Samosa

My most often requested recipe is Samosa.  This recipe is a combination of 2 recipes: my friend Jaishri's filling recipe and my friend Tara's dough recipe. Combine these and you have the ultimate Samosa!

Samosa making is a laborious process, but well worth the effort. Make a whole batch and freeze for later.

Fry a couple and serve with masala chai anytime of the day.

Filling

Samosa

Makes 32 Samosas:

Dough:

AP flour: 2 cups

Margarine (shortening) - 4 tbsp.

Salt - 1 tsp (or to taste)

Buttermilk - 1/3 cup

Melt margarine.  Add to flour and rub together till combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and make a smooth dough adding a little water only if needed. Keep aside.

Filling:

Russet Potatoes -  2  grate and wash to remove starch

Carrots - 2 grate

Frozen Peas or Sweet Corn - 1/2 of small bag ( approximately 4 oz)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Green Chilies - 5 (less if you don't want it spicy)

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp.

Lemon juice - 1 - 2 tsp.

Garam Masala - 1 tsp.
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch finely chopped

Peanut Oil  for frying

 Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When cumin is fragrant, add crushed ginger/chile mixture (crush together in a food processor or blender) and turmeric. Saute for a few minutes.  Add grated potatoes (dry with paper towel or kitchen towel to remove excess water). When potato is almost cooked add grated carrots. When the mixture is cooked  (carrots cook fast), crush frozen peas in a food processor/blender and add to the pan. Peas do not have to be cooked, just heated through. If adding corn, do not have to crush it. Add lemon juice, garam masala, and salt to taste. Add chopped coriander leaves. Filling is ready.

Take a small lime sized amount of dough. Roll into approximately 5 inch circle. Cut in the middle to 2 half-moon shaped pieces.  Make a cone with each half and fill with  2 -3 tbsp of  prepared vegetable mixture.  Fold open edge over and seal tightly. May have to use a little bit of water to seal the edges. Repeat process.

 Deep fry Samosa in hot oil and serve immediately.

Barley Vegetable Vegan Soup

I have been on soup kick for some time now. Recently discovered that pressure cookers are great for developing flavors fast.  To make this soup, I used sweet potatoes, carrots and zucchini.  But whatever you have on hand should work well!


Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1/2 sliced
Garlic - 1 clove minced
Jalapeno - 1 sliced (remove seeds if you don't want it spicy)
Cayenne pd - 1/2 tsp
Coriander pd - 1/2 tsp
Sweet potato - 1 small cubed
Carrot - 1 cubed
Tomato - 1 sliced
Pearl Barley - 1/2 cup
Water - 4 cups
Zucchini - 1 small cubed
Cilantro - 1 tsp minced
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lemon slices - 4

Method:

Heat olive oil in a medium sized pressure cooker. Saute sliced onion, minced garlic, and jalapeno.  Add cayenne and coriander powders.  Saute for few minutes.  Add cubed sweet potato, carrot, followed by tomato, pearl barley, water, and salt.  Mix together and close the pressure cooker and cook for 5 to 8 minutes.  I have a very old (almost antique) pressure cooker.  Please note that cooking times may vary with newer cookers.

Once it has cooled down, open the pressure cooker and add zucchini pieces.  Close and cook for another 5 minutes.  Take off stove and allow cooker to cool completely.  Barley should be cooked though but still chewy.  Add cilantro and lemon juice.  Serve soup with lemon slices on the side.

Broccoli and Jalapeno Stir Fry

One of the often used tools in my kitchen is a wok I bought from San Francisco Chinatown's  famous Wok Shop. I experiment with it often to make Indian themed stir fried dishes.  The following recipe resulted from one of those happy experiments.



Ingredients:
 Broccoli  - 1 medium
Jalapeno pepper  - 1 or 2
Oil - 1 tbsp
*Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Black mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric pd - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Separate broccoli florets and cut into small, bite sized pieces.  Slice jalapenos on  a bias.  If you don't want it too spicy, remove the seeds.

Heat wok at high heat for few minutes till screaming hot.  Add a tbsp of oil to wok.  Add asafoetida and black mustard seeds to hot oil.  When mustard seeds have finished popping (takes just couple of seconds) add turmeric pd followed by prepared broccoli and jalapeno slices.  Add salt to taste.  Stir fry with a quick hand for 3 to 4 minutes.  When broccoli pieces are slightly charred but still crunchy, the dish is done.  Serve with plain rice or as a side dish.

* A pungent spice available in Indian grocery stores.  A word of caution, use sparingly. A little goes a long way!

Cauliflower, Carrot, Daikon Radish pickle

I took a long hiatus from blogging!  Life got in the way, but ready to restart now!

I have been wanting to make this pickle for a long time.  While at the grocery store last week all the glorious, fresh, summer vegetables caught my eye and gave me just the  inspiration I needed! Wallah, here is the pickle recipe!

Small Cauliflower - 1
Carrots                  -  3
Daikon Radish      - 1

Separate cauliflower into bite sized florets.  Peel and cut carrots and radish into 2" long pieces.  Boil water in a 2 -3  quart pot.  When it comes to boil add salt to taste. Add prepared cauliflower and blanch for 20 - 30 seconds. Spread on large baking sheet. Repeat process with carrots and radish pieces.  Leave vegetables in full sun for few hours till dry and extra moisture has evaporated.  Take care not to over dry.

Onion - 1 medium
Garlic - 1 whole
Ginger - 3" piece
Canola oil - 1 cup

Asafoetida 1/4 tsp (optional)
*Cayenne powder - 5 -6 Tbsp
Black mustard seeds - 1/4 cup (grind coarsely in spice grinder)
Brown Sugar - 1/3 cup
Red wine vinegar - 1 cup
Salt - to taste

Grind onion, ginger, and garlic separately to a paste. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot. Sprinkle asafoetida in hot oil. Add ground onion and saute for 4 - 5 minutes or till raw smell disappears. Add ginger and garlic paste.  Saute for few more minutes or till raw smell is gone. Watch closely to prevent burning.  Add cayenne powder and saute for few more minutes. Turn off heat and let it cool down. Add coarsely ground mustard seeds, brown sugar, followed by vinegar.

Let mixture cool down completely.  Add prepared vegetables.  Add salt to taste and adjust seasonings.

Pickle is ready to eat immediately.  I like to store it in the refrigerator. 

*Reduce if you prefer mild.  Also, perfectly fine to substitute with paprika for a much milder version.

Vegetables Drying!

Pickle is ready!

Olan

Olan is a quintessential Kerala dish. It is made by cooking winter melon in coconut milk by itself or with dried beans. I like to make it with red mung beans. Black eyed peas works well too.

Soak beans overnight for easier cooking. If you have a pressure cooker, it takes just a few minutes.

Ingredients:
red mung beans - 1 cup
*winter melon sliced thinly into small pieces - 2 cups
green chilie - 2 (+/- to taste)
curry leaves - 5
onion small - 1/2
red chilie flakes - 1 tsp
**coconut milk - 1 cup

Method:
Clean and wash mung beans. Slit green chilies and add to the beans. Add enough water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Pressure cook beans till fully cooked. Add the sliced winter melon to the cooked beans and simmer for 3 - 5 minutes. Winter melon cooks fast. Now add coconut milk. Simmer till the curry thickens.

In a food processor or with mortar and pestle crush onion and chilie flakes. Heat oil in a small pan and saute the crushed onion and chilie mixture till slightly brown. Do not allow to burn. Add the whole mixture along with curry leaves to Olan. Mix well and serve with rice.

* winter melon is available in Asian grocery stores.

**Canned unsweetened coconut milk may be used in this recipe. I prefer to use fresh coconut milk. Extracting fresh coconut milk a laborious process but well worth the effort. Blend pieces of fresh coconut with warm water till pulverized. Strain the milk. Repeat the process 2 more times with the remaining solids. Reserve the milk and discard the solids.

The first extract would have a thick consistency and is generally used for finishing the dish, and is saved to add to the dish at the end. Fresh coconut milk freezes very well.

Poori Masala

Poori Masala tops the list of my favorite breakfast dishes. Fresh made pooris with spicy potato masala, and my day starts well!

Poori tastes great with a spicy chickpea curry or a vegetable stew as well! The combinations are endless!

Ingredients:
*Atta (wheat flour) - 2 cups
water to make dough
salt to taste

Method:
Make a soft dough with flour adding sufficient water. I use a food processor to make the dough, but the hand method works very well too. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.

Using a rolling pin, roll out pooris in circles of approximately 4" diameter. To prevent the poori from drying out, cover with a kitchen towel.

In a frying pan add oil to 2" depth. When the oil heats up, fry pooris one at a time. Drain well on paper-towels. Serve with potato masala.

*Atta is available in Indian stores.

Potato Masala:
potatoes - 2
onions - 1 cup (finely chopped)
green chilis- 3 (finely minced)
ginger - 1" piece (finely minced)
curry leaves - 6
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
water - 1 cup

Method:
Skin and cube potatoes. Heat oil in a saute pan. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds have finished popping add chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves. When the onions have wilted, add potatoes and turmeric. Stir well to coat. Add water and keep it covered. Let the potatoes cook well. Depending on the variety of potato, you may need to add more or less water. When potato is cooked and the spices well blended, take off the stove. Serve with poori.

The same potato masala may be used for stuffing dosa.

Upma

Upma is India's answer to Southern grits and Italian polenta! My go to dish for breakfast, Upma is easy to make and satisfying. You can make it elaborate by adding a cup of vegetables or keep it simple with just a few cashew nuts for crunch. Delicious either way!

The following recipe is for the simpler version.

Ingredients:

*cream of wheat/Sooji -1 cup
vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
onion - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
ginger - 1/4 tsp (finely chopped)
spicy green chili - 3 (finely chopped)
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
curry leaves - 6
cashew nuts - 1/4 cup (broken into pieces)
ghee - 1 tbsp (optional)
water - 1 cup
salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish

*Cream of wheat is available in Indian grocery stores. It comes in 2 varieties, thick and thin. I like the thicker version for Upma because it gives a nicer texture to the finished dish.

Method:

Heat a heavy pan and dry roast cream of wheat for 3-5 minutes. It burns easily, so keep a watchful eye! Remove before it starts to take color. Keep aside.

Heat oil in the same pan. When the oil heats up add urad dal and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds have finished popping add the chopped onion, ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves. Saute till onions have wilted, don't let it brown! Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add roasted cream of wheat. Stir well. Keep the pan covered for a 2 - 3 minutes. Remove lid, and stir. At this point, the water is absorbed and upma is moist and fluffy. Add ghee and take off heat. Stir in the roasted cashews. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

I like to eat with a sunny side egg on top or a banana. My husband prefers pickle and spicy chutney. To each his own!

Note: If you prefer Upma to be more moist, add a little bit more water, about 1/4 cup.

Chilie ka salan

Chilie Ka Salan is a Hyderabadi dish. Whole chilies are cooked in a wonderful blend of ground roasted peanuts, coriander, and tamarind. A mixture of different varities of spicy green chilies may be used. I have made this with just Jalapeno chilies with great results. Serve with Biriyani/rice or roti as a condiment.

Ingredients:

whole green chilies - 15
raw shelled peanuts - 1/2 cup
coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
jeera (cumin) - 1 tsp
whole pepper - 1/2 tsp
onion sliced - 1/2
ginger - 1" piece
garlic - 2 cloves
tamarind concentrate - 1 tsp

asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 6

salt to taste
vegetable/cooking oil as needed

Method:
Clean chilies and slit lengthwise leaving the stem intact. Remove seeds unless you have a penchant for super hot food!

Roast raw peanuts in a heavy pan. Remove and keep aside. Add a tsp of oil to the pan and roast whole coriander seeds, cumin, and pepper. Remove and keep aside. Heat a tsp of oil and saute sliced onions, ginger, and garlic. When the onions have wilted, remove and keep aside.

Grind roasted peanuts along with coriander and onion mixture to a paste in a blender or food processor. Add enough water to facilitate smooth grinding.

Add 2 tsp of oil in a heavy pot and saute the prepared chilies. Remove and keep aside.

Add an additional tsp of oil to the same pot. When oil heats up, add asafoetida, mustard seeds, and curry leaves. When mustard seeds have finished popping add the sauted chilies and turmeric. Add the ground peanut paste. Add tamarind concentrate to the chilies. Simmer till the chillies are cooked through and sauce thickened.

Serve as a condiment to rice or roti.

Okra saute

Okra has always been one of my favorite vegetables. Whether it is stewed in coconut milk or just stir fried till caramelized, I love okra!

The following is a very simple okra stir fry with onions and chilies. I like to serve this as a side dish with rice.

okra - 1 lb
onion - 1/2 (chopped fine)
green chili - 4 (chopped fine)
curry leaves -6
asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 3 tbsp

Wash okra and dry with paper towels. Cut okra into fine rounds.

Heat a heavy pan. Add oil. When the oil heats up, add asafoetida followed by mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds have finished popping, add chopped onions, green chilies, and turmeric. When the onions have softened add okra and salt to taste. Keep stirring at high heat. Initially, the okra will be slimy, but keep frying till it starts to brown. When okra has taken a good bit of color and is no longer slimy, take off heat. Serve with rice.

Coconut & tomato chutney

Tangy, spicy chutney to serve with idli or dosa. Adding tomato is a nice twist to the traditional coconut chutney. The following recipe was given to me by my cousin Usha. Though a relative newcomer, it is now one of my favorite chutney recipes!

Ingredients:
fresh coconut - 2 cups grated
dry red chilies - 6 (less to reduce heat level)
tomato - 1 medium
onion - 1/2 sliced
oil - 2 tbsp
salt to taste

Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add red chilies to the oil. When it starts to turn slightly brown and fragrant, remove and keep aside. Add sliced onion and tomato in the same oil. Saute till mushy and remove.

Blend fresh coconut, and the rest of the ingredients with sufficient water to facilitate smooth griding.

For tempering:
oil - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
curry leaves - 6
dry red chili pieces - 1 (broken in pieces)

Heat 1 tsp oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal, and red chilies. When mustard seeds are done popping, add the mixture to chutney. Chutney is ready to be served.

Chutney is a must for Dosa and Idli.

Idli

One of the favorite memories of my childhood is waking up to a wonderful, fresh cooked breakfast. The sights, sounds, and smells are still with me today: the smell of mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot oil; kadala curry (black chick peas) slowly simmering in roasted, ground coconut and coriander; the smell of fermented idli batter waiting to be steamed.

Idli making is a laborious process. It may take a few trials to master it. Since the batter must be fermented overnight, weather plays an important role. The hot, humid, tropical climate in India makes it easier to ferment the batter. In the US, during winter, I leave the batter in a heated oven. If the pilot light is on, it produces sufficient heat to allow fermentation.

The perfect idli is soft, moist, somewhat grainy, and porous. It soaks up liquids like a sponge. Surely, there can't be anything better than a plateful of fluffy idlis and freshly ground coconut chutney for breakfast!

Ingredients:

long grained rice : 4.5 cups
par boiled rice : .5 cup ( I use Uncle Ben's)
urad dal - 1 cup (available in Indian grocery stores)

Special equipment needed: Idli steamer

Clean rice and urad dal. Soak separately in plenty of water for 6-8 hrs till soft. Grind dal very smooth and soft with just enough water to facilitate easy griding. The urad batter should be fluffy and super smooth. Remove into a large mixing bowl. Grind rice with enough water till almost smooth but still somewhat grainy. Pour the ground rice to the ground dal. Using a wooden spoon or spatula mix thoroughly. The resulting batter is fairly thick, much thicker than pancake batter. When poured from a spoon, the batter will fall in a broken stream.

In my younger days, my mother used to make the batter using an "attu kal" carved out of stone. Now even in India, idli batter is made using blenders or motorised grinders made of stone.

Leave the batter in a warm place to ferment overnight. When fermented, the batter becomes spongy. When you are ready to steam idlis, add salt and mix well. Pour a drop of oil into the mould. Using a paper towel spread the oil on the mould. Pour the batter into the mould. Bring water to a rolling boil in the idli vessel, turn flame down to a simmer. Keep the moulds in the vessel, cover, and steam for 8 - 10 minutes.

Take the idli moulds from the steamer. The idlis are best taken out of the mould when the the mould has cooled down. Serve with coconut chutney and/or sambar.

The recipe may be halved or even quartered. 1 cup of rice makes about 10 idlis.

Idlis freeze very well! Microwave frozen idli with a wet paper-towel on top for 3 minutes before serving.

Rasam

Ahh rasam! The tangy, sinus clearing rasam! Addictive concoction of tomatoes, tamarind, pepper, and cumin! Potent as any cocktail even without the addition of alcohol! It awakens your taste buds as it spreads warmth through the body.

My rasam is simple. I love to make it in summer when ripe, luscious tomatoes are plentiful. You can also add some cooked dal (pigeon peas) to rasam, 1 or 2 tbsp. or so. If I have it handy, I add it. Perfectly fine to leave it out!

Ingredients:

ripe tomatoes - 3 chopped
fresh tamarind - 1 tbsp. (may substitute with 1/2 tsp of tamarind concentrate)
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
water - 3 cups
salt to taste
Note: If the tomatoes are really ripe and flavorful, you may not need to add much tamarind.

Spices for grinding:
whole black pepper: 1 tsp.
whole cumin - 1 tsp
whole red chili - 1
Grind the above ingredients in a spice/coffee grinder. Does not have to be ground fine, but somewhat smooth.

Add water and turmeric to chopped tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water. Using your hand squeeze the tamarind to extract the jucies. (Alternatively, use tamarind concentrate.) Add tamarind extract to the pot (discard the tamarind solids) and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Take off heat.

Using the back of your spoon, mash the cooked tomatoes well. Drain in a colander pressing the tomatoes with your spoon. Discard the seeds and skin. The pulp would disintergrate into the water. Bring the tomato broth to a boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the powdered spices. Take off heat.

For tempering:
oil - 1 tsp.
asafoetida pd - 1/4 tsp.
mustard seeds - 1tsp.
dry red chili - 1 (broken into pieces)
fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 6

Heat oil in a small pan. Add asafoetida followed by the rest of the ingredients. When the mustard seeds have finished popping, add the whole tempering mixture to rasam. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice.

Also, great to drink at the end of a meal!

Sambar

Sambar is the signature dish of Southern India. Vegetables are cooked with tamarind, tuvar dal (split yellow piegeon peas) and an array of roasted spices. It is as unique as the cooks who make it. One of the most intricate and sophisticated dishes in Southern Indian cuisine, it is extremely versatile. Sambar is served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with rice, idli, vada, or dosa! I do draw the line of eating it with chappathi and nan, but my huband has no such qualms!

The recipe varies from region to region, and even from cook to cook. My mother always ground a little bit of roasted fresh coconut with the spices. Our neighbor, famous for her sambar, ground fresh coconut and added a piece of jaggery, just scrumptious! I have simplified it by leaving out the coconut, less time consuming but still tasty! Besides, fresh coconut is not that easily available where I live.

There are numerous brands of sambar powder available in Indian grocery stores, a substitue for the roasted spices. Though time saving, it does not match the taste of sambar made with freshly roasted spices.


Ingredients:

For Dal:
Tuvar dal (split pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup
Fresh tamarind - Lime sized ball (may substitue with 2 tsp of tamarind concentrate available in Indian grocery stores)
*Vegetables - 1 cup (cut as for thick french fries)
tomato chopped - 1 small
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
water as needed
salt -to taste

*Endless varities of vegetables may be used. Almost any vegetable or a combination of various vegetables work well. Here are few suggestions: egg plant, okra, drumsticks, pumpkin, chayote, potato, green plantain. I have had wonderful sambar made with spinach and even small shallots!

Spices for roasting:
Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp.
Dry whole red chilies - 3 (less for a milder version)
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1tsp.
Heat oil in a pan and roast spices. Watch the spices closely as they tend to burn if not stirred constantly. Take off heat when the coriander seeds crumble easily when crushed between fingers. Grind roasted spices in blender with enough water to facilitate smooth grinding.
(Tip: I sometimes dry roast the spices and grind in a coffee grinder. Once ground, I add the water. This works just as well.)

For tempering:
vegetable oil - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1tsp
curry leaves - 6 (I sometimes leave it out, only because it is not easily available)
asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
dry red chilie - 1 (cut into pieces)

Corinader leaves - 3 tbsp chopped (for garnish)


Method:
Pressure cook tuvar dal with enough water till soft. Do not over cook. Alternatively, soak dal overnight and cook with water till soft.

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water. Squeeze out the tamarind juice and add to the chopped vegetables. Add another 2 cups water and cook the vegetables. Add chopped tomato and continue cooking.
Note: If using vegetables like okra and eggplant, saute in a tsp of oil prior to cooking in tamarind.

Roast spices in a tbsp. of oil till fragrant. ( Tip: The coriander seeds would crumble easily when crushed between fingers when roasted) Grind spices in a blender with some water added to facilitate smooth grinding.

When vegetables are almost cooked, add cooked dal. Continue to simmer for few minutes. Add ground roasted spices. Continue to simmer till all ingredients are blended together.

Heat oil in a small pan. Add asafoetida powder, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilie pieces, and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds have finished popping add to sambar. Take off heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Cabbage Thoran (Stir fried Cabbage with Coconut):

Thoran is a typical Kerala dish of stir fried vegetables. Shredded vegetables (often leafy ones like spinach, cabbage or even cauliflower, carrots, and beans) are stir fried with a mixture of coconut, green chilies, and cumin. I prefer to leave the vegetables to be crunchy. Use high heat and a quick hand to retain the crunchiness.

Ingredients:
Cabbage shredded - 3 cups
Fresh grated coconut - 3 tbsp.
Green chilies - 2
Onion - 1/4" piece
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds -1 tsp
turmeric pd. - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 5
oil - 2 tbsp
fresh black pepper - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste

Method:
In a food processor (I often take the low-tech route with my mortar and pestle) mix coconut, green chilies, onion, cumin to make a coarse mixture. Heat pan and add 2 tbsp of oil. When oil heats up, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds have finished popping, add the coconut mixture, turmeric, and curry leaves. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add shredded cabbage. Add salt. Stir fry for 3 - 5 minutes. Remove from heat when the cabbage is still crisp and all ingredients have blended well. Add freshly ground pepper. Serve with rice.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

Here is my take on the southern Fried Green Tomato.

Fried tomato:

Firm green mature tomato - 2 (sliced thick)
Flour - 1 cup
Cayenne pepper pd - 1/4 tsp
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Buttermilk - 1 cup
salt to taste

Sprinkle tomato slices with a little salt. Arrange on paper towels and leave for half an hour. The salt draws out the moisture. Blot with paper towels.

Add black pepper, cayenne & salt to the flour and set aside. Pour the buttermilk into a bowl. Dip the tomato slices in buttermilk. Dredge the slices in the flour mixture.

Pour quarter of an inch of oil into a heavy frying pan. When the oil heats up, fry the dredged tomato slices turning to get an even golden brown color on each side.

Pesto:

fresh basil leaves - 1 cup
grated Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
pine nuts - 1/4 cup
garlic clove - 1
extra virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup
salt to taste

Blend basil leaves, olive oil, garlic clove, and Parmesan cheese. You should have a nice thick paste. Add more olive oil if needed to adjust consistency.

Sandwich:

Sandwich bread (any kind, I use a crusty baguette)
Fresh Mozzarella cheese or Monterrey Jack cheese
Lettuce leaves


Slice the bread into half. Liberally slather with pesto sauce. Arrange the fried tomato slices, slices of cheese, and lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with a few pine nuts. Enjoy!!