One-Pot Broccoli & Peas Pasta

Here's a wave to all pasta lovers, so I am waving at myself too. I am waving in glee with this super awesome One-pot Broccoli and Peas Pasta that I just treated myself with. It's creamy, it's tasty and it's so easy to make that it's almost disheartening to miss.

One-pot pastas are a rage over the internet and I would be surprised if they weren't because these recipes take cooking of pastas to a level of surreal ease that must only be met with gratitude. And I am merely a humble lover of pasta who chose to display her gratitude with this easy recipe that is a result of ogling at various pasta recipes in various brilliant food blogs.

I am given to understand that most people stay away from broccoli and I don't understand why. It is a perfectly fine vegetable, pretty and green and everything and they say it's healthy too. I didn't have broccoli until after school when I moved to a city for college. I remember a few of us girls had gone to this restaurant called Moksha in Nagpur and I was elated to find something new in my food. I ate all the broccoli while my friends decided to disregard it and one of my friends painted her nails very coolly ignoring the whole yes and no broccoli chatter on the table and waited for her order.

O.K. That's enough reminiscing.

Leaves of Radish- A Rustic Stir Fry

Snowy white, fresh radishes are in season and the vegetable markets are full of them. Set in piles, these radishes resemble little white mountains from the front. Go around the back of these mountains and you will see little green mountains made of lush, crisp radish leaves.

I find myself a bit different from most people I know, in terms of a taste palette. A good kind of different. I grew up in a household where kids weren't allowed the privilege of moody meals. Not that I made a fuss, it wouldn't have made a difference if I did, except when sick. And today I am thankful that I didn't grow up to be a picky eater; I dread the scenario where I would have missed many brilliant flavors.

My region of India is known for its production of rice. We are big time rice eaters, as is apparent from my love for rice. But what many people do not know about Chhattisgarh is that it is also home to numerous varieties of green leafy vegetables. I know most of them and yet come across many new leaves that I haven't heard of before and don't know how to cook. The ones I know about is because I come from an old line of dwellers of the state and have spent my entire life being fed humble, rustic editions of these green delights that are the recipes of my grandma, now 90.

Living in a town or state doesn't mean that one will know all about its cultures and traditions and secret recipes. But I pity those who don't try to learn and remain ignorant. I used to be very surprised when I was young that many of my friends didn't know about most of the recipes I so fondly adored. I learned later it was because their moms had come from different cultures and so they didn't know the magic of those recipes. But then, my mom came from an altogether different lifestyle too, and I am glad that she adapted to her new surroundings. She learned all that my grandmother taught her in the kitchen and also mixed her own style to it. It is so endearing to watch my mom ask my grandmother for instructions for some old recipe even today. My upbringing matters to me. I do not want any part of my culture, however small, to slip into oblivion. I may not be able to help every cause, but I will do what I can and this recipe here is one such effort.

I picked the leaves of radish for this post today for two main reasons. One, radish is in season, and two, it is available everywhere in India and elsewhere so you cannot nag me about availability. It is rather a very humble recipe but since radish leaves are usually thrown away, the fact that it is a recipe dedicated to the leaves makes it interesting and different.

The flavor profile of radish leaves isn't much different from that of the radish itself, sharp and tangy, slightly bitter too. The leaves are coarse and cannot be used in in a salad or in a sandwich as such. I do however hope that this recipe will multi task as a stuffing for parathas and sandwiches. I enjoyed it today with my staple diet, chapati and dal and of course rice. Every time I have something like this, it gets me in a similar mood as today and I feel proud of my rustic-chic palette that I acquired from my home and from living in different cities in the country. But most of all I think it was possible only because I am open to various flavors without bias and prejudice. Everything I can eat, I will eat and I will remember.

Eggless Vanilla Cake with Christmas Special Icing

There's a chill in the breeze and Christmas prep everywhere. Christmas really rings the holiday bells and reminds me of the time when I was a kid in school and eagerly waited for the winter holidays; not much has changed in that regard. It is still the best time of the year and one cannot help but be enveloped in the much awaited joy that spills all around Christmas time.

With less than 10 days to go, the homes, the streets, the shops are all decorated in the familiar red and green, white and gold. Meanwhile the blogosphere too is abuzz with Christmas greetings, holiday ideas, Diys and my favorite of all Christmas special recipes. There is a whole lot of awesome Christmas special recipes being posted by food bloggers all over the world and I wanted to be a part of it, too.

Traditional Christmas recipes are numerous and fabulous, however, sometimes a simple idea can give your year round favorite recipe a Christmas flavor. This post today is in that spirit. For my Christmas celebrations, I decided to go for my easy, simple, fail proof vanilla sponge cake recipe and dressed it up for Christmas in white, red and green.I didn't really have to make much effort but the beauty I had in the end was remarkable. For a while I didn't even want to slice my cake, but what needs to be done needs to be done, right?

Microwave Carrot Rice

It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to go without posting a rice recipe in a whole week. It is as if the more I love rice and show it by 'monging" it, the more it loves me back by presenting itself to me in new ways and today it is a Carrot Rice, the microwave way.

I don't cook rice in microwave much. This recipe was told to me by my aunt and it was so simple, so elegant, so flavorful that I almost squeezed her in delight. (Yeah! I squeeze people!) It is probably the most austere of all rice recipes I know..umm.. may be it's a close competitor of my Clove Rice in that respect. You should check it out too if you like this one. 

It is carrot season and when it is carrot season you've got to use carrots. Makes sense, right? A carrot rice is possibly the most that could be done with carrots after carrot halwa, soups and salads. But knowing me, you'd probably not object if I kept Carrot Rice at the top of the list. 

Colorful rice recipes are always a winner when it comes to a get together or even for a special Sunday meal. Most of the times color to rice is imparted by use of various vegetables like bell peppers, peas, corns etc. and carrots too, like in this Colorful Bell Peppers Veg Fried Rice, but all that can become a bit a demanding especially if you are short of ingredients in your pantry. That's when comes to rescue this one ingredient that does all the work that goes into making a colorful rice. And the best part is that it actually releases its colour in the water in which it is cooked, thus giving the dish a beautiful hue without an ounce of effort.

I think this is the beginning of my microwave love for cooking rice. It is so simple and easy and light. I am going to try more simple flavors like this one. What color should I go for next? Green??

Thick and Creamy Tomato Soup

A winter eve, a tomato soup and a good book.

This morning I woke up begrudgingly, not wanting to come out of the warm cocoon my quilt had turned into during the night. This, and me having overslept, confirmed the onset of winters.

Last week I attended a family wedding and ate all the fat and carbohydrate rich food that are an important part of Indian weddings. So I have been taking a break and trying to compensate by opting for healthier options, mostly fruits and vegetables and milk. Add to it a crazy busy schedule and then it becomes easier for me tell you that I haven't been cooking much. 

But today was different. It was cold, I wanted something warm and healthy and I had the time for it. I couldn't think of anything other than a tomato soup, a thick and creamy tomato soup. It was easy simultaneously work and cook this because of the cooking intervals. And honestly, it doesn't even require too much work. A little chopping, a little sautéing and a little boiling. That's all it takes.

I had a version of a tomato soup at the wedding, which I could only call tomato water. I am one who doesn't mind whether my soup is thin, thick or creamy. But I am picky about the flavors. I don't have to tell you where that tomato water went. 

This tomato soup that I made today is of a moderate consistency and can be easily thinned down or thickened by adjusting the quantity of the vegetable stock used. I didn't use any thickener. I didn't need to. It was perfect the first time I checked it for seasoning, to my absolute delight.

Fresh Guava Salad

A guava salad.

Any other day, I wouldn't even have thought of it. But today, I had in my possession what I can only call the best guavas I have ever had. Being one who prefers being oblivious to guavas in the fruit markets, fruits seller's cart or in the fruit basket at home, these guavas definitely had some mettle to make me hail them. I had only gone to the kitchen to get some water and I saw these large, beautiful, fresh looking guavas sitting on the kitchen counter. Well, I don't like guavas but others in my family do.

It was about time for lunch and I thought I would make a salad. And I did. The usual cucumber, onions and tomatoes salad. But all the while I kept eyeing the guavas. Call me crazy, but I thought they were smiling and staring at me. Finally, I picked one and decided to slice it for lunch, too. As I began slicing, I took a bite. And that's when all changed.

The guava was perfect, and I am not overstating. It was fresh and full of soft watery crunch and had the kind of sweetness that comes only with perfectly ripened fruits. Without a doubt, it was the best of guavas. I might have seen a white light with that bite. I don't remember. But that's when I decided that this sweet freshness deserves a salad.

And I didn't need much. I did not have to do anything complicated. I didn't have to whip up a fancy salad dressing, just a little bit of seasoning. All I had to do was find something that would match the freshness of these fruits. That's how came the sweet limes in the picture. And I added a few home made sun dried cherry tomatoes, well, they were almost dried.

The result was this gorgeous salad I never thought I would make.

On an unrelated note, I think I am becoming much salad savvy these days. Huh! Good for me.

Ingredients:
Guava, diced - 1 cup
Sweet lime, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces- 1 nos.
A few sun dried cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt to taste
Red chilly flakes to taste

Recipe:

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl.

Serve.

Besan wali Pyaz

Certain recipes taunt us from the memory . They sit there and laugh at us while we rack our brains to find something new to eat. They secretly smirk at our good natured foolhardiness and wait patiently until we realise that an old recipe, like an ancient artefact dug out of ruins, becomes new when pulled out from the deep recesses of memory.

I am mulling over this today because this recipe here was one such smirking little snob until I decided to bring it out in the open for everyone to see and put an end to its enigmatic condescension.

LOL! Looks like I have stretched my metaphor too far. Let's talk like normal people would about their food.

This recipe here today is a very simple process of caramelising onions with chickpea flour and spices. It is a recipe I think I prepared after 3 years, hence the ancient artefact metaphor. It used to be my favorite "go to" recipe when I was short on time, vegetables and energy. It is actually a preparation from my mom's kitchen. I used to love having it for lunch in school. Granted, it's a comparatively dry preparation and didn't really sit well with only parathas in the tiffin, but the heart wants what the heart wants, or in this case, the tongue.

I cannot recall what triggered me to take up this recipe today, nevertheless, God bless it! Today's meal with this Besan wali Pyaz not only broke a rut but also brought a refreshing bout of happy memories.

You will enjoy this most with hot, buttered chapatis and a good dal like this Yellow Dal Fry.
I like it with rice too. And at times I have also used it as a filling for grilled sandwiches and stuffed parathas. It never disappoints.

Ingredients:

Onions- 2 cups, sliced
Besan (Chickpea flour)- 1 cup
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 1/4 cup

Recipe:

Dry roast chickpea flour. Set aside. 

Heat oil in a pan.

Add mustard seeds.

When spluttered, add onions and little salt.

Cook covered on low flame until transparent and soft.

Now add roasted chickpea flour and all powdered spices.

Mix well and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Serve hot.