The Spring air smells good. Along with the change of season comes the colorful blooms of the pretty flowers & some fresh vegetables& fruits  in the market. The local market got crates of fresh corn & avocado. (I was somehow under the impression that the corns came during fall..) Anyway. we got quite a few of these. Today I saw Corn Salsa in Peter G’s (Souvlaki for The Soul) Blog. His pictures tempted me to make some salsa with the hass avocados & corn right away.

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“Breadline Africa is an internationally registered charity that seeks out partnerships of hope and growth in Africa.” Breadline Africa launched its Blogger Bake Off, which is an online campaign aimed at connecting people to care, at getting bloggers to talk to their communities about poverty in Africa, and at having these communities to donate to Breadline Africa.

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Hummus is Chickpeas in Arabic.  And as everyone knows there are a lot of variations to the traditional Hummus. I love Middle Eastern food, with all the flavors in it, but when I cook at home I do tweak it to cater to my taste and mood. This is a very spicy hummus with a tinge of sweetness of the roasted bell pepper. The traditional Hummus calls for the use of Tahini, But I have used whole sesame seeds instead. I like the crunch of the broken sesame seeds, as well as the coarse peanuts that I have used here.

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Have you ever wondered how a certain dish can bear similarities, not just in various regions of one country but all over the world?  One time I was going to make some instant Dhoklas-(a steamed fluffy bread made of chick pea flour/besan), and I realized I had no citric acid/fruit salt, without which the instant Dhokla was not going to happen. But I did mix in some onions, hot peppers, tomatoes, spice and herbs and made a crepe out of the chick pea batter. This version is also called a “Vegetarian Omlette” or “Chila” in some parts of India.

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Chickpea Salad with Roasted Tomatoes

Some days I am in no mood to cook for lunch, neither eat a heavy one. Especially when the children are in school and the dear hubby at work and I am racing to get as much done as possible without any  distraction present:-). Does that happen to any of you? These are the days when I fix myself this protein filled colorful salad and a glass of smoothie. And it it healthy too. I love roasted tomatoes. I love it just like that and I love it on anything. Nice and refreshing with no after taste of the regular spicy Indian food.

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Potatoes & Fenugreek Seeds

Tucked away among the tiny villages in the colorful and beautiful deserts of Rajasthan, nestles a oasis surrounded by cool shady trees. This haven of peace is the Ashram – Bala. We had the privilege to visit this place last time we visited Jaipur and paid our respects to SatiMata. We also had the privilege to have our lunch here, inside the cool thick walls where no air condition is needed even when it is 90 degrees outside.

Along with all the other delicious dishes we had for lunch, there was this particular dish which I liked the  best even though I did not and could not figure out what I was eating, other than it had cubes of potatoes in it. This was something which I had never eaten before… Later I had found out that the main ingredient which felt like a kind of lentil to me, was actually green fenugreek(methi) seeds cooked like a vegetable!! I cook green fenugreek (methi) leaves, use the seeds and Kasuri Methi as spice/seasoning. But never ever did I imagine that the unripened fenugreek seeds can be cooked too. They lack the bitterness of the seeds which we usually use as spice.

I never found green fenugreek seeds here, but I was suggested to soak the regular ripened fenugreek seeds overnight as an alternative. This takes away some of the bitterness (they are still a wee little bitter), and also swells up to a soft plump, which makes it possible to cook it like a vegetable.

This dish is so very different. I was just going to post it when I came across the Herb Mania Fenugreek Event. What timing!!

This goes to the Herb Mania Fenugreek Event hosted by RedChillies.

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup Fenugreek(Methi) seeds
2. 2 medium sized Potatoes
3. 1 inch ginger peeled
4. 4-5 Cloves of Garlic
5. 4 Hot Green Peppers (like Serrano)
6. 1 Tomato chopped
7. 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
8. 2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (adjust to your taste)
9. Salt
10. 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
11. 3 tablespoons Oil
12. 1 tablespoon Plain Yogurt
13. 1 teaspoon Ghee (for Tarka)
14. 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder (for Tarka)
15. 1 tablespoon chopped Cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

Soak the fenugreek seeds in water overnight. Wash them thoroughly and strain out the water.

Peel and cut the potatoes in to 1″ cubes. Sprinkle salt and turmeric on them and set aside. Heat oil and fry the potatoes till they start to brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Blend Ginger, hot green pepper, garlic and tomato in a puree. Pour this in the same oil the potatoes were fried and simmer till the oil separates from the sides. Add the Potatoes and the Fenugreek seeds. Mix it so the pureed tomato and ginger garlic coats the potatoes and the seeds. Fry for about 8 – 10 more minutes.

Mix Turmeric, salt, coriander powder and red chilli powder in half cup of water and pour it in the pan. Cover and cook till the potatoes are tender. It should not dry up completely. There should be enough water to coat the potatoes and the seeds and a little bit more. Add more water if its too dry. Add the Plain yogurt mixed with little water. Simmer uncovered at low heat for another 10 minutes.

Switch off the heat. Now for the Tarka, heat the ghee and when smoking hot add the chilli powder and immediately pour it on the potatoes and fenugreek. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Fenugreek seeds & Potatoes with Poori

Serve with Poori or any Indian bread. Best tasted with Poori and Shrikhand on the side.

Singapore Fried Rice

Asian food has all kind of variation all over the world. Generally Indian food in America are not all that spicy and oily as in India, except for a few authentic restaurants. Just like so, we cook  Indian Chinese in India.

I am not sure if Singapore Fried Rice is a cuisine of Singapore, but it is a big part of the Indian Chinese in India. It is similar to Chinese Fried Rice, except it is made very spicy by adding tons of red dry chili to hot oil. You can go easy on the number of red chilis you add, but do add a few because it is the red dry chilis which actually adds the flavor to this rice.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup long grained rice (Will yeild about 2 cups approx. cooked)
2. 2 cloves of garlic – chopped fine
3. 1/2 onion chopped
4. 8 -10 Dry Red Chilis
5. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorn
6. 1 teaspoon very thinly sliced ginger
7. 4 tablespoons oil
8. 2 teaspoons oil ( to use when boiling the rice)
9. 2 teaspoon white vinegar
10. 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
11. 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
12. 1/2 cup peas
13. 1 Big carrot chopped
14. 3 sprigs of green/spring onion chopped
15. 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
16. 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
17. Salt to taste

Any vegetable like beans, celery may be added to this.

Preparation:

Wash the rice very well to wash off the starch. Soak it in cold water and let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Boil 1.5 cups of water, add 2 teaspoons of oil to it and and add the rice. The oil will help the rice not to stick to one another. Cook it so it so they are long and done but separate. If there is till some water left and the rice it done, strain the water.

Spread the cooked rice in a thin layer on a plate and sprinkle vinegar on it. Let it cool

Heat oil in a Wok. Once its smoking hot, add the crushed black peppercorns and the dry red chilis. The chilis will soon turn dark and sizzle. Add the garlic and the onion. Fry at high heat till the onion starts to brown. Add the peas, carrots, bell pepper, and ginger and fry at high hear  till all the moisture dries off. This should not take for than 3-4 minutes.

Lower the heat and add the soy sauce. Mix it with all the vegetables and add the rice. Stir it around to mix it and keep frying at medium heat. Increase the heat to high again. When all the rice is coated, with the sauce, add the cabbage and cook for a couple of more minutes tossing it around fast and sprinkling few drops of water on the wok for the sizzle and the smoke. Switch off the heat. Add the cilantro and spring onions and cover it for 5 minutes for the heat and the smoke flavor to be absorbed. The smoky flavor is a very distinctive flavor to this dish.

 Serve hot with with Hot Oil, or with Vegetable Manchurian, Chili Chicken, or Chili Paneer.

Kabab ( Also known as kebab, kabob) refers to meat dishes in the Middle East, Mediterranean, South and Central Asia, Africa, consisting of grilled meat on skewers or sticks. In America its more popularly known as Shish Kabob.

Sheekh Kabab is what it is called in India (Sheekh is the Iron Rod and Kabab is the Meat) and is usually cooked in the tandoor. The indirect heat from the tandoor cooks the meat very slowly while retaining all the moisture. This makes the kababs soft morsels of yum!!

Ingredients: 

1. 1lb minced/ground Chicken
2. 1/2 Small Onion chopped very fine
3. 2 teaspoons cilantro chopped very fine
4. 1 tablespoon garlic paste
5. 1 teaspoon ginger paste
6. Salt to taste
7. 1 teaspoon fresh coarsely crushed peppercorns
8. 2 tablespoons corn starch
9. 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
10. 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (rub them in the palm of your hands to release the flavor)
11. Ghee to brush the kabobs and cook in it.
12. 1/3 teaspoon turmeric
13. A pinch of Orange food color (Optional)
14. 1 tablespoon sour creme
15. 4 hot green peppers (like serrano) chopped fine
16. 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain seeds) – crushed

Preparation:

Minced Chicken mixed with all the ingredients

Mix all the ingredients above except the ghee and let it sit for for about 15 minutes.

Skewered Chicken

Take a handful of the mix, flatten it and roll it into sausages and insert the skewers through it. Brush them with ghee.

You can either grill them on the outside grill. Or you can do it in the broiler (preheat the broiler to 375 and cook on foil till done but not blackened).

Shish Kabob

I have done these on a skillet on the stove and it works just fine. Brush the skillet with ghee and place the skewers. Cover and cook for about 6-8 minutes and then uncover and cook at high heat. Turn around the skewers to cook on all the sides.

Serve with grilled tomatoes and Jeera rice.

Mint Cilantro Chutney

Ingredients:

1. Coriander(Cilantro) Leaves : 1 bunch
2. Fresh Mint Leaves – Loosely packed ½ cup
3. Onion: 1/2 of a small one
4. Garlic: 6 cloves
5. Green Chilli Peppers: To Taste
6. Lemon Juice: 1/4 – 1/3 cup (Enough to make a pureed consistency)
7. Coconut: Shredded 2-3 tablespoons
8. Salt: To taste
9. Sugar: 1 teaspoon or to taste

Preparation:

Use only the pliable stalks and all the leaves of the Coriander bunch. Blend all ingredients above to a smooth consistency.

Every time we visit a Mexican Restaurant, we end up ordering atleast two orders of the Spanish rice. The kids love it too. One day when I had nothing but V8, a can of red beans and some left over rice at home, I thought i would make something like the Spanish rice. It turned out pretty good, but not quite the same taste. So next time I tried it with uncooked rice and more hot peppers and black peppers to cater to our spicy taste buds.
Some evenings when I just feel like doing nothing, lazing around the backyard, and hope that food would be cooked magically without doing a thing ( I feel that pretty often:-D ), I try this quick dish. With the beans, & the vegetables it is like a meal in a dish. Here it is. Enjoy. Mind it, do change the amount of the hot peppers and black pepper to suit your taste!!

 I am sending this to SAPADU READY, hosted  by From the Kitchen.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups White Rice (uncooked)
2. 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
3. 1/2  Onion (thinly sliced lengthwise)
4. 4-5 cloves Garlic (very finely chopped and crushed with knife)
5. 1 – 1.5 cans (Approx. 16 oz cans)  Red Beans or Red Kidney Beans
6. Fresh Cilantro: few spoons chopped
7. Green Serrano Peppers: according to taste, Finely chopped (Optional)
8. ½ cup Corn
9. 2 big Carrots chopped into small pieces (Optional)
10. 1 cupV8(or tomato puree or tomato juice or fresh tomato[2 cups pulsed in the blender])
11. Oil
12. 2.5 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
13. ½ teaspoon roasted ground cumin
14. Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil.

Add Cumin Seeds and let it get a little darker.

 Add finely chopped and crushed garlic.

Add the sliced Onions and fry till they are glazed. 

Add uncooked rice and fry till the rice is slightly brown.

Add green Serrano peppers, red beans, carrots, corn, and the roasted cumin powder and stir and fry for about 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato (or puree or V8).

Reduce the liquid at high heat.

Add water to boil the rice (see cooking instructions for Rice). Also can transfer everything to the Rice Cooker and follow the instructions till rice is cooked.

Add Ground Black Pepper and stir it to mix (You can adjust the amount to more or less spicy).

Sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro and cover it for sometime before serving.

This dish can be prepared with left over cooked rice. Add the cooked rice after the liquid of tomato has been reduced and stir to mix all ingredients at low heat.