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

Baked Zucchini Noodles with Pistachios and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ever since I learned how, I have been making these and absolutely LOVE it  and make it at least once in 2 weeks - It is healthy, guilt free and what's more so tasty - dress it up with your favorite nut, some of your favorite cheese and if you want sauce and you've got yourself a wholesome no carb meal

For making these you need the sharp julienne peeler which will strip you zucchini into thin noodles - be mindful, these instruments are viciously sharp so please use caution while using it

How many zucchini's you use depends on how many people you are making for - I used 3-4 for  4 of us - While stripping, stop when you come to the seedy part of the vegetable. By then it will start breaking anyhow.

Instructions
Strip, arrange in a baking dish; crumble cheese, sun dried tomatoes and toss in some walnuts, some pepper - Do not salt now or it will become watery … salt before eating.

I broiled for 15 -18 minutes or until the cheese has melted - BTW, I used some goat cheese. SO GOOD!

Enjoy and repeat :)

Khobz - A Delicious Moroccan Bread

Khobz 

Happy Kanu Pongal to all - feeling quite under the weather - I had contracted Lyme Disease a few years ago and the recurring effects of it are joint pains - My knees are begging for mercy from a sharp shooting pain that has ruled my life for almost 24 hours now! I am quite sick of taking Advil and have resorted to arnica - hoping to get an acupuncture appointment for it Sigh! feeling better after off loading some of my woes!

I had made this bread several weeks ago but it is good I held back posting it for this week with the Avant Garde Cookies, we are making breads - And this is a wonderful addition to any dinner table. Not much different from any other bread in so far as the recipe goes, what sets this apart is the incredible crustiness of the outside shell and the incredible softness of its inside.

How it came about
We had gone to a local Moroccan restaurant, one that has apparently been around for over 3 years and this was the first time we'd paid attention. The food was not great, but good. However, what had me raving was the Khobz - it was out of sight yummy. I did talk to the chef and owner about it and he did not really reveal the recipe, but said it needed a lot of kneading.

More internet searches reveal recipes that were not any different from any other kind of bread. So I took the chef's word for it and kneaded it for an extra long time in my mixer. The other trick was to use lesser water and keep the dough somewhat tough. I did use 1 tbsp of olive oil. While mine was really tasty and well-received, I know I "knead" a lot more to get the same great bread from the restaurant - practice maketh perfect -
One last hint from the chef - rewarming the bread also gives it the crispiness on the shell and the softness inside... so go ahead and give it a try -If nothing else, if you are in Morocco sometime, you'll at least know to order khobz :)  Presenting Khobz

Khobz as explained by about.com

Moroccan and Standard Arabic: الخبز

Khobz is the Moroccan and standard Arabic word for bread. TheTamazight (Berber) word kesra and Tashelhit (Shilha) word agroummight also be used, as might the French word pain.

Although khboz and kesra may mean different things to different Moroccans, both terms are used in a general sense to refer to oven-baked bread which is shaped into round, flattish loaves with lots of crust. During a traditional Moroccan meal, khobz often replaces utensils such as forks or spoons as it is used to scoop up meat, vegetables, sauce, salads, dips and more.

Different types of flour can be used to make khboz. Exactly what goes into each loaf, and how large or small it is shaped, is a matter of personal preference. White, semolina, wheat, rye, bran and barley are some of the flours that might be used, while anise and cumin seeds are just two additions that could be added for extra flavor.

In rural areas, many families use small dome-shaped wood burning ovens to bake their bread. In urban areas, families might opt to bake their bread do so in public street ovens. Both methods give bread a unique flavor and character that simply can't be matched in a conventional oven or by Moroccan bakeries. Nonetheless, very good Moroccan bread can be baked in home ovens, and it's worth trying to make your own bread to complement a Moroccan meal.

Recipe is replicated from About.Com - thank you!

I added some thyme and moroccan spices for flavor

Allow 1 hour rising time. Yields two 8" to 9" round loaves.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Rising time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups white flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup warm water
• additional flour for kneading
• cornmeal, semolina or oil for the pan

Preparation:

Prepare two baking sheets by oiling the centers, or by dusting the pans with a little cornmeal or semolina.

Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Make a large well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the yeast.

Add the oil and the water to the well, mixing to dissolve the yeast first, and then stirring the entire contents of the bowl to incorporate the water into the flour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and begin kneading the dough. If necessary, add flour or water in very small amounts to make the dough soft and pliable, but not sticky. Continue kneading for 10 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

Divide the dough in half, and shape each portion into a smooth circular mound. Place onto the prepared pans, and cover with a towel. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

After the dough has rested, use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough into circles about 1/4" thick. Cover with a towel, and leave to rise about one hour, or until the dough springs back when pressed lightly with a finger.

Preheat an oven to 435°F (225°C).

Score the top of the bread with a very sharp knife, or poke the dough with a fork in several places. Bake the bread for about 20 minutes – rotate the pans about halfway through the baking time – or until the loaves are nicely colored and sound hollow when tapped. Transfer the bread to a rack or towel-lined basket to cool.

Peppa Paneer Frankie Wrap

This dish I am dedicating to my nephew in Chennai - In my week at Chennai not too long ago, there were at least 2 or 3 nights when this young man wanted these Frankie Wraps from a kiosk - apparently a hot joint for these ever so popular short eat. I think these also go by the name of kaati rolls. I have never dared to try one from that vendor - needed a well-adjusted tummy for that, but I tried my own version, a lot healthier one, of course. You can literally make this in under 10 minutes, providing of course you have the ingredients handy - but the beauty is you can make these with just about anything you have around the house - but the one think you do need is a rumali roti or a big tortilla wrap. I particularly like red, yellow and orange peppers for this recipe since they lend a fantastic fresh flavor to the wrap -
Since the wrap itself is caloric, I avoid using any more fat than I have to so I use my olive oil spray.

Ingredients - for up to 4 wraps
1/2 each of Red, Yellow and Orange peppers
1 medium sized onionPaneer but long about 1 cup
1-2 green chilies slit fine and thin
1tsp of sesame seeds
1tbsp humus - this can be subbed by mayonnaise or any other spread of your choice - but bear in mind, hummus is your healthiest and in my opinion tastiest bet
1tsp olive oil (optional as an alternative to olive oil spray)
1tsp sambar powder
2tbsp Szechuan stir fry sauce - spicy
4 large tortillas (250 cals each) Lighter version most welcome

Preparation
Cut all the veggies and the paneer lengthwise
lightly spray them with olive oil spray and sprinkle the sambar podi (powder) over them
In a non stick pan, roast them on high heat
Add the stir-fry sauce over it and allow it to simmer for a minute or two.

I just toasted the tortilla over the flame like a phukla
Add the stuffing and roll - put it on a wide pan tawa and allow it to gets those delectable toasted spots.
Stick a toothpick to keep it from unravelling.
Serve by itself or with a hot ketchup

And that's a wrap for the weekend folks adios until the next post and HAPPPPPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL YOU GORGEOUS MOMS OUT TEHRE _ LOVE YOU!

Adais - Lentil Crepes

This is a very popular south Indian tiffin item or an evening "palagaram" dish which substitutes a rice dinner. Palagaram as generally termed in Tamil parlance is in fact Phala-Agaram (which means a meal of fruits) as opposed to what we have understood in Tamil as "pala-agaram or many kinds of foods) - My cousin was kind enough to educate me on this and I thank him for it :)  I for one will say that Adai is a rather heavy dish considering it is made up of a medley of lentils - rich in protein and carbs, this dish is rather versatile and can be made in a number of different ways - The big thing is the inclusion of onions.

Clearly, in my home when we were growing up, there were two distinct preferences and I recall being a non-onion person - I cannot for the life of my fathom why based on how much i love that darned thing now. But there were the plain ones and the ones with caramelized onions. I did not make it for a long time since I was under the impression my kids when they were younger did not much care for it. And kids rule, as you well know. Now that they are older, I thought I'd give it another shot. Although I made 3 different variations with coconut, grated carrots and good old onions, I have a few more I wish to try out and blog about in the near future. but for now here is my recipe. These can be made as large and as crisp as you desire - But note that the moment you start adding veggies, the adai tends to get softer, esp caramelized onions - Those who prefer raw onions can go for that, but I have never been able to appreciate raw onions in any of these kind of dishes.

The other important thing to remember about these are, since this is protein heavy, sometimes digestion can be a pain (literally) hence adding veggies to it softens up the effect and actually eases

I cannot talk about this dish without talking about my brother and sister-in-law - they had their Saturday ritual of adai and avial - a most common combo with adai and I have enjoyed them plentifully at their home -

Here is proportions that work for me

Ingredients
1 cup channa dal
1/2 cup each of
Rice
Urad Dal
Thoor Dal
2 cups of warm water to soak

Spicing
4-6 green chilies
2-3 red chilies
1/4 inch piece of ginger
1 stem of curry leaves
2 tbsp of finely shopped cilantro (optional)
A pinch of asafetida

Add-ons
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup sauteed onions
1/2 cup grated carrots

Wash and soak the lentils for 2-4 hours
Soak also the spices that have been mentioned above
Grind into a course paste adding required amount of salt

Now divi up the batter and add your add-ons. Mix well, check for salt and start making. If size matters make smaller ones and have at least 1 of each kind.
Enjoy my friends - If you want to try this with avial, click here for the recipe :)

Much love and adios amigas and enjoy the pictorial :)

Two things My MOM served these with are 1) Jaggery and 2) Freshly churned butter (what we eat as sour cream) It tasted divine and also my mom insisted that the cream and sugar helped the stomach better  digest the lentils - so the possibilities are endless :))

There is also the mung dal or Pasiparuppu version of this called Pesarattu - check it out here