Dried Shrimp and Squash curry

As much as I love fresh/frozen shrimp, I always keep dried shrimp handy in my pantry to give that extra kick to simple vegetarian dishes - be it green beans thoran with a bit of dried shrimp thrown in or something that needs a bit more effort like this dish - It has 2 ingredients I love - shrimp and coconut. I am happy!

Ingredients:

A handful of dried shrimp cleaned

1/2 c coconut

red chillies 2

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

curry leaves

Jeera - 1 tbsp

pearl onions - 5

green chillies - 4

ginger - 1/2 inch slice

Tomatoes - 1

Onions - 1 small

Any type of squash - 1 (I used bottle gourd)

coconut oil - 2 tbsp (optional)

Grind together coconut, green chillies and jeera seeds to a fine paste. Boil dried shrimp with water and turmeric powder. In a vessel fry the thinly sliced onions in a little oil. Then fry the tomatoes alongside. Add sliced suqsh to it and cook till squash is  almost cooked. Now add the shrimp and the water used to cook it. Add the coconut paste also. Cook for a few more minutes till the ingredients have mixed well and flavors blended well. Temper pearl onions in a bit of coconut oil and add it at the end for enhanced flavor. Enjoy!

Turkey Chilaquiles - As tasty as leftover turkey gets

Sweet, spicy and tangy cranberry chutney

I love the tartness of cranberries, sweet tartness of oranges and the spiciness of ginger. Combine them altogether and voila! You have a culinary masterpiece that keeps well in your refrigerator and be your best buddy and can go with anything - rice, sandwich, crackers. Why, I even use it with my oatmeal sometimes...So versatile! And u don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to do this. With canned cranberries you can have this all year round.

Ingredients:
1 can whole berries - cranberries
1 orange - take the zest
1 cup orange juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 inch fresh ginger
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (if u like urs with a kick)
1 large shallot finely minced
Salt to taste

Combine the above in a thick bottomed vessel, let the ingredients come together and simmer for a while till it gets to the consistency of chutney. Bottle up the rest and Enjoy!

New look and Thxgiving memories

Changed my blog templates as I was in the mood today. I hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were blessed to give Thanks! I love this holiday as it is so meaningful!

Thanksgiving is over but I still am left with leftovers some of which freeze well...I am planning to post some recipes from my Thanksgiving meal and some recipes for leftovers as well..A small glimpse of my modest Thanksgiving table. I shared it with a friend and his 2 kids. My only attempt so far with turkey was a disaster(1998) and from then onwards either I am somebody's guest for Thxgiving or serving cornish hens. This time I opted for roaster chicken breasts which turned out to be better than cornish hens as they are meaty! My menu included Masala roaster chicken breasts, lemon rice, cranberry-ginger-orange chutney,mashed potatoes, boiled sweet potatoes, gravy, mushroom zuchini stir fry, radish pachadi, blueberry pie and persimmon cinnamon drink!