If you are a lover of shepherd's pie, today's recipe will either disappoint or thrill you.  I changed the spices rosemary, thyme and basil to cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.  I used a little garam masala in short.  I even threw a sprig of curry leaves for experiment and what do you know, it did quite well.  The only step I regret is not having drained the fat after browning the meat.  Else, I am delighted the way it turned out.

  I quite like Shepherd's pie.  The first time I had it at a friend's place was  a long time ago.  In Kerala, I doubt we were getting minced meat at that time and therefore she cooked and then ground the meat for the pie.  It was good but the texture of the pie was like that of pulled pork in sauce.  However, when cooked  with fresh ground meat its plenty different and I like it better.  Thereafter, I have had shepherd's pie in quite a few places and mostly pleased with them all.  Especially good, I  remember, is the one served at '13th floor' a restaurant in Bangalore.  Now, did I get that restaurant name right? I am talking about the one on MG Road.  The pie that evening was made with lamb and it was delicious. That is probably the last time I had pie outside home.

  About three or four years back I started cooking it at home using a recipe from an Australian cook book.  It's an old book and I had a photocopy from a friend.  A darn good one I dare say but cannot remember the name.  Now that I have been cooking a while, I finally created my own version today.  I am rather glad the way it turned out like I mentioned earlier.  Moist and spicy it's a meal in itself and I can already think of  possibilities with the left overs.  Enjoy!      



Ingredients:

For the first layer:
1. Minced meat (I used beef) - 3/4 lb
2. Onions - 2 small size chopped fine
3. Ginger - 1 Tbspn
4. Garlic - 1 Tbspn
5. Green Chilies - 5 - 6 thai
7. Paparika - 1/2 tspn
9. Black pepper - sprinkle
10. Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
11. Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
12. Tomato - 2 medium size chopped fine

For the Topping
Potato - 2 russet potato
Butter - 2 Tbspn
Sour Cream - 3 Tbspn
Milk - 2 to 4 Tbspn (use it accordingly when creaming)
Parmesan cheese - to spinkle on top
Paparika - to spinkle



Method:
1. Brown the meat in a skillet or any cooking vessel. Here, we are only looking for change of color of the meat from pink to brown
2. Oil will clear at this time unless you are using 100% lean meat
3. Drain some or all the fat
3. Add chopped ginger, garlic, onions and green chilies and continue to cook. Wait for cooked garlic smell and onions to be translucent
4. Add curry leaves and stir
5. Add paparika and pepper if you want it to be spicier or you may not use them also
6. Add 1 1/2 tspn of all purpose flour and stir into the meat and cook for a couple of seconds
7. Add chopped tomato and cook
8. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil
9. I take around 20 minutes for the whole process from the time I start browning the meat
10. You may use 1/2 cup of beef broth too if you like. I don't, I think water is just fine.
11. Set aside



Topping:
1. Dice the potato and cook in about 3/4 cup of water
2. Check with a fork to make sure potato is well done and drain off any excess water or cook it dry
3. Add the butter and sour cream and whip using a blender.
4. Add salt to taste and milk to soften if the potato is too pasty. You do not want it running and not too stiff either.

Layering:
1. Butter a oven safe dish
2. Add the cooked meat and then the potato over it. Sprinkle cheese and paparika and cook in a preheated oven at 400 D for 20 minutes.
3. The meat mixture will boil and bubble at the sides and this is okay.



Server it with rolls, steamed vegetables or even with rotis.
This will serve 4 people.

Contributor: Sunitha

  This is one of those dishes that nobody needs a recipe.  Nevertheless for someone out there who needs an idea for a variation from the regular this one is for you.  I like sauteed vegetables and I try them with different sauces.  Alternatively, to have with rice and curd I like to dig my Indian routes and do something closer  home.  That's when I avoid the sauces and add just chilies and enjoy them.  The following recipe with a variation of veggies and addition of soya bean sauce can very well be a Chinese dish.  This one though  is very comforting and enjoyable with rice, curd and pickle.  Love it!




Ingredients:

Beans - 30 nos
Potato - 2 medium size
Carrots - 2 medium size
Dry Red chili - 5 nos
Garlic - 5 pods
Black pepper - to taste
Salt -  to taste
Oil - 1 Tbspn
Water - 1/3rd cup




Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the crushed garlic and red chili and saute for a minute or two till both express cooked aroma
2. Add in all the vegetables sliced small in equal shapes as much as possible
3. Saute a while and add 1/3 cup of water, salt and on a low flame cook till the potato is done
4. Once the potato is done without breaking them stir and add crushed black pepper if you need the saute to be more fiery to taste



Notes: Serve them with rotis or rice.
2. You could avoid the water and saute in only the oil by stirring.  This takes more time and patience but quite tasty
3. If you are not adding water you might need a little more oil
4. You may also add a shallot and curry leaves when you saute the red chili and garlic. 

Contributor: Sunitha

I love this time of year, wherever I am! I think everything about the season is delightful - the smells, the lights, the people, the shopping, the rush, the food, the festiveness and on and on.

We finally put up some lights outside along the door and the railings as part of our Christmas decorations, and there is still more to do, but that will be for next weekend. How about you? Do tell me where you are with your decorations and cooking, etc. for the season.

Talking of festive food, today I am sharing a delicious preparation with potato which will have your guests drooling. The first time I had this a zillion years ago at a friends place for Diwali, I distinctly remember how everybody was raving about this dish. I sang my own tune of appreciation to her, and I can still feel the taste on my tongue just reminiscing. Okay, agreed that was a little exaggeration, but the taste by no means is being exaggerated :)

Recently, at a get- together at my house, I made this and it was well received. So much so that the dish looked like it was licked clean. I like that! The recipe gives the mild version of the dish. Spike up the spice to your liking. I always make it less spicy, keeping my kids as well as the non-Indian guests in mind.

It's a wonderful party dish to the eyes as well as your taste buds.



Don't you think that Star Anise is one of the prettiest spices ever ?



Ingredients:

Baby potatoes- 1lbs
Oil- For deep frying

Oil- 2 Tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Asafoetida- a pinch

Whole Garam masala:

Cinnamon stick- 1 small piece
Star Anise- 2
Cloves- 3-4
Cardamom- 1 or 2
Bay leaves- 2

Finely chopped Onion- 1 cup

Ginger Garlic paste- 1 Tbsp
Tomato Puree- 1 1/2 Tbsp
Salt- To taste

For mixing in the yogurt:

Yogurt- 1 cup scant
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder- 2 tsp
Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 /14 tsp
Turmeric powder- a big pinch

Ginger juliennes- for garnishing


Method:

1.Peel and clean the potatoes.Prick them thoroughly with a fork and immerse them in salted water for n hour.
2.Drain them on a paper towel.
3.Heat oil in a deep frying pan and fry the potatoes till they turn golden brown.You have to do this on medium high heat, since if you keep the heat low, the potatoes will absorb more oil.
4.Heat oil in pan and splutter the cumin seeds.Add the asafoetida and keep stirring.Add the whole garam masala ans saute for a couple of minutes.
5.Throw in the finely chopped onions and saute till they turn brown.
6.Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell leaves.
7.Add the tomato puree (I used the canned one)and saute till the oil startes to leave the sides.
8.Mix all the other spice powders in the yogurt and pour it into the pan.
9.Mix everything well and bring it to a boil.
10. Add the fried potatoes and mix well.Adjust the consistency with water.
11.Cover and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes.
12.If you want to have more gravy add more water while cooking.If you want it semi-dry or dry boil it accordingly.Remember that it will dry again even after switching off the heat.
13.Serve with poori/roti.

Contributor: Namitha

We have had a rainy spell these last few days, making my walk outside wet, wet,and just plain wet. It is also getting colder but no snows yet. I am waiting expectantly for the first showers of snow to fall, which is always fun, though hated soon after. Given the perfect weather to snuggle up on the couch, I am doing just that. Reading and talking on the phone occupies me. Cooking for survival is my mantra these days, and the following is one of those but quite worthy of a post.



I made this potato and cauliflower dish a while ago, and it tastes great with rotis ! This is a simple recipe with the only trial being it calls for slow cooking. You could microwave the potato and cauliflower and then mix it with the masala for an easier/faster option. But the slow cooking of the vegetables with the masala makes it so much tastier. If you can be patient for about 15 - 20 minutes to cook the taste will tell you it was well worth the wait.



Feel free to throw in more or less chilies and chili powder as per your taste. Most dishes I made tend to be on the spicier side, unless otherwise mentioned. Have fun with some 'chat patta' aaloo gobi.



Ingredients:

Potato - 1 big (Idaho Potato)
Cauliflower - 1/4 th
Onions - 1/2 or 1 medium size onion
Green Chilies - 2 nos
Chili Powder - 1/2 tspn or if you like it spicy hot go to 1 tspn
Coriander Powdcr - 1/2 tspn
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Asafoetida - a pinch
Dry Mango Powder - sprinkle to give the dish a tang

Method:
1.Saute onions, green chilies and once onions are translucent add the ginger garlic paste
2. Saute further till the ginger garlic paste is cooked and express an aroma
3. Spoon in the powders and stir in briskly avoiding burning
4. Give it a minute and then add some water just a little like maybe 2 Tspn or if you are beginner go with 1/4 cup
5. Add the diced vegetables and cook on low fire until potato is cooked


Notes:
1. You could add the potatoes in first and cook for a while before you add the cauliflower if you like cauliflower crisp
2. The above method tends to cook the cauliflower a little too well that it falls apart.

Contributor: Sunitha

I cannot ignore what is happening in Japan as I write. It’s devastating, and my prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy.

I had company last week. It was great to have someone home, to talk and share lunch with. It was even better to cook for more than two people. And it’s a darn miracle to myself, how such simple things in life have started becoming a treasure to me. Maybe the overdue maturing is finally happening! You will agree, being far away from one's homeland visits from family and friends become more meaningful. You miss them as soon as they are gone. The house is silent, and suddenly there is a huge void to fill.



Anyways, cutlets are a great snack when you have company or otherwise. Growing up, I could polish off a good number of them at a sitting. A snack every child will love! Talking about children, it was Namitha who initially decided to make cutlets last week. I took her cue, and made some with my friend M who was visiting and she and I photographed them. Thanks to Namitha for inspiring me to cook some myself last week and M for lending me you hand, literally for the photos. Sorry for jumping the gun on this one Nami :) Namitha's recipe will soon follow.



Back again to the topic of cutlets; good company and good food go together; good company and cutlets, now, that rocks! This snack will have your guests asking for more and you children, well they will not ask they will finish them all. A winner with young and old alike, I hope you enjoy it too.


Ingredients:
Chicken Breast - 3 (About 1 Lbs)
Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch piece
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 4
Potato - ½ lbs
Onions - 2 big (chopped fine)
Ginger - 2 inch piece (chopped fine)
Garlic - 4 pods (chopped fine)
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Green Chilies - 8 (chopped fine) (reduce if it’s too hot for your taste)
Eggs - 2
Bread crumbs - ½ cup
Flour - ½ cup
Salt - to taste
Vegetable Oil - 1 Tbspn + enough for deep frying

Method:
1. Cut the chicken breast into big chunks. In a deep pan, cook the chicken with ¼ cup of water, ½ tspn salt, 2 green chilies cut, 1 garlic pod, about 1 tbspn of the chopped onions, whole cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom. Cook till all the water is completely drained and chicken is cooked through. Set this aside to cool. Once cool, pick out the whole garam masala and grind the remaining in your food processor until it resembles a coarse nut meal.
2. Simultaneously, pressure cooker potatoes with enough water to just cover them. Wait for two whistles and switch off the stove. Once all the steam has escaped open the cooker, drain water and let the potato cool.
3. Heat oil in a pan and sauté finely chopped onions till translucent. Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves and sauté till the garlic and ginger gives off the cooked aroma.
4. Once the potato cools, powder it using a fork. Mix all the cooked, boiled and sauteed ingredients together. Check for salt and adjust according to taste. Form small balls of equal size, press it on a spoon to form oval shapes.
5. Take flour and bread crumbs in two separate plates. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl big enough to dip each of the cutlets. Grab another dinner plate to keep the prepared cutlets, and make yourself comfortable on a chair. I prefer sitting at the dining table with all these things in front of me before I start dusting, moistening and rolling the cutlets to make them ready for deep frying.
6. Take each shaped cutlet, roll in flour, dip in egg, roll again in bread crumbs and place them on a plate.
7. Once all the cutlets have been prepared as stated above, deep fry till both sides are golden brown.
8. Make sure heat is at medium low and since all ingredients are cooked you do not have to over do the frying.
Enjoy with ketchup as a snack or have them as a side dish with rice or rotis.

Contributor: Sunitha

      The weekend was absolutely delightful with sunshine and the chance to be out in it.  Cuyahoga National Park is about an hours drive for us so we made it there and had a jolly good time.  Sandwiches on the park bench and lots of walking.  I wonder why in spite of all the walking my weight persists.  I suppose it is the growing figure I encounter in my mirror daily that prodded me to make something a little healthier today.    Potato is starch,  I agree,  but when I see the green spinach on my plate it make me feel like I am eating healthy food. 



 Hoping you will enjoy a good dose of greens yourself here is how to make Aaloo Palak (Potato and Spinach)  


Ingredients:

Idaho Potato   - 1 big (I know they are always big but either ways 'big')
Spinach          - 1 Bunch
Oil                 - 1 Tbspn
Cumin Seed   - 1/2 Tspn
Mustard Seed - 1/2 Tspn
Onion             - 1 small (chopped fine)
Green Chilis   - 2
Garlic             - 2 pods
Chili Powder  - 1 Tspn
Turmeric         - 1/2 Tspn
Aamchur         - 1/2 Tspn
Garam Masala - 1/2 Tspn
Lime Juice       - 1 Tspn (optional)

Method:
1. Cut potatoes into big pieces, cook, drain and set aside
2. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard and cumin
3. Add onions, green chilies and garlic and saute till onions are translucent
4. Add turmeric, chili powder, aamchur and garam masala and saute
5. When oil express add the spinach mix well and cook on low fire until the leaves have wilted and softened.  It will cook down to almost half it's volume
6. Add the cooked potato stir well sqeeze the lime juice if you like and serve

Notes: Serve with rotis or rice

   Ahem! It's been a long while.  I have been apartment huntung in the new place we are moving to and it has  not been easy.  To add to the chaos, I was out, for a week, with influenza.  Hmmm! Yeah, a lots been going on.

  Now I am sitting here watching the snow white garden in our friends Indiana apartment, and this weekend will move to our new place in Illinois, very close to CHICAGO.  So, we are with friends and to say I had a good time except for the cold will be an understatement.  I feel a lot younger because most of the activities resemble the kind I had during my college times.  Cooking together with friends, eating out and general banter and pulling each others leg. We have been busy, enjoying ourselves, which could be the reason house hunting was such a trial task!

  Getting back to what you might be more interested in listening to, here is what we had on a Friday.  A foodies haven.  We have had a lot of Indian food the last couple of weeks, but I just didn't take any photos, a shame indeed.  However, will share some other fun stuff we cooked and ate and I hope you will enjoy.



We served up some green salad to begin, dressed up with a simple vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil and white vinegar, equal portions.  Seasoned it with a clove of garlic finely chopped, two shallots chopped and a generous sprinkle of oregano.  Add all the ingredients and salt , shake it up well and pour over the salad before serving.

 To make grilled or baked asparagus start by cleaning and snipping off the hard ends of the asparagus.  Dry off and put them in a zip lock bag and pour extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and salt and shake well.  Marinate this for about 1/2 hour and then either grill, bake at 400 F for about 10 minutes to 15 minutes or until soft.



Cottage Pie cooked in red wine and seasoned with thyme and rosemary. Yum!  Follow the method here but change the seasoning to a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme, finely chopped garlic about 1 Tbsp, red wine vinegar 1/2 cup and paparika and black pepper to taste.  Do not forget to add beef broth to keep the pie moist.




Moist beef with a rich and creamy potato top.  Don't forget to enjoy.

Contributor: Sunitha