Tangy Egg Curry (Eggs in Onion-Tomato Sauce)

Eggs can be cooked in hundreds of different ways. There are several versions of egg curry alone. Eggs made any way is acceptable in my household and when it is curried, everybody relishes it. Here is another version of egg curry. It is quick and easy to make and absolutely lip-smacking!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Eggs: 8 hard-boiled, peeled and cut into 2 equal slices.
Onions: 2 medium, diced small
Tomato: 1 medium, diced small
Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp( I use coconut oil)
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp 
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
Haldi ( turmeric powder): pinch
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves( cilantro): 4-5 sprigs for garnishing.
Water: 1/2 cup

Method:

Heat oil in a frying pan/ wok on medium heat. 

Add the chopped onions, saut� until they turn almost golden brown. 

Add the chopped tomatoes and saut� until the tomatoes start leaving oil. 

Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder and saut� for 30 seconds.

Then add chilli powder and garam masala powder and saut� for another minute.

Add 1/2 cup water, salt and let it simmer.( You could add more water as needed based on your desired consistency of the dish.) 

Add the sliced eggs.Turn off the flame.

Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve hot with rice/ roti/ bread.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

The best way to make hard-boiled eggs cooked evenly is by adding eggs into boiling hot water, boiling it for 10 minutes, switching off the flame and covering it and keeping it like that for  another 10 mins.Remove from water.If you wish you could run it under cold water to cool down.I just wait for it to cool down. Peel when cooled.

Tip for healthy living:

Eggs are a great source of protein. One can safely consume one egg a day without worrying about increasing your cholesterol levels.

Food for thought:

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later. Og Mandino

Quesadilla

I love Mexican food. It is pretty nutritious and balanced.I often try to make some of them at home. A healthier version of course! I do not care for the sour cream and use very little cheese. Today I made quesadilla for dinner. "Queso" means cheese in Spanish. It is basically tortillas filled with melted cheese. Traditionally flour tortillas are used but I use corn tortillas as I avoid flour. Apart from cheese the tortillas can be stuffed with anything you please.. Different veggies like onions, tomatoes, peppers, & avocado can be used or if you wish you can stuff it with chicken and make chicken quesadilla. I made the vegetarian one with different peppers, cabbage, onion and avocado. Again raw veggies can be used or you could lightly cook them. I have stir-fried my veggies in a little bit of olive oil. The tortillas after being stuffed are generally folded into half and then cut into wedges. Since I use corn tortillas which are much smaller than the flour tortillas, I could not possibly fold them. Hence I have used two tortillas for each quesadilla and then cut them into wedges. Being a avocado aficionado, I have used chopped avocados in my stuffing and served the quesadilla with guacamole.

Here is the recipe for my quesadilla.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Corn Tortillas: 8  ( 2 for each quesadilla )
Onion: 1 small, chopped
Red bell pepper: 1/2,diced small
Orange bell pepper: 1/2, diced small
Yellow bell pepper: 1/2 , diced small
Carrot : 1 small, cut julienne
Cabbage: 1/2 cup shredded
Avocado: 1/2, diced
Spring onion: 2, chopped
Sharp cheddar cheese :2 oz, cut into thin slices
Salt: 1/8 tsp
Pepper: 1/4 tsp
Adobo seasoning: 1 tsp
Olive oil: 1/2 tbsp+ 1 tbsp

Method:

In a frying pan, heat 1/2 tbsp oil, saut� onions for a minute on medium heat.

Now add carrots, cabbage, chopped peppers, scallions and saut� for a minute or two.

The vegetables should be crisp and not soggy. Add the adobo seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well and keep aside.

Heat a skillet/ griddle on medium heat. Smear a little oil/ butter and warm the tortilla on it for 30 seconds on both sides on low flame. The purpose of applying oil/ butter is so that the tortilla does not become crispy. You want the tortilla to be soft and pliable.

Now spread a layer of shredded/ sliced cheese .

Spoon 2 tbsp of the vegetable mixture. 

Top it with 1 tsp of chopped avocados. Top it with another layer of shredded/ sliced cheese.

Place the second tortilla on top of this and with the spatula press lightly. Now gently flip the quesadilla so that the top tortilla is now laying on the skillet. Warm it until the cheese slightly melts .

Now you can cut the quesadilla into wedges on the skillet itself. Transfer to a plate.

Serve hot with guacamole , sour cream , salsa or little bit of all of them.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Make a little extra of the stir-fried veggies and store in the fridge for yummy tacos or noodles for dinner the next day! You could also store just the chopped veggies and make the stir-fry fresh the next evening.

Tip for healthy living:

Drinking a glass of warm water with 1/2 lemon in it first thing in the morning helps detoxify the body . It also helps rejuvenate the liver. 

References:

http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/why-drinking-water-early-in-the-morning-good-for-health-p214/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4769/Why-You-Should-Drink-Warm-Water-Lemon.html
http://blackdoctor.org/12514/lemon-water-benefits-detox/
http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/cheers-to-drinking-warm-lemon-water

Food for thought:

Talk less work more. ( Unknown)

Meatless Monday Guacamole My Way

In my household, avocados are a staple! We all love them. We make it a point to have at least one avocado a day. My kids being vegetarian, this is a great source of nutrition, especially of protein and good fats for them. We generally just slice them and have it with as a snack with salt and pepper. But whenever I have avocados that are overripe and mushy and I fear that they will go bad, I make some kind of dip or guacamole. I always experiment with food and try matching different ingredients and see how they turn out. This time I had the avocado that was overripe, I decided to make guacamole but without tomatoes. I have used yogurt an cilantro in here. Here is the recipe for guacamole, my way!

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Avocado : 1 , sliced into 4 pieces
Greek yogurt: 1/4 cup
Green chillies : 1 medium sized
Garlic cloves : 2 small
Hot sauce: 1/4 tsp
Cilantro: 10 sprigs, washed,leaves separated.
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Olive oil : 3 tbsp
Rock salt : 1/2 tsp
Pepper freshly ground: 1/4 tsp

Method:

Put all the above ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined but the avocados are small chunks.

Serve  chilled as dip with chips/ quesadillas/ tacos or even baby carrots!


Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

When you choose avocados to use, make sure they are just ripe. They should not be green and hard and they should not be black and feel mushy to the touch. The right ripeness of the avocado is generally indicated by a nice bottle-green color of the exterior and just a little even softness to touch.

If the avocado is still green, leave it outside at room temperature and it will ripen in a couple of days.

If it is overripe than making a dip is one of the ways to salvage it.

Tip for Healthy living:

Avocados are super fruits which are extremely nutrient-dense. It has tremendous amounts of antioxidants and is rich in good fats which are the mono saturated fats like oleic acid  and are believed to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in the body. Avocados are also a very good protein source amongst fruits and vegetables providing on average around 4 grams per avocado. It is low in sugar making it a great food for diabetics. It is s great source of potassium and vitamins B, K, C and E.  It also is a very rich source of dietary fiber. All this makes it great food for our good health.

In case you're interested in knowing more info on online headshop, stop by http://www.kings-pipe.com

Green Papaya Salad

I was introduced to this amazing salad by my cousin Seema and her husband Naveen Anna when they were visiting us during the summer of 2012. They are both die-hard foodies and my cousin is a great cook herself! She has this quote " I can never lose weight because I love my own cooking!" I have learnt a few things from her. She is big on aesthetics and presentation. When she chops vegetables, they all have to look a certain way and each one should look like the next one! Anyways, coming back to my salad, during their visit we went to this very nice Thai restaurant Sripraphai and she ordered the raw papaya salad for me. I just fell in love with it! Ever since then I have been wanting to make it. While there are several ways to make it and several recipes for this on the internet, the best I liked is the one on the website Thai food tonight. I followed their recipe with slight tweaking of my own. The traditional green papaya salad also known as Som Tum calls for only fish sauce but I didn't want to overpower the salad with it, hence also used a little bit of soy sauce. I have also used a little bit of olive oil in my dressing. I believe that it gives it a nice taste. The traditional recipe does not call for the addition of any kind of oil. I have added fresh herbs like cilantro and mint. Also the entire salad is made using a mortar and pestle. If you don't have a mortar and pestle you could finely chop the garlic and chilly and lightly pound the ingredients on your cutting board and then mix it in a mixing bowl. You can find the original recipe here.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Green papaya: 1 medium
Tomatoes: 1 medium sliced lengthwise
Green chillies: 2-3 medium
Garlic: 2 cloves, medium sized, peeled.
Jaggery: 1 tbsp
Lime juice: from 1 lime
Fish sauce: 2-3tbsp
Olive oil: 2tbsp
Soy sauce: 1tbsp
Green beans( string beans): 1 cup chopped into 1 inch pieces.
Roasted Peanuts: 1/2 cup crushed lightly
Cilantro leaves: 1 tbsp chopped
Mint leaves: 1 tbsp chopped

Method:

Peel the papaya and shred it.Discard the inner core with seeds.

Keep the shredded papaya aside.

Boil 2 cups of water with 1 tsp salt. Add the chopped beans and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Strain and keep aside.

In a mortar, lightly crush the garlic and the green chillies.

Now add the sliced tomatoes, jaggery and crush them lightly. Now add the shredded papaya and lightly pound it. 

Take it in a bowl. Mix in the fish sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and mint.

Garnish with steamed green beans and roasted chopped peanuts.

Enjoy! 


Note:Make sure that the papaya is green and raw. If it is even a little yellow/ripe, the taste of the entire salad changes!

Cooking made easy:

Use different cutting boards for your vegetables and meat/fish. You can even color code them. I have a wooden one for my veggies and a plastic one for fish/meat. Doing this helps prevent cross-contamination.

Tip for healthy living:

Papayas are fruits that are extremely nutrient-dense. The Mayans apparently worshipped the papaya tree as their sacred " Tree of Life". Both raw and ripe papayas have been found to be beneficial for good health. Papayas are rich in antioxidants, vitamins A & C and have an enzyme called papain. Papain helps breakdown proteins and aid in their digestion and thereby the health of our gut. It is also purported to have significant anti inflammatory properties thereby of great benefit in chronic inflammatory conditions and joint pain.

References:
http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/susan-evans-md/papaya-secret-longevity-and-healthy-eating
http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/health-benefits-of-papaya.htm
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=47

Food for thought:

If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all. ( Unknown).

Butterfly Chocolate Cake

It was my neighbor's daughter's 7th birthday last week. I was home that day as I had conjunctivitis and was not allowed to go to work. I had originally not planned on baking a cake. But since I was home, I decided to make a pink butterfly chocolate cake as a surprise for Poonam. Poonam is all that little girls should be! She loves chocolate cake, she loves butterflies and she loves the color pink! I have been wanting to try this butterfly cake for a while now ever since a fellow CAL member posted hers on the wall! I also wanted to make some cupcakes and a cake for another weekend project. This was the perfect "two birds with one stone "deal. The inspiration for the chocolate cake was from on of my favorite foodies Amrita Gill. It was Amrita's recipe with little bit of my modifications. You can find the original recipe here. It was easy to make and the chocolate cake came out delicious! I had doubled the recipe as I baked a 10 inch,9 inch, 6 inch cakes and a dozen cupcakes!

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 1 3/4 cups
Powdered sugar: 1 1/2 cups
Nestle chocolate milk powder: 1/2 cup
Cocoa powder: 1/4 cup
Baking powder: 1 1/2 tsp
Baking soda : 1 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Eggs: 2 large
Oil : 1/2 cup
Milk : 1 cup
Vanilla essence : 1 tsp
Boiling water 1/2 cup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

Grease and prepare one 9 inch round cake pan and a 6 inch round cake pan and keep aside.

In a bowl mix together all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nestle chocolate milk powder, cocoa powder and keep aside. Make sure you mix well.

In another bowl, beat 2 eggs until frothy. Add the oil, milk, vanilla essence and beat well.

Now slowly and gently  mix the dry ingredients into the wet little by little in 2-3 batches. Mix only until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet. Do not overmix. Add the boiling water and gently mix.

Pour the batter into the prepare pans until 1/2 full. Gently tap the pan on the counter to let out any air bubble.

Place the pans on the center rack and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it out of the pans. To remove it from the pan, gently run a knife along the sides to loosen it. Then invert it on a cake board or wire rack. Now if there is a dome on top of the cake gently level it with a knife. Let the cake cool for another 15-20 mins on the wire rack.

With a knife or thread, cut the cake into half. Then cut each half again into two equal pieces until you have 4 equal pieces.

Invert 2 of the pieces on top of each other with a layer if frosting in between. Pretty much like a sandwich. Now on a cake board, arrange the 4 pieces( 2 sandwich like pieces from each cake) to form the shape of the wings of a butterfly a shown in the picture.Place a chocolate wafer in the middle to depict the body of the butterfly. Now ice the top and the sides of the cake and decorate it with M & Ms.

The butterfly is ready! Enjoy!

Note: to make cupcakes, place cupcake liners in the cupcake pan and fill the mould until half full. Bake for 11-14 mins. Let it cool down for 15-20 mins before icing it.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

No cake is ever level.Use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to level the cake.

Always place the leveled side on the cake board and the smooth side on the top to be iced.

A piece of thread or floss is perfect to cut a cake into 2 equal halves or to slice it equally and smoothly.

Tip for healthy living:

For good healthy hair, warm a little coconut oil and massage it into the scalp. Leave it on for 30-mins to one hour and then wash your hair. .Oil massage increases the blood supply to the scalp and stimulates the hair follicles resulting in increased hair growth. Do this once a week for lustrous,shiny, healthy hair.

Oil massage of the head is also believed to cool the body, relieve headaches and stress.

Food for thought:

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present. Buddha

Meatless Monday Tingalavre Ani Cauliflower Song ( Navy Beans and Cauliflower in spicy onion-tomato sauce).

We Konkanis make several types of songs. Not the musical kind; the gastronomical kind. Song is basically the type of sauce or gravy that is make out of saut�ed onions and tomatoes. Loads of onions and tomatoes are used in this dish. Song can be made with coconut ( masolu ghalnu) or without coconut in which case it is referred to as mirsange pitte song ( which essentially means song made with chilli powder). This is a nice tangy , spicy,delicious dish. Like I mentioned earlier there are several types of song: batate song( made with potatoes), mushroom song, tingalavre song ( made with navy beans).It is again one of the favorites in my household. The best part is that it is quick an easy to make!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Navy beans: 1/2cup
Cauliflower : 15 florets, washed.
Onions: 2 medium, diced small
Tomato: 1 medium, diced small
Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp( I use coconut oil)
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1/4 tsp
Haldi ( turmeric powder): pinch
Hing ( asofoetida powder): pinch
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves( cilantro): 4-5 sprigs for garnishing.
Water: 1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup

Method:

Cook navy beans in pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups water until tender. Generally about 15 minutes on medium heat.

Make sure you don't overcook the navy beans as the dish will turn into a mushy paste.Do not open the pressure cooker until the pressure has completely been released. Keep aside.

Cook cauliflower in 1/2 cup water until slightly tender. Make sure cauliflower is not over cooked. It will become mushy. Once cooked, strain it and keep aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan/ wok on medium heat.

Add the chopped onions, saut� until they turn almost golden brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes and saut� until the tomatoes start leaving oil.

Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder and saut� for 30 seconds. Then add chilli powder and saut� for another minute.

Now add the cooked navy beans( without the water) and the cauliflower( without the water) and mix well. 

Add the water left behind from cooking the navy beans/ cauliflower as needed based on your desired consistency of the dish. 

Add salt, mix well. Simmer until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn off the flame.

Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve hot with rice/ roti/ bread.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

In the above recipe, as you are waiting for the navy beans and cauliflower to be cooked, you could chop the onions and tomatoes and saut� them. This way by the time the navy beans are cooked and ready to be used, your sauce is ready. It saves you a lot of time!

Navy beans are one of the few legumes that does not need to be pre-soaked overnight before cooking. It can be used anytime you wish as long as you have it in your pantry!

Tip for Healthy living:

Do not compromise on your sleep. An average adult requires 7-8 hours sleep every night. When we are sleeping the body is repairing and rejuvenating itself. Inadequate sleep leads to muscle fatigue, spasm and pain. There is no such thing called "catching up on your sleep".Catching up on your sleep one day to compensate for lack of sleep does not work. The body requires an adequate amount of sleep daily . So go get your zzzzs!

Food for thought:

Once bitten, twice shy. ( unknown)

Alasande bee ani knol-khol ghalnu koddel ( Cow peas/Black-eyed peas and Turnip in coconut sauce).

In my kitchen all kinds of cuisines are cooked.But every now and then I get nostalgic for my childhood food. My mother always made one curry(randayi) and rice. She was simplicity at it's best. Today I was craving for Alasande bea( cow peas or black-eyed peas) koddel. I had one knol- khol ( turnip) left in the fridge. I decided to add it to my koddel. It was so delicious my husband not only took seconds but complimented me on it!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Alasande bee( cow peas): 1 cup soaked in water for atleast 6-8 hours or overnight.
Knol-khol( turnip): 1 medium, peeled and diced.
Salt to taste.
Water: 2 cups + 1 cup

For the coconut masala/gravy/ sauce:
Grated fresh coconut: 1 cup
Dry Red chillies:4-5 nos ( depends on the spice level of; the chilly).
Tamarind: marble sized if dry, 1/2tsp if pulp.
Water: 3/4 cup

For tempering:
Garlic cloves: 4-6 small cloves peeled and chopped into big pieces and lightly crushed.
Coconut oil: 1 tsp ( any cooking oil can be used.)

Method:

Grind all the ingredients under coconut gravy and keep aside.

Cook the cow-peas in pressure cooker with 2 cups water on medium flame for 15-20 minutes. Open the cooker only after the pressure from the cooker has completely ceased. Keep aside.

Cook knol-khol ( turnip) with 1/2 cup water in a pot until tender.Around 10 minutes. Keep aside.

When all the above are ready, mix it all together in pot big enough to hold it all. Now place it on medium heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiled, switch of the flame. Temper with the ingredients listed under tempering.

Tempering:

In a small frying pan, heat coconut oil, add crushed garlic and fry it until it turns slightly golden in color.
Add it to the above pot.

Serve hot with rice.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Cooking konkani food is easy.The basis for most konkani curries( known as Randayi) is the coconut gravy/sauce. With different temperings the Randayi takes a different name. If you temper with garlic it is koddel, if you temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves, it becomes ghashi, and if you temper with fried chopped onions it becomes ambat! One can make a plethora of dishes with this one basic masala.

When I grind this masala I make enough for 2 more curries and freeze it. When I feel like making something, I just thaw the portion of masala I need. Voila ! Dinner is ready!

Tip for healthy living:

Legumes are a great source of protein for vegetarians. They are low in fat, have no cholesterol, rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and also a good source of dietary fiber.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legume
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/legumes/art-20044278

Food for thought:

Hope is a waking dream. Aristotle