Quick Quinoa Dosa

I love anything in the family of crêpes: pancakes, tortillas, injera, and especially dosas. However, between the lentil soaking and batter fermentation, dosa-making can be quite a time-consuming and ultimately unsuccessful process. And since there isn't yet a Aunt Jamuna dosa mix available at my local grocery store, I have had to resort to other methods for quick dosas.

 

 
This is a recipe for quinoa dosas that can be made either savory or sweet. A quick and healthy way to start your day, the Indian way. 










For Recipe (Click Read More)

Cure your Cold Chicken Rasam

There is nothing better when you are sick than a huge pot of hot and spicy soup. My favorite soup when I'm sick (and even when I'm not) is from *drumroll*....Qdoba! If you have never tried a bowl of their tortilla soup, then you are really missing out. Today is my mom's birthday, but she also happens to be sick, so we had to cancel the dinner reservations and opt for something homemade. I decided to make her an Indian version of chicken tortilla soup: Chicken rasam. It not only happens to be tasty but also 100% guaranteed to clear your sinuses. 

(Serves 5-6) ; Prep time: 15 mins; Total time: 1.5 hours

What you need: 

For the soup:

1. Cornish game hen - or ~3/4 lb of any type of chicken breast etc.
2. Shallots - 15, diced and 4 whole (Can substitute 2 medium onions)
3. Tomato - 1 diced and one cut into circles
4. Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp
5. Ginger - 2 inch piece, whole
6. Bay leaf - 1, whole
7. Kosher Salt - 1/2 tsp
8. Chicken broth - half of a box
9. Water - 4 cups 
10. Turmeric - 1 tsp
11. Curry leaves - 8-9 
12. Cumin whole - 1 tsp
13. Black mustard seeds - 1 tsp
    
14. Limes - 2, cut into wedges 
15. Cilantro (optional) - to garnish
16. Oil

 For the masala: you COULD substitute pre-packaged rasam powder for the whole spices

1. Cumin - 2 tsp, whole
2. Peppercorns - 2 tsp (white and black), whole
3. Fennel seeds - 1 tsp, whole
4. Coriander seeds - 2 tsp, whole
5. Red chillies - 2, whole (depends on how spicy they are)
6. Garlic - 5
7. Shallots - 4 or 1/2 an onion

1. Gather all your spices together.

2. Wash your chicken and cut into 3-4 pieces and cut your tomatoes/onions.

3. In a large stockpot, heat up some olive oil and saute the diced onions and tomatoes until they are soft. Then, add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.

4. Add the cayenne to the chicken and sear in a large cast iron pan on high heat until browned on both sides. Toss the chicken along with the tomato circles in the pot.

5. Roast your whole spices on medium-low heat for 10 seconds and then roast the onions/garlic/chilli pods for a few minutes. Grind the whole spices first and then add the roasted onions, chilli pods and garlic.

6. Once the soup and chicken mixture is boiling, turn the heat down to medium and let it simmer covered for ~1 hour.

7. After 1 hour, fish out the chicken, bay leaf and ginger. Shred the chicken and toss out the bones/ginger/bay leaf.

8.  In a small pan, heat up some vegetable oil on medium-high heat and add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin seeds and the curry leaves. As soon as the mustard seeds start popping, add the ground masala and cook for 1-2 minutes.

9. Add the masala with the oil to the soup pot and let it simmer uncovered for another 15-20 minutes. Taste for salt/spice and adjust as necessary.

10. Done! Squeeze a wedge of lime and enjoy!

Chachos

I travel vicariously through one of my good friends Shiv. As a consultant, she gets to live and work all across the country. It's even more exciting because I successfully converted her into an A+ foodie when we lived together our senior year of college (Case in point, she used to only eat chicken sushi and now is a tried and true sashimi-ite). Meaning I now get to travel AND eat vicariously through her. So, during her recent stint in Los Angeles, she raved about an Indian/Mexican fusion restaurant she tried called Cowboys & Turbans. Now if there's one thing Indians love more than Indian food, it's probably Mexican. Inspired, I decided to create my own Ind-Mex fusion: Chachos! (Also known as Chaat Nachos).

With Super Bowl weekend coming up, this is a healthier and vegetarian-friendly alternative to all the meaty greasy game day grub.

For Recipe (Click Read More)

Masala Meatballs

I don't think there is anything more difficult to master than Italian. Mostly because it is perfectly simple, and it's the simplicity that I just can't conquer. I just can't stop the itch to hit the spice rack, which usually means my pastas taste more like Maggi than an attempt at Italian. So, I've finally accepted my problem, and I have decided to embrace it. This is a recipe for baked chicken meatballs with a spicy Indian kick served over a simple spaghetti with arrabiata sauce.

For Recipe (Click Read More)

Mango Margatini

SPOILER ALERT: Indian people (myself included) love spice. So much so that we will find something that already goes burning down your throat, like say liquor, and then add a couple of chili flakes, chili peppers, and chili powder to it.

Jokes aside, a little spice does go a long way with many drinks, whether it's a dash of cayenne in lemonade or a thai green chili in a Mai Tai. It's this thought that inspired my Mango Margatini, a mango martini with a kick of cayenne and a hint of ginger.

For Recipe (Click Read More)

Dinner for Dos

Growing up I used to volunteer at the soup kitchen. After my less than pleasant first encounter with a knife, I was demoted from sous-chef to "master of garlic bread". Even though I used about 10 bags of rolls, it never seemed like it would be enough to serve 100 grown men. Yet, every time, we inevitably were left with a whole tray of sad and soggy uneaten rolls. You would think 7 years of soup kitchening later, I would have learned to be a portion control pro in my own life. Sadly, no.

Whether it's at home or at a restaurant, I over-order and subsequently overeat. So, today I decided to challenge myself to cook enough for just two people.

This is a recipe for tandoori-style salmon skewers served on a bed of wilted fennel spinach and potatoes. Perfect for date night or just enough for ONE day of leftovers.

For Recipe (Click Read More)

Cha Cha Chana

You can't really understand Indian street food until you experience it. I would liken it somewhat to your first slice of $1 jumbo New York pizza in the middle of Times Square...

And if you're traveling India the right way, you really can't avoid street food because not only does it travel in street carts but also on top of people's heads.
I remember during the summer of my freshman year of college, I traveled to India for a research project. Without my overprotective parents around, I was free to roam around in autos, erra buses (also known as non-AC city buses in Hyderabad), and my own two feet. I met amazing people, occasionally was scared for my life, but most of all had the best street food ever: from street-side chai and mysore bondas on my way home to fresh coconut juice that I could buy straight from my bus window.

Today I've decided to take on a healthier version of a street-food favorite: Chana jor garam.

Chana jor garam is a popular Indian street food that's usually made with packaged, flattened, fried black lentils. I am deathly afraid of the savory snacks aisle of the Indian store, so I try to avoid it if I can. My version is made with roast whole garbanzos and very low fat. So, put those kale chips away because healthy snacking can also taste good once again!

For Recipe (Click Read More)