Baked potatoes need no introduction! But if you wanna witness a gorgeous makeover of your everyday baked potatoes then these baked parmesan potato bites are gonna blow your mind instantly thanks to their insane flavor and addictive crispiness!

Thanksgiving just got over and I am sure you all are now geared up with the preparation for the upcoming holiday season!

Family meal planning is one crucial component of this preparation which is why I will try to help here as best as I can!

So today I have a fantastic recipe for you! The stunning baked parmesan potato bites! This not only works perfectly as a side with your meats but also is a crowd pleaser in almost every get together!

Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t like potatoes? That too crispy baked potatoes! I guess not! Hence it’s an absolute win-win!

What are Baked Parmesan Potato Bites?

Potatoes are loved by all around the globe with hardly any exception! This is such a versatile ingredient that you can never go wrong with it!

If you are in a foreign land and not familiar with their cuisine, all you need is a bag of potatoes, because I am sure every culture has its own unique recipe of potato as their comfort food!

My baked parmesan potato bites can be one of your comfort foods too as, simply put, these are crispy potatoes baked to perfection with melty as well as cheesy parmesan sticking to them!

When you plan to bake or roast some of this global vegetable, this recipe of baked parmesan potato bites will come in super-handy!

The baby potatoes used in this dish become incredibly addictive with all their crispiness and phenomenal flavors from the classic parmesan cheese that you will keep reaching out one after another even after you are full!

Trust me, I have been there even though I take extra care not to overeat in any meal!

The post Baked Parmesan Potato Bites | How to Make Crispy Parmesan Potato Bites first appeared on Flavor Quotient.

Vegan soya borek is a delicious, crispy savoury pastry made with phyllo sheets, olive oil and soya filling. The soya is cooked with spices like onion, garlic, spice powders to create a comforting and delicious flavor. When baked with phyllo pastry sheets, it turns super crunchy. Borek Recipe During this week's grocery shopping, I ended...

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The post Borek Recipe (Vegan Borek) appeared first on Yummy Tummy.

These honey garlic salmon bites have become one of my go-to recipes when I need something quick but flavorful. The combination of sweet honey and garlic creates a sticky glaze that coats each piece perfectly. I’ve made these for both weeknight dinners and when having friends over, and they always disappear fast. They work well […]

The post Salmon Bites appeared first on Simply Meat Smoking.

• They are one pot so much less effort.
• The starchier sweetness improves your baking adding a ton more cozy feeling.
• When I bake my kitchen is warm at the same time.
• It is a recipe that you can do as a big batch with minimal prep and have all week long in the fridge.
• It pairs well with pasta, rice or any grains,can be rolled as wraps or made into a salad.

Ingredients for baked root vegetables.

The vegetables: the baked vegetable tray is one recipe that allows you so much flexibility in terms of what you can have. You can make it as colourful as you like or as monochrome as you prefer. Here is a list of vegetables I like to throw into the tray.

• Sweet potatoes
• Carrot
• Turnip
• Potato
• Radish
• Swedes
• Beetroot

For roasting: Olive oil, salt and herbs are the ones that work. The herbs I have chosen is rosemary and oregano. You can use thyme or basil as well. 

Lets make baked root vegetables

The baked vegetables is the best use of a roasting tray.

Prep the vegetables: choose starchy tough vegetables to start with. Wash thoroughly. Cut them into big chunks or dices as you prefer. Keep the beets separately. The carrots, potato sweet potato, radish, parsnip, swedes, turnip can all go together.

Coat them in flavours. Since the vegetables are going to be soft and bland, it is best to coat them with flavours. Sprinkle salt, pepper abd drizzle oil and toss them well. For flavours I prefer to add fresh study herbs that just dont burn away. Rosemary, oregano and thyme are my first choice. Go with what feels natural to you. You can replace the pepper with chilli flakes if you like the heat. Lets the vegetable mix sit while you preheat the oven
Ensure that the beets are coated and kept separate.

Bake: preheat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. Place the vegetables on a roasting tray. Spread them out evenly. Poke in pieces of beets into the gaps so they cook along. Roast the vegetables for 35 to 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius on heat both from up and down. Half way through the time, flip the vegetables over to ensure even roasting. After about 35 minutes the vegetables will be ready and fork tender. Remove from heat and direct to the table. Or cool and proceed for storage.

Meal prep and storage

The baked root vegetables are wonderful to add bulk to any meal or in the lunch box.

Is this a vegan recipe?

Baked root vegetable is an excellent vegan platter. It is filling, a mix of good healthy fibre and carbs and perfect for any vegan meal.

How to make baked root vegetables into a salad?

Once you have the baked veggies in meal prep you can have a hearty salad with it. For the dressing I prepare a generous mix of lemon and lime juice with some pepper and salt. Then you need some freshness. Chop up some tomatoes, a cucumber and handful of oregano, mint and parsley. Add all this into the mixing bowl with double the quantity of baked vegetables. Pour the dressing over it. Toss well and serve immediately. They are great sides to meals and double up as salads. You can add a bunch to your breakfasts to as hash.

How do you ensure the beets don’t leech the colour all over?

There are a couple of ways you can achieve this. If you peel chop and place the beets separately, then place them on the tray to bake it will have zero leaching.
Another method is to ensure you add the beets right at the end, a quick toss in the oil and salt and straight into the oven.

Other baked recipes from us that make a good mealprep

Baked whole cauliflower

Dried peas nuggets

Baked veggie sheek kebabs

Paneer puffs

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Hope you enjoy making this batch of low effort baked root vegetables. When you make your batch using this recipe, do share your thoughts and improvements in the comments below.
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Smoked baked beans are a barbecue staple for good reason. Starting with canned beans and adding bacon, onions, and seasonings creates a hearty side dish that complements any meal. The slow smoking process transforms ordinary ingredients into something with deep, smoky flavor. I’ve found that these beans are perfect for backyard cookouts, family reunions, or […]

The post Smoked Baked Beans appeared first on Simply Meat Smoking.

This Asian-style cubed pork belly takes time, but it’s worth every minute. After 2.5 hours of slow braising, the meat becomes incredibly tender while the caramelized glaze creates a sticky coating that clings to every piece. It’s perfect for Sunday dinners or when you’re entertaining guests who love comfort food with bold flavors. Braised Asian […]

The post Sticky Asian Pork Belly appeared first on Simply Meat Smoking.

Masala fish fry is also known as spicy fish fry recipe or South Indian fish fry. It is a flavourful seafood dish which is made by coating fresh fish in a blend of aromatic spices and shallow frying it to golden perfection. This dish is often prepared with coconut oil and curry leaves for an...

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The moment you place a plate of stuffed vegetables feel so much more special that just stir frying.
This is the magic of bharwan. It is not vegetable specific and can be seen in most dominant cuisine styles.
In Indian recipes as well you will come across a large number of vegetables served as roasted or curries with stuffed produce. Okra, capsicum, bottlegourd, eggplants, chillies, bittermelon, lemons,  mushrooms, you name it, there will be a lipsmacking stuffed version of it.
Thats when we got these baby brinjals!! That too farmfresh baby brinjal (eggplant) spotted in the market deserves a wholesome approach. Here is my version of the tastiest stuffed baby eggplant.

What is a brinjal?

Brinjal, eggplants and aubergine are all the same.

The fruits of Solanum melongena is a sturdy shrub that grows easily. The fruits come in various shapes and colours. Some are deep purple and large and used for roasting. Some green or varigated, some elongated like a zucchini and some round like a little ball. The flavor profile is nearly the same. All can be roasted, boiled or grilled and rarely eaten raw.

Here are some recipes we have previously tried with eggplants.
Kashmir doudh wagun
Kerala vazhuthananga mezhukkuperatti
Srilankan wambat moju
Chettinad kathrikka podi varuval

Ingredients to make this peanut masala stuffed brinjals

Unlike the popular dry masala stuffed baingan recipe, this is one that uses fresh ground pastes and roasted peanuts. This makes the eggplants succulent ans keeps the moisture as it roasts.

Brinjal: since eggplants come in various sizes for this recipe what you need is small baby oval or rounded eggplants. The colour or variety is up to you it can be purple, variegated or the white variety. While coosing the eggplants for this recipe, ensure that they are all even sized so you can get them cooked evenly.

Peanut: roasted peanuts form the bulk of the filling.this not only gives the nutty creaminess but also makes this recipe much more nutritious. You can use peeled peanuts of keep in the skin on. Peanut butter is not suitable becoz of the oil content. 

Onion: the red onion provides the base masala flavour.Usually I prefer this and a smooth paste so it is easier to stuff the eggplant. You can choose shallots or white onions to make the same. Shallots will be a bit sweeter.

Fresh masala base: the true flavour of the recipe comes from the fresh pastes that are made. This is a combination of fresh ginger root, garlic and green chillies. When made a paste together, they create fresh and robust flavour paste. This combined with the peanuts make the stuffing so tasty.

Lemon juice: the final splash of Lemon juice once the recipe is done provides a summery freshness to the recipe. You can have lime, lemon or tart orange juice to make this shine.

Lets make bharwan baingan

The recipe is a bit of work between prepping the brinjals and making the masala paste. However, once that part is completed, it is fairly a easy process. Check the notes below so you can actually make it in larger quantities for meal prep. 

Mealprep the stuffed brinjal

Stuffed brinjal stays good in the refrigertor for up to a week, so we highly recommend this recipe to add to your meal prep. Though it takes a bit of time, if you have a large quantity of eggplants, do not hesitate to make a big batch and freeze for later. Complete the roasting process and cool before freezing. In this way, eggplants wont leach and the result when you thaw it back up is as good as the fresh ones. Freeze as a single layer first and then store them in a container. This ensures they do not stick to each other. 

Collaboration

As bloggers we always draw inspiration and ideas from each other and support in the growth and enthusiasm. This time in the Shh cooking secretly group we are exploring stuffed vegetables recipes which have such a huge variety to offer.Check just one more, stuffed capsicum from The mad scientist kitchen.

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Stuffed brinjal recipes are a favorite for us in our house. When you try this version of peanut filled, stuffed eggplants do let us know how you liked this recipe in the comments below. The recipe my sound similar to Bharali vangi, however is far different in flavour. 

We would love to hear from you in the comments below.

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Gobi 65 is a popular Indian appetizer or snack made with cauliflower florets coated in a spicy batter and deep-fried. It is a vegetarian version of the famous Chicken 65 dish and is just as delicious and flavorful.

Gobi 65 is made by first blanching the cauliflower florets in boiling water for a few minutes. Blanching helps to soften the cauliflower and make it easier to coat in the batter. A mixture of flour, spices, and herbs is combined and seasoned with salt and pepper to make the batter. The cauliflower florets are then coated in batter and fried until they turn crispy and golden brown.

Gobi 65 is typically served hot with a chutney or sauce. This dish is often eaten as an appetizer or snack but can also be served as a side dish.

Variations of Gobi 65

There are numerous ways to prepare for Gobi 65. Some popular variations include:

• Gobi Manchurian: This dish features Gobi 65, coated in a delectable sweet and sour sauce.
• Gobi 65 Pizza: This delicious meal consists of a pizza crust generously layered with Gobi 65, tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings of your preference.
• Gobi 65 Wrap: This delectable dish features a tortilla filled with scrumptious gobi 65, flavorful chutney, and your preferred vegetables.
• Gobi 65 Salad: This meal consists of gobi 65, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and your preferred dressing.

Gobi 65 is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many ways. So next time you’re looking for a flavorful and satisfying snack or appetizer, be sure to give the Gobi 65 a try. Now let us see how to prepare this recipe.

Enjoy the video of Gobi 65. Subscribe for more videos.

Crispy Gobi 65 is ready to relish.

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I am sure you have had your fair share of chilli paneer till date if you are an Indian because this is one such Indo-Chinese dish that all Indians love to devour irrespective of them being a strict vegetarian or a meat-lover!

Let’s make the crowd favorite chilli paneer at home and bring the restaurant vibes in, what’s say?

When my better half suggested making this recipe, to be honest, I was a bit sceptical! That’s simply because I lost one critical cooking skill which is typically used in this recipe!

Wondering what the heck I am talking about? Let’s find out!

If you have been following me for a long time, you would have surely noticed how my recipes have evolved over time.

This blog has always been a place where I share what I and my family eat in our regular life; so you may have noticed that my recipes here have taken a turn into the skinnier side since the last couple of years.

Since we have been consuming low-fat & low-cal recipes off late, that’s what I share with you all and that’s exactly why & how I lost one of the key cooking skills i.e. deep frying!

Still confused and thinking how losing this skill is related to this recipe of restaurant style chilli paneer? Read on to know more!

The post Restaurant Style Chilli Paneer | Indo-Chinese Chilli Paneer Stir Fry Recipe first appeared on Flavor Quotient.

What is okoy?

Ingredients to make Filipino fritters

Ingredients the make pink vinegar dipping sauce

• The pink colour takes a few minutes to seep in so I prefer making the dipping sauce first.
• The pink dipping sauce is so easy to make.
• Finely chop the red onion and add it to a bowl, add the vinegar, salt and sugar.
• Stir well and set it aside for 10 minutes.

• I have used cabbage, pumpkin, carrots, a small capsicum that grew in the garden to make this recipe.
• Grate these so that they make a  easy mix and cook evenly.
• Add these into the mixing bowl. Use 1:1 ratio of glutinous flour to vegetable grated.
• Add the flour, salt and crushed black pepper.
• Mix this well and set aside for 10 minutes. do not add any water as the vegetables will provide enough moisture.
• Heat oil in a pan . Once oil is hot, lower the heat to medium.
• Scoop and shape the batter in to flat  and as far as round you can. Then gently place in the oil. Let this cook on on side and gently flip to the other side.
• Once both sides are golden and crispy, remove and drain from oil.
• The okoy is ready to have.

Meal prep the okoy

Other recipes from the Filipino cuisine

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Enjoy sipping this warm broth with pumpkin and soft tofu through winter months or as you recover.

Ever since her braces the tooth sensitivities are high and my daughter looks for something filling  yet soothing. That’s when we devised this soft tofu and pumpkin broth soup that has been a winner.
Served warm, the soup has a lot of liquid and soft cooked pumpkin pieces. The soft tofu can be added chunky or broken down to form more of an egg drop soup consistency. This is a bowl of pure comfort and nourishment at the same time. It is a beginner recipe that is needs a chopping board, knife and a cooking pot only. It is,

• low calorie
• gluten free
• devoid of nuts
• dairy free.

Ingredients for the pumpkin soft tofu soup

Pumpkin: the chunks of pumpkin give the body to this soup. Any variety is fine as long as they soften when cooked. I like the Japanese variety somehow as it has a smoother mouth feel. It is perfectly OK to swap this to butternut squash as well .

Soft tofu : this is the softness and the uniqueness of this soup. When cooked,the soft tofu assumes a soft jelly like texture. It cannot be swapped for firm tofu as it feels clunky. So no swaps please on the soft tofu.

Seasonings: Salt and pepper is plenty to right make this soup good. Yet I have a secret ingredient you should try.

Dried mushroom powder: This brings forth a soothing umami flavours to the dish. I choose the powder as at the moment my daughter finds it difficult to chew. If not you can add a few chopped pieces of shitake or brown Swiss. I would totally avoid enoki as it will make the soup a bit slimy and with the soft tofu it us not a great mouthfeel.

Broth : to be clear,  I cook the soup in water. However you will get a much more depth of flavour if you use a vegetable broth. If using the broth be mindful not to add salt till you have tested the salt levels.

Herbs: you can finish off this soup with herbs if you like. You can add chopped coriander leaves, chives or scallions.

Let’s make pumpkin soft tofu soup

This will be one of the easiest ways you will make a soup.

Prep the pumpkin: this is probably the most time consuming process in this whole recipe. Peel and chop the pumpkin into chunks. You can dice smaller if you like. Frozen pumpkin cubes work well too.

Cook the pumpkin in broth: into a cooking pot add the broth (or water) and the pumpkin cubes. Cover and cook till the pumpkin is soft and mashable.

Add the soft tofu: remove the block of tofu from the packaging. Cut them into cubes. once the pumpkin is cooked add the tofu into the soup. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes till the tofu steams well. Instead of cubes you can crush the tofu and add. This soup will resemble the egg drop soup.

Season and serve: adjust the salt and sprinkle some pepper into the soup and remove from heat. The soup is ready to be served. Serve warm.

Variations to the soup.

At times we like to spice it up a bit with this soup, so a teaspoon of sambal chilli paste or Thai curry paste into the broth adds a ton of flavour and a variation from the regular.

Likewise, along with the pumpkin, you can add any vegetable you choose. This adds a bit more variety to this broth. You could try zucchini, broccoli, cabbage or winter melon will be good in the recipe.

Meal prep and lunch boxes

The soup broth definitely tastes the best when warm. However, it can be prepared ahead. It stays good for up to 3 days. I wont recommend freezing the soup as it is nit worth that effort.

Other soup recipes that are handy when having braces.

Broccoli and peas soup
Cherry tomato soup
Avocado cold soup
Carrot and celery soup

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The pumpkin and soft tofu broth is a simple recipe. It is a perfect winter comfort or a bowl when you are just under the weather. Let me know if you like this version of a simple soup in the discussion below.
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Enjoy a lipsmacking thogayal made with dals and peels of the ridge gourd in traditional south Indian flavour. Pair it with meals of your choice to wow, your family.

What I see as a difference between home cooks and chefs is not just in the size of meals that we make. Chefs have to keep up with so many of our taste factors, cost control and visual appeal. Home cooks, do know the people they cook for, so fairly easier for them to play around with the ingredients to suit the home needs. Moreover, home cooks can focus on ensuring the best of nutrition from best of produce.What do you think

Here is an age old recipe that a lot of South Indian home cooks rely on, peerkangai thol thogayal.

What is peerkangai thol thogayal?

Peerkangai thol is the peel of ridgegrord. This along with roasted lentils, spices, coconut and tamarind is ground into a coarse paste. This is peerkangai thogayal or ridgegourd chutney. It is a popular recipe among all South Indian states and has a few different names, peechinga chutney in Kerala, beerakaya pachadi in Telugu,  heerakai chutney in Kannada.  Often paired with steamed rice, a dollop of ghee and some stirfried vegetables on the side, the recipe is a classic homestyle one.
The recipe as such is

• Vegan
• Gluten free
• Onion and garlic free
• No nightshade added
• And dairy free

Ingredients from ridge gourd chutney

 Angled loofah or ridge gourd belongs to the cucumber family. The tough outer skin has predominant ridges. The gourd as such has soft flesh that is cooked into curries or stirfries. The peel is the one we have used to make this recipe

Dals: the dals add volume and depth of flavour to this recipe. I use a mix of skinned black gram dal (urad dal) and chick pea dal(channa dal). When roasted thr dals and ground the dals add the necessary volume to the dish.
Spices:there is very minimal spices in the recipe. Red dried chillies are a huge part if the flavour. The second main flavour comes from curry leaves. Along with the salt, the small pinch of asafoetida added offsets any need for garlic or onion.
Coconut: grated coconut added a softness. The milky flavour of the coconut works well with the ridgegourd. Tamarind: there is a slight hint of sourness that you experience while having this recipe. This comes frontiers dried tamarind that is added and  ground along with the ingredients. It adds a zesty flavour to the dish when having with grains or breads.

Let’s make peerkangai thogayal

The recipe is a medium intensity one where the roasting of dals is the one that can go wrong as it burns easily.

Prep the peerkangai: the peel of the ridge gourd is the one used to make this recipe. However, the ridges have a tough fiber running through them that needs to be removed.

• Wash and pat dry the riodge gourd.
• Using a knife or peeler approach of the pointed ridges. This js where the fibres are.
• Press down the peeler and remove the green skin completely. Save this part of this chutney. Save the spongy part to make kootu or stirfry.

Roast the dals and spices: in a heavy bottomed pan, add the urad dal and channa dal and a tsp of coconut oil. Dry roast this on low heat. Add the curry leaves and red chillies as the dals start turning golden and roast all together till the chillies are crisp and the dals deep golden. Remove this from heat on to a plate and set it aside.

Roast the peerkangai thol: Add the skin. Stir fry this till the peels look deep green and vibrant. Remove and add to the same plate. Let this cool down as well.

Grind the thogayal: once cooler to handle add the roasted dals, chilli,curry leaves, sauteed ridgegourd peel, tamarind, salt and coconut to the food processor and blend into a coarse mix.
Remove the coarse ground mix to a bowl and the thogayal is ready to be served.

Best pairings with peerkangai thol thogayal

Here are a few ideas for you to try with this thogayal
Peerkangai thogayal with steamed rice, a small spoon of ghee and poriyal on the side is one great Sunday meal.
At home, we like this as a side to rasam rice and often with some kootu.
Alternatively, you can use this as a dip for idlies, dosa etc too.
We use this as a spread for wraps and sandwiches. Pretty much the thogayal and cheese sandwich is a great try. Use some  grana padano or  aged cheddar instead of saltier ones like feta.

Meal prep and lunch boxes

Thogayal stays well in the fridge for up to a week without any issues. It also freezes so well, that we often rely on a frozen block for quick lunches. We love thogayal cheese sandwiches for our lunch box. You could also use it to stirfry the rice with, like we made ghee podi rice.

Other chutneys and thogayals

Thogayals, chammandi and chutneys are a big part of South Indian meals. Here are a couple of ideas
Thenga chammandi
Curry leaves thogayal
Doddapathra chutney
Mango chammandhi
Watermelon rind thogayal

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The comfort of hot rasam on a plate with steamed rice and a ball of this thogayal is Sunday for us. We enjoy it as a meal together that screams simplicity yet home.Hope you enjoy making this chutney as much as we love bring it to you. If you make it slightly different tell us your version, we always love to try different ones .
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I smoked a brisket last weekend and while it was tender, delicious, and amazing, that is just the start of this post.

One night last week, I made twice-baked potatoes with some of this tasty brisket and leftover pimento cheese that Alexis had made.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

The process is simple. 

• I baked two large Idaho bakers on the Egg until they were tender. 
• I sliced the top off and scoops the steaming potato pulp into a large bowl. 
• There I added about a cup of chopped brisket and a heaping amount of pimento cheese. 
• I stuffed most of this mix back into the potato shells.

I put the potatoes on a tray into a Big Green Egg set up for indirect heat and running at 350°f. I topped them with a few pats of butter and let them run for 20 minutes.

Then I topped them with a "small" amount of sharp cheddar and let them roll until the cheese was melted, another 10 minutes or so.

I seasoned them with some dried herbs and they were ready. Warm, creamy, smoky, and briskety - these were phenomenal. But...that's just half of the story.

Fried Mashed Potato Cakes

Remember the leftover stuffing for the twice-baked potatoes? Yes, the leftover, leftovers. I used those to make Fried Mashed Potato Cakes! 

Here's how I did those, it was pretty simple. 

I started by cleaning out my BGE Mini-Max grill. That is so much easier now that I finally bought a Kick Ash Basket Ash Can.

How fussy are you about adding coal? I like to shake the ash off of the leftover coal in the Egg. It's fine to just add more coal to the basket. But I like to remove the used coal, add the new coal, and put the used coal on top. I find the used coal lights easier and it definitely doesn't pop as much.

I formed the leftover twice-baked potato mix into cakes using a 2 1/2" ring and then double-dipped them (flour-egg-flour).

. 

I got the Mini-Max dialed in at 350°f and preheated the skillet of oil for 5 minutes. I fried them in oil for right at 1 minute per side.

I put them on a rack when they came out so they didn't get greasy.

I gave them a quick squirt of white queso sauce and it was time to dive into golden, crispy deliciousness!

  We all look forward to real food on Super Bowl day, don’t we??? Chicken wings, nachos, pizzasss, chipsss. You can fry ’em, bake ’em, grill ’em, it’s your call. Here are some recipe ideas, plan ahead and awe your guests with your delicious spread! Pizza Recipes Ground Beef pizza with homemade pizza crust: Hands […]

The post Best Super Bowl Recipe Ideas appeared first on Cooking with Thas - Healthy Recipes, Instant pot, Videos by Thasneen.

The India trip is exciting in many ways. Not only do I love being with my parents,  the travel but also the foods that I hardly get to see in my daily run in Sydney. However, it was getting to a point where the cooked foods were constant and I missed the simplicity of forking some salad for lunch. Invading into the kitchen garden, the bilimbi tree was almost as if it was waiting for me. This was the first time my daughter saw me climb a tree. She really did not believe I had the monkey in me. Anyway, now that’s proven!  we made a sour spicy salad to accompany the meals (just because amma won’t allow the bilimbi salad as a meal).

What is bilimbi?

A close relative of the carambola tree the bilimbi, Averrhoa bilimbi is a small tree that grows well in the tropics and a native of South East Asia.  Flowering as deep red inflorescence these turn into soft-skinned green fruit. This is bilimbi fruit that has a lot of culinary interest. The whole fruit is edible. The fruit grows in clusters from the stem. The fruit in local Indian names is irumban puli(malayalam) bimbuli (kannada), kamias(Tagalog). (Share with us more regional names if you have any for this fruit please).

What does bilimbi taste like?

The crunchy and firm fruit is actually extremely juicy to bite into. The fruit is highly sour and acidic with a slight metallic after-taste. Unlike carambola, the fruit does not turn sweet upon ripening. If eaten raw, best tasted with a pinch of salt mixed with cayenne. Choose the younger fruit if you like a bit lesser intensity for the sourness, especially for salads. For curries, the ripe fleshy ones are more suited.

Ingredients for the salad

Apart from young bilimbi, you will need other ingredients. A small red onion that is finely sliced and a green chilli to add spiciness. You can either pound the chilli with salt to mix it in the salad or chop it in.  I have added a handful of fresh moringa leaves as the mesclun. If you don’t have access to them, use arugula or spinach in their place. Use fine salt to the season only at the end as it draws out a lot of juice from the bilimbi making the salad soggy.

The recipe card below gives the proportion of the ingredients. From this recipe card, you can directly save onto your pin board if you need to find some of the fruit too.

Pairing the moringa bilimbi salad.

Since the salad is sour and spicy, it will be a fabulous side to protein-rich preparations. Ideally, it will taste awesome with sheek kebabs, rajma cutlets,cheela or cutlets. If you chop the bilimbi fruit smaller, you can mix it with a basic bhel mix to make a tasty snack. We did not wait for all that but had it just as such with a classic South Indian thali.

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We love to bring you new ideas and recipes as we explore them. Hopefully, we will have more tree sorrel recipes I hope you like them too, rate us and leave a comment on your experience of our website. Check out our YouTube, Instagram and Facebook pages too.