Roasted Butternut Squash

Feb is the month of anniversary and Valentine's day celebrations and gives me an excuse to cook special stuff. I have been planning to re-create this roasted butternut squash dish we had a while ago while on holiday in Maui at this restaurant called 'Penne Pasta' . It is half a butternut squash loaded with butter, sage and slivered almonds and oven roasted till it is soft and delicious. Mine turned out to be close to it except I could not get myself to add as much butter. This dish holds very romantic memories of the good time we had in Maui. Incidentally, if you look at the cavity in the squash, its a heart shape:)

Ingredients:

1. Butternut squash - 1/2 sliced down the middle
2. Butter - 1.5 tbsps
3. Salt
4. Fresh black pepper - 1/2 tsp
5. Red chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp
6. Fresh sage - 4/5 leaves, chopped into ribbons
7. Slivered almonds - 1/2 cup

Directions:

1. Smother the butternut squash with 1 tbsp melted butter, salt, pepper and stick it in the over at 350 F. I had to bake it for almost 45 mins to get it soft but the bake time might vary depending on the oven. Use a fork to check the done-ness frequently after 30 mins have elapsed.
2. Toast the slivered almonds either in a pan or an oven until golden brown.
3. Take 1/4 tbsp of butter and sautee the chopped sage leave for 5 mins.
4. Top the bakes butternut squash with chilli flakes, toasted slivered almonds, sage leaves and the remaining butter while its still hot and enjoy.

Note: You may use parsley to flavor instead of sage if you are averse to its smell.

We re-did another dining experience by celebrating Valentine's day at Tigelleria which we discovered on our anniversary 2 years ago. We ordered a pear stuffed ravioli with walnut sauce, a cheese platter, a very pretentious salad and pesto fusili pasta. The dessert was pistaschio pannacotta which was served with a heart shaped spoon. A very satisfactory meal indeed!

Paneer Methi Matar Malai and Til Wale Baingan

I have been in an extremely creative mode with cooking lately and these two dishes were what I conjured up for dinner in 30 mins. The recipe for Paneer Methi Matar Malai was based on numerous recipes online that I modified to be healthier and the baingan was a healthier version of Begun Bhaja with sesame. Both were unique in flavors and yummy with the rotis.

Recipe for Paneer Methi Matar Malai:I read several recipes for methi matar malai which called for cream. I just used low fat milk instead and some flour paste for thickening and it works just as well.

Ingredients:

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
3. Cloves - 2
4. Cardamom - 2
5. Green chilli - 1, finely chopped
6. White onion - 1, finely chopped
7. Ginger paste - 1 tsp
8. Garlic paste - 1 tsp
9. Frozen methi - 1 block/cube
10. Frozen peas - 1 cup
11. Milk - 1 cup
12. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
13. Jeera dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
14. Garam masala - 1 pinch
15. Sugar - 1/2 tsp
16. Salt
17. Paneer - 10 small cubes, deep fried, pan friend or fresh
18. All purpose flour or maida - 1 tsp, mix in water to make a paste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet and add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and green chilli. Roast until you can smell the spices.
2. Add finely chopped onions and saute until well done and slightly browned.
3. Add ginger paste and garlic paste and saute until the paste is well mixed into the onions and well cooked.
4. Thaw the methi, microwave for 2 minutes and then add to the onions.
5. Mix and cook for 10 minutes until the methi is thoroughly cooked.
6. Add the salt, red chilli powder, jeera dhania powder, garam masala and mix well.
7. Add the peas, milk, sugar and flour paste and bring the liquid to a boil.
8. Add paneer at the end and heat till it softens.

Recipe for Til Wale Baingan: Brinjals usually absorb a lot of oil. The key to this recipe is to use very little oil and cook it in a non stick skillet with a lid so that the brinjals are well done.

Ingredients:

1. Brinjals - 6/7 small ones, cut into discs
2. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
3. Turmeric - 1 1/2 tsp (yes thats a lot but it adds to the flavor)
4. Ginger paste - 1 tsp
5. Garlic paste - 1 tsp
6. Til/Sesame seeds - 1/2 cup
7. Salt
8. Corriander - handful, finely chopped
9. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
10. Oil - 1 tsp
11. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
12. Jeera - 1 tsp
13. Hing - 1/4 tsp

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet and add mustard seeds, jeera and hing.
2. Once the mustard seeds sputter, add the brinjal slices, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, ginger paste, garlic paste and mix them all together.
3. Cook on high flame for 5 minutes until the brinjal start roasting and then top with a lid. Allow the brinjals to cook well and become soft.
4. Toast the sesame seeds in a pan until golden brown.
5. Once the brinjals cook thoroughly, add the sesame seeds, corriander and lemon juice and mix together.

2011 - The first thing I tasted, a very chocolaty brownie and a protein filled dish

2011 - The first thing I tasted, a very chocolaty brownie and a TamBhram soul food

Happy new year all! What was the first thing you ate/drank in 2011. I started mine with champagne at 12:00AM and a very well done mocha in the morning. We had an excellent brunch at Hobbee's with my hubby gobbling down a poached egg on english muffin with country hash browns and me devouring the usual scrambled tofu and rye toast. A very satisfactory start to the year indeed.

I also made these yummy chocolate brownies (baked in a muffin pan to get the crisp edge on each one) from this recipe. The only modification I made was to reduce the sugar a little. We had this for dessert with vanilla ice cream and it was a chocolate lover's delight.

Next up is a dish which is tam-bhram soul food. In combination with rasam and rice, this makes a protein rich healthy meal if made the low fat way.

Ingredients:

1. Chana dal - 1 cup
2. Toor dal - 1 cup
3. Dried red chillies - 7/8
4. Hing - 1/4 tsp
5. Haldi - 1/4 tsp
6. Beans - 2 cups, chopped into 1/2 inch size
7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
8. Oil - 1 tsp
9. Curry leaves - 5/6
10. Salt
11. Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Directions -

1. Soak the chana dal and toor dal for 2-3 hours
2. Grind the chana dal and toor dal with half the red chillies, salt and hing with very little water.
3. Cook the beans and the ground dal mixture for 2 whistles in the cooker. The dal mixture can also be steamed in idly pans or cooked in the microwave for a few minutes.
4. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, haldi, curry leaves. One the mustard seeds break open, add the beans.
5. Break the cooked dal mixture into small pieces and add to the beans.
6. Add salt and saute until the beans and dal come together and are well cooked.
7. Top with lemon juice and enjoy with rasam and rice for an authentic Tamilian meal:)

Christmas, Presents, Tree, Cake and Cheese Fondue

A cold day, the christmas tree all lit up and decorated by the fireplace, presents all wrapped and ready to be opened below the tree, a cake baking in the oven spreading the aroma of vanilla in the kitchen, a warm throw, 'A Christmas Story' playing on TV - that just about describes the best and the most perfect Christmas morning I have ever had. My christmas present from my hubby this year was a Cuisinart electric fondue maker and I tried the most basic fondue recipe right away with great enthusiasm. The outcome was a delectable cheese fondue which my hubby and I devoured in no time. Who would ever imagine that two people could consume so much cheese in less than 20 mins! Here is the recipe with a promise of many more fondue recipes to come.

Ingredients:

1. Aged Gruyere cheese - 0.5 lbs, grated
2. Emmental (swiss) cheese - 0.5 lbs, grated
3. White wine - 1 1/2 cups (any dry wine should do. I looked for a cooking white wine and got a Chablis)
4. Lemon juices - 1tsp
5. Black pepper - 1 tsp
6. Crushed red pepper - 1/2 tsp
7. Papprika - 1/2 tsp
8. Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
9. Nutmeg - 1 pinch
10. Celery, green peppers, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, sourdough bread as accompaniments

Directions:

1. Add the wine, lemon juice and garlic to the fondue maker and cook till the wine starts simmering
2. Add the cheese a little at a time until it melts.
3. Add the black pepper, crushed red pepper, paprika, and nutmeg and mix into the cheese thoroughly.
4. Cook till the cheese starts gently bubbling and then turn down the heat/setting.
5. Dip the veggies/bread and enjoy the fondue. Be careful not to burn your tongue.

Alu Methi Matar

Hot alu methi matar with chappati and dahi is a very satisfactory easy meal on lazy winter days. This sabji is easy to make, healthy and a good travel dish if you want to carry food with you. Here goes the recipe -

Ingredients:

1. Red potatoes - 6 potatoes, roughly 3 inches in length
2. Frozen methi - 1 cube
3. Frozen peas - 1cup
4. Oil - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Jeera - 1 tsp
7. Dried red chillies - 3/4
8. Sambhar masala - 1 1/2 tsp
9. Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Haldi powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Salt
12. Hing - 1/4 tsp
13. Lemon

Directions:

1. Cut the potatoes into cubes along with the skip and cook in microwave for 7-8 mins until the potatoes are cooked a little but not mushy.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, jeera, haldi, hing and red chillies. Let the mustard seeds pop.
3. Defrost the methi by microwaving for 1 min and add to the pan.
4. Sautee until the methi is cooked.
5. Add the potatoes, salt, chilli powder, sambhar masala and cook on high flame for 5-10 mins and then leave it on low flame until the potatoes have a crust.
6. Add the peas and cook for 2 mins.
7. Garnish with lemon juice and serve hot.

Rosemary Potatoes

The rosemary plant in my garden is overflowing from the pot and I simply had to put it to good use. What better than to bake the classic combination of rosemary and potatoes! My kitchen was smelling like heaven when I popped them out of the oven. This makes an excellent side dish to go with any Italian salad or pasta.


Ingredients:

1. Red skinned potatoes - 2, washed and cut into any desired french-fry-like shape
2. Rosemary - 1/2 cup finely chopped
3. Salt
4. Coarsely crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp
5. Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Directions:

1. Toss the potatoes with the rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil.
   
2. Spread thinly on a baking sheet and bake at 400F for 20 minutes
3. Turn the oven to broil and broil on each side for 5-7 minutes or until the potatoes turn brown.
4. Let it cool for 5 mins and you are done!
   

Instant Mango Pickle / Ambyacha Loncha

This is a very simple and easy mango pickle that my mom used to make during summers when the raw mangoes were plentiful. It needs very few basic ingredients but the flavor of the mango makes up for everything and gives it a unique taste. It is best when enjoyed with ghee and rice.

Ingredients:

1. Raw mango - 1 cut into small cubes
2. Red chilli powder - 4 tsps (Try the one that is made for pickles specifically)
3. Salt - 1 tsp
4. Oil - 2 tsps
5. Mustard seeds - 2 tsps
6. Green chillies - 2 finely chopped
7. Hing - 1/2 tsp
8. Haldi - 1/4th tsp
   
9. Lemon juice - 2 tsps

Directions:

1. Mix the mango pieces, salt, red chilli powder.
2. Heat oil and add mustard, green chillies, hing and haldi. Heat it until all the mustard seeds have spluttered but not burnt.
3. Add the oil mixture to the mango along with the lemon juice. Mix thoroughly and let it sit for an hour. You will see the mangoes releasing a lot of juices.
   
4. This pickle is best stored in the fridge after a day of sitting outside.
   

Arachuvitta Sambhar

Arachuvitta sambhar is a very traditional and typical tamilian sambhar, the ultimate comfort food for any tamilian or for that matter any south Indian:). - a fresh ground powder/paste is added to this sambhar and the aroma of that sets it apart from a regular sambhar. You can add any vegetable to this one. I chose to use white pumpkin. Thanks to my SIL for the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Chana dal - 2 tbsps
2. Toor dal - 2 tbsps
3. Corriander seeds - 4 tbsps
4. Red chillies - 10
   
5. Frozen/fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
6. Tamarind pulp - 2 cups
7. White pumpkin - 1/4th piece, peeled and subed
   
8. Oil - 1 tsp
9. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
10. Methi seeds - 1 tsp
11. Hing - 1/4th tsp
12. Curry leaves - 8 or 10
13. Toor dal boiled - 2 cups
14. Haldi - 1/2 tsp
    
15. Salt

Directions:

1. Dry roast ingredients 1 through 5 and grind to a smooth powder/paste.
2. Heat oil in a skillet and add mustard, methi, haldi, curry leaves, red chillies, hing and let the mustard seeds splutter.
3. Add the pumpkin pieces and sautee for 5 mins.
4. Add the tamarind pulp, salt and enough water and boil the pumpkin until cooked.
5. Add the dal and boil until all ingredients are well cooked.
6. Add the ground paste/powder and boil for a min or so and take it off the heat. Serve hot with rice.
   

Begun Bhaja

It feels like the cook in me is getting resurrected and that is not necessarily a good thing because it also means that my diet and focus on eating healthy goes for a toss :). Ah heck! Who cares!!! Today I was inspired to make a Bengali meal and perused several blogs for the recipe of Begun Bhaja. I finally used this one. My first taste of this dish was during my last India trip when my sister's cook make this. It seemed so simply yet tasted so good. I know it is my BIL's favorite dish and I can see why. To go with this, I made a simple dal with panch phoran masala which added to the Bengali theme of the evening:).

Ingredients:

1. One big eggplant - cut into discs 1/2 inch thick
2. Turmeric - 2 tsps (I used it liberally but you can use less too)
3. Red chilli powder - 2 tsps
4. Salt
5. Oil - 3 tbsps
6. Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Directions:

1. Rub the turmeric, salt and red chilli powder on both sides of the eggplant and let it sit for a few minutes

2. In a pan, add the oil and let it heat up for a min. Add the eggplant slices and let it cook and brown on one side. Then flip and let it cook well on the other side. By the time it is done, the eggplant should be really soft and the skin on the sides should have changed color.

3. Drizzle a little lemon juice and enjoy hot with khichdi or with roti and dal like I did.