Tuna fish pickle

What U need :

Tuna fresh fish - 2 lbs

Turmeric - 1 tbsp

Chilly powder - 2 tbsp for marinade and 2 for later

Salt as needed

Asafetida - 1 tsp

Fenugreek powder - 1 tsp

Paprika - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1-2 twigs 

Ginger - 2 tbsp finely chopped 

Garlic - 2 tbsp finely chopped 

Coconut oil - for garnish 

Olive oil - 1 cup

Vinegar - 1/2 cup

  

• Chop the fresh fish into small pieces marinate it with salt , turmeric , and chilly powder let this sit for at least 30 minutes 
• Heat a heavy bottom pan with EVOO once hot fry the marinated fish make sure it is fried well with no moisture left in the fish , drain the fried fish and let it cool 
• Heat a separate pan add EVOO then add the finely chopped ginger and garlic along with the curry leaves saute till it is fried well 
• Add the dry spices into the ginger garlic mix ( turmeric, paprika , chilly powder, asafetida , fenugreek powder )
• Once the above ingredients are cooked well add the fried fish and gently coat the spice mix together make sure the flame is low 
• Lastly add vinegar and salt , vinegar will make the mix more of liquid consistency keep cooking till the oil separates out then add coconut oil 
• Once cooled down move this into a glass container it always taste better the next day Njoy !😊

Carne asada chicken tacos with Pico de Gallo

What U need :

Chicken - 2 Lbs boneless meat
Onion pwd - 1 teaspoon
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Taco seasoning - 1 tablespoon
Red pepper flakes - 1 teaspoon
Paprika or chilli pwd - 1 tablespoon

Dehydrated onion - 1 teaspoon
EVOO - as needed to cook
Goat cheese - garnish
Cilantro and lemon - garnish

Pico de Gallo - chopped tomatoes , red onions, jalapeños , cilantro , lemon juice and salt

• Marinate the meat with the dry rub and keep aside for more than 4 hours or overnight. Do not add salt as taco seasoning as enough salt 
• Heat a pan with oil and shallow fry the marinated meat this will take 8- 10 mins
• Let this cool and shred it and add more spice and oil and recook the meat this can also be cooked by BBQ method will have more of a smoky flavor to the meat
• Heat up a tortilla add a little mayo or greek yogurt as a base to hold the meat add the cooked chicken carne asada top with some goat cheese a, cilantro and pico de gallo  NJoy !!

Garbanzo beans ( Chole ) and Naan OR brown rice

1. What you need :
2. 
   
3. 1 Red onion chopped fine 
4. 1 cup boiled Chickpeas aka Garbanzo beans (Chana) 
5. I used the canned one drain the water and rinse thoroughly 
6. 1 medium Tomato chopped
7. 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
8. 1 tsp Cumin seeds
9. 1 tsp Turmeric powder
10. 2 tsp Red chilli powder
11. 1 tsp Chole garam masala 
12. Salt to taste 
13. Water as needed 
14. Juice of one lemon for garnish 
15. Cilantro leaves chopped
16. EVOO - 2 tablespoonfull

1. Heat oil in medium deep sized pan add the cumin seeds then add diced onion and cook until translucent.
2. Once the onion begins to sauté , add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a few seconds.
3. Once the above mixture is sautéed well add the potatoes.
4. Add the remaining spices (red chili, chole garam masala , and salt). Cook the spices until aromatic and then add the water.
5. Stir in the tomato and cook until the water and tomato juices begin to dry.
6. Add the chickpeas and stir to incorporate the spices to the chickpeas. 
7. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes on medium heat.
8. Once the beans have cooked squeeze the lemon juice and give everything one big stir.
9. Garnish with Cilantro leaves serve with  Naan or Brown rice and Njoy !!

Sabudana khichidi

On wet and rainy mornings like this in the pacific north west my Indian palate craves for something more spicier and nuttier so I decided to go with the Maharashtrian crowd favorite Sabudana Khichidi sabudana is yucca small tiny white balls that are soaked overnight or at least 4 hours before so they swell up in water . They is a yummy breakfast delight & is a must try for all U adventurous folks :)

What U need :
Sabudana - 2 cups washed and soaked for at least more that 4 hours
Ground nuts - 1/2 cup roasted and crushed in a blender not too fine
Potato- 1/2 cup chopped fine
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped fine
Ginger- 1/3rd inch chopped
Green chillies- as per ur spice level
Cilantro - 1/2 cup  finely chopped
EVOO - 1 tbsp
Jerra - 1tsp
Salt - as needed
Lemons - 1 or more for flavor
Dried coconut shredded - 1 tbsp

• Heat up a pan add oil EVOO add Jeera once it splutters add onion , ginger and chillies sauce till translucent .
• Add the chopped potatoes and cook till well done after this add the soaked sabudana , along with salt , ground nuts , little paprika for color !!
• Cook this on medium heat for a good 5-7 mins the sabudana will turn from white to opaque color a good indication that its cooked . Make sure to constantly mixing this so it doesn't get burnt on the bottom of the pan 
• Then add the coconut , cilantro and lemon juice as garnish . Salt as needed 
• Serve with a slice of lemon and hot cup of chai !! NJoy 

My auntie's biryani

Biryani the one universal dish that is a unique combination of succulent marinated meat cooked along with long grain rice, there are tons of different versions of biryani's out there all following the basic guidelines of meat and rice . This dish basically originated in the middle east and now is a staple of Indian cuisines too. Biryani is such a complete meal the only thing needed with s scrumptious biryani is yogurt cucumber raita and some pickle and you are on your way to food heaven !!

This recipe was passed on to me from my dear cousin while  we were chatting one day, she mentioned that her mom was visiting her and they were making Biryani :)  that bought back so may good memories of visiting her family as a a kid and her mom would make this delicious recipe that we always looked forward too and to this date I remember her mom's Biryani was different and so good. So without any more delay took down the recipe and  here is it.

What u need:

Basmati rice - 4 cups

Salt as needed

Black Pepper  - 1 tbsp

Chicken - 2 whole (I used Cornish hen cut up and cleaned)

Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 th cup

Coriander leaves - 1bunch finely chopped 

Mint leaves - 1/3 cup

Onion - 2 big red onion chopped ( half for fried onions & the other half for the mixture)

Bay leaves - 4

Turmeric pwd- 1 tsp

Chilli pwd- 1 tbsp

Cardamom - 5

Clove- 4

Star anise - 2

Cinnamon stick - 2 pieces

Cashew nuts fried & Fried raisins - 5-8 for garnish
Carrots - sliced thin for garnish

Ghee - 1tbsp 

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Water  - as needed for the stock

Lemon - 1 whole 

Garam masala : powder all these ingredients together

Cardamom - 5

Clove- 5

Star anise - 2

Cinnamon stick - 2 pieces
Black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Mace-  2
Nutmeg- 1/6

• Wash and marinate the chicken for at least an hour with salt, pepper, ginger garlic  paste & a little bit of garam masala . Overnight works too that helps to get a consistent flavor .
• Cook this in a cooker with enough water usually close to double the amount of rice to have a stock that can be used to cook the rice and just one whistle is good . 
• Grind together few pods of garlic, a big piece of ginger, 4 green chilies, mint leaves and  half of the coriander leaves. 
• Chop 2 large onions and  sauté with 1tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder then add a tsp of the ground mixture and fry. Keep the rest of the ground mixture for the rice 
• Add the half cooked chicken into onions  and fry well in an  pan . 
• Then in an other pan add 2 tablespoon of ghee, a few cloves, cinnamon pieces, bay leaves, star anise, add washed, dried rice then fry. 
• Add the remaining ground mixture to the rice and fry some more then add the chicken stock ,  and lemon juice , let this cook till rice is half done . 
• Add the fried chicken then let cook for 5-8 mins more.
• Then sprinkle a lil bit of garam masala to the rice, 
• Garnish with crispy fried onions, cashews and fried raisins , juliene carrots  . 
• Serve with yogurt raita and Njoy !

Eggs and toast

Today feels like one of those days when you want to take it easy ... easy with some eggs and warm toast although it is still just Tuesday so what !! 
I had some rustic bread and eggs in the fridge what better than getting them together for a holistic get together :)
What U need :

Rustic bread - 2 slices or more :)
Butter - 1 tablespoon i used the avocado butter
Eggs - 2 
Parsley- 1 teaspoon dried or freshly chopped
Black pepper - freshly ground
Salt as needed
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon 

Heat a pan on medium heat add the EVOO , meanwhile beat up the  eggs with some salt u can add some milk to make them more soft optional.
Also to make soft eggs it is very important to add the eggs to medium hot pan not super hot it should not sizzle then gently mix the eggs till they gets firmer not hard .
Put off the heat and add the chopped parsley and crushed pepper .
Serve these yummy soft scrambled eggs with butter toasted bread Njoy !!

Olive relish

If you have ever been to a authentic Italian restaurant then you have got a taste of the appetizer they serve the rustic bread with the olive oil relish . So yummy ! 😛

This  is a very simple recipe and equally delicious 

Here's what U need :

Olive Oil - 1 cup

Green olives - finely chopped 1/2 cup

Red chilli flakes - 1 tbsp

Salt - as needed as olives are salty 

Italian oregano - 1 tbsp

Dried basil - 1 tbsp

Dried Parsley - 1 tbsp

Mix all these ingredients together leave it for at least overnight and serve with rustic bread .Njoy !

Spicy thai basil fried rice

One of our favorite go to cuisine is for sure is Thai cuisine great food , great flavors sometimes when we just pick up we usually have to have a fried rice order so today decided to recreate the same at home , it is simple and delicious  . One of the crucial ingredients is the Jasmine thai rice I have tried this regular basmati rice but taste does not turn out the same so try to stick to the Thai rice :). Also make sure the basil is thai basil which can be easily found  in asian markets.  I used few online recipes and tweaked it to make it my own .

What U need ~

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon white sugar Optional 

Olive oil for frying (my preference)

4 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled

6 large cloves garlic clove, crushed

2 green chillies 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cups sweet Thai basil

1 cucumber, sliced (optional)

1/2 cup cilantro springs 

1/2 lemon cut quarter size

Prepare the ingredients by finely chopping the garlic and green chili. Slice the chicken into thin,  pieces. Slice the red bell pepper, and onion into thin strips. 

Heat a wok until very hot and then add 1-2 Tablespoons of oil . Add the finely chopped garlic and chilis and stir fry until the garlic is golden brown. 

Add the chicken pieces and stir fry until it is cooked through. This should take 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken pieces are. 

Then add the red bell peppers, quickly followed by all of the sauces. Once the peppers are close to done, add the onion slices and stir fry for 30 seconds to a minute until they are translucent, but still slightly firm. 

Finally, add the rice and mix together with all of the other ingredients. Once the sauces have been mixed thoroughly with the rice, add the Thai basil and turn off the heat. 

Add the lemon on the side serve eat yourself and Njoy!

Lamb chops and mediterrean rice

As we begin this new year 2019 the recipe that came to my mind was a delicious dish Lamb chops with Mediterranean rice as my youngest son has been expanding his palate and had recently tried lamb at a Iranian restaurant and so the little guy has now fallen in love with it so much so that now this dish is a regular at my dinner table.

For the Lamb chops here’s the recipe ~
Lamb chops – 1 pack fromm Costco usually has 8 pieces
Crushed garlic – 2 tbsp
Parsley chopped – 1/2 cup
Black pepper – 1 tbsp
Paprika – 1 tbsp
Sumac – 1 tbsp
Oregano – 1 tbsp
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Lemon sliced – 1
Cumin – 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Mix all the above ingredients and make a smooth paste , apply this to the lamb chops and marinate for at least 30 mins or overnight .
Preheat the oven to 350 F and cook the meat for 30 mins do not leave it the oven as the meat tends to dry up also before serving let the lamb sit
at room temperature for at least 10 mins , it will taste yummier  

serve with some mediterranean rice 

For the Mediterranean rice here is the recipe ~Basmati rice – 2 cups washed and soaked for at least 30 mins
Chicken stock – 4 cups
Black cardamon – 2
Bay leaves - 4-5
Sumac – 1 tbsp for garnish
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Lemon sliced – 1 tbsp

Heat the pan with olive oil add the spices sauce for a few minutes add salt turmeric and the lemon juice and the chicken stock . Once the stock warms up add the rice ( wash and soak the rice at least for 30 mins ) . Mix gently and let the rice cook for almost 18 minutes cover the rice , once the rice is cooked it will separate out add the Sumac as a garnish and serve with the Lamb chops 

Njoy ! Have a happy healthy and prosperous new year 🎆🎉🎆

Happy Thanksgiving !!

Wishing you all a very blessed Thanksgiving hope all you get to spend time with family and friends Njoy good yummy food and make some lasting memories for years to come .

Sharing one of my favorites side dish Mashed potatoes inspired by Tyler Florenc's recipe I skipped the heavy cream still yummy ! and the thyme :)

What u need : 

• 4 to 6 pounds red or yukon potatoes, peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped chive

Put the cut potatoes into a large pot, cover them with cold water, and add a large pinch of salt. 

Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well. 

Meanwhile, in a small pot heat the butter,  & garlic .

While the potatoes are still warm, press them through a potato ricer or food mill into a bowl. 

Stir in the warm cream a bit at a time, straining out the solids, until the potatoes are fluffy. 

Season with salt and pepper and gently fold in the chives. Serve immediately NJoy !!

#Keralastrong

August 2018

This beautiful state of Kerala has been engulfed with flash floods and heavy rains like never seen before hundreds have lost their lives and lakhs of people are displaced and stranded . There is a dire need of basic necessities for survival This is a time when every little bit helps and so bring out your BETTER ANGELS in and DONATE  !!

Below are the website that are channeling the donation to needy 

Amazon :

While the option is available on the home page of the Amazon India app, desktop and international users can go to bit.ly/amazonkerala to place the orders.

Users can select an NGO whose flood relief wish list they may browse for products to buy. Once these products are selected, added to cart and checked out, they can be added to a Gift Registry Address.

According to Amazon, Habitat for Humanity, World Vision India and Goonj are three of the organizations currently attempting to make essential supplies available to the thousands affected by the floods across the state.

I have personally used this one and more info is the link below 

volunteers-can-send-relief-materials-kerala-through-amazon-here-s-how-86788

Contribute financially to the CM’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) :

You can also directly donate into the CM fund 

https://donation.cmdrf.kerala.gov.in

T hose who are less fortunate 
O often don't want to ask for help. 
H ard times hit all of us at some point 
E enjoy your good fortune 
L et your fortune help others 
P eople helping people makes this world a better place!" Catherine Pulsifer