IN OUR HOME FOOD LEADS WITH FLAVOR. And while I prefer eating plant-based meals, my husband eats everything and my girls fluctuate but always stay close to their mom's vegetarian preferences. I've learned not to push anyone to eat the way I do but to rather offer delicious plant-based meals and let them come to me. This morning, I revisited my Masala Tofu Scramble recipe from my cookbook Vegan Indian Cooking, page 82. I shared the recipe on this blog years ago, but it was time to revisit it. Part of what makes my tofu scramble better than what you'll get at restaurants? 1. I live and breathe tofu - I love it as an ingredient and I know how to make it shine. 2. My recipe is dry - very dry - and not soggy. To achieve this, use firm or extra-firm tofu and avoid soggy ingredients like tomatoes and mushrooms. I also use a wide non-stick pan so that any moisture quickly evaporates. 3. This dish looks and smells like eggs. You get this effect by using turmeric powder and kala namak. Put all of this together and suddenly you have a dish that everyone in your household will love. Even better? Eat it with a dosa. This is the absolute best gluten-free plant-based pairing. I wish someone would put this on a menu so I could just order it when I'm out. Hint Hint. xoxo Anupy
Stovetop: Masala Tofu Scramble
1 14-oz. package firm or extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon oil (I use coconut)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 small red or yellow onion, minced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, grated or minced
1-2 green Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and finely minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon kala namak, black salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced (optional)
1. Crumble the tofu with one hand in a plate and set aside. There is no need to press it. If any water collects to the sides simply drain it off before cooking.
2. In a heavy and wide flat pan, heat the oil. The larger the pan the better so that any moisture that collects evaporates. It also helps the onion to crisp up a bit for added texture. I use a non-stick pan.
3. Add the cumin and cook until the seeds sizzle, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the onion, ginger, fresh chiles, and turmeric. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes until the onions start to brown.
5. Add the tofu and stir well to ensure that all of the tofu turns yellow from the turmeric.
6. Add the red chile powder, salt, kala namak, and cilantro if using. Stir well. Serve with buttered toast or rolled up in a warm roti or parantha. Or do what I did in the photo above and pair it with a dosa.
Note: If you want to add 'soggier' ingredients like tomato or mushrooms, simply saute them in a separate pan on the side and add to the tofu right before serving.
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Moving to Chicago years ago, there were two things that I always had trouble making - homemade yogurt and fermented dosa batter. That's likely because of the cool temps here. Enter the Instant Pot. The yogurt setting can be used to easily and successfully set yogurt and now I'm learning to successfully ferment dosa batter. Early this week, I shared my recipe for dosa batter here. It's a two-step process where you soak the rice & legumes, grind them down until smooth, and then let them sit on the countertop to slowly ferment. You know that smell from sourdough? That's what you are trying to achieve. Last night, I made two batches and they almost doubled in size this morning and turned out beautifully. If you want to make dosa, but don't want to run around to buy all the ingredients, consider our newest product offering - the dosa spice kit. Click here for one-touch ordering.
Here are a couple of tips to ferment dosa batter in the Instant Pot:
I have seen others add boiled water to the inner Instant Pot vessel, and then set a large bowl with the batter in it over the water, put a lid on it, and then adjust the YOGURT setting. I have not tried this approach, and my batter fermented just fine without doing all that. Feel free to give it a try if you would like.
Watch me do it and while you are there subscribe to my YouTube Channel!
]]>TO ME, MAKING DOSA IS LIKE FLYING TO INDIA. Both require planning and take a ridiculous amount of time - about 20 hours. Until you realize that most of that time is hands off. For India, you're flying through the night and hopefully sleeping. In the case of dosa it's waiting for the ingredients to soak at least 8 hours and then once blended, waiting for the mixture to ferment on the counter for again about 8 hours. Oddly, once you get through them, you realize both are easy and you're ready to do it again! If you have my third cookbook, Indian For Everyone, turn to page 253 for this recipe and photos. In this recipe, I used a long-grained rice which worked fine. I've even subbed the rice for quinoa. But again, dosa is traditionally made with a parboiled rice variety.
I'm not the best planner, but when I do make this batter, I have one of my best cooking and eating weeks. You see, dosa is a naturally gluten-free 'bread'. It's a crepe made and eaten extensively in South India and it's made from rice and dal. That alone is amazing nutritious news. But, once you take that batter and ferment it - wow! That's where the nutrition magic truly happens. You've likely heard of the benefits of other fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi? Think of dosa batter in the same light. And, kids absolutely love dosa!
Now, why would you take South Indian cooking lessons from someone who is North Indian? I was fortunate to grow up with a very close South Indian auntie network in Pennsylvania. We all attended the same temple and I not only tasted their authentic dishes, but learned many of their household tips and tricks. Like taking the flat side of half of an onion and rubbing it back and forth on a hot dosa pan before adding the oil to ensure that the batter does not stick. I'm by no means an expert, but I will say I'm pretty good. Whatever I can share with you, I will. Please do make a large batch of this recipe and keep it in the fridge once it's fermented for weeks to dole out for your family and friends. And, if you are North Indian, consider swapping out roti for a dosa now and then. It pairs fabulously with our sabzis.
Want to make this with minimal fuss? Consider ordering our newest product launch - Spice Kits. This one for dosa will give you the hard-to-find ingredients below.
Stovetop: Dosa - Batter and Crepes
3 cups uncooked idli rice *
1 cup whole or split urad dal without the skin **
2 tablespoons chana dal
1 teaspoon methi seeds, fenugreek
Room temperature water, to cover
3 cups ice-cold water, for blending
1/2 cup cooked white or brown rice, any kind
2 teaspoons Himalayan sea salt
Vegetable oil, for frying, set aside in a small bowl
End of a raw onion, for prepping pan
1. Take two separate and large mixing bowls. In one, add the rice. In the other, add the urad and chana dals and methi. Wash both with water and then add enough fresh water to cover the ingredients and set aside to soak at room temperature for 6 hours to overnight. I've separated the legumes from the rice and I've made this with everything combined as well. Rice and legumes have different textures when ground - why separating them can help give you a better end product.
2. Drain both bowls and discard the water. Place the rice in a blender. Add about 1 cup of the ice-cold water. Blend until smooth and frothy. Add more water as needed. And, add the cooked rice. I find that the cold water helps the batter from warming when blending. This mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Remember, this bowl must be large enough to allow for the batter to ferment and expand. You don't want it to overflow. Ideally, the batter should double in size.
4. In the same blender jug, add the drained dal mixture. Add about 1 cup of the ice-cold water and blend until smooth, thin, and frothy. Add a bit more water if needed. Add the cooked rice to help Transfer this to the bowl with the blended rice.
5. Add the salt and stir with your clean, bare hands. The warmth of your hands helps the fermentation process rather than using a metal spoon. Keep in mind that regular table salt has iodine in it, which inhibits fermentation. If you are using table salt, simply add it in later post fermentation.
6. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel or paper towel and set aside in a warm, dry place for 6 hours to overnight to allow the batter to ferment. If you live in a cold climate, heat the oven to 200 degrees Farenheit for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven, wait 10 minutes, and then place the covered bowl in the oven for the fermentation process. You'll end up with a thin batter that is slightly bubbly, frothy, and sour.
7. Once fermented, transfer to glass storage containers with lids and store in the fridge. The batter will last 2 weeks in the fridge and about three months in the freezer. Dole out and use as needed.
8. To make a dosa, simply heat a griddle. Use the flat side of the onion and rub the pan down. Add a touch of the vegetable oil. Once hot, ladle about 1/4 cup of batter in the middle of the pan and in a circular clockwise motion, work from the inside to the outside until you have a very thin, round crepe. Cook through. Flip and cook the other side. This takes practice. Note that if the pan is too hot, the batter will clump and cook too fast. Keep the pan moderately hot. Like any crepe or pancake, the first one is usually not the best. The ones that follow will be perfect. Serve with Sambhar, chutney, or any sabzi. Use as a substitute for bread and as a wrap for veggies and hummus.
* The best rice for dosa is a shorter grain parboiled variety like idli rice. You can find it online and at any Indian grocer. You can substitute long-grained basmati rice as well and I do that, but the shorter grained variety is better.
** Urad dal without the skin is traditionally used for dosa largely because it maintains a light and neutral color. I've made dosa with different legumes including urad dal with the black skin. The color will be varied. My mom once made dosa with dark grains and it turned out purple and delicious!
]]>I'M NOT GOING TO LIE - BEANS CAN BE CONFUSING. Until that ah-hah moment sets in. And, I promise, if you stick with me, it will. Before we talk about what Chana Dal is - the theme of today's Grocery Corner post, let's chat about that category of food that few in the West seem to get. As I was preparing for this post, I searched Chana Dal on a wholesaler's website and it was listed as 'Chana Dal Peas' - which makes no sense. It's technically a bean and this makes it super confusing because it looks just like a yellow pea. So what is it?
Is it a bean? A lentil? A pea? And does it even matter? The reality is that anything that grows in a pod is a legume - also called pulses and in India dal. Peanuts grow in pods and are legumes - they are not a nut. The seeds that grow in that pod are what we consume. Those seeds can be quite varied in taste and shape. Only a truly spherically-shaped and flat one is considered a lentil. If it's not a lentil then it's a bean or pea. It does not make a huge difference if you call a lentil a bean or vice versa, but once you start making this distinction it helps to determine how to cook whatever you are making and how much water you'll need. A kidney bean will require a different amount of water and cook time than say the orange lentils sold at most mainstream grocery stores.
In Indian cuisine we cook with legumes in a more varied way than any other cuisine out there. Many whole legumes are consumed in various forms. We will eat it in the whole form with the skin, whole without the skin, split with the skin, and split without the skin. There are some exceptions, but generally you'll find 3-4 forms of the same base legume. Why this is important to understand? Well, because each form requires a different cook time and amount of water. The more processed - split and skinned - the less water and cook time required. The taste also varies.
And this brings me to Chana Dal. Let's break the name down. Chana means chickpea. But, it's not the chickpea that you are thinking of - it's a small, black chickpea that we love in Indian cuisine. The Dal reference comes from the idea that this chickpea, once the skin is removed and it is split in half, essentially looks and feels like a typical 'lentil' which we make into a dal. It's deceiving -- and if you look at a bag of it, you'll think that it's just a lentil of split yellow peas. But, it's not - it is a little more wrinkled, it cooks up differently, and is unique for its nutrition.
Chana Dal is one of the lowest glycemic index (GI) foods to exist - with an index of 8. What this means is that it does not spike your blood sugar when you eat it even though a majority of its calories come from carbohydrates. Even many vegetables log a GI of 14 and above. This means that this is a dal you want to truly get into your weekly rotation if you want to enjoy a plant-based diet with minimal blood sugar bursts. If you are diabetic, this is a fantastic ingredient. You can make an Indian Dal out of it, cook it and sprinkle it over salads, spice it and roast it in the oven as well for a healthy snack. Remember, any significant dietary changes should be made after consulting with your doctor.
If you are yet to be convinced that pulses - legumes - beans/lentils/peas are an important component for a healthy diet, I would encourage you to listen to this podcast about so-called blue zones and what they do differently to live longer. This was one of the first time I've heard a Westerners' positive take on legumes for fiber and protein. Usually in the West we are told that legumes are carbs and to cut back on them. Here, it's argued that the protein and fiber from this plant-based source is critical to longevity and feeling fuller - along with many other suggestions. In India we already know much of this, but I say to my own community that we need to be reminded of these simple food principals and to tap back into our eating and food roots. In my own health-eating journey, I have focussed on eating dal daily and it has made a huge difference in keeping me on a healthy eating track and away from processed foods.
I truly hope this was helpful. And, know that I'm here to answer any questions. Keep cooking and keep eating delicious legumes, folks!
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ODDLY ADDICTIVE. If you've been following my adventures, you know that I've been in India the last week and a half for my nephew's wedding. And you know from the photos that the food was absolutely off the charts. We had freshly made bhatura fried up in front of us, naan made in a tandoor transported to our home, curries from all parts of India, fresh achaar, India-Chinese food like you have never seen. And yet, the recipe that sticks in my mind is this dal. Odd? Yes, very. The family was invited to my cousin's home for lunch after all of the wedding celebrations and we were served this combination of Chana Dal and Urad Split with the skin (Urad Chilka). It was made perfectly - blended just so, and then eaten over plain basmati rice with a side of spiced mixed veggie cabbage - wow. No matter what I eat in India I come back to basic and delicious homemade foods. They just make me feel better - minus all the oil and ghee. Later this week, I'll give you a primer on Chana Dal. It looks like dried yellow split peas, but it's so much better for you. It's a split and skinned black chickpea and one of the lowest glycemic foods out there at 8 (even many vegetables rank at a GI of 14 or above). Meaning, it will not spike your blood sugar. And, note that this is a stovetop recipe. We'll start on the stove, and then I'll test and offer you Instant Pot and Slow Cooker versions later and in follow-up posts. Generally, keep in mind that it took me about an hour of simmering on the stove to get this dal to the right consistency. And, a huge congratulations to my cousins Alka and Vivek who did a beautiful job planning and executing Rohan & Sonal's wedding. I'll share some photos here soon! xoxo Anupy
Stovetop: Chana Dal with Split Urad
Makes 5 cups
1/2 cup Chana Dal, picked over and washed
1/2 cup Urad Dal Chilka, picked over and washed
7 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pinch hing, asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 yellow or red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, grated or minced
4 Thai chiles or 1 serrano chile, stems removed and finely minced
1 medium tomato, pureed
2 teaspoons unsalted tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon red chile powder
2 teaspoons salt
1. In a large, roomy pot, add the chana and urad dals and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer partially covered for about 1 hour. Once cooked, turn the burner off, leave the dal on the same burner, and fully cover until you are ready to flavor with the tarka. Keep the extra 1 cup of water for the end in case you need it.
2. Heat a separate heavy and shallow pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, hing, turmeric, and cumin. Cook about 40 seconds until the seeds turn reddish-brown. Stir.
3. Add the onion. Stir and cook until brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and fresh chiles. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato and tomato puree. Stir. Cook another minute.
4. Add this mixture to the pot of cooked dal along with the garam masala, red chile, and salt. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook about 2 minutes until all the ingredients pull together. If the dal looks too thick, use that extra cup of water 1/4 cup at a time to loosen it up. Heat through and serve with basmati rice.
[[ recipeID=recipe-8ltq7kx1m, title=Chana Dal with Split Urad ]]
HOMESTYLE VS. RESTAURANT INDIAN FOOD. Most do not realize that there are two types of cooking in our Indian food space. One is what you get in restaurants - gourmet, delicious, slightly heavier, with cream and oils - a treat. And, the other is a style of cooking that we eat daily. We loosely refer to it as ghar ka khana, which translates to home cooking. It's at once light, healthy, and absolutely delicious - most of the recipes I feature on this website, in my four cookbooks, and what my platform is know to offer.
When folks ask me how in the world I can eat Indian food at home daily and still be healthy I realize they have no idea about this distinction. In our homemade foods, we don't use heavy creams or a ton of oil. Everything is balanced, including the bread. Believe it or not, we don't eat naan at home traditionally. We make and eat roti, a flatbread made from whole wheat flour that is thinner with way fewer calories.
This week, I launched my dream project. My own version of ghar ka khana at a mainstream grocery store - Harvest Market in Springfield, Illinois. They already sold my spices and sauces on their shelves so when I realized they have a 'made from scratch' deli, I asked if they would consider letting me show them how to use my products to make homemade Indian food from scratch. My goal was to show them how to use my curry starter sauce, our Punjabi masala, and my fresh spice blends roasted and ground right here in America rather than imported from India to create an amazing end product. We would not cut corners. They said yes! (I cannot thank Christine, Sean, Nick, and Mike enough and everyone else on staff who has helped taste test!)
So, I got to work and started to pull recipes together. I quickly hit my first sticking point. How do I get them to make beans from dried? If I told my community that I was serving canned beans they would never buy our product. I asked Harvest if they would let me teach them to use the Instant Pot to make dishes from dried beans. Again, they even said yes to that! And so, armed with my new book 'Instant Pot Indian', we got to work in the Nook, their kitchen on the second floor. The trick has been creating dishes that work for a mainstream audience (less heat) but also satisfy the high taste bar for an Indian audience. I think we finally did it after months of testing!
My Moong Dal is a great example of the tweaking we needed to do. While we eat it at home with a ton of ginger and garlic, I realized that it plays better as a brothy 'lentil' soup for a mainstream market. So I tried one batch without the ginger and garlic, and instead maintained the flavor with key spices. The result was not only perfect for the non-Indian customers and the seniors who are not be able to consume the heat, but it worked for our Indian community as well. What was really interesting is that our Indian community as it gets older is also cutting back on the heat they eat - so the flavor notes were perfect. And, if you want more heat, you just take it home and add it in! It was smooth enough to be a soup, but punchy enough to be a dal. Wow, wow, wow! The other dishes do pack a little more heat, but that is to be expected. We are rolling out Chana Masala, Butter Chicken, Rajmah, and Dal Makhani.
Liz, who is in charge of this project within the store is learning my recipes and replicating them. She is hands down amazing and a fabulous cook who embraces learning new techniques. I taught her what tarka is and how to use it most effectively in an Indian dish. She learned why the Chana Masala spice blend works so well in the chickpeas, and what the Chaat Masala is used for. She learned how to roast cauliflower perfectly and has been rolling out my Chaat Masala Kabobs for weeks. Frankly, the key with Liz? She loves to have fun - I don't think we stop laughing when we are together. Ask for her when you go in!
A local Indian physician came in and picked up food. And I realized when he did what the potential is for this project. No one should have to give up their day jobs (like I did) to eat healthy scratch Indian cooking. We are now going to be able to reach busy professionals, working moms and dads, and the elderly who all want easy solutions for our Indian foods in a way no one has really done before. Sure, Indian food is available in the prepared food section of many grocers - but it's pre-packaged and rarely meets our communities' high taste bar. What better way to keep your young kids eating their own foods than offering this up to them?
My most nervous moment was when the Asian Indian Women's Organization came in to sample. This group does not need cooking lessons - they are masters chefs in their own right. So, if they liked the food then we've truly accomplished something. When they came back for more moong dal, I realized that we'd hit all the right flavor notes.
Please know that we cannot do this without you. So, if you are in Springfield and if you shop at Harvest Market, please go in and ask for Indian As Apple Pie food in the deli section. And, please thank them for taking the time and the energy to do this. No good idea goes anywhere unless someone sees the vision and gives you the platform. And for that I'm truly grateful for this partnership with Harvest Market and their amazing staff. xoxo Anupy
]]>FRUIT SALAD AN INDIAN STREET FOOD? Heck yes! Chaat or small plates are a category of Indian dishes sold on the streets by vendors who are often renowned for their flavor combinations and personal spice blends. There's the pani puri walla, the omelette and parantha guy, the bhel puri walla and on and on. And then there are the ones that assemble fruit chaat. Slice and diced fruit expertly combined with lime juice, black salt, and some heat and then mixed together in a bowl topped with a plate. Shake, shake, shake. Everything mixes so well with that flat plate on top. It's then poured into a throw-away bowl made of paper or a leaf and served with a toothpick. It's the kala namak or black salt that makes it all so addictive combined with that tart lime juice. In our home, we make fruit chaat on the weekends when we want to clear out the fridge and need a healthy snack ahead of dinner. I usually use whatever fruit I have lying around - a half-eaten apple, a plum at the bottom of a fridge drawer, or cantelope that tastes bland on its own. In the photo above you'll see yellow guava that we found in the Indian grocery store but for some reason didn't eat fast enough. In it went into our fruit chaat! This flavor combo is especially delicious on fruit that isn't as sweet as it should have been - a kind of bland cantaloupe, papaya, or dragon fruit. Instead of throwing it out or worse, letting it sit in the fridge until it goes bad, use it up this way! I've also started to use tiny key limes in my chaat, which has ramped up the flavor tenfold. It's so easy and so addictive. For me, I love one main fruit like a melon or papaya, side bars like pear or apple, soft and sweet notes from a ripe banana, and crunchy nuggets of goodness from a pomegranate. Eat it as a snack or as my in-laws always did - as a dessert after a meal instead of all the high-calorie stuff. xoxo Anupy
3-4 cups fruit (diced cantaloup, papaya, apples, pear, banana, grapes, kiwi, dragonfruit, pomegranate - literally anything)
1 teaspoon kala namak, black salt
juice of 1 lime or lemon or several key limes
pinch, regular salt
pinch, red chile powder or cayenne
Add all ingredients to a deep bowl and stir or do as the street vendors do and fit a plate on top and shake. Eat immediately. It can also keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, but not much more because of the lime juice.
]]>I'VE GOT ACHAAR IS ON THE MIND. I still remember the tiny apartment in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania where we began our journey in this country. It was a first-floor apartment facing the front parking lot and entrance of the complex. A perfect location just across the street from school, Plymouth Elementary There were two bedrooms for the four of us and some extended family. So, in the summer, we made do with aunts, uncles, friends, and cousins in the main living area. We didn't have money to splurge on summer camps or endless entertainment that our kids nowadays have at their disposal. And, we were too young for summer jobs. We just hung out and toiled away our summer hours watching tv and playing endless games outside. On one particularly boring afternoon, I remember my aunt setting up a feast of naan from our first little Indian grocery store in Norristown where we were finally able to find Indian provisions. Naan was rare in our home, where my parents preferred healthier roti made from whole wheat flour rather than white all-purpose used to make naan. My auntie heated the large naan on a griddle until they were brown and crispy, slathered them with ghee, and then plopped a dollop of achaar in the middle - the extra hot five spice pickle on top. Then, there was crunch from raw onion slices sprinkled with black salt. It was a dream meal! My cousins and I would sit cross-legged on the floor with paper plates and our meal and get through one, two, and even three servings each. We couldn't get enough of that spicy pickle. Well, that is until my father came home early one day and saw what was going on. Bread and butter? No vegetables? No dal! Enough! It was not the kind of diet he wanted his kids on. That was the end of that naan-achaar-onion parties. We had to find other things to eat and occupy our time and boy did we! Those stories will come later, but for now I want you to realize how delicious these pickles truly are and how healthy and delicious they can be when made at home. I first shared this recipe below in my book Vegan Indian Cooking, page 227. Not to worry, I'll have more pickle recipes to come. xoxo Anupy.
Stovetop: Habanero Achaar, Spicy Habanero Indian Pickle
2 cups habanero chiles (Thai, serrano, cayenne also work)
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
2 tablespoons ground black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon amchur powder, mango powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons mustard oil
1. Wearing kitchen gloves to protect your hands, cut a slit lengthwise down each chile with a sharp knife, stopping at the stem. I have been leaving the stems on for aesthetics, but you can remove the stem as long as the base is intact.
2. In a bowl, combine the salt, turmeric, ground mustard, amchur, garam masala, and sugar. Stir.
3. Stuff each chile individually with this mixture.
4. In a heavy pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. You can use any oil, but if you have a chance to source mustard oil from an Indian grocer, I would recommend it. It has a distinct smell and taste profile, but adds so much flavor to this recipe.
5. Add the chiles. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner.
7. Add any leftover masala and stir gently. Let the peppers sit for 15 minutes until they cool slightly. Then, transfer the mixture to a glass container and let it sit with the lid off until completely cooled.
8. Seal the container and refrigerate. This will last 4-6 weeks. Just be sure to always use a clean, dry spoon to dole it out.
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You've heard of green tea, white tea, and the like, but have you heard of CCF tea? It's becoming more and more popular and has its roots in Ayurveda, considered the world's oldest medical system originating in India. Ayurveda translates from Sanskrit to 'the knowledge of life' and is a way of eating and living that keeps your body, mind, and spirit in harmony and balance. While I personally don't eat strictly according its principles, as someone who was raised surrounded by Indian food I do follow the guidelines. It's what our cuisine traditionally is based upon. I never believe in giving up your day job so-to-speak to follow a practice and instead tend to fold in guidelines that make sense to me into my daily routine. Like this tea. It's an easy and incredibly affordable routine that you can incorporate into your busy day and it's something that can truly make a difference.
CCF tea is a brew made from the simple combination of C - Cumin seeds, C - Coriander Seeds, and F - Fennel seeds. I started to hear more about this tea a few years back when an Indian friend told me she was working with an Indian nutritionist to get healthier, get rid of inflammation, and hopefully lose a few pounds. She was told to drink this tea daily because it helps with digestion and stimulates the lymphatic system. It also soothes the stomach's mucous membranes and reduces gas. It makes sense. All of the spices used are known to fight inflammation. I always used boiled fennel water for our girls when they were babies and gassy. I started to incorporate this tea into my day, especially on evenings when my stomach was out of sorts. And, it worked! It's one of the few things that actually gets rid of stomach cramps and gets my digestive system moving.
While some recipes recommend brewing this tea with the spices whole, I prefer to grind them down in a mortar & pestle first. It is recommended to drink it warm, because the warmth better helps with digestion and soothing the lining of your stomach. So, if I make a large batch of it, I will store it in a glass jar in the fridge and then warm it up before drinking. For the months of February and March - we will include a sample of spices to make one batch of this tea for every purchase from our website!
Stovetop: CCF Tea, Miracle Tea to Ease Digestion & Bloat
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
5 cups water
1. Grind the seeds together in a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder reserved for spices.
2. Boil in water and simmer 5-10 minutes. Strain and drink hot or warm. If you have extra, strain and keep in the fridge. Just warm it up again to drink to benefit fully. Some recipes recommend keeping the boiled spices and using them in your cooking. You can, but I just don't know a ton of dishes that use this combination of spices with fennel, which is a unique taste profile. If you have idea, please add them in the comment section below.
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WAIT. ARE THESE ACTUALLY SPROUTS? THEY ARE REALLY GOOD! We were in Kerala shooting some scenes for my upcoming cooking show and my non-Indian - very American photographers were admiring some of the dishes on the buffet. The hotel was a higher end eco-friendly spot in the Indian state of Kerala on the South West Coast, where most of the spices from India are cultivated and exported. It was our first evening meal at the resort after driving through the dark of night to get there from our previous bed and breakfast in Talassery (formerly known as Tellicherry). The night part of the driving we were warned against, but we had no choice as I kept finding things we needed to stop and shoot. Among the food selections on our buffet was a sprouted salad. That's important because it shows how prevalent sprouts truly are in Indian cuisine. So prevalent that they appear as a dish in hotels - and I am talking about high-end hotels. We're not even surprised to encounter sprouts on the menu or buffet line in India. In fact, recently a friend sent me photos from a market in Mumbai of green moong, fenugreek, black chickpea sprouts in large burlap bags for sale. Some of us with Indian roots in the US have forgotten about this healthy-eating trick that our grandmothers insisted upon. I'm encouraging us to get back at it. Sprouts are not only filled with enzymes and minerals, they actually help you fill up on the good stuff so you crave the other stuff less. It's been a part of my morning routine for years. This salad recipe is one of my older daughter's favorites. She can eat an entire bowl. It's so delicious that she doesn't even realize half the time how healthy it is. If you want to learn how to sprout at home, click here.
Salad: Fresh Fenugreek Sprouted Salad
3 cups fenugreek sprouts (moong and kala chana sprouts will also work)
3/4 cup minced yellow or red onion
1 - 5 Thai chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoon kala namak, black salt
Place all the ingredients in the order listed above in a deep bowl and carefully stir until everything comes together. Eat immediately or place in the fridge in a glass or metal bowl until ready to eat. This will last about 2 weeks. Sprouts are food that is still growing. Avoid storing them in plastic, which can leech, if you can. Add any other ingredients you may like including diced or grated cucumber, tomato, or grated carrots and daikon.
]]>Here's one more way to make the iconic Punjabi dish Mattar Paneer - this time with our jarred Punjabi masala curry starter and in the Instant Pot. Remember, this is a very brothy recipe made up essentially of Indian cheese - paneer and peas. So, you don't need long cook times as you would if you were cooking beans. Five minutes is enough. But, note that in the Instant Pot, the warm up time is 32 minutes likely because of the amount of water. It's the perfect cook time to really pull all the flavors together without overcooking the ingredients. The recipe below makes a large batch using 2 pounds of paneer in at least a 6 quart IP. If you prefer to make a smaller amount, no worries, just cut the recipe in half but keep the cook time the same. From my extensive testing for my new cookbook Instant Pot Indian, I discovered that when scaling a recipe up or down in the Instant Pot, the cook times remain the same, but the warm up time fluctuates.
If you don't want to make paneer (Indian cheese), head to your grocer. These days, everyone is selling it, even Costco - who I think has some of the best paneer on the market - sold in 2-pound blocks.
You may wonder why make this in a pressure cooker when you can easily make it on the stovetop? I'm creating recipes for the deli section of a grocery store chain and they don't have cooktops in their department! Remember, I'm all about giving you different ways to successfully cook the same thing. For a mattar paneer on the stovetop from scratch click here and for matter paneer on the stovetop using our Punjabi masala click here.
Consider taking one of my virtual cooking classes by clicking here.
Instant Pot: Mattar Paneer, Indian Cheese & Pea Curry
Makes 16 cups
Pressure Cooker Size: 6 quart or 8 quart
Warm Up: 32 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Cool Down: 10 minutes natural release + manual release
TOTAL: 47 minutes + manual release time
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola or grapeseed)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
8 whole black cloves
3 black cardamom pods
2 (2-inch-long) cinnamon sticks
2 pounds paneer, diced into 1-inch cubes
6 cups frozen peas, slightly defrosted
4 Thai chiles or ½ - 1 serrano chile, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 cups Punjabi masala
1/2 cup unsalted tomato paste
¼ cup kasoori methi (dried fenugreek), hand crushed to release flavor
2 tablespoons garam masala
2 tablespoons coriander powder
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
2 tablespoons salt
10 cups water
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
1. Place the inner pot in your Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to MORE. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the paneer. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the peas and chiles. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
4. Press CANCEL. Add the Punjabi masala, tomato paste, kasoori methi, garam masala, coriander powder, red chile, salt, and water. Stir.
5. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads HIGH. Adjust the cook time to 5 minutes.
6. Once the cooking is complete, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure manually. Remove and discard the cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks. All the other spices are edible - the cloves are as well, so if you miss a few no worries. Add the cilantro and serve with basmati rice or Indian bread like roti or naan.
Now, I know that you may not be familiar with all of the spices that I've listed in the recipe and that is okay. Don't stress. Do you need every single one? No! And please make this recipe with whatever spices you do have on hand. But, once you collect them all and make your recipe you'll start to understand why we use them and in this combination. They layer to give you different nuggets of flavor. So each one gets you closer and closer to restaurant-quality cooking. The methi or dried fenugreek is one ingredients that can be very confusing. Keep in mind that we use it in just about all Punjabi cooking - even referring to it as the 'magic' ingredient in our stye of cooking. Here's a video that will explain more from my YouTube channel. Click here to subscribe.
]]>Instant Pot: Chicken Tikka Masala
Pressure Cooker Size: 3 quart or larger
Warm Up: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Cool Down: 10 minutes natural release + manual release
TOTAL: marinating time + 5 minutes simmer + 40 minutes + manual release time
Makes: 4–6 servings
¾ cup plain, unsweetened yogurt (dairy or alternative)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, pureed
6 cloves garlic, pureed
1 tablespoon paprika (unsmoked)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 2-inch pieces or skinless bone-in pieces
1 small yellow or red onion, roughly chopped
2-4 fresh Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed
¼ cup unsalted tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon red chile powder or cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons blanched sliced almonds (optional)
¾ cup water
1 medium tomato, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1 pinch hing (asafoetida) (optional)
2 green cardamom pods, crushed slightly in a mortar and pestle (use husks)
¼ cup half-and-half, heavy cream, or plain unsweetened yogurt (dairy or alternative), add later
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced, for garnish
1. In a large mixing bowl add the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, paprika, cinnamon, and black pepper. Stir. Add the chicken and stir until all the pieces are coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour or overnight. When you are ready to cook, set the bowl of marinated chicken on the counter to slowly return to room temperature.
2. In a food processor, grind the onion, fresh chiles, tomato paste, garam masala, coriander, red chile, salt, brown sugar, almonds, and water until smooth. Add the tomato and pulse until broken down but not completely smooth. Set aside.
3. Place the inner pot in your Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to MORE. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the ghee, hing, and cardamom. Stir and cook until the ghee starts to melt, about 40 seconds. If cooking on the stove, do the same in a large, roomy pot.
4. Add the mixture from Step 2. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Follow these steps if cooking on the stove.
5. Press CANCEL. Carefully remove the inner pot and place on a heat-resistant surface. Once it is cool enough to handle, remove the contents to a bowl. Be sure to scrape the bottom to loosen anything stuck. If cooking on the stove, skip this step.
6. Return the inner pot to the base. Place a trivet in the pot and place the marinated chicken pieces on it. Discard any marinade left in the bowl. Pour the masala from Step 5 over the chicken. Do NOT stir. If cooking on the stove, simply add the chicken into the pot.
7. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads LOW. Adjust the cook time to 15 minutes. If cooking on the stove, simmer the chicken, stirring occasionally between 10 - 12 minutes until cooked through.
8. Once the cooking is complete, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Then, manually release any remaining pressure, press CANCEL, and remove the lid. Let your dish sit uncovered for 2-3 minutes to slightly cool. Remove the trivet with tongs, add the cream, and stir until all the chicken pieces are coated. The cream holds up better if your dish cools slightly. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with basmati rice or Indian bread like roti or naan. For added flavor and crunch, garnish with sliced fresh onion and fresh chiles. All the spices including the cardamom husks are edible but remove and discard the husks if you prefer. If cooking on the stove, simply add the cream, stir, and garnish with the cilantro.
]]>MIC DROP - MY JOB IS DONE HERE. After a mediocre at best try, I concocted a new recipe in my head for butternut squash soup. Seriously. I need to often get out of my kitchen to figure out why I didn't love a recipe. And, I know you know by now, if I don't love a recipe it does not go on my website or in a cookbook. I don't want you to waste any of your precious time. The first batch was just too much soup -- while I like big-batch cooking, I really don't want that much butternut squash soup in the house. So, I pulled back the recipe and made it for the 3 quart ... and then there was the cream factor. I wanted creamy but not dairy and absolutely not coconut milk - which other recipes call for. I hate the taste of coconut milk in anything but South Indian or Thai food. To me, it's the lazy way to make something creamy with a taste profile that just does not work. So ... cashews! What I did here is PURE Anupy magic. I'm just sayin'. It's my trick for many of my creamy soups without dairy - raw, unsalted cashews. And, I'd say kissed is the absolute perfect word for the amount of garam masala in this soup. Just enough. You are going to be so glad you waited for this one. Off the rails! Read on my loves! xoxo Anupy
Instant Pot: Garam Masala Kissed Butternut Squash Soup
Make in 3 quart or larger
Yield: 6 cups
Warm Up: 15 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Cool Down: 10 minutes natural release + manual release
Total time: 30 minutes + manual release time
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons raw, unsalted cashews (no need to soak)
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 large Granny Smith green apple, cored and diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
3 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1. Place the inner pot in your Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to NORMAL. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the oil. Once the oil warms, add the shallot, garlic, and cashews. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the carrot and apple. Stir and cook for 1 minute. I don't always peel my carrots. I only did here to avoid any layers of bitterness in the soup. Up to you.
3. Add the butternut squash. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
4. Press CANCEL. Add the water and stir. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads high. Adjust the cook time to 5 minutes. The extra 1/2 cup of water was perfect. The 5 minutes was perfect - some recipes call for 8 to 10. No need. Also, no need for stock. The water was perfectly fine.
5. Once the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure manually. Press CANCEL and remove the lid. Add the salt, black pepper, and the garam masala. Stir. The extra 10 minutes gives the soup time to settle and the ingredients truly cook through.
6. Process until completely smooth and creamy in a high-powered blender like a Vita Mix. Enjoy as is or topped with salted pepitas. You can also blend with an immersion blender, but I like this soup extra creamy and feel like the blender does a better job. Up to you!
Here are four key stages. Starting from the top left photo (photo 1) is Step 5 - the cooked ingredients. Photo 2 adds the spices. Photo 3 just shows the nuggets of cashews that get you to creamy. And, photo 4 believe it or not is what this looks like once blended. What's hard to believe is the beautiful creamy light yellow color. It reminds me of a field of sunflowers. But, it's the cashews that help get it to that beautiful texture and look. I hope you'll make this recipe and love it as much as me!
And, how to peel your butternut squash? Watch my video from my YouTube channel! Spoiler alert - a simple peeler!
]]>TATER TOTS GOT ME THROUGH MY INDIAN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD! I was a latchkey kid. If you've never heard this term, it's what we called kids whose came home to an empty house after school. The reality was, we were immigrants settled in King of Prussia, PA and my parents had to work. So, every afternoon post trudging home from school, I would let myself and my younger brother into our locked and empty home. I have to gulp back emotions a touch as I write this. It was fine back then - almost fun to have a house to yourself. But, now I think about how incredibly lonely it was to have no snack and nobody to tell you ... well, anything. Tater tots got me through many afternoons. Easy and always comforting, I'd grab a bunch from the freezer and cook them up for me and my brother. They were especially delicious when they came with the Hungry Man frozen dinner that my mom only allowed us to consider on Fridays. She always had Indian meals for dinner and worked hard to make sure we ate healthy, but for post-school snacks we were usually on our own. This is likely why I worked so incredibly hard to create a career where I could be there for my girls when they came home AND get them something fun and warm to snack on before heading to their rooms to do homework. And, might I add ... my girls often complained that they would have loved some afternoons on their own away from their pushy mom. I guess as parents, we can never win!
One thing I learned about making tots through my research is that the potato consistency does matter. For the best results, parboil your potato. It should be just shy of totally soft and mushy. While we wanted that really soft consistency for my Aloo ki Tikki recipe, for tater tots we want the potato to be slightly harder. So, boil it 10 minutes instead of 15. And, while with the Tikki recipe I mashed the potato for a softer, fluffier consistency, for a tater tot you want to grate the potato with a box grater. I also saw recipes that added a tablespoon of flour for binding. I tried adding chickpea flour in one batch, but in the end did not feel like any flour was needed. The potato still binds without the flour, though if you want to give it a try, add 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of any flour (all purpose, quinoa, chickpea, etc.) The recipe below uses our chaat masala spice blend, but feel free to sub it with the same amount of ground black pepper, which is simple and gives you a more classic tater tot taste profile. I tell you, I am a connoisseur of tater tots. XOXO ANUPY
Air Fryer: Chaat Masala Tater Tots
Makes 16 tots
1 medium Russet potato (about 5-inches long), washed and scrubbed clean
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala or ground black pepper
spray oil
1. Make a few slits in the potato, place it in boiling water, and cook for 10 minutes. While some recipes instruct you to peel the potato first and then boil, I keep the peel on and then take it off after the potato is boiled and cools. This prevents the potato from also getting water logged.
2. With the large-hole size of a box grater, grate the potato. In one recipe they instruct at this point to place the grated potato in a dishcloth to squeeze out any excess water. I didn't feel that I needed to do this I think because I boiled it with the skin on. If you feel like there is too much moisture you can add this step.
3. Add the salt and chaat masala or ground black pepper and stir well.
4. With a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out the mixture and hand-mold it into balls the shape of tater-tots. It helps to squeeze them hard in one hand a few times and then mold them. Lay the tots out on a tray and spray them lightly with oil.
5. Transfer the them into the basket of your air fryer, with the oil-sprayed side down touching the basket. Then, lightly spray the top with oil.
6. Cook them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, shaking the basket in between to loosen them up and make sure they don't stick. Cook until they are brown and crispy. Serve with a side of ketchup and/or our tamarind chutney.
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As some of you know, I am working with their deli section at Harvest Market in Springfield, IL to launch scratch-cooked Indian cuisine using Indian As Apple Pie recipes and ingredients. The project is close to my heart - and provide access to healthy and deliciously-authentic homestyle Indian food in towns across the country. When I showed the team how to make Aloo Gobi on the stovetop they asked if I could translate it to the oven, where they do most of their cooking. And a seed of an idea was immediately planted. I know that we've talked about roasting veggies with Indian spices before, but I'm on a mission to perfect these recipes. I started by using our Garam Masala, but honestly felt that the Chaat was so much more addictive. I've given you the recipe with the Chaat below, but feel free to substitute it out for the same amount of any of our spice blends from Garam, Tandoori, Sambhar, Rasam, and Pav Bhaji. Use this recipe as a template for so many other variations ... swap out the cauliflower for other vegetables and/or the chaat masala for other spices for a quick and simple sabzi any night of the week.
Oven: Roasted Chaat Masala Cauliflower
1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into medium-sized florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon Indian As Apple Pie chaat masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with parchment paper. This temperature was perfect for me every time - try it and if it's too high just pull it back to 400 or 375.
2. Place the cauliflower in a roomy bowl. It is important after washing to dry the cauliflower completely. I put all the florets on a large dishcloth and use it to dry all the pieces. It is important to have medium-sized florets. Too big, and they don't cook through, too small and they will crisp and burn. You can also cut the cauliflower into large and thin slices like a cauliflower 'steak'. If you do that, place it on a tray instead of a bowl to add the seasonings with a pastry brush.
3. In a separate and small bowl, add the remaining ingredients: the oil, chaat masala, turmeric, black pepper, and salt. Stir. Pour this mixture over the cauliflower and stir the pieces until they are all fully coated. If making cauliflower 'steaks' use a pastry brush to coat the pieces on both sides. It's helpful to use a silicone spatula to get all the marinade out of the bowl.
4. Place the cauliflower pieces on the parchment paper-lined tray and bake for 30 minutes. No need to turn. Pull out of the oven and enjoy on its own, with an Indian meal, or cool off in the fridge and enjoy as a tasty addition to a salad. I love bringing it hot to the table by simply picking up the parchment paper from all four corners and placing it in a shallow serving bowl.
A SAVORY BESAN POODA WILL ROCK YOUR MORNING ROUTINE. Besan is the Hindi word for chickpea flour. It's a common ingredient in a variety of Indian dishes. In Rajasthani cuisine, the finely-ground flour is dry roasted and combined with vegetables as a base for dry sabzis. In Gujarati cuisine it is deep fried into savory snacks. In Punjabi cuisine, we've grown up eating them in fritters called pakoras and in savory crepes, or a pooda. (The 'd' has an 'rd' sound to it.) We also turn it into a dessert called besan ki barfi. There is nothing more satisfying or tasty than a beautifully-spiced chickpea flour batter with the added crunch of minced red onion and fresh chiles served with a spicy pickle on the side and a hot cup of steaming chai.
Besan has entered the mainstream market as well. Chickpea crepes have been showing up on high-end restaurant menus over the last few years and in the supermarket as egg replacement. Besan is a binder and it's naturally gluten-free, which makes it a perfect ingredient for many with food allergies and/or plant-based eaters. The one thing to keep in mind is that it does have a distinct flavor profile, so you need to be careful when using it in recipes.
The type of chickpea used to make besan traditionally is the black chickpea - not the white. You can purchase the flour from any Indian grocery store. Or, if you are feeling ambitious, grind your own from raw, dried black chickpeas in the dry jug of a high-powered blender like a vitamix, just like coffee beans. The chickpea flour from a mainstream grocery store is traditionally made from white chickpeas. The color is slightly lighter and when cooking with it, you typically don't need as much water. My recipes are always made from black chickpea flour, so that's something to keep in mind.
If you are looking for chickpea flour because you are truly GLUTEN FREE for medical reasons, this is where things get tricky. While the flour is naturally gluten-free, not all Indian food processors guarantee their facilities are free from allergens including gluten. Thus, if it's important that your besan be truly gluten-free, head to a mainstream market for it. Now let's get going and make the recipe below - you will love it! I like using 2 cups because it makes enough for my family of four and if I have any extra I can just save it in a container in the fridge. It will keep for up to two weeks. Feel free to freeze it as well. I prefer to store the batter rather than the crepes so that they are fresh every time I make them, though they can be stored and transport well for road trips.
Stovetop: Savory Besan Pooda, Spiced Chickpea Crepes
2 cups besan (black chickpea flour)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 small red or yellow onion, finely minced
1-inch piece ginger, minced
1/2-3 Thai or Serrano chiles, stems removed, and finely minced
oil, for pan frying
1. In a deep and roomy bowl, mix the besan and water until smooth. I use a whisk. Break down the clumps of flour with the back of a spoon. You can also process the mixture in a blender until completely smooth and then transfer it to a bowl.
2. Add the turmeric, coriander, garam masala, red chile, and salt. Stir.
3. Add the onion, ginger, and fresh chile. Stir again.
4. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. With a ladle, pour 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the batter in the pan, and working from the inside towards the outside in a circular, clockwise motion form the batter into a thin crepe. Cook until browned on one side and then flip and cook the other side. Because the onion and chiles fall to the bottom of the bowl, be sure to stir the batter to more evenly dole out the ingredients. Eat with a side of achaar or Indian spicy pickle. For the thinnest possible crepe, add the onion, ginger, and chiles over the batter after doling it out in the pan and cooking one side. Add it to the uncooked side before flipping.
The consistency of the batter is important. For a good pooda, it should be thin and relatively watery. This is a touch counterintuitive, as it should be thicker when making pakora or fried fritters so that the ingredients clump together for better frying.
Here is an example of what you can do with your crepe. It was my 'vegan egg' option at our resort in Tahiti back in December 2022. It's beautiful and looks delicious, the only thing I would recommend is getting it nice and thin. Because chickpea flour can cook up slightly thick it's better when you get it as thin as possible.
Note: This is a variation of a recipe I shared in my third book Vegan Indian Cooking. In that recipe, you'll find that I used more spices, including dried fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi. Feel free to grab a copy of that book and spice up your crepes any way you like.
]]>ALOO KI TIKKI IS THE FOOD OF MY CHILDHOOD. When you have over fifty cousins - yep, that's right, and you visit India where many of them live, you grow up quite naughty. My grandmother would command us never to eat from the vendors on the streets lest my Americanized stomach had issues. Of course we would and of course I'd always get sick. But, to this day, I say it was all worth it. These spiced potato patties are essentially the original veggie burger sold everywhere on the streets and in the train stations of India. They are practical. Vegetarian and long-lasting, they can be safely packed for a long train ride or a day of sightseeing. But, even better? They are delicious.
Usually pan-fried in oil, these little beauties are even better coming out of the Air Fryer. You use very little oil and can make up a batch of the mixture, pull it out of the fridge, and whip these up before your guests come over or on the weekend for your family.
Air Fryer: Aloo ki Tikki, Spicy Potato Patties
Makes about 20, 2.25-inches in diameter, patties
1/3 cup frozen peas
2 medium-large Russet potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1/4 cup minced red onion
1-inch piece ginger, minced or grated
1/2 - 4 Thai or Serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon amchur powder
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Spray oil
1. Place the peas in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them and let them sit and soften while you prep the remaining ingredients.
2. Boil the potatoes with the skin for 25 minutes. Other recipes recommend 10 to 15 minutes. I prefer the potatoes softer and they need to be cooked through. I also boil my potatoes with the skin on. Just be sure to scrub them down and wash them well before boiling. The potatoes I used are between 4 1/2-inches and 6-inches long.
3. Once cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and place them on a large tray. Mash them down with the back of a fork or a potato masher. This is important in order to get the right texture. I tried grating them with a box grater and it did not come out like a true aloo ki tikki. It helps to work on a large baking tray, which feels more contained. You'll end up with about 3 cups mashed.
4. Once completely mashed down, add the remaining ingredients in the order listed: onion, ginger, fresh chiles, turmeric, ground cumin, coriander powder, garam masala, amchur, red chile powder, salt, besan, and lemon juice.
5. Mix everything together until well blended. I use kitchen gloves and use my hands, which helps pull everything together and it ensures that I don't get pepper on my hands. Another benefit to using hands is that you can feel the larger chunks of potato and mash them down further. The peas will surprisingly mostly keep their shape.
6 Once the mixture is well combined, use a 2 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out the mixture - I make it a heaping scoop. Shape the potato mixture in your hands into round balls, flatten them into patties, and lay them out on a baking tray. It helps to keep a bowl of water nearby to dip your hands into and/or the measuring spoon. The small amount of moisture helps to mold the patties better. Continue until the mixture is finished. This makes about 20 patties, about 2.25 inches in diameter.
7. Spray them lightly with oil. Lay the patties oil-side down in the basket. Then, spray them lightly with oil again. Lay them in the basket in one layer. Avoid too much touching - a little is okay. I can fit about 9 in my small basket. Cook them at 390 degrees for 15 minutes. No need to flip. Enjoy hot with Indian As Apple Pie Tamarind chutney and my mint-cilantro chutney. Smash it between bread as a veggie burger with the chutney and a few slices of onion.
ANUPY'S NOTES: Boiling the potatoes ahead of time and even mixing the ingredients ahead of time helps. But, keep in mind, that warm potato holds together better than cold. Let your potatoes come to room temperature for the best results. Also, take the time to mash the potatoes down completely. Too many large chunks will also make the patties fall apart. I was shocked how much of a difference fork-mashed and box grated made. Definitely take the time to mash these down to get the correct texture. Swap out any spices you want, the ones that I've listed will give you that street-vendor taste profile.
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MANGO SALSA IS PLAIN ADDICTIVE. Typically, my younger daughter comes home from Whole Foods with a large container. I mind, but I don't mind. I mind because it's expensive. But, it's so delicious that I usually eat it up before she can. Now, we can both be happy. Essentially, for the price of a box of mangoes, you can make your own salsa that will rival any store-bought option. I love it for the Christmas holidays as well because of the colors - I combine green and red Thai chiles to make it more festive, which plays well against the yellow of the mango, the red of the onion, and the green of the cilantro.
Where can you find ripe mangoes in the winter? Believe it or not, many mainstream grocers and of course Indian grocery stores. In Chicago, our little India - Devon Ave. - has lots of options. My favorite is Fresh Farms International Market on 2626 W. Devon Ave., where I've been going for years for my produce. When you purchase them, be sure they are a touch ripe. If they are not, just leave them out on the counter to ripen over the next day or so. We want that sweetness from a ripe mango, which plays well against the tangy backdrop of the vinegar. Once my mangoes are ripe, I always put them in the fridge so they are nice and cold when we are ready to devour them.
Fresh Mango Salsa
4 medium ripe mangoes, peeled and diced small (about 4 cups)
1/3 cup minced red onion
6 Thai chiles (3 red and 3 green), stems removed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (any other vinegar will also work)
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1. Place the mango in a large, roomy bowl. Add the onion, chiles, and cilantro.
2. In a small bowl, add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until blended.
3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the mango mixture and gently stir until all the ingredients pull together. Place in the fridge to chill for about 1 hour and then serve with chips. This will last about a week in the fridge.
This is likely one of the easiest recipes I've ever shared. The most complicated part of the process may be just sourcing the mangoes.
Tofu Bits like Bacon Bits. I love the idea of something tiny and crunchy in my salad and fried rice, but I don't eat meat. I began to wonder if I could get that same texture and mouth feel from tofu without deep frying. I did it! This recipe is simple, versatile, and totally worth making. My guess is that you'll make it once and again in the same week.
The key is to start with firm or extra firm tofu and to slice it extra small. I slice and dice it down to 1/2-inch cubes. There's no need to press and remove extra water, again as long as it is firm/extra firm. Another tip is to separate the pieces before cooking. Sometimes pieces are not completely cut through. This can result in the tofu clumping during cooking and not crisping up on all sides. While you don't want to overcrowd the Air Fryer basket, don't worry if the pieces touch a bit. When you shake the basket during cooking they will pull apart (as long as they are cut through) and crisp up nicely for you. I only season the tofu with salt, as I prefer a bland taste profile so I can save the seasoning for my dish. Feel free to add any seasoning you would like from garlic salt to an Indian chaat masala.
Once cooked and cooled, I keep the tofu in a glass jar in my fridge and dole them out into my fried rice, on my salads, in soups, over ramen, and even just pop them into my mouth as a quick snack. They have been a huge hit in my house even with my Aussie, Oliver. He is oddly into these tofu bits! But, then again, he's a dog very much motivated by his food. Aren't we all?
Air Fryer: Tofu Bits
1 16 oz. container firm or extra-firm tofu
spray oil
salt
1. Remove the tofu from the container. There is no need to press, but be sure to drain away any excess water. On a large cutting board, slice the tofu into 1/2-inch wide slices - about 8. Then, slice each piece down into 1/2-inch cubes. Work carefully so they are all generally the same size. This help cook them more evenly.
2. Spray the tofu lightly with the oil and sprinkle lightly with the salt. Add any other spices you want to use in this step.
3. Spray the Air Fryer basket lightly with oil. If the basket is removable, spray it over the sink so that that the excess oil does not collect in the very bottom of your Air Fryer.
4. Working in batches, carefully place the tofu in the basket in a single layer. It's helpful to use a pastry scraper or large chef's knife to more easily scrape up the tofu and transfer it to the basket.
5. Cook at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Remove the basket, give it a shake, and then cook for another 5 minutes. The total cook time is 15 minutes. Pour the tofu into a bowl to cool and enjoy.
Stay tuned for my delicious Fried Rice with Tofu Bits recipe!
Here's my salad this week with tofu bits and fenugreek sprouts. I hope this inspires you to ramp it up in your kitchen especially in the holiday season.
Click here to place your order. Consider a package of zoom classes for 2024 with me. Click here to add one, two, or three classes to your order!
Lots of spicy love this holiday season to you and yours! Thank you for making Indian As Apple Pie a part of it. -- Anupy --
]]>Indians do not traditionally eat naan on a regular basis. Our primary bread of choice is an unleavened flatbread called roti. It is also referred to as chapati or phulka. Did I just blow your mind? Don't get me wrong, we love naan, but it's a leavened bread (made with yeast) that is traditionally made in a tandoori oven, which folks don't have at home.
Roti at its essence is made simply with flour and water. But, here lies the problem. The flour matters - it matters a lot! Roti is made from chapati flour, which is in turn made from durum wheat. Durum wheat is one of the hardest varieties of wheat and is high in protein and gluten, which makes it excellent for making pasta and flatbread. Durum wheat for chapati flour is ground on a stone and milled to a very fine consistency, making it perfect for roti. If you have an Indian grocery store nearby, ask them to point out a good chapati flour. Just be sure that the bag says aata and not maida, which is essentially all-purpose flour. Aata refers to whole wheat flour rather than processed white flour. Much like in the West we went from white rolls at the table to slightly darker whole wheat rolls, such was the movement in India with white flour back to traditional whole wheat.
If you don't have access to chapati flour, I would suggest using 2 parts regular whole wheat flour and 1 part all-purpose flour. When I say regular whole wheat, I mean the typical whole wheat flour found in a mainstream grocer which comes from a variety of wheat that is usually darker and slightly more bitter than durum wheat. Why if you use just this flour without 'cutting' it a bit with all-purpose, your roti will turn out dark and slightly dense.
I wrote this article for the Chicago Tribune in 2019 on roti that gives you my basic recipe. Click here to read it and stay tuned for more updates to this blog post with recipes and ideas on what to do with your roti dough.
More recipes:
Avocado Parantha
Sweet Potato Parantha
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No matter the meal, there was always chutney. It's the little extra. The next level. The thing that locks in all the flavor. When folks ask me what chutney is exactly, all I can say is that my childhood would not have been the same without it. It was - but it wasn't - the focus of our meals and our road trips. You could make do without it on the table, but you craved it. A side bar - but still incredibly crucial and important. And on our trips to Hershey Park, the Poconos, the Jersey Shore, and even Orlando, Florida with my grandparents visiting from India - the mint-cilantro chutney was slathered on one side of a slice of white bread and smashed together with a lavishly buttered slice. The chutney sandwiches lasted our whole road trip and were delicious - never soggy or spoiled.
A chutney can be fresh, cooked, smooth, roughly chopped, spicy, sweet, cooked, or raw. I do personally feel that because in Indian cuisine we don't have a tradition of eating leafy salads, a chutney can be that layer that adds a layer of raw nutrients. North Indian mint chutney is completely raw and uncooked - the herbs, onion, ginger, garlic, chiles and spices are simply ground down together in a blender.
Here, I share a cooked tomato chutney recipe I've made for years - the same chutney served with a South Indian dosa. But, it is also perfect with eggs, burgers, french fries or tater tots, and even drizzled on steamed veggies. I often make a large batch to keep in the fridge - it can keep for a few weeks. You can also transfer it to ice-cube trays and freeze it to grab a cube whenever needed.
Stovetop: Simple Tomato Chutney
Makes 3 cups
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 dried red chiles, broken into pieces, divided
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped * (about 3 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black mustard seeds
5 - 6 curry leaves
1. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the oil. Then, add the hing, cumin, 4 dried chiles, garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Stir and cook until the seeds sizzle, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and salt. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 12 minutes. The tomato juice will dry up a bit and the tomatoes will break down. Stir and mash the tomatoes down as they cook and soften.
3. Turn the heat off, remove the pan from the warm burner, and let it sit for about 15 minutes to cool. Then, transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth. Set aside.
4. In the same saute pan or another, heat 2 teaspoons of oil. If using the same pan, be sure to wipe down the sides. Any residue remaining will overcook and that will affect the color of your chutney later. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience.
5. Add the mustard, 1 dried chile, and the curry leaves. Stir and cook until the seeds sizzle and turn greyish, about 2 minutes. The leaves will wilt and curl up.
6. Carefully transfer the tomato mixture from Step 3 into the hot pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer 1-2 minutes until all the flavors pull together. Turn the heat off, cool, and transfer to a glass container to keep in the fridge. All of the spices including the curry leaves are edible. This will last several weeks, though mine does not last more than a couple of days - it's that delicious!
* Peeling the tomatoes is not essential, but it can give you a smoother chutney. I always use a serrated peeler to peel my tomatoes. You can also soak them in boiling hot water. Or, frankly, skip this step. I've made it both ways and have been pleased with the outcome.
To learn how to make other types of chutney, click below:
Green Mint-Cilantro Chutney
The best way I know to come out of a holiday weekend of extra eating is to soothe my digestive system with a kitchari, shown above with a dollop of spicy pickle or achaar on the side. I've talked about this dish before, it's a one-pot rice and lentil meal that we often make when we have tummy aches - the equivalent of chicken noodle soup. It's also a delicious meal within itself. Read more here in my original post. The recipe is a split moong dal with skin made in the Instant Pot from my book Instant Pot Indian (page 74). The recipe below is essentially the same ingredients and technique, but made on the stovetop. I reduced the amount of dal and tweaked the ratio to rice. In my book, I used a 1:1 ratio of moong to rice. In the recipe below I use less rice. The beauty is, you can create any combination you want. If you prefer more lentils than rice, go for it. If the next time you want equal amounts you can do that as well. Use this recipe as a guideline and then create whatever you would like from there. If you don't have this particular dal on hand, no worries, use another lentil. Just keep in mind that the split moong cooks faster than a whole bean and uses less water, so you want to reach for legumes that cook in the same manner - essentially any split lentil.
I've started to cook kitchari without the tarka (spice tempering), and then I freeze it in 1 to 2 cup portions. This way, when I want to defrost it and reheat, I can freshen it up with a freshly-prepared tarka. This is especially helpful because when you're not feeling well and it's no fun to cook for yourself. This ensures you have something handy that's light on your stomach at all times. It also means that you can modify the tarka. The one below is simple and basic, but you can also add onion, garlic, and green chiles for a more fiery version.
Stovetop: Split Moong Dal Kitchari
makes 3 cups
1/2 cup moong dal chilkha (dried, split green moong dal with skin), picked over (no need to soak)
1/4 cup uncooked white basmati rice (no need to soak)
5 cups water
1 tablespoon oil or ghee
1 pinch hing
1/2 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, minced or grated
1-2 teaspoons salt
1. Mix the moong dal and rice together in a bowl and rinse. Transfer to a roomy pot, add the water, and heat over medium-high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer covered with the lid slightly ajar until the ingredients are cooked through, about 25 minutes. Once cooked, turn the heat off, completely cover the pot, and let it sit while you prepare the tarka. If freezing, let it cool completely and then proceed.
2. In a separate and shallow pan, heat the oil or ghee. Add the hing, ajwain, turmeric, and ginger. Stir until slightly brown, about 2 minutes. Pour over the kitchari. Add the salt, stir, and serve with a touch of ghee, a spoonful of achaar, and a dollop of yogurt on the side.
]]>GROWING UP - mom seemingly put Indian spices into and onto everything. We were navigating a new country living in Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia. And no matter how hard I tried to get her not to, mom had a way of making everything we ate a little Indian. Spaghetti sauce had cumin seeds in it. Homemade pizza was made like they did in Delhi with a sabzi on it. After all, dough was leavened bread like naan. Grilled cheese had red chile powder sprinkled into it. Macaroni and Cheese we would eat with hot sauce and minced onion - how I eat it to this day. Little did we know that we were at the forefront of fusion. All I knew at the time is that the difference between me and my non-Indian friends irritated my grade school self, but I still ate it and liked it, which just annoyed me more. I kept the differences to myself, until one sleep over at my best friend's house.
We were all seated at the dining table the morning after. Breakfast was French toast. And, when we were asked what we wanted with it, I immediately uttered ketchup. A slow, embarrassed burn immediately warmed my face. I would have never known that the 'right' answer was syrup. I got some funny looks and I tried my French toast that morning with sweet syrup.
That moment has always stuck with me. You see, we were both right. Sure, in the West French toast is sweetened and eaten with syrup. In our world, though, we ate it with an egg batter fragranced with Indian spices. We typically eat eggs with ketchup for a tangy kick. Typically, a spiced ketchup known as Maggie Tomato Ketchup. These days, I'm no longer running from but towards these memories, and making this for my own family. It's a perfectly easy option for the morning after Thanksgiving. And, it pairs perfectly with ketchup and/or our tamarind chutney.
Stovetop: Indian French Toast
2 eggs
splash of milk
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 slices of bread, I use sourdough
vegetable oil or ghee, for pan frying
1. Whisk the eggs and splash of milk in a bowl. Add the cumin, turmeric, red chile, and salt. Whisk again. Transfer to a shallow tray. You can also add minced onion and thinly sliced green chiles.
2. Dip one slice of bread in the mixture at a time and flip it over so it is coated on both sides.
3. Heat the oil or ghee in a large saute pan. Once hot, add the coated bread and cook through on both sides. Enjoy with a side of ketchup or chutney.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
]]>THIS THANKSGIVING I AM SO GRATEFUL. Mostly because I have more recipes to share. There are so many ways to bring a little bit of Indian to your table. Whether it's some garam masala sprinkled over your butternut squash before roasting or it's a fully Indian chaat made with sprouted dal and topped with our Tamarind Chutney. Our family grew up eventually making this holiday our own and we did so by incorporating Indian dishes into the Thanksgiving Day celebrations. We had to - most of us are vegetarian. With all my heart I believe that everyone should feel welcome to my table no matter how they eat. This stems from all of the ridicule I faced growing up being mostly vegetarian from my neighbors, but also from my own North Indian community - many of whom ate meat. Ironic, right? Enjoy this list of recipes and enjoy your family and friends during this delicious time of year. Indulge, but then get back to your healthy eating like I will be doing.
Easy Tandoori. In this recipe I use shrimp, but feel free to sub chicken or even use this as a base to marinade your turkey. Or do as my husband does - get some hens and use this base marinade for a punch of flavor. The spice blend you'll need is our Tandoori Masala. Feel free to pick up a jar of our Tikka Masala if you want some sauce after grilling.
Oven Roasted Butternut Squash. This is hands down now my favorite recipe. Be sure to make a few batches because it will go fast. And, remember, just use a simple potato peeler to tackle the squash. The spice you'll need is our garam masala.
Sprouted Chaat with Tamarind Chutney. Make this salad and become the hero in your family. It's healthy, delicious, and unforgettable. Pair it with our tamarind chutney for a full Indian street food experience.
Cranberry Chutney. The recipe that broke the internet. This is the only way you should be eating cranberries this Thanksgiving!
Creamy Carrot, Ginger, Turmeric Soup: At once healing and delicious, put this on the list!
And for dessert ... try our Chai Pie. You will need our chai masala for this one!
Happy Thanksgiving, and happy cooking. I have so much in store for all of you! I cannot wait to unveil it all. For now, focus on that grocery list and let's get organized for the big day!
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Tandoori? What's that?
I did a double take at my local grocer in Lincoln Park when my favorite produce guy asked me what I was cooking. When I told him tandoori shrimp, he had no idea what I was talking about. And that's when it hit me - there is so much more educating to be done when it comes to Indian cooking in America. If you also are not familiar with this style of cooking. Not a worry, keep reading!
First, the word tandoor refers to a clay oven that operates at extremely high heat (upwards of 900 degrees Fahrenheit). It is used to cook breads slapped on the sides and is used throughout many regions of Asia and beyond. There used to be a Georgian (the country not the U.S. state) bakery on our Little India Devon Ave. in Chicago that had a huge tandoor right in the middle of it, where they would bake fresh bread daily. I was once almost thrown out by the owner for suggesting the tandoor was an Indian concept - that's how beloved this oven is to so many countries and cultures. In Punjab, India, they started to make marinated meat like chicken in this oven. That type of food is referred to as tandoori. It is that flaming and sizzling bright red chicken that is brought out on platters to your table. While I love the concept, I was not a fan of the red food dye now used to get it bright red. I still remember how disappointed I was to find tandoori masala blends even at Indian grocery stores listing 'red dye 40' as an ingredient as do many cookbooks. Thus, my own tandoori masala spice blend was born. We proudly make ours red with paprika. Click here to take a look.
The key in this recipe is to take our tandoori masala, add it to yogurt, add in other spices and/or ground ginger and garlic and marinate the protein overnight. The yogurt helps to lock in moisture. If you prefer not to use yogurt, simply mix a tablespoon of dry spice with two teaspoons of oil. To make your dish saucy, consider grabbing a jar of our Tikka Masala and simply add the grilled protein to it as is or with a few tablespoons of cream. And now you are ready to open up your own Indian restaurant!
Stovetop, Grill: Easy Tandoori Shrimp
1/2 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Indian As Apple Pie tandoori masala
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Indian As Apple Pie red chile powder or cayenne
1 teaspoon Indian As Apple Pie garam masala
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1. In a roomy bowl, add the yogurt, tandoori masala, salt, red chile, and garam masala. Stir.
2. Place the shrimp in a separate bowl, add the lemon juice, and stir. Add the shrimp to the yogurt marinade and stir again. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to overnight. Before cooking, pull it out and let it sit outside the fridge at least 20 minutes.
3. Heat a heavy, wide frying pan on the stovetop and add the oil. When hot, add the shrimp with tongs, leaving the excess marinade behind (there won't be much). Cook until brown and slightly crisped and caramelized. We like our proteins cooked through so the marinade also cooks.
Quick Tip: Our Indian yogurt is slightly unique. I grew up (like many others) with my mother making it at home with a starter that was brought over from India. The homemade version is slightly tangier then yogurt from mainstream US grocers. If you want to try Indian yogurt, look for 'Desi Yogurt' from an Indian grocery store. You can use it as a starter to make your own yogurt at home. The easiest way is in an electric pressure cooker. Check out my recipe in my latest book, Instant Pot Indian. If you already have my book and love it, please consider leaving a review.
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There is nothing - nothing - more delicious than roasted butternut squash. But there is nothing - nothing more daunting than prepping it when you bring it home. This holiday season I was determined to overcome my inner fears and start playing around with these delicious gourds from prep to bake to incorporating them into delicious recipes. When prepping, there are a few guidelines I like to follow. I go with a medium-size gourd and slice it into 4 pieces with a large chef's knife. First, I slice it in half (across the middle NOT lengthwise), trim the ends on both sides, and then slice the two pieces in half down the middle. I scoop out the seeds with a small spoon - a grapefruit spoon works really well. And then I start peeling. NOT with a paring knife, but with an ordinary potato peeler. The skin is oddly thin and easy to peel. Another option - a tip from a reader - is to keep the skin on. I tried it and they were right, you can actually cook it and eat it for extra fiber and nutrition - much like the skin on a baked potato. For me, I prefer to peel half the squash, and keep the skin on the other half. It gives me a good mix of both textures and does not overdo the peel. If cooking and eating the peal, then opt for organic squash. The recipe below gives you a baked version with an Indian garam masala spice blend. If you would like to make it more traditionally, swap out the garam masala for a teaspoon of black pepper. Keep the rest of the recipe the same. This version is perfect to add to an Italian risotto.
Oven: Roasted Garam Masala Butternut Squash
1 medium butternut squash, prepped and cubed (about 7 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the squash, oil, garam masala, salt, and sugar in a deep bowl and stir until all the pieces are evenly coated.
3. Pour the seasoned squash onto a baking tray. Scrape out the remaining oil-spices from the bowl and add to the tray.
4. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes until soft and caramelized. Pull out the tray and stir the pieces after 20 minutes for even cooking. Some ovens run hot, so watch towards the end so you don't overcook. My oven took a full 40 minutes to get to the correct consistency, but my mother's oven took 35 minutes. Once cooked to perfection, remove from the oven and enjoy warm.
How does it taste? Here's a review from one young taste tester. "Thank you very much for the butternut squash! The texture was very soft and buttery and reminded me very strongly of pumpkin pie. The squash tasted very good, and I would recommend adding a small amount of less salt to some of the pieces. Overall, the flavors combined together really well, and I would look forward to eating this as a dessert." This from Alexandria C. My mother's neighbor's daughter who is not only a budding foodie, but a balanced taste tester. She is right. When you are mixing the spices and salt you want all the pieces to be coated evenly - in my rush I may have overlooked doing that. Thank you, Alexandria. You and your family rock! Thank you for giving my recipe a try and being an official taste tester for Indian As Apple Pie.
Watch how easy it is to peel! And subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.
]]>Yellow Moong Dal Namkeen is a salty snack that is ubiquitous in the cupboards of most Indian, especially Punjabi, homes. We seem to always have a bag on hand to snack on in-between meals, with a cup of chai, or as a quick treat for guests. You can dress it down by pouring it right into your mouth out of a neatly cut corner of the bag - which I've been know to do (comment below if you've done the same), or dress it up by pouring it into a small, silver bowl doled out neatly with a tiny spoon. It is truly the perfect snack - delicious and nutritious because it's made from dal, after all! My goal with this recipe? To kick the typical deep-frying step to the curb. And I did it! Follow my steps exactly. The soaking and the the boiling are important. The bake time is also critical. Enjoy and let me know what you think. Oh, and definitely make this ahead of Diwali for a savory snack in between the desserts.
Oven: Yellow Moong Dal Namkeen with Chaat Masala
Makes 1 cup
1 cup dried split and skinned moong dal (looks yellow), washed
4 cups water, for boiling
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
spray oil
2 teaspoons chaat masala
1. Soak the dal for one hour in boiling water, 2 hours in room temperature water, or overnight. Drain.
2. Place your oven rack to the second position from the top and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celsius.
3. Put the dal in a pot, add the water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. It's important not to overcook.
4. Drain the dal again. Add the 2 teaspoons of oil and the salt. Gently stir until combined.
5. Lightly spray a large 12 x 17 inch baking sheet with oil. Place the dal on the sheet and then spread it out until it's in a thin layer and covers the whole sheet. I have tried parchment paper, but prefer this method as the dal gets crunchier this way.
6. Place the tray in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the tray, stir, and cook for another 15 minutes. When stirring, pull the crunchy bits from the sides towards the middle and push the product in the middle towards the sides for even cooking.
7. Remove the tray once again from the oven, stir, and cook for another 20 minutes. The total cook time is 65 minutes. It's important to cook the dal until crunchy.
8. Remove the tray from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, and then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of chaat masala over the warm dal. Stir with a spatula or your hand. Adding the spice while still warm will ensure that it sticks to the dal.
9. Let the dal cool completely for 30 minutes or more before placing in a container, sealing, and storing in your pantry. Packaging it while still warm will create steam in your container and the dal will get soggy. It will last 2 weeks, but I bet it will be gone well before then.
Watch me make it on YouTube, and while you're there, SUBSCRIBE!
MAKE YOUR KIDDO'S DIWALI EXTRA SPECIAL THIS YEAR! Diwali is around the corner! If you have a student in college or in their own apartment and you need the perfect gift, consider our Diwali Box! We are taking orders until October 31 and it will be filled with fun little snacks, a battery-operated diya, a deck of playing cards, and so much more! Order by clicking here.
Or, buy a book! My new cookbooks Instant Pot Indian is the perfect gift for the Indian food lover in your live and your kids who probably would love easy and simple ways to get mom's cooking on the table.
If you saw me slurping this bowl of the dal you would likely lose all respect. Though, if you make this recipe, I have a feeling you'll understand why I use the word slurp. This dal is truly that delicious. Even my husband, who loves dal, but groans when I tell him that's what's for dinner, went back for three servings and cleaned out the pot. It's what I always say happens with a good dal. It sounds boring on paper, but when you sit down with it and actually start eating it, you absolutely cannot get enough of it. It's at once delicious, comforting, and nutritious. It's hard to believe that something that tastes this good can be so good for you.
Part of what is so delicious is the dal itself. Remember, dal refers to a cooked legume - a pea, lentil, or bean - anything that grows in a pod. These legumes often come in many forms. This one that I am highlighting here is originally from the whole green moong dal, which is found most everywhere. But, because the skin has been removed and it has been split, it cooks up much faster and is more easily digestible. It is rarely found on mainstream market shelves in this form and why I offered it as part of my product line. It is often confused with the orange-colored lentils that are found everywhere, but that are a different legume entirely.
This yellow one is called moong and is actually a bean. The orange one comes from a true lentil (looks flat and round) called masoor. It's delicious as well, but it's a different taste profile. But, because it cooks up with the same amount of water and cook time as this one, you can use it in place of the split yellow moong.
I recommend that you take the time to purchase this yellow moong, though. I promise you will thank me later. There is a reason why it's the dal that we eat the most in our Punjabi homes - at least once a week if not more. It is also the dal that is most mixed with rice to create a porridge called kitchari, which is our version of chicken noodle soup - it's made and eaten when we have a stomach ache and need a lighter meal. The reason is the cook time - it's one of our fastest-cooking dals. On the stovetop, it takes 40 minutes - no soaking required. In an Instant Pot, I got it down to a 3-minute cook time. And, note the amount of water we use. It's 1 cup of dal to 6 cups of water. Sounds like a lot, but trust me. It's absolutely perfect in the end.
The key difference in this recipe is that I added a bit more onion than normal and added dried fenugreek leaves to really give you a beautifully robust taste profile. Please scroll below to see all the fun things we've added to the website from Spice Kits to Diwali Gifts for your college kids.
Stovetop: Yellow Split Moong Dal with Methi
1 cup split moong dal (looks yellow, no need to soak), wash
6 cups water
3 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 medium yellow or red onion, finely minced (3/4 cup)
1 - 2 inch piece ginger, minced (2 heaping tablespoons)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 6 Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) lightly hand-crushed
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 teaspoons red chile powder
1 tablespoon salt
1. In a roomy 3 or 4-quart pot, bring the dal and water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 40 minutes. Once cooked, turn the heat off, cover completely, and leave on the same burner. The dal may foam slightly while boiling. Not to worry, that will eventually go away. If it seems excessive, just skim it off the top and discard the foam.
2. In a small, shallow pan, heat the oil or ghee over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the hing, turmeric, and cumin seeds. Cook until the seeds are reddish brown, about 40 seconds. Stir.
3. Add the onion and stir. Cook until brown, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the ginger, garlic, and fresh chiles. Stir and cook about 1 minute.
5. Add the kasoori methi and cook for 1 minute. Add the garam masala, coriander, and red chile. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat off.
6. Transfer this tarka (spice mixture) to the pot of dal. To get all of the delicious flavor out and deglaze the pan, pour a large spoon of dal into the pan, stir and scrape all of the deliciousness out of the pan and add to the pot.
7. Add the salt and stir. Bring the dal to a boil and simmer another 2 minutes until everything pulls together. Serve with rice or Indian bread like roti or naan. You can also eat this as a soup. Once a dal cools or is refrigerated, it's natural for it to thicken up. Just add a little water before heating to loosen it up and adjust the salt accordingly. The consistency should be very thin and soupy.
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Want to give a recipe a try, but don't want to invest in all of the spices quite yet? Try our new SPICE KITS.
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Diwali is around the corner on Sunday, November 12 and this year I promised myself that I'd be ready. It's our Hindu festival of lights and renewal and a time when we focus on moving our emotional state from darkness into light, when we clean our houses and distribute sweets. In India, Diwali is marked with setting off fireworks and lighting diyas - tea lights.
While I love desserts, I am also very careful about what I eat. A dessert is a dessert after all no matter when you serve it. Why, when I kept seeing random videos of this homemade peanut butter chocolate dessert I had to try it. I don't even know where I saw it, but anything peanut butter and chocolate always catches my attention. I took the original recipe and elevated it with ingredients that you may not be as familiar with, but make all the difference when it comes to nutrition and zero difference on taste. Meaning, you get the benefit of protein from the quinoa flour (also nut and gluten free), vitamins and minerals from the date syrup, and the antioxidants from the dark chocolate. I actually found 100 percent dark chocolate in Belgium! My version tastes as good if not better than the original that used coconut flour and maple syrup (both of which are great ingredients as well).
What I did slightly different to celebrate Diwali? I added a spicy and crunchy Indian potato snack at the end. It's the perfect complement to our Indian table on Diwali. And, the spiciness works really well with the chocolate. If you don't have an Indian snack handy, use ground up potato chips or even cereal. Or leave it out. The sprinkle of sea salt will do the trick to give you that sweet-salty taste profile.
This process is also very similar to how we make certain barfi, a traditional Indian confection that we serve and give as gifts throughout the year but especially on Diwali. I think you and your family are really going to have some fun with this one. I am going to have this on hand on Halloween as well so I'm not tempted by my favorite candy of all time - Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Once you make this - you'll never go back to anything overly processed and filled with additives. Enjoy!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Sweet Spicy Crunch Bar
1 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons date syrup or maple syrup
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons quinoa flour
3 - 4 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate bar or chips
2 teaspoons coconut oil
sea salt, for garnish
Indian snack mix, for garnish
1. Add the peanut butter, date syrup, and flour to a bowl. Stir until everything pulls together and looks like a ball of pizza dough. The idea is that this ball is soft enough that you can mold it into a tray or cupcake tin but will also hold together and not be overly sticky. If you don't have quinoa flour, use almond or coconut.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the peanut butter mixture on the paper and mold to the bottom of the tray until smooth and flat.
3. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a glass bowl and melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Once melted, work fast and carefully pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Smooth it out so it covers the top evenly.
4. Sprinkle with pink Himalayan sea salt and any Indian hot mix (spiced potato works best). Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set. Cut into pieces and enjoy as a snack or a fun treat. Always keep this in the fridge or in the freezer so the peanut butter does not soften.
Watch me make quinoa flour at home! Never heard of it? Just take quinoa and grind down in a high-powered blender. One quarter cup of quinoa flour will give you 4 grams of protein vs. almond flour which has 7 grams and coconut flour which has 6 grams of protein in 1/4 cup of flour. The key is that quinoa flour is gluten free and nut free. Coconut flour is great as well, but slightly harder to find.
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