Chakulya(Indian Dal with whole wheat dumplings)

Was feeling out of it for the past few days. Have a cough and a cold, and was craving for some home made comfort food, just like my aaji used to make for me, comforting and spicy! Wish she was here to make it for me, but she is not so had to make it myself...

Ingredients -
For Dumplings -

1/2 Cup Whole wheat flour
1 Tsp. Salt
Warm water
1 Tsp. oil

Knead the dough with salt and water. I don't have the exact amount of water I use :)
But the dough should be a little hard than usual Roti dough. Rub with oil and keep aside.

For the Dal -
1/2 Cup Split Red Gram(split pigeon peas)
1 Tsp. Turmeric
2 Tsp. Red Chilli powder
1 Tbsp. Dhania Jeera Powder
1 Tbsp. Dried Coconut grated Toasted
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tbsp. Cilantro
1 Tsp. Jeera(Cumin Seeds)
1 Tsp. whole brown mustard
1 Tsp. Canola or Vegetable oil
2-3 Curry leaves (Optional)

Wash the Red Gram until the water runs clear. Cook with 1/3 Cup water, add the turmeric and 1 tsp. oil. Let it come to a boil and then simmer until the dal is tender. Turn off the heat and let it rest. Meanwhile, in a small food processor, grind together the garlic toasted coconut flakes and cilantro. Mix in with the cooked dal. Mix until it becomes a pasty consistency. Then add salt, chili powder and around 1/4 cup warm water.
Now we are going to temper the dal. You need to be quick with this, otherwise things might burn :)
Take another small sauce pan, heat oil. It has to be really hot. Add the cumin and whole mustard seeds. Add curry leaves. Careful everything is going to splatter. This is normal. Add the entire oil to the Dal. Splattering again lol!

Dal is ready. Now let the Dal boil again. Until you roll out a flat roti out of the dough. Cut this roti into diamonds like so......

Drop these into the dal and let it simmer until the dumplings are cooked for around 5-7 minutes.

Serve with Kachrya (Crispy potato Subzi) and Rice. Yumo!

Fried Tilapia with Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

OMG on this one! Super Duper delicious beet salad. If you are the one not to care about beets try roasting 'em. You will never go back. Add some goat cheese and ahhh you're in heaven. I served this along side some fried fish. I mean, what could be better?

btw...sorry i don't have more pictures for this recipe.

Serves 2

For the Fish -
Tilapia or any white fish - 2 fillets
Panko breadcrumbs - 1/2 cup
Egg - 1 whisked with a pinch of salt
All purpose flour - 1/4 cup
Old bay seasoning - 1/4 cup

Season the flour and breadcrumbs with old bay seasoning. Rub some of the seasoning on the fish fillets. Dredge the fish in flour, shake off excess. Then in egg shake off excess. And then coat with breadcrumbs before shallow frying them in vegetable oil for around 2-3 minutes on each side.


For the Salad -

Beets - 2-3 washed and peeled
Salad Spring mix - 2 Cups
Red Onions - 1/4 Cup thinly sliced
Goat Cheese - 3-4 Tbsp to crumble on top of salad

To roast the beets -
Wash and peel the beets. Place each beet in a separate aluminum foil, pour a little olive oil on them, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make little pouches and put in a baking tray in the oven. Roast for around one hour, or until the beets are fork tender. Slice thinly when cool.

Vinaigrette -

1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar
1/2 Tsp. unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all except olive oil and whisk in olive oil in the end. Toss the salad greens and onions in the vinaigrette. Top with sliced beets and crumble goat cheese in the end. Serve along side the fish. Enjoy!

Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas

 Before the recipe I'd like to show off my latest possession. The super sharp awesome-st knife ever...thanks shaunak for buying me this. Feel like a chef with this chefs knife.... i mean look at the cuts i put on those vegetables B-) If you love to work in the kitchen, its a good idea to invest in a good knife. This one was totally worth it!
Now that I'm done showing off lets get cooking :))

Ingredients -

Servings  -2

Carrots - 1/4 Cup Sliced thinly
Onions - 1 Small Sliced thinly
Cheddar Cheese - 1/2 Cup Shredded
Mushrooms - 1/4 Cup thinly sliced
Orange Pepper - 1/4 Cup thinly sliced
Jalapeno - 1 Tsp. Thinly sliced
Chicken - Cooked and Shredded
Garlic - 2-3 cloves chopped fine
Spinach Tortillas - 2

Saute the onions and garlic in a little bit of olive oil. Add jalapeno and carrots as the onions begin to sweat. After cooking carrots for 5 minutes or until they are soft, add mushrooms and peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken and stir until the chicken is warm through. Meanwhile on a griddle pan heat a little oil and place one tortillas at a time spread the cheese over the tortillas. cook them until the cheese melts and the tortillas become a little crispy. Then add the filling we prepared above and place another tortillas on top. Cut into quarters and enjoy!

Shrimp Salad

Finally, i got time to blog...too busy surfing through shoes online. Lusting over the Christian Louboutins and Jimmy Choos seems to be my favorite thing to do these days. But i do manage to squeeze in some time for studying and cooking hehehe...

Okay, this one i call shrimp "salad", cause it is not exactly as healthy as a salad should be lol! Sometimes i try and keep it healthy by cooking the shrimp in the oven using cooking spray instead of in the skillet which requires a lot more grease. Needless to say the skillet ones are pretty darn delicious!! But if you are a shrimp fanatic like me...you will dig either versions. So here goes...

Shrimp - 1 pound peeled and deveined
Egg - 1 whisked
Panko Breadcrumbs -1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 1/4 cup

Prepare the shrimp by marinating them in a pinch of turmeric and 1Tbsp of Sea Salt(or regular salt) for at least half hour. Especially if they are frozen. This puts the freshness of the sea back into any seafood, a trick i learned from Aai.

After the shrimp are done marinating, wash them under cold water and drain on a paper towel. Season the bread crumbs and flour with some salt and pepper. Then dredge each shrimp in flour, shake off the excess. Dip in egg, shake off the excess and finally coat with bread crumbs. After all the shrimp are coated store in the fridge for a few minutes before cooking them if possible. Shallow fry them in the skillet in vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray and cook in oven for not more than 2 minutes on each side. Shrimp can overcook and become rubbery in a matter of seconds, so be careful.

After they cool a little bit coat them with the sauce from the Chicken Wrap recipe. Or if you feel like treating yourself today, gor for this mayonnaise based sauce, simply mix together -

Mayonnaise - 1/4 Cup
Chilli Garlic Sauce - 2 Tbsp.

For the salad -


Lettuce(or let-use as shaunak calls it :D) - 1 Cup Chopped
Spring Onion - 3 Tbsp Chopped
Carrots - 1 Chopped
Purple Cabbage -  1/4 Cup Shredded

Vinaigrette - 
Soy sauce - 1/2 Tsp
                                                      Brown sugar - 1/2 Tsp
                                                      Sesame oil - 1-2 dashes
                                                      whisk together all of the above and some olive oil(arnd 1 Tbsp.) and toss the veggies in this emulsion. Top with fried and sauce coated shrimp. "Salad" is ready. Lol! Enjoy!

Rajma

 2 Cups Rajma (Soaked overnight)
2 Medium Tomatoes chopped
2 Tbsp Cilantro chopped
1/2 Green Chilly chopped (Thai chillies or jalapenos)
1/4 inch Ginger
1 Tsp Red Chilli powder
1 Tsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala

Grind the Tomatoes, Ginger, Cilantro and Green Chilly to a paste.
In a pan(I use pressure cooker), heat 1 Tbsp oil. When it is hot put jeera and all the masalas, then add the tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes. Then add Salt and Rajma. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add 1/2 Cup water. Close the pressure cooker and let it cook for 15 minutes. Rajma or Kidney bean curry is ready. Enjoy with Rotis or Chawal.

Meat with Chimichuri Sauce

 Chimichuri Sauce

This sauce has simple ingredients, but is packed with so much flavor! Garlic lovers like me will savor it more :)

1/4 Cup packed chopped Parsley
1/4 Cup packed chopped Cilantro
3 Cloves Garlic chopped
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper flakes
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar

Grind everything together in a food processor. Sauce is ready!



I serve this sauce over roasted meat or chicken with a side of roasted vegetables. Here's how i prepare the Veggies

 Roasted Vegetables in Balsamic Vinegar
Servings : 2
1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Carrot
1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage
1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Orange Pepper
1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Yellow Onion
1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Baby Portobello Mushrooms
1 Tsp Oilve Oil
2 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Saute the Veggies altogether in oil, on high flame. Stir constantly. Reduce the flame and add salt and pepper and Balsamic vinegar. And Roast stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Do not overcook this will make the veggies mushy.

Asian Chicken Wrap

This one is my absolute favorite. Its so filling and satisfying, yet not too bad on the waist. Its a great take to work item too!

Servings: 2

1/4 cup chopped Lettuce
1/4 cup chopped Red Cabbage
1/4 cup chopped Red/Yellow Peppers
1/4 cup chopped Carrots
1 Chicken breast cooked
1/2 cup Yogurt Sauce (recipe follows)
2 Spinach/Whole wheat Tortillas

The veggies can be switched around with those of your choice, you could add onions, garlic, sprouts, tomato etc.

First cook the chicken, or you could buy rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Butterfly the chicken breast or cut into thin pieces, add salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet or oven with a little bit of cooking spray for around 5 minutes on each side. Rest and cut into thin pieces.

Thinly slice all the veggies. And make the sauce.

Sauce:

3 Tbsp Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1/2 Tsp Chilli Sauce
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

Whisk together all the ingredients. Sauce is ready :)

To make the wrap warm the tortillas a little bit and add half the veggies and chicken and then the sauce in each tortilla. Wrap in parchment paper if you plan to take it to work.

Enjoy!

Garlic Bread

I love this garlic bread, Shaunak and I eat it often with soups or even as a simple appetizer. Though i like this recipe better with butter, but cannot afford to eat so much butter all the time :(

But if you want to treat yourself just replace the oil with 3-4 Tbsp of cold butter.

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
4-5 Garlic cloves chopped
2 Tbsp Parsley chopped
1/2 loaf Whole Wheat bread
1 Tbsp Olive oil


Pulse all ingredients in a small food processor or use a mortar and pestle to make a coarse mixture.

With a serrated knife make incisions in bread, do not cut through.

Insert the garlic mixture inside these cuts and put the bread in a aluminum foil. Cover it completely. This will help make the bread soft on the inside. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Open the foil and cook for another 5 minutes. This will make the bread crusty on the outside.

Asparagus Soup

1/2 cup chopped Onion
1/2 cup chopped Celery
1 bunch chopped Asparagus
2 cloves Garlic
3/4 cup Chicken Broth

Save the asparagus tips for blanching and garnishing the soup.

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in a little bit of olive oil. Once the onions and celery start to sweat add the chopped asparagus. Let them cook for 5 - 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Then and the chicken broth and let it come to a simmer and let it boil for 8 -10 minutes.

Use a immersion blender to blend the soup. Garnish with the blanched tips.

Marinara Sauce

One of the easiest sauces to make and is also very versatile. This is the healthier version though, but still as tasty. You can add 2 Tbsps butter and parmesan cheese if you are not counting calories...


1/2 cup carrots chopped
1/2 cup celery chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 bay leaf
Few twigs fresh thyme or 1/2 Tsp dried thyme
1 cup crushed tomatoes, better to use san marzano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute garlic, onions, carrots and celery in a little bit of olive oil for 10 minutes with little salt. Add bay leaf and thyme once the vegetables start to sweat and become translucent. Then add tomatoes, 1/4 cup of water and the rest of the salt and pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and blend with immersion blender or in food processor. Marinara sauce is ready. It stores in the refrigerator for WEEKS!!! You can use it with pasta, meats, chicken, etc.

Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti

yay!! i am back :D after a long break...more than a year since i blogged..... Much has changed in a years time i must say, been eating a lot healthier and have started with yoga and aerobics. Feels great to be in some shape! Although i have a long way to go. Anyways, Turkey meatballs and spaghetti is on the menu tonight. Prepped my sauce and meatballs before hand cause i have school from 6-10 tonight. So here goes....

1/2 lb Extra Lean Ground Turkey
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
sauteed together:
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 Egg
1 Tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste


Combine everything (but don't over mix) and form 12 meatballs.

These can be made in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

Spray a cooking sheet and the meatballs with cooking spray and roast them for about 15 minutes or until brown on the outside.

Drop them in the Marinara sauce and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with whole wheat spaghetti. Garnish with parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese