Green beans curry with coconut

Ingredients:
Green beans, cut into < 2" pieces - about 3 cups
Coconut, grated - about 1 cup
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Red chili, dried - 2-3
Cashews, halved or broken pieces - 1/2 cup (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 3-4 (optional)
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch (optional)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Servings: 2-3
Time (cook+prep): 15 min

Method:
Bring water to boil in a large vessel. Cook the beans in this water so they are cooked almost all the way (less than 10 min). In the meantime, grind the garlic and red chillies with 1-2 tsp of water. Slowly add the grated coconut, adding extra water if necessary, and grind to a thick smooth paste.

Drain the beans. In a wok, heat the oil and add the cashews and mustard seeds and stir until the seeds splutter. Now add the curry leaves, hing and salt and stir well. Lower the flame to medium and slowly add the ground paste, mixing in some water if necessary. Add the drained beans and stir well. Add enough water so that the beans can cook, but not too much or the paste will be diluted. Cook covered on a medium or low flame until the beans are done. Serve hot with rice.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Ham Cake

While in Munich in 2003, a French friend brought over a loaf of what looked like yellow cake to a party at our place. He said it was "ham cake", which sounded very weird. However, when you got over the fact that it wasn't dessert, it was delicious. I decided to recreate it last week, and it was delicious. The recipe below is inspired by this food.com page. I'd like to try the same recipe with bacon, of course! Since I used sliced deli ham, I wonder if it would be just as easy to replace it with sliced turkey or chicken?

Ingredients:
Eggs - 4
White flour - 1 2/3 cups
Baking powder - 2 1/2 tsp
Olive oil - 1/3 cup
Butter, melted - 2 tbsp
Dry white wine (I used Prosecco) - 1/2 cup
Port wine - 1/4 cup
Green or black olives, pitted and sliced - 1 1/2 cups
Ham, chopped - 2 cups
Emmenthaler or gruyère cheese, cubed (I grated it) - 2 cups
Salt - use with caution, as the ham and olives probably already have quite a bit
Pepper
 

Cooking time (cook+prep): about 1 hr

Servings: 8-10 slices

Method:
Preheat oven to 200C or 390F
Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the flour, baking powder, olive oil, melted butter, wine and port. Now add the ham, cheese, olives, salt and pepper. Note: you may be able to get away with using no salt if the ham and olives are salty enough. Pour mixture into a greased bread tin (we greased it with ghee!) and bake for about 50 min or until well risen and golden brown. Slice and serve warm or cold.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Food.com

Mushroom Cornbread Stuffing (James' Recipe)

This year for Thanksgiving, I emailed James for a recipe for stuffing. It turned out fantastic, we were able to find all the ingredients in Munich and it was pretty easy to make. Instead of repeating the recipe here, I'll just point to James' recipe page here.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: James Davies' recipe

Stir-fried green beans

Ingredients:
Whole green beans, optionally cut into halves - 1/2 kg
Oil - 2 tbsp
Rai (mustard seeds) - 1 tsp
Udad dal (split black gram) - 1 tsp
Dried red chillies - 2
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch (optional)
Salt - to taste

Time (cook+prep): 15-20 min
Serves: 4

Method:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add the beans and heat covered for 7-10 min. Heat oil in a wok, add asafoetida, rai, udad dal and red chillies. When the rai starts to splutter, add the beans and stir to coat with oil. Cook for a few minutes and add salt. Serve hot with plain rice or chapatis. (I discovered that it makes a very good companion to tomato rice).

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Whole Moong Dal Khichdi

Khichdi is a mixture of rice and pulses cooked together. It is traditionally served with raita, papad, kadhi (yogurt soup), pickle[d vegetable]s or even just ghee or yogurt. This variation uses whole green moong dal and is first cooked in a pressure cooker until the dal is soft.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Whole moong dal - 1 cup
Tomatoes, quartered - 2
Onion, finely chopped - 1 large
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 2 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Oil/ghee - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Cooking time: 30 min
Servings: 6-8

Method:
Mix the rice and dal with the tomato pieces in 6 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker for 6-7 whistles (about 30 minutes). In the meantime, heat the oil in a wok and add the cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add the onions and stir to coat with oil. After a minute, add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Cook until the onions start turning golden brown. Add the garam masala and mix well. After a minute or so, add 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Cook until the oil separates to the sides. Add more water (totaling up to 2 cups) and transfer to the cooker. Add more water if required (up to 2 cups, depending on how much liquid you'd like to have in the resulting khichdi). Cover the cooker and steam without the weight for 10 min or until you smell the aroma of the masalas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional) and serve hot.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Idli Upma

Ingredients:
Idlis (leftover from last night?) - 7-8
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Peanuts or cashews (optional) - 1/2 cup
Green chillies, chopped - 2-3
Curry leaves - 4-5
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Coriander leaves, chopped - 2-3 strands
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Servings: 2
Time (cook+prep): <10 min

Method:
Manually break the idlis into small pieces, almost close to a powder. Heat oil and add asafoetida, mustard seeds and curry leaves. When they start spluttering, add green chillies and peanuts/cashews and fry for a couple of minutes. Add turmeric and idli and mix well. Add salt and mix thoroughly. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Source: Based on this recipe.

Mixed Vegetable Khalsa

Ingredients:
Ginger - 2" piece
Coriander seeds, roasted in some oil - 2 tbsp (can replace with 2 tsp of coriander powder)
Coriander leaves - a handful
Black pepper - 20-30 corns
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tbsp
Potatoes, diced - 4 med
Carrots, diced - 4 med
Tomatoes, diced - 4 med
Cauliflower, diced - 1 med
Peas - 100 g
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Grind the first five ingredients with a small amount of water to make a thick paste. Set aside.

In a wok, season hot oil with cumin seeds, when they start to splutter add the tomatoes. Cook until lumpy. Now add the chopped vegetables with turmeric and salt and add enough water to cover. Cook covered on medium flame. When the vegetables are almost cooked and the water is almost gone, mash lightly (or blend lightly with a handheld blender) and add the ground paste. Cook on a low flame for 5 min. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: A professor at The Guru Nanak Khalsa College of Arts, Science and Commerce.

Chicken Mughlai

Introduction: A mild and extremely flavourful dish brought to India by the Mughals, who decided to cook things in nut pastes. Goes great with boiled white rice or chapatis. This recipe is based on the book by Shehzad Husain and Rafi Fernandez that I got from Bryan a while ago. The ingredients and proportions were tweaked on-the-go during our Skype cooking session. The book claims this is a low-fat recipe, but it's too delicious to be that.

Ingredients:
Chicken, boneless, diced - 400 g
Onions, quartered - 2 medium
Tomato purée - 2 tbsp (or use two tomatoes and some juice from a can)
Cashews, unsalted - 125 g (about 1 cup?)
Garam masala - 1.5 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp (or spicier, if you like)
Lemon juice - 1/8 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Yogurt, plain, low-fat - 125 g (about 1/2 cup?)
Vegetable oil (ghee, if available, but then the dish won't be low-fat) - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped - 5-6 strands
Sultanas (golden raisins) - a generous handful
Button mushrooms, quartered - 2-2.5 cups

Cooking time: 30-45 min
Servings: 4-5

Method:
Making the cashew nut paste:
Place the onions in a blender with half a cup of water and blend well. Add the tomato purée or paste and blend. Add the garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and yogurt and blend. Slowly add the cashews and blend into a slightly coarse paste, adding water *in small amounts* if necessary. NOTE: You may want to pour out/reserve half of the blended paste to make room for the cashews. You can then slowly add the reserved portion to make the paste -- this way you can control the amount of water added.

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the paste for a few minutes on medium heat, stirring continuously to make sure it doesn't burn (a tiny bit of burnt cashew paste is OK -- gives it a rich golden brown look). Reserve 1 tbsp of coriander leaves for garnish, and add the rest to the paste. Add the raisins and chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the mushrooms and pour slightly more than a cup of water (or enough to cover the mushrooms at least partially) and mix well. Cook covered on a low flame for 10 min. Cook longer if the chicken isn't cooked through or the sauce isn't thick enough. Garnish with the reserved coriander leaves and serve hot.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: "Indian: Deliciously Authentic Dishes" by Shehzad Husain & Rafi Fernandez

Baghaara Bhaat (Fried Rice)

Ingredients:
Basmati (I used regular) rice, soaked for 30 min and drained - 2 cups
Cardamom seeds - 6 (or 1 tsp cardamom powder)
Cloves - 6
Cinnamon - 2" piece
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Green chillies, slit lengthwise - 4
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - 6
Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tb
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tb
Ghee or vegetable oil - 3 tb
Salt - to taste

Time (cook+prep): 20-25 min
Servings: 4-5

Method:
Heat oil in a wok and fry the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves, mint leaves and green chillies. Fry for a couple of minutes and add 2 cups of water and salt. Add the rice when the water starts to boil. Mix well on a high flame until half cooked, then reduce the flame and cook covered until done, stirring once towards the end to avoid burning the bottom. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Murgh Saagwala (Chicken in Spinach)

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts, diced - 2
Spinach, frozen (thaw a bit, but without additional water) - 3/4 kg
Onions, sliced thick - 2
Tomatoes (diced if fresh, whole if canned) - 4-5 small
Ginger-garlic paste - 1.5 tbsp
Garam masala - 1.5 tbsp
Turmeric (optional) - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder (optional) - 1 tsp
Cloves - 4
Cardamom seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaves - 1-2
Heavy cream - 2 tbsp
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp

Time (prep+cook): about 40 min
Servings: 2-3

Method:
Heat the oil. Add cloves, bay leaves and cardamom and fry for a couple of minutes to release the aroma of the spices. Add the ginger-garlic paste, mix well and add the onions. Stir fry until the onions are golden brown. Add the tomato pieces (if using canned tomatoes, add as little juice as possible). Cook for 5-10 minutes. Mix in salt, garam masala and turmeric (optional). Cook until the oil separates to the sides. Add the chicken and cook on a medium flame until the pieces are cooked through (up to 15 min). Now add the thawed spinach, mix well and cook covered on a low flame for 10 min. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for about five minutes. Serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Inspired by this recipe.

Matar (Green Peas) Pulao

Ingredients:
Rice (optionally, basmati), washed and drained - 2 cups
Frozen green peas - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Cloves - 4
Black peppercorns - 8-10
Cardamom seeds - 10-12
Cinnamon sticks - 2x3" pieces
Garlic, finely chopped - 4 cloves
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Time (cook+prep): 20-25 min
Servings: 3-4

Method:
Cook the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and pepper in hot oil for a few minutes. Add the garlic and fry until golden brown. Mix in the peas, stir and cook covered for a few minutes. Add the drained rice and stir well to coat with oil. After a couple of minutes, stir in the water and add salt. Bring to a boil and cook covered for 15-20 min (or until the rice absorbs the water) on a medium flame. Enjoy with a side dish (dal, etc.) or papad/pickle/raita.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Brown Vermicelli (Semiya) Upma

Semiya upma is a quick and easy dish; the crunchy peanut/cashew texture along with the spicy/tangy flavour in the semiya makes this a perfect choice for your lunchbox.

Ingredients:
Vermicelli, broken into < 3" pieces - 4 cups
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Peanut/cashew pieces - 3/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger, chopped - 1" piece
Green chillies, chopped - 2
Onion, chopped - 1
Tomatoes, chopped - 2 med
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Salt - to taste
To garnish (optional):
Lemon juice - to taste
Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbsp

Time: 10 min
Servings: 2-3

Method:
Heat the ghee in a wok and add the vermicelli, stir to coat well and fry for 3 min. Remove from wok. Bring 4 or more cups of water to a boil in the wok with a few drops of oil and 1/4 tsp salt, and cook the vermicelli until soft (but not mushy) -- should take 2-3 min. Drain and run cold water on the vermicelli. Set aside.
Heat the oil in the wok and add the peanut/cashew pieces, mustard seeds, green chillies, ginger and onions. Cook until the onions start turning brown and add the tomato pieces. Stir well. After 2-3 min, add a little bit of water and cook for 2 min. Add salt and turmeric powder and mix. Add vermicelli and mix well, cook for 2 min. Leave covered for a couple of minutes. Before serving, garnish with lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Mom's recipe

South Indian Style Vegetable Kurma

Ingredients:
Coconut, grated (unsweetened) - 2-2.5 cups
Green chillies - 2
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Ginger - 1" piece, cut into smaller pieces
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp (optional)
Mixed vegetables (potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, etc. cut into small pieces, and peas) - 4-5 cups
Onion, chopped - 1
Red chillies (dried) - 2 (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp (optional)
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Time: (cook + prep) 20-30 min
Servings: 3-4

Method:
Grind the first six ingredients to a paste using as little water as necessary (I didn't have to use any). This paste gives off a very delicious spicy aroma!

Heat the oil in a large wok and season with mustard seeds and red chillies. Add the onions and fry until they start to turn brown. Mix in the vegetables and stir for a few minutes to coat well, then add a cup of water and cook covered. When the veggies are halfway cooked, add the paste and turmeric powder and mix well. Add more water if necessary and cook covered. Add salt and cook for a few minutes until the gravy is of the desired consistency. Serve hot with chapatis, puris or rice.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: This recipe
Note: This version of kurma is the traditional side dish to parottas (the Southie version of parathas), which I haven't tried making yet. When I succeed, I'll link to the recipe!

Pasta with Chickpeas and Charred Tomatoes

4 servings

• PREP: 30 minutes
• TOTAL: 30 minutes

Recipe by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

February 2011

Ingredients

• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1/2 cup purchased plain hummus
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 12-ounce bags cherry tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Whisk hummus into liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large heavy skillet over high heat. Add cherry tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until blackened in spots, shaking skillet occasionally, about 8 minutes. Mix in chickpeas, garlic, and smoked paprika. Crush some of tomatoes to release juices. Add pasta and enough hummus mixture to coat. Mix in olives and cilantro; season with salt and pepper.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2011/02/pasta_with_chickpeas_and_charred_tomatoes#ixzz1F7ZYGkEV

BNH

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3 cups mushroom broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
• 1 large carrot, diced(optional)
• 2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.

Optional: Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese.

from Food Network Magazine

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-broccoli-cheddar-soup-recipe/index.html

BNH

Leek Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed, approximately 4 to 5 medium
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Heavy pinch kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 14 ounces, approximately 3 small, Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives

Directions

Chop the leeks into small pieces.

In a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and the vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes.

Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, buttermilk, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.

Cook Time: 1h 15min

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from Alton Brown and Good Eats

BNH

Spinach/Fenugreek Leaf Pakodas

Introduction:
This is a basic snack dish involving batter made of chickpea flour, with chopped onions and any one of many leafy greens. Delicious and easy to make (I got it right on the first try) and the recipe below is a stepping stone to more intricate ones. It requires amchoor (dried mango powder), which is a good thing to have in your spice rack (available at Indian stores) as it is used in quite a few Indian dishes. You can replace 1 tsp of amchoor with 3 tbsp of lime or lemon juice.

Ingredients:
Chickpea flour (besan) - 2 cups
Chopped spinach or fenugreek (methi) leaves - 1 cup
Amchoor (dried mango powder) - 1 tsp [Or 3 tbsp lemon/lime juice]
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - about 1 tsp or to taste
Oil for deep frying - 3 cups

Time: 15-20 min (5 prep, 15 cook)
Servings: 4

Method:
In a large mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Make a depression in the middle and slowly add water (I didn't have to add more than 3/4 to 1 cup of water for the 2 cups of flour, so be careful), mixing to dissolve any lumps that form. You should end up with a thick batter. Now add the greens and onions (and, if you aren't using amchoor, also the lemon/lime juice) and mix well. Heat the oil in a wok until you can smell it. Lower the heat to medium and drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the oil, four or five at a time depending on the size of your wok. Fry until both sides are browned. When removing from oil, use the spatula to squeeze out any excess oil. Transfer to paper towels to absorb any remaining oil. Keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve warm with ketchup or Sriracha sauce.

Suggestion 1: Try with other greens? Let me know how it goes.
Suggestion 2: These pakodas can also be incorporated into gravy dishes like soups. A traditional Indian favourite is yogurt soup (kadhi) with pakodas (kadhi pakoda). For use in soups, after removing excess oil, immediately soak in warm water for a few minutes. Squeeze out water and add to soup.
Author: Shrinkingsodacan