Vegetarian/Vegan Hot 'n' Sour Soup for Cold Spring Nights

Note : This post was written almost a month back in march, 2011 but I guess I forgot to hit the publish button. It's finally spring here not that cold but this soup is perfect for any weather.

What do U do when Mother Nature Gives you not only rain in the spring but some white stuff too.....

last week when spring started on calenders, in our part of the world we saw some snow too, temperatures dropping back from 80 degree to 45 degree. We did had a very warm weekend just before the spring started but it was just for couple of days and then back to cold. Mother Nature knows what's best so rather than complaining why not go out in jackets & draw some butterflies to cheer up

and then come inside and sip this deliciously spicy and perfectly sour world famous Chinese Hot 'n' Sour soup.

As an Indian we prefer Chinese food which is made Indian style mainly known as Indo-Chinese but I always enjoy this one soup no matter where ever I eat/drink........it's the perfect balance of heat from garlic + chilli sauce & sourness from vinegar and O'course lots of veggies, which makes you go for another serving of it. I also like this soup as only work in it is of chopping veggies and I love to do that( I find cleaning & chopping veggies as a very soothing & satisfying activity). It's easy recipe no oil, no saute, only boiling  the prepared stock with your choice of veggies. Though I have my personnel choice of veggies when it comes to this soup but many a times when I make it on a night before the grocery day, we get to see many different combinations of veggies in our soup bowls and no matter what veggies goes in, it always tastes good. Color, taste & texture of this soup does need your attention when it's fresh but for me I enjoy leftovers also. Now for the recipe.....

What I used :

Vegetables :

• 2 med. sized carrots, julienned/matchstick cut
• around 1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms(i used baby bella variety)
• around 3/4th cup of thinly shredded cabbage
• half red bell pepper thinly sliced
• around 1 cup of thinly sliced baby bok-choy(keep the shredded leaves separate)
• around 2 inch piece of ginger, julienned
• 1/2 cup mung sprouts

For stock/broth :

• 4 cups of vegetable stock(* see notes)
• 2&1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic or use garlic paste
• 3 tablespoon of tomato ketchup
• 3 tablespoon of green chilli sauce
• 2 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon of rice vinegar(regular vinegar can also be used)
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper (optional)

Corn starch mixture :

• 3 tablespoon water
• 1/2 tablespoon con starch

What I did :

Take all the ingredients from stock/broth list & whisk them together. In a big pot(non reactive kind as we are using vinegar) put them to boil, turn the heat to slow after it start boiling. Let it simmer for around 10 minutes or so.

While the stock for the soup is boiling, prepare the veggies by chopping them into thinly sliced/shredded/ julienned/ matchstick cut.

After 10 minutes of stock boiling drop all the chopped veggies into it except green leaf parts of bok choy, add that during the last 3-4 minutes only. Mix everything together give it a little taste & add salt as per your taste. I suggested to add salt at this point because various sauces used above will add saltiness to the soup, so it's better to hold it in the beg.

Let soup simmer for another 10 min. or so. When ready to serve mix cornstarch & water, making sure no lumps are there and add this mixture to soup, make sure soup is hot and on the heat at this time. Once it's stirred into the soup turn the gas off & serve the soup immediately.

Notes :

• This recipe is the one which my family likes but I've read some recipes which don't use garlic but I can't imagine making any soup without garlic, specially this one.
• For making vegetable broth I boil around 5 cups of water with roughly chopped 2 carrots, 1 onion, 2-3 stalks of celery, 3-4 garlic cloves 1/2 tsp. salt, 2-3 cloves(Laung), 7-8 black peppercorns, a bayleaf for around 30 minutes or so.
• U can easily reduce or increase the heat in this recipe by changing the quantity of chilli sauce. Black peppers also give it little extra heat.
• Veggies like green beans/french beans are also good addition to this soup. Generally tofu is also used in this soup, if using add it towards the last 3-4 minutes of simmering.
• I'm not using egg in this which makes it vegetarian/vegan. For garnish usually chopped up green onions are used but I didn't had any so didn't used any.
• Also at the end usually a spoon of sesame oil is added to the soup but I don't do that. If U like just add it to it before turning the heat off.

• I used baby bok choy in this, not a typical veggie for this soup but it's my new fav. veggie & we liked it in the soup.

UPDATE (Feb/04/2013)  : this yummy soup is on it's way to Sayantani's blog  to beat some winter chills. She's is having a giveaway sponsered by Cuponation.in at her blog.

Fat Free Almond and Banana Bundt Cake flavoured with Cardamom

I've been baking with bananas so regularly these days that if I say it's banana bread my daughter say can't U make a regular cake like chocolate cake. So this time I baked it in regular size bundt pan & didn't forget "not to mention bananas anywhere", so..... it's cake with chocolate chips......served with some freshly whipped cream and did I mentioned it's cardamom flavor, again something NOT to be mentioned(to her) and yes, no mention of whole wheat flour either & wait there is more almond meal & flax seed.....let me give you the whole recipe but before that another look while cake is cooling down.

No!No!No! it didn't stick to the pan, but....

A Mouse in the House now the recipe.....

What I used :

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour(I use atta available at Indian grocery stores)
• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal(grind almonds using a spice/coffee grinder)
• 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds/flax meal
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 3 over ripe bananas
• 4 green cardamoms/choti illachi (seeds taken out & crushed into powder,)
• 2 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
• handful of chocolate chips

See it didn't stick to the bottom

What I did :

1. Grease 6 cup capacity bundt pan. & heat oven to 350 degree F.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients,including sugar & cardamon powder, making sure there are no lumps.
3. Mash the bananas to smooth paste, add egg, mix it together.
4. Mix dry ingredients to wet. Mix everything together & finally fold in handful of chocolate chips.
5. Bake till toothpick comes out clear, mine was done in exact 30 minutes.

Note :

1.  Don't throw the outer shell of green cardamons, use them for flavouring tea or rice.
2. I used 6 cup capacity bundt pan as I wanted to test my new pan(yes I'm addicted to bundt pans now, first I got the baby ones then med. size & this is the new addition to the collection) but I believe this recipe would fit in the 8" or 9" square or round pan also.
3. If  U don't like cardamom flavour replace it with vanilla.
4. I tried same recipe egg less also by replacing egg with 1/4 cup buttermilk & increasing baking soda with around 1/4 of tsp. came out good.
5. I'm not using any butter or oil in this recipe & believe me we didn't miss that, bananas work good as butter substitute also.
6. Also it's not very sweet but sweetness from bananas & little brown sugar was perfect for our taste buds, but for those who love their cakes more sweet, quantity of sugar can be increased.

 And finally the Mouse is caught in action

did I mentioned she was born in the year of Rat as per Chinese zodiac....so basically she is just doing what she is suppose to do and not giving up any of her mousy tricks....and btw my little mouse had big serving of this cake as her lunch that day....off it goes to Champa for her weekly bake-off.

For other recipes for baking with bananas like cake/biscotti/muffins/bread U can click here.

Peaches, Peaches & more Peaches......turned into......Salsa, Preserve & Ice Cream

Chutney, Preserve, Pickle, Salsa these were the few areas I was thinking and making almost a month ago. Many a times when I go for weekly grocery shopping I go overboard with fresh veggies & fruits. So trip to 2 different grocery stores in a day & a trip to peach orchard in the same weekend end result sweet & sour yummy treats. Though I've made quite a few Chutney's & Pickles etc. in the past few days like Mango Chunda/chutney/preserve  but today it's Peach time. Most of them were eaten just like that & few firm ones were turned into Salsa & riped ones were turned into peach preserve & finally over-riped were turned into cold treat peach ice-cream.

Fruit picking is one thing which not only kids enjoy but we as an adult also enjoy it equally. I still remember first time when we took our then 3 yr. old daughter for her first strawberry picking she was excited but Dad was over excited to get the freshest and juiciest fruit that I came back home with almost 15 pounds of fresh strawberries. I prefer to eat fruit just like that but that was the first time I started to make strawberry preserve, since then it's regular in my house. Now some recipes to use up all the juicy peaches no matter whether U picked up yourself  from the orchard or from the local farmers market.

Peach Salsa : I have to say this was among one of the best salsa I make, not only because we adult loved it but my 8 yr. old said she loved the combo I made, when I asked u liked the salsa, she replied whatever u call it(in her world salsa is either red or green) it's tasting good with this chicken tikka & pasta salad(that was the dinner). It's more of a guideline then a recipe U can change the fruit & veggies that goes in as per your taste or availability, also adjust the spices level as per your taste.

 What U need :

• 3 firm peaches, skin removed(see notes)
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 tomato
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 stalk celery (optional, we like the crunchiness of it, if using make sure to dice it very fine)
• 1/2 green /red bell pepper/capsicum/shimla mirch  (I used 2 Anaheim peppers)
• 3-4 hot green chillies
• 1 tsp. black pepper (kali mirch)
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder(jeera powder)
• salt
• handful of cilantro(hara dhaniya), chopped
• juice of 1 lime(nimbu)

What to do : Chop everything into small pieces except lime. Mix it in a big bowl, add black pepper, salt & cumin powder, squeeze the lime juice on to the mix. Mix it, taste it, if needed adjust the seasoning, cover it & keep it in the fridge. I prefer to make fruit salsas on the same day, usually 2-3 hours before I need it. If for some reason you want to make them ahead of time(in case of party or so) don't mix salt, cilantro and lime juice, get everything else ready & keep it in the fridge. When ready to use add salt, lime juice & freshly chopped cilantro.

You can serve it with Tortilla chips. pita chips or as a side for grilled fish or chicken, it goes well with roti(Indian flat bread) & rice also.

Variations : I make same recipe using mangoes also & mixing both fruits peaches as well as mangoes. If u want to make mango version only, try this one 1 mango + 1/2 cup of pineapple & leave the cucumber & tomato out, plus rest of the ingredients from the list, tastes awesome.

Peach Preserve/Chutney :

What U need :

• 3 Large ripe peaches
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar (can use regular one)
• 1 cinnamon stick(dal chini)
• 3-4 cloves(laung)
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red chilli pepper
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar (can be substituted with lemon juice)

What U do :

1. 
   
   Remove the skin off from the peaches(see notes). Roughly chop them, remove the stone/seed.
2. 
   
   In a non reactive pan add peaches & sugar  let it sit for an hour or so.
3. 
   
   Add all the spices  cook the mixture for 20 minutes or so on med. heat. Check the sugar level U can add more at this point if U like, these peaches were very sweet so I didn't used a lot of sugar.
4. 
   
   Add Vinegar & cook till all the water evaporates around 5 minutes or so.
5. 
   
   We don't like fruit preserves to be very thick. So I cook it to the point where it's still little loose as when it cools off it gonna get thicker. To check that, preserve should coat your spoon but if u take the spoon out preserve should drip like honey.

** I use little pepper & red chili powder as it gives the preserve a nice little kick, as per your taste u can totally leave it out. I did not make the big batch as everyone in house preferred peach salsa(no sugar so he loves it) & peach ice-cream(this got lot of sugar, but when it's ice-cream he don't care...lol!)

Peach Ice-Cream : I didn't took any pics, sorry about that. It's same recipe as Mango Ice-cream we used around 4 large peaches fully riped. Take the skin off(see notes) & remove the seed also. Roughly chop the fruit & sprinkle 2-3 tablespoon of sugar from the total sugar u r using. Leave it for around 2 hours in the fridge. Pulse the fruit pulp in blender making sure it's not fully pureed as we like little bites of fruit here & there in ice cream. Now follow the same directions as we did in my previous ice cream.

Notes :

In case of fully ripe skins, usually u can simply peel the skin off using your fingers(first make a little cut on peach using knife). In case of firm ones boil a pot of water & add few peaches at a time in it for 40-60 seconds then transfer them to ice-cold water for a minute or so & now u can peel the skin off. Enjoy the last bits of summer.

Savory Semolina Muffins and No Bake Date & Nut Fudge

Today's post is all about trying recipes from the fellow bloggers. Almost a decade back when I started to have adventures in my kitchen, Bawarchi.com was the main or I should say only place where I would go searching for the Indian recipes. But many a times even I liked the recipes but because of lack of photos I never tried those. I always love reading cookbooks also with food photos. Fast forward o 2009, I discovered food blogs while looking for some recipes and instantly loved that how everything is given with photos. Result is my list of bookmark recipes, sometime I feel, to find a bookmarked recipe I need some sort of search program....I can't help bookmarking, because the details and pictures in the recipe make me go "try this one...try this one". So, to solve that problem I try to make the recipe same day I discover it(provided I have everything on hand plus time to make it). My first trial was Ragi Roti and in the past couple of weeks I tried 2 more recipes : No Sugar Nuts Fudge from Creative Saga and Savory Semolina Cake from Red Chillies, they have also adapted these recipes from other food blogs.

Now for the recipes I mainly followed the actual recipes but with some changes according to my taste & availability of ingredients.So for actual recipes please check the respective blogs as I'm going to mention only the changes I made.

1) No Bake Date & Nut Fudge actual recipe NoSugar Nuts Fudge(Creative Saga) :

Actual recipe doesn't ask to soak the dates but I did soaked them in 2 Tblsp. of warm milk as that made it easy to puree them. But that also add little extra moisture, so for that add either more oats or nuts. But I added sesame seeds & wheat germ which balanced it. Also, I kept only few pieces outside & rest in the fridge as I've used milk in it.

I made two versions, first version was for kids so I used almond meal instead of coarsely grind almonds & I didn't used any walnuts in this. Added 2 Tblsp. of Wheat germ + 1 Tblsp. of instant oats.

Second version : Coarsely grind almond & walnuts. I also added around 1 Tblsp. each brown & black toasted sesame seeds and 1 Tblsp. of wheat germ.

NOTE : a) If you are new to black sesame seeds, it's better to use them in combination with regular sesame seeds you use, as the flavor is really strong, but they have more calcium, for more details check here.

b) Wheat germ is a concentrated source of several essential nutrients & essential fatty acids. Which is naturally found in whole wheat flour. I use it in my baking & cooking whenever I'm using any other flour than whole wheat flour. I don't remember the actual source from where I read it but it said it should be used sparingly as it is concentrated form of nutrients and it also need to be stored in fridge as it can easily become rancid if not stored properly.

2) Savory Semolina Muffins actual recipe Savory Semolina Cake(Red Chillies)

Changes I made in this recipe were :

• chopped broccoli florets instead of peas
• no sugar I used only salt
• 2 Tblsp. of wheat germ
• baked them as muffin in regular muffin tin for 22 minutes at 375 degree F.

Loved the taste of Upma & the ease of baking it in the evening & having it for weekday breakfast next morning.

Thanks to Sowmya & Supriya for sharing these recipes. I feel this is the best way to celebrate my 50th post in this blog world by saying thanks to my blogger friends & enjoying some of their recipes.

Spicy Multi-Legume Cakes...... A Healthy Snack

I guess that's the perfect English name for dal(lentils/legumes) dhokla, a very popular gujrati snack, usually made using besan(chickpea flour). They are quite healthy full of protein, first of all the credit goes to the ingredients and secondly the method of cooking is steaming and most important of all they are tasty. All of you who make dhoklas must be thinking what's with the name "Multi-legume"......yes, in my house the dhoklas made with 4 lentils are very hit. In fact I never make the ones with besan(chickpea flour), but these ones at least once a week that too double batch, my daughter never gets bored eating this anytime of the day with the side of cilantro chutney.

I'm writing the exact amount of dals(lentil) I use, but the idea is to get one cup of lentils + rice together. The ratio is 1 portion each dal and 1and1/2 portion rice. Even if you use little bit extra of one lentil  and little less of other, really doesn't matter but try to use approximately same size portions, as they give right texture & softness. I use the containers which come with  5 litre Indian pressure cooker to steam dhoklas and these measurements make the perfect portion batter for 2 of those containers which I can steam together in one time.

What u need :

• 3 Tblsp. each dal : chana dal, yellow moong , urad dal, masoor dhuli *(check note for english names)
  
• around 5 Tblsp. brown rice (or sona masoori can be used)
• around 3-4 Tblsp. yogurt/buttermilk/home made dahi
• ginger 1 Tblsp. roughly chopped
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 tsp.salt
• pinch of turmeric(haldi)
• baking soda 3/4 of tsp.
• handful of fresh cilantro chopped up for garnish

For tadka you need :

• little cooking oil
• 2 tsp. mustard seeds
• few curry leaves (curry patta)
• 5-6 green chillies cut length wise
• little salt around 1/2 tsp. (dhoklas already have some salt)
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. coriander(dhania) powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric(haldi)
• 1 tsp. cumin(jeera) powder

What to do :

1. Soak the lentils and rice together overnight or at least 6 hrs. or so.
2. Drain the water and grind soaked lentils+rice, salt, turmeric, ginger, green chillies, yogurt/dahi.
3. Add little water at a time no more than 4-5 tablespoons.
4. Once it's grind pour it into a bowl.
5. Put the pressure cooker onto the gas add around 2 cups of water in it.
6. Grease two containers(for steaming).
7. Add baking soda to the batter and mix it. Pour half of the batter into each container.
8. Once the water in the pressure cooker is boiling, place the containers into the cooker. Close the lid, DO NOT PUT THE WHISTLE.
9. On high gas setting it takes around 11-12 minutes.
10. Once done, take it out let it cool a bit for 5 minutes or so. Just run a knife around the edges to make it little loose and invert it onto the cutting board(just like you would do with the cake).
11. Cut it into small squares.

For Tadka :

1. Heat oil in a BIG non-stick pan (I like to use iron karahi/wok). Alternatively do this part in two batches and divide all the spices into half for each batch.
2. Add green chillies cook them for 30-40 seconds, add mustard seeds and curry leaves.When mustard seeds start to splutter add all the rest of the ingredients from tadka list and saute them for few seconds.
3. Add dhokla pieces. Gently mix them so that each piece get coating of spices.  Turn off the gas. If you are using iron karahi it will make little crust kind on the sides of dhokla pieces which is really very tasty.
4. Garnish it with some chopped cilantro and serve it with chutney/sauce of  your choice.

*Note : English names of the lentils used in this recipe are as follows :

1. Chana dal       : Bengal gram
2. Yellow mung  : Green mung
3. Urad dal        : Black gram (skinned)
4. Masoor dhuli : Red lentils

If  time and weather permits batter can be fermented overnight  and in that case no need to use baking soda.

You can also make these lentil cakes in advance and season them(tadka) when you are ready to eat or keep them ready in the fridge just warm them up whenever you get the craving for it. It's also a healthy option for morning breakfast on the weekdays or after school snack. This healthy protein pack vegan dhoklas are off to :

1)  EC for MLLA - 19th event started by Susan of the well seasoned cook.

2) Srivalli's event Kid's Delight : Wholesome breakfast.

Easy Veggie Asparagus Stir Fry - Indian Style

It's been only 3 years or so, since I fell in love with this vegetable and then onwards it's regular in our meals whenever nice & tender ones are available, mainly in the spring & summer. First of all I love how they look..... just like some flower bud,well they belong to lily family. Second, they are so easy to cook. Last but the most important they are packed with nutrients like Folic acid, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, thiamine and rutin, a compound that strengthens capillary walls. Asparagus has no fat, does not contain cholesterol and is low in Sodium.

Some of it's health benefits are :

• prevent constipation due to its high fiber content.
• its an alkaline food thus helps in reducing the acidity of the blood.
• has an abundance of an amino acid called asparagine that helps to cleanse the body of waste material.
• has anti-inflammatory properties that helps relieve arthritis and rheumatism symptoms.
• prime source of anti-oxidant and glutathione that can help prevent the dreaded cancer.
• can help regulate blood sugar.
• contain magnesium which can help relieve irritability, fatigue and depression.
• contain a good amount of folic acid and calcium that can reduce birth defects, so very good for the women who are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant (folate deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world).

Ingredients :

• 1 bunch asparagus
• salt as per taste
• 1 tsp. ajwain(carom seeds)
• 1 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp. haldi(turmeric)
• little evoo

Method :

1. Wash asparagus & cut the coarse woody ends of the asparagus stalk. Technique here is, hold the bottom end of the stalk with one hand & with the other hand hold the centre part of it & now try to break it, where it breaks taking that as guideline cut the bottom from all the stalk usually around 2 inches from the bottom.
2. Don't discard the bottoms you can either use them for making vegetable stock with other veggies or peel them & chop them, keep them separate. Below is the picture of peeled woodsy part of asparagus before chopping.
3. Chop the stalk into bite size pieces.
4. Heat oil in pan, add carom seeds once they start to splutter add chopped woodsy ends of asparagus(if using). Let them cook for 3-4 minutes & then add rest of the asparagus, stir everything add dry spices & salt & mix.
   
5. Cover & cook for another 7-8 minutes or so. Keep an eye as sometime if they are very tender they will cook very quickly whereas if little woodsy might take extra minute or two.
6. Serve warm as a side dish with roti or rice or just eat it like that as warm bowl of salad, any time of the day.

Sending this easy recipe to Easy Veggie.

Home Made Rice Crispy Treats

Happy New Year to all of you, may the year 2010 brings happiness everywhere.

First week of the year 2010 is already over, kids are back to school in fact dear daughter is going to have her first snow day(no school) of the year 2010 & I'm still not back to my routine. Winter vacations from the school for kids means getting up late in the morning & sleeping late in the night, which means no time for blogging for mom. I remember as a kid when we use to be home during holidays, my Mom would say she can never keep up with her routine work the days we are home and now I realize what she always meant.

Days when the DD is at home I hardly get to do anything on the Internet, in today's life that's what my daily routine is getting up in the morning......checking mail, reading some blogs, checking some news on the web, google some new recipe for the lunch, again google for help : for any queries which might come to mind.............check the mail............play with kids........oh, did I said check the mail, no...no...no..no.....not the postal mail, that only bring bills but the one which bring happiness : e-mail...........and one last thing before going to bed, yeah U got it by now, check the e-mail. And somewhere in between when ever U get some time cook breakfast, lunch, dinner & have some instant healthy options ready for snacks, play with kids, take care of baby, do the dishes, laundry, clean up, fool around.....blah.....blah.....I guess you got my point. Or in short I had relaxed time with no routines to follow & fun spending time with family.

For the first post of 2010 I decide on a cake but then DD suggested to post these home made rice crispy treats, I liked her suggestion, it's sweet, healthy as it's not only home made but uses gur as sweetener & best of all reminds me of my childhood. Near my parents house, a weekly market takes place on every Thursday. As a kid we use to go there regularly to buy some knick knacks, mom would buy fresh veggies & then we get to eat some tasty street food......moth(sprouted lentils), choole bhature, kari chawal to name few. It was like a weekly outing for us, even now also when I'm there at my mom's place & it's thursday I like to go there, not for any kind of shopping but for the food.......Now coming to today's recipe : Rice crispy treats or as we call it Marundas in Delhi, we use to buy these treats from one of the reri-wala bhaiya there, it's very simple thing but we never made it at home but we use to always look for him so that we can buy some. I don't remember exactly but I guess it use to be available starting the Diwali season, kind of a winter treat.

I don't have exact measurements for this recipe as it was more of eye-balling, and just in case if you don't get exact squares don't worry they will still taste yummy.

Ingredients :

• 1-2 tblsp. of water
• around half a cup of chopped jaggery(gur)
• around 4 cups of dry roasted puffed rice(Plain rice crisps/wheat puffs can be used)
• butter or ghee for greasing
  

Method :

Heat water in a heavy bottom pan add jaggery to it & let it melt, stir it. Once it melts let it cook for few seconds it gonna bubble up a bit, add 3 & 1/2 cup of rice puff & mix everything together so that they get coated with jaggery. If you feel there is still some liquid add some more puffed rice or let it cook for few more seconds. Turn the gas off & spread the mixture onto the greased baking sheet. Once cooled it will be hard, cut it into squares or desired shape. Store it in air-tight container, I kept it for around 5 days & I also used some plain wheat puffs in it. I specially love these as they don't contain any processed sugar & DD loves it because they are simply rice crispy treats. I'm sure many of you must have eaten these may be with different name, so whenever you guys have 5 minutes to spare do try these, it's sweet & healthy, to check more benefits of gur(jaggery) click here.

Last month or I should say last year Malar & Ashkuku passed me this wonderful award, thanks to both of you and at the same time I'm sorry I couldn't post it earlier but what could be better than starting the new year with an award. I would like to pass this award to all my blogger friends, please feel free to pick it up.

Before I end this post here's what we did on snow day off.......we crochet the dress & head scarf for the little dolly. Design by DD, crochet by me :

As I'm finishing this post, another snow day is already announced, so we might be adding few more accessories to miss dolly.

Eggless Banana Marble Cake with no fat

An over-ripe banana, leftover coffee from the morning, complaint from husband : you don't make coffee cake anymore.......,hot oven ready to bake anything(after my home made Pav's), something(that's my DD's voice) telling me all the time, make chocolate cake......... that's how this cake is born. Well it's on the line of marble cake so basically half of the batter is chocolate & half is regular, I'm not calling it white or vanilla as because of banana & coffee the color of regular one was also toward light brown. Very easy to make, no fat used, hardly took me 6-7 minutes to put it together, here's how it goes :

Ingredients :

• 1 cup all purpose flour(i use maida)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 1 med. size over-ripe banana
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar(i'm using little less than usual)
• 1 tblsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tblsp. instant coffee powder
• 1/3 cup prepared coffee(no milk) *
• 1/2 cup home made dahi/buttermilk
• 1/4 cup milk

* Note : As I had some leftover coffee so i used it, instead of that increase the quantity of instant coffee powder according to your taste, how strong you want. And also increase the quantity of milk(liquid).

Method :

1. Sift first 5 ingredients together.
2. In a mixing bowl mash the banana using back side of the fork. Mix sugar to it. Add all the liquids one at a time(any order) & mix them together so that banana is well incorporated into the liquids.
3. Now add dry mix to it little bit at a time(for some reasons I always add it in three parts).
4. Divide the batter into two equal parts.
5. Add cocoa powder to one part mix it & if needed add a spoon or two of milk/water to bring it to cake batter consistency.
6. Pour any one batter into the greased & floured cake tin. Once settled now add other batter in the centre & using your finger/small spoon swirl the mixture little bit.
7. Bake at 350 degree F pre-heated oven for around 20-22 minutes. Cake tin I use is around 8 inches, the measurements are for small cake. If you increase or decrease the quantity oven timings will also change.

Enjoy it with some fresh whip cream on top. Sorry no pics from inside, once the cake was done, we were so busy eating it, that didn't get a chance to take more pics. I'm sending this cake to Sara for her blog anniversary event Cakes n Cookies and also to Radhika & sudeshna's Food for 7 stages of life : In love with Detectable desserts, pastries & Ice-cream event.

Machi Tawa Fry-Pan Fry Fish

Having awareness about what you eat from the ocean is as important as knowing how your food was grown on land. Now-a-days there is lot of emphasis on omega-3’s-Healthy Fatty Acids, and I believe everyone knows that seafood is the best source for it, though there are other sources also, like flax seed, walnut etc. But today I wanted to write something about fish. Choosing a fish was never easy when I first started to cook fish. Firstly the fish here in U.S.A are different then the one we were use to of eating in India. Secondly so much of info about mercury and all, it was tough. But slowly with the time, now, I’m comfortable with different kind of fish, knows which one is best & why, one thing I always followed from the beginning “Eat a variety of Fish” & “Buy in Season” and one thing I learned in the past years always ask your Fish Monger or person at the fish counter if you have any doubts, and never buy a fish if it smells like fish, if it’s fresh it should not smell. Decide the recipe for the dinner only after you get the fish, like yesterday I changed my plans from fish curry to pan-fry fish, because found very fresh Rainbow Trout.

Shopping for Fish always raise one question : Farmed or wild ? And if you are eco-conscious : How it was raised & caught ? Most of the fish now-a-days available in the market are farm raised though the wild fish is always your best bet but they are costly too and not available everywhere. While reading SUNSET(Issue-Sep’09) magazine I came across a very informative article about Buyer’s Guide to Fresh Fish, I want to share some information from the magazine about the Eco-Factor of different Fish, it’ll be good general knowledge & also it may help you when next time you go for fish shopping.

1)Pacific Sardines : Caught with little impact on its habitat. Rich in omega-3's, phosphorus and iron. No pollutants.

2)California Squid(Calamari) : Despite being heavily fished, squids are usually plentiful. Fishing methods don’t harm habitat.

3)Wild Pacific Salmon : Alaska wild salmon is the top choice*. All salmon are high in omega-3’s.

4) Farmed rainbow trout : Trout farms don’t pollute and are sustainable.

5)Pacific halibut : Healthy fishery, conscientious fisher-men even catch streamers to their fishing lines to scare off birds that might become entangled.

6)Sablefish(black cod) : Plentiful, especially in Alaska, contains more omega-3 fatty acids than almost any other fish.

7)Pacific albacore tuna : Choose fish labeled “troll-caught” or “pole-caught”; these methods have no bycatch or habitat impact.

The Salmon dilemma : WILD or FARMED ?

Although much of the salmon we eat in the US is farmed – up to 90% by some estimates – The best choice is Wild Alaska Salmon. Farmed salmon may be cheaper($8 vs. $24 per lb. for Alaska Chinook), but can have troubling levels of PCB’s-the Environmental Defense Fund advises adult to limit their intake to one serving a month. Also, some salmon farming practices pollute the environment and endanger wild fish(when farmed fish escape, they may pass along diseases and parasites). Some salmon farms are improving their practices, but for now we think wild is the best choice.(source : Sunset magazine : issue sep'09)

As for me & my family, we try to eat different fish every week, I usually try to rotate between wild Alaskan salmon, rainbow trout, tilapia & pomfret(Indian fish). And occasionally other varieties also.Seafood is a good source of lean protein & good fatty acids like omega 3's. Most of the fish are safe for kids also but due to PCB's & mercury level always check with your doctor first which kind of fish is o.k for little kids. This site has some useful information regarding seafood selection.

Today I'm posting the recipe for Healthy pan fry Rainbow trout. Rainbow trout is high in Heart healthy omega-3s, low in environmental contaminants and is eco-friendly. It mainly lives in cold, flowing fresh waters. It's safe & healthy for kids also, taste wise its mild, sweet & very delicious and if you buy fillets they are boneless. But if serving to kids I suggest to run your fingers on the fillet as some time the large fillets hold some bones. The suggested servings for kids is:

• Kids age 6-12 should eat no more than 3 meals per month
• Kids up to age 6 should eat no more than 2 meals per month

Recipe is for 2 fillets which should be enough for 2 adults, change it according to your requirements. I usually serve this with big servings of sauteed vegetables and sweet potato fries. As this is no gravy dish so usually I make some sort of spicy chutney to go with it.

Ingredients :

• 2 fillet of rainbow trout(it comes with skin on)

• little oil (preferably evoo)
• juice of 1/2 lemon/lime
• 1 Tblsp. of home made spice rub *

* For spice rub :

Take equal portions of Cumin(jeera) powder, Coriander(dhania) powder, Red chilli powder, Garam masala, half portion of Turmeric(haldi), Carom seeds(ajwain), half portion of black pepper, Salt as per taste. Mix everything together & keep it in a dry jar, use it as needed.

Method :

• Wash & pat dry the fillets.

• Keep them skin side down, put 1 tsp. of oil & juice of lemon, rub it on the fillets. Now sprinkle spice rub & rub it all over the fish(don't put it on the skin ). You can adjust the quantity of spice rub as per your taste, I find 1/2 Tblsp. per average size fillet works for my family.

• You can prepare up to this point in advance & keep it covered in the fridge. Take out 15 min. before cooking OR get the fish ready with spice rub & leave it on the counter top for around 10 min. & cook it.

• Heat non-stick pan on med. heat, put few drops of oil. Put the skin side down(if pan is hot you will hear the sizzle, means good). It usually takes 3-4 minutes per side to cook for an average size fillet(to give u an idea of average size fillet : I normally get 3 fillets weighting around 1 pound).

• Flip the side using a spatula, be little careful as fish start to cook it also start to become flaky, at this point it usually won't break, but still try to use the longest flat spatula u have.

• Cook for another 4 min. or so, Usually fish fillets are thick from the centre, so using your spatula gently press the thick part, to get the even heat everywhere.

• Once done gently slide it on the plate(it's a long fillet u don't want to break it by picking it up). If you want to check for the doneness, use a fork in the thickest part of the fillet if it's flaky it's done.

• Serve it with your choice of veggies & chutney.

Note : This fish is usually available with the skin, when you eat it the meat(flesh) easily comes of the skin with the fork.

Because of it's all health benefits I make sure that this fish is served at least 2-3 times in a month in my house, everybody loves it & very easy to make. Dinner is usually ready, from start to finish with in less than 30 min. (that include cooking veggies & cleaning the pan etc.).

I'm sending this Heart Healthy & Kids favourite recipe to Radhika & Sudeshna's Food for 7 stages of life : Kids event. Also want to send this to Yasmeen's Health Nut Challenge 3 : Healing foods, if it's O.k with Yasmeen. I know Rainbow Trout is not in her list because Salmon has such a good reputation of being healthy fish that most of the time we forget about all other healthy fishes. Salmon is no doubt good but as I explained above which kind of salmon you eat makes the whole difference. As now fresh Wild Salmon is almost disappeared for the season from my grocery store, I'm gonna cook more with other healthy fishes, and once in a while bring home the frozen wild salmon. Post is little big today because of all the information I wanted to share but do try out the recipe it's really easy, healthy & tasty.

Mirchi,Mirchi & more Mirchi

"If life throws you a lemon - make lemonade"

--Joan Collins

But what if DH gets you almost 1 and a 1/2 pound of hot green peppers(Thai chilli peppers) ?? Of course, you make aachar(pickle) and get your daily dose of vitamin C, B, Potassium, Magnesium & Iron from it(Note : this is totally my idea of getting these vitamins thru pepper pickle, do not take this thing into regular practise, heat of peppers may trouble your whole body system in various ways).To get info about medicinal value, culinary & other usages of chili peppers click here.

So, it's raining Mirchi achar(chille/pepper pickle) in my house, I have made 3 different kind still I have enough supply of mirchis(pepper) for another week or so. The kind of pickles I made are quick & instant kind.

Mirchi Achar #1 : Tiranga Achar

This first one is really easy one, no oil needed. Also you can increase or decrease any of the main ingredient as per your taste or availability of ingredients.

Ingredients :

• half cup each green chilli peppers, fresh ginger, fresh turmeric
• juice of 1 lime (or more if it's not very juicy or if they are small variety
• salt as per taste( I used approximately 1&1/4 tsp. for above quantity)

Method :

Peel ginger & turmeric, wash everything & dry it thoroughly, spread it on kitchen towel or paper towel & let it air dry for sometime or just pat dry it. Now, julienne ginger & turmeric & cut peppers length wise. Put it in a clean glass/steel bowl, sprinkle salt & squeeze lime juice on it using a clean dry spoon mix everything & transfer it to clean dry glass jar. It's ready to eat kind of aachar, I usually keep it in the fridge after a day b'coz we r using limited salt & no oil. Give it a shake once in a while. And if ginger is really fresh & young, it'll turn to very pretty pink color after couple of hours or so. As this pickle taste & stays good when it's fresh, say for a week or so, so don't make big batch of this. Here's a picture of fresh turmeric.

As all the ingredients in this pickle chillis, ginger & turmeric are cosidered as health food, I would like to send it to Yasmeen's Health Nut Challenge 3 - Healing foods. And as one of the main ingredient is turmeric so it also goes to "Think Spice : Think Turmeric" event hosted by sudeshna and brainchild of Sunita from sunita's world.

As for the benefits:

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, anti-septic & anti-bacterial agent helps in disinfecting cuts & burns.Natural lever detoxifier, natural pain-killer,used in the treatment of arthritis, may prevent & slow the process of Alzheimer's disease. These are only few of it's benefits for more click here.

Ginger helps in morning sickness, cold & flu prevention & treatment, heart burn, menstrual cramps & also believe to have anti-cancer properties.For more info click here.

Note : While working with fresh turmeric you might want to use disposable gloves(food safe variety) as it will turn your hands & work surface yellow, when you work with it.

Also if your hands are sensitive to pepper heat, it's advisable to use gloves while cutting them.

If you decide to leave peppers out of the recipe, you can add 1 tsp. of red chilli powder.

Mirchi ka Aachar(Chilli Pepper Pickle) # 2This is hot one. What you need is wash & dry 1 cup of green chillies & slit them lengthwise & then chop them into 1/2 inch pieces. We don't want big pieces as we are not filling the spice mixture into the chillies. Keep them aside.

Now in a pan heat 1 tblsp. of mustard or vegetable or canola oil. Turn the gas off & add chopped chillies, salt(as per taste, I used around 1& 1/4 tsp.) & coarsely ground 2 tsp. of achar masala(spice mix). Mix everything so the chillies get coating of spice mix. Once it's cool transfer it to clean dry glass jar, shake it once in a while. It's ready to eat but better if you let it sit for a day or so.

For acharMasala(Pickle spice mix) : take equal quantities of mustard seeds, fennel seeds(saunf), fenugreek seeds(methidana), cumin(jeera) & half quantity of onion seeds(kalonji). Dry roast them for a min. or so let them cool add little bit of turmeric(haldi). Grind it & keep it in air tight jar for later use. We are not using any chilli powder as the chilli peppers are really hot.

Note : These are instant kind of pickles not meant to keep for long time, as we are not using excessive salt or sugar or oil or vinegar or lime juices, these things works as preservative for pickles. So I suggest to keep these pickles in the fridge after a day or so of making.

Also never use wet spoon in the jar to take the pickle & always keep pickles in non-reactive utensil(like steel or glass) with the lid closed tightly.

I didn't took the picture of third kind, so whenever I make the next batch I'm gonna post that.

Cranberry Chutney or Sauce - Part 2 also an Update for previous post

Update on Pineapple upside down Cake : Finally I managed to upload the pics, and also I realized that I didn't took the picture of whole cake, I told you, I love this cake so much that only thing I can think of, while sitting in front of this cake is EATING IT. But I surely got some pictures of the whole process, though they are not very clear, but I wanted to share with you all. Also one more thing DH thinks I used too much sugar for caramel but to me it was perfect specially when eaten with whip cream(point to be noted I made that cake for me, after a long time), so I guess sugar for caramel can be further reduced to 3 tblsp. One more thing I wanted to add for vegan version soy butter can be used instead of regular one.

Now let's come to today's post Cranberry chutney/sauce/salsa or whatever you like to call it.

This is my second cranberry chutney, I think it's more like salsa. As I wrote in my previous post the first chutney I made was good but had lot of sugar b'coz of sourness of berries, so I came up with this more healthy option by adding 2 apples to it(so I can eat as much as I want, without any guilty). Apples I used were quite sweet, so try to use sweet varieties, that way you can cut the sugar out of this recipe.Now, little bit on health benefits of these berries(this info is collected from web), some common ones are :

1) treating UTI(urinary tract infections)
2)reduction of Dental Plague
3)anti-cancer activity
4)reducing the risk of heart disease
5)preventing the development of kidney stones
6) provide relief for asthma patients

Now the recipe.

Ingredients :

• half med. size onion chopped
• 2 apples peeled & chopped( i used red delicious)
• 1/2 lb. fresh cranberries(that's half bag)
• 1 tblsp. sugar
• salt as per taste
• black pepper as per taste(optional)
• red chilli powder 1 tsp.(can be left out if making for kids)
• garam masala 1 tsp.
• ginger 2 tblsp. freshly grated
• water/apple juice 4 oz. or more
• little oil

Method :

Heat little oil in a heavy bottom pan, saute onions for 2 min. or so then add rest of the ingredients. At this point only add 4 oz. of water. Mix everything together, cover & let it cook on med. for around 15 min., stir in between.

Add more water according to the consistency you like, I kept this one little loose like salsa kind. Once the apple & cranberries are cooked(they'll be mushy) it's done.

Serve it with with your choice of bread, roti, rice, as chips dip or as a sauce for grilled meat or seafood. I enjoyed it eating just like that, with nothing.So, go and grab these fresh berries before they disappear from store shelfs. As for me, I'm gonna make little extra this time & try to freeze it for later use.

It's very healthy for kids also, with only 1 tblsp. of sugar, which infact can be replaced by honey also. Kids will surely like this fruit sauce, tangy & sweet. I would like to send this recipe to :

1) Radhika & Sudeshna's Food for 7 Stages of Life - Kids(4-14 yrs.) .

2) Yasmeen's Helath Nut Challenge 3 : Healing foods .

3) Sharmi's CFK- Veggies & Fruits.

4) On Sanghi's suggestion I'm sending this cranberry chutney as well as Pineapple upside down cake for her FIL-Fruits event. I'm dedicating the cake to my DD as I love to bake for her, she love cakes and specially after eating this one she said this is the most tasty & soft vanilla cake she ever ate. And as far the cranberry chutney is concerned I dedicate it to my Mom who's the inspiration behind my cooking.

Roti - Indian Flatbread

Roti, chapati or as we call in our house phulka(literally meaning which has been inflated), is the basic Indian bread and is a staple food of North India, though it's also been eaten in other parts of India but in northern India it's basically part of every meal. Roti is generally defined as Indian flat bread made with whole wheat flour(atta). No rising agents are used for the dough as roti is unleavened flat bread. Unlike bread, roti is usually eaten fresh, when I say fresh that means dough can be prepare in advance kept in the fridge & at the time of lunch/dinner roti is rolled & cooked. But if you have any leftovers of roti they really taste good with acchar(pickle) or chutney or just put some cooked dry veggie on it & roll it like burrito.....nothing can match that taste.

When one of the fellow blogger asked me if I'm gonna do post on roti, I thought that's simple, but wait a minute, it's simplicity itself is main difficulty here....it's so simple & basic that we never measure the flour or water portions for this, everything is eyeballed. Whenever I finish with one batch of dough I knead next batch, no matter what, roti dough is always there in the fridge.

Roti can be eaten with cooked dry vegetables called subzi, lentils or with gravies vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian & also with seafood.

Here's the recipe for roti/chapati/phulka, I tried my best but I think for a person who's never seen roti specially the process of making it, first time it might be little difficult.

Ingredient :

For dough :

1. whole wheat flour 1 & 1/2 cup (I use Laxmi brand chapati flour available at Indian grocery store)
2. water at room temperature around 1/2 cup
3. salt 1 tsp. (optional)

For roti :

1. x'tra wheat flour(around 1/2 cup or so) needed for rolling the roti.
2. rolling pin
3. any flat & smooth surface to roll the roti (you can use clean counter top surface)
4. Tawa(flat griddle), preferably cast iron or non-stick pan will also do.
5. ghee(clarified butter) or butter can be used

Method :

For Dough :

1) Take 1 & half cup of flour, salt(if using) add little water, using your hand mix them, add little bit more water & mix it again. Never put all the water in one time, always put little at a time, when all the flour comes together, just wet your hand when needed & make one big ball of the flour.

2) Now knead it for around 2 min. or so using the back side of your fist. It'll be little sticky in the beginning. Now just cover it with either a damp cloth or with some bowl.

3) Let it rest for roughly 10 min. After resting time knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, this time it will be very smooth. Once done take 2-3 drops of oil on your hand & roll the dough ball in it. Keep it in a bowl with tight lid on it in the fridge.

4) Take the dough out of the fridge at least 10 min. prior to making roti.

Note : Roti dough is not very loose or tight dough, it's soft dough. In case if u find it's difficult to handle you can always add little more water or dry flour to get the right consistency. Every time you make the dough water quantity may vary little bit, due to temperature, different flour brands etc..

This dough can be kept in the fridge for upto 2 days or even more but it's best to use within 2 days.

To make soft rotis(specially for the kids) instead of water milk can be used, but then dough should be used within a day or so. Another option is to use around 1 tblsp. of cooking oil alongwith water.

Making Roti :

1) Heat griddle/pan on med. high. Put x'tra flour in some flat plate or bowl, big enough to hold the rolled roti(approximately 6-8" in diameter).

2) Take a little dough(little bigger then ping pong ball) roll it in your hand like a ball. Now roll it into x'tra dry flour, gently shake it to get rid of x'tra flour.

3) Put it onto the flat surface & roll it(around 3" in size) using the rolling pin,

4) Take the rolled roti turn it 90 degree & again roll it till u get around 7" or so, whenever you feel it's getting sticky gently pick it up put it on the flour plate & again back to rolling surface & roll it. It's not that difficult as it sounds and don't worry if in the beginning you can't get exact round....I have made few, actually lots of international maps when I started to make rotis. Only a little bit of practice & lots of patience.

5) To check if griddle is hot or not, keep your hands 2" away(on top side) from the pan/griddle, if it's hot enough you can feel it, you won't be able to keep your hand there for long time.

6) Now put the rolled roti on it, after around 35-40 seconds turn it upside down. Again after 35-40 sec. turn it back, this time you will see from some spots it's puffing up. Using kitchen towel u can gently press at the spots it's not puffing & soon it will start to puff up, now again turn it upside down for 7-8 seconds, if you are not comfortable using kitchen towel as hot air sometime directly blow on your hands, it's better to use spatula. Take it off the pan.

7) Apply ghee/butter. Eat fresh with Subji(cooked veggies), dal(lentils) or your favourite non-veg dish.

Note: If you want to make them ahead of time in that case line a heavy duty foil with a kitchen towel & keep your rotis inside that. You can also directly puff the roti's on the direct flame, but might be little tricky for the beginners.

To make it totally fat free and vegan ghee can be left out.