Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

Recipes

Idli

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This week I wanted to do a more traditional South Indian recipe – something classic and comforting, healthy and wholesome and a homage my roots. Idli is all of these things and more and is served with a hot and spicy lentil soup called sambar or a tangy cilantro-coconut chutney. Check out my little home-video to see how I make it!

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Idli

A classic South Indian recipe – Idli is a soft and fluffy savory cake consisting of rice and lentils and accompanied with chutneys and sambar

Ingredients

  • 2 cups idli rice
  • 1 cup urad daal
  • 1 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
  • 3/4 tsp salt to taste
  • 3 cups water may need less or more, looking for the consistency of pancake batter

Instructions

  1. Wash and rinse the idli rice and daal separetely for a few minutes. Try to remove as much of the cloudy starch as possible. 

  2. Add the idli rice and daal to two separate bowls and soak with water overnight. 

  3. The next day, drain the water. Add lentill/daal and idli rice to a high-processing blender along with some water and blend until fine.  You will likely have to do this in a few batches.

  4. Empty mixture into a large bowl. Cover with clean lint cloth or plastic wrap and place in a warm area with no drafts. Let it sit for 12-24 hours. (Note – if it’s winter, the idli batter will take longer to ferment. If it’s summer, it will happen much faster.)

  5. The next day, check the batter for signs of fermentation. The  batter should have a certain odor and bubble formation. Now add in your salt. (The reason we add the salt now and not before is because salt can slow down the fermentation process). 

  6. Get out your idli maker and gently brush some oil over the molds. 

  7. Add your idli batter to each mold. Slide your idli plates one by one on to the pole/rod. Add an inch of water to the steaming pot that comes with your idli maker. Gently drop the pole of idli molds into the steamer. (Tip – leave the bottom plate empty so you don’t have to worry about water seeping in. If this doesn’t make sense, just watch the video).  Place the whistle on the steamer and place on 

  8. The steamer should start to whistle. The idle will take about 15 minutes or so. Remove from heat and remove molds out of the steamer. 

  9. Wait a few minutes for idli to cool down and then gently, using a pairing knife, remove idli from the molds. If you oil them well enough, they should come out gently. 

  10. Serve with hot sambar and cool chutney. 

Meal-Prep Bean Salad

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Red Kidney Beans, Onion, Bell Pepper, Jicama, Carrot, Cilantro

My friends are all highly successful career-women with very little time to spare in the day for cooking.

And while they do seem to love seeing my 10-step fusion recipes with 20 different ingredients and 3 different sections, for the purpose of practicality they need something easy and reliable that they can make week-after-week that will keep the taste-buds satisfied and the waistline consistent.

So that’s why I thought it would be nice to share this simple, five-minute salad recipe.

It is so simple that I feel kinda embarrassed for sharing it but because it’s so freaking good I’ll have to relent.

I use diced jicama, carrot, red bell pepper, onion, cilantro along with some red kidney beans and some roasted sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes, I think is what gives this salad a fabulous kick compared to your average bean salad. Anyone who dislikes sweet potatoes can bite the dust.

I keep the dressing very simple here. Just a bit of lime juice, agave nectar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Salads are of course incredibly versatile so feel free to swap out vegetables or add additional ones such as lettuce or corn.

Make a whole batch of this salad Sunday night and add it to all your lunches throughout the week. You won’t be disappointed!

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Meal-Prep Bean Salad

A healthy meal-prep salad consisting of roasted sweet potatoes, jicama, carrots, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, beans and a dressing made with lime juice and agave nectar

Servings 5 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potatoes diced
  • 1 cup carrot diced
  • 1 cup jicama diced
  • 3/4 cup bell pepper diced
  • 3 Tbsp onion diced
  • 1 13 oz can of beans of your choice (black bean, kidney bean, cannelloni etc)
  • 2 Tbsp cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil (for roasting potatoes)

Dressing

  • 4 tsp agave nectar or honey
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • lime juice to taste
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Set your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and then dice your sweet potato. Coat with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer baking sheet to oven.

  2. Remove once sweet potatoes are lightly brown on the edges. This should take about 35 minutes. In the meantime, work on prepping your other ingredients.

  3. Chop your veggies in any shape, way, or form you’d like. For this salad, I prefer to dice over julienne. 

  4. Combine all the veggies and dressing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning as needed. 

Ahi Tuna Steak Tacos

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I wanted to branch out a bit with my blogging style and do a 60-second, vertical, Tasty-style video this week, so her you go! Enjoy!

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Ahi Tuna Tacos

Ahi tuna steaks marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, and Indian spices along with a jicama-carrot slaw and a sweet and tangy apricot chutney

Ingredients

  • 8-10 tortillas

Ahi Tuna Steaks

  • 1.5 lb Ahi Tuna Steaks
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1.5 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 Tbsp lahore fish fry spice mix I use the shaan brand

Jicama-Carrot Salad

  • 1/2 cup carrot (cut or peeled into matchsticks)
  • 1/2 cup jicama (cut or peeled into matchsticks)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • lime juice (to taste)

Apricot Chutney

  • 1/4 cup dried apricots
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp amchur powder optional
  • 1/2 jalapeno
  • 2-3 tbsp orange juice
  • lime juice (to taste)

Instructions

Ahi Tuna Steaks

  1. Combine ginger-garlic paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, spices and rub all over the tuna steaks. Set aside for about 30 minutes. In the mean-time work on chutney and slaw.

  2. Set up a frying pan with a tablespoon or so on high heat. 

  3. Add in your tuna steaks. Cook top and bottom sides for one minute and the other smaller sides for about 15 seconds each. The steak will be rare to medium-rare and therefore should be pink when cut.

  4. Transfer to a plate. Cut on the diagonal into rectangles. 

Jicama-Carrot Salad

  1. Using a peeler or knife, cut carrot and jicama into either matchsticks or strips. Add lime juice and salt. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Apricot Chutney

  1. Take your apricots and soak in about a 1/2 cup of water for at least 30 minutes to help soften. 

  2. Add your apricots and jalapeno along with another 1/2 cup of water to a small pot. Bring to a boil. 

  3. Add in your salt and amchur powder along with your lime juice and orange juice. Cook for about 15 minutes or so, or until apricots are completely soft. 

  4. Using an immersion-blender, whiz up until the consistency of a chutney. Taste and adjust for seasonings. You may need to add water or reduce the chutney down depending on how thick or thin you want it. 

Assembly

  1. Warm up some tortillas. First add your jicama-carrot salad, then your tuna pieces, and lastly spoon over your chutney. The tacos are ready to eat!