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Kung Pao Tofu

Kung Pao tofu is a tasty alternative to Kung Pao chicken. It is nutritious and can be made as spicy as needed. Very quick to make for one of those busy days.



Ingredients

1 pack of extra firm tofu
1 cup of chopped green onions
4 tsp Kung pao sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
3 tsp black pepper sauce
1 tsp Soya sauce
2 tsp red chili sauce
1/2 cup raw peanuts
2 tsp sesame oil

Method

- Heat the oil until it smoke lightly
- Add the peanuts
- Cube the tofu into 2 by 2 inches
- Let it brown changing sides constantly
- Add the vinegar
- Add all the sauces and toss the tofu well
- Add the green onions and after a minute or two toss again

Serve hot with brown rice or jasmine rice

Red Salad with Toasty Cheddar Bread

Salad doesn't have to be boring and only leafy. Red salad has all the things you like and yet healthy. Serve it up with toasted Cheddar bread.

Ingredients

Salad with Dressing

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tblsp Almonds
2 tblsp Cranberries
1 tblsp Sunflower seeds
1 cup cut lettuce leaves
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
salt to taste

Toasty Cheddar Bread

1/2 french baguette
1 tblsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Method

Salad with dressing

- Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl.
- For dressing, in a cup, mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and salt.

Add the dressing right before serving salad.

Toasty Cheddar Bread

- Slice the baguette to 6 inch pieces and cut it horizontally.
- Add olive oil on the top and toast it until golden brown.
- Add the grated cheese on open side and let it melt.

Enjoy the crunchy salad with toasty bread.

Curd Rice with Cucumber and Grapes

Curd rice can be made interesting with chunks of cucumber, black grapes and spicy green chili. A perfect ending to a sumptuous south Indian meal.

Ingredients

1 Cup cooked rice
1 Cucumber, diced to 1 inch cubes
10 Black grapes, cut into halves
2 inch of ginger, diced
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp Methi powder
1 tsp Hing
1 cup yoghurt
1 Green chili, chopped
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Cilantro to garnish

Method

- Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add urad and chana dal.
- When they turn brown, add hing, methi powder, green chili and ginger.
- In a bowl mix rice and yoghurt.
- Add the tempering from above.
- Add the cucumber and grape pieces.
- Add salt and mix well.

Garnish with cilantro.

Corn Chowder Soup

Corn chowder soup is vegetarian alternative to clam chowder soup. Its a filling meal when served with crispy bread.

Ingredients

Kernels of 1 corn cob
1/2 cup cream or milk
2 tsp all purpose flour
Salt to taste
2 tsp crushed black pepper
2 small potatoes, diced
2 tblsp Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Parsley

Method

- Heat Butter in a pan.
- Add the flour and let it brown slightly.
- Add the potatoes and corn.
- Fry it for 5 minutes.
- Add the milk and let it boil.
- Add basil, parsley, pepper and salt.
- Let it simmer for 5-10min.
- Using a hand/immersion blender, blend the soup but leave a few chunky pieces of corn.

Serve it hot with dash of hot sauce.

Tri Color Idlis

Idli is an easy snack, light dinner. With this recipe you will always make fluffy idlis. Serve it with tangy tomato chutney and cool cilantro coconut chutney.

Ingredients:

Dosa

1 cup raw rice
1 cup par boiled rice
1/2 cup urad dal
5-10 methi/fenugreek seeds
2 tsp salt

Cilantro Coconut Chutney

1 cup grated coconut
2 big green chili
2-3 sprigs of cilantro
2 tsp Dalia (optional)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Preparing Batter

- Soak the rice together, urad dal and methi seeds separately for at least 2 hrs.
- Grind the rice with as much water needed and urad dal and methi with as little water needed.
- Mix the above two batter along with 2 tsp salt.
- Preheat the oven to 170DegF.
- Keep the batter in oven for 10min covered.
- Leave the batter overnight.

Method

Idli

- Grease idli plates with little oil and pour a ladle of batter.
- Let it steam in a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes.

Do not put on the whistle on the lid

- Let the plates cool down for 2-3 min.
- Take the idlis of the plate with a butter knife.

Cilantro Coconut Chutney

- Grind coconut, cilantro, chili, dalia and salt with very little water.
- Temper mustard seeds and add to chutney.

Cool it and serve it with hot steaming idli.

Blackeyed Peas Curry

Blackeyed peas is a quicker alternative to rajma and chana. It goes well with rotis and rice. You will be amazed how quickly it cooks.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Black Eyed peas
1 medium onion, chopped lengthwise
2 medium tomatoes, diced
Cilantro to garnish
salt to taste
2 tsp Deghi Mirch or Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp oil
1 tsp Jeera
1 tsp Turmeric powder

Method

- Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
- Add the cumin seeds, turmeric powder.
- Add the chopped onions and let it sweat.
- Add the tomatoes and let it cook for few minutes.
- Add deghi mirch and mix it well.
- Add the dal and 1.5 cups of water and salt.
- Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Garnish with Cilantro and serve with rice or enjoy with roti.