Cook's Hideout: September 2015

September 30, 2015

Slow Roasted Tomatoes (Preserving Summer Bounty)

Buffet on Table: Bloggers Choice
Day 26: Preserving Summer Bounty - Slow Roasted Tomatoes
It has been a great month of non stop blogging with our mega marathon, Buffet on Table. All good things have to come to end and today is the last day for the marathon :-( 
Today I have slow roasted potatoes recipe to preserve your summer tomato bounty. I only 3 tomato plants (cherry, roma and regular), but I've been getting quite a lot of tomatoes that needed to used up. 
Preserving Summer tomato bounty
Now I can imagine how much this bounty would be for people with lot of tomato plants -- they must be bombarded with tons of tomatoes. If you are one of them, then please share how you preserve your tomatoes in the comments below. Thank you.

September 29, 2015

Pickled Jalapenos

Buffet on Table: Bloggers Choice
Day 25: Preserving Summer Bounty - Pickled Jalapenos
Today I have a simple pickled jalapenos recipe to use up some of the jalapenos from the backyard. Recipe is from 'Everyday Food' magazine. This is a quick pickling method and it stays good in the refrigerator for about a month.
Preserving Summer Jalapenos
The recipe uses cider vinegar (aka apple cider vinegar) for the pickling purposes. Just a word of caution, boiling the vinegar gives out quite a strong smell and both my husband and son were bothered a lot by it. I pretended that didn't bother me, but it was quite strong to my liking as well :-)

September 28, 2015

Corn and Pepper Relish (Preserving Summer Bounty)

Buffet on Table: Bloggers Choice
Day 24: Preserving Summer Bounty - Roasted Confetti Corn
We are reaching the final stretch of this month's nonstop blogging for 'Buffet on Table' and the theme for this week is 'Blogger's Choice'. I thought it was going to be a breeze to come up with a theme and do 3 posts.
I couldn't even decide on the theme until last week. I was flip flopping on few themes, I'm going to jot them down here, so I remember them for later --dinner menu ideas, dhaba recipes and Bengali desserts. Then suddenly I thought of posting recipes for preserving the summer bounty/ harvest.
Roasted Confetti Corn
I planted some tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and chilies in a raised bed garden for the first time this year. I mentioned about my home grown zucchini in this post. Unfortunately after giving me the very large 13" long zucchini, the plant decided to call it a day and die on me :-(

September 26, 2015

Ful Medames

Buffet on Table: Breakfasts across Countries
Day 23: Middle East - Ful Medames
For the final day of this week's 'Buffet on Table -- Breakfasts', I have a Middle Eastern staple breakfast called Ful Medames or Foul Medammes. The name sure sounds strange, but it is a hearty and filling dish made with dried fava beans soft simmered with garlic and served with lemon and chopped herbs.
Foul Medammes
This dish has been on my to-make list for a very long time. I think I saw it for the first time on Vaishali's blog when she made the elaborate Egyptian breakfast last September. I was intrigued by the new bean and wanted to give it a try, it took me almost a year to make the dish.

September 25, 2015

Skordalia (Greek Potato-Garlic Dip)

Skordalia is a traditional Greek appetizer dip made with whipped potatoes flavored with fresh garlic, almonds and olive oil. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm with warmed pockletless pita triangles or with crispy oven-roasted eggplant and zucchini.
Greek Potato-Garlic Dip
This recipe is from 'Vegan Eats World' cookbook. I was so excited to see this creamy potato dip recipe that I made it right away for the Buffet on Table -- Condiments week, only to realize that I already had a dish from Greece, so moved this over to this week's Cooking from Cookbook Challenge.

Russian Blinis (Buckwheat Pancakes)

Buffet on Table: Breakfasts across Countries
Day 22: Russian - Blinis
We move to Russia for Buckwheat Blini breakfast. Blini are Russian pancakes made with buckwheat flour leavened with yeast and lightened with beaten egg.
Buckwheat Blinis
I found a ton of recipes for these pancakes, some with just buckwheat flour, some with a combination of wholewheat and buckwheat flours. I followed this recipe that used both flours, but I replaced the all purpose flour with wholewheat pastry flour.

September 24, 2015

Mexican Vegetarian Chilaquiles

Buffet on Table: Breakfasts across Countries
Day 21: Mexican Chilaquiles
After a simple Cuban breakfast, we move onto Mexico for a traditional dish called Chilaquiles. Lightly fried corn tortillas smothered with red or green salsa forms the basis of this dish.
Chilaquiles are generally served for breakfast or brunch and is usually made with leftover tortillas and salsas. They are also served as the last meal in a long lasting wedding party close to morning in what is known as a tornaboda (or after-wedding party).
Red Mexican Chilaquiles
I found this 'Chilaquile Manifesto' post and knew right away that the author means business and knows a lot about chilaquiles. So I just followed the recipe without futzing it around. The resulting chilaquiles were soooo good that even my picky eater son loved them and came back for seconds.

September 23, 2015

Homemade Cuban Bread recipe

Initially when I listed 'Cuban Tostada' as one of the breakfast entries, I wanted to use store bought Cuban bread to make the sandwich and call it a day. But when I started reading about Cuban bread, I realized that store bought Cuban bread might me made with lard (aka pig fat), so I decided to make the bake the bread at home.
Homemade Cuban bread without Lard
I found this recipe on King Arthur flour and followed it to the 'T' except for substituting some of the all purpose flour with wholewheat flour. These rolls are perfect to make sandwiches and of course Cuban tostadas.

Cuban Breakfast Tostada and Cafe con Leche

Buffet on Table: Breakfasts across Countries
Day 20: Cuban Breakfast Tostada and Cafe con Leche
We are going to stop in Cuba today for a Cuban Tostada and coffee. It does not any simpler than this one -- toasted sandwich with Cuban style coffee and fruit -- this is a typical breakfast served in Cuba.
Cuban Breakfast Sandwich with Coffee
Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish and Caribbean cuisines. Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish cooking with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor.

September 22, 2015

Baghrir (Moroccan Semolina Pancakes)

Buffet on Table: Breakfasts across Countries
Day 19: Moroccan Baghrir with Honey-Butter Sauce
Today we are going to Morocco for breakfast with these semolina pancakes called Baghrir. They are soft and spongy yeasted pancakes that just melt-in-your-mouth.
Moroccan Semolina Pancakes
The yeast in the batter causes hundreds of bubbles to form and break on the surface of the pancakes as it cooks. This gives baghrir it's unique texture and appearance. Correct consistency of the batter is very critical for the bubbles to form, if the batter is too thick or thin, bubbles can't form.

September 21, 2015

Vegan Banana Rabanada (Brazilian French Toast)

Buffet on Table: Breakfasts across Countries
Day 18: Brazilian French Toast
Another week of mega marathon starts today and this week, we are going to explore the world of 'Breakfasts'. So for next 6 days you will be treated with delicious breakfast recipes from all around the world.
Brazilian French Toast
First stop is in Brazil and here's a Brazilian version of French toast. It is served around Christmas time. Recipe is from 'Vegan Brunch' cookbook and is made with bananas and cornstarch and no eggs.

September 19, 2015

Sikil Pak (Pumpkin Seed Mole Dip)

Buffet on Table: Week 3 -- Condiments from Countries
Day 17: Mexico -- Sikil Pak (Pumpkin Seed Mole Dip)
For the last day of the Condiment week, here's a no-cook Pumpkin seed dip called Sikil Pak from Mexico. It is a specialty of Yucatan region and is rich, thick and very delicious.

Yucatan Pumpkin Seed Mole Dip
Recipe is from 'Vegan Eats World' cookbook by Terry Hope Romero. When I first read the name, it sounded like an Asian dish but it is a Yucatan dip that is apparently very popular in many Mexican restaurants in the U.S. I've never seen it in any of the ones that I went to, so it was totally new to me.

September 18, 2015

Chickpea Croquettes with Tzatziki Sauce

As I was looking for dishes to serve with tzatziki sauce, I saw these chickpea croquettes recipe in Vegetarian Times magazine. Original recipe was not served with tzatziki, but I thought they tasted great with the addition of the creamy yogurt sauce.
I found adding chickpea flour (besan) and whole chickpeas in these croquettes was quite interesting. The whole chickpeas give these croquettes a hearty texture.

Tzatziki Sauce

Buffet on Table: Week 3 -- Condiments from Countries
Day 16: Greece - Tzatziki Sauce

After yesterday's creamy red pepper walnut dip, today I have a creamy yogurt dip from Greece. Tzatziki sauce needs only 3 main ingredients -- thick yogurt, cucumber, dill and that's it you can make a delicious dip that makes pita or falafel sandwich so much better. I even ate it by the spoonfuls.
Greek Yogurt Dip
My husband has an aversion to yogurt -- he can't tell it's smell, color or texture. I enjoy yogurt based dishes quite a bit but don't make them often. Even though I was tempted to try tzatziki at home, I was never really motivated enough. So this condiments week was the perfect time to make this dip and enjoy it all by myself :-)

September 17, 2015

Muhammara (Red Pepper Walnut Spread)

Buffet on Table: Week 3 -- Condiments from Countries
Day 16: Syria -- Muhammara (Red Pepper Walnut Spread)
Today's condiment comes from Aleppo, Syria. Muhammara or mhammara is a hot pepper dip and is found in Levantine and Turkish cuisines. In western Turkey, muhammara is referred to as acuka

Muhammara
It is made with smoky roasted peppers, crunchy walnuts and fruity pomegranate molasses. It is a great alternate to hummus that is a usually found on Middle Eastern appetizer platter. Aleppo pepper is usually added to the dip, but you can substitute with a pinch of cayenne.

September 16, 2015

Honey Mustard Sauce

Buffet on Table: Week 3 -- Condiments from Countries
Day 14: US -- Honey Mustard Sauce
Today's condiment is extremely simple to make with just 3 ingredients. It can be used as a dip or dressing or as a sandwich spread.
This recipe was not on my initial list, but then this sauce sounded just too good not to try. I recently bought a small jar of whole grain mustard and it went right into this delicious sauce. If you don't have access to store bought mustard, then make it right at home -- here's America Test Kitchen recipe on how to make it at right at home.

September 15, 2015

Recipes for Vinayaka Chavithi (Ganesh Chathurthi Specials)

Ganesh Chathurthi:
Make these festival special dishes to offer to Lord Ganesh.
Signature

Harissa (Chili Paste)

Buffet on Table: Week 3 -- Condiments from Countries
Day 13: North Africa -- Harissa
Today I have a simple and most useful all-purpose chili paste from North Africa. It is great to serve as a condiment for grilled foods and elevates the taste of braised dishes. This condiment is made with only dried red chilies, garlic, olive oil and a tiny bit of cumin.
North African Chili Paste
Even though it is made with red chilies, it does not have to be really fiery hot and spicy, you can use mild tasting chilies too. Experiment with different chilies to find your tolerance level.

September 14, 2015

Quinoa and Roasted Vegetables with Chimichurri Sauce

After making the chimichurri sauce, I was wondering how to use it. In Argentina, it is served with grilled meat. After searching a little bit, here are more uses for it in vegetarian dishes - ideas from here:
  • As a sandwich spread by mixing with mayo.
  • As pasta sauce -- just toss with hot pasta.
  • Stir in scrambled eggs.
  • Stir into mashed potatoes.
  • Use as dressing for chopped veggie salad.
Chimichurri sauce in vegetarian dihes
Here's how I used the chimichurri sauce. I served it with some roasted vegetables and quinoa. Recipe idea is from Vegetarian Times magazine. Original recipe had roasted sweet potatoes, but I used grilled veggies instead.

Chimichurri Sauce

Buffet on Table: Week 3 -- Condiments from Countries
Day 12: Argentina -- Chimichurri Sauce
After 1 week of Combo meals and a week of Indian states, we continue our Buffet on Table marathon with Condiments from around the world as the theme for the week. When the themes were being finalized I wasn't really clear what a 'condiment' is. Chutneys and jams were the only condiments I knew and wasn't really sure if I would be able to find a week worth of condiment recipes from around the world to post.
A quick google search and a chat with Mir, clarified my doubts. Condiment is defined as 'something that is used to enhance the flavor of food' (Merriam Webster dictionary). According to Wiki, 'a condiment is a spice, sauce or other food preparation that is added to food to impart a particular flavor, to enhance its flavor or to complement the dish'.
Argentina Chimichurri Sauce
I searched the internet and cookbooks with more clarity and found some delicious condiments from around the world. First up is this vibrant green sauce from Argentina called 'Chimichurri'. It is generally used for grilled meat and is originally from the Rio de la Plata, Argentina. It is made of finely chopped parsely, garlic, olive oil and white vinegar.

September 12, 2015

Ela Ada

Buffet on Table: Week 2 -- Indian States
Day 11: Kerala -- Ela Ada
For the final day of this week's mega marathon, I have a sweet dish from Kerala. Coconut-jaggery stuffing inside a rice flour crepe, then steamed until done. These are perfect to make for festivals and special occasions.
Ela Ada
With sravana maasam in full swing, I had way too many fresh coconuts to take care of. So I used some of it to make this simply delicious dessert.

September 11, 2015

Green Quinoa Salad with Peas and Avocado

After a week of Indian dishes, here's a healthy Quinoa salad with peas, avocado and lots of herbs. I like to make this kind of simple dishes when I'm cooking for myself -- everything goes into 1 bowl, mix and eat -- that's it, no fuss, no mess.
Quinoa Salad with herbs
This recipe is from Vegetarian Times magazine and I made it as soon as I saw the recipe. It is definitely going to be in rotation in my home going forward.

Shahi Mixed Vegetable & Paneer Curry

I made this creamy and colorful mixed vegetable curry to go with the Khamiri rotis. 'Shahi' literally means regal or royal, so any dish with that in the name means it's going to be rich and flavorful.
Vegetarian Shahi Vegetable Curry
This shahi vegetable curry is great to make for parties or when you have company. Like most other Indian gravy curries, this curry tastes even better as it sits. So make it ahead of time and warm slightly when ready to serve.

Khamiri Roti with Shahi Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry

Buffet on Table: Week 2 -- Indian States
Day 10: Uttar Pradesh -- Khamiri Roti
After yesterday's simple Karnataka meal, I've 2 delicious Mughalai dishes from Uttar Pradesh today. Uttar Pradesh cuisine is influenced greatly by Mughal cooking techniques. In the Mughal era, Uttar Pradesh became the heartland of the empire.
Mughlai cuisine is rich with the use of spices and different cooking techniques. I decided to make a simple flatbread and a creamy vegetable & paneer curry.
Mughlai Khamiri Roti
Khamiri roti is a Mughlai leavened bread. Khamir means 'yeast' and it is used in this roti to make it thick and spongy. I thought it is similar to naan, but these are made with wholewheat flour and are not made as thick as naans.

September 10, 2015

Sihi Bella (Sweet Poha with Jaggery)

I made this simple sweet poha dish along with lemon rice for my daughter's birthday. Recently I made a sweet dish poha and jaggery, but that one is more like a payasam but this one is a dry-ish preparation.
Sweet Poha with Jaggery
This dish can be made in no time, getting the jaggery to melt is the only time consuming part. I used powdered jaggery to make things easy for me, if you are using regular jaggery, then make sure to powder it well. Also using fresh grated coconut is important because dried or frozen coconut is too dry for this dish.

Chitrannam and Sihi Bella

Buffet on Table: Week 2 -- Indian States
Day 9: Karnataka -- Chitranna and Vella Avalaki
I have savory and sweet dishes from Karnataka today. It was my daughter's birthday few days back and I wanted to make something special for her. Lemon rice, tamarind rice are usually made for birthdays, festivals and special occasions. So I made Karnataka style Lemon rice and Sihi Bella.
Lemon Rice
I had this lemon rice aka Chitranna from Indira's blog bookmarked for a long time. Both my kids love peanuts along with potatoes, so this lemon rice with both their favorite ingredients was just perfect. I add enough of them so that they get at least one peanut and a piece of potato in each and every bite.

September 09, 2015

Kashmiri Saffron or Kesar Rice

Final dish on my mini Kashmiri thali is this saffron or kesar rice. Saffron flavors this simple rice dish along with some more spices. I added some turmeric to give the rice a little more color. Serve with simple rice with a spicy gravy curry.
Kashmiri Thali

Doon Chetin (Apple Chutney)

I saw the recipe for this Apple chutney called Doon Chetin on Vaishali's Kashmiri thali and wanted to try it. This chutney is spicy and sweet and tasted yummy when scooped onto the rotis. It takes just a few minutes to make this chutney, so give it a try if you are a lover of spicy, sweet food. This is part of my Kashmiri Thali.
Doon Chetin

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

To go with my Kashmiri Rotis and Saffron rice, I made this Kashmiri Dum Aloo. This curry is so delicious with stuffed potatoes that is served with a spicy, creamy gravy.
Kashmiri Thali
I already have another Kashmiri Dum Aloo recipe on the blog, but this recipe is quite different from that one because here the potatoes are stuffed with paneer and unsweetened khoya. I replaced khoya with ricotta cheese because I didn't have khoya on hand and strained ricotta worked like a charm.

Kashmiri Mini Thali - Roti, Dum Aloo, Apple Chutney and Saffron Rice

Buffet on Table: Week 2 -- Indian States
Day 8: Kashmir -- Kashmiri Roti with Dum Aloo, Doon Chetin & Kashmiri Yellow Rice
After seeing my marathon buddies make amazing thalis, I made a mini Kashmiri thali for today's mega marathon. Thanks to Valli's and Vaishali's Kashmiri posts for the inspiration. I picked the recipes from their thalis to make mine. Here's what I made:
Kashmiri Thali
Kashmiri roti is a very flavorful recipe with spices that are added right into the dough. It is kneaded with milk instead of water to make soft and delicious rotis. Served with Kashmiri Dum Aloo, these rotis tasted simply amazing.

September 08, 2015

Japanese Eggplants broiled with Miso (Nasu Dengaku)

After cooking more than 1 dish for the mega blogging marathon, I think I got in the habit of making more dishes. So here I am with the second Japanese dish for #Food of the World event that I served with Miso Noodle Soup.
I planted 2 eggplant plants in my raised garden bed and after waiting the whole summer, they have just started to grow some beautiful, long Japanese eggplants. I wanted to make a Japanese dish using them and found this simple Broiled Japanese eggplants with miso recipe on Fatfree Vegan's site.

Japanese Miso Noodle Soup for #Food of the World

For this month's #Food of the World event, we are visiting the beautiful country of Japan. My knowledge of Japanese food is very limited and I've only eaten it a couple of times. We have a Mitsuwa close to our house with a huge food court, but I didn't find many vegetarian options there, so never really tasted Japanese food outside except for the couple of dishes I made at home.
Vegetarian Japanese Miso Noodle Soup
As I was looking for Japanese recipes to make, I found this simple Miso noodle soup recipe in Vegetarian Times magazine. I had all the ingredients on hand, so made it right away. It is a light and tasty soup. I slurped the entire bowl you see in the picture :-) I added a few dashes of hot sauce to spice it up but otherwise it is a great tasting soup.

Corn Pizza on Multigrain Crust for #BreadBakers

'Whole Grain breads' is the theme for this month's #BreadBakers challenge. Thanks to Cali's Cuisine for choosing this interesting theme. Any yeasted or chemically leavened bread using at least half of the grains whole is what we need to come up for the challenge.
Two Corn Pizza
So I did the easiest thing I can do, opened my Whole Grain Baking cookbook by King Arthur Flour and found this Corn Pizza recipe with Multi grain crust. The crust has cornmeal, barley flour and wholewheat flour along with a little bit of bread flour. Per serving there are 43gms of whole grains in this recipe.

Erra Karam Dosa

Buffet on Table: Week 2 -- Indian States
Day 7: Andhra Pradesh -- Erra Karam Dosa
I am making a dish from my home state of Andhra today. It was quite a task deciding on dishes for this week. I had big plans but things got hectic and I lost track of time. Finally I decided on making simple recipes that have been on my bookmarks for a long time.
Rayalaseema Erra Karam Dosa
This Erra Karam Dosa from Suma's blog is something I have been planning to make for a while now. It is a spicy and delicious variation of dosa from the Rayalaseema region in Andhra. According to Suma it is a dish that is a popular street food.

September 07, 2015

Thalipeeth (Maharashtrian flat bread)

Buffet on Table: Week 2 -- Indian States
Day 1: Maharashtra -- Thalipeeth
After a week of combo meals from around the world, our theme for the second week of our mega marathon, Buffet on Table, is Indian States. So each day of this week, I will be sharing a dish from different states in India.
Multi grain Roti
With the amount of time we had to plan for this marathon, I should have made elaborate dishes and meals for this week. Though I had plans to make it 'mega', when reality really hit me it was a little too late in the game. I stuck to very simple dishes, but I have to say I enjoyed them all very much and I will be making them often in the future.

September 05, 2015

Chocolate Para Churros (Chocolate sauce for Churros - Vegan recipe)

This recipe for hot chocolate is much thicker than the standard hot chocolate. It is almost like a smooth, thin pudding and is designed to dip the freshly made churros. Make this while the dough for churros is cooling, keep it covered in a pan on the stove and give it a good whisk just before serving.
Chocolate Sauce for Churros
This recipe makes about 4 ½-cup servings of chocolate sauce. Store the leftovers in the fridge and use within 2~3 days.

Vegan Churros with Chocolate Sauce

Buffet on Table: Week 1 -- Combos from Countries
Day 5: Mexico -- Vegan Churros with Chocolate Sauce
For the last day of this week's Combo meals, I made a addictive dessert from Mexico -- Churros with Chocolate Sauce. Churros are fingers or loops of sugar coated fried pastry dough that is usually served with cups of hot chocolate.
Mexican Churros with Cinnamon
Churros have a light crunchy outside and an airy inside. They are quite easy to make at home. They can vary from country to country in shape and size: in Venezuela, they are shaped as dainty loops whereas Mexican churros are quite long and spiked with cinnamon. Many Latin countries like their churros with just a dusting of granulated sugar.

September 04, 2015

Cast-Iron Skillet Pita Bread

Pita bread is a quintessential element for any Middle Eastern meal. I already have a recipe for pita bread that is baked in the oven. This one is made on the skillet and the pitas turned out soft and delicious.
Wholewheat Pita Bread
These pitas involve quite a bit of work, read the recipe thoroughly and plan accordingly. I don't usually add cooking and prep times to my recipes, but I thought it is important to add them here because I miscalculated the time and it took me past dinner time to make these pitas.
A 'Sponge' made by mixing some of the flour before preparing the dough is the secret to the success of these homemade pitas. Try these and I'm sure you'll love them.

Classic Hummus

I love hummus. I use it as a spread on sandwiches, wraps and even made a bread with it. But never made hummus myself at home -- I wonder why!! All it needs is 2 main ingredients -- chickpeas and tahini and that's all you need to make this creamy and delicious dip.
Hummus is known as the poor man's food in the Middle East and it is a versatile dish. It can be served as a snack or with any meal of the day -- it is served for breakfast for Israel. It is an easy and delicious way to add protein to the diet.
Classic Hummus
This recipe is from Vegetarian Times magazine. The recipe is a little unusual in that it uses warm chickpeas -- the author says the heat helps cut the garlic's acidity. It is best to make the hummus from scratch using dried chickpeas (instructions on how to cook chickpeas from scratch are included at the end of the post).

Tabbouleh, Hummus and Pita Platter

Buffet on Table: Week 1 -- Combos from Countries
Day 4: Middle East -- Tabbouleh, Hummus & Pita Platter
Our next stop for an amazing International Combo meal is in the Middle East. This Tabbouleh, Hummus, pita and falafel platter has been something I have planned to make for a very long time. Finally I made them all for the Mega marathon :-)
Lebanese Tabbouleh with Herbs & Pistachio
Tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern dish. There are many versions for this bulgur wheat salad. This recipe is from Vegetarian Times magazine and I'm assuming it is from Lebanon since it is more about the herbs and less about the bulgur grain itself.

September 03, 2015

Indian Style Tomato Soup

This tomato soup is the perfect accompaniment to grilled cheese sandwich. It is also great to serve warm with crusty bread on a chilly day.
Indian Style Tomato Coconut Soup
I added Indian flavors to the soup along with some coconut milk to make it thick and tasty. Substitute ginger with garlic, omit the cumin seeds and red chili powder. Use cream or half-n-half instead of coconut milk and make a American style thick tomato soup.

Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Buffet on Table: Week 1 -- Combos from Countries
Day 3: US -- Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
We are stopping in the United States for a hearty and comforting combo of grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. This is a such a classic combination; crunchy, buttery bread and melted cheese just begs to be dunked in a big bowl of hearty tomato soup.
Indian Style Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
One good thing about this combo is that both the sandwich and the soup can be customized to ones palate. So I took the liberty and made them both with Indian flavors. Skip the green chutney and caramelized onion in the sandwich and you have an all American sandwich.

September 02, 2015

Malaysian Curry Sauce

Roti Canai is usually served with a creamy curry sauce. The one served in our nearby Penang restaurant is made with chicken, so I've never tasted it myself. While surfing for Malaysian curry sauces, I found this one with potato and like I said before in my previous post, anything with potato is welcome in my house.
Vegetarian Malaysian Potato Curry Sauce
This curry sauce is made with generous quantity of coconut cream. But I subbed it with regular coconut milk and the sauce was still creamy and delicious. It tasted great with roti canai and even with some plain rice. I also added some green peas to add some protein to the dish.

Roti Canai with Curry Sauce (Vegetarian Recipe)

Buffet on Table: Week 1 -- Combos from Countries
Day 2: Malaysia -- Roti Telur with Curry Sauce
Next we stop in Malaysia for an addictive combo of Roti Canai with Curry sauce. Some influence of Indian cuisine can be seen in Malaysian cuisine and this combo of roti with curry reflects a lot of it.
Vegetarian Roti Canai with Potato Curry Sauce
We have a really good Penang restaurant near us and they serve delicious roti canai. Unfortunately the curry sauce has chicken in it, so we end up eating just the bread. Penang is a state in Malaysia and is touted as the food capital of Malaysia.

September 01, 2015

Potato Curry

We are a potato loving family. They are happy if I make anything with potato, which is great because I add it to dishes that they normally wouldn't eat and the potato in it lures them to eat it. For example, which kid really likes wheat rava upma (godhuma rawa upma)? At least I didn't while growing up, but my kids eat it without fuss when I add potatoes to it -- happy mama :-)
Aloo Kura
Today's potato curry is super simple and my kids absolutely love it. It tastes great as is, but tastes even better with mor kuzhambu. Give this combo a try, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Mor Kuzhambu and Potato Curry

Buffet on Table: Week 1 -- Combos from Countries
Day 1: Mor Kuzhanbu & Potato Curry
We are starting our Mega marathon today and it's going to be a very very interesting September with lots of delicious International and Indian dishes. Theme for the first week is Combo dishes from different countries.
My first stop is in India, Tamil Nadu in particular. Ever since I saw this combo of mor kuzhambu with aloo/ potato curry in Sandhya's blog, I wanted to try it too. But since the husband is a yogurt-phobic, I was waiting for the right opportunity to make these dishes. Finally I made them while he was travelling and enjoyed all by myself :-)
Majjiga Pulusu & Alu kura
My mom makes majjiga pulusu too but the method is slightly different from the Tamil Nadu version. Even with my very limited Tamil knowledge, I think even mor kuzhambu literally means majjiga (buttermilk), pulusu (stew). Correct me if I'm wrong my dear Tamil friends :-)

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