Spinach Asparagus Soup

Spinach Asparagus Soup

Spinach Asparagus Soup,a recipe I learnt at a cooking event in our community. I recently got elected to the HOA Board and we recently started a Social events committee in our neighborhood, Being a lover of food at heart, I volunteered the idea to start something like this where community would easily gravitate towards and find it easy to mingle with other neighbors. I firmly believe in the idea that your neighbors are the extended family of sorts. If you have good neighbors you are likely to enjoy life even more!

So our very first event of Chef’s Creations series, was held on an extremely cold day of the winter in January with temperatures at 24 F. Not sure if the residents will show up, fellow member and I decided to wait for people. The member took up the task of showing the recipe and she very graciously changed the ingredients to suit my vegetarian diet. We felt blessed that day as 20 residents showed up on Sunday afternoon, some to cheer us up, some out of plain curiosity, and some just followed the smell of delicious cooking! Spinach Asparagus Soup turned out to be a perfect accompaniment on an extremely cold day.

The kitchen could not have held more people, so it was just right size of group. The recipe used by her was from A Chef’s Kitchen, Williamsburg VA. According to couple of my other neighbors, it is known for its very classy cuisine and is extremely famous and booked more than 6 months in advance. So she really hit the bull’s-eye there!

I just admired her enthusiasm and willingness to do something she had never done before and as a great reward for her efforts, the participants really appreciated the event!  She did a great job in explaining the recipe and there was also ample time for neighbors to laugh and chat! A very generous neighbor decided to donate his collection of cookbooks as a surprise door prize to one of the participants. It was such a great camaraderie feeling, and it was heart warming to see teenager son and daughter with dads, and mothers and daughters bond over an afternoon of cooking demonstration.

The soup was great in color, and tasted delicious and even though there were too many cooks helping out, it did not spoil the taste! We sure made some mess, but felt a wave of positive energy and satisfaction.Unfortunately this would not serve a good recipe for strict Jain Diet as it uses roots. The recipe is nutritious and has the richness of Creme Fraiche, an ingredient I personally likes it reminds me homemade Indian butter from fermented milk cream.

So in the coming cold wintry days, enjoy this delicious recipe of Spinach Asparagus Soup from the highly rated A Chef’s Kitchen and as demonstrated by the chairperson of our Social Events committee! And a lesson I learnt that day was that the way to a stranger’s heart often lies via good food and that giving back to the community is a great feeling! My apologies for not having step by step images, as it was a class in progress, where I was a student!

Print Recipe
Spinach Asparagus Soup
Spinach Asparagus Soup How to make quick Spinach Asparagus Soup.
Spinach Asparagus Soup
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Italian
Servings
6 people
Ingredients
Garnishing the soup
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Italian
Servings
6 people
Ingredients
Garnishing the soup
Spinach Asparagus Soup
Instructions
Preparing the Soup
  1. Cut the tips of the asparagus from the stems and reserve as a soup garnish.Cut the asparagus stems in 1 inch pieces.
  2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and onion and then cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, unless the onions are translucent in color.
  3. Add the potatoes, broth, thyme, pepper, salt to the saucepan. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until vegetables are tender and potatoes are soft.
  4. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, add the cut stem pieces of asparagus and cook for 3 minutes on hight flame, till they are soft.
  5. Add baby spinach leaves and cook for 1 minute.
  6. Remove from flame and puree soup in blender in batches.
  7. Pour the blended soup through a sieve or strainer in a pot. Thin with some more vegetable broth if desired,
Garnishing the soup
  1. Chop the saved asparagus stems into small pieces
  2. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a skillet.Once the oil is hot and simmering, add the reserved asparagus tips. Saute until tender.
  3. Serve the soup in the cup and add asparagus to the soup. Garnish each bowl of the soup with Creme Fraiche or sour cream. and chopped parsley or chives.Add some drops of smoked paprika oil on the top and serve,
Recipe Notes

Tips

Be cautious when blending the soup, as it is just off the flame.

Prepping all the chopping previously quickens the cooking time.

Instinct Factor

If I were to rely on my instincts, I would remove the leeks as I did not taste them much and also am not too fond of it and I would be careful while adding creme fraiche, as little portion of it is sufficient, as it can get very rich and dense. Sour cream would probably adapt well here. 

Feel Factor

A really green inviting soup with the fragrance of onions, olive oil, and asparagus. As per the author this also serves as the base for Potato and Leek soup, if you are fond of leeks. The color of the garnishing of the asparagus was perfect and the Spinach Asparagus Soup was extremely welcome on a cold afternoon. A bit of thyme, a bit of parsley, a bit of asparagus and loads of baby spinach,  with the exquisite flavor of smoked paprika oil made this recipe and demonstration a truly unique and delicious experience. And am very happy to share such a wonderful community moment with the broader blog community here!

 

 

Masala Popcorn

Masala Popcorn

Masala Popcorn on a Friday night!  Friday night, often  a movie night in many families happened to be a movie night for me also today!  Masala Popcorn also became my dinner, as many a times when one is alone for a meal, the motivation to cook just vanishes. This interesting recipe  by Vikram Sunderam, the celebrity chef of Rasika tempted me to try it out. Rasika is known for its super quality contemporary Indian cuisine. I have over several occasions had celebration meals at the variety of restaurants under the Rasika group management, and never have we been disappointed!

Popcorn is something I have always enjoyed. Some years back I tasted jalapeño flavored popcorn at Potomac Mills. After tasting this salty and spicy flavor in popcorn, chance of this flavor being on the top flavors are quite likely. 

The recipe was created with the desire to bring the flavor of Chevda, the Indian quintessential snack. As an Indian, we always look for the comfort of the spices and  recreate the taste at the first chance we have. This recipe is truly a creative idea by Vikram, and no wonder this is a popular accompaniment at Rasika Bar. If I get a chance to meet him, I would probably get his autograph on the Recipe book that Rasika has just released it, and which I had the chance to get it on my anniversary. What more can a foodie ask for! 

I enjoyed this uniquely flavored Masala Popcorn while watching a Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer When Harry Met Sejal! Movie review- A plus to Anushka for doing an amazing task of imitating a Gujjuben, and SRK is always at his best for his diehard fan! The masala in the movie was equivalent to  the masala in the popcorn, with  the use of cumin, coriander, curry leaves, chillies and spice level further raised by some red chili powder. 

Masala Popcorn has a nice kick in its flavor, while providing a comfort meal.  A two minute dinner that has all the spices, fiber and is low fat, is an interesting combination for sure. Enjoy your favorite movie, accompanied by Masala Popcorn!

Print Recipe
Masala Popcorn
Popcorn wit Indian Spices
Masala Popcorn
Course Appetizers
Cook Time 5 min
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Appetizers
Cook Time 5 min
Servings
people
Ingredients
Masala Popcorn
Instructions
  1. Create the garnish for the popcorn first. Heat the oil in a small saucepan, Once the oil heats, add coriander seeds and asafetida. Lower the flame so that garnish does not over cook.
  2. Once coriander seeds crackle, add cumin seeds. As the cumin seeds brown, add fennel seeds. After few seconds, add the remaining ingredients and remove from flame.
  3. If cooking on gas I suggest creating the garnish first, and then mixing the garnish in the popcorn and then popping it over the stove.
  4. Otherwise, follow the microwave instructions for making the popcorn. Once the popcorn is cooked, add the masala garnish and toss it thoroughly so that the flavor is well integrated in the popcorn.
  5. Enjoy a nice family evening with Masala Popcorn and interesting movie at home!
Recipe Notes

Tips

Recently I came across this Masala flavored Popcorn by Swad having the spices of red chili powder, which might be a good alternative, though I have not tried it.

Instinct Factor

Taste of home is the main instinct factor for most of chefs!

Feel Factor

Masala Popcorn gives a great kick to the flavor of popcorn, For the really  high spice lovers, some finely chopped jalapeño will coat the popcorn well. Low fat tasty alternative to the buttery popcorn, and also possible to have more, as its not so high in calories! I had two servings and enjoyed the fennel, cumin , green chillies and curry flavor in the popcorn. Masala Popcorn while watching movie, made the movie  more enjoyable and memorable!

 

Aloo Gobi Singara Layered Bengali Samosa

Aloo Gobi Singara Layered Bengali Samosa is traditionally known as Aloo Phulkopir Singara in Bengali. When I saw this image on the web, I was fully mesmerized by the flowing layer look atop one of the most famous Indian Snack- Samosas! It just made the samosas climb a new height in my eyes. I had been craving for Samosas and it being Diwali time, in most homes, the best and the most creative dishes are being cooked so was looking for a recipe that satisfied my creativity as well as craving for samosas.

Cauliflower stuffing mixed with the traditional potatoes, gives it a whole new taste and the traditional recipe even mixes in raisins and cashews which I avoided, as did not want a sweet taste in the singara. My exposure to Bengali samosas came from Tewari Brothers near Opera House in Mumbai, whose samosas are just simply amazing and different as they had Chhole filling in their samosas and were fried in ghee. Now interesting point to google would be did Singara came first or the Persian Sambosag

So while searching for that recipe, I came across the Aloo Gobi Singara which was definitely different in taste with an interesting look, so thought why not start the Diwali festivities with a new take on an all time favorite Samosas!! Addition of whole spices of fennel seeds, coriander seeds and cumin seeds as well as a good amount of aamchur and roasted cumin gives it a good depth and blends the cauliflower and potatoes into a nice tangy, spicy mix, and when fried in ghee, everything just becomes fragrant, My house reminded me of the aroma at Tewari Bros! In West Bengal, singara and samosas are two different items, primarily different in shape as the samosa are more triangular/flatter  and can be filled with many other stuffings, but singara has to have potatoes and cauliflower in their stuffing and are more rounder with greater amount of stuffing inside it. 

Singaras are popular tea time snacks or journey snacks and they were introduced in 13th or 14 century by central Asian traders who brought them along with them to eat and they often originally had meat and other stuffings in it. The Persians called them as Sanbosag, and the Bengalis nicknamed them as singara as it had close resemblance to the Shingoras(Chestnuts). Well that makes the Aloo Gobi Singara Layered Bengali Samosa  an even more apt fall delicacy as it is named after Chestnuts! The taste was great and the shape, texture and crispiness even greater!! The recipe below is a mix of various recipes on Singara on the web, modified to suit my personal taste. It does take some time to take, but then no Diwali/Festivity recipe is without some effort! 

As a Jain I am happy to share this, as its a recipe that only uses half the amount of potatoes, and which easily can be substituted by Green Bananas. The time to cook is slightly more than normal samosas, and one can even try this using pastry dough too!

Happy to share Aloo Gobi Singara Layered Bengali Samosa with you all and wishing everyone a Prosperous Dhan Teras!!

 

 

 

 

Print Recipe
Aloo Gobi Singara Layered Bengali Samosa
Aloo Gobi Singara Layered Bengali Samosa
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 7 min
Cook Time 1 hour
Passive Time 30 min
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
For the Stuffing
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 7 min
Cook Time 1 hour
Passive Time 30 min
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
For the Stuffing
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
  1. Mix in the flour, salt, carom seeds and oil thoroughly for about five minutes, till you see small lumps can form.
  2. After that add about half the water and combine thoroughly, then add the remaining water and knead the dough into a firm yet pliable consistency, slightly smoother than a pie dough.
  3. Cover with a wet cloth for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Check for the gluten formation, by pressing fingers into the dough. If the dough bounces back, the gluten has formed.
  5. Divide the dough into twelve parts and make round balls.
Preparing of the stuffing
  1. Heat the oil and add the coarsely grounded spices to it. Stir for a minute and then add the minced ginger and green chillies and stir further.
  2. Add cubed potatoes, mix and cover for 3 minutes to cook.
  3. Add cauliflower florets, turmeric powder and cover for 3 minutes and cook further
  4. Add salt , whisk the vegetables and cover and cook for another 5 minutes
  5. Add all the remaining spices and mix in two tbsp coriander, cook for 1 minute and remove from flame and let it cool.
Making Singara
  1. Roll one round ball into oval shape about 6 inches long.
  2. Lightly fold the rolled dough into half and open again.
  3. Cut the oval into half, at the indicated half line present due to light folding.
  4. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife make horizontal cuts across one half of the oval, about 1/2 inch apart, and also leaving a 1/4 inch border. Moisten with water all over the surface of this half
  5. Place the non-serrated/ plain half over the moistened cut/serrated half and align all the edges well.
  6. Bring the flat edged side on the top, curved side on the bottom, and also the cut side should be below, and plain half on the top. This way the cut side will become outer covering and plain side will be the inner side, when you fold the singara.
  7. Moisten the top flat edge with water.
  8. Lift from both the sides to make a V shape and pull one side over the other to close it in a cone shape.
  9. Press firmly where the two sides meet to ensure that it will be a tight bottom cone.
  10. Take 1 tbsp of stuffing and fill the inside of the cone.
  11. Moisten the top open edge of the cone and bring it down horizontally to the lower side in order to close the cone. Make the rest of Singaras in the above manner.
  12. Heat about 3/4 cup ghee in a flat pan.
  13. Once its hot, reduce it to slow flame. Add 4-5 Singaras to fry at a time on a low flame. Because you are frying in ghee, it will take time.
  14. Turn over and fry till they are evenly cooked and have an almond color texture. Remove from flame on to a paper towel to remove excess ghee.
  15. Garnish it with some chat masala and serve hot with tamarind chutney/ green chutney or sauce.
Recipe Notes

Tips

Ensure that the water for the dough is cold, and oil is warmed up. This is crucial to the dough. The consistency of dough is key to having a crispy texture to singara.

If frying in oil, the color of singaras, will be more golden as compared to when frying in ghee. The taste is much better when fried in ghee for sure. Make sure that the strip layer as well as the inside layer are well fried. Frying in ghee will take a little longer then frying in ghee.

Add 1/2 cup of peas for more flavor.

The simpler non layered version will be a much faster version of this!

Instinct Factor

Frying in ghee was an instinct based response, as I remember clearly that Tiwari Bros had an aroma of ghee at their shop and they are known to make everything in pure ghee. Having ghee also reduces acidity!

Feel Factor

Welcoming Diwali with something new, tasty, and as interesting as Aloo Gobi Singara Layered Bengali Samosa is a great way to feel happy about the festive joyous occasion! The tangy taste of the Aloo Gobi and the crispy and crunchy texture with the buttery feel due to frying in ghee, makes it a great festival recipe! It makes it unique and definitely an item when you want to impress someone with your culinary skills, and can be done in the more or less the same amount as when making the traditional samosas! Layered look gives it gourmet look so definitely a recipe to go for when you need some surprise element in your menu and a recipe that delivers!

 

 

 

Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast

Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast

Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toasts are recipes from a French  grandmother,  that I chanced upon on my trip to New Orleans last month. We have been making trips across the states, to visit different colleges, and so a few places are some that we have never visited. Like every tourist, I had a few museums in mind , besides visiting the famous French Quarters and a tram ride on Charles Street. New Orleans was earlier a French Colony as well as Spanish colony. And then it was purchased by USA from them in the famous Louisiana purchase, The city has retained its french legacy with the streets in the french quarter still retaining fresh names.

I have always found vegetarian food in french cuisine to be highly delicious, flavorful and healthy  per my experience in Paris. So when I got a chance to try some in the cafe at Contemporary Arts Center, I was eagerly waiting to be pleasantly satisfied and also surprised by its flavors. Rightly so, I found a highly colorful and varied combinations to eat a simple toast!! No wonder the french toast is also so popular. A brief reading on Wiki mentions that the french toast was earlier dipped in milk, cinnamon and butter and that the initial recipe had no eggs, as so commonly done now. This is mentioned in  Apicius a collection of Roman cookery recipes, usually thought to have been compiled in the late 4th or early 5th century AD.

What a treat it was to taste ancestral recipes like the Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast s in a town that is so rich with history and where French, Spanish and American influences merge to make a vibrant impression on the town and its tourists! The garnishes and spread were varied and I hope to explore more of those in future and share the same with everyone, This is a great recipe for a quick healthy colorful fix, or if someone is just watching the calorie intake and yet craves for something delicious!  Below is my first attempt to post a recipe with a  short video in addition to the detailed steps so do have a look:)


Print Recipe
Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast
A healthy flavorful toast for breakfast or brunch!
Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 min
Cook Time 5 min
Servings
people
Ingredients
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 min
Cook Time 5 min
Servings
people
Ingredients
Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast
Instructions
  1. Dice the avocados in cubes
  2. Mash the avocados and then add olive oil to it and mix in some more. Add salt to taste.
  3. Toast a thick slice of bread.
  4. Put the avocado spread atop the toast and garnish it with chopped olives, pumpkin seeds and fresh basil leaves
  5. Blend the cottage cheese using a hand blender
  6. Spread the cottage cheese over the toast and garnish with pumpkin seeds, red chili flakes and balsamic vinegar.
  7. Serve immediately and tomato soup goes well with these toasts
Recipe Notes

Tips

Thick slice of bread will give a nice crunch and base for the toast.  When I first tried, I had it on rye bread.

Instinct Factor

When I mashed the avocado, the color became slightly yellow, and was not as green as I saw at the cafe, So thought of adding the extra virgin olive oil and immediately the color became greener and the texture of the spread became smoother too, after all, avocado is used as a butter so worked out well.

Experiment with any toppings such as  arugula, goat cheese, walnuts to name a few!

Feel Factor

The best lunch for a hot afternoon, as both the combinations provide a cooling and soothing effect! I have always been a fan of crunchy stuff and toasts too, so its a perfect bite with a soup on the side. It looks so colorful and inviting and can be fixed in ten minutes! Besides it is so very healthy and light that an extra piece of toast will satisfy that extra bit of craving without much guilt!  The balsamic vinegar gives a nice sweet and tangy taste which matches well with red chili flakes. And fresh basil leaves with olives for an avocado lover is always an added bonus!  Avocado and Cottage Cheese Toast is good recipe for college bound kids too, to fix something in a jiffy! Enjoy these toast recipes  from a French home in New Orleans adding refreshing flavors to the vegetarian cuisine.

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Dalvada Lentil Fritters

Dalvada Lentil Fritters

Dalvada Lentil Fritters, a specialty of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is a highly nutritious, quick and easy snack that can be easily had in a place of a meal! You will find lots of people feasting on this as they are so delicious. I had been exposed to this delicacy during my childhood days,  eating the then famous dalwadas  at Natraj Cinema  during my college days at HL College. The snack is served with fried green chillies as accompaniment and is a popular street food of Gujarat, like the Vada Pav in Maharashtra.

This snack was made popular by the street vendors and made more famous by one vendor, Shri Ambika Dalvada. In one of the interviews with the owner, it turns out he is originally from Rajasthan, and  it is no wonder that a successful dish based on lentils would be coming from Rajasthani. As Rajasthan is known for Dal Bati, Moong Chilla etc. These Dalvada will also be appreciated by people who like Pesarattu, as it contains the same Split Green Gram Lentils as in the Moong Chilla or Pesarattu.

The addition of blackeyed peas (Chora Dal or Lobia Dal) gives it the extra crunch in the Dalwada. Split green lentil is already very high in protein and assists in lowering glycemic index. Black eyed peas or chora/lobia dal is  very high in phosphorous and magnesium along with high folate content. So together this is a great combination. The added spice of green chillies, ginger, garlic mix gives it a great flavoring.

What is interesting to know is that in southern food in USA, cowpeas(blackened peas) are known to bring good luck and so southerners insist on having them on the first day of the year, to bring them good luck. So why not have some luck coming your way on the upcoming Super Bowl weekend?!!

Hope your team wins as you munch on the Dalvada Lentil  Fritters, while watching the Super Bowl and also debating on which one was the most creative commercial of all! Have a great Super Bowl weekend!

Print Recipe
Dalvada Blackeyed Peas Fritters
Nutritious snack with split green mung lentils with skin and black eyed peas(chora/lobia)
Dalvada Lentil Fritters
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
Dalvada Lentil Fritters
Instructions
  1. Mix the lentils and wash them thrice. Soak them in 5 cups of water for at least 3 hours
  2. Make a paste of chillies, ginger, garlic by crushing them in a mortar pestle.
  3. Keep very little water in the lentils and grind the lentils coarsely. Add the ginger paste to it and grind further. Add fresh coriander to the blended lentils.
  4. Add salt for taste, and add some water if needed to arrive at a dropping consistency.
  5. Heat the oil to smoking point and lower the flame to medium low
  6. Drop the dalwada fritters using your fingers or an ice cream scoop. The finger method works better tor me.
  7. Fry on a medium low flame till golden in color on both sides, rotating as needed.
  8. Sprinkle some chat masala and black salt powder on top and serve hot with green chutney.
    Dalvada Lentil Fritters
Recipe Notes

Tips

Grinding consistency is important to crunchiness and so is the water level in the mix.  If the mix is too watery, it will not drop well.Starting with less water will always be easy as we can add more with required.

More commonly people now use, only yellow split moong dal, so you can try that recipe too. But the dal with the skin is more fibrous and nutritious than the yellow moong dal

Instinct Factor

It will have more flavor if green chillies are chopped and added to the mix along with coriander leaves. Since I was having kids as guests too, I decided to make a paste of it. Addition of Chat masala and Sanchal or black salt powder was purely instinct driven!

Feel Factor

Enjoying the delicacy from my distant past,!  Memories unfolded as I recalled all the carefree days of my college time.Truly a nutritious snack that I plan to make more, as the weather is still cold enough to enjoy warm snacks with a cup of tea and munching a handful while entertaining guests and having easy conversations. I would like to extend my gratitude to another friend at whose place I discovered the addition of blackeyed peas to dalwada, while enjoying Hindi Kavita and discussing literature with like minded folks! The best part of the Dalvada Lentil Fritters was the crunch in it, that promised to remain so even after they were cold.

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Grape Focaccia

Grape Focaccia

Grape Focaccia is a bread from Northwest Italy, where there is a tradition of having dolce focaccia, meaning sweet focaccia, topped with raisins, honey and sugar. Focaccia bread has lots of olive oil, herbs and salt and could be thick or thin. When I  first heard about the word, Focaccia, I was quite intrigued by it. The traditional meaning is “hearth baked flat bread”. The first time I had focaccia bread, in New Zealand it was thick and soft version and had grapes inside it and we fell in love with it. The ingredients in terms of butter, olive, grains in New Zealand are in my opinion the world’s best, because of so little commercialization and population. It’s still very pristine, and our experience of having Focaccia was 18 years ago. Would love to go  there, and eat this bread again in Wellington, hoping that bakery/deli shop still exists! Kind of taking a parallel from a current movie Lion, which runs on  a similar theme, where a lost boy finds his way home in India, all the way from Australia. I would like to do the reverse to find this sandwich place  in Wellington:)

Till then, I will just have to try out my version of the same. And interestingly enough, came across  this recipe in Southern Living, and it immediately caught my attention. Though the size was flat, it had an interesting flavor and taste, with olive oil, salt, rosemary, thyme and lavender herbs and the sweetness of red grapes. Using organic and unbleached bread flour, will make the bread more light and flavorful  The color and size makes it an attractive appetizer, side dish. Having  this on a snowy evening, uplifts you with its sweet aroma and gives you a perfect accompaniment to celebrate the joy the nature provides you everyday!! Providing you this recipe in a new plugin which seems to provide all my needs as an author. Let me know if you like it, by commenting on the contact form!

Happy to be baking and celebrating the first snow of the season, with the warm,sweet,  savory flavor of Grape Focaccia!!

Print Recipe
Grape Focaccia
Grape Focaccia
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
pieces
Ingredients
Grape Focaccia
Instructions
  1. Warm the water for 20 seconds in the microwave. Add the water and yeast to the bread maker bowl and leave it for 5 minutes. Add bread flour, salt, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 tbsp of herbs to the yeast. Select the bread maker to dough and make the dough. The cycle should last about 1 1/2 hours, during which the dough should rise.
  2. Alternatively, if you don't have a bread maker, mix everything in a blender bowl, and mix using a dough blade , mix on medium high for five minutes. Grease some olive oil in a bowl and put the sticky dough in it, and wrap it with plastic wrap and let it rise to double in size in a warm place( under the oven light) for about an hour or more.
  3. Remove the dough after an hour, and transfer to the baking pan. Grease the baking pan lightly with oil, add another 1/4 cup of olive oil, and punch the dough with knuckles. Mix in about 1/3 quantity of grapes and cover again the dough and leave it to rise for another hour.
  4. After an hour, flatter the dough further to the thickness you would like to have, add the balance grapes on top. Garnish it with sea salt, pepper, balance herbs and remaining 1/4 cup oil.
  5. Pre heat convection oven to 425 degrees and bakes for 30 minutes till the top is golden brown.
  6. Remove from the oven and cool for couple of minutes. Slice into square shapes and serve.
  7. Enjoy your bite of Grape Focaccia!
    Grape Focaccia
Recipe Notes

Tips

Feel free to explore with fresh olives, or raisins or any topping of your choice. Fresh Basil also will give a great flavor in the bread.

Instinct Factor

Normally the focaccia is served in square pieces, but even triangles shapes would look good, and give a pizza feel!

Feel Factor

Warmth, love, happiness and joy from outdoors into the indoors! Love the red color of grapes on top, the orange glow of baking and crispiness of the bottom texture in the Grape Focaccia. The crunch mingled with softness of the inside and the fragrance of the herbs and olive and hint of sea salt! Wow baking bread is so so easy and satisfying and the house also warms up the bread aroma!! Bon Appetit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Avocado Banana Chaat

Avocado Banana Chaat

When things are meant to be, they just happen! Something like that happened for this Avocado Banana Chaat. I had dinner guests who are strict Jain Vegetarians, and hence had to find some summer recipes that would suit their needs, as well as my need for some chaat on the menu. I often think of the awesome Avocado Banana Chaat that I once had at Rasika, in Washington D.C. It was truly unique as it had avocado and indian spices. Rasika made an impression on me with its unique combination and superb presentation. And I always wanted to recreate this appetizer in my home. The guests  served as an inspiration to look out for the recipe on the web. A click on one of the google search for avocado banana chaat, accidentally led me to a link on the Chef at Rasika himself explaining this recipe of Avocado Banana Chaat! I felt as if I had hit a goldmine!! And I can confidently say that the appetizer hit a gold medal with my guests too!

The recipe is simple, healthy, and the tamarind sauce can be made in advance and used as needed. All you need is ripe avocados to enjoy this delicious, tangy, appetizer that is just one of the coolest way to have avocados. Almost like having an avocado bhel feel! The recipe is great for pregnant women and people on the path of improving their good cholesterol(LDL) as Avocados are good source of good fat! So along with Guacamole, keep this Avocado Banana Chaat in your menu for dinner party lists, as it is colorful, easy and super healthy and highly novel item too! The interesting flavor of the caramelized banana sprinkled with black pepper is what gives it and extra dimension to this already cool appetizer!!

No summer is complete without a chaat, so start a healthy ABC with this Avocado, Banana, Chaat🙂

Recipe makes for 15 people

Prep Time :  15 min.

Cook Time : 15 min

Avocado Banana Chaat

Ingredients

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  • 20 Avocados
  • 2 cups jaggery
  • 2 cups dates
  • 1/2 cup tamarind paste( or 2 cups dry tamarind)
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 6 dry Red Kashmiri Chillies
  • 1600 ml water
  • 7-8  About to ripe bananas
Method
  • Put  water to boil
  • Add all the ingredients and boil for 30 min on fast flame.
  • When the water reduces to half. remove from flame

 

 

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  • Using a hand blender, blend all the ingredients

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  • Sieve the mixture  and remove the coarse parts.
  • Cool the tamarind paste.
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  • Peel the bananas and cut into half and slice each half vertically into two more pieces.
  • On a non stick or thick bottom shallow pan, put  some oil to heat.
  • Griddle the bananas for a few minutes on slow-medium flame till reddish brown.

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  • Remove from flame and sprinkle crushed black pepper and a pinch of salt on them
  • Skin the avocados and remove the pit and dice them into cubes.
  • Gather  the chopped avocados in a small bowl, and invert the bowl in the plate.

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  • Top it with tamarind paste and surround it with caramelized bananas.
  • Serve immediately.

Avocado Banana Chaat

 

 

 

Tips

Ensure that avocados are not extremely ripe, as then it is not possible to cut into cubes. Also if you cut the avocados in advance, pour some lemon juice on it, for it to avoid oxidation.

If well cooked, the tamarind paste will give off a nice glaze from the caramelization of the jaggery.

Instinct Factor

Just trust your heart to let you know what the body needs!

Feel Factor

To recreate what a master chef creates at his restaurant, is a wonderful feeling! And the feeling gets even more satisfying when the recipe turns out good and the guests enjoy this colorful chaat appetizer that becomes the spotlight for the evening! It is extremely colorful and healthy chaat recipe with avocados and banana, that will give you enough grounds for something to really chat about 🙂

 

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Sudanese Gibna Baida Sandwich

Sudanese Gibna Baida Sandwich

Sudanese Gibna Baida Sandwich is all about the cheese! What’s in a cheese? Everything! The earliest invention of cheese now dates to 5000 BCE, per the pottery found in Poland. Cheese making developed as soon as cows and sheep were used for farming. The pictorial description of cheese formation process is well described in tablets in Egypt  and Sumeria. Gibna Baida is how the white cheese in Sudan is known as. It is a part of the cheese categorized as salad cheese, and resembles its texture to Feta cheese, as commonly known. The difference is Greek Feta cheese is made from sheep’s milk and combination of sheep and goat sudanese Gibbna(popular name for Gibna Baida) was originally made only from cow’s milk and without any additions of rennet. To know  more about discovery of cheese, do read this Smithsonian article  on History of cheese  Like feta cheese, it is also stored in the whey or brine, but it is less salty than feta. It is more like the Indian Paneer cheese, only most crumbly and softer.

So as this is a part of the category of  salad cheese, the way to eat this in sandwich, which was shown to be my sister in law, whose family is originally from Sudan, is that you mix the salad vegetables , like cucumber and tomatoes with the cheese.  Since Gibna Baida is not so easily available over here, my sister in law decided to use feta cheese,  and she was happy with the overall taste of the sandwich.

I enjoy eating this sandwich in the hot summer days, as often on hot days, I prefer eating salad that cools your body, and this definitely has a cooling feel to it. Its a new taste to have a flavored salad with indian spices in your sandwich, but you got to try to it appreciate it!

My daughter gave two thumbs up for this, and I liked it to, specially as I used the creme fraiche ( similar to indian white butter) as the base. My sister in law used this to take it on a long journey,and everyone seemed to enjoy this. So thinking of hiking, long drives? Think of Sudanese Gibna Sandwich as an option! I have still retained the Gibna name, even though I have used Feta and Paneer, as the inspiration is from Sudan!  For my personal consumption I used crumbled paneer, as I wanted to go low on salt as well as avoid any rennet based cheese, as rennet is animal based product.

So say cheese, take lovely pictures  and enjoy the summer with this cooling salad based Sudanese Gibna Baida Sandwich for all!

Sudanese Gibna Baida Sandwich

Recipe makes 5 sandwiches

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cup chopped cucumbers
  • 1/3 cup chopped avocados (optional)
  •  1 1/2 cup of gibna baida cheese or feta cheese or crumbled paneer
  • 3 1/2 tbsp oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp corainder powder
  • salt to taste
  • 10 bread slices with the crust removed
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Method

  • Mix everything in a bowl, except the bread slices. The one on the right has avocados and paneer.

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  • Butter the bread slices.
  • Layer the bread with the salad and cheese mix.

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  • And top it with another slice and cut into pieces as you desire. I have a liking for triangle, as somewhere I read recently that triangle, is the most stable shape in geometry! Display in a pinwheel form or listen to your creative voice and enjoy!

Sudanese Gibna Baida Sandwich

 

Tips

Mix all the ingredients, just when you are about to make sandwiches.  Add olives if you prefer, as they will go well with this combination.

Instinct Factor

You can try leaving  a block of paneer  in the whey to create the original feta/gibna baida cheese texture and taste

Feel Factor

I can survive on sandwiches, seven days a week, and am always looking to vary my sandwich of the day! This is an excellent, quick way to eat salad flavored with oil and spices, and specially tastes great with white indian butter  or creme fraiche by Vermont bakery, available at Whole Foods. THE creme fraiche is made very similar to the way Indian white butter is made. The crust removed bread tastes great with the salad and cheese and Sudanese Gibna Baida Sandwich is a great summer sandwich to enjoy!

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Fried Patra Alu Vadi Colocasia Pinwheel Fritters

Fried Patra Alu Vadi Colocasia Pinwheel Fritters

Fried Patra Alu Vadi Colocasia Pinwheel Fritters

Fried Patra Alu Vadi Colocasia Pinwheel Fritters is an Indian subcontinent delicacy, from a vegetable, that is considered as one of the oldest cultivated vegetables. Its popular name is Elephant Ears, and that is no wonder as elephants are found in abundance in Malaysia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. The size of the Arbi/Colocasia leaves is gigantic and justifies its popular name as Elephant ears! This plant is mainly cultivated in USA around lakes and ponds but in Indian sub continent it is widely eaten for its roots, leaves and corms. My good luck that I live next to a botanist, to whom I introduced this delicacy and he was so captivated by it, that we decided to grow it in a containter in USA, as fresh Arvi leaves are hard to find on a consistent basis! He even looked for it at the nursery for us! As I come from Jain family, my association with roots vegetables is not great, but my mother-in-law makes excellent vegetable curry from Arvi roots. So while buying Arvi root for my husband, I had a Eureka moment, and figured, why not try cultivating this root in a container pot and see if I can have fresh Arvi leaves through the year! So this eureka moment is a result of neighborly mingling and sharing one’s culture and food with others. Also always taking the opportunity to know more about different cultures and cuisines!

The common way of cooking Patra or Alu Vadi is by steaming the leaves. However my mother had an additional way of making it, by frying them. By doing this, it looses some of its extra sharpness in taste and plus the taste is crunchy, and can be served as a warm appetizers, just before the meal is served. Gujarati households have a penchant for fried stuff, so its understandable, why this dish became popular in our household! And my neighbor also liked this version better than the steamed one, and he is not of Indian origin! So this delicacy will definitely appeal to taste buds of many people, and it also has a high visual appeal with its pinwheel look.

The process involves coating the leaves with a spiced gram flour paste on the leaves, and then rolling them in group of three, or single. And then either steaming the rolls, followed by cutting into pieces and then garnish it with mustard, sesame , coconut and lime. However for fried patra, we first slice into pieces and then fry them golden brown and serve with ketchup and chat masala. The taste has some sweetness, some spice, some crunch, that creates a very attractive finger food! I can easily vouch that Fried Patra Alu Vadi Colocasia  Pinwheel Fritters are addictive if you like them, as you start eating one, and you will  soonfinish a handful and want more!  And this recipe covers both the fried as well steam option of the Patra, Alu Vadi and Cocolasia Pinwheel Fritters appetizer.

Hope I find luck in growing the leaves in my container from the Arvi root! That way a high dose of Vitamin A and Potassium is always available through these Elephant ears/ Patra leaves! These small joyful moments of discovering something new and learning something new, make my days exciting and keeps my mind eager to learn!

Make both versions, steam and fried, and decide which one you like more!

Fried Patra Alu Vadi Colocasia Pinwheel Fritters

Recipe makes 60-70 pieces of Patra  Pinwheel fritters

Cooking time 1 hour 20 minutes

Prep time: 15 min

Ingredients

  • 10 Arvi or Colocasia leaves (mix of large, medium and small sizes)

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  • 2 1/2 cups gram flour besan
  • 11/2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp chilli  powder
  • 1/4 tsp asafotida
  • 3 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

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For frying and garnishing

  • oil for frying
  • chat masala for seasoning

Method

  • Wash the leaves thoroughly and leave them to dry.
  • Using a sharp knife, skin the thick veins on back of the leaves.
  • Mix all the ingredients into a paste and leave it set for half an hour, ensuring that there are no lumps.

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  • Lay the biggest leaf on face down and cover it with gram flour paste.

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  • Lay second leaf face down with tip on the opposite direction and cover it with paste.

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  • Lay the third smaller size leaf again face down, tip facing the side of first leaf and cover it with gram flour paste.

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  • Now from the tip side of the first leaf, starting rolling over small and tight till you reach the other hand. Every second turn of the roll, apply the gram flour paste.

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  • Slice the rolled leaves into half and inch thick pieces.

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  • Heat the oil for frying. and when warm, insert the sliced pieces to fry on low- medium flame.

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  • Turn over when golden brown and cook on the other side.
  • Remove to cool a bit.
  • Garnish with chat masala and serve it with ketchup.

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Tips

Fresh leaves taste the best. Do not buy leaves that are yellow or lifeless. as it will taste bitter.
When skinning the veins at the back, ensure that you do not cut through leaves, and the smooth edges seem as flat as the leaf.

Instinct Factor

My mother prefers to use only single leaf roll for Fried Patra Alu Vadi Colocasia Pinwheel Fritters. This makes the pinwheel fritters to a nice bite size form.

Big spinach leaves can be an alternative to Colocasia leaves, as they have a similar color, texture.

Feel Factor

A snack in a pinwheel form with attractive  gold and green colors, reminding me of a peacock feather, when laid together!. Truly enjoyable  as an accompaniment to any meal, and a novel way to cook the Patra leaves. Since they are not so easily available in USA, it is a delicacy for me that needs to be truly cherished and savored every bit for its rich unique taste. The chat masala sprinkled on top is a perfect seasoning to this yummy appetizer that is rich in vitamin A and potassium nutrients. Go healthy and eat the steamed version or feel festive and have the Fried Patra Alu Vadi Colocasia Pinwheel Fritters.

 

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Eggless White Bread

Eggless White Bread

A loaf of home made eggless white bread can warm so many mornings and so many hearts!  One such loaf was waiting for us, when we came back from an overseas vacation, thanks to a wonderful neighbor of mine, along with some fresh flowers and magazines to read! What a warm welcome from our neighbors for us when we arrived home!  I have experimented with bread in the past, have had some success, but of late had become lazy in making bread. But an opportunity arose for me,  to give the same warm feeling to the neighbors of mine, as they took a vacation. So there came that unloved bread machine from the way back of a cupboard, as I set out to make bread after almost a year and a half!

I decided to use the recipe that my neighbor used, from the Oster Bread Maker book, which is slightly different than what I have in Cuisinart Convection Bread Maker. This recipe for eggless white bread is more closer to the breads from India, as it has milk, and butter and sugar and we have been spoilt by the many warm fragrant loaves that we have had, courtesy the friendly neighbor!!.\

If I were to compare both the breads,  the crust of my bread was more well cooked than the other one, and this was the lightest crust mode in my machine. So I guess the difference is due to the temperature setting in each machine. But as fas the spongy taste and texture, it was the best! The whole house was fragrant with the aroma of warm bread baking, and it was a pure delight to see the rising of the bread touch to the top of the oven!

A few tips to getting good bread, is using lukewarm water, and not letting yeast connect with water!  And using fresh ingredients helps in keeping the loaf light and spongy! Making bread is more scientific than most other items, so ensure that you use proper liquid measuring cup to get the  measurements perfect. Once you get disciplined about this, you will explore all different types of topping and mix-ins, such as cilantro and green chillies, sesame and red pepper, and go creative exploring just one more way to enjoy a warm loaf of bread. You will be thankful that you invested in the bread maker,  even though it uses, that much needed cupboard space!

So break bread, as they say, with the people you care and have loads of interesting conversations over with jellies, spreads and oils of your choice. Eating small bits and pieces of warm eggless white bread with olive oil, flavored with basil and red pepper, is just equivalent to having a five star restaurant experience right in your own kitchen!  And what is more, use the thick slices to make Panini too!

Eggless White Bread

Recipe makes 2 lb loaf

Cooking time 3:03 minutes

Ingredients
  • 4 cups unbleached bread flour

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  • 1 3/8 cup lukewarm water- 1 1/4 cup water plus 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp butter at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 packet Fleischmann’s  active dry yeast
  • 2 tbsp whole milk

Method

  • In a bread maker, pour in water, salt, sugar, butter and whole milk in that order.

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  • Add flour on top.

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  • Make a small dent in the middle, without the hole touching the water.
  • Pour the yeast in the hole, ensuring it does not touch water.

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  • Select the crust type and loaf size and start to bake in the bread maker.
    • About 25 minutes pre-heat and mix in cycle.
    • About 45 minutes is the knead cycle
    • About 60 minutes is the rise cycle
  • After the rise cycle, remove the kneading blade.
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  • About 90 minutes for bake cycle
  • Remove from the bread maker to cool

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  • Cut slices and pieces per choice

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  • Enjoy with your condiments, jellies, or olive oil and plain warm bread and butter.

Eggless Bread

 

Tips

Use fresh ingredients, watch how you handle yeast and be sure of your measurements!

Instinct Factor

How about trying all recipes in the bread book! But the next step is to see how to substitute yeast with a great alternative! So experiment with baking soda, and I am going to post one with alternative to yeast soon!

Feel Factor

Happy to be baking bread again at home, and plan to continue the momentum! Warm Eggless White Bread is just a pleasure to eat, the texture is soft and crust is light but brown in color and its great to see the bread holes in a bread you made at home! A home made organic bread is way tastier and cheaper than a bread from outside, and the brownie point is the warm fragrant smell in the morning as you come down for your morning tea! With delayed start option, one can always set the time to bake in the night and it is just ready for you, making your morning a very sunny morning every day, specially for people like my father!!

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