Summer is here...and it sucks.

Ok...it is official i hate summer. It is a strong word to be used, but there is nothing fun about feeling hot and sticky and sweating like a ...oops..glowing like a..i don't know what. It is also the season where Jeeves and me have regular arguments..coz i love the air to be kicked upto 65..and he thinks 70 is good...and i am also in a foul mood most of the time, coz hot weather puts me in a bad mood. But, note to the fellow food blogger whom i am planning to meet.....i promise, i will be nice ;)...don't want to scare you :D.
I usually do not spend a lot of time in the kitchen...honestly in the past year..i have hardly been spending time in the kitchen on account of my weird eating habits and jeeves travelling..but summer gives me an excuse not to go and vent when i am in there.
This lentil salad is super easy and can be eaten warm, cold or wrapped up in pitas or rotis for a quick and easy meal.





Ingredients:

brown lentils -1.5 cups dry. Soak it in water for about 2 hours (can omit this step, but it helps in cooking faster)
vegetables - 2 cups (i used mushrooms- 3 cups, as they shrink, carrots and peas - 1 cup)
onions - 1 large, diced
garlic - 4 pods, 3 sliced thin and 1 crushed
salt - to taste
fresh ground pepper - 6 twists
red chilly flakes - 1 tbls.
oil - 1 tbls (i.e - 3 tsp. of oil)
rosemary - 2 tsp. (dry, use more if fresh)

Method:

1. Cook the lentils in water with reqd. salt and the crushed garlic. The lentils should be completely cooked but not turn mushy. Usually you have to be really abusive to the brown lentil to render it to a mush ;)

2. In a non-stick pan,add 2 tsp. of oil (reserve the 1 tsp. for later), add the onions and garlic and saute till soft. Now add the peas and carrots (i used frozen) and cook for a couple of minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms to the above with the rosemary,chilly flakes,pepper and salt (just for the veggies, as we are cooking the lentils with salt too) and cook till the mushrooms are softened.

4. Add the cooked lentils to the above, let the crushed garlic be, add the remaining tsp. of oil..and mix it gently but well.

Ta-da...it is ready to eat. Easy right...

The return of the dummy!!

Yep...old habits do not die...ever!! atleast for me. I remember as a kid..i was always generous with my things..lending everyone my books, parting with pocket money......and boy have i gotten into trouble with that! I thought for a while i had overgrown the habit of lending ..but no sir...i have done it again. Before i left Mi, i had lent some cookbooks to an acquaintance of mine...we somehow never got a chance to regroup and now here i am in NY and guess what!! no cookbooks. I makes me so mad..esp. it was Tarla Dalal's books and some really nice indian cookbooks, that i am possessive about. Again..i am a cookbook whore..so i am possessive about all of em. We did exchange our emails...so i told her to mail me my books..this is after i had tried to touch base with her plenty of times when i was in Mi. Then yesterday, i emailed her asking about the books, btw. it has been nearly a month since i have given her the address to my new place....guess what is her reply..according to her..the books cost more to mail than the value of the books from India..so she has conveniently decided not to mail them. Really!! did you pay for the darn books...now..i gotta ask my friend who is visiting me in may to contact her and get the books from her. I really cannot understand what sort of people are these!! how dare you keep my books with you...some people are so shameless and with no ethics..how do you keep a check on your conscience?? I truly hope i get my beloved books back and lesson learnt i hope.

Anyway...the tarla dalal's rajasthani book had a few recipes with jowar and bajra and i was looking forward to make them and had bought them months ago...but had not used them. As i am on a quest to finish all my old stock...i decided to use the grains. As i do not have the book...i googled as to how to cook bajra grains...got the basic idea and make a basic simple khichdi.


Bajre ki khichdi



Ingredients:

Bajra Grains - 1/2 cup (soaked for a few hours)
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup ( use any dal you want..toor is the only dal i have at home)
Green Chillies - 2, slit
Garlic - 3 pods, crushed
Onion - 1 medium, diced
Spinach - 1/2 box (i used frozen)(if using fresh..use 3-4 cups)
Sambar powder - 1 tbls.
Oil- 1 tbls
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Water - 2 1/2 cups

Method:

1. Heat a pressure cooker with oil, then add the mustard seeds.

2. When the seeds splutters, add the onions, garlic and green chillies and saute till the onions soften.

3. Add the spinach after that with salt and sambar powder and saute for a few minutes.

4. Then add the bajra and dal with 2 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles.

5. When the pressure subsides, mix it well and serve.

Notes:

1. I would reduce the water to maybe 1 1/2 cups...as the bajra does not expand as much as rice does. I wanted to make it a khichdi..but it was a lil more soupy than i would have liked it.


2. The bajra did not plump up even after soaking for a few hours, like i thought it would...i mean i just assumed soaking it would plump it up..do not ask me where i got this idea. I think soaking basically lets the grain soften a bit. if i am wrong..please let me know...politely of-course!!

3. All of you watching your carbs..this is great..coz Bajra is basically pretty high in protein and low on net-carbs..so no afternoon slump!!

One pot meal

So here i am after a really long break....i really had not intended to take off this long...but stuff happens.
We just moved...okay..not just...we moved to NYC in Jan and after being stuck in a studio for a month and searching for a decent apartment...we finally zeroed in on a place and finally settling...ummmm...yep..settling down. It is another story...one of the bedrooms is full of boxes...honest!! i really do not know how i am going to clean up the mess but i have to...coz i already have visitors scheduled for April!! Yeah...you do get visitors when you move to cool cities ;)
My agenda is obviously to clear up my pantry, as i have quite a lot of grains and lentils left...so all i am currently buying are veggies. Also...the kitchen area is sorta ?? cleaned up so i cannot go all fancy ;)...yeah...like i always do LOL.

Here is the simple one pot meal i made. Basically, it was stuff i had in my pantry all thrown together and seriously it was really yummy!



Ingredients:

Cooked Kidney beans - 2 cups
Cooked Chickpeas - 1 cup
Barley - 3/4 cup, dry
Mixed Veggies - 1 cup ( i used frozed mixed veggies - carrot, peas and corn)
Onions - 1 small - finely diced
Leeks - 2 medium - finely diced
Tomatoes - 2 medium - diced in chunks
Garlic - 4 pods
Garam Masala - 1 tbls.
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp.
Cumin - 1 tsp.
Oil - 1 tbls.

Method:

1. Cook the barley in 1 1/2 cups of water and keep aside.It will be chewy when done. Do this when you have time, does not have to be just before you are cooking.

2. In a pan, heat the oil, add the cumin seeds, then add finely diced garlic and onions,leeks for a few minutes. When the leeks and onions are softened, add the tomatoes and frozen veggies and cook for a few minutes.

3. When the veggies are cooked add the red chilly powder, garam masala and salt and cook for a few more minutes till you see the veggies getting a little dry and carmalized.

4. Add 2 cups of water and when it comes to a good boil, add the barley, chickpeas and kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes.

5. Finely chop the cilantro and stir in it.

6. Serve with whole wheat rolls if you have on hand or you can really eat this straight up.

Submission to the lentil event and my last post for 2008

I love my archives! I sometimes think laziness has it's advantages!..coz if i were not lazy about blogging this recipe in past...i would have zero entry for Sra's event.

I have been on a total blogging hiatus and trust me with a good reason. I also feel bad on not visiting sites..but all that will change next year..i promise!

So coming to the recipe...the main problem with vegetarian food is that the carb component tends to be a little high...so you have to make some efforts to increase the protein in the equation. Yes...lentils do have protein...but they also have a generous level of carbs...so for me to add more protein..i usually depend on soy products. Though i am not a big fan of nutrella nuggets.......Jeeves loves them and as this was made for him...i decided to add the soy-nuggets for him and complet the stock i had ;)




Ingredients:

Soy Chunks - 1/2 cup. soaked in warm water.
Kidney beans - 1 can
Peas - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1, diced
Tomatoes - 2 medium, diced
Tomato Paste - 1 tsp - to add some depth of color
Garlic Chilly Ginger paste- 1 tbls
Oil - 1 tbls
Cumin - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp.
Garam masala - 1 tsp.

Garnish

Avacado - 1/4, diced
Cherry tomatoes - few
Yogurt - 2 tbls

Method:

1. In a pan heat the oil, add the cumin, ggg paste, onions and fry well...till the onions start to change color.
2. Add the tomatoes, tomato pste, peas and cook for 5 minutes in medium flame till the peas are cooked but not mushy.
3. Add the kidney beans, soy granuals (squeeze the water out of them), salt, chilly powder, garam masala, 1/2 cup water and cook for 7 minutes.
4. Serve this with the any sort of garnsh.It is really filling.

This is off to dearest Sra who blogs at the amazing
When my Soup came Alive and is hosting My Legume Love Affair that was started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

Finally....
I would like to wish everyone a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR….and hope all your dreams come true. Remember life is short and cherish the moments you have rather than lament on what you do not have.


Love……

Pea Chutney with Protein Dosa

Hmmmm..i have been mia..in my write up front but not in the eating part ;)...now how can i sustain without food...it would be like Rachel Ray without abbreviations...yeah! could not resist making that dig...i am still a meanie...that does not change with time!
I have to also say i am totally ashamed of not acknowledging my fellow bloggers for the awards they have bestowed on me. I truly appreciate it....i just have the memory of an amoeba (no discussion on this topic..ms. S the highly reputed one :D ).

Priya of Indian Khana has passed on the 'Blogging with a purpose' award...Thank you Priya...much appreciated....



JZ of Tasty Treats has passed me the Yum Yum award..Thanks for giving it to me..makes me feel good :)




Also Laavanya has tagged me for a book meme. Here are the rules


1. Pick up the nearest book
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the next three sentences
5.Tag 5 people and acknowledge the person who tagged you.


And the honest gal i am ...i did pick up the book i was reading...and here it goes....may be boring..don't hate me for it....would be hard..i know :D

"Mentors are not necessarily people who make you feel good about yourself or tell you that you can do anything you want to do. Sometimes the best mentors provide tough love by being critical as a means of teaching. Kroger's Dave Dillion told the story of two contrasting mentors he had early in his career."

This excerpt is from "True North" by Bill George with Peter Sims. Jeeves had borrowed it from the library and liked it..so i am giving it a whirl..it is really good.

As for tagging...i think the whole blogging community has done it ;)

Here is a recipe i made somewhere in May..yeah...it has been patiently waiting in the drafts for me...like the tons of other things i am yet to do :D


PEA CHUTNEY ....maybe i should call it pea mash ;)




Ingredients:

1. Peas - 1 frozen pack - the small one
2. Cherry Tomatoes - 425 gms (the small box you get)- halved
3. Red onion - 1 medium
4. Garlic - 4 pods
5. Green chillies - 2
6. Cumin - 1 tsp.
7. Oil - 1 tbls
8. Salt to taste
9. Red chilly - 1 tsp.


Method:

1. Boil the peas with a little salt and keep aside to cool. Drain the water....and if you are obsessed on healthy eating...you can reserve the water for soup or something...if you are normal ;)(kidding!!)...do this in the sink.

2. Heat oil in a wok..add the cumin..onions..garlic...green chillies...tomatoes and fry in medium heat for 15 minutes..till everything is cooked and mushy.

3. Add the salt (remem you added some to the peas when you were boiling it)..peas..red-chilly and cook for 5 minutes. The go ahead and mash it...now it is up to you..on how you want the texture...i like to have to some substance and body to it and not a smooth paste...also my arms were hurting ;)...so decided to put a stop to this :D

It was really yummy...would be great as a spread on bread.



PROTEIN DOSA

This is so freakin easy....

Ingredients:

1. Lentils - 1/2 cup each - i used - Moong...Toor...Red...Channa
2. Urad Dal - 1 cup (you need a lil more urad)
3. Red Chilly - 4
4. Cumin Seeds - 1 tbls
5. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak the dals with the red chilly and cumin seeds for 4-6 hours..you can soak more if you wish...but 4-6 hours are more than enough.

2. Grind to a smooth paste and add the required salt to it. I usually add the salt when i am grinding...makes like so much easier ;)

3. The batter is ready....now all you gotta do is make dosas.

I do hope i am more regular in visiting all the amazing sites....and maybe blogging too....

Halloumi on masala grilled veggies

It has been a while i have blogged...and a thought came to me ..the dreaded thought that perhaps i have gotten bored of blogging. It should honestly not come as a surprise to me or anyone who knows me..coz i have a very short attention span. It actually spreads to everything around me...i have gotten bored of jobs...hobbies...even people! yep...there has been a time i have been smitten by a few...only to yawn at their name later (that does not mean i do not have my share of good friends....but a very few to be honest). But...i am not bored of blogging...the break as i analyze is on account of me not cooking regularly or cooking boring or wierd foods...something that will not go well in the blogging world.

I have been contemplating to buy a grill...even researched on a few...only to put off the purchase...but when my good buddy Siggy announced Monthly Mingle- Grill it ..i decided to initially invest in a stove top grill pan before i spend more moolah on an outdoor one. Well..the purchase for a stove top grill gave me more trouble than i thought!...why you ask...well all the stores carry 'cast iron' grill pans..which is a huuuge no-no on my list..coz i refuse to baby sit cookware....or the non-stick one's cost me an arm and a leg..till i finally went to bed bath and beyond where i got a non-stick one for $50.00..which is cool to me....so here i am madam..an entry for your event.I know..it is a day late...but ;)



Ingredients:

Eggplant - 1 medium
Asparagus - 1 bunch
Halloumi - 4-5 oz

Marinade:
Olive oil- 1/4 cup
Garlic Chutney powder - 1 tbls
Goda masala - 1 tbls
Salt - to taste

For the dressing:
Olive oil - 2 tbls
Lime juice - 1 tbls
Garlic chutney powder - 1tsp
a pinch of salt
whisk well...and keep aside

Method:

1. Cut the eggplant into rounds and marinade the eggplant and the asparagus for 30 - 60 mts.

2. Grill the above and cut into medium pcs. Do not make it into bite sized.

3. Toast the halloumi (i used a griddle for this..as halloumi tends to break) till it crisps up.

4. Plate the veggies...top it with halloumi and drizzle the dressing on top.

Has it sunk in and MBP

The minute you switch on the television..there is all this talk about conserving energy..water..basically all natural resources. There are shows talking about 'green earth'..recycling....using a bike to hit nearby spots....organic living...and so much...but my question is does this really sink in with the masses?? From my observation....there are basically 2 sorts of people...one type is the person who is proactive..makes it a point to learn something new..when given an information...makes changes..for this person..conservation comes to a certain level naturally...unfortunately i do not find too many of these people in my vicinity. Then there are people who are basically oblivious to the wastage. You may might as well die screaming about conserving energy...using solar lights..wastage of water..but these morons..take the high road. i guess... so short-sighted in their view..their point is ..i have it right now..so i will do as i please...i guess only when they open their pipes and no freakin water flows thru will they get the point.

Why am i so mad..well...this has been building up in me for a few years and i just felt like writing. I live in a neighbourhood..where 80% of the nut-jobs insist on turning on their porch lights on all night!! What a waste..seriously..and nope!..it is not solar lights...and then many insist on watering their lawns everyday!! Why can't you alternate the days...and honestly...in my opinion..grass is over-rated. Yes..it is nice and green...but it is boring..blah!..no character....all the homes are rows and rows of grass...and people spending gallons of water on them...and also valuable gas on mowing the lawn. People may think i have a case of sour-grapes esp. about the lawn...but i think having a small patch in the front might be ok...but to have a backyard full of grass is just a waste of land and resources. Why not grow veggies..or if that is a royal pain...go ahead and lay a nice tennis court or do something fun on it...why is there so much of grass!!

This months Nupur who blogs at the famous One Hot Stove is hosting the MBP and her theme is less is more which was started by Coffee who blogs at Spicecafe . What a lovely concept Nupur...and i am waiting for the round-up to bookmark all the entries to try em out.

My inspiration is from Kajal's website . I really like her detailed pictures and her simple and straight-forward way of explaining her recipes..and not to mention all the recipes make my mouth water :). I had bookmarked her red-chilly pickle a long back and guess what!! it fit in the MBP theme. So here is the recipe of Raita marcha....


I am giving the link to her recipe . The only change i made is i added some jalapenos..as i was short of the red-chilly. It was just delicious....