Cabbage Rolls

These are a take off on Hungarian Cabbage Rolls. There is some prep time involved and long cooking time - so be prepared. Also - be prepared to air out your kitchen after.

1 large head of cabbage

Cut off the bottom core and discard the outer tough leaves. Separate the other leaves and steam them for about 15 minutes till tender. Drain and keep aside. Cut the core into 6 wedges.

1 lb of ground pork
1 lb of ground beef
1 TBS smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 cup grated onion
1 TBS grated garlic
1 cup cooked rice
2 tsp salt
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 TBS red wine vinegar
16-20 oz tomato juice

Grind the fennel seeds, pepper and coriander. In a large bowl mix the meats, salt, ground spices, paprika, onion, garlic, chili flakes and vinegar.
 Fry a little bit of the meat mixture in a pan and taste to ensure the seasonings are right. Adjust if needed.

To assemble -

Place each leaf on a flat surface. place about 2 TBS of the meat mixture on the leaf and roll them up, tucking in the ends.
Place each on a large casserole dish. Place the cabbage wedges in the dish in between the rolls. Pour the tomato juice over it- the liquid should come up 1/2 to 3/4 each roll.

Cover and cook in a 350 C oven for about 3 1/2 hours.

Serve with  cucumber-yogurt-sauce-with-dill.

Cucumber Yogurt sauce - Indian style Raita

The Raita - you find it in almost every Indian restaurant - usually it's so bland and watery - it's gotten a bad name- and rightly so.

It's base is yogurt, you can add various salad vegetables to it - and that's what it's called then.
Cucumber raita, tomato raita, onion raita and so on.

It has a Maharashtrian cousin- called the Koshimbir - more on that in a separate post :)

2 cups of yogurt
1 hothouse cucumber (seedless)
2 green chillies
2 TBS cilantro (leaves only)
1 tsp salt
1 TBS mint leaves

Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Grate the cucumber or dice it really fine, toss it with 1/2 tsp salt and place in a sieve to drain. Squeeze out as much water as you can from the cucumber before adding to the yogurt.

Mix the thickened yogurt with the chopped green chillies, chopped cilantro leaves, salt and chopped mint leaves. Add the cucumber and fold in. 

Serve immediately as accompaniment to any Indian meal.

Variations

Tomato Raita.

Use diced, de-seeded tomatoes in place of or in addition to cucumbers.

Onion Raita.

Use diced red onion instead of cucumbers.

Tomato Onion Raita

Use diced, de-seeded tomatoes and diced red onion and drop the cucumbers. 

Cucumber yogurt sauce - with Dill

I think every country in the world has some version of the cucumber yogurt sauce- and all of them are yummy. I serve this one with meat loaf or as I found out recently, it's excellent with cabbage rolls.

1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups seedless cucumbers sliced thin
4 TBS chopped dill
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBS red wine or white wine vinegar


Peel and slice the cucumbers. They need to be sliced thin- using a mandolin might be best.
Mix everything together and serve right away.
If making ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate so you don't end up with a watery sauce.

Cucumber yogurt sauce - tzatziki style

I call this sauce a take on the tzatziki. I am sure it's done in many different ways and the purist might not agree. But this works for my family and so ....


8 oz container of sour cream ( you can do yogurt if you like)
3 cloves of garlic
1 english cucumber (seedless)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 TBS white wine vinegar
1 TBS really good olive oil
1 TBS parsley (finely chopped)
1TBS mint leaves (finely chopped)

Grate the cucumber and let sit in a strainer to drip. About an hour or so is enough to get rid of most of the water in there.
Grate the garlic or just use a garlic press.
Mix everything together, serve with lamb or roast potatoes or rather any roast meat :)
If not using right away, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge. If you keep it at room temperature, the sauce will get watery.

Meatballs....and Spaghetti

Who doesn't love spaghetti and meatballs? By special request - here is the recipe for meatballs.

I know it's easier to use dried breadcrumbs- I admit I have done that myself- just used them out of a can even (gasp) - but the best meatballs are made with fresh breadcrumbs. Just run a few slices in your food processor and use them. That said- if you don't have them - don't run to the store just to buy bread to make breadcrumbs!


I always use 2 different meats - usually pork and turkey to make my meatballs. Feel free to use whatever ground meat you like.

1 lb of ground turkey
1 lb of ground pork
1 1/2 cups of fresh bread crumbs
1 TBS garlic powder
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 TBS flat leaf parsley (chopped)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili flakes (totally optional)

regular oil for frying

Combine all the ingredients and form into loose balls. Do not squeeze them or pack them too hard. If you feel the mixture is too loose you MAY sprinkle a bit more bread crumbs - but you should not need any more. 2 lbs of meat should give you at least 15 meatballs (about 2 inches each)
Heat oil in a saute pan - this is to shallow fry the meatballs so you will need at least 1/4 inch oil in the pan. Drop the meatballs in the oil one by one and brown them on medium-low heat. Turn them very carefully. Do not crowd the pan - you want to fry them not steam them. They will be done in about 10 minutes.
I usually finish cooking them in the sauce itself. So at this point remove the meatballs from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Make your spaghetti sauce and return the meatballs to the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 25-30 minutes till the meatballs are fully cooked.




For the Sauce

1 can of crushed tomatoes (the big can)
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 TBS chopped flat leaf parsley
2 TBS chopped basil leaves
1 cup of good red wine ( the kind you would drink)
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Once you are done frying the meatballs, discard the oil. In the same pan heat 2 TBS olive oil, add the onions and fry till translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Add the wine and scrape up all the stuck on bits into the wine. Cook it down for about 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and the herbs.
At this point you can add the meatballs and simmer for 25-30 minutes till the meatballs are fully cooked.

Cook the spaghetti as per package directions. Serve the pasta with fresh grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of fresh basil on top.

Feta stuffed dates - wrapped in prosciutto

This appetizer looks fancy - but it is so simple to make...
Make sure you buy the best ingredients, since there is no cooking as such, its the quality of the dates and the cheese that make this dish really sing.


20 dates (Mejdool variety) - either buy the seedless ones or just pop out the seed at home.
100 gms Feta cheese - I usually try and get the Greek Feta.
20 slices of good prosciutto

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Crumble the cheese and carefully stuff the dates with the crumbled cheese. Do not over fill, or you will end up with busted dates.
Wrap the prosciutto slice around the date and secure with a toothpick.
Arrange the dates on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes till the bacon starts to crinkle.

Serve warm - not hot.


** Prosciutto is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto.

Kadhai chicken - Quick fry chicken

This is like a quick Indian stir-fry chicken. Can be served with rice or bread depending on what you feel like.


2 chicken breasts (boneless - skinless) - cut into strips
2 TBS plain yogurt
1 cup yellow onion - sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup tomato - chopped
1/2 cup bell peppers - sliced
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder (cayenne)
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 TBS chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
2 -3 TBS oil


prep: marinate the sliced chicken in the yogurt for 15-20 minutes

In a saute pan, heat the oil and fry the onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chili powder and garam masala. Fry for 3-4 minutes - till you can smell the masala.
Add the marinated chicken - and fry for a few minutes. Add the sliced peppers and salt and cover and cook for about 10 minutes till the chicken is cooked. If required you can add a couple of tablespoons of water, but not too much- we want to keep this dry.
Check that the chicken is cooked, adjust seasoning if needed. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve with rice or bread.

Guacamole - Dips and Chips

I love avocados. That's it. Plain and Simple. So of course guacamole is a dish that's made very often in our house. Excellent as a dip of course, top up your tacos and fajitas and burritos with it or use it as a spread instead of mayo!

This is the basic recipe - I learnt this one from the local taco shop! Along with an awesome spicy salsa recipe- which will also appear on the blog.

How to spot a ripe avocado- this is a common refrain- the only way I know is - the avocado skin darkens as the fruit ripens. If you lightly squeeze the avocado a perfectly ripe one will gave just a bit of give. It's something that you will instinctively know when you use avocado regularly.

2 ripe avocados
1 large lemon - juiced- please get rid of the seeds
2-3 large garlic cloves - crushed through a garlic press
1 tsp salt
1 TBS cilantro leaves- finely chopped

Slice open the avocado and get rid of the seed. Scoop out the flesh and place it in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt and garlic and mash it all into the avocado. It need not be smooth- a bit lumpy is actually what we are looking for.
Add the cilantro leaves and fold them in.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap till you use it.

Meat Loaf

Each and every cook in the US has his/her own meatloaf recipe. Mine came from a very cook friend (thanks Jonathan). Of course you tweak it as you go along and tailor it to your taste. But Jonathan taught me how to make meatloaf! It was a mystery to me till then :)

I make mine using a combination of pork and turkey. Feel free to use whichever meat you prefer. I have used the 'measurement' of 1 tray/package- since that's how you buy it in the grocery store.

And remember- you can never make "a small meatloaf"! Its always a lot, so be prepared to freeze some of it. Meatloaf sandwiches are always a welcome lunch.


1 tray/package ground pork
1 tray/package ground turkey

1 cup finely chopped onion
2 TBS crushed garlic
1 TBS red chili flakes
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 small can Campbells mushroom soup
1 & 1/4 TBS salt
1 TBS pepper
1 TBS dried herbs (Italian blend works very well)
3 cups bread crumbs (more if required)
tomato ketchup

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 regular loaf pans with foil.

Mix all the ingredients from pork to herbs in a large mixing bowl till well mixed. Add the bread crumbs one cup at a time and work them in. You will need 3 cups for sure. Sometimes, depending on many factors you may need more- just have some extra on hand. You should be able to form a 'loaf' with the meat mixture and it should not flop down. That's when you know you have enough bread crumbs in there.

Divide the mixture between the 2 loaf pans and top with tomato ketchup. Yes, tomato ketchup. Somehow it makes the meatloaf taste better this way. Cover the loaf pans with foil and place in the oven. Cook for 55-60 minutes. Then remove the top foil and let cook for another 20-25 minutes.
Insert a knife in the centre and check. If the knife comes out clean, the meatloaf is cooked.

Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before you take it out of the pan and slice it.

Serve this with any or all of the following:
Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, french fries
Steamed Caulifower
Steamed vegetables
Buttered corn

Pork Stir Fry - Quick Fix dinners

We all need some simple recipes that we can whip up for a weekday dinner. This one will give you your protein and your veggies- it's easy and it's fast! Just add a side of rice and voila! you have dinner. You can substitute sliced chicken breast for the pork and use whatever vegetables you have on hand.


300 gms of sliced pork (usually loin)
1/2 cup onion - sliced
7-8 stalks of asparagus
1/2 red pepper - sliced
1/2 yellow pepper - sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms - sliced
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped or passed through the garlic press
2/3 tsp salt
1 TBS white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 TBS olive oil

Heat a saute pan, add oil and fry the garlic very lightly. Add the pork and saute till just done. Takes about 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetables, salt and chili flakes and saute for 2-3 minutes more. You do not want to overcook the vegetables. Finally add the vinegar and let it cook down.

Serve with some rice or pasta for a complete meal. i sometimes cook the rice in chicken stock just for a change.

Palak Paneer - Spinach and Cottage Cheese

This is the ubiquitous Saag-Paneer that is present in all Indian buffet's By the time you get to the dish - the paneer is all gone or it's crumbled into the saag- leaving a trail of white dust!

This is actually an extremely tasty dish if done right- and my teacher was a master at this dish. I hope I come close to her teachings.

I use baby spinach - it cooks faster and blends smoother and the colour is a bright green when cooked. I add fenugreek leaves - if you can't find fresh ones, feel free to use the frozen ones. They work just as well.


1 package baby Spinach (usually about 5 cups)
1 cup fenugreek (methi) leaves or 1/2 package frozen methi leaves
4-5 green chillies
1 cup yellow onion diced
1 cup tomato diced
1 TBS garlic paste
1 TBS ginger paste
1/2 tsp coriander-cumin powder
1 tsp salt (to taste)
4 TBS oil
1 block of Paneer - cut into cubes and sauteed till light brown.You can increase the amount of paneer used as per your liking.


In a large pot add the spinach leaves, methi leaves and green chillies. Add about a cup of water, cover and simmer. The leaves will be cooked in about 15 minutes. Take off the heat and let it cool a bit.
Blend the onions to a smooth paste using as little water as possible. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the onions. Saute on medium heat till light brown in colour.
Blend the tomatoes, ginger paste and garlic paste till smooth. Add this paste to the browned onion paste and saute. The raw garlic smell has to disappear and you should see oil separating from the paste.
The better you cook this base - the better your final Saag will taste. So spend some time and effort on this step. This should be done on medium heat and frequent stirring is recommended.
Blend the cooked spinach and methi and add that to the onion - tomato base. Mix well. Add salt and coriander-cumin powder.
Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Add the fried paneer pieces and let simmer for a few minutes.

Garnish with a little fresh cream just before serving if desired.

Aluchi Patal Bhaji - Colocasia Leaves

Oh this vegetable can be made in so many ways. Some people (like my family) blend it all in, some like to see the leaves in the curry, some add whole peanuts and some add them crushed....But every part of Maharashtra has it's own version.
There are 2 types of colocasia leaves, the thick leaves with the dark stems which are used to make aLuwadi or patra and the thinner leaves, lighter in colour and with green stems are used to make the vegetable. Simple reason is that the thinner leaves cook down faster and the thicker variety is able to hold up to the steaming and frying for the patra.
You can add peanuts, cashew nuts, chana daal, fresh coconut pieces or even radish pieces to this vegetable. 


Here is my version.



2 bunches of the lighter green variety of leaves. Cut off the thick part of the stems and wash thoroughly. Chop coarsely.

4 cups of the chopped leaves
1 TBS tamarind pulp
2-3 green chillies
2 TBS besan (chick pea flour)
1 TBS jaggery
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup skinned raw peanuts (soaked overnight)

Put the leaves in a deep pot with 2 cups of water and the chopped green chillies. Cover and cook till tender. Depending on the tenderness of the leaves it take anything from 20 minutes to an hour. A better way is to cook them in the pressure cooker, 2 whistles and 10-12 minutes of steaming.
 Add the tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt and besan to the cooked vegetable. Run the hand blender to blend everything together till smooth.
Adjust the water and seasoning, the consistency should be like a thick daal...Bring to a boil, add the soaked peanuts and simmer for 10 minutes.

We usually serve this with 'phodnicha tel' which basically means tempered oil. The oil is flavoured with garlic.

3 TBS oil
6-7 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/4 tsp jeera (cumin)

Add the garlic and the oil to a pan and set on low heat. the oil should heat slowly and cook the garlic. If you add the garlic to hot oil, it browns quickly on the outside and the inside stays raw. If you try to cook it at temperature, the garlic burns. There is no worse taste than burnt garlic.
Let the garlic brown nicely on low heat, add the cumin and hing and remove from heat.

You can either add the entire oil to the curry or each person can add it to their own bowl as per taste.

Enjoy this taste of Maharashtra.

Indian Staples - Sarson Ka Saag Aur Makke Ki Roti - Mustard Greens and Corn bread

Sarson Ka Saag and Makke Ki Roti is a Punjabi specialty. Growing up in Mumbai, we had Punjabi neighbours who introduced us to this awesome preparation.
This preparation is made from the tender leaves of the mustard plant - the leaves have the characteristic 'bite' of mustard. They are cooked together with spinach and fenugreek leaves.

You can find mustard greens in our grocery stores in Canada and US - under the name Rapini. Make sure you pick the tender ones. We use maize flour to thicken this dish. Maize is basically a different name for corn but please do not use corn flour. You get maize/corn flour which will be yellow in colour and coarser than cornflour in the Indian grocery store. Ask for Makke ka Atta.

For the Sarson Ka Saag

2 bunches mustard greens - pick the leaves and discard the thick stems if any and wash thoroughly

3 cups chopped mustard greens
2 cups of chopped baby spinach
1 cup chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 TBS ginger paste
1 TBS garlic paste

3 TBS maize flour 
4-5 green chillies
1/2 tsp whole cumin
1/2 tsp asafoetida
salt
4-5 TBS ghee

Cook the greens (mustard, spinach and fenugreek) with 2-3 green chillies in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Alternately you can slow cook them on the stove top - but this does take a lot of time and the vegetables lose nutrients and the lovely green colour.
In a separate pan, heat the ghee and temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing).
Add the onions and saute till translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes, ginger paste and garlic paste and fry till the ghee separates.
Add 2-3 chopped green chillies and the cooked greens. Add salt to taste. Saute for a few minutes till the onion/tomato is totally mixed with the greens. Simmer on a low flame for about 10 minutes. Add the maize flour and cook for another 20 minutes or so. The maize will thicken the sauce.

For the Makke Ki Roti

2 cups of maize flour
1/4 tsp salt
water
ghee

Mix the flour, salt and water to make a dough. Take a ball of dough and flatten it to a round roti with your hands. Lift the roti and place topside down on a hot griddle. Cook on both sides till done.
Serve hot with ghee on top

Tadka for the Saag - This is completely optional

3-4 TBS ghee
1 tsp red chili powder

Melt the ghee in a shallow pan, add the chili powder. Let it heat up to smoking point, and then pour the ghee into the prepared Sarson Ka Saag.

Serve the Sarson Ka Saag with the Makke ki Roti and sliced onions.

Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

This is my go-to sauce for pasta...I don't know if it's the 'red' sauce that everyone talks about or if it is marinara sauce. For my family it's just our regular meat sauce.


1 lb ground meat (turkey/chicken/pork/beef - any one will do)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 TBS tomato paste
3/4 cup yellow onion chopped fine
4 garlic cloves (pass them through a garlic press)
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/4 tsp fennel seeds (crush coarsely in a mortar pestle if you have it)
3 star anise
2 bay leafs
1 cup good red wine
1/2 tsp crushed dried basil
1/2 tsp crushed dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 TBS salt
4 TBS olive oil
2 TBS fresh basil leaves chopped


Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and add the garlic and onions. Fry till they are translucent. Add the meat and the garlic powder and saute for about 5 minutes till the meat changes colour. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste and saute to mix the tomatoes and meat. You may have to crush the tomatoes a bit more with a spatula. Add the chili flakes, salt, pepper, fennel seeds, bay leaves and star anise. Bring to a boil. Add the wine, basil and oregano and mix well. You may need to add a bit to adjust the consistency. Simmer on a low flame for about 20 minutes to let the flavours meld.

Just before serving add the fresh basil leaves.

Boil your pasta (al dente) based on the directions on the box. drain and coat with some good olive oil. Ladle the sauce on the pasta and top with shavings of parmesan or romano.
All you need is a salad to go with it. yum yum.

Vegetarian variation:

Just omit the meat, you can add chopped mushrooms and peppers to give the sauce some body. Everything else stays the same.

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Makes a nice change from the usual tomato based pasta sauce. This is nice to make in the fall when you get fresh pumpkins. I use sage in it - again a fall herb...reminds you of thanksgiving!


3 cups of pumpkin pulp. You can find the method in my pumpkin soup recipe.
1 lb hot Italian sausage
10 fresh sage leaves
3/4 cup yellow onion chopped
2 garlic cloves - put them through the garlic press or mince very fine.
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
salt
1 cup dry white wine
3 TBs olive oil

In a heavy bottom pan heat the olive oil, add the chopped onions and garlic and saute till translucent. Add the sausage and chili flakes and saute till the sausage is done - about 5-6 minutes.
Add the pumpkin pulp, salt, wine and the chopped sage leaves. Stir till thoroughly mixed and there are no big pumpkin lumps. Add salt to taste. If the sauce needs to be thinned, add some chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

Serve with spaghetti or angel hair pasta.

Learn the Basics - Vegetable Stock

This is the base for soups, stews and some sauces. Very easy- and does not take very long. Once you develop a taste for dishes made with home made stock you will not look at the store bought stock .


1 whole head of celery stalk - separate the stalks and chop into large pieces
2 large yellow onions - quartered
1 whole head of garlic - chopped crosswise
4-5 carrots - chopped into large pieces
2 large leeks - outer leaves removed and washed and cut lengthwise and then into half. (leeks can be optional)
1 TBS whole peppercorns
1 Bay leaf
4-5 cloves
1 TBS salt
sprig of thyme
sprig of rosemary

Coat the celery, onions, garlic, carrots and leeks with olive oil and roast on a sheet pan for about 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
In a stock pot, add the roasted vegetables, the herbs and spices and about 12-13 cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil and then simmer till you have about 2/3 of liquid left. Strain the stock. Throw away all the solids and freeze the stock if not using right away.

Soups and Stews - Butternut Squash Soup

This is not just a fall favourite - you can get good butternut squash all year round. If you are a Trader Joe's fan like me then you can get the pre-cut butternut squash pieces to make your life easier.


1 butternut squash

Split it lengthwise- remove the seed, coat with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and roast in a 350 degree oven for about 60 minutes till soft. Peel off the skin and it's ready to use.

Again, you can steam the squash or just microwave it and scoop out the pulp. Works just fine.

In this soup you can just peel the squash, and chop it up and add the pieces to the soup pot and then blend it all. 

3 cups of butternut squash pulp  OR 1 whole squash peeled and chopped
3 TBS shallots finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
3 TBS olive oil
1 TBS butter
1/2 tsp ground pepper
6 -7 cups stock** (vegetable or chicken depending on your preference)
salt
1/4 cup half and half (you can use just milk or 5% as per your taste)

In a pot heat the 3 TBS olive oil, add the butter, shallots, carrots and garlic and saute till translucent.
Add the squash pulp and pepper, saute to coat the pulp. Add the stock and salt.
Blend with a hand blender and add the cream. Bring to a rolling boil and let simmer for 5-6 minutes.

If you are adding uncooked squash pieces, add the stock and cover and cook for about 50 minutes till the squash is soft. Then blend with a hand blender or pass through a food mill. You may need to add more liquid at this point.
Bring to a boil and add the cream.

Serve with a slice of fresh bread and a splash of cream if you like.

Soups and Stews - Pumpkin Soup

Fall favourites - Pumpkin or butternut squash soup.

Pumpkin soup first.

I usually make this with fresh pumpkin - I do not use canned pumpkin pulp. Just because I like the taste and the texture of the fresh pumpkin.

To extract pumpkin pulp -
Make sure you don't buy a sugar pumpkin - that's for pies...

Cut the pumpkin into quarters and remove the seeds and the fibres. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle same salt and let cook for 60-75 minutes till soft.
Then just peel off the skin and use the pulp.

There are many ways of extracting the pulp, you can steam the pumpkin, zap it in the microwave, peel it and cut it and just cook the pieces in the soup. I leave it to you - pick the method you prefer. I use the roasting method, I just feel it gives a concentrated pumpkin flavour.

4 cups of fresh pumpkin pulp
1/2 cup chopped shallots
5 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cream (just regular half and half)
3 litres of chicken stock **(or vegetable stock for a vegetarian soup)
4 TBS olive oil


In a large pot heat heat 4 TBS olive oil, add the shallots and garlic and fry till translucent. Add the pumpkin pulp, chili flakes and salt. Stir till the shallots and garlic are mixed in well with the pulp.
Add the chicken stock and mix. Add the salt (please make sure to check if the chicken stock has added salt).
Use a hand blender to get the right consistency.
Add the cream and bring the soup to a boil.

To serve you can top it with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil (use the really good one- the one used for dipping your bread), a few drops of balsamic vinegar and maybe a shaving of parmesan cheese.

** Recipe for Chicken Stock and Vegetable Stock in my Learn the Basics section.

Learn the Basics - Chicken Stock

Of course you can use store bought chicken stock - but once you taste the difference you might prefer the home made one! It does not take a lot of effort, just a bit of motivation.

1 large roasting chicken (about 4 5 lbs)
4 stalks of celery
3 large carrots - cut
1 large yellow onion - cut into quarters
1 whole head of garlic - cut crosswise
1 TBS whole pepper corns
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
4-5 springs of fresh rosemary

In a large stock pot add all the ingredients listed above and add 6-7 litres of cold water.
Bring to a rolling boil.  Simmer uncovered for about 4 hours. Strain the liquid after 4 hours and discard all the solids. (Seriously, there is no flavour left in the chicken after being boiled for 4 hours).
Chill the stock in the refrigerator overnight. Skim off the fat that will be on the top. Store the stock in the freezer.

If you notice I have not added salt to the stock. You certainly can if you want to, but I prefer not to. Just because I sometimes forget about the salt already in the stock and add salt to the dish I am cooking without taking into that salt into account.
If you can remember- no problem, go ahead and add 2 TBS salt to the initial ingredient list.


As far as herbs go, if you cannot get fresh herbs, don't panic. You can throw in whatever herbs you have on hand, parsley, dill, rosemary....Dried herbs work too, just add less.

Street Food Mumbai - Vegetable Sandwich

Oh yes the ubiquitous vegetable sandwich. I am sure all Bombayites (aka Mumbaiites) have had this at some time or another in Mumbai. There is no escape :). Everyone had a favourite sandwich - wala... a sandwich vendor. He knew just how you liked your sandwich and that's how he made itfor you...spice level, crusts off/on, fillings...it was all perfect!

Well there are no sandwich carts here - not in California or in Toronto - so I just make my own and yes I set up my stall just like my sandwich vendor outside Ruia college in Matunga ....


Sliced White bread- YES white bread- but please do not get Wonder Bread- it falls apart. Actually sourdough works very well.

Softened butter
salt
'chaat' masala (optional)
pepper

For the chutney
2 cups of coriander leaves cleaned and washed.
3 cups of baby spinach leaves. (yes- this is not a mistake)
10-12 green chillies (depending on your spice tolerance level)
3-4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin) powder
salt
1/2 tsp sugar
lemon juice

Blend the chutney very fine- using very little water or no water if you are using a Magic Bullet.
Taste for salt level and add lemon juice.

For the Filling- everything should be cut into thin slices

English cucumber
beefsteak tomatoes
yukon gold or white potatoes - boiled and peeled
red onion
Beets - boiled and peeled

What vegetables you use in the sandwich are totally dependent on your taste- some people even like raw beetroot instead of boiled. Some (like me) do not like raw onion in this sandwich. But - you can customize it as per taste.

To Assemble

Liberally butter 2 slices of bread (Crust on/off if your choice)
Spread the chutney on both sides - more for a higher spice level and less for the weaker palate(!)
layer up your fillings- cucumber slices, tomato slices- potato slices. ....
Sprinkle salt and pepper on the veggies- chaat masala if you like.

Some Nescafe or Masala Chai - and you are back in Bombay :)

Dips and Chips - Hummus

Hummus is now available everywhere and in multiple flavours. But I saw it for a first time when we were in Saudi. We all loved it - and it has no cooking required- so of course it's great!
My neighbour was from Syria - she taught me this way to make hummus and I have stuck to the recipe for 20 years now.


One can of Garbanzo beans.
4-5 garlic cloves
salt
1 1/2 TBS tahini (seasame paste)
Juice of 2 lemons
Olive oil
1 TBS curly parsley chopped fine


Wash and drain the beans. Add the beans, garlic cloves and tahini to a blender. Add the juice of one and half of the lemons and blend. If needed add in really little water. Blend to a smooth puree.

Taste it for salt (remember the beans have salt- that's why we wait to add the salt)
Taste it for tang- you should get a bite of the lemon juice- add more if needed.

To serve - put the hummus in a shallow bowl- run your spoon on top to make depressions on the surface and pour some really good olive oil on top. Sprinkle chopped parsley. Serve with warm pita bread.


PS If you do not have tahini - just add white sesame seeds ( tahini is simple sesame paste)

Street Food Mumbai - Batata Vada - Fried Potato dumplings

Deep fried heaven on the streets of Mumbai- This is also a staple of the people of Bombay (Mumbai). Seriously- I doubt there is even one person in Mumbai who has not succumbed to the guilty pleasure of a hot spicy batata wada or the vada pav - which is basically a fresh batata vada served between a split pav (kinda like a sourdough dinner roll) with a spicy garlic chatney.
Every time I go back to India- I head to my favourite batata vada stalls. One is in Chembur- right at the end of the lane where we lived- Nandu's vada pav. The other is Shrikrishna vada pav in Dadar BB opposite Chabilldas school - for some reason we called the place Manju che vade. The third is Joshi vadewale in Pune. I am sure there are plenty more places which make awesome vadas- but these 3 are my personal favourites.
This is a pure Maharashtrian recipe - many others have tried to adapt it- I once had the MISfortune of eating a 'Banaras' style or North Indian style batata vada which had basically some form of aloo-mutter stuffed inside and the batter was so thick that ....well you can imagine. They better not attempt to bastardise this pure Marathi dish.
Now that I have lived in US/Canada for the past 15+ years I have made many attempts to recreate that bit of culinary heaven in my kitchen. But when I go back to India I head straight to my favourite haunts- nothing compares.
But here goes -

For the filling:

250 Gms Potatoes
3 green chillies
2 springs of curry leaves
1 tsp shredded ginger (not paste)
1 tsp finely chopped garlic (again - not paste)
2 TBs chopped coriander leaves - no stalks
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
Salt
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp udad dal
1/2 tsp lime juice
2 TBs oil (for the tempering)

Boil, peel and mash the potatoes. Add the salt. chopped chillies and coriander leaves. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the hing, udad dal, turmeric, ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Fry on a low flame till the ginger and garlic lightly cooked. Do not burn the garlic. Add this tempering to the mashed potatoes. Mix well and shape into balls about and 1.5 inches in diameter.

150 gms besan (chick pea flour)
water
salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp red chili powder
pinch of baking soda
Oil for deep frying

Make a thick batter - adding water a little at a time. It should be a bit thinner than pancake batter.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or a small wok (kadhai). It should not be smoking hot.

Dip the potato balls one by one in the batter and fry them in the hot oil till a lovely golden colour. Drain on paper towels.

These have to be served hot with garlic chutney and with or without the pav.

Garlic Chutney

There are again so many variations of this chutney. The dry version is a Marathi staple again. It has always been served with Batata vada or bhajias. A great side dish with dal - rice. And awesome when eaten with bhakri (rotis made with jowar or bajra flour). But more on that later. For now the basic lasun (garlic) chutney recipe.

1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup desiccated dry coconut (UNsweetened)
10-12 dry red chillies or 2 tsp red chili powder
salt
pinch of sugar
1 tsp oil

In a non-stick frying pan, roast the garlic cloves with oil till golden brown. Be very careful, you do not want burnt garlic. Then roast the coconut till brown. Let everything cool. Then add all the ingredients from garlic to sugar to a food processor and blend till coarse. You can adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the red chilies or chili powder.

Serve this chutney with the batata vadas and close your eyes and imagine yourself in the bylanes of Mumbai. yummmm.

Indian Staples - Dal Fry

A simple dal fry and rice is a favourite meal in our house. Add some pickles and papads - and you are set!

Amruta specifically asked for this recipe - so here goes...

1 cup dal (any dal will do - masoor, toor or moong)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp hing
1 tsp chopped ginger

Boil till dal is cooked. Don't add too much water. Start with 2 cups and bring to a boil. Then simmer till done. You can always add more water if needed.I usually cook the dal in a pressure cooker. But you can also adapt this recipe for a slow cooker. 

Add the dal, turmeric, hing and chopped ginger  to the slow cooker with 2 cups of water. Cook for 4-5 hours if using toor dal. Cook only for 2-3 hours for moong/masoor dal.

For the tempering:-

3 tbs ghee
1/4 tsp jeera
1/4 tsp hing
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger

7-8 curry leaves
2-3 garlic cloves crushed or chopped
Green or red chilies as per taste. If using whole red chillies use 3
Chopped tomato

Fry this till it smells nice. ;) on medium heat
Add the cooked dal and fry till the masala has coated the dal.
Adjust thickness.
Add salt and sugar. 1 tbs sugar.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Lentil Curry (masuryachi Amti) - Masoor - CKP style

This one is posted especially for Amruta - it's her absolute favourite. Requires a little bit of prep - making the masala- but otherwise it's as easy as pie!

CKP talala masala (CKP fried masala) also called kaala masala

This is a must have in CKP kitchens. Its made fresh everytime you need it- so the taste of the dish is also unique. Freshly made masalas always taste much better. But in today's world its not reasonable to expect everyone to fry and grind spices everytime they make a curry. So I have listed the spices used - you can dry roast these and grind them in a coffee grinder and store. Just don't make too much at one time.

1/2 cup coriander seeds
1 TBS cumin seeds
1 TBS black cumin seeds
1 TBS fennel seed
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp peppercorns
10-12 green cardomoms
5-6 black cardomoms
2 inches cinnamon
3-4 star anise
1/4 cup poppy seeds
5-6 bay leaves

Dry roast these spices till nice and dark brown. Let cool. Grind in a coffee / spice grinder. Store in an airtight container.

1 small red onion sliced thinly lengthwise
2 TBS dry coconut
1 tsp oil

 Roast the onions in oil till brown, add the coconut and continue roasting till it is toasty and dark brown. Do this on a medium flame so the onion and coconut do not burn.
Blend with a little bit of water to a fine paste

Now on to the curry.


1 cup brown lentils (soaked overnight)
1 large yellow onion - chopped
1 tsp ginger - garlic paste
curry leaves
4 pieces kokum
1 tsp jaggery
oil, hing, mustard seeds, turmeric, red chili powder, salt

Heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, hing, turmeric. Add chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry till the onion is translucent. Add ginger - garlic paste, 2 TBS of the ground masala (spices), the drained lentils and 1/2 tsp of red chili powder.  Saute for 5-6 minutes. Add water just enough to cover the lentils, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Check on the doneness of the lentils. They should be soft and the skin should open to the touch. Cover and cook till done. Add the jaggery and kokum. Add the ground coconut- onion paste and adjust the consistency. Bring to a rolling boil.

garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Bhendyachi bhaji - Okra

These are called lady fingers back home in India. In the US they are known as okra and are quite popular. There is some difference in the Indian variety and the locally grown ones that you get in US/Canada. For one the Indian variety is smaller, a slightly darker green and has less 'slime' when cooking.
 If cooked properly, the vegetable loses all its 'slimy' feel and it turns out really nice.

1 lb okra (Indian variety if you can find it)
3-4 green chillies
10-15 curry leaves
3 TBS oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dhaniya jeera powder
1 tsp lime/lemon juice or 1/2 tsp amchur powder
2 TBS finely chopped coriander (cilantro)


Wipe the okra with a damp cloth and slice off the heads. You can chop the okra length-wise or cross-wise- doesn't make a difference to the final outcome.
Chop the green chillies into big pieces (they should be noticeable so you don't  eat the chillies by mistake)

Heat oil in a pan- either a wok or a paella pan works great. Add the mustard seeds, when they sputter, add the turmeric and the asafoetida. Add the chillies and curry leaves. Add the chopped okra and saute for 5-6 minutes on high heat. Add the salt and sugar, saute for 2-3 minutes more. At this point the stickiness might increase due to the salt and sugar. Cover and steam for 7-8 minutes on low heat, till the okra is cooked.
Turn up the heat and saute till all the moisture evaporates. The okra will start to crisp up at this point. Lower the heat and add the fennel seeds,dhaniya jeera powder and lemon juice. Saute for 2-3 minutes and garnish with finely chopped coriander.