Gourmet tips news

? ? Before Frying Masala Vadai/Parippu Vadai is considered as one of the popular street food in Sri- Lanka. This dish always brings back the happy childhood memories for me.  As a kid growing up in Sri-Lanka, My mom would always take me to Wallewatte beach for our evening walks and getting piping hot Masala Vadai and coconut chick pea mix from street cart vendor was my favorite things to do.(besides screaming and jumping over the waves).  I don't know if it was the salty air, coconut oil or the additives in the food, it always tasted better than any fancy restaurants I had dine in Colombo. I tried to mimic the taste in my head with this recipe, it came out pretty darn good, really crispy and spicy with lots of green chilies inside. Cooking time: 20 minutes Preparation time: 2 hours Ingredients: 1 cup of split peas dal (Channa Dal) 2-3 dry red chilies, crushed (1 tsp red chilli flakes or 2 green chillies) 1 piece of ginger, minced 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 s...

Preparation Time - 30 minutes Serves - 2 Ingredients: 1/2 pound Large Button Mushrooms 1 tbsp   Minced Garlic 3/4 tsp Cumin Powder 1/2 tsp or to taste Red Chili Powder 3/4 tsp Black pepper powder 12 Curry Leaves 1/4 cup Besan or Chickpea flour 1/4 cup Corn Starch 1.5 tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil 1/4 tsp of haldi Thai chili pepper flakes: to taste Lime: to taste Sea Salt per taste Directions: 1.   Dry the cleaned mushrooms with paper towels. Detach the stems from the mushrooms and cut them into four pieces. 2.   Make a thick batter of corn starch and besan, gradually adding water to the flour.   (Make sure the batter is not watery or else it won't form a coat on the mushrooms.) Add a bit of salt, red chili powder, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and haldi to it. Dip the mushrooms in this batter. Heat 1 tbsp of oil and shallow fry the coated mushrooms in a skillet.   Cover the skillet to create an oven effect.   Once cooked, remove to a paper towel and keep aside. 3. ...

For those biriyani connoisseurs, there is nothing like cooling it with a raita dip that offers refreshment. This recipe is courtesy of my cousin, aninda. Carrot/Mint Raita Total Preparation Time : 20-25 minutes Ingredients 1 medium red onion 12 baby carrots 1 cucumber 1 cup of mint leaves 1/2 lemon 3 cups of yogurt 1 tablespoon of sour cream 1 tea spoon of roasted cumin powder Salt and Red Chilli Powder to taste Few leaves of cilantro and mint for garnish Vegetable Preparation (10-15 min) Use a shredder to make long length shreds of the cucumber and carrots. Use a knife to cut thin slices of red onion and finely chop the mint. Raita Preparation (5-10 min) Pour yogurt in a mixing bowl and toss in the shredded/chopped vegetables/herbs to the yogurt. Stir in the sour cream till you get a smooth consistency. Add the lemon juice and salt and chilli powder and give it a final stir till it looks uniform. Garnish with cilantro and mint leaves.

Couscous is a North African dish that has become popular in many countries. It is traditionally served under a leg of lamb, camel, goat or vegetable stew. I particularly like the Moroccan version of Vegetable couscous, because of healthy ingredients and how all the different flavors blend together to make a perfect vegetarian dish. You can substitute the vegetables to your own preferences, but try to include the full variety to achieve an authentically flavored sauce. This recipe is bit time consuming than instant couscous recipe, but its so worth the effort. Ingredients: 1 red bell pepper, halved 1 red onion, peeled and quartered 6 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 pound fine-grain couscous, 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices 1/4 pound cauliflower florets, cut into quarters 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices 1 (16-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well 1/4 teaspoon gro...