"Spinach-Mint" Rice

 During our hour long drive to work..M and I were talking about last nights dinner.She mentioned that she made Spinach Rice for dinner last night...and shared her recipe too.
Thinking about it the next day...all I wanted to do was ...eat Spinach Rice!! The 'green' rice also reminded me of the 'Mint' Rice my friend J's mom made during our college days.
So....I combined them both..to make this amazingly flavorful and nutritious Spinach-Mint Rice! I would totally try this one with brown rice the next time I make it.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Basmati Rice washed and kept aside for 20 mins
1 Cup Spinach leaves
1/3 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped onion
1tbsp oil
1tsp Shah jeera
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2tsp garam masala powder
2 green chilies
5-6 whole black pepper
3-4 Cloves
1 bay leaf
8-10 Cashews
Salt
2 cups hot water

 Method:
 1) In 1tsp oil, saute the spinach and garlic till tender.Let it cool. Make it into a paste along with mint leaves and green chilies with 1-2 tsp water.
2) Heat the rest of the oil, add the shah jeera, bay leaf, cloves, black pepper and onions.Fry till onions are translucent.Add the washed rice, garam masala powder and cashews and saute for 1 min
3) Add the pureed spinach+ mint. Mix .Add salt and add the hot boiling water.
4) Let it cook with the lid on till the rice is cooked through.
5) Serve hot along with little ghee, yogurt raita and pickle!!

"Everyday Cooking"- Mint Pulav

Who/ What inspired your cooking today???
For me, my cooking is inspired by my environment and the people around me.I call up home, my mom tells me that she had cooked 'Chicken' for dinner...here I make plans to make chicken for dinner!!!
When we were in NY, my close friends were from southern India. So many a times our meals were--south Indian food...idlis, dosas, sambar various kinds of rices....Ohh how I miss 'V' and 'P''s delicious cooking :(
Nonetheless,they still inspire my cooking!!! The other day I had called up 'P'....while talking I heard the mixie go on....I asked her what she was making....she said 'Mint Pulav'....couple days later....this is what we had for dinner.......MINT PULAV!!!

Ingredients:
 2 cups Cooked basmati rice (cook the rice with water and salt and then fluff up with a fork to get 'individual' separate grains)
 1/2 cup Mint + green chilies puree ( wash 1 cup mint leaves and puree in a blender along with 2-3 green chilies) Use less if you want 'milder' minty taste.

 1/2th cup sliced onions
 1/4th cup sliced tomatoes
 1/4th cup sliced potatoes
 2tbsp Cashews
 3-4 cloves
1tsp Cumin
1tsp chopped garlic
2tbsp oil
salt

Method:
1) After cooking the basmati rice, fluff it with fork and spread on a  big plate to separate the grains.
2) Saute cumin, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cashews,garlic in oil.

3) Add the cooked rice, little salt, mint puree.

4) Mix gently. The rice has a nice 'green' color

5) Serve hot along with cool onion+ tomatoes raita or Cucumber raita

"Everyday Cooking"- Chicken Frankie/ Chicken Kati Roll

There are so many famous street foods in India that are amazingly delicious, mouthwatering, sometimes healthy too! Because of 'mingling' of the cultures, 'what originated where'...is a big question! In Maharashtra..the famous Dabeli (Origin:Gujrat), Pani poori/Bhel(Chaats) (Origin: Delhi), Chinese food (Origin:China), Vada Pav (Origin: Mumbai), Misal Pav (Origin: Kolhapur), Dosas/Uttapa/Vadas(Origin: S.India) are some of the famous street foods. Also famous is the Kati Rolls/ frankies.I still do not know why they are called 'Frankies' but just found out that the 'Kati Roll' originated in 'Kolkatta'! Did not know that! Wikipedia says: Kati roll is street-food originating from Kolkata, India. Its original form was a kati kabab enclosed in a paratha, but over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name of Kati Roll. Today, pretty much any filling rolled up in any kind of Indian flatbread is called a kati roll.
Last week I made my mom's Veggie version of the Frankies and this weekend I thought I will give my friend 'P' the taste of Maharashtrian street food (Had not quite realised the origin is 'bengali' though!!)  when her family comes over for lunch! Anyways..that doesn't make the 'Kati Rolls' any less delicious....and we all enjoyed the spicy-tangy chicken wrapped in wheat chapati/paratha.
Ingredients:
For the Chapatis/Tortillas/Wrap
They are usually made with 'All purpose flour' and little whole wheat flour added to it.But my mom and hence me.... prefer to use the 'whole wheat flour'.
1 cup Whole wheat flour (if you want all pupose flour add 1/2 cup whole wheat flour+1/2 cup all purpose flour)
2tsp oil
salt
(2 Eggs beaten) +salt and little chili powder)-needed when assembling the Kati roll
Mix flour,oil , salt and knead into a soft dough with water.
Roll out the dough into circle thin chapatis/tortillas.Roast lightly on hot flat pan/tava.The chapati will finish roasting after the filling is filled.

For chicken filling:

1 lb Boneless chicken cut in small pieces
2 onions chopped
1/4cup crushed tomatoes
1/2tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2tsp Chicken curry masala
1/2tsp cumin-coriander powder
1/2tsp cumin
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1/2tsp chili powder
1tsp Mint paste
chopped cilantro
oil
salt

For topping: Onions,Green Pepper,Red Pepper sauted with salt and black pepper

Method:
1) Marinate chicken pieces in ginger garlic paste, mint paste, turmeric, chili powder etc.Keep aside for 1/2hr.
2) Heat 1tbsp oil, add the onions.Saute till brownish.Add the tomato paste and saute till nicely fried.
3) Add the marinated chicken and other spices. Cook till all the juices dry up and chicken is tender.
4) Garnish with chopped cilantro

For my 'SECRET' chutney:
This one is my favorite quick chutney. It's tangy-spicy-minty.Goes well with Samosas,Vadas, most appetizers etc. Its color is brown and so most people think its 'tamarind' chutney.But actually it is just 'Jazzed up Ketchup!
1/2cup tomato ketchup
1tbsp Maggie hot and sweet sauce
1tbsp Mint paste
1/4tsp chili powder
1/2tsp sugar
1/2tsp chaat masala
salt
Mix everything together and your chutney is ready!

Assembling the Kati Rolls:
1) Brush the wheat chapati with beaten egg mixture and put on oiled pan/tava (the egg side down) Let the egg cook.Take off the heat. Apply the above chutney liberally on the egg side.The egg side will be inner side of the roll.
OR
Make thin egg omlettes first and place them in the wheat chapati/paratha.
2) In the center add 2 spoonfulls of the chicken, onions and peppers and fold into a roll.Secure with tooth pick if necessary.
3) On heated tava/pan apply little oil and warm up the roll, till golden brown.
4) Wrap half way in foil/paper.
5) Serve hot with or without the chutney/raw onions etc.

'Appetizers"-Bread Pakoda

So after yesterdays try on Rava dhokla.....which failed, decided to look for some easy appetizer recipe for tonight's 'Navaratri Potluck'.Found this interesting site -'www.showmethecurry.com'.
Those women are doing a great job with the recipes and they even have videos on the website.It's pretty helpful to be actually able to see the recipe being cooked.

I decided to give their 'bread pakodas' a try.

Near my college in Pune,there was this small snacks bar named 'Bipin',which served similar bread pakoras..they called it 'bread patties'. They would make a sandwich of bread with spicy aloo stuffing,dip in besan and then deep fry the whole sandwich like pakoras.It was served with this amazing sweet-sour tamarind- jaggery chutney and chopped onions on top! Ohh boy...my mouth is already watering..with those memories.It was such an amazing snack..especially after long days at lab..practicals...lectures...rainy days. Of course we had to keep our 'calorie consciousness' aside to enjoy that tasty pakora!

Anyways...

Here's the recipe from 'Showmethecurry':
Ingredients:
Sandwich Bread – 3 slices
Tomato Ketchup
Cilantro or Mint Chutney
Oil – for deep frying

For the Batter:
Chickpea Flour – 1.5 cups
Water – 1/4 cup
Baking Soda – 1/8 tsp
Salt – to taste
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/8 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder – 1/4 tsp
Chaat Masala – 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Cut the edges off the bread slices.
2. Open the bread and spread Mint/Cilantro Chutney.
3. On the other side spread the Tomato Ketchup. Keep aside.
4. In a flat bottomed platter, add in the dry ingredients for the batter. Mix well.
5. Slowly add in the water.
6. Mix well to a smooth batter, making sure there are no lumps.
7. Heat the Oil (for deep frying) on medium heat.
8. Once the Oil is hot, dip the bread sandwich in the batter.
9. Make sure to get all the sides and corners.
10.Place gently in the Oil and allow it to cook (golden).
11.Turn and cook on all sides.
12. Once done, take the Pakoda out and place on a paper towel.
13. Allow it to cool down just a little and cut into desired sizes.
14. Serve hot.
Tips:
1. For a variation, dip plain bread slices in the batter and fry.
2. Allow the Oil to heat up at Medium heat…and evenly.

I made little variations:

1) Made Mint+Cilantro chutney

2) Added owa/Ajwain seeds to the batter

3) Added 1/2tbsp rice flour to the batter.

Though I liked the ease of this recipe (no aloo stuffing needed) and looks attractive after cutting,the taste is surely not as delicious as 'Bipins' bread patties. Next time,I will surely make aloo stuffing and try out 'Bipins' way..and serve with that tangy tamarind and jaggery chutney.

As for today...these bread pakoras will be the appetizer for tonight's party! Let's see what my friends at the potluck party,have to say about these?