Baingan Bhujiya aka sauted eggplants

I remember my Mom with every Indian  meal i prepare.With this particular dish even more.She used to make this dish when she was in hurry,she had made 'paratha' for breakfast for us and this was the quick side dish to go with that,as it took less time to cook then most popular 'Aloo Bhujiya'(sauted matchstick cuts potatos).I did the simplest version here.

• eggplant(any kind)
• dash of cumin seeds(optional)
• dash of chili flakes(optional)
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• oil,salt and pepper
• 1 tomato

Add garlic to oil and when the seasonings and garlic are crackled ,add eggplants.Brown it and when it starts sorta getting mushy,add  tomatos.Cook it for 10-15 mins.Serve it  with 'Parathas','Roti, Flour Tortilla,

'Puri', puffy tacos , fried rice to name some options.

Side Notes:

-Eggplants LOVE garlic,so be generous. This dish can be jazzed up with couple more spices and can be transformed into altogether different dishes.Subject of posts in future !

Tale of Eggplants aka Brinjal aka 'Baingan'

Eggplant.I heard this word first time before my intended trip to US.It was the part of vocabulary list in culture training,prepared for Indians S/W associates traveling to work onsite at US and i was the part of that group.When i first time i heard it,i thought fancy word,I knew it as 'Brinjal' in Indian English and 'Baingan' in Hindi.

Then once i visited the grocery store and bought it first time here in US,calling it eggplant wasn't enough,as i found out at the checking counter when the clerk looked through the long list of laminated sheets.It took him quite a while as most of them don't know what vegetables it is to begin with,so you can guess its not very popular vegetable among Americans.As there are different looks of it.Long and slander ones,which i like and grew up eating in India are called 'Chinese' or Japanese 'Eggplants' in grocery vocab here.Indian version are not as long as their Chinese/Janapense counterparts..Also Indian version came in freckled green or white colors,i have seen only deep purple here.
                             Then you also have round,chubby and plump version of eggplant,you can say Chinese eggplant on steroid, yes 'the eggplant',which is mostly popular among Italian and most of the people here would have eaten it as 'Eggplant Parmigiana' or may be as 'roasted Eggplant dip' or 'Caponata'.Fancy names huh! Wait until i tell you what they are and it will start sounding you all too familiar.Continued the recipe in next post..

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs is the favorite meal for my kiddos.Particularly my daughter,she totally loves it !I am the only one who is not crazy about it here.

I wasn't much in a mood to cook,did you guess the theme? Thats when the leftover comes for rescue.

I had frozen half of the unsauced Swedish meatballs, i had made earlier in the week.Jar of store bought marinara sauce, which i simply perked up with garlic and chili flakes oil and simmered the defrosted meatballs .Added some whole grain cooked Spaghetti to it.Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and served along with Salad.Can't get any lazier then that.

Wok roasted chicken with leftover rice remake

I wasn't planning on roasting,since i had roasted the night before and i had some leftover chicken,though not enough for complete meal.So i decided to do something little different.
           Long time ago i had watched this show called 'Just cook this : Sam the cooking guy',yeah i am cooking show junkie,i admit.It aired  cooking whole chicken in Wok.

Since then i have experimented it on regular pan and result was good.Now i am a owner of 12" carbon steel wok.Yeah yeah ! And i couldn't wait to try this out.I followed   Mrs Wongs Chicken recipe .Result was amazing.Yes my husband and kids ate it too without complain.                                              
     
Side Notes :
- It takes little bit of elbow grease to flip the whole chicken without splattering all over your hand.I wore mittens(very rare phenomena,unless i am using oven).I used the back of wooden spatula to put inside the cavity and flipped it.Beware that it does make lots of sound and splatters.But you will do this exercise once-twice only.
-I used regular vegetable oil of course.I cooked it longer then what it says and checked for doneness(skin  pulling out from the legs,falling apart).Also i don't  have broth usually,so the water was just fine.
-Do not forgo sesame oil.Just 1 tsp adds nuttiness and does wonders to your nose and palate.I was too lazy to brush the chicken with it,so i added in dipping sauce instead.
-I tried to use as authentic of Chinese ingredient as i can get.I have been the kind of person who improvise with what i can easily find in my store and sub it.But i have noticed enough difference in taste that i   try not to compromise when it comes to Chinese cooking.


Leftover rice remake : I had the leftover chicken quarters from the night before.I sauted some onions and tomatos in leftover chicken fat and added the  chicken.Added the rice and cooked it as usual.It  turned out to be pleasantly nice.

Roasted Chicken Quarters

I wasn't really in a mood to stand by the stove and cook ,so i thought of making something which takes less effort in my part.Rice was out,since we had it night before.I thought cornbread would be good and to go with that Roasted Chicken leg quarters,i had sitting in my fridge.Served with BBQ sauce..You would see how part of the story changes as the evening progresses.So this is what went in my Roasted Chicken Quarters.

• 3 Chicken Leg Quarters
• Handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
• Olive Oil
• Salt to season the Chicken
• 1.5 Tbl Coriander seed
• 1 tsp White Peppercorns
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1 Tbl Sweet Hungarian Paprika

Grind all the spices and mix it with chopped cilantro leaves,oil and salt.Poke the chicken quarters and stuff the spice mixture under the skin and every nook and corner of the chicken generously.Set the oven to 425F and bake it for 20 mins until the skin is browned.Turn the temperature down to 375F,cover it with Aluminum foil and cook for another 30-40 mins i guess.When the skin is pulling off from the chicken legs,its done.Let it rest and then serve.

I told you, story will change as  the evening progresses.I decided not to make cornbread after all.Measuring and putting it all together felt too much work at that hour.So served it  with Flour Tortilla ('Roti' in Hindi) and side dish of thinly sliced sauted  potatoes instead.Gladly it was well liked by my husband and kiddos.Always a winner in my book !
Side Notes
-You can substitute the White Peppercorns with black,reduce the amount may be little.Its more pungent and peppery then its  milder and mellower counterpart,white Peppercorns.
-I would have loved to add juice of 1/4 to half lemon but was out of it.
-You can use totally different cut of meat and lather the chicken with spices early in the day and let it dry marinade in refrigerator.Taste will be deeper and sharper.I always decide in the last minute,not much of a planner,can you tell?

Unified Chicken Drumsticks

I am having problem christening this dish.Since i threw in the stuff as i opened my spice drawer and walked to my pantry.One good thing was,it received 3 out 5 rating from my husband and son.Much improvement over 0,don't you think?
         It has black mustard seed as seasoning,which is quintessential  'South' Indian.Notice the black round seeds in Onion.

mustard seeds

Cumin seeds

Coriander seeds

Then it also has 'Cumin' (thin and  long seeds)and 'Coriander' (round seeds which are certainly used powdered everywhere but as 'seeds' mostly in 'North' Indian cooking.They are  the seeds of  green and leafy 'Cilantro' you buy in store.

I did grind them using my handy dandy Coffee grinder(no i don't use that for coffee!).
When i opened the spice drawer,i saw the Southwest  seasoning by Mrs Dash and i thought why not?Sprinkle a little,it wouldn't hurt.This is where my  'christening' dilemma comes from...I am calling it 'Unified'.Feel free to shoot your naming ideas.
This is what went to it

• 1 and half small chopped onions
• 2 chopped med size tomatos
• 2 Russet Potatoes(Optional,i add them if i feel like it).They are usually big.
• 5 chicken drumsticks
• 2 Tbl spoon Yogurt to marinade.

Spices 

• 2-3 garlic cloves chopped.
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger (optional)
• Sweet Hungarian Paprika(Optional,I love saying it,it sounds exotic and so not Indian ingredient)
• Chili flakes(i like the visual of it better then powder and its more controlled)
• 1/4- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds(optional,you can use cumin / coriander or leave it all out)
• 1 Tbl Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning(You can use your fav brand)

Marinade the chicken with 2 tbl spoon of Yogurt,dash of Turmeric powder. Start sauteing the onions in oil seasoned with black mustard seeds while chicken is  marinading.Add the chicken after Onion is translucent.Throw in cumin,coriander ground powder,and other spices listed.Saute it till chicken gets little brown color.Add water ,bring it to boil then simmer it for 40 mins i guess. Voila,you have name struggling dish .

Side notes :
- I wrote  the amount after i cooked,so its approx.
-Poke the chicken with fork or knife and marinade longer if you want to.This was my last minute deal.
-Mustard seeds are optional,you can completely leave them out.However being raised as Indian,i almost always season the oil with different spice seeds while cooking Indian.It adds that extra nuttiness and zing to the dish.
-I peel and freeze my ginger and grate it directly over the dish.Its very potent spice,so not too much.
-Turmeric powder,you can leave if you want to.I would not because my Mom always says "You eat first with your eyes." I know i would  not like the limp colorless look of the dish at the end, besides its good for you.So its a staple spice in my drawer.It perks up the look.

Zero rated Lentil and Rice

Yes that was in the dinner list last night  and it was rated zero by my 2 and half year old son.No he didn't say that but thats what  he meant.He rolled his tongue on the first spoon and try to shake it off ferociously, looking at me in utter disgust,as if i have put hay and grass on his plate.
Me and my daughter ate this just fine.Its not a fried rice,so its fairly bland tasting just by itself.Its suppose to get mixed with the chicken gravy with every spoonful.
                                                   

Daal Chawal

Well i didn't think that i would  get not so happy verdict when i thought of making it.I had the full intention of making just the regular rice but when i walked to my pantry,jar of lentils stared at me and begged me to be used.I just simply obliged thinking little bit of extra protein doesn't hurt and besides they have better chances of  getting  consumed in this house,if they are mixed with rice as one dish.

I was born and brought up in India. Daal("Lentil") and Chawal("Rice" ) is staple Indian food.Must admit,i did not like 'Daal' growing up.Its rich in Protein,just like beans. Most of the Indians being vegetarian,it fulfills that need. Some lentils are eaten with their skin on and some off.Those with paper skin on, gives it more of granular,fibrous and hearty texture as suppose to smooth with skin off .Dishes are characterized differently as they are used.Most commonly they are used un-skinned in Indian cooking.

This is what went into it,all cooked together for 20 mins.

• Rice : 1 cup
• Yellow Mung Lentil :1/2 cup (it should have been 1/4 cup)
• handful of peas(little bit of green doesn't hurt)
• couple chunks of chopped tomatoes.
• 1 tsp of olive oil(optional)
• Salt to your taste.

This is how you say it(Yes,i am kinda finicky about saying it as its suppose to be).You can totally ignore it.
 Mung - sounds like short  'Moo' of cow sound. JOINED with 'ang' (g like Gorilla not Angelina).Yes this is what is sprouted green skin on and sold as 'bean sprouts' which you use in your stir fry.Its often misspoken as  type of  beans but i have known it as lentil only ,they both are legumes,we can agree on.
                                                             Mung with skin off

Daal -  like 'tall' but instead of 't' sound ,you are saying 'the' with 'aal',opening your mouth as in 'la la la'.
Chawal - "cha" like 'cha cha cha' dance and 'wal' NOT like 'Wall" ,you do not open your mouth as big,its short.