Avocado Salad

Living in california has its advantages and one of them is access to plenty of avocados. I first saw them here in california, but my friend says its available in Bangalore and are called ButterFruits. I try to include avocados in my diet for their obvious health benefits and I have one avocado almost everyday :)
This recipe is inspired form the avocado salad I tried at a local sandwich place. Its a refreshing start to a warm summer day :)


Ingredients:

1. 2 Hass Avocados, stoned and cut lengthwise(refer pic)
2. 1/4th of a small onion finely chopped
3. 1 small tomato finely chopped
4. 2 tbs Olive oil
4. 1 tbs lemon Juice
Salt+Pepper as per taste

Method:
Toss all the above ingredients together and serve.

Cauliflower Potato curry

Growing up I detested cauliflower, I would spend hours staring at my plate wondering how could mom force on me something so unpalatable. At one point I started believing cauliflower florets were miniature trees(I think I have to thank mom for that) I suddenly didn't dislike them so much, munching each of the florets, believing that I had a whole tree going down my throat. I guess it made my mom's life easier.
If you have a fussy kid and the "tree trick" dosent work anymore then maybe give Gobi Manchurian a try, there cant be a kid who will say no to such pure goodness ;)
Anyway, eventually the taste did grow on me and now cauliflower is a staple in my kitchen. This curry recipe I am sharing is a traditional Konkani dish that I picked up from my mom.

Ingredients:

1. medium cauliflower cut into florets, washed and drained.
2. 2 potatoes diced, about 1/4th inch cubes or bite sized

Masala:
3. 1 cup shredded coconut
4. 2 tbs of slightly roasted coriander seeds
5. 1 tsp turmeric
6. 5 dry roasted red chillies or as per taste
7. Tamrind paste 1/4 tsp or adjust as per taste

Method:
1. Cook Cauliflower, potato in a deep pan
2. Meanwhile grind all the ingredients under the masala section to a fine paste, adding water as needed when the ingredients get too dry and are difficult to grind
3. When the veggies are cooked halfway add the above masala and salt as per taste
4. Let it cook through until the veggies are completely cooked

Seasoning:
This section is optional but it gives a very nice aroma to the whole dish.
1. Heat a tbp of oil in a small pan
2. Add 1tsp mustard seeds and once they start sputtering add a sprig of curry leaves.
3. Turn off the heat and add a pinch of hing.

Serve with rice or chapati.

Gulab Jamun

As a little girl I visited my aunt in the summer breaks. I would look forward to those trips, it would be a good long break from school and my cousins were such fun. My summers would begin in full anticipation of the gifts and treats I would get as my birthday falls in the summer. There would be cake, candies and ice-creams but I particularly looked forward to Gulab Jamuns my aunt made. They were soft, sweet and would melt the moment it hit the palette. My nostalgia for those beautiful summers can only be satiated with this yummy treat.

Now to the preparation part, unlike my other recipes I wont be giving any instructions. I had a store bought pack of "Gits Gulab Jamun Mix" it came with instructions and is fairly easy to make, it took me about 20 minutes. Alternately you could visit a Indian grocery store where they carry them in round tin boxes or the next time you dine at an Indian restaurant don't forget to order these from the menu.

Plantain fritters

Plantain fritters are a favorite at home so I make it once almost every week. Plantains are very rich in iron and vitamin A and these fritters are not deep fried which makes it a healthy side dish or snack. You can find these in almost any of the grocery chains, pick once which are a bright green and firm if they are yellow the fritters will end up mushy and tasting slightly sweet.

Ingredients:

1. 1 Green plantain, washed, peeled and cut in 1/4th inch thick slices(refer to the pic for a rough idea)
2. 1 tsp Chili powder
3. Hing 2 pinches
4. 1 tsp Salt
5. 1/4 cup Bread crumbs or Sooji
6. Oil 2 tsp
7. Water 2 tbs


Method:

1. Mix all the above ingredients except bread crumbs, oil and water
2. Set aside for 15 minutes
3. Heat a griddle or pan on medium heat, spread a tsp of oil to avoid sticking on the pan
4. Roll each of the plantain pieces in bread crumbs and place them in the hot griddle
5. Sprinkle 2 tbs of water on the pan and put on the lid
6. After about 5 mins flip the plantain pieces to grill the other side(make sure the first side you are grilling has turned golden brown before flipping)
7. Grill the other side until golden brown, turn off the heat.

Serve with Tomato Ketchup, Mustard or any kind of chutney you like. Enjoy :)

CholeTikki

If it looks appetizing, I hear you! Its exceptionally delicious and very simple to make. I had a phobia for making chaat, each attempt up till this one had been a disaster :( However, when I checked out this recipe in a recipe book(I cant recollect the name now) I thought I must give it a try. Pushing my phobia aside I ventured and the end result? It was to die for, seriously! I am totally enamored :)

Ingredients:

For making Tikkis:

1. 2-3 large potatoes (boiled and mashed)
2. 3 finely chopped green chillies(or as per taste)
3. 2 tps Cumin-Coriander powder
4. Pinch of Hing (optional)
5. 2 Bread slices soaked in warm water
6. 2-3 sprigs of cilantro finely chopped
7. 1 tsp lemon juice or alternately amchur powder(dry mango powder)
8. Salt as per taste

For making Chole(chickpeas):

1. 1 can of chole or if you like to make your own: soak whole dry chole overnight->drain->pressure cook
2. 1 Tomato chopped
3. 2-3 Green Chilies finely chopped
4. 2 tbsp Besan(chickpeas flour) dissolved in water(stir well to avoid lumps)
5. 1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder
6. 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
7. 2 tbsp oil
8. pinch of turmeric
9. 2-3 sprigs of Cilantro and mint chopped (optional)
10. 2 tbs Oil
11. Salt as per taste

Method:

For Chole

1. Heat oil in a pan
2. Add cumin-coriander powder, green chillies, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste and saute for 1 min
3. Add tomatoes,stir and saute until the tomatoes cook
4. Add Chole and salt. Mix well
5. Pour Besan liquid cover the lid and let it cook until Chole is soft and slightly mushy.

For Tikkis:

1. Mix all the ingredients for potato patties in a bowl
2. Make round balls(ping pong ball sized) and flatten them in your palm in the shape of a patties
3. Heat a griddle or pan on medium heat, spray some oil to avoid sticking and then place the patties on the pan one by one.
4. Let the patties grill until golder brown and then flip over to grill the other side.

Once done serve Tikkis with the chole. It tastes amazing!

Gobi Manchurian

Each time I opened my refrigerator this week there was a lone fella screaming for attention, this cauliflower head had been sitting bored in the refrigerator for a week now. After much deliberation I settled for Gobi Manchurian.

Indian dhabas(street side vendors) usually carry these, they are a bright red and look so appetizing, crunchy at the top and as you sink in deeper you have a sudden explosion of all tastes heaven! Definitely a must try.

1. 1 cup all purpose flour(or Maida)
2. 2 tbs Corn flour
3. 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
4. 2 tsp Red Chilli powder(adjust depending on how much heat you can take)
5. 2 tsp Salt (adjust as per taste)
6. Water

For seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds
2. 5 Garlic cloves finely chopped
3. 1 medium Onion chopped thinly lengthwise
4. 1 medium Bell Pepper chopped thinly lengthwise
5. 4 tbs Soy Sauce

For garnishing:

1. 2-3 sprigs of cilantro chopped finely
2. 2 spring onions chopped finely
3. 2 tsp lemon juice.

Preparation:

1. Add a pinch of salt to 3 cups of water and bring to a boil
2. Add cauliflower florets and let boil for a minute
3. Turn off the heat and let the florets rest in the hot water with lid closed for 5 mins
4. Drain the florets and set aside.
5. Mix all the ingredients mentioned under the Batter section, except for the water
6. Slowly start adding water to the mixture until you get a thick consistency.(The batter should be thick enough to stick to the florets when dipped in the batter)
7. Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. When its warm enough(hold your hand above the pan, if you can feel the heat its hot enough.)Note: take care not to over heat the pan, if you see vapors from the oil it means the oil is over heated.
8. Start dipping the florets in batter and fry until they turn golden brown. Set aside the florets
9. Take a pan with 1 tbs oil, add mustard seeds
10. Once they start spluttering add onions and saute
    
11. Add chopped garlic and bell pepper and a little salt(as per taste)
12. Stir occasionally and cook until the bell pepper is done
13. Add the fried florets and soy sauce, stir well and turn off the heat after 2 -3 mins

Garnish and serve!

My first day here and cheers to a (hopefully) long journey

I love cooking. Let me say that again, I LOVE COOKING. I read cookbooks and blogs, watch food network, discuss traditional Konkani recipes with my mom, dissect the dish in front of me when we dine out, ask people to guess what the ingredients are when I have them over for lunch.. Things I do may sound lame but let me tell you I enjoy it every bit.

I usually end tweaking recipes. You ask Why? Hmm..let me say, because I just cant resist the temptation of adding something that the recipe never called for.

When i am cooking I have people looking over my shoulders with wrinkly noses, knitted eyebrows, constipated looks :-p but that doesn’t deter my unconditional resolve to try out something different. They are not always a success but it leaves me amused and then the remote possibility that I might end up on “Food network”

However when my attempt in the kitchen is a success, it makes it here.