Taste Neighbors

I am big fan of Thai food. The spice, flavor of basil and lemon grass, the taste of coconut milk, everything. My favorite Thai dish of all is their green and red curry followed by the Choo Chee Tofu* dish.

My personal Thai favs in the South Bay area is Krung Thai, followed by Amarin Thai.

Krung Thai:
I have been to TheNewKrungThai and the OrginalKrungThai. Not sure if both are operated under the same management, however, I haven’t found much difference in terms of quality and taste. The new one definitely has more dishes to offer, but I usually stay with the tested vegetarian stuff.

Great lip licking food, quick service, reasonable rates. However the staff is not very friendly. Also, Fridays and weekends are usually very crowded, finding a parking spot is a hassle. Staff and the seating arrangement is not very kid friendly.


Amarin Thai:
I have tried the one in Prospect Road, pretty good food. But I would give it half a star less than Krung Thai. Very friendly service, staff, seating arrangement very kid friendly. I am hearing raving reviews about the Mountain View Amarin Thai restaurant. Must check it out.

The only thing that irks me about Amarin thai is their serving style. I have failed to understand why they serve curries in a tiny bowl with the curry spilling over the bowl into the plate. Traditional?


Here are some useful links:
NewKrungThai - Restaurant, Menu
OriginalKrungThai - Restaurant, Menu
Amarin Thai: Restaurant, Menu


More reviews on these restaurants:
Amarin Thai review @ Fun and Food
KrungThai @ UrbanSpoon
KrungThai @ MetroActive


* Choo Chee Tofu: Fried tofu and mushrooms sautéed in light red coconut curry sauce with bell peppers, sweet basils & fine kaffir lime leaves.

Everyone in our family including my 3.5 year old daughter and my 13 month old toddler love pasta with pesto sauce. My daughter calls is “green sauce”. The store bought ones don’t retain the fresh basil smell and I have no control over the amount of oil and cheese that is added to it. Every time I find fresh basil leaves in our neighborhood Trader Joe’s, I am sure to pick a bunch and run it through the processor for some yummiculous pesto sauce.

I make it very less oil and no cheese as I freeze them into cubes. Once they are frozen, I transfer them into zip locks, for ease of use. Freezing them into cubes makes it easy to thaw only as many as needed, instead of the whole container.
Also, I almost always make pasta with veggies. Veggies are sauteed or grilled, so there is always a little oil used for that. One of the reason, I make the sauce with very little oil.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves. (hard stems cut)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 4 medium sized garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Lemon juice (optional)

Method

Wash and remove the hard stems from basil.
Put the basil in the food processor.
Add olive oil as the processor is running.
Add pine nuts and garlic.
If the mixture is too thick, add water or some more oil.
You can also blend it in a blender if you don’t have a food processor. Comes out just fine.

Immediately transfer into freezer cubes.

Pesto sauce can be poured over boiled pasta. I also throw in few sauteed broccoli and asparagus. Makes for a delicious and healthy meal.


Tips taken from Taste Buddies and No Fear Entertaining Blog.

I always remember eating besan laddoos from my childhood whenever we visited temple and I always love eating them.We generally make them during festivals especially Diwali. My husband is a big fan of besan laddoos so whenever he demands it, I always end up making it for him.

Ingredients:

2 cups Besan
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup ghee
1 teaspoon elaichi powder(green cardamom powder)

Method:

Take ghee in a kadhai and heat it.
Add the besan and continue frying till the flour changes it to a darker colour and a strong smell of cooked besan comes.
Remove it from the flame,add sugar and elaichi powder.
Roll the besan to ping pong size laddoos.
Store it in an airtight box.

Ingredients:

2 cups Chole(soaked overnight)
2 tablespoons oil
2 onions (medium sized)
2 green chillies
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
2 tomatoes(medium sized)
1 bay leaf(tejpatta)
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
1″ cinnamon stick
2 black cardamom(badi elaichi)
4 green cardamom(choti elaichi)
4 cloves(laung)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds(jeera)
1 teaspoon mango powder(amchoor)
1 tablespoon chole masala
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 tablspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
Salt according to taste
Red chilli powder according to taste
Coriander for garnishing

Method:

Pressure cook the chole with peppercorns,2 green cardamom,2 cloves and 2 black cardamom.Chola has to be cooked enough to crack the the outer shell.(I generally give one whistle on high flame and then two whistles on low flame)
Grind 1 1/2 onions and green chillies to from a smooth paste.Slice the remaining onion.
Heat oil a a wide mouthed vessel.Add cumin seeds,bay leaf,cinnamon stick,green cardamom and cloves.Add the sliced onion and fry until golden brown.
Add onion and green chillies paste and ginger garlic paste and fry until it becomes light brown in colour.
Grind the tomatoes as well.Add this paste as well for frying.In the meanwhile add coriander powder,red chilli powder and salt.
When fried,add boiled chole removing the water(Do not throw the water).Fry the chole with masala making sure that chole do not break.Add the garma masala and chole masala.Keep frying.
WHen chole are fried well,add the water left after boiling and amchoor powder.Let it come to a boil and your chole are ready.
Granish with coriander leaves and serve.

Bathua (White goose-foot) comes in category of greens well known in North India. It looks like the photo below.

It is often cooked like spinach. It has a huge medicinal values as well. Here is one recipe of bathua which i hope you will enjoy!!!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups of wheat flour
1 tablespoon ajvain
1/2 bunch of bathua
1 tabelspoon salt
3-4 green chillies
Oil for frying

Method:

Remove the leaves of bathua from the stalk and wash nicely.
Pressure cook the leaves with a single whistle.
Remove the water and grind it with the green chillies (Do not throw the water).
Take the wheat flour and add this grinded bathua, salt, ajvain. Make a dough (shown as below) using the left over water while boiling Bathua.

Roll them like puris and deep fry them.
Serve hot with pickle

Tips:

If you do not want to take too much oil, you can make even chapattis of this.

Dal [Lentils] is a staple source of protein in most vegetarian Indian household. There are many types of dal we use in various dishes. Lentils are low in carbs, rich in protein and fiber. They also cook easily when pressure cooked. Some lentil types might need to be soaked to cook them to a soft consistency.
This post will be constantly updated linking them to dishes as and when we post them.


Toor Dal or Arhar Dal [Split Pigeon Peas]


The most common of all dal’s in Indian cooking is toor dal, also known as arhar dal or tuvar dal. This lentil is mid in taste, so they can be used in variety of dishes and usually will blend in with other spices in the dish. They are also one of the easily digestable dal variety. We start infants with arhar or moong dal pani, when introducing dal.

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Moong Dal [Mung Beans]

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The other commonly used lentil in Indian cooking is urad dal. They are the main ingredient in the everyday popular South Indian idli / dosa. They are also used in making vada, kachoidi’s. These are slightly more sticky and starchy as compared to arhar dal.

Ingredients:

For batter:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour(maida)
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 pkt of yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup of cold water

For toppings:

3/4 cup Pasta sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups pizza cheese/mozilla cheese
Vegetables (onion, green pepper, red pepper, mushrooms, babycorns, sundried tomatoes, olives or any combination of the veggies)
Chicken breast(optional)

Method:

Take a big bowl and add all purpose flour to it.
Add salt and sugar and mix it evenly in the flour.
Add yeast to warm water and mix it well so that bubbles come out.
Mix it with flour evenly.
Add olive oil and water and knead it to a smooth dough (It might be sticky but dont worry about it).
Keep this covered with a lid for 2-3 hours or until dough increases to double the size.
Take this dough in hand and make a smooth round. Pour enough flour on the surface you are going to roll it.
Roll it circular/square (any sape - circular in my case) till it exactly fits your pizza plate.
Put enough flour on your pizza plate so that the pizza base does not stick to it.
Put the rolled base on it and raise the edges a little so that the toppings are well secure within the base.
Now put olive oil on the base and spread it all across the surface.
Smoothly spread the pasta sauce all over the base.
Now spread about half cup of cheese across the base.
Cut the onions layer by layer to about half inch slices, slice the mushrooms, cut the red and green peppers to half an inch size pieces removing the seeds. Cut the baby corns and olives lengthwise to two halves. (You can have your own selection of veggies. It is not mandatory to put all the vegetables)
Now put all the veggies of your choice making sure you do not cluster the veggies at a place. Put the veggies in a single layer else they might not cook properly.
If you wish to put chicken pieces in it, cut chicken to finger sized slices and fry it in oil for about 10 mins before adding it.
After all the veggies are placed properly, sprinkle left cheese evenly all over the place and it will look like the picture below.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees for about 10 mins and place the pizza plate in it.
Check after 15 mins. To check lift and see with a flat spatula if the lower layer is light brown in colour. If not, let it for 5 more mins and the yummy pizza is ready for you.
Cut into slices and sprinkle pizza seasoning and chilli flakes.
Enjoy your pizza!!!!!!!

A quick mango pickle which I remember eating from childhood during summer for breakfast with parathas. It is easy to make and can be stored in refrigerator for about two weeks. I still remember when my neice was small, every summer she used to demand my mother for this one and whenever it was over, she used to send the bottle through someone for the refill. Even this weekend my mother told that she made the murabba and sent it for her. So still it continues………

Ingredients:

2 unripe mangoes
2 tablespoons oil
5-6 red whole chillies
1 pinch of asafoetida powder
1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Salt and chilli powder to taste

Method:

Wash and peel the mangoes.
Either grate mangoes or finely chop them.
In a wide bottomed vessel add the oil.
When hot, add cumin and fennel seeds till they begin to splutter.
Break red chillies into two or three pieces and add it to oil. Add turmeric powder and asafoetida powder.
Add chopped/grated mango and fry it for about 2-3 minutes. Add salt and chilli powder.
Add water and cover the vessel with a lid. Let the mango cook fully on a medium flame. (It will take 10-15 mins to cook)
When fully cooked, add sugar and mix well throughout. Continue cooking for sometime. (You might need a little more sugar if the mangoes are too sour)
Switch off the gas when the consistency is thick enough. Cool it, put in a container and refrigerate.
Serve it with hot parathas.

Tips:
Do not add sugar until the mango is fully cooked. Once sugar is added mango would not cook.

An easy way to make quick veg fried rice.

 Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati rice
2 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup green peas
1 carrots finely chopped
1/4 cup of beans finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup of cabbage finely chopped
2 spring onions finely chopped
2 green chillies sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup capsicum finely chopped
2 button mushrooms sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons soya sauce
1/2 tablespoon green chilli sauce
1/2 tablespoon red chilli sauce
Salt and pepper according to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Wash the rice and cook it with one or two drops of oil(each grain of rice stands out after cooking).
Heat the oil in a wide vessel.
When hot, add green chillies, onions and garlic to it.
Fry it for a while and add veggies which take a little longer to cook i.e. peas, carrots and beans.
Cover with a lid and let it cook till half way done.
Open the lid and add cabbage to it.
After cabbage turns transparent, add spring onion, mushrooms and capsicum.
Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes and add pepper powder, salt, soya sauce and the two chilli sauces. Do not overcook the veggies.
Slowly mix the rice to the cooked veggies making sure that the rice does not break.
When mixed evenly switch off the gas, garnish with coriander and serve hot.

A simple and scrumptious dosa variety that does not need fermenting. Healthy and tasty.

Serves 3 - 4 people.

Ingredients for the batter:

• Arahar Daal[Split Peas] - 1/3 cup
• Chana Daal[Red Lentils] - 1/3 cup
• Urad Daal[Green Lentils] - 1/3 cup
• Rice - 1 and 1/2 cup
• Black pepper - To taste
• 2 red chillies
• Pea sized ginger
• Salt to taste

Optional:
Finely chopped onions
Grated carrots

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Method:
Preparing The Batter:
Soak the 3 daal’s, rice and pepper for about 2 hours.
Grind all the ingredients to a dosa like batter consistency.

Making the Dosa:
The batter could be optionally fermented for 2 - 3 hours. However, I have made it few minutes after the batter is prepared and it tastes just as good.
Optionally grated carrot, finely chopped onions can be added to the batter.
Serve with a chutney of your choice.
[I avoid saambhar as the batter is daal rich already]