Asian Noodle Salad with Sesame & Peanut

I came across the event 'In the Bag' which gives you ingredients to innovate a whole new recipe.For this month's event  mushroom,herbs and nuts were the suggested ingredients. I liked the entire concept and I quickly started gathering the ingredients......
Asian noodle salad can be made with various ingredients and they can be a healthy dinner after a long day's work. I hope you like my version of the Asian Noodle Salad with Sesame & Peanut.

2 cups noodles (any kind, I used durum wheat noodles)
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2tsp crushed garlic
2tsp olive oil

for salad dressing
1tsp soya sauce
1tsp agave nectar or honey
1tsp red wine vinegar
1tsp olive oil
1tbs roasted and coarsely ground peanuts
1/2tsp pepper powder
1tsp chilli flakes (optional)
salt to taste

for garnish
1 cup basil leaves
4tsp roasted sesame seeds

Cook and drain the noodles. Allow it to cool. Heat oil in a pan and add crushed garlic. I let the garlic turn a bit brown and crisp because it gives a nice flavor to the salad. Add mushrooms and let it cook until soft. Allow the mushrooms to cool.
Once the mushrooms are cold, add the salad dressing and mix well. Garnish it with sesame seeds, basil and serve at room temperature or cold.

This is my submission to this month's In the Bag hosted by Julia from A Slice of Cherrypie and Scott from Real Epicurean, to No Croutons Required - Noodles, hosted by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen, to SOS Kitchen Challenge hosted by Ricki from Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Kim from Affairs of Living and to Souper Sundays hosted by Deb from Kahaki Kitchen.

Black-Eyed Beans Curry

I'm back from my lovely trip to the Andaman. I found some interesting places to eat and I will blog about it very soon...until then enjoy the healthy recipe of black-eyed beans curry.

I find the black-eyed beans the most good looking beans. Not only are they low in fat, but when combined with other grains, beans supply high quality protein which provides a healthy alternative to meat or other animal protein.
They have a smooth texture, pea like flavor and are good when mixed with other vegetables. Go ahead and use these beans in your daily diet.

1 cup black-eyed beans (Lobia) soaked overnight and boiled
1tbs cooking oil (any refined oil/olive oil)
1 cup chopped onions
2tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3-4 curry leaves
1 sliced green chilli
2 cups coconut milk

for dry massala
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Add oil in a pan. Put curry leaves in  hot oil and let it crackle. Add some chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste.Add chopped tomatoes and green chilli after onions are a little transparent. Add  the dry massala and some water. Allow the mixture to cook for about 2 minutes. Add  beans, coconut milk and salt. Cook for 20 minutes on low flame. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with  rice or tortillas.I served mine with brown rice.

This is my submission to this month's My Legume Love Affair hosted by Divya from Dil Se.. and Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook.

LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow 2010

October 2nd is LiveSTRONG day. LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow is a yearly event hosted by Barbara from winos and foodies.I dedicate this post to all the strong people whom I've known are figthing against cancer. For more hearts please do visit and support A Taste of Yellow LiveSTRONG .

The picture is of Coconut Milk Pilaf, click here for  recipe.

Rajma/ Kidney Beans Curry

Rajma chawal has always been a classic and a favorite in many households.Kidney beans can sometimes be a difficult task to get the right softness without overcooking them. Here are some handy tips to help us cook kidney beans to perfection.

The first method is to boil the beans for two minutes, take pan off the heat, cover and allow to stand for two hours. The alternative method is to simply soak the beans in water for eight hours or overnight, placing the pan in the refrigerator, so the beans will not ferment.

Before cooking the beans, regardless of pre-soaking method, drain the soaking liquid and rinse the beans with clean water.
To cook the beans, you can either cook them on the stovetop or use a pressure cooker. For the stovetop method, add three cups of fresh water or broth for each cup of dried beans. The liquid should be about one to two inches above the top of the beans. Bring the beans to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, partially covering the pot. If any foam develops, simply skim it off during the simmering process. Kidney beans generally take about one and one-half hours to become tender using this method. They can also be cooked in a pressure cooker where they take about one-half hour to prepare. Regardless of cooking method, do not add any seasonings that are salty or acidic until after the beans have been cooked. Adding them earlier will make the beans tough and greatly increase the cooking time.
(Source: the world's healthiest foods)

4 cups of  cooked rajma (Kidney beans)
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
1tbs oil
2tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 bay leaf
4 cloves
1 small sized cinammon
1tsp jeera
2tsp corriander powder
1tsp red chilli powder
1/2tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Take some oil in a pan and add jeera, bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon. Once done add onions and cook till it turns transparent. Add chopped tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. Add all the powdered massala, some water and allow it to cook for sometime (about 5 mins). Add boiled rajma and salt to taste.
Bring it to boil and simmer the stove. Let it cook for 20 mins and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve hot with steamed rice or tortillas.

This is my submission to this week's BSI:Kidney Beans, hosted by Sandhya's Kitchen.

Beet Appetizer Salad/Moroccan Beet Salad

Moroccan salads play a big role in Moroccan cuisine, and most families serve them almost daily. Garden-fresh vegetables might be peeled and chopped before being tossed with a vinaigrette, or they might be cooked with spices and olive oil to make dip-like salads. Most salads can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Handling of beet has always been a concern for me....I found some helpful tips on how to handle beets:

• Choose beets of uniform size to promote even cooking.
• To retain nutrients and color, boil, bake or steam without peeling first. The skin will easily rub off under cold running water after they are cooked.
• When trimming, leave at least an inch of the leaf stems attached and do not remove the root. The stem and root are removed after cooking.
• If you must peel before cooking, a swivel vegetable peeler works better than a paring knife.
• To avoid staining your fingers, wear rubber gloves when handling beets.
• To remove beet juice from fingers, rub with wet salt and lemon juice and then wash with soap and water. For cutting boards and plastic containers, use a
• bleach solution.
• 1 Tablespoon of vinegar added to beet cooking water will not only reduce the odor of the cooking beets, but also help them retain their bright color.
• For older beets, try adding a pinch each of sugar and salt to each cup of cooking water to revive sweetness and color.
• Beets are naturally high in sodium, so no salt is necessary in the cooking water.
• To microwave whole beets, pierce the skin and place one pound in a micro-proof dish with 2 Tablespoons of water. Cook on high for 9 to 12 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before cooling and peeling.
• To avoid bleeding of color into other ingredients, add beets just before serving if possible.
• When cooked, drain off the hot water and fill the pot with cold tap water. Do this a couple of times, until the beets are cool enough to handle. Now take each beet in your hands and just slide the skin right off with your fingers. How easy!!!

(Source: homecooking.about.com)

2 medium sized beets, boiled & diced 

1 small onion, diced

1 tomato, skinned, seeded & diced

1 tsp crushed garlic cloves

2 tbs finely chopped parsley

2 tbs finely chopped cilantro

4 medium sized potatoes, boiled & sliced

For the dressing

2 tsp vinegar

4 tsp olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

green or black olives for garnish

Mix together the dressing ingredients.

Combine beets in a salad bowl with the onion, tomato, garlic cilantro & parsley.Pour over half the dressing, toss gently. Place the sliced potatoes in a shallow bowl & toss with remaining dressing.Chill both beet and potato salad for 30 minutes.

When ready to assemble, arrange beets, tomato & onion in the center of a shallow bowl & arrange potatoes in a ring around them. Serve cold garnished with olives.

(Source: recipeland.com)

This is my submission to this month's destination Morocco hosted by My Kitchen, My World, Vegetarian Foodie Fridays hosted by Breastfeeding Moms Unite!, Healing Foods - Beet, hosted by Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes & Siri's Corner, Low Oil/Low Calorie hosted by Mharo Rajasthan Recipes & Foodelicious, Dish name starts with 'B' by Learning-to-cook, and finally to this week's Souper Sundays hosted by Kahakai Kitchen.

Phew!!!!

Coconut Milk Pilaf

Honey what's for lunch?
Me: hmmmmmm coconut milk rice :)
Hubby: hmmmmm...why coconut rice?no not today...
Me: why?
Hubby: you will just  season it with some grated coconut and I don't like coconut....
Me: but it's going to be different...I promise you...
Hubby: no not today I want something special
Me: ok :(

2 cups basmatic rice
31/2 cups of coconut milk
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp of crushed garlic
3tsp of butter/ghee
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
7-8 pieces of cashews
2 bay leaf
1 cardamon
4 cloves
fried onions for garnish

Soak the rice for an hour. Take butter in a pan and saute bay leaf,onions, cashews, cardamon and garlic until onions are  soft.Add rice, salt and turmeric powder. Mix the ingredients well by adding coconut milk and cover the lid. Let the rice cook on low flame for about 20 minutes (or pressure cook).

Garnish with fried onions and serve hot with any curry.

I had to prepare this dish to give hubby a real taste of what I meant by coconut rice.......

And the result, he loved it and told me that it is much better than the coconut rice I was planning on making.......... yes whatever you say honey ;)

This is my submission to this month's Festive rice event, hosted by Torview.

Chicken Chop Suey

Taste & Create is a monthly event where blogger are paired with each other and have to create one of their recipes. It was time for me to explore new blog for a different taste.....

NO REASON NEEDED is my partner for this month's event. I short-listed few recipes below:

Lime Chiffon Dessert
Chicken Chop Suey
Sweet n Sour Pork
Spaghetti Sauce

I don't like elaborate cooking and found the above easy and quick to cook.
Well they are a good handful pick and confused as always....I asked my husband to pick one for dinner..and the result: Chicken Chop Suey...

The selection was spot on and it turned out to be an absolutely satisfying meal. The flavor was just perfect and very different in comparison to spring onions and garlic that are most commonly used in Indian-Chinese cuisine....


4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1¼ cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp. corn syrup (I used honey)
½ tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
2 cups sliced celery
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
I added an additional cup of green pepper

Rinse chicken; pat dry. Cut into ½-inch pieces. For sauce, stir together the broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, molasses, and ginger; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Stir-fry the celery and onion in hot oil for 2 minutes. Add fresh bean sprouts, if using, and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or till celery and onion are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok or skillet.
Add half the chicken to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or till no longer pink. Remove chicken from wok. Repeat with remaining chicken. Return all chicken and cooked vegetables to the wok; push from the center of the wok. Stir sauce; add to the center of wok. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add canned bean sprouts, if using. Stir to coat with sauce. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or till heated through.
Serve immediately over noodles or steamed rice.

A must try and will surely make it again. Hope you're having a great weekend.