Braaibroodjie( Panini) : Stop Pinning and Start Doing! And a small step towards saving the Earth!

The thing about sandwiches is, you want to try every one of them. Not that it helps to decide which one you like better, just helps in choosing from a wide repertoire that you have built up, the next time you crave one.

It also helps to have a Pinterest account. There are tons of things that catch my fancy and I pin them on my board. It is amazing ( and humbling) at how much people know or how  many are into DIY-ing. I get my ' craft bug through here! I like the simple tutorials ( I choose the *simplest* of the simple, for those who 'really' read the posts, know about the missing craft gene and how I rarely try anything that is a combination of DIY, cut, glue and paint etc. But Pinterest and Ashwini, of Indulge-Ashcorner blog have me hooked to a few things. Soap Making and Lotion bars are two of the simplest things I have tried and successfully at that! Yaay!  

DIY aside, I pin a lot of food pins too ( but natural) and drool over many recipes, some simple some complex ( well, not so complex, I am mostly into simple things. Why complicate things more than they already are?) 

So to add to my Sandwich love, I have for you Braaibroodjie 

If you just said, Braabayabadabadoo, I quite understand. I did too! 

If you want a simple name, it is South African Cheese, Grilled Onion and Tomato Panini. As simple as that!

I just wanted you all to try saying Braaibroodjie! 

I  made a few changes, which I will list after the recipe. 

What made me try this sandwich is the use of Fruit Chutney.  This was  different for me, I have heard of fruit chutneys and tried one so far.  The idea of using it in a sandwich caught my fancy and I was longing to. 
This is also my entry for the  Stop Pinning and Start Doing  Pinterest Challenge Fall Edition                                                 

                                       

I made this for our Sunday Morning Breakfast. Daylight saving, I love it! I woke up at my usual body clock time and  was up an hour early. no, I did not roll back into bed and doze off, instead I had a leisurely cup of chai  and a long chat with my parents and surfed the net and decided to make this for breakfast.
   

The Recipe  adapted from the Kitchn and what you need for one sandwich is:

2 Slices of white bread ( I used French bread)
2 Scallions, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/2 Cup White Cheddar cheese, grated ( I  had regular sharp cheese, used that instead)
1 Tomato, sliced
Fruit chutney ( I used Mango chutney- store brought)
Oil
Butter

The original recipe uses a grill, I do not have one, instead, I used my reliable Cast-Iron skillet.

Heat the grill / skillet until hot, add 2 tsp oil and toss in the scallions and  grill until soft and  brown. Set aside. 
If you are well prepared to assemble the sandwich, lower the heat under the skillet to low and start the assembly

On one slice of the bread, sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese.
Lay tomato slices on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add cheese
Lay the scallions on top and top with cheese

On the second slice of bread, spread the chutney and cover the sandwich.
Slather the top of the slice with butter and transfer the buttered slice down  to the skillet and press down the sandwich . Turn, after buttering the second side( after a minute or so, after the side is brown and crisp).
Grill on both sides till golden brown

Serve.

Notes: 

You can use Whole Wheat bread if you do not eat white bread. It will change the taste.  I recommend White.

Use White Sharp Cheddar. I did not read carefully and got regular (yellow) sharp cheddar.  We liked the sandwich, no doubt, but next time, I will try the original.

The original recipe uses a Panini Press. I do not have one. 

Sliced red onion can be used instead of scallions. I plan to do  that the next time.

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I also want to send this post to Ashwini and her event Save the Earth, which focuses on  reducing wastage, reusing  material around the house and recycling stuff and lead a greener life.
While I am no expert or even any authority on this matter, I do some things in my day to day life and take a small step to lead a greener life.
I am sure you all do the same, but if you do things differently ( I am sure many of you do) Please feel free to share your ideas in the comment section.

I make it a point to switch off the lights and fan when exiting the room. This  is an old idea and we all know about it, but consider this, the next time you forget to switch off the  lights, there are people today who do not have any or regular electricity. Look no further than New York, Sandy has disrupted their life!  It is Fall and the temperature dips to low, on such cold days and colder nights, people are without power, no heat, no hot water! Old folks and young children are suffering. 

Use water carefully. I do not mean be stingy, but little things help. Do not leave the faucet running when you are brushing your teeth or when cleaning up in the kitchen after a cooking session. 
My Father always reminded me when brushing my teeth. He told me of the hardships he had faced when young and living in Bijapur, Karnataka. Of the times when summer was intolerable and water scarce.  
I am thankful that I never had to face these hardships but that does not mean I misuse  the privileges either. 

When out shopping use your own cloth shopping bag. This is not a new fad. I have seen my Grandmother following this rule since my childhood and so has my Mother! On my last visit to India, I got back my old bag, stuffed with goodies ( it can take a lot of weight!) 

These are very convenient and fold up too! Such a small pouch in your purse!
You can buy one, like this, tough I am not sure if they have the fold-away-pouch, for $1 at the grocery store. Every store carries them! 

The other thing I used to do ( sadly, in the past tense) was use yogurt containers to store my beans, sugar, tea etc in the pantry. but after a while it became  a problem- Out of  sight, out of mind! Since these containers are not transparent, I could not see the contents and many a times, I would neglect some containers and have also ended up buying extra beans thinking I had none. So now, I use these containers as seed starters!
When I go out, I carry my own bottle of water, the reusable one I have at home. 

We have, in the past, moved a lot. new apartments, new city, new state. I save my U-Haul boxes  and re-use them. These are very sturdy and last up to 4 uses!  Open them and lay them flat and store, they do not take up any space! 

I store my comforters, woolens in Space Bags saving space and clothes also remain fresh. This is no big deal and many of you may not consider it going green, but IMHO, once I remove these woolens from the bag, they are fresh, do not smell at all and no need to wash them! 

We use space heaters instead of using the furnace during fall, as and when needed. Dallas is not a cold place and small space heaters work well, saving electricity and heating the entire apartment when we use just one or 2 rooms at most. Of course as winter sets in, we do not hold back, we switch on the heat. 

I try to use household  items in cleaning as much as I can, for example baking soda, lemon, vinegar are efficient cleansers, not to mention pure and green! Google to find a cleaning solution that suits your purpose.

Carpool when possible.

On a lighter note, I do not iron my clothes until absolutely necessary! The husband calls it being lazy to boot, I call it energy conservation! 

Some more steps I plan on taking:

We have a lot of old clothes, the good ones go into the donation box. The ones which are not good or torn and frayed  will be used as cleaning cloths, in the kitchen. To wipe down counter-tops, appliances.

Compost  (a dear friend has recently installed a small composter in  her yard and I plan on contributing to it.

Any ideas, from you, dear reader, are welcome! 

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Green Chutney Sandwich : Bombay Sandwich

If you are ever in Churchgate, Mumbai, and you travel in the local train, when you step outside  the station, in one corner, you will find people flocking, young college going students, working men and women , around a small stall,which at first you may not even notice because of the flock. At a glance you will also notice, the flock is engaged in similar actions and you think, smiling to yourself, birds of a feather.... , and then you see what action it is, plate in one hand (left, mostly- unless that person is a left handed person, then right) and the other hand carrying a small square 'something' to the mouth and enjoying every bite. You are drawn to the flock and then you see what the fuss is all about. It's the sandwichwalla!

This sandwichwalla ( The sandwich stall owner) I am talking about used to ( and maybe he still is there) operate outside Churchgate station and my news is at least 8 -9 years old.

Rapidly preparing sandwiches, he works at a fast and smooth, unfaltering pace, slathering butter on the slices of bread creating a mound in one corner and then quickly laying these slices in a grid and smearing chutney on top. adding the vegetables ( as per customers preference) and slapping the second slice of bread on top and then using a thin but razor sharp knife, deftly cuts it into 8 little squares and slides the whole thing, neatly onto a plate. Using squeeze bottles, squirts ketchup on top and hands it to the hungry and waiting customer.

Walking thru Mumbai, you will find such small stall owners in practically every lane, catering to the hunger pangs of one and all for a small price.

                                  

I have no idea what a simple sandwich costs these days, but I remember, in my college days, it was Rs.5/- and on a student pocket money, it was affordable nutrition.

What made this sandwich so addictive was the spicy chutney, slathered onto a slice of soft buttered bread.

I have a similar version for you today. 

Cilantro chutney:

1 Large bunch, Fresh Cilantro ( leaves and tender stems)

4 Green Chilies ( reduce quantity to suit your preference)

1/2 tsp. Cumin  Seeds

1/2 tsp. Coriander seed powder

Pinch Asafetida

1/2 inch Fresh ginger knob

Salt to Taste

2 Tbsp Lemon juice

Wash the cilantro. Add all the ingredients to the blender/ mixie jar, except lemon juice and blend to a smooth paste, with minimum water.

Remove to a container, add lemon juice and mix it in.

This chutney is versatile and can be used in bhel or sev puri or ragda patties when coupled with meethi (date and tamarind) chutney. 

To assemble the sandwich:

For one sandwich

2 Slices of Bread ( the original uses white sliced bread)

A pat of Butter

Green

 Cilantro Chutney

Fixin's :

Thinly Sliced Cucumber

Thinly sliced Tomato

Thinly Sliced, Boiled Potato

Thinly Sliced Red Onion

Thinly sliced Boiled Beetroot

Dash of Salt and Pepper ( if required)

Tomato Ketchup

Butter both slices of bread.

On one slice, apply the Cilantro chutney ( on both, if you want, but make sure that it does not overwhelm the over all taste it is a dominating taste and the vegetables are plain / raw)

Pile on the fixin's. Choose what you want, but the most common are Cucumber, Tomato and Boiled Potato ( and the ones we almost always have on hand). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if using.

Place the second slice, buttered side down on top and carefully slice the sandwich into squares or triangles

Serve immediately with ketchup

NOTES: 

Use water carefully when blending the chutney ingredients, you do not want a runny chutney, it makes soggy sandwiches

Mint can be added to the chutney to enhance the flavor ( about 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves)

Cream cheese can be used instead of butter, it alters the taste, but is a nice change

Substitute Whole Wheat sliced bread or a multi grain bread or Ciabatta roll ( as I have used here), instead of white bread

In most Indian stores, you will find a sandwich masala, this can be sprinkled instead of salt and pepper, it is purely optional. 

For a Gluten allergies here is a recipe for Coconut flour bread 

For a Vegan Version, substitute with vegan butter 

These sandwiches make great picnic food.

Just don't assemble and pack them to eat later on! Soggy mess- unappealing! 

We walked this path on Saturday, there was a slight breeze and the sun, mercifully behind a few clouds, in short, nothing to mar my happiness. Bombay Sandwiches for a picnic lunch and this view, priceless! 

P.S: call it Mumbai Sandwich , if you want, either way, it tastes the same! 

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Tomato Chutney and Adai

My hands were itching to try this chutney! Tangy tomatoes with simple spices .. what's not to love? When I land a cookbook, I cannot rest until I have tried all those recipes that catch my fancy. What happens then, is, those recipes feature on the blog in a line!

As a child I knew of only one green chutney was the one my Mom made by grinding together coconut, green chiles, cilantro, ginger, cumin with a dash of lime juice and sugar and salt. This tasty chutney was a base for our sandwiches, to be mixed with dahi-rice, to be enjoyed with poha, upma, wada... and therefore, tomato = koshimbir or gravy or in a sandwich. The imagination did not go far beyond that!
My first taste of a Tomato chutney was about 6 years ago when a South Indian colleague had brought this in his lunch box and his Mom had given a generous helping of both dosas and chutney ( this was for our mid- night or 3:00 am snack after our shift at the call center) knowing fully well how much we appreciated it!

1/4 cup Canola Oil ( I used about 3 tbs)
36 Curry leaves torn
2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tsp Mustard Seeds
12 Dry Red Chiles
1/2 tsp Turmeric
3 1/2 lbs ( about 6-7) Tomatoes , cored and chopped
1 (4.4 oz) tube Double concentrate Tomato Paste or 1 (9oz) Can Tomato Paste
2 tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper ( I used about 2 tsp)
1 tsp Sambar / Rasam pwd. or 1/2 tsp Curry pwd. ( I used 2 -3 tsp Sambar pwd.)

Heat Oil with curry leaves, mustard , cumin and chiles in a large kadhai /wok over medium-high heat until the cumin has browned.
Add Turmeric and cook until the chiles darken
Add remaining ingredients and cook for 10 mins. stirring occasionally and pressing the tomatoes on the sides of the wok to mash them if they do not break on their own.
Reduce heat to Medium and cook till the chutney is thick and jammy stirring often for another 25-30 mins.
(if you are using hard winter tomatoes cooking time is reduced)
Taste for seasoning , transfer to a plastic container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

I made changes to the spice proportion, I prefer my chutneys with a slight kick.


I paired this fab chutney with this Golden Delicious Adai for a lip-smacking combo. I love adai, it is so convenient to make! No fermentation! And So very crisp! The perfect solution for winter when the batter takes forever to rise.

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Tomato Rice- The Best I have ever Eaten!!

Of late M and I reminisce a lot about our brief stay in Bangalore.. and of course we end up talking of the awesome food we ate there! M always boasted to me about the AWESOME food one could eat only in Bangalore .
After just a few meals I was convinced! There was something so heartening about the meals I ate! The taste ! The aroma!

Growing up, pulav, biryani were regulars at home and also our choice when dining out. It was not until Sanjeev Kapoor made Tomato Rice on his famous show Khana Khazana that this rice dish got any recognition (with us). The hastily scribbled recipe was then shoved in some book and labelled as 'try later' ..

We did experiment with a few recipes, each one was 'good', but there was nothing exceptional about it. Let me go so far as saying, there was nothing really noteworthy about those recipes.. just like one of those Hindi movies, a strictly one-watch.. NO more!

Then last week, prowling thru the cookbook aisle in the library, I spied 'Dakshin' by Chandra Padmanabhan... flipping thru the pages I drooled over the recipes and the pictures. THIS was what I was looking for!

What can I say about the book? For those who have tried recipes from this book need no recommendation and for those ( late comers like me) I have just one thing to say... GO GET IT!!!

The first recipe I tried was the Tomato Rice, one look at the ingredients list had me thoroughly convinced that 'this' was the 'exceptional' recipe I was looking for!!

I followed the recipe to the T. The result was this AMAZING tasting rice, we overate, nothing else was even glanced at!

The best part was a happy and beaming M giving me a thumbs up and declaring this as 'the best' and declaring that my (the adapted recipe, that is) recipe was LOADS better than even Bangalore! Now, for me, that is a HUGE compliment! M is a devotee of Bangalore food, swears by it! So his compliments are my treasure!

The taste left a lingering memory which compelled me to try it again within a week and this time I made sure we had enough for our lunch box too!

A keeper, this one... as most from the book! I cannot wait to try some more from this treasure trove!!

You need:

1 cup Long grain Rice
4 large Tomatoes , Chopped

2 Med. Onions chopped
2 Green chilies finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric


MASALA

2 tsp Oil

6 Red Chilies (less if you prefer it mild)
2 tsp. Coriander Seeds
1/4 tsp. Fenugreek seeds
3 tsp. Channa daal (Bengal gram)
1 tsp. Urad daal (washed black gram)
1/2 tsp Asafetida
2 tblsp Flaked Coconut


TEMPERING
2 tblsp Oil
2 tblsp Ghee
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tblsp Raw peanuts
Few curry leaves

Cook the rice, spread on a platter to cool

Blend the tomatoes in a lender, strain the juice an set aside

For the Masala: Hat 2 t oil, add red chillies, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, chana daal, urad daal, asafetida and coconut. Saute for 2-3 mins. Blend to a fine paste ( I sauteed the masala using just a few drops of oil and ground it in my spice blender and then mixed a bit of water in it to make a paste).

To a heavy saucepan add the tomato juice, salt to taste and turmeric. simmer till the mixture thickens, add the masala paste, mix thoroughly . Set aside

Heat 2 t oil & 2 t ghee, add the mustard seeds, raw peanuts and curry leaves.

When the mustard seeds splutter add the green chillies and onions. Saute till golden in color. Add tomato juice and rice. Mix thoroughly. Serve hot with the usual accompaniment of papad.

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Tomato Rasam from the Iyer Kitchen

There are a few things that really make one feel nice, warm and comfortable... it is that way for me with rasams!

Whenever I catch a cold (or even if I do not.. ) or the weather turns nippy, like now, I like my hot bowl of rasam.. spreads a glow, if you know what I mean..

I had this friend in college who was an Iyer. Now, she used to live very near the college, which to our group translated into one thing only... when we had exhausted our supply of pocket-money and we felt mal- nourished, we would raid her kitchen. Her Mom was sporting too, and when we descended on her like a pack of hyenas, she would make us some food in a jiffy which was very tasty. On such ocassions I'd pitch in and help.. not fair having one lady cook for a dozen hungry *ahem* hyenas, is it? !!

M and I were reminiscing about old days, college days and I remembered all these little things. Smiling to myself I decided to try this out... I don't have a cold, but yearned for rasam!... do I still remember how Aunty made it? Let me try... Lets see now...... I need :

4 Med. Size tomatoes

2 dry red chilies

3-4 curry leaves

½ sp. Bengal gram (chana) daal

¼ sp. Cumin seeds

¼ sp. Mustard seeds

½ sp. Tamarind pulp

1 sp. Jaggery

2 pinches asafetida

Salt to taste

Cilantro

Blanch tomatoes in hot water. Gently peel and mash them. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadhai. Add the chana daal, cumin and mustard seeds, asafetida, red chilies and curry leaves. Sauté till the daal turns golden in color. Add the mashed tomatoes, tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt. Boil for a few mins.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve hot

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