Masala Popcorn

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Snacks of all types appeal to me much more than regular food. Sadly most snacks that are appealing are also fried or unhealthy or both. One of healthier choices in snacks that I favor is homemade popcorn. The homemade version does not contain very much fat, has a decent amount of fiber and has no chemicals unlike the microwave versions that are loaded with them. While on the topic of microwave popcorn, you may have heard that some of the chemicals used in microwave popcorn have come under scrutiny for causing health problems. If you haven't here are a couple of articles on this subject, this one from Abcnews and  this one on Oprah's site.

Ever since I read these articles I have completely stopped buying m/w popcorn. Now when the mood for popcorn strikes, I end up using the stove to make it the old fashioned way. My favorite version of popcorn is this masala one, which is a very Indianized version of popcorn  flavored with salt, turmeric and chili powder.  During the long hours of studying for college exams, this version of popcorn was something I always had on hand, simply because it was the only thing that I could make within a few minutes and it was nice to have something to munch on while studying. Now I make this for movie times or as an anytime snack..... :-) If you are looking for a fun and quick snack to make for your weekend movie, you may want to give this popcorn a try :-)




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Ingredients and Method to make Masala Popcorn
1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup pop corn (or popping corn as it is called in some stores)
1/8 tsp of turmeric powder
1/8 tsp of red chili powder (can be substituted with cayenne) (or to taste)
salt to taste ( I needed just a little more than 1/4 tsp)
a pinch of asafoetida powder (hing/perungayam) (optional)

In a large heavy bottomed pan, add oil and all the other ingredients. Toss or mix well, cover with a lid and place on high heat. Make sure to have the lid lifted very very slightly to allow the steam to escape.
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When the popcorn begins to pop lower heat to medium high. When the popcorn has almost fully popped and the sound of popping has slowed down. Turn off heat. Allow the popping to completely stop. Remove and serve hot or cool and store in an air tight container and serve within a day or two for the best freshness in taste.

Updated with notes :
In my opinion, adding spices to the oil coats each kernel of popcorn more evenly with the spices. That said, if you are using a lighter pan, or are uncomfortable with adding spices to the oil, leave it out, allow the pop corn to pop, then add spices, just leave out the asafoetida powder, then toss the popcorn to make sure the spices are properly mixed in. 

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Red Swiss Chard with Cabbage Curry and a little something for fun:-)

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First the fun part :-)  Here is a something one of my friends forwarded to me to try.....

While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

 

Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand.

 

Your foot will change direction. And there's nothing you can do about it.

Have you ever tried this ? After I read the mail, I did and the results were truly hilarious. If you are in the mood for a good laugh, give this one a try......................:-)

Moving on, ever since I tried red swiss chard for the first time in this roti, red swiss chard appears frequently in my menu. Recently when I was planning to make a curry with it, I thought of combining it with some cabbage. I have never tried this combination before so I was not sure how it would work out, but I was fairly certain that the it would be a good combination. And it was :-)  It was a  perfect match with the phulkas that I served it with, but this curry is versatile enough to go with any Indian themed menu. The best thing, this curry is ready in very little time making it perfect for quick dinners on busy evenings....

 

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Ingredients and Method to make red swiss chard and cabbage curry
1 large onion cut fine
2 medium tomatoes cut fine

1 green bell pepper (capsicum/koda molagai) deseeded and cut into small pieces
4 heaped cups finely cut cabbage
3 packed cups finely cut red swiss chard leaves + stem

2 Tbsp oil
3/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder ( or according to taste)

Assemble all the ingredients and keep them ready.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add cumin seeds to it. When the cumin seeds sizzle, add onions and saute until it turns transparent.

Add tomatoes and cook until it turns soft and mushy. Add turmeric powder and stir a couple of times.
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Add cabbage, green bell pepper and stir well. Place a lid on the heavy bottomed  pan and allow the vegetables to semi cook. When the vegetables are semi cooked, add red swiss chard and mix well.

Add salt to taste and red chili powder and stir well. Close with a lid and allow the vegetables to cook until soft..  This hardly takes any time, just a few minutes.

Remove from heat and serve hot with phulkas/ rotis or parathas. Or serve it as a side dish in any Indian themed meal.

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Oatmeal Upma made with steel cut oats.

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Upma is a term traditionally used for a savory dish originating from south India, made with semolina and vegetables and is usually served as a light dinner/ breakfast/ or snack. It is somewhat similar to porridge, only it is savory, even a little spicy with a lot of vegetables. If you want to know more about this dish, this is the wiki entry for upma. As with any other dish there are many variations of upma, some versions made with vegetables and some without and some versions made with semolina and some using other flours or ingredients.

For a while now I have been wanting to try a variation of upma with oatmeal in it and finally got a chance to try this last week.  While deciding between rolled oats and steel cut oats, steel cut oats won out because I thought the chewier texture and slightly nuttier taste would be better in the upma. This upma turned out to be a keeper, I enjoyed it so much :-)  Steel cut oats gives this upma an almost pilaf like feel and between the vegetables and the oats this dish turned out to be pretty filling. It could very easily be made for a light dinner or a very  heavy tiffin or even for the lunch box :-)  So what are you waiting for, if oats is on your menu this week give this upma a try and tell me what you think :-)

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Ingredients and Method to make Oatmeal upma
1 1/2 cup steel cut oats
2 carrots cut fine
1 green bell pepper (capsicum) deseeded and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup frozen or fresh green peas (see notes)
2 medium tomatoes cut fine
1 medium onion cut fine (optional) (see notes) 

salt to taste

2 tbsp coconut oil (can be substituted with any other oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp split chick pea lentil (chana dhal)
1/8 tsp asafoetida powder (hing/ perungayam)
1 stalk of curry leaves broken into little pieces (optional but recommended )
5 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut very fine(or to taste)
1 inch piece of ginger grated fine
approximately 2 1/4 cup water

In a large heavy bottomed pan, lightly roast steel cut oats in about 1 tsp of oil. When done, remove and keep aside.

In the same pan, add balance of oil and place on low to medium heat. Add mustard seeds, when the seeds begin to splutter add chick pea lentil and stir until it turns evenly reddish. Add green chilies, ginger, asafoetida powder and curry leaves if using and stir a few times.

If using onions add onions first, saute until onions are transparent. Then add tomatoes and cook until they are soft and mushy. Add the rest of the vegetables, water and salt to taste and simmer for a few minutes until the vegetables are cooked yet firm.
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Add roasted oats, close with a lid  and allow the oats  to cook for a few minutes until soft. Add more water if required making sure to add only very little each time so that the oats does not become mushy ( I needed only this quantity of water) . When oats are soft remove from heat and serve hot.

Notes:
Onions taste nice in this upma, but if you are avoiding onions or do not have them this upma can be made without it too. Tastes good both ways :) 
For frozen green peas thaw to room temperature before using in the recipe. For fresh green peas, semi cook the peas before using in the recipe
You can also use any combination of carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and such other vegetables in this recipe. Just add to water, allow to cook until soft then proceed with the rest of the recipe

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Slow Cooker Badam Kheer ~ Payasam ~ Indian Almond Dessert

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Hope you all had a good weekend. Did any of you get a glimpse of the moon on Saturday (March 19th). The moon was supposed to seem very large on that day, I heard that this is known as the super full moon and it only happens once in about 18 years. To read more about this phenomenon check out this link.  I was eagerly looking forward to seeing the moon that evening, unfortunately we had some clouds move in that day and it obscured the moon almost fully. Sigh !  I was so disappointed.....

Anyway moving on to the main reason for this post. Slow cookers are ideal for making kheer (payasam). The constant stirring that is needed on the stove top method can be almost completely avoided with a slow cooker. Meaning more free time to get other things done in that time :-)  Badam kheer is a simple and delicious dessert with a rich creamy taste that never fails to satisfy. It is perfect for entertaining and parties too, since almost everyone seems to like this a lot :-) For those of you who do not have a slow cooker, I have included a quick note at the bottom of the post for making this on the stove top.



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Ingredients and Method to make Slow cooker badam kheer

1/2 cup unsalted raw almonds (Badam)
6 cups of whole milk (doodh)
1/2 cup sugar (Shakkar)
1/8 tsp cardamom seed powder (elaichi)
2 generous pinches of saffron (Kesar)

Soak almonds in hot water for 2 to 3 hours. Remove, peel the skin and grind to a smooth paste with a little milk. Keep this aside.

Place balance of the milk in a slow cooker  and set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours.
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After 3 hours, add almond paste, sugar, saffron and cardamom powder and allow to simmer for another hour.

Remove from heat, cool and serve warm or chill in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Notes:
If you want to make this on the stove top, place milk in a large heavy bottomed pan and allow to simmer on low to medium low heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning. When the milk has reduced to half, add almond paste and other ingredients and allow to simmer for another fifteen minutes or so. Remove and serve warm or chilled.

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Brown Rice and Lentil cutlets with peanuts and a neat tip :-)

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When I was browsing the web looking for something else,  I came across a tip that tomato ketchup is very good for polishing copper. I do not remember where I saw it, and did not find it again when I searched, but the idea remained with me. I have a stainless steel pot with a copper bottom that has seen lots and lots of use. I thought it would never look as bright as it did when I first bought it. When I read this tip, that pot was the first thing I thought of and couldn't wait to try it.

So I applied regular tomato ketchup to the copper surface and let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes. Then I washed it off with water and wiped dry and voila.....the copper looked beautiful. Scroll down to the bottom of this post if you want to see the before and after pictures of this experiment.....Apparently the acidic quality of the tomato helps in brightening the copper. I am so going to try this with all the other copper pots in my kitchen :-) 

Anyway moving on to the other reason for this post. Ever since I made this brown rice cutlet and this quinoa cutlet, any time I have some leftover cooked rice I always think of making some cutlets with it. This time I decided to use peanut powder to add flavor to the cutlets. I loved how this cutlet turned out, it tasted awesome both on its own and in a sandwich too.  If you like peanuts the way I do, give this simple and hearty cutlet a try, I am sure you will love it as much as I did :-)



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Ingredients and Method to make Brown Rice and Lentil cutlets
1/2 cup whole brown lentils rinsed and soaked in water for 15 to 30 mins
1/3 cup raw unsalted peanuts (or dry roasted unsalted peanuts )
2 cups cooked brown rice (can be substituted with any other type of cooked rice)
1 cup packed whole wheat bread crumbs (or any other type bread crumbs, I used oatmeal breadcrumbs)
3 Thai or Indian variety green chilies (or to taste)
1 inch piece of ginger
1 cup mixed vegetables (any combination of carrots, peas, cauliflower, beans etc)
salt to taste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
3/4 tsp garam masala (can be substituted with any other type of curry powder)
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or cayenne powder)
a few drops of oil to shallow fry the cutlets

Dry roast peanuts on low to medium low heat until evenly roasted. Cool, powder coarsely in the blender or spice grinder using short bursts of power until the powder resembles bread crumbs. Keep this powder aside.Mince green chilies and ginger together and keep aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan,  cook lentils using water as required until almost done. Add vegetables, minced ginger+green chilies and cumin powder, sprinkle a little water if required and allow the vegetables to cook until soft.

Add cooked rice, salt to taste, garam masala, chili powder if using and mix well.  Finally add peanut powder and bread crumbs and mix well. At this point the mixture will become a little stiff. Remove from heat, allow to cool until able to handle it. Shape into small cutlets of desired size.
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Heat a flat pan/ griddle/ tawa, place two or three cutlets on it and pour a few drops of oil around it.
Cook until lower side of cutlets is evenly brown, flip over and cook the other side until evenly brown. Remove and serve cutlets with ketchup, chutney of choice or sauce of choice.
Or use cutlet as a sandwich filling, or in a wrap and enjoy.

Yield will depend on size and thickness of each cutlet.

Notes
Use water only as required when cooking lentils/ vegetables. This way when rice/ peanut powder and bread crumbs are added the mixture will thicken nicely and be easy to handle. If there is too much moisture you would need to cook it longer for the water to evaporate.




Here is a before and after picture of the copper dish that I discussed above......
Before trying the tip.....

And after....

Big difference, right ?.....

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Indian style Clear Vegetable Soup.....with a twist :-)

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Usually the term Indian style clear vegetable soup is used to refer to soups that come under the category of Indo-Chinese cuisine. Most of the times I have tasted this kind of soup, I have noticed the use of soy sauce, chili-garlic and stuff like msg to give it that typical Indo-chinese kind of flavor. Recently I came across a slightly different version in a restaurant that piqued my interest. I was pretty sure when I tasted the soup that the chef had used some kind of south Indian powder like sambar powder to flavor it and there was no soy sauce or chili garlic in it.

Since we liked it so much I decided to give this idea a try with my own twist. My version has much more vegetables and I used rasam powder for flavor. The result was this delicious and flavorful soup that is both low fat and nutritious.  This light soup would make a perfect starter for an Indian themed menu or it could just be served with some sandwiches or wraps to make a complete meal.




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Ingredients and Method to make Indian style clear vegetable soup
3 large carrots grated or cut very fine
1 Green bell pepper (capsicum) de seeded and cut very fine
1/4 head of cabbage cut very fine
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut very fine ( or to taste) (see notes)
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp rasam powder (or to taste) (see notes)  ( can be substituted with any other curry powder)
5 cups of water (or as required to achieve required consistency )
salt to taste
2 tbsp corn starch (aka corn flour in India) mixed in 1/4 cup water
handful cilantro (coriander leaves) cut very fine for garnish

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds, when the seeds splutter add green chilies and stir a few times. Then add ginger, stir a few times. Add turmeric powder, stir once or twice.

Add all the vegetables, salt to taste, rasam powder and water and allow the vegetables to simmer for a few minutes until tender crisp. Do not over cook, since the taste is better when the vegetables have a slight bite to them.
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Add corn starch mixed in water and allow it to simmer for a  few minutes. Add water if required to achieve required consistency

Finally remove from heat, garnish with cilantro and serve hot as a starter to an Indian themed lunch/ dinner. Or serve with some sandwiches, wraps or cutlets to make a complete meal.

Notes:
If you do not want too much heat(spiciness) in your soup you can scale down the rasam powder (or curry powder) or even skip the green chilies entirely and just use some curry powder or rasam powder for flavor.

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Sweet Potato and Peas in coconut gravy curry (Kootu) and an interesting fact about bananas...

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An interesting fact that I came across recently about bananas, is that they are loaded with resistant starch, a healthy carb that fills you up and speeds up your metabolism. Cool huh?  This is definitely one more very good reason to grab a banana when we are hungry I guess.....for more reasons read this post.  To know more about other foods with resistant starch in them read this wiki article.  Also here is another detailed article on how resistant starch is different from regular starches and how it aids in weight loss.

Moving on, kootu usually refers to a curry from south Indian cuisine, that is made with a coconut based gravy. I have tried  a lot of vegetables in this style of curry including asparagus, red swiss chard and cabbage , but I have never tried sweet potatoes in this style of curry. When my mother in law suggested this variation of kootu the other day, I was very keen to try it. Luckily all the items required for this curry are staple pantry items and I tried this the very next day after our conversation.

The verdict.... this sweet potato curry was just loaded with flavor. The combination of sweet, spices and coconut flavor was just irresistible and the curry was so delicious that I could have eaten bowlfuls of this curry on its own if I wanted.... :-)  If sweet potatoes are on your menu this week, give this curry a try and enjoy its pleasantly unique taste:-)

 

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Ingredients and Method to make Sweet Potato peas in coconut gravy curry
2 large sweet potatoes (Meethe aloo/sakkarai vellikizhangu) peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (yielded 4 heaped cups of cut pieces)
2 cups frozen peas (matar/pachai pattani) (thawed to room temperature) (see notes)
2 large tomatoes cut fine (tamatar/thakkali) (yielded 2 cups of tomatoes)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

For the masala
2 tsp (preferably coconut oil)
1 tbsp split black gram lentil (udad dhal/ ulatham parappu)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera/jeeragam)
1 tsp coriander seeds (dhania)
2 tbsp sesame seeds (brown variety) (til/ ellu)
2 dry red chilies or to taste (lal mirch/ molaga vathal)
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut (nariyal/thengai) (can be substituted with frozen grated coconut thawed to room temperature

Optional seasoning
2 tsp oil (preferably coconut)
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai/ kadagu)
1/8 tsp asafoetida powder (hing/perungayam)
1 stalk of curry leaves

In a heavy bottomed pan heat 2 tsp oil and add black gram lentil and stir on low to medium low heat until it gets reddish. Then add cumin and coriander seeds and stir for a few seconds. Add sesame seeds and stir for a few seconds. Then add red chili and saute until it starts to turn color. Remove these items and place on a plate to cool. Add grated coconut to the balance oil and roast until it turns light golden color. Remove and grind to a fine paste along with the other spices in a chutney attachment/ spice grinder adding a little water as required

Add tomatoes, turmeric powder and water (approx 1/2 cup) on heat and allow the tomatoes to cook until soft and mushy. Add sweet potatoes and peas, salt to taste and some more water ( I used approx 1 cup) and allow the vegetables to cook on medium heat. This does not take very long, just a few minutes.

When cooked, add ground paste, water as required to achieve required consistency and allow the curry to simmer for a few minutes until the flavors blend a little.
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If seasoning,  heat 2 tsp oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, when it begins to splutter add asafoetida powder and  curry leaves torn into little pieces. Curry leaves splutter in the oil and can cause some of the oil to splatter, so be careful when doing this and keep your hands and face away from the oil. When the curry leaves begin to get whitish spots, remove and pour entire seasoning on the curry.

Remove curry from heat and serve hot with rice and rasam or sambar or even to go with phulkas, rotis or any other type of Indian flat bread.

Notes:
Fresh green peas can be substituted in place of frozen peas. If you do, cook the fresh peas separately until almost cooked and then proceed with the rest of the recipe

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Besan Kaju Burfi (Chick pea and cashew nut fudge)

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In the past I have made  both kaju (cashew)  burfi and besan (chick pea) burfi separately and enjoyed them. The thought of combining both of these ingredients together to make a besan kaju burfi  never ever entered my mind. When I was in India recently and I visited my aunt S , she served this sweet and my father and I both loved it.  Obviously,  I did not waste a  minute in getting the recipe from her and  was surprised and intrigued when my aunt mentioned a combination of cashews and chickpea flour in the burfi. I thought it was a fabulous idea and within a week of tasting it for the first time, I made this sweet for my family.  I tweaked the recipe a little by skipping the saffron that my aunt used in her version and I reduced the quantity of clarified butter and sugar a tad bit.

This burfi tastes a little like this mysore pak, not a lot,  just a little.... One of the awesome things about this sweet is that the nut butter from cashew gives this sweet a melt in your mouth quality without having to use copious amounts of clarified  butter to get that effect as you need to do for some other sweets, including the above mentioned mysore pak. If you are in the mood for an indulgence and are looking for something unique you may want to give this sweet a try.....I am sure you will love it as much as we do...:-)



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Ingredients and Method to make besan kaju burfi
1 cup chick pea lentil flour (gram flour/ besan/kadalai maavu)
1 cup raw unsalted cashew nuts (kaju) powdered fine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup warm clarified butter (ghee/nei) + 2 to 3 tbsp extra clarified butter to roast the chick pea flour and a few drops extra to grease a tray

Grease a deep plate or a tray with clarified butter and keep aside
Roast chick pea lentil flour in 2 to 3 tbsp of clarified butter until it starts to emit an aroma. Make sure not to over roast the flour, just until it emits a light aroma. Keep the flour aside.

Powder cashew nuts in a spice grinder or blender using short bursts of power until it becomes a fine powder.
Place the powdered cashew in a bowl. Add roasted chick pea lentil flour to it, add warm clarified butter, mix well and keep aside.

Place sugar and water in a large heavy bottomed pan, and place on medium heat. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes until sugar dissolves and you get a very light one string consistency. To check for string consistency, put a drop of sugar syrup on a plate, blow a little to cool it and place it between your thumb and forefinger, if it forms a very light string it means the syrup is ready.

Pour cashew + chick pea flour+ clarified butter mixture into the sugar syrup and mix gently.
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Allow the mixture to simmer for a few more minutes until it starts to thicken and froth a little. Pour this mixture on the pre greased plate/ tray and gently flatten it. If you are not able to make out if the burfi is ready to be removed from heat, you can also drop a couple of drops on a plate, if it hardens immediately means the burfi is ready and can be removed from heat.

After a few minutes when the burfi begins to harden, cut into squares or diamonds with a sharp knife. If the burfi sticks to the knife and does not cut cleanly allow to harden some more and cut.

Store this in an airtight container when cool and enjoy within the next week to ten days.
Yield will depend on thickness and size of each piece.

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Curried Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

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Spring is definitely getting ready to arrive in our neck of the woods. This year,  much more than previous ones,  I have been eagerly looking forward to the transition from cold weather to more pleasant days. The daytime temperatures have already begun to get just a tad warmer and it is a welcome change from all of the bitterly cold days that we had just a few weeks ago. But the evenings are still pretty cold, and cold evenings always inspire me to make some soup.

On one such evening I ended up making this butternut squash soup.  This has been on my to do list ever since I made this carrot coconut soup, but I never got around to actually making it. Finally I made this soup......and I am really glad I did..... :-) The soup turned out really well. Roasting vegetables brings out their flavor and enhances the taste of this soup. The slight amount of coconut milk adds a touch of creaminess without overwhelming the other flavors of the soup. On the whole this soup turned out to be a winner in my books.......



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Ingredients and Method to make Roasted Butternut squash soup
1 butternut squash, peeled, de seeded and cut into 3/4 inch to 1 inch circles
3 large carrots washed, wiped dry, ends cut off and cut into 2 inch pieces
3 small onions peeled and quartered
2 tbsp any oil + 1 tbsp coconut oil  (can be substituted with any other oil)
1/2 inch ginger minced fine
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
3/4 tsp garam masala (can be substituted with any other curry powder)
To make your own garam masala check out this post
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt to taste
1/2 cup coconut milk

Pre heat oven to 350 deg F
Prepare a tray by lining it with parchment paper or non stick aluminum foil and keep aside.
Place all the vegetables on the tray, making sure that they are not overlapping. Brush with 2 tbsp of oil on the top and sides of the vegetables. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove and cool thoroughly, then puree in batches until smooth.
Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan, add minced ginger and minced garlic to it and saute for a few seconds or until it begins to brown. Add chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder and stir a few times.
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Add pureed vegetables, salt to taste and allow to simmer for a  few minutes.
Finally add coconut milk, mix well and serve this soup hot with bread of choice, or sandwiches to make a complete meal,
Serves approximately 2 to 3

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