Achari Chana - Chickpeas with Indian pickle spices

This is one of my goto preparations when I am hungry and craving for something savory.  Very easy to make and satisfies the taste buds.

Ingredients:

• Chick peas/Garbanzo beans/Chana cooked - 2 pounds (I  used the canned ones)
• Onions - 1 medium chopped fine
• Olive Oil - 2 table spoons
• Salt - 1 tea spoon (add to taste)
• Red chili powder - 1 tea spoon (add to taste)

For pickle spice

• Fennel seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Coriander seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Black pepper - 1/2 tea spoon

Method:

Firstly, dry grind the ingredients in pickle spices.  To a pan on medium heat, add Olive Oil.  Let it hear up.  Then add the Onions.  Saute for a few minutes or until they turn semi soft.  Add the pickle spice powder, salt and red chili powder.  Saute for 2 minutes.  Now, add the Chana and mix well.  Add water if needed for consistency.  Close the lid of the pan and let it heat well.  Serve hot with white rice, Fragrant ghee rice, chapati, roti or it can be eaten as is.

Raspberry Chocolate cups

Wish you all a very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year!!

I want to start the first blog post for this year with something sweet.  I made this dessert for the holiday party at my home and it was loved by everyone.  Very simple to make and assemble.  My 7 year old daughter assembled it all by herself :)

The theme of the party was Red and Black.  This went very well with the theme.

Ingredients (for about 6 cups):

• Chocolate browny squares - 6 Number (I used mini browny squares that fit perfectly into my class)
• Red Velvet cake squares - 6 Number (I used the mini red velvet cake squares)
• Raspberries - frozen - 1 1/2 cups
• Raspberries - Fresh - about 12-15
• Blueberries - Fresh - about 18-20
• Agave Nectar - 2 table spoons
• Nutmeg powder - 1/2 tea spoon
• All spice powder - 1/2 tea spoon
• Water - 1 to 2 cups depending on the consistency you like
• Gold color sprinkles (optional) - about 2 table spoons

Method:

For the Raspberry Concoction:

To a pan on medium heat, add the frozen raspberries, water and agave nectar.  Dissolve it and keep stirring till you get the desired consistency.  Mine was the consistency of honey.  Then, add nutmeg and all spice powder.  Stir it and keep aside to cool.

To Assemble:

In a glass cup, place the browny first, then the red velvet cake.  On top of this, pour about 2 table spoons for each cup of the Raspberry concoction (please note that this needs to be cooled before using).  To make the cup prettier, place a couple of fresh Raspberries and Blueberries.  Sprinkle it with some gold sprinkles for a prettier finish and a slight crunch.

Mix Veggies with Sausage served with Quinoa

Generally on weekdays, we try to eat healthy and save all the binging for the weekends :)  This is one of the healthy, quick and easy and tasty recipes for a weekday dinner/lunch.

Ingredients:

• Asparagus - 1 pound - Cut into bite size pieces
• Zucchini - 2 medium - Cut into bite size pieces
• Carrots - 2 medium - Cut into bite size pieces
• Onion - 1 small - Chopped fine
• Chicken/Vegetable stock - 2 cups
• Sausage - 2 number - Cut into bite size pieces (I used Italian hot chicken sausage) - This is optional if you want to keep it vegetarian
• Olive Oil - 1 table spoon
• Soy sauce - 2 table spoon
• Garlic powder - 1 tea spoon
• Ginger powder - 1 tea spoon
• Italian seasoning - 1 table spoon
• Salt - 1 table spoon (Add per taste. Soy sauce contains salt also) 
• Pepper - 1 tea spoon (Crushed)
• Corn flour - 1 table spoon (add this to 1/2 cup of water and mix well)
• Quinoa - 2 cups Cooked (to serve it with)

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add chopped Onions.  Saute till translucent.  Add sausage and stir fry for 5 minutes (omit this step if you are keeping it vegetarian).  Add all the other vegetables and stir fry for 5 more minutes.  Add all the other ingredients except the corn flour and let cook covered till the vegetables and sausage is cooked. Open the lid and add the corn flour mixed with water.  Let cook for another 2-3 minutes till the stock thickens.  Serve it hot with Quinoa, Brown or white rice.

Bread Upma (Stirfried Savory Bread)

Breakfast for lunch or dinner is my favourite.  One pot meal..quick and easy to make...delicious to eat!!  This dish takes about 15 to 20 minutes including the preparation.

Ingredients:

• Bread -  8 to10 slices (I used sourdough with crust on) - cut roughly into bite size pieces
• Olive Oil - 2 table spoons
• Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon
• Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
• Curry leaves - 8 to10 number
• Green Chilies - 4 to 5 chopped fine (add per taste)
• Salt - 1 table spoon (add per taste)
• Water - 1/2 cup to 1 cup

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add Olive oil.  Once the oil is heated, add Mustard and Cumin seeds.  Wait for them to splutter.  Then add the curry leaves and Green Chilies.  Then add Salt and Turmeric powder.  Lower the heat on the pan.  Now add the cut bread and mix well.  Sprinkle water till the bread is a little softer but not wet.  Mine needed about 1/2 a cup.  Cover the pan and heat for about 5 more minutes.  Turn the heat off.  Hot fragrant Breat upma is ready to be served.  You can serve it by itself or with some plain yogurt.

Slow Cooker Quinoa Khichidi (Quinoa and Lentils Indian style)

Khichidi is soul food for many.  I could eat it from breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It is so easy and quick to make and so very delicious to eat.  Also guilt free as I am using Quinoa.  Slow cooker (crockpot) is my best friend on weekdays.  This is one of those recipes which just takes 5 minutes to assemble.  Just put it to cook when you leave to work in the morning and you will enter a fragrant home. 

Ingredients:

• Quinoa - 1 cup
• Toor dal (split yellow lentils) - 1 cup
• Jeera (Cumin) - 1 tea spoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Curry leaves - 5-8 number
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper corns - 1 tea spoon crushed (add per taste)
• Olive oil - 1 table spoon
• water - 6 cups (use less if you like thick consistency.  I love it a little runny)

Method:

Add all the above ingredients to the slow cooker.  Put it on low for about 6-8 hours.  Hot and fragrant Khichici is ready to be served.  You can serve this with some potato chips, pickle or just plain drizzled with some ghee.

Note: 

• If you do not have a slow cooker, you can use a pressure cooker instead.  Just add all the ingredients (water=4 cups instead of 6) and pressure cook it until 3 whistles (that is about 10 minutes depending on the size of the pressure cooker).
• You might need to adjust time for the slow cooker depending on the kind of cooker and sometimes the type of dal also.  Just increase the cooking time by another hour or two if you see that the dal is not completely cooked.  Also, cooking for little longer does not harm the taste or quality of the dish.  The slow cooker does not burn food.

Almond Mint Chutney (Badam Pudina Chutney)

Of lately, my daughter has taken a liking to chutneys.  She loves them on anything.  I have been trying chutneys that are simple, quick and healthy.  I tried this combination last week and it turned out really good.

Ingredients:

·         Almonds – 1 cup – I used the raw kind.  Not the roasted.

·         Mint – 1 cup loosely packed -  Take the leaves out of the stem.

·         Desiccated coconut – 2 table spoons

·         Garlic  – 2 pods

·         Salt – 1 tea spoon (add per taste)

·         Green Chilies – 4-6 in number (add per taste)

·         Tamarind paste – ½ tea spoon (add per taste)

·         Water – 1 cup (add more if you like thinner consistency)

For seasoning:

·         Olive oil – 1 tea spoon

·         Curry leaves – 4-6 in number

·         Mustard seeds – 1 tea spoon

Method:

Blend all the above ingredients well till a smooth paste like consistency is attained.  Dish it out in the serving bowl.  For seasoning, heat the oil in a small sauce pan on medium heat.  Once the oil starts smoking, add the mustard seeds and wait till they splatter.  Add the curry leaves and take the pan off the heat.  Add this seasoning to the chutney.  Simple, quick and healthy Almond Mint chutney is ready to be enjoyed with naan, chapati, roti, poori, idly, dosa, bread or just plain rice.

Simple White Sangria

It's summer and nothing sounds better than a Sangria for a weekend brunch with some cheese and crusty bread (or spicy chicken)...Here is a simple light, fragrant white Sangria to not only satisfy your taste buds but awaken your senses....

Ingredients:

• Good white wine - I used a late harvest Riesling - 1 - 750 ml bottle
• Fruits -
• Strawberries - 5 in number- sliced thinly
• Oranges - 1 - sliced thinly
• Pears - 1 - sliced thinly

Method:

Pour the bottle of wine into an airtight glass container.  Add all the ingredients.  Close the lid tight of the container and let stand in the cooler for a night (about 8-10 hours) so that the fruity tastes get infused into the wine.  Pour the wine into a glass with a few slices of the fruit and enjoy!!