Spinach Side Dish (Sigeumchi Namul)

This is another one of my favorite Korean side dishes. It is so simple to prepare yet quite tasty. Recipe adapted from Maangchi.com.

Spinach Side Dish (Sigeumchi Namul)

Serves: 4 (as a Side Dish)
Preparation Time:  5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 bunch Fresh Spinach (about 1 pound) – cut off the roots
1 teaspoon Salt
2 cloves Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 Green Onion – thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon of Salt. Add spinach and blanch just until wilted for about 30 seconds.
2. Drain and rinse under cold water a few times, removing any grit or dead leaves along the way. Squeeze out excess water and cut into about 2 inch pieces.
3. Add remaining ingredients except sesame seeds and mix it well by hand.
4. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with toasted sesame seeds to serve.

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Soybean Sprout Side Dish

One of the reasons I like eating in Korean restaurants is the variety of side dishes they serve with the meal. I used to prepare 5 to 6 side dishes at a time whenever we do Galbi but haven’t prepared that many dishes at a time for a while now. This is one side dish that is easy to prepare and can also be used as an ingredient for Bibimbap. Recipe adapted from Maangchi’s website.

Soybean Sprout Side Dish

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound Soybean Sprouts – rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon Salt
2 cloves Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
2 Green Onions – thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Korean Hot Pepper Flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Place soybean sprouts, salt and 1 cup water in a pot. Cover and bring it to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
3. Drain and transfer to a bowl and keep aside for few minutes to cool down a little.
4. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and serve.

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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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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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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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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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Red Chili Pound

This is one of my favorite condiments. It is called chili pound because traditionally each ingredient is deep fried separately and pounded using a Mortar & Pestle. Later it is mixed and pounded again. I usually make it two different ways depending on my mood.

First method is following traditional way but since I don’t own a good Mortar & Pestle, I just use my small food processor to do the job. This method gives you a nice smoky flavor end result.

Sometimes when I don’t want to fry or use food processor, I use pre-ground ingredients to make this. The good thing about this method is that it is easy and fast to make. The downside to this method is during the cooking process the fume of chili could be overwhelming at times. This gives less smoky flavor end result but I still like to make it every now and then.

I like to eat it along with Achin Hin (Sour Soup), Rice, Tomato Curry and some fried meat. You can also pair it with Dal and Rice by squeezing some lime juice in it before serving. This is a condiment so it is usually made spicier to be paired with other dishes. The spiciness will depend on the dried chilies used so adjust according to taste.

Red Chili Pound

Traditional Method

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

Ingredients:
1 ounce Whole Dried Red Chili (use more or less depending on spiciness of dried chilies or taste)
7 cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup small to medium Whole Dried Shrimp
1 medium to large Tomato
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Fry each ingredient separately over medium low heat with few inches of oil.
2. Fry dried chili until few shades darker and crisp. Fry garlic and dried shrimp until golden brown.
3. Fry whole tomato for a minute or two turning few times to coat all sides of tomato until skin burst and peeled off.  Let cool, peel the skin off and cut in quarter.
4. Using a food processor or mortar & pestle, grind each ingredient separately. Grind chili into crushed red pepper consistency, garlic into fine paste, dried shrimp into fine powder and lastly tomato into fine puree.
5. Combine all ingredients in food processor, add salt to taste and pulse for few times for all ingredients to come together.
6. Transfer to a small bowl and serve at room temperature.

Easy but Smoke Alarm Method

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Oil
1 tablespoon Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1/4 cup Crushed Red Pepper
2 teaspoons Dried Shrimp Powder
1 medium Tomato – skin peeled and finely chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a small skillet with oil over medium low heat. Add Garlic and stir for few seconds.
2. Add crushed red pepper and while stirring cook for 1 minute or two until it gets few shades darker and fragrant.
3. Add dried shrimp powder and continue cooking until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn it.
4. Add tomato and cook stirring continuously for few minutes until all tomatoes are crushed and everything comes together. Turn off heat, transfer to a small bowl and serve at room temperature.

Variation:
To make it Vegetarian or Vegan dish, skip on dry shrimp.

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Steamed Buns with Coconut Filling

Chinese steamed buns are very popular in Burma and we call them Pausi. There are different varieties of fillings that you can get but most common ones that I grew up eating were curry chicken with boiled egg, red bean paste and coconut. I've been craving for these buns for a while now but haven't really found a recipe that uses only basic ingredients for the dough until I saw this recipe on Maangchi's website. I've been planning to make this for some time now but never actually got a chance to try it out. I wanted to make the savory version with curry chicken but I don't remember it enough to come up with something close to what I used to eat. At last, I decided to give it a shot with coconut filling while waiting for my sister to give me recipe for curry version.

The dough recipe is quiet easy to follow and the filling used here is very simple. Dough can be filled with variety of vegetable, meat or sweet fillings. This coconut filling is also very versatile and can be used to fill puff pastries or even spring roll sheets to form spring rolls or samosas. Combinations are endless and sky is the limit :). I'll post more in future when I make them. Below is half of original recipe.

Steamed Buns with Coconut Filling

Makes: 8 buns
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Dough Resting Time:  1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For Dough:
1/2 cup Luke Warm Water (between 105 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Oil Spray

For Filling:
6 ounces Fresh Coconut – shredded (about 1/2 coconut or 2 1/2 cups shredded)
2 tablespoons Sugar (Adjust to taste)
Pinch of Salt

Other:
8 Standard Cupcake Liners or Parchment Paper cut into 4 inch squares

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, oil and sugar. Mix with a spoon until well combined.
2. Sift in flour and salt into the liquid mixture and stir with a wooden spatula to combine. When it becomes hard to stir, start kneading dough with hands until smooth for about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Lightly coat the bowl with oil spray, put dough, turn once to coat with oil, cover and leave it in warm area for about 40 minutes or until doubled in size. (For faster rising, place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with warm water)
4. Knead the dough for about a minute to remove air, cover and leave it again for another 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium size pan combine coconut, sugar, salt and cook over medium low heat stirring frequently until sugar is melted for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
6. Place cupcake liners 1 inch apart on the rack of a steamer and keep aside.
7. Take dough and divide into 8 equal portions. (Keep unused dough covered to prevent from drying out.)
8. On lightly floured surface, roll each portion into approximately 4 inch circles leaving center thicker than edges.
9. Take a heap tablespoon (or 1/8) of filling and place in middle of the circle. Gather the edges of the dough and conceal the filling by pinching and sealing the edges while forming pleats. Twist ends off to seal and close; and place it in prepared steamer rack.
10. Continue rolling and filling rest of the dough, cover and let it rise for 20 minutes.
11. Steam the buns for 20 minutes, covered and undisturbed.
12. Turn off the heat, remove buns from steamer and serve.

Note: Steamed buns can be kept at room temperature for a day or two. Keep them in fridge for few more days after that. Before serving, wrap it with damped paper towel and microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.

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Pad Thai with Western Twist

We usually don't order Pad Thai when we go to Thai restaurants, mainly because I find that most restaurants give you lumpy and clump up noodles. I'm not too crazy about the texture of the noodles served in this dish. However, I love the version of Pad Thai that my younger sister makes. She uses Brown Rice Spaghetti for this dish. It might sound a bit awkward but this spaghetti absorbs the flavoring so well and has a good texture. I bought mine from Trader Joe's.

I've had this recipe for some time now but never actually got a chance to make it. I usually request for her to make this dish but with busy schedules and my cravings, I decided to give it a try. It turns out pretty good and we were so hungry and want to eat it while still hot that couldn't even plate it to take picture :). I added some mini sweet peppers as I had a lot on hand and served with some Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi on the side.

Pad Thai with Western Twist

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

Ingredients:
1/2 pound brown rice spaghetti/fettuccine or White rice noodles
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon garlic - pressed or finely chopped
1/2 pound firm tofu - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 cups bean sprouts
1 pound cocktail shrimp
1/4 cup roasted peanuts - coarsely ground
1/4 cup cilantro - roughly chopped
2 green onions - sliced thinly
3 mini sweet peppers of different colors – thinly sliced lengthwise (optional)
Crushed red peppers to taste

Seasoning:
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
3 tablespoons tamari
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons paprika

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and 1/2 tbsp of oil to boiling water, add noodles and cook until just tender, about 8 to 12 minutes (or according to package directions). Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine all seasoning ingredients and keep aside.
3. Have all ingredients prepared before starting to stir fry.
4. Heat remaining 1 1/2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds or so until it begins to turn golden.
5. Add tofu and sauté for 2 minutes or so, stirring often until tofu beings to brown.
6. Add the prepared seasoning liquid and mix thoroughly.
7. Stir-in the noodles, 2 cups of bean sprouts, shrimp and half of ground peanuts. Toss to mix well, adjust to taste and turn off heat.
8. Garnish with remaining bean sprouts & peanuts, cilantro, green onions, mini sweet peppers and crushed red peppers. Serve immediately.

Variation
For Vegetarian friendly version, skip shrimp. For Vegan version, skip shrimp and replace honey with brown or regular sugar.   

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Roasted Greek Potatoes

I love potatoes in any way they’re prepared. I found this recipe few years back online and have made it few times. I really like the taste of lemon in the potatoes. I usually make it with all red potatoes but added some purple potatoes this time as I had it on hand. It is easy to prepare and if you’re using oven method, you can pretty much leave it on its own and check every now and then. I sometimes make it on stove as it is a little faster. I like both methods equally and have listed both below. Serve with lemon rice, tzatziki, Greek chicken and Greek Salad.

Roasted Greek Potatoes

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour (Oven Method)
30 minutes (Stovetop Method)

Ingredients:
1 pound red potatoes or mixture of red and purple potatoes – skin on and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic – pressed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Oven Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Place potatoes in a parchment lined baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients; pour it over potatoes and mix well to coat all potatoes.
4. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove foil, increase oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and stir potatoes once and continue cooking for 30 more minutes or until it is cooked through and nicely browned. Stir once in between to get even brownness.
6. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley.

Note: For softer potatoes, 5 minutes before they’re done, cover them again with foil.

Stovetop Method

1. In a microwave save bowl large enough to hold all the potatoes, add all ingredients except potatoes and mix well. Add potatoes, mix again, cover and microwave on high for about 4 minutes.
2. Heat a large pan over high heat and add potatoes with all its liquids.
3. Stir for few seconds, reduce heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through stirring few times in between.
4. Increase heat to high and stirring frequently, continue cooking until potatoes start to get nice brown color. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. 

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Lemon Rice Pilaf

This Lemon Rice Pilaf really goes well with Mediterranean food. This recipe is adapted from Rachael Ray's '30-Minute Meals 2'. Pair it with some type of grilled meat and vegetable salad or with Greek salad, Greek chicken, and some roasted potatoes.

Lemon Rice Pilaf

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot – finely chopped
1 cup long grain rice – rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley – finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat a pot over medium high heat and add oil & butter.
2. Add shallots and sauté for about a minute or so until lightly browned.
3. Add rice and brown the rice for 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Add chicken or vegetable stock, thyme and bring it to a boil.
5. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover pot with tight lid and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes, all liquid should be evaporated and rice will be cooked. Add lemon zest, parsley and mix well.
7. Transfer rice to serving platter, top it up with almonds and serve.

Variation:

• For vegan friendly version, skip butter and use oil instead. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Note: I use regular long grain rice, not Basmati or Jasmine kind, because I like the texture of the long grain rice. It is not sticky, too soft or puffy but loose with a bit of chewy texture.

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Greek Salad

Greek salad is a pretty easy and delicious salad. Since I like sour food, I really like citrus based dressing on salads. It comes together very quickly and you can either serve it as a side dish to a meal or as a meal on its own by adding some Greek chicken and pita bread on side. As a side dish, I like to pair it up with Lemon Rice, Roasted Potatoes, Tzatziki, Greek Chicken and Hummus.

There is really no fixed recipe as you can use as much or as little of the vegetables you like and dress it up to your taste but below is a good start out point.

Greek Salad

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
3 to 4 medium tomatoes - seeds removed and cut into bite size pieces (about 2 cups)
1 green bell pepper - core removed and cut into bite size pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 Persian cucumbers or cucumber of your choice - cut into bite size pieces (about 2 cups worth)
1/2 red onion - cut into bite size pieces (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives - sliced thinly
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese for garnish

For dressing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry oregano
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all the vegetables in a bowl and keep aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and adjust according to taste.
3. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the vegetables, to your desire taste, and garnish with feta cheese and serve.

Variations

• For Vegan friendly version, skip the feta cheese.

Note:

• Chunkier vegetables taste best for this type of salad. Vegetables and dressing can be prepared ahead but only combine them right before serving. 
• Peel the cucumber skin if they're not too fresh and seeds can be removed if you prefer.
• If red onion is very spicy, cut into smaller chunks compared to other vegetables and wash couple times and soak it in cold water while cutting other vegetables. Drain the water out before using.

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Lasan Puri (Garlic Puri)

The garlic flavored Puri is a great dish for breakfast and brunch. The procedure of making the Lasan Puri is same as making regular Puris except this is flavored with spices and garlic. It can be a meal on its own without any gravy or curries accompanying it. I believe it is a common Gujarati (eastern state in India) dish and I was introduced to this dish by my husband’s family, and learnt how to make them from my mother-in-law.

I love to eat Puris but we don’t make or eat as much because they are deep fried. I have to admit, I have difficulty in making the Puri’s puff 100% of the time but with a little practice, I’m getting a hang of it. Even if some of them don’t puffed up, the taste is still great. Fry the Puris with enough oil and maintain the temperature for successful Puris.

Lasan Puri (Garlic Puri)

Makes: 22 puris
Preparation Time: 30- 40 minutes
Frying Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups atta flour
1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoon garlic – crushed or finely chopped
2 tablespoon oil
3/4 cup water (more if required)
Oil for deep frying

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix first 6 ingredients together. Add oil and mix with hand until oil is incorporated into flour. It will look like wet flour or coarse bread crumbs and when you pressed flour in your fist, it should partially hold the shape.
2. Add water little at a time until the dough comes together. The dough should be little tight and not very soft, so be careful not to add too much water.
3. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth. Divide the dough into 22 equal portions and shape them into smooth balls.
4. Heat deep frying pan with few inches of oil over medium heat, to 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Take each dough ball and roll out into thin circles about 4 inches in diameter. You should be able to roll out without dusting any flour if the dough is at right consistency. However, if the dough has more water than needed and it is sticking to the surface, you can dust some flour while rolling.
6. Roll few and keep in a plate in one layer while the oil is heating. (Keep the unrolled dough balls covered with a plate or towel.)
7. Once the oil is hot slide one puri at a time in hot oil. It will initially sink to the bottom of the pan but within few seconds, it should rise up. With a slotted spoon, lightly press the puris so that it puffs up. Once puffed, turn over and fry the other side for few more seconds until very lightly golden in color on both sides. Remove from oil and place it on a large plate or pot lined with paper napkins for oil to drain.
8.  Fry all the puris and serve hot with Gur Kari (Gujarati Sweet Mango Pickle), Chai and fried Jalapeno peppers (see note below).

Note: To make fried Jalapeno; cut 1 to 2 big Jalapeno peppers into 1 inch chunks. Deep-fry in the same oil for few seconds until lightly golden in color. Remove from oil, drain on paper napkins and season with some salt, and coriander powder to taste.

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Kachumber (Mixed Vegetable Salad)

Kachumber is a super quick salad that goes really well with most Indian curries. The sourness of this salad cuts down the richness most of the Indian curries have, so it is a good balance. There is no fixed recipe or type of vegetables to use for this dish. You can just make it with pretty much any vegetables you like. Below is the version I usually make.

Vegetables can be cut into small or chunkier pieces. I prefer the chunkier style. Sometimes, I add lime and salt before serving, but every now and then, I just serve lime wedges on the side with small salt bottle so that people can make it according to their taste.

Kachumber (Mixed Vegetable Salad)

Ingredients:
2 Persian cucumbers or cucumber of your choice – peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 medium tomato – halved or quartered and sliced
1 small carrot – cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 jalapeno – cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly (adjust to taste)
3 to 4 sprigs of cilantro – roughly chopped
3 to 4 mint leaves – roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 to 1 fresh lime juice (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and adjust according to taste and serve.

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Simple Crusty Bread

This was probably one of my very first breads I tried making few years back. This recipe is adapted from NY Times. It is pretty simple but does require some dough rising time.  This dough does not require kneading but since the dough is quite soft, it does need a little patience to work it.

Simple Crusty Bread

Makes: 4 loaves
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 30 minutes
Resting and Rising Time: 3 hours or more

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
3 cups of lukewarm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
Cornmeal for dusting
1 cup hot water for baking

Directions:

1. In a large bowl or pot, combine yeast, water and sugar. Mix well and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Once the yeast is foamy, sift flour and salt into the yeast mixture. Mix well until there are no dry patches with a wooden spatula.
3. Loosely cover with plastic and let rise in a warm spot or room temperature for 2 hours.
4. Sprinkle cornmeal over pizza peel and set this aside.
5. After 2 hours, punch the dough down. Sprinkle some flour on top and with a sharp knife; divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
6. With well floured hands, take each portion of the dough and try to shape as round on the top as possible by stretching and gathering the dough to the bottom.  Place this on the prepared pizza peel. Do the same with the remaining 3 dough and let rest for 40 minutes.
7. Place a broiler pan in the bottom rack and pizza stone in the middle rack of the oven and turn on the oven to 450 degrees F. Let it heat for at least 20 minutes.
8. Once the dough has been rested for 40 minutes, sprinkle little flour and slash the top 3 times with very sharp knife. Transfer onto the stone. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler pan and close the oven door quickly to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
9. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Note:

• Sliding all 4 dough from pizza peel to the stone is difficult. Remove the stone from the oven and transfer one at a time. Take one dough, reshape it a little and drop it onto the stone. 
• Be very careful and wear an oven mitt while pouring hot water into the broiler pan.

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Red Onion Salad

This is a quick salad and taste best the same day. Goes really well with rich Indian curries and Kheema Paratha (Flat bread stuffed with minced meat)

Red onion salad

Ingredients:
1/2 red onion – very thinly sliced
1 Jalapeno or Serrano - very thinly sliced (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients well and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes and serve. 

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