Smashed Spicy Baby Potatoes

Oh this one is just yum! We finished a plateful only a few hours ago and as I write this I am craving bad for another bite of these cuties. Yes, no kidding, they are that good. With their super crispy skin coated and infused with spices that carry a kick that could lift any spirit, warm creamy insides that are ever so slightly crunchy with all the roasting, they are so good I could bet you would fight the others at the table for the last one. Do try these especially with my homemade Tandoori masala.

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 »

Mushroom Tikka masala

This dish is one of the staples in my household. I make it often but for some reason never thought of posting it yet. Hubs mentioned this morning that he hasn't seen a curry on USMasala in a while. Incidentally I had plans of making this curry for dinner (yes the eternal quest for what to make for dinner was to be fulfilled by this curry today). The obvious idea clicked in my head to share it with you guys followed by of course the clicking of the camera.
Paneer and mushroom are hot favorites in our household. This recipe combines two of my absolute favorite things- juicy marinated meaty mushrooms in a tikka masala gravy. The result is always rewarding especially when I hear feedback from the little one like 'mommy  this is million gazillion nice' that she somehow manages to speak with a mouth full of the piece of roti and mushroom that she just so eagerly gobbled up. Another great thing about this dish is its versatility. You can pair it just as easily with naan and roti as with some biryani or plain white rice. A definite must-have for your next pot-luck.

Read more »

Tandoori vegetable paneer pizza ~ all homemade!

love Italian food. Love eating it and love cooking it. Love the different layers, flavors complex yet simple, exotic yet rustic - flavors that have stood the test of time - just like Indian food. You can sense the rich culture and the legacy from the food. When there is a mention of Italian food the first thing that comes to mind is of course the ever-popular Pizza. You guessed it, I love Pizza... a lot. Regardless of crust or toppings - pan, hand-tossed, deep dish, Brooklyn style, thin-crust even the bread and bagel pizza :). A soft chewy bread loaded with veggies and other toppings with a generous helping of cheese! Just can't stop raving. Coming to the US, I had my first ever pizza at Pizza Hut a few years ago... and boy.. I was completely hooked :-) India - at the time - was still coming of age as far as Italian food was concerned so I'd had pizza a couple of times, but this was different. Ahh the good old days.. we used to order delivery, be total couch potatoes and sit in front of the TV for hours watching the 24 hour marathons of Law and Order.

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 »

Paneer Dhaniya Kulcha / Paneer & Cilantro stuffed flatbread

ulcha is a soft leavened Indian bread with delicious fillings that can be paired with just about any curry or eaten by itself. So if you haven't heard about them or have not tasted them, do not feel bad. I personally think that they are a little bit underrated and overshadowed by their more popular but very close cousin, the Naan. But if you have never had a Kulcha, I do encourage you to give one a try and you will realize for yourself that the difference is worth the special mention. The bread is exceptionally soft and tender when you break it between your fingers and as you take a bite, the savory goodness of the filling together with the softness of the bread, well.. makes you happy :)
So what is the difference between the Kulcha and Naan - here's what I think - Naan uses yeast in its dough while Kulcha uses only baking powder and baking soda. Naans are usually oblong in shape while Kulchas are round. Both are traditionally made in a Tandoor (earthen clay oven) but kulchas can be made on the stove top too. Both can be made in a conventional oven as well. I make my kulchas in the oven as well as on the stove top. It is popular all over India and in different parts of the world. They are generally stuffed with nuts, paneer, potato, khoya etc however the variety of filling one can stuff inside these Indian flatbreads is only limited by your imagination. Creativity is the name of the game – almost anything and everything goes for filling up these.

If you already like kulcha, good for you, or if you are like me you might have just found your new favorite bread.

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 »

Penne in Tandoori Red Pepper Walnut Sauce with Mushroom and Peas

have a met a lot of pasta lovers and very few haters - as far as I am concerned I am neutral - I don't hate it neither it is one of my most favorite. My daughter on the other hand (who is fussiest eater around) is notorious for her love of pasta. Even her preschool teacher complains she doesn't eat anything but pasta. She even went on to suggest we change her menu plan to pasta everyday at school! Hubby well- he is not fond of pasta- so the scene at home is I make pasta mac n cheese to be precise almost every single day at home for the kiddo but never really make pasta for ourselves. That probably is the reason why I have only one pasta dish on my blog. We don't even order a pasta dish when we go out to eat. Last Sunday evening I was in no mood to cook two seperate meals for us so I tried to make hubby like the pasta by making this dish with Indian tandoori spices and roasted bell pepper sauce - hubby loved it and even the kiddo enjoyed a more adult version with mushrooms and peas. When I started making it, the only thing I knew was that I wanted a tandoori flavored pasta. I decided on other ingredients as I went along. My head mostly went like - hey why not add some basil, how about some walnuts, mushrooms are always welcome and peppers and peas of course... you get the idea. The al-dente pasta with the unmistakable flavors of the tandoori masala in the yummy red pepper sauce with basil and the perfect bite of peas and mushrooms to keep things interesting texturally.

Read more »

Paneer Calzone (whole wheat)

Friday is my most favorite day of the week. You have the whole weekend ahead of you. Also friday nights are mostly pizza nights( which my little daughter loves)... which means Pizza Hut delivery or if we have the enthu hubby and I make it together at home. Last friday I thought I should do something different and decided to make a Calzone. Of course I had to put in a desi touch to it. I remember a while back they introduced a Calzone on the Pizza Hut menu. I saw the commercials and flyers and always wanted to try it but unfortunately they never came up with a vegetarian version.
A calzone ("stocking" or "trouser" in Italian) is a sort of folded over pizza or turnover with filling. It is originally from Naples, Italy. It is made of ingredients similar to pizza, folded over and shaped like a crescent sealed on one edge, and baked. The typical calzone is stuffed with tomato and mozzarella, and may include other ingredients usually associated with pizza toppings (sourced from Wikipedia).

I love the half moon envelope shape... they make for a cute and fun  presentation.
Calzone may be filled with a variety of vegetable combinations, cheeses and meats of choice. It is typically served with marinara sauce on the side for dipping. Here, I made them with my whole wheat pizza dough recipe (so they are healthier) and for the filling I used  the world famous indian cheese paneer sauted with some tandoori spices. The spicy tangy filling was definitely the highlight of this yummy calzone. It was a great dinner and made a yummy filling lunch the next day. They will be fun to take on picnics too and great as an after school snack for kids. We had this as an evening snack, but it was quite filling and so yummy that we ate more than what you you typically call snack portion :D. So much so that we didn't eat any dinner. It is an easy and interesting one pot meal and is simply delicious.

I know I am going to make this often.

Read more »

Chicken tikka

y brother was here for the weekend and he is the biggest "Chickenaholic" I have ever seen :) He can eat chicken in all its forms for every single meal. Though my husband and I are vegetarians, I make sure to prepare as many chicken dishes for him whenever he visits. It is difficult to make something without tasting it but I take it as a challenge... and my brother (he is a very picky eater) said this is the BEST tikka he has ever eaten... and this came from someone who once thought his pyari sister can never cook anything... hee hee... boy I was so happy! As his birthday is coming up soon, this one is especially for him.

Who is not familiar with the world famous chicken tikka... needs no introduction. I just made it the same way as I make paneer tikka. In place of paneer I used chicken. So here I am giving the recipe for something I have not tasted. Please try it and do let me know how it came out.

Read more »