Spaghetti Squash Coconut Sevai

First of, thanks to all my Facebook friends who drooled and went gaga over this dish - that is my best motivation to keep trying new recipes and blogging them

I have worked with Spaghetti squash in the past, but once to bake it and one other time to make a halwa, all well before I started writing this blog. However, this unbelievable gem of a veggie went off my radar for a long time. This was one of the easiest recipe decisions to make in so far as keeping the preparation simple yet tasteful.
The trick is to allow the squash to shine and be the hero of the dish and not overpower it with too many spices. Add a tsp of coconut oil and  fresh grated coconut enhanced the taste of the squash and made for a delectable meal. Without further ado here goes

My sweet husband putting in the muscle to unstring the squash

And voila

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized squash cut down the middle vertically and spaghetti unstrung from the sides and into a bowl
• 1/2 cup of fresh frozen grated coconut thawed
• 2 Tbsp roasted cashews
• 2-3 finely chopped green chilies (ours were homegrown)
• 1/tsp of mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric
• 1tsp of urad dal
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• 1tsp of coconut oil
• pinch of asafetida
• 1/3 cup of water
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp juice of freshly squeezed lemon
• Cilantro for garnish

Method

1. Splutter mustards, urad and hing in the said amount of olive oil
2. Add the chilies and allow them to cook for 30 secs 
3. Add the squash noodles
4. Add the the water and keep closed for about 3 minutes and allow it to cook until al-dente
5. Open and allow the water to evaporate. 
6. Add salt and coconut  and cashews and turn them in to the squash
7. Once cooked, transfer to a serving dish squeeze the lemon and.garnish with cilantro and serve hot

Pan Roasted Persimmon With Fresh Mozzarella

Looking for a simple yet delicious hors d'oeuvre? Here is an idea -

What you need
2 persimmons washed and sliced into 1/2 inch discs to display the beautiful starry middle :)
About 10 slices of Fresh Mozzarella
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Juice of 1 orange
1 tsp soy sauce
pepper & a pinch of salt

Method
Roast the persimmon in the oil
Add half the orange juice, the soy sauce
Allow to cook for a minute before removing from heat
Pepper and salt
Transfer to a serving plate
Add the sliced mozzarella to the pan and cook for just a minute
Drizzle the rest of the juice over it
Pepper and salt to taste
Serve chilled

TIP: Add a sprig of basil for added flavor and or as a decoration.
I placed the mozzarella over the persimmon to serve --Sadly I did not take a picture of it before it was served to guests!