Bare Burrito / Naked Burrito / Burrito Bowl

A burrito is a popular Mexican food. It consists of a flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The usual filings include Mexican rice,meat,grilled vegetables ,beans, lettuce, salsa, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.
The word burrito means "little donkey" in Spanish, coming from burro, which means "donkey". The name burrito possibly derives from the appearance of a rolled up wheat tortilla, which vaguely resembles the ear of its namesake animal, or from bedrolls and packs that donkeys carried.

A burrito bowl is a burrito or fajita served without the tortilla wrap. It is instead placed in a bowl. It gained popularity during the low carb fad in the early 2000's.

















The burrito bowl is found in some form at all the major national Mexican chains , and they call it by some pretty amusing and creative names.
At Baja Fresh you would ask for the Bare Burrito or Naked Burrito.
Chipotle refers to it as the "Burrito bol",
Qdoba informs customers to: "ask for it naked"
Moe's menu states: "be a streaker! Lose the tortilla!
Panchero's menu states to order "just the insides."


Ingredients:

1. Mexican rice - 1 cup (I used Basmati rice)
2. Water - 2 cups
3. Lime - 1
4. Black beans or Pinto beans - 1/2 cup
5. Lettuce - 1 cup shreaded
6. Tomato - 1 chopped
7. Onion - 4 tbsp
8. Green chillies - 2 chopped
9. Steak or Chicken or Shrimp or Fish - about 2 cups
10. Bell peppers - 1 cup cut in strips(green,red,yellow, orange any you have)
11. Onion - 1 cut into thick wedges
12. avacado - 1/2 of one
13. Cilantro - 3 tbsp chopped
14. Pineapple - 1 cup chopped (optional)
15. chopped garlic - 1/2 tsp
16. dried Oregano/thyme - 1/4 tsp
17. crushed cumin - 1/4 tsp
18. Salt - to taste
19. McCormick steak seasoning - 1/2 tsp (optional) you can use ground pepper instead.
20. Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparing the cilantro lime rice.
Cook 1 cup rice in 2 cups water and salt to taste.
Once the rice is cooked add 1/2 tsp of fresh lime juice and tbsp of chopped corriander leaves and mix well.

Preparing the Tomato salsa
Mix together the chopped tomato , 2 tbsp of chopped onion , 1 chopped green chilly , 1/2 tbsp of chopped cilantro, salt to taste and a squeeze of lime juice.

Preparing the Pineapple salsa
Mix together the chopped pineapple , 2 tbsp of chopped onion , 1 chopped green chilly , 1/2 tbsp of chopped cilantro, salt to taste and a squeeze of lime juice.

Preparing the steak.
Slice the beef into thin strips and marinate with crushed cumin,steak seasoning(which contains salt,pepper,corriander seeds,crushed red pepper),Oregano/thyme mixture and a squeeze of lime juice.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in an iron skillet(on high) add in the beef and stirfry on high flame for 5 minutes until it is cooked and keep aside.

Preparing the grilled veggies
Add 1 tbsp oil and sliced bell peppers and onions into the same skittel you used to cook the beef in and stirfry on high until the veggies get a char on the outside but still retain a crunch (3 minutes).Season to taste with salt.

Preparing the beans
Pressure cook the black or pinto beans with enough water until it is cooked soft - add salt to taste and lightly mash some of them with the back of a spoon.

Assembling the bowl
Take a bowl, add a layer of cilantro lime rice then add the beans,Tomato salsa, Pineapple salsa, roasted vegetables,lettuce , Steak ,sliced avacado and more chopped cilantro on top.Garnish with sour cream and grated cheese if desired.
 

Acorn Squash and Toordal Erissery

Ingredients:

1. Acorn Squash  - 1 small peeled and cut into cubes (about 2 cups).
2. Toor Dal - 1/2 cup.
3. Coconut grated - 1/2 cup.
4. Jeera/cummin seeds- 1/4'th tsp.
5. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
6. Green chillies - 5 or 6 slit .
7. Shallots - 3 sliced.
8. Curry leaves - 2 stalks
9. Urud dal - 1 tsp
10. Red chillies - 2 broken
11. mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
12. oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Pressure cook the pumpkin and dal together(3-4 whistles and let the steam escape by itself) .
Grind the coconut,jeera and turmeric powder to a coarse paste with some water.
Add this ground paste to the cooked dal/pumpkin mix and bring to a simmer.
Heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds, add in the toor dal and fry until golden.
Add in shallots, curry leaves and red chilly and fry until golden brown.
Add the squash dal mixture into this and mix well.

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

1. Pineapple - 2 cups chopped
2. Onion - 1 medium size chopped
3. Green chillies - 2 chopped fine
4. Red bell pepper - 1 tbsp chopped (optional)
5. Cilantro - 2 tsp chopped
6. Salt - to taste
7. Lime juice - 1 squeeze

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and serve as part of a salad or as  salsa with chips, in a burrito or just eat it as a snack.

Coconut chutney with Curd

This is a slightly different version of the regular "Thenga chammanthi" served with Idili,dosa, vada etc.It is specially good when the idili/dosa batter does not ferment well enough - and you miss the slight sour taste.

Ingredients:

1. Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
2. Green chillies - 8
3. Shallot - 4
4. Curry leaves - 2 springs
5. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Dry red chillies - 2
7. Curd - 2 tbsp
8. salt - to taste
9. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Add the grated coconut,green chillies, 1 shallot and curd to the blender.
Add half a cup of water and salt to taste and blend until smooth.
Slice 3 shallots into fine pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, once the splutter add in the red chillies and curry leaves and shallots and stirfry until golden brown.
Lower the heat to the lowest setting and add in the ground coconut paste.
Stir until it is slightly warm and turn the flame off.
Serve with Vada,idily or any snack that goes with chutney.

Cream of Wheat Porridge

Porridge is a traditional breakfast in much of Northern Europe and Russia often with the addition of salt, sugar, milk or cream.


Indians have their own version of porridge - the uppma - a fried semolina (sooji) porridge traditional in southern India; flavored with clarified butter (ghee),ginger, fried onions, toasted mustard seeds, curry leaves; often mixed with vegetables and toasted peanuts or cashew nuts.

My kids love it for breakfast where they pretend to be "Goldilocks" from Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. My little one always wondering how Mamma bear made the porridge :).When it is served they always say ...
"This porridge is too hot!"
"This porridge is too cold!"
"Aaahhh This porridge is just right!"

Ingredients:

1. Cream of wheat/Rava/Sooji - 3 tbsp
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Sugar - 2 tsp
4. Salt - a pinch

Method:
Add the milk to a saucepan and sprinkle the rava on top .
Add in the sugar and salt and bring to a simmer.
Cook on medium flame until the porridge starts to thicken (about 7-8 minutes)
Serve hot adding more sugar if you like it sweeter.

Chakkakuru Mezhukkupuratti/ Stirfried Jackfruit seeds

Ingredients:

1. Jack fruit seeds/Chakkakuru - 2 cups cleaned and sliced.
2. Shallots - 5 crushed or sliced
3. Garlic - 3 cloves crushed
4. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
5. pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Oil - 3 tbsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. curry leaves - 2 springs
10. Salt - to taste

Method:
Cook the jackfruit seeds in 1/2 cup water with salt and turmeric powder until it is soft .(I used fresh seeds and it took around 15 minutes to cook on a medium flame.)
By the time it cooks the mix should become dry , if not cook in an open pan until water is gone.
Heat oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds.
When it splutters add the crushed garlic and shallots and stirfry for 2 minutes.
Add in the cooked jackfruit seeds and curry leaves.
Sprinkle the chilly powder and pepper powder on top and strifry until slightly crispy (about 10 minutes).
Serve with rice.

Making Yogurt at Home

Yogurt or curd is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk.The Lactose in milk is fermented by a culture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus to produce Lactic acid, the lactic acid acts on milk protein to give Yogurt.

An active (living) yogurt culture is needed as a "starter" .Commercial, unflavored cultured yogurt, from the supermarket is usually used as a starter.Once you start making yogurt at home, save some of your homemade yogurt to "start" your next batch.

Before proceeding to make yogurt at home the milk needs to be boiled to kill any undesirable bacteria , it should then be cooled to about 110 degrees F (not be hot or cold but comfortably warm).

Yogurt is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. It has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk.Yogurt also has medical uses, in particular for a variety of gastrointestinal conditions and in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea.It is also believed to promote good gum health, possibly because of the pro-biotic effect of lactic acids present in yogurt.Consumption of low-fat yogurt can promote weight loss.

Ingredients:

1. Milk - 4 cups
2. Starter Culture - 4 tbsp

Method:
Bring milk to a rolling boil and then set aside to cool(110 degrees F).Heating the milk to boiling not only kills any undesirable bacteria but it also changes the properties of the milk protein so that it gives the yogurt a firmer body and texture.

Add the culture into a clean glass, steel, ceramic or plastic container in which you plan to make the yogurt.
Pour in the warm milk and stir well.
Keep in a warm place undisturbed for 7 to 8 hours or overnight.
During cool weather Yogurt containers can be kept warm in an oven with pilot light and electric bulb.
The yogurt will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Notes :
If your yogurt is not thickening properly, it could be due to a number of reasons.

1. The starter should have active/live bacteria to aid fermentation.
2. You might be adding too little starter culture.
3. The temperature of the milk might be too hot or cold (If the milk is too hot it would curdle and if it is too cold the curd will not set).

Shrimp with Raw Mango in a spicy coconut milk sauce

Ingredients:

1. Shrimp - 2 lb (around 2 cups cleaned and deveined)
2. Vinegar - 1/2 tbsp
3. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
4. salt - to taste
5. Raw Mango - 1 medium sized peeled and cut into shrimp sized cubes
6. Onion - 1 chopped
7. Green chillies - 7 slit
8. Garlic - 3 cloves chopped
9. Ginger - 1 inch piece chopped
10. Curry leaves - 2 stalks
11. Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
12. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
13. Thick Coconut Milk - 2 cups
14. Oil - 4 tbsp 
15. for tadka - 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 shallots sliced and 2 springs curry leaves

Method:
Marinate the shrimp in a mixture of chilly powder, vinegar and salt to taste and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a nonstick pan and fry the shrimp for 5 minutes until it is just cooked, if you overcook shrimp it turns out to be hard and rubbery.
Remove the shrimp and keep it aside .
To  the same pan (and leftover oil ) add in the chopped onion,ginger , garlic and green chillies and saute for 5 minutes.
Add in coriander powder and turmeric powder and stir until raw smell is gone.
Add in the mango pieces and 1/2 cup water and cover and cook until mango pieces are cooked (about 10 minutes).
Stir in the cooked shrimp and add the coconut milk and mix well.
Warm the curry and turn off the flame.
Heat oil for tadka - splutter mustard seeds and add in the shallots and curry leaves and  fry until golden brown , pour it over the curry and mix well.
Serve with rice or chapatti.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast - From 1 chicken skinned(2 pieces)
2. Crushed Pepper - 1/2 tsp 
3. Salt - to taste
4. Lemon juice - 1 squeeze(.5 tsp)
5. Red chilly flakes - 1 pinch (optional)
6. Oil - 1/2 tsp
7.  Mayonnaise -  4 tbsp
8. Bread - 6 slices
9. Lettuce - few leaves
10. Tomatoes, Cucumbers,Onion - as required to assemble the sandwich (Optional)

Method:
Marinate the chicken breast with salt , pepper, red pepper flakes and lime juice.
Heat oil in a nonstick pan - cover and  saute the chicken breast until cooked.
Shred the chicken with 2 forks into smallish pieces .
Add in the mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste.
Spread the chicken salad on a slice of bread and top with lettuce, tomatoes,onions, cucumbers and top with another slice of bread .Slice and serve with fresh vegetables or chips.

Pudhina/Mint Chutney

This is one of the accompanying side dishes for a Malabar Biriyani . Biriyani is traditionally served with Raita/Onion -Tomato Salad with curd,Pudhina Chutney ,Pickle(lemon or dates& beetroot) , Pappad and a Boiled egg . It is usually followed by a slice of Pineapple and a Sulaimani Chai (Light Black tea with Lemon and sugar) which is believed to aid digestion .

This chutney goes well on a vegetable sandwich also and can be had with plain rice as well.

 

Ingredients:

1. Grated coconut - 1 cup
2. Mint leaves - a small bunch (around 20 leaves)
3. shallot - 1
4. Green chillies - 5
5. Lemon juice - 1 squeeze
6. Salt - to taste

Method:

Add all the ingredients into a blender/food processor and grind to a semi smooth paste without adding water.