Moussaka

                                                       

Anecdote

Gopal is an alien on earth. He is a good husband, well at least almost all the time. To me he is like that Dutt God, Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwar, all in one and therefore pretty unbelievable. He cooks. He does grocery. He checks the fridge for stock. He checks on you. He makes you hot chocolate after you have partied till the wee hours. He makes morning tea. Okay, I shall stop my orgasmic ranting.

I don’t know why I do this to myself but every time I am in Bangalore I am living with Kavi and Gopal and I come back writhing in self pity and some solid anger directed at you-know-who. My most all time memory of Gopal would be that when I was down in the dumps in Calcutta in ’97, he, then posted in Bombay called me every morning to just say, ‘cheer up” for almost thirty days.

And girls, let me make it worse for you, Gopal cooks non vegetarian food but is a vegetarian and is a good looking fellar!

Stuff that you must have & what to do:

Eggplant: preferably 2 purple, medium sized ones, sliced in roundels

Potatoes: 3 -4 medium/large ones: sliced in roundels again...not very thick, but not wafer thin either

Soak the roundels of eggplant and potatoes in a slight drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave aside for about 15 minutes

 On a low flame, fry the eggplant and potatoes on a flat skillet. The eggplant has to turn reddish brown, while potatoes need to get golden brown. Once done, set aside: this is the base that we will use

Tomatoes: ripe, about 4 large ones

Mince: beef or lamb....about 200 grams (add a little salt and some freshly ground pepper and keep aside)

Garlic: freshly peeled, about 4 large pods

Onions: about 2 medium sized ones...sliced long and fine..

Parsley / Celery leaves 

In a slightly deep sauce pan, fry the crushed garlic in some olive oil, then fry the onions till they turn translucent; add tomatoes and slow cook till they are soft and turn into a soft mash. Add the seasoned mince...and allow to cook (covered) till all the juices dry up. Add the chopped parsley (or celery) and leave aside

 Preparing the Béchamel sauce:

1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour - ensure that it has been sieved 

3 sticks of 3" wide butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 egg yolks

2 cups of milk (preferably with cream) - warm (not hot!!)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cheddar / Parmesan - depending on required amount of flavor

- Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and ensure that it is warm

- Whisk in the flour slowly, stirring to ensure that there are no lumps (on low heat)

- Keep whisking and adding flour till it has all blended in the initial stage, It will blend to smoothness, and then as the density of the flour increases, it will tend to become flaky - not to worry...(on low heat)

- As once the flour is added, slowly add in the warm milk and keep whisking...till you have a smooth, flowing sauce.

- Remove from heat, whisk in the beaten egg and the egg yolks and whisk away...till all ingredients are blended.

- Keep warm and add the cheese. Cover and set aside

For the final assemble:

-In a baking dish - preferably rectangular. Grease the bottom and sides with butter

- Put in one layer of the fried potatoes, then one layer of the egg plant, one layer of the meat & tomato sauce - then the next layer of eggplant and meat sauce.

- Pour the Béchamel sauce ensuring that it covers the top of the dish completely (some of it should seep through the layers below..and that is good :)!

- Top with some more cheese

- Bake at 250 to 270 deg C for about 20 minutes - the top should be golden brown

- Take off from heat, rest for about 15-20 minutes 

Moussaka is ready to serve                                 

How to serve:

As in the picture assemble in a baking bowl, preferably rectangular in shape.

Trivia:

Moussaka is the best known of all Greek foods. Greeks believe that Moussaka was introduced when the Arabs brought the eggplant, although Arabs, especially in Lebanon, think of it dish as a Greek dish. Moussaka is also found in Turkey.

Shorshey Paneer

                                                                                           
                      

Anecdote

Zinia is a true blue flower. There is no one in the universe, not even Gautam’s mother, who does not adore my friend Zinia. She has taught me to be chilled out about everything (If my husband and son read this they will change the tense to present continuous), stay calm and just enjoy life. Z is okay with everything and is super subtle when something does not go right. I have not heard her complain about anything except for not being able to  cook non vegetarian food at home in the last ten years that we have been friends. Her home is a happy and peaceful abode even though the son eats only “Bhindi”, the house help breaks expensive crockery and cleaner woman talks at high decibel levels.

Zinia became my friend soon after she lost her mother, and somewhere I like to think that I came into her life at the rightest time. We are there for each other and though I am a non-hugger and she is a non-crier, there are moments of self defining depth.

Zinia likes to take it easy, yet it all gets done, and her latest punch line to me was , “ you know Abhi, I always listen to my body.”

Stuff that you must have:

½ kilo paneer

sarson paste (2 teaspoon)

1 onion grated

1 tomato

kalo jeera/kalonji

Green chilly

Finely chopped coriander leaves

What to do:

1.  Pan fry paneer and soak in lukewarm salty water

2.  In a pan put oil, add kalo jeera

3.  Add onion, tomato, and green chilli and fry till done

4.  Put little salt and turmeric powder

5.  Add water which was used to soak the paneer (approx. ½ cup)

6.  After a while add sarson paste, followed by paneer

7.  Sprinkle coriander leaves

         

How to serve:

Pour it into a serving bowl and serve with plain long grained rice.

Trivia: 

All parts of the mustard plant are edible, including the leaves, seeds and flowers.

In Denmark and India, it’s thought that spreading mustard seeds around the exterior of the home will keep out evil spirits.

National Mustard Day and The Mustard Festival are held on the first Saturday of August each year.

Pope John XXII was so fond of mustard that he created a new Vatican position, the 'grand moutardier du pape' (mustard-maker to the pope) and appointed his nephew to the post.

Quinoa Salad

Anecdote

Tulip is a woman of substance who looks like a twenty something girl. She wears many hats and that’s what draws me to her. When we first met she was following her passion to be a teacher and taught History to children. This talent she brings out even more in the way she manages Ivana’s academics. Tulip is also married to an exercise freak, and she discovered the wonders of work-out after marriage. She taught Pilates at Nawaz Modi Singhania’s gym for some years. In the recent times she trained to teach Zumba and is now a certified trainer. Quite the entrepreneur she runs a Zumba class near home, advices on health food and participates in Zumba flash mobs. They say that learning never stops; I am some years older than Tulip. Yet I learn from her many new ideas, things to do, cooking concepts and one consistent attribute in everything that we do together and that is her eye for detail.

I must add that this health and fitness proponent makes the most delicious frosting on muffins and cakes!

Stuff that you must have:

1/4 cup quinoa

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

1 small red onion, chopped

1 tomato

1/2 capsicum, finely chopped

1/2 sweet potato

1/4 cup lightly toasted almonds

A handful of raisins

Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

What to do:

Put the quinoa in the pressure cooker along with the water and salt. Reduce heat once the steam is released and cook on slow fire for about ten minutes.

Whisk the ingredients for the vinaigrette and keep aside. Just before serving, mix the cut vegetables with the quinoa. Add in the vinaigrette and toss well. Adjust seasoning.

How to serve:

Spoon it out on a solid coloured plate or platter. Decorate with vegetable shavings.

Trivia: 

Quinoa looks like a grain but is actually a seed and it is gluten free. It is available in colours like red and black and white. It is called the “everyday superfood”.

Binoculars, a bread savoury

Nitu and Viraj are our first friends after marriage. They are also two absolutely nutty people who are super bright and super nice. With these guys there are some amazing memories. Viraj and I would argue on everything, food, movies, actors, singers, books, you name it! 19 years later, the other day when Aayush and his dad had a spat, he came to me crying, ‘why did you not marry Viraj, why did you marry Dadda?’

The police would catch us because the pillion rider was wearing the helmet and we would argue in half Kannada because we would not want to pay the fine. So many more stories tucked into our memories, Nitu remains the same spirited warm and funny girl with a zest for life and zing for food. She can give us all a run for our money for her versatility. In India for the past few years, mother of two, she has been in a hot shot IT based corporate career, wears sarees, plays the tabla and wants to pursue a career in acting. As eclectic as her personality she has shared this interesting recipe called the binoculars or the doorbeen.

Stuff that you must have:

1 loaf of white bread

175 grams of French beans

175 grams of carrots

3 cloves crushed garlic

1 chopped onion

1 teaspoon chilli powder

2 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoon tomato ketchup

100 grams grated cheese

What to do:

Cut the French and carrots into small pieces and boil them.

Heat oil, add onions and fry a little.

Add garlic and fry for a minute.

Add the boiled veggies, tomato ketchup, chilli powder, half of grated cheese and salt. Cook for a minute. Cool the mixture.

Remove crust from the bread slices and divide slices into 2 equal halves

In part of slice, make 2 small holes (that explains binoculars) and place this part on top of the uncut part of the half bread slice. Arrange slices in a well greased baking tin.

Melt butter and apply with a brush over the top parts

Bake in hot oven at 400 F for 15 min or until crisp (don’t overdo it, slight browning is good)

Spread a little filling on each uncut part and put the part with holes on top of it

Sprinkle remaining cheese and put back in oven

This lip smacking, crispy, cheesy snack will be ready in minutes.

How to serve:

Just pile them on flat platters and serve with chips or fries.

Trivia:

Binoculars, like the telescope, took centuries before they were developed into your present day spy scopes. Its name was actually taken from the roots bini which is Latin for “two or double” and ocularis which means “for the eyes”

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.

Potato & Dill salad

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.

                                  

Aubergine Coin 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.