Lokumi

Yes, that is the name. It is a Mediterranean dessert. Simply put, it is a butter cookie coated with sugar :)
Food is my passion and I love trying different foods from all over the world. Moving to the United States has really made that dream come true. The more I eat, meet people and talk about their foods, I find it so interesting that a lot of dishes are common to many distinct parts of the world. There maybe slight variations and names are obviously different but the soul of the food is the same. Not to downplay the diversity but just trying to highlight how the same kinds of food are present in so many different corners of the world! I find that absolutely enchanting!
This Lokumi, is also made in Mexico, at weddings and is known as Mexican wedding cookies.

For this you will need -
1 Cup - Butter (Unsalted)
1/2 Cup - Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup - Chopped Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios)
About 2 Cups - Flour
1 Tspn - Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tspn - Baking Powder
1/4 Tspn - Salt
Rind of 1 Yellow Lemon
Another 1 Cup - Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar with Cornstarch)

Method -

Pre heat the oven to 350deg F. Beat the butter till light and fluffy, add the 1/2 cup sugar and mix well. In the meantime, add the salt, baking powder, rind and nuts to the flour and mix well. Add the flour mixture to the butter and make a soft dough. Adjust the amount of flour so as to get a soft firm dough. Sometimes you may need upto 2 1/2 cups. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Either roll out the dough and cut diagonals or make small balls and press flat. You can even make different shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes till light brown only.
Take it out of the oven and when still warm, roll in the additions icing sugar, twice. This will ensure a nice sweet sugary layer on top of the cookie! Makes about 40 and these keep for days.

 

Mint Pulav with Tomato Peanut Salsa

Pudina (mint) pulav is like the yummiest food of all times! Yes, hands down it wins. All of you there who say you don't like mint, I challenge you to not like, oh no, not love this!!!
I am not bragging but this rice is sooo aromatic and flavorful that anyone I have served to simply could not get enough. So many of my friends who said mint is too strong now are big fans. All thanks to my mum's recipe 😊

For the mint rice, you will need -

Two Handfuls - Washed fresh mint leaves
5-6 Strands - Coriander leaves
2 Inch - Ginger
4-5 Cloves - Garlic
1-2  - Green Chilies
1-2 - Cloves
1/2 Inch - Cinnamon
1 Pod - Cardamom
1 Small or 1/2 of a Big - Onion
200 - 250gms - Basmati Rice soaked
A Cup - Green Peas or Corn or Paneer Cubes
A Tspn - Fennel Seeds
5 Tbspns - Oil + Butter
Salt
1 Tspn - Turmeric Powder (Optional)
1 Tspn - Red Chili Powder (Optional)
1 Tspn - Garam Masala (Optional)
2 Tspns - Vinegar or 1 Tbspn - Yoghurt or 1/4 of Lime Squeezed (any one for the tartness)

Method -
The ingredients list is long but it is really very easy to make. All the ingredients up until the rice, blend it to a fine paste. If cooking in a pressure cooker, heat the oil and the butter, add the fennel seeds. Then add the ground mixture and sauté really well, for about 8-10 mins. As you sauté add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, if you want a little more spice or you can avoid it. If using yoghurt for tartness add now. Add the peas or corn if using, now. Once the color changes into dark green and the aroma is all over the house, add the rice, after draining the water. Mix well. Add the garam masala now if you want. If using lemon juice or vinegar for tartness, add that now. If your rice measures two cups, add two cups of water, basically rice to water is 1:1 ratio. Add salt as per your taste. Cover the lid, let it blow three whistles and turn off the gas. Once the pressure is released, open, mix well and if using paneer, add now. Cover and let the flavors infuse for a few minutes before serving.
If cooking in a pan, I would suggest you cook the rice separately. Follow the same steps for the initial part of the recipe. Add the cooked rice once the ground paste is sauted well, add salt. Mix well. Turn off the heat and then add lemon juice or vinegar and paneer. Mix and cover to let the flavors infuse.

For the Salsa -
1 - Onion
1 - Tomato
1 - Green Pepper
A small bunch - Coriander Leaves
A small cup - Roasted Peanuts
3-4 Tspns - Tomato Ketchup
Salt and Pepper

Method -
Fine chop onion, tomato, pepper and cilantro. Mix all the ingredients and serve!

 

Coriander Rice with Butternut Squash Palya

Rice is an all time favorite in my house. Between my husband and my son even twenty different recipes of rice won't suffice! So constant innovation of flavors with rice is always on my mind. Thanks to my Kannada lineage I have a good repertoire to fall back on but even then new ones are always welcome. So here is one, my friend Smita, taught me. Simple, authentically South Indian and bold in taste and color!

For Coriander Rice, you will need -

1 big bunch - Coriander/Cilantro Leaves
A tablespoon - Fresh/frozen grated coconut
2-3 - Red Chilies
3-4 - Curry Leaves (optional)
3 teaspoons - Oil
1 teaspoon - Mustard seeds
2 Cups - Cooked Rice (approx. 200gms rice that is cooked)

Method -
Grind the coriander leaves, curry leaves, coconut and red chilies, coarsely. Heat the oil in a wide bottom pan, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle. Add the ground mixture and sauté for about five minutes, till it turns dark green and is cooked. Now add salt and the cooked rice. Turn off the heat and give it a good mix. My son loves colorful food and turns out one of his favorite colors is green. So he loved this and gobbled it with gusto.

This can be eaten with a bowl of curd/yoghurt if you make the rice itself a bit spicy by adding more chilies. If not, a simple squash side is a great accompaniment. With it's tender and sweet flavor it really compliments the hard hitting coriander's aroma and taste.

For the Butternut Squash playa (stir fry), you will need -

1/2 - Butternut Squash (peeled and diced)

If not this, you can use any kind of sweet pumpkin or squash.

2-3 teaspoons - Oil
A teaspoon - Mustard Seeds
2-3 - Red Chilies
1/2 teaspoon - Turmeric Powder
A small piece of - Jaggery or 2 teaspoons Sugar
Salt as per your liking

Method -
Heat oil in a wok or pan. Add the mustard, allow to crackle. Then add the chilies. To this add the diced squash, salt and turmeric. Cover and cook for ten to twelve minutes, till the squash is tender. Add the jaggery or sugar and cook till all the liquid evaporates. Serve with the rice.

Photo Source: http://foodcomas.com/2010/12/28/butternut-squash-soup/