Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

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

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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. 

Achaari Udon Noodles

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If you’re anything like me, then you make some kind of stir-fry at least once a week. It’s ridiculously simple, versatile, and the perfect solution when you haven’t done any grocery shopping.

I admit that this recipe is nothing out of the ordinary – for seasoning, I use all the typical ingredients– soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil. The only difference is that I added a bit of achaar – a fantastic spicy pickle often eaten alongside main dishes for people who want a little extra spice and acidity.

You can use any achaar – store-bought or homemade. Just make sure to taste adjust the seasonings of everything else accordingly since some achaars will be saltier or more sour than others.

Also feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand – I used carrots, bell peppers, and shiitake mushrooms. Shiitakes are hands down the best mushrooms to use in a stir-fry like this; it’s got a deep woody-umami flavor that white baby bellas can’t match.

(side note – mushroom haters are complete losers with atrocious palates. Fight me.)

I love using udon here – these thick fatty noodles add a wonderful texture and an awesome bite.

Top this with some toasted sesame seeds and a poached egg – cut into that creamy runny yolk for immense satisfaction.  

And there you have it! A great go-to weeknight recipe to satisfy all your carb and spice cravings!

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Achaari Udon Noodles

Ingredients

  • 16 oz udon noodles
  • 1 cup shiitake mushrooms (julienned)
  • 1/4 cup bell pepper (julienned) may substitute with veggies of your choice such as broccoli or snap peas
  • 1/4 cup carrot (julienned)
  • 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 Tbsp oil

Sauce (use this as just a guide, you may have to adjust depending on how spicy, salty, and sour your achaar is)

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp achaar (or to taste)
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • lime juice (to taste)

garnish

  • 1 poached egg
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Cut your veggies into thin strips. Set aside.

  2. Combine all your sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust for seasonings. You may need more or less achaar depending on your spice level and how salty it is. Set aside.

  3. In a hot wok, add in your oil. 

  4. Add in your shiitake mushrooms first. Cook for one minute. Now add in the rest of your veggies, ginger-garlic paste, and turmeric. Cook down for another 2-3 minutes.

  5. Now add in your noodles and sauce. Mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes. 

  6. Taste and adjust for seasonings. Garnish with green onion or cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. Top with poached egg.