2 Tspn

Coriander Powder - 11/2 Tspn

Cayenne Powder - 1 tspn (As per your family's liking)

Turmeric - 1/4 tspn

Lime - 1/2 

Salt - To Taste

Directions

Heat oil in a pan

Add Red Peppers and saute for 3 minutes

Add Zucchini and Saute for 3-4 minutes till the Zucchini is cooked but not mushy and still holds it shape

Add all the spices and saute for another 2-3 minutes

Turn the burner off

Add juice of 1/2 lime and salt

Layered Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients

For the Rice -

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Whole Green Cardamom - 2
Bay Leaf - 1
Cloves - 2
Salt to Taste

For the Masala -

Oil - 2 Tbspn
Sliced Onions - 2 medium
Ginger/ Garlic Paste - 2 tspns
Julienne Mixed Vegetables like Carrots, French Beans, Cauliflower Florets - 11/2 cup
Tomatoes - 2
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Cayenne Powder - 1-2 tspns
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Garam Masala - 3 tspns
Salt to Taste

Garnish

Fried Onions
Mint

Directions

For the Rice-

Cook the rice with all the spices with 4 cups or water.
Once cooked, spread the rice on a plate and let it cool.
Remove the whole spices from the rice while it is cooling

For the Masala-

Heat oil in a pot
Saute the onions
Add the Ginger Garlic paste and fry for a minute
Add Tomatoes and Cook till the oil seperates
Add Cayenne Powder and Turmeric and fry for a minute
Add the Julienne Vegetables and cook them covered for 2-3 minutes
Once the Vegetables are cooked but still firm, add the Yogurt and Garam Masala
Add Salt and Cook till the you reach a saucy consistency

Layering -

Grease a nonstick, oven proof mold with oil (I used a silicone cake mold)
Next add half the rice at the bottom
Add the Masala and spread it on the rice without breaking or mushing the vegetables
Add the remainder of the rice
Sprinkle some milk on the top layer
Cover the mold and place it in the oven at 250 F for 15 minutes
Remove from the oven and carefully invert the mold on a flat platter
Garnish with fried onions and mint

Serve steaming hot with raita

One Pot Kale and Asparagus Pasta in Rosè Sauce

Till about a year ago Pasta used to be my go to meal whenever I was in need for a quick fix dinner. However, about a year ago something changed and I totally started disliking Pasta. I couldn't stand the texture of the noodles, the taste of the sauces the boiling of noodles in big pots. Any thing at all!!!

So I totally stopped making or eating pasta, whether it was at home or at a restaurants - fine or not.
And then, a few weeks ago a visit to Costco brought me face to face with something interesting - Quinoa Pasta. The first ingredient was Quinoa and the rest were some more whole grains. The curious chef in me made me pick up a packet to see how it came out.

However, for a long time the packet sat in my pantry waiting to be used. My nausea towards pasta was not allowing me to open the packet and create something interesting out of it. And then I saw a recipe on Indian Food Network called Food Food that suddenly came as an inspiration.

The recipe was a One Pot Pasta recipe which looked very interesting. Of course, I do not remember the original recipe, but the "One Pot" thing was certainly something very different. Here is my take on  technique.  My son's was playing with his friends and all of them couldn't resist the aroma's in the kitchen and came upstairs all hungry and ready to gobble. They all asked for seconds which actually was a confirmation that they liked the pasta.

As for me, I loved how the recipe turned out and now I can never go back to making pasta the old style. The Quinoa noodles have a very nice texture, different from the regular whole wheat and suddenly Pasta has returned to my dinner table as a regular member :)

Enjoy!!!

Ingredients

Pasta - 2 cups (I used Penne)
Oil - 11/2 tbspn
Chopped Kale - 2 cups
Asparagus - 8-10 sprigs cut into 2 inch pieces
Sliced Onion - 1
Chopped Garlic - 2- 3 cloves
Diced Tomatoes - 1 - 2  cups
Grated Cheese - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 2 tspns
Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne Powder - 11/2 tspn
Table Cream - 2-3 tbspns (You can substitute this with milk if you prefer)
Dried Italian Herbs - 2 tspns
Sugar - 3 tspns
Salt to taste
Water - 1 -11/2 cup

Directions

Heat the oil in a pot big enough to hold the veges and pasta
Saute the onions in the oil
Next saute the Kale and cover and let the kale cook for a minute
Now add the asparagus - saute and cover for a minute to cook
Add the tomatoes and Garlic and cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes
Next add the Pasta, Cayenne Powder, Italian Herbs, Salt, Sugar and Salt
Mix thoroughly
Add the cream and about one to one and a half cup of water depending on how thick you like your sauce and also on how juicy are your tomatoes
Cover, reduce the heat to medium and let the pasta cook for 7-8 minutes
Check the pasta for Al dent`e
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top
Serve hot