Mushroom Couscous

Here’s a quick mushroom couscous recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup couscous

1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth. You may also use water but that is less flavorful

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 green chilies chopped

2 cups mushrooms (any variety), sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh herbs like parsley/ thyme or favorite herb for garnish

Method:

Heat olive oil or butter in a pan, sauté onions (crushed garlic optional, don't like it for breakfast), and sliced mushrooms until tender.

Bring the broth to a boil, stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. strain

After 5 minutes, fluff couscous with a fork, mix in the mushroom mixture, season, and garnish.

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

Ingredients:

For Pakoras:

- 1 cup gram flour (besan)

- 1/2 cup finely chopped onions

- 1/2 cup finely chopped spinach (optional)

- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

- Salt to taste

- Water as needed

- Oil for frying

For Kadhi:

- 1 cup yogurt (curd)

- 3 cups water

- 2 tablespoons gram flour (besan)

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)

- Salt to taste

- 1 tablespoon oil

- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

- 1-2 dried red chilies

- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

- 10-12 curry leaves

- 2-3 cloves of garlic (optional)

- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated

- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)

- 1 teaspoon coriander powder

- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala

- Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Prepare the Pakoras:

   a. In a mixing bowl, combine gram flour, chopped onions, chopped spinach, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and a little water to make a thick batter.

   b. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

2. Prepare the Kadhi:

   a. In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth. Add water, gram flour, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well to make a smooth mixture. Strain to avoid lumps and make the sauce really smooth. If you are just having Kadhi without the pakora, you can also add chopped spinach and tomatoes to this gravy.

   b. Heat oil in a large pan or kadhai. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.

   c. Add dried red chilies, asafoetida, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger(you may also add chopped onions). Sauté for a minute.

   d. Add fenugreek seeds and sauté for a few seconds.

   e. Pour the yogurt mixture into the pan while continuously stirring to avoid lumps.

   f. Add coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well.

3. Cook the Kadhi:

   a. Cook the kadhi on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the raw smell of gram flour disappears. This may take about 20-25 minutes.

   b. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if needed.

   c. Add the fried pakoras to the kadhi and simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Garnish and Serve:

   a. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

   b. Serve hot with steamed rice or chapati.

Enjoy your homemade Punjabi Kadhi Pakora!

Moong Dal Palak

Ingredients:

- 1 cup split moong dal (yellow lentils) (You may also use other lentils like arhar or masoor)

- 2 cups spinach (palak), washed and chopped

- 1 medium onion, finely chopped

- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped

- 1 green chili, chopped (adjust to taste)

- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

- 1/2 teaspoon asafetida (hing)

- 1 teaspoon garam masala

- 1 teaspoon cumin powder

- 1 teaspoon coriander powder

- Salt to taste

- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee

- Water for cooking

- Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash the moong dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and set aside. Pressure cook with salt and turmeric.

2. In a kadai, heat oil or ghee. Add cumin seeds and asafetida. Let them splutter.

3. Add chopped onion and sauté until they turn translucent.

4. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chili. Sauté for a minute until the raw smell disappears.

5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and the oil starts to separate.

6. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well.

7. Add the chopped spinach. Stir fry, then add the boiled dal. You may also add frozen green peas at this point.

8. If the dal is too thick, add more water and adjust the consistency according to your preference.

9. You may add garam masala and more slit green chilies or tadka using ghee, cumin seeds, and Kashmiri mirch powder to make it even spicier, and let the dal simmer for a few more minutes.

10. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Your Moong Dal Palak is ready to be enjoyed with rice, roti, or naan!

Note: Cooking times may vary based on the pressure cooker and stove type, so adjust accordingly.

Simple cucumber sandwich

 Hi all

After a hiatus, I plan to be more regular with my food blog. Here is a simple cucumber sandwich recipe for you that can be breakfast, eaten with afternoon high tea, or as a snack. 

Ingredients:

- Sliced bread (white, whole wheat, or your choice)

- Fresh cucumbers, thinly sliced

- Cream cheese or butter

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Optional: dill, mint, or other herbs for added flavor

Method:

1. Begin by spreading a thin layer of cream cheese or butter on one side of each bread slice.

2. Place a layer of thinly sliced cucumbers on one bread slice.

3. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and any optional herbs over the cucumbers.

4. To create a sandwich, add another bread slice, cream cheese/butter side down.

5. Remove the crusts from the sandwich for a more traditional look.

6. Cut the sandwich into smaller triangles or fingers for serving.

Enjoy your homemade cucumber sandwich!

Feel free to get creative by adding other ingredients like smoked salmon, radishes, or sprouts for extra flavor and texture.

Chili Fish

For Allison

Cut the fish (I used Basa, you can use any white-fleshed, mild-tasting fish) into bite sized pieces, then marinate it in salt, chili flakes, 1 beaten egg and some flour (whisk them together). Rest for 15-20 mins 

Heat oil in a deep pan, deep fry then drain them on paper towels. 

In a wok, add bell peppers (better if you use different colors, I prefer red and yellow) and onions, sauté on high while tossing the wok. Add a dab of soy sauce and chili vinegar. 

Add the fried fish pieces, toss and cook till the sauce is coated. Add fresh grated or chopped ginger and green chilies for extra heat. 

Cambodian-Style Collard Greens with Pork Belly

1. Boil pork and wash in cold water. Dice and keep aside with salt and diced onion.
2. In the same water, boil chopped collard greens. You can boil both together to save time
3. Dry roast garlic, green chilies and one Trinidad Scorpion or Ghost Pepper. Grind or pound to a paste.
4. In a wok, cook the pork without oil. Add the chili garlic paste. and use fish sauce to wash the remaining ingredients and add to the wok 9about 2 tbsp)
5. Stir in the collards greens (you may also use mustard greens or bok choy instead), and cook until the greens wilt.
6.  Serve hot.

Kaju halwa/Cashew pudding

Ingredients
Raw Cashew nuts - 1 cup
Green cardamom - 2
Milk  (I used ALEXANDRE FAMILY FARMS Organic, Cream Top Whole Milk,  about 48 FZ)

Sugar - 4 tsp or to taste
Saffron a pinch
Ghee - 1/3 tsp for smell

Method

1. Bring milk to boil. Reduce flame and make it thicker.
2. You may add milk powder.
3. In a coffee grinder, add cashew and cardamom and make a powder. You can also use this to make badam milk.
4. Add the dry ground cashew and cardamom powder in batches while stirring so that no lumps are formed. Cook for another 15-20 mins or until all raw cashew is cooked.
5. Add saffron strands and a little ghee when it is almost done. Kill the flame. Let it cool and then serve. You can top it with ghee roasted cashew.

Sunday dinner scene- roti and bhindi masala from DoorDash, 

homemade cilantro chicken and cashew halwa 

Close up of Kaju Halwa

Fish with cauliflower and orange juice / রুই কমলা

Method

1. Wash the fish pieces, pat dry with paper towels, and marinate them with turmeric and salt.
2. Heat oil in a wok or kadhai. Fry the fish pieces till golden on both sides. Keep aside. You can squeeze some orange juice in this step for extra flavor. The fish pieces will soak in the juice while you prepare the gravy.
3. You may add cut cauliflower florets in oil you used to fry the fish (optional)
4. In the same kadai add ginger paste, tomato paste, red chili powder and cumin powder.
5. I prefer not to use water in this preparation so the orange flavor is more pronounced.
6. Add orange juice, garam masala powder and slit green chilies. Garnish with fresh orange segments on top.
7. Rui Komola (রুই কমলা) is ready to be served with steamed rice.

Tomato chutney with dates and jaggery

Method:

1. Slice pitted dates into strips and soak in water if necessary 
2. Chop tomatoes into bite size pieces. 
3.  In a sauce pan, add about 1 tablespoon refined cooking oil. I don't like my chutney oily. Best if you can cook it without oil while dry roasting the spices.
4. Add a pinch of panch phoron, take care not to burn the spices.
5. Add the tomatoes and dates. Cook well. Mash some tomatoes with your laddle. You may also blend a portion of the chutney now to make it thicker.
6. Add jaggery to taste. You may also add julienned ginger and raisins.

Chili shiitake noodles

For Paro,

Carrots from @farmfreshtoyou
Shiitake mushrooms from @farwestfungi, and
Green onions from garden and voila !


Method:

1.  Bring a sauce pan of water to boil. Boil noodles, strain.
2. While the noodles are cooking, slice shiitake mushroom and the carrots. Dice some onions and green onions
3. Sauté the mushrooms in oil. Add the carrots. Add red chili flakes, dark soy sauce and chili vinegar.
4. Add the noodles. Mix. If you have noodle powder, add it while stirring continuously for uniform coating. Add the green onions. Do not overcook.
5. Serve piping hot. With coffee.

Waldorf salad

Waldorf salad with Granny Smith apples 🍏

Waldorf salad is named for the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, where it was first created for a charity ball given in honor of the St. Mary's Hospital for Children on March 14, 1896. The original recipe was just apples, celery, and mayonnaise.

I also added grapes, raisins, cashews (walnuts preferred). You may use yogurt instead of mayo for the dressing. Citrus zest or lemon juice add another layer of flavor to it.

বাগানের ডাটা দিয়ে রুই মাছের ঝোল / Fish curry cooked with chard stems and mustard paste

Malai paneer my way

Blended half onion, ginger, garlic, ripe chilies 🌶 and tomato for the gravy and cooked in oil + 1/2 tsp ghee. Salt, turmeric and kashmiri mirch to taste. Added paneer cubes and almond paste (can use cashew too. I had some almonds paste already so used it) Added malai and kasuri methi in the end. You can use coriander powder too.

Nectarine cocktail with pineapple vodka

I added bite sized nectarine pieces with minced mint to 1 glass of water, 750 ml sugarcane juice, pineapple vodka to taste and agave nectar for a concoction I am experimenting with for a grill party.

Shrimp ball curry/ চিংড়ি মাছের কোফতা

Method:

         For the shrimp balls

1. Boil shell, de-vein, and clean the shrimp. Boil them. Drain on a strainer. Or use precooked shrimp.
2. Make a paste in a processor. Add salt, chopped chillies, cilantro and spices like bhaja masala (dry roasted and ground cumin, coriander and dry red chilies). 
3. Beat and egg and mix with the shrimp paste. Roll into balls when the mix is ready. Keep in the fridge if you need to dry the water more.
4. Fry in oil. keep aside.
   
   For the gravy
5. Heat cooking oil (and 1/2 tsp ghee), add bay leaves, clove and cinnamon stick. Then fry ginger paste. 
6. Add coconut cream and cook well. Add the shrimp balls and shimmer in low flame (about 10 mins) 
7. Add chopped cilantro for garnish if you want. Serve with steamed white Basmati rice.

Thai Eggplant with Goda Masala

When I was a kid, my mom would shoo me away if I wandered around the kitchen, saying, ‘পড়াশুনা করো গিয়ে, রান্না বান্না করার জন্যে সারা জীবন পড়ে আছে ' (Go and study. You have your whole life to cook) Maybe she feared that I would lose out in the rat race if I got distracted by other things.

 The kitchen has been always a magical place for me where simple ingredients turn into delicious dishes with a pinch of this and a dash of that. Needless to say, my mom is one of my greatest champions now even when it comes to my cooking. I try to respect her conventional palate but sometimes I nudge her to try new things. Recently, I have seen her being more adventurous with food and enjoying different flavors that could appear outlandish to her. In the picture is Thai eggplant cooked with goda masala, coconut flakes, jaggery and peanut paste. Added sliced onions and green peas to add complexity. You can add tamarind too.

Method:

1. Cut the eggplant (preferably small sized one for aesthetics) into bite sized pieces
2. Fry sliced onion in cooking oil until uniformly browned. Add the eggplant pieces and sauté for a while. 
3. Add goda masala
   Ingredients link
4.  When the eggplants are almost done, add jaggery powder, coconut flakes , and peanut passte. You may alos add tamaring if you want it to be tangy.

Enjoy with roti (Indian flatbread) or as a side to a bigger meal with rice.

Thandai recipe

Grind poppy seeds, raw almonds, raw cashews, fennel seeds, white peppercorn (cardamom optional) to a powder. Add sugar to taste, saffron strands, rose water, and raw cold milk.
You may also use rose syrup or Rooh Afza as a variation.

Chicken recipe ideas

Some of my more successful experiments in the kitchen include:

1. Habanero chicken
2. Chicken with crumpled lime leaves, matchstick ginger, and coconut milk
3. Grilled chicken with roasted tomatillo salsa verde
4. Black Pepper Chicken

Will expand on the recipes when I can.

Moringa or drumstick leaves (সজনে পাতা) dal with toor and masoor mix

Method

1. Wash and pressure cook equal parts toor dal and masoor dal with salt and turmeric. You can cook with only toor or only masoor dal (red lentil) too.
2. In a wok, heat 2 tsp cooking oil, whole cumin seeds, dry red chilies, chopped garlic and drumstick leaves (destem and wash them before cooking). You may add mustard seeds and curry leaves too. Slit green chilies and 1/4 tsp ginger paste will also enhance the taste, 
3. Saute for a bit and add the cooked dal to the spices. Cook to a boil.

Masala Squid

SG made masala squid for me.
I ate devoured it with pineapple slices and radish pickle. Yummy. A volcano in my mouth.

Recipe to be uploaded soon after I consult the chef :D
You can stir-fry with you favorites spices and lots of love :D

This isn't a recipe post, it is a happy post :D