Curried Egg Salad Sandwich

I've always loved the simple egg salad. It's probably the only way I'll eat the egg yolks without noticing it's strong flavor. Here is a sandwiched variation on a spiced up version of it I came across in a cookbook that H gave me for Christmas. It keeps well in the fridge for up to a day!

Makes about 3 sandwiches

4 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
3 tbsp green or red pepper, diced
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil
3 tbsp aioli (or mayo)
6 lettuce leaves or 2 cups arugula
1 cucumber, sliced

Heat water in a medium saucepan until it comes to a rolling boil. Gently place the eggs in the boiling water and reduce to a simmer. (The water should come up about half way to the eggs) Boil uncovered for 7 minutes and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit for another couple minutes before washing in cool water and shelling them.

Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onions on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add the salt, pepper and sugar to the onions and saute for a couple minutes until carmelized

Mash the eggs with a fork and mix in the aioli, spices, pepper and cilantro. Add more aioli/mayo if needed to achieve a more spreadable consistency.

Lightly toast 2 slices of bread.
Place a lettuce leaf or about a half cup of arugula on top of one slice, spread about 2 tbsp of the egg salad onto the lettuce leaf
Cover with cucumber slices and another lettuce leaf, top with some onion.
Place the other slice of bread on top
Cut into triangles and serve with kettle chips or a green salad.

Stuffed Parathas (Indian bread stuffed with well, many many things)

(Pictured here is the fenugreek, potato mixture)

Sometimes the simplest tips make a difference ...

I'd always shy ed away from making this treat; since the parathas never came out quite as soft as I'd have liked and I needed quite a bit of oil/butter to prevent them from staying soft. Not any more! Thanks Sil for the simple tip of using more water!

The best thing about stuffed parathas is you can vary the filling each time- this calls for some yummy inventing- my favorite kind of recipe!

(Makes about 15 medium parathas)

2 cups flour
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp yogurt
Cold water
1/2 cup dried methi/fenugreek or curry leaves (optional)

Mix the flour with the salt, sugar, oil and yogurt. Knead adding cold water a little at a time until a soft, moist, pliable dough is achieved. (About 3/4 cup of water should do)
Cover the dough with a moist towel and set aside

Filling
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
1 thai green chilli, finely chopped
2 tsp oregano seeds (ajwain) or cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

(One of the following)
3 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed (I also mix in 1 cup fenugreek leaves and 1/2 diced medium onion)
3 cups grated paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
2 cups cooked mashed cauliflower and 1 cup mashed green peas

Saute the fenugreek/cumin seeds, onion, ginger and garlic in 1 tbsp of oil for about 5 minutes
Add the spice powders and stir for about a minute
Add the green chili and potato/paneer/cauliflower+peas and fry for a couple minutes, mix/mash well

Paratha Assembly Line

Make 1.5 inch (diameter) round balls out of the dough
Flatten with a rolling pin to a circle about 4 inches in diameter (use some flour if necessary)
Heap about 1 tbsp of the filling into the center of the round, fold over and gently roll out into a paratha (about 7-8 inches in diameter or until the filling holds)

Melt about a half tsp of butter on a hot griddle. Cook the paratha on medium heat one side at a time until golden brown.
Serve with Indian pickles and creamy yogurt.

Yam and Sweet Potato oven fries

One my favorites after a dear friend (thanks O!) introduced me to this healthy way of eating sweet potato and yam! So simple and the flavor variations are awesome!

1 large yam
1 large sweet potato
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp canola oil

Mix the spices with the oil and set aside
Cut the yam and potato into 1/2 inch sticks in width and toss with the oil mixture.
Lay them on lined cookie sheets and a single row and cook in a preheated over (450F) for 10 minutes on either side or until lightly browned/cooked
Garnish with finely chopped oregano or rosemary (Alternatively, you can also mix in dried herbs with the oil mixture)

Serve with the yogurt dip mentioned or garlic aioli

Green Curry

There is something very hearty about curries. Especially on a cold day! You can make the chili paste in a larger quantity and freeze it for later curry-in-a-hurry use ...

Chili Paste:
2 green thin chilies (thai chilies)
1 tsp lime zest (or kaffir lime zest, available in asian stores)
1 tbsp lemon grass, chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 small red onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar

Put everything into a food processor and give it a whirl

Curry:
1 can coconut milk, lite is good too
1 cup vegetable broth (Click here for a home made broth recipe)
1 tbsp soy sauce
Sliced green pepper, eggplant, medium red onion (1 cup each)
1 cup of fresh basil
2 kaffir lime leaves (or 1 stalk of lemon grass, slit plus some more lime zest)
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups firm tofu, cut into medium sized cubes

In a pot, heat the coconut milk on medium heat for a couple minutes until you see the oil seperate
Add the chili paste, kaffir lime leaves/zest and cook on low, covered for about 5 minutes
Add the broth, soy sauce and stir in the vegetables and tofu
Season with more salt and sugar if needed

Quesadillas

The vegetarian quesadillas we get here are often loaded with cheese. I love cheese but this gets a little too 'cheesy' for my taste. Making them at home is not only easy but you can experiment with a variety of fillings! It makes for a quick, easy dinner!

(Makes 2 quesadillas)

4 medium tortillas (whole wheat, corn or flour)
Chopped onion, handful
Diced green/red pepper, handful
1 spring onion, chopped
A couple slivers of jalapeno
Jack and Mozzarella cheese, handful

Lay one tortilla on a plate
Sprinkle with half the cheese, peppers, onions, jalapenos and spring onion
Lay the other tortilla on top

Heat a griddle or pan and spray with some non stick cooking spray
Reduce heat to medium and lay the quesadilla on the pan. Press the top with a weight or a spatula to help the tortillas stick when the cheese melts
Brown on both side or until the cheese has melted

Cut into wedges and serve with Sour "Cream" dip mentioned in the blog (Its actually yogurt!) and salsa, mexican beans etc.

Variations on the filling:
Pineapple and jalapeno
Beans and onions
Cooked/Roasted potato, onions and peppers (My personal favorite!)
Crumbled tofu and jalapeno
Shredded chicken and jalapeno
Spicy grilled tilapia and salsa

Also try different cheeses:
Feta, cheddar, parmesan etc

Coconut Potato Stew

The 'pure' version of this dish hails from the state of Kerala in India. It's where my Dad was born. They have a ton of coconut trees there and use every part of the tree! (Not all goes into the food though!) :)

Growing up, my Dad would make this dish when a festival of the state rolled around- usually the Kerala Harvest Festival- Onam. I fell in love with it for its simplicity (which child doesn't love potatoes!) and even though I rarely make it; it comes to mind when I think of "comfort" food. There are a couple variations that make it more fancy and I'll list them at the end of the recipe. I make a rather lite version of the original but I think it packs the same flavor punch- coconut, ginger and coconut! :)

1 can lite coconut milk
2 medium potatoes, steamed/boiled with the peel on
1 thin green chili, slit down the middle
1 large red onion, sliced thick
3 inch stick of ginger, cut into thin sticks
1 dried red chili (optional)
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
A handful of curry leaves
1 tsp black mustard seeds
Salt to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pot and add the onions, ginger and green chile to it. Saute for about 2 minutes
Add the chili powder and the potatoes, saute another minute
Add the coconut milk, 1 c of water bring to a boil and then reduce the heat
Cook on low, uncovered for about 10 minutes
Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish
Heat a tbsp oil on a low flame (roasted sesame or coconut) and add the mustard seeds to it. (Cover this as its going to splutter) Add the curry leaves and broken dried red chili and stir for a few seconds before adding this mixture to the stew.

Variations
Whisk some (~ 1 tbsp) curry powder into the coconut milk
Add vegetables (peas, beans, cauliflower, carrot)
Use stock instead of water

Cilantro Mint Chutney

My Mom made this very often and we loved it! This chutney is so versatile. I'll list some of the ways you can use it at the end of the recipe

1 bunch fresh mint (about 2 cups)
1 bunch cilantro (about 4 cups)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon (or 1 tsp tamarind concentrate)

Wash and chop the herbs roughly
Smash the garlic clove
Blend all the ingredient together and season with salt to taste

Voila! :)

The many uses of this chutney-

1. Sandwiches- Simple but really yummy and great finger food when cut into tiny triangles
Butter 2 slices of bread, spread a little chutney and top with thin slices of cucumber. The butter prevents the bread from getting soggy!
Growing up this was a staple in our home. My sister got me hooked!
2. Sauce for mashed potatoes, samosas, rice, kebabs, roasted potatoes etc
3. Yogurt drink
Whisk about a tbsp into a glass of cold buttermilk (equal parts yogurt and water)

Variations

One of my favorite variations of this chutney is something my Mom would make for us. It goes really well with dosas (Savory Indian crepes) and idlis (Indian rice cakes)

Coconut Cilantro Chutney
All the above ingredients except the lemon juice. Add 2 tbsp of thick yogurt and 1 cup of shredded coconut to the blender.

Baked Samosas (Indian savory pastry)

H absolutely drools over samosas. My system doesn't take on fried stuff very well though. (Lets keep the age jokes aside for now, ok?) :)

For one of our very first eating-in dates, I made him this baked version of his favorite savory Indian snack.

2 large boiled yukon gold potatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup peas
1 carrot, shredded
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 green chilies, minced
1 inch stick of ginger, minced
Salt to taste
1 tsp garam masala
Small flour tortillas

Filling-

Zap the peas and carrots in the microwave with a little water until cooked, drain
Mash the potatoes
Heat some oil (about 2 tbsp) in a pan, add the cumin seeds and then the onions
Saute for a couple minutes till onions are brown, add the ginger and masala, saute for a minute
Add the chilies and the vegetables & season with salt

Assembly-

Whisk the flour with some water to achieve a glue like consistency
Take a flour tortilla and cut it into halves
Place a little filling onto the tortilla and form a triangle by sealing the ends with flour paste.
Place the samosas on a greased cookie sheet
Brush each samosa with a little oil

Bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about 20 minutes (Turn samosas over mid way or after one side has browned lightly)

Serve with mint & cilantro chutneys, tomato ketchup, yogurt dip or date chutney.

Variation-

For a slightly less healthier version (but a yummy one!) make these with puff pastry or filo dough!

Gobi Manchurian (Cauliflower munchies)

H really likes this; so I had to come up with a recipe that's a healthy alternative. This one calls for shallow frying. I've also tried a bake and broil version with good results.

1 medium cauliflower, cut into big florettes
1 bunch of spring onion, chopped
2 inch stick of ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chilli, finely minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
Salt to taste

Batter-
1/4 c plain flour
3 tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 inch ginger stick, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

Zap the cauliflower in the microwave with a little water for about 3 minutes or until almost cooked (it should still have some bite to it)
Drain and dry on a kitchen towel, set aside.

Make thin batter out of the flour and 2 tbsps of the corn starch with some water.
Mix in the chili powder, garlic, ginger and salt to taste.
Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and shallow fry in hot oil until golden
Drain on paper towels

Before serving:
In a tbsp of oil, add the chili, onion, ginger and garlic and fry for about 2 minutes
Add and spring onions and salt to taste. Stir fry for a minute.
Add 1 cup of h2o and bring to a boil.
Beat 1 tbsp corn starch into 1/2 c h2o
Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously until transparent and thick
Add the cauliflower to the gravy; heat through.
Add the soy sauce

Variations:
Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the water+cornstarch mixture.
Instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced vegetables and bind
with some corn starch/bread crumbs.

Healthy alternative:
Bake and Broil-
Skip the batter. Marinate the cauliflower in a mixture of lemon juice and all the spices and about 3 tbsp of oil. Bake in a 375F over for about 20 minutes or until tender. Then broil on low for about 5 minutes or until brown bits start showing through.

Creamy Cheesecake

(Thanks Poori for the picture. Poori, a cousin of mine took this picture after she made this cheesecake. Look how scrumptious it looks- and no cracks! On her very first try that to!)

I made my first cheesecake when I was in school. I read about a light and "fluffy as air" cheesecake in a novel and I couldn't get it out of my head. A couple trials later, I found a recipe I love! It has been a hit and I have been requested to make it time after time.

I'll include a couple variations I've tried below as well. This one is a Chocolate Swirled vanilla cheesecake

Crust:
12 oz reduced fat honey graham crackers
4 oz butter

Pulse the crackers in a food processor.
Melt the butter and pulse with the crushed cracker mix.
Press into the bottom of a greased 12" springform pan .
Place the crust in the preheated 350F oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden
Cool

3 packages Neufchâtel cream cheese (a reduced fat version of regular cream cheese)
8 0z ricotta or mascarpone cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 c sour cream
1/4 c flour
4 tbsp dark cocoa powder
1 c cane sugar
1 tbsp good vanilla extract

In a food processor, mix the cream cheese, milk and eggs until smooth.
Add the flour, sour cream, vanilla and sugar one by one, process until smooth and creamy
Divide the mixture into 2 halves
Mix the cocoa powder into one half of the filling

Take the cooled crust and pour 1/3rd of the vanilla mixture into the crust, wait until it spreads
Pour 1/3rd of the chocolate mixture into the center of the crust over the vanilla
Repeat with the vanilla and chocolate until you end with the chocolate mixture in the center of the cake.

Pour some hot water into a large roasting pan and place in the bottom rack of the over. Set another rack right on top of it. Set the cheesecake on this rack.
Bake for 40 minutes to an hour. (Knock the side of the pan and if the cake doesnt jiggle too much, you're done)
Cool to room temperature and then chill for 6-8 hours.

Variations:
Make a chocolate crust by adding some melted chocolate to the crust recipe
Make a plain vanilla cheesecake (omit the cocoa powder) but add the zest of one lemon and 2 tbsps of brandy or grand marnier during the processing stage.

Top the plain vanilla cheesecake with:
Lemon basil syrup (Combine the juice of 2 lemons with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar over low heat until mixture is syrupy. Mince a couple of basil leaves and add it to the syrup. Cool and top the cheesecake with this mixture)

Fruit topping (Combine 1 cup of frozen fruit with 1/2 cup of honey. Pour this over the cheesecake before serving)

Mango Cheesecake:
Substitute the milk and sour cream in the recipe for 2 cups of mango puree. The lemon basil syrup goes well with this cake!