Spinach and Egg Stir Fry (Cheera-mutta thoran )

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How are you all? Those who are in US might be getting ready for super bowl Sunday. What are you planning to cook for watching the exciting game? For us, it will be mostly Indian.

After reading my Facebook status last week,about the chance of an early Spring, mother nature decided that Colorado needs more snow. Today we are having a big big snow day.While I sit here,there is an accumulation of 18 inches of snow and it is still snowing. This might be one of those days which will be in the history forever, if the predictions are right.We will have more than 2 feet of snow by tomorrow, which is not usual for a day of February in Colorado.

Breakfast Eggs!

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Weekends I wake up late. This is one reason I need an easy recipe which will work up quickly to make brunch. And then of course it should be tasty and filling enough to tide me over till supper. That is why an omelette is great and this recipe is a close relative of an omelette.

Well, you don't beat the eggs here so maybe not an omelette then what is it?  It's a sunny side up on a bed of veggies.  Fantatic!  I make sunny side up and drop it over a bowl of noodles like you see in American chopsuey.  But when I came across Sneh's blog I loved how she made this fantastic egg and I encourage you to check her blog to see the different names for similar dishes like this.  Loved the pictures and recipes on her blog but here is how I made it. 

Ingredients:
1. Eggs – 2
2. Bell Pepper – ½
3. Mushrooms – 6 - 8
4. Onions - ½
5. Carrots - 1
6. Black pepper - to taste
7. Olive Oil - 1 tbspn
8. Garlic – 2 cloves
9. Oregano – sprinkle

Method:
1. Sauté onions - followed by garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper and season it with black pepper and oregano.
2. Reduce heat to low, and break two eggs over the vegetables, cover and cook until eggs are done like you would sunny-side-up

Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!

Contributor: Sunitha

Kati/Kathi or Egg Rolls

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After 34 years of communist rule in West Bengal, Tiranmool Congress won the recent elections. Of course, I will not be covering all of the news here, but with so much talk about Bengal, when we called home (parents) last night, and recently connecting with a long lost Bengali friend of mine, I suddenly felt closer to that place.

At one point in my life, I was talking with a lot more people from West Bengal than anywhere else. They were classmates in college, and sometimes hostel mates, but I soaked up a lot of their stories and culture from Calcutta - the street food, Durga Pooja, Bhang, the food in general, game of cards and so on and so forth. One of my friend’s Dad wrote this book ‘Paye paye prithvi’ which was written in Bengali, and we would always talk about translating it to English. I have heard that story page to page about her father’s life in Europe. How he travelled by feet from Italy to Denmark in the 1960’s I think.

In all this, being away from home, and living in hostels, food is remembered by all of us most vividly. As we suffered with badly cooked rice, roti or curry we reminisced about our favorite foods back home. Another friend’s eyes would light up every time she was back from her vacation in Calcutta. She would talk about street food, ogling guys, wearing the latest trend, and eating street food like nobody’s business. If someone knew to romanticize a place she knew it best. That is how I first heard about egg rolls. I learned to make it much later.

When I was working in Hyderabad, and living in a flat with my cousins, our neighbors happened to be a newly married Bengali couple. Of course, I got on with them famously! I was excited to share everything I know about Calcutta with my new friends. I think secretly the lady of the house encouraged me to talk half- baked information because she was away from her mother for the first time and obviously missing her hometown. When her husband traveled, we would go out on walks and share stories. By then, I was cooking quite regularly and learned to make kitchidi, potato bajji, kheer, etc. from this friend. She is the one who also taught me egg rolls. Every time we made this at home, she would keep telling me it could never be as good as the ones they brought from the street vendor. But of course, I never wrote down any of her recipes, but I would watch her cook and learn. Here is what she taught me and you will need to know how to make rotis or buy frozen parathas to make this.

Rotis/ Parathas – 2
Eggs - 2
Onions - ¼ thinly sliced
Green Chilies - 1 chopped
Cucumber - 1 peeled, seeded and finely chopped
Lemon/vinegar – a little for taste
Tomato Ketchup
Salt
Oil – 1 tbspn
Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Beat 1 egg and pour in. Reduce the flame or heat to medium low.
2. Once the egg starts cooking, and is still wet on top place a cooked roti or chapatti over it. Continue cooking till egg is not runny. To test, I gently press a pan cake flipper over the roti and look if the egg is runny. Do the same with the remaining roti and eggs.
Filling:
1. In a bowl mix together onions, chilies and cucumber. Add a sqeeze of lime or a little vinegar and salt for taste.
2. Sqeeze a line of tomato ketchup on the roti with the egg side up. .
3. Add a spoon or two of the filling and roll
4. Using butter paper or foil, wrap it and then you can enjoy them hand held. The tomato ketchup and cucumber will make it soggy so it is recommended to eat them as they are made.

Contributor: Sunitha

Challah

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I had a fantastic weekend with friends. I hope you had a good time as well. Isn’t spring about new birth and hope of wonderful things to come? And so is a get together for a baby shower! That was the high point of my weekend. My friend, the mother-to-be, was glowing and happy to see us all gather in her honor.  We played games, ate a lot of food and generally had a good time.

  Some of the games were a little distressing because it made me painfully aware how inept I am.  For  example the game - of unscrambling words.  One of the words to unscramble was ‘emtipan’ and I kept thinking that must be ‘emit pan’ confusing the meaning to that of ‘slop jar.’ Yeah, I know! Strange indeed are the patterns of my brain! But finally, when I was told it meant ‘nap time’ I could only put up my hands in defeat, shake my head and hang it low.  But not for long.  There were these adorable children! Just cute enough you could eat them.  Delicious kinds! They kept running and playing around the room. Oh boy, how they make my insides turn into mush with their dimpled smiles and outrageous pranks. Had a real good time with them children!  That made everything else seem trivial.

Let’s get to the more important reason we are all here, the recipe - Challah. A Jewish bread that is delicious! Some of you may disagree because it has a pronounced taste of egg. But as for me, I love it. It is also very pretty to simply lay it out on your table, and see your guests gush out in surprise. And when you tell them you baked it - priceless!

Ingredients:
Water – 1 cup
Yeast - 1 packet active dry yeast
Sugar – 1/4 cup + 1 tspn
Eggs – 3
Bread Flour – 3 ½ - 4 cups
Salt – 1 ½ tspn
Oil – ¼ cup + 2 Tbspn

Method:
1. Take a big bowl in which you can knead the dough. Pour 1 cup of warm (110 D F) and add the yeast and about 1 tspn of the sugar. Stir and let it stand. It will froth in about 5 – 10 minutes.
2. Add salt and the remaining sugar to 3 1/2 cups of flour and set aside.
3. Beat the egg lightly and reserve about 2 tbspn to brush the bread later.
4. Add the beaten eggs and oil into the bowl, mix well and add the flour, sugar and salt mixture.
5. Using the hook of your hand blender or stand mixer, beat the bread until it leaves the sides of the pan and come together. This should take about 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Dust a clean surface with flour and slide over the dough. Knead until you get a smooth and supple dough
7. Cover and set aside to rise for about 2 hours.
8. Once it has doubled in size, punch down and tucking in the edges make a round smooth dough.
9. Cut them evenly into 6 pieces.
10. Roll them using a little flour if you need to make long strands.
11. Lay all the six strands side by side and join one end, seal and tuck in.
12. Now you braid and tuck the other end.
13. Brush the bread with egg and lay it on a cookie sheet covered to rise. For about 1/2 an hour to 1.
14. Once it doubles brush them with another coating of the egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 375 D F for 35 – 40 minutes.
15. To test if the bread is done knock over the bread and it should sound hollow.
To learn how to braid the bread see a video here.

Contributor: Sunitha

Spinach Souffle

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     Finally, our new living space feel like home.  In spite of the depressing weather, and having got over a bout of cold/flu, I still feel good sitting at my desk, and knocking away on the key board.  Blissful! Back in my groove, so to speak!  It's more like relief, to finally stop worrying about packing, moving and putting up with a cartons strewn all over the living room.  I am glad it's behind me now.

  It's back to cooking, photographing, writing and sharing.  Without further ado about the recipe of the day, souffle.  I made souffle after listening to my friend rant and rave about the souffle from Panera Bread.  Now, hold your horses this recipe is nothing like the one from 'Panera Bread but it's good in it's own right.  Another day I shall crack the Panera Bread recipe, I told you I am feeling good!

  Making a souffle always seemed daunting, and I never tried.  It could be because when my brother was taking classes in catering, a zillion years ago, I distinctly remember him trying it at home.  It was a disaster in short.  In fact, the darn thing would not set when baked, and the ensuing cursing, from my brother, still rings in my ears.  I never knew I remembered that incident so well until I just wrote it now, and that must be the reason I trod with trepidation when it came to souffles.  However, may not any of these anecdotes deter you.  They are not as hard to make as it's cracked up to be, this one worked just fine.  Have it as a side dish with meat and it's great!
 ,

Ingredients:

Butter                            -  5 Tbspn

Parmesan Cheese        -  3 Tbspn grated

Spinach                         - 1 lb baby spinach chopped
All-purpose flour            - 2 Tbspn

Salt                                - ½ tspn

Whole milk                     - 1 cup

Ground Black Pepper    - 1/8 tspn

Garlic Powder                - 1/8 tspn

Eggs                              -  3 separated

Method:

1. Butter 6 ramekins with butter and sprinkle cheese and set aside.

2.  Heat ½ tspn of butter and sauté the spinach until the juices run clear and set aside. 

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining butter at low heat and stir in the flour and salt. Cook the flour, whisking constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the milk gradually, stir constantly to avoid clumps and cook this mixture until it thickens about 5 minutes. 

4. Add the spinach and continue cooking for 1 minute. Season with black pepper and nutmeg.

5. Set aside to cool the mixture and once cool add beaten egg yolk and stir well to incorporate

6. Whisk egg whites until stiff and fold into the above mixture. 

7. Pour into ramekins and bake in 375 D preheated oven for 18 minutes .

Contributor: Sunitha

Adapted from about.com

Egg n' Cauliflower

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     I have been cooking, but not updating the blog (obviouslyJ).  No particular reasons – that’s just how it is some times!  Then I made some cauliflower and egg and thought, "now here is something to share!"  If you are like me,  on a rainy day like today, when husband decides to work from home, then this one is for you.  Quickly stirred up and yet satisfying.  It's double good becuase it goes well with both rotis and rice!

    A little crunchy onions here, the piquant thai chilies there, and ofcourse, eggs and cauliflower everywhere.  It's a simple, tasty dish and nobody needs to have any special culinary skills to put it together.

  If you stayed with me so far, go on and take a peek at the recipe.  You won't be disappointed.  It's too easy to pass.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower      - 1/4
Eggs                - 1
Green Chillies  - 2 (thai chillies)
Onions            - 1/2
Garlic              - 1 pod
Ginger             - a pinch grated or chopped fine
Salt                 - to taste
Oil                  - 1/2 tbspn

Method:

1. Heat a non stick pan (I prefer non-stick for this dish) with the oil
2. Add the onions and saute till translucent and add the ginger, garlic and green chilies sauteing well and chilies are cooked too
3. Add the cauliflower, lower the heat to a bare minimum and cook the cauliflower it will just take a couple of minutes to cook the cauliflower and yet keep it crunchy
4. Once done salt the cauliflower taste to make sure its enough
5. Beat the egg and pour over and mix in rapidly getting it scrambled



Serve with roits or rice.

Contributor: Sunitha

Apple Cobbler

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    It has been a pleasantly-hectic weekend with family.  We packed in a lot of traveling, eating, joking and general banter over the course of  three days my brother-in-law and family visited.  I enjoyed myself thoroughly and was super energetic through the days!  As soon as they left,  I deflated like a popped balloon.  Here is what happened:



My b-i-l recommends power naps highly. So much that we caught him at it quite a few times through our travelling.  But every time he awoke after these naps, he was super enthusiastic, and I decided it was time to test this theory myself.  I chose my day for this experiment to be yesterday (after they left), and my power nap ended up being embarrassingly long.  That is my excuse for not showing up online yesterday.  Let's blame it on power naps shall we? :) However, I am here to make this all right now.   I have a dessert which will knock your socks off!

 


When the family visited, I made some apple cobbler and it was received quite well. If it's that good, then I know you will be interested to know more.  Here you are, enjoy!



Ingredients:
For the Apple Layer:
Apples        - 3 Gala and 2 Granny Smith
Sugar          - 1/2 cup and 2 Tbspn granulated Sugar
Flour           - 2 Tbspn
Vanilla Essence - 1 Tbspn
Cinnamon Powder - 2 Tspn
Butter - 2 Tbspn
Water                    - 1/4 tspn
Salt                       - 1/4 tspn

For the Crust:

Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Butter - 2 Tbspn
Egg    - 1 Large
Baking Powder - 1/2 Tspn
Flour - 1/2 Cup
Salt    - 1/4 Tspn

Method:
1. Peel the apple and cut into small pieces
2. Mix ingredients under "For the Apple Layer"
3. Grease a 9 inch pan with butter and add apple mixture and set aside

For Topping:
1. Beat all the ingredients under 'topping' and spoon over the top of the apple mixture in small portions around.
2. The batter will spread while baking and cover the top.
3. Space the batter out evenly to allow spreading and covering the top while baking.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 350 D F for 35 - 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown
Don't forget to serve it warm with cold vanilla ice cream.

Chinese Fried Rice

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How are you doing on the 2nd of September? Happy New Month! Nobody wishes on a new month, what!? I will.. Happy New Month to you and me.

I cooked some Chinese fried rice today not to celebrate the new month but just out of whimsy. It's quite convenient you see for a Malayalee to make fried rice. After all, the china wok is what we use daily for our thoran and mezhukkupuratti 'cheena chatt.' Yep! Kerala and China go a long way back. Otherwise I don't know why everyone I know back home uses this chatti.

Now that we have established the convenience of making fried rice for me let me also say I quite like this dish. When we make it at home we can bring the amount of oil to a bare minimum making it quite healthy too. I will not keep you with anymore rambling. Let's get to the point, alright!



That little golden glory you spot in the picture is outside my window. Yellow leaves mottle the oak tree and the iredescence of the sunlight on it. Quite distracted with the sun and the rustle of leaves outside

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups

All vegetables diced to small pieces (I say, smaller the prettier)
Ginger - 1 tspn
Garlic - 1 Tbspn
Green Chilies - 4 nos
Onion - 1 small diced into small cubes
Carrot - 1
Beans - 20 nos
Cabbage- 1 cup chopped
Celery - 1 stick
Oil - 1 Tbspn
Soya Sauce - 4 Tbspn (watery kind, use more if you like)
White pepper powder - 1/2 tspn



Method:

Cook rice, please follow instructions here

1. Heat wok and add a tablespoon of oil
2. Add vegetables starting with onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Fry on high heat
Followed with carrots, beans, cabbage quickly stirring with each addition. If you cannot keep up with quick stirring crank the flame down so as not to burn the vegetables
3. Add salt once vegetables are done.
4. Sprinkle the pepper and stir in

5. I set the cooked vegetables aside and then add 1 day old cooked rice. Add soya bean sauce and when the rice is heating. Stir in the cooked vegetables.
6. Finally, top with scrambled eggs



We would like to send in some entries for Jay's Letz Relish- Paneer event



Kadhai Paneer
Malai Kofta

Entering the rice for Festive Rice Event 

Contributor: Sunitha

Bachelor's Eggroast

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This is my hubby's recipe.  He apparently started doing this as early as when he was in high school and my mom in law says she never helped him with the recipe.  This is the simplest egg preparation I have come across yet but totally loved by all at home.  I hope you have the same success satisfying the palettes of your dear ones with an easy yet scrummy egg roast.

  I am enjoying the monsoons. Rain splattering outside, my children screaming and screeching at any bug that flies into the house, its chaotic, homely fun. It's wild.  I have to add there is nothing like moms cooking.  I guess it's rightly said that the taste is because they add a pinch of love.  I am wrapping that love and this weather over me like my favorite afghan.  I will need it when I leave.



Ingredients

Eggs,hard boiled- 4-5
Onions finely chopped- 2
Salt
Oil- 2-3 Tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp

Method:

1.Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions, do this on medium high heat and stir often.Turn down the heat when the onions become golden brown.
2.Add the salt and chilli powder and saute for a couple of minutes.
3.Cut the eggs into halves and place them on the pan, cut side down and put all the onion slices on top of the pieces.
4.Turn the egg halves when the side is slightly browned.
5.Do the same for the other side too. Serve warm with roti or rice.



Notes:

1. I have tried this with garam masala, coriander powder etc. But we like this with just the chilli powder,exactly like my hubby used to do :-)

Contributor: Namitha

Chana dal Chutney with Egg Dosa

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I wonder where dosas originated. It did in the south of India for sure.  Which state, however? Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka or Kerala is what I wonder. While you ponder over that let me share a spicy chutney that goes with dosas. If you do not know about dosas it looks like crepes.  The batter is made with  lentils and rice soaked separately and ground to a smooth paste. Left overnight in a warm place it ferments and is ready to be ladled on a hot griddle to make crisp dosas.  Please check our post on dosas here for measurements and exact process.

  Just like pancakes are served for breakfast in the U.S. Anywhere in the south of India you will find restaurants serving dosas.  If its IHOP or waffle house  in America to serve pancakes you have Shanthi Sagar, Udipi Restaurant, Sukh Sagar, Anand Bhavan and myriad other names in south India for dosas.  Folded in banana leaves with the chutney pressed between the folds is how it is served when you order a 'to go.'  This chutney is difficult to find in Kerala but common in all the other southern states.  Having been fortunate to move around a lot in the south I have always enjoyed the different chutneys.  This is spicy, rich in proteins and very filling.  

Ingredients:

Chick pea grams (Chana Dal)    - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut                         - 1/4 cup
Thai Chilli                                 - 3 nos
Dry Red Chilli                          - 2 nos
Coarsely chopped ginger          - 1 tbspn
Garlic                                       - 1 or 2 cloves
Curry Leaves                           - 1 sprig
Coriander Leaves                    - 1/2 a bunch
Salt                                         - 1 tspn
Tamarind                                - 1 marble sized ball
Onions                                    - 1/2 of  a medium size

Method:

1. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet and on medium flame or temperature on your stove fry the chickpea for a while.  You will see them puff up or slightly turn color when you can add the next ingredient
2. Add red chillies and saute
3. Followed by ginger, onions, garlic, curry leaves and coriander leaves.  Once you add the coriander leaves  toss it around and then switch off the stove.  We are only trying to incorporate the coriander leaves to exude some some of it is aroma and yet not lose its fresh taste completely. 
4. Remove mixture from pan and transfer the ingredients into another vessel to cool off 
5. In a blender grind all the fried ingredients, coconut, green chillies, tamarind and salt.
6. I added around 1/4 cup of water while grinding but the lesser water you can add while grinding the better your chutney will taste

Egg Dosa

To make dosas follow instructions here.

Once you have ladled the batter and whirled the batter to make crepe shaped dosas beat an egg and pour it over.  Cover the girdle with a lid and and cook on medium heat.  Flip the dosa over making sure the egg is thoroughly cooked.

Server with sambar and chutney or only the chutney mentioned above.

Serving Size for chutney
Serves 4 - 6 people

Note:

     The photo of the eggs are because I got carried away with some farm fresh eggs I got last week.  They are eggs from chickens raised on a friends farm. There are two lovely light green shelled eggs that you see with the beautiful brown eggs.  Apparently, the green eggs come from a different breed/stock of hens.

Egg Puffs

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Hope you had a great weekend. Since we were discussing teatime snacks in the last post, I decided to continue on that vein and share another popular snack. I have enjoyed puffs all my life. My mom used to get them from the bakeries on her way back from work and my sis and I devoured them.

It's inevitable that I talk about college days because they taught me the value of home made food. Another reason is unsatisfactory food in the hostel sometimes drive you for options outside. And these experiences get etched in your memory never to be forgotten. I cannot forget the puffs from college canteens either. They were life savers especially during my last hostel days where the food was intolerable. My friends and I, we would have one egg/veg puffs for breakfast which took good care of us till lunch time. Inspite of having them everyday I have to say I never got tired of them :-)

Flaky leaf like layers with spicy masala within is a deadly combination. Maybe we should call it 'death by pastry.' There are many variations you can do with the filling like meat, chicken, vegetables and egg.



Ingredients:

Puff pastry sheets-2(this will give you 12 puffs!)
Hard boiled Eggs-6
Onion- 1 small
Green chillies- 2-3
Coriander powder- 2 Tsp
Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala/Meat masala- 1/2 Tsp
Salt- A pinch

Method :

1.Thaw the pastry sheets as per the directions on the packet. (for about 40 minutes)
2.Meanwhile cut the onion into very small pieces and saute it till it starts turning golden brown.
3.Throw in the chopped green chillies and saute for 2-3 minutes.
4.Add all the spices and mix well and saute for a minute.Switch off the heat.
5.Cut each pastry sheets into 6 equal pieces.First cut though the folds on it and then, cut the 3 big pieces into 2.
6.Divide the onion mix into 12 equal parts, or take 1 tsp of it and keep on the middle of each pastry slice.
7.Cut the boiled eggs into halves and place each half on the top of onion mix on the pastry sheets.
8.Fold each pastry slice to press and join the opposite ends. You could use the edge of a fork or use your hands.
9.Some of you may like to see the egg peeking through the sides, then you do not press it firmly :-)
10.Arrange them on a greased baking tray or baking tray lined with parchment paper.
11.Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degree F for 30 minutes or till the top turns golden brown in color.
12.Serve warm with tomato sauce/as it is and enjoy with a cuppa !



Notes:

1.Before baking you could brush the top with egg white, then you get the shiny and smooth top, unlike mine :-).
2.Vegetarians could replace eggs with some cooked and mashed veggies.
3.If you want only 6 puffs take only one pastry sheet and use half of all the other ingredients .

Egg Roast (Kerala Style)

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 Hello, we hope there is good cheer and fun in your life wherever you are.

 This is my second egg recipe and I am kicking myself for not having something better to share.  However, you should know this I grew up in a family where everyone loved egg roast and roti.  It used to be so common that everyone who knew us stopped asking what we had for dinner, even as a courtesy, because they assumed we had egg roast and roti.  This was not because my mother was not creative enough but because this dish killed any criticism whatsoever at the table.

Ingredients:

Chopped Onions – 1 no

Ginger – 1 tspn chopped fine

Garlic – 1 tspn chopped fine

Tomato – puree 1 ½ tbsp or 2-3 nos of whole tomatoes chopped fine

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 tbspn

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Green chili – 2 (this is only if you like the dish to be HOT)

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Garam masala – 1 tspn

Eggs- 4-6

Method:

1. Saute onions and when its translucent add ginger and garlic until the garlic gives off its beautiful aroma (I add onions first to avoid garlic from being burned, try this method the taste will be much better)

2. Add green chilies followed by curry leaves and saute

3. Add chili powder and turmeric and sauté till the raw smell is gone

4. Add tomato puree or chopped tomatoes and sauté till oil leaves the pan

5. Add garam masala and mix in well and add whole or halved eggs

6. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional)

Contributor: Sunitha