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!