Egg Salad, Indian Style

Many weekends, you will find V and me sitting huddled at a table with 6 other people, in a school gym or church meeting hall or some such venue, trying to answer really random questions in a trivia fundraiser. It is a very St. Louis thing, apparently.

Trivia games are fueled by the steady consumption of soda and popcorn (free! from the sponsors!) and whatever snacks the competitors bring to the table. Trivia nights combine my two favorite things, (a) trying new recipes on unsuspecting friends, and (b) justifying my hours and hours of mindless TV-watching by being able to flawlessly answer questions about important personalities like the Balloon Boy and OctoMom.

I try to bring snacks that have some nutritional value and that are a somewhat OK substitute for a proper dinner. This weekend, I made egg salad with an Indian touch. This recipe was just something I made up as I went along, but it was surprisingly successful and the bowl was scraped clean at the trivia table.

Egg Salad, Indian Style

1. Hard boil 6 large eggs. I use Kalyn's method for perfectly cooked eggs every time. Peel the eggs and cut each one into 6-8 chunks.

2. As the eggs boil, get the rest of the ingredients ready. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a pan and saute 1 medium onion, diced finely until it is translucent.

3. Add the following and saute for a few seconds:
1 heaped tsp. ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder (or to taste)
1 tsp. Kitchen King masala (or garam masala)
salt to taste

4. Stir in 2 chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) and saute the onion mixture until it is quite dry. Let it cool.

5. In a bowl, mix the following with a gentle touch:
Chopped eggs
Onion mixture
2-3 tbsp. mayonnaise (or sour cream or thick yogurt)
1-2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Minced cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

6. Sprinkle paprika on the egg salad for a bright accent.

Serve with baguette slices or whole grain crackers. This would also be an excellent filling for sandwiches or pita pockets. I know I will be making this often for picnics in summer.

Dale's Tales

Dale's tip for staying toasty in winter: Position yourself strategically and enjoy two heat sources at one time, sunshine on your front end and heat from the radiator on your rear end!

I'll be back with a simple soup later in the week. See you then!

Trivia Night Sandwiches

I've finally figured out the rate-limiting step in my blog posting frequency. It is not the usual hub-hub of work, social events, errands, chores and the stress of knitting palm-sized sweaters. It is the fact that lately, I've been forgetting to photograph my meals for posterity! And without a picture, I can't seem to start a post.

Well, last evening I did remember to make a lunge for the camera as sandwich-making was in progress, and after a brief lull on this space, here I am with a sandwich that is as simple as it is tasty.

We played trivia last night at a fundraiser for a good cause, and I furnished the sandwiches to keep us going through many rounds involving the usual motley crew of TV characters and dead presidents. Summer vegetables are still going strong in local markets, so a roasted vegetable pesto sandwich seemed ideal- I could roast the vegetables the night before, buy fresh bread on the way home and assemble sandwiches at the last minute.

This was one of the vegetables that made it onto the baking sheet: an adorable squash that looks handpainted in two colors. Does anyone want to guess the name of this hybrid?


Roasting the vegetables: I used a large rimmed baking sheet, and covered it with uniformly sliced vegetables- 1 medium eggplant, 2 squashes, 1 large onion, 2 colorful peppers. Toss the vegetables with 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, using your (clean!) hands to get the vegetables well-coated. Roast the veggies at 435 F for 30-40 minutes or until they are tender and slightly charred and smoky. Cool the sheet pan, then store the vegetables overnight in an air-tight container.

Assembling the sandwiches:


Put together-

• Good bread
• Pesto (home-made or store-bought)
• Roasted vegetables (straight from the fridge)
• Fresh mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh basil leaves (this came from the pot in my kitchen windowsill)
• Salt and pepper

With such simple ingredients, quality matters, so go for the best you can find. This sandwich can be embellished with a dressing of capers and balsamic vinegar, topped with fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, sprinkled with pepper flakes, but it is honestly delicious just as it is.

The best part- our team came in at first place (squee!) with this tie-breaker question-

In what year will NASA retire the Space Shuttle from service?

Do you know the answer (we're using the honor system here so no googling)? Luckily for our team, V did and we ended the night on a high note.

I promise to be back very soon. A lonely and quiet blog feels a bit sad, doesn't it? Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

Alone in the Kitchen...

Several weeks ago, I was thrilled to be sent a preview copy of "Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant" by Riverhead Books. I love thinking about food and reading about food as much as I love cooking it and eating it. The subject of the book is an interesting one- It is a collection of 20+ essays, all about cooking for oneself and eating alone. I have to say- this was the most interesting and engaging bit of food writing I have read in several months- it seems that the subject evokes some pretty interesting thoughts, both from the editor, Jenni Ferrari-Adler, and all of the contributors. In fact, my mother was visiting when the book arrived, and she read it cover to cover before I even got a chance to touch it. She was quite amused by the theme of the book and thoroughly enjoyed it.


For most of the days since I set up my first kitchen in NYC, I often ate cozy dinners with V and boisterous dinners with my roommate and the parade of assorted friends who would troop through our apartment. I did have days and months of cooking and eating alone, however, and they always coincided with the times when I was busiest and most stressed out at work. Confronted with the prospect of cooking for myself, I would find myself singularly uninspired. I would often go into the kitchen, stand around for a while, sigh, then drink a glass of orange juice and go off to bed. This was a little disturbing- if I love cooking and routinely make full meals for the everyone else, why don't I care enough to feed myself? So I was delighted to find this paradox addressed in some of the essays.

As Jenni Ferrari-Adler says in the book, "A good meal is like a present, and it can feel goofy, at best, to give yourself a present. On the other hand, there is something life affirming in taking the trouble to feed yourself well, or even decently".

In Ann Pratchett's words, "Do I not believe that I am entitled to the same level of tenderness that I extend to others? Or is it, in fact, a greater level of self-love to not put myself through the hassle of making dinner?"

Ben Karlin makes a great point when he says, "I realized the secret ingredient in most great cooking is the confidence of others-the look in their eyes, the nods of encouragement and amazement that what they are eating is so good and you were responsible for it".

Laurie Colwin brings up the issue of the foods we eat when we eat alone by saying, "Certainly cooking for oneself reveals man at his weirdest. People lie when you ask them what they eat when they are alone. A salad, they tell you. But when you persist, they confess to peanut butter and bacon sandwiches deep-fried and eaten with hot sauce, or spaghetti with butter and grape jam." The food I ate alone were not so much bizarre as they were uncharacteristic. On my home-alone nights, I often ate things I would never dream of eating: microwaved frozen French fries, anyone? How about a whole bag of potato chips, with ketchup as a dip?

Obession with particular foods seems to be another hallmark of eating alone. Beverly Lowry says, "...I have routinely stuck to certain dishes, cooking them over and over again, until in memory, the place and the dish merge and become a single event". There are essays about obessive years spent making and eating black beans, spaghetti, instant noodles that tell me that I am not alone. Oh yes, I went through my phases too, of comfort-and-convenience foods- there was a peanut butter sandwich phase, then a poha phase, which ended prematurely when the mega-packet of rice flakes ran out and I refused to make a trip to Queens to buy another...followed by a bread-pizza phase (pepperidge farm sliced bread, topped with pasta sauce and sprinkled with pre-shredded cheese)...Oh, I shudder to think of the things I have eaten for dinner, all consumed while being propped up in bed, in the flickering glow of the TV.

Not all home-alone cuisine is as mortifying as the stuff I ate. Some essays talk about signature dishes that are perfected while one is alone in the kitchen. Dan Chaon, for instance, writes about making big pots of chili, stating that "Cooking chili made me feel festive, even though I was alone in my apartment, as if I would soon be surrounded by a large group of happy people".

And what is it about eggplants and cooking for oneself? Laurie Colwin talks about living on eggplant in the essay that gives the book its title. Recently, two bloggers confessed that if they were to cook for themselves, it would be eggplants/ brinjals that they would cook! So, without further ado, an eggplant recipe...

We do associate eggplants with their lovely deep purple color, don't we? In fact, in Marathi, a particularly fetching shade of royal purple is admiringly called vangi color, generally when referring to lustrous silk sarees and fabrics. So I was a little startled to see this fellow in the market:

I mean, you often see patterned purple-white eggplants of different sizes, but this one is totally monochromatic. Apparently, the white eggplant is the oldest cultivated eggplant, with some suggesting that the egg-colored and egg-shaped globes were the reason for calling it an eggplant in the first place. Today, these albino varietals are cultivated more as a novelty and the purple ones are the commonest ones. I used the white eggplant just as I would any other eggplant: not bothering to peel it. It tasted tender and delicious!

I used the eggplant in a signature Sicilian dish called caponata. The first time I ever tasted caponata was when our Sicilian friend made it, and it was the most complex and delightful mixture of flavors- fried cubes of eggplant, peppers, onion, tomato mingled with bits of olives and tiny capers. In making "real" caponata, olive il is used in a manner that can only be described as abundant, bountiful, copious! My stingy less-oil version (adapted from a Food Network recipe) turns out more like a stew, but is very tasty all the same. The raisins and sugar in the recipe result in a lovely savory-sweet flavor profile. Next time, I will also throw in some olives. Caponata is wonderful at room temperature, making it perfect picnic food. It also tastes better if made a day before serving.

Eggplant Caponata Sandwich

(adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' recipe, makes about 6 servings)
Here is how I made this (with substitutions according to what I had on hand). For the full recipe, please refer to the link above.
Caponata
1. Dice a medium eggplant and saute in 3-4 T olive oil until it starts to soften.
2. Add 1 C diced sweet yellow peppers and saute for a few minutes more.
3. Add 1 medium choppped onion and saute until the onion is transluscent.
4. Add 2 C diced tomatoes (with juice), 2 T golden raisins, 1 t dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring often.
6. Turn off the heat, then stir in 1 t sugar, 2-3 T balsamic vinegar and 1 T capers.

Sandwiches

1. Picnic version: Pack your favorite rolls such as demi-baguettes or ciabatta (halved) in a paper bag, mozzarella slices in one box, and caponata in a second box. Assemble sandwiches right before you eat.
2. Toasted version (If the temperature outside is a 108 degrees F and the picnic has to be relocated to your living room): Halve the roll, place slices of fresh mozzarella cheese on the bottom half, and toast until the cheese melts and the bread gets crispy. Stuff with a generous amount of the caponata and serve right away.

Other ways to use caponata...
1. As a spread for crackers or crostini (little toasts).
2. As a pasta sauce, thinned down with some pasta water if necessary.

The Eggplant Caponata Sandwich is my entry to Anupama's Picnic Food Event. Click here for the round-up, full of great ideas for picnic fare!

V is for Vegetable Cheese Sandwiches

The myriad cuisines of India all love their vegetables! Veggies are diced and sliced, grated and mashed, stir-fried and curried into hundreds of vegetable dishes. In this series, the A to Z of Indian Vegetables, we take an alphabetical journey through the various avatars of vegetables relished in Indian cuisine. For each letter, we will make a tasty vegetable dish that illustrates one manner in which vegetables are savored in India.
A reminder about the X of Indian Vegetables: Two weeks from now will be the turn of the letter X. This represents a challenge for this series, and calls for another loophole, I think! In mathematics, the letter X represents an unknown value. X is the letter of mystery, so here is the challenge for X: Choose any fruit or vegetable that is unknown to you...either you have never tasted it, or never cooked with it. Then, use it in any dish of your choice that uses Indian flavors. Here is your chance to scour your grocery store or farmer's market, or go find some exotic ethnic store in your town, and try something fresh and new, do some Xploration! It should be Xciting :) Do you have to take up this challenge for this letter? No, if you come up with something else that fits the X theme, that would be welcome too!

The "V" of Indian Vegetables
The letter V inspired twenty-seven vivacious Indian flavors!

First, an incredible variety of V Vegetables.

Let's start with the royal, voluptuous eggplant, known as Vangi in Kannada, the language of the Indian state of Karnataka, and in Marathi, the language of Maharashtra, and also known as Vankaya in Telugu, the language of Andhra Pradesh. There are dozens of delicious ways to prepare this vegetable, and here is a tasty selection, ranging from the creative to the traditional.

First, an innovative appetizer. Coffee from The Spice Cafe falls in love with an appetizer served at a wedding feast, then rushes home to recreate it, resulting in these delicious bite-size stuffed Eggplant Rolls.

Next, two simple, home-style ways to enjoy pan-fried eggplant...

TC from The Cooker dredges thick juicy slices of eggplant in seasoned flour and pan-fries them to make these golden, crispy Vangyache Kaap.

Manasi from A Cook At Heart sprinkles spices and flour on to perfect eggplant rounds and fries them to a savory finish, then serves them with plain toor dal (varan) to make a double V comforting meal of Vangi Kaap and Varan Bhaat.

Then comes an eggplant puree that can be served as a dip or a side-dish. Aarti from Aarti's Corner bakes eggplant, then mashes it and seasons it to perfection to make a dish of smoky and smooth Vangyacha Bharit.

Now for a couple of eggplant curries...

Linda from Out Of The Garden makes a classic combination: she cooks eggplant together with sprouted beans and a home-made spice mixture to turn out a tantalizing platter of Vangi ani Val.

Hima from SnackORama uses her mom's tried and tested recipe for a tangy tamarind-tinged curry made with mashed smoky eggplant, Vankaya Pulusu Pachadi.

The final eggplant dish is a savory rice. Here are four different ways to make this crowd-pleasing combo:

Raaga from The Singing Chef loves Vangi Bhat so much that she made sure it was served at her wedding feast.

Asha from Aroma/ Foodie's Hope shares an aromatic home-made spice mix for making her version of Vangi Bhaat.

Dee from Ammalu's Kitchen comes from an eggplant-loving clan, and makes her Vangi Bath as a Father's Day gift.

Aarti from Aarti's Corner makes a typical Maharashtrian style Vangi Bhaat.

The next V vegetable is the okra, called Vendakka in Malayalam, the language of Kerala, and Vendakai in Tamil, the language of Tamil Nadu.

Raaga from The Singing Chef turns okra into a cooling salad with a spicy tempering with her tempting recipe for Vendakka Pachadi.

Laavanya from Cookery Corner turns the vendakai (okra) and some vellapoondu (garlic) into a spicy, tangy curry called Vendakai Vathal Kuzhumbu.

Then come the tiny verdant pearls, green peas or Vatana as they are called in Gujarati, the language of Gujarat. A stash of frozen peas can come to the rescue when vegetables are running low in the crisper! Richa from As Dear As Salt promises dinner on the table in 15 minutes flat with this everyday curry of peas, potato and tomato, Vatana Bateta Tametu Nu Shaak.

Now for a whole bunch of vegetables are quite unusual. First up are the sturdy and tasty hyacinth beans, called Valor Papdi in Gujarati. The valiant duo Bee and Jai from Jugalbandi cook this vegetable with some fenugreek dumplings to make a fragrant and tempting dish of Valor Muthia nu Shaak.

Then comes Vazhakkai, which is plantain in Tamil. This starchy cousin of the banana is cooked in many delicious ways in Southern India.

Suganya from Tasty Palettes blends shredded plantains with a spice mix to make a bowl of Vazhakkai Podi that would be perfect with rice.

Sheela from Delectable Victuals combines two popular ways of cooking the plantain with her delicious stir-fry of plantains cooked in tamarind sauce and tossed with a nutty mixture to make Vazhakkai Mezhukku Varatti.

G V Barve from Add Flavor mashes cooked plantain together with spices and fries up some golden fritters called Vazhakai Vadai.

The next "vegetable" is the Vazhaipoo, the Tamil term for the banana flower. Prema from My Cookbook shares a family favorite: Vaazhaipoo Kola Urundai is made by frying balls of cooked banana flower to golden perfection.

Now for a bright green leafy vegetable that is new to me: Verdolagas or purslane. Suma from Veggie Platter tells us that this leafy vegetable is used in traditional Andhra cuisine and shows us how to make some delicious Verdolagas Dal.

Well, the final V in this category is the general term Vegetable itself! Mixed veggies find their way into many delicious dishes...

Laavanya from Cookery Corner makes a dish with Indo-Chinese flair, tossing vegetables with aromatic ginger and garlic and a medley of colorful vegetables to make this platter of Vegetable Noodles.

Swapna from Swad makes a dish with North Indian spices, making her own aromatic spice mixture to be cooked with rice and vegetables into a flavorful Vegetable Pulao.

Aruna from The Mistress Of Spices makes a dish with a South Indian touch, combining chunks of juicy vegetables with a fresh paste of herbs and spices to make a huge tray of delicious Vegetable Baath.

Now for a V food that is very popular all over India: the term Vada is a general term for a fried patty or a fritter. Aarti from Aarti's Corner makes one version which is a popular street food, mashed potato fritters served in a bun. Take a big bite of this Vada Pav!

Time for some specialty dishes...

Veppilai Katti is an unusual condiment, a thick citrus-based paste. A Cook from Live To Cook thinks back to good times with her grandmother and recreates the Veppilai Katti, lovingly hand-pounded with a mortar and pestle.

Vatali Dal is a dry lentil-based dish that is generously garnished with coconut and cilantro. Sandeepa from Bong Mom's Cookbook makes a delicious bowl of Vatali Dal while thinking back to her days in the city of Bombay.

Varan is a term for a simple preparation with toor dal. Here are two variations on this...

Dhana from Fresh Kitchen makes an Indian version of soup-and-dumplings. This ultimate comfort food, called Varan Phal, or perhaps more commonly as dal dhokli, is made by cooking little squares of dough in a pot of simmering dal.

Finally, another varan recipe from Saylee D., who has her own stock market blogs but is now sharing a recipe for Varhadi Varan: Varhadi refers to food from the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra. This is a tangy dal, and the sour taste comes from the use of the seed of the raw mango (a wonderful illustration of how to use every last bit of the mango without being wasteful). Here is Saylee's recipe, in her own words:

Ambat Varan

Ingredients
1 cup toor dal (cooked with turmeric)
1 raw mango seed or koy
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tablespoon jaggery
1 tsp kala masala(goda masala)
1 tsp chilli pwd
1 tbsp of corainder to garnish
oil 1 tbsp

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan. make the tadka with mustard and cumin seeds add the asafoetida and curry leaves to it.Add the raw mango seed and then add the cooked dal to it. Now add the masala,chilli pwd ,jaggery and salt to it. Add some water to make it desired consistency. Bring it to boil.

Let it boil for some more time to let the sour flavour of the raw mango in the amti. Add some jaggery if you feel to balance the sour sweet taste of the amti.Garnish with coriander and the amti is ready.

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V is for Vegetable Cheese Sandwiches: Mixed Vegetables

The V of Indian vegetables is dedicated to the medley of vegetables. In Indian cuisines, much importance is given to the creative pairing and combinations of vegetables. While singly prepared vegetables have their own taste and simplicity, mixed veggies have their own uses. The combination can result in a dish that is more colorful, especially useful for brightening up certain veggies that don't have very bright hues. It can result in a dish that is more flavorful, with the tastes and textures of the components playing off each other. Certainly, the pairing of certain foods can result in a more nutritious dish. The combination can also be used to "stretch" a more expensive or rare vegetable. Personally, I love having recipes for mixed vegetable dishes in my repertoire for one simple reason: it allows me to use up all the bits and bobs of vegetables before I go food shopping again, and results in less waste of valuable food.

When I first planned this series, I envisioned the V of Indian vegetables to be some rich and royal mixed vegetable dish. I thought I would cook up a big batch of Vegetable Makhani, a selection of vegetables drenched in a sweet and spicy, buttery and luscious tomato-onion-cashew gravy. But the V week rolled around, and the summer solstice announced its arrival with the mercury rising sky-high, and I knew that I was in no mood for vegetable makhani. I don't think I could bring myself to eat something that rich and heavy, leave alone spend hours in the kitchen cooking it!

So this is Plan B: a summer-special post of vegetable cheese sandwiches. When I think of all the food on this planet that I consider to be sublimely craveable, a simple sandwich of bread and cheese would be pretty high on the list. Add vegetables to the sandwich, and you have a winner! Here are three favorites of mine. All three sandwiches are designed to be thrown together in a jiffy, and to be eaten in a jiffy too, which accounts for the hasty photographs taken seconds before the sandwiches were devoured. A sandwich or two, washed down with a tall glass of something cold (iced coffee or tea, or fruit juice) is the perfect summer meal.

Three Vegetable-Cheese Sandwiches

The Cheese: I love the mild taste of Monterey Jack cheese, and I usually buy Pepper Jack cheese (containing bits of pepper) for the extra kick. You can use whatever cheese you like, although semi-hard and hard cheeses like Swiss, cheddar etc. would work best. In India, as far as I know, Amul cheese is the most readily available brand.

The Bread: I personally cannot stand the sliced bread sold in the US. I stick to bakery-style rolls and loaves, usually French or Italian breads. Use whatever type of bread you like best. Needless to say, whole wheat / multigrain bread is more nutritious than white bread.

The Vegetables: There are some veggies that I always seem to have on hand, and since these sandwiches are rarely a planned meal, those are the ones you find in these recipes. But it would be fun to experiment with other vegetables in these sandwiches too.

1. Grilled Cheese, Indian-style!

I had almost forgotten about this gem, until Lulu reminded me of it recently with this post.

1. In a bowl, combine 1 packed cup shredded cheese, 1 fresh chili (minced), 2 tbsp onions (minced), 2 tbsp cilantro (minced), 1/4 cup bell peppers/ capsicum (minced) and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.

2. Slice 4 rolls in half horizontally. Spread with a little butter (optional). Stuff each roll with 1/4 portion of the spicy cheese
mixture.

3. Place on a skillet sprayed with oil. Weigh the rolls down by placing a heavy skillet on top of them to result in a well-pressed sandwich (you could also used a sandwich press or panini press). Toast the rolls until golden brown and crisp, by which time the cheese will be melty and fabulous. Serve hot!

2. Vegetable Club Sandwich, Street-style!

This is the sort of sandwich that is sold on the streets of Bombay. Needless to say, it has tremendous crowd-pleasing potential!

You need...
Green chutney (see some recipes here, here, here and here, or use your own favorite recipe; chutney should be quite thick and spreadable)
Bread rolls/ slices
Sliced vegetables (boiled potato, tomato, cucumber)
Shredded cheese
Softened butter
Chaat masala
Salt and Pepper
Method:
1. Slice the roll in three parts horizontally. Toast the bread lightly. To freshen store-bought rolls, I sprinkle them liberally with water, then place them in a hot toaster oven for 5-10 minutes. They are as good as new!
2. On the lowest slice, spread ingredients as follows: butter-chutney-potato-chaat masala.

3. Top with second slice, then spread with chutney-cucumber-tomato-salt-pepper-cheese.

4. Top with buttered third slice.
5. Serve with your favorite chips, if desired (you can see sweet potato chips in the picture).
Note: The cheese in this sandwich is entirely optional.

3. Cheese Vegetable Toast

I have very fond memories of this treat, an open-faced sandwich that is simple, and simply delicious. My school hours were in the morning, so I would be back home for lunch, but my parents would always pack me a filling snack for the mid-morning break. This toast would find its way into my tiffin-box fairly often, and it was always enjoyed down to the last bite. A variety of veggies are mixed together into a filling, using some shredded cheese and boiled potato to hold them together. The mixture is patted on to sliced bread and then toasted on a skillet. When the filling is face down, the cheese melts and browns with beautiful results. The onion, carrrot and peppers in the filling don't need to be cooked, of course, but I like to steam-cook the beans, cauliflower and peas slightly (a minute in the microwave is perfect). I also use the microwave to cook the potato quickly and with the minimum amount of water (prick the potato all over with a fork, then wash well, wrap loosely in a sheet of paper towel, and microwave for 3-5 minutes, turning once or twice in between).

You need...
Boiled potato (1 small)
Veggies that are steamed: Green beans (trimmed and cut into thin slices), peas, grated cauliflower (about 1 cup total)
Raw Veggies: green pepper (capsicum), onion, cilantro, carrot, spinach
Shredded cheese
1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)
Salt and Pepper
Method:
Mix everything together in a bowl.

Press the filling on to slices of bread. In a lightly oiled skillet, place the sandwich filling-side down. Let the filling become golden, then flip over and let the bread toast well. Serve with ketchup for the most kid-friendly finish!

Here is a bonus vegetable-cheese sandwich idea, Cheese Tomato Toast that my uncle Bhushan in Bombay makes: Slice cheese into thick slices, slices some juicy fresh tomatoes into thick slices. Now assemble: slice of bread-slather of butter-cheese slices- tomato slices- salt and pepper- top with buttered slice, then toast in a sandwich toaster until golden. This sandwich is simply heavenly when tomatoes are in season (like right now)!

What is your favorite vegetable sandwich? Care to share any ideas?

Here are some delicious Mixed Vegetable Dishes from fellow bloggers:
Vegetable Cutlet from Priya's Kitchen,
Mixed Vegetable Chutney from The Green Jackfruit,
Mixed Vegetable Parathas from Aayi's Recipes,
Charchari from Bong Mom's Cookbook,
Vegetable Korma from Sugar and Spices,
Spicy Vegetable Pulav from Masala Magic,
and one from my own archives, Mixed Vegetable Biryani.

Previously on the A to Z of Indian Vegetables...
A is for Aloo Gobi: North-Indian Stir-Fry
B is for Bharli Mirchi: Stuffed Vegetables
C is for Carrot-Cashew Payasam: Desserts
D is for Dum ki Arbi: Dum Style of Cooking
E is for Egg-Fried Rice: Rice and Vegetables
F is for Foogath: South-Indian Stir-Fry
G is for Gobi Paratha: Vegetables in Breads
H is for Hariyali Tikki: Vegetables in Appetizers
I is for Idli with Vegetables: Vegetables for Breakfast
J is for Jalfrezi Vegetables: Restaurant Style
K is for Kati Roll: Vegetables and Paneer
L is for Lasuni Dal Palak: Vegetables and Lentils
M is for Malai Kofta: Dumplings
N is for Nargisi Kebab: Vegetables and Eggs
O is for Onion Chutney: Vegetables in Chutneys
P is for Pattagobi Pachadi: Vegetables in Salads
Q is for Quick Carrot Pickles: Vegetables in Pickles
R is for Radish Paratha: Root Vegetables
S is for Spinach Amti: Green Leafy Vegetables
T is for Tomato Red Pepper Saar: Soups
U is for Undhiyu: Regional Delicacies

Rainbow Chard-Mushroom Sandwiches

Jihva for Ingredients (JFI) is an online blogging event started by Indira of Mahanandi. Weekend Breakfast Blogging is another event, started by Nandita of Saffron Trail. This month, to celebrate JFI's first anniversary, Indira is hosting a joint JFI-WBB party, and the theme of the event is colorful and nutritious: Green Leafy Vegetables! Read all about the event here.

Recently, nutrition experts have been telling us to Eat The Rainbow. No, no, I don't mean taste the rainbow, but to actually eat it, by tucking into lots of brightly hued vegetables. The vivid colors of the veggies are a sure sign that they are brimming with phytochemicals that reverse a lot of age-related damage in our cells, among other benefits. The latest issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine has a great little article that talks about how to eat right and eat bright by including vegetables and fruits from all five color groups: Red, Yellow-Orange, Green, Blue-Purple and White.

With all this talk of rainbows on my mind, imagine my delight when I walked into Whole Foods Market and found this dazzling Rainbow Chard.

Rainbow chard is basically Swiss chard, a beautiful green leafy vegetable which happens to be a nutritional powerhouse. Chard stems can come in different colors- and when chard with red stems, white stems and yellow-gold stems are bunched and sold together, the result is this gorgeous rainbow chard, with stems and veins of red, white and gold contrasting brilliantly with the deep green color of the leaves.

As the days are getting hotter, I am more inclined to making and eating lighter fare. Inspired by a recipe from Vegetarian Times, I paired the rainbow chard with some flavorful cremini mushrooms and made some quick sandwiches. You could certainly use portabella mushrooms, and use regular Swiss chard instead of rainbow chard, as was used in the original recipe.

Rainbow Chard-Mushroom Sandwiches

(Adapted from this recipe, Vegetarian Times July/Aug 2006)

1. Roast the mushrooms: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove stems off cremini mushrooms and place them, stem side up, on the baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or so, turning once half-way during baking, until mushrooms are tender. Set aside. Green kitchen tip: If you are baking small quantities, use the toaster oven instead of a conventional oven to save energy. Toaster ovens often come with mini baking sheets that are very handy for baking small amounts such as these.
2. Cook the chard: Wash the chard, then chop it into thin strands. Remove and discard any tough stems, but you can use the tender stems. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add 2 cloves of garlic, sliced, and cook until lightly browned and aromatic. Stir in the chard, and a couple of tablespoons of water, and stir around until the leaves are wilted. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender. Remove off heat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Other prep: Cut the roasted mushrooms into halves or quarters (depending on their size). Take your favorite sandwich rolls (I used demi-baguettes) and split them length-wise. Thinly slice a small onion (using a sharp knife or a mandoline). Tear 6-8 leaves of fresh basil into shreds.
5. Assemble the sandwiches: Layer the botton half of bread with chard and mushrooms. Top with onion slices and shreds of fresh basil. Drizzle generously with the dressing. Top with other half of bread, and take a big bite!

The verdict: This simple sandwich made for a memorable lunch on a hot and sunny day. The mushrooms and greens are a terrific combination. The whole sandwich comes together very well, and tastes like something you would eat at a nice bistro. Seriously! V added some cheese (gouda) to his sandwich, and reported that it tastes excellent.

Thanks, Indira, for hosting. I'm looking forward to the round-up for lots of inspiration to cook more greens! I'll be back on Sunday, with the N of Indian Vegetables.

EoMEoTE#6: Indian Railways Omelet Sandwich

It's the end of the month again (yikes) which means two things for me:
a) Pay the bills
b) Make eggs on toast for the EoMEoTE#6.

What is this tongue-twister ? Well, it is a really fun food-blog event and you may please toodle off to the ova-enthusiastic Cook Sister so she can tell you all about it.

Me, I am making Indian Railways Omelet Sandwiches for the event. Ok, it probably is not the most appetizing name ever given to a dish, but the honest truth is that I associate this sandwich with railway journeys. The Indian Railways are a truly amazing system of some 11,000 trains that run the length and breadth of the sub-continent, and they have catering services on most of them. I remember that this omelet sandwich was often sold on trains from Bombay to Pune. It is very filling and tasty. Here is the recipe for making two sandwiches.

Omelet Sandwich

Making the Indian-style Omelet

1. Beat together 3 large eggs. 
2. Add half a minced onion, 1 tbsp milk/cream, 1 finely minced fresh chile pepper, 2 tbsp minced cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Make 2 omelets using this mixture.

Assembling the sandwiches

1. Liberally butter 4 slices of bread. 
2. Fill each pair of bread slices with sliced tomatoes, folded omelets and a slice of cheese, if desired. 
3. Serve with ketchup and a cup of steaming hot chai.

That was easy!