How To Care For Your Cast Iron

I bought my first Cast Iron pan a little more than two years ago. I decided to buy it after seeing a cooking video so as to help me cook my Veggie Fajita. Little did I know that its going to be one of my favorite things in my Kitchen. The more I started cooking in it, the more I liked it. I agree that cast iron pans need extra care when compared to nonstick or stainless steel utensils. But these pans are much healthier and I know that if proper care is taken then it can be passed on to generations! I am going to write down the method I follow which I learnt from Lodge Website (#not sponsored). Over the years I also learnt many tricks from the internet and self experience.

#I bought a pre seasoned pan. So initially for the first few uses it is going to stick. Be patient. The more you use the better its seasoning gets. 
#Once you are done using the pan allow it to cool naturally.
#Never use soaps for cleaning and they need to be hand washed every single time.
#Water is the greatest enemy of cast iron pans. So never put them in a sink overnight. It can rust pretty quickly.
#If a lot of grease and food is stuck after cooking, then use a plastic scraper to scrape the stuck food. Alternatively you can sprinkle salt in the pan. It will absorb the extra grease and will also help to remove the stuck food with the help of a sponge (Salt is abrasive).
#Once it is clean, wash it using hot water and then wipe it with a paper towel or kitchen towel. 
# Now heat the cleaned pan. This will help dry out any moisture left and also helps with improving the seasoning. Once its hot, turn off the heat. Then add 1/2 tsp of neutral oil and spread it all around the surface using a paper towel. Allow it to cool completely and then store in a dry place.
#If by any chance if you see any rust spots then sprinkle some baking soda and rub it with a sponge. The baking soda will act as an abrasive and help in removing the rust. 
#I always serve the food immediately when cooked in Cast Iron pans. The food might react when stored in it for hours.

Making Dosas In Cast Iron Skillet:

Dosa (Indian Crepe) is one of my favorite breakfast. I make it every week in my cast iron skillet. People believe that nonstick pans are the best pans for making dosas. This is because there is no fear of the dosa getting stuck to the pan and it doesn't require any oil too. I agree to it but over the time the toxic teflon will leach into the dosas making it unhealthy. So I have started using cast iron skillet and if used in a right way you can get perfect crispy dosas every single time.
These are the steps I follow every single time. 
#Add few drops of oil on a paper towel and wipe the surface of the skillet. This will give a very light coating of oil on the skillet. If there is excess oil on the skillet then the batter won't spread as desired.
#Heat the skillet on a medium heat only (high heat can burn the dosas and batter don't spread properly on a over heated skillet).
#To check if the skillet is hot, sprinkle few drops of water. If it evaporates immediately then the pan is ready for dosas.
#Spread the batter. At this point you can add oil on top of the dosa but I never add.
#Once the dosa turns crispy, remove from the skillet. Wipe the paper towel on the skillet to get a light oil coating and continue making more dosas.

This method gives you perfect crispy dosas every single time with very less oil. If the skillet is new then the dosas might not turn out good the first few times. So use the skillet to make chapathi for first few days. Once the seasoning improves then start using it to make dosas.

I hope this post inspires you to buy a Cast Iron skillet. It indeed made my life better. 

Read More »

Homemade Roasted Cumin Powder

Cumin is one of my favorite spices. Roasting the spice, brings out the flavor. Hence I always make this powder in small batches and use it in Chaas, Chaats etc. A little sprinkling of this powder elevates the dish. Making this powder requires only few minutes. Once you start using this powder, you will never want to buy it from the stores.

Ingredients:

• Cumin seeds - 1/3 cup

Procedure:

Take cumin seeds in a frying pan.

Start frying it on medium heat until it turns brown and fragrant. Keep stirring constantly for even browning.

Once done, turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl. Allow it to cool completely. Then transfer it into a blender.

Make a fine powder.

Transfer it into an airtight container. Roasted Cumin powder is ready!!

Use this powder in Chaas, chaats etc. This powder stays good up to several months. 

Notes: #Flavor of cumin powder decreases with time. So make small batch of powder as needed. 

#You can also use a mortar and pestle to crush the roasted cumin seeds.

Read More »

Homemade Ginger- Garlic Paste

Ginger Garlic Paste comes handy when you cook North Indian dishes on a daily basis. Until few months back, I never made ginger garlic paste in bulk. I would always use fresh grated ginger and garlic in my dishes. But I made this paste once in bulk, for my husband so that it will be of some help when I am away from home. After that even I got used to using it and use it regularly and quite happy with it. Do try making it and I am sure it will be of great help for busy days! I promise it is much better than the store bought ones which has preservatives.

I adapted the recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• Ginger, chopped - 1 cup
• Garlic pods, peeled - 1 cup
• Salt- 1 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1-2 Tbsp

Procedure:

Peel the garlic and set it aside.

Now wash and scrub the ginger. Then tap it dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel. Once it is completely dry, chop it into small pieces.

Now take the salt in a small pan and dry roast it until it changes its color slightly. Then turn off the heat and allow it to cool completely.

Now add ginger, garlic, salt and 1 Tbsp of oil in a food processor or blender jar. 

Then process it until you get a paste (I like to have some texture and not a complete paste. Hence I make it  in a food processor).

Once done, transfer it into a clean dry glass bowl. Ginger - Garlic Paste is ready!!

Store it in the refrigerator. It stays good upto three months.

Notes: For best results store the paste in the coldest region of your refrigerator (not in the door). Use clean , dry spoon every single time.

You can also vary the quantities of ginger and garlic. If you like more ginger then add 1 1/4 cup of ginger and 3/4 cup of garlic (or 1 1/4 cup of garlic and 3/4 cup of ginger).

Don't add water while grinding. Use only oil. If water is used, then the paste doesn't last longer.

You can also freeze the paste in ice cube trays (I have not tried this method).

Read More »

Homemade Coconut Milk (Narla Rosu) ~ Using Fresh Coconut

I grew up eating coconut in anything and everything...literally !! Yes, in Konkani Cuisine almost every dish has to have coconut in it. Every week a family of four uses 4-5 coconuts/ week. So now you know that we are coconut lovers :-)
During festivals making coconut milk at home is very common. Traditional jaggery based payasams is enriched by adding freshly extracted coconut milk. I used to help my mom with the extraction of coconut milk. Back then I never appreciated the taste of fresh coconut or coconut milk. Now after using frozen coconut for many years, I really miss the taste of freshly grated coconut and coconut milk. 

This is the first time, I am extracting coconut milk.I wanted fresh coconut milk for another recipe and hence got a coconut. The process is very simple and it indeed makes a lot of difference in whichever dish you use it :-)

Ingredients:

• Fresh Coconut in a Shell - 1/2
• Water - 1 1/4 cup

Procedure:

Break open the coconut into two pieces using a hammer.

Now take one of the piece and remove the coconut meat (white part) using a knife (or use a scraper if you have).

Now transfer the coconut meat into a blender along with water.

Grind it to get a smooth paste.

Place a fine sieve (or cotton cloth) over a bowl. Now add the coconut paste into the sieve.

Press it until all the milk is removed. You will be left with dry coconut scraps. The bowl will have the thick, creamy coconut milk (thin coconut milk can be extracted using the coconut scraps by adding 1 1/2 cups of water and then passing it through the sieve. This thin milk can be added while making payasam).

Homemade Coconut Milk is ready!!

Use it immediately for best results or store it in the refrigerator for later use. Half a coconut yields 1 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk.

Read More »

How To Sprout Beans?

Beans are a good source of protein for Vegetarians. Sprouting the beans increases their nutritional value. Learn about it here. Making sprouts at home is so easy. It is always better than buying the store bought sprouts. I hope this post will inspire you to make sprouts at home. If you are already making them then pat your back :-)

Ingredients:

• Dry Beans (any variety) - 3/4 cup
• Cheese Cloth - Optional
• Bowl/ Jar

Procedure:

Wash the beans and soak them in enough water for 8- 10 hours.

After soaking, they plump up and look like this-

Now discard the water and rinse the soaked beans 1-2 times (drain the water completely).

The main requirements for germination to happen is little bit of moisture and air.

Method 1: This is the method I follow. I have a microwave rice cooker which has holes at the top (steam vent). I put the soaked beans in it.

Then invert the colander (it is a part of the cooker) on the beans loosely. 

Then just place the lid over it. Finally I keep it in oven (of course turned off) for 12- 24 hours depending on the weather (sprinkle little water if the beans are dry, after few hours). The sprouts are ready.

Method 2: In case if you don't have a rice cooker, then simply place the soaked, drained beans in a bowl and close it with a cheese cloth and place it in a warm place (sprinkle little water if the beans are dry, after few hours).

Method 3: In this method you just put the soaked beans in a cotton cloth (or cheese cloth) and tie it tightly. Then just place it in a warm place (sprinkle little water if the beans are dry, after few hours). I don't prefer this method as some of the sprouts get stuck to the cloth and they tend to break while removing. 

Above measurement of beans makes 3 cups of sprouted beans.

Read More »

Homemade Frozen Rotis

Frozen Roti is a recent try in my kitchen. I really liked the way it turned out. I am kind of person who believes in home made fresh food. But then there are times where you don't have sufficient time to cook for yourself. For those days these stuff come handy. I don't like to buy the frozen rotis available at the stores. So thought of making it. I saw this video and couple of other blogs related to freezing rotis and Indian food. I was amazed reading them.

This process is little time consuming but all the effort will surely help your loved one :-)

Ingredients:

For the Rotis:

• Whole Wheat flour (or Multi grain Flour)- 3 cups
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Salt - To taste (I didn't add)
• Water - As required

For Storing:

• Parchment Paper
• Baking Sheet/Cutting Board
• Zip Loc

Procedure:

Take the flour in a big bowl. Add oil and salt. Mix well. Now add water little at a time to form a soft non-sticky dough. Apply little oil on its surface and close it. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Then divide the dough into smaller portions (I made 18 of them).

Dip the ball in flour and then start rolling each dough into a 6-7 inch circle.

Continue with the rest of them (don't pile the rolled rotis. They will stick to each other.I usually roll them in batches)

Now cook the roti partially on a pre heated skillet on both sides (no need to brown it).

Then allow them to cool completely. Once cooled, spread them on a baking sheet or cutting board and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes (this step will make sure your rotis don't stick later. This is called flash freezing. I did them in batches).

While they are flash freezing, cut the parchment paper.

After flash freezing it will look like this.

Then pile them up with parchment paper in between. Transfer them in a Zip loc and seal them by removing all the air. Place it in the freezer.

Frozen Rotis are ready!!

When you want rotis, take out desired amount and cook them on a hot skillet until you get brown spots on both sides. Don't thaw the frozen rotis before cooking.

These rotis can be stored 2-3 months.

Read More »

Tips on Using Frozen Coconut

Frozen Coconut is a boon for me. I grew up in Coastal Karnataka (South India) where every other house has a coconut tree. Most of the dishes my mother makes has some traces of coconut in it :-) So grating coconut is a daily job. Somehow I hate grating the coconut to the core. But still there is no option other than grating your own. After my marriage I came to US and was very happy to see the frozen packet of grated coconut. I would always tell my mother that now I don't have to grate the coconut. 

But sometimes I was not happy with frozen coconut. In due course of time I got a valuable tip from a friend and it made my life better. So I wanted to share that tip from a long time but somehow it never happened. Better late than never :-)

#I use lot of coconut. Whenever I want to make a coconut based dish, I simply remove the packet and pop it in microwave for 60- 90 seconds. Remove the desired amount and put the packet back in the freezer (the packet I use is resealable which is another advantage). I never thaw my frozen coconut.

#While making Chutney or any Coconut based gravy , always use hot water (I just heat the water in microwave). This way you don't end up in a chutney or coconut based masala which has oil residue. This is a very important point to be noted.

#Some people thaw the grated coconut (But then you need to plan in advance). If you want to speed up the process of thawing then place the packet in a large bowl containing warm water.

#For people who live in India or any other place where frozen shredded coconut is not available - You can grate the coconut in the weekend (for working women) and store them in freezer safe boxes. This way you don't have to grate on a weekday. It saves lot of time.

#During festivals, sometimes you end up with lot of fresh coconuts which has to be used within few days. The best thing to do is grate them and put it in freezer safe containers. They will freeze well for few months. This is the tip I learnt from my MIL. She always does this. This method prevents lot of wastage and also decreases the pressure of using all of them within few days.

#For people like me who don't have a coconut grater but still get fresh coconut for festivals - In this case I just make small pieces of coconut using a knife and put it in a ziploc and freeze. It stays good for months. Use these pieces for making gravies.

I hope these tips will help all of you. If you have any other tip related to this, please feel to share by leaving a comment.

Read More »

Badam Milk Powder

Badam Milk Powder is a flavorful mix of dried nuts and sugar which is added to milk. This powder is simple and very hard to go wrong. All you need to do is grind them together and store. 

Badam milk is a very popular drink in India. It can be served hot or cold. I grew drinking this using the MTR brand. It is one of my favorite drink. Few months back I bumped into this recipe and was amazed at the simplicity. I had everything on hand. Hence tried it right away and was very happy with the outcome. Do try making it and its a great way to have the dried fruits in this form (especially to those who don't like to eat whole almonds). A sip of hot or cold badam milk is always comforting :-)

Ingredients:

• Almonds (badam)- 1/2 cup
• Cashew nut- 2 Tbsp
• Pistachios- 1 Tbsp
• Raisins- 10-12
• Sugar*- 1 cup
• Saffron (kesar)- Few Strands
• Cardamom Pods- 4-5

* I used rock sugar (kallu sakkare in kannada).

Procedure:

Measure all the dried nuts and sugar mentioned under 'Ingredients'.

Now grind all of them together in a dry mixer until you get a fine powder (if your jar cannot hold all of them at one go then, grind them in batches. Make sure each batch contains sugar. Without sugar you get a sticky mass because of the oil released from the dried nuts).
Badam Milk powder is ready!!

Store it in a dry air tight container. It stays good for 3-4 months.

How to use: Add this powder (1 Tbsp) to a glass of hot or cold milk. Add additional sugar, if desired. Mix and serve.
This powder can also be used in vermicelli payasam or any other milk based dessert.

Read More »

How to make Yogurt (Curd)?

Are you in search for an easy method to make curd, like the store bought ones? Then you should try this method. I am sure you will be a happy person like me:-)
One year back, I still remember about my worries of sour curd. Newly married...not that much experienced in kitchen...Many things went wrong for the first time...Making curd was also one among them.Even my amma didn't have good results with curd. So I was in search of a good method. Finally it was my friend who came to my rescue. I learnt this method from him. I got a Tablespoon of yogurt from him and tried it. My god! It came out perfect! I just couldn't believe my eyes. From then onward, I never failed. So try this method and see that even you can match it with the store bought ones. I am always thankful to my friend, for this method:-)

Ingredients:

• Milk- 1 liter or nearly 4 cups (0.26 gallon)*
• Yogurt/Curd- 1 1/2 Tbsp**

I used 2% milk. You can as well use whole milk, to get more rich and creamy yogurt. 

**The curd shouldn't be very sour.

Procedure:

Add milk to a container and start heating it on a medium flame (I have two stainless steel vessel reserved, to make curd. I boil as well make and store the curd in the same vessel). Turn off the heat, once it reaches its boiling point. Let it cool for some time (10-15 minutes). When the milk is still warm, take few tablespoons of the relatively warmer milk in a bowl. To this add curd and mix vigorously. Add this beaten mixture to the warm milk and mix well. Close the container with a lid and leave in warm place over night or for 6-8 hours (I keep it in a warm oven). Thick and creamy Yogurt is ready!!

Enjoy it! Store it in a refrigerator for future use.

Read More »