Takku/Raw Mango Pickle

I went to Indian store recently and found raw mango in the veggies section. I bought just one thinking of making onion chutney out of it but then I ended up making 'Takku' - Marathi word . My Maternal Grandma used to make Takku during summer on a large scale as she had to send to all her daughters (3) and daughter-in-laws (6) and other close relatives. I still remember the taste of her takku and this recipe came close to what she used to make.

Let's hope you all try and like it too!

Ingredients: 
Raw Mango, grated - 1 (grate with peel on)
Red Chilli Powder - 3 tspn (depending on how hot the chilli powder is)
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn
Salt
Sugar - 1/2 tspn

Tampering
Oil - 2 tspn
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Garlic - 1/2 tspn


Procedure: 
Mix all ingredients given above other than the one for tempering. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let it crackle. Then add garlic and fry till it is golden brown in color.

Add the tempering to the mixture of raw mango and spices and mix it well and adjust salt/sugar as per your taste.

Variations: 
You can use any other vegetable like carrot, amla, etc. instead of raw mango but trust me raw mango tastes the best.

Conclusion:
Relish the yummiest takku you just made with curd rice or roti sabzi!

Butter Chicken/Murgh Makhani

I have been away from my blog for more than 3 months and here I am back to blogging again. I tried to find some time from the Diwali Celebrations, shopping for India, packing - unpacking from the visit to India and 3 not-so-long weeks in India and finally managed to write a post today!
So the visit to India was just 3 weeks long and I was going to my home country after 2 years. I really missed my family and friends in those 2 years and most of all, I missed my 2 year old nephew - Arnav! He is the cutest thing on earth and I had a grrrrreat time with him. I felt like I was back in my childhood where I played all day and there were no worries in life. Although Arnav has a big worry - his Dad's car. He loves cars and is very possessive about his Dad's car. His possession goes to the extent that he sleeps with the car keys in hand so that no one else can take it. I can go on and on about him. I love him and miss him a lot!

Anyways, I had butter chicken a couple of times in India and I desperately wanted to make it. I tried making butter chicken before but it never turned like the usual butter chicken because I didn't have fresh cream on hand or I had the cluster tomatoes which are a little sour in taste. This time I made sure I bought all the ingredients to make butter chicken and guess what, it was a success!!


Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts, cut into pieces - 3
Onions paste/finely chopped - 1 medium
Tomatoes, pureed - 4 medium
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
Fresh Cream/Whip cream - 1/2 cup
Ginger - Garlic Paste - 1+1/2 Tbspn
Cashew nut Paste/Powder - 2 tbspn
Butter - 1.5 Tbspn

Garam Masala:
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 2-3
Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch
Coriander Seeds - 1 Tbspn
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Methi Seeds - 1/4 tspn

Procedure:

1. Marinate chicken with 1/2 Tbspn ginger-garlic paste and keep aside.
2. Roast the items listed under garam masala and grind it and keep it aside.
3. Sautee onion paste and remaining ginger-garlic paste in the butter till the paste becomes golden. Add tomato puree to it and cook it till oil starts to separate and it turns a little darker and thicker. Now add the garam masala  (I made it fresh but you can use ready made), red chilli powder and cashew nut powder and cook for another 5 mins.
4. Now add the chicken and keep the gas on medium till the chicken is cooked. 
5. Once the chicken is cooked, add fresh cream to it and mix well. Serve with Naan or Jeera rice.

Variations: 
You can use half & half if you don't have fresh cream at home. Also, you can use yogurt to marinate the chicken and while cooking to make it tender.

Conclusion:
The third attempt at Butter Chicken turned really good. Fresh cream makes a difference for sure!

Cajun Style Grilled Salmon/Blackened Salmon with Seasoned Grilled Vegetables

I love it when the grocery store near my house has some discounts/sale going on on herbs and spices. On one of such occasions, I bought Cajun Spice to try out Cajun Shrimp.
Now a days Husband dearest has become 'Carb Conscious' and so wants to eat less of Carbs and more of the proteins. Salmon has zero carbs and higher levels of Omega-3 fats (considered as good fat). So we eat a lot of seafood or meat with less carbs and starch & nuts like walnut, almond, hazelnut etc.

Ingredients: 
Salmon - 4 fillets


For Marinade
Cajun Spice - 3Tbspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
Garlic, minced - 3 cloves
Olive Oil - 1 Tbspn
Water - 2Tbspn
Salt

Grilled Vegetable with Stir Fry Sauce
Broccoli florets - 2 cups
Bell Peppers, 1" cubes - 2 cups
Mushroom - 1cup
Garlic, minced - 1tspn
Ginger, finely chopped - 1tspn
Ketchup - 1Tbspn
Marsala Wine (Optional) - 2Tbspn
Soy - 1Tbspn
Red Chilli Flakes - 2Tbspn
Salt & Pepper

Procedure: 
Mix all the ingredients for marinade and coat the salmon fillet with it and keep aside. Now mix all the ingredients for Vegetable stir fry and put it on the grill. Once they are grilled, put the salmon fillets on the grill and grill for 8-10 mins on each side or till the salmon is cooked.
Serve the salmon with the grilled vegetables stir fry and / or rice.


Variations: 
This dish can be varied as per the taste else it is just too good! Try the Shrimp Jambalaya with it, if you think this is not enough!


Conclusion:
Low Carb diet was devoured in minutes.

Serves: 2 - 3
Total Time - 30 mins

Spicy Chicken Satay

LA has plenty of Asians and Asian restaurants. I love Thai food (who doesn't, duh!?) and I love cooking so I thought I will try making some Thai curry/Fried Rice/Chicken Satay. Yessss... Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Thai Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice, it is!

Ingredients: 
Chicken thigh pieces (Bonelesss) - 1.5LB
Yogurt - 1tspn
Ginger root - 1 inch
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Curry Powder - 1.5tspn
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tspn
Lemon Grass - 1 stalk
Fish Sauce - 1tspn
Garlic - 2 cloves
Chilli Pwder - 1 tspn
Soy Sauce - 1tspn
Salt to taste
Bamboo Skewers - 8-10


Procedure: 
Grind all the ingredients (other than chicken and bamboo skewers) together and marinate the chicken for atleast 2 hours. Now soak the skewers in water for 1 hour so that they don't burn.
Now thread the marinated chicken pieces on the skewers and grill it for 4-7 minutes each side. Use some oil to baste it.
Serve it with Spicy Peanut Sauce.


Variations: 
You can add coconut milk instead of the yogurt.


Conclusion:
Yummy chicken satay - just like the ones you get at Thai restaurants.

Shrimp Stir Fry

Every time I make shrimp I remember 'Bubba' from Forrest Gump. His love towards shrimp and how he spoke about them all the time. I remember that Bubba suggests the shrimping business and Forrest pursues the idea after Bubba's death.
The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company started as an idea between Bubba and Forrest during their war duty in Vietnam. There Bubba proposes the idea of starting a shrimping business and Forrest agress and promises to be his partner after the service is over. But Bubba dies in the war and Forrest is left alone to go into that business. Forrest then goes to plays in the All America Ping Pong team and after his tour, he earns $25,000 enough to buy a boat. He buys a boat and names it 'Jenny'. This is how he starts the shrimping business and Lt. Dan Taylor joins him as his mate on the boat.
It is a pretty nice movie and Tom Hanks has acted really well and so has 'Bubba.' I think pretty soon, I will be called 'Bubba.'

Ingredients: 
Uncooked Shrimp, deveined - 1 LB
Soy Sauce - 2 tbspn
Tomato Ketchup - 4 tbspn
Water- 5tbspn
Red Chilli Flakes - 1 tspn
Ginger Paste - 1/2 tspn
Garlic, Minced - 2 + 4 cloves
Honey - 2 tspn
Cornstarch - 2 tspn
Green Onions - 1/4 + 1/4 cup
Bell Peppers - 1 cup
Brocolli - 1 cup
Mushroom - 1/4 cup
Oil

Procedure: 

1. Mix all the sauces, water, honey, red chilli flakes, 2 garlic cloves, cornstarch and ginger paste and keep it aside.
2. Now heat a skillet on med-high heat and put a tbspn oil on it. Then add garlic and all the vegetables and green onions to it and cook it for 2 mins. Then add the sauce to it and cook for 3-4 mins or till the sauce begins to boil.
3. Now add the shrimp and cook till the shrimp is cooked.

Variations: 
You can make it vegetarian by substituting shrimp with Tofu or Paneer/Cottage Cheese.

Conclusion:
The 'Always-Available-At-Home' ingredients makes it unbelievably awesome stir fry.

Daal Palak / Gargatta / Spinach with Lentils

Solapur falls on the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra, although it is a part of Maharashtra. The Andhra Pradesh border is not too far either, so we have Marathi, kannada and Telugu speaking people. The favorite food here is Jowar Bhakri, Gargatta (Daal Palak), Bharli Vangi and Shenga Chutney. Every 'Lingayat' wedding will have this on their menu.

My mother is very famous for her gargatta. All the lingayat and non-lingayat people crave for it and so do I. When I went to India after a year, I had a list of food items I wanted to eat and Gargatta/Daal Palak was second on the list, first being Puran Poli. I try and make close to what she makes, but I lack the motherly love which makes it taste fantastically awesome! Love you, Mom!

Ingredients:

Palak/Spinach, Cleaned and Chopped – 1 bunch/packet

Toor Daal – ½ cup

Masoor Daal – ¼ cup (If not available, substitute with toor or moong daal)

Onions, sliced - 1

Peanuts – 1 fistful (Optional but recommended)

Goda Masala – 2 tbspn (Levelled)

Red Chilli Powder – 1 tspn

Tamarind – 2” piece (Soaked in water for an hour)

Jaggery – 1 tbspn

Jeera/Cumin Seeds – ½ tspn

Garlic – 4-5 pods

Procedure: 

1. In a pressure cooker, boil daal, palak, peanuts and onions together . Take 2-3 whistles.
2. After the steam is gone, open the cooker and add goda masala, red chilli powder, pulp of tamarind, jaggery, garlic and jeera and boil it for another 5 minutes or till it is thick enough. Make sure it is a little thick in consistency.
3. Isn’t it super easy?!?

Variations:
You can add variety of lentils to it and it still tastes awesome!

Conclusion:
Every time I make Daal-Palak, I miss India and home!

Gujrati Kadhi/Yogurt Soup

Kadhi for my American friends is 'Yogurt Soup.' I was laughing out loud when I heard this from a friend. But that, logically, made sense.
I always liked sweet and spicy food. My mother, on the other hand, loves hot n' spicy food. So she never made the Gujarati version of Kadhi. Once I decided to make kadhi as my mom makes. By mistake I used the sweet yogurt and the kadhi turned out to be a sweet n' spicy kadhi. The taste of it was so good, that I kind of stuck to that recipe! I actually drank that kadhi as soup - aptly called as 'Yogurt Soup.'


Ingredients: 
Plain Yogurt - 2 cups
Besan / Gram Flour - 2 tbspn
Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped/paste
Ginger - 1.5 tspn
Turmeric/Haldi
Water 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1tbspn
Salt

For Tadka:
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Rai/Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Kadipatta / Curry Leaves - 5-6 leaves
Hing/Asafoetida - 1/4 tspn
Bedgi Mirchi/Red Chilli - 3-4
Oil/Ghee - 1 tbspn
Cilantro - 1 tbspn

Method of Preparation: 

1. Mix Yogurt and water in a heavy-bottomed vessel. Then add the besan to it and beat well to blend it together. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture.
2. On medium flame, heat the mixture for a minute or so.
3. Now add turmeric/haldi, green chilli paste and ginger paste to the mixture.
4. Let the mixture be on medium flame till it starts boiling. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes more so that there is no raw taste of besan.
5. Add salt and sugar to the kadhi and boil for another minute then turn off the heat.
6. In a wok, heat some oil and then add hing, mustard and cumin seeds till they crackle. Then add kadipatta and then red chillies and add this to the kadhi and close it with a lid.
7. Serve it with rice and some spicy vegetable or just drink it as 'Yogurt Soup.'

Variations: 
You can vary the amount of sugar as per taste. Also, you can add laung/Cloves for some more spicy taste. It is really good for cold and cough.

Conclusion:
Perfect sweet n' spicy kadhi for a cold foggy night!