Homemade Biryani Masala

I love making homemade masalas (of course not always) and as they say homemade is definitely the BEST! Fresh, aromatic and so full of Indian-ness! Make it and use it and you’ll have a new flavor in life and in your food. Even if you regularly use the store-bought version, you will mark the noticeable difference in flavor with this fresh homemade masala. The best part is that it is so easy to make that you’ll wonder why you have not been doing it for all these years. Mom always used to grind fresh masalas on her sil-patti (stone-block). Over time, the stone block was replaced by the more convenient electric mixer/grinder, the masala and the lip-smacking taste remained unchanged. The biryani masala is one such example which is one of my favorites. In fact I never quite like the store bought one as I always feel something off about them. So here is another one of my most favorite ones and stay tuned for more.

Here's a little tip- I always try to make small quantities as and when needed. Fresh-made, that's when the masala blends are the most fragrant. For grinding small quantities, I always use my coffee grinder.

Read more »

Bhindi/ Okra Masala

There are a couple of posts in which I have used okra as the primary ingredient. Every time I use okra, I try to make it a point to clarify that it is a tricky vegetable to cook with. If not done right, it can get slimy and texturally unappealing. A simple trick can get it right and avoid keeping you from liking an otherwise wonderful vegetable. The trick is as simple as dry them completely after washing and before cooking and always cook them uncovered. Most people just fry them to avoid the slime but using these two simple tricks, you can uncover a whole new side of okra. This okra preparation is tangy and mildly spicy and one of my personal favorites. Even though you will intend to serve it as a side to a meal, they tend to be more popular as finger food and will be gone before you get a chance to serve!

Read more »

Dhingri Matar/ Mushroom Peas Curry

Up until a few years ago in India, before they started farming mushrooms and all those supermarket chains started opening up and selling those farmed ones, the only kind of mushrooms available were the wild ones. They used to be a rarity that would only be available for a few days during the monsoons. You would find some vendors, usually local farmers that found them growing somewhere, selling them in small wicker baskets along the roadside. And boy were they gone fast. If you didn't get there in time, they were gone in the first few hours. People loved them then, and they love them now. We are no different in our family our little one included. I have come to make mushrooms many different ways. Here I present a mushroom curry done in the north Indian style. It has the bite of the mushrooms, the kick and heat from the spices along with the sweetness from the peas. One of the ways we love our mushrooms. 
Read more »

Masaledar bharwan baingan/ Spicy Stuffed Eggplants

Eggplants in my home is always about hubs.The little one and I like it too but with hubs its like nothing I can explain in a few words. Guess the only way he wouldn't eat them is raw. To go on a little more, he loves all different kinds of them, the italian, chinese, indian, purple, green, white and most likely any other kinds that he and I haven't even seen yet. His most favorite kind however are these baby eggplants just the way I make them *smirk*. You do have to give him some credit though, the eggplant is no doubt a very versatile vegetable. Fry them, saute them, bake them or even mash them and they always come out a winner.
I make them many different ways and this way is one of the most frequent as this one is my favorite eggplant preparation too. The eggplants are thoroughly soaked in spices and yet retain their beautiful petite shape making them very presentable for when you are entertaining. The kick of the spices and tang from the lemon juice and amchur along with the creamy texture of the nicely cooked eggplant make them ideally suited to be eated either with parathas or with rice and some daa. And yes, remember to leave the stems on to make them extra fun to eat.

Read more »

Spicy Roasted Baby Potatoes!

This one's for hubs. Granted potatoes are very versatile and well liked but he is something else. You could write songs for his love for potatoes. There are only two ways he does not like potatoes, in the raw and in the vodka form. If you are not so much of a potato fan, don't lose heart as these little guys here might just win you over. Coated with spices and slightly crispy from being sauteed and nice and tender and juicy from the inside, they are the perfect snack. Use it when entertaining guests or heck teach him how to make it so he can use it to get some points with you every now and then.

Read more »

Jeera Aloo/Cumin Flavored Stir Fried Potatoes

 If you are ever in a rush but still want to eat a tasty, savory home-cooked meal - sounds like most of the time, doesn't it - this dish might just be your perfect answer. Ready in under ten minutes if you have the ingredients and very versatile in what it can go with. Hubs tells me he relates to this dish in a rather strange sort of way. In his single days in India, when he almost always ate out at restaurants, he always saw this dish in most every menu but always ignored it - who goes to a restaurant to eat sauteed potatoes, right? Well right until he got so sick of eating the same paneer and mushroom every single time that he finally ordered it with some plain rice and yellow daal and loved it. That's how he says he remembers this dish. Not a very fun way to remember such a flavorful preparation, I tease him, and we have a good laugh about it.
Indeed, there is something to be said about the versatility of this dish. Eat it as a side with some rice and daal or just with your humble roti and it becomes lunch or dinner, wrap it up with some lettuce and onions in a tortilla and it makes for a great wrap or just stick some toothpicks in them and they are a great starter. What's more is that they are a great picnic food too and can be carried in a lunchbox for a few hours without the need to be refrigerated. This makes them great for short trips as well. Give it a try and it tends to stick with you for those times when you cannot think of anything else or those when you simply crave them.

Read more »

Homemade Tandoori Masala

You might have heard of the phrase 'the secret sauce'. For Indian cooking the equivalent phrase could very well be 'the secret masala blend'.
If I have to choose among my most favorite masala blends, it sure will be a close one between 'Tandoori masala' and 'Garam masala' - they are both absolute must-haves in my pantry! Whether you grew up eating tandoori chicken at your local restaurant or you just tasted a bite of it because someone took you along to an Indian restaurant and got completely bowled over, or anywhere in between, you would know tandoori is one of the most loved flavors in Indian dishes. And let me let you in on a secret, this is the spice blend (read: magic) behind all those lip smacking tandoori and tikka treats!

I love making homemade masalas (of course not always) but as they say homemade is definitely the BEST! Fresh, aromatic and so full of Indian-ness! Make it and use it and you’ll have a new flavor in life and in your food. Even if you regularly use the store-bought version, you will mark the noticeable difference in flavor with this fresh homemade masala. The best part is that it is so easy to make that you’ll wonder why you have not been doing it for all these years. Mom always used to grind fresh masalas on her sil-patti (stone-block). Over time, the stone block was replaced by the more convenient electric mixer/grinder, the masala and the lip-smacking taste remained unchanged.
Recently I have had quite a few requests from my readers for recipes of homemade masala blends. So here is one of my most favorite ones and stay tuned for more.

Here's a little tip- I always try to make small quantities as and when needed. Fresh-made, that's when the masala blends are the most fragrant. For grinding small quantities, I always use my coffee grinder.

Read more »

Tandoori Paneer Tikka

Paneer has been a very big part of me growing up. Those who are regular here know my obsession with this glorious cheese (if you can call cheese that, that is)! Mention paneer and there will be a sparkle in my eyes.

This dish probably needs no introduction besides its chicken counterpart being more popular. For us vegetarians out there (I have also met some meat-eaters that rave about it) this is an absolute delight on a stick. Appetizers are usually loved by people, so is paneer... add tandoori masala to it and wait there's more roast it all in an oven to get the great tandoori flavor... drooling yet?

Read more »

Aloo gobhi masala

loo gobhi, always a crowd pleaser, is a combination of two most universally loved vegetables potato and cauli cooked together with various spices in an onion tomato base. This humble dish is staple in many Indian homes - except of course those times of the year when gobhi is ridculously expensive - and can be made many different ways. Aloo gobhi rose to international fame in Gurinder Chadda's movie "Bend it like Beckham". It is weird but every time I make aloo gobhi it reminds me of the famous dialogue from the movie where the mom tells the football playing daughter "aloo gobhi banana seekh le warna shaadi kaun karega" (learn to make aloo gobhi to get a prospective groom which she can only get by knowing how to cook this and not playing football, HA HA)!
I like the simplicity of the dish and the amazing taste. Can be served as lunch or dinner accompanied with roti, paratha or rice. They make a great filling for wraps and a great pizza/tart topping for that matter. Now there are a number of ways in which I make Aloo Gobhi - the party or potluck way, with gravy, without gravy, my mom's way the Bihari way. This I guess is the way I make it that I have developed on my own having eaten it at several restaurant and adding my own twist.

Read more »

Mungfali Pakoda/Spicy Crispy Peanut Fritters

here are some ready-to-eat foods that we are used to seeing around us growing up. Foods that you feel like grabbing when you crave a snack, foods that mom always kept a stock of in the pantry, foods that the pharmacy store around the corner carried that it had no business selling. Then you grow up and move out. If you are like me, you move out to a place where there is neither mom's pantry nor the corner pharmacy that sold the snack. Well yeah Walgreens pretty much sells everything... but its not the same. Then mom comes for a visit and shares her cooking secrets with he beloved daughter :) This is one such recipe. A very common spicy snack in India, is sold in little snack packets in practically every store that sells snacks, but if you ever tried making these yourself, you would know these are really tricky. But if you follow the recipe closely, you will be glad you tried. You pop a couple in your mouth and you get the crunch of the crispy outer covering and by the time you get to the soft yet chewy peanut inside, the spices in the coating kick begin to make their music. Let me know if you could resist reaching out for seconds.

Read more »

Masale wali Palak Puri/Spicy Puffed Spinach Bread

ndian food is never complete without the wonderful breads which are of vast and varied variety. Some of the ever popular ones are Naan, Paratha, Tandoori roti and of course the fluffy deep fried Puris.

We Indians have a special place in our heart for these cuties. Who doesn't love fried bread- sinful, but worth every little bite :) Weekend breakfasts, indulgent evening snack, lunch, dinner, picnics and lunch boxes, festivals and special occasions from birthdays to weddings, train journeys, famous street foods- all consist of one common thing - Puris.

Here's a confession- I am a puriholic. It has been my favorite bread since I was very little. These days I am not much into deep frying. In fact I try to avoid it at all cost but when it comes to puris I sometimes do go weak in my knees and indulges once every so often. For me, I don't even need a side - just some Indian pickle and I am all set.
This puri recipe here is how traditional puris are made in India but with a little twist. It is the same old puri but packed with the goodness of Spinach. This again is my mom's recipe as many others that you will find on USMasala. Serve with any kind of curry and creamy yogurt  srikhand or halwa or even some homemade pickle for am amazing breakfast or brunch.

Read more »

Garlic Masala Baked Potato Wedges

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 make these baked garlicky potatoes very often especially on  Sunday afternoons intending them to be a side with lunch. He and kiddo will eat a whole piled plateful and he emphatically declares that to be their lunch. And yes, the 'baked' in the title must have given you a clue - yes these are not fried but baked instead. That way I don't mind their occasional gluttony as well. Very simple and elegant, completely full of garlicky flavor, crisp and addictive with an added twist of Indian masalas, I bet you cannot stop at one if you tried. My family loves what I cook for them. Then there is that occasional dish that stands out. After that there is that dish which I get special requests for remakes. This is one of those. So get to it, you will know what I mean.
Read more »

Zucchini Thepla/Spicy Zucchini Flatbread

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.

Read more »

Curried/Masala Couscous salad

 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.

Read more »

Litti and a Century!

After what seems to be time that went by in a flash, here I am with my 100th post. Co-incidentally today happens to be exactly four months from when I posted my first recipe. Through the thrill of receiving the first comment, the sense of achievement of getting a complex traditional recipe right, the joy of making great new friends, the sense of humility when someone tried out a recipe and it turned out great, learning great new recipes from all my awesome fellow bloggers, the occasional anonymous visitor that likes a dish and makes your day, it has been out and out an joy-ride.
Hubby deserves a special mention. He is the one who keeps the show going between tasting my dishes, taking awesome pictures and being my 24 x 7 technical support :) Thanking him would actually diminish the value that he adds to my efforts.
Now to the dish itself. When you think Bihari cuisine, Litti is arguably the first dish that comes to mind. Having its roots deep in Bihari culture, the humble litti has come to gain global popularity. It is basically a crispy roasted dough ball stuffed with a spicy tangy filling made of Sattu. Sattu is a flour made of roasted grams or chana. Mainly popular in Bihar and UP regions of India. It is often considered as a very low budget and nutritious meal full of fiber and protein. It is a favorite and staple at almost all bihari homes. Litti traditionally served dipped in ghee with a side of either aloo/baigna chokha or tomato chutney.
One memory which is strongly attached to this dish is whenever we used to go to our grandparents' place. Imagine littis and chokha made of potatoes and eggplant fresh from your farm, all roasted in your backyard on a cool winter evening over an open coal fire. Can you smell it yet!  What made it more fun was making the event like a picnic with all my cousins and having a ball of a time. Our Daadi whom I fondly used to call 'Maa' would be the ring leader driving us all.
Time has since flown, I miss grandma now but even today when I sit in my patio on a cold rainy evening, I still sometimes can smell the aroma of those littis roasting on that open coal fire...
Read more »

Kashmiri Dum Aloo/Baby potatoes in yogurt gravy

on't you think potato is a very forgiving vegetable... no matter how you make it, what 
spices you put in it, it is almost always edible and satisfying. It is a staple in my home also, whenever I find myself staring at the refrigerator wondering what to cook, the humble potato always comes to the rescue. Also, it is very versatile and goes well with either rice or roti.
Of all the different kinds, baby potatoes are my favorite. I find them extremely cute (a big pain to peel but still love 'em). Of all the recipes I make from these cuties this aloo dum (the bihari version) is my hubby's most favorite thing in the world. Looking for a new dum aloo recipe I came across this recipe from our very own Vah Chef's cooking videos and bookmarked it. Made it a few days ago and now it is my hubby's second most fav aloo dish. How can you not like it when its baby potatoes simmered in creamy and an aromatic gravy made with yogurt, cashews flavored with traditional kashmiri spices like ginger and fennel powder.

Dum Aloo is named so because it is cooked under 'dum' or pressure. In this cooking method, the food is cooked under pressure in its own juices! 

Read more »

Meatless balls with spaghetti

After coming to the US, as I got more familiar with the local cuisine, I found that spaghetti and meat balls were a staple, especially with kids. I was always curious what they would be like, but being a vegetarian never tried them. Then one fine morning it struck me "how about making a vegetarian version of meat balls" or 'meat less balls '. The more I thought about it soy seemed a natural choice to replace the meat. I combine soy with vegetables and spices and baked them. They are fun, easy and taste just great. My little princess loves it :)

So here is my attempt at recreating the classic in its vegetarian version.

Read more »

Khara biscuit

If you have read some of my previous posts you will know that I don't have a sweet tooth (yes yes, except chocolate) so I don't particularly like regular cookies either. I just make 'em for my little princess. So for those times on a lazy afternoon when I feel like munching on a quick snack, I like to have some salty or savory stuff at hand. The typical salty snacks they sell in stores are usually fried so I figured I make some baked ones of my own. Here's a recipe for khara biscuits that I bake often so I can have them handy for when those hunger pangs strike. Considered yourself warned that they are addictive :)

Read more »

Samosa

he 'KING' of Indian street food.. hot yummy samosas are the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Indian appetizers. I believe samosas have now gone global. How can you not love a samosa, crispy fried shell/pastry filled with amazing spicy potato filling.. total yum! there are over a dozen samosa recipes. Today I am giving my mom's recipe here. She used to add a little sooji in the dough to make it more crispy.. and her samosa filling I think is the best ever. I always thought of samosas as something that mom makes. Not even in my wildest dreams I had thought I will ever attempt making them.. and here I am.

Serve it hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney or just plain ketchup. They are also great to serve when you are entertaining guest. They will be gone in seconds!

Read more »

Baked Falafel pita sandwich

I had my first taste of falafel a few years ago.. taking the first bite I just thought it was very close to indian fritters, crispy n yum. I was also getting faint taste of coriander n cumin, I liked it.. very much.. looked for the recipe on the net... found out that despite having so many healthy ingredients chickpeas, cilantro, garlic, spices, these little beauties are best deep fried... ahhh! The obvious thought struck me 'will they taste as good if I bake them instead?' And then I tried it and to my delight they turned out great, crispy, healthy n tasty. Not having to deal with the mess of frying is an added bonus. I often make these for weekend lunches, just mix and blend all the ingredients and bake, stuff inside a whole wheat pita pocket, pour some hummus, cut some veggies, done. Wholesome and hearty... and did I tell you, guilt free. My hubby, he loves it when I come up with these ideas :-) I also add some indian masala to add a desi twist!

Read more »