Eggplant and Tomato Sauce With Israeli Couscous Recipe

This is an experimental recipe which was a success.
I have never cooked nor tasted couscous before, but after watching all those cookery shows on TV, I was very familiar with it. It is a moroccan staple and usually served with a gravy dish.
So when we went to Italy, I bought a packet of 'couscous', with absolutely no idea of what to do with it.
Thus started my recipe hunt!
Then I found an incredible recipe (which made the taste buds in my head salivate....yup! I have those) from the website 'seriouseats' and the end result was great. It's taste reminded me of tomato rice with brinjal.
What I was amazed was the way the couscous fluffed up.
I took one cup of dry couscous and it was more than sufficient for 3. I had leftovers, which I had the next day. So be careful with the quantity.

Recipe source : Seriouseats

Serves - 4

Ingredients:
Couscous - 1 cup
Garlic - 4 cloves , grated
Onion - 1 medium , chopped fine
Tomato - 4 medium , chopped fine
Brinjal / aubergine - 1/2 large , cubed
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 3 tbsp
Water* / broth - 1 cup

* Mix 1 Maggi magic cube with the water to get extra taste.

Method:
Take couscous in a bowl and add 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well.
Boil 1 cup water or broth and pour over the couscous. Mix well and keep covered.
Heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic.
Fry on a low flame till transparent.
Add the Brinjal and mix well.
Cook covered, stirring often till the brinjal gets cooked.
Now add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, turmeric and chilly powder.
Mix and cook covered till tomato turns mushy / pulpy.
Open the lid and give a thorough mix.
Now add the couscous and cook till all the water in the gravy gets absorbed.
Serve hot, garnished with parsley.

Vegetarian American Chili

If you read / watch American movies /books, CHILI is a popular dish which makes an appearance ever so often. Almost a national dish like Doughnuts, Mashed Potato and French fries. If you want to read more about American Chili, click here.

And when I searched the web for the recipe, almost all were non-vegetarian with beef or venison. Then I found some vegan stuff. The following recipe is my take of all the recipes concocted together in my head. Maybe this not even chili. But who cares, we loved it.Until, I taste original American Chili, this will be the recipe I follow!!
Americans seem to make this in a 'slow-cooker'. They set the timer before they go for work, come back home and it is ready. Can you do that in India where you never know when the current will go! Plus we have the pressure cooker!! So that is another reason I loved this dish - it is a one-pot dish. VERY EASY to make. Just chop everything and add. And since we are vegetarians, I did not have to fry anything.
Yipee...NO OIL!
And it can be made vegan if you omit the cheese!
I think next time I will make mashed potato and pour this on top.

Ingredients:
Red Kidney beans / Rajma* - 1 cup, soaked overnight
Carrot - 1 large
Garlic - 3 pods
Tomato - 5 medium
Capsicum / bell pepper -1
Onion - 1 medium
salt
Chilly flakes -1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Jeera / Cumin powder - 1 tbsp

Garnish:
Cheese
Spring Onion

*I did not have ample rajma when I made this, so I cheated and added some chick peas too. Promise to change the photo when I make with only rajma!

Method:
Pressure cook the Rajma till nearly done.
Now add in all the other ingredients and 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Open after the pressure gets released.
Mash a bit. If the gravy is too thick, add some water and boil once. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve hot garnished with cheese and spring onion on top.

Vangi Bath / Brinjal Masala Rice

I have been travelling a lot to Bangalore and most restaurants there serve a variety of mixed rice like Bisi bela bath, Kara bath (upuma), puliyogarai (tamarind rice) and of course Curd rice.
Vangi Bath or Brinjal rice is similar to bisi bela bath, but is made with ONLY Brinjal and has no Turdal. So the consistency is not a 'mush' like khichdi but rather more 'biriyani-ish'(?). Taste wise....my mouth is watering!!

Recipe courtesy: Mrs.Shanthi Ganeshan

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 1/2 cups , soaked, boiled till 3/4th done and drained
Brinjal - 2 medium, each cut into 8 slices and kept immersed in water
Tamarind
a) if using ready made extract - 2 tsp mixed with 1/2 cup water
b) otherwise a ball of 1 cm radius soaked in water and extract 1/2 cup of pulp
Salt
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Cashew nut - 5
Ground nuts - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 2 , broken
Curry leaf - 2 sprigs
Onion - 1 medium, chopped fine

Masala:
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Methi seeds / uluva - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 4 or 5
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
Coconut grated - 3 tbsp
Oil - 1tsp

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed vessel.
Add all the above ingredients except the coconut and fry till the dal turns golden brown.
Now add the coconut.
Turn off flame and continue stirring till the vessel starts to cool.
Once the masala ingredients cool down, powder (not too fine) and keep aside.

Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and splutter the mustard seeds.
Then add the urad dal and red chillies.
When the dal turns golden add in 1 sprig of curry leaf and chopped onions.
Fry till the onion turns transparent.
Now add in the sliced brinjal, salt and turmeric powder.

Fry the brinjal for 2 minutes and then add in the tamarind juice.

Do NOT cover the vessel or the brinjal will become mushy.
When the juice is boiling, add in the ground masala powder and the second curry leaf sprig. Mix well.

Almost immediately the mixture will become dry. Press one brinjal slice to see if it is cooked. If not, add 2 tsp of water and wait for it to evaporate. Once dry , mix in the cooked rice.

Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be very careful to not break the rice.

Fry the ground nut and cashew in the ghee (separately) and add to the vangi bath. (add the left over ghee too!)

Serve at room temperature with curd and papad.

One pot white pasta

I love anything cooked in a single pot. That means just one vessel to wash. Everyone can wash their own plates!!

Remember it is one pot, but not really 'healthy' as it has loads of cheese and 1 tbsp butter.

Recipe was inspired by 'One Pot Chef'.
I have added broccoli to my pasta, but it is optional.

Do try the pasta in red tomato sauce. It is also a one pot recipe too!

Serves : 3

Ingredients:

Pasta - 200gms

Water - 2 & 1/2 cups

Milk - 1 cup

Salt

Mixed herbs - 1 tsp

Garlic crushed - 1 heaped tbsp

Onion chopped fine - 3 tbsp

Parmesan cheese grated - 1 cup

Spring onion chopped (both white and green) - 4 tbsp
Broccoli (optional) - 1 cup

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

If you want , you may add mushroom instead of broccoli. Just saute with the onion and remember to take it out of the pan when it browns. Add just before serving.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot / pan.

Add in the garlic and fry till aromatic.

Next add the onion. Fry on medium flame till transparent.

Add in the water, milk, butter, salt and mixed herbs.

When it boils , add in the pasta.
If you are adding the broccoli, add it when the pasta is 3/4 cooked.
Once the pasta gets cooked and almost all the liquid has evaporated, tip in 3/4 of the cheese and spring onion.

Mix well.

Serve hot garnished with rest of the cheese and spring onion.

One pot red tomato pasta

Really? Is it possible to make pasta in one pot?

Making dinner on Sunday night is a BIG chore... as tomorrow is another week's beginning!!

So when I saw this Martha Stewart's recipe, I had to try it. And thus we had yummy pasta for Sunday dinner. No complaint from me as I had to just chop up everything and drop it in the pot!

Pasta - 175 gms

Tomato - 2 medium, cut

Onion - 1/2 medium, sliced thinly

Garlic - 4 cloves, sliced thinly

Salt

Chilli flakes - 1/4 tsp

Pepper - 7, crushed

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Water - 3 cups

Garnish:

Olive oil

Basil

Parmesan, grated

Take a heavy bottomed vessel.

Add the pasta, chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, olive oil and chilli flakes.

Pour water and boil till the pasta is aldente and all the water is absorbed.

Serve garnished with basil, grated Parmesan and drizzle of olive oil.

Harira - Moroccan 'fast breaking' soup

This soup is served during the holy month of Ramzan as a fast breaking dish. It is extremely wholesome and 1 bowl is all one needs!
Such a healthy soup. Includes cereals, pulses, vegetables and green leaves!!
And the best part, it is one pot recipe!!

1 cup channa (chick pea) - soaked overnight
1/2 cup green gram - soaked overnight
Onion - 1 large
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1 tbsp
Celery (optional) - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Tomato - 1 medium
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
Potato - 1 large, peeled and cubed into large chunks
Salt
Pepper - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaf - 3 tbsp + extra for garnish
Mint leaf - 3 tbsp
White rice - 1/2 cup
Maida - 2 tbsp (might be necessary)
Olive oil / vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
Lemon - 1 for serving

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel with tight lid or in a pressure cooker.
Fry the onion, garlic and celery on medium heat until transparent.
Add the soaked channa / chick peas, ginger, turmeric powder, chilli powder and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and simmer for 10 minutes or cook on open flame until the peas softens. If cooking in open vessel, then please keep a check on the water level.
Add the tomato puree, tomato, green gram, potato, rice, salt, pepper, coriander leaf , mint leaf and 4 cups of water.
Heat until boils and reduce flame. Cook till rice softens. If required, add more water.
Just before serving, boil again and if soup is not thick, then add the maida mixed with 1/2 cup of water.
Stir until the soup becomes thick.
Serve hot with toasted bread and lime wedges.