Black Eyed Peas Sundal

Sundal is one of my favorite snacks. It reminds me of my childhood days when sundal was the plat du jour for all days of navarathiri. During navarathiri, kids are treated with this snack every evening. Missing my good old times, I tried reliving those memories with this quick snack.

Ingredients:
1. Black Eyed Peas - 1 cup, soaked for 4 hours
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
3. Green chillis - 2 to 3 nos
4. Oil, mustard for tadka
5. Curry leaves - 2 or 3
6. Salt to taste



Method de preparation:
1. Pressure cook the soaked lentils. Let 1 whistle go by. We don't want the dhal to overcook and turn mashy.
2. On a small tava, heat some oil, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, green chillis and grated coconut.
3. Couple of quick turns, add the cooked lentils after draining it well.
4. Add salt to taste

Enjoy!
Bon App!

Quick Paneer Dish

B likes Paneer, he likes fried paneer even better. My fridge was almost empty. Only veggies I had left were some onions, capsicum and paneer..yah I need to do groceries :). Here is what I did with them

Ingredients:
1. Paneer - sliced into cubes
2. Onions - 1 big finely chopped
3. Bell Peppers - 2 big
4. Lime Juice

Method de Prep:
1. Cut the bell peppers in halves. Roast them in the oven. I broiled them on low for about 5 mins till the skin can be peeled off.
2. Finely chop the onions and green chillis.
3. On a tava, heat some oil, you may add some jeera seeds if you like the taste. Fry the onions and green chillis.
4. Meanwhile, skin the capsicum and chop them into medium size pieces
5. Once the onions look cooked (they will appear a little transparent), add the capsicum and gently toss it around
6. Broil the paneer cubes in the oven on high. Keep a regular watch on them. Once they are light brown in color, take them out
7. Add the paneer cubes to the mix cooking on the tava
8. Toss gently around. The paneer and capsicum shouldn't break and mash.
9. Take off the stove, add a handful of finely chopped corriander and a dash of lime juice

The quick dish is ready to enjoy with roti or bread!

Bon App!

True Inspiration

It is a lazy saturday afternoon and I am on my couch watching all the 'Food Network' that I want to. While watching 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay' I got inspired to cook up a dish(in my head!). Yes, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time, I am blogging about a dish that is an inspiration and hasn't touched my stove yet. Drawing the idea from a 'Meat Loaf', I am hoping to try this dish out sometime soon.

Ingredients:
Here is all what I hope to mix into this dish:
1. Brinjals/Eggplant - round big fat ones - 2 nos
2. Onions - 1 large, finely chopped
3. Bell Peppers - bring on the colors! red, green, yellow, orange- 2 nos finely chopped
4. Celery sticks (optional) - 3 sticks, well chopped
5. Garlic(optional) - 2 or 3 cloves
6. Bread crumbs


Method de preparation:
1. Roast the Eggplant on the stove. Peel the skin and mash well with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
2. In a pan, heat some oil and fry the onions, chopped bell peppers, celery sticks with garlic.
3. Add the fried vegetables and mash well. Add some bread crumbs just like you would for cutlets.
4. Make round pattis and place them on a baking sheet.
5. Preheat the oven upto 350F. Place the pattis in the oven and cook for about 15 mins?
6. Take out the pattis and place them on a dish to serve.
7. I have two ideas for serving:
a. Olive Oil, balsamic vinegar and a dash of lime juice. Whisk them and simply coat the top of the crispy pattis with this.
b. Simple, spicy ketchup coating on the top
8. Serve with toasted bread or baguette slices

I'll try this out soon and post some pics. If you happen to try it before me, leave me a note with your creativity spiced in..

Enjoy! Bon App!

Black Eyed Peas Dhal

It was raining Black Eyed Peas @ home. After trying out couple of different recipes in my head, I finally tried a couple out.

Black Eyed Peas Dhal

Ingredients
1. Black Eyed Peas - 1 cup soaked in water for about 4 hours
2. Tomato paste/puree - 2 tsp/1 small cup
3. Ginger paste - 1 tsp
4. Garam masala, chilli powder - 1 tsp
5. Onions - 1 small finely chopped
6. Green chillis - 2 nos
7. Oil to fry
8. Salt to taste
9. turmeric powder - optional 1/4 tsp

Method de Preparation
1. Pressure cook the soaked black eyed peas. Let 2 - 3 whistles go
2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a tava, add the ginger paste, onions, green chillis, garam masala and fry well. Add the tomato paste/puree and cook well. Add a spoon of chilli pwoder, garam masala, 1/4 spoon of turmeric powder. Let the mix boil for a few mins till the aroma rises.
3. Now add the cooked black eyed peas. Add salt to taste and mix well.
A delicious and healthy dhal is ready to enjoy. It can be enjoyed with roti/rice. While serving, chop up some fresh corriander and generously sprinkle on top. Add a dash of lemon/lime juice.

You can even make samosa chat with this dhal. Just break up the samosa and mix with the dhal. This can be instead of the chick peas chole sabji that is normally used for samosa chat.

Bon App!

Couscous Upma

As I needed something tasty, healthy and at the same time quick, I turned to couscous for help. Mornings are my busiest time of the day. Making an elaborate lunch is hard and this recipe came in very handy for a tasty lunch box meal.

Ingredients:
1. Mixed Veggies - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
3. Green chillis - 2 nos
4. couscous - 1 cup
5. Oil to fry
6. Salt to taste



Method de Preparation:
1. Cook the mixed veggies in a bowl of water in the microwave. It usually takes me about 10 mins
2. Meanwhile, finely chop onions and green chillis
3. In a hot tava, add a spoon of oil, splutter some mustard seeds, add the onions and green chillis and fry well.
4. Once the veggies are done, strain the water and add the cooked veggies and mix them well.
5. Take 1 cup of couscous, add less than half a cup of water and microwave for 3 mins.
6. Add the cooked couscous to the mixed veggies and toss well.
7. You may add finely chopped corriander for a wonderful flavor.

A tasty lunch is ready!
Bon App!

Carrot Rice and Raita

Hey All!
I am back from my slumber, but may be not too long. This recipe was the result of a lot of carrots in my fridge and a sudden urge to better my vision :).

Ingredients
1. Carrots - 3 medium size
2. Onions - 1 medium
3. Green Chillis - 3 nos
4. Bay Leaves
5. Cloves.cardamon/a spoon of dhania or jeera powder
6. Rice - 1 cup
7. Green Bell Pepper - 1 medium
8. Salt to taste
10. Oil to fry



Method de Preparation
1. Cool Rice in 1 cup of water. I used basmati rice for flavor and fragrance
2. Wash, Peel and grate the carrots
3. Cook carrots in the microwave in 1.5 cups of water. I microwaved the carrots for about 10 mins
4. Finely chop the onions and green chillis and the green bell pepper
5. On a tava, melt a spoonful of ghee. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamon and the dhania or jeera powder. Add the chopped green bell pepper, onions and green chillis.
6. Once it is well fried, add the cooked carrots (strained from the water). Add salt to taste and cook till you get the flavor of the spices.
7. Once well cooked, add rice and the carrot mix in layers and toss all together.
8. If you like the taste of corriander, you can add some fresh, finely chopped corriander leaves to this rice.

The rice is now ready to enjoy!
I made cucumber/tomato raita to go along with this rice. Here is the quick and simple yet tasty recipe

Ingredients:
1. Yogurt - 4 tbsp
2. Cucumber - 1 medium, chopped.
3. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
4. Green chillis - 2 nos, finely chopped
5. Oil, mustard for tadka

Method de preparation:
1. Heat 1 tsp of oil and add mustard to prepare tadka
2. Once the mustard seeds pop, add the cucumber, tomato and green chillis.
3. Once the tomatoes look half cooked, remove from flame and add to a cup of yogurt
4. Add Salt and some chaat masala and mix well.
A tasty raita to complement the carrot rice is now ready!!
Enjoy
Bon App