Happy New Year!!

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!! I want 2012 to be a prosperous and joyous year for everyone. Expect more exciting blogs from me this coming new year!

Quick Indian Style Scrambled Eggs

I make this for my child at least a couple of times a week....it is quick, easy, and tasty. You only need a few ingredients. I use organic eggs and organic spinach to make it that much more healthier.  I serve it with frozen waffles or even just plain butter bread.  You can have it with whatever you like. Here it goes with the recipe....

This recipe serves one.

Ingredients
2 eggs
pinch of cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper (more if you like it spicier)
1/8 teaspoon of salt (more if you like)
7-8 spinach leaves
chopped cilantro for garnish

Preparation
To make things easier for me in the mornings I just put the eggs directly into hot fry pan with a tablespoon of oil. No need to whisk eggs in a bowl unless you want your eggs fluffier. I then add salt, cumin powder, and spinach leaves and start stirring all ingredients in pan to get a scrambled texture. After cooking on low medium heat for about 4-5 minutes I then garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

Indian Fried Fish

I know of fish's health benefits and this is tasty way of getting more of it into your diet. I particularly like to use Wild Salmon. I buy frozen packets of it at my local Whole Foods. It tastes delicious not at all fishy. I cut the fish into strips and marinate in spices for a couple of hours and then pan fry them. I hope you try this!

Ingredients

2 pieces of Salmon (cut into strips)

2 cloves of garlic 

1 inch piece of ginger

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon of MDH Chicken Masala powder

2 tablespoon of lime juice (I use Whole Foods organic lime juice in a bottle)

Preparation

1. Cut pieces of salmon into strips
2. Time to make marinade --- ( I put everything in a ziplock bag. Make paste out of ginger and garlic and place in bag. Put turmeric, salt, red chili power, and MDH chicken powder in bag. Now pour in the lime juice and mix well.)
3. Put cut salmon in bag and marinate for 2-3 hours...the longer the better. 
4. Now time to fry---( Get a shallow frying pan and pour 2 tablespoon of oil and place marinated salmon pieces in pan.)
5. Fry on medium low heat for about 5 minutes on each side. 
6. Eat hot and enjoy!

Indian Chicken Curry

I have been experimenting with different ways of making Indian chicken curry and this is my absolute favorite. I use organic free range chicken thighs from Trader Joes and my family loves it. The chicken comes out very tender and moist.

Ingredients

4 pieces of chicken thighs

1 medium size tomato

1 small onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece of ginger

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 inch piece of cinnamon stick

2 cloves

2 green cardamon

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder

1 tablespoon of coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of Everest Chicken Masala

1/2 teaspoon of Garam Masala

3 cups of water

salt to taste

1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in pan and add cumin seeds once they start to sizzle add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamon, and bay leaf.
2. Now add chopped onion and turmeric powder and a little salt and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Put chopped tomatoes, garlic, ginger and sauté with onions for another couple of minutes.
4. Now add coriander, cumin, and Everest Chicken Masala Powders to pan with a cup of water and cover pan and cook for about 1 hour...adding water if becomes dry. Add salt to this mixture.
5. Add chicken and 2 cups of water to pan and cook for 30 minutes on low medium heat.  
6. Raise heat to medium and cook for another 15 minutes adding more water if gravy becomes dry.
7. Sprinkle Garam Masala in pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Add more salt if needed. 
8. Garnish with cilantro.

Radish Sambhar

This is a dish I make probably a couple times a month. It goes well with rice or chapati. It is a staple in my house and I use a shortcut by using store bought Sambhar powder.

Ingredients
1 bunch of red radishes
1 small onion (cut into small cubes)
1 small tomato (cut into medium size cubes)
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup of cooked urad dhal
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of split urad dhal
pinch of fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon of sambhar powder (I use MTR)
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
salt to taste
1 tablespoon of cilantro

Method of preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in pan and add mustard seeds.
2. Once mustard seeds start splattering add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and urad dhal.
3. Once cumin seeds start sizzling and urad dhal turns a light golden color add onions and cook until they become transparent.
4. Now combine tomatoes and garlic to pan and cook for another minute 
5. Add cut radishes and salt and cook on medium heat for another 2-3 minutes
6. Now add sambhar and cumin powders and cook for another minute
7. Add cooked dhal and 3-4 cups of water with tamarind paste and bring to boil
8. Once the sambhar starts to boil lower heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes
9. Salt to taste
10. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Rasaam

This is my favorite thing to make when ever someone in my family has a cold. It is hot and spicy and really hits the spot when you are feeling under the weather. In some Indian households this is a staple on the table every week. I hope you enjoy this!

Ingredients
tamarind ( golf ball size)
1 medium size tomato
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of split urad dhal
1 tablespoon of fresh cumin powder
1/2 tablespoon of fresh black pepper
4 cups of water
1 dry red chili
pinch of asafetida
1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Soak tamarind and chopped tomato in warm water for about 30 minutes
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in pan and add mustard seed and wait until they splatter
3. Then add cumin seeds and urad dhal and dry red chili
4. Once cumin seeds start to sizzle and urad dhal turns a light brown color add asafetida
5. Add soaked tamarind water and tomato 
6. Add 4 cups of water
7. Add cumin, black pepper powder, salt to taste, and garlic (I used a garlic press)
8. Bring to boil and then lower to medium heat and cook for about 20 minutes
9. Garnish with chopped cilantro

Enjoy with rice.

Indian Baby Broccoli (Poriyal)

I have a love hate relationship with broccoli.I know it has so many health benefits but it's taste is very bland.  But recently I have discovered a type of broccoli that tastes much milder and almost nuttier than regular broccoli....baby broccoli. I adore this vegetable now and eat it at least once a week. I hope you enjoy this recipe for it!

Baby Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 head of Baby Broccoli

1 teaspoon of mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of chana dhal

pinch of asofeteda

1 dry red chili

salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut baby broccoli into small florets
2. Wash and set florets aside to dry
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in pan and  add mustard seeds
4. Once the mustard seeds start to splatter add dry red chili and cumin seeds
5. Once cumin seeds start to sizzle add chana dhal and cook for about  30 seconds to 1 minute. (You want slight color on chana dhal)
6. Add asofeteda
7. Now add broccoli and salt
8. Cook for about 1-2 minutes stirring constantly to make sure broccoli does not  burn
9. Enjoy!!

My 1st blog post--Egg kuzhambu

This is my 1st blog post and I am new to this whole blogging thing but I wanted to start one about food because I love cooking and wanted to share my recipes. I hope my recipes can inspire and help others.

Egg Khuzambu

Ingredients

1 small finely chopped onion

1 medium sized chopped tomato

1 small eggplant cut into cubes

4 boiled eggs

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 inch of ginger

1 teaspoon of mustard seeds

7-8 fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

2 tablespoon of coriander powder

1 tablespoon of cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder (you can add more if you like it spicier)

1/2 teaspoon of tamarind paste

salt to taste

Method of Preparation

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil. I use grape seed oil. Add mustard seeds and wait until they splatter then add fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds start to sizzle add onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes until they become transparent. Then add garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute. Now add tomato and wait until they are cooked well then add eggplant and cook for a couple of minutes. Combine coriander, cumin, red chili, and tamarind paste and a couple of tablespoons of water and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium and cook for another 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Cut eggs in half and add to pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Add chopped cilantro. Enjoy with rice or chapati!

Note: You can add more water if gravy is too dry.
Add a little bit of salt to onions helps them cook faster.