We play many roles in
life. I do too. The one role that I have always enjoyed and without sounding
pompous have played well is that of a friend. This one comes very easily to me.
Never an effort, always a pleasure I absolutely love spending time with
friends. Quality time is another name for quality food. This is the genesis of
this section of the blog. These little stories of some really dear friends come
with their favourite recipe. This is my way of saying that my friends have
helped me be what I am and always constructively and passionately motivated me to cook.
Often we have Indian food on a menu and we are racking our brains for an accompanying salad. Cucumber-tomato-onion-coriander leaves finely chopped or "cuchumbur" seems to be the only option. Then it seems so hackneyed. Yet so refreshing, so classic. But then there is something a bit daily about it. Recently, Sharoon messaged that she had been served an interesting salad at a party and very generously she shared the recipe.
Sharoon enjoys the whole idea called 'food'. A full time corporate careerist and mom, she still finds the time to hunt for recipes, attend cooking classes, plan a cook-along on her trips, visit produce markets, write food books, and of course cook up dishes. I often get a food query, a clarification question from her. And I also often get valuable ideas and suggestions. There are people who live to eat and those who eat to live. Sharoon is clearly a live to eat person. Cheers to that!
Cheers to this recipe too! I served this at a recent home party. Everybody loved it. So, I am sharing a recipe which served 20 odd people. Please adjust proportions when you try to make it.
I took 3 large carrots. Peeled and washed them. Next you have to grate the carrot. Also, wash a medium sized green cabbage and grate it. Then clean a bundle of coriander leaves and chop finely. De-seed 2 green chillies and chop finely. Take 2 limes and juice them. You will also need half a cup of salted peanuts, each peanut needs to be halved longitudinally.
In a warm walk, pour in 11/2 tsp oil. In a minute add a tsp black mustard seeds and about 15 curry leaves. To this add 1 tsp salt and the peanuts. In another minute toss in the vegetables. Stir fry. Add the chillies and the coriander leaves. Toss and stir. Time for lime juice. Mix.
Take about 2 packets of Khandvi and cut them in thin slices. Add to the salad. the Khandvi usually has some seasoning on its body, please use them too. Taste for salt and tang check.
Serve warm or cold. Both taste as good.
When we were little girls, the pretty girl in the class was supposed to be snobbish or unkind or immodest or just not nice. Sour grapes of course. It took a few years and a few pretty women to lend grace and maturity to my growing out of this bias. Sigh! One such pretty woman is my friend Resh. Reshma is gorgeous. We hung out a lot in my Bandra days. My discerning hubby would know instantly that I was with her from my exceptionally sweet tone over the phone Ha ha! This is Reshma's always lilting influence on others and this is also too many years of marital know-it-all!
Reshma loves aqua colours. She bakes beautifully. She hand paints and restore furniture which most often she transforms into aqua hues. She makes artistic cushion covers. She never gets angry. She loves living in a joint family. She is a superb mom to two beautiful girls. And every single thing around her is pretty. And I wish she would give us her homemade 'choles' as Diwali gifts which we could freeze for 40 days!
So is this recipe of lemon pound cake which she taught me during my tea cake bazaar last year. It is luscious lemony and lilting!
You will need 5 eggs, 200 grams unsalted butter, 3 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of shortening which can be vegetable oil, 1 level tbsp baking powder, 1/4th tsp salt, 1 cup of milk, 3 level or less cups of sugar, 6 tbsp lime juice and grated rind of 11/2 lime(if the lime is large then use 1 only).
In a bowl, beat with an electric whisk the butter, shortening and sugar and allow it to soften and be smooth and creamy. In about 5-6 minutes of beating, add 1 egg at a time beating constantly. This means add an egg and beat for 2 mins and only then add the next egg and repeat.
In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt and after mixing with a dry spoon pass through a sieve.
Now reduce your beater speed to medium low.
Add a bit of milk, beat for a minute. Next add a part of the dry mix and beat again. Repeat this in similar steps with the milk going in the last. You batter is creamy and soft now.
With a cake spatula fold in well after now adding the lime juice and rind. Pour onto a prepared cake tin. Bake at 150-160 degrees for 40 minutes. The baking time changes from oven to oven. A needle prick will help you decide if the cake is baked well.
Brew some tea. Cut a slice of lemon pound cake. Reach heaven.
Ever thought of upgrading the Vitamin A in your body with chillies? Chillies are spicy, kicky, sharp, unnerving, amazing, not so amazing, interesting, red, uplifting, nerve-racking and yes nutritious. They help as migraine relievers. They help in digestion. They act as antioxidants. They reduce blood sugar levels. They improve heart health.
Chillies are also entertaining. Their mere presence takes a dish to another level of deliciousness. Ever wondered why SRK and spouse have called their company, "Red Chillies Entertainment'?
Another thing which is entertaining is our friends, Madhulina's and Sumantra's home and their parties. A teetotaler Sumantra always magically fills up every glass in the room. And Madhulina keeps coming back with plates full of gorgeous and eclectic food. Every single time it is time beautifully spent. ( PS - English is indeed strange. The word teetotaler is with a tee and not a tea...? Actually, abstinence from alchohol has nothing to do fondness with the beverage)
This 10th, we celebrate 'Kaali Puja" at their home and I sampled this mutton there. It just blew me away. M generously typed out the recipe the next morning and the following weekend I re-created the mutton and might I say with absolute lack of modesty that I also blew my guests away. So here you are.
For a kilo of mutton with bones, you will need a kilo of onion. Chop the onions roughly. make about 2 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste. Next take about 12-14 dry red chillies, chop 6 in 3 parts with a pair of scissors and keep the rest whole.
In a pressure cooker, warm about 2/3 tbsp oil or ghee or half and half of both. Add 5 pods of split green cardamoms, 6 cloves and about an inch bruised stick of cinnamon. Once they sputter a bit, add the paste and toss for a min. Time for the chillies, one toss and add half the chopped onions. Please do not stir this or anything any further. Next goes in the fresh mutton and post that the balance onions. Lid the cooker and allow 2 whistles to blow in your kitchen. Switch the flame off.
Once the cooker is released on its own of its vapour, take off the lid. switch the flame back on. Add salt to taste. Now in medium heat keep on reducing the liquid which has got created in generous volume till now. Toss once in a while. The mutton will start to get tender. Once the gravy is thick and more like coating the mutton, I added a tsp of freshly ground pepper but this step is optional as the original recipe did not include this step.
Enjoy with 'parathas' or flat bread. Thanks M.
Oatmeal Cookies
"Once we sowed wild oats, now we cook them in the microwave." - anonymous
I did not get much time with Annie. She moved from Bandra to Sydney to Kolkata to London. The few days that we spent in Mumbai were fun ones. She is a woman with a valuable opinion. She is also a woman with much talent. She paints. She cooks. She writes. This is the extent of my know. I am convinced there is more. Anyway, all of this she does beautifully. There is that easy flow in all the things that she does. Lucidity is her style. I often read her facebook posts and I am convinced that there is a book in her.
She had shared this recipe with me some time back. I tried the recipe recently. The cookies came out superbly!
It is a very simple recipe. Here goes.
You need 120 gms flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 120 gms Muscavado or any other sugar, 60 gms oats, 80 gms butter, 170 gms raisins, 5/6 drops vanilla essence and 1 large egg.
Turn on the oven to 180 degrees. Line your baking sheets.
Beat butter and sugar till pale, then add the egg and beat well. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the mix. Use an electric mix at low speed and fold smoothly. The oats go in next followed by the raisins. Vanilla can go in at any point, a good time is with the egg. The doughy is good to go into the oven after a nice mix.
Since the oven is preheated, Put 1 tbsp size cookie dough on the sheet after rolling gently in your palms. Try and keep space between them, 6 in a line is great. This recipe makes about 20 cookies. bake for 15 mins. If you want them crisp don't take them out until the oven cools down.
Annie said, 'I forgot my last two or three cookies on my last sheet. And they came out nice and crunchy. Raja liked the softer ones and I liked the crunchier ones.'
Like old habits which die hard, old memories live on forever, Especially the happy ones. The fun ones. The yummy ones for sure. In my college days, our neighbours in the flat right across were a lovely Maharashtrian family,the Ranadives. Since I grew up in Maharashtra, a large part of my History portion covered the topic of Shivaji the Maharaja. Uncle reminded me of Shivaji in some way. I wonder if I had ever shared that little observation with him given that we have spent hours discussing, conversing and very often arguing. Some topics come to mind even today, I must admit, I would 'now' concede to those views.
When we met they were around the age that I am now, or I think younger, and I guess they enjoyed re-exploring their youth through me, my college stories, my long distant romance phone calls and my new ideas of dressing down. Aunty was a fabulous cook and she would make some very Pune influenced non vegetarian dishes. One of her specialties was a chutney stuffed pomphret fish. Even if I was not on the guest list there was always a piece tucked away for me.
Luckily the connections have remained and we often find ourselves sharing life updates. A grand mother of two now, she even today very easily typed out some recipes for me. This one definitely deserved a place in my blog.
I used three pomphrets. When you are buying ask the effervescent Koli woman in her beautiful shield shaped earrings to clean the fish and to slit it across its stomach to create a gaping crevice running down the side of the fish. Marinate with salt, a touch of turmeric powder, lime juice and a dash of chilli powder. Set aside for an hour.
Take about 1/2 a coconut, grate it. In a blender add the coconut, a fat bunch of coriander leaves, 2 green chillies, 1/2 an inch of ginger and salt to taste. Blitz it to a smooth pase adding very little water. The chutney should be thick, not runny.
Now stuff the slit stomach of each fish with the chutney. Store in your refrigerator for atleast an hour.
To fry, beat two eggs with salt and chilli powder. Now dip the fish like you would do French toast and shallow pan fry on both sides. Keep in low or medium flame for 3-4 minutes for each side.
Serve hot with lime wedges and some plain rice.
Anecdote
It was Shirin's 40th. We were hand-picked for a Goa holiday and were put up at The Hermitage. Shirin was walking around with a yellow file - the file hid the rooming arrangements which she had arrived at after some hours of work. They were based on psychometric, historical and behavioral analyses. Then we checked in. There were two cottages. One of the two cottages housed the following. Good old buddies Bela, Aarti and Kavita were shacked up together. British friend Kim was sharing a room with the British birthday girl. Yours truly was nominated to room with HR professional and corporate sister-in-law. The boss and friend Vibha had at first dibbed on the couch. It was a wild night, we turned in late. Kim had adios-ed all caution and dived into Goan sea food at a shack with abundance and love. Her guts could not handle all the spice and the oil and the poor thing passed out on the floor. The scared-to-death birthday girl ran around the cottage begging everyone to wake up and rush to the scene, the one thought daunting her the most - Kim had passed out but her eyes were open!!!! We all instinctively rushed to the room. But our Aarti Karmarkar Phaterphekar jumped out of bed and hurriedly started looking for her footwear. At 2 AM in this situation where hysterical night dressed women were running to the scene of matter it was imperative that she had on her footwear.
Can you even imagine the post postmortems to this incident? It has been 5 years, we still are in crazy stitches. Every time.
Drama queen Aarti is truly a drama queen. A single mother to an adorable Ria, she is a stage actor in Hyderabad with some accomplished performances in her acting repertoire. She did not keep her passion only to herself. Generosity comes naturally to her as do a hundred lunges. She co owns an acting course for children where she uses drama as an art and a tool to add on to honing a child's life skills. Crisp in her fashion, clear in her thoughts and honest in her laughter, Aarti is an inspiration. She has taught me to not allow life to deter you inspite of all odds.
Trust the drama angle in this persona. I requested her for a recipe for this blog. She at first gave me a dish steeped in Maharashtrian culture, history and drama - the traditional 'Puran Poli'. She called it easy. I read and re-read; daunted. I guess she understood my inadequacy and the next time shared a lovely refreshing and unusual one-pot. Only that it is not just a one-pot. It is a one-nut dish. And it is absolutely lovably yummy!
Stuff that you must have
A tender coconut with water and flesh in it
A cup of brown rice, soaked and par boiled
A handful of fresh peas
2 medium sized onions
1 large tomato
Half a kilo minced chicken or even boneless cubed chicken
300 grams cubed paneer
Cumin, coriander, chilly powder
Salt to taste
One and a half tbsp olive oil
What to do
Keep the coconut water aside. Ensure the coconut has a lovely white fleshy interior with the cap on.
Chop the onions finely and cube the tomatoes. Lightly golden fry the paneer cubes and set aside. In warm olive oil, toss in the onions and stir until they turn pinkish gold. Time for the tomatoes. In about a minute stir once and spoon in a tsp each of cumin and coriander powder and about half a tsp of chilly powder. Add salt to taste and mix well and cook in low heat for 3-4 mins. Till now the chicken mince should be washed and strained. Add the mince to the cooking paste. Stir well and allow it to cook for 2 mins. Now throw in a handful of shelled peas. In about 4 more mins, add the paneer and in about another min add the brown rice. Once gently blend in everything with your spatula. Now you pour in the coconut water.
The meat, the peas and the rice will almost completely cook in the coconut water. Once it is almost cooked, please taste for salt and keep aside.
Now stuff in the pilaf in the tender coconut. Cover with the coconut cap.Bake in your oven at 160 degrees for 20 mins or so.
How to serve
When you are serving, spoon the pilaf out while scraping the walls of the coconut. Soft bits of flesh will merge with the piping hot rice. Dig in.
Trivia
Coconut water contains zero fat and is high of potassium.
Anecdote
Debita Mookerjea Ray is the first friend I shared my blog content with and her recipe has found its way into my blog this late. Well, she has been giving me the freeze for two whole years and the only reason for the delay is that she was busy stacking up her silver,gold,ensembles,fabric,crockery,handbag,shoes,wallets,scarves,etc etc etc cupboards at home.
Debs set up ABBOZZO with me. We worked together in this small HR unit and shared many 'jalebi and momo' days together. We did not make much money but we made some fun memories alright. A woman with strange quirks, she is a lively person with a genuine laugh. One quirky instance was that one afternoon we both got into her car for yet another shopping spree (window for me and actual for her) and I bring out my water to quench my thirst like all regular people. But my friend takes out her flask and glugs down Bournvita milk like a cowboy would glug down a pitcher of beer and thinks its a very done drink at our age. A holiday planner at heart, a shopper by habit, an investor with intelligence, a friend who is fun, Debita Mookerjea Ray also rustles up some really creative dishes. This recipe that she shared with me has been quite a hit with my clients and my friends already!
Stuff that you must have
1 packet of chicken lollipops
2 full tsp Ajwain or carom
1 cup yogurt
salt to taste
1 tsp full chilly glakes
2 tbsp grated cheese
1/2 tsp oil
What to do
Marinate the chicken with the yogurt, salt and ajwain/carom for an hour in a wok. Then set the wok onto the low flamed burner and cover with a lid. take the oil and warm it on the side and add it to the chicken. Let the chicken cook till it is soft. Then add the chilly flakes and increase the heat so that the sauce or the gravy starts to thicken. Now add the cheese, stir and serve.
How to serve
Set the lolipops on a flat platter. Garnish if you like for some colour with some finely chopped coriander or celery. I had served it with a beetroot puree and some whole wheat crackers.
Trivia
Ajwain or carom is also called Bishop's weed which is strangely a common name for some other plans too. The medicinal property of this plant may have been the source of this tag.
Anecdote
Shirin claims that we did not get on when we met. This is because I came across as disapproving of her from my working-mother stand point. The tables turned quickly when she deduced that I was a pushy-mother who made her two year old ill child celebrate a birthday party with two hundred odd people when he was unwell! Tch Tch...I was a complete no-no to this Hyde park girl.
So, you bet we had a rocky start which transformed into a Grand Prix road as soon as we realized that among thin young moms we both hags had each other not to feel out of place. Then on, many other things brought us close - the fact that our boys were helpless characters, the fact that she was married to Mr. Rebecca Bloomwood, the fact that we boasted of lost (non existent really) career opportunities, the fact that she handpicked me for her special birthday bash, the fact that I got along with her other girl friends(phew!) (not easy with so many happening women and all vying for one gorgeous man's attention)...............
No kidding now, Shirin and Sujjain are one of the most affectionate and genuine people that I have ever met. We spend quite a lot of time together and still look forward to the next plan. They have two lovely homes, one of which is a country home where nature celebrates itself all around you. In one recent get-away in Karjat, Shirin tossed together this lovely potato salad. It was a rainy evening, dark and distant lights were visible from a far-away village, luscious chicken legs were roasting on the grill and this delicious potato salad was made with fresh produce and so much love.
Stuff that you must have
Baby potatoes - 20 pcs or so
A bowl of chopped fresh spring onions
A bowl of pomegranate
2 tbsp mayonnaise or sour cream
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
What to do
Boil and peel the potatoes. In a separate bowl fold in the mayonnaise and the yogurt. To this add the spring onions and 3/4 quantity of the pomegranate. Add salt and pepper. Now mix this in to the baby potatoes so that the potatoes are well coated with the sauce/dressing. Sprinkle the rest of the pomegranate and serve cold.
how to serve
Just go with the flow. Serve it anyhow.
Trivia
Potato salad is a traditional Christmas meal in Czech Republic and Slovakia. In fact each family preserves their own recipe. It is served as a side dish with fried fish, the carp or white white sausages.
Anecdote
Samantha, the mother of my boy's best friend is someone I live in fear of. Whenever there is a plan of leaving home and running away from parents who have probably garnered up some courage to lecture or to scold on some burning issue, Samantha aunty and Johnny Uncle's house is the best option! They are the best parents in the "whole universe". Their house is the quintessential happy home. Johnny uncle plays football. Sleep-overs at their place is the best! And Samantha aunty makes us amazing food!
Well, on a serious note, agree with all of the above. A piano teacher, a lovely home-maker and a great friend, Samantha is like a gentle zephyr. Spending time with Lewises always leaves one with a feeling of calm and goodness. A few holidays, many lunches and dinners, some coffees and get-togethers down, I can vouch for Sam's niceness and her wholesome approach to life. I can also vouch for a bottomless wardrobe where interesting eclectic 'new but old" clothes come out every single time! It is truly like magic!
One such potluck a few evenings back, Sam got this delicious Tex-Mex Lasagne, an improvised recipe from Nigella Lawson's kitchen. It was devoured by all with gusto and delight.
Stuff that you must have
One packet of sweet corn
4/5 tortillas
4 large red onions, 2 chopped finely for the sauce and 2 chopped similarly for the filling.
1 kilo of boiled minced chicken (optional if you want to keep it vegetarian)
4 large tomatoes
1 cup of soaked and boiled kidney beans or 3/4 can of baked beans
A sprig of coriander stalk
2 green chillies
1 tbsp of vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp of sugar
2 tsps of red chilly powder or red chilly flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp tomato ketchup
Salt to taste(optional)
What to do
To make the sauce; Boil 2 tomatoes and grill 1 tomato for 2/3 minutes each. Skin the tomatoes and chop them. In 2 tbsp oil, fry the onions till pink. Add finely chopped green chillies. Stir for a min and add the coriander stalks. Now add salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup and vinegar. Add 4 tbsp warm water. The sauce will taste like salsa. To this add the boiled sweet corn. After 2 mins, take the sauce off the heat and keep aside.
To make the filling; In another warm wok, add 2 tbsp oil. Add the onions and fry till they are transparent. Add the chicken and stir for 4 mins in low heat. Next add the beans. If you are used baked beans, Just add salt to taste and a dash of chilly powder or red chilly flakes. If you are using kidney beans, stir in one chopped tomato, add 1/4 cup of warm water, a dash of ketch-up, salt to taste and a dash of chilly powder. For both cases, keep the filling in a low flame for 4/5 minutes.
To construct; in a round baking dish, place one tortilla and spread out some sauce and some filling, sprinkle some grated Cheddar cheese. Cover with another tortilla. Repeat till you have 4 or 5 layers. Finally on the top sprinkle some cheese.
Bake for 15 mins at 150 degrees C. Serve hot.
How to serve
Layered nicely in a transparent round bowl is just perfect.
Trivia
There are interesting theories about the origination of the Lasagne. Though famed as an Italian pasta there is a story that it was a Greek word which meant that it was a flat pasta dough cut into strips. Yet again one dates it back to 14th century England as a recipe in the reign of Richard II.
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Anecdote
While most of us women can boast of being artful dressers, I find this one friend of mine pulling it off superbly. What strikes me in her self-styling is her ability to be different and yet match perfectly with an occasion. Well, this is one of her least important skills as this woman boasts of a large repertoire of life abilities.
Doctor by profession, a successful practicing pediatrician, she helps me at the oddest of hours, a good cook with a lovely home which boasts of her artistic touches, mother of two promising lads with one doing some self earning already right in the start of college, a happy and social friend who comes all the way to Andheri from Walkeshwar every time that I request her and makes time for friends and relatives for all their important occasions, and...and..and...Bela, a relatively new buddy in my longish life now (sigh!) is someone I admire very much.
While I am sharing Bela's kick-ass (pardon me but I cannot think of a more suitable adjective) salad with the most intriguing dressing, I must add that the one thing about Dr.Bela Doctor which impressed me the most is that she learnt driving only a few years back and she regularly drives all the way to Karjat come rains, come summer. Wow!
Stuff that you must have
Watermelon - cut into cubes with seeds cleaned out
Roasted corn on the cob
One large green capsicum
150 grams of cottage cheese
A sprig of coriander leaves
2 green chillies
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste(optional)
What to do
For the dressing; in a blender whisk together, crumbled cottage cheese, coriander leaves, lime juice, sugar and green chillies. Give it one quick whisk. The mix will be mildly grainy.
For the salad; take the corn off the cob with a sharop knife. Loosen the corn with your finger tips. Separately cut the capsicum into cubes so that both the watermelon and the capsicum are of the same size. Store in the fridge. When you are about to serve, throw away any extra juice that is released by the watermelon. Now add the corn. Mix in the dressing. Serve with a sprinkle of some more corn on the top. Add salt for taste though you may not require this step.
How to serve
A simple plating on a solid platter does it all. The colours of the salads provide a natural charm.
Trivia
Did you know that corn always has an even number of rows on each ear?
Cream Kadai Chicken
Kofta Curry
Khandvi salad
Often we have Indian food on a menu and we are racking our brains for an accompanying salad. Cucumber-tomato-onion-coriander leaves finely chopped or "cuchumbur" seems to be the only option. Then it seems so hackneyed. Yet so refreshing, so classic. But then there is something a bit daily about it. Recently, Sharoon messaged that she had been served an interesting salad at a party and very generously she shared the recipe.
Sharoon enjoys the whole idea called 'food'. A full time corporate careerist and mom, she still finds the time to hunt for recipes, attend cooking classes, plan a cook-along on her trips, visit produce markets, write food books, and of course cook up dishes. I often get a food query, a clarification question from her. And I also often get valuable ideas and suggestions. There are people who live to eat and those who eat to live. Sharoon is clearly a live to eat person. Cheers to that!
Cheers to this recipe too! I served this at a recent home party. Everybody loved it. So, I am sharing a recipe which served 20 odd people. Please adjust proportions when you try to make it.
I took 3 large carrots. Peeled and washed them. Next you have to grate the carrot. Also, wash a medium sized green cabbage and grate it. Then clean a bundle of coriander leaves and chop finely. De-seed 2 green chillies and chop finely. Take 2 limes and juice them. You will also need half a cup of salted peanuts, each peanut needs to be halved longitudinally.
In a warm walk, pour in 11/2 tsp oil. In a minute add a tsp black mustard seeds and about 15 curry leaves. To this add 1 tsp salt and the peanuts. In another minute toss in the vegetables. Stir fry. Add the chillies and the coriander leaves. Toss and stir. Time for lime juice. Mix.
Take about 2 packets of Khandvi and cut them in thin slices. Add to the salad. the Khandvi usually has some seasoning on its body, please use them too. Taste for salt and tang check.
Serve warm or cold. Both taste as good.
Lemon Pound Cake
When we were little girls, the pretty girl in the class was supposed to be snobbish or unkind or immodest or just not nice. Sour grapes of course. It took a few years and a few pretty women to lend grace and maturity to my growing out of this bias. Sigh! One such pretty woman is my friend Resh. Reshma is gorgeous. We hung out a lot in my Bandra days. My discerning hubby would know instantly that I was with her from my exceptionally sweet tone over the phone Ha ha! This is Reshma's always lilting influence on others and this is also too many years of marital know-it-all!
Reshma loves aqua colours. She bakes beautifully. She hand paints and restore furniture which most often she transforms into aqua hues. She makes artistic cushion covers. She never gets angry. She loves living in a joint family. She is a superb mom to two beautiful girls. And every single thing around her is pretty. And I wish she would give us her homemade 'choles' as Diwali gifts which we could freeze for 40 days!
So is this recipe of lemon pound cake which she taught me during my tea cake bazaar last year. It is luscious lemony and lilting!
You will need 5 eggs, 200 grams unsalted butter, 3 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of shortening which can be vegetable oil, 1 level tbsp baking powder, 1/4th tsp salt, 1 cup of milk, 3 level or less cups of sugar, 6 tbsp lime juice and grated rind of 11/2 lime(if the lime is large then use 1 only).
In a bowl, beat with an electric whisk the butter, shortening and sugar and allow it to soften and be smooth and creamy. In about 5-6 minutes of beating, add 1 egg at a time beating constantly. This means add an egg and beat for 2 mins and only then add the next egg and repeat.
In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt and after mixing with a dry spoon pass through a sieve.
Now reduce your beater speed to medium low.
Add a bit of milk, beat for a minute. Next add a part of the dry mix and beat again. Repeat this in similar steps with the milk going in the last. You batter is creamy and soft now.
With a cake spatula fold in well after now adding the lime juice and rind. Pour onto a prepared cake tin. Bake at 150-160 degrees for 40 minutes. The baking time changes from oven to oven. A needle prick will help you decide if the cake is baked well.
Brew some tea. Cut a slice of lemon pound cake. Reach heaven.
Red Chillies Mutton
Ever thought of upgrading the Vitamin A in your body with chillies? Chillies are spicy, kicky, sharp, unnerving, amazing, not so amazing, interesting, red, uplifting, nerve-racking and yes nutritious. They help as migraine relievers. They help in digestion. They act as antioxidants. They reduce blood sugar levels. They improve heart health.
Chillies are also entertaining. Their mere presence takes a dish to another level of deliciousness. Ever wondered why SRK and spouse have called their company, "Red Chillies Entertainment'?
Another thing which is entertaining is our friends, Madhulina's and Sumantra's home and their parties. A teetotaler Sumantra always magically fills up every glass in the room. And Madhulina keeps coming back with plates full of gorgeous and eclectic food. Every single time it is time beautifully spent. ( PS - English is indeed strange. The word teetotaler is with a tee and not a tea...? Actually, abstinence from alchohol has nothing to do fondness with the beverage)
This 10th, we celebrate 'Kaali Puja" at their home and I sampled this mutton there. It just blew me away. M generously typed out the recipe the next morning and the following weekend I re-created the mutton and might I say with absolute lack of modesty that I also blew my guests away. So here you are.
For a kilo of mutton with bones, you will need a kilo of onion. Chop the onions roughly. make about 2 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste. Next take about 12-14 dry red chillies, chop 6 in 3 parts with a pair of scissors and keep the rest whole.
In a pressure cooker, warm about 2/3 tbsp oil or ghee or half and half of both. Add 5 pods of split green cardamoms, 6 cloves and about an inch bruised stick of cinnamon. Once they sputter a bit, add the paste and toss for a min. Time for the chillies, one toss and add half the chopped onions. Please do not stir this or anything any further. Next goes in the fresh mutton and post that the balance onions. Lid the cooker and allow 2 whistles to blow in your kitchen. Switch the flame off.
Once the cooker is released on its own of its vapour, take off the lid. switch the flame back on. Add salt to taste. Now in medium heat keep on reducing the liquid which has got created in generous volume till now. Toss once in a while. The mutton will start to get tender. Once the gravy is thick and more like coating the mutton, I added a tsp of freshly ground pepper but this step is optional as the original recipe did not include this step.
Enjoy with 'parathas' or flat bread. Thanks M.
Oatmeal Cookies
"Once we sowed wild oats, now we cook them in the microwave." - anonymous
I did not get much time with Annie. She moved from Bandra to Sydney to Kolkata to London. The few days that we spent in Mumbai were fun ones. She is a woman with a valuable opinion. She is also a woman with much talent. She paints. She cooks. She writes. This is the extent of my know. I am convinced there is more. Anyway, all of this she does beautifully. There is that easy flow in all the things that she does. Lucidity is her style. I often read her facebook posts and I am convinced that there is a book in her.
She had shared this recipe with me some time back. I tried the recipe recently. The cookies came out superbly!
It is a very simple recipe. Here goes.
You need 120 gms flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 120 gms Muscavado or any other sugar, 60 gms oats, 80 gms butter, 170 gms raisins, 5/6 drops vanilla essence and 1 large egg.
Turn on the oven to 180 degrees. Line your baking sheets.
Beat butter and sugar till pale, then add the egg and beat well. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the mix. Use an electric mix at low speed and fold smoothly. The oats go in next followed by the raisins. Vanilla can go in at any point, a good time is with the egg. The doughy is good to go into the oven after a nice mix.
Since the oven is preheated, Put 1 tbsp size cookie dough on the sheet after rolling gently in your palms. Try and keep space between them, 6 in a line is great. This recipe makes about 20 cookies. bake for 15 mins. If you want them crisp don't take them out until the oven cools down.
Annie said, 'I forgot my last two or three cookies on my last sheet. And they came out nice and crunchy. Raja liked the softer ones and I liked the crunchier ones.'
Chutney Stuffed Pomphret
Like old habits which die hard, old memories live on forever, Especially the happy ones. The fun ones. The yummy ones for sure. In my college days, our neighbours in the flat right across were a lovely Maharashtrian family,the Ranadives. Since I grew up in Maharashtra, a large part of my History portion covered the topic of Shivaji the Maharaja. Uncle reminded me of Shivaji in some way. I wonder if I had ever shared that little observation with him given that we have spent hours discussing, conversing and very often arguing. Some topics come to mind even today, I must admit, I would 'now' concede to those views.
When we met they were around the age that I am now, or I think younger, and I guess they enjoyed re-exploring their youth through me, my college stories, my long distant romance phone calls and my new ideas of dressing down. Aunty was a fabulous cook and she would make some very Pune influenced non vegetarian dishes. One of her specialties was a chutney stuffed pomphret fish. Even if I was not on the guest list there was always a piece tucked away for me.
Luckily the connections have remained and we often find ourselves sharing life updates. A grand mother of two now, she even today very easily typed out some recipes for me. This one definitely deserved a place in my blog.
I used three pomphrets. When you are buying ask the effervescent Koli woman in her beautiful shield shaped earrings to clean the fish and to slit it across its stomach to create a gaping crevice running down the side of the fish. Marinate with salt, a touch of turmeric powder, lime juice and a dash of chilli powder. Set aside for an hour.
Take about 1/2 a coconut, grate it. In a blender add the coconut, a fat bunch of coriander leaves, 2 green chillies, 1/2 an inch of ginger and salt to taste. Blitz it to a smooth pase adding very little water. The chutney should be thick, not runny.
Now stuff the slit stomach of each fish with the chutney. Store in your refrigerator for atleast an hour.
To fry, beat two eggs with salt and chilli powder. Now dip the fish like you would do French toast and shallow pan fry on both sides. Keep in low or medium flame for 3-4 minutes for each side.
Serve hot with lime wedges and some plain rice.
Chicken Peas Paneer Brown Rice Pilaf In Coconut
Anecdote
It was Shirin's 40th. We were hand-picked for a Goa holiday and were put up at The Hermitage. Shirin was walking around with a yellow file - the file hid the rooming arrangements which she had arrived at after some hours of work. They were based on psychometric, historical and behavioral analyses. Then we checked in. There were two cottages. One of the two cottages housed the following. Good old buddies Bela, Aarti and Kavita were shacked up together. British friend Kim was sharing a room with the British birthday girl. Yours truly was nominated to room with HR professional and corporate sister-in-law. The boss and friend Vibha had at first dibbed on the couch. It was a wild night, we turned in late. Kim had adios-ed all caution and dived into Goan sea food at a shack with abundance and love. Her guts could not handle all the spice and the oil and the poor thing passed out on the floor. The scared-to-death birthday girl ran around the cottage begging everyone to wake up and rush to the scene, the one thought daunting her the most - Kim had passed out but her eyes were open!!!! We all instinctively rushed to the room. But our Aarti Karmarkar Phaterphekar jumped out of bed and hurriedly started looking for her footwear. At 2 AM in this situation where hysterical night dressed women were running to the scene of matter it was imperative that she had on her footwear.
Can you even imagine the post postmortems to this incident? It has been 5 years, we still are in crazy stitches. Every time.
Drama queen Aarti is truly a drama queen. A single mother to an adorable Ria, she is a stage actor in Hyderabad with some accomplished performances in her acting repertoire. She did not keep her passion only to herself. Generosity comes naturally to her as do a hundred lunges. She co owns an acting course for children where she uses drama as an art and a tool to add on to honing a child's life skills. Crisp in her fashion, clear in her thoughts and honest in her laughter, Aarti is an inspiration. She has taught me to not allow life to deter you inspite of all odds.
Trust the drama angle in this persona. I requested her for a recipe for this blog. She at first gave me a dish steeped in Maharashtrian culture, history and drama - the traditional 'Puran Poli'. She called it easy. I read and re-read; daunted. I guess she understood my inadequacy and the next time shared a lovely refreshing and unusual one-pot. Only that it is not just a one-pot. It is a one-nut dish. And it is absolutely lovably yummy!
Stuff that you must have
A tender coconut with water and flesh in it
A cup of brown rice, soaked and par boiled
A handful of fresh peas
2 medium sized onions
1 large tomato
Half a kilo minced chicken or even boneless cubed chicken
300 grams cubed paneer
Cumin, coriander, chilly powder
Salt to taste
One and a half tbsp olive oil
What to do
Keep the coconut water aside. Ensure the coconut has a lovely white fleshy interior with the cap on.
Chop the onions finely and cube the tomatoes. Lightly golden fry the paneer cubes and set aside. In warm olive oil, toss in the onions and stir until they turn pinkish gold. Time for the tomatoes. In about a minute stir once and spoon in a tsp each of cumin and coriander powder and about half a tsp of chilly powder. Add salt to taste and mix well and cook in low heat for 3-4 mins. Till now the chicken mince should be washed and strained. Add the mince to the cooking paste. Stir well and allow it to cook for 2 mins. Now throw in a handful of shelled peas. In about 4 more mins, add the paneer and in about another min add the brown rice. Once gently blend in everything with your spatula. Now you pour in the coconut water.
The meat, the peas and the rice will almost completely cook in the coconut water. Once it is almost cooked, please taste for salt and keep aside.
Now stuff in the pilaf in the tender coconut. Cover with the coconut cap.Bake in your oven at 160 degrees for 20 mins or so.
How to serve
When you are serving, spoon the pilaf out while scraping the walls of the coconut. Soft bits of flesh will merge with the piping hot rice. Dig in.
Trivia
Coconut water contains zero fat and is high of potassium.
Beetroot Yogurt With Parsley
Anecdote
Manita is an international word mainly Spanish or Turkish, kind of meaning a beautiful woman. Our Manita is a 'Desi' Nepali now almost Marwari full of life and action and true to its meaning. There is no dull moment around her.You are either dancing (she grooves gorgeously with raunchy Hindi numbers) or singing (some are trying to as they are not given the mike thanks to her over zealous other guests) or eating (especially her delicious desserts) or planning what to wear (her MIL designed Indian wardrobe has been raided by yours truly often) or or or............But you are definitely not just sitting around. Friends of friends, Ady and Manita have often opened up their abode to us and I must say each and every time it has been amidst peals of laughter and pools of alchohol (Ady, are you reading this?)....
At one such karaoke night, Manita made this lovely Beetroot yogurt which I re-created for Shalina's 40th and it was equally appreciated.
Stuff that you must have
3 large beetroots
400 grams yogurt, I use the store bought packs of any brand
4 sprigs of parsley
2 tsp dry oregano
Salt to taste
What to do
At first skin the beetroot and then chop them into 1 by 1 inch cubes. Boil in a pressure cooker with salt and oregano till you hear 4 whistles. This means the the beetroot needs to be boiled but it should still have its crunch. Allow the cubes to cool and come to room temperature. Here I must add that you can serve the beetroot warm water as a warm drink to yourself since you the one toiling as it is packed with nutrients.
Beat yogurt with a gentle whisker. Finely chop parsley and add to the creamy yogurt. Now add the beetroot cubes such that they dunk well into the yogurt. The creamy yogurt will turn into a luscious pinkish purple colour. Refrigerate.
The beauty of this side dish is that it can be served as a 'Raita' with Indian food, or a side with Mediterranean food or a salad with Turkish or Moroccan food. This universal aspect and of course the delicious cool flavours is what attracted me the most to request Manita for the recipe.
How to serve
Just pour in a bowl matching your cuisine and serve.
Trivia
Beetroot cultivated originally by the Greeks and the Romans come in three colours. The red ones we eat, the white ones are grown to procure beetroot sugar and the yellow ones are fed to livestock.
Manita is an international word mainly Spanish or Turkish, kind of meaning a beautiful woman. Our Manita is a 'Desi' Nepali now almost Marwari full of life and action and true to its meaning. There is no dull moment around her.You are either dancing (she grooves gorgeously with raunchy Hindi numbers) or singing (some are trying to as they are not given the mike thanks to her over zealous other guests) or eating (especially her delicious desserts) or planning what to wear (her MIL designed Indian wardrobe has been raided by yours truly often) or or or............But you are definitely not just sitting around. Friends of friends, Ady and Manita have often opened up their abode to us and I must say each and every time it has been amidst peals of laughter and pools of alchohol (Ady, are you reading this?)....
Stuff that you must have
3 large beetroots
400 grams yogurt, I use the store bought packs of any brand
4 sprigs of parsley
2 tsp dry oregano
Salt to taste
What to do
At first skin the beetroot and then chop them into 1 by 1 inch cubes. Boil in a pressure cooker with salt and oregano till you hear 4 whistles. This means the the beetroot needs to be boiled but it should still have its crunch. Allow the cubes to cool and come to room temperature. Here I must add that you can serve the beetroot warm water as a warm drink to yourself since you the one toiling as it is packed with nutrients.
Beat yogurt with a gentle whisker. Finely chop parsley and add to the creamy yogurt. Now add the beetroot cubes such that they dunk well into the yogurt. The creamy yogurt will turn into a luscious pinkish purple colour. Refrigerate.
The beauty of this side dish is that it can be served as a 'Raita' with Indian food, or a side with Mediterranean food or a salad with Turkish or Moroccan food. This universal aspect and of course the delicious cool flavours is what attracted me the most to request Manita for the recipe.
How to serve
Just pour in a bowl matching your cuisine and serve.
Trivia
Beetroot cultivated originally by the Greeks and the Romans come in three colours. The red ones we eat, the white ones are grown to procure beetroot sugar and the yellow ones are fed to livestock.
Ajwain/Carom Chicken Lollipops
Anecdote
Debita Mookerjea Ray is the first friend I shared my blog content with and her recipe has found its way into my blog this late. Well, she has been giving me the freeze for two whole years and the only reason for the delay is that she was busy stacking up her silver,gold,ensembles,fabric,crockery,handbag,shoes,wallets,scarves,etc etc etc cupboards at home.
Debs set up ABBOZZO with me. We worked together in this small HR unit and shared many 'jalebi and momo' days together. We did not make much money but we made some fun memories alright. A woman with strange quirks, she is a lively person with a genuine laugh. One quirky instance was that one afternoon we both got into her car for yet another shopping spree (window for me and actual for her) and I bring out my water to quench my thirst like all regular people. But my friend takes out her flask and glugs down Bournvita milk like a cowboy would glug down a pitcher of beer and thinks its a very done drink at our age. A holiday planner at heart, a shopper by habit, an investor with intelligence, a friend who is fun, Debita Mookerjea Ray also rustles up some really creative dishes. This recipe that she shared with me has been quite a hit with my clients and my friends already!
Stuff that you must have
1 packet of chicken lollipops
2 full tsp Ajwain or carom
1 cup yogurt
salt to taste
1 tsp full chilly glakes
2 tbsp grated cheese
1/2 tsp oil
What to do
Marinate the chicken with the yogurt, salt and ajwain/carom for an hour in a wok. Then set the wok onto the low flamed burner and cover with a lid. take the oil and warm it on the side and add it to the chicken. Let the chicken cook till it is soft. Then add the chilly flakes and increase the heat so that the sauce or the gravy starts to thicken. Now add the cheese, stir and serve.
How to serve
Set the lolipops on a flat platter. Garnish if you like for some colour with some finely chopped coriander or celery. I had served it with a beetroot puree and some whole wheat crackers.
Trivia
Ajwain or carom is also called Bishop's weed which is strangely a common name for some other plans too. The medicinal property of this plant may have been the source of this tag.
Baby Potato salad
Anecdote
Shirin claims that we did not get on when we met. This is because I came across as disapproving of her from my working-mother stand point. The tables turned quickly when she deduced that I was a pushy-mother who made her two year old ill child celebrate a birthday party with two hundred odd people when he was unwell! Tch Tch...I was a complete no-no to this Hyde park girl.
So, you bet we had a rocky start which transformed into a Grand Prix road as soon as we realized that among thin young moms we both hags had each other not to feel out of place. Then on, many other things brought us close - the fact that our boys were helpless characters, the fact that she was married to Mr. Rebecca Bloomwood, the fact that we boasted of lost (non existent really) career opportunities, the fact that she handpicked me for her special birthday bash, the fact that I got along with her other girl friends(phew!) (not easy with so many happening women and all vying for one gorgeous man's attention)...............
No kidding now, Shirin and Sujjain are one of the most affectionate and genuine people that I have ever met. We spend quite a lot of time together and still look forward to the next plan. They have two lovely homes, one of which is a country home where nature celebrates itself all around you. In one recent get-away in Karjat, Shirin tossed together this lovely potato salad. It was a rainy evening, dark and distant lights were visible from a far-away village, luscious chicken legs were roasting on the grill and this delicious potato salad was made with fresh produce and so much love.
Stuff that you must have
Baby potatoes - 20 pcs or so
A bowl of chopped fresh spring onions
A bowl of pomegranate
2 tbsp mayonnaise or sour cream
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
What to do
Boil and peel the potatoes. In a separate bowl fold in the mayonnaise and the yogurt. To this add the spring onions and 3/4 quantity of the pomegranate. Add salt and pepper. Now mix this in to the baby potatoes so that the potatoes are well coated with the sauce/dressing. Sprinkle the rest of the pomegranate and serve cold.
how to serve
Just go with the flow. Serve it anyhow.
Trivia
Potato salad is a traditional Christmas meal in Czech Republic and Slovakia. In fact each family preserves their own recipe. It is served as a side dish with fried fish, the carp or white white sausages.
Tex - Mex Lasagne
Anecdote
Samantha, the mother of my boy's best friend is someone I live in fear of. Whenever there is a plan of leaving home and running away from parents who have probably garnered up some courage to lecture or to scold on some burning issue, Samantha aunty and Johnny Uncle's house is the best option! They are the best parents in the "whole universe". Their house is the quintessential happy home. Johnny uncle plays football. Sleep-overs at their place is the best! And Samantha aunty makes us amazing food!
Well, on a serious note, agree with all of the above. A piano teacher, a lovely home-maker and a great friend, Samantha is like a gentle zephyr. Spending time with Lewises always leaves one with a feeling of calm and goodness. A few holidays, many lunches and dinners, some coffees and get-togethers down, I can vouch for Sam's niceness and her wholesome approach to life. I can also vouch for a bottomless wardrobe where interesting eclectic 'new but old" clothes come out every single time! It is truly like magic!
One such potluck a few evenings back, Sam got this delicious Tex-Mex Lasagne, an improvised recipe from Nigella Lawson's kitchen. It was devoured by all with gusto and delight.
Stuff that you must have
One packet of sweet corn
4/5 tortillas
4 large red onions, 2 chopped finely for the sauce and 2 chopped similarly for the filling.
1 kilo of boiled minced chicken (optional if you want to keep it vegetarian)
4 large tomatoes
1 cup of soaked and boiled kidney beans or 3/4 can of baked beans
A sprig of coriander stalk
2 green chillies
1 tbsp of vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp of sugar
2 tsps of red chilly powder or red chilly flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp tomato ketchup
Salt to taste(optional)
What to do
To make the sauce; Boil 2 tomatoes and grill 1 tomato for 2/3 minutes each. Skin the tomatoes and chop them. In 2 tbsp oil, fry the onions till pink. Add finely chopped green chillies. Stir for a min and add the coriander stalks. Now add salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup and vinegar. Add 4 tbsp warm water. The sauce will taste like salsa. To this add the boiled sweet corn. After 2 mins, take the sauce off the heat and keep aside.
To make the filling; In another warm wok, add 2 tbsp oil. Add the onions and fry till they are transparent. Add the chicken and stir for 4 mins in low heat. Next add the beans. If you are used baked beans, Just add salt to taste and a dash of chilly powder or red chilly flakes. If you are using kidney beans, stir in one chopped tomato, add 1/4 cup of warm water, a dash of ketch-up, salt to taste and a dash of chilly powder. For both cases, keep the filling in a low flame for 4/5 minutes.
To construct; in a round baking dish, place one tortilla and spread out some sauce and some filling, sprinkle some grated Cheddar cheese. Cover with another tortilla. Repeat till you have 4 or 5 layers. Finally on the top sprinkle some cheese.
Bake for 15 mins at 150 degrees C. Serve hot.
How to serve
Layered nicely in a transparent round bowl is just perfect.
Trivia
There are interesting theories about the origination of the Lasagne. Though famed as an Italian pasta there is a story that it was a Greek word which meant that it was a flat pasta dough cut into strips. Yet again one dates it back to 14th century England as a recipe in the reign of Richard II.
Watermelon & Roasted corn salad
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Anecdote
While most of us women can boast of being artful dressers, I find this one friend of mine pulling it off superbly. What strikes me in her self-styling is her ability to be different and yet match perfectly with an occasion. Well, this is one of her least important skills as this woman boasts of a large repertoire of life abilities.
Doctor by profession, a successful practicing pediatrician, she helps me at the oddest of hours, a good cook with a lovely home which boasts of her artistic touches, mother of two promising lads with one doing some self earning already right in the start of college, a happy and social friend who comes all the way to Andheri from Walkeshwar every time that I request her and makes time for friends and relatives for all their important occasions, and...and..and...Bela, a relatively new buddy in my longish life now (sigh!) is someone I admire very much.
While I am sharing Bela's kick-ass (pardon me but I cannot think of a more suitable adjective) salad with the most intriguing dressing, I must add that the one thing about Dr.Bela Doctor which impressed me the most is that she learnt driving only a few years back and she regularly drives all the way to Karjat come rains, come summer. Wow!
Stuff that you must have
Watermelon - cut into cubes with seeds cleaned out
Roasted corn on the cob
One large green capsicum
150 grams of cottage cheese
A sprig of coriander leaves
2 green chillies
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste(optional)
What to do
For the dressing; in a blender whisk together, crumbled cottage cheese, coriander leaves, lime juice, sugar and green chillies. Give it one quick whisk. The mix will be mildly grainy.
For the salad; take the corn off the cob with a sharop knife. Loosen the corn with your finger tips. Separately cut the capsicum into cubes so that both the watermelon and the capsicum are of the same size. Store in the fridge. When you are about to serve, throw away any extra juice that is released by the watermelon. Now add the corn. Mix in the dressing. Serve with a sprinkle of some more corn on the top. Add salt for taste though you may not require this step.
How to serve
A simple plating on a solid platter does it all. The colours of the salads provide a natural charm.
Trivia
Did you know that corn always has an even number of rows on each ear?
Cream Kadai Chicken
Anecdote
Sharmita and I are actually quite poles apart. The main difference
is that she is slim and trim, ahem, let’s not go that way about yours truly. We
almost never agree on movies. We also most often disagree on food as we almost
always like different restaurants. We dress quite differently, of course with
such different body types, what did I expect?
Having said that we are rather different, we are also pretty
similar. Our views about child rearing are almost identical. We are two women
who worked together on an equal footing and never fought. We support each other
largely, almost often, in our quest for woman power, the battle being drawn
against the spouses most often. And most importantly, there have been many moments
of shared happy banter in the last 12 years.
Sharmita claims to be a non-cook, well her husband says she never
cooks any vegetarian dishes after he has turned vegetarian!. Well, this
statement being as unfounded as it sounds, Sharmita is not much of a kitchen
person yet loves to throw parties and serve home-made meals. This is one recipe
which she had been advocating to me since two years, a specialty of her
mother, and I take my hats off to both the ladies, it is an outstanding one!
Stuff that you must have:
Chicken, a kilo, curry pcs
Ginger, 2 inches
Garlic, 8 odd pods
Turmeric powder
Tomatoes, 2 big ones
Pepper powder
Lemon juice, a tsp
Green chillies, 2
Kashmiri chilly powder
Cardamom, 3pods
Onions, 1 big
Garam masala powder
Kasuri methi
Cream, 1 cup
Salt
What to do:
Step 1
Marinate the chicken with 11/2 tsp ginger paste, 11/2 tsp garlic
paste, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp lemon juice. Keep aside
for 6 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Take 2 tomatoes and cut into big pcs. Chop 1 tsp ginger and garlic
respectively and finely. Take the green chillies, cardamom, ½ tsp Kashmiri chilly
powder and a cup of water. Cook everything together for 3 to 4 minutes. Grind to a paste. This is your
tomato paste.
Step 3
Shallow fry the marinated chicken till it is slightly brown
Step 4
In a warm wok, add oil. Now add 1 tbsp chopped ginger and 1 large
chopped onion. Fry till golden brown and soft. Now add 2 tsp Kashmiri chilly
powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp pepper powder, ½ tsp Garam masala powder
and ½ tsp Kasuri methi. Fry the masalas for 2 minutes in low flame. Now add the
tomato paste from step 2. When it simmers, add the chicken post step 3and cook
till the chicken is soft.
Step 5
Pour a cup pf fresh cream and serve garnished with coriander
leaves.
How to serve:
A very North Indian or rather Afghani tasting gravy dish, it is
best served with Roti or Paratha. Methi infused roti would be really nice. Though
we have already used methi in the gravy, the fragrance is subtle.
Trivia:
Use of cream in Indian curries, especially in meat dishes dates back
to Moghul era. This in turn was largely influenced by Afghani and Middle
eastern cuisines.
Kofta Curry
Anecdote
Shiv Talwar is a vegetarian who he eats clams. There was a time when he would devour Kavi aunty’s kofta curries and the boys, Arya and Krishan would watch with pride. Every reason to be proud, Kavi is an outstanding cook and dear dear Shiv is no ardent eater. She makes gorgeous desserts. Coconut soufflé and custard apple kheer are two recently had desserts which have kept me in a present continuous state of hankering for more. A true blue Maharashtrian, we once had an authentic home cooked meal at their Mahim residence, it was like time spent in Chatrapati Shivaji’s kitchen.
Shiv Talwar is a vegetarian who he eats clams. There was a time when he would devour Kavi aunty’s kofta curries and the boys, Arya and Krishan would watch with pride. Every reason to be proud, Kavi is an outstanding cook and dear dear Shiv is no ardent eater. She makes gorgeous desserts. Coconut soufflé and custard apple kheer are two recently had desserts which have kept me in a present continuous state of hankering for more. A true blue Maharashtrian, we once had an authentic home cooked meal at their Mahim residence, it was like time spent in Chatrapati Shivaji’s kitchen.
Kavi
and I are friends since the past few years, but the compatibility is
unmistakable. We have very similar marital
woes and hence the potential for a long standing relationship. Vivacious,
beautiful and efficient Kavi has shared this really awesome recipe. It is a
must-try!
Stuff
that you must have:
:
For
the Kofta’s (you can even make these prior and store for a day in the fridge)
1/2kg
mutton or chicken kheema (if chicken, be sure to squeeze out as much water
content as possible through a sieve)
1
finely chopped onion
1
finely chopped green chilly
2-3
tbsp chopped coriander
1
tsp each of ginger n garlic paste
1
½ tsp cardamom powder (yes, more than 1
tsp....gives the koftas a lovely kick)
1
tsp of saunf/badishop/aniseed powder (optional)
1
egg
2
slices of fresh bread crumbled (whizz pieces of fresh bread in the mixie just
enough to crumble/powder)
Salt
to taste
Oil
for shallow frying
For
the Curry
:
1
medium to large grated onion
1
finely chopped green chilly
½
tsp haldi powder
½
tsp chilly powder
1
tsp jeera / cumin powder
1
tsp dhania/ coriander powder
3 tbsp vinegar
½
cup dahi
¾
cup coconut milk
Salt
to taste
1
tbsp Oil
What
to do:
For
the Kofta’s
Combine
all the ingredients well. You may want to check the consistency and if needed,
perhaps add 1 more slice of powdered fresh bread (generally, its not required).
Bind the mixture well to form ping-pong sized balls. Shallow fry the koftas in
oil and set aside.
For
the curry
:
Heat
the oil, add the grated onion and sweat them a bit. Once a little softened n
pinkish, add the dry masalas – haldi, chilly powder, jeera powder, dhania
powder and sauté these for a bit. To this add the vinegar and mix well also add
½ cup of water at this stage. Gently add the cooked koftas and coat them well
with the curry base. Cover and cook for 5 mins to basically steam up the koftas
in the curry base. While this is happening, whip together the dahi+coconut milk
with a fork or egg beater to make a smooth solution. Add this to the koftas and
mix well. But do be light-handed with the koftas. Again cover and cook for
about 10 minutes on a slow flame.
How
to serve:
It
is a wholesome meal and is best served with parathas.
Trivia:
The
British dish ‘scotch eggs’ is inspired by the Moghul dish ‘nargisi koftas’.
Honey Infused Mushrooms
Anecdote
Taraa Vermaa Senguptaa, image consultant, ex-hospitality industry professional, mother to a
strapping fourteen year old and wife of an established theatre actor, is
totally maaaaaaaaaad about food, gourmet and street. Her family dreams, lives
and breathes food. They are in a present continuous tense of planning what to
eat next. And as I say that life is unfair, all of them are thin and fit people
who exercise because they like to.
Taraa and I are having good times together. We are both trainers by our own right in
different yet similar verticals and we often co-create and roll out programs.
Her commitment to work is what clicks with me and the ‘addas’ and ‘food talks’
are beautiful add-ons to the fruitful discussions.
We do
make money and also blow large parts of it in immediate celebratory lunches,
but, what the heck, it is all for a good cause!
This
really easy and delightfully interesting to the palette soya honey infused
mushroom is a must-try for everybody.
Stuff that you
must have:
Button
Mushrooms, one packet
Black
pepper powder, one tea spoon
Honey,
one and a half tea spoons
Garlic
cloves, 4 peeled and chopped finely
One
large onion chopped finely
Soya sauce
Cooking oil, one table spoon
Cooking oil, one table spoon
Wok
and spatula
Salt
What to do:
Warm
Olive Oil in a wok. Add the onion add in a bit the garlic. When the onion
changes colour to golden, add the chopped mushrooms. Cover with lid for 6-7
minutes. When mushroom is tender, add the honey, soya sauce, salt to taste and
stir fry. In about 3 minutes or so, add the pepper powder. In another minute
you mushroom is ready to be devoured.
How to serve:
You
can top some boiled rice with the mushroom in a flat bowl or serve it in a bowl
with some spring onions as garnish
Trivia:
There
is a type of mushroom called “Honey mushrooms” named that way because the
colour of the caps is like honey. They are not edible and are parasitical.
Moussaka
Anecdote
Gopal is an alien on earth. He
is a good husband, well at least almost all the time. To me he is like that
Dutt God, Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwar, all in one and therefore pretty
unbelievable. He cooks. He does grocery. He checks the fridge for stock. He
checks on you. He makes you hot chocolate after you have partied till the wee
hours. He makes morning tea. Okay, I shall stop my orgasmic ranting.
I don’t know why I do this to
myself but every time I am in Bangalore I am living with Kavi and Gopal and I
come back writhing in self pity and some solid anger directed at you-know-who. My
most all time memory of Gopal would be that when I was down in the dumps in
Calcutta in ’97, he, then posted in Bombay called me every morning to just say,
‘cheer up” for almost thirty days.
And girls, let me make it worse
for you, Gopal cooks non vegetarian food but is a vegetarian and is a good
looking fellar!
Stuff that you
must have & what to do:
Eggplant: preferably 2 purple, medium sized ones, sliced in
roundels
Potatoes: 3 -4 medium/large ones: sliced in roundels again...not
very thick, but not wafer thin either
Soak the roundels of eggplant and potatoes in a slight drizzle
of olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave aside for about 15 minutes
On a low flame, fry the
eggplant and potatoes on a flat skillet. The eggplant has to turn reddish
brown, while potatoes need to get golden brown. Once done, set aside: this is
the base that we will use
Tomatoes: ripe, about 4 large ones
Mince: beef or lamb....about 200 grams (add a little salt and
some freshly ground pepper and keep aside)
Garlic: freshly peeled, about 4 large pods
Onions: about 2 medium sized ones...sliced long and fine..
Parsley / Celery leaves
In a slightly deep sauce pan, fry the crushed garlic in some
olive oil, then fry the onions till they turn translucent; add tomatoes and
slow cook till they are soft and turn into a soft mash. Add the seasoned
mince...and allow to cook (covered) till all the juices dry up. Add the chopped
parsley (or celery) and leave aside
Preparing the Béchamel sauce:
1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour - ensure that it has been
sieved
3 sticks of 3" wide butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 egg yolks
2 cups of milk (preferably with cream) - warm (not hot!!)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar / Parmesan - depending on required amount of flavor
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and ensure that it is warm
- Whisk in the flour slowly, stirring to ensure that there are
no lumps (on low heat)
- Keep whisking and adding flour till it has all blended in the
initial stage, It will blend to smoothness, and then as the density of the
flour increases, it will tend to become flaky - not to worry...(on low heat)
- As once the flour is added, slowly add in the warm milk and
keep whisking...till you have a smooth, flowing sauce.
- Remove from heat, whisk in the beaten egg and the egg yolks
and whisk away...till all ingredients are blended.
- Keep warm and add the cheese. Cover and set aside
For the final assemble:
-In a baking dish - preferably rectangular. Grease the bottom
and sides with butter
- Put in one layer of the fried potatoes, then one layer of the
egg plant, one layer of the meat & tomato sauce - then the next layer of
eggplant and meat sauce.
- Pour the Béchamel sauce ensuring that it covers the top of the
dish completely (some of it should seep through the layers below..and that is
good :)!
- Top with some more cheese
- Bake at 250 to 270 deg C for about 20 minutes - the top should
be golden brown
- Take off from heat, rest for about 15-20 minutes
Moussaka is ready to serve
How to serve:
As in the picture assemble in a
baking bowl, preferably rectangular in shape.
Trivia:
Moussaka
is the best known of all Greek foods. Greeks believe that Moussaka was
introduced when the Arabs brought the eggplant, although Arabs, especially in
Lebanon, think of it dish as a Greek dish. Moussaka is also found in Turkey.
Slow Cooked Mutton Roast
Anecdote
I am chauvinistic. I like it when a man cooks. In my case, sigh (!) this man, is my bro. We were all of 14 and 11 when we took to food and its various possibilities. We poured over books and magazines. Wine and entertainment was purchased from road-side stalls and the different salads and cheeses were read and re-read. Ikea tables would be nailed together in our heads and bowls of beautiful food would be laid out. I would even use a red-checked table cover and often be picnicking by a stream.
Dadabhai, the brother, elder was always into meats. He would sulk with the bard in the last frame of every Asterix because he was not getting to gorge on the pig roast. While in Koh Samui, when we attended a beach regatta party, I saw a live demo of that frame, and I was whisked back to those post dinner nights when he would wistfully look at Obelisk digging into that tied and barbequed meat delight. These days he has some Sunday evening favourites, prawn cocktail, the Kolkata Mocambo way, risotto, paella and mutton roasts. One weekend afternoon, I decided to pay heed to his self proclamation and telephoned him for this P C Sarkar recipe where the oven is not used. The mutton roast.
Stuff that you must have:
Mutton, a kg cut in roast pieces
Whole onions, about 4
Tomato 1
Whole pepper
Butter
Cooking oil
What to do:
Put together the mutton, the onions cut into halves, a tea spoon of whole peppers, 8 glasses of water, salt to taste, one tomato in a large deep pan and set it to boil. Do the same for a whole hour. Now take aside the mutton pieces and strain the broth. Fry each piece of mutton to a light golden brown. Simultaneously strain the broth. Once all the meat has been fried, serve them in a large semi flat bowl. Go back to the broth and thicken it. Add pepper powder, check the salt and in the end throw in a dollop of butter. Pour the hot golden liquid into the meat bowl. Serve hot.
How to serve:
Just in a large semi flat glass or ceramic bowl. Some chopped parsley or rosemary for garnish. Some warm dinner rolls or sliced multi grain bread to go with. Yes, add a side salad. This makes a friendly Sunday lunch. Prefer it to be a sit down meal.
Trivia:
Lamb, hogget and mutton are the meat of domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget and later mutton. Lamb is the most expensive. The sheep is then less than a year old. Mutton is a female ewe or a castrated male sheep. And if you are a Jew, then don’t bring your dairy products close to your meat table. The Jews are so particular about this that often uses different kitchens to ensure this separation.
Sesame potatoes
Anecdote
My 9 AM phone call friend, five years younger and mom to a living doll is the owner of this chapter. Ishani is not obedient about following recipes. She will not put in all the ingredients listed in a recipe. She will add a twist or not add a critical something. She will do all of these illegal acts and be blasé about the same much to my chagrin. And almost always and most annoyingly, this kitchen queen will create a gorgeous dish.
Every Monday morning, while we compare notes about our weekends, we discuss the food that had been devoured in thorough detail. And again invariably some magical new recipe gets discovered and patented. On one such long distance long call, Ishani gave me this wondrous recipe.
Because I am very obedient (which Ishani finds very “40’s” about me) each time that I have followed her instructions, my guests have taken home this recipe like a take-back gift.
Stuff that you must have:
Baby potatoes
Sesame
Tomato ketch-up
Cooking oil
Wok and spatula
Salt
What to do:
Boil about half a Kilogram of baby potatoes, skin them and massage them with a dash of salt. Keep them aside for a couple of hours. Warm about 2 table spoons of oil in a wok. When warm throw in 2 table spoon heaps of white sesame. The seeds start sputtering and turning into a mild golden hue. Add half a cup of tomato ketch-up. Very quickly thrown in the potatoes and stir fry. Add salt to taste. Toss around for 3-4 minutes and you are done. Good to serve 10 adults.
How to serve:
This carbo-creation is good as starters and as a side dish. Its duality does not end here. It compliments continental food and also oriental cuisine. It can be served on flat square (just to create contrasting shape images) trays with tooth-picks or small fruit forks. It tastes tangy and curiously different.
Trivia:
According to Assyrian legend, when the Gods met to create the world, they drank wine made from sesame seeds.
“Open Sesame”, the famous phrase from Arabian Nights, reflects the distinguishing feature of the sesame pod, which bursts open when it reaches maturity.
Mushroom pate
Anecdote
I met
Neha in our children's school. Weird but somehow whenever I saw her, I
knew that one day we would know each other more than just be sharing road space
on St. Cyril Road. My astrological prowess was proved accurate. Many dinners,
lunches and one potluck followed.
In
that potluck, she served us mushroom pate on Melba toast. The pate looked murky
and grey. One would think it looked rather helpless sitting there on tiny
toasts as though it was saying “I am sorry but I forgot my blush-on today”. The
tray was going around the room. I could see some reservation and intrigue, as
the little platters got picked up. And quickly, oh so quickly, it was my turn.
The little antipasto went right into my mouth without further ado.
And
lo behold! It was pure delish!
Neha
finally gave me the recipe on a tissue at potpourri (am told Lemon Grass has
taken that place over, such a pity! They made the best duck bruschettas) and
this is how it is done.
Stuff that you must have:
Mushroom
Black pepper powder
Grated mozzarella
Garlic cloves, peeled
Olive oil
Wok and spatula
Salt
What to do:
Warm 2 table spoons of Olive Oil in a wok. Add the garlic pods. Within less than a minute add the chopped mushrooms, 2 packets. Add salt to taste and generous (2 table spoons) amount of black pepper powder. Stir fry on a medium flame till the mushroom cooks. This would be for about 4-5 minutes. Add the grated cheese and take the wok off the flame. Cool the mushroom till it is at room temperature. Taste for salt and pepper. At this point I usually throw in about one tea spoon of pepper powder. Once cool, blend the mushroom till it is pasty like a pate. Good to serve 10 adults.
How to serve:
Option 1: Spread it on Melba toasts
Option 2: Spread it on crackers. Dress it up with half an olive.
Option 3: Serve in a bowl with a sprig of fresh parsley on top with some pita bread in case you are doing Lebanese food.
Option 4: Do your own thing. Its fun.
Trivia:
Pâté (pronounced pah-TAY) is French for "pie." Gerad Depardieu, the veteran French star once confessed that his bizarre friendship with the former Cuban leader Fidel Castro was based on their bonding over their shared love of pate.
Grilled Basa With Spinach
Anecdote
Who says old friendships are the only friendships? Shalina, an
actor by passion, is my most recent friend. Sharing is not always easy,
especially the non materialistic type. This was was easy. It came easily. And
it has been fun.
Shalina like me enjoys her food, both to eat and to cook. But
unlike me she stays fit. Sometime during the times of yore, she
grappled with over-weight issues. This yoga expert, weights pusher and
gym-freak has many innovative healthy food ideas. One such is the recipe below.
This delicious disarming dish is a lot like the way she styles herself. Her
winning quotient is casual charm and easy attractiveness.
My biggest disconnect with Shals was her love for dogs, she pets
strays and I am mortally petrified of pets. Sigh, very again disarmingly,
she has won that battle too! Now I order her huge dog (read tiger) around and
play ball with him which I prise out from his mouth.
Stuff that you
must have:
Spinach, 2
bundles
Garlic, a
few cloves
Bassa, half
a kg
Chick pea, 75 grams
Tomato, 1
large
Dry red
chilli, 1
Garlic, a
few pods
Olive Oil
Oregano
White vinegar
Mexican spice, a few spoons. Available in any
gourmet store
What to do:
Spinach - chop roughly, crush 2-3 cloves garlic. Add garlic in
heated pan (no oil) just dry roast, then add spinach. Let it cook in the water
given out by the spinach. Use full flame, no cover, or will remain very watery.
The idea is not to overcook the spinach. So don't cook till its dark green and
all completely wilted. Also one can avoid salt when cooking this way as spinach
contains its own salt. Salt last can be added if one feels the need to.
Optional: can add 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
Fish - Cut bassa (or any boneless fish) into 3-4
inch pieces. Pat dry and add Mexican spice and little salt. (always check
if the spices have pre-added salt). Put aside for 1/2 hr. Cook fish by
grilling. Or can also pan cook in 1 spoon olive oil. Bassa cooks very fast.
Cook fish till slightly brown on the outside.
Chickpea sauce: This is a very nutritous and filling sauce that is
also often used in pastas in place of the white cheese sauce. This one is a
modified version. So since this is a dinner menu and some of us want to
avoid 'carbs' for dinner, this is a good thing to use as its so filling.
Soak a large handful of chckpeas for 2-3 hrs (or more). Drain.
Blend together chickpeas, one dry red chilli, 1 raw tomato, salt to taste, 2
cloves garlic (or depending on taste..if you are partial to garlic , you can
add 4-5), 1 tsp white vinegar, little water and grind to a paste.
In a thick pan heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and add the paste, some
oregano and cook for a min or two. Don't allow it to get lumpy. Has to be a
smooth paste.
Tomatoes: Slice in rounds. Grill with some dried basil or parley
(fresh if available) and salt sprinkled over them. They cook in about one or
two minutes.
How to serve:
Before serving squeeze lime on fish. Use fresh
parsley to garnish if you like.
Trivia:
Spinach was the first frozen vegetable to be sold.
Chicken Schnitzels
Anecdote
Kavi has always surprised me. She defies so many stereotypes but does not appear to be a maverick at all.
Kavita urf Kavi is a member of the spice girls that I have referred to earlier. When we started out in 1994, two things happened. I found one of my best friends ever. India business environment inadvertently found one of its best investments.
She sings Carnatic music beautifully, does weights almost for a living, goes ballistic when she sees cars and dogs, travels the world, earns mega bucks and takes down recipes even before sampling the food.
I have spent some of the craziest and funnest times of my life with her. She is one hell of a lady at everything she does, especially in being my all time well-wisher. A vegetarian by birth and family practice, she shares a very easy-to-do chicken schnitzel recipe.
Stuff that you must have:
Chicken breast pieces
Salt
Chlli powder
Pepper powder
Eggs
Bread Crumbs
What to do:
Make 2 fine fillets out of each breast piece. Pound the fillet flat, care do not damage the meat. Marinate the flattened fillets in salt , pepper powder and chilli powder to taste. Dip in egg (both white and yellow ) beaten well. Roll in bread crumbs. Deep fry in oil (ensure it is hot).
How to serve:
Serve with fried egg or omlette, mashed potatoes, German potato salad or French fries.
Trivia:
The schnitzel is originally an Austrian dish if made with veal most popularly in Vienna or a German dish if made with pork. However when made with chicken, it is most well known in Australia. In UK, the chicken schnitzel is referred to as the escalope.
Chick Pea & Carrot Salad
Anecdote
Rupa and Sandeep invited us to their beautiful new home. The décor and theme was a lovely white, quite like the quintessentially white, Simi Garewal. Every room and corner was simple and tasteful. With this couple, time spent is always high on qualities like family bonding, easy banter and shared stories about growing boys.
The same evening, we enjoyed an equally tasteful vegetarian meal. This salad was the winner of the meal. I borrowed the recipe while I was attacking my plate.
Stuff that you must have:
1 cup boiled chick peas
1 large carrot cleaned and grated
Half a handful of raisins
1 tea spoons mustard seeds
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
2 sprigs of curry leaves, chopped
What to do:
In a non-stick pan take 2 tea spoons of oil. Once heated, throw in the mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves while the seeds are sputtering. Add the chick peas. Stir and toss with some salt to taste. Sprinkle the lime juice. In about 2 minutes, add the fresh grated carrot. Stir fry for another minute. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.
How to serve:
On the side of any grill or as a salad with Indian food.
Trivia:
Chickpeas alias garbanzo beans are not always beige in colour. They also come in black, green, red and brown. They give you energy to burn while stabilizing blood sugar. The botanical name for chick peas is Cicer arietinum having being derived from Aries (the Ram) referring to the unique shape of the seed that resembles a ram’s head.
A German writer in 1793 mentioned that ground roast chickpeas were the best substitute for coffee in Europe and are still used as such in several parts of the world.
Egg Samosas
Kanchana's unique appealing proposition is her ever zealous penchant to learn. She is always in the path of learning and does not hesitate to admit that she did not or does not know. Always on a path of progression, this freelance corporate writer therefore loves what is new. New fashion, new cuisine, new technology and new parenting comes naturally to her. Thankfully, what still hold ground in the old is her man!
Kanchana decided not to be my friend. Instinctively she liked what she saw but other factors deterred her. Let the factors be a mystery for now, and let me introduce you to this very pretty English looking Bengali buddy of mine.
Kanchana decided not to be my friend. Instinctively she liked what she saw but other factors deterred her. Let the factors be a mystery for now, and let me introduce you to this very pretty English looking Bengali buddy of mine.
The fact that mother and son went on a trek to eat a goat cheese salad in a tiny obscure cafe in Barcelona just because Abhi aunty had said it was pure heaven is a case in point.
(From 6 eggs, you can easily make about 13-14 samosas )
6 Boiled eggs, chopped into very small pieces
1 Large Onion chopped finely
3 Green chillies chopped finely (this varies on taste)
Salt and pepper powder.
What to do:
In a non-stick pan take some oil. Heat it. Put the chopped onions and sauté till glossy. Add green chillies. Mix well and then add the chopped boiled eggs. Mix very well. Then add salt and pepper powder. Make sure that egg-onion mixture is very mixed and a little oily. After it is done, let it cool. Put some salt and oil in flour and prepare dough like you would when you make puris. Then make flour balls of slightly large size and roll out a big circle. Cut the circle into half. Lift one half and hold it like a cup between your thumb and forefinger. Spoon in the egg mixture and seal the mouth of the dough cup. You should form small triangular samosas. The samosas shouldn’t be too big or too small. Pour oil in a wok. Heat it very well and then deep fry the samosa. Your egg samosa is now ready. Serve it hot with tomato sauce.
How to serve:
Serve it hot with tomato sauce.
Trivia:
Samosas originated in Central Asia in the 10th century and came to India via traders. Ibn Battuta is said to written about the samosa as a part of the third course of a meal served with pulao in the court of Muhammed bin Tughluq. Samosas in most parts of the world are filled with potatoes or onions or meat or chicken. However the egg filling is found in Indonesia.
Fig & Honey Cake
Anecdote
Rati Bose my first best friend ever. We met each other in a back-of-beyond colony of Nagpur where our fathers were posted and our mothers partied. We use to pee together as we shared a common fear of the dark and mean horrible cruel ghosts. A habit we dropped back then, but we continue to groan over our mean horrible cruel husbands and are still afraid of the dark. We were also afraid of our own and each others’ mothers because imparting discipline was carte blanche among the “aunties” in Nagpur, and this trauma is even today a talking point between us.
Rats is a super woman today, she juggles a job with two kids and self cooks twenty dishes for any visitor, a facet that comes from years and years of conditioning, a bug that I escaped, fortunately. She gyms, cycles and over- manages (read micro manages) all crisis situations but she cannot cross a road.
As kids we used to make home-made squash flavoured ice cubes and freeze them in bottle caps held tightly by broom sticks. We would charge for these chilled pieces of God-drops like she would charge her father for plucking his white hair. Quite the business woman, dessert making starting early and is still a flair. Try this quick and healthy recipe; it will become your weekend family ritual.
Stuff that you must have:
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 tea spoons of vanilla essence
½ cup dry chopped figs
2 teaspoons baking powder
Cold milk
Salt
Lemon juice
Honey
1 cup Flour
What to do:
Beat the sugar with the eggs and the vanilla essence.
Add 1 cup heaped flour which has 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Fold it in with the wet mixture. Add dry chopped figs, a pinch of salt, cold milk till you attain the desired consistency. Add in a squeeze of lemon juice and some honey. Baking time would be 45 minutes and voila!
How to serve:
At tea time with a cuppa or as a dessert with some white ice cream or with some whipped cream.
Trivia:
The fig was a Cleopatra favourite. It is the only fruit to ripen on a tree and is actually a flower inverted into itself. Yet again, the secret behind Cleopatra's beautiful skin was her baths with milk and honey. What do you know, the Egyptian queen would surely have loved this cake.
Marshy Nut And Fruit Icecream
Ravinder nicknamed Goga came for an interview in a crisp silk saree, wreathed in poise and wrapped in glamour. She conducted herself so well, that I felt my fellow panelists were regretting their early decision to make me Assistant Manager. She was sure of herself alright. She had a way with things and people and always knew how to complete tasks.
It took us one and a half days to manage this stoic boss-subordinate equation. One crisis incident and I was an intimate part of her life battles. The next few months unfolded into a riot. Purple lingerie, animal printed inners, innumerable lies (to fathers and husbands) and crazy night-outs followed. Spice girls was the label given by the CEO to us three mad women who were workoholics during the day and wild at night.
Goga was used to insanity. Her brother would do things like painting an extra inverted red arrow to ensure that the street to his home was a two-way street. They had a parrot at home who would repeat everything after everybody. She was a maverick who conformed to sikh rituals so much that she would put off overtures from interesting prospective men because they were not committed to the five “K”s. Now in Sydney married to J D Singh, she stands at her verandah and waves at the Sikhs driving to the gurdwara and raises two gorgeous kids!
Gogs gave me this easy peasy japaneasy and perfectly yum recipe, a must try for all kid families!
Stuff that you must have:
1 Tub thickened cream
1 Can condensed milk
1 big block Cadburys Fruit & Nut chocolate
1 packet Marshmallows
What to do:
Whip the cream and add the condensed milk
Put the marshmallows in the microwave stirring till it melts
Add the marshmallows to the cream and condensed milk
Crush the chocolate and add to the mixture
Put into freezer to set
How to serve:
Hey its icecream….play around with it. Cones , bowls, cups, sticks..everything works!
Trivia:
Marshmallow as a candy dates all the way back to Egypt, about 2000 BC. The ancient Egyptians are believed to have discovered a wild herb growing in marshes from which a sweet substance could be extracted and made into a very special confection reserved only for the pharaohs and gods. The Egyptians used a honey based candy and thickened it with the sap of the marsh mallow plant (althea officinalis)….hence the name marshmallow.
Date Carrot Cake
Anecdote
Kavery Subbiah Ganapathy has a hat stand at home. She also serves
home -made ginger wine with awesome cup cakes. She belongs to Kodagu popularly
anglicised as Coorg. Like the people of her land, Kavery has a distinct
ethnicity of her own. A practicing Buddhist, mother of two, and an ex-colleague
turned long-time buddy of mine, Kavery loves baking. We have shared some real
quality time pouring over baking books, trying recipes and sharing best
practices.
Yet, seventeen years later, am I glad that they dropped the moving
to London plan.
Stuff that you must have:
2 eggs
1 cup of finely grated carrot
1 cup flour
¾ cup cooking oil
Half teaspoon cooking soda
Half teaspoon baking powder
Half teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons finely chopped dates
2 tablespoons powdered cashew nuts
Half cup powdered sugar
Half cup powdered sugar
What to do:
Mix the cashew powder, carrot and date. Let us call it mixture A.
Separately mix the flour, baking powder and the cooking soda and pass this
through a sieve. Add cinnamon powder to this. Let us call this mixture B.
Now separate eggs. Whip them separately. Once the egg white is kind of stiff,
add the beaten yolk. Slowly add oil. Add the sugar and fold it in. Fold in the A mixture. Once folded, add B
mixture. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Then bake at 150 degrees till the
needle passes through unscathed.
How to serve:
This is not really a cake that you cut at a birthday. It is more
of a dessert that you serve with some vanilla ice cream or some cream out of a
jug. It is very tasty served cold. In fact, it tastes yummier the next day.
Trivia:
The reason why most of the carrots we buy today
are orange dates from the 17th century, when the House of Orange decided
that the orange carrot was a great emblem and symbolic of the
struggle for Dutch independence – and it became the carrot of
choice amongst Dutch breeders.
Also, the phallus-shaped carrot has been
associated with sexual stimulation since ancient times and was used by early
Middle Eastern royalty to aid seduction.
Meringue Pie
Anecdote
My husband claims that I normally don’t get along with women who
do not bitch about their spouses.
Now that’s not true! But when Madhulina said at a tea-party that
her role model was her husband while others were awarding the title to their
fathers or to Mother Teresa, many of us pounced on her as though she had just
announced an extra-marital relationship. Poor “M” (referred to as by this Mr.
Bond, the in-question husband) found herself finding excuses to defend this
sudden declaration of romance to a pack of aggressive suspecting women.
Sumantra and Madhulina have had us over many a time at their very
elegant and alluring Calcutta-Victorian-styled home. A couple of such
evenings have ended with this equally alluring meringue pie. Brought in on a
cross-legged old-fashioned portable table, this picturesque pie is as welcoming
visually as it is deeply satisfying to the palette.
Stuff that you must have:
4 egg whites
1 cup of castor sugar
3 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
What to do:
Heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Beat egg whites till soft peaks
start appearing. When stiff. Fold in vinegar and corn flour. Spread mixture in
a greased baking tray. Bake for 40 minutes till pale and crisp. Cool in the
oven. Add chilled fruits and cream before serving.
How to serve:
On a large flat dish plate. A compatible knife to carve it and a
spatula like flat serving spoon to serve it.
Trivia:
Meringues used like cookies are baked at a very low heat for a
long time. One name for them is "Forgotten Cookies" as they can be
left in a gas oven for long periods of time after the cooking is done.
Apple Snow
Mrs. Krishna Basu is my Mami-in-law. At twenty four I wore tight jeans and tight shirts. So when MIL told me to wear a saree in a train journey to Bangalore to impress this Mami, I was very admissibly peeved. Apprehensions in my heart, irritation in my mind and a placating husband in tow, the train arrived at Bangalore station with Mami at the platform, dressed in jeans and a Fab-India Kurta, gifts in hand and a warm hug in her plans.
We spent every Sunday at her place for the next four years. She made pastries & pies, curries & cutlets, jams & jellies, and was quite the dessert queen. “Krish Chocolates”, retailed at Bangalore club were her delightful creations too. You could get apricot syrup in the middle of December in her larder and probably fresh mango pulp in the middle of January. I don’t live in Bangalore any more but I suspect that even in her early seventies, Mami’s kitchen is still the Julia Child’s kitchen that one would always want to raid.
Stuff that you must have:
Fresh cream
Vanilla Ice-cream
Nougat (can be replaced by Indian Chickies)
Vanilla extract or essence
Red Apples
What to do:
Whip about two soup sized bowls. Fold in vanilla ice-cream in equal proportion. Whisk the two till the consistency is creamy. Separately ground about a cup of nougat to small rough bits, do not make it dusty, they should be crunchy. Add to the creamy mixture. Just before serving add in about three grated apples into the mix. You must only grate the apples just before serving the dessert else the grated apple will release unnecessary water.
How to serve:
You can serve the dish cold in separate dessert bowl. Dress it up with a slice of apple on the rim to create some drama.
Trivia:
Snow cream is also called a dessert that falls from the sky. It used to be a child's winter novelty, the stuff of snow days, reloading after a snowball fight and impatiently watching flakes accumulate in a bowl the mother had set outside. Making snow cream is simple: Mix together freshly fallen snow; milk, cream, or condensed milk; sugar; and vanilla. (Some recipes call for the addition of whole raw eggs, making the snow cream custardy.) This homemade cousin of slushes, shaved ice and sorbet might not dazzle the palate, but it is a low-budget, traditional treat of the Mid-Atlantic.
However cream based snow desserts, as this recipe, became quite fashionable in Europe way back in 15th and 16th century.
Cauliflower Roast
Anecdote
When my brother got married, it was an arranged affair, arranged largely by yours truly, he had laid out a condition. That his in-laws should be more into food than we were and that his wife making diced potato curry cooked with black cumin seeds to be devoured with fattening flour puris would be a good to have. Now, archaic as this traditional desire of his sounded, we all laughed along and inadvertently found him a perfect match.
Mashi, in our community is a generic term for an aunt though the dictionary representation is mother’s sister. I however refer to Mashi in this chapter, to my brother’s mother-in-law who gave this cauliflower concoction recipe to my mother who then passed it on to me. So, I bring to you Mashi’s cauliflower roast the recipe of which Ashwini, my suave investment banker friend, requested to be passed on further.
Stuff that you must have:
Cauliflower
Tomato puree
Ginger and onion paste
Tomato ketch-up
Wostershire sauce
Salt
Sugar
Cooking oil
What to do:
In a large bowl par boil large chunks of cauliflower, one cut into 6-8 large pieces in salt water. Drain the water out and wipe the florets. Warm oil in a wok and golden fry the florets. Make a paste of 2 onions and 1 and a half inch of ginger. In warm oil, add in the paste after seasoning the oil with 4 whole cardamoms and a half inch long stick of cinnamon. Stir the paste so that it cooks till it releases drops of oil in the wok sides. Add a tetra pack of tomato puree. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the florets and dry roast in the wok. Add salt to taste. This will be a 4 minute process. Add a pinch of sugar, 3 tea spoons of tomato ketch-up and 2 tea spoons of worcester sauce. Stir for another minute or two and you are done.
How to serve:
Like any roast set the dish out in a large semi flat glass or ceramic bowl. You can serve some French fries in the side of the same bowl just for some carb kicks. Best had with bread or even some carrot rice.
Trivia:
Though the 'Cauliflower' is low in fat and high on vitamin A, it has not been treated well in English literature. Mark Twain called the cauliflower nothing but 'cabbage with a college education'.
Mushrooms On A Bed Of Potatoes
Anecdote
In 1993, I met Sakina. She was a Bombay girl, whole and soul. She had attitude, spunk and panache and she made no bones about anything. With the same gusto she played pictionary as she conducted groups to gather consumer insights for brands of tea, gum or stationary. To win on a board game she could kill. Even throw a stapler at an opponent.
Sakina made our first years of work and marriage very lively. Even after nineteen years, Nitu and I, the MARG wives, remember pictionery and her so fondly. On one such fun and laughter night, Sakina made us this sumptuous bake in her Domlur flat. Nostalgia and mushrooms come hand in hand for me ever since.
Stuff that you must have:
4 large Potatoes
Two packets of button mushrooms
Butter
Ground Pepper
Salt
2 large onions
10 pods of garlic
What to do:
Wet wipe the mushrooms. Avoid washing mushrooms as water takes the
flavour away. Chop them into medium sized slices. Longitudinally slice the
onions. Chop the garlic. Warm olive oil in a wok. Throw in the onions till they
turn pink. Drop the garlic. Stir fry briefly. Add the chopped mushrooms. Cook
in high flame, add salt to taste and a generous amount of ground pepper. Now
reduce the flame for about three to four minutes. The mushroom will release a
bit of dark sauce. Take the wok off the flame.
Boil potatoes. Peel and mash when they are hot. Add butter, salt and a bit of pepper powder. Smoothly make a base with a bit of milk.
Pour in the mushroom on top of the bed of potatoes. Dress with some grated mozzarella.
Bake in a hot oven for five minutes.
How to serve:
Bake it in a dish which can be served. Some fochachio bread is a great accompaniment for this wholesome dish.
Trivia:
Did you know that mushrooms are used to denote various life-changing concepts in proverbs in various countries? Some examples would be;
Asparagus and mushrooms teach a chef humility, Sicily
It's better to eat a mushroom in freedom than to eat meat in slavery, Africa
Without stooping down for the mushroom, you cannot put it in your basket, Russia
The wedding feast is not made with mushrooms only, Spain
If the hunter comes back with mushrooms, don't ask him how his hunt was, Ghana
Once the mushroom has sprouted from the earth, there is no turning back.
Beans Al Dente
Anecdote
Our boys went to the same play school. We had never met. In an age when mothers were truly clued on, we were the mavericks. We hardly went to school. We almost never picked up our kids. We knew very few peers. We hardly did play dates. So, when Ash invited me for her son’s birthday party, introduced herself as a co-Bong and a co-entrepreneur, I was amused. I was skeptical about my attendance at the party. To top it all it was on a Sunday. Smart-quick that she is, her parting shot, “If you don’t come for my son’s birthday, I won’t come to yours” clinched the deal.
Ash brought a lot to my life in small and large ways. She took me to a celebrity bungalow for lemon grass tea uninvited (both of us), introduced me to mosquito patches from Watsons, showed me how to fight out issues with a friend and still have the friend, dragged me to my first Kala Ghoda festival and fed me Beans Al Dante. This was on a weekday afternoon when we were having Thai green curry with plain rice and coke.
Stuff that you must have:
French beans, fresh ones
Soya sauce, dark
Salt
Sugar
Cooking oil
What to do:
Boil about half a Kilogram of cleaned fresh French beans. Actually par-boil it. While boiling add a pinch of salt. While its still crunchy, drain out the hot water and wash the beans in ice cold water. Wipe them dry and set them aside till serving time. If required, you can refrigerate the beans. Just before serving, warm about 2 table spoons of oil in a wok. Add a pinch of salt and half a tea spoon of sugar. Immediately thrown in the beans and stir fry. Add one table spoon of the soya sauce. Stir fry for a minute and serve them fresh.
How to serve:
Beans never tasted so good, Jack would say. I have many friends to vouch for that. You can serve them with Thai, Continental and Chinese food or with omlettes for breakfast. They look the best in pastel shaded deep bowls. My animal eating spouse absolutely loves them. These need no reference certificate from nobody.
Trivia:
In cooking, the Italian expression al dente describes pasta and (less commonly) rice or beans that have been cooked so as to be firm but not hard. "Al dente" also describes vegetables that are cooked to the "tender crisp" phase - still offering resistance to the bite, but cooked through. It is often considered to be the ideal form of cooked pasta. Keeping the pasta firm is especially important in baked or "al forno" pasta dishes. The term comes from Italian and means "to the tooth" or "to the bite", referring to the need to chew the pasta due to its firmness. The term is also very commonly used as a name for Italian restaurants around the world.
A 1 Minute Dip
Anecdote
Sarbani and I wore gold dust for parties at eighteen. Flowery printed frocks, mismatched lipsticks and mismatched men. We met early in life and there was no going back. We indulged in many things together, college, economics, 6 AM phone calls, junk jewellery, early marriages, corporate careers and motherhood.
I taught her the best way to make Khao Suey. Or so as I thought. Because Sarbani’s mind has hands, legs and a mouse of its own. She insisted on making Khao Suey minus the coconut milk. To my absolute horror she wanted to make a broth with gram flour and use that as the principle medium. I would politely nod when she would make these bizarre suggestions and meekly protest too as I am a die-hard conformist.
Sarbani pursues life with passion and euphoria. She also perfects whatever she does and leaves no detail unnoticed. She writes, she works, she runs a home, she learns, she reads, she parties, she smokes and she lives. She taught me how to make this dip with a twist.
PS: And she has invited me for dinner next Saturday where the main course is Khao Suey.
Stuff that you must have:
Cheese Spread
Sour yogurt or sour cream
Garlic paste
Chillie flakes
Olive oil
What to do:
· Preparation time: 1 minute
· Take 4-5 table spoons of cheese spread + 1 tablespoon of sour yoghurt or sour cream. Add half a teaspoon of garlic paste and sprinkle chilli flakes on it. Whip with a fork. This mixture should neither be too thick, nor too thin – the consistency of humus, I would say. Set it in a pretty bowl, then add olive oil to it. The olive oil will float above the cheese paste. Dip the bread through the oil and into the paste before devouring it. The taste is a surprise in your mouth.
How to serve:
In a pretty bowl. Accompanied by bread (assorted or sticks) or anything else actually. Maybe vegetable sticks or wafers or crackers. It’s an instant hit at a party, goes well with wine - or anything really! Try Pita.
Trivia:
Alton Brown, the author of several cooking how-to books, suggests that a dip is defined based on its ability to "maintain contact with its transport mechanism over three feet of white carpet".
Dip is a very widespread food. Forms of dip are eaten all over the world. The name comes from the fact that you don’t spread this sauce on the food but you “dip” the food into the sauce.
Cabbage Onion Cutlets
Anecdote
A collector of recipe books and art, Sharda is my aspirational buddy. She is a perfect ten. When many of us were lolling around in college, she applied her high IQ and admitted herself to one of the most coveted business schools in the country. This was the stepping stone to a hot-shot career as a corporate employee and then a corporate entrepreneur. She looks gorgeous, keeps a gorgeous home and is bringing up a gorgeous daughter.
She has also achieved the impossible, she has a gorgeous hubby!
We go way back. She has always encouraged my passion for cooking food. This recipe is also a note from encouragement from Sharda.
Stuff that you must have:
Sorghum or jowar
Wheat
Gram flour or besan
Cabbage
Onions
Cumin or Jeera powder
Ginger garlic paste
Garam masala powder
Fennel powder or saunf
Turmeric or haldi powder
Green chilli paste
Water
What to do:
In a mixing bowl, mix jowar , wheat and besan in proportions of 2:1:1. Add thinly sliced cabbage and onions, a cup each. Take 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon of green chilli paste, 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder, 1 tea spoon of haldi powder, 1 teaspoon of jeera powder and 2 tea spoons of saunf. Add to the mixture in the bowl. Now add the vegetables. Add water enough to bind the dough. Now grease your palm with a bit of oil and make oblong shapes. When ready to eat, please shallow fry the cutlets.
How to serve:
It is a great tea time snack. Just fry and serve hot with maybe some tamarind or coriander chutney.
Trivia:
The word ‘cutlet’ did not originate from the word ‘cut”. Rather it was born from the French word côtelette, which in turn comes from the word coste meaning rib. The cutlet is a part of cusines from most parts of the world, American, Iranian, Indian, Australian, Russian, Britsh, Japanese, Austrian, Polish, Italian and Hongkong.
Karah Prasad
Anecdote
Gunnu and Sweety are 'sardars' from Calcutta. They speak in Bengali at home, do “Guru Nanakji ka path” every morning, eat authentic Bengali food like mustard fish and prawn in coconut milk for lunch, celebrate “bandhs” and their main doorbell ringtone is “Wahe guru satnaam, satnaam wahe guru”.
Gunnu hates cooking. Even omlettes are a nightmare for her. She could have wrangled some more deals out of her rich husband had she got past this pre-decided vocal hatred. She cannot understand why anyone would want to sweat in the kitchen instead of sleeping or shopping, for clothes and jewellery, no home shopping for her!
Having detracted culinary passion from my darling girl friend, I must say that Gurbir Ahluwalia alias Gunnu, also makes the most outstanding ‘Suji halwa’. It is sweet, drenched in ghee and it transports you to a ‘langar’ in Amritsar.
Stuff that you must have:
1 cup atta
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
Ghee accordingly
What to do:
Add the sugar to water and boil to make a chashni. Separately bhoono the atta in adequate ghee till it turns brown. Add the chachni to the atta and bhoono again. The halwa will start leaving the kadai on its own. Serve.
How to serve:
Serve with puris.
Trivia:
The "Karah Prashad" is made as the sacred pudding in a 'langar'. During the process of cooking, the maker has to recite the sikh scripts. At the end, the pudding is blessed with ardaas.
Binoculars, A bread Savoury
Nitu and Viraj are our first
friends after marriage. They are also two absolutely nutty people who are super
bright and super nice. With these guys there are some amazing memories. Viraj
and I would argue on everything, food, movies, actors, singers, books, you name
it! 19 years later, the other day when Aayush and his dad had a spat, he came
to me crying, ‘why did you not marry Viraj, why did you marry Dadda?’
The police would catch us
because the pillion rider was wearing the helmet and we would argue in half
Kannada because we would not want to pay the fine. So many more stories tucked
into our memories, Nitu remains the same spirited warm and funny girl with a
zest for life and zing for food. She can give us all a run for our money for
her versatility. In India for the past few years, mother of two, she has been
in a hot shot IT based corporate career, wears sarees, plays the tabla and wants to pursue a career in
acting. As eclectic as her personality she has shared this interesting recipe
called the binoculars or the doorbeen.
Stuff that you must
have:
1 loaf of white bread
175 grams of French beans
175 grams of carrots
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 chopped onion
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon tomato ketchup
100 grams grated cheese
What to do:
Cut
the French and carrots into small pieces and boil them.
Heat
oil, add onions and fry a little.
Add
garlic and fry for a minute.
Add
the boiled veggies, tomato ketchup, chilli powder, half of grated cheese and
salt. Cook for a minute. Cool the mixture.
Remove
crust from the bread slices and divide slices into 2 equal halves
In
part of slice, make 2 small holes (that explains binoculars) and place this
part on top of the uncut part of the half bread slice. Arrange slices in a well
greased baking tin.
Melt
butter and apply with a brush over the top parts
Bake
in hot oven at 400 F for 15 min or until crisp (don’t overdo it, slight
browning is good)
Spread
a little filling on each uncut part and put the part with holes on top of it
Sprinkle
remaining cheese and put back in oven
This
lip smacking, crispy, cheesy snack will be ready in minutes.
How to serve:
Just pile them on flat platters and serve
with chips or fries.
Trivia:
Binoculars,
like the telescope, took centuries before they were developed into your present
day spy scopes. Its name was actually taken from the roots bini which
is Latin for “two or double” and ocularis which means “for the eyes”
How to serve:
Before serving squeeze lime on fish. Use fresh
parsley to garnish if you like.
Trivia:
Spinach was the first frozen vegetable to be sold.
Quinoa
Salad
Anecdote
Tulip
is a woman of substance who looks like a twenty something girl. She wears many
hats and that’s what draws me to her. When we first met she was following her
passion to be a teacher and taught History to children. This talent she brings
out even more in the way she manages Ivana’s academics. Tulip is also married
to an exercise freak, and she discovered the wonders of work-out after
marriage. She taught Pilates at Nawaz Modi Singhania’s gym for some years. In
the recent times she trained to teach Zumba and is now a certified trainer.
Quite the entrepreneur she runs a Zumba class near home, advices on health food
and participates in Zumba flash mobs. They say that learning never stops; I am
some years older than Tulip. Yet I learn from her many new ideas, things to do,
cooking concepts and one consistent attribute in everything that we do together
and that is her eye for detail.
I must
add that this health and fitness proponent makes the most delicious frosting on
muffins and cakes!
Stuff that you must have:
1/4 cup
quinoa
1/2 cup
water
Salt to
taste
1 small
red onion, chopped
1 tomato
1/2
capsicum, finely chopped
1/2
sweet potato
1/4 cup
lightly toasted almonds
A
handful of raisins
Vinaigrette
2
tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2
tablespoons olive oil
salt
and pepper
What to do:
Put the
quinoa in the pressure cooker along with the water and salt. Reduce heat once
the steam is released and cook on slow fire for about ten minutes.
Whisk
the ingredients for the vinaigrette and keep aside. Just before serving, mix
the cut vegetables with the quinoa. Add in the vinaigrette and toss well.
Adjust seasoning.
How to serve:
Spoon it out on a solid coloured plate or platter. Decorate with
vegetable shavings.
Trivia:
Quinoa
looks like a grain but is actually a seed and it is gluten free. It is
available in colours like red and black and white. It is called the “everyday
superfood”.
Shorshey Paneer
Anecdote
Zinia is a true blue flower. There is no
one in the universe, not even Gautam’s mother, who does not adore my friend
Zinia. She has taught me to be chilled out about everything (If my husband and
son read this they will change the tense to present continuous), stay calm and
just enjoy life. Z is okay with everything and is super subtle when something
does not go right. I have not heard her complain about anything except for not
being able to cook non vegetarian food at home in the last ten years that
we have been friends. Her home is a happy and peaceful abode even though the
son eats only “Bhindi”, the house help breaks expensive crockery and cleaner
woman talks at high decibel levels.
Zinia became my friend soon after she lost
her mother, and somewhere I like to think that I came into her life at the
rightest time. We are there for each other and though I am a non-hugger and she
is a non-crier, there are moments of self defining depth.
Zinia likes to take it easy, yet it all
gets done, and her latest punch line to me was , “ you know Abhi, I always
listen to my body.”
Stuff that you must have:
½ kilo paneer
sarson paste (2 teaspoon)
1 onion grated
1 tomato
kalo jeera/kalonji
Green chilly
Finely chopped coriander leaves
What to do:
. Pan fry
paneer and soak in lukewarm salty water
. In a pan put oil, add kalo jeera
. Add onion,
tomato, and green chilli and fry till done
Put
little salt and turmeric powder
. Add water
which was used to soak the paneer (approx. ½ cup)
After a while add sarson paste, followed by paneer
Sprinkle
coriander leaves
How to serve:
Pour it into a serving
bowl and serve with plain long grained rice.
Trivia:
All parts of the mustard plant are edible,
including the leaves, seeds and flowers.
Awesome....simply awesome...Thanks For Posting..
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