US Masala

Homemade Ferrero Rocher

2012-02-11T15:57:00.005-05:00

ot a lot has to be said about this iconic chocolate delight. We all know it and love it. The extraordinary chocolate fanatic that I am, it has a special place in my heart. So when I saw the recipe here I could not believe that it can be attempted to be made at home. I always believed something that tasted so exotic must have a grand secret recipe that was guarded very closely. I just had to try it. Valentine's day was around the corner and that was all the excuse I needed.
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Easy-Cheesy Garlic Bread

2012-02-03T16:31:00.004-05:00

here are four things right about this recipe - toasted bread, garlic, butter and of course can't go wrong with melted cheese. Those are reasons enough for me to snack on this delight every so often. The very first time that I made it though, the reason was a little different. Every time hubby would cross the frozen foods aisle in our local grocery store he would point to one of the freezers and say 'hey why don't we get that garlic bread, they are really easy to make and are a great snack'. I would always cast him off as 'you always like to buy this junk from the stores, I will make you these at home some day'. Not sure what went through his mind but poor guy never said anything. A few moons ago, that one day finally arrived and when I made these I was totally hooked myself. He said it was way better than the ones in the store and I am not the one to complain when I get a compliment like that. Yes we have passed that freezer several times since and he has never brought it up again.

Fruit and Nut Dark Chocolate Bark

2012-01-29T23:00:00.002-05:00

alentine's day is still a few days but I couldn't help it when I saw this simply fabulous chocolate recipe. I kid you not, this was the EASIEST and most AMAZING chocolaty sweet treat I made ever! Decadent dark chocolate topped with crunchy roasted nuts, bits of crystallized ginger, along with sweet tart dried cranberries, cherries and finished with a sprinkle of sea salt. The salty, sweet chocolaty combination is totally addictive and exotic and it looks oh sooo pretty! Oh and did I mention it’s also kinda healthy full of antioxidants and there’s no baking required. Now I am a chocolate nut (no pun intended) so you can take what I say with a grain of salt (no pun again... lol) but when hubs, who - to remind you - is not the biggest chocolate lover, goes "hmm... this stuff is really good" and asks for seconds, that you gotta believe.

Baked Spiced-up Chickpeas

2012-01-23T00:40:00.001-05:00

uch is being said these days about the importance of eating healthy. I believe there is an increased awareness among people in general as well. The sad part is that health food oftentimes discounts on arguably the second most important aspect of food - taste. Well it does not have to be that way. It can not only taste great but actually taste like some of the most sinful treats that we coerce ourselves into resisting. If you have ever tried chana-zor or 'mixture' as it is also called in some parts of India, you would know that awesome tangy spicy crunchy taste that I believe hardly there would be any soul that does not like. Yet, at least I know for one that resists it due to all the deep frying involved. This masala mix of chickpeas is a attempt to create the same spicy tangy taste but without having to fire up the fryer. Being chickpea based, it also provides a healthy serving of protein. Although, after you've tried it you will care less about the nutrition and simply enjoy the addictive taste.
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Masala Potato Cake with Ginger Walnut Cilantro Pesto

2012-01-15T20:02:00.001-05:00

oes without saying that good food has always held an important place in our lives. Now maybe its just me but I feel that the hands that make good food have gained the respect and have been given the due credit they deserve only in recent times. Thanks to popular media that stepped up to the plate and made not just food but also cooking fashionable. Even so this has happened only in recent times (you do remember those early 90's cooking shows don't you). Today there are entire television channels dedicated to food and present food in style.

Credit also goes to some pioneers in this field. Growing up I always fancied cooking shows. I even have my little list of chefs that I have followed and like, some more than others. I have even blogged about several of the recipes from some of my most favorite chefs. One of the more recent additions to the list - and not just anywhere but very close if not the topmost on the list - is chef Vikas Khanna. He is one of those personalities whom I have very recently come to know and deeply admire. He is through and through a total inspiration right from the humility with which he speaks about even his biggest achievements, from the early days of his struggle to the peak of success which he is at right now to the passion with which he uses his ingredients in his food (you should watch him talk about spices, say some rare kind of pepper that he considers extra special, like a woman would about the newly acquired rock on her finger).
So here is a recipe that I adapted from one of his collections. Needless to say we all loved it.
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Best of 2011 and a Giveaway!

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

ho doesn't like a surprise gift. Especially the holidays are the best season to give and receive presents. The holidays are now over and before we get busy with doing bigger and better things in 2012, for all the love shown by you my dear readers USMasala would like to give you a present. USMasala is hosting a giveaway so please do drop in and you never know you just might be the lucky one to win the coveted gift.
First, here is a list of some of the most popular recipes from US Masala from the year that was -

Roasted Baby Potatoes
Instant Jalebi
Molten Dark Chocolate Cake
Paneer Methi Makhani
Mung Dal Paneer Samosa
Meetha Gulkand Paan

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Potli Samosa/ Samosa bundles

2012-01-02T22:10:00.003-05:00

am back! I hope you all had a healthy, safe, enjoyable and restful holidays and oh yes don't worry about those holiday pounds, you got eleven months to get rid of 'em... lol. It is amazing how I have barely been able to wish family and relatives on the new year and we already are two days into it. That seems to be the trend in recent years, they seem to simply fly away. I sometimes still I like to think we are in 2005... yep that seems more reasonable... but the calendar tells me otherwise.
Shake it off, we've got samosas to fry - and not any ordinary ones, these cuties are still all dressed up for that one last holiday party in their little baggie outfits or 'potlis' made of dough. 'We eat first with our eyes' as they say and a bite into these potli samosa only reinstates that belief. The same yum samosa taste, for no technical reason all of a sudden tastes even better. Of course goes without saying, the compliments you get if you serve them when entertaining, doesn't hurt.
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Meetha Gulkand Paan/ Betel leaf mouth freshener with rose petal jam

2011-11-30T20:00:00.008-05:00

Dear friends- The holiday season is around the corner and the holiday fever is catching up in my household as well. Just wanted to let you know that I will be taking a little time off during the holiday (a well deserved one as hubs tells me :). Will surely see you in a little bit.

Happy Holidays

hewing the Betel leaf or Paan, as it is called in Hindi, loaded with fragrant and flavorful fruit, herb and spice mixes, is the ubiquitous mouth freshener in the Indian sub-continent. If you think chewing gum is the most common form of freshening up your mouth, think again. Now I am no historian but the tradition of chewing the leaf has existed in the culture since the beginning of recorded history and is very much prevalent still in the modern age. To give you an idea, I do not think there is any public street in India where within five minutes you could not walk up to a little stall right on the side of the street selling this delight. This post would be incomplete without giving you a little description of that ever-present 'paan-dukaan'. A little makeshift stall made of plywood, roofing sheets and any other material nailed together to make a box like structure and propped up on four wooden legs, sometimes as small as five by five feet with a person barely managing to sit inside with a small counter in front of him. You walk up and ask him or her for the kind of flavoring you want and lo and behold within a matter of seconds he is ready with your instant gratification. In some places you pay as little as five rupees (a dime, no kidding) for a serving and walk away.

Parval/Patal Dopyaza

2011-11-24T20:02:00.003-05:00

arval or Patal, as it is sometimes also referred to as, is a common green vegetable that most if not all folks from India are familiar with. I looked around on the web and there seems to be a lot of confusion on its english name so I would rather not mention any here. It is especially common in northern and eastern part of the country and definitely well loved in the region in India where I come from. Growing up parval used to be abundant during the summers. So much so that it almost became a staple for those couple of months. It would either be aloo-parval with rice for lunch or parval bhunjiya with roti for dinner or even sauteed stuffed parval as a side, it would show up in some shape or form with every meal. You got tired of eating it eventually but you still liked it.
Coming to the US, I was pretty disappointed that folks here did not even know what parval was let alone eat it or even sell it. I would occasionally find the frozen kind in the freezer, tried a few times, but was even more disappointed. For someone trying parval for the first time, I would strongly advise not trying the frozen ones, not even close. We had to go without the fresh ones for a few years until we started seeing it in little containers in Indian grocery stores, tucked away in a corner as if it were an orphan vegetable that no one desired. The first time I laid my eyes on the little box in the corner seemed like a distant dream. I picked one up and held it close to my eyes turning it in different directions until my senses told me I was in fact looking at a fresh parval (aah the things you take for granted). The excitement however was short lived as almost immediately my sight fell on the little handwritten price tag that read $6.99/lb. "You gotta be kidding me", I thought and with a heavy heart put the one I had in my hand back in the basket and passed it by. Yes, I did turn around.
Since then I do buy a couple of pounds every now and then and handle it like gold. Hubs and I both enjoy it with rice or roti while chatting through our meal on everything I just wrote above.

Roasted Curried Butternut Walnut Soup with Spicy Cheese Straws

2011-11-21T19:10:00.002-05:00

uickly browsing through my recipe categories, you will realize that I am not much of a soup person. There are very few kinds, actually only a couple, that I would even allow myself to taste and that too made at specific places or by specific people. This soup is one of them. My first encounter with butternut squash was aboard a Caribbean cruise liner out in the middle of that vast blue spread of the Atlantic. It was an acquired taste. Hubby tells me I made a sorry face when I first tasted it but the expression soon changed with the second and third sips. Very seldom happens to me. I either like something or I don't. Things don't normally 'grow' on me, but this was different. Having remembered seeing butternut squash on the shelves of the grocery stores, yes of course I decided I would try it at home.

Since then this soup has been either a part of the entire dinner for us on several occasions. I normally accompany it with some salad and bread toasts or these cheese straws using puff pastry sheets - the supermarket wonder. Of course the cheese sticks are a winner combo so I picked them for the post here. A savory, spicy, cheesy crunch is all you need to clean your palate when enjoying this hearty soup. A few touches that I prefer with this soup is I like the version with the squash roasted better. Also I add some Indian masalas and some walnuts for that spicy nutty taste. Regardless of the twists and the masalas, each time I make this soup, the fond memories of the cruise vacation still pass my mind and I feel myself seated on the deck looking at the vast blue nothingness with the breeze in my hair sipping slowly from a hot bowl.

Methi Matar Malai with a Fragrant Saffron Cumin Scented Pilaf

2011-11-16T21:07:00.005-05:00

ppears that my last few posts have been about making dishes with my favorite ingredients. Here's a dish featuring another one of my very favorite, fresh Methi or Fenugreek. To give you an idea how much I love it, whenever I am at our local Indian grocery I eagerly scan through each one of those yellow wooden plank boxes sitting randomly on the floor where the nail is still sticking out from where the lid was forcibly pried off, secretly hoping to find one such box with bunches of fresh methi leaves stacked up. When I lay sight on such a box, my pulse does go up a few beats a minute, I kid you not. Hubby is well aware and when he goes grocery shopping by himself and get me a couple of bunches, he sure earns a few points ;) I also grow them in my backyard as well to have a limited yet regular supply. Last but not the least, I always keep a box of Kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves in my pantry just in case I run out in my backyard and the stores don't have it either, proof enough? lol.

Spiced-up Nutella Hot Chocolate

2011-11-14T20:20:00.002-05:00

inter is around the corner. Yay! It is getting cooler by the day. Well its sixty degrees so some of you might not think it to be much of 'winter' but that is how us south Floridians see onset of winter. lol and I totally love it. Talking about what else I love - Fridays - the best day of the week, well who doesn't huh. Waiting for five long days and nights for Friday evening is not easy. I get to go out and have lots of fun. Be it movies, catching up with friends, eating out, shopping etc. Can watch TV late into the night no school, no office, can sleep in till late the following morning and have two full more days to relax. lol.

The only other thing that can top a cool cozy winter friday evening is curling up on the couch with my two sweethearts (daughter and hubs) with a hot cups of cocoa (you knew chocolate was coming, didn't you)... aaah... Sipping this blissful heavenly hot cocoa and watching an old Hindi movie with cheesy dialogues but soulful songs.
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A Date with Chocolate Cake :)

2011-11-10T19:01:00.004-05:00

n case you did not notice the nifty badge to your right, US Masala is proud to announce that it has been featured on yummly.com and has been 'Certified Yummly'.
Now on to this post.
A date with chocolate! Now that's a date I'd never pass on. If you have been a regular visitor to my blog you must know by now that I have a clear obsession with chocolate. Most of my baked goodies are either chocolate based or consist of nutella or both. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so-much-so that every time I eat anything sweet, I immediately need to eat something savory or spicy to 'clean' my palate. With chocolate, the story is a little different. Every time I think of dessert, I think chocolate. Even when I am online looking for ideas, I type chocolate based search words... even when I am blog hopping, the category I check is chocolate baked goodies. You get the idea.

I regularly make a date based breakfast cake that hubs loves to eat with his cereal before he leaves for work every morning. This time around, when I was in the mood to bake some cake with the leftover dates I got the other day, while mixing the batter came the bright (read:obvious for me) idea of adding chocolate and the result was magical, a soft chocolaty perfect breakfast cake. Added bonus is now I can eat it for breakfast too. Being butterless and eggless makes it even better.

Paneer makani naanizza!

2011-11-07T20:11:00.003-05:00

eftovers can be an issue at times. Mostly hubs will not want to eat it the following day (he says he does but I can tell he'd rather not). It is more of an issue when your leftovers are dishes that are close to your heart and you just spent your entire weekend cooking them up. It just so happened this past weekend that I had leftover Panner Makhani and Naan, two things that I just cannot explain how much I love. Now of course I couldn't eat it all by myself and it would break my heart if I had to throw away paneer in any shape or form.
You of course guessed where this is leading up to. Long-story-short, all my leftovers were gone in no time. Not until later, when I pointed out, is when hubs realized they were leftovers. This was not the first time I had made these insanely delicious fusion pizzas that kiddo and I like to lovingly call 'nanizza'. It never fails me as was the case this time around. Kiddo totally loved it too - the result that pleases me the most.
Naan based pizzas are becoming increasingly popular, so much so that the frozen version of it have started to appear on regular grocery stores. I have made it with different toppings like aloo gobhi, palak paneer and even baingan bharta and this time it was paneer makhani.

Chilli Paneer dry/Paneer cheese in a spicy chilli soy sauce

2011-11-02T21:20:00.003-04:00

o tantrums and food have any relation for you? Well, in my case, growing up they had quite a lot to do with each other. This is what my dear mom used to cook especially for me when me - the brat - used to tell her "mom, you don't love me anymore", count to her all the occasions when I was refused an ice-cream, a barbie doll, Shahrukh's poster and the bestest most expensive dress in the mall! She knew how to get me back to behaving normally... lol.

I love Chinese food but I have a certain (very strong) bias towards Indian-Chinese (aka indo-chinese) cuisine. We Indians have had a long-lived love affair with Chinese food. Long before pizzas, burgers and junk food became popular, it was Chinese food that most of us wanted when we craved something exotic and different. One may argue that Indo-chinese is not really chinese food as it is not very close to authentic chinese food. It has been totally adapted and re-flavored to suit an Indian palette. But hey, that is what fusion food is all about, right? Who knew the marriage of a little soy sauce with Indian spices could be so delicious! A big bright star of the Indian Chinese cuisine, featured on almost every menu of an Indian restaurant, be it upscale or roadside.

Semiya Pulao/Indian Style Stir Fried Noodles

2011-10-31T23:41:00.001-04:00

uss free food is always welcome but quite often these recipes are very underrated. We make them quite often whenever we are racing against the clock to put food on the table but when it comes to showcasing your work we often put them in the back burner as 'yeh to ainvayi hai'. This is one such dish atleast in my household. I cannot remember how many times I have made it. Many different occasions - be it a quick lunch or dinner, pack something in a hurry for hubs occasional lunchbox or on kiddo's sudden demand of 'noodles'. Every time I made it I always got applauded on how good it was. Never gave it much thought. Gradually it started to grow on me. The proverbial last straw was when I saw several foodies on the world wide web talking about how their semiyan got soggy and sticky when they tried this dish. That is when I decided it was time. So here goes - a savory indian noodle dish kicked up a notch with indian spices and ready in no time.

Instant Jalebi!

2011-10-27T20:38:00.001-04:00

realize this is a day after Diwali but festivity is still in the air, right! Hope all you guys had a very prosperous and fun filled Diwali!
Diwali or Deepawali is the Festival of Lights. It is a time that is much awaited all year round by children and adults alike. A time of celebration, prayers, holidays, family, fun, fireworks and of course food - lots of it. It is one of the most important religious and cultural festivals in India bringing family and friends together. Diwali is one of the biggest and most celebrated Hindu festivals. In my Chandrakala post on Dussehera a few weeks ago I spoke about Lord Rama and his victory over evil. After vanquishing the evil Ravana, Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana come back home after 14 years of banishment. Since then, that day is celebrated by Hindus all over the world as Diwali!

Mirchi Ka Salan/Green Chillies in Spicy Tangy Sesame Peanut Sauce

2011-10-17T21:01:00.003-04:00

es you read it right. A curry of green chillies! If you take my word for it, this curry is utterly lip-smacking and delicious besides of course being... yes... hot! Mirchi, in hindi, means chillies/peppers and salan is hyderabadi lingo for a creamy curry or sauce. This curry is not just something I made up on a day I was overzealous. It in-fact is a very popular curry from the hyderbadi cuisine. So much so that this curry was popular as a favorite of the royalty of the yesteryears.
Hyderabadi cuisine, the cuisine from a region in the south-eastern part of India is highly inspired by the Mughlai cuisine. The word "Nawabi" is as synonymous with the Hyderabadi cuisine as "Shahi" is with Lucknowi. Hyderabadi recipes are famous for their rich taste and unique use of ingredients, roasted spices and aromatic flavors. This dish has all these components and more... chillies simmered in roasted peanuts, sesame, coconut sauce with lots of indigenous spices cooked to perfection give this curry its unique spicy, sweet and tangy taste. It is very easy to put together and has a very rich creamy taste that will compel you to make it over and over again.It is nutty with peanuts, has a distinct taste of sesame seeds and the bite and heat from the chillies... ahh.

Chandrakala/Stuffed Sweet Festive Pastries

2011-10-03T20:30:00.010-04:00

ere is another recipe from me that gives me an intense sense of nostalgia.

The start of 'navaratra' marks the beginning of the festive season in India. Navaratra culminates in Dussehera after which comes the much awaited Diwali with Dhanteras and Chhath between and immediately after. These followed by Christmas and of course the welcome of the new year. Festivities in India are associated with pomp and fervor, family, dressing in your finest, prayers and worship, time off from school, carnivals, guests and of course food, lots of food. How is that for nostalgia!

Zucchini Thepla/Spicy Zucchini Flatbread

2011-09-28T20:08:00.001-04:00

rowsing around the categories on USMasala you will notice a couple of different other Thepla recipes - the classic Methi Thepla and the Tofu variation of it. Here's another one.
You may find this a little unusual but the thought of this dish puts me on a train with my family... the train speeding through the country and I find myself sitting on the lower berth (after of course having fought with my brother for the window seat) with my gaze fixed outside staring at the lush green crop fields that race past us and the warm yet cool breeze rushing in as we wait for the train to take us to our destination... then you are suddenly pulled out of the trance by the loud sound of your name... thats mom demanding we get together as it was lunch time... and there it is... she opens her tote bag and pulls out a couple of boxes. Wrapped in tinfoil in those boxes are these wonderful flat breads with awesome dry potato curry and pickle. The already beautiful breeze is now filled with the wonderful aroma of the roasted fennel and carom seeds from the bread and the potatoes.

Mom almost always made these as lunch and as dinner when we traveled. She claimed they stayed nice and fresh even after being packed for several hours... and fresh they were... gone in minutes. Of course I didn't think much of it those days... after all that was mom and this is what she always made, right? ... aah... the things we take for granted.

Saffron Mango Lassi

2011-09-26T20:00:00.004-04:00

ow summer is not my most favorite season but for some reason I have a strange sense of longing now that it is almost over. This drink is an ode to summer saying goodbye and what better than to do that with with king of summer fruits ~ the Mango! The sound of 'Lassi' reminds me of hot summer afternoons, a tall glass filled with a chilled frothy yogurt drink.Summers in India are even harsher than here but they still used to be fun. Not just because we used to have long vacation away from school and we were allowed to just go out and play, visiting grandparents, all the pampering .. but also because the season would bring a lot of fun and cool food and fruits and berries - mangoes, jamun, lassi, a million varities of kulfi, soda pops, ice-chuski and the list goes on.

Lassi is a sweet chilled yogurt based drink is especially loved by all n very popular all over India especially in the northern and north-western parts of the Indian Subcontinent. Being made of yogurt it has a cooling effect so just the right thing to do to gulp own a tall glass before you head out in the scorching sun.

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies!

2011-09-21T23:30:00.005-04:00

ere's my dilemma. I am not a big cookie fan. But absolutely love chocolate. Don't even care much for chocolate cookies. There is about only one baked sweet goodie that I like and that is a good loaded rich and moist brownie. If you get my drift, you probably realize where the thought of these cookies originated. There is one other angle to it. My little princess. She likes cookies especially chocolate ones, but she gives me a hard time when I try to get her to eat brownies. She takes it as I am trying to get 'food' into her and immediately revolts. But she likes the taste of brownies... don't ask.

So long-story-short as you can see these cookies are a winner.... er... well yes before I forget, hubs liked them too :)

Pyaz Ke Pakode Wali Kadhi/ Onion fritters in spicy yogurt curry sauce

2011-09-19T21:01:00.002-04:00

ou can cross the seven seas and eat the food served by the best chefs from the most celebrated lands but I believe my foodie friends will agree that there is nothing like a bowl of that most loved comfort food that you can snuggle up in the comfort of your home and feed your soul with.
You may think the above is too strong a sentiment for a bowl of kadhi, but that is how I feel about it. Comfort food doesn't have to be complex or even exotic, you cannot explain it. Just the aroma of a hot bowl of simmering kadhi gives me a strange sense of comfort. It always elevates my mood, pulls me out of the clutches of a bad day and reminds me of home, mom and good times spent with family. Give me a choice between the bestest dessert in the world and a bowl of hot kadhi trust me I will always choose the latter. That is how much I like it, you get the idea. Kadhi is classically paired with plain rice or 'chawal' and is especially pure bliss on a cold rainy day.

Nutella Cold Coffee

2011-09-16T19:30:00.001-04:00

old coffee is a popular drink. I knew that. But only when I published this Cold Coffee drink riding on Nutella (think: cold coffee on steroids) way back in July of 2010, I realized just how powerful a simple drink can be. The instant response and acceptance it received then and has received ever since is just overwhelming and even more humbling. I just had to do it again. So dear friends here it is again - the USMasala ever popular Nutella Cold Coffee, repackaged for your viewing and drinking pleasure.
I have not changed the original post from July, 2010 which went as below -
One sunday evening after a heavy brunch and a relaxing nap me and hubby both were craving for some cold coffee (I wanted it with chocolate:) ) and didn't want to drive to starbucks.. so I raided my pantry and refrigerator and came up with this recipe with whatever I could lay my hands on and he went WOW! Now it is regular in our household, also have wowed guests by serving this who always ask for the recipe and don't believe how simple it is to make. Perfect for summer evenings and even as a dessert drink after dinner.Both of us like our coffee with chocolate so I used some Nutella (I did not have any chocolate ice-cream). The chocolate hazelnut flavor of Nutella mixed with coffee is just wonderful and refreshing. You will not believe drinking something so elegant and decadent was made in a matter of minutes.

Double Dark Chocolate Cappuccino Muffins (Eggless and Whole Wheat)

2011-09-14T21:20:00.007-04:00

s I was browsing around my own creations on USMasala the other day - which by-the-way I do much too less often as much as I would like to - I realized that I haven't blogged lately about any dish with one of my most favorite ingredients - Chocolate. It was also surprising to me as I make something that has chocolate in it almost every other day for my little one.

So here is a recipe for a baked chocolcate goodie that is one of the most common and most loved in my household. I make a small batch of these muffins atleast twice a week and they serve me well mostly as a quick snack when kiddo gets back from her pre-school.

Now as this is a regular, it has to be healthy. So you will notice the use of whole wheat flour and olive oil and zero butter. You can use whole wheat flour or even whole wheat pastry flour, any that is locally available. To kick it up a notch, addition of coffee is a must for me in anything that I make with chocolate especially when baking.

Minty Raspberry and Blueberry Spritzer!

2011-09-12T21:01:00.002-04:00

ime flies. Probably the most corny yet the most profound phrase of all time. Summer is already coming to an end. Can you believe it appears like it was only yesterday that we celebrated the New Year 2011 and it it already September, even feels funny writing 2011, want to think its still 2006! While we get ready to welcome the fall with the thoughts of celebrating Dussehra, Diwali and Thanksgiving, this is one pretty pinky summer cooler you must try. Summer is 'berry season' so here is an ode to summer with this 'berrylicious' cool vibrant drink which is perfect for a lazy summer afternoon or a casual get together or even those fun weekend pool parties. Kids will love this and you can even add a splash of vodka for a little adult treat!

Kashmiri Dahi Baingan/Eggplant in Yogurt Fennel Gravy

2011-09-08T21:01:00.001-04:00

have seen quite a few eggplant haters and also few ardent lovers but no one even comes close to my dearest eggplantaholic hubby. Oh yes, he just LOVES eggplant and can't get enough. He can eat it every single day and in all its forms :) Before I got married to him I didn't detest this vegetable but it was definitely not my favorite. Later however the vegetable grew on me especially with the killer Baingan Bharta he makes (yes he can cook eggplant too, not just eat). His love for eggplant was so well known that I was advised to learn as many eggplant recipes I could by family and relatives alike... lol. I used to keep an eye out for eggplant recipes everywhere possible books, newspapers, magazines, cookery shows and used to jot down (something I still do) in my treasured little diary of recipes. This dish is one of them. If 'Khana-Khazana' rings a bell, you would know - yes this is inspired from a recipe from one my most favorite chefs Sanjeev Kapoor.
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Sabudana Kheer/Tapioca Pudding with Saffron and Nuts

2011-09-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

ndia is the land of festivities. Believe it or not but national and regional festivals together would probably go into three figures. What's more is that these vary widely in the way they are celebrated from one region to another. Some are quiet and solemn including prayers and worship, some an expression of love and affection and most are attributed to deities and celebrated with quite the pomp and fervor.
Many of the regional festivals often are the quiet and solemn kind (but still elaborate nonetheless) and they are often associated with fasting. Fasting is a way of worship where you eliminate certain food groups from your diet for the period of the fast or sometimes, depending on how resilient you are and the method the particular festival dictates, not eat or drink at all.
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Mung Dal Paneer Samosa/Lentil and Paneer Stuffed Pastries

2011-08-29T20:00:00.006-04:00

amosa or Singhada (as we call them where I come from) always makes me nostalgic. I remember buying and treating on hot samosa from school and college canteen (which to me still is the best I have eaten till date) almost every other day. For the time when I was enjoying these crispy goodies - atleast for sometime - it would help me forget the dread of science and math classes! When at home, I remember when guests would visit during evening tea, serving samosa with tea was almost a given. My brother (a well known samosa fanatic) would keep waiting and dropping hints on what a great idea it would be to get some hot samosas. Papa, pretending to catch the hint, would hand him a ten rupee note. He would run over to the halwai shop at the corner of the street and get a dozen fresh out of the fryer for everyone ~ ahh! Can you believe samosas were 75 paise each back then!

Saffron Rose Srikhand/Indian Style Saffron Rose Greek Yogurt

2011-08-24T20:10:00.000-04:00

e Indians love our spices as well as sweets. Festivals, celebrations or any happy occasion for that matter is definitely accompanied with sweets or as we call them, 'mithais'. There is mushrooming of mithai shops and local halwais on every nook and corner wherever you go. There is usually such a variety of sweets that it is difficult to decide what you want to eat. It is said that culture in India changes every hundred miles. With culture comes its food. Every region has its own sweet specialties and varieties so you can imagine how vast and expansive the world of Indian sweets can get.
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Roasted Baby Potatoes Indian Style!

2011-08-22T20:00:00.001-04:00

here is something to be said about the versatility of potatoes. Fry 'em, bake 'em, roast 'em, saute 'em, cook 'em in a curry, mash and stuff 'em, well just mash 'em, heck if you fermented them right, you could even drink 'em :) There are a few people I have come across that don't like them but I can count them on my fingers. The biggest potato lover I have seen among them all is hubs, so much so that his friends tease him of being one. This will give you an idea - I made these roasted potatoes this past Sunday afternoon intending them to be a side with lunch. He ate a whole piled plateful and he emphatically declared that to be his lunch.
It wasn't just his love for potatoes, this recipe is out of this world. Very simple and elegant yet completely full of flavor with an added twist of Indian masalas. This recipe is out of a cookbook from the celebrity Indian chef Suvir Saran. I recently became a proud owner of one of his best work, (incidentally) named 'American Masala'.
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Minty Fresh Berries and Fruit Couscous Salad

2011-08-19T11:04:00.003-04:00

y hubs is not the biggest fruit lover. Just about the only fruits he likes (read: can eat) are banana, guava and ripe mangoes. I on the other hand love all kinds of fruit (except banana and mangoes, go figure) and can live on the fresh fruit juice and salads for a few days. Also, because of all the goodness of fruit, I try to incorporate them in our meals at-least once a day. Hubby always takes one or two bites and I am the one left to finish my plate and his. Same with my little one. She is even stranger with her fruit habits. She only likes fresh pineapple and orange juice. Her reasoning why she doesn't like a particular fruit is because of the color, watermelon is too red, papaya is too yellow, guava is too green. But then who's to argue with her that my dear pineapple is yellow too, lol!

Anyway, thats a little 'fruity' detail about my family, back to the post. Summer brings in colors, brightness, vibrancy, fresh fruits and vegetables and also the sun and the heat. The local markets got crates of fresh berries and fruits and mostly on sale nowdays which means I completely go crazy and bought us more than we could handle. It was not possible for me alone to finish (although I did finish most of them all by myself). Now, hubs is a salad fan mainly couscous salad and last weekend I was all set to make some veggie salad and I opened the fridge and saw the rack full of fruits wanting to get my attention and hence this recipe. Some time back I had a similar kind of salad at the salad bar of the local Whole Foods market so this is slightly inspired from that. Mixed in a few home grown organic mint leaves and a lite lemony dressing. To my surprise both hubby and kiddo loved it. It was refreshing, gorgeous and a great alternative to regular salads and helps with your daily fruit intake as well.

Dahi Nariyal wali Bhindi/Okra in coconut and yogurt sauce

2011-08-16T21:02:00.001-04:00

es I am back. I realize it is unusual for me to go without a post for a fortnight and thanks to many of my readers that missed me. Lets just say life gets in the way sometimes. Here I am with a simple homey bhindi/okra dish the recipe of which I've had for a really long time in my diary (remember the little 'yellowing' notebook). As I sat back and thought about my history of cooking, nostalgia struck and hence the thought of getting to my good old diary. I remember having taken down this recipe during my college days from a magazine. I still remember it was a dish by the famous Indian celebrity chef Tarla Dalal whose recipes were a regular feature in the magazine.

Saag Paneer Calzone/Spinach Paneer Curry Calzone (whole wheat)

2011-08-03T20:00:00.002-04:00

love Italian food! Love eating it and love cooking it. Love the different layers, flavors complex yet simple, exotic yet rustic just like Indian food. You can sense the rich culture and the legacy from the food .
Our (indians) love for indo-chinese is well known but another cuisine that has come in from across the shores and become a part of the cuisine... is Italian. With its pastas and pizza and other goodies and use of herbs, five star restaurants as well as hole-in-the-wall stores near every street now have some kind of “pizza” on their menu! It keeps the essense of pizza that is a thick bread smothered in tomato ketchup topped with melty cheese, but almost always has a local (desi) touch to it whether it be use of paneer or chicken! Lots of fusion recipes have been born, you can easily find panner pizza even butter chicken pizza in any pizza hut franchise in india - I have few on my blog too. This time around I took my classic saag paneer recipe and tucked inside a calzone and the result was a beautiful marrige of two of my favorite cuisines - a fusion food heaven!
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Raspberry Muffins (eggless)

2011-08-01T12:30:00.002-04:00

uffins filled with the essence of summer, how does that sound? Not a big fan of the summer heat but the fact that summer brings along the juicy sweet tangy berries makes summer worth it. I happen to love raspberries. Who doesn't? They are just so cute! Juicy, ripe red raspberries subtle and light these are sure to lift up your mood and make you all sunny and chirpy!
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Paneer

2011-07-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

n popular demand in the form of a number of queries via comments and several emails, here I am with my very own recipe for Paneer. This should not come as a surprise as I believe I have made myself a reputation of sorts for my love of Paneer through the numerous paneer based dishes on my site. The idea of making any basic ingredient for me is exhilarating. It is such a rewarding and stress relieving experience. With my love for paneer, making my own has a special place in my heart and my kitchen. It is one of those beautiful things which you never really know until you actually do it.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

2011-07-27T21:01:00.003-04:00

ay, I'm finally here with a soup recipe (...drumroll...)! I know the soups have not been my strongest suite. Many of you have pointed out that too. Funny how that works as I make quite a few variations of it at home but never really got around to posting any - which is very well evident from that fact that there is not a single soup on my blog even after posting over 200 recipes :D Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am not much of a soup person myself.
Alright, enough excuses and introspection. Now about the dish itself. Of the very few soups I like, this is definitely one of them. My first encounter with soup here in the US was the canned version. To put it simply, that encounter did not go very well, it was practically non-edible - and that left a scar. Until last week (I guess the scar healed) when after taking into account the feedback from my dear readers I suddenly realized that I used to like mushroom soup. Well you guessed it, I decided to make it for myself.
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Gobhi 65/Spicy Cauliflower Tempura Indian Style

2011-07-25T13:37:00.021-04:00

ummer is at its peak and the sun scorches the earth every day. Its almost midnight here and its 86 degrees outside *phew*. In the relentless heat however the rain gods do peek in every other day to provide some very welcome relief.
It was such an afternoon on Saturday this past weekend when the rains were especially merciful. As it rained cats and dogs, we sat on our patio on a Saturday afternoon - which usually means shopping afternoon - and marveled on how beautiful nature was (yes hubby and I still get corny sometimes about that stuff). Somehow the conversation changed very quickly to food (are you kiddin' me) and we were talking about how nice it would be to get something hot and crispy to munch on. I was immediately like 'lemme go and make some pakoras'. Hubby not being that much a fan of pakoras, I instantly sensed that on his face. That is when I was reminded of this fabulous appetizer that we had had at an Indian restaurant during our last vacation a couple of months ago. I had totally loved it then and my analyzing taste buds had read the recipe right then and there and kept it somewhere in my head. Yes I recalled it then and here's the result for you to see and enjoy.
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Cherry Peach Cobbler

2011-07-21T21:01:00.002-04:00

tores are abound with luscious and juicy fruits these days. Hey what do you know, its summer. It is especially the time for stone fruits like cherries, peaches, plums, apricots and the like. Although modern grocery stores carry them in all seasons, this time of the year they are at their best.

The other day I asked hubs to get some regular grocery stuff from the store on his way back from work. I usually make a grocery list on my iPhone and email it to him and he carries the phone in his hands around the store, yes he's cute. I call it my high tech grocery list. Anyway, so this other day besides the usual potatoes, bread, milk and other stuff that was on the list, he got me a box full of ripe plump red cherries. After eating a few right after washing them right out of the bag, the only thought in my mind was 'dessert'. I have made and blogged about Cherry Crumble before so I decided to make my other favorite, the cobbler.

Paneer Jalfrezi/Cottage cheese in spicy tangy sauce with bell peppers and onion

2011-07-19T20:00:00.006-04:00

uite unlike the super-star butter paneer masala which is practically synonymous with Indian cuisine, the jalfrezi is mellow but very much like any Indian curry. It has a burst of flavors, is full of aromatic spices with an exotic taste that is bound to take you by surprise. Cubes of succulent home made cheese are simmered in a fragrant garlic tomato sauce with loads of colorful peppers and freshly ground spices that will make you mop your plate clean and ask for more. Unlike a few other paneer dishes this one is not very rich or laden with butter and cream to make it tasty.

A common dhaba dish all over India ~ dhaba is a Indian equivalent to the American road-side diner. Known for its rustic, simple, basic, inexpensive yet flavorful original dishes and very popular among long distance roadies and truck drivers. Whenever I go to India I make it a point to take a drive with hubs and kiddo to the nearest dhaba on the national highway just to have some of their dal makhani, kadahi paneer and fresh out of the tandoor (clay oven) those buttery flaky tandoori rotis ~ ahh.

Aam Panna/Green Mango and Mint drink

2011-07-14T20:20:00.002-04:00

hopping in air-conditioned malls is the modern trend. If you have ever shopped old-school on the streets in India in the scorching heat of summer you would know that it gives the saying 'shop till you drop' a whole new meaning. Just when you have shuttled around twenty odd stores and looked through scores of dresses and hundreds of accessories and are about to 'drop' from the heat and exhaustion but still want to go to the store around the corner - who knows maybe they have the perfect accessory to go with the dress you just bought - you feel a serious craving for this drink. You crave for a glassful of Aam Panna to give you that much needed relief and recharge yourself. You start looking around for the nearest push-cart vendor or stall that is making them fresh and yes you are bound to find it around every street corner.

This drink basically comes from the streets of northern India and is popular because of its cooling properties. A nice and refreshing drink made of raw unripe mangoes which gives it a tangy flavor and the refreshing mint that gives a cool fresh taste. Freshly roasted cumin for a smoky taste, the black salt adds the flavor which cannot be substituted by anything else. Complete with the right amount of sugar makes it a perfect thirst quencher.

Back home where I come from it is always made with roasted charred mangoes. Some people also boil the mangoes. It does work both ways, but the charring process gives it a nice smoky touch. Mom would make a big jug full of this Aam Panna during the months of late April and May when raw mangoes were found in markets in abundance.

Imarti

2011-07-11T12:01:00.006-04:00

ave you ever wondered what the royalty of yesteryears ate. Especially in India where the land has seen its fair share of kings and queens of over the last couple of thousand years. If you think what they ate had to be rich, tricky to make, used expensive ingredients and extremely delicious, you are absolutely right.
The Imarti is one such sweet dish. It originated as a dessert for the royals in the ornate state of Rajasthan. Legend has it that this delectable sweet dish was created as a gift by the Rajput kings for the Moghuls during the Moghul invasion of India over four hundred years ago. The dish is now ever popular all over the country although in some parts of the country it is known as Jangri. It is almost as popular as its even more popular cousin the Jalebi. So much so that every sweet shop around the corner of every street that makes jalebi will most certainly also have imarti.
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US Masala turns One! Celebrating with Nutella Donuts and a Giveaway

2011-07-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

inally the day is here. US Masala is One today. Since the day I started my blog an year ago I have wondered if I would be able to nurture it so it stands the test of time. One year is not too long but it sure does give me immense confidence to go on.
I like to think of my work as a child that I have seen be born, grow up and mature - through different templates, colors, picture sizes, fonts, gadgets - all within the past three hundred and sixty five days. Besides the obvious benefit of keeping me busy, giving me a chance to experiment and learn new recipes, US Masala has given me the unmistakable opportunity of knowing a large number of wonderful people throughout the world - yes all of you my readers. I am totally and completely amazed at the response US Masala gets from its readers. You make me feel all warm and fuzzy with all your encouragement, so a big Thank You to you all. My stats tell me how immensely loved my site is. It is very humbling and makes me more passionate about what I love doing.
It would not be unreasonable to say that food blogging has changed my life in ways I never imagined. It has taught me is to follow my passion and to admire and enjoy the simple things in life - a food-photo that comes out well, an experiment that succeeds, a thoughtful comment left on a post. The creativity, thinking, writing, history, everything. To all my readers - Thank you for being a part of my life and letting me and US Masala be a tiny part of yours. Love you all!

Paneer Methi Makhani

2011-07-01T10:37:00.004-04:00

hat to make for dinner tonight? A thought that haunts me immediately after having finished with lunch. Asking hubby usually is returned with "just make anything" or "can we order some takeout" (he is sweet I know)! Hmmm... I usually know I will make rotis but what do I make to go with it. I do try to come up with something new every now and then but being a vegetarian sometimes limits your choices. I face a similar situation when I find myself deciding on what to take for a potluck, or a get-together that would be different and not the same old regular veg preparations.

Now paneer is most everyone's favorite but how many times can you make and serve the same butter masala, jhalfrezi or parathas for that matter. So in my quest for making something different yet elegant, simple yet exotic and healthier than other paneer recipes and of course quick 'n easy, I combined two of my absolute favorite ingredients- paneer and methi. I did not want to make the regular white gravy loaded with cashews and cream so opted for a very easy and quick makhani or butter-less masala version. I was more than pleased with the results and the fact that it was an addition to the list of answers for the eternal question of what to make for dinner :)

Fairytale Princess Cake!

2011-06-29T12:01:00.001-04:00

ur little one turned four last week. Many many happy returns my dear. Her birthday is the happiest day of the year for us and we make no secret of that to her. She just learned to read and write her letters and numbers. Among other things, we asked her how many toys she wanted this year, she went 'ten'. So we took her to the toy store and let her run loose (for a change) to pick her ten favorite toys.

Gajar Halwa/Carrot Pudding

2011-06-27T12:01:00.001-04:00

his delicious and classic Indian dessert is a huge favorite with dear hubs. The warm aroma of the sweet succulent carrots cooking in the milk with saffron, cardamom, all slowly cooking and simmering in pure homemade ghee fills my house with a wonderful pleasing and festive aroma that always draw him to the kitchen... always.

We Indians love our spices as well as sweets. Any celebration or happy occasion for that matter is definitely accompanied with sweets. There is a mushrooming of mithai shops and local halwais on every nook and corner wherever you go and there is usually such a variety of sweets that it is difficult to decide what you want to eat. Each part of India has its own sweet specialties and varieties so you can imagine how vast and expansive the world of Indian sweets can get.

Thai Massaman Curry (Vegetarian)

2011-06-22T20:30:00.007-04:00

his one time, soon after we got married and I came to the US, hubby and I went to a wedding ceremony of one of his colleagues. Strangely enough they did not have much food. Only some light snacks and drinks. So after the ceremony on our way back we decided to get lunch. He said he knew a Thai-Japanese place that was pretty good. At the restaurant we saw they had vegetarian sushi on the menu. I got all excited about it and we ordered it. When it arrived, it looked really pretty, got me even more excited to try it out. Hated it. I almost spit it out in my napkin. I kid you not. To my surprise though, hubby seemed to like it. Well anyway that was end of Sushi for me for a very long time. Well that was until we went to another Thai restaurant and this time hubby knew better than to order Sushi. So he ordered, you guessed it, Massaman curry. That was the day I was completely hooked to Thai cuisine. Thai is now definitely my favorite after Italian (and of course Indian) cuisine. I like everything about Thai cuisine; the ingredients used, its flavor, the way it’s cooked, the fresh herbs and aromatic spices and above all the way it tastes. And another reason for my love affair with Thai food is the familiar spices flavors with my very own Indian cuisine. Among the different Thai dishes, the varieties of curries definitely top the charts. The unique burst of flavors and the gorgeous color is so appealing that I order it over and over again whenever I am at any Thai restaurant. Not quite so popular as its more popular cousins Red curry, Green n Yellow Thai Curry, but heartier and a lot more aromatic is the unique Massaman Curry. It’s a sort of fusion between Thai and Indian food :)The tamarind, coconut and spices give it a distinct Indian flavor.

Cardamom Pancakes with Mango Saffron Compote/Chutney

2011-06-20T12:30:00.003-04:00

ather's day this year was special as it has been for the last four years since we were blessed with our little princess. Now she is daddy's little girl so this Father's day I figured I'd make something that would be manly enough for papa and would be fun for his little princess to make and eat and they can sit together and enjoy. Little and I made these incredible pancakes for dearest papa this Sunday ~ warm, fruity, rich, decadent and gourmet breakfast/brunch with the best mango compote/chutney ever (dad is a BIG mango lover)... and yes if you look closer, these are pancakes with no eggs! The feedback from both of my critics was very positive :) Hubby later explained how amazed he was that the pancakes were as light and fluffy as the ones with eggs except only better as they did not have the eggy taste. Me personally am not much of a pancake fan so cannot say much about it but I surely have a thing or two to say about the compote. If this is any proof, every time I open the refrigerator I lick a fingerful of this chutney :) Tangy and sweet, very fruity taken to the level of exotic with the dash of saffron flavor. You will never go back to your syrup again.

Lal Chana Ghugni aur Tikona Paratha/Black Chickpea Curry and Paratha

2011-06-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

was craving to have something that is closer to home and to the heart... and when you talk about close to home you often think of simple things that mom made that you enjoyed growing up. This dish is one of my comfort foods. Every time I make it, the sound of the sizzling spice and the aroma reminds me of home, of my childhood… lal chana ghugni used to be a staple back home – I love the flavor these special spices bring whencooked in Mustard oil. If you are not aware, traditionally most of the recipes from my native cuisine use mustard oil for cooking ~ in my opinion the flavor that mustard oil imparts can not be replaced with any other substitute. This recipe is a plain, simple comfort food ghugni with poori or parantha reminds me of the frequent weekend breakfasts during our childhood days. The side dish used to be yogurt,pickle and gud (palm jaggery).

Every recipe from home comes with a satchel full of memories ~ while growing up and having mom to cook for me, I never really paid attention to how comforting and delicious some humble ghugni might taste and smell. It was just a part of everyday, which of course I didn't make much of in those days. After all that was mom and this is what she always made, right? ... aah... the things we take for granted... Many years later, I love the smell intensely because I miss it so much and no matter how good I make it, it never comes close to the taste of mom's ghugni.

Paratha is a general term of a flatbread cooked in a pan with some oil. They come in various shapes and sizes varying from one region of India to another. Sometimes they are round, sometimes stuffed, even layered but for me parathas always have been these triangle ones, the ones that I picture in my head when I hear 'paratha'.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet

2011-06-13T11:30:00.002-04:00

othing screams summer more than this refreshingly delicious strawberry basil sorbet! A sweet and refreshing summer time treat. Luscious plump strawberries so aptly represent the spring and summer in my opinion. Nature at its prime, vibrant and full while the strawberries are gorgeously plump, red, sweet and juicy, a delightful treat for the eyes and taste buds alike. The bright sunshine, the blooms and the flowers make you feel good and admire nature and so is the sight of the red strawberries which are to be seen everywhere. My shopping baskets get filled with the bright reds every time I visit the stores – they are irresistible (and also very cheap lol:)) And so as you have guessed I have been making a lot of things with these beauties lately. Basil is my most favorite herb after of course cilantro. I have a big beautiful basil plant in my little kitchen garden that entices me with its sweet aroma every time I pass by. After making strawberry basil lemonade I thought of taking the combo and making a sorbet out of it. An exotic combination of sweet strawberries and fragrant basil intensifies the flavors of this sorbet. It is a delightwith fresh flavors and we could not but fall in love with this one.
Sorbet is a frozen dessert made from sweetened water flavored with iced fruit (typically juice or puree), chocolate, wine, and/or liqueur. The origin of sorbet is variously explained as either a Roman invention, or a Middle Eastern sharbet, made of sweetened fruit juice and water. The term sherbet or charbet is derived from Turkish: şerbat/şerbet, “sorbet”, from the Persian sharbat, which in turn comes from the Arabic sarrbāt meaning “drink(s)” or “juice.” Sorbet is sometimes served between courses as a way to cleanse the palate before the main course. (Wiki)
Ice cream is based on dairy products whipped to make it light. Sorbet has neither dairy nor air. It is fruity- dense and slushy.

Molten Dark Chocolate Cake

2011-06-10T13:24:00.011-04:00

s a prologue let me start by an apology for going missing the last ten days. I realized this was very unlike me when quite a few of my fellow blogger friends reached out checking up on me making sure I was okay. A big thanks to all my friends for the concern, I am deeply touched and just want to let you know that I am fine. I just took some time for a quick vacation. In the future, will make sure to let my friends know when I plan on going MIA.
I am back now.

Dahi Gujiya/Stuffed lentil dumplings with yogurt and chutneys

2011-06-01T22:37:00.004-04:00

elieve it or not, up until very recently I was totally clueless when it came to that room in the house called the kitchen. My metamorphosis began almost half a decade ago with me meeting the man of my dreams. Before that in the kitchen I used to be as clueless as a camel at the north pole. The only experience I had, boiled down to (literally) making the occasional hot tea for everyone. Anyway, when I got serious about getting married and settling down, mom realized cooking could be a skill I might need and took the challenge to show me how. Daily she would take the time to walk me through what she was cooking that day for lunch or dinner and would occasionally make me write the recipe down in my little notebook. I gradually built a liking for the art which very quickly grew into a passion. I was amazed to find that a skill that is so often taken for granted required such dexterity. As I grew into it, I developed a new found respect for my mom who would make three square meals for us every calendar day of the year and alter her menu on demand depending on our mood swings (yes bro and I both were picky eaters).
Yes I still have that little recipe notebook. This is one of the recipes from one of the now yellowing pages. This is one of mom's specialities that she was often requested by friends and neighbors to make and re-make.
This dish is a twist on the classic Dahi-Vada, the only difference being the dumplings are stuffed with a nut mixture and is shaped like a half moon rather than the traditional round vadas. It is kind of street food that borders on the exotic. The fried lentil dumplings give it an amazing texture and topped with the spiced up yogurt with the tangy sweet tamarind chutney makes for an amazing flavor profile that is totally addictive.
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Tiramisu for Him! (an eggless recipe)

2011-05-30T22:00:00.002-04:00

ubby's birthday is a very special occassion for me; the day he came to this world to be mine. The special day was last week. Like every year I wanted to make something special for him. Something sweet, something he totally loves and something that is exotic enough so it expressed my feelings by way of food. He has a sweet tooth so it had to be sweet. What would be fabulous and romantic at the same time, as I sat there thinking, only one sight kept coming over and over in my head, yes you guessed it, Tiramisu!

Tiramisu literally means 'Pick me up' in Italian. Isn't the name enough, do you need a dessert to sound any more romantic. But thats not all, as you dip into it, you feel the creaminess as you cut through the layers of cream and the soft texture of the coffee soaked lady fingers. It just feels exotic and you cannot resist taking that first bite. Thats when you taste the sweet exotic creaminess combined with the slight bready texture that completely melts in your mouth. Your fork is ready to go again and before you know it your plate it clean and you are wondering 'should I get some more?'

For me the added bonus besides the fact that hubby totally admires this was that this is probably the only the sweet preparation I make that my little princess never says no to when asked it she wanted some. She can have a big piece of it every few hours. The first time I attempted Tiramisu was actually more due to need than want. A few months back, it was my little princess' birthday. I was planning on baking a cake. The oven was not looking its best so I decided I'd put it on the cleaning cycle before baking. Murphy's law at its best - after a couple of hours of 'cleaning' the oven died completely - the repair tech later told me the heat fried the control chip or something, hey I'm no expert on these things but I do know enough to believe that when an oven has a cleaning cycle, it should 'clean' rather then fry itself. Anyways... back to the story, now tasked with making a cake with the minor inconvenience of not having an oven, thus came the idea of making Tiramisu that looked like a cake.

Curried/Masala Couscous salad

2011-05-27T12:08:00.007-04:00

do love cooking elaborate meals and I do know (most days) I am not lazy at all when it comes to that ~ But then there are days when I don't even feel like lifting my little finger (not happening with an hyper-active toddler). All I would love to do is to snuggle under my blanket and settle down with a good book or just randomly blog hop or just sit on the couch and watch TV. Fixing a meal on such days is such a pain. I am sure most all of you are going in your head 'yeah me too'. This filling and comforting salad is so apt for such a time. The other day, kiddo and I were all by ourselves, daddy was in a two day business conference. We made this super easy delicious couscous salad for lunch and kiddo totally loved it, the result that pleases me the most.

This one is packed with nutrition and is very filling. I love couscous and always have some in my pantry. One of the easiest and very versatile ingredients to work with. I have made it several different ways but this time around I added a some indian spices and the salad ended up being a fabulous fusion meal.

Tandoori Tikka Chaat

2011-05-23T11:00:00.003-04:00

eekend mornings ~ don't we live for them! At least I most definitely do (yes I realize it is Monday and its not fair to remind you all of the weekend which is a good five days away). On weekends, we like to sleep in a little late and then I absolutely do not like waking up and having to think about what to make for breakfast. Our most common routine was to get ready and step out for a leisurely brunch at our favorite Indian restaurant. Of late, we've gotten bored of that routine, especially with a toddler. So, on most days, it is a fruit salad or juice followed by a homemade brunch. This weekend I got up a little early (yes I did :) wanted to make and eat something interesting, not the usual, something totally indulgent. I thought of making Paneer Tikka and then thought some more. I remembered seeing a recipe a while back on Sanjeev Kapoor's website. I remembered it only in its theme. After recalling the flavors, eventually it resulted in combining two of my most favorite things in one, tandoori and chaat - this killer tandoori flavored mixed veg and paneer chaat... no one was complaining :)
This is a must try for those of you who like tandoori and chaat flavors (who doesn't, right?) I can vouch for it, you will not be disappointed. As you bite into the succulent paneer and the peppers, the intense tikka flavors hits you instantly. As you savor it you realize hey wait there's more to this tikka looking dish, it in fact is chaat too. The combination of such distinct flavors make this dish an absolute delight.
Hubby has already asked to make it again ~ music to my ears :)
Unlike most weekends, I went on a cooking spree this time around. Wait for my next post to see what I made after this succulent tikka chaat!

Samosa Puffs

2011-05-20T10:01:00.003-04:00

uys lets face it making samosa from scratch is a tedious job, one that mostly requires teamwork! Of course I have posted one here and I do make it now and then, but for those unexpected guests or for that terrible samosa craving on a cold rainy day I do follow the easy route with what I call the super market wonder ~ the PUFF PASTRY (an always present ingredient in my freezer). One thing that we miss here in the US is the luxury of having good Indian food available at any street corner you turn which we used to take so for granted in India. I am sure a few of my readers will identify with that. We used to crave for good samosas and other street food every now and then. Given that it takes a little effort to make your own, I mostly find myself not having the enthu to make it often neither to drive 10 -15 miles every time to the nearest Indian restaurant in the area. Now you probably have had those vegetable puffs (a million times) in possibly each and every single potluck or dinner you have attended so far. This time I wanted to take the same concept and make it a little more presentable and interesting and closer to our beloved Samosa ~ only open faced!

Homemade Granola and Granola Trifle

2011-05-18T12:22:00.004-04:00

runchy and nutty, fruity and filling, Granola is my "do not feel guilty after snacking" snack. I keep a big jar of it on the counter at all times for those late afternoon hunger pangs :)

There is no set recipe for granola besides a few basic components that are - rolled grains like oats, nuts and seeds, oil, spices, sweetener. Their homemade version is always the best as they can be easily customized to your personal preference. You can control the amount and type of sugar and oil, add your favorite nuts and choose your own grains. It works even better for those of us who have certain food allergies as you can rest assured of the contents of your snack. Granola has a good shelf life so you can make enough in advance to see you through for a few days or even weeks, not to mention it ends up being a lot cheaper too compared to buying from the store.

I always thought granola would be a bit a little tricky to make. But I soon found to my pleasant surprise they’re really not. It took me under an hour from start to finish, the hardest part being chopping the nuts (which you can simplify by getting the chopped ones from the store :) Simply mix everything, boil some syrup mix both together in a big bowl and pour them into a baking dish. Done!

I can munch on fistfuls of this fabulous snack but one of my favorite ways to eat this is also as a Trifle. I cannot think of a better way to start the day than with a bowl of fresh fruit and berries and plain greek yogurt topped with homemade granola.

Zafrani Zarda Pulao with POM!

2011-05-16T09:20:00.004-04:00

t gives me great pleasure to let you know that a scout team from POM Wonderful apparently liked my work that I publish through this blog of mine and contacted me the other day. They offered to send me a case of their wonderful juice. The best part, there was no catch. All I had to do was what I already love to do, come up with some recipes; and with a great product like POM it was not too difficult a task.

You guys most likely know about POM. Yes, the deep purple-pink juice in the cute double spherical looking bottle that you can find in the juice aisle of practically every grocery store.

As I sat down searching through my brain for ideas, my first instinct was a spiced juice blend, or ice-cream or the like. I wanted to go with something more original and exotic so I set those ideas aside and stuck to my roots. Hence came the idea of using a POM reduction in an exotic rice. When I asked hubby for his feedback after he had this rice for dinner, he summed it up aptly as a 'Dish fit for Royalty'.

Orange Dark Chocolate Chip Muffin ~ Eggless

2011-05-11T09:10:00.006-04:00

K, so I have no idea what to write. I am sitting here staring at my laptop for the last fifteen minutes and I literally can think of nothing! Lots of vague thoughts ~ but I am trying hard to put the words into a decent meaningful sentence - "writer's block" anyone!
So lets cut to the chase..for today I have a orange dark chocolate chip muffin for you guys, the combo which I absolutely adore. These are light, fluffy, citrusy, chocolaty and summery. Also, here's some excerpts collected from the glorious world-wide-web for your reading pleasure :)
Did you know the word Muffin either comes from the French word moufflet, meaning a soft bread, or from the German word muffe which is the name for a type of cake. As we all know there are two types of muffins which are famous, English and American. American-style muffins are like little cakes, consisting essentially of butter, sugar and usually made with baking powder and soda. English muffins, on the other hand, are a cross between a bread and a cake and are are made from a yeast based dough.
So here goes the recipe that has the ability to make you sunny and chirpy..make sure you stock up on these for those times when you want to have cake but would rather eat something light.

Achari Baingan (Eggplant curry with pickle spices)

2011-05-09T12:31:00.006-04:00

aingan or eggplant, might not be the favorite of all, but is definitely a favorite of few and in that category comes my dearest hubby... both are thick pals :) He just loves them (I call him eggplantaholic - lol..:)) and can't get enough. He can eat it every single day and in all its forms. Before we got married I didn't detest this vegetable but it was definitely not my favorite. Now, I always try different ways to make eggplant and this was one of the few dishes I made for him after we got married. He was mighty impressed and was hooked big time. Now he ALWAYS makes me buy the baby eggplants from the store and to make this :)
It is basically a tangy and spicy dry curry flavored with traditional indian pickle masalas. The panch phoran is the secret behind the unique flavor in this dish as it imparts the awesome achari flavor to the oil when heated and infuses a very distinct aroma and taste to the dish. Panch Phoran is a spice mix used in Eastern Indian cuisine (Bengali cuisine) and is a mix of the five whole spices – nigella seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds all in equal quantities. Panch is Five in hindi and Phoran is Spice seasoning, so it literally means five spice seasoning. This spice mix can be used with any kind of vegetable stir fry/roasted vegetables. Just put them in hot oil till the mustard seeds splutter, so as to release the aroma of the spices. Add any vegetables you want, stir fry, serve. It really is as simple as that. I have already posted Achari Aloo and Achari Paneer so here is the eggplant version.

Onion Pakora/Bhajji

2011-05-06T09:20:00.004-04:00

old and rainy days… perfect for pakodas or bhajjis (fritters) is what people say. For me each and every day is perfect for some hot crispy pakodas. I am notorious in my family for my love of these fritters. Most people like them hot and crispy, I on the other hand would even eat them ice-cold right out of the refrigerator lol :D They are easy to make, taste awesome and did I mention they are deep fried which is the best part - what more you want. But like most other things in life the irony is that hubby is not a big fan so I don't make it very often (but whenever I do he says they are the best he has had). Also I know they are not always considered the best things to eat for health reasons because they are deep fried but it is okay to indulge sometimes. When you feel like it, just make yourself some garma-garam pakoras... sit back with your favorite chutneys, a cuppa tea or coffee on the side if you want and enjoy the the crunchy savory goodness of these beauties... and yes, the sound of rain most definitely makes it a whole another experience... seems almost like nirvana!

Chhena Payesh - USMasala hits 200 !

2011-05-04T10:00:00.004-04:00

ES!!! I am writing my 200th post!!! At the risk of sounding cheesy I can not help but say - I cannot believe it. It almost feels like I started only a couple of days ago and only yesterday I was congratulating myself for my 50th. What amazes me even more is that I have been blogging only for just about ten short months. Do your math, with about 20 posts a month, I believe I can safely conclude about myself 'I love to cook'.
Over and above all, I am totally and completely amazed at the response USMasala gets from my readers. You make me feel all warm and fuzzy with all your encouragement, so a big Thank You to you all. My stats tell me how immensely loved my site is. It is very humbling and makes me more passionate about what I love doing. It has been out and out an joy-ride. It is such a great feeling to touch someone's life in anyway - help in a certain way - someone somewhere in some part of the world, an unknown stranger who suddenly becomes a very familiar name and face.
I'm not kidding when I say that food blogging has changed my life in ways I never imagined. The most important thing is it has taught me is that you follow your passion and the everything else will follows. Another big thing is to admire the simplest things in life- a food-photo that comes out well, an experiment that succeeds, a thoughtful comment left on a post. The creativity, thinking, writing, history, everything.

Hubby deserves a special mention. Between tasting my dishes, taking awesome pictures and being my 24 x 7 technical support, he is the one who keeps the show going :) Thanking him would actually diminish the value that he adds to my efforts.

To all my readers - Thank you for being a part of my life and letting me and USMasala be a tiny part of your lives. Love you all!

Paneer Dhaniya Kulcha / Paneer & Cilantro stuffed flatbread

2011-05-02T13:37:00.006-04:00

ulcha is a soft leavened Indian bread with delicious fillings that can be paired with just about any curry or eaten by itself. So if you haven't heard about them or have not tasted them, do not feel bad. I personally think that they are a little bit underrated and overshadowed by their more popular but very close cousin, the Naan. But if you have never had a Kulcha, I do encourage you to give one a try and you will realize for yourself that the difference is worth the special mention. The bread is exceptionally soft and tender when you break it between your fingers and as you take a bite, the savory goodness of the filling together with the softness of the bread, well.. makes you happy :)
So what is the difference between the Kulcha and Naan - here's what I think - Naan uses yeast in its dough while Kulcha uses only baking powder and baking soda. Naans are usually oblong in shape while Kulchas are round. Both are traditionally made in a Tandoor (earthen clay oven) but kulchas can be made on the stove top too. Both can be made in a conventional oven as well. I make my kulchas in the oven as well as on the stove top. It is popular all over India and in different parts of the world. They are generally stuffed with nuts, paneer, potato, khoya etc however the variety of filling one can stuff inside these Indian flatbreads is only limited by your imagination. Creativity is the name of the game – almost anything and everything goes for filling up these.

If you already like kulcha, good for you, or if you are like me you might have just found your new favorite bread.

Ghee - from homemade Butter

2011-04-29T00:22:00.002-04:00

larified butter or ghee is used extensively in India and other South Asian cuisines. Also, practically any Hindu religious ritual is incomplete without the use of ghee. It has a lovely rich and nutty flavor, and enhances the flavor and taste of anything that it is added to. Ghee, as the English version of its name 'clarified-butter' suggests, is prepared from butter. How is butter made? Well, from cream; and cream is made from milk. In this post, I pick it up from store-bought cream and make my own butter and then turn it magically into ghee! You can choose to pick up directly from butter or if you are a little more adventurous than me (like my mom is), then you might as well pick up from milk and gather your own cream. Back in India my mom always prepares Ghee from scratch. She used to collect the cream daily off the milk brought by the doodhwallahs/door-to-door milk vendors, until the container with cream was full and ready to be made into Ghee.

The process behind it is quite magical (scientific for those who understand how these things work chemically). As you churn it with a whisk, cream which otherwise is a runny liquid, changes to a frothy texture. This happens rather quickly, what we popularly know as whipped cream. Now if you be patient and keep at it, after enough whisking, the buttermilk separates from the cream and behold you have butter!

Unsalted butter is slowly brought to a boil upon which the milk solids separate from the clarified butter.

Pineapple Mini Bundt Cake - Eggless

2011-04-27T22:00:00.005-04:00

ineapple filled mini bundts! Cute as a button, light and fluffy with the slight hint of citrusy orange and freshness of pineapple in every bite - A sweet n refreshing pure spring- summer time treat!

I go for a light breakfast especially on weekdays. Be it a bowl of cereal or oatmeal or a quick sliced bread sandwich with some fruits and veggies. To keep things interesting, I always find myself looking for ways to come up with interesting but light and yet 'breakfasty' recipes. I have found that a light muffin or a light fruit bread comes really handy.

Here's a recipe for homemade pineapple mini cakes that I made in my adorable mini bundt pan and which can be very easily made in a muffin pan if you don't have a mini bundt pan. It was really liked by hubby and my princess alike. It is mildly sweet, has a distinct taste of pineapples and is extremely light that makes it just right for breakfast. I love baking with different fruits and this one sure is a keeper.

Stuffed Paneer Kofta Curry with Tandoori Roti

2011-04-25T13:01:00.005-04:00

oftas especially fascinate me as somehow I relate them to exotic curries. Unfortunately though Indian restaurants in the US (atleast the ones I have been to) more often than not fail to do a good job in making kofta dishes (and most others too). They are either not seasoned appropriately or overly laden with cream and butter. Hubby and I both love koftas so I prefer to make it myself. Me being me, I use no cream, very little oil and I have given an option to alternatively bake the koftas rather than deep fry them. I totally admire them. To me they are exotic with the different layers as they unfold when you bite into them. Simmered into a spicy and creamy gravy simply makes them irresistible.
A little general knowledge doesn't hurt, here's some about koftas- Kofta or kufteh, köfte, keftes, kufta, ćufta… have a heavy presence over various cuisines in the South Asian sub continent. They are essentially the distant cousins of American meat balls. The concept of the kofta is that a ground form of particular ingredients are mixed with various spices (according to what herbs and spices are predominantly available in that country) and rolled into a certain shape. Now, they are usually rolled into spherical shapes but in some Arab counties they are shaped rather like long kebabs, therefore the concept obviously varies according to where it is being made. Kofta can be fried, steamed, grilled or baked according to what ingredients you added to the mix. Vegetarian koftas are also very popular especially in India and different vegetables like bottle gourd, cabbage, potato other mixed vegetables are used and of course the very much liked ingredients by us veggies the evergreen Paneer!

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

2011-04-22T18:40:00.005-04:00

s the weather warms up, if you are craving for something cold, bright, crisp and refreshing, this is the drink for you! Pretty, very girly - romantic and glamorous and a color that is to die for. This drink always leaves an impression. The fabulous flavor of fresh juicy strawberries riding over the base of refreshing citrusy lemons with a twist of basil infused syrup, this drink has the taste that you will want to remember and come back often to.

A wonderful thirst quencher on a hot summer day or any day for that matter. Strawberry lemonade makes for a delicious party drink or for just a casual get together.

Pizza Buns

2011-04-20T11:22:00.009-04:00

ast night I was officially declared food crazy by hubby. We had dinner, tucked our little one into bed, watched some TV and then as we were getting ready to call it a night, this crazy idea struck me. God help me, it was almost close to midnight but I had to make these buns that would be stuffed with pizza sauce and pizza toppings. I call them pizza buns not sure if such a thing even exist. With much excitement I explained the recipe to poor hubby who listened to me with his jaw dropped to the floor. I could see him calling me crazy in the back of his head - not that I cared at the time - I just had to make it. I am sure some of my readers will identify with me (please say yes, its very important for the self-affirmation of my sanity :)
Anyway, believe it or not, the project took a little over an hour and by some insanely ungodly hour we were standing in the middle of the kitchen enjoying the pizza buns. I was so tired I don't even remember what they tasted like but hubby tells me they were awesome as he ate a couple (and he never eats anything that late).
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Strawberry Ice-Cream

2011-04-18T12:31:00.009-04:00

uscious plump strawberries so aptly represent the spring and summer in my opinion. Nature at its prime, vibrant and full while the strawberries are gorgeously plump, red, sweet and juicy, a delightful treat for the eyes and taste buds alike. The bright sunshine, the blooms and the flowers make you feel good and admire nature and so is the sight of the red strawberries which are to be seen everywhere. My shopping baskets get filled with the bright reds every time I visit the stores – they are irresistible (and also very cheap lol:)) And so as you have guessed I have been making a lot of things with these beauties lately and this is the first in the series - a stunning pink and delightfully yummy strawberry ice-cream.
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Penne in Tandoori Red Pepper Walnut Sauce with Mushroom and Peas

2011-04-13T14:06:00.008-04:00

have a met a lot of pasta lovers and very few haters - as far as I am concerned I am neutral - I don't hate it neither it is one of my most favorite. My daughter on the other hand (who is fussiest eater around) is notorious for her love of pasta. Even her preschool teacher complains she doesn't eat anything but pasta. She even went on to suggest we change her menu plan to pasta everyday at school! Hubby well- he is not fond of pasta- so the scene at home is I make pasta mac n cheese to be precise almost every single day at home for the kiddo but never really make pasta for ourselves. That probably is the reason why I have only one pasta dish on my blog. We don't even order a pasta dish when we go out to eat. Last Sunday evening I was in no mood to cook two seperate meals for us so I tried to make hubby like the pasta by making this dish with Indian tandoori spices and roasted bell pepper sauce - hubby loved it and even the kiddo enjoyed a more adult version with mushrooms and peas. When I started making it, the only thing I knew was that I wanted a tandoori flavored pasta. I decided on other ingredients as I went along. My head mostly went like - hey why not add some basil, how about some walnuts, mushrooms are always welcome and peppers and peas of course... you get the idea. The al-dente pasta with the unmistakable flavors of the tandoori masala in the yummy red pepper sauce with basil and the perfect bite of peas and mushrooms to keep things interesting texturally.

Paneer Pav Bhaji with homemade Pav Buns

2011-04-11T12:01:00.005-04:00

umbai is famous around the world as the center of Indian cinema "Bollywood", what some do not know that it is also famous for its array of mouth watering street foods especially the chaats available at every street corner. Juhu beach, especially is the most famous hub - a very crowded place where you often find yourself wading through a sea of people with the sound of the waves crashing in the background often looking for the next yummy food stall that gets your attention among the numerous street food vendors lined up. No trip to this beach is complete without having those delectable chaats they serve there and possibly a healthy dose of pani poories, vada pav, batata, bhel. Watching the vendors mix up the ingredients and cook up your snack to order with sheer abandon - without a care in the world, while keeping a keen eye for anyone who needs that extra little chutney, is a pleasure by itself. These street foods have crossed boundries of the city (and even the country) and are found practically everywhere there is Indian food sold.
Pav Bhaji is another such road-side delicacy. It is a very easy and a kind of street food that is a wholesome meal in itself and relatively healthier (if you minus all the amul butter of course). It is basically kind of a stew a mix of different vegetables in a spicy tomato gravy with loads of butter and eaten with butter soaked pav bread which is used scoop up the bhaji--yum :) This is even served at fancy restaurants and even top chefs boast of having this in their repertoire. A great one pot meal especially with the overload of vegetables in it. Fussy eaters like it and eat up all the veggies mixed in the yummy bhaji.
Usually paneer is not used as an ingredient in the bhaji. I decided to try it out with it. After-all if you saw my Paneer Tawa Masala, when you can mix pav bhaji masala in paneer, why not mix paneer in pav bhaji - makes sense, right? It did to me and it made an already awesome dish abso'freaking'lutely fanstastic. If it was any proof for me, hubby said this is how pav bhaji was gonna be made in this household henceforth, with paneer!

Here's the recipe for my homemade Pav buns.The traditional pav bread as it is called ladi pav in India is a yeasty crusty bread with a soft texture inside. You can use the store bought dinner rolls but I prefer this homemade one.

Blackeye Pea & Potato Curry/Lobia Aloo

2011-04-08T09:20:00.004-04:00

hildhood memories are always fun and sometimes they have a thing or two to teach us too. You probably wonder why I say this for a humble curry. Growing up, my mom always made this curry. It was not my favorite but I did like it. However every time mom made it, I would give her a hard time. I would pick another dish that I liked better and asked her to make that instead saying I did not like lobia very much. More often than not, she did. Now I actually crave for it sometimes. I sit back and think about all those times with mom and get up and make it for myself. Watching hubby and my little princess eat this and enjoy always brings a smile to my face.

The exotic combination of spices and other ingredients gives the humble lobia a grand makeover. You can enjoy it with roti, paratha or simple steamed white rice. It is a great way for vegetarians to get their fix of protein too.

Spinach Mushroom Cutlets

2011-04-06T11:00:00.002-04:00

hat to make for our daily evening snack always gets me thinking. I try to go for something quick, nutritious as well as fun. The 'fun' part is especially important to get my little princess excited to try it out and obviously I care about the nutritious aspect. In short that is the basis on which I came up with this cutlet. It turned out to be a good way to get spinach into my little one. Hubby was sure enough onboard as he mostly is with anything fried :) You can dip them in your favorite sauce or chutney and eat them as is or stick them inside a bun and enjoy as a sandwich.

Mango-Saffron Kulfi for the Men in Blue

2011-04-04T12:31:00.008-04:00

s I write this and get ready to publish, I cannot but help mentioning the victory of the Indian cricket team in the Cricket World Cup. Hip Hip Hooray! Three cheers for the Men in Blue. It feels great to be on top of the world and in such style. Go India! So this post is dedicated to the victory.
As the mercury climbs and the sun becomes more relentless, it is beginning to remind me of summers in India. The carefree school days, long summer holidays, visiting grandpa's place- I am sure each one of us must have some fond memories of summer like these. Summer also reminds us of our favorite food ice-cream :).The popular variation of which in India is called Kulfi. I have some fond memories of those summer evenings. I remember whenever we used to go out to eat chaat and panipuri (which was very often) we had to have kulfi otherwise the whole outing used to be incomplete.

Kulfi is an Indian version of ice-cream... often flavored with cardamom, saffron and nuts and has a very unique flavor. It has similarities with ice-cream in terms of texture, taste and of course the fact that it is frozen milk! But unlike western ice creams, kulfi is not whipped, resulting in a solid, dense frozen dessert. Where I come from, it is often served with falooda noodles (kind of like vermicelli). During the summers in india, there is no dessert more popular than kulfi.

Methi-Matar/Fenugreek-Peas Stuffed Paratha with Grape Walnut Raita

2011-03-30T22:07:00.005-04:00

tuffed parathas are really popular in India. They can be found on the menus of high-end restaurants as well are made fresh to order in road side dhabas. They come in different types obviously varying by their filling. I have yet to meet a person who does not like them, yes regardless of their filling. There is just something about them.

A stuffed paratha is basically an unleavened and pan fried flat bread stuffed with variety of fillings like spicy potatoes, peas, cauliflower, paneer and even with chicken. You can even find them with sweet fillings too. They are generally served simply with pickle, yogurt or just a little pat of butter... mmmm! It is a staple dish in almost all Indian households with minor variation in the recipe here and there. I remember mom often used to make these for breakfast and also sometimes for dinner with tomato chutney during winter times and it was always soul satisfying.

Hubby loves aloo paratha and my favorite is the one with stuffed peas. In this recipe I added some of the leftover methi leaves to my regular recipe of matar parathas and the result was fabulous. The sweetness of the peas with the flavor of methi and all the spices tucked inside the crispy yet soft bread was a total winner.

I chose to accompany my parathas with some raita. The raita below is one of my mom's famous raita recipe. The sweet tiny mini grapes with the fresh creamy yogurt and nuts is a the perfect side with these or any kind of stuffed parathas.

Desi Coffee College Style - by him!

2011-03-28T12:31:00.007-04:00

ere is a instant coffee recipe that is now on top of my list of recipes for coffee based drinks. The other day on a lazy sunday afternoon we felt like some hot coffee. Just when I was about to put a pot on, hubby out-of-the-blue asked if I had any instant coffee. He had suddenly recalled how him and his hostel buddies used to make instant coffee during college days.

There is no way I am ever going to drink hot coffee any other way now. I am so hooked. It is special also as I believe somehow it makes me a part of those days when he was in college (of course I gave him a hard time about what took him all these years to get reminded of it :) Besides the emotional aspect of it, I was also enamored by the details of the steps involved in getting it perfect.

Let me tell you that this coffee is the way coffee is done in Indian households (except with his twist in the whisking process). If you have lived outside of India for a while and your taste buds have gotten used to the bitter black coffee (or for that matter have never tasted 'Indian coffee'), this may take a little getting used to. This coffee is much lighter in color, is sweet, is milk based and is totally out of this world good.

Roasted Red Pepper-Tomato Pesto Hummus

2011-03-25T14:00:00.002-04:00

ot much of a story this time, just wanted to combine two of my favorite things in one i.e. pesto and hummus.

I love hummus. My love affair with hummus started a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve made a few different types including of course the traditional hummus. Hummus means chickpea in Arabic. It only requires a few ingredients and about five minutes to make. It pairs wonderfully with fresh vegetables, pita bread, and pita chips. This is one snack that you don’t have to feel guilty about eating!

Roasted red peppers add a delicious twist to hummus, plus they give it some extra nutrition. If you like hummus and if you like the sweet smoky flavor of red bell pepper you gotta try this. Now pesto - I am a die hard fan - love the concept, taste everything. It can jazz up everything- so today I added some left over homemade tomato pesto in the hummus and bingo - the creamy dip with a hint of mild smokiness and taste of bell peppers, some Indian spices, tanginess of the tomato pesto and the kick of lots of garlic and evoo... yummmmmmmmy... my kinda stuff!! Perfect for dipping. Also can be used as a spread for a savory sandwich. I love all kind of hummus as a dip with baked pita chips (which I am totally addicted to). You can also serve it with cut up veggies.

Here's how I make it.

Pad Thai

2011-03-23T20:00:00.004-04:00

ad Thai is Thailand's ubiquitous street food that needs little introduction. I believe if you really want to get a real taste of the food and culture of a place you should try its street food. The street food of a place defines the food and culture of a place and is usually the best the culture has to offer. Thai cuisine is definitely my favorite after Italian (and of course Indian). Pad Thai has all the qualities I like and more. It contains noodles, lots of veggies, crunchy roasted peanuts and is simmered in a tangy, sweet and spicy tamarind-soy based sauce. It is my second favorite Thai entrée after red thai curry which I order every time I visit any Thai restaurant. It is one of the national dishes of Thailand and is perhaps the most beloved of all Thai dishes and also the favorite of vegetarians like me. One put off for me being a veggie is the fish sauce/shrimp paste used in the preparation so lately I have making the dish at home without the fish/shrimp and you get the clean tasty dish custom made per your liking not to mention it is a breeze to make.

The term 'Pad Thai' literally translates to 'fried thai', but it really refers to (usually) flat rice noodles fried with thai spices and seasonings.

Methi Chhole aur Ajwain Puri/Fenugreek chickpeas curry with fried puffed bread

2011-03-21T12:31:00.003-04:00

he past week was good fun. My brother was visiting us for the last few days, hubby took a couple of days off work and then of course the festival of Holi. We had a lot of fun with a lot of hanging out, cooking up a storm, riding around town, eating out on occasion when I did not feel like cooking, playing a game of cards or scrabble... you get the idea. All in all, it was great and as I write this on late Sunday evening (which by-the-way is the worst time of the week for me) with mixed emotions I realized I missed out on updates from the blog world for which I believe I owe an apology to all my dear friends.

This is a dish that I made a few days ago, again in my methi cooking frenzy, which like most other methi dishes was a hit with hubby and believe it or not with my little princess too. It is a protein packed dish and is relatively easy to put together too. If you like chhole, you are gonna love this. It goes great with puris and especially a flavored puri like the ajwain puri that I have posted here. The ajwain flavor is simple and nice and the puris can be had as a snack by themselves too.

Gujiya - Holi hai!

2011-03-16T14:17:00.008-04:00

ujiya is a traditional indian sweet dish made typically during the festival of Holi. The sweet delicious filling inside the crunchy flaky pastry covering tastes out of this world and makes you want to grab some again and again. Gujias slightly vary from region to region. In the Northern parts of India, the filling is made with sweetened khoya and dry fruits and nuts while in South Western States, it consists of shredded coconut, nuts and jaggery or sugar. I of course like this the way my mom makes them.

Where I come from, we call it Pedukiya. These are made in most households during the festivities of Holi like it was in ours. They always take me back in time to those days when on the morning of the festival, you would wake up and go out on the streets armed with all your paints, colors and gulal. Any person you find young or old, whether you know them or not, you make sure you get them painted beyond recognition. Of course you get the brunt of it too so much so you would not recognize if you saw yourself in the mirror... lol. While you did all that, you would sneak an occasional peak in the house and pick a taste of all the goodies mom was busy cooking up. I remember how my mother and aunts used to make it and how all of us children would huddle up in the kitchen and be curious and all excited, waiting for the treat. The sweet aroma of festivity, sounds of laughter, the deep frying, chit-chat, gossip... I miss them all... here in my kitchen when alone I cook something like this there is not someone always to taste as it comes hot off the frying pan, the chit-chat... but the aroma of cooking the warmth of festivity makes me feel at home again. I have the sweetest and the most caring man in the whole world who is my sous chef my taster my food critic, my everything. With him and my our little bundle of joy everyday feels like a festival and keep me going!

Mawa Pistachio Saffron Mini Bundt Cake - an eggless recipe

2011-03-14T12:40:00.004-04:00

ne afternoon when I was sitting around thinking what I could cook up next, my baking genes started to flare up. The obvious question was what to bake. As I sat there and thought, I basically kicked myself for not having thought about the most common form of cake that I ate and made growing up - a cake with Indian flavors.

I remember back at home when I first started learning to bake anything, I tried to make a cake in one of those small counter-top electric ovens. It was a recipe that everyone in my extended family used when they had to make a cake! Nothing extraordinary, just your basic cake but kicked up several notches by adding key Indian flavors like mawa and nuts. That made the cake almost a cross between a cake and an Indian sweet dish.

Having baked several different kinds of breads and cakes, I decided to put a little twist on the classic recipe by adding pistachios and cardamom. Moreover, I believe this made the cake a bit more exotic, perfect for the upcoming occasion of the festival of Holi.

So here is the recipe for this fabulous fusion cake. Also, if mawa is difficult to find where you live, I have also detailed a couple of easy ways of making your own mawa at home. The use of mini bundt pan is optional. You can use any cake pan, I just thought they looked cute and were handy to serve to my little princess.

Mushroom Corn Pulao

2011-03-11T09:20:00.002-05:00

y kid doesn't eat very well! The universal problem which has been troubling every parent since eternity (except the few lucky ones... touchwood :) is going on with me too. My little one is a picky eater and I mean REALLY picky. Since she was little tiny baby I had problem feeding her which used to be like 45 min to an hour in one sitting. She is almost four now but that still continues. The few things she likes are to eat are mushrooms, nutella, olives, paneer, pineapple and rotini pasta. She doesn't like sweets of any kind except chocolate and nutella (for that I don't blame her... she took after me after all :). She even eats the spicy mushroom curry without complaining. In fact she doesn't like being treated like a baby when it comes to food (or anything else). Believe it or not she does not like even the classic kids stuff like fries, nuggets and the like. Three going on thirteen if you know what I mean. Yup we have a drama queen in our house... lol. I keep on experimenting with the things she likes. Yesterday was no exception. I was thinking what to give her for dinner and I came up with this and bingo it was well liked by kiddo and papa alike :) And I got one more recipe to please the taste buds of my little princess and a perfect one pot meal for those lazy days.

Vegetable Seekh Kebab with Green Chutney

2011-03-09T20:02:00.004-05:00

he word "Kebab" has always fascinated me. I don't know... just the sound of it is so sophisticated and exotic that whether you have ever even seen it or not, you want to try it when you hear it... and believe me you will love it when you do :) But sadly for me they have always been synonymous with meat based preparations and being a vegetarian I just never could have any. Lately I came to know about veggie kebabs. I was elated by the thought that I could now eat kebabs and tried to recreate these beauties and it was exactly as I though it would be... exotic, elegant and heavenly tasting. These are perfect appetizers for get-togethers and pot lucks. Super easy to make and your guests will definitely go WOW when you serve these.
You may find several recipes for kebabs if you look around but in my opinion this is an easy and no-fuss version that you will want to make over and over. Also, traditionally they are made in a tandoor or deep fried but I just shallow fry or broil them in the oven so they are very healthy too... lots of veggies and very little oil. As everything that goes in it is already cooked so very little oil is needed.
If you are making a large batch of the kebabs say for a big gathering, you can also bake them on a baking sheet. Just spray the sheet with cooking oil and broil them on high in your oven for 5-6 minutes on each side.
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Crêpe with Strawberry compote and Pistachios

2011-03-07T13:34:00.004-05:00

hen hubby introduced me to crêpes a couple of years ago, he called them the 'American Dosa'! These were the times when it had only been a short few weeks after I had arrived to the US after getting married and hubby was getting me acquainted with the local cuisine. There was this crêpe place near work that made the most amazing savory mushroom crêpes, he claimed. I totally loved them too. The sauteed mushrooms in a thick creamy gravy wrapped in a crispy yet soft crêpe. We went there several times. This was what seems like an age ago. Since then the place closed down and the exotic taste of the mushroom crêpe became a distant memory. Until one evening recently we drove down to a mall that is kinda far but we've always wanted to go there. We spotted a crêpe store in one of those food courts. This rekindled the memories of all the sweet and savory goodness of this great French dish. We enjoyed all different kinds and now that I was a food blogger, I decided to make it for myself :)

Orange Olive Oil Loaf Cake

2011-03-04T09:20:00.005-05:00

ey again folks. So my story this time is as simple as... I just felt like baking. Baking something nice and flavorful and... citrusy. The only citrus flavor I felt like was oranges. But then I felt a real urge to include chocolate. On second thought though I decided against it... and I am glad I did. This loaf cake came out so perfect with such nice and clean yet with a burst of citrusy flavor that it could even be a mood lifter when you are feeling a little blue. On a more technical note, I do want to point out that with this bake I realized that the EVOO really does wonders to a fruity cake while being healthier than regular oil, and as you will realize from the recipe below, it is really really easy to put together.

Paneer Tawa Masala

2011-03-01T21:02:00.003-05:00

ot starting with my usual gaga about my fascination with paneer everytime I post a paneer dish, let me cut straight to the chase. The idea occurred to me when I was making my Tawa Pulao dish that I posted a few days ago. Why not make paneer with the same masala combination! This gives the dish the sophistication of paneer yet the charm of street food, making it taste like paneer bhaji chaat (drooling yet?) and equally suitable as a snack as it would for dinner. The other cool thing about this dish is that it is ridiculously easy to make, literally fifteen minutes from start to finish if you had all the ingredients. The fact that you can whip up this flavorful dish in a jiffy makes it a very suitable roadside street food. If you walk the streets in India, you would find road side food vendors with huge iron griddles on open flame cooking this away with reckless abandon for a queue of hungry people that have their eyes fixated on the sheer skill with which the chef tosses the dish around on the griddle while they talk about the movie they just came out of. So without further ado, here goes.

Methi Thepla/Fenugreek Flatbread

2011-02-28T13:34:00.004-05:00

ubby has officially declared me the "Methi crazy gal". I secretly do a happy dance when I see fresh methi ( fenugreek) bunch in the Indian grocery store, grow them in my backyard when they stop selling them in the stores and with all this always make sure I have the biggest stock of kasoori methi in case I run out of both options... lol :)) Lately I have been getitng lucky with the fresh methi. My local Indian grocery seems to carry it everytime I visit, and everytime I get two big bunches. As you can imagine, I've been cooking and eating a lot of methi based dishes lately.

Last sunday for dinner I was not in the mood to cook something elaborate and thought of making some methi thepla. It is a well known Gujarati bread which is thankfully a full meal in itself :) and of course my family favorite.

Fenugreek/Methi is very common in Indian cooking. The leaves are used as herbs, the fresh leaves are cooked like methi dal and aloo methi curry, parathas are made of these and even ladoos of methi seeds. The dried leaves which are popularly known as Kasoori methi are often used to flavor a lot of dishes, mainly creamy paneer and non-vegetarian gravies. The seeds are used as a spice.

The popularity of the fenugreek is not just for the numerous medicinal properties it has to offer. The seeds and the leaves are subtly bitter but offers a very strong unique and distinctive flavor to any recipe they are added to.

Watermelon Juice/Drink

2011-02-25T09:01:00.005-05:00

y hubby is not the biggest fruit lover. He likes (read: can eat) banana, guava and ripe mangoes. I on the other hand love all kinds of fruit (except banana and mangoes, go figure) and can live on the fresh fruit juice and salads for a few days. Also, because of all the goodness of fruit, I try to incorporate them in our meals at-least once a day. Hubby always takes one or two bites and I am the one left to finish his and my plate. Same with my little one. She is even stranger with her fruit habits. She only likes fresh pineapple and orange juice. Her reasoning why she doesn't like a particular fruit is because of the color, watermelon is too red, papaya is too yellow, guava is too green. But then who's to argue with her that my dear pineapple is yellow too, lol!

Anyway, thats a little 'fruity' detail about my family, back to the post. Days are getting hotter by the day in this part of the world. I had this big seedless sweet watermelon sitting in the refrigerator that I recently got from Costco. It was not possible for me alone to finish (although I did finish half of it all by myself). I thought why not make a drink out of it. The thought of adding a little sparkling water came to me, which in my opinion does wonders to any cool drink. Mixed in a few mint leaves and a little lemon juice and served it over some ice. To my surprise both hubby and kiddo loved it. It was refreshing, gorgeous and a great alternative to soft drinks and helps with your daily intake of fruit too.

Whole Wheat Tomato, Olive and Feta Cheese Focaccia

2011-02-23T13:34:00.006-05:00

am a total bread lover. Love all kinds. Love eating them as well as making 'em. Guess our bodies are programmed to like carbs. However, I always make it a point to use whole wheat flour in my bread to make them a little healthier.

Focaccia bread is a thick, very rustic, homely bread which may be topped with herbs and other ingredients such as onion, cheese, meat, veggies etc. It is very versatile as well. Use it for dipping or as a side to a pasta dish and salads or make sandwich, they are always great.

This one is the the easiest breads I have baked so far. The recipe is simple and if you have a food processor or electric mixer making Focaccia will be effortless. If you are new at bread baking, focaccia is great way to start because it's pretty forgiving too. As for the topping you can go as simple as brushing with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper or you can experiment with lots of toppings. I top it with whatever I have lying around. This time it happened to be feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and olives, but you could do caramelized onions, mozzarella, vegetables… really the possibilities are endless!

Papdi Chaat from scratch with Tamarind and Date Chutney

2011-02-21T13:37:00.007-05:00

his again is a story related to me coming to the US after getting married.

Ask anyone who has grown up or lived in India for a while (especially the female kind :) and they will swear by the taste of this roadside delicacy and will have a story or two to tell you with a twinkle in their eye (while their taste buds start to tingle). And my dear friends, that is no exaggeration.

During my college days, I got my fix of chaat atleast once every week. I took it for granted as it was available everywhere. When I got married and was preparing to come to the US with hubby, he gave me this shocker (among a few others). Very calmly he announced that I should get my fix of as much chaat as possible as I would not find it in the US. I was taken aback but underestimated the truth in his statement, after all there were Indian restaurants in the US and they sold chaat... I was gonna be okay. Never had I been so wrong. I found the so called chaat here to be not even close to being worthy of being called chaat. It simply was some papdi with boiled potatoes and a chutney that tasted like tomato ketchup :o

Anyway, long-story-short, I decided to make my own. Here goes the recipe. If you really want your chaat to taste awesome, pay special attention to the chutney recipe.

Chaat is a generic name for a plate of savoury, spicy, tangy snack, typically served at road-side stalls or carts in India. Originally a street food, now it can be found in high end restauarants too. There are dozens varieties of chaat like pani puri or phuchkas, dahi bhalla, sev puri etc. All these are made with almost the same ingredients (with a different base), main one being the tamarind dates chutney. It is a thick tangy, spicy, sweet and sour sauce made out of tamarind pulp, dates and jaggery. Papdis are deep-fried pastry roundels that add the crunch to the chaat.

USMasala for Tried & Tasted!

2011-02-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

i Friends, I'm happy and really excited to announce that my blog has been chosen for this month for Tried & Tasted. I have been blogging only for a little over seven months and never thought USMasala will get featured in this event so soon. Now when I think about it I don't believe that I have already posted over 150 recipes and have made so many friends.

Everyone in food blogging must be familiar with this event started by Zlamuskha. I was familiar with this event and always thought how cool and different it was. I still consider myself a newbie in blogsphere and consider this a huge responsibility. It is also invaluable motivation to keep on making and posting recipes.
Hope everybody will have fun cooking this month using some of the work I have done. If you have any doubts or questions, please feel free to leave a comment or drop me a note at aaipey@gmail.com
Lastly but by no means the least, I would like to thank Priya and Lakshmi who have chosen my blog for the event for this month. Please visit Priya's blog, Mharo Rajasthan Recipes for the details regarding the event.

Curried Chickpea Pita Sandwich

2011-02-18T09:02:00.003-05:00

reek cuisine caught my attention only recently, about a little over a year ago. Growing up Greek and Mediterranean cuisines we mostly alien to us but coming to the US I started hearing a lot about it. When hubby and I tried it at one of our local restaurants, I was blown over. What really got my attention was the fabulous use of spices that made me feel right at home.

Since then I have tried a few variations of Greek food especially by way of fusion with Indian cooking. This dish is in the same genre. It is so well liked by hubby and I alike, that I mostly keep pita pockets handy so I can quickly put together a quick fix lunch or dinner especially at those times when you are craving spicy Indian flavors but you would rather not go through making an elaborate meal.

When you take a bite into it, you get the fresh taste of the tangy yogurt mint chutney combined with the fresh lettuce and the veggies. As you chew on that, the spicy chickpea taste takes over like an explosion of flavors in your mouth. The bread helps bind it all together into a cohesive meal. The spiciness of the curried chickpeas combined with the clean fresh flavors of the yogurt and veggies gives this sandwich a very unique and fabulous flavor profile that you would want to go back to again and again... like we do.

Minty Cantaloupe Salad with Caramelized Walnuts

2011-02-16T09:20:00.004-05:00

t was the day after Valentine's Day and the taste of the chocolate cake still lingered. Along with that thought there was obviously this feeling that I probably should've eased up a little on my sugar intake... lol... anyway so the following morning was the perfect occasion to start the day with a light yet absolutely flavorful fruit based breakfast. Hence the idea to make this cantaloupe salad. This salad not only looks pretty, the taste does its looks justice too. It obviously has the refreshing taste of fresh cantaloupe and watermelon and it becomes a complete meal with the added flavor of mint and the crunchiness of lightly candied walnuts. If anything, hubby and I are not big cantaloupe and melon fans and we absolutely loved it.

Here's how you make it.