Spaghetti, Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

  

Though the name of this pasta dish is a mouthful and sounds complicated, the preparation is not. It is one of those simple, comforting kind of meals that can go from stove to table in under 15 minutes. This traditional dish which originated around Rome is one of the fine examples of Italian rustic cooking and mostly considered a peasant dish. Aglio, the Italian word for garlic is pronounced as ah -lyoh while olio, the oil is pronounced as oh-lyoh and the spicy chili, peperoncino is pronounced as pepe- rone (say like tone) - chino. And so spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino literally means spaghetti with garlic, oil and chili pepper in Italian. 

This dish out and out belongs to 'garlic lovers' and uses loads of garlic in it while there is no place for any kind of cheese in the traditional versions. However one can add some generous amounts of  Parmesan / Romano cheeses at the final stages of cooking to make it more flavorful. The minced garlic and the red chili pepper sauteed lightly in olive oil form a lighter sauce for this humble pasta unlike the heavy cheesy / tomato based sauces. The chili pepper gives the needed kick to this dish while the generously added parsley imparts it's flavor. Any spicy, red (ripe) chili pepper can be used or in lieu of it, go with crushed chili flakes. I used 8 wholegrain spaghetti in this recipe and spaghetti can be replaced in this dish with any long pasta shapes like linguine, angel hair pasta or others.

Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1/2 pound / 8 oz. spaghetti
Salt to taste
3 - 4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced or finely minced (I minced finely.)
1 chili pepper, finely sliced / dried red chili flakes to taste
3 Tbsp. minced parsley (This is entirely optional.)

Method:
* Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. There is going to be no salt in the sauce and so add salt accordingly.
* Add spaghetti and cook according to the package directions, al dente.
* Drain the cooked pasta in a colander, reserving about 2 - 3 tbsp of the pasta water.
* In the mean while, heat olive oil, garlic and chili in a frying pan, on medium heat. Cook the garlic until it starts to turn light gold in color. Add the pasta along with the reserved water to the pan. Give it a stir to combine and cook for about 30 seconds. Turn off the stove and serve immediately.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #50, under the theme of "Pasta". Check out the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Afghani Bolani / Bolani Katchalu / Potato Bolani

Among the International flatbreads I posted this week, these bolanis were the best and we absolutely loved them. Bolanis are traditional Afghani flatbreads with a filling, usually made with potato, spinach, green lentils, pumpkin or leeks. These vegan, stuffed breads can be either fried or baked and are served with mint yogurt sauce. Though these potato bolanis sound like our own aloo parathas, they are not. The similarity ends with potatoes and they are different in terms of the flavor of the filling, the shape of the bolanis and the way they are toasted.

Ingredients: (Make 7 - 8 bolanis)
1.5 cups flour (I replaced half of it with wheat flour. )
1 tbsp. oil (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
4 medium sized potatoes (Should come to 2 cups when cooked and mashed.)
1 tsp pepper powder (more or less, as required)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
1/4 cup olive oil to toast bolanis

Method:
* Combine flour, salt and oil in a mixing bowl. Add water in small increments and knead it into soft, pliable dough, for about 5 minutes. (I added about 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. water.) Cover and let the dough rest for about an hour. 
 
* Meanwhile, peel and cook the potatoes until done in a sauce pan or in a pressure cooker. Keep the cooked potatoes aside and let them cool.
* Mash the potatoes well so that they are lump-free. Add cilantro, green onions, salt and pepper to the mashed potatoes and mix well. 

* When ready to make bolani, knead the dough once and divide the mixture into 7 - 8 portions. Also divide the potato mixture into 7 - 8 portions (depending upon how many dough portions are made.) 
* Roll each portion into a ball between your palms and then gently flatten them into discs. Work with one portion at a time and keep the rest covered, to prevent them from drying out.
* Roll a portion as thin as a tortilla, into 5 - 6 inch diameter circle. Place one portion of the potato mixture (about 2 tbsp.) on one half of the rolled out dough circle, leaving the edges.(Traditionally, they are rolled into 10 - 12 inch circle.)

* Fold the other half over it, to enclose the potato filling and seal the edges properly. I used a fork to seal which is entirely optional. Gently pat the surface of the bolani for uniformity.

* Heat the oil to toast bolanis. Place the bolani one by one in the hot oil and toast both sides until golden brown. (Though they tasted awesome like stuffed pooris frying this way, I just toasted them like regular rotis.)
* Serve them with minty yogurt sauce and taste the best when served warm.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #50, under the theme of "International Flatbreads". Check out the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Scallion Pancakes

For the uninitiated, that's not a misnomer. These flatbreads from China are indeed called pancakes and they use a dough instead of a batter. These chewy and savory pancakes are just like Indian parathas except that all purpose flour is used to make them and some plain, chopped green onions / scallions are stuffed inside. This recipe is a cinch to make as there is no need to cook the stuffing, which is the usual case with the classic Indian stuffed parathas. These mildly flavored pancakes are usually served with a soy - ginger dipping sauce. I made the sauce from here but no one at home cared about it.

Ingredients: (Yields 5 pancakes)
1 cup all purpose flour + extra for dusting
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp. water at room temperature (more or less as needed.)
1/4 cup finely chopped, green parts of scallions
Oil to toast the pancakes

Method:
* Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water in small increments and knead into a soft, pliable dough that is no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. In case the dough looks dry, wet you hands with water or add about 1 tbsp. water and knead. In case the dough is sticky, add extra flour until the dough is workable. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes. No harm is done if the dough is allowed to rest longer.

* Divide the dough into 5 portions and roll each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Work with one portion at a time and keep the rest covered to prevent them from drying out. Gently press the ball into a disc.

* Dust the working surface with flour if necessary. Roll the disc into a thin rectangle and gently brush with oil over the surface. (Sesame oil is preferred for this step.)

* Sprinkle the chopped green parts of the scallion over the surface of the rolled out dough.

* Starting from one longer side, roll it like a mat / carpet.

* Coil it up and gently press down. Again roll it into a thin circle of about 5 inches diameter, using a rolling pin. 

 

* Heat a skillet or a shallow frying pan. Place the pancake onto the skillet. Cook for about 30-40 seconds and flip. Cook for another 30 seconds. Then add about 1/4 tsp oil around the edges and brush the surface with the back of the spoon used earlier to drizzle oil. Flip and brush the other surface too with oil. Cook until brown spots appear on both sides and pancakes look cooked.

* Repeat the steps of rolling and toasting the pancakes with the remaining dough.

Note:

Add scallions directly to the flour while making the dough in the first step. in case if stuffing the scallions while rolling looks hard. 

This goes to Blogging Marathon #50, under the theme of "International Flatbreads". Check out the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Turkish Gözleme

Oh boy! I was under this great misconception that I somewhat mastered the art of rolling flatbreads until I saw this video. I was exploring some European flatbreads and in the quest, came across this amazing video where a skilled and experienced Turkish woman is rolling out humongous sized gozlemes effortlessly. Gozleme is a savory and stuffed, griddle bread from Turkey prepared from hand-rolled dough. The traditional gozleme making requires a long, thin rolling pin and a large griddle. The name 'gozleme' is derived from the Turkish word 'göz' meaning compartment, referring to the pocket of the dough where the stuffing is sealed and cooked. The stuffing that goes inside these popular Turkish breads can range anywhere from vegetables, cheeses to meats.

I couldn't make gozlemes in the traditional size as neither I had the required tools nor the expertise to nail them. Gozlemes can be prepared in two shapes - a crescent shaped one or like a stuffed envelope. I used the spinach-cheese filling to make my gozlemes, in a mini size and made in both shapes. My gozleme experience is telling me that crescent shaped one is the ideal one for uniform toasting. The envelope shaped ones need extra time for getting uniformly toasted. I wasn't sure whether they were toasted properly inside or not and so toasted them again to just make sure. I cut gozlemes into strips, held them with tongs and toasted them on all sides including the edges.We enjoyed these yummy gozlemes with ketchup.
 
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium sized onions, finely minced
2 cups coarsely chopped spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used paneer instead.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil to toast gozleme

Preparation of dough:
Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water in small increments to the flour mixture and prepare a soft, pliable dough. (I added a little less than 1/2 cup water.) Gently knead it for 5 to 7 minutes. Cover the dough and keep it aside for about 15 - 30 minutes. (Gozleme dough doesn't include any oil but I added a tsp. of it.)

Preparation of filling:
Heat oil and add minced onion. Fry until onion softens and add spinach. Cook until spinach wilts and the rawness is gone. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Next add the crumbled cheese, give it a stir and turn off the stove. Let the filling cool a bit.

Method:
* Divide the dough into 4 portions and roll them into discs between your palms. Work with one disc at a time and keep the rest covered. Roll it thin into a rectangle or in a circular shape. Dust with flour if necessary.

* Place about 2-3 tbsp. of filling at the middle of the rectangle. (I used more filling than showed in the picture.)

* Fold the opposite sides to cover the filling.

* Then fold the remaining sides to cover up the filling and form an envelope. Gently press with fingertips to seal properly.

* If the dough disc was rolled out into a circle, place about 1/4 cup of the filling on one half of the circle. Then fold the other half over it. Seal the edges using your finger tips and gently pat the whole crescent shaped gozleme.

* Heat a skillet and place the rolled dough square or crescent on it. Cook on low flame, drizzling with oil / butter until brown spots appear on both sides. (I cut them into strips and toasted them again. I held the pieces with tongs and toasted on all sides to make sure that gozlemes are properly cooked.)

This goes to Blogging Marathon #50, under the theme of "International FlatBreads". Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Methi - Pakoda Curry

This is one 'Methi' curry that I wanted to try ever since I copied the recipe from one of my husband's aunts years ago. The deep frying part kept me away from the recipe so far and this week's BM theme of "methi' seemed like a right occasion to try it. Besides it sounded like this palakoora- vadiyala koora we love. It is kept on a dry side unlike the other Andhra pakoda curry versions or the kadhi pakora. The methi leaves add a nice, aromatic background for the yummy pakodas in this curry.

Ingredients for the pakodas:
1 cup besan / garbanzo flour
One big onion, finely minced (The original recipe didn't use it.)
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
Oil to fry (I used canola oil.)
Ingredients for the curry:
Pakodas from above
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 to 1& 1/2 cups fenugreek greens / methi leaves
Salt & chili powder to taste

Making Pakodas:
* Sift besan, salt and chili powder together in a mixing bowl.

* Add chopped onion and mix well. Next add water and make a thick batter.

* Heat oil for deep frying in a pan. Drop small balls of batter into the hot oil. Fry them on low flame until they turn golden brown through out.

Curry Preparation:
* Wash and roughly chop the methi leaves.
* Heat a tbsp. oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add methi leaves and turmeric powder. Stir well, cover and cook until the rawness of methi leaves is gone.
* Add salt and chili powder to the cooked methi and stir well. Add the fried pakode and stir to combine.
* Cook for about a minute and remove from fire. Serve immediately with rice.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #50, under the theme of "Methi Dishes". Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.
 
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Menthikoora Pappu / Andhra Style Methi Dal

Give a bunch of greens to a person from Andhra, 90% chances are that they are going to get used in a pappu. The local favorites usually are gongura, chukkakoora, thotakoora (amaranth greens) and so on. Paapu is a dal preparation from Andhra, that is kept on a thicker side unlike sambhar and no spice mixes go into the dish. Toor dal / yellow lentils is usually preferred to make pappu and occasionally moong dal is substituted. 
I get only 3 to 4 varieties of greens here locally, that I grew up seeing in India. Of course there are loads of other varieties available. I can get spinach and methi/ fenugreek greens leaves all year round while occasionally I see gongura, amaranath and Malabar spinach at Indian grocers'. And so, spinach and methi get used extensively in my kitchen while my husband keeps getting nostalgic about the greens he grew up eating.

I don't mind using American brands' frozen spinach and use it liberally in my cooking whereas with methi leaves, I try to use fresh ones as much as possible. The frozen methi I get here are Indian brands and I have noticed that half the packet is filled with chopped stalks of methi leaves which tend to be on the bitter side and also there are even weeds like chopped grass stalks sometimes. Either it is because of the carelessness of the packers or slyness of the manufacturers, I guess. I feel like being cheated when I cut open a packet only to come across the sneaky additions of ripened tindora slices, green leafy vegetables with unwanted weeds, smelly coconut or browned surti papdi though the packet promises you that things are frozen fresh. And so the lesson I learnt is to buy fresh methi leaves as much as possible to avoid the disappointment.

 

I realized that surprisingly menthikoora pappu hasn't been posted yet on my blog though it gets frequently made at my home and is one of my favorite dishes. And so I decided to go with this yummy, flavorful dal for today's post.

Ingredients:
Toordal / Kandipappu - 3/4 cup
1 small bunch of methi leaves / fenugreek greens
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste (I used about 3/4 tsp.)
2 to 3 tbsp. thick tamarind juice (Soak about a lemon sized tamarind in water and extract thick juice. )
Tadka: 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp each of mustard seeds & cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida powder, few curry leaves 

Method:
* Pluck the leaves from the methi bunch and discard any damaged ones. Wash and roughly chop them. Don't be tempted to use the stalks in the case of methi leaves. They lend a bitter taste to the dish, even if they are looking tender.
* Wash the lentils with two exchanges of water. Pressure cook lentils, methi leaves, turmeric powder and about 1 & 1/2 cups of water together. If not using a pressure cooker, soak the lentilS in water for about a couple of hours to fasten the cooking. And then proceed with cooking in a sauce pan on stove-top until the lentils turns mushy, adding water as needed in between.
* When the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid of the cooker and mash the cooked lentils well with the back of a ladle.
* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to crackle and pop, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Next add the cooked lentil-methi mixture, tamarind, salt and chili powder. Mix well, taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
* Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking for about 1-2 minutes and turn off the stove.
* Serve warm with hot steamed rice or rotis. 

This goes to Blogging Marathon #50, under the theme of "Methi Dishes". Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Shalgam - Methi Ki Subzi ~ Turnip - Fenugreek Greens Curry

 
I wanted to pair methi with another vegetable in a subzi dish, without taking the limelight away from this strong flavored greens. Turnip lying in my refrigerator sounded like an apt choice and I prepared this yummy subzi  along the lines of aloo methi. The mild turnip mellows down the strong flavor of methi / fenugreek greens slightly and would be a great substitute here if you want to cut down on potato. This would be a great side dish for rotis / parathas / pooris.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1 onions, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 small turnip, peeled and cubed
1 bunch of of methi leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder / fenugreek greens
Chili powder to taste (I used about 3/4 tsp, spicy variety.)
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp amchur powder / dried mango powder
Salt to taste

Method:
* Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they turn brown and sizzle, add ginger and fry until golden brown.
* Next add and fry onions until lightly brown. Add tomatoes next and cook until mushy.
* Add turnip, cover and cook until is turnip almost done, stirring occasionally.
* Then add all the dry spices and salt. Mix and then add methi leaves. Cover and cook until the rawness of methi leaves is gone.
* Serve warm with rotis / pooris.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #50, under the theme of "Methi Dishes". Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Walnut - Prune Yogurt

While hunting for Russian recipes during "Around the World" marathon, I came across a quick and easy dessert from the region. It had some walnut stuffed prunes served in smetana. Smetana is the central and eastern European version of sour cream and in absence of it, can be substituted with yogurt, sour cream or crème fraîche. Walnuts are stuffed into dry prunes and a sweetened sour cream is poured over them. Then they are refrigerated overnight or until the sour cream solidifies.
I goofed up somehow while noting the recipe and got fresh prunes instead and kept wondering how to stuff them with walnuts. I couldn't do it obviously and so chopped the fruit and added it to lightly sweetened yogurt along with some chopped walnuts. I refrigerated it overnight and it made a yummy breakfast next day. I am not posting the original recipe as it just involves the steps I mentioned above. The recipe requires only four ingredients - sour cream / yogurt, some icing sugar to sweeten the sour cream, dried prunes and walnuts.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #49, under the theme of "Weekend Brunch".
 
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Chutney Sandwich

Sandwiches can be one of the quick and easy options when doing brunches. One can go with the simple ones like peanut butter - jelly, cheese, nutella or jam sandwiches for kids and some spicier versions for adults like this chutney sandwich.  Butter, green chutney and tomato ketchup add beautiful layers of color and flavor to this Indian style sandwich. Green chutney is kept on the spicier side and is prepared using cilantro, mint leaves, green chillies, lemon juice and salt. The ketchup can even be replaced with sweet chutney. These sandwiches can be prepared in a jiffy as no grilling or toasting is needed. They can be a great addition to a party menu too. Three bread slices yield 4 mini sandwiches and I have given the instructions below for that quantity.
 
Ingredients for each serving:
3 bread slices, crusts removed
1 tbsp. slightly softened butter
1 tbsp. thick green chutney
1 tbsp. tomato ketchup / sweet chutney

Method:
(I am giving numbers to bread slices - 1, 2 & 3 for easy reference.)
* Apply butter on one side of slice #1 and keep the buttered side up.
* Apply green chutney on one side of slice #2 and place it on slice #1 so that chutney applied side rests on the buttered side of slice #1. 
* And now the plain side of slice #2 would be up. Spread butter on that side or it can be omitted if counting calories.
* Apply ketchup / sweet chutney on one side of slice #3 and place it on slice #2 so that ketchup / chutney applied side rests on the buttered side of slice #2. (I repeated one more step with green chutney.)
* Cut diagonally or cut into 4 pieces and serve immediately.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #49, under the theme of "Weekend Brunch".

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Mixed Vegetable Rice

The word 'Brunch' is a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch. The brunch aka the late morning / the early afternoon meal originated in England in 1800's. And as the name indicates, an array of breakfast and lunch dishes are served in a buffet style during a brunch session. I usually don't do brunches in my home as no one is ready to give up their early morning breakfast for various reasons and besides, I don't have the patience to come up with a feast in the name of a brunch on a weekend. I know you can cook one dish when you don't have company, serve it late and call it a brunch but some how an image of a wide range of colorful and yummy dishes comes to my mind whenever I think of brunch. And so I am talking about those kind of brunches and I don't do them on a normal weekend.
I  had to come up with some 'Weekend Brunch' ideas for this weeks' marathon and being a south Indian, chose to go with a 'rice' dish on the first day. Rice plays a major role in Indian cuisine and especially down south, every meal, including a festive one is built around rice. A rice dish would definitely be the star of the meal if an Indian style buffet is planned and here is one simple yet flavorful 'rice' idea for that kind. This can be a part of a wide range buffet or when served with just some yogurt rice will make a wholesome, filling meal. 
This rice uses a spice powder which adds flavor and aroma to the dish. It is simple to make and can be prepared ahead in large quantity and stored in an airtight container. This is a versatile powder and can be used to prepare rice dishes like these and also spice up gravy style vegetable subzis.

Ingredients for the spice powder:
1/4 cup chana dal / split chick peas
1 tbsp urad dal / skinned black gram
1 tsp dhaniya / coriander seeds
2 cloves
1 piece of one inch cinnamon stick
1 - 2 strands of dagad phool /stone flower / raathi puvvu
10 - 12 red dried red chillies (adjust the quantity as needed)
1 - 2 tbsp. grated dry coconut

Method:
* Dry toast chana dal and urad dal in a pan until they start to change the color. Add the rest of the ingredients in the above list and toast for about 40 - 60 seconds. Turn off the stove and let them cool.
* Grind the ingredients fine or into a slightly coarse powder.
* Store it in an airtight container and use it as needed.
 
Ingredients for the vegetable rice:
1 cup rice (I used sona masuri rice.)
2 - 3 cups mixed vegetables *
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp chanadal / split chickpeas
1 tsp urad dal / split black gram
1 tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
A handful of cashew halves / peanuts
2 -3 tbsp. spice powder from above
Salt to taste

* I used carrots and potatoes (peeled and cubed) and green beans that are stringed and cut into one inch pieces. Green peas and chayote can be used as well. Use your choice of vegetables that won't turn mushy after cooking.

Method:
* Pressure cook rice adding 2 cups of water. Or rice can be cooked using a rice cooker or in a sauce pan covered, on stove top.
* Heat oil in a pan and add chana dal, urad dal, mustard. Fry for few seconds and add cashews and curry leaves. 
* When the dals and cashews turn golden brown and mustard seeds start to pop, add the vegetables, turn down the heat, cover and cook until done. 
Alternately, vegetables can be steamed or cooked in a microwave, drained and added in the above step.
* Next add the spice powder, salt and mix. Finally add the rice and mix well to combine. Taste and adjust spice powder / salt if any needed.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #49, under the theme of "Weekend Brunch".

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