Soul Satisfying Tomato Soup

The Story: Soups are atypical in everyday Indian menus. They are mostly seasonal and vary regionally. With the climate in India being mostly tropical in nature, soups are popular during the winter months. They are served at weddings and large gatherings as a beverage often. I love the flavor of Thai Tom Yum soup. I merged the lemon grass flavor into this tomato soup for a soul satisfying experience.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ lb. ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped lemon grass or lemon-thyme seasoning
2-3 curry leaves
4 oz. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
1 Tbsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. roasted cumin seeds, finely ground
A pinch of ground black pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
2 tsp. lime or lemon juice
Water

METHOD:

• Put the tomatoes, lemon grass/thyme, curry leaves, ginger, salt and a cup of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.


• Uncover, increase the heat and simmer more rapidly for another 15 minutes.


• Puree the mixture in a blender and then sieve through a strainer. You should have about ¾ pt. thick tomato juice.


• Add the heavy cream, milk, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Blend well by hand.


• Add in the lime or lemon juice. Stir well and reheat gently without boiling.


• Serve in small cups, garnished with a tiny dollop of creme fraiche or a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

Meet the No-Meat "Meatball" (Kofta)

Background: A meatball is a meatball. There are no substitutes. Right? Wrong. There are ways to make a vegetarian meatball that can be just as satisfying and tasty. Plus, you get to cut out a lot of the fat, calories and cholesterol if you are watching your health. So, what's the catch? None. Just follow this recipe below to indulge in a healthy spaghetti and "meatball" treat without causing a worry to your heart.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. zucchini (green)
¼ c. chickpea flour or regular all-purpose flour

2 large potatoes (any variety)
1 Tbsp. ginger paste
1 ½ c. red onion, chopped
4 – 5 cloves garlic
1 green chili (optional)
Salt to taste

A pinch of sugar
½ tsp. sesame seed, powdered
½ tsp. garam masala
½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. ghee or butter
Oil for deep-frying

METHOD:

• Peel and grate the zucchini using the fine side of a hand grater.
  
• Squeeze out the water/excess-moisture from the grated vegetable using a cheesecloth or by hand. Set aside in a bowl.
  
• Peel and boil the potatoes. Mash them into a smooth paste using butter or ghee.
  
• Add the mashed potato to the grated zucchini and mix well to a dough like consistency.
  
• Add in the flour until the mixture is soft and dry enough to roll into small balls. Avoid the urge to add excess flour. It may dry out the "meatballs".
  
• Add in all the spices listed above including the chopped red onion, garlic, ginger and chili. Knead the mixture well and form into small round balls.
  
• Deep-fry the balls in oil until golden brown. Place in a bowl lined with paper towels (helps absorb the excess fat from deep frying).
  
• To serve: Drop as many of the balls as you like in your favorite sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes. This helps the "meatballs" absorb some of the sauce and keeps them moist. Serve warm with spaghetti or rice.

Tip: Wrap the potatoes with their skins on in paper towels. Microwave them for 3-4 minutes on high. Let stand for 2 minutes. Peel and use in recipe as described. This will save you time. You may refrigerate extra "meatballs" for 3-4 days.

Rice Pudding from Mom's Kitchen

About the dish: Rice pudding is a universal comforting dessert. Everyone has a take on it. Mine comes straight from my mother's kitchen-no questions asked. In India rice pudding or kheer as it is called, is considered auspicious to many life events and ceremonies. We just love to eat it with or without any special reason.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. long grain basmati or short grain rice (shorter grain=creamier consistency)
4 c. whole milk
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. sugar (optional per taste)
1 green cardamom, crushed
1 small piece of cinnamon, crushed
1 bay leaf
2-3 Tbsp. ghee or butter
1/3 c. golden raisins
1/3 c. chopped or sliced nuts (almond or cashew)
A generous pinch of saffron
Confectioner's sugar to taste

METHOD:

• Wash and soak the rice in cold water for ½ hour.


• Heat 2 Tbsp. ghee/butter in a thick bottom saucepan. Add the crushed cinnamon, green cardamom and bay leaf. Sauté for 1 minute.


• Add the raisins, nuts and fry till golden brown. Remove the raisins and nuts only from the saucepan and set aside in a bowl.


• Drain the rice well and add to the same saucepan. Add the remaining Tbsp. of ghee to the pan. Fry the rice for a minute or two stirring constantly.


• Add the sugar (if you like extremely sweet desserts), milk and condensed milk to the rice.


• Cook on low to medium heat until the rice has softened and the consistency is thick. Frequent stirring is needed to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.


• Turn off the heat and mix in the pinch of saffron.


• Remove from heat and adjust sweetnessto taste your palette once the dish has cooled slightly. (Use sprinkles of confectioner's sugar.)


• Decorate with sliced almonds or cashew halves. Serve cold.

(Note: If you don't like a layer of pudding-skin, place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface when the dish is cooling)

Crispy Onion Fritters with a Tangy Chutney (award winning recipe)

Story behind the recipe:

This is one of those events in life where spontaneity rewards itself. A neon green flier spotted in a grocery store during a regular "oh so boring" chore started it all. Object advertised was the Fifth Annual Middleburgh Heights Onion Cooking contest in Cleveland, OH (we were Midwesterners back then). I thought it was completely silly but my significant other tickled my interest and so we went. We both love this appetizer and it is our favorite indulgence on cold rainy days. So, on that spring morning, I made a bowl full of them for the contest. All the while I was thinking: "I can't wait to eat them after the competition is over". Lo and behold, the dish was judged the winner (they were calling my name and I was looking around to see who had won). Although all the fritters were eaten up and I got none, I went home totally ecstatic about my culinary skills. We still laugh about it.

Crispy Onion Balls:

INGREDIENTS:
2 onions (white or red)
1 c. chickpea flour (besan)
2 Tbsp. rice flour
1 Tbsp. corn flour
2 green Chillies or Jalapenos
2 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. garam masala
1 Tbsp. ghee or clarified butter
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
1/4 c. coriander leaves, chopped

METHOD:
• Finely slice the onions lengthwise.
• Chop the green chillies. (De-seed them for a milder taste).
• Mix all of the above ingredients together without adding water.
• Keep it aside for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil. Make small rough shaped balls from the dough.
• Deep-fry the onion balls till golden brown. Remove the fritters (called pakoras) from the oil and place into a bowl lined with paper towels. Sprinkle a little salt while still hot. After a couple of minutes, remove the paper and serve the fritters with the onion chutney.

Onion-Mint Chutney (Tangy Dip)

INGREDIENTS:
1 white onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. mint leaves, chopped
½ c. coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
2 cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. yogurt, plain
1 green chilly or jalapeno
½ tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. sun-dried pomegranate seed powder
Salt To taste
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice

METHOD:
• Grind all the above ingredients together to a fine paste with very little water.
• Add the lemon juice.
• Stir well, cover and keep in the refrigerator for 24-48hours. Refrigeration brings out the true flavor of this chutney.

Emilie's Tandoori Chicken Roll

Inspiration for the dish:
I was trying out a chicken burrito one day, when it dawned on me that food is not all that different between the countries of the world. There was chicken, beans, rice, salsa and condiments like sour cream all rolled up in a warm tortilla. Very similar to what is simply referred to as a "roll" in Indian cuisine. The internal contents vary slightly as do the names of the "rolls", but the overall concept is the same. That is what inspired me to come up with the following recipe using my special tandoori marinade.

INGREDIENTS:
For the marinade:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 c. plain yogurt
1 tsp. cumin powder (freshly ground)
1tsp. coriander powder
1tsp. garam masala
A pinch of sugar
½ tsp. salt
1tsp. cayenne pepper or chopped Serrano chili (optional)
2 Tbsp. Canola/Olive Oil or Melted Ghee
2 tsp. grated garlic or paste
2 tsp. grated ginger (or paste)
Food coloring (red or orange) (optional)
2 tsp. lemon juice

For the filling:
1 large white or red onion
2 tsp. white vinegar
A small sprig of cilantro/parsley
Onion chutney or any favorite condiment

Other:
1 large flour tortilla
Skewers for grill/oven
Ghee (clarified butter) or butter for basting

METHOD:

1. Combine the yogurt and oil, beating lightly.


2. Add the cumin, coriander, ground garam masala, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper and food coloring. Mix well into a smooth paste.


3. Clean and dry the chicken tenders. Marinate the chicken pieces in the yogurt mix for an hour.


4. Just before grilling (or broiling in the oven), add the lemon juice and mix well. Weave the chicken tenders on water-soaked wooden skewers or metal skewers.


5. Grill on each side for about 4 mins, while basting with some butter or ghee to keep it moist. (For oven, broil at 450F for roughly 4 mins on each side). Check to see if chicken is done (inside should be white, not pink).


6. Cut the large onion into 1/8 inch wedges and marinate in vinegar along with finely chopped cilantro/parsley for 1/2 hour.


7. To serve: Warm a large flour tortilla. Spread a little tangy onion chutney (or any favorite condiment of your liking) on it. Top with the chicken cut into smaller pieces and the 'pickled' onion wedges. Fold and wrap the tortilla like a burrito.


8. Enjoy with a little lemon-butter dip.