Nilima's Grilled Tandoori Paneer Sandwich

From my first cousin Nilima:

"Wanted to share this Grilled Tandoori Paneer Sandwich recipe that I tried out recently and we absolutely loved. I happened to have some leftover home made paneer and didn’t know what to do with it so I came up with this and to my joy it was a success. I tried it with both store bought and homemade paneer. (The effort is almost same for both since store bought one will need to be grated).

Saute some chopped onions and green bell pepper in very little oil. Then add some Shan Tandoor Chicken spice mix (qty. based on desired spiciness, it’s pretty spicy), amchoor and jeera powder. Then add the crumbled paneer and chopped cilantro and mix thoroughly. (I guess you could add some chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies etc as well). When cooled, shape to burger style patties and just shallow fry both sides in ¼ tsp. oil. Then to make the sandwiches, spread some sun-dried tomato spread on both sides of the bread. Place the paneer patty, grilled or sliced onions, roasted red bell pepper (optional), sliced tomatoes, and lots of baby spinach. Then apply light butter to the outer sides of the bread and place it under the oven broiler for 2 minutes each side or until nice and toasty. This goes really well with any soup to make a healthy and delicious meal.

Beware from my experience - both my children are now pestering me to add this to their school lunch menu…"

Jahangiri Kabab

From my friend Jahangir Nakra who made the most yummy kababs i've had in a long time on a recent visit to their place in Trenton, NJ...here is the the recipe for the Jahangiri Kabab:



Minced Turkey (2 lbs) (can do with lamb or goat too - I prefer turkey)
Garlic (Lots!)
Salt
6-8 Green chillies
1-2 tablespoons flour
Mix it all up. Make oblong kababs and toss them on the grill. Cook for 8-10
minutes till the kababs are brown and are cooked on the inside (they will
turn gray from the pink color that the raw mince normally has). Enjoy!

You could also add some ginger (I am not too gungho about ginger so I
do not add it).

I have tried using egg as a binding agent instead of the flour. Came out OK.
Prefer the flour - plus it it makes for a lower cholesterol kabab!

serve with cilantro/mint chutney and with harissa (moroccan spice paste).

Indian bites at Trader Joe's

if you have a local Trader Joe's near where you live, here's a few of my favorite things reminiscent of Indian flavors i buy there:

Cilantro Pecan Cojita Cheese dip - tastes just like Indian chutney
Pappadum - Indian bean crackers with tandoori & dill flavors
Indian Relish - Gujarati style tomato/tamarind chutney
Yoghurt Cheese slices - low fat, healthy cheese with jalapenos
Stilton cheese with mango & ginger - very British at the same time very Indian

Few other favorite things i like to buy while i'm there:
- Italian Chocolate Gelato - oh so delicious, oh so rich
- Great wine buys - i specially go for the small European boutique wines they help bring (at the same low cost as in Europe) to the US market
- Dark Chocolates - try their new Single Origin Chocs if you're a fan of dark
- Chocolate Truffles - so gooey & so rich

Week at the Culinary Institute of America

Just a quick note coz i'm real excited tonight. i'm off to the CIA starting bright & early tomorrow am doing a 1-week bootcamp. i'm hoping to write 2-3 times during this week so i can share my experiences during this week with you all...

Reflections on the past year

naturally, this is a time that gets you to take stock of the past year & also gets you thinking about the upcoming year. i've been doing exactly that this morning, just from a foodie standpoint - i have been musing about life overall all through the holidays.

few highlights of the past year i'd like to share:

1. i started this food blog
2. i attended couple inspiring chef talks - on Microsoft campus & at Town Hall
3. i continued to update this food blog
4. i started another blog to start sharing my mom's recipes
5. got accepted by Gypsy Foods...this really underhand movement of foodies that's its real tough to get into...i just got accepted before the holidays so not yet sure what this is going to entail but will keep you posted once i discover

few things that i'm hoping to accomplish in this year:

1. take a CIA bootcamp - this one is happening for certain as i'm booked for Jan 16-20...yeah, its coming up in a few days and yeah, i'm going to be spending a WHOLE week at the god of chef schools...just can't wait :)
2. finish up the blog with my mom's recipes
3. take a Culinary Communion class & learn a new cuisine (Moroccan, perhaps)
4. more food blogging
5. get involved with the local food community - still toying with ideas here but am about to become a member of Slow Food Seattle. i'd like for a way to be able to educate the community of eating healthy & fresh and using Indian food as a means of doing so

Fresh Papaya Mango salsa

this one is my own creation, inspired by a few fresh salsa recipes. haven't made it in a while but just remembered that i've forgotten to share.

chop fresh ripe papaya & mango into small cubes. throw into a bowl that you'll be mixing the salsa in. add lots of finely chopped spring onions & cilantro. add a green chilli, finely chopped again, but to taste. add some garlic - here in Seattle i can buy fresh garlic in spring or early summer or garlic chives at Uwajimaya round the year so i prefer to add that. add a little chopped ginger. finish off with salt & a squeeze of fresh lime.

i like to let this sit for couple hours before serving so that all the flavors fuse well together. trust me, after that, it tastes like pure heaven.

Note: if i don't get fresh ripe mango, i make this only with papaya. some times, depending on the season, i'll even add fresh nectarines chopped into this & also squeeze some fresh orange juice. so feel free to tweak to match your palette, the season & what's locally available fresh.

i've seen recipes for melon salsa couple times in some gourmet zines but haven't gotten around to trying - will have to check that out & let all know about it. if you have a favorite fresh salsa recipe that's different from this, please feel free to share!