Baked Buffalo Broccoli Bites!

Now I realize the post before the last was Brussels Sprouts and here I am trying to sell you guys in to Broccoli - another vegetable that is famous in its notoriety for not being the most liked. But trust you me, after you eat this, you might just discover your new found love for this nutritious member of the cabbage family.
I speak from personal experience. Usually I try to make a vegetable many different ways - in a curry would be my first way, dry pan roasted, oven roasted, tandoori style, mixed with rice as a one pot meal and probably a couple others. Most vegetable are very agreeable to most these methods and come out pretty good. Your good old broccoli on the other hand, not so much. It usually only works for me only when roasted dry with some light seasoning. After tasting these bites, especially with the spicy homemade buffalo sauce, this will be the preferred way to eat broccoli in my household at least for some time to come.

Read more »

Molten Dark Chocolate Cake

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.

Read more »

Tandoori Tikka Chaat

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!

Read more »

Samosa Puffs

 
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!

Read more »

Achari Baingan (Eggplant curry with pickle spices)

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.

Read more »

Stuffed Paneer Kofta Curry with Tandoori Roti

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!

Read more »

Virgin Piña Colada

This drink probably needs little introduction. It is one of the most popular drinks and rightly so as just the thought of it takes you in a flash to an exotic location. Think beach-side hut sitting on a wooden bench and sipping this drink out of a coconut and yes of-course with a little umbrella for the kicks. The cool thing is though this drink is so versatile, you can have it any time of the year come rain or shine.
When I decided to make it, I got a little curious and read up about it on Wikipedia. That is when I got a true sense of its popularity. Piña Colada is the official drink of puerto rico since 1978. The official record of its introduction is dated 1954 but apparently several others claim for the credit of its invention.
Simple ingredients, easy to whip up and a taste that is out of this world combined with the fact that it tastes great in its virgin form as well makes it perfect for that friday night party over a card game, or even for a large party.
Read more »

Paneer tikka kathi rolls

 

I love the idea of wraps n rolls... fun easy and a welcome change from the usual. These rolls make a complete meal by themselves. Great for picnics, casual lunch parties, these are always the first ones to go. They are also great for a nice cozy weekend brunch. All the goodness of paneer tikka, spicy marinated roasted paneer with tomatoes, onions bell peppers rolled inside a soft toasty chapati roll. B L I S S.
Here's how I make it-

Read more »

Ras Malai - My 50th post :)

 can’t believe its my 50th post already.. and it’s been loads of fun all the way. USMasala is not even two months old and I am very very proud of this milestone :) I have been totally addicted to the world of blogging... my hubby can vouch for that :D as am ignoring everything else. Your encouraging comments is always the first thing I read in the morning and they always make my day. I have made so many friends and have discovered so many wonderful blogs it feels awesome!! I am thankful to all my readers especially my fellow bloggers who welcomed me with an open heart in the blogsphere with their encouraging words. Guys your love and support is the reason I have become 100 times more passionate about cooking, experimenting, taking beautiful pics... ok now the big confession all the pics of USMasala which I always get compliments for is taken by my dear hubby... so I thank him too for making my blog wonderful and so colorful... Thanks sweetheart!
So to all you wonderful people out there, a big THANKYOU and watch out for more from USMasala. LOVE you all!!
For my 50th I have chosen my hubs all time favorite Indian sweet Ras-malai. Hope you guys like it.Ras-Malai, soft spongy and delicate cheese balls in a creamy thick sweetened milk sauce with a hint of saffron, nuts and green cardamom, is a delectable and one of the most popular of all Indian desserts.

Read more »

Cherry trifle

Trifle is a delicious and fun dessert usually made by layering sponge cake, custard, fruit, jelly and cream. This is super easy and quick. If you are having guests over, don't have the time to make an elaborate dessert, this one is a life saver and always leaves an impression. Now, I love cherries, they are in season so I had to make cherry trifle. Picture this... spongy cake, covered with jelly, topped with luscious sweet ripe cherries and lots of cream and chocolate... all in one scrumptious glass... how can you go wrong!
Read more »