Lemon and Basil Spaghetti

I am stuck with a whole lot of lemons in my fridge and wondering what to do. Had asked for Kafir limes from someone visiting Thailand, but got gifted few dozens of regular limes.Lesson learnt ! When asking for exotic ingredients always send a picture and a detailed description :) But making the most of what I have, this turned out to be a great summer lunch dish..more like a salad though..fresh and light. Next up soon..lemon cake :)

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 cups boiled spaghetti
2 cups assorted chopped vegetables (bell peppers,corn,zucchini..etc)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon black pepper
12-15 basil leaves
Salt
Olives to garnish
Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil
2. Add the garlic and toss for a few seconds.
3. Add all the veggies and the salt, cover with a lid and leave on sim for 4-5 minutes till tender but still crunchy
4. Add the spaghetti, lime juice, lime rind, basil leaves, pepper, sugar. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
5. Serve hot , garnished with olives and parmesan cheese.

Mango Kulfi

Anyone having met me recently would clearly notice that mango certainly doesn't suit my skin ..having teenage acne all over again ! but who cares !! it's a small price to pay for one month of delight for the taste buds. Tried kulfi for the first time..super easy and yummy..just make sure you are using Alfonso mango or any other really sweet variety as even a slightly sour mango will split the milk and you'll be left with a tub of mango paneer :) And for the real deal, use whole milk..come on, give in to life's REAL pleasures once in a while!

Ingredients  (serves 4)

2 cups milk
4 tablespoons condensed milk
2 tablespoons cornflour dissolved in 1/2 cup milk
Pulp of 2 mangoes
2 tablespoons crushed pistachios
1/4 teaspoon elaichi powder

1. Bring the milk to a boil. After boiling, reduce to simmer and add the condensed milk.
2. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the cornflour paste,elaichi and let the milk simmer on a low flame for 3-4 minutes till thickened.
3. Turn off the gas, cool slightly and whisk in the mango pulp . Pour into an airtight container or kulfi moulds, garnished with the crushed pistas.
4. Freeze for 5-6 hours or till set and serve with chopped mangoes :)

Thai Pineapple Salad

Summer recipes continue..thought I'll make a Thai flavoured pineapple salad, instead of the raw papaya version . The lady I learnt thai cooking from in Thailand taught me that for getting the best flavours always make any paste/dressing in a mortar/pestle..who has the time really ;( I every time notice the difference in the taste due to this factor. Nonetheless, make up for the time factor by using really fresh ingredients..bottled dressings etc are a strict no-no in my kitchen ! To add to the presentation , you can serve this salad in the pineapple outer shell .. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 cups chopped pineapple
1 cup steamed corn
1 small capsicum, diced

For the dressing
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 inch Galangal ginger piece
1 teaspoon crushed white pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maggi seasoning sauce
Salt to taste

1. Blend all the ingredients for the dressing till the peanuts are coarsely ground.
2. Toss in with the pineapple,corn and capsicum.
3. Serve chilled ,garnished with basil leaves and peanuts.

Mango Cheesecake

The king has arrived :)) for all the cribbing about the summer and the heat and the humidity, who can take away the joy of slllllurping on yummy mangoes...this to me is one of the biggest joys of living in India..almost like a heritage to be proud of. Beginning the desserts spree with my all time favourite..mango cheese cake. Quite similar to the the raspberry one posted earlier, slight variations to adjust to the sweetness of mangoes ..enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 10)

For the biscuit base
15 marie biscuits
75 gm butter

For the gelatin mixture
1 tablespoon gelatin (I used veg gelatin)
200 ml Mazaa (or any other mango drink)

For the middle layer
200 gm mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1 cup hung curd
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
For the topping
Pulp of 2 medium mangoes
4-5 tablespoons sugar (depends on the sweetness of the mangoes)

1. Powder the biscuits in the dry mixer till you get fine crumbs. Rub in the melted butter to get a crumbly mixture 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.
I used a 10 inch borosil tray..you can even make individual cheesecakes in dessert cups/glasses..
Place the dish in the fridge for half an hour to set.
2. All ingredients for the middle layer should be at room temperature .Mix all the ingredients of the middle layer with a an electric beater till smooth.
3. Dissolve the gelatin in 200 ml of juice. Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer for half a minute.
4.Add most of the gelatin mixture (leave about 2 tablespoons for the mango layer) to the cream cheese mixture. You have to be quick and start whisking with the beater immediately to remove any lumps that are formed.
5. Quickly pour this layer over the biscuit layer and leave to set for an hour in the fridge.
4. After an hour, add the pulp and sugar to the remaining gelatin mixture (which would have become like jelly by now..don't worry it will dissolve with the heat) Bring this mixture to a boil on a low flame and keep boiling till all the jelly is dissolved.
5. Pour this  mango mixture over the cream cheese layer and leave to set for another hour.

And this is pic of the top view...

Mean Bean Burger

This one left me in a food coma ! But was a great experiment to introduce more protein into a vegetarian diet.. going to prefer this over the usual potato cutlet burger any day. Use your choice of condiments..mustard/lettuce/cheese/mayo..etc.The wholewheat burger buns made this a really 'wholesome' meal..

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the burger patty
1/2 cup rajma,soaked overnight
1/2 cup grated paneer
1 green chilly, finely chopped
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed ginger
Salt
chopped coriander
Olive oil

To serve
burger buns
tomato slices
cucumber slices
low-fat mayonnaise (optional)
lettuce leaves

1. Place the rajma in a steamer vessel and place the steamer in a pressure cooker. Cover the lid and keep on high flame. After 3 whistles, reduce flame for 25-30 minutes. Open lid when steam is released from the cooker. Cooking in steamer keeps the beans dry .
2. Mash the beans and add with all other ingredients. Shape into round patties. Coat with extra breadcrumbs (optional) and shallow fry in olive oil till brown and crisp on both sides.
3. Slice the burger bun in half and arrange the burger as per your liking..I buttered both sides lightly and sandwiched the patty between lettuce and mayonnaise and sliced vegetables..serve with mustard/ketchup..

Pad Thai Spaghetti

I love Thai food and was lucky enough to learn how to cook authentic Thai food on a trip to Thailand in 2010.The only problem in cooking Thai is that a lot of the ingredients are so tough to source, especially kafir lime..been trying to grow some in my balcony garden, which at the rate its growing will be around when I might have retired from the kitchen :) Galangal ginger and bird's eye chillies are easily available in Hypercity and other such places..palm sugar I bought back home with me from Pattaya:) Do scout around for suppliers and you can really dish up some authentic stuff. I have cheated though slightly on this recipe, i used spaghetti instead of rice noodles as personally I am not fond of their gooey texture at all :)) these turned out really nice  ..

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 cups boiled spaghetti
1 medium broccoli, cut into florets
1 cup cabbage, finely sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 large capsicum,finely sliced
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
1/2 teaspoon garlic,crushed
1 teaspoon galangal ginger,crushed
2-3 bird's eye chillies,sliced (or 1 green chilli)
1 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon dark soya sacue
1 tablespoon maggi seasoning sauce
2 tablespoons imli paste
Salt
2 tablespoons oil

1.Whisk together the soy sauce,sugar,maggi sauce, imli paste and set aside.
2. In a wok,heat the oil and fry the ginger ,green chili and garlic for about half a minute on high flame. Add all the vegetables and again cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes till tender( but not completely cooked)
3.Toss in the spaghetti with the vegetables.
4. Add the mixed sauces and little salt and toss on high flame. Adjust seasoning as per your taste.
5. Add the crushed peanuts and serve hott