Clay Pot Chicken Rice (Without Clay Pot)

Clay pot chicken rice is one of my favorite dishes that I used to eat while living in Malaysia. This recipe is from a mini cookbook, “Malaysian Favourites” by Wendy Hutton. Since I don’t have a clay pot, I’m using a regular pot to make this. With clay pot, you’ll be able to get the crunchy rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot, good presentation and overall a good experience to eat out of the pot. However, it works out pretty well without it as well.

It is quite simple to prepare as it is a one pot meal. The original recipe uses some Chinese sausage and chest nuts but since the version I used to eat didn’t have these ingredients, I left them out. I also remember eating Shitake mushrooms in the dish so I added them as I love mushrooms. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written and served with some soy and fish sauce with fresh chilies on the side.

Recipe updated: Apr 30, 2012
Amount of Chicken, Rice and Water has been updated.

Clay Pot Chicken Rice (Without Clay Pot)

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
For Marinate
8 ounces Boneless Skinless Chicken – cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon Rice Wine (Chinese Cooking Wine)
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon Corn Flour/Corn Starch

Other Ingredients
6 Dried Shitake Mushrooms – soaked in warm water for 20 minutes to soften, discard stems and cut in quarters
2 tablespoons Oil
1 cup Rice – washed and drained (I use Basmati Rice)
1 1/2 tablespoons Ginger – finely shredded
2 tablespoons Fried Shallots (I use store bought readymade fried shallots)
2 Green Onions – thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Roasted Peanuts (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine chicken with all marinate ingredients and keep aside for 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat, add rice, stir and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add 1 3/4 cups or enough water to cover rice by about 3/4 inches, increase heat to high and let cook uncovered until water is partially absorbed and “craters” or “holes” start appear in the surface of the rice, for about 5 minutes.
4. Add ginger, marinated chicken, mushrooms and stir once. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, fluff the rice with fork. If there is still water left and chicken it not cooked through, cover and continue cooking over low heat until all water is absorbed and chicken is cooked through.
6. Garnish with fried shallot, green onions and roasted peanuts before serving.
7. Serve with either sliced Red Chilies with Soy Sauce or sliced Thai Chilies with Fish Sauce.

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Grilled Vegetables with Warm Jalapeno Dressing

I was searching for some simple and delicious salad recipes but nothing was catching my attention. I turned to my sister for some ideas and she sent me few recipes to try out. This recipe is from 'Curry and Chilli Cookbook (Step by Step Cookery) by Staff of Murdoch Books. It uses warm dressing with grilled vegetables. We've always made assorted grilled vegetables and I've always loved them so this recipe sounds good to me. The dressing has a very good balance of flavors and you can add as much variety of vegetables as you like. I seasoned my vegetables before grilling but followed the dressing recipe to exact.

Grilled Vegetables with Warm Jalapeno Dressing

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
For Vegetables
1 medium Zucchini - cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium Eggplant -cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
1 Red Bell Pepper - cut into 1/4 inch rings
1 Green Bell Pepper - cut into 1/4 inch rings
2 Tomatoes - cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 Large Onion - cut into 1/4 inch rings
2 Green Onions 
Olive Oil as needed
Salt and Pepper to taste
*Note: To grill vegetables in bamboo skewers, cut them into thicker or bite size pieces.

For Dressing
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic - crushed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Jalapeno - finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Parsley - chopped
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Freshly cracked Black Pepper

Directions:
For Vegetables

1. Lightly brush vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste on both sides.
2. Heat indoor griddled pan or outdoor grill until very hot and grill the vegetables until soften but with a 'bite'.
3. Arrange vegetables in a platter and keep aside.

For Dressing:

1. In a small sauce pan over low heat, cook olive oil, garlic, jalapeno and crushed red pepper for few minutes until garlic and jalapeno has soften.
2. Add sugar, lemon juice and let it heat through.
3. Add parsley and salt, and pour the dressing over warm vegetables.
4. Season generously with cracked black pepper and serve warm. 

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Dum Ka Champ

There's a little confusing but fun story behind this dish. For few years now, my Dad has been telling us that his favorite dish is Tawa Boti. When he finally got to eat it, he realized that Tawa Boti was not the dish he was missing but couldn't recall the dish he likes. After having a conversation between me, him and my sister; my sister thinks that this might be the dish he is missing.

It is very similar to the Tawa Boti recipe I posted earlier, mainly with the ingredients used. The taste of the gravy is quite similar as well. The difference is that this dish uses ground meat, has potatoes and cooking method is different from Tawa Boti.

We all have long forgotten about this dish for many years but since after that conversation, I've been craving for this. We're not even sure of the real name for this dish but my sister vaguely remembers it as Dum Ka Champ (or Kabab). She told me how to prepare it so that I can test it out.

Since my Dad's Birthday is coming up, I thought of dedicating this dish for him.
"Happy Birthday Daddy:)"...

Dum Ka champ

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For Patties

For Gravy

2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds 2 inch piece Ginger - cut in chunks 5 cloves Garlic - cut in chunks 4 Thai Chilies or any Green Chili - cut in chunks 1/4 cup Onion - roughly chopped 2 tablespoons Fried Onions (I use store bought) 20 ounces Ground Beef (I used extra lean) Salt to taste 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder (optional) 1 Large Egg - lightly beaten 3 tablespoons Oil

1/2 cup Yogurt 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder 2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder 1/2 teaspoon Salt (adjust to taste) 2 Russet Potatoes - cut into 1/4 inch rounds 1 large Onion - cut into 1/4 inch rounds 2 medium Tomatoes - cut into 1/4 inch rounds 1/3 cup Mint Leaves - roughly chopped 1/4 cup Cilantro - roughly chopped (optional) 2 Thai Chilies - cut in half lengthwise

Directions:
For Patties

1. In food processor, pulse cumin seeds few times to crush them a bit. Add ginger, garlic, Thai chili and process until very finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
2. In same food processor, add onion and grind until very finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with ginger, garlic and chili.
3. Add remaining patties' ingredients except egg and oil to the bowl and mix well with hand. (I pulse the meat mixture few times in the food processor after mixing with hand)
4. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into patties about 3 inches wide and 1/2 inches thick.
5. Heat a large pan with oil over medium heat. Once hot, lightly coat the meat patties with beaten egg and pan fry till lightly golden for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping once. Remove from oil and keep aside.

For Gravy

1. In a small bowl, combine Yogurt with 1/2 cup of water, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Whisk well to smooth it out.
2. In the same pan used above, wipe out some oil leaving a thin layer coating at the bottom.
3. Place each ingredient in the pan in a single layer with few tablespoons of yogurt between each layer, starting with potatoes at the bottom, meat patties, onion rings, and finally tomatoes on top.
4. Pour remaining yogurt mixture over the top, cover with a tight lid and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes undisturbed.
5. After 30 minutes, check to see if potatoes are tender. If there is too much water, increase heat to medium and let it evaporate partially covered or uncovered for about 5 minutes. (Keep in mind that potatoes will soak up water later so don't over evaporate it)
6. Once you've reached the desired consistency of liquid and potatoes are cooked through, top it up with mint, cilantro and Thai chilies. Let sit covered for about 5 minutes before serving.
7. Serve hot with Chapati or Naan.

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Naan Pizza

Naan Pizzas are easy and quick to prepare and is delicious. One lazy evening, I didn't feel like cooking and we were totally out of fresh vegetables at home. The only thing I had on hand was some frozen Naan, sun dried tomatoes, olives and cheese. So we decided to just make Naan Pizza out of it. Since I didn’t have any marinara or pesto sauce on hand, I decided to spread some mayonnaise on it. It just took few minutes to put together and came out quite satisfying so we have been making this every now and then. This is not exactly a recipe but I thought I'll share since we like it a lot.

Naan Pizza

Makes: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
4 Frozen Garlic Naan
4 teaspoons Mayonnaise
1/3 cup Kalamata Olives – thinly sliced
1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil – sliced
1 – 4 ounce cup Pineapple Tidbits in 100% Juice - drained
1/2 cup Extra Sharp Cheddar or Cheese of your choice – grated
1 tablespoon Cilantro – roughly chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spread 4 frozen Naans in a microwave safe plate and microwave for about 1 minute.
3. Spread 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on each of the Naan.
4. Top it up with remaining ingredients among 4 Naans.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & Naan is crispy.

Note: I used toaster oven so it took me about 8 minutes. If using a big oven, it might take a little longer to cook.

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Eli Palat (Sour Dal with Salted Dry Fish and Drumsticks)

I'm not sure where the name 'Eli Palat' comes from and it seems likes every family has their own versions and names for this dish. At the end, when we describe the dish, we all know what we're talking about :). It is somewhat similar to Sambar (South Indian Dish) but has salted dried fish and we usually make it a bit sourer than Sambar. You can say it is a combination of Dal and Achin Hin. You can basically add as many or little variety of vegetables as you like but few of the ingredients are necessary for the distinct flavor of this dish. Ingredients such as salted dried fish (Ng Chaut in Burmese), eggplant and vegetable drumsticks are a must for this dish, whereas, vegetables such as okra, carrots, potatoes, winged beans, long beans, bottle gourd and white radish can also be added but will also work without them.

I have used frozen Drumsticks because fresh ones were not available at that time. Frozen ones come pre-cut, ready to use and do not need to be thawed. Drumsticks can be found in Indian grocery stores.

For a complete meal, we like to serve this with some Red Chili Pound, Fried chicken or Beef, Rice and some fresh cut vegetables such as Cucumber, White Radish or Cabbage.

Eli Palat (Sour Dal with Salted Dry Fish and Drumsticks)

Serves: 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 cup Chana Dal/Split Black Chickpeas
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons Oil
2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds/Jeera
1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds/Rai
1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds/Methi
2 cups Onions - finely chopped
3 ounces Salted Dried Fish
1 large stem Curry Leaves (about 1/4 cup loosely packed)
2 cups Tomatoes - finely chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger - grated or finely chopped
2 tablespoons Garlic - crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
13 ounces Eggplant/Brinjal - cut into 1 inch cubes
12 ounces Vegetable Drumsticks (fresh or frozen) - if fresh scrape outer fiber layers with knife and cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup Tamarind Pulp (adjust to taste)
1 Jalapeno or Any Green Chili - cut in chunks
1/4 cup Cilantro - roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
4 Hard Boiled Eggs - shelled and cut in half

Optional Vegetables:
2 cups Long Beans - cut into 2 inch pieces
1 small Carrot - cut into 1 inch cubes
4 Okras/Lady Fingers - cut stem tip and cut into 2 inch pieces
*Combination of any other vegetables such as Potatoes, Winged Beans, Bottle Gourd and White Radish

Directions:

1. Pressure cook Dal over medium low heat with 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt for 4 whistles or 6 minutes after cooker starts steaming.
2. Turn off heat and keep aside until all pressure/steam has been released for about 10 to 15 minutes. Open cooker and stir with wire whisk to crush & smooth it out. Keep this aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cook for few seconds until mustard seeds start to pop.
4. Add onion, salted dried fish and sauté for few minutes until onion is wilted.
5. Add curry leaves and stirring frequently, continue cooking until onion is lightly golden brown.
6. Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and stir well. Cover and cook for few minutes until tomatoes are crushed.
7. Add eggplant and drumsticks along with long beans, carrots and any other vegetable (if using). If it is getting dry, add some water.
8. Stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until eggplants are soft.
9. Increase heat to high, add crushed Dal, tamarind pulp, and about 6 cups of water, cover and bring it to a boil
10. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add Okra and salt to taste.
11. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer partially covered for 15 to 20 minutes or until all vegetables soft and cooked through adding more water to adjust consistency as required.
12. Garnish with Jalapeno, cilantro and garam masala powder. Turn off heat and cover the pot and leave it covered for about 5 minutes.
13. When ready to serve, place couple of hard boiled egg halves in a serving bowl and pour over liquid & vegetables, and serve hot.

Note:

• To cook without pressure cooker, place Dal in a bowl and wash with few washes of water. Fill enough water to cover Dal by couple inches and let it soak for at least 4 hours. Wash one more time and transfer to a pot. Add salt and enough water to cover it by few inches. Cook uncovered over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it is not scorching at the bottom of the pot. Cook until dal is tender adding more water as required.
• Amount of tamarind used for this dish will depend on the sourness of the tamarind itself and the amount of water used in making the pulp. Add few teaspoons at a time and adjust according to your desired sourness of the dish.  

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Pesto Bread

I’m always thinking of what to serve for breakfasts during the weekdays. I try to make breads or snacks that we can eat by re-heating it in the mornings. I’ve had my eye on this bread for some time now and finally got a chance to make it. When it comes to making breads, I often refer to this website. If you’ve made breads before, this is no different but this one has such a dramatic look to it. I had a lot of fun making this. To save some time, I’ve used store bought Pesto Sauce and reduced the portion used because I was afraid it would be too salty.

Pesto Bread

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Dough Rising Time: 2 hours
Baking Time: 30 to 35 minutes

Ingredients:

For Dough	For Filling
2 cups Warm Water 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 2 tablespoons Sugar 1 tablespoon Active Dry Yeast 1/2 cup Milk Powder 1 tablespoon Salt 5 -5 1/2 cups Bread Flour	4 heaped tablespoons Pesto 1 cup grated Extra Sharp Cheddar

Directions:
For Dough

1. In a large bowl or bowl of your mixer, combine, water, oil, sugar and yeast; stir to combine and leave it aside for about 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Add milk powder, salt and up to 4 cups of flour adding 1 cup at a time and stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition.
3. Turn out dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by adding remaining flour as required until it no longer sticks to your hands. (If using a stand mixer, knead the dough with dough hook for about 3 to 4 minutes adding flour as required.)
4. Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
5. Cover with plastic and let rise in warm draft free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Filling and Shaping Dough

1. Punch dough down and divide into two equal portions. (Keep one covered while working with the other.)
2. Take one portion of dough and on lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, roll it into approximately 9 x 14 inch rectangle shape.
3. Spread 2 tbsp of pesto and 1/4 cup of cheese, evenly over the surface. Fold in the sides about 1/2 inch to create a border.
4. Starting at a short end, roll dough tightly, pinch dough to seal seam, and turn seam side under.
5. With a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough lengthwise and open up to expose the inside filling.
6. Take each of the cut piece and braid together with the cut side always facing up.
7. Place this into lightly greased (8 ½ x 4 ½ inch) loaf pan.
8. Repeat the same process with the other portion of dough.
9. Cover both pans loosely with plastic and let rise in warm draft free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 30 minutes or so before baking.
11. Top both the loaves with remaining cheese and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Check 10 minutes before they are done to see if they need to be covered with aluminum foil if they are getting too brown.
12. Remove from loaf pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

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Egg Curry

This curry is one of Yogesh's favorite dishes. During his visits from Canada I used to make this dish for him. Back then, I occasionally cook and did not really know many dishes to prepare. I know that he likes curries with lots and lots of gravy and spices so I wanted a dish that uses a lot of spices. The curry didn't exactly turn out as I was imagining but I remember a friend once told me that whenever dishes go wrong, just add coconut milk and it will be all good. So, that is what I did and loved this curry ever since. I like to serve this with steam rice, pickled banana peppers and some type of salad or vegetable stir-fry. It goes really well with Naan or Chapati as well.

Egg Curry

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds/Jeera
1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds/Rai
1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds/Methi
3 whole Dry Red Chilies (optional)
2 1/2 cups Onion - finely chopped
1 large stem Curry Leaves – stripped off leaves and discard stem
1 tablespoon Ginger - grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Garlic - crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Garam Masala Powder
2 1/2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
8 Hard Boiled Eggs – shell removed and cut 3 to 4 slits through egg whites
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Cilantro - roughly chopped
1 Jalapeno or any Green Chili - cut in chunks

Directions:

1. Add oil in a large pot over high heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds and dry red chili.
2. Once mustard seeds start to pop, add onion, a pinch of salt and cook stirring occasionally for few minutes until onion is translucent.
3. Add curry leaves and continue cooking until onion starts to turn light golden color.
4. Reduce heat to medium, add ginger, garlic and cook for further minute till fragrant.
5. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder and cook for few more seconds.
6. Add tomato paste, cook for few seconds and add about 1 cup of water. Stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Add boiled eggs, salt to taste, mix well and cook covered for another 5 to 10 minutes adding some water if required.
8. Add coconut milk and continue cooking covered for about 5 more minutes.
9. Make necessary adjustments to consistency of the gravy by adding more water if required. Garnish with cilantro, jalapeno and remaining 1/2 tsp garam masala powder. Cover the pot and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Mix once before serving.

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Pe Pyot (Boiled Peas)

Pe Pyot is commonly served as a breakfast item. If you're from Burma, you might not know how to make Pe Pyot from dry yellow peas but once you have the boiled Pe Pyot, you'll definitely know how to serve it. Back home, we usually do not prepare it from scratch. There are street vendors that sell these boiled Pe Pyots early in the morning. Every area has its own vendor selling freshly boiled and warm Pe Pyot. They only make a basket full each day so you have to go quite early or it will be all gone.

There are different ways to serve Pe Pyot and I love it all. Most popular ways of serving this is by adding to fried rice or cooking with fried onions and serve with Naan or Paratha. It is not difficult to make it but does require time for pre-soaking and sprouting. Since it is a long process, it is a good idea to make a large batch and freeze individual serving sizes in Ziploc bags. I got this recipe from my Aunt few years back. This recipe is only for preparing Pe Pyot from dried yellow peas. I'll post more recipes on how to serve them when I get a chance. For now, I've frozen mine for later use.

Most of the Indian grocery stores carry Yellow Peas and it is known as ‘Vanata’ in Gujarati.

Cooked Yellow Peas

Dry Yellow Peas

Sprouted Yellow Peas

Pe Pyot

Makes: Approximately 10 cups
Soaking Time: 8 hours
Sprouting Time: 36 hours or more
Cooking Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients:
4 cups Yellow Pea (Vatana)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Oil

Directions:

1. Soak peas in a large pot with plenty of water (at least 5 to 6 inches of on top) for at least 8 hours to overnight. They will expend for more than double of its size. (I got a little over 10 cups after soaking)
2. Drain water in a large colander, keep colander on a plate and cover the peas with wet towel. Leave it this way for about 36 hours or until it starts to sprout. (Wet the towel 2 to 3 times in between or whenever the towel dries out.)
3. Transfer to a large pot; add all ingredients along with 3 cups of water. Stir or toss to combine and bring it to a boil over high heat.
4. Reduce heat to as low as possible, cover the pot and let it cook for 45 minutes to an hour until it is cooked through and all water has been evaporated. Toss or stir once or twice in between to check water level and doneness of the peas. If water dries out before peas are cooked through, sprinkle some warm water and continue cooking until soft.

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Dal

We made Dal at home quite often while growing up. My Dad always says that Dal completes a meal. This is a basic Dal that my Mom used to prepare. It is a versatile recipe and can be prepared in a variety of different ways. If you're short with some ingredients, you can still prepare Dal. For instance, you can use both tomato and onion to flavor Dal but if you're out of one, you can still prepare with the other.

We usually prepare it with a blend of four types of Dals but you can still prepare it by using only one type such as Toor or Chana Dal.  Keep in mind that Chana Dal takes much longer time to cook then Toor Dal. Curry Leaves give a very good aroma to the dish but if you're unable to find it, you can skip this ingredient. Curry Leaves can be found in most of Indian and Pakistani grocery stores.

I cook Dal using a pressure cooker so I do not need to soak them in water. However, without pressure cooker, you will need to soak and boil for longer time. I like to serve Dal with rice, some vegetable and meat dish.

Dal

Click on above image to enlarge

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Dal Base
1/4 cup Oily or Palin Toor Dal (Split Yellow Pigeon Pea)
1/4 cup Chana Dal (Split Black Chickpeas)
1/4 cup Moong Dal (Split Yellow Moong Bean)
1/4 cup Masoor Dal (Red Lentil)
1 teaspoon Salt

Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds
1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds (Rai)
1 cup Onion - finely chopped
1 stem Curry Leaves – remove leaves and discard stem
1 cup Tomato – chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger – grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1 large Jalapeno or any Green Chili - cut in big chunks
1/4 cup Cilantro - finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt to taste

Directions:
Dal Base

1. Combine all Dals in a pressure cooker pot and wash with few washes of water. Add 3 cups of water, salt and pressure cook over medium low heat for 4 whistles or 3 to 4 minutes after cooker starts steaming.
2. Turn off heat and keep aside until all steam has been released for about 10 to 15 minutes. Open cooker and stir with wire whisk to crush and smooth it out.
3. Add 3 1/2 cups of water; stir and bring it to a boil.

Seasoning

1. While Dal is boiling; in a separate skillet over medium high heat, add cumin seeds and let it toast till fragrant and few shades darker.
2. Add ghee or oil and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds pop, add onion and cook stirring frequently until onions are translucent.
3. Add curry leaves and cook until onions are lightly golden in color.
4. Add tomato, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir well and add some water if it is too dry.
5. Continue cooking for few minutes until tomatoes are crushed.
6. Pour this mixture to the dal pot and mix well. Season it with salt, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes adding more water (if required) for desired thickness of dal.
7. Garnish with Jalapeno, cilantro and Garam Masala Powder; turn off heat and cover pot immediately. Let it sit for 5 minutes covered. Stir well before serving.

Note:
To cook without pressure cooker, combine all Dal in a bowl and wash with few washes of water. Fill enough water to cover Dal by couple inches and let it soak for at least 4 hours. Wash one more time and transfer to a pot. Add salt and enough water to cover it by few inches. Cook uncovered over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it is not scorching at the bottom of the pot. Cook until dal is tender adding more water as required.

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Basic White Bread with Jalapeno

We have been eating store bought breads for so long that I have forgotten how good homemade bread could taste. My sister used to bake a variety of breads and pastries for us back home. During that time, she made everything from scratch. We did not have a machine to knead the dough or a full size oven to bake. She made all her baked goodies using a small convention oven.

I love everything about homemade breads; fragrance while baking, warmth of a freshly baked bread, its delicate texture, and best of all, simple yet delicious taste of it. I’m still new to making breads but it is not as difficult as I initially thought it would be. It does require some time but most of the time it needs is for dough resting so you’re not actively involved during that process.

This is a basic loaf of bread with an addition of Jalapeno peppers. This recipe came with my KitchenAid mixer and original recipe is for 2 loaves of bread. I usually make one loaf at a time so below is the one loaf version. If you don’t have a machine, you can just knead the dough with hands.

Basic White Bread with Jalapeno

Click on the image to enlarge

Makes: 1 loaf
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Dough Rising Time: 2 hours
Baking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Milk
1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Butter or Margarine
3/4 cup Water
1 packet Active Dry Yeast (1/4 ounce packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons from bulk)
2 1/2 to 3 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
Oil Spray
1 Jalapeno – finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, heat milk, sugar and butter over medium heat just until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Pour it into a stand mixer bowl or a large bowl, if kneading by hand.
2. Add room temperature water to the bowl and stir. This will bring down the liquid temperature to lukewarm. The temperature should be around 105 to 110 degree F.
3. Add yeast to the liquid mixture, stir and keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
4. In a separate clean bowl, sift 2 cups of flour and salt together. Add flour to the liquid mixture and attach bowl and dough hook. Turn on to speed 2 and mix for about 1 minute. (If kneading by hand, use a wooden spatula and stir to combine)
5. Meanwhile, sift the remaining 1 cup of flour in a separate bowl. You might not need to use all of the flour while kneading.
6. Continuing the machine on speed 2, add the remaining flour 1/3 cup at a time until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 more minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch. (If kneading by hand, pour dough out to lightly floured surface and knead, adding flour as required until dough is smooth and elastic, for about 10 minutes)
7. Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
8. Cover with plastic and let rise in warm draft free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
9. Punch dough down, add jalapeno and knead to combine. On lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, roll into approximately 8 x 14 inch rectangle shape.
10. Starting at a short end, roll dough tightly, pinch dough to seal seam, pinch ends and turn under. Place the shaped dough seam side down in a lightly greased (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½) inch loaf pan.
11. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise in warm draft free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
12. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit 30 minutes or so before baking.
13. Bake the bread for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from loaf pan immediately and cool on wire rack. 

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Triple Onion Cheese Buns

I like homemade breads and this is one of my favorites. I came across this recipe a while back and have made it few times. I replaced shallots and chives with red onion and green onions, mainly because I don't have it handy. Since I don't eat bacon, I've made without it and it still taste pretty good. For this batch, I've used Turkey Bacon.

For cheese, I like to use Habanero Cheddar. I came across this cheese in Costco while they were selling special flavor cheeses. They don't carry it all the time but I was lucky to have found it twice. I love cheddar cheese and I love spicy food. This cheese was a perfect combination. It was not too spicy but has a good kick. The last time I bought, I freeze it and I'm using it for this batch of bread. You can still make it with Gruyere Swiss Cheese as mentioned in original recipe or any of your favorite cheese.

If you're new to making breads at home as I am, make dough as per recipe and be creative with filling and topping.

Triple Onion Cheese Buns

Makes: 16 to 18 buns
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Dough Resting Time: 2 hours
Cooking and Baking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

For Dough	For Filling
3/4 cup Water 1/2 cup Milk 1/4 cup Butter 1/4 cup Honey 3 1/2 to 4 cups Bread Flour 1 Large Egg - lightly beaten 4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast 1 1/4 teaspoons Salt	3 tablespoons Butter 1 tablespoon Garlic - crushed or finely chopped 1/2 cup Chives or Green Onions - thinly sliced 1/2 cup Shallots or Red Onion - finely chopped 1/2 cup Onions - finely chopped 4 slices Turkey Bacon - cooked and crumbled 2 to 2 1/2 cups Habanero Cheddar Cheese or Gruyere Swiss Cheese

Directions:
For Dough

1. In a small saucepan, combine water, milk, butter and heat until butter is melted without bringing it to a boil. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until lukewarm or 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add honey, 1 1/2 cups of flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth.
3. Add egg, yeast and mix well till smooth. Keep this aside for 15 minutes.
4. Add salt along with 1 cup of flour and mix again.
5. Pour out to a clean surface and knead dough by adding remaining flour until it no longer sticks to the counter. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand. (If using stand mixer, knead for 5 to 6 minutes by adding flour just until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl)
6. Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with plastic and let rise in warm draft free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

For Filling

1. While dough is resting, heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for few seconds till fragrant.
2. Add all three types of onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Turn off the heat, add bacon, mix well and keep aside to cool.

Making Buns

1. Punch dough down and on lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, roll into approximately 12 x 24 rectangle shape.
2. Evenly spread onion bacon mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Staring from the long end, roll dough tightly and pinch to seal seam and turn under.
3. Cut the dough log into 16 to 18 equal pieces and place each in a lightly greased muffin tin. Cover loosely with plastic and let it rise in warm draft free place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Top the buns with remaining cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until nicely browned.
6. Allow to cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and let cool on wire rack.

Note: Since I only have one muffin tin that fits 12 pieces, I kept the remaining pieces on a lightly greased tray.

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Chicken Marsala

I like Chicken Marsala but I don’t really recall when I first had this dish. When I first heard of it, the name to me sounded like an Indian dish as I mistakenly thought ‘Marsala’ as Indian Spices ‘Masala’. Later I found that it has nothing to do with Indian cuisine or has any spices in it but I was still interested to try it out. I found this Emeril’s recipe which has really good reviews so decided to give it a try. It is really tasty and easy to prepare. I also like the fact that he uses his spice blend to flavor the chicken. It is a mild dish and for mushroom lovers you can’t go wrong with this dish.

I did few changes according to ingredients I have on hand and increased the amount of mushrooms and liquid. I also left out salt in ‘Essence’ seasoning so that I can use as much or as little as I want without having to worry about saltiness; and season salt according to my taste while cooking. For wine, I’m using Sweet Marsala Wine because I like the sweetness it brings to the dish.

 
Chicken Marsala

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 (6 to 8-ounce) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – split in half horizontally and pounded thin
2 tablespoon Essence (recipe follows)
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Butter
1 1/2 pounds Assorted Mushrooms (Cremini, Oyster, Shiitake, King Trumpet) – thinly sliced
2 cloves Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Sweet Marsala Wine
1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh Parsley – finely chopped

Directions:

1. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of Essence and salt to taste, evenly over both sides of chicken pieces.
2. In a shallow dish, combine remaining Essence, flour, a big pinch of salt and mix well. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and shake to remove excess flour.
3. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tbsp of butter and cook chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides for about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.
4. Add remaining 1 tbsp of butter to the pan and cook the mushrooms stirring frequently. Once mushrooms have given off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, add garlic and cook for about a minute more.
5. Add Marsala wine, bring to a boil and cook for few minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.
6. Add chicken stock and continue cooking for few more minutes until the sauce has slightly thicken.
7. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir. Garnish with parsley and serve over pasta.

Essence
Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
1 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper or any Red Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Dried Leaf Oregano
1 tablespoon Dried Thyme

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

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Pickled Mustard Greens

Pickled Mustard Greens are commonly served with noodle dishes in some regions of Burma. Last time when I made Shan Noodles, a thought of having some mustard greens on the side seemed like a good option but I didn’t have them on hand.  Since then, I’ve been thinking of making some but never really got to it.

I remember that some time ago, my dear friend Lely made these pickled mustard greens and I got to taste some. It was very crunchy and tasty with a good sour punch. I really liked it so I asked her for the recipe. It is very simple and easy to prepare.

There are different methods of preparing this from wilting the greens in sun to adding additional ingredients in the pickle. Since this is my first time preparing it, I just want to keep it simple so I followed her exact instructions. Pickling can take anywhere from 3 days to a week depending on the weather. Mine took a week as it was a pretty cold week.

Pickled Mustard Greens
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Pickling Time: 3 to 7 days

Ingredients:
2 pounds Chinese Mustard Greens – ends trimmed, washed well and cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup Sea Salt (adjust to taste)
2 cups Rice for making Rice Water as stated below

Directions:

1. Place the greens in a large bowl, sprinkle salt and toss well.
2. To make rice water, place rice in a pot or bowl and add about 2 to 3 cups of water or as needed. Scrub and rub the rice well with hands to get the water as cloudy as you can.
3. Pour rice water over the greens and mix well.
4. Place the greens in an airtight glass jar pressing down as much as you can to avoid gaps and air pockets.
5. Fill the jar all the way up with rice water. Close it tight and leave it in warm place for 3 days to one week.
6. It is ready when all of the vegetables are no longer bright green. You can taste to see if it has reached your desired sourness. The longer you keep it out the more sour it will get.
7. Once ready, store it in refrigerator.

Note: I used 1 quart Canning Jar and had some leftover so used one smaller jar for the leftovers greens.

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Garlic Green Beans

This is an easy and quick dish to prepare. We usually pair it with steak and mash potatoes. Sometimes, I like to pair it with some grill fish and brown rice or potato salad. I like to use a lot of garlic in this as garlic gives really good aroma and taste. I also like to cook it right before serving so that green beans stay nice and crunchy.

Garlic Green Beans

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 to 7 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound Green Beans - stem ends trimmed
1 tablespoon Oil
8 big cloves Garlic - pressed or finely chopped
1/4 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock, or Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place green beans in a microwave safe bowl, add about 1/4 cup of water, cover and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain and keep aside.
2. Heat a large skillet with oil over high heat. Once hot, add garlic and stir for few seconds being careful not to burn them.
3. Add green beans, stir well and cook for about 30 seconds. Season it with salt and generous amount of pepper to taste.
4. Add stock or water and stir and scrape to get all garlic bits out.
5. Reduce heat to medium high and continue cooking until all liquid is evaporated and green beans are just about tender without overcooking them.
6. Increase heat to high and stirring constantly, let the garlic brown for about half a minute, dish out and serve hot.

Note: Work fast because high heat can give good smoky flavor but easier to burn.
If you want your beans to be more tender, you can reduce heat and partially cover it for about a minute after adding the liquid but start and end with high heat.

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White Radish Sour Soup

Achin Hin is a sour soup that can be made from variety of vegetables. It usually starts with an onion and tomato gravy with either dry shrimp or dry fish and later different vegetables are added. The taste of the dish as well as the name given will change depending on the type of vegetables used. Most types of Achin Hin will have tamarind pulp to make it sour but when vegetables that are naturally sour are used, tamarind is eliminated.

I love all types of Achin Hin and I like to pair it with some fried chicken or beef, tomato curry, red chili pound, rice and some fresh cut vegetables such as cucumber, white radish or cabbage. A lot of people eat Achin Hin as a soup dish for a meal but I personally like to pour lots of it over the rice and top it up with tomato curry, red chili pound, mix it all up and eat.

White Radish Sour Soup

Serves: 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Oil
1 large Onion – finely chopped (about 2 cups)
3 teaspoons Dry Shrimp Powder
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
2 medium Tomatoes – finely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
2 tablespoon Garlic – pressed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger – grated or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
3 tablespoons Fish Sauce
1 pound White Radish (Daikon/Mooli) – peeled, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2/3 cup Tamarind Pulp (adjust to taste)
8 cups Water or more as required
0.8 pound Chinese Greens (Yu Choy) - discard few inches off the bottom and cut into 2 inch pieces
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Cilantro
4 Thai Chilies or any Green Chili – slit with knife lengthwise; keep stems attached

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat; add onion, a pinch of salt and sauté for about 4 to 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
2. Reduce heat to medium low, add dry shrimp powder, crushed red pepper and continue cooking for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add tomato, garlic, ginger, red chili powder, turmeric powder, stir and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add fish sauce, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until tomatoes are crushed, for about 4 minutes.
5. Add white radish, mix well, cover and cook stirring occasionally for 5 more minutes until radish is translucent. Add little water if it is getting too dry.
6. Once radish is translucent, add 8 cups of water, tamarind pulp, cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
7. Add Chinese Greens, salt and adjust soup consistency by adding more water if required. Bring it back to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot partially and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables are cooked through.
9. Adjust sourness and saltiness to taste. Turn off the heat, garnish with cilantro & Thai chilies and cover the pot for about 5 minutes before serving.

Variation:
For Vegetarian and Vegan version, skip dry shrimp powder and fish sauce.

Note: Amount of tamarind used for this dish will depend on the sourness of the tamarind itself and the amount of water used in making the pulp. Add few teaspoons at a time and adjust according to your desired sourness of the dish.

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Khandvi

Khandvi is one of my favorite Gujarati snacks. I got to try this only after moving to California. At first, I was curious to find out how they would taste as they look like little bamboo shoots. I really loved it and always thought it would be quite complicated to prepare. One day while visiting my Sister-in-law she gave me this recipe from one of the cookbooks by Tarla Dalal. This is a microwave version which is pretty easy and quick to prepare but you need to work fast while spreading the batter. I’ve made this many times and most of the time I only need to microwave for about 3 ½ minutes.

This is a good appetizer or late afternoon snack and we usually eat this with Green Chutney. Sometimes, when I want to make more, I just make the rolls in two different batches rather than doubling the recipe because I cannot spread it fast enough for more than one batch portion. Prepare as many batches for rolls as you want and garnish all at once.

Khandvi

Makes: 12 pieces
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 minutes

Ingredients:
For Rolls
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
1/2 cup Gram Flour (Besan/Pe Mhont)
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Green Chili – finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Ginger – grated or finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
A pinch Asafetida Powder (Hing) – optional
Salt to taste

For Garnish
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
A pinch Asafetida Powder (Hing) – optional
3 tablespoons Fresh Coconut – Grated
2 tablespoons Cilantro – finely chopped

Directions:
For Rolls:

1. Cut 26 x 12 inches of aluminum foil and keep aside.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, whisk yogurt with 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Add remaining ingredients for the roll and whisk until it forms a smooth batter.
3. Microwave on high for 3 ½ – 4 ½ minutes; whisking in between after every 1 ½ minutes. (Whisking really well is very important because it will not only smooth out the batter but will also help in even cooking)
4. Working as quickly as you can, spread the mixture on the prepared aluminum foil, spreading approximately about 24 x 10 inches or as thin as you can.
5. Allow to cool for 1 minute or so and cut into approximately 2 x 10 inches strips (Total 12 strips).   Carefully roll out each strip, place it in a plate and keep aside.

Tip: The mixture after microwaving will solidify within few minutes so you need to really work fast while spreading it.

For Garnish

1. Heat a small frying pan with oil and once hot, turn off heat and add mustard seeds and Asafetida. Stir for few seconds and pour evenly over the prepared Khandvi rolls.
2. Garnish with grated coconut & cilantro and serve at room temperature with Green Chutney.

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Green Chutney Cilantro/Coriander Chutney

This is a really simple and easy recipe. I learned this version of Green Chutney from my Mother-in-law. It is a good dipping sauce for many Indian snacks.

Green Chutney

Makes: Approximately 1/2 cup
Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 cups loosely packed Cilantro/Coriander – roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Ginger – roughly chopped
1/2 Serrano Pepper or any Green Chili – roughly chopped (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Raw Peanut Powder – optional
1 teaspoon Sugar
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add all above ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding some water if required. Adjust to taste and serve with Indian fried snacks.

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