A Super Moonlit Dinner with the Family

My grandmum and me! 

Last Saturday my parents, grandmum and I drove down to Liberty State Park to catch a glimpse of the Super Moon. We could already see the Super Moon rising into the sky as we got onto Route 78 heading to the park and by the time we reached, it was bright orange in color and beautiful. We parked our car near the "Empty Sky" Memorial and walked over to the pier. 

We sat on nearby benches and enjoyed a SUPER MOONLIT dinner with Paneer Kati Rolls that we purchased from Hot Breads in Parsippany on the way to the park. Good thinking on my parents part! 

Paneer Kati Rolls, oh so yum!

After dinner, we walked along the pier enjoying the New York City view. We could even see fireworks in the distance but not sure in which town. Maybe Staten Island?  It's moments like these that you will cherish forever...moments spent with your family. I had a great time and can't wait for the next SUPER MOON...

***We love kati rolls because they are easy to eat and enjoy. You can make them at home as well. Click here to check out our recipe. 

Did you catch a glimpse of the Super Moon? We would love to hear about it. Please feel free to share your experience with us in the comment box below. 

Hot Breads Bakery - My Favorite Indian Street Food Cafe

What do corn on the cob with queso fresco, fried yams, kenkey, injera, cassava bread, dhal puri, badam vaja, soto ayam, jalebi, empanadas, sabikh, and crepes have in common? Any guesses? They are all varieties of street food found across our borders. Street food is a ready to eat food or drink that is sold on the side of streets in stalls, portable carts, or folding tables, travelling pedestrian vendors, public markets.
My stomach cannot handle street food from a street vendor in India anymore (as I've tried and tested on my previous trips). Man I miss those gol gappas or pani puri served in dried banana leaves. It was all about the experience, you see. Lucky for me there are a few bakeries/cafes that sell such street food near my town. I can enjoy these in the comforts of air conditioned and spacious seating accommodations. The one I really like and go often is Hot Breads Bakery. I reviewed them about two years ago and cited how much I loved their cakes and cookies.
This year, it's all about their take on street food such as samosa chaat, kati rolls, and bhel puri. Oh man just typing these is making my stomach grumble.

Feast your eyes on this mighty filling and mouth watering Samosa Chaat. By far the best I've eaten in the NY/NJ area. It beat out Sukhadia's version in Edison. The breakdown of this meal starts with a warm and toasty samosa that is fried to perfection without being too oily and/or crispy. It is also important to note that the potato curry filling had just the right amount of seasoning without overpowering it. Once this crispy samosa is cut it into pieces, it's layered with other equally flavorful ingredients such as chole curry, tamarind and mint chutneys, sev, chopped red onions and fresh coriander. 

Check out these Super Sized Kati Rolls!

Their Paneer Kati Rolls are good as well! My parents are pretty picky and even they loved them; probably because they were well seasoned. I ate this for lunch and dinner one day because each  half was pretty filling. The Indian flatbread or tortilla is filled with roasted paneer, bell peppers, onions, tomato, and seasoning. It's flavored to perfection. You can ask them to make it mild, medium or spicy depending on your spice level as well as request more tamarind chutney (sweet) to tone down the spicy taste. 

The takeaway from all this talk about Hot Breads is that it doesn't break the bank..hence the term street food. Every "street food" item on the menu is between $5-7 and it's quite filling. That's enough for me to return. Next time, I'm going to try this popular Bombay item called Vada Pav. Have you ever heard of it?

Also check out Wanderfood Wednesdays; where Laura takes you on a journey around the world one dish at a time. Until then, tata! 

Back To The Basics...

Wow, what an interesting week we had!

We were like thousands of residents in the Northeast who lost power due to the early snowstorm that left a path of destruction behind it. A lot of trees, branches, and power lines were down due to the weight of the snow, making it harder for the plow trucks to clear the area. It was all a big mess. On top of it all, we didn't get to celebrate Diwali the way we planned. Instead we spent it shoveling the driveway and packing all our food into ice boxes. Luckily we had a gas stove and were able to heat up the food and not worry about wastage.
So what did we eat during this whole week? I realized how much we relied on electricity for our everyday cooking. We used the microwave to heat up frozen vegetables for our curries or to speed up cooking time. Even something as simple as making rice turned into a project since we couldn't use our rice cooker. We made it over stove top by candlelight; watching over it to make sure it didn't burn. It was a good learning experience. We also made payasm (Vermicelli Pudding), pav bhaji (mixed vegetable curry served with bread), and simple vegetable curries which can be rolled up in rotis like Kati Rolls.

Update: Power was restored last night and keeping my fingers crossed that we don't lose it again. It was a hell of a week with no heating and light. We went to bed early praying, we would wake up in the morning realizing it was all a nightmare. Our heart goes out to all those who still have no power. Be strong!! 

You Gotta Love Rotis (Indian Flat Breads)

One of my favorite foodie spots when I was in college was The Kati Roll Company in New York City. They made the best kati rolls which are comprised of different ingredients stuffed inside Indian Flat breads. These ingredients range from spiced chicken kebabs, mixed vegetables to Indian cheese and pickle. These rolls were popular not just for the taste but also for their price 4.50 USD. My cravings for these rolls only grew as I got older and I spread the word about this place to everyone.  In addition I used to buy extra rolls for my parents whenever I was heading home for the weekend.
Since I loved these rolls so much, I decided to re-create them at home so I can have them whenever I want. And that's what brings me to today's post. I've perfected the kati rolls that are made with chicken but I'm not too good with vegetarian ones. That's where my mom's expertise comes in.  She's like MacGyver with cooking. You give her any random vegetable and some spices and she will prepare a magnificent meal for you. Well, I explained my dilemma to her about the vegetarian kati rolls and she began putting things together. I love watching her in the kitchen. It's like watching the Iron Chef or Chopped! competitions on TV. Now to get started on these famous Kati Rolls from NYC, you'll need the following to make 4-5 rolls. This all depends on how much you stuff in each roll as well.

 

- Paneer....................................................................... 4x4” block, cut into ½” cubes

- Bell Pepper - Green................................................... 1 large, chopped into ½” cubes

- Bell Pepper – Red...................................................... ½, chopped into ½” cubes

- Onion.......................................................................... 1 medium, chopped into chunks

- Achar masala.................................... ½ tsp OR 1 tbsp any type chili achar mashed

- Coriander chutney....................................................... ½ tsp

- Plain Parathas (round for better wrapping)................. Frozen packet

- Vegetable oil................................................................ 2 tbsp

- Salt.............................................................................. Adjust to your taste

Now the procedure for these rolls is not difficult at all. You have to just make sure all the spices and vegetables are mixed really well and place a small portion of the mixture onto each of the rotis. 

1) Heat oil in a non-stick sauce pan and saute peppers and onions with salt on medium heat. When peppers are soft, add paneer cubes and fry for 2-3 minutes. 

Add achar or achar masala and saute the mixture until it is mixed well (3minutes). Remove and keep aside.

2) Defrost the parathas for a 15-20 seconds in the microwave. Rub a ½ tsp of oil onto a grilling pan or flat frying pan and heat it on low – medium heat. Fry the roti slightly by tossing it in the pan.

OR 

3) Place ½ cup of paneer mixture in the middle of the roti and fold it from sides to cover the vegetable. Hold the roti flaps in place using a wooden tooth prick.

If you're looking for a filling snack besides that other stuff, I think these rolls would be perfect. They are great on the go like the Wendy's Chicken Go Wraps. Also, if you roll them up a bit tighter, you can cut them in half and serve them up as appetizers while watch a game. 

***Quick tip:If you have any mixture left over, store in a microwaveable container and save it for later. 

Super Snacks for Super Bowl

This Sunday the Green Bay Packers are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 45th Super Bowl Championship Event. Although I'm not an avid American Football fan, I like to watch a good game now and then. I've watched some of the games leading up to the big day and these two teams are pretty strong. I can't wait to see them go head-to-head. I've even hyped up my parents to watch it with me. Woohoo!

We are going to enjoy the game with good food and company without going too crazy. Above is a sneak peek as to what we're cooking up. Onion Drop Fritters, Paneer Kati Rolls, Crunchy Cashews, and Picante Peanut Poppers are just few of the scrumptious goodies we will popping in our mouths with our beverages.