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Neeru Nagarajan

@poonaikaari

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I write. I cook. I love.

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Indo-Chinese cuisine is its own beautiful thing. I was craving some of those familiar flavors, so I made

- Vegetable hakka noodles
- Potato and colocasia manchurian

And for dessert, double chocolate chip skillet cookie (served with Tillamook's halal vanilla ice cream).

In the South Indian household I grew up in, you'd be hard pressed to find anything other than rice or the standard tiffin (dosa, idli, upma, etc.)

When we went out to a restaurant, we got to order some of the more fun stuff: hakka noodles, manchurian, 65, and the like.

Manchurian sauce is truly the bomb, and even an old shoe would taste amazing smothered in it. Today I chose to make it with pan-fried potato and colocasia pieces (dusted in cornstarch, AP flour, red chili powder, ginger garlic powder, salt, and pepper). Once they were tossed in the manchurian sauce, alongside plenty of garlic, ginger, green onions, onions, and bell peppers, they absorbed the flavors beautifully.

The noodle dish was the easiest part of tonight's dinner. Lots of veggies, plenty of sauces, and everything came together so quickly. The prep took the longest time. I recommend chopping all your vegetables before you start cooking.

I wanted to make something quick and fun for dessert, and the double chocolate chip skillet cookie brings the deliciousness of a brownie while being so quick. I didn't make the cookie very sweet, so pairing it with vanilla ice cream was the best decision.

#hakkanoodles #dessert #dinnerathome #potatomanchurian #cookie by @poonaikaari

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13 days ago

Cannellini bean soup with kale and potatoes + rotini pomodoro.

The soup was pretty quick to put together: butter, onions, mushrooms, garlic, a couple cartons of broth, potatoes, beans, and kale left to simmer. For herbs, spices, and seasonings, I went with sage, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, smoked paprika, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg.

The pasta was way easier: olive oil, garlic, grape tomatoes (I didn't even halve them), shredded basil, cooked pasta. Top it all with Parmesan.

Together, this whole meal took less than an hour to put together, like all the best and most satisfying weeknight meals.

#dinnerathome #italianfood #pasta #soup #homecooking by @poonaikaari

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23 days ago

This is a fun, delicious and healthy dinner I put together after a long day (and week) at work.

Tofu stir-fried with mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers in a spicy kung pao sauce. Served alongside rice.

I tore the tofu up into chunks and boiled it in salted water for 5 minutes. Once the pieces were dry, I tossed them in some cornstarch, salt, and chili flakes. I fried the pieces in a couple of spoons of neutral oil and set them aside.

For the sauce, I mixed together shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, sambal oelek, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, vegetable stock, and some jaggery (you can use sugar).

When frying the vegetables, I also added some chilies de arbol, plenty of garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and peanuts. Then I added the sauce, got it to reduce a bit (until the alcohol is cooked out) and added the tofu in. Topped everything with toasted sesame seeds, more roasted peanuts, and scallion greens.

#kungpaotofu #veganfood #dinnerathome #recipe #betterthantakeout by @poonaikaari

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a month ago

This rich creamy soup is hiding

1 large eggplant
Half a large box of crimini mushrooms
4 onions
A can of crushed tomatoes
2 heads of garlic
2 cans of cannellini beans

If you ask L what vegetables he hates, he'd probably name eggplant and mushroom. I wanted a way to use up the eggplant, mushrooms, and heavy cream we had, but without making my baby feel like he has to eat things he doesn't enjoy.

Usually, he eats anything I make without complaint. In fact, I wish he'd complain a little or be a little more demanding. He says he loves when I roast mushrooms. He loves that I chop it up super fine and get it super crisp. I fry up eggplants in a soy garlic sauce and he truly enjoys it.

But today, I didn't want to give him any textural challenges. Plus it's almost soup season, so let's go.

This comforting soup is seasoned with the wildest combination of ingredients to surprise you with a little kick. I added these simply because this is what I had and felt like adding. You just have to trust the process. It all makes sense together, I promise.

Soy sauce
Dijon mustard
Kewpie mayo
Harissa paste
Dried oregano and thyme
Smoked paprika

And whatever else your heart desires. Truly. Trust your instincts.

I made sure to brown the mushrooms, onions, and eggplants, getting them caramel-y and fun before adding vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes.

It came to life beautifully with some heavy cream. I roasted petite potatoes cut into small pieces and tossed in some oil and spices in a 400°F oven and used them as croutons.

#soup #dinnerathome #vegetarian #creamy #homecooking by @poonaikaari

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a month ago

This tomato mac and cheese is comforting and warm. And the best part? It's a one-pot recipe.

I cooked some onions and garlic in olive oil. Once they became fragrant, I added some tomato paste, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. I added a can of crushed tomatoes, some water and herbs, and then added the cavatappi directly to the pot.

Once the cavatappi was al dente, I added some heavy cream and three different cheeses, shredded: sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, and pecorino. Don't buy pre-shredded cheese if you want your sauce to be creamy: Get blocks and shred them.

Once everything came together, I topped it with a little more cheese, and a mixture of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, panko, and Parmesan. Into the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes, plus 2-3 minutes of broiling. Beautifully browned crust on top, and ooey gooey tomatoey mac and cheese inside. Enjoy!

#onepot #vegetarian #macandcheese #cheeselover #homecooking by @poonaikaari

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2 months ago

Fully vegan dinner tonight.

Rice bowl with

- Spicy plant-based "ground beef" stir-fried with onions, garlic, ginger, red bell pepper. For the sauce, I used dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, sambal oelek, sesame oil
- Broccolini braised with ponzu and garlic
- Edamame
- Veggie pancake with cabbage and onion. It's a vegan play on okonomiyaki and yachaejeon

Topped it all with freshly chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

#vegan #asianinspired #dinnerathome #homecooking #plantbasedfood by @poonaikaari

14

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2 months ago

I haven't been around here in a long time! Aside from cooking, I've discovered new ways to channel my creativity. I've been busy doing things like:

- decoupaging a paper lamp with all kinds of colorful shapes
- upholstering a bench
- zhuzhing up some picture frames and repurposing old clothes into art

Tonight, we have a quick lo mein (let's be honest, it's not quick enough if you count the prep/chopping). Once you have the veggies prepped and the sauce mixed and the noodles cooked, it takes just a few minutes to come together.

I also fried up some tofu, simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

If you're spoiled by takeout, then use a thick egg noodle or spaghetti instead of lo mein noodles.

#dinnerathome #veganfood #betterthantakeout #homecooking #chinesefood by @poonaikaari

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2 months ago

Tonight, I made what I like to call garlic lovers' pasta.

Years ago, I was watching PBS when I caught an episode of Cook's Country. They made a sauce with 50 cloves of garlic -- yep, 50 -- and it looked delectable. I tried it almost immediately, and it was super creamy without dairy and sweetly garlicky. Since then, this recipe has been in my rotation.

Today, I made a version of it where I incorporated sauteed kale, lemon, and pecorino romano. It was silky smooth as always, but the lemon cut through the richness so wonderfully and everything works so well together.

Here's the recipe:

50 cloves of garlic, peeled. Get more if you'd like. Throw them into a pot with some olive oil and get them lightly browned. Then add 4 cups of vegetable broth and a couple tbsp of balsamic vinegar. The vinegar is going to soften your garlic's flavor. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour. By this point, you can easily smash the garlic between your fingers. Blend everything to form your sauce.

For my variation today, I sauteed some mushrooms, onions, more garlic, and kale. Once everything was cooked through with some browning, I turned off the stove and then added some lemon zest.

I mixed cooked spaghetti with the sauce, the veggies, and a large handful of grated pecorino romano. I finished it all off with a squeeze of lemon (my preference) and pepper.

For the side, I roasted some new potatoes with some seasonings.

#pasta #garlic #eattherainbow
#vegetarianfood #homecooking by @poonaikaari

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3 months ago

Incredibly fun, Latin American-inspired dinner tonight. And it all came together so quickly. With all the health scares going around now, I did make sure to cook literally every vegetable, so there are no fresh components, unfortunately. (I even made sure to cook the cilantro!)

Served alongside refried beans (from a can) and cheese-crusted tortillas (not pictured), we had

- Picadillo with plant-based meat, mushrooms, black beans, and potatoes
- Arroz rojo
- Roasted tomato salsa

Everything aside from the cheese-crusted tortillas was vegan.

All in all, a wholesome, hearty meal. It's perfect for a Saturday night, but I'm sure it qualifies as a weeknight dinner with how fast it all came together.

#dinnerathome #eattherainbow #vegetarian #homecooking #mexicanfood by @poonaikaari

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3 months ago

A classic South Indian dinner: rava idli, sambar, and a chutney with onion, tomato, and cilantro.

There's something wonderful about a bite of fluffy, pillowy idli with the vegetable-heavy lentils and the tangy, spicy kick of the chutney. The textures, the flavors all complement one another. Perfection.

Rava idli is easy to make at home, but if you're lazy, just go to an Indian store and pick up a kit.

I like a sambar made from sambar powder simply because I'm lazy and it's faster to make. But finding a good sambar powder here in the US (I don't feel like making some at home at the moment) has been a challenge. Throw your recs at me if you have any!

A tip to make your sambar more fun (courtesy of my mom): add some chili powder and coriander powder with the sambar powder. It added a whole new dimension to the sambar.

#dinnerathome #eattherainbow #southindian #homecooking #indianfood by @poonaikaari

14

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3 months ago

I had cabbage and green beans left over from making adai the other night. I also had baby potatoes, and something in me told me cabbage, potatoes, and green beans would be glorious together. And when I did my research, I learned that there's a dish called verza e patate -- a dish from Lombardy that brought together shredded cabbage and sliced potatoes. My version is heavily inspired and not at all true to the original recipe, but it was delicious.

In some olive oil, I caramelized some onions, and then added half a cabbage, shredded. Once that took on some color as well, I added some parboiled baby potatoes (sliced into thick coins), smoked paprika, dried herbs (sage, thyme, and rosemary), salt, and pepper. I let the potatoes roast a tiny bit before popping the whole pan into a 375°F oven and letting everything roast a bit more.

After about 20-25 minutes, I added some blanched green beans and grana padano cheese, and put it back in the oven for 10 minutes, until the cheese melted and browned a bit. I believe a can of cannellini beans would be an excellent addition to this dish, both texture-wise and nutrition-wise, but I didn't have any on hand.

To go with this, I made a quick side of spinach and an unorthodox aglio e olio with cavatappi and basil.

#pasta #eattherainbow #dinnerathome #vegetarianfood #recipe by @poonaikaari

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3 months ago

Crispy vegetable adai + cauliflower masala. Fully vegan!

Adai is one of my favorite ways to get lentils and veggies in. I soaked toor dal, chana dal, and urad dal with some rice for 2 hours. After that, I blended all of it together with some dried red chilies and salt. I added some chopped cabbage, onions, green beans, and curry leaves to the batter.

Normally, adai isn't served with a masala side. Aviyal, yogurt, butter, mor kozhambu all pair better. But I decided to make some cauliflower masala -- the kind that would be AMAZING in a masal dosai.

I cut up a whole head of cauliflower into little florets and dropped them in boiling water, salt, turmeric for 5 minutes. I also boiled a couple of medium-sized potatoes.

In a pan with oil, I added mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves, onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Once the onions turned translucent, I added some tomatoes and let it cook down. I added some salt, turmeric, and red chili powder, and once the spices were cooked, I added the cauliflower florets (cut even smaller) and the potatoes (mashed). I added some coriander powder, garam masala, and fennel powder, and covered with a lid with about 5 minutes, until everything came together and got cooked.

Finish with a bunch of chopped cilantro.

This would be perfect with dosa, as I said earlier, and would definitely work well with chapati, paratha, roti, etc. But with this crispy adai, it was an explosion of flavor.

#tamilfood #eattherainbow #dinnerathome #veganfood #recipe by @poonaikaari

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4 months ago