Last weekend I was in Seattle for the second International Food Bloggers Conference. I had to miss it last year and was very excited about the chance to participate this year. The conference was held at the Theo Chocolate factory in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, and the agenda had a number of sessions that caught my interest as well as a few that turned out to be pleasant surprises. Though the cost of the conference may make you feel a pinch in the wallet, I think it was an excellent value considering the quality of the sessions as well as the chefs they brought in to cook the lunches and dinners.
The weekend was fantastic from start to finish. Spending time with old friends (Jen, Susan, Alice, Diane, Stephanie, Denise), making new ones (John, Allison, Peabody, Kevin, Amanda, Donna, Deseree), and meeting so many folks that I admire (Shauna and Dan, Penny, Kelly, Diane, Lael) was the biggest kick for me. I admit I was a little tongue-tied when meeting some of these fantastic folks, which is probably better than babbling on like a dork, but still I hope I didn’t make a complete fool out of myself.
In addition to all the awesome people, here are my biggest “likes” from the conference:
Penny de lo Santos: Beautiful photographs that make my heart ache. I had a moment akin to the first time I saw The Bread Baker’s Apprentice cover in the bookstore, when I had this out of body experience and heard my own voice say, “I want to make bread like that.” Being engulfed in Penny’s photos brought the same reaction, “I want to make photos like that.” I finally had to stop tweeting her tips because I didn’t want to miss a single image. And she is funny and delightful. The biggest thing I hung onto from Penny’s presentation is to allow time for photographs to happen. Waiting for the right moment can make all the difference between a good photograph and a photograph that stimulates our emotions.
James Oseland: It was so refreshing to hear from a leader in the food mainstream media that he not only gets bloggers but embraces us. He shared how he started writing about food, and like most of us got into it in a roundabout way. He understands our need to share our love for food and food culture and supports the work we do, whether as a hobby or a profession.
Shauna and Alex: The session on blogging and special diets was really excellent. There was never a moment where it felt like the conversation was stilted or awkward. Both are passionate about their work and it shone through.
Morgan Spurlock: Takes a serious topic and makes it accessible to all without being overbearing. And he’s darn funny, too. (Check out Jen’s photo op with him!)
Readers to Eaters: Phillip and June Jo Lee promote food literacy with programs and events designed to help connect eating and reading. They work with libraries, schools, farmers markets, community organizations, and restaurants to create custom programs. As an educator, I think their work is wonderful and would love to see an organization like this working in the DC Metro area.
Seattle Urban Farm Co.: I had a chance to chat with Brad, one of the owners, and they do some great stuff helping individuals and companies set up organic sustainable gardens. If you are in the Seattle area and want help with a garden, check them out.
Modernist Cuisine: This is what you can do when you have an insatiable interest in something and money is no object. It was like Food Geeks meet The Mythbusters and Time Warp, great stuff. The book collection is a tad pricey for the average home cook, but I really don’t think that’s their audience, and I’m hoping for a digital version with HD video at some point so the boys can amuse themselves watching the popcorn video a zillion times in a row.
Lamb, Grits and food trucks: Yes, we had some really tasty food: bahn mi and rack of lamb on Friday night, steak tartar on Saturday, and grits (yes, grits) on Saturday night. The food truck lunch on Sunday was not only delicious but also my kind of casual fun.
Twitter back channel: Check out the #IFBC Twitter stream if you haven’t already. You’ll find lots of helpful tips and quotes from the sessions as well as some hilarious snarky commentary, some of which could make a sailor blush.
Finally, a big special thanks to Theo Chocolate, Sur La Table, POM Wonderful, and all the other sponsors who helped make this weekend memorable. And I’m looking forward to the possibility of IFBC becoming a roving event, perhaps on the East Coast next year!
I sat for several hours at the Seattle airport last night, desperately wishing for a cup of hot chicken soup and a warm bed, but didn’t get home until this morning. I left Seattle with a cold but also brought home some wonderful memories. As I scan through my photos from a weekend in Seattle and the International Food Bloggers Conference, I find myself smiling and laughing as I see the faces of old friends and new and remember the fun we had this weekend.
I arrived in Seattle late Friday morning and spent the afternoon at Pike Place Market. This would be my only day to see some sights, and of course Pike Place was a no brainer. First stop, the famous fish market at the main entrance. Crabs anyone?
Of course I had to see some fish being tossed about.
Pike Place Market has a small Chinese restaurant that’s Zagat rated, Pike Place Chinese Cuisine, and I enjoyed a quiet lunch there while looking out at the Bay. The meal was hot and sour soup and barbecued pork with vegetables, exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries after the long flight from Dulles.
Cherries for dessert. (As I took this shot, I deeply regretted my decision to leave the big camera and cool circular polarizer filter back home.)
Seeing all the colorful flowers reminded me of the Colombian flower markets that I frequented back in the day and left me wishing I had a way to carry them back home to Virginia.
The sounds of musical groups performing outside on the sidewalks filtered throughout the area. This group has a great sound and drew a crowd.
I adored the colorful chili peppers strung together at a vegetable stand.
And the smells, oh the smells. The Russian bakery across the street called me like the Pied Piper and apparently called many others as the line of eager customers snaked out the door and down the block. And as I meandered through the stalls and the shops, all I could think was how much I wished we had a market as big and vibrant as this back home.
Nehal has recovered from a severe bout of flu and is doing good. Am I glad! Well, I am yet to recover from a severe throat infection. I have never been so sick in a long long time. With absolutely no appetite, I have been living off soups and rasam these past few days. I feel much better since the weekend. Hopefully should be back to my normal routine this week.
A quick breakfast/evening tiffin prepared with left over idlis for one of those not-feeling-good days. Similar to Idli Upma with a slight variation.
Left Over Idlis with Pappula Podi Recipe
Cooking: 10-12 mts
Cuisine: Andhra
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Ingredients:
6 left over idlis, crumbled
1 onion, finely chopped
big pinch turmeric pwd
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp oil
Grind to a coarse pwd:
1/2 tbsp grated coconut
1 tbsp roasted gram dal/putnala pappu/dalia
2 dry red chillis, tear and de-seed
For tempering/poppu/tadka:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal/minappa pappu
pinch of asafoetida/hing/inguva
few curry leaves
1 Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add urad dal and let it turn red. Add curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric pwd. 2 Add chopped onions and saute till they turn transparent. Add coriander pwd and combine. Add the ground roasted dal pwd and combine. Add the crumbled idlis and combine. Cook for a mt. Adjust salt, if required.
This year the biggest surprise in our garden was the volunteers, which is much better than the bunny surprise we got last year. Apparently some of our compost didn’t cook long enough because we have volunteers aplenty.
The volunteer cantaloupe vine is winding its way around the rhubarb, horseradish, cherry trees, lavender, and thyme. We got our first fruit this week, and it was perfectly sweet and delicious.
There are currently five more fruits on the vine so far. I’d say this was a very fortunate volunteer and I’m not sure I could get results this good if I’d tried to plant them. In fact I said in the spring we probably couldn’t grow them due to the problems we have with certain pests. I’m so glad to be proven wrong on this one.
Some tomatillos are climbing the side of the house next to the chili pepper patch. And yes, there are some little tomatillos on them, along with the hoards starting on the four plants on the other side of the house.
Though I adore cantaloupe, this has to be my favorite volunteer this year, a monstrous butternut squash vine that started next to the compost bin and is spreading and growing in the grass right in front of the tomato bed. It’s about 10 feet long now and has huge blossoms and several squash growing on it. Though the squash vine borers made a determined attack, this plant seems to scoff at their attacks. It’s amazing. And like the cantaloupe, I probably couldn’t have grown it if I tried.
My first taste of baba ghannouj was at the cafeteria on the Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and I could easily make a lunch out of their hummus, baba ghannouj, and flatbread. Baba ghannouj is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made from eggplant that has been grilled or roasted, and the smoky flavor carries over to this simple dip that’s popular all over the Middle East. Depending on where you eat, it will probably have eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, olive oil, and parsley, and may also have chopped tomatoes, cumin, mint, onions, yogurt, or mayonnaise. So consider this a base recipe, a jumping off point to play with and have fun experimenting with the flavors.
I wish the eggplant came from our garden, but after three years of fighting pests that devour the plants, we finally decided that eggplant just wasn’t a good fit for our garden. Fortunately our homegrown garlic and parsley do add some good flavor to the dish. I hope you’ll join us for the third anniversary of Grow Your Own this month! Posts are due on August 31 and should be sent to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. You can find more information at the Grow Your Own page.
1 eggplant (12 ounces/375 g)
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sesame tahini
2 cloves garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs parsley
SERVE WITH
khoubiz (pita)
Preparation
1. Pierce the eggplant in a few places, then grill the whole eggplant for about 30 to 40 minutes over medium hot coals, turning about every 7 minutes. Peel the skin off while it’s still hot and remove the stem end, then rough chop the flesh. Place it in a colander and drain out the liquid.
2. Add the flesh to the work bowl of the food processor and puree it. Add the lemon juice and tahini and pulse a few times until well mixed.
3. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt. Process well and add more lemon juice and salt to taste.
4. Add the olive oil and parsley, processing until the parsley is chopped but still visible.
5. Serve in a shallow dish garnished with parsley. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
A few weeks ago our Lifetime Fitness location hosted a Culinary Night that was sponsored by Toyota, and Michael and I thought it would be fun to see the cooking demonstration, which featured dishes from the LifeCafe. There were plenty of samples to go around and everyone received a handout with recipes, so of course we decided to try some at home.
Of all the things we sampled, our favorite was the popular Asian tuna, which the cafe serves on ciabatta rolls or as a green salad topping.
The tuna gets a little kick from Sambal Oelek, an Indonesian condiment made from very hot chiles, vinegar, and salt. Sambals vary between countries and regions, and use a variety of chiles, spices, and many other ingredients, so depending on what you have a taste for and what your local Asian grocery store stocks, you can spice up sandwiches and other dishes in dozens of different ways. Just be prepared because this is spicy stuff.
Other samples we tried included the Santa Fe Salad, Southwest Wrap, Turkey Avocado Sandwich, and the Chicken Pesto Pizza, so it’s a good thing we skipped dinner that night.
Recipe Notes
The recipe as distributed at the demonstration yielded a tuna that was much wetter than the version served in the cafe, plus it was much, much spicier, so we adjusted the ingredients amounts to hopefully come closer to the tuna we sampled. The flavor is very good and it makes a delicious stuffing for lettuce wraps, tortillas, tomatoes, on top of cucumber slices for an appetizer, as well as a salad topping. We’ve been stuffing our homegrown heirloom tomatoes with it, and the combination is terrific. Can you guess what kind of tomato is in the photo? It’s Michael’s favorite and we try to grow them every year. Because these tomatoes are sweet, we omit the honey in the tuna and really don’t miss it.
The tuna salad will keep for a day or so, but it tastes best on the day prepared.
1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste), or more to taste
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
4 (6 ounce/170 g) cans tuna, drained and chopped (LifeCafe uses white tuna, we opted for light.)
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Preparation
1. In the large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sambal oelek, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, ginger, kosher salt, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes.
2. Add the tuna, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and dried cranberries, then toss to mix well. Use as a stuffing for lettuce wraps, tortilla wraps, tomatoes, on top of thick sliced cucumbers, or on top of green salads.
‘Mama, can you make chocolate cookies?’, asked my son as he walked out of the front door yesterday morning.
‘But you hardly ate any when I last made them!’
‘No, I like them. My friend gave me a chocolate cookie in school and it was very tasty. Please make the same ones for me also, Mama?’ he pleaded.
I smiled and assured him that he’d have his chocolate cookies once he’s back from school in the afternoon. He gave me a tight hug and off he went to school. After cooking lunch, I got down to baking Chocolate Nankhatai. Its the first time I added cocoa powder to Nankhatai dough and must say that they turned out exceptionally well. My son loved them and so did we adults.
Chocolate Nankhatai Recipe
Preparation: 10 mts, Baking: 20-22 mts
Makes approx 18-20 cookies
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Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (maida)
1/4 cup semolina/sooji
1 tbsp cocoa pwd
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup ghee or melted butter or oil
2 tbsps yogurt/curd
1 Sieve maida and baking soda.
/> 2 Blend the sugar, ghee, vanilla essence and yogurt till smooth. Its important you really combine well. Add the sieved ingredients and semolina to the sugar-ghee mixture. The dough should be kneaded well for at least 7-8 mts. If the dough is not stiff enough to roll out into balls, add a few tbsps of cold milk and chill for a few minutes. Divide into two parts.
/> 3 Take one part of the dough and add cocoa pwd and knead till its well combined, add a little milk if required. Make small balls of this dough. Keep aside.
/> 4 Pinch dough of the remaining dough and shape into small balls and roll each of them it into a thick cylindrical shape (snake shape).
/> 5 Now place a cocoa flavored ball on the surface. Along the edges of this cocoa colored ball, roll the cylindrical shaped white dough and gently flatten.
/> 6 Garnish with almonds or pista or cashews on top of each flattened ball by slightly pressing into the dough. Place on a greased tray with enough space between each ball as they spread out. Pre heat oven for 15 mts, bake at 180 C for about 20-22 mts. Once baked, the cookie will feel soft on touch. Remove from oven and cool and the cookies will harden.
/> 7 Cool on a wire rack and store in airtight container.
My vegetable vendor brought home some fresh red sorrel leaves this morning. Prepared a rice dish on the lines of tamarind rice and use sorrel leaves as the main ingredient to provide the tart flavor. A unique Andhra favorite among the ‘gongura’ lovers. The factor that makes this rice special is the tart flavor of roasted gongura flavor which melds beautifully with mustard, fenugreek and red chilli spices yielding a sensational one pot rice dish. A complete vegetarian meal along side a bowl of yogurt and papad.
Gongura Pulihora Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 45-50 mts
Serves 4-5 persons
class="source'>Cuisine: Andhra
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Ingredients:
Ingredients:
2 cups raw rice (cook such that each grain is separate, spread to cool)
1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi/pasupu
15-20 fresh curry leaves
salt to taste
2 cups red sorrel leaves, washed
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp methi seeds/menthulu/fenugreek seeds
2-3 dry red chilies, tear and de-seed
For tempering/poppu/tadka:
1 tbsp channa dal (split bengal gram)
1 tbsp urad dal/minappapu/split black gram
1 tsp teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 medium dry red chilli
3-4 green chillis slit length wise
1/4 tsp hing/asafoetida/inguva
2 fistfuls roasted peanuts
3 tbsps oil
1 Sprinkle turmeric pwd, salt, a tbsp of oil and few fresh curry leaves to the cooked and cooled rice and keep aside.
/> 2 Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, methi seeds and dry red chillis and roast over slow flame till the methi turns red. Do not burn them nor under roast them. Remove from pan and cool.
/> 3 In the same pan, add 3/4 tbsp of oil, add the red sorrel leaves and roast them on low flame till they wilt and lose their rawness. This should take about 7-8 mts. Remove from heat and cool.
/> 4 Grind the roasted mustard seeds mixture to a coarse powder and then add the cooled red sorrel leaves and grind them together to a fine paste. Do not add water. Remove and keep aside.
/> 5 Heat the remaining oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add dry red chillis, cumin seeds, channa dal, urad dal and fry for a minute till light brown. Next add the slit green chillis, asafoetida and few curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
/> 6 Add this tempering along with red sorrel leaves to the cooled rice and combine well such that its spread all over the rice. Adjust salt. Finally sprinkle roasted peanuts and combine well. Let it sit for at least an hour for the flavors to set in. If you feel the rice needs more tart flavor, squeeze some lemon juice.
/> 7 Serve with appadam/chips, majjiga mirapakaayalu (sun dried chillis) and yogurt. Makes for a complete meal.
An exotic Andhra-style rich celebration dish with smooth, warm and rich flavors. No onions or tomatoes go into its making, the main player being poppy seeds which lend the dish its body and a subtle sweet flavor. As you bite into the eggplant, you can savor layers of roasted sweet, tangy and savory flavors. A memorable vegetarian delight that will completely floor you.
Vankaya Gasagasala Kura Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 45-50 mts
Serves: 4-5
Cuisine: Andhra
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Ingredients:
1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash and slice
1 1/2 tbsps oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
pinch of roasted methi/fenugreek/menthi pwd
pinch of roasted cumin pwd
3 tbsps khus khus/gasagasalu/poppy seeds, roasted and ground to a paste
1 1/2 tbsps jaggery or sugar (adjust)
very small lemon sized tamarind, extract pulp
salt to taste
1 Add a tbsp of oil in a cooking vessel, add the eggplant slices and roast them till brown on both sides. Remove and keep aside.
/> 2 In the same vessel, add the remaining oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds and as they dance around, add the cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 mts.
/> 3 Add salt to taste, red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd, cumin pwd, roasted methi pwd and combine well. Add 1 3/4 cups of water and cook for 3-4 mts, till it comes to a boil. Add the roasted khus khus paste, tamarind extract and jaggery and cook on medium high flame for 3 mts.
/> 4 Cover with lid and cook on medium low flame for 5 mts. Keep checking in between and stir fry to ensure it does not stick to the pan. Add the roasted brinjal slices and cook on low to medium flame for 15 mts or till the gravy turns thick. Turn off heat.
/> 5 Serve with rice or roti.
Have you relished cabbage in the form a crispy pakoda? If you haven’t and are fond of cabbage then you should try today’s recipe. To many, cabbage may not be the prettiest or tastiest of vegetables but it more than makes up in flavor in the garb of a besan coated, golden crisp pakodi. Cabbage needs to be sliced into thin strips along with onions before combining in chick pea flour, rice flour, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and green chillis and deep fried to a golden brown color. Serve warm with a hot cup of tea on a rainy day and you have a snack to provide comfort to your body and soul.
Cabbage Pakodi Recipe
Prep & Cooking Time: 30 mts
Cuisine: Andhra
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Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups besan/gram dal flour/chick pea flour
1/2 cup rice flour
2-3 green chillis, finely chopped
1/4 tsp red chilli pwd
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 large onion, sliced
2 cups finely sliced cabbage
1 tbsp hot oil
few sprigs curry leaves
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
1 Combine both the flours with salt, ginger garlic paste, red chilli pwd, green chillis, curry leaves, sliced onions and cabbage. Add oil and mix well with fingers.
/> 2 Add few tablespoons of water and mix well that it forms a slightly hard batter. Don’t add too much water. The batter should just coat the cabbage strips and onion slices.
/> 3 Heat enough oil in a deep frying vessel. Once the oil turns hot, reduce flame to medium. Use your fingers to drop the batter in the oil to form small fritters. Deep fry till they turn golden brown. Use a ladle to keep turning the fritters so that it cooks on all sides.
/> 4 Once they turn golden brown, remove them on to absorbent paper. Store in air tight containers and serve as evening snacks over a hot cup of masala chai (spiced tea).
I am enjoying the season of cool temperatures and the kind of cooking and baking that it entails. I find myself drawn to firing up the oven more often than usual. Day before yesterday was a drizzly overcast day and I baked this simple yet interesting cake. We nibbled on it all day to find the cake disappear on the day of its preparation. If you want to bake this cake, try baking in a loaf pan and use pineapple essence which gives it a lot more flavor than vanilla essence. I used a part of the cake batter to prepare few cupcakes for Nehal’s school snack box.
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Tutti Frutti Cake Recipe
Preparation: 10 mts, Baking: 35-40 mt
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Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour/maida
2 tsps baking pwd
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup soft white butter
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup tutti frutti
2 tsps pineapple essence or vanilla essence
1 Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease and flour a loaf tin.
/> 2 Sieve maida, baking soda and baking pwd thrice and keep aside.
/> 3 In a bowl, cream butter and sugar till smooth and creamy. Add one egg at a time and beat till well combined. Add pineapple essence and combine.
/> 4 Add the flour in three additions alternating with milk, starting with flour and ending with flour. Do not over beat, just mix till well combined in low speed.
/> 5 Sprinkle some flour over the tutti frutti to coat them. Add this tutti frutti to the batter and fold gently into the batter. Do not beat it but just fold until combined.
/> 6 Pour batter into the greased and floured loaf tin. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 mts or till a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 15 mts. Remove cake from pan and slice.
The kitchen smelt remarkably delicious with warm aromatic flavors while cooking today’s recipe, mixed vegetable kootu. The reason for the wonderful aroma were the roasted spices and lentils – asafoetida, cinnamon, bengal gram and poppy seeds that were ground to a paste with fresh coconut forming the masala base of the kootu. Makes for a memorable side not only with rice but with dosa and chapati too.
Mixed Vegetable Kootu Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 40 mts
Serves 5 persons
Cuisine: South Indian
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Ingredients:
1 large carrot, peeled and cubed
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 large brinjal, cut into pieces
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
salt to taste
Roast in 2 tsps of oil:
3-4 dry red chilies
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp senaga pappu/chana dal/bengal gram
2 tsps ghasagasalu/poppy seeds/khus-khus
1″ cinnamon stick
pinch of asafoetida
2 tbsps grated coconut
For seasoning/poppu/tadka:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
few fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp ghee or oil (ghee is preferred for this particular kootu)
1 Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter, add cumin seeds and let them brown. Add curry leaves and saute for few secs.
/> 2 Add the carrot, potato and brinjal pieces and saute on medium flame for 3-4 mts. Reduce flame, add salt and turmeric pwd and combine. Place lid and cook till the vegetables are half cooked. Add tomatoes and cook further for another 4-5 mts.
/> 3 While the vegetables are cooking, heat oil in a pan, add channa dal, coriander seeds, khus khus, cinnamon stick and red chilies and saute till the dals turn red and a lovely aroma emanates the kitchen. Add the coconut and asafoetida and roast for half a mt. Turn off heat and cool. Grind this mixture without water till it becomes a powder, add little water and make a smooth paste.
/> 4 Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the vegetables and bring to a boil. Cook with lid for 7-8 mts. Remove lid and add the ground paste and combine well. Cook on low-medium flame for 15-20 mts, till the texture is thick and not watery.
/> 5 Turn off heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice, chapatis or dosas.
What do you do with left over idlis? In my home, they take the form of Upma as a quick tiffin on a busy day, Fries as a tea time snack and Manchurian as a starter to serve friends on a rain filled day.
This unusual yet unique fusion food that takes an Indo Chinese avatar is soft on the inside with a crisp exterior. Tossed in sauces and combined with bell peppers, the end result makes it hard to identify that the main ingredient is our humble Idli.
Idli Manchurian Recipe
Prep & Cooking Time: 30 mts
Serves 4-5 persons
Cuisine: Indo-Chinese
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Ingredients:
6-8 left over idlis, cut each into 8-9 pieces
2 tbsps maida/all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
a little less than 1/2 cup warm water
salt to taste
For sauce:
1/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 capsicum, finely sliced
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1/4 tsp finely minced ginger
1-2 finely chopped green chillis
1/4 tsp red chilli pwd (preferably Kashmiri)
1/2 tsp soya sauce
1/4 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 1/2 tbsps tomato sauce
1/2 tsp brown sugar (optional)
salt as required
1 1/2 tbsps sesame oil
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves OR finely chopped spring onion greens
1 Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.
/> 2 In a bowl, combine maida, cornflour, salt, ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and water to make a thick paste. Dip the idli pieces into the batter such that its well coated. Place each piece that is well coated with the batter into the hot oil. Do not crowd the vessel. Reduce flame and deep fry till it turns lightly brown. Increase the flame towards the end of the cooking process and fry till it turns golden brown. Remove onto absorbent paper and keep aside.
/> 3 Heat oil in a large wok and once the oil is piping hot, add the chopped garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the green chillis and ginger and stir fry on high for a few seconds.
/> 4 Add the whites of spring onions and stir fry on high for 3-4 mts, constantly tossing them. Add the sliced capsicum and stir fry for another 3 mts. They should retain their crunch.
/> 5 Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soya sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar. Combine well and cook for 2 mts. Add 4-5 tbsps of water and cook for 2 mts.
/> 6 Add the deep fried idli pieces and combine. Toss on high flame for 1-2 mts. Turn off heat. Garnish with the chopped spring onion greens or coriander leaves.
If you are fond of greens, especially Amaranth leaves aka Chauli, then I’d like to draw your attention to today’s quick and simple dish that not only adds color, flavor and aroma to your meal but loads of nutrition too. Sauteed greens are combined in a spiced yogurt sauce and garnished with coriander leaves.
You can prepare this recipe with spinach leaves too. Makes for a good side with rice and rotis.
Perugu Thotakura Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 25 mts
Serves 4-5 persons
Cuisine: Andhra
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Ingredients:
3 cups chopped thotakura leaves and stalks, blanched for 5 mts, strained
Combine and keep aside:
1 cup thick yogurt combined with a cup of water
1 tsp green chilli-ginger paste
2 tbsp fresh coconut paste
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tbsp rice flour or besan/chickpea flour
salt to taste
For tempering/poppu/tadka:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp split black gram dal
1-2 dried red chillis (tear into pieces)
1/4 tsp large pinch asafoetida
10-12 curry leaves
1 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add mustard seeds, let them pop, add the cumin seeds and split gram dal and let them slightly red. Add hing, red chillis and curry leaves, and saute for a few secs.
/> 2 Add the thotakura and stir fry for 3 mts.
/> 3 Add the yogurt mix and combine well. Keep stirring over medium flame till it comes to a boil. Reduce flame and cook for another 3 mts till the gravy thickens.
/> 4 Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with white rice.
Blanching of amaranth leaves- Boil 2 cups water in a deep vessel. Add salt, pinch of turmeric pwd and chopped amaranth leaves and cook over medium flame for 5 mts. Strain and use left over water to prepare chapati dough and use the blanched leaves and stalks as called for in the recipe.
When I eat rice for lunch, rasam is a must and the meal is never complete without it. And more so during the monsoon as this piping hot comfort soup soothes the soul. There are numerous versions of this simple soup and one of my favorite is an exotic South Indian delicacy, Pineapple Rasam. Refreshing ripe pineapple is put to good use in a spiced rasam to yield well balanced flavors – a tangy, sweet and and spicy rasam.
1 Heat a deep vessel, add 3 1/2 cups of water, mashed dal, chopped tomato, pineapple pieces, salt, turmeric pwd, green chilies, few fresh curry leaves, jaggery and rasam pwd and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 mts, till the pineapple pieces are cooked.
/> 2 Add pineapple puree and continue to cook on medium flame for 2-3 mts.
/> 3 Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and as they splutter, add cumin seeds and curry leaves and stir fry for a few seconds. Add asafoetida and turn off heat.
/> 4 Add this to the rasam and combine. Turn off heat and place lid. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with white rice and appadams.
Last weekend I was in Seattle for the second International Food Bloggers Conference. I had to miss it last year and was very excited about the chance to participate this year. The conference was held at the Theo Chocolate factory in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, and the agenda had a number of sessions that caught my interest as well as a few that turned out to be pleasant surprises. Though the cost of the conference may make you feel a pinch in the wallet, I think it was an excellent value considering the quality of the sessions as well as the chefs they brought in to cook the lunches and dinners.
I wish the eggplant came from our garden, but after three years of fighting pests that devour the plants, we finally decided that eggplant just wasn’t a good fit for our garden. Fortunately our homegrown garlic and parsley do add some good flavor to the dish. I hope you’ll join us for the third anniversary of Grow Your Own this month! Posts are due on August 31 and should be sent to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. You can find more information at the 
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The tuna gets a little kick from Sambal Oelek, an Indonesian condiment made from very hot chiles, vinegar, and salt. 
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