Review:Meena Pathak Celebrates Indian Cooking

Review: The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches

The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches by Susan Russo have in an arond 110 mouth watering sandwich recipes in the book. I have tried myself "The curried chicken and panini and must say they are simply amazing. The author does a great job in explaining the required ingredients and how to make them. the recipes are also accompanied by some amazing pictures of sandwiches which you would like to try. This small book is a really a time -saver and now I don't have to be bothered thinking what am I going to fix for lunch, dinner and especially weekends.

Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking

                                               
" Quick & Easy Indian Cooking " by author Madhur Jaffrey has more than 50 delicous recipes from Soup to Sweets which most of it can be prepared in approximately 30 mins. The cookbook gives you recipes with only few ingedients and with substitutions such as some recipes says beef however substitution with lamb or chicken is allowed. The book is going to be favorite with the novice to expert cook because of the easy to follow recipes with basic ingredients. The book talks about the ingredients, utensils and other basic requirement for cookingalong with recipes without feeling intimidated to cooking these Indian recipes.
This book will serve as a great start to Indian cooking book for beginner's.

About the author: Madhur Jaffrey is a cookbook author, TV chef, illustrator, and award-winning actress originally from Delhi, India. She's won the Burt Greene Award for Food Journalism and lives in New York City.


Pros: Easy understanding recipe with few ingredients and substitution.
Cons: This recipes are Indian but not the authentic ones, well that is why you can make them so quick as title says, however not all of them though.
Overall: Nice Book
Book can be purchased at Amazon and Chroniclebooks.com
ISBN 0811859010

ISBN13 9780811859011

Thank you Chronicle Books for review copy. Picture and Author's Bio copyright Chronicle Books
xoxo.

The "I Dont Know How to Cook" Book Mexican

Recently, I was sent couple of books out of which 1 was The : I Dont Know How to Cook" Book Mexican by Linda Rodriguez. I love Mexican food and am always on a lookout for mexican recipes which are quick and easy to fix.
This book has 300 recipes. In the book there are 12 main categories in which each category has recipes for that. The book starts with Introduction which explains everything you need to know to make mexican food. Each recipe in the book is grouped and classified by symbols like E (Easy), M (Medium), H (Hard).
The books has easy and mouth-watering recipe with step by step instruction's for Appetizer's & Salsa's, Soups & Stew's, Salad's, Beef & Pork, Poultry & Eggs, Fish & Sea-food, Vegetables, Rice and Bean Dishes, Fruit, Desserts & Traditional Favorites.

Whether you want to cook for your family or for friend's, This book will definately have something that will be helpful to fix easily.

About the Author: Linda Rodriguez has been cooking Mexican-American meals for family and friends for most of her life. She has fond memories of the feasts of mole and tamales that accompanied every wedding and quinceanera. she still remembers the early days of her marriage when she made six dozen enchiladas, carnitas with chile, and a big pot of pozole for her husband's college graduation party---with only a hot plate and a toaster oven! She resides in Kansas City, MO.

Pro's: Easy and quick recipes
Con's: No pictures of recipes

Overall: Good  Book

Publisher: Adams Media
ISBN:9781598696073


Book can be purchased at : Adamsmediastore.com, Amazon
Copyright of Adams Media: Book cover picture and Author's bio.
Thanks to Adams Media for review copy.

xoxo,

I am back from vacation and with new recipes

Hello Friends,
I am back from my Vacation....it was just too good and have loads of recipes of authentic konkani food recipes to share.I am uploading the pics and name of the recipes(the names are not in order as pictures) for now and will be posting how to prepare them very soon....
Malabar Spinach Curry, Green Leafy Chavali curry, Shabudana Vada, Nimboo Pani, Mutton Curry 1 & 2, Chicken curry, Prawns Aachar, Eggplant Sabji, Baby Shark Curry.

Spicy Bhindi(Okra) Masala Fry.

I will be uploading this recipe soon!!!!!

Spinach(Palak)-MoongDal Curry

Well the other day i was talking to my sister and as usual we started to talk about whats for dinner etc etc and she happened to mention about this curry and another sabzi of bhendi(okra).I prepared it for lunch and it was a hit.My husband just loved it so the credit for both this recipes go to my lovely sister who is also a great cook.

Ingredients:

1 cup split moong dal washed and kept aside

1tspn Jeera(cumin seeds)

1 tspn mustard seeds

2-3 garlic flakes finely chopped

1-2 green chillies chopped

4-5 curry leaves

A pinch of asefoida(hing)

2 cup palak washed and chopped

1 tbspn Oil

Salt to taste

1 1/4cup of water.(depends)

Preparation:

In a pressure cooker take oil, once hot add jeera and mustard seeds. the seeds starts crackling add garlic, greenchillies,hing , curry leaves and palak and fry for 2-3 mins.Now add the washed moong dal, salt and water. Close the pressure cooker and let it cook till 5-6 whistle.

Once cooked open the lid and check water consistency.

Serve with Rice and pickles or any side dish if needed.

P.S: Consistency depends on each individual how they prefer their curry so if you want to add water feel free.

You can chage the moong dal/ spinach and substitute with other dal/green leafy vegetables for variation.Go ahead and try and explore different options .

Ivygourd dish( tendli/thendle thikh upkaari in konkani)

Ingredients:

1cup thin round sliced Ivygourd(tendli/thendle)

1/2 tspn coriander-cumin powder

1tspn red chilli powder

1/4 tspn turmeric powder

1 tspn mustard seeds

3-4 curry leaves

1/4 tspn tamarind paste

2-3Garlic cloves smashed.

1 inch ginger grated

1 tbspn Oil

Salt to taste

Water 1 cup

Preparation:

In a pan add oil once hot add mustard, curry leaves, ginger-garlic and fry for 1-2 mins.Then add ivygourd, all dry masala powder, tamarind pulp and salt and mix well.Add water mix well and cover it with lid.Keep checking frequently and cook till ivygourd is cooked.Once cooked serve it with dalithoy or with any other curry and hot rice.

Dali Thoy (Konkani version of Dal)

This is one of the tastiest and easiest dal in Konkani cuisine.Many homes in karnataka would cook this dal everyday with meal.This is also one of the recipe which would be included in festivals and many other occassions.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup turdal
2-3 green chillies slit into half
1 small tomato(optional)
1 inch ginger chopped
2-3 Whole redchillies
1 tspn mustard seeds
pinch of asefotida
pinch of turmeric
4-5 curryleaves
Salt to taste
Water.
handful chopped coriander(cilantro) leaves
Oil for seasoning(i use pure coconut oil for taste)

Preparation:
In a pan/pressure cooker add washed turdal, water 1 cup, green chillies, ginger, turmeric and salt and cook till the dal is tender.Once you see that the dal is almost cooked in another pan prepare the tadka/seasoning.Take a tspn or so of coconut oil and onceits warm add mustard seeds,once it starts crackling add curryleaves, asefotida and red chillies and fry for a minute or 2.Pour this seasoning on the dal which is almost cooked and boil for few more minutes and the dal is ready.

Potatoes cooked in coconut-redchilli paste (Known as Batate Hummaan in Konkani)

Batate Hummaan...means Potato curry.This is a very quick and delicious curry and prepared a lot in south as well as north Karnatake.This curry turns out delicious because of the flavor of coconut and coconut oil.

Ingredients:
2 big potatoes( cut in to big chunks)
1 cup shredded coconut
4-5 whole red chillies( depends how hot you want the curry)
1/2 tspn tamarind(imli) paste
Salt as per taste.
Pinch of Asefotida(hing)
1 tspn coconut oil( make sure it is pure coconut oil.)
1 tspn Oil to fry red chillies.

Preparation:
In a pan take 1 tspn oil and fry the whole red chillies. Add this red chillies to coconut along with tamarind paste and make a fine paste.In another pan add water and potato chunks and cook till they are cooked.Add the paste and let it boil for 5 mins.Add water to curry (depends on what consistency curry you wish to make). Add salt, hing and 1 tspn of coconut oil and let it cook for 6-8 mins.Batate hummaan is ready to be served with hot rice and curd.(Curd is generally taken as the curry tend to become hot because of red chillies).

Enjoy!!!!!!!

Veg Kadhai..(Vegetable with curd sauce)

Veg Kadhai....is a sauce prepared with spices , curd , vegetables and cashew to make the curry flavor rich.The curry can be made spicy/mild as per your choice.

Ingredients:(You can use any vegetable the below is the list of veggies i used).
2 medium sized Onion (cut all vegetables in big chunks)
1 Big tomato
1 mediem sized carrot diced
1 cup peas
1 cup mixed cauliflower/brocolli
1 green chilli
1 tspn ginger-garlic paste
Salt
3tbspn Oil
1 cup curd/sour cream

Grind all Dry Masala below mentioned together:
1 tspn red chilli powder
1/2 tspn coriander-cumin powder
1/4 tspn turmeric
1/4 tspn black pepper powder
1 Black Cardamom
1/2 tspn fennel seeds
4-5 cashew nuts for flavor
2 cloves
1/4 tspn Garam masala

Preparation.
In a big pan add 2 tbspn of oil and once warm add all vegeteables and fry for 4-5 mins so they are 80% cooked.Then add ginger-garlic paste and curd and mix well and fry for 2-3 mins. Now add the dry masala powder you made along with salt and fry for 2-3 mins.Add a cup of warm water, mix well and let it cook for 5- 10 mins.Keep mixing it to make sure it doesnt stick to the bottom of pan.
Veg kadhai is ready...serve it with hot rice and dal or with any breads and it taste great.

Daal Vada (Known as Chatambade in Konkani)

This is something that would be prepared as a snack in our house(most of houses of people from Karnataka-India) with a hot cup of tea/coffee in the morning or evening.I can still remember the wonderful taste and smell of this wada.So i would like to share the recipe for this yummy snack.

Ingredients:
2 cup Chana dal(Spilt chick peas) soaked in water for 3-4 hrs.
1 small onion chopped finely.
2 green chillies chopped
1 inch of ginger chopped finely
2 tbspn of chopped coconut pieces
1 Whole red chilli
Pinch of Hing (Asefotido)
Salt to taste.
1 stick of curry leaves( chop it)
Oil for deep frying.

Preparation:
Grind chanadal and whole red chilli in a paste(Avoid adding water as much as possible also if there are few pieces of chanadal which is not finely done even better it taste crunchier when fried.)Add hing, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger, onion, coconut pieces and salt and mix it well. Take Oil in a pan and make sure to check it is hot. Take the paste in you hand and make flat cutlet and fry it in oil. Turn the wadas to make sure they are fried on both sides and are golden brown in color.
Serve this wadas with coconut-coriander chutney.
Chutney recipe on the blog too.
Enjoy !!!!

P.S. If for some reason you added more water then required to the paste or cant make the cutlets from paste add chickpeas flour to the batter.It helps t hold the batter together.

Coming up recipe for Dal Bhatti !!!!!

Coming up today next reipe is Dal Bhatti( A North India famous dish).

Japanese Curry

This is a simple japanese curry.All you need to buy is japanese curry powder from Asian Grocery Store. You can prepare this curry with shrimp / chicken or just veggies.
I learnt this curry thanks to Kathy Mom who is from Japan.
Ingredients:
Chicken 1 pound
Veggie: Carrots, Potatoes, Onion, Peas. ( Chop vegetable very finely)
Japanese Curry cube ( Whole Packet)
Oil 1 tbspn
Water approx 2 cups.

Preparation:
In a pan take 1 tbspn oil. Fry onions for 2-3 mins.Add vegetables and fry it for 2-3 more mins.Add chicken and fry for 2-3 mins. Add 1 or 1 and half cup water and let it boil for 10- 12 mins or till veggies /meat is cooked. Add the whole japanese curry powder cubes.Stir frequently till the whole thing dissolve and let it simmer for 2-3 more mins.
Curry is Ready!!!!!!
Serve it with hot rice and it tastes YUMMMMMMM.

Quick Fried Rice...Veg/NonVeg

The recipe is for non-veg fried rice but you can skip the non-veg ingredients while cooking.

Ingredients:

Leftover Rice

1 small onion chopped

2 eggs (Whip the egg white and yolk and keep aside)

Handful of chopped spring onions

Oil 1 tbspn

1 tspn soysauce

Salt to taste

Black pepper powder 1/4 tspn

1 green chilli chopped

Maggie Veg- masala cubes( found in local indian grocery stores)

Rice:

If you are using leftover rice it is great but if you dont have left over prepare rice atleast 2-3 hrs in advance.Cook rice only 90%.

Preparation

In a pan add oil, chopped onions, greenchilli and pepper and fry for 2-3 mins.Then add egg and mix it well.Add spring onion and fry for another minute.Add Soysauce, salt and maggie veg-masala and mix it well for 2-3 mins.Now add rice and mix it well.Keep on gas stove for 2-3 mins.

Tadaaa...the rice is ready....isn't that quick.

Serve it with hot chilli chicken or veg paneer chilli.the one displayed in photo is chilli chicken.

My photo clicking skill's aren't that great...i am sure you can make out by now from the pic above...hehehe

Also would appreciate comments if you have prepared any of the recipes.

Japanese Fried Rice (Veg, Non Veg)

I am sharing this recipe which i learnt from friend Kathy who's mother is from Japan.This is the authentic japanese fried rice recipe.

The recipe below is for 3-4 people.

Ingredients:

Rice 2 cups (Great if you buy rice from japanese or oriental store)

Butter

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot.

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cupp finely chopped onions

1/2 cup thin sliced mushrooms

1 tbspn soy sauce

salt.

Preparation:

Some important tips before planning to make the fried rice:

1. You need to prepare rice as usual however need to keep it in freezer for 24-48 hrs.to make it hard and then night before remove from freezer and keep it in refrigerator.The day you want to prepare keep it out 2-3 hrs before the preparation.

2. When i say finely chopped i mean really finely chopped.

In a big pan heat butter ( remember butter needs to be added generously as that brings the taste) and fry the thin slices of mushroom till they turn light brown. Remove it on paper towel and keep it aside.

Next add carrots in the same pan and fry till they are tender not too soft, add salt and chopped onions (remember to chk if there is enough butter in the pan while frying) and fry till it is soft.Add peas and fry very lightly by being careful trying not to squeeze the peas. Once that is done move these vegetable at the side of the pan.Add more butter and put the rice, wait till the rice absorbs the heat from the pan and becomes warm as it becomes easier to break it and mix it with butter, fry rice for 3-5 mins in butter. Then add soy sauce, and mix the vegetable with the rice ( best to use 2 spoons in both hands to mix it) including the fried mushrooms.Mix the rice and vegetables for 2-3 mins more.....and your japanese fried rice is ready.

Goes really well with shrimp or vegetable tempura (recipe which i will post next).

P.S. You can also add shrimp and chicken in fried rice but you need to cook it before adding it to pan.

Hope you enjoy this authentic fried rice too...my friends and we surely did!!!!!!!

Moonga Ghassi (Sprouted Green Gram Curry)

Moonga (Green grams) Ghassi (curry) is yet another konkani dish prepared in most of the occassion.It is a little tedious process but then every effort putin while cooking this dish is worth the taste.

Ingredients:

Sprouted Green Grams 1 cup
Coconut grated 1 cup
Red Chillies 3-4
Tamarind Paste 1/4th tspn
Curry Leaves 5-6
Rice 1 tbspn
Asefotida a pinch
mustard seeds 1/2 tspn
Oil 1 tbspn
Salt to taste


Preparation Method:

Soak green grams for 2 nights so it becomes easier to remove the skin from the gram, then add it in a pan with water to cook on medium heat.

Grind grated coconut , redchillies ., tamarind paste and wash and add that tbspn rice as well while grinding.Add boiled green grams a handful and grind again.

Add this paste to the cooked green grams along with salt and bring it to boil.

In another pan heat oil, add mustard seeds , curry leaves and asefotida.Once the seeds splutter add it to the curry and bring it to boil.

Thambali Variation 2 ( Curd and Onion Curry)

This is another variation for healthy oil free curry without using gas to cook....especially eaten in summer's.

2 Cup Curd
1 cup grated coconut
1 medium onion finely chopped
2-3 Green cjillies
1 inch Ginger chopped
1/4 tspn tamarind paste
Water as per desired consistency
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Make a fine paste of coconut, tamarind, green chillies and ginger.

Add this paste to curd and add onion, salt and water.

Stir it well and it's ready!!!!!!

Goes well with rice....

Sanna Pole (Cabbage dosa with Pulses)

This is a konkani dish that you may have never heard of before but many konkani people(people from karnataka-India) love it...it is a batter where u prepare dosa(similar to pancakes) with cabbage and pulses.Try it i bet you will love it.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup split red lentils
1/4 cup rice
1/2 cup grated coconut
3-4 whole red chillies
1 cup cabbage shredded
1/2 cup onions chopped
1/4 tspn tamarind paste
1/2 inch ginger finely chopped
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
2 tbspn rice flour
A pinch of asefotida
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Preparation:

Soak rice-redlentil pulses overnight or minimum of 5-6 hrs.

Wash and grind it in a fine paste.Dont use much water at once while grinding add little by little as much as required. Keep aside.

In a mixer take coconut, tamarind, red chillies, turmeric powder, asefotida and grind it.Take 1-2 scoops of above rice-lentil paste add it and grind it once more.Add this paste with the remaining rice-lentil paste.

Add chopped cabbage, onions, ginger , rice flour, salt to it and mix it well.

See the photo below for understanding the consistency of this batter.

Take a pan pour 1 tspn of oil at a time, pour a scoop of this batter and spread it on the pan.Pour little oil from side of the batter.Turn when it is brown from bottom and let it cook on the other side till brown.You may need to take guess when you want to add more oil from sides again.

See fried cabbage dosa pic above.

Remove it on paper towel to remove excess oil.

I make these dosa's small so it is easier to turn, you can also make small cutlets and fry if you wish.

Serve it with rice and curry or u can eat it as snack.....choice is your's to make.

Thambali randhayya (Coconut and Curd curry with Garlic)

Thambali Randhayya is another konkani recipe that is prepared with curd which you would love in hot summer day.The best part of preparing this recipe is you dont even have to use a gas which means it is a very quick , easy recipe yet yummieeee.....try it and trust me you will love it.

Ingredients:

2 Cup Curd Beaten
1 Cup Grated coconut
2-3 whole redchillies
6-7 Garlic pods
1/4 th tspn tamarind paste
Salt to taste.

Preparation:

Grind coconut, redchillies, garlic and tamarind to a fine paste.

Pour it in a vessel and add beaten curd and salt to it.

Add water if you want thinner consistency.

Keep it in fridge, remove it an hour befire serving it.

Goes well with hot rice.

Do not warm it anytime just remove an hour before serving.

There is another variation to this curry which will be posted soon.