7/24/15 7/24/15

Family Fridays #3 Junnu

I'm very excited about this week's Family Fridays edition! I was able to get a recipe for my brand new pressure cooker! I've never used one, but everyone here assures me it makes life much easier! Instead of an Indian dish taking a full day to cook, it only takes 30-45 minutes! This week's recipe is brought to us by Padma. She is going to teach us how to make Junnu. Her and her husband have two beautiful children and she wants to share a bit about her family with us. What makes this dish special to you?My three siblings and I grew up eating Junnu. I missed it after moving to the US, but didn't know how to make it. One day, a friend of mine brought it to my Telugu fellowship. She shared the recipe with me and now I can make it whenever I want! JunnuIngredients:3 eggs1 cup sweetened condensed milk1 1/2 cups half and half milk Few peppers1 tsp of cardamom Directions:Beat 3 eggs in a big bowl and add condensed milk. Mix. Add half and half and combine. Add in crushed peppers and cardamom on top of it and put the lid on. Pour some water in your pressure cooker. Put the bowl inside the pressure cooker and close the it. Let it cook for 40 to 45 minutes over low flame.Do you want to share a family recipe? If so click here. Did you like this post? If so don't leave before you sign up for my weekly newsletter!

5/28/15 5/28/15

Family Fridays #2 Drumstick Sambhar

(To hear more from Alexandra, check out her blog!)This sambhar is my husband's favorite and one of the classic comfort-food recipes for any Indian wife. It has a perfect amount of vegetable, protein from the dal, and spice. There is no chilli powder and not much oil in it, which makes it a versatile dish. It is very popular in South India and you can get it at any restaurant, or as Indians say "hotel"! Plus, it's a sure way to any South Indian man's heart!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup toor dal

- 2 cups water

- 8-10 pearl onions, whole

- 2 drumsticks (mulakkada)

- 1 carrot

- 1/2 tsp turmeric

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tbsp sambhar powder

- 1/2 cilantro

Tempering ingredients:

- 1 tbsp oil (peanut or sunflower)

- 1 tsp mustard seeds

- 1 tsp cumin

- 2 dashes asefotida

- 10-15 fresh curry leaves

Directions:

Wash dal, drain it, and put it in the pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water.

Take the skin off the pearl onions and add them whole into the pressure cooker.

Peel the carrot. Chop the drumsticks and carrot in half, and then cut to finger-length size pieces. Add to pressure cooker.

Add the turmeric, salt and sambhar powder to the pressure cooker.

Pressure cooker for 8-10 mins, then turn off and let it cool down.

Open up the pressure cooker and add 1-2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

Add 1/2 cup cilantro to the boil.

When it gets to the perfect consistency, start the tempering.

For the tempering, in a small omelette pan, pour 1 tbsp oil over medium heat.

Add the mustard seeds and let it crackle.

Once the mustard seeds crackle, add the asefoetida and cumin.

When the cumin starts to brown, add the fresh curry leaves and saute for 10 seconds.

Then pour in the tempering into the boiling sambhar, mix and turn off.

This sambhar is great along with idly, dosa, over rice, or as a soup.

Don't forget to check out our very first Family Friday post!

5/21/15 5/21/15

Family Fridays

family fridays In starting this blog, I had the intention of finding like minded people. I wanted to share what I've learned in my marriage and parenting biracial children. I've been surprised by what I found. I didn't just find a few people that wanted to hear my story. Instead I found a huge community of people in similar positions, a little family. I love talking to people in intercultural relationships! My definition of an intercultural relationship even changed. I thought it was two people from two completely different cultures coming together. I realized it doesn't necessarily mean two different countries. We've all been raised in different cultures and starting a relationship means blending the two. This blog is about family. It's about sharing experiences and a little something that can help you in your own life. I love being able to share my family with all of you. Now, it's your turn. I'm starting a new project called, Family Fridays. It's an opportunity for all of you to share your family with us. What better way than over a good meal!? Family Fridays will be a chance for you to showcase a family recipe and share a bit about your family. If you're interested in taking part in Family Fridays, email me at almostindianwife(at)gmail(dot)com. Let me know a little about you and what recipe you'd like to share. Then I will email you back details. Check out our first guest post here!

5/19/15 5/19/15

Khichidi Recipe

The sun is here. It's here at last!! My kids run outside as soon as they see the sun. they took it a step further this week and decided to get the sprinkler going... In 60 degree weather! Hey, that's swimming weather in the Pacific Northwest. We sat outside all day. With my iced coffee in hand, I watched them run through the sprinklers and try to convince the dog to go with them! Making a big, complicated dinner was out of the question. Instead we managed something a little more simple and tasty! What is it you ask? Khichidi. It's so good and really good for you. You know you want to try it out. Ingredients:

1 c. red daal

3 c. rice

1 small onion or small handful of chopped onions

1 green chile chopped

1 broken cinnamon stick

4-5 cardamom seeds

Palmful of salt

Butter

Optional: 3-4 curry leaves

Directions:

Add daal and rice to the rice cooker. Wash. Drain. Add 6 cups of water.

Heat a pan to medium heat. Add butter and oil (enough to cover onions). Add onions and saute until golden brown. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves, and green chile. Cook 1 minute. Turn to low. Add ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Cook for 5-8 minutes. Mix in with rice and cook in the rice cooker.

If you want the rice a little firmer add less water.

This is a delicious meal and you can serve it with a dollop of yogurt.

5/11/15 5/11/15

Summer Recipes

Summer is almost here! My favorite season in the Pacific Northwest is definitely the summers! It's perfect outside! My family and I have been soaking it up. We had a Mother's Day Tea, which was the cutest thing ever! We went to the funnest park around! Then of course some good old thumb sucking. The other reason I love summers is that it's the perfect time to host dinner parties! My husband and I love inviting people over to indulge in some delicious Indian food.Most of our friends have always either loved Indian food or super excited to try it. I quickly stumbled upon a routine for our get togethers. I have a list of dishes I will make if people have never tried Indian food, tried it and loved it, vegetarians, and spicy food addicts. Here are a few party menus for you to try on your next early summer party!Never tried Indian food before? Here are a few dishes for you!Keema Curry Chicken Keema NaanDo you LOVE Indian food and can't wait for more? Here you go!Chicken Curry Chicken Tikka Masala Parathas Butter ChickenAny vegetarians in the house?Delicious Dal Greek Yogurt Hyderabadi Cabbage Potato MasalaWhat are your favorite Indian dishes?

4/12/15 4/12/15

Weddings and Comfort Food

This week has been full of wedding planning for our family. My cousin got married yesterday which meant a lot of our family got together. I love big events like this because family trickles in from everywhere. We have a pretty big family and we don't live as close together as we'd all like. If any of you have thrown a big family event, you know it's busy, busy, busy. Everyone was running around the day of the wedding, while the boys and I stayed home. Liam was in the wedding and we decided to keep them home and tried to stick to their routine as much as possible. Realizing it could be a stressful morning, I tried to think of something comforting I could do for everyone. So, what did I do? I made chicken curry and coconut green beans! It's by far my families favorite meal and it was perfect. Here are a few of our other favorite dishes. Here is our favorite rice dish, beef dish, lentil dish, snack, and dessert.

What's your favorite, comforting meal? Share it in the comment section or tweet it using #almostindianwife

11/20/14 11/20/14

Chicken Keema

I think all of the pregnant mothers should come together and protest against pregnancies going past 37 weeks. The last few weeks of pregnancy drag on forever! All you want is to be done being pregnant and meet your newest little addition! Add in constant contractions that never do anything and the waiting can drive you crazy! Liam is getting impatient too! Every morning he asks me, "Mama, when is baby Lucas coming out and your belly getting small?"Isn't it crazy that my three year old understands my pregnancy that much!? Levi just yells, "Baby" and hits my stomach, proceeded by an, "I'm sorry baby," with a kiss. I'm pretty sure that is a look into the future of their relationships together. Liam will be the big brother always trying to help with the baby and Levi will have a love/hate relationship with him.I've heard the third baby is always more scrappy than the others. I guess it makes sense!We're trying to fill our time with fun things. This week it's been making Indian food and dealing with a clogged sink. Dirtying up more dishes is probably the last thing I should be doing with a clogged sink, but how can a family live without Indian food? Much less a pregnant woman CRAVING Indian food!Are you dying to know what we made? I know you are! We made chicken keema, Sharline's famous coconut green beans, and roti. YUM.Liam even taught grandma how to eat with her hands! He was so proud to share what he's learned!Ingredients:1 tbs ginger garlic paste2 tsp salt2 lb ground chicken1 handful of roughly chopped cilantro1/2 a diced onion2 tbs butter1 jalapeño, halved1 tsp turmeric1 heaping tbs coriander1 heaping tbs cuminDirections:Heat your pan on medium heat. Add in your butter, jalapeño, and onions. Allow your onions to brown. Drop in your ginger garlic, salt, turmeric, coriander, and cumin. Cook down your spices for 2-3 minutes. Crumble in your ground chicken. Let your chicken cook 2/3 of the way and then add in your cilantro. Turn your heat down to medium/low and simmer until your meat is done. How easy is that!? Serve it with Sharline's famous green beans and some roti and your life will be complete!

11/8/14 11/8/14

Chapatis

What are a few staples in your meals throughout the week?

I make a lot of rice, bread, and vegetables. Every one of my meals has one of those incorporated in. It always helps on those less creative evenings. Instead of having to think up a unique side dish, I can pull out one of the staples. I also know my whole family likes all three of those.

What are the staples in Indian meals?

They use a lot of rice, roti (bread), and lentil dishes. I don't think I've ever had an Indian meal without one of those things.

Today, I’m going to share a little secret with you. I’m going to give you the roti recipe!!! Roti simply means bread. A few types are naan, chapatis, parathas, etc.

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour

1/3 cup warm water

2 tbs oil

Directions:

Mix all of your ingredients together. The dough should be a little sticky. Sprinkle a bit of flour on your surface and rolling pin. Pinch off a bit of dough and roll it out to about 1/4 of an inch.

Heat a pan to medium high heat. Add a bit of butter and fry your chapati. Add butter and flip when golden brown spots start to appear on the bottom.

You can make these to you or your family's preference. If you'd like them to be more moist, add a bit of water. You can also decide how thick you'd like them to be.

These are traditionally made with whole wheat flour, but my family likes white flour best.

You can serve these with chicken tikka masala, chicken curry, lentil dishes, etc.

Enjoy!

10/28/14 10/28/14

Sharline's Famous Coconut Green Beans

We all have that one person in our lives. That person who's known for one recipe. One amazing dish. Joel's family has Sharline or Chinnapinni as we call her. She makes this dish every time she has people come over. It's famous with all of her Indian and white friends! The true test is that Joel hates vegetables and this is one of his favorite sides! What is it you ask? Coconut green beans. While we were on vacation, I begged her to teach me how to make them. I've tried to make them before with no success. They were missing a key ingredient, the coconut! As soon as you try these bad boys, they'll be a staple in your house. There is just one rule that comes with these green beans. Tell everyone they are Sharline's Green Beans!!

Ingredients:

1 pound of frozen green beans2 tbs oil2 tbs ginger garlic paste2 tsp turmeric1 tsp Indian chili powder1-2 tsp salt1 1/2 tbs coconut powder **I got my coconut "powder" from the Indian store. It looks more like coconut flakes.**

Directions:

Heat your pan to medium heat. Add in your oil. When the oil is hot add your onion and brown. Drop in your turmeric, ginger garlic paste, salt, and chili powder. Cook down for 2 minutes. Add your green beans.**You can use fresh or frozen green beans. If you decide on using fresh, add in 1/8 cup of water.**Put a lid on your green beans and cook until tender. I like to cook mine and leave a bite to it. At the very end, add in your coconut and cook for another minute or so.Serve and enjoy!

12/9/13 12/9/13

Family Fridays #1 Chile Salsa

Hello Almost Indian Wife followers! I feel like Brittany should create a catchy name for you, a la celebrity fans like Beliebers or Little Monsters…she’ll have to think on that one.Brittany knew that I had married into a culturally rich family like her and asked if I could write something about my experiences in living that life. Being ¼ Mexican, I think I always craved the experience of rich culture that had been so watered down by the time it got to me. Seriously, when Toula was complaining about being Greek in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I was ready to jump through the screen, push her out of the way and start yelling “opa!” while snapping my fingers in the air.It comes as no surprise to me that I ended up marrying someone with the last name Muzzalupo-Rivas. My husband is half Mexican, half Italian (yes, he is as gorgeous as you might imagine) and while these cultures may not be as foreign to most Americans as the Indian culture, there are still certainly some gaps to leap over as the Mexican/Italian version of being a “thella.” The first time I made my husband burritos he politely over-looked my canned Rosarita beans, under-seasoned ground beef and Pace salsa but the moment I tried to heat my tortillas in the microwave, I thought he might leave me. You can just call me Blanquita! For the record, the proper way is to heat them in a pan until they are pliable and slightly crispy.When I first met Luis’s grandparents I was so nervous and really had no idea what to say. They both have very thick Mexican accents and I struggled to correctly answer his grandfather’s questions without just nodding, smiling and giving vague “yeah, it’s really great” answers. Grandma was suspiciously and nerve-rackingly quiet and after a slightly awkward moment of silence about 15 minutes into the visit she finally said, “So, you cook?” After bumbling around a bit I finally managed “yes, actually, I love to cook.” We’ve been pretty cool ever since. I grew up eating PB&J’s, Mac ‘N’ Cheese, and vegetables out of the can. Bleak, I know. Being a part of this family has been a culinary revelation! I’m talking homemade tamales, guacamole, POZOLE, chile…the list goes on and on. I really am so grateful to be part of my own “Big Fat Mexican Family” but let’s get real…I’m there for the food. Just kidding. Kind of. I thought I would share with you all Grandma Rivas’s chile recipe as it especially close to my heart. And stomach. Enjoy!You may be wondering what that even is! I think I’ve come to take this knowledge for granted. Chile is the “salsa” that many Mexicans use in authentic cuisine. It is a smoky, spicy, a little salty but mostly just amazing concentration of charred hot peppers, tomatoes and garlic. It’s awesome on grilled meats, beans, or shoot, just try it on anything!

Chile Salsa

16-20 small chiles of your choice (guajillo, mora, arbol, red jalapeno pepper , chipotle)1 small whole tomato3 clove garlic1/4 cup waterSalt

Cooking Instructions

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat; add all ingredients to the pan. Cook each chile, until slightly blackened, garlic until lightly browned and tomato until tender.Puree the vegetables and chilies with 1/4 cup water in a food processor into a coarse salsa. Season with salt to taste.

8/28/13 8/28/13

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Here it is... The recipe you have all been waiting for!You may have thought you had tried the best Indian food out there, but unless you have had this dish you were sadly mistaken. This is the BEST!We moved to Washington about a year ago and introduced my family to this dish. Let's just say we had it every day for about three months! It's also super simple to make.

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb of diced chicken breasts2 small cans of tomato paste2 garlic cloves2-3 tbs olive oil or ghee1 Shan chicken tikka bbq packet1 tbs methi leaves1-2 tsp chili powder1-2 cups of plain yogurt1/2 quart heavy whipping creamoptional- extra yogurt, basmati rice, naan

Directions:

Dice up your chicken and add your chicken, 1/2 of your Shan packet, and enough yogurt to coat all of the chicken. Put the chicken in the fridge and let it marinate overnight or for about 3 hours.Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.Put your chicken on a deep cookie sheet and spread it out so chicken isn't on top of each other. Place it in the oven until your chicken is cooked through.Heat a pan on medium low heat. Add in the olive oil and diced garlic.When the garlic starts changing colors, after about 5 minutes, add in the tomato paste, methi leaves, and chili powder. Constantly stir so it won't burn. If it starts to get too hot, turn it down to low. Cook for about 10 minutes.Slowly add in the heavy cream, while stirring. You want to make sure you keep a deep orange color to the base. Turn the sauce to the lowest setting. When the chicken is done, add it to your sauce.The left over sauce on your cookie sheet is heaven. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY! In our house, my husband calls it Man Sauce. It has an extra kick to it. You can add it to the sauce and chicken mixture or keep it in a small bowl for people that like the heat to add to their dish.Serve this with rice and or naan.