Coorg Pumpkin Curry

This Coorg style pumpkin curry is made with ripe pumpkin, coconut and spices. It is a spicy curry unlike most other pumpkin curries.

I don't usually crave pumpkins, at least not like I crave chocolate. But recently after eating a small bowl of pumpkin curry in office, I wanted more. And telepathically, my mother in law gave me a huge organic homegrown pumpkin. What's better than a pumpkin? A HOMEGROWN one.

The thing I hate most about pumpkins is actually peeling them. By the time I got through peeling this huge pumpkin, my palms were sore with the knife handle rubbing against them, my arms ached with all that effort. But the slightly sweet yet hot spicy coconut-ty curry made it totally worth it.

I usually make a simple dry pumpkin curry by boiling diced pumpkins with some fresh green chillies and garnishing it with freshly grated coconut. Simple and easy. It lets the sweetness of the pumpkin shine through. But this time I did not want a very sweet pumpkin curry. I wanted a change. I had something in mind but absolutely no idea how to make it.

Coorg is this beautiful place nestled among the Western Ghats of India. A bunch of friends went there several years ago and we stayed in this humble but beautiful homestay with a wonderfully warm family. The family cooked up all the traditional Coorgi delicacies and I remember one of them was this pumpkin curry with coconut, unlike I had ever eaten before. So I searched online for this curry and as usual Google spewed off many results, so I had to mix and match recipes to find the ONE. I tried this dish until I made something closer to the one in memory. 

Coorg Pumpkin Curry

Coorg style Pumpkin curry made with ripe pumpkin, coconut and spices.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

3 cups diced Pumpkin
3-4 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
6-8 Curry Leaves
1 Onion
2-3 Garlic cloves
2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 cup grated Coconut or 1 cup of Coconut milk
1 tsp Tamarind pulp
3-4 dry red Chillies or 1-2 tsp of red chilli powder
1-2 tsp of Jaggery powder or Sugar
1 cup Water
Salt
Fresh Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once they splutter, add the curry leaves, finely chopped onion and garlic. Fry until the onion is translucent.
Add the pumpkin.
Add the turmeric and water and cover and cook until the pumpkin is done.
If using grated coconut, grind together the coconut, tamarind, dry red chillies or chilli powder, cumin powder and the coriander powder with a little bit of water to make a fine masala paste.
Add it to the pumpkin in the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes.
If using coconut milk, then add the coconut milk along with the coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and the tamarind paste to the pumpkin and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add salt and the jaggery powder or sugar and mix well.
Serve hot.

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Gojju Avalakki | Tamarind Beaten Rice

Some things get better with time - wine, cheese, wounds are some. I am inclined towards believing this Gojju Avalakki is one of them too. 

I made it for breakfast yesterday, and I thought it was good. But was it good enough to surpass all those Drafts I have and immediately make it to the blog? I wasn't so sure. May be it could wait a week? This was the first time I made it. I've eaten it before but never cooked it myself, so I overestimated the quantity and made enough for breakfast and more. So when I had my 5pm hunger pangs, I took it out of the fridge and microwaved it. One spoon down and I was thinking, this is good... Second spoon and I was like this IS GOOD and I have to take photos before I finish this entire bowl.

Then it was a rush to catch the last few rays of natural light and no time to think about composition or background or anything, just click click click and hope they turned out good enough. I'm happy with the clicks. 

Gojju Avalakki or Huli Avalakki is a simple and quick dish from Karnataka that is made with beaten rice or poha or avalakki and tamarind. It is flavored with Sambar or Rasam powder. 

I searched online for recipes and found so many different versions. A lot of them powdered the beaten rice and somehow that did not appeal to me. I like the texture of the beaten rice flakes, so I skipped that step. A lot of the recipes also used both rasam and sambar powders, so did I since I had both at home. You can use either one or both depending what is stocked in your house. I used store bought ready made powders. 

There were many complicated recipes, but I made my own that is extremely simple. All you need to do is squeeze out the juice of tamarind and add all spices to it. Add it to the tempering and then add washed beaten rice to it. Very simple and easy - I guarentee you.

Have I mentioned how much I love fresh coconut? I love to garnish anything and everything with coconut. I was super generous with it, I definitely used 1-2 Tbsp more that what I have in the recipe, but I listed down what any normal person without my fetish for coconut would add. I always believe the more the coconut the tastier the dish. I even used coconut oil. 

I have mentioned 2 Tbsp for peanuts too, but then you can go all NUTS over peanuts and add more. 

Gojju Avalakki | Tamarind Beaten Rice

Gojju Avalakki or Huli Avalakki is a simple and quick dish from Karnataka that is made with beaten rice or poha or avalakki and tamarind. It is flavored with Sambar or Rasam powder. 

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:      15 minutes
Yield:                 Serves 3


Ingredients:

3 cups of Beaten Rice or Poha or Avalakki (Use the medium or thick variety, not the paper thin one)
1/2 cup warm Water
1 big lemon sized ball of Tamarind
2 tsp of Rasam Powder
1 tsp of Sambar Powder (Replace with 1 tsp of Rasam powder if you don't have sambar powder)
1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder (Optional)
A pinch of Hing or Asafoetida
2 Tbsp of Peanuts
2 Tbsp of fresh grated Coconut
3-4 tsp of Coconut Oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
1 sprig of Curry Leaves
1 tsp of Jaggery Powder or Sugar
2 Tbsp of finely chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Method:

Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water and keep it aside for 10 mins.
Squeeze the tamarind pulp into the water to get tamarind juice.
Add the rasam powder, sambar powder, hing, red chilli powder, jaggery powder or sugar and 1 tsp of salt and mix well.
Wash the avalakki twice and drain the water completely and keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadhai or pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once they splutter, add the peanuts and fry until the peanuts turn slightly dark.
Add the curry leaves and the tamarind juice.
Cook on medium low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the avalakki and mix well. Add salt as needed.
Cook for 4-5 minutes on low heat.
Garnish with fresh grated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.

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Double Beans Masala

Have you ever left a thing for so long that you totally forget about it and then one sudden day it suddenly pop's back into your mind and then just won't let go? Long long question there. I'm usually like that around washed clothes. I absolutely dislike folding laundry and will procrastinate it until I can.

This Double Beans Masala recipe is exactly like that "IT" for me. I made it looong back in March. I made it, I clicked photos and I noted down the recipe diligently and I left it in drafts for 2 whole months. I cooked something else, and blogged about them and somehow this Double Beans Masala just sat there sadly in the "Drafts" folder of Blogger.

Today, I finally decided it's high time I empty out my drafts. I need to get those 15 recipes out to the world.

I'm not sure if these beans are really double beans. I googled "Pink double beans" and what ended up in the image results looked exactly like what I had. So I guess it is just a variety of double beans.

This Double Beans Masala recipe is very versatile. It is basically beans cooked in a masala gravy. You can adapt it to any beans you have available - use chickpeas, pinto beans, black eyed peas, it will end up being just as delicious.

The beans are just one part of the curry, the masala gravy is the other. This is a very standard Indian masala gravy made with the basic - onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and some spices. Just puree the onions and tomatoes, fry them up and allow it to cook on low flame. Add the spices and VOILA, your masala gravy is ready. Add anything you like to it - beans, peas, paneer, tofu

The Kitchen King masala is a magic spice blend available in the market. It is my absolute FAVORITE spice blend or masala powder for the time being. I use it in anything and everything. I was never a big fan of Garam Masala and am soooo happy to have found this Kitchen King masala. I highly recommend it, but if you cannot find it, add Garam Masala, it goes just as well.

This curry taste best with any kind of bread - chapati, roti, naan or just plain old white bread. But you can have it with rice as well. Just add more water to loosen it.

Double Beans Masala

Double Beans Masala is a semi dry curry made using fresh double beans, basic Indian spices and fresh tomatoes. Vegan and Gluten free.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:         Indian
Prep Time:    15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:             Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh Double Beans
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1-2 Garlic cloves
1/2" piece of Ginger
1/2 tsp of Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp of Kitchen King Masala or Garam Masala
3 tsp of Oil
Water
Salt to taste
A handful of fresh Coriander leaves

Method:

Pressure cook the double beans with 1 cup of water and 1/2 tsp of salt until it is done. It takes only 1-2 whistles or around 5 minutes. Overcooking will make the double beans mushy.
Grind together the onion, tomato, ginger and garlic into a fine puree. Add a little water if needed.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
Once they brown, add the onion-tomato puree and fry on low heat for 8-10 minutes.
Add all the spices and double beans and mix well.
Add salt.
Add water to achieve the desired consistency.
Allow the beans to cook with the masala for 3-5 minutes on low heat.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with rotis.

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Breakfast Bruschetta Duo - Tomato & Onion and Avocado & Olives

Saturday.... Finally... What is your PERFECT Saturday?? Leave me a comment...

Mine is waking up late, a hearty breakfast, a good cup of ginger tea and the morning paper. 

I got all of that today with these Breakfast Bruschetta Duo. Soooo PERFECT....

I like to keep breakfasts as simple as possible. Usually, breakfast is my simplest meal of the day. On weekdays, I snooze and snooze my alarm until I have to wake up ( Don't you just love the SNOOZE button? ) and then there is a whirlwind in the house as I rush around to get ready to go to work. I definitely don't have time for a fancy breakfast. So something quick that I can whip up is the solution. 

I make BreakFEAST only on weekends. But after an extremely hectic week, I really did not fancy any more hard work on Saturday!!! So today was the day to keep it simple yet hearty and TASTY.

I woke up at 9 and bam! it's 9.30 and I was plonked on the bean bag in front of the TV watching the latest season of MasterChef and eating my oh-so-easy-yet-delicious Breakfast Bruschetta Duo. Don't they look AMAZING?? 

I love love LOVE colorful food. Makes me wanna eat it immediately. I had to control my urge, until I could finish taking photos. The idea of Breakfast Bruschetta Duo is inspired from the Goddess of TV cooking - Nigella. I did not follow her exact recipe though, I changed the topping to my liking.

I could have these Bruschetta for lunch, snacks, tea and dinner... I could pretty much have them all day long. I cannot get enough of them. So FRESH and so EASY. All I had to do was find the freshest sourdough bread in the supermarket yesterday. And today morning, all I did was chop chop chop as Raj made ginger tea for us. And then just toast the bread, top with the chopped veggies, sprinkle salt and pepper... a drizzle of some extra virgin Olive Oil and we're DONE.

I don't know anything that could be easier than that and look that GOOD. Do you?

I used a sourdough loaf. I've made these before using Baguette. They taste just as good with regular bread. Use what you have and it'll still taste just as delicious. 

The first Bruschetta is topped with chopped fresh tomato, red onion and coriander, while the second one is topped with sliced avocado, green olives and fresh mint leaves. I also made a third kind - the Tomato and Avocado one. But they were eaten before I could get a single photo. You see, it started out as may be 3 bruschettas per person. Then Raj saw them and I saw them and both were tempted, so we were like let's just make it even so we both get 2 of both. By the time we were done with 3, we wanted MORE.... So he was on toasting bread duty, while I went to chopping. And we had a third variety. 

That's the best thing about these Breakfast Bruschettas, you can mix and match the toppings. Put what you love. Someday, when I have all the time in the world, I'm gonna make my other favorite bruschetta - the caramelized onion and mushroom one... yummmm.... Until then, back to the simple life.

Breakfast Bruschetta Duo - Tomato & Onion and Avocado & Olives

A duo of bruschettas perfect for breakfast - one topped with tomato and onion and the other with avocado and olives. 

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:         International
Prep Time:    20 minutes
Cook time:     5 minutes
Yield:             8 Bruschettas

Ingredients:

1 Sourdough loaf or Baguette
1 large Tomato
1 red Onion
A handful of fresh Coriander leaves
1/2 Avocado
8-10 green Olives
A handful of fresh Mint leaves
2 Tbsp of extra virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Freshly cracked Pepper
Lime

Method:

Slice the bread into thick slices.
Toast them on a griddle or tava for 3-4 mins. Remove onto a plate.
In the meanwhile, finely chop the tomato, red onion and coriander leaves and mix well.
Slice the avocado and the green olives.
Top half the slices with the tomato mix and half with the avocado and olives one. Add Mint to the avocado and olive bruschetta.
Sprinkle salt and pepper.
Drizzle the olive oil. Squeeze lime on the bruschetta.
Serve immediately.

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Rajma Chawal or Red Kidney Beans Masala with Rice

Rajma Chawal is red kidney beans cooked in a masala made from onion, tomato and some spices served over a bed of white rice.

Haaapy Wednesday....

I'm not entirely sure about my feelings for Wednesday, the optimist in me says the week is half done and the cynic in me says there are still TWO days left to go... Either way, it calls for a treat, don't you think so?

I've had a hectic time going on. It was pretty much work work work until Sunday where I worked for a full day on the blog.Yes, an ENTIRE day. Raj just did his stuff and I did mine. Sis cooked up lunch and we just ate Masala Puri - a local street food for dinner. I redesigned a lot of stuff around on the blog on Sunday. Tried different templates, but finally decided HTML isn't my cup of tea. Too much effort, so reverted back to my old template and just updated the layout. The awesomely beautiful weather totally helped the non-working-yet-working Sunday I had. Such heavy lashing rains and melodious songs on YouTube. Have I mentioned, I absolutely LOVE rains.

And then back to the work work work grind from Monday. So it is finally mid week and I deserved my treat I believe. Something delicious, yet quick to make. When I'm stressed out, I always make rice. On other days, I'm not usually a big fan of rice. I stick to rotis (wholewheat flatbread). But I think it is that starchy comfort I seek in rice when I'm all drained out. And what goes well with Rice - RAJMA...   Rajma Chawal in simple English words is Beans and Rice. Beans and Rice, now that's a world famous combo.

I highly recommend using Basmati rice here. The long grains and the fragrance of Basmati makes any simple dish also seem special. But I was out of Basmati. So I had to make do with regular short grain rice. But I highly highly recommend Basmati. Did I mention that already?

Have you ever fried onions and garlic in oil? Or at least been around when someone else was frying it? Doesn't it just smell AMAZING? That aroma always makes me hungry, even after I've just had a big meal. Well, this Rajma Chawal is a treat for the nose too with the frying-of-onion-and-garlic. It is the perfect appetite builder. So I am not responsible for munching on those banana chips while cooking, it was the onions.

I've pretty much used the same recipe in the past to make black bean soup. Just replace the red kidney beans with the black ones and you are done. So if you want to skip the rice, although I suggest you try this famous marriage of flavors, you can have the Rajma just as a regular spiced soup with some crusty bread to mop it up.

Rajma Chawal or Red Kidney Beans Masala with Rice

Red kidney beans cooked in a masala made from onion, tomato and some spices served over a bed of white rice.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:         North Indian
Prep Time:    20 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:             Serves 2

Ingredients:

Rajma:

2 cups cooked Red Kidney Beans or Rajma (see note if using dried beans)

2 Tomatoes

1 large Onion

1-2 cloves Garlic

1/2" piece of Ginger

2 tsp Cumin Powder or Jeera powder

1 tsp of Coriander Powder or Dhania Powder

1/2 tsp of Garam Masala

1 tsp of Cumin seeds or Jeera

1 tsp Sugar or Jaggery powder

1 tbsp of Kasuri Methi (Optional)

4 tsp of Oil

Salt to taste

Water

A handful of coriander leaves for garnish

Chawal:

1 cup of Rice (preferably Basmati)

2 cups of Water

Method:

Chawal:

Wash the rice twice with sufficient water.
In a deep pan, bring 2 cups of water to boil.
Once it comes to a rolling boil, add the washed rice and cover and cook until the rice is done.
Drain out any excess water.
Alternatively, pressure cook the rice for around 2-3 whistles or 8-10 minutes after the pressure builds up to cut the rice cooking time into half.

Rajma:

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
Grind together the onion, ginger and garlic and add to the pan.
Fry the onion paste until it turns slightly brown or for about 3-4 minutes.
Grind the tomato into a puree.
Add the tomato puree to the pan and mix well. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
Now add all the spice powders and 1 cup water and allow it to simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes. If you used dried beans and cooked it yourself, then instead of plain water, you can use the water in which the beans were cooked in.
Add the cooked beans, salt and sugar or jaggery and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the kasuri methi and mix well. 
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Note

If using dried red kidney beans or rajma like me, then soak 1 cup of dried beans for 8-10 hours.

Drain out the water.

In a pressure cooker or a deep pan, add the soaked beans and add enough water to cover the beans and a little more. 

Add salt and cover and cook until the beans are done but not mushy.

I cooked in the pressure cooker, so after the first whistle, I lowered the heat and allowed it to cook for 15 minutes.

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Maavina Hannu Seekarne or Aamras

The best thing about summer??? MANGOES. My sweet dreams are made of eating a ripe juicy mango dripping juice all over my hands. I never saw any other reason for the month of May to appear on the Calendar. I mean, May is the HOTTEST month of the year. In school, it marked the end of one month of summer vacations. The only saving grace for the month of May was the mangoes it brought with it.

Every Indian household I know uses mangoes to make either their favorite milkshake, or lassi, or dessert or pickle. There are so many dishes that you can make with Mangoes - both raw and ripe. I've made a few in the past:

Mavinkayee Chitranna or Mango Rice - Flavored rice made with grated raw mangoes and leftover rice.

Hagalkai Mavinkayee Gojju or Bittergourd & Raw Mango Curry - Bitter sweet sour and spicy curry made with bitter gourd and raw mangoes

Sweet and Sour Mango Curry or Saasav or Pashingiri - Mango curry made with ripe mangoes and fresh coconut famous along the Konkan coast of India.

Aam Panna or Sweet and Spicy Raw Mango Cooler - A sweet and spicy beverage made using raw mangoes

Mango Cheesecake - Cheesecake made using fresh mangoes, paneer and agar agar.

Raw Mango Gojju - South Indian raw mango curry and coconut curry

Corn and Raw Mango Salsa - A Simple Salsa made with boiled sweet corn and raw mango.

Don't you just want to grab that bowl of luscious Seekarne and eat it right now?

Maavina hannu Seekane or Aamras is probably the easiest delicacy you can make with Mangoes. All you need are ripe fresh JUICY mangoes. India is the birthplace of Mango and every state has it's own favorite. Alphonso, Kesar, Dasheri, Badami, Mankurad (Being a Goan, I had to list this one), Raspuri etc.There are so many more varieties, I don't even know all the names. 

Maavinahannu Seekarne or Aamras was my Mom's favorite Mango dish, she made it every summer, without fail. I made this today as a dedication to her. 

Maavinahannu Seekarne can be made in two ways, either by finely chopping the mangoes, like my mom made it or squeezing the mango to get a fine puree, the way my grandmother made it. The only difference in the 2 methods, is the way the mango pulp is treated - chopped or pureed. It is typically flavored with cardamom and almost always has a little milk added to it.

Traditionally, the Maharastrians eat their aamras with deep fried puris and here in Karnataka, it is eaten with chapati - the pan fried wholewheat flatbread. But you can eat it just like that as a dessert. Seekarne tastes best chilled for an hour or two in the fridge. But you can eat it at room temperature as well.

Maavina Hannu Seekarne or Aamras

Maavina Hannu Seekarne or Aamras is a simple traditional dessert made with mango pulp and milk and flavored with cardamom.

Recipe Type:  Dessert/ Drink
Cuisine:         Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Yield:             2-3 bowls

Ingredients:

2 ripe Mangoes
1/2 cup of Milk
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
1-2 tsp Jaggery Powder or Sugar

Method:

Peel the mangoes and chop the mango cheeks finely. Alternatively, instead of chopping it, you can just puree the mango.
Add cardamom powder and milk. Mix well.
Taste and check if you want it sweeter, then add jaggery or sugar.

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Mint Lime Cooler | Pudina Lime Juice

The evening just became PERFECT. I'm sitting in my balcony and gazing at the stars. The moon is peeking from behind the clouds. There is that din of daily traffic that comforts me that I'm not alone. The radio is playing those melodious songs from old black and white movies. AND. I am sipping on my new summer drink - Mint Lime Cooler as I much on some spicy roasted nuts.

This first paragraph on twinkling stars, I wrote yesterday, but then it was late and all I wanted to do was crash into the bed and go to sleep. And something happened overnight. The weather changed. I mean it is weather and it is supposed to change. But I have rarely seen such a drastic change. It was summer yesterday, perfect for my Mint Lime Cooler and today, I'm sitting in the exact same place, but Brrrr...., I'd rather have a cup of steaming hot ginger tea than anything that is "COOL".

It rained in the evening and how the mercury dropped!!! My stars, have hidden behind those orange clouds that are lighting up the sky and the Moon, I'm not even sure if it has risen today.

I know that this cool weather may not last long. For all I know, it's gonna be bright and sunny and hot tomorrow and I'm gonna want to reach out to my Mint Lime Cooler.

For all of you not as fortunate to have a cool weather wave going on, let me list down why this is the best and most economical drink to lift up your hot summer days:

Mint - It is a natural stimulant. Mint charges your batteries and gets your brain functioning. It helps lift your spirits when you are sluggish or anxious or depressed. And guess what? Mint also helps you lose fat.

Lemon - I'm not sure this blog post is enough to list down all the good things about the Lemon. It is rich in Vitamin C and sooo many other nutrients. It apparently helps prevent digestive ailments, diabetes and what not. In short, it is a wonder fruit.

Basil Seeds / Sabza - These seeds are very similar to chia seeds. They fluff up when soaked in any liquid. They form a major part of Falooda - another summer drink. They are known to reduce cholesterol and I've heard they help cool down the body.

Mint Lime Cooler | Pudina Lime Juice

Mint Lime Cooler is a chilled beverage made by blending lime juice and mint together.

Recipe Type:  Beverage / Drink
Cuisine:         International
Yield:             2 tall glasses

Ingredients:

1 cup loosely packed fresh Mint leaves
2 Lemons
5-6 tsp Jaggery powder or Sugar
1/2 tsp of Black Salt
2 tsp of Chia or Basil seeds (sabza)
3 cups of Water

Method:

Blend together everything except the Chia or Basil seeds until the mint is combined well.
Add the chia or basil seeds and refrigerate for a few hours.
This allows the basil seeds to fluff up.
Serve chilled.

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Beetroot and Cauliflower Burgers with Eggless Mayo

BURGER or PIZZA? Definitely, burgers for me. When I've had a hard day and my stomach craves some comforting fast food, it is always the burger I turn to. Every single time (I've had hundreds), I decide to go on a diet, I always grab that one last burger. I always assume it's my last for a loonnng time. You can't punish a  girl for being positive. But my weakness for food usually overtakes my willpower to lose weight and I'm quicker at a burger joint than I'd prefer to be.

This time tough, I'm not on a diet and neither at a burger joint. I'm in my house, standing in my kitchen, making my own HEALTHY burger. Usually, a veggie burger has to have Potato, correct? WRONG!!! Not this one. This is 100% potato free. It is full of beets, cauliflower and beans. It's a nice way to trick someone into having their veggie fix for the day. 

I've always loved beets. As a kid I was obsessed with the color Pink. I had to have that pink dress, that pink ribbon, that pink compass box, that pink pencil. Show me something in pink and orange, and I would always pick the pink one. May be it was my obsession with the color pink that made me love beets or may be it was the sweetness of the beets. I've always had a massive sweet tooth. But beets remained my friend for life. Look how pretty pink these burgers look....

I added the cauliflower, just to add some bite to the burgers. The beans are a must though. You can replace the kidney beans with chickpeas, black eyed peas or any beans capable of becoming mushy. The beans act as a binding agent in the burger in the absence of potato or eggs. 

Most of the beet burger recipes I've browsed in the past, ask for roasted beets and that is a lot of effort. So I made the LAZY version of the beet burger. Just some grated beets, grated cauliflower, some cooked beans - mash mash mash. Add spices. Mix mix mix. Then shape and fry in a pan. EASY, right? It definitely is!! To get firm burgers, us

I paired the burgers with homemade eggless Mayo. Very simple to make and tastes just like the store bought one. Some tips for the Eggless Mayo:

• The mustard makes all the difference. If you don't have mustard powder, just crush a few mustard seeds and add that.
• If the Mayo ends up having lumps, do not worry, just strain it using a strainer once it cools to remove the lumps.
• If the Mayo ends up becoming one hard lump, blend it in the mixer or blender with a little milk to loosen it up.
• Allow the Mayo to cook, before adding the vinegar to prevent the milk in it from curdling.
• To make it Vegan, use any vegan milk like soy or almond.

Beetroot and Cauliflower Burgers with Eggless Mayo

Spiced beetroot, cauliflower and beans patty combined with some eggless mayo to make a Veggie Burger

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:          International
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:              4

Ingredients:

Beetroot and Cauliflower Patties:

1 cup Red Kidney Beans (cooked)
1 cup grated Cauliflower
2 cups grated Beetroot
2 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves
1 tsp of Garlic Powder
1 tsp of Garam Masala
1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder
1/2 sp of Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
3-4 Tbsp Oil to fry

Eggless Mayo:

1 cup Milk
2 Tbsp Plain flour or Maida
1 tsp white Vinegar
1/2 tsp Mustard Powder or Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp of powdered Sugar
Salt to taste

To assemble:

4 burger buns
Beetroot and Cauliflower Patties
Eggless Mayo

Method:

Beetroot and Cauliflower Patties:

Mash the beans well.
Add all the other ingredients to it except the oil and mix well.
Shape into patties.
Heat oil in a pan and place the patties.
Cook the first side on medium flame for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Eggless Mayo:

Mix the flour in 1/2 cup of milk.
Heat the remaining milk in a pan and when it starts to boil, add the milk and flour mixture and whisk well so that there are no lumps.
Keep stirring or whisking until the mayo thickens and reaches the consistency you want.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

To assemble:

Toast the burger buns,
Spread the mayo on the buns.
Place the hot patties and serve.

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Honey Sesame Baked Tofu Tacos with Corn and Raw Mango Salsa

These Honey Sesame Baked Tofu Tacos are set to BRIGHTEN up your Weeknights. Crispy sweet salty baked Tofu... Salsa made with sweet juicy corn and tart raw mango and a cooling mint, coriander and yogurt sauce...

I remember a time when I absolutely hated Tofu. I wondered how anyone loved it. And then I discovered deep fried Tofu and I was converted. Can you imagine that sinfully CRISPY Tofu? Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. And I just melted away with a bite of that Tofu.

And then I found BAKED Tofu. It is just as tasty, but it is BAKED... So much taste for so less oil.

Is it true that eating colorful food makes you all cheerful? These colorful tacos did that to me. The honey-soy marinade gives the otherwise pale Tofu this interesting DARK look. The corn salsa is the real color overload here - yellow, read, pink, green... it is like a rainbow. May be I should call it a rainbow salsa. 

The mint-coriander-yogurt sauce was my replacement for a regular guacamole. It is just a seasonal issue. Summer, you see, apparently, isn't the best time for the Avocado and they are all out of the market. I did manage to get a couple of good looking ones, but then, looks aren't everything. They just didn't taste as good. So I decided to skip the old Guac and add my own Minty sauce.

This is the biggest advantage of growing your own food. One fine day I took a sprig of mint and simple stuffed it in a pot in my balcony. That little act is totally paying off!!! Now I have not one, but THREE pots bursting with fresh mint. I love that fragrance of fresh mint. Every time I touch those mint plants, my hand smells like mint. Absolutely love it!!! So every time I'm undecided on what sauce to make or what chutney to make, I always turn to Mint. This mint, coriander and yogurt sauce is a cooling addition to the taco. You can totally replace this sauce with any sauce or dip you love - Guacamole, Sour cream, Mayo - whatever pleases you and fits in with your diet choices.

Honey Sesame Baked Tofu Tacos with Corn and Raw Mango Salsa

Honey and soy marinated tofu, baked crisp and garnished with toasted sesame seeds. Topped with a corn and raw mango salsa and a mint yogurt sauce to make a colorful weeknight Taco dinner.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:         International Fusion
Prep Time:    40 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:             4 servings

Ingredients:

Honey Sesame Baked Tofu Tacos

100 gms Firm Tofu
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Organic Honey
1 tsp Sesame seeds
1 tsp Chilli sauce
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Sesame Oil
4 Tortillas

Corn and Raw Mango Salsa

1 cup boiled Corn
2 Tbsp finely chopped Onion
2 Tbsp finely chopped Tomato
2 Tbsp finely chopped Raw Mango
1 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

Mint Coriander Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup Mint leaves
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
2 Tbsp Thick Yogurt
1 Green Chilli
Salt to taste

Method:

To make the Honey Sesame Baked Tofu:

Take some kitchen towels and pat the tofu to remove any excess water. We want firm and dry tofu.
Cut the tofu into bite sized pieces.
Mix the soy sauce, honey, garlic powder, cumin powder and chilli sauce to make the marinade.
Pour the marinade over the tofu and allow it to rest for 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
Grease the baking sheet with the sesame oil and place the tofu on the sheet. Do not crowd the tofu.
Drizzle some sesame oil on top of the tofu too.
Bake the tofu for 20 mins, turning the tofu every 5 mins to get an even crispy outer crust on it.
Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on it.

To make the Corn and Raw Mango Salsa:

Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl and keep aside.

Mint Coriander Yogurt Sauce:

Blend all the ingredients in a blender and until blended finely.

To make the Tacos:

Grill the tortillas.
Now place the tofu on the tortillas
Top it up with the salsa and the sauce.

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Chilli Basil Potato

CHILLI. BASIL. POTATO. Winning combo!!!

There is something about that aroma of Basil that awakens. It's so FRESH and EARTHY. It somehow reminds me of the fragrance of first rain. RAIN - I'm dying for some rains to bring down the heat. And all my thoughts are invariably leading to monsoons. Until, then I'm left with just sniffing away on some fresh Basil.

This Chilli Basil Potato is my FAVORITE Potato appetizer. We always order it at our local Thai restaurant. We tried other appetizers - Sesame Potato, Cauliflower Pepper Salt etc etc. But we always come back to these Chilli Basil Potatoes.

I wanted to make something really really healthy this weekend. Really!!! But those potatoes were really just staring me in the face from their basket. I thought they said PICK ME too... or may be that was just a voice in my head. Eh, who cares? These Chilli Basil Potato were totally worth the Potato indulgence. I stir fried them instead of deep frying, so I kept some end of my healthy eating bargain.

You know the other advantage of these Chilli Basil Potatoes? Your kitchen smells AMAZING. That's right! That wafting aroma actually got the I-am-addicted-to-my-phone hubby dearest Raj into the kitchen to check out what was cooking. 

Don't you simply hate how these men are always on... actually almost into their laptop / phone/ tablet ? I wish we were in simpler times, when a phone meant a box in the corner of the room with a cord hanging off it. Leave me a comment if you have succeeded in getting your man off his gadget.

And you know what? Back in those days, no food was bad food. There was no good fat, no bad fat. No high sugar, low sugar. No "let's-hate-the-potato" club. 

Anyway, back to the Chilli Basil Potatoes, I marinated them in some lemon juice and salt for around 10 minutes. And then stir fried them in sesame oil along with chilli flakes and fresh basil. They made a beautiful side for my homemade burgers.

Chilli Basil Potato

Potato stir fried with chilli flakes and fresh basil to make a delicious appetizer or snack.

Recipe Type:  Snacks / Appetizer
Cuisine:         Thai
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:             Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 large Potato
3-4 tsp of Sesame Oil or Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp of Chilli flakes
1 tsp of Lemon juice
A handful of fresh Basil leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the Potato into long thick strips like french fries.
Mix them with salt and lemon juice and keep aside for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and drop the potato in it.
Stir the potatoes well so that they are all coated by the oil.
Now cook on low heat until the potatoes are done.
Add the turmeric powder, chilli flakes and the basil leaves and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the basil leaves wilt.
Add more salt if required.
Serve hot.

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