Baked Asparagus Fries

My 2nd post for Earth Day... I am excited to write and publish this!

I went to Costco few days ago and bought a big bag of Asparagus and then I came across these baked Asparagus Fries pic on Pinterest. I knew immediately what I am going to do with my big bag of Asparagus. I didn't have breadcrumbs on me so I made it myself. But they turned out nice and crunchy! I didn't expect it to be so simple to make and so yummy to taste.

I served it with Spicy Sriracha Dip!

Ingredients: 
Asparagus Spears - 15-18
Bread Crumbs - 1 cup
Egg, beaten - 1
All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspns
Salt

Procedure: 
1. Preheat oven on 350 F
2. Mix salt and red chilli powder in breadcrumbs
3. Dip Asparagus spears in flour, then in egg wash and then in breadcrumbs. Repeat this process for all the spears and bake on a cookie sheet for 12-15mins

Variations: 
You can make this recipe with some variations like adding spices to the crumbs

Conclusion:
Crunchy Asparagus Fries dipped in Spicy Sriracha sauce tastes really great. This simple recipe goes with all kind of food.

Green Goddess Salad

I keep taking long breaks from updating my blog. This time I blame myself as I was too busy cooking and so did not find (or spare) time to update the blog. I feel really bad about it.

Anyways, now that I am back I have decided to post 3 entries which I experimented for the Earth Day! April 22nd is celebrated as Earth Day and it is very important for us to realize the value of Mother Earth. I recently read about why and how it started on this website. It's history is very interesting.

Lately, I have been on Pinterest a lot. I always thought it would be another social networking site (So dumb of me) but my friend introduced me to it and now I am ADDICTED! This recipe came from one of the Pins I found on Pinterest. The picture looked sooo pretty that I had to make it (and it tasted even better). I made major modifications to the recipe as I did not have a lot of things on hand but I used the similar idea.

Ingredients: 
Quinoa, cooked - 1 cup
Mint Coriander Chutney - 2 tbspns
Pistachio, coarsely chopped - 2 tbspns
Boiled/Cooked Peas - 2 tbspns
Asparagus, chopped - 2 tbspns
Olive Oil - 1 tbspn
Onion - Half cup
Avocado, cubed - 1/2
Salt

Procedure: 
1. Heat Oil in a pan and saute onions on medium flame
2. Once onions are browned, add mint coriander chutney and saute for 2mins. Then add all ingredients other than avocado and pistachio to it and mix well
3. Once cooled, add pistachios and avocado and mix well and serve

Variations: 
The original recipe had called for Basil Pesto instead of Mint Coriander Chutney and I am sure it would taste really yummy with that too.

Conclusion:
Enjoyed the salad a lot as it had variety of textures in it. This Green Goddess Salad was something I would make again and next time I will try when I have Basil Pesto on hand.

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 Paneer Naanizza / Indian Style Pizza

I usually try to make things out of what I have in the inventory and/or what is perishable. So I had half of store-bought Paneer Packet left and some Naans. I remembered the Butter Paneer Pizza I had in San Jose when I went for a very good friend's Birthday Party. We had surprised her by visiting her all the way from Los Angeles.
Her Fiancee had organized the Birthday Party for her and had ordered Butter Paneer Pizza. It was sooo good that it got over in a few minutes.
So I thought I would try to make something similar with the ingredients I had.

Ingredients (for 4 people):
Paneer, pea sized cubes - 2 cups
Green Bell Peppers, 2" sliced - 1
Onions, sliced - 1
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1tspn (Optional)
Tandoori masala - 2Tbspn
Chicken Curry Powder - 1Tbspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
Kasuri Methi - 1tspn (Optional)
Butter - 2Tbspn
Ketchup - 6-7 tbspn
Naan - 6
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded - 3 cups

Procedure: 

1. Pre-heat oven on 350 degrees.
2. Add Butter to pan and saute onions, bell peppers and ginger garlic paste for 2mins (Do not cook it). Then add Paneer and other ingredients and sautee for another 2mins. 
3. Spread ketchup on the Naan and distribute the mixture on the Naan evenly and sprinkle cheese on top
4. Now place the Naans in the oven for 8-12mins or till cheese has melted.

Variations: 
You can add chicken instead of Paneer. In that case, use cooked chicken breasts for best results.

Conclusion:

I was astonished with the results. They were yummy and were made in 20mins only.

Paneer Tikka Panini

Cafe Coffee Day was the all time hang out place for me and my friends. I loved the Tropical Iceberg there. I remember having this Paneer Tikka Panini there and OMG, it was very yummy. But I did not have enough motivation and a kitchen to try it out (I used to live in a hostel in Navi Mumbai where I had an electric hot plate to warm milk and make khichdi). I still remember the taste of that panini and I had everything handy, so I decided to try it out on a Tuesday morning (7am) for my lunch box.

Ingredients: 
For Stuffing
Paneer/Cottage Cheese, small cubes - 1 cup
Bell Peppers, 1" cubed - 1 cup
Onions, 1" cubed - 1 cup
Tandoori Masala - 2 Tbspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1tspn
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1/3 tspn
Coriander Powder - 1 tspn
Yogurt - 1 Tbspn
Salt

For Panini
Bread Slices - 4
Mint Chutney (optional)
Butter to spread on the bread
Cheese, grated - 1 cup (I used 4 cheese blend as it was handy)


Procedure: 
Mix all the ingredients for stuffing and keep aside. Now spread some mint chutney on the bread slices on one side and butter on the other. Heat a pan and add the stuffing mixture to it. Cook it for 5-8mins or till paneer is tender and onions and bell peppers are crisp. Evenly distribute this stuffing to the bread slices with butter side being out and mint chutney on the inside. Now sprinkle some cheese on the stuffing and grill the sandwich till the bread turns golden brown.
Serve this with some ketchup or mint chutney.

Serves - 1 person


Variations: 
Make it a kids favorite by using less masalas and adding more cheese to it. They would definitely love it!

Conclusion:
It tasted just like the Cafe Coffee Day's Paneer Tikka Panini. How I wish I could pay a visit to India to see my Family and friends and hang out at CCD :)

Mix vegetable Soup

Now a days I am eating more number of times in smaller portion only because I read in an article (and my mother always followed that rule) that eating in smaller portions is better that eating a lot at once. So I make one pot of soup for the whole week and refrigerate. I take a cup of soup everyday to work and reduce the portion of lunch. Also, reducing the quantity of carbs (Like roti, rice, bread) and increasing the portion of vegetables, poultry or seafood is advisable.
So here is an easy recipe for a mix vegetable soup in which you can add or substract the ingredients as per your taste. Always remember, playing a little bit with the ingredients is good for experimenting and knowing what you like more. So go ahead and experiment with this soup.


Ingredients: 
Vegetable Broth/Water - 3 cups
Spinach, chopped - 1/2 bunch
Squash, cubed - 2
Carrots, cubed - 2
Bell Peppers, cubed - 1
Green Chillies, slit - 2
Garlic, minced - 2 cloves
Black Beans - 1Can
Cooked Pasta - 1 cup (Optional)
Cooked Rice - 1/2 cup (Optional)
Oregano - 1 tspn
Ground Pepper - 1 tspn, or as per taste


Procedure: 

1. Add the broth in a pot and add spinach to it. Cook it for 10mins or so, then add everything other than pasta, rice and beans.
2. Let it cook with lid closed for 35-40 mins. Then add rice, pasta and beans and cook for another 5mins and the soup is ready.

Variations: 
This soup has been my favorite and I add whatever vegetables I have. I also add some cooked lentils, if I have them handy.


Conclusion:
The soup has been a Saviour as I serve this to my hubby whenever he comes home after work and then he doesn't demand for dinner immediately.

Aaloo Gobi Fry / Potato Cauliflower Stir Fry

My mother-in-law makes a lot of fried food like fish fry, pakode etc. One of her famous pakodas is Cauliflower pakoda. My husband loves it (or anything fried for that matter). So recently I made the pakodas and got this idea of making the sabzi using the pakodas.
Its potato sabzi with the gobi pakodas mixed in. I was amazed myself with the result and couldn't help but take 3 helpings of the sabzi.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower Pakodas
Potatoes, cubed - 2 medium sized
Onions, chopped - 1
Tomato, chopped - 1
Green Chillies, chopped - 2
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
Dhaniya/Coriander Powder - 1/2 tspn
Besan - 2 tbspn
Rava/Suji - 1 tbspn
Haldi/Turmeric - one pinchful
Hing/asafoetida - 1/4 tspn
Rai/Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn
Kadipatta/Curry Leaves - 5-6 leaves
Salt
Oil

Procedure: 

1. Follow the instructions for Gobi or Cauliflower Pakoda.
2. In the meantime, heat some oil and add hing, rai and jeera to it and wait till they crackle. 
3. Then add kadipatta, green chillies, potatoes and onions.
4. When onions become translucent, add tomotoes and cook till potatoes and tomatoes are cooked.
5. Then add 1 tspn Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 tspn Dhaniya Powder and 1/2 tspn Garam Masala it and cook for 2 mins.
6. Now add the fried cauliflowers to it and mix well and turn off the heat.

Variations: 
If you fall in the weightwatcher's category and you want to make it low calorie food, then instead of frying the cauliflower, you can either bake it in oven (350F) for 20mins and then follow the rest of the procedure.
You can shallow fry or sautee the cauliflower as well.

Conclusion:

I had made this sabzi for 3+ people and me and my husband finished it in one go. We both overate :).

Rajma Do Pyaza

As a student in US of A, my husband always made Rajma. I would rather say all the students make Rajma as the canned kidney beans are easily available in any grocery store. One need not visit the Indian grocery store and go through the pain of soaking it overnight and then pressure cooking it.
Whenever I feel want my husband to cook, I ask him to make Pasta or Rajma (These two things are tried and tested on his 6 other room mates, so it's safe!) He makes it really simple and easy and we eat it with rice. Today I was at home and wanted to try some new style Rajma and so I did some research online and mixed and matched all the ingredients I liked from every recipe and added my own ingredients too.

Ingredients: 
Red Kidney Beans/Rajma - 2 cups
Onions (Sliced) - 1 large
Green Chillies (Chopped/slit) - 3
Tomato (Finely Chopped) - 1
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbspn
Coriander/Dhaniya Powder - 1tbspn
Cumin/jeera Powder - 1tspn
Cumin Seeds/jeera - 1/2 tspn
Kasuri Methi - 1tbspn
Garam Masala - 1tbspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbspn
Yogurt - 2 tbspn
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tbspn


Method of Preparation:

1. Soak the Kidney beans / Rajma overnight and pressure cook it with 3-4 cups of water and take one whistle. I used 1 can of chilli beans instead.
2. Heat the oil and put cumin seeds, then add onions to it and saute till they become brown/semi-translucent.
3. Now add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and saute it some more. 
4. When the onions become brown in color, then add tomatoes to it and cook it for 2 minutes.
5. Now add red chilli powder, cummin powder, coriander powder and kasuri methi to it and cook for 2-4 minutes.
6. Now add the beans, salt, yogurt and 1 and 1/2 cups of water and mix well and cook for 8-10 minutes on med heat.
7. Garnish with Cilantro and serve with rice or parathas.

 Variations: 
Add some lime juice and chaat masala for a tangy tingling taste.

 Conclusion:
The Rajma turned out really yummy. My husband rewarded me with some yummy pastry. Please try the recipe and provide feedback.

Spicy Baingan Bharta

As a child, I never liked the look of Baingan Bharta as it looked like fish to me (that was my idea of fish as I was a vegetarian). Once I tried it at my Aunt's place and loved it. It was a different kind of preparation in which we used to put shengdana chutney, goda masala, salt, chopped onions and cilantro. This tastes yummy too! But over a period of time, I learnt some variations and now I am stuck to this one.

 Ingredients:
Large Eggplants - 2
Finely Chopped Onion - 1
Finely Chopped Tomato - 1
Finely Shopped Green Chillies - 2
Garlic Paste - 1 tspn
Mustard seeds - 1tspn
Curry Leaves - 6-7
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tspn
Garam Masala - 2 tspn
Kasuri Methi - 1 Tbspn
Salt
Oil
Cilantro to garnish

Method of Preparation:

1. Broil the eggplants for 40 minutes or till the cover of eggplants become crispy. 
2. Remove the cover of the Eggplant and save the pulp.
3. Heat some oil in a wok and put the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
4. Now put the chopped onions, green chillies and garlic paste and saute it till onions become brown.
5. Now add the tomatoes and cook it for 3-4 min.
6. Now add chilli powder and garam masala and the Eggplant and mix well.
7. Add the kasuri methi and cook for 5 minutes with lid closed.
8. Spicy Baingan Bharta is ready to relish!

Variations: If you do not have green chillies, add one more teaspoon of red chilli powder. Also, you can add some lemon juice for some tangy taste!

Conclusion:
My husband's boss loved the taste of it and asked for the recipe. I think I will forward my blog link to him.

Bharwa Bhindi (Stuffed Oakra/Bhindi Masala)

We were being hosts for the December(2010) last weekend which was a vacation for me and my husband. So we had a few friends and family visiting us from all over US. Our friends (Deepak & Aditi) who studied with us at USC (University of Southern California) live in San Jose and often read my Facebook posts on cooking. So I decided to cook some Chicken curry and Shrimp Biryani for them. My only problem was that Aditi was Vegetarian! I looked in my refrigerator and found Bhindi/Oakra and immediately thought of Bharwa Bhindi.

Ingredients:
Bhindi /Oakra (Washed & Dried) - 1LB
Onion - 1 medium sized
Coriander Powder - 2 TBspn
Cumin Powder - 2 tspn
Sambhar Powder - 2 tspn
Amchur Powder - 1/2 tspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tspn
Salt - 2/3 tspn
Oil - 2 TBspn

Method of Preparation:

• Slit the Bhindi/Oakra lengthwise and keep it aside.

• Now mix all the powders together.
• Fill the Bhindi/Oakra with the mixture.

• Now cut the onion into half and now make vertical slices.
• Put 1 Tbspn oil in a pan and saute the onions till slightly translucent

• Now add the Bhindi/Oakra to the pan and saute them on High Flame. Add the remaining oil after 2 mins and then lower the heat to Medium.
• Occasional stirring is required so that it doesn't burn but do not stir it too much else the masala will fall out.

• Quick and easy Bharwa Bhindi/Stuffed Oakra will be ready in 10 minutes.
• Now take a picture of the end result and sit back and enjoy it!!

Variation:

You can use Lime juice instead of amchur powder. Also, if you have curry leaves chutney or powder, you can add that to the powder mixture.

Conclusion:

My friends really loved it and also asked how I made it. My husband loves this kind of Bhindi/Oakra over other styles. The sambhar powder does the magic!!