Indian Zuchini in coconut milk

Here's a traditional Indian zucchini (aka janhi in oriya, or ridge gourd in English) curry with, guess what - coconut milk. Simply mouth watering, isn't it!

This one is so simple and yet so tasty you won't believe it! Great coastal flavors, and goes great with rice, roti or dosas. I can't decide which combination I like better. With so much good taste all around, it's hard to decide sometimes! Having it with dosa certainly reminds one of the classic appam-stew from Kerala, and with rice it just brings back memories of childhood. It's actually not so well known outside of Odisha, but so many oriya dishes have coconut as their key ingredient. As they say in Oriya 'Padichi Nadia, lagiba badhia' - translated poorly as "Got coconut, tastes great" !!

 

 

So here's what you need:

 

(Serves 2)

 

1 long Indian zucchini (12 inch) peeled and cut into bite sized chunks

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 green chili (slit)

1 tomato cut into chunks

1 inch ginger (grated)

2 cups coconut milk

Curry leaves

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

 

And here's what you do with these simple ingredients:

 

• Lightly peel the zucchini. Peeling all of the skin will make them gooey and loose their form and texture.
• Lightly fry the zucchini chunks in oil till golden and keep aside
• In a pan, heat up oil and add mustard seeds. Let them crackle.
• Add the slit green chili and curry leaves.
• Add the grated ginger and fry for 30 seconds
• Now add the chunked up tomato, turmeric and coriander powder and mix
• Cover and cook for 3-5 mins till the raw smell is gone.
• At low heat, add the coconut milk in while stirring
• Cover and cook for another 5 mins
• Now add the fried zucchini and let it simmer for 2 mins
• Add salt to taste and enjoy!

This one is the no-onion-no-garlic version, but you can also add in ginger and garlic in the masala if you like. It tastes heavenly either way. Leave me a comment if you like this one. There's so much comfort in coastal flavors, that when I savor this, I think fresh water ponds with coconut trees on the rims, breezy yet sultry afternoons, yeah and fish.. Yes! Fish, I need to have some fish!

 

Later!

Mushroom Pepper Chili (It's Delicious!)

 You have no idea, how much have I fallen in love with this dish! Mushrooms have become the star guest on the grocery list, ever since this was made for the first time in my kitchen. And you know you like it a lot when you have already eaten most of it from the plate and still trying to go for the last piece (even though you know the other person wants it as bad.) J

And you will know why I am raving so much about this once you make it too. If you love Indo-Chinese food, go, get the mushrooms NOW! J . I am not sure if the exact same dish is served in restaurants, but I do know chilly paneer, chili chicken are similar in some ways.  But quite frankly, this beats them all. For one, it tastes good, second – it’s super healthy. Seriously, give it a try!

I write too much, cause I love sharing the story behind every dish/ recipe. And each time I try to just move on to the recipe, I recollect what else I wanted to share. J . Ok this recipe happened purely because one of my vegetarian friends told me that he eats this mushroom recipe at some place in Bangalore and it’s called Pepper Mushroom and raved a lot about it. And the name sounded so fascinating that I just made something assuming what 'could' it be like. So never know, I could be horribly wrong in replicating that recipe, but it sure does work for me!! J

And one last bit. I usually share recipes with my friends to get their reactions/feedback before posting here. And one of my very good friends/ critics, Shaan had this to say:

“Truly a great dish...esp if u love indo-Chinese cuisine! Pls pls post this and help poor souls like us..:-) we are enjoying it with d-coke! I added all three types of peppers as well...”

You need: (should serve 3 but with me around, it’s good for 2 only!)

Button Mushrooms – 8 Oz or 250 grams

Cornflour – 3 Tbsp

Rice Flour – 1 Tbsp (for crunch)

Salt – to taste

Pepper – about a tbsp. (fresh coarse ground)

Oil – about 2 tsp (can use more if no restriction J )

Ginger – 1 tsp grated, ½ inch cut into juliennes.

Garlic paste– 1 tsp

Onion – 1 no. medium (fine chopped)

Onion – ½ medium size (with layers cut into square shape)

Long green chilies – 5-6nos. (the variety that has absolutely no heat, slit them)

Small green chilies – 1-2 nos (slit and seeds removed, adjust to taste)

Capsicum/ Bell Peppers – 1 Nos (cut into squares, can use colored peppers too)

Dark Soya Sauce – 1 Tbsp

Vinegar – 1 Tbsp

Tomato Ketchup – 1 Tbsp

Lemon Juice – 1 tsp  (optional)

Spring Onion – only green part cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)

1. Dunk the mushrooms in hot water for a minute and run under cold water and decant all water. Let the mushrooms remain a little moist so that the flour mixture sticks well to the mushroom.
2. In a bowl, mix cornflour, rice flour, a 2-3 pinches of salt, and about a 1tsp of ground pepper and mix well. 
3. Now coat all mushrooms with the flour mix. I usually coat them well once and wait for a few min and repeat the process with the remaining flour that didn’t stick the first time. This helps as the first layer soaks all the moisture and then second layer sticks even better but will be a little dry-ish adding to the crunch.. 
4. In a wide non stick pan, add about 1 tsp of oil and pan fry the mushroom on medium high and then on low flame to make it crispy. Pan should be wide enough so that mushrooms have space to fry well, else the moisture will make them soft instead. And if you are generous with oil, you don’t have to worry about all this. J
5. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate once they are brown from all sides.
6. Also fry squarish shaped layers of onion pieces and the bell peppers (typically the kinds u get in chinese gravy) in the same pan and transfer to another bowl.
7. In the pan add remaining 1 tsp of oil. 
8. Add grated ginger and garlic paste and fry well. 
9. Now add fine chopped onions and slit green chilies both big and small. Fry till onions get translucent. 
10. Now add soya sauce, tomato ketchup and vinegar. Fry till a little dry.
11. Now add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, ginger juliennes and give a quick stir and add the remaining freshly ground pepper.
12. And if you are adding the greens of spring onions, do it now. 
13. Serve on a nice looking plate and squeeze lime if you wish to add some zing!

 *I sprinkle very little, ready ‘very little’ water after I coat the mushroom with flour mixture the first time. This helps more flour stick to mushrooms. But be careful to not make it gooey.

**You can always be generous with oil while frying mushrooms. And infact mushrooms taste very good even as simple stir fry like this.

***If you are not sure about the tang bit, try squeezing lime juice on a small portion only. Only then on the rest if you like.

****The black pepper quantity can be adjusted to suit your liking.

*****I feel this recipe will work well with paneer and boiled potatoes too.  

Saunfiana Gobhi Aloo (Cauliflower-Potato stir fry with aromatic fennel spices)

It's always interesting to see a slight difference in spice mix, the way you use them and at what stage you add them, makes a simple dish so elegant!

There is something very simple, nice and comforting about this cauliflower-potato preparation. I have always preferred to have cauliflower in its most natural form - less spice, crunchy, mild and flavorful. This perhaps comes from the way I have grown up eating this vegetable. Mom always kept it simple – either in a thin tangy tomato based gravy or as simple stir fry with lots of fresh cilantro and of course a few variations at times with  paneer, potatoes, peas or onions etc. 

This preparation is called 'Saunfiana' because of the use of  'Saunf' which means fennel seeds in Hindi. Fennel and coriander seeds always compliment the sweetness of cauliflower and potatoes.

Though this preparation has most of the spices very coarsely ground, as if in a very earthy/rustic style but the flavors you get as you bite into seem as if unfolding layers in a very elegant manner. With each morsel you bite into a different spice! 

I would rate this is as a must-make for vegetarian guests! By far, one of my most favorite cauliflower-potato preparation.  And it's super easy and fast!

You need (serves 2) :

Cauliflower – 1 cup (cut into bite size florets)

Potatoes – 2 (peeled and cut into half or quarter, to make it same size as the cauliflower florets)

Coriander seeds – 1 Tbsp

Saunf/ Fennel seeds – 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Peppercorn – 10-15 nos. 

Salt – to taste

Mustard oil – 1-2 Tbsp

Asafoetida/ Hing – ¼ tsp

Red chili powder – ¼ tsp (adjust to taste)

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Fresh cilantro/ Coriander leaves

Lime Juice – 1 tsp (optional or as per taste)

1. In boiling water add half teaspoon of salt. Add the cauliflower and boil for 1 min. (Don't boil any longer longer as this will cook the cauliflower and make it gooey). Drain the cauliflower and run under cold water immediately. This is to stop the cooking process and retain the color/ texture. 
2. Boil the potatoes till half done. Drain and keep aside. Again make sure they are only half cooked and not any more. This will makes sure the potatoes and cauliflower when cooked together will cook to perfection. 
3. Dry roast on low flame the coriander, cumin, saunf/fennel seeds and peppercorn till you get a nice aroma. Don't over roast as they will burn and lose the flavor :).  Stop roasting once you get the aroma of the spices. Coarsely grind these spices in a mortar-pestle. Don't use a blender you need it very very coarse (as shown in the picture). If you don't have a mortar-pestle, take the spices in a zip-lock bag or roll between a cloth and bash it with any heavy object (no ceramic/ fine china please :))
4. In a non-stick pan, add the mustard oil and heat till it fumes. This will ensure all the bitterness of the oil is gone. Add asafoetida/ hing. 
5. Now add the potato, cauliflower and mix well. 
6. Add red chili powder, salt and turmeric and give it a quick stir.
7. Now cover and cook for 4-5 min.  
8. Now add the ground spice mix and gently stir. 
9. Cover and cook for another 4-5 min or until done. 
10. Now add freshly chopped cilantro and a add a dash of lime (if you like it slight tangy)!

* if you are using baby potatoes, can leave the skin on.

Kalmi Kabab

Kabab, Kebob, kabob or kebab or whatever variation you may have tried of this all time hit, you gotta admit this must be the oldest celebrity meat dishes in this world. The word itself is so old (from Akkadian:kababu - "to burn, char"), it makes you think - people of this world probably started enjoying this delicacy long before the advent of the written word. Perhaps one of the most loved, most customized, most delicious and the most simple non vegetarian stuff there ever was, is and will be!

No wonder I am a fan of kababs. So I set about making one of my personal favorite variants - the "kalmi kabab" - and it turned out super! So here's the secret folks. Well, no secret really - it's way too simple. Indian spices, yogurt, all purpose flour, egg and you are done!

You need:

(For four chicken legs) 

Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Shahi jeera (roasted and ground) - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
Yogurt (set dahi) - 1 cup
Lime juice - 6 tbsp
Egg (beaten) - 1 no
All purpose flour (maida) - 1/4 cup
Saffron - 1 pinch
Salt to taste

1. Wash and dry the chicken leg pieces and make small incisions at a few places with your knife. This will make sure the marinade stays in.
2. Take 1 tbsp of milk in a small bowl and warm it up in the microwave for 3-4 seconds. Add the pinch of saffron into the warm milk and mix well.This releases all the color and flavor really well.
3. Mix all the ingredients above, and the milk and saffron from step 2.
4. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the marinade and set aside for 2 hours
5. Pre heat oven to 450 F for 10-15 minutes
6. Place the chicken pieces on a rack with a drip tray beneath so it does not get sticky and gooey as water oozes out during the grilling process.
7. Spray some oil/butter/ghee on the chicken pieces (or just drizzle if you don't have a cooking spray)
8. Grill for 15 minutes, turn the pieces over, spray some oil/butter/ghee on the other side, and grill for 15 more minutes to ensure its done well from all sides.

Serve with onion, lime, thinly shredded cabbage and mint chutney, eat well and come back and tell me about it!

Cabbage Kabab (Super Healthy, Super Tasty!)

Super healthy and super tasty kababs for vegetarians. Don't let the cabbage discourage you! The cabbage and potato mixture make these kababs super moist, succulent. Since I  steam-cook the cabbage almost three-fouth, before adding other ingredients, it has a creamy texture and there is no way anyone will guess whats inside!!  It's a must try!

By the way it's my mom's recipe with a slight twist! While she cuts her cabbage a little coarser to have a distinct taste of crispy cabbage, I like mine very very fine (almost minced) to lend a creamier texture and taste. She makes them like patties/ cutlet shapes (to keep them crispier uniformly) and avoids cornflour, while I make mine round so that I get a succulent centre and crispy exterior. Feel free to try my mom's version too as a variety, just chop the cabbage a little coarse and shape them like patties and skip the corn flour. It tastes good too!!

You need:

Very finely grated cabbage - 1 Cup

Boiled potato - 1 medium size (grated fined)

Onion - 1 medium (chopped very very fine)

Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp 

Green chilies - 2-3 nos. (fine chopped, adjust to taste)

Fresh coriander leaves/Cilantro - 1/2 cup (chopped fine)

Fresh mint leaves - 5-6 nos. (fine chopped)

Fresh ground pepper - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)

Corn flour - 1/2  Tbsp

Gram flour - 1/2 Tbsp

Aamchoor/ Dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 Tbsp (or enough to pan fry)

1. Add a tsp of water to the cabbage and pop it in the microwave oven for 2-3 min. (squeeze out if any excess water remains). You can alternatively cook it in a non-stick pan without adding any water till its cooked three-fourth. The objective is to cook it before making the kabab so that it remains soft, moist and creamy. 
2. Mix all the ingredients other than oil and mix really well so that the kabab mix is homogenous.
3. Cover with a cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 15-20 min. This makes the mixture firm enough to not crumble while cooking. 
4. After 15-20 minutes if you feel the mixture is not firm enough to stay intact while cooking add a little more gram flour to the mixture. Add just enough to hold it as adding more flour would make it less succulent and soft. 
5. Form balls and cook on a non-stick pan with just enough oil to coat the kababs and fry till golden brown in color. The heat should be medium high in the beginning and then low so that exterior gets a little crispy from outside and still stays soft from inside.
6. Transfer to a plate and serve with mint chutney!

* To make roasted cumin owder - slow roast on a pan and crush in a mortar pestle or spice blender)

Pyaz ki Khatti-Meethi Tarkari (baby-onions in sweet-tangy sauce)

Nice sweet tangy onion subzi thats quite refreshing. It's a simple, no-fuss dish that goes very well with any kind of dal and phulkas (puffed indian bread). Perfect on a day when you want to eat something light and easy!

You need:

White pearl baby onions - 12-14 cps. (Substitute with roughly chopped onions)

Green Chili - 2 (slit)

Mustard Oil - 1 tsp

Onion Seeds/ Kaluanji/ Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ginger Pate - 1/2 tsp

Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp

Jaggery - 2 Tbsp 

Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp (adjust to taste)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

1. Heat mustard oil in pan till it starts fuming. If you are cooking in mustard oil, always make sure the oil is heated till it fumes and only then start adding other ingredients. This takes away the bitterness from the oil and lends only the mustard flavor to your dish.
2. Add kalaunji and green chili. 
3. Once kalaunji splutters add turmeric, ginger, garlic paste and fry for 15-20 sec. 
4. Add the tamarind pulp, red chili powder, salt and jaggery.
5. Add a cup of water and mix all the ingredients well. 
6. Now add the onions and cook till the onions lose their pungent taste and become sweet and soft.
7. Serve with phulkas and dal. 

*If you don't have baby-onions at hand, replace with red onions (quartered and layers separated)

Flavored Water

Ok! This is not a recipe really!

It's summer again! Time to drink loads of water, beat the heat with with fruit-smoothies, a lot of of ice-cream and whether you like it or not, a lot of sugary dehydrating soda too. 

I am one among many who somehow cannot manage to drink the daily recommended quota of water to detoxify and to keep the body hydrated. :(. So here's something that makes me drink more water than I usually do! 

It's amazing how plain simple water when stirred with natural fruits/vegetables can become so refreshing!  I wasn't so hopeful; when I first saw an article in one of the health magazines, but the picture looked so enticing that I decided to give it a try. And ever since, my refrigerator always has a carafe of flavored water!! It has a nice zesty-minty flavor which is very very mild and yet so refreshing. And the ginger adds to a subtle crispiness to the water. That's like a lot of description for pure simple water.. but the end result is so thirst quenching and hydrating, I can't help it! ;)

If you are traveling, going for a picnic, trekking, even going to office or sending kids to school, fill individual bottle for water with these natural flavoring ingredients and sip away to glory!Another benefit - you will end up spending a lot less on bottled water or soda!! Save money, Save plastic!! (And for those who like the idea of glowing skin, this gives a nice doze of anti-oxidants too! :)). Next I plan to use orange, peach and mint!

How to make it: In a pitcher or carafe add water, a few slices of pineapple, sliced ginger and a few mint leaves. Stir them well and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. You can also store it at room temperature if you wish to. After 3-4 hours, if you feel you need a little more flavor from any of the ingredients, just muddle it 1-2 times!

Mushroom - Spinach Sandwich

Ok, I confess! I am not a big sandwich fan. If you are like me who considers it a health food and avoids too much cheese, deep fired patties and too much mayonnaise between your bread, you will know what I mean when I say, sandwiches are blah! But I have always managed to make some varieties at home which make me repeatedly say 'ok, this is the last bite I am going to eat as I am full' and still eat some more. One of them being the Mushroom-Spinach sandwich. The nutty taste of mushroom with hearty spinach goes so well together. Mushroom gives a nice bite to it, while the spinach cooked in garlic and spring onions makes it creamy. The colored peppers give a burst of colors that will make even kids ask for more and more! This nutrient packed sandwich is for everyone! Feel free to add fresh corn kernels, or any other veggie of your choice!

While any bread is good to make this sandwich, there is nothing like fresh Ciabatta. However, I prefer to make my own flat bread for this one and feel it's worth the effort!. And, why exactly do I prefer making my own bread? Well,  I don't like sandwich made with store-bought toasted bread, as it gets too crispy and you spend more time chewing the bread than enjoy what's inside. The un-toasted bread feels too bland and soft. And then there is nothing like a nice soft bread that is slightly crispy from outside and still fluffy, spongy inside!

Infact, I use the same dough in a loaf pan to make white bread! Eating fresh from the oven, home made bread is such a joy. Slather home made jam, or cream cheese or plain butter or just have it plain!

But don't worry, if you don't want to make your own bread, use any fresh bread from your favorite deli and this sandwich will still taste awesome!

You need:

For the filling:
Button Mushrooms - 1/2 Cup (cleaned and sliced)
Baby Spinach - 1 Cup
Onion - 1/2 Medium size (thinly sliced)
Capsicum/ Colored Peppers - 1/2 (sliced)
Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Freshly crushed pepper - 1/4 tsp
Cheddar cheese - 2 slices (use any kind you prefer, I used the non-fat variety)
Sweet corn kernels - 1/4 cup (optional)

For the bread:

All purpose flour/ Maida – 2 ¾ cup

Rice flour – ¼ cup

Boiled potato – ½ cup (reserve water used to boil the potatoes to replace water for kneading the dough )

Salt – 1.5 tsp

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Warm buttermilk – ½ cup (replace with a mixture of 1/4 cup yogurt with 1/4 cup water)

Honey – 3 Tbsp

Yeast – 1.5 tsp

Water – ½ cup (adjust the water you get from boiling the potatoes to make 1/2 cup)

Sugar - ½ tsp

Making the Bread:

1. Mix sugar and active dry yeast in luke warm water (105-110 F) and keep it aside for 7-10 min. By the end of 7-10 min, the mixture should be frothy and this indicates that the yeast is active. Make sure the water is not too hot as yeast dies when subjected to high heat.
2. Combine all other ingredients, knead till smooth and springy, 5-10 minutes by hand or food procesor.The dough should be sticky, soft and spongy, but if it is way too sticky to handle, add a little flour to knead. But remember the dough is supposed to be sticky and soft, so ad flour only if you feel the dough is unmanageable without adding any extra flour. (The quantity of flour and water I have given should ideally be what you need) This should take upto 10 min as it needs to form gluten to make a nice fluffy bread.
3. Cover with bowl with a cling wrap and let rise till doubled, approx 1.5 hours.
4. Gently deflate dough, shape into balls and flatten them with your fingers to make 1/2 inch high rectangles of 8x4 inch dimensions.
5. Place into greased pans and leave until nicely risen but not over-proofed, approx. 35-45 minutes.
6. Pre-heat the oven at 375 F (pre-heating takes 10-15 min) and bake for 20 min or until the downward facing side is golden brown.
7. Turn sides and bake for another 10 min. 

Making the filling:

1. In oil add chopped garlic and for 1-2 minutes will the oil is infused with garlic flavor.
2. Add the onions and fry till translucent. 
3. Add the mushrooms, spinach and capsicum/colored peppers and saute for 3-4 min. Add sweet corn kernels at this stage if you are using them too.
4. Add salt pepper switch off.

To assemble the sandwich:

1. Add the filling to one half a side of the freshly baked bread. Then add the cheese on top of the filling and fold the second side over.
2. On a pan toast both sides gently so that the cheese melts slightly or just pop in microwave oven for 15 sec to melt the cheese.
3. Serve hot!

Haryali Subzi

A very healthy yet delightful dish! You have the goodness of spinach and the crunch, tang and burst of colors from other mixed vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, beans and green peas. I think this preparation will make kids ask for more!

Ever wondered if you were to make a nice dish for someone who loves spinach, what are the chances that you would make Palak Paneer? 90%. Hmmm.. 

I used to always run out of ideas to make spinach interesting, until I came across this recipe. The simple nutty taste of spinach with other garden vegetables coated in a tangy sauce makes it really refreshing! The best part is the spinach and other vegetables retain their individual tastes and yet taste so good together! I just love the way this dish is laid out. You  place the colorful vegetables right on top of a bed of glossy green spinach. Trust me, you will take your kids, family and guests, by surprise. It looks good and tastes even better!

You need:

Spinach puree – 1 Cup (see my notes below to blanch and puree)

Onion – 1 medium (fine chopped)

Ginger – 1 inch (fine chopped)

Garlic – 3-4 cloves (fine chopped)

Nutmeg powder – ¼ tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Tomato – 1 medium (fine chopped)

Cauliflower – ¼ Cup (or adjust  to liking, should be cut into small florets)

Carrot – 1-2 medium (or adjust  to liking, should be thinly sliced )

Beans – ¼ Cup (or adjust to your liking, cut into 1 inch pieces, )

Sweet baby green peas – ¼ Cup (or adjust to your liking)

Red chili powder – ¼ tsp (adjust to taste)

Garam Masala – ½ tsp

Fresh coriander / Cilantro – 2 tsp (fine chopped)

1. In a heavy bottom pan heat  ½ tsp of oil. 
2. Fry ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. 
3. Add the spinach puree, salt and nutmeg and let it cook. 
4. In a separate non-stick pan, fry chopped onions without using any oil till translucent. 
5. Transfer the onion to the spinach mixture. Add ½ tsp garam masala and continue  to cook till you get a nice thick gravy/ sauce consistency.  
6. In a separate pan, heat remaining oil and add cumin seeds. 
7. Once it splutters, add the tomatoes and salt. Cook the tomatoes till it become pulpy.
8. Add all the vegetables, salt to taste, red chili powder and remaining garam masala. Mix well, cover and cook till 80% done. But make sure they are cooked but still a little crunchy. 
9. Add the coriander leaves and switch off the gas. 
10. Now first transfer the spinach puree into a bowl. Now, on this bed of spinach puree, gently place the vegetables on top. Serve it as is!

* Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt, followed by spinach and immediately switch off the flame. Don't cover with any lid. After exactly 2 min. drain out the water out and dip the spinach in chilled water to stop the cooking process. Otherwise it will not only overcook but lose color too. Now blend the spinach  this to get a fine puree. 

** You can also add paneer to this vegetable mix

Tomato Egg-Drop Soup

So my friend Sahana (who has been helping me proof-read my blog and championing salt.pepper.chili) calls me early one morning and comes straight to the point (we have always been like that with each other, having known each other for 14 years now!) - "you know what, your blog has just 1 soup and a very few sandwich recipes! You need to have more!". And this got me thinking. Why had I ignored something, which most of us love, but end up eating completely packaged or processed version most of the time. We feel we are giving our kids (and ourselves too) something really healthy, but are packaged/ canned soups really as healthy as you think? With all the preservatives and salt content, well... probably not! 

So next time you feel like having a nice healthy soup, take some fresh ingredients and make your own. And you will not regret it! I will be posting a few of my favorite, quick and easy recipes!So lets start with a very popular chinese style soup we all love! The sweet, tangy soup with this lovely egg ribbons. Just the way they serve in restaurants!

And if you have spent a little time reading this blog, you would know my love for dimsums/momos! I suffer from dimsum fanaticism, yeah that's true :).  So after a few continuous days of indulgences, soup - dimsum - focaccia bread would be such a nice combo! Since I already had lots of the amazing Tuscany Pane bread at home, decided to toast and slather it with soft butter! 

You need: Serves 2

Oil - 1 Tbsp

Ginger - 1/2 inch (finely chopped)

Garlic - 2-3 cloves (finely chopped)

Tomatoes - 2 medium size (Finely chopped/paste) 

Onion - 1/2 medium size (Finely chopped)

Egg - 2 

Tomato ketchup - 2 Tbsp (if you want spicy, replace 1 tbsp with tomato chili sauce)

Vinegar -  1Tbsp

Corn flour - 1 Tbsp

Fresh Coriander/ Cilantro ( including stems) - 6-7 sprigs (chopped finely)

Black Pepper powder -  to taste

Salt to taste

Sugar - 3/4 - 1 tsp (adjust to taste)

Vegetable/ Chicken stock - optional (can replace with water)

1. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk lightly. Set aside. 
2. Mix the cornflour in 1/2 cup of water. 
3. Heat the oil in a wok or a pan, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for half a minute.
4. Add onion and continue to stir-fry it it turns lightly translucent. You don't have to brown it. 
5. Add the tomato ketchup (or half tomato ketchup, half tomato chili sauce for a spicy soup) and chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat for about two to three minutes. Cook till its all pulpy. 
6. Stir in the remaining vegetable/ chicken stock or water and bring it to a boil. Add the salt, sugar, black pepper powder. 
7. Stir in the cornflour mixture and cook for a minute or until soup thickens, stirring continuously. 
8. Add the vinegar and cook for a min. Taste the recipe for salt sugar etc at this stage. 
9. Pour 1/4 of the whisked egg at a time from a height in a steady stream. Stir gently 1-2 times to form egg threads. REpeat with the remaining eggs. Allow the egg to coagulate and come to the top. Don't stir too much as you will get all scrambled eggs and no lacy eggs in the soup. 
10. Serve hot garnished with the fresh coriander. Coriander is indeed important.

Vegetarian Hara Bhara Kabab (Vegetarian Kabobs)

Every restaurant serves this Hara Bhara Kabab! So why not! 

It tastes great, has a nice texture, and feels very light too! A very nice appetizer for all your vegetarian friends. And yeah, its super easy and quick. You can keep the kabab-mix ready in advance and pop it into your pan or oven just before your guests arrive. Serve this kabab with two types of dips. No, this time skip the mint- coriander chutney, instead make tamarind chutney. The second dip is made by whisking together 2 Tbsp thick yogurt (all water removed or use greek yogurt), 1 tsp lime juice,  pinch of salt and sugar. These two compliments the kabab and each other too. Try it!!

I need a lot of courage or a special occasion to deep fry! So as usual, these kababs are pan fried with very little oil. Glad to say deep frying would not have made it any better! 

You need: (Makes about 12 kababs)

Boiled potatoes – 3-4 Nos. medium size

Spinach – ¾ Cup (blanched and chopped fine)

Boiled green peas – ¾ Cup (blanched and coarsely ground)

Coriander leaves – 2 Tbsp (finely chopped)

Ginger – 1 inch piece (grated )

Green chillies – 3-4 nos. (fine chopped, can be adjusted to taste)

Amchoor/ Dry mango powder – 1 tsp 

Mint leaves – 2 Tbsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp 

Cornflour – 1 Tbsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 Tbsp

1. In a bowl mash boiled potatoes, add ground peas, chopped spinach (make sure all the water is squeezed out), coriander, mint leaves, ginger, green chillies, salt, aamchoor, cornflour and cumin powder.  Mix well with your hands. 
2. Now divide this mixture into 12 equal parts. Roll them into balls and flatten them a little between your palms to form a patty.
3. Pan fry the kababs till very light golden brown in color. 

*You can make this kabab in oven too if you are inviting a big group for a party. Just pop the kababs on a baking tray into a pre-heated oven at 400 F for 15-20 min. 

**You can more things like paneer, corn etc to make your own variation.