1. Make sure the pasta is al dente. That is, not over cooked. The pasta should have a little bit to it. Cook it 1 minute less than what the package says
2. Salt the pasta water. This is the only opportunity to give the pasta some salt and flavor.
3. Add cheese a little at a time to the sauce. Make sure a batch of cheese completely melts into the sauce before adding more. This will help the sauce get nice and silky.
4. Add the cheese on low heat. If you add cheese when the sauce is too hot, it will clump up.
5. Make sure the cheese is finely shredded, it will melt better.

Most mac n cheese recipes will have you sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake the whole thing in an oven. I usually never have patience for that! So I mix the cheese sauce with the pasta and eat it right away!

Hatch Chile Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients
½ lb pasta (elbow macaroni, spiral or cavatappi)
2 tablespoons butter
½ an onion, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chopped roasted hatch chiles or green chiles. Freshly roasted or canned.

Method
1. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water. When it is al dente, drain it and set aside. Make sure the pasta is not over cooked.
2. While the pasta is cooking, work on the sauce. Heat butter in a medium sauce pan. Add the onion and cook until it is soft, about 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour onto the butter and stir well. Cook on medium-low heat for about 1 minutes, stirring constantly. The flour should not brown. Now slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Let the sauce cook and come to a boil while whisking it constantly.
4. When the sauce has thickened, reduce the heat to low. Add one small hand full of the shredded cheese. Stir until it is completely melted into the sauce. Now add another hand full of cheese and stir it. Keep adding all the cheese one hand full at a time and making sure it is completely incorporated into the sauce before adding more.
5. Fold in the cooked pasta, green chiles and salt. Increase the heat and cook just until everything is hot.

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Kimchi is easily available at Asian markets. Some store bought kimchis have fish (and some don’t). So read the ingredients label before making your purchase. Alternatively, you can make your own kimchi at home.
Day old, cooked rice works best for this recipe. That’s because old rice has had a chance to dry out and wont get mushy when you make the fried rice. If you already have left over rice on hand, use 3 cups of that for this recipe. If not, cook 1 cup of jasmine rice (this will yield about 3 cups cooked rice), spread it our in a platter to cool and then refrigerate it over night before using. I like jasmine rice for this kimchi fried rice recipe, but any kind of rice will work. Just make sure its not over cooked.

Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe

serves about 2

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 a yellow onion, sliced thin
1/2 a small green pepper, sliced thin. Optional
A pinch of crushed red pepper or according to taste. Optional
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage kimchi, available in Asian markets
3 cups cooked, day old jasmine rice*
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 scallions, chopped. Optional
2 eggs. Substitute with 1/2 cup of cubed, sautéed firm tofu.

*Any kind of rice will work for this recipe; but the amount of water needed and cooking time will vary depending on the kind of rice you use. Just make sure its not over cooked.

To make day old rice – place 1 cup jasmine rice and 1 1/2 cups of water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Stir well. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let the rice simmer for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the riced is cooked through. The rice must be fluffy and separate, not mushy. Spread the rice out on a platter or large plate. Let it cook completely. Then cover refrigerate it over night.

Method
1. Heat the oil on high heat in a wok. Add the onion, green pepper if using, crushed pepper if using, and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add the sliced kimchi and cook for 1 minute. Then add the rice and soy sauce. Stir on high heat until everything is well combined and some of the rice is lightly brown. Taste the fried rice for salt. If you’d like it more salty, add more soy sauce and stir. Sprinkle chopped scallions on top.
3. Heat a small skillet with a few drops of oil on medium heat. Carefully break open an egg onto the skillet. Let it cook undisturbed, until the white is set, but the yellow is still a little runny. Carefully slide the egg on top of the rice. Repeat with the other egg.

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I first discovered Butler soy curls about 6 years ago. Since then, this soy curl taco has been my favorite dish using soy curls. I take back a bag of soy curls for my parents when I visit India. They use it to make masala coated soy curls dish and love it! Soy curls absorb flavors easily and are meaty and satisfying – the best fake meat ever! Even the meat lovers will love this vegetarian, vegan recipe!

Rehydrating soy curls is easy. Just add hot water to them and soak for about 5 minutes. Then drain. When the soy curls are cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as you can. Your soy curls are now all reconstituted and ready to jump into the taco filling! For the filling I used peppers, onions, Mexican oregano and chili powder.

I prefer using corn tortillas over flour. But feel free to whatever kind of tortilla you like – corn, flour, whole wheat – its all good. Use whatever toppings you like for the tacos as well. I topped my soy curl tacos with salsa, shredded cheese and shredded lettuce.

Soy Curls Taco Recipe

serves about 2-3

Ingredients
1 cup soy curls
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red or green pepper, sliced into strips
1 small red onion, sliced into half moons
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon Ancho chili powder. Substitute with regular chili powder or paprika.
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of half a lime
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Half a lime cut into wedges
6-8 small sized corn or flour tortillas

Toppings – pick what you like
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream
Grated cheese
Shredded lettuce

Method
1. First rehydrate the soy curls. Boil water in a kettle. Place soy curls in a bowl and pour enough boiling water over them to completely submerge the soy curls. Let the soy curls soak in the hot water for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Then drain them in a colander. When the soy curls have cooled enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as you can and set aside.
2. Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a large wok or skillet. Add the sliced peppers and onions and sauté for about 2 minutes.
3. Then add the rehydrated soy curls, ground cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, lime juice and salt. Saute for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.
4. Just before serving, wrap the tacos in a stack, in a kitchen towel and microwave them for about 20 seconds. Keep the tacos covered to prevent them from drying out.
5. To serve, fill a warm taco with the soy curl filling and top with your choice of toppings from the list above. Serve the lime wedges on the side.

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I have an exciting new giveaway today. Naturipe Farms is giving away a KitchenAid food processor to one lucky Veggie Belly winner! Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter!

But wait, theres more! You can also win a $500 Williams Sonoma gift card on Naturipe’s site. Head over there and check out their grand prize giveaway!



This simple blackberry jalapeño chutney goes really well with the jerk spiced tofu. You can also use it as a condiment or as a sandwich spread.


Tips
- The onion flakes in the marinade tend to burn. So keep an eye on it. If it starts to burn, sprinkle a little water into the pan. Or use a spoon and remove the bits of the marinade that are browned (but not yet burned). Add the browned onion bits back to the tofu before serving.
-Pressed tofu makes it easier for the marinade to soak in. Pressing tofu is pretty straight forward – you wrap a block of tofu in a kitchen towel and put a weight on it, so that all the water is released. See this post on how to press tofu. If you don’t have time to press tofu, buy extra firm tofu, and gently pat the tofu with a kitchen towel to absorb the liquid. Then proceed with this recipe.
- Substitute allspice with ground cloves.
- The blackberry chutney is very customizable. Adjust the jalapeño, sugar and lime according to your taste.
- Most the heat in jalapeños lies in the seeds and white membrane. If you like it hot, keep the seeds. If you want it mild, remove the seeds and membrane.

Jamaican Jerk Tofu with Blackberry Jalapeño Chutney Recipe

 Serves 2-3

Ingredients
One 15 oz block of firm tofu (drained weight), pressed.
For the Marinade
1 tablespoon onion flakes or onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice. Substitute with 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice, optional
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the chutney
6 oz blackberries
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño*
2 cloves of garlic, optional
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon all spice
Juice of one lime
zest of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar

*This will make a medium-hot chutney. Use more or less jalapeños according to taste.

Method

1. Slice the block of tofu diagonally in half, so you have 2 triangles. Cut each tofu triangle lengthwise into 4 triangles, so that you have 8 tofu triangles in total.
2. Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.
3. Place the tofu in single layer on a plate, container or baking sheet. Pour the marinade on top and spread it evenly to coat the tofu. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days, or cook the tofu immediately.
4. Heat a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the tofu slices on the skillet, without over lapping. Scrape the marinade and drizzle all over the tofu. Cook till both sides of the tofu are golden brown, flipping over once.
5. To make the chutney, place all ingredients, except sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer the chutney for about 8 minutes, or till it thickens. Stir in the sugar, mix well, and turn off heat. Chutney will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

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This curry is very easy to make. The curry powder and the lemongrass do the work for you, really. They make the curry wonderfully aromatic and tasty. A lot of Vietnamese curries have finely minced lemongrass in them. Sometimes lemongrass can be fibrous, so I prefer to leave it whole in the curry, and then fish it out before serving. Just make sure you give the lemongrass stalk a good smash, to break it open and release all its flavors.
 Vietnamese curry powder is easily available at Asian markets. Fubonn, the Asian store I frequent, has several brands of Vietnamese curry powder, and I’m spoiled for choice! Pick a Vietnamese “Madras” curry powder (Ca Ri Ni An Do) and you can’t go wrong.

You can also order Vietnamese curry powder online.

Vietnamese Potato and Green Bean Curry

Serves about 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, diced
1 lemon grass stalk
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Vietnamese curry powder (Ca Ri Ni An Do or Madras Curry Powder). Available at Asian markets or online.
12 oz yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 oz green beans (about 1 heaping cup when chopped). Substitute with 1 heaping cup of broccoli florets
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook on medium heat till slightly browned. While the onion is cooking, prepare the lemongrass – slice off the top and bottom of the lemongrass stalk, cut it into 2 pieces, and using a mallet, smash the two lemongrass sticks in order to release flavor. Set aside.
2. When the onion is golden brown, add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute.
3. Add the smashed lemongrass and curry powder and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Throw in the chopped potatoes, salt, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer covered till the potatoes are cooked but still holding their shape.
5. Now add the beans or broccoli, coconut milk and sugar. Cook on medium heat till the beans/broccoli are tender. If the curry is too thick, add up to 1 cup water.
7. Fish out and discard the lemongrass pieces before serving.
6. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rice, noodles or baguette.

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Tom Kha Asparagus with Jasmine Rice

Serves 2

Ingredients
4 cups vegetable stock or water
6 kaffir lime leaves
one 1/2 inch piece of galangal
2 lemon grass stalks, cut into 6 pieces
1-2 thai chillies, slit
1/2 can straw mushrooms, drained
16 spears asparagus, tough stems removed,and cut into 3 pieces
1 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup cooked jasmine, brown or basmati rice

Method
1. Place the vegetable stock or water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. While that is heating up, lightly bruise the kaffir lime, galangal and lemongrass pieces in a mortar and pestle. Add to the stock/ water and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Strain the stock, reserving the liquid. Discard the solids in the stock. Return the stock in the saucepan, add the chili, mushrooms, asparagus, coconut milk, lime juice, sugar and soy sauce and bring back to a boil. Boil the soup till the asparagus is cooked but still crisp, about 1 minute. Taste the soup and add more soy sauce if needed.
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

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You can find rice noodles in the Asian aisle of the grocery store, or at Asian markets where there is usually more variety and brands. Make sure the only ingredient listed on the packet is rice or rice flour. Some brands will list water and salt, besides the rice as ingredients and thats ok.

 The seasoning for these lemon rice noodles is simple and easy. Its the standard Indian “tadka” – a tempering of whole spices in oil. I then add freshly squeezed lemon juice and turmeric to the tadka before throwing in the rice noodles.
 This is a crowd pleasing recipe, easy to make, and keeps well so you can take it for pot lucks and picnics. Kids will also love it. Serve it with a simple coconut chutney, pumpkin spinach curry, or my cashew nut curry. Make it a complete meal by throwing in some steamed broccoli or sautéed vegetables on top of the noodles.

Lemony Rice Noodles (Lemon Idiappam) Recipe

serves about 4

Ingredients
8 oz rice sticks
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds, optional
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoons chana dal, optional.
1 tablespoon cashewnuts
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 green chili slit. Use more if you like it hot.
6 curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida, optional
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

 Method
1. Soak the rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat a large wok with the oil. Add the mustard seeds if using. When they pop, add the cumin seeds, chana dal, cashew nuts, ginger, chili, curry leaves and asaf0etida. Stir on medium-low heat till fragrant and the chana dal and cashews are golden.

3. Add turmeric, lemon juice, salt and 1 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil.

4. Immediately dd the soaked rice noodles to the wok. Using tongs, gently toss till everything is well combined. Mix in the lemon zest if using. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with Sri Lankan Cashew curry, pumpkin curry or just on its own.

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One of my favorite dishes that I had on a recent trip to Sri Lanka was this cashew curry. The hotel chef kindly agreed to show me how he makes it and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you! But first, here are some photos from my trip. (Make sure you also check out part 1 of my Sri Lanka trip with a two ingredient coconut roti)

Breakfast – My favorite meal in Sri Lanka

Red rice string hoppers, coconut roti, and potato curry with tea for breakfast

Hoppers for breakfast - fermented rice crepes

Curry leaf hoppers

Sweet string hoppers filled with coconut

Fresh pandan leaves add a herbal flavor to Sri Lankan cooking

Vegetable stuffed roti demo

Welcome drinks at Vil Uayana - coconut water, juice, iced tea

Climbing Sigiriya Lion Rock

Sigiriya lion rock

Climbing the Sigiriya rock, all 600 feet!

View from the top

At the end of the climb we treated ourselves to Old Arrack - distilled coconut toddy

Sri Lankan Cashew Curry Recipe

This cashew curry uses soaked cashews and coconut milk, spiced with sweet cinnamon and cardamom, spicy green chillies, herby pandan and unraosted Sri Lankan curry powder. Unroasted Sri Lankan curry powder is lighter in color than the roasted kind, and is often used in vegetable curries and coconut milk based dishes. Unroasted or raw Sri Lankan curry powder contains coriander, fennel, cumin, cinnamon as the predominant spices. Sri Lankan curry powder is availableonline

Frozen pandan leaves and unroasted Sri Lankan curry powder

Pandan leaves are used in Sri Lanka, much like curry leaves are used in India. Pandan, also called screw pine, is a tropical tree. Its leaves are used in Sri Lankan, Malaysian and Thai cooking. In India Pandan is called Kewra, and although not used in cooking, it is used to flavor drinks. Pandan has a wonderful, herby, grassy flavor.

Making this cashew curry is easy. Just sauté the aromatics and onion and garlic, then add the spice powders, followed by soaked cashew, tomato and coconut milk. Then cook everything till the cashew soften. Remember, the longer you soak the cashews, the quicker they will cook. For cashew curry, never add salt while cooking. Salt won’t let the cashews cook quickly. Always add salt right at the end for cashew curry.

Serve Sri Lankan cashew curry with white, brown or red rice. It also goes well with string hoppers. Sometimes I even serve this curry with quinoa!

Sri Lankan Cashew Curry Recipe
serves about 4

Ingredients
3/4 cup raw cashew nuts
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds, optional
6 curry leaves
2 one inch pieces of pandan leaf, optional. Available frozen at Asian markets.
1 Thai green chili, slit
1 cardamom pod, cracked open (gently smash it with the back of a spoon)
1 thin sliver of cinnamon
2 shallots, chopped
1 fat garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon unroasted Sri Lankan curry powder, available online
1/4 teaspoon pepper powder, optional
1 small tomato, chopped. I used 6 cherry tomatoes instead.
1 cup coconut milk

Method

1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a saucepan, and add mustard seeds if using. When they pop, add in the curry leaves, pandan leaves, green chili, cardamom and cinnamon. Stir for 30 seconds. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for about a minute, or till the shallots are soft.

3. Add the turmeric, curry powder and pepper powder. Give it a quick stir. Then add the soaked and drained cashews and tomato nd stir to coat. Then pour in coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cook on a lively simmer till the cashews are very soft – about 40 minutes. If the curry is too thick, add more water 1/4 cup at a time and boil again.
4. Stir in salt and serve hot with rice.

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Sri Lankan Curry Powder and Tea Giveaway

I’ve bought back some curry powders and tea from my trip and will be sending it to one lucky winner!
One randomly picked winner will receive
1. A 100g packet of roasted Sri Lankan curry powder
2. A 100g packet of unfrosted Sri Lankan curry powder
3. Basilur tea flavored with papaya and marigold, in a book shaped tin

Enter below! US and Canada shipping only! a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Everyday Mixed Vegetable Curry Recipe

serves about 4
Ingredients
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 green chili, slit, optional
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
1/8th teaspoon chili powder, or more according to taste
1/2 cup diced carrot (small cubes)*
1/2 cup chopped green beans*
1 cup chopped cauliflower florets*
Salt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

*Chop all the vegetables small, and keep them the same size so they cook evenly

Method
1. Core the tomatoes and puree them in a blender, using as little water as possible. Blend into a very smooth puree and set aide.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the green chili and cook for 10 seconds. Turn the heat down to low.
3. Sprinkle the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powder on the oil. Immediately pour in the pureed tomatoes plus 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat enough to maintain a lively simmer. Cook till the sauce thickens just a little, and gets glossy, about 7 minutes.
4. Now throw in the vegetables and salt and cook covered till vegetables are soft.
5. If the sauce is too thick, add up to one cup of water to thin it down and boil for another minute. This is not a thick curry, it should be a little thin.
6. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rotis.

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To commemorate my paternal grandmother’s first year death anniversary, I am posting a series of my grandmothers favorite recipes. This potato kurma recipe is second in the series. Read my first post in the series here.

My grandmother with my father

My grandmother with me

Of everyone in our family, I think I spent the most time with with my grandmother. She raised me, I shared a room with her, and went with her every where. I was always by her side. And I learnt a lot from this amazing woman just from tagging along. “Don’t depend on anyone. You must learn to do things yourself”, she’d say again and again. Every time I traveled with her, which was a lot, she would teach me again and again how to be independent. Through her, I experienced the joy that comes from not depending. As early as 10 years old, she’d make me check in at airports. There I’d be, not even reaching the counter, checking in for the two of us. It made my 10 year old self feel empowered and confident.

My grandmother also often said it was important to learn to cook and I think its one of there reasons I took an interest in cooking early one. (Ironically, she never cooked herself!). She relished this potato kuruma, often having her cook make it for dinner with fresh chappatis. This kurma, made with coconut milk and topped with fried onions, is rich and comforting. And the home made masala which is the flavor base of this kuruma is well worth the effort.

Take care not to overly brown the chills and the spices in the masala. If you over toast the spices, the kuruma will taste bitter. The trick is to stir constantly so the spices toast evenly. Remove the spices from the heat as soon as they smell fragrant.

Potato Kurma with Fried Onion Recipe

serves about 4

Ingredients
For the Masala
1 teaspoon oil
6-8 dried red chilis
2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon uncooked rice, optional

For the Kuruma
1lb yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
6 curry leaves
Salt
1 cup coconut milk

For the topping
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions or shallots
1 dried chile
6 curry leaves

Method
1. First make the masala. Heat oil in a small skillet, and add chilis. Cook them on medium heat just till they turn color, about 45 seconds. The chills should still be fairly red in color, not black. Remove the chiles and place on a plate.
2. To the same pan, add the remaining masala ingredients. (No need to add extra oil). Fry till they are fragrant and lightly browned, about 45 seconds.
3.Using a spice grinder, grind the chiles and spices using a little water, into a thick paste. Set aside.
4. Now make the kuruma. Peel and cube the potatoes. You should have approximately 5 handfuls of cubed potatoes.
5. In a large wok or saucepan, heat the oil and add onions and curry leaves. Cook on medium heat till the onion is soft, about 1 minute.
6. Add the potato cubes and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes.
7. And the ground masala paste and salt. Stir well.
8. Add enough water to cover the potatoes (about 2 cups). Bring to a boil. Then cover the wok with a lid, and let the potatoes cook on a lively simmer till the potatoes are soft but still holding their shape. Then remove the lid, and continue cooking till most the water is absorbed.
10. Now pour in coconut milk. Stir and turn off heat.
11. While the potatoes are cooking, work in the topping – heat oil in a small saucepan, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add all remaining topping ingredients and sauté on medium heat till the onions are browned.
12. Top kurma with the fried onion topping. Serve kuruma with rotis or naan.

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