The Last Three (Busy) Weeks

Too much has happened in the last three weeks. In a nutshell, my parents went away and came back twice, I fasted for Karva Chauth, Pranav and I saw 3 very different movies at our local Cineplex, I overfed my online shopping addiction, I built a rangoli out of beads and cork board, we hosted a Diwali dinner party for 10 guests (and for which I cooked enough to feed a tiny village,) Dad brought home the largest pitas we've ever seen, and the 4 of us attempted to watch the new James Bond movie but the lineup was too long so we came back home. Oh, and the cat puked twice. 

The most interesting, and probably the most instructional things I can possibly share from the last month's events are how I made the rangoli and what we ultimately did with the world's largest pitas. So here goes:

Permanent Rangoli for Diwali

One of our family friends makes the most beautiful permanent rangolis. Let's call her Aunty R. While we were planning our dinner party it occurred to us that making an authentic rangoli from coloured powders and rice was simply out of the question because of our curious kitten. I remembered the masterpieces created by Aunty R and decided that I too was artsy enough to attempt a rangoli. So I picked up some cork board and jewelry beads from the local Dollarama, printed some floral and paisley motifs off the internet, and took my magic markers out from under the bed. I also used some coloured paper for the backgrounds and white craft glue. Colouring the motifs, cutting them out, and sticking them to the board was the easiest part. Applying tiny amounts of glue to each bead, and subsequently lining them up along the patterns was both time consuming and slightly mind numbing, but the effect (in my humble opinion) is pretty. I then used some craft borders (also from the dollar store) to finish off the edges, and it was done. It's not up to the same level as Aunty R's but for my first and only one, I'm fairly proud. The entire cost of this project? About $6.00. Closing your eyes at night and seeing multicoloured beads behind your eyelids? Priceless. 

What to do With a Giant Pita

A few days after the Diwali dinner party, the giant pitas were still sitting on the kitchen counter. My dad went out one day in mild angst over our acute tortilla shortage and came home with 10 inch pitas. Those are nowhere near the same thing, as my mother rightly pointed out, and all of us seemed intimidated by the presence of the pitas. I recalled an episode of Dr. Oz in which someone demonstrated how they use pitas as pizza crust and decided that this would be our solution. It's one of the easiest things I've ever done, and all it took was:

• tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce to be honest)
• sliced vegetables (use whatever you like on your pizza)
• grated mozzarella or whatever cheese you prefer
• pita bread (for the crust)
• oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 

Using the pita as your pizza base, spread the sauce as thinly or thickly as you like, sprinkle the cheese, top it all off with the veggies and stick that baby in the oven for 10-15 minutes. I also put mine on the top rack to broil for about 2-3 minutes so that the veggies would roast a little. The only thing I disliked about this was that the outer edges of the pita (the crust) became rather brittle. But that didn't stop me, I ate that part as well. I'm doing it again tonight, and I can't wait. Dad's mistake was yummy indeed!

Sesame and Garlic Dressing

You HAVE to try this dressing:

2 tbsp sesame or tahina paste blended with 3 tbsp water
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp sugar
1 tsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 large clove of garlic - finely grated

MIX MIX MIX and use this dressing on cold buckwheat noodles. I was completely blown away by the flavour. Hope you enjoy!

Rajma - Red kidney beans in a buttery tomato gravy

There's not much to say about this North Indian classic, except that everyone loves it. Really, I don't think I know anyone who doesn't. I would put it in the category of "comfort food." It involves a little prep, but if you're using canned kidney beans then you can prepare this without having to soak the beans overnight. Please check out the video below (or in the right sidebar) for a play-by-play of this recipe.

Rajma (serves 3-4)

• 2 cups of kidney beans (soaked overnight and boiled until soft)
• 2 cups of tamato purée
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp canola oil or any other vegetable oil
• salt to taste
• water (optional)

Heat the oil on medium high and add the whole cumin seeds, followed by the cardamom pods and bay leaf. Allow the whole spices to roast and darken a little, then add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Cook the onions until the oil separates. Add the tomato purée and ground spices, and properly combine them with the onions. If the fenugreek feels coarse, you can crush it between your fingers as you add it to the purée. Allow the purée to cook for 2-3 minutes then add the kidney beans. If the gravy seems thick you can add some water to adjust it, and sprinkle some salt to taste. Now simmer the rajma on a slow boil for a full 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you can use a potato masher to squish some of the beans. Remove the cardamom pods and bay leaf, then garnish with some freshly chopped coriander. 

You can enjoy this on plain rice, jeera rice, and with a side of raita. Bon appétit!

Speak it Dr. Oz, and it shall appear - in our kitchen.

When Dr. Oz spoke about the nutritional benefits of quinoa, it was only a matter of time before it could be found in our kitchen cupboard. My mom prepared it once with chickpeas, but it wasn't well received by all in our household (read Dad.) I had it again a few weeks later, which was actually in July, at my cousin's summer birthday backyard soirée and liked it just as much. I was determined to give quinoa a try of my own and came up with this quick and tasty salad. The only preparation involved is the cooking of the quinoa and the chopping of the veggies so I'm thinking of adding this to my rotation of quick snacks and post workout dishes.

Quick Quinoa Salad (serves 2-3)

• 1 cup of quinoa (any colour or a blend of colours)
• 2 cups of water
• 1 medium tomato (diced)
• 1/4 cup of sweet corn kernels
• 1/4 cup of chopped spring onions
• 1/4 cup of olives (green or black)
• 1 clove of garlic (grated)
• the juice of half a lemon
• about 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Start of by washing the quinoa. This should be done thoroughly, and for 3 minutes. Then prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions. Quinoa cooks with twice its quantity of water, and you can add a pinch of salt to the cooking water. It will take about 15 minutes for the quinoa to be fully cooked, and it will have completely absorbed the water. Now it's just a matter of adding the other ingredients and giving everything a good mix. I like to stick mine in the fridge for about an hour, and you could garnish it with freshly chopped coriander or mint leaves. Please check out the link below for a step by step video of my recipe. Enjoy!

Quick Quinoa Salad

Patta Gobi Mattar - A new appreciation

Approximately one year ago when Pranav would ask me to make patta gobi mattar I would stare at him in disbelief and ask "Really?" By far my favourite dish, it consists of cabbage, green peas, and not much else. Perhaps the reason why I didn't like it was that until now, I haven't been able to make it very well. Since moving back to Toronto from Kingston I have prepared this dish on numerous occasions and each time has been better than the last. I think I may finally have it down to a science. 

Another reason I've grown to like it is that if there are leftovers, they make the most delicious stuffed parantha. At Pranav's request (as usual) I used them - the leftovers - to make his breakfast one morning. I shaped two very thin chapatis from my atta, spread a generous amount of the patta gobi mattar on one, added a little salt, covered it up with the other chapati, pressed the edges together and flattened it out with my rolling pin. After that, I cooked in on my non-stick in the same way that I prepare all other chapatis and paranthas. So here it is, a simple recipe that I've grown to appreciate:

Patta Gobi Mattar (serves 3-4)

• 2 cups of chopped cabbage
• 1 medium tomato (chopped)
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 3/4 cup of green peas
• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 2 tbsp of canola oil or any other vegetable oil
• 1 green chili (chopped)
• 1 tsp of whole cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tsp of coriander powder (dhania powder)
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder (haldi powder)
• 1/4 tsp of red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
• salt to taste

Start by heating the oil on medium high in a non-stick or any other kadai. Then add the cumin to the hot oil - it should crackle on contact. Add the onions and stir to combine them with the roasting cumin, then add the garlic, chili pepper, and cabbage. Keep stirring to combine the ingredients, then add the spices. Next add some salt and the tomatoes. Thoroughly mix the tomatoes into the cabbage, then cook the dish while covered for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Add the green peas and properly combine everything. This is a good time to check if you need more salt, then cover it up again and cook for 3-4 more minutes. The dish should be ready at this point, but if you enjoy a softer texture then you can continue to cook until that texture is achieved.

Sometimes I add 1 tsp of grated ginger to this dish and that gives it another layer of flavour. I normally add this at the same time as the garlic. If I prefer a drier texture, then I leave out the tomatoes. Hope it works out for you if you decide to give it a try. Good luck and good eats!

My new toaster trick

I'm a huge fan of the open-face sandwich. What? The open-face sandwich is something that I'm going to credit my father with inventing, although I highly doubt that he was the first one to do it. It consists of very humble ingredients: bread, butter, cheese, onion, tomato and black pepper. You put those ingredients on some crusty bread, stick in the oven until the cheese gets bubbly, and you're done. My oven is never empty, and not because I'm always baking. I use my oven to store large cooking vessels that I can't keep in my lower cabinets. This is very inconvenient for making the open-face, which I crave almost daily. 

Lately however, I have managed to mitigate this problem - all thanks to a little trick that my uncle mentioned to my mother, and which in turn was mentioned to me. I can't believe that I never thought of it before, but its very simplicity is what makes this idea so awesome. Turn the toaster on its side. Yes! That's all there is to it. If you have a toaster with wider slots then all the more awesome for you because you can add generous toppings to your bread. Here's what I do:

I begin by spreading a light coat of Becel on my favourite bread (rye with caraway seeds.) You can use regular butter, or garlic butter as well. Then I add some cheese - cheddar, havarti, mozzarella, whatever I'm in the mood for. Next come the onion and tomato which I like to slice in thin rounds, and a dash of black pepper. Now for the fun part - put the loaded up slices into the toaster (which is on its side) and get to toasting on your favourite setting. You'll have to help the bread into the toaster using a knife or other utensil. When your open-face comes out it will be not only beautiful but deliciously crispy. Just a quick note, keep a plate in front of the toaster because when the bread flies out, something will have to catch it. 

My Dollarama Charging Station

The finished look!

My mom and I went to Dollarama today to pick up a toy for Anoushka the cat. A brief word about Dollarama - the name is very misleading. Nothing costs a dollar anymore. Prices have increased by as much as 300% in some cases, and while that isn't a large sum of money to pay, it is proportionately a huge spike. Nevertheless, to Dollarama we went and as I wandered the unlabelled aisles looking for pet supplies I came upon a tile of fake grass. I recalled a segment of Pure Design in which my favourite designer created a charging station using a simple wooden box. Inspiration struck, and when I eventually located the craft aisle, I was able to procure a wooden tissue box suitable for my project. I didn't find a toy for Anoushka (at least not something she doesn't already have) but here's how I made a simple and attractive charging station to keep my wires tangle-free.

Charging Station (Total cost $4.52 including taxes)

• 1 grass tile ($2.00)
• 1 wooden tissue box with sliding bottom ($2.00)
• a drill to make holes in the tissue box
• green paper (I had some at home)
• good glue
• scissors
• 15 minutes of your time

1 inch hole drilled along the bottom of the length

The first thing I did was to drill two 1 inch holes in the tissue box. Hole #1 goes in the middle of one of the lengths (this will be the back) and hole #2 goes in the middle of the removable bottom of the tissue box (this will actually be the top.)

I cut the green paper to the exact measurements of the removable bottom, and also cut a hole in the same place as hole #2 so that the charging chords could pass through. Then I used a few dabs of glue to stick the green paper onto the removable bottom. 

Maybe it's a toy after all.

With the removable bottom (now covered in green and with a hole in the middle) slid into the box, it was easy for me to determine how much grass to use, so I cut it accordingly. The grass tile had fairly large spaces between the rows of grass so there was no need to cut a hole or pull out of any of the grass inserts. After lining up and cutting, I simply dabbed some glue onto the bottom of the tile and placed in on top of the green removable bottom (now the top.) This way, if you look closely at the charging station, you don't see any wood between the rows of grass - just green. 

I let it dry for about 10 minutes before feeding any wires through the holes, and then set it up in our bedroom. It looks totally awesome. If anyone tries this, please let me know how it works out. You can always make more holes, or make them bigger if you have more wires. Enjoy! 

 

Mung bean! Fun to say, fun to eat.



Moong ki dal ka cheela with Coriander Chutney

I had all but forgotten this recipe until last week when Pranav asked me if I would make cheela for breakfast. These healthy savoury pancakes are a wonderful way to start the day, and they are easily among our favourite breakfast choices. They can be made with any dahl, but my go-to dahl is definitely moong. A note: it would be wise to decide the night before if this will be your breakfast.



Moong Ki Dal ka Cheela (makes approx. 8)

• 1/2 cup split or whole moong dahl (mung beans)
• 1/2 medium onion - chopped
• 1 green chili pepper
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger
• 1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• vegetable oil for brushing
• a non-stick pan

The night before, soak the moong dahl in 2 cups of water. When you wake up, the dahl will have doubled in quantity, and will be the right texture for making the cheelas. Empty the water that the dahl has been soaking in, and give it a quick rinse in some clean water. Now blend together all the ingredients to form a batter - dahl, onion, green chili pepper, ginger, cumin seeds, red chili powder, turmeric and salt. You may need to add a little water in order for the elements to blend smoothly, but do this slowly and sparingly so that the batter does not become overly runny.

Now heat the non-stick pan on medium heat, and brush a little vegetable oil onto the centre. Spoon 2 tbsp of the dahl mixture onto the centre of the pan and carefully spread it out to form a pancake about 5 inches in diameter. Use a spatula to carefully lift the edges of the pancake as it cooks. The cheela should not adhere to the non-stick. If it does, then either your batter is too thin, or your non-stick may be too hot. At the correct heat, the first side of the cheela will take approximately 1 minute to cook.

Carefully flip the cheela and allow the other side to cook. This side will take less time. When done, parts of the cheela will have cooked to a beautiful brown crisp but overall, it should be pliable. You can serve the cheelas with any chutney of your choice, or spiced yogurt.

Frittata for one!

We're in the process of moving, again, and so I've been trying to keep the fridge relatively empty. It wasn't until I came across a piece of broccoli, some mushrooms, and two eggs that I remembered one of my favourite solutions for leftovers - frittata. I love a good frittata, because: 1) it's simple and quick to make, and 2) it satisfies my unending craving for eggs. It's lighter than a quiche, yet equally yummy. First thing's first, make sure you have a non-stick pan that can be used in the oven.

Broccoli and Mushroom Frittata (serves 1)

• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (or any kind)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated medium cheddar cheese- separated
• 1 tsp vegetable oil for cooking
• salt and black pepper to taste

Start by turning your oven on broil. Whisk together the 2 eggs, milk, and half of the cheese. Season this with a dash of salt and pepper to taste, and keep the mixture aside. Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a small non-stick pan on medium-low. Cook the broccoli florets for about 2-3 minutes before adding the mushrooms. Lightly season the vegetables with salt and pepper (keeping in mind that the egg mixture is already seasoned.) Allow the veggies to cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the mushrooms have developed some colour. Now add the egg mixture to the non-stick. The mixture should cover the vegetables, and evenly fill the pan. Use a spatula, before the eggs set, to move the veggies around so that they're well distributed. When the bottom crust has formed, sprinkle the top of the frittata with the remaining cheese and put it in the oven for 2-3 minutes. The eggs will fully set, and a lovely golden and cheesy crust will have formed on top.

Of course, you can use any of your favourite vegetable combinations and cheese to make a frittata. Mushroom and spinach are very popular, as are tomato, onion, and asparagus. Hope you enjoy!