Sev usar is essentially a thick soup made of dried green peas (vatana peas), and is topped with tamarind (imli) chutney, onions, tomatoes, and sev (small crunchy noodles made of chickpea flour).
My husband and I have been married for three-and-a-half years. As he and his family are Gujarati, I have learned about and eaten many new Gujarati foods over the past few years. My husband is a big fan of various types of chaat, a loose term for a snack generally prepared with some type of fried dough, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and various sauces. In India, you will often find chaat being sold in markets and train stations. Because my husband enjoys chaat, we often eat it when we visit my in-laws. One of my favorite dishes that my mother-in-law makes is sev usar--a type of Gujarati chaat. If you are a fan of ragada patties (another chaat dish), then you will like sev usar too! I think the first time I had sev usar was during one of my very first trips to my in-laws' home, before my husband and I were even married. It quickly became one of my favorites because (1) I love soup and anything resembling a soup, (2) I love healthy and light dishes. Sev usar is an awesome dish to make when you are in the mood for chaat, but you want to be healthy!
Sev usar is essentially a thick soup made of dried green peas (vatana peas), and is topped with tamarind (imli) chutney, onions, tomatoes, and sev (small crunchy noodles made of chickpea flour).
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This time a year ago, my husband and I were on vacation in Thailand. It has been brutally cold for the past few weeks--we even had a snow day from work a few days ago--and naturally we have been reminiscing about the warm weather days in Thailand. As I have noted elsewhere in this blog, our trip to Thailand (specifically a cooking class we took) really inspired my desire to cook from-scratch and healthy food. So, with Thailand already on my mind, this week I made a dish inspired by Thai flavors. The recipe for the chicken in this dish is actually the recipe used to make the Thai dish "chicken satay." The ingredients, however, are all easily found in an Indian kitchen. It is really fascinating how much Thai cooking and Indian cooking have in common--and this can be attributed to the old spice routes that connected Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent to the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe.
The main "Thai inspiration" in this recipe comes from the use of coconut milk instead of yogurt. Coconut milk is used to make almost all Thai curries; but it is also a very popular ingredient in South Indian cooking as well. Since this recipe is a semi-fusion recipe, there is not a traditional name for it; therefore, I have decided to call it coconut milk chicken tikka! The name alone makes me hungry!
Patta Gobhi is one of my favorite bhaajis. When I was younger, I was not a big fan; but as I've gotten older, I really appreciate that patta gobhi is light, low calorie, and--most importantly--has amazing flavor and a nice crunch. When I go back home to see my parents, my mom makes it knowing it has become one of my favorites. I could honestly eat it by itself in a bowl!
Patta gobhi is a great option on a busy weeknight. It requires very few ingredients and cooks very quickly because you are essentially stir-frying everything. Compared to other Indian dishes, this is a quick and easy fix.
"Patta gobhi" means cabbage. "Chana dal" is the split inner kernel of a black chickpea. These are the two main ingredients in the dish--so you can see why it's pretty low calorie! You can buy chana dal at the Indian grocery store; or, Bob's Red Mill also sells it. I lived in a dormitory my first two years of college. During my junior and senior year, I lived in a house with a few girls. To this day, my roommates are still some of my best friends; in fact we have probably grown closer since graduating college. This recipe comes from one of my college roommates--KP--who modified a recipe from her mother-in-law. KP's family and her husband's family are from Andhra Pradesh, so this is a South Indian recipe. I chose to make this dish this week for two reasons. First, it has been brutally cold where we live and the thought of a warm curry dish was enticing! Second, my husband, V, and I are attending a wedding in two weeks and are trying to eat healthy until then. This dish is wonderful because it is full of protein and is very low in carbohydrates!
Bhindi bhaaji was a staple weeknight dish for my Mom. It was always one of my favorite dishes because it was not very spicy and my Mom cooked it until it was slightly crispy and crunchy. I love bhindi bhaaji so much that I made sure it was served at my wedding reception! As a note, "bhaaji" is a Marathi word for a dish consisting of a cooked vegetable. In Hindi it is known as a "sabzi"; in Gujarati it is known as a "shaak." There is a different word in every language, but it is the same thing!
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July 2015
AuthorExploring Indian cuisine and trying to learn the recipes of my family. I hope to help and inspire others along the way. |