Roasted Eggplant and Date Raita

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

 

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!

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

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line base of a round cake pan.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 .

5. Spread over cake only after the cake has completely cooled down.

6. Decorate with fresh fruits or chocolate shavings.

 

Surprise spouse :)!

Pui chorchori >> Ma’s favourite

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!

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

1. 
   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.
   
2. 
   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.)
   
3. 
   Using a beater, beat the egg whites till soft peaks are formed. In a separate bowl repeat the process with the thickened cream.
   
4. 
   Slowly add the egg whites into the strawberry mixture. Fold.
   
5. 
   Add the whipped cream to this. Fold again.
   
6. 
   Spoon into little ramekins or bowls of your choice and refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours.
   
7. 
   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!

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’

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!