Indian Cooking Tips and Ideas

Dhal

Dhal is puree of  lentils flavored with herbs and spices.This is served with all most all traditional indian food.
It is used as a sauce or refreshing soup and add moisure to the food  when eating over rice or any meat curry.You can use varies lentils like yellow split peas, yellow lentils or yellow mung beans. All lentils can be bought in any of Indian grocery stores.

Spices

Spices are the most important ingredient of the indian cooking and there are lots of them.This bring the flavor and taste to our indian dishes. The good part about indian spices is that it can be stored for a reasonable time and do not have to be refrigerated. Always store spices in a air tight containers because it tends to lose its smell and flavor.

Lamb

I have use lamb in my receipes, you can always substitue lamb for pork or beef if you prefer.
Fresh lamb is regarded as one of the tastiest meat once you get use to the taste. Good quality lamb can be obtain from any supermarket in your area.
Lamb can be prepared in different ways for example stew, roast, barbaque, curry, chineses style or also in coconut milk to bring the thai taste to your mouth. I most of the time buy my lamb and cut it myself at home this way I can decide if I want bone or boneless. Lamb is a very common dish in the indian society. You would be surprise that lamb bone can also be use to make brooth.

Basmati Rice

Rice has been mention in my receipies because Basmati rice is the most common and recommended rice use in all indian dishes. This is considered on of the best varieties of rice. It is long grain and has a pleasant taste and will hold well
when cooking and is very fluffy and does not get sticky.
Basmasti rice is available in all grocery stores even at costco.

Chutney

Chutney is a unique combination of fruits, seasonings, vinegar and sugar with an unlimited variations of ingredients. I would also say it is like pickles. Chutney brings extra taste to the main dish and is normally serve with your food.
There different kinds of chutney sweet ,sour or you could have something very spicy and hot.Chutney are available in indian grocery store or you could prepare your own homemade chutney.

Indian Curried Eggplant

2 large eggplant cut in 2 inches slices
1 medium onion cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 teaspoons curry power
4 to 5 curry leaves
3 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon spices include mustard,cumin and fenugreek seeds
3 teaspoons cooking oil
1 whole tomato cut in slices
salt to taste
chopped cilantro

Directions:

1.Heat the oil in a large pan add the spices after 1 minute add the chopped onion  when it is brown add garlic and ginger,curry leaves and curry power mix well for 2 minutes and add eggplant and chopped tomato saute for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat and cook for about 30 minutes until the eggplant is tender.
2.Turn off heat and stir in the salt and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, roti or naan.

Chocolate-Peanut butter whoopie pie

Just when I thought I'd explored all the ways to pack chocolate and peanut butter into one delicious dessert, along comes another amazing one: Chocolate-peanut butter whoopie pies ... oh my. 
Fluffy little chocolate cake-like cookies meet a creamy, rich peanut butter filling, and I have met the dessert of my dreams. This recipe from Drexelious Chocolates is fabulous and great for fall with the pretty earth-tone colors.
For the Cookies

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, like Crisco
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling

• 2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Coarse salt, to taste  (I like quite a bit for the contrast)

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.
Put butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on high-speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
To make the filling: Put peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high-speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners’ sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, as needed.
Assemble cookies: Slather filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Indian Mango Chutney or Pickle

Hot Mango Chutney

 This classic Indian chutney is made with chunks of mangoes, sugar, and other spices. Enjoy as an accompaniment to meat and fish dishes

Sweet Mango Chutney

This popular Indian chutney is a light brown, thick, sweet and mildly spiced mango chutney. Excellent to flavor sandwiches, naan or flat breads and as a condiment for rice or spicy meals. Serve with pappadums, grilled meats or fish.

 From:nutsonline.com

Indian canned mutton or beef Paulsami

1 lb fresh  taro leaves .   1 to 2 large onions
1 can of coconut milk , 1can of mutton or beef,	salt to taste
1/4 cup of  lemon  juice or one actual lemon

Place all the ingredients, except taro leaves, in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Use only young, washed taro leaves cut out the stems.  Put about 5 to 6  leaves of taro leaves on top of each other in a round bowl, the largest leaf is on the outside. Then put 1 can of mutton or beef in the bowl that has the taro leaves and then add the 1 can of coconut milk. Fold together leaves at the top and make sure they is no loss of any coconut  milk. Then seal the leave with piece of foil.Make sure nothing is leak for the leaves. Bake at 350 F for 1 1/2 -2 hours. When done remove the  foil  and you can eat it with potato, rice or taro.

Indian Somosa

Indian Potato Samosa
Ingredients :
    4 small baked potatoes
    1 small onion, chopped finely
    1 teaspoon olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 small piece ginger, minced or grated
    1/2 teaspoon cumin
    1/2 teaspoon coriander
    1/4 teaspoon turmeric
     salt , to taste
    2 carrots, grated
    1/4 cup frozen peas

    1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

Directions:
1. Mix all the  ingredients in a bowl once it is properly mixed wrap them in a flour wrap making in a triangle shape and put it in a oven with 350 degrees F for 30 minutes until cooked.

Indian Lamb Curry in Coconut Milk

2.5 to 3 lb lamb chops chopped into 1" cubes
3tbsp cooking oil
half onion slice cut
3tbsp chopped garlic and chopped ginger
2tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp cut cilantro leaves
3tbsp curry power
1 tsp of spices mustard seed, funugreek, cumin
3 to 4 cinnamon stick
6 cloves and 6 cardamon
 1 canned coconut milk

Directions:

1. Put oil in cooking pot once the oil is warm add spices,cinnamon stick,cloves and cardamon and onion
    cook until onion is brown add garlic and ginger after a minute add the curry powder. Mix well and add
    lamb and salt.Cover and cook for one hour until lamb is cooked.
2. Add coconut milk and cilantro leaves cover and cook for 3 minutes.
    Serve with rice or roti, naan

Great curry this is my own method of preparation, something different for the regular meal, the milk
brings in the thai type of taste. You will love the taste once you try it .

Indian Beef Curry

1.5 to 2 lb lamb beef chopped into 1" cubes
3tbsp cooking oil
half onion slice cut
3tbsp chopped garlic and chopped ginger
2tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp cut cilantro leaves
3tbsp curry power
2 tbsp hardi
1 tsp of spices mustard seed, funugreek seed, cumin seed
3 to 4 cinnamon stick
6 cloves and 6 cardamon

Direction:

1. Heat oil in the cooking pan add spices mustard, funugreek and cumin seed, after a minute add
    slice of onion and when brown add garlic, ginger,cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamon then add
     curry power and hardi  mix well for few minutes.
    Add beef and salt and stir and let all the ingredient mix in the beef.
2. Cook for one hour until the beef is cooked and juicy. Then add the chopped cilantro leaves to bring
     the final smell and flavor. Ready to serve with rice or naan.
   

Taro Leaf in Coconut Milk Indian Style

1 lb of chopped taro leaves,
3 tsp of cooking oil
spices 1teaspoon of cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds.
1/2 onion cut in slices
6 garlic mince
2 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger
1 small whole chopped tomato
1 canned coconut milk
salt to taste

Direction:
In the cooking pot put the cooking oil when it is warm place the spices cumin,mustard and fenugreek seeds,
after a minute put the onion and let it get brown, then put the garlic and ginger cook for few minutes and then put the taro leaves and add salt then put the chopped tomato. Mix well and cover and cook for 20 minutes or so when the taro leaves are dissolve then put the coconut milk. Cook for few more minutes and
this is ready. Cool and serve with rice.

This is a very vegetarian dish with you will really enjoy having for dinner.This is also my own way of cooking and I find pleasure in doing so.Hope you do too. 

Indian Egg Curry

4 whole boil eggs
2 potatoes cut in cubes,
1 cup 1/4 inch slice onion,
2 tablespoon of oil,
5 cloves of pounded garlic,
half slice of fresh pounded of ginger,
2 tablespoon of curry power,
1 teaspoon of hadi.
4 or 5 curry leaves
1 teaspoon of cumin,mustard seed and fenugreek and salt.
Directions
Boil the eggs for 20 minutes until cooked.Peel the shells and fry the eggs in a pan with little oil, until they
are are brown. Now take large pot and put the oil once the oil is warm put the spices cumin,mustard seed  fenugreek seeds and curry leaves then put the half slice onion and when the onion becomes brown add pounded garlic and ginger the add curry powder and hardi, add little water if necessary. Now put the potatoes add salt  and cook for five minutes and then add the eggs. Cook until the potatoes are fully cooked . Turn of heat and is ready to serve. You can eat this with rice or roti or naan.

This is a my own style of cooking eggs, you would be surprise the taste it brings to your dinner table.

Indian Chicken Curry

Two pounds of boneless chicken chopped into 1"cube.One whole onion cut into slices,6 cloves of  fresh pounded garlic,one medium grounded ginger,2 or 3 fresh chili (optional)depends on how spicy you want.3 teaspoon of cooking oil,3tablespoon curry masala , 2 tablespoon of hardi,6 cloves, 6 cardaman
1.5teasspoon mustard seed,1.5teaspoon ,1.5teaspoon cumin,6 star anise,1.5 teaspoon fenugreek,3cinnamon sticks,salt,quarter cup chopped cilantro leaves.
Directions:
In the cooking pot pour 3 tablespoon of cooking oil,once it is warm put required mustard seed,cumin,fenugreek the add the slice onion once the onion gets brown put the chopped garlic and ginger.
Add cloves,star anise, cinnamon sticks cadaman  then add the curry maslala and hardi add a little bit of water to avoid burning of the spices. Cook for few minutes and then add the chicken and salt cook for 20 to 30 minutes and finally when it is done just add the chopped cilintro leaves to bring flavor and great smell.
Ready to serve 3 to 4 people,eat with rice, roti or naan.

This is my own receipe and you will be surprise that you will not feel any sweetness in this curry because
I use different spicies, however you can also put a little chili if you prefer to have it spicy.