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Tamatar Chawal (Tomato Rice )

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Today being Sunday, my husband and I have been binge-watching taped shows all afternoon. Evening tea is over, and I start thinking about dinner. The fridge yields a large bowl of cooked rice. Always looking for ways to turn over leftovers into a new dish, I decide to fix Tomato Rice. I normally serve it with masala fish, fish curry, or a curried dal.

I decide to take the easy way out and serve it with some frozen marinated fish I picked up while grocery shopping. This dish can also be used as a side for meals prepared with a western flavor. It pairs well with most cooking styles of meat, fish, or poultry. You can omit the curry leaves.

With the fish and tomato rice, I fix a garden salad to complete the meal, and Voila! dinner is served!

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Tomato Rice (Tamatar Chawal)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
A savory rice tossed with tomatoes and spices that goes well as a side dish to complement any meal.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked long-grained white rice (like Basmati or Jasmine )
  • 4 medium tomatoes (diced )
  • 1 medium yellow onion (or shallots, diced)
  • ½ tsp black mustard seeds
  • 10 fresh curry leaves (optional, available at an Indian grocery store)
  • 1-2 medium green chilies, diced (to your taste)
  • 1 tsp salt (to your taste)
  • 1 tbsp fresh green cilantro (chopped finely)
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions 

  • In a 10-12" frying pan or wok, heat the oil on medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds, watch out for the splutter! About 30 seconds.
  • Add the curry leaves and green chilies. Stir for 30 seconds.
  • Add the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
  • Add the tomatoes. Continue to sauté stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes, then add the rice.
  • Sauté for another 10 minutes until the rice is nice and hot and the onions and tomato mixture are well incorporated into the rice. The juice from the tomatoes should leave the rice moist but not soggy.
  • Spoon into dish and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

If you're using cold rice from the refrigerator, break up any lumps. I prefer to do this with my fingers beforehand or while adding the rice as I am able to make sure all the rice is separated well.
Variations:
1. Add 1 cup of cooked peas and carrots after tomatoes are done. Stir for a minute and then the rice in. You can also use any canned drained bean of your choice instead of the peas and carrots
2. In a separate bowl, whisk 4 eggs. After the tomatoes are cooked, add the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs in the tomato mixture, and then add the rice. I also add the peas and carrots, which makes it an easy, one-dish meal.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican
Keyword: rice, tomato
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In Dessert

Rice Kheer (Rice Pudding)

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The evening air is a little chilly as we head into the early days of winter. Our son is busy playing outside with the neighbor’s kids. My cook walks in from her quarters at the back of the house, ready to fix evening tea. My husband is a little late, so I tell her not to worry, I will take care of it, and she can come to fix the rotis (phulkas and chappatis) for dinner. I open the refrigerator to take out the milk for chai and notice a cup of cooked basmati sitting in the back of the refrigerator from two days ago. Ever one to recycle food before it gets bad, I decide to fix kheer for dessert. I have enough milk, and there is a cup of clotted cream that I have been gathering these past few days.

The milk is delivered from the local doodhwala (milkman), who rides in on his bike with two huge milk cans of fresh milk tethered to either side of the metal back seat. It always amazes me how he manages to balance those heavy-laden cans that are strapped to his bicycle. He arrives diligently twice a day, morning and evening, ringing his bicycle bell loud and clear to announce his arrival. He dips a measured ladle with a large handle into the can and pours the milk into the dekchi (a flat-bottomed cooking pot) held out to him. Since it is not pasteurized, the milk has to be boiled.

After I pasteurize the milk, and once it has cooled completely, I gather the thick layer of cream that forms on top (clotted cream). I use the cream in desserts, churn it into homemade butter, or convert the butter into desi ghee (clarified butter). One of my favorite ways to have the cream is to whip it until it is smooth and then add a large dollop to my cup of coffee (with milk and sugar, of course!). I also like to mix it with jam and slather it over a slice of bread. We can buy the “machine milk,” as the factory-pasteurized, store-bought milk is called, but there is nothing like fresh milk!

Rice Kheer is a very easy-to-make rice pudding, but it is tedious as you have to stay around the stove and stir the kheer often. Since it is my day off, I have nothing else to occupy my time, so I move into the kitchen and start on the rice kheer. With luck, it should be ready before my husband arrives!

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Rice Kheer (Rice Pudding)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 people
A creamy, easy-to-make rice pudding with cardamom, raisins, and almonds.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup clotted cream (or ¾ cup half & half)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp crushed cardamom
  • 1 tbsp golden raisins (optional)
  • 2 tbsp sliced or slivered blanched almonds (or cashew nuts if you prefer)
  • 1 tsp rose water (optional)
  • 10 blanched whole almonds or pistachios (for garnish)

Instructions 

  • In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, pour in the milk, sugar, and cooked rice. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Make sure the milk and rice are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • Now add the cardamom, raisins, almonds, and clotted cream.
  • Continue cooking on low, stirring frequently, until the kheer thickens and the rice is creamy.
  • Do a taste test – if you want to add more cardamom or sugar, you can do so.
  • Pour into a serving bowl, stir in rose water if you would like, and garnish with nuts. Serve warm or chilled.

Notes

If you are lactose intolerant or vegan, you can use almond or oat milk. To get a creamier texture, grind some blanched almonds into a paste and add it to the kheer while cooking.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: almonds, cream, dessert, pudding, rice pudding

Milkman Photo by Phil DuFrene on Unsplash

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In Breakfast

Spicy Smashed Masala Potatoes

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I have a bunch of small white potatoes that have been sitting in the bin for a while. I decide to use them before they start to sprout! I recall my mother-in-law used to make a dish out of taro root (arbi), a root vegetable. The ones she used were similar in size to the potatoes. I decided to try the recipe out on these potatoes. They are tangy and spicy.

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Spicy Smashed Masala Potatoes

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Spicy, tangy potatoes! Good as a side for a meal, a snack at teatime, or while having cocktails!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb small red or white potatoes (about 14-16, depending on size)
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder (or to your taste)
  • 1 tsp amchur (mango) powder (you can find this at your local Indian grocery store)
  • ¼ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt (or to your taste)
  • 3 tbsp oil (for frying)
  • 1 pinch chaat masala or red chili (or Tajin Mexican spice)

Instructions 

  • Scrub the potatoes and put them in a medium-sized pot. Cover with about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil on medium heat.
  • Cook until tender but firm. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Do not peel the potatoes. Pat dry and drizzle a teaspoon of oil over the potatoes. Gently coat each potato with the oil.
  • Place each potato on a clean flat surface and gently press down on the potato until they flatten out. They will split a bit, but if you do it gently, they will not split apart.
  • Mix the powdered spices together. Coat each potato with the spice powder.
  • Heat oil in a skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Add the potatoes one by one but do not crowd them into the pan.
  • Fry the potatoes for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly brown and crisp.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Transfer to a serving platter and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the potatoes.
  • Follow it up with a sprinkling of chaat masala or red chili powder. Alternatively, you can sprinkle some Mexican Tajin chili and lemon powder.
  • Good as a side for a meal or a snack at teatime or having cocktails!

Notes

You can substitute small red potatoes for white ones. They have thinner skins and are less starchy. Keep a careful watch while boiling them to ensure they do not over boil and split.
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: potatoes, spicy
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In Appetizers

Corn Chip Papdi Chaat – Indian-Mexican Street Food Snack

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Living in California and getting to taste Mexican cuisine, it struck me how similar some of their spices were to Indian cuisine. Their tortillas are similar to our roti (chapati, phulka). The wheat tortillas are my favorite go-to when I don’t feel like making rotis—which is pretty often!

The taco chips are almost like papads and papdi. It didn’t take me long to start a fusion of the two cuisines. One such creation is papdi chaat made with corn chips. Papdis are little round deep fried discs of flour that are topped with several ingredients. Chaat is a North Indian street food snack, but it is substantial enough to be a meal.

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Corn Chip Papdi Chaat

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
An Indian-Mexican fusion food snack! Corn chips are heaped with delicious toppings of seasoned potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, and sauce!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups potatoes boiled, peeled, and chopped (The cook time to boil the potatoes is approximately 30 minutes. )
  • 2 cups chickpeas, boiled (45 mins to boil chickpeas (if soaked overnight or boil with salt until cooked). )
  • 2 cups restaurant-style corn chips (yellow or white)
  • 1 cup tamarind chutney
  • 1 cup chunky salsa or salsa verde
  • 2 tbsps roasted cumin powder
  • 2 tbsps chaat masala
  • 1 tbsp chili powder ((optional))
  • 2 tbsps black salt
  • 2 tbsps fresh cilantro (chopped)

Instructions 

  • In four individual bowls, divide the corn chips.
  • Now top the corn chips with boiled potatoes, chickpeas, and sour cream, as desired.
  • Add two tablespoons of tamarind chutney and salsa over the sour cream.
  • Sprinkle with black salt, roasted cumin, chili powder, and chaat masala to your taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Your chaat is now ready to eat!

Notes

You can use fresh chopped salsa or store-bought salsa and tamarind chutney. If you like the taste of fresh onions and jalapeño chilies, add some fresh chopped onion and jalapeño chilies to the mix.
This papdi is gluten-free.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian, Mexican

 

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In Vegetarian

Tomato Chutney

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I am up early and walk out into the backyard with my cup of tea. The blue jay who thinks he owns my yard starts his cheeping! I walk around to my vegetable plot. Tomatoes are abundant. I recall the tomato chutney Mom used to have our cook fix to go with eggs and parathas during weekends or on vacation. I head back indoors to get a basket to pick my tomatoes. My breakfast menu dilemma is resolved!

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Tomato Chutney

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
A sweet and savory relish from South India, made from tomatoes, onions, and spices. Goes well with parathas, rotis, pita, or any kind of flatbread.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb tomatoes (diced)
  • 5-6 curry leaves ((optional))
  • 1-2 green chilies, sliced in half ((use according to your taste for spiciness))
  • ¼ tsp mustard seeds
  • 3-4 oz onions - Approximately, 1 medium peeled, sliced, or chopped ((I slice them thin, and then cut them across in half, so I don't have the long strands of onion. Your preference!))
  • 1 tsp salt ((or to your taste))
  • ¼ tsp tumeric
  • ¼ tsp red chili powder ((optional))
  • 2 tbsps finely chopped cilantro
  • 2-3 tbsps cooking oil

Instructions 

  • Heat oil in a deep saucepan on medium heat.
  • Add mustard seeds, when spluttering stops, less than 30 seconds.
  • Add curry leaves, stir till they turn slightly dark, 30 seconds.
  • Add green chilies and onions. Do this in quick succession as you do not want to burn the mustard seeds.
  • Cook onions for about 4-5 minutes till onions turn translucent and start to brown at the edges.
  • Add the turmeric and red chili powder.
  • Stir about 4 times and then add the tomatoes.
  • Cook till tomatoes start to curl, and the oil starts to surface on the sides. About 10-15 minutes.
  • Garnish with chopped green coriander.

Notes

Note: As a variation, if you would like to add potatoes, you can add peeled and diced potatoes after sautéing the tomatoes for 2-3 mins. Add the potatoes and about a quarter cup of water, cover, and simmer on low until the potatoes are done. Remove cover and finish cooking to reduce any moisture.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
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In Vegan Diet

Bhindi Sabzi (Sauteed Okra)

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It is a Saturday afternoon, and our cook is in the kitchen, ready to cut a huge pile of freshly washed bhindi (okra). My twin sister and I stand patiently by, waiting for him to start cutting the bhindi. He slices the heads and tails off, and then the bhindi is chopped for the sabzi.

As soon as he’s done, we quickly pick up the cut heads and stick them all over our faces. Walking out of the kitchen, we go in search of our younger siblings and pretend that we have a dreadful and mysterious skin disease. Of course, they don’t buy it. But our two-year-old baby sister catches sight of us and freaks out.

We quickly remove the bhindi heads from our faces before the situation escalates to a mom appearance! The bhindi heads are slimy, so a swift wipe with the edge of our frocks (dress) takes care of that mess, and we rush to cajole our sister.

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Bhindi Sabzi (Sauteed Okra)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
An easy-to-make delicious vegan dish that goes well with lentils and rice or rotis.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lb fresh okra (or  1 lb frozen okra (which, in the interest of time, I prefer))
  • ½ large yellow onion (or 1 medium shallot) (sliced fairly thin)
  • 1 dry red chili broken in half ((optional / to your taste))
  • 1 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ¼ tsp chili powder ((optional / to your taste))
  • ¾ tsp salt ((or to your taste))
  • 2-3 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions 

  • Wash the bhindi, then spread them on a paper towel to dry.
  • Cut the heads off the bhindi and then slice evenly, about ½ inch thick. The knife gets slimy, so keep a paper towel handy to keep wiping the blade. If using a frozen pack, pour it into a colander and toss or shake it a few times to eliminate any ice crystals.
  • In a broad (10 inch) skillet heat, 2-3 tablespoons of the oil on medium heat.  
  • Add the broken red chili, stir for 30 seconds, and then add the sliced onions.
  • Sauté the onions for 2 minutes until tender.
  • Add turmeric, cumin, and chili powder.
  • Stir the spices into the onions, 30-40 seconds.  
  • Now add the bhindi and spread it out on the pan.
  • Cover the pan and let cook on medium-low for 2minutes, then uncover, so the vegetable does not get slimy.
  • Stir carefully and occasionally to brown the bhindi on all sides. It is important to do this so that the bhindi remains intact—especially the frozen ones.  
  • When the moisture evaporates, 10-15 minutes (a little longer for the frozen) turn off the heat, cover with a splatter guard so that no moisture can build up, and make them soggy.
  • If the fresh bhindi gets too dry when cooking, then you can cover it.
  • Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Note: If using a frozen okra package, as I usually do, use a broad pan. Follow as above but do not cover or stir too often. Stir carefully so as not to break up the bhindi.    
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
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