Christmas Fruit Cake

I have been wanting to bake this Christmas cake since forever - but, somehow was always scared to cook with rum and was really not sure if I had the patience in me to wait for the cooking time of almost 4 to 5 hours. 

This year - I got over all those fears and decided to bake a Christmas Fruit cake - also called the 'boozy' cake. even before I could look at recipes, we got the darkest rum available in the wine shop and then got some raisins, sultana, dried cherries, tutti fruti and dried cranberries. Mixed them all with the rum and saved it in an airtight container and let it stay there for over 3 months.

Then started looking for recipes. There are a lot of them over there and google threw a wonderful array of amazing recipes for me to look at. I read and read and read and got confused every-time  Finally i stumbled upon the recipe at deliaonline - how to bake a Christmas cake - one of the oldest and the most sought after recipes. So, decided to go ahead and make this one. It was a tad bit tough as the recipe has measurements in grams and ounces - I personally find it easier if the measurements are in cups and spoons - so, started to fist get the conversion of the measurements - then made a few changes, as the fruits were already soaking and were not as mentioned in the recipe - moreover, used rum instead of brandy - used allspice powder instead of the traditional nutmeg and cinnamon powders - did not used blanched almonds, but used slivered almonds inside the cake batter itself. But, overall, we were very very happy with the outcome. It did not feel that 'boozy' - because we baked this cake 2 days before Christmas and it was fed rum for just two days - he he he.
I hope to make this cake for next Christmas atleast a month in advance and feed it with rum for about 15 days atleast.

Ingredients

1 cup raisins
1 cup sultanas
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup tutti fruti (fruit peels)
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dark rum
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon allspice powder
1 cup unsalted butter
1¼ cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, beaten to mix
1 tbsp honey
juice of half lemon
additional rum for 'feeding'

Method

Take the raisins, sultanas, dried cherries, dried cranberries, tutti fruit in a large bowl and mix it with rum. Cover and allow to soak overnight at room temperature - Or as we did, keep it in an airtight container and let it soak for over 3 months.
Line an 9 inch spring-form pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 275°F (140°C). Sift the flour, salt and spice together in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together until blended well and the mixture looks light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and mix well till its a nice and fluffy mixture.
Stir in the dry ingredients (flour, spice and salt) and mix well till everything is blended together - take care not to over mix or over beat the mixture. Mix in the rum soaked fruits, slivered almonds, honey and the lemon juice and fold everything together.
Spoon the cake mixture into the spring-foam pan and level the surface. Cover the top of the cake with a double square of parchment paper with a 50 cents-size hole in the center (this gives extra protection during the long slow cooking). Place the spring-foam on a cookie sheet and bake the cake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4½-5 hours. Delia says that sometimes it can take up to ½-¾ hour longer than this, but in any case don't look till at least 4 hours have passed.
Cool the cake in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Make small holes in the top and base of the cake with a cocktail stick or small skewer, then spoon over a few teaspoons of rum and cover it fully and let it rest.You can now feed it a few teaspoons of rum everyday until you need to ice it or eat it.

Udipi Style Sambar (Koddel)

The highlight of having vada or idli in any Udupi restaurant is the sambar. I still remember this restaurant called 'Sridevi' in Malad a suburb in Amchi Mumbai - that sambar taste was just divine.

I had tried a number of times to replicate the sambar - but, never really got the same taste.

Well - I stumbled upon a beautiful blog and saw the sambar picture and all those memories started flowing. The picture itself looked like the yummy sambar from 'Sridevi' 

Well, I had to try it - and voila........ it was just like the tasty Udupi restaurant sambar. 

The recipe link is here "koddel-the-udupi-style-sambar" - This blog is maintained by Pratiba who writes at "foodforjoy"

I have followed that recipe just like Pratiba mentioned in her blog - with the exception of green beans, as I had none of it in the refrigerator. I used pearl onions, okra, red pumpkin and dudhi instead.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Toor Dal - 1/4 cup
1 medium sized tomato - cut in quarters
A small ball of tamarind (Soaked in 1/2 cup of water for 1 hour) - I used the readymade tamarind paste, used 1/2 teaspoon of it
10 pearl onions - I used the frozen ones
5 lady fingers/okra/bhindi - cut into two pieces
5 pieces of red pumpkin - cut as big as the tomato quarters
5 pieces of dudhi - cut as big as the tomato quarters
you can add more of it if you wish
1 tablespoon jaggery - grated
1/2 teaspoon turmeric Powder
3 cups water - more or less depending on the consistency of the curry  you like
salt as per taste

to grind

6 to 7  dried kashmiri  chillies
1/2 tablespoon Urad Dal / Black gram split lentil
1/2 tablespoon Channa Dal / split garbanzo
1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds / Akha Dhania
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut - I buy the frozen ones and used that
1 teaspoon coconut Oil

For tempering

1 tablespoon coconut Oil
1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 - 12  curry Leaves
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
2 dried kashmiri chilis

Method

In a karahi or a frying pan add the 1 teaspoon oil (from the to grind list) and stir fry the kashmiri chilis, urad dal, chana dal, coriander seeds. When a nice aroma comes out add the coconut and mix well. Turn the heat off and keep stiring till all the ingredients are mixed together well. Let it cool down. Once its cooled, add this to a blender along with 1/4 cup water and blend untill you get a smooth mixture. If the mixture is too thick and difficult to blend, add another 1/4 cup water and blend to a smooth mixture.
In a pressure cooker, add the toor dal, tomatoes along with the turmeric powder and add 1 cup of water. Cook for upto 4 whistles. Open the pressure cooker lid once the pressure is released. Mash the cooked dal with the help of the back of a ladel.
In a saucepan, add the tamarind paste and the jaggery along with 1/2 cup water. Once the jaggery is melted, add the red pumpkin pieces and the dudhi pieces, cover and cook this for about 10 minutes. Then ad the pearl onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Now add the ground smooth paste and mix well. To this add the cooked dal along with salt as per taste and mix well. Add 1 cup water - you can add less or more water as per the consistency you like of the sambar/kodel. Add the bhindi to this curry and cover and let it boil for 5 more minutes. Turn the heat off and let it sit.
In a small wok/fry pan - add the oil from the for tempering list. Once it heats up, add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the cumin seeds and the curry leaves and the dried kashmiri chilies and the asafoetida. Turn the heat off. Take this wok carefully and add it to the sambar/kodel in the saucepan and cover it immediately.
Serve hot with rice or idlis

Ladi Pav

Pav-Bhaji, Misal-Pav, Masala-Pav, Vada-Pav and the ever so humble Maska-Pav with chai are an all time favorite. a person who has grown up in Bombay (now Mumbai) will easily identify with all these yummy delicacies. 

After moving to the US, I tried and made these things at home - but, never got the Pav taste ever. The burger buns never did justice to the dishes. The closest to our Mumbai Ladi-Pav were the potato rolls and then the kaiser rolls.

Finally decided to bake this pav at home too.Tried tried and tried many variations and combinations and finally this was what made the cut for us. This recipe yielded the taste of home (Mumbai) ladi-pav and has been a favorite since. Street food of Mumbai became famous again in our small home in the US :)

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups of All purpose flour / Bread flour
          more flour for dusting while kneading (I used up about 1/4 cup more for this)
2 tsp of dry active yeast
4 TBS of sugar
1/4 cup warm water
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
          Some more to glaze the pavs before baking (About 8 tablespoons) - this is optional
1/2 tsp of salt

Method

Add the sugar and yeast to warm water and stir well. Keep it aside in a warm place to proof the yeast - to get it frothy and active - this should take about 10 to 15 minutes. If the yeast does not froth, then discard this mixture and try again.
Melt the butter and add the 1/2 cup milk and 3/4 cup water (at room temperature) to it. To this add the yeast mixture and salt. Now add the flour, 1 cup at a time to this mixture to form a sticky dough.
Dust a clean surface with some generous amount of flour and knead the dough for about 10 minutes till it becomes soft and smooth. This is to get the gluten going to get those fluffy and soft pavs. You can use your electric mixer (like kitchenaid) to do this for you too.
Put this dough into a large bowl and grease the dough with oil. Cover with a plastic wrap or a clean towel and let it rise to double in warm and dry place for about an hour. Once the dough has doubled, punch it to remove all the extra air and knead it again very well. Divide the dough into 15 equal parts and roll each part into a smooth ball.
Grease a baking dish (I used a 9 X 13 cake dish) with oil and place these dough balls into the dish about 1/4 inch apart. Cover with a plastic wrap or clean towel and let them stand for about 1 hour for a second raise. Once the dough rises, you will see that the dough balls have doubled in size and are sticking to each other. Glaze the tops of these pavs with some milk that is brushed gently - this is to give it a nice shine. You can do this glaze with eggs too Or you could skip this glaze process.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the pavs for about 15 to 18 minutes. The top of the pavs should look a nice golden brown color.
Once done, let it cool on a wire rack and then pull it apart to get individual pavs. Relish with bhaji, vada, maska or just dip it in tea and enjoy the yummy softness.


To make Burn Pav - The hard on the outside but soft inside pav that we got at Irani Restaurants.
I had kept a bowl of water on the lower rack of the oven to create a steam - cranked the heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit - baked for about 12 minutes. And I got the hard top but soft inside 'Burn Pav' - a delicacy with yummm maska (butter)

Coconut chutney with Urad Dal & Chana Dal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon urad dal (split black lentils)
1 tablespoon chana dal (Split bengal gram)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
5 kashmiri chilles (dried)

1 cup fresh dessicated coconut
1/4 teaspoon tamarind  paste
     you can use fresh tamarind too - just take a small ball of tamarind and let it soak in water and then extract the juice
      and use it
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon urad dal (for tempering)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (for tempering)
7 to 8 curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
2 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

Method

In a Karahi add 1 tablespoon oil. When it gets hot, add the bengal gram to it and let it fry on medium heat until it gets a nice golden color. To this then add the urad dal and the cumin and fry till the urad dal gets a golden color. Now add 4 kashmiri chillies (remove stem) and shut the heat. Add the coconut to this mixture and mix well and let it cool. Once the mixture gets cold, add it to a blender/mixer along with tamarind paste, sugar, salt and about 1/4 cup water and blend into a chutney. Add more water - little by llittle, if the mixture is too thick. remove it into a serving bowl. In a karahi add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. When it gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter, now add the cumin and the curry leaves and 1 kashmiri chilli and the asafoetida. Temper the chutney with this mixture. Just before serving, mix well. Serve this chutney with idlis, dosas, vada etc.

Quinoa & Zucchini Warm Salad

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 yellow squash - chopped into bite size pieces
2 zucchinis- chopped into bite size pieces
1 sweet onion - roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic - grated
1 teaspoon crush red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (if you get fresh rosemary, use 1 teaspoon of it chopped)
salt to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil

Method

Wash the quinoa and cook it in 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt in a covered saucepan (just like you would cook rice). In a karahi, add the oil. When it gets hot, add the onions and garlic and saute it for a couple of minutes. When the onions turn transparent, add the yellow squash and the zucchini along with the crushed pepper and crushed rosemary and salt to taste. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. We do not want to cook the zucchini and squash soft here, we need a bite to them. Add the cooked quinoa mixture to this and mix well. Serve as a side of warm salad with grilled fish or grilled veggies.

Urd dal & Moong dal Laddoos

Ingredients

1 cup urad dal (split black lentils)
1 cup moong dal
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
pinch of saffron
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (you can use pine nuts, broken cashews, slivered almonds)
handful raisins
2 tablespoons ghee (or more - as required)

Method

In a karahi roast the urad dal till it becomes a nice golden color and fragnant. be careful to do so on medium low flame as you do not want burnt dal. Remove it into a plate. Now dry roast the moong dal untill it gets into a nice golden color. Remove it into a plate and let it cool. In the same karahi, dry roast the sunflower seeds or any nuts that you are using.
Grind both the dals in a mixer untill they are a fairly fine powder. Mix both the powders along with the cardamom powder and keep aside.
In a saucepan, add the sugar and water along with the saffron and let it boil untill you get a one strand consistency - you can check this with your fingers (be careful as its very hot) or with a spatula.
Add the ground dal mixture into the sugar syrup along with the nuts and mix well untill there are no lumps. let it stand for about 5 minutes or untill it gets a bit cool so that you can roll the laddoos. When you roll the ladddoos add a raising to each. If the mixture becomes too dry, you can add teaspoon of ghee to get it a little softer.
Store in an airtight container.

This laddoo can be made only with urad dal or only wit moong dal too.

Besan Barfi/Vadi

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups besan
1 cup ghee
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons rose water
pinch of saffron strands
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Method

In a karahi add the ghee and fry the besan on a medium low flame till it becomes aromatic be careful not to burn the besan - this is a slow and time consuming process, but well worth it. Once done, get it off the flame and let it cool.
In a sauce pan, add the sugar, rose water and water and bring it to a boil. Boil this mixture till you get a 1 string consistency. check this either with your fingers of with a spatula. To this add the saffron strands and the cardamom powder and mix well. Now add the besan and ghee mixture and mix well so that no lumps are formed.
Take a greased cookie tray and add this mixture to it to form an even layer. Top with chopped almonds and let it cool down completely before you cut it into barfi squares.

Tindora/Tendli (ivy gourd) and Gajar (carrots) Sukki Bhaji

Ingredients

1 cup tindora (ivy gourd) - cut lenghtwise into 4 pieces
1 cup carrots - cut into the same size as the ivy gourd
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons bhaji masala (http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/bhaji-masala.html)
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt as per taste
1 tablespoon oil

Method

In a frying pan add the oil. when it gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter, then add the cumin seeds and in about 10 seconds add the tindora and the carrots and mix well so that each piece of carrot and tindora is coated in oil. Cover and let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat. Now add the sugar, the bhaji masala, the coconut, the asafoetida and salt as per taste and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat till the tindora and carrots are cooked. serve with hot rotis and yogurt.

You can add more bhaji masala if you like, you can also add some chilli powder if you want to make it more spicy.

Bhaji Masala

I like to cook bhaji's (dry vegetables) with the minimum of masalas - however, still keeping intact the Indian aromas and taste. My Mom had given me a bhaji masala few years ago when I was moving to the US - we used to cook beans and tindora and even plain potatoes in this masala and loved the aroma in the whole house. 

Well - I had to make this masala on my own as my stock got over. So, I remembered what my mom had used and made this. I am happy to say that this tastes just like my Mom's masala powder.

Ingredients

1 cup whole coriander seeds
1/4 cup mustard seeds
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/2 cup split urad dal (black lentils)
1/2 cup split chana dal (bengal gram)
1/8 cup fenugreek seeds
4 tablespoons asafoetida (hing)
4 tablespoon turmeric powder
15 nos byadgi mirchi/chilli (dried)
15 nos kashmiri mirchi/chilli (dried)
2 tablespoons oil

Method

In a karahi dry roast the corinader seeds and remove them into a plate. Now dry roast the cumin and the fenugreek separately and remove them into a plate. Now add the dried chillies and dry roast them and remove them into the same plate which has the coriander seeds. In the same karahi, add the oil, when it gets hot add the bengal gram and roast it till it gets nice and golden, remove it into the same plate as all the other ingredients. Now add the urad dal to the same oil and fry till it gets a nice golden color, remove it into the same plate as all the other ingredients. Now add the mustard seeds to the remaining oil and let it splutter. Remove the mustard and the oil into the same plate as all other ingredients. Let it all stand together and cool. Now add the asafoetida and the turmeric powder to this mixture and grind it to a fine powder.
Mix the powder very well and let it get cold at room temperature. Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer door. This stays for over a year.

Coconut (Narial) Barfi with Nuts

Today is Dussehra / Vijaya Dashmi - A day where good prevails evil - A day when Ravan was killed by Bhagwan Ram to restore peace. Overall a festive say with lots of fun, food, colors, puja's etc etc.

Was wondering what to make for prasad today - and then dear husband asked me to make his favorite Narial Barfi . Just added some toasted and ground nuts to make it a little rich. Turned out to be good. 

Ingredients

2 cups fresh coconut (grated) - I get frozen coconut here and I used 2 cups of that (thawed)
2 cups sugar
1 cup nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios)
1 tablespoon khuskhus (poppy seeds)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon rose water (optional)
pinch of saffron
3 to 4 drops of yellow food color (optional)
1 teaspoon ghee (for greasing the cookie sheet)

Method

Lightly toast the nuts either in the oven or in a karahi. Let them cool and them have them coarsely ground. In a non-stick karahi add the coconut, sugar and the khuskhus and let it cook on a medium flame. Keep stirring continuously as you do not want the sugar and the coconut to get burnt. You will see that the sugar starts to melt and you will get a faint cooked coconut smell. To this add the ground nuts mixture, saffron and the cardamom powder along with the rose water and yellow food color. Mix well. this takes about half hour to 40 minutes - you will see that the mixture leaves the sides of the karahi. Get this mixture off the heat. Pour this hot mixture on a greased cookie sheet or a greased plate and flatten the mixture to get it even on all sides. Cut it into cubes while it is hot. Now let it sit and cool completely. it will get into a nice hard/soft barfi consistency when cool. Remove the cubes from the cookie sheet and relish.

Oats & Carrots Thalipeeth

I have friend who is a foodie and she had made these thalipeeths yesterday - They looked so lovely and the ingredients were so healthy - well, I had to try them. 

Thanks Neelam Kane for this wonderful recipe - my husband who does not like heavy breakfasts was amazed by this and he ate 2 of them today. 

I did not use old fashioned oats as Neelam had used - well, thats because I did not have them and hence used the Quaker quick Oats.

To make it a bit more exciting - I added some kholamba masala to the mixture. You could use sambar masala too.

Ingredients

1 cup instant oats (coarsely powdered)
1/2 cup rava/semolina
1 carrot - grated
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 medium onion - finely chopped
2 teaspoons kholamba masala (recipe for the masala - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/kholamba-konkani-sambar-masala.html)
salt to taste
1/2 cup yogurt
oil to grease thalipeeth

Method

Add the powdered oats, rava, carrots, onions, cilantro, kholamba masala and yogurt and mix well. If you feel that the batter is too thick, then you may add some water. The dough should be more watery than chapati dough but not as runny as dosa/pancake batter.
Heat a non stick pan. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil over it. Take a tennis ball sized dough in your hand and place it in the centre of the pan. Spread the dough into a circle using your fingers. Dip your fingers in water to help with spreading. The disc should be even and not too thick. Be careful while doing this and do not burn your fingers :)
Add a little oil along the sides of the thalipeeth and fry on medium high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle some oil on the top and then flip it over and cook the other side for about 4 minutes.  The thalipeeth should get a couple of brown patches. Serve with butter or chutney.

Kerala Mutton Fry Biryani

Ingredients

1 cup Kerala mutton fry
   recipe for the same here - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/kerala-mutton-fry.html
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon jeera
few curry leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coconut oil (you can use any other oil of your choice too - but, it would not do justice)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Method

Wash the rice 4 to 5 times. Soak it in 2 cups of water for an hour. Drain the water after an hour, and cook the rice in 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt till its 3/4 th cooked. Drain any excess water from the rice and let it sit.
In a karahi take the coconut oil and heat it. When it gets hot add the jeera and the curry leaves and saute for about 20 seconds. Now add the 3/4th cooked rice and mix well but gently till each grain of rice is coated in the oil.
Now add the Kerala mutton fry and mix the whole dish very gently taking care as to not break any strand of rice. Cover and cook this dish on a low flame for about 20 to 25 minutes. The rice will be cooked and the mutton fry will mix well with the rice here. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Kerala Mutton Fry

I had made the Kerala Beef fry a few months ago. Hubby eats beef sometimes and I am not a fan of beef at all. So, to make it a tasty treat for both of us, I though of making it Kerala mutton fry. It turned out nice. Followed the same recipe as the beef fry - except the choice of meat - used goat meat here instead of beef.

The recipe is here

http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/kerala-beef-fry.html

Roasted Sweet Peppers and Zucchini Soup

Ingredients

1 onion - roughly chopped
1 green zucchini - roughly chopped
1 yellow squash (zucchini) - roughly chopped
1 red pepper - roughly chopped
1 yellow pepper - roughly chopped
1 tomato - roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic - chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
croutons for garnish

Method

Mix all the ingredients, except for the crutons and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Lay them in one layer on a cookie sheet and let it roast in a 375 degrees fahrenheit oven for about 30 minutes. Let all the roasted veggies cool down. Blend these roasted vegetables in a blender to a smooth soup consistency. Use even the water that is accumulated on the cookie sheet. You can sieve this mixture if you want to or just use it the way it is.
In a saucepan, add this soup and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Add more salt if you want to. You can add some chilli powder here if you want it a bit spicy. Garnish with croutons and serve.

Boiled Eggs Stir Fry

Ingredients

5 hard boiled eggs
1 large onion - thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder
salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil

Method

slice the hard boiled eggs into 1/8 inch slices (rounds). In a karahi, add the oil and heat. Once the oil gets hot, add the onions. Fry the onions till they get translucent. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhania jeera powder and salt and mix well. Now add the sliced eggs and gently mix everything together. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rotis or dal & rice or even with maggie noodles

Phirni (Rice Pudding)

Ingredients

1/4 cup any fragrant rice (basmati would do fine - I used ambemohar)
1/2 gallon milk (whole milk is best - I used fat free milk)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
pinch of saffron

Method

Wash the rice very well about 4 times. Then let it soak in enough water for about an hour. Drain the water from the rice and coarsely ground the rice in a mixer/grinder. In a saucepan, add the milk and the rice and mix well. to this add the cinnamon stick and the cloves and let the mixture heat on low flame. Let the rice cook fully, you will have to take care to stir the mixture ever so often so as not to burn the milk at the bottom. Once the rice is fully cooked - it takes about 2 to 3 hours (I never said its a quick process), you can discard the cinnamon stick and the cloves. Now add the cardamom powder, the saffron, the pistachios, raisins and the sugar. Mix everything well and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
Refrigerate the phirni for about 2 to 3 before serving. Ideally, this is served in earthen bowls.

Sourdough Bread

We have always loved sourdough bread for making paninis as they have a wonderful texture and can hold all the heavy stuff that you put into a panini and can hold its shape with the panini press - I know I know..... thats a lot of panini talk :)

I have been baking bread for a long long time - but, never attempted a sourdough bread............. main reason being the time it takes. Its a long process, a few days actually. But, then finally I just decided one fine day that this bread needs to be baked by me. So, then the process of getting the sourdough starter started and rest as they say is history.

I had found this sourdough bread recipe on the internet a long time ago - this was a couple of years back when I wanted to bake a sourdough bread. However, I never got to baking it. I had noted the recipe on notepad and never saved the site url - so the credit to this recipe goes to the internet.

Sourdough Starter


Ingredients

1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method

In a ceramic / glass bowl add warm water and yeast. Mix with wooden spoon until the yeast is dissolved.
Stir in the milk, sugar and flour. Mix until there are no lumps and its a smooth mixture.
Cover with a plastic wrap and make some small holes in the plastic wrap so that the yeast can breathe. Let it stand in a warm and draft free area to get fermented.
After about 24 hours - you should have a bubbly frothy mixture - thats when you know your starter is getting started. If it does not foam, then discard and start all over again.
If fermentation has begun, then stir it well and cover tightly with a plastic wrap - no need to pierce holes this time. Let it stand in a warm and draft free place for 2 days.
When the starter has become foamy, stir well and pour into a 1 quart glass container and refrigerate - Starter is ready to use when a clear liquid has risen to the top.
Stir this before using in bread.
Use starter as required in the recipe and reserve the remaining in the refrigerator.
Use starter regularly - every week or so. If bread baking reduces then replenish with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup of flour to the remaining starter and mix well and refrigerate - This is to keep the yeast alive.


Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

1 cup sourdough starter
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups warm water
4 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method

In a bowl, mix the sourdough starter, water and 2 1/2 cups flour and mix well till its a smooth batter. Cover and let it stand in a warm place for about 8 hours.
Then add 4 cups of flour, sugar, salt and oil to this mixture and mix well to form a firm dough. On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 10 minutes to get it smooth and springy. Grease a large bowl with oil and  place the dough in the bowl covering it on all sides with oil. Cover and let it sit in a warm place for 1 hour or untill the dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready when indentation on it remains when touched.
Grease a large cookie sheet with oil. Gently push  fist into the dough several times to get all air bubbles out. Divide dough into half. Shape each half into a round, slightly flat loaf. Be careful as to not the tear the dough by pulling. Place loaves on opposite corners of the cookie sheet. Cover and let it rise for 45 minutes or untill it has doubled in size.
Heat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Brush loaves with cold water. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes untill the loaves get a nice golden color - and are hollow when gently tapped. Cool on a wire rack and slice when its cold.

Crab Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup lump crab meat (I used tinned crab)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon tobasco
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 egg - beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs ( you can use regular bread crumbs too )

Method

In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients, except the panko bread crumbs. Mix well till everything is nicely incorporated. Make small cutlet shapes of this mixture and cover with panko bread crumbs. Line them on a greased cookie tray. Spray some cooking oil on top of these crab cakes to get a nice crispy sear. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 15 minutes - now flip the cakes to cook the other side for another fifteen minutes. Crab cakes are ready to be served with coleslaw and french fries.

Bengali Comfort Food Thali

There is this foodie group on facebook that I am a part of. An amazing group of people who know their food and are willing to share. There was this week when everyone there was practically cooking Bengali food or talking about Bengali food. And thats it..... I started craving for some Bengali food myself.

I have never tasted Bengali food in my life - except the famous roshgollas :) - so cooking Bengali food was never done by me before. It was a challenge and I thought lets start small and make some comfort food.

I would not call this authentic Bengali food - firstly cos its not cooked in mustard oil and secondly, cos I have tweaked the recipes a lil bit to make it mustardy and my style too.

We had - Begun Bhaja, Fish in Mustard sauce, Bhaat and Masoor Dal tempered with Panch Poran.

Panch Poran is the mix of spices that is used in most Bengali cooking - its equal parts of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds & fenugreek seeds all mixed up and stored in an airtight container.

Recipes for all the above food is here
Begun Bhaja - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/begun-bhaja.html
Masoor Dal - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/masoor-dal-with-panch-poran-seasoning.html
Fish in mustard Sauce - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/fish-cod-in-mustard-sauce.html

Fish (Cod) in mustard sauce

Ingredients

500 grams Cod fillets (boneless)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 big onion - roughly chopped
1 tomato - roughly chopped
4 green chillis - roughly chopped
1 inch ginger - roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ajwain /carom seeds
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder
salt to taste
2 tablespoons mustard oil (I used vegetable oil)

Method

Cut the cod fillets into 1 inch pieces. Marinate in the next three ingredients and let it stand for 15 minutes. In a frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon oil and fry the cod pieces till you get a nice sear on the outside. Remove and let it sit in a plate.
In the same frying pan, add the rest of the oil. When it gets hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the onions and fry till they turn a nice golden in color. To this add the ajwain, tomoato, green chillis and ginger and saute for about 10 to 15 minutes till the tomatoes get all mushed up. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhania jeera powder and salt and cook for about 2 to 3 more minutes. Let this mixture cool. Once the mixture is cooled, bled it to a paste in a grinder/blender. Add it to the frying pan along with 1/2 cup water and let the mixture boil. Be careful to keep the pan covered as this mixture will splutter. After about 5 minutes, lower the heat and add the seared fish pieces. Mix carefully and cover and let the mixture simmer on medium heat for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve hot with phulkas / lucchis (puris)/ Dal & Bhaat (Rice)

I do not know if this is the most authentic way of making the famous Bengali fish in mustard sauce, but this was my quick version. 
Moreover, Bengali's, use Rohu/Hilsa or other river fish to make their curries. I had cod in my fridge and hence used that.

Masoor dal with panch poran seasoning

Ingredients

1 cup masoor dal (the red/orange colored lentils)
1 onion - thinly sliced
1 dried red chilli
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons panch poran
2 tablespoon mustard oil (I used vegetable oil)
salt to taste

Method

Wash the lentil in warm water about 4 times. Add 2 cups of water and the turmeric powder and pressure cook the lentils for about 3 whistles. Once the pressure is released, mash the cooked dal and keep aside.
In a sauce pan, add the oil. When it gets hot, bring the heat to a medium and add the panch poran and let the mustard splutter, be careful not to burn it. Add the dried red chilli and sauce for 10 to 20 seconds till it puffs up. Add the sliced onions and fry till they turn a nice golden color. To this add the cooked dal and salt and let the mixture come to a boil. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy with warm white basmati rice.

Begun Bhaja

Ingredients

1 big eggplant/brinjal (the one used in making bharta)
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
oil for frying

Method

Cut the eggplant in about 1/4 inch rounds. In a spice grinder, mix the salt, turmeric and mustard seeds and make a fine powder. Cover each eggplant slice with the spice powder made. let it sit for about 1/2 hour. In a frying pan, add oil to fill about 1/4 inch. When it gets hot, add eggplant slices one by one, do not overlap them. Fry till they become a nice golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel and they are ready to eat.
If you are conscious about the oil, you can shallow fry them too.
These should be consumed as soon as they are made - if you let them sit after frying, they become soggy.

Authentic Begun Bhaja is fried in mustard oil and the eggplant is just coated with turmeric and salt before frying. Since I was not using mustard oil - I ground mustard seeds and covered the eggplant with it to get the pungent taste of mustard oil.

Challah (Bread)

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
1/4cup sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1package regular or quick active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1cup very warm water
2tablespoons vegetable oil
1large egg
some oil for greasing
1 egg (for egg wash)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds


Method

In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add warm water and oil and beat with electric mixer on low to medium speed for about 3 minutes - keep scraping bowl frequently.Add egg and beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour to make a dough.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead  for about 10 minutes to get a smooth and springy dough.  Grease a large bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl and grease it on all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Once it has doubled in size, remove it from bowl and punch to remove all the air. Knead well and make 3, 4 or 6 strands to braid the bread.

I took the help of the following video to braid a 6 strand challah.
"how to braid a 6 strand challah"

Place the braided dough on a greased cookie sheet and let it sit for 1 hour till it doubles. Give it an egg wash with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (you can even use poppy seeds). Bake it in a 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 30 to 35 minutes untill bread is a deep golden brown color.

This challah can be eaten with butter and jam or even just like that.

Ham & Caramelized Onions Panini

Ingredients

6 slices of sourdough bread (any other bread works too)
6 slices ham - cute into small pieces
1 big onion - thinly slices
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar (regular sugar works too)
1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded (optional)

Method

In a frying pan add the oil - when it gets hot, add the sliced onions along with the salt and brown sugar and let it get a nice caramelized golden brown. Remove the caramelized onions into a mixing bowl. To the same pan add the chopped slices of ham along with the worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup and sriracha and mix well untill you get a nice caramelization on the ham. Add this to the same mixing bowl with the onions. Mix well till onions and ham are incorporated.
Place a bread slice on the panini maker/press and add the ham and onion mixture to it. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and place another slice on top of it. Close the panini maker or press with the panini press till the bread gets a nice crust and grill marks on top.
Serve with colseslaw and fries or chips.

Sweet Peppers stuffed with Crab Meat

Ingredients

8 to 10 sweet peppers - I had red, yellow and orange
1 cup cooked crab meat
1 medium onion - finely chopped
9 to 10 garlic cloves - grated
1 cup - chopped spinach
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 teaspoons dhania jeera powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
salt to taste

Method

Clean the peppers and cut it lengthwise in the middle into 2 portions. Remove the seeds and the veins and get the hollow to fill the stuffing in.
In a karahi add the oil. When it gets hot, add the onions and garlic and let it saute till the onions turn translucent. Then add the spinach and let it cook. when the spinach is all wilted, add the dhania jeera powder and the garam masala and the crab meat and mix everything well. Add salt to taste and mix well. Let this mixture cool down. Pour it into a mixing bowl and add the egg and bread crumbs and mix well.
Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spray oil on it. Lay the peppers in a line. Fill the pepper cavity with the crab mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the crab mixture and spray some oil over it again. Bake this in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Chicken Seekh Kebabs

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken/chicken mince
9 to 10 cloves garlic - grated
1 medium onion - finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt (add more if you feel it needs more salt)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tandoori masala
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon butter (melted)
Steel skewers or wooden skewers (these need to be soaked in water overnight - to avoid them from burning)

Method

Dry roast the coriander seeds, the cumin and the fennel seeds and make a coarse powder with it in a spice grinder. Take the ground chicken in a mixing bowl - add the onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, tandoori masala,  the spice mix made with coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin and mix well. to this add the bread crumbs and the egg and mix everything well with your finger (wear gloves if you do not want to touch the chicken). Make seekh kebab shaped sausages around the skewers. Place it on a baking sheet and brush the outside with the oil and butter mixture. Bake it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve with coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.

Deviled Eggs (Wasabi flavored)

Deviled eggs have been an all-time favorite with hubby and me. We have savored the best deviled eggs at Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester, NY. I have never made deviled eggs at home - though always wanted to try em. Yesterday was the ideal day - baked a focaccia and was too bored to make anything great for dinner - so ended up whipping some deviled eggs - and it was some yumm and easy dinner :)
Traditionally - once the deviled eggs are stuffed - it is covered and is refrigerated for 24 hours to get that mayonnaise and other things to mix well. Here, we just made the mixture and added it to the egg whites and relished the dish.

Ingredients


8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon grated wasabi (you can add more if you want it spicy - wasabi is very spicy)
1 celery stalk - chopped fine
2 spring onions - chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon sweet relish (optional)
pinch of salt
pinch of crushed black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
chopped parsley for garnishing



Method


Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, celery, wasabi, spring onion, relish, horseradish, tomato ketchup and salt & pepper and mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and garnish with shopped parsley
Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving - you can serve it right away too.

Focaccia (topped with cheddar cheese and zucchini & onions marinated in balsamic vinegar and garlic)

I love baking bread - its a stress buster actually. Baking has been a passion always - it is something thats therapeutic and I think I love it more than cooking. We love focaccia at home - Love experimenting with the various toppings that I can lay my hands on. I have always followed the Betty Crocker Cookbook to bake a focaccia and it has never failed me.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves (crumbled)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
5 tablespoons olive / vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic - finely grated
pinch of salt

Method

Take a bowl and make a marinade with the balsamic vinegar, grated garlic and pinch of salt and mix well. To this add the zucchini and onion slices - cover with a cling foil and let it marinade till the bread dough gets ready.
In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of flour, the rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 3 tablespoons oil and the hot water. Mix well for about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 5 to 8 minutes untill it becomes smooth and springy. Grease a big bowl with oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover it with cling foil and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 to 45 minutes till the dough has doubled in size. when it has risen, gently push the dough to deflate it.  Grease a big pizza pan or 2 cookie sheets with some oil - if you are using 2 cookie sheets to bake then divide the dough into 2 equal portions and if you are using a big pizza pan then use the dough as it is.
Flatten the dough into the cooking pan of choice and let it form a round shape (just like pizza) - about 1/4 inch thick. Cover with a cling foil and let it rest for about 30 minutes till the dough has doubles in size.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently make 1/2 inch deep depressions in the dough about 2 inches apart with fingers. Carefully brush the 2 tablespoons on oil on to it. Arrange the zucchini and onion slices and evenly spread the cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes untill the crust becomes golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

Mooli Bhaji (with besan)

This is a classic peeth perun bhaji as they call it in Maharastrian cuisine. It simply means vegetables cooked and then smeared with besan/chickpea flour and steamed again.

We make this with capsicum, cauliflower, spring onions and even drumsticks.

Love to eat these bhajis with chappatis with yogurt and slices of cucumber and carrots.

Ingredients

4 medium sized radish / mooli with lots of leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin/jeera
1 whole dried red chilli
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida/hing
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder
4 tablespoons besan/chickpea flour
1 teaspoon jaggery
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Method

Wash the radish very well. Cube the radish into small bite size cubes and keep aside. Trim the leaves and chop them fine.
In a karahi add 1 tablespoon of oil. When it gets hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the cumin and the chilli and let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Now add the cubes radish and the leaves and cover and let it steam on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and add turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhania jeera powder, jaggery and salt and mix well. If there is any water, let it all evaporate. Now add the besan and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well till all the radish cubes and the leaves are coated with besan. Cover and steam it on medium low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes to get the besan cooked.
serve with chappatis, yogurt and cucumber/carrot slices.

Fried Modak

Ingredients

1 cup fresh grated coconut
1 cup grated jaggery
1 tablespoon moong dal (yellow)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup ghee
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
2 tablespoons semolina (rave)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup water (more if required to knead the flour)
Oil for deep frying

Method

In a karahi add the ghee. When it gets hot add the moong dal and let it fry for 2 minutes till it turns golden. Then add the sesame seeds and fry for a few seconds. To this add the coconut and jaggery and mix well. When the jaggery has melted and mixed with the coconut, add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder and mix well and keep it aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, wheat flour and semolina with salt and knead a dough by adding the 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon oil - add more water if required - the dough should be tight.
make small balls of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin into a round puri. Add the coconut mixture to the center of the puri. Bring the edges together and seal it like a modak. Deep fry in oil at medium heat untill golden brown. Drain it on a paper towel. Modaks are ready to eat.
This proportion makes about 18 to 20 modaks.

Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients

1 cup sabudana/sago
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts (coarsely ground)
1 medium potato thinly cubed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 green chilli - slit int he middle (you can add more if you like)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (add more according to taste)
2 tablespoons ghee/oil

Method

Wash the sabudana in lukewarm water about 3 to 4 times. Then add just enough water to soak the sabudana untill its covered  and let it stand for 6 to 8 hours.
When sabudana is soaked - run a fork through it and get all the pears loosened up. To this add sugar, salt and the groundnut powder and chopped cilantro and mix well - taste it to see if it salt is okay.
In a karahi add the ghee/oil. When it gets hot add the cumin and let it sizzle. To this add the slit green chilli and let it get charred a bit. Now add the potato and mix well. Cover and cook on medium heat till potatoes are nice and tender. Once potatoes are done - add the sabudana mixture to it and mix well. Cover and let it cook on medium low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or till the sabudana turns translucent. Remove from heat and savor with cold curds/yogurt.

Banana Bread (with pecans & raisins)

Ingredients


1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina (rava)
1/2 cup Quaker oats
1 packed cup brown sugar
3 Ripe bananas
1 egg OR 1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup butter/vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans/walnuts
1/4 cup golden raisins

Method

Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl. To this add the melted butter/vegetable oil and the sugar and mix all well. Then add the egg/milk and mix well with the banana and sugar mixture. Add the vanilla essence, cardamom powder and nutmeg along with the baking powder and baking soda and mix. Now add the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, semolina and oats (one at a time) and mix everything well. : lastly add the chopped pecans and golden raisins.
Pour this mixture into a greased baking pan - you can use a loaf pan, a square pan, a round pan (I used a bundt pan) - bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 50 minutes to an hour. Check the cake by inserting a toothpick in the center - if it comes out clean - the cake/bread is baked.

Easy White Bread

Ingredients

2 cups and 2 tablespoons of maida (you can use whole wheat flour too)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 egg or 1/4 cup milk

Method

add water to the yeast and sugar - do not mix it - let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes. it will become a frothy mixture - thats when you know the yeast is doing its job.
In a mixing bowl - add the flour and the salt and the yeast mixture and milk/egg and mix well to form a silky dough. If you feel the dough is watery - add a tablespoon of flour to it and knead.
Keep this dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with cling foil. Let it stand for an hour. The dough will become almost double its size. Mix this dough again and knead it again very well. Oil your hands a bit if you feel the dough is sticking to you.
Take a loaf pan - 9X5 - spread 2 to 3 drops of oil around the pan and spread the dough into it. Cover the pan with cling foil and let it stand for 1 hour. The dough will rise again to double. Do not touch the dough here. Remove the cling foil and bake it in a pre-heated oven at 350 F - for about 25 to 30 minutes till the crust gets a golden color.
Remove from oven - it will come off the pan easily - Cut it into slices - savor with butter/jam/chutney or with egg curry as we did

Oven fried herbed chicken with corn salsa/chaat

Ingredients

For Chicken
4 bone in but skinless thighs (you can use legs or boneless breasts too)
1 cup cilantro
10 garlic cloves
2 green chilis (add more if you want it spicy)
1 inch ginger piece
1/4 cup mint leaves
juice of half lemon
salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1 egg
Bread crumbs for coating the chicken - I used panko crumbs

For Corn Salsa/Chaat
2 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chaat masala
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
juice of half lemon
2 tablespoons tamarind/date chutney (optional)

Method

For Chicken
grind to a fine paste the cilantro, mint, garlic and ginger along with the salt and the lemon juice. Mix this ground mixture with the oil. Make slits on the chicken thighs (or any cut of meat you are using) and apply this masala. Cover and let it marinate for atleast an hour - if you do it overnight it is better.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the egg and keep it in a plate and spread the bread crumbs in another plate. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and spray some oil on it. Take the marinated chicken piece and dip it in egg and then cover it with the bread crumbs - do the same for the other pieces. Place them on the baking sheet and bake it in the over for 30 to 40 minutes till the chicken is done.

For Corn Salsa/Chaat
Steam the corn kernels so that they are not raw anymore.Add the onions, tomatoes, chaat masala, sugar, salt, lemon juice and the date/tamarind chutney and mix well. Top with chopped cilantro and serve as a side.

Mix Dal & Legumes Vada

Who does not like fried food - At my home, we love fried stuff. Its just not something we make on a daily basis. Frying foods is done once in 3 to 4 months at my place. Was kinda tired of doing the same pakodas or moong vadas, medu vadas, dal vadas etc. Thought of making something different - Used all the pulses that I could lay my hands on in the pantry and made these mix dal vadas. They turned out pretty good I must say - we enjoyed eating them. Also, felt less guilty indulging in fried stuff - as it had lots of different dals and legumes in it ;)

Ingredients

2 cups of the following dals/pulses/legumes/beans
you can add any other pulses/beans/legumes/dal of your choice
tuvar dal
channa dal
kabuli channa (chick peas)
black eyed peas
rajma
black channa
safed vatana
moong
matki
masoor 
1 medium onions - finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
6 to 7 garlic cloves - finely grated
2 green chilis - chopped
salt to taste
a pinch of asafoetida
oil for frying

Method

Soak all the dals & legumes for 6 to 7 hours in water. They will puff up and become soft. Then coarsely grind it without adding any water. To this ground mixture, add the chopped onions, grated garlic, chopped cilantro, asafoetida and salt and mix well.
Take a tablespoon of the mixture in your hands and make a pattie of it and deep fry in hot oil on medium till its nice and golden brown.
Serve with tomato ketchup or with mint chutney along with tea or coffee.
yummy treat on a rainy or snowy day :)

Boondi Ladoo

Ingredients

1 cup besan
a pinch of eno / baking soda
Ghee for deep frying ( I used a combination of canola oil and ghee)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
4 to 5 saffron strands
14 to 15 raisins
14 to 15 cashews
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
4 cloves
1 to 2 drops yellow food color
1 to 2 drops red food color

Method

Mix the besan and eno together - add enough water to make it into a paste - similar to the consistency of bhajiya/pakoda dough or pancake mixture. Divide the mixture into 2 parts - add the yellow food color to one part and add the red food color to the other part and mix well.
Make a sugar syrup of the sugar and water by mixing them together and boiling until you reach a one string consistency. Shut the heat and add cardamom powder and cloves and saffron and let it sit.
Heat oil/ghee - I used a sieve to make boondis. Take a sieve over the oil/ghee and ladel some of the dough mixture into it and let drops falls into the oil/ghee these form the boondis. Boondis should be done in no time about 2 to 3 minutes. Take them out of the oil and put it into the still hot/warm sugar syrup.
Mix this well and keep it aside till the mixture gets lukewarm.
Now make laddos - while doing so add one raisin and 1 cashew to the laddoo.
This mixture should yield about 14 to 15 medium sized ladoos.

spicy baked fish with roasted veggies

Fish - well, one of the most loved food items at our home. If its boneless - its all the more fun. We get these amazing Tilapia fillets and tried this new dish using them. Thanks to Ajay Sabharwal  for this inspiring dish. I did not find the Sea bass that he had used for the dish he created - So, I used the Tilapia fillets that were handy at home. As suggested by him, I just built my own canvas and it was an amazing dish with the goodness of fish and roasted veggies along with a side of mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

5 Tilapia Fillets (They were huge so I cut them into half lengthwise)
2 green zucchinis
2 yellow zucchinis
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 large onions
8 to 9 garlic cloves - finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley - chopped
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon - black pepper powder
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons salt

Method

Make a marinade of the chilli, 1  teaspoon salt, 1/2 of the chopped garlic, oregano, pepper powder and 1/2 of the oil and rub it on the fish fillets. Keep them covered and aside for about an hour to marinate.
Cut the zucchini in round slices, the peppers in bite size pieces, cut the onions in rounds. In a big bottom vessel - add the remaining oil, balsamic vinegar, remaining chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and mix well. To this add the cut vegetables and cover everything in the marinade and let it sit for 15 minutes.
When ready - Take a  Baking dish and line it with aluminium foil. Add the veggies to this and spread it out well - Put the onions rounds and make a bed of it. On top of this arrange the fish fillets well. Cover it with an aluminium foil and pop it into a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it bake for about 30 minutes. Then uncover and let it cook for about 10 minutes - just to get everything a bit crispy :)
Serve it with mashed potatoes or with quinoa.

Egg Stumbler

Thanks to Shireen Sequeira - Shes a fellow member at a foodie group I love. She shared this amazing recipe with us. Traditionally its a snack called 'Egg Stumbler' - but, my husband prefers to call it 'Bread Upma with Eggs'
I just tweaked the traditional recipe a bit by adding the love of turkey bacon to this mix - loved the smoky flavor we got from the bacon.

Ingredients

4 strips turkey bacon (you can use regular bacon too) - cut into bite size pieces (this is totally optional)
4 eggs
1 medium onion - finely chopped
2 green chillis - chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder
2 teaspoons oil
Salt to taste
6 slices of bread - cut into i/2 inch cubes

Method

In a non-stick pan add the oil and cook the bacon till it gets nice and crispy. To this add the chopped chillis and the chopped onions and fry them till it turns transparent. Then add some salt (be careful if using bacon as it already has some salt), the turmeric, chilli powder and dhania jeera powder and mix well. Add the eggs and mix well with the onion mixture and cook just like scrambled eggs. Once this is cooked, add the bread and mix well till bread gets toasted and a bit crispy. Sprinkle the cilantro and serve with coffee, tea or juice.

You can sprinkle some grated cheese on top too - makes it yummier.

Lasun Vaghareli Khichdi

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice - I used surti kolam
1/2 cup yellow moong dal
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon jeera
1 tablespoon ghee
1/4 teaspoon oil
6 to 7 cloves of garlic - very finelly chopped
chopped cilantro and chopped green onions for garnishing
salt to taste

Method

Wash the rice and dal about 5 times and then soak it in 3 cups of water and let it sit for 10 minutes. To this add turmeric, asafoetida and the 1/4 teaspoon oil and let it cook for 3 whistles. After the pressure is released - mash the khichdi very lightly with the back of a ladel.
In a kadhai add the ghee. When it gets hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the jeera and immediately add the chopped garlic and get the kadhai off the heat. Be careful not to burn the garlic - we want sweet garlic taste and not bitter burnt garlic :)
Then add the chilli powder and the khichdi and get it back on medium heat. Add salt to taste and mix this mixture very well. Add chopped cilantro and chopped green onion (scallions) and serve hot with pickle and papad.

Egg Biryani

Ingredients

6 eggs - hard boiled - cut into half
2 medium onions - thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes - finely shopped
7 to 8 garlic gloves - finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 inch ginger - finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons dhania jeera powder
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 cup basmati rice
salt to taste

Method

Wash the rice and soak it in water for an hour. Then cook the rice in 4 cups of water with salt to taste - untill 3/4th cooked. Drain the excess water and leave it aside. In a karahi take the oil - when it heats up add the sliced onions and fry them til they turn a nice golden color. Then add the chopped garlic, ginger and tomatoes. Saute this mixture till it leaves the sides of the karahi. Then add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhania jeera powder, garam masala powder and a little salt and mix well. To this add the halved eggs and mix well. Be careful to mix very lightly or the yolks will fall off the egg whites. Get the heat on a low and add the rice on top. Cover and let it cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then mix the rice with the masala and egg mixture very lightly. Garnish with the cilantro. Ready to eat.

You can garnish with some fried onions and some boiled egg wedges too - I have done that in the picture.