"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"- Thin Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Cherry tomatoes

I am back from one of the most amazing vacations ever! Cancun, Mexico was such a beautiful place ...very scenic with it's white sandy beaches, the pristine Caribbean ocean,small islands, the sweet polite people, Spanish language...just loved it!
During the vacation to Mexico...got to try some new finger licking delicious food....Mahi-Mahi and Grouper, the authentic fajitas ,crepe burritos, tomatillo salas..yummm yummmm yummmm.

Now that I am back, I am back in my kitchen....and here's what we had for dinner last night.....
This was a pretty easy to make pasta, no sauces involved....and you can substitute with any other veggies that you like! But this combination worked well and the cherry tomatoes made the dish 'pop' with color!

Ingredients:
4 fist fulls thin Spaghetti or Angel Hair pasta
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
8-10 cherry tomatoes
1tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Romano cheese
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil ( EVOO...as said by Rachael Ray!)
1/2tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried basil. fresh basil
1/4tsp Black ground pepper
1/2tsp Red Pepper flakes
1tbsp chopped cilantro/Parsley
salt

Method:
1) Boil the spaghetti with ample amounts of water and salt as directed on the packet.Drain well.
2) Heat 2 tbsp olive oil, add the garlic, mushrooms.Saute till the mushrooms cook a little.Add the tomatoes
and saute gently.Do not over cook, otherwise the tomatoes will be mushy.

3) Add the seasonings,spices, salt and the drained spaghetti.Toss gently.
4) Add the Parmesan cheese, cilantro/parsley and toss.

5) Serve hot along with Soup/ garlic bread/salad. Drizzle extra olive oil or Parmesan cheese if you like!