Where was I and Nanizza!!!!

Some of you might me thinking - why this blog is not being updated for almost a year now! Well, I have a reason, and pretty good reason for that!

A new member has been added to our family by the most gracious Allah (swt). After a wait of six long years, I found out I was expecting in December last year! Our bundle of joy arrived on August 22. A baby boy, born at 11:14 PM, weighing 6.13 pounds, and 19 and a half inch long. Our little bundle is so adorable, precious, and lovable. Sincere Thank You to everyone who prayed for us and gave us their best wishes. 

After a very long time, last night I made this delicious snack. I do prepare regular food but something innovative was done last night after almost a year. I one leftover naan that  I had ordered for a dinner party at our house and didn't wanted to waste it so I tried using it as a pizza base and it came out so good. 

Ingredients:

1. One leftover naan
2. One fried chicken (or any leftover chicken)
3. Half onion - cut in large slices
4. Half bell pepper - cut in medium pieces
5. One mushroom - cut in medium slices
6. Two tablespoon chili sauce
7. Cheese - your flavor, I used yellow American Cheese, two slices
8. Chat masala - optional. 
9. Oil - one tsp

Process:

1. In a small pan, heat oil, add in chicken, onion, bell pepper, mushroom and chili sauce. 
2. Mix well and let it cook for 6-7 minutes. Keep stirring every once in a while. 
3. Preheat toaster over to 350 degrees. Spray baking tray. 
4. Place naan on a baking tray, spread chicken and veggie mixture, spread cheese. 
5. Toast for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. 
6. Sprinkle chat masala and serve hot!!

ENJOY!!!

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Raghda Pattice

So it has been a long long while that I am writing this post. I really have no excuse for being absent from this space. It’s just life happens at times and you tend to give importance to your regular day stuff than your hobby like this blog. I am still cooking (as it is the regular day stuff) and eating delicious food but just am not able to take pictures, store it, write about it, and then post it. I wish I can take breaks in my regular life for the regular stuff, just like I do for this hobby of mine J… complicated I know, but so is LIFE!

Enough of philosophy, let’s go to the recipe of this delicious snack that is healthy and loved by all you serve.

Ingredients:

1. Two cups dry vatanas (available at any Indian grocery store) – soaked overnight
2. Two medium sized potatoes
3. One medium sized tomato
4. Three tblsp cooking oil
5. One tsp cumin and mustard seeds
6. One tsp asafetida powder
7. 6-7 curry leaves
8. 4-5 green chilies
9. One tblsp lemon juice
10. Salt and turmeric powder, per taste
11. Tamarind chutney as desired (available at Indian grocery store)
12. For garnishing – chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, aloo bhujiyas (available at Indian grocery store)

Process:

1. In a pressure cooker boil vatanas, one potato, and tomato for 6-7 whistles (or till you think that the vatanas are cooked, this step depends on the type of cooker you use).
2. In a separate bowl, boil the second potato till fully cooked.
3. Mash this potato and add salt and turmeric powder, mix well.
4. Shape the potato mixture into tikki style (like patties).
5. On a frying pan, heat one tblsp of oil and fry tikkis till golden brown on both sides.
6. Dish out on a paper napkin and keep aside.
7. Mash up the vatanas, potato and tomato that you boiled in step 1 above.
8. In a wok, heat oil add cumin and mustard seeds, let it splutter.
9.  Add curry leaves, green chilies, and asafetida powder.
10.  Add mashed vatanas, potato, and tomato from step 7 above.
11.  Mix well; add lemon juice, salt and turmeric powder.
12.  Turn off the stove and serve.
13. To serve: place the patties  in #6, place a dollop of raghda, garnish with chopped onions, tomatoes, and coriander leaves. Sprinkle aloo bhujiya and tamarind sauce and serve.
14. This tastes best when it is warm.

ENJOY!!!

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Aloo Gobhi (Cauliflower curry)

As a kid, I was not very fond of this veggie. Every time my mom would cook it I would try to get away eating it. Replacing the curry (sabzi) with achar (pickle) or honey or sweetened yogurt. Oh, there were many ways I could avoid eating this. However, all of this kinda changed in 2003. This was the year when my paternal grandparents came over to United States to be with us for a period of 5 months. It was the bestest time ever! My grand father is no more, but my grand mother (Dadima) is still around and quite healthy as well, alhamdolillah!

When they visited us in 2003, I was a Junior in UMass Boston. My classes were early in the morning from 8 to 12 or 8-1. I would be home by 2 at most and be with them for the rest of the day. Everyone else (except younger brother, who was in school and would be home by 2:30) were working so they would be home much later, like 5 or 6 or sometimes at 7. I would normally get home at 2, make some fresh rotis and a quick veggie and me, younger brother and my grandparents would do our lunch together.

One day I had to work on a group presentation, so I knew I was going to be late. I told Dadima that I will be late today but should be home by 3 at most. I forgot to tell my mom, otherwise she would have made sure to cook something before she leaves for work :). However, the work took longer and I couldn't get home till 4. Obviously she wasn't going to wait for me to come and cook lunch for us. So she made aloo gobhi and rotis and they had their lunch at a regular time. I go home and Dadima tells me that she made aloo gobhi - I literally frowned and told her that I hate this dish!

Dadima is very good at convincing people, she convinced me to finish at least one roti and then I can have whatever I want. I am so glad she did that 'cause it changed everything. She makes the best aloo-gobhi EVER! That was the first and last time I had aloo-gobhi made from her hand. Till this date, I have been trying to make this dish just like hers but it's no way near it. I guess I missing the ingredient called "LOVE & CARING". Maybe when I become a grandma mine would taste just like hers  :) :)

So this recipe is no way near hers but it surely is a truely delicious serving that you can have on a regular work day!!

Ingredients:

1. One cauliflower - chopped in medium sized
2. One medium potato - cut in cubes
3. One medium onion - thinly sliced
4. Red spice mixture - 1 tblsp red chili powder, 1 tblsp coriander powder, 1 tblsp ginger-garlic paste, three tsp tamarind paste, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt per taste
5. One medium tomatoes - chopped
6. Handful of green peas - optional
7. Half a cup water
8. Three tblsp cooking oil
9. One tsp of cumin seeds

Process:

1. Heat oil in a wok, add in cumin seeds and onions.
2. Fry well till onion turns golden brown.
3. Add tomatoes, and red spice mixture (#4), mix well.
4. Fry till the oil separates.
5. Add in cauliflower, potatoes, and green peas.
6. Mix well, add water.
7. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes on a medium heat.
8. Check to see if the potatoes are cooked well before turning off the stove.
9. Serve hot with roti or cilantro rice.

ENJOY!!!

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Moong Dal Dosa

I have been following Swathi's Indian Healthy Recipes for quiet a few months now and I absolutely love her blog, she not only posts healthy recipes but also have step by step instructions that helps you follow her footsteps :)

Thank you Swasthi for sharing all of your wonderful recipes!! Do check out her blog, you will love it!!

Here is my take on the Moong Dal Dosa - you can find the original recipe here. 

I had to change couple of things - I didn't had whole moong available so I used yellow split moong dal instead; and I skipped the sauteed onion part since I like to have my dosas with either sweet yogurt or tomato-garlic chutney. I was great, dear hubby loved it and it ended being a perfect breakfast for Sunday morning. You must try this recipe!! It's out of this world!! Specially if you are a dosa lovers like me :)

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Aloo ke Bhajiye (Potato Pakora)

It is very well known snack… in every street of Gujarat… in every household of a Gujarati…  One just cannot go wrong in serving these delicious looking, flavorful, tiny little potato snacks – aloo ke bhajiye.

I moved to US when I was 15, so I never had a luxury to get on bike when it rains and go to a local cart on the roadside and eat these bhajiyas with chai. Though, my dear hubby has been/was very lucky until about 5 years when I married him and took him away to this dreadful cold country where when it snows/rains the only thing you want to do it cuddle up under a blanket and take long long long naps… J

However, you can still make these at home and be sure that the batter is not adulterated and the potatoes are clean and fresh, unlike the roadside carts; and still enjoy it with some coffee instead of Chai.

Ingredients:

1. One big potatoes – thinly sliced in round shape
2. Batter – half a cup chickpea flour, one tblsp red chili powder, one tblsp coriander powder, a pinch of turmeric powder, few drops of lemon juice, and salt per taste, and some warm water.
3.  Oil for deep frying

Process:

1. Make a thick runny batter from all the ingredients listed under batter.
2. Heat oil for deep frying.
3. Dip one slice of potato in the batter, so that it is fully covered in batter, drop it in hot oil and fry till golden brown.
4. Repeat this process for all potatoes.
5. You can fry multiple potatoes at one time.
6. Serve hot with ketchup and chai or coffee J

ENJOY!!!

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Cilantro Rice

I first tried this at Chipotle. My brother took us out for a mini celebration two years ago and that is when I had this rice for the very first time in a veg bowl. It was so great! I wanted to try this out for so long but I never made anything interesting to partner up this delicious rice with. Recently I made grilled salmon and served it over cilantro rice. It tasted so good! Hopefully soon enough I will try to replicate the veg bowl at Chipotle, I just need to get a good recipe for Mexican hot sauce.

Ingredients:

1. Two cups basmati rice - washed and boiled
2. Three cloves of garlic - finely chopped
3. A bunch of cilantro - finely chopped
4. Three drops of lime juice
5. Salt per taste
6. Two tblsp cooking oil

Process:

1. Heat oil in a wok, add garlic.
2. Once the garlic turns golden brown add boiled rice.
3. Add cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
4. Mix well.
5. Serve hot!!!

ENJOY!!!

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