Food Minia

Now a days pasta is one of the comfortable food for all. A big bowl of pasta with rich creamy sauce and the addition of mixed vegetables is a perfect and easy choice for dinner. Here is a quick and delicious recipe of creamy vegetable pasta in spicy and rich thick coconut milk sauce (malai sauce). Ingredients: Pasta-1 cup Butter-2 tbsp Thinly chopped garlic-1 tbsp Thinly chopped onion-1  Chilly powder-1 tsp Pepper powder-1/4 tsp Cumin powder-1/4 tsp Salt-to taste Chopped carrot-1/4 cup Green pea-1/4 cup (fresh / or cooked dried) All purpose flour (maida)-1 tbsp Thick coconut milk- 3/4 cup Chopped cilantro/ basil leaves- to garnish Preparation: Cook pasta in enough boiling water by adding salt until done (8-10 minutes). Drain it and keep aside. Heat butter in a pan; add thinly chopped garlic and onion; saute for a minute. Add chilly powder, pepper powder and cumin powder . Add chopped carrots and green pea; saute 3-4 minutes. Then add all purpose flour and mix well on low flame for ...

Dhokla is a staple vegetarian food originated from the Indian state of Gujarat. Normally it is made with the fermented batter from rice and split chick peas. Here is an easy and instant version of dhokla using sooji. The nice, spongy and savory sooji cake is absolutely delicious and and serve it along with mint chutney or itself. Ingredients: Semolina (sooji/ rava)-1 cup Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp Green chilly paste- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida (hing powder/kayam)- a generous pinch Curd-1 1/2 tbsp( or lemon juice-1 tsp) Salt-to taste (little) Water-to make a batter Eno/ Fruit salt- 1 1/2 tsp For Seasoning: Oil- 1 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds-1 tsp Curry leaves-2 spring Powdered sugar-1 /4 tsp Grated coconut-1 tbsp Preparation: Grease a steaming pan with 1/4 tsp of oil and keep it ready. In a large mixing bowl; mix sooji (semolina) with ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, hing, salt and curd. Mix well and add water little by little to make smooth batter (little thick but running consistency like dosa batt...

Jackfruit biriyani (kathal biriyani) is a mildly spicy and aromatic rice preparation in which the delicious raw jackfruit gravy is topped with basmati rice. It is prepare like the normal dum biriyani method and of course a great treat for the veggies. Ingredients: Tender Raw Jack-fruit- 1/2 kg  Onion-2 nos Tomato-1 large Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp Green chilly slit-2 nos Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Chilly powder-1 tsp Coriander powder-1 tsp Garam masala powder-1 tsp Chopped coriander leaves- 1/4 cup Chopped mint leaves- 1/4 cup Thick curd- 1/2 cup Salt-to taste For Cooking rice: Basmati rice-1 cup Cardamom-2 nos Clove-3 nos Bay leaf-1 Cinnamon-1 small stick salt-to taste Other Ingredients for garnishing: Fried onion-1 Fried cashews-few Fried raisins-few Coriander leaves-few Mint leaves-few Kewra water / pineapple essence- few drops Ghee-1 tbsp Preparation: Chop the tender jackfruit in to small pieces (by discarding its outer green skin and seeds). Wash them properly and drain it. Heat...

The mango season has been started and the tiny mangoes are falling down.. Pick them up and do pickling. Here is an easy and finger licking tender mango pickle recipe using my Homemade Pickle Powder !!! Ingredients: Tender mangoes- 1/2 kg Mustard oil ( gingelly oil/ sesame oil)- 1/2 cup Mustard seeds-1 tsp Thinly chopped ginger-2 tbsp Thinly chopped garlic-2 tbsp Thinly chopped green chilly-2 tbsp Curry Leaves-3 springs Pickle powder -5 tbsp Salt-to taste Vinegar-1 cup Preparation: Cut the tender mangoes in to two or three pieces (depending on its size up to 4 pieces; disacrd its seed). Heat oil in a pan; splutter mustard seeds Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilly. Saute for a minute, Add curry leaves, pickle powder in low flame and then add vinegar. When it boils add mango pieces and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes and switch off the flame. Note : If you want more gravy for your pickle; you can add 1/2 cup of hot water along with the vinegar. Then you need to store the pickle in...

The mango season has started and raw mangoes are available in everywhere. Mango thokku is an instant version of mango pickle. It can make within few minutes and of course finger licking too.. Ingredients: Raw mango-3 large Oil- 1/4 cup (use mustard oil or gingelly oil for great taste) Mustard seeds- 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds (methi seeds/uluva)- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Chilly powder-3 tbsp (increase as per your spice tolerance) Hing powder (kayam/ asafoetida)- two pinch Salt-to taste (little more than normal salt level) Curry Leaves-2 spring Grated Jaggery-2 tbsp (or more) Preparation: Peel the skin of raw mangoes and grate them finely using a carrot grater. Heat oil in a pan; when it is hot crackle mustard seeds and then fenugreek seeds. Make the flame low and add grated mangoes, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, hing, grated jaggery and curry leaves. Cook on medium flame for about for few minutes (about 5-6 minutes) until oil floats on top. Switch off the flame and allow to ...

  Coconut rice is one of the most simple pulao in which the cooked rice is tempered with freshly grated coconut. The nice and rich aroma of coconuts and curry leaves makes the rice really flavorful. Ingredients: Cooked rice-2 cup (basmati rice or white any white rice) Coconut oil-2 tbsp Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp Urad dal- 1/2 tsp Roasted chana dal-1 tbsp Roasted peanuts-1 tbsp Curry leaves-2 springs Dry red chilly splitted-2 numbers Freshly grated coconut-3/4 cup Salt-to taste Preparation: Heat coconut oil in a pan; splutter mustard seeds followed by cumin seeds. Add urad dal, chana ldal and pea nuts. Add dry red chilly and curry leaves. Add grated coconut and salt; roast in slow flame for a minute. Add the cooked rice in to; mix well for a minute and serve hot with the choice of your curry; pickle or along with raitha! Note : You can also use frozen grated coconuts; if fresh one is not available.           Use the choice of  nuts for ...

A very simple, delicious and aromatic side dish. Cumin and potato together brings out the best combo and anything can suit with it. Ingredients: Potato chopped (lengthwise or cubed)-2 cup Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Cumin-1 1/4 tsp Oil-2 tbsp Curry leaves-2 springs Dry red chilly-2 nos Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp (optional) Chilly powder-1 tsp Hing (asafoetida/kayam)-2 pinch Salt-to taste Preparation: Heat oil in pan; when it is hot make the flame to low;crackle mustard seeds followed by cumin seeds;  Add dry red chilly and curry leaves. Add all the powders and potato pieces; mix well. Cover cooks it for about 15 minutes on low flame by stirring occasionally(or cook until potato pieces get cooked well; no need to add water; if necessary; sprinkle little). Switch off the flame and serve hot..

Lentil soup is what's for lunch today. I make this soup often. It's rustic and easy to prepare. The nutritional profile is wonderful. Best of all, the lentils remain whole and keep their firm texture. This is a brothy lentil soup. A smoked-paprika scented stock is infused with the earthy flavor of the lentils. The soup is finished with lemon and dill. Fresh dill is one of my favorite herbs. The bright and citrusy flavor of dill counters the richness of the lentils. Spinach is stirred in at the end of cooking to remain vibrant and green. Lots of freshly cracked black pepper is welcome here too.   I typically make this soup in the morning. It reheats well. After a long walk on the beach, I warm some pita in the toaster oven and heat the soup for lunch or a light dinner. I always keep pita bread in my freezer because I'm half Lebanese. Round out this meal with olives, marinated artichokes and/or some roasted red peppers to stuff into the pita. Alternately, you can serve the so...

Every year from mid spring to late summer I eagerly await the appearance of dark-green خرفه (purslane) sprouts in my backyard, vegetable garden, flower borders and in between the cement cracks. The often under-appreciated and ignored purslane has always been a favorite of mine. You can throw a handful of fresh purslane in almost any dish and make it taste better with its slightly tart and

I read this article in The Guardian the other day and thought that Eliane Glaser had a very good point. Sure, celebrity chefs do live in a bubble, and their culinary advice, as healthy and tasty and wonderful as they might sound, aren't always practical. But I work full time, I have two young kids, an overworked partner, no one around to give us a hand, and yet we cook dinner from scratch every single night. The kids and I get home at 6:30pm every week night and we are ready to eat dinner by 7:15. Dinners consist of freshly cooked vegetables, usually served with meat or fish (the type of recipes you read on this blog), then a dairy product (yogurt or cheese), and a fruit. Most nights we start with a salad or soup (made from scratch as well, including dressing). (For drinks: water.) So I know there is a way to eat healthy food even on a tight schedule, and I know that the food revolution isn't just a great big fat lie. Well, that was my conclusion two weeks ago. Yesterday, I...

I brought dessert to a party a couple weeks ago and everyone asked for the recipe, so here it is. :-) For a 10" tart (plus some left-over pastry): 1 egg 1/2 tsp salt 125g sugar 250g flour 125g butter 2 or 3 ripe pears (d'Anjou or Bartlett) ground cinnamon almond powder or thin almond slivers (optional) Prepare the  pâte sablée  pastry as follows: Beat the egg, salt, and sugar in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, until they become foamy and turn to a pale yellow. (Note: why use a stand mixer when you can have a free workout?) Sift all the flour at once over the egg and sugar mix. Start mixing slowly with the wooden spoon, then use your fingers to mix all the ingredients. Rub small amounts of dough between your fingers or hands to turn the mix into a grainy "sand." ( Pâte sablée  means "sanded dough.") Cut the butter into small parcels. If the butter is very cold, heat up in the microwave for a few seconds. Add to the mix and knead the dough with your hands...

It was last weekend, a few days after la Chandeleur , the French "crepe day." I had made the batter around 4pm on Saturday, thinking that we would have the crepes for dinner that evening. Since the batter needs a couple hours of rest at room temperature, I left it on the kitchen counter while we visited our new friends, a family we met through preschool. But kids and parents alike had such a good time that we decided to end the day at the restaurant all together. I figured that the crepes could wait another day. On the way back from dinner, I put the bowl of batter in the fridge until Sunday's lunch. And what a lunch we had! Making crepes is a bit like making jam, as far as I'm concerned: as simple as the recipe might be, something always goes wrong, and I never know what it is. Crepes end up being too thick, jam overcooks... It's an art much more than it is a science. Successes always seem like miracles.  On Saturday, although I always prepare the batter with a w...

Eggs à la coque are so simply delicious! Click here for the recipe.

The other day we made a delicious kale and walnut pesto based on this recipe by Shutterbean . We ate about half of it with fresh pasta (yum!), and used the other half for this tomato tart. I used my beloved quiche crust recipe , but used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, and replaced the cream with water. Actually, I had made the dough in advance (I double or triple the proportions then divide the dough into small balls and freeze them), so I just had to unfreeze a ball of dough (20 seconds in the microwave), roll it out on parchment paper and voilà. I poked a few holes in the crust with a fork to let air go through and prevent the crust from bubbling up while baking, spread the kale pesto evenly, then laid thin tomato slices in concentric circles, starting from the edge of the dish. I sprinkled with a little salt and pepper, then baked at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 30 minutes.

I have no time to post any recipes lately, life was hectic I was working 6 - 7 days a week.  This blog has been neglected hopefully you did not miss me much :). Today's recipe is vegetarian, a cheap and cheerful stir fried cabbage with a rather unusual sauce. The secret ingredient is fermented red beancurd or hong fu ru 红腐乳. This recipe looks Sichuanese but I am quite sure it is from Beijing.

Last week I listened to an interview of Alice Waters on NPR (by Terry Gross on Fresh Air). It was so inspiring that it got me dreaming about opening a place of my own all over again. (This is a recurring fantasy... which shouldn't surprise you too much). I spent last night in my Dream Café, welcoming patrons with delicious yet simple, healthy, affordable food made from the freshest ingredients, presented in a short, ever-changing seasonal menu, and featuring a fun selection of small plates for children, and a place for them to quietly play and read after their meal, so grown ups can have a few minutes of respite. Sigh... As I was listening to Alice, two thougts came to mind. First, she mentioned that she stopped seeing her friends when she got into the chaos of opening Chez Panisse . She also said that she stopped cooking there when she had her daughter... So this dream business of mine sounded quite incompatible with my dream life of the moment. Unless maybe I could have a cafe ...

My pear cake recipe ( here ) works well with other fruits. Tonight, my daughter and I made a plum version of this cake with the following proportions: 5 ripe plums 4 eggs 180g (less than 1 cup) sugar 1 stick (114g) butter 170g (about 1 1/3 cups) flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon We beat the eggs and sugar until foamy. We added the melted butter, then the sifted flour, then the baking powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, mixing well (with a whisk) while adding each ingredient. We poured the dough in a buttered, round metal pan (the same old   10" x 2" I used in the pear cake recipe) . We placed the plums, halved and pitted, on the dough, cut side up. We baked for about 50 minutes in a  340ºF oven.

Thai Translation – Krueang = Paste, Gaeng = Curry, Keow Wan= Green Green curry is a favourite Thai dish of many people around the world. It is a smooth, creamy soup-like curry that can be made with any type of meat, seafood or vegetarian versions. This curry paste is made without shrimp paste making it perfect for vegans or vegetarians to enjoy.  If you do not like your curries too spicy add large green chilli's which are not particularly spicy, alternatively, use more small green chilli's if you like dishes that pack a punch! Store excess curry paste in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Use the paste as an additive to fried rice for a delicious and quick meal or marinate meat or tofu in the paste and then grill it on the bbq for something a little different.  If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can make this paste quickly and easily using a hand-held blender or in a food processor.  Preparation Time - 15 minutes Makes 3 tablespoons Ingredients 1...

Thai Translation - Pad = Stir Fried, Krapow = Holy Basil, To Hu Pad Krapow is a very popular and full flavoured dish that usually is made with pork or chicken. It has a uniue earthy flavour but can also be very spicy. In this version, I made it using tofu, cauliflower and mushrooms which makes it very nutritious and delicious too! The key ingredient to Pad Krapow is krapow – or holy basil. Holy basil can be substituted for regular Italian basil but it wont have the same earthy taste to the dish. You should be able to find holy basil in some supermarkets or specialty Asian grocery stores and it can be identified by the woody stems and slightly furry leaves. Cooking Time – 15 minutes Preparation Time – 10 minutes Serves 2 Ingredients 150g block firm tofu 100g oyster or straw mushrooms 100g cauliflower 1 bunch holy basil 4 small red chilli's 4 cloves garlic 2 tsp palm sugar 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp mushroom oyster sauce 1 tsp white pepper 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1/3 cup water Method Fin...

Satay sauce is a creamy and nutty sauce that goes very well with grilled meats. It is highly addictive, tastes great on its own and is ridiculously easy to make. You wont ever buy a store-made version of this sauce again! Ingredients 1/3 cup peanut butter ½ cup coconut milk 2 garlic cloves 2 – 4 medium chilli's 2 tsp soy sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar ½ lime Meanwhile, finely dice the garlic and chilli's and place into a bowl. Add the soy sauce and sugar. Stir well to combine. Add the peanut butter and mix well. Add the coconut milk to the peanut mix and carefully combine them, stirring well. This may take a few minutes for the milk and peanut to mix.