Eat coz tommorow you may die-T

On a roll...

2012-03-03T20:08:00.006+05:30

We are having rolls for dinner tonight. That was a hurried photograph before the plate got whisked away. Once a dish is ready to be eaten my boys just don't have the patience for it to be photographed. So that part continues to be a little rushed.

Rolls always remind me of college. The 'mess' food left a lot to be desired. When food was doled out( we had to queue up for it) I was reminded of the lines from the movie Betaab, "khana hai to yahi khana hai, nahin khana hai to bhi yahi khana hai". Pocket money was fairly limited( yes, from a generation where parents did not believe in over indulging their children- you were sent to hostels so that you grew tougher in every possible way). There used to be a small department store close to our college called Snacko. We used the store to top up on the basics. Then Snacko introduced a roll counter. Going to Snacko was the high point in our lives. An egg roll cost Rs.3/, an egg chicken around Rs.5/ and a special roll(with all of the above) was Rs.8/. Most of us would settle for the egg chicken one as that allowed us to stretch our 'monies' for longer. For birthdays we would go to a small restaurant called "Eats" that served large portions of really delicious Chinese food. It worked out to under Rs.30 a head. Some very fond food memories and friends for life.

We occasionally have rolls for dinner. Typically it is the egg chicken variety. Funny how the same basic ingredients presented a little differently has a completely different response. On an average the boys eat around four rolls each, yes the same boys who struggle to finish two rotis when served with a regular subzi. I sometimes trick them with the vegetarian version.

Egg Chicken Roll

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Roti/paratha dough( Knead the dough just as you would for your rotis, could add a few tablespoons of maida to it)- enough dough to make about 10/12 rolls- roughly about 2 cups should suffice. If there is extra dough carry it over for regular rotis.

Onions: 6/7 sliced fine. My family loves a lot of sliced onion in their roll so I do go a little overboard.

Eggs: 3

Green chillies: 2/3, Chopped fine

Chicken Tikka: 10/12 pieces( you could buy them off the shelf or marinate some boneless chicken in ginger garlic paste, hung curd, garam masala and red chilli paste for a couple of hours. Saute till done and your tikkas are ready)

Oil: About a tsp per roll and 2 tbsp to saute the onions

Tomato ketchup: 2 tbsps

Chilli sauce: 2 tbsp

Method

Beat the eggs and keep aside
Heat 2 tbsps of oil and lightly saute the onions and green chillies( for about a minute or two)
Roll out the paratha, cook it on both sides with about a teaspoon of oil. Once done ladle about a tbsp of the egg mixture on to it and spread it around to cover the roti completely( could also brush the egg on the roti) and let the egg cook. Once the egg starts to resemble an omelet, layer the onions,chicken tikka( could use about 2 tikkas per roll), add a dash of chilli sauce and roll it up.
Serve hot.

This tastes best when served immediately but also makes for a good lunch box option. Leftover sauted vegetables work well for the filling. Ideal time to make rolls is the on the day after the big party when you have leftover tikkas and kebabs.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Simmered and Stirred.....with apologies to Mr. Bond

2012-02-26T21:47:00.010+05:30

Sunday evening signals that the weekend is almost over. The only way to cheer yourself up is to cook something really special. It is important for me to make the evening meal on Sundays a little different and interesting. Helps tide over Monday morning blues.

This evening I chose to make the handmade Tunnisian Harrisa Fettucine pasta that sister had got me. Apart from being hand made I am not really sure how this pasta is different but what I do know is that it is head and shoulders above any other pasta that I have cooked/eaten. It is also less sticky and stays separate for much longer.

I particularly enjoyed making the meat sauce today. I let the sauce simmer on the flame for over an hour. Was exciting to watch the mince simmer, bubble up and acquire the right consistency. I also kept adding ingredients impromptu- vegetable stock from last nights stew, some red wine that has been sitting in the refrigerator, a piece of cheddar from my husband's snack platter. All of them adding color, taste and richness to the sauce. Unlike other times I used a masher( yes, the same one I use to make Pao bhaji). This gave my sauce a uniform and glossy texture. The kitchen smelt really nice as the mince was simmering. Son claims he could smell it from two flights down. Never mind the exaggeration it all worked well together. And finally plating it so that the pasta and meat sauce could create some magic on our sensorials.

Pasta with meat sauce

Serves :4, Cooking time: 1 hour

Fettucine Pasta: About 100 grams

Garlic: 4/5 pods chopped fine

Onions: 2/3 medium sized onions, chopped fine

Tomatoes: 3/4 medium sized tomatoes blanched and pureed

Tomato ketchup: 1 tbsp( primarily to add color)

Red wine( optional): 1/2 cup

Mutton mince: 500 grams

Vegetable stock: 2/3 cups( else use warm water)

Olive oil: 2/3 tbsps

Oregano seasoning: 1 tbsp

Green corriander: 1 tbsp, finely chopped for the garnish

Method

Boil the pasta in plenty of water to which a little salt has been added(to ensure your pasta does not stick, add a tsp of olive oil into the water) for about 8/10 minutes. Drain the water, toss the pasta with 1 tbsp of olive oil and keep aside.
Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes. Next add the onions and fry them till they turn glassy. Add the mince, oregano seasoning, tomato puree, ketchup and saute for a few minutes.
Turn the stove to a low flame add the vegetable stock and red wine. Let the mince simmer for about an hour. Alternate between cooking it covered and open. Keep stirring and mashing the mince with a masher from time to time. Add more stock if needed. The meat sauce should have a runny consistency
Once the sauce is done add salt to taste.
Now to plate. Place the pasta on a plate, shape it like a bird's nest. Spoon about 2/3 tbsp of the meat sauce onto the center. Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve piping hot. As the pasta would have grown cold it is a good idea to microwave the serving for about 60 seconds and then serve. Add the garnish after you have microwaved.
Go ahead slurp it up!

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

A Pound of Flesh....

2012-02-18T19:31:00.010+05:30

This post is dedicated to my Grandpa. He often quoted these famous lines from 'The Merchant of Venice'. That it was mostly in non- food related context and had something to do with his fights with Granny is another story. Like the rest of the family Grandpa loved food and thanks to his travels had sampled different kinds of cuisine very early in his life. His food stories were a delight, he managed to create excitement around everyday dishes. Pish Pash was one such dish- we always thought he had made up the name till years later bro found it on the menu of a Dak Bangla( referring to the times of the Raj) buffet.

Now coming back to the dish, like I had mentioned in my earlier post those loaf tins inspired me to bake with renewed vigour. My success at baking bread made me feel confident to try out other seemingly difficult recipes.

Compared to baking bread this one is a sitter. In terms of impact a perfect 10. I just loved the way this dish looks. While I don't have a picture of the sliced loaf( the boys were busy wolfing it down and unwilling to photograph any further) the tri-color pie- mince, egg yolk and egg white looked amazing. It tasted delicious too.

Meat Loaf

Serves: 4, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 1 hour.

Ingredients

500 grams of Mutton mince

3 onions chopped fine

Breadcrumbs: 1/2 cup or 100 grams

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp

Vinegar: 1 tsp

Boiled eggs: 3

Raw egg: 1

Salt to taste

Olive oil- 2 tbsp

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions till they turn light brown. Sprinkle some salt over them and let them cool.
In a bowl mix the mince, raw egg, ginger garlic paste, vinegar, bread crumbs and mix well. Add the onions and mix again.
Now take the loaf tin, line it with some oil or butter. Divide the mince mixture into two. In the tin pat one half of the mince mixture to form the bottom layer of the meat loaf. Next shell and place the boiled eggs in a row to form the middle layer. Cover completely with the remaining mince mixture. Shape and compress to get rid of any air gaps.
Bake at 200 degrees for close to an hour. Initially with only the bottom coil on and for the last twenty minutes with both the top and bottom coils.
Once done let the meat loaf rest for about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and slice evenly.
Take a bow when the accolades begin.

Ideally serve this with a clear soup and some stir fried vegetables.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Breaking Bread!

2012-02-18T14:56:00.012+05:30

Happy New Year! I know I am late by more than a month and half but this happens to be my first post of the year. I have been busy cooking some interesting stuff, just not managed to write about them. Hopefully I am going to be more regular over the next few months.

There have been many firsts since the year started. I baked my first bread loaf. The inspiration for the bread and several related dishes(watch this space for more) came from the " loaf tins" that my sister gifted me. These are non-stick, easy release trays so you get the entire loaf out in a jiffy. No more post baking stress of loosening the edges, turning the dish over, giving it a few gentle knocks, waiting for the familiar thump and hoping that you have managed to get all of it onto the plate. Now I just wait for the loaf to cool and pull it out-straight way up.

As soon as I got the trays I knew I just had to bake bread. There is something almost zen like about lightly buttered fresh baked bread. Maybe it has something to do with the amount of patience this dish requires and the sense of peace you experience when you take your first bite( this is no exaggeration, mind you) . While the ingredients are few and except for the yeast readily available at home the stages take time( no, there are no short cuts) and there are long waits in between. But it is well worth the wait my dears. And if you are clever and efficient as most homemakers are you would make good use of the waiting time to get the other accompaniments( soup/stew) ready. Or just curl up and watch your favorite TV show.

White Bread

Serves: 6, Preparation and Cooking Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

Flour- 7 level cups

Yeast- 1 tbsp( I bought mine from Modern Bazaar, Gurgaon)

Sugar- 1 tbsp

Salt- 1 tbsp

Warm water- 2.5 cups

Butter- 1 stick( ideally unslated, if using regular salted butter reduce the quantity of salt to 3/4th of a tablespoon)

Olive oil/Vegetable oil- 1 tbsp

Method

Start by 'proofing'the yeast. In a large mixing bowl add 1 tbsp of yeast to 1/2 a cup of warm water and a tbsp of sugar( you could add honey instead). The sweetener helps the yeast to bubble up, expand and rise. Takes about 15 minutes or so.
Next add two cups of warm water and about 3 1/2 cups of flour( one cup at a time) and mix together. Very soon the dough would start to look like a sticky mess but don't you give up. In good time it will start to take shape.
At this stage you could add the salt, butter and remaining flour( 3 1/2 cups) . Keep adding the flour bit by bit.
Dust some flour on your rolling board or kitchen counter and start kneading the dough. You may add more flour if required. Follow three easy steps of push-fold-push for about ten minutes till the dough is no longer sticky( for beginners this could take a little longer).
Next, grease a bowl with some vegetable oil( this helps the dough rise easily) and place the dough in the bowl. Leave it undisturbed for about an hour.
The dough will rise to the top of the bowl. Here comes my favorite part- punch the dough to let all the air out.
Butter the loaf pans. Eyeball and make two equal halves of the dough. (if you want to be precise you can weigh them). Knead the dough a few more times. Flatten it out with your hands and fold from both sides(like a wrap), pinch the edges. Lift gently and place in the pan. Cover with a cling film( grease the side that touches the dough with a little bit of oil).
Let the dough sit in the loaf pan for close to an hour. The dough will rise again.
Bake in a pre-heated oven( 200 degrees) for about 25 minutes. Remove the bread from the tin and bake on the rack for another ten minutes. This ensures that the crust is a rich, golden brown.
Allow the bread to cool.
Knock on the bread- you should hear a hollow sound. That means your bread is done just right.
Cut with a serrated knife, lightly butter it while it is still warm and eat.

Mmmm! Delicious. Very few dishes equal the taste of freshly baked home-made bread. Once you have got your basic bread right you could try adding other ingredients like toasted sesame on top, some herbs or seasoning. I even tried one with Ragi(millet) flour and spinach.

Bon Apetit and Happy Baking!

Mumbai Meri Jaan....Pao Bhaji

2011-12-03T09:25:00.026+05:30

It is Saturday morning. My second favorite time of the week- the first being Friday evening( quite obviously so). I love the facebook status updates on Friday. Everybody sounds so happy and relaxed.

Friday afternoons are a sharp contrast, I am rushing to complete all my deadlines, trying to ensure that I don't have too many work things to do over the weekend. Heaving a sigh of relief as the day ends. But this week was different. I spent the better part of Friday at a food shoot. It was fascinating to watch the photographer conceptualize the food story for each dish. He used props quite interestingly to amplify the key ingredients. While a lot of 'pristine white' crockery was used there were other interesting colors as well. White was often used as a backdrop for " pale/light colored food" to created that 'soft look' . Similarly rich, deep colors were used quite effectively to bring out 'stronger, sharper' flavors. All in all a fantastic experience and hopefully some of what I learnt will show in my cooking and blogging.

I got back home inspired to cook and blog over the weekend. Last night the boys had 'peanut chocolate fondue' as dessert. Break peanut jaggery bars(popularly knows as gud badam/chikki) into small pieces, twirl them in some molten chocolate and you have your quick fondue. Older one also dipped fruit and bread pieces into it. Working on more fondue recipes and hopefully something a little more interesting soon.

We started today with a Pao bhaji breakfast, typically we have it for dinner. 'Why this Kolaveri 'played in the background as we ate. Helped us relive our Chennai days. Hey! I just realized something- we are from the Eastern part of India, we now live in the North, we were eating a West Indian dish listening to a South Indian song. That is what I call National Integration. Jai Ho! And it has taken a blogpost for me to realize it.

Pao Bhaji(serves 4)

Ingredients
Onions: 2, finely chopped
Tomatoes: 3, again finely chopped
Mixed vegetables: About 500 grams, you can use beans, carrots, peas, potatoes, cauliflower
Pao bhaji masala: 3/4 tbsps, I swear by Roopak Masala. They also come in little PET bottles which helps retain the freshness for longer without having to take the trouble of transferring into another jar
Butter: 2 tbsps(optional- I can see the die hard Pao bhaji lovers protesting at this one)
Refined oil: 1 tsp
Lime juice: 2 tbsp
Pao buns: 2 per person

Method

Pressure cook the mixed vegetables with half a cup of water. Mash them well and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok, saute the onions. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft. Add the mixed vegetables, 3/4 tsps of Pao Bhaji Masala and a cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the butter and lime juice.

Served hot garnished with some fresh, finely chopped corriander

Pao bhaji also serves well as a one dish meal. You can substitute the Pao with multigrain bread or even regular roti. I love the chatpata taste. Usually I save some leftovers for my lunch box.

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!

Little Italy...Risotto

2011-11-30T21:22:00.011+05:30

" As a child my family menu had two choices around food- take it or leave it" Buddy Hackett

The excitement around creating something new. I guess that is what makes cooking therapeutic. I feel so happy when I decide to try out a new dish. Poring over recipe books, Google searches, chatting with friends who might have prepared the dish, the trudge to the nearest supermarket to pick up the ingredients, the anticipation around how the dish would turn out-finally plating the dish and waiting for the verdict! Most of the times the response is worth all that effort.

These days the only TV programs I watch with interest are ' cookery shows'. The delightful Nigella even has me staying up well past my bedtime. She is lovely and her passion for food clearly shows through. I love the way she romances food. Shows like hers and the Master chef series do introduce us to a whole host of global cuisine. My repertoire of Italian cooking tends to be restricted to various kinds of pasta and pizzas. One such show got me thinking about Risotto. This was quickly followed up with a trip to a gourmet food store, recipe searches, tweaks and finally the dish. Has inspired me to try Paella next- would be a toss up between meat or sea food versions. I am so looking forward to trying it soon. Another day and another post, for now it is a little bit of Italy by my side.

Risotto(Serves 4)

Ingredients

Risotto Rice: 2 cups

Red Wine: 1/2 cup

Vegetable or Chicken stock- 3/4 cups

Parmesan cheese: 1/2 tbsp( grated fine)

Butter: 1 tbsp

Olive oil: 2 tbs

Onion: 2/3, finely sliced

Mushroom: 6/7, quartered

Chicken Salami- 3/4 roundels, chopped into small pieces

Fresh Basil leaves- 1/2, for the garnish

Method

Heat olive oil in a Wok and fry the onions for a couple of minutes till they turn soft.
Add the Rice and stir for a few minutes.
Next, add the red wine and mix well.
Keep adding the stock little by little( half a cup at a time). Once the rice absorbs the stock, add the next half cup. Continue this till the rice is cooked.
Toss in the mushrooms and salami. Cook for a few minutes.
Add salt to taste, the butter and cheese. Give it a good stir and remove from fire.
Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh Basil and serve hot.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Arrivederci!

Sinfully delicious.....Fried Oreos

2011-11-26T19:52:00.018+05:30

When I think of " Fried Oreos" I am reminded of a line my Dad used to refer to 'over indulgence', " Doobechi jodi patal ta ekhtu dekhe asichi"(This line is in Bengali and loosely translated this would mean, " having decided to indulge let me go the whole way"). Oreos or any chocolate biscuit for that matter are calorie laden. And to batter fry and dust them with powdered sugar is akin to the same. Some would say that just thinking about the combination could add inches to your waistline but then everybody deserves that little bit of indulgence. One is occassionally allowed to sin. Maybe one out of the twelve pack biscuit, an occassional second one. Go on test your will power.

For me it all started during one of my looong calls with sis. Husband often jokes that all we talk about during these calls is " food". Over the years I have realised that food calls like cookery shows are therapeutic. They also serve as ' thought starters' for a lot of cooking. Sis was telling me about a carnival she had been to and the fried Oreos she had sampled there. Sounded really easy to make, different from other desserts that I typically make and exotic enough to be reproduced for guests. I decided to try it the very same evening( Sis calls me the "doer").

Fried Oreos( Serves 4)

Ingredients

A packet of Oreos( or any other cream biscuit)

Maida/Refined flour: 1 cup

Sugar: 2 tbsps
Milk: 1/2 cup

Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

Egg: 1

Baking Powder: 1 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Powdered sugar: 1/2 tbsps

Method

Mix the egg, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla essence and baking powder to form a smooth batter.

Heat the oil in a wok. Dip an Oreo biscuit in the batter to coat it evenly. Deep fry till both the sides are golden brown. Repeat for the rest of the biscuits.

Dust some powdered sugar over the batter fried Oreos. Best done by sieving the sugar through a tea strainer over the biscuits.

Serve hot

Perfect dessert on a cold winter day. Can help add excitement around simple, everyday menus. Older son claims that this is the best dessert I have ever made( doesn't speak well for my cooking skills, does it?). The combo also inspired me to try Choco chip pancakes with similar results.

Bon Apetit and Happy Sinning!

There is a big green house....Daab Chingri

2011-11-13T12:08:00.020+05:30

This dish almost seems like an extension of the riddle one learnt as a child. There is a big green house, inside it there is a big brown house, inside it there is a big white house and right in the middle there is a pool. The answer is " (Tender) Coconut". Replace the pool with some succulent marinated prawns, bake them for an hour and Voila your dish is done.

I am super duper excited today. So much so that I have started writing the post even before the verdict is out. Making Daab Chingri(Prawns cooked in tender coconut shell) has been on my wish list for a while now. It looks and sounds so exotic.

With an ingredient list that sounds deceptively similar to of 'mustard prawn' it can't possibly taste very different( vetted by personal experience). However this is one dish where the journey is undoubtedly more enjoyable than the dish itself. There is a lot of excitement around preparing it. Even the staged photo shoot lasts much longer.

The prep work starts with hunting for " Tender coconut". Not as easily available post the scorching summer. Not always available at the neighborhood vegetable shops, typically the push- cart seller carries it. And then you have to get the vendor to scrape the top( this allows the heat in) , make a cut on top and slice a little bit from the bottom to help the tender coconut balance itself( for an extra fee of course). Drink the coconut water- you could save a little to add to the marinade- save the shell for the dish that follows.

Daab Chingri

Ingredients
Tender Coconut: Choose one that will fit into your oven.

Medium Sized Prawns: 1 kg, de-shelled and de-veined

Mustard Paste: 2 tbsp(my family likes the pungent taste of mustard, you could reduce the quantity to 1 tbsp)

Ginger Paste: 1 tbsp

Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp

Grated coconut: 1 small bowl(2/3 tbsp)

Onions: 2/3, sliced fine

Green chillies: 2/3, slit till halfway

Salt: To taste

Turmeric: 1 tsp

Mustard Oil: 2/3 tbsp

Wheat flour dough: To seal the top

Kalonji: For decoration

Method

It is a simple one step dish

Mix all the ingredients together. Let them stand for a while

Scrape the top of the tender coconut. Cut out the top(retain it as you need it later).

Stuff the prawn marinade into the tender coconut, do not pack it tight

Put the lid back, seal with dough to make it airtight. Decorate with some kalonji- contrasts well with the off white dough and adds to the visual appeal

Bake in the oven for close to an hour at 180 degree centigrade

Serve hot with steamed rice

The prawns have been baking for close to forty five minutes now. The tender coconut shell has turned a dark brown. The dough sealing on top has dried up and tightened around the top. Fifteen more minutes to go. Table has been set. Rice is done. So baited breath it is.

Just sampled the dish. Really succulent, juicy prawns with a hint of tender coconut. Went well with the otherwise simple meal of rice and daal. Next time around I plan to reduce the quantity of mustard and add some tender coconut to enhance the flavor.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Inspired by the Masters......Chicken Exotica

2011-09-03T21:34:00.011+05:30

I am really, really excited as I write this post. Just minutes after having eaten the dish. It came out so well and everybody loved it. That it was something completely new, different and "my own" made dinner even more enjoyable.

So where do the Masters come in. Well, some parts of this dish are inspired by Master Chef Australia. Like co-food blogger, Knife, I don't like 'Reality food shows" where participants spend more time running between the pantry and their work stations than actually cooking. And your focus as you watch the show is to pray that your favorite contestant finishes on time, almost never on what he/she has cooked. But yes, as I watch them cook and between those pressure tests some combinations seem interesting. And then of course there are master classes where the dishes look "gorgeous" but a little too complex for everyday cooking. It was in one such show that I watched one of the judges try an onion, saffron and star anise combination. That has been the starting point of tonight's dinner. I typically use saffron either to make Biryani or in my desserts. Similarly Star anise gets restricted to Thai cooking. I felt inspired to combine the two seeming varied flavors with chicken and make a 'continetal' dish with them. The rest of the ingredients just got added on as I started cooking. Just be led by your senses and you cannot go wrong with your cooking.

Chicken Exotica( this dish looks really exotic)

Ingredients

'Chicken: 8/10 pieces

Vegetables: About 2 cups, 2 carrots and maybe 10/12 beans, cut into 1 inch long pieces

Spaghetti: I just grabbed a fistful( that is all that was left in the packet)

Onions: 5/6 large onions, cut into roundels

Star Anise: 2/3

Saffron: a pinch

Toasted sesame seeds: 1 tbsp

Chilli flakes: 1 tsp

Salt: to taste

Olive oil: 3/4 tbsps

Method

Marinate the chicken with some lime juice and salt for about an hour.
Heat the olive oil in the pan and add the saffron, star anise, saffron and a little bit of salt to it. Cook covered on low flame till the onions looks brown( should take about 30 minutes or so- keep checking as you cook). Remove onto a baking dish. Layer the dish with the onions. Leave the excess oil in the wok.
Add the chicken to the pan, cook on high flame for about 5 minutes, add the sesame seeds and chilli flakes. Saute and transfer to the baking dish. Layer over the onions. Bake at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes.
As your chicken is baking, boil spaghetti with some salt and olive oil. Once done, drain. You could add the vegetables to the spaghetti after it is half cooked or blanch the vegtables separately. Toss the vegetables and spaghetti into the same wok and toss for a couple of minutes so that it gets coated with the oil and spice, add some more of the tosted sesame to it.
Finally, plating it all together. Make a little nest with the spaghetti and vegetable combine. Place some pieces of chicken on it. Spoon the onions over the chicken.
Serve immediately.
Verdict: Delicious!

This dish has such an unusual taste. The onions have a "meaty" flavor to them and cooking the chicken along with it makes the pieces really succulent. The chicken would also go well with some buttered toast or garlic bread.

Cheers to the fusion of flavors.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Tales from the coast....Prawn curry

2011-08-28T13:28:00.015+05:30

Most people love prawns unless they are allergic to them. Whether boiled, sauted, grilled, baked, fried, stewed, curried this versatile fish( actually crustacean) tastes good in all forms. The only tip to remember is to never overcook them. Then they get all hard, dry and rubbery. So just toss them in, wait for the color to change and out they go. If adding straight into the gravy, add during the final stages of cooking. Some recipes call for them to be cooked with their shell. While this gets a little messy to eat once you have managed to get beyond the top layer there is some flavorsome, soft flesh beneath.

Being from the coast, prawn were quite popular in our household and cooked with regular frequency. Mom tried several versions too- chilly prawns- stir fry the prawns with some soya, vinegar, bell pepper, chillies, onion, garlic and tomatoes to a succulent finish. Yumm!

And then of course Prawns in a mustard base, prawns in a coconut gravy. Actually prawns lend themselves quite easily to all kinds of cuisine- toss a handful into pasta, fry them with some butter and pepper, cook them with some rice and veggies for a most delicious pulao, add them to your salads for flavor, body and taste. You can do just about anything with prawns.

We cooked a more basic version for lunch today. Quite easy to prepare, just stir together a few basic ingredients and you are done. Delicious.

Prawn Curry

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Prawn: 250 grams, medium sized

Onion: 2, finely chopped

Garlic: 4/5 pods, finely chopped

Ginger: 1 inch, grated

Green cardamom: 3

Cinnamon: 2 inch sticks

Bay leaves: 2

Jeera/cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Tomato: 2, finely chopped

Potato: 2, cubed( ideally the same size as the prawns)

Ghee: 1 tsp

Mustard oil: 2/3 tbsp

Green chillies: 2

Cumin/Jeera powder: 1.5 tsp

Corriander/Dhania powder: 1 tsp

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1 tsp

Method

Heat the oil in a wok/kadai till it starts to smoke.
Add the prawns( to which some turmeric and salt has been added), saute for a few minutes. Remember not to overcook them. Remove.
Into the same wok add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, onion, garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add cardamom and cinnamon sticks.
Add the cubed potatoes and cook.
Next, mix the grated ginger and dry spices( cumin, corriander, turmeric and chilli powder) with a little bit of water and add it to the wok. Add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes soften.
Add some warm water( about a cup or two) and let the gravy come to a boil. Add the prawn and let them cook for about 5/7 minutes or so. Add the slit green chillies. Check the salt and add more if necessary.
Finish off with some ghee.
Serve hot with plain steamed rice.

A very simple meal that leaves you feeling satiated- that I think is the power of simplicity.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

From the land of butter and cream....Presenting Daal Makhni

2011-08-27T17:12:00.014+05:30

I have never used as much butter and cream in one dish. Those of you who have read my earlier posts would have noticed that most of the dishes I write about are either low oil or no oil. Ironically this post(laden with butter and cream) follows the " Freedom from oil" post.

Well, in a weak moment I agreed to make " Daal Makhni" for sonny dear. In fact he played it out quite well, " Mom, you never make anything "rich"(emotional pressure), R's mother makes really nice Daal Makhni and Paneer Butter Masala(read come on Mom you ought to be the best)". That did it. Over the next few days I began my search for easy to prepare and authentic Punjabi recipes. Decided to start with Daal Makhni. Daal is considered a low involvement, low skill dish in most part of the country. Serves as an accompaniment and often passed over for other more interesting food . But in the North and for people from Punjab it is main course, staple food- Chole Kulche, Rajma Chawal, Tandoori Roti and Daal Makhni are popular combinations. There is a lot of painstaking effort that goes into making the perfect daal. Cooked on slow fire for hours, simmering brings out the flavor of the daals. So no quick pressure cooking and tempering.

This is As's( a true blue Punjabi) recipe. Her instructions were very precise and easy to follow. She also simplifies the steps which makes it easy for somebody making the dish for the first time. I think the best tip she gave me was to pick up " Roopak's Daal Makhni" masala. Roopak Masalas are easily available in most supermarkets in Delhi. I have used their Oregano seasoning, Dahi bhalla Masala, Biryani Masala. Thank God! for blended masalas, easy to replicate the taste each time. And like one of the ad says ' helps Mrs. Chawla make her Sambhar as good as Mrs. Reddy's'.

I love the concept of trying out food from different parts of the country/World. A global kitchen which is literally a melting pot of recipes, fusion food. Just thinking about it is exciting. And yes, the opportunity to make something new, different each day and for each meal. Wow! I was so excited about making this dish that I made it on a 'weekday' morning. Slow cooking does allow you to go about your chores as the dish cooks.

Daal Makhni( Serves 6/8)

Ingredients

Saboot Urad Daal: 1 cup

Rajma Daal: 1 handful

Tomato Puree: 10/12 tbsp

Garam Masala: 1tsp

Cream: 1 cup

Daal Makhni Masala: 3 heaped tsp

Butter: 2 tbsp

Refined oil: 1 tsp

Garam Masala: 1 tsp

Method

Soak the daal overnight in 8 cups of water.
Pressure cook the daal with 8 cups of water and salt to taste( this daal cooks for much longer than regular daals so do ensure you have added enough water else you risk burning it).
Let the cooker give out one whistle and then cook on low flame for 40 minutes. Keep aside and let the cooker cool down on its own.
Take a kadai/wok and heat the oil. Next add the tomato puree and cook for 10/15 minutes.
Mix the daal makhni masala in about half a cup of water and add it to the tomato puree. Cook for another ten minutes. Add butter
Add the tomato puree mixture to the daal and let it simmer for 20/25 minutes.
Add the cream and 1 tsp of garam masala
Served hot with rotis.

The boys just loved it. Younger one had it with rice(sacrilege, I know) and the older one with phulkas. The kitchen smells divine as the daal cooks. The daal has a smooth, creamy texture and all the ingredients blend together to create sheer magic. You will definitely have people asking for more.And for all you non-vegetarians reading this post, like I'd told my Dad years ago, 'Ghar ki daal murgi barabar'.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Freedom from oil.....Tricolour Tiranga Pulao....Happy Independence Day!

2011-08-15T22:00:00.012+05:30

This one is an independence day special. The typical way to make a tiranga/tri-color rice is to cook three types of rice separately- a palak/spinach rice for green, carrot rice for the color saffron and then combine it with some plain rice in the midle for the final effect. Looks really nice and goes well with the Independence day spirit.

I was a little short on time today. The Independence day lunch organised by the building committee was called off at the last minute, cook had her day off and yet I was quite determined to make the meal special.

So an oil free recipe it was( in keeping with the Freedom theme), a one dish wholesome meal( read Pulao) and three different colored ingredients- carrots, beans and baby corn. The combination was definitely a visual treat and nobody seemed to miss the oil/butter/ghee.

With lean cooking( I have Sanjeev Kapoor, Nita Mehta and Karen Anand to thank- picked up all my basic tips about low oil/no oil cooking from their books) there are two basic rules:

Be patient because a good part of the cooking needs to be done on low flame. Some steps may need constant stirring. Try and use a good non-stick cookware.
The food is low on oil but high on flavor so some of the dishes(like this one) need a lot of ingredients- basic everyday use ingredients but quite a few nevertheless.

Tri-colored Rice/Tiranga Pulao(No Oil)

Serves: 4/5

Ingredients

Basmati Rice( choose the long grained variety): 1.5 cups

Onions: 2, finely chopped. You could also use Shallots- about 8/10 peeled

Ginger: Finely chopped, 1 tbsp

Tomatoes: 2, finely chopped. Choose large ones, this is a key ingredient when you are cooking with no oil

Carrots: 1/2, cut into 1/2 inch long pieces

Beans: 8/10, 1/2 inch pieces

Baby corn: 4/5, 1/2 inch pieces

Bay leaves: 1/2

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Green Cardamom: 2/3

Lime juice: 1 tbsp

Water: 3 cups

Method

Soak the Basmati rice for about an hour before you start cooking. Do follow this step for all Pulaos.
Heat a non-stick kadai/wok. Dry roast the bay leaves, cumin seeds and cardamom till fragrant.
Add the onions, ginger and tomatoes and cook for a few minutes till the tomato turns soft.
Add the vegetables, rice and mix well. Cook for a few minutes.
Transfer to a pressure cooker, add 3 cups of hot water( this prevents the rice from sticking, also helps cook faster) and the lime juice. Close the lid of the cooker and let it give out one whistle. Switch off the cooker and let it cool on its own.
Serve hot along with a cucumber-tomato- onion raita.
Enjoy.

Jai Hind!

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Apple Pie...The Joys Of Baking.........

2011-08-14T16:35:00.013+05:30

I bake cakes pretty regularly. With two " growing" boys who are forever hungry they also get polished off real quick. Several variations which include Plain cakes, Rainbow cakes(No fuss chocolate cake), Choco banana cake, Muffins get made every other week. Once you have got your measures and baking time right it is really easy. And the best part about baking a cake is that you just have to mix all the ingredients together( whether in one step or in stages) and then the dish cooks on its own. So set the timer to bake( usually 200 degree celsius unless the recipe specifies otherwise) and go ahead with getting the rest of your meal ready.

Tarts and pies on the other hand seem a lot more complex. I used to read and re-read short crust pastry recipes but could never really muster up enough courage to bake them. I am most impressed with people who can make a decent apple pie.

Apple pies have the " Wow" factor. You never quite get that response with a cake however complex the ingredients or labored the process. But once you have baked an apple pie successfully you will realize that it is actually pretty simple. Like with most other baking there are three easy steps: The crust, the filling and then assembling. That is it, you are done.

There are of course tips to bake the perfect pie, best learnt when you actually watch somebody bake( Food shows on TV/Demos on the Internet come fairly close- the latter you can watch over and over again till you get it right).

Tip #1: Always use ice cold water which is ice to which a little bit of water has been added.
Tip #2: Once you knead the short crust pastry dough, wrap it in a cling film and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This is supposed to "chill the butter and relax the gluten"- not sure what that means but sure works.
Tip # 3: Mix the apple with the sugar, cinnamon, lime juice and let it stand for at least 30 minutes. The apple will give out water which you can separately thicken and pour back. If you skip this step and directly bake the apples will shrink and you would end up with a large gap between the baked apples and the top crust.
Tip#4: Resist cutting up the pie as soon as it is done( this is a sure test of your will power- the apple, cinnamon, butter combine as it bakes tastes just divine) as fruit pies need several hours to set. My suggestion would be to let the apple pie cool down and then store it in the refrigerator. When it is time to serve cut up a slice, warm it in the microwave for about a minute and serve. Refer Tip # 5
Tip#5: Excellent plain but even better with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Thank you " A" for sharing your recipe, that was the starting point, got tweaked as I progressed. Incidentally the best apple pie that I have had was the one baked by A.

Apple Pie

Serves: 6/8( depends on the serving actually)

For the crust

Flour: About 1.5 cups, 250 grams

Butter/margarine: About two sticks, roughly 125 grams

Sugar: 1 tbsp

Salt: a pinch

Ice cold water: 4/5 tbsps

For the filling

Apple: 2 large firm ones that don't lose their shape when you bake

Cinnamon powder: 1 tsp

Sugar: 2/3 tbsps( check the apples for sweetness before you start adding the sugar)

Lime juice: 1 tbsp

Method

Start with the crust. Mix the flour, butter, sugar and salt together. Add water 1tsp at a time and slowly mix the dough till it is firm. Should hold together when pinched. Wrap the dough in a cling wrap and refrigerate.
For the filling: Macerate the apples by mixing the apple, cinnamon powder, sugar and lime juice. Let it stand for about 30 minutes. The apples would give out water. Drain in a colander and thicken the juice on the stove/microwave with some butter and add to the apples. Alternately( and this is what I did) just put the apples with the juice in a pan. Cook it on slow fire till the sauce thicken.
Putting it all together

Take the dough. Keep a small part for the criss-cross cover( about 1/4th should do). Roll the dough into a 12 inch circle( for a 9 inch pie dish). You will need to keep lifting and turning the pastry as you roll to ensure it is of uniform thickness
Transfer into the pie dish and trim the edges. This, is the only difficult step and don't be disheartened if you don't get it right the first time.
Blind bake the crust in a pre-heated oven for about 5/7 minutes at 200 degree celsius.
Next, sprinkle some flour and place the apples on the crust.
Roll out the remaining dough into a circle and cut into thin strips. Place the strips vertically and horizontally as shown in the photograph to form a criss- cross pattern.
Bake at 220 degree celsius for about 45 minutes.
Serve warm

Pat yourself on the back for having mastered the recipe. Get creative and try making the filling with other fruits.

I have been on a high since the time I baked my first apple pie. Plan to try my hand at Tarts and Quiche next. So wish me luck!

Bon Apetit and Happy Baking!

Thank you for reading my posts.....

2011-08-14T11:11:00.000+05:30

The top Food in one place by Invesp

Stanley ka dabba....Happy Friendship Day!

2011-08-07T15:56:00.008+05:30

The movie, " Stanley ka dabba", is on showcase and I am hoping to watch it this evening. Anyone who has seen the movie tells me that it took them back to school and they thought of all their classmates with whom they had shared their lunch boxes.

Talking about school, I too have some very fond lunchtime memories. There were about 10 of us who assembled around a makeshift lunch table( one of the spare tables in the class) every afternoon during the break. We would all place our dabbas on the table(very plain, basic plastic/steel ones). One lunchbox would be opened at a time and the entire pack would attack the contents. Funny but even after years I remember what each one of them usually got( yes, there wasn't too much variety but we loved each other's dabbas nevertheless). N always got apples( yes, all through the ten years we studied together she got sliced apples and never did she get to eat more than a slice), S got curd rice with manga( small mangoes soaked in brine with a slight bitter after taste) or Parota kurma, P and Sa often got gongura rice ( hot, fiery stuff which I just loved. " I have got your favorite today", P would whisper during the class at the start of the day and I would eagerly wait for the break to grab more than my fair share). R got paratha and alu fry, Sh got chinni paratha, B got alu paratha or paratha shredded into small pieces and then cooked in ghee and sugar. Thanks to our cosmopolitan class we did get to sample a little bit from the different parts of the country. Strange but I am a little fuzzy about what I carried in my lunchbox. I remember twice a week it was idli sambhar. Mom( in the pre tupperware/no spill proof container days) packed the sambhar in old nescafe jars to prevent them from spilling. Sis and me had a deal. I would carry the bag on the way to school and she would carry it back. I had to balance the lunch bag gingerly making sure I did not spill the contents, she on the other hand just bundled the bag with the empty dabbas/bottles and shoved them into her school bag. Yes, stupid me. Guess 'the love for food' took over common logic.

This post has brought back so many memories. The special lunch boxes that we would carry on our birthdays. Mom would send me hot alu chop( alu bonda) and ghuguni( patiala matar). I remember our man friday cycling furiously to make it on time for the lunch break- he would be greeted with screams from all my classmates.

Yes, it was a lot of fun and we definitely bonded over food. We happily shared whatever we carried. Much of that I am sure still remains in today's schools but children want more variety and something interesting each day( as with most things aimed at this generation including education "packaging" is important).

Here is the good old grilled sandwich, best eaten hot, tastes nice in the lunchbox too.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
Serves : 2
Ingredients
Brown bread: 4 slices
Boiled Potatoes: 2 large
Mixed vegetables: Beans, carrots, peas, cauliflower- chopped fine and sauted.
Cheese: 1/2 a cube per sandwich, grated
Cheese spread: 1 tbsp per sandwich
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Mash the boiled potatoes.

Add the vegetables, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Next, spread the cheese spread on both the bread slices. Places the vegetables on one slice and cover with the other.

Grill for about 7/10 minutes for it to turn golden brown and for the cheese inside to melt.

Cut into triangles and serve with tomato ketchup.

If making it for the lunchbox, grill for about 5 minutes to allow the bread slices to stick together. Leave the bread a little soft otherwise it will harden as it cools down.

You can keep varying the filling. Any leftover vegetable/grilled chicken with some cheese would taste good.

I hope my children will look back( as fondly as me) at their lunchtimes and lunchbox friends. Here is to all the friends they will make and to some strong relationships that will stand the test of time.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Aaam ke aam guthliyon ke daam...

2011-08-07T14:41:00.007+05:30

No, not one more post about mangoes. Done with them for this season I guess. This post is about a rather unusual dish that I got to sample about two weeks back. Delighted by the taste I have been asking for more.
Unless you are from Eastern India the dish will sound strange. It is made with Parwal(Potol) and Alu(Potato) peel. Yes, you read that right. Vegetable peel has uses beyond the face pack.

In the East we typically cook vegetable peel with some mustard paste( in the days of the joint families and tons of household help, enough vegetable peel got collected from a day's cooking). Mix the vegetable peel with the ground mustard paste and let it cook in the embers(remember most of the cooking got done in wooden fires) after all the cooking had been done. I have had this before. Both Grandma and later my Mom used to make this at home during my growing up years.

But this one made by my help from Bangladesh was quite different in texture/form and taste. Unless somebody told you that it was made from the vegetable's peel I bet you would not be able to guess. IncidentallyBangals make better cooks than ghottis( people from West Bengal). I have more friends from East Bengal and have sampled some great food. Potoler Kouda as it is called(I just discovered) is perfect as an accompaniment with plain rice or roti.

Potoler Kouda
serves: 2
Ingredients
Peel of about 14/15 medium sized potol/parwal
Peel of 2 large sized potatoes
Onion: 1 large onion, sliced fine
Kalonji/kala jeera: 1 tsp
Green chillies: 1/2( according to taste)
Oil: 2 tbsps

Method

Boil the potato and potol peel for about ten minutes to soften them.

Drain the water and grind to a fine paste along with 1/2 green chillies

Heat the oil in a kadai( I am told the more oil you use for this dish the tastier it is going to be, I would suggest you stay with not more than 2 tbsps), add the kalonji and let them sputter.

Next add the sliced onions and wait till they turn glassy.

Add the ground paste and keep sauteing till it dries up and starts to leave the side of the kadai.

Serve hot.

Made with the most basic of ingredients and packed with a lot of goodness and taste. Remember your early lessons, the peel has the maximum nutrition. It is the simplicity of this dish that makes it truly unique. I am told this tastes best with " sedho bhaat"( steamed rice). I have tried it as a spread on toast. While I know this is an unusual twist to a traditional dish it tastes quite nice. As I write the post I see the dish making its way as canape toppings, add some hung curd to it and viola a nice, spicy dip. Yes, some creativity and an experimentative palate will see this going places.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Last of the mangoes.....

2011-08-07T13:47:00.008+05:30

Mango season is almost over. Mumbaikar are united in their Apoos( Alphonso to the uninitiated) obssession - in fact it is the only type of mango a true blue Mumbaikar claims to like. Delhites however debate over a more varied fare: Dusheri, Langda, Chausa, Safeda. If prices are a surrogate for measuring appeal then "langda" looks to be the winner.

Mango is best eaten by itself. Slice them with the skin and then scoop them with a spoon, peel the skin and cut them into small pieces and then eat them with a fork or if they are nice, soft and juicy- slit the top and suck the juice- messy but a lot of fun.

Of course tastes nearly as good in other forms too- icecreams( serve it with a vanilla icrecream or make a mango icecream), in shakes, as cheese cakes, as a salad dressing, as a dip(mango mayonnaise dip), mango with cream( I will vouch for the one sold at Haji Ali- over priced but really nice, packed in ice if you want it as a takeaway).

Just the way a ripe banana inspires you to make a banana cake, an over ripe mango urges you to turn it into a shake. My older one loves a milk shake and I find it an easy way to get him to have a big glass of milk and fruits. Often on weekdays he has it as a breakfast substitute. Since it is the weekend I made him a special shake. Needless to say he loved it( you cannot go terribly wrong when you have ice cream, mango, condensed milk as the ingredients).

Special Mango Shake
Serves 1
Ingredients
Mango: 1 small sized mango, remove the peel and chop into small pieces
Milkmaid/condensed milk: 1 tbsp
Milk: 1.5 cups
Vanilla icecream: 2 tbsps

Method

Put all the ingredients in a mixie and whip for 2/3 minutes

Check for sweetness.

Serve chilled

Watch them go yumm! yumm! yumm!

A really quick anytime drink. Great during the summer hols when kids are home and forever hungry. Also helps them stay away from aerated drinks and bridge snacks.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Redifining "ghaas phoos"..

2011-08-06T23:42:00.009+05:30

Modern day salads have repositioned "healthy eating". People today opt for salads by choice, for the taste and not because they have been asked to go easy on oil and/or spice.
So much so that a popular women's magazine had a salad supplement with its last issue, as many as 100 salads, many of them modified to suit the Indian palate. There were some interesting options though some I think had been stretched/forced fit to make the number 100.

So from being prepared with basic vegetables like cucumber, tomato, onion( with raddish, carrot and beet root added in the winter months) salads have graduated to getting more exotic with names such as tossed rice salad/lentil salads/pasta salad/carrot and raising salad. We think far more innovatively today when we are making salads. I keep adding ingredients even after I have started making the salad. Chicken in the salad below was an afterthought( in fact a substitute for salami strips that I normally add). I added the bread croutons since I was serving it as a meal, would have skipped it if I was serving the salad as a meal accompaniment. They are so handy when you are entertaining, no last minute bother of heating or frying. Keep the ingredients ready, toss them all together and serve. Served as starters too. Most salads can be prepared way ahead and served chilled. Keep a little bit of the seasoning handy in case all of it gets absorbed.
We had an interesting salad last night for dinner and so I have named it after the day of the week( sorry, been rather uninnovative in naming the dish but just could not think of any other name).

Saturday salad
Time: 20 minutes, serves: 1/2

Ingredients
2 bunches of lettuce
2 cups of boiled veggies(beans, carrots, baby corn)
1/2 cup of sauted mushrooms( use half of the regular pack, quarter and cook in a little bit of olive oil, add some salt and pepper to it)
Cherry tomatoes: a handful, these add a lot of colour to the salad, are convenient to use and have a nice, sweetish taste
Olive oil( for the seasoning): 2 tbsps
Garlic: 6/7 large pods, chopped fine
Bread: 1 slice, toast and then chop into small squares
Chicken(optional): boiled and shredded( I use leftover curry pieces- remove the masala and shred them into thin strips- a good way to re-use leftover chicken)
Dried herbs: 1 tsp( I used Basil but oregano would also go well as a seasoning for the salad)
Lime juice: 1 tbsp( half a lime)

Method

Place the lettuce in ice cold water to refresh. Leave it in the water for about thirty minutes, take out, gently squeeze out the water and shred into large pieces( never chop the lettuce)

Take a large bowl, place the lettuce in it.

Then add the boiled vegetables, sauted mushrooms, cherry tomatoes to it.

To make the dressing: Heat the olive oil in a small wok/tadka pan, add the garlic and let it turn brown, remove from the flame and add Lime juice, Basil and some salt. Mix well.

Add the dressing to the salad and toss the vegetables lightly.

Top with bread croutons and serve immediately.

This is a meal by itself. You could serve also serve it along with a clear soup. Lettuce adds a lot of volume to this salad so the portion size is a little deceptive. The portion shown in the accompanying picture serves one adult only.

As with the corriander pulao, this salad combines some fairly varied ingredients for a really flavorsome bite. Be a little generous with the olive oil else the veggies would taste dry. The burnt garlic gives the salad a distinctive taste and helps spice up an otherwise bland fare. Instead of the croutons you could add a handful of pasta, leftover pasta would be even better.

Another successful one dish meal. Bon Apetit and Happy cooking!

Yum!

2011-08-06T19:08:00.017+05:30

The title of this post is inspired by a talk I heard this morning. The Managing Director of Yum Foods(the group that owns brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell) addressed us at work this morning- a very inspiring speech, related to good food(my kids would vouch for the brands) and I decided that I just had to get back to the blog. It has been a long break- over two months. I have been cooking, trying out new recipes but have somehow not managed to click pictures or write about them.

So back from the break with my favorite theme, " one dish meals". And though I hardly eat rice these days I think our very own "desi pulao" tops the charts when it comes to one dish meals. And thanks to the pressure cooker/rice cooker the pulao gets done in a jiffy too. So full marks on nutrition, taste and convenience. And while the rice gets done and the cooker cools you assemble the raita. Perfecto!

If you are making a veggie pulao you can team it with a plain raita( dahi to which a wee bit of sugar, some black salt or chat masala and bhuna jeera has been added or maybe if you are feeling a little more indulgent then a dahi boondi). And I never fail to get amazed by the number of different types of Pulaos/mixed rice that can be prepared. From the basic jeera(cumin) rice( now this goes well with an elaborate dinner, as a substitute for steamed rice- looks and tastes way better), to the peas pulao( Jeera rice to which you add a handful of shelled green peas- no extra effort, frozen green peas have a permanent place in the freezer- I know of families in Delhi who painstakingly shell peas during the Winter months, then blanch and store them in small single serve zip lock pouches and use it through the year. For those of you who don't want to go through the trouble there is always the Safaal peas). Sorry I got a little carried away. And then of course the regular vegetable pulao and variations therefore like vegetable pulao with tomato, vegetable pulao with paneer, the one Maharashtrians make with goda masala, the traditional vegetable pulao with kaju(cashew), kishmish( raisins)- this one used to be a regular at all family weddings. The list is actually endless and over the next two/three weeks I plan to try out a couple of new types. So watch this space for more.

The pulao I made this evening has just one added ingredient which sets it apart from the regular ones- green corriander( hara dhania) ground to a fine paste with ginger, garlic and green chillies. Gives the pulao an unusual green colour and a really flavorsome taste. Gets done in under 10 minutes and goes well with a regular raita. As the vegetables are cooked and added separately there is no fear of them getting over cooked or the pulao turning lumpy. I think this pulao would taste really good on cold winter evenings with seasonal vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, beans etc.

Corriander Pulao

Cooking time: 10 minutes, serves 4

Ingredients

Basmati rice: 1 1/4 cup, if you are making a pulao try using Basmati rice, Tukda Basmati should also work well. Soak the rice for at least half an hour prior to cooking

Oil/ghee: 2 tbsp

Mixed vegetables, finely chopped: 2 cups( I used beans, carrots, mushroom and baby corn).

Onions: 2, finely sliced

Mustard seeds: 1 tbsp

Curry paste: Grind together 1/2 inch ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp green corriander, 2 green chillies, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp corriander powder,1/2 tsp turmeric powder to a fine paste

Water: 2 cups( prefferably warm water as that prevent the rice from sticking to each other and you get a nice fluffy pulao).

Method

Heat 1 tsp oild and stir fry the vegetables with some salt and keep aside. This should not take more than a few minutes as they would have been chopped fine.

Next heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the mustard seeds, once the mustard sputters add the onion and fry for a minute or two.

Next add the curry paste and saute till the raw smell of ginger garlic is no longer there. This should take a few minutes.

Add the rice and stir for a minute.

Add the water, close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it give out one whistle.

Take the cooker off the flame and let it cool down. Open the lid and add the vegetables, mix well.

Serve with a cucumber, tomato, onion raita.

I loved the spicy taste which got perfectly balanced with the raita. However if making it for young children I would recommend you skip the green chillies.

There are two new interesting dishes that I have made today. Yes, happy to be on an overdrive. Hope to blog about them soon. Writing about them makes cooking a lot more fun. And making everyday dishes blogworthy is even more fun, you invariably try harder.

Till then, Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Aikam Baikam Tara Toori...........Alu Dum

2011-05-15T11:53:00.011+05:30

The first time I remember hearing about " Alu Dum" in all its glory was when as kids we used to play" hide and seek". We went through a very democratic process of choosing the "seeker". We had rhymes that we repeated till all but one player got eliminated and he/she was declared the den. Our Bong neighbors Mana and Mou came up this one which ended with the lines " Alu dum khabo na, soshur badi jabo naa"( loosely translated that means I am not going to eat potato curry and I shall not get married- sorry the essence seems to be getting a little lost in the translation, as always but you get the point).

Now when it comes to naming their dishes the Bongs can give the Mughals a run for their money. Luchi Alu Dum sounds way more exotic than Puri Tarkari. The same goes for dishes like Prawn malai curry(shrimps in a coconut gravy), Dhokar Dalna (Besan curry), Kadaishutir Kachuri( Stuffed Kachoris with peas) etc. etc.

Puri Alu is or rather used to be a regular breakfast item in many households. Growing up I rember having Puris everytime there was a big puja in the household. Breakfast would be Puri Alu and lunch would be Khichdi with baigan fry and tomato khajur chutney.

However with increasing health awareness Puris are kind of disappearing from breakfast tables. A couple of weeks back when Delhi was still cold and nice we decided to indulge ourselves. So the breakfast spread comprised Luchi, Cholar Daal( Bengal gram daal) and of course Alu Dum. Both Alu Dum and Cholar Daal are very easy to make and need very few ingredients. The Luchi/Puri needs to be served hot, straight from the kadai/pan.

Alu Dum( Serves 4)

Ingredients

Baby Potatoes: 1/2 a kilo

Ginger paste: 1 tsp

Garlic paste: 1 tsp

Bay leaves: 1 or 2

Cumin/Jeera powder: 1 tsp

Salt: To taste

Sugar: a pinch

Garam Masala: 1 tsp( freshly ground cinnamon and green cardamom works best for this dish, gives the gravy a nice flavor)

Oil: 1 tbsp

Method

Boil the baby potatoes with their skin in salt water. Remove the skin. You could also leave the skin on, in that case make sure to prick the potatoes with a tooth pick before boiling them) and keep aside

Heat the oil in the pan, add a pinch of sugar and let the sugar caramelize. This gives the gravy a nice rich color

Add the bay leaves, ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin powder and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the salt.

Then add the potatoes and continue to saute for 4/5 minutes.

Add some water( about 1 cup of warm water) and check the seasoning. Simmer for a few minutes. The gravy should coat the potatoes and there should be a little bit more.

Add the garam masala.

Serve hot garnished with some finely chopped corriander

Cholar Daal(serves 4)

Ingredients

Bengal gram daal: About 1 measure/1 cup

Jeera/Cumin paste: 1 tsp ( very integral to a lot of traditional vegetarian cooking which are cooked sans onion and garlic so the flavoring comes from cumin and ginger)

Ginger paste: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Bay leaves: 1 or 2

Salt: 1 tsp or to taste

Sugar: 1/2 tsp

Coconut: 1 tbsp, cut into very small pieces

Oil: 1 tsp

Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp

Ghee(optional): 1 tsp

Method

Pressure cook the daal along with the cumin paste. One whistle should do

Heat some oil, add the bay leaves, whole cumin seeds and the ginger paste. Saute for a couple of minutes.

Add the boiled daal, let it cook for a few minutes. Then add salt, sugar and the coconut.

Finally top up with a teaspoon of ghee and serve hot.

Indulge, Make sure you can roll out and fry the puris real quick because you are sure to have everyone asking for more. On an average boys will eat about ten Puris with ease. If they are competing with each other and breaking their fast with this meal, budget for a few extras.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Day- O...a beautiful bunch....a ripe BANANA......

2011-05-09T22:01:00.012+05:30

"Stack banana till thee morning come

Daylight come and he wanna go home

Its six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch

Daylight come and he wanna go home......"

Harry Belafonte, one of Dad's favorite singers. We learnt to hum the songs even before we knew what the lyrics meant. Some of my favorites include Jamican farewell, Come back Liza, Woman is smarter, Angelico...Mamma gonna take you back. Actually almost all of them. These are songs with a soul and tug at your hear strings. Interestingly son seems to love them too. In fact it was he who suggested that since the inspiration for this dish is the "ripe" banana I should title this post after the Harry Belafonte famous number by the same name.

I find myself baking almost every other day. Makes for convenient lunch box and snack options. I store mine in an airtight container inside the refrigerator and warm it for about 30 seconds before serving. So the cake technically can stay for days. That it gets polished off in less than 24 hours is another story.

A friend once told me that ripe bananas lying on the kitchen shelf means it is time to bake a banana cake. In fact most recipes for banana cakes go "medium sized over ripe bananas". And then last week my friend K told me about her to die for " choco banana cake". Sounded interesting, a combination I had not tried before. Managed to get K to part with her recipe. Tasted quite nice. Though I had initially planned on serving it with vanilla ice cream(a dollop of fresh cream would also taste good) the boys seemed to think it tasted quite good on its own. In fact this is one cake they were quite happy to eat straight out of the refrigerator.

Chocolate Banana Cake

Don't let the looong list of ingredients bother you. The cake gets done in two quick steps. Mix all the dry ingredients, keep aside. Separately mix all the wet ingredients and slowly fold in the dry ingredients into it. That simple. But psst! play along when the accolades begin.

Ingredients

Banana: 1 cup mashed banana pulp, so two to three medium sized over ripe bananas.

Eggs: 2

Oil: 1/2 cup

Milk:1/2 cup

Warm water:1 cup(K used buttermilk instead of water, this makes the cake softer)

Maida/Refined wheat flour: 1 3/4th cup

Cocoa powder:3/4 th cup

Sugar: 2 cups( If the banana is sweet you could adjust the quantity of sugar but do remember that this is a really large cake almost twice the size of other cakes)

Salt:1/2 tsp( to balance out the taste)

Baking soda: 1 1/2 tsp

Baking powder: 1 1/2 tsp

Vanilla essence: 1 1/2 tsp

Method

Sieve together all the dry ingredients which includes the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Keep aside.
Next whip the eggs with the bananas, add water, milk and oil. Mix well.
Fold in the flour mix little by little, stirring continuously ensuring that there are no lumps. The batter is really thin and the cake takes a little longer to cook. But definitely worth the wait.
Bake at 200 degree centigrades for about an hour. For the first 40 minutes keep only the lower coil turned on and for the last 20 minutes bake with both the upper and lower coils turned on. This gives the cake a nice thin crust on the top and along the sides.
Check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick. The toothpick should come out clean.
Serve hot
If serving as dessert serve it along with some fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.
Given the rich, dark color of this cake you could also frost the cake with some powdered sugar to create the contrast.

Bon Apetit and Happy Baking!

Happy Mother's Day, Mama....

2011-05-08T14:14:00.010+05:30

My memory has served me well so far( sis will vouch for it, she says " I may forgive but I never forget"). And if it is got to do with food then you can be sure I will carry the memory to my grave.
My blog posts as you would notice are full of some of my favorite food memories. Each time I start writing a post they come flooding back. I just have to think of a similar dish and I am transported back in time. Let me tell you about the 'wafer coated triangle shaped' chocolate that somebody had gifted us( this was way before Kit Kat and Perk became household names- perks 0f growing up in a "port city")- sis and me were completely taken in by the novelty of form and taste. For once we rationed the portions and ate little by little each day. The other one that I comes immediately to mind( varied from the earlier reference but probably sampled both around the same time) is aunty I's cauliflower dish. Basis the snatches of conversation between her and my Mom on the recipe, I remember it being made with grated cauliflower, ginger, onion and tons of butter. It was her specialty. At her dinner parties I always helped myself to generous portions and studiously avoided Momma's glares.

And then there were my mother's cutlets. She made them with all types of fish. In fact very often with Tuna, a fish that most others we knew turned up their noses to( it is only much later that I learnt that Tuna is from the " shark" family). Mom would first get our household help to fillet the Tuna, then she would saute them with some garlic to get rid of the fishy smell and several complicated steps later they would appear on our dinner table as the most delicious cutlets garnished with some onion rings and lime wedges. She also made cutlets with Bhekti, Rohu and even prawns. On winter evenings we would have them with soup and bread.

Mom was here a couple of weeks back and taught me to make fish cutlets. I was amazed at how simple the steps were. That did not take away from the taste. Mom also made them with very little oil which I guess makes them healthy.

We now have cutlets as regulars in our menu. They are convenient as starters, go well as meal accompaniments, are often eaten as evening snacks by the boys, leftover get converted into sandwich/burger filling.

Fish Cutlets

Ingredients( This dish needs very few ingredients and all of it very easily available at home)

Fish: 3/4 pieces( Choose the stomach portions as these would have fewer bones, if buying a fillet about 200 grams should do. If you are planning to make cutlets I would suggest you keep a few " stomach/peti" pieces aside when sorting and freezing the fish)
Onions: 2 medium sizes ones, chopped really fine.
Ginger: 1", finely chopped
Potatoes: 2/3 boiled
Bread crumbs: 2/3 tbsps, enough to coat the cutlets
Mint/Pudina leaves: a handful, finely chopped
Green corriander: 2 tbsps, finely chopped
Oil: About 2 tbsps for a batch of about 20 cutlets

Turmeric: 1tsp

Salt: To taste

Method

Smear salt and turmeric on the fish pieces and shallow fry them.

Debone the fish.

Heat about 2 tsps of oil. Fry the onion till glassy, add the ginger and saute for a few more minutes. Next add the fish and cook together for about 5 minutes.

Remove from fire, add boiled potatoes, 2/3 tbsps of bread crumbs, some finely chopped green chillies( optional), the mint and corriander leaves and mix well.

Make small round balls with the mixture and flatten lightly between your palms.

Spread the remaining bread crumbs on a plate and place the cutlets over them. Turn the cutlets around so that the crumbs coat them evenly.

Heat a tsp of oil in a non-stick, shallow pan. Once the oil heats up, add the cutlets one by one. Arrange them on the pan and fry on both sides.

Serve hot garnished with some onion rings, lemon wedges and a chutney/dip.

Thank you Mama for this wonderful recipe, helps me relive a part of my childhood with each bite.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Dum Maro Dum......

2011-04-16T23:12:00.013+05:30

He! He! Sorry about the really cheesy title, could not think of a better one to go with "Dum".

This story goes a long way back, 17 years to be precise. My sister gifted me a rice cooker for my wedding(sis, the same one is still going strong- thank you). The rice cooker( my savior) came along with an instruction manual and a cookbook. Come to think of it that was my first cookbook and only cookbook for a long time. It had an interesting Biryani recipe which I managed to perfect after a few attempts. I loved making Biryani, the Khila Khila Basmati, the kesar flavoring and colour, the aroma of whole spices, the subtle combination of ingredients- only a hint of this and a whiff of that. But above all what I liked best about making Biryani was that post the initial preparatory work the Biryani cooked on its own. Left me free to clear up, get the starters ready etc. etc. Being a one dish meal it also ensured that there were fewer dirty dishes at the end of the meal.

Somewhere along the line I stopped making Biryani. A lot of us stopped eating rice especially at night(typically guests came for dinner), oil/ghee gave way to no oil/low oil cooking. It is still a convenient option and I order in when we have a large number of guests.

About a week back I watched Biryani being prepared on one of the cookery shows. It rekindled my interest in the once popular family dish. I made it yesterday and served it with a basic raita. The men loved it and wolfed almost all of it down. Older one wanted the little bit that was leftover for breakfast today. Me happy.

Looks like Biryani has managed a successful re-entry into the household even if that means 10 extra laps in the pool or 5 more surya namaskars. Given the overwhelming response I think the dish is here to stay and before long I will have the boys asking for it to be made again.

Dum Murgh Ki Kachi Biryani

Ingredients

Biryani though really simple to prepare needs a long list of ingredients and tons of patience. If you are looking for a quick fix try making a pulao and add some Biryani masala to it.

Basmati rice: 2 cups, choose from the premium range to get really long grained rice. I tried Arise, Saffold Gold- nice, long grained khila khila rice just as the ad promised.

Chicken: 1.5 kg, ask your butcher to cut into large pieces, about 6/8 pieces from a kilo

Onions: 6 medium sized ones, sliced fine

Turmeric powder: 1 tsp

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder: Roast some green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, clove and grind to a coarse powder. If you were me you would just add some Roopak Biryani Masala, really good.

Whole spices: Cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom

Lime juice: 1 to 2 tbsp( so about half a lime)

Saffron: a few strands( now this is an expensive ingredient but a key to getting the flavor right)

Milk: 1 cup

Curd: 1.5 cups( If using home made curd, strain the water out using a muslin cloth)

Ghee: 2 tbsps

Oil: 2 tbsps

Ginger garlic paste: 2tbsps

Green corriander: 2 tbsps, chopped fine

Green chillies: 2 tbsps, chopped fine

Method

The preparation needs to begin a couple of hours before.

Start by preparing the marinade. To the curd add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt.

Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix really well. Use your hands as the marinade needs to coat all the individual chicken pieces . Let the chicken rest in the refrigerator for a few hours. I would suggest you leave it there for at least four hours.

When ready to start making the Biryani heat the oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions till they turn a dark brown. Chop them fine and add half of the fried onions to the marinated chicken. Leave it for about 30 minutes.

Cook the rice with the whole spices. Drain out the water once the rice is half cooked. Keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a deep bottomed flat pan, add the chicken and cook till the chicken is half done. Arrange into a layer. Sprinkle some finely chopped corriander and some green chillies over it.

Add the rice over it to form a second layer.

Dissolve the saffron strands in some warm milk and spoon over the rice.

Squeeze some lime juice over the rice.

Garnish with the remaining fried onions.

Cover the pan and seal with some atta dough or aluminium foil. Helps retain the flavors and keeps the chicken pieces succulent.

Let the Biryani cook for about 45 minutes on low flame.

Once done open the lid and let the flavors do the talking.

Serve hot with a raita.

Thank the Mughals and savor every bite.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

The seven day itch...

2011-03-27T20:56:00.012+05:30

Come Saturday and I start feeling restless if I haven't uploaded a new post. Yes, blogging is addictive, Like my son says " passion becomes addiction". But then blogging is therapeutic as well( I have said this before).

No posts also means that we haven't eaten anything new, different or interesting through the week. That makes me go on an overdrive to create interesting weekend food.

The inspiration for this dish came from some fresh basil that my cousin gave me. She has also gifted me a Basil plant. So I can make this dish over and over again. Yipee!

Fresh herbs can completely transform a dish. Pardon the hyperbole but I just love the fusion of ingredients, the ones that flood your taste buds with their amazing flavors, I am referring to dishes where all the individual ingredients come together to create magic. No single flavor stands out but there are subtle hints in each bite.

Chicken forms a good base when it comes to a creating flavorsome food, highly versatile, so soaks up dhania, butter and tomato puree(refer Dhania Chicken) as easily as orange juice. Works for me either ways.

Basil Chicken( serve four)

Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 45 minutes.

Ingredients

Fresh Basil: 1/2 cup, chopped

Dried Basil: 1 tsp

Chicken: About 8 pieces, choose nice, large pieces for this fish.

Orange juice: 1 cup, freshly squeezed would work best but Tropicana came fairly close

Lime juice: 3/4 tbsps, definitely freshly squeezed

Onion: 2, finely chopped

Cumin powder: 1 tsp, roasted and ground cumin adds to the fresh taste of the dish

Salt to taste

Olive oil: 2 tbsps

Method

Heat the olive oil in a pan.

Add the chicken and fry for a couple of minutes.

Then sprinkle the finely chopped onion and continue to fry.

Add the orange juice, cumin powder, dried basil and salt. Stir.

Simmer and cook covered for 5/7 minutes.

Open the lid, add the lime juice and mix well.

Remove the chicken pieces onto a plate.

Let the sauce thicken a little more, add the fresh basil leaves and ladle over the chicken.

Serve the chicken with some herbed rice( add some butter, finely chopped coriander, chili flakes and salt to rice) and boiled vegetables.

Delicious! Finger lickin' good!

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Rang Barse.....the riot of colors.....

2011-03-20T19:17:00.011+05:30

Happy Holi and just the right time to post a recipe that looks colorful. Making your food look fancier than it is adds to the overall taste( given that we eat with most of our senses). And if cooking for children tricks them into actually eating more. Usually the more colorful your food, the healthier it is. Simple, you need to add more greens to add more color. Compare a macaroni with cheese and mushroom to one with macaroni, tomatoes, yellow/red bell pepper and beans. You got it?

Plating which translates into serving your food elegantly and artistically is a complex process. Master chefs on cookery shows say that it is not as difficult as it looks or sounds. It basically means getting the colors and balance of composition right.

Someday I shall be there. For now I follow some basic color rules.

Planning the menu well so that each ingredient adds color to the dish and to the table.
Making sure that no two dishes being served look alike, this automatically ensures that there is a fair variety in terms of ingredients, recipe types and taste
Use of colorful garnishes like cream or yoghurt for soups, ginger juliennes for the daal, fresh corriander for the rich gravies, nuts for the salads etc.

So, a little bit of creativity, an eagerness to learn and a lot of planning and patience is what would finally get you there.

Meanwhile the recipe that follows is the result of one such attempt. Very proud of it as I created it out of party leftovers. The source of inspiration was the lettuce I had leftover from Pinacorn salad made for lunch. I also had some herbed cottage cheese that I had used as cracker topping. Decided to combine the two along with some cherry tomatoes. Incidentally my kids love eating cherry tomatoes, must be to do with the size/form. Instead of making a regular salad, I decided to make these into tiny wraps. They looked quite exotic and tasted nice.

Lettuce Wraps( Serves 4)

Ingredients

Lettuce: 1 bunch(refresh the lettuce in ice cold water to which a few drops of vinegar have been added)

Cheery tomatoes: 12/15, halved

Herbed cottage cheese: 200 grams( This is available off the shelf as ' Masala' paneer, you can very easily make your own with some roasted cumin seeds together with fresh mint, green corriander, green chillies- all chopped fine, some salt)

Method

Choose the bigger leaves. Lay them out on a plate.

Place the herbed cottage cheese in the middle.

Fold in lengthwise and then widthwise.

Place half a cherry tomato on top and secure with a toothpick.

Serve along with a spicy, hung curd dip.

The lettuce gives this a fresh, crunchy feel. A light summer starter and an anytime snack for all those weight watchers.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Blowing my own trumpet........

2011-03-06T17:15:00.005+05:30

Sis had made this poster which read:" I love blowing my own trumpet but off late it has been getting a little too loud for my own ears".

I am sorry but I just can't help it. I cooked something that I just loved. I think it is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had. Such unusual flavor, texture, taste, the combination of seemingly varied ingredients came together to create sheer magic.

The recipe has been on my mind for a while now. Getting the ingredients together took some effort. I was quite determined to make it for dinner last night so trudged all the way to the speciality store and picked up my couscous. Hopefully I now have enough to make the dish seven times over( 500 gram pack and 75 grams each time I make this dish). I also had some Apricots leftover from Diwali( eating dry fruits during the winter months is big in the North of India), managed to find some raisins in the store next door. Rest of the ingredients were all available at home. Oh! Yes, I must add that I picked up Chicken thigh pieces for this dish which are the tenderest pieces( sold for a premium, sold as " boneless chicken legs", but well worth the price if you are making a boneless chicken dish).

Cooking the chicken with couscous makes it a balanced ,one dish meal. It has some really quick, easy steps( the dish is set on simmer for most part of the cooking time). I think substituting cous cous with daliya( widely available, lower priced) should give similar results. Going forward I also plan to add vegetables like beans, carrots and mushrooms. I think they would complement the taste. But that story is for another day. I am really eager to share this wonderful recipe which I just loved(despite cooking it myself).

Chicken with Couscous, serves 4

A popular Moroccan dish prepared with the Moroccan staple couscous

Ingredients

Chicken: 500 grams, boneless, ideally the thigh pieces

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Apricots: 75 grams, chopped

Raisins: 3/4 tbsps

Jeera powder: 1/2 tsp

Dhania powder: 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon powder:1/2 tsp( grind this fresh for best results)

Water:2/3 cups

Couscous: 75 grams

Green coriander: 2/3 tbsp, chopped fine

Tomatoes: 4/5, chopped fine

Method

Heat the oil in a non-stick kadai.

Add the chicken pieces and cook till it changes colour.

Add the powder spices and cook for a minute or two.

Add the tomatoes, raisins, apricot, salt and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. You could cover and cook to help the chicken cook faster.

Once the chicken is done, stir in the couscous and cook for another 5/7 minutes till the couscous is tender.

Garnish with finely chopped green corriander.

Though this is a one dish meal you could also serve it with a stir fry. The apricot, raisin, tomato and couscous combination is sure to appeal.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Raising a Toast

2011-03-05T21:32:00.011+05:30

Woke up today to a cold, foggy morning. Quite love it this way, nature's way of holding onto the last of winter. Saturday morning and no agenda for the next two days. Feels great.

Inspired by the success of the Medietteranean Chicken I cooked last night, I decided to head to the kitchen right away. Bread and eggs were on the menu. I needed to make breakfast 'blogworthy'. Had already written two egg based posts(scrambled eggs and egg sandwich). Decided to use the mushrooms that had been sliced for the scramble to a make a topping instead. Served it on toasts with poached eggs.

I even made one lot with a mushroom tomato topping by microwaving some chopped tomatoes along with the mushroom, sprinkling a little bit of sugar and adding. Mushrooms in cheese white sauce also go well as serving for toasts.

This is a dish that could be part of your regular rushed/harassed breakfast morning(yes, easy enough for that, you could make the topping, grate the cheese from the night before to make it quicker), it also qualifies for weekend breakfast menus which are leisured, luxury meals.

Mushroom on Toast(Serves 2)

Ingredients

Bread: 4 slices, toasted(I like my toasts hard and crunchy)

Butter: 1 tsp(optional)

Mushroom: 200 grams

Garlic: 2/3 cloves, chopped fine

Mushroom: 200 grams, sliced thin

Green chillies: 1, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Basil leaves: 7/8, finely chopped( I now grow some and so it is really handy to pluck and chop a few)

Grated cheese: Optional but if you are making this for a weekend extended breakfast I would strongly recommend you use some.

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Method

Put the oil in a microwave safe glass dish and heat for 2 minutes.

Tip in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the mushroom, chillies, salt and pepper and cook for 3/4 minutes. Stir once to ensure the cooking is even.

Add the basil leaves and mix well.

Butter the toasts, spread some of the mushroom mixture onto the toast, sprinkle some grated cheese. The Cheese will melt in the heat.

Serve immediately.

This also works well as a wafer topping or the bread slices can be cut into sticks and served as a snack.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

TGIF........

2011-03-04T21:30:00.010+05:30

My evening today reminds me of the song " Jaate the Japan, pahunch gaye Cheen"(Planned something and ended up with something quite different).

I had planned on making a Cous Cous Chicken. Cous Cous, the new wonder food is doing the rounds. I had come across an interesting recipe for Cous Cous Chicken in a women's magazine. It was new, different, easy to prepare, healthy, a one dish meal and thus perfect for a Friday night dinner. A night when you begin celebrating the two day holiday ahead, want to have something special and yet are not looking at anything fussy or elaborate( those are for Sunday mornings or Saturday evenings). By the time you get back home on Friday, you are physically exhausted, mentally tired and just want to put your feet up. Maybe if you are a foodie, you will make it to the kitchen and rustle up something in a jiffy.

I got late at work and could not pick up the Cous Cous. It is unfortunately not available with the neighborhood grocer. I got back home and decided to make a Fiesta chicken instead only to discover that I did not have raisins, a key ingredient in the dish. Finally after much deliberation and inventory search settled for a Mediterranean version. In this easy dish versatile chicken mingles with the flavors of white wine, herbs and garlic. Calls for ingredients that one usually has on hand.

Mediterranean Chicken( Serves four)

Chicken: 500 grams

Tomato puree: 6 tbsps

Wine: 1/4th cup( I used white wine)

Bay leaves: 2/3

Mixed Herbs: 1 tsp( I had run out of Basil so used some Rosemary and Thyme)

Garlic: 3/4 pods, crushed

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Sugar: 1 tsp

Salt: To taste

Cornflour/Maida: 1 tsp

Olive oil: 1 tsp( Optional if using a non-stick pan)

Spaghetti: 200 grams( boiled in salt water to which olive oil has been added and drained)

Method

Heat a non stick pan. Add the chicken and cook till it changes colour. This should take a couple of minutes.

Add tomatoes and all the seasoning.

Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender( add a little water if necessary).

Dissolve 1 tbsp of maida in a cup of water and add to the chicken.

Boil well and serve over spaghetti.

The sauce tastes delicious and has a glossy texture. Can also be an accompaniment for Pulaos and Fried rice.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Que Sera Sera....

2011-03-03T21:56:00.013+05:30

When I was just a little girl, yes, I know that was a long time ago, have graduated to " my children ask their mother" line for a while now, Parle introduced the concept of serving Monaco biscuits with toppings. There were ads(usually the back cover of a magazine) where Monaco with varied toppings were displayed. They looked really appetizing and given our limited exposure then, exotic too.

They soon found their way into our home. We made ours with cheese( this was the pre- cheese slice era, so cheese cubes had to be painstakingly cut into thin slices), boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, tomatoes and sometimes with all of the above. Sis was usually entrusted with the task. Being the clumsier one, my job was to wait till she finished and then gobble up a few. The crunchy salted base and bland topping went quite well. Sis would add a sprig of coriander to add more color. I would be impatient for her to finish. The garnish could wait. I quickly figured out that it was best to pick a few from the first lot as the toppings got progressively smaller.

Any kind of base with some topping continues to be one of my favorite starter ideas. Though over the years both the base and the topping has changed.

Cream crackers, rice wafers etc. have replaced the good old Monaco. Boiled egg whites also serve as the base. Scoop out the yolk, add some milk, cheese, salt, pepper and pipe it back into the boiled and halved whites.

Toppings have ranged from cream cheese, hung curd, to tuna in mayo. In fact leftover sandwich filling works really well for the topping. I have often mashed up potatoes, spiced it up with green chillies, coriander, added a wee bit of cheese spread and used it to top canapes. Green, yellow and red bell pepper add color and flavor.

Have extended the idea of toppings to open toasts which incidentally is a great breakfast option. Grill the slice with the topping and serve hot. If feeling very self indulgent add some grated cheese and grill till the cheese melts.

Tomatoes on toast is really easy to make. It is very healthy too. Adding the mustard paste gives it an unusual flavour. You could also add some garlic. Use the leftover topping as a chutney or add to gravies.

Tomatoes on Toast

Ingredients

Tomatoes: 2/3, about half a tomato per toast

Mustard paste: 1 tsp(You could also used mustard powder, I used some mustard and khus khus paste)

Green chillies: 2(optional), chopped fine

Pepper powder: 1 tsp( try and use some freshly ground ones for that added flavor)

Red Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp

Sugar: 1/4th tsp

Salt: to taste

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Green corriander: 1 tsp, chopped fine

Boiled sweet corn: Can add some to make a variation of the original.

Method

Chop the tomatoes really fine. Microwave the tomatoes with the oil, sugar, salt and green chillies for about 3 minutes.

Mash up the tomatoes with some red chilli powder, pepper powder, mustard paste, green corriander and mix well.

Top over toast and serve hot.

This works well as a starter. If serving as a starter cut the bread toast into cubes. Alternately you could also pick up some ready to use bite sized garlic butter toast( these are very handy and stay well for close to a week). They form healthier bases( as compared to biscuits) for the topping.

If serving as a main course serve it with a chicken stew or soup. The spicy flavor compliments the bland taste of the soup.

Also goes as an anytime snack. Could add sauted mushrooms/boiled corn to make it more wholesome. Could even add some grated cheese and bake for a few minutes.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs......

2011-02-20T17:49:00.010+05:30

Something really strange(almost spooky) happened. I cooked Spaghetti with meat balls and the weather turned from a clear sunny day to a cloudy one. It is starting to rain as I write this post. Looks like the weather God either read my mind or peeped into my kitchen. The boys are thrilled with the title of the post and it does seem apt given the turn of events, I mean the change of weather. Rains at this time of the year also means that Winter would stretch for at least another week or two. So more soups, stews in the weeks to follow.

I have been meaning to cook the 'Spaghetti meatballs' combo for a while now. The name has an exotic ring to it. In hindsight the dish is surprisingly simple. Most things in hindsight look simple, don't they?

I am not good with making cutlets, chops, tikkis and the likes. Have a mental block, I fear that they will come apart as I am frying them. Must be to do with some initial disastrous attempts though I cannot recall any such incident at the moment. Not being able to make them is such a shame given that my Mom made Fish and prawn cutlets quite regularly during my growing up years. When we had guests over she even dressed up each prawn cutlets with its little tail which helped enhance the visual appeal and made the cutlets look really appetizing. It is of course obvious that they tasted really good. Oohs! Aahs! and they would be over in a jiffy. Someday soon I hope I can achieve a similar feat. Till then I shall rely on my household help or just buy them off the shelf.

I bought some meatballs while picking up my weekly non-veg from a store close to home. And the first dish that I could think of was spaghetti with meat balls. My first attempt at making this dish and a recipe that I have intuitively put together. I have deliberately skipped the cheese.

Spaghetti with Meat Balls(Serves 4)

Ingredients

Tomato Puree: 1 cup(Add one or two fresh blanched and pureed tomatoes to packaged puree. Makes it convenient and gives the sauce the right color, body and taste)

Meat balls: 10/15( I used store bought ones but you could go through the process of spicing up chicken mince, making them into little balls and then deep frying them)

Oregano seasoning: 2 tsp

Green Coriander: 2/3 tbsp

Onion: 1 medium sized one, finely chopped

Vegetable stock: 2/3 tbsp(I used some leftover vegetable stew)

Garlic: 4/5 large pods, finely chopped

Olive oil: 1/2 tsp

Sugar: 1/2 tsp( to balance out the sour tomato taste)

Spaghetti: 100 grams

Method

For the Spaghetti

Boil about 100 grams of spaghetti in plenty of water. Add some olive oil and salt to the water. Olive oil would prevent the spaghetti from sticking.

Strain and keep aside. Add 1 tsp of olive oil to the spaghetti and toss it well, that way it would not dry up.

Ideally boil the spaghetti when you start to simmer the meatballs in the sauce.

For the meatballs

Put a flat bottomed pan on the stove. Heat some olive oil in it.

Then saute the garlic followed by the onion.

Add the tomato puree, sugar, oregano seasoning, chopped coriander and cook for a few minutes. The puree will begin to thicken.

Add the vegetable stock. This would give the sauce a lovely texture and also add to the taste. As I was using some leftover vegetable stew I also mashed up a few boiled carrots into the sauce.

Next add the meat balls to the gravy. Cover and cook so that the meatball soak some of the gravy.

Putting it all together, Plating it as my older son would say

Place some spaghetti on the plate, shape it like a bird's nest. Pour the meat balls with the gravy into the hollow in the middle. Garnish with some fresh coriander and serve hot. Approximately three meat balls per serve.

Cut the meatballs into little pieces. Twirl the spaghetti around your fork, lift a little piece of the meat ball, pop into your mouth and feel the fusion of flavors/taste as you bite into them together.

Surprisingly easy if you are not starting from scratch. Ready puree and meatballs make it a quick fix. Perfect on a cold, wet, winter night.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Yeh Kau(r)n Chitrakaar hai....

2011-02-12T21:47:00.014+05:30

Sometimes I find myself adding ingredients just to add more color to a dish. It invariably adds to the taste and flavor. Like sprigs of fresh mint to a fruit salad. Some red chillies to a raita garnish, the vibrant red contrasting with the creamy white texture. The subtle chilli tempering definitely enhances the flavors.

It is a lot of fun to keep adding different colored ingredients to a salad. Red, green and yellow bell peppers can make an ordinary tomato cucumber salad look exotic. I suspect they are primarily added to salads for the color. Cherry tomatoes, black grapes, green olives help create a similar impact. Toss in some Feta cheese or boiled eggs and the colors stand out even more strongly against the white backdrop.

And then of course there is the more difficult task of color coding an entire menu. Making sure that no two dishes look the same. This also serves as a screener to ensure all the dishes use separate base ingredients and taste different.

Pulaos like salads allow for a lot of color play. With corn methi pulao one did not have to try very hard to make the dish look visually appealing. White rice, yellow corn and green methi leaves together created a colorful platter. Depending on your personal palate preference you could tinker with the corn methi proportions. Some carrots and beans would definitely add more color but perhaps make it a little lower on differentiation. This is a quick pulao sans the usual fuss of endless peeling and chopping

Corn Methi Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati rice: 1 cup( when it comes to pulaos Basmati works best)

Peppercorns: 3

Cinnamon: 1/2 inch piece

Cloves: 2

Green cardamom: 2/3

Onion: 1/2 sliced

Methi/Fenugreek leaves: 1 cup chopped fine

Sweet corn kernels: 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp

Ghee/oil: 1 tbsp( I would suggest you stay with ghee, in combination with the whole spices imparts the pulao with a lovely flavor. In fact you could just served rice flavored with ghee and whole spices. Cook that in mutton stock and it turns into Yakhni)

Salt to taste

Method

Soak the rice for about 30 minutes. This makes the pulao more ' khila khila'.

Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker, add the whole spices and onion slices. Fry for a few minutes.

Then add the methi leaves, corn kernel, turmeric powder and stir.

Add the rice, salt and mix well. Fry for a few minutes.

Finally add 2 cups( a little less than double the quantity of rice) of hot water. Hot water helps the pulao cook faster and prevents it from sticking. A little trick I learnt from a Tarla Dalal show.

Pressure cook for 1 whistle and let the cooker cool on its own.

Serve with some plain dahi and a green salad.

"Food that is beautiful to look at tastes better than food that isn't"

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

High on dope.....

2011-02-12T13:44:00.019+05:30

Has this ever happened with you..a dish you had eaten a long long time ago but remember quite vividly even today?

Now this is different from the growing up comfort food that I had written about earlier, that is familiar, prepared and eaten regularly in homes and provides warmth each time.

Food that I am talking about here are usually the ones that bowled you over in the first bite....you were really taken in by either the taste or the flavor or possibly the whole concept. Maybe you never had the dish again.....but thought about it very fondly several times over the years....even long after other memories of the person who had prepared the dish or the place where you sampled it have started to fade. Got it now?

I remember many such dishes( I bet sis remembers these ones too), but you got to be a little patient here...being a foodie there are quite a few that I can talk about. Let me start with Kewra kheer...this is very common in Punjabi households but I do recall the first time I had eaten the kheer. As with most other kheers this was delicious but what stayed on was the Kewra flavoring...it seemed so unusual from the regular elaichi one. Then there was an egg curry which had been prepared by breaking eggs over an already ready, simmering gravy...egg curry in my household then( and even now) were either made with boiled eggs/boiled and lightly fried eggs or omelettes(this one I was told by Mom is an economical way to use eggs, three eggs sufficed for a family of five), sandwiches on my first flight...large triangles with a thick slice of cheese in between....sis and me had loved them and Dad got us a second one which we shamelessly devoured, Tutti Fruity icecream at Hotel Rebecca( this was the name of the lone restaurant in the town I grew up)....that memory made me order Tutti Fruity ice cream for many years after that......Rogan Josh...the highlight of our trip to Kashmir....our day ended with Naan and Rogan Josh...it sounded and tasted way more exotic than it does today...then there was Roomali Roti and Kebabs from Pandara road during my first trip to Delhi. Visited the place recently, seemed completely transformed....a baked crab in shell dish prepared by a guest house chef in my little town(crab sourced locally too)...I just have to close my eyes.... can visualize this dish right in front of me and feel the taste in my mouth. Some food memories do stand the test of time.

I could just go on but will save the rest for another post. The dish in focus is " Khus Khus" halwa. I sampled it for the first time at my friend D's place. Being from the East I was familiar with the usage of khus khus in curries and dry subzis. But a Khus Khus halwa? I was sceptical but one mouthful and I was sold. Loved the taste and helped myself to a generous second helping despite the warning bells in my head. Last week I was in Pune and D invited me over for breakfast. She asked me if there was anything in particular that I would like to have. Here was my chance...after all I did think about her halwa quite often. I said " Could you please make me some of that khus khus halwa"? I quickly added " Don't bother if it is too much trouble", all along hoping that D would not agree to the latter. Halwa turned out to be just the way I remembered. Delicious, with the rich taste of khus khus and ghee. D even packed some for my husband and children.

Khus Khus Halwa(Serves 4)

Ingredients

Khus Khus(Poppy seeds): 100 grams

Ghee: 4 tbsps

Sugar: 3/4 tbsps

Milk: 3/4th cup

Dry Fruits: 4 tbsps( finely chopped)

Method

Soak the khus khus overnight and grind to a paste with 2/3 tbsps of water. Should be a semi solid paste( approximately about a cup).

Next heat the ghee, cook the khus khus in the ghee till done. Then add the milk and sugar and cook for a while. It would start to resemble sooji halwa.

Add the chopped dry fruits and serve hot.

FAQ

No, this does not require tons of khus khus.

No, this does not make you feel sleepy/dopey

D tells me that Maharashtrians eat this when they are fasting. To me this tastes more like " feasting" food. Sinfully delicious.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Sunday ho ya Monday, Roz khao Ande.......

2011-02-01T22:38:00.010+05:30

Two consecutive egg posts and hence the title. Else if you are on the wrong side of 30 you can have eggs just about once a week(Sunday ke Sunday) or so the Doctors say.

The title of this post has been suggested by my older one. I need to balance things out at home. After all he too would hopefully read the food diaries and all mentions about him are bound to "thrill". When it is to do with food, I am an optimist.

Another post about the ubiquitous sandwich . Remember it is one of my favorite food things. Typically for sandwiches almost anything can work as a good stuffing from last night's leftover curry to mutton cutlets.

But if it is an egg sandwich it had preferably be with boiled eggs. As Vir Sanghvi says, "For an egg sandwich to take a character of its own you need to use boiled eggs". Going by today's response(carried in my lunch box) I would agree with him. Sanghvi goes on to say that the boiled egg was rediscovered during the recession of 2008-2009. I would tend to think eggs never really went out of fashion even in upper middle class households. One restricted consumption purely for reasons of health.

Boiled egg sandwiches qualify as comfort food. Unpretentious in character and simple in terms of taste. They too bring back nostalgic childhood memories.

Boiled Egg Sandwich

Ingredients

Boiled eggs: 4( one egg should suffice for about four slices of bread). If you store your eggs in the refrigerator take them about half one hour before you need to boil them. Boil them in plenty of water to which some salt has been added, this prevents the eggs from cracking while boiling. And you thought it was really easy to make an egg sandwich eh!

Milk: 3/4 tbsps( roughly one tbsp per egg)

Tomato: 1, finely chopped

Fresh Green Coriander/Dhania Patta: Finely chopped

Salt: 1 tsp

Pepper: 2 tsp, freshly ground for that extra flavor enhancement

Mayonnaise: 2/3 tbsps

Method

Boil the eggs and shell them.

Use a spoon to crush them coarsely so that the whites and the yolks mix well. Add the milk at this stage. Adding the milk( picked this tip from my friend S, yes the same one in whose house I had first sampled Khao Suey) keeps the sandwich soft and prevents the egg from drying even hours later. Bet you didn't know that.

Next add the chopped tomatoes and dhania patta( this was a last minute improvisation, there was some tomatoes and dhania patta leftover from the scrambled eggs made earlier).

Take two slices of brown bread. Apply some mayonnaise on the slices. Place the egg mixture on one of the slices, cover with the second slice. Wrap in an aluminium foil/butter paper and pack in your lunch box. You also have the option to eat immediately.

Cold sandwiches are convenient as ' to go' food.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Fun with eggs........

2011-02-01T21:44:00.010+05:30

The title of this post was suggested by my younger son. I thought I should indulge him. Years later when he reads the food diaries( or so I hope) it should cheer him up. The post is about eggs and scrambling eggs with assorted veggies is a lot of fun. Hence an apt title. Good job son! Naming the post is half the job done.

Bread and eggs are regular breakfast items in most households, made at least a couple of times during the week. Simple, understated and comforting, dress it up( stuffed masala) or down(plain), works equally well.

The best omelette's and scrambled eggs that I have had were made by my Dad. He had got himself a wonder hand blender and used it to whip up the frothiest coffee, the tastiest chutney and the fluffiest eggs. Sometimes we would ask him to use a fork to beat the eggs so that it got done faster. But he would be quite adamant about using the contraption and say: let me do my "ghur ghur"(referring to the sound the hand blender made). He took the task of making eggs very seriously(as with most of the cooking that he did). He would painstakingly chop all the vegetables, beat the eggs and grate the cheese. Then like an expert he would toss, flip, scramble and finally with a lot of gusto land some on our plates. " Always a little runny, that is the trick" he would instruct as I dug hungrily into mine. Dad loved kitchen gadgets and would sometimes sprinkle freshly ground pepper over already done omelette's. The eggs Dad made tasted just yumm! I am reminded of the taste as I write this post.

While my eggs don't come anywhere close to Dad's I am at it( and yes, Dad I leave them runny) and someday my children will have similar things to say about me. Sigh!

Scrambled eggs( serves 2)

Ingredients

Eggs: 2

Onion: 1, chopped really fine

Mushrooms: 2/3, sliced really thin and then chopped

Tomatoes: 1, finely chopped

Green chillies: 2, chopped fine

Green coriander/dhania patta: 2/3 tablespoons

Milk: 2/3 tbsp( surprised? Trick to making your omelette's/scrambled eggs really fluffy)

Salt: To taste

Freshly ground pepper: 1 tsp

Oil: 1 tsp

Salami/Sausage cut into small pieces would also enhance the taste.

Method

Though this is easy enough to make, it is still easier to get it wrong and leathery( Ask me rather ask my sis). So here is a step by step guide to get your scrambled eggs right, every time. Before you start do make sure that you have the eggs, veggies and seasonings ready.

In a bowl break the eggs. Add the milk to it, salt and pepper. With a fork beat 25- 30 strokes to blend the mixture( do not over beat the eggs as that would toughen the protein in the whites). Some of my friends insists that the best way to make scrambled eggs is to break it directly onto the pan. I disagree. Each to his egg.

In a non stick pan heat the oil. Add the onions and saute till onions turns glassy. Next add the mushrooms, green chillies, tomatoes and fry for a little while. Add the coriander.

Then pour the egg mixture into the pan and start scrambling the egg immediately( do not let the egg settle down or coat the pan).

Cook till the egg is almost done. The consistency should be a little runny.

Serve with some hot, (buttered) toast and you are good to go.

This also works well as a cracker topping and can be served as a starter. To make your starter a little more interesting you could add some grated cheese to the scramble as you cook. Would give it a smoother texture. Add some chilly flakes if you want to make it spicier.

Use this as a sandwich filling though for sandwiches boiled eggs work the best.

The possibilities are endless. A wee bit of imagination and an experimentative palate is all it takes.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

On home turf...

2011-01-30T17:51:00.015+05:30

I quite like the geographical diversity in the last three posts( this one included). One from Far East, Thai Green Curry, one from the West, Pizza so this one had to be from my homeland. A dish prepared quite regularly in my household and relished especially by the adults.

In the East we often combine fish with other green vegetables. The typical Macha Jhola/Fish curry( that is staple diet in most Odiya households) has vegetables like potato, bhindi, brinjal, cauliflower etc. This makes the dish balanced in terms of nutrients, flavorsome in terms of taste and economical on the purse strings(prawns are going at Rs.400/ a kilo and a family of four could happily eat about half a kilo at one go).

Adding fish to lesser mortals like "lau/bottle gourd"(that is the standard perception about vegetables in most non-veg consuming households, a quick disclaimer I love vegetables and eat all of them without exception) gives it a face/place lift and ensures a wider appeal. Most people I know do not like Lau/Bottle gourd but absolutely love the Lau- Chingudi(prawn) combo. The sweet taste of Lau is balanced by the spicier Chingudi/prawn.

Lau Chingudi(Bottle Gourd with prawns)

Ingredients

Prawns/Chingudi: 200 grams(ideally the really small ones though I have used the larger sized ones here by default)

Bottle Gourd/Lau: One medium sized, chopped into cubes

Jeera/Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Tej Pata/Bay leaves: 1/2 tsp

Salt: 1 tsp

Sugar: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric/Haldi powder:1/2 tsp

Green chillies:1/2, slit on top

Jeera/cumin powder: 1 tsp

Dhania/Corriander powder: 1 tsp

Green Corriander/Dhania patta: 2/3 tbsps

Oil: 1/2 tsp, ideally mustard oil

Method

This is a dish with very few ingredients. The seasoning needs to be subtle and should not overpower the flavor/taste of the main ingredients namely Lau and Chingudi. Given that prawns are very high in cholesterol try and use it more like a flavoring for the dish.

Add a little bit of salt and turmeric to the prawns and shallow fry them in a Kadai. This should take you only a couple of minutes as prawns cook very quickly. Do not overcook the prawns as they would then turn rubbery. Remove.

Into the same kadai add some jeera, bay leaves, green chillies and saute for a few minutes. Then add the Lau and the rest of the seasoning(salt, sugar, turmeric powder, jeera and dhania powder).

Cover and cook for a few minutes till the Lau softens. Lau will release a lot of water as it cooks so you will need to keep opening the lid a couple of times as it cooks.

Add the cooked prawns, mix well. Cook for a few more minutes.

Garnish with the green corriander.

While making Lau Chingudi try and keep the rest of your menu simple. Maybe plain rice and a moong daal. Provided warmth, coziness and comfort.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Breakfast like a King......

2011-01-30T11:27:00.022+05:30

My children could not believe their luck when they woke up this Sunday morning. Breakfast menu was Pizza. The younger one circled around the kitchen counter a couple of times to make sure that it was Pizza indeed!!! Mom agreeing to Pizzas and that too for breakfast. "unbelievable". Then he sat down and watched me layer the Pizzas.

Each one got customized, lots of mushroom for the older one, chilli flakes and olives for my husband, more corn and less mushroom for the younger one and of course some, 'all of the above' kind of Pizzas too. The biggest advantage of making the Pizzas at home, made to order so as sinful or as healthy as you want it to be.

The challenge was to try and minimize the wait time between each round. Started baking only after I had finished layering all the Pizzas. Next placed one Pizza on the hot plate(top of the oven) while another one baked. Then the ready to eat Pizza made it way to the table while the one waiting on top got shoved into the oven. And so it went on till the men declared that they were done. And could I please save the leftovers for their mid meal snack

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and so if you feel like having a Pizza the best time to have it would be in the morning. That way you have the entire day to burn the calories(sorry, if this bit sounds a little preachy, all for a good cause :-))

Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza bases: 4(one per person). Make one or two extras which you could microwave later and eat.

Tomatoes: 4/5

Oregano: 4/5 tsp( about 1 tsp per pizza)

Olive oil: 2 tsps

Mushroom: 200 grams, finely sliced

Onions: 2 finely chopped

American sweet corn: About 1 cup, boiled

Sausages: 3/4, cut into thin roundels

Cheddar Cheese: You decide the quantity. My kids sometimes ask for a double cheese Pizza. Grate evenly over each Pizza and watch it melt and bubble all over.

Tobasco sauce: 1 tsp

Tomato Ketchup: 1 tsp

Method

For the base sauce

Blanch and puree about 3/4 tomatoes( chop one tomato fine and save that for the topping).

Heat some olive oil in a kadai, add some garlic to it. Saute for a few minutes(I like the garlic flavoring in my base sauce, you could make it without the garlic too). Then add some seasoning( try the Roopak Oregano seasoning), the pureed tomatoes and simmer. Let the sauce thicken. Then add some Cilantro/Dhania patta. Add about a teaspoon full of tobasco and another teaspoon of regular tomato ketchup. Check the seasoning. You may need to add 1/2 tsp of sugar.

Now to assemble

Spread about 1 tbsp of tomato sauce over the Pizza base. Then add some/all of the toppings. Mushroom, corn, sausage/salami, onion, tomatoes, chilli flakes, sliced olives, dhania patta, chopped garlic, oregano. Final topping of grated cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Slice each Pizza into four/two(depending on the number of members in your household) so that all of you can enjoy eating it together. That way you also get to sample a little bit of the other one's Pizza. Then wait till the next one arrives.

Playing for Pizza, anyone?

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

What's for dinner, darling?

2011-01-27T19:04:00.015+05:30

Salad/stir fry for the day? What should I cook today?

The eternal question. Ideally something new, something I have not made in a while. The key to make salads interesting is to keep changing most of the ingredients everyday.

As I was going through the motions of deciding on what to cook( this is harder than the actual cooking) I remembered a Sanjeev Kapoor, ' Egg and Lettuce' salad recipe. As a meal accompaniment that would have worked fine but a main meal salad would need to have more "body" and so more ingredients( you cannot possibly have more than one egg per person in your salad). But the combination sounded appetising and I decided to use that as the base and add more ingredients. Some veggies( beans and carrots are always stocked in my refrigerator), some boiled pasta(a handful, should not overpower the veggies, veggies add volume to the salad without adding too many calories) and some sausages( for that wee bit of indulgence).

Now for the dressing. Did not want to use mayonnaise or the olive oil and lime juice combo( think new, think different has to be the mantra). So decided to make a cooked tomato sauce dressing with garlic, fresh basil and Tobasco. In all the combination that I quite hurriedly put together seemed to look good and worked well.

My Thursday Salad

(In the absence of a better name I have decided to name the salads by the day of the week)

Ingredients

Boiled Pasta: About 1 cup

Beans: 4/5 beans cut into two inch long pieces and blanched

Eggs: 2/3 boiled and cut into quartets

Carrots: 1, cut them two inch long pieces( had not initially planned on the carrots but they seemed to contrast so well with the rest of the ingredients, just could not miss out on the photo opportunity- sis would be proud of me)

Tomatoes: 2/3, blanched and pureed

Olive oil: 2 tsp

Oregano seasoning: 1 tsp

Basil leaves: 4/5

Lettuce: 4/5 leaves

Garlic: 4/5 cloves, sliced into thin slivers

Sugar: 1 tsp

Sausage: 2/3 cut into roundels

Tobasco sauce: 1 tsp

Method

For the dressing:Heat some olive oil, saute the garlic. Add the tomato puree, basil leaves, sugar, Tabasco, oregano. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. Remove from the stove.

Add the boiled pasta, beans and carrots to the tomato sauce. Mix well.

Layer a dish with some lettuce leaves. Add the pasta with vegetables layer. Top with the sausage, boiled eggs and some shredded lettuce. Serve.

I am learning to think beyond the regular garden salad and making some amazing discoveries in the process.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

P.S: I did not get to sample any of it. I ate the leftover Thai Green Curry but then I am not complaining.

Ban Thai.....

2011-01-26T19:09:00.019+05:30

I am so very excited today. I am uploading the post minutes after making the dish.

My first attempt at making Thai green curry and it has turned out well. I love Thai food. Love the riot of flavors, the texture of the curries, the sweet taste of coconut milk being balanced out by the green/red chillies and lime juice/lemon grass. It also comes very close to Indian coastal food. I am from the Eastern coast of the country where coconut milk/grated coconut is used quite regularly to flavor dishes. I also like the strong sour taste in curries. Thai food makes me feel like it was a cuisine created especially for me.

Last week I watched a cookery show where the host was making a Thai Green curry. I had also read a detailed account of Knife(fellow blogger) making the Thai Green Curry. So, this dish has been on my mind for a while.

My success with Tom Yam soup has also encouraged me to get more experimentative with my cooking. And finally the easy access to ingredients like lemon grass( I now grow it in my garden), galangal, kafir lime leaves etc. And where ingredients were not available some creativity/innovation to the rescue.

I had always thought that the green paste would have some really exotic ingredients and would be difficult to prepare at home. Must be to do with the name. Some internet search, sms exchanges with Knife, encouragement from sis and voila the Thai green curry appeared.

I really enjoyed this one taking shape. As it got close to what was familiar, I started breathing easy. So from feeling terribly nervous at the start of my cooking to becoming almost ecstatic after tasting it. And immense satisfaction after my family had eaten and certified the dish.

Thai Green Curry

Ingredients( a long list but most of the ingredients are easily available at home)

For the green curry paste

Corriander seeds: 1 tsp

Green chillies: 4/5, deseeded. This gives the curry paste a fiery green color and pungent smell. But don't worry the coconut milk and lime juice balances this out. Also the gravy in combination with some rice or boiled noodles tastes just right.

Green corriander:1/2 cup, chopped fine

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Fresh Basil: 2 tbsps

Shallots: 4/5 or about 4/5 tbsps of finely chopped regular onion

Galangal/Thai Ginger: 1 inch piece, chopped fine(you could substitute with regular ginger)

Lemon grass: 2/3 stalks, chopped fine. Save some for the garnish

Kafir lime leaves:4/5

Other ingredients

Soya sauce: 2/3 tsps( or some fish sauce)

Shrimp paste: 2 tbsps( I roasted some dried shrimps and ground them coarsely on my mortar and pestle and added it to the gravy).

Sugar: 1 tsp

Coconut milk: Thin coconut milk about two cups( If using powdered coconut milk, dissolve about 2 tbsps of coconut milk powder in two cups of warm water)

Lime juice: 3/4 tbsps

Chicken: Cut into small pieces( would cook faster and together with the vegetables), about 200 grams

Brinjal: I used a combination of green and purple brinjals(the long ones), so about half of each

Baby corn: 4/5 , cut them into 1 inch long pieces

Mushrooms: 200 grams, quartered.

Oil: 1 tsp

Method

Grind together all the ingredients for the green curry paste.

Heat a wok/kadai. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the green curry paste and saute for a few minutes.

Then add the coconut milk, sugar, lime juice, soya sauce, shrimp paste and mix well.

And the chicken and all the vegetables. I love my thai curry with a lot of vegetables but you could halve the quantity if you prefer to have more chicken in your gravy.

Allow the vegetables to cook in the gravy, simmer for about 10 minutes.

Do check the seasoning. Like most Thai food there is a fusion of flavors but it is very important that they balance out. So add sugar/salt, lime juice as necessary.

Serve with some boiled rice or boiled noodles.

Yumm! This one is sure to make an appearance at meal times with regular frequency. Eyes down for Thai red and yellow curries.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

P.S: Thanks Knife for patiently answering all my queries.

Weaving magic around the table......

2011-01-21T22:27:00.010+05:30

Growing up in small town India was a lot of fun. You walked to school, your school friends were also your neighbors, you cycled on high streets(read main roads) without a care in the World, you created your own games, your dolls had names other than Barbie and the doll's wardrobe was courtesy your Mom. You also had lots and lots of unexpected guests. This was the pre- mobile phone era where even the penetration of landlines/STD booths was abysmally low. Guests would many a times drop in out of the blue and close to meal times. But Mom had a way of tackling these situations. She stayed calm and before we knew almost like a magician she would have added several more dishes to the daal- chawal menu. Her invisible wand produced the most delicious papads, pickles, chutneys, salads and raitas. Some/all of this on the table made it appear a lot more elaborate than it was initially intended to be.

When it came to raitas, the cucumber with tomato and onion was most common. However if there was less time or Mom decided to use the cucumber- tomato combo for the salad, then it would be dahi boondi as raita.

Accompaniments do play a big part in Indian cuisine. They help spice up the food, break the monotony of everyday menus and add immensely in terms of taste/flavor. All of this without too much additional time/effort.

Dahi Baigan(Brinjal in yoghurt) is a traditional Odiya dish, classified as raita/relish. It is a regular meal accompaniment in most Odiya households especially in the hot summer months. The brinjal and yoghurt combination gives it a really unusual taste and flavor.

Dahi Baigan

Ingredients

Brinjal: 2 medium sized brinjal( choose the bharta baigans as these do not have too many seeds)

Curd: 400 grams

Curry leaves: 10

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Corriander leaves: 1 tbsp

Sugar:1/4 tsp

Salt: To taste

Oil: 2 tsps

Method

Cut the brinjal into length wise quarters (2 inch long pieces). Leave the skin on. Smear some salt and turmeric over it. Leave for a few minutes.

Heat the oil and shallow fry the brinjals till done. Keep them aside and allow them to cool.

Next, whip the curd with sugar and salt. Add the fried brinjal pieces to it.

Heat the kadai( use the same one on which you have fried the brinjals), fry curry leaves, mustard seeds and green chillies. Season the curd with the same.

Garnish with chopper corriander.

Note: It is important to keep the proportion of Brinjal to less than half of the quantity of curd.

You can make an easy dip with the leftover dahi baigan. Remove the baigan pieces, mash it in a blender/mixie. Add it back to the whipped curd. Sprinkle some chat masala. Use this to top plain crackers or serve it along with some potato chips.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

These are a few of my favorite things.......

2011-01-18T20:05:00.016+05:30

My initiation into the movie 'Sound of music' was through its songs. We had a record player back home and listened to the songs/heard the movie story, years before we actually got to see the movie.

I have watched the movie at least a dozen times since, at various life-stages. Love all the songs. They do bring back a lot of childhood memories..sixth floor apartment( in small town India we referred to them as flats) facing the sea, lovely sea breeze, curtains billowing and happy "us".

My favorites have changed over the years though. "Doe re me" when I was a little girl, " I am sixteen" during my teen aged years, " I have confidence in sunshine" sang this one in the shower before every exam, Edeilweiss when I felt pensive/melancholic. The only exception has been the song "Girls in white dresses...my favorite things" which has made me happy each time I have listened to it. Julie Andrew's enthusiasm is definitely infectious. You just can't listen to this song and remain sad.

Now that I am into serious cooking and active blogging. Here are some of my favorite "food things":

Home cooked meals:warm, nourishing, comfort food
Cooking with leftovers. Half your job is already done when you start cooking. Rehashing last night's Moussaka into Spaghetti bolognese, Chicken curry into a Sandwich stuffing or Rajma into a saucy dip gives me an instant high.
One dish meals: Quick, easy and nutritious. From everyday khichdis to exotic khao suey
The smell of baking: rich warm smell of vanilla and chocolate combined, uplifts the mood
Using soups to thicken gravies: good way to reuse soups. This one probably qualifies as cooking with leftovers
Fresh green salads: They look so colourful and appetising. Red( Bell pepper and cherry tomatoes), yellow(corn), shades of green( bell pepper, beans, cucumber, lettuce), orange(carrots)
No oil cooking: that is some guilt free indulgence
Pizzas: watching my children wait eagerly for the Pizza to bake and then devouring them, priceless
Food disguises that help you sneak a lot of veggies in: burgers, sandwiches
Dishes with exotic names: instant appeal
Soups on a cold winter day

When it comes to soups, Tom Yam is my favorite. The soup is characterized by its distinctive hot and sour taste and the fragrant smell of lemon grass. Until recently I used to either have this soup at restaurants or use a ready mix to prepare. This winter after a few attempts I seem to have come close to perfecting the taste( or so say my family who are very generous with their compliments).

Tom Yam Soup

Ingredients

Chicken stock: 4/5 cups(Prepare the chicken stock by pressure cooking 4/5 boney pieces of chicken with a quartered onion and some whole pepper. Strain.)

Lemon grass: 2/3 stalks( I now have a lemon grass plant and the fresh lemon grass gives the soup its characteristic smell/taste)

Lime juice: 2/3 tablespoons

Mushrooms: 5/6, sliced really thin

Galangal( Thai ginger): 1 inch, cut into small pieces( was thrilled to find it in a store, you could also substitute with regular ginger which is more pungent)

Boiled Shredded chicken or boiled prawns: 1/2 cup

Salt and pepper to taste

Chilli flakes: 1 tsp

Sugar: 1/4 tsp

Method

Put the stock back on the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients to it and let it boil. Then simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

The soup has a hot and sour taste with citrus overtones. It is simply Yumm!

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

He is a growing boy....look how he is shooting up.....

2011-01-15T21:48:00.013+05:30

Cooking for 'growing boys' is challenging(to put it mildly). They are forever hungry and want something interesting to eat. Unless you can match their pace you will have them reaching for junk.

While Burgers get classified as junk food, it is quite simple to convert that into a healthy, wholesome anytime meal. Buy good quality wholewheat buns, stuff with vegetable cutlets( tons of veggies, a little bit of oil) and there you go.

It works as a one dish meal and you could team it with a soup/fresh juice depending on the time of the day and season of the year.

Veggie Burger

Ingredients(Makes four burgers)

Burger Buns: 2 per person ( if you have boys budget for a few more)

Potatoes: 2/3 large sized, boiled

Mixed vegetables: 1 cup( finely chop carrots, beans and boil them along with some green peas)

Paneer: 100 grams, grated

Bread: 1/2 slices

Pepper: 1 tsp

Jeera powder: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Cheese slice(optional): One per burger

Mayonnaise(optional): 1 tsp per burger

Method

To make the cutlet

Mash the potatoes, add the boiled vegetables, grated paneer, salt, pepper, jeera powder, bread slices and mix well to make a firm dough.

Shape the dough into big, round balls and then flatten them. They need to be the size( in terms of their diameter, pardon the technical jargon) of the buns that you plan to use.

Putting it all together

Halve the burger buns( horizontally). The ones I bought today had already been halved( some clever thinking I must say). Toast them lightly. You could spread some mayo on them(optional), layer a slice of cheese over the lower half(again optional, most kids love it), place the cutlet over it. Cover with the other half of the bun.

Serve with some tomato ketchup.

We had ours for dinner along with a salad and some soup.

Burger also makes a good lunch box option. Kids are quite happy eating it cold. My suggestion would be to skip the cheese slice else you would end up with a gooey mess. Make the cutlet from the night before so that all of you have to do is assemble the burger in the morning.

A good way to sneak a lot of vegetables in. Looks delicious and easy finger food( even your five year old can polish it in a jiffy).

You could keep varying the filling: aloo tikki( potato cutlets) one day, chicken nuggets on another, mince chops the third time etc.

Just about anything can be mashed into a cutlet( even leftover rajma mixed with some boiled potatoes) and turned into a burger. As long as you stay with the burger disguise, kids are sure to love it.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

P.S: The ketchup art is courtesy my older son. Cooking with kids is even more fun than cooking for kids. Cheers!

Et tu Brutus.....

2011-01-14T21:46:00.018+05:30

"Et tu?" my foodie friend asks. Her tone clearly accusing me of betrayal. Yes, me too I answer.

Her surprise/dismay was on being told that I too had joined the group of weight watchers/health watchers who ate a light dinner. And that my dinner these days( on most weekdays) typically comprised of salads/stir fry/soup. She of course assumed that by doing so I was going to miss out on all the excitement/fun centered around food. And that I had resigned myself to a 'ghaas-phoos'(read tomato and cucumber salad) existence. She couldn't have been farther from the truth. Dinner times are actually getting better. I rummage through recipe books/blogs for interesting salad recipes. I reproduce leaner and easier to make versions of the same. The salads are different, interesting and the dressing is usually light. Even when I use mayonnaise I make it thinner by adding some milk to it. Lime juice, olive oil and oregano makes for a nice flavoring.

I seem to have misplaced my Tarla Dala book of soups and salads. In this books she provides alternate dressing for the same salad. There are a total of about fifteen types of dressing and you can mix n match( go beyond her recommended set) to make different salads. In some ways I am glad I cannot locate the book, it is helping me discover new salads/dressings each day.

The other inspiration for the title of this post is the salad below. The chicken version is more popular. What I like about it is the mix of ingredients and flavors. But then isn't that true about most salads.

Tuna Caeser's Salad

Ingredients

Tuna: About 400 grams of Tuna. Choose the regular one in brine

Lettuce: A bundle( four to five big leaves)

Onions: 1/2 chopped fine

Tomatoes: De- seed and chop fine( You can always add the pulp to another gravy dish)

Bread: Toast and then chop into small pieces to make the croutons

Mayonnaise: 2 tbsps

Olive Oil: 2 tbsps

Lime juice: 2 tbsps

Oregano seasoning: 1 tsp( I use the Roopak brand which comes mixed with carway seeds and other seasoning)

Parmesean Cheese(optional): 1/2 tsps of grated cheese

Method

Prepare a dressing of mayo, olive oil, lime juice and oregano. Toss in the tuna, onions, tomatoes and shredded lettuce. If using cheese add it at this stage. Add the bread croutons. Toss well.

Serve immediately.

This is a meal by itself. You could at best combine it with a clear soup.

Lettuce gives this salad a fresh, light feel and a crunchy taste. If using lettuce that has been stored in the refrigerator for a day, refresh in ice cold water to which a few drops of vinegar has been added.

You could also add some finely shredded cabbage and some boiled eggs to the salad.

"Breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a Pauper". Hope that works for me. Watch this space for more salad recipes. And as for my foodie friend hope I can get her to switch too.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Through the blogger's lens.......

2011-01-06T21:18:00.016+05:30

"I blog therefore I cook", sums up my present mindset quite aptly. Ever since I started blogging, food has taken on an entirely new meaning.

I have always been a foodie. Am part of an extended family where most phone conversations begin with: what's cooking? It is not uncommon among us cousins to call each other up across states/countries/continents for recipes. Food talk dominates whenever we meet. We plan our menus/meals days ahead of each other's scheduled visits. Post the visit we quickly update the rest of the family on the outcome of our efforts- what worked/what did not, what was perceived to be new/interesting etc.

So how is it different now? It is not easy for me to articulate what has changed but kuch to hua hai. I remember having a chat on this with fellow blogger Raindrop. Both of us agreed that blogging had given us a 'seventh sense' /a sort of third eye. We were a lot more sensitized and receptive to the various sounds, smells, flavors around us. It was like wearing a blogger's lens when one looked at the world.

Thus Khichdi was no longer a bland, healthy dish but "comfort food", Caramel pudding transformed itself into "dizzy pazzy", Soups from being mere appetizers now symbolized warm, nourishing, winter food. It was almost as if another layer/dimension had been added on to food.

One is also constantly on the lookout for new recipes, new food experiences etc. etc. Meal times at home are a lot more interesting. You try and make your everyday cooking 'blog worthy' either through a concept or execution. You cook, experiment, combine flavors and in the process hone your cooking skills. You attack recipe books with renewed vigor and more often than not find your own variations of the same.

Mustard chicken is the result of one such attempt. It has its origins somewhere in the South of France. What I present below is a leaner and easier version of the original. The sharp/pungent flavor of mustard is balanced by the combined flavors of honey, lime juice and olive oil. So a mustard based recipe without the 'bite' of mustard.

Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

Boneless Chicken: 400 grams( Breast pieces)

Mustard paste: 3/4 tbsps( soak about 3/4 tbsps of mustard seeds for 3/4 hours and then grind to a fine paste)

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Lime juice: 1 tbsp

Oregano seasoning: 1 tbsp

Honey: 1 tsp

Salt: 1 tsp

Method

Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry. Prick all over with a fork. Prepare a marinade with the mustard paste, lime juice, olive oil, honey, oregano seasoning and salt. Marinate the chicken pieces in it for 2/3 hours(Ideally place the container in the refrigerator). Take the container out about 30 minutes before you start cooking, to allow the chicken to thaw.

Heat a non- stick plan. Brush some olive oil on it. Once the pan heats up place the chicken pieces. Cook on high for a little while(pan sear the chicken), turn the pieces and continue to cook on high. Then reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 8/10 minutes. Open the cover, increase the heat and let the marinade completely coat the chicken.

Serve along with a tomato and celery salad.

Exotic to be part of a party menu AND easy to cook/healthy enough to eat everyday.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Soul Curry.....

2011-01-05T21:07:00.018+05:30

It is the festive season. Almost all the food blogs that I have read over the past few days are full of party cooking. Elaborate meat dishes or exotic desserts.

I am however choosing to write about one of the more basic ones at this time- Khichdi. The feasting has been done with and so the focus needs to quickly turn to health. Also with the mercury dipping to 3 degrees and Delhi being colder than Shimla( if Times of India is to be believed) one needs warm, nourishing food.

As with soups, Khichdi tastes wonderful during winters. It is comfort food in most Indian homes. Yes, this is true across regions. Some version of the Khichdi exists in every home. In fact Khichdi has also the inspiration for the Anglo Indian dish Kedegree. There are ofcourse many adaptations of this basic dish including one with leftover keema.

In the East Khichdi is usually prepared as a main meal during festivals. I have happy memories of eating Khichdi with tomato chutney and baigan bhaja( shallow fried brinjal) during Ganesh puja and Saraswati puja. The same is also served as prasad at the puja pandals during Durga Puja. Despite the near absence of oil or spices the dish tastes delicious. As with all other comfort foods it is unpretentious in character, provide easy satisfaction and help us ease back into every day life.

It is a one pot meal. The rice provides the carbs, the daals provide the protein and the vegetables the vitamins/minerals etc. The tempering is subtle and no single ingredient dominates.

Khichdi

Ingredients

Rice: 1 cup

Moong Daal: 1/2 cup

Masoor Daal: 1/2 cup

Jeera: 1 tsp

Ghee: 1 tsp

Bay leaves: 2

Ginger: 1 inch, grated

Shelled Green Peas: 1/2 cup

Potatoes: 2, cubed

Salt: 1 tsp

Turmeric: 1/2 tsp

Red Chillies: 2/3

Method

Roast the moong daal for a few minutes( till you get a nice aroma, take care not to brown the daal). Next take about 3/4 cups of water in a pressure cooker and let it come to a boil, add the rice and allow it to cook for a few minutes. Then add the daal, vegetables, half the grated ginger, salt, turmeric. Mix well. Cover the pressure cooker and let it give out one whistle. Switch off the cooker and allow it to cool.

Separately heat oil in a small kadai, add the jeera, red chillies, bay leaves and the remaining ginger to it. Let the jeera sputter. Add the tadka to the Khichdi. Serve immediately.

Khichdi needs to be eaten as soon as it is cooked.

Khichdi is also the first solid food that is given to babies in India. So comforting childhood memories and a sense of security is what it also provides.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Happy New Year......

2010-12-30T12:21:00.012+05:30

Enough and more has been said about soups. Warms the body and comforts the soul. Equally popular among dieters and foodies. Technically an appetizer but can be tweaked to make it a main course dish.

Mercury has been dropping steadfastly and soups continue to hold forte at my dinner table. It is therefore obvious that my posts too would center around them. A soup and sandwich combo is also way easier to put together( with fewer dirty dishes at the end) than most other meals.

This time it is mushroom which I love in any form, pizza topping, as Chinese chilli, Indian curries, in pulaos. Actually in just about anything. The World though is clearly divided into two groups, those who love mushrooms and those who hate the vegetable. Thankfully for me even the boys love mushroom, in terms of popularity Broccoli tends to be a notch higher.

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

Mushroom: 200 grams/one packet of mushroom, chop them fine

Onions: 2/3 medium sized ones chopped

Milk: 1 cup

Salt: To taste

Pepper: 2 tsps, freshly ground

Oil: 1 tsp

Method

Quite like how you make the Cream of Broccoli soup except that here you puree only part of the mushrooms.

Heat oil in a kadai, add the onions and fry till they turn glassy. Next add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes.

Scoop out a little bit from this( about 2 tbsps) and puree it in a blender. Add it back to the kadai. Add one cup of milk and one cup of water. Give it a boil and then simmer on low. Add some salt and pepper to it. If you like your soup even thicker you could add a tsp of maida or cornflour to the same.

Serve hot.

Add some boiled, cubed chicken to the leftover mushroom soup, thicken it a little more with the flour and you have your very own Chicken Stroganoff, with hardly any effort.

This is my last post for the year. Wishing all of you a very happy food-filled year ahead.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Going Green....

2010-12-26T22:13:00.018+05:30

Come Winter and soup becomes an integral part of our dinner menu. And when you are making a soup every evening you want it to both look and taste different from what you made the previous day. Variety helps make the meal more interesting, "soup of the day", becomes the topic of discussion around the dinner table( keeps the boys from squabbling) and these days provides 'fodder' for my posts. There are times when I get so excited with my new find that I forget to click a picture. By the time I realize this, it is all gone.

Typically a clear chicken soup works best for that stuffed nose and sore throat. Add some boiled noodles/wantons or vegetables to that and you have a complete meal.

When it comes to vegetarian soups the thick, creamy ones tend to be more popular. They have more body and are quite filling. You could make a thick soup with just about anything; potato, broccoli, mushroom, cauliflower, peas etc.

Broccoli soup is quick to make and has a rich, creamy texture. My husband insists I have added some cream when there really is none. As with most other soups this goes well with a warm salad and some garlic bread/soup sticks

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

Broccoli: 1 small sized, cut into small sizes florets.

Milk: 1 cup

Onions: 2 medium sized, finely chopped

Salt: 1 tsp

Pepper: 1 tsp

Butter: 1 tsp

Method

Heat the butter in a kadai. Add the onions and saute till the onions turn glassy. Add the Broccoli. Saute for a while. Add the salt and pepper. Cover and cook till done. Allow it to cool down. Keep a few small pieces for the garnish and puree the rest in the mixie.

Put this mixture back on the stove. Add one cup of water and one cup of milk. Mix well and cook on slow flame for about 10 minutes. Garnish with the fried Broccoli and serve hot.

The soup looks a beautiful light green color and cues health. You could substitute the butter with some olive oil or any other refined oil.

There is nothing like a steaming hot bowl of soup on a cold winter night or a damp rainy one. It comforts from within. You feel its warmth as it flows down the throat and leaves you satiated. But if you were me, you would be asking for more.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

I strike GOLD.....

2010-12-26T11:12:00.017+05:30

Yoo! Hoo! My 50th post. I have done it, I have done it, I have done it.

I had set myself a target of 50 posts before the year ended and here I am with my 50th.

Blogging is therapeutic( I am sure all my fellow bloggers agree) and food blogs are way beyond recipes, cooking and eating. They capture food memories, reminiscence about old times, connect up with friends, help you relax, inspire you to cook more, make you feel more confident to experiment etc. etc. etc. In short a happier me.

My focus when I started writing the blog were the recipes. Today I enjoy writing the food stories that accompany these recipes. The drama I create lets me relive a part of my childhood/youth or capture my present.

My post 'Yan can cook', 'Julie and Julia' were about my initiation into cooking. A few good laughs among family/friends about those initial disasters followed. A big Thank you to all those who patiently put up with my cooking and encouraged me to try harder. I am at it.

Comfort Food was all about comforting childhood memories( through food of course). Memories that invoke a sense of nostalgia and security even years later. They also remind me about my early exposure to cuisines beyond that of my own region.

I particularly enjoyed writing the post Quick Gun Murugan. It was different from my other posts not just by the conspicuous absence of a recipe but also( and more importantly so) it is a post that unites two different generations through food. My Dad and his fondness for Idlis AND my son and his love for the same. Dad passed away four years ago but it almost feels that a little bit of Dad's love for Idlis lives through my son.

For my Golden Jubilee post I shall write about yet another family favorite, Moussaka. I first sampled Moussaka at my friend K's place. K is a good friend and a wonderful cook. Someone who serves Patishapta (a traditional Bengali sweet) with a rich plum sauce and layers her cheese cakes with notun guder(jaggery) mishti doi( sweet curd). Over the years K and I have exchanges recipes, indulged in a lot of food talk but the one recipe that I instantly associate with K is Moussaka.

Moussaka is a three layered main course Greek Dish. Yes, the name does make you feel curious to know a little more but it is the taste, the combination of all those various flavors that tips the scales.

Moussaka

You could also make this with regular leftover keema cooked the Indian way.

Ingredients

Keema or mince: 500 grams

Onions: 2 finely chopped

Tomato puree: 3/4 tbsp

Garlic: chopped fine

Potatoes: 3/4

Brinjals: 1 large( Buy the bharta baigan which does not have seeds).

Oil: 1 tbsp( I use Olive oil)

Eggs: 2

Curd: 200 grams

Oregano: 1 tsp

Method

Boil the potatoes and cut them into thick roundels. Cut the Brinjal into thick roundels and shallow fry them with a little bit of salt.

Heat some oil, add the finely chopped onion, fry till the onion turns glassy. Next add the garlic and fry for a few minutes. Add the keema and saute for 4/5 minutes. Next add the tomato puree, salt and oregano and continue to cook. Cover and cook till done. With very fine mince this should not take more than ten minutes. Please note that the mince would also get cooked after you have assembled the dish and put it in the oven to bake.

Once the mince is done start layering the dish. Use a deep bottom dish as there would be six layers in all. Use potato as the bottom layer, top with brinjal and then the cooked mince. Repeat. Do not press the layers down. There should be some gap for the egg and curd mixture to seep through.

Next beat the curd and egg with some salt and pepper. Pour over the potato, brinjal and mince layers. Allow it to settle down.

Bake at 200 degree centigrade for 30/45 minutes with both upper and lower coils on. The dish should brown lightly.

Serve it with a clear soup and some garlic bread/bread sticks.

Note: It definitely tastes better than it looks in the picture. I am working on my plating and photography skills. Please bear with me

If making it as part of your entertainment menu, I would recommend making the mince/boiling the potatoes and shallow frying the brinjals a day earlier. You could assemble and set the dish to bake about an hour before your guests are scheduled to arrive.

Like I mentioned earlier my family loves Moussaka. Come to think of it most of my other blog posts are also family favorites. That makes us quite a foodie family, doesn't it? They are my constant inspiration to try out new dishes. This week, it has been a hattrick. My new finds include Pinacorn salad( even a variation with some french beans, boiled pasta and cubed paneer), Mushroom soup and Tom Yam Soup(made from scratch and with lemon grass from my kitchen garden).

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

P.S: Hope to upload 100 posts over the next one year. So wish me good luck. Cheers!

What's in a name....? With apologies to William Shakespeare

2010-12-25T18:35:00.009+05:30

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." (Romeo and Juliet)

I am sorry but this Shakespearian logic definitely does not extend to food. As with 'plating' or presentation of a dish, the name definitely heightens interest.

I have often noticed that the more complex the name, the more intrigued you are about the contents of the dish. So if you were to tell a group that you were making Moussaka the response would be Wow! and then quickly followed by "Hey, but what is that?" Would you have got a similar response had you for example said I am making Keema Alu Baigan( the key ingredients of Moussaka).

When it comes to naming their dishes the French take the cake( with the icing). Creme Brulee, Mango Gateux, Crepes Sucrees and so it goes on. Just hearing these names makes me do a flip and I go awesome. But unless you are into food or French, you would at a restaurant call the steward point to the dish in the menu card and say: "I want one of that."

The Mughals too have done well for themselves when it comes to naming their food. The names are so attractive that you are very often tempted to try out the dish. Nargisi Kofta, Dum Murgh, Murgh Noorjehani, Shahi Kaju Aloo(Prefix any dish with Shahi and complexion changes) and so on. Some names also have associations with either a person or place or event and thus more character. Ledikeni is a Bengali sweet that was created for Lady Canning to celebrate her birthday.

I was at a cousin's place last week and the menu included a corn salad. American sweet corn dishes are gaining popularity ever since the Modern Trade outlets started stocking them. Now they are also available quite easily at your local vegetable shop. The salad looked interesting, tasted really nice but it was the name that finally did the trick. It was called Pinacorn salad. There was an exotic feel to the name, a certain lilt to it. So some quick sms exchanges, some searches and the dish made its way to our dinner table soon thereafter.

Pinacorn Salad

Ingredients

American Sweet Corn: 200 grams

Tinned pineapple slices: 2/3

Walnuts: 3/4, crush them with your hand

Lettuce: 1 bunch( tear half to add to the salad and use the rest for the garnish)

Thousand island dressing( you could also make this by mixing tomato ketchup and finely chopped onions to some mayo): 2/3 tbsp. I use the brand Cremica.

Method

Mix the ingredients together. Layer the serving dish with some lettuce. Serve the salad on this bed of lettuce.

I am told this salad stays well for a long time so if you are having people over for dinner you can make this well in advance. Would also be good as a lunch box option. The salad has a nice sweet and sour taste. The walnuts and lettuce give it a nice crunchy feel.

A great tasting salad without the usual mess of peeling and chopping.

To make this a complete meal you could add a handful of boiled pasta and some blanched tender beans.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

P.S: Watch out for the Moussaka post. This one tastes as good as it sounds :-)

Queen of hearts....

2010-12-23T22:19:00.015+05:30

Food is indeed a great way to connect. There has been a heightened interest in food among my boys ever since I started blogging. The older one says " Mom your food tastes better than it looks, you need to work on your 'plating skills'" . "The younger one adds " Mom you should join Master Chef Australia. It is really very simple, they demonstrate a recipe and you have to make the same one. Monkey see monkey do, SM see SM do". This new found wisdom and the accompanying jargon I am told is courtesy the various cookery shows that they have been watching. Inspired by all the food talk around me I continue to create drama around the kitchen and the recipes.

There was a Christmas bake sale at school recently. We as parents were asked to send home-make cakes/bakes/snacks for the same( I must quickly add that the contributions were voluntary). Gave me the perfect opportunity to bond with the boys and get brownie points from their teachers for being an involved Mom. The first rule of the Foodie Club: I shall always use food to my advantage. So two Raindrop cakes(refer blog) and some bite-sized sandwiches it was for the sale.

Sandwiches cut into different shapes make interesting lunch boxes. This is also an easy way to introduce your child to the World of shapes. So together we made these sandwiches and they got sold in packs of 5 for Rs.5/ They were almost gone by the time I reached the fest.

I had made a batch of chutney sandwiches and another batch of apple n cinnamon sandwiches. Always remember to keep some chutney handy in your refrigerator and use it as a sandwich spread, mix it with some hung curd to get a flavorsome dip in a jiffy, spice up gravies. The opportunities are endless.

Mint Chutney

Ingredients

Green Corriander: 1 cup

Fresh Mint: A few sprigs

Green chillies: 1/2( skip if making the chutney for children).

Salt: 1/2 tsp

Sugar: A pinch

Ginger: 1/2 an inch chopped fine

Method

Grind together into a thick paste. Use as required.

I used White bread for the sandwich. Most children prefer it over brown, it also contrasts better with the green chutney. Butter the slice, add one layer of chutney. Cover with a second layer. Use the cookie cutter to cut the sandwich into different shapes.

For the apple and cinnamon sandwich just substitute the chutney with apple and cinnamon jam.

Serve immediately or pack in the lunch box.

The heart shaped sandwich is my personal favorite . Goes well with the Christmas spirit too.

I had a lot of fun making these sandwiches and watching those little devils gobble them up.

"In my experience, clever food is not appreciated at Christmas. It makes the little ones cry and the old ones nervous." Jane Grigson

On that note Merry Chirtmas!

Bon Apetit and Happy cooking!

A twist to the tale...

2010-12-22T21:32:00.014+05:30

After cooking for over a decade most recipes tend to have a familiar ring to them. A feeling of 'been there done that' many a times. Like Chicken curries are likely to be dahi based or tomato based, pastas are cooked in white sauce, a tomato base, or just tossed around in olive oil, basic daals would either have a jeera or rai/mustard tadka and so it goes on.

YET, the mere addition of even one new ingredient or varying the proportion of the ingredient or adding it during a different stage in the cooking changes the complexion entirely. This fact gets reinforced each time I make an Indian chicken curry. Almost the same ingredients- tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, dhania powder, jeera powder, garam masala but a very different end result each time. Dhania Chicken, Elaichi Murg(refer blog) to name a few, have varied tastes. Even with the dahi based chicken dishes whether you marinate the chicken in the dahi or add whipped curd towards the last stages of cooking would impact the texture, consistency and taste. Ditto for dhania patta which when added towards the end as the garnish enhances the sensorials but when added earlier on adds to the taste and richness of the gravy.

Carribbean chicken which I cooked last week uses more or less the regular chicken curry ingredients. This is a wonderfully seasoned chicken. Although continental in terms of categorization, very Indian in taste. Jai Ho!

So ladies and gentlemen presenting...

Caribbean Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken: 800 grams

Onions: 2 large, sliced

Oil: 2tsp

Garlic paste: 2 tsp

Soya sauce: 4 tbsp

Salt: 1 tsp( go easy on the salt given that you are adding 4 tablespoon of soya sauce)

Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp. The chilli powder in combination with the soya sauce and tomato puree gives the dish a rich red color)

Tomato puree: 4/5 tbsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion till pink/glassy. Add the chicken and fry till the chicken changes colour. Add the garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt, red chilli powder,tomato puree. Cover and cook till the chicken is tender. Increase heat and thicken the sauce. Sprinkle fresh corriander leaves.

Serve hot.

This goes well with a pulao and is a convenient dish to make when you are entertaining. Likely to have a wide appeal given its Indo-western feel.

Sorry no pictures. My boys invited a friend home and together they polished it all off. I am not complaining, the proof of the chicken.

Happy cooking and Bon Apetit!

P.S: A Raindrop cake is baking as I write this post. The smell of freshly baked chocolate cake is a mood uplifter. I am starting to feel like Maria, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so sad.

Ubiquitous Sandwich....

2010-12-13T22:18:00.012+05:30

It is amazing when you think of the number of different types of sandwiches you can make, with two slices of bread. Just about anything can do for the filling. Last night's rajma ground to a fine paste or chicken curry remains or freshly sliced cucumber and tomato, put them between two slices of bread and it technically qualifies as a sandwich. A wee bit of imagination and the sandwich possibilities are endless, from basic chutney sandwiches( butter and green chutney) to more exotic grilled ones. Together with a soup they make for a complete and satisfying meal.

As children we carried sandwiches in our lunch boxes or on picnics, consumed them out of home. When Mom ran out of the regular sandwich ingredients she made them with ghee and sprinkled some sugar on top of it. I quite hated that combination. I preferred the ones with butter, cheese, eggs, sausages. Today, I use most leftovers as sandwich filling. Add some grated cheese, sprinkle some pepper, grill it and you get a great tasting sandwich. They are great as a breakfast option(filling can even be made from the night before and quickly assembled), as an in between snack or as a complete meal with a salad and soup.

Salami Sandwich

This is a fairly basic sandwich and uses egg, tomato, chicken salami in equal proportion. Have called it salami sandwich as that was my inspiration for the sandwich today. The rest of the ingredients got added along as I worked my way through the sandwich.

Ingredients

Brown bread: 8/10 slices

Chicken Salami roundels: 16 thin slices( try and get some fresh slices, those taste way better than the frozen ones)

Eggs: 2 hard- boiled, sliced thin

Tomatoes: 2 medium sized ones, sliced thin

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Rosemary: 1 tsp

Salt: to taste

Freshly ground pepper: 1 tsp

Eggless Mayonnaise: 2/3 tbsps

Method

Lay out all the ingredients before you start. Next heat some olive oil, add some rosemary and salt to it. Drizzle the oil over the tomato slices to give them an added flavor and taste.

Lightly toast the bread. Spread some mayo on the bread slices. Arrange the salami, egg and tomato slices over it. Sprinkle some salt and freshly ground pepper over it. Cover with another slice. Cut into triangles and serve with a hot clear soup.

Alternately you could also mash the egg, add the mayo, salami bits and tomato to it and use as the filling. Add a little milk to the egg as you mash it( a tip I learnt from one of my Bong friends), helps the sandwich stay really soft even hours later. Great for picnics and parties.

Bite sized sandwiches work well as starters. Sis passed on a recipe where chutney sandwiches are cut into small pieces and then given a seasoning of curry leaves and mustard in oil. You can substitute the chutney with a pickle masala.

And then of course there are open sandwiches which in essence are mini pizzas. Mushroom, capsicum and cheese topping is the more popular variant but you could make them with a host of other ingredients like sweet corn, potatoes, shredded chicken, mince etc.

Sandwiches are also great when you want to organize a " do it your self " party. You provide different spreads and fillings, people make their own sandwiches. It is a lot of fun and one ends up discovering some new combinations. There are some like my friend S who invariably opt for "all of the above" either together or in combinations thereof.

It is always a good idea to keep a loaf of bread, some eggs and soup sachets handy. You can dish up some interesting sandwich combos in a jiffy.

Happy cooking and Bon Apetit!

Comfort Food....

2010-12-12T18:02:00.021+05:30

Food they say is the most primitive form of comfort. Every family has their own comfort food recipes. A quick survey throws up some names, "dhuli moong daal khichdi with achar", "rice, daal and mashed potatoes", " bread with chicken stew", "konji". etc. What is common across these seemingly varied dishes is that they are typically home-cooked, warm, filling, unpretentious and provide easy satisfaction. Most of them use very few ingredients, are quick to prepare and help you achieve an improved emotional status. Just what the Doc ordered on a day you were feeling low or stressed or home-sick or nostalgic.

Growing up in a small though cosmopolitan town my early food memories (apart from the dishes that got cooked in my home) are of those that got cooked in my neighbor's kitchens. So it was Kumar aunty's Rajma, Murty's aunty's idlis, Smith aunty's vindaloo, Padmanabhan aunty's sambhar, Nanda aunty's cakes, Mohanty aunty's malpuas.....I could go on and on. Food that reminds me of comforting childhood memories. Most of this food is far from gourmet but invokes a feeling of nostalgia and security. They also make for good food stories and help us children connect even years later. Incidentally Mom managed to learn almost all of these dishes with a little help from the lovely ladies mentioned above and soon they got cooked in our kitchen too. But always referred to by the names of their original creators/disseminators. In the pre-cookbook/pre- cookery shows days recipes traveled through word of mouth and personal demos. There was a lot more of active sharing.

Macha Jhola is one such comfort food for me. While this is a commonly cooked dish in any Eastern household, the recipe varies slightly from household to household. Like some I know would skip the ginger, others might replace tomatoes with dried mango( Ambula), some others might make it sans the vegetables. But whichever way you cook it, it sure comforts.

Macha Jhola

Ingredients

Fish: 1/2 kilo Rohu

Potatoes: 2/3, cubed

Cauliflower: 8/10 florets( cut the same size as the potatoes)

Ginger: 1/2 inch, grated fine

Tomatoes: 2, chopped fine

Chilli powder:1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder: 1 1/2 tsp

Dhania powder: 1/2 tsp

Whole Jeera: 1 tsp

Mustard Oil: 2/3 tbsps( includes the oil needed to fry the fish)

Garam Masala: 1 tsp( freshly prepared by pounding together 4 small elaichi and about 1/2 an inch long cinnamon)

Bay leaves: 2

Method

Smear salt and turmeric on the fish pieces and keep for about 10/15 minutes. Heat the oil and once the oil begins to smoke add the fish and shallow fry for a few minutes. Remove and keep aside. The fish should be a little soft.

Into the same pan add some whole jeera and the bay leaves. Once the jeera begins to sputter add the cubed potato and cauliflower florets and fry for a couple of minutes. Mix the dhania powder, jeera powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, grated ginger in about half a cup of water. Add it to the potato and cauliflower. Add the tomatoes. Saute for a few minutes, till the masala coats the vegetables. Add two more cups of water to the dish and allow the gravy to come to a boil. Add the fish pieces and let them simmer. Finally add the garam masala.

Goes best with some plain rice. The vegetables along with the fish make this a wholesome and balanced meal.

"From morning till night, sounds drift from the kitchen, most of them familiar and comforting....On days when warmth is the most important need of the human heart, the kitchen is the place you can find it; it dries the wet sock, it cools the hot little brain."

E.B. White

Happy Cooking, Happy Comforting and Bon Apetit!

Going Bananas........

2010-12-11T16:50:00.022+05:30

It all started with the Zucchini my Mom planted . In six weeks (Mama has a green thumb) the plant had grown really big and there were nice yellow flowers. They looked deceptively similar to pumpkin flowers. Back home batter(rice batter) fried pumpkin flowers are a delicacy and help spice things up. A favorite of my husband.

Rice batter(unless you have rice powder handy) needs some effort and planning(soak the rice for a couple of hours and then grind to a paste). An inventory scan, some quick thinking and an easier option. Tempura, the wonder batter to the rescue(SIL had given me a packet that was lying unused in my refrigerator). I made a batter of tempura, chili powder, salt and water. Dipped the Zucchini flowers into them and shallow fried the same. They were crisp and tasted delicious. Alas they did not live long enough to tell their visual tale.

Encouraged by the enthusiastic response I decided to get a little more experimentative. Thought I would delight the family with a quick dessert. So I made some more tempura batter but this time sweet, with some sugar, milk and vanilla essence. I dipped some ripe banana roundels into them and shallow fried.

Banana Fritters

Ingredients

Ripe Yellow Bananas: 2

Tempura: 2/3 tbsp

Milk: 1/2 cup

Vanilla essence : 1/2 tsp

Sugar: 1 heaped tbsp

Method

Cut the banana into roundels. You could also halve the banana and then cut vertically/along the length to get your slices.

Prepare a batter by whisking together the Tempura, milk, sugar and vanilla essence. Use an egg beater to even out any lumps that may have formed.

Dip the banana pieces into the batter and shallow fry.

Serve hot. Tastes like Malpua, only much easier and quicker.

You could drizzle some honey/maple syrup over it or serve it with some rabdi( sweetened, thickened milk). We had ours plain on a cold winter afternoon. Helped perk up an otherwise insipid meal

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Quick Gun Murugan............

2010-12-06T22:53:00.011+05:30

I have a confession to make. I have not seen the movie. My sons tell me that in the movie Rice plate Reddy kidnaps mothers because Mother's love is the secret ingredient of good dosas. But this mother cannot make good dosas( love you guys but despite that, look at the silver lining Reddy would spare me). Mother's love in plenty but for dosas we head to Sarvana Bhawan or Sagar Ratna.

My younger one was born in Chennai and proudly calls himself a Tamilian( he is definitely one by deed especially in his palate preferences). It was really convenient for me to make him Idli/dosa in Chennai. Just buy the "Mao"( no Chinese connection here, refers to the Dosa batter) and you are good to go. Now I am sure most of you( and my Mom included) would say that making the batter is no rocket science. Soak uradh dhaal and boiled rice separately, grind them separately and mix them together. After getting used to Thaiyar Mao this seems like too much effort. Also a few half hearted attempts have met with little success( the idli turns out to be hard and the dosa tends to stick to the tawa). I know I should be ashamed of myself as I come from a family where Idli/Sambhar was staple breakfast diet twice a week. Ground at home on a grinding stone my Dad had lugged all the way from Kakinada. In fact our household help had to get specially trained by our sweet Tamilian neighbour in the process of grinding(Thank God for small towns and their community living).

So South Indian breakfast it is for my kids every once in a while(probably our only eating out occasions). For the younger one it is possibly the best treat you can give him. His face lights up at the very mention of Sagar Ratna, the best South Indian joint this side of the toll gate.

This Sunday, the weather was lovely as we drove to Sagar Ratna. An empty restaurant greeted us as always. We had our usual discussion/argument about the popularity of South Indian cuisine among the people of Gurgaon, the number of South Indians in Gurgaon to help explain the poor turnout. I of course stuck to my logic of how any self respecting South Indian would not come to a restaurant to eat Idli/dosa, they would always make it at home. As I was vehemently arguing a South Indian family entered(let me be specific, a Tamilian family entered) and sat on the next table. My husband smirked and said : I rest my case.

We started with our usual Idli Wada rounds. The Idlis were soft, fluffy and nice. Wadas are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, just the way we like it. They are served with Sambhar and three kinds of chutney: an onion chutney, a coconut chutney and a green corriander and coconut chutney. I would recommend the onion chutney. On days that we feel a little more self indulgent we also ask them to get us ghee and malgapodi. The first time we asked for malgapodi the waiters drew a blank. I strated describing it and finally they got it. Oh! you mean gunpowder. Some fiery gunpowder mixed with warm melted ghee tastes yumm! Dip those soft idlis into it and you are sure to attain nirvana.

After the Idli wada we move on to the dosas. Paper masala dosa for me, Regular masala dosa for my husband, Plain dosa for younger son and Ghee roast dosa for the older one. The dosa arrives with more varieties of chutney and bowls of Sambhar. Dosa is crisp and there is sound of silence around the table as we all tuck in greedily. My husband finishes the meal with Filter Kapi(Coffee). I wait to get home to have my Darjeeling.

We head back satiated. What a perfect beginning to the day.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

P.S: This post is for you Papa, who loved his Idlis more than anybody else I know.

Cooking for vegetarians....

2010-12-05T19:39:00.014+05:30

If you have vegetarians coming for a meal you can be sure that Paneer/cottage cheese will be a part of the main course. More so if they are from the Northern part of India where paneer is eaten as curry dishes. When I think of paneer I am reminded of my early Chemistry class, " takes the form of whatever it is added to" or the popular Hindi song( from my era) which goes: "Jisme milao tu usi ke jaisa". Paneer can take any shape or form and therefore the list of paneer dishes is really endless. In fact there are cookbooks dedicated entirely to Paneer. You have the regular Palak Paneer/Methi Paneer/Butter Paneer/Malai Paneer which jostle for space among their "international counterparts" like Chilli Paneer, Paneer Manchurian( Yes, the Chinese have taken over our lives in more ways than one, I am told Mandarin will now be introduced as a language in our schools), grilled paneer, paneer in white sauce, paneer moussaka etc.

In the East the use of paneer(referred to as chhena) was earlier restricted to sweets.When making sweets, Paneer is drained but not pressed, so that some moisture is retained, which makes for a soft malleable consistency. Now of course Paneer curry dishes know no boundaries. All pervasive.

While some vegetarians I know are tired of being served Paneer this one I promise is a little different. It uses very few ingredients and gets done real quick( under 10 minutes).

Achari Paneer

Ingredients

Paneer: 200 grams

Onion: 3 Medium sized onions, sliced fine

Panch Phoron: 2/3 tsps( saunf, mustard, nigella, jeera, methi in equal proportion)

Hing: A pinch

Oil: 1 tsp

Curd: 3/4th cup

Maida: 1 tbsp

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder:1/2 tsp

Black salt powder: 1 tsp(I used Roopak Shikanji Masala instead of black salt)

Salt to taste( go easy on the salt as you are also using black salt)

Corriander leaves: 1/2 cup

Sugar:1/4 tsp

Method

Cut the paneer into cubes and soak for sometime in luke warm water(this helps soften the Paneer, a must if using Paneer that has been stored in the refrigerator for a few days).

Heat the oil, add the Hing once the oil heats up. Then add the Panchphoran and let it sputter. Add the onions and fry till they are glassy. Add the paneer, chilli powder, turmeric powder and black salt. Mix the spices. Next beat the curd with 1 tbsp of Maida( to be on the safe side I add a pinch of sugar, prevents the curd from curdling). Add to the dish. Mix together taking care not to mash the paneer.

Add finely chopped corriander leaves and serve hot.

Goes best with hot rotis.

With leftover Achari Paneer you can make paneer parathas. They taste yumm!

Bon Apetit and Happy cooking!

Kahani thodi filmi hai....

2010-12-04T22:06:00.013+05:30

I was reminded of a really old ketchup ad when I was making these Mini Pizzas. The ad goes something like this....there is this grown up kid who walks in and tells his Mom in an anglicized voice: Aaj khane main kya hai( what's cooking today)? And wrinkles up his nose when he finds his Mom making Parathas(read traditional food, not " so cool"). So the smart Mom takes the paratha, smears tomato ketchup over it, layers it up with some cooked veggies, grated cheese and in the same tone says : Pizza..Paratha Pizza! And the kid gobbles up the food.

Kids are taken in by the overall presentation and one needs to package the dish to them( Calvin eats up his greens because his Mom tells him that he will turn into a mutant if he does so- Moms are always so smart :-), they know just how to get things done).

Pizzas offer an easy ways to slip a lot of vegetables into your child's food. And for once he does not grumble, yes mummy/tummy dono khush.

Desi Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza bases: 6

Tomato ketchup: 6 tbsp

Vegetables: Any leftover vegetables will do, try and use beans, carrots, mushrooms, peas etc.

Oregano: 3 tsp

Mozarella Cheese

Capsicum: 1/2, cut into thin strips

Onion: 1, chopped fine(optional)

Method

Quite like the ketchup ad Mom. Smear tomato ketchup on the Pizza bases, add the vegetables, top with onion, capsicum, oregano and finally the grated cheese. Bake for about 5/10 minutes

Serve HOT.

Adults seem to love these Pizzas too. That reminds me of another ad line Bache to bache, Baap re baap.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Do it sweet.....

2010-12-04T20:38:00.007+05:30

Chutneys help spice up an otherwise boring meal. There is no limit to the number of chutneys and they can be made from any vegetable/fruit/herb/spices or a combination of them. My Mom recently made a chutney where she combined some sweet grated mango chutney with some hung curd and a handful of fresh mint( from my kitchen garden). Possibilities are endless really(like everything else) and most chutneys also double up as sandwich spreads, dips. I have even added leftover pudina/dhania chutneys into gravies to spice them up.

Tomato chutney or Chatni as it referred to is the most common form of Chutney in the

Eastern part of the country. A quintessential part of Bengali wedding menus. The elaborate wedding menu usually finishes with tomato Chutney and papad. You literally lick your fingers to the finish. The best way to enjoy this chutney is to savour it bit by bit, to let the sweetness with a tinge of sour pervade through your senses.

Adding Aaam Papad( or Aaam Shato as it is called in Bengali) or Khajur makes the chutney more flavorsome. Aam Papad adds body to the chutney and gives it a nice sweet and sour taste.

Tomato Aaam Papad Chutney

Ingredients

Tomato: 1/2 kilo, medium size tomato

Aam papad: 5/6 cubes, chopped into small bits

Sugar: 4/5 tbsp

Salt: To taste

Panch Phoran: 1 tsp(Panch phoran is cumin, fennel, nigella, fenugreek, mustard seeds mixed in equal quantity)

Oil: 1 tsp

Whole Jeera: 2 tsp

Method

Heat oil in a kadhai. Once the oil heats up add the panchphoran and let it sputter. Next add the tomatoes and cook till they soften. Add the sugar and let it dissolve completely. Add the salt. Finally add the aam papad. Dry roast the Jeera seeds and coarsely grind them. Sprinkle it over the chutney. Let the Chutney cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Serve cold.

Chutneys stay well for days and are healthier than pickles( which tend to be high on oil, that killer salt and spices). Ideal when you are entertaining as you can make it a day or two early.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Luck of the pot.....

2010-12-03T20:11:00.015+05:30

Pot luck dinners are quite popular with some of our friends. While writing this post I found out that the etymology of the word pot-luck appears in 16th century England, and was used to mean "food provided for an unexpected or uninvited guest, the luck of the pot". Interestingly to the Irish, a potluck was a meal with no particular menu. Everyone participating brought a dish for all to share. The term comes from a time when groups of Irish women would gather together and cook dinner. They only had one pot so they cooked the meal together with whatever ingredients they happened to have that day.

For me and my friends Potluck is a convenient way to have a lot of fun. Each one of us gets a dish or two so that the hostess does not have to spend all her time in the kitchen cooking/managing refrigerator space/managing household help motivation etc. I also find that when each one of us gets a dish, everything tastes really nice. A lot of effort goes into every individual dish unlike the case where you are preparing an entire meal and your attention gets divided among several dishes. Then you are a little partial to some of the dishes as compared to the others. At the end of the potluck everybody carries back a little bit of the leftovers (other one's dish) for the next day so as the host you don't end up eating the same food over the next three days.

I was at one such dinner last weekend and had made some dhaniya chicken. It is a really easy, no oil dish. Goes well with Roti/Paratha as well as Pulaos. You can make this dry or a leave a little gravy depending on your own individual preference.

I had first sampled Dhaniya Chicken at Barbeque, Calcutta. In fact a friend of ours always ordered this dish. I never got around to getting the recipe from the chef, later discovered this version in a cookbook.

Dhaniya Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken: 1 kilo

Tomato Puree: 1 cup( use 1 tetrapack if using the bought one)

Dhania powder: 1/2 cup, this is the predominant ingredient

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala: 1 tsp( I use the Roopak Garam Masala which is coarsely ground)

Salt: 1 tsp or to taste

Sugar:1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste: 2 tsp

Sugar: a pinch

Corriander leaves: 1 cup, finely chopped

Method

This is the part I like the best. It is just one step. Almost like baking with the additional advantage of tinkering with the dish half way through.

Mix all the ingredients( except the corriander leaves) together, add a cup of water. Bring the gravy to a boil and let it then simmer covered for about 20 minutes/till done( stir occasionally). Switch off the stove, open the lid and add the corriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot.

There was so much of food going during the pot luck dinner that we did not end up eating most of the main course. My friend tells me that the chicken tasted good and I shall shamelessly take her word for it. Inspired me to blog about it.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Reinvent, Reuse, Recycle.......

2010-11-30T21:14:00.009+05:30

I am so proud of myself. I had made Chicken stew for dinner on Saturday(refer post) which I served with Garlic bread roundels and some chicken salad. I had saved some stew for later( cooking with leftovers, part of the job already done).

With half of the leftover stew I made a Chicken Pulao for our Sunday lunch. Served it with a plain cucumber, tomato and onion raita.

Chicken Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati Rice: 2 cups, soak for at least an hour

Onions: 2/3 finely chopped. Sis has got me this amazing chopper. You peel the onion, halve it and place it on the chopper. One hard press and some finely, evenly chopped onion pieces. So, no more tears.

Potatoes: 3/4 halved

Roopak Biryani Masala(use any other Biryani masala or coarsely grind some whole garam masala): 1 tsp. This masala lends a nice flavor to the Biryani. In fact you can smell the Biryani long before you have opened the cooker.

Salt to taste

Chicken stew: 2 cups

Oil/Ghee: 1 tsp

Method

Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Once the ghee heats up add the finely chopped onion. Saute till the onion turns glassy. Add the potatoes, cover for a little while. Add the rice and fry for a few minutes. Add the Chicken stew, 1 cup of hot water, Biryani masala, salt. Close the cooker, cook on high and let it give out one whistle, then cook on low flame for another 5/7 minutes. Switch off the cooker and let it cool on its own.

Serve hot with raita.

A no fuss, quick cook pulao. The leftover stew reduces the cooking time without you having to compromise on taste. The Roopak Biryani masala would also work well with a basic Jeera Pulao recipe, would make it more flavorsome.

With the rest of the Chicken stew I made some Chinese konji today. Konji if you recall was my first post( Yan can cook). That was making Konji from scratch. The recipe below is when you are making it with Chicken stew.

Chinese Konji made with leftover Chicken Stew

Ingredients

Basmati: 1/2 cup

Chicken stew: 1 cup

Egg: 1

Method

Pressure cook the Basmati rice with the chicken stew and 2 cups of water. Open the cooker once it has cooled down, the konji would have a gruel like consistency. Put the cooker back on the stove. Beat one egg and add to the dish stirring continuously.

Serve hot, topped with some soya sauce. My son also adds a dash of chilli sauce to it.

Feels lovely to have this dish on a cold winter night, it does make you feel all warm and nice.

And cooking with leftovers made me feel " so clever", :-) Loads of appreciation with half, NO one third the effort. The woman is smarter, that's right!

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

More tales about soups and salads.....

2010-11-28T10:07:00.009+05:30

The mercury has dropped several notches since my last post. I find myself spending more time in the kitchen( it is the coziest place in the house). But there is lots happening outside the home too like the Delhi Heritage Walks, Music in the Park, Some wonderful movies, Plays Friends and families dropping into town etc. and so it has to be " Interesting, tasty food in the least possible time".

Last night we had stew( refer earlier post for details), garlic bread roundels( from Modern Bazaar, discovered Modern Bazaar in Arjun Market, a foodie's delight stocks up on breads, soups, condiments, exotic vegetables- you name it and they have it) and some Chicken salad. My Mom had taught me this dish when I barely knew the basics. It has been a favorite with the family ever since. While chicken and cabbage form the base of this dish you can also add finely chopped beans and carrots to it.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Shredded Chicken: 1 cup. Typically when I am making a stew or soup I remove a few pieces for the salad and shred them

Capsicum: Half a medium sized capsicum, chopped really fine

Onions: One large onion, chopped fine

Cabbage: Quarter of a medium sized cabbage, shredded fine (should be roughly about 3/4^th cup). Cabbage gives this salad a really crunchy texture. If you are using cabbage that has been in the refrigerator for a couple of days then refresh it in ice cold water to which a few drops of vinegar has been added

Mayonnaise: 1 tbsp

Milk: 2 tbsp

Lime juice: 1 tsp

Salt: To taste

Freshly ground pepper: 1 tsp. I love using the pepper crusher ......the aroma of freshly ground pepper as it tumbles out in thin flakes. And ever since my SIL gifted me this crusher I have started making a lot more “peppery stuff”.

Method

This is really a one step process. Mix the shredded chicken, cabbage, capsicum and onions together. Mix the mayo and the milk (this is a little trick my dietician had taught me, helps you halve the calories) and add to the salad. Next the lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.

This is a very versatile salad. Goes well with a soup/stew and bread. You can also use it as a filling for your sandwiches, as a canapé topping, as a pizza topping. The possibilities are really endless.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container and use within 2/3 days.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

P.S.: I also picked up some Roopak Biryani Masala( coarsely ground whole spices) from Modern Bazaar and am all set to make some Chicken Pulao for our Sunday lunch.

Down Memory Lane.......

2010-11-23T21:52:00.012+05:30

I spent close to seven years in a hostel and that makes me a really non-fussy eater. In the first hostel( I spent a good four years there, made some friends for life) we were given only two meals each day(you had to fend for yourself for the other two). And like Oliver Twist you could not ask for more. We did not want to as the food was terrible but then it was the case of " Khana hai to yehi khana hai, nahin khana hai to bhi yehi khana hai"( Sunny Deol, Betaab).

Our indulgent Moms would pack us tuck boxes which lasted for just over two days. Mine would also send Chowmein with loads of prawns every time my Dad was passing through the city. And we kinda survived. Food notwithstanding some of the happiest years of my life.

Though all dishes at the hostel without exception were bad( we learnt to quietly eat them all- hope Gen Next is reading this post) the dish that was most discussed amongst us was the Daal. It made an appearance at all meal times. To the uninitiated it took a while to figure out that the dish was actually Daal. It was so watery in terms of consistency that it settled into two clear layers( remember your Chemistry lesson on Sedimentation; we got our demonstration each day), a ten inch watery layer followed by a two inch daal layer. If you were the canteen didi's favorite she mixed up the daal and water layers swiftly before ladling it out onto your rice but if you had managed to rub her the wrong way all you ended with was a watery mess.

When I would get back home for the holidays home cooked food took on a new meaning and has remained so all through these years. At meal times I would look at my Dad and say " Papa ab ghar ki daal murgi barabar". He was quite amused by the line and often repeated it to guests, much to my embarrassment.

Cooking a basic daal well does require some skill. Very few ingredients are used and the flavoring is very subtle. Here I am talking about the dhuli/yellow daals and not about their tari wali cousins, rajma/chole.

My help( who is originally from Bangladesh) had made some delicious Bengal gram daal. I have some guests coming for dinner. She let me sample a spoonful before whisking it away. Yumm!

Cholar Daal

Ingredients

Cholar Daal( Bengal gram daal): 1 cup( should serve about 6/8 adults)

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Jeera: 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies: 4/5

Freshly ground Jeera powder: 1 tsp

Bay Leaves: 1/2

Ginger: One inch, grated fine.

Oil/ghee: 1tsp

Coconut: Cut into very small pieces( 1 inch slice)

Method

Boil the cholar daal with salt and turmeric in a pressure cooker( you could also do this in a Kadai but would take ages to cook).

Once the daal is cooked open the lid of the cooker and half of the grated ginger, 1/2 tsp of Jeera powder and the bay leaves. Let it simmer for a while.

In a tadka pan heat the oil, add jeera, red chillies, jeera powder and the remaining grated ginger. Fry for a couple of minutes and then mix with the daal. Serve hot

Traditionally this Daal is served with Luchi/Puri but I am going to be serving it with a Pulao

There is lots cooking for tomorrow's dinner. Keep watching this space for more recipes and food trivia.

Till then Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

One dish meal( well almost), no oil dish all rolled into one

2010-11-21T22:14:00.007+05:30

Like I mentioned in my last post: I was in the process of making chicken stew for dinner as I was writing the post. Yes, it is that simple and as with baking pressure cooking ensures you can do other things while your food is cooking( cock your ears for the whistle and turn it to low flame or switch it off depending on how long the dish needs to cook). And then the pressure cooker needs a cool off time which gives you and additional 5/10 minutes. Well, the stew got done, was consumed and a happy man and two boys are fast asleep.

I know I have said this in earlier blogs but I just have to say it again: I love one dish wholesome meals. The ones that are nutritious and get done with out too many ingredients or too much fuss. Khichdi, Pulao, Chinese Konji etc. etc. So not surprising that Chicken Stew is something I like to make on cold wintery evenings. Winter is just about setting in and this was the season's first stew so good reason to blog about it.

Chicken Stew

Ingredients

Chicken: 300 grams( you could use all the pieces that people don't like eating as a curry like the neck and other boney pieces. I keep these pieces separately for stew and soups)

Onion: 1/2, quartered

Beans: 4/5, cut into 1 inch long pieces

Carrot: 1/2, cut into 1 inch long pieces

Potato: 4, peeled and halved

Peas: 1/2 a tea cup

Bay leaf: 1/2

Whole pepper:5/6

Freshly ground pepper: 1 tsp

Capsicum: 1/2 a capsicum cut into small cubes( This addition was thanks to "Knife", years ago in the pre-blog world when we were discussing this recipe he suggested I add capsicum towards the end to give the stew a nice flavor. Thanks Knife)

Method

Pressure the chicken pieces with 4/5 cups of water, quartered onions, bay leaves, whole pepper, potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Give it one whistle and let the cooker cool naturally
Open the pressure cooker add carrots, beans, peas and put it back on the flame. Simmer for a few minutes. Let the vegetables cook in the chicken stock for a while. Don't overcook them, they should be a little crunchy when you finally bite into them.
Once the vegetables are cooked add the capsicum and some freshly ground pepper. Cook for another two minutes.
Serve piping hot with brown bread and herbed butter

Store the leftover chicken stew in the refrigerator( try and cook this in larger quantity to ensure you have some of it leftover). Next day heat up the stew, add some boiled noodles to it and Voila you have your very own Thukpa. Thukpa is a hearty tibetan noodle soup. It is a wonderfully nourishing and warming dish. I managed to sample it in a Tibetan home( thanks to a really wonderful host) during my recent trip to Laddakh. So Thukpa it shall be for tomorrow's dinner. Psst! Surprise for the family.

P.S: And did you notice there is just no oil in that dish. That does not take away from the flavor or taste. You have my word for it.

Till then Happy Cooking and Bon Apetit!

Somethings Cooking.....

2010-11-21T19:21:00.012+05:30

I am reminded of several ad lines as I write this post. Sardiyan kitni khushnuma hoti hai/Winter Yaani ki kuch extra/Winter's in the breeze...in my heart I am feeling good etc. etc. Yes, Winter is here. Being in Delhi NCR you get to experience all the four seasons. This is our second Winter here. We just loved the first one( also served as inspiration for some of my blog posts). I think I just cook more in Winters and maybe we also eat more( that battle of the bulge always seems a little tougher). Today there was lots cooking/baking in my kitchen. Niece was baking Raindrop's Chocolate Cake(turned out to be really soft and spongy- again as with all Raindrop cakes it is almost gone as I write), then there was a quick vegetable pulao( the aroma of basmati and whole spices was irresistible even my husband agreed to eat rice just for this one day) and some Chinese chilli paneer mushroom and baby corn dish. That was lunch. Right now I am making some Chicken stew( a staple dish for us during Winter/Moonsoon evenings) and some cheesy pasta for the boys. We will have the stew with some brown bread and herbed butter. With all that cooking I just about have time to write about one dish, so Chinese Chilli it shall be. But others shall follow soon.

Chinese Chilli

Ingredients

Mushrooms: 200 grams, halved

Baby corn: 4/5, sliced into long strips( halve the baby corn and cut into two inch long pieces)

Paneer: 100 grams, cubed

Onions: 2 medium sized ones, Quartered( you could also use shallots for this dish)

Capsicum: Half a medium sized capsicum, cubed( same size as the paneer)

Green Chillies: 4/5 slit at the top( this adds a lot of flavor, remove them later if serving to children)

Knorr chinese chilli mix: 1 packet( I always keep a pac

ket handy, the dish really gets done in a jiffy)

Oil: 1 tbsp

Method

Heat the oil. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes till they start to look glassy
Next add the mushroom and baby corn and saute for a while.
Add the paneer, capsicum and green chillies and mix the vegetables around taking care not to break the paneer.
Mix the Knorr Chinese chilli mix with three cups of water and add to the dish. Bring the gravy to a boil and simmer for two minutes.
Serve hot

Goes equally well with a pulao or plain steamed rice or boiled noodles. If serving with noodles make sure you leave a little more gravy. Delicious whichever way you wish to make it.

Happy Cooking and Bon Apetit!

Satwik Ahaar

2010-11-05T19:16:00.005+05:30

Happy Diwali!

It has been a while time since I wrote my last post( Raindrop even sent me a reminder- Thanks Raindrop, sometimes one needs a little nudge to get started again). The past one month has been interesting and I have sampled some amazing food. Sister's grilled tofu, funnel cake(Mousi it is quite like the Indian Jalebi is how my 15 year old niece put it), tandoori salmon( wonderful improvisation by sis), Mango Mousse, Malai Chingdi, Habisa( No, this is no exotic Meditteranean dish but an entirely Satwik one typically consumed during the month of November by people of Odissa).

My early memories of Habisa was at my Granny's place. Made every Monday which was a strictly vegetarian- no onion, no garlic day. Later even my Mother started making it on a regular basis. Habisa has a pure unadulterated taste. It does not use any spice and yet all the ingredients come together so beautifully to create this dish.

Habisa

Ingredients( I have struggled with English translations of the Ingredients, if any of you know better please do update)

Dhuli Moong Daal( Yellow): 1 cup

Potatoes: 4/5, remove the skin and halve

Parwal: 4/5, halved

Green Banana: 1, remove the skin and cut into large pieces- same size as potato and parwal

Arbi: 4/5, remove skin and halve

Ginger: 1 inch, grated

Desi Aloo: 4/5 pieces( this is the ugly brown looking alu, probably called Jimmykand in Hindi)- optional

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Grated coconut: 2/3 tablespoons

Lal Saag( Kosala in Oriya, sorry but I do know any other name for this one): 1 bundle, chopped into large pieces

Oou( called Chalta in Bengali): 4/5 slices( this is a khatta fibrous fruit and is used to make chutneys and achars in the Eastern part of the country)

Method

Boil the daal with 4/5 cups of water in deep bottom kadai/dekchi. Remove the scum as it rises to the top- you may need to do it a couple of times. Add the vegetables one after the other. Start with Potato, Arbi and Jimmykand as this would take the longest to cook. Then add the Parwal and Green Banana. When you are halfway through the cooking add the ginger and oou. Finally add the saag. Salt to taste. Finish off with ghee and grated coconut.

Serve hot with plain rice.

P.S: I plan to cook this on Sunday so hopefully will upload a picture soon. Till then Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

The 32nd Milestone

2010-09-26T11:09:00.013+05:30

The name of this post is inspired by a 'hip and happening' place in Gurgaon by the same name. This is my 32nd post( so the name is relevant, literally and figuratively) and I am quite delighted that I have managed to upload 31 recipes and food stories in the last one year. Being a foodie I find blogging about food therapeutic. "The more I cook the more I blog, the more I blog the more I cook", yes, it is a vicious circle but me is not complaining.

My son feels that I should put up something really nice as my 32nd post( given that I have created so much of drama around the name, this one ought to be a little different).

So presenting Murgh Kali Mirch, sheer indulgence. Though it is very easily made the lean way and that is how I usually make it. Had sampled a version of it years back at my friend S's place. Had loved it then and wished there had been a little more gravy for me to lick. This one makes you want a little more.

Murgh Kali Mirch

Ingredients

Chicken: 500 grams( I prefer to cook chicken with the bones, pieces turn out to be more succulent as compared to the boneless version. I reserve the boneless ones for Salads, Pasta, Sandwich spreads etc. where you just can't have it any other way)

Onion: 2/3 medium sized onions chopped fine

Hung curd/Thick Dahi: 4/5 tbsps

Whole pepper: 8/10 pods( this dish calls for freshly ground pepper as pepper is the predominant spice)

Whole garam masala: 2 green cardamom and 1 inch stick of cinnamon( grind them with the pepper).

Ginger-Garlic paste: 1tbsp

Salt: To taste, about 1 tsp

Sugar: 1/4 tsp

Ghee/oil: 1 tbsp

Cream(Optional, but let me tell you that this is one dish where cream makes a difference to the consistency and taste. So maybe just this one time you can add the cream): 1 to 2 tbsp

Green corriander: 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Method

Beat the curd with salt, sugar and the ginger garlic paste( adding a bit of sugar to the marinade ensure the dahi does not curdle on heating). Add the chicken pieces(prick the pieces with a fork for the chicken to soak in the marinade). Keep the mixture in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least 4/5 hours.

Heat a cooking pan and add the oil/ghee. Once the ghee/oil gets heated up add the onions and fry till they turn glassy. Then add the chicken pieces with the marinade, add the ground whole spices and let it simmer for about 30/45. Keep stirring it from time to time, turning the pieces around.

Once the chicken is almost done add the cream( if using cream) and finely chopped corriander.

Serve hot with a roti and pulao.

This is an ideal dish to make when you are entertaining. Very little cooking time and sure to be liked.

So Happy cooking and Bon Apetit!

I am now looking forward to the 50th milestone. Wish me good luck!

P.S: The photographs do not do justice to the dish. Will replace them with better photographs the next time I make this dish.

Everyday Menus

2010-09-24T22:12:00.014+05:30

It helps to have a set of interesting, easy to cook recipes in your everyday menu.

Fish tops this list when it comes to non-vegetarian cooking. Given the increasing health awareness( no red

meat, no high cholesterol food) fish is gaining favor with an increasing number of people. For us Easterners, Fish is usually part of our regular/everyday food, quite like the daal chawal of our Northerner friends or the Sambhar rice of the South. My friend G says " Keralites feel quite the same way about fish", so no meat days are literally so, 'no meat' but you can have all the fish you want to. My Dad used to tell us this story about how fish in the cities alongside the Ganges was be referred to as " Ganga ka phaal", thus fit for consumption across castes and communities.

Sorisa Macha or Sorshe Mach is one of the more popular and well known fish dishes from the East. It requires very few spices and gets done in a jiffy. There are of course variations of this dish, some prefer to use Dahi with the mustard paste, there are others who add a tomato or dried mango( Ambula in Odiya) and some make it just plain. I have sampled the dish across numerous households and it tastes good every single time.

Sorisa Macha

Ingredients

Fish(Rohu or Katla): 6/8 pieces( Do pack your fish in individual portions and freeze, that way you just thaw one portion each time. Also helps "portion control" ). When buying fish try and buy one that weighs at least 2.5 kilos, would have fewer bones to tackle.

Mustard seeds: 2 tbsps

Garlic pods: 2/3

Green chillies: 4( as per your taste)

Curd(optional): 2 tbsp

Kala jeera/Kalonji: 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard oil: 1 tbsp( this tastes best with mustard oil however if you find the smell pungent use any refined oil)

Corriander leaves: Finely chopped, for the garnish

Method

Rub salt and turmeric powder on the fish and let it stand for a few minutes. Lightly fry them on a non stick tawa with 1 tsp of oil.

Soak the mustard for about half an hour and grind to a fine paste with 2 green chillies and 4/5 pods of garlic( again you could grind this plain without the chilli and garlic)

Next heat a flat bottomed pan( always cook fish in a wide, flat bottomed pan, that way the pieces won't break), add a little oil. Let the oil smoke. Then add the kalonji and slit green chillies. Add the mustard paste and let it simmer for a few minutes. Then add the fish pieces and let the fishes soak in the gravy.

Add a few drops of raw mustard oil to finish off the fish. Garnish with the corriander leaves. Serve hot with fluffy white rice.

While we were at Kolkata we used to eat Gobinda bhog rice with our fish curries. I loved this small grained rice with a rich, fragrant smell.

This fish preparation works well for entertainment too. However your guests need to like the mustard flavor.

Note: You could also add mustard paste to the raw fish, let it marinate for about 30 minutes and then microwave the same.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Cakes...sorry no ale...

2010-09-22T22:34:00.013+05:30

My husband says it is raining cakes at home. Suddenly there is this frenzied activity around the once forgotten oven( was being used only to make Bhapa Doi).

Raindrop's cake has triggered this renewed interest. So much so that I have tried making Raindrop's cake minus the chocolate powder and with Olive oil( quite nice- though using Olive oil makes it an " expensive cake"), I also tried a variation with less chocolate and more vanilla, written to all my foodie friends to send me their cake recipes ans share their baking secrets...

My friend G( I must tell you that some of the best cakes I have sampled have been made by G, she even inspired me enough to make batches of Christmas cakes one Winter) recently attended a microwave cookery class where she has learnt some nice, new dishes. She sent me this recipe for an eggless chocolate cake. G claims gets the cake gets done in under 10 minutes in a microwave. I have however made this in the conventional oven.

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Maida: 1.5 cups

Powdered sugar: 1.25 cups

Drinking chocolate/cocoa powder: 7 tsps

Curd: 1 cup

Oil: 1/2 cup

Milk:1/2 cup

Baking Soda: 1 tsp( In case you are making it in the conventional oven you could add a tsp of baking powder, I think it would make the cake fluffier)

Vanilla essence : 1 tsp

Method

Sieve the Maida, chocolate powder and baking soda( it is important that they mix well else the cake might not get done evenly). Mix the sugar and oil. Add curd, sugar and vanilla essence to the same. Next add the Maida to this mixture, slowly little by little, mixing well as you do so.

Transfer into a greased baking dish and microwave on HIGH for 9 minutes or bake at 220 degrees for about an hour( Initially with only lower coil and last 15 minutes with both upper and lower coils).

Serve hot with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Makes for a really quick and easy dessert. In case you are making it well before your guests arrive make sure to microwave the cake for 30 seconds before you serve. Store in the refrigerator.

As Satarupa says in her book " The Workaholics' cookbook(Heavens bless her for that one), Ideas come to you once you get started. What seems so commonsensical now at one stage seemed very laboured. You slowly imbibe the tricks of the trade and let your nose/tongue lead you in kitchen. You learn to dress up an ordinary sponge cake with ice cream and if feeling really indulgent top it up with fresh fruits. You start tweaking recipes to suit your family's palate, in the process you usually better the recipe. You start eating simple but satisfying meals/desserts while actually spending less time in the kitchen.

Bon Apetit and Happy Cooking!

Chicken Curry for the Teenager's Soul

2010-09-20T21:59:00.006+05:30

My older one( turned 13 a couple of months back) is very interested in cooking(read earlier blog titled Ken can bake- have chronicled his first attempt at baking a cake). He has been assembling starters for a while now, painstakingly making little cubes out of pineapple slices/cheese and stringing them on a toothpick. Ditto for salami and olives. I love the way he arranges the starters on a platter often with a little 'ketchup art' in the center. Apart from preparing them he is also quite focussed on making the dish visually appealing.

Been pestering me for a while to allow him to cook some " real stuff". Last week my maid assumed I would cook the chicken after I got back from work( I do that quite often so cannot blame the maid). For once I was not really in a mood to cook. So our young man got his chance. To make life a little easier for him I got him to pick up a packet of a ready to use curry paste. He followed the instructions to a T down to the cream and corriander garnish. The chicken curry was quite nice. The next day I made a chicken pulao with the leftover curry( Yep! cooking with leftovers). I must also tell you about the wine chicken(refer blog for recipe) and pasta salad( with apple, raisins and almond) that I rehashed into a lovely pasta dish for last evening's dinner. But more on that some other time.

For now a quick recap of the chicken curry. Typically I make a Chicken curry from scratch preferring the freshly ground ginger garlic paste to the bottled versions but I guess curry pastes are handy when you are rushed for time. Or when you have a lone non-vegetarian guest, the spread is largely vegetarian and you don't want to sweat over the chicken curry.

Quick Chicken Curry(Ideal for first timers)

Ingredients

Chicken: 1 kilo( recipe suggests you use boneless chicken but I find cooking chicken with the bones makes the meat more succulent)

Kitchens of India Butter Chicken Masala: I packet. I have used other brands like Parampara and they work equally well. I typically use double the quantity of the chicken suggested by the recipe as the curry gets too spicy for my taste otherwise.

Dahi: 2tbsp(optional)

Water: 2 cups( add more if you need a little more gravy)

Cream: 1 tbsp( for the garnish)

Method

Prick the chicken pieces with a toothpick and marinate the chicken pieces in the masala for at least half an hour. You could add a tbsp or two of Dahi to help tenderize the chicken

Then add two cups of water to the marinated chicken, transfer to a Kadai and let it cook covered for about 25/30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the chicken is done, check the seasoning. Garnish with some cream and a sprig of corriander. Serve hot.

Goes well with hot chappatis and Pulaos.

Watch this space for an eggless chocolate cake( Thanks G for the recipe).

Happy cooking and Bon Apetit!

Menu's for entertainment Part II of the series

2010-09-11T11:24:00.014+05:30

We all entertain from time to time, some of us more than others. Many of us have the same guests coming over again and again, typically our closest friends/family. And while these are informal gatherings you still want to do something different, something exotic to make your guests feel special. Selecting individual dishes to prepare is easy but putting together an entire menu can be a tough job. Years ago my sister had given me a very useful tip: she said all your dishes need to "look" different. I use that as a basic filter when I am deciding on the recipes. Over the years I have also made a few combinations that go well together and repeat the entire meal for different set of guests with maybe a few minor tweaks here and there.

While putting down the entertainment menu there are a few basic guidelines that I follow:

Some dry and some gravy dishes( so if you are making a chicken curry do remember to make a daal/chole or malai kofta for the vegetarians).
Some dishes that can be made beforehand and taste as good the next day( the popular belief and I agree, is that non-vegetarian food tastes better the next day as it soaks in the flavor/masala). Sometimes you can make part of the dish earlier like if you making shepherd's pie make the basic mince earlier. You can assemble the dish shortly before the guests arrive. If using boiled potatoes in any of your dishes boil and cool them early. Ideally make your greens on the day of the party. Kheers made from scratch( not the quick milkmaid ones) take a while to prepare especially chawal kheer, so make it the evening before. Chilled kheer tastes yumm!
Some elaborate and some easy to prepare dishes. You don't want to be all tired and stressed by the time your guests arrive.
Some popular( tried and tested, you will rarely go wrong with choley, alu ki subzi, jeera pulao etc.) and some innovative ones(wine chicken, shepherd's pie). New recipes add to the excitement and help create a little drama around the meal. People are curious to know how you made it, a discussion follows where you explain the recipe in great detail. If the guest is a foodie like you she quickly notes it down and you can be sure she will try it shortly. I do that very often and so I am always on the prowl for new recipes.
Some heavy and some lighter dishes. So if it is a rice and mutton menu add lots of salad, curd/raita and maybe a basic bhaji.
The key ingredients across dishes should be different. If making dahi wada do not make a dahi chicken, try and make a palak chicken instead. That way each dish has a unique taste and the meal looks very appetizing( thanks sis for that really valuable tip).
If a menu has worked for you- guests were generally appreciative try and write it down in your little black book. Believe me you will not need to rack your brains the next time. But make sure you are replicating it for a different set of guests so write the names of the people you had invited alongside and keep updating this each time. Like today I had some friends over for lunch and the menu was: Traditional Pulao( with whole garam masala, cashew and raisins), paratha, mixed daal, stuffed parwal, vegetable navratan, alu matar, tomato chutney and bhapa doi. I thought the menu worked well and the next time I have vegetarian guests I will probably make the same in its entireity. Might add a dish or two.

The stuffed parwal is an interesting dish( my mother's recipe). I have never had parwal cooked this way in any other place. The story goes that we once had some unexpected guests and my mother did not have the time to make the regular stuffed parwal( where you painstakingly remove the seeds and stuff it with potatoes or masala or prawns or mince). So she did her own innovation. The guests loved it and since then it became a regular part of her entertainment menu. Off late I have added it to mine.

Mama's Parwal (No other name can capture the essence of this dish better)

Ingredients

Parwal: 8/10( about 2 per guest and a few extras)

Dhania powder: 1 tbsp

Jeera Powder: 1 tbsp

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Salt: To taste, about 1 tsp

Haldi powder: 1 tsp

Amchoor: 1 tsp(optional)

Oil: 1 tbsp

Method

Place the parwal horizontally on the chopping board and make half slits along the body(refer to the picture, important to get this step right).

Mix all the masala together and stuff the parwal with the same. Allow the parwals to stand for about 30 minutes. Drain out any excess water.

Heat a non-stick frying pan, add the oil. Shallow fry the parwal, covering from time to time till done.

The dish is crisp on the outside and tender inside. Goes well with a basic rice, daal menu.

It is a very quick way to transform an ordinary vegetable into something exotic.

Happy Entertaining!

Something Fishy.....

2010-09-10T20:02:00.010+05:30

I have always been a little hesitant to experiment with fish. Typically get the help to make it the traditional way. Rarely do I make fish when I am entertaining. If at all then it is the good old " sorshe mach(mustard fish)" or a variation of it called " Bhanga Besara( this one is boneless and a traditional Odiya dish, originates from Puri).

Also people are typically fussy about the kind of fish they will eat, many struggle with the bones and prefer having it either fillet cut or like it made into chops and cutlets. I am also scared that the fish being so tender might break midway through the cooking unless it has been fried as a first step in the cooking process.

But my family loves fish and it is a lot healthier than the other non-vegetarian options. We typically have it as patla jhola, sorshe mach or dahi macha. All three are quick to prepare and great to taste( more on those some other time).

With experience( and age) I have got brave and recently tried a new fish dish( after a lot of prodding from my older son who felt I needed to know a few continental fish preparations which I could serve with a soup, salad and sandwich meal). I tried an " oven fried" one- yes, there is a contradiction in the name. Let me explain, this is a baked dish which tastes quite like the fried variation. So a Low calorie fish dish. I served the dish with a dab of herbed butter which helped enhance the taste( though it did increase the calorie content :-) ) .

Oven Fried Fish

6/8 pieces of fish( I use Rohu, typically we buy a large Rohu weighing about 3.5 kgs, the fish has less bones which makes it easier to eat)

Lime juice: 1 tbsp

Garlic: 4/5 large pods crushed

Salt to taste

Pepper: 1 tsp, freshly ground

Egg: 1( I use the whole egg but you can make the dish healthier by using only the egg white)

Bread crumbs: 3/4 tbsps( to coat the fish).

Method

Marinate the fish in lime juice, salt and crushed garlic for 3/4 hours in the refrigerator(If you are in a hurry then 30 minutes should also suffice).

Beat the egg with some salt and pepper. Dip individual pieces of fish into the egg and then roll it over the breadcrumbs to coat the fish evenly. Arrange on a greased tray.

Bake for about 15 minutes( with both the upper and lower coils on) or till done. The outer layer is crisp and the inside is soft.

Top the dish with a dollop of herbed butter.

Herbed Butter

Ingredients

Butter: 2 tbsps

Garlic: 1 tsp, finely chopped

Corriander: 1 tsp finely chopped

Chilli flakes: 1/2 tsp

Lime juice: a few drops

Salt: 1/2 tsp

Whisk the butter with some finely chopped garlic, chilli flakes, finely chopped corriander, lime juice and salt.

Put a dollop over the oven fried fish while it is still hot.

Herbed butter goes well with regular bread too. Spices up an otherwise boring breakfast meal.

Yan promises to try more fishy dishes.

Bon Apetite!

Breakfast....will work as well for a main meal too

2010-09-06T21:25:00.011+05:30

Years ago I remember visiting a dear friend in Pune. Some very fond memories of a weekend spent with this lovely family- open, warm and hospitable. I spent hours chatting with her Mom- A Maharashtrian who had married a Rajput. I remember aunty telling me that as a new bride the meal she had dreaded the most was breakfast. I had been pretty surprised to hear that till she had gone on to elaborate that lunch and dinner were typically Roti/Rice, Daal and Subzi( standard fare with multiple options to choose from) but when it came to breakfast there were limited options, time was at a premium and yet it was the most important meal of the day( to all you who skip breakfast, think again!). Thus the onus on you as the home-maker was to ensure that the breakfast you served was both wholesome in terms of nutrition and delicious in terms of taste. My friend's mom had actually worked out different breakfast options and stuck them on her refrigerator door. I thought that was really smart and some great planning( a tip that I always remember and have tried to replicate with some success). Spending 10/15 minutes planning the week's menu during the weekend can save you a lot of time during those rushed weekdays.

I made some Sooji Upma today. Very simple to make and can easily substitute a main meal like lunch or dinner. In fact I know of families who have moved to having Upma for dinner. Again another one dish meal and hence a favorite with me

Sooji Upma

(My friend G's recipe tweaked a little bit to suit the family palate)

Ingredients

Sooji: 1 cup. Roasted with 1 tsp of ghee( if you are feeling indulgent) or oil( even olive oil works well). Ideally dry roast the sooji the night before( The process of roasting the sooji takes about 10/15 minutes- needs to be roasted on medium flame with constant stirring. In the mornings you would want to save every minute you can). In fact each time you open a new packet of sooji, dry roast and store( this reduces the cooking time when making upma or kheer and also prevents the sooji from getting insects).

Vegetables: Potatoes, Beans, Carrots-finely chopped and shelled green peas, I like my upma with a lot of vegetables and tend to use close to two cups of veggies

Onion: 1 large or 2 small, finely chopped

Curry Patta: 10/12 leaves

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Oil: 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Water: 3 cups( Sooji: Water should be 1:3)

Method

Heat the oil/ghee in a nonstick kadai and roast the sooji for about 10 minutes on medium flame. Remove on to a plate.

Next heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai, once the oil heats up add the mustard seeds and wait for them to sputter. Add the curry leaves, onion and fry till the onion starts looking glassy. Then come the vegetables. Again one way to fasten the process would be to cook the veggies with mustard and curry patta the night before and serve it as a meal accompaniment. Make your upma the next day with the leftovers(tops my cheat sheet, it is a lot of fun cooking with leftovers not to mention smart..after all half the job is already done).

Stir the vegetables, cover for a few minutes, add salt to taste. Since the veggies are chopped fine this should not take more than 10 minutes. Once the vegetables are done add three cups of water, when the water starts to boil add the sooji bit by sit stirring continuously so that there are no lumps. I like to add a few drop of lime juice to the dish( if you do decide to add some to yours do it at this stage).

Serve hot with a sambhar or chutney or tomato ketchup.

With a little bit of the preparatory work done from before this breakfast dish can get done in a jiffy.