Yearly Archives: 2011

Kale and Goat Cheese Mashed Sweet Potato. A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipe

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Like me, if you are  sick of serving your guests regular old mashed potatoes, you will love this recipe. This kale and goat cheese mashed sweet potatoes will be the perfect side dish for thanksgiving. And you can easily make it ahead and reheat it in the microwave.

I make this recipe using a variety of greens – spinach, swiss chard, arugula…but kale is my favorite for this recipe. I used a log of herb encrusted chevre cheese because I like the flavor of the herbs. But any kind of good goat cheese will do.

If you like your mashed sweet potatoes to be sweet, add 2 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup to this recipe. Serve kale and goats cheese mashed sweet potato with my thanksgiving tofu skin roulade and sage mushroom stuffing.

Kale and Goat Cheese Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe

serves about 4

Ingredients

2 lb (about 2 large) sweet potatoes or garnet yams
4 cups shredded kale
4 oz goat cheese
1 cup milk
Salt, freshly cracked black pepper

Method
Peel the sweet potato or yams. Cut into even sized 1 inch cubes. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot filled with water. Boil uncovered for 15 minutes or till they are very soft.

Drain the sweet potatoes well and leave them in the colander.

In the same pot, add the kale, goats cheese and milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer till the kale has just wilted. Add salt and pepper. Turn off heat.

Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the hot kale and milk. Mash well. If the mashed sweet potato is too thick, add more milk to thin it out to your liking.

Tofu Skin Roulade with Sage Mushroom Stuffing. A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipe

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I wanted to come up with a vegetarian thanksgiving recipe this year that can be a beautiful centerpiece on the vegetarian thanksgiving table. Just because you are vegetarian doesnt mean you are doomed to eat a bunch of sides (or tofurky..ugh!) on thanksgiving day. Make this tofu skin roulade with sage mushroom stuffing a day ahead and reheat it by steaming it for 10 minutes or so.

The tofu skin forms a golden exterior with great texture, and the stuffing inside is moist and mushroomy. Your very own, home made vegetarian tofurky for thanksgiving!

You will generally find tofu skin in Chinese restaurants, it is usually braised or stewed in a sauce.

Tofu skin, also called beancurd skin or yuba is the skin that forms when simmering a pot of soy milk. It comes dried or frozen and is available in Asian stores. If using dried tofu skin or yuba, reconstitute it in hot water. If using frozen, simply defrost it for this recipe.

Tofu skin may look delicate, but it actually holds up very well to stuffing, rolling and steaming (which is what this recipe involves). If you cant find tofu skin or yuba, try making this recipe with seitan. See this recipe from the vegetarian times for seitan roulade or this recipe by vegan yumyum

Serve this tofu skin roulade with sage mushroom stuffing, along with my red wine gravy, kale and goats cheese mashed sweet potato (recipe coming up next!), and steamed green beans or brussels sprouts.

Tofu Skin Roulade with Sage Mushroom Stuffing

serves 2-3, with some left over stuffing to serve on the side.

Ingredients
three 9×12 inch sheets of dried or frozen tofu skin, also called yuba
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
6 large button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
2 sprigs of thyme
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 cup store bought stuffing. I like pepperidge farm.

Method
If using frozen tofu skin or yuba, let it defrost before using. If you are using dried tofu skin or yuba, boil a large pot of water, turn off the heat, and put the tofu skins in the water. Let them soak for 15 minutes. Then gently pull them out of the water, letting all the excess water drip away.

Lightly oil a clean work surface, so that the tofu skins dont stick.

Lay 3 sheets of tofu skin, one on top of the other, so that their longest side is closest to you. If the tofu skins tear a little, dont worry, just patch them up.

Now work on the stuffing.

Heat butter in a skillet, add onion, carrot and celery and cook on medium heat till the onions are soft. Then add mushrooms, saute till the mushrooms are cooked, about 3 minutes. Add the sage and thyme, stir.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, and stir in stuffing. Toss everything till the stuffing is mixed well, and absorbs all the stock.

Now put the stuffing on the tofu skin layers, leaving a 1/2 inch border (see photo above). You dont have to use all the stuffing if it doesnt fit. Its ok if the stuffing is a little dry, it will moisten up when you steam the roulade.

Gently fold over the right and left sides of the tofu skins. Then pick up the longer side closest to you, and roll away from you. Keep the right and left sides tucked in as you roll away from you. Roll gently but firmly.

Place the roulade on a sheet of aluminum foil. wrap the foil around the roulade to make a log. Twist the ends closed. Repeat this with a second layer of foil.

Now the roulade is ready to steam.

Heat water in a large pot. Place a colander over the pot. Its brim must fit over the pot, but make sure the bottom of the colander doesnt touch the water.

Steaming method 1 – Put the roulade log into the colander, and cover with a lid. Bring the water to a boil, and steam on medium high heat for 1 hour or till the tofu skin is soft. Add more water to the pot as and when necessary.

Steaming method 2 - steam the roulade in a bamboo steamer. Steam till the tofu ski is tender, about 1 hour.

Steaming method 3 – this is what I used. take a skillet large enough to hold the roulade, pour 1/2 to 1 cup water in it. Bring to a boil. Place the roulade in the skillet. Cover it. Reduce heat to medium-high, and let the roulade steam, adding more water as it evaporates. Steam till the tofu skin is tender and no longer rubbery, about 1 hour.

When the roulade has steamed, removed it from the colander, and let it cool a little.

Then removed the foil wrapping.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter in a non stick skillet. Carefully place the roulade on the skillet and sear all sides of the roulade till they are lightly golden.

Serve with red wine gravy, and kale and goats cheese mashed sweet potatoes.

Red Wine Gravy

serves about 4

Ingredients
1 cup red wine
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon flour
1 sprig of thyme, optional
1 tablespoon butter
Salt, pepper

Method
Whisk the wine, stock and flour together. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the thyme sprig. Pour into a sauce pan and simmer till the sauce has reduced to half its original volume. Whisk in the butter, salt and pepper. Strain and serve with tofu skin roulade.

Idli Chaat Recipe & an Indian Cooking Kit Giveaway from Veena’s Market

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I don’t fry foods very often. But when I do, I make sure its damn good – like this Indian street food inspired idli chaat. This Idli chaat recipe turns fried idlis into a crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, sweet and tangy snack.

An idli is a fluffy, steamed rice cake from India. It is a common breakfast item in South India. Chaat is the umbrella name for Indian street food.

This idli chaat recipe is best made with left over idlis. Don’t use fresh idlis, they will get too oily. If you must use freshly made idlis, leave them out for a few hours so that they are thoroughly cool and dry before using.

It is important to use medium-high heat when frying idlis. If your oil is not hot enough, the idlis will absorb too much oil and get soggy. So use medium-high heat and fry the idlis till they are lightly golden.

I’m giving you the bare bones version of this recipe – fried idlis tossed with tamarind (imli) chutney and sprinkled with sev (fried chickpea flour noodles). You can vary this recipe however you like by adding your favorite chaat garnishes. See the recipe below for suggestions.

For a variation on this recipe try using cooked polenta. The kind that comes pre-cooked in a tube shaped package is best. Just cut it into discs, and shallow fry.

Idli Chaat Recipe

serves about 2

Ingredients
5 regular sized idlis*
vegetable oil for frying
Salt
2 tablespoons tamarind date chutney or tamarind sauce for chaat, available at Indian stores
2 tablespoons sev, available at Indian stores

*Left over idlis are best. Dont use freshly made idlis, they will get soggy. If you must use fresh idlis, cool them thoroughly before using. Idlis are available frozen in Indian stores.

Method
Quarter the idlis.

Pour enough oil in a heavy bottom or non stick skillet to coat the bottom. Shallow fry the idlis on medium high heat till one side is lightly golden. Gently flip the idli pieces and cook till the other sides is golden.

Make sure the oil is hot enough. When you put the idlis in the oil, they must immediately sizzle. If they dont, your oil is not hot enough and the idlis will become too oily. The trick to frying idlis so that they are crisp and golden on the outside, but fluffy on the inside is to use hot oil and fry them quickly.

Drain idlis on several layers of paper towels. Dab the fried idlis gently to take out the oil.

Sprinkle salt over the hot idlis.

Place them in a bowl, add the tamarind chutney and toss gently.

Arrange the idli chat on a serving dish and sprinkle sev on top. If you wish, also use a few of the below garnishes.

Optional garnishes
A sprinkle of chaat masala
Chopped cilantro
Chopped mint
Pomegranate seeds
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped red onion
Chopped cucumber
Roasted peanuts

************************************************************************************* 

A chance to win THREE complete Indian Recipe Kits from Veena’s Market!

Kits include all the spices, rice, and recipe instructions. Veena’s Market starts with the best quality spices, organic where available, and hand crafts each blend. The rice is certified Basmati rice from the foothills of the Himalayas.

The kits include the whole and blended spices, rice and a tested recipe. Since you get all the difficult-to-find ingredients, all you have to buy from your neighborhood grocery store or farmer’s market are the vegetables and other easy-to-find ingredients.

One randomly picked lucky winner will receive three Indian recipe kits from Veena’s Market - Eggcellent Curry, Delicious Daal and Chickpea Curry.

How to enter the giveaway

‘Like’ Veggie Belly on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Subscribe to my RSS feed

Do one or more of the above. Then come back here, post a comment and let me know that you have.

If you are already following me through facebook, twitter or RSS feed, just leave a comment telling me so and you are entered in the giveaway!

Giveaway ends Monday, November 21st 2011, 9pm PST.  One random winner will be picked. US residents only.

 

Acorn Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream Recipe

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I am still getting used to all the rain in Portland. I figured my best defense against a foggy, rainy day is a good, thick, creamy soup. My neighborhood food co-op had some great looking acorn squash and I decided to use them for this acorn squash soup with chipotle cream.

You can use any kind of winter squash in this soup – butternut, kabocha, delicate etc. Just make sure you get the squash browned and soft in the oven.

I had bookmarked Virginia Willis’ brilliant Acorn Squash and Sweet Potato soup featured on the beautiful Tartelette blog, and used the recipe as an inspiration. Virginia adds a ‘brilliant touch’ to her soup – a dollop of heavy cream whipped with rum, lemon zest and thyme.

Here, I top my acorn squash soup with cream and chipotle peppers. I love using chipotle in winter squash recipes, like in my brown sugar and chipotle baked butternut squash recipe. You can make the chipotle cream a day ahead. You could even make extra and use the cream over burritos or Mexican rice.

The lime zest cuts the creaminess of the soup and balances out the chipotle peppers well. You can also use orange zest instead.

Acorn Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream recipe

Serves 2-3

Acorn Squash Soup Recipe

Ingredients
1 acorn squash
1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2  medium onion, diced
A dash of cinnamon
3 cups vegetable stock
Salt
1/3 cup chipotle cream, recipe below
1/2 teaspoon lime zest

Method
Pre heat oven to 350f

Cut the acorn squash in half, along its equator. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and fiber. Brush 1 teaspoon oil on the cut sides and inside of the squash. Sprinkle with salt. Place the squash in a baking

sheet and bake till it is browned and very soft, about 1 hour.

When the squash is done, remove from oven and let it cool a little. When it is cool enough to handle, removed the skin from the squash and discard.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté on medium heat till onions are soft. Add the baked, peeled squash, cinnamon, vegetable stock, and salt.

Boil for about 5 minutes or till the squash is soft. Then puree the soup in a blender. Be careful when pureeing hot liquids in a blender – make sure you vent the lid a little.

To serve – Pour the hot soup into 2 or 3 bowls. Top each bowl with about 1 tablespoon chipotle cream. Sprinkle lime zest on top.

Chipotle Cream Recipe

makes about 1/3 cup

Ingredients
1/3 cup cream
2 teaspoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Salt

Method
Place everything in a blender or food processor. Blend till the cream thickens a little, about 4 minutes. Make sure you don’t over blend the cream, otherwise it will separate.

Taste the cream and adjust salt if needed. If you want it spicier, add some of the sauce from the chipotle can.

Scrape out chipotle cream into a bowl and set aside.

Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal Recipe

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A Guest Post for Shulie of Food Wanderings

Like me, if you are from the state of Tamil Nadu in India, you know the famous thenga manga pattani sundal you get on the beach in Madras. I see the city growing every time I visit – the buildings get taller, and the cars get fancier. But one thing remains the same – the thenga (coconut) manga (mango) pattani (peas) sundal on the beach. Young boys sell these from huge stainless steel buckets. I hope the tradition of beach goers buying a newspaper bundle of thenga manga pattani sundal on Marina beach never goes away.

For a recipe for this easy sundal, head over to my friend Shulie’s blog, read my guest post there and follow her on twitter.

A Vegetarian Road Trip Across America. What I’m Seeing Doing and Eating Part3 and a Giveaway

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Its official, I am a Portlander now! I completed my cross country trip and arrived in Portland, OR 2 weeks ago. Phew! This is the final post of my road trip series, and was written during the last leg of my journey. This is a bandwidth intensive post because there are lots of pictures. If you have trouble loading the pictures, please email and let me know veggiebelly AT gmail.com

If you havent already, read part1 and part2 of my vegetarian road trip across America.

Notes from the Road

Total miles traveled – 3,791
States covered so far - Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon
Cities visited - Cleveland OH, Chicago IL, Madison WI, Wisconsin Dells WI, La Crosse WI, Sioux Falls SD, Rapid City SD, Sheridan WY, Cody WY, Jackson WY, Boise ID, Portland OR
Mood – tired, eager to get to Portland, but feeling rather triumphant that I will be completing a cross country trip soon
Most Memorable Moment – watching the Old Faithful geyser erupt at night into a star studded sky
Most shocking thing I saw – a highway billboard that said “Help manage our wildlife populations. Wear fur.” Wyoming.
“I am not in DC anymore” moments – 1.seeing atleast 15 taxidermist shops 2.seeing a drive through liquor store 3.facing no traffic at all at any time of the day 4.staying in a house with a real wood burning fireplace
Best meal so far – Homemade idlis that my dear friend Sandhya bought when she visited me in Yellowstone. They were the softest idlis I’ve ever had! Such a treat to picnic with them by Lake Yellowstone. The fries at the Boise Fry company were insanely good. Not a meal technically, but it was so superb!
Craving – curd rice, a veggie bowl from Chipotle

A Magical Weekend at Yellowstone National Park

 

The Old Faithful Geyser erupts every 90 minutes or so.

Geyser basins at Yellowstone.

The Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone

The Old Faithful Inn, built in 1903 using wood from Yellowstone National Park was the most unique, cozy hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Their historic dining room, gigantic stone fire place and rustic log cabin type rooms were all so warm and charming. I spent the evenings sitting on one of their cozy sofas overlooking the lobby, sipping herbal tea, and listening to the cello playing in a distance. It was like being transported back in time.

The mesh box like thing with the long iron handle above is an old pop corn maker. Back in the day, they put popping corn in it and put it in the fire place at the Old Faithful Inn.

Above: The historic restaurant at Old Faithful Inn.

My good friend Sandhya, author of the blog Vegetarian Nirvana, joined me for a few days on this leg of the trip. It was wonderful to share my Yellowstone experience with her. Like me, she is also vegetarian, and came well prepared for her trip.

Finding vegetarian food at Yellowstone wasn’t difficult, but our choice was limited. We had the packaged Indian food Sandhya brought along from Trader Joes for a few meals. Dinners were usually at the grand, historic restaurant at the Old Faithful Inn where we were staying.

Above left is a hottle filled with hot water for tea. To the right – dinner at Old Faithful. A roasted vegetable stack of zucchini, red peppers, portobello mushroom and a disc of crispy polenta.

Every moment at Yellowstone was magical – from the stunning rainbow that greeted me just as I entered the park, to Sandhya’s delicious homemade idlis we snacked on sitting at a picnic table by lake Yellowstone. The idlis were sauteed with lots of mustard seeeds, green chillies and asafoetida. Just how I like it. I was in idli heaven, floating on a fluffy idli cloud.

Wyoming - They Have Real Cowboys!

 It was just like in the movies (or like on Pioneer Woman)! I drove by cowboys on horses, rounding up sheep. And the cowboys were wearing chaps, and cowboy hats and all other stuff cowboys wear. They even tip their cowboy hats and say “howdy!”. I was unmistakably in the wild west!

Beer bread mix in a bottle and Chocolate covered huckleberry fudge cupcakes.

Lunch at Bridge Creek back country kitchen & wine bar in Red Lodge, Montana – soba noodles with plum coconut ginger sauce. They werent real soba noodles, but still very tasty.

I want!

Lotus Cafe, Jackson WY

The wonderful Lotus Cafe in Jackson, WY. We stumbled upon this while walking around town. And we knew instantly that the word “lotus” promises healthy, vegetarian food.  The food was excellent; great atmosphere too.

They have a very interesting list of teas, smoothies, and organic cocktails. I had the navigator tea, whch is meant to “open the heart and release..gently cleanse on many levels. Linden leaf, roasted dandelion root, jasmine flower, St Johns wort, hawthorne berry, elder flower, lotus petal”.

Next we had a thai green curry with brown rice. And a blackbean and veggie burrito, mole sauce and blue corn chips.

If you are ever in Jackson, WY, the Lotus Cafe is a must visit for vegetarians and vegan. You will love it.

The Boise Fry Company - When You Are in Idaho, You Have to Eat a Potato!

I have to thank my car’s GPS for pointing me towards the Boise Fry Company. Their fries were phenomenal and what better place to eat deep fried potatoes than Idaho! I love their fry bar concept. You pick what kind of potato you want, what kind of cut, and few minutes later you get a bowl full of amazing fries. You then have a choice of about 25 kinds of salts and sauces for your fries. It was so much fun and so cheap!

We had a regular cut purple potato fries, curly cut laura potato fries and po’balls which are like tater tots. We doused each one in different combinations of salts and sauces. I loved their smoked hickory salt and their rosemary garlic salt. I still think about these fries!

Commonly Asked Questions About My Road Trip Across America

I already did an FAQ about this trip in my previous post. I’ve received more emails with questions, so here is another installment.

How did you take pictures of yourself when you were alone?
I put my camera on a tripod and triggered it using a remote control. Or I hand my camera to other people to take a picture of me.

What kind of music did you listen to on your drive?
I knew I’d need a lot of music for this trip, so I made playlists on itunes before leaving. I mostly listened to Indian music. I am a huge fan of A.R.Rahman and had his Hindi and Tamil songs playing a lot. When I didn’t feel like listening to music, I switched to Bill Bryson’s audio book, “Notes from a small island”. I also tuned in to local radio stations once in a while for information on weather and traffic.

How do you stay healthy on long trips?
I try to drink lots of water to stay hydrated; it also helps digestion. I like to eat as much fresh fruits, salads and vegetables as I can. I have a tendency to catch colds easily, so I take a high dose of vitamin C, like Airborne, every other day when im traveling. I find that the vitamin C really helps me.

Any tips for girls traveling alone?
-          Use common sense and instinct. If something doesn’t feel right to you, don’t do it.
-          Wear a wedding ring, even if you aren’t married.
-          Talk about a husband, even if you don’t have one.
-          Walk with confidence even if you are lost.  
-          Split your money in 2-3 places – like an inner pocket, your purse and your suitcase. That way if one gets lost, you still have money in other places.
-          Lock your car.
-          Always keep an eye on your belongings. If you have to put your backpack or handbag down, between yours legs is the best place.
-          Trust people. Most the people you will meet in your travels and good human beings. Interact with them for a richer experience.

For more FAQs see my previous post.

 

 

Road Trip Giveaway

I’m Sharing the Goodies I Picked Up Along the Way!

One randomly picked lucky winner will receive the following things I picked up in various states on my trip:

1.Woodenknife fry bread mix. Marketed by the Lakota tribe, this mix makes it easy to make your own Native Indian fry bread or Indian tacos. I had the fry bread made from this very mix in South Dakota, and it was delicous. Read more about my fry bread experience here.
2. The Cheese Factory Restaurant Cookbook. The best vegetarian cookbook I’ve seen! I ate at the Cheese Factory Restaurant, and the food was superb. The recipes in this book are easy and so full of flavor that you will love it!! Recipes include rattle snake tofu, their famous mushroom stroganoff, split pea and smoked seitan soup, Mexican “ouchies”, kasha and brown rice pilaf, dal, Greek eggplant salad and much much more.
I’ve eaten their food, so trust me when I say this is the best vegetarian and vegan cookbook you will lay your hands on!
3.Wild Huckleberry Pancake Mix
4.Yellowstone Pink and Yellow Spoon Rest 
5.Kick Butt Hickory Spice Rub – great on tofu! 
6.Wild Plum Jelly 
7.Wild Black Rice – Minnesota style super long grain black rice
8.Wall Drug cook book – put together by the people at the Wall Drug store. Not a vegetarian cookbook, but there are tons of fun recipes like cheese puffs, quick coffee cake, whole wheat zucchini bread, brownie shortcake, vegetable burritos, noodle garden salad etc 
 9. Corn Meal Wasna – buttery corn meal candy with sugar, raisins, cranberries and chocke cherries.
10. Chokecherry Tea

How to enter the giveaway

‘Like’ Veggie Belly on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Subscribe to my RSS feed

Do one or more of the above. Then come back here, post a comment and let me know that you have.

If you are already following me through facebook, twitter or RSS feed, just leave a comment telling me so and you are entered in the giveaway!

Giveaway ends Wednesday, October 26th 2011, 9pm PST.  One random winner will be picked. I will ship anywhere in the world.

This giveaway has ended, winner is comment #19, Betty!

Mishti Doi Recipe – Yogurt Set with Caramelized Sugar

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..a guest post by Pavithra of Dishes from my Kitchen

I have just completed a cross country drive across America (read about it here and here!) and moved to Portland, OR. While I’m settling in, I’ve asked my good friend and talented blogger, Pavithra to guest post today. Pavithra and I made an instant connection because we are from the same city in India. And I have followed her beautiful blog and seen it grow into a hugely popular destination for Indian food lovers. You are going to love this sweet yogurt recipe! Take it away Pavithra.

First of all I should say thanks to Sala for giving me an opportunity to do this guest post. I am truly honored! Who can say no when your favorite blogger friend asks you to guest post?

I am here today with very rich dessert but really simple to make. Mishti Doi is a Bengali dessert. Bengal is a part of East India and Bengalis are very famous for their sweet preparation. Mishti Doi is among their well known dessert, I have enjoyed having them from my childhood days. Whenever my dad visits Bangalore he will never miss to have them, similarly whenever he takes us to Bangalore we used to enjoy them in a cute earthen pot in a famous Bengali sweet shop.

Mishti Doi is a sweet yogurt. It is made with milk and sugar. A part of sugar is caramelized to give lovely caramel flavor. This is a very popular dessert. Earthenware is always used as the container for making this because the gradual evaporation of water through its porous walls not only further thickens the yogurt, but also produces the right temperature for the growth of the culture. Very often the yogurt is delicately seasoned with a hint of elaichi (cardamoms) for fragrance, but this is absolutely optional. I some times make with Saffron, elaichi or just with caramelized sugar. You can prepare the way you like.

I am giving you two ways of preparing this delicious and flavorful yogurt. If you have evaporated milk and condensed milk handy then go for ver I else you can do the ver II.

Mishti Doi Recipe 1

makes about 4 cups

Ingredients
 1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk
 1 cup boiled whole milk
1/2 can (7 oz) Condensed Milk 
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 tablespoon Water
1/3 cup Yogurt

Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degree Fahrenheit and switch off the oven.

1. Pour the evaporated milk and whole milk in a vessel.
2. Heat them until it is above body temperature.
3. To this add the condensed milk.
4. In the mean time heat 2 tbsp of sugar in a pan on low heat until the sugar is caramelized to nice golden brown. Turn off heat. Now add 1 tbsp of water and stir with a spoon.
5. Add this caramelized sugar to the milk mixture.
6. When the milk mixture is warm add the yogurt and blend well.
7. Pour them in individual serving containers.
8. Close with lid or foil. Let the yogurt set overnight in the preheated oven (dont turn on the oven!)
9. Then refrigerate set yogurt for at least few hours before serving.

Mishti Doi Recipe 2

If you don’t have the condensed and evaporated milk called for in recipe1, no worries here is another recipe for mishti doi without using condensed milk or evaporated.
Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients
3 cups whole milk 
3/4 cup Sugar
1/3 tablespoon Plain Yogurt, whisked
1 tablespoon Water

Method
1. Heat the milk in the heavy bottom pan. Reserving 1/3 cups of the sugar for caramelizing and add the rest to the hot milk. Let boil and reduce to half the quantity.
2. In the mean time heat reserved 1/3 cup of sugar in a pan on low heat until the sugar is caramelized to nice golden brown. Turn off the heat. Now to that add 1 tbsp of water and stir with a spoon.
3. Add this caramelized sugar to the milk and stir until well blended.
4. Let the milk cool just until it is warm (but not hot). Then add the yogurt and mix well.
5. Pour in serving dishes/ pots and set overnight in a warm place*.
6. Once the yogurt is firm, put it in the refrigerator for few hours before serving.

Notes
- Mishti Doi taste’s best when served in earthen pot but it’s optional. But we love making them in earthen pot it really comes out very creamy its my personal experience.
- *Using the warm oven is optional, if the weather is really hot just put the pot in a cool dry place and let them set overnight. If the weather is very cool then opt for oven method to set the yogurt.
- If you want to flavor the yogurt using cardamom or saffron, just omit the caramelization part of sugar. Instead add less then 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder or Saffron (mixed with hot water) to the milk mixture before the yogurt is added

Aloo Gobi Tart Recipe

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..a guest post by Radhika of Food for 7 Stages

I have been reading Radhika’s mouth watering blog,  Food for 7 stages right since its inception. I am excited to invite her to guest blog today, because her recipe for aloo gobi (Indian potato and cauliflower curry) tart is ingenious. We usually eat al00 gobi with rotis, but radhika puts this classic curry on a puff pastry shell to make it a spicy, decadent meal.

And make sure you read my travel posts, about my vegetarian road trip across america part1 and part2

You need inspiration and then some motivation to pursue a task. When it comes to blogging I draw the inspiration from bloggers like Sala of Veggie Belly. Her eye candy pics, storytelling and her love for traveling makes me feel connected with her though I don’t know her personally. But that is what a good blog and good blogger do to you.

When I came to know that Sala was looking for bloggers to guest post whilst she was traveling across the country, I immediately wrote to her. And she graciously accepted my request to guest post in her beautiful blog. Though it is hard to express my gratitude through words, I thank Sala wholeheartedly for giving me this opportunity to write this guest post in Veggie Belly. 

The tree in front of my home warned us well ahead of time about the changing season. Though I am happy to see those bright orange leaves am not really prepared to face the  aftermath. The thought of unpacking the long forgotten boxes filled with our jackets and winter clothes makes me nervous. I couldn’t believe that one brutal winter can change my love for this season. However, I have to accept the fact and move forward. Before the temperature drops further I have to move all my plants indoor, paint our deck and rearrange my home. Sigh. 

As there is always a blessing in disguise, it is the right time to turn on my oven and get started with baking again. The nip in the air made me crave for something hot yet spicy and I got reminded of the gluten free fusion tart I baked few months ago. Though I was not very happy with the tart crust as the sweetness of almond meal was overpowering the better half seemed to like it. And Aloo Gobhi tart it is. This time I wanted to whip up something real quick and I didn’t have patience to make the tart crust from the scratch. Ding… The idea of using puff pastry popped in my mind and viola I had a delicious savory tart to share it with you all. Flaky buttery crust forms a perfect base for this spiced Aloo Gobhi Masala and I would never think of using another crust recipe. Yumm.

There are very few vegetables that marry well with each other. Cauliflower (Gobi) and Potatoes (Aloo) are the right candidates for this perfect marriage. When these two vegetables are blended together with the right spices they create wonders and Aloo Gobhi is one such popular dish from India. The very thought of combining this popular curry with flaky puff pastry makes me weak at the knees. If you are a savory lover like me, go ahead and make this Aloo Gobi tart. I am sure you will enjoy this fusion savory tart as much as my family did. 

Aloo Gobi Tart Recipe

serves 2-3

Ingredients
2 cup Cauliflower florets
2 Potatoes (medium size)
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
1/4 cup finely chopped Tomato
3 teaspoon Canola Oil (or any cooking oil)
1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds / Jeera
2 Cardamon pods
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder or red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garam masala
2 teaspoon Yogurt
2 cup + 4 teaspoon Water
Salt to taste
1 Puff Pastry Sheet (preferably Pepperidge farm), substitute with home made or store bought pie crust
1/4 tablespoon Butter (Optional)
2 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves / Kasuri Methi (Optional)

Method
 Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking tray with wax/parchment paper or foil. Brush it with butter/oil. Place 1 frozen puff pastry sheet on it and allow it to thaw.

Wash cauliflower florets. In a sauce pan, add 2 cup of water, 1/2 tsp salt. Bring it to boil. Turn off and add the cauliflower florets. Let it stand for couple of minutes. This step will cleanse the cauliflower.

In another sauce pan, boil Potatoes until it is 95% cooked (fork tender). I prefer to steam the potatoes. I cut them into equal size chunks and put it in my steamer for 5-6 minutes.

In a wok/kadai, add oil. When it is hot add cumin seeds and allow it to sizzle. Add cardamon, finely chopped ginger. Add onion. Saute until it turns translucent, for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Then add tomato, 1/2 tsp salt and saute for another 3 minutes or until it becomes mushy. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, kashmiri chili powder, saute. Add 2-4 tsp water to prevent it from sticking.

Add cumin powder, coriander powder and saute. Add 2 tsp yogurt, potato and cauliflower. Mix well. Adjust salt as per taste.

Then add garam masala, mix and close the kadai with a lid and let it simmer for couple of minutes. This will allow the flavors to marry well. Do not forget to stir in between to avoid sticking to the pan.

Open the lid, if there is any liquid left cook for couple of minutes until the water evaporates. Turn off and allow it to cool.

Place the baking tray in oven and bake the puff pastry sheet for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 F.

Spread the Aloo Gobhi Masala on the tart. Add few swirls of butter and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve it hot.

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