Kathirikai Poriyal / Simple Brinjal Fry | Indian Curry Recipes

I am always in the lookout for more brinjal recipes. DH being a big lover for Ennai Kathirikai Kulambu, Chinese Stir-fried eggplant or Eggplant Parmigiana we cannot get enough of the dishes which has eggplant. This is one particular recipe I arrived at when I was watching the cookery show by Chef Dhamu. I made it for lunch one day and it was a big hit at home. I love how the aroma of the fennel seeds and curry leaves flavours this dish.

Ingredients:
Brinjal / Indian eggplants - 8
Fennel Seeds / Sombu - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 4
Onion - chopped - 3/4 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Black Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - for garnish

Method:
Cut the stem off the brinjals and chop them into wedges. Place the cut brinjals in a bowl of water to prevent discoloration. Heat oil in a non-stick kadai over med-high heat and temper the fennel seeds and curry leaves. When the fennel seeds stops sizzling add the chopped onion. Fry until the onion shrinks and turns translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and follow the 2 minute rule (below). Drain the water from the brinjals and add to the pan. Spread in a single layer and allow it to sear for a couple of minutes. Using a wooden spoon turn over the pieces carefully. Sprinkle some salt and continue cooking until the brinjals are three-fourth done, turning over only occasionally. Add the turmeric, chilli and coriander powders and mix. Check for seasoning and add pepper as needed. Cook until completely done and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot as a side for rice. Best pair for curd rice.
Ginger Garlic paste and the 2 minute rule:
This is a trick I follow to fry ginger-garlic paste without burning them. Before adding the paste reduce the heat to medium. Add the paste and fry continuously for 2 minutes. Perfectly fried, raw smell gone and not burnt!!

Linking this to Cook like a Celebrity Chef event; Taste of the Tropics - Ginger and HITS - Diabetic Friendly and to Veggie/Fruits a Month - Eggplant.

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Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

In time for Easter.

 This is a nice, lemony, slightly sweet dressing that

 is perfect for a Spring salad.

 Make a simple salad with chopped romaine lettuce.

 It's nice topped with croutons 

(homemade would be best)

and thinly sliced red onions if you wish.

 Assembled ingredients.

 Juice from 1/2 lemon for 2T and 1t grated zest. 

 Add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper.

 Whisk it until creamy and add the poppy seeds.

I used 1 romaine heart, chopped to make about 4C.

Wash and spin chopped romaine to make

sure it's dry so the dressing will cling.

Toss the romaine with the dressing

until well coated. Taste to see if it needs

more salt and pepper.

Add croutons and thinly sliced red onion.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

 – serves 2

Whisk:

1 T sugar

2 T  fresh lemon juice

2 T  mayonnaise

1 t    minced lemon zest

 1 t   Dijon mustard

½ t  poppy seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Toss:

I heart chopped romaine lettuce

Croutons

Thinly sliced red onion – not much

Enjoy!

Links: Stone Gable,
Between Naps On The Porch
Designs By Gollum

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Pesto Pasta Primavera & One bowl Eggs Florentine | Easy Pasta Recipes

Our weekend lunches are mostly simple. I would prefer to keep cooking time to minimum to spare more time for cleaning or other chores. If you are looking for a simple and wholesome meal look no further. This is a fusion of two of my favorite pasta dishes, Pesto Pasta and Pasta Primavera. I used the vegetables I had at hand to make this dish. It is a simple dish with whole grain pasta, loads of vegetables complete with a cheesy and filling omelet. 

For the Pasta:
Serves - 2
Spaghetti - 1/4 of a box (angel hair)
Asparagus - 6 spears 
Zucchini - 1/4 cup - julienned
Red bell pepper - 1/2 - julienned
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp or to taste
Basil Pesto or any Herb pesto - 1/4 cup (Click here for Home made Pesto recipe)
Milk - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste (optional since pesto and cooked pasta already has salt)

Method:
Cook pasta in 4 to 6 litres of salted boiling water until done. Drain and set aside to cool. Heat oil in wide skillet and toss the vegetables in high heat. Add the red pepper flakes, italian seasoning and salt to taste. Add the cooked cooled pasta and toss well. Remove from heat and add the milk and pesto. Mix well and serve garnished with fresh basil leaves.

One bowl Eggs Florentine

DH being a vegetarian, I made this One Bowl Eggs Florentine just for me. This recipe can easily be doubled. Traditional eggs florentine are poached eggs on a bed of spinach on a cheese sauce. I took a shortcut and made this omelet style eggs florentine with egg, spinach and cheddar cheese. 

Ingredients:
Egg - 1
Spinach - a handful chopped
Low fat Milk - 2 tbsp
Grated Cheddar cheese - 2 tbsp
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:
In a bowl whisk the egg well until frothy. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Coat a skillet with 1 tsp of oil. Pour the egg-spinach-cheese mixture and let it cook on medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Patience is the key to not change this fluffy omelet into scrambled eggs. Anyway, it tastes awesome either way. Flip over with the spatula and continue cooking for another minute. Serve with Pesto Pasta Primavera for a complete meal.

Sending this plate to Pari's Only-Continental event; Your Kitchen in Spring and Let's Cook for Kids.

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Sweet Soda Bread

This is my other recipe for quick Irish Soda Bread.

It's a slightly sweet version that's especially

nice with coffee or tea.

 Butter, an egg, baking powder and sugar are
added to my classic Irish Soda Bread.
You can also add 1C of raisins. 

Then it's called Spotted Dog.

If you don't have buttermilk combine 1C milk

with 1t apple cider vinegar and let sit for 5 mins.

Whisk in the egg and the melted butter.

 Combine with the dry ingredients and lightly mix.
Dough will be sticky
(see my classic recipe.)

Put into a greased pan and cut a cross on top.

Spread with 1T reserved liquid ingredients.

Bake @375 for about 45 minutes, or

until golden.

 Eat warm with lots of butter.

Good with soups, chili, or just with butter and jam.

It's nice toasted too.

A very easy quick bread for any
time of the year!

Sweet Soda Bread

4C flour
4T sugar
1T baking powder
1t soda
1/2t salt
1-1/2C buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
In a measuring cup whisk the
buttermilk or soured milk
with the egg and melted butter.
Add all but about 1T to the dry ingredients,
(reserving  1T in the cup)
Mix gently until the dough comes together.
Turn onto floured board and knead a few
times and form into a disk. Put into
a greased pan and cut a cross on top.
Spread the reserved buttermilk
mixture on top with your fingers.
Bake @375º until golden, about
45 minutes.
Serve warm with butter.
tip: add the  buttermilk gradually
stirring just until the dough comes
 together. Work quickly and
gently. Don't overwork.

Enjoy!

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Real Irish Soda Bread

It takes mere minutes to mix this

quick soda bread and get it in the oven.

You can have warm, fresh baked bread 

 anytime you want in under 45 minutes. 

Authentic Irish Soda Bread has only

4  simple ingredients.

Flour-Soda-Salt-Buttermilk

Things you probably have on hand.
There is another version of Soda Bread
(officially called soda cake) that
is sweeter and I posted it HERE.

 If you don't have buttermilk you can mix 

1C milk with 1t cider vinegar and let it 

sit for 10 minutes. It should be room temp. 

 Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. 

Make sure the soda is fresh and hasn't expired

(use expired soda HERE).
Make a well in the center of the flour and

add just enough buttermilk so that the dough

 holds together. Mix lightly. It will be sticky. 

Don't overwork it.

 Turn it onto a floured board and use your

 floured hands to gently knead it a few times

 and shape it into a disk.

 Put it into a greased pan: pie pan or cake pan.
Cut a cross on top about 1/4" deep from one
side to the other. That's traditional and helps
it to bake and split evenly.
It also lets the fairies out....so they say.

A cast iron skillet is my favorite.

Bake in a hot 375 oven for about 35 minutes,

 until it sounds hollow and is golden.

Let cool a bit before slicing.

Eat it warm slathered with butter. YUM!

 This is not just for St. Patrick's Day.

It's so easy, you'll want it when you serve soups or

chili. It's nice for afternoon tea with butter
 and jam, or toasted in the morning.

Or, how about a grilled cheese sandwich
for lunch? Made with white cheddar cheese
and fresh pesto.

Real Irish Soda Bread
3 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1C to 1-1/2 C buttermilk

Combine the flour, salt, and soda.
Add enough buttermilk to hold it all
together. Start with 1C. Stir gently.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead
gently a few times. Shape into a disk
and put it into a greased pan.
Cut a cross into the top.
Bake in preheated 375º oven for about
35 minutes, until golden.
Serve warm with lots of soft butter.
Toast the next day for breakfast.

Enjoy! 

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Pad Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps / Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

Being an Indian, I love the other Asian cuisines very much since the complexity and levels of flavours are so similar in all of them. Grazing through my menu one could see that I love Thai food and tried quite a number of varieties. One of my favorite go-to dish in thai restaurants is Pad Thai (meaning "Fried, thai style"). While the authenticity of the origin of the dish is still in question, I do not mind where it originated given it being tasty. Another cuisine I love is the Chinese and the PF Chang's Tofu lettuce wraps is an inspiration for making this dish. This recipe is vegetarian and Vegan too.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2 as a meal; 4 as an appetizer
Firm Tofu - 1/2 block
Lettuce wraps - as needed (I used iceberg lettuce)
Peanuts - 3 tbsp
Scallions / Spring onion - cut on a bias - for garnish
Lemon juice - for garnish
Oil - 2 tbsp
For Tofu Marinade:
Low sodium Soy sauce - 3 tbsp
Agave syrup - 2 tbsp (see notes below)
Red pepper flakes - 1 tbsp
Grated ginger - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
For Sauce:
Tamarind extract -  3 tbsp (see notes below)
Agave syrup - 1 tbsp (see notes below)
Low Sodium Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Red pepper flakes - 1 tbsp
Salt - as needed

Method:
Press the tofu and remove excess water. Cut into tiny pieces or into desired size. Mix the ingredients for marinade in a ziploc bag and put the cut tofu in the bag. Close the bag and mix well for the marinade to coat the tofu pieces. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Anywhere from 4 to 24 hours is good. 
Dry roast the peanuts until toasted. When done, allow to cool, remove skin and crush into little pieces. Mix the ingredients for sauce and do a taste check. Balance out the flavours according to your palate.
When ready, heat oil in a wide pan and add the marinated tofu. Let it sear for a couple of minutes in med-high heat and then toss. Allow it to sear for couple more minutes and then transfer to a plate. Add the sauce to the same pan and allow it to boil. Reduce the heat and add the tofu and mix. Remove from heat after about 3-5 minutes and garnish with crushed peanuts, lemon juice and spring onions. Serve over lettuce cups.
Notes:
1. I used big gooseberry sized tamarind to make the extract. If using ready to use tamarind paste, mix about 1 tsp of the extract with water to make 3 tbsp.
2. I have used salt very sparingly since the soy sauce already has salt.
3. I used agave nectar for a mellow sweetness. Feel free to substitute with brown sugar or honey. Increase the amount though, since agave is sweeter than sugar or honey.

Sending these beauties to PJ's Celebrate Women's day; Susan's MLLA#57; Taste of the Tropics - Ginger; Flavours of Cuisines - Chinese;

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Mocha Chocolate Ricotta Creme for a Celebration | Easy Dessert Recipes

I have a sweet tooth and I often crave for simple desserts which does not make me spend hours in the kitchen. This is one such recipe I came across. It is similar to ice cream but has just one-third of the calories in ice cream and is actually good for you. The part-skim ricotta cheese fills you up without weighing you down. And how can anything chocolate-flavored does not taste good.
Coming to the "Celebration" part, my space crossed 5 lakh hits last week. Whats more perfect for a celebration than something chocolatey?!!

Ingredients:
Preparation time: 10 mins; Serves - 2
Part skim ricotta cheese - 1 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp
Bittersweet / Semi sweet Chocolate chips - 1 tbsp
Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp
Low fat milk - 2 tbsp
Sugar or Sugar substitute - 2 - 3 tbsp

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except cheese in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Mix well and allow it to cool. When cooled mix with the cheese and pulse a couple of times in a blender. Serve Chilled.

Linking this yummy goodness to the following events..
Anu's Healthy Recipe Substitution; PJ's Celebrate Women's day; Sumee's Bon vivant - Kid's Delight; Let's Cook for Kids; Nithu's Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids; Jagruti's Choc Full Easter.

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Idli Milagai Podi | Side Dish for Idli Dosa

This is another version of podi I make for Idli/Dosa. As I had said in my previous post, here I am with my sister's version of idli podi. Wow, It is going to be 2 years already since my previous post on idli podi. This podi is a staple in my pantry and always will be present when I make Idli and is my most favorite combination for Idli. What is your favorite combo for Idli?

Ingredients:
Per standard measurement cup
Toor Dhal - 1 cup
Chana Dhal - 1 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chillies - 25-28 
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Salt - 1-1/2 tsp

Method:
Dry roast all the dhals one by one until light brown in color. Roast the red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida slightly. Take care not to burn the red chillies. Allow to cool and grind to a slightly coarse powder in a mixie or coffee grinder with salt. Mix with gingelly (sesame) oil and serve with hot idlis.

Linking this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight.

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Lettuce and Rajma Soup | Soup Recipes

When I was searching for soup recipes which would be wholesome and make a complete dinner, I landed on Kalyn's recipe. For those who have not checked Kalyn's space, hers is a huge collection of tasty and healthy recipes. If you think healthy has to be boring you should definitely check out her space which would change that idea. I adapted her Chicken, Black Bean and Cilantro soup to make this Lettuce and Red Kidney beans soup.

Ingredients:
Serves - 4 for dinner
Lettuce - 4 cups - chopped
Red Kidney beans / Rajma - cooked - 2 cups OR use 1 can rinsed
Chicken stock / Vegetable stock - 3 cups
Water - 2 cups
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - handful - chopped
Juice of half a lime
Oil - 2 tsp
Onion - chopped - 1/2 cup
Celery - chopped - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 2 - chopped
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a wide bowl and saute the onions and celery until soft. Add the cumin powder and chilli powder. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Saute for a couple of minutes before adding the beans and lettuce. Saute until the lettuce wilts. Add the chicken/vegetable stock and heat for 10 mins. Now transfer half the contents to a blender and pulse for a few seconds. Alternatively you could use an immersion blender. Continue cooking until it boils. Now add the cilantro and simmer for 10 minutes. Squeeze the lime juice and continue to simmer for 3 or 4 minutes and remove from heat. Serve hot for a delicious and filling meal.
Linking this soup up to Spotlight - One pot Meal; HITS - Diabetic Friendly event by Sangeetha; Winter Foods - 30 min challenge.

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