Thai Seafood Stew

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago on NPR's Fish Stews: Comfort Without The Work. I love seafood and I love a good stew, but the idea of a good comfort meal with seafood, beyond the chowders, is not an everyday phenomenon. There is nothing wrong with a warm bowl of creamy, hearty chowder, like the kind you will have to get at Union Oyster House the next time you are in Boston, however, I don't always look forward to the after-chowder chow-down feeling where I have to be rolled back home. By the way, the cornbread at the Oyster House was delicious too!

Then I discovered  this fish stew and I just HAD to try it.

1 tbsp vegetable/canola oil (I think coconut oil might be really good here!)
2 shallots thinly sliced
1 clove garlic minced (I didn't have any garlic around, so I used a dash of garlic powder)
2 cups chicken stock
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 lemongrass stalk finely chopped
2 serrano peppers, one cut into rings another cut into two pieces
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp (light) brown sugar
zest of one lime
1/4 lb shrimp (a little over that amount is fine)
1 small fillet of tilapia, about 1/4 lb (you can use any other firm white fish, but this dish is so flavorful, I recommend not wasting your money on a more pricey kind)
2 sea scallops
Salt
2 tbsp cilantro chopped
2 tbsp basil chopped

For serving:
Lime wedges
Steamed white rice

Prep tips:
1. Marinating the seafood with a sprinkle of salt enhances the flavor of the seafood pieces in the dish. A little something I learned from my mom. For this dish, you can do this step right before you start cooking.

2. "Chopping lemongrass" is not really chopping as much as it is hitting the stalk hard with a knife. This YouTube video might help in that venture.

In a stock-pot or a dutch oven, warm the oil and then sweat the shallots in medium-low heat until barely brown. Add the garlic. Cook for about a minute until fragrant. Add the stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, pepper, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and lime zest. Turn the heat up to high. Let the mixture boil. Turn heat down to medium high and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. The length of time really depends on how thick you want the sauce to be. I never had this dish anywhere else, but I am guessing, not chowder thick. I just kept tasting for salt and when I thought the concoction boiled down enough to have the right amount of salt (thanks to the fish sauce), it was time for the fishes!

Add the basil, cilantro and the seafood. Turn the heat up to high and cook for 3 minutes. Overcooking seafood is synonymous to sin. Save thy soul! Serve immediately as a standalone soup or with white rice. I love lime, so my bowl got a good dash of lime juice.

The simplicity of this stew/soup/stoup is what makes it so darned good. You taste each and every element down to the bit of sugar and vinegar with every spoonful. My favorite elements were the lemongrass, lime and the coconut milk.

The recipe is actually for four servings, but after our dinner for two, only the lemongrass stalks were left behind. You feel full, but it's a good full. You don't immediately sit down making your running diary for the next month.

It's delicious, it's pretty and it smells like heaven's banquet (bet they feed you light there). And it's quick! Comfort food without the dis-comfort of spending hours making it!

Out-of-stock Soup: 3 peppers, 2 beans, 1 pot of happiness

'Tis the season!
The coats, hats, scarves are out!
We have had flurries, snow and frost.
The sun sets before I leave work.

Soups for dinner!

Did I say, I love soup-dinners? Not only do they warm your core and all those senses numbed by the cold and gray, but they can be incredibly flavorful and healthy. I have been craving chili for a while and first decided to make a white chili-soup (Rachel Ray would call it a stoup) with chicken sausage. While I was at it, I picked up a can of red kidney beans to give my soup a bit of color. Trader Joe's had cheap jalapenos, and I thought, "Sure!" The lemons looked incredibly fresh and plump and I love citrus. By now it's no longer a chili, but who cares?
When I went to the kitchen to begin cooking, I realized, I forgot to pick up stock. I was in no mood to get into the car and drive to Whole Foods then. I decided to take a chance and skip the stock. Live a little, you know?

2 links of chicken chorizo (can use pork/regular), about 0.6 lb
1 can red kidney beans
1 can cannelloni (or any white) beans
3 jalapenos sliced into 1/4 inch thick rings (adjust according to taste)
1/2 cup onions finely diced
4 cloves garlic finely diced
1 tsp cumin toasted
1 cup water
1 lemon juiced and zested
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

In a dutch oven, warm the oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chorizos. Brown on all sides (mine usually curl up, so I end up browning on three sides) in medium-high heat. They don't have to cook all the way through. After you are happy with the brown and crispy skin, take them out and let them rest. Slice the chorizos into discs when you get a moment. In the same pot, add the onions with a pinch of salt. Let them sweat in low-medium heat. Turn the heat up and cook until golden brown.

While the onions saute, toast the cumin in a dry skillet. Be careful, cumin toasts quickly. Once the cumin is dark brown and fragrant, add to the onions. It doesn't really matter at what time-point you add the cumin (I think). Also while the onions cook, drain and preserve the liquid from both the bean cans. Grind about half the cannelloni beans with a bit of the the liquid to make a coarse paste.

Once the onions get the beautiful golden brown color, add the garlic. Cook for about two minutes, stirring frequently. Once the garlic is fragrant, cook for about 30 more seconds. Cooking the onions and garlic well releases fragrance and adds depth of flavor to the food. Add the beans. Cook for about two minutes.

Add the ground beans, the preserved liquid from the beans and one cup water. The bean mush does wonders to thicken the soup and you won't miss the stock at all. Turn the heat up to high to bring the liquids to a boil. Add the discs of sausage, a dash of red pepper flakes and lemon zest to the boiling pot of goodies. Mix everything, wait for a boil and turn the heat down to low.

Cook for about 15 minutes and add the jalapenos. Cook for about 10 more minutes or until you get your desired consistency. Remember, this soup is going to thicken once it cools because of the bean mush. Add the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper, and taste for salt before you take the soup off the heat.

I garnished the soup with a bit of cilantro, because I love cilantro and it augments the flavors of jalapeno and lemon. It also adds the burst of bright green. I am bragging, but this soup was a feast in a bowl. The combo of beans adds great depth of flavor and texture to the dish. Good food is like classical music. Often it is simple, often it is complex; at the same time. I would serve this soup with a simple veggie stir-fry, good music and probably a bottle of red for a warm and cozy night in.

Bean, kale and chorizo soup

Now that we have had our first snow in Pittsburgh and I have started driving with the heater on, it's that time of the year - Soup season has officially begun. What is more satiating giving you that (literally) warm and fuzzy feeling in your tummy when you enjoy the hot bowl of soup sitting in your couch in sweats while glancing at the golden leaves and bare branches? I came across this recipe on Whole Foods' website. I love greens, beans and sausages, so had to give it a try. Anthony pointed out that since it called for those three ingredients and onions, the recipe looked a little bland. I agreed. The man knows his soups. Fear not, I added a few things that changed the landscape. Not the one outside. Just the one in the pot.

1 lb chicken chorizo (or any other uncooked sausage)
1 bunch of kale, stems removed and coarsely torn (Swiss chard might work as well)
1 can cannelloni/navy/northern beans (3.5 cups)
1/2 yellow onion sliced thin
1 cup celery sliced thin
1/2 cup carrots sliced thin
4 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 box (4 cups) low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp canola oil
generous dash(es) of red pepper flakes (optional)
generous dash(es) of coarsely ground black pepper
salt to taste

Heat the oil in the pot in which you want to make the soup. Add the sausages and brown all sides in high heat. I had trouble browning all sides, because the sausages curled up. Once the sausages are sufficiently browned in most sides, turn the heat down to medium and cook, flipping occasionally for about 10 minutes.

Remove the sausages from the stove and in the oil left behind, add the onions. Cook on medium low heat. You want the onions to be nicely caramelized so that the natural sugars are released. When you see the onions turning golden brown but not crispy add the chopped garlic. Saute for about a minute until fragrant. Add the celery and the carrots. Stirring occasionally, cook until the celery looks translucent. These are your aromatic vegetables that will give a big fat oomph to the taste and fragrance of the soup. (All those Food Network watching taught me about aromatic veggies. Mom don't say watching TV won't teach me anything good!)

While the veggies are cooking on the stove, take care of a few background prep steps. Rinse the beans with water. Puree about a cup of the beans with a cup stock. In a dry pan roast the cumin until dark brown and fragrant. Remove the cumin from the pan, otherwise they would over-roast and char. Also, slice the sausages to 1/3" discs or thicker or thinner depending on your preference. Just be careful when stirring if you make them thinner. You don't want to break the little discs.

Once the veggies are done, it took about 5 minutes for me, add the black pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin and sausage to the pot. Stir to mix. After about a minute or two, add the whole beans. Hold onto the puree for now. Cook for about two more minutes until heated through.Add the rest of the stock, stir and bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Taste for salt and pepper and add the kale and the pureed beans. Stir well to mix. Let the soup simmer for a few minutes, until the kale is wilted. Check for consistency. If you think the soup is a little liquid-y, like I did, keep simmering for a little longer. Kale survives heat well unlike spinach, according to Rachel Ray, so cooking a little longer is just fine.

This soup is totally soul-satisfying. It has a variety of textures - the leafy kale, the creamy beans, the deliciously fragrant broth from the garlic, cumin, aromatic veggies and chorizo. While simmering, it smelled so good that even though this was supposed to a make-ahead meal for the following week, I just had to have a bit. I was stuffed from dinner (seared scallops, yum!) already, but I still ooh-ed and aah-ed with every spoon. And it's so healthy! You get your meat, your fiber and your veggies. Get a piece of crusty bread like ciabatta or french baguette to sop up the delicious broth. It's simple and hearty.

At your face cream soup!

Shrimp, mango, avocado taco - 'nuff said

I do miss my 9-week stint in San Diego that happened a few years ago. I miss the sun, the shine, the beaches and I miss the little taquerias close to the Mexican border. I didn't get to go to Mexico that summer, but I saw it from a distance and drooled over the delicious tacos that stayed on the other side of the border. 

The beauty of a taco is its simplicity. A few ingredients, a few minutes of preparation and you have a pocket full of happiness. Mango is hands down my favorite fruit. I love mango on its own, dried, chutney-d, in cakes, in cheesecakes, in dressings and in tacos! And I love avocado and its rich and creaminess. Don't listen to whoever tells you "avocados are fatty". Listen to your avocado-loving heart and your organ-heart will thank you. So what I believe. 

Ingredients

Mango salsa:

1 mango diced (preferably champagne mango, available at Whole Foods) 

3 tbsp cilantro chopped

1 tsp red chile pepper finely chopped (alter amount and kind to taste)

2 tbsp diced red onion 

1 lime juiced

salt

Shrimp:

Follow this recipe from a previous post

The rest:

organic corn or flour tacos

1 avocado

Cook the shrimp according  to the instructions and set it aside to cool. 

Slice the avocado length-wise. This is a great epicurious (Bible!) video on cutting an avocado.

Place all the salsa ingredients in a Tupperware container, put the lid on and shake to combine. 

Warm the taco shells according to the instructions on the packet. I used the 365 Organic brand corn tacos from Whole Foods and microwaving produced better results than warming on a skillet which was recommended. 

Take a taco shell, line up a few shrimps along the diameter of the circle, line up a few slices of the avocado next to the shrimps and put a few scoops of the salsa on the shrimp and avocado. Fold. Take a bite.

You are welcome!

Sunshine on a plate - literally!

Butternut squash soup with balls

I was browsing through Williams-Sonoma one day (love that store!) and got a sample of a yummy butternut squash soup. It was made from the $21.95 Organic Butternut Squash puree. Why not just buy a butternut squash for a few dollars and call upon my fabulous blender for a little motorized help?

From an earlier cooking experiment, I had some coconut milk left and decided that this would be a great opportunity to put that to use. A little unconventional, but I have watched far too many episodes of Iron Chef America to have to courage to go with it. This would definitely give the butternut squash some balls!

I looked up a few recipes to get a hold of the technique. The recipes either want you to keep the squash chunky or to roast the squash first and then puree it. My oven has been out of commission for a few weeks now. My teeny–tiny toaster oven wouldn’t be up for the challenge. So, I decided to cook the butternut squash and then puree. What’s a bit more improvisation?

Ingredients

1 organic butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out and chopped into 1” cubes
3 cups of low sodium chicken broth (you can actually use the whole carton, which I think is 4 cups, but 3 cups would have been sufficient)
½ can coconut milk (if you have a whole can, go ahead and use it all)
½ medium onion chopped
½ tsp garlic finely chopped
2 tbsp oil
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
2-4 tbsp brown sugar
cayenne/black/chili/any other pepper according to preference
cilantro for garnish
salt

Put the cubes of the squash along with the chicken broth in a large non-stick pot. Turn the heat on high. When the broth begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium and cover. Cook until the chunks of the squash are very very tender. In theory, at this point, you could mash them with a fork. Very carefully, use a slotted spoon and take the chunks out of the pot and into a blender. Puree. Transfer back to the pot where broth is waiting. Add the pepper. Keep cooking on medium heat. Stir occasionally to avoid the soup sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the soup has reached its desired consistency, add the coconut milk. Turn the heat up until the soup starts boiling. Turn the heat back to medium and cook until you reach your desired consistency again. Keep the soup on very low heat.
Now, in a frying pan, add the oil. When hot, add the onions. Cook in low heat. This step is important for the sugars in the onions to caramelize properly to develop the sweet taste of caramelized onions.  When the onions start getting a nice golden brown color, add the garlic. When you get delicious garlicky fragrance, after about a minute, carefully pour the caramelized onions and garlic into the soup. Add the nutmeg, brown sugar and salt. Stir. Taste. Adjust sugar or salt or pepper if you need to. You are the chef!

I have tried this soup with chopped cilantro, but I think I like without better. The sweet squash, caramelized onions and the brown sugar give layers of sweetness to the creamy soup. The little pieces of onions add texture to the soup. More texture on the way if you prefer with the cilantro. The coconut milk gives the concoction its balls. Really! It gives it an Asian twist, which makes this American fall favorite dee-lee-shus! 

Stir-fried all-purpose shrimp

Jumbo wild shrimp was on sale last Friday at Whole Foods. Turns out the problem with these big shrimps was that they were neither shelled nor de-veined. Fear not, I know how to do both. I have watched enough episodes of Chopped on Food Network where many many contestants got yelled at (and chopped) for not de-veining their shrimp. Lesson learned!

I am bragging, but it was deliciously spicy, and no I don't mean just heat. The crunch from the whole spices and fried garlic along with the citrusy, juicy shrimp creates a wildness in your mouth that lives up to the official adjective used to describe the shrimp.

1 lb jumbo shrimp (you can use any size really)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp whole mustard seeds 

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 tbsp canola/olive oil

2 tsp garam masala (from Indian grocery stores or Penzeys)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust if needed, use any kind of chilli powder or even paprika if prefer less heat)

1 tbsp lemon juice (I love a strong citrus flavor)

Salt to taste

Add the garam masala, turmeric, salt and cayenne to the peeled and de-veined shrimp. Toss to marinate and leave it alone for about 10 minutes. Bobby Flay said not to marinate shrimp for too long. Noted. 

Heat the oil in a wok. When hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds together and cover right away. When the seeds are done spluttering, add the chopped garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds. When in doubt here, go with less than 30 seconds, not more. You don't want your garlic to burn. Add the shrimp. Cook until opaque. Mine took about 2 mins to cook after being flipped once a little after a min. Cooking shrimp can be tricky. You never want overcooked shrimp. It's like nightmare on a dinner plate. Considering how much I love food, that's probably one of the worst nightmares, EVER. Add the lemon juice and toss before taking it off the heat.

Voila! It was that simple! While you wait for the shrimp to cool just a little so you can pop one in your mouth, smell the garlic, the lemon, the cumin, the mustard, the "Indian" spicy-ness and the shrimp.

Resist popping a hot shrimp into your mouth. 

Resist.

Give up. 

I just finished watching a Bobby Flay show where he did a similar thing with shrimp on the grill (duh!) and he made a cilantro-mint chutney for dipping. You could make this shrimp  recipe (or any variation of it) as hors d'œuvre with the dip or as filling for shrimp taco or anything else your shrimp-loving heart desires. 

The best chicken wings you have ever had. Period.

I love chicken wings. Yes, a moment on my lips, forever on my hips, but totally worth it. On the first weekend of college football Anthony and I decided to make our own. He loves buffalo wings. I don't. Buffalo sauce, is heat without a purpose. We were swept off our feet by this Bobby Flay recipe of hot wings with bleu cheese and yogurt sauce. I love Bobby Flay's food! I love his spicy, bold flavors and simple techniques.

These wings are probably the best wings I have had, EVER. And yes, I have had a lot of wings. These are spicy but not too hot. The three different kinds of pepper and honey create a unique blend of smoky sweetness that explode in your mouth. Regular wings from your fave bar will bow to these fabulous concoction. I kept my creativity to a minimum while working with this recipe. Bobby knows better. I cut down on the butter. The sauce just has so much flavor that a little less butter won't be noticeable.

To satiate my football-and-wings companion, we made a batch of buffalo wings also. Basically we tossed the wings in Frank's Red Hot Wings sauce. That's all. Simple is not always as good as the following recipe.

Ooooh cheese (sauce):
1 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped onion (any would do, we think)
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Los wingos:
1 lb organic chicken wings split to drums and flats
1 quart peanut oil
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

The most delicious sauce EVER:
2 tbsp ancho chili powder
2 tbsp chipotle chile in adobo (available at the Hispanic food section in large grocery stores)
1 tbsp Mexican style chili powder
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
1/2 stick unsalted butter cut into small pieces (original recipe calls for 1 stick)

Stir all the ingredients for the bleu cheese sauce together. Taste. Adjust if needed. Place in a Tupperware container. Refrigerate.

Make a puree of the chipotle chile (I put a little more than what was called for because I love the flavor of chipotle and it doesn't give a lot of heat) with the vinegar. In a saucepan simmer the chipotle-vinegar along with 2 tbsp ancho and the Mexican style chili over medium heat. Once bubbly, turn the heat down to low. Whisk in the butter, mustard, salt and honey until the butter has melted and the mixture is even and smooth and has a nice shimmer. Taste it. Lick your lips. Pretend that it needs "something" and taste again. Repeat. Set it aside if you can.

Heat 2" of oil in a large deep pan. This is actually a lot of oil. We were unpleasantly surprised to discover that. Use a deep fryer if you have one. Mix the flour, 2 tsp ancho, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large-ish bowl. The oil takes a while to heat up, so you can actually coat all your wings with the flour mixture, tap excess flour and line the wings up (in an assembly line fashion) ready to be dipped into the oil. Ideally you are supposed to heat the oil to 375 degrees F. We didn't have a deep fry thermometer. We probably overheated the oil because as soon as our sous-chef dropped the first batch of wings into the pot, the hot bubbling oil started smoking and both the smoke alarms went off. We dropped everything, safely, and ran to wave kitchen towels next to the alarms to make the infernal things to stop blaring. Finally they stopped and our arms hurt from all the towel waving. Hopefully you can skip this frantic step completely. The wings were nicely frying themselves in the pot in the meantime. Phew! Fry the wings for about 8-10 mins. It's chicken, so better to fry a little longer just to ensure that it's cooked through. Remove the wings from the oil with a slotted spoon. Paper towel the wings to soak up excess oil.

Toss the wings in the hot sauce in a large bowl. If you are not going to eat the wings immediately, neatly place them on a large baking dish or cookie sheet and keep them in a warm oven.

When you are ready, scoop up some of the bleu-cheesy yogurt-y cilantro-ey goodness with a few celery sticks. When you know you have had enough veggies for the day (one or more celery pieces), go for the wings. You are welcome!

Lentils - the step-child

Lentils, or daal, in Bangladeshi family dinners (okay, just the ones I am familiar with) is a step-child. It’s there for every meal, but it’s not really the highlight of the meal. It also has a bit of a stigma for being “poor people’s food”. Last time I heard from my mom, lentils are really not cheap any more, however, definitely cheaper than animal protein.

I love lentils. I love anything bean-y really. I used to be not much of a veggies fan, but lentils were a different story. Sometimes, I would even get looks from people not familiar with my “strange” food choices, when I would say, “Oh I am good with just lentils with rice.” Probably I am not “classy” enough, or am I?

I saw the following recipe on Aarti Party on Food Network. It is not really my mom’s everyday daal, but it is my mom’s fancy daal. My mom would make it on a special occasion or when tomatoes were in season. She would actually make a kind where you replace the tomatoes with tart green/raw mango. I will have to try that one of these days; as soon as I can find some real green mangos.

This is a two-part recipe – boiling the lentils and mixing flavored oil with the boiled lentils. Anthony asked me a good question. Why do the oil separately? Why not do the oil part first and then add the lentils and cook them together? My notion is that because of the cooking time, you tend to lose some of the flavor of the tempered oil. I have had lentils done both ways, and trust me doing the oil separately is totally worth it!



Ingredients

The star of the show
1 cup organic red lentils (available in bulk section of large grocery stores or in Indian grocery stores)
4 cups water
½ onion, diced
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
½ cup tomatoes, finely diced
1 green chili, split

The oomph
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds (mom always used black, I didn’t find any at the grocery store, I got the yellow kind, which turned black in the oil anyway)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Soak the rinsed lentils in water for about 15-30 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients under lentils and bring it to a boil over high-ish heat. It might help to skim off the foam from the surface. Be careful not to skim off the onions or tomatoes. Aarti says not to add salt yet. It would take longer to cook. Who am I to argue with her logic? Turn the stove to low, cover the pot and go do your own thing for about an hour. Don’t totally forget about your food on the stove though. Check on it once in a while. No need to stir.

After done cooking, at which point the lentils are falling apart, my mom uses a wooden utensil, resembling a pestle but with a flat end for muddling. This process makes the lentils creamy and delicious. I don’t have the tools, so I used the back of a big spoon. I also listened to Aarti and used a whisk which apparently releases the starch from the lentils. Whatever makes my lentils thick and smooth! The consistency should be similar to that of bean dip. Add water or evaporate some off if needed. Some like their lentils more watery. I don’t. When you put a scoop of my ideal lentils on rice, there shouldn’t be water oozing out from the bottom of the mound of rice.

In a small frying pan, warm the oil. Once sufficiently hot add the cumin and mustard and cover. After they are done with their spluttering, add the turmeric and cover again. After about 30 seconds, err toward less and not more, pour this oil mixture into the lentils. Be careful not to splatter any on yourself. The oil is also likely to be a little feisty once it hits the lentils. Watch out!

Mix the oil and the lentils in the pot. You should be getting an enchanting (yes it is!) aroma now. Add salt and now taste. Incredible, isn’t it?

Cauliflower and Potato stir-fry

I refuse to call this Aloo Gobi (the similar concoction that you get at Indian restaurants). It is lot less spicy and after you eat this, there is no sign of a food baby. At home, the vegetable dishes were the light, everyday foods. When we'd have guests over, the vegetables would be served to balance the richness of the meat dishes.

My guide was the recipe from Aarti Sequeira's vault. She grew up in India and then lived in the Middle-East and then the States. I totally love her food... maybe because I can relate to her. Aati's recipe.

Cauliflower and tomatoes were winter veggies in Bangaldesh when I was little. Now, I guess you can get them all year long. Other than winter bringing in the "nicer" weather and weddings, it brought its fresh bounty. There was also these special red potatoes that you only got in winter. And I LOVE potatoes. I still love cauliflower, potatoes and tomatoes (although my tomato-gorging has been cut down due to health reasons). I make this dish a lot. It's quick and easy and reminds me of my childhood winters.

Ingredients:
1 lb bag of frozen cauliflower (thawed)
1 medium golden potato
1/2 cup of shelled peas
1/2 cup of diced red onion
1 medium tomato diced (get whatever is cheap, 2 tomatoes if using roma)
1 1/2 tbsp of oil (any kind, preferably canola)
1 tsp of ginger grated or paste
1 tsp of garlic paste or finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 green chili or serrano peppers (alter to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne (alter to taste)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
cilantro chopped for garnish

Heat oil in a wok. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook in medium-low heat. In the meantime, cut the potato in bite-sized pieces and keep it aside. In a small bowl, mix the ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne and coriander with 4 tbsp of water and keep this spice mix nearby.
When the onions in the oil are translucent, add the green chili, cumin seeds and enough salt for the whole dish. Stir lightly and cook for about 1 min. Add the tomatoes and the spice mix. Cook in medium heat until the tomatoes are cooked and the mixture has a consistency of a thick sauce. Ideally, you should be waiting till the oil separates. I am inpatient, I just make sure that the spices and the tomato are cooked and saucy and then proceed on to the next step.
Add the potatoes and cauliflower. Stir to coat the veggies with the sauce. Add 3/4 cups of water. Turn the heat up to make sure that the water warms up evenly. Once you see the bubbles, turn heat down to medium-low, cover the pot, set timer for 10 mins and go do your thing. In 10 mins if the veggies are not cooked evenly yet, add 5 more mins to your timer. When the veggies are cooked all the way, add the peas. Cook uncovered for about 5 more mins to make sure the dish won't give off liquid once cooled.
You are about to cross the finish-line. Garnish with the cilantro and you have a delicious and healthy meal that you can eat a lot and still not feel like a cow!
Back in the day, I ate this with rice. Indian restaurant patrons eat aloo-gobi (the spicier kind) with naan and flatbreads. It works amazingly well as a work lunch in a pita pocket. Just take the pita bread and the veggies separately and warm and assemble before eating. Oomph it up a bit with spreading a tangy chutney on the inside of the pita. This just might be my lunch tomorrow at work!

Pani Puri

Pani Puri (and its many variations) probably reigns the world of street foods in the general Indian subcontinent region. Wikipedia does a good job at educating us about this round deliciousness at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pani_puri. In Bangladesh, we call it phuchka, a little different (and better!) than the Indian counterpart. It's more substantial, dare I say, more classy. Indian pani puri is a little messy, our phuchka involves a sit-down occasion with plates and silverware. Anyways, this is the Indian version that we made for my Nepali friend. It's her first time away from Nepal and when asked what she would like to have for lunch, she said    "PANIPURI!"

The concept is simple, you grab a puri (crisp), you make a hole on the top, put the filling inside and then take a bit of the liquid into the crisp using the crisp itself. Oh, then you put it in your mouth, crunch, feel the sweet, spicy goodness and go, "Ooooh!"

This recipe has the following parts
Puris (from Indian grocery stores) photo
Potato filling
Pani (the dipping liquid) photo
Sweet tamarind/bhel chutney (the sweet-tangy kind)
I think it's difficult to say exactly how much of the potato filling and liquid is needed for x number of puris, because it depends on your preference of the ratio between the fillings.

The potato filing
2 medium sized golden potatoes
1 tbsp of finely diced red onion
1 tsp of chaat masala (can find it in Indian grocery stores)
salt to taste
1/2 serrano pepper (can skip it if desired)
2 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro

Pani
Pani puri masala (liquid or ground)
5 cups of water
1 green chili or serrano pepper
2 tbsps of mint leaves chopped
Juice of one lemon
Or... follow the instructions on the packet, verbatim

Buy about 40-50 puris from the store. This recipe is not for the pani puri kits. Only get the puris. Add water to the tamarind/bhel chutney if needed so that it has the consistency of bbq sauce. Keep them on the dining table and don't worry about them until you are ready to eat.

Boil, peel and finely dice the potatoes. Add the rest of the filling mix well. Adjust any ingredient as needed.

While your potatoes are boiling, you can make the pani. Make sure the water is cold. If you have a food processor, use that little beast to make a paste using the pepper, mint leaves and lemon juice. I don't have one, and the amount seemed too small to use the blender. I just chopped the leaves and the pepper finely and then muddled them using a mortar and pestle.
Now the masala part is a little tricky. First add the raw ingredients., muddled or paste, to the water. Add a bit of the masala (I used the liquid kind from a jar) into the water. Taste. Adjust. Taste again. Keep doing it until it's spicy enough but you are not burning. It's good, but I guess not good enough to be the last meal...Or is it?

Okay, we are ready to eat! Crack the top of a puri, put some potato filling inside, add a bit of the chutney, pick up some of the pani with the puri and enjoy!

Street foods come home

Among the things that I miss most about Bangladesh is those delectable goodies that you would buy from the snack-carts by the sidewalks. I used to save my lunch money and stay hungry (surprise!) to have a feast with those goodies after school. They were not the healthiest by any means, but even the thought of the crunch-munch and the tangy-sweet-salty flavors make my mouth (literally, as I type this) years after those balmy afternoons.

I love having people over and cooking with others. My friend Sam and Dristi were over and what's better to make for lunch than foods that make all of us reminisce about our school-days? We made Aloo Chaat (spicy tangy potatoes), Pani Puri (crisps filled with goodness) and Momos (Nepali dumplings with a spicy sauce).

Aloo Chaat/Spicy Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 potatoes (I used the regular yellow kind)
1 green chili chopped (or Serrano or Thai red chili) - leave out if desired
2 tbsp cilantro chopped
1 tbsp mint leaves (can leave out)
1tsp chaat masala (any Indian or large grocery store carries this)
1 tbsp bhel chutney (again Indian grocery store)
Juice of half a small lime
1 tbsp finely diced red onion

Add the lime juice and water to the bhel chutney (essentially tamarind chutney with sugar, can make it at home if needed) so that it gets a sauce-y consistency.
Boil potatoes to the extent that after you chop them into bite size cubes, the pieces are still firm. Add the bhel sauce and the chaat masala to the peeled and chopped potatoes. Toss lightly with a fork. Garnish with the chili, cilantro mint, and onion. Voila! Deliciousness!
The beauty of this kind of food is that you can alter the recipe in any way you want. I don't like raw onions, I leave that out. I add a bit more bhel chutney. Taste it while tossing, and adjust.