I started this blog because I am so interested in adapting traditional Indian recipes to make them healthier, tastier and easier-to-make. During the course of my writings, I have started to solicit reader recipes, since many minds work better than one! Here is a post written by my mother, Madhuram – recipe courtesy, my sister, Indu Sundaresan, author of four books – “The Twentieth wife“, “The Feast of Roses“, “The Splendor of Silence” and “In the Convent of Little Flowers” with a fifth on the way.
————————-
Every culture in the world has some sort of crepe or pancake in its recipe repertoire. In South India, it is the ‘dosa.’ Served in almost all Indian restaurants the world over, the dosa is a fermented batter of rice and a dal (lentils), served usually with sambar (a stew of vegetables and lentils) and different types of chutneys.

When I was young, my brothers and sisters (I come from a family of 10 children!) would wait eagerly by the stove as our mother or grandmother made us piping hot dosas, swept off the pan, crisp, golden and crunchy. When I had children, and learned to cook, dosas were a favorite Sunday treat for them.

Now my daughters make this for their children and below is a recipe concocted by my daughter Indu—more tasty and nutritious than the usual recipe—for her daughter.

The original recipe has only two grains in it—rice and urad dal (black lentils). My daughter’s recipe has five grains to increase the nutrition content of the original dosa—white rice, brown rice, mung dal and whole urad dal and pearl barley in center (shown below, clockwise from white rice on top right corner).

Brown rice is a good source of minerals such as manganese, magnesium, also contains Niacin and has a lower glycemic index than white rice. Barley is loaded with fiber, has no sodium, is very rich in iron and has hardly any fat. Mung dal (split yellow lentils) is rich in protein, dietary fiber and minerals like magnesium, phosphorous and potassium, and urad dal is full of protein.

Here’s the recipe for this Penta-grain Dosa. This can be served with any chutney or even folded with scrambled eggs, or spread with cream cheese, or hummus, or stuffed with mashed potatoes.

Here is what you need:

1/2 cup white rice
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 1/4 cup yellow mung dal (equal to the mixture of the brown and whiter rice and barley)
3/4 cup whole urad dal (husked black lentils)
3/4 tsp salt

This will make about 12 to 15 dosas of about 8″diameter. If lesser quantity is needed, use less ingredients, but in the same proportions.

Here is how you make the batter:

Combine the white and brown rice, barley and mung dal in a big bowl and fill with water. Swirl water around and drain to wash the grains. Repeat twice more until water runs clean. Then fill enough water in the bowl to cover about 2 inches above the grains, and let the mixture rest thus overnight.

Put the urad dal in a separate bowl and follow the washing and soaking instructions as above. Fill the bowl with water at the end and let it rest overnight also.

In a blender, grind the first grain mixture with a little water—should grind fine and to a thick batter consistency. Set aside in a large steel bowl or an oven-proof deep dish.

Grind the urad dal with some water also, again to a thick batter consistency. Stir in the urad dal batter with the grain batter. Mix well. Add ¾ to 1 tsp of salt and mix again.

Here is how you ferment the batter:

If the kitchen/room temperature is below 70 degrees F, heat oven to 140 degrees, switch it off, let cool awhile until inside of oven is warm and set the batter bowl inside. Make sure you cover the bowl well with aluminum foil or an oven-proof lid.

Let the batter ferment for 6-8 hours. Upon uncovering the bowl, the batter should have risen an inch or so and become foamy on the top.

This batter can now be refrigerated and used when wanted, or used immediately.

Here is how you make the dosas:
Heat a frying pan or a pancake griddle until hot (but not smoking). Pour a big ladleful of the batter and spread immediately into every widening circles with the flat side of the ladle.

Drizzle a little oil around the edges of the dosa and a little in the center. Keep the flame on a medium to medium high so that the dosa does not burn. When the edges begin to look golden and curl up from the pan slightly (about a minute or so), flip the dosa over to cook the other side for another minute or so.

Take off the griddle—the dosa should be crisp and gold on the edges, a little softer in the middle. Serve with coconut chutney, spicy tomato chutney, sambar, or any of the other accompaniments suggested above.  Enjoy!

Austin, Texas prides itself for being a weird city. In fact, the residents even host an annual event called “Keep Austin Weird”. It is a vibrant city, filled with an exotic, eclectic crowd of people. It is a fun city, because there are lots of things to do. Whether you are the stay-at-home mom, lugging around 2 toddlers or the high flyin’ corporate executive used to having power lunches, or the keep-it-cool, meditative kind who is in eternal search of nirvana, you’ll always find people to hang out with in Austin. The sheer cultural diversity, the fun crowd, the vast open Texas spaces, the hills and plains, the beautiful brush, the cacti, the deer, the throbbing city life, the green farmlands, the farmer’s markets – there is always something for everyone in Austin.

You guessed what is in it for me: the wonderful sights, sounds, colors, aroma, the life and the fun of checking out the Saturday Farmer’s markets! The opportunity to chat with the local farmers, check out their wares, admire their new recipes, buy their products and support them… all of it makes for a fantastic start of the weekend.

Last weekend, I attended the Sunset Valley Farmer’s market. The site mentions that this Farmer’s market has been voted at one of the top 5 markets in the US by Eating Well magazine. I believe that may well be true, because when I spoke with the Market Director, Salila Travers and her husband Jim Moore, I realized how particular she was with what was served at the market and how careful she was about reviewing all the produce and prepared food that was served at the market. The market was well-run, large, thriving and bursting with shoppers and vendors. Everywhere around me were people – people with dogs, people with children, and people with dogs and children. Most people sampled the vast array of international food, bought locally grown fresh vegetables, sat around listening to the music and generally had a fun morning in the bright Texas sunshine.

I too, bought stuff. I bought a loaf of organic bread made with spelt flour, seeds and nuts. Then I went to the stalls I love the most – the vegetable stalls. There were many farmers who brought their harvest: fresh greens, roots and tubers, milk, yogurt and meats. I bought a bunch of fresh Kohlrabi and made this very easy to make Kolhrabi and lentil stew with it. It goes very well served hot over brown rice.

Here is what you need:
1 bunch fresh Kohlrabi (cut the leaves and set aside for another dish)
1/2 cup yellow tuvar dal (lentils)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp salt

For the masala:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh grated coconut
4 dry red chili
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1  cumin seeds
For the garnish:
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds 1 pinch Asofoetida powder
1 stalk fresh curry leaves

Here is how you make this:
Wash, peel and cut the Kohlrabi into small cubes. Place in a pan with sufficient water, sprinkle turmeric powder and bring to a boil. Boil until the Kohlrabi is partially cooked and crunchy. Remove from the stove and set aside.

In another pan, boil the lentils until soft and cooked. Mash with a spoon. Add the boiled Kohlrabi to the boiled lentils. Add salt and simmer.

In a non-stick pan, heat the oil to fry the masala. Add the ingredients in this order: first the cumin seeds and the coriander seeds. Fry for a minute until brown. Now add the dry red chili and fry until roasted. Now add the grated coconut and fry until brown. Remove from the pan, cool, and place in a blender with sufficient water to blend to a smooth paste.

Add the masala paste to the Kohlrabi and lentil stew. Simmer.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan for the garnish. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle. Now add the asofoetida powder, cumin seeds and the washed and dried curry leaves. Fry until the leaves are crisp. Pour over the stew.

Serve hot with brown rice.

Cost:
Kohlrabi: $1.99
Lentils: $0.80
Oil : $0.50
Spices: $0.70 (including grated coconut and curry leaves)
————————–—————
Total : $2.99

Makes 6 servings.

Cost per serving: $0.50

Sunday mornings are meant to be for lazing, relaxing and recuperating after a strenuous week. And so it was almost a family tradition that Sunday breakfasts were eaten out. It seems like Sunday breakfasts at restaurants is a family tradition for many, because the restaurants I frequent are filled to bursting on Sundays.

When I used to live in India, our Sunday breakfasts consisted of Idly (Steamed rice cakes) and Vadai (Crispy fried lentil doughnuts!) served with Coconut chutney, Sambar (Spicy tamarind lentil sauce) and a spicy tomato onion chutney. We used to stand in line for a table at some of the popular joints in Chennai for this breakfast. By the time we finished, it was usually noon and we would be replete and more than ready for a siesta. I know, I know, eating heavy meals and sleeping it off sounds indolent and slothful, but I do think that we sometimes need days like this when we do nothing other than eat and sleep!

Since we moved to the US, Idly-Vadai-Sambar-Chutney is a distant dream, unless I am willing to spend a couple of hours in the kitchen preparing all this. So, we’ve substituted our Indian breakfast with our 2nd favorite breakfast, the Omlette. There are many mom and pop or family restaurants sprinkled all around the US, where you can get a delicious omlette. The scene  is pretty much the same: you have to wait in line for a table at some of the good restaurants. The difference between the breakfasts, though, is that for one, it is relatively simple and quick to make an omelette at home, while, like I mentioned before, the Idly-Vadai is quite a big production of pre-preparation. In addition, the cost of an Omlette breakfast in a restaurant can run into nearly $6 or $7 per person, while the effort of making an Idly-Vadai breakfast will easily justify the cost of eating this meal at a restaurant.

So, continuing with our series of Cooking on a Shoestring Budget, try out this Fusion Omlette at home. Breakfast can be served within 10 minutes, you can control the butter in the dish and best of all, the whole breakfast, including coffee, will cost less than $1.50 per person.

Here is what you need:
2 eggs or 2 egg whites and 1 yolk
1/4 red onion (chopped fine)
1/4 green pepper (chopped fine)
1 green chili (chopped fine)
couple of sprigs of cilantro (washed and snipped fine)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
Pinch turmeric powder
Grated cheese (optional)

Here is how you make this:
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric beater until frothy. Add salt, pepper and turmeric powder and yolks. Beat for a few more minutes.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. When the oil is hot, add the beaten egg. Sprinkle chopped onion, green pepper, green chili and cilantro. Sprinkle cheese if desired. Cook on one side and fold over and cook the other side.

Remove from pan and serve with pan-toasted whole wheat or 7 grain bread.

Cost:
2 eggs: $0.20
Oil : $0.10
Filling (veggies): $0.20
Cheese: $0.05
————————–
Total : $0.55

Add a couple of slices bread and coffee and your meal is less than $1.50! Better still, use organic or cage-free eggs and your meal is still much less than a restaurant breakfast.

It is a well known fact that the musical score for the song “Jai Ho” in the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” won the Oscar for its its creator, A. R. Rahman. But it wasn’t just the musical score of the song that made it so popular. It was also the fact that the words of the song were so apt. The word “Jai” (pronounced with a “J”) means victory. The song bursts onto the screen as the hero of the film, Jamal (pronounced with a “J”) wins the million rupees and his girl. And my name “Jaya” is a derivative of the word “jai”. Again, pronounced with a “J”!

It was only after my arrival at the US, I realized that some people, especially those of Mexican origin, either didn’t seem to have a “J” in their alphabet or wrote “J” when they actually wanted to say “H”. And so it was not Jose, but “Hose’ “, not Jesus, but “Hesoos” and now I learned, that it is not “Jicama”, it is “Hee ca ma”!

Well, I sure am amenable to saying “Hose’”, “Hesoos” and “Heecama”. Only don’t call me “Haya”! Indian languages do have a “J” so I am still “Jaya”!

Jicama is a tuber that is mostly grown in Mexico. The great thing about this vegetable is its low calorie count and very high Vitamin C. It is tasty, crunchy and flavorful. Although some sites mention that Jicama lasts about 2-3 weeks, my personal experience has been that it doesn’t seem to have a long shelf life, so try to use it up as soon as you buy it. I read that it is generally eaten raw in salads, but I wanted to experiment with it and see how it tasted in a variety of dishes. So I combined it with fresh mint leaves and made it into really flavorful, fantastic tasting cutlets.

In these days of recession, you can still eat healthy without affecting your pocketbook too much, if you buy local produce, eat most of your meals at home and reduce the frequency of going out to eat. These cutlets that I made cost just under $2. And I made enough cutlets to feed a family of four. Place the cutlets between two slices of whole wheat bread, top with lettuce, tomato and mayo, and Voila! You have a healthy value meal. Sure beats McDonalds!

Here is what you need:
1 large Jicama
1 cup breadcrumbs (make your own and save money: see instructions below)
4-5 sprigs fresh Mint leaves (chopped fine)
1-2 green chilis (chopped fine)
1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)
3/4 tsp salt
Oil to shallow fry
1 egg white

Here is how you make this:
Wash, peel and grate the Jicama with a hand grater. The tuber is soft and will grate easily. Squeeze out the juice. I hate to waste any food, so I used the juice in my lentil soup.

To make breadcrumbs: Tear 4-5 slices of whole wheat bread into small pieces. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Toast for about 5-7 minutes until the bread pieces are crisp. Remove from the oven, cool and place in a blender to powder fine.

Add 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, chopped mint leaves, chopped green chilis, salt and red chili powder to the grated Jicama. Mix well. Shape into cutlets. Beat the egg white with a fork. Dip the cutlets into the egg white and then coat with the remaining breadcrumbs.

Heat a non-stick pan on the stove. Place the cutlets in the pan. Drizzle olive oil around the cutlets. Cook until crisp and brown on both sides. Remove from pan and serve hot.

As a young child, I have heard many folklore about the British reign in India. The Brits, we were told, had a fascination for this country of stark contradictions.

This was a land where elephants roamed the unpaved roads; snake charmers with huge snakes wrapped around their necks knocked on your door; where extreme poverty co-existed with the lavish wealth of the Maharajahs who lived lives of unheard-of splendor. My grandfather would tell me stories about the vast treasures that were part of India’s heritage: the Peacock throne, the Kohinoor diamond, and enormous amounts of gold, silver and precious gems set in ornate jewelery by artisans of exceptional skill. Not for naught was India called a “Jewel in the Crown”.

The wonderful landscape, the wealth in the land, the diverse population, the rich culture, the varied and vast cuisine, the different kinds of vegetables and fruit, the elephants, camels, monkeys, snakes, peacocks, deer, tigers and lions that roamed the jungles – all went towards creating this aura of a mysterious land that attracted some adventurous people from Britain. They came to India with the eager anticipation of experiencing its wonder. They came prepared with their hats and white clothes to bear the heat and the dust. They brought their cuisine and their religion. They brought their cricket, croquet and tennis games. And they brought their wives, girl friends and family members.

Even though the British in India had mostly re-created a life similar to theirs in Britain, they also loved to mingle with Indian high society and rub shoulders with the Indian Kings. They especially loved being invited to the grand marble palaces for sumptuous dinners. And while they enjoyed being part of India’s upper crust, they found it hard to eat Indian food. It was too spicy for their taste.

As the story goes, in the early 1900′s, a young British couple had just moved to India. They made their first appearance at a dinner hosted by one of the local Kings. As course after sumptuous course was served by white-jacketed waiters, the young wife found she could hardly swallow the spicy food. She started to drink wine deeply from the bejeweled silver goblets and soon got pretty drunk. As each course was served, the butler would announce the name of the dish in stentorian tones. Finally, the butler announced, “Fried green chili”. The young wife heaved a sigh of relief thinking that this dish would be cool – since the name was chili. Unfortunately for her, the green chili served was the spicy little roasted green peppers. A bite of the dish had her reaching for her water goblet and screaming for something sweet to offset the spice.

That story brings to mind my Sweet Green Chili pickle recipe, made spicy and sweet, in accordance to Indian cuisine’s taste-bud rhapsody! Try it: it tastes simply fantastic especially when eaten with Aloo paratha (potato stuffed whole wheat bread).

The spice in the green chili is offset by the sweet taste of jaggery. And you needn’t reach for your water glass after eating this dish: the chilis that you get here in the US are nowhere near as spicy as the Indian green chili and this dish is more sweet than spicy. All-in-all, this Sweet Green Chili pickle is the ultimate sweet and spice and all things nice.

Here is what you need:
4 large fleshy green Mexican chilis
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Red chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup jaggery powder (you can also use brown sugar)
Smidgen of tamarind paste

Here is how you make this:
Chop the green chili. Heat the olive oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to crackle and add the cumin seeds. Roast for 10 seconds. Now add the chopped green chili, red chili powder and salt. Stir fry on high heat for about 1 minute. Reduce heat and add the tamarind paste and powdered jaggery or brown sugar. Simmer until the chili is cooked and the jaggery is melted.

Remove from fire and serve with Aloo Paratha. Eat sparingly – not more than 1 tsp per meal. You can store this in the fridge for upto 1 week.

I’ve heard a lot of people complain that being a vegetarian is an uphill task. I completely understand.

I know what they mean: they have to be on the job 24/7. Especially if they are cooking for a family and are in charge of the kids diets, they have to be particularly watchful about incorporating different kinds of vegetables in many different dishes, so that the kids are tempted to eat their veggies.

You know by now that I am a big fan of vegetables. I love all kinds of veggies. My idea of a wonderful weekend is a visit to a well stocked produce store. And I invariably buy all my vegetables fresh. The only frozen veggies I buy are green peas.

I love the multitude of greens we get here in the US and so I usually pick up a couple of new ones each week – it allows for variety. Greens are not only good for you, they are also good for your wallet. A bunch of greens usually cost around $2 and it makes a dish that feeds a family of 4! This week I came home laden with mustard greens because they looked so fresh.

Mustard greens are stuffed with nutrients. They have 9 vitamins, 7 minerals, dietary fiber and protein. Best of all, they are a unique source of 3 notable antioxidants: Vitamin K, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. They are known as nature’s free radicals scavenger. Mustard greens are wonderful for children and adults who have asthma. The vitamin C in the greens help them breathe easier. The greens are also particularly helpful for women’s health. They are laden with calcium, B6 and phyto nutients. Read more about Mustard Green’s nutritional value here.

I made a mustard green and lentil combo dish that tasted deliciously smooth and buttery, even though it had no butter. It was also extremely quick and easy to make and is not at all spicy, so the kids will enjoy it too. Serve with brown rice and some salad and you have a healthy and complete meal cooked in just 30 minutes. Yeah! Rachel Ray, I can cook a meal in 30 minutes too.

As usual, this recipe uses just one teaspoon oil for the entire dish, so you have an entire meal for a family of 4 made with just 1 teaspoon oil.

Here is what you need:
1 bunch mustard greens
1 cup yellow lentils (tuvar dal)
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder

To garnish:
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1 habanero or jalopeno (chopped fine)
1 tsp olive oil

Here is how you make this:
Wash and boil the lentils in 2 cups of water until soft. Add more water if necessary. When the lentils are cooked, add the chopped mustard greens, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the greens are also cooked. Remove from the stove.

Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle and add the cumin seeds. Brown for 10 seconds and add the chopped habanero. Fry crisp. Add the asafoetiday powder. Remove from stove and pour the garnish over the lentil and mustard green dish.

Serve hot with brown rice and salad. (If you make brown rice side-by-side in another stove, your entire meal is ready in 30 minutes!)

As an Air Force brat, I have traveled the length and breadth of India during my formative years. Every two years we would pack our bags and move yet again.

During one of those trips, I came across a sight that remains seared in my mind. Our train had stopped at a station in Rajasthan for an hour long break. My family got off to stretch limbs and get a drink of water, when I happened to look around.

The platform was teeming with life. Urchins were running around. Stray dogs were sleeping on the benches. People sat or stretched out on their bags to safeguard them from pickpockets and thieves. In the midst of all this din, I saw a Rajasthani couple squatted on the floor of the platform. They were poor but obviously not starving. They were switching trains and awaiting their connection.

The husband was imposing in his traditional Rajasthani garb of a wrapped around dhoti, a beautifully embroidered vest, and a huge turban on his head. His young wife wore a long red skirt embroidered with mirrors, a beautiful blouse cut low, exposing her back and her slender waist. The blouse was held together with strings at the back. Her ensemble was topped off with a veil.

It was lunch time. The young wife squatted on the floor and had in front of her a little gas stove. She pumped it and watched the flames leap. Then she rolled wafer-thin, perfectly round, chapathis (whole wheat bread). She would place each one on the griddle, her movements swift and sure from years of practice. As each chapathi unfailingly puffed up, she would place it very carefully on her husband’s plate. Along with the chapathis, she served “paani aloo” or “liquid potato”.

I watched in amazement as she cooked the entire meal for her husband on a railway platform! And she had done that with such grace, such artistic flair and such concentration in the midst of so much chaos. It was a gourmet meal made by a very poor woman, who was so focused on her culinary art that she was completely oblivious to her surrounding. She was a sea of calm in that pell-mell.

And that was a picture that I never forgot.

In that stranger’s honor, here is my recipe for the “paani aloo” – “liquid potatoes”. I think it looks like the dish she made all those years ago. It certainly tastes good and is a very quick and easy dish to make. When your life is chaotic, just take a deep breath and remember that strange Rajasthani woman who valiantly cooked a meal in all that pandemonium and you’ll do fine!

This recipe for “Paani aloo”, is  yet another low fat Potato recipe that can be made in a jiffy. This is made with just 1 tsp oil and is very yummy. Serve with plain parathas, naan, rice or any other bread.

Here is what you need:
3 large boiled potatoes (mashed coarsely with large lumps)
2 cups water

Spices:
1 tsp red chili powder (I buy the Kashmiri chili powder available in Indian stores. It has a deep red color but is not very spicy)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
1 -2 tsp salt (depending on how much water you add)
1 tsp Olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds

Garnish:
A few sprigs chopped cilantro

Here is how you make this:

Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds. Brown for 20 seconds. Add the coarsely mashed potatoes, water, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt. Bring to a boil. Take off the stove and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve hot over rice or chapathis.

As a child living in India, I had only heard about but never tasted the French Toast. In my imagination, it seemed like a very fancy breakfast dish, somehow akin to the French souffles. It brought to mind romantic images of the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame.

For a very long time, I remember, I used to wonder how exactly the French toast was made and as soon as I had an opportunity during a visit to the US, I ordered it for breakfast at a restaurant. I was amazed at being served 4 huge, simply huge, thick slices of bread covered with egg and smothered with maple syrup, sweetened fruit and the whole mound decorated with a dollop of cream. I cannot honestly say I liked the dish. It was too sweet for my Indian trained palate which was used to eating Idly, Dosa and Vada for breakfast.

Besides, I am a big fan of food textures. I need to be able to chew and taste the sensations that accompany food textures. In my mind, wolfing food down before even tasting, because a dish is so refined or so smooth was OK for smooth desserts or ice cream but main menu dishes needed the satisfaction of textures so one doesn’t feel the need to binge. I am a firm believer that eating is not just to fill a stomach but a sybaritic experience as well. When one does not receive that wholesome experience while eating a meal, one tends to binge in order to obtain that satisfaction.

So, suffice to say that I had to convert the french toast to a fusion dish. Here is my attempt – as usual, low calorie and low fat – made with just 1 tsp oil. I hope you like it.

Here is what you need:
4 thin slices 7 grain or 9 grain organic bread
2 eggs
dash of milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil

For Garnish:
Sprig of Cilantro
Tomato Ketchup

Here is how you make this in just 5 minutes:
Break the eggs in a bowl. Add the milk, salt and chili powder and beat for about 30 seconds with a fork.

Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat. Hold up a slice of bread and spread the egg mixture over one side just like you would spread jam. Place face down on the pan and drizzle a few drops of olive oil around the slice. While it is cooking, spread the egg mixture on the side facing up. Flip over and drizzle oil around the edges again. Remove from the pan and repeat for all four slices.

Now add the chopped red onion in the pan and sear on high heat for about 30 seconds (if you like them crunchy). Remove and ladle over the french toast. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Drizzle with tomato ketchup (optional).

Serve hot.

My mother is a meticulous cook. She is also a patient cook. She’ll spend hours in the kitchen, preparing, chopping, mincing, slow roasting over the fire, tending to her dishes with love and it shows. The epicurean delight that her meals evoke is something that I aspire to, and am constantly working towards.

I, on the other hand, can lay claim to the dubious accolade of being a lazy cook. I love easy dishes – ones which are not involved. I do not like recipes that have me poring over instructions – one eye on the stove and the other on the printed recipe. Seems like too much work! By now, you must have experienced first-hand from the recipes I have posted so far, that I love to whip stuff up in a jiffy and use whatever I have at hand.

I also love fusion food. I love the idea of taking two different kinds of cuisines and blending ingredients to enhance the taste and tempt the palate.

So, here you have it – my 2 minute Fusion Egg Sandwich. Just 2 minutes to put together, if you have boiled eggs at hand.  As always, healthy, fulfilling, low fat and mmmmmm!

Here is what you need:
2-4 slices of whole wheat, 7 grain or 9 grain bread
1 tsp Olive oil
2 tbsps green coriander chutney (I make this in advance and store in the fridge -  lookout for my recipe in the upcoming posts. You can also buy this at any Indian store)
2 large eggs (hard boiled)
1 pinch red chili powder (optional)
Salt to sprinkle (sea salt, or black salt or good ole plain salt)

Here is how you put this together in 2 minutes flat:
Spread olive oil sparingly on both sides of the bread slices. Heat a pan on medium heat and toast the bread until crisp. (My husband loves pan toasted bread and says it tastes much better than oven toasted bread when eaten cold). Cool the slices and spread the coriander chutney on the slices. Cool the hard boiled eggs and slice into rounds. Place the sliced eggs between the bread slices and sprinkle with red chili powder and salt. Cut the sandwich into squares or triangles and pack for lunch.