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!
Anecdote
Debita Mookerjea Ray is the first friend I shared my blog content with and her recipe has found its way into my blog this late. Well, she has been giving me the freeze for two whole years and the only reason for the delay is that she was busy stacking up her silver,gold,ensembles,fabric,crockery,handbag,shoes,wallets,scarves,etc etc etc cupboards at home.
Debs set up ABBOZZO with me. We worked together in this small HR unit and shared many 'jalebi and momo' days together. We did not make much money but we made some fun memories alright. A woman with strange quirks, she is a lively person with a genuine laugh. One quirky instance was that one afternoon we both got into her car for yet another shopping spree (window for me and actual for her) and I bring out my water to quench my thirst like all regular people. But my friend takes out her flask and glugs down Bournvita milk like a cowboy would glug down a pitcher of beer and thinks its a very done drink at our age. A holiday planner at heart, a shopper by habit, an investor with intelligence, a friend who is fun, Debita Mookerjea Ray also rustles up some really creative dishes. This recipe that she shared with me has been quite a hit with my clients and my friends already!
Stuff that you must have
1 packet of chicken lollipops
2 full tsp Ajwain or carom
1 cup yogurt
salt to taste
1 tsp full chilly glakes
2 tbsp grated cheese
1/2 tsp oil
What to do
Marinate the chicken with the yogurt, salt and ajwain/carom for an hour in a wok. Then set the wok onto the low flamed burner and cover with a lid. Take the oil and warm it on the side and add it to the chicken. Let the chicken cook till it is soft. Then add the chilly flakes and increase the heat so that the sauce or the gravy starts to thicken. Now add the cheese, stir and serve.
How to serve
Set the lolipops on a flat platter. Garnish if you like for some colour with some finely chopped coriander or celery. I had served it with a beetroot puree and some whole wheat crackers.
Trivia
Ajwain or carom is also called Bishop's weed which is strangely a common name for some other plans too. The medicinal property of this plant may have been the source of this tag.
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.
Anecdote
Shirin claims that we did not get on when we met. This is because I came across as disapproving of her from my working-mother stand point. The tables turned quickly when she deduced that I was a pushy-mother who made her two year old ill child celebrate a birthday party with two hundred odd people when he was unwell! Tch Tch...I was a complete no-no to this Hyde park girl.
So, you bet we had a rocky start which transformed into a Grand Prix road as soon as we realized that among thin young moms we both hags had each other not to feel out of place. Then on, many other things brought us close - the fact that our boys were helpless characters, the fact that she was married to Mr. Rebecca Bloomwood, the fact that we boasted of lost (non existent really) career opportunities, the fact that she handpicked me for her special birthday bash, the fact that I got along with her other girl friends(phew!) (not easy with so many happening women and all vying for one gorgeous man's attention)...............
No kidding now, Shirin and Sujjain are one of the most affectionate and genuine people that I have ever met. We spend quite a lot of time together and still look forward to the next plan. They have two lovely homes, one of which is a country home where nature celebrates itself all around you. In one recent get-away in Karjat, Shirin tossed together this lovely potato salad. It was a rainy evening, dark and distant lights were visible from a far-away village, luscious chicken legs were roasting on the grill and this delicious potato salad was made with fresh produce and so much love.
Stuff that you must have
Baby potatoes - 20 pcs or so
A bowl of chopped fresh spring onions
A bowl of pomegranate
2 tbsp mayonnaise or sour cream
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
What to do
Boil and peel the potatoes. In a separate bowl fold in the mayonnaise and the yogurt. To this add the spring onions and 3/4 quantity of the pomegranate. Add salt and pepper. Now mix this in to the baby potatoes so that the potatoes are well coated with the sauce/dressing. Sprinkle the rest of the pomegranate and serve cold.
How to serve
Just go with the flow. Serve it anyhow.
Trivia
Potato salad is a traditional Christmas meal in Czech Republic and Slovakia. In fact each family preserves their own recipe. It is served as a side dish with fried fish, the carp or white white sausages.
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!
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.
Anecdote
Samantha, the mother of my boy's best friend is someone I live in fear of. Whenever there is a plan of leaving home and running away from parents who have probably garnered up some courage to lecture or to scold on some burning issue, Samantha aunty and Johnny Uncle's house is the best option! They are the best parents in the "whole universe". Their house is the quintessential happy home. Johnny uncle plays football. Sleep-overs at their place are the best! And Samantha aunty makes us amazing food!
Well, on a serious note, agree with all of the above. A piano teacher, a lovely home-maker and a great friend, Samantha is like a gentle zephyr. Spending time with the Lewises always leaves one with a feeling of calm and goodness. A few holidays, many lunches and dinners, some coffees and get-togethers down, I can vouch for Sam's niceness and her wholesome approach to life. I can also vouch for a bottomless wardrobe where interesting eclectic 'new but old' clothes come out every single time! It is truly like magic!
One such potluck a few evenings back, Sam got this delicious Tex-Mex Lasagne, an improvised recipe from Nigella Lawson's kitchen. It was devoured by all with gusto and delight.
Stuff that you must have
One packet of sweet corn
4/5 tortillas
4 large red onions, 2 chopped finely for the sauce and 2 chopped similarly for the filling.
1 kilo of boiled minced chicken (optional if you want to keep it vegetarian)
4 large tomatoes
1 cup of soaked and boiled kidney beans or 3/4 can of baked beans
A sprig of coriander stalk
2 green chillies
1 tbsp of vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp of sugar
2 tsps of red chilly powder or red chilly flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp tomato ketchup
Salt to taste(optional)
What to do
To make the sauce; Boil 2 tomatoes and grill 1 tomato for 2/3 minutes each. Skin the tomatoes and chop them. In 2 tbsp oil, fry the onions till pink. Pop in the chopped tomatoes. Add finely chopped green chillies. Stir for a min and add finely chopped coriander stalks. Now add salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup and vinegar. Add 4 tbsp warm water. The sauce will taste like tomato salsa. To this add the boiled sweet corn. After 2 mins, take the sauce off the heat and keep aside.
To make the filling; In another warm wok, add 2 tbsp oil. Add the onions and fry till they are transparent. Add the chicken and stir for 4 mins in low heat. Next add the beans. If you are using baked beans, Just add salt to taste and a dash of chilly powder or red chilly flakes. However If you are using kidney beans, stir in one chopped tomato, add 1/4 cup of warm water, a dash of ketch-up, salt to taste and a dash of chilly powder. For both cases, keep the filling in a low flame for 4/5 minutes.
To construct; in a round baking dish, place one tortilla and spread out some sauce and some filling, sprinkle some grated Cheddar cheese. Cover with another tortilla. Repeat till you have 4 or 5 layers. Finally on the top sprinkle some cheese.
Bake for 15 mins at 150 degrees C. Serve hot.
How to serve
Layered nicely in a transparent round bowl is just perfect.
Trivia
There are interesting theories about the origination of the Lasagne. Though famed as an Italian pasta there is a story that it was a Greek word which meant that it was a flat pasta dough cut into strips. Yet again one dates it back to 14th century England as a recipe in the reign of Richard II.
