Aloo Taheri Recipe (Indian Potato Rice)

Taheri is to Indian cuisine what risotto is to Italian cuisine. In the Indian version, basmati rice is cooked in the same manner as Arborio rice would be in risotto.

Taheri is to Indian cuisine what risotto is to Italian cuisine. In the Indian version, basmati rice is cooked in the same manner as Arborio rice would be in risotto. This dish can be flavored with many ingredients. In this version I cooked a few vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini (freshly picked from our garden) and carrots with caramelized onions and spices, then pan-fried pre-boiled potatoes. Once the vegetable mixture is soft and fragrant, the grains of basmati rice are incorporated and cooked until softened.

I learned this dish from my husband's aunt, Phoopi, who is an expert cook. I initially planned this recipe in my first cookbook, Haute Potato, but later decided otherwise. Her in-laws are the owner of the delicious restaurant, “Shezan” in downtown Mountain View, California. If you're searching for authentic Pakistani and Indian cuisine, stop by, say hi and savor mouth-watering, spicy food.en steamed on top of the vegetables; the result for taheri provides a very flavorful, more colorful rice.

Sirloin Steak with Artichoke Butter

Here in the Bay Area, the weather has been gorgeous. I lit up my grill for the first time this season and made my favorite meal: top sirloin steak that I garnished with a dollop of artichoke butter, marinated artichokes capellini pasta and grilled artichokes.  

I cooked the steak a la plancha by placing a cast iron griddle over the charcoal grill. The hot plancha created a nice crust around the steaks, which I had marinated in soy sauce to tenderize. Simple, juicy and delicious!

Vietnamese Shrimp in Caramel Sauce (Tom Kho Recipe)

This evening, I finished preparing dinner but realized everything was vegetarian. And if you think like me, vegetarian food is good but it's still lacking one thing. What's missing, you might ask? I looked at our dining table and I immediately knew what would make dinner complete: a dish of shrimp.

I had one pound of small shrimp begging to be cooked. So in less than 30 minutes, I whipped up some tôm kho, which is Vietnamese for shrimp in caramel sauce. The key is the amber-color sauce cooked with coconut soda (if you're lucky and have fresh coconut water, it would taste even better), onion, garlic and a hint of good quality nước mắm (fish sauce). Even though the most of my family are vegetarians, if cooked properly, the scent of this seafood dish doesn't bother them.

Red Wine Braised Duck Leg Recipe

Whenever I prepare duck meat, I try to add a lot of spices to attenuate the strong gamey flavor. The spice mixture I used in this recipe is a combination of dried red chilies, fresh oregano, cumin seeds, a cinnamon stick, star anise and fried onion paste. A little red wine vinegar brings these flavors together and also helps to tenderize the meat.

I seared the duck legs and then braised them in a red wine reduction and chicken stock liquid. The duck cooked slowly for a couple of hours until it almost fell off the bone. Don't be intimated by the amount of chiles in the recipe because once cooked, the meat is going to be extra flavorful and not overly spicy. 

Stay tuned tomorrow to see what I did with the leftover duck meat and the spicy gravy. 

Banh Mi Fish Taco Recipe

These fish tacos are filled with grilled halibut, cilantro lime rice, salsa verde, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, pickled jalapeños, carrot and daikon (the Vietnamese flair in these tacos) and finally a dollop of Mexican sour cream. 

After completing my second cookbook, (shameless plug: don't forget to pre-order my Banh Mi cookbook), I've been professing my love for the Vietnamese sandwiches to whomever I meet on Twitter. Last weekend, I came across the most wonderful idea from a Texan food & wine festival through Chef David Bull from Austin: Banh Mi Tacos. In my second cookbook, I kept everything fairly traditional by sticking to straight, authentic recipes for the Vietnamese baguette, đồ chua (pickled carrots and daikon) and Vietnamese-style meat. But what I love most is the way we can get inspired from a certain type of cuisine and come up with new, creative dishes.