Quinoa Pasta & Vegetable Casserole

Pasta made from quinoa flour. Isn't that great?! My husband and I first tasted quinoa pasta in Sedona last summer and couldn't believe that we were having a healthier version of pasta. It was that good. Ever since, I have been combing the aisles at my grocery store hoping to find some! But until last month, there was no trace. Maybe one day I will get a pasta maker just to make some quinoa pasta! I think it's a great alternative to having just cooked quinoa. Variety is the spice of life and everything...

If you can't find quinoa pasta, you can also use quinoa. I have tried a similar casserole before with quinoa and it turned out well.

Spinach & Basil Pesto

Pesto is a refreshing summer specialty at our home. We pluck fresh basil leaves to make caprese salad and sandwich for a quick meal or snack. And there's pesto in all its glory to season pasta. I hardly use basil leaves alone to make pesto, because I feel guilty to uproot an entire plant's worth of leaves to make about 3/4 -1  cup of pesto, especially because I am stingy with the amounts of olive oil and parmesan I add. So, I usually include avocados and spinach to make pesto that's a little more nutritious, and also a little bulkier in volume.

My dad was quite curious about basil leaves and pesto. So, I knew I had to make some pesto soon. After a series of successful culinary experiments with them, I knew pesto would be a piece of cake - literally :). Needless to say, both of them liked the pesto. My mom thought it tasted similar to betel leaves and oregano leaves crushed together with garlic... Hmmm, not sure if that's saying something else about my pesto! But, this is a simple recipe that works for me!

So, here's how I make my spinach & basil pesto. In the series of simple cooking staples that I have been posting, I thought pesto would feature well.

Pineapple Strawberry and Mint Granita & Popsicle

Granita is flavored ice crystals or ice chips. At least, that's how I have always understood it. It has been quite popular the last few years as a palate cleanser and a light, refreshing dessert following a heavy meal. Since I am not a fan of ice-based desserts, I never really caught on to it. This summer, as I was filling up some popsicle molds, I thought why not just freeze some in a tray and scrape it up to make granita? If the family liked it, then why not? Popsicles are anyway such permanent fixtures in our freezer that I thought my husband wouldn't complain of a little variety.

When I was scraping the granita, both my mom and husband were excited because it reminded them of the shaved ice that they used to get in front of their school, which of course, they were not allowed to eat! So, they both preferred the granita version more than the popsicle. The scraping is a bit more work, but if the frozen mixture sits out for 5 minutes, it is easier to scrape (an obvious statement)

Manga Inji Thokku / White Turmeric Thokku

White Turmeric is colloquially called Mango Ginger (Manga Inji, in tamil) because it smells like raw mango! It is sometimes slightly sour, but not much. Does it taste like ginger? No, it just looks a little like ginger root. White turmeric is often peeled, diced and mixed with diced raw mango, and seasoned with oil, mustard seeds, green chillies and salt. It makes a simple savory pickle for yogurt rice. It is also made into a full-blown pickle with red chillies and other pickling spices.

Manga Inji

Thokku is a class of pickles in which the pickled vegetable/fruit/root is grated or ground, and then spiced with red chilli powder, salt, turmeric, sesame oil, etc.

My mom found white turmeric at our Indian store recently and was quite excited. Although she felt the roots were thinner than those in India and tasted a little bitter, she was eager to make some thokku with it.

So, here's the general procedure that's easy and straightforward.

Godhuma Rava Upma / Cracked Wheat Upma

Cracked wheat is called Godhuma Rava. Since cracked wheat cooks easily, it is usually resorted for an easy dinner with simple and mild spices and grams. If vegetables are added, it is all the more nutritious, and results in an easy one-pot meal. 

I never liked cracked wheat when I was growing up. However, with time constraints and long days, anything that can be made within half an hour is an appealing choice for dinner or lunch!

Grandma's Sambar Powder / Sambar Spice Blend

This is my grandma's recipe for sambar powder. Actually, this is my great grandmother's sambar powder recipe. It has come down all the way to me.

Spice blends are slightly different in each family, although the overall ingredients remain the same. The quantities are adjusted slightly, and this creates a whole slew of different variations in essentially the same spice blend.

This sambar powder defines my childhood meals. Every sambar, kootu, and vegetable curry was spiced with this blend, so this evokes my sensory memory of childhood the most. My mom made a fresh batch of this sambar powder before coming, so it is wonderfully aromatic and delicious when added to sambar!

Karuvepilai Podi / Curry Leaf Spice Blend

Curry leaves are used to season most South-Indian curries, kootus, and gravies. They infuse a distinct curry flavor that is hard to replicate. Curry leaves grow abundantly in tropical climates. So, almost every family grows curry leaves in their yard. One of the ways in which they utilize the surplus leaves is to brew them in coconut oil and sesame oil to make a specialized hair oil to boost hair growth. Another culinary use for curry leaves is through a flavorful spice blend that can be mixed with rice.

So, here's how the spice blend is made!

Yellu Podi / Sesame Spice Blend

Yellu Podi is a spice mix made with sesame seeds and other Indian seasonings. It is smokey, nutty, and flavorful when it is mixed with steamed rice. Simple ingredients go together to make this spice blend that is quite popular in South India.

Rasam Powder - Version 2

Every family has its own unique spice blends and treasured recipes for them. Every South-Indian family has its own version of sambar and rasam powders. I previously recorded my in-law's rasam powder spice blend. In today's post, I am recording one of my grandmother's (and mother's) version of rasam powder. My grandmother's sister sent us a home-made batch of rasam powder, which we have been enjoying in our rasams and broths.

Here is the recipe.

Butternut Squash, Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

I love butternut squash so much that I put it in everything. Butternut squash soup is one of my favorites. But since my husband is not a fan of this buttery beautiful squash, I have started to add red peppers and tomatoes to it to make a bright red soup that tastes almost like tomato soup, with just the slightest cue of the buttery sweetness from the squash. So, I hand it to him saying it is tomato soup, and he doesn't complain :). Since he doesn't read this blog, this confession of mine is safe....for now.

This is a soup with minimal flavors and minimal effort. But the result is a very flavorful, healthy soup! Just the beautiful bright color is sure to entice even kids!

Looks like a slice of the sunset sun

Rhubarb & Strawberry Chutney

I don't know why I never thought of making a slightly sweet and savory chutney with rhubarb! Being tart, it takes the place of tamarind or cider vinegar or lemon juice in fruity chutneys. All I had to do was add some other sweet fruits, some Indian spices, and cook everything down! 

Anyway, it had to be this year, this month when this had to materialize. Also, thanks to Martha Stewart's recipe for providing me with a base and an idea to expand on. 

I personally really like this recipe. It is tart and sweet with a dominating flavor of curry powder that brings in a familiar note to Indian palates.

Arisi Upma / Rice Upma

Arisi upma is a popular upma made with partially ground rice and lentils. It is seasoned with a classic mix of South-Indian spices and pulses that are simple and defining in terms of the flavor they impart. 

This upma can be made into pudi kozhakattais, wherein the partially cooked mixture is formed into dumplings and steamed as opposed to the whole mixture being steamed. 

Arisi upma is a very common weeknight dinner at most South-Indian homes. It goes very well with spicy side dishes such as sambar or chutneys. 

Thippili Rasam / Long Pepper Rasam

Thipli or Thippili is a rare flowering vine called Long Pepper. The root of this plant is called Kanda Thipli and the dried fruit of the plant is called Arisi Thipli (shown in the pictures below). This plant is known for its medicinal properties and is used commonly in Ayurvedic medicine. Thippili is known to aid in digestion, stomach-ache, and in generating overall well-being. WebMD lists a lot more medicinal uses!

Therefore, Kanda Thippili Rasam is brewed at home when someone is feeling under the weather, or when a lot of unhealthy food has been consumed, or just to boost the nutrition of the meals. Both kanda thippili and arisi thippili are also essential ingredients in deepavali marundhu - a special concoction of medicinal ingredients that aid digestion, heartburn etc.

My mom brought some kanda thippili and arisi thippili from India and has been brewing this rasam every two weeks.

Although Thippili is medicinal, the rasam does not taste like medicine! Thippili has a unique flavor and aroma that makes the rasam tasty and unique.

Kanda Thippili and Arisi Thippli; And Frothy Rasam!

Rhubarb Dal with Sweet Potatoes and Chard

Every year, we get a fresh home-grown batch of rhubarbs from my husband's colleague. And every year, I wonder how to put the tart rhubarbs to good use. Over the years, I have tried making cakes, brownies, jam, pie, and crisps. Essentially, I have drowned the rhubarb with sugar, strawberries, chocolate etc. to make it palatable, because this particular batch of rhubarbs are incredibly sour. This time, I wanted to steer away from making any desserts or sweets with them. So, I searched for some savory rhubarb recipes and found a very interesting one that uses rhubarb in a lentil curry with chard and sweet potatoes. I think it's pretty clever to use rhubarbs along with sweet potatoes, so I adapted from the wonderful idea and made an authentic Indian dal, and it turned out great! Everyone in the family loved it, so I heaved a sigh of relief. Now, I finally know what to do with rhubarbs that doesn't involve sugar!

The sour rhubarb takes the place of tomatoes, tamarind, lemon etc. in the dal. And the sweet potatoes just add a subtle layer of sweetness to balance the extra sourness. If you don't have sweet potatoes and the rhubarbs are too sour, just add some jaggery or brown sugar towards the end. I also love red chard and often add them to dals. So, it went along with the rest.

I used Indian sweet-potatoes this time (shown below). They are sweeter and smaller than regular 

orange sweet potatoes.

Indian sweet-potatoes

Thenkuzhal

Thenkuzhal (also colloquially called "thengozhal") is yet another popular Indian savory. It is commonly prepared during festive occasions such as Deepavali, weddings etc. But it is also just as commonly prepared as a tea-time snack. A simple mixture of rice flour and black gram flour are mixed to form a dough with butter, salt, and cumin. This dough is squeezed through a thenkuzhal press to make strands of interconnected spiral-looking crispy treats. 

Two years ago, I made mullu thenkuzhal (a slight variation of regular thenkuzhal) for Deepavali. Now, with my mom around, we are getting to eat this treat as an afternoon nibble. 

Creamy Avocado Chocolate Milkshake

My family is not into celebrations of any kind. However, I wanted to make an exception today, in a simple way. So, to celebrate Father's day in a small but memorable way, I thought of making some avocado chocolate pudding. I thought it would be as easy as pulsing avocados with some cocoa powder and sprinkling some zero calorie sweetener to make a truly healthy, flavorful, sugar-free dessert that all of us could enjoy without any guilt. But, in my enthusiasm, I either added too many avocados or too much cocoa powder, because what turned out to be a luscious looking buttery pudding had an unpleasant and bitter after taste that disappointed me. Wondering how to fix the buttery bitter-chocolate without adding  lots of sugar, I started adding one thing after another and ended up with a decent creamy milkshake!

The milkshake is not completely sugar-free, but it is still low in sugar and (I think) a much healthier substitute to regular creamy milkshake. 

This is not so much as a recipe as it is a record of my memory of spending Father's day with my wonderful father.

Tomato Rice

Tomato rice is as simple as it sounds. Rice is mixed with spiced and reduced tomatoes. Although this is a simple dish, my mom makes one of the best kinds of tomato rice! Anyone that tastes her tomato rice falls in love with the dish. It is not complicated, not fancy, yet delicious. 

It's been several years since I had her tomato rice. It was wonderful to feast on this simple dish and reminisce on those long-gone childhood weekends when she used to make this rice.

This tomato paste is also a great tomato thokku!

Masala Pori / Spicy Puffed Rice Salad

This is a quick evening snack that is very very close to the popular Bhel Puri. The only thing that is missing in this snack is some crispy Sev (oma podi), and probably some boiled potatoes. Bhel puri is also served with two condiments - a sweet date-based chutney and a spicy coriander-chilli chutney. 

This dish is almost like a salad. It is healthy, extremely easy to put together when there is company and people are hungry, and not to mention - its yummy!

This version of pori is popular in South-India, especially in our Marina Beach! To make it more authentic, add some chopped raw mango to the snack. 

Paneer and Vegetables in Mint-Coriander-Tomato Sauce

What do I call this dish other than a boring, explicit statement of what it's made from? I don't know. This is what happens when you throw together things in the fridge to make something nice.

But it is a very different kind of paneer gravy with a healthy serving of vegetables and a delicious combination of mint, coriander and tomato. This is also a thick gravy rather than a creamy or smooth gravy.

I definitely recommend this dish if you are looking for a different kind of paneer side-dish. This is a little similar to this paneer side dish.

 

Key-Lime Ice Cream with Strawberries

After my successful experiments with making simple eggless home-made ice creams that don't require an ice cream maker, ice creams are now my new go-to dessert option when there is company at home.  When it comes to entertaining a group of people, this seems to be one of the easier desserts to ensure a fool-proof hosting experience. Who doesn't love ice creams?! Plus, from the host's perspective, it can be prepared ahead of time and doesn't need a lot of fuss and attention, except for the periodic beating/creaming. I also wanted to make some ice cream for my parents, so it was settled. 

A few weeks back, I found a very very rare bag of key-limes in the store. I had to buy it first and then think about what to do with it later :). My husband loves key-lime pie. Although I have made it a few times, I have always used regular limes instead of key-limes, so my original plan for the key-limes was to make some pie or mousse. But, work and life caught up with me. So, panicking that the key-limes would go bad, I used them to make the ice cream. 

Key-limes are not as juicy as limes or lemons, but are sweeter and have a more refined flavor. They are incredibly cute, looking like baby limes! They elevated the delicate taste of the ice cream. 

Although my procedure for preparing this ice cream is similar to the other ice cream recipes I have posted before, there is one important difference in this recipe. I used regular low fat, 2% milk instead of whole milk, half & half, cream, or a combination of any. Although it took a while to reduce and thicken, the ice cream did not crystallize much and it was still pretty good! So, I can comfortably call this a low-fat, low-sugar version. 

All in all, a low calorie version that worked with adults. Not sure of kids! :)

Quinoa Upma & Semiya Upma

Upma is an easy meal that's usually lightly seasoned with a few pulses and chillies and cooked with semolina, cracked wheat, beaten rice flakes (poha), vermicelli, bread pieces etc. Some vegetables can also be added for more nourishment. This is a very simple and wholesome one-pot meal in most Indian families.

Semiya (vermicelli) upma is similar to most other upmas. But this is my favorite kind. Here is the simple recipe for it.

Since my parents have also embraced quinoa, my mom has been using quinoa to make upmas. Good news is that the same ingredients and procedure can be used with a simple substitution - quinoa instead of vermicelli, cracked wheat, semolina etc.

Butternut Squash Kootu / Butternut Squash Stew

In the next few weeks/months, I am going to be continuing to post some fundamental South-Indian dishes that are common in most households. To me, some of these dishes are special for two reasons: 1) they evoke childhood memories, 2) these dishes might seem extremely basic and simple today, but I predict they will soon evolve into exotic dishes for the subsequent generations that seem to be moving farther and farther away from our home base/country. At that point in the long term, these simple staples will turn into valuable means through which people connect with their ancestry and culture. And my idealistic vision is that this space would be a reference point for the family down the road.

Anyway, that aside, I wanted to record this simple recipe. For vegetarians such as us, lentils, grams and pules are our primary sources of protein. So, almost every other meal has a generous serving of kootu - a lentil or gram based dish that is cooked with a vegetable and is very mildly spiced. 

I grew up with this kootu gracing our meals at least twice a week. Moong dal is a healthy source of protein and is much better (nutrition-wise) compared to regular yellow lentils (toor dal). This kootu is also quite versatile. Any vegetable/fruit that is a squash or a gourd (or otherwise) can be added.

Guacamole

I have been introducing my parents to different fruits, vegetables, and other foods/dishes that are unique to them. My mother was curious about avocados because she had heard of them in India, and was aware that they are healthy and nutritious. So, I got a bag of avocados and made some guacamole for them to try. 

I was heartened that they both enjoyed the guacamole. My mom especially loved it! She appreciated the flavor of avocado and therefore, the zesty flavors of guacamole. 

So, here's the simple mix of ingredients I add to prepare guacamole. I love the combination of lime and avocados, so I liberally use lime juice and lime zest to flavor guacamole.

Thengai Podi / Coconut Spice Mix

My mother-in-law prepares this wonderful spice blend with dessicated coconut from the garden. She recently sent a package of this spice blend for us, and I wanted to record the recipe before other things took over. This is my husband's favorite spice blend to mix with steamed rice!

Although this recipe calls for dessicated coconut, you can also use store bought coconut flakes (unsweetened) and roast them well. Shelf-life might be reduced a bit, but store in the fridge in an air-tight container to extend shelf life as much as possible. 

Cabbage Thuvayal / Thogayal

Cabbage thogayal / thuvayal is one of my mom's recent innovations in the kitchen. It is a coarser and more tart version of chutney. Shredded cabbage is ground with tamarind, chillies, ginger, and black gram to make a thuvayal that tastes different from the usual ones.

Sweet Corn & Mint Pulao

Summer is officially here! To kick start the summer, our group of friends got together for our annual barbecue/grill at a scenic locale overlooking a lake. It is a fun picnic with grilled and non-grilled food. Grilled corn on the cob with butter, lemon juice, chilli powder and salt is a staple at such grilling events. With the left over corn on the cob, I made this corn and mint pulao and it turned out pretty well. 

The sweet corn mingles with the delicate fragrance of mint and other whole spices to make a sweet and aromatic dish. This is a good substitute for peas pulao to update the usual menu a bit. The quantities below serve a big party of people, especially when accompanied with other dishes.