The Best Cocktail Bar Nuts!

This is the famous NY Union Square Cafe recipe for bar nuts. I've seen a lot of chefs go gaga over this recipe on Food Network. This recipe has also won the 'Best Bar Nuts in NY City' award. And so I thought, I have to make this and decide for myself if its really worth going gaga over.

And yes, it absolutely is.

Here's the recipe for the nuts from the food network site - The Union Square Cafe's Bar Nuts

The original recipe calls for Unsalted nuts and then to add Kosher salt. But, I had salted nuts and just used that and skipped adding the Kosher salt later.

For the nuts, you will need mixed nuts - you can add Cashews, Walnuts, Peanuts, Brazil nuts, Almonds, Pecans, Macadamia nuts etc.

Pre heat the over to 350F. Place the mixed nuts, about 2 1/4 cups, on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes until they are a little golden and the oils start coming out. If you are using raw nuts, make sure they get toasted good. Mine were toasted and salted, so I cut down on the baking time a little.

You will need fresh rosemary for this recipe. This is what gives a ton of flavor to the nuts.

Here's my fresh rosemary - washed and chopped roughly. Move the chopped rosemary to a mixing bowl. You will need to add about 2 tbsps of fresh rosemary.

Add 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper. You could also use regular red chilli powder or kashmiri red chilli.

Add 2 tsp of brown sugar. The recipe calls for dark brown sugar. But, mine was lite brown and I thought it still tasted awesome.

Chop about 1 tbsp butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Now, you're ready to mix the nuts.

Can you see the nuts are almost done here. They all have a shiny coat of the natural oils.

Now, add the warm nuts to the mixing bowl that has the butter and the other ingredients. The heat from the nuts melt all the butter. Let this sit for a min before mixing up the ingredients. That will ensure that all of the butter is melted.

Just toss around for a few times until all the ingredients are incorporated well.

You're done. Move to a serving bowl and serve at once while the nuts are still warm.

And yes, just like everyone who has talked about or wrote about these nuts, you CANNOT stop at one or two. These are delicious. I can't say much - you just have to try it out for yourself. Go ahead and Go Nuts!

Enjoy. Peace Out!

Phyllo Tart with Spinach and Ricotta Cheese

I'm always a little intimidated with phyllo sheets - they are so tender, so delicate. So not my type. But I'm equally intrigued by the possibilities they bring along with them. Baklava, for instance. But, I don't think I have it in me to add that much of sugar and nuts and fat and calories to a dish..fully knowing that I will end up eating most of it if I ever make it. I might even hide it from the world and tell everyone that the baklava got burnt in the oven.

But until then, I'll take my first baby steps trying something a little more healthy. Yes. Healthy.

And so I pick Gorgeous Spinach with Low Fat Ricotta cheese and some darling Tomatoes! That's healthy, right?

So, Come Join Me - in the quest to use up the phyllo sheets in my fridge before they dry out and I have to feed the ducks.

Come join me - in proving to myself that phyllo sheets can really be used to make something other than baklava.

Come join me - in taking a few steps into the world of 'They're just phyllo sheets - they're not monsters that will eat you alive'

Come join me.

Let's get started with the mission today.

Heat a tsp of oil in a wide pan and when hot, add about 3-4 chopped garlic pods. Fry for a min.

Then, add about 1 medium onions chopped into small pieces. Fry for a couple of mins until the onions turn translucent. Add a pinch of salt to taste.

Now, add about 2 cups of chopped spinach. I added frozen chopped spinach - a whole 8oz pack of it to the onions. Cook for just about a min.

 Move the onion-spinach mix to a wide mixing bowl.

Add 2 small tomatoes - deseeded and chopped into little bits.

Now, add low fat Ricotta cheese to the spinach and tomato mix. About 1 and 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese. You could also use Feta cheese here instead of Ricotta. Either one tastes good!

Mix well until combined.

Now, add some sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  The filling is ready.

In a wide baking sheet, take a couple of phyllo wraps and spread out. If they don't spread out to the full length of the baking sheet, use two sheets overlapping each other so that the baking sheet is completely covered.

While you are working this, make sure the rest of the phyllo wrappers are covered with a wet kitchen towel so that they don't dry out. These dry pretty fast and that happening is truly a motivation killer. So, take care and be wise.

Brush the sheets with a little bit of olive oil. If you are feeling rich, you can most definitely use butter in here. I'm not responsible for those love handles that appear later. You are warned.

We will also need breadcrumbs to add in between the layers. You could use the ready made store bought breadcrumbs - or like me, can make it in a couple of mins. Just toast a few pieces of bread in your toaster and use a dry mixie and grind to fine crumbs. Voila..that's ready. I bet that takes less time than trying to navigate the grocery stores looking for bread crumbs!

On top of each layer after it has been brushed with oil, sprinkle a little of the bread crumbs. This adds a whole lot of bite to the tarts while eating. Trust me.

Repeat this process for atleast 8-10 times or more depending upon how many sheets you have. Layer each sheet, brush with oil and top with breadcrumbs. 

Finally, add the spinach cheese mixture in here and spread it out slowly.

 Like this - make sure there is an even layer of spinach and that you haven't missed any spots anywhere.

Now, arrange some slices of tomatoes on top of the spinach before sending it off to the oven.

Also, make sure that the edges are well oiled and not dry.You could roll the edges a little for an even more pretty tart.

You could also use asparagus on top - or artichokes or even mushrooms as a topper. All of those blend well with the taste of spinach and ricotta cheese.

Move to a pre heated oven at 400F. Bake for about 15 mins or until you see the sides turn golden. When you think its almost ready, turn the oven on broil for exactly 2 mins and not for longer. This helps with the tomato slices getting a quick crisp just before its out.

There's our phyllo pie right out of the oven! Wish you could smell my kitchen now! Smells divine!

There it is people. Take a deep breath. Thank our beautiful nature for giving us tomatoes and spinach.

Cut into small squares for serving.

Serve hot - I mean hot as in straight from the oven hot.

These tasted real good. And what tasted better was my victory over phyllo sheets.

Bring it on Baklava.

Enjoy. Peace Out!

Karadiyan Nombu Festival!

Karadiyan Nombu - the southern version of Karva Chauth. Kind of.

I posted this recipe last year same time. Well..the recipe has not changed - so here it is again to relive the moment!

This nombu is also known as Savithri Virathum. The legend behind this festival goes something like this. My mom told me the story this morning. And she also insisted I can ask my husband for gift after I do this puja - that's just the 21st century twist. Everything needs a validation!

Once upon a time, long ago, long long ago...Savithri and Satyavan were a happily married couple. Savithri was very very pious and devoted to her husband. One sad day, Yama DharmaRaja came down to earth and took Satyavan with him saying his life on earth was over. Savithri was really mad at Yaman for taking her husband away. She decided to pray to Lord Shiva and get her husband back. She fasted for days without food and prayed to Lord Shiva. Shiva was impressed by Savithri's devotion and decided to grant her a boon. He came down to earth and told her that she had impressed him and that he was giving her a boon. His boon was that she would be happy in life and have 30 beautiful kids. She took the boon from him and then spoke out to him. She told Shiva that she was thankful that she gave him a boon for 30 beautiful kids but she needed her husband back from Yaman in order to have those 30 kids. Shiva had no other choice but to keep his word. He ordered Yaman to give back Satyavan life and reunite with his wife Savithri. That's the story of this Nombu...this nombu supposedly is so powerful that a woman could bring back her husband from the dead..In other words - you are praying for a long life for your husband. Little kids also do this and their prayers are that they get a good husband in the future.

And then there are people like me who do this for the adai! Hahah!

The special food that we prepare for this festival is called a Nombu Adai - there is a karam variety which has salt and spice in it and then there is a sweet variety which is made with Jaggery. Both have pieces of cocunut and karamani for a little kick!

The basis for both the adais is Rice Flour. Take a fry pan and dry roast the rice flour on medium heat till the raw smell goes away. You will have to do this step patiently. Don't keep the flame on high and burn the rice flour. Keep it in medium and keep stirring it till the bottom starts to get a slight color. Then switch off the flame and keep it in the pan.




Before you start anything, pressure cook some Karamani (brown daal with black eyes) and keep aside. Now, some mami's might not like this - and they would add the white daal with black eyes. But this is what I had at home and I think it works perfect.

Also, break open a fresh coconut - drink all the yummy water inside - and chop the coconut into small pieces. The best way to do this is by hand - don't use a chopper or food processor - you need biteable pieces not too tiny. So, handchopping works best.

For the Kara Adai (Spicy one) - chop 1 or 2 green chillies finely. And for the sweet adai - keep about 1-2 cups of Jaggery (depending upon how much rice flour you use) in a coarse powder form that will melt easily.



Divide the rice flour that you dry roasted into 2 halves for each kara Adai and sweet adai.

To one portion of the rice flour, add salt, red chilli powder - maybe 1 tsp of each. Add the finely chopped green chilli, coconut pieces and karamani pieces. Mix to combine well. Now, heat up equal amount of water in a big kadai - let the water boil really well. You should be able to see the big bubbles boiling. Add a tsp of oil to this water. When the water is boiling, add this rice flour mix to it and mix well quickly. Some people keep mixing it till it forms a ball. I just mixed it till it all combined well and all the water was absorbed. Check the pic below.



Now, when this is still hot, pick a small amount and start to make a ball with it. Make a nice smooth ball and poke a hole in between. Since, the mixture is still hot - keep dipping your fingers in water while you do this step. It helps your fingers keep cold, also helps from the dough not sticking to your hands. It also makes is easy to roll the dough in between your palms to make a ball.


Now, arrange these in a idli plate which is pre-greased. Once you have all the plates filled up, steam them in an idli cooker for 10 mins. And....drum roll...they are done!


Now, let's get started with the sweet variety.

Use the second half of the dry roasted Rice flour. Add coconut pieces and karamani pieces to this flour. Mix well to combine.

Now, boil water similar to what we did before. When the water is boiling, add the coarsly powdered jaggery to it and add a tsp of caradamom powder to enhance flavor. Do not heat up the jaggery too much. We don't want any one string consistency stuff here. That will just ruin the whole thing. When all the jaggery is melted well, switch off the stove and immediately add the dry mix to this. Mix well till all the water is incorporated well into the dough. I got a similar consistency to the kara adai mix.

Follow the same steps as we did for the kara adai - Make small balls and steam in idli cooker. I really did not put a hole in the middle for the sweet ones - because they kept breaking up the adai. I guess its because of the jaggery! Who needs a hole when the whole thing is so good??!!



Steam these adai in the idli cooker for like 10 mins. And ...drum roll once again...you're done!


Now for the puja part - serve these adais with butter. At this point, my husband said - ooh..here's the heart clogging butter and my daughter said right after him - "Dad - I don't like the heart clogging butter - I like just the regular butter." I wish!

Do the naivediam first - which is offering to God - and when you offer this, you will have to say this sloka below -

"Urugada Vennaiyum Oradaiyum Naan Tharuven
Orukaalum En Kanavar Ennai Piriyadirukkanum"

After this, tie the yellow nombu charadu around your neck and say this sloka -

"Throram Krishhnami Subhake Saharithamdharami Aham
Bharthuayushya Sidhartham Supreethabhava Sarvadha."



Now that you have proved that you are devoted wife, sit back and enjoy the adais!! Yummm......

Reposting this link for 'State Specials' Event hosted by Shanthi Krishnakumar's Cookbook.

Home made Ghee

Well...I can't think of a story to add for this post.

So, I'm just getting to the point..If you love ghee...just make it at home. Its easy to make and atleast in the US, its also cheaper to make it at home! And somehow always taste better than store bought.

I use Costco's unsalted butter.

Chop up a 1-lb pack butter into big pieces.

Move the butter to a pan and the switch on the gas at medium.

When all the butter melts, keep stirring it every few mins.

First, you will see just a white froth on top. As it cooks, the white turns all bubbly.

It goes from bubbly to all white again and then to a clear liquid. At this point, you can switch off the stove and let it cook in the heat of the pan.

Now, usually the store bought ghee is in this consistency and color. I guess people in north india eat ghee in this consistency. However, in south india - atleast in tamilnadu..ghee is a little more darker.

To obtain south indian "ney", keep going. You will see more bubbles and then a clearer liquid. When the bottom begins to get a hint of darkness, switch off the stove and keep stirring.

This will give you a clearer and darker ghee or ney.

Enjoy it on top of everything you like!