Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Hope you all are doing well! We had a great time on our trip and brought back good memories and some wonderful pictures.The first half, we spent in Disney, going around the parks.The next half, we went on an air boat ride (inspired after CSI:Miami:D:) and we drove all the way to Key west, the southern most point in the continental US.THAT was one beautiful and an unforgettable drive.The theme parks were exhausting given how we had to run around and stand in lines.But the drive to Keys and our stay there was fantastic.
I don't have to elaborate on Disney.All of you would have visited by now.This was my first there!
If I were to mention in a few words- its Rides, Characters & Castles, and fireworks!
Key West (also known as Conch Republic), on the other hand, I can run out of words to describe the beauty of that place.There is only 1 and only road that goes in and out of that place.
It is about 6 1/2 hr drive from Orlando.Once you hit Route 1, you can see turquoise and cobalt blue colored ocean on either side of the road.And NO! I am not exaggerating when I say Turquoise and Cobalt blue colors.It is truly the case..
Key West is popular for its Sunrise and Sunset, weather permitting of course.The place is also known for some famous people's houses like Truman and Hemingway. You can see the only living coral reef in US from a glass boat.OR you can just relax on the beach and watch sun go down!Looks like I am yapping too much!I will post the pics soon...

Also, my blog is acting out on me.I have no idea why the comments section is not working properly.While I look into it, if any of you have any problems, please email me at tastytouchblog@gmail.com.I know, all you guys have posted so many dishes/posts and I know I have some catching up to do!In the mean time, here is a simple dish that you can snack on or eat as a side.

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tbsp Orange Juice (Preferably with some pulp)
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Pinch of Cinnamon

• Preheat the oven to 450F.
• Spray a baking dish with a non stick spray.
• Spread the potatoes in a single layer
• Drizzle with Olive oil and season with salt and pepper
• Combine all of them with hands, clean hands!!He he he!
• Bake in the oven for about 28-30 min or until the potatoes are tender.

For the glaze

• Mix Orange juice and maple syrup.
• Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon
• Pour the glaze on the potatoes and bake for an additional 8 minutes.

Take care,
Shri

Spring Rolls & Eggplant Curry

With my folks in town, I am not able to get time to browse all the great blogs there or post all the drafts on my computer.I know I have a lot of catching up to do and I hope to do it in the next week.I merged two posts into one purely due to lack of time:-( Also, I will try to keep my yapping short..With 2 dishes, the post will be long anyway!

When I first started blogging 4months back, eggless cooking was one of those sites that impressed me.She makes everything without eggs, of course, and she makes it sound simple.Even novice cooks and bloggers like me can muster some courage to cook up some feats!

This month, T&T is hosted by Poornima, an event started by Zlamushka and she chose Madhuram's blog and I have chosen to make Madhuram's Baked Spring rolls.

You can find the spring roll sheets in the freezer section or the refrigerated section.I got mine from the frozen section of the Indian stores (Brand name :Kawan).

You will have to excuse me for the picture quality for the first 2 pics .I have no idea why they came out so hazy but the last pic seems fine to me.

These sheets are extremely fragile.They are very similar to the phyllo sheets in thickness.Once you remove them from the cover ,place a moist towel or tissue on top to prevent them from drying. Thaw according to the directions on the package.The kawan brand's thawing time is about 30 mts.


6 cups shredded cabbage
3 Med carrots, grated
1 scallions bunch
2 tbsps fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
4 dashes of Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
Veg Oil for brushing
Spring roll wrappers

For the filling

1. Shred cabbage and carrots, slice scallions finely.
2. In a frying pan add a tablespoon of oil and saute all the vegetables, add salt, soy sauce and pepper powder.
3. Let it cool.

1. Thaw the spring roll pastry as per the instructions in the package.
2. Carefully remove a sheet and spray with non stick spray on both the sides. (I don’t know whether spraying on both the sides is necessary, but I did it anyway.)
3. Keep the filling in the bottom and wrap it as you would wrap a tortilla.
4. Grease the baking sheet and place the wrapped spring rolls and bake it at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until they are golden brown.

This goes to you know where....

Eggplant Curry

This simple curry used to be a regular in my house when we were growing up. I love eggplants but for some reason, my lips used to get itchy everytime I ate eggplant.For a while, I stopped eating it but when I resumed eating it, may be, after 4 years,it stopped.I cannot explain the bizarre reason behind it but , I thoroughly enjoy eating eggplant now!

4 chinese egg plants, made into quarters (horizontally) and sliced lenghtwise
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes
1 medium potato, peeled, cubed and boiled
3 green chilies,sliced lengthwise
4-5 curry leaves
1 tbsp Besan (Chickpea flour)
1 oz of Tamarind pulp

Tempering
1 tbsp of Urad dal
2 tsps of cumin seeds
1 tsp of mustard seeds
Pinch of Hing

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add urad dal,cumin,mustard seeds and hing.

To this add curry leaves, chilies and onions.

Saute the onions till translucent and add tomatoes.Cook the tomatoes till tender and add eggplant.

Pour some water in a plate (should be slightly deep in order to hold the water) and place it on the pan.

Cook till the eggplants are tender and add boiled potatoes to the curry.

Now, add tamarind pulp and besan.Stir well such that the besan is well combined and there are no lumps.Let that cook for 5 -8 minutes.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice or roti.


This goes to IAVW hosted by Graziana of Erbe in Cucina, an event started by Vaishali.

Take Care,

Kothimeera Karam (Spicy Coriander Chutney)

A few years ago,we visited my husband's uncle and aunt who live in VA.It was a long drive but a beautiful one especially along the Chesapeake Bay bridge which offers spectacular views.That truly is an engineering marvel, I think!I wish I could share a picture or two but I could not find a single pic from that trip on my computer.
Anyhow, the day we went, his aunt made the coriander chutney to be eaten with idlis.It was a tad spicy for me but the overall chutney tasted so good that I took this recipe from her.I always make it this way since then and we all love it.I took the recipes for almost all the dishes that she cooked during our 2 day stay there.You can imagine how good the dishes must have tasted.
I must say, there is some magic when elders cook!The food tastes more appetizing, perhaps they add extra love when they cook;).

1 1/2 bunches coriander, stalks removed
4-5 red chilies (change the proportions according to your taste)
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tsps Urad dal
1 tsp Chana dal

1 oz of Tamarind pulp
pinch of Hing(asafoetida)

Roast chana dal, urad dal , half the quantity of red chilies (2)in a pan, with out oil.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil and fry green chilies and the remaining red chilies.

Remove them and put aside.

In the same pan, fry coriander leaves until they are wilted but not dry.

Grind/Blend the coriander leaves, roasted mixture(red chilies, chana dal , urad dal, green chilies) with tamarind pulp

For tempering:

Heat a tsp of oil and fry Jeera (cumin seeds), mustard seeds and a pinch of hing.

If you wish to have a sour taste, add lemon juice.

Serve it hot with rice or idlis or dosas!

This is off to Think Spice: Think Chilies hosted by Lakshmi Venkatesh, an event started by Sunita

Shri

Simple Greek Salad, Chana Masala & Mango Lassi

Summer is not even officially over yet and it is already chilly here in PA!I was hoping the weather will be pleasant at least until late Nov.Why did I think so? No compelling logic there!Just thought...hoped!Hoping this is a passing phase and we will have good weather again but again its just a hope!
Do any of you guys feel down during Winter, with day light savings gone? Or is it JUST ME?
Before the brutal weather kicks in , I thought we can have a good meal on the deck and so I made this simple meal.

Greek Salad
The dressing is from Ellie Krieger's recipe of Greek Dressing
1 packet mixed greens
1 Red Onion, Halved and thinly sliced
1 Medium Tomato, Chopped
1 Cucumber, Peeled and Cubed
Pepperoncini, to your taste;I used less than 1/4 cup
1 can Kalamata Olives or Olives of your choice
Feta Cheese

Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper

Whisk Olive Oil, lemon juice, Oregano, Salt and pepper together well.
For the dressing, blend/whisk all the ingredients.
Toss the salad ingredients,add Feta cheese and drizzle the salad dressing

This goes to No croutons required hosted by Lisa.This month's theme is Mediterranean Salad.

Chana Masala with Plain rice

16 oz can of Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
1 Medium Onion, chopped+extra for garnish
1 Med ripe Tomatoes,chopped
1 Med Potato, Peeled,cubed, boiled
1 1/2 oz Tamarind Pulp
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tsps Ginger-Garlic paste
2 green chillies, chopped
Pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste
3 tsp ground cumin coriander

Boil or pressure cook Chana/Chickpeas and Potato in a pan until tender but not mashed up.
In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil ,fry cumin seeds till it splutters and add onions and green chillies.Cook till onions are soft and translucent.Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, garam masala, cumin coriander powder.Cook for about 2 -3 min.
Add Tomatoes and tamarind pulp and cook till the tomatoes are well cooked.
To this, add the boiled/cooked potatoes and Chickpeas
Cook for about 5-8 minutes , until all the flavors are well combined.

This goes to MLLA_15 hosted by Sia of MonsoonSpice, an event started by Susan of the well seasoned cook

Mango Lassi

1 cup (8 oz) Buttermilk;You can make Yogurt into Buttermilk or use the store bought buttermilk.
1 1/2 cup Mango Pulp
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground Cardamom
2 threads saffron,optional

Blend the ingredients in a blender or if using a whisk, combine them thoroughly.Serve the Lassi with a garnish of Saffron!


This goes to Soup n Juice event hosted by Sireesha.


The whole meal is going to Well Balanced 3 course meal hosted by Yasmeen of Healthnut!

Have fun the rest of the Summer:-)
Shri

Fried Shallots

The name Shallot derives from the word ‘Ashkelon’, a city in Israel. Shallot’s botanical name is Allium. They are sometimes also known as eschallots.Known as Gandana in Hindi and ‘bawang merah keci’ in Behasa Melayu, the language spoken across Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, these tiny red onions taste like onions but are less pungent.They are formed as a cluster of bulbs similar to garlic as opposed to a single bulb like an Onion.Although the origins are not quite clear, the roots seem to have been in Asia or in Mediterranean region.

The fried shallots are a popular condiment in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia. In Malaysia,they are served with the regional fried rice (Nasi Goreng) along with Cucumbers and Tomatoes.In India, it is used in Sambar and Kuzhambu. It is also used in pickles and as a pickle!Here is a simple recipe for fried shallots. I served it on some flavored rice.

From The Best International Recipe (From the editors of Cook’s Illustrated)

1/3 cup Shallots
3 Shallots, sliced thin.
Salt to taste

Heat the oil. Place the thinly sliced shallots and cook over high heat by continuously stirring it. Do it for about 5 min till shallots are golden and soft. Do not overcook. They will turn crispy after you take them out from the pan.
Take the shallots out and place them on a paper towel and let the oil drain and turn crispy. Season with salt.

The above picture goes to IAVW:Malaysia hosted by Vaishali of Holy Cow!Vegan Recipes

The last picture goes to CLICK! and this month's theme is Allium!

Shri

Navy beans & Vegetables in Coconut Gravy

I have special affinity to Coconut right from childhood when my mom used to make “Kobbari louz” (I am sure I would have slaughtered the name and the spelling.).Essentially it is grated coconut in sugar/jaggery syrup, made into round balls. Heavenly! They were meant to be eaten after our meals but there were plenty of times me and my brother ate them as meals. Good olden days! rather golden days. At home, my mom used to make everything out of fresh grated coconut-To make chutneys or use it in curries or sambar. Quite frankly, I never ate anything made out of coconut milk. I was introduced to coconut milk by one of my friends who uses it to make Palappam. I love Appam and every time she makes it I gorge on it. I tried to make it several times and will need another time and place to showcase all my disaster stories! For now, let me stick to this curry!!

This recipe is adapted from Anjum Anand’s Cannelini Curry that was published in 'Cook Vegetarian' Magazine. I have changed the ratios quite a bit and used Navy beans instead of Cannelini beans, just because I happened to have Navy beans in my pantry.

1 can of Navy Beans (You can use any type of beans, Cannelini or Kidney beans or black eyed peas)
1 can of unsweetened light coconut milk
1 small medium onion, sliced thin
1 Tomato chopped
½ cup beans (Chopped and Boiled)
1 medium potato, peeled, cubed and boiled
½ tsp turmeric
1 clove garlic
Some ginger
1 tsp jaggery
¼ cup fresh grated coconut
7-8 curry leaves
2 green chillies, chopped
Pinch of asafoetida
1 tbsp cumin coriander powder
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp Mustard seeds
Salt to taste

Put some oil in a wok and fry some mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, green chilies and asafoetida. Sauté the onions till golden brown.Add turmeric,garlic, ginger and tomatoes and cook till they are tender. Add boiled potatoes and beans.



Put coriander-cumin powder, curry powder, jaggery, fresh coconut and salt .Cook for a couple of minutes. Now, pour the coconut milk and let it simmer for about 10 mts or until the curry begins to thicken and comes together.
Serve with hot rotis or rice!



This is my entry to:

-MLLA 13 conceived by Susan of the "The Well-Seasoned Cook" and currently being hosted by Sunshinemom of "Tongue Ticklers"
And

-Lets Go Nuts, a brainchild of Aqua of "Served with Love" and guest hosted by Padmajha of "Seduce your Tastebuds"

Shri