Turkey Sausage Spaghetti

 Spaghetti always saves us on lazy (read "busy" :)) days. We love the whole wheat version of it. I have started making my own recipes, which frequently changes with supplies available that day. But I do like this dish, its incredibly quick to make and yummy to taste. It also always gets H's approval code so am happy :)

Turkey Sausage Spaghetti - Heres what you will need :

Red Pepper/Spicy Turkey Sausage (pre-cooked) - 2 long links (cut into slices)

Whole Wheat Spaghetti - Almost a full box

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tsp

Broccoli Florets (frozen) - 2 cups 

Sun Dried Tomatoes (crushed) - 2 tbsp

Garlic Powder - few sprinkles 

Crushed Red Pepper- 1 tsp

Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Keep the water ready and boiling for the spaghetti on one side. On the other side take a thick bottom pan, I use my cast iron dutch oven. Heat it good, add the oil, and when everything is smoking hot, add the sausages. Even though the sausages are fully cooked I like to brown them a little, enhancing their taste. Keep stirring them. Add the spaghetti in the mean time to the boiling water. Add the frozen broccoli florets to the sausage at this point. They get cooked super fast. Almost immediately add the sun dried tomatoes, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. Keep stirring. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Add the cooked spaghetti to the sausage-broccoli mixture, mix well. And you are done. Enjoy!

- Oindrilla

Aloo Gobi MY WAY!! :)

H doesn't particularly love cutting cauliflower and I don't particularly love cooking the famous aloo gobi, due to all the frying steps which takes longer than my patience can take it :). Then my mom came to the rescue. And thus aloo gobi was rediscovered :)

Aloo Gobi - Heres what you will need : (Measurements are approximate as I eyeball all my ingredients)

Cauliflower - One large (cut into florets)

Potatoes - 6-7 medium sized (cubed)

Coriander Powder - 2 tsps 

Cumin Powder - 2 tsps

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp (or less)

Sweet Paprika - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/3 tsp

Dried Red Chilies - 3

Ground Ginger - 1 tbsp

Green Chilies - 3-4 (chopped)

Sugar - 1-2 tsp

Mustard Oil - 11/2 tbsp

Salt

How to do it

Take water in a huge container so that all the florets can fit in. Bring this to a rolling boil and drop all the cauliflower florets in it. Boil for 5-10 mins. The florets become sort of translucent and that is when they are done. You can test it with a fork. They should not be overdone, like falling apart or too soft type. I do this for the entire cauliflower one day when I am free and freeze it. That way they are ready any day I want to make the actual curry part.

Take a small bowl and add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, sweet paprika and add a little water to it. Make a thin paste with this and keep it aside. Add the oil in the pan and when it is smoking, add the cumin seeds and the dried red chilies. Stir it for a few seconds, then add the paste of the masalas that you made before. Don't let it burn. After a little stirring, add the crushed tomato along with half cup water and salt. Let this mixture simmer for a few minutes. Add the ginger paste. You can add little more water at this point, if the mixture is getting dry and the tomatoes still look raw. After the tomatoes are cooked add 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil. Add the potato cubes and green chilies at this point. Keep stirring the curry once in a while. Once the potatoes are 90% done add the cauliflower florets. Cover and cook for 5-6 mins. Add the garam masala and little bit of sugar. Switch the stove off. Stir, cover and let the curry rest for a few minutes before serving. There is no right consistency to this curry, it can be thin and runny or rich gravy like, all tastes awesome.

This curry goes very well with roti, naan, rice. Enjoy!

-Oindrilla

Okra fry with a twist

I have been always fond of okra. My mom whom I adore for teaching me the principle that "simple food can still be tasty food" taught me to eat it in a unique way, by boiling . Yes, I am not kidding! and I still love it. She will boil the okra until tender in plain water and then sieve them out, add mustard oil and salt and have it with rice with a green chili. I try to re-create some of those days and dishes, but with so much talking and writing of complex food its sadly getting lost somewhere.

Anywhoo! :) today I am going to talk about a simple dish which my dad gave me the idea.

Okra Fry - Heres what you will need :

Okra - 10-15 medium/small ones (or more) ( I buy the frozen baby ones and they are always tender)
Mustard Oil - 2 tbsps or less
Green Chili - 2 (slit side ways)
Salt
Chat Masala - 1-2 tsp (I buy "Everest Chat Masala")

I buy pre-washed frozen baby okras, so no need to wash them. But if you are buying fresh wash them well gently, as they can get pretty sticky if the bottom breaks :). After that cut the top hard part off, as well as the bottom extremity. Now depending on the size of the okra divide it into 2-3 parts, in such a way that the whole bunch remains sort of in the same size range.

Now heat mustard oil in a pan till smoking, add the slit green chillies. Be careful, they splutter. Add the okras and start frying. Add a little salt. You don't have to fry for long. The okras should still be somewhat green when you take them out. It might need a little testing at first to understand if they are done, but you will get there quickly.

Take them out on a small tray and spread them. Now comes the fun part. Sprinkle the chat masala on them. Its done! Have them warm or at room temperature, they are just wonderful. I usually serve these with dal and rice.

Enjoy!
-Oindrilla

Cucumber Raita

I like raita, but some how that is the least made dish in our home. I have no idea why except that H doesn't prefer it at all :) But this is going to change, more raitas will be made :) I like raita not only as an accompaniment with biriyani, but as such with choley and naan, or by itself when I am feeling like it :)

Cucumber Raita - Heres what you will need :

Cucumber ( ha ha ) - 1 medium ( grated )
Whole milk yogurt - 1 cup
Chat Masala - 1 tsp ( I use "Everest Chat Masala" )
Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp or more
Salt


Beat the yogurt and add a little water to it if its really thick. Add the salt, sugar, chat masala, cumin powder, grated cucumber and mix very well. Taste it and see if you need to add more anything else. For me I feel the ratios of stuffs change pretty frequently :) Enjoy!

-Oindrilla

Easy Biriyani

We have some days when there is absolutely no dinner at home. The simple reason behind it is usually I did not cook :). But this particular day we had to do our monthly grocery, and it was getting late, so H suggested why don't we try some frozen meals. I have always looked into that section and wondered if the foods are as delicious as they look in the photograph. Anyways, we thought we will give it a try. And surprisingly, I found a frozen entry of Chicken Biriyani. Of course I bought it, and while having dinner that night I thought of trying to make it. Thus this recipe was born and will be cherished in our home for many years. It doesn't beat the traditional biriyani, but still its easy and fast with no layering of rice and chicken, it works.

Easy Biriyani - Here's what you will need :

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Chicken Breast - 11/2 lbs ( Cubed into little bigger than bite size pieces )
Biriyani Masala - Half pack ( I buy "Everest Shahi Biriyani Masala" )
Whole Milk Yogurt - 1 cup
Vegetable Oil - 2 tbsps
Onions Red/Yellow- 1 cup ( Chopped )
Crushed Tomato ( without salt ) - 1/2 cup or less
Giner Paste - 1 tbsp
Minced Garlic - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp ( optional )
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp ( optional )
Cardamom pods - 4-5
Cloves -2
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Chicken Stock - 1 pack
Rose Water - 4 tbsps or more
Kewra Water - 2 tbsps or more  ( this is a very strong scented liquid, so go slow while adding it )
Butter - 2 tsp ( optional )
Salt

How I made it

Take the yogurt in a suitable size bowl and beat it. To this add the biriyani masala and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix well so that the chicken pieces are all coated well with the yogurt mixture. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap or plate and keep it in the fridge at least 5 hours or better overnight.

Wash the Basmati Rice in 4-5 changes of water gently so as not to break the grains. Soak them in cool water until ready with the other stuffs. Take a huge pot to make the rice. Add the chicken stock, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, salt, little oil ( so that the rice grains don't stick to each other), add extra water so that the rice has much more than enough water. Put this on relatively high heat and let it come to a rolling boil.

Now comes the turn to cook the chicken. Add the vegetable oil in the pan, and when its warm enough add minced garlic. Cook till it is slightly browned. Add the chopped onions at this point and cook till they change color. Add the ginger paste and stir for a min before adding the crushed tomatoes. Add salt and half a cup of water along with turmeric powder and red chili powder ( if you are adding those). Let the tomatoes get cooked. No need to cover the curry if you stir it often and keep an eye on it. Add the marinated chicken along with any extra marinate and stir well. Cook the chicken stirring often, uncovered. You can add a splash of water here and there if you like. The ultimate curry should not be watery but sort of thick. When the chicken is almost getting done add the rose water and the kewra water to the chicken. Let it boil for a few minutes after this for the flavors to mingle.

As the chicken is getting ready, add the rice to the boiling water. I sometimes pick up the spices floating in the water before I add the rice, but that is entirely optional :) I just don't like biting into whole spice. The rice needs monitoring as it tends to get overdone very quickly. Once its done you are ready to serve your biriyani, just mix the rice with a little butter and then add the chicken on top. Serve warm. Can accompany it with a Cucumber Raita ( I will post the recipe soon ) or just by itself. Its delicious. Enjoy!

- Oindrilla

Pizza Pizza !!

I started making pizza very recently at home. I used to think that it will be a really difficult thing for me to achieve, and so I told myself that it is one of those things that you always buy and never make. But then the day came when I was browsing the web for recipes and pizza recipes started showing up everywhere :). I was nervous with my first one, but H made it so much easier with his compliments that I became the "confident pizza maker".

There are a few things that is different with my pizza and that we both enjoy namely considerably less and sometimes "no" cheese and less salt. I also make my own marinara sauce. Its fast and easy and can be stored in the fridge in a air tight container for a few days. I have not tried freezing it, but am sure it will work out as well.

The recipe for the crust that I use, you can find it here. Its a marvelous recipe, works every-time and since it is in weight measure (which I love) you don't have to do the "cups thing" which I feel is never accurate. I keep the dough inside my switched off oven with the lights on sometimes for 8-10 hours and its always perfect. The more you rest the dough more thick the crust is.

Toppings for the pizza : It totally depends on what I have at hand that day and my mood of course :)

Chicken/Turkey Sausage
Turkey Ham
Bell Pepper
Goat Cheese
Parmigiano reggiano
Roasted Chicken
Pepperoni
Red/White Onions
Jalapeno
Spinach

Marinara Sauce and its variations : (All the measurements are approximate as I just eye ball my ingredients)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Minced Garlic - 1tsp
Crushed Tomato (without salt) - 1 small can
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

The way I make it :

Heat 2 tsp olive oil to the pan and add the minced garlic. Brown it just a little before adding the crushed tomatoes. With the crushed tomatoes I add half a cup water and the sea salt and lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. After 10 mins or so add the ground pepper and give it a stir. Can add a splash of water at this time if the sauce is drying up too much. Remember the fully cooked sauce should in no way be watery or your pizza will be soggy. And you are done.


Variations : You can use any or all of these at the same time :) just be careful of the final salt content

Mrs Dash Original Spice mix
Chicken Bouillon ( I buy "Better than Bouillon" but any ordinary one should do the trick)
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Lemon Pepper
Italian mix seasoning
Jalapeno Peppers
Red onions thinly sliced ( these should be added right after the minced garlic and cooked till translucent before adding the tomatoes)


Have a lovely day

- Oindrilla

Brown Rice Idli

I am going to start my blog with "not an ideal day". I call it "that" as its one of those days when I ended up doing nothing. Last two days I have been down with cold. Thankfully H is taking care of the kitchen and home. He made dosa yesterday along with onion sambar and egg curry. I had made the dosa/idli batter but was unable to proceed from there. I had and actually still have a big bag of organic brown rice, which we both discovered we are not so fond of, so decided it best to use it for something we both enjoy - idli or dosa. I follow the measurements from this wonderful blog which you can click here and the specific recipe that I got my inspiration from is here . Its a wonderful recipe and it gives us fluffy, soft idlis every time.

Idli recipe :

Organic brown rice - 3 cups
Urad Dal - 1 cup
Poha - 1/2 cup
Methi seeds - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1 pinch
Salt

I soak the rice and dal in the morning along with the methi seeds. In the late evenings, usually after dinner I wash the poha in a colander and add to this mix and grind everything together. I just use a normal blender for my grinding. I also switch on my oven light during this time as it warms up the oven. The oven should be switched off with only the light on. After everything is ground and ready in a big bowl, I add the baking soda and put a lid on the bowl, not a tight fitting one and in it goes inside the oven overnight. The oven light is enough to maintain the temperature needed for fermentation to take place.

Next day, the batter is ready. I wait till it reaches the brim of the bowl allowing maximum fluffiness/softness to the idlis. Usually I add salt to this and keep it inside the fridge. I have kept it 3-4 days, and made dosa with it.

The onion sambar that I make with it is only different because I have to substitute shallots for regular onions (as somehow I never have those at home). They come out perfect.

Have a lovely day
- Oindrilla