Thai Shrimp Fried Rice September 7, 2010

Ingredients

1. 2 cups cooked Rice
2. 2-3 Tbsp of peanut oil or any vegetable oil
3. 1 lb Shrimp
4. 3 cloves Garlic-chopped
5. 1 medium Onion-diced
6. 1 or 2 thai Chills or any green Chile-diced
7. 1 Medium Tomato -diced
8. 2 Eggs -beaten
9. Lemon or lime juice
10. Fish Sauce  2 t0 3 tsp
11. Soy Sauce 2 t0 3 tsp
12. Handful of Green chopped onion -Green part only
13. Chopped Cilantro

• Salt,pepper and sugar to taste.

1. Method Of Prepration

Heat oil in a wok or skillet Add chopped onion stir fry for a minute then add garlic and chopped chilies stir fry for a few seconds. Add Shrimp stir fry till they just turn pink. Push everything on sides of the skillet creating a space . Pour beaten egss and stir-fry.  Now bring everything back in the centr and add cooked rice. Stir fry and add fish sauce,soy sauce and lemon or lime juice. Add a pinch of sugar

and chopped tomatoes Stir fry everything for a minute or two . Taste for salt and spiciness. If needed add add a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro and chopped green onion.

Enjoy!

Variation:

To make this rice with ginger taste which is delicious. Instead of garlic add  1  tsp of chopped ginger.

Thai Chile tend to be very spicy so substitute for the one for milder one if need be.

Bell Pepper , Broccoli or any other veg can be added. Just chop everything almost the same size so they all cook at the same time.

Pineapple is a wonderful addition this preparation. You can add that at the last stages of cooking and just stir fry for a minute or two. if using pineapple there is no need to use sugar.

Two Products I like August 27, 2010

I love these two products:Chili Garlic Sauce and San- J Szechuan Sauce.  I use them in all sorts of dishes including my Chili Garlic noodles below.

Spicy Chili and Garlic Noodles (With or Without Shrimp)

Ingredients

250 Grams of egg noodles (or any other noodle of your choice)

1 large carrot julian sliced

1 bell pepper

3-5 green onion stalks

1 medium onion

2 – 3 cloves of garlic depending on what you like

Szechuan Sauce

Handful of cilantro (optional)

Soy sauce

1 Tbsp Ketchup

1 Tsp Vinegar

½ chicken buillion (optional)

3 Tbsp oil

¼  pound of shrimp (optional)

Chili garlic sauce (I like Tuong Ot Toi Vietnam)

For stronger chicken flavor you can add chicken stock

Serves: 4-5 people

Cooking instructions

Noodles:

1. Boil and Drain

In a side pan:

1. heat oil in a pan add sliced medium onion
2. add sliced cloves of garlic
3. add carrots
4. after a few minutes add bell peppers
5. add shrimp
6. stir fry everything for a few minutes
7. add 2 tsp of szechuan sauce
8. add ½ – 1 tsp of chili paste
9. add noodles to the mixture
10. toss everything together
11. add soy sauce to taste (around 2 tsp)
12. add 1 tsp vinegar
13. add 2 tsp of ketchup
14. after serving add spring onions and cilantro on top and serve!

Note: add soy sauce to taste

Shrimp Curry February 16, 2010

Ingredients:

Step 1 Ingredients

1. 2-3 tbs oil
2. 1 medium onion-chopped fine
3. 1 stick of cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 2-3 cardamoms
4. 2 dry red chili
5. 1 tsp cumin seeds

Step 2 ingredients

1. 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2. 2 tsp tomato paste
3. 2 tbs coconut milk
4. Salt to taste
5. red chili powder to taste
6. 1 tsp of vinegar-white
7. pinch of sugar

Step 3 ingredients

1. 1 lb. medium shrimp-cleaned and deveined
2. 2 tbs chopped cilantro

Prepration

Heat oil in a pan. . Fry onions till brown. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir fry for few mints. Add step 2 ingredients. continue stir frying on low heat till  oil starts to separate from the spices. Now add 2 cups of water. Bring it a boil. taste for spices and consistancy of the curry adjust. Add shrimp bring to a boil and add cilantro.

Mix everything gently. Remember not to overcook the shrimps.  The curry should taste a bit spicy and sour.

Garnish with cilantro

Serving suggestion

serve with Rice, chapatti or any kind of flat bread.

4 -6 servings.

Cauliflower Soup February 15, 2010

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INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 tsp of olive oil or veg. oil
2. 1 small onion- chopped
3. small piece of ginger-chopped
4. 1/2 head of cauliflower if large or 1 small head of cauliflower cut in to small florets.
5. 1 small potato -peeled and cut in small cubes
6. couple leaves of fresh mint -optionals
7. couple of small pieces of Paneer ( if paneer is not available 1/4 cup of soy-milk, tofu  or regular milk also works well)
8. 1 vegetable bullion-no msg.-mixed with a cup of water or cup of vegetable stock

Preparation:

In a pot warm up the oil. Add ginger and onion cook till soft add potato and cauliflower- Cook this without adding water for few seconds coating it nicely with flavor of ginger and onion. Add salt to taste. Add 3 cups of water bring it to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes on very low fire-or  t ill cauliflower and potatos are tender. Add vegetable stock, mint leaf you have add paneer  and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from stove top. Remove few pieces of cauliflower and potato. Using a hand blender blend the rest of the ingredients and  then add the few pieces of cauliflower and potato. Taste for salt. Add a pinch of black pepper.

Garnish with mint or chopped cilantro.

Note:

You can add peas or spinach in this soup too . These ingredients will   make this soup more nutritious and  add beautiful green color.  Garnish with chopped tomatoes . And it  will make a beautiful presentation.

4 serving.

Dal-Gosht Meat Cooked With Split Lentils February 11, 2010

INGREDIENTS

1. *1/2 cup Chana Dal -split chick peas ( split pigeon peas works fine too)
2. *1/2 lb meat (lamb,goat or beef works well chicken can be substituted as well)
3. 1 tsp turmeric powder
4. Salt to taste
5. 2 tbsp oil
6. 1 large onion slices thin
7. 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamoms
8. 2 dry red chili
9. 1 tsp cumin seeds
10. 2 tsp ginger garlic paste(mad from grinding ginger and garlic equal amount)
11. 1 tsp green chili paste or just a couple of green chilies ( mad from coriander leaves and green chili)
12. 1 tsp tomato paste
13. 1 tsp of Kasoori methi-available in indian store if you don’t have this you can use fresh chopped spinach.
14. 1tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp of red chili powder-optional

Garnish

Handful of chopped cilantro

lemon juice

fresh thin sliced ginger

Step one

If you can soak dal for at least 1/2 hr if not wash dal with warm water and then add clean cubed meat add turmeric and salt to taste in a heavy pot with 5-6 cups of water. Boil till meat and dal becomes tender.

Step 2

Remove meat from the dal with a spoon and keep it aside. With a hand blender blend dal. Add more water tfor required consistency. In a pan add oil add onion and fry till brown. Add cinnamon,cardamom bay leaf and red dry chili. Fry for a minute or two. add ginger garlic paste,tomato paste,chopped spinach or kasoori methi and green chili paste. After mixing well taste for salt and spiciness. Adjust the spices. Add dal and meat in to this mixture bring to boil. Add lemon juice

Garnish with and serve with plain rice or sweet yellow rice. Please see the recipe above

Some Suggestion:

To reduce the cooking time dal and meat can be cooked in a pressure cooker.

Once cooked if not served immediately  dal absorbs a lot of water so make sure to check  before serving and add little water if needed.

This dish takes a little more time to cook then other dishes-  because of cooking of meat and dal but once prepared you can store this in the fridge and enjoy it  for a couple of days. This dish also freezes well for a later use.

Suggestions for vegetarians :

Meat can be easily substituted by bottle gourd , potatoes or even chunk of zucchinis and eggplants.

* Mixture of split lentils can be used.

* Amount of meat can be adjusted.

AAmti- Sweet and spicy thin Daal(Dhal)-Delicious February 9, 2010

INGREDIENTS:

Step 1 Ingredients

1. 1 cup Arhar -Toover Dal  Moong daal-split moong
2. 3 cups of water
3. 1 tsp turmeric powder
4. salt to taste.

Step 2 Ingredients

1. 2 tabs of oil
2. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3. 1/2 of cumin seeds
4. about 6-7 curry leaves
5. pinchof Hing-asafoetida
6. 2-3 green chili-small thai chilies work well but a cut up jalapeno works if you don’t have green chillies 2 dry red chili can be substituted
7. 2 medium chopped tomatoes
8. piece of jaggery or a tsp of sugar is fine
9. 1/2 tsp of tamrind pulp or 1/2 tsp of fresh lime juice
10. 2tbs chopped cilantro

Step 1 cooking

Clean and wash the daal.

In a nice heavy pan boil daal with turmeric and salt till really soft and mushy.  Use a hand blender to make it smooth. Add some water and bring it to a soup consistency.

step 2 cooking

In another pan heat oil add mustard seeds once seeds starts popping add cumin seeds add asafoetida, curry leaves, ,red or green chopped chillies to your taste and chopped tomatoes. Here you can add tamrind pulp if you have if you don’t add lime juice at the time of serving. Now add daal . Bring it to a nice boil. Taste for spices and adjust. Add sugar or jaggery. It should taste sweet and sour

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Enjoy it as nice ,nutritious comforting soup or with rice to make a meal out of it.

Sweet Yellow Rice–Zarda Easy Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Step 1 Ingrdients

1. 2 cups Basmati Rice
2. 8 Cup Water
3. Pinch of Salt
4. 2 cardamom
5. 2 cloves
6. 1 stick about an inch cinnamon stick
7. 1 tsp Yellow Food color

step 2    Ingredients

1. 2 tbs Vegebale oil or butter
2. 2 cardamoms
3. 2-3 cloves
4. 1-2 tbsp rasins
5. 1 1/2 cup Sugar
6. *  2-3 tabs of heavy Cream-optional-water and soy milk is fine as well.
7. pinch of nutmeg powder- preferred freshly grated
8. pinch of saffron- optional

Prepration

Pre soak rice for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Pre heat oven to 250 degree. In a large pot add 8 cups of water  add yellow food color making sure water is nice and yellow. Add rest of the ingredients from step one. let the water  come to a boil  and then add rice. . About 6-7 minutes the rice will get really nice and long -rice should not overcook. Strain the rice-just like you will do for any pasta dish. While rice is draining in the same pot add oil once hot add cinnamon , cardamom and raisins as the raisin start popping. Lower the heat and add drained rice and add sugar and sprinkle cream or water or soy milk. Mix it really gently making sure you are not breaking rice grains. Keep it in the oven for about 1o to 15 mnts.

Garnish with nutmeg and saffron

Note.  Traditionally nuts are added to this dish and is also garnished with nuts.

One can cook this dish without adding any added fat. After draining the rice I generally just add all the other ingredients and cover and put it in the oven.

At times I have also added drained pineapple bits just before putting it in the oven and it tastes really nice sweet and sour taste to the dish.

Serving suggestion:  This is really a very festive dish and is served on happy occasions. It makes a beautiful party dish and can be served as a desert or with other food like nice and spicy Daal.

Sara this one is for you.

Nutmeg-Jaiphal February 3, 2010

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Nutmeg known in India as Jaiphal – is  fragrant and slightly sweet tasting spice. When grated fresh it has a beautiful aroma and enhances the sweetness of   the dishes. It is mainly used for deserts. However I have also seen it being used in Garam Masala especially for garam masala that is used for Biryani and other heavy meat dishes like Mughlai Dishes.

Chat Masala-Chaat Masala January 12, 2010

Chat Masala

This one is for you Aziza.

This is a pungent smelling spice mix. This Masala or mix has a salty and sour taste.  Main ingredient is dry mango powder also called armchoor powder which gives the mix it’s sour taste.

The other  ingredient is black salt also known as kala namak.  This ingredients gives the mixture it’s pungent smell and salty taste. The ingredient in this mixture is black pepper,cumin,coriander ,

ginger powder and chili powder. Very popular in India and can be easily found in Indian stores. I have also seen it in farmers market in asian food isles. This masala is not only used in street food-

chaat in India but is also sprinkled over some vegetable dishes and even on Tandoori chicken for that  added taste-chaat. Yesterday this spice mixture made it’s debut on Martha Stewart show.