Mad about Nutrition - Scrumptious Black Eyed Bean Curry

 

HAPPY NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH!!

Can you believe it's March already? Time is flying by. It's not too late to start your New Year's resolution to eat and stay healthy. I'm still Noom'ing and trying to make better food choices like eating more lentils, legumes, and vegetables. 

March is National Nutrition Month! How are you are adding more nutrition to your meals? Check out the recipe for Black Eyed Beans Curry.  You can eat this curry on its own like vegetarian chili or serve it with rice, quinoa or your favorite flatbread. 

Like other beans, black eyed beans/peas are highly nutritious and are a good staple food. They are rich in fiber and protein along with micronutrients such as folate, copper, and thiamine, which make them an excellent energy source.

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Black-eyed beans/peas, soaked in plenty of water for 6-8 hours with a pinch of soda bicarbonate
• 1 large (or 2 medium) potato, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped and coarse ground for gravy
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into small pieces or roughly pulsed in grinder    
• 1 ½ Tbsp Dhan-jeera powder (cumin and coriander powder)
• 1 Tbsp  ginger-garlic paste  
• 1 tsp chili powder (or per your taste)
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp whole Cumin (jeera)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Water, as per desired consistency
• ¼ cup coconut milk (optional)
• ½ Tbsp salt
• ½ cup fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped finely

Procedure

1.     Transfer the soaked beans into a colander and wash well. Next, put the beans into a saucepan, add sufficient water 1” above the beans and cook them on low heat for approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside.

2.     Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add whole cumin, when it sizzles, add chopped onion and a pinch of salt and stir for 2 minutes until they are translucent. Now add dhan-jeera powder, chili powder and turmeric, mix well, add tomatoes and cook until it forms a gravy consistency (2-3 minutes).

3.     Add potatoes, beans, ginger-garlic paste, coconut milk (if using) and approximately 8 oz of water. Reduce water accordingly if using coconut milk. Add salt, mix well and cook under pressure for 4-5 whistles.

4.     When the pressure is released in the cooker, open the lid and slightly mash the potatoes to give a thicker consistency and gravy. Add water if needed to adjust to desired thickness and heat for couple of minutes.

5.     Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander. The black eyed beans curry is ready to be served. 

 

Easy Lentil and Veggie Kofta Curry

Lentil and Veggie Kofta Curry

Working from home has become the norm in the last year. It has its advantages because you don't have to commute and you can spend more time with family. The downside is that everyone in my household has been home for school or work and we had to figure out how to work cooperatively. It's been tough but we are working on it. 

One thing is for sure...working from home means more time to cook and experiment. In the beginning, we didn't do take out and cooked mostly at home. We tried to cook meals that weren't too fattening so we don't gain too much weight. 

We are constantly looking for new ingredients and recipes to refresh our meal plan. If you ever dined at IKEA, you'd know that they are known for their "balls" on the menu. Whether it is Swedish meatballs, chicken meatballs, or Veggie balls.  

Frozen Huvudroll Vegetable balls

The picture above is of the Vegetable balls, which are made from pea protein and vegetables. The serving size is 5 balls with 7 grams of protein in each serving.  

We incorporated these veggie balls and made curries; specifically kofta curry. The balls are the koftas so there is minimal preparation of the koftas. The most you have to do is make the gravy for this dish. It's so tasty. We wished we bought more of these Vegetable balls bags so we make this curry again. You won't be disappointed. 

Ingredients

• 15 frozen Huvudroll Vegetable balls*, microwaved for 1 to 2 minutes
• 1 cup Crushed tomato (alternately you can use 1/4 cup tomato paste)
• 1 medium onion, diced and crushed for few pulses
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (or as per taste)
• 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 cup heavy cream*
• 1 cup water (or as needed)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or as per taste)
• 1/4 cup Fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil (Vegetable, canola, coconut, or as per taste)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp sugar

Procedure

1) Heat oil in a saucepan or a saute pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and when cumin sizzles, add crushed onion and stir fry it until transparent. Now, add chili powder and stir for about 10 seconds. Next, add ginger-garlic paste and garam masala. Stir again for another 30 seconds. Follow up with crushed tomato (or paste) and sugar. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. 

2) Add the vegetable balls into the gravy and cook under a closed lid for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the balls to soften and absorb some spices.  Now, add water and salt, mix into the gravy and bring the curry to boil, mix in the heavy cream and cook for another couple of minutes. 

3) Remove from stove, transfer into the serving bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with naan, roti, rice, or quinoa. 

Quick Tips

• You can substitute heavy cream with coconut cream, nut cream, or evaporated milk. Please note that the consistency may be a little different depending on what you use.
•  You can substitute the Huvudroll with other vegetable balls if there isn't an IKEA close by. Check out our other kofta curry recipe. 

It's a New Year with New Foodie Possibilities

Happy 2021 everyone! 

Here's to starting a new year with delicious and healthy foods. 

Don't you want to dive into this wholesome stuffed pita goodness? 

The pitas are filled with fresh vegetables and fruit and sprinkled with a chutney made from herbs. These cute stuffed pitas can be enjoyed as an appetizer or an entree. It depends on how hungry you are! 

Check out the recipe below and let us know how you liked it in the comments section. 

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 3/4" long thin slices
• 1 medium red onion, cut into chunks
• 7 to 8 oz (200g) firm Tofu
• 2 oz Pepperjack or Feta cheese, grated or crumbled
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 to 3 green chilies, cut finely or crushed
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup mint chutney (or as needed)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Whole wheat Pita

Procedure

1) Cut out the portion of tofu from the block and gently press it between your palms to squeeze water. Press various sides. Alternately dab the tofu block on the towel folds to absorb water.

2) Heat oil in a skillet and add chilies and ginger garlic paste, onions followed by Green pepper. Sprinkle some salt and toss well, then cook under a closed lid on medium for 1-2 min. Add carrots and mix well, and continue to cook under a closed lid for another 2 minutes.

3) Crumble the tofu and add to the pan and sprinkle the remaining salt and toss well for another minute and remove from heat. Mix in the cheese, and pomegranate seeds.

4) Cut the pita in half and open the pocket and fill it in with the Veggie-Tofu mixture. Spoon in the mint chutney on the top and enjoy!

5) The mixture fills 3 whole pita or 6 pita pockets. 

Happy Eating!

Quick Note

• Can use crushed red pepper instead of green chilies. 
• For a greater taste, mix the mint chutney into the veggie blend instead of topping.

Keep Calm and Enjoy a Hot Bowl of Carrot, Ginger, Tofu Soup

Spinach sorbet? Kale sorbet? Kale and carrot smoothies that are drinkable? How is all this possible? This is all made possible by the Vitamix Blender! Where have you been all my life? I know. Before the blender's arrival, my mom and I used to eat salads for dinner and then made smoothies with the Magic Bullet. Unfortunately, the smoothies weren't as "smooth" and we could only make one serving at a time. With the Vitamix blender we made ~4-5 (8oz) glasses of smoothies per session -- Vegetables never tasted this good.

That's not all! We can make soups, dips, sauces, and even frozen desserts. What a mouth full!! There's a world of possibilities with this blender...now that's what I call a resourceful gadget -- it earned a spot on our kitchen counter!

Last night, I took a break from smoothie making and tried my hand at Hot Soups, especially in this cold weather. Below is one of the recipes which I found to be easy and did not require many ingredients (compliments of the Vitamix cookbook). This recipe makes 4 servings.

Carrot Ginger Tofu Soup 

Ingredients:
- 2 cups (260g) chopped carrots
- 1/4 small onion, 1 ounce (28g) peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch of white pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger root
- 1/3 cup (70g) refrigerated tofu
- 2 cups(480ml) chicken broth
- Fresh coriander for decoration (optional)

I tweaked some of the ingredients to meet my family's eating habits: they're vegetarian!! 
- 2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste
- pinch of ground black pepper 
- Vegetable broth (Made broth using 1 vegetable bouillon cube and added it to 2 cups of boiling water)

Procedure:
Heat oil in a small pan and saute carrots, onion, and garlic over medium heat until onion is clear and carrots are tender about 15-20 minutes. Add a little broth, if needed. Place into the Vitamix container. Then add salt, pepper, ginger, tofu, and broth in the order listed into the Vitamix container and secure lid. Select Hot Soups program. Press Start. Allow machine to complete programmed cycle.

Chunky Chana and Potato Dip

Oh thank heavens for Lentil goodness!

Ingredients: 

- 2 cups of Whole Chana (Black or Green Chana), soaked in water overnight

- 7.75 oz of Salsa (Spice level - Medium)

- 1 medium Potato

- 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Dhanjeera powder 
- ½ tsp chili powder

- ½ tbsp or as needed of Salt

- ½ cup of Cilantro/Coriander leaves, chopped

- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Procedure:

Peel and cut the potato into cubes. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add dhanjeera & chili powder and ginger-garlic paste. Then stir for 2 minutes. Next add salsa, the whole chana (soaked and drained) and potato pieces. Mix well and then add ½ cup of water and cook under pressure for 10 minutes. Slightly crush the chana and potatoes to make some gravy before the mixture cools down; add little bit of water if necessary. Then transfer the mixture into a serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander. Voila! It's ready to be served. 

***Quick Tips: 

- We like eating it with toasted naan/pita or multi-grain chips.  It's also great as a side with jeera rice, brown rice, or even quinoa.

- If you like this recipe, you may also like Chole curry made with chickpeas.  
- Dollop of sour cream optional!

Delightful Veggie Pops

This post is dedicated to my grandaunt who loves to feed everyone. Out of all the dishes my aunt makes, my mom's favorite is Sarvapindi (rice and moong dal flatbread). On our last trip to India, my mom and I visited my grandaunt and she made sure we left her home with a belly full of goodies. Along with my mom's favorite, she also made this yummy snack called Guntapongalalu*, which resembled cake pops but tasted like uttapams (Indian pancakes). 

We filled up on the the savory bites, while my aunt filled us in on the family updates. We enjoyed ourselves quite a bit and even received some recipes for our blog. Woohoo! 

Tofu Lovers Rejoice

Here's another tofu delight from our culinary chest that we know your taste buds will love and rejoice. We love cooking with tofu because it is low in calories & fat and high in protein and iron. Now that's goodness we can bite into. There are also varieties in tofu, such as Steak (firm), soft/silken, or dried that you can work with to create a number of dishes. We prefer to use the Steak type in dishes like our Potato & Tofu with Spiced Tomato Sauce because the tofu will not crumble so easily when mixed with the other ingredients. This dish can be served with hot naan, roti, rice (brown or plain) or enjoyed by itself as a side dish. 

Click image to enlarge

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients: 

- 6 oz (½ block) Extra Firm Tofu (steak type or plain), drain well and cut into 1”cubes                      

- 1 large Potato, microwave, peel and cut into 1” pcs

-  ½ cup of Crushed tomatoes                                                        

- 5 fl oz or 150 mL (small can) of Evaporated milk            

- 1 large Onion, chopped finely

- ½ cup of  Carrots & Peas (frozen)                                                

- 1tbsp of Dhan-Jeera powder (coriander/cumin)

- 1 tsp of Ginger/garlic paste

- 1 tsp (or to taste) of Chili powder

- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder                                                             

- small handful (approx. 1/8 cup) of Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)    

- 1 ½ tsp (or as needed) of Salt                                                                                        

- 1 ½ tbsp of Vegetable oil                                                                     

Procedure:

1) Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add Dhan-jeera, chili powder, turmeric and mix well. Now add onions, ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.

2) Add tofu and potato cubes and mix well to coat them thoroughly with the spice mixture (3-4 minutes).

3) Next add crushed tomatoes and mix well for 3-4 minutes to remove the raw taste and then add evaporated milk into the mixture. 

4) Then add 1 cup of water. Next add salt, methi leaves and cook under closed lid for 7-10 minutes until the gravy thickens and the spices are infused into the tofu & potato. Remove from heat, mix in carrots and peas, and allow it to sit for 5-6 minutes.

Quick Tips: 

- All the spices help elevate the flavor of the tofu and potato in this dish.
- Cauliflower can be substituted for potato. 
- The curry will taste even better if allowed to sit for a few hours or the next day. 

*~*Bhalle Bhalle Chole*~*

This is so much more than your meat and potatoes. It's a dish that can be made fairly easily and because it is made with chick peas, you can rest assured that you are eating a protein enriched meal. I don't know why but every time I eat chole, it makes me want to break into a step. Not just any step, but a Bhangra step...like how these guys are doing it here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26nHoYGn0IQ. That's why it's called Bhalle Bhalle Chole. I find that a lot of North Indian restaurants serve this with what looks like an over-sized poori except it is actually a batura. Baturas are made from all-purpose flour, whereas pooris are made from wheat flour. Anyways, this post isn't about batura, it's about chole and all its goodness. I know you are on the edge of your seats waiting for me to tell you the steps to making this dish, so I'll stop here:

Ingredients:

• 1lb 13oz Can Goya Chick Peas, (chole chana/garbanzos)         
• 2 large Tomatoes (red & firm), finely chopped or crushed
• 1 medium Potato, microwaved to firm/soft (4min)
• 1 large Onion, chopped finely or grated
• ½ tbsp Ginger/Garlic paste
• 1 tbsp MDH Chana Dal Masala*
• ¼ cup Fresh coriander
• 1 tsp or as needed of Salt
• 2-3 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Procedure:
1) Open the chick peas can and transfer the contents into a colander and drain well. Wash the chick peas under running water to wash off all the salts and preservatives.
2) Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan (pressure pan) or a non-stick saucepan and add grated onion. Fry the onions till golden brown. (Hint: Add a ¼ tsp of sugar to help the onion caramelize quickly). Add ginger garlic paste and mix for 2 min.

3) Now add crushed tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add the drained chick peas, potato (chopped into cubes), chana masala and salt. Then add half a cup of water. 

Mix well and cook on medium heat with closed lid for 7-10 minutes until cooked well. If using pressure pan, cook under pressure for 6-7 minutes.

4) Add chopped coriander and serve with hot pooris or warm rotis.

Actually now that I think about it, chole was served at the Diwali celebration at my mom's work last year and it was a big hit. Amongst all the items made for the event, most people came back for second servings for this one.


***Quick Tip: You can substitute chana masala with garam masala as well. If garam masala is not available, then add your own blend of spices to bring more flavor to this dish. Also, if you do not have raw tomatoes, you can use can of crushed tomatoes or salsa. 

Crunchy Crackling Cashews

For cashews lovers across the globe, this one's for you! Enjoy!!

While we were making the Picante Peanut Poppers, we thought why not mix it up a bit and try the recipe with other nuts. We decided on cashews since they are my dad's favorite. The recipe for making crunchy cashews is almost the same as the peanuts one except for the type of nuts and ginger-garlic paste. We substituted chat masala with ginger-garlic paste because it brings the flavor out more.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Raw Cashews, split into halves
• ¼ cup Fine Gram flour, (also known as Besan)
• ½ tsp Chili powder, (adjust to your spice level)
• ½ tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
• ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Salt 
• A pinch of Soda Bicarbonate 
• ¾ tbsp Vegetable oil
• ½ tsp Whole Cumin seeds

Procedure: 

Soak cashew halves in a cup of water for 10-12 minutes. Sieve flour along with chili powder, salt, turmeric,  and soda to mix well. Add sieved mixture into a mixing bowl and mix in jeera, oil and ginger-garlic paste. Into the above flour mixture, add drained cashews and mix well so that they are coated well with the flour mixture. If the mixture seems dry and powdery, sprinkle a teaspoon or less of water and mix. Spray/rub some oil onto a microwavable plate (or dinner plate) and spread the cashews on it in a single layer. Microwave for 5-6 minutes based on the wattage of the microwave. If it is a high powered one, try using at 80% power until the cashews are well roasted. (Hint: you can smell the roasted aroma) Also halfway through, take the plate out and separate the cashews so they roast evenly.

Spinach Nuggets...Beyond Appetizers!!

Remember Tater Tots from your high school lunches? What about spinach nuggets from fast food restaurants with some spicy dipping sauce. Did you ever think you could make an Indian curry out of them? Here's what my mom had to say. The following is our conversation between mother (M) and I, the daughter (D):

M: Traditionally, Koftas (dumplings) are made using the following method: you first grate vegetables like potatoes, long squash, plantains or even Paneer (Indian Cheese). Then mix the grated vegetable with bread crumbs or gram flour, and then make them into balls. Next you fry these balls and add them to the gravy which you also have to make.

D: What?? All this sounds like a long process. Isn't there a way to shorten this recipe and still eat healthy.

M: I'm glad you asked because there's a way out. You can use tater tots or spinach nuggets as the dry koftas. No more grating or mixing and making balls. All you have to make is the gravy, which is not that difficult.

D: Okay, how do you make it? Oh, maybe we can make this for our guests tonight.

M: That's a good idea. It makes 3-4 servings, so we will have enough.

Here's what you will need:

Ingredients for koftas:

• 1 Packet Veggie Patch Spinach Nuggets - (12 pieces total)

Ingredients for the gravy:

• 2 tbsp Cooking oil
• 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
• ½ tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tbsp Garam Masala
• ½ cup Red Pack Crushed Tomato puree
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Cream cheese
• 1 tbsp Regular Sour Cream
• 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

***It's a good thing we have our Chaunk box (spice box) for some of the ingredients. It makes it easier to store them for cooking.

Procedure:

1) Bake the koftas in a toaster oven at 350°C for 20 minutes, alternately they can be toasted mildly on both sides in a non-stick pan.

2) Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté crushed onions until light golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1-2 min. Then add turmeric, chili and garam masala powder and mix well.

3) Stir in crushed tomato / puree and mix well, add cream cheese & sour cream and mix it into the tomato mixture.

4) Next, add water to make the gravy to a soup like consistency and salt & boil the sauce. Evaporated milk (small can) can be used instead of cream cheese and sour cream to make the gravy.

5) Drop the nuggets into the sauce and continue to heat the curry to boil and remove and transfer into a serving dish.

6) Garnish with fresh coriander and serve the vegetable with rice or any type of bread.

***Quick Tip:
- To avoid koftas /nuggets from breaking, arrange them in the serving dish and pour hot gravy over them. Microwave for 3-5 minutes if needed.

- Fat-free or non-fat ingredients could be used to make a low-calorie dish.

- Mushroom and broccoli nuggets, Tater tots, or Ashoka's Hara Bhara Kebabs can also be substituted for spinach nuggets.

Everything Stew with an Indian Touch!

You've heard of the Everything Bagel, right?

It has different kinds of seeds, onions, salt and other ingredients on it. Well, we have something in the same line but it's a stew. It's called the Everything Stew! It's like a Minestrone Soup. 

It has all the vegetables that were in our vegetable drawer plus beans, grains, different kinds of spices and sauces.

I always believe that the best recipes are the ones that you make up on a whim. Everything Stew is just that. My mom started making the stew this way when we were running out of ideas for lunch and needed to make something healthy and hearty. At first, I was not excited about it, I was like, stew? Come on mom.

But you know what, as usual I was wrong. I think my mom knows I'll change my mind once I taste it (I'm the Official Taste Tester in the family). Kind of like how back in the Kings and Queens era, they had peons and servants taste their food before they ate it. It was to ensure that the food was not poisoned or spoiled. In my case, I tell her whether the food requires more or less of a certain ingredient.

I know, it might seem like I'm being biased to my mom's cooking. Everyone would say their mom's cooking is the best. You just have to try it. I would recommend making this when you want to spice up cooking regime. I like to eat it with potato chips, toasted bread or pita chips.

This recipe makes 6-8 servings and you know what....in just 4 steps you have The Everything Stew!!

Click image to enlarge

Ingredients:
- 1 cup or 1 packet of Brown rice/ Uncle Ben’s rice (cooked)
- 1 bunch of Celery, finely chopped
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 1 can (14.75oz/418g) of Sweet Corn, regular or cream style
- 1 medium size can of Beans (any variety), wash and drain well
- 1½ cup of Crushed Tomato
- 2 tsp of Ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp of Red chili pd / paste
- 2 Red/green/yellow peppers, cut into ½” pieces
- 1 tbsp of Smoked barbeque sauce (optional)
- 2 tbsp of Olive oil or any cooking oil
- 1 tsp of Marjoram (Italian spice)
- ½ tbsp of Salt

Procedure:
1) In a heavy bottomed pan (casserole), preferably of 4 Qtz size heat oil and sauté onions and ginger garlic paste. (Indian Touch)

2) Add celery and peppers until celery is soft and firm. When celery is cooked, add chili paste and tomato pulp for 1-2min.

3) Then add corn, beans, cooked rice, marjoram and salt & cook well (add water to bring the stew to a thick soup consistency).

4) Serve it in a bowl along with veggie sticks or garlic bread or toast. It makes a very satisfying healthy lunch. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-week.

Quick Tips: 
- Barley/ Cracked wheat (dalia) or regular rice can be substituted for brown rice. Any variety of vegetables like carrots, zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower, beans or spinach can be used.

- If available, frozen mixed vegetable packets are convenient and save time in chopping and cooking.

Not Your Everyday TOFU!!

I made some mango milkshake to eat with my tandoori tofu. It is a good blend of sweet and spice.

I have tasted my share of different kinds of Indian curries before and let me tell you this...most of the ones you eat at North Indian restaurants like Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Makhani...tend to taste the same to me. They both have similar tomato based gravies that were cooked with the chicken. Been there, done that. Now for someone who is vegetarian, these curries wouldn't even be appealing. So what would they eat? Vegetarians I have chatted with have told me about Tofurkey and Tofu burgers which have the firmness of meat but are made from Tofu and seasoning.
You know, that stuff still sounds Bland to me. I need flavor and spices. I'm not saying, I'm a full fledged Hot curry eater, but I like taste in every bite. My parents are vegetarian and they are always looking for ways to "spice" up their cooking with Indian and American ingredients. My mom decided to make Tandoori Tofu curry to eat with naan (Indian bread). I've had Tandoori chicken at restaurants where the chicken was marinated with the Tandoori spices and grilled, then served with onions and chilies...if you dared to eat them RAW!! We took the concept of mixing the Tandoori spices and marinating them with Tofu. The tofu sucked up all the juices from the Tandoori mixture and when eaten with naan, it was like I was swimming in a pool of flavor. The best part is that it fills you up and it's good for you.

I couldn't wait to share it with everyone I knew...Hey, don't take my word for it, make it at home and let me know how it came out.


Tandoori Tofu Curry:
- 12oz (340g) of **Tofu (steak style, seasoned) 
- 2 tbsp Tandoori Paste
- ½ cup Tomato puree
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
- 1 tsp of Ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp Oil, for cooking
- 1 tbsp of Fat- Free Sour Cream, optional
- 2 tsp Salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp of Red chili powder
- 1 tbsp of Coriander (Cilantro), chopped and used for garnish

Procedure:
1. Remove tofu from its packing and drain the water well. Cut the tofu block into 1-1.5” cubes.

2. In a mixing bowl add yogurt, tandoori paste and mix well. Add the tofu pieces into the bowl and using a flat silicone spatula cover the mixture onto tofu. Marinate for 30min to 1hr.

3. Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium flame. Add onions and sauté until they are golden brown, then add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and mix well for 1min.

4. Add tomato puree and mix the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the tofu along with the yogurt into the pan, add salt and cook for 7-10min until the gravy thickens.

5. If you want to add more color, you can add frozen carrots and peas mix to the curry while its on the stove. Just before removing from heat, add some sour cream and mix well. Do not over mix the curry as the tofu pieces may break.

6. Transfer the curry into a serving dish and garnish with coriander.

7. Serve the curry with naan, rotis or rice for a delicious, nutritious and scrumptious meal. Side additions of raw onions and green chilies will go well with roti or naan (typical north Indian style).

Quick Tips
- Please Note: Tofu Steak can be found in the cut fruit and veggie section of Shoprite. In case the tofu steak variant is unavailable, use the extra-firm type to avoid breakage of pieces

Mazzedar Naan Pizza

'The day after the big storm last week, my mom and I decided to spice up things in the kitchen by making our very own pizza. We had shoveled the driveway for 2 hours and wanted to treat ourselves for all the hard work. Below are the list of ingredients and procedure for making 4 individualized pizzas. It became a party once we announced we were making pizza from scratch. (shh… almost from scratch!)

• 4- Tandoori Naan (Costco, Indian or local grocer)
• 1 cup of Spaghetti sauce (any variety)
• 1 small can of Sliced olives
• 1 ball of Fresh Mozzarella cheese thinly sliced
• 1 large Red Bell Pepper sliced
• 1 large Green Bell pepper sliced
• 1 medium Yellow onion sliced
• 6 fresh Mushrooms (baby bella) sliced
• 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp crushed Red pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)

Procedure:

1. In a non-stick saucepan saute the peppers and mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 5-6min and keep it aside.


2. In a bowl mix together spaghetti sauce, ginger garlic paste and crush peppers (for a bit of kick to your pizza)
3. Place a non-stick griddle on medium/low-med heat. Brush the bottom of the naan with EVOO and place it on the pan.


4. Spread the sauce on the naan evenly and arrange cheese slices to cover the naan.


5. Spread the sauteed vegetables and sliced olives evenly over the cheese and drizzle a little bit of EVOO.


6. Allow the naan to grill for at least 5-min or until the cheese melts and the bottom is browned evenly.

7. Voila! Your personal pan pizza is ready to enjoy. Slide the pizza into a plate and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for added flavor. It's great for parties of all sizes.


***Other toppings include: canned or fresh pineapple pieces and olives, shredded grilled chicken (for meat lovers), or even leftover veg. curry. Also try using hummus instead of pasta sauce for a Mediterranean taste).  

Chapata Pineapple

Leftover cabbage curry

How do you eat your naan pizza? Please share your ideas?