Dal Makhani

I’ve been eating a lot of good food lately but just didn’t get a chance to measure & cook, take pictures or work on recipes. Here’s one recipe after a fun long break. :)

Dal Makhani is a popular Indian dish. It is quite easy to prepare but does require a good amount of time. I came across this recipe on Vahrehvah’s website few years back and have prepared this couple times. The richness of the dish and the amount of time required for cooking, it is definitely not your everyday meal but good for special occasions or get-togethers.  It could be paired with grilled meat or kabobs along with some Naan, Jeera Rice and Kachumber or simply serve with some Jeera Rice or Naan.

Dal Makhani

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Dal Soaking Time: 8 hours or more
Cooking Time:  1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Whole Urad Dal (Black Gram)
1/8 cup  Red Kidney Beans
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Whole Spices – 2 Cloves, 2 Cardamom Pods, 1 - 2” Cinnamon Stick, 2 Bay Leaves
2 teaspoons Ginger – grated or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
3 to 4 Tomatoes – blend to puree (about 1 3/4 cups)
3 teaspoons Red Chili Powder – adjust to taste
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons Butter
1/2 tablespoon Dry Fenugreek Leaves
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Cilantro – finely chopped

Direction:

1. Wash Urad Dal and Kidney Beans few times and soak with about 8 cups of water for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Rinse once and cook in pressure cooker with 3 or more cups of water on medium heat for 4 whistles (or about 7 minutes after cooker starts steaming).
3. Turn off heat and keep aside until all steam has been released, for about 10 to 15 minutes.  The beans should be very soft and little meshed up. Keep this aside.
4. Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat and add cumin seeds.
5. When it starts to splatter, add whole spices.
6. After 30 seconds or so, add ginger, garlic, turmeric powder and cook for 30 more seconds.
7. Add tomato puree and bring it to a boil.
8. Add chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
9. Add butter and cook for 2 more minutes.
10. If there's any liquid left from boiling the beans, add that liquid or just some water and bring to a boil.
11. Add the cooked beans and mix well.
12. Add dry fenugreek leaves, crushing them with hand while adding.
13. Once the beans start to boil, reduce heat to low, cover the lid and cook for 40 minutes or more stirring occasionally in between so that the beans do not get stuck at the bottom. Cook until it is a good thick gravy consistency.
14. Add cream, mix well and cook covered for further 5 minutes on low heat.
15. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with Naan or Zeera Rice and Kachumber.

Note: To cook Dal without pressure cooker, cook uncovered over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it is not scorching at the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 1 hour or until dal is tender adding more water as required.

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Bibimbap

Bibimbap is one of my favorite Korean dishes (I know, I have too many favorites :) ). In Korean restaurants, it is usually served in a stone pot/bowl where the rice at the bottom sticks to the stone and creates a crunchy layer. Since I don’t have a stone bowl at home, I usually prepare it just in a regular bowl. As much as I like the crunchy part, for some reason, I think that the homemade Bibimbap tastes much better than the restaurant one. I think one of the reasons the homemade one tastes so good is because I’ve found a really good recipe here. I like to add lots of hot pepper paste, mix it really well and eat.

Bibimbap

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

Ingredients:
1 batch Spinach Side Dish (recipe here)
1 batch Soybean Sprouts Side Dish (recipe here)
1 medium Zucchini – cut into matchstick size pieces (about 10 ounces)
1 medium Carrot – cut into matchstick size pieces (about 5 ounces)
10 Shitake Mushrooms – thinly sliced (if using dried, soak in warm water for 15 minutes until soft)
14 ounces Ground Meat (I used ground Turkey)
4 Eggs
4 cups Cooked Rice
Korean Hot Pepper Paste (Gochujang) – to taste

Prepared ingredients in a platter

Seasoning:
A pinch of Salt
5 teaspoons Oil
6 1/2 teaspoons Soy Sauce (adjust to taste)
2 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Sesame Oil + plus more for serving
4 cloves Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
Freshly ground Black Pepper – to taste

Directions:

1. In a large platter, place prepared Spinach and Soybean Sprouts.
2. In a bowl, place Zucchini and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Mix well and keep for about 5 minutes. Squeeze out water and keep aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tsp of oil and sauté Zucchini for few minutes until translucent and transfer to the platter.
4. In the same skillet, add 1 tsp of oil and sauté Carrots for about 30 seconds and transfer to the platter.
5. In the same skillet, add 2 tsp of oil and sauté Mushrooms for few minutes until lightly browned. Add 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and cook for further minute. Add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, stir well and transfer to the platter.
6. In the same skillet, add 1 tsp of oil, add Ground Meat and cook until lightly browned stirring frequently. Add 4 cloves garlic, 4 ½ tsp soy sauce, 1 ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil & black pepper to taste and continue cooking for further minute. Transfer this to the platter.
7. Cook the eggs sunny side up and keep aside.

How to Serve:

1. Place rice in a large bowl and top it up with prepared meat and vegetables attractively.  Place egg in the center and serve with sesame oil and hot pepper paste on the side.
2. Before eating, add few drizzle of sesame oil to the bowl along with desired amount of hot pepper paste. Mix really well with a spoon for few minutes and eat.

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Curry Udon

Whenever I cook Japanese Curry, I like to serve it with flavored rice for one meal and use the leftovers to make the soup and serve with Udon. I love soups and this is one of my favorite ways to eat Udon. Udon is a thick noodle, mainly made of flour and has a chewy texture which sets it apart from other types of noodles. I usually buy the frozen kind so that I have it handy whenever I need them.

For the soup base, I usually like to make Kombu Dashi (Kelp Stock) and add curry and bring it to a boil but if I’m out of Kelp then I would just use water to make the soup.

Curry Udon

Serves: 1
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 – 3 inch piece of Kombu (Dried Kelp) – wiped clean with damp cloth
1 1/2 cups Water
1 1/2 cups prepared Curry (recipe here)
Salt to taste (optional)
1 serving of Udon – cooked per package instructions
1 Green Onion – thinly sliced or shredded

Directions:

1. In a pot, place Kombu and water and let sit for about 15 minutes.
2. Bring water to a boil and just before boiling, remove Kombu and discard.
3. Add Curry to the water, stir and bring it to a boil. Add salt if desired.
4. In a bowl, place Udon and pour the soup over. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.

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Japanese Curry with Chicken

Japanese Curry is quite different from the Indian Curries. It is quite mild compared to Indian Curries but I like both of them. It does taste better when cooked with beef but when you’re short with time, chicken is a good option. It is quick and easy to prepare as I’m using the readymade curry spice cubes (Java Curry Sauce Mix). I usually like to serve this with Curry flavored rice (recipe here) wrapped in an omelet and pour the curry sauce over the egg wrapped rice.

Japanese Curry with Chicken

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
14 ounces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – cut into bite size pieces
Black Pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon Oil
1 large clove Garlic – finely chopped
1/2 box of Japanese Curry Sauce Mix (about 4 ounces)
1/2 large Onion – cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium Potatoes – cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large Carrot – cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 Sweet Apple or Asian Pear – peeled and grated
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Honey (adjust to taste)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with black pepper and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pot over high heat and once hot, add garlic and sauté for few seconds.
3. Add chicken and sauté for few minutes until lightly browned. Add about 1 tablespoon worth of Curry Sauce Mix to the pot and stir till dissolved.
4. Add onion, potatoes, & carrots and continue cooking for further minute.
5. Add 2 cups of water, cover the pot and bring it to a boil.
6. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and let it simmer covered for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
7. Add the remaining Curry Sauce Mix and stir well until it is all dissolved.
8. Add apple and honey and let simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes until the sauce has thicken and chicken & vegetables are cooked through.
9. Serve hot with steamed rice or curry flavored rice.

Note:

• To make wrapped omelet, use about 2 large eggs per omelet, season with salt & pepper and 1 teaspoon of milk or cream. Cook just until the egg is set but little wet. Fill rice in middle of omelet, wrap and serve with prepared curry sauce.
• If I’m making Curry Flavored Rice the same day, I keep one cube of Curry Sauce Mix for the rice and use the remaining for Curry Sauce. 

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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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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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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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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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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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Tilapia Larb (Tilapia Salad)

I love Thai food and Larb is one of my favorite Thai salads. My dad used to make beef or chicken Larb for us often. Although Larb is usually made from ground meat, I tried making it with fish and really enjoyed eating it. It is quick & easy to prepare and healthy & tasty as well. The ingredients used here are similar to the Thai Grilled Beef Salad I’ve previously posted but this one comes together much faster.

Tilapia Larb (Tilapia Salad)

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 15 – 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
8 ounces skinless Tilapia fillet
3/4 cup red onion – thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onion – thinly sliced (about 2 green onions)
1/2 cup cilantro – roughly chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves– roughly chopped
2 teaspoons uncooked sweet rice/glutinous rice – toasted on skillet until fragrant and lightly browned; and ground to a coarse powder
2 teaspoons crushed chili pepper - lightly toasted on skillet till fragrant (adjust to taste)
1 lime – extract juice (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (adjust to taste)
Black pepper to taste (optional)
Oil spray

Directions:

1. Have all ingredients ready before cooking the fish.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat with oil spray. Once hot, add fish fillets and pan fry for few minutes per side until flaky and cooked through.
3. Smash it lightly using a fork to break into big chunks. Season it with some black pepper, if desired.
4. If you do not like raw onion taste, add the onion and cook for further minute, stirring gently. If not, turn off the heat and remove from heat. Add all the remaining ingredients and adjust according to taste.
5. Serve hot with steam rice and fresh vegetables such as cabbage and cucumber pieces.

Note: I usually make toasted sweet rice and toasted crushed chili pepper in larger quantities (about 1/2 cup or so) and store it in airtight containers for future use.

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Shan Khauk Swe (Shan Noodles)

Shan is one of the states in Burma bordering China, Thai and Laos. Their regional food has different types of noodles that are well known throughout the country. This dish is originally from there but I got to taste it when my sister was visiting us and she cooked for us. We loved it so much that I have been making this few times after her visit.

There are different versions of this dish and is usually served with some chicken broth soup and sour mustard greens. This is a dry version and I usually eat it by itself as it does taste pretty good on its own. During her time living in Loikaw (capital of Kayah State, neighboring state of Shan), my sister got this recipe from a lady that sells these noodles.

Recipe updated: Apr 10, 2012
Amount of Red Chili Powder used has been updated.

Shan Khauk Swè (Shan Noodles)

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For Gravy
2 pounds Tomatoes – slit a cross-shape just through the skin with a sharp knife, at the bottom of each tomato
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
3 tablespoon Soy Sauce (adjust to taste)
3 tablespoon Oil
8 cloves of Garlic – crushed or finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
4 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 teaspoon Fish Sauce (adjust to taste)

Other Ingredients:
1 pound fresh Vietnamese Flat Rice Stick Noodle (Banh Pho)
1/2 pound Chinese Greens (Yu Choy) – discard few inches off the bottom; cut into 2 inch pieces and wash well
1/2 cup Roasted Peanuts – coarsely grounded
4 teaspoons Soy Sauce (adjust to taste)

Directions:

1. In a pot big enough to fit all the tomatoes; fill it with 1 cup of water and add salt. Stir and add the tomatoes, cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once water comes to a boil, cook for about a minute or two, just to loosen up the skin but not to cook the tomatoes.  Remove from heat, pour out the water and leave the tomatoes to cool uncovered.
2. Meanwhile, chop the chicken into as small as you can or about less than 1/4 inch pieces. It will look almost like minced chicken. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce mix well and keep aside. (I find that partially frozen chicken is easier to work with when chopping it.)
3. When the tomatoes are cool, remove the skin and discard. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove as much seeds as possible without removing any pulp. Discard the seeds, chop the tomatoes finely and keep aside.
4. Heat a pot with oil over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic, turmeric powder, chili powder and cook for few seconds till fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
5. Add chicken, increase heat to high and cook stirring frequently until all chicken pieces turns opaque and it starts to release water. Stir for few more seconds and add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, fish sauce and the remaining 1 tbsp of soy sauce.
6. Stirring occasionally, cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes until all tomatoes are crushed and the oil starts to separate from gravy. You should not need any water but if it is too dry, add some water. Turn off the heat and is ready to be served.

How to serve:
Have all ingredients ready before serving. You will have to work with one serving batch at a time.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. The pot should be big or deep enough with enough water for noodles to be dipped in with a noodle-strainer or any strainer that you will be using.
2. Once water comes to a boil, place a handful of Chinese greens into the strainer and dip the strainer in the boiling water for about 10 to 20 seconds for the greens to wilt.
3. Remove strainer from water, place a big handful of noodles into the strainer. Dip the strainer in boiling water for 3 to 5 seconds. Noodles will cook right away and you don’t want to overcook them, so work quickly.
4. Place the cooked noodles along with the greens to a serving bowl. Ladle couple scoops of chicken gravy on top. Top it up with peanuts, crushed chili and 1 tsp of soy sauce (adjust to taste) and serve immediately.
5. Mix everything before eating.

Note:

• If you cannot find the fresh noodles, dry noodles will work as well. Soak them in cold water for couple hours and cook as mentioned above.
• Since vegetables take little longer than noodles, start with vegetables and add noodles. However, they both can be cooked separately but having vegetables at the base while cooking noodles will help with not overcooking the noodles. 
• If noodles are all over the place and not able to fit neatly into the strainer while cooking, remove from boiling water and make sure that they are not dipped into water while gathering them.  
• Make gravy spicy enough so that you don’t need to add more chili at the time of serving. If not, serve with toasted crushed red pepper.

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Mattar Paneer

Mattar Paneer is a popular Punjabi (northern state in India) dish. This is the version from Vahrehvah website. It is easy to make, rich, creamy and packed with flavor. Best to be served with naan, Jeera rice, some fresh vegetables and sweet lassi drink.

Mattar Paneer

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
10 whole cashew nuts
1 onion – roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon ginger – roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic – roughly chopped
2 medium tomatoes – roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cup)
Whole spices – (2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 3 cardamom pods, 2 teaspoon cumin seeds)
2 green chilies – finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
1 cup green peas
10 ounces paneer (homemade or store bought) – cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup cilantro – roughly chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder (optional)
2 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a pan or pot over medium high heat; add 1 tbsp of oil and sauté cashew nuts until they are slightly golden in color.
2. Add onions, a pinch of salt and cook until onions are lightly brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add turmeric powder, ginger, garlic and cook for further minute.
4. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let it cool and blend it into a smooth paste and keep aside.
5. Using the same pan or pot, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil over medium high heat and add whole spices. Fry for 30 seconds and add the above blended mixture.
6. Add about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water to thin out the gravy and add green chili, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder and salt to taste. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 10 minutes on low heat uncovered.
7. Add fenugreek leaves crushing between the palms while adding, mix well and cook for further 5 minutes partially covered.
8. Add green peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Add paneer and simmer for two minutes. Make necessary adjustments to taste and thickness of the gravy by adding more water if needed.
10. Garnish with chopped cilantro, cream, Garam Masala powder, stir gently and simmer for a minute more and serve hot with naan.

Note: If desired, paneer cubes can be deep fried until golden brown before adding into the gravy.

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Galbi (Korean Short Ribs BBQ)

I like a lot of barbeque dishes and Galbi is no different. I like to pair it with some Japchae, and some of the Korean side dishes, depending on how much time I have on hand. I’m using Maangchi’s recipe with few more ingredients added. I love the dipping sauce she made which goes really well when spread over rice noodle roll sheets, and wrapped with some meat and vegetables. It is always good to marinate meat overnight but if you are short of time, few hours of marinating will do as well. I like to buy the boneless short ribs from Costco. I like this cut because it is well marbled which produce tender meat at the end and boneless just makes it a bit easier to eat.

Galbi (Korean Short Ribs BBQ)

Serves: 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Marinating Time: Preferably overnight

Ingredients:
4 pounds boneless beef chuck short ribs – excess fat removed and cut into 1/4 inch thick and 5 to 6 inches in length
1 large Asian pear
9 cloves garlic
1/2 Onion (about 1 cup) – cut into chunks
1 teaspoon ginger – roughly chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup Chinese rice wine (cooking wine)
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (optional)
4 green onions – thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Wash the beef couple times under cold water, drain and keep it in a large container or pot.
2. With your food processor or blender, grind pear, garlic, onion and ginger into a fine paste and transfer to a clean large bowl.
3. To this bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour this marinate over the beef, mix well and let it marinate in the fridge, covered for overnight.
4. When ready to grill, remove the meat from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling and grill on high heat for your desired doneness, approximately 2 minutes per side or more.
5. Serve the meat as a wrap with ingredients such as lettuce, chunks of cucumber, carrots, green chili, rice noodle roll sheet and dipping sauce (recipe below) or serve with some steam rice, Japchae, grill vegetables and cucumber kimchi.

Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon soy bean paste (fermented bean paste, Doenjang)
1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper paste (Gochujang)
1 green onion – thinly sliced
1 clove garlic – pressed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and serve.

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Japchae (Korean Stir Fried Noodles)

I started eating Korean food only after moving to California and love it ever since. I like the BBQ and most of the side dishes offered in Korean restaurants. This noodle is one of my favorite dishes that I've tried. Few years back when I was a little obsessed with Korean food, I started looking for Korean recipes online and found this Maangchi's website which I absolutely love. I've tried many of her dishes and love them all.

This noodle is a must have for us whenever we do Korean BBQ. Since I always pair it with Korean BBQ, I just take some of the marinated meat from BBQ, slice it thin and use it for this dish.

Japchae (Korean Stir Fried Noodles)

Serves: 4 as a meal or 8 as a side dish
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
12 ounces Korean starch noodles (Dangmyun)
1 bunch spinach (about 1 pound) – cut off the roots
1 medium carrot – cut into matchstick size pieces (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion – sliced into 1/8 inch thick slices (about 1 cup)
1 packet of white button mushrooms – thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
8 green onions – cut into 3 inch length pieces
5 ounces (approx. 1/3 lb) beef – thinly sliced
5 dried shitake mushrooms – soaked in warm water for 30 minutes or until soften, squeeze out water and thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic – pressed or finely chopped
4 tablespoons soy sauce (adjust to taste)
3 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
3 1/2 tablespoon sugar (adjust to taste)
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
5 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil for cooking the vegetables

Directions:

1. Boil the noodles per package instruction till tender, drain and place it in a large bowl. Cut it up several times using scissors and season it with 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Mix well and keep aside.
2. Place spinach in a pot of boiling water and cook just until wilted, for about half a minute. Drain and rinse under cold water few times, removing any grit or dead leaves along the way. (You can use the same water for boiling noodles to cook the spinach). Squeeze out excess water and cut into about 2 inch pieces. Season it with 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, mix and place it in the noodle bowl.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add a splash (about 1 tsp) of olive/vegetable oil and stir fry the carrots for about half a minute and transfer them to the noodle bowl.
4. Heat the same skillet with a splash more of oil and stir fry the onions until translucent and transfer to the noodle bowl.
5. Do the same with white mushrooms, stir frying them until lightly golden and transfer to the noodle bowl.
6. Repeat again with green onions and cook for about a minute and transfer to the noodle bowl.
7. Heat the same skillet again with a splash more oil and add beef, shitake mushrooms and stir fry for few minutes until the meat is cooked through. Add garlic, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar, stir well and cook for about half a minute more and transfer to the noodle bowl.
8. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp sesame oil, black pepper to the noodle bowl. Mix everything up very well and adjust according to taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Note:

• Precut all the vegetables before stir frying so that you can cook continuously while stir frying.
• Keep the heat to maximum and make sure the skillet is well heated while stir frying the vegetables.

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Aloo Puri

Aloo and Puri goes together like love and marriage ;). It is just a perfect combination. My mom used to make super delicious Aloo Puri for us and we all loved it. She also made Kheer along with this meal but since I'm not too crazy about Kheer, I've never made it before. She usually made the puri out of atta flour, which produces softer puris but since my husband likes little chewer version, I use mixture of all purpose flour and atta to make them. The Aloo subzi has a little tangy flavor from tamarind and good aroma from black onion seeds. This is fairly an easy dish but does require deep frying the puris.

Aloo Subzi

Serves: 2 to 3
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon brown whole mustard seed (rai)
1 teaspoon black onion seed (kalonji/kala zeera)
1/4 teaspoon hing (optional)
1 1/2 cup of onion - finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger - grated or finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic - crushed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 pounds potato - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup tamarind (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. To make tamarind pulp, in a small bowl, soak tamarind in enough lukewarm water to cover it. Let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to soften. With your hand squash and squeeze the tamarind so that it mixes well with water. Strain, discard the solids and keep aside the liquid/pulp for later use.
2. In a pot, add oil and heat over high heat. Once it is hot, add mustard seeds, black onion seeds and hing. Fry for few seconds until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add chopped onion, a pinch of salt and stir well.
3. Fry the onions, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes until they are lightly golden in color.
4. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric powder and stir for few seconds.
5. Add potatoes, salt to taste, stir well and cook for about a minute.
6. Add about 1 1/3 cup of water or enough water to cover the potatoes, reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until potatoes are cooked through and soft. It is okay for some of the potatoes to be little mashed as this will create thicker gravy.
7. Add tamarind pulp (2 tablespoon or to taste), more water if required (about 2/3 cup), stir and cook for further 2 to 3 minutes. Make necessary adjustment to taste and consistency of the gravy by adding more water if required. Serve hot with fresh puris.

Note:

• I prefer using tamarind for this dish but you can substitute it with lime juice as well.
• 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.
• Unused tamarind pulp can be frozen in ice cubes trays and store the cubes in Ziploc bag or airtight container in freezer for few months.

Puri

Makes: 16 puris
Preparation and frying Time: 30 minutes
Dough resting Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup atta flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup water (more if required)
Oil for deep frying

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all purpose flour, atta flour and salt 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 milk to the flour mixture and start by adding half of the water and continue to add more 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.
4. Lightly coat the kneaded dough with oil, cover and keep aside for about 30 minutes or so. Tip: While dough is resting, prepare Aloo Subzi.
5. Once ready to make the puris, divide the dough into 16 equal portions and roll them into smooth balls.
6. Heat deep frying pan with few inches of oil over medium heat, to 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Prepare a large plate or pot by lining it with some paper napkins to keep the fried puris and keep this aside.
8. Take each dough ball and roll out into thin circles about 4 1/2 to 5 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.
9. 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.)
10. 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 and remove from oil. Fry all the puris and serve hot with Aloo subzi.

Note:

• Having a second hand in making puris will be very helpful. While one person rolls, the other person can do the frying process. Before starting the frying process, have 5 to 6 puris rolled out ahead of time.
• If you're making it alone, just work in few batches rolling and frying 5 to 6 puris at a time. While you're rolling, just reduce the heat of the oil a little to maintain the temperature.

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Thai Grill Beef Salad

This is one my favorite salads. The taste and ingredients used in the dressing is very similar to the Thai dish 'Larb' that my dad used to cook for us when we were kids. You can serve the salad by itself as a light meal; serve it as a side dish to a meal or serve it with steam rice as a meal on its own.

Thai Grill Beef Salad

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Marinate time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For Marinate:
2 – 1 inch thick, boneless New York strip steaks – fat removed and poked with fork all over
2 cloves garlic – crushed
1 teaspoon ginger – grated
1 tablespoon light soya sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, cooking wine
1 teaspoon sugar or grated palm sugar
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Salad Dressing:
1/3 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 cup mint, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon or to taste crushed red chili pepper – toasted (toast chili pepper in a small skillet on low heat until fragrant)
1 tablespoon uncooked sweet rice – lightly toasted on a skillet and grinded to a coarse powder
2 tablespoon fish sauce (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon sugar or grated palm sugar (adjust to taste)
Juice of 1 to 2 limes (adjust to taste)

Other ingredients:
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 handfuls of romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Mix all marinate ingredients except for beef in a small bowl and adjust according to taste. Coat both sides of the beef with this mixture in a shallow dish and let it marinate for about 30 minutes or so.
2. Mix all salad ingredients in a bowl and adjust according to taste and keep aside.
3. Heat a griddle skillet pan or a skillet on high heat until the pan is hot. Spray with oil and cook the steaks on high heat for about 3 minutes on each side to get color.
4. Reduce heat and cook till your desire doneness. For a little well done meat, after reducing the heat, cover the pan halfway and let it cook through.
5. When done, transfer the meat to a plate, cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing the meat into thin strips.
6. To serve, add tomato, cucumber and lettuce in a big mixing bowl and add half of the salad dressing. Toss well and transfer to a serving platter. Top it up with sliced beef and pour more dressing on top. Serve with steam rice.

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Kheema Paratha (Ground Meat Stuffed Flatbread)

Kheema Paratha is basically a flat-bread that is stuffed with ground meat mixture. In Burma, when we use the word Paratha, we are referring to flour based (instead of whole wheat) flaky, layered and crispy type of Paratha, also known as Lacha Paratha or Roti Canai in some other parts of the world :). It is mostly sold by road-side vendors and usually in the evenings, people either set up cooking area in-front of their restaurants or just in some corner of the road and start making and selling these. There are different varieties of fillings that you can order but the meat filling is mostly made with beef. You can choose from meat only, meat and egg or egg only. The meat version goes really well with some sour salad or even with just a wedge of lime. Sometimes, I like to order egg only version and sprinkle some sugar on top or spread condensed milk and eat it as a sweet dish.

Back home, people usually don’t make these at home mainly because it requires some skill in making these types of Parathas. Not only does the dough need to be quite smooth and elastic but the actual technique of pulling the dough paper-thin, requires some skills. It is certainly not impossible to make it at home, but back then at that time; when fresh Parathas are so readily available, why would anyone bother making them at home :).

That being said, now that I’m living in a totally different environment, I would love to make these from scratch one day. For now, I’m using the frozen Parathas and so far they have worked out pretty well for me. I don’t like to use oil when cooking the Parathas because I think the frozen Parathas already have enough oil in them. The filling used here is pretty versatile and can be used to fill; puff pastries, Samosas or spring rolls. I’ve used ground turkey below but you can make with any type of ground meat; such as, chicken, beef or lamb. However, you might have to use more or less spices depending of the type of meat used.

Kheema Paratha

Makes: 6 Paratha
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 to 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
5 cloves (about 1 tablespoon) garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger – grated or finely chopped
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup cilantro – finely chopped
1/2 cup mint – finely chopped
1 Jalapeno or any green chili – finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup red onion – finely chopped
6 frozen uncooked plain Paratha (I use, Kawan brand) – keep at room temperature in one layer for about 15 minutes before using

Directions:
Filling

1. Combine ground turkey with chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, mix well and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a wide pan over high heat, and add garlic and ginger. Stir for few seconds and be careful not to let it burn.
3. Add ground turkey mixture and stir well to combine. Stir frequently and break up the meat with spatula to prevent big lumps. Continue to cook on high heat until the meat starts to brown.
4. Add black pepper at this point and make necessary adjustments according to taste. Stir for few more seconds and turn of the heat and remove pan from the heat.
5. Add chopped cilantro, mint and jalapeno and mix well to combine.
6. When the meat mixture is quite warm but not hot anymore, add the chopped onion and mix well. Let this mixture cool completely before warping in the Parathas.

Wrapping and cooking the Parathas

1. On a smooth surface or countertop, place one Paratha and roll it out as thin as you can without breaking or tearing approximately about 11 inches in diameter. (I use the back of a round tray as surface for rolling the Parathas.)
2. Place about 1/2 cup of filling in the middle of the rolled Paratha and shape the filling into approximately 5 x 6 inch rectangle.
3. Fold over the bottom and top of the Paratha circle to the center. Fold over the sides to the center as well. You will end up with a rectangle shaped Paratha at this point.
4. Place the Paratha on a sheet of plastic that comes with the Paratha package, keep aside or in fridge while wrapping the remaining Parathas.
5. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium to medium low heat. Place one paratha, seam side down and cook for about 5 minutes in total flipping once or twice until both sides are golden brown in color and crispy.
6. Keep the cooked Paratha on a wire rack in a warm place. Continue to cook the rest of the Parathas and serve hot with wedges of lime and onion salad.

Note:

• You can also add an egg during the wrapping process. After placing the filling in the center, crack one egg open and lightly spread the egg with a fork over the filing. Wrap the Paratha as stated above and cook.
• While cooking the Parathas, sometimes, I like to open up the top folds, and brown the inner side for few minutes and fold back to its shape so that it can thoroughly cook inside.
• If frozen Paratha are too hard and breaks when you roll, leave it out few minutes longer for easier rolling. If they are out too long, it will be too soft, so put back in fridge or freezer to chill them a bit. 
• You can lightly grease the work surface if Parathas are sticking or too soft.

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Mahi Mahi Tacos

Mahi Mahi is a very flavorful and meaty fish. Since we did not really use this fish back home, I was looking online for different ways of preparing this fish. I came across a Taco recipe few years back and really enjoyed eating them. This is just a perfect combination of all the flavors and I love the idea of using Nectarine in making salsa. I didn’t modify this recipe much other than using smoked paprika instead of cayenne and leaving out avocado in salsa; mainly because I always forget to buy it :).

Mahi Mahi Tacos

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Spice Mix
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

Other Ingredients:
4 (4-ounce) mahi mahi fillets
Oil spray
12 corn tortillas
Nectarine salsa (recipe follows)
Zesty sour cream (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Combine spice mix ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. Sprinkle this evenly over both sides of the fish and keep aside.
2. Spray some oil on a skillet and heat it over medium heat. Once it is hot, place the fish and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until the fish is cooked through. Remove from heat, break it in few chunks and keep aside.
3. In a separate skillet over medium heat, heat the tortillas few seconds per side until warm.
4. To serve, fill each tortilla with chunks of fish and top it up with Nectarine salsa and Zesty sour cream.

Nectarine Salsa
Ingredients:
2 cups nectarine – diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper – chopped
1/4 cup red onion – finely chopped
Few sprigs of cilantro – finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (adjust to taste)
1/2 jalapeno – finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1 clove of garlic – crushed or finely chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, adjust according to taste and serve chilled. 

Zesty Sour Cream 
Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
Few sprigs of cilantro – finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon hot sauce of your choice
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, adjust according to taste and serve chilled. 

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Turkey Seekh Kabab

The weather in Southern California has been great lately. Mostly sunny and we even hit 80 degrees F past week. With this beautiful weather, of course BBQ came to my mind. When we BBQ, we usually go all-out grilling different types of meats and vegetables in one shot. BBQ for us is more of a feast then keeping it simple :). However, this time, I controlled my urge of making a feaster and just made some Seekh Kababs and Tandoori Chicken. It was quick and effortless for me since I don’t do the grilling part :).

Seekh Kabab is a popular dish and there are many different variety and versions of this dish. I came across the video from VahChef few years back and tried few different techniques that he has mentioned in this video. They are all good but his method requires grinding meat on your own. Since I wanted it to be simpler and quicker, I came up with below version.

Turkey Seekh Kabab

Makes: 5 Kababs
Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:
0.8 pound (364 grams) ground turkey
1 tablespoon ginger – grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/8 cup fried onion or shallots (I usually use readymade one)
1/4 cup grated extra sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro – finely chopped
1 jalapeno or any green chili - finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 egg – lightly beaten
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
5 BBQ bamboo skewers – soaked in water for 30 minutes wiped dry
Oil Spray
1 large yellow or white onion – cut into 1/4 inch thick rings
Few red or green whole jalapenos for grilling

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Divide the meat into 5 equal portions.
2. Take one portion of meat and starting from the center of the skewer; wrap the meat around and shape it into a uniform cylinder shape (sausage shape) along the skewer leaving few inches empty from top and bottom. Place the shaped Kabob on a plate and continue with the rest of the meat.
3. In a separate dish, place the onion rings in one layer and drizzle some olive oil or spray some oil on them. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Turn the onions over and do the same thing with the other side.
4. When ready to grill, spray some oil on an outdoor grill and grill the Kabobs, for few minutes until nicely browned rotating few times for even browning on all sides. Grill the onions and Jalapenos alongside while grilling the meat.
5. Alternatively, if you want to make it indoors, use a griddle skillet or a plain skillet, spray some oil and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through, rotating few times for even browning. Grill the onions and Jalapenos on the same pan as well.

Note: The meat needs to be free of moisture for making the kabobs. Dry the green chili and cilantro well before adding. If the mixture is mushy, add some bread crumbs to firm it up. If the meat is sticking too much to your hands, oil your hands while shaping them.

Serving Suggestion:
To serve as an appetizer: remove skewer, cut into half or 3 portions of each kabab and serve with lime wedges and green (cilantro) chutney.
To serve as a meal: serve with Jeera Rice, Naan, Raita, Kachumber, grilled onions and grilled fresh chilies. If you don’t like your meals dry, serve some type of Indian curry along with it.

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