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.

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Palak Phulka (Spinach Flatbread)

Phulka is an unleavened flatbread. The rolled dough is partly cooked on a skillet and then put directly on a high flame, which makes them blow up like a balloon. It is very commonly prepared in northern parts of India. Being a South Indian, rice is our staple. But for health reasons, I make this flatbread every night. To make it even more healthier I sometimes add spinach puree. It looks good and makes it easier for a person like me who doesn't like spinach. Do try making this and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Spinach (Palak), tightly packed - 1 cup
• Wheat flour - 1 cup
• Flaxseed powder - 1 tsp (optional)
• Oil - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - To taste (I didn't add)

Procedure:

Heat 1/4 cup of water. Once hot add in the washed spinach leaves. Once it wilts, turn off the heat. Allow it to cool.

Once it cools, transfer the leaves (leaving behind the water) to a blender and make a fine paste.

Now in a mixing bowl, add flour, oil, flax seed powder, palak puree, salt. 

Mix gently and work in so as to get a soft, non-sticky dough. Add water, if required. Once done, add few drops of oil on the dough and spread it so that it forms a coating and prevents it from drying. Let the dough rest for 10- 15 minutes.

Then divide the dough into six equal portions.

Dip one of the dough ball in dry flour and start rolling it into a circle of diameter 6-7 inches.

Roll rest of the dough balls. 

Then place one of the rolled flatbread on a preheated skillet. 

Once it is slightly starts getting light brown spots, flip it to repeat on the other side.

Then transfer it on direct flame using tongs, until it puffs up.

Once done transfer to a closed container lined with paper towel or kitchen towel.
Continue with the rest of them.
Palak Phulka is ready!!

Serve it with any curry of your choice. Above measurement makes six phulkas.

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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

After posting the recipes for soup and quesadilla, you must be thinking that this girl is obsessed with sweet potato and back beans. And yes, I am so in love with them. Until couple of years, I was not a great fan of sweet potato. I once bought it and tried making fries. It tasted so good that I started to buy sweet potatoes often. Once it so happened that I stumbled upon this recipe. I tried it with less confidence as I was not sure how it would turn out. Surprisingly they turned out so tasty that I make it quite often now. Do give this a try and let me know how it turned out for you!

Ingredients:

• Corn Tortillas, small sized - 5-6 (I used homemade)
• Guacamole (Using one avocado)

For Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

• Sweet Potato, big sized - 1
• Olive oil - 1 Tbsp
• Red chilli powder - To taste
• Salt - To taste

For Black Bean Mixture:

• Cooked (or canned) Black beans - 1 cup
• Onion, medium sized - 1/2
• Olive oil - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - To taste
• Lime juice - 1 tsp
• Salt & Pepper - To taste
• Water - 1/4 cup

Procedure:

Prepare the guacamole and stick it in the refrigerator until required.

I also made corn tortillas beforehand and stored in a tortilla warmer.

For making black bean mixture:

Chop the onions and set it aside. Then heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add the chopped onion and fry it until it turns translucent.

Then add cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix and continue frying the mixture for half a minute. 

Then add in the cooked black beans along with water.

Mix well and smash half of the beans using a fork. 

Let this mixture cook until most of the moisture evaporates. Then turn off the heat. Squeeze in lime juice and cover this mixture and set it aside until required.

For making roasted sweet potato:

Wash the sweet potato and peel it. Then chop it into desired shape and size.

Then heat oil in a skillet (I used Cast iron). Once hot, add in the chopped sweet potato pieces . Sprinkle salt and red chilli powder.

Roast the sweet potato pieces until  tender and caramelized at the edges (alternatively you can roast the sweet potatoes at 425F temperature, in an oven).

Assembling the tacos:

Warm the tortillas.

Now place a tortilla on a plate.

Then spread the bean mixture on the middle of the tortilla.

Then place roasted sweet potato pieces.

Finally top it off with guacamole. Garnish with fresh lime juice and continue with the rest of them.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos are ready!!

Serve it immediately. Above measurement serves two.

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Ghugni ~ Easy Snack Recipe

Ghugni is a popular evening snack of Eastern India. The dried peas or chickpeas are cooked and then it is made more flavorful and tasty by adding many spice powders. The spiciness is well balanced by the addition of tamarind and sugar. It is finally garnished with chopped onions, cilantro and many other spice powders to make it more tasty.

I was introduced to this snack few months back. I had soaked peas waiting to be used and hence started looking for chaat recipes. I stumbled upon this recipe . I made few additions to the original recipe and gave it a try. I really liked it a lot and from then on I have made it so many times. It has become our new favorite snack and sometimes make it for our dinner too. Do give it a try, if you are looking for a yummy snack for a cold winter evening. I hope you all will enjoy as much as we do :-) 

Ingredients:

• Dried Peas - 3/4 cup
• Potato, small sized - 1 (optional)
• Onion, medium sized - 1
• Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1-2 inch
• Bay leaf - 1
• Tamarind pulp - 1 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli powder - To taste
• Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1-2 tbsp
• Salt - To taste

For Garnish:

• Roasted Cumin powder
• Black salt
• Chaat Masala
• Cilantro (coriander leaves)
• Chopped Onion
• Sev
• Papdi

Procedure:

Wash the dried peas and soak them in fresh water for 6-8 hours. 

Then discard the water and wash them 1-2 times. Now transfer the peas to a cooker along with the washed potato. Add water and salt. Cook it for a whistle and turn off the heat. The peas should be cooked but not mushy (mine cooked a little more than I expected).

While the peas were cooking, chop the onions and set it aside. Then heat oil in a big pot. Once hot, add cinnamon and bay leaf. After few seconds, add in the chopped onions and fry until they slightly change color to golden brown. 

Then add ginger garlic paste and continue to fry until the raw smell goes away.

Now lower the heat and add red chilli powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder. Fry for few seconds and add cooked peas along with water in which it was cooked. Mix well and add chopped boiled potato, tamarind pulp, salt and sugar. Let this cook on medium- low heat for 5-6 minutes. Finally add in garam masala and taste the mixture. Add more spice powder or tamarind pulp, if desired. The final consistency of the pea mixture should be medium thick (not too thick or not too watery). When everything comes together, turn off the heat.

Ghugni is ready!!

For Serving: Take the desired amount of pea mixture in a serving bowl. Then sprinkle little bit of chaat masala, black salt, roasted cumin powder. Then finally top it off with chopped onion, cilantro, sev and papdi (you can add or omit any of the above. This is how I like it). Serve it immediately.

Above measurement serves two people generously. If serving as an appetizer then it can stretch to about four people.

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Rice Krispies Chivda / Chooda

Rice Krispies Chivda is a recent try in my kitchen. The recipe was given to me by a dear friend S. Few days back I ate this snack at her place. I liked it very much and hence asked her the recipe. She gave me a box of homemade chivda along with a hand written recipe. It was so nice of her to do that. The chivda was so tasty that I finished eating it within two days. 

This Chivda is very easy to put together. It is just a three step process - Frying the nuts in tempering, adding spice powder and then finally rice krispies. There is no deep frying involved and much healthier than the store bought ones. This can be served along with your evening tea /coffee or as a 'after school snack' for your kids. Give this a try and let me know how you liked it.

Ingredients:

• Rice Krispies Cereal - 3 1/2 cups*
• Peanuts, whole - 1/4 cup
• Cashew nut, broken - 1/4 cup
• Raisins - 1/4 cup
• Oil - 2 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 big sprig
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - To taste

Spice Powder:

• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - To taste
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (hing) - 1/8 tsp

*The recipe called for 3 cups of cereal and 1/2 cup of sev. Since I didn't have sev on hand, I just increased the amount of cereal to 3 1/2 cups. You can also substitute other cereal like corn flakes, plain cheerios etc.

Procedure:

Heat oil in a big pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds. After it pops, add peanuts, curry leaves and cashew nuts. Once it gets slightly toasted, add in the raisins. Once they turn golden brown, lower the heat to minimum (this is necessary as high heat can burn the spices and they can taste bitter).

Now add asafoetida, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, amchur powder, sugar and salt. Mix well. Turn off the heat.

Now add the rice krispies and toss them gently until everything comes together. 

Rice Krispies Chivda is ready!

Once they cool, transfer into an air tight container.

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Tomato Soup

My search for vegetarian soups has started as it is getting cold in my part of the world. I book marked few recipes and then it strikes me that I have not posted the recipe of good old tomato soup! This is a recipe which I had noted down from a book long time back. I used to prepare this for my father who would always encourage me to try new recipes. It had been a long time since I made this soup. So thought of making it as I had many ripe tomatoes. Do try making this simple soup and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Ripe Tomatoes, medium sized - 4
• Onion, medium sized - 1
• Butter - 1 Tbsp
• Clove - 1
• Pepper powder - To taste
• Sugar - To taste
• Red Chilli powder - To taste
• Tomato Ketchup - 1 tsp
• Heavy Cream - 1-2 Tbsp
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Chop the onion and tomato (discard the seeds of the tomato).

Now in a pan, heat butter. Then add clove and chopped onion. Fry it on a medium flame until the onion turns slight brown.

Then add in chopped tomato and fry until it turns mushy.

Then add little water and bring it to a boil. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes and then turn off the heat.

Now allow this mixture to cool slightly and then puree it (you can remove the clove if you don't like it). Once done transfer it to the same pot. Add water to get desired consistency. Then add red chilli powder, salt, sugar, pepper powder and tomato ketchup. Mix and bring it to a boil.

Once done, turn off the heat and add cream. Mix well. 

Tomato Soup is ready!

Serve it hot or warm garnished with croutons. Above measurement serves two people.

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