The Good Life

Buttery Cinnamon Apple Cup Cakes

2012-02-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

One of the best tasting cup-cake I've made so far. Its a must try. The result is moist and soft and the cinnamon flavor fills up the home. Divine! Waiting for my 6 year old to give me the final verdict. I suspect the lack of frosting might put her off but the sprinkled cinnamon sugar might just save the the day. Let's see.

Ready for the oven

You'll need

11/2 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour [Sieve the all purpose flour and self raising flour together and keep aside. ]

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup Apple Juice

225 gms softened butter

3 Large eggs

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

3 tsps Demerara sugar/raw sugar

1 small red Apple, cored, thinly sliced.

1-2 tsp Pure Vanilla extract

2-3 tsps Almond flakes

Makes- 30 Mini cupcakes

Method

Pre-heat oven, grease cup cake moulds.

Cream the softened butter, Vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy with an electric beater on high speed. Add eggs, one at a time and mix thoroughly. Fold in half the flour mixture and half the apple juice. After it has mixed well, add the remaining juice and flour. Fold.

Spoon in mixture into the cup cake tray and cover each cupcake with apple slices and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and almonds.

Bake for about 20 mins or until brown / done.

Be sure to eat 'em fresh !

South Indian Spice Mix

2012-02-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

Mom is in town. Hence, kitchen and pantry is full of home-made stuff. Mom saw a packet of MTR spice mix in my pantry and gave me such a disapproving look that I cringed in guilt. How can I buy it when the same, and even better and fresher version can be made at home?

It took us 10 minutes to get into action. And the results are in front of you.

This spice mix is called by many names - my Andhra friends call it 'gun powder' (!) while others call it 'Idli podi', 'chutney podi' etc. By whatever name its called, this dry powder is my regular accompaniement with a typical south indian breakfast. I love it. My Bengali husband would rather have his idli with Sambaar or even dal, but then that's his stubborn bong gene ;) that refuses to go beyond Luchis and porotas for breakfast.

Ingredients:

(For Dry roast)

1. Chana Dal - 1 fist full

2.Phutana- 1 fist full

3.Urad dal-1 fist full

4. Moong - 1 Fist full

5. Dry red chillies - 1 and half fist full

6. Curry leaves - 3/4 fist full

7. Asafetida/Hing - 1/2 tsp

8. Salt - to taste (approx 2 tsp.)

Other ingredients:

Jaggrey - 2 tsps

Tamarind - 2 tsps

Oil -2 tsps

Method:

On medium flame, pour the oil and roast the dry roast ingredients until dry and fragrant. ( Takes approx- 8-10 minutes).

Let it cool. Grind this mixture with the rest of the ingredients into a fine powder. Store in Air tight container.

It is usually mixed with oil/ghee and had with rice cakes/idlis and dosa.

Shubho Naboborsho!

2011-04-15T01:09:00.000-07:00

Realized, it is better to cook up and celebrate than lie on the bed checking temperature every 4 hours. Am glad I made the effort, I'm feeling a lot better!

Gulab Jamuns for all my Indian friends celebrating Noboborsho, Visu, Baisakhi, Bihu etc etc.

Have a beautiful, fulfilling year ahead!

Off to make Luchi and Alu'r Dom. See ya soon.

India- Pak WC 2011 special

2011-03-30T00:26:00.000-07:00

Another hour to kill before the match begins. I can't concentrate on a book, my daughter is engrossed with her books, husband's not back yet. I guess this is my only chance to do a quick come back post on the occasion of THE match.
Made Sanjeev Kapoor's Coconut Prawn Masala and Vegetable Kolhapuri for dinner- I wanted to make something very spicy and heady to keep with today's mood. And this recipe promises all that - very Goan and very masaledaar- just like what tonight's match will be. I don't know where my enthusiasm comes from, but I dug out my camera after ages to shoot these.

You'll find the recipe here . (I just added a whole lot of green chillies to make it really hot :-) . That's about the only addition to the recipe. )

Here's hoping I make Rasamalai and Rasgullas to celebrate India's victory, tomorrow.

Roasted Eggplant and Date Raita

2010-11-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple yet innovative Raita recipe that I made after having it several times at a dear friend's place. Raita is a yogurt based side dish and is usually served along with rice dishes.

You'll need:

2 and a half cups of unsweetened yogurt (I use Yoplait)

1 medium sized onion

1 tomato

2 green chillies chopped

1/2 a bunch of Coriander leaves- chopped

1/2 eggplant cut to medium size for roasting

6-8 seedless Dates

salt to taste

1/4 tsp Roasted Cumin power

Beat yogurt in a blow and chill. Roast the eggplants until brown/roasted (preheat oven to 180 degrees and place eggplants on a tray. Bake/roast for about 10-12 minutes. Turn sides occasionally for even browning on both sides) or pan roast them with a little bit of olive oil if you desire.

Season yogurt with salt and cumin powder and beat well. Top the yogurt with the rest of the ingredients and mix just before serving. This Raita is meant to be thick and not watery. Serve as a side with Rice or rotis, as you may desire.

See you soon!

A wholesome lunch >> Chickpeas with soya granules & baby potato curry with Wheat, Oat and Quinoa Roti

2010-09-07T23:30:00.001-07:00

Ma made this often. She used dried green peas instead of chickpea. My daughter loves chickpea and so does her dad. So decided to use that instead of dried green peas. The soya granules I used here was to give the curry a texture and ‘chicken mince’ like feeling to con my daughter, who refuses to eat anything vegetarian. Of course the health benefits of soya are all well known. Thrilled to say, it worked!

For the curry:

250 gms chickpeas soaked over night and pressure cooked to three whistles

2 Baby potatoes – boiled and peeled (optional)

1 and 1/2 tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 big onion chopped

1 tablespoon of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup warm water – with your fingers pulp the tamarind and juice it with the help of a strainer to make half a cup of tamarind juice/pulp.

Soya granules soaked in warm water and squeezed (or as per packet instructions)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger - grated

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon red chilli powder (optional) – I didn’t use because of my li’l one

1 and 1/2 teaspoon Coriander dry powder

salt to taste (approx 1 tsp)

1 inch cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon Ajwain or Carum seeds

2 cloves

Oil or ghee – 2 tablespoons

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Heat oil in pan/wok and add bay leaf, cinnamon, carom seeds and cloves. In a few seconds add to this chopped onion and sauté it with ginger for 2 minutes. Once translucent add tomatoes/tomato paste and sauté more. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander powder and mix well till the tomatoes are soft. Add the soaked soya chunks and mix well. Next add boiled chickpeas and potatoes. Add salt and mix more. Add about 1/2 cup water to this and cover the pan and cook of low flame for 10 minutes. One needs to cook this well for the chickpeas to soak in the masalas. Now, add the tamarind juice to this and cook for 5 minutes more. Check seasoning. Finish with a little bit of Garam masala if you wish. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving with hot rotis.

For the Rotis.

Knead 1/2 cup oat bran, 5 tsp quinoa, 1 cup of whole wheat flour into a soft dough and make chapatis or rotis out of it. If you want to make phulkas then don’t add quinoa for the rotis don’t fluff up when put to fire.

Voila! Here’s your high fiber, low GI, protein rich lunch ready!

Anniversary Cake. Chocolate, of course!

2010-08-22T22:32:00.001-07:00

Made this cake for our Anniversary early this month. There is something very inherently sexy about Chocolate cakes, don’t you think?. This was no exception. Seemed like just the right thing to bake for the anniversary.

Simple, rich and very satisfying ! This is a mix of many recipes. I think what did the trick was the use of Lindt chocolate and Almond meal. The latter added a beautiful texture, the former, richness and personality :).

Ingredients:

200g Lindt dark chocolate
200g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 -4 eggs (use 3 if they are extra large ones)
1 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk

For the icing

200g dark chocolate – Lindt or Nestle, chopped
1/2 cup thickened cream

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line base of a round cake pan.
Place chocolate in heat proof bowl and microwave, uncovered, on 50% heat/medium for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every minute, until it melts and is smooth. Set aside to cool for about 6 minutes.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Add melted chocolate, combine well. Sift flour and cocoa together. Fold half the flour mixture into butter mixture, little at a time. Add half the milk. Stir gently to combine. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk. Spoon into pan and level the surface of the mixture. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Chocolate icing: Combine chocolate bits and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Set aside for 15 minutes .
Spread over cake only after the cake has completely cooled down.
Decorate with fresh fruits or chocolate shavings.

Surprise spouse :)!

Pui chorchori >> Ma’s favourite

2010-08-03T20:36:00.001-07:00

I found just a few stems of Pui or Malabar Spinach in the Indian store. Its rather difficult to get it here in Sydney. Any Sydneysiders reading this, who know where I can get Pui in abundance, please do let me know! :-)

So Pui as its referred to in Bengali and Poi in Oriya, is a family favourite. Sharmila’s recipes on Pui are awesome, if you haven’t already read them. Pui at home is made with lots of veggies in ‘chorchori’ (mix vegetable) style. I think chorchori, especially with Pui must be had on Sunday afternoon for lunch with lots of hot steamed rice accompanied by a chicken, mutton or fish curry, followed by an afternoon siesta! No Sunday lunch is complete with out the quintessential siesta :)

You’ll need:

11/2 tablespoons mustard oil
1/2 tsp of Paanch Phoron ( a pinch of each- Nigella, fenugreek, cumin, fennel, radhuni/celery seeds)
3 slit green Chillies
1 inch fresh Ginger- grated
3-4 stems of Malabar spinach/ Pui – roughly chopped with the stem
1/4 diced pumpkin
6-7 cauliflower florets (you can also add french beans and other vegetables of your choice. Just don’t miss out on pumpkin)
1/2 cup Peas
1 diced Potato
1-2 Carrots – chopped length wise
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
Paste of 2 tablespoons of Poppy (poppy) and 1 tsp mustard seeds (soak for 2 hours and grind to a thick paste)

Method:

Heat oil in a wok/kadhai. Add panchphoron and let it splutter for a few seconds. Add slit green chillies and grated ginger and sauté for 4-5 seconds. Add the diced pumpkin first of all the vegetables and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and let it soften a little. Add the rest of the vegetables and mix well. Cover the wok and on medium flame let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and add the dry masalas- chilli powder, turmeric, salt, sugar). Mix well and its now it’s time to add the Malabar spinach/Pui. Mix well and leave it covered for a few more minutes. Don’t over cook it. Remember Pui is made best on low to medium flame. That’s what ma says!

Once the Pui softens, and all the other veggies are cooked, add the poppy-mustard seed paste to it and mix well. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let it stand covered for sometime. Transfer to bowl. Serve hot with rice and ghee.

Until next time!

Very Berry, Strawberry >> Strawberry Mousse!

2010-08-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make chocolate mousse. But my Pink rascal, erm…princess, insisted on a ‘pink’ mousse. Ok, your highness, here you go.
The man at home tried it first and said the flavour of Strawberries were over powering and the mousse was not subtle. But my guests loved it :). Just because he managed a one week challenge and I humoured him on my ‘exclusive’ blog, he thinks he can critique anything I make. Who are you, dude? Anthony Bourdain?

Well, I did use extra strawberries. So, if you want your mousse to taste subtle, then just add a little less. :-)

You’ll need:

400 gms strawberries, pulped
a little more than1/2 cup, icing/castor sugar
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon gelatin
1 cup thickened cream
2 egg whites
1 tsp lemon juice

Method

Combine water and gelatin in a small bowl over a larger bowl of boiling water. Do not dissolve it over direct heat. Wait until it completely dissolves. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Pulp the strawberries and add sugar to it. Mix well until combined. Add lemon juice and the cooled Gelatin to this. (Don’t let the gelatin cool too much, then it sets and hardens.)
Using a beater, beat the egg whites till soft peaks are formed. In a separate bowl repeat the process with the thickened cream.
Slowly add the egg whites into the strawberry mixture. Fold.
Add the whipped cream to this. Fold again.
Spoon into little ramekins or bowls of your choice and refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours.
Before serving top with mint and strawberries.

If you have a different method of making Strawberry Mousse, do share!
So long, then!

The 7 day cooking challenge >> Take a bow, sweetheart!

2010-07-27T19:40:00.001-07:00

The man offered to cook for 7 nights for us. Didn’t know if this was a trick offer or a genuine one. But gave him a chance nevertheless. I had nothing to lose. He decided to call it- ‘I can cook too – 7 day cooking challenge’. LOL. That’s what I did. But, soon I had to gulp those LOLs down, for he indeed kept at it and made some of the most authentic dishes, effortlessly.

Though he did ask every 2 seconds- ah what are ‘cardamoms’ and ‘is this what a bay leaf looks like?’. But I won’t deduct points for that. I think he was just being sure and erm, inquisitive. :-)

I’m really ashamed that I ate up most of the dinners without taking pictures. Really sorry. But hey, you know what? I think its the perfect excuse for him to go on another challenge, when I’ll be ready with a charged camera!!

Sharing a few here with you all.

1. Spanish Paella : Brown rice, chicken stock, veggies, chic peas and tomatoes! Oooh la la!

Turned out just right!

The man in action!

2.Posto- Potatoes and cauliflower is a paste of poppy seeds!

A Bengali delicacy and my favourite Bengali vegetarian dish!

3. Spicy Prawn Curry – Prawn, potatoes, tomatoes in a spicy gravy.

Best had with piping hot steamed rice.

4. And now for the winner – Moroccan Chicken with fried rice!

(I want to kick myself for not clicking this picture with my camera. But We were getting late and had to eat the mutton like right then! So my iphone it was.)

5. Bengali style Mangsho – Mutton Curry with potatoes.

He really deserved a standing ovation for this one :D

For the recipe was rather tedious. But he managed just fine!

So, what do you think? As for me, I’m going back to campaigning for more!

My little girl makes ‘Fairy Bread’

2010-07-15T19:02:00.001-07:00

So, she’s been behaving. Watching television when I want her to and turning it off accordingly. She comes back from school with ‘stickers’ on her hands for all the ‘help’ she has offered at school. And then, she’s been smothering me with kisses. Means just one thing. It’s time for a treat. So I asked her what she wanted and she said, she’d like to make “Fairy Bread’ . “It’s yummy mum, and I learnt how to make it in school”.

We set to make it today for breakfast. It was a bright sunny, happy morning. As instructed I laid whatever she wanted, on the table.

1. Bread cut into triangles.

2. Sprinkles (pink ones please, mumma)

3. Butter (I want it soft, mum)

4. Plates

5. Knife for the butter

6. M n M’s (to be had after breakfast as dessert, please, mumma?)

My 4 year old takes on from here!

So, mumma’s friends, this is how we make it. Look carefully, please.

1. First spread butter on the triangles. Like this.

2. Then sprinkle the pretty pink sprinkles ALL over the bread. Okay?

It can be messy. So wear an apron like I did.

3. Then look at it in amazement! And say ooooooooooooooo!

4. Take a bite. Enjoy!

Should I? Shouldn’t I?

Who cares!

I hope you enjoyed making Fairy Bread with me, Mumma’s friends!

A Casserole and some images

2010-07-08T03:12:00.001-07:00

Made a veggie bake and a Chicken Casserole over the last two weeks. Whatever else I made is not worth mentioning here. I’ll just blame Sydney’s wet and dreary winter. Leaving you with a few images. The recipes are the usual nothing striking and different. Though for the casserole I used curry powder and sour cream. It was quite a hit!

I really hope I buck up and come back with more :)

Not-in-a-mood >> Fish Stir Fry

2010-06-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

I was in no mood to cook. Decided whatever needs to be done, will have to be in half an hour. So this was the result. What do you think?

Coat 250 -500 gms fish with salt and turmeric.

Pour 2 tablespoons oil and add the fish when oil is hot. Let it brown on both sides. Push aside the fish pieces and in the centre where some oil remains (add a little if its too less), add 1 spoon of coriander powder, 1/2 tsp of chilly powder, 1 tsp garlic crushed, 1-2 tablespoon tomato ketchup, 1/4 tsp soya sauce, 2-3 slit green chillies. Mix the mixture and coat the fish pieces with it. garnish with coriander.

Serve as a side with rice.

Haven't been cooking much. Will be back soonish :-)!

The Rocks, yet again!

2010-06-23T19:00:00.001-07:00

So, I was at The Rocks again. This time it was a prelude to my Birthday. I love The Rocks so much, that I would, if I could set up a permanent stall there and sell hot Kochuris to this absolutely delightful crowd that throngs it on Friday through Sunday. Some day perhaps. :D

I stopped by at the Museum of Contemporary Art to see the latest exhibition and then headed to the Rocks Market. The Rocks is indeed something else in Winters. Besides, it was a great day with the sun out, and a band playing. The little cafes and restaurants had a lot of interesting menus on display. One menu said- ‘quick 30 minute three plate lunch.’ The Guyllian cafe looked as inviting as ever.

(I still cannot believe I went without my camera. And my Iphone had very little charge left. So, anyway, managed to click a few pictures. )

I began with a mug of Shandy at Lowenbrau, my absolute fav place at The Rocks.

And then, I just had to attack the food stalls, without any further delay!

I started with steamed King Prawn Dim Sum. It wasn’t out of the world. However, because it was being freshly made and was piping hot, it was good.

Decided to settle for some Gozleme for the main course - stuffed Spinach, cheese and chicken Gozleme. Piping hot, straight out of the pan. Mind blowing.

Next time I go without my camera, I’ll give up blogging. Arrgh.

The Kyoza looked very appealing. But I had to keep good spoace in the tummy for a visit to Guyllian’s for dessert!

Olive Oil on Display. Can’t remember the estate they came from. Have you tried tasting different oils? Its a lot of fun.

And while I was busy devouring the Gozleme, this band went on with Eagle’s - ‘when we’re hungry, love will keep us alive’. It was kinda funny :-)

And now for the 100% pure pleasure :D. By the time it came to my table my phone was dead. All said and done, next time around rocks, you must hit GUillians and have their 100% Pure Pleasure Dessert!

So, when are you planning a visit to The Rocks? Chances are you’ll find me there too, soon :D

Petite N Pretty>> Mini Carrot Cup Cakes

2010-06-09T23:00:00.001-07:00

My 4 year old hates veggies. She can go to any length to avoid eating her portion of vegetables – she is perfectly capable of looking furtively around and if the coast is clear, walk as quietly as a cat and chuck her bit in the garbage bin. :D

I had to do something. I manage giving her spinach by pureeing it and adding it to chicken curry and lentils. But carrot had to be disguised beautifully. A simple orange looking cake won’t deceive her. She is far too intelligent to not see through the trick. So I had to bake these fancy looking ones. No rocket science this- just bought decorations and made chocolate frosting on these mini cups.

You’ll need:

1 and 3/4 to 2 cups self-raising flour

1 and1/2 cups of brown castor sugar

1 and 1/2 cups grated carrot (you can add more- depending on you ‘carrot tolerance meter’)

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

2 pinches of nutmeg

2 pinches of salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 300f.

Sift the flour with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix with a hand blender/mixer sugar and vegetable oil for about 30 seconds , then add eggs to it. Mix a little more. Add the grated carrot and mix further. Add the flour slowly and mix until all ingredients blend completely.

Spoon batter to little cup cake moulds or pour into a lined cake tin and bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes (for cupcakes), for 40 mins (if a full cake) or until browned (and do the fork/stick test!)

Cool on rack and decorate as you wish with M&Ms, marshmallows or cream cheese frosting. I had come chocolate pre-mix frosting in the pantry, so used that. But carrot cakes go best with cream cheese frosting.

Needless to say, she gobbled them all up!

Winter Wonder >> Cream of Asparagus Soup for the tormented soul

2010-05-12T19:59:00.001-07:00

…and R would ask, why? To torment the soul more? Hahahaha!! He hates even the sound of Asparagus, While I continue to spread my love for all exotic sounding vegetables. I think Asparagus is one of the most delicate and subtle tasting vegetables and it looks great too :). Tried making a soup out of it to beat the winter chill, not to mention the flu. Been 2 days now, and I am so done with sneezing and wheezing. The soup lifted my spirits though. Had it with lots of pepper while piping hot. Try it, if you have the appetite for it.

Sauté 8-10 stems of cut Asparagus along with one chopped onion in a tsp of Olive oil. Add one pod of garlic to this and season with salt. In about 5 minutes, when the onions are done, pour a glass of vegetable stock/chicken stock and simmer until the Asparagus is very tender . Puree in a blender (don’t add the stock to the blender, only the onions and Asparagus), bring back to the pan to add the stock kept aside, 2-3 tbsp of thick cream or 1/4 cup milk and a dash of lemon juice. Serve piping hot!

And btw, you just can’t ignore the health benefits of this wonder vegetable. Read all about it here.

Friday Feast >> Lime and Lemony Glazed Cheesecake

2010-05-07T21:27:00.001-07:00

Baking proved yet again to be my best buddy on a wintery bored afternoon. Besides, it was Friday. And we were having our neighbours over for dinner. We were doing a takeaway for main course anyway, so I had some time to indulge in creating a pretty looking dessert! Yaay!

I’ve always wanted to make a cheesecake and had plenty of recipes to bank on. Only when I started looking through them did I realise that there are two basic versions of a Cheesecake in general- baked and unbaked. The unbaked version uses gelatin to set it unlike the baked one. I had little time on hand to try the unbaked version, that required at least 8 hours to set. Though its said that it sets best when refrigerated overnight. So I decided to try out the baked version. I wasn’t unhappy with the results at all!! It turned out absolutely wonderful! I have to thank Kushi, my friend who inspired me to make one, though the recipe she shared with me was an unbaked one. Will try that out next time. Until then, try this! Lets feast on the pictures before we get to the recipe, ok?

Ingredients:

For the filling

Cream Cheese – 500 gms

Mascarpone cheese- 250 gms

Castor Sugar : 180 gms

Eggs- 4

Lemon Juice – 4 table spoons cup (I used Lime straight from our backyard :-) )

Lemon zest – 3 tsps

flour – 3 tbsps

1 packet- digestive/Marie biscuit crushed

Butter (melted) – 100 gms

For the Glaze

Sugar- 1/2 cup

Lemon juice- 1/3 cup

Cornstarch – 1 and 1/2 tbsps

egg yolk- 1

Lemon zest – 2 tsps

water – 3/4 cup

Method: Am so glad i took pictures!

1. Pour melted butter to the crushed biscuits and mix well to resemble breadcrumbs. Lightly grease springform tin and press the mixture firmly to the base. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, beat all the eggs and sugar for a few minutes. Add the cream cheese and Mascarpone and beat further. Add the zest, juice in the end and blend until it looks creamy and smooth. Note, the cream cheese must be at room temperature else, its very difficult to blend.

3.Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Pour the filling mixture into the biscuit base and bake it for 45 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack.

Once it cools, refrigerate it.

In about an hour, make the glaze.

1. Mix cornstarch and sugar. Place on a saucepan on low heat.

2. In a separate cup mix well the yolk, lime juice and water. Add that to the saucepan and slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Stir continuously and let the mixture thicken. Add the zest and once thick, turn off stove. Let it cool. Once at room temp, spoon over the cheesecake and refrigerate it back till it sets over.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours and serve in style. I wish I had used some green lemon rind or Kiwi fruit to decorate, it would look better.

Do leave a comment and lemme know if you liked this recipe!

Bon appetite!

Happiness is >> A crisp crust and a gooey chocolaty warm walnut brownie with ice cream!

2010-04-28T01:07:00.001-07:00

Made this over the weekend. Took these images only a day later and did not microwavew the brownie and hence you can;t see the real texture of it- the gooey center, especially. Nevertheless, it came out just right.

Used this recipe.

A lil peak into KG’s kitchen

2010-04-26T21:56:00.001-07:00

The man decides to cook >>Veggie Martelli

2010-04-22T23:49:00.001-07:00

What happens when your husband decides to cook? You end up doing dishes, tons of it. Even if it is just bread and some concoction he cooks up. OK it was nice. But still, he took like one hour to make just that. And for the want of a better name, he named his dish after the vegetable market he bought his veggies from. :D But for all the effort he put in, I think it deserves a mention on my blog. :D

All that he used-

A couple of slices of Ciabatta bread

For the topping-

6 to 8 figs – chopped (MUST)

100 gms Cottage cheese cubes (paneer)

1 small can of sweet corn

1 big can of kidney beans

1 chopped red bell pepper

4 spring onions- sliced

1 big can of tomato puree

2 Zucchinis

1/2 tsp oregano

2 tsp olive oil

Tabasco sauce- lots of it (or as per your taste :-) )

Tzatziki Sauce (a greek sauce- exactly like mint raita!!)

Yogurt

cucumber

Garlic

mint

salt

(Just mix it all up. Be sure to use thick creamy yogurt)

Method:

In a pan, heat the olive oil . Add chopped Zucchini and bell pepper to it. Sauté for a few seconds and add the rest of the veggies including the spring onions, figs, canned corn, kidney beans and cottage cheese. Once the zucchini is a lil soft, pour the tomato puree and mix well. Add salt, tabasco, oregano and mix for a minute. Turn off gas :D

Toast the Ciabatta bread with some olive oil or butter, or just plain. Arrange the topping on bread and finish with the Tzatziki sauce and serve.

It was quite different in taste. The bits of figs, corn, kidney beans, cottage cheese combined with the crunch of the bell pepper and the Tabasco tang, did it for me!! I was floored. :) Thanks, ma love.

Shubho Nabo Borsho >> Pati Shapta/ Crepes with Coconut Stuffing

2010-04-14T19:41:00.001-07:00

Its Bong New Year folks! And not just Bengali, a host of others too! Won’t say much, but just that I was really craving for a festive feel in the middle of this dreary Sydney winter. So I decided to make Pati Shapta, a traditional Bengali sweet dish made with flour, rice flour, semolina and milk with coconut and Jaggery stuffing. I didn’t have rice flour so made do with whatever I found in the pantry and the result wasn’t bad at all.

So, Shubho Nobo Borsho my readers!

For stuffing, mix shredded coconut and jaggery in a pan until sticky. I used about 2 cups of coconut and 3/4 cup of jaggery. Keep mixing it on low fire until brown and sticky.

For the crepes: Make a batter of 7 table spoons of all purpose flour, 3 tbsp of Semolina and milk to make a batter. The batter shouldn’t be too thin or thick either. Just right to make a crepe. Add a spoon of sugar and a pinch of salt to the batter and leave for 2 hours. On a non-stick pan spread the batter with a spoon and make crepes.

Add some filling to the crepe and roll it.

Pour Sugar syrup over this. (used 1/2 cup of sugar with equal measure of water for the syrup).

If you want more details on the recipe, just leave a comment.

See ya soon!

First Guest Post>> Journomuse’s Rava Idli and Sambar!

2010-04-05T18:05:00.001-07:00

This was long over due. A guest post on my blog every month. But why? when I have enough and more to post myself? Well, its simple. I don’t belong to the old school of thought like my aunts and grand moms, who cooked behind closed kitchen doors- a precaution to hide their patent recipes. I belong to the gen-x school of thought where recipes, like a glass of whiskey, must be shared.

So, Tne Good LIfe gets its first post from Journo Muse. It was more of a – here KG, you better publish this or your dead, kind of threat.

:D I had to oblige, what with her being my senior at college et al. :D :D

Here’s Journomuse’s contribution, where the sizzling southie journalist writes how to make the most satisfying Rava Idlis and Sambaar, in the easiest possible way, from a quaint little room in London. And somewhere in the end of her Rava Idli-Sambar saga she begs one of us to please please try this out! So then, go on and oblige her. :)

Hi guys,

The Ketchup Girl invited me here...So here I am, with my battered bag of ingredients and even more battered set of utensils, feeling like a roadside vendor asked to cater to a gourmet audience...So I shall try and keep this short...
I'm no great cook, I cook to survive and food made well does make me orgasmic, but mine - no one has ever accused me of botching up their meal but no one has wondered why I never turned a chef either, so there....No great expectations please....
Now that we have done away with the niceties..let's get down to business....
I'm a true blue Malayali, but one who doesn't like rice, is allergic to sea food and who is happy when good healthy oil-free ( largely!) food is presented before her. And since I am a walking mass of contradictions, I tend to cook for myself and inviting others to sample my offerings..
So when Ketchup girl asked me to share this with you, I said why not....
Ok, now it's time for the ingredients. If you don't have any of the below, I suggest you go to the nearest super market, and stock up your shelves. Once that is done, come back here and then begin the process anew...

There's something to be said about knowing that you have all the ingredients for the recipe you are reading about, right in front of you on your shelves. That sense of joyful euphoria is, I believe, very essential to not botching up the dish!!
So here goes, 250 grams of Rava or suji or semolina as it is called. If you are in India, you could even get it pre-roasted. But elsewhere, you might just have to toss it about on a hot pan, till it starts going golden slightly.
About a tub of yoghurt, should be roughly the same as 250 g...I tend to go by instinctive measures so giving you mathematical figures is a tad difficult...Women reading this, you, I'm thinking understand me easier...Men, I'm really really sorry...but this is the best measures I could come up with...

Mix the two together...Add salt as you like it....Mind you, they are Idlis, don't make them overly salty..so I suggest a small teaspoon...Rest I shall leave it to you....
To this, add some lemon juice because there's little chance abroad that you shall get yoghurt sour...if you are in a tropical climate, leave your yoghurt out for half a day and it should be sour enough....But if like me, the true blue South Indian, you like your Idlis tangy sour, then lemon juice is your best bet...two tablespoons should be a good measure...oh and while you are at it, slip in a pinch of baking soda too to let the batter rise a teeny weeny bit...Keep it aside for about half an hour...

And when you have some time to kill, why don't you rustle up some Sambar to go with your Rava idlis??? Here comes the next rejoinder....
I already told you I'm no gourmet chef...and Ketchup Girl might not even publish this guest column she wanted...For now I'm going to tell you things sacrilegious to any proud, self-respecting cook...I take shortcuts where ever possible...I just try to replicate the taste to the closest and keep it the healthiest...Nothing else matters, like that song...
So on my shelves you shall find jars of tomato puree and in my freezer, you shall find assorted frozen vegetables that help you rustle up a quick meal that looks like you have put in a lot of time and effort to throw it all together....I like the thought of that...
So here goes Sambar in a microwave ( coz I don't have a pressure cooker)....Soak the Dal (lentil) for a while or if you are in England or elsewhere, I'm sure you get fast-cooking Dals...If you have that like me, toss some Dal into a glass pot, hot water about 2 measures to one measure of Dal, add turmeric and chilli powder to it, and keep it to cook for about 8mins on high heat in the microwave....Meanwhile, take out all the veggies you fancy from the freezer - I took out a pack of assorted and some frozen okra...Yes, you heard it right, they chop them fine and freeze them so that lazybones like me don't need to do much...If you are meticulous enough to buy and chop them, trust me nothing like it...
Once the Dal is cooked, take that out, add the frozen okra, one large chopped onion and one large chopped into chunk potato into the Dal...To this add, two heaped tablespoons of tomato puree and stir it right in...Squeeze out one fistful of pre-soaked tamarind and pour the thick brown juice into the glass pot. Add two heaped tablespoons of Sambar powder ( I swear by Eastern Sambar powder, but I'm sure MTR or any other would do fine too, though I'd say don't go for a North Indian brand...They don't get the smell really right!). To this add a pinch of hing or asafoetida...Also add about two cups of water to this...I like my sambar a little runny and not too thick...Adjust water according to the way you like yours...
Now pop that back into the microwave for another 10 mins...and while the sambar is cooking, taking a little oil in a pan, add some mustard seeds, dried red chillies and about a stalk of curry leaves into it and let it splutter all over your stove. And when you pop the sambar out of the microwave, add the garnish right on top of it and give it a lusty stir...Add freshly chopped coriander leaves over it and then let that aroma tell you that this is one hell of a cracking sambar...
And now that the sambar is ready, and the batter has sufficiently risen, make the rava idlis...you could add some assorted vegetables to the batter and some green chillies for that kick of spice..
Psst again...If you don't have those idli moulds, worry not...Get out the steel katoris...Lightly oil the insides....Heat water in a comfortably large saucepan with a lid meanwhile...Fill the katoris to about 1/3rd it's height. And then slowly lower it into the boiling water...Now close the lid and put some weight on it, so that you have a homemade pressure cooker!!!!

For those who have never attempted rava idlis before, don't forget the knife test to check if the insides are done, before taking the katoris out and letting it cool a bit...Once cooled, just knock them against your plate that you are serving in and they slide out like they were just waiting for your command...
The ideal way, but not the prettiest, is to ladle out the sambar onto the rava idlis which have been served into shallow bowls...It might not look really pretty, but you can have your money back, if it is anything less than authentically yummily South Indian...but with a twist....there are many shortcuts and the entire meal is ready..from conceptualisation to implementation in 45 minutes!!!!!

Howzzat??

Oh and if any of you guys try making this and it turns out as good as it did for me...do take a couple of pictures. I forgot to, so this boring post has no yummilicious pictures...Im sure Ketchup Girl will only be happy to add them and tag you...Please please, someone try it out...:)

Happy Eating,
Journomuse...

Thanks Journomuse! :D I promise, I’ll soon try it and post a pic too ! Hug!

Potato Power>> Chatpate Alu /Tangy Potatoes

2010-03-29T23:13:00.001-07:00

I used to love potatoes. Until the world told me not to have them. And like all good things, my favourite starchy veggie became a strict no-no. But I couldn’t give it up completely. I left it for days I knew I’d die of sadness and grief, just because it was raining and the husband had a cocktail party to attend after a meeting because of which he’d come late. Well, on such days, the little carb friend comes to my rescue. Yesterday was one such day. And before I proceed to tell you more about my encounter with them potatoes, tell me, why does it have to look grey and so melancholic when it rains here? Have you seen the rains in India? Ah. Such personality. :)

So coming back. I wanted to have potatoes, and the Indian way. And then you see, when i’m in this oh-why-is-my-life-so-f***** mood, I just cook with whatever comes to my hand and in front of my eyes.

(I love the second picture!)

Here’s what went into my Chatpate Alu.

1. 1/2 kilo baby potatoes- boiled and halved. (you can used normal potatoes too.)

2. 1/2 bell pepper

3. 1 tsp Jeera powder/ Powdered Cumin

4. 1/4 spoon whole cumin seeds

5. 1/2 tsp Dhania Powder/ Powdered coriander seeds

6. 1/4 tsp Mango Powder/Amchoor

7. 1/4 spoon Chaat masala

8. 1/2 tsp Red Chilly powder (optional)

9. Garam Masala to sprinkle on top

10. Salt to taste

11. 1 tbsp Olive oil (you can use Ghee…NOTHING like ghee!!)

12. bunch of fresh coriander chopped.

Method: In a pan, heat oil/ghee, add whole cumin and other powdered masalas (cumin, coriander, red chilly powder). Sauté for a few seconds in low flame, immediately add the boiled potatoes. Coat it with the masala mixture. Add salt, chat masala and mango powder and on very low flame and leave the potatoes to brown. Let the masalas stick to them. Will take about 6-10 minutes. Just before taking it off flame add the chopped bell pepper and coriander. Sprinkle Garam masala and serve with roti.

Why are all good things fattening?

Top tip: Add tomatoes without the seeds, when you add the bell peppers too. Will add to the colour and to the chatpataness of the dish.

Dad’s Birthday special>> Apple Cinnamon Cake

2010-03-26T01:20:00.001-07:00

A few days back, a friend in her status update wrote - ‘ate the best Apple Cinnamon Cake ever’. Oh boy, just reading that made me want to eat it, right there, right then. I set to search for online recipes and found a lovely recipe from Best recipes. It was quite a find, that site!

And since it is dad’s birthday today, I had enough reason to take the plunge. It came out great and the subtle cinnamon flavour was tantalizing :).

I followed the recipe to the t, but made just one addition. I added about 1/4 cup milk to the batter.

(I’ve changed it a tad bit. You might want to refer to the original recipe the link for which I have provided above)

you’ll need

Filling:

2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup castor sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp lemon rind- finely grated

1 cup water

Cake batter:

2 cups self raising flour

1 cup castor sugar

4 eggs

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

180 gms softened unsalted butter

1/2 cup milk (my addition)

Method:

Grease and line tray. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
In a pan mix all the filling ingredients and cook until the apples are soft. Cool and drain. Keep aside.
Sift the flour with cinnamon powder and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, using an electric beater beat butter and sugar until soft and light.
Add eggs and beat some more.
To the mixture slowly fold in the flour and mix well.
Add in the lemon rind too.
Add half of this mixture to the cake tin.
Top it with the apple mixture.
Add the rest of the batter on top of the batter evenly.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork comes out clean when inserted.

Dust over with icing sugar. This is a must :)

Cool it for sometime before attacking it!!

Top tip: Use more lemon rind!

Go, bake! Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Dinner tonight>> Veggie Footlong

2010-03-25T04:11:00.001-07:00

What did I do? Just oven roasted / grill bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, onions (use just about anything that you fancy). I used the grilled veggies as a topping over a foot long that was waiting with its face painted with butter. Loaded the buttered side with the grilled veggies, placed 2 thinly slices tomato wheels, rocket and baby spinach leaves and finished with a measly sprinkle of cheddar cheese and oregano for the flavour. Baked the two gorgeously loaded foot longs at 180 degrees for just about 5-6 minutes until the cheese melted all over.

The ultimate insult though was when husband said, yummmm, a new kinda pizza eh?

Until next time. Love.

Zucchini Flower and Ma’s compost magic story

2010-03-24T22:54:00.001-07:00

I found the most unlikely of things at Marteli’s vegetable market over the weekend. Zucchini flowers. Packed beautifully, waiting to be picked. I hadn’t heard of Zucchini flower being edible. What what caught my eye was the way they looked. Exactly like pumpkin flowers. And back home in the east of India, this is a delicacy. Usually served as a side to the main course, kumro phool bhaja or pumpkin flower fry, is a typical Bengali/Oriya preparation.

I remember during our yesteryears in Shahabad, Ma had this huge pit of vegetable compost and from that grew the most exquisite pumpkin vines! Ma just knew when to pluck a flower and when to leave it for it to develop into a pumpkin. And boy, were they big huge flawless pumpkins! I think one of the pumpkins from our backyard also competed at the local Horticultural show. I don’t think we won a prize, but ma’s compost idea was a big hit. Another one of those examples of how beautiful things grow in perfect harmony amidst dirt, rot and decay. Much like the Lotus, eh? Ma made this mostly on Sundays when the spread was huge at the lunch table. Needless to say, I never appreciated it. But as I grew and my taste in food too matured, all these ‘adult’ vegetables became part of my married life.

Anyway, so I thought , since those Zucchini flowers looked like first cousins of Kumro Phool, they wouldn’t be very different in taste. I got to work the moment I got back.

Wash, clean and take off the baby Zucchini from the flower. Also take off the tube from inside it. (Absolutely clueless about what that is called. I fared miserably in Biology/botany, anyway)

Other ingredients:

5 tablespoons of gram flour/Besan

1/2 tsp of garlic paste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

a pinch of Nigella seeds (optional)

Salt to taste

Add water to the above ingredients. Enough to just about make a paste. Not too runny, not too thick. Just right to coat the delicate Zucchini flowers.

Coat the flower with this paste on both sides and pan fry/roast it . Use a non-stick pan and little oil. Serve with main course.

And I love the way Zucchini sounds. :)

Of lovely neighbours and lovelier food

2010-03-17T02:41:00.001-07:00

The next best thing to having a Mallu neighbour is, having a Mallu neighbour who is also a kickass cook. I can’t thank God enough for giving us the Jacobs as neighbours. If not anything else, wine, food and laughter are what we typically dwell upon in weekends. And in all this wining and dining, I get to learn the most awesome recipes from her (Maju). Remember this?

The other day she sent me the most awesome pumpkin and spinach curry. Needless to say I went to bliss land and on my return hounded her for the recipe. What a simple thing it is and yet tasted completely out of the world. So today, I set to make this most terrific pumpkin-spinach today. I know of at least 2 readers who don’t like pumpkin and are reading this, and sulking. To them, all I can offer is pity. No, really, what a beautiful tasting vegetable you are missing out on. Duh!

So around lunch, I was starving and decided my lunch had to be that thing that my lovely neighbour gave. So out came the stuff from the fridge and on the table were:

1 big bunch of spinach, cleaned, chopped

1/4 of a pumpkin diced to small cubes

1 extremely large onion :), sliced thin

1 sprig of curry leaf

3/4 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1/2 tsp of cumin powder

1/2 tsp of coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

chilly powder (optional) to taste

salt to taste

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

2 tablespoons of fresh cream (AHA! ;) )

2 tsp of vegetable oil

Method: In a small wok, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and the onion. Sauté until translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilly powder. Mix well. Add the pumpkin cubes, salt and stir well. Now add the fresh cream and mix well again. Cover with a lid and on low flame cook until pumpkin is completely mashed, like a paste. Once you reach that consistency, add the spinach and mix well. Turn off flame. Don’t cook the spinach too much. The colour goes for a toss and it goes all soggy.

This is the original recipe from her. I added cauliflower and peas to this too, just to increase the bulk. I had 3 mouths to feed ;) and one bunch of spinach wouldn't have been sufficient. It still tasted as good. But I just wish I had turned off the flame soon after adding the spinach. The colour wasn’t as bright and green like her’s. But tasted as good! Serve with Roti and baby mango pickle! Burrrrrrrp!

Oh waaaaaaaaaaiiit! There’s more!

My neighbour’s been really kind. OK this one’s the other neighbour. They gave away their teenage daughter’s trampoline and beautiful swing for my lil rascal. It looks lovely in our backyard, and each time we have a party, the kids have such a ball. I had to send her something. So made some puff pastries filling out of the spinach and pumpkin I made above. I just added ricotta cheese, chilly sauce and cheddar cheese shavings. Made little puffs out of it and sent them over. I just had a bite and think they should like it! They looked like this:

So, what do ya have to say? oh btw, these are inspired by Maju too. :)

From KG’s Oven >> Choco-chip Muffins

2010-03-09T21:09:00.001-08:00

Did ya know the difference between cupcakes and muffins? Did ya even know a difference existed? I didn’t and always used both interchangeably. For those who know this, you are indeed cool :) :)! Those who don’t, worry not..KG is here!

Cup cakes are smaller, lighter and usually have frosting and decorations on top. Muffins are larger and do not have frosting/icing. The former is served with tea and the latter with coffee!! Enlightened now?

You’ll need:

11/2 cups self raising flour

1 cup- castor brown sugar

150 gms unsalted butter (softened)

1 big bar of Lindt dark chocolate

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup choco-chip bits

3 large eggs

2 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

Beat the softened butter with castor sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in the eggs to this and slowly add the flour. Mix well until creamy . Add milk and vanilla extract and mix well. Add choco-chip bits and set aside. Microwave the Lindt bar (ooohh sinful!) for about a minute and a half on high. Pour the melted chocolate to the cake mixture and swirl it with a spatula. Do not mix it completely.

Transfer to a tray lined with Muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes on 180 degrees in a preheated oven, until firm on top.

Serve with coffee!

The perfect –seduce your guests with the dessert- recipe!!

2010-03-03T17:15:00.001-08:00

I made this absolutely sinful, heaven transporting, temporary amnesia inducing, yummilicious moist chocolate cake, a while back. It was for a baby shower and I can’t tell you enough, how much people loved it. That’s the best thing about BBC’s good food recipes. They are tried, tested and perfect. You can never go wrong.

When I saw the recipe, I just knew that it would turn out great. And it did! Go try it yourself, and watch your guests go mmmmmm, oooh yummmmm, wowww..:))

Here is the recipe.

My only advise – please use the best quality chocolate. Do not compromise on the main ingredient. I used Lindt dark.

Looks good? Try and lemme know, ok?

Post Cards from India, Part I

2010-02-18T21:32:00.001-08:00

Got back from India a few weeks back. A lot of it is forgotten, but the things that remain with me are still the sights and scents of the country. Starting today, I will give you a peak through a few images, of all that still makes my heart run wild about India. This post will be about some of the exhibitions I went to. What a burst of colour and art they were! The pictures are from Shilparamam, the annual crafts mela that Hyderabad hosts, featuring hundreds of stalls from all over India and All India Tribal Exhibition, that was held at Hyderabad’s necklace road. Let me know certainly, if you liked what you saw here!

Hope you enjoyed this! Stay tuned for more. :)

The Good Life

2009-10-28T20:44:00.001-07:00

Sawwwrieeee!! Been meaning to write, but have been so busy with a million things around me. Wanted to share that this space will also have apart from food and food related pictures, travel related writings and recipes. Basically anything and everything that amounts to making ‘The Good Life’ . BTW, do you like the new header?

Today I will post a few pictures I took in Sydney Rocks Market, where I went rather berserk with the spread of Olive oils on display, homemade chocolates, wines and not to mention street food. But what caught my eye was the spices on display. They looked so vibrant ! Take a look!

Will be back with more.

Ciao.

South Beach Diet – Part 3

2009-10-07T22:36:00.001-07:00

Omlette with veggies topped with smoked Turkey breast strips and low fat cheese! I absolutely LOVED this brekky.

Since its phase 2 of SBD I added croutons to this salad of grilled eggplants, olives, bits of walnut and mushrooms on a bed of mixed salad leaves. Finished with Balasamic Vinegar dressing.

My fav dinner these days- Couscous with minced chicken curry. Add raisins to the curry..ooh yum!

I made this chicken mince the Indian way, and it rocked with couscous.

A quick recipe: (for 250 gms of chicken mince)

Chop one onion and sauté it in a teaspoon of olive oil until brown. Add one spoon of ginger-garlic paste, 1 diced tomato, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin powder, 1 tsp ground coriander powder, 2 pinches of turmeric, 1/2 spoon of red chilly powder, salt as per your taste, mixed garam masala (cloves-2, cinnamon 1/2 inch, cardamom- 2), 1/2 spoon of dried or fresh mint leaves. Mix well until tomato softens. Add fresh chicken mince to this along with green peas and mix well. Cook on medium flame and covered for about 12 minutes. Add raisins to this and add water as per the consistency u desire.

Finish with a dollop of butter on top! This tastes fantastic with couscous.

(If you can manage to source a chicken masala from an Indian store, nothing like it. Just replace all the dry spice powders with 2 teaspoons of the ready made chicken curry masala)

Update: have los about 3.5 kgs since I began. have 2.5 more to go. Till then, bear with me!

Faux Moussaka >> South Beach Specials-3 (Dinner)

2009-09-29T19:02:00.001-07:00

I love eggplant! And it works best for any diet thanks to its really low calorie count. Traditionally Moussaka is a layered eggplant dish with veggies or minced meat. I stuck to makiing two layers of eggplant with just veggies. Also i did away with bread crumbs and other carbs that go into making the traditional Greek Moussaka. And it turned out just fine!

Ingredients:

One big eggplant, thickly sliced into rounds.

Olive oil – 3 teaspoons

Parsley chopped – 1 bunch

1 onions chopped

4-5 garlic pods crushed

1 cup tomato puree

zucchini or any other veggies as you’d like.

Low fat cheddar cheese – 1 slice or 2 spoons shredded

Salt to taste

Method

In a pan roast the eggplant slices with a little cooking spray, till its a little soft- not very soft. Just a wee bit to help make it faster.

Place it in an oven proof baking dish.

Pour oil in a pan and add garlic, zucchini/other veggies, Parsley and onions. Sauté for a few seconds and add the tomato puree. Bring it to a boil. Its optional to add a teaspoon or 2 of light cooking cream. Would taste yum if u do though! I even added a few slices of mushrooms :-). I know, I know, this is a completely faux Moussaka recipe!

Once this sauce comes to a boil, season with salt and some paprika and pour it over the eggplant. You can make two layers of eggplant and sauce. Top it with cheese.

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees c. Bake the Moussaka for about 20 minutes.

Your faux Moussaka is ready! Have this with a salad and finish with sugar free jelly!

(Try the same thing with minced meet of your choice instead of the veggies!)

Happy South Beach Dieting!

South Beach Specials-2

2009-09-29T18:38:00.001-07:00

Grilled Chicken and Avocado salad on a bed of iceberg lettuce and sprouts.

A few thin slices of Avocado in Phase 2 is ok. Just don’t over do it. Its good fat and will make your skin shine :). Char grill the chicken breasts or just tawa roast it. Shred ice berg lettuce, rocket leaves and other greens as you may wish. Add in some moong sprouts, peppers and sundried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes. You can also crumble in some low fat fetta cheese. I do that sometimes and it obviously tastes out of this world!

Season with salt and pepper and finish with a dressing of your choice. I used none. If you are not dieting then might as well add some sweet chilly sauce to this!

Remember to add the walnuts to add to the crunch!

South Beach Diet, oh yeah baby! (Part One- Brekky)

2009-09-16T20:35:00.001-07:00

The reason you don’t see any yummy activities around this space is because, I am on a diet. :D. It was long due, and its going as well as it promises in the book. I am on the South Beach Diet and I am loving it. Am almost about to finish Phase 1 of the diet which lasts for 2 weeks. Would like to share a few brekky pics here. Will have follow up posts also, but for now lets settle for eggs, which seem like the only brekky I like since I don’t have Ham and Chicken early in the morning churns my tummy. SBD is a low carb diet, not a NO carb one. And is extremely flexible and easy to follow. I’ve tried Atkin’s earlier too, but was very unhappy. I did lose weight but I had cravings all the time and I was so depressed and in an ugly mood most of the time :D. SBD is fun, safe and effective.

Since diets can get monotonous, I took extra care to make my food look good. That way it didn’t one bit feel I was on a ‘diet’.

Follow up posts will have snack ideas, main course and desserts for the South beach diet. I have lost 3 Kgs so far, and for my standards and metabolic rate, its awesome! And its an earnest request that you get on this diet only after having fully read Dr Agatson’s book on the diet.

Top left: Scrambled eggs with tomato and mushrooms in Tabasco and chilly sauce, topped with a tiny dollop of low fat cheese.

Top Right: Omlette topped with sautéed bell peppers and mushrooms. Garnished with olives and low fat fetta.

Bottom left: Simple and lovely sunny side up on a bed of steamed spinach and red bell pepper. Finished with a dash of Tabasco and chilly flakes.

Bottom Down: Boiled and sliced egg on a bed of steamed veggies and sautéed mushrooms in oregano.

(Carrots are part of the avoidable veggie list, but I have it some times in very little quantities).

Have a kickass Thursday!

Barramundi Fish Fillets, Goan Style

2009-09-03T22:42:00.001-07:00

Samar’s blog on Hindustan Tines Blogs, Our daily bread, had this amazingly simple Goan Gish curry recipe, called - ‘The quickest and easiest Goan fish curry’ . I was pleasantly shocked that a recipe as simple as that could taste so good!

Do try it. I used Barramundi Fish Fillets. I couldn’t find Kokum here, so didn’t add that. And I added a wee bit of Tamarind.

Have it with piping hot steamed rice.

How to make rice look impressive? :-)

2009-09-02T00:08:00.001-07:00

When I make Indian food for a party, I always struggle with rice. I think making a Pulao is too rich and sides can’t be enjoyed with it. Jeera rice is nice, but sometimes it gets monotonous. Here’s something I do, to make the rice look lovely and it goes perfectly with just about any Indian side dish.

In 2 teaspoons of Ghee, add an inch of cinnamon, a few cardamoms and a bay leaf. To that add 2 cups of Basmati rice (pre soaked for about 15 minutes- not more than that) and mix well. Let it roast a tad bit and then add hot water- 4 cups. Add a little salt- not too much (about 1/2 teaspoon for 2 cups of rice) and 2-3 pinches of sugar. Simmer and cover with lid. Takes about 15 minutes for the rice to cook.

Once done, transfer to the bowl you will serve in.

In a wok, add about 4-5 tablespoons of oil and fry thinly sliced onions (about 2 large ones) and let them brown. drain on a kitchen towel. Fry a few cashews, raisins, and almond slivers.

Garnish rice with the fried onions, cashews, raisins and almond slivers.

Looks impressive, tastes great!

I’ve also done with by adding a few strands of saffron while cooking the rice, and it gives a completely different flavour.

Either ways, a nice change from the boring fried rice.

The culprit

2009-08-27T18:02:00.001-07:00

I never knew Mother’s recipe marketed this. And never for sure knew, that I could find it in Sydney! And this, lovely jar of magic is responsible for the extra helpings of rice on my plate. Am sure next time a friend sees me in India and wants to hug me, her arms can’t ‘hold’ all of me. But who’s complaining, there is more of me to love, no?

Oye Balle Balle! >> Fish Amritsari!

2009-08-23T18:16:00.001-07:00

I’ve never been to Amritsar, but have heard a lot about this extremely popular street food- Amritsari Fish. This is a deep fried preparation, and has had many a guests of mine, raving! So the next time you have friends home, don’t go for the regular chicken fare for starters, try this!

I used this recipe from Indian food Forever. There are variations wrt time- I tend to marinade it longer. You can follow either of the recipes. There is another version, where the fish is marinated with all the ingredients for an hour and then deep fried. The below one is tried and tested though, and I can vouch for it! :)

For the marinade:

3 Fish fillets (Baramundi/Bhasa or any white fish fillet) – cut into squares

3/4 teaspoon Ginger-garlic Paste

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilly Powder or as per taste

4 teaspoons Lemon Juice

A few pinches of salt

Marinade the fish fillets in all the above mentioned ingredients. Set aside in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Make the batter just half an hour before you intend to fry the fish.

For the Batter:

1 cup of gram flour/Besan

1/2 teaspoon of Ajwain seeds/Carom seeds

1/2 cup thick curd

1 whole egg

Salt to taste

Mix all the above ingredients and set aside

Take the fish out and dip in the batter for about 10-15 minutes and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on a kitchen towel.

Sprinkle Chaat masala and lemon juice.

Serve piping hot with chilled beer!

( Apologies, for the lack of presentation. I had packed this for a potluck! Do remember to sprinkle Chat Masala and lemon juice before serving!)

Via Deepti Abraham >> Lip Smacking Koyla (charcoal) Chicken

2009-08-18T18:39:00.001-07:00

I thought this was one helluva cool recipe! And exotic too at that - I can almost smell the Koyla (charcoal) flavour!

Sounds like just the recipe I was looking for, for the coming up weekend :). And thank God for foodie friends!

In Deepti’s own words:

Marinate the chicken with salt, ginger-garlic paste and chilli powder for about 4 hours.
In a pan heat oil and sauté the chicken for about 2 mins. (you can add slit green chillies if you want to spice it up). Then put in pureed tomatoes (I normally use 6 medium sized for a kg).
Cover and let it cook on medium heat for around 15mnts. then open and put in coarsely pounded cashew nuts. Around ten of them (roast the cashews on a tava/pan but don't brown them too much and pound).
Once the oil leaves stir in about 1/2 cup cream gently
Remove from the fire.
Just before serving take a small piece of Koyla (charcoal) and heat it over the flame till red hot. Quickly transfer to a bowl and put it into the chicken and pour ghee/clarified butter over it. when it starts to smoke cover the dish for around 5-7 mtns.

Viola your Koyla Chicken is ready!!

Serve with rotis or steamed rice/pulao :).

Can’t wait to make it!! Thanks and a big hug, Dippy.

And if you have great, simply, fun recipes to share do write to me. Will be mroe than obliged to put them up on Slurrrrrrp!

So long then!

(And no, this is not Shahrukh Khan’s favourite dish :D )

Effortless Stir Fry >>Chilly-Garlic Fish

2009-08-09T20:51:00.001-07:00

When I am in no mood to cook, I make stir fries- with just about anything that’s in the fridge. The freezer had just one Bahsa fillet, so I decided to toss it with whatever remained in the fridge- I found a few sprigs of spring onions, green bell peppers, a few asparagus. Here’s was I did-

Apply a few drops of Vinegar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the fish and set aside for 5 minutes. In 2 teaspoons of oil fry the fish until brown on both sides- ensure you do this very carefully. The fillets tend to break. Once done, keep aside.

Add another teaspoon of oil to the wok and add chopped garlic- about 2 pods. To that add all the vegetables, 2 slit green chillies and sauté for about a minute. Don’t over cook it- the fun lies in crunchy veggies. Add the fish to this and sprinkle some salt, pinch of sugar, 1 spoon tomato ketchup, and 1/2 teaspoon corn starch dissolved in 2 tbsps of water. This makes the dish a wee bit wet, and coats the fish making it softer.

Voila! You’re done! Serve it hot with Noodles, fried rice or just have this by itself as a high protein diet meal!

Have a lovely week ahead!

In a mood for something cheesy :-D >>> veggie bake in white sauce

2009-08-06T18:21:00.001-07:00

I attempted a veggie bake, the other day, and must admit, I liked it more than I like a bake with meat in it. of course, anything with cheese is nothing but soul food. So I lapped it all up- with or without meat.

I used Broccoli, asparagus, baby corn, fresh sweet corn shavings, potato (par boiled), peas, French beans, carrots, bell pepper- yellow and red- for the color.

Sauté diced chopped garlic (2-3 garlic pods) along with the diced vegetables in 2 tbsps olive oil for about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle Thyme and Basil over it.

Lay it out as a bed on an oven proof dish.

Pour white sauce over it (method given below).

Grate cheese evenly over the bed of vegetables. I used Cheddar cheese.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 F for about 1/2 hour or till the cheese browns evenly.

Serve with Garlic bread.

Method for making white sauce:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour/maida

1-2 cups Milk

Salt

Pepper

Sugar- 2 to three pinches.

Optional: 1/2 cheese cube grated.

Ooooooohhh la la!!

Spinach with ricotta, sweet corn and baby corn

2009-08-04T18:44:00.001-07:00

(sorry, not the best possible picture!)

Palak Paneer can get very repetitive, while cooking special vegetarian stuff. So I tried making the same recipe with a twist.

In one of my first posts I had posted the Palak paneer recipe. Click here to follow the exact same instructions and instead of Paneer/cottage cheese, add Ricotta (1/2 cup), sweet corn (1 corn on cob shavings) and baby corn (6-8 chopped).

Ricotta has a smooth texture and it literally crumbles and blends into the spinach giving it a distinct taste. The only addition is- nutmeg powder. Sprinkle some while you sauté onions.

Serve with Rotis or Rice.

How to make smoke come out of your ears >>> Stuffed Chilly Fritters / Stuffed Mirchi Bhajji/Mirchi Pakora

2009-08-03T22:02:00.001-07:00

Some food, like people, have memories. Like the memory I have of my dad bringing home hot Mirchi Bhajji/Pakoras, wrapped in newspaper on his way back from work, for Ma. As a kid I never dared to try one, but as I grew up amongst Andhra folks, who are all essentially spice lovers, I developed a taste for the spiciest, hottest, Mirchi/chillies. To this day this remains my greatest strength and weakness, while cooking. Weakness for sure, because not all dishes require red hot chilly in it, and I can’t do without it, and this eccentric streak sometimes ruins lovely subtle recipes. I need to get myself to cook with more perfection and not arbitrarily.

But no, today is not the day yet for a subtle recipe- here’s a very in your face, hot as hell, snack- The mighty chilly Pakora/Mirchi Bhajji/Mirapukai bhajji- call it whatever you may, it has the power to send you on a heady trip from hell to heaven and back to earth with just one bite. This snack is not for the faint hearted who spend time lingering about cheese and desserts. And now, that I have warned you well in advance, lets get around making it.

(This recipe is in Andhra style- yes exactly the type you must have tried on bandis/thelawalas and on railway station platforms- only, cleaner, more hygienic- no points for health and nutrition though. Weight watchers, you can choose to close this window, else you might be very very tempted to try one, right away!

For the chilly filling-

5-6 large green chillies (if in Sydney, you get these in Coles sometimes or in Indian vegetable markets around Flemington)

1 small cup of seedless tamarind, soaked in hot water

1/2 spoon coriander powder

1/2 spoon cumin powder

salt to taste

For the batter

1/2 spoon baking powder

2 cups of besan / chickpea powder/gramflour

1 spoon garlic paste

salt to taste

water about 1/2 cup

Red chilly powder- 1/4 spoon

Ajwain seeds

Oil for deep fry

Method:

Slit the green chillies length wise and de-seed them
Blend the tamarind, coriander and cumin powder together in a blender/grinder with very little water- maybe a spoon or 2.
Stuff the tamarind mixture into the slit chillies. Set aside all the stuffed chillies.
For the batter, be careful with the consistency. Use little water at a time and beat the gramflour/besan, garlic, Ajwain seeds, chilly powder, salt and baking powder together. The batter shouldn't be watery.
Now dip each chilly into this batter and deep fry until golden brown. Dain on a kitchen towel/tissue.

Serve hot with tea, on a rainy evening and get nostalgic. :-)

(The North Indian version doesn't use any tamarind. Instead they make a mixture of salt, Amchur (dried mango) powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and stuff the chilly with this mixture. They use normal chillies instead of big ones. You might want to try that variation too)

Buttermilk Chicken With Spiced Onions >> Knockout Stuff!

2009-07-28T20:01:00.001-07:00

This one comes from Ruma ma originally, via Moon. Both, established cooks, and in the family :-). I totally love this recipe, simply because of its sheer simplicity. What a modest recipe!! No really, it has a kickass and a totally knockout taste and yet sooo simple to make.

Don’t believe me? The see for yourself!

You’ll need:

500 gms chicken- with bones are better.

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk (I used the Dairy farmer’s one and it was fantastic)

1-11/2 onions- thinly sliced

Oil – 4-5 tbsps (yu’ll need a wee bit more for this recipe)

1 tsp- red chilly powder

For seasoning- 1/4 spoon methi/fenugreek seeds, 1/2 spoon mustard seeds, 2 –3 pinches of asafetida/hing, 4-5 cloves) – the seasoning is Very important. Do not miss out on any of these. (I also added whole pepper corns and saunf/Aniseed. You may or may not add)

Sugar- 1/2 teaspoon (must)

Salt to taste

Method

Fry the sliced onions in 2 tbsp oil until brown. Add the red chilly powder to this. Drain on a tissue, keep aside.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan and once hot, add the seasoning. Add chicken to the seasoning and fry well, until semi cooked. This should take about 6 –7 minutes. Now pour the buttermilk over the chicken, cover with lid and simmer for 6 minutes. Take off lid and let the buttermilk evaporate completely on medium flame. Once the buttermilk evaporates, add the spiced onions set aside to the chicken and mix well. Add salt and sugar. Serve hot with steamed rice and Dal! Aweeeeesome. I swear!

A BIG hug to Moon for this one.

Veggie Starter > Raw Banana Patties!

2009-07-27T22:55:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday when R told me our invited guests were vegetarians, I had a real challenge to encounter! I cook veg food but I wasn’t sure how an all veg meal will turn out to be! At the end it turned out just right, despite all the nightmares!Will post all the stuff I made in separate posts. For now, I wanted to share the entre which they totally loved! Tiny raw banana patties.

You’ll need :

2 big raw bananas

2-3 medium sized potatoes

2 onions chopped

Coriander leaves

1 spoon grated ginger/ginger paste

1 spoon red chilly powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala

Oil or ghee – 2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

Method: Boil the bananas and potatoes together (u can pressure cook – if you do pressure cook, then only wait for one whistle or a max of two). The idea is not to make the mash too soggy- so they need to boil just right :). Peel them and mash it together.

In a pan add oil/ghee and sauté chopped onions until translucent. Add ginger and sauté some more. Add turmeric and chilly powder and mix well. Now add the mashed banana and potatoes to this mixture and mix well until the masala blends with the mash. The mixture shouldn’t be watery/soggy as I mentioned earlier. The patties won’t be firm, then. If you feel it is, then add bread crumbs to this. It soaks up the excess moisture. Add garam masala and coriander powder and mix again and let it cool. Once cold, make tiny patties of them and pan roast them with little oil/ghee. Serve with tomato ketchup.

You can add boiled veggies like peas and carrot and also raisins/sultanas to make this more nutritious and tastier! Its a sure shot winner – its tasty, nutritious, and not deeeeep fried! Try it :)

Ek Kali Do Pattiyaan

2009-07-16T19:10:00.001-07:00

I am looking for inspiration. And I get oodles of it from my cuppa Darjeeling. A long while back, I wrote a post on Cha, on Butkintuparantu. Adding the link here. And if any Makaibari cha lovers are reading this post, make sure to watch this video, to see and know everything about Makaibari.

Wake up and smell the tea :-).

Have a lovely, inspiring weekend. Ciao.

Egg-xotic

2009-07-07T18:00:00.001-07:00

Aziz Bi taught me to make this, and I make it very often. Especially when I am in a mood for something tangy and different. You can’ t go wrong with this- some people even mistake it for a bake! Simple yet exotic! Try it and lemme know :)

1. Chop one big onion and one big tomato.

2. In a pan pour 3 teaspoons of oil and sauté the onions until brown.

3. Add 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes, mix. Add 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, pinch of turmeric, salt, 2 teaspoons of tomato ketchup and 2 pinches of sugar . Mix well and wait for tomatoes to soften as shown in the picture.

5. break in 3 eggs

6. Break the yolks over the tomato paste

7. DO NOT MIX

8. 8.Cover with lid over very very low flame.

9. Wait for 12 minutes, till the egg is cooked.

10. Serve with rotis or hot steamed rice as a side.

Roasted!

2009-07-01T21:39:00.001-07:00

Are you one of those who can eat just about anything that is baked? I am, and love my oven. Here is a quick veggie roast, if u are in the mood for some diet meals that taste great. The simplest thing I have ever made, this is a must make if you like veggies.

All you need to do is put together your favorite veggies- cut into big chunks. In an oven proof dish, lined with aluminum foil, add the veggies, whole green chillies, whole garlic, sprinkle salt, sprinkle oregano, two teaspoons of tomato based pasta sauce (optional), and spray some olive oil. Bake at 180-200 degrees C for about 30 minutes or till the veggies turn brown.

Eat it like an entree or main with bread.

Variations – use mustard sauce, or just red chilli powder, dhania (coriander powder) and salt.

I used egg plant, tomatoes, beans, onions, capsicum, carrot pumpkin, and potatoes for the roast. Whatever you use, do use pumpkin and tomatoes! You can add bits of chicken, if you can’t bear te thought of just vegetables! Just coat the chicken with pasta sauce and add.

It might not look the most appetizing, but take my word, it tastes out of the world. I should have spent some time in presenting the dish! Next time perhaps. :)

Till then, eat well and cook up some great meals.

Raw Banana Koftas/Kaanch Kolaar Kofta >> Via Amma

2009-06-24T21:49:00.001-07:00

I am not going bananas- he he, not yet! I thought while, we are at bananas, why not add another banana post. Only, this one has to do with raw bananas. This post is for Amma, our cook in Hyderabad- at my In-law’s place. She has been with us for close to 13 years now, and continues to support the house hold. Kaanch Kolaar Kofta or Raw Banana Koftas , in Bengali style is one of my husband’s favourite. And Amma made it well, when she was in a good mood, of course. I make many versions of this. Here is Amma’s version.

Steps:

Pressure cook 2 raw bananas with 2 potatoes. 2-3 whistles are enough.
Once done, peel off the skin form the bananas and potatoes and mash it in a bowl.
Add to this mash one small chopped onion, green chillies, salt, Garam Masala powder, a handful of chopped coriander leaves an mix well.
Make round balls of this mash. If the mash is too soggy, then add a spoon of gram flour or besan to this.
Shallow fry this. Be careful with this, the kofta balls tend to break. Be gentle in turning them. Drain the fried Koftas.
In a non stick pan, pour 3 tablespoons oil.
Add whole spices- a few cardamom, a small stick of cinnamon, 2-3cloves, and 1 bay leaf.
Add 1 big chopped onion to this and sauté till it browns.
Add ginger and garlic paste and sauté some more.
Add tomato paste or puree, 11/2 spoons of Dhania/coriander powder, red chilly powder, 1/4 spoon sugar, 1/4 spoon turmeric powder. Mix well and wait till oil separates.
You can add green chillies if you want it spicier.
Once the oil separates pour one big cup of hot water and bring it to a boil. Don't be very conservative with water- you can add another half a cup.
The Koftas tend to sap all the gravy, so you need not worry about the gravy going too watery.
Once done the gravy boils well, sprinkle with Garam Masala, and add coriander leaves to it.
Transfer this to the serving dish and let it cool down a bit.
Once its warm, add the Koftas, else they will break. Do not add the Koftas to hot boiling gravy.
Enjoy with hot steamed rice or rotis!

Other versions:

1. If you are watching your diet, you can pan roast the banana koftas. Just make flat patties and roast them like we do with tawa cutlets.

2. Some add cream, to make the gravy richer

3. Dip the round kofta balls in a batter of gram flour/besan and deep fry them, for a totally different taste.

4. Instead of chopped onions, if you have the energy and inclination, add onion paste, that makes the gravy thicker.

So long, then!

Walnut Banana Bread >My Daughter’s Current Favourite

2009-06-23T21:36:00.001-07:00

when my daughter says- ‘My favourite’ to something edible, it somehow becomes my moral responsibility to make it myself at home, instead of buying it readymade. I haven’t understood the nature of this mad streak in me, yet, but for now it seems to satisfy her immensely. So be it baby cupcakes or banana bread, I'd rather bake them at home, than pick it from the supermarket or the local baker.

There’s one more thing- each time I make a very complicated dish, like say Dum Biriyani, preparations for which, which span over 2 days, my husband only comments on the taste and never about the effort. But when I bake something like a banana bread or a cheese cake, he looks at the piece of creation in mock disbelief. Its strange that he never thought baking banana bread at home was possible. That’s R for you.

The bread was awesome, you know. It was my first attempt and it came out just right- like the ones my daughter picks from those Boost Juice bars….so yaaay to my banana walnut bread. Here’s how you make it- its simpler than making a cuppa coffee.

Method:

Mash 3 ripe bananas in a wide mouthed bowl. Add 3/4 cup of brown castor sugar and 1/2 cup of softened butter. Mix well with a spatula. Add two beaten eggs to this and mix again. Add 2 spoons of sour cream (optional)to this mixture and beat more till the mixture is creamy.

In another bowl take 1 1/2 cups of self raising flour and sift it with 1 spoon of cinnamon powder. Add chopped walnuts (as much as you’d like- I added about half a cup of them), to this. Slowly add this mixture to the wet batter and mix well. Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 spoon of Vanilla extract. Fold with the spatula.

Grease a bread making dish and pour batter into this. preheat oven to 180 degree C and then bake the bread for 40 minutes or till its crisp golden brown.

Slice it and have it hot and fresh with a cuppa or leave it for the next day, when you toast it and spread butter over it to be instantly transported to bliss land.

Spice Temple, Sydney

2009-06-21T21:29:00.001-07:00

One of the things R and I hadn’t done in Sydney was to try out cool new restaurants and have a nice relaxing lunch. We did that often back in India where we’d leave our lil rascal with mum and go gallivanting about the streets of Koramangla or Indiranagar in Bangalore, trying out the newest restaurant or watering hole on the block. So R decided to take me out as a prelude to my birthday, on Friday, when junior goes to day care. We chose Spice Temple at Bligh Street, in the city. I had read enough and more on Time Out Sydney about Spice temple and I was very very keen on eating something spicy, exciting and new. So we decided to try Chinese but not the run of the mill fare. We chose Spice Temple only based on what Timeout Sydney wrote- And special it is – a Chinese restaurant that does not serve any Cantonese dishes. Instead, you'll find a menu that roams China from Sichuan to Yunnan to Guangxi. But the question tingling on everyone's lips is the chilli factor. "The dishes [on the menu] that are in red, they're hot," explains Perry. "Chilli isn't just about blowing people's minds out. It really is about adding that flavour and mouth-feel and excitement." Go with a bunch of friends and try as many different dishes for the table as you can. You're guaranteed to taste something here that your mouth has never experienced before. In a very, very good way.

I was so unprepared for what came on the table that afternoon - the aromas were invigorating, heady and mysterious and the food tasted like nothing I have had before. By far, my best dining experience, yet. Very very different from what you might expect. The ambience is perfect and they also have a scintillating white bar. Below are some pictures of what we ordered and ate. If you are in Sydney, don’t give this place a miss at any cost!

(In the pics from top left: A beautiful bowl :), Bloody Mary in a chilli, sesame, sugar and salt rimmed glass, Chicken Wings – Super Hot!, Fish with green and red chilli sauce (I’ve forgotten what it was called), 3 shot chicken, Ginseng tea, peanut, caramel and chocolate parfait, dessert menu :-) )

Maju’s Simple and Sipcy Prawn Masala

2009-06-10T20:34:00.001-07:00

We know very few people in Sydney. And the ones we know are thankfully gastronomes. Especially, the Jacobs. We love dining at their place, though the much promised Appam and Stew are yet to savored. The first time Maju and Manoj had us over, we came back so content and gloating with happiness – all thanks to Maju’s spicy prawns settled in our tummies. For many days we couldn’t get the taste out of us, especially, Raj couldn’t. So yesterday, I finally decided to give Maju’s recipe a try. Its amazing how simple it is. I was done in 10 minutes flat! If you are a lover of south Indian food, this recipe rocks. Simple and most kickass!

Here goes:

You’ll need

250 gms prawns – medium sized, shelled and deveined

Tomato- 1 medium sized

Onion- 1 medium sized

Garlic paste/crushed- 1 teaspoon

Chilly Powder- 1 –2 teaspoons (totally depends on how much you can take- for me the spicier the better)

Curry Leaves

Oil- 2 to 4 teaspoons

Tamarind – Maju suggests we get the Mallu variety of tamarind – round ones, apparently. I used regular tamarind. Though i vouch for her version. She had an altogether Mallu touch. So if you can find that tamarind go on and add 2 of those. Else just soak a little tamarind in water.

Method

If you are using fresh prawns then par boil it (2 minutes) with very little water, turmeric and chilly powder and keep aside. If you are using frozen prawns they can be used directly.

In a pan pour oil, add curry leaves, onions and sauté till they go just about brown. Add garlic and sauté more. After a few minutes add tomatoes and mix well. Let the tomatoes soften, and oil separate. Add chilly powder, turmeric and salt, mix well. Add the cleaned prawns to this and mix well. On medium flame keep mixing this till the mixture dries and stick to the prawns. Add the soaked tamarind pulp and mix. Don’t add water. The masalas have to cook well and dry out. Don’t take it off flame when still soggy.

I added some ground pepper too- that’s optional. It adds to the flavour, and I recommend freshly ground pepper.

Serve with hot steamed rice on a nice wintery day.

Lemme know how it goes!

Spice is the only variety of my life

2009-06-09T21:26:00.001-07:00

Raj’s 32nd birthday and the long weekend coincided, so we took off to Port Stephens. I love the little getaways in Australia, especially the beach towns, and Port Stephens was a lovely getaway. But one thing that I really really miss in these holidays is a variety in food. The sea food available is brilliant, but after a while the regular breaded fish, grilled fish and chips fare kind of gets to me. The picture here is that of grilled Fish with greens and some sauce- I forget, and it was phenomenal, but we did want fish in a hot, spicy sauce. Or may be even a Goan version of this. But then, we did enjoy what we got to eat, missed spice a little bit, but were happy nevertheless.

So, the minute I got back yesterday, Raj suggested we order in. Oh, no! How can that be. Order in more Pizza? No way! I had to have my spicy fare! So in I went to the kitchen to make my favorite – jhatpat spicy Chicken pulao. Thought I’ll share this with you all.

You’ll need:

Chicken thighs and breast pieces – 500 gms

1/2 cup curd

Onions- 2 large- thinly sliced

Basmati Rice Soaked half an hour before preparation: 1 1/2 cup

Ginger and garlic Paste-2 spoons

Green Chilies- 8 (i like it SPICY)

Coriander chopped- 1 cup

1 spoon red chilly powder

Mint – fresh or dried flakes (I suggest you buy a bottle of the dried mint flakes- they are handy and very very good on flavor)

Tomatoes- 2 large

Whole garam masalas- a few of whatever you have- i had only cinnamon and cloves.

salt to taste

Dhania/Coriander Powder- 2 teaspoons

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Method:

In a non stick vessel (ideally deep and wide mouthed), melt the Ghee and add garam masalas. Add green chilies and onions and sauté till it browns. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté some more. Add chopped tomatoes, coriander chopped , 1/2 spoon of mint flakes or a 1/2 cup of fresh mint chopped, and mix well. Add Dhania Powder, chilli powder, salt and curd and mix. let the tomatoes soften. Now add the chicken to this and mix well. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Now add the soaked Basmati Rice and mix. Add 3 cups of hot water, stir well, and cover with lid. In low flame let it cook. Else, just pressure cook it, if you are in a tearing hurry!

This is heaven. I am home.

A deadly combo: Dosa and Chicken Curry

2009-05-28T00:09:00.001-07:00

When the day ends with hot crispy Ghee Dosas (crispy rice crepes) and Srilankan Chicken curry, you know, you’ll sleep like a baby that night. Raj had a total of 15 Dosas or something…he loves them. And when coupled with chicken or prawn curry, he can have just about as many you can make. I made the Dosa batter, with the rice flour I bought from the Indian store the other day. Pretty good, I must say. I didn’t have to soak the rice, so it was easier grinding the urad dal. Here’s how you go about it.

For Dosa batter:

1 cup- Urad dal (Soaked in 1 teaspoon of fenugreek /methi seeds for about 6-7 hours or over night)

3 cups of rice flour

Grind the soaked dal and methi in a mixer to a paste. Mix well with hand. To that, add rice flour and 1 to 2 cups of water. Add salt and mix well. Don;t make the batter watery. be careful with the consistency. In in a dark place , keep the batter to ferment over night. It takes about 12-24 hours for the batter to rise.

Once its risen, mix with a ladel and pour on to a non stick tawa, and make yummy crispy dosas. Here’s a Video for your convenience from Sanjay Thumma, of Vah Re Vah. He shows quite a few tricks. Check it out!

Chicken Srilankan :

You’ll need

whole spices- 2/3 of each - Cardamoms, cloves, pepper corns, 1 inch cinnamon

Onions chopped- 2 big

Tomatoes chopped- 2 big

Coconut milk – 1 cup

Milk – 3 table spoons

Chilly powder 1-2 teaspoons depending on your taste

Dhania Powder

Ginger-garlic paste- 1 1/2 teaspoon

Chicken – boneless – 500 gms

Salt to taste

Coriander for garnish

Oil- 3-4 tbsp

Method:

Add the whole spices to heated oil in a pan. Add onions and sauté till brown. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté some more. Add tomatoes, chilly powder, dhania powder and salt to this. Mix and cover with lid and let the tomatoes soften on medium flame. Once the tomatoes have softened, add the chicken. Mix well and cover with lid. On medium flame let it cook for about 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, add the milk and coconut milk and mix well. Cover again with lid and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with dosas!

Munni’s and my all time favourite, Ginger Chicken

2009-05-19T23:44:00.001-07:00

I have always been a great lover of Indo-Chinese food. The fusion of Chinese flavours with Indian masala, always gives an exotic result. When in Hyderabad, a friend (Munni) and I frequented Nanking, and always ordered Ginger chicken, with fried rice. And it was such a treat! We both love spicy food, the hotter the better! Ginger Chicken is a classic example of Indo-Chinese cuisine – it takes the best of both worlds, and the result is a spicy, aromatic dish, that will melt your heart. I always wondered how it is made, and found the best method on my favourite website- Vahrevah dot com. And below is the video of this really sweet chef, who has made my life so wonderful with his most soulful recipes. His South Indian dishes are especially awesome.

Watch the video and make Ginger chicken for a special dinner. I made it today, to make my day special :-). It looks good, no? And trust me, it tastes as good.

He is a trifle funny, but his recipes are top class and very doable. Enjoy!

The Great Indian River Fish.

2009-05-10T18:16:00.001-07:00

My husband, a fish fanatic, had been in mourning ever since he set foot in Sydney. Well, he does gorge on sea fish, but his bong heart lingers about the Indian river fish – ‘Rohu’. ‘Katla’ ,‘Ilish’, ‘Tilapia’. Thanks to Scribbler’s sister, Sanjukta, who told my depressed husband, that we do get frozen Rohu-Katla-Ilish-Tilapia, in Paraamatta. And what’s better was her mother endorsing the fish saying- ei khaankaar rou-katla, India theke onek bhalo- export quality to, tai bhishon bhalo! (Since they are export quality fish, they are seldom bad fish- in fact they are tastier than the ones we have in India).

So off we went, despite our flu to Paramatta over the weekend, accompanied by another bong shell, Ananya. Needless to say, I wasn’t all that excited- to me it was – oh! more fish, more cooking. And what was worse was- picking bones for my little Meeshu, who so easily had Bhasa fillet curry with rice. But I had to give in, for his sake. I cannot describe in words his ecstasy on seeing the fish. He got into this mindless banter with the shopkeeper about asking if the fish was indeed as tasty as described by Sanjukta’s mother. All the shopkeeper said was – mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (a real long drawn one), and nothing more, much to my husband’s chagrin.

Anyway, to be on the safer side we got home a 2 kg fish, of which Ananya took back a few pieces for her dinner. Ananya left for the day after spending the weekend over a lot of adda and food, only to call back late in the evening saying- Maach ta durdanto khete – (the fish is exceptional) , Maakhon er moton (its like butter- it simply melts in your mouth).

So now a decision has been made- to buy 4 kgs of fish, just so we don’t run out of it, through the week.

Anyway, this was a post celebrating the great Indian River Fish- Rohu Or Rui Maach.

When sammy came home

2009-04-21T21:41:00.001-07:00

I was on GM diet- that’s when I cooked all this and didn't taste any of it. Dosa & rice with prawn curry, spicy chicken curry and Paneer.

It was apparently yummy :(. I fished this picture out and am drooling ….guess will make it again tonight? Now that’s a happy thought :)

Creamy Prawn Curry

2009-04-21T21:22:00.001-07:00

Ananya made this one night for dinner, and I still haven’t forgotten the taste. Each time I make it, i want more of it. you can create wonders by just replacing one ingredient from a curry. This is similar to Malai Curry, but you replace coconut milk with fresh pouring cream and I use tomatoes in this.

You’ll need:

500 gms fresh prawns/shrimps – cleaned, deveined

1 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon Ginger

1 chopped onion (large)

1 teaspoon tomato paste or 1 diced tomato

1/2 to 1 spoon of red chilly powder

1/2 spoon turmeric

1 tablespoon dhania powder

1/4 spoon cumin powder (optional)

1/2 cup pouring cream

3 table spoons of ghee or oil (i recommend ghee)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon Garam masala

Bunch of coriander

Preparation:

Mix lemon juice and turmeric to the prawns and set aside for about 10 minutes. In a non stick pan sauté the prawns till pink. Set aside. Sauté onions till brown in ghee. Add ginger, garlic and sauté come more. After about a minute add the tomatoes, chilly powder, dhania powder, cumin, salt, turmeric and mix well to form a paste. Now stir in the fresh cream and mix well. Add the prawns and mix for about a minute. Pour water as per your gravy requirement. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. After 5-7 minutes, sprinkle garam masala and top with lots of coriander.

Serve with hot steamed rice!

Chicken Skewers

2009-04-21T20:59:00.001-07:00

I always go overboard with starters for any party at home. That’s because I believe my guests will appreciate the food most, when they are still sober, and not intoxicated with scotch and wine- and that happens only in the starter stage. By the time they move on to main course, half of them are thinking of a good night’s sleep and the other half can’t tell the difference between chicken and lamb. So then, if you are entertaining guests over drinks, work on your starters and keep the main course simple. :-)

I make chicken skewers very often, mostly because it is simple, and tastes out of this world.

You’ll need:

500 gms diced chicken

Teriyaki/barbeque/honey chilly/sweet chilly sauce/ ANY sauce :-)

1 –2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

salt to taste

Preparation:

Mix the chicken pieces with garlic, salt, lemon juice and the sauce of your choice. You can make 3 different portions and make different kinds of sticks for the sake of variety! Dump in the fridge for 3-4 hours. Remember- the more you marinade, the better it is!

Soak wooden skewers in water for about one hour.

Half an hour before the guests arrive, arrange the chicken pieces n skewers and grill it in the oven, ocassionally turning it. I grill it at at about 200 degrees for around 15 minutes.

You are now, all set to entertain!

Vietnamese Spring Roll

2009-04-05T18:35:00.001-07:00

Made Vietnamese Rice paper spring rolls the other day. It was a welcome change after the deep fried Indian version. Loved it. They look so peaceful too- white and serene. Perfect mood food for those soul searching moments.

The best part of the entire spring-roll experience is how light and happy you feel despite having 10 rolls!

Go on, roll one!

Sasuri’s Doi Maach / Fish in Spicy Yoghurt Sauce

2009-03-19T21:13:00.001-07:00

This one is Via Ma-in-law. A little twisted to my liking of course! One of the many reasons I feared marrying a Bengali was the idea of eating fish everyday. I couldn't stand the smell of fish back then. That’s when Ma would make Doi Maach for me, which surprisingly would smell of spices and tasted liked heaven. Ma's version of Doi Maach has green chillies, was sweeter and had no onions. I tried this the other day for Ananya, and she can vouch for this recipe! Well, between us we finished two full fish fillets!!

For the marinade: 500 gms of firm white river fish / fish fillets. Add 1 big cup of yoghurt, 1 –2 bay leaves, 2-3 cardamom pods, 1 inch stick of cinnamon, 2 –3 cloves, 2 pinches of turmeric. Mix all together and put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours at least.

After 2-3 hours, take out the marinated fish.

Step 1: In a small non-stick pan, sauté 1 small grated Onion/paste in 2 table spoons of mustard oil. Add green chillies, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger grated (optional), 1-2 teaspoons of red chilly powder. Sauté till oil separates.

Step 2: Add the marinated fish with spices to the sautéed onion paste in the pan. Coat the fish with the masala. Turn the flame to the low. This is important as Doi Maach is made over very low flame. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and salt to taste.

Cover it and let it simmer over low flame for about 10-12 minutes.

After 10-12 minutes, you’ll see the yoghurt has diluted, oil separated and there is enough gravy. If you think you need more gravy just add a little warm water to it. The fish will be cooked by now. Check with a fork if you are unsure. Just before you transfer the fish into a serving bowl, add about 1/2 teaspoon of mustard oil for the flavour.

Serve with piping hot rice!

Bon Appetite!

Top tips: Some make this without red chilly powder, onions and ginger, like Ma. That tastes equally good. Try either, they both have knock out taste!

Vanilla Cup Cakes – happiness in a paper cup :)

2009-03-18T23:27:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: cup cakes,vanilla

AAAAHHH, UUUUUUUUUH, TIRAMISU

2009-03-15T21:30:00.001-07:00

It is my favourite dessert. I have been trying to make it for years now, but for want of the right ingredients in India. Sydney fulfilled my Tiramisu dream. But the funny thing about Tiramisu is the number of versions that really exist. Use sponge cake if you don’t get lady fingers, use Marsala wine or don’t, don’t use whipped cream, actually you can you know, it doesn’t matter really, so on and so forth.

So Via my mad mad friend MS Jaya Naomi Datt, and the many searches on the internet, KG set to make the first Tiramisu of her life.

Step one:

Break in 5 large eggs- separate the yolks from the whites. You’ll need the yellow. Take a large bowl and add 2/3 cups of brown castor sugar and the egg yolks. Beat it with an electric beater or a hand blender, till it reaches a nice thick consistency (or as Jaya puts in- like cake batter). Add 450 gms of Mascerpone cheese and fold in well till it blends in completely. Add marsala wine - 5 to 6 table spoons. This is optional. I did not use it.

Step 2

Whip heavy cream, about 1/2 cup till they form soft peaks and add to the Mascerpone cheese, egg and sugar mixture set aside.

step 3:

Make 1 large cup of very strong esspresso coffee. Cool. Once cooled add 4-5 table spoons of coffee liqueur – Baileys Irish cream or Kahlua. Mix well. Set aside

Step 4: Take lady fingers and soak each one of them in the coffee-liqueur mixture and arrange on a square dish or individual dessert bowls. If you cannot find lady fingers then you cna use a firm sponge cake, which I did. But I highly recommend not to do this, to keep the authenticity of Tiramisu intact. note in the picture below, the cake it not soaked in the coffee mixture. Youc an first arrange them in a dish and use a spoon pour the mixture over the cake.

Step 5

Now make layers of the cake and the cheese mixture.

Step 5: cover it with aluminum foil, and refrigerate it over night. Just before serving the next day, dust cocoa powder over it evenly or use dark chocolate shavings! You Tiramisu is ready to melt in your mouth!

Ingredients in detail:

2/3 cups: Castor Sugar
4-5 large eggs
Coffee Liqueur- 4-5 tbsp
1 cup strong esspresso
500 gms- Mascerpone Cheese
Cocoa Powder for dusting or Dark chocolate shavings
Heavy whipping cream (optional)
Marsala Wine (optional)
Lady fingers/Sponge cake

(This serves 6-8 people)

Top Tips:

Try and stick to lady fingers
I think its best when set in individual dessert bowls, there is no hassle of serving.
Always, sit back and have a Tiramisu. Play some soft romantic number in the back ground, preferably.

Enjoy!

Chinese: Sweet Chilli Chicken with Veggies

2009-03-12T19:49:00.001-07:00

Happiness in 15 minutes. I promise. Here’s how.

In a wok, pour oil. Add boneless chicken (breast fillets). Once it browns, add diced ginger, garlic and green chilly – lots of it. Sprinkle some cornflour. Mix well till chicken coats well with the cornstarch. Add soya sauce- about 1-2 teaspoon and 2 spoons of fountain sweet chilli sauce. Stir fry. Add salt to taste. when almost done, add mushrooms, capsicum, broccoli, shallots, baby corn and all the veggies you’d care to consume. Pour cornflour dissolved in water – 1 tsp. Bring it to a boil. If you don’t want gravy, then, don’t add the cornstarch in the end.

Serve with rice and watch the grin on yours and his face widen.

Sushi in Sydney

2009-03-08T18:45:00.001-07:00

Sydney food courts are a delight for foodies. Especially for Japanese food lovers. Every street corner will have a Sushi bar, and all food courts will have an Asagao. Asagao is a Sushi chain, perhaps the largest one in Sydney. They are always crowded and in city, people queue up to be seated. But I have seen most people grabbing a Sushi roll or a takeaway Sashimi plate and hurrying back to their offices. The Asagao near our place, at the Rhodes shopping mall has plenty of seating space, of course at peak lunch hours, these are taken too.

The dictionary meaning of sushi is -Cold cooked rice dressed with vinegar that is shaped into bite-sized pieces and topped with raw or cooked fish, or formed into a roll with fish, egg, or vegetables and wrapped in seaweed.

I am fascinated by how Sushi is made and the way they look. By far the most interesting and pretty looking food I have seen. And when they are stacked in rows they look really lovely. And they say Sushi tastes best when freshly made and eaten. If your Sushi is hard, then its probably stale or has been sitting on the shelves for way too long. I however, am not a Sushi lover. But I have heard how Sushi in Sydney is ‘remodeled’ to suit the palates of a floating Indian population, with stuff like Tandoori Chicken Sushi!! Besides these the dumplings, which are called Gyozas look pretty out of the world too. For the busy office goers you have the regular lunch boxes, and for the more choosy ones there is a pretty extensive menu to choose from- chicken teriyaki, ramen, noodles, pork dumplings, stir fries, BBQ noodles, sea food rolls and plenty more to choose from. The Asagao at the Rhodes Shopping mall doesn’t have a Sushi Train. I’ve heard that the Asagao at Pitt Street is a Sushi train restaurant. Wondering what a Sushi train is? Sushi Train restaurants are said to be a cost effective way of eating sushi. At these restaurants, the sushi is served on color-coded plates, with each color denoting the cost of the sushi serving. The plates are placed on a conveyor belt – yah just like the airport ones :-). As the belt or boat passes, the customers choose their desired plates. After finishing, the bill is tallied by counting how many plates of each color have been taken.

But my man here, was not very impressed with all the Sushi talk. He decided to go for a seafood noodle instead. When it finally arrived, I was ready with my camera to shoot him devouring octopuses, muscles, scallops, shrimps and what not. Yah, there is marine life in his stomach.

Apparently it tasted pretty good. But not as good as what I churn out in KG’s kitchen. Now, that’s what he said. Hmmmm :D Grin grin.

When Kolkata beckons

2009-03-04T22:37:00.001-08:00

Have you ever visited Kolkata?

Have you ever stopped by the countless sweet shops to just stand and take in the invigorating aromas of Singara, Kochuri, freshly boiled Rasogullas & Rasamalais being dumped into sugar syrup and condensed milk?

Have you ever stood by the corner near Globe and had Phuchkaas, while gulping down the over sized round looking bombs into your mouth while simultaneously cleaning your running nose with your forearm (or may be with tissues for the more discerning individuals)

Have you ever taken your girlfriend to Badshah and ordered on her behalf a double egg, double Mutton, roll?

Have you ever taken your wife to Regent and had fish fry like you did on your first date with her?

Have you ever had Alu Kabli near Girish Park or BBD Bag?

Have you ever packed a kilo of Langchas in an earthen pot to take it to your Jamai babu?

Have you ever bought Lichus and Jamrul for your children in summers?

Have you ever asked your wife to rest one Sunday morning, while you went to Sharma’s and got home a sumptuous breakfast of Radha Ballabi and Mishti Doi?

Have you ever stuffed your mouth after a meal with Kolkata Mitha Pan?

Have you ever gone to Tangra for the most authentic Chinese that you can possibly get in India?

Have you ever spent a hot sweaty afternoon in Aminia with Chicken Biriyani ?

Have you ever specially couriered Nalen Gurer Sandesh to your relatives?

Have you ever stopped by to ogle at the beautiful writer’s building, while sipping the most awesome cha from a cute little earthen cup?

Have you ever had multiple tummy upsets because you one too many of those Kabirajis, Moghlai Porotas and Jhalmuri?

Have you ever squeezed under a blue plastic sheet that barely covers a tea stall in pouring rain and had Begunis and Penyajis?

Have you ever taken your boss to The Coffee House instead of a Cafe Coffee day for some heady conversation over coffee and Marie biscuits?

For if you have, you are indeed blessed and you can now die in peace.

Supah Sexy Scallops

2009-02-22T03:13:00.000-08:00

Now, first things first. This recipe is not mine. I learnt it at Sydney Seafood School. So the recipe featured here is courtesy them. And you know what? If you don’t try this recipe, I think you are not foodie enough :), more so if you are a seafood lover. So then get set, bring home that barbeque, call your best pals, order in the best wine, throw a party, and show off your culinary skills.

Ready to toss some Scallops?

Red Curry Scallops with Mango Mint Salsa (serves 6)

150 ml Coconut cream
1 tablespoon Red Curry paste
3 tablespoons fresh Ginger, Grated
1 tablespoon Palm Sugar
6 Scallops on Half Shell
18 Scallops without Shell
Mango Mint Salsa

1 mango, finely diced

1 tablespoon Freshly Chopped Mint leaves

2 red Shallots, finely Chopped.

1 tablespoon Lime Juice

Heat a couple of tablespoons of the thickest coconut cream (from the top of the tin) in a small saucepan as shown below. Add red curry paste and ginger and coconut till fragrant.

Remove from heat and add palm Sugar, stir to dissolve. Place Mixture in a small bowl and add remaining coconut cream. Remove Scallops from shells, wash and dry shells. Combine Scallops and red curry mixture, mix well and stand for 1 hour.

Washed, de-veined and de-shelled Scallops

Washed Shells, that is used to serve the barbequed Scallops

Scallops in red curry marinade

Meanwhile, make the salsa: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Now, after about 45 mins to an hour, take the marinated scallops and cook them on heated oiled char-griller for about 1 minute each side, till they become opaque. They cook super fast, so be careful not to over-cook it.

Place spoonful of salsa on the shells and top it with Scallops. Whoa! Its ready to give your guests a very pleasant shock!

Top Tips from KG:

1. I think this recipe as is can be used for shrimps too. This is just in case you don’t get Scallops.

2. This is generally served and complete with a grilled fish and bread.

3. If there is no wine, please don’t dine :). No, really, white wine goes fabulously with this!

4. For the Red Curry paste- either buy it ready made in any of the fancy supermarkets or write to me for the red curry paste recipe. :). Email: aparna dot das at gmail dot com

So long then! Bon Appétit!

Hearty Dosa

2009-02-13T16:31:00.001-08:00

You, Him and a breakfast full of Love!!

HAPPY VALENTINES!

Corny Chaat :-)

2009-02-05T00:07:00.001-08:00

Step 1: Roast sweetcorn on cob

Step 2: Set aside

Step 3: Shave the corn kernels as shown in the pic

Step 4: chop onions, coriander, green chilies, lemon wedges.

Step 5: Add salt, Red chilly powder (optional), Chaat Masala and squeeze the lemon into the mixture. Add the rest of the stuff, mix well.

Step 6: Dig in

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm bliss!

Top Tips:

# Add boiled potatoes and tomatoes to make this a heavier, fuller snack.

# The roasted sweet corn on cob by itself is yummmmmy- spread butter over it and bite in, else, try it the usual way with lemon juice, chilli powder and salt.

#The chaat as mentioned above is excellent as a starter in parties, and sure to set a few tongues wagging about how J they are of your chef-giri.

(I owe this recipe to Corn Club, our most favourite hangout in Pune after college. And I can’t thank Poopsie enough who introduced us to this totally novel (then) place.)

Fish fingers in a jiffy

2009-01-26T15:56:00.001-08:00

1. Cut fish fillets in finger shape (skinless, boneless)

2. Rub lime juice, a pinch of mustard powder, salt and white pepper powder. Keep aside for 10 minutes

3. Take bread crumbs in a plate. Dip the fingers into beaten egg mixture, roll over the crumbs

4. Deep fry or oven bake.

5. Serve with Tartar sauce or Tamatar sauce :)

6. Yenjaaay!

Pizzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

2009-01-21T00:06:00.001-08:00

A mood lifter for a tired soul. And then, who wants to cook, when u are tired?

Even Charanamrita Chatterjee can make this :D

Load it with toppings of your choice

It will the melts in your mouth, i pramisse :)

Yeah, its a rectangle Pizza. You like?

Just Bake it!

2009-01-20T21:02:00.001-08:00

Appu’s Two Tier Chicken & Veggie Bake

This one is a classic. I make it very often. Will post a pic when I bake next.

Ingredients:

1. Veggies of your choice – chopped Medium size. (I use broccoli, potatoes, sweet corn kernels, a few French beans, carrot , Mushrooms and peas)

2. Minced chicken (Chicken Kheema)

3. Any Pasta sauce (Tomato based)

4. White sauce

5. Herbs (basil, oregano)

6. Butter /olive oil

7. Garlic – 1/2 spoon minced

Method for making white sauce:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour/maida

1-2 cups Milk

Salt

Pepper

Sugar- 2 to three pinches.

Optional: 1/2 cheese cube grated.

Method

1. Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes without browning, stirring continuously.

2. Remove from the heat and add the milk, while mixing it continuously. Mix until smooth. (My mum sometimes uses a hand blender when things go wrong i.e when the sauce becomes too lumpy- try it, if things go wrong for you too :)

3. Return to heat and cook slowly, stirring throughout until the sauce thickens. Add salt, pepper, sugar and grated cheese (optional)

(The best option is to buy ready white sauce mix :) )

The bake

Take a small wok and pour some olive oil. Add the chopped onions and sauté for a few minutes. Add a portion of garlic and the minced chicken. Add in the Salt and sauté it till the chicken is almost done. Do not brown it. Let the water that the chicken leaves evaporate. Once the water dries up, pour 4 tbs of pasta sauce cook for 2 minutes. Keep this mixture aside.

In a wok, sauté the veggies in olive oil or butter for a few minutes with garlic and herbs.

If you want to use potatoes then, I suggest you boil them and add to this. Now pour the white sauce into this mixture.

In a baking dish first pour the chicken mixture. Top it with the white sauce and veggie mixture. Grate cheese over it.

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees for 5 minutes. Now place the dish inside the oven and bake it for about 20 minutes- till the sauce thickens and sets. Do not brown the cheese too much.

Once ready, have it with garlic bread and white wine :).

The Ketchup Girl’s Malabar Prawns with a twist

2009-01-20T20:36:00.001-08:00

I made this yesterday, and it was yumm. I exchanged this recipe with Sunny’s two kickass recipes (below). Since I had already typed it out, posting this was simple- cut and paste. Now u know, why more recipes don’t appear here- lazy baby, lazy.

ok, lets get started.

Warning- this is not authentic- coz its a Kerala recipe and i don’t like coconut oil. so i replaced it with ghee. but you are most welcome to use coconut oil.

1 tbsp ghee /coconut oil
1 tsp mix of whole spices- elaichi, cinnamon, laung)
1-2 onions, diced (finely)
A good amount of garlic paste- about 2 tsps
1 tsp ginger paste
2 green chilies slit/chopped
Tomato puree (1 large)
2 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
1/2 tsp haldi
1 -2 tsp red chili powder depending on how spicy u like it
1 cup coconut milk
A little bit of coconut cream – a spoon or 2. (optional)
Salt to taste
500 gms medium sized fresh prawns
Curry patta (Curry leaves)

(The prawns need to be washed and deveined. Then rub some lime juice to it and keep aside)

Heat the ghee in a kadhai and add the spices like cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Add onions and curry patta, let it brown.

Now add the garlic, ginger paste, green chilies. Add in the tomato puree and mix well. After 2 minutes, add in haldi, mirchi and dhania.

Wait for fat to separate.
Add the prawns to the mixture and stir for two minutes. (I recommend, u sauté the prawns earlier for just a minute in ghee and now add it to he paste. Now pour the coconut milk and boil on low heat for five minutes.

Stir in the coconut cream and serve hot the Prawn Malabar Curry with rice.
Coconut cream is optional. I don’t add it. If you like your gravy to be thick and creamy then add.

Mayur Relekar’s Fish Kozambu

2009-01-20T20:27:00.001-08:00

Continuing from the last post, and making more secrets public, here is another one of Sunny’s secret southie fish recipe.

Mayur's Special Fish Kozhambu...

Ingredients:

1.> Good fish curry fish, Indian Salmon or Snapper or Big Rohu(Bengal cut, good curry cut pieces)
2.> Tamarind
3.> Coconut
4.> Lime
5.> Red Chilli Powder
6.> Cumin Powder
7.> Mustard Seeds
8.> Curry Leaves
9.> Ginger Garlic Paste
10.> cup of chopped onions
11.> cup of chopped tomatoes
12.> Dry Red Chillies

Method:
Wash Fish and smother with salt and lime and set aside for 10 mins.
remove all liquid and apply ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, mix and leave for 30 mins
make a paste of one cup tomatoes, a cup of desiccated coconut and 5-6 dried red chillies.
fry one cup onions in coconut/vegetable oil till colorless.
add cumin powder and little coriander powder and fry till oil separates.
add the paste and fry till everthing is mixed well, add fish marinade and cook for few mins.
add some tamarind water and mix well.
once done, heat some butter/oil separately and make a tadka of mustard seeds, dried red chilli and curry leaves and add to the curry.

Voila, its the dones.

Sunny’s Dhania Chicken

2009-01-20T20:23:00.001-08:00

This chuddy buddy of mine, swears he can cook, and cook well. After much deliberation, he shared his secret Dhaniya Chicken recipe- which I have now made public :D. Good food can’t be kept a secret- no no.

Here goes:

(Mayur's/Sunny’s Spl. Dhaniya Chicken)

Ingredients:

1.> 1/2 Kg Chicken
2.> 1 cup Curd
3.> 2 cups chopped Coriander
4.> 5 or more Green Chillies
5.> Ginger-Garlic Paste
6.> Turmeric
7.> Red Chillli Powder
8.> Coriander Powder
9.> Salt
10.> 1/2 Lemon
11.> 1 cup chopped Onions

Method:

Wash the Chicken and then rub a tsp of salt and half a lime and leave for 10 mins
then drain out all liquid and add 2tsp Turmeric and 2tsp Red Chilli Powder and cup of Curd and mix well. Leave for 1/2 hour.

Make a paste of 2 cups chopped coriander and Green Chillies and little water in a blender.

Take a kadai or preferably a Pressure Cooker and heat some oil/butter/ghee.
add cup of chopped Onions and fry till colorless.
Add Coriander Powder and Ginger-Garlic Paste and fry till oil separates.
Add the paste to kadai/cooker and cook till all ingredients mix well.
add Salt to taste, mix. Then add the marinating Chicken.
If in Pressure Cooker, close and wait for 2 whistles or just mix and cook in kadai till chicken is done.
voila! yummy yumm yum!

Monroe Magic

2009-01-20T20:19:00.001-08:00

Supah cool packaging

In Kylie Minogue’s words - ‘ Hold me and control me, then melt me slowly like a chocolate’

Chatpata afternoon siesta breaker

2009-01-19T21:27:00.001-08:00

Have you ever tried mixing Haldiram’s Bhujia with dahi, imlli chutney, red chilli powder? Well, mix them together and chill it for 10 minutes in the fridge.

While it gets chilled, look for a 2 pm world movies show, take the mixture out of the freeze. Dig in.

Its a must try. Especially on a sleepy Tuesday afternoon.

Don’t forget to keep some cha ready.

When you are tired chicken curry

2009-01-15T02:00:00.001-08:00

When I am tired but still want to have chicken:

Take 1/2 cup yoghurt, add 2 tsp dhania powder, lots of red chilli powder (coz that’s how i like mine), 1-2 tspGinger garlic paste, garam masala- whatever you’ve got, 1 tsp mustard oil, salt to taste, sugar- 2 pinches, 1/2 kg chicken,1 diced tomato, diced/grated/ground onion. Mix all. keep aside for an hour or two. Then place the mixture on a non stick pan. Ensure the gas is on very low flame. Cover the pan and go watch a film. Take a break in about 20 minutes- check if chicken is done. If yes, add water as desired, add chopped coriander. Cook it for another five minutes. take off the flame. Devour it with hot rice and a green chilli.

Hot tip: Add two big potatoes to your marinade. :) No bong food is complete without potatoes.

The quintessential bong meal

2009-01-12T21:29:00.001-08:00

Last night, I got to think, how much we eat. Don’t you think this is way too much for one, very regular meal? But my bong husband doesn’t feel that way. He thinks if I am embarking on a bong meal, it must be complete. Even the meal below is incomplete- there should have been aamer-chatney.

In the photo, and now in the many bulges of my body:

1. Gala Bhaat with rice (Over cooked rice with clarified butter)

2. Doi Maach – jhaal version (Fish in yoghurt)

3. Moong daal-er Dalma (pulses with vegetables)

4. Saag begun aar phoolkopi diye (Spinach with eggplant and cauliflower)

5. Alu-r Bora (Potato patties, pan roasted not deep fried)

6. Lebur Achaar (lemon Pickle)

Thakumaar Maacher Jhaal (Bengali style chilli fish, Grandmom’s recipe)

2009-01-07T17:16:00.001-08:00

Poo nudged me yesterday to say this blog was slowly dying. Not as dramatic, but yes, she did say that she missed seeing newer posts. I wonder if she ever ventured into trying out any of the featured recipes here.
I have been meaning to add some fun stuff to this space and go beyond recipes. But just don’t have enough time. Oh, who am I kidding? I have all the time in the world, have just been procrastinating. And before this post turns into a personal rant, here goes my favouritest fish recipe. This one originates from my paternal grandmom- she insisted my mum learnt this recipe and cooked it for her whenever she came visiting. now the recipe is handed down to me.
Ready?
we’ll need -

3-5 medium pieces of white fish- Rohu/katla/or any firm white fish fillet
1 BIG tomato – grated (yes grated or pureed. tastes best when freshly pureed)
11/2 tsp Jeera powder
1 1/2tbsp – garlic –crushed (u need a little more than usual)
1 –2 tsp red chilli powder – as per your taste
1/2 tsp – Turmeric
salt to taste
1/2 cup water
Coriander leaves for garnish
Oil- 4 tbsp

Method:
Rub, salt and turmeric to the fish and keep aside for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix the tomato puree, garlic, jeera powder and salt. Mix it well and set aside.
In a pan heat oil, and shallow fry the fish. Take them out when they turn light brown on both sides. Set aside .Do not fry it too crisp.
Add the tomato mixture to the remaining oil in the pan. on medium flame cook it, till oil separates. Add the fried fish to this and coat the fish with the masala. Now add water. Cover with lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chopped coriander. Serve with hot steamed rice.
Its a very very simple recipe, which can be made in parties too. I guarantee you at least 5 compliments when u serve this!
Hot tips: DO NOT add dhania powder and ginger. It changes the taste. For more masala, double the tomato puree , jeera and garlic. Do not add too much water to the gravy. Follow this recipe to the t. :)

Fish in barbeque and Mushroom sauce

2008-12-15T15:52:00.001-08:00

Cooking was never easier. Ever since we’ve moved to Sydney, I have been spending an insane number of hours in the kitchen. Not that I have a choice. So thought, I might as well enjoy what I have to do. I have never really enjoyed fish all that much. But the fish fillets you get here are oh so convenient to make and really tasty. At least they appeal to my palate as the river fish varieties we get here are not smelly and great tasting.

Here is something I tried recently-

You need:

1. 1 full Fish Fillet (I used Bahsa)

2. 1/2 cup Barbeque Sauce

3. 4-5 Button/medium sized Mushrooms diced

4. Steamed Vegetables of your choice- I used broccoli, beans, carrots, corn, capsicum, Asparagus

5. Salt to taste, lime juice 1 spoon

6. 1 spoon Garlic- crushed

7. 2-4 teaspoons Olive oil

Method:

Rub salt and lime juice to the fillet. Leave aside for 15 minutes. In a pan take some olive oil, add the whole fish fillet to it. Pan fry it until golden brown. keep aside.

Pour the remaining oil in the pan, add the crushed garlic to it, add the diced mushrooms and sauté it for about 2 minutes. Pour the barbeque sauce and add some salt to it. If the sauce is very thick, add a little water, depending on the consistency you like.

You have two options: either you add the fish to the pan and roll it in the sauce or, place the fish on a plate and pour sauce over it.

Stir fry the steamed veggies in a little butter (optional), or just have it steamed.

Tastes totally out of this world!

My dinner these days

2008-05-08T04:04:00.001-07:00

I got to lose weight. That's the only mantra, the only aim, the only thing on my mind. And its surprisingly working. Thought i should share part of my secret diet. The dinner. I am the hungriest at dinner time. I used to gorge and that is the worst time of the day to eat anything. It just sits in your tummy, and the metabolic rate is the slowest at that hour. So i totally avoid any form of carb.

Here's what i eat:

1. Carrot, Bean and peas soup.

2. Mixed herby sauted cruncy veggies - with chicken sausages

And trust me, this tastes as good as it sounds. :)

Here's how you make it.

Carrot, bean and peas soup:

Ingredients:

2 carrots

150 gms french beans

fist full of peas

1/4 cup slim milk

1/4 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 chopped onion

Fresh Basil (optional)

salt and a pinch of sugar

pepper

Method: Pressure cook the veggies. Cool it. In a pan add some olive oil and add the chopped garlic cloves. Add chopped onions and saute for half a minute. Add this to the boiled veggies. Put this mixture in a blender and puree it.

Take the pan, add a little olive oil/butter (v v v v little, mind it!), add 2-3 spoons of puree to it. Add milk, salt and sugar and some water as per your desired consistency. Bring it to a boil. Add basil leaves and sprinkle pepper and turn of fire.

Pour it in a pretty looking soup bowl. Sit in front of the TV, switch on a Shahrukh movie, enjaaaaaaaaay the soup!

U can store the rest of the puree in an air tight container in the fridge and use the paste as and when u want to.

2. Mixed herby sauted crunchy veggies - with chicken sausages

Ingredients:

Veggies of your choice

I use:

Red, yellow, green bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corns, sprouts, carrots, beans, broccoli

1 chicken sausage or 4-5 peices of boiled boneless chicken (don't add more than this- u are on a diet remember?)

Oregano

Fresh basil

Thai chilli stir fry sauce (u get this sauce EVERYWHERE)

salt n pepper

Chopped garlic

1 tsp Olive oil

Method:

Heat olive oil in pan, and add the garlic and boiled chicken pieces/sausages. let it brown a little, add the rest of the veggies. On medium flame saute it for a while, add 2 teaspoons of the stir fry sauce, herbs and salt. Keep stirring for about 3 minutes. Let them remain crunchy - don't over cook..it kills the flavour and semi cooked stuff is good for u :).

Transfer this to a pretty white square porcelain plate. Place a basil on top for the added effect. Attack!

Alternate this with any sauce u like- mustard is good too...but a wee bit fattening :). try the kickass organic varieties u get in Fab India.

If you are very very very very hungry, add a slice of brown bread/multi grain bread. But i think a big cuppa soup and veggies, should fill u up!

Chingri Macher Malai Curry (Shrimps/Prawns in Creamy Coconut Milk)

2008-04-29T03:14:00.001-07:00

This one's an absolute favourite when people come over. I dont eat prawns, but love cooking this dish because it ALWAYS fetches me a ton of compliments. Try it!

Ingredients:

250 gms of medium sized prawns- shelled and de-veined (actually, the bigger, the better :))
1 Onion, diced
1 spoon ginger and garlic paste
1 cup of thick coconut milk
1/2 spoon chilli powder
3 slit green chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1 spoon of lime juice
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp tomato ketchup
4 tbsp Ghee (please do not compromise on this one!)
Garam Masala Powder - (coarsely pounded cinnamon, clove and cardamom ( dalchini, labongo, elaichi)

Method:

Clean the prawns, add the turmeric and lime juice to it, toss it, keep aside for 10 minutes (be sure to drain out all the excess water before adding the juice and turmeric)
In a pan, pour 2 tbsps ghee, once its heated, add the prawns to it.
Stir fry the prawns for exactly half a minute. Be careful not to over do/fry it, else it gets rubbery. Just wait till the prawns turn a beautiful pink, and u are on the rt path!
keep the prawns aside.
Add the remaining two tbsp of ghee and add the diced onions to it.
Add the green chillies
Saute till it turns translucent. Add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, a pinch of turmeric, salt and saute till the ghee separates
Add the prawns to the masala in the pan and saute a little bit
Now add the coconut milk and see the beautiful- orangish pick colour unfold.
Add sugar and tomato ketchup.
On medium flame bring it to a boil. Add the garam masala powder.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

This one's a fav of my mil and mum, both. Actually everyone who loves prawns and has dined at my place! Try it and lemme know, ok?

(Made this on Sunday, but forgot to click a picture :(. Will put up one soon.)

Tina's kick-ass Dum Biryani

2008-03-24T00:21:00.001-07:00

I have been over the moon since last night. I never embark upon this biryani recipe ever, simply coz its painfully lengthy. But the longweekend, and Raj's puppy like- feed -me- with- tumhare- haat- ka- khana- and not -the- maid's look, prompted me to try it out. And the end result was totally rewarding. here's what you need:

1 kg Chicken (try and get a chunk of leg piece) and use some boneless too

500 gms dahi

1 bunch of coriander and mint leaves each (ground to a paste)

1 1/2 kgs onions (yea, u need it baby) (5 onions cut, deep fired to brown, and ground to a paste). The rest of the onions, deep fried and keep aside.

3 1/2 cups of basmati rice

500 gms ghee

1/2 teaspoon of saffron (i know its as expensive as gold)

1/2 cup milk

garam Masala (cinnamon, cloves shajeera, pinch of nutmeg, ground to a powder)

few whole garam masala kept aside too.

4 -5 juicy lemons

3 1/2 to 4 table spoons of ginger garlic paste

Salt to taste

Utensils required: a heavy bottom wide mouth degchi and a tawa

The preparation starts a day early. The more u marinate, the better the result. No short cuts to this.

For the marinade on day 1:

Take the chicken , clean and cut to the size u want. A few chunky pieces are good. To that, add the dahi, ground deep friend onion paste, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder, 3 table spoons of ghee. Mix well and refrigerate it. This needs to be marinated for at least 24 hours.

Day 2:

Take the marinate off the fridge an hour before u being the cooking.

Place the tawa on the slow burner at minimum flame. Above that the degchi, add two tablespoons of ghee, to that add the whole garam masala, let it crackle. Place the marinated chicken. Cover the degchi. forget about it for 2.5 hours :). Actually in between, u could open the lid and stir it a wee bit.

Note: no salt to be added now. This is the secret to succulent chicken.

Half an hour before the 2.5 hours, soak the basmati rice.

The cooking has to be done on extremely show flame. after about 2.5 hours you will see the oil separated from the chicken and even the gravy reduced to half.

In a vessel take 8 cups of water and add a teaspoon of shahjeera to it. Once it starts boiling add the soaked basmati rice to it and cook it for about 5-6 minutes/parboil it. Please note that the rice must be only cooked 3/4th its normal softness. The rest will be cooked on DUM.

Drain the water and keep the rice aside.

The saffron must be soaked in hot milk for about 5-6 minutes.

Now start the layering. For each layer- first add the chicken gravy, then a bed of rice, a teaspoon of ghee , saffron with milk, and deep fried onion. The last layer should be of rice, topped with the saffron, onions and ghee.

Now, take a damp cloth and tie cover it round the degchi. Add some kneaded ata to seal the lid.

Cook on dum for about one hour.

They say when the 'aroma' of the biryani goes into all the rooms, the biryani is ready :)

Mix before serving, with raita of your choice.

Lengthy but, very very satisfying.

The pics u see are of the biryani i made last evening .

Hilsa Fish in mustard sauce / Shorshe bata maach

2008-01-28T23:59:00.001-08:00

This one is for all the bongs and their humongous appetite for fish and mustard. Shorshe bata maach is also my husband's favourite. Since I am not a fish eater (I know, what a pseudo east Indian), I enjoy only the Mustard sauce with rice.

So lets get set to make this super simple and ready-in-minutes Bengali dish.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 kg Hilsa fish cut to medium peices (u can make it with your favourite rohu or katla fish. Please don't as me the English equivalent of those bong names)

2. 1 heaped table spoon of mustard soaked in a bowl of water for 10 minutes

3. 3-4 green chillies

4. 1/4 teaspoon kala jeera /Black Cumin seeds

5. Tomatoes - 1-2 - chopped

5. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

6. Salt to taste

7. Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method: Smear a little bit of salt and turmeric to the cut fish and set aside for five minutes. Shallow fry for just about 2 minutes. Please note not to over fry it. It destroys the taste and softness of the fish. Set aside.

Add two green chillies to the soaked mustard and make a paste out of it in the grinder. Once done, strain it with a little bit of extra water.

IN a heated pan pour 2 teaspoons of oil, add the black cumin seeds, slit green chillies and let it crackle. Add the chopped tomatoes and wait till it softens and gets mashed completely. Add the fried fish to this and stir for a few seconds. To this, add the strained mustard paste. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add the coriander leaves and serve it hot with steamed rice.

Tip: just before taking the pan off the fire add half a teaspoon of mustard oil to the curry. Yummmm.

Ketchup girl's favourite recipe

2007-11-29T04:40:00.001-08:00

J darling, your frantic chatting, scrapping, calling smsing for the sake of a recipe has prompted me to create this blog. I already know I will devour each and every word that i write :). Simply because, i love eating more than I love my husband. Well, that's just a kind of comparison to express my love for food...the statement MIGHT not hold the entire truth.

So then, I open out to the world, my secret and most favorite recipe: Spinach( Palak) Mushroom/babycorn/paneer(cottage cheese)/tofu/Alu/sweetcorn - take your pick.

Ingredients required:

- 2 bunches of Palak (Spinach)
- 1 medium sized chopped Onion
- 5 table spoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh Cream (Optional)
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- Pinch of Amchoor
- 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric (a little lesser actually)
- Salt to taste9. Your choice of combination: paneer/sweet corn/mushroom/tofu etc.
- 2 teaspoons Oil

- Sugar - to taste (about two pinches)

-Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) - optional.

- chilli powder

- garam masala Powder

Method:

Wash the spinach thoroughly and place in a pan on low fire. Cover pan with lid and leave for 5 minutes. Open to find the spinach reduced to half and steamed. Place the spinach in cold water (retains the beautiful green colour). Leave for sometime. Drain water and puree the palak in a grinder.

Chop mushrooms/paneer- your choice of whatever, and keep aside. In a pan, add oil and add the onions to it, stir and wait till it turns translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for half a minute. To that add turmeric, chillipowder, salt and dried fenugreek leaves. saute. Add the mushrooms and saute further . Add the spinach paste and about 1/4 cup water. To that add sugar, milk, Amchoor powder and bring it to boil. Add water according to the consistency you like.

Top it with Garam Masala Powder and Fresh cream. If you have used paneer, garnish with grated paneer or place two roasted red chillies for the glamorous- hotel like food look!

Tastes best with rotis and a mug of chilled KF beer.

Ketchup Girl's extra advice: Puree the spinach and store it in Fridge. Use it when you are in absolute hurry. It takes exactly 6 minutes to make this if puree is ready.