Sheet Pan Fried Rice

Posted on October 25, 2019 by delhigrl

Without the necessary BTUs- I have found it impossible to achieve the fried rice of my dreams. Wok-kissed, each grain glistening with fat and flavor- the kind of fried rice served in Chinatowns everywhere.

Until I found this recipe! Fried rice in the oven- with high heat from all side- it is a brilliant idea and works like a charm.

Rice: I cooked 1.5 cups of white rice in the rice cooker and then cooled the rice on a baking sheet

Vegetables: I used a blend of frozen peas, corn and beans – defrosted in the microwave

Protein: I used trader joes meatless meatballs- heated in a pan with some oil for 5-10 minutes

Sauce: 1 tbsp gochuang (from whole foods), 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oil

Technique- mix all- set in oven at 450 F for 10-15 minutes till rice grains get slightly charred on top- add salt if needed

Top with sliced scallions and some chilles in vinegar ( chillies sliced, vingegar, salt, sugar)

This one is a weeknight keeper- total prep time is less than 10 minutes (slice scallion while defrosting stuff). The NYT recipe has fresh veggies in it- which I’m sure will also be delicious.

Mochi balls with puran

Posted on September 23, 2019 by delhigrl

My favorite sweet in the world is puran poli- the maharashtrian roti stuffed with sweetened chana dal. When I saw a Tasty video on sesame mochi balls with red bean paste inside- I knew I wanted to replicate the recipe with puran inside the mochi. Kadbu (a dish from Karnataka is after-all just puran inside steamed rice dough). Also I have an appe pan which is exactly the same as a takoyaki pan. It seems as though the stars were aligned.

Mochi is made from glutinous rice, an entirely different species of rice flour from what is commonly used in India. This has to be ordered off Amazon or bought from an Asian grocery store. I ordered the Mochiko flour brand.

Puran: Pressure cook 1 cup of washed chana dal for 15 minutes. Drain. Mash with 1/4 cup jaggery and 2-3 tbsp sugar. Add 1 tsp of cardamon powder and any dry fruits you wish ( I added chopped up dried apricots). Make balls of puran.

Mochi: Make a soft dough from 1 cup of glutinous rice flour with 1/2 a cup of warm water and 1/2 tsp of salt. Flatten a ball of mochi and fold around a smaller ball of puran. Roll the whole thing in sesame seeds. Repeat.

Cook the mochi gently in a takayoki pan or an appe patra or an abelskeiver pan (all freely availalbe on Amazon) for 5-7 minutes with a little oil. Rotate till all the sesame seeds are golden brown.

The mochi is super gelatinous when hot but becomes deliciously less sticky as it cools. This is a truly fabulous treat.

Creme Caramel

Posted on September 23, 2019 by delhigrl

Sometimes- you need a good vanilla pudding to end the day. This recipe for creme caramel hits the spot every single time

Make caramel: My favorite way is to use a non-stick pan and a small silicone spatula. Heat 1/2 cup of sugar till it starts to melt- then stir gently till the sugar reaches a beautiful amber brown. Pour into your serving ramekins or baking dish and swirl it around the sides. Careful- that stuff is hot

Make custard: Beat 1 cup of whole milk, 1/2 cup of cream, 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk with 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of good vanilla (chanelling my inner Ina Garten) till smooth. Pour into prepared pan/ramekins

Bake custard: Bake in a waterbath at 375 for 35-45 minutes. I personally do let the top brown just a little bit. There is nothing worse than unmolding a flan to have the center still liquid.

Cool custard for 2-3 hours, unmold (run a knife along the edges)

Easy vegan sesame noodles

Posted on August 29, 2019 by delhigrl

From Umami Girl :

Sauce:Mix 1 shallot minced, 1 tsp ginger,1 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp shallots, 1 tsp sriracha, 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Add to 1 lb of spaghetti boiled in salted water.

Top with 3 sliced scallions and protein (I did egg)

Easiest butter chicken gravy

Posted on August 18, 2019 by delhigrl

my quickest indian tomato curry recipe: Heat 1 tbsp ghee or butter- add 2 cardamom pods, 3 cloves, 1 inch stick of cinnamon and 6-10 whole peppercorns. Add 1 tsp of grated ginger and 1 tsp of grated garlic. Cook for 15 -30 seconds, add a small 14 oz can of tomatoes (I puree whole tomatoes), Add 1 tbsp of honey and 1 tsp of degi mirch (chilli powdwer found in indian store with a lot of color)- cook for 20 minutes and add some water if needed (1/4 cup or so). Finish off with 3 tbsp of heavy whipping cream, 1/2 tsp of garam masal and 1 tsp of crushed kasoori methi (fenugreek seeds). Can be doubled and frozen before adding cream.

Easy Shakshuka

Posted on August 17, 2019 by delhigrl

I love shakshuka but weekend mornings are lazy mornings for us and I hate the idea of turning my oven on

Here is my very quick deconstructed shakshuka- ish recipe. Dare I say – I like the crispy eggs better than the baked ones?

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil, add 1 tbsp cumin seeds and 1 tbsp fennel seeds. Add one small diced onion and 1 small diced red pepper. Fry till charred in spots – add 1 tbsp of tomato paste and 1 tsp Tabasco sauce.

Fry egg: I like to fry it in a little butter with a lid on top so the whites are crispy and cooked and the yolk is still runny.

Plate: pepper-onions on bottom, egg on top. Garnish with feta or cilantro or anything else

I served this with Stella Parks shelf stable cardamom and saffron pancakes but that is a story for another day

Gen Tso Tofu

Posted on August 6, 2019 by delhigrl

Here is a Gen Tso Tofu recipe that works. It’s modified from a purple carrot recipe. Gen Tso is not healthy (it has 1/4 cup of sugar) but it is delicious and divided into 4 portions- it is fine for an occasional treat. I served this on white rice

Step 1: Make crispy tofu: You can dredge pressed or dried tofu in cornstarch and fry or use my airfried tofu recipe

Step 2: Make sauce: Mix 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic and 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger. Add 1-2 jalapenos sliced in half with the seeds removed

Step 3: heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, add the tofu, add 3 scallions cut in half and chopped into large chunks (2-3 inches). Once the scallions wilt a little, add sauce, stir for 2-3 minutes till tofu becomes sticky. Serve on rice.

Bean and Cheese Pupusas with creamy coleslaw

Posted on August 5, 2019 by delhigrl

This was a very fun and very delicious recipe. Plus- these refried beans are the bomb. I modified this Bon Appetit recipe a little bit- the video in the recipe is very helpful if you are making these for the first time

Pupusas are Salvadorean treats- made from the same masa as tortillas- they are the Salvadorean equivalents of the Indian Kachori- in fact, the refried beans will taste great as a filling for a kachori or a parantha (note to self)

Step1: Make refried beans. Heat 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add quarters of 1 onion wiht the petals all seperated- char them well at screaming high heat so that almost all the onion petals have some black char on them. Blend the onions and 1 can of pinto beans (14 oz) well. Add 1 tbsp of cumin seeds to the oil and ad the bean mixture back to pan and stir for 10-15 minutes till thickned – cool and then add 1 cup of grated whole milk low moisture mozarella.

Step 2: Make masa: In a stand mixer, mix 3 cups of masa harina (I used the Bob’s Red mill one) with 2 3/4 cup scalding hot water and 2 tsp kosher salt. Be careful with the speed, the water will splash. Make sure all the masa is hydrated and then rest for 20 minutes or so. Divide into 12 portions and cover with a damp towel

Step 3: Make pupusa: Keep a little oil to lubricate your hands, take some masa- flatten it, add 1-2 tbsp of filling, cover the filling, flatten the pupusas. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Step 4: Cook pupusas: On a very hot pan, cook on either side till browned (takes about 3-4 minutes per side)

Step 5: Serve with salsa (store bought in my case) and coleslaw (my old tried and true recipe is 1/2 cup yogurt and 2-3 tbsp of hot mufaletta pickle- mix and add cabbage- this doesn’t in any way resemble the traditional curdito or any real coleslaw recipe, but it is creamy and tangy and delicious)

Perfect airfried Tofu

Posted on August 5, 2019 by delhigrl

The perfect airfried tofu: Yes Virginia- it is possible to achieve a perfect crispy outside with a tender delicious inside.

Modified from a NYT baked tofu recipe

Press tofu for 20 min

Cut into half inch pieces

Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp sesame oil

Toss with 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp sesame seeds and 1 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs

Airfry at 400 F for 25 minutes

Delhi Girl Meets Food

Vegetarian recipes in an Indian kitchen in Nebraska