Bread bowl

For the first time my mom-in-law came to USA for much needed vacation. She enjoyed many things about this country except restaurant because, she doesn't eat onion and garlic. I wanted her to taste at least once this bread bowl at Panera or Boudin. However, due to diet restrictions it never clicked. So I thought of trying it at home. Fortunately it turned out so very well. When i pulled bread bowls out of oven my happiness knew no boundaries, I was so proud of myself. 

Once you try this do let me know about your experience. 

Ingredients - 

1. 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeat.

2. 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

3. 2 teaspoons salt

4. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5. 7 cups all purpose flour

6. 1 tablespoon cornmeal

7. 3 tablespoon milk

Directions - 

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 8-10 minutes. 

2. Add salt, oil and 4 cups of flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition. 

3. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough, in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. 

4. Punch dough down, and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. place loaves on lightly greased  baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes. 

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly brush the loaves with half of milk. 

6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining milk and bake 10-15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks. 

7. To make bowls; Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from the top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving 3/4 inch thick shells. Fill bread bowls with hot soup and serve immediately. 

I filled it creamy tomato soup and added some croutons. 

Ginger-orange tofu triangles

After coming to USA i have started to experiment with food a lot and started to learn various cuisines. One of the best experiment in my opinion was ginger-orange tofu. Let's get started with it. 

Ingredients - 

1 pound firm tofu

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 rice vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup oil

4 teaspoons dark sesame oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 green onions, cut into 1-inch strips

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 dried chipotle chile pepper (optional)

Directions -

1. Turn the tofu on its side, and cut it into 4 thin slices. Lay the tofu flat again, and cut the block diagonally to make 8 triangles. Without separating the pieces, place tofu on a cutting board. Cover, with a paper towel, and place a heavy skillet on top. Set aside for 30 minutes, allowing time for excess water to drain from the tofu.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, oils, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Separate the pressed tofu pieces, and arrange in a baking dish in a single layer. Cover with the marinade, and sprinkle with the green onion and cilantro. Cut the stems off the chiles, remove the seeds, and place the chiles in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Pour off some of the marinade, so the tofu is covered halfway. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, without turning, until the tofu is golden and most of the marinade has been absorbed.

Paneer Fried Rice

This recipe is one of the finest ways to consume as many veggies as possible and no one will fuss about including fussy eaters, as everyone loves indo-chinese.

Ingredients - 

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

2 cup Basmati rice (long grain rice)

1 cup Paneer cubes

1 Medium size green bell pepper

1/4 cup carrot julienned

1 Medium size onion

1 Teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 Cup peas (fresh/ frozen) 

1/2 Cup chopped onion greens 

1 Teaspoon oil

1 Tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

1 Tablespoon green chili paste

Directions - 

1. Cook basmati rice as per instructions on the packet. 

2. Cut the green bell pepper and onions lengthwise. 

3. Heat the oil in a pan and saute ginger-garlic paste. Once it is fragrant add green chillies, saute for few seconds then fry onion till translucent and add green bell peppers, peas, carrots. Saute for 5 mins.
4. Add paneer cubes. I shallow fried them and then added it.
5. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper.
6. Add cooked rice and mix well but gently.

Serve hot with vegetable stew.

Spinach Soup

I love greens in any forms and in any meal. However, S is little fussy about it. He keeps telling me that I cook hospital food. To make sure that he eats spinach I had to google recipes. I didn't want to make the usual indian curries from it and that is how I stumbled upon a recipe from a website called allrecipes. This is one of the yummiest soups and it is healthy. 

Ingredients - 

1 1/2 cups water

1 bundle of fresh spinach (washed and chopped)

1 tablespoon butter

3 cups milk

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

1/8 cup minced onion

salt and pepper to taste 

2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped and boiled carrot (optional)

Directions - 

1. In a saucepan, combine water and spinach. Bring to a boil, and cook till spinach is tender. 

2. Melt butter in another sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and cook till translucent. Gradually whisk in milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add carrots and let it cook for few minutes till it all blends. 

3. Stir in spinach to the mixture. Once everything is cooked and blended well, pour mixture in a blender and blend if you have any chunks of veggies. heat it a little add cream and serve hot with croutons. 

Tips:

If you want soup thicker, you could stir in some all purpose flour in melted butter and then add other ingredients. I skipped all purpose flour and heavy whipping cream to make it healthier. 

You could also use chicken bouillon if you wish to. You can add this step 1 with water and spinach. 

You can try to make soup with other veggies of your choice e.g., mushroom, broccoli, asparagus, etc.

Instant bread dosa

I love south indian food. After coming to USA, I miss eating all these delicacies from food street. I was very apprehensive of making a batter for various reasons. That is when I found a recipe of instant bread dosa on one of the groups on FB. My happiness knew no boundaries that and I tried that recipe immediately. It was a hit at my place. So lets dive into flavours of south india.

Ingredients - 

White/ brown bread slices - 8-10

Semolina/ rava - 1/2 cup

Rice flour - 2 teaspoons 

Curd - 1/2 cup

salt to taste 

Seasoning - 

Oil - 1 tablesppon

Mustard seeds/ Rai - 1/2 teaspoon 

Cumin seeds/ Jeera - 1/4 teaspoon 

Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)

Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon 

Cilantro/ coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons (finely chopped)

Directions - 

1. Take the bread slices and trim the edges of the bread. Grind the bread slices to a fine powder.

2. Add semolina, rice flour, curd, salt and water and grind to make a batter of dosa consistency. Pour the batter in a clean bowl and check for the consistency. Adjust water and salt accordingly.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and allow it to splutter.  Add urad dal and saute till light brown. Add green chillies and chopped coriander leaves and saute for half a minute.  Add this seasoning to the dosa batter and mix well.

4. Heat a tawa on a medium flame. Pour a big spoonful of the batter and spread wide to a medium circle.  Drizzle oil on the top and sides of the dosa and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Flip the dosa on the other side and cook till crisp and light brown.

Serve it hot with chutney of your choice. 

Palak Paneer

I have tried various versions of palak paneer and this is one of the best versions. It is simple and real quick. I got this recipe from cookingshooking blog and was totally impressed by the kid who presented this recipe in video. Do watch him am sure you too will get inspired. From now on i'm gonna stick to this recipe. This is a real healthy food. Like they say in tele-ads "Taste bhi Health bhi".

Ingredients: 

• 2-3 bunches Palak/ Spinach 
• 250 gms Paneer
• 2 tablespoon Cream 
• 1 Onion roughly chopped 
• 1 Tomato roughly chopped 
• 1/4 cup coriander/ cilantro
• 1/2 inch Ginger  
• 1 pinch Nutmeg 
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 7-8 Green chilies
• 1 Bay leaf 
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 
• 1/4 cup Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Red chilli powder 
• 1 pinch Turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Sugar 
• Salt - to taste  

Directions

• Heat a pan and add oil. Once oil is ready, add cumin seeds. Add bay leaf, grated ginger, chopped garlic and green chili to spluttered cumin seeds. 
• Once it is lightly cooked, add onion and cook till it is translucent. Add tomatoes and salt and let it cook. 
• Remove pan from heat and let it cool. Add in smooth yogurt and stir well for about a minute and then add turmeric, coriander-cumin powder, red chili powder and lastly, grate in some nutmeg.  
• Start the flame in low and stir well and cook till simmer. Add sugar and mixed well. Now add chopped spinach.
• Keep stirring and cook till the volume reduces and it is slightly wilted. Remove pan from heat after a minute. Mix coriander to it and then make a paste out of it. 
• Heat up a pan, add the paste and get it to a simmer stir in cream and mix paneer well in it. Garnish it with grated paneer and cream.

Serve it with Naan and onion slices. 

Tips: Yogurt helps in retaining green color due to its acidic nature. Also, never cook in a close pan. 

Let me know how you liked it. 

Veg Dum Biryani

Today's recipe is Veg. Biryani. Am very fond of eating lot of vegetables in my meals, not just as salads. Biryani was nice way to eat all my favorite veggies in a meal. It is perfect combo of Carbs, fiber and protein. So what we waiting for.. Lets get started......

This is cooked in 3 steps viz., step 1 consists of cooking vegetables (Partially), step 2 partial cooking of rice and last step is combining veggies with rice and cook completely. 

Ingredients

• Carrot - 1 medium
• Potatoes - 1 medium

• Paneer - ½ cup

• Green peas - 1 tbsp.

• Yogurt - ½ +1/2 cup

• Coriander - 1 tbsp.

• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp.

• Green chili - 4 to 5

• Oil - 2 tbsp

• Salt 

• Biryani Masala - 1 and ½ tbsp.

• Red Chili Powder - ½ tsp.

• Whole Garam Masala

• Basmati Rice(soaked for 1 hour) 1.5 cups

• Water - as required

• Oil - 1-2 Tbsp.

• Salt - 3 Tsp.

• Saffron strands - dipped in milk, a few

• Chopped Nuts - As desired

• Fried onions - two handfuls

Instructions

Step 1:

Heat oil in a kadhai, add whole garam masala (I have used Cloves, Cardamom, cinnamon, pepper and bay leaf) and ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a minute. Add carrot, potatoes, peas and salt. Saute until they are partially cooked.

Time to add biryani masala, red chili powder, and gradually add yogurt stirring well to prevent curdling of curd. Throw in coriander and paneer. Cook until the moisture is dried. 

Make sure veggies are not cooked completely as it will get cooked again in process of dum.

Step 2:

Boil water. Add oil, whole garam masala (I have used Cloves, Cardamom, cinnamon, pepper and bay leaf), salt. Boil until roaring boil. Add the soaked rice. Cook rice until it is 70% cooked. Strain it and spread on a big plate to cool it and prevent it from getting it cook further.

Step 3:

Take any utensil which has a tight lit. I used cooker and removed whistle from it. Make first layer of vegetables, almonds, cashew, raisins, fried onions and handful of coriander. Spread it evenly and throw in a good layer of rice.

Repeat this process once again with remaining veggies and rice. 

On the final layer of rice pour saffron mixture. 

Now sprinkle some water over it, cover and cook for 2 minutes in lowest flame.
Transfer the cooker to a bigger utensil with some water (Double boiler). This technique will prevent the dum to get burnt. Cook on slow flame for 30 mins.  

Step 4:

Once rice and veggie are cooked stir a little and serve along with raita or mirch salan. 

 Would love to hear from you.. Let me know if theres any other better way to cook dum biryani..

Till then take care