TRIED AND TASTED

I call this the “Learning to cook” section. In this section I am sharing recipes borrowed from books, the web, elders and my mother. Leafing through recipe books and salivating over yummy pictures is almost everybody’s idea of fun. I have also always loved this sublime happy moment. Sometimes, actually pretty often, I pick up the shopping bag and set out for the ingredients too. If those conversions have been successful a few times at least  I have included them in this section. So, this is really the ongoing section of the blog.

Coconut Chicken Soup; Tom Kha Kai

Bangkok is a very interesting city. It reeks of a character which tells stories. To me the word vibrant best describes it. It is truly like the capital of a kingdom. There is something ancient about the feel of the place inspite of the very modern malls. There is a sense of mystery in the air. As though everyone and everything has a secret. 

When Molly and Rahul lived in Bangkok we used to visit them often. Molly would research very seriously and discover little corners of food haven and we used to eagerly patronise them. Eat with gusto and discuss the dishes for hours. Till the next hop to a new place, on the same day. We visited with cousins, with friends and just ourselves. Bumped into other friends from Mumbai and delighted over that too. On the first evening that we would land her cook would toss up the best ever phad thai noodles. Thai food was always a favourite. But these trips took the experience to another level. Restaurants-small and big, food courts, streets, take-homes; food everywhere was always delicious. In Bangkok and in the islands and mountains all around. 

Bringing to you one such peek today. A delicious Thai soup, tom kha kai. My version of it.

I used about 200 ml chicken stock and 200 ml of coconut milk. Pour both in a large bowl. Add one inch of Galangal sliced in pieces, 10 peppercorns, 3 Kaffir lime leaves and the stalk of one lemon grass leaf. I usually bruise the stalk and add it. This should simmer for a good ten minutes in low heat. Then allow it to cool and strain it. Keep the broth in a bowl. 

Chop 8 button mushrooms in thick slices. Slice 6 baby corns lengthwise making 3 strips from each. Take about 250 grams boiled chicken and make semi thick boneless pieces. I also took a bunch of spring onions and chopped them into smallish bits. Add all of this to the broth and set to simmer. 

In 5 minutes or so, add 1 more Kaffir lime leaf, 3-4 tbsp fish sauce and 3 tsp soy sauce. I did not add any salt as the fish sauce is salty. Now juice in one lime. Finely chop 2 bird eye chillies and spice up the broth. If you like spicy, take 3 of them but not more. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

I served it for dinner last night with a bowl of rice in the soup and made it a one pot. Feedback from self designated food critiquing teenager; this dish is 'creative'.......

Lemon Parsley Smoked Paprika Chicken

Today I tossed up a lemon parsley smoked paprika chicken. But first let me tell you about my friend Shirin's mom who lives in Bayswater, London on top of a Waitrose store. Everything about Aunty Krishna is a sweet picture. At mid eighty she remains spirited and keeps a quaint little flat. There are cheerful flowers at her window. An aged but not worn out throw on her couch. Vintage-d coffee mugs brighten up her open kitchen. Carefully chosen art gifted by her son-in-law and family pictures hang on her walls each telling a memory. A tall umbrella which doubles up as her walking stick stands where it is supposed to stand as eager to step out once in a while as she is.

I really like aunty. I suspect she likes me too. After we were treated to a sumptuous breakfast and coffee, she called Jeet, my husband into the kitchen and made him stand on a stool to reach up to a shelf high up. Out came a breathtaking gold guilded fruit bowl with matching ashtrays. I welled up. She said she wanted me to have it, her shopping from her first ever trip the the Self-ridges. It is today one of my prized possessions. 

This recipe I dedicate to aunty. Also because the smoked paprika I have used is a recent gift from Shirin who I think has picked it up from Krishna aunty's grocer below, Waitrose, the store which treats her to a coffee everyday. 

I used the breast on the bone pieces of chicken. To eight of these I applied salt, coarse home ground pepper and smoked paprika. I gently massaged the chicken with these three spices and set it aside for a good one hour. In the meantime please par boil 10 odd sweet potato chunks with a dash of salt. Leave the dark pink skin on the chunks. 

In a glass of about 100 ml milk dissolve a tsp of flour. I used whole wheat flour.

In another glass, take a 100 ml of chicken stock. Fresh is fine. I used the bullion that Meenu gets me. I must add that Meenu whom I have become friends with through Shirin is my star attraction in London now. I shall talk about her gorgeous Wembley home lined with large roses and a welcoming warm lasagna in another post. 

Time to cook. Take a non stick wok and brush some olive oil. Pan grill the chicken till golden on both sides. Picture below shows you the colour you should look for. While doing so flavour by throwing in 2 sprigs of parsley. Take out the pieces and place the potatoes in the same wok. Grill on all sides for a minute each and add the milk and the stock. Keep your flame at low-medium heat. Now toss in about 10 odd French beans snipped at their two ends. In another 2 minutes, slowly place the chicken pieces into the wok. Add the zest of one lemon and slice the same lime to add to the gravy. I did not add any salt because my stock was salty. Cover the wok and allow the broth to simmer. In 5 minutes, please check if a cooking needle sears through the chicken easily. 

Serve with brown rice. 

Chilli Prawn Oil

Bengalis are less divided by caste or economic standing than they are by being 'Bangaal' or 'Ghoti'. There is no SOBO vs Suberb or NCR vs New Delhi positioning in people's minds in Kolkata. But there is this refugee from East Bengal even if the family has crossed borders before 1947 versus the homegrown gentry from West Bengal classification which creeps into every introduction. The two aquatic stalwarts which gained brand position to keep the war flag furling are 'Hilsa fish' alias 'Ilish maach' and 'Tiger prawns' alias 'Chingri maach'. 'Bangaals' eat 'Ilish'; 'Ghotis' patronise 'Chingri'. Because the banter in the 20th century is innocuous and because the Bengali person always overeats, everyone eats everything equally delightedly namely 'Ilish', 'Chingri', 'Paapda', 'Rui', 'Bhetki' and more.....

'Ilish" is a seasonal fish. The first recipe which is tried out with the first coveted catch or buy of the year is 'Ilish-er Tel' which is like a flavoured chilli oil. This is mixed with a small portion of rice and this constitutes the first few mouthfuls of the 'Ilish' celebration for the year.

My mother refused to be defeated by seasonality. Why should she have 'maacher-tel' only and only when river Padma bestowes her blessings on us. She concocted a 'Chingri-er tel' coined for your convenience as 'Chilli prawn oil.'

This is what you do. Marinate about a kg of Tiger prawns with its head intact with salt, 11/2 tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Keep it like this for atleast an hour and a half.

You will need about 6 odd fresh green chillies. Wash and slit them vertically through the centre. In about 4 to 5 tbsp mustard oil once warmed throw in the green chillies. Because they have been slit, they will not sputter and throw up sharp hot seeds. Keep the heat low. In a minute add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 2 tsp red chilli powder. Within a minute pop in all the prawns and fry in medium heat on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes each. Keep a lid on while you do this. If you feel the oil has got used up, warm another tbsp of hot mustard oil and pour it in. In another minute you are ready. Taste for salt. Mix with white rice and have gold red rice with crunchy spicy prawn.

Ma cooks really well, she makes many prawn variations. But this one has completely won my husband's heart. And his stomach. Now even he who barely cooks has learnt to make this.

Chemmeen Ularthiyathu

I can view stretch marks on my thighs….

Huh! What?

This came into my whatsapp inbox the other day. The lanky bordering on thin fifteen year old boy sent it to me just before his ICSE Biology paper.  From his room to mine.  Like that Beatles song, with love from me to you.

Do something! A diktat? Or a plea garbed as an instruction? Or an exasperated statement which actually was meant to be, I can view stretch marks on my thighs like you can……Possibly!

Ever since we are eating quinoa, grills, smoothies interspersed with crisps and an occasional chocolate. Occasional has had a change of definition from once in a while to everyday.  The mother of course does not work for Frito Lay. Nor for Lindt for that matter, So she cannot be allowed any lee ways. No short routes for us. Health is the new flavor of delish in the kitchen. Thus happened Naachni Dosas or millet crepes with a St. Thomas Christian Prawn dish called ‘Chemeen Ularthiyathu’.

The millet dosa batter came in a packet.  I am bothering only with recipe of the fresh sauted prawn masala. Works?

Prep work would be to soak 5 dried Kokum fruits in a cup of warm water at least an hour before you begin to cook.

For a kilo of Prawns, cleaned, tailed and beheaded, take about fifteen to twenty curry leaves, two large red onions and a tsp of mustard seeds. I prefer the black ones for this recipe. Slice the onions. In a warm wok, pour in about one and a half tsp oil and allow it to warm. Spoon in the mustard seeds and when they start crackling add the onions and the curry leaves. Fry till the onions turn brownish pink. Set this aside.

We Bengalis fry all our fish. Most of them for sure. So I lightly coated the prawns with salt, turmeric and chilli powder and sauted the prawns for a couple of minutes. If they released a little water I allowed them to be sunk in that water. Down in Kerala they would leave the prawns untarnished.

In a thick bottom deep dish I ladled in the prawn with its water and the Kokum with its water. Now finely chop an inch of ginger and four pods of garlic and add both to the deep dish. Slit four green chillies, cut half a coconut in half inch long and one forth inch thick pieces and take a cup of hot water. All of this goes into the deep dish. Season with a tsp of chilli powder, half a tsp of turmeric powder and salt to season. Mix well and set the dish on heat. Cook until most of the water evaporates and the prawns get cooked till tender, Add the onion mustard curry leaf seasoning to this and toss well for two more minutes.

Remove from fire. Serve hot. As I said millet dosas make a perfect partner.

Mango Chilli Fish

This morning Jeet was informing us about the leadership session talks that he enjoyed last evening at a media event. Daniel Pink, Gary Kristen, Prahlad Kakkad....discussions, anecdotes, cook-alongs were the topics in the flow of the conversation. It somehow meandered to a debate on overcoming fears, the why and how of it. Of course, first came the what. Snakes, heights, insects, staying home alone in the night seem to be the family favourites. Aayush argued with me that we must confront the fear, challenge it and get over with it. I was being stubborn, said things like my fears are my right....I know I was quite misplaced. But I ain't confronting anything. Anyway, this was our break-talk today. 

So the word fear stayed. The theme of the thoughts also lightened, thank heavens(!) and I remembered another fear that I was grappling with. Apologies that I am trivialising the word, but this one is the fear that I will feel to call Debita one more time for this golden recipe of mango chilli fish. Next time, read as 11th time, I will not be given the recipe over the phone and hence I better record it for my sake. And for everybody's sake. Summer is almost here and it brings with it green-yellow-golden mangoes. I did spot a cart today. 

So, the recipe. Only because I am afraid of Debs rolling her eyes. and also because it is fabulous. 

Take about 10 fish fillets almost an inch and a half thick cut in rectangles. I recommend you use Beckty or Snapper. Wash well and marinate with salt, pepper and lime juice. Set aside for atleast an hour. 

Scoop the sweet and tangy flesh out of 2 large mangoes and blitz it. Make a regular tamarind chutney with salt, sugar, red dry chillies and cumin powder. You can make it and use for your "chaats". For this recipe you will need very little. 

Chop 1 large red onion finely. Also chop 11/2 inches of ginger into really thin slits. 

Back to the fish, beat an egg in a bowl and take some dry corn flour on the side. Warm a non stick wok, pour a tbsp oil. Egg wash each fillet, pat on corn flour on both sides and fry to a light crisp state. The fillets will acquire a sheen and a shine. Place them on a flat dish which has a slight edge.

Next in warm sesame oil, use 1 tbsp, lightly fry the onion until pink and add the mango pulp. In the next and a half minute add the ginger. Once it simmers gently pour in 2 tsp of the tamarind chutney. Season with salt and spice with red chilli flakes. Keep the sauce handy. 

Just about 10 minutes before serving warm the two separately and pour the sauce on the fish. Let it sit and soak for 10 to 12 minutes and serve. 

Everybody will want to lick their fingers. I kid you not.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

In the last decade the magic called the secret of the universe became popular. The secret, a hugely published one, and thank God for that, said that if you wish for something earnestly and expressed it to the universe, then the players and the powers of the universe will make it happen for you. We saw this in motivation power point slides. We read it as Rhonda Byrne wrote it. We heard Sharukh Khan say it in cinema. Melodramatically presenting, this came true for me too. I was keen on joining a Book Club and a little ardent-to-learn-cooking client's mom just by chance invited me to one. It has been a pleasure ever since.

I met this talented, artistic and sophisticated painter in the club. The first attribute which attracted me was they she hardly ever wore make-up. Do not get me wrong. I love lipsticks and coloured eye pencils. But I dig faces which can leave home glowing with no brush or puff or stick that has touched them. Hey Universe, hope you are listening... Mansi Gupta spoke about her penchant for painting, jewelry designing and writing poetry on the first day we met. No, we were not digressing from our scheduled discussion. We were yet to pick a book that day. She also said that she was learning finance for non finance to be able to work in her family business. Bam! Another reason to get impressed. Passionate towards all that is artistic and yet jumped in to hold realistic reigns.

All of the above. And a lunch invitation to the serene Juhu home where her unique understanding of Shiva and Shakti hung on the walls. Dressed in ivory sans make-up, needless to add, adjusting to all our time schedules, she served us a beautifully hand crafted meal, presented as deliciously as it was cooked. The Mexican quinoa salad stole hearts. Lucky for us, she has permitted to share the recipe which she has learnt from somewhere and improvised on a bit.

Take two cups of quinoa and boil it. This will serve a large group of about ten. Boil with four cups of water like you would boil rice. Drain out the water and leave it till it becomes a bit springy. Chop into smallish bits one red and one yellow bell pepper. Do the same to one large red onion. Boil a cup of corn and finely chop a fist bundle of coriander leaves. Wash well six odd stalks of spring onion and chop like you do for Chinese food using the green and the white of them. Also chop 2 medium sized tomatoes. Finally take a tin of black beans, I like to use the brand 'Epicure', strain well. Now mix it all together. Add salt, lemon juice and finely chopped green chillies to season.

I recommend that you make it maybe 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with roughly crushed roasted soya chips.

It is nourishing. It is colourful. It is warm and fuzzy. Of course, it is delicious!

Thanks Mansi. Thanks Nishka.

Indian Chicken Roast

Are you hosting anytime soon? Guest profile; good friends who are food lovers? Chicken is their meat or even not? Sharing a restaurant quality chicken leg recipe. I called it "An Indian Chicken Roast". Ranadive aunty taught me this one. Like all her recipes, this one is a star too! My artsy musician nephew was visiting Mumbai while he was playing for the Bombay Orchestra and I pan roasted this chicken leg for him. He really loved it. Atleast so he said. 

Here is the recipe. take about 4 chicken legs. Wash well. marinate with 4 tbsp thick curd, 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, salt to season, 2 tsp 'kasoori methi', 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp 'garam masala' powder. Use heap spoons for all of the above as a measure. Keep marinated for atleast 4 hours or so. 

In a bowl soak 50 gms cashew nuts for about 30 mins.

In a pan take 10 gms butter and 3 tbsp oil. Warm. Now fry the leg pieces on both sides till they char. I have provided a picture above to depict this step. 

Blanch 2 whole large tomatoes, cool. Grind the soaked cashew and blanched tomatoes together and make a paste. 

Now in another pan, heat 2 tbsp oil. Warm and add 1 tsp full ginger-garlic paste. Fry till it starts to change its colour. Immediately pour in the tomato cashew paste and fry at medium heat for 3 mins. Next add 2 tbsp full 'khoya', you can procure it from an Indian sweet shop. Fry until the oil separates. In will go in 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp 'garam masala' powder and 1 tbsp 'kasoori methi'. Use level tsp as a measure for this step. Also add salt to taste. Mix well and stir for 2 mins. Beat gently 2 tbsp cream on the side and pour it in. Next add about 6 tbsp hot water. When gravy is simmering slowly slide in the charred browned leg pieces. Cover with a lid and let it simmer. Check for a needle to pierce the meat. In about 4/5 mins the dish is ready. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Pumpkin Cranberry Pistachio Salad

I quite enjoy having pumpkin.  My BFF absolutely detests it. Nothing in life is a given.  Pumpkins are good for freckles.  Pumpkins are 90% water retained and barely calorific. Like the Irish rotund pumpkins can be carved to make will-o’-the wisps or  jack-o'- lanterns. Pumpkins are also gluten free. Now you tell me, why can everybody just not like pumpkins? C’mon, they even come in handy during snake bites….

Anyway pumpkins aside, yesterday I had friends over. These are the types who have absolute clarity on their gastronomical pangs. They know the calling of their palate two days beforehand and I was given a wished menu. So, I grilled some chicken on the bone with a Peri Peri rub, ‘on the bone’ being another operative twice repeated instruction here. A salad and a French onion soup was in the plan. I added some roasted and herb-ed jacket potatoes and fresh fruit with cream cheese custard with crumble to the lunch carte. They brought the soup along with them; with Emmental melting on a multi grain toast it was as classical and as delicious as it could be.

I set about to make the salad a pumpkin-cranberry-pistachio one. I took about 200 g pumpkin for the four of us. Skinned the fruit and then cut it into cubes sized like those in a rubix. Mildly salted it. In a bowl I folded in together 11/2 tsp maple syrup, 3/4 tsp paprika powder, 3 pods of finely chopped garlic and 11/2 tsp water. Gently seasoned the pumpkin with ¾ of the dressing and baked for 30 minutes at 150 degrees C. I took the tray out of the oven, sprinkled cranberries and pistachios and baked again for 5 more minutes.

Before serving, I washed some lettuce. You can opt for any baby salad leaves. I popped in the pumpkin-cranberry-pistachio roast. A sprinkle of lemon juice and the remaining ¼ of the dressing. A last dash of some finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. We were good to gorge.

BFF, please rustle this one and just quietly have it and do not forget to love it too! And you should have thought once before acquiring a Bengali BFF. We impose.

Chicken Kurma With Sesame Seeds & Melon Seeds

I had read this somewhere long back. A line that stayed in my mind. 

The little seed knew that for it to grow it had to be dropped in dirt and covered in darkness and struggle to reach the light.

Seeds of ideas. Seeds of thoughts. Seeds of actions. Seeds of work. The little beginnings that those things are. Seeds. I love this recipe. It uses two kinds of seeds. Musk melon seeds and sesame seeds. And cashews. So I bring to you my nutty seedy gravy of a little bird!

Chicken Kurma, An inspired variation. 

At first take a kilo of chicken on the bone, wash well and marinate with 2 tbp ginger garlic paste, juice of 1 lime, salt to taste, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp red chilli powder. Marination time ought to be about 4 hours. 

When you get to the cook, in a blender jar take 4 tbsp yogurt, 2 heap tsp sesame seeds, 2 heap tsp magaz or musk melon seeds and 1 heap tbsp cashew nuts blitz to a smooth paste. 

Step next is that you chop 2 large onions and warm 2 tbsp oil in a wok. Add the onions till they turn pink and then add 1 chopped succulent tomato. Stir well for 2 min and pour in the yogurt paste. Keep your flame at medium heat and keep stirring. You will see the oil separating. At this step you add in the chicken with all its marinade and fold everything in gently and smoothly. In about 3 minutes, add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, salt to season and 1 tsp red chilli powder. Stir well and lid the wok for a good 6 mins. In the 7th min please check if the chicken has cooked through. Keep the lid on if the chicken is not perfectly cooked.

Chop fresh mint leaves and coriander leaves and set aside. In a skillet pour in 1 tbsp ghee. When warm spoon in 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp shahjeera. When both sputter glide into the main wok adding the fresh leaves. Stir well.

Enjoy with parathas. It is pure perfection. Yes, you are welcome.  

Mixed Daal

Sharing a mixed daal recipe. But before I do, one cute trivia I wish to share is that split pulses or daal/dal gets its name from the Sanskrit word "Dhal" which means "split". Though in India and Pakistan we do eat un-hulled pulses as in the ones with the skins intact, hulling I think adds to the digestive ease of pulses though the skins do have high dietary nutrients. 

I am going totally Indian for this recipe. Using Indian names for the pulse varieties. This quantity serves about 6 to 8.

So you will need 1/2 cup Toor or Arhar daal, 1/2 cup yellow Moong daal, 1/4 cup Chana daal, 1/4 cup Urad daal and 1/4th cup Masoor daal. 

For this, chop 2 mid sized onions and 4 pods garlic. Wash the pulses well and mix with the chopped onion and garlic. Add water in your andaaz or say about 2 glasses and pressure cook till one whistle goes off. Reduce the heat and keep in the lowest flame heat for 20 minutes. 

For the tadka, heat 2 - 3 tbsp oil in a wok. Add 1 heap tsp Hing. Immediately pop in 12 curry leaves and 3 whole green chillies. Stir. Add 1 large chopped onion and 1 large chopped tomato. Stir again and then add 1 tsp red chilli powder, 11/2 tsp coriander powder and salt to taste. Stir well for 3 minutes at medium heat. Now add the boiled daal and about 1 large cup of hot water. Bring to a simmer.

Time to spike the yellow bubbling gravy with a tsp of garam masala powder, a squeeze of lime juice and freshly chopped coriander leaves. In a pan warm a tsp ghee and fry half a chopped onion till pink and garnish the daal with this. 

That is it. Please make it. Everyone will savour it. 

Stuffed Spiny Gourds Or Stuffed Kakrols

For some strange pompous reason I assumed Momordica dioica is Bengali. Kakrol is what we call it in upstate West Bengal and I kind of thought no other community even knows of this bristly balsam pear commonly called spiny gourd. Well, please do not take offence as honestly it is not really a luscious piece of lamb or a white juicy piece of fish that we are talking about. The hero here is an oblong prickly slightly mildly bitter Asian vegetable. No great flavour lender to a curry but with the traditional scoop out & scoop in recipe I am about to share, it is, my friends a delightfully traditional and classy little piece of cookery art.

Wash the gourd well and cut them by half through the centre longitudinally. Then with a spoon scoop out the fleshy seedy centre till the vegetable looks like an open boat. Next in salty water parboil it for about 5 minutes or so. Set aside on a tissue and allow it to lose any water droplets. 

In a small blender jar, make a mustard paste with black mustard seeds, a green chilly, a dash of salt and a tad bit of water. For 4 gourds, take 2 tbsp mustard seeds. Next take half a dry coconut and make a white wet paste again in a blender. Also chop one large red onion finely. 

In a warm iron wok, take one and a half tbsp mustard oil and allow it to warm. Gently slide in the onions and cook till pink and transparent. Time to add the mustard paste, salt to season, a dash of chilli powder and turmeric and cook it all for 2 to 3 minutes. Next add the coconut paste and stir well and in another 2 minutes add the scooped out flesh of the gourd. Cook everything well, stirring all the time for about 4-5 minutes in medium to low flame. Taste the filling. It should be sharp and delicious. 

Now spoon in this filling when at room temperature into the depth of the open boats of the spiny gourd and fill them right upto the brims or the edges. 

In a bowl, take 4 tbsp gramflour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp nigella seeds, salt and chilli powder to season. Spoon everything around well and make a thick paste adding water. Remember the paste needs to be of a 'pakora' consistency. 

In an open deep pan, warm any white oil. Now dunk the filled boats into your gramflour paste and fry like a 'pakora'. The whole half gourd should be coated with the gramflour paste. Fry till golden on all sides. While frying keep the pan covered for a bit as the skin cooks a little more at then step. 

Enjoy hot with plain white rice. Just squash the 'pakora' and the mustard coconut filling will ooze out and merge with the rice with the crisp skin adding to the palate senses. It is a village imagery I am creating for you which I assure you will make you feel loved, warm and fuzzy. 

Enjoy the way I like my kakrols!

Caramel Pecan Pound Cake

"I'll have what she is having" 

or

"It is so nice when you can sit with someone and not have to talk"

or

"I thought you didn't believe men and women could be friends"

or

"There are two kinds of women: High maintenance and low maintenance" 

Well, I bet you are guessing where I am headed. Back to 1989 New York City. When Harry met Sally, we all fell in love. Since then I have said it aloud several times - I am proud to partake of your pecan pie. Aloud in my head. Always ending with a glint in the eye with a whoop in my stride. And the word "PECAN" stayed. All these years later I bring to you a recipe; A Caramel PECAN pound cake. It is fingerlickingly tempting! Hurry! Preheat your oven.

Cream 100 g butter with 11/2 cups brown sugar for 4 minutes or so. Now add 5 eggs, but add one at a time while whisking with the electric whisk at mid speed. Flavour with 2 tsp vanilla extract. 

In another bowl mix 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt. Sieve and add to the above bowl. Gently fold it all in and then add 1 cup of butter milk and continue folding. Chop a cup of pecan nuts and tumble them in and once again blend it all in.

Use a bundt pan. Grease with oil and pour the batter in. Bake at 180-200 degrees C for 30-35 mins. The baking time does vary from oven to oven. use the needle technique to check for perfect baking.

Time to get a glaze ready. In a semi deep pan melt 1/2 brown sugar and then add 4 tbsp butter. Stir continuously. To this golden heaven smelling sauce add 2 tbsp corn syrup and 2 tbsp cream. With a spatula mix well and throw in half a cup of chopped pecan nuts. 

Once the cake is ready and is at room temperature, glaze it with the caramel sauce. 

Where is your cake knife?

Burnt Sugar Cake

There is something to be said about burnt sugar cakes. They remind you of an English Grandma from the country or the church. The thing is that this genre is losing its remembrance because you simply cannot bake a burnt sugar cake out of a packet. You just have to have to make the burnt sugar yourself and you have to make it fresh. The flavour of a burnt sugar cake is just so unique. I have discovered that almost all burnt sugar cake pictures show them glazed and iced, I have not done that, I preferred to retain the genuine caramelisation in the cake flavour but I reckon that inspite of icing and frosting the strong gorgeous flavour of burnt sugar will remain.

Sharing a simple recipe. Thanks Kavery. 

Melt half a cup of sugar over low heat until clear medium brown. You do not need to stir much. If you feel tempted to stir, then quickly water your pots of make a phone call. Once in a while gently shake the pan. This will stop the sugar from sticking. Add 1/2 a cup of hot water and now stir constantly to avoid lumps. 

In another bowl mix 2 and 1/4 cup of flour, 3/4th cup of sugar, 1 tsp salt and 3 tsp baking powder. Add half a cup of butter, can use about 50 grams and blend with a cake whisk. Now pour in 2/3 of the burnt sugar mix and beat at low speed. In 2 minutes add the rest of the burnt sugar and again whisk. In a separate bowl beat 2 eggs with a tsp vanilla essence. Add 2 tbsp warm milk. When folded pour this liquid into the batter mixing bowl. Gently fold till smooth. Your dough will be slightly golden brown in colour.

Bake at 150 degrees for about 40 minutes. As it depends from oven to oven, check with a needle and adjust your baking time. The cake is springy. 

Andhra Mutton

I am listing a course meal for you. 

Annam with Neyyi is served throughout the meal until the end. You are being served on a Vistari which is a large plate made of several leaves sewn together.

Modhati Muddha(first bite) is an appetiser of Ooragaaya (spiced pickle)

Pappu (lentils - plain or with vegetables)

2 or 3 Koora bowls(curries - veg and non veg)

Rasam or Charu (Kadi)

Perugu (Yogurt) or Majjiga (Butter Milk) accompanied by a spiced pickle

Sweet, if you are celebrating something

Paan

Are you satiated? Now tell me which state of India are you in? 

Yes, you are being served a celebratory meal in Andhra Pradesh/Telengana. Cuisine in this part of India, influenced by cultures, inhabitants and topography is absolutely unique from the rest of the nation. The variety the cuisine boasts of is multi faceted. Options are available for every hour of a day. Telugu food is cooked by Andhra-ites living in their own land and also by Telugu speaking people in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu which of course has a nuance of local influences. 

One such Kannadika has shared this recipe with me. Kavita is one of those South Indian Brahmins who dies for her meats and fish. Food is her manna. Inspite of very long work hours at a gym and at her bank, she cooks on many days of the week and is always updating me with new recipes and food trivia. Here is one of her teachings. To die for!

I cooked with a kg of mutton on the bone. I used goat meat. 

Take 2 large red onions and chop them lengthwise. Freshly make a tbsp of ginger garlic paste. Take equal stalks of Coriander leaves, Fenugreek leaves and Mint leaves - about a palm full of each. Chop roughly. Chop 2 large tomatoes. Grate half a coconut and blend with 2 tbsp of curd. 

In a warm cooker bowl, heat about 3 tbsp oil. Season with 4 green cardamom seeds, 1/2 an inch bruised cinnamon stick, 6 peppercorns and 6 cloves. When this sputters throw in the onions and toss till pink. Next goes in the ginger garlic paste and in another minute go in the leaves. Stir well for a minute and season with a tsp full of chilli powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric and salt to season. Toss about for another minutes and pop in the tomato pieces. After adding the pink meat mix well and at medium heat keep stirring the mutton every now and then ensuring nothing sticks to the base. I did this for 15 or 20 minutes for sure. In your kettle heat 11/2 glasses of water and pour the same into your cooker bowl. With your spatula gently mix the meat and paste in well. Cover the cooker bowl with its lid and pressure cook the mutton till soft. I waited till I heard 10 whistles.

When the hot gas has all naturally released from the cooker, open the lid. Ensure the meat is tender and there is some gravy. Check for salt seasoning. Bring to a boil at high heat and pour in the coconut curd mix. With a ladle fold in the white mix. 

That's it. Ladle out portions onto a bowl and mate it with 'parathas' and lose yourself!

Vietnamese Chicken Stewed In Coconut Water

I was watching an episode of Luke Nguyen's Vietnam. This recipe fascinated me. It was like being in the lanes of Hanoi all over again. Shopping for little nothings from quaint corners, buying local art with the blazing red eye catching flowers on canvases everywhere, sitting to eat on really low plastic chairs and thanking the heavens with every intake of the brilliant textures of quail-squid-clams-what not, hearing the shrill sweet noises of rubber horns on local rickshaws, drooling over innumerable mugs from the romantic coffee repertoire, and wanting to eat more and more and everything that was on display at every street joint. Yes, Vietnam wins hands-down amongst many destinations that I have been lucky to visit and a re-visit with girlfriends is now on the bucket list. Who wants to come with me? You can enlist only and only if you are a lover everything that is delicious. 

Back to my recipe. I could not remember all the steps that the brilliant chef was showing on telly and I also would not be ambitious to  recreate his version because his essential ingredient was fresh green little bunches of peppercorns which he plucked from trees in a pepper plantation. This lucky act of cooking amidst the green under the liquid blue sky on a rustic stove itself I am sure will make his creation top class. But try my version that I share with you from my black and white modern kitchen in Mumbai. My recipe is a take-off from his with my own twists in it.

I used a kilo of chicken on the bone. Wash it well and marinate with about 4 pods of crushed garlic, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and about 20 pearls of roughly crushed peppercorns. Keep it overnight. 

Also remember to source 1 large tender coconut with abundant water in it. Dice 1 tomato. Keep ready half an inch of 'galangal' and bruise it. Also keep ready a sprig of lemon grass. I like to use 4 or 5 red bird eye chillies for the recipe. 

On the day of cooking which is the next day, shallow fry the chicken making both sides burnt golden. Slice 1 red onion and take 4 or 5 pink shallots. Side-wise make slant cuts of 6 or 7 baby corn tubes. 

In a warm wok, add the chicken along with the pan oil, the baby corn, the onions, the shallot, the 'galangal', salt to taste, 2 tsp freshly ground pepper powder, the bird chillies and the tomato. Toss everything in the heat for 3 minutes at high flame. Now is the refreshing addition to the recipe. Pour in the whole coconut water and bring to a boil. Toss in the lemon grass and allow the chicken to simmer at medium heat for a good 10-12 minutes till it softens. Pierce the meat to ensure it is soft. Add about 3 tsp full fish sauce. 

Pour on sticky rice or brown rice and dig in while it is fresh from the wok. Delicacy...sublimity..., sophistication.... rich sweetness.......peppery sharpness -  these are the sensations which will overwhelm you.  

Kerala Mutton Fry or Kerala Beef Fry

What if Vishnu avatar Parasurama had not thrown his axe across the sea from Konkan to Kanyakumari? Would we still have Kerala? A land of temples, churches and mosques? Is that really why it is considered as God's own country. I would like to believe that pristine beaches, emerald backwaters, dense forests, exotic wildlife, deep rooted cultures, jeweled lagoons and bays, long river networks and mind blowing food is what win the state its name. I have not seen enough. But I have seen enough to believe in the miracle called Kerala. 

Even before that I met Angela. She was recruited just before me or maybe even earlier in the Customer Service team at Standard Chartered credit cards, Bangalore. Our work was intense and chaotic. We would vacillate between fire-fighting and crisis management. Lunch breaks were treasured moments. We would share our lunch boxes. She was lucky. Her mom packed her food. Often she would get the Erachi Varattiyathu aka the Kerala beef fry and I would partake of this hand-created bliss and reach heavens or maybe God's own country itself!

Beef is not available here any more. So I tried the recipe with mutton. I recommend you use beef and that you use the boneless variety. Rest, just follow this recipe. It is bang-on. 

For this recipe, I used half kilo mutton as in lamb and I kept it on the bone. So, first steps would be that in a pressure cooker you boil the mutton with one red onion sliced, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, salt to season, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 3 cups water. Allow about 6- 7  whistles. The meat should cook well. 

Take 1/4 of a dry coconut. Slice them. Fry them till golden. Set aside. Take a hand full of fresh curry leaves. Set aside too.

Take 2 tbsp broken cashew and grind into a paste with a tad bit of water.

Now take about 2 red onions and slice them long. Fry them till pink. Add 2 slit green chillies and half the above curry leaves. Toss for 2 minutes.

To this add 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste. Next add cashew paste. Stir for 2 mins in low heat. Add chilli powder depending upon your taste remembering that it is a spicy preparation, 2 tsp coriander powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Suate well. 

Chop one large tomato into medium small pieces. Add to the above wok. When you do this increase the heat to high flame. Stir well so that the mix does not stick to the surface of the wok. 

I added the meat now with about a cup of the water it was boiled in. Blend everything in with your spatula. Season with 1/4 - 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 to 1 tsp freshly ground fennel powder and 1/2 tsp pepper powder. I also poured in 1 tsp white vinegar now for acidity. Cover and keep at low heat now for the meat to roast. 

In about 5 minutes, add the fried coconut slivers, the rest of the curry leaves and some freshly chopped coriander leaves. The final colour will be a delicious blackish brownish gold and the meat will be tender and well roasted. 

Transfer to a dish. Enjoy with ghee rice or the traditional "puttu". I served it with plain crisp "dosas".

Indo-Western Broccoli

President H.W. Bush said broccoli tastes like medicine. In 1990 he banned the cooking of it in  Air Force One. A slogan in 2002 by one produce company saying " broccoli and bush, we are both good for America" failed to change the president's mind about the ban. Wonder if he would have been re-elected had he eaten some broccoli. 

I am sharing a broccoli recipe. It is indeed indo -western in its flavours. You will feel the sense when you have it. And I promise you even your Bush alike broccoli hating child will love this dish. 

I learnt this recipe from Prajakti, my little ex neighbour who had made this for her mom in Kolhapur. For me to think that Prajakti is wedded and kidded itself is a lot to handle. Then to learn a recipe created by her is just too much. And too too lovely!

Take a mid size broccoli flower. Cut broccoli florets keeping a little bit if the stem. Blanch in hot water. Set aside.

In a small blender make a paste with 3 tbsp broken cashew nuts. I use broken ones to save some money. Blend this cashew paste with a cup of milk and about 2 tbsp fresh cream. Do the blending with a fork or a gentle hand whisk. 

Grate about 1/2 an inch of ginger. In a pestle and mortar crush 6 pods garlic and 1 large green chilly. You can use a garlic crusher too. Chop a large red onion in long slices. 

In warm 1 and a 1/2 oil lightly fry the ginger, garlic and chilly for 1/2 a minutes and toss the broccoli with a dash of salt. Make the green vegetable crisp and warm.

Separately again in 1 and a 1/2 tsp warm oil caramelize the onions till they are pink and crisp. Add the cashew-milk-cream mix. Gently blend in medium heat and season with salt and pepper or chilly flakes.

To serve place the broccoli on a plate and spoon on the sauce ensure generous coating of the green florets. Enjoy with multi grain bread or even as it is.

Dry Coriander Chicken

I call this my Monday Magic recipe. You have done the groceries last weekend and you don't want to step out to buy stuff until Friday. The family wants something delicious and new, 'new' being the operative word here. You don't have much time on your hands and you need already-at-home ingredients. 

I give you a  magical solution dear chicken likers. 

Marinate a kilo chicken on the bone because bones emit a juicy flavour with ginger, garlic and coriander paste seasoned with salt and chilli powder and sour curd and set aside for 6 hours. For the paste you should take 1 inch ginger, 6 pods garlic and a fistful bunch of coriander leaves with stalks. The sour curd quantity will be 200 grams.

Finely chop 4 onions. 

In a wok, heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee. To this pool throw in 2/3 cloves, 5/6 peppercorns, 2/3 green cardamom and 2 dried bay leaves. In less than a minute add the onions and let them turn brown. Next just add the whole chicken with the marinade. Stir and mix well. Cover with a lid at medium heat. The chicken should cook in its own juices. Please don't add anything, no water at all. Keep removing the lid and stirring every now and then. Once the chicken is soft add 1/2 tsp 'garam masala'(can be store bought at an Indian store for those living abroad) and increase the heat. Just toss it around for another long minute. 

You will serve delicious, juicy, tangy, kicky chicken to the lucky eaters. I bet you they will bless you!

Drumstick Pumpkin Gourd Gravy

Calling out to vegetable lovers. A subtle wholesome delicate vegetable gravy making you feel as though you are walking through vast fields under a blue sky. It could be a bright summer day or a comforting winter afternoon. Sweetness from fresh vegetables combined with piquancy from fragrant spices creates a mystical nuance. Mother taught me this recipe over one recent long phone call. Must remember to pat her on this one. Like many before.

Take 2 drumsticks, clean the unnecessary threads from the sides and cut them in 2 inch lengths. Next take 250 grams sweet pumpkin and cut in cubes. Also add about 2 ridge gourds, scrape the sides and cut them into chunks. 

Fry 3 red chillies in a tsp warm oil. Grind into paste when cool. Take 2 tsp nigella seeds and make a paste with half tsp water. Keep aside. 

In a tsp ghee, add a tsp of the following mix of spices - fenugreek, fennel, nigella, cumin and black mustard seeds. In Bengal this is a backbone spice always stored in a jar and called 'Paanch Phoron'. Once the seeds sputter, grate an inch of ginger root. In another minute add all the vegetable and add salt to season. In another 2-3 minutes pour in a cup of warm water. Let the vegetables cook and the gravy simmer. Season with a dash of sugar, the red dry chilly paste and the nigella paste. In another minute the dish is done.

Steam some white rice. Enjoy with the fragrant vegetable gravy.

Fish Casserole

I find it rather cute that the word casserole can apply to the dish in which it is cooked and also to the dish itself. The container meaning is that it is cooked in or on an oven and also used for serving. The dish meaning is that it is a stew which is slow cooked. I know everyone knows all this, but it is fun to write. 

For this recipe of a fish casserole, I had about 10 one inch thick fillets of Beckty. Red snapper or cod will do well too. Wash the fish well. marinade with salt, fresh pepper powder and lime juice. I marinated for about 6 hours. 

Make about a cup of usual vegetable stock. 

At the the time of cooking, peel, wash and cut chunkily about 2 red carrots. Slice finely 2 red onions. In a tbsp warm meted butter add 2 bay leaves and the onions and allow them to turn transparent and pink. To this add the carrot. season with salt and pepper remembering that you had coated the same seasoning onto the fish. After about 2 minutes add the vegetable stock cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes. take the lid off and gently place the fish in one by one. The cooking time will now be only 4 minutes. The fish will become soft and creamy. Add to teh fragrance with a sprig of thyme and dramatise with a spoon of capers. In this picture, I added parsley instead of thyme, but please keep thyme handy. Works better.

Your fish casserole is ready to enjoy. The flavours are subtle, gentle and romantic. Bread will be a perfect accompaniment. 

Grilled Sweet Potato, Carrot, Spring Onion Salad

Soak a handful of kidney beans overnight. In the morning boil them keeping a crunchy yet soft feel. 

I used two longish sweet potatoes, scraped them clean and peeled them. Make slanting fat pieces. Par boil them for 2 minutes or so. Do the same for one carrot. Drain out the water and rub olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Now grill them at high heat in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes. Set them aside.

Scoop out the flesh from 2 luscious tomatoes. Slice them round. Pan roast with salt and pepper.

Take about 6 spring onion bulbs. Cut them lengthwise. Apply a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper and pan roast them too.

For the dressing, take 6 tbsp yogurt, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Fold everything in, Please don't beat too much. 

In a large salad bowl, place washed drained crisp salad leaves like arugula and lettuce randomly. Place the sweet potato, carrot, onion bulbs, tomato rings gently on the leaves, layering as you go along. Blob onto the bowl dollops of the dressing. As you serve yourself, ensure you are getting a bit of everything. It is lovely, I assure you.

'Peshawari' Vegetable

Did you know that foods eaten by denizens of ancient civilizations namely Mohenjo-daro and Harappa were a part of the umbrella cuisine called 'Peshwari' food? Dishes that belong to Pakistan, parts of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber area all really add up to 'Peshawari' cuisine.This cuisine emerges out of history, religion, geography and stories of these lands. I am sharing a vegetarian dish, a gorgeous way to enjoy one's vegetables and I am calling it "Peshawari vegetable'. I also want to boast that the final result is fabulous. Please get to it. 

Cut the florets from a cauliflower, take a bowl of peas, chop all the three coloured peppers, one each in small pieces and cut one carrot in small pieces. Golden fry all the vegetables. This is your vegetable kitty. Next take half a fist of cashews and fry them to golden also. To this add a 100 grams of small cubes of 'paneer'. Place all of this in a bowl.

Next take a fist full of cashew nuts. For this step I use broken ones as it works out a bit cost effective. Make a paste with a little bit of water.

Then take 2 onions, slice them and fry them to pinkish brown. Once cool, blend them into a paste. 

In a cup of water dissolve 3 tbsp yogurt. Set aside.

Grate a 100 grams 'paneer'.

In a warm wok take a tbsp oil and a tbsp butter. When warm, add finely chopped garlic and ginger. Quantities could be 5 pods of garlic and 1 inch of ginger. Once it sputters, add the cashew paste and the fried onion paste and stir well. Time to spike up things with a tsp of 'garam masala' powder, salt to season, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp or a bit more of red chilly powder. Mix well with a spatula and allow the mix to cook for about 2 odd minutes. Add the grated 'paneer' and toss again for another minutes.Pour in the cup of yogurt water. This makes the gravy. Once this simmers, add that bowl which is waiting and ready. 

Once the vegetables acquire a crunchy yet cooked texture, add 2 tbsp fresh cream and a dash of lime. Enjoy with crisp 'parathas'.

Fennel And Peppercorns Flavoured Dry Chicken

Ranadive Aunty shared this recipe. She says it is a dry chicken recipe with 'Badishop' which is none other than fennel. Made me think that this chicken can be cooked anytime of the year given that it is flavoured with the perennial herb, the Fennel. Indigenous to many lands especially around the Mediterranean and also in other dry lands, the Fennel boasts of many many many helpful values. Why, even H.W. Longfellow wrote a few words about the Fennel tree. May I quote him just a little bit...

Above the lower plants it towers,

The Fennel with its yellow flowers;

And in an earlier age than ours

Was gifted with the wondrous powers

Lost vision to restore..

To the recipe. Marinate about a kilo of chicken in a tsp salt, chilly powder, turmeric each and one and a half tbsp of ginger and garlic paste and 3-4 tbsp yogurt. You need about 3 hours of marination. 

Slice longitudinally 4 red onions and take about 4 whole chillies. In a warm pan, dry roast 1 tbsp whole peppercorns and fennel seeds each for about 2 or 3 minutes in medium heat. Once cooled, powder the mixture.

Next in a warm woke in about 2 tbsp oil, fry the chicken until golden brown on all sides. Keep aside. 

In the same wok, add 1 or 11/2 tbsp ghee. You can use oil instead. Once warm, throw in 6-7 peppercorns, 4 green split cardamom seeds, 6 cloves, 1 inch bruised cinnamon stick. Once these crackle, add the onions till light pink. Now add the green chillies and about 10 leaves of curry leaves. Now it is time to chop up 1 large tomato and put that in. In a minute or so, spoon in a tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, a dash of chilly powder if you like it zesty and salt to season. After another two minutes add the chicken pieces. Toss and turn the chicken in the seasoning and keep at low heat covered until the chicken is cooked. Once the chicken is tender, in high flame add a tsp and a half of the peppercorn and fennel powder and a few fresh leaves of curry leaves.

Hunan Chicken

Hunan cuisine is rated to be one of the really popular cuisines of Chinese cuisine. The history of this cuisine dates back to many centuries and eras. Hot spicy flavours, fragrant aroma and deep colours are the trademark nuances of the cuisine. One very interesting concept of Hunan cuisine is that the menu changes with the season. Winter months will find a hot pot on the table so as to help tackle the body chill. Yet again in summer a typical menu would be a platter with a selection of cold meats with chillies.

In India, we often find a Hunan chicken on a Chinese menu. I don't much care much for Indianised Chinese gravies but I do make an exception for this one. I guess I enjoy using Sherry, fresh ginger root and fragrant fresh peppercorns to toss up the chicken. 

At first grind 4/5 tbsp peppercorns. Then in a large bowl mix a tsp honey, 2-3 tbsp soy sauce, salt to season, 2 tbsp dry sherry and 1 tsp pepper powder. This will be good for about 3/4 kilo of boneless cubed chicken pieces. Gently coat the chicken with the whole sauce. 

Now chop really finely to get a tbsp each of fresh ginger and garlic. Take about 5 stalks of spring onions and chop finely. Next take a tsp full of red chilly flakes. In 2 tbsp warm vegetable oil add all of the above and stir for about a minute. Then add the chicken with its whole marinade and allow the chicken to cook for about 10 minutes at medium heat.

On the side blend in 1 tbsp black bean sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Pour this in to the chicken. At high flame stir. Add half a cup of warm water for gravy and allow it to simmer for only a minute.

You are done.

Vegetable Manchurian

Did you know that Manchuria is a region in now North East China. And the people who live there are called Tungusic people. The Tungusic people inhabit Eastern Siberia. They are not the Mongols. The Manchu people are the largest clan of the Tungusic people. The red tasseled hats belong to the Manchus. 

Interesting read, all of the above. But I could not establish if the Manchurian gravy could be dated back to the Manchu culture of food though the namesake is too much of a coincidence. I am finding it rather romantic to imply a connection. -)

For the recipe, I used one green cabbage, two plump red carrots and about one and a half green peppers. All of the vegetables have to be chopped really finely. Honestly, I used a chopper. To this mix, add one and a half tbsp corn flour and 4 tbsp flour. Wheat flour should do. Now add one finely chopped green chilly, salt and pepper to season and heartily mix it all. Make balls your palm. Here is where I am sharing my trick. When I make the balls, I squeeze out the extra juice in a bowl so that the balls hold out. Save the juice. Lets call it the magic juice just for a lark. 

In a deep wok, warm vegetable oil. Fry each ball till they turn golden on all sides. Gently place them on a kitchen towel for the extra oil to drain out.

Now to the gravy. You will need to finely chop one or two green chillies(for kids add the green chillies whole), one and a half handful of spring onions, two inches of ginger root with skin and about ten cloves of garlic. In about three tbsp of sesame oil which has been warmed, add the above. Separately and before hand mix three tbsp tomato ketchup, 3 tbsp soy sauce and one and a half green chilly sauce in a bowl. Once you have sauted the ginger-garlic-spring onion-chillies, add the sauce blend. Now add a cup of water and the rest of the strained magic juice. It is time to slowly put in the balls one by one. Allow to simmer for atleast two minutes. If you need further thickness, mix a tbsp corn flour in a cup of room temperature water and add to the above. 

Allow a bubble or two. Enjoy with fried rice. 

PS: Wonder if the Gobi Manchurian perfected by Black Cadillac and Pub World and Konaark even existed in Manuchria! I am sure NOT. But I am also sure that all good Bangaloreans, gourmet food proponents or not swear by beer and yummilicious Gobi Manchurian coloured with orange tandoori colouring....Aha, those days!

Peas Puree As A Flat Bread Stuffing

In most Kolkata homes winter day refrigerators are stocked with a steel box filled with this rich green pasty peas mix. I reckon some of the steel has been replaced by Tupperware but the heritage of the peas puree continues. Another heritage that continues in Kolkata which I find rather refreshing is that people still drop in unannounced adding to the everlasting romance of the city. And they are not disappointed because with a cup of tea there is a magical serving conjured up of "motorshutir kochuri" aka "matar ke puri" aka "fried bread stuffed with peas puree"....

So, Bengalis, I know you do not need this recipe. All others, please do stock up with this stuffing and enjoy your winter breakfasts and make the kiddy lunchboxes healthy and interesting. Peas are loaded with good vitamins and remember to inform your kids that peas are botanically regarded as fruits because they have seeds. I just love this little trivia. 

For the recipe, I used 2 kilos of peas and shelled them. Then I blended them with 2 green chillies and 1 inch of grated ginger in the mixer with only half a cup of water. Allow the puree to be a bit coarse and not too pasty. In a warm wok, add 2-3 tbsp oil. In the warmed oil add 11/2 tsp asafoetida and 2 tsp cumin powder. In a bit add the peas puree. Keep stirring at medium heat. In 5 minutes or so, add salt and red chilly powder to taste. I also add a smallish dash of sugar. Now the trick and the hard work is to keep stirring until the puree is cooked and takes on a dark olive colour. If you taste it you will not feel a raw taste. This means you are ready. I would advice about 15 minutes of stirring time. If you are mad at someone put that person on the job. Allow the puree to cool. 

In little wheat dough balls, make a well. Spoon in a chunk of the puree. Close the opening with the help of the dough sides. Roll them out into rounds. You can either deep fry them or pan roast them. While pan roasting them you may add just a dash of oil to lend a tasty glaze. Okay honesty blaze...we cheeky Bengalis make our dough with white flour but then they say Digene sells the most in Kolkata!!! Enjoy!

Flat Beans With Peas in Mustard Curry

Flat beans are almost always cooked and eaten in their pods. They are also known as Helda beans or Romano beans. Because this recipe is a Bengali recipe I am sharing the Bengali name which is "Sheem" and because I am a Mumbaikar I am sharing the local name which is 'Papri". This recipe is a beautiful one. It is almost artful. Like an Adele song. Its uniqueness is in its rarity. Its beauty in its body. And its spunk in its nuance. I am also very happy to cook the nice and broad beans because they appear in winter, a simple seasonal pleasure slowly disappearing from us with raw mangoes appearing most of the year this year....

I take about 250 grams of broad beans, wash them well, remove the thin thread at the edges. In a warm wok in about 1 tbsp warm oil, fry the beans till the colour turns shining medium to darkish green. So it needs about 4-5 min of frying and tossing. Next shell a handful of peas, say about, 15 odd pods. Make some yellow or white mustard paste. While making the paste add a dash of salt and half a green chilly to alleviate the bitterness. Add half a cup of water to the mustard paste. 

In a warm wok, add 11/2 tbsp oil and allow it to warm. Now add 1 tsp Nigela seeds and 2 whole green chillies. In about half a minute add the mustard paste. Stir in medium heat for 2 mins. Next add the peas and cook for another min. Time for the beans. Stir. Add salt to taste and a dash of red chilly powder for spice. Lid the wok. Reduce the flame. The beans will take about 7 minutes to cook. Ensure that they retain their crunchy texture. Once in a while remove the lid and stir. If you feel there is less gravy add half a cup of warm water. This is when you are checking for cooking in the middle.

Drizzle mustard oil and sprinkle fresh chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice 

Yogurt Pepper Chicken

This recipe is one of my oldest recipes. I learnt most of the recipe from my sister-in-law who in turn learnt it from her cousin aunt. So,definitely it is a recipe marked with experience and memories. My contribution to the recipe is the absolute un-use of any oil whatsoever. So health watchers, you might want to binge on this one. 

I take about a kg of chicken and the night before marinate it with 300 grams of yogurt, salt to taste and 11/2 tbsp pepper powder. 

On the day of making, you bring the chicken in its marinade at room temperature. Now I am sharing 2 versions. If you are cooking for a party you at first take 11/2 tbsp oil in a wok and allow it to warm. If you are cooking for your family for a regular day just warm a wok well. The rest of the recipe is common to both the processes.

Next you add 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds and 2 whole dry red chillies. Allow the seeds to sputter in the heat and the chillies to turn brown. Now add the chicken along with its entire marinade. Stir well. Cover with a lid and keep at medium low flame. Every now and then take off the lid and add a level tsp of pepper powder. Continue this till the chicken is soft and cooked and the colour takes on a silver-gold shade. There will not be much gravy but there will be a sauce for your flat bread/pao/paratha to dab into. The chicken is tangy, peppery and juicy. You will enjoy a healthy dish guilt-free. And guess what, Fenugreek seeds help in weight loss. Well, google says Fenugreek has 15 medicinal benefits! So, enjoy!

Cauliflower Broccoli Bake

Yes, it is number 100. It has taken me longer than planned to reach this milestone. But I have found a reasonable excuse for this delay. That there is a time for everything, and things happen when they are supposed to. Please let's not call this procrastination but call it perfect timing. 

Simple is beautiful. This recipe stands for that. No toiling time required at all. 

I took about half a cauliflower and a medium sized broccoli. Snipped to have florets with a bit of stem. Washed well. Steamed for 5 mins in medium heat in salt water. Drained the water out. 

An hour before, you need to take a 400 gm tub of yogurt and hang it in a muslin cloth. Back to the present. Now with a fork gently soften the yogurt. Mix 3 tbsp grated cheddar cheese, 2 tsp chopped parsley, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, 1/2 garlic salt (use normal salt if you don't have garlic salt) into the yogurt. Now gently mix the florets in this sauce. Sprinkle some more grated cheddar cheese and parsley and bake till golden. I kept it at 150 degrees for 20 min. But it depends upon your oven. 

Dig in and prove Mark Twain wrong. Didn't he say, "Cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education'?

Stuffed Squid Pan Roast

The word squid is a dialectical variant of the word 'squirt'. Now isn't  that interesting because the squid like the octopus releases ink. Squid ink is used to create some absolutely delicious pasta and risotto dishes. So the concept of squirt and ink kind of makes compatible sense, right? 

I personally enjoy squid more than prawn. I met Annu the other day and she said she eats squid but does not enjoy prawns. Well, greedy me eats both. But I would pay a quid for a squid more willingly. I have been introduced to squid only as an adult. The only risk is poses is that it can become quickly rubbery if one bit over-cooked. It is really always a close shave for me and that is a make or break for the dish. 

Tulip once cooked this stuffed squid roast for us. It has been some years since then. I have been wanting to make it but somehow just never got around to doing so. Maybe I was apprehensive that like all things Tulip does, I would only be able to perform at a sub level than her. Like her name, T as I often call her is synonymous to pretty perfection.

Courage I have gathered. Stuffed squid roast I have made. And outstanding it has turned out. Now I am craving to share how.

When you buy the squid, request the fish monger to take out the insides from the white opaque drum shaped body. You must take both the torso and the tentacles back to you kitchen. Now wash well. 

Firstly, marinate the body with salt and turmeric and set aside for 2 hours or so.

Next, chop all the tentacles finely. Similarly chop onions. The original recipe did not require this, but I also finely chopped a few pods of garlic and grated a bit of ginger. In warm oil, allow the onions to caramelise and then add the ginger and garlic. In about 2 min you need to add Rechaeido masala. You can use a store bought one or beg your Goan friends to give you some. Toss the onion, ginger and garlic well and add the chopped tentacles. Season with salt. Ensure the Rechaeido masala is not pre-salted. Cook for 4-5 mins in medium flame. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool. 

Now stuff the squid body with the above thick puree/paste you have made. The squid will look like an oblong drum. Seal the top opening with a toothpick. Now in a warm pan, add a bit of chilly oil. Place the squid gently and pan roast on all sides for a min each. That is it. You have created magic. Enjoy and plan to make it soon again!

Tilapia Gravy With Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes and Indian cooking- not terribly compatible, not yet though not that it has never been seen. Neha from The Traveling Spoon recently spoke of an Indian 'dal' (lentil curry) that she had enjoyed hugely which was flavoured with cherry tomatoes. Intrigued and provoked, I have been dwelling on the thought ever since. While reading up I found that cherry tomatoes are an admix of wild-currant tomatoes and domesticated garden tomatoes. Though we have seen yellow ones, green ones, red ones, round ones, oblong ones, we, well atleast I, have never seen black ones. Yes, they do exist too. 

I had some Tilapia in the freezer. I have heard that some speak poorly of the Tilapia, but I am a fan of its soft flesh. Tilapia fish normally swim in lakes and ponds, even in brackish water. Not really a fighter in the sea, our Tilapia, maybe because it is so sweet. Ha!

Well, so here is the recipe for a quick to cook and delicious to eat Tilapia gravy with cherry tomatoes. I hope you have some Goan fish masala in your larder...

Wash and clean the fish well and cut them into half. Next marinate with salt, turmeric, chilly powder and gently coat all over. Set aside for an hour. Then in mild warm oil in a pan, lightly fry on both sides. 

For 4 pieces of fish, now 8, you will need 3 onions. Make a coarse paste. In warm oil lightly caramelise the onion paste. In 2/3 minutes, add 2 tbsp of Goan fish masala and cook in low heat. Sprinkle a bit of water to prevent from burning and keep stirring. Add salt to taste. Now add about a glass and a half of hot water and allow the gravy to come to a bubble. As soon as you see the simmer add a handful of cherry tomatoes and immediately add the fish pieces. You will see a lovely red golden gravy with some gorgeous reds bobbing all over. If you enjoy a bit of spice you can pop in a couple of shining green whole green chillies. In about 3 -4 minutes, ladle out fish with gravy and tomatoes onto brown rice and dig in!

Peanut Orange Zest Cookies

I have a friend who does not travel too much. Ask her about any city, any river, any monument or any hole-in-the-wall historical restaurant unique to a place and she knows most things about it. She has taught me that you can travel with your knowledge. Read Read Read. That is what she does. She reads the newspaper once a week, but wait, not the Sunday Times, but the entire week's newspapers. Because she reads with interest she retains everything.  And similarly she almost never cooks. But you ask her about Caesar salad canapes or 'Patrani machchi' or 'Khao Suey' or Alaskan pudding and she knows how to make it, or what are the key ingredients or who created the dish or who made it popular. Knowledge is power. I have seen this power. As my father's friend once said aeons ago in this beautiful woman's eyes.

Sarbani loves my work. She admires my doings. She listens to my plans. And she collects recipe books for me. On such book came from her recent trip to Singapore. A book of interesting cookies. One recipe was this peanut orange zested cookies. Please do try baking them. They have a twist which raises an eyebrow and brings an instant  zesty smile. 

 You will need; 

120 g butter

150 g brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

150 g flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

Grated zest of 1 orange, I added one and a half

40 g whole unsalted peanuts

100 g chopped unsalted peanuts

80 g oats

Now to the baking stage;

Pre heat oven. Line baking tray.

Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl together till creamy. 

Stir in the beaten egg.

Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon , nutmeg and orange zest together. Next add to butter mix. Blend.

Stir in whole peanuts , half cup of chopped peanuts and oats. Mix.

Take tsp size portions in hand and shape into round balls. Place balls on baking try. Sprinkle with remaining chopped peanuts. 

Bake for 15 mind or so until golden. Cool on a wire rack. 

Crunch time folks!

Fish Baked In Coriander Sauce

The star of this dish is coriander leaves. The fish is a base element. The fish is like a supporting actor without whom the film would have no story. Before I share this recipe I must disclose the name of its creator. 

Oh I must also share an interesting trivia that I chanced upon. While coriander is used in almost all cuisines, it was also a part of ancient Egyptian cuisine as about half a litre of coriander mericarps was discovered next to Tutankhamen's tomb.....

If you are looking for quick cooking with the dishes being eclectic that use contrasting yet complimenting ingredients and whips out gorgeous platters boasting of balance of flavours and bursting with simplicity you need to call up Riyana's mother, Ishani Dutt Sarkar. I have a fairly opinionated child. He has a view. He has a point too. All of thirteen he has deep set memories already which he refers to to tackle matters and discussions. Ishani's little gospels of lifestyle from the age of less than one seem to have had an everlasting impression. Ishani said this and Ishani did not this say keeps popping up in our family conversations.

This beautiful young woman who revels in being much younger than me, a scorpion all the way, a perfect wife creates everlasting impressions. So does her food. This one will blow you away. For two reasons - easy to cook and interestingly sweet and spicy to the palette. 

The method of making is that you take de-boned fish as in beckty or rawas chunks and wash well. Next marinate with salt and lime and set aside for about half an hour atleast. Next blend a large bunch of coriander leaves with partial stalks along with green chillies. Now in an open pan mix the coriander paste, coconut milk, salt and sugar and allow it to simmer for attleast 5 minutes. Taste to ensure that the coriander does not still taste like a raw chutney would. The taste should be like a rich sweet-spicy-unusual sauce by now. 

In a baking dish place the fish chunks. Pour the sauce all over generously. Bake for 20 minutes in low heat, 100-150 degrees does it. Enjoy with any staple or even with just a fresh salad. It is yummilicous!

Italian Chicken Schnitzels

Since the days of world history books in grades 4 to 10, every year, in some chapter or the other, Hitler and Mussolini came hand in hand in the way they doled out many atrocities to humanity. The ordeal of learning the dates, the happenings and the outcomes of failed treaties ended I thought in 1985 when I did my Grade 10 boards. It was painful and annoying to read and learn the doings of two megalomaniac men. But yes, bygones are bygones. Historically and for my academic journey. Or so I thought. But no, the blessed chapters are back, they are again creeping back into life every year...now waiting for 2017 when the kid finishes his grade10.....

Till then here is a German-Italian recipe, but this one captures the simplicity and natural beauty of both nations. Every Italian chef talks about a 'nonna' they love and admire and just the other day my traveler friend told me about the affection and beauty she experienced in a B&B run by a middle aged lady in Black Forest. These beautiful emotions are captured rather elegantly in my recipe of Italian Chicken Schnitzels. The Germans made popular the schnitzel post the 2nd world war. They usually use pork meat and serve it with a potato mash or fries. However the world has adopted schnitzel in their cuisine. Hungary, Iran, Israel, Japan,Portugal, Korea, Mexico are some nations who have included the schnitzel in their food repertoire. Italy too. Hence this recipe, the German schnitzel with an Italian twist.

Take boneless chicken breast pieces. Wash well. Put them inside a zip lock bag. Now pound them with a tenderiser. Next use a roller and roll on the meat pieces. The chicken will become about half an inch thick and flat. 

For the marination process, in a small bowl, take balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, crushed pepper, lime juice and crushed or grated garlic. Mix well. Now coat the chicken nicely with this sauce mix on both sides. Keep in the refrigerator for a day. 

It is time to prepare your crumbs mix. At first take a handful of fresh oregano, wash and chop finely. Next grate some Parmesan cheese. If you can, use Panko crumbs. If you cannot source the crumbs, then use the regular store bought ones or homemade ones. Mix the crumbs with oregano, cheese and garlic salt to taste. This flavoring adds a very interesting Italian flavour to the schnitzel as does the marinade you have used above. 

Beat eggs, add a spoon of milk. Coat the marinated chicken with the egg wash and then the crumbs. Make the crumbing neat keeping a rustic look intact. Once done, store in the refrigerator for an hour before deep frying. The colour will be golden and inviting.

Serve with a salsa verde or a relish or some fresh salad.

'Cholar Dal'/ Bengal Gram Curry

Well, what do I write about the 'Cholar dal'. Simply put it is one of the nine jewels of Bengal. Now, don't ask me to list the other 8. I suspect many will belong to the food repertoire. Needless to say that culturally Bengal can boast of many many many gems. This recipe might be a bit redundant because there are many to be found on the net. But it is tempting to put it up because I follow my mother's art in the making of the 'cholar dal' and she is really a brilliant culinary expert. I think like her 'sarees' where she balances her colours tactfully, the winning point that goes in her favour is her balance of flavours. 

The above picture is borrowed from the internet to help you identify the variety of pulses.

Take about half a kilo of the dal/lentil, wash well and soak for half an hour. Then boil it with a full tall glass of water in a cooker and allow 3 whistles to go off to add to the cacophony of your kitchen. The outcome should be that the lentil pods should be boiled but not soggy and remain whole. 

Next take one forth of a dry coconut, and scoop the fleshy white part out. Chop them into bits in small thin squares. Fry them in warm oil till light reddish gold. Do not allow the colour to be brown. Set aside.

Soak a handful of raisins in warm water in a small bowl. Keep aside.

In a warm wok, add a tbsp ghee and a tsp of oil. Next add a level tsp of dry cumin seeds and 2 broken dry red chillies. Next goes in 2 or 3 add whole green cardamom seeds, cloves and about half an inch of a cinnamon stick mildly bruised. Also add 2 dried bay leaves. Now add a chopped tomato. Stir well and add a level tsp of cumin powder. I usually make my own. Just for some drama and genuineness to flaunt in my recipes. To season further we now add salt to taste, a bit of grated ginger, turmeric powder for colour and red chilly powder for the kick. Mix well with a spatula. Add the coconut and the raisins. In another 2 minutes add the lentil/dal along with the water it was boiled in. Gently blend in some sugar to taste, about a level tsp and a pinch of 'garam masala' powder/cardamom-cinnamon-clove powder. 

A mild bubble and you are ready to pour into bowls. Serve with white flour puris or parathas and please stop bothering about your diet just for this meal!

Friend Chinese Chicken Strips

In India, there are two kinds of Chinese - The Indian Chinese and the Kylie Kwong Chinese. While I absolutely love watching her whip up the authentic delicacies with fresh ingredients often picked up from a boat, I suspect many Indians like their own version a bit more. Well we need not be shamed of that. It is just our thing - Indian Chinese. After long trips in the West, I have often heard home-coming is complete with "Dal Rice/Khichdi"(a light lentil and rice) or Indian Chinese.....

So here is an Indian Chinese recipe. Easy and quick with not much to it. But immodest if I may sound, it is rather fun to eat. 

So take boneless chicken. Cut them in strips but please do not make it too thin. Marinate with sweet chilly sauce, white pepper and salt. Keep aside for as long as you can in the refrigerator. I kept it for 24 hours. 

Take a bunch of spring onions and cut them in slanting lengths of an inch each. Use both the white bulbs and the green stalks.

Next after marination in any white oil, fry the strips in batches till they turn white golden. Set aside. In the same oil, add a bit more if needed, so for about half kilo you need about 2 tbsp, add 2 broken by half red chillies and about 2 star anise. Toss then for a minute or so, add 2/3 tbsp Schezuan sauce. You can buy any brand. You can instead also add Ching's secret Schezuan powder. Stir fry for 1 minute. It is time to throw in the spring onions and nicely stir everything. In another minute and a half, the chicken goes in. So does 11/2 tbsp sweet chilly sauce and 1 tsp chilly flakes. Once tossed, cover with a lid for 3/4 minutes in low heat. Then spike up the heat and toss like a pro. 

Enjoy! My kid loved it. So did my client. 

Crunchy Celery Carrot 'Paneer' Kebabs

At a party in the 60's someone ordered a Bloody Mary. There was no swizzle stick with the drink. He simply grabbed a celery stalk from a relish tray. And history was made!

I just love cooking with celery. Not because it helps men become more attractive to women. Some hormones get released when they have celery as I understand which makes them attractive to the ladies. Also not because it is negatively calorific; the calories spent in digesting celery is more than the calories it contains. I just love it because it exudes a miraculous fragrance and lifts the mood of the food.

I was toying with a bite kebab idea and came up with this light summery savoury. It is apt for anyone seeking something vegetarian, delectable and airy at a party.

Chop 2 large onions very finely. Do the same to 2 skinned carrots and 5 to 6 stalks of celery. Now in a tbsp and a half extra virgin olive oil, toss the onions till they are pink and glassy. Add the carrots and the celery and season with some garlic salt. Normal salt is also good. In about a minute add a tsp full of any dried herb you have and half a tsp of red chilli flakes. In about another minute, toss in grated 'paneer'. If you could use the flavoured one that you get these days it is even yummier. I used half a kilo of 'paneer'. Mix well with a spatula. Taste for seasoning. Now add about 4 - 5 tbsp of fresh bread crumbs, Store bought is fine but just ensure it is a fresh pack. Again blend in well, all of this at a medium flame for another 2 mins and then allow the whole mix to come to room temperature.

Next with your palms make little patties shaped like bite sized kebabs. Once a plate is filled, refregerate and then go on to the next batch. The refregeration period should be atleast an hour and a half.

Brush a non-stick pan with oil, warm it. Now lightly brown the kebabs. The flame size should be medium to low. Don't touch it too much with your spatula. Let it sit and brown on its own time. When one side is brown just gently flip it.

Serve or have with any chilli sauce if you need to though I enjoyed it with no accompanying sauce. It is crunchy, healthy and indeed yummy. It is summer time. Try it. 

Re-fried Beans

Now this is an awfully simple recipe. I am a bit ashamed to blog it really. Somehow I kind of recently tried them in my kitchen. Sharing 'cause I love to.

Soak kidney beans overnight. So, I soaked about 250 grams.

In the morning, chop 4 large red onions and 2 medium sized tomatoes. In a cooker warm 2 tbsp oil. Toss in half the onions and allow them turn pink. Next come the tomatoes. Stir for a minute or so. Now throw in the soaked beans with a tall glass and a half of hot water. Set it to boil. My cooker let 5 whistles but cookers behave differently in different kitchens. I guess you would know it best. 

Now once the beans are tender,with a potato masher, squish the beans along with everything else. Remember you have not seasoned anything with anything as yet which is absolutely fine. Resist the urge to add any salt so far. Once you have a mash with a few beans half and a few quarter but most of it mashed, you again warm some butter/oil in a warm wok. Trust me butter is even better. So, indulge in about 15 grams of butter. Once it melts stir fry the other half of the chopped onions and 3 pods of crushed garlic. Now add salt to taste and 2 tsp red chilly powder. In about a minute or so add the wet mash with some of the hot water from the earlier boiling. Just keep stirring. Don't allow it to dry much. It has a soggy consistency. Lastly a dash of paprika or cayenne pepper is lovely.

Here you are. I made some guacamole and sour cream, shredded some cheddar, chopped some more onions and crunchy tomatoes and of course some coriander leaves. Lay a platter with nacho chips. Randomly dollop everything on. A sprinkle of salt and lime and you do not need to seek out the happy hour at TGIF anymore!

Chocolate Cake Like A Snack

This is the quickest cake ever made in the lifetime of cakes. No eggs, no beater, no whisking and no trouble at all. 

Before I share the quick magic recipe, some little interesting trivia. Chocolate cakes started to appear in cook books post the 1800's. Recipes of 'The Devils Food Cake' began to be seen around the latter half of the19th century. Besides being sinfully delicious, this all chocolate cake might have been christened such because it was the opposite of the fluffy white coloured cake called 'The Angel Cake'. Interesting?

Now let us get to baking. In one large mixing bowl, keep adding the following;

11/2 cups flour, 1 cup powdered sugar(one blitz to granulated sugar is good enough), 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. With a dry spoon mix the dry ingredients gently. In a separate smaller bowl, you will need 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 11/4 tsp of cider vinegar and 1/2 tsp essence of vanilla. Also make yourself a cup of coffee, nope don't sip it, keep it aside. 

Once you have collected the ingredients, set the oven to pre-heat at 250 degrees and line your cake tin with baking paper. Next just mix everything and fervently stir in everything for one minute with a spatula. The batter will become smooth, not really runny at all, kind of thickish. Pour it into the cake tin.

Bake at 180 degrees for 30 mins or so, until your needle comes out clean. Keep at room temperature for for 20 more minutes. That's it. Dust with powdered sugar. Take a big bite.

Let Thoke -  A Version

Burmese food is varied. The cuisine covers a gamut of items that can be tossed to make something. From goat testicles to a dosa. They have it all. Rather they use it all. The best are their toss-ups. Subtle Influences from a myriad of food cultures, yet an innate character which is unique and unparalleled.  

ps; Mukund, my friend are you grimacing? Well, Mukund, my buddy as I have written on my FB page has been more than a 100 times to Myanmar. Love does to you, I guess, Yes Mukund? 

I love the way Burmese have adapted the sumusa and the falooda with tapioca pearls. And the use of green tea leaves in food. The umpteen fresh delectable salads that they boast of. They even start the day with a toss-up. 

Truly, who wants to have cereals instead?

So here is my version of a Let Thoke, a verbal hand-me-down from Ishani's friend Runia post one of their weekend night in Kolkata. 

Runia suggested that one uses beef mince. Take half a kg of mince, wash well and set aside. Finely chop 2 large red onions and 8 pods of garlic. In about 3 tbsp of warm oil, lightly fry the onions and after a minute throw in the chopped garlic. Once the mix is light golden, add the mince. Stir fry for 2 mins, add salt to taste, 4 tbsp soya sauce and 2 tsps full pepper powder. Once you have blended everything, cover with a lid for the next 7-8 mins or so. Take off the lid, taste for perfect cooking of the meat and flavours and keep the cooked mince aside.

Next my favourite - peanuts. In a small wok, warm 1 tsp oil, add 1/4 tsp salt and chilly powder respectively. Throw in a handful of lightly toasted skinned peanuts. Toss for another min. While it is warm and crisp, crush it in a pestle and mortar. The final texture should be kind of coarse.

Now; time to chop chop chop. 

Finely wash, dry and chop about 6 stems of green spring onions. Set aside.

Again finely chop the white bulbls of the same spring onions. In a small warm wok, toss them for a min. Set aside.

Length-wise cut about 10 pods of garlic. Once again in a warm small wok, add 1/2 tsp oil, when warm lightly fry the garlic till light brown. Keep aside.

Boil eggs, chop and set aside. This step is optional.

Chop raw mangoes with the skin.

Finally just before serving steam raw noodles and drain well. While the noodles are steaming, pour on them the cooked mince. Top with all of the chopped and fried garnishes you have prepared. Lastly sprinkle lime juice and some red chilly flakes. 

Attack. Enjoy. That's guaranteed.

Red Cabbage Salad

Always curious about the reason for the colour of the red cabbage, I recently learnt that the nature of the soil as in its ph value gives the cole vegetable its colour.

While we do know that many consider cabbage with vinegar as a good hangover remedy, there is a cabbage lore which probably precedes this remedial tactic. So the lore goes as that Egyptian pharaohs would eat large quantities of cabbage before a  night of drinking as they believed that cabbage consumption would allow them to drink more alcoholic beverages without feeling too much after effects.

A weekend coming up, you can be a pharaoh and get cracking on some cabbage. Crisp, delicious, nutritious and useful this salad recipe is a winner in every way.

Take half a red cabbage, wash it well, dry it well. Now chop in thin long strips. Keep aside. Next halve grapes, black or green, longitudinally. Cut tomatoes into cubes. If you wish to use cherry tomatoes do the same to the tomatoes as you have done to grapes. I used about 15 grape pearls and 2 medium sized fresh tight tomatoes. Toast a handful of pine nuts, they are expensive, be alert and do not burnt them while toasting like yours truly did. Take about 50 grams of flavoured paneer. Mix everything but use only half the paneer. This is important to note because when you dress the salad the paneer crumbles a bit much. So it is a good idea to allow only half the portion of paneer to blend well into the leaves. I also like to save aside a few of the pine nuts for topping.

For the dressing, in a bowl, take 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt to taste, a dash of oregano, a dash of sugar and some cracked pepper. Mix well with a spoon until the sugar dissolves. 

About half an hour before serving, dress the salad well. Top with the balance paneer roughly cubed and the kept-aside pine nuts. 

Fresh Orange Cake

I remember reading somewhere that in Queen Victoria's days they would give oranges as Christmas gifts. In fact the colour 'orange' came later, earlier on the colour of the fruit would be tagged as 'yellow-red'. Maybe because of the 'red' the fruit found the place in Christmas hampers. Interesting.

In January in Mumbai, orange carts are everywhere. The gorgeous shining roundels are so tempting, that I felt like doing more than just eating them. Try this fresh orange cake. Trust me the freshness of the warm cake is refreshing beyond expectation. Also trust me, it takes only a few minutes to stack into an oven.

Cream 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of salted butter with an electric whisk. Once soft and creamy, add 3 eggs and beat well. I usually whisk for a good 5 minutes. Separately sieve 2 cups of flour and 2 tsp baking powder. Also separately squeeze out 1 cup of fresh orange juice and grate orange rind to get a tsp full. Now gently add the flour to to egg-butter-sugar mix and fold in. The cake mix will be like a dough now. Pour in the juice and blend well with a spatula. The  batter will now be smooth, soft and it will acquire a dropping consistency. Once the mixing is smooth and without any lumps spoon in the orange rind. One more gentle mix and your batter is set to go into the pre heated oven. Pour it into a ready baking dish laced with butter paper. Bake at 180 degrees for 35 mins. 

Enjoy the cake slightly warm. Chocolate goes well with orange, especially dark chocolate. A drizzle with a dark chocolate syrup might romance it up though I love it minus embellishments. 

Maldivian Mushroom Curry/Roast

Friends and I landed into Malay airport at the wee hours of a cool morning. This was quite a few years ago. The husband came to pick us up on a boat wearing a white linen shirt and a hat looking quite like the iconic Hindi cinema villain 'Ajit' from a distance.Then started this amazing four days of tranquility and magic.

The most magical part of this travel experience was that on our island the mandate was 'no shoes'. So all the guests and the hosts would walk around the island bare-feet. I remember being dressed for dinner in a skirt and being barefoot in the evenings. As one treads onto different well rounded stones and pebbles, the feelings were absolutely sublime.

I picked up a cook book from the hotel boutique and since then I've been dabbling with some of their awesome recipes. This was originally a squid based recipe; well, Maldivian cuisine is based on three main items or their derivatives -  coconut, fish and starches. This mushroom recipe borrows from the squid roast recipe with a twist. 

Firstly we need to make a marinade. Take one about 2 inch piece of ginger, 4 whole green chillies, 2 slit thin 'cocum' pieces, 2 sprigs of curry leaves, 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt to taste. In a small blender jar, make a coarse paste. The recipe is for about 3 packets, about 40 odd buttons, of white mushroom. Clean the mushroom well and pluck the stem out. Now gently rub the marinade all over the buttons and set aside for at least a half hour. 

In a warm wok, pour in 2-3 tbsp oil. Once the oil is warm, allow half a tsp of mustard seeds to sputter. Next add finely chopped onions, I used 2 big ones, 2 chopped green chillies, finely chopped 1 inch ginger and 4-5 pods of garlic and also finely chopped curry leaves. Saute well until the onions are transparent. Add 1/2 tsp chilli powder and 1 and a 1/2 tsp coriander powder. Fry well. Now added the marinated mushrooms. Mix well and cover the wok. In about 5 minutes, add 3 tbsp grated coconut, a dash of pepper powder, 1 level tsp garam masala and salt to taste. Transfer to a serving dish.

I have made this a few times, the first few times I did not cover the mushroom with a lid and this left the dish dry, quite like a roast. I must say, both variations are pretty delectable. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Cake

Fudge was first made in America. One story goes that a bungled up batch of caramels resulted in the exclamation 'Oh Fudge' and hence the birth of the Fudge. 

The trick to make a good fudge is following three things ;

a. Be precise in your measurements

b. Be accurate with your cooking time

c. Stir constantly and always with a wooden spoon

I attempted a chocolate fudge cake this Christmas. While it did not look dressed-to-kill, it tasted absolutely delicious. And the best part, it was really a very simple task. Here goes.

In a mixing bowl mix and set aside 2 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp of baking soda. On the side beat 2 eggs. Now in a heavy saucepan, add half a cup of butter. Melt it and add 1/2 cup cocoa. Now add 1/3rd cup butter milk and the beaten eggs. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.All this time your mix is simmering in low heat. Now add this hot wet ingredient mix to the dry flour mix and blend well. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Fold in well. Pour the batter into a cake tin. Bake at 180 degrees C for about 30 to 35 mins. To test for appropriate baking use the same old needle technique. Set the fudge cake aside on a wire rack for 8-10 mins or so.

While the fudge cake is warm, spread peanut butter all over the surface. This is the most indulgent part of this recipe, just enjoy yourself, a lick or two is also allowed. 

Now we have to make the frosting, this frosting is gorgeous and shiny. Take 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup butter milk and 1/2 cup cocoa. Lovingly mix all of them together and bring to a gentle boil. Now pour this into 4 level cups of icing sugar. With a flexi spatula blend well, and add 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Because this was Christmas I also add half a cup of dark rum to this mix.  Of course, it is time to taste the frosting before lathering it onto the peanut butter topping. 

That's it, dive in. The loveliest part of this recipe is that you can save the fudge cake for a good week or so. 

Sweet Chilly Roast Pork

According to German tradition, partaking in a roast of pork dinner on Christmas Eve will prevent evil and promote prosperity in the New Year. Most food folklore suggests that New Year's celebrations should include pork and sauerkraut to ensure good luck in the coming year.

What better time than now to share this recipe!

It was Debita's son's birthday.Who cared what the 3 year olds were eating or doing or not doing. Four of us adults were devouring (no other word can describe the ardent eating act), sweet chilly pork. Vowed to re-create then and there, with maybe one twist and here goes or rather lo behold!

Use a kilo of pork, a good cut to use would be pork belly without skin with fat, chopped in cubes. Wash and clean well. Marinate with salt to taste and a paste of ginger and garlic. I used about 2 inches ginger and about 15 pods of garlic. Keep this marinated in the fridge for 1 - 2 days. 

On the day of serving, boil in a pressure cooker, allow about two whistles and let the steam blow out on its own. This will enable the meat to be tender. Now in 2 tbsp warm white oil, toss in about 3 finely cut red onions. Stir till the onions take on a transparent pink colour. Next goes in the pork with its marinade. Stir well. Now add about 10 tbsp of chilly jam, in Mumbai I used the Moshe one. Try and check out at Indigo or one of the Food Halls. Toss well. Keep a lid on and continue this for a good ten minutes or so. Sprinkle red chilly flakes. Now throw in about 2 large red pepper cut in cubes.Toss again, allow the liquids to dry up though retain the wetness.This would need another 5 mins.Check for salt. 

Serve hot. Leftover cold is also absolutely delicious. 

Grilled Tilapia

My Bengali fish eating mother would quirk up her nose at the sight of a Tilapia fish. To her it is really a step down from the 'Papda', 'Parshe' and 'Tangra'. Al these three are names of classic small whole fish that we make curries out of. Bengali me, with a natural instinct to not agree with Ma, I always loved the flavours of the Tilapia fish cooked normally in a curry. 

Even the poorly regarded Tilapia has such an interesting history. It was one of the three fish caught in the Biblical times from the sea of Galilee. In Egyptian art one finds a Tilapia hieroglyph above the heads of a tomb.

As they say, everyone has a story to tell. So does the Tilapia. I have always seen the black Tilapia. This time I caught (there goes my usual romantic drama again!!!) - I mean spotted and bought pink ones. They were beautiful, smiling, almost tickled pink. So this is what I did to them. You must too. Soon.

Assuming that you have asked the seller to cleaning it well, wash the whole fish nicely. Now make a couple of slanting gashes on the body on both sides. Marinade for about half an hour with salt, turmeric and chilly powder using measures up to your taste. I used half a tsp of each. Then lightly pan fry in little warm oil on both sides till lightly golden in colour. For this use a non-stick pan please.

Make a paste of 3 onions, 4 pods of garlic and 1 green chilly. In 2 tbsp warm oil, fry the paste in low heat. After 3 mins, add 1 full tsp of coriander powder, cumin powder, chilly powder, dried curry powder, pepper powder and coconut powder each. I usually keep this powder medley ready in my fridge. For quickness you could instead use ready in a packet East Indian fish masala. Nicely cook the paste for at least 6 mins or so. Now allow it to cool till it is at room temperature.

With your hand coat the masala onto the fish lovingly with some shoving into the gashes you had earlier created. Do this on both sides. Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves and slit green chillies. 

Grill for 20 mins at 150 degrees. Serve with a dash of lime or allow that to be a choice. 

Mediterranean Vegetable Pie

This is a rather Turkish pie. Did we know that the word 'turquoise' comes from the word 'Turk' meaning Turkish. This is derived from the beautiful jewel-like colour of the Mediterranean sea on the South Turkish coast. I have always found the word 'Mediterranean' hauntingly enigmatic. Its like there is a story in every shore, and honestly so it is. Every city the sea has allowed to park is a beautiful destination. The magic is everlasting.

I am calling this dish a pie though it is not a true-blue one. The base is made with potatoes. So you can change the name if you feel you are cheating.

Like most pies, this too has a base, but the base is made with potatoes. For a serving of around 4, take 3 large potatoes, wash them well and make slices. Brush the slices with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper exactly in that order. Line them up on a baking try and bake for 8 mins. Then set them aside. I did not bother to skin the potatoes. 

Next grind the following spices in a small grinder to make a powder. And once again keep the powder aside.

1 tsp dry ginger, 5 peppercorns, a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of mace, seeds of 1 large cardamom, 1 inch stick of cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 3/4 tsp coriander powder and salt to taste. 

In a warm wok with 4 tbsp of warm olive oil,  toss in 2 small chopped onions, 4 chopped pods of garlic and 1/2 inch of chopped ginger. Cook till light golden brown. Now add 3 cups of chopped carrot, peppers, beans and cauliflower. Allow the vegetable to become soft and cooked but keep the crunchiness. Now add the spice powder mix. A romantic fragrance will waft through your kitchen. Enjoy. In about 4 mins, add 1/2 a cup of white wine and a handful of good quality raisins. You can use prunes instead. Now add a bunch of chopped washed spinach and cook for 4 mins. Lastly throw in a handful of chopped walnuts. Taste for salt. Remove from heat. 

This is your filling. Layer your base dish with the grilled potatoes. Next fill up with the vegetable filler.  

By now your oven should be pre-heated. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 mins. Serve hot after sprinkling some pomegranate.

Enjoy this aromatic brilliance!

A Baby Corn Carrot water Chestnut Zucchini Curry

I do not consider myself to be a very innovative cook. I am a recipe follower. Conditioned to be obedient more often than not I follow the instructions to the last word. On a rare occasion, I do come up with an idea which so far has been pleasurably edible if I may a bit immodestly declare. Also, often I find entertaining 19 ardent non vegetarian guests and 1 strictly vegetarian guest. I am sure many are empathizing with me as they peruse this post. On one such evening I came up with this recipe. It is a miracle but the carnivores also really enjoyed this broth. 

So, you take a packet of baby corn, wash well and cut into one inch slants. Par boil and set aside. Do exactly the same to to two small hopefully red but orange will also do carrots. Next cut the zucchini like you do the others but please do not boil it. Peel the water chestnut and just halve them.

I use about 2 large onions paste and about half an inch of ginger paste and one large chopped tomato. In a warm wok, add about 2 tbsp oil and add the onion ginger paste when the oil is warm. After stirring gently for 3 mins in not very high heat, add 1 tbsp full coriander powder, 1/2 tsp chilly powder and salt to taste. Next add in the tomatoes and mix well. Cook till the paste is cooked and there is no raw smell. Add the baby corn, water chest nuts and the carrots. Mix again and cover the wok with a lid and reduce the heat control to the lowest. After about 5-6 mins, open the lid and add the zucchini. Stir well. Cover again for another 3 mins. Now pour in about 200 ml of coconut milk, blend everything well with a spatula and allow the broth to simmer for 4 more mins. It is time to add about a cup full of warm water. Check the salt, let the gravy simmer. For a quick punch add a dash of tomato ketch up and you are done. 

Enjoy with steamed rice or steamed noodles or rice noodles. The taste is slightly oriental, kind of Burmese. The beauty is that you can serve with either oriental or South Indian cuisine and of course it sparkles in a fusion menu. 

Egg-less Vinegar Chocolate Cake

Not a regular at TV football, the FIFA world cup does garner excitable energy to generally cheer for the losing team, especially for the 2014th year one, to stay true to The Indian Spirit of being the underdog fan. Must confess here that the Bengali influences were also rather heavy leaving no choice but going for the blue and the white!

Friends, Shalina and Rajesh organised a potluck with a fun mix of buddies and I decided to rustle up a couple of cakes. Crazy night ahead, so why not the crazy cake?

The crazy cake became rather popular during depression since the recipe did not need the usage of eggs. Basically, simply take 3 cups of white flour, 2  cups (1 and 3/4th will also be great) of white sugar powdered in your blender or of course castor sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 cup cocoa. Now sift this all together. Once done, make 3 wells in the mix. In one well, pour in 3/4 cup vegetable oil and in the 2nd well pour 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar. Finally into the 3rd well pour in 2 tsp vanilla extract. Now add 2 cups of cold water and mix well with a cake spatula. 

Pour into a prepared cake tin, use a large tin, 9 by 13 inch is a good size. bake at 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C for about 30 mins or till the cake needle comes out clean. 

Enjoy once cooled. Frosting with your favourite frosting will make it yummy too. The feel of the cake on your palette is moist and rich. It is rather lovely I must add. 

The Vietnamese Pho in chicken broth

Vietnamese food so well enjoyed by the French is considered to be the healthiest cuisine in the world. It is known for its balance of five elements. Most Vietnamese food conform to the perfect composition which adheres to the principle of the yin and yang.
Try the Pho, it is wholesome, healthy and happy, happiness enhanced by its communal nature. Families in Vietnam are known to eat together with the only non communal bowl being the small to medium sized bowl with rice or noodles in it. Children are known to serve themselves after the elders have done so. 

The list of ingredients would be one large onion, a 2 inch piece of ginger, a 3 inch stick of cinnamon, one start anise, two cloves, a tsp coriander seeds, 4 cups unsalted chicken stock, two tsp soy sauce and four carrots. Also you will need a bunch of flat rice noodles as shown in the image. For toppings, some mushroom(button ones can do), boiled chicken and posy of pak choy. Finally for the garnish, some scallions, coriander leaves, one Thai chilly, two wedges of lime, a few leaves of Thai basil and Hoisin sauce.

For the broth char-grill in an open flame the onion and the peeled ginger root, this step will take five minutes. Next in a dry heated wok,  dry roast the dry spices. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil and allow it to simmer for 30 mins. Simultaneously boil water and plunge the noodles in the hot water with the heat switched off. When the noodles is soft and chewy drain it out.

Back to the simmering broth, chop the mushroom, pak choy and boiled chicken in semi chunky pieces and add. Simmer for further five mins.

To serve, take a soup bowl or a large deep bowl, at first spoon in the noodles. Pour in the broth along with the toppings so that the noodles get well drowned. As garnish, sprinkle in the finely chopped scallions, thinly slit Thai chillies, chopped coriander leaves, chopped Thai basil, Hoisin sauce and a squeeze some lime.

Run for your chopsticks!

Black Rice Salad With Mango

Well, anything forbidden is fun. True to its name black rice alias forbidden rice adds the same extent of intrigue to its dishes. Be it a pudding, a risotto or a simple salad, black rice more like wine in colour when cooked elevates the dish by its sheer presence. Legend has it that black rice was tagged as forbidden rice because the Chinese emperors refused to share the rice with commoners so that only first family could enjoy the high end nutritional qualities of the rice. The rice is a tremendous source of vitamin E, iron and antioxidants

For this salad, take a cup of black rice and boil it till soft. Along with this cup of cooked rice, you need about 4 stalks of scallions or spring onions, one red onion, coriander leaves and diced mangoes. Cut the scallions slating wise in about half an inch sized pieces. The red onion can be cut vertically and the mangoes are diced in cubes. Chop the coriander leaves semi-finely.

For the dressing, make a lemon vinaigrette. In a small blender put in the leaves from 3 stalks of coriander leaves along-with a bit of stalk, 2 pods of finely minced garlic, juice of one lime, salt and pepper to taste and 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt. Whisk for a min. Your dressing is ready.

Dress the salad, serve cold. If you dress the salad for atleast 2 hours before serving, it lends more flavour and therefore character to the salad. It is indeed a beautiful summer salad.

White Frosting For Red Velvet Cake

I have always been a sucker for drama cinema with multi starer casts. One such fave since 1989 has been Steel Magnolia. It was to me an iconic movie with inspirational icons like Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley Maclaine and Dolly Parton ruling the screen. In Steel Magnolia I first saw the red velvet cake, it was the groom's cake made in the shape of an armadillo. A few years later the Magnolia bakery in Manhattan popularised the red velvet cupcake and that got struck off the bucket list last summer. Only remaining KRA was making it at home, which got accomplished yesterday. I must add that I was not really 100 percent proud of the cake, which is why I will put up the recipe of the cake later once I have perfected it, but yes, the white frosting was 200 percent on the dot! The frosting had such an interesting flavour to it that you must really try whipping it up yourself soon.

I used 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 11/2 cups milk, 11/2 cups icing sugar, 11/2 cups or 150 grams butter ( I used Indian Amul butter) and 1 tbsp vanilla essence.

Soften the butter. 

Mix the flour into the milk and help it dissolve well by stirring. Now heat this liquid, stirring at low heat all the time till the mix is very thick. Set it aside and allow it to reach room temperature.

Whisk the butter and the sugar together. This should be done in a largish bowl with an electric beater. Whisk at medium speed. Continue till the mix is light and fluffy. Now add in the flour batter slowly, a tbsp at a time while whisking with the same beater at high speed. Go on till the entire flour batter is fluffed into your frosting. Lastly fold in the vanilla. 

When your cake is at room temperature, fill it up with this gorgeous white as snow frosting. You can store the frosting in the refrigerator.

Aubergine Peanut Pickle

I read this recipe in a food magazine while listening to birds chirping in a warm summer morn while sipping dark coffee. It was as calm as it can get in busy noisy Mumbai. Can any other moment be as inspiring? 

I also learnt while googling that aubergines which belong to the nightshade family of plants have relatives which are potatoes and tomatoes. One more really cute finding was that the explorer Amerigo Vespucci, for whom America was named was a pickle merchant before he became an explorer.

I twisted the recipe a bit to suit the ingredient list in my larder, and over a warm summer lunch with friends really enjoyed the pickle.

Chop a large aubergine into small square pieces. Dry roast two fistful of peanuts in a warm wok for 5-7 minutes. Then dry rub the peanuts in your palms till all the skins come off. Next chop one large tomato into small pieces.

Warm a tbsp of olive oil. Throw in a tsp of cumin seeds and a tsp of nigella seeds. When both start sputtering, add in 8-9 curry leaves. In less than half a minute add in the tomatoes. Stir fry for a min. Add in salt to taste, 1/2 tsp red chilly powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Toss for a min at low heat. It is time to add the aubergine and mix everything well. I always keep a tamarind paste in my fridge, the Indian brand Funfoods is very good. Add a tbsp and a half of the tamarind paste and stir well. The peanuts go in now and the pickles is ready after tossing gently for another 2-3 mins at low heat. 

A delightful pickle is ready to be picked on! Savour!

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

Even the most common breakfast food, the pancake has such an interesting story about it. The formally known 'Shrove Tuesday' is called the 'Pancake Day'. It marks the beginning of Lent, a period that commemorates the 40 days and nights that Jesus spent fasting in the desert before beginning his ministry. 

This is a very very very healthy recipe for the pancake batter which does not include flour but includes oatmeal flour and whole wheat flour. Please mark that you need to prepare the batter the night before.

You will need for the recipe;

One cup oats, toast and grind it

¼ cup and 2 tbsp whole wheat flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon powder

¼ cup honey

One large egg

11/4 cup butter milk

Vanilla essence

Once you have collected all of the above, you need to follow the following steps.

Mix the dry ingredients well.

Lightly beat the eggs and add it to the dry ingredients

Add rest of the ingredients and mix all till well combined

Refrigerate overnight

Heat pan well.  Just lightly brush with oil. Spoon one a large spoon of the batter and pour it within the pancake ring. Nicely even it out. Cook pancakes in medium heat. Turn once.

Enjoy with maple syrup

Zucchini Salad

Before I share the recipe I would like to alert my readers that the marinade has to be prepared two days in advance. Critical piece of information to be noted and followed.

Zucchini, a squash is considered to be a vegetable in the culinary universe but is a fruit in the botanical world. The Pennsylvanian joke that on 8th August of every year, children or adults often in camouflage sneak in at midnight and leave bags of zucchini at their neighbours' doorsteps  and make a dash for their life after ringing the doorbell speaks of sweet friendships and neighbourhood sharing. True to this story, I also experienced this salad over a warm dinner at Neha and Glenn's home. 

For the marinade/dressing; mix olive oil, oyster sauce,vinegar,sugar, soya sauce, chopped mint leaves, chopped Thai red chillies and minced garlic. All the ingredients except the red chillies are in equal proportions. Use half the quantity of red chillies. Store in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Slice zucchini, use both green and yellow ones. Toss with the dressing. Serve after 20 minutes. Serve cold. 

Pumpkin In A Coconut Gravy 

Hey..wrong timing to put this up, no one is about to make a Jack-o-Lantern for months now. So be sure to try this recipe on 31st October and of course asap now too. 

Warm 1 tbsp oil, you can use any white oil. Once warm, allow about 6-8 curry leaves and one long slit green chilly to sizzle in the heat. Chop a lovely red tomato into small cubes and add it in. To season we need 1 heap tsp coriander powder, best is the home roasted variety, salt to taste and 1/2 tsp chilly powder. Stir for two mins at low heat. 

By now you needed to have cleaned about 300 g of a luscious orange pumpkin, skinned it and cut it into semi small cubes. 

So now back to the wok, once the tomatoes are done, add the pumpkin and add 1 cup of hot water. Cook for 3 mins, remember your flame is low. It is time to pour in a large cup of coconut milk, if you are using a tetra pack, use the entire 200 ml one. Slow cook till the pumpkin is soft but it does not lose its shape.

Enjoy with brown rice!

Cauliflorets Grilled

This recipe is called the Tree Of Life as quoted to me by my pretty, attractive, ever-smiling and ever-thin friend, Sai. When we heard of it for the first time, we did laugh at the preposterous nomenclature. Though the giggles could partly be attributed to some rice wine and potato vodka, mostly, the funniness of the name in itself won hands down. I mean Tree Of Life has been used in science, religion, mythology and even philosophy as a concept. But in food and cooking, this was the first.

Having said all of the above, this rather step by step recipe does branch out into something quite delectable if I may say so and yes of course, pun intended.

We start by gently breaking off about ten cauliflorets from its base and parboil them for 8 mins in turmeric water.

Grill one red pepper and then chop it and put it in a blender. To this add one small chopped onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, a dash of white vinegar, 1/2 tsp sugar and salt to taste. Then make a smooth paste.

Crumble 75g cottage cheese. Mix well with 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves and one finely chopped de-seeded green chilly.

Stuff the cheese mix into the florets. As shown below.

Now make some white sauce, about 8 tbsp. Flavour it with thyme and parmesan. Blend the red pepper sauce with the white sauce mix.

Set the stuffed florets on a baking dish. Pour the sauce all over it generously.

Bake for 12-14 mins at 160 degrees till the cauliflower is soft. Have it warm and fresh from the oven with some bread.

Oyster Chowder

One interesting tit-bit about a traditional chowder is that crackers or biscuits are used to thicken the broth. Though in this recipe flour is used, many recipes use oyster crackers finely chopped to create body.

I took about 10 oysters for this recipe and this served well for two of us. Clean the oysters and rinse out the water well. You will need one medium size onion finely chopped, one small potato diced into smallish cubes, 8 cleaned button mushrooms, a handful of cleaned roughly chopped spinach, a cup of milk, a tbsp flour, some regular cheese and a cup of salt seasoned chicken stock. Spoon the flour into the milk and mix well. Chop the mushrooms into small bits.

In a wok, warm a tbsp of olive oil. Fry the onions till they are transparent pink. Once this is done add the potatoes, toss a bit and put a lid for 4 mins at low heat. Once the potatoes are a bit soft, throw in the mushroom and stir for 2 mins. Next add the spinach and again stir for 2 mins. Next pour in the milk and the stock. Bring to a boil and gently release in the oysters. Cook again in low heat for 5-6 mins. Grate about 11/2 tbsp cheese in the broth. Your chowder is good to dig in!

Midnight Cookies 

723 Baxter St. Athens, GA 30605. 706-850-5478

This is where you can get late night cookies. This comes under the category of coffee house and cafe and they have a delivery system of late night cookies.

Back in India, we just make do by making midnight cookies ourselves. And why not? it is indeed just so simple, so quick.

Prep first. Preheat oven up to 180 degrees centigrade. Line baking trays with butter sheets or baking paper.

Next place 120g butter and 175g castor sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Add one beaten egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla essence and mix until smooth. Sieve in 125g plain flour, 35g cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda. Beat and mix well.

Dampen your hands, roll lime sized dough into smooth balls. Place on the baking sheet keeping gaps. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 mins.

Transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool. Bring it on! Its midnight!

PS-This recipe makes about 25 odd pcs

Mocha Cupcakes

Mocha is the name of the largest port in Yemen where from African coffee is the most traded and transported. It is also a type of coffee bean. This recipe creates a rather evolved sense of coffee magic, an experience so refined and so subtle that one feels kind of elevated. Try it. In fact the first time that I baked them initially one felt that they were not kinda sweet. Finally even kids were devouring them. Of course different matter, these were hungry kids....

In a saucepan please take 85 g butter, 1 tbsp clear honey, 85 g sugar, 2 tbsp instant coffee powder and 200 ml of water and mix well. Place it on heat, stirring constantly. Once the sugar dissolves, allow it to come to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for 5 mins. Keep it aside to cool till it reaches room temperature. 

In a separate bowl sieve 225 g flour with 2 tbsp cocoa powder. Add it to the cooled above mix, fold in smoothly.

In 2 tbsp milk, add 1 tsp soda bicarbonate and make a paste. Fold in gently to the batter.

Now finally, add 1 lightly beaten large egg and beat the the mixture together until smooth.

Lace the cupcake molds with paper cases. spoon the mix into the cases. 

Your oven should have been preheated to 180 degrees centigrade. Set in the cupcakes molds and bake for 15-20 mins or until well risen and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

In the picture, I have not added any topping as we were carrying them on a trip. It is enjoyed the most with a swirl of whipped cream dusted with some sifted cocoa powder. 

Choco Chip Cookies

Ruth Wakefield was baking her regular divine butter cookies at her Toll House Inn in 1938 and one time she decided to chip some chocolates and add it to the batter expecting the chocolate to melt. Lo behold! The chocolate remained as soft chips thus going on to give birth to the world loved choco chip cookies. Ruth then wrote to Nestle about her discovery and the even then corporate choco giant printed her recipe on their wrapper in return giving Ruth a lifetime supply of delicious chocolate.

Back home Gautam Ganapthy's beautiful photographer mamma shared her way of baking her divine choco chip cookies with her DIL and Kavery then passed on this magical recipe to me. Trust me, it is easy.

Cream 1/2 a cup of butter in a bowl until light. To this add 3/4 cup sugar which in turn constitutes of half brown sugar and half white sugar. Gently whisk till the sugar butter mix is light and creamy. Now add one egg and whisk well for 3 mins. Fold in 1 tsp vanilla essence. 

In a separate bowl, sieve 1 cup flour with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Gently blend in the flour mix to the creamy batter and once well blended, add 3/4 cup of choco chips. Once again fold in the chips gently and well into the mix.

Heat your oven at 350 degrees centigrade. Place butter paper on your baking rack and just blob little cookie dough with your hand on the paper one after the other. Bake for about 20 mins. This amount of dough should make you a batch of about 20-25 approximately. When you allow the baked cookies to stand, they become firm.

A cup of milk, a cookie and your book, sleep sweet soon!

Rum Soaked Cranberry, Banana & Walnut Cake

An interesting trivia about cranberries is that they are also called bounceberries because a good ripe cranberry bounces. They also have medicinal qualities but we are not interested in that fact now.

Five or six hours prior to preparing the batter, soak about 2 heaped tbsp dried cranberries in half a cup of dark rum. Mash 2 ripe bananas well. Chop half a cup of walnuts. 

In a mixing bowl, throw in 200g butter and whisk 140g castor sugar, 1 tbsp honey amd 1 tsp vanilla essence well with the butter with an electric whisk. Once soft and creamy, add 3 eggs, but one at a time giving it a nice whisk each time so that the eggs softly blend in. The mix will look light yellow and creamy.

In a separate bowl mix 300g flour with 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt. Sieve once. Add half of this to the butter mix and with a spatula mix well. Now add the banana mash and fold in completely. Next add the rest of the flour mix and once again blend thoroughly again with a spatula. It is time to pick out the cranberries from the rum cup and add them to the batter along with the chopped walnut. One more good round of gentle folding and the batter is ready to go!

Pour into the waiting prepared baking tin and set it into the pre-heated oven. It takes about 30 mins at 150 degrees centigrade. Have fun!

Coffee Cake

Who doesn't  enjoy the romantic whiff of dark coffee brew? Coffee shops have become an universal phenomenon. Working, chatting, catching up, meeting, being alone, thinking, doing nothing...all of these qualify for a shortie or a longie at a coffee shop.

At a tea at Kavery's we had this lovely coffee cake. I am anyway a black coffee fan, It was love at first taste.

Take 150g each of castor sugar, butter, flour, 3 eggs, 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp of coffee and 1 tbsp of hot water to dissolve coffee. Use a whisker and cream the butter till it is soft. Once creamy, add the castor sugar and mix well. Separate the eggs and beat them separately for 4 mins each, if you are using an electric whisker. In another bowl fold in the baking powder with the flour. With a flexi spatula add the flour mix to the creamed sugary butter. Smoothly mix the batter till the flour folds in completely with the butter-sugar mix. Now, dissolve the coffee in the hot water and once done add this to the batter. Pour into your prepared baking tin. Bake at 160 degrees centigrade for 30 mins. Your itchen will be filled with a sexy subtle aroma, enjoy!

To make the icing you will need 225g icing sugar, 100g butter, 1tbsp coffee and hot water. Again cream the butter which was kept at room temperature. Once soft, fold in the icing sugar and finally add the coffee which you need to again dissolve in the hot water. 

Once the cake is at room temperature, with an icing knife gently coat the cake with the coffee icing. Sprinkle some choco chips or chocolate shavings. Keep in the fridge. Whenever you are serving, take it out for a bit from the cold, slice out a delicious wedge and sway the lucky one off his or her feet!

Spinach And Corn On Crackers

We often find ourselves struggling to put together a sumptuous vegetarian snack, something off the beaten track yet mainstream. Something not terribly high on calories and yet very delicious. Something pretty that even the carnivores will be eyeing, maybe sideways, but eyeing with some greed alright.

I had read this recipe a while back, but since I had forgotten it, the final outcome here is a bit far from the original. My guests however quite liked this version. 

Use a cup of fresh American corn, wash and steam for about 3 mins or so till soft and whole. Drain and set aside. In a tsp of olive oil, saute one finely chopped onion and one pod of finely chopped garlic. Take one green chilly and de-seed it. Once the onion turns pink, throw in the chopped chilly, stir for a min and throw in the golden corn. Sprinkle one squeeze of lime, salt and pepper for flavour and a tbsp of finely chopped coriander leaves. Your corn is done, set it aside.

I used about 2 cups of chopped freshly cleaned spinach. In a warm wok, melt a tbsp of butter. Add one finely chopped onion. Do the same thing with a green chilly as above.Now it is time to add the chopped spinach. Cook for 3/4 mins. In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of milk and 3/4th tbsp of corn flour.  Add this to the spinach mix and cook till the mix is thick. Add salt to taste. For more flavour you may add some grated cheese, about a tbsp full but this is optional.

To serve, pour out the corn filling on a cracker or a canape or a toastie. Then pile on some of the spinach puree. If you have not added the cheese in the spinach mix, you can sprinkle some cheddar cheese. Grill for 1/2 mins at semi-high heat. Serve hot. 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

The grain Quinoa has taken the world by storm and hence a must-consume in today's day of being healthy and wise. Quinoa is a pseudocereal with high iron content and super low fat content. The Incas who held crops as sacred referred to quinoa as the ‘mother of all grains’. Still celebrated and respected, 2013 had been declared as the International year of Quinoa by the United Nations.

To make this beautiful salad you need 3-4 cups water or vegetable broth, 1 1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked, 1/2 cup olives or grapes, 1/3 cup fresh parsley, 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, 1 red onion, 1 cup cherry tomatoes or one large tomato, 1/2 cup broccoli florets, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese.  

You will also need for the dressing ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 lemon, 2 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp water

For the dressing, mince the garlic and squeeze out juice from the lemon. Mix together with the vinegar and the oil.

For the salad, slice the olives or the grapes and chop the parsley and cilantro. Next dice the red onion. Now take some gorgeous red cheery tomatoes and cut them into halves. In case you are using a large tomato instead, scoop out the soggy part and gently cut the crunchy part into long strips. The broccoli needs to be steamed. Parellely the quinoa needs to be boiled in the cooker using one whistle and a one : two water ratio. The grain is cooked and it absorbs the water. Set aside the grain until it is at room temperature. Gently toss the quinoa with the other salad ingredients except the feta. Now pour the dressing into the salad and mix gently. In the end add the feta and salt and pepper to taste.

You are good to go, teenagers and adults absolutely love this salad as the feta lends a lovely kick and the grain a generous body!

Chilly Yogurt Dip

A dipping sauce commonly nomenclatured as a dip often ushers in the success quotient in a party. The name was attached simply because food items were dipped into the sauce which is thicker than a spread and then eaten. In a recent home party I was toying with some ingredients and making different dips and tasting them myself, and having a lot of fun, mind you!

I must say I hit gold with this little concoction I came up with quite by chance. The guests were actually having the dip with spoons and I had to hide some away for the late comers. 

You need a tbsp of coconut slivers, 2 tbsp green chilly pickle (you can use Mother's recipe or  Nilon) and 4 tbsp yogurt. Blend the coconut and the pickle in a small jar in a blender. Now add in the yogurt and whisk till smooth with a smooth.Serve chilled with side accompaniments. 

PS-In the picture, this is the slightly lime coloured one.

Roasted & Sun-dried Tomato Mince Sauce For Pasta

In 1950 Ischian jetsetter Sandro Petti, co-owner of a famed restaurant and nightspot was asked one evening by some friends to cook them some food. In his pantry he found only four tomatoes, some capers and olives. He used them up to make some sauce with spaghetti. and called it spaghetti alla putttanesca, the famous pasta dish.

Pretty much on the same lines, I set out to make some penne with a few tomatoes and sundried tomatoes in my pantry and some chicken mince in my freezer. Dinner was cooked in a jiffy and the consumers went all ga and ga!

Take 4 tomatoes and roast them in an open flame till the skin is charred and black. Then set them aside till they are cool. Now skin them and put them in a blender. To this add about 8 strips of sun dried tomatoes. Blend the two to a coarse consistency.

You now need a lovely large aubergine. Slice them up into 2 mm thick slices. Marinate with salt, olive oil and oregano. After about 8 mins, set them to grill at medium heat.

Now warm 2 tbsp of olive oil, add 1 large finely chopped red onion and 6 cloves of finely chopped garlic pods. To this add the washed mince, salt to taste and 1 tsp dried basel. Fresh chopped basel could be even better. Now cook this in low heat. 

On the side boil a packet of pasta in some salted water. Once cooked, strain, wash with cold water and fold in with some olive oil to keep the penne pieces individual. 

Back to your sauce, after cooking in low heat for 5 mins or so, add in the tomato puree. Stir well. Add 1 tsp chilly flakes. Stir for 5 more mins. Your sauce is ready.

It is time to layer your pasta. At first spoon out some pasta, on this place a layer of the grilled aubergine and then gently layer on the meat sauce. Repeat a few times. sprinkle some dried basel and devour!

                                                                   Spinach Lasagna

Viraj and Nitu have a farmhouse near about of Bangalore, they sent some fresh homegrown (literally) spinach. A regular struggle is how to make the green look like gold on the dinner table. Tried this quick recipe and it was really well received, am sure Popeye would have loved to be in the fourth seat. 

Take a bunch of spinach, wash well and steam in an open pan for 5-7 minutes. Once cool, blend into a puree. Now in one and a half tbsp of warm olive oil, add 2 finely chopped onions and 6 cloves of finely chopped garlic. Once golden, add one similarly chopped tomato. To this add the puree, salt to taste and some dried oregano and a dash of pepper powder. In about 2 mins, add a large cup of grated cottage cheese. Stir for 3 mins or so. Add a dash of ketch up and your filling is done.

Now layer the spinach onto lasagna sheets( I used ready to cook Barilla) each time, spraying little milk on the sheets. Make 4 or 5 layers. On the top sprinkle some parmesan. Bake for 20 mins or so.

Enjoy!

Grilled Aubergine With Spicy Chickpeas And Walnut Sauce

I feel really sad for those allergic to aubergine. Cultivated in India, the old world tropical bulb was brought to Europe by Arab traders via Spain. Hence the name derived from an old Arabic word. Honest to its history, I tried this rather Arabic tasting dish recently for a family dinner. The soft romantic old world charm was enjoyed by everyone, old and young.

Take 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 red chilly de-seeded and chopped finely, 2 cms ginger finely chopped, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 400 grams chickpeas rinsed, drained and boiled, 200 gms chopped tomato,1/2 lemon juice and 2 aubergines cut lengthwise. Also, take 200 gms yogurt, 1 garlic clove crushed, 25 gms walnuts and a handful of chopped coriander leaves.

Now heat 2 tbsp oil. Add onions and fry till soft and golden. Add the chilly, ginger and the spices. Mix well. Stir in the chick peas, tomatoes and 5 tbsp water. Boil. Simmer for 10 mins. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Sprinkle oil, salt and pepper to the aubergine. Keep aside for 20 mins. Now grill till cooked.

Mix yogurt, garlic, most of the walnuts, coriander, salt and pepper for the walnut sauce.

Arrange the aubergine slices on a warm platter. Spoon on top the chick pea mix. Drizzle walnut sauce. garnish with coriander leaves and walnuts.

Chicken Grilled In Plum Sauce

Koon Chung from Hongkong is a good brand for plum sauce. This sauce is normally affiliated to Chinese cooking, a good dip with rolls and stir fries or duck. It is very advantageous for me to have a couz in Singapore who believes in my food and proactively stocks up my larder for me. Thanks N.

Envy me all you want, but please try this not-at-all-Chinese-but quite-Continental grill with plum sauce. 

Take chicken breast pieces on the bone and create some incisions for the juices to permeate through. Now rub some butter, crushed garlic, a bit of crushed pepper, salt and plum sauce generously all over the chicken. Marinate for 24 hours in your fridge. When you are about to cook it, keep it out at room temperature for an hour or so. Then set it on a baking tin, sprinkle rosemary on the top, you can use the dried variety. Now grill for an hour at 120 degrees. When your needle goes through the chicken easily and the baking tin fills up with juices released from the chicken, spike up the temperature to 250 degrees for the last five minutes or so. This will help give a lovely reddish gold tinge to the chicken and also reduce the volume of the juice by about half. I like to keep a generous amount of juice in the tin so that everyone can keep spooning the juice out as they progress through the chicken. 

Enjoy with some home-made wine!

Flat Beans, Aubergine &Tomato Stir Fry

I met Nisha through Shalina. We all went to The World dance Centre - Ratika's dance classes together. Nisha and Shalina were fit and happening while my struggles continued. This state remains present continuous as we speak(!). I must say I found Nisha to be a rather quirky person and therefore a fun person right from the start. She has a tea fetish, a privacy fetish, a perfection fetish and I am sure some more if we decide to interview her spouse. All of the above adds to a gorgeously done up home which boasts of professional competence and personal pride. 

At the exhibition that she hosted for peppercorns recently, she taught me this recipe. It is absolutely unique and mouth-wateringly tasty. 

So, you need about 1/2 a kilo of flat beans (papri or sem), 1 large aubergine and 1 large tomato. The beans are to be cut in 11/2 inch rectangles and the aubergine in similar sized cubes. In a warm oiled wok, toss the beans with a dash of salt for 3 mins or so. In the same wok, with the beans taken off aside, toss the aubergine in the leftover oil, again with a dash of salt and a small dash of turmeric for 3 mins. Set this aside too. In the same warm wok, add 1/2 a tsp of oil and throw in the full tomato. Cover and allow it to cook in low heat for 5 mins. Now skin the tomato and squish it roughly. To this add the beans and the aubergine. 

While the above is being done, you need to coarsely blend a bunch of coriander leaves, 1 or 2 green chillies and 2 or 3 cloves of garlic. 

Add the coriander chutney to the vegetable medley. Check for salt and stir for 4 mins and you are good to go.

Plum Crumble

I had watched an episode of Nigelissima a couple of weeks back. Always a sucker for the colour RED, her red lipstick, red candles and red luscious plums looked as attractive as it did appetizing. Since then I was on the look-out for some lovely plums which I picked up as soon as I spotted them. In this recipe, I have added a small twist which heightened the sublimity element in the dessert. 

Take about 10 clean plums and cut them into large rounded chunks. In a warm pan melt a tbsp of butter and fry a large stick of cinnamon(my twist). When the cinnamon stick turns dark brown, remove it and add the plums. Toss for 2 mins in low heat and add powdered sugar to sweeten the plums mildly. So, I should say 3 tbsps of powdered sugar should be good but please taste for sweetness. The plums will stew a bit and release some juices. Now set this whole thing, please includes the juices, onto a baking tray. 

Take 3/4 cup of flour(weight watchers, you can use half and half flour and wheat-another twist) in a bowl. Add 3/4 slab of a 100 gram frozen butter and half a cup of sugar. Mix this with your finger tips to get a crumbly consistency. Now take about 6 digestive biscuits in a zip lock bag and bash it on your kitchen counter and  get the biscuits into a crumbly powdery consistency. Add this to the flour-butter-sugar mix well. 

Now pat this onto the plum base, patting it on as you go along. Once set, bake in an oven for 45 minutes at 150 degrees C. Please check for baking and only then take it out. If required bake for some time more at lower heat. The colour should be like it is in the picture.

A lip-smacking seasonal dessert for your dinner party is ready!

Quick Brown Bread With Pumpkin Seeds

Quick breads are made using baking powder, baking soda, beaten eggs or other leavening agents instead of yeast. They are 'quick' because they do not need to be left in a warm environment for several hours to rise. As the name suggests quick breads are easy to prepare, but none the less delicious to eat. 

First pre-heat your oven at 400 degree C. Then grease your baking dish, a 5 by 9 inch rectangular or a 3 by 3 inch square will be great. Instead you can use cooking paper to line the baking dish. Now take 3 cups wheat flour, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sweet or normal paprika and 1 tsp baking soda(bicarbonate of soda) and mix well. Gradually add 2 cups of plain yogurt and 1 tsp molasses or malt extract. Stir in as much milk as you need to make a moist dough. I used 1/3 cup milk and mixed the dough with my hands. The consistency is sticky. 

Now wash and dry your hands well and dust them with dry wheat flour. Then keep taking portions of the dough and set it into the baking dish. Repeat process for the complete dough. When done, make a long gash in the centre and throw in pumpkin seeds. Spread some on the top too and set for baking at 180 degrees C for 45 mins or more until brown and crisp on top. Cool on a wire rack for 10 mins.  

Serve hot from the oven. Your kitchen will smell absolutely divine and so romantic, enjoy!

Kalimiri Paneer or Peppered Cottage Cheese

Ishani has been advising me to try this lovely easy creation for a long time. Pepper being a source of vitamins, A and C coupled with fresh and crunchy vegetables, makes this dish appetizing in looks, taste and health. 
Last Sunday we were spending another lovely day with the Talwars who love simple and fresh food which do justice to quality produce. 

All you need is coloured peppers, all three colours,  red-green-yellow, one each, a large onion, about 300 grams of fresh cottage cheese and some salt and home-milled pepper powder.

Chop the vegetables in round rings and the cottage cheese in cubes.In a hot wok or sauce pan, add about 2 tbsps of olive oil. Layer the onions, sprinkle salt and pepper powder. Now layer all the coloured peppers and sprinkle salt and pepper. Cover with a lid for 2/3 minutes and keep the flame low. The onions begin to caramelize and the peppers start to soften. Top with cubed cottage cheese. Sprinkle salt to taste and generous amount of pepper powder. Again cover with the lid for 4/5 minutes while your flame is low.

Enjoy as a side dish, a warm salad or a main course item. 

Thai Cabbage Salad

Cabbage has been historically appreciated as a salad vegetable like in Sauerkraut and kimchi. And who does not enjoy a classic Cole-slaw with their burger? 

This salad is very unique especially because it boasts of a rather unusual dressing. So going straight to the recipe for the dressing; take half a cup of coconut milk, 2 tbsps fish sauce, one lime rind and juice of one lime. Mix them all and keep it aside.

Finely chop cabbage to make about 2 cups. Blanche in warm salted water for 4 minutes or so. Drain well. take chopped shallots(4 green ones or even one large red onion), 5 pods garlic and 2 red bird eye chillies. Toss in warm oil till brown and crisp. Separately roast 2 tbsps peanuts and saute with a touch of salt and red chilly powder. 

Now add the dressing to the cabbage. Mix with 1/4th the shallot fry and peanuts. Set in a salad plate and top with the remaining fried shallot and peanuts. 

Serve with Vietnamese rolls or some Laksa. 

Beef Bafad

Use medium to small pieces of beef. for a kilo, you will need 8 dried red chilies, 8 peppercorns, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 5 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, vinegar and salt to taste ,4 boiled potatoes, 2 onions, 3 green chilies  2 cups coconut milk, 7 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger pc,

Cut and wash the beef and marinate with ginger garlic paste. Grind together red chilies  coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, peppercorns,cloves, cinnamon and mustard seeds. Keep coconut milk handy. Chop onions, green chilies  ginger and garlic. Now in hot oil , brown the onions. Then add ginger, garlic and chilies  Add the beef pieces and fry. Add the dry masala now. Stir fry for 3 minutes.Now add coconut milk and allow the meat to cook in low heat. You can also cook in a pressure cooker. Once the meat is soft, add vinegar and boiled potatoes.

best had with rice or 'sannas'. 

Black Grape Cake/Jeweled Cake

I was driving past a fruit cart and the gleaming black grapes caught my attention. My mother really loves these and she was telling me the other day how much she misses them in Kolkata. Well, I made a mental note to carry some in the my next trip, along-with the usual white onions for Baba, and the idea of baking a cake with them came my way.

So, all you need is half a kilo of black grapes, 1/5 cups of flour, 4 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 small lemons, 1/2 cup of sugar,1 tsp vanilla essence, a pinch of baking powder and 2 eggs.

Beat the eggs well. Add the sugar and beat some more till the sugar dissolves. Add the oil and beat for another minute. Now add the vanilla essence, lime juice and grated lemon rind. In the side sieve the flour and add the baking powder. Now mix the wet and dry ingredients and fold in the batter together. If a bit stiff, add a little milk just to make your movement easy.

By now ensure your oven is preheated. Now in your baking tin ready with baking paper, pour a bit of the battera nd spread it out. Throw in the grapes randomly. Continue in layers till the batter is finished. Right on top jewel the cake with some more grapes. bake at 140 degrees for 45 mins or till it is cooked. Use the usual needle testing method. The colour is light and soft. 

BBQ'd Chicken Sticks

Tara and I were driving to Crawford market, my first time, and discussing new ideas for starters with chicken. Lo behold, this lip smacking starter was born! I included it in a menu for a Saturday night party at a successful couple's and many of their guests asked for the peppercorns contact. Yay!

Marinate boneless chicken pieces(Chilly chicken sized) with Bar-B-Que sauce (Kraft, the best and Fun Foods pretty good too) , generous amount of cayenne pepper seasoning and salt. Keep in the fridge for 24 hours.

At cooking time, warm olive oil in a wok. Add crushed garlic. When the garlic turns light brown, add in the chicken. Stir fry at low heat on a covered wok for 15 minutes. Keep stirring every 2/3 minutes. The chicken will cook in its own juices. In the last minute, increase the flame and stir fry till chicken is dry and golden brown in colour and of course well-cooked and soft. Keep the chicken aside till it reaches room temperature.

On small sized wooden skewers or tooth-picks, add cheese cubes, length wise cut half black grapes and chicken pieces, all one each.

You are ready, now get to the Margarita!

Breakfast Toast Cups

Kavery discovered this recipe and Ishani tried it. I am late in the band wagon. It was high time and it is also a lovely day, wish all of you a happy Gudiparwa, 2013. A simple quick-to-do breakfast for a happy family.

Apply olive oil or butter on the muffin tray. Take FRESH bread and fit it into the tray like in the picture below.

Stick it into the oven for 8-10 mins at 150 degrees.

Till then, stir fry finely chopped onions. once pink, add in baked beans. Another 2 minutes of stirring and you are done with that. Now take some beaten eggs and garnish with salt and pepper. Once the bread gets slightly crisp, take them out. Fill each cup with beans, the beaten egg, some bacon or ham or sausages chopped and crisped and lastly some flaked Parmesan or any grated cheese for that matter.

Put the tray back into the oven and toast for 10 more mins or so. Once done the toast cups come out of the muffin cups cases easily. Serve hot.

Spicy Cod Rice

I am a huge fan of one-pot meals. They are great for today's on-the-go society. You get your carbs, veggies and proteins in one large pot, and yet no one is complaining! Sharing this lovely recipe, a one pot spicy cod rice.

So take some 12-14 cod pcs (can use deboned Rawas instead) and lightly salt it. Now take 2 tbsps flour, 1 tbsp cumin powder and 1 tbsp of coriander powder and mix them well, they are all dry. Now coat the fish well and set them out on a baking paper on a tray. Store in the fridge for 30 mins.

Till then de-shell peas(can use frozen ones), chop red carrots in julienne pieces, finely chop bird eye red chillies and spring onions. Also fry a few cashews till golden but do not over fry them.

Now boil a cup and a half long grained rice, please avoid over cooking the rice.

In well warmed oil in a large pot or wok, shallow fry the fish till both sides are golden brown. Set aside. To the same warm oil, add the spring onions and toss for 1 min. Then add the carrots, peas and the red chillies. Fry for 2 mins. Next add the cashew nuts and toss everything together. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp sweet chilly sauce. Now add the rice and stir well. Add salt to taste remembering that soy sauce is salty on its own. Finally add the fried fish and once again give the pot a nice big toss.

Make this your Sunday family meal. It is lip smacking and wholesome.

Banana Bread

So, Tara has a beautiful friend called Ekavali who bakes in a jiffy! The stuff that she dishes out are 'to die for'.

Enough for me to pile on to her famous banana bread recipe. It is truly amazing! Just get baking asap-it is divine.

Take 2 eggs, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of butter(soft 100 grams works out well), 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder(optional though I recommend) , 1 banana.

Chop the banana into small bits. beat the egges, not separately with a hand beater. Add in everything. Mix well with a spatula and beat with the spatula for 20 mins or so. If required add 2 tbsp milk to ensure easy movement.

Put in a bread baking tray. bake at 200 degrees for 25 mins or so. Of course, check for complete baking with the old fashioned needle prick. Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Salad

Kavery gave me a lovely book on salad recipes. Till I realised that i was allergic to chicken, I ate it almost every night and I would always look around for good chicken recipes. This one is a superb one and you just must try it. 

Place 1 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsps tomato sauce, 1 tbsp clear honey, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and i tsp mustard powder in a shallow bowl and mix it together. Season it with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat in the marinade. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Pre heat oven to 200 c. Place the chicken on a roasting tin. Spoon over any remaining marinade and roast in the oven for 40 mins until cooked through and lightly charged in places. Cool for 5 mins.

Arrange lettuce leafs,4 grated carrots, 6tbsps of sweet corn and a half thinly sliced red pepper on the serving plate. To make a dressing mix sour cream and chives in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Thickly slice each chicken breast and arrange on the salad serve with dressing.

Cauliflower Roast, Indian Style

My mother's food is very high on flavours and balance. She has never gone wrong in her cooking especially in Indian food. This is her recipe and she has made it at home zillions of times and now this has become of of my favourites.

You take a whole cauliflower and marinade it with salt, chilly powder and turmeric powder. Fry it on all sides. 

In a bowl mix ginger paste, chilly powder, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder with a bit of water till the mix is pasty.

Now in a wok, put some oil and ghee. When this is warm, caramelize a pinch of sugar and then throw in some cinnamon  cardamom and bay leaf. Add in the mix mentioned above. Allow the 'masala' to cook for 2/3 minutes. add chopped tomatoes. after another 2 minutes, add cashew paste. cook for another 2 minutes. Now this mix should be cooled to room temperature. 

By now the cauliflower too has been cooled to room temperature. Now apply the above mix to the cauliflower on both sides and spoon some inside the core.  Place this cauliflower in the pressure pan and let it cook without a whistle for 10 minutes or so. Once the pan releases vapour, check if the flower has been cooked. It should be crunchy but cooked. Once this is attained, switch off the flame and put the whistle on.

The roast is ready to be tucked into and is great with Roomali rotis or plain parathas.

Chicken Sandwich Spread

My sis-in-law is a great cook.  She shared this yummy easy-to-do and great-for-kids recipe. It is brilliant when you have growing kids at home who are perennially hungry. And if you have a social kid who is always having friends over, this is your life-saver recipe.

Boil a kilo of chicken. Keep the stock after boiling. During boiling, ensure that you do not add too much water as the stock should be a bit thick. Once the chicken can be felt at room temperature, shred the chicken. Now in a wok, add 75 grams of salted butter. Add 2 table spoons of chopped parsley. Add the shredded chicken. To this add 2 slices of wet centre parts of bread slices. Now add in the stock. Once you have added salt and pepper to taste, stir the chicken till it is gooey. This can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

                                                

Grilled chicken with cayenne pepper

I call this in-a-jiffy chicken. Shalina makes this chicken and serves it with different crunchy salads. If you are on a diet and/or you want to cook a chicken in a jiffy, this is a super-easy recipe. The chicken tastes succulent, zingy and cool salads on the side are a perfect accompaniment.

Marinate about half a kilo of chicken with a generous teaspoon of cayenne pepper, one levelled teaspoon of red chilli flakes, a teaspoon of Mexican seasoning, 4 crushed pods of garlic, a dash of black pepper and salt to taste. Keep this aside for 2 to 3 hours.

Cook the chicken in the convection of your microwave oven for 10 minutes for each side and then set the oven to grill for another 4 minutes again each side. The colour will be orangish-gold with a crisp on the sides.

Egg & Cabbage Salad

I call this salad "The Indian Khimchi". It is unique in the way it is dressed. Tamarind and roasted cumin gives the salad an interesting zing. Potatoes, an all time fave and eggs, loved by many create magic with fresh green cabbage.

Take 4 hard boiled eggs, 2 potatoes. 4-5 and cabbage leaves which are fresh and green, 2 de-seeded green chillies, 1 large onion and 2 tbsp of finely chopped coriander leaves or cilantro. Cut the cabbage leaves into rough chunks or squares. Finely chop the onion and the green chilly.

For the dressing, you need 11/2 tbsp of tamarind pulp(use a fun foods jar if you have), 4 tbsp of tomato ketchup, ½ teaspoon of chilly powder. ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper and ½ teaspoon of cumin powder.    

Boil eggs for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and put the eggs in tap water immediately. Peel and cut the boiled eggs into 4 long or round pieces. Boil potatoes, peel and cut into ¼ inch thick round slices. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet/pan and allow the oil to spread all over. Warm the oil well and slowly place the potatoes all over without creating a double layer. The potatoes need to be fried to a light crispy state on both sides. Set the potatoes aside and add a wee bit of olive oil onto the same pan and golden fry the chopped onions. Once the onions turns transparent pink, please add the green chilies and 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro. It is now time to add the pretty green cabbage leaves. Stir fry in low heat for about 3 mins.

For the dressing, spoon all the elements of the dressing int a bowl. Gently mix with a spoon. Add a tbsp of water for the right consistency. Mix 2 tbsp of the dressing with the salad elements. 

Now plate the salad and randomly position the boiled eggs. Dot the eggs with the dressing. Sprinkle some cilantro and serve warm (as in the temperature it is at).

Aubergine Pizzas

Italian food like the men and women is very chic, original and sumptuous. I first ate an authentic slice of pizza in our one hour bus stop over at Milan. That taste lingered on since 1999. Last evening, some friends were over. A few of them choose to be vegetarian. I decided to try aubergine coin pizzas. They were a smash hit.

Buy whole wheat coin pizzas. Or get the regular ones that you get at the grocery store and cut out circles with the lid of a bottle. A recommended diameter size would be 2 inches.

Use aubergines, the narrow ones, and cut out circles which would fit in on the coin pizza bases. Pat them with salt and pepper. Grill them for 10 minutes at 150 degrees heat, 5 minutes each side.

Spread pizza sauce (make a pizza sauce with tomatoes and oregano, a regular one) on the bread and on the aubergines. Place one aubergine on each pizza base. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese. Decorate with a slice of black or green olive. Bake for ten minutes and serve fresh from the oven. 

Mango salad

This summer I discovered this recipe on the internet. One evening we were meeting up for a ladies potluck and I wanted to make a salad and carry it along with some quesadillas. Since then I have made it about ten times and my friends Aarti, Shirin, Kavery and Sarbani have also tried it. Every time it is received with lip-smacking applause!

Well that was dramatic. Okay here goes, use one large mango, green capsicum, one onion, one large tomato and a bunch of coriander leaves. The mango should be tight and fleshy. In Bombay, I use the Badami. Deseed the tomato and cut the crunch part into cubes. The mango and the capsicum also should be cut into cubes. Slice the onions. Finely chop the coriander. Keep the chopped salad aside till before serving.

For the dressing, use 2 table spoons Balsamic vinegar, 1(not full, in fact less than level) tea spoon sugar, a dash of salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix the components till the sugar dissolves. Now add 2 table spoons of olive oil.

Just 5 minutes before serving, dress the salad. Enjoy! Pity, that you can try this only during summer. A recommendation is that a couple of peaches could replace the mango.

Potato & Dill salad 

Mahesh is Shirin’s childhood buddy and therefore an acquired friend. We all look forward to August now as Mahesh visits us for a day or two. He lives in Bologna, teaches English and is drop dead gorgeous. Recently in one lovely lush monsoon day we met up at the Talwar country home in Karjat. We all cooked together and it was one of the best days of my life.

Potato salad with dill is a Jamie Oliver recipe taken from the book, The Naked Chef. So, you need a bunch of dill, some baby potatoes (about 20 pieces) and a dressing consisting of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Take about 2 table spoons each of lemon juice and olive oil. Add in a tea spoon of sugar and freshly ground pepper. Add a bunch of chopped dill. Keep the dressing ready.

Boil potatoes, skin them and while they are warm toss them with your hand or a salad spoon in the dressing. Serve at room temperature or cold.

                             

                                         Chicken in balsamic vinegar

College buddies were coming over and I had some really beautiful pasta from Rome. Most of them were vegetarian and the only meat I could cook was chicken. I really wonder how we all lived in the pre-internet days. I found this recipe and made it once before the final day. Both times, this very Italian chicken was piquant and zesty.

I recommend you use breast pieces. For half a kg of chicken, take about 2 large sliced onions and 8 cloves of garlic. Sauté this in warm 4 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Once the onion is transparent pink in colour, keep it aside. To the same warm oil, add chicken and fry till golden on both sides. Now add back the fried onions and garlic. To this add about 2 diced medium sized tomatoes and stir. Sprinkle 2 table spoons of basil and oregano and 2 tea spoons of salt and pepper. Pour half a cup of balsamic vinegar. Allow the chicken to cook for 20 minutes till it is tender and infused with the flavours. Dress with fresh parsley.