Falafels.

Has there been any dish you have put off making, thinking the process to be too cumbersome? And when you finally decided to make it..you cannot stop kicking your hiney for not making it for so many years and wasting precious eating hours ;)...I have. The first time i baked bread..i realised how simple it was...i vowed then and there i would never put off trying to make anything new. Yes, i am quite dramatic....i usually have visions of doing push-ups and reverse crunches when i hear pumping music and being totally jiggle free..oops...too much personal info.

Anyway, coming back to the post... I have always loved falafels, when i was in Mi...i would often get carry-out from Lashish, which was a middle eastern restaurant, just a 5 mts drive from home and embarrassingly enough the take out guy reserved a huge smile for me, coz i was a regular customer ;). Now there is a falafel place near my home here in NY, but nowhere close to what i was getting there...and when i saw this delicious post from one of the sweetest blogger i know... i had give in.

I did take in a lot of inspiration from her, in the sense i made it to suit my Indian palette and use the spices i had in hand rather than shop for things, which usually is the way i go about. I urge all of you to try the dish you have been putting off making lazy excuses, coz you will be amazed on how little work there is actually involved. My next mission is to make home-made ice-cream...perhaps next summer :D


Ingredients:

Chickpeas - ? cups (soak 2 cups of dry chickpeas overnight)
Onions - 1 large,sliced
Garlic - 3 to 4 pods, crushed
Green Chillies - 1 or 2
Chana masala - 1 tbls
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Cilantro - 1 small bunch, chopped
Oil - to deep fry.

Method:

1. In a pan, add 1 tbls of oil, then add the jeera, onions and garlic and cook till softened.

2. Drain the chickpeas and wash well and keep aside.

3. Add the sauteed onion-garlic mixture to the above drained chickpeas and pulse in ur food processor or blender till it is all well combined. Do not add too much of water, 1 or 2 tbls will help if you are using a blender. I have Kitchen Aid and i was able to make it to a rough paste - used the pulse function.

4. Now put the above in a bowl, then add salt, red chilly powder, chana masala and cilantro and combine well.

5. Now refrigerate the above mixture for 3-4 hours, to let the flavors combine well.

To fry the falafels:

1. Take the mixture out of the refrigertor about half an hour before.

2. Heat the oil, but make sure the oil does not smoke.

3. Make small falafel balls, and deep fry this in medium flame.

Note: Do make the falafel balls small, resist to make them big, trust me the small ones fry evenly and taste better. Also, fry them in medium flame, this ensures the inside gets cooked well.

These taste great straight-up. We had our's with yogurt dip.

Blew me away.....and Paneer Kolhapuri

In this world of pure selfishness, there comes a time when you step back shake your head and want to reevaluate your beliefs that you have painstakingly made :). It happened to me too....i was so happy and excited and touched because personally i would have never done something like this...and i think the fact that it was so alien to me..yet so cool..blew me away. You must be thinking WTH...did she receive some moolah or an emerald ring (btw. i love emerald)..anyhoo...nope..it was not jewellery nor money..but it was a gift from a fellow blogger, actually a spice - kolhapuri masala.Nupur who is famous for her incredible recipes was kind enough to send me some of the famous kolhapuri masala, I am certain she got moved by my begging for it on her comment site :D. And to be honest for foodies like us..getting gifts with relation to food is it's weight in gold :). So Nupur...thank you so much...i am savouring the spice and ecstatic about it's ownership!

I did not want to make any elaborate recipe primarily it is summer..okay i lied..primarily because i am on a darn diet and secondly i wanted a simple recipe where the masala would be the primary flavouring.
I do not know if there is a dish called Paneer Kolhapuri (google search did not give me any valid result )..but if there is a recipe and my recipe i am certain is nothing like it..please let me know...be nice tho..i have no patience for rudeness.



Paneer Kolhapuri:

Ingredients:

Paneer - 6 oz (cut into triangles)
Red Onion - large, sliced thin
Garlic - 3 pods, smacked and sliced
Ginger - 2 inches, sliced thin
Kolhapuri Masala - 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Red Chilly (fresh) - 1 small
Oil - 2 tsp.
Cilantro - 2-3 tbls worth - chopped.

Method:

1. In a griddle, toast the paneer, there is no need to use any oil. After the paneer is all browned, keep it aside.

2. In a pan. add the oil, then the cumin, then red chilly, garlic, ginger and the onion and fry in medium flame till the onions are softened and change color.

3. Add the salt and the kolhapuri masala and stir well.

4. Now increase the flame to high, add the paneer and the cilantro, mix well but with a gentle touch and make sure the spice is coated well.

5. Now put it in a bowl and eat...it is really yummy and the spice was perfect ( i know..what a show off ;) )

A rant and a recipe...

Why are people nosy? I am yet to understand and i wish a nosy person would let me in on the secret. Why do people want to know private details of a stranger? isn't that just weird...what do you achieve if you know whether a person works or not..has kids or not...is from India or not...why do you want to know?? Are you writing a book that details about how many people you met...their status..their personal details...race etc? I am yet to understand the thought process that form these unnecessary and many a times ridiculous questions! So..you color your hair?? umm..nope..i was born with dark brown hair with gold highlights..yesssir..i was the freak baby in India :D..you did not read about me in the paper uncle :D...or do you have kids?? no!...why?? ummm...maybe i don't know how to do 'it'..can i come and watch (puke)...are you trying for a baby? why...are you planning to marry your moronic spawn off with my future baby? i rather have my kid single that married to a nut-case. So..where are you working? how much do you make?? more than you..i am certain....and shame on me..if i don't...and then there are the miscellaneous...how much rent do you pay? how many siblings you have and what do they and their spouses do? etc...etc!! Mind you..none of these questions were asked to me by people i was introduced to be friends with...these a bunch of random questions that i have encountered to my travels to India (in airports no less) and a few in the subway in the great city of NY. Isn't it sad that people have no respect for privacy...there have been so many times...i have been asked questions while listening to the i-pod!! PEOPLE!!...do not disturb me when i am listening to my pod....it basically is a signal that i want to be left alone...grrrr....

So here is a recipe..that i love and have been making it regularly, as it is super easy to make and tastes yummy...but honestly...is no culinary masterpiece.....but...this is a food blog and i feel i gotta put in a recipe to carry on this blog :D



Paneer Bhurji.

Ingredients:
Paneer - 4-6 oz block. Grate it with the thicker side of the grater- you know that i mean.
Mixed vegetables - 1 cup ( i used carrots and peas - frozen :D)
Leeks - 2, sliced thin ( was out of onions...use onions if you want)
Garlic - 2, grated
Cumin - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp.
Pav Bhaji masala - 1/2 tsp.
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp. (do not use more, as paneer has a lot of fat)

Method:

1. Grate the paneer and keep aside.
2. In a pan, add the oil,add the cumin. Add the onion and garlic and saute till soft, do not let it burn.
3. Add the peas and carrots with the turmeric and salt,cook till softened.
4. Add the red chilly powder and the pav bhaji masala then add the paneer and mix well.
5. Cook this for 5 minutes, if you have cilantro with you...add it at this point...it really takes it to another level.