Sunday, March 29, 2009

Bangali Adda........

"Kotto eta" ---- How much for that?


"Baro taka" ---- 12 bucks


" Chho takae ekta luchi deben?" ---- Will u gimme 1 puri for 6 bucks....?



Somethin my dad overheard at C R Park.... A typical bengali conversation... Its fantastic how a bengali uncle would go up to a vegetable vendor and buy exactly what he needs for dinner. Its true. They come home from work at about 6:30. Wash up, pick a bag got to the subji mandi and buy exactly two pieces of tomatoes, one large onion, some 100gms okra, and definately two pieces of sweet... bengali mithai....





What a simple lifestyle... No wastage... not too many choices to confuse and best of all fresh...





So taking the opportunity since we were stationed in gk 2 for three days... we took off to CR Park for breakfast... at DADU CUTLET SHOP.... loads of choices.... as u can see










BUt hello we were here for breakfast so be it the perfect luchi and aaloo bhaaji...






Can u beleive, its for 10 bucks....



Well next door was Annapurna sweets.. the famous bengali sweet shop.. so how could we resist....






I finished off with a small glass ( yeah thats the smaller size..) of mishti doi ( sweeet curd) and papa had the sweet third from left ( chhena toast) and jiju had the one second( cham cham)....



What a fantastic end to a fantastic breakfast... And hello the total meal costed us about 50 bucks... aint that great....????



What about me tellin u how to make some fab luchi's....????


So here it goes...

LUCHI


Ingredients
2 cups Maida ( all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp salt
oil for frying

Method
  • Sift maida and salt. Add 1/2 tbsp oil. Knead lightly. Add water and knead well till becomes soft. Water should be added gradually. Keep aside covered for about half a hour.
  • Divide into about 20 portions. Roll out each portion into a round size of about 4" diameter.
  • Heat oil to very hot in a deep frying pan. Fry one at a time with light tapping so that it puffs, turn over till light golden. Drain and remove.
  • Serve hot.

Anju ka Gyaaaaaaaaaan

  1. Too much kneading with oil will make very crunchy luchis. (Kneading stretches the gluten in the flour making the product crisp).BUt hello remember that luchis should be soft and puffed, not crisp and flat.
  2. Oil should be very hot otherwise it will not puff. It takes only about 30 to 35 seconds for each luchi to puff up.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Mashkai......

Well... there are times that u feel that things are meant to happen...


Remember the times that granny said it wont happen till its supposed to... well there is a time for everything...

We all really thought its gonna happen yesterday... we were all scared.. excited... anticipating.. all emotions packed into us... but then it dint.... conclusion.... how could it happen without her mashkai being fulfilled... ma had to make sabudana upma for her...

Well , so here it is... i'm gonna call it mashkai from now on....

  • Nicely wash the sabu dana and soak in water for a half an hour...

  • Drain it in a colander for another half hour... once all the water has drained away... put it into a flat spread out dish and keep it in the fridge to chill...

  • Chop up the onions and green chilies.

  • Wash , peel and dice the potatoes.




  • Heat up the oil in the kadhai and splutter the cumin seeds.


  • Add the onions and green chili and saute till translucent
.


  • Once done add the potatoes and the turmeric powder.

  • To the chilled sabu dana add, chopped coriander, grund peanuts, a little bit of salt and sugar.
Note : Remember, salt is a food enhancer...


  • Finally add it to the kadhai and toss for a couple of minutes and then cover and cook on sim for about 5 minutes and then remove from the flame and add lemon juice and mix.
  • Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and shredded coconut.











Serve Hot.... Enjoy her Mashkai ! ! ! :)
P.S. : And ya now i'm sure it can happen any time... Mashkai jo pura hogaya.....

Fast food.... South Indian style.....

So.... Mom's not at home...

Its a Sunday morning...

No bread in the house....

Question of the Hour....

WHATS FOR BREAKFAST.....?????

PAPA to the rescue...... Rawa Upma....

My dad's a great cook... but his skillscome out best when he has to feed me.. he he he... i'm sure he agrees... Desperate times desperate measures.....

Lets get cooking....

  • Chop up onions, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves...


  • Assemble together mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal.


  • Heat a lil oil in a kadhai and add the above seeds and the curry pata and allow to splutter, once the dal's turn red add the onions, green chili and ginger and saute till a golden brown.

  • Now add water to the above mixture and then slowy add in the semolina mixing continuously making sure their are no lumps... add in the semolina till all get absorbed and u reach a thick consistency... heat for a minute.
  • Once all are absorbed take off the heat and add a spoonfull of ghee (clarified butter).

Serve Hot ! ! ! ! !

Designer Food....

Just thought of trying out something different... Turned out different and wierd...






Its the same kadhi pakodi... Those dumplings are the pakodi.... Siting on a wedge of onion, topped with a drop of Mint chutney and a piece of pepper....

Don't the chilies just look dazzling... and by the way the sauce on the side... is the actual Kadhi....

:) Enjoy....

Assi Tussi Khayange Kadhi....



Alright, so today i had the urge to make lunch for my papa and mumma... so i decided to make Punjabi Kadhi pakodi and Chawal...... The famous combination. I dunno why but they taste so good together... The roadside shops are so famous for these,.... kadhi chawal and rajma chawal... its like their winning mantra...
Anyways, i started off by making the pakodi's.
  • Chopped up Onions, ginger, green chillies and coriander, real fine, and shredded cauliflower.
  • Added salt, turmeric, red chillie powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
  • Add a heapfull of gram flour and make into a thick batter by adding water.
  • Deep fry by making into dumplings and keep aside on parchment paper

And now for the kadhi...

  • Whisk together the yoghurt and gram flour leaving no lumps, and three times the water.

  • Add to it Turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and garam masala.

  • In a kadhai heat a lil oil and add to it 2 dried red chillies cut into pieces and a teaspoon of whole coriander when they splutter add to it a pinch of asofateida and immediately the yoghurt mixture.

  • On a low flame allow it to simmer and reduce.

To assemble

  • Place a few of the pakodi's in the bowl to serve.
  • Then pour over the hot kadhi and garnish with chopped coriander and fried red chilies.


Serve Hot ! ! ! ! !

Friday, March 20, 2009

Are u worth your salt.....?



Man this food is so salty.... Hmmm a little bit more salt pls the food tastes bland...

Which salt do u use....

No i'm not talkin about the brand i'm talkin about the salt...

Normal salt...? Whats that?

Well many of us just take this divine thing very casually...Did u know that the taste of the food that u cook actually depends about 70% on the amount and type of salt you add to it. Yes u read it right also on the type of salt. Why does one say that the food is bland u need more salt. Thats because adding salt actually brings out the other flavors in your food. It comes in the category of food enhancers... and u still call it JUST SALT.... HOW RUDE.....

There are a large varieties of salt available to us today but whats sad is that we still use the table salt and the iodized salt for everything..... HOW BORING....Did u know that the word "salary" was the name for a soldier's pay in the army of ancient Rome which included a large ration of salt, which was a spice of high value and also a medium for exchange. Do u realize how important salt was... And why go so far... remember Dandi March....?




Infact, there is a particular kind of salt that one can use for a particular kind of food variety... a different for fishes and a different for meats.. one for potatoes and the other for Ice creams... There is so much u dont know...

Friday, March 13, 2009

Garam Masala..... Very Hot ! ! ! !

Garam masala: Literally Translated Hot mix of spices. This is a very Indian spice mix which varies from place to place. People prepare it to their convenience, where a little extra heat is required more of pepper may be added, where a little sweetness might do the trick people would increase the quantity of cinnamon and cardamom.

Hence its to your convenience and to your liking.

In the previous post and i'm sure in many posts to come the ingredient Garam masala is gonna be very common so i thought i might as well introduce u to this Indian spice mix.

It is said to be the most secretive ingredients in many an Indian kitchens since cooks swear by their own recipe. Nobody... and i mean nobody would ever divulge the precise amount of ingredients one use to make this spice blend cause they beleive this is what gives their food the unique flavor.

The various spices that blend together to make this spice blend, though today might sound very common were once very exotix and things wars have been fought upon. Few of them as seen in the photograph are :
  • Nutmeg( Jaiphal),
  • Mace ( Javetri )
  • Cardamom ( Chhoti Elaichi )
  • Green Cardamom ( Badi Elaichi)
  • Fennel ( Saunf)
  • Peppercorn ( Kali Mirch)
  • Cloves ( Laung )
  • Cinnamon ( Dal Chini)
Some would also add a couple of bay leaves to the above mix( though i would prefer them to be added seperately ) and many also add Cumin and Coriander seeds but thats just for the body and bulk.... I would say its just CONTAMINATION.......

Anywhich ways as i said earlier the amount of each is at your discreation. Make your own mix, try first with equal quantities and then reduce and increase as necessary.

To make the blend

  • Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients (leave cardamom in its pods till later), till they turn a few shades darker. Stir occasionally. Do not be tempted to speed up the process by turning up the heat as the spices will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside. Allow all the aroma to fill the room, its therapeutic... i tell u...


  • When the spices are roasted turn of the flame and allow them to cool. Remember to remove them from the pan and cool on a piece of paper otherwise the heat in the pan will cook them further and most definately burn them.
  • Once cooled, remove the cardamom seeds from their skins and mix them back with all the other roasted spices.

  • Grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
  • Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

I would suggest that u make them and use em when and where required, storing of this spice and most spices makes them loose all their aroma which is like one of the main things. Use fresh stuff as much as possible..

Well enjoy this blend...............

Thursday, March 12, 2009

U say Tomatoe I say Tomato...

Did u know that tomatoes are actually fruits of the vegetable family... and are actually close relatives of potatoes, aubergines, bell peppers and chilies. They come from a family called the nightshade family.

There was a time that our ancestors thought tomatoes to be toxic and thats why we came to know of this luscious fruit only quite rcently. Just imagine what would the Italians and us indians do without this so unavoidable ingredient. And today tomatoes form the basic ingredeint for the Mediterranean cuisine.




Well for a matter of fact the leaves of the tomato plant are still quite toxic and can lead to quite a tummy ache.

Tomatoes are native to South America and were then later used by the Spanish followed by the Italians. Can u beleive that it was not untll the 19th century that Europe accepted this suspicious lookin ingredient.


There are almost 7000 varieties of tomatoes available today.... 7000.... ranging from the salad tomatoes that are so perfectly round to the tiny little cherry tomatoes not bigger than the size of a walnut, maybe even smaller.

Some of the various varieties of tomatoes available in the market are:




  • Beefsteak Tomatoes: Dont Worry vegans...!!! These tomatoes have nothing to do with beef nor steak. As Shakespear said "Whats in a name....". These tomatoes are nice and big, very luscious, high in water content and low in acidic value making them excellent for eating raw in salads and sandwiches. Also since they are "nice and big" they can also be hollowed out stuffed and baked... Awesome....
Popular varieties: Brandywine( again no brandy no wine)-900gms., Dark Purple-350->450gms. and Marmande.




  • Round or Salad Tomatoes: These are quite good for cooking. Just cut the tartness by adding a little sugar ( Tip of the Blog....) and are available year round.
  • Popular varieties: Flamme, Gardeners Delight and Harbinger ( Best for culinary purposes)


    Cherry Tomatoes: These are a delight to look at. Just so cute and dainty. Perfect for specialoccasions even though slightly more expensive than the usual ones are available quite easily these days. The skin can be slightly tough but the fruit has a delightfully sweet flavor.
Popular Varieties: Chadwick, Phydra and Supersweet 100( a hybrid variety of the gardeners delight)


  • Plum Tomatoes : An Italian contribution, these tomatoes are perfect for cooking due to a firm and thick flesh and very few seeds. Excellent for cooking and bottling. This is the variety that u bring home canned. So next time u can be very stylish in tellng your guests that u have used Roma tomatoes even though u just upturned a can from your shelf ;)

Popular varieties: Roma Tomatoes and San Marzano



  • Green Tomatoes: These are not the unripe varieties of tomatoes. Today u can access fully ripe green tomatoes just like the green apples u have.... They have a bright green skin a beautiful flesh that is extreamely flavorful. Perfect for salads and leads to a beautiful color in food.
Popular Varieties : Green grape and Green Zebra( has an unusual stripy skin and most unusually a sweet/spicy flavor with a subtle tang: worth a culinary experience)

Now that we've spoken so much about The Tomato why not get into disecting it.... I mean lets get some interesting tomato recipes on the counter.

1 Guchchi bhare tamatar
(Tomatoes stuffed with Morel Mushrooms)
Serves 4-5

Ingredients

Tomatoes ( round and firm ).......15 nos
Vegetable oil .................................2 Tbsp
Onions, chopped ...........................2 Tbsp
Garlic, chopped .............................1 tbsp
Green chilies, finely chopped ......2 nos
Tomato pulp .................................100 gm
Morel Mushrooms,.......................500 gm
chopped
Salt, to taste
Garam masala ..............................2 tbsp
Mint Leaves, chopped ..................2 tsp
Lemon juice................................... 2 tsp
Black cumin seeds, .......................1/2 tsp
roasted and powdered
Green coriander, chopped........... 1/2 tsp

For the Gravy,

Vegetable oil ......................................2 tbsp
Green cardamom powder ...............2/3 tsp
Bay leaf ...............................................1 no
Onion, Sliced..................................... 4 tsp
Garlic, crushed................................. 2 nos
Tomatoes, chopped......................... 300 gm
Cream................................................ 3 tbsp
Mace powder......................................1 tsp


Method





  • Slice the top off of the tomaoes and scoop out the pulp and drain upside down

  • Heat up the pan add the oil and saute the onions ,garlic and tomato pulp over medium heat until the oil begins to seperate from the mixture, thats an indication that the gravy is cooked.

  • Stir in the green chilies and the mushrooms. Cook on high for 10mins till the mushrooms are soft and then add the rest of the ingredients leaving behind the ones for the gravy.

  • Allow to cool and then stuff the tomatoes with the same and bake in an oven of 180 C for 15-20 mins.

  • For the gravy : heat oil and saute all the ingredients other than the cream and the mace powder adding to it 2 cups of water. Leave it on a slow boil till it is coked to the consistency of a sauce then add the powder and finish with cream.

  • Pour over the tomatoes and garnish with fresh green coriander and serve hot.




2. Tamatar aur khajoor ki chutney
(Tomato and date Relish)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Tomato, chopped............................. 1 kg.
Dates,deseeded................................. 50 gm
Vegetable oil....................................... 2 tsp
Mustard seeds.................................... 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilies.................................... 2nos
Sugar................................................... 75 gms
Salt to taste


Method

  • Heat the pan well and then add the oil, add the mustard seeds and the red chilies and allow them to splutter.

  • Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Add the sugar and the salt, stir till the sugar dissolves.

  • Cook till the mixture obtains a thick consistency. Now mix in the dates.

  • Serve only after it cools.

Note : When refrigerated this relish may stay for 2-3 days(well i can bet u cant resist it that long).

Friday, March 6, 2009

Bura na Mano.... "HOLI HAI........"

As the winds change, as summer slowly drags its foot into our lives and as the cold beautiful winter bids us a farewell, here comes HOLI...... It marks the beginning of scorching heat and maybe thats why we celebrate this festival by drenching one another. ( Thats a good explanation) The crops have been threshed, the farmers are at peace now they have enough to survive for a while, there's an air of happiness all around. Its a day when families reunite, when neighbours rejoice, people have a reason to hog on the sweets, and friends have a reason to meet.



The legend of King Hiranyakashyap is associated with this festival. This legend signifies the victory of good over evil, of devotion surpassing ambition. The king was an ambitious one, who wanted absolute power so that he would be worshipped as God. When the wish was made known, the King’s own son, Prahlad, refused to accept. Prahlad was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, and it was only to his Lord that he gave allegiance. The proud King was enraged by Prahlad’s disobedience and decided to punish him severely. He asked his sister Holika for help. It was believed that Holika was immune to fire and would never be burnt, so the King asked Holika to sit in the centre of a bonfire with Prahlad on her lap, so that the fire could burn him alive. The bonfire was lit, and young Prahlad sat in Holika’s lap, in its centre, praying to Lord Vishnu. His devotion saved him, leaving him untouched by the flames, but Holika was burnt to ashes. To mark this legend, huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Holi, especially in Bihar and the North. Its done one night previous to the festival of Holi and is known as Holika Dahan.



Holi, being celebrated across India today is the most colourful Hindu festival but can u beleive it has a Muslim history to it as well....?


Sufi saints like Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia and Amir Khusrau in their chaste Persian hymns expressed their love for this festival. Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar's Holi ‘phags’ (songs) are relished even today.

During the Shahjahani tenure of Delhi, Holi was known as Eid-e-Gulabi (Pink Eid) or Aab-e-Pashi (Shower of Colourful Flowers). The nobles, kings and nawabs exchanged rose water bottles and sprinkled them on each other along with the frenzied drumming of the ‘nagaras’ (drums).
Many artists, especially Govardhan and Rasik, have shown Jahangir playing Holi with Noorjahan, his wife.

“Who says Holi is a Hindu festival?” Holi lasted for days during the Mughal rule during which people, irrespective of religious or social distinctions, forgot their restraints. The poorest of the poor threw colour on the emperor.

As holi knocks our doors...We realise just like any other festival in India Holi is completely incomplete without the food extravaganza. Here in India most of our celeberations include food... why most.... all of it. Holi in the northern India with the obvious excuse of splashing colours all over people and just saying... " Bura na mano.... Holi hai...." ( Pls don mind but its Holi....) also is an easy excuse for all the lovely food one can hog upon...

Some of the things that the festivities of Holi are incomplete without are ......

Thandai
Thandai as it literally means is cooling... its quintessential when it comes to holi.. loaded with dry fruits and is a sweet tasting milk based drink with a hint of spice that hits your throat at the end is a must during Holi. Be it in its sombre fashion as it is or loaded with bhaang its a favourite among all.

Bhaang is actually an intoxicant prepared by grounding the buds and leaves of Cannabis using a mortar and pestle into a green paste.
Its quite an adventure to drink this thing as many have different theories about it. The effect of the bhaang remains almost for a day. The best u can do is enjoy it a bit and then sleep off for the rest of the day atleats a 24 hours. The effect of this intoxicant is such that whatever u start off doing u do it for the rest of the time. There are people who cry for the whole day and some just cant stop laughin. Some start beleiving that they are kids while some beleive that they are lost. Its hillarious for the others to watch but to be a part of it is quite a bet.
But all said and done holi is incomplete without this cherished item.
Here is the recipe for the sombre Thandai not the one with the crazy ingredient......

Ingredients:
1 1/2 litres water
1/2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. almonds
1 tbsp. watermelon seeds peeled (commercially available)
1/2 tbsp. khuskhus (poppy seeds)
1/2 tbsp. saunf (aniseed)
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1/2 tsp. rose water (optional)
1 tsp. peppercorns whole
1/4 cup dried or fresh rose petals (gulkand variety)



Method:


Dissolve sugar in 1/2 litre of the water used.

Wash clean all other dry ingredients.

Soak in 2 cups of remaining water.

Allow all soaked items to stand for at least 2 hours.

Grind all soaked ingredients to a very fine paste.

Mix remaining water to the paste.

Place a thin muslin cloth over a large deep vessel and press through muslin with back of hands to extract the liquid into the vessel.

Add milk, sugar and rosewater to the extracted liquid.

Chill for a hour or two before serving.


This is the other essential item of Holi. I'm sure u all know that Indians cannot live without frying something. So this is this festivals fried delicacy. Gujiya or karanji( as called in Maharashtra) or Karchikaay( as in the south of India) is stuffed with dry fruits and either khoya in the North or with coconut in the South. The reason that the ingredient is different in the 2 regions is very obvious. its due to the availability. Since milk is abundant in the north its khoya thats used and the same with the coconut down south. Conveience makes everything the cause.

Gujia

Ingredients:
500 gms maida (flour)
1kg khoya ( dry reduced form of milk )
3 tbsps kismis (raisins)
200 gms almonds (cut into thin strips)
6 tbsps cooking oil. ( keep some more aside for deep frying)
200 ml water
500 gms sugar.

Method:

Mix the six tablespoons of oil with the maida.

Now add some water as required and knead into soft dough.

Set aside and cover with a damp cloth.

Fry khoya in a deep-frying pan to a light brown color.

Add sugar, almonds and kismis into the khoya and mix well.

Remove from the fire and let it cool.

Roll out the kneaded dough into a small and thick chapatti.

Fill half the chapati with the khoya mixture and seal the round, twisting the edges inwards.

Deep-fry these gujhias to a deep golden brown color on slow flame.

Take them out with a sieve type ladle and drain the oil completely.

Some prefer it just this way....

But a few like me would like it further sweet and so as soon as we remove it from the oil we dip it into a warm sugar syrup and then remove and keep aside. This gives that extra sweetness makes it a lil more juicy and also gives it a shine. Though one draw back that u cant keep these ones for too long.


Note - Makes about 40 gujhias.

Enjoy these recipes till i come up with some more of the delicacies....



Some of the text from this blog are excerpts from other sites, with due acknowledgement.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Warqui Paratha : Complete Indulgence.



( Note: pls put the volume on mute..... or just ignore it.... :) )

Warqui Paratha...


Once you've seen the speed with which this guy makes these paratha's( Indian Bread ) Dont get so sure its as easy as it looks. This guy makes a living with this bread, this is one of the Hyderabad Specialities. Though he sells it at Rs. 5 a piece which is hardly anything, he still takes home just around 100 bucks at the end of the day maybe not even that much. This is what India is all about. Peolple slog to get just enough to fill their tummies, just their tummies.


Warqui basically means leaves... this paratha has many a layers and they look as if its a pile of leaves stacked together.. hence the name warqui paratha. Its a Muslim Speciality and found mainly in the musalmani areas of Hyderabad. Tell u one thing they know how to make the best food possible. Their food is like heaven.

Warqui Paratha

Ingredients


1 kg: Flour
50 gm: Ghee ( Clarified Butter)
20 gm: Sugar
Water for kneading
1 tsp: Salt

For Layering

150 gm: Malai ( or Cream)
200 gm: Fat ( Butter)
50 gm: Flour
Kewra essence few drops

Method
1. Prepare a soft dough with flour, salt, ghee, sugar and cold water. Keep aside for 30-45 minutes in a cool place, covered with a muslin cloth.

2. Shape into equal round balls and roll it with a rolling pin about 5-6 cm in diameter.

3. Put an even layer of the fat mixture on one rolled surface. Apply only in the centre and not all the way to the edges or else all the mixture will run out creating a mess. Fold into half. Apply fat mixture on surface. Refold into quarters. Shape this quarter into a ball gently.

4. Repeat the process once again. Finally roll to 12 to 15 cm in diameter.Bake in a moderate oven. In the above video the paratha is being cooked in clay oven called the tandoor.

5. Filling for Layering

Mix (cream) malai, flour and fat together till smooth and add a little bit of kewra essence to it. Try and keep this mixture coolotherwise while layering it will all ooze out.



About Me

Its all about having fun with food. Capiche?