Indian – Page 2 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Posted on May 2, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — 2 Comments

Palak Paneer: The Dish You Can't Get Enough Of!

It’s true: Palak Paneer is one of those dishes you can’t stop with just one serving. You’ll want a second, a third, and then may be another, and so on. Well, you would– if you had the kind I make! And I will give any Punjabi Dhaba or even a Punjabi grandma a run for their money with my Palak Paneer, hands down.

Cooked and pureed palak (spinach), onions and tomatoes come together in an aromatic seasoning of fried onions, garlic, ginger, and a blend of spices before cubes of paneer (firmed cottage cheese) are added to this creamy green goodness.

Here’s what I made yesterday. It doesn’t get better than that, trust me! Oh, and if you think I’m on a palak binge (with my post on Palak Pakoras from the other day), you’re right, I am.

By the way, I even make my paneer from scratch: bring the milk to a boil, break it with lemon juice, separate the curd from the whey, press down the curdled cheese into a cheesecloth, refrigerate overnight, cut into cubes the next day, and voila, you’ve got paneer fit for a king. Or for a batch of Palak Paneer fit for a king.

Palak, there’s so many ways to love ‘ya! And what do you serve this with? Rotis, parathas, phulkas, chapatis, you name it. But if you’re funky, like me, you won’t think twice to serve it with a Ragi Dosai. Seriously. IT IS AN AWESOME THING!

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Posted on May 1, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Palak Pakoras: The Snack That's Good For You!

Of course, they’re great when made from scratch, but what if you don’t have the time but are still craving some super-crispy Palak Pakoras? Well, then what you’d want to do, is what I do: pull out my a bag of the frozen stuff, lay them out onto a baking sheet, and pop them into the oven for 15 minutes. Then, you turn off the oven from the bake-mode to the broil-mode so that the heat is only from the top in order to crisp them even more. Watch them for about four minutes, then pull out and serve with chutneys and ketchup. They’ll be as good as if you bought them at that dhaba down the road.

Palak Pakoras, for the uninitiated, are deep-fried fritters made with spinach and gramflour. Spinach-anything is good for you, you know that! The frozen kind are already fried, which is why baking/broiling works just fine.

Here’s what mine looked like yesterday! Oh, and the perfect beverage for the perfect snack? Why, chai, of course!

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Posted on April 29, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Indian-Style Skillet-Fried Potatoes: Kicking it up a Notch!

Well, okay, may be two notches, but that’s only because I use the reddest and hottest chili powder. And the other two ingredients are turmeric and salt. That’s it. Fry away until golden crispy. Serve as a side dish or the star dish.

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Big Peas, Mini Peas: They're All Good For You!

Well, if you don’t eat your peas, you can’t have any pudding! All PF fans will know that I’m taking some liberties with those famous lyrics, of course, but then again, why ever not? It makes good sense, doesn’t it? You MUST eat your peas– they’re so good, and you already know that they’re so good for you!

And so, here I am today to encourage you to eat those peas any which way you wish. And you can certainly cook them any which way you wish. Here’s how I made some the other day: I braised these in a hot skillet with a seasoning of fresh cumin and onion powder in salted butter. And the huge peas that are scattered around, they’re brussel sprouts, of course! Big peas, mini peas, all the same!

Serve as a side dish, or the star dish!

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — 2 Comments

To Pressure-Cook or NOT to Pressure-Cook: That Is the Question!

Well, if you know what a pressure-cooker is, you most likely are from the Indian subcontinent. Simple as dal! No Indian kitchen worth its salt would be without one– seriously! And if it doesn’t have one, then I am here to tell you right here and right now, that such an Indian kitchen is an ill-equipped one, nay, it couldn’t be Indian at all!

A pressure-cooker in an Indian kitchen is just one of those utensils that is used for everything from cooking lentils to meats, and sometimes even veggies. So, yes, of course, I have a pressure-cooker, and of course, I use it most flamboyantly, but the fact is that I don’t use it so much for cooking my vegetable dishes, or subzis, as they are called. The reason for this is because there’s a fine line between cooking your veggies to be fork-tender, to rendering them into a mush– the latter being altogether undesirable!

And so, a much experienced user of the pressure-cooker would know just how to cook those veggies to the right texture– soft and tender, and flavorful with all the seasonings without so much as letting a single piece fall apart.

Which is what I did yesterday. This delectable subzi of baby eggplant, baby carrots and yukon gold potatoes went into a seasoning of onions, garlic, aamchur, and some garam masala to be stir-fried for a bit, before a cup of hot water was added to it, and the lid of the pressure-cooker firmly put into place for exactly seven minutes. Turn off the fire, let it sit for another ten minutes before you open the lid, and when you do, prepare to be assaulted by an aroma so fragrant and delicious that you will want to get started with dinner rightaway, whether or not its time!

Posted on April 18, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — 2 Comments

Chaat-Paapdi: Sleight Of Hand (My Hand, That Is!)

Yeah, so, unless you have an Indian restaurant next door that serves terrific Chaat-Paapdi, or unless you don’t mind driving 40 minutes every other day, and of course, shelling out $5 for each plate of Chaat-Paapdi, you’ll be in a bad way waiting for that next trip to get some. Unless, of course, you can make it yourself. And make it well, that is.

Well, here’s how you “make it well”: You get the best quality ingredients, and toss them together in the right sequence, and serve it up with panache! Panache, I said! And what might those ingredients be? Well, here goes:

Boil/Microwave your yellow potatoes and dice when cooled a bit
Get your bag of Paapdis out, and in a nice wide bowl break up the paapdis to make a good layer to build on
Second layer is the bhel-puri-style namkeen. I use the most delectable homemade kind that my mother makes with puffed rice, sev, peanuts, and stuff
Third layer is the onion or two finely chopped
Open a can of the finest chickpeas or garbanzo beans, aka, chole and spread those out
Finally, lay on the diced potatoes

Now, you’re ready to starting “building” your individual servings. This is how I do it:

Scoop out a few big spoonfuls of this awesome mixture into a lovely quarter-plate or salad-plate
Take a spoonful of the Imli Chutney and the Green Chili Chutney and spread out over this goodness
Next pour on the thinned out and salted yougurt, aka, curds
Garnish with the tastiest Haldiram’s Sev that is super crunchy and super spicy

Serve with panache! Oh, and love too, if you like! Hope the pictures tell even better the story of the recipe that I’ve offered up here.

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Posted on April 17, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — 3 Comments

Methi Dal: A Prince Among Dals

Well, if you know I love dals, you know me well. And if you know me that well, then you most likely also know that I love to improvise with dals. Yesterday, I made a Methi Dal, which is no ordinary dal because it has methi (fenugreek) in it. Methi is an interesting green leafy vegetable that demands that you treat it just right or else it will go bitter on you. So, you must use it in the right amounts and with other foods that will complement its flavor.

So, I made a Methi Dal which is fit for a prince, nay, a king! Because not only does it have the key ingredient, methi, it has a number of other delectable veggies: half a green mango, diced red tomatoes, one large red onion, and a cup of baby carrots. A little turmeric, and a few green chillies, and you’re ready to pressure-cook the lot. The lentil of choice, by the way, is the ubiquitous yellow Toor dal. After pressure-cooking, you use a hand-blender to puree this goodness. Add a dash of lemon juice and salt to taste, and it is good as is, but no, I have to make it impossibly good, of course.

And the way I do that, is by giving it one phenomenal tadka: a tempered seasoning in desi ghee with hing (asefotida), mustard, cumin, garlic, dry red chillies, and kari patta (fresh curry leaves). When the aromas have reached their height, toss it into the dal, bring to a rolling boil for a couple of minutes, then turn off the fire, cover lid and let it rest for another couple of minutes before you serve it with hot white basmati and rotis. Keep the desi ghee bottle at hand, because you must put in a small dollop into the steaming hot rice and dal.

I had two kinds of papads on the side– which were both phenomenal. But the Methi Dal stole the show!

The pictures in this album were taken at the various stages of cooking the dal. I hope that it will tell a picture story that is even better than following a written recipe. The unanimous reaction at my dinner table was: Yeh Hui Na Baat!

Posted on April 16, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — 1 Comment

Pistachio Falooda: Serve it Chilled or Not Chilled!

So, the other evening, I was taken by a sudden urge to put to good use the ready-made mix of Pista Falooda-– the flavored milk drink with vermicelli and lots of dry fruits like pistachios, kaju, kishmish, charoli, and flavored with rosewater. It was a simple set of instructions: boil the milk, add the mix, bring to a rolling boil, simmer for a while, then let it cool and finally chill before you serve it. Well, I did all of the above except wait for it to chill. I didn't because I couldn't wait! And so, when it got lukewarm, I poured some into a tall tumbler and had it as is. The result: Lajawab!

And so, I am here to tell you that you don't always have to follow instructions all the way down to the last point. Well, let me qualify that statement: make that cooking instructions! Because sometimes, when you are bold enough to go off on your own and create your own little way of doing things, voila, you've invented something new! Which is exactly what I did: serving pistachio falooda lukewarm! Here's my glass for your viewing pleasure. My green bedside table on which I'd placed it makes it look even more attractive, don't you think?