Check out the video on The View from the Bay

Appearing on TV ABC 7’s “The View From The Bay”

Please join me on TV ABC 7’s “The View From The Bay,” on Monday May 24th. I am going to cook Chicken Breasts in Korma Sauce, from my cookbook, "The Dance of Spices."

I would like to extend a special invitation to participate in live studio audience for FREE. Audience members have the chance to Meet Spencer Christian and Janelle Wang and see the behind the scenes of a live television broadcast. Tickets for the show are FREE but must be reserved in advance. Audience doors open at 2:15pm with a cut-off time of 2:30pm, the show is live from 3-4pm.
To reserve your seats please call the ticket request line at (415)-954-7733 or visit www.viewfromthebay.com and click on “be in our audience” and fill out a ticket request form. Or click on the link below to go to online ticket request form. Simply fill out your information and press submit.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/feature?section=view_from_the_bay&id=6337461
Please be sure to note under “comments” the name of the guest to be on the show if you are requesting a specific date to support someone.

During one of my book signings and presentations at William Sonoma, in San Francisco I prepared the chicken korma recipe it turned out to be a great hit.

Those Magnificent Marvelous Green Mangoes

I just got back from my travels to India. I was fortunate to be there during the mango season. I had the privilege of eating green mangoes straight from my mother’s organic garden. My mother had planted two three-year-old mango saplings when I was about the same age.

Now the mango trees are big and spreading, full of luscious bright fruits. Its changing foliage, mass of budding feathery blossoms and hanging fruits present a spectacular view. The cool trees are an abode for tropical parrots and parakeets. The full-grown mature tree produces 400-600 mangoes at a time. Green mangoes start to appear in early April on Indian subcontinent. Some branches were so heavy with fruits that they almost touched the ground. Every time I went shopping I would cut a green mango into slices and take it in ziplock bag, my valuable vitamin C in the sweltering tropical heat. There was something gratifying about cutting down a stalk of green mango and chopping the fruit into small pieces. During leisure I would dip the pieces in a mound of salt and enjoy.

In India the green mangoes are not only used in pickles but utilized like a vegetable as well. It is really white inside, appearing more like daikon, jicama, or green papaya than mango. Its juicy tart flavor is a natural bonus to an imaginative cook. India is the abode to hundreds of varieties of magnificent marvelous mangoes. There is a surprising selection of just green pickling mangoes that vary in tartness, shape and size—literally from, 1-inch to 12-inches in length.

The mango tree is very much a part of Indian customs. It has an honored place in cultural and religious observances. Its slender pointed leaves, the branches and blossoms are used for various purposes. The leaves are skillfully arranged to decorate the thresholds and doors during feasts and in marriage banquets. The farmers have a special place for the mango tree since it signifies richness. A special spot is reserved for the mango tree in the field, it provides shade and a place to relax. Some dip the flat mango pit in ghee (clarified butter) and honey before planting the seed so it grows into a healthy tree. The young growing plant is then anointed with milk so there is a harvest of sweet fruits.

The green mango is not only nutritious but is cultivated since ancient times for various medicinal properties found in the leaves and bark of the tree. The raw mango is a vital flavoring part and cooked like a vegetable in curries, stews and salads. It is used in making chutneys, pickles, preserves and sherbets. Sliced and sun-dried, it is ground into fine powder to make the mango powder. Both the dried slices and powder are used as souring agent in curries, meat dishes, soups, and in preparation of tangy spice blends.

Buy an actual ‘green’ mango in the following recipe. The fruit it is quiet hard and nearly impossible to puncture with a fingernail, available in Indian, specialty and some supermarkets. Usually they are placed separate from the ripe ones and labeled ‘green mango’. Your grocer can probably find a very green mango from his stock, if you ask.

Warm Garbanzo Beans and Green Mango Salad

Here, I have paired the green mango with bland garbanzo beans and contrasting sweet coconut. The result is—warm, inviting salad with a wonderful hint of tangy taste. Try this vegetarian spring salad for light lunch or as an appetizer for dinner. If you have leftover cooked chicken or lamb in your refrigerator, by all means use in this salad.

I make this salad so many times and forget to take a photo of the dish, I will take the picture next time and share it. In the meantime, enjoy the easy salad.

1 medium green mango, unpeeled

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon brown or yellow mustard seeds

2 dried red chiles, such as cayennes or chiles de arbol, stemmed, and broken into rough pieces

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (freshly cooked or canned, drained)

2 tablespoons grated fresh or defrosted frozen coconut

½ teaspoon salt

1 small avocado

1. Wash and wipe the mango thoroughly. Peel the mango with a vegetable peeler. Using a hand grater (the fine holes of a hand grater result in a fine, fluffy texture) grate the mango, about half inch on all sides, then grate remaining fruit carefully, avoiding the large flat pit. Measure 1 cup and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds; immediately cover with a spatter screen, and cook until the seeds stop popping, about 30 seconds. Toss in the chiles. Cook few seconds until crisp and lightly browned in spots. Add the mango, garbanzo beans, coconut and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Mound the salad in the center of a decorative deep dish. Peel, pit, and dice avocado, and sprinkle over top of the salad and serve right away. Serves 4 to 6 as an accompaniment

Gulfood Awards 2010

I am happy to share our product, Organic Lemony Flaxseed Spread with Ginger and Honey was selected finalist in the New Functional Food and Beverage category at the Gulfood Awards Gala in Dubai recently.

An Indian valentine, Spice it up for your sweetheart

Last February when I visited my alma mater in
India, I was amazed to see boys and girls carrying
red roses. Street vendors selling flowers close to the
campus were doing a brisk business. When I asked
what was going on, a teacher replied, "Don't you
know today is Valentine's Day?"

Yes, I knew it was Feb. 14 but I did not remember
it being a big celebration in India. I was surprised at
how popular Valentine's Day had become on the
subcontinent. Later, I also found out many stores
had run out of Valentine's cards and even notepads.

When I was in college in the late '70s, my friends
and I would often read and talk about the festivities
of Valentine's Day in America, but didn't dare
anything beyond talking to boys once in a while.

Yet, it makes sense that Valentine's Day would
appeal to many Indians. With pleasant weather,
February (month of Magha in Hindu calendar) is the
month of love. Magha is also one of the Indian
classical melodies -- gentle, soulful and romantic.

In this season, it is believed goddess Parvati did
penance to win the love of Lord Shiva. Rati,
Parvati's friend, came to her aid by advancing the
season of spring and dancing to make Shiva's
penance-hardened heart fall for Parvati. During this
romantic period Lord Krishna also played St.
Valentine for his sister and her friend to help bring
together two loving hearts.

India is also the home of the monument to eternal
love, the Taj Mahal. The mighty marble tomb was
built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to enshrine the
body of his beloved wife, Mumtaj Mahal.

No celebration, especially for a day of romance,
would be complete in India without special foods.
The accompanying recipe is perfectly suited for
the occasion.

CRAB CURRY FOR TWO

Serve with warm naan or a crusty bread of your
choice, or on a bed of fragrant jasmine rice.

2 to 3 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken into
pieces
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
4 garlic cloves
1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 crab (about 2 pounds), cleaned and cracked
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves

Soak the chiles in the vinegar for 15 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger to the chiles and, using a blender or food processor, blend into a paste. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl.

Add the cumin, coriander and cinnamon to the
mixture; mix thoroughly. Add the crab pieces and stir to coat them well. Cover and refrigerate for from 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high
heat. When the oil is hot, add the crab and brown on all
sides. Add the salt, water and sugar to the pan. Bring to a
boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 12 to 15
minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crab is
cooked through and the flavors have blended.
Garnish with cilantro. Serves 2.

Fancy Food Show in San Francisco

Recipient of NASFT Outstanding New Product Award

Good morning everyone! Please visit us at the Fancy Food Show booth number 608 in San Francisco at the Moscone Center January 17 to 19, and come by for a taste of New, Organic Flaxseed Spread with Tropical Mango. My boutique company Laxmi’s Delights, is the recipient of Outstanding New Product by the NASFT sofi award standing for "Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation," the specialty food industry's most prestigious award competition.

Seared Zesty Zucchini-Eggplant With Sesame

A very Happy and Healthy New Year to you all! I have had too much party food and now I am gone on to my old habits. I went back to my cookbook, “The Dance of Spices,” and leafed through the Vegetable Kingdom.

I savor the lightness of seared veggies so much that this style is an integral part of my everyday cooking. Sautéed vegetables blend well as an accompaniment with a variety of foods. They are at their best when served immediately. In addition to serving as a side dish, you can add the leftovers to cooked tortellini or spaghetti for a light meal, turn plain rice into a pilaf or cook in light cream to make a quick curry. This dish also makes a great topping on open vegetarian sandwiches.

1 medium (½ pound) regular oval or 3 Japanese eggplant
3 medium (½ pound total) zucchini
4 teaspoons salt
¼ cup mild sesame, peanut or olive oil
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon lime juice
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Slice the eggplant and zucchini into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Place the slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Toss the veggies so that each slice is coated with salt. Set aside for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick 12-inch frying pan or large skillet over moderate heat rotating the pan so that the oil coats the bottom and the sides. Add as many eggplant and zucchini slices that will fit in a single layer in the pan. Cook until the bottoms are lightly golden in places, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a platter and set aside. Repeat with the remaining oil, eggplant and zucchini in 2 or 3 more batches.

4. Return the cooked eggplant-zucchini slices to the pan. Sprinkle in the turmeric, cayenne, sugar, sesame and lime juice and toss very gently. Transfer to a heated serving platter. Garnish with cilantro and serve. Serves 4