Classic south indian chicken fry

A fiery Andhra fry cooked with ginger-garlic paste, cinnamon and cloves.

South India’s gravy based curry delicacies are known as koora. If deep-fried or shallow fried without gravy is known as vepudu. A variety of vegetables as ridge guard, bottle guard snake guard, raw bananas, eggplant, lentils are widely used. Many regional speciality sambar, rasam varieties are made with different with homemade powders. Rasam is often accompanied with fry based curries. Garnishing with curry leaves, cilantro, coconut and peanuts are often used to add another level to the flavour.

Some of the most mouth-watering vegetarian dishes are gongura pachadi, snake guard raitha – potlakaya perugu pachadi, fried mung dal fritters (masala vada), pulusu (vegetables cooked in tamarind gravy), Pachi Pulusu (a version of rasam). Gongura is called andhra’s favorite meal (Andhrula abhimana vantakam).

Sweet potato in curry leaf and raw mango gravy

A variety of vegetables cooked in tamarind gravy sauce is staple food in South India. It is known as pulusu. Usually accompanied by rice. Fish cooked in tamarind gravy is a feast for the family. It is made on special occasions. Try eating with black rice. Excellent way to add black-rice to your diet.

Though not as popular as brown rice or wild rice, black rice, known as forbidden rice, purple rice and black rice. It is called forbidden rice because only the emperor and members of the royal family were permitted to eat it. It is an ancient grain that has impressive health benefits than most other closely related rice varieties. In ancient China, black rice so superior and rare, it was reserved exclusively for the kings and royalty. Today this type of rice is picking up in popularity and popping up in more health food stores across the US, Australia, and Europe, as people discover the numerous health benefits that whole grain black rice has to offer.

Cilantro, almond fish tacos

Grilled or pan-fried, cilantro almond fish is a flavorful combination for tacos and rice. Simply marinade, fry and enjoy. No need of store-bought spice mix. Taco is a Mexican dish with a fried corn or wheat tortilla, typically folded, filled with various mixtures, such as seasoned meat, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes. Traditional tacos don’t include lettuce, tomato, or shredded cheese.

National Taco day is October 4th. Early tortillas took hours to make but by the 1960s, small-scale tortilla-making machines could churn out hot, steaming tortillas every two seconds.

Where Did the Taco Come From?

The origins of the taco are really unknown. In Mexico, because in those mines the word “taco” referred to the little charges they would use to excavate the mine. These were pieces of paper that they would wrap around gunpowder and insert into the holes they carved in the rock face. One of the first types of tacos described is called tacos de minero—miner’s tacos.

Paneer, Roti bites

You may be a football fan or just watch the Super Bowl as an excuse to eat the tasty finger food. Don’t derail your healthy diet with fried, sugar junk. Football food can be both delicious and healthy if you cook with good choices.

Paneer is the ‘tasty’ dish vegetarians eat. Paneer indian cheese mostly homemade. It is used in several forms such as chunks, bhurji, fried, sautéed, barbequed, grilled, etc. Basically, paneer is an all-rounder when it comes to ways it can be eaten and tastes good almost in all these forms.

Fun Facts About the Super Bowl Trophy

Like any great design moment, it started with a sketch: Not long after the merger of the National Football League and American Football League in 1966, Tiffany & Co. Vice President Oscar Riedener got together for lunch with Pete Rozelle, the first commissioner of the newly created NFL, to discuss the design of a trophy to be awarded for the “world-championship” game created as a result of the merger. Riedener sketched the original trophy, which has not changed in size or design, on a cocktail napkin.

Just the stats: Crafted entirely of sterling silver by Tiffany & Co. silversmiths in a Rhode Island workshop, the trophy stands 22 inches high and weighs 7 lbs.

One super debut: The first trophy was awarded to the world-champion Green Bay Packers on January 15, 1967; the Packers captured the trophy again the following year.

No Deflategate here: The trophy’s design features a three-sided concave pedestal topped by a regulation-size football (we’re assuming at the properly inflated PSI). The football is also fixed in a kicking position.

Playing for keeps: Unlike hockey’s Stanley Cup, which is passed to the winning team each season, each winning Super Bowl team gets to keep its own Vince Lombardi trophy.

Whole-wheat naan

The warm, puffy, oval-shaped flatbreads pretty much are served at Indian restaurants now a days. Making your own naan from scratch and oh my goodness… The puffy, heat-blistered texture…homemade ones will truly knock your socks off. You will not believe how much better this tastes than takeaway naan. It is incredibly easy to make too. It’s the perfect accompaniment to my Kale, mustard greens saag or chicken butter masala – or dal makhani. Or stuff it with meat or veggies (or both) or turn it into a wrap. Naan will make you fall in love with Indian food over and over.

Naan is a soft and pillowy Indian-style flatbread traditionally made in a tandoor oven, or cylindrical clay oven. The dough gets slapped against the walls of the tandoor, where it adheres and bakes quickly over a burning fire. If you don’t have a tandoor, don’t worry. It’s possible to make naan at home and replicate the high heat and charred flavor of a clay oven by using a very hot cast iron skillet or in the oven at your home.

Plain or with a little extra flavor of garlic, melted ghee, onion, sesame or poppy seeds… It makes homemade naan more Yum!

Chicken butter masala

Chicken Butter Masala is definitely the most known and popular North Indian dish in the world. Most probably you will have come across this dish abroad and if you are in India then of course you couldn’t have missed it. Make your own Chicken Butter Masala — way better than you can get in an Indian restaurant with your own organic ingredients. Mild and buttery with a hint of chili, gravy is warm and rich and traditionally simmered with chicken.

This rich, buttery, creamy chicken needs no introduction. Most probably the best known of all Indian dishes, it has already claimed the fame that it deserves.

Chicken Butter Masala is made with pureed juicy tomatoes, cashews and spices cooked in butter, and finished off with fresh cream. Aroma of the dish unfolds with the addition of the kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves. The trick is to cook the chicken in a tandoor/traditional clay oven, where the temperature reaches way higher than any regular oven; the marinated chicken is cooked in few minutes, tender and succulent.

Brussels sprouts hara bhara cutlets

The Holiday Tradition Begins

A common Christmas holiday feast consists turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, honey-glazed ham, Brussels sprouts and is not complete without Christmas cake made of dried raisins, candies peel, almonds, apples and whiskey.

Brussels sprouts don’t normally elicit a positive reaction from many people. Take a chance this holiday season to cook up more yummy recipes featuring Brussels sprouts. And every season, these recipes convert more and more people into Brussels sprouts lovers! These veggies are full of fiber and vitamin C, making them a nutritious addition to any meal!

My first experience with Brussels sprouts was cutting them and cooking in tomato gravy. But bitterness turned me off for few years until I had made these cutlets. Ever since I’ve been enjoying them and experimenting with various preparation styles.

The plant that was bred to be the Brussels sprouts we know today probably originated in Ancient Rome. It wasn’t until the 13th century that they were grown in Belgium, and, hence, were named for the county’s capital. Interestingly, the word Brussels came from the Dutch word “Broeksel” meaning “home in the marsh,” and marshes provide a very similar environment to where they now grow on the Central Coast, near ocean inlets, or sloughs.

Sulfurous little Brussels sprouts made their debut in our area in the 1920s when newly arrived Italian farmers began planting them along with artichokes. By 1940 the acreage was significant, and today several thousand are grown in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The tall stalks yield dense buds that resemble mini cabbages that thrive in the cool, coastal fog and have a slightly bitter taste that can sweeten when frosty temperatures hit.

In fact, the area is so well suited to Brussels sprouts that up until 1993 there was a Brussels sprouts festival sponsored by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The festival went on for 12 years before it was uprooted for dwindling attendance. There were Brussels sprouts on pizzas and in ice cream (possibly the entire reason for the demise of the festival) and attendees who couldn’t bear to eat them were encouraged to whack them with golf clubs and hit targets. Since then, a more diverse variety of produce has been planted on the coast, making Brussels sprouts less significant, and their celebration has taken a backseat to that of garlic, strawberries, artichokes and olives, which all have their own festivals in our region.

About three-quarters of Brussels sprouts production is slated for the frozen food aisle, with only about 15% harvested for consuming fresh. But like most vegetables, Brussels sprouts yield the most nutrients when eaten fresh and raw; steaming, sautéing and roasting are second best. Brussels sprouts contain high levels of vitamins C and K, as well as significant amounts of potassium and feel-good B vitamins that give you energy and a sense of well-being. They are high in protein—2 grams for only ½ cup cooked. However, they are missing certain amino acids so the protein is incomplete unless eaten with a serving of whole grains. They also contain tons of fiber and sulforaphane, a phytochemical touted for powerful cancer-fighting properties.

Ujwala's Delicacies

Indian inspired all natural kitchen.