Home cooking can be approachable & enjoyable
Hi friends!
In my new video, I am sharing the most basic spices and ingredients that you need to know and have on hand to start making delicious South Asian food. These flavors are the base to create endless dishes and are readily available. Checkout the video on YouTube, please subscribe if you haven’t already. Below you will find the list of the spices and ingredients I have shown in the video.
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Hi friends! Aloo gobi is a very classic South Asian dish with cauliflower and potatoes. I always add peas to mine, the peas add just a little bit of sweetness and beautiful green color. I love dishes like these because they are one pot meals. This dish is easy, full of flavor and will become your family favorite too.
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Parathas are a staple in many South Asian households. Similar to chapati/roti, parathas are unleavened flatbread made from whole wheat flour called atta. Atta is flour originating from the Indian subcontinent. Parathas are layered and flakey, usually a little thicker than chapati/roti but thinner than a naan.
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A weekly must have meal prep dish that will for sure become your favorite. This recipe is easy, delicious, nutritious and versatile. These lentils are cooked with some basic spices and finished off with oil that has been infused with whole spices and aromatics. This technique is called tadka with means tempering.
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This is a creamy curry with a little bit of tang from the tamarind. Fish dishes really don’t take much time to put together, so it’s a perfect quick easy meal.
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I never did like the soft texture of eggplants in a curry before. Whenever my mom would make Eggplant and potatoes I would never eat. But now I cut into smaller pieces, roast it and after it’s cooked, it almost becomes a mash. Now this dish has become one of my favorite curries.
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I always stock up on ground beef, because it just makes a quick meal. There are many dishes you can use ground beef in. I would say this ground beef curry is on my weekly menu because it easy, delicious and versatile.
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Rice is one of our favorites to make on a weekly basis, especially for the kids. Having a few different recipes for rice is a great way to add variety to your weekly meals. This recipe is so simple, but full of flavor with just a few whole spices. Also try this rice with a punch of nutrients with the added spinach, my kids love this. Rice/spinach pilaf
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Lentils are a common staple in South Asian cuisine. Lentils are legumes with protein, minerals and fiber. In addition to being packed with nutrition they are an inexpensive pantry must have. Most lentil recipes don’t take long to make, that’s why I usually have lentils on our menu weekly. They can also be paired with veggies or meat. I usually add a bunch of spinach for a nutrient punch for the kids. But the options are endless and these are also vegan and gluten free. This lentil curry can be paired with rice, naan, chapati and paratha.
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The oldest memory I having of cooking is learning how to make chapatis from my mom. Homemade chapatis is one of the first foods that comes to my mind when I think of comfort food.
Typically when we think of making any type of bread, we think of oven, yeast, mixer and a lot of experience needed. But South Asian flatbreads are some of the simplest and delicious breads to make. No use of any fancy kitchen tool, not worrying about dough rising times, but just a little practice is needed. Once you master the skill of chapati making you will truly feel like an artisan bread maker.
Chapatis and rotis are the same can be used interchangeably . Phulka is similar as well, but usually can be finished of on an open flame. All 3 are whole wheat South Asian flatbread. It is traditionally made from atta, which is a wholemeal wheat flour. This can come in varieties of 100% whole wheat, refined options and multigrain. You can try different types of flour to see which flour you prefer.
Chapati is a staple in South Asian households. These thin and soft breads can be eaten with vegetable or meat curries, used as wraps.
To make chapatis you really need 2 ingredients, the wheat flour atta and water. Now some people do add salt and oil but it’s not required. I have noticed depending on the variety of the flour I am using I will add some oil. For instance if I got the 100% whole wheat flour which gives you a little more tougher chapatis, I will use some oil.
Depending on the region and the style, the thickness and size of the chapatis will be varied. If you are new to learning this I would recommend you make them smaller and just a little thicker, they will be much easier to handle. But eventually you want to roll them out thin that usually ensures the chapatis will be soft and fluffy.
RECIPE NOTES
The goal is to make the dough soft, pliable with no lumps. If the dough is hard you will have a hard time rolling it out and the chapati will not be soft and fluffy.
Kneading the dough by hand is the easiest way to controlling the consistency of the dough. If you are new to learning this I highly recommend making/kneading dough by hand. When you have mastered the chapati dough by hand you can use the a stand mixer with the hook attachment.
I prefer to use lukewarm water so the dough will not be to soft, that can be hard to work with. When I use lukewarm water I end up using 1 1/2 cups water. Depending on the temperature of water you may use a little more or less.
Traditionally a concave griddle called a tawa is used to cook the chapatis on. You can find these at international grocery stores. I use a non-stick flat griddle that works perfectly.
With this recipe I can end up making 10-15 chapatis depending on how thick or thin you roll them.
I store the dough covered in the refrigerator and use it within 2-3days.
Enjoy with
chicken curry, meatball curry, eggplant curry
Please watch the full detailed video on you tube.
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