Christmas Fruit Cake

Recipe for Christmas All Year Long  (courtesy http://www.poemsource.com/Christmas-poems.html)

Take a heap of child-like wonder
That opens up our eyes
To the unexpected gifts in life—
Each day a sweet surprise.
Mix in fond appreciation
For the people whom we know;
Like festive Christmas candles,
Each one has a special glow.
Add some giggles and some laughter,
A dash of Christmas food,
(Amazing how a piece of pie
Improves our attitude!)
Stir it all with human kindness;
Wrap it up in love and peace,
Decorate with optimism, and
Our joy will never cease.
If we use this healthy recipe,
We know we will remember
To be in the Christmas spirit,
Even when it's not December:))))

To add to this sweet recipe celebrating the christmas spirit, here is a simple and easy (breaking actual xmas tradition :)recipe for a fruit cake..again adapted from my favourite baking site.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone :)))

Ingredients (makes two 6 inch  diameter cakes)

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup (50 grams) butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons dark rum/brandy (optional)
1 cup raisins
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried prunes,chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1.Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius
2.In a large saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil the sugar, water, butter, spices, and raisins,prunes and apricots.  Boil for five minutes, remove from heat, and let cool till lukewarm.
3 Stir into this mixture the lightly beaten eggs, flour, baking soda, vanilla extract and rum/brandy .
4. Pour into the greased baking dish pan and bake on center rack for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
5.Dust with icing sugar and serve :)

The sliced view..you can use only prunes and raisins if apricots are not available..substitute accordingly

Tangy Penne with Vegtables

I have friends asking me my tomato sauce pasta recipe all the time which I more than happily dole out ,at the same time wondering..there is no real recipe for my pasta:)) just the right choice of ingredients.This is my list of must-haves for making any 'red sauce' pasta ...olive oil,garlic,fresh basil,loads of tomatoes,parmesan cheese (lots of it!) and good quality pasta. Just play around with these basic ingredients and add your own favourite vegetables/meat and it's as simple as that..it's the white and creamy ones that require some practise and technique . This version is packed in with great and healthy vegetables, replace the pasta with whole wheat pasta and you have a guilt free meal!

Ingredients (serves 6)

4 cups boiled penne
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ajwain
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
4-5 large tomatoes,pureed
1 red bell pepper,chopped
5-6 babycorn cobs,chopped
1 medium sized broccoli,chopped
Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons ketchup
8-10 basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chilli flakes
2 tablespoons light cream (optional)
Parmesan or cheddar cheese ,to garnish
Sliced black olives, to garnish

1. Heat the oil. Add the ajwain and let the seeds splutter. Add the garlic and toss till cooked (do not burn..just fry for a few seconds)
2. Add the tomato puree and the vegetables together with the salt.Leave on a medium flame to reduce.
3. When the sauce has almost dried out add all other remaining ingredients (except the cream and the garnishing) and toss in with the pasta.
4. Leave to cook for 3-4 minutes on a slow flame,stirring occasionally.
5. Turn off the gas, mix in the cream. Serve with grated cheese and olives on top...more cheese you can afford to add,the better :))

Strawberry Center Scones

I was introduced to this sinful but glorious tea time delight on my maiden trip to London..my best friend from college and her husband took me to this lovely little tea house where I think my mouth started drooling as soon as the display window started to come into my view (check out the last photo for proof :)) So the in-house speciality was scones with a variety of jams and clotted cream so that's what we ordered off course..been 2 years since that trip and haven't found any place yet in Mumbai that serves these delectable little quick breads..simple solution--bake my own! This recipe is adapted from joyofbaking.com which is a must visit site if you are fond of baking...if you wish you can skip making the filling sauce and eat the warm scones with your favourite jam and butter ..and if this your first time eating a scone, then you know you've made it right if you get a texture between a bread and a cake with a crisp outer crust and you can't stop at one! :))

Ingredients

For the scones (makes 6)

1 cup flour (maida)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
50 gms butter,cold
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon vinegar

For the filling
7-8 strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
Butter or cream

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
2.Add the vinegar to the milk and leave for 15 minutes to get buttermilk.
3.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture to look like bread crumbs
4.Add the buttermilk ,little at a time,and stir just until the dough comes together (add more buttermilk if necessary)...second photo below
5.Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently and press with your hands into a round that is about one fingertip high. Use a 2 inch round biscuit cutter to cut the dough into circles.
6.Transfer the scones onto a baking sheet lined with butter paper,keeping a gap of about 2 inches between the scones..third photo below
7.Bake on the center rack for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8.For the filling, chop the strawberries into small pieces and heat with the sugar on a slow flame till you get a thick sauce. Add the lemon juice and turn off the gas.
9.To serve, slice each cone along the center, spread butter/cream on one half and top with some strawberry sauce. Cover the scone with the other half.....best served fresh and warm with tea..

This is what the dough should look like when the butter milk is added

Unbaked scones on the tray..

And finally..my inspiration :))..the display window

Bathua Paratha

Health recipe today! to all the moms ,I think this is a great way to get your kids some nice nutrients into their diet. For me works as well to get some into my husband's system as well ..I think the world is divided into two kinds..green veggy lovers and the totally anti-green veggy folks..I belong to the former, so if it is Aloo methi for lunch, then I eat all the methi and husband will eat all the aloo :)) but for a change this paratha he totally loved :) maybe because of the big dollop of white makhan on it shouting out to his Punjabi genes to be devoured..end result was that it worked ! and this is the season of greens ,so why not make best use of what's available in plenty...so did some googling and came up with some interesting Bathua facts..Common name: Fat Hen, Lamb's-quarters, Pigweed, Bathua बथुआ (Hindi), Paruppukkirai (Tamil), Chandanbethu (Bengali), Vastukah (Sanskrit), Bathua (Oriya), Kaduoma (Kannada), Pappukura (Telugu), Vastuccira (Malayalam), Chakvit (Konkani)..As the english common name suggests, it is also a very good feed (both the leaves and the seeds) for chickens (hens) and other poultry...so am going to try feeding some left overs to my sparrows as well :))

 Ingredients (makes about 10 parathas)

1 cup bathua leaves, washed and drained
1 green chilli
2 garlic pods
1/2 inch ginger piece
1 tablespoon ajwain
2 tablespoons makki atta
1/2 cup spring onion leaves
pinch heeng
2 cups whole wheat flour (gehun atta)
Salt
Water for kneading
Oil for cooking

1. Add the leaves to boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes till they wilt. Drain and cool.
2. Grind to a paste with chilli,garlic and ginger, adding a little water while grinding.
3. Mix the paste and all other ingredients with the atta and leave for 15 minutes (so that the veggies leave their water due to salt added and the dough stays firm even after kneading)
4. Add water and knead into a firm dough .
5. Divide into balls, roll out each ball into a medium thick paratha and cook on hot tawa with little oil.
6. Serve hot with curd/pickle/butter ...:))

Papad Tostadas

Thank you everyone for the great response to my previous recipe for Strawberry fool..I guess the picture and the easy steps did the trick..plus dessert is a universal favourite. I need to start experimenting more with desserts which only means I'll have happier neighbours who get the samplings :))
So this recipe is indo-mex :) papad meets refried beans ..tostada is basically a fried tortilla (mexican chappati made of corn /wheat flour) topped with all kinds of toppings - beans,corn,salsa,shrimp even.I had some left over baked beans and no bread at home so thought of this..you can add more garnishing with sour cream/salsa/lettuce/chopped tomatoes/olives...as you please or as your fridge is stocked !

Ingredients

8 mini papads, roasted or shallow fried
1 cup baked beans (or boiled rajma)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green chilli,finely chopped
1 tablespoon mexican seasoning powder (easily available in super markets)
salt to taste
1 teaspoon ketchup
grated cheese,to garnish
any other suggested garnishing

1. Heat the oil. Fry the chilli and onion till soft.
2. Stir in the beans,salt,ketchup and seasoning powder.
3. Turn off gas. Cool
4. Just before serving (papads get soggy really quickly ), place some topping on the papad, garnish with grated cheese and other garnishing.
5. Serve with sour cream or salsa ..optional..tastes good as it is !

Strawberry Fool

I was so excited posting this recipe for two reasons ---- 1. this recipe marks the arrival of one of my absolute favourite fruits ..strawberry ! and 2. the photo of the pudding came out absolutely gorgeous..look at it please ! Also this is such an easy dish to make and you can make it out of any fruit of the berry family and kiwi as well ...but nothing can beat the colors of strawberryyy...sigh !
So why is this pudding named so ? well,quoting Wikepedia.." Foole is first mentioned as a dessert in 1598 (together with trifle), although the origins of gooseberry fool may date back to the 15th century. The earliest recipe for fruit fool dates to the mid 17th century.Why the word "fool" is used as the name of this fruit dessert is not clear. Several authors derive it from the French verb fouler meaning "to crush" or "to press" (in the context of pressing grapes for wine) "..so A fool is an English dessert generally made by mixing puréed fruit, whipped cream, sugar..this recipe uses custard made from low fat milk ,but if you want to stick to the original just use heavy sweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the custard
1/2 litre milk 
3 tablespoons vanilla custard powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold milk
5 tablespoons sugar

For the puree
200 gms strawberry (approx 12 medium sized)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
extra strawberries, for garnishing

1. For the custard, bring the milk to a boil. Add the custard powder paste on a slow flame, stirring all the while. Add the sugar and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the gas and leave to cool.
2. For the fruit puree, grind all the ingredients in a mixer till you get a smooth puree.
3. Layer the custard and puree in individual glass bowls or wine glasses..you can add chopped strawberries as a layer in between. Garnish the top with a strawberry half.
4. Leave to chill for at least 3-4 hours and then sllllurrrp away...

A vertical picture now..

Zucchini and Tomato Rice

I think I have blogged earlier about my local subzi vendor who sells zucchini thinking that it is a member of the kheera family and surprisingly at the same rate also :)) as opposed to shelling out atleast twice more in Hypercity..our code word is 'Videsi kheera' for zucchini :) It is a great vegetable for its taste and nutrition and lends itself very easily to a lot of cuisines..chinese/mexican/italian..even Indian, next time I cook zucchini I will replicate a great recipe from my mom which combines it with bhindi ! This pulao also turned out delicious, can work as a main course or as a side dish with any continental preparation..you can use either yellow or green zucchini

Ingredients

2 cups boiled rice
1 medium sized zucchini,cut into bite sized chunks
1 teaspoon garlic ,crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes,pureeed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Salt to taste
Basil/corainder, to garnish

1. Heat the oil and add the ajwain seeds to splutter. Add garlic and fry for a few seconds
2. Add the onion and cook till soft.
3. Add the tomato puree and the zucchini and leave on medium flame to dry the puree out.
4. When the puree dries out , add the salt,pepper,herbs,chilli flakes,sugar and fry for a minute.
5. Toss in the rice and mix well with the paste.
6. Serve hot!

Carrot n Hummus Panini

It's been a crazy fortnight....weddings and more weddings and then been really under the weather with all the travelling and the eating out :( but getting slowly back on track and with all the lovely winter treats in store,the kitchen is hard to resist . This recipe is not of a panini in the true sense as I used plain rotis for the filling, it's a great way to use left over rotis , you can try the same with actual panini bread,or even  pita bread.
Also hummus is an absolute favourite of mine..whenever I am making chole I always make it a point to spare a cup of the boiled chole for making hummus,just dont add haldi to the chole while boiling :)

Ingredients

For the hummus
1 cup boiled chole (chickpeas)
3 tablespoons white til ,soaked for an hour in half cup of water
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
Juice of one small lemon
Salt to taste
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
chilli powder or paprika (optional)

For the filling
1 cup grated carrot (I think this would taste as nice with brinjal/corn/bell peppers)
1 onion,finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon ajwain
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
salt

3-4 rotis

1. For the hummus, grind all the ingredients together. adding more water if necessary (little at a time) to get a thick consistency paste. My preference is for hummus made a day earlier as the flavours are absorbed better.
2. For the filling, heat the oil. Add the ajwain and fry for a few seconds, then add the onion and cook till soft. Add the carrot and the salt, cover with a lid and leave to cook. after5-6 minutes, add the chilli powder and turn off the gas. Add the coriander.Leave to cool.
3. To make the panini, fold the roti in half, add the carrot filling on one half, top with 1-2 spoons of hummus, fold the other half over the hummus. Grill the roti in a sandwich grill or on the tawa till crisp on both sides.
4. Cut and serve with salsa or ketchup..

Instant Oats Dosa

Sending my hubby to shop for groceries is always a catch 22 situation for me - getting work done v/s an always extra stock of supplies..his logic- so I don't send him on the same errand soon again !! :)) So I am stuck with a couple of Quacker Oats packets and wondering what to do :(( had thought of trying out oats idli first but realised some of the ingredients were missing so then thought of oats dosa. Adapted from the original recipe here (http://simpleindianfood.blogspot.com/2008/02/oats-dosa.html) which is quite similar to the instant rava dosa recipe my mom makes (just leave out the oats in the recipe below for plain rava dosa)..turned out really delicious . The only trick is in handling the batter..for every dosa you make give the batter a nice mix as all the thick powders tend to settle down and the batter will be very thin at the top. So give it a nice mix every time you take a ladleful out for the dosa..this Sunday try something healthy and new :)

Ingredients (makes about 10)

1 cup oats
1/2 cup sooji (semolina)
1/2 cup rice flour (readily available)
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon jeera
3 cups water
Salt
Oil ,for cooking
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup, chopped coriander leaves

1. Dry roast the oats till they turn brown and a nice aroma wafts through your kitchen.
2. Cool and grind to a powder

3. Mix all the ingredients together (except the onion)
4. Heat a non-stick tawa or pan . The pan has to be really hot for the dosa to come off easily. Anyways the first dosa usually always ends up in love with the pan and refuses to come out easily so don't waste too much batter on the first one.
5. When tawa is hot, reduce the flame, pour a ladleful of the batter  from the outside of the pan and cover till the inside. Brush with oil on the sides. Sprinkle few onion pieces and cover with a lid.
6. After 2-3 minutes when the dosa starts leaving the sides, turn it over and increase the flame to let it brown on the other side.
7. Flip it back on your plate and serve hot...

This has the look of Rava dosa but tastes better definitely..another trick to avoid the batter sticking to the pan is to clean the pan with an onion half dipped in a mixture of oil and water,before spooning out the batter on the pan ..works for me atleast !

Tomato n Basil Bruschetta

Hosted a real fun Italian dinner for a gang of my sister's friends who have been demanding a repeat of a meal cooked for them almost a decade back :)) its the nicest feeling when people remember details of what you cooked and what they loved the most and the gentle reminders-when will you cook for us again :) So out of  an honest desire to make them smile with nostalgia again ,Italian it was and Italian can rarely go wrong- cheese,olive oil, pasta,tomatoes,basil...what's not to love in any single ingredient.

So while the rest of the menu takes away from the focus of my blog on simple and quick recipes, this one is a favourite that never fails. Pronounced originally as 'brusketta' ,you can make your own variations to the toppings..maybe feta cheese,olives,ham,egg,corn ..you get the picture. Well speaking of picture , this post is going to be without one as in my hurry of feeding so many hungry souls the picture taking would have kept them for moments  longer without the food..so please let your imagination do some work this time around..:)

Ingredients (makes about 15 pieces)

3 or 4 ripe tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread

1/4 cup olive oil

Grated parmesan cheese, to garnish

1.  Prepare the tomatoes first. Cook the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes in boiling water till the skin ruptures. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers.

2.  Turn on the oven to 200°c to preheat.

3.  While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil,balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 3/4 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with remaining olive oil mixed with garlic using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

5.  Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up, place some topping on each slice of bread and serve garnished with parmesan cheese 

Radish n Walnut Raita

For me, any meal is not complete till it is accompanied with some form of curd..no matter how many old wives' tales say not to eat curd at night ,some tales can be modified to suit your palate:)) Plain curd or raita or pachdi or buutermilk, anything works. Great source of calcium plus a digestion aid ,curd is a universal love. So I am always on the lookout for new ways to eat this simple delight. On most days it is curd with boondi and pomegranate (a daily must have again) but with this lovely slight onset on winter veggies I am making this raita often. Have learnt this from a darling aunty from Jammu who says this is a very winter dish as walnuts are a staple of the region..this raita accompanied my methi parathas and some yummmmmmmmyyy home churned white butter..sigh! the simple joys of winter !

Ingredients

2 cups curd (I use skimmed milk curd )
1/2 cup grated white mooli
10 walnut halves, crushed
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon roasted jeera powder
Salt (I prefer black salt and have no hangups with the smell :))
Coriander to garnish

No steps...just mix evrything and serve chilled :)) you can even add few raisins to give a slight sweet taste

Corn n Capsicum Pulao

This is a hand me down recipe from my sister and I find it as a great option for comfort food days..it's even a great substitute for the painstaking task of preparing a veg biryani.I happened to make this today after a long time and when I opened the cooker I was transported back to sweet home memories before my sister left for University and the one-odd days that she would get into her full cooking mood. And after eating her food and my husband's, I am of the confirmed opinion that people who cook rarely make the most delicious food :) well now my sister is an expert in her own right and ends up teaching me a thing or two ..
Once you read the recipe you might notice that I have used a lot of chilli (3 types actually) but that's because this pulao tastes great spicy and hot..you can tone down as per your taste preference. 

Ingredients

1 cup rice,washed and saoked for 15 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bayleaf
1 teaspoon jeera
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon chopped green chilli
1 onion,chopped finely
1 large tomato , chopped finely
1 cup sweet corn
1 capsicum, chopped
1/2 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon jeera powder
2 tabelspoons pav bhaji masala
1 1/2 cups water
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander, to garnish

1. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the bayleaf and jeera and cook till spluttering.
2. Add the garlic and green chillies and fry for a few seconds.
3. Add the onion and cook till soft.
4. Add the tomato and cook till dry.
5. Add all the masalas and salt , fry for a minute.
6. Add in the corn and the capsicum and cook for another minute.
7. Add the rice and the water . Cover the lid and put the cooker on high flame. After one whistle, let it sim for 5-6 minutes.
8. Turn off the gas and open the cooker only after the steam has been released
9. Serve hot garnished with corainder..I added a dollop of butter for some extra love :))

Brinjal Crisps

This one is on special request from a dear friend in the Army who has asked if I could post some recipes keeping the vegetables he gets in the ration :)) My dad was in the Navy and just reading the word 'ration' brought back so many memories..the fixed days for ration,sometimes standing in the queue with my dad,sorting the stuff,my mom wondering what to do with so much cheese and butter,the maid's joy on getting all the extra ration..sigh! if only time can be rewound to enjoy some simple pleasures a wee bit longer..
Well so on his list was baingan a.k.a brinjal/aubergine/eggplant and I find it has so many names as it lends so easily to so many cuisines..this recipe works great as a side dish with a boring dal chawal or even as a chatpata starter . I used the big baingan varitey , the kind used for bharta and I feel the mustard oil does lend it a different flavour so try not to substitute it ...it's a great oil for the winters anyway :)

Ingredients

1 brinjal, cut into thin slices

2 tablespoons mustard oil
Pinch of heeng
1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (white khus khus)
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon amchoor powder
2 tablespoons besan (gramflour)
Salt

1. Sprinkle a little salt on the brinjal slices, spread on a plate and microwave for 5 minutes.
2. In a broad pan, heat the oil. When it is smoking hot ,add the heeng and the ajwain and poppy seeds. When crackling add all the powders and fry for a few seconds. Then add the besan and let the mixture roast on a slow flame for a 2-3 minutes.
3. Add little salt (as the brinjal slices were already salted) and toss in the brinjal. You can sprinkle a few drops of water if the paste has stuck to the pan and let it coat the brinjal slices.
4. Leave to crisp for 4-5 minutes .
5. Serve hot with coriander leaves.

Arbi Tuk

Continuing with my Sindhi fanfare, this one is also a favourite..some pronounce it as Arbi Tuk (like book) or Arbi Toooook (ooo sound like in two ). My husband calls this the vegetarian fish dish , have to agree only judging by the look of it. Serve the dish as a starter or as main course, the only hitch is that it needs to be served hot as the crispy and crunchy taste is what it makes it so yummyy..the same preparation can be made using potatoes to make Aloo Tuk or Bhindi to make Bhindi tuk..basically the method is the same - fry whatever vegetables you are using and then toss them with dry spices mix...hmmm, maybe even sweet potato can be 'tuked' :)
Soak the arbis in a bowl of water for all the clingy mud to settle down, then give a washdown with your hands before boiling them. I always use a steamer vessel in the pressure cooker to hold the arbis and keep them from becoming squishy . You only need to give one whistle on a high flame and then reduce to a simmer for 6-7 minutes. Open the cooker when the steam is released.. and just FYI the other names for arbi are Kachalu/Taro/Colocassia 

Ingredients

7-8 arbis, boiled/steamed
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon amchoor powder/chat powder
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
Salt
Oil to fry
Coriander to garnish

1. Peel the arbis and press each one gently between your palms to slightly flatten..too flat and it will break in the oil, too thick and it wont be crispy. Might take some practise :)
2. Shallow fry the arbi peices in hot oil till crispy and golden brown on both sides.
3. Remove and drain on paper. Sprinkle all the powders and salt and toss well..you can add more/less chilli and amchoor as per your preference.
4. Serve hot ..tastes really good with dal chawal also

Mint n Garlic Fried Rice

This note from a friend has made my day..
"Hey Sparrow(name changed:).. thanks for awakening the inner cook in me.. ur blog is an inspiration.. I never knew I wud be back in the kitchen so soon with 2 little ones... tried ur cheese tartlets, salan (made with chote baingan) and cheesecake today.. all came out sooo well.. thanks for sharing this blog and as I said 'reviving' the cook in me :))"
My reply - There is no better stress reliever for me than cooking and I am glad I can share that feeling with others through my blog !
Anyway, if I have not mentioned this earlier then I am now- my husband loves rice more than anything in the world (maybe me also :)) ..so every meal has to and has to have rice ..I have to make rice along with pav bhaji/chaat/idli sambhar/pizza..and so on ..you get the gist :)
So I am on the constant look out for rice variations and this recipe is my dear friend Richa's which I tried out today..I served it with raita and papad but you can try it with any cuisine.

Ingredients

4 cups cooked rice (I used long grain basmati)
1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf (tejpata)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

To grind into a paste
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon shahi jeera (this is smaller than regular jeera)
1 badi eleichi
2-3 cloves
7-8 peppercorns
1 teaspoon regular jeera
7-8 mint leaves

1. Heat the oil. Add the bayleaf ,green chilli and fry for few seconds.
2. Add the onion and cook till light brown.
3. Add the ground paste and fry for a minute with the onion on a medium flame.
4. Add the mint leaves and toss for a few seconds.
5. Stir in the rice with the salt and lime juice. Toss well to combine everything uniformly
6. Turn off the gas and cover with a lid for a few minutes before serving

Tridaali Dal

I am half Sindhi from my mom's side and my parents' was an inter-caste marriage..since dad was posted all over the country being in the navy, the Sindhi influence at home was very little.Although my mom hasn't passed down the heritage of the language or the culture , I am proud that I know a thing or two about the cuisine thanks to her..for most people the first thought of Sindhi food is Sindhi kadhi or dal pakwan, recipes of which will follow soon. This post is about tridaali dal which literally means dal of 3 dals. The 3 dals being chana dal, urad dal and moong dal ..I have posted the pics of the dals for those with a poor dal GK :)) This dal is fairly thick in texture so is best eaten right away and tastes better with rotis or parathas..

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

1/2 cup urad dal
1/2 cup moong dal
1/2 cup chana dal
1 tomato, grated
Salt
1 teaspoon haldi powder
2 tablespoons ghee (use oil if you prefer)
1/4 teaspoon heeng
1 teaspoon jeera seeds (cumin)
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 kashmiri red chilli
1 teaspoon amchoor powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder

1. Soak the dals in 4 cups water for an hour.
2. Put the dals in a cooker with the salt, turmeric and tomato and place on a high flame. After 2 whistles, reduce the flame and let the dal cook for another ten minutes. This dal spurts a lot of steam around so your kitchen can get a bit messy:)
3. Turn off the gas and leave the dal to release the steam.
4. Transfer the dal into a bowl and spread the coriander powder, amchoor powder and red chilli powder all over the top .
4. Heat the ghee, add heeng and ginger paste to fry. Add the jeera seeds and the broken kashmiri chilli. Fry for a few seconds.
5. Pour this hot oil mixture over the dal's top layer which has the sprinkled powders. you'll hear a nice sizzling sound as the powders get roasted ..
6. Serve hot with rotis or parathas...

And the participating dals were....

Burnt Corn Salad

Belated Diwali wishes to everyone !!! A whole week has whizzed past.. cleaning,playing cards,making sweets and lots of eating..since most of the eating was at other people's homes, I was hardly doing any cooking and hence the blogging lull (I am hoping that some of you were waiting for a new post :))
Now it is detox time before the wedding season attacks...the October heat is killing and the only taste on the palate is of fresh and light fruits and vegetables...this salad was part of my Bhai dooj dinner menu yesterday. The menu was all Mexicana ,that is evident in the flavours and ingredients used in the salad..

Ingredients

2 cups sweet corn
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
1 capsicum
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
7-8 chopped black olives
juice of one small lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
5-6 lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons chopped avocado (optional)
1/4 cup sour cream,to garnish (I mixed hung curd with very little Amul cream)
Crushed nacho chips ,to garnish (optional)

1. Roast the yellow,red and green peppers on the gas flame (separately) till the skin is charred.
2. Cool , peel off the skin and chop into medium sized pieces
3. On a hot tawa, put the corn and keep tossing on a high flame till the all the corn is roasted with little brownish-black specs. Remove from tawa and cool.
4. Add all the ingredients and toss in a bowl.
5. Serve chilled, garnished with sour cream and crushed chips..

This is the salad after being hidden under all the garnishing..

Raspberry n Lemon no-bake Cheesecake

So finally hosted my first ever pre-Diwali bash yesterday..barely awake now writing this. Silly me did not take any photos of any of the stuff I cooked except for my dessert for the day - Raspberry n lemon eggless no bake cheesecake..but in my opinion this was the best dish anyways to blog about. Quick ,easy and sooo fresh n yumm..I usually make a mango/strawberry version when these fresh fruits are in season but this is a great version with Raspberry jam..use any jam flavour you like..also the dish you use is upto you, the depth of the layers will vary accordingly..this served about 10 people but the helpings were not gigantic..also there is no substitute for the cream cheese/mascarpone cheese..some recipes list cottage cheese but I have never experimented with that..go ahead and have a look at the pic below and start planning ....

Ingredients

For the biscuit base
20 marie biscuits (or digestive biscuits)
75 gm butter

For the gelatin mixture
1 tablespoon gelatin (I used veg gelatin)
200 ml water

For the middle layer
250 gm mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
250 gm hung curd
Juice of 2 small lemons
1 lemon rind
4 tablespoons powdered sugar

For the topping
1 cup jam
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 tablespoons sugar

1. Powder the biscuits in the dry mixer till you get fine crumbs. Rub in the melted butter and spread this as the bottom layer of the dish. The thickness of the layer will depend on the size of the dish you are using.
Place the dish in the fridge for half an hour to set.
2. Dissolve the gelatin in 200 ml of water. Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer for a minute.This mixture should be made just before adding to the cream cheese mixture in step 3.
3. Mix all the ingredients of the middle layer with a whisk or an electric beater till smooth. Add 3/4 of the gelatin mixture and pour this layer over the biscuit layer. Leave to set in fridge for an hour.
4. Bring the remaining gelatin mixture to a boil and add all the ingredients for the top layer . Stir till combined and reduce heat and let it simmer for two minutes. Pour this jam mixture over the cream cheese layer and leave to set.

The cheesecake will set quickly but leave to chill as long as possible..I usually make this a day before..I could not get any perfect pictures as I was busy serving all evening.. Tired,feet up, ending the long day with the saved up dessert and this shot..

This second picture is just for you to have an idea of the serving dish size..that big chunk is what I hid and left for myself :))))

Korean Bibimbap

There is no intention on my part to purposely choose dishes with such exotic names :)) the stuff in my fridge just lent itself to allow this dish (which was sitting on my calendar for over 2 months) to be made.
Again picked this up from  'Food Safari'on the FOX travel channel..Bibimbap is a dish of rice topped with vegetables and meat (optional) with a dollop of any chilli paste or chilli sauce to spice things up. Choice of vegetables is upto you...you can use whatever you have in your fridge..choice of meat is also yours..so modify the recipe as per your preferences.
For the rice I used sticky rice which I had picked up from Thailand to basically make a mango and sticky rice pudding but mango season is far away.I learnt how to cook the rice from this link - http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaisnacks/ss/stickyricehowto.htm

There are no real measurements for this dish but I have still tried to give an estimate for a single serving

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice (you can use any short grain rice, cook the rice with salt)
1/2 cup steamed bean sprouts
1 steamed pak choy bundle (or use spinach)
1/2 cup steamed carrots
1/2 cup steamed baby corn
You can also use mushrooms/baby corn/zucchini/broccoli
Sesame oil (about 1/4 cup)
Crushed garlic (roughly 1 tablespoon)
Soya sauce (2 tablespoons)
Chilli paste/sauce (2 tablespoons)
Sesame seeds, to garnish
Spring onion ,to garnish (optional)
Omelette ,to garnish (optional)

1. To each vegetable group add little bit of sesame oil, a pinch of garlic paste and about 1/2 teaspoon of soya sauce)
2. In a wide bowl or a platter, first spread the rice at the bottom. Pour about one tablespoon sesame oil over the rice.
3. Arrange the vegetables over the rice in a circular manner (as in the picture) leaving space in the center. If you are using meat , then first perform step 1 with the boiled and shredded meat.
4. Put the chilli paste in the center of the vegetables
5. Garnish as desired and place the dish in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees Celcius for 5-7 minutes for all the juices to gather more steam.
6. Remove carefully from the oven and place the dish on a plate or mix and transfer contents to a plate and start digging in...

Since I steamed the veggies in a dimsum steamer there was left over stock in the steaming vegetable which I flavoured with soya sauce and had as a soup with the Bibimbap (bet you still can't get the name right !)

Bibimbap picture for the chicken version with the stock soup

My steamer setup with the stock collecting at the bottom..this setup was further covered with a lid..the lid is not on in the picture to show how the steamer was placed..am happy that with this dish some of the stuff I carried from Thailand was also inaugrated :))

Moroccan Shakshouka

I was reading Friday’s Bombay Times entertainment section with its listings for Sunday brunch venues..had me thinking that there was a time when a Sunday brunch outing was a fairly regular affair .. that era was before the buffet rates touched sky-high heights that do no justice to the size of my appetite especially.

Coming back to the listings… after reading a couple of the entries, one restaurant specialising in its breakfast egg options had listed along with other egg dishes from the menu, this dish called– Shakshouka  . I loved the name instantly and went on Google or as Dad calls it - Googleshwar (Google +Ishwar as Google is God of all solutions:)))

So it turns out this is a Moroccan egg dish with a light gravy of tomato and bell peppers. To be eaten with bread which essentially is to soak up all the juices . This is my version after going through a couple of recipe sites…

Ingredients

2 tablepoons olive oil

Pinch of ajwain seeds

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon paprika (or red chilli powder)

½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) powder

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 medium sized tomatoes ,finely chopped

2 medium sized tomatoes, pureed

2 eggs

Salt

Chopped olives ,to garnish

1. Heat the oil. Add the ajwain and the garlic paste. Cook for 15-20 seconds.

2. Add the onion and cook till soft.

3. Add the red bell pepper and cook till soft

4. Add all the tomatoes ,salt, ketchup,paprika,cumin powder and cook on a medium flame till the gravy starts beginning to dry up .

5. At this stage, with the back of your spoon make two small indentations in the gravy on either ends of the pan. Crack the eggs into these indentations (one in each) and cover with a lid. Leave to cook for 3-4 minutes till all the egg white is cooked. Leave to cook longer if you want the yolk well done. 

6. Garnish with olives and a little olive oil (optional)

The tricky part was in serving as I thought that the eggs would break if I transferred the dish, so chose the easy way out..just served the whole pan :))

'X' ka Salan

Think of Hyderabad food and the first thing popping to your mind should be Biryani and the second should be Mirchi ka Salan ..to be honest all the Salan(which literally means gravy) I had in Hydearabd was too oily for my liking. Then I learnt this amazing gravy dish from a friend which actually had brinjals and realised that the taste was so similar to the Salan taste. The recipe turned out to be really simple and the taste is so universal that you can make it with chillies/brinjal/bhindi/tomato/chicken/egg/anything you like (that's why I call it 'X' ka salan :))..as the gravy is thick and luscious and tastes as good with biryani as with plain steamed rice as with parathas.Serve it as a main course when made with vegetables or as a side dish when made with chillies, the versatility just adds on..

Ingredients

For the paste
2 tablespoons peanuts
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 achari chillies (the light green big chillies )
1 tomato ,cut into quarters
1 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon jaggery pieces
4 tablespoons tamarind paste (can use less if you don't want this too tangy)
2 cups coconut milk (thickness depends on your preference for the gravy thickness)
Salt

1. In a pan,dry roast the paste ingredients on a slow flame till the colour of the sesame turns brown. Cool and grind to a fine paste
2. Slit the chillies lengthwise and shallow fry them till lightly browned
2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook till light brown. Add the ground paste and roast with the onion for a minute.
3. Add the haldi, salt, red chilli powder and fry for another minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, jaggery and whisk till the lumps are removed. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the chillies and the tomato chunks and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add the tamarind paste, stir well and turn off the gas and serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and few peanuts (optional)

Lauki Bhurji

My mom-in-law is a great cook. I don’t know anybody who makes dals especially tastier than her, maybe it is the Punjabi hand that can easily go overboard with the ghee or some special hometown tricks , the results are delicious always. Winter is even more special as I make sarson ka saag and she makes those absolutely authentic makki ki rotis..her one roti is enough to fill maybe even my husband’s appetite…I still am nowhere nearly matched in skill in making the rotis like that. Anyways, of all the things I have learnt from here , this one is my favourite. She came upon this idea to use left over pulp of lauki (bottle gourd) after grating it to make juice (yes, lauki juice is one of the best home remedies for any stomach ailments ) I make this without extracting the juice (it’s going to go in my stomach anyways:)))..you need nothing other than curd and some parathas to polish this subzi off.

It’s not a bhurji in the true sense as it is without onions and tomatoes but the texture and taste is as good..you can add onions to enhance the flavour if you wish

Ingredients

1 medium sized lauki, grated

1 green chilli , finely chopped

10-12 curry patta leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon rai seeds

½ teaspoon ajwain seeds

Pinch heeng

Salt

½ teaspoon haldi powder

1 teaspoon amchoor powder

1 teaspoon crushed ginger

3 tablespoons mustard oil (use any other oil if you prefer )

chopped coriander to garnish

grated paneer to garnish (optional)

1.Heat the oil till it is smoking hot if you are using mustard oil. Add the heeng , rai and ajwai seeds.
2.When they splutter, add the green chilli, curry patta, ginger (stay away from flame to avoid the spluttering)
3.Add the  lauki ,salt,haldi and cover with a lid to cook on a slow flame
4.The lauki will first leave its water and then when cooked will start drying up. At this stage remove the lid, add the amchoor powder and cook for a few minutes more till it leaves oil on the sides.
5.Turn off gas, garnish with coriander and grated paneer. Eat hottt with rotis or parathas and curd