A savoury cocktail with shrimp and bell peppers

Shrimp cocktail is a seafood dish made with a tomato dressing and generally they are served chilled in a martini glass. I tasted them for the first time in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and I am in love with it since then. When I saw a similar recipe in the South Beach diet book, I was more than excited to try it right away. Days are getting hotter and hotter in California. The hot weather makes us crave for any dish that is cold. Shrimp cocktail is one such perfect snack to munch on a hot summer day. The dipping sauce is creamy and the mild sweetness from the red bell pepper blends wonderfully with the spicy hot sauce. The juicy shrimp coated with the delicious sauce is a treat for the mouth. The addition of chilli flakes and lemon juice is my version of the dish. The original recipe doesn't need them. Next time, I will try to add cilantro too as we are a big fan to it.

Serves 2

Ingredients

20-30 shrimp - I used frozen ones from Costco

1 large red bell pepper

2-3 tablespoon sour cream - I used the fat free ones

1 large garlic clove

1-2 teaspoon hot sauce or 1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil/ any oil of your choice

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large wok. Once the oil ripples, throw in the cleaned and de-veined shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Drain any water and let the shrimp cool.

Grind the bell pepper, sour cream, garlic, hot sauce/ chili flakes, salt and pepper to a fine paste. Don't add water. 

Chill the sauce and shrimp in the refrigerator until you serve.

 

Pour the sauce onto a martini glass and place the shrimp along the edges of the glass or you could serve them in a bowl as I did in the photograph.

TIP

1. Shrimp cocktail is an ideal snack for phase 1 of South beach diet.

2. You can definitely eat them in your phase 2 and 3 as well.

Chicken cooked with peppercorns and onions

One quiet Friday evening of 2006: dark day, gloomy sky, frozen hands, chapped lips  and  crispy cold hair. Me - feeling chilly, miserable and tired at the end of long day in lab. During my drive in the bus,the images of tomato rasam with steam gushing over my face and peppery chicken curry served with steamy rice kept popping over my head.  As I got off the bus, I bundled up the strength and energy to take few steps to the house I lived, meanwhile praying to God that I find the ingredients to cook dinner that day. As I entered the house, B  was already there and was chopping onions. I waved a hi and headed to my room to change. I walked back  to the kitchen in no time, fresh and re-charged to cook the meal I was craving for.  In less than 30 minutes, my curry and rice were ready to be eaten. These were the dishes that would soothe us and alleviate the pains of missing our dear homes and family. When I tasted this curry last weekend, I was transported to those cold winter nights and thoughts about my lovely friends B and V, who are working on their PhD and eating dinners all alone passed by. This dish is for you girls. Hugs!

Chicken milagu varuval (pepper chicken) is one the dish which I have made over and over again in my student life. A perfect spicy good dish for the depressing weather in UK. I could call myself an expert at it because I would have cooked it more than hundred times.

Cooking proper hearty Indian dishes were only during the weekends and this was yet another special weekend dish. This yummy spicy chicken curry would taste really exotic with yogurt/rasam and rice. Weather in UK is always unpredictable, you can get to see all the season in one day – sunny, windy, rainy and its cold almost throughout the year so your body really craves for spicy dishes and that’s why I cook this quite often. I keep modifying the recipes depending on the ingredients I find in my tiny kitchen shelf.

Ingredients
500gm chicken – cleaned and cut into small chunks
2 Onions - chopped

2 garlic cloves - minced

1 inch ginger - minced

1/4 cup  pepper balls - crushed
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoon coriander powder
8-10 curry leaves - chopped (optional)
2 tablespoon oil

Salt

Whole Masalas2 cloves
1 Bay leaf
2-3 Cardamons
1” Cinnamon Stick
2 tsp Cummin seeds

MethodHeat the oil in a kadai and once they are heated up, add the whole masalas and curry leaves. Saute for 60 seconds. Now add the onions and cook till they turn brown. 

Mix in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and cook till the raw smell disappears.

Add the chicken pieces and cook till they are browned on all sides. The chicken would cook in its own water. Cook on medium flame for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle water if it looks too dry for you. Simmer the flame and sprinkle the crushed pepper balls. Mix thoroughly. Cook for further 5 minutes.

Serve hot with steaming rice and chilled buttermilk.

Anyone for Denny's ultimate skillet?

If you have a craving for hot pancakes or cheesy sandwich at 12 in the night, don't worry the closest Denny's restaurant is there at your service.  I love their fluffy pancakes and have woken S in the middle of his sleep to drive me to the closest one to curb my pregnancy cravings.  There were times even S will have cravings for hot pancakes in the wee hours and we will  nod a yes in silence and head straight to our favorite place and to our favorite table too.

During our road trips, Denny's is our first choice of place to eat as they are open all the time and there is Denny's every where. On a quick glace at the menu card, many like my mom would feel that the food at Denny's is high in sugar and fat but for a person like me who has been on diet on/off (whether I succeed or not :-), I have explored their menu top to bottom. One dish which is filling and to an extent nutritious are their ULTIMATE SKILLET.

 Picture courtesy: Denny's facebook page

Ultimate skillet is a dish served like a sizzler, cooked with fresh spinach, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and red potatoes, they are super delicious and irresistible. They are served with two eggs cooked the way you want (I like them half cooked - Bull's eye eggs) and topped with cheese. I have hopped between South beach diet phase 1 and phase 2 often. While ordering this dish, I ask them not to add the cheese and will skip the potatoes while eating. That way, I get to eat what I love and also stay within the parameters of the diet.

On the practical front, it isn't possible to eat at Denny's all the time. So I re-created this dish in my kitchen with my choice of sausage (chicken and turkey) and omitted the cheese and potatoes. My verdict is this dish will be filling, will last through the entire morning and you feel less greasy and sleepy while you have a code to crack or a PCR to run or a meeting to attend.

My attitude is if the tummy is happy, the brain will be active and this dish proves that.

Ingredients

1 sausage of your choice (Buy low sodium and low fat varieties)

10 mushroom of your choice

1/4 cup bell peppers - quatered

1/4 cup red onions - quatered

1 tomato - quartered

1-2 teaspoon olive oil

1 clove garlic - minced

Salt & Pepper

2 eggs

Method

Heat a shallow non-stick cooking pan and add about 1 teaspoon oil. Once the oil smokes, add the diced sausage and cook till they brown, approximately 5-8minutes on a medium flame. Keep an eye to avoid burning. Remove and drain them on a kitchen towel.

To the same pan, add very little oil and throw in the garlic. Saute for 30 seconds. Mix in the onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and bell peppers. On a high flame cook them for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and cook till done, approximately 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Mix in the sausage. Set aside. Break the eggs and cook it the way you like. Serve the hot eggs with the veggies and sausage.

 Some days, I have fixed them with just mushrooms and sausage too.  

Whole grain idly

Everyday we wake up planning to buy organic produce, cook healthy dishes, drink a lot of water and exercise. Sometimes we will make it through this challenge easily while some days we need to crack our head to find a recipe that would please our palate and our family too. Nobody wants to see frown faces in the eating table right?

That was my state during my pregnancy. I had gestational diabetes since the last trimester of pregnancy and had to watch on what and how much goes inside my mouth. Careful monitoring of sugar level was needed. My dietitian advised me to include whole grains in every meal as they are complex carbohydrates and it takes a longer time for the food to get broken down to sugar. This way the sugar level can be maintained well.

That's when I was introduced to quinoa (read it as "Keen-Wa), a South American grain rich in protein. They come in red and white color. When I shopped it for the first time, I could find only red variety and since then haven't thought of buying the white one (Don't ask me why!). I tried making upma, fried rice, salad and even idly and dosa with quinoa. Since I had to follow a strict diet chart and because of harmonal misfire, I was always irritated and moody. I thought to myself "Oh god! I can never eat all this after my delivery". But I was wrong, within few days of starting this kinds of food, I started to play around few recipes and spice levels. They taste absolutely yummy to me. Healthy foods can be delicious was my conclusion at the end of these experiments.

Whole grain idly is an ideal breakfast/dinner dish for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of South beach diet. and also for women with gestational diabetes.

Here is a very simple quinoa-ragi-oats idly recipe. I found the idlies to be soft when served immediately and so filling (with just 2) . I have tried to store it in the fridge and re-heat the next day. It tasted pathetic to me. May be you could pour oodles of sambhar to get rid of ragi's smell. Otherwise they were great when eaten fresh. Since they are instant idlies, you could prepare the batter fresh and I didn't like the idlies made from stored batter.

Ingredients
1 cup red or white quinoa ( I used the Inca organic red quinoa)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup ragi flour
1/2 cup semolina
1 cups plain yogurt
2 tbsp cilantro - chopped
1 tsp baking soda
Salt to taste

Method

Heat a dry pan for 2 minutes on high. Once hot enough, lower the flame and lightly roast the  quinoa and oats separately without oil for 2-3minutes. Once cooled , grind them to a fine powder in a blender (each separately). 

Mix the semolina, ragi flour, salt  and baking soda with the powdered quinoa and oats. Initially add about 1.5 cups of  yogurt and mix them well with a spatula. Add the chopped coriander leaves and add the remaining yogurt and stir to combine.

The batter should be similar to a normal idli batter consistency, if not add some more water. Grease the idli moulds, and the pour the batter, steam it in the cooker until the idli's are cooked.
Serve warm with sambar and chutney.

Recipe for sambhar can be found here.

This is my entry for the WWC: Quinoa for dinner event

Salad with walnuts, feta cheese and lettuce

Walnut, feta cheese and lettuce salad is one of my most favorite salad. I tasted a similar salad in Elephant bar restaurant in Fremont. I love it not only for its taste but also for the simplicity in its making. Most salad dressing recipes require the addition of three parts of oil to a single part of vinegar. They have to be whisked well to get a creamy sauce at the end.Salt, pepper, and herbs are added to complete the dressing's flavor. Depending on the type of vinaigrette, olive oil and wine vinegar are added. Sometimes I also use mayonnaise, dijon mustard, sherry wine vinegar and Tabasco sauce.

Crunchy walnuts, soft cheese and garden fresh lettuce compliment wonderfully with each other. I made a very simple vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. I used to buy the huge pack of lettuce from Costco. Half the bag will go wasted as the leaf don't taste fresh to me after a week or so. So these I buy fresh lettuce, spring mix and rockets from farmer's market and try to make variations to my salad.


This salad is ideal for phase 1, 2 and 3 of South beach diet and also for women with gestational diabetes.
 
Ingredients
2 handful lettuce
1/4 cup low-fat feta cheese -crumbled
10-12 walnuts - halved

For the dressing
1/4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Method
Mix the dressing well with a whisk and pour over the lettuce. Sprinkle crumbles feta cheese and walnut on top. Serve right away.

Turkey roll ups - My favourite snack

Cricket is a game loved by everyone in India. Gali cricket is part of every one's childhood. It will be played in every street in India, all we need are a bat, a ball and few enthusiastic players. After watching the world cup 1996 (I was in Grade 6 then), my friends and I were so passionate for the game that we even formed a girls team in our housing complex. My uncle who was a football coach got us new stumps and wickets and we used to play like mad people breaking bike lights, window panes, hitting aunties and pleading them to give the ball back. It brings a lot of laughter and memories when I think about them.

For a nation that is divided by different religions, sects, cultures and languages, if there is one thing that would bring us together will be CRICKET. Cricket is more a religion than a game to Indians. In that religion, Sachin Tendulkar is considered the GOD. We are fanatic fans who go wild whether our Men in Blue lose or win. We cry, we laugh, we cheer, we scream - This is how a typical Indian would be while watching a cricket game. Emotions keep rolling for every stroke played, for every ball bowled and for every run taken.

The semi final between India-Pakistan (30th March) was a real treat to watch and I was up from 1.30 am (Pacific time) to watch who won the toss. S & I stayed all along the game to watch our Indian team go to finals. The game between India-Pakistan was more like a political event where the prime minister's of both the countries, political leaders and movie personalities were present to watch the game live. The pressure was not on the players alone but also on us, we were quite tensed how the game is going to turn out. Cricket world cup is like the American Superbowl. The advertisement were also a fun to watch.

The big game, the World Cup finals between Srilanka and India was on 2nd April. The last couple of days had been busy for me. I participated in a bake sale for Japan on Saturday morning and had a lovely time meeting R & S, my fellow food bloggers. I baked in intervals on Friday and Saturday early morning, also did some test baking on Thursday. While watching the game, I was also paralleling doing some prep work for my checker board cookies. I will write a separate post about Bake sale - Japan and about the goodies I baked for it. I left home at 9.00 am on Saturday, about the time when the game became crucial and got really interesting. I desperately wanted to watch the last 10 or so overs but I had to attend the bake sale at 10.00 am.

Later at 11.00am my husband called up to share the news that WE won. Wow! OMG! Great! were the words thought popped out of my mouth. I kept thinking how would have Dhoni, our captain would have reacted, how loud the crowd would have screamed, what would have Sachin said? Who was the Man of the Match? With all those thoughts and missing our victory dance at home , I drove back to watch the highlights. I kept watching the highlights over and over again. India is the world number 1 in 20-20 game, 50-50 game and also in Test cricket. I cann't get more proud than this. Chak de!!! Chack de India!



Keeping in mind our never dieing cricket spirit, Ria posted in her FB profile asking fellow Indian Food Bloggers to join her cook something to add to the spirit of cricket as we watch the World Cup Cricket 2011. 'WE' cooked together on the game night with the recipes of our choice and planned to post it the following day.

I made a very simple turkey roll up with cilantro-mayonnaise spread at 3.00 am. This is a perfect snack for a game night (rather early morning), so simple to prepare as you need not more than 5 minutes to assemble and serve. The key thing for me on a game day is to serve something that will not take much of my time in the kitchen, so that I could head back to the living room to watch the fun with others This recipe is inspired from the South Beach Diet Book.

Enjoy! Jai ho!!!!


These roll ups are ideal for Phase 1, 2 and 3 of South beach diet. Stick with maximum 2 rolls for a snack. You could add any veggies of your choice for the stuffing (For phase 1 avoid carrots, beets, peas, potatoes and corns for stuffing) and this roll up is a perfect snack for women with gestational diabetes.

Ingredients
Turkey Roll-Up
4 slices turkey breast
4 medium Boston lettuce leaves - diced
4 scallions - diced
4 red bell pepper - diced
4 baby cucumber - diced

Cilantro Mayonnaise
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves - finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 small clove garlic - minced

Method
Cilantro Mayonnaise
Place the mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic in a bowl and mix well.

Turkey Roll-Up
Place 1 slice of turkey and spread with 1 tablespoon Cilantro Mayonnaise. Then layer them with little lettuce, scallions, cucumber and peppers. Drizzle some more spread on top and fold into a tight, cigar-like roll. Serve cold.

Spicy hummus

 

Spicy hummus is one of our favorite pick from Trader Joes (Retail grocery store in US). A small bite into the baguette dipped in this hummus, transports us to the Mediterranean land. We are a big time fan of middle eastern cuisine especially the falafel and dolma. We are a loyal customer to Falafel Drive-in, San Jose (a middle eastern take out joint) and we look for every possible opportunity to eat there. My OB/GYN clinic is right next to this place and every time we visit her office, I get the 2.00PM appointment so we would munch our lunch there .

S's work takes him to Israel often and I get to cook with good quality olive oil and olives from there. First time I got a fresh bottle, S directed me to pour the oil onto a white plate and observe its color. The best quality olive oil has a cloudy appearance and shiny golden-green color, he announced. This oil did fit the requirement and I could smells its fruity fragrance in the air. I generously dipped a toasted whole wheat bread into that oil and tasted its authentic taste for the first time. I felt like being transported to the land of olives. This clean, crisp oil tempted me to use that for regular Indian cooking as well.

Last September when he visited Israel for a month, he had a lovely time visiting his colleague's family for dinners. It was the month of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Actually it didn't sound like a biz trip to me when he narrated the fun he had gorging on delicious food and wine. This time he brought with him two huge olive oil bottles, one he said for cooking and the other for our little Prince's body massage. His friend's sent me New year gifts; porcelain pomegranates and "Bless this home" wall hanging. It's a belief that the person who owns it will be blessed with happy moments equivalent to the number of arils (seed casings) found in it.

Hummus has become an integral part of our family and S jokes that the hummus is made more number of times in our house than in a middle eastern household. I try to add variation to it by adding avocado or mint leaves or roasted sesame seeds or cilantro depending on the things I find in my kitchen. S was so addicted to it that he will eat them with any bread available at home. So I recreated this hummus after reading the list of ingredients in that packet and also making them at home is cost effective.

Spicy sweetness from bell peppers, pungent flavor from garlic and mild heat from the jalapenos add a lovely flavor and texture to this hummus. The addition of tahini paste adds a gentle creaminess to it and finally the zesty lemon and parsley creates a refreshing taste to it. I love its color and I enjoy them with carrots and celery sticks.

Ingredients 1 large red bell pepper
6 garlic cloves
6 pickled jalapenos
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can organic garbanzo beans (15oz)
1 lemon
1/2 cup tahini paste
2 tablespoon fresh parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Method
Clean and remove the seeds from the red bell peppers. Chop them into large chunks and pat dry them with kitchen towel. Mix garlic, jalapeno peppers and bell peppers with little salt, pepper and olive oil. Broil them for 15-18 minutes , until they are lightly charred. Be careful and keep an eye after 12 minutes. Remove and let them cool.

Drain the beans into a colander and rinse them in the running tap water.

Grind the beans, broiled veggies, tahini paste, juice of a lemon, salt, pepper and olive oil to a fine paste with little water. Finally add the parsley and pulse them together. Garnish with lemon zest and mix well before serving. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:
1. I prefer to use little water instead of using large amount of olive oil.
2. Serve this spicy hummus with celery, cucumber and bell pepper strips for those in South beach diet. This is an ideal snack for women with gestational diabetes. For other, serve these spicy good hummus with grilled bread/baguette.
3. You could also add roasted sesame seeds instead of tahini.

Chicken curry with tons of spinach

The days are gray and cold here, cars are covered with mist and the dull clouds hung in the steely skies, it is raining cats and dogs in California since last weekend. The iciness in the air tickles my skin, as I inhale a lungful of the cold air, my lung gets a glimpse of the outside weather. I got dressed to step out. The strong winds reminded me of the monsoon in India. Before I left, I sat at the kitchen island gathering together the shopping list for the coming week. Normally, we write whats needed on bits of paper kept in the draw next to the refrigerator. S gave me the typical look which warned me that better don't forget anything and later pester him to go to Savemart to buy 1 or 2 things.

In the farmer's market, while scanning the stalls for a fresh bunch of spinach, I was asked by a lady clad in brown jacket about cooking with spinach. I smiled back and wondered what made her ask me. May be she has seen me around this place often or may be she has seen me pick bunches of spinach every week.

"Would you mind sharing any easy Indian recipe with spinach?" She asked me.

"Yes, of course" was my reply.

She would have been in her mid 30s and sounded like she had never attempted to cook anything Indian. I started with my tutorial in one corner of the tent with chopping the onions, ginger and garlic. I asked her whether she would love meat in her food. She nodded a yes. I suggested to try with boneless chicken and Indian seasoning. I quickly explained to her about the different spices and how they will look and taste. I recommended her to buy them from ethnic Indian stores. She interrupted me with tons of questions like what is garam masala? Can cilantro be replaced with parsley or basil? What can I serve this curry with?

The creamy chicken will taste tender and juicy by cooking it in low heat and promised to taste great when it thickens. We exchanged our email Ids. She was so excited to try this dish and as we parted we hoped to bump into each other some time in the future. After chatting with the farmer friends who were wrapping their sale for the day, I meandered my way through the crowd. Finally sitting back in the car,I felt proud about sharing my family recipe with a non-Indian home cook. Back in my cosy kitchen, I wanted to create the same dish - Spinach chicken. A delicious gravy cooked with spinach and chicken and simmered with aromatic spices. This is a healthy dish packed with protein and iron.


For those in South beach diet phase 1, serve the spinach chicken with grilled eggplants,peppers and onions with balsamic vinaigrette.  For phase 2, serve them with 1/2cup cooked rice or 2 whole wheat rotis/chapattis. This curry is also ideal for women with gestational diabetes. Stick with 1/2cup cooked rice or 2-3 chappatti's based on your sugar level ( 1 hours after meal). For women with gestational diabetes, always consult with your dietitian before starting any meal plan. I used to walk for 20 minutes after every meal and when the blood test was done after 1hour, my values were below 140 mg/dl.


Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion - diced
4 garlic - minced
1'' ginger - minced
2 pounds - boneless, skinless chicken
1 pound - baby spinach
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste

Method

1. Clean and wash the chicken. Chop them to about 1- 1.5 cm cubes. Set aside.

2. Wash and clean the spinach. Drain excess water with paper towel and puree them without water.

3. Heat oil in a cooking pan on medium flame. Add the onions to the hot oil with little salt. Let the onions sweat. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for further 3-5 minutes.

4. Add the chicken, chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Cook for 10 minutes. Don't add any water, as the chicken would sweat out water in the pan.

5. Pour the spinach puree on top, stir and cook covered for further 25-30 minutes. Adjust salt to taste.

6. Serve hot with rice or rotis/naan/ chapati.

Brown rice with roasted vegetables

Huff!
Puff!
Running.. then jogging..then walking and again running....She gasps for more air!

She was running in the tread mill as if there was no tomorrow. Speckles of sweat on her face looked like the dew drops rolling down a car's window and her cheeks blushed with redness. Then she enthusiastically hops on to the elliptical with the hope to burn her layers of fat in one day and talks to herself on cutting down fried foods, desserts, walk up and down the stairs at home, stay active and importantly nod the head from left to right to left again when a food is placed in the front.That's my alter ego and I am on a mission to lose weight.

The post pregnancy weight gain hasn't been high on the scale but I have gained a lot of pounds over the last two years. Thanks to the tons of food that entered my body. With that determination to bring my body fat down, I entered my home to cook brown rice. My mom was frying delicious masala vadais - (gram dhal patty in english) (click for the recipe here) for S and I was head strong not to even touch a single piece of that patty. As always S is there to tempt me but this time I created a delicious alternative to curb my vadai craving. I developed this recipe (not a great one to boast about) after my friend shared eating a bowl of brown rice with veggies cooked with Cajun spices.

This is a warm salad of oven-roasted veggies and Indian flavored brown rice. I cooked the brown rice with cumin seeds, garlic, chilly flakes which made it taste like pilaf and I used all the possible vegetable found in my refrigerator. The colorful veggies were made more appealing to the palate by the addition of thyme and rosemary. They were roasted to perfection and served over the steamy brown rice. They are so filling and packed with nutrition.

For those who are conscious about the extra flesh around your waist and for those who wants to eat whole grains and for those who is opting for a healthy living, here is the tasty solution. I have had a disliking for Brown rice, 5 grain hot cereal mix, Quinoa and Oats but once you learn the knack to cook it tastier, you can never get enough of them. Will share the delicious recipes of those in the future posts.

This is my entry for Siri and Sanjeeta's -"Brown rice for dinner" event.



Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
1tsp cumin seeds
5-6 garlic cloves - minced
1 tbs onions - chopped
2 tsp chilly flakes
Oil for tempering, about 2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste

For the roasted vegetables:
10 brocolli florets
10 cauliflower florets
2 large red potatoes - quartered with the skin on
2 long carrots
1 large red onions - quartered
1 small bell peppers
1 small aubergine
2-3 garlic cloves - minced
1tbs olive oil
2 tsp thyme
2tsp rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Cook the rice as per the manufacturer's instruction. Heat the oil in a small cooking pan. Once they get heated up, throw in the cumin seeds, garlic, chilly flakes and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Mix them with the rice and set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 475'F. Chop all the vegetable in the same size. Transfer them to a large roasting pan. Sprinkle the thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss them well with olive oil and garlic. Roast for 35-40 minutes in the oven (conventional mode), stirring every 10-15minutes and cook till the vegetables are browned.

Serve in a bowl with alternate layers of the brown rice and veggies.

Spinach soup

August unfolded into September. Winter clothing, kitchenware in mini sizes, mom's spice powders, traveler's check, books, boots were scattered all over my room. House swarmed with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends to bid farewell to me. Wishes, advises, tips, warnings were echoing from my walls even after they left. I packed my suitcases and was getting ready to conquer the Queen's land. It was the day before I was leaving to England.

I was standing in the check-in line at the Chennai airport and thinking how the gray and cold days of UK going to treat me.Hiding my tears that were ready to roll down, I waved my hands with a broad smile to my parents standing in the visitor's lounge. With an alcoholic co-passenger,a boring movie and cold food, I reached Heathrow airport on a 10hour straight flight.

I had finally arrived. Like a kid in the candy store, I ogled with so much excitement at the sight of the biggest and busiest airport in the world. There was 3 hours left for my connecting flight to Manchester. I sat in one corner of Terminal 1 and researched the pennys, pounds my dad gave it to me (those currencies were new to me then) and simultaneously gazed at the mad crowd that were running around. There were no known face to recognize and no warm smile to reassure. I closed my eyes and inhaled a lungful of butter, vanilla, sugar , coffee. (Chuck the coffee. The idea of me liking coffee will be the opening line of a joke for those who know me.I hate coffee, leave alone its aroma in the air.) Aah! No! Yuck!

There it is, Starbucks - baking lovely goodies. My toes raced to the shop assistant who was packing chocolate croissants but ended up ordering a garden salad from the shop next to it. As I chewed and chewed my cold salad with utmost disinterest, I craved for a huge bowl of hot soup.

From the movies I had seen, from the books I had read, I had painted my own picture of England - cold weather, rains, short days and long nights. I liked it first but later found it so depressing. Everytime I stepped out, the sky was gray and the air was cold. The crisp, freezing air would forcibly kiss my face and leave its dryness all over. Giant jackets, huge gloves and thick boots became my soul mates. I could never let go of them. We were like marriage between two different person, like it or not, we had to stick together. After a whirl wind week of orientation, lab tours and classes, I was craving for some home food. A food that will take me home without a flight, a food that will bring the smell of my home and a food that is affordable.Spinach soup was the first thing I made as a student. It's simple, quick and cheap. A perfect dish to fill the stomach, to heal our homesick hearts, to nourish my nutrients-deprived student body, to comfort us inside out and make us feel alive again. This buttery, peppery,garlicky, spinachy soup fills the kitchen with its lovely aroma and reminds me of home.

For those in South beach diet phase 1 (use 1/4 cup light coconut milk), serve the spinach soup with grilled eggplants,peppers and onions with balsamic vinaigrette or any salad.  For phase 2, serve them with 1/2cup cooked rice or 2 whole wheat rotis/chapattis. This soup is also ideal for women with gestational diabetes. Stick with 1/2cup cooked rice or 2-3 chappatti's based on your sugar level (1 hour after meal). For women with gestational diabetes, always consult with your dietitian before starting any meal plan. 

In my case, I used to walk for 20 minutes after every meal and when the blood test was done after 1hour, my values were below 140 mg/dl. Your blood work will tell how to play around with carbohydrates. When hungry between the meals, snack with nuts like almonds (15) , pistachios (30), soy nuts (1/4cup), walnuts (15), pecans (15), roasted peanuts (20) or drink 1% milk (8oz).
 

Ingredients

1 cup spinach - chopped
3-4 garlic pods - minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup onions - finely chopped
1/4 cup tomatoes - finely chopped
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 cups water
1cup coconut milk (optional)
1 tbs lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the butter in the cooking pan. Once heated, add the cumin seeds and garlic and cook for a minute. Now add the onions, tomato and spinach. Cook for further 2-3 minutes, until the spinach wilts. Mix in the water and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and cook for 6-8 whistles. Pour the coconut milk and stir. Drizzle the lemon juice and check salt for taste before serving.

Top them with garlicky croutons or pepper pappads and serve hot.

Salad with garbanzo beans and Indian spices

Gone are the days when our affectionate grannies will pull apart our fleshy cheek or tap our heavy thighs to say "Sweetheart! you look just perfect and healthy". Back home in India, the elders panic when you look slim and they considered it as a health problem. (Guess they forgot that the doctor's blood work will give an idea on the body's protein, fat, iron, sodium or sugar level.) So, you will be stuffed with ghee fried sweets, heavy breakfast and elaborate lunches with the hope that you will grow two sizes more from your original one within few days. No exaggerations!!! (well,may be a little :-) Also, don't conclude that Indian kids listen to elders all the time. Mostly, we go by what's convenient to us and there is always two sides to an argument.

In the recent past, the mind sets of both old and young are changing and so is their approach to cooking. Staying fit and eating well balanced food is the order of the day. One of the wonderful cooking creation is a salad. One can get so creative during its preparation. Throw-in this spice, that veggie, those legumes, season with salt/pepper and finally squeeze some lemon juice on top - That's it, you are good to go.

I love legumes. Some days, I boil and eat them with just salt and pepper. They are so filling, also nutritious and importantly so easy to fix. I am not promoting Kareena's size zero here, I am just here to talk about my garbanzo beans salad which is irresistibly tasty and also happens to be healthy :-) Today's salad is made with typical salad veggies and garden fresh cilantro. A dash of zesty lemon juice compliments the dish with perfect tangy taste and the use of ethnic Indian spices creates a plethora of incredible flavors in every mouth. You can also add avocado, fennel or lettuce. Just toss in your favorite veggie and serve. I prefer to serve them cold. I used the tomatoes from my little garden.


This is a perfect salad for those in South beach diet phase 1, 2 or 3 and also for women with gestational diabetes. Stick to 1 to 1.5 cup (maximum) per serving.


Ingredients
2 cans garbanzo beans - Store brought
or
3 cups raw garbanzo beans (soaked overnight and cooked till soft)
1/2 cup onions - finely chopped
1/4 cup raw mango - finely chopped
1/4 cup cucumber - finely chopped
1/4- 1/2 cup tomatoes - finely chopped
1 - 2 tablespoon coriander leaves - finely chopped
1 lemon - squeezed
1/4 teaspoon - chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon - cummin powder
1/2 teaspoon - dry mango powder (amchur powder) - Available in Indian grocery stores
1/2 teaspoon - coriander powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Drain the garbanzo beans and its excess liquid through a colander. Rinse them thoroughly in the running cold water. Store them in the refrigerator.

If using the raw ones, soak the beans overnight and pressure them for 1-2 whistles. Remove and cool it on the kitchen shelf. Place it in the refrigerator to chill.

In a large mixing bowl, add the onions, mangoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, spice powders and give it a complete mix. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze the lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves on top. Serve immediately.

Semiya payasam - A dessert with milk and vermicelli

Ask any Indian about hot payasam?
He would spare a bright smile and his mouth will crave for a cup immediately.

 

Semiya payasam is the most popular dessert prepared in India and no celebration is complete without it. Vermicilli is a famous ingredient used in Indian cooking. Dishes like upma, bagalabath (recipe here) and puddings are made with them. When there is an Indian festival, get together or birthday/anniversary, I prepare this dessert for my family. I made semiya payasam last weekend for S's cousin (newly weds) who visited our home for the first time.

Rich and creamy in texture, this delightful dessert has tons of ghee roasted cashews and raisins in it. The nuts enhances the taste of the payasam and further creates exotic crunch in almost every spoon. A touch of few strands of aromatic Iranian saffron blends beautifully with the simmering hot milk and fills the kitchen air with the smell of earthly ghee and saffron. Saffron has to be used in small quantities, excess addition can harm your stomach. Restrict your use to minimum amount of it (about 12-15 strands). 

My grandmother lives in small village near Panrutti, known as the commercial center of Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. This place is known for cashews and jackfruit. They export them to various countries like USA, Australia, Singapore. The broken and powdered cashews that are rejected for export are sold at much lower price for the locals. My grandmother would buy several packets as they are cheap and we use it for dishes which requires the use of cashew paste. She would say "Pretty whole cashews should be used for garnishing while the broken ones for making paste". During my trip to Indian this year, she gave me two 1/4kg packets and I have been using them in chicken curry, paneer curry and in desserts too. I am planning to make kaju katli someday.

Some serve this delicious payasams hot like soups and some prefer it cold like smoothies. I would like to have mine warm. Serv it in pre-warmed ramekin and they taste even better the next day.

SEMIYA PAYASAM
Serves 4-6
Source: My mother


Ingredients
1cup raw vermicelli - available in Indian grocery store
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup raw cashews
6-8 cardamon pods (crushed) or 1tsp powdered cardamon
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/2-3/4 cup sugar ( adjust accordingly to your palate) or 1/2-3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter/ ghee (clarified butter) - available in Indian grocery shops
10saffron strands 





Soak and grind
1 tablespoon broken cashews
1/4 cup milk


Directions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee /clarified butter in a small cooking pan. Once they get heated up, roast the cashews and raisins till they brown lightly. Remove and let it cool. Soak broken cashews in warm milk for 10 minutes and make a smooth paste out of it.

2. Heat a large cooking pan and add the remaining ghee. Fry the vermicilli till they roast and crisp up, about 5 minutes. Pour the milk along with the crushed cardamons and bring it to a boil. 

3. Simmer the flame and cook for 20-30 minutes. Don't cover it, if you cover them up till be boil and spill over. Mix in the cashew paste and stir to combine.

4. Throw in the fried cashews and raisins and cook for further 3-4 minutes. Turn off the flame and add the saffrons. Cover and let them rest for 15 minutes. Serve hot. You can store them in the fridge for couple of days but re-heat before you serve.

CUCUMBER SALAD

Lick. Bite. Suck. Chew. Keep going!
Lick. Bite. Suck. Chew. Keep going!
Lick. Bite. Suck. Chew. Keep going!

Take a slice; lick it - enjoy the lovely taste; bite a small chunk - suck the juice and finally chew it. Keep going for the next slice. No one can stop with one!

That’s how one will feel after munching these spicy salty crunchy cucumbers served with an Indian twist. The fleshy cucumbers have a succulent texture and they are the cheapest food to cool the body temperature in tropical countries, hence referred to as Poor Man’s Delight. A packet of five slices costs less than a dime. They are one of the famous Indian street food sold in the shopping malls, beaches, museums and theaters across the country.

Fresh cucumbers are peeled, sliced, sprinkled with salt and spice powder and served ice cold. Wrapped in a newspaper, they are good to go. The salt moistens the cucumber further and makes them juicier. The spicy mixture of turmeric, chili and coriander powder adds an extra kick in every bite. Simple yet heavenly in taste!



Cucumber slices are an ideal snack for those in South beach diet phase 1, 2 and 3 and also for women with gestational diabetes. You have no restrictions on how many slices to eat.

Makes 16 slices Ingredients
2 large cucumbers – long slices
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon salt

Method
Peel and wash the cucumbers thoroughly. Pat dry them with kitchen towels and cut them into long slices. Arrange them neatly on a baking tray.

Mix the turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle them on top and refrigerate them for 10minutes. Serve the spicy cucumber on a platter. Enjoy!