Cauliflower Potato with Black Pepper

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon 

Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon 

Curry Leaves - a few, torn into bits

Potato - 2 medium, chopped into 3/4 inch cubes

Cauliflower - 1/2 a medium into florets

Black Pepper - to taste, a goodly amount

Salt - to taste

Method

1. In a wok, heat 1 tsp of EVOO (on medium high) for a couple of minutes.
2. Add turmeric and curry leaves and toss around.
3. Add potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Every couple of minutes, toss them around, repeating twice.
4. Lower heat a bit, add the cauliflower and toss till the cauliflower gets its share of the turmeric.
5. Add black pepper and salt, stirring to spread evenly. Add 1 tsp of EVOO. Stir and cover.
6. After 2 minutes, toss around (Keep discarding any water that accumulates on the lid.) and cover again.
7. After 2 more minutes, add the last teaspoon of EVOO, stir and cover.
8. Ought to be done, if not give it an additional minute or two.
   

Mushrooms Stuffed with Found Ingredients

Stuffed Mushrooms

The exact ingredients vary depending on what is available in your fridge. That is both the genius and the utility of this recipe. Every batch tastes different enough that you never tire of the dish and it retains enough familiarity to be a comfort dish.

Ingredients

White mushrooms - 24 - Good sized, large but not huge, I find ones that are comfortable to pick up and 3 to 4 good bites perfect.

Stuffing Ingredients

Cream cheese -  12 oz

Bread crumbs - 3/4 cup (I make bread crumbs from my favorite bread with the pieces left over when I buy a fresh loaf.)

Mushroom stems - from above - chopped fine

Red chili flakes - 1 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/8 tsp

Paprika - 1/2 tsp

Ground pepper - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Found Ingredients (chopped fine)

Portabella - 1/2 small cap

Capers - 1 tbsp

Serrano - 2

Artichoke hearts - 2

Roasted red peppers - 1/4 cup

Apart from the bread crumbs, you need about a cup and a half of the ingredients for the stuffing. You can pretty much throw in any interesting ingredient you have lying about.

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. After washing the mushrooms, separate the mushroom caps from the stems. Pat caps dry and set aside in oiled or buttered oven ready pans.
3. Soften the cream cheese, add the ingredients and mix well. I use a butter knife.
4. Stuff the mushrooms. I stuff them so that the stuffed top of the mushrooms mimics the shape of the mushroom cap.
5. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.I use a perforated alumin(i)um foil for this step.
6. Bake at 365 F for 15 minutes without the foil to finish the mushrooms.

The leftover mushrooms are fabulous too. Just store them in airtight containers and reheat in the microwave.

Red Pepper Chutney

Red Pepper Chutney

Ingredients (in order of use)

• Oil, 2 tbsp (I use EVOO and medium heat)
• Red onions, 2 medium size, chopped fine
• Red bell peppers, 6 large, chopped fine
• Curry leaves, 1 or 2 sprigs
• Turmeric, 1/2 tsp
• Chili powder, 1 1/2 tsp
• Paprika, 1/2 tsp for color
• Sea salt, to taste

Steps

1. Heat oil in wok-like pan. Avoid smoking the oil. Cook under medium to medium high.
2. Add onions and roast, stirring every minute or so, until a little past translucent.
3. Add red peppers and curry leaves, stirring every minute or so, for 5 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients. Roast for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Grind to a fine paste, adding a little water if necessary. Check salt and adjust to taste.
6. Freezes really well in ice cube trays for future uses.

Enjoy!

Idli Milagai Podi

Ingredients in order of use

1/2 cup chana dal
1 cup red chilis (adjust to taste)
1 cup urad dal
1 tsp black pepper (optional)
2 tbsp dried curry leaves
1/8 cup white sesame seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida

Baby Steps

Dry roast ingredients adding one at a time to equalize the amount of roasting to a lovely dark gold!

Roasting sequence and timing (rough):

Add chana to hot pan
3 minutes later add chilis
2 minutes later add urad and black pepper
2 minutes later add curry leaves
Add white sesame seeds when roasted items are golden in color
Stir well for 1 minute to roast sesame
Add asafoetida and remove from heat. Stir well.

Add salt to taste after roasting.

Grind to consistency desired.

Keeps well in freezer for eons!

Enjoy!

Cabbage with Green Peas

Cabbage with Green Peas

Ingredients

Cabbage, chopped (I prefer Savoy Cabbage)

Green Peas, 1/2 cup per 2 cups of cabbage

EVOO, 1 tsp

Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves, 4 to 6, torn in 3

Urad dal, 1/2 tsp

Dried red chilis, 2 cracked into 2 or 3 pieces each

Turmeric, 1/4 tsp

Salt, to taste

Just Like This

1. Microwave the cabbage and peas with 2 tbsp of water for 9 minutes (adjust based on the power of your microwave and your personal taste profile), Drain excess water.
2. Heat the EVOO with the mustard seeds on medium high for 2 minutes. (Must not smoke. Adjust heat and time based on your stove.)
3. When the mustard seeds start popping, add the urad dal, dried red chilis. 
4. Reduce heat to medium.
5. Stir for a minute and add the curry leaves and turmeric. 
6. Add the drained cabbage and peas. Stir thoroughly to get the turmeric spread evenly. 
7. Salt to taste. Stir thoroughly once more.
8. Cook covered for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir once or twice to make sure nothing catches. Any water accumulating in the cover should be discarded to keep the preparation dry.
9. Check salt and turn off the stove.
10. Enjoy!

Squash Dal

Squash Dal

The simplest of dals, this wholesome dish combines masur dal (split red lentils) & summer squash (any variety such as butternut ot calabasa) for a very mild dal. The dal should not be watery or too solid. It is meant to be mixed in with rice or as a side dish with chapatis.

Ingredients

1 cup masur dal

1/4 to 1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp EVOO

1 cup squash cut into 1 in pieces

1/2 cup chopped red onion

3 hot green chilis, slit

8 curry leaves or 2 bay leaves

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 cup dill leaves, stalks removed and finely chopped

salt, to taste (1 tsp)

The Process

1. Cook the masur dal & turmeric in 4 to 5 cups of water. The dal cooks fast, and is in fact the fastest among all the dals.
2. Roast the squash & onions in the EVOO for a minute and add to the cooking dal.
3. After a few minutes, add the green chilis, salt and the curry leaves.
4. To the cooked dal, add the tomato and cook for a further few minutes.
5. Add the dill leaves and stir them in and turn off the stove after a minute.
6. Do a final check of salt. 

If you want it spicier, you can add chopped peppers instead of slit peppers.

Instant Rava Idlis

Instant Rava Idlis

Ingredients (in order of appearance)

Extra virgin olive oil - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green chilis - 2, thin sliced
Cashews - 12 raw, broken
Chana dal - 3/4 tsp - soaked in warm water for 1 minute & drained
Curry leaves - 1/2 sprig, chopped
Rava - 2 cups
Salt - to taste (1 1/2 to 2 tsp)
Baking soda - 1 and 1/8 tsp
Ginger - 3/4 tsp, fine 3mm cubes
Coriander leaves - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Yogurt, low fat - 3 1/4 cups

The Madness

1. Heat the EVOO & ghee over medium high heat. Add and let mustard seeds start popping. Oil must not smoke.

2. Add green chilis, cashews, chana dal. Roast tossing until cashews are ready. Lower heat to medium.

3. Add curry leaves, toss briefly. Add rava and salt. Stir thoroughly for a minute or two. Turn off heat.

4. Add baking soda, stir thoroughly for a minute.

5. Add ginger and coriander leaves. Mix well.

6. When idli pan (I use non-stick) is ready (lighlty oiled), add the yogurt. Mix well for 30 seconds. Speed is critical for soft idlis.

7. Load the idli pan and steam for 18 minutes.

8. Let the idli pan rest outside for 2 minutes.

9. Remove idlis and enjoy.