Adai

I was inspired by Sindhu's lunch last week and ended up making adai over the weekend. I used Sindhu's base recipes and added tweaks that my mom-in-law uses. The result was very nutritious and yummy. Btw I know this is a really bad picture but its better than nothing:) ...Here is the recipe -

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Toor dal - 3/4th cup
3. Chana dal - 3/4th cup
4. Urad dal - 1 cup
5. Red chillies - 8-10
6. Hing - 1 tsp
7. Ginger - 1inch piece
8. Curry Leaves - 10
9. Coarsely crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
10. Grated carrot - 1 cup
11. Chopped cabbage - 1.5 cup
12. Salt
    

Directions:

1. Soak the 4 dals for 2-3 hours. Grind them to a fine paste along with 8 red chillies, hing, ginger and salt.
2. Add the cabbage, carrot, chopped curry leaves, black pepper, chopped red chillies (remaining 2).
3. Spread on a flat pan like dosas and cook on either side. Add a little oil if required. This adai tastes good by itself or with any of the usual dosa chutneys. We at it with ginger pickle and it was awesome.

These days I have acquired a new hobby of making jewelery. I have a friend who shares my passion for jewelery and its great fun to shop for beads and make stuff to match the clothes we have:). Here are some samples of what I have made so far -

Tomato Pappu

I had made this dish last night and my friend really liked it. It is a very simple Andhra dal that can be eaten hot with white rice or rotis. I didn't take a pic but will update this post with a pic next time I make it.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups toor dal
   
2. Methi seeds - 1 tsp
3. Haldi - 1 tsp
4. Tomatoes - 3 or 4 chopped
   
5. Garlic - 3 pods chopped
   
6. Jeera dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Green chillies - 1 chopped finely
9. Dried red chillies - 2
10. Corriander leaves - a handful, finely chopped
11. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
12. Salt
13. Oil - 1 tbsp
14. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
15. Curry leaves - 8-10
16. Asafoetida - 2 pinches
    

Directions:

1. Pressure cook the toor dal with 1/2 tsp of methi seeds and 1/2 tsp of haldi until it is soft. Mash it until it is of an even consistency
2. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and let them sputter. Then add the garlic, curry leaves, green chillies, red chillies, remaining methi seeds and hing (in this order) and let the ingrediets fry until you can smell all the aromas.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and sautee until they are mushy and fully cooked.
4. Add the jeera dhania powder, red chilly powder, salt and dal and cook until well mixed. Add a little water if you want the dal to be runnier.
5. Top off with lemon juice and corriander before serving. The smells in the kitchen will draw everyone to it once it is done:)
   

Masala Vada

I have very fond memories of my dad bringing masala vadas from the streed vendors in Hyderabad along with the hot spicy mirchi bhajjis. I have always meant to try making them at home but only got around to it now. The outcome was authentic especially after sprinkling a little bit of chaat powder on top. I only wish I had a nice coconut or peanut chutney to go with it but I was too lazy to make it after frying these vadas. I searched online for the recipe and also asked my friend Sindhu and arrived at this one. Here goes -

Ingredients:

1. Chana dal - 2 cups (soaked overnight)
2. Ginger - 2 inch piece
3. Corriander leaves- handful
4. Red chillies - 3/4
5. Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
6. Curry leaves - 10/12 chopped
   
7. Hing - 1/2 tsp
8. Garlic - 2 pods (optional)
   
9. Onion - 1 medium sized, finely chopped
   
10. Salt
11. Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Set aside a few spoons of the chana dal and grind the rest with, ginger, corriander, red chillies, black pepper, hing, garlic (optional) and salt with very little water until coarsely ground.
2. Mix the chopped onions and curry leaves with the ground mixture.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan
4. Now take about 2 tsps of batter on a wet palm and use wet hands to flatten it. SLide it into the oil and fry until golden brown. If you are not able to get it off your palms, you can also use cling wrap for the same. Enjoy hot with chutney or as is!
   

Homemade Pizza Base

I used this recipe from my friend Vinitha's blog to make the pizza base and was delighted with how easy it was:) . One half of the pizza I topped with onions, capsicum, mozzarella cheese and mariana sauce and the other half was pesto, cherry tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheeses and I obviously liked the pesto half better. I am definitely going to make more of the homemade base going forward and do away with the frozen crust I use.

Gudi Padwa

I made the usual gudi padwa spread this year except for the gulab jamuns that I usually make. I posted the recipes before on my Gudi Padwa Recipes post. Happy new year to all of you:)

Baked Broccoli

This picture may not look as appealing but it sure tasted good. I read some recipe online a while back but cannot remember where. So I may fail to link to the right blog/website but the credit certainly goes to whoever blogged about this first. It is very simple and the result is very flavorful. I did make some changes like adding crushed red pepper which made it yummier and I will take the credit for that;)

Ingredients:

1. Small Broccoli florets (about 2 inches each) - 15/20
2. Salt
3. Freshly crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
   
4. Olive oil - 3 tsps
5. Crushed red pepper - 1 tsp
6. Lemon zest - 1 tsp
7. Dried oregano - 1/4th tsp
8. Italian bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
9. Parsesan cheese (I use regiano) - 1/2 cup
   

Directions:

1. Add 2 tsps of olive oil, salt, pepper, oragano and crushed red pepper to the broccoli florets and mix well. Lay it out on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins at 350 degrees.
2. Once you see the broccoli crisping on the outside but still having the crunch remove it from the oven.
3. Mix in lemon zest with the baked broccoli and top with mizture of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and olive oil.
4. Broil for 2 minutes until the cheese melts and bred crumbs become brown.

Enjoy this as a side dish or just by itself. It is really tasty :)

Pineapple cake

This cake was inspired by the Indian style pineapple pastries. It came pretty close to that and I was very happy with the outcome. It was light and yummy. I made this for my sister's birthday. I would have liked to use a proper sponge cake recipe for the cake layers but could not find a good reliable one and since I have never tried it before, I decided not to take a chance with a birthday cake. But I will try it some other time. I was also inspired by a video on youtube and even used the combing technique that he recommends. For the basic cake layers I doubled the recipe here and skipped the nuts in it to bake two 8 inch round cakes. If you have pineapple essence, add 1 tsp for each layer of the cake batter. I did not have it and had to skip and it didn't make much difference. This recipe is relatively easy and hassle free.

Ingredients:

1. Canned pineapple - 1 can
2. Whipped cream- 4 cups
3. Powdered sugar - 2 tsps
4. Sugar syrup - 1 cup (not very thick)
5. Maraschino cherries - 7/8 to decorate

Directions:

1. Drain the pineapples and save some for topping and chop the rest into fine pieces. Save the drained liquid and mix it with the sugar syrup.
2. Place one layer of cake on the cake stand. Slice it into half across if the layer is too thick. Sprinkle the cake with the syrup and pineapple preservative liquid mixture until it is moist. It takes about 3-4 tbsps.
3. Drop a blob of the whipped cream in the middle and spread evenly with a spatula or butter knife.
4. Layer with the crushed pineapples and place the next layer of cake on top. Conitnue this till the topmost layer and for that skip the crushed pineapple.
5. Spread the whipped cream evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Now take a small piece of cardboard and cut one side like the teeth of a comb and used that to finish the sides. Use something smoother to finish the top.
6. Take the remaining whipped cream in a ziploc bag and cut a piece in the corner to use as an icing bag. Or if you have a proper icicing bag, go with that. Decorate with the pineapple chunks and cherries as desired.
   

I would recommend making this cake a day in advance so that all the goodness soaks in to make it taste even better:).

Directions for whipped cream: Take 2 cups of heavy whipping cream in a mixer bowl and to it add 2 tsps of powdered sugar (more if you want it sweeter). Gradually increase whipping speed from 2 to 8 and stop when stiff peaks start forming. A little before that add 1 tsp of vanilla essence. Its as simple as that!!

Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Panini

Here comes yet another panini recipe. This was inspired by a goat cheese sandwich recipe I saw on Barefoot Contessa on food network. It does need a few special ingredients but the end result is really yummy.

Ingredients:

1. Ciabatta bread
2. Kalamata olive spread - 2 tsps
3. Red pepper - 1 sliced thin
4. Eggplant - 1 cup of small chopped cubes
5. Dried oregano - 1 tsp
6. Dried thyme - 1/2 tsp
7. Olive oil - 2tsp
8. Balsamic vinegar - 2 tsps
9. Mozzarella - 3 slices per panini
10. Salt
11. Pepper
    

Directions:

1. Mix the red peppers and eggplant with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and drizzle of olive oil and spread on a tray lined with aluminum foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 mins.
2. Slice the ciabatta bread through the middle and spead the kalamata olive spread on both the slices.
3. Layer on slice with the cheese, eggplant and red pepper. Sprinkle salt and black pepper and top with other slice. Heat in panini press until done.
4. Prepare a vinegarette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Once the panini is done, open the sandwich slightly and drizzle with the balsamic vinegarette. Eat while it is hot and it lasts :)

Italian Pesto-Veggie Panini

My hubby got me a panini press for our anniversary and valentine's day and I have been obsessed with paninis ever since. I can now make a panini that tastes exactly like the ones they serve in those Italian bistros. This was the first one that I tried out of my most favorite Italian ingredients and its was super yummy! This panini press (the brand is Bella Cucina) is simply awesome and I look forward to trying out a lot many recipes. I already have a dessert panini recipe lined up alongside roasted eggplant panini. Yay!!!



Ingredients:

1. Focassia bread (I had a herb focassia but any other baguette or ciabatta should also be just as good)
2. Pesto sauce - 3 tsps per panini
3. Grape tomatoes - 10 per panini
4. Fresh mozzarella cheese
5. Sun dried tomatoes (julienned) - 1 tbsp per panini
6. Fresh basil leaves - 3 per panini
   
7. Kalamata olives - 1 tbsp chopped per panini
   
8. Olive oil
   
9. Salt
10. Pepper

Directions:

1. Slice the focassia all the way through the center and spread the pesto on the cut side of both slices.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper to garnish.
3. Layer one slice with the mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, sun dried tomatoes and basil leaves and top with the other slice.
4. Pre-heat the panini grill.
   
5. Brush the outer sides with olive oil and press using panini grill so that you have enough grill marks.
   

6. Cook the panini until done and slice into two pieces. Enjoy hot!!!

Hyderabadi Dum Ki Biryani

No one but a hyderabadi can appreciate this nawabi style biryani. We hyderabadis rant and rave about the flavors and aromas associated with this dish and could go on and about the biryani from Paradise or Hyderabad Biryani House and talk you to death about the layers of fluffy basmati rice and spiced veggies or meat. We are so much in love with this dish not only because it is yummy but bring back memories of good old days in Hyderabad. Everytime there is a new restaurant in the bay area that promises to serve up a good version of this dish, it becomes an instant hit with this audience. This recipe is one that I arrived at over the years and is totally infallible in pleasing crowds. I won't say this is simple or easy because it needs quite a few ingredients and is a little elaborate to assemble. I practiced and perfected this with Renuka during my Master's so a lot of credit goes to her. A funny incident I remember is when I had some friends over and one of them who wasn't familiar with the whole layered biryani concept, ended up mixing it all up before serving himself and boy I made him jump out of his skin when I screamed. The best accompaniments to this biryani are mirchi ka salan and raita. I made a boondi raita to go with this and it works well too. This recipe is for a veggie version but you can always use marinated meat with a similar recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Onions - 2 finely chopped
2. Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
3. Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
4. Cauliflower - 1 small head chopped into big chunks
5. Carrot - 2 chopped into small cubes or long slices
6. Beans - 12-15 chopped into small pieces
7. Green peas - 1 cup
8. Potatoes - 2 peeled and chopped
   
9. Cloves - 5
10. Green Elaichi - 3
11. Black Elaichi - 2
12. Shahi Jeera - 1 tsp
    
13. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
14. Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
15. Star anise - 1
16. Bay leaves - 2
17. Everest biryani/pulao - 2 tbsp
18. Jeera Dhania powder - 1 tsp
19. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
20. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
21. Yogurt - 1 cup
    
22. Basmati rice - 3 cups
23. Water
24. Salt
25. Saffron - 1/2 tsp
26. Milk - 1/2 cup
27. Lemon - 2
28. Mint - 10 leaves
29. Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp (You can use ghee for added flavor)
    
30. Cashewnuts - 10, fried in ghee
    

Directions:

1. Mix the basmati rice with about 6 cups of water and cook it.
   
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed pan and sautee the potatoes, cauliflower, carrot and beans one after another until they are semi cooked and start browning on the edges. I like them charred a bit and sautee them until crispy. Remove the vegetables onto a paper napkin to soak the oil out.
   
3. Heat the rest of the oil and to it add the cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardomom, shahi jeera, black pepper and bay leaves. Once you smell the aroma, add the onions and fry them until they are golden brown.
   
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir for 5 mins. Add in the vegetables and peas, biryani masala, salt, jeera dhania powder, red chilli powder, turmeric and mix it all up. Once the masalas are blended, add the yogurt and mix it in. Place the lid on the pan and cook the veggies until they soften a little. Do not cook them until they are mushy. We still want a little crunch to them.

5.Turn off the gas and add the chopped mint leaves to the veggies.

6. Microwave the saffron for 15 seconds and add the milk to it. Make sure the strands all dissolve in the milk to give it a nice yellow/orange color.

7. Now start layering the rice and veggies in either a rice cooked or an oven friendly tray - alternate one layer of rice with a layer of the veggie gravy and top each rice layer with a couple of spoons of the saffron milk. This is a painstaking but very rewarding step. Shown in the pic below -




8. If using a rice cooker just set the rice to cook again and since it is already warm it will finish up in 10-15 mins. If using the oven, cover the tray/dish with aluminum foil and steam for 20 mins at 300.



9. Before serving, squeeze the lemon juice over the top and garnish with some chopped mint and the fried cashews. This dish tastes even better the next day.