Homemade Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce

In most of my Mexican dishes or any Mexican recipes , if you add this sauce , it will jazz up your dish. But some parts of the world its not easy to find all the necessary ingredients and even when its available some don't have access or don't know how to use it. so here is the answer to all of your questions, Make this sauce at home and freeze it up in small batches so you don't mess up with your hard work. You can keep the peppers whole once its done, or just make fine puree of everything and store it. This time I kept it whole and whenever I need it , I take as per my need and chop it and use it.

Chipotle pepper is nothing but dried and smoked jalapenos. So if you have dried jalapenos, you half work is done and Don't worry if you don't find red jalapenos, use dried guajillo chillies.

On another note, I am going on small vacation with my family so won't be posting for a week. I love blogging but my family is first as its with you all too and next week is very important for us, its our princess birthday so once we will back from vacation, I have one amazing guest post ready so till have go thru my old posts and keep on visiting me.

Ingredients:

8-10 Chipotle peppers, removed stems
1 cup tomato puree with 1 tsp. of honey or sugar
1/2 cup water
1 medium white onion finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves - smashed
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tbs. black peppercorns
Water if needed

Method:


Wash the peppers , removed its stems and put them in hot water for 20 minutes. If it comes up and don't stay in water, put a bowl or heavy stuff so it stays in water.

Remove 4 soaked peppers  and put them in blender. Add tomato puree with sweetener and half cup water. Blend till you got nice paste.

Dont touch rest of the peppers, leave them in hot water only while you are making paste.

Now add that paste with remaining soaked peppers in a pan.

Add onion, garlic, salt, peppercorn and vinegar in the pan and mix it.
Bring it to boil and then reduced the flame and let it simmer for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Check it every 30 minutes, if you need more water  , add it so it still can cook and don't dry up.

Once the sauce is thicker and pepper also soften up, take off from the flame and let it cool. and store it for later use in sterilize bottles.

Your Chipotle in adobo sauce is ready to use, now you don't have any excuse not to make Mexican dishes. 

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Corn and Poblano Tostadas with Guacamole

When you host a bbq party or having a bbq, some dishes are essential but still you can try new things to jazz up your bbq. Its not like this dish is only for bbq, you can do inhouse grilling too. Mexican dishes are our favorite too , we have every week a fiesta at our house. So I am always looking for new dishes to have it. This is very easy but flavorful dish.. It needs tostadas but if you don't have it, don't have to go out and buy it, Use regular small size yellow or white corn tortillas and make them crunchy by pressing with towel on hot pan. You will have your tostadas. Spread the grilled corn and poblano on guac with little salad and cheese and you have amazing dish ready. So Lets heat up the grill.

Ingredients :

1 cup Guacamole

4 ears corn  

4 Poblano peppers

2 cloves garlic chopped

salt to taste

6 tostadas shells

For Toppings :

shredded lettuce

thinly sliced radishes

Monterey Jack cheese shredded

Chipotle Mayo

Method:

Lightly oil corn and poblano and grill. 

Let them cool and cut corn off the cob 

Peel off charred skin of poblanos and cut in to bite size pieces.

Take a bowl, add poblanos, corn and salt and mix it.

Spread tostadas with guacamole . 

top with corn mixture, lettuce, radishes, and cheese.

Drizzle with chipotle mayo and enjoy.

If you don't have chipotle mayo, take regular mayo, add your favorite hot sauce in it and mix it and use it. You can use Mexican cream / sour cream also instead of Mayo. If available, use Mexican Queso  fresco for real taste.

Turn tortilla in to 

tostadas by deep frying , roasting or shallow frying

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Dal Bukhara

Dals or Lentils play a major role in my house or say any Indian Household. Whenever I make Indian food, it has to be one vegetable dish, one lentil dish, roti, rice and salad/raita. So it become complete meal. If you like Dal Makhani , you will love this too. This dish is from very famous restaurant in Delhi , named, Bukhara, in Moruya Sheraton. thus the name, saw it on  I guess some food show., since then I wanted to make this.

 Its has very similar main ingredient in it which is whole black gram or sabut arhar ki dal. But the main difference in this dal is that its more in based on tomatoes , while makhani is more creamy in texture and rajma (Kidney beans) or chana dal (split yellow lentils) added. I was very tempted to add half and half milk  in this to give creamy texture but stay back and I am glad that I did not do it. Served hot with hot rice or dip the roti in it, and you will have satisfy meal. Generally here in US I don't soaked my lentils overnight particularly like this or any other dals. Only soaking is soy beans, chana or rajma. But if you are outside India and your lentils need to soak it overnight please do so and then go ahead make the dal.

Ingredients :

1 cup whole black grams / whole udad dal
1 nice big size onion, finely chopped
3 big tomatoes finely chopped
2 tbsp. tomato puree
2 tbsp. ginger, garlic and green chili paste, pref. fresh one.
1 tsp. Jeera / Cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. Turmeric powder
2 tsp. red chili powder
2 tsp. cumin coriander powder
1/2 tsp. hing / asafoetida
2 tsp. crushed kasoori methi / dried fenugreek leaves
salt to taste
3 tsp. white butter / if not then mix butter and oil please for the best result
lots of fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnish

Method:

Soak lentils in double the amount of water overnight.
Next day, wash it and go thru it, this is the one lentil which has stones in it and it same color as lentils and if you are not careful enough it will ruin your dish.
Take a pressure cooker, add dal and bay leaf and enough water to cook it.
Put the pressure on and cook it for god 7-8 whistle. You need perfectly cook and soft lentils, if its little mushy , very good, we need that kind of it only.
By the time lentils are cooking, prepare for its masala.
Heat a pan, add butter/oil mixture in , add jeera in it. and let it change color.
Then add hing and onion and cook till its soften.
Then add ginger garlic paste and tomatoes.
Add salt in tomatoes and cook till its mushy.
Then add all powder masala, tomato puree  and cook for a minute or two.
Add cooked dal in it and check the salt and other spices.
Let it simmer on low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Check the consistency of dal and add water if its too thick.
When its done, add crushed kasoori methi and mix it.
Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves and mix it and pour over hot rice and enjoy it.

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Ricotta Chocolate Mousse and 2nd Anniversary bloggging

Who doesn't love easy desserts? well I am on top of the chart. I like to make easy and small quantity desserts because while baking a cake its too much quantity. Its not that I don't bake but only when I have enough people to share with it. otherwise keep on eating same thing for too long, makes me sick. So I always looking for after dinner dessert would be only for that night or if its like ras malai then two nights, that's it. So when I  have to use up ricotta, I made ricotta rasmalai and this mousse. Its says Ricotta chocolate but I didn't put too much chocolate, because I wanted to taste ricotta. You can add any fruit pulp, just make sure there is no water in it. I used chocolate wafers and just grated in it and mix it with ricotta. You can add chocolate sauce or cocoa powder too.  I dont like to make whipped cream, because you have to make that at home, when you can buy whipped toppings ready made in store why to bother making it at home, but if you are like making all at home, go ahead and make whipped cream and add it with ricotta otherwise whipped toppings works just fine, it is light and already sweeten , your work is done there.

So in other news, Today is my 2nd year in blogging, Its just seems like yesterday when I started it and in two years I made such a wonderful friends in all continents and make my little space in this blogging world. Got recognition and appreciation by winning competitions and still learning a lot day by day. And in our  life we are  at that age, where health is the most important factor for us and living in US where obesity is  very big issue, I try to spread word by cooking healthy dishes. I know everyone don't have same point of view, but this is my views towards food and living. When we were in our late 20s since then we started eating healthy so now in early 40s we are still going on strong and if GOD willing  we can continue this.

So from bottom of my heart, I am really thankful to all of you , all my family, friends and blogger friends , visitors who all come to my humble space and visit it, I really appreciate your visits and comments. Please shower your love to my space  and I will continue my work with all your support and love. Enjoy.

Ingredients :

1 cup Ricotta
3-4 tbsp sugar or as per taste
4 tbsp whipped topping
4 small chocolate wafers

Method:

Take ricotta in a bowl, just make sure there is no water in it.
Mix it with spoon or plastic spatula and make a smooth ricotta.
Add sugar and mix it nicely.
Then shred chocolate in it and mix it gently.
Add whipped topping and again fold it.
Take shot glass and fill it up
If you like reserve some chocolate to grate on top.
Cover with plastic wrap and let it set in refrigerator for  one hour.
Take it out after hour and enjoy it.

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Bhuna Vegetables / Vegetables in Creamy Smoky sauce

If you are a hard cor non vegetarian then you know your Bhuna meat dish. Bhuna means you have to cook meat in more ghee or oil and spices and very less water. You add ghee /oil to cook the dish ,  not water so end result is only masala coated to meat and ghee is separated from masala. Dip your naan in that luscious gravy and enjoy it. I try to do that with vegetables and end result was not that good, so when I find this recipe , wanted to give it a try and it was awesome, There are not so much spices going on but the taste is very delicious. By now you know that I tried lot of my blogger friends recipes, one reason is I am tired of my cooking , want to eat something new, so I try your recipes and whenever I get chance I share it with you all too. This dish is perfect for Vegetables only , for meat dish go with the traditional one, don't use this one. Posting some typical dinner dish after very long time , so very excited to read your views too.

I got this recipe from Priya's Food Safari. Thank you Priya for awesome dish.

Ingredients :

3 cups Mixed vegetables ( carrot, cauliflower, mixed peppers, corn, peas, soya granules)
1/2 tsp. kalonji / onion seeds
1 bay leaf
1 onion sliced
1/4 cup cream / half and half/ evaporated milk
salt to taste
3 tsp. oil

To make paste :

2 onion chopped
2 tomato chopped
5 garlic cloves
2-3 green chilies
2-3 tbsp ginger grated
5-6 whole red chilies
1/2 tsp roasted cumin seeds
2 tsp. roasted coriander seeds
1 tsp. Turmeric powder
2 tsp. green cardamom powder

Method:

Heat a pan, add 1 tsp. oil and add cumin, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, both red and green chilies.

Once they start change the color little bit, add onion and tomato.

cook till onion and tomato both soft. 

Turn the heat off and cool this mixture. Once its cool, grind it in a smooth paste.

Wipe the pan with paper towel and add two tsp. oil in it. 

Add kalonji, bay leaf and onion and cook till onion is brown. 

Add the ground paste and cook till nice and oil floats on top.

Add the mixed vegetables and add one cup of water and salt and put the lid on and let them cook on medium heat. 

Don't overcook the vegetables, when its al dente , add cream or your choice of thicker, and mix it and cook it for two minutes only. 

Take it out in serving dish and enjoy with hot roti or naan or plain white rice.

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Chimichurri Sauce

Did you ever heard about this Chimichurri sauce? This is a very famous Argentinean  sauce / condiment for steak. Its a green sauce made out of flat leaf parsley used for grilled meat mostly in Argentina. Or they use for marinade also. Its basically their pesto , because it has parsley , garlic, red or white vinegar, olive oil and oregano, that's it. You can finely chopped it or pulse it in the grinder or make a fine paste, its your choice. But since we are vegetarian, wanted to use it in my mexican dish. So I use it for my fajitas, top it on my vegetables and cheese on flat taco bed. Even you can dip your tortilla chips in it too, use it for chicken, pasta dishes,thin in out for salad dressing, fish too. Possibilities are endless and as easy as one two three.

Ingredients : 

1 cup flat leaf parsley only leaves , washed

2 big cloves of garlic
2 tsp. dried oregano (if you can find fresh then use 2 tbsp. because fresh don't have that much flavor as dried one has)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
salt and black pepper , red chili flakes as per taste

Method:

Finely chopped parsley, fresh oregano and garlic or pulse it in the food processor. I like nice and smooth so I made fine puree.
Take it out in a bowl.
Add in olive oil, vinegar, salt, black pepper, red chili flakes and mix it.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. Before use, take it out and keep it in room temperature and then use it within two days.
Use it for marinade or as a side dish.

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