suchitra kumari

Belles of Ireland

http://the-weeknd.com/

an indian pancake but healthier with more protein and a little kick.  They are surprisingly filling and good.

1 cup besan/gram flour (Indian chickpea flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
a pinch of haldi
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 - 3/4 cup water
1 tesapoon lemon juice
1/2 red bell pepper  chopped veggies
1/2 green bell pepper
1 small onion
1 serrano pepper

1. dice peppers and onions
2. add water to besan, batter should not be too thick.
3. add spices and vegetables to batter.      
   
4. heat oil in pan over medium high heat.
5. pour in batter and fry about 2 minutes on each side.
6. serve plain or with chutney.

sunday’s necklace 48.00

mimi front flap 194.00 so bright and beautiful

rhea dress 85.00 such a clean palette

all star light ox 44.00 basics

love coconut?  this is so so good :)

1 1/2 cups of diced onions

2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon of fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1 star anise

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 cup shredded coconut

1 pound of skinless boneless chicken, cubed

1. heat oil in pan, cook onions for 5 minutes (brown)
   
2. add all whole spices (coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, star anise), shredded coconut, garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. remove from heat and allow to cool.  (I transfer to blender and put in refrigerator for 15 minutes)
4. when cooled, add cold water until 3-4 cups and blend to very fine sauce (this may take a while but its important to completely liquefy)
5. return to pan, bring to boil and chicken, cayenne, tumeric, ground coriander, and salt.
6. simmer 15 minutes. serve with rice.  smells so good :)
   

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 cup green peas

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 inch ginger, grated

3 tomatoes, diced

2 tsp red chili pepper

1 tsp dhaniya powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 pinch haldi

3 tbsp kasoori methi

3/4 cup whole milk

1. heat oil in sauce pan and fry onions for 3 minutes
2. add green peas and fry 3 minutes until or until onions are brown
3. add ginger and garlic and fry for 10 sec
4. mix in spices and tomatoes, cook 3 minutes
5. add kasoori methi leaves and milk and cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
6. serve with rice or roti.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/mediterranean-tuna-noodle-casserole

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and ground pepper to taste

1 pound wide egg noodle

2 red bell peppers

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

5 cups whole milk

24oz of tuna in olive oil, drained

14oz artichoke hearts, drained and thickly sliced

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. cook egg noodles for 4 minutes in boiling salted water.
3. heat oil in a dutch oven and cook red peppers for 6 minutes.
4. add flour and cook for 1 minute.
5. slowly add milk and cook until simmering.
6. remove from heat and and stir in noodles, tuna, artichokes and green onions season with salt and pepper.
7. bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
8. cool for 10 minutes before serving.

14oz sweetened condensed milk

12oz evaporated milk

16oz heavy whipping cream

16oz of cool whipped topping

1 generous pinch of saffron

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 cup each

cashews

pistashios

almonds

1. put nuts in blender and grind until nuts are coarsely ground.
2. with mortar and pestal grind sugar and saffron.
3. in large mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy whipping cream and cool whip and blend using a hand held blender (pulse until ingredients are mixed, do not over do it because whip cream will fall flat).
4. add saffron, sugar and nuts and mix well.
5. pour mixture into 3oz solo cups, cover with aluminum foil and freeze overnight.

makes about 25-30 servings.  I transferred the mix to a measuring cup to make aliquoting easier.  I leave a little room at the top of each cup because the nuts tend to settle and I redistribute them after I fill all the cups.

let it slow cook overnight and you will have perfect oatmeal waiting for you in the morning.

1 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cups each:

water

skim milk

1 teaspoon each:

cinnamon

vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

1 pinch of salt

2 walnuts

1. combine all in slow cooker and slow cook on low power for 8 hours.
2. in the morning add brown sugar and walnuts to taste. enjoy :)

inspired by alexander wang spring 2010.  who needs the clothes when you can have the hair.

(above)

kimichi blue cutaway cardigan 58.00, pins and needle watercolor chiffon blouse 58.00, fletcher by lyell chevron sweater 58.00

(below)

silence the noise biker cardigan 54.00, kimichi blue femme nylon parka 78.00, ecote chiffon studded tank 58.00

… saved $364

whenever I prepared a meal (only for special occasions) I went straight to jewel-osco.  now I’m trying to cook on a more daily basis to save a little money but I quickly realized eating out is cheaper than buying your groceries from jewel-osco.  I started exploring other options and  I was very surprised, not only do these grocery stores have lower prices but much, much more :)

1.  pete’s fresh market

I had to visit this place twice in one week to see the entire store. it is HUGE!

pros:  great international selection for fresh produce (especially for asian and central american foods).  great selection of meat, deli items and spices … very spacious and fun to shop at.

cons:  the huge store can be overwhelming… . processed foods were more expensive but that’s okay, its not good for you anyway.

2.  target

yes target …  I just randomly needed some food items while I was shopping for shampoo and found that prices for milk, eggs, flour (and other baking items) and even ice cream was cheaper than jewel.

pros:  great for pantry items

cons:  the generic cereal they offer is not as good as jewel’s.  selection is limited.  they do have a premium brand with more unique offerings but is quite expensive— stick to the basics when you shop here.

3.  trader joe’s

a given.

pros:  great for affordable specialty foods.  great frozen food selection. small store makes its easy and fun to shop.  easy to find new things to try.

cons:  produce is limited and expensive.  can get uncrowded.

4.  cermak produce

the first time I came here I had a cart full of produce and at the register I was expecting to pay $40.  the total came to $10, ridiculously affordable.

pros:  the sorfrito is to die for.  you are supposed to use as a base …  I ended up eating it by itself (greedy I know).  other freshly made salsa and guacomole are also amazing.

cons:  caters heavily towards mexican so selections can be limited.  just like pete’s fresh market, processed foods are expensive.  sometimes specific fruits lack flavor, so be aware of what’s in season… never buy the peaches, I also tend to stay away from the seafood.

5.  food 4 less

this is a little gem that my friend told me about :)

pros:  was much bigger than I thought is was going to be.  you can buy bulk spices for under $5. There are some really good random finds— a case of fresh baked croissants that would cost  $6 at jewel’s only cost $3 here.

cons:  out of all the grocery stores this one was a little dreary.

6.  Aldi

this international chain has always been a staple for shopping on a budget … but those commercials are starting to make me nervous …

laksmi mennon

my new year resolutions are still going strong and soon I will blogging my recipes … or more accurately, recipes i get from my mother while she is on the phone giving me step by step instructions.  I’ve been cooking pretty much every day.  I was surprised at the amount of kitchen utensils and appliances I had accumulated over the 5 years of not cooking … once again thanks to my mother, who likes to keep me updated on advances in culinary technology.  here are my top 5 favorites and 5 most most wanted:

5 favorites

1. krups 4-in-1 10cup rice cooker $119.99

what kind of indian girl would I be without one?   this one is amazing,  it also works as slow cooker (makes yummy chicken soup) and a steamer (mmm . . tamales).  

2. cusineart grind and brew 12-cup programmable coffee maker $144.82

absolutely essential when you have to prepare an entire meal after spending all day doing bench work in the lab.  nothing is better then fresh ground coffee and its the only thing that helps me curb by starbucks addiction.

3. vidalia chop wizard $19.99

takes the manual labor out chopping vegetables and it has outlasted all of my electric choppers.

4.  large cookie sheet $8.99

not just for cookies, its the perfect size for roasting asparagus and other vegetables.

5. cusinart chef’s classic nonstick hard-anodized 12-Inch everyday pan $35.88

this is not exactly the one I have (discontinued) but very similar.  I use this pan so much I’m considering buying another one.

5 most wanted:

1.  global 8-inch 20cm cook’s knife $99.95

I have one of those knife sets in a block of wood and those knives are completely useless.

1.  f. dick 8-inch bread knife $74.95

… I’m so ready to throw my block knives away.

3.  staub la cocotte set (dutch oven) $298.00

just because I’m getting annoyed that all of the really delish recipes require a dutch oven plus how can you resist the mini dutch ovens that come with it?

4.  cusinart chef’s enameled cast iron 9 1/4 inch square grill pan $39.95 year round grillin’

5. oxo good grips flour sifter $12.99

there have been several times where I skipped the step where you’re supposed to sift the flour and it really ruins everything.

enjoying the winter is all about the right gear.  here are my top five must haves.

1.  wool-lined socks, not only are they warm but luxury soft.

woolrich $13

2.  sorel “joan of arctic” … the name says it all

nordstrom $129

3.  ski mask.  at first I was resistant but it makes a huge difference.

etsy $35

4.  winter tights . . wear with winter dresses on the snow days or under your jeans and on negative windchill days

j crew $22.50

5.  bose around the ear phone … soft, keeps your ears warm and plays your favorite song. what more can you ask for?

bose $139.95

i know… i’m missing gloves … still haven’t found the perfect pair.  suggestions?