The gluten-free zucchini fritters are made with farm-fresh zucchini along with various spices and flours. They are quick and easy to make and goes well with yogurt dip or chutney or ketchup if you so prefer.
I had a few lone farm-fresh zucchinis sitting in the fridge all by themselves from the food choice box we get every week from the farm. I had no idea of what dish to make using zucchini. I had cook’s block, if there is one. When that happens, I usually make some good ginger-cardamom chai (tea) and sit out on the balcony with my cookbooks and magazines. I browse through the various recipes and articles hoping a few recipes would trigger some ideas. As I was browsing through the Bon Appetit magazine, I hit upon multiple recipes containing Zucchini! I especially liked the Tender Zucchini Fritters with Green Goddess Dressing.
…continue reading Zucchini Fritters
Tags: Appetizer · Gluten-free · Vegan
Muthias are traditional Indian snack made with various veggies, spices, semolina and other flours, steamed and then pan-fried.
This week I decided to make a classic Gujarati dish called Muthia. Gujarat is one of the western states of India and muthia’s are a staple that are eaten for breakfast, as a snack etc. They are not only healthy but tasty too. They are made with various kinds of vegetables along with spices. They are then steamed to cook them and pan-fried with a little oil along with mustard and cumin seeds. You can even add sesame seeds and sprinkle it with some fresh grated coconut and finely chopped cilantro. There are innumerable variations that can be applied to the recipe. I made with spinach but feel free to substitute with squash, zucchini etc. They are easy and quick to make without too much effort.
…continue reading Muthia (Pan-fried Spinach Dumpling)
Tags: Appetizer · Gluten-free · Vegan · Vegetarian
The potato rice flour patties are gluten-free and excellent tasting appetizer that can be eaten with chutneys or ketchup or as a burger.
Last weekend we had one of our friends over for dinner since they were leaving for Hawaii and wanted some advice from us as to the places to see during their stay there. Since my wife, Cheryle, is from Hawaii and I have lived there for 5 years, we gave them a long list of both tourist and non-tourist type of things to see and do. We gave them suggestions of the various beaches and eateries where the locals go to in Oahu and some of our favorite places to eat and visit. There are a lot of things to see and do in Hawaii – snorkeling, wind surfing, hiking etc. And of course, the food there is amazing. There is bakery called Leonard’s bakery that sell malasadas. Malasadas are Portuguese confections that are deep-fried and coated with granuated sugar. If you ever visit Honolulu, do not forget to go there as they are delicious. Get the traditional malasadas and not the ones with various fillings. Some of my favorite Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants are in Hawaii. The Chinese food in Hawaii is a little different from the mainland because it has local Hawaiian flavor that adds to the tastiness factor with a heaping Aloha factor! We were so used to the Chinese cuisine of Hawaii that when we moved to the mainland, we had to readjust to a different taste. Another of my favorite restaurants is Roy Yamaguchi’s Roys restaurant. It is a fusion of European techniques and Asian cuisine using fresh local produce. I love restaurants when they use local organic ingredients without any of the additives that the big corporations add in their food. Nothing like eating wholesome, organic and nutritious food.
…continue reading Rice and Garfava Flour Patties
Tags: Appetizer · Gluten-free · Vegan
This dish is made with Eggplant and lightly spiced. It is eaten as an appetizer with french bread or cracker. Make it spicy and try with Naan (Indian Bread).
When I started making this recipe, I wanted to make a traditional spicy eggplant dish that you find in Indian restaurants. As I was about to start cooking, I realized that I did not have tomatoes since I had used that to make a spicy split pea lentil recipe that turned out really tasty. Then I realized I was missing another key ingredient, Paneer (Indian Cheese). At this point I was too lazy to go out to the store to pick those items. I had to think fast as to what I was going to make for the blog and dinner. My daughter was starting to get impatient and she shouts “Dad, I am hungry! Is the food ready yet”. Ah, the pressure between trying to come up with a recipe when I do not have all the ingredients and a hungry little girl. Think, Think, Think.
…continue reading Eggplant Pate
Tags: Appetizer · Gluten-free · Vegan
Spicy vegetable cutlet is a spicy dish that is made with potatoes, peas, beans and can be used as an appetizer or eaten as a snack.
Over the holidays, I experimented with lots of dishes using various ingredients and vegetables. One of the pending tasks on my list was to use the recipes that my mom had left for me when she visitited us 2 years ago. There were quite a few recipes as she used to teach cooking classes in India. As I was going through them, I realized the measurements and instructions were very confusing. Also, what made it more complicated was the measurements were in metric. But it is not the metric system that confused me (since metric units are much simpler) but the directions and quantities used. I had to make quite a few adjustments to the recipe in order for it to come out tasting the way it is supposed to taste. Even after that I messed up quite a few dishes. One of the ones that I messed up was a dish that used Tapioca.
…continue reading Spicy Vegetable Cutlet
Tags: Appetizer · Snack · Vegan
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