Ethiopian Vegetable Bowl

Ethiopian Vegetable Bowl

A large variety of Ethiopian vegetarian dishes evolved due to the tradition of abstinence from all animal products during the many Orthodox Christian fasting days that are observed in Ethiopia. This recipe is also common to the Ethiopian Jews (Phalashi). I love this dish because it is extremely healthy and at the same time a bowl of engulfing aroma. I can't think of a better comfort food than this to fight my Monday Blues.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time      :  50 minutes
Difficulty              :  Easy
Serves                  :  4 - 6

Ingredients : 

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil (I use soy oil for this dish)

1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

1 teaspoon ground Cloves

1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds

1 head Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Salt

3 large Onions, chopped

4 large Carrots, cubed

4 large Potatoes, cubed

1/4 head Cabbage, chopped

2 cups Tomato Puree

2 cups Water

 

Method :

  1) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

 

  2) Stir in the ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, fenugreek, garlic, and one teaspoon salt.

 

  3) Continue to stir until the spices and garlic are well coated in oil, keep stirring for 30 seconds.

 

  4) Stir in the onions; cook, stirring, until translucent, this process will take about 5 minutes.

 

  5) Add the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, this will take about 3 minutes.

 

  6) Stir in the tomato puree and the water. Mix well and simmer.

 

  7) Continue to cook over very low heat, until vegetables are soft and the tomato sauce thickens, this will take about 30 to 40 minutes.

 

 
8) Once the vegetables are well cooked, check the seasonings and adjust, if required.

 

  9) Traditionally this is served with Ethiopian Fermented Flat Bread called Ingera, which is more like Dosa, made in Southern India. In case you can't make ingera, you can also serve the Vegetable Bowl with Basmati Rice.

 

Note : This dish being very traditional, all the families have their own traditional versions. The vegetables like Cauliflower,  Green Beans and Kidney beans are also added to the stew. In modern days, moms add a few pieces of Tofu to make it more nutritious for their kids. 

Mexican Ground Beef and Rice Cassarole

Mexican Ground Beef and Rice Casserole

This is one popular dish which is simply adored by people from two ... or more countries. As far as the origin goes, it is difficult to pin point whether it originated in Texas, USA or Mexico itself. Or does it really matter? Not to me at least. As long as the food is yum and that too a bowl full of ground beef, rice and cheese, to me all that matters is how soon I can polish off that bowl. Those friends out there have a feeling just like me, this food is surely for you. So right away roll up your sleeves and start cooking this dish. I am sure you'll love it.

Preparation Time  : 20 minutes
Cooking Time       : 45 minutes
Difficulty               :  Easy
Serves                   :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

• 450 grams Ground Beef (you can also use Lamb or Mutton Mince) 
• 1 small Onion, chopped
• 1 -2 tablespoon fresh minced Garlic
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 -2 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1  package Taco Seasoning Mix (can use more to taste)
(to prepare, see Note)
• 1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth (you can use water, or broth powder in water)
• 1 small Zucchini, diced (about 4 cups)
• 1 400 grams can Stewed Tomatoes (or Blanch, Peel and Chop, fresh Tomatoes) 
• 1 1/2 cups Frozen Corn or 1 1/2 cups Peas (you can also use fresh ones) 
• 1 1/2 cups instant Minute Rice (if you don't get Minute Rice, use any quick cooking rice, pre washed and soaked for 20 minutes)
• 1 -2 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper, or to taste
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided 

Method :

  1) In a medium 4-quart heavy pot over medium heat cook the ground beef till it is completely browned.

 

  2) Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper and cook till the veggies get softened. 

 

  3) Now drain the fat completely.

 

  4) Add in the taco seasoning mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.

 

  5) Add in all remaining ingredients ( Zucchini, Rice, Tomatoes, Corn and Chicken broth) except the cheese; stir with a wooden spoon to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

 

  6) Once it starts to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low or low.

 

  7) Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until the rice is tender.

 

  8) Season with seasoned salt and pepper. Check the seasoning and adjust if required.

 

  9) Pour the Beef and Rice Casserole on a serving dish and mix half of the cheese.

 

  10) Sprinkle rest of the cheese on top of the dish and let stand for 5 minutes until melted.

 

  11) Serve this wonderful one pot meal with some Guacamole and/or Salsa.

 

 

Note

For Taco Seasoning :

1 tablespoon Chili powder

1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder   

1/4 teaspoon Onion powder

1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Sea Salt (you can also use normal salt)

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

 

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

 

 

Chicken Rendang

Chicken Rendang

Rendang is a popular form of cooking in Indonesia and neighbouring countries. You can get Beef Rendang in most street side shops in Malaysia. This dish though referred as a curry dish but originally it was never so. This version of cooking meat with spices originated from the Minangkabau Ethnic group of Indonesia. They used the spices to preserve their meat and use it during rainy season. In modern world, Pork and chicken are used to make Rendang. I learnt this version of Chicken Rendang, from the roadside vendors in Malaysia.

Preparation Time  : 20 minutes
Cooking Time       : 40 minutes
Difficulty               :  Easy
Serves                   :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

2 large Onions

3 minced fresh Garlic cloves

3 stalks Lemongrass

3 cm Galangal

1 tablespoon fresh Ginger

10 -15 dried Chilies

1 whole Chicken, cut into small chunks (medium size)

1/2 cup Korma Paste (get any packaged version)

1 cup Coconut Milk

1/2 cup Tamarind Juice

1/2 cup Evaporated Milk

2 cups Chicken Stock

3/4 tablespoon Turmeric Powder

7 pieces Kaffir Lime Leaves, If you cant find fresh one, use 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup Coconut Paste, grated and fried coconut, then ground in a mortar and pestle until the oil comes out

1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse Salt

 

Method :

 1. Pour oil into frying pan, on a medium high heat.

 

 2. Add the aromatics (onions,ginger,garlic,lemon grass and galangal) stir well until fragrant. 

 

 3. Add korma curry powder, stir well for 5 minutes and add the chicken pieces. Curry may tend to stick, so sprinkle little water while frying, this won't let the spices burn.

 

 4. Stir well about 10 minutes.

 

 5. Pour coconut milk, tamarind juice, turmeric powder, evaporated milk and chicken stock. Stir and mix well.

 

 6. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the curry has thickened.

 

 7. Add in kaffir lime leaves, coconut paste, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in and simmer for 5 minutes.

 8. Check if the chicken are fully cooked, when done, check the seasonings and adjust if required.

 

 9. Serve hot in a bowl along with hot white rice.

Penne Amatriciana

Penne Amatriciana

If Pasta and Italy are synonymous to you, to me Italy is Synonymous to one of my best friends, a friend who bailed me out though my boss's bad temper days, a friend who wrote half of my project for me, because I was too busy eating the Penne Amatriciana she cooked for her dinner !! Well yes. My friend Anna, used to cook this dish at least thrice a week and I used to clean her plate 2 out of 3 times. She cooked extremely well and I picked up pretty fast. So this dish tonight is in remembrance of sweet Anna, who is thousands of miles away from me.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time      :  45 minutes
Difficulty              :  Easy
Serves                  :  4

Ingredients :

• 400 grams pack of Penne, cooked according to the pack's direction.
• 150 grams of Bacon
• 1 sweet Onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
• 1 cup White Wine, Chardonnay preferably, or use any White Wine
• 2 cup Chicken Stock / broth (you can make fresh or even use stock cubes in warm water)
• 1 Large Fresh Tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan, or Romano Cheese
• Salt, to taste and last but not the least,
• Cornstarch Slurry! (mixture of cornstarch and water, until a half and half consistency)

Method :

  1) I am assuming you have cooked pasta before? :) If not please do! You can make this in a larger pot, then add the pasta directly to it! Add plenty of water and when it's cooked Al Dante, pour on a large sieve and drain well.

 2 ) I cook the bacon in the oven on a baking sheet for 2 reasons. (1)to preserve the fat and (2) to use the caramelised bacon fond for the sauce!

 

 3) Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay out your bacon on a cookie pan, then toss it on in. You can also lay them flat on a baking try lined with parchment. I want it to be crispy, so it will take about 12-14 minutes.

 

 Crispy Bacon

 

 4) When it is done, take it out of the oven, put the bacon aside on a plate, and pour that tasty, tasty bacon grease into the pan you will be cooking the sauce in.

 

 5) If you don't want to do that,  you can use a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

 

 6) But, I still want to deglaze the pan. So after I get the bacon fat off of the pan, I pour a cup of the chicken broth on the hot pan, and scrape all that caramel goodness off.  And set it aside.

 7) Start sweating your onions and garlic on the stove , till they start to caramelise.

 

 8) Deglaze with your white wine, then add the rest of the chicken broth, plus the bacon-infused chicken broth that was in the bacon pan.

 

 9) Bring it to a simmer, and taste. adjust your seasoning at this point.

 10) Once it is done, go ahead and add about 1/4 cup of slurry, whisk rapidly, and instant thickens. I always want it to be thick enough to coat the pasta, so I make sure it at least coats the back of the spoon. And then let it simmer for about 2 more minutes.

 11) Now add the pasta, and stir it in, making sure you heat it up properly.

 

 12) Now add your fresh tomatoes, grated cheese, and stir it really well.

 

 13) Plate the pasta and add the crispy Bacon to it and serve hot. You can also add a little more cheese on it, in case you want to load up your calorie count further.

 

Hawaiian Chicken Luau

Hawaiian Chicken Luau

This Hawaiian dish is quite famous world wide. I first tasted this dish during my first trip to United States. I was really impressed by the subtle use of Greens along with Coconut Milk, which is not very common. But when it came to the greens, I found that the traditional dish calls for Taro leaves, which are quite commonly known as Arbi leaves or Colocasia leaves in most parts of  India. I tried to find a substitute for Taro and ended up with our good old Spinach. If you are an adventurer in the world of food, then go ahead and prepare this wonderful dish with Taro/Arbi leaves. You can always substitute with Spinach, but it won't taste as good.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes (more if you make fresh coconut milk)
Cooking Time      :  50 minutes
Difficulty              :  Very easy
Serves                  :   4

Ingredients :

1 Whole Chicken, cut into pieces ( 1 Kilo, cut into 10 - 12 pieces) 

1 tablespoon Vegetable or Canola oil

1 teaspoon Hawaiian Sea Salt (I used normal sea salt) 

Water, as needed

1 Kilo of fresh Taro/Arbi/ Colocasia leaves, or you can use Spinach instead.

2 tablespoons Butter or Margarine

Salt to taste 

400 mils of Coconut Milk (you can use canned like I do, or even better extract your fresh coconut milk)

 

Method :

 1) Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium - high heat.

 2) Add the chicken pieces and brown lightly, turning frequently. Do this in batches as too many chicken together would broil them, instead of getting properly browned.

 3) Once they are browned, put all the chicken back into the pot Add enough water to cover the chicken.

 4) Simmer for about 30 minutes. Pour out the liquid. Keep the Chicken separately.

 5) In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Add the drained chicken.

 6) Season with salt to taste and simmer.

 7) Add taro/arbi/colocasia leaves (washed, cleaned and finely chopped) or you can use Spinach (washed, cleaned and roughly torn) , stir well to mix.

  8) Add coconut milk to chicken. Simmer for 5-10 minutes till the Chicken is well done and leaves turn into a green mash.

  9) Serve hot with Coconut Rice.

               Taro/ Arbi / Colocasia Leaves                                       Fresh Spinach

Jollof Rice

Jollof Rice from West Africa

One of my ex-colleagues from UNICEF first cooked this rice for me. When he served the rice, I was so surprised that I could not speak for a few moments. How could two dishes from two different continents smell and taste so similar? Getting surprised ? Yes, Tomato Pulao from South India and Jollof Rice from Western Africa tastes almost very similar except for the fact that Tomato Pulao is mostly vegetarian and Jollof Rice are sometimes Non veg. The spices also are almost same except for the fact that Tomato Pulao has Mustard seeds and Curry leaves. So, Jollof Rice can easily become a part of your Indian Kitchen. Just cook and surprise your family.

Preparation Time  :  15 minutes
Cooking Time       :  45 minutes
Difficulty               :  Easy
Serves                   :   4 - 6

Ingredients :

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 large Onion, sliced

2  cans Stewed Tomatoes / 600 grams of Blanched Tomatoes, skinned and chopped.

1/2 can Tomato Paste / 200 grams of Tomato Puree

1 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper/ Red Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon chopped fresh Rosemary (you can also use 1/2 tsp of Dried Rosemary

2 cups Water

1 1/2 kilos Whole Chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 cup uncooked White Rice

1 cup diced Carrots

1/2 cup shelled Peas / Chopped coloured Bell Peppers

200 grams fresh Green Beans, trimmed and snapped into 1 to 2 inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

One Boiled Egg, per head, to serve (optional)

 

Method :

 1) Pour oil into large Non stick Pan over medium high heat.

 

 2) Add sliced onions to the oil. Cook onion in oil over medium-low heat until translucent.

 

 

 3) Stir in stewed tomatoes and tomato paste, and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce and rosemary. Stir well to mix.

 

 4) Cover, and bring to a boil.

 

 5) Reduce heat, stir in water, and add chicken pieces. Simmer for 30 minutes.

 

 6) Stir in rice, carrots, peas/ chopped bell peppers and green beans, and season with nutmeg.

 

 

 7) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

 

 8) Cover, and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender and the rice is cooked, 25 to 30 minutes. That means the chicken meat can be separated from the bones with a prick of a fork and the rice is no longer hand in the center.

 

 10) Serve Jollof Rice hot, with Boiled egg (Optional) 

Pakistani Chicken Rezala

Pakistani Chicken Rezala

Pakistani food is very much similar to that of Indian, but in few cuisines the style of cooking and ingredients differ. Like the Rezala in India mostly has a thin gravy, consisting mostly the oil in which it is cooked. But the Pakistani version has a thicker gravy and richer in taste. I always prefer to cook the Pakistani version because the full bodied sauce makes it more yummy. So why not cook Chicken Rezala for the Sunday family dinner and enjoy it with hot and fresh naan (Roasted flat breads).

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time      : 40 minutes
Difficulty              : Easy
Serves                  :  4

Ingredients :

•  1 kg Chicken Cut into 10 / 12 pieces
•  1 medium Onion, 1/2 of it thinly sliced
•  4 Green Chili, (2 sliced)
•  2-3 Garlic cloves
•  1/2 inch Ginger root  (to yield 1/2 tsp in paste)
•  4 tbsp Ghee/ Clarified Butter
•  1 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
•  1/2 cup full creamed Milk
•  1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
•  2 tbsp Sugar (or to taste, the dish is meant to be on the sweet side)
•  1/2 tsp Black Pepper
•  Salt to taste

Method :

1. Prepare the chicken by washing and patting them dry with a paper towel, before chopping them into pieces.

2. In a blender, blend 2 chilies, garlic, ginger and half of the unsliced onion into a puree.

3. In a sealable container, marinate the chicken pieces with the blended paste, garam masala powder, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper, for about 1/2 -1 hour. The longer you marinate the tender the meat gets, I did for about an hour.

4. In a bowl, beat the yogurt with the sugar and set aside.

5. In a heavy base non-stick pan, heat the ghee/ clarified butter till it melts. But be careful to see that it does not burn.

 6. In batches, saute the chicken pieces until cooked through. Make sure your heat is not too high as it will brown up the chicken. Remove and let it rest on a plate.

  7. Add the sliced half of the onion to the pan, and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Saute till translucent.

 8. Add the yogurt mixture and simmer on medium heat for 4-5 min.

 9. Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with the milk. When adding the milk, make sure to remove your pan from heat, and then once stirred in properly, return it on the heat. This will stop the milk from cuddling.

9. Add the remaining 2 chilies.

10. Simmer the chicken on low-medium heat for about 25-30 min or until the milk evaporates and the ghee separates to create a thick shiny white gravy.

11. Check the seasonings and adjust if required.

 12. Serve hot with Dry Fruits Pilaf or Naan.