Category: Recipes

Pumpkin shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa

Post author By Anagha
Post date November 12, 2014
2 Comments on Pumpkin shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa

It all started when I made Harissa, fresh red chilies from the market called for it. Along with using the Harissa as a condiment, I was looking for different ways to use Harissa in the cooking. So when I saw nice pumpkin in the market, I decide to make a dish that uses both the pumpkin and the Harissa. So here I present Pumpkin shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa.

I had seen a recipe for a pumpkin curry and my recipe is inspired by that. The squash/pumpkin makes the dish very creamy without adding a lot of fat. The spice from Harissa, sweetness from squash/pumpkin, tang from the lime juice…it is a perfect balance of all flavors.

Sorry I did not take a lot of pictures when I made it for dinner, but I will try to write all the steps in detail so it will be easy to follow.

Pumpkin Shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa

Ingredients

1lb shrimps cleaned

1/2 onion chopped fine

1 roma tomato chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic chopped fine

1/2 inch ginger chopped fine

1 squash/pumpkin

1/2 tsp curry powder ( I make my own at home)

1/2 tsp Harissa Paste

2 cups of chicken broth( you can also use veg broth or plain water)

1/2 can of coconut milk

Chopped cilantro

lime zest

1 tsp lime juice

Fried onions ( I usually make a large batch and keep in the fridge since I use it in many dishes)

Method

Clean the butternut squash. Chop 1/2 of the squash/pumpkin in small cubes. Arrange them on a baking sheet, drizzle some oil and salt and bake in a 350F oven for 10 mins.

Take the rest of the squash/pumpkin and cook it in the pressure cooker till soft. Once cooled make puree in the blender.

Take shrimps and marinate with a bit of salt, lime juice and harissa paste, keep aside for 10-15 mins.

In a wok, heat oil.

Add onions and ginger and saute on a low-medium heat. You dont want them to burn.

Add tomato and garlic and saute a little longer. Once the tomatoes are soft, add the pumpkin puree and saute for 10 mins till the pumpkin is brown.

Add curry powder and saute for 30 secs. Now add the stock, coconut milk and simmer on low for 15-20 mins.

Add the roasted squash/pumpkin, shrimps and continue heating till the roasted squash/pumpkin is heated through.

Add lime juice. Taste for salt and add if needed.

Garnish with lime zest, cilantro and fried onions and serve with cooked brown rice.

Note:

I think this can be easily made without shrimps. You can substitute tofu or add more squash/pumpkin to make a vegetarian version of this dish.

Tags asian, butternut squash, curry, harissa, pumpkin, shrimps

Indian Maharashtrian Pickles & Chutneys Snack

Garlic chutney

Whenever you eat Vada Pav, this chutney is absolutely essential. It is very simple recipe made with a few ingredients but adds a necessary kick to the Vada Pav. It is almost like a dry rub in the texture and needs to be consumed pretty quickly since it has raw uncooked garlic.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry coconut, slightly roasted
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp kashmiri red chili powder

1 tbsp deghi mirch powder

1 tsp Kanda lasoon masala( I sometimes use Kolhapuri masala)

Method:

Chop the garlic in the food processor. Add all the rest of the ingredients together while pulsing the food processor. A lot of people do not add peanuts and make it just with coconut, I feel like the taste of peanuts. Also, Kanda lasoon masala is a very typical Maharashtrian spice mix, the Kolhapuri masala I make come close so sometimes I use that.

Also, it is the Kashmiri red chili powder that gives it that tempting red color, so I mix Deghi for spice and Kashmiri for color.

Enjoy with Vada Pav!

Tags chutney, indian burger, street food, vada pav

Appetizer Chicken Egyptian Healthy foods

Dukkah crusted chicken in coconut oil

Post author By Anagha
Post date October 17, 2014
No Comments on Dukkah crusted chicken in coconut oil

I made Dukkha just because I just loved eating it mixed in olive oil and eaten with a crusty bread but since I made it I have been sort of obsessed with its flavors. So when I needed to make some protein for a dinner to go with my porcini mushroom soup with truffle oil, I decided to use this spice blend.

Today’s recipe is an easy one that you can put together in 10 mins if you have the Dukhah ready.

Dukkah crusted Chicken with coconut oil

Ingredients:

2 Boneless skinless organic chicken breast cut in strips

1/2 tsp All Spice powder

1 tsp Smoked paprika

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste

2 small cloves of garlic crushed

8 tbsp of Dukkah blend

Method:

Mix the garlic, salt, paprika, oil and all spice in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Let it sit for 5 mins.

Take the dukkah in a shallow bowl. Take the chicken pieces one at a time and make sure they are coated well with the mixture. Press down a bit to ensure that the mixture sticks to the chicken pieces.

Take a pan and add some coconut oil.

Cook the chicken pieces on low flame until done on both sides.

Serve with a salad or a bowl of hot soup.

Tags chicken, Dukkah, Duqqa, Egyptian, spice mix

Condiments Egyptian Vegan Vegetarian

Dukkah- an egyptian spice blend

Post author By Anagha
Post date October 17, 2014
2 Comments on Dukkah- an egyptian spice blend

There are many things I love about California and particularly San Francisco. The weather, the people, abundance of opportunities, various cultures and the list can go on…but
the best thing I like is the amazing varieties of foods I get to eat and make. Visits to the farmers market, local ethnic grocery stores or eating at the food trucks..all present a great treat to not only my taste buds but also give me an opportunity to learn about people. Last week when I went to the farmer’s market, I chatted with a gentle man who runs an organic farm. He has so many beautiful varieties of beans amongst other interesting produce. We started talking and fifteen minutes later I walked away with a box of gooseberries in exchange of a gooseberry pickle recipe.

One more such visit is when I first tasted Dukkah ( can also be spelt as Duqqa), mixed with an earthy local olive oil..I just fell in love with it. I bought a small packet and it was consumed in the next couple of days. I just loved how quickly it added a fancy touch to a humble olive oil. Since I could not have enough of it, I decided to make my own 🙂

As I researched I realized that there are probably thousands of various dukkah recipes out there. Just like each mexican household as a unique recipe of the enchilada sauce or each Indian household makes a certain variation of ‘Garam Masala’, there are various combinations of spices used for making Dukkah. There are some common elements like sesame seeds, corriander seeds, cumin seeds and soem type of nut ( liek hazlenut or pistachio) across all Dukkah recipes.

Dukkah comes from an arabic word for ‘To pound’, and true to its name it is made using traditionally using mortar and pestle. Since I love making things the traditional way, I decided to make it with mortar & pestle.

I love collecting such ethnic gadgets, I fear that one day these will disappear. Here is one such collection of mortar and pestles.

I use each one of them for a different purpose. I have three that are made up of stone but my favorite is the tiny white one which I use for grinding saffron and the brass one which I use every morning to pound the fresh ginger to add to my Chai. By the way, I am crazy about my cupaa chai in the morning. I function well only after I have had a cup.

Dukkah

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Pistachio( sometime I do half hazelnut had pistachio)
1/4 cup coriander seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt

Method

Dry roast and chop the nuts roughly. Do not make a powder but more like a fine chop.
Lightly roast the sesame seeds.

Dry roast coriander,cumin & caraway seeds.
Grind them in the mortar & pestle.
Mix in the salt, sesame seeds and nuts and crushed dried mint.

Tags Dukkah, Egyptian, nuts, seasoning

Cakes dessert Fusion Fusion

Chai spiced cake with lemon grass -ginger tea glaze

Post author By Anagha
Post date October 16, 2014
No Comments on Chai spiced cake with lemon grass -ginger tea glaze

I love Chai..that actually is an understatement. I can not live without Chai. When I say Chai, I am referring to the typical Indian Chai you get in India, flavored with either cardamon, ginger, lemon grass, sweetened with sugar and of course with milk. So when I had to bring something to work for a Diwali potluck, I thought of sharing my love for Chai with my colleagues.

If you have had a chance to look at my recipes you would notice that I love to combine flavors. I love taking flavors from a cuisine and combining it with a technique that is from a different cuisine. Todays recipe is one such example.

Here I have combined the Chai masala flavors alogn with Lemongrass ginger tea glaze with the classic cake. The cake is similar to a pound cake, but I have added some yogurt to add some tang.

Chai Masala Cake

Ingredients:

For Filling/Topping:

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 ½ tsp flour
1/3 c chopped walnuts
2 tsp Chai (tea) Masala

I make my own Chai masala with all the spices ( recipe below)

For the Batter:

1 ¼ c flour
1/8 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

6 Tbsp butter, room temperature

½ c sugar

2 large eggs

¾ c thick yogurt

½ tsp vanilla

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 °F.

Butter the sides and bottom of a loaf pan and lightly dust with flour and remove excess.

To make the topping/filling: place butter, brown sugar, flour, walnuts and Chai Masala in a small bowl. Use a fork to mix till it is crumbly and set aside for later.

Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt).

Cream the butter and sugar together on low speed with a hand blender.

Add the yogurt and mix it for 10 seconds. Once creamed, break in the eggs into the batter and incorporate well. Add in the vanilla and mix.

Add in the sifted dry ingredients and the yogurt alternately in the batter. Beat till it is all done and incorporated well into a smooth batter.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan; tap to level it.

Sprinkle filling mixture on the batter.

finish with the remaining batter (tap again to re-level).

Bake for 40-45 min at 350 F. Insert a toothpick to make sure it is baked.

Let cake stand for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan; pour over the glaze.

It is totally optional if you want to make the glaze or not, I like it since it brings in the typical elements of Indian Chai

Glaze:

Ingredients:

2 tsp black tea leaves( you can use tea bags if you prefer)

1/2 cup chopped lemon grass

1/4 inch ginger

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup water

Chop the lemon grass and ginger in fine pieces. Add them to the water and boil on low flame till you are left with 1/2 cup water ( may be a little more).

Strain & add tea leaves, let it seep till you have a nice tea flavor. It may not look pretty but tastes good.

Strain the mixture and discard the tea leaves. You will have lemon grass and ginger infused tea.Cool the tea.

Mix the powdered sugar with the water and mix well.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chai Masala:

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp ground cloves

Mix all the ingredients well.

Tags cake, Chai, lemon grass glaze, Spiced

Breakfast Fusion Healthy foods

Breakfast( or Lunch) muffins with Quinoa

Post author By Anagha
Post date October 15, 2014
No Comments on Breakfast( or Lunch) muffins with Quinoa

It has been crazy last few days, have not had a chance to write a post. This one is from the archives.

It is always challenging to pack something for the kids lunch that is healthy, quick to make, should taste good at room temperature and last but not the least, the kids should like it. This recipe fits the bill in my household. I like it since it is nutritious and quick to make.

So I will be honest that I don’t love quinoa. I know there are many good proteins in quinoa but I can not bring myself to use it as a substitute for rice in any traditional Indian recipes.
I also think that there are many people in the world who don’t have quinoa in their diet and still they have managed to stay healthy.

Having said that I do try to incorporate as many wholesome ingredients in our diet as I can, so this recipe is an effort along those lines.

Healthy eating series- Breakfast muffins with Quinoa

Having said that I do try to incorporate as many wholesome ingredients in our diet as I can, so this recipe is an effort along those lines.

Quinoa Muffins-
4 eggs
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup onions caramelized ( I usually make a big batch and keep it in the fridge)
1 tsp chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped ham( optional)
1/3 cup shredded cheese

Prepare oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners
Spray with oil spray.

Beat eggs well with dry spices & salt. Mix rest of the ingredients.
Pour in the cupcake liners and bake for about 25-30 mins.

I pack this with a garden salad for my kids lunch box.

This recipe makes about 6 muffins.

Note:

I had made similar recipe with lemon rice quinoa with lots of green chillies and peanuts. That tastes good as well.

I did not get a chance to take step by step pictures this time, will update the post when I do next time.

Tags eggs, healthy, quick, quinoa, school lunch

Jam & Preserves

Strawberry jam- a continuing tradition

Post author By Anagha
Post date October 8, 2014
1 Comment on Strawberry jam- a continuing tradition

In India jams and pickles are very common. Since the climate is hot and refrigeration was not very commonly available, pickling and preserving was essential to keep food from spoiling. The kind of jams that are made in India are more like fruits in syrup, as opposed to pectin-based jams.

My mom always tried making new things and using new ingredients in her cooking (which is quite hard to do in a small village with no internet access). She has been making jams and marmalades for as long as I can remember. She makes mixed fruit jam, orange marmalade, pineapple jam..you name it. My favorites are the ‘alphonso mango jam’ and ‘strawberry jam’. I can not eat any store bought versions of these two, yes you can say I am a spoilt brat. Strawberries were not readily available until recent years, so I was even more impressed to see my mom quickly figure out a recipe to make jam with it.

Since alphonso mangoes aren’t readily available, I can not make that jam but strawberries are abundant where I live so I make strawberry jam every year. My kids also prefer the homemade jams and marmalades over commercially available jam. The deal is that they have to help me chop the fruit and only then they get the jam. 🙂

My son, who is in college now, packed two bottles to take to his dorm. In his words, “Mom, please don’t make me eat a PBJ with store bought jam”.

So here is my recipe for strawberry jam. I make some variations as well, which are mentioned below.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Ingredients:

3 cups of chopped strawberries

1 cup of strawberries chopped and mashed

3 cups of sugar ( you can add more if you like syrupy jam, I prefer mine full of fruit)

2 tbsp lemon juice

25 g Fruit pectin ( you can leave this out but then the jam would be watery)

Method:

Chop 2/3 rd of the strawberries.

Measure 3 cups full and add to a thick bottomed pot. I like to use stainless steel pot

Chop remaining strawberries and crush them with a potato masher. I like doing this since it helps add body to the jam and stops it from making less syrupy.

Measure 1 cup full and add to the pot.

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Add the fruit pectin. Put the pot on the stove and start cooking the fruit

Add lemon juice. The tartness from the lemon juice helps cut through the sweetness.

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Let it come to a rolling boil.

Add the sugar all at once.

Let it come to a boil and boil pretty hard for 1 1/2 min. Turn the heat off.

If you see scum on top, take it out with a spoon. It is not bad stuff but it just does not look pretty. 🙂

Take the out of freezer and add little bit of jam on the plate. Put it back in the freezer and check after a couple of mins.

If you like the consistency of the jam, you are done. If you think it is a little runny then turn the heat on for a min on low flame.

Your jam is ready.

Storing the jam:

If I am making a small batch, I prefer just filling it up in small bottles and put it in the fridge. It keeps well for atleast 6-8 months.

If I am making a big batch, I do go through the hot water bath canning process to preserve the jam. Here are some tips I got from USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

Variations:

I like to make variation in my strawberry jam.

With cardamom: It is an amazing combination, I love the sweet scent of cardamom compliment the strawberries

With Balsamic vinegar: Strawberry and balsamic vinegar is a classic italian combination. I love making this preserve and spoon it over a scoop of Vanilla ice cream.

Tags jam, pectin, strawberry

dessert Italian

Tiramisu…need I say anything more?

Post author By Anagha
Post date September 29, 2014
2 Comments on Tiramisu…need I say anything more?

I grew up in India and came to the United States after my marriage. I knew no cooking so I eagerly looked forward to eating at restaurants. The first restaurant I went to after coming to the US was ‘Florentines’, an Italian restaurant. Until then, I had never eaten Italian food but I loved all the new dishes I tried. However my most favorite dish, which often is true for me…was the dessert. I tried Tiramisu…and I fell in love with it.

Tiramisu which translates to ‘pick me up’ in Italian is my favorite. I love the coffee flavor and the lightness of this dessert. It looks elegant, tastes great and can be made ahead, what more can you ask for? In fact, if you make it a day or two ahead, I feel it tastes better.

I experimented with many recipes and then settled on this one which combines the best parts of various recipes.

Two important ingredients to make good tiramisu are a good quality mascarpone cheese and a good cup of espresso. The traditional recipe also calls for raw eggs, but I have included a workaround if you want to avoid eating uncooked eggs.

My kids love Tiramisu, this is by far their most favorite dessert. They think that I make the best tiramisu and that is quite a compliment since we have been to many nice italian restaurants. 🙂

Tiramisu

Ingredients

2 packets of lady fingers

2 packs of mascarpone cheese( about 400 g) at room temp

5 egg yolks ( at room temp)

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

6 shots of espresso ( about 1 1/2 cup) cooled

Method:

Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Keep aside in a bowl.

Mix the egg yolks and sugar till pale yellow in color.

Add the mascarpone cheese and mix till everything is blended well. When blended well, add 1/4 cup of espresso and mix well. This time I used ‪#‎CafeUbuntu‬‪#‎sharedfate‬ from Whole Foods, I must say it is a good cup of coffee for a great cause.

Take the whipped cream and fold into the mascarpone cheese mixture.

Arrange the lady fingers in a tray.

Soak them with generous amount of coffee.

Spread with the cream mixture. Alternate till you have the top layer of cream.

Sprinkle some dark cocoa and chill in the refrigerator. Ideally you should make it at least a day ahead, I feel that it lets the flavor mingle and marry.

Notes:

1. If you dont have access to espresso, make strong instant coffee and use that instead

2. You can use lightly sweetened pound cake in place of lady fingers if you can not find lady fingers.

3. If you are trying to make a no egg version, just leave the eggs out. Add 1/2 cup of whipping cream. I have also heard people using custard powder. I have not tried that myself.

Tags coffee, dessert, mascarpone cheese, tiramisu

Not sure Soup

Cauliflower soup with Pistachio Pesto & chili oil

Post author By Anagha
Post date September 24, 2014
No Comments on Cauliflower soup with Pistachio Pesto & chili oil

I have been making a conscious effort to eat local, what is in season. It can be challenging in the cold months since you have very few stalls in the farmer’s market and very few options for vegetables. One vegetable that is abundantly available in fall and winter, is cauliflower. I like cauliflower cooked in many ways. I make many Indian dishes with Cauliflower like Cauliflower parantha ( made two ways), curry, roasted cauliflower, fritters etc. Today’s recipe is a little different, it is a soup which is perfect for the cold weather and the pesto topping really perks up the otherwise bland tasting vegetable.

Cauliflower soup with Pistachio pesto & chili oil

Ingredients

For the soup
1 head of Cauliflower
2 Gold potatoes
2 Garlic cloves
1 Leek
4 Cups Veg stock
Oil
Salt n Pepper

Method:

Cut cauliflower & potatoes into big pieces, sprinkle olive oil, salt n pepper.

Roast in 400F oven for about 35 mins with garlic cloves.

In the meantime, slice the white portion of the leek aute in olive oil for about 2 mins.

Saute in olive oil for about 2 mins

Add veg stock and cook until the vegetables are roasted.

Puree the roasted veg and the stock in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pistachio pesto

Ingredients:

½ cup Roasted Pistachios
¼ tsp each Cumin, Caraway coriander seeds
1 bunch Cilantro
1 Chopped tomato
1/4 -1/2 cup Olive oil

Dry roast the spices and grind with all the other ingredients.

If you wish to keep this a little longer, add more oilve oil to make a thinner pesto.

Chilli oil

1 tsp Crushed red chilli
1 tsp Caraway seeds
2 tbsp saffola oil

Dry roast the spices and keep aside.

Heat oil to almost smoking point and add spices. Cook a min longer.

To serve:

Ladle the cauliflower soup in a bowl,add a spoonful of the pesto. Drizzle a little bit of chili oil.

Tags cauliflower, pesto, soup, vegan

Indian Maharashtrian Main Dish

Chicken Savji- a unique chicken curry

Post author By Anagha
Post date September 22, 2014
1 Comment on Chicken Savji- a unique chicken curry

I posted Jowar Bhakri last week. One of the accompaniments was Chicken Savji and many people asked for the recipe.So as promised here are the recipes of Chicken Savji.

Chicken savji can be made in two ways, Solapuri and Nagpuri style. This is made with the recipe that my mom makes, it is a little different than the Savji on the Nagpur side. I make both, but like the Solapuri version a little more.

Savji– सोलापुर स्टाइल

Savaji Chicken…my mom makes Savaji mutton, the same masala with chicken.I love Savji Chicken…it is very very yummy. Typically indian meat curries have tomato, onion as a base. This recipe is unique since it does not have onion or tomatoes.

Savaji Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb Chicken( I make it with boneless for the kids, but tastes better with boned)
1tsp haldi
2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

Dry Masala

1/2 cup dry roasted coconut ( I take the dry coconut wati and almost burn it on the gas flame, you can also use shredded coconut)
2 tbsp of khukhus
2 tbsp of Sesame seeds

2 tbsp tamarind pulp ( mixed with some water)

1.5 tsp garam masala
2-3 tbsp Bedagi chilli powder

Method:

Dry roast khuskhus, til and coconut and grind together to make a fine paste. I use my coffee grinder.

Marinate chicken with 1tbsp ginger garlic paste,salt and haldi.
Heat oil, add ½ garam masala, chili powder.

Add chicken pieces. Saute for a few minutes, add hot water, cook for some time.

Add tamarind pulp and the remaining ginger garlic paste.

Add boiling water to get the consistency of the curry you like. Bring it to a good boil. Add the til-khukhus paste.

Taste and add more garam masala/chili powder as needed. My mom likes to season the dish as she goes along, I feel it works really well.Do not boil too much after the paste is added otherwise it gives out oil and does not taste very good.

Serve with bhakri. It taste good even the next day.

Note:

It tastes really good with mutton, in fact I feel the mutton savji tastes better than the chicken version.

Tags chicken curry, tamarind, unique