One Day At A Time!

For our quick meals, I love sandwiches, wraps or cheesy quesadillas. The number of permutations and combinations with these grab and go lunches is endless.... protein rich beans, crunchy vegetables or lean chicken. Any leftover stir fry veggies and meat are good as well. And every time try it with some new seasoning. One of our favorite flavors for chicken is garlic and rosemary.  If you like it too, try these cheesy wraps. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - about 1 pound Garlic - 2 big cloves Dry Rosemary - 1 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp Carrot - 1 big Bell Pepper/Capsicum - 1 Green Onions/Scallions - 3 Oil - 2 tsp Salt Pepper Jack Cheese - about 1 cup Tortillas - 5 How to make Garlic Rosemary Chicken Quesadillas: On a big plate/tray, place the skinless chicken breast. Sprinkle rosemary, fresh ground black pepper, red chili powder and salt. Pour the lemon juice and rub it all over the chicken. Co...

When it comes to buying cookware, I am like a kid in a candy store. I love shopping for new kitchenware. But, my minimalistic nature sometimes stops me from picking unnecessary items. I don't like clutter in my kitchen. Anyways, this week I ordered a Danish pan online and here you are reading about a popular South Indian gluten free breakfast - savory mini pancakes called as Paddu or Paniyaram . In Konkani, these soft lentil and rice goodies are known as Appo or Appe . There are many ways of making Appe, both sweet and savory.  For today, lets eat Udid Methi Appe.

Fresh green chickpeas, called as Hara Chana are tender, juicy and a great snack to nibble. Back in Mumbai, these are known as  Harbara . Eat them raw or steam them with kala namak (Indian rock salt).  Here in US, the only option to get these is the frozen vegetables aisle of an Indian store. If not fresh, we relish these frozen green garbanzo beans as a simple curry with a mild coconut flavor.

When it comes to baking, I am still a novice. But some tricks always help me. Like, using sour cream makes a cake really soft and moist. But sour cream is not available everywhere and many readers have asked for substitutes. Thick Whole Milk Yogurt works as the best alternative for sour cream. Hope you like these Banana Yogurt Oats Muffins as much as we loved them.

Call it Chakali or Murukku or Chakkuli as we say in Konkani, this savory crunchy munchy snack is every one's favorite. One can make Chakali in many ways - with urad dal, roasted dalia (phutane), potato, maida (all purpose flour), rice flour. Of all the versions, I like the combination of rice and potato. Potato makes every snack flavorful. Ingredients: Rice Flour - 1 1/2 cups Boiled Potato (grated) - 1 cup Unsalted Butter or Oil - 3 tsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tsp Carom Seeds/Ajwain/Owa - 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp Sugar - 1 tsp Salt Oil for frying How to make Rice Murukku / Chakali: In a mixing bowl, add the grated/mashed boiled potato. Add melted butter, sesame seeds, carom seeds, chilli powder, salt and sugar. Mix all the ingredients well. Lastly, add rice flour and mix well. Now add water, little at a time and knead to make a soft, smooth dough. I added about 1/2 cup water.  Divide the dough into 4 balls. Heat oil for ...

Brussel sprouts, which look like mini cabbages has become our new family favorite. So far, I have tried cooking them in an oven. As I always say, its quite convenient. Every time I roast brussel sprouts I try it in a new way .... sometimes with a hint of garlic, sometimes topped with parmesan cheese or crunchy pine nuts. Lately, Brussel Sprouts with Thai Sauce is what my family loves. Ingredients: Brussel Sprouts - 1 pound Olive Oil - 3 tbsp Sweet Chilli Thai Sauce - 2 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Salt Scallions/Green Onions for garnish   How to roast Brussel Sprouts in an oven: Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Wash the brussel sprouts well. Discard the bottom hard parts of the brussel sprouts. Dice each into quarters. You can use whole sprouts as well. In a mixing bowl, add olive oil, Thai Sauce, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add more or less Thai Sauce to suit your taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Spread the Brussel sprouts evenly on a ba...

Many of us are familiar with the Gujarati Kadhi and North Indian Kadhi Pakora . These Indian Kadhi recipes with yogurt and chickpea flour as key ingredients, are globally popular. Today I am sharing a Konkani style Vegan Kadhi/Kadi made of coconut. Coconut is quite integral in Konkani Cuisine. As the name suggests, this kadi is spiced with cumin (jeere in Konkani) and whole black peppercorns (meeri in Konkani). Pretty simple, yet flavorful accompaniment with rice. Ingredients: Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1 1/2 cups Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns/Kali Miri - 6 Green Chili - 1 Oil - 1 tsp Salt Tempering/Tadka/Phanna: Mustard Seeds/Sasam - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata/Karbeo - 5 leaves Oil - 1 tsp How to make Konkani Jeere Meere Kadi: Pat the green chili dry and chop it into 2 pieces. Also, pat the curry leaves dry. Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, whole peppercorns and green chilies. S...

There is something so comforting about desserts.. that sweet goodness. And nothing beats chocolate. We love white chocolate. What better occasion to make Chocolaty Nutty Fudgy Bars than Feb 14!  Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Ever since I picked a bag of dry cranberries, this fudge was on my mind. And to make my day easier, I tried a microwave version of White Chocolate Fudge or Barfi . Ingredients: White Chocolate Chips - 1 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup Dry Cranberries - 1/4 cup Cashews/Kaju - 1/8 cup Unsalted Butter - 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp How to cook Chocolate Fudge/Barfi in a microwave: Roughly chop cranberries and cashews. I have used raw cashews. You could use roasted nuts as well. Pick your favorite dry fruits and nuts - golden raisins, cherries, dry mango, almonds/badam, pistachios/pista, walnuts/akrot, pecans. In a dry microwave safe bowl add butter. Microwave for 30 seconds so that butter melts. Add half of the melted butter to ...

Everything about a weekend is so laid back. Relax and enjoy! Its the same with my cooking. Most weekends we eat out, try some exotic food. Tea is the only reason I enter the kitchen. But today happens to be one of those Sundays when I cooked an Instant brunch for us - steamed savory chickpea flour cakes, popular as Khaman Dhokla or Dhokla  in Gujarati. Ingredients: Besan/Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour - 1 cup Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1/2 cup Yogurt/Curd/Dahi - 1 cup Green Chilli Paste - 1 tsp Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Sugar - 1 tsp Salt Tempering/Tadka: Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata - 5 leaves Green Chillies - 2 Asafoetida/Hing - 1/2 tsp Oil - 2 tsp How to cook Instant Khaman Dhokla: Grease a steel vessel with cooking spray or oil. In a mixing bowl, add besan, turmeric, chilli paste, ginger, salt and sugar. Add yogurt (preferably slightly sour), and mix all the ingredients well. Whisk it well.  Now a...

Everyday, before cooking our meals, I take a look at leftovers. Most days its not much. At times, leftovers are good since I don't have to cook. But health wise, I prefer fresh cooked food. No doubt, some curries taste best the next day. Turns out, today is my lucky day.  All I had to do was to roast some mushrooms. Ingredients: Mushrooms - 400 gm Olive Oil - 3 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce - 1 tbsp Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp Chili Sauce - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp Green Onions/Scallions - 3 Salt How to roast Teriyaki Mushrooms in an oven: Wipe the mushrooms with a moist paper towel or a kitchen towel. I have used Button Mushrooms. You can use any other kind. Cut the mushrooms into thick slices. Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F. Grease a big baking tray with cooking spray or oil.  Finely chop green onions. Save some green parts for garnish. In a big mixing bowl, add olive oil, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, red chilli sauce, fresh ...

Sea food is always a good option for a high protein, low calorie meal. White, flaky Tilapia is one of our favorites. As compared to saucy coconut fish curries, I find baking quite convenient. It is effortless, yet flavorful. Every time I bake fish, I cook it with different spices like Cajun Seasoning or something Indian like Tandoori Masala. Today's variation is a fish flavored with an Indian Green Masala and crusted with dry potato flakes. Ingredients: Tilapia or any other fish fillets - 2 Coriander/Cilantro/Dhania Leaves - 10 sprigs Garlic - 3 big cloves Green Chilies - 3 Vinegar - 1 tbsp Salt Potato Flakes - 1/2 cup Cooking Spray or Oil How to bake Herbs and Potato Crusted Fish: Blend coriander leaves, garlic, green chilies, vinegar and salt in a food processor to a fine or slightly coarse paste. You can use a mortar pestle as well. Apply this herb paste to the fish fillets. Cover with a plastic food wrap and refrigerate for about 2 - 3 hours. If not 2 hours...

Gobi (Cauliflower) 65 and Chicken 65 are well known Indian appetizers. I have no idea why these fritters are named as 65. Internet has many interesting stories related to its origin. For a change, I made Broccoli 65 today, which turned out equally good as Gobhi 65 .  Broccoli is related to the cauliflower family, so taste wise it is quite similar. Ingredients: Broccoli Florets - 3 cups Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1/2 cup Corn Starch - 2 tbsp Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil for frying Bell Peppers/Capsicum (optional) Cilantro/Coriander Leaves How to cook Broccoli 65: Heat about 5 - 6 cups water in a pot. When water starts boiling, add turmeric, salt and broccoli florets. Cook for one minute, so that broccoli is half cooked. Turn off the heat. Drain the water and place the broccoli in a colander or a strainer. Set it aside for about 30 minut...

Lentils/Dals are a staple at my place. Add in a few vegetables and it turns into a hearty, complete meal. Any vegetable goes well - green peas, methi or fenugreek leaves, green onions, carrots, cauliflower, leeks. Some also call it as Sabz Daal, when cooked with many vegetables. I like my Daal with the flavor of just one vegetable. For today, lets taste the most nutritious greens, Palak or Spinach. Slurp it like a soup with a dash of lemon or enjoy it with rice. Ingredients: Chopped Palak/Spinach Leaves (tightly packed) - 3 cups Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 1/2 cup Onion - 1 medium Garlic/Lahsun - 2 big cloves Green Chilies - 4 Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1/2 tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt How to cook Spinach Dal: Wash mung dal well. Add turmeric and cook it with 2 - 3 cups water until soft. You can use any other dal like Toor/Arhar Dal, Masoor Dal or a combination of dals. Use a salad s...

Fresh Fenugreek leaves, also called as Methi, are commonly used in Gujarati Cuisine. As I have mentioned earlier, my family loves Methi. Be it Thepla or a curry or these Muthiyas.  Generally, Gujarati Muthiyas are deep fried. But, I prefer a steamed version, just the way my Mom makes Kothimbir Vadi (Steamed Cilantro Savory Cakes). Today's low calorie gluten free, herbed appetizers are perfect for vegans and vegetarians. Ingredients: Chopped Methi/Fenugreek Leaves (tightly packed) - 2 cups Besan/Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour - 1/2 cup Jowar/Sorghum/Jwari/Jola Flour - 1/2 cup Rice Flour - 2 tbsp Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - about 1/2 cup Green Chilli Paste - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 1/2 tsp Tamarind/Imli/Chinch Paste - 1 tsp Jaggery/Gud/Gul - 1 tsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp Oil for Shallow frying Salt Tempering/Tadka: Sesame Seeds/Til - 2 tsp Oil - 2 tsp How to cook Steamed Meth...

February is here and hope everyone had a great first month. My resolution for 2013 was to blog more about whole grain recipes, include more vegetables in our diet. One day at a time and everything in moderation. That takes me to our today's breakfast - healthy Oats twist to a South Indian Idli, with colorful carrots and bell peppers. Ingredients: Quick Oats - 1 cup Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1/2 cup Yogurt/Curd/Dahi - 1 cup Carrots (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup Capsicum/Bell Pepper (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp Salt How to cook Instant Oats Idli with vegetables: Heat a pan and roast oats at low heat for 4 - 5 minutes. Set it aside on a plate to cool. After cooling, grind the roasted oats to a fine powder. Now roast semolina at low heat for 4 - 5 minutes or until it slightly changes color and turns aromatic. Let it cool. In a big mixing bowl, add finely chopped carrots, capsicum, ci...