The Desi Omelette
Posted in: Breakfast, Egg | Comments (7)
I know, you are wondering, why a post about omelette, right? Let me explain.The story behind this recipe starts from my recent trip to India.
Now I love eggs in any form for breakfast, sunny side up or omelette or scrambled eggs to stuff inside the bread like a sandwich to go. But N is not a big fan of these for breakfast. So, one fine morning I went to the kitchen to see N’s ayah(almost like a nanny, who took care of him when he was a kid) gearing up to make omelettes for breakfast.
Since I know N does not like them, I made the mistake of telling her that only to be met by a blank expression with a we’ll see look.
So she proceeded with the prep work chopping onions, cilantro and green chilies while the conversation went like this:
Me: Some tomatoes?
Ayah: No
Me: Mushrooms?
Ayah: No
Me: Peppers?
Ayah: No
Me: Spinach?
Ayah: No
Me: Cheese?
Ayah: … (By now you should have guessed the answer)
Me: You know you can make a wholesome breakfast with cheese and milk and veggies in an omelette
Ayah: Giving me a look which translates to, no wonder N does not eat the omelettes you make.
So ayah quickly sauteed the onions and chilies and mixed them with eggs and made an omelette which was very tasty, simple yet full of flavor wihtout the addition of anything else. Needless to say, instead of getting it to the table to N, I finished it off in the kitchen itself and N had to wait for the second one!
After we came back, this has become our favorite weekday/weekend breakfast which can be put together in a flash. I usually make it square instead of a circle to stuff it between two slices of bread, pack it as a “To go” breakfast.
Ingredients (Makes one omelette):
Large egg-1
Chopped onions(or shallots)- 3 tbsp
Chopped cilantro- 1 tbsp
Chopped green chili- I used one small birds eye chili
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Ghee- 1/2 tsp
Method:
Saute the onions and chilies together in ghee till onions turn translucent, adding a pinch of salt. Transfer them to a bowl, mix chopped cilantro, another pinch of salt and pepper and let it cool for a minute. Now break in the egg into the bowl and beat well.
Heat the same pan used for sauteeing onions, spread the rest of the ghee and pour the egg mixture into the pan. Swirl the pan to get the shape you like. Let the omelette cook on one side and turn golden brown, flip it to the other side and let it cook through.
Transfer to a plate, serve with a drop of ketchup and toast or make an omelette sandwich and enjoy!
ruchikacook @ August 25, 2010
Freezing fresh from the garden
Posted in: Home made basics | Comments (5)
While blog hopping I have seen a lot of garden updates and about growing different vegetables and sometimes I try them in my own little vegetable garden. When I see the colorful flowers especially yellow flowers of Okras, Purple color of Eggplants or a light shade of violet of the long beans, I just have to show the garden to my neighbors and friends for Ooh’s and Aaah’s.
But let’s talk about Step 2: The garden is growing so well that you harvest long beans and okras by the dozen every week and you are running out of recipes to put them in. You have shared so many bags of okras with the neighbors that they are running away at the sight of the vegetable! At this stage I usually start freezing the vegetables to use after a few days.
Here is how it goes:
Usually to freeze a vegetable like daikon(radish), remove the skin, chop it in to desired shape and drop them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove them from the hot water, transfer the vegetable to a bowl of cold water (preferably an ice bath), then drain all the excess water from the vegetable and store them in zip lock bags or plastic storage containers. Make sure that you write the date when you made the frozen vegetable and use it within 3 months.
The same method can be used for freezing peas, beans, carrots and beets.
For okras, chop them but do not cook them in water. Store the chopped okras as it is in a freezer bag.
My garden produces so much of cilantro and mint that I end up freezing them too. For mint, I make a mint paste and store it, ready to use for any recipe, but for cilantro you can either make a cilantro paste or simply wash, dry the cilantro in a kitchen towel and chop them finely and store it in the freezer.
For curry leaves, wash and dry the leaves in a kitchen towel in a cool dry place in the kitchen. Then microwave it for a minute- two minutes, depending on your microwave powder and store the curry leaves in an airtight container.
Too many tomatoes from the garden?? Make it into a tomato puree and store it ready to use!! Or better make the onion- tomato masala paste, the base for most Indian gravies and store it for a busy weeknight dinner curry.
Do not store the eggplants as they are(whole), even if it is a small purple eggplant, how much ever you try, you cannot thaw it to make it fresh. Eggplants will turn black in color when frozen as whole and will be like leather when used directly in cooking after that. Neither will they absorb the flavor or taste good.
For broad beans(Avaraikkai), remove the thin vein that runs on both sides, chop it and then store it. No point in storing the broad beans as whole and later defrosting and removing the stems.
Picked too many strawberries from the farm near by? Freeze them as whole berries or make a berry puree. Use the puree in muffins like this recipe.
Too many Bananas from the backyard or from the store? Remove the skin of the banana(must), chop it and store in the freezer. Then use it in smoothies or in sheera.
Do you have a garden too? Do share your trips and tricks on storing with us!
ruchikacook @ August 23, 2010
Gourmet Cooking Classes in Dallas- In a Palace Restaurant
Posted in: Event | Comments (5)
Few months ago, N and I had an opportunity to visit Kalachandji’s Palace temple in Dallas and we also had good ayurvedic- vegetarian food at the restaurant. I also wrote a review of the palace restaurant in one of my earlier posts here.
I was told at that time about the cooking classes offered at the palace. The class consists of a small group and one can select as many classes she/he wants, as there is no need to attend all the classes. And the best part is you get to be a part of the class- some students help in making chapatis, some chop veggies, the chef demonstrates the recipe and at the end all the students go home having dinner at the palace, ie., what was made in the class is not a sample recipe but is made for 20 or 30 students.
The classes for this year start in September 2010 and here is the schedule:
Kalachandji’s presents Gourmet Indian Vegetarian Cooking Classes Fall Session 2010
with Master Chef Manjuali Devi
8 classes for $150, or $25/class
Thursday evenings 7:00 – 9:00
Kalachandji’s Community Halll
Course Outline
Sep 23 Rajasthani Dahi Aloo Ki Curry (potato dish), Panir Paratha (flatbread), Madrasi Yogurt Rice, and Carrot Halvah (sweet)
Sep 30 Sambhar (South Indian soup), Idli (steamed rice cake), Dosa (savory crepe), and Coconut Chutney
Oct 7 Khichadi (rice and bean stew), Bengali Spinach Wadi Sabji, Mooli Makkai Ki Roti (cornflour and radish flatbread), and Tamatar Ki Laungi (tomato chutney)
Oct 14 Panir Pasande, Aloo Paratha (wheat and potato flatbread), Pachadi (yogurt salad), and Khandvi (chickpea flour pasta rolls)
Oct 21 Bengali Dal (soup), Kalachana (black chickpea curry), Harematar Ki Puri (puffed bread), and Green Tomato Chutney
Oct 28 Summer Cold Sambhar (soup), Methi Ki Paratha (flatbread), Matar Panir (peas and curd dish), and Besan Chella Ka Raita (yogurt salad with dumplings)
Nov 4 Bombay Curry Soup, Achar Panir Tikka (spicy curd dish), Tamatar Kasoori Pulao (rice dish), and Dahi Wada (dal cakes in yogurt sauce)
Nov 11 Bhelpuri (puffed rice appetizer), Sevpuri (chickpea noodle dish), Dahipuri (potato puffed bread salad), and Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Classes are Offered at:
5430 Gurley Ave, Dallas TX 75223. For more information call Danny at (214) 821 1048
Note: I am not involved with the restaurant or the palace, this is just an event announcement for interested foodies.
ruchikacook @ August 18, 2010
Announcing Event: Baking from a Book
Posted in: Event | Comments (7)
I remember the time when I was a little girl pestering my mom to bake cookies and cakes when we did not have an oven. She somehow managed to do so with her tava and cooker turned in to a baking dish! But given the kitchens we have now with built in ovens we all love baking and posting about it don’t we?
In the past few months whenever I want to bake something new or even bake a bread, instead of running over to food network website, I hop to Champa’s blog. You need recipes for no knead breads? She’s got it! Vegan cakes?? Sure! How about cake decorating? Yup, you can find that too, with step by step instruction. So Versatile is her Kitchen, I could only say yes when asked to host the event, baking from a book this month!
The rules:
Bake anything, I mean anything but it has to be from a book. That includes breakfast(cereals, breads, muffins) to pizzas to Naans to Italian (Eggplant Parm/ Baked Pasta/Bisctotti) to Cakes to everyone’s favorites- cookies.
Think about it, any recipe that you saw in a book that you tried successfully for your loved ones? Surprised hubby or daughter? Any recipe that you saw in a book but never had the chance to bake? Or your baking attempt was a disaster but you fixed it on your own the next time and feel proud about it? Great- Then share the story with me 
The Baking From a Book event runs from today, August 16th to September 16th.
All entries(multiple entries welcome) must include a link to this announcement page as well as champas’s blog along with source of the recipe( feel free to write more about the book if you want to as well)
Once you have posted the recipe, send me a email to ruchikacooks@gmail.com with your
Name:
Recipe URL:
Name of the recipe:
Recipe Inspired from which book:
Picture of the recipe:
Non bloggers are welcome to participate too, you can send the details to ruchikacooks@gmail.com.
Use of the logo is appreciated.
Round up will be posted by within a week after the end date, before the end of September.
Any questions, you can contact me at the email ruchikacooks@gmail.com or leave a comment.
So, what are you waiting for? Head to the library or dig in to your recipe collections and lets get baking!
ruchikacook @ August 16, 2010
