Saturday, July 28, 2012

Chocolate Fudge...

I picked this recipe from Nestle's fb page... & yaaaayyy!! Its a winner! I did make a few changes though & herez how i went about it...

You need:
Butter - 100g - i used salted
AP flour(maida) - 1 tbsp heaped
Powdered sugar - 1tbsp
Sweetened condensed milk 1tin(400g) - i used Nestle's milkmaid
Cocoa powder - 4tsp heaped or more
A handful or two of chopped nuts - i used walnuts, cashews & almonds

How to:
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and add the AP flour when it starts to bubble. Lower the flame so that it doesn't burn. Keep stirring, ensuring that no lumps are formed. Follow with the sugar and stir. Add in the condensed milk and mix well. Add the cocoa powder and keep stirring till the mixture thickens & comes together to form a soft ball. Add the chopped nuts and mix well.
Transfer this onto a greased tray and smoothen the surface. Cool & let it rest in the refrigerator. Cut into squares or as desired & EnJoY!!! YummiLiciousss!! ;)

Pointers:
- You could skip the sugar if you are using unsalted butter.
- Transfer the fudge from the tray as soon as it holds shape & cut as desired. The fudge tends to stick to the tray when fully set. You could also line the tray with cling film before transferring the fudge to set.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Friday, June 8, 2012

Crunchy Chickpea Munchies...

From a well stacked cupboard of ready-eats, we have now successfully moved on to an almost bare one! Yaaaaaaay!!... - a part of trying to get rid of meaningless chomping while glued to the idiot box.. which thankfully, is not more than an hour everyday ;) But that one hour did contribute to the most calorie build up esp. with the oreos, bourbons & the dark fantasy.. ummmm!!
Was browsing through Good Housekeeping when i came across a recipe for some baked munchies... tried them & we did finish them off in one go.. ;) was waaaay healthier than any packaged goody & addictive too!! :)
You need:
Chickpeas - 400gm 
Oil - 2tbsp (any vegetable oil will do)
AP flour (maida) - 1tbsp
Corriander powder - 1tsp
salt & chilly powder to taste


How to:
Preheat the oven to 220deg C. Mix the peas with all the other ingredients except the flour. Now toss the seasoned peas with flour to coat and transfer onto a slightly greased baking tray ensuring that you have a single layer of peas (not piled on one another). Roast till golden & crisp(about 30-40min) stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Makes about a cup of guilt-free munch. ;)
Pointers:
While boiling the peas, add in two whole green chillies & season with enough salt - the munchies taste better. 

Monday, May 21, 2012

Crispy Parval(pointed gourd) with potatoes...

The parval or pointed gourd is something that i would not have picked up on my own... I ended up having this at Sonali's place a couple of times(of the innumerable lunches that i'v had there!) and thought i'd give it a try. Read more about this veggie here!
You need:
parval / pointed gourd thinly sliced - 2 cups
potatoes thinly sliced - 1 cup
onion sliced - 1 medium
dried red chillies - 2
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
a pinch of turmeic
salt to taste
oil for shallow frying
How to:
Heat about 3-4 tbsp oil in a wok. Add in the cumin seeds followed by the chillies when they start to sizzle. Add the onions and turmeric. Fry till lightly browned. Now add in the potatoes, parval, salt to taste and continue to fry them till they are done. The gourds tend to curl and turn crispy when done. Drain the excess oil and serve along with chapatis or rice.


Pointers:
- Use only tender gourds for this dish.The ripe ones are rubbery, orangish inside and have hard seeds.
- You could boil the potatoes in the microwave for about 5minutes before adding them to the wok, saving on cook time.

Oatmeal Cookies...

Been wishing for a satisfying oatmeal cookie ever since i got back on Indian soil... & the fact that we are holed up in Vizag does not help! So when i came across Joy of Baking's recipe, the cookie on my wishlist looked up at me, begging to be cut off! I did make a few changes though and skipped the cinnamon.
Herez the result! :) 
You need:
brown sugar, tightly packed - 1 cup
butter at room temperature 3/4 cup - i used salted
all purpose flour(maida)- 3/4 cup
oats - 3cups - i used Quaker
1 egg
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
raisins - 1/2 cup
walnuts toasted and chopped - 1 cup 
chocolate chips (optional) - 1/2 cup


How to:
Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth - i used an electric beater. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine well. 
Combine the flour and baking soda and add this to the creamed mixture. Mix well and stir in the nuts, raisins and chocolate chips. Add in the oats & mix well. 
Grease a baking tray and transfer the dough with enough spacing between the cookies- I used a scoop spoon for uniform cookies. Flatten the cookies lightly with the back of the spoon. You need to spoon out your portions keeping in mind that the cookies will flatten out and get bigger. Bake the cookies for about 12 - 15 minutes or till done. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 


Yaaaayyyy!!! I now have my own batch of oatmeal cookies!! :) Another strike off from my wishlist - which by the way is growing forever! ;)

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Papad Vadas!

Poppadom or Papad is typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India. I did serve it as a starter with some salsa variants but never as a vada!! My scouting for quick fix eats got me here & glad that i tried out this ridiculously easy  snack! 
You need:
Any papad - i used Haldiram's Bikaneri papad which is seasoned with pepper & asafoetida
rice flour - 1/2 cup
gram flour(besan) - 2 tbsp
black sesame seeds - 2tsp or more
chilly powder to taste
salt to taste
How to:
Since i used large papads, i broke them diagonally till i ended up with 6 triangular segments. 
Mix all the ingredients listed above, excluding the papad with enough water to make a thick batter. The batter should not be runny. 
Heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry the papads. Once the oil is ready, dip the papad in the batter ensuring that it is well coated & drop it in the oil. Drain on paper towels when done.

Served with a steaming cup of tea... mmmmmnnn!!! :)

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Watermelon sorbet... :)

The searing heat always drives me to the fridge.. On one such 'trips' i glanced at a box of watermelon chunks & set about making a sorbet - inspired by a picture posted by Nestle on facebook. 
Whizzed up the pulp of one medium watermelon with about half a tin of sweetened condensed milk (used milkmaid), passed it through a sieve and set it in an ice tray. The rest was set in a bowl & scraped to serve, topped with fresh mint leaves. Needless to say, the fridge was raided more often! ;) 

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Grape mousse... :)

Been wanting to try this mousse for about an year now & so rushed into making them when the first batch of black grapes hit the market. Been sitting in my drafts since.. posting this before the grapes go back to being scarce! :)
This recipe has two parts - the base & a glaze. Best served in a glass dish to show off the vibrant colors! :) * * * For the base * * *
You need:
250 gm black grapes - seedless
200 gm cream - i used Amul
1/2 tin sweetened condensed milk (taste & add more if desired)
4 tsp gelatin
1.5 cup water + more to dissolve the gelatin

Boil the grapes in 1.5 cups water & let it cool. Blend this into a smooth paste and run it through a sieve. Reserve 1/2 cup grape extract for the glaze.
To the rest of the grape juice extracted, add in the lightly beaten cream, condensed milk and mix well. To this, add the gelatin dissolved completely in 1/2 a cup of warm water. I used an electric beater to combine all this. Now pour this into a serving dish - i used shot glasses. Leave enough place to top the mousse with the glaze.
Let this rest in the refrigerator for about an hour or two. Prepare the glaze once the mousse has set.

* * * For the glaze * * *
You need:
1 tsp gelatin
1/2 cup grape juice (reserved initially)
sugar - according to taste

To the warmed up grape juice, add in the gelatin and mix well till it dissolves completely. Add in the sugar according to taste, let the mixture cool & then, top the mousse. The mousse would have been set by now & so you will end up with two distinct layers. Return it to the fridge till the glaze sets - about an hour should do.
ScOoP n EnJoY!!!! :)

Adapted from a recipe here & the lazy-me made quite a few changes, using it as a guideline. :)

Snack Time ~ Rice crispies...

Since we planned to put a hold on munching bags of store-bought goodies, made these as a substitute! ;) You need:
2 cups rice flour
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
3-4 tbsp butter/ghee(clarified butter)
salt to taste
chilly powder to taste (skip this & you'll get white crispies)
water to mix in all the above
oil for frying
How to:
Mix all the dry ingredients. Add in the butter & mix. Now add enough water for the ingredients to come together and form a soft dough.
Heat oil in a deep vessel. Pass the dough through a string-hopper maker and drop them directly into the oil. Fry them till golden, turning over to make sure they are cooked evenly. Drain on a paper towel. Crunch-munch & save the rest in air-tight containers. :) Owing to the additional butter added here, sans chana dal, this snack is a little brittle when compared to a similar one made with chana dal and rice flour. You need to be gentler when you fry these.
Recipe source: Sonali.. :)

Monday, April 9, 2012

Coconut Brittle... Chikki - with dessicated coconut...

I gobbled up doughnuts that a friend had bought for us from a local store.. though not from MOD, i still ended up devouring the whole lot without saving them for T (which NeVeR happens!)..
Once i was done, i HAD to make something that T liked to brush away the guilt - what else but chikki? Made them with something that T had actually asked for - dessicated coconut. I now have a stack that i can munch on & go hmmmmmnnn.... trying hard not to finish them too! ;) :D
You need:
dessicated coconut 1 cup, tightly packed - i used store-bought ones
sugar 3/4 cup - you don't really need brown sugar - normal works just fine
clarified butter(ghee) 1 tsp + extra for greasing the plates

How to:
In a wok, heat the sugar with about 2tbsp water till all the crystals dissolve. In a few seconds, it will take on a brownish hue & start to caramelize. Stir, making sure that it does not burn. Add in the coconut & stir well. To this, stir in 1tsp of ghee.
Mix well & transfer onto a well greased plate, marking lines halfway through - as in chocolate bars. Now let them cool - the brittle hardens during cooling. Pop them out of the plate once cooled & break along the indent. Store in air tight containers.
Pointers:
>> I toasted the coconut till it browned a bit and gave off a nutty aroma.
>> Found it easier to work with granulated sugar rather than powdered sugar while making these.
>> Ensure that you don't skip greasing the plates.
>> Caramelize a wee bit more for a different taste & darker shade.
EnJoY!! :)

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Thai rice noodles in a soupy mushroom sauce... :)


Another experiment that we LoVeD!! :)

Chicken MisCuzi!! ;)

Yeah - a totally made up name & dish! Herez how the dish was named...
R came over for dinner - a really sweet person who sings, plays the guitar, paints & is sooo much fun to have around! T & R have this sudden bursts of 'Yo' n 'MisCuzi' when they greet each other. Was serving up some starters when R asked me what i'd just served - i didn't really know 'coz i'd just put in a few things together. So now, they had to name the dish - what else but Chicken Miscuzi? ;) :D
Herez what i put in...
Served a dollop of cheesy-chicken topped on spiced crackers. I used cheese & chilli crackers, which by itself had some intense seasoning - 'coz of which i didn't really need to spice up the chicken.
For the chicken topping...
Boil the chicken in water with a big pinch of salt for about 20min. Drain the water, let it cool & separate the bones. In a blender, pulse the chicken(just 2 or 3 whirls will do) with a tablespoon of cheese spread to hold it together. You could use any flavored cheese spread - i used plain. Now transfer this into a piping bag and refrigerate.
To serve:
On each cracker, pipe out a dollop of the chilled prepared topping & serve. A light & easy starter.. :)

Pointers:
>> Just so you have an idea of the amount of chicken required - for about 50gm of crackers(check your pack) you need just one chicken drumstick.
>> Feel free to add more spices(crushed pepper/ chilly flakes etc) to the chicken if you are using some bland crackers.
>> Sonali suggested this topping as a sandwich filler & it tastes YuMmmmm!!! :)

Friday, March 30, 2012

Scotch eggs... with a noodle-y twist...

A Scotch egg consists of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Read more here!
Been wanting try out Scotch eggs since some time - though i wasn't really keen on handling meat in the morning. Was going through some recipes at the Nestle site yesterday and found one using maggi. Maggi & eggs are T's all time favorites.. so, if i can make something more with them, why not? ;)
The potatoes, instant noodles & eggs can be cooked simultaneously while you get to finish other chores & all you have to do is - put them together in the end & fry them. Gets done in no time & is a fun breakfast / picnic option.

I made them using soft boiled eggs only coz T likes them runny. Harder to work with since you need to be really realllllyyy careful. Will stick to hard-boiled eggs from now on! ;) You need:
For 2 hard boiled eggs -
1 small pack instant noodles cooked - i used Maggi
1 big potato - boiled
salt & chilly powder for seasoning
Breadcrumbs - 2 tbsp for mixing & extra for coating
Oil for deep frying

How to:
Once your potatoes, eggs & instant noodles are ready...
Mash the potatoes, season them (i used only salt & chilly powder) and add the noodles. Add 2tbsp bread crumbs & mix well. This will now come together to form a dough. Shell the eggs, grease your palm with a little oil and divide the dough into two portions. Wrap it around the egg so as to get an even coating (refer pointers below for easy steps).
Now roll the coated eggs in bread crumbs & deep fry them. Gently spoon out the Scotch eggs when they turn golden brown & crispy. Drain on a paper towel, cut into halves(length-wise) & serve with ketchup.
If you still plan on going with soft boiled eggs, you could serve some toast to dip into the runny yolks. :)

Pointers:
>> Figured that the easiest way to wrap the egg evenly is to pat out a thick rectangular sheet length about 3/4th the size of your palm, breadth about an inch more than the height of the egg. Start by rolling the wrap around the egg from one end - covering the egg when you reach the other end. Pinch the top & bottom & pat slightly to ensure an even coat.
>> Oil you hands when you work with the dough - makes it a lot easier!
>> Add onions,left-over veggies, additional seasoning - anything that catches your fancy.
>> Guessing that leftover cooked rice (plain/flavored) could replace the noodles. Will try it out & post the results.

This onez for the BP gang that i luuuv & miss soooooo much!!! :)

Of some of the most amaazing people i know... herez to a gang that made the US seem like a DrEaM!! :D Picked up the cartoon from here! :)

Thursday, March 29, 2012

A yummy treat from banana fritter batter! :)

I had quite a bit of batter to finish up when i was making Banana fritters. Since i'd already fried up enough, all i wanted to do was dispose all the remaining batter! I couldn't really throw it away, right? So then.. the easiest way to finish them up? Pancakes of course! ;)

Herez some fun stuff to do with the batter used for Banana fritters How to:
Pour a ladle of the batter on a lightly greased hot griddle or frying pan. Don't bother spreading it out - just stand back & let gravity take it's course :). Lower the flame & cook covered for a few minutes till the top looks done(the bottom would have a golden brown shade). Now flip it over & cook for about a minute or two.

Transfer to a serving dish, scoop out a generous serving of vanilla ice-cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, top with fresh fruits - maybe bananas? I used some fresh strawberries that were in season. :)

Pointers:
You could make these pancakes & store them in the refrigerator (need not be frozen). Heat it up in the microwave for a minute before you plate up.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

An experiment with Chicken gone right! :)

We usually marinate all the meat or fish over the weekend & freeze them in single serve packs & then, we are set for the week. Ideally that would mean 3 fillets of fish or 2 chicken drumsticks and so on in each pack.
Saves us a lot of marinate-&-wait time during hectic week days & the trouble of defrosting the whole lot just to chip out a few pieces.
Marinade used:
curd , a pinch of turmeric, salt & chilly powder

We were already done with dinner & since T was home a little early yesterday we experimented with some stuff in the kitchen. Yaaayy! :)
We already had a few chicken drumsticks marinated over the weekend & sitting in the freezer. Herez what we ended up with.. You need:
marinated chicken - i used 2 drumsticks
**To be ground into a paste:**
corriander(cilantro) leaves - a finely chopped handful
mint leaves - half the quantity of corriander leaves
green chilly 1 large - (lesser if you don't prefer the heat)
juice of half a lemon/lime
1 tbsp Olive oil
salt to taste

How to:
Heat about 3-4 tbsp of oil in a pan & sear the chicken on both sides enough to get a caramelized crust. Coat the chicken completely with the ground paste mentioned above & wrap firmly using cling film. Secure with string to ensure that the wrap doesn't open up.
Boil water in a saucepan & drop the wrapped chicken into the same, letting it cook covered for about 15 to 20minutes. Spoon out the cooked wraps onto a plate, remove the film & serve garnished with lemon wedges & cilantro.
T did have something to lament about - "we should have made some more!!" ;)

Pointers:
>> Using curd in the marinade makes poultry succulent.
>> You could skip the resting time for the marinated chicken (minimum 30min) if you are short of time.

Friday, March 23, 2012

A slice of my B'de cake baked by T... :)

About a month back, T had this bizarre thought of baking me a cake for my B'day... this coming from a guy who'd once asked me if he had to make noodles in a tawa or kadai!! :O He was being adorable by wanting to bake a cake.. but then, i HAD 2 supervise - else he had planned on using rice powder & was going by 'a little of this' & so on!!
He made the Choco Mocha cake, but used brown sugar instead of white & since the batter was sitting outside the oven for about 45min(thanks to the once-in-a-bluemoon power failure which chose this day!), when the cake was half-way done, we poured in about half a cup of soda(carbonated water) over it. The result - a deliciously yummmmy goooooey cake! :)
Since T came home real late & still insisted on baking the cake, i ended up cutting into a warm cake - first time ever on my B'de!!! :) He was so ecstatic about 'his' cake & the grin still remains! :)
Cakez over, though! :D

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Kalakand... :)

I was oooohhh soooooo happy with the way this turned out & the recipe is a sure-shot one & EASY too! We like to munch on stuff that is not overly sweet...& now that we make it at home, we get to decide the sweetness of the Kalakand.. :D
You need:
milk 2 litres
citric acid crystals 1/2 tsp, dissolved in 3 tbsp of warm water
sugar 1/2 cup - i used a little lesser
sweetened condensed milk 3 tbsp - i used milkmaid **see pointers
ghee(clarified butter) 2 tsp + 1 tsp for greasing the plate
Optional, but would be a great add...
Finely chopped nuts - i used a handful each of almonds & cashew nuts pounded with a mortar & pestle
good quality silver sheets (vark) for garnishing

How to:
Boil 1 litre milk and add the citric acid solution, simmering and stirring lightly till the milk curdles(forms paneer). Sieve this and let it rest for about 15min in the sieve till all the water drains out.
Meanwhile, boil the remaining 1 litre milk in a wide-mouthed wok and stir lightly occasionally till it reduces by half. Now add the drained paneer and stir continuously till the mixture thickens. Add the finely chopped nuts and the sugar, followed by the condensed milk. Allow it to cook and reduce further ensuring you stir to avoid burning.
You will know that it is ready when the mixture comes together to form a mound. Now add 2tsp of ghee and stir well, cooking for about 2 to 5 min. Transfer this into a well greased plate and allow it to cool. Garnish with silver sheets and cut into squares of oodles of goodness!!... :)
Pointers:
>> Feel free to add more sugar in this recipe if you so desire.
>> Adding sweetened condensed milk is optional. I like adding them since they lend a cream-ish color & taste. You might as well replace the same with sugar.
>> You could use 2tsp vinegar or juice of half a lime if you don't have citric acid crystals.
Source: Adapted from my stack of newspaper-cut-recipes Deccan Chronicle.

Peanut Brittle... Chikki - with crushed peanuts...

T LUUUUUUvvvs chikkis in any form... since he was working this Sunday & we couldn't go out to buy some, i planned on making a few to replenish the dwindling stack.. Had made some chikkis(peanut brittle) earlier, so this time, thought i'd use coarsely pound peanuts. T was reeling off chikki ideas & totally veto-ed buying them.. ;) More with sesame seeds & dessicated coconut will follow... :)
You need:
peanuts 1 cup - coarsely ground
sugar 3/4 cup - i used white
clarified butter(ghee) 2 tsp + extra for greasing the plates

How to:
In a wok, heat the sugar with about 2tbsp water till all the crystals dissolve. In a few seconds, it will take on a brownish hue & start to caramelize. Stir, making sure that it does not burn. Add in the crushed peanuts & stir well. To this, stir in 2tsp of ghee.
Transfer this onto a well greased plate and mark lines halfway through - as in chocolate bars. Now let them cool - the brittle hardens during cooling. Pop them out of the plate once cooled & break along the indent. Store in air tight containers.
Pointers:
>> I toasted the peanuts & used a mixer to pulse through them.
>> Found it easier to work with granulated sugar rather than powdered sugar while making these.
>> Ensure that you don't skip greasing the plates.
>> Caramelize a wee bit more for a different taste & darker shade.
EnJoY!! :)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Pork - Coorg style! :)

Usually served with kadumbutt or otti, this is a favorite dish among Coorgs! :)

@ Sausalito, CA...

This quaint village by the bay is one of the prettiest & most enchanting places that just makes you feel wooooowww!!! :) The place is dotted with bright flowers in pots all around, cozy caffes & oodles of joyyy!!!! This was where we met the supposedly guitar playing dog.. :D The owner did the singing & was a rather colorful character... i just found them on YouTube too! :D This place is a dream! :) Clicks by V... :)

Spinach (Palak) Parathas...

While making the dough, I used sautéed spinach. The spinach had been sautéed with cumin seeds, a pinch of turmeric powder, finely chopped onions & green chillies with salt to taste. If you are in a hurry, you could just chop the spinach finely & add it to the dough with seasoning.

Shahi tukda...with a twist :)

I had some rabdi leftover from the batch i made for some carrot halwa. In a corner, some bread slices looked lonely...so put them together ;) Since we had been high on sugar throughout the week, decided to cut some here. It still tasted real good & T polished off most of it by the time i started on my share. :)
The twist:
Slice off the edges of the bread, brushing them lightly with ghee(clarified butter) & sugar. Toast this till the sugar is caramelized & the toast has some crunch.
Cut each slice in half or 4 pieces and arrange alternating with toast,rabdi, crushed nuts till all the slices are used. Top with rabdi & nuts. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour(if you can put up with the waiting - worth it ;)..tastes better if you let it rest. Yummmmmmm! :)

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Strawberries & cream...

Whipped up some fresh cream & arranged alternate layers of red curacao, whipped cream & sliced strawberries. Served this in a champagne flute :D
Made this as a Valentine treat & T LUVd it! :) Flute-scraping yummmm! :D
The pik doesn't do justice since it was taken at night. Wish i'd clicked it earlier!

Cucumber & cottage cheese (/paneer) rolls...


I was browsing through Closetcooking & liked this. Had some French cucumbers & so thought that i'd try them out though cucumber was the only ingredient that i used from the original. I just added stuff in my kitchen as i went along. Makes for a really refreshing & light starter.. hmmmmm did i say quick & real easy? ;)
You need:
2 young cucumbers - seedy ones wont do
For the filling, i used-
cottage cheese/paneer (made this using 1 lemon for 0.5 lt of milk for extra flavor)
a handful on finely chopped mint leaves
1 or 2 fresh red chillies - finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon & more lemon juice if desired
salt & pepper to taste
toothpicks to secure the rolls
Optional...
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cheese spread

How to:
Wash & use a mandolin to slice the cucumber lengthwise, into strips. Keep aside.
Crumble the cottage cheese & mix all the ingredients mentioned above. Check for taste. Drop some filling (about a tsp or more depending on the breath of the cucumber strip) on one end of the strip. Start rolling along with the filling & secure with a toothpick at the end as seen in the pik. Once all the rolls are done, place them on a plate & sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. SeRvE! :)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Tangy rice with lemon,raw mangoes & cilantro...


I was trying to cook up something to go with the Thai-red-curry-based prawns that i made.. Plain rice or something tangy?? I settled for a little tangy experiment & screened the fridge for add-ons. Found some grated raw mangoes & of course, in they went! I just loved the way this turned out & couldn't stop eating it!:D You need:
1.5 cups rice - washed well till the water runs clear
3 cups water
3-4 tbsp oil
1 small onion - diced
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt to taste
a handful of cilantro/corriander leaves - finely chopped
2 tbsp raw mango - shredded (optional - added them on a whim)
1 tsp chilly flakes - optional
How to:
Heat oil in the vessel you cook rice in. Now add the onions & stir till they are transparent. Add the raw mango,lemon zest, salt & chilly flakes. Add the rice & stir for about a minute. Add water, check for seasoning & let the rice cook. Once done, add the chopped cilantro & mix well. Goes well with anything spicy & is as good on its own too! :)

Prawns cooked in Thai red curry paste... :)

This one gets done in a jiffy! Serves well with tangy rice or rice noodles. Plain ol' steamed rice should also do! :)
If you are inquisitive, here is a peek into what a thai red curry paste is usually made up of. You could make your own paste too - i couldn't get there since i couldn't find a source for galangal.
Served them with a tangy rice. :)
You need:
250gm prawns - cleaned & de-veined
(my version - prawns preferably marinated in salt,chilly powder & turmeric for 10min)
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste - i used the store bought one
1 cup fresh coconut ground into a really fine paste with 1 cup water
2 tsp brown sugar/jaggery
fresh corriander/cilantro roots - a handful, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilly - finely sliced
salt to taste

How to:
Heat the oil in a wok. Add the red curry paste, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add in the prawns & mix well. Add the brown sugar/jaggery, finely ground coconut paste, chilly & salt. Simmer till the prawns are cooked. Add the corriander roots about 5min before you turn off the flame.

Pointers:
>> I added the corriander roots since my store bought mix did not show them in the ingredients list & Thai red curry paste recipes called for them. The roots did add a good texture too.
>> Originally, the curry calls for coconut milk. Since i ground fresh coconut into a really fine paste, i didn't bother sieving through.

Spiced brinjal circles (aubergine/eggplant)... :)

T came over when i was frying these & his first reaction was - "i know whom u learnt this from!!!"... & yeah, he did get it right - Sonali again!!!! :D :D You need:
brinjal/aubergine/eggplant - the bigger variety
---according to taste---
salt, chilly powder/flakes, turmeric, garam masala
How to:
Cut the brinjal horizontally in circles - about 0.5cm thickness or a little more should do. Marinate them in the above ingredients & let it rest for sometime. I had marinated it the previous day. So all i had to do was take it out of the fridge & start frying them when i wanted to.
Once the circles are marinated, shallow fry them in a little oil. Drain on a paper towel & serve. :)
Pointers:
Make sure you pick a young fruit so that you don't end up with a seedy circle. The seeds that you see in the pik are from the chilly flakes. :)
You need to cook this on a medium~low flame till the firmness gives way & the skin starts to shrink. This could take some time during which you need to ensure that it does not burn.

Banana Choco-chip muffins... :)

Our neighbor's mom sent over some yummy home-made goodies.. Looked around for something to send back in the box & found bananas staring at me.. so made some muffins... :) I just grabbed stuff & din't really measure since i was running late(alwaysss!!! ;)).. luckily, they turned out good enough to go in the box that i was returning.. ;)
Posting the pick 'coz i really LUV the cartooned muffin cup! :D The choco-chips on top melted when i tried to get some browning on the muffins.. :)

Monday, February 6, 2012

SuNdAy BrUnCh!... :)

Sunday lunch at home is like a blue moon - thatz our weekly off from the kitchen! ;) Herez what we tossed in this Sunday when we ran late & had to satiate our rumbling tummies... :)

a handful of shredded spinach leaves
a handful of croutons - fried
about 2tbsp of raw mango - shredded
2 small bell peppers - red & yellow
a few chicken nuggets - fried
carrots - sliced
a few olives & lemon wedges
cottage cheese (paneer) doused in lime
a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper... DoNe!!!! :D

Friday, February 3, 2012

Cashew nut Cookies... :)

Adapted from Nita Mehta's Cakes & Cookies...

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Prawns Masala...a basic prawn prep but yumm! :)

Diamond Cuts... :)

I walked over to a neighbor's place with some cookies & their mum who was visiting told me that she was frying something. I couldn't really place the local name & when she offered to show me what it was, i readily nodded along.. ;) Turns out they were diamond cuts (named so 'coz of the shape) made with wheat flour. It does involve frying but then, she was using wheat flour instead of AP flour. Yaaay!!! :) They turned out to be addictive... made some today so that T could take them to work & munch on.

You need:
1 cup wheat flour(atta)
2 tsps semolina (rava) - optional
1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar - according to taste
2-3 tsp butter or clarified butter(ghee)
1/4 cup or more or warm water for kneading

How to:
Mix the wheat flour, semolina & sugar together. Add the butter & mix thoroughly. Using the warm water, knead to make a pliable dough.
Roll into chapatis and cut into desired shapes. These chapatis could be thicker.
Deep fry in oil on a medium flame. Drain on a paper towel when they are golden brown.
These are soft when just drained & will harden as they cool down after which you could devour them or store them in air tight containers. :)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Banana Halwa... for 2... :)


We picked up some Nendra bananas last weekend & there was this lone one that wasn't gobbled up. It had gone a little mushy & so i didn't really want to eat it. Was planning to make some halwa when T reached out for it & i involuntarily screeched a 'noooooooo!!!'... He moved on to the next fruit in the bowl & i kept contemplating if 1 banana was good enough. Turns out that it serves two! :) It doesn't have the usual brownish-black color 'coz i added some wheat flour to increase the quantity(a gamble that paid off! ;)).. but was still chewy & yum!! Will save 3 form the next banana batch... :)

Monday, January 30, 2012

Tutti-frutti...

Our hostel group(engineering college days) of eight was a perpetually hungry lot that could binge on almost anything! But then, which hostel inmate is not, right? :)
It was on a lazy Sunday afternoon that P called out F & me for some treats which we jobbled in a jiffy. She saved a bit & hid some for the group-absentees & locked it away to keep it safe from prying eyes(read F & me). .. and just 'coz she did that F & me quickly gobbled it up, replacing the treats with some cream bottles & sat through the afternoon with innocent smiles. When P later found this, she was so furious that she chased us around the hostel till we could run no more!! Tutti-frutti was a major chunk of what we gobbled up & P chasing us around is what i remember anytime i see these little jewels. So, P.. here i am, dedicating this recipe to u.. hope we are even!! :D ;)

You need:
3 cups finely diced raw papaya
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
a big pinch of food color
1 tbsp brandy - optional
How to:
Peel the papaya & wash well to remove the milk that oozes out. Scoop out the seeds if any & dice the papaya finely. Wash twice to remove the milkiness. Add enough water to cover the papaya pieces. Cook this till transparent - but firm. I cooked it for 8minutes in the microwave. Drain out the water & spread on a kitchen towel to remove excess water.
Take 1/2 a cup of water in a wok & bring to boil, adding the color. Add the sugar & stir well till it dissolves. Now add the papaya & continue to heat on low till the mixture comes to a boil. Once the pieces have absorbed color completely, remove from the flame & let it rest till it cools down. Transfer the cooled tutti-frutti into a sterilized jar & refrigerate/use as required.
The original tutti-frutti recipe calls for some brandy & so i added about 1 tbsp directly into the bottle...screwed the lid on & gave it a real good shake. :)
Pointers:
- Soon after you dice them, rinse the papaya pieces well till the water runs clear.
- If the papaya pieces have not been drained well, you could reduce the water to 1/4 cup. If you still end up some liquid, add 2 tbsp of the same into your tutti-frutti bottle & discard the rest.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Girls-night-out... with gran! :)

My gran is a sweetheart! She is my maternal grandmom & doesn't let age of all things come in the way. She rode a rope-way car with a girlish grin while my mom ooooh-ed & aaaah-ed about T & me putting her mom in turmoil. I'm sure gran would love to sky-dive too! ;)

Anyways...my parents & gran had come over to stay at our place for a fortnight. For as long as i can remember, whenever gran was home, i snuggled next to her & we shared our secrets. The night T had to stay at work, I was just getting ready to snuggle in - my parents were already asleep - which was when a tiny creepy-crawly got in through the sink. There are snakes around in the green bordering our house & so me & my partner-in-crime decided to kill it. I think it was a tiny snake - it was black, shiny & slithery - but I am still not sure if it was a snake! So we'll just call it 'the thing'. I did not want to take a risk with the reptile using the now-familiar-route again! What if I was alone the next time, right?
So, we got ready... gran with poor eye-sight, without her glasses, armed with bathroom slippers & smacking away at the culprit. I did mention poor eye-sight & without glasses, right? - she hit every place around 'the thing' but never on - this went on for a few minutes with me whisper-screaming (ugh- whats that???!!!...i didn't want to wake up my parents who were already asleep - & so had to whisper my screams!) Did I forget to say that gran's hearing is bad at times? Well, this was one of those times! So with instructions from me that could not be of any help, my sweetheart gran finally nailed 'the thing'.

Ever heard of a snake's other half taking revenge? Well, i sure did! Wouldn't want to risk an angered mom's wrath, right? So we took it out to the balcony (by then it was around 01:00 AM) and lit it - gran thought that i was being superstitious ;) I am a bit(??!!) frazzled when I am sleepy which tends to make me loony too i guess! Got me thinking of the mom sniffing out the ashes & so ran in to drop a few camphor pills into the pyre. I added some sandal wood incense sticks for good measure. By now, the wariness had given way to feeling sorry for the victim (though, I had gone through all this only to ensure that none of us would be the victims). I fell asleep hugging my gran after much more ranting. And all this while, she bore all the craziness with a smile & sat through the mindless pyre set up without complaining! Even with a generation's gap, it is always an amazing girls-night-out of endless gibberish that i reel out with my gran! LUUUUVVVVVV u, amma!!! :)

Banana fritters...

These yummy, easy to make fritters are called 'Baale Nurk' in Coorg. Baale meaning banana & Nurk meaning to-squash. This snack is made by squashing bananas into a pulp - hence the name. :)
These are one of T's favorites & never fail to plaster an euphoric grin whenever they are made!
You need:
2 ripe bananas - Cavendish works great
all purpose flour (maida)
sugar to taste - optional (see pointers)
1 tsp sesame seeds - optional
oil for frying
How to:
Heat enough oil in a wok for deep frying. Meanwhile, rub the bananas between your palms, pressing lightly before they are peeled. This way, the bananas are pulpy when you peel them. Add the AP flour using tbsp measure, slowly folding in. The measure of flour would vary depending on the ripeness of the banana. Add & fold in alternately till you reach a pakora consistency. The batter should not be runny. Add the sesame seeds if required.
Once the oil is heated enough (a test drop of the batter should rise up immediately when dropped into the oil), drop bite-sized batter into the oil. I use a teaspoon to drop the batter - a non messier option. Lower the flame and keep turning the fritters over till they are a shade darker than golden-brown.
Drain over a paper towel & dive in! :) You could store them in the fridge - tastes great when served cold too! To re-heat, run them in the microwave for about 20seconds.
Pointers:
>> Ensure that you pick up really ripe bananas which are almost squishy.. the fritters taste better. This is when the bananas are the sweetest & so you wouldn't need to add sugar. Sugar blackens the fritters easily.
>> Needs to be cooked on a low flame. Else the fritters will be burnt outside, leaving the insides under-cooked.
>> If you have some spare(?!) batter & need to finish up soon, herez what you could do! :)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Crab n spice - crab masala... ;)

:D :D :D :D - That’s T when he is waiting for this dish to be done. I got this recipe from Nithya about four years back & all this time it’s been a WINNER! Everybody who has ducked into this scrumptious dish has been going mmmmmmmn…. So herez what can make you hum into oblivion.. ;)

P.P.S.: Make sure you pick the freshest of crabs – they should still be crawling when you buy them from the vendor and should smell fresh. You could ask him to crack and clean them for you – this is the part of the cooking process that I can never get involved in! Anyways, once you get past that, here goes… :)
You need:
1 kg fresh meaty crabs – marinated*
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 slit green chillies (adjust accordingly)
5-6 pods garlic finely chopped
1 inch ginger finely chopped
½ tsp turmeric
2-3 medium sized onions puréed
2-3 ripened tomatoes puréed
a big pinch of garam masala
a handful of finely chopped coriander
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp cooking oil

* * * For the marinade * * *
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp red chilly powder
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste (preferably ground at home)
4-5 medium ripened tomatoes puréed (more if you need a thicker gravy)
salt to taste

Soak the cracked and cleaned crab in the above marinade and keep aside for a couple of hours. I usually let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.
In a large wok, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Follow with the green chillies, garlic and ginger and sauté till it starts turning golden. Add the turmeric, puréed onions and cook till the onions start taking on a darker hue. Now add the puréed tomatoes and cook till you see oil bubbling at the edges. Throw in the marinated crabs, salt and cook till done. Add the garam masala and stir well. Take the wok off the flame, garnish with chopped coriander and cover till you are ready to serve.
InDuLgE .... n go mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!! :D

Pointers:
>> Crack the claws with a pestle if they are intact so that the marinade can seep in. 
>> You can ask the vendor to snap off the razor edges in the claws so that you don't get hurt if you mindlessly happen to bite into them! ;)