Varada's Kitchen and Garden

Did you know cactus fruit are sweet and flavorful? Have you ever tried them? We lived in Arizona for a very long time. We had Prickly pear and Saguaro growing in the garden. Every year we watched the local animals and birds fight over the fruit. It was hard to get some for us before the birds got to them. After we moved to Texas all we see are the small 5 inch tall cactus growing in little pots. I remember the first time I saw the little cacti at the nursery and almost cried. Imagine my surprise when I saw prickly pear fruit in the local 99 ranch market. I had to get it and make this sauce/dip. The process is really the same as with any other fruit sauce or dip. You heat the fruit with a little sugar and strain. The aroma takes getting used to but the flavor is awesome. You will need 3 ripe prickly pear fruit (pinkish in color, not green) 1 tbsp. sugar (or as needed, increase or decrease as per taste) Peel the rough skin off the fruit and dice into cubes. Boil 3/4 cup of wat

I love the zucchini ribbon noodles that the Veggie bullet makes. But it makes a LOT! I made ribbons with two zucchini and realized I needed only one for my single serving lasagna. So I decided to make a second lasagna this time with a tomato-onion sauce. This was one of the tastiest pasta I have made. Even though I added a sauce to this lasagna I made certain the sauce was dry enough to not soak the zucchini. This kept the zucchini from getting mushy. The shredded broccoli added more flavor. My husband loved it. You will need 1 zucchini 1/2 cup broccoli, shredded 2 slices mozzarella salt and pepper to taste For the sauce 1/4 onion, diced 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 tsp. dried or fresh basil (if using fresh, dice) 1 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp or to taste paprika salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp oil (I used olive oil) In a pan heat the oil and add the diced onion. When cooked and tender (~ 3-4 minutes) add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Cook until all th

My plan was to try butternut squash noodles in my new kitchen toy the Veggie Bullet. My husband went to buy it while I prepped. But he could not find it in the grocery store. And so I had to improvise and use potato instead. The lasagna was very filling as it had broccoli and beans. As with the recipe posted yesterday, I made this lasagna in a single serving springform pan. I built the recipe based on what I had on hand, the flavors we like and the need for some protein. You can make lasagna with pretty much anything you have on hand. In order to not get the vegetables mushy, I did not use a sauce. The cheese served as the binding agent along with the mashed beans. I let the potatoes bake with the lasagna but my husband said I should have baked them separately before layering them in the lasagna so the next time I use potatoes I will cook them partially in the oven. You will need (single serving) 1 potato, very thinly sliced 4-5 florets broccoli 1 cup Cannelloni beans (I used

Today I will present a lasagna made with zucchini ribbons in place of noodles. I made the noodles using my new kitchen toy - the Veggie Bullet. Among other things it can cut vegetables into ribbons. These ribbons can be used as lasagna noodles. Since I got the toy I am on the lookout for veggies that I can turn to noodles. Vegetables noodles cook quickly and taste best when they are cooked but crisp. So you do not need elaborate sauces to make this lasagna. I made this lasagna after my daughter left for school. I can't wait for her to be back so I can make this for her. My husband enjoyed the lasagna. I made it in a very small springform pan as a single serving. You can double the recipe. Ingredients are approximate. You can mix and match in proportions that suit your taste. The trick is to not overcook the vegetables. You will need (single serving) 1 small zucchini 1/2 cup extra firm tofu cut into cubes 2 slices fresh mozzarella cheese 1/4 small onion salt and pepper t

I have made a lot of different vada in the appe pan, dahi vada , batata vada , sabudana vada , methi vada etc. This is my latest experiment. I used the dals I had on hand in the proportion that felt good at the time. Mung dal makes the vada lighter and easier to cook, channa dal and lentils add a lot of flavor. I made these as a evening snack but you may want to add them as a side to a dinner menu. They would also make great appetizers at a party. You will need for 15-20 vadas 1/2 cup toor dal 1/2 cup red lentils 1/2 cup urad dal (split black lentils) 1/4 cup channa dal (split chickpea) 1/4 cup mung dal 1 1/2 tsp roasted cumin coriander powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp fennel seeds Salt and black pepper to taste Oil Add all the dals to a bowl. Add enough water to the bowl to cover the dals and aside for about 2-3 hours. Drain the water. Blend the dals to a paste using a little water such that it has the consistency in the bowl in the picture below.

How is Dal rice in the instant pot any different from the stove top version? There is not a lot of difference in taste. It is the method that is simplified. You start in the saute mode with phodni/tempering. Next you add chopped vegetables, spices etc. Finally the dal and water. You can put a pot in the pot (PIP) to cook the rice. Close the lid and let it cook for 15-8 minutes. You don't have to watch it. When it is done the pressure comes down and you can switch it off. This freedom makes the instant pot perfect for weekday morning. When my daughter came home for summer she wanted Indian food. That was a surprise because when she was home she craved all types of food. She prefers rice to poli so I made dal rice more often than I normally would. Dal rice combination is one of the most popular combinations in Indian cuisine. Together it is a complete protein and there is an endless variety of dal preparations. You will need 1 cup toor dal 1 tsp oil (I use olive oil) 1

My daughter was home for summer and missed home cooked Indian food. I was happy to oblige. She loves lentils and I made it a point to cook them everyday. The day I had left over lentils I made dal paratha. This flatbread is made with wheat flour and lentils. Dal Paratha is a great way of boosting the protein content of your poli. Instead of using plain wheat flour add cooked turdal to it. The rest of the preparation is similar to that of any stuffed flatbread. You will need 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cup cooked turdal 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. cumin seeds 1 tsp. onion seeds (kalongi) 1 tsp. turmeric powder salt to taste 1 tbsp. olive oil Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using water knead into a dough. Using a little olive oil on you palm knead again to soften the kneaded dough. Divide into lemon sized balls. Roll each ball on a working surface using a rolling pin. Sprinkle wheat flour to prevent it from sticking and roll it out to a

My daughter is home for the summer. I am back to trying new things in the kitchen as she is willing to try anything I make. Unfortunately, not much has made it to the blog. Clicking pictures and making time to post to the blog has been an issue for me for the past year. After making several attempts I am back with some simple recipes. My goal is to keep posting recipes on 3 days at least 2 weeks of the month with a group of blogger friends. Two weeks back I posted trail mix and this week it is pizza. Cheese pizza is an old favorite. This time I tried it with a new combination of cheese. This three cheese pizza brings together our new favorite goat cheese with mozzarella and cheddar. It is a very simple recipe and cooks in about 7 minutes on very high heat. You will need Pizza dough with my classic pizza recipe Pizza sauce Mozzarella, goat and cheddar cheese to taste Follow instructions on  my classic pizza recipe  for the pizza dough.  Prepare the pizza sauce using my pizza