Let's cook. And eat.

Kanda means onion, bhaji means pakoras or fritters. The beauty of this recipe is how easily it comes together. It was shared by my friend, and I was drooling just looking at the pictures. Shredded potatoes (2), shredded carrots(1-2), shredded bell peppers (1) - squeeze in a piece of cloth to drain our water. Add thinly sliced onions (1-2), besan 1 cup(chick pea flour), salt, cumin powder, chaat masala, turmeric, red pepper - basically any dry masalas to your taste. Make round flat tikkis or patties and heat them in oil on medium heat till dark golden brown.  For the chutney, take hung yoghurt 1 cup with some cilantro and mint - half cup each. Run in a blender. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Risotto is a complex dish. Though it may seem easy to make, to get a good risotto requires some skill (and a good recipe). But when done right, its a flavorful dish - not too heavy, with vegetables that still have the crunch a bit, the rice is al dente and there is a sprinkling of parmesan on top. So trust me (and save yourself some heartbreak) when I say this is a winner recipe. Its by a dear friend - we will call her Lady S. What you see below is an exact copy-paste of the recipe she shared. And true to her wonderful self, right after sharing the recipe she made a fresh pot for us for a weeknight dinner. Lady S is really something! I have known her for almost 18 years now. And every time I meet her I learn something new - She taught me how to peel garlic easily and I have never peeled it any other way since. Here is her recipe: Set IP (Instant Pot) on sauté and add: - 1 Tbsp olive oil - Red pepper flakes to taste - 1/2 shallot diced - 2 cloves garlic minced - Sauté for 30

The natural bitterness of fenugreek pairs well with the creaminess of paneer and cream. Methi malai paneer is a definite hit in our household. The recipe I generally follow resembles this one very closely - https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/methi-malai-paneer-recipe/ I skip the cashews. And instead of water I used milk in the gravy.  There is another simpler but equally delicious version of this paneer that my mom makes. Her version skips most of the masalas and the tomatoes. You start with sauteing onions and garlic in some oil along with some cumin and turmeric, and when the onion is translucent you add some cream, the paneer, some coriander powder and kasoori methi. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Her recipe comes together quickly and is equally delicious - the flavors are simple but oh so good!

The star of this salad is Arugula or rocket. I love this crisp salad leaf with its slightly peppery, almost spicy taste. To complement the flavor, we add strawberries- sweet and cold. It’s a simple salad - Arugula, strawberries, corn, feta and balsamic vinaigrette. Toss and enjoy fresh.  Option: Use toasted walnuts and Parmesan instead of the corn and feta. 

Polenta is a big hit in our family. And this particular dish comes together with minimal effort. Open polenta in a tube. Cut it into rounds about 1cm thick. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle some garlic salt. In it goes into the oven at about 425F for about 30 minutes.  Next in a pan sauté some onions and mushrooms in olive oil along with some garlic salt till the mushrooms are cooked and all the liquid has dried up.  To assemble the dish, lay the baked polenta rounds in a dish. Later with the sautéed mushrooms and onions and then top with some chopped green onions and shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.  Master S says it is the most awesomely awesome food in the galaxy - clearly he liked it. 

Remember I said I love food that is colorful. These biscotti were up there when it comes to delicious and colorful food. The recipe followed was simple:  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10638/cranberry-pistachio-biscotti/ Followed it as is. But the Indian in me did get me to add a little cardamom essence. Cardamom pairs well with pistachios - every Indian knows that. You can take the girl out of India but not India out of the girl!

Had to put that first harvest to use, so I decided to make aloo methi. I love the bitterness of the methi leaves paired with the crispness of sauteed potatoes. At home, whenever mom made aloo methi, we would eat it for lunch/dinner and then the following day snack on the leftovers with matthi (crisp indian snack bread). I like to keep the flavors of aloo methi simple and I typically follow the same steps that I saw my mom make with. For posting here though, I decided to go look for a recipe that's similar (since I am lazy to write measurements and most people prefer having some proportions to cook with). This one came pretty darn close. https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/aloo-methi-recipe-dry-aloo-methi-recipe/ Sometimes I add a bit of garlic - its totally skippable. And if I sprinkle the leaves with salt beforehand to remove the bitterness, I also add some turmeric to it (just a sprinkling, about 1/4 teaspoon). Enjoy!

Master S is in Boy Scouts this year - As part of one of his projects he built me a small herb garden. Everyday he waters it, every morning I get to walk up to it and examine the plants. And every time I see some noticeable growth, it brings joy. Little pleasures of life. Some herbs are from seeds directly, some were saplings shared by a dear friend, Mr. M. So thankful to him for sharing them with us. He even shared the wood used to make the planter box.  Today I got to pick the first harvest - a bunch of fenugreek leaves. It was fun. 

We were in Austria a few years ago for a couple of weeks. And had the good fortune of staying at this bed and breakfast where every morning the owner would make fresh apricot preserves and fresh berry preserves and serve it for breakfast. I have been a believer since - there is nothing better than fresh homemade preserves to eat with scones. This particular blackberry preserve recipe could not be simpler. You toss together blackberries, sugar and some lemon juice and let it sit for 30 minutes. And then you put it on the stove and cook it for about 10-15 minutes to get a preserves’ like consistency.  It’s done. Try it with a fresh scone, enjoy the goodness and you can thank me later 😊

I drool just thinking about Rajasthani food. My family in India knows it too - no wonder it was at my sister’s place that I first had daal baati churma. She loves to cook, I love to eat and when I visit she goes all out to pamper us all. Some people are a blessing and she is one such person in my life. Anyhow, when I made this dish for the first time, I followed Manali’s recipe. It’s easy and good - and the baati is baked. The saunf/fennel in the baati adds a nice touch of flavor. This dish has been made multiple times during the lockdowns. Definitely a winner!  https://www.cookwithmanali.com/rajasthani-dal-bati/ (With a crunchy pickled salad on the side)

I love one pot meals. Mainly because they are fast and full, and I am lazy. This frittata could not be simpler. Oil in the pan, some garlic or onion (or both), sauté. Then some veggies - I used spinach and red pepper. To that I add some frozen tater tots or French fries. Some taco seasoning, salt, cumin powder, paprika to taste. After a few minutes, add in the lightly beaten/mixed eggs with salt. Cover and cook on medium heat. When it’s almost done sprinkle some cheese on the top and cover and cook some more.  Slice it up and serve with some salsa or guacamole. Yummo! 

This particular recipe has come together multiple times in my kitchen. It’s quick and easy - throw ingredients together in the instapot and let it do the magic. https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/instant-pot-or-crockpot-mexican-tortilla-soup/ There was no enchilada sauce this time around so I added some taco seasoning, tomato paste, dried oregano, cumin powder and a tablespoon of white vinegar. It works! Instead of sour cream we used Greek yoghurt. And pita chips instead of tortilla chips. Substitute is the rule of the day sometimes.  Mr S and Master S both enjoyed it. Which is surprising since Mr S is a pseudo vegetarian these days. For him I took out the stew base with veggies before shredding the chicken up. To this stew base, we added tofu - and we had a happy camper. 

I did not even know the name of the dish when my friend Ms. A posted a picture of the dish to our WhatsApp group. And tempted I was - Luckily I had all the ingredients at home. And so the very next day I decided to try it out. According to Wikipedia, it is is a noodle soup made of egg noodles and curried beef or chicken with coconut milk, served with a variety of contrasting condiments.  My friend had shared the vegetarian recipe for the dish and so that is what I tried.  I will be honest - the prep was a bit extensive for the condiments that go with the dish. But the dish itself came together easily and fast. Pretty much followed the recipe she shared to the tee -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGVae1DsHX0 The changes made were: Added canned coconut milk instead of fresh. Used red peppers, carrots, peas and corn. Used regular basil instead of thai basil. This one was a hit with the family.

A friend recently reminded me of an avocado-burrata-peach toast we had after a hike in SF, where we ended the afternoon by visiting the food trucks of "Off the grid". And very soon I was craving for the burrata-peach combo. Its the creaminess of burrata with its mild saltiness that does wonders when it is paired with juicy, sweet peaches. I went looking for a recipe on the internet and found this one by two peas and their pod. https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/tomato-peach-burrata-salad/ Not many changes were done to the recipe except I also sprinkled some sea salt, black pepper and drizzled some olive oil on the top. We paired it with whole rye bread as an open sandwich - it was a hit.

It’s the year 2020. And it’s going on with a bang. Making its presence felt. They say hindsight is 2020 and this one is definitely out to teach some lessons. There is a silver lining to everything though. 2020 brought me back to my kitchen. In a big way. To be honest, I have never really enjoyed the day to day mundane cooking - it has often felt like a chore. But I do love food. I love eating - People eat to live, I live to eat. I love different kinds of flavors. I love food that is colorful. And I have always enjoyed baking or trying a new recipe. The extended lockdowns resulted in me cooking at home all the time. Interestingly though, I am quite enjoying the cooking this time around - maybe because there is more time, or there is more motivation. Anyway, this blog is mainly a vehicle to archive my recent experiences in the kitchen. Most are recipes that I have picked from somewhere. I might change a thing here or there - because sometimes I just don’t have an ingredient at hand