Thai vegetable yellow curry !!!

                           Easy, Quick ,Elegant Dinner !!!

Our love for Thai food began few years ago when we first tried it in the sweet little Thai restaurant.For me it was the soup we had on that very cold day. And for my husband it was the coconut in all the different ways Thai cuisine has to offer.

Then for long time we never got to a chance to try good Thai food that inspired me to actually make it at home. So after all these years we had  wonderful Thai food on Mother's Day (I wasn't able to finish my lunch cause little one started crying uncontrollably, I got so many looks from so many people).  But the food was so good. After few days Aarav told me he wants to have the Thai food for dinner. So I asked some trusted friends about the basics of making Thai food at home (sometimes I would like to ask friends what exact recipes and brands they use, than experimenting with Google).

Can't wait !!!

When you first taste Thai food you are so overwhelmed by all the different spices and coconut flavors  that you can not imagine you can actually make this at home. And it's easy too....Now I always have few cans of coconut milk and a bottle of curry paste in my pantry so we can have our favorite food whenever we want and at the fraction of price.

                                                               Tips :

• If you are not big fan of spicy food try Yellow Thai curry instead of Green Thai curry.
• Use any vegetable you like or have.
• Don't cook the vegetables too much. Little bit of crunch is what you want in the nice curry.
• You can make the curry ahead of time ,But add Tofu and soy sauce just before serving.
• If you have to add more curry paste later , first fry it in a little oil. Or you will taste raw curry paste(and don't blame us for that)
• Can't find Yellow curry paste in the stores around you then follow this recipe.
• You can even make your own coconut milk : Flesh and water from one coconut + 1 1/2 cups water. Blend it well for 8-10 minutes. And strain it.

Making list for the shopping !!!

Prep Time :  25 minutes

                                         Cook time:   20 Minute

For 4 people (adjust amount as per your requirement)

Ingredients :  

For Tofu  (Optional)

1/2  cup       Extra firm Tofu 
3     TBSP   Soy Sauce
1     TSP      Veg. Oil (or any oil)
1     TSP      Sesame seeds
1     TBSP    Oil for saute

For Curry  :

2   TBSP  Coconut oil
2   cups  Vegetables (papers,mushroom,baby corn, carrots, broccoli)
1   cup     Onions
1/2 cup    Tofu (prepared )
2   cans    Coconut Milk
2   TBSP  Yellow Curry Paste 
1   cup vegetable stock or water
Salt and Soy sauce to taste
green Onions to garnish

Prepare Tofu : You can do this while preparing Curry or a day before to save time.

I let him cut soft foods with Butter knife. He just feels so grown up by this task !!!

1)  Add Soy sauce, Oil and Sesame seeds to cubed Tofu.

2)  Let it marinate for 15-20 minutes.
3)  Heat some oil in the non-stick pan.
4)  Add marinated tofu and saute until brown form all the sides.

Curry :

1) Heat  Coconut oil in a pan , add Onions and Mushrooms. Cook them on high heat.
2) After about 5 minutes  add all the other vegetables and curry paste. 

3) After all the veggies are cooked add coconut milk and Vegetable stock.

4) Don't cook it for more than 5 minutes or the vegetables will start to soften. 
5) Add  Tofu ,Soy sauce ,Basil and Green Onions Just before serving.

Serve it with Plain white rice.

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Cranberry Pie !!!

                                    Easy No-Bake Cranberry Pie 

This has become our Fall favorite dessert (cause this the only one I can make) .... This Pie is a perfect combination of creamy and tart flavors.

As curious eaters me and my husband would buy any strange looking fruit or vegetable. So one fine fall day my husband got a package of fresh Cranberries. We liked cranberry flavored juices,so the fresh fruit would definitely taste good. So after tasting our first ever cranberry we realized you can't eat them raw. And I was left  with a package of fresh cranberries  and Google to find the easiest and quickest recipe. Cause I have no patience or skills to bake or make fine desserts.


And Aarav was happy to make any Pie (Fall=Pie). And even happier when he got to do pretty much everything to make the pie and anyway he wants to do.

So here is the recipe for our favorite (favorite goes for pretty much all the desserts) dessert. Few tips to make it perfect every time.

                                              Tips :

• You can use fresh Cranberry sauce or Canned one.
• If you are using fresh one it's a good idea to make it ahead of time and let it cool before using for pie.
• If your sauce is too syrupy it is a good idea to drain the syrup a little. 
• Add some water or any other drink to the drained syrup to make Cranberry flavored drink !!!
• If you like big layer of cheese or cranberry sauce don't hesitate to add or cut the ingredients. 
• You can use the store bought whip cream BUT there is no match for homemade. It will stay on your pie till you enjoy the last bite of the biggest piece of Pie.

                                           Cranberry sauce

Prep    Time  :   5  Minutes
Cook   Time  :   15 minutes

Ingredients :

1  Cup   water 
1  Cup   Sugar
1  Package  fresh Cranberries

1)  Mix water and sugar in a deep pan.Let it come to boil.
2)  Add cranberries.

3)  Let it cook for 10-12 minutes until the water evaporates.

                                           Assemble the Pie 

Prep   Time  :  15 Minutes
Cook  Time  :  10 Minutes

Ingredients :

1  ready made  Pie Crust
1  8 OZ.  Pack of Cream cheese
1/4  Cup sugar 
1  TBS   Vanilla extract 

Cranberry sauce made from 1 pack of fresh Cranberries or 1 can of sauce

Whipped Cream as much as you like !!!

1) Mix Cream cheese,sugar And Vanilla extract  in a bowl with fork.

2) Spread cream cheese mix in the Pie crust.

2) Spread Cranberry sauce.

3) Let it rest for at least an hour before serving.

4) Serve it with a big dollop of whipped cream on top. 

Planning to make your own whipped cream, click here. It takes less than 5 minutes and trust me you will never buy the Only-Air-Little-Cream cans again.

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Whipped Cream !!!

 The biggest problem of homemade stuff ???  You will never go back to ready made again and you will have to (actually want to) make it again and again and again.

I only realized this in the last few months. I never new you can make whip cream at home. And you can not only make it but make way better than the ready made stuff with few ingredients and little effort. So the whipping attachment came out the box after 2 years and never went back.

There are only few things you need to keep in mind ......

                                       Tips:

• Use cold ingredients :  cold whipping cream and cold equipment .
• Yes. Put your bowl (preferably metal) and  whipping attachment in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before you start the process.
• Only a little sugar will do the job.
• Under bit or over bit whipped cream is not a good whipped cream. But it is easy to figure out when it's perfect.
• You can add different flavors to match the main recipe. Like Vanilla, lime or lemon zest, Orange Zest Etc.

Prep  Time   :  5 Minutes (inactive 15 minutes)
Cook Time   :  4-5 Minutes

Ingredients :

1  pack heavy Whipping Cream
2  TBSP  Sugar
1  TSP  Vanilla extract

1)  Put your Bowl and  whipping attachment in the freezer.

2)  Once the bowl is cold mix all the ingredients and start whipping on low speed for 2 minutes.
3)  When the cream starts to  thicken ,start whipping on high speed for not more than 2 minutes. 
  When  picks starts forming turn the mixer off.

4)  If the cream still needs a little work do it by hand whisker. So you don't have     to take the chance of having Half-Way-To-The -Butter Whipping cream.

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Gulab Jamun !!!

                                                                GUB JAMBOO

This is one of the first few words that Aarav learned. And One of the first foods he liked. Whenever I asked him what he wants for dessert ? GUB JAMBOO was always the answer. Growing up I always saw my parents make Gulab Jamun for my brother. We would order fresh Khoya (Mawa) from a special shop. And both my parents would be lovingly create this beloved dish.

As for my cooking skills and interest 7 years ago I wouldn't have thought to even try making Gulab Jamun. But after moving to USA it like make it just think of it. Cause Ready made wasn't near to what we have had for years and making Gulab Jamun from Instant package wasn't satisfying either.


Here in USA you can't have fresh Khoya (Mawa). And making one from milk is a task too long for my patience level for cooking. So when I found Mava powder in the grocery store I thought to give a try. And the result was definitely better than Instant package.





                                                  Tips :

• Add some flavors in the Jamuns (balls). They taste heavenly with little bit of flavor in them.
• Fry the Jamuns(balls) on medium-law hit.
• Very hot oil will burn them from outside and won't cook from inside.They will taste like dough.
• Add a few drops of lemon in the  syrup to prevent it from crystallizing.
• Syrup and Jamuns both should be hot when you add Jamuns to syrup. So the Jamuns will absorb the syrup quickly.
• Wait at least for an hour after adding the Jamuns to the Syrup before tasting. I know it's difficult but if a little boy can wait  you sure can. 

Prep Time   :    20 Minutes
Cook time   :    40 minutes

Ingredients :  For 10 medium size Jamuns

For Syrup :

2      cups  Sugar 
1 /2  cups  Water
A pinch of Cardamom Powder
3-4 strand of Saffron
1 TSP  lemon Juice

For Jamuns :

1/2  cups  Milk OR Mawa powder (5 TBS)
1     TBS  All Purpose flour (Maida)
1     TSP  Ghee (Clarified Butter)
1/4   cup   Milk   (use only as much as needed)
1/8  TSP   Baking Soda  (A little more than a pinch)
1     TSP   Cashew nut powder
1/4   TSP  Cardemom powder and saffron   

Oil to fry

Let's start cooking.

Syrup:

Mix Sugar and water in a medium pan. Put it on a low heat for 8-10 minutes.

When  syrup start bubbling up add Lemon Juice, Cardamoms powder and Saffron.

Jamuns :

Mix Milk OR mawa powder, All purpose flour,Cashew Nut Powder, cardamom-saffron and Baking soda in a bowl. 

Add ghee and mix thoroughly.

Start Adding milk little by little. Don't add to much at a time. Or you will end up with too lumpy dough.

Cover it with wet cloth for 15-20 minutes.

Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until its smooth and starts to come off easily from the bowl.

Make small round Jamuns. (Any shape kids can make) Jamuns will rise in size after frying and again after soaking it in the syrup. So keep this in mind when you make balls.

Make sure to cover the dough and Jamuns with wet cloth until you are ready to fry them. Cause drying will cause cracks once fried.

Put the oil in medium size frying pan to heat up.

Check the oil temperature by adding the a small ball. If the small ball comes on top immediately then the oil is ready to fry. 

Fry few jamuns at a time.

Add them to syrup immediately.

Let them sit for at least an hour before serving. 

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Vegetable Pizza !!!

So after Trick or Treating for whole day (Yup...letarelly whole day)  Aarav can't wait to make pizza.


Step 1  :  Spread the sauce
Step 2  :  Add the toppings

Step 3  :  Sprinkle the cheese 

And your pizza is ready. Well our pizza were ready but soggy. I tried store bought dough ,home made dough ,baking sheet and pizza stone. But still the pizza were soggy and no body likes that. So I almost quit making pizza at all. 

Anyways my son wasn't big fan of pizza ! Really he never said he wants a pizza for dinner until now. He only liked Indian street style pizza, crispy and hard base. When me and my husband is more thin crust people. So the only option to save our pizza nights was to master the art of pizza making and make it in every one's favorite style. 

If you want to make your own dough follow our Whole wheat pizza dough recipe.


So here are the tricks I learned from going through many articles for almost a year,  trying and failing and trying again. 





                           Tips :

If making a crust at home, Partially bake the crust before spreading the sauce.

You have to pre-heat the baking sheet or stone.When it comes to sauce little is more.

Since you should only use very little sauce, the sauce better be very very flavorful.
 
Little is more goes for topping as well. (use many different kinds but limit the quantity)

No rules for cheese !!!

Prep time  :  20 minutes 

Cook time :  10-12 minutes (per pizza)  

Ingredients :

For 4 medium Pizza

 1 cup sliced Mushroom
1  cup sliced Onions
1 cup sliced papers
1/2 cup sliced Olives
1/4 cup sliced Jalapenos
1   cup  pizza sauce 
2 cups  mozzarella cheese
2 tbs   Olive oil
Pizza dough or ready made crust

Pre-heat the oven and baking sheet or stone at 500 f / 260 c.


1) Roll or stretch the dough and make about a 7 inch circle.If rolling out the             dough make sure to push it a little with hand to prevent it for making large         bubble when baked.

2) Bake it for 4-5 minutes.

3) Spread no more than 2 TBS sauce per pizza.

4) Add toppings.

5) Sprinkle the cheese and a little bit oil.

6) Bake it for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

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Whole wheat and all purpose flour pizza dough

Curious case of pizza dough !!!

Lot of time we just assume that ready is easier and tastier way to go with certain recipes. Well you can buy ready made crust or pizza dough. But making your own dough is not as hard as it seems,Plus if you are trying to save money it is definatly cheaper way to make homemade pizza.And most off all anything involving flour and dough gets kids super exited.  The key is to plan ahead. Then homemade pizza won't seem a big task.  




Why I make my dough ???

Store bought is only all-purpose flour. Which is not so healthy , tasty and easy to roll or strech. 

I genarally use 60-40 ratio for Wholle wheat and all-purpose flour. I once tried only whole wheat flour. Which we didn't like in taste or texture.

                                                 

       Tips :

• I genorally prepare the dough a day before I am planning to make pizza. Since you have to leave the dough to rise for at least an hour it will be much time consuming on the day you are actually planing to make pizza.
• you can even partially back the crust a day before too.
• You can store the dough in the fridge for 3 days and freezer for up to a week.
• Under most conditions Active dry yeast must be first proofed or rehydrated.
• In USA we mostly find small packages of yeast. And most recipes you find is praportiond by 1 package messurment. But if you buy yeast in bottle it is important to store it in freezer to keep it fresh for longer time.
• To proof the yeast water temperature is very important thing. very cold water will not make them active at all and very hot water will kill them.So use lukewarm water around 110 F/ 43 C.
• Yeast need some food to get active. We have to add some sugar. Since I am trying to eliminate sugar as much as possible I add honey.

Ingredients:  

Makes about 2 meduim thin crust

Prep time        :  15 minutes
Cook time        :  10-15 minutes

Dough to rise  : 1 hour 

1 packet(1 1/4 teaspoon) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar or honey

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon Olive oil

1 1/2  cup All Purpose flour (maida)

1   cup  Whole Wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

Make about 2 meduim thin crust 

This is all you need for the dough .

Let's get our hand dirty.......

1)  Dissolve the packet of yeast and sugar in warm water.Let it sit for 5 minutes.

2)  In a separate bowl mix the flour,oil and salt. 

3)  Mix the water little by little in the flour and make the dough.

Thsi is what your dough will look before

4) Let the dough sit in a oiled bowl (so it won't stick to the bowl once rised) for about an hour to rise.

and after letting it sit for an hour.