New at the Winter Fancy Food Show

Booth 508
New at the Winter Fancy Food Show
Laxmi's Delights Introduces
MANGO ORANGE CHICKEN CURRY™

All-Natural
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Just heat and serve
With rice, baguette or flatbreads!
Refrigerated
Low-calorie

Laxmi’s Delights other products include award winning, healthy, organic Flaxseed Spreads in 3 delicious flavors:
1. Golden Flaxseed Spread with Dates and Orange Juice®,
2. Lemony Flaxseed Spread with Ginger and Honey®,
3. Savory Flaxseed Spread with Sun-dried Tomatoes®

Children smear the spreads on sandwiches or toast in place of butter or jam. Health conscious moms spoon them into a warm bowl of oatmeal or pasta. Dads top them on a seared piece of fish, chicken, burger, lamb chops or even vegetables. Athletes use them as a stimulant. In addition, people with nut allergies can find these products easily accessible. Use as a topping for artisan cheese.

The Flaxseed Spreads are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, heart-healthy, high-fiber, low-calorie and absolutely scrumptious. They are all natural, gluten free, dairy free and additive and preservative free. Comes in Victorian gourmet 8 oz glass jars that are shelf stable.

Contact: Laxmi Hiremath
Founder/Author
(925) 833-0115
info@laxmisdelights.com
www.laxmisdelights.com
Products Made in the USA

Cream Of Wheat Pilaf With Carrots and Nuts

Uppuma, (pronounced oop-mah) is served for breakfast in India. If you want to get away from the usual breakfast or you'd like a change of pace, try the following fluffy nutritious cream of wheat pilaf. The long list of ingredients should not discourage you; they are simply added one after another to perk up the relatively bland taste of cream of wheat. Low in calories, it is made extra nutritious by adding nuts and vegetables.
For an authentic taste use sooji, Indian cream of wheat from local Indian stores. The dal and kari leaves are available at Indian groceries, if you cannot find don't worry about it.

Serve this light balanced meal for weekend breakfast or brunch when you have the time along with a mango-banana smoothie.

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 teaspoon white split gram beans (urad dal) (optional)
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons roasted salted or unsalted peanuts or cashews
10 kari leaves (optional)
½ cup chopped onion
1 fresh green serrano or jalapeno chile, stemmed and chopped
¼ cup carrot cut into ½ -inch sticks
¼ cup green beans cut diagonally into ½-inch pieces
1 cup Indian semolina (sooji coarse) or cream of wheat
2¼ cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of ½ lime
Fresh chopped cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet or sauté pan over moderately high heat. Add the dal, mustard and cumin seeds; immediately cover with a spatter screen, and cook until the seeds stop popping, about 30 seconds. Add the peanuts and kari leaves and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, chiles, carrot and green beans. Cook stirring occasionally until the onion is soft but not brown, 3 minutes. Add the semolina and lower the heat to moderate. Cook stirring frequently until toasty smelling 5 to 6 minutes; if you're using the Indian sooji be sure to stir-fry at least 10 to 12 minutes, until toasty and you begin to smell the nutty flavor taking care not to brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Add the water to the same skillet and bring to a boil. Add the salt and sugar. Lower the heat to moderate and gradually stir in the farina. (Water is critical here, the rule of thumb is twice the amount of grain, but I prefer a tad more, which helps the grains to soak and plump.) Mix a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly in one motion until all the water is absorbed, be careful while stirring because the mixture starts to spatter; reduce the heat to low at this time. Sprinkle the lime juice and mix gently. Add the desi ghee, cover and cook at least 5 minutes (do not peek) until the grains are fluffy and plump and meld with all the flavors. Let the uppuma rest, covered for 5 minutes.

3. Turn on the oven to your lowest setting and warm some plates in it. Just before serving, spoon the uppuma into individual custard cups or decorative mold. For an attractive arrangement, place a warmed serving plate upside down on top of the decorative mold. Invert the mold over the plate holding both securely, and let the uppuma slide down onto the serving plate. Top each serving with tomato roses if you prefer and serve hot, sprinkled with fresh cilantro. I like this uppuma best when it is warm, as it cools it looses its fluffy texture. Serves 4

My Mother’s Heirloom Whole Pickled Limes

I am hosting a get together this weekend. I like to pay attention to every detail. I think, it’s really the small things that make a big difference. Take pickles, for instance, they can enhance and glorify a meal. At my local farmers market I came across an abundant of luscious, plump limes. Walla! All I could think of was my mother’s whole lime pickles. My mouth started watering looking at the plump bright green limes.

If you think pickles are something only your grandmother would make and that they’re hard to prepare, then this recipe (I’m sure even my grandmothers would’ve agreed) will prove otherwise. Pickle is the soul of the Indian kitchen and, when it’s lovingly handmade, and passed from generation to generation like family heirlooms it is a perfect gift to the culinary world.

This oil-free, easy and straightforward preparation is my mother's 50-year-old recipe I’d like to share that with you. She makes it every year in summer for family, friends and neighbors. Preparation of pickles used to be an elaborate process involving a lot of attention. I can recollect mother plucked 500 plump juicy limes, right from her organic garden and carefully screened each one. Then they were meticulously rinsed and wiped with linen. Earthenware crocks of approximately 5-gallon capacity were cleaned and sun-dried. Plump, fragrant spices were hand picked and dried in sun. The choice of chile powder (cayenne) was very important. It was always freshly pounded and mother went a step further with her innovative mind, she mixed three to four different varieties of dried chiles to achieve a deep ruby-red color so the finished pickle attained a beautiful hue. The pickling process was carried out only on a bright sunny day to avoid moisture from the atmosphere. The care and love that went into the preparation was worth the time and effort. Mother made beautiful little baskets with bowls of fresh homemade pickles to all our friends, relatives and neighbors. Although I make these here in late summer when limes are large and juicy, each time I visit India I still get enormous refills of my mother’s handmade pickles.
These are lovely with vegetarian as well as fish and meat dishes.


2 pounds (10 large) limes
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ tablespoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ cup sugar
1/8 cup cayenne
¼ cup salt

1. Wash the limes and wipe dry with a kitchen towel. Slit each lime crosswise into fourths leaving ½-inch uncut at one end (similar to the 'X' you make while blanching the tomato, this should be a deeper ‘X’). Place in a large mixing bowl. You don’t have to remove the seeds leave them in for a rustic appeal.

2. Combine the fenugreek, cumin and mustard seeds in a small dry frying pan. Toast over moderate heat until aromatic and mustard seeds start to pop, shaking the pan frequently, about 5 minutes. Cool and transfer to a spice grinder or coffee mill and grind to a fine powder. Dump into a small bowl. Add the turmeric into the same frying pan and warm it on low heat for 1 minute. Add to the bowl. Stir in the sugar, cayenne and salt. Mix thoroughly. Gently spread the cuts open of each lime and sprinkle the spice mix between the slits. Place limes into a crock. Cover with lid and store in a cool dry place. Let the pickle cure for 3 to 4 days before serving. Occasionally give a shake, so the bottom pickles come at the top and the top ones move to the bottom. Shake the crock a couple times for about 4 to 5 days. Refrigerate after a week. (To be on the safe side I recommend refrigeration.) Makes about 3 cups

Variation – Chile-Lime Pickles
If you prefer, using gloves, slit 10 to 15 long slender fresh hot green chiles do not stem, (be sure to use the gloves), sprinkle some of the pickling spice mix into the slits and toss into the crock.

Fresh Mixed Veggie-Yogurt Spread at Sprouts Cooking Club

Last week, I had the pleasure to teach children at the Sprouts Cooking Club in Berkeley. I believe they were between the ages of 5 to 14 years. The class was full with 18 children. Several adult volunteers supervised the kids. The class was held at the Whole Foods parking lot under a cozy tent. The Whole Foods Market supplied the ingredients for the class.

I was so impressed by the young children’s enthusiasm and participation. They were well organized with their cutting board, mixing bowl, small pots and knife. They cut the vegetables with great interest (of course, under adult supervision), so finely and in uniform pieces they would put us professionals to shame. I was told some of them were very good at mincing, dicing, and cubing. Best of all, they were proficient at rolling leafy green or herbs and chopping into delicate strips referred to as chiffonade. As they assembled the following mixed vegetable spread, we passed along slices of crusty bread. The little kids were even happy to enjoy it as a cool crunchy salad in small cups by itself. It was nice to see the youngsters enjoying wholesome mother earth’s bounty.

Use this light and easy mixed vegetable concoction as a dip or spread on crusty bread to make vegetarian sandwiches. You can also serve as a side dish salad for lunch.

2 large tomatoes
2 medium cucumbers, such as English, pickling (about 10) or regular
1 bunch red radishes
1 small white, red or yellow onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
4 cups plain yogurt
2 teaspoons or to taste salt
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Core the tomatoes, chop finely and transfer to a large bowl. Peel and seed the cucumber; chop in half inch pieces and transfer to the bowl. Finely slice the radishes then stack and julienne the slices; transfer to the bowl. Peel and quarter the onion and slice thinly lengthwise; add to the bowl. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

2. Just before serving, in a bowl, combine the yogurt, salt and sugar. Beat with a fork until smooth. Fold into the prepared vegetables. Serves 6 to 8 as an accompaniment or use as a vegetarian sandwich spread.

Red And Golden Beets Kachumber With Orange

It has been so long I created a new post. I was traveling; also, someone hacked into my gmail account. You see the ‘followers’ down below someone added my name and photo. Anyone knows how to delete it? Thanks in advance for your help.

The following is an Indian style salad, called kachumber. This type of fresh salad relies on chopped, crisp vegetables moistened with oil-based dressing rather than yogurt flavored with spices. It can be made from raw or cooked fruits and vegetables, standing alone or in combination.

Kachumber is not nearly as well known outside of India. In texture, kachumber resembles coleslaw, but contains no mayonnaise. A light coating of spice-infused oil seasoning takes the place of vinaigrette. It is added to give shine, smoothness and flavor. Most kachumbers use one or two grated or shredded vegetables, either raw or cooked, with a flavorful boost from the zesty spice-infused oil, a touch of fresh herbs and a sprinkle of lime juice. Whether the salad uses vegetables that are raw or blanched, sliced or shredded, they are meant to be refreshing contrasts to the accompanying dishes.

This recipe is a variation on a salad I tasted several years ago at the Culinary Institute of America, in St. Helena. Golden and red beets make all the more interesting combination added by the subtleties of tangy green mango.

1 large red beet
2 medium yellow beets
1 small orange, separated into sections and white parts removed
1 small green mango, peeled and grated
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or kari leaves

1. To prepare the beets, cut off all but 1-inch of stems and roots. Rinse; do not peel. Cook covered, in boiling salted water till crisp tender for 40 to 50 minutes. When cool enough to handle slip skins off the beets.

2. Dice beets into 1/8-inch wedges. Transfer to a decorative serving bowl. Add the orange and mango. Drizzle the lime juice. Top with nuts.

3. Heat the oil in a small skillet over moderately 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 cilantro. Cook few seconds until crisp. Cool slightly and pour over the kachumber, scraping the pan with a rubber spatula. Serve right away. Serves 4 as a complimentary dish

Spinach Crusted Tandoori Chicken for Memorial Day

This is easily one of my favorite twists on tandoori chicken a little green than the red version. The marinade is one of the most beautiful spring-green colors. I have infused it with a unique combination of leafy greens, cilantro and green chiles. Here the raw onion is caramelized to make it more flavorful.

Grill this chicken on your Memorial Day weekend and impress your guests with delightful and unique flavors.

4 pounds (4 medium-large) chicken legs, skinned
1 ½ -inch thick slice of fresh ginger
6 large garlic cloves
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon turmeric
2½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup sliced onion
1 fresh hot green chile, stemmed and chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups chopped fresh spinach with tender stems
1 cup chopped fresh Swiss chard with tender stems
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter for basting
Beautiful sprigs of watercress
Yellow pear and red tomatoes, sliced
1 lime or lemon cut into wedges

1. Rinse the chicken legs well, then pat dry. Score the meat by making shallow slits or slashes at intervals over the legs. Place in a large bowl.

2. Combine the ginger, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, turmeric, 2 tablespoons oil, and ¼ cup yogurt in a blender. Process until pureed and smooth. Transfer to a medium glass bowl. Whisk in the remaining ¾ cup yogurt. Pour the marinade over the chicken and rub into the flesh. Cover and set aside at cool room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

3. Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, until it turns a rich brown. Add the chile, coriander, spinach and Swiss chard, stir 1 minute. Cover and cook until the greens are wilted, 4 minutes. Transfer to a blender. Add the salt and blend to a smooth puree. Pour the spinach mixture over the chicken. Rub the mixture into the flesh. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken pieces occasionally in the marinade.

4. Prepare a charcoal fire, letting the coals burn until they are covered with a gray ash and are medium-hot. Position the grill grate about 8 inches above the coals and lightly oil. Lay the chicken pieces on the hottest portion of the grill, cover, and let them cook about 12 minutes on one side, baste with butter if desired, then turn and finish on the other side until tender 10 to 12 minutes more.

5. Line a warm serving platter with sprigs of watercress and surround with thick slices of yellow and red tomatoes. Use tongs to transfer chicken to the platter and you’re ready to serve. Pass the lime wedges on the side for your guests to sprinkle on the chicken if needed. Serves 4

Check out the video on The View from the Bay