365 days of Eating

Barbeque Vegetable Burgers with Coleslaw

2011-08-18T00:47:00.000+05:30

I am a big fan of barbeque flavor. I can have it sandwiches, pizza and burgers. Burgers are a favorite too and are made whenever we miss US a little bit more than usual. I have been wanting to post these burgers for a long time. Its a tasty and moist vegetable patty with some barbequed onions and peppers and some creamy coleslaw all encased in a fluffy bun. In India you get some delicious eggless spiced mayonnaise's too. You can use a burger mayo with cabbage as well instead of the coleslaw. Be sure to wash the vegetables properly. Peel the beets and carrots before grating them. Portions below make 12 burgers.

Ingredients:

12 burger buns
3 tomatoes sliced thin
12 cheese slices

For the patty:

1 cup grated beetroot
1 cup grated carrot
4 large potatoes (about 4 cups of mashed potatoes)
1 + 2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion
1 inch knob of ginger
2 teaspoons chili paste
2 tablespoon chopped jalapenos (for a tangy spicy kick)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt
Black pepper

For the topping:

2 large onions, sliced
2 large green peppers, julienned
1/2 cup barbeque sauce (or more if you like)
1 tablespoon oil
Salt
Black Pepper

Coleslaw:

4 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon chili sauce (for added heat)
Salt

Heat a thick bottomed and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and peppers and cook them on low heat till the cook down completely, about 10-15 minutes and then add the salt pepper and barbeque sauce.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the coleslaw. Keep it refrigerated till you are ready to use it.

To make the patty:

Boil the thoroughly washed potatoes in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Let it stand for 5 minutes on low flame and then cool. When cooled, peel and mash the potatoes. Keep aside.
In the mean time, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large vessel and add the onions, chili paste and ginger to it. Next add the grated carrots and beets. Add salt, chili powder and black pepper. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook on medium stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Now add the mashed potatoes, oregano, jalapenos and mix well. Check for salt and spice. The color will be reddish because of the beets. Cool, make equal portions and form patties.
Heat a non-stick pan and add a couple of drops of oil to it. Cook the patties on the pan till they turn golden on each side. If you are making these for company, semi cook them and then finish them when you are ready to assemble the burgers.

To Assemble:

Cut the burger buns and warm on a griddle / pan. On the base of the burger bun, put about 1 tablespoon of coleslaw. Next the tomatoes, then the patty followed by the cheese and finally a tablespoon of the barbequed onions and peppers. The patty and the onions will start to melt the cheese... Put the top of the bun and serve hot!

Pineapple and Cheese Skewers

2011-08-12T17:33:00.001+05:30

These are my new favorite restaurant appetizers. They are fun to eat, they look delicious, they taste fresh and they are so easy to make at home as well. I tried my first plate about 3-4 months ago and ever since I have always been ordering them. They are typically served on a bed of crushed ice, I guess to prevent the cheese from melting, but it doesn't freeze the cheese or make it too cold to eat. Try it and let me know. I have used Amul cheese here but feel free to use cheddar cubes or some pepper jack for some heat.

Ingredients:

3 Amul cheese cubes, cut into 4

2 thick slices pineapple

12 pieces maraschino cherry

10-12 pieces of ice

Remove the core of the pineapple slice and cut it to make 8 pieces, like you would cut a pizza. Take a toothpick and skewer a piece of pineapple through it. Next skewer the cherry and finally the piece of cheese. The flat surface of the cheese square lets it stand on a platter.

Put the ice in a Ziploc and cover with a tea cloth. Crush with a pestle or a rolling pin. Put the crushed ice on a serving platter around the skewers. Serve immediately!
If you want to make these in advance just keep them in the fridge (not more than 2 hours) and serve with crushed ice when guests arrive.

Gali Sev / Sukhi Sevaiyya / Sweet Vermicelli

2011-08-10T00:53:00.001+05:30

A meal is never complete without a dessert and this one is simple and yummy. It merely takes minutes to make. Vermicelli can be made plain like the one below or with milk like this one.

Ingredients:

2 cups broken (1 inch) vermicelli

1 tablespoon ghee

1 1/2 cups sugar

Water

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Handful of nuts of you choice, chopped (I used cashew nuts)

Heat the ghee in a wok. Add the vermicelli and saute till light brown in color. It takes about 3-4 minutes. Next add cardamom powder and enough water to cover the vermicelli and a little more. Check if all the vermicelli is cooked and add more water if needed. Keep stirring while you do this. When all the water is absorbed add the sugar and stir till dissolved. Add the nuts and stir. Serve hot or warm!

I am sending this to Whats Cooking?'s MMK - Mithai Mela.

Fruit Cocktail

2011-08-06T00:32:00.000+05:30

Looking at the array of fresh fruits in the markets, I am tempted to eat them as much as I can. Of late one of my favorite breakfasts and snacks has been fresh fruit. This fruit cocktail is a medley of flavors and colors which is filling and healthy. If you want to serve this to company, add some custard or sweet whipped cream while omitting the lemon, salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

1 each - Mango, Apple, Pear, Banana

1 1/2 cups cubed papaya

3/4 cup pomegranate

Juice of two lemons

Salt

Pepper

Chaat masala (optional)

First release the seeds of the pomegranate. Then cut the papaya. Take care to not peel the skin too thin, else the papaya will taste bitter. Similarly, remove the flesh and seeds from the middle. Scrape the white lining along the inside as well. Next peel and cube the mango followed by the pear and apple. Pour the juice of the lemon over the fruits so they don't oxidize. Finally, chop the bananas. Put them in a large mixing bowl and add the salt and pepper to taste. You can also add chaat masala if you like. Chill for atleast an hour. Serve cold in a large goblet. Enjoy your cocktail!

Indonesian Corn Fritters

2011-07-31T20:51:00.000+05:30

Monsoons bring a tasty crop of corn to town. There are endless stalls selling fresh roasted corn smeared with a mix of lime juice, salt and chili powder. As much as I love those, there is always room for trying something new to make with corn. I had jotted down the recipe for these fritters a long time ago (I think from food network) and made some alterations to it. They are crisp golden nuggets studded with sweet corn and peppers. The original recipe called for eggs but I omitted the egg.

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled sweet corn

3/4 cup chopped red and green peppers

1/2 cup flour (or more as needed to bind the batter)

1 small onion, finely diced

2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

1 green chili, very finely chopped (for some heat)

Oil to fry (Peanut oil is preferred)

Water to bind the batter

Salt

Black pepper

Mix all the ingredients except the flour, oil and water. Add the flour and mix again. Next add the water by the spoonful and stir to bind. The batter should be thick and of droppable consistency similar to these bhaji batter.

Heat oil in wok and test fry a small portion of batter to check if the oil is hot enough to cook. If the batter comes up bubbling the oil is ready. Make one fritter first, taste it and adjust the batter for seasonings. Cook first on low heat and then on high to ensure the fritter cooks inside and out.

Serve hot with some ketchup or cheese dip!

Makai Palak / Corn Palak / Corn Spinach

2011-07-27T16:08:00.003+05:30

After years of eating palak paired with just paneer this was love at first bite! This version of spinach has the fragrant and pungently spiced spinach paired with the sweet juicy corn. I was introduced to the dish by my mother-in-law who tells me this is a big hit in the kitty party and marriage menus. Well I wouldn't miss it on either occasions.

You can add frozen or fresh corn, just microwave it for 5 (3 for fresh) minutes on high to soften the corn.

Ingredients:

3 bunches fresh spinach or 3 cups frozen spinach

3/4 cup corn, cooked (see above)

1 medium onion (125 grams)

2 tomatoes

3-4 green chilies

1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

Pinch hing (asafoetida)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon dhania-jeera powder (cumin coriander)

1 teaspoon corn flour mixed in water

Salt

Wash the spinach well and cut the stems from the leaves. Sprinkle some water on the spinach and microwave for about 5 minutes on high power, stirring once, till it is wilted and partly cooked. Set aside to cool. Alternatively pressure cook with 1/2 cup water for one whistle. Blend to make a smooth puree. (if using frozen spinach, microwave and puree). Make a puree of onions, tomato and chilies.

Heat a wok and add the oil to it. When heated, add the hing and cumin seeds and when they start to crackle, add the onion paste. Saute on low heat till the liquid has evaporated and the oil starts to leave the masala. Add the spinach puree and the spices. Bring to a boil. Continue to cook and add the corn and salt at this time. Also add the corn flour paste. This will thicken the puree and make it smoother. Check for salt and spices and adjust. Corn Palak is ready!

Serve hot with parathas or naans!

Pineapple Fried Rice / Hawaiian Fried Rice

2011-07-24T00:52:00.000+05:30

The rains have made the city cooler and it makes me crave spicy fried food. I had my share of pakoras and today it was Pineapple fried rice. We used to have it a lot at my favorite Asian restaurant in Dallas and it brings back happy memories.

This dish can be a little on the sweet side. To counter that I used a little more chili than I normally would in fried rice. The resulting dish was a forkful of fragrant spicy rice followed by caramelized pineapple. I have used fresh pineapple as canned ones tend to be more sweeter. If using canned, drain and rinse the pieces to remove all the syrup. Day old rice is the best as it loses moisture and fries easily without clumping. If using freshly made rice, make sure you cool the rice completely before using.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked rice

2 cups vegetables, julienned (red pepper, green pepper, carrot, cabbage)

2 medium onions, sliced

3-4 cloves garlic, diced

1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and diced

4 thick slices pineapple

3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon green chili paste

1 tablespoon red / green chili sauce

1/2 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Salt

Peel the skin and remove the center core of the pineapple leaving clean yellow flesh. Cut into 8 pieces each. Keep aside.

Heat a large wok (its easier to fry in this) and add the oil. Next add the green chili paste, ginger, garlic and onions. Saute till the onions are translucent about 3-4 minutes. Next add the vegetables and quickly saute for 1 minute on high heat. The vegetables should retain crunchiness. Next add the pepper and the sauces. Mix well. Remove from heat. Add in the rice and mix well. Make sure there are no clumps. Next add the pineapple and salt (soy sauce is salty and mix well. Adjust for spice and salt. Return to heat and cook for 3-4 minutes on high heat stirring continuously with a light hand. The rice is done!

Serve hot and enjoy...

Watermelon, Mint and Feta Salad

2011-07-19T23:40:00.000+05:30

I had this salad in mind for a long time. This weekend we got very fragrant and pungent mint from my father-in-laws farm and I had to make this. The cool watermelon, the pungent mint and the salty feta make it a combo to savor. You can also try variations by adding some balsamic vinegar and maybe some finely diced red onion. It tastes best when cold, so make sure the watermelon is chilled.

Ingredients:

3 cups cubed and deseeded watermelon

2 tablespoons crumbled feta

2 tablespoons chopped mint

For the dressing

Juice of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Mix the ingredients for the dressing and add half the feta and all the mint in it. Whisk well. Add this to the watermelon and toss well so all the watermelon is covered with the dressing.

Remove on to a serving plate and spread the remaining feta on top. Enjoy!

Ice cream Sandwich with Triple Chocolate Cookies and Vanilla Ice Cream

2011-07-15T19:28:00.002+05:30

The name says it all. I have had plenty of Klondike bars but making my own was a different pleasure. And its not as easy as eating it is :) the first attempt was a gooey mess. I softened the ice cream and upon sandwiching it it melted all over the cookie... This time around, I didn't soften the ice cream, froze the cookies and the result was oh la la. That being said, its better if this 'wich is made in winter and frozen for summer. The ice cream just doesn't stop melting.

Ingredients:

2 cookies of choice - I used these Triple chocolate cookies

1 scoop ice cream of choice - I used Vanilla

Chocolate shavings

Freeze the cookies and keep the ice cream frozen as well. To assemble, slice out small portions of the ice cream and layer on top of the flat side of the cookie. Leave a little space around the edges. Put the second cookie flat side on the ice cream and press a little to make sure the ice cream spreads all over the cookie. Fill gaps with small dollops of ice cream. Return to freezer. When frozen, roll over the chocolate shavings. Eat it before it melts. Yummmm...

The flavor combinations can be:

Chocolate cookie and vanilla / chocolate / chocolate chip / coffee ice cream

Vanilla cookie and chocolate / almond praline / caramel / mint / strawberry / mango ice cream

Oatmeal Raisin cookie with vanilla ice cream

Tell me what flavor combination you like...

I am sending this to Srivalli's Sandwich Mela...

Baked Vegetable in White Sauce

2011-07-12T18:22:00.001+05:30

This is an elegant side dish is slowly becoming more mainstream in traditional Indian dinner menus. It is easy to make and can be assembled a day in advance, wrapped in cling film and baked on the day of the dinner. This can also be made region specific by altering the spices. If you add oregano, roasted vegetables and feta cheese, this becomes a Mediterranean dish. Basil, Italian seasoning with mozzarella and Parmesan make it Italian. And a seasoning of chili-ginger paste makes it Indian. If you like it to have a sweetish hint, add pineapple chunks as well without microwaving.

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed small or thin slices

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup mixed carrots, French beans, small dice (peas and corn optional)

8-10 mushrooms, quartered

3 cups thin white sauce

2 tablespoons grated cheese to mix in sauce

1/2 cup grated cheese to sprinkle on top (I used Amul)

Salt

Pepper

In a bowl, put all the vegetables except mushrooms and microwave them for about 7-8 minutes. Keep aside.

Pour about 1/2 cup white sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 glass baking pan. Then layer the cauliflowers on it. Pour 1/2 cup sauce, sprinkle salt and pepper followed by mushrooms, then carrots, french beans and finally potatoes. Pour 1/2 cup sauce after every layer sprinkling salt and pepper. Pour all remaining sauce on top and sprinkle cheese.

In a preheated oven at 400 F or 200 C, bake for 30-40 minutes or till the cheese is melted and has golden spots.

Serve hot with side of toasted baguette or garlic bread.

I am sending this to Pari's event Only baked hosted by Tamalapaku

Shreya's Blue Mist

2011-07-07T15:32:00.000+05:30

I am fortunate that all my friends have married gorgeous and accomplished women. Vishal is a friend from grad school and his wife Shreya is a skilled jewellery designer and also a domestic goddess. We recently went for dinner at their place and she had laid out lots of tasty food and this delightful drink. Its as refreshing as it is simple. As soon as I was home I tried it out and it really was as good as I remembered. The proportions are for one glass but make a pitcher and adjust to taste. So here it is... and thanks so much Shreya!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons blue curacao (lime and citrus cordial)

1 cup sprite

2 ice cubes

Pour the curacao in a glass, add the sprite and top with the ice cubes... Ready to sip...

Note: You can also make this into a cocktail by adding a shot of vodka.

Greek Style Eggs

2011-06-30T23:00:00.001+05:30

Eggs are my favorite breakfast food and these Greek style eggs are a very tasty way to eat them. Soft, fluffy eggs and the salty bite of feta is a delicious food pairing which I have used before to make quiches as well.

The recipe is simple and here goes...

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

Pat of butter

3 teaspoons crumbled feta cheese

2 teaspoons milk

1/2 small onion diced finely

Salt (Only a pinch as the feta is also salty)

Pepper

Break the eggs in a bowl and beat well with the milk. Add salt (add just a pinch as the feta is salty) and pepper.

Heat a non stick pan and add the butter. Add the onions and saute for a minute. Add the egg mixture and when it begins to set on the sides, use a wooden spoon to break the egg and stir to scramble it. When they look slightly runny, they are done as they will continue to cook even when removed from the heat. Remove from heat and sprinkle the feta. It will begin to melt over the eggs.

Serve immediately with some toasted bread. I had this with a lovely rosemary and olive foccacia and a cup of tea. Heavenly!

Southern Iced Tea

2011-06-27T19:30:00.003+05:30

When it rains in Mumbai its heavenly - garam chai and onion bhaji time. But the very next day it is humid and stiflingly hot. On such muggy afternoons this glass of iced tea comes to the rescue. It is sweet with a little caffeine and refreshing... Interestingly I always have iced tea with Chinese food... it perfectly balances the heat of the chili paneer for me. The cream horn in the pic is from one of my favorite Mumbai bakeries - Merwans in Andheri. I lay blame for all my extra kilos (a lot of extra kilos) on their fabulously and freshly baked pastries, eclairs and tarts. I still think they have the best lemon tarts EVER. But I digress. The strength of the tea depends on you and so does the sugar. Adjust to taste. And southern iced teas dont have any fancy lemon, peach or ginseng in them - that's what the Yankees add to it :)

So without much ado...

Ingredients:

2 cups water

2 teaspoons black tea

1 tablespoon sugar (I bleed syrup)

Ice

Boil the water, add the tea. When it reaches desired strength, remove from heat and drain. Add the sugar. Mix to dissolve. Chill. Add ice and sip.... Ahhh....

Also sending it to Serve it - Chilled an event by Denny

Tomato Baskets

2011-06-24T01:49:00.000+05:30

Tomato baskets are crispy shells filled with succulent tomatoes and sweet onions. Add a dash of spice and cheese and these are the perfect appetizers.

I fillede them with tomatoes but corn, spinach, mixed peppers and peas would work too. The shells are made of all purpose flour with a little salt added. It is similar to a kachori dough. The portion below makes approx 8 baskets.

Ingredients:

For dough

1 cup All purpose flour (maida)

1/4 cup oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Water for kneading

For filling

4 medium tomatoes

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 teaspoon Mix Italian herbs - Basil, Oregano and Parsley

1/2 tablespoon oil

Black pepper

Salt

Mix the flour and oil and mix till it forms a crumb-like texture. When you press the flour between fingers it should clump. Slowly add water to bind into a tight dough. Cover with wet cloth and keep for 10-15 minutes.

In this time, start preparing the filling. Cut the tomatoes in half, deseed and dice. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the onions. Saute for 2 minutes and add the green peppers. Cook till both are softened. Add the tomatoes and spices and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. When cooled add half the cheese and keep aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Portion the dough in 8 equal pieces and roll out into 4 inch rounds. Place these over muffin moulds and press well. I did this as I wanted to make them a little larger, you can also place these inside mini muffin pan for bite-size portions. Blind bake them for about 10 minutes till they start to brown. Remove and cool. The stuff each of the moulds with the tomato stuffing and sprinkle a little cheese over it. Bake again for about 5 minutes to till the cheese starts to melt.

Enjoy hot or warm with a glass of wine or a cup of tea!

Rava Upma

2011-06-21T00:30:00.001+05:30

The much-loved, often-made, south Indian breakfast has recently become the toast of the culinary world. Though it often gets upstaged by the medu vada (who doesn't love fried food) and idli, it is made often as breakfast for its ease of cooking and simple ingredients. The veggies I have added are kind of what I had in hand, but feel free to add other vegetables like bell peppers as well. The rava used is the thick / coarse variety.

Ingredients:

1 cup semolina / cream of wheat / rava / sooji

1 small onion finely diced

3/4 cup assorted fresh chopped vegetables (peas, carrots, tomatoes)

1 1/2 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon mustard seeds / raee

1 teaspoon cumin seeds / jeera

1 inch knob of ginger finely chopped

2 green chilies

8-10 curry leaves

1/2 cup buttermilk (optional)

Coriander for garnish

Salt

Heat a thick bottomed pan. When hot, dry roast the rava till slightly browned / beige in color. Remove from heat and keep aside.

In the same pan, heat the ghee. Add the raee, jeera, chilies, ginger, curry leaves and onions. Saute on medium heat till onions are translucent. Next add the peas and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes till they have softened / fork tender. Next add the tomatoes and cook for a minute or so. Finally add the rava, 1 teaspoon salt and buttermilk along with 1/2 cup of water (if using only water add 1 cup of water). The rava will quickly absorb this water. Next add about a 1/4 cup and wait for the rava to absorb it. Add a little more water if the rava is dry and can still absorb water, else it will be come soggy. Check for salt and adjust.

Serve hot garnished with some chopped coriander and a side of coconut chutney. My husband also likes to add some spicy sev on top for crunch. If you are making this for company or if you like it richer, you can add some cashew nuts sauteed in ghee as well. Enjoy!

Panini / Grilled Sandwich with Pesto, Goat Cheese, Zucchini and Red Pepper

2011-06-16T02:00:00.008+05:30

This is a quick and easy panini / grilled sandwich (panini is the Italian word for a sandwich - more here) which can be an evening snack or a meal as well. Red pepper has a sweetness which pairs well with the creamy, salty goat cheese. Zucchini adds an earthiness and pesto gives a nutty pungency to the bite. The ingredients are simple - just pick fresh produce so when you bite into the sandwich the pepper should be crunchy and the pesto should have a pop. The ingredients below are for two panini's. I have used thick slices of Italian bread, but you can use ciabatta or foccacia as well.

* Goat cheese that I have bought has been circular roll of cheese, just make 8 slices (coins) to spread on the bread about 2 mm thick or as much as you like.

So lets start...

Ingredients:

4 slices fresh Italian bread

2 tablespoons Pesto

1 red bell pepper

6 inch chunk of zucchini

8 slices of Goat cheese*

Dash of EV olive oil

Butter (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Skin the zucchini and cut into two 3 inch chunks. Now vertically slice these to get long rectangular planks of zucchini. Cut the top and bottom portion of the bell pepper and remove the seeds. Cut it in half and you should get two rectangular portions of the pepper.

Heat a grill pan (or other) and add the dash of olive oil. Place the zucchini and pepper on it to give it a few grill marks and a little char.

Take a slice of the bread and spread the goat cheese on it, 4 slices worth. Next place the zucchini and bell pepper, sprinkle some salt and pepper on it. On another slice of bread apply the pesto and cover the sandwich. Heat a panini maker or a non stick pan and place the sandwich on it. Press the sandwich till golden on each side. I used a pan so I covered the sandwich with another plate and put some weight on it to give it the pressed sandwich effect. You can also apply a little butter on the outside for a more golden sheen.

Serve hot or warm with a tea in the winter and smoothie in the summer! Enjoy!

I am sending this to Red Chilies for a Light Lunch, her series for June and to Srivalli's Sandwich Mela...

Strawberry and Ricotta Stuffed French Toast

2011-06-13T16:30:00.003+05:30

I am a pancake person - give me lots of syrup and some fruit on top. And eggs should be savory. But one bite of these and I have a second favorite. I have to say this was an experiment to see how well I could make French toasts and if I would like them with all my favorite things inside. It is inspired by many TV recipes and features so it is difficult to say where TV ends and I start... So here it is...

Ingredients:

4 thick slices bread

4-6 strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/4 cup (2 tablespoons) ricotta

1 teaspoon sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon milk (or half n half)

Dash of vanilla

Few grates of orange rind

Butter to cook

Syrup of choice - I like butter and maple

Beat the eggs, milk, vanilla and orange rind together. Keep aside.

Mix the ricotta with the sugar. Spread half a tablespoon of this ricotta mix on one side of the bread. Arrange strawberry slices on top. Cover with another slice of bread which is spread with half tablespoon ricotta on the inside. Soak in the egg mixture.

Heat a non-stick pan and apply a little butter on it. Place the egg soaked bread on the pan and cook on low heat till the egg is done. Flip and cook the egg on the other side as well.

Remove from heat, sprinkle some powdered sugar, drizzle some syrup and gobble gobble gobble...

I am sending this to Srivalli's Sandwich Mela...

Morabba - Gujarati Sweet Mango Pickle / Mango Marmalade

2011-06-09T18:30:00.002+05:30

Every summer is reminder not only of the carefree school vacations but also of endless rows of mangoes being peeled, cut, dried, bottled to make pickles for the rest of the year. At my grandmothers house during pickling time, there would be neat rows of mangoes pieces marinated in turmeric and salt, which we cousins would eat surreptitiously so as to not incur the wrath of the elders. Alas no such fun now... My mother usually makes a few select pickles back home which I then carry with me... no more stealing pieces and no more yellow fingers... And I dont pickle either. But this year was an exception as I was in Mumbai and once again was a part of the pickling... Here is the easiest of the lot - a sweet mango pickle called Morabba. Usually this is eaten with spicy parathas or along with meals. Its a big hit with kids.

Ingredients:

1 kilo raw mangoes - Rajapuri type

2 kilos sugar

3-4 pieces cloves

3-4 2 inch sticks of cinnamon

5-6 pods of green cardamom

Few strands of Kesar (optional)

Wash the mangoes carefully. Peel them and make small pieces. Alternatively, you can also thick grate the mango. Also in India, the shopkeeper will do this for you.

In a large thick bottomed vessel, mix the sugar and the mango. Heat on stovetop on low heat till the sugar melts and forms a thick syrup. Pour a drop on a plate and check for the consistency, if it forms a single string when pulled between a finger and thumb, it is done. Anything less will spoil the pickle and anything more will crystallize the pickle. Remove from heat and cool. When completely cooled add the spices and mix. Pour into a clean glass jar and let the flavors mingle for atleast a week before eating.

Enjoy with every meal or even snacks!

P.S: Traditionally, this pickling was done using solar heat. Everyday my mother would put the vessel with the mango and sugar in the sun, covered with a cheesecloth and bring it in the house at sundown. This process continued till the pickle was ready. Now-a-days due to pollution my mother avoids doing this.

Grilled Aloo Stuffed Sandwiches

2011-06-07T01:56:00.000+05:30

Having a picnic basket makes any trip more fun. The same can be said about these sandwiches, adding joy to every road trip. Sometimes eaten even before we leave city limits, at other times they have been a saviour when we couldn't find food on the way. The preparation is simple and the filling can be prepped even a day before for quick assembly later on. Only one note: if they are carried on winter, they will stay fine longer. If it's summer be sure to keep them in a cooler and don't store for more than a day. I have used a sandwich maker, if you don't have one they can be made on a flat pan on the stove top too.

I have mostly cooked them for road trips but they make a great breakfast or evening snack as well.

1 cup basic potato stuffing

6 slices bread

Butter for brushing

Pepper jack cheese slices (optional)

Coriander chutney (optional)

Make 3 portions out of the filling. Apply chutney on one side of the bread and evenly spread one portion of the filling. Top with a slice of cheese and finish the sandwich with another slice of bread. Butter the outer sides of the sandwich. Place in the sandwich maker and grill till golden brown. Serve hot with tea or pack in aluminum foil and enjoy on the trip!

Pesto Pasta Salad

2011-06-01T02:33:00.002+05:30

As the temperature goes up, the desire to be in the kitchen goes down. This simple summer salad is the answer. Instead of hot pasta this is a cold pasta dish which is flavorful, fresh and colorful. It has simple ingredients and can be made in a jiffy. Some pasta shapes are easier to coat than others, I used farfalle, bow-tie pasta as they are better in this dish. For some saltiness, I use feta cheese which has a bite and goes well with the basil notes of the pesto. Cherry tomatoes are little bombs of flavor. They have the concentrated taste of tomato in each small bite. Buy the snack variety and preferably organic as they will be eaten raw.

Ingredients:

3 cups pasta, bow-tie pasta preferred

1/2 cup basil pesto (or more if you like)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, split in half

1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled

In a large pot boil about 9 cups of water till it comes to a rolling boil. Add salt and pasta and cook till al dente. It should take about 8-9 minutes. Drain the pasta, place in a large bowl and add the pesto to it. Toss well to cover evenly. Add the tomatoes and half the cheese and mix well. To serve sprinkle some cheese on top and enjoy!

I had sent this recipe to Nithu's Kitchen as a guest post. It was featured along with my interview.

I am sending this to Red Chilies for a Light Lunch, her series for June.

Mango Shake

2011-05-26T20:30:00.002+05:30

Now this isnt really a recipe but more of a homage to my favorite fruit and how my family can never have enough of it. Come May and alphonso mangoes come to live with us. Happily ripening in their dry straw and wooden plank homes, they are checked daily for ripeness. There are mango shakes for breakfast, mango slices for dessert and mango lassis for evening snacks. Aamras (mango puree) and various mango delicacies - aam papad, aamrakhand, mango burfee, mango ice cream the list goes on...

I like my shake thick and not too sweet, hence the extra pulp and no additional sugar. I use chilled ingredients and avoid ice as it dilutes the shake.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mango pulp or 3/4 cubed mango

3/4 cup milk

Blend for a minute and its ready to sip!

Also sending it to Serve it - Chilled an event by Denny

Scalloped Tomatoes

2011-05-25T00:20:00.002+05:30

My father-in-laws garden had an over abundant crop of tomatoes. To finish up the tomatoes I started to look at my bookmarked recipes and this one jumped out. Its an Ina Garten recipe and its perfect (though I made some alterations). It easy to make and the simplicity of the dish makes every ingredient stand out. The plump juicy tangy tomatoes, sweet basil, creamy cheese and pungent garlic are a burst of flavor in your mouth. Even my masala loving and moms-food-is-best husband couldn't stop raving. We had it for dinner and leftovers for breakfast and are waiting for the next batch of tomatoes :-) The original recipe calls for Parmesan but I had some lovely Swiss Gruyere and I used that for the dish.

Ingredients:

3/4 french loaf (6-8 inches long)

8 medium tomatoes - I used vine ripened

6-8 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon black pepper

6-8 basil leaves, chiffonaded

3/4 cup grated Parmesan / Gruyere

Salt

Cube the bread into 1 inch pieces. Heat the oil in a deep wok / frying pan and heat the oil. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add the cubes into the oil and toss well to coat. Brown the bread while constantly stirring / tossing the cubes.

Wash the tomatoes, hull them and chop into quarters. In a bowl, add the tomatoes, sugar, pepper, basil and salt. Mix well. Add to the browned bread cubes and toss well to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add half the cheese in the bread tomato mix and transfer to a baking dish about 8x8 size. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 30-40 minutes till the cheese is melted and tomatoes are cooked.

Serve hot or warm with a mushroom or spinach quiche / frittata / omelette. Non-vegetarians can pair this with grilled chicken or fish.

Sunrise Surprise (Apple Orange Spritzer)

2011-05-20T21:10:00.003+05:30

A hot summer afternoon needs a refreshing drink. One sip of this spritzer and you will be raring to go out again. Its a simple combination of fruity flavors - orange, apple and to add some fizz a little lemon-lime soda. Try it and let me know how you like it. The measures are approximate, depending on the size of the glass you are making it in. The one drawback is, it has to be made in individual glasses. All the ingredients should be chilled, ice is optional.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon orange crush / concentrate

3/4 cup apple juice

1/4 cup Sprite / Limca

Pieces of apple for garnish

Ice cubes (Optional)

Take a tall glass and put the crush at the bottom. Then slowly pour the apple juice from the side of the glass while tilting it, to not disturb the crush at the bottom. Add Sprite on the top and garnish with apple pieces. Add ice cubes and serve immediately.

I am sending this to Nayana's Coolers and Mocktails Event, originally started by Pari and to Saffron Streaks Summer Coolers Event

Also sending it to Serve it - Chilled an event by Denny

Paan Ice cream (Betelnut leaf Ice cream)

2011-05-14T00:21:00.000+05:30

Paan is a must after a big Indian dinner. Paan is not only a flavor burst in the mouth but the leaf aids digestion. The gulkand - rose leaf preserve is a coolant, and the saunf - fennel seeds act as a breath freshener. However with summer here, it is a hard choice between some icecream and paan. I thought why not merge the two. This icecream uses two readymade ingredients so no churning or waiting. You can either buy the paan ingredients separately or ask your neighbourhood paan wala to give four paans with masala separate. These are the ingredients of a mitha paan.

Ingredients:

1.5 pints (750 ml) Vanilla icecream

4 paan leaves

1/2 cup paan stuffing (tutti fruti, grated coconut, fennel seeds)

2 tablespoons gulkand

Make vertical cuts in the paan leaves and roll them to chop finely. Mix the paan ingredients well with the gulkand. Soften the icecream by placing it on the kitchen counter for 5-10 minutes. Fold the paan mixture into the icecream till it is well dispersed in the icecream. Put it in the freezer for about an hour to harden.

Scoop, serve and enjoy!

Drunken Beans and Spanish Rice

2011-05-04T16:06:00.001+05:30

I made this dish almost a year ago and since I missed posting it last Cinco de Mayo, I want to be in time for this year. Spanish Rice is an all occasion favorite, a departure from my usual rice recipes - Indian and Chinese. The drunken beans are an acquired taste if you are not a fan of dark beer. But you can substitute it with a pale ale of your choice or plain vegetable stock but your beans wont be drunk then :-)

Ingredients:

Drunken Beans

1/2 pound raw pinto beans

1 onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 can (16 oz) tomatoes, diced or crushed

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon oregano

1 bottle dark beer

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups water

Black pepper

Salt

Wash the beans thoroughly, and soak overnight with 2 inches of water above the beans. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a crockpot and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for a minute and add the tomatoes, jalapeno, bay leaves, oregano, salt, black pepper, water and beer. Finally add the soaked beans and cook for about 45 minutes till tender. Mash a handful of beans to thicken the liquid. Adjust for salt. Serve hot with some Spanish Rice.

Spanish Rice

2 cups Rice

2 cups Water

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small green pepper, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cups Salsa

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped coriander (Not in pic above)

Salt

Heat oil in the rice cooker vessel on stove top and add the cumin seeds, onion and green peppers. Saute till onions are translucent. Then add the salsa, chili powder and black pepper. Add the rice and sauté for a minute. Add salt and water and return the vessel to the cooker base to cook till done. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle coriander to garnish.

Have a good Cinco de Mayo!

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-04-30T18:07:00.000+05:30

Banana bread comes up often in blog posts and I think I know why. Bananas ripen too quickly and this is a yummy and healthy way to use them. I paired them with walnuts and chocolate chip, my favorite flavor combination. These muffins can also be baked as a banana bread in a loaf pan but I like to make these as muffins so I can count how many were gobbled up by me. With a loaf, a thin slice becomes a thick slice which becomes half the loaf without my realizing it. I kept the sugar in it to a minimum as the bananas were sweet. We thoroughly enjoyed them. So here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

2 cups All-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Baking powder

1/2 cup Chocolate chips
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla

1/3 cup Granulated sugar

3 ripe medium Bananas
2 large Eggs

1/4 cup refined vegetable oil

1/2 cup Walnuts

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with wrappers. Toast the walnuts on stove top and cool.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas, do not over-mash else they will become lacy. Add the eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla and mix well. In another bowl, mix the flour (keep aside 1 teaspoon), baking soda, baking powder, salt and whisk to mix well. Add the teaspoon of flour to the chocolate chips and nuts and coat evenly. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin.

Gently fold in the wet mixture into the flour mixture. Fold only till mixed, mixture maybe lumpy. Also fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Put into Muffin cups and bake for about 18-20 minutes. Pierce with toothpick in the center to check if done. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

This muffin goes to Divya's Show me your Muffin event.

Triple Chocolate Cookies - Eggless

2011-04-25T23:53:00.000+05:30

Saturday was a happy day. I spent the entire afternoon baking these triple chocolate cookies and just baking and tasting gave me a chocolate high. The recipe is the same as these Chocolate Chip Cookies but they have cocoa and white chocolate chunks in them. These are certainly much more richer and decadent than CCC so they are perfect with black coffee or a cold glass of milk.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup All purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder (use 1/4 cup if using dark cocoa and substitute rest with all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 sticks butter (approx 220 grams) at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar (don't use powdered)

1/2 cup condensed milk

1 cup dark chocolate chunks / large chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 400F (200 C). Line baking trays with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes with a mixer on medium speed. The butter will become pale in color and increase in volume as well. Then add the condensed milk and vanilla and beat well to mix. In another bowl, sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder together (you can also just whisk them together to mix well). Mix the flour into the butter mixture a couple of spoons at a time with a spatula. When all the flour is incorporated into the butter, fold the chocolate chips into it. Do not beat the mixture. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will harden the butter and not spread the cookies as much when baked. Take 1 1/2 inch balls of dough (roughly - they don't have to be perfect) and place them on the baking tray keeping about 2-3 inch distance between two dough balls.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes, since they are dark in color it is difficult to judge doneness. The center may not be firm but they will continue to cook and harden outside the oven. Remove from oven and cool them on a wire rack. Do not cool on a plate as the moisture on the base of the cookie will make them soggy.

Enjoy with coffee or a glass of cold milk! To store, place in a air tight container once they are completely cooled.

Vaghareli Khichdi / Seasoned Khichdi

2011-04-22T02:00:00.000+05:30

Life is about simple pleasures and this is one of them. Subtly spiced and making the flavor of the lentils pop, this khichdi with a dollop of ghee and I can finish a potful. I add the potato to make it a little substantial. You can skip it if you want. So here goes...

Ingredients:

3/4 cup split green moong daal with skin

3/4 cup rice (non basmati preferred)

2 medium potatoes

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 stick of cinnamon

4 cloves

Water

Salt

Wash the daal and rice thoroughly. Keep aside. Wash the potatoes well to remove any dirt on the surface. Chop the potatoes with skin on, about medium dice, 1/2 inch cubes.

In a pressure cooker or rice cooker, heat the oil and when hot, add the cumin seeds. Next add the potaotes, cinnamon, fenugreek seeds and cloves. Saute for about 30 seconds and add the rice and daal. Add 4 1/2 cups water (you may add more water if you like a more thinner consistency) along with salt and cook upto 2 whistles (and cooling it naturally) or till the rice cooker turns to warm setting. If you are making it in a rice cooker, stir about midway though it, say after 10 minutes.

Serve hot with a dollop of ghee on top!

Strawberry-Mint Coolers

2011-04-19T00:20:00.001+05:30

Phew summer! Its hot and humid and a few minutes outside make you crave something cold and refreshing. With just a hint of soda and lots of fruit, this drink will not give you any guilt pangs. The idea of pairing strawberries and mint was introduced to me by a fellow blogger and good friend. Upon experimentation, I reached this recipe which can also be a welcome drink, mocktail or cocktail. The fresh juices, pungent mint and crisp soda make it a refreshing sip. The below portion is for 12 large servings.

Ingredients:

2 boxes strawberries, about 30 pieces

2 fistfuls fresh mint

4 lemons juiced

1 litre orange juice

1 litre Sprite or any other lemon-lime soda

6 cups ice, approx 4 cubes per serving

Wash all the produce thoroughly. Clean and hull the strawberries. In a blender, add the strawberries, mint, lemon juice and ice. You may have to do this in 2/3 batches depending upon the size of the blender. Blend till all the strawberries are pureed and ice is crushed. Remove in a jug and add the orange juice. Keep refrigerated till time of serving. Alternatively you can add half the ice to blend and remaining can be added in the jug to keep the juice blend cool.

To serve, fill 2/3 of the glass with the strawberry orange juice blend and top the remaining 1/3 with Sprite. Garnish with a twig of mint and serve chilled!

Cocktail option: Add a shot of vodka to the above glass and serve.

Rasawalu bateta nu shaak / Aloo ki sabzi / Potato stew

2011-04-14T18:13:00.001+05:30

This is a simple preparation and tastes best with puri's. Its also one of our favorite Sunday brunch items. I guess everyone's had this dish in one form or another. And here is my version for it. When I feel like making it Gujarati style, I add a half teaspoon of sugar in it. And for Punjabi style, just add a fat pinch of kasuri methi. Onions (1 medium) and garlic (4-5 large cloves) are also good additions.

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes

4 large tomatoes

3-4 green chilies

1 inch knob ginger

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Pinch asafoetida (hing)

1/3 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin-coriander powder

2 tablespoons coriander finely chopped

Salt

Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker, about 3 cups water and 2 whistles. Let the steam cool naturally.

Peel and chop into medium sized cubes.

Wash the tomatoes, chilies and ginger. Removes the stems from the tomatoes and chilies and skin the ginger. Blend all three into a puree.

In a heavy bottomed wok, heat the oil and add the hing, cumin and mustard. When it crackles, add the tomato puree and cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes till the puree has thickened and is all cooked out. Add the potatoes, spices and salt. Add about 3/4 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Mash 1-2 pieces of potatoes to make the gravy thicker. Add the coriander and mix.

Rasawalu bateta nu shaak is ready. Enjoy with some hot fluffy puris or rotis. I paired it with Gujarati kadhi and Methi na gota.

Mixed Vegetable Pulao (Pilaf)

2011-04-07T21:29:00.000+05:30

Golden yellow basmati rice with colorful vegetables and an aroma that can make you hungry on a full stomach. That is what this mixed vegetable pulao is. It is one of my moms original recipes and its a masterpiece. The magic is in the aromatics, she uses whole spices but does not overwhelm the subtle flavor of rice or the veggies. Again this is a recipe which tastes best when made in ghee so dont count calories there. The veggies can be fresh or frozen. Peel and dice the potatoes about 1 centimeter cubes. Cut the veggies in uniform size so that they all cook at the same time and some of them don't become mushy.

Ingredients:

2 cups raw mixed vegetables, caulifower, peas, carrots, french beans, potatoes

2 cups raw long grain basmati rice

1 tablespoon ghee

1 medium onion, chopped finely

3-4 cloves garlic

1 inches stick of cinnamon

4-5 cloves

2 dry bay leaves

3 green chilies

1 inch knob of ginger, grated

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Pinch asafoetida (hing)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3 tablespoons chopped coriander

Salt

Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in 4 cups of water for one hour. Take ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and heat. Add the hing and jeera when hot. Add cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, onion, garlic, chillies and ginger and saute for 3-4 minutes on medium heat, till the onions are translucent in color. Add the veggies, salt and turmeric. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add the rice.
You can either cook this in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles and then on low heat for 3 minutes. Then remove from heat and cool. If you are making this in a rice cooker, prep the vegetables in the rice cooker vessel and put it to cook. This can also be made on open flame, it will take upto 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to check doneness. You may also need to add some more water and use a larger vessel for the open flame method.

When done add the coriander and serve hot with this or this raita.

Gujarati Kadhi

2011-04-05T21:19:00.001+05:30

If I had to pick my favorite Gujarati food, this would be it. Of course basundi is right up there too, but nothing is as comforting as a bowlful of hot kadhi. Its a simple preparation, a mix of yogurt, water and gramflour (besan) boiled and seasoned with the 'masala dabba' aromatics. This kadhi is much thinner than the Punjabi or Rajasthani version, you can make it thicker by adding more yogurt and gramflour. The seasoning with ghee is essential for the taste, don't use oil. Around Ahmedabad, a clove of crushed garlic is also added. So if garlic is your thing, you can add that as well. So without further writing, here is the recipe. I hope you make and enjoy it as much as I do. This portion below makes 3-4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups thick yogurt / curd

4 cups water

3 tablespoons gramflour (besan)

2-3 green chilies, whole slit thru middle

1 inch knob of ginger, minced

1 1/2 tablespoon ghee

Pinch asafoetida (hing)

1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1/4 teaspoon raee (mustard seeds)

7-8 kadhi patta (curry leaves)

1 inch cube of jaggery (or 1/2 tablespoon sugar)

2 inch stick of cinnamon

2-3 cloves

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Salt

Whisk the yogurt and gram flour together. Add the water while whisking to make sure there are no lumps. Heat on medium heat and bring to a boil. Add chilies, ginger, salt and jaggery and continue to boil while preparing seasoning.

Heat ghee in a seasoning wok and add the cinnamon and cloves. Next add the hing, jeera and mustard seeds. Finally add the curry leaves and stir. Saute for a minute. Add to the boiling kadhi. Continue to boil kadhi for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as required. At this time there should not be any raw taste of gram flour or yogurt and it should be one cohesive liquid. If you can taste the rawness boil for a few more minutes. When done, add the coriander and serve hot!

Kala Chana / Black Chickpea curry

2011-04-01T10:30:00.003+05:30

The lesser known sibling of Kabuli chana, famously made as chole, this chana variety has a different taste profile and is used differently too. It is also my little sisters favorite, and is made often at home. It is a simple recipe and with its leftovers I truly take creative liberty. I spread it over bread, dollops of yogurt over that, some sweet mango pickle and sev or boondi....ahhh heaven

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup raw chana

1 large onion

3-4 cloves garlic

2 green chilies

1 inch knob of ginger

1 tablespoon oil

Pinch asafoetida

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 spoon Garam masala

Pinch turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon Dhania-jeera powder

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Salt

Soak the chana in 3 cups of lukewarm water overnight. Drain the chana. Pressure cook to two whistles adding just enough water to cover the chana along with salt (about 1/2 teaspoon). Let the steam cool naturally. Make a paste of onion, garlic, chilies and ginger. You can also finely chop the onions and garlic, grate the ginger and add the chilies whole.

In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat the oil. When hot, add the asafoetida, mustard and cumin seeds. Next add the onion paste. Saute till the paste changes color to a pale brown and all the moisture is cooked out. Next add the chana with the cooking water to the onion mixture. Add the spices and adjust for salt. Bring to a boil. Add the coriander. Chana is ready!

Serve hot with warm rotis or rice.

Cold Coffee with Hot Fudge Sundae - Dessert Month Recipe 10

2011-03-28T18:30:00.003+05:30

For the final recipe I had to make something that ranked in my favorites. Cold Coffee, ice-cream, nutty dark chocolate and chocolate wafer cigars are my favorite weeknight desserts. I usually have 3-4 types of ice-creams in the fridge, vanilla and chocolate being staple. I like vanilla ice-cream for its versatility, it makes Coke floats, pairs with gulab jamuns or brownies and takes all kinds of toppings. Alas chocolate is an addiction so it creeps in every dessert.

Hot fudge sauce makes a wonderful topping for ice-creams and brownies, its easy to make and easier to store. It stays in the fridge for a long time (if it lasts that long) and to serve, simply microwave it for a 5-7 seconds, pour and eat!

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup melted chocolate

Heat a pot and melt butter in it. Remove from heat and add the cream while whisking. Add the chocolate a little at a time whisking all the time. This will prevent the chocolate from seizing. Fudge sauce is ready. Pour and enjoy!

Cold Coffee

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

2-3 cubes of ice

Coffee as per taste

Take all the ingredients and blend till frothy. The ice will be crushed and become slushy. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy! This makes once large serving.

I am sending this to Vaishali's Its Spring Event!

Eggless Hazelnut and Chocolate Crepes - Dessert Month Recipe 9

2011-03-23T18:08:00.002+05:30

I remember the first time I had crepes, on the streets of Vancouver from a small creperie window, with my cousins. I was hooked. Warm delicate crepes filled with chocolate hazelnut spread - Nutella - and some sliced bananas. This goodness packed in a foil wrap. I always wanted to replicate that at home. These hit the spot. The ones I had were with eggs but these are a 100% vegetarian. The portion below makes four 8 inch crepes. I wasted two crepes to flipping before I got two perfect ones.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (or wheat flour for a healthier option)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 bananas sliced

Lots of Nutella

Dash of salt

Butter to cook

2 tablespoons icing sugar to garnish

Mix the wet ingredients, water, milk, vanilla and butter. Whisk thoroughly. Add the sugar, salt and flour and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to upto 12 hours. I let it mix overnight.

When ready, heat a non-stick pan and dab a little butter on it. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter and tilt the pan to make the crepe. When it is cooked on one side, flip to cook the other side. Remove from pan, coat half the crepe with Nutella (as much as you like), fold into half and then a fourth. You can either put the banana slices on the Nutella or serve them by the side.

Take a small sieve, put the icing sugar in it and sprinkle on the crepe. Some of the sugar will melt into the crepe and make magic.

Serve warm!

Serving suggestions:

- With a dollop of whipped cream

- With a scoop of icecream

Ghugra / Gujiya - Dessert Month Recipe 8

2011-03-20T00:01:00.001+05:30

Ghugra are made at my home every Diwali and they are my absolute favorite. Crispy shells stuffed with flaky, sweet and delicious filling. They are eaten at holi as well and today being holi there was no better dessert to write about. The filling at home is made of coconut flakes, suji (rava), sugar and dry fruits. You can add some khoya (mava) to it as well in coconuts proportion. The proportion of rava to coconut to sugar is 3:1:2.

Ingredients:

Filling:

3/4 cup suji (cream of wheat)

1/4 cup coconut powder (fine flakes)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons chironji or pista

Covering:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup refined oil

Water

Refined oil or ghee to fry

Mix the flour with the oil and mix well. Rub it between palms and when it is all mixed it should form a clump when pressed between fingers. Slowly add water to form a tight dough. Cover with a wet cloth and keep aside.

Grind the sugar to form a powder. Heat a heavy bottomed wok and dry roast the suji. It should change color slightly to become light brown. Remove from heat and add the coconut and sugar and mix well. Taste and adjust for sweetness. If you want to add mava, heat a teaspoon of ghee to a hot wok and saute the mava. Add to the rava, coconut mixture.

Roll out a thin roti from the dough about 1-1.5 mm thick and 4 inches in diameter. A little variation is fine. Put a tablespoon of filling on one side (like a half moon) and cover with other half. Press the sides to seal. To make the design on the edge, press the edge dough flat on the rolling surface. Lift the end like a wave and fold over and press to complete. Continue for the entire half moon.

Heat the oil and when ready, add one or two ghugras to fry. Fry on low-medium heat till golden brown.

Serve warm! And Happy Holi everyone.

Citrus Sorbet - Dessert Month Recipe 7

2011-03-18T18:30:00.006+05:30

Sometimes you are in a mood for a little lighter stuff. And this sorbet or sorbetto is just that. Cold, light, refreshing, and since its zero-fat it makes you feel good. Growing up I had tons of golas, ice pops and just plain frozen sherbets and this is a more grown-up sophisticated version of the same. I have used pineapple, orange and lemon in this sorbet but its versatile - you can use berries, mango or any other juicy fruit of your choice. I didn't want a overwhelming taste of orange so I didn't use the rind, but if you want to make a orange sorbet, boil orange rind along with the sugar and water. You can also make it more grown-up by adding about 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier. This proportion has to be maintained as alcohol will inhibit freezing. Too much of it and your sorbet won't set.

Ingredients:

2 large oranges

3-4 thick slices pineapple

1 lemon

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water

Heat the water in a pot and when boiling add the sugar. Boil till all the sugar dissolves. Strain and chill.

Wash and peel the oranges. Separate the slices and de-seed them. Puree the oranges and the pineapple. Pass them through a strainer. You should get about a cup and half of juice. Add the lemon juice and put in the freezer to chill.

Mix the two liquids and adjust for sugar (add some powdered sugar and mix well). It has to be a little sweeter than you like as it will lessen in sweetness as it freezes. Now there are two ways of freezing this. First - put the chilled mixture in a ice-cream maker. Turn on the ice-cream maker and churn till frozen. Second - if you are making this without a ice cream maker, put mixture in a steel / metal tumbler and place in the freezer. Remove the mixture from the freezer every hour and mix well, breaking all the ice crystals and frozen chunks. This will prevent formation of large ice crystals. Repeat 3-4 times before completely frozen.

Serving suggestions:

- Scoop and serve
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla icecream
- Serve with pound cake and grilled pineapple

I am sending this to Vaishali's Its Spring Event!

Mishti Doi (Sweet yogurt) - Dessert Month Recipe 6

2011-03-17T00:35:00.000+05:30

I had Mishti Doi very late in life. And I am trying to make up for it. Cool, creamy and in these delightful mud 'kullad's' (cup) this my new favorite dessert. Though I haven't yet had the authentic Calcutta version which my mom-in-law raves about, this recipe tries to mimic the local dessert shop doi. And its fairly easy to make. I have added saffron because I like its flavor and the golden hue it gives to desserts. One small drawback, its not an instant dessert. It takes about 10-12 hours to set as the sugar acts as an inhibitor to the yogurt culture. But make it at night and enjoy the next day. The kullad I have is of approx 1 cup capacity, which makes 2 portions. The recipe below is for that.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups full fat milk

1/3 teaspoon saffron (a fat pinch)

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (may alter as per taste)

1 tablespoon live yogurt culture

Soak the saffron in 1/4 cup milk, leaving aside 2-3 strands for garnish. After 15-20 minutes, crush the strands to release the color and flavor.

Boil 2 cups of the milk in a heavy bottomed pot. Add sugar to the boiling milk. When reduced to half its volume, add the saffron soaked milk and bring to a boil. Taste for sweetness and adjust. Remove from heat and cool till lukewarm, do not cover as condensation will drop into the milk. Add the yogurt culture and whisk well. Pour into the kullad and garnish with saffron strands. Cover and keep in a warm spot for about 10-12 hours. Check if set and keep for more time till set. Once set, store in refrigerator till serving.

Serve chilled!

Eggless Sandwich Blondie - Dessert Month Recipe 5

2011-03-13T23:10:00.001+05:30

Brownies I have had plenty but blondies very few. A twist on the traditional blondie, this sandwich blondie has milk chocolate and nuts sandwiched between two decadent layers of white chocolate goodness. And its eggless. The idea to sandwich a chocolate bar between blondies came from this thriller + recipes novel I had read some time ago, Cream puff murder. I used a simple nut chocolate as I didn't want the blondies too thick but feel free to use a bar of your choice. If you want you can just make these as plain blondies without the chocolate bar, just add a cup of walnuts to the batter after coating with a tablespoon of flour.

They taste divine by themselves and even better when paired with a scoop of icecream.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
1/2 can Amul mithai mate or 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 stick or 100 grams melted butter or 1/2 cup refined vegetable oil + pinch of salt
1/2 cup yogurt + milk equal portions
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup melted white chocolate (200 grams)

3-4 bars milk chocolate with nuts, enough to cover your pan

2-3 tablespoons dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C. Take a large bowl and mix the wet ingredients - the yogurt / milk mixture, oil, condensed milk, sugar and melted chocolate. White chocolate melts faster than dark chocolate so be careful while melting it. Then mix the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, couple of tablespoons at a time. When all the ingredients are incorporated, beat for about 2 minutes with a hand mixer.

Take a 8x8 inch metal or glass cake pan. Line the bottom and sides with foil. This lets you pull out the blondies out of the pan easily and also it's easier cutting and clean up. Pour in half the the batter and level. Next layer the chocolate bars to cover the entire surface and then pour the remaining half of the batter on the chocolates. Bake for 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center to check doneness. The toothpick should come out clean, if it comes out with wet batter (some chocolate might stick) bake an additional few minutes.

Cool the blondies. Cut into squares. Melt the dark chocolate and pour into a ziplock bag. Nip a corner and drizzle zigzags on the blondies. Enjoy them warm with a scoop of ice cream or a glass of ice tea! These can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. To re-serve, microwave on full strength for 15-20 seconds.

I am sending this to Divya's Brownies/Blondies/Bars event.

Jalebi's - Dessert Month Recipe 4

2011-03-11T16:30:00.003+05:30

Golden, syrup-filled, crispy spirals of happiness, warm jalebi's are everyone's favorite. Next to Gulab Jamun's this may be the sweet eaten most commonly all over India. My fondest memories are those of Dassera mornings, when we had jalebi and ganthia with fried chili's. Another combination which is favored at my in-laws place is jalebis with rabdi or milk.

I ate this sunshine deliciousness being homemade a little late in life (sorry mom - but we always had them from the neighborhood halwai). Well better late than never. My neighbor K bhabhi makes the worlds best jalebi's and feeds them with a lot of love too. This is her recipe verbatim. Portion below makes about 20 medium sized jalebis. A note about yogurt. Homemade yogurts have a slight higher water content than store bought ones. I have used home made yogurt in this recipe, if you are using store bought, you made need a little water to get the right consistency. Slightly tangy yogurts are best. Baking soda makes the jalebi's crispy. I have not used color in these but you can use yellow or orange coloring as well.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon gram flour (besan)

1 cup yogurt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Water (if needed)

Ghee for frying

For the syrup

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

Mix the maida and besan with the yogurt. Beat well to make a lump-free batter of pourable consistency. If you hold it up with a spoon it should be fall easily. Keep aside while you make the syrup or about 30 minutes.

Heat water in a heavy bottomed pot and add the sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and keep boiling till it reduces a little. It has to be slightly less viscous than an 'ek tar'* syrup. To check, pour a drop of the liquid on a plate. Cool a little (dont burn your fingertips) and press between thumb and forefinger. When you separate the two digits, it should give a pull but not form a full lace (tar). If it forms a lace add a little water to thin it out. Keep aside.

Heat ghee in a wok. Add the baking soda to the batter and mix well. Take a squeeze bottle, like for ketchups, and fill it up with the batter. When ghee is hot enough for frying, pipe small spirals over the ghee keeping the tip as close to the ghee as possible. When you close the spiral, pipe a little bit inwards over the spirals else the spiral will open in the hot ghee. Cook on one side, flip and cook till done. Remove from ghee and dunk directly into the syrup. Soak for a minute and remove.

Jalebis are best served warm, by themselves or with a side of rabdi, milk or yogurt. As they become cold they will become soggy. If you are planning to serve them at a latter time, fry the jalebis but do not soak them in the syrup. At the time of serving, heat the syrup, soak the jalebis and then serve warm. This will ensure crispness.

Enjoy!

* Sugar syrups are checked as ek tar, do tar, teen tar; single lace, double lace, triple lace. This is basically the number of laces it forms when pulled between two fingers. Higher the number of laces, the harder it will set when cooled.

Strawberry Mousse - Dessert Month Recipe 3

2011-03-08T20:30:00.015+05:30

With spring in the air and summer around the corner, here's a summery treat. A light airy dessert which looks beautiful too. Pale pink mousse with specks of strawberry in it. I have used strawberries here but raspberries, blueberries or mango would be equally delicious. Another twist on this and to give it a textural contrast would be to add some fruit pieces into the cream and then setting it. This portion makes 4 medium servings. So here goes...

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup whipping cream

8-10 medium strawberries

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

Clean and hull the strawberries. Cut into 2 pieces. Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add the granulated sugar and strawberries into it. Mash the strawberries slightly to release some juices. Bring to a boil. Cool and puree in a blender. It should make about 3/4 cup of puree. You can also sieve the puree to remove the seeds.

In a chilled bowl, take 1 cup of the cream, add the powdered sugar and whip to stiff peaks. In the remaining 1/4 cup cream add the gelatin and set aside for 10 minutes for the gelatin to bloom. Heat the cream (not in a microwave) to warm it (do not boil) and dissolve the gelatin. Then mix this cream with the puree. Fold 1/2 the whipped cream into the puree (mix fruit pieces at this time if you want). When it is of even color, fold in the remaining cream. Portion into 4 cups and chill for an hour to set.

Serve chilled!

PS: Happy Woman's Day Ladies! Be proud of being a daughter, grand daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandmother, home maker, career woman! We wear many hats :-)

Gajar ka Halwa / Gajrela (Carrot Pudding) - Dessert Month Recipe 2

2011-03-06T00:38:00.001+05:30

Winter is the time for Gajar ka Halwa, but in our house it is an all season hit. If you could get carrots, any time was gajar ka halwa time. The crunchy red roots become the perfect warm dessert, sweet, rich, chewy with the nuts adding a textural contrast. And it is easy to make except it needs a little elbow grease and patience. So here goes...

Ingredients:

2 pounds Carrots (~1 kilo)

2 cups full fat milk (~1/2 litre)

1 cup mava (khoya) (~200 grams)

1 cup sugar (~200 grams)

1 teaspoon ghee

1/2 cup assorted dry fruits, cashews, almonds and raisins

Grate the carrots using a medium sized grater. Leave out the central portion which is pale yellow in color. Heat the ghee in heavy bottomed pan. Add the carrots to it and saute. Add the milk to this and let it cook for about 45 minutes on low to medium heat stirring occasionally. At this point the carrots will be almost cooked and the milk will have evaporated. Then add the mava and sugar and cook till the sugar dissolves and the mava is incorporated into the carrots thoroughly. Add the dry fruits and mix well.

Garnish with a few pieces of chopped almonds. Serve warm by itself or with a dollop of vanilla icecream. Store in an airtight container in a refrigerator and before serving, reheat in a microwave.

PS: Today is my Grandmothers birthday. So this is for you grandma... Happy Birthday!

I am sending this to Priya's event "Lets Celebrate Sweets- Warm Desserts, an event started by Nivedita

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies - Dessert Month Recipe 1

2011-03-03T20:25:00.002+05:30

March happens to be the month I want to try something different. Last March I had blogged continuously for 31 days, this year I am planning to make it a dessert month. I will be posting 10 of my favorite dessert recipes, a mix of Indian and International. Some easy, some a little time consuming but hopefully all of them a true delight to the senses.

To start off, I have these Eggless Chocolate Chip cookies. Now cookies I have had plenty but baked I have none. And since this batch turned out so golden, crispy, chocolaty and perfect I had to blog about them. Honestly I didn't think I would nail it the first time but they came out so well, I had all 15 of the giant cookies finished in a day. Friends, family and neighbors kids all came for seconds. They were a hit. I made these by creaming butter with sugar and adding the dry ingredients. I didn't use chocolate chips (sorry for the misnomer) but chocolate chunks but any one would be fine. I got 15 large cookies out of this batter. You can get 20 good sized cookies as well.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup All purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 sticks butter (approx 220 grams) at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar (don't use powdered)

1/2 cup condensed milk

1 1/2 cup chocolate chunks / large chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400F (200 C). Line baking trays with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes with a blender on medium speed. The butter will become pale in color and increase in volume as well. Then add the condensed milk and vanilla and beat well to mix. In another bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together (you can also just whisk them together to mix well). Mix the flour into the butter mixture a couple of spoons at a time with a spatula. When all the flour is incorporated into the butter, fold the chocolate chips into it. Do not beat the mixture. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will harden the butter and not spread the cookies as much when baked. Take 2 inch balls of dough (roughly - they don't have to be perfect) and place them on the baking tray keeping about 2-3 inch distance between two dough balls.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes till the edges turn golden brown. The center may not be firm but they will continue to cook and harden outside the oven. Remove from oven and cool them on a wire rack. Do not cool on a plate as the moisture on the base of the cookie will make them soggy.

Enjoy just as they are or with a glass of cold milk! To store, place in a air tight container once they are completely cooled.

Aloo Paranthas!

2011-02-28T20:29:00.007+05:30

Whenever I make Aloo Paranthas, I always remember the first time I made them. The first year at University of Florida, Aloo Paranthas were a treat and two of my roommates had invited friends over after bragging about our parantha making skills. The catch was ofcourse that we had parantha eating skills and not making skills. Yet kneading the dough and making the filling went well. Debate was how to stuff the paranthas. I claimed previous knowledge of observation and attempted to make a few fish shaped ones. As you read the post, you will know what I mean. But they were a hit and here comes the recipe. Different from the first time and all the more tastier. A word about the ingredients - I use a paste of chili and ginger. For 10-12 chilies, a large root of ginger about 3 inches by 1 inch. You can change proportion according to the spice level you like.

Ingredients:

For the filling

2 pounds / 1 kilo potatoes

1 cup peas, semi mashed

1 large onion, finely diced

3-4 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoon chili-ginger paste

1/4 cup finely chopped coriander

1 heaping teaspoon dhania-jeera powder (cumin-coriander)

1 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

1/4 teaspoon citric acid

1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Salt

For dough

2 1/2 cups flour

2-3 tablespoons oil

Water

Oil / Ghee for cooking

Take the flour and make a well in the center. Add water and start combining. Keep adding water to flour till it forms a soft dough, like for roti's. Add the oil and knead well for 3-4 minutes. This makes the roti's very soft.

For the filling, boil the potatoes. Try to use small potatoes with skin intact. This lessens seepage of water in the potatoes and keeps them firmer. Peel and mash. A few uneven pieces are fine. Do not over mash, else it will become sticky. You can also grate the potatoes for an even mash. Add all the spices and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning. Put all the seasonings at the same time to avoid overworking the filling.

To assemble:

Take dough and roll out a 5 inch diameter and 2 mm thick roti. Place about 2-3 heaping tablespoons of the filling on one half as shown in the picture. Fold the other half over it and pinch seal it. With the help of some flour, start rolling out the paratha. The first few ones may be fish shaped but eventually they will be round.

Heat a tava and when hot, spread about half teaspoon of oil. Put the parantha on the tava and apply a few drops of oil along the edges. Apply a little oil on the surface and flip. Cook till golden brown on both sides.

Serve with side of fresh curds, chutney and pickle! A dollop of fresh butter or Amul butter on top tastes great too.

PS: I am doing a guest post for Nithu @ http://www.nithubala.com/2011/02/guest-post-52-todays-guest-cooking.html The post is out on today. Be sure to check it out!

Vermicelli Upma

2011-02-24T20:30:00.005+05:30

Vermicelli is a very versatile product. It becomes savory and sweet and tastes great as both. Vermicelli kheer or sevaiyya is a favorite of mine and this upma is another favored one. It usually gets upstaged by poha on weekends as my husband has it ready before I even wake up. So I made it today as an evening snack. Its filling and goes great with tea or coffee. I only added peppers but you can add peas and carrots too.

Ingredients:

2 cups raw vermicelli

1 cup chopped mixed peppers (I used red, yellow and green)

1 onion (1/2 cup) chopped

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 inch knob ginger, minced

2 green chilies halved

5-6 curry leaves

Pinch hing (asafoetida)

1/3 teaspoon raee (mustard seeds)

1/3 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

Salt

2 tablespoons coriander chopped

Heat a non stick deep pan and add the vermicelli to it. Roast it to light brown stirring constantly. Some strands will be darker than others, but that is fine. Keep aside. In the same pan, heat the oil. Add the hing, raee and jeera. When they splutter, add the onions, curry leaves, ginger and chilies. Saute till the onions are translucent about 2-3 minutes. Then add the peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the roasted vermicelli and mix well. Add about a cup of water along with the salt and cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir and check if the vermicelli is cooked. Else add a little more water and cook more. When done, remove from heat, add the coriander and stir lightly. Serve hot!

PS: I am doing a guest post for Nithu @ http://www.nithubala.com/ The post will be out on Monday. Be sure to check it out!

Aloo Puffs

2011-02-21T21:30:00.001+05:30

Golden, flaky, spicy and perfect with tea! That is the dish in a nutshell. It brings back great memories, Christmas parties at school, birthdays with friends and more recently, evening teas with husband... And there are tell tale signs of having eaten some, a trail of crumbs on your clothes!
Puff pastry is readily available in most American supermarkets. In India you can try local bakeries, they sometimes sell these. It can be made at home as well but requires some effort. The size we are looking at is about 10x10 or 12x12. The ones below are a large size. If you want you can also make 6 smaller ones from one sheet.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 cups basic potato stuffing
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 tablespoon melted butter (optional)

Water to seal the pastry

Thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 pieces. Place about 1/3-1/2 cup of the filling in the center of one puff pastry piece. Wet the edge with water and press to seal completely. Place a parchment paper on the baking tray and place the 4 puffs keeping 1 inch space between each of the pieces. Brush the melted butter on the surface to give it an even more golden hue (the ones in the photo above are without butter). Bake for 15 minutes or till the puffs are puffed and golden on the outside. Serve hot with a cup of tea and some ketchup on the side!

Methi na Gota / Fenugreek Pakoras

2011-02-18T00:47:00.000+05:30

One of the more typical Gujarati pakodas, methi na gota are small spicy nuggets of bitter, spicy and a hint of sweet. Fresh methi leaves (fenugreek) are mixed with gram flour (besan) and spices to make a dough which is then deep fried. These also go into Undhiyu, the famous Gujarati mixed vegetable dish. Peanut oil is the best frying oil but any other oil you have in the house is fine too.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh methi about 1 cup after plucking leaves

3/4 cup besan (gramflour)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin - coriander powder (dhania-jeera)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Oil to fry

Water to bind

Salt

Wash the methi leaves well to remove all dirt and debris. Add besan, salt, sugar and spices along with water to make a batter. The consistency of this batter is not as tight as kanda bhaji but not as loose as childa. Heat oil in a wok and add some of this hot oil to the batter. This makes the gotas light and spongy without the need for baking soda. To check if the oil is the right temperature to cook, add a small amount of batter in oil. If it bubbles up and rises to surface in the oil, the oil is ready to cook. This also helps check the seasoning in the gota, taste the cooked gota and adjust spice and salt as needed.

Put few small spoonfuls of batter in the oil at a time. Do not crowd the wok. Too many gotas at a time will bring down the temperature of oil and gotas will absorb oil. Cook the gotas on medium heat so they cook thoroughly from the inside. Increase heat if the oil starts to cool. Cook till the gotas are golden brown on the outside.

Serve the hot gota's with coriander chutney, tamarind chutney or enjoy them just as they are!

Vegetable Manchurian with Gravy

2011-02-14T23:42:00.000+05:30

This is a Indo-Chinese staple, a totally Indian invention, a dish that would be a surprise to any Chinese in Beijing or Shanghai. Soft on the inside and a crispy coating outside, these balls melt in your mouth.

Manchurian was a mystery to me for the longest time. I had no idea how the vegetable and dough balls were made. Browsing thru blogosphere I found a few recipes and combined what I like to come up with a final recipe. And the results were great. This proportion makes about 20-22 vegetable balls. Leftover gravy will tend to thicken in the fridge. Just heat and the gravy will be flowing again. Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

For the Manchurian balls

2 cups finely chopped cabbage

2 cups very finely chopped mix of carrots, cauliflower, green peppers (I had some broccoli and red/yellow peppers so I used them)

4 tablespoons cornflour

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (maida)

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

Dash of chili sauce

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Salt

Oil to fry

For the gravy

3 cups water

1 tablespoon cornflour

1/2 cup chopped green onions with stalks

6-7 cloves garlic

1 inch knob of ginger grated

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

2-3 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon red chili sauce

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Dash of sugar

1 tablespoon Oil

In a bowl mix all the ingredients to form the manchurian balls. It should be a little damp to touch and should form a ball when pressed in hand. Take a fistful and bind tightly to shape the mixture into 1 inch balls. If the mixture is too dry to bind, add an additional teaspoon of water.

Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the balls on low- medium heat till they are golden brown. These balls can be eaten as a snack with a side of ketchup or sweet and sour sauce.

In another wok, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the onions (keep aside some greens for garnish), garlic and ginger and sauté on high heat. Add the spices, sauces and water and bring to a boil. Check for salt and add as necessary as the soy sauce will also add salt to the dish.

Just before serving, take 2 tablespoons of water and dissolve the cornflour in it. Add to the gravy and bring to a boil while stirring. Heat till the gravy has a shine to it.

Then add the balls to the the gravy and garnish with the onion greens.

Serve hot with Chinese Fried Rice or steamed rice.

To make a dry manchurian, reduce the quantity of water to 3/4 cup, corn flour to 1/2 tablespoon and then proceed as above.

Valentine Day Menu's

2011-02-12T01:58:00.000+05:30

If last week belonged to testosterone, loud screaming with nachos and beer, this week is definitely for estrogen, sweet nothings and candlelit dinners. Even though my husband is anti V-day he always loves a good meal so our V-day is definitely food centric. Last year it was an elaborate Indian Feast, this year it's Chinese.

Below are some menus to help you plan your day - foodwise. Try and keep cooking to the minimum (it's your day too), take help from the grocery store to whip up a feast. Have a romantic table layout with candles and let the ambience set the mood for the evening. Most of the dishes have recipe links, let me know if any doesn't work right.

To start off...

Drinks:

Mudslide
Appletini
Olive Martini
Red Wine / White Wine

Desserts:

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis
Fruit Cream
Chocolate Pudding
Strawberry Trifle
Flourless Chocolate Cakes
Cupcakes
Chocolates

Main Course:

Indian:

Potato Cutlets (substitute half the potatoes with beetroot for a red color)
Paneer Butter Masala / Mutter Methi Malai
Peas and Cauliflower Pulao
Raita
Tava Naan / Parathas

Chinese:

Spring Rolls
Gobi Manchurian Dry
Vegetable Noodles / Vegetable Fried Rice
Vegetable Manchurian with gravy

Italian:

Bruschetta
Eggplant Parmesan / Spaghetti and meatballs / Lasagna
Pasta of Choice
Garlic Bread

Mediterranean / Greek:

Red Pepper Hummus with Pita Chips
Greek Salad
Falafel with tzaziki, pita and simple salad / Vegetarian Moussaka

Thai:

Vegetable Rolls in Rice Paper / Mushroom Satay with Peanut Sauce
Green Curry / Red Curry / Yellow Curry with Rice
Pad Thai / Thai Fried Rice / Basil Fried Rice

American:

Mini - Quiche / Wonton Cups / Puff pastry spirals

Triple Bean Burgers with French Fries / Pizza / Baked Vegetable in White Sauce with fresh baked bread and butter

Mexican:

7 Layer dip / Guacamole with Chips
Quesadilla
Fajitas / Enchiladas
Mexican Rice

Mumbaiya:

Kanda bhaji
Pav bhaji / Vada pav
Bhel / Sev puri

Superbowl menus

2011-02-02T11:30:00.016+05:30

With Steelers ready to take on Packers on 6th, food bloggers (and others) are busy coming up with their Superbowl spreads. While the time tested Nachos will be present on every table here are a few other non-traditional items which score a touchdown!

Snacking:

Hummus and Pita Chips

Meatless Meatballs with Marinara

Guacamole Nachos (they are healthier)

Mini Quiche

Spinach and Cheese Spirals

Assorted Chips Varieties

Mini Muffins

Main Course:

Fajitas

Regular Pizza / Paneer Butter Masala Pizza / Pesto Pizza / Spanish style Pizza

Triple Bean Burgers

Almost Caprese Panini

Desserts:

Chocolate Nut Clusters

Brownies

Ice cream

Drinks:

Beer
Wine
Orange Punch

Tortilla Spirals / Mexican Roll-ups

2011-01-31T00:54:00.003+05:30

These are a great starter for a Mexican themed party. They are easy to make and few ingredients go a long way. They do need a 2 hour lead time as they have to be refrigerated. The quantity below makes about 24 roll ups.

Ingredients:

4 tortillas, 6 inch diameter

6 tablespoons cream cheese

1/4 cup finely grated carrots

1/4 cup finely grated green peppers

1/3 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning

Salt

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature and add all the ingredients except salt. Mix thoroughly and adjust for salt. Take about a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mix and spread evenly over the tortilla. Leave an edge of 1/2 centimeter / 1/4 inch around the edge to prevent squeezing out.

Roll up tightly and cover with cling film. Refridgerate for 2 hours. Then remove from wrap and cut each roll into 1 inch pieces while chilled. Bring to room temperature and serve with a side of salsa. Enjoy!

Chocolate Nut Clusters

2011-01-28T00:28:00.001+05:30

Smooth, melt-in-the-mouth, with crisp roasted almonds, once you make these, you will be making them again and again.

My first foray into chocolate making was a class at a local store during valentines day last year. All I did after that was make some dipped strawberries. Then this year as Christmas and New Year came by, I thought of making some nut clusters. You can also put these into a chocolate mould or you can spread it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and make chocolate bark instead.

The type of chocolate you use will depend on how sweet you like your chocolate to be. If you like it really sweet, use milk chocolate, else try a mixture of milk and dark or bittersweet, semi sweet, unsweetened. I use half semisweet and half bittersweet with a sprinkling of 70% cocoa, unsweetened Callebaut chocolate. The high cocoa percentage gives it true chocolate taste. The portion below makes about 20 clusters. If you like them extra nutty, use a 1/4 cup extra almonds. These can be made with walnuts, pecans, peanuts or cashew nuts as well. You can add some raisins (at the end without roasting) as well to make a fruit and nut cluster.

Ingredients:

1/4 pound semisweet chocolate
1/4 pound bittersweet chocolate
1 inch cube 70% cocoa unsweetened chocolate
1 cup almonds

In a heavy bottomed pan or wok, dry roast the almonds. The nutty almond flavor truly comes through this way. Cut the almonds into 2. They are soft when they are warm.

If using a block of chocolate, break into approx 1 cm chunks. Put these in a microwavable bowl and melt by zapping them 30 seconds at a time. Zap - stir - zap - stir till it is melted. It took me about 2 minutes 10 seconds on full power using chocolate chunks. Mix the nuts with the chocolate and using a spoon drop them on a plastic plate or on a baking tray lined with parchment. Anything else will cause the chocolate to stick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to harden. If using moulds follow the same procedure, only make sure the top of the mould is smooth else they will not stay stable.

To serve just place them on a platter. If you are gifting them, place them in a box with tissues or foil wrap them as in picture. Enjoy and get complimented on your chocolate making skills!

Chinese Fried Rice

2011-01-25T00:43:00.001+05:30

Two of my tastiest memories of Chinese Fried Rice was when we had this dish at a restaurant in Dalhousie some 15 odd years ago and when my friend cooked it for lunch when we were in college. I learned it from my friend and every time I cook it I try to make it the exact same way. Its a simple procedure once you have the various sauces and spices in your pantry. You can make this with fresh or stale rice, stale rice cooks better as some of the moisture has been lost in storage. If you are using freshly cooked rice, cool it completely before frying it. With french beans, there is a thread by the side which has to be removed, don't forget to remove it. Here is how it goes...

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked rice

1/2 large onion, sliced

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 inch knob of ginger, grated

1 green and red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup mixed vegetables - peas, carrots cut in roundels, french beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small head of cabbage, chopped

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce or 1 tablespoon red chili sauce or green chili sauce

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt, add at the end since soy sauce is quite salty

Heat oil in a large wok. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Then add the onions and ginger and cook till they are tender. Then add the other vegetables and quickly saute on high heat/flame. Continue till they soften a little, approx 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add all the sauces and pepper. Add the rice and stir on high heat. Adjust for salt and add sauces as per taste. Serve hot!

Bread Roll

2011-01-20T08:34:00.000+05:30

Potatoes and bread... how can you go wrong with any recipe which combines these two. A simple potato stuffing is the heart of this yummy snack. It can be breakfast, a starter or a evening snack with tea.

The bread you use for this will make a difference to the final product. I like to use plain white bread because that is the taste I like in this dish. You can use wheat / multigrain / brown bread as well. Use the freashest bread possible. That will need less water to mould evenly around the filling. Breads in india tend to be a little hard and need more water to mould into a round. American breads do this with just a few drops. Try varying water quantities till you get the perfect roll. Too much water will make it soggy and too little and the roll will absorb too much oil while frying. The recipe below is as per American bread. These can also be baked at 350 F / 180 C till they turn golden.

Ingredients:

2 cups basic potato stuffing

10 slices bread with edges cut off

Oil for frying

Water to soak bread

Take bread slice with the edges cut off. Sprinkle a few drops of water and flatten the bread. This can be done by hand or with a rolling pin on a flat surface. Place a 1 inch ball of filling and wrap the bread around it. You will be reshaping the ball in the palm of your hand to make a perfect round with all the bread sealing the filling.

Heat oil in a vessel deeper than 2 times the size of the bread roll. To check the doneness of oil, put a small edge piece of bread in it. If it bubbles rapidly and rises to the surface, the oil is ready. Place 3-4 balls at a time and fry till golden brown.

Serve with side of green chutney, tamarind chutney or mint chutney along with a cup of piping hot tea!

Chocolate Pudding

2011-01-15T01:34:00.001+05:30

Some old milk was staring at me from the refrigerator. Doing a quick toss between a cold coffee and pudding, pudding won out. I had in mind a recipe from a long time that I wanted to check as well. The resultant pudding is silky, luscious and delicious. A few bites are all you need. Give a crunch to it by adding some roasted almonds or walnuts. This pudding can go into your trifle as well. The proportions below are approximate at best. It is a very forgiving recipe, a little less or more will not harm the outcome. The measure is for approx 4 servings.

Ingredients:

4 cups milk, whole if possible
1 1/2 tablespoons corn flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate, grated
4 tablespoons sugar

Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel, leaving aside 1/4 cup and bring it to a boil. Mix the cornflour and cocoa in the remaining milk, making sure there are no lumps. Add to the hot milk, stirring constantly. Add the chocolate at this time as well. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat till the milk thickens. There will be a shine to the milk as well. Taste for sugar and adjust if needed. Strain the pudding to remove any lumps. Nuts, if desired, should be added at this time. This is also the time to cool it to room temperature to use in a trifle. Pour into ramekins and let it set in the fridge for about 1 hour.
To serve, garnish with some chocolate shavings and serve cold!

Basic Potato Stuffing

2011-01-07T13:39:00.001+05:30

This is the basic stuffing which can be used for making a variety of snacks. Stuffed bread sandwiches, Aloo puffs, bread roll all use this filling. Regarding the green chili and ginger paste; I usually make it in bulk and store it in the fridge. Just remove the stalks of the chilies and skin the ginger. Chop into large pieces and pulse it in a blender till it resembles a fine paste. You can then use it as and when required in curries and snacks and anything else you want to add a zing to. Here is how the versatile potato filling is made...

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes

1 small onion (white or red)

1 heaping teaspoon green chili and ginger paste

1/2 teaspoon garam masala (I use Badshah brand)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder (dhania jeera)

1 tablespoon oil

1/3 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon amchur - optional

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Salt

Boil the potatoes, de-skin and mash well. Heat oil in a wok, add mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to crackle, add onions, green chili and ginger paste. Saute on medium till onions are translucent. Add the mashed potatoes, spices, salt, coriander and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. In the coming days, I will be posting recipes using this filling.

Eggless Brownies

2011-01-03T23:13:00.000+05:30

Happy New Year friends!

And to start off the New Year, here's something chocolaty, decadent, satisfying - Brownies. And I have to confess - I am a convert to egg-less. After years of believing that only with-egg desserts are moist and flavorful, this brownie is all that I want a brownie to be. Also the texture of the brownie is a cake-like. If you like fudge-like brownies - keep coming back to the blog. So here's the recipe without any more writing...

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
1/2 can Amul mithai mate or 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
100 gms melted Amul butter or 1/2 cup refined vegetable oil + pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup yogurt + milk equal portions
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup walnuts
200 gms melted chocolate
1 tbsp cocoa

Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.

Take a large bowl and mix the wet ingredients - the yogurt / milk mixture, oil, condensed milk, sugar and melted chocolate. In another bowl, take a tablespoon of flour and add the walnuts to it. Coat the walnuts evenly. Keep aside. Then mix the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, couple of tablespoons at a time. When all the ingredients are incorporated, beat for about 2 minutes with a hand mixer. Take the floured walnuts and fold into the batter.

Take a 8x8 inch metal or glass cake pan. Line the bottom and sides with foil. This lets you pull out the brownies out of the pan easily and also it's easier cutting and clean up. Pour in the batter and level. Bake for 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center to check doneness. The toothpick should come out clean, if it comes out with wet batter bake an additional few minutes.

Cool the brownies. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Serving suggestions:

Brownie with icecream - warm the brownie and add a scoop of vanilla icecream on top. Drizzle some chocolate and caramel sauce on top
Brownie sundae - crumble some brownie pieces into a sundae glass. Top with 2 scoops of icecream of your choice. Add hot fudge and nuts on top.
Brownie trifle - Layer the bottom of a trifle bowl with brownie pieces. Next layer chocolate pudding, followed by whippped cream. Repeat for one more layer. Sprinkle shaved chocolate on top

Frosted Cranberries

2010-12-31T01:17:00.002+05:30

Come November and there are cranberries all around. As a part of Thanksgiving meal they become cranberry jelly or sauce. The leftover cranberries can be made into these frosted ones. Cranberry is a tart berry so the coating of sugar makes it a sweet and sour treat. I paired it with some pepper jack cheese cubes to add some spice and creaminess in the bite. I had made these last Christmas for a party I had hosted at home. The sugar I used was medium fine, too fine and you will not get the required texture and frosting, and too coarse will leave spots uncoated.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar + additional for frosting

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups cranberries

Put the sugar in a heavy bottom pan. Add water to it and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Slightly cool this simple syrup. Place the cranberries into this syrup and let it soak for 24 hours. Drain carefully and roll in the sugar. Work with small batches else the sugar will clump. Spread over a cookie sheet and allow to dry. When dry, roll once again in sugar to cover the remaining spots. Serve with cheese cubes and enjoy!

Bhel!

2010-11-28T00:32:00.002+05:30

This dish doesn't need an introduction. One of the oldest street foods around, bhel started many a street food lari (thela). And most of them, whether they are from Kashmir or Tamil Nadu, say Bombay bhel. As much as I love the street version my home made one is a favorite too. And its really quick and easy to make. Most of the items in the dish have a reasonable shelf life. And chutneys, tomatoes and onions are usually a staple in the pantry and fridge. We usually make it on Sundays when a leisurely lunch takes long to digest.

Kurmura, in the street version are in the raw form. I season them for extra flavor. The sev I use is also of the thicker variety, not the typical nylon sev available outside. Peanuts and anardana add a crunch and sweet, juicy bite to the dish.

Ingredients:

A big bowl (6 cups) of kurmura, (puffed rice), about 3 cups per person

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 cup thick sev

1 large tomato, diced fine

1 large onion, diced fine

1 medium potato, boiled, peeled and roughly mashed

Green coriander chutney

Tamarind chutney

Coriander, chopped fine (optional)

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds, anardana (optional)

1/3 cup fried peanuts (optional)

Salt

Heat oil in a large wok. Add jeera and when it starts to crackle, add turmeric, chili powder and salt. Then add the kurmura and mix well. The entire batch should be evenly golden in color.

In a large mixing bowl, put the kurmura, tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, potato, onions, tomato, peanuts, anardana, coriander and sev. Save some anardana, sev, onions and tomato for garnish. Mix evenly but with a light hand. You can use a spoon or mix by hand. Taste and adjust for taste. Serve in a bowl and garnish with sev, anardana, tomatoes and onions. Eat immediately else it will get soggy. Enjoy!

Green Coriander Chutney

2010-11-27T01:19:00.000+05:30

Looking at my posts I was thinking how did I miss the evergreen Chutney? The one which finds place at every meal - an elaborate thali, a garam samosa or dhokla and even street food like sandwich and bhel. Surely I have to post that. The prep for coriander is the same as in this chutney, a few delicate stalks are fine. And as always the fresher the ingredients, the better tasting chutney it will be. The secret ingredient in this dish is ganthiya (Gujarati snack item made out of gram flour), which gives it a thick texture and some body. If you dont have that, you can also add some roasted gram (chana). So here goes...

Ingredients:

1 thick bunch coriander, washed, cleaned and plucked

1/2 inch stalk ginger

1-2 green chilies (1 for medium 2 for hot!)

2-3 thick ganthiya (or handful of thin ones)

Juice of half a lemon

Pinch of sugar

Salt

Water to grind

Place all the items (except water) in a blender and pulse a few times. Add a little water and blend till it is a fine paste. Add water as required. Enjoy!

Variation:

If you are making this as a side for a meal, add a small clove of garlic for added flavor. It tastes good with hot items too but avoid it when eating with bhel or sandwich or sev puri.

Mini Pizza

2010-11-18T23:49:00.000+05:30

This pint size version of the large pizza makes a delightful presentation. The method to make it is simple and when paired with some interesting variety of toppings, it will find a place in any party menu. It is loved by young and old alike.

A couple of pointers for when you make these. Chop the vegetables in a small dice. This will allow the vegetables to be spread well. Roll out a large pizza base and use a cutter to make uniformly sized mini bases. Match your toppings to the type of party you are throwing.

Here are some options:

Standard American Pizza:

These are great at birthday parties. Here are some topping options for older kids and adults.

Green Peppers and Onions

Red peppers, Mushrooms and Olives

Pineapple and Jalapeno

Tomato and Spinach

Indian Style Pizza:

These are great for an fusion or a Indian get-together. For a twist, use naan instead of pizza base.

Spanish Tapas Style Pizza or New Italian Pizza:

When it is an event centered around cocktails or sangria, this will be a hands down winner. Be careful to make the pizza small enough to be eaten in only two bites.

Hope you make these at your next party!

Peanut Coriander Chutney and an easy Sandwich

2010-09-30T13:52:00.000+05:30

This chutney goes well with the sabudana vadas posted earlier. Since it is a farali item, I eat it with all faral items, sabudana khichdi, aloo pattice and even the sing bateta ni khichdi from before. This chutney, thanks to its generous peanut proportion, is a very good source of protein. The texture of this chutney goes well with soft white bread and on the day after the fast that is the preferred breakfast. It is loved by my husband as well so don’t just take my word for it. That being said, because it is so peanut-ty, I don't think it goes well in chaats and bhel. Keep the chutney refrigerated and eat it within 3 days, else the peanuts turn rancid making the chutney sour.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups raw peanuts

1/2 cup coriander washed and hard stems removed

2-3 green chilies

1/2 inch knob ginger

1/3 teaspoon lemon juice

Pinch sugar

Salt

Blend all the ingredients together using water. Stop, scrape sides of the blender and blend again till it all mixed with a smooth texture. Dunk, spread and enjoy the chutney. Here is how I ate it... My portable snack all through school.

Sabudana Vada (Tapioca balls)

2010-08-16T19:55:00.000+05:30

I made this for faraal on Ramnavami day and am making it again for Shravan fasts. Its an easy dish with simple ingredients. It tastes great by itself, but even better with a side of yogurt and peanut-coriander chutney.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup sabudana

2 large potatoes

3 green chilies minced finely

1 inch knob of ginger minced finely
1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Salt

Wash the sabudana in water and soak in leftover water (3-4 tablespoons) for about 2 hours. Mix after one hour so all the sabudana is soaked equally. Boil the potatoes and peel and mash them. Mix the sabudana, potato, chilies, ginger, coriander, salt and sugar. Taste the mixture and adjust for salt and heat. Form into 1 inch balls and deep fry till golden brown. Pack the balls well else they will split open when you fry them. Serve hot with chutney and curd!

Note: Always test fry one single ball before making a huge batch. Sometimes frying changes how you taste the heat in the dish.
I use a fistful of batter as a measurement for making 1 inch balls, if you want to be precise you can measure each ball or use a mould.

Sing bateta ni Khichdi (Peanut and Potato Khichdi) - Fasting dish

2010-07-31T02:46:00.000+05:30

With the month of Shravan coming near, foodies will start looking for faral or fast recipes. This is one such easy preparation. It takes minutes to make and it is tasty, nutritious and filling. It is also one of my grandmothers favorite 'fast' recipes and since she fasted often this recipe is certainly tried and tested. My grandmother often used red chili powder in the recipe as well - I use green chilies this time, you can use either according to taste. Another variation in this is crushing the peanuts after dry roasting them. Since it is made to be eaten while fasting, use only peanut oil and avoid oils made from corn etc. The practice at my home is to use fresh oil and salt bought for cooking only during days of the fast. This dish carries well in the tiffin and pairs well with a side of yogurt. Hope you all make and enjoy this fast food.

PS: Sorry for the long break in posting. I was visiting my parents in Mumbai and the combination of rains, moms home cooked meals and vada pavs kept me away from blogging. I hope to get back into rhythm quickly and post regularly.

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes

1/2 cup peanuts, dry roasted and deskinned

1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1 inch knob of ginger, chopped

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 green chilies, chopped

Salt

Wash, peel and chop the potatoes into 7-8 mm cubes / rectangles(1/3 inch). Try to keep them of uniform size so they cook at the same time. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and when it heats up, add the jeera. When it crackles, add the chilies, ginger and potatoes. Stir to coat all the potatoes with the jeera and oil and cook them on low- medium heat until the potatoes are cooked. Cover the vessel while cooking as the steam cooks the potatoes faster. Stir halfway thru the cooking process. Add salt according to taste and stir well to evenly distribute the salt in the dish. Remove from heat and serve.

Pesto Tomato Pizza

2010-07-02T09:54:00.000+05:30

Here is another recipe where the walnut pesto I made a couple of days ago is used. Adding pesto to pizza makes it taste very fresh and light. Top it with light mozzarella and some tomato slices. Try and cover all the pesto with cheese as it will darken in the exposed areas in the oven.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons pesto

1/3 cup light mozzarella shredded

1 pizza base (half portion from this recipe)

1 medium tomato sliced

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Take the pizza dough from its resting place and knead it again for a couple of minutes till it has deflated and is nice and stretchy. Make a round base by pressing the dough outward. Stretch to make a thin round base. Place the pesto on the base. I spread it almost to the edge. Next place the tomatoes on top. Spread the shredded mozzarella. Bake for about 20 minutes till the cheese has melted and the edges are crispy. Enjoy!

I am back and with a review in the near future...

2010-07-01T01:19:00.001+05:30

I had been travelling for the last two weeks and hence no posts. I am back now and have some exciting posts coming up. Also CSN contacted me to do a review and I will be posting that in the coming days.

As you move into a bigger home, you need to buy a lot more things for the new home. So where do you go to buy a variety of items in all different categories? CSN Stores is the place to go! CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from cookware to toys to specific needs such as dining room sets and bedding!

I love CSN and I'm so excited that I get to do a review with them. So stay tuned for a CSN review in the future, who knows what I will pick!

Fruit Kabobs at Pool Party

2010-06-15T20:30:00.001+05:30

With the temperature rising close to 100 degrees here, just staying on land during the day is not easy. So this weekend, a few friends got together and had a pool party. The menu was a fabulous potluck - strawberry-orange slush, potato burgers, bean burgers, chicken kabobs, grilled asparagus, grilled pineapple, roasted corn and beer :). These were an after thought but would fit right in - fruit kabobs. It is simple to make and no cooking required. Portion below is for 4 skewers. I would measure 2 per person.

Ingredients:

4 strawberries

8 grapes

1 slice pineapple (canned or fresh)

8 1 inch pieces watermelon

1/2 banana chopped in 1 inch pieces

Cut the pineapple slice into 4 quarters. Take a skewer and insert a piece of water melon followed by banana, grape, watermelon, pineapple, grape and finally a strawberry. Make the rest of the skewers the same way. Chill in refrigerator till ready to serve. Enjoy!

Pineapple Cake - semi homemade

2010-06-14T08:58:00.002+05:30

This week I celebrated birthdays of two of my friends. For one I was present and one in spirit. For the one I attended, I made a pineapple cake. It has been kind of a ritual of make a cake with pineapples. Every year I make a different type of pineapple cake and this year it was pineapple cake with whipped cream's turn – the first two were pineapple upside down cake and pineapple cupcakes. For the base of the cake, I used a simple white cake box mix (since I had some at home) and added crushed canned pineapple. You can also use a pineapple cake mix or your own cake mix at home. I made a 9 inch cake and used ready made cool whip. You can also whip cream at home. My secret ingredient (as I like to call it) was cardamom. It is subtle and adds a layer of flavor.

Ingredients:

1 white cake box mix (Duncan Hines preferred)

1 8 oz can crushed pineapple

1 8 oz can pineapple chunks in pineapple juice

1 pineapple slice

13 pieces of maraschino cherries

1 large tub of cool whip

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

Preheat the oven. Mix the crushed pineapple, eggs, oil and water, substituting the pineapple proportionally with the water i.e. a cup of pineapple would replace a cup of water. Add the cake mix and make the batter as directed. Butter and flour two 8 or 9 inch cake pans. Divide the mix between the two pans and bake as per directions on the box. After the time given on the box, usually 30 - 35 minutes, test the cake with a skewer inserted through the middle. If it comes out clean the cake is done, else check for a few more minutes. Cool the cake completely. You can also place the cake in the refrigerator to cool it faster. Prepare a cake board by lining it with foil. Sometimes the cake rise more in the middle than the sides, so if the cakes have domes cut them off to make them level.

To assemble - place one of the cakes on the cake board with the cut-dome side up. Spoon some of the juice of the canned pineapple on the cake. Spread about 4 tablespoons of whipped cream on the cake. Next place the pineapple chunks on the cream. Fill in the space around the chunks with whipped cream. Place the second cake on top, cut-dome side on the cream. Place about 1/2 cup of cream on top of the cake and spread with a spatula. Place cream similarly on the sides and spread evenly. When the top and sides are evenly coated, place the cream in a piping bag fitted with a 1M pastry tip. Make rosettes (twisting the pastry bag clockwise with steady pressure) on the top of the cake positioned like the clock face. Drain the cherries and place one on each rosette. Place a pineapple slice in the center and place a cherry in the center. Refrigerate till ready to serve. Place a candle, make a wish and enjoy!

Walnut Pesto

2010-06-08T20:30:00.001+05:30

Pesto is to Italian cooking what coriander chutney is to Indian cooking. It has freshness from the basil, spice from the garlic and texture from the nuts and cheese. Olive oil makes it a perfect emulsion to have in as many ways as you want. Pesto is originally made from pine nuts but I use walnuts in mine, you can use either. Also pesto has pecorino romano in equal proportion to parmesan but I just use Parmesan as I have that on hand. You can use half parmesan and half pecorino if you have both the cheeses. Finally lemon juice - it adds freshness to the pesto and helps keep the bright green color of the pesto. But add it only if you are using the pesto on the same day.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

3-4 tablespoons walnuts

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon lemon juice- if using the pesto the same day

Salt

Place the garlic, basil and salt in a blender. Blend to make a paste. Add the walnuts and cheese and blend while pouring the olive oil slowly in a stream till it is creamy. Serve in a variety of ways - here is one.

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis and Whipped Cream

2010-06-02T20:30:00.002+05:30

I want to be Alton Brown someday. Not only is his knowledge of every food incomparable his recipes are genius. Case in point this chocolate mousse. Its eggless - no messing with egg yolks and takes minutes to put together. Literally its a 15 minute preparation, chilling time extra. To put it together with raspberry coulis and cream? That was how I ate it at a luncheon and the combination is amazing. The tangy sweet coulis and decadent mousse with the cream is a perfect bite. I used a mix of semi sweet Ghirardelli and unsweetened 70% cocoa Callebaut chocolate. And I added powdered sugar to the cream to get the right sweetness. The recipe below is as per Alton Brown.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup strong black coffee or 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1 tablespoon rum

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

Put the chocolate and butter in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat till most of the chocolate is melted. The remaining chocolate will melt as you stir it. Keep aside and cool to body temperature.

In a another chilled large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream till stiff. (Add powdered sugar before beating the cream). Mix 1/4 of the cream into the melted chocolate to lighten it. Mix in the remaining cream in two parts.
Mix the gelatin in the remaining 1/4 cup cream and let it rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes heat it gently (not in a microwave) so it is warm - don't boil. Mix it with the cooled chocolate.

Raspberry Coulis:

2 cups raspberries

1/4 cup fine sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Pass the raspberries through a sieve and collect the juice. In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and heat to dissolve the sugar. When cooled, add the lemon and raspberry juice and mix well. Chill it.

To assemble:

In a slim wine glass, spoon about 1 tablespoon of coulis at the bottom and fill 3/4 of the glass with the mousse and chill for an hour to set. Just before serving top with whipped cream and serve.

If you want to have just the mousse, spoon into martini glass, wine glass or pipe into chocolate shells and chill for an hour. Just before serving, spoon some whipped cream on top and enjoy...

And the winner of the giveaway is # 25 Saba... Congratulations! Eileen will be contacting you regrading the gift card information. And thank you everybody for participating in the giveaway. I hope to have another one really soon. Hope to hear from you all then as well.

Wonton Cups with Corn

2010-06-01T09:33:00.001+05:30

I had eaten these a long time ago and after I started blogging, I have seen these appetizers on blogs a lot of times. And finally I have made them. These can be filled with different fillings, I have used onions and peppers as the primary fillers here. Easy to make and even easier to eat, they disappear fast. The crunch from the wrappers contrasts with the soft vegetables. They can be eaten with or without the toppings.

Ingredients:

1 pack wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons oil

1 medium onion

1 medium tomato

1/3 green pepper

1/3 red pepper

1 cup corn

2 green chilies finely diced

1/3 inch ginger finely diced

1/4 cup chopped coriander

1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

Olive oil to brush the wonton cups

Salt

Sour Cream - as topping

Salsa - as topping

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Press the wonton wrappers into a mini muffin pan. Brush (or spray) the wonton cups with olive oil to help brown them. Blind bake for about 8 minutes. Keep aside.

Chop the onion and peppers finely. De-seed the tomatoes and chop them fine as well. In a pan heat oil and add chilies and ginger (and sesame seeds if using). When they start sizzling, add the onions and peppers. Saute for 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes. Saute till all the vegetables are cooked and slightly soft. Add corn and salt to the onion-pepper-tomato mixture and saute for a minute. I used frozen corn which I microwaved for about 3 minutes. If using fresh corn add them with the onions. Remove from heat and add the coriander. Mix well and stuff into wonton wrapper cups. Return to the oven for 4-5 minutes. Serve hot or warm with salsa and sour cream on the side.

PS: There is a giveaway going on at my site - you have 2 more days to participate. Please leave a comment!