What's cooking? - Top 3 recipes

- You don't cook anymore? My friend, the one with the never-ending-confronting-questions, looks at me, expecting an answer. - What do you mean, I say, of course I cook. Why? Hm. Offended or not, of course I cook, right. What on earth?

- Well, you don't post any exciting recipes on your blog anymore, she replies. - You don't put any recipes, actually. Why? I miss them.

Aaaaww. She is right, I realize. Not a lot of recipes lately.

And then, with my friend's words on my mind, I go to check out my present blog recipes. And I had to giggle as I discovered some surprising facts about my recipe collection:

My all time most read blog post is a recipe post: Expat Epidorpio with a shocking 4 times as many readers as the second most read post. This recipe is most popular with readers in Russia, France and US.

My second most read recipe post is the one on Tzatziki and Raita. That is also the fifth most read post of all times. And I discovered that this was most popular with readers from USA, India and Germany.

My third most read recipe post is the one on Pita, Spring Rolls and Samosa. Yet another global recipe, where you can mix and adjust - and make your own version. This post had most readers from India, USA and Singapore.

Conclusion
So, my little research showed me that all the Top 3 recipes are global flexible recipes - meaning that you, with the same basic ingredients, can make a version - after your own choice - whether you prefer an Indian version, an Asian version, a European version or your very own special version...

Isn't that great? I like to discover new dishes, and I enjoy to experiment with ingredients, and I ust love to taste and eat all kinds of food - wherever I am. And I try to adjust - wherever I live.

But. Ok ok. I will not rest on my glorious recipe past forever. Oh no. I will experiment more and I will let myself be inspired. Thinking of which, I will head off to some of my favorite food bloggers now- that's often where I end up in my search for new culinary ideas. Hm, I think I might make another post on my top favorite food bloggers, my source of inspiration.

So, what do you do, dear reader? What's cooking in your kitchen right now? And where do you find inspiration for new culinary adventures? Any favorite food bloggers? Please share.

Dosa with veg and chutney - Recipe

After almost 2 years in India, our homely (so called) global kitchen has been pretty colored by Indian flavors, and so has our tasting buds. We have our chapatis, rotis and idlis - with vegetables and chutneys, in endless variations. Dal is a frequent guest, but right now I am deep down in a dosa - phase - both from street-stalls and from our own kitchen. And uncontrollably addicted to chutney... You will find many variations of these dishes. This are versions I enjoy - so I hope you will too. Here we go:

1. DOSA:
You need: 
2 cups rice
1 cup white dal  - (lenthils) ( In India: Urad dall)

You do: 
Soak them in water over night. The next day you crush them in a mixer (to be flour-like). Add a little salt and water (we used 1/2 cup) and mix it well. The consistency shall be like thin pancake-dough. Put the mix in the fridge and proceed to make the other two dishes.

2. CHUTNEY:
You need: 
1/2 fresh coconut
4 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1 green chili
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp curry leaves
1/4 tsp hing (some kind of magic spice - good for digestion, I was told..) 
2 ss yogurt
lemon sauce (we used apr 3 ss)

You do: 
Add coconut, garlic, ginger and chili in a mixer and blend well. In an oiled pan fry the mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing for a few minutes, and set aside. Mix together the coconut mix with the spice-mix, and then add yogurt and lemon sauce. Place in the fridge. Proceed to:

3. FILLING:
You need: 
6 boiled potatoes (you can use vegetables instead: capsicum, beans, onion, broccoli, cauliflower etc)
1 green chili
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tomato

You do: 
Cut the potatoes in small squares. Chop the rest of the ingredients separately (finely). In an oiled pan fry mustard seeds, garlic and ginger. After 2 minutes add the onions (be careful it doesn't get brown), the tomato, turmeric and garam masala. In the end, add the potatoes, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Set aside.  

4. The Grande Finale
The last thing you do is to fry the dosas! If you want to really impress - try to copy the professionals from the stalls in Mumbai: Put out the filling and chutney, gather your family, friends, neighbors (and whoever) around. Then heat up the pan, put some oil in and fry those dosas. They shall be like very very very thin pancakes. (Tip: make some fry-test-rounds before you call everyone to watch your dosa-master-skills)

The beauty of this dish is getting that piping hot crispy dosa on your plate, fill it, splash on some chutney - and dig in! OH YUUUUUM!

 
Nah...... not sure I'm coming out of that dosa-phase for a while...

Except for digging in my dosas, I am back on track in Mumbai after an intense April blogging month. Around the world in 26 days..What a month! But what fun it was:-)

Happy to see you here, dear reader, and thanks for following. Good evening from Mumbai!

4 fabulous Feta favorites - recipe

Yup, I love my paneer, my gouda and even my brunost, but when it comes to cheese, my weakness has a name. Hello Feta! Feta, the taste of Greek summer, of fresh tiropita and of a big salad with feta on. That creamy texture and slightly salt&sour flavor. And it goes with anything. It can spice up a plain omelet, play main star in a salad or renew your pizza completely!

But be aware that only feta is feta, because since 2002, feta is a protected name. According to EU legislation, only those cheeses produced in a traditional way in some areas in Greece, are made from sheep's milk (or a mix of sheep and goat milk) may bear the name feta. To my joy I get feta here in India, too. Here are my favorite ways to use the cheese - maybe something for the upcoming weekend? I hope you like it!

1. Real Greek salad needs it's feta. Make a big bowl of salad, and top it off with big chunks. Sprinkle over some olive oil and oregano, and enjoy! Those bits of red tomatoes, olives, cucumber, onion and feta is just Greece on a plate:-)

2. Watermelon and feta is a perfect combo! In India I am so lucky to get my favorite fruit - watermelon- all year round. I put some bits of watermelon on a plate and add some crumbled feta. If you want to fancy it up, sprinkle over some balsamic vinegar, and pines or nuts.

3. Tirokafteri/tirosalata This is a dip often used, like the tzatziki, as a side-dish, with salad and bread. But where the tzatziki will cool you down, the tirokafteri will heat you up! We make it like this: 
You need: 
200 gr feta
1 dl yogurt
1 finely chopped red chili
2 tsp olive oil, a sprinkle of pepper

You do: 
Mash the feta. I like it to be a bit crumbly, so I do it with a fork, but you can also put it all in a food-processor, and get a more smooth dip. Stir in the other ingredients.    

4. Bread with feta and tomatoes Now, this is a perfect dish, if you have some old, dry bread lying around! You can by this recipe transform it into an impressive starter, a side dish or just a snack. Tempting? This is how we do it:
You need: 
4 slices of bread
2 dl chopped tomatoes
2 dl crumbled feta
olive oil, oregano, black pepper

You do:
Place the bread slices on a baking tray. Add the chopped tomatoes, and put the feta on top of that. Pour over olive oil and sprinkle over some oregano and some pepper. Bake in the oven until the bread is light brown. About 180'C for 10 minutes should be ok, but keep an eye on them!

Bread with tomatoes and feta, a dash of tirokafteri, and some green salad with olives. Yum! 

PS! Did you know there is a special song about feta? Oh, yeah! Kind of a parody where they are singing about all the delicious dishes they can make with feta. Have a look at the feta-hymn here:  

So, hope you got inspired, dear reader? Whether you will make a feta favorite or not, I hope you will have a smashing weekend! Have a great one, and take care! All the best from Mumbai! 

Expat epidorpio - recipe

Recipe of expat epid....what? Oh, well - just needed a fancy word starting with an e- there... Partly true. But only partly. Epidorpio means dessert in Greek. Yep, simple as that. Almost. It comes from 3 words: epi ton dorpion = "on top of the meal" / "after the meal". Easy as that. Almost. The word dorpion comes from the Greek words drepo and draks = "cutting and gathering (grass and hay)" - and "hand-full" - so: a little something they ate in the evenings - after all the main meals of the day and after having finished the work. So, if you didn't know any Greek words, dear reader, you do now! The essential word of epidorpio. 

Where am I going with this expat dessert tale? (- expat epidorpio sounds much more exiting, eh?) Well, living in different countries has taught me that sometimes I need to improvise in the kitchen. At least that is what I prefer to do. Meaning: if I can not find an ingredient or 2 - then I try to adjust the recipe - make it in a different way. To be honest with you: some times it works very well, and sometimes it simply .. does not. But hey, life is too short not to count our victories, right?!

I think this is a perfect (expat) dessert, because you can vary it in many ways! I have made it as a cheese cake in Norway: with cream cheese and sour cream; comforting in cold winter evenings. In Greece, I have made it as a lemon mousse; dropping the biscuit base, and adding lots of shredded lemon and bits of fruit: refreshing in warm summer nights!

Here in India, I have also made it - varying the jello and experimenting with different flavors. The lemon one is always a hit though! Here is my easy - made expat epidorpio recipe, - go wild!

You need:

1 box lemon jello (or pineapple, strawberry, peach- or your favorite flavor)
2-3 dl yogurt
100 gr digestive biscuits
50 gr melted butter
2 tsp cinnamon powder
Berries for garnish. I love redcurrants, raspberries or strawberries.
PS 1: If you are an experimental soul, you can play around - and add for example: 1. shredded lemon or lime peel. 2. Vanilla sugar or other extracts. 3. X-tra berries or bits of fruit. 
PS 2: If you are making it for vegetarians - make sure you check the jello box. Some are suitable for vegetarians, but some are not! 

All the ingredients you need for making the most flexible dessert ever, I think:-) 

A handful of redcurrants..
Remind me of childhood summers picking them from bushes in my grandparents' garden. 

You do: 

1. Make the jello according to what it says on the box, but use only 1/2 the amount of the water!
2. Pour 1/2 dl of the jello aside in a cup. Put the rest in the fridge to cool off. (once it is cold, take it out)
3. Crush the biscuits until they are like crumbs and add melted butter and cinnamon.
4. Make the vital decision on how you want to serve your dish! You can make it easy on yourself and make 1 big cake, or you can choose the hard way (which I do) and make your dessert in tiny glasses.
5. If you have chosen the hard way (of course you have!): add a layer of the base into each glass, and press it down, so it is even all the way around. Set to cool.
6. Concentrate on your jello. It shall be cold, but not set! Mix gently yogurt ( and any xtra's from point PS 1) and jello together. Pour it into the glasses on the base, and put back in the fridge.
7. Now, you have 1 big challenge left: Do not allow the rest of the jello (in the cup) to set before the rest of the dish is set. Guard it! Tips: Are you in trouble: add a little hot water - just to keep it runny!
8. Check on the dessert by pressing carefully on the top of it. Once it does not give in: decorate with berries and pour a thin layer of the jello on top.
9. Back in the fridge! Now you can relax - and prepare for the standing ovations you will receive, serving your carefully made little masterpieces!

PS. If you have teenagers- like I do- be prepared that they might not "get" the idea of tiny glasses..Defend your choice or capitulate and go for bigger glasses:-) 

Epidorpio with lemon and redcurrants:, served in tiny crystal  glasses:-)  

Enjoy! I hope you like it!

A lovely sunny Saturday morning here in Mumbai dear reader, and with this sweet culinary kick-off: I wish you a continuous wonderful weekend! All the best to you and thanks for following!    

A Greek feast - on a normal Thursday

While experiencing happiness, we have difficulty in being conscious of it. Only when the happiness is past and we look back on it do we suddenly realize - sometimes with astonishment - how happy we had been.

Yes, today Zorba the Greek came to Mumbai! Perfect time for a Greek Feast  - in the company of the wonderful ladies in my book club. We chatted, discussed the book, watched a bit of the film, enjoyed Greek yummies like souvlaki, moussaka, tirosalata, melitsanosalata, Greek salad and olives, and of course with Greek music on the speakers! Opa! Opa! (no, no, no plates were broken:-) Great feast! 

Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis was first published in 1946, and made in to a movie in 1964 - huuuge success around the world! People loved the story about the narrator, an intellectual, who hire the crazy Alexi Zorba - and together they travel to Crete to start a lignite mine. It is a book that I feel, still can provide some good insight and wisdom - about life, about being in the moment and living in the present, about appreciation, gratitude and about happiness. 

I felt once more how simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. Nothing else.

  

Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates - in the famous scene from Zorba the Greek

This is true happiness: to have no ambition and to work like a horse as if you had every ambition. To live far from men, not to need them and yet to love them. To have the stars above, the land to your left and the sea to your right and to realize of a sudden that in your heart, life has accomplished its final miracle: it has become a fairy tale.

Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying, has the good fortune to sail the Aegean sea.

See what I mean? Happiness doesn't need to cost anything and it can be found in the simplest of things: the sight of dolphins, a warm hug, a kind word, some cooling sea breeze- or simply sharing a meal with some good friends:-) And it is about seeing the beauty of it while it happens, not allowing the past to stress you (it is gone..) nor allowing yourself to worry about the future. To be in the present - 100%!    

So, one of my favorite scenes from the film is the famous one, on the beach. The mine has gone down the drain, the narrator is broke- things are looking bad and then ... 

- Dance, did you say dance?!

Nikos Kazantzakis is one of Greece most known authors. He was born on Crete in 1883. He studied law in Athens and worked also as a journalist. He traveled all over Europe, Russia and Asia and wrote numerous works, whereas Zorba being the most famous one. Kazantzakis died in 1957, and is buried in Heraklion, Crete where the epitaph on his tomb reads:

= I fear nothing. I hope for nothing. I am free. 

I hope you enjoyed it, dear reader. Thank you for following and have a wonderful evening! 

Bye from Mumbai! 

Pakora! Presenting: The Onion ring's exotic cousin! - recipe

I think I once said that I am not a big fan of fried food - but that was before I met Pakora! So, here I am - again - with yet another fried dish! A popular Indian snack, so you can eat it like this - with some chutney. But being a global Le Chef ( hm hm),  I also think this is a perfect side dish, or an element in a meze. I enjoyed it with a big salad, and with peach chutney.

With teenagers, onion rings is a hit anyway, and they did like the pakoras. You can find a lot of recipes on it, and different versions, and we also tried to make it with shredded cabbage and potatoes - but these exotic cousins of onion rings were the most popular ones with my family. This is how we did it:

PAKORA

You need: 
7-8 big onions, chopped in thin slices (OR 1/2 shredded cabbage head OR 6 sliced potatoes)
1 1/2 cup of chick peas flour (besan in Hindi)
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
water (Chef's tips: add some soda water instead of water to secure the crispy-ness:-))
oil for frying

Mix for onion pakora and for cabbage pakora

You do:
Mix all the dry ingredients well. Add a little bit of water - just enough to make the batter hang together. It shall be thick and smooth, but not at all watery! Adjust with a little flour or water if needed.

Heat the oil. Form small balls with a spoon, and fry the pakoras until golden/light brown. Leave them on a plate covered with kitchen paper - after they have been fried!

Enjoy! 

Spanakopita, Spring rolls and discovering Samosa Patti - recipe

How about a 3-in-1-recipe, dear reader? An Indian, a Greek and an Asian - all in one?! If that is not something for a true global kitchen, then I don't know what is!

It all started with me discovering Samosa Patti. For a year now, I have been making my own dough for the Greek pita, remember? Well, sometimes you want to make it the easy way... And the packet of Samosa Patti I came over in our little local supermarket turned out to be perfect for making - not only Samosas, but also Spring rolls - and Greek pita! So, towards where do you want to travel? Wherever you choose, you need 1 packet of Samosa Patti. Follow my global culinary Patti-journey below:

Go Asia - Spring rolls:

You need: Shredded vegetables. We used 3 carrots, 3 dl cabbage, 12 green beans, 1 green capsicum, 4 spring onions, 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic. 1 cm fresh ginger. Frying oil, soy oil, salt and pepper. 4 tsp white flour mixed with water (food-glue)

You do: 1. Heat some oil, and fry the garlic and onion. Add the rest of the vegetables. When they are soft, add soy oil (we used 3 tsp), salt and pepper.

2. Put a tsp filling on one patti, and fold it over the filling tightly, and repeat to the other side- so you pack it in and it gets the shape of a triangle. Glue it together at the end with your flour-glue and press it slightly together.

Your Spring-roll-triangles are now ready for frying: 

3. If you choose to go for Asian (and Asian only!) - you can now deep fry your Spring rolls in hot oil until they are golden/light brown. Let them drain on a plate covered with kitchen roll paper.

If you choose to follow my bad example, and go global (in one evening)- you now travel on to Greece:

Go Greece - Spanakopita and Tiropita:

You need: 2 dl spinach (spanaki), 400 gr feta cheese (tiri) , 2 eggs, pepper. Frying oil. Food-glue.

You do: Mash 150 gr feta in a bowl and add the spinach and 1 egg. In another bowl mash 250 gr feta and mix with one egg. The filling is ready to be put in the Samosa Pattis. It should look like this: 

New best friends: Samosa Patti and filling for Greek Spanakopita and Tiropita

Follow step 2 and 3 as explained under the Asian section. Now, if you are a normal person, you will stop here, but if you are as crazy as I am - you will proceed our global journey and move on to the third destination:

Go India - Samosas:

You need: Soy granules. (we used 1/2 packet of nutrela). 1 carrot. 3 green beans. 1 chopped onion, 1 tomato. 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/2 green chili, 1 tsp coriander, cumin seeds, 2 tsp garam masala. 1 tomato. 3 tsp tomato puree. Food-glue.

You do: Prepare the granules as it says on packet. (be sure all the water is squeezed out after). In a pan fry first the cumin seeds and then add rest of the spices and then the onion and the vegetables. Add the granules and the tomato and let simmer until all liquid is out. Follow step 2 and 3 as explained under the Asian and Greek section.     

 Delicious pita-patti-pastry - served with a colorful salad:-) 

If you were as carried away by this wild -go-global -idea as I was- your kitchen is now filled up with culinary treats from around the world, and you are probably exhausted, and you do not want to hear of Samosa patti ever again. (at least until next month:-))  

I hope you will enjoy!  - and please do let me know which country/version you preferred...:-) Or maybe you have another favorite filling? Or are you a global mind with a global taste, dear reader? Yes to all?:-)

Thanks for following. Have a wonderful evening! 

  

Tzatziki, raita and kolokithakia tiganita - recipe

Even before I moved to India, I knew about raita. It had been my lifesaver when the food was over the top spicy in Indian restaurants. Now, in India I have some new insight:

• Raita can be made with a number of different delicious flavors: like cucumber, pineapple and pomegranate
• The spicy in Indian restaurants in Europe, is NOT particulary spicy compared to spicy in India, so: 
• I love my raita even more now than I did before. Nothing beats some cooling raita to put out the flames:-) 

In Greece we have tzatziki  - kind of like the Greek cousin of raita. Both of them are welcomed quests in our global expat cuisine. I have experimented a bit with raita, and tested out different recipes.

I found a very good raita recipe at Asmitas food blog Compulsive Foodie. I really love her blog- it is so delicate and with some great recipes! In this recipe, cucumber and yogurt are the main ingredients, just like in tzatziki, but the spices are quite different. You can find her yoummie raita recipe here.

I discovered another recipe - which looked quite intriguing at Kumar's Kitchen, another food blog which I like. You can check out their version with carrot, coconut and ginger here.

And now for the Greek cousin Tzatziki, which I know the best of course. We use tzatziki as a side dish, and it can go with anything: fish, meat or veggie dishes. When we have fried zucchini / kolokithakia tiganita - which my teens love - tzatziki is a must! This is how we do it: 

TZATZIKI

You need: 
2-3 cucumbers
2 cups of yogurt
3 cloves garlic, grated
salt, pepper 
3 tsp dill 
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice

You do:
Peel and grate the cucumber. Squeeze out the water. If you have time- leave it to drain (in a coffee filter) for a couple of hours. Do the same with the yogurt, if it has too much water in it. 
Put the grated cucumber in a bowl and add garlic, salt, pepper and dill. Add olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Mix well. I prefer to do it by hand, so we can still have the bits of cucumber in there. 
Cover up the bowl and leave it in the fridge for at least one hour. 

PS 1. Instead of grating the cucumber, you can cut it in small cubes. 2. Some also add 2 tsp mint. 
     

FRIED ZUCCHINI

You need: 
2 large zucchinis
2-3 eggs
1-2 cups flour
salt, pepper
oil
vinegar

You do: 
Chop the zucchinis in slices ( about 1/2- 1 cm thick), and set aside. Prepare 2 bowls: In one you mix the eggs with 1-2 tsp vinegar. In the other bowl you mix flour with salt and pepper. Heat up oil in a frying pan. 
Dip the slices of zucchinis first in the bowl with egg-mix and then in the bowl with flour. (they need to be well covered) 
Fry the zucchinis slices until they are light brown. Put them on a plate covered with kitchen paper. 

I hope you enjoy your zucchinis with tzatziki! 

Fried zucchinis with tzatziki

In Greece, zucchinis with tzatziki will usually be a side dish, or a part of our big wonderful Greek meze- lots and lots of dishes- that just keep coming:-) Have a look at this post from last summer, if you want to see more.

Oh well, I will go for Kitchari with pineapple raita today myself! Love it!

Have a wonderful day, dear reader, and thank you for popping by!  

Paneer - for beginners - recipe

The first time I went to a supermarket in India, heading for the cheese/butter section, I noticed two things: the enormous selection of yogurt and the mysterious product of Paneer. Paneer? What was that? Judged by the amount and selection - an essential ingredient here in India?

I was right - Paneer, the most common type of cheese used in South-Asian cuisine. Often translated to cottage cheese, but for me quite different from the cc's I have tasted before, but more like pressed cc. It is a bit similar to the cheeses manouri (in Greece), and anari (Cyprus).

In India they use paneer in main dishes, in snacks and in desserts... pretty much everywhere in other words. Very often it will go instead of meat in vegetarian dishes. So there are paneer pakora, paneer tikka masala, paneer butter masala and even McDonalds have introduced their very own McSpicy Paneer! For a new-to-paneer-cook like me, I have experimented a bit, but a dish we keep coming back to is Paneer with vegetables- healthy & easy to make, and you can use it as main dish or side dish- your choice:-) Hope you like it!

Paneer - for beginners:-) 

You need:
2 onions
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cm fresh ginger, grated
1/2 yellow capsicum
1/2 red capsicum
2 carrots
10 green beans
4 spring onions
2 chopped tomatoes
salt, pepper, garam masala
200 gr paneer

You do:
- Grate the capsicum, onions and carrots and chop the beans to small pieces.
- Have oil in a frying pan and saute the onions and garlic. Add the spices. 
- Add the vegetables (minus tomatoes) and let simmer (low temperature) until the vegetables are soft (10-15 min). If needed, add a little bit of water, so it doesn't dry out.  
- Chop the paneer in cubes and add with the tomatoes. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!!   

PS: We like to eat it with some bread - naan, chapatis or paratha. (all yoummie Indian bread:-) 

Paneer - for - beginners-  & paratha bread. Bon apetit! 

Kitchari - recipe

- If any food could wear a cape and fly, it would be Kitchari. (1)

The Indian dish Kitchari has become a big favorite of mine, a delicious meal which fills the kitchen with wonderful scents. Kitchari is best known as the all-star of Ayurvedic cleansing, and if you are a yogi, you might know the dish? - it is said to be the most wholesome food for yogis- balanced for body & soul.

Kitchari is known for the good ability to detoxify the body, it is nourishing and easy to digest. It has a perfect balance of healthy proteins and carbs. In addition, it may help healing digestive problems, balance the metabolism, clean your liver and assist in weight stabilization. Not bad? 

There are so many different ways to make Kitchari (which means mixture, usually of two grains, by the way), but common for all is that it does not take a lot of time, and it is easy to make. I like it this way:

You need: 

• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup red lentils (Mung Dal, split yellow)
• 6 cups water 
• 2 tsp butter (ghee, if you have)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 cm ginger root (chopped)
• 1 t coriander seeds
• 1/2 t salt
• fresh cilantro leaves

If you like, you can also add 1 cup assorted vegetables. I have experimented at bit and tried with different vegetables. You can add carrots, potatoes, beans, but I liked it with zucchini or tomatoes - I think both works very well. Separately though. 

You do:
Clean the lentils and rice, and set aside. Heat the butter in a pan, and add the seeds. Saute them until they pop, and then add the other spices. Add the rice and lentils, and pour over water. Allow it to boil for 20 minutes, but check that it has enough water. It shall be a bit sticky, but not dry!. After 20 minutes you can add chopped vegetables. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. (you can also precook them, and add them to the rest towards the end of the cooking time )  

That's it, dear reader,  it is ready - I hope you got tempted to try it out?

- hope you enjoy your Kitchari! I do!

(1)Kate Lumsden- www.elephantjournal.com

My Big Fat Greek Salad

I am a true loyal supporter of The Greek Cuisine! And loving Greek food like I do, there is no better place to be than in Greece herself right? Now, when our summer days in Greece are coming to an end, I do feel a slight touch of desperation: - Sarmadakia- did I taste them this year? - One more plate of Kalamarakia! - Kolokithakia tiganita? Melitsanosalata? Kefalotriri saganaki?- bring them over! Now! 

Yes, I recreate some of the dishes back home in India, but you know: the tasty Indian food is waiting... and by the way, some of my favorite ingredients can be found only in Greece - the view, the sea, the people...In other words: Greece herself, I guess:)

You remember I have a thing for thali, right? Well, it Greece, when dining out, we usually order a variety of small dishes, and everybody eats together from those - the best way to enjoy I think! The first dish to arrive the table, is the one that appears in every one of our meals, and the dish that everyone throws themselves at: The Greek Salad! We usually order angourodomatasalata-me-boliko-kremidi! Puh! Then you will have a cucumber/tomato salad with lots of onion (kremidi) and some olives. We often order feta psiti (grilled feta cheese), or tirosalata (a spicy feta cheese dip) or kefalotiri saganaki (a salty fried cheese), a perfect addition to the Big Beautiful Greek Salad. Together with good company and fantastic view, these meals could last for hours for my part! Day after day!

Salad with feta psiti and kolokithakia tiganita (fried zucchinis) - another favorite:

And with big black olives - in Nafpaktos:

Salad with a view - from Lefkas:

And the salad is obligatory at barbeque-night with my big wonderful Greek family! Some are barbequing while we- the lucky ones - can sit and start to enjoy the yoummie homemade salad - and lots of other dishes... Aaaaaaa - Let the party begin!

How we make our salad?
We chop (big, red, juicy) 3 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers and 2 peppers. Mix. If you like, you can slice an onion and add on top. Add some olives and pour over some olive oil and vinegar and sprinkle over a little salt and pepper.

Enjoy! 

A taste of Greek summer: Yemista - recipe

Yemista is for me the ultimate taste of Greek Summer! Of those lazy summer days...  - Coming home from the beach  - all sweaty and full of sand, sun and salt water. Jumping in the shower, and then sitting down at the balcony to eat - those wonderful yemista with some feta cheese, olives and a chilled glass of wine...and the sunset..

So, how would it be like to make and eat Yemista here in India? Ah- dear reader - we loved it! I couldn't find those big, juicy red tomatoes we have in Greece, but it worked well with the ones I found. We use peppers and tomatoes for our dish. So, today I have a taste of my Greek Summer for you, dear reader. We make them with rice only, so also great for vegetarians. This is how we do it:


YEMISTA - (stuffed peppers & tomatoes) 
You need:
8-10 green peppers
6-8 tomatoes
3 dl rice
4 onions, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
(1/2 leek - if you want to)
dill, spearmint, salt, pepper
olive oil, water, some lemon juice

You do: 
Clean the vegetables and remove the seeds of the peppers. Cut off the tops of the vegetables (keep them) and scoop out the flesh of the tomatoes. Cut it into small pieces, and leave in a bowl. Place the vegetables in a baking pan and do the filling: In a pan with some olive oil - fry the garlic and onion - and after a while add the tomato flesh, the rice and the spices. Add 1 cup of water and let simmer for 5 minutes. Put the filling in the vegetables (3/4 full) and add the tops. 

Then sprinkle over some olive oil, salt and pepper, and add 1-2 cups of water in the pan. Bake in oven for about 30-45 minutes at 180-200'C. As you can see, I also bake a couple of eggplants with my Yemista - I will tell you about that delicious dish another time.. 

I really like my Yemista when they are not too hot, and together with some feta cheese: just yoummie!  So, that is a moment I really enjoy: sitting on the balcony, watching the sunset and enjoying those tasty Yemista! I hope you like them too, dear reader! Good evening from Mumbai!

A taste of Greek summer, with Yemista, some salad and the sea & the sunset :-) 

Hakka noodles - recipe

As a rather new expat to Mumbai our cuisine is a mix of culinary tradition and new inspiration. Wow! That sounded great eh? - Well, in other words: a little bit of everything! 

Still, with our teenagers, some dishes are more popular than others, and among them: Noodles.Usually there are no leftovers when we have this for dinner, and it is not too difficult to prepare either (the work is really to chop the vegetables). This is how we do it:

Hakka Noodles   

You need:
1-1 1/2 bags of hakka noodles (we use the Veg type)
2-4 chicken breasts
6 spring onions
1 onion
1 cup of green peas (frozen is fine)
½ cup of sweet corn
1 cup of cabbage
1 carrot
salt, pepper, chili powder (we use ½ tsp)
Tip: You can also add some cashew nuts

You do:
Chop all the vegetables in to small pieces. Cut the chicken in small cubes.
In a pan prepare the noodles as shown on the bag. Set aside.
In another pan on low heat: add some oil and brown lightly the onions. Add the chicken cubes and then the chopped vegetables. Add the cashew nuts and the boiled noodles. And then: Enjoy!

Soup in the summer? - recipe

It is summer in India. Well, for us Greek-Norwegians it seems like summer all year around here, but now it is - well, more summer than it was when it was winter - if you know what I mean? And the question is: Can we eat soup in the Summer, or is it just too hot for a steaming hot bowl of soup?

You see, certain members of my family seem to think that having soup for dinner is only possible if you live somewhere where the temperature goes below minus - C, and you need to defrost over a bowl of something hot. But the other day I ignored all comments and made a delicious soup. This is how I did it:

SUMMER SOUP (yes, it is possible)

You need:
4 chopped cloves of garlic
2 chopped onions
1 cauliflower, chopped in small pieces
1 broccoli, chopped in small pieces
(you can replace the vegetables with tomatoes or other favorite vegetables)
Salt, pepper, butter
Cream and/or yogurt
In cauliflower/broccoli soup: add some dill and parsley
In tomato soup: add some chili

You do:
Melt some butter in a pan and brown the garlic and onion a little. Add the chopped vegetables.
Pour over 1-2 l water and let boil until the vegetables are soft. Use a hand-mixer to mash the vegetables, but if you like, (I do) leave some of the vegetables in small pieces. Towards the end, add a few spoons of cream or yogurt.
Just before serving, lay on a spoon of yogurt in the soup bowl. Decorate with some fresh dill or parsley.

It is easy to make, healthy, light and very tasty - at least for us strange creatures who enjoy a bowl of soup also in the summer time:-)

Hhmm. Did it seem a bit colorless to you? Would you like more color and more taste for your bowl of soup? Then try the tomato version! A hot and spicy tomato-chili soup. In India we are lucky to get juicy red tomatoes - perfect for soup!

Hope you enjoy it!

Good evening from Mumbai!

Moussaka - recipe

Dear reader,
For our Greek Nights here in India, the moussaka has been a real hit by our guests. We (to an extent: easily) found all the ingredients as well. This is a large portion, but what is nice is, that it pretty much makes itself in the oven, and then it will be ok in the fridge for several days after. If you want a vegetarian version (pretty unknown in Greece - but ..) you can replace the meat with beans or tofu.

You need
1 kg minced meet ( we use half-and half minced beef and minced lamb)
2-3 large eggplants
1 kg tomatoes, chopped in small pieces
1 onion, chopped
1dl parsley and basil (and oregano if you like)
1/2 tsp clove powder
1 kg potatoes
salt and pepper

For bechamel sauce:
6 tsp butter
6 tsp flour (maida)
1 ltr milk
salt
(1 tsp nutmeg powder)
grated cheese
2 eggs (you can replace the eggs with 2 tsp baking powder. dd in the end and whisk well.)

You do:
Clean the eggplants. Chop in slices, but leave half the skin on (in stripes) Add salt on them and set aside.

Clean and chop the potatoes in slices. Add a little oil in the pan and fry the potatoes a little bit and put them in the form.

Wash the slices of eggplants, dry them in kitchen paper and then fry them a little in oil until golden. Leave them to dry in a strainer.

Chop the onion and put in the pan. Add the meat and mix well until the meat is cooked. Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, clove, and if necessary a little water. Let it boil together for at least 10 minutes. Add a little salt. Pour the meat sauce on top of the potatoes.
Make the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a pan, add flour. Whisk well and slowly add the milk, a little at the time, while you whisk (like crazy). Add salt and nutmeg. Set aside. When chilled, add the eggs while whisking well. 

Then on top of the sauce, you spread out the eggplant-slices.

On top of the eggplant slices, you pour the bechamel sauce. Spread over some grated cheese.

Cook in the oven at 180 degrees until light brown on the top ( about 20-30 minutes. )
We enjoy our moussaka with some salad, and maybe some bread. Hope you like it!

Butter chicken - recipe

Dear readers,
You have probably understood by now, that I have a thing for thali..? Another personal favourite of mine (which is perhaps easier to re-create at home) is Dal - remember I shared our recipe?

However the rest of my family has some other favorites. An Indian dish which is a really big hit in our house, especially with my teens, is butter chicken. A dish that for us is India, with the scents and the flavours which fills the kitchen. It is a bit time-consuming to make - but so totally worth it:-)

This is how we do it:

You need:
4-5 chicken breasts
5 onions, chopped
4 big tomatoes, chopped
garlic/garlic paste
ginger paste
garam masala
chicken masala
red chili powder
cinnamon sticks
turmeric
coriander powder- and fresh coriander
(Some red/orange food colour)
1 box coconut milk
1-2 dl cashewnuts, chopped
2 dl fresh cream
2 dl yougurt
lemon juice
butter, oil

You do:
1. Evening before:
Chop the chicken in small pieces and marinate in fridge overnight in: 
4 ss yougurt
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 ss lemon juice
1 tsp chicken masala
You can also marinate the same day - leave for 2-3 hours at least.

2. Make the paste:
Fry the onions in a little oil untill golden. Add 1 tsp ginger paste and 1 tsp garlic paste and the chopped tomatoes. Mix. Add chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp garam masala. Fry all together and mix well. Add a little salt and a little sugar. Add the coconut milk and let is boil together. Mix well- to get out most of the oil. Remove from heat and cool off. When chilled, pur in a blender and stir until it is an even paste. Set aside.

3. Add butter in a pan, add cinnamon sticks, a few curry leaves, 4 whole pepper corn and add the masala paste. Stir well to get most oil out.

4. Meanwhile in another pan, fry the chicken pieces and towards the end add the cashew nuts. When fried, add it all to the other paste mix. Add fresh cream and rest of the yougurt and let boil for a few minutes. If needed, add some water to make a more saucy butter chicken.
You enjoy!
Decorate with fresh coriander (the Indian parsley:-)) We eat butter chicken with boiled rice and/or shapata-bread and some fresh salad.  Yoummie:-) Hope you like it too:-)

1,2,3,4 - Greek Halva - receipe

Dear reader,
Language confusion can be quite entertaining. Take words that mean something in your language but something completely different in other languages. I am very intrigued by Hindi language and determined to master it  - to some extent, but it is sooo different. If you remember I have tried to, and Hindi Crash Course Take 2 may well come up soon. It's fun, and people are smiling when I try out my Ap kese he? The respond is usually not understandable for me, but sometimes words occur which I really feel I have heard before.. For example, when visiting an Indian friend the other day, she proudly announced: Oh, now I will introduce you to a lovely Indian Sweet. Halva.

Halva?! What? Come on! Its called the same thing in Greek. And it turned out it was veery similar - made with semolina and lots of sugar and lots of butter. Oh yes, halva was definately halva. So of course we had to make it the Greek way and exchange and share the halva-experience with our Indian friends. You will soon understand why this recipe is called 1,2,3,4 halva..

GREEK HALVA

You need:
1 cup with half butter, half oil
2 cups of semolina (rava in hindi)
3 cups of sugar ( 1 1/2 - 2 cups is more than enough really)
4 cups of water
2 cinnamon sticks
If wanted you can also add grated lemon/orange peel, chopped almonds and raisins.

You do:
In a pan mix the sugar and cinnamon sticks with water and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
In another pan, brown the semolina a little bit in a pan. If you want almonds add them towards the end. Add the butter/oil. Mix a little bit. Remove from heat.
Add the sugarwater (and grated peel from lemon/orange) to the semolinamix and stur until it looks like porridge. Leave a little to cool off, pull into forms and leave to cool. Sprinkle over some cinnamon powder.

Tip: I thinks it gets extra tasty if you add some grated lemon peel. Yoummie! And then:

You enjoy!

Good evening from Mumbai. Stay tuned!

Greek halva with strawberries