Ankitha Gadag Original Recipe – Mirchi Bajji

A South Indian soul-food, complete with a step by step video tutorial!

Okay, so I lied.

This actually is NOT an Ankitha Gadag original recipe. It is actually passed down from generations within the Gadag family clan. So thank you Mama for sharing the recipe!

Admittedly, this is not the healthiest of recipes…  but trust me it’s worth the indulgence. There is a series of Indian “street foods” that are worth every calorie. Amongst them, a few of my favorites are: Panipuri, Bhelpuri, Samosas, and of course Mirchi Bajjis!

In the Gadag household, this is a regular treat on a rainy evening or when the whole family craves “junk” food. It’s a time for everyone to come together, throw on a 4 hour Bollywood movie, grab a glass of wine and share some mirchi bajji’s with bhel on the side.

From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy this 🙂

What you’ll need:

  • jalapenos (1 serving : 5)
  • thyme seeds (1-2 tbsp)
  • cumin seeds (1-2 tbsp)
  • Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Flour (1 cup)
  • Chosen Foods Avocado Oil (1 cup)
  • warm water (1-2 tbsp)
  • s&p to taste

Method:

  1. Start by slitting a vertical line through each of the jalapenos. De-seed for less spice
  2. Stuff with Thyme seeds + Cumin Seeds
  3. To make your batter , combine the remainder of cumin seeds, thyme seeds with the garbanzo flour. Add salt to taste. Add a couple tablespoons of the heated oil and WHISK away!
  4. Add in a couple tablespoons of warm water. You want to have a fairly thick consistency so the batter will hold in the oil
  5. Dip your stuffed jalapenos into the batter and fry until golden brown
  6. Serve HOT!

 

Ankitha Gadag’s – Hearty Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

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Hi Guys!

Welcome back to Ankitha Gadag Recipes! Today, I am excited to share one of my favorite soup recipes – a tortilla soup that can be enjoyed all year around. I know some people might disagree about soup being a year around staple, but when it takes 5 mins to make after a long day at work, you will see my perspective. This soup has all the kick thanks to the southwestern flavors while providing you with loads of nutrition from the veggie base. It’s delicious, it’s easy, it’s flavorful!

Let’s get started!

What you will need :

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  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4th of an onion
  • bouillon cube or 1 tbsp of better than bouillon stock
  • Blend it up Southwest Spiceblend or taco seasoning
  • handful of tortilla chips (crumbled)
  • 1 handful of spinach leaves
  • filtered water (2 cups approximately)
  1. Add all ingredients except half of the tomato, tortilla chips, and spinach into your Vitamix or blender of choice
  2. Add in water, if you are not using a Vitamix please make sure you are using hot water
  3. In Vitamix, change to soup setting or blend for at least 10 mins
  4. Add in remaining ingredients and pulse gently for a few seconds

Hope you guys enjoy this recipe, it’s one of my favorites. For a fun step by step tutorial check out my video snap below!

 

 

Easy Barbacoa Recipe – Ankitha Gadag Original

Easy step-by-step video tutorial of how to make this delicious, spicy, beef barbacoa.

Here at Ankitha Gadag recipes, y’all know we share a deep passion for MEAT. Moving to Texas has only furthered this romance. I’ll blame it on the delicious tacos, barbeques, and various grilling tactics this part of the country is widely known for. Although, I tend to keep with the safer meats (i.e. poultry, fish, pork), I thought it was time to venture out of my comfort zone and come up with recipe inspired by my new home.

If you are like me, you are probably intimidated by cooking beef. The various cuts, length of time of cooking, etc make it seem like more trouble than worth. I am going to keep it super simple for you guys, because I have already done all the research. The cut I have chosen here was selected because:

  1. It’s not terrible fatty 2. It shreds well 3. It’s low maintenance.

It took me all of a few minutes to prep the meat and throw all ingredients into the crockpot/slow cooker. 7 hours later, meal prep was ready for the week.

I loved eating this throughout the week in various forms: Tacos, Salads, Coleslaw/BBQ style, etc.

Get creative and let me know what you think

Ingredients: 

1-2 lbs beef tri-tip roast (or shoulder)

2 dried, whole ancho chilies – deseeded/seeded (up to your tolerance of heat), stems removed

2 dried, whole guajillo chilies – deseeded/seeded (up to your tolerance of heat), stems removed

2 dried, whole chipotle pepper – deseeded/seeded (up to your tolerance of heat), stems removed

4-6 cloves garlic – skin removed

1 tbsp loosely-packed fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 heaping tbsp of Bettter than Bouillon Chicken/Beef Base

1 cup water

salt and pepper

Steps:

  1. Blend all ingredients and make a paste
  2. Sear your meat on both sides with S&P
  3. Throw it all into your crockpot/slow-cooker and you’re done!!
  4. Enjoy!

For a step-by-step tutorial of how to make this, check out my video below: 

Smoked salmon stuffed Curd rice – Ankitha Gadag Recipes

A fusion of South Indian and Mediterranean Cuisine!

At Ankitha Gadag Recipes, we love putting spins on traditional flavors. What happens when you take two exotic cuisines and combine them in a plate? Flavor BOMB people, that’s what. Here we have a traditional smoked salmon dish with capers that one would consider very Mediterranean combined with South Indian yogurt rice or fondly known as “curd rice.” Check out the recipe below at one of my favorite blogger’s site!

 

Curd rice/ Thayir sadam is more often eaten by the south Indians as a part of meal. Rice and yogurt are the 2 main ingredients that go towards making this. It is called as thayir sadam in kerala. Yogurt rice can be made in different ways. I am sharing this with bit of fusion of…Read…

via Smoked salmon stuffed Curd rice / Thayir saadam. — keralaslive

Somali Corn in Coconut Cream

Ankitha Gadag shares a recipe for cooking corn with a spin!

Here at Ankitha Gadag recipes, we love all things exotic with an abundance of FLAVOR! Ankitha’s cooking motto is flavor=God when it comes to serving dishes. Ankitha Gadag recipes is not new to African cuisine, so this recipe is definitely one for the books! Enjoy!

 

Corn is a staple food in much of Africa. Cooking it with coconut is one of the favorite ways of preparing corn. Somali Corn in Coconut Sauce/Galey iyo Qumbo is usually served as a side dish and it goes well with meat or vegetables and steamed rice – by Tara’s Multicultural Table. What a crazy month this has…

via Somali Corn in Coconut Sauce/Galey Iyo Qumbo – Global Recipe Month Series – 7 — Cookilicious

Ankitha Gadag ‘s home-made spicy chili from scratch!

Ankitha Gadag shares an original recipe for a savory delicious chili…with an exotic twist!

I don’t know about you guys but I love a week-night meal that keeps on giving. Giving heartiness, nourishment, warmth, fulfillment… what I call healthy soul-food. A delectable meal that gets prepared in a batch-style quantity, yet you don’t get bored of it two meals later. That is precisely what this savory spicy chili is.

I used ground beef (85% lean) for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever protein floats your  boat. If you are health conscious and looking for a protein dense meal, use bison. If you want a more melt-in-your-mouth chili, use a less lean version of beef/pork/turkey.  If you’re trying to keep it vegetarian, try using Tofu crumbles, Tempeh crumbles, Seitan, or even just red beans. Make the recipe YOURS!!! 🙂

OK, let’s get started…

You will need:

  • 2 carrots (chopped)
  • 2 celery sticks (chopped)
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1-3 green chillies (1 = mild; 3 = spicy)
  • 1 cup veggies of your choice (I used mushrooms & bell peppers)
  • 1 lb protein of your choice (ground beef, turkey, red beans, tempeh, tofu, other)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 3-4 cloves
  • salt & pepper
  • *optional: 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • *optional: 1 can garbanzo beansankitha_gadag_veggies

To prepare:

  1. Start by chopping all your veggies in bite size pieces
  2. Saute the onion and garlic in about 1 tbsp of oil of your choice. Pro-tip: Add salt here, it makes the onion lose it’s water content to cook it faster.
  3. Add in the rest of your veggies
  4. Add in your seasonings. Cover and let it cook for about 10 mins.ankithagadag
  5. Now add in your protein
  6. Add in some water or broth and let it simmah simmah.
  7. Enjoy in about a half hr to an hr!

Let me know how you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for reading! P.S- this tastes great with some crumbled tortilla chips or avocado and toast!

Ankitha Gadag

Whole30 Salmon Cakes

Here at Ankitha Gadag recipes, I make sure we are switching it up and keeping things interesting for our weekly meals. Here is a great idea for a meal prep… I love this recipe because it doesn’t have breadcrumbs typical with these types of cakes. I’m sure you can also substitute the salmon for other variety of fish!

 

Visit the post for more.

Source: Whole30 Salmon Cakes

Sesame-Garlic Baby Bok-Choy

Ankitha Gadag original recipe for an easy week-night side dish!

Welcome back to Ankitha Gadag Recipes, home of authentic, exotic recipes curated by yours truly – Ankitha Gadag. For all you first timers to the blog, thank you for visiting. I hope you find a recipe that will help you fall in love with food as much as I have! Today’s recipe is an Asian inspired dish, that would work best as a side to a delicious Thai/Chinese/Japanese entree. I personally paired it with Pad-Ka-Prow (recipe coming soon!) a street-side northern Thai dish, and the flavors blended perfectly.

This was actually my first attempt at cooking bok-choy. It is one of those vegetables that is really difficult to mess up. It soaks up all the flavors of the marinade wonderfully. Plus, with only 3 ingredients making this recipe, it is SO EASY to make! It’s great for a week night dinner after a long day, when you don’t want to spend more than 10 minutes whipping up dinner.

Alright, without further ado…

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 baby bok-choy (cut in half, length-wise)
  • soy sauce (2 tbsp)
  • rice wine vinegar (2 tbsp)
  • sesame seed oil (2 tbsp)
  • garlic (1-2 cloves)

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Preparation:

  1. Heat up some oil in a pan, flavor the oil with your crushed garlic clovesankitha_gadag_sizzlingoil
  2. Add your cut bok-choy into the pan face down, and cover for 2-3 mins. ankitha_gadag_boyankitha_gadag1
  3.  Now prepare your marinade, using the sauces from the ingredientsankitha_gadag_choy
  4. Add marinade to your pan and saute together for about 1-2 mins
  5. Serve!

 

How easy is that? 5 steps, 3 ingredients. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

-Ankitha

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