Mar 11

Spicy Margarita

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One week no cooking only nursing. Kids and I have been down with the seasonal flu and looks like finally we are on the road to recovery.

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My group of foodie friends were given chillies as a challenge and with everything happening thought I would miss the deadline. Had big plans for this spicy ingredients but had to settle for a simple outcome

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Presenting Spicy Margarita that has just the right amount of birds eye chilli to make ur eyes water. A rim of paprika salt gives that zingy finish.

Ingredients

Juice of 2 limes

30 ml tequila

15 ml cointreau

60 ml simple syrup (sugar water)

1-2 birds eye chilli deseeded and slit

Paprika salt – crushed sea salt mixed with chilli paprika powder

 

1) Rim the glass with lime and coat with paprika salt

2) In a shaker add 4-5 cubes of ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake it well

3) Pour and enjoy

Mar 11

Sweet Chilli Chicken

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I asked mom to get some red chillies for a dish I wanted to make a few days ago. She bought me a whole bunch of red birds eye chilli.

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I used it for the Basa and then for the margarita and still it wouldn’t get over. So made a Thai sweet chilli sauce from it.

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Experimented by adding a few sauces and made Sweet chilli chicken with some baby corn lying neglected in my fridge.

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Bursting with spice but still sweet enough to savour. Hot and sweet just like me ;p

 

SWEET CHILLI SAUCE

 

Ingredients

5 garlic cloves minced

6 birds eye chillies (deseeded and chopped)

¼ cup white vinegar

1 cup sugar

2 cup water

1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with water

1) boil water and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan till well mixed. the water should reduce and become thick in consistency.

2) Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, chilli and vinegar. Simmer till the chilli garlic begin to soften.

3) Combine the cornflour and water to make a slurry. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue to simmer one more minute.

4) Let cool completely before storing in a glass jar and refrigerate.

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SWEET CHILLI CHICKEN
500 gms boneless chicken
4-5 minced garlic
1″ grated ginger
3-4 sliced babycorn
1 tbsp white vinegar
3 tsp black bean sauce
1 tsp soya sauce
4-5 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1/4 spring onion greens
oil, salt
1) Heat oil in a wok, add ginger and garlic. When it turns golden, add the babycorn and chicken and some salt.
2) cook on high flame stirring often till chicken and babycorn are nearly cooked.
3) Add the vinegar and sauces, mix well and continue to cook till the sauce coats the chicken. Adjust seasoning
4) Garnish with spring onion greens

Mar 02

Aloo Pohe Vade

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VADE VADE VADE
CUTLESS CUTLESS CUTLESS

If u have travelled by train (which we did a lot of) you know what those words mean and how your heart starts thumping waiting for the first sight of the oily delicious deep fried balls of joy.

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I lived in Goa for a bit and travelled back to Bombay at every opportunity I got. Loved to take the Konkan Kanya as every half hr the most delicious dishes would tempt u. Miss that train


Getting back to today’s post. My sons school menu has poha as an option for today. Bored of the same old poha. So made ALU POHA VADAS in my favourite appey pan. Using a drop of oil, the crispy outer cover gives a wonderful variation and texture to an old dish.

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Ingredients

1 cup jada poha
2 big boiled potatoes
2 minced green chillies
Chopped coriander
1/2 tsp haldi
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt
1/2-1 lime juice

1) soak Poha for 5 mins in water. Strain and Drain well for 30 mins. (If using patla poha then soak for less time)
2) smash and mix all ingredients together
3) make small balls and put 1 drop oil in the appey pan. Cover and cook for 5 mins, turn over
4) when it’s nearly cooked. Leave the lid open and let it cook to. golden brown.

Mar 02

Chicken Cafreal

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Three alphabets G-O-A opens up a pitaara of memories and visuals and drunk days/nights and the aroma of food and the shirtless (hot and not) studs zooming around in bikes.

Are u in Goa now

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Ok let’s move ahead, macchi frying somewhere, Rosy Aunty toiling over a steaming hot vat of feni, Bobbito (I knew someone by that name) strumming his guitar. Have u gone deeper into Goa.

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A dish synonymous with Goa is the chicken cafreal. This recipe was given by a foodie friend Suchit and its the yummiest recipe of cafreal I have ever come across

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Ingredients

Marinade

1 and half cup coriander leaves and stems
6-8 peppercorns, 
3-4 cloves, 
1/2″ piece of cinnamon, 
1″ piece of ginger, 
8-10 large cloves of garlic,
3 green chilies, 
1 tbsp lemon juice,
1 tsp salt, 
1/2 tsp sugar, 
1 tsp cumin 

Other ingredients

700 gms chicken

2 onions – Paste

Chopped coriander

Oil


Grind the ingredients under marinade together with 1 tbsp of oil. Use the entire marinade for the chicken and keep covered in the fridge for at least 6 hours for best results

Post marination:
1) In a pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp oil, add paste of 2 large onions and saute till onions are translucent.

2) Add the chicken without the marinade and brown well on both sides on high heat.

3) Then cook covered turning at intervals without moving the chicken around too much.

4) Once you think the chicken is nearly done, add 1/2 cup of chopped coriander leaves and the left over marinade.

5) Mix well and cook for 2-3 minute or so without lid.

Mar 02

Fusion Bento box

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Sometimes its fun to play with food. Made a bento box – A bento box,( in Japanese is a single portion takeout that resembles the ‘tiffin’ we make for our family members for their work, school or journey) for the kids as a surprise

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It’s a combination of

Banana nutella roti rolls,
(Roti layered with Nutella and a banana. Rolled up tight and sliced.)

Spaghetti aglio olio with a boiled egg chick,
(Pasta tossed with olive oil, minced garlic and herbs)

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Spiced cream cheese tomatoes flowers,
(A mix of Cream cheese, cream and seasoned salt stuffed in cherry tomatoes)

Jaggery & coconut on Neer dosa mountains
(Neer dosa – soaked rice ground to a paste and made into dosas. Topped with a mix of dark jaggery and coconut. )

A cheesy sun.

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Feb 26

Brinjals in plum sauce with chilli garlic noodles

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We have a restaurant called Global Fusion in Mumbai which has an awesome buffet spread. I first tasted the brinjal dish there and fell in love with it. When I asked the staff for the recipe, they were very vague about it and I came back confused about the recipe.

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But my mind was set on making this dish, so googled a few recipes and then finally figured out what flavours I wanted to add into it. Then the hunt was on for fresh plums.

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Finally found some plums, and  had to prepare this dish that has been in my long pending list of experiments. To compliment this gravy found the perfect partner in crime. And yes it’s pure vegetarian completely unlike my usual preference but it’s chatakdar yummy

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BRINJALS IN PLUM SAUCE

6 big plums
2 chopped onion
10 chopped garlic
1″ chopped ginger
1/2 cup soya sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 bharta brinjal cut into quarters
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp schezuan sauce
1 tsp honey
Chopped spring onion greens

1) chop the plums. Add 1 onion, half of the garlic, ginger, soya sauce, sweet chilli sauce and the plums in little water. Boil for 20 mins or till the plums are soft and the sauce is a little thick. Blend in mixer when cool
2) Quarter the brinjal and sprinkle salt. Leave for 15 mins. Wipe clean and then coat with cornflour. Pan fry till 90% done.
3) in a pan, heat oil, add 1 onion, left over garlic. Sauté
4) add 7-8 tbsp of plum sauce, and the schezuan sauce. Add little salt. Cook for a min
5) add the brinjal and let it cook out. Shut the gas and add the honey, mix well. Garnish with spring onion greens

 

CHILLI GARLIC NOODLES

1 pkt Hakka noodles

6-7 minced garlic

2 spring onion sliced – white and green separate

1 tbsp soya sauce

4-5 dried Kashmiri chillies

oil

1) Boil noodles as per package instructions. Be careful to leave it al dente.

2) Heat oil in a wok, Add the garlic and fry a little.

3) break the chillies and add it. Keep the flame low. Mix well

4) Add the spring onion whites, mix well and add the soya sauce.

5) Add the salt and noodles and toss it.

6) Garnish with spring onion greens

Feb 22

Cake in a jar (5 min Oreo cake recipe)

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Birthdays are always super exciting. I am like a little child when my birthday comes. I would shout out “ITS MY BIRTHDAY” all day if I could. Is it mid life crisis. Naah. It’s just the child in me who loves it.

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I love planning surprises for other people’s birthday and just wait to see the expression on their face when they see it. I have recently in the past few months started baking a little but still so much to learn. Wanted to try something different as a birthday surprise but didn’t have any time.

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Made a quick 5 min Oreo cake, infused it with cognac. Then layered it with fresh strawberries and topped with a white chocolate ganache mixed with crushed cookies. Presenting CAKE IN A JAR

Ingredients

 19 Oreo biscuits
1 cup milk
1 tsp of baking powder

1) blitz the above in a mixer 
2) grease a bowl and pour the mix in
3) microwave at 900W for 5 mins
4) leave it in for 5-10 mins and then let it cool outside the microwave. 

White chocolate ganache 

1) Heat 1 pkt amul cream till it just bubbles. 
2) Pour over 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3) leave for 5 mins and then whisk well to remove lumps. 
4) crush some Oreo biscuits (no cream just the brown biscuit) and fold it in
5) chill for 30 mins

Assembly

1) Take a jar, crumble some cake and press it down to seal the gaps. 
2) pour a tsp of cognac 
3) double layer with sliced fresh strawberries
4) pour the ganache over it and top with sprinkles. 
5) chill in the fridge for an hour.

Feb 22

Appey

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A healthy breakfast option. Appeys. The person who invented the Appey pan is a pure genius. It takes minimal oil and has multiple uses.

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I have made poha vada, sabudana vada, koftas, etc in an appey pan. The original appey recipe is a bit time consuming as like idlis, we need to soak, grind and ferment the previous day. But it tastes wonderful and worth making whenever we do have the time. Dunk it in spicy green chutney and you are in bliss.

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For grinding:
3 tbsp channa dal
1 cup rice
1/2 cup urad dal 
1/2 cup moong dal 
Salt


Other ingredients:
2″ ginger
10 garlic flakes
2-3 green chillies
2 onions
Coriander 

1) soak the rice and dals in the morning and grind them at night with some salt. Should have similar consistency to idli batter. 
2) whisk a bit to air it and leave it to ferment overnight. 
3) in the morning, finely chop all listed under other ingredients and add it to the batter
4) put a drop of oil in the appey pan and pour a spoonful of batter. Cover and cook till underside is golden then flip and cook for another 2 mins
5) take it out and serve with green chutney. 

(Adjust salt and chillies as per ur taste)

 

Feb 22

Chicken Thai red curry

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I love Thai food. Close to coastal southie flavours with the use of coconut but the addition of lemon grass and fish sauce add that twist to the dish.

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I was keen on making green curry but lack of ingredients made me opt for the tried and tasted red curry. Fiery, spicy, creamy with hot steamed rice makes a perfect Sunday lunch.

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This recipes is from Nita Mehta, and its such a simple recipe that there is no excuse not to make it from scratch. The red Kashmiri chillies give it the wonderful colour. If u wish to make it more fiery then just add sliced red bird eye chillies at the end.

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Ingredients

1/2 kg boneless chicken

1 pkt mushroom

10 florets of broccoli

4 babycorn sliced

10 french beans cut into half

2 pkt coconut milk

3-4 tbsp fish sauce (optional)

1 tsp soya sauce

8-9 Kafir lime leaves

1/4 cup basil leaves

salt

sliced red birds eye chilli

RED CURRY PASTE –

8 dried Kashmiri chillies soaked for half hr 

1 chopped big onion

15 chopped garlic flakes 

1 ” chopped ginger

3 (only stalks) of lemon grass chopped

3 tbsp roasted coriander seeds

2 tsp roasted jeera 

1 tbsp lemon juice

10 peppercorns

2 tbsp lemon juice

salt

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1) grind the ingredients listed under red curry paste with a little water. Make a fine paste. 

2) heat oil in a pan, add the paste, fry a little 

3) add the chicken and 2 tbsp coconut milk, let it cook in the gravy till 80% done.

4) add kafir lime leaves, salt, fish sauce, soya sauce and rest of the coconut milk. Let it simmer covered for a couple of mins. 

5) Add the baby corn and french beans, cook for 5-10 mins, then add the mushrooms and basil leaves. Add 1/2 cup water if its too thick. let it simmer for 5 more mins

6) Add the broccoli, adjust seasoning, let it simmer for 5 more mins

7) garnish with spring onion greens and birds eye chilli.

Serve with steamed rice

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Feb 22

Tawa paneer masala

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Today was a momentous day as I delivered my very first catering order. Cooking has always been a passion though I treated it like a hobby. The past six months, I have seen my learning graph rising and my interests in cooking developing multifold.

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I did think that in the future, I would take a professional route from this hobby but didn’t realise that the day would come so soon. Cooking for 20 people, didn’t really faze me and was quite happy when each dish i prepared passed my family’s taste test. And they do have a discerning palate, esp. my daughter.

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This paneer dish, is usually reserved for parties, no reason why, but its quite a crowd pleaser. The marination of the paneer adds to the flavour of the dish/

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Ingredients

1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp ajwain
1 large chopped onion
3 tsp garlic paste
3 chopped green chillies
2 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 chopped tomatoes
1 chopped capsicum
1/4 tsp garam masala

Marinate for 5 mins
400 gm 1″ cube paneer
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chaat masala

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1) heat 2 tsp oil and shallow fry paneer. Keep aside
2) for the masala, heat 3 tsp oil in a kadhai. Add ajwain & jeera. Let it turn golden.
3) add chopped onion and sauté till pink, add garlic paste, green chillies, coriander powder, red chilli powder & salt. Fry on med heat.
4) add chopped tomatoes. Stir fry for 5-7 mins till the oil separates.
5) mix in the fried paneer, capsicum and garam masala. Mix and cook for 2 mins. Garnish with coriander