Story of "Indian Aloo Paratha which I've consumed like Salvadorian Pupusa - however I just wanted to make Japanese Gyouza" - bread.

I enjoy potato in a lot of dishes for it is so compatible with different flavors and easy to cook. Definitely in potato cooking mood - says my tummi and student pocket that day. But how? I decided it was my culinary curious day so...

"Hmm. Gyouza, Japanese gyouza!Hai!"

For gyouza fillings, I was going to use this mixture : boil potatos and mash them, stir-fry minced meat a little so it's not totally raw, spices as usual. Completed prep step - I began kneading the dough upon looking up some recipes online. It was alright until it was time to make the dumplings. Why don't they get the shape I want? They won't stick in its unique shape I've seen other people posted on images. What's wrong? This is where I say goodbye to my first attempt at gyouza. I don't have a steamer. Not up to making my own either. Onto Indian Aloo Paratha then!

Oh... basically flat Indian potato&herb bread. So delicious... So, I am not yet discouraged at this point. I can still make something out of this dough and filling. Now that it is paratha then... I look for some big cup to help me roll out the dough flat. I grab one, feeling excited for my now paratha experiment! I flatten a chunk of dough, add the filling in the middle, cover the filling from all directions on top and then gently flatten it again, making sure that filling doesn't get out much. This way, dough and filling get merged. I go through this for whole amount of dough that's there.

I pick up a pan, it's test time! I don't like my food too greasy. Pouring a tablespoonful of vegetable oil (for I think olive oil which I normally love to use might get burned due to heat and since I'm making paratha... I'll need it stay on pan - no doubt olive oil will burn...) - I place the first paratha, then follows the others as the space in my small pan allows. One by one, I make these.

Mmm the result? Here.



I say success! - since I didn't have an idea what the outcome could be. I cut a big one in slices - which is unrelated to the tradition with how Aloo Paratha is served, as a hot steaming whole bread that is.

Speaking of serving, now onto the Salvadorian Pupusa part. I had a chance to taste this very delicious tortilla (vegetable pupusa) back in last summer when I was in Los Angeles. My roommate and I've strolled up and down at the Hollywood Farmer's Market drooling on all the nutrition bombs - which in other words veggies and fruits; we were eventually very tired, not to mention the LA summer weather being so hot. Then we start looking at food stalls. Mmm they all smell great to me. I spot a Greek food stall and think of my country food - our cuisines are similar in some ways. Mexican. Salvadorian. Hey wait. Pupusa? I ask my roommate. She tells me "Just taste without knowing. That good." Okay! Indeed, it is simply delicious from the first bite to the last one. Was it the lil stuffed wonder, sour cream - or cabbage pickle... or the combination? Whatever that made me love this - definitely hooked me up on it.

As I recalled some memories, I wanted to "taste" some of last summer then. I combined my multi-cultural bread with beet pickle - as to have the sour taste. Good!

Miu's Veggie Feast Soup (Tastes Like Rasam Soup!)

Actually, I had no intention of cooking another version of many existing Rasam soup recipes. When I tasted, my initial impression was that I am familiar with this... but howcome? Didn't I just experiment and randomly bring some veggies together to find out how they'll compliment each other? Flashback to 2006. I was visiting India then... during the time I stayed and worked in New Delhi, I favorited a South Indian restaurant named "Banana Leaf". Along with masala dosa (oh... drool) they'd serve coconut chatni and rasam soup. I didn't know the name of this so nutritious, delicious soup then. I must have been so indulged in making my tummy happy. Anyhow, upon tasting this soup I cooked recently... a lot of memories came back to me.

What you need: Since it's yet another veggie dish, obviously a variety of veggies. In this one my combination included zucchini (1), green bellpepper(2), carrot(1), corn(3 tbs), celery(1 head), onion(1), garlic(2head), tomato paste(1 tbs), water, olive oil (2 tbs), fennel seeds, black cumin seeds, grounded black pepper, salt, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg.

How to: This was fairly easy. All veggies should be cut/diced into the easiest way their original shapes allow - either strips or cubes on that matter. Olive oil goes into heating pot first. Right after follows the veggies - due to my preference I let onions caramelize a bit at first then let all remaining veggie bits at once since I was kind of going to stir fry and simmer to get them soften later on so it didn't matter. Constantly need to stir. After that follows the addition of tomato paste mixed with water (ratio 1:2) sauce addition. It's time to spice it up now that the water creates steam. See, it was easy. The taste? Much more satisfying than expected.

& Vermicelli rice was good company to my soup.