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Tandoori Spiced Salmon With Black Rice

 Fish, From Around the world, Weeknight Dinners  12 Responses »
Mar 292013
 
Tandoori spiced Salmon

Tandoori Spiced Salmon with kale and black rice

 

It is a bitter sweet moment, writing this post today. Today is the last post of the Power Foods Blogging Group. I learned a lot on this journey of 38 power foods with the blog group. The stories from each one of the bloggers kept me entertained and the facts about power foods kept me amazed. There was so much about these foods that I did not know and there still is so much to learn. The blogging group helped me stop and take notice and ask the food, “So what are YOU going to help me with?”

 

 

Tandoori spiced Salmon

As we wind up this journey and get ready to embark on another one, I do have one more power food recipe for you.  It is the Indian version of pan roasted, Tandoori Spiced Salmon With Black Rice and it is a no fuss recipe.   Just to make life easier for my friends who keep complaining that they have to go with a huge spice list to buy everything they need to make my dishes, I have for once used a ready mix of Tandoori spices. I can see you grinning ear to ear.  Yes,  it is really as simple as that. And as for cooking black rice, you can use this method or follow your own method.

For well researched health benefits of Salmon read the article on WHF. 

And for one last time, here are the fellow bloggers who were in this journey with me, discovering power foods and sharing stories and recipes.:-

Jeanette at jeanetteshealthyliving ; Martha at Simply Nourished Living ; Mireya at Myhealthyeatinghabits ; Alyce at More time at the table ;  Minnie at thelady8home.com ; Casey at  Sweetsav  .

 

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Tandoori Spiced Salmon With Black Rice

Tandoori Spiced Salmon With Black Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 Fillets Wild caught Alaskan Salmon
  • 1/2 C Black Rice cooked
  • 1 C Chopped Kale
  • 1 tsp Tandoori Masala ( I recommend using Shaan Brand)
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ginger paste
  • 1/2 tsp garlic paste
  • oil spray

Instructions

  1. Mix in the lemon juice, ginger, garlic, salt and tandoori Masala.
  2. Marinate the fish pieces in this mix for about 15 minutes, ensuring to coat all both the sides of the fish.
  3. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and spray with a little oil.
  4. Cook the marinated fish for 3- 5 minutes on each side depending on how you like it cooked.
  5. Mix in the olive oil with the kale and massage it a little.
  6. Serve warm black rice with the tandoori salmon along with the massaged kale.

Notes

You can shop up the cooked salmon and mix everything together for a salad for work.

The link to the shaan brand for Tandoori spice is reference only. You can buy it cheaper at any Indian grocery store.

http://www.spiceroots.com/2013/03/tandoori-spiced-salmon-with-black-rice/

 
Ajay Sabharwal, Bhavna Kalra, Vidya Kamath, Anshie Dhar, SpiceRoots liked this post
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Kadhi Pakoda – Yogurt & Chickpea Flour Soup with Baked Fenugreek Fritters

 Punjab, Regional Cuisine, Soups, Weeknight Dinners  7 Responses »
Mar 152013
 
kadhi

dec11

 

 

Dahi in Hindi/Urdu, Zamut do’dh in Kashmiri, Thayir in Tamil, Doi in Bengali, Perugu in Telugu and yogurt in English. Yogurt is  an important part of the Indian food culture across the nation.  And it was an important part of the meal at home. It was served with every meal.  As a lassi – watered down with an addition of mint and spices or just as is.   It is my grandmother’s favorite food.  On most days she adds in yogurt to her rice, with a pinch of salt and some mint – walnut chutney and her lunch is done. And she ensures that we all have a glass of lassi or some home made yogurt at each meal.

Have I ever mentioned that I lived in Hyderabad for a while?  I am sure I have because that is one place that felt like home to me at first bite.  Yes it was all about food. One of the reasons was that each meal in Hyderabad ended with a curd rice – a simple concoction of plain boiled rice with yogurt and spices. Simple ?  Yes! Heavenly ?  Oh YES! And made me feel right at home in a new city.

kadhi

 It is Power Foods Friday and I am so happy that it is about Yogurt. It is a well deserved place for it, for it is a storehouse of nutritional benefits for us.

Yogurt is a good source of calcium, which  we know is needed for maintaining healthy bones. It’s protein packed, hence really important in a vegetarian diet and on days you choose to eat vegetarian. The protein in yogurt is great for muscle repair and growth and it fills you up. Grab those smoothies now. And we all know how great it is for our little tummies, don’t we? And if you are trying to loose weight, go heavy on fat free yogurt and watch the pounds drop off .

So here is a delicious Kadhi recipe that you can use as a soup.  Kadhi Pakoda – Yogurt & Chickpea Flour Soup with Baked Fenugreek Fritters, is gluten free, full of goodness of protein.  And here are some more juicy details about yogurt from my blogger friends –   Jeanette at jeanetteshealthyliving ; Martha at Simply Nourished Living ; Mireya at Myhealthyeatinghabits ; Alyce at More time at the table ;  Minnie at thelady8home.com ; Casey at  Sweetsav  .

 

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Kadhi Pakode – Yogurt & Chickpea Flour Soup with Baked Fenugreek Fritters

Ingredients

    For Kadhi (yogurt soup)
  • 2 C Greek yogurt at Room temperature ( 3 C if using home made yogurt)
  • 5 C water (4 C if using home made yogurt)
  • 1/3 C chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
    • For Pakode (fritters)
  • 1 C fenugreek leaves chopped
  • ½ C chickpea flour
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • salt to taste
  • ¼ c Water
  • 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1 thai green chilli finely chopped
    • For Tadka ( the tempering)
  • 1 Tbs ghee
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds (rai)
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds – slightly crushed
  • ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tbs chopped ginger
  • 1 tbs chopped garlic
  • 3- 4 dry chillies
  • 1 sprig curry leaves

Instructions

    Lets start with the Kadhi:-
  1. Sift the chickpea flour into the bowl and turmeric powder add in the water and the yogurt and whisk it all together.
  2. Take a dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot ( at least a 3.5 qt) and pour the yogurt mix into it. Cook on high heat and keep stirring constantly until it comes to a rolling boil. Then reduce heat, simmer for about 30 minutes. Do not cover the pot and do remember to stir it every now and then.
    3. Now let's work on the fritters ( traditionally they are supposed to be fried)
  3. Heat the oven to 500* F. Mix all the ingredients for the fritters except water. Once mixed in, add in water a little at a time. You are looking to make a loose dough. Not a batter, but not quiet dough. Something like a chocolate chip cookie dough that you can scoop with a spoon. You may or may not need all the water.
  4. Once this dough is ready, spoon out the mixture, a Tbs at a time and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Yes! Just like you would for drop cookies.
  5. Bake for 8-10 minutes on one side, Turn them over bake again for 8 minutes.
  6. They may not be as crunchy as the fried ones, but they are equally delicious.
    7. Bring it all together
  7. By now your Kadhi would have cooked and the pakode must be tempting you to try them out.
  8. Put the pakode in the pot in which Kadhi is simmering. Allow it to simmer while you make the Tadka
  9. Heat ghee in a small pan, add in the mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle. Add in coriander, red chilli and fenugreek seeds in that order. And then add the ginger and garlic and cook till garlic turns a slight shade of light brown.
  10. Place the sprig of the curry leaves in the pan and add on Tadka ( the ghee concoction you just made)

Notes

I eat it just as is for a delicious dinner, but traditionally Kadhi is served with Rice.

http://www.spiceroots.com/2013/03/kadhi-pakoda-yogurt-chickpea-flour-soup-with-baked-fenugreek-p/
Maayeka, Neha Deodhar, Bhavna Kalra, Dee Borges, SpiceRoots liked this post
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 Posted by on March 15, 2013 at 7:42 PM

Egg Curry

 Weeknight Dinners  25 Responses »
Mar 082013
 
IMG_0700

Egg curry

Dear Eggs,

You have been whipped, cracked, beaten and scrambled in my kitchen. You have been boiled, fried and baked too. And If that was not enough, I dropped you in soups and also poached you.

The reason why I am writing to you today is that I never really ever told you or anyone how Eggceptional you really are. People maligned your name, by calling you the monster at the breakfast table. I never paid any attention to them and kept my love sincere for you. You know that, don’t you? I sang your praises in the perfectly boiled egg story, and the omelets and the persian egg curry . But in all those, I was being very selfish by saying how easy you were. No No !! Not in THAT sense. You are humble, no fuss, and generally very accommodating.

I never told anyone how very good you were for them. I never tried to clear your name when they said you were bad for them. And for that I am making amends now and writing about your virtues, and my friends  Jeanette at jeanetteshealthyliving ; Martha at Simply Nourished Living ; Mireya at Myhealthyeatinghabits ; Alyce at More time at the table ;  Minnie at thelady8home.com ; Casey at  Sweetsav  are joining me in writing about your goodness and sunny disposition.

Egg Curry

As for me personally, I couldn’t do without you. On most days you come to my rescue and save me from boring myself to death at the stove by your simple versatility. I think you have known all along that I am so not a morning person. So thank you Dear Eggs for -

1 ) choline, which reduces chances of breast cancer in women by 24%.

2) lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that will help me check out the eye candy even when I am 70

3) the naturally occurring vitamin D

4) saving my hair and nails due to your sulphur and vitamin content. You know how badly I treat them at the salons.

5) Being low on calories, high on protein – you have started to shrink my waistline too

I will always be indebted to you, dear eggs for all that you have done and are doing for me and I will always love you!

Yours, truly yours

Ansh

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Egg Curry

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 8 servings

Serving Size: 1

Egg Curry

Ingredients

  • 8 eggs (hard boiled and peeled)
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbs ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tbs kashmiri chili powder
  • 2 tbs coriander powder
  • 1 tbs cumin powder
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tbs oil
  • salt to taste
  • 2 cups hot water

Instructions

  1. Take a clean toothpick and poke the boiled eggs all over. This is to create some pores so the spices can seep into the eggs.
  2. Heat the oil and lightly fry the eggs in it. There is no deep frying.
  3. Take the eggs out and in the same oil sautee onions until they are pale. Do this on low heat as you will otherwise be burning them too quickly.
  4. Add in the salt and wait for the onions to sweat a bit. Now keep stirring until the onions turn a light shade of brown.
  5. Add in the ginger garlic paste, cook for a minute or two on medium heat.
  6. Now add in the spices ( except the garam masala) and add in the tomatoes.
  7. Mix everything together and cover and cook for about 5 minutes on medium- low heat.
  8. When the spices and tomato onion mixture is thoroughly cooked, ( the oil floats to the top is a good indication that things are cooked), add in the water and bring everything to a rolling boil.
  9. Add in the garam masala and the eggs and cover and cook again for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
  10. The oil will once again float to the top when the dish is perfectly cooked. You may also let it cook longer to make a thicker curry. But to eat with fluffed up brown rice, you need some fingerlicking good curry.

Notes

This recipe can be halved or doubled with ease. In a pinch, buy preboiled eggs from costco and make the curry. Will save you a lot of time.

http://www.spiceroots.com/2013/03/egg-curry/
Claire Preyra-Leader, Gauri Patil Shirke, Shweta Kalore, Dee Borges, Shilpi Prasad, Pushpa Moorjani, Kavita Thanky, Vidya Kamath, Badri Muthukrishnan, Ruchi Angrish, Prachi Agarwal, Shilpa Sehgal, Patil Ashok, Kaajal Pradhan Lamba, Claudia Barbara Tanna, Bhavna Kalra, Prakash Mishra liked this post
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 Posted by on March 8, 2013 at 8:50 AM

Roasted Eggplant Dip – Baigan Bharta

 Appetizers, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight Dinners  16 Responses »
Jan 072013
 
Smoky Eggplant Dip - Baigan Bharta

Smoky, smoldering and clandestine. That has been my affair with the guy named clove, ever since we got together for the Alu matar Smokin’.  We have been meeting off and on, more on than off for he is just too irresistible.  What’s not to like in a guy who makes me look like I am the greatest cook?  He makes me look good, oh yes he does!  But since it is a brand new year and I really don’t want to keep him a secret anymore, I am declaring it out loud.  This is going to be the year of clove in my kitchen.  There ! I said it.

In addition to the smoky pungent taste, the cloves have therapeutic properties and have some of the richest antioxidants of all spices.  And did I tell you that they act as wonderful breath fresheners?

A fire roasted eggplant is quite flavorful by itself.  The best baigan bharta  is made on smoldering coals or a wood fire. Slowly roasted eggplants on wood or coal fire have a taste that can just not be matched by any other method. However, cooking them on an open stove top flame comes a close second and so does roasting them in an oven. No matter which method you use, a baigan bharta with cloves added in takes it a few notches up.  The already smoky flavor gets matched with pungent smoky clove. The result is worth a try.

Serve this Roasted Egg plant dip (for want of a better description for baigan bharta) as a game day appetizer.  You will in fact make them stop watching the game for just a bit to ask you what’s in it ;)

 

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Roasted Eggplant Dip – Baigan Bharta

Roasted Eggplant Dip – Baigan Bharta

Smoky, smoldering and sensational.

Ingredients

  • 2 Globe Eggplants
  • 1 C chopped onion
  • 1.5 C chopped tomato
  • 1/4 C chopped cilantro
  • salt to taste
  • 1/8 tsp clove powder
  • 1- 2 thai green chillies
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder/paprika/cayenne
  • 2 tbs chopped garlic
  • 1 tbs chopped ginger
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tbs mustard oil
  • 1tsp mango powder (amchur)

Instructions

    prepare the eggplants
  1. make deep incisions all around the eggplants and cook them on open flame/ grill.
  2. Alternately cut them in halves lengthwise, and roast cut side down in the oven at 450*F for 25- 30 min
  3. Once the eggplants are cooked through ( tender all through), allow them to cool off.
  4. Then peel the skin off and keep the eggplant aside.
    5. make the dip
  5. Heat the mustard oil and allow it get slightly smoky
  6. Reduce heat to medium and add the cumin and wait for it to splutter
  7. Add in the onions and let them cook until they get transparent and start browning on the sides.
  8. Add in the ginger and garlic and saute until garlic browns slightly.
  9. Add in turmeric, chillipowder, and tomatoes and cook for about 4- 5 minutes on medium heat.
  10. Add in the eggplants and mix well. Now add in the cilantro, green chillies, mango powder, salt and clove powder.
  11. Cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring every now and then, until everything mixes in well.
  12. Serve with strips of pita bread as a dip or with roti and dal as a side dish.
http://www.spiceroots.com/2013/01/roasted-eggplant-dip-baigan-bharta/
Just a girl from aamchi mumbai, Priyanka Samantroy Goel liked this post
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Butternut squash soup

 From Around the world, Healthy choice, Soups, Vegetarian, Weeknight Dinners  3 Responses »
Oct 152010
 
butternut squash soup

“I am rich today with autumn’s gold,
All that my covetous hands can hold;
Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod,
A goldfinch on a milkweed pod,
Huge golden pumpkins in the field
With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield,
Golden apples heavy on the trees
Rivaling those of Hesperides,
Golden rays of balmy sunshine spread
Over all like butter on warm bread;
And the harvest moon will this night unfold
The streams running full of molten gold.
Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss
with autumn glory such as this!”
-   Gladys Harp

A walk by the Harper Lake in Louisville treated me to the music of crisp crunchy leaves. What fine music they make along with the blowing wind and what a pretty site it is to see. The breeze making waves on the water, the setting sun in the not so distant mountains and everything so golden that it feels like a gentle kiss from the sun.

I felt like extending that kiss from the sun and bring it inside my home. So I made this butternut squash soup and served it with homemade rustic bread. I had planned for leftovers for my lunch, but sometimes plans don’t work. Hubz and kid finished the soup mumbling some words between spoonfuls. I am thinking they were saying that it was good because we had no leftovers.

Here is how I made it

Plan:

  • 1 butternut squash, cut into two lengthwise
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  • 1 Tsp garlic chopped
  • 4 cups veg stock
  • ½ C milk
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh basil, chopped fine
  • 1 tsp sugar

Procedure

  1. Cut the squash lengthwise into two. Pre Heat oven to 400F . Place squash cut side down on a pan. Bake for 35- 40 min
  2. Once cooked, allow to cool. Scoop out the meaty part and leave the skin out.
  3. Add oil in a pan, cook sliced onions and then add garlic
  4. Add the stock, salt if u need, bring it to a boil add the squash, blend with a hand blender until the soup comes together.
  5. Add the milk, allow it to come to a boil, add the pepper, basil, sugar.. mix.
  6. Serve with a rustic bread and herbs mixed in olive oil . Add a Salad if you need.

 

Spinut Pasta!

 From Around the world, Original Creations, Vegetarian, Weeknight Dinners  4 Responses »
Apr 192010
 
spinach pasta

Spinut – spinach and nuts ! A name coined by my most enthusiastic fan, my 10 year old daughter.  She always takes a second helping of this dish . And I am glad because having a recipe for wholesome, nutritious weeknight meal that is ready in 20 minutes is like having a magic wand to cook. But I am serious. You don’t need a whole lot of ingredients to make a nourishing meal from scratch. And I will not suggest turning to factory produced sauces for pasta nights. We don’t need all the preservatives and high levels of sodium and all those listed and unlisted chemicals from these bottles. This is a recipe that you can modify as you go. Interchange ingredients, use any other cheese, add some kick with chilies , do whatever makes you happy.

(serves 4) Continue reading »