A quick intro to food from me: I love food. I love eating it. I love making it. I love
serving it. I love experimenting with it. I love the smell, textures, colors and of course the flavors. Everyone in my family
is a chef except for one of my brothers who not so recently learned how to make eggs and bbq chicken. SO PROUD OF HIM! Being
born in the states and having Indian and Pakistani roots I think I am a little more judgmental when it comes
to flavoring food. Oh and I am not subtle with spices or heat... Bring the fire to my buds!
OK. So naturally I have a lot of Indian and Pakistani dishes but in my house, anything
goes. We'll start off with some basic Indo/Pak dishes. Most of the ingredients are easy to find in your grocery stores but
the ingredients with an * by them you should probably try an ethnic grocery store or if you are lucky the "ethnic cooking
isle" ... Enjoy and Eat UP! Oh and until I figure out what camera I want to buy I will add pictures of these delicious items.
patience.
I love legumes..healthy and full of the good stuff
so lets start with a simple lentil recipe that is one of my all time favorites. Daal is the Urdu/Hindi word for lentils. There
are many varieties and they are all scrumptious. In this recipe I am using Channa Daal, which is orange in color and looks
like one of those edible sugar dots your elementary school teacher gave you for doing well on your homework.. Nothing too
crazy in this recipe, you can find lentils in any store, try not to get the mixed bags as they will throw off the flavor of
this recipe.
Masoor ki Daal
Masoor daal is cooked to a creamy consistency. The smoothness
is tempered with a touch of mild spices gives the daal its unique flavor. You can serve this with the basic salat of sliced
onioins, chopped peppers and tomatoe and cilantro with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt over white
basmati rice. The potato and carrots are optional unless you want a heartier soup.
1 cup masoor daal
2 cups water
1
small chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
1
tbsp Fennel seeds
1 tbsp oil
Cilantro and green pepper for garnish
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
4-5 dried red pepper
In
a medium pot add masoor daal, water, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, and cook until tender. Eventually the daal will become
more like a creamy soup and after about 35 minutes of cooking add salt.
Heat some oil in a small frying pan.Add red pepper, fennel seeds and fry for just about
2 minutes until the red pepprs turn slightly black.
quickly
add this oil mixture to the top of the daal and stir and you will smell amazingness!
Turn off the heat, garnish with cilantro. Serve with basmati rice or whole wheat rotis.
I also love soups. Its a simple fact that they make you feel
warm and fulfilled. Soups are also the EASIEST thing to make. Throw whatever the hell you want in a pot and slow cook to pull
out each flavor in a melody of YUM. Since its fall now heres a warm fall soup with two ingredients I didn't think would work
well together, alas by the good graces of my argentinian mentor, Elba, Pistachios can do no wrong.
Creamy
Coconut & Butternut Squash Soup with Sugared Pistachios
For the garnish:
- 1 cup shelled, unsalted roasted pistachios
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2
tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
For the Soup:
- 1 large 1 1/2 – 2 pound butternut squash
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2
14 ounce cans of good quality vegetable broth
- 2 tsp.
ginger juice
- 1 small 5.6 ounce can coconut milk
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste (optional)
- To make the garnish: In a medium saute pan, melt the butter. When fully melted, add
the pistachios and stir to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle salt, sugar and cinnamon over the nuts and stir again to make sure they’re
evenly covered. Remove from heat. Spread out on baking pan or non-stick cookie sheet & allow to cool.
- To make the soup: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cut the butternut
squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, drizzle with olive oil and place face down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast
until tender – about 1 hour. Allow to cool enough to be able to handle the squash. Remove all the roasted flesh and
place in large stockpot. Add vegetable broth to pot over medium heat and allow the squash to further break down and mix in
with the broth. When brought to a low simmer, add in the coconut milk (make sure you stir it before you pour it into the pot)
and ginger juice. Take off the heat and allow to cool again. In batches, blend the squash & soup liquid in a blender (the
Vitamix is amazing for this) until pureed to desired consistency. Return to pot and heat before serving. Sprinkle the top
of the soup with the sugared pistachios right before serving.
Who isn't a carb whore? Anyone? The following is a tasty, spicy and simple way to get your carb fix.
Cuthlia
(seasoned spuds)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 whole dried chillis
3
garlic cloves, crushed (1/2 tsp garlic paste)
1
pound baby potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2
tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp minced cilantro
salt to taste
1
tsp fennel seeds
In a large pot, heat the oil
over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle,
add the red chillies.
Add the garlic and potatoes and
sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add
the turmeric and mix well. Add the curry and cilantro and cook for another minute.
Add the salt to taste and about 2 tbsps of water. Cover and cook over low heat until the
potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. add chopped cilantro when serving.
Serve hot with fresh naan or rotis and raita.
I added the chopped cilantro at the end after the cooking was done.
