Monday, November 28, 2011

Kolkata Egg Roll

This is a regular dish at our home. We sometimes make it a egg chicken roll or a plain egg roll. This is what wikipedia says about the egg roll we are talking about. "In West Bengal in India, and especially Kolkata, "egg roll" refers to a fried egg wrapped inside a paratha flat-bread." You can see the egg rolls selling like hot cakes everywhere in kolkata and its picking up fast in all other places too. The dough for the roll is usually made with maida but I have used some leftover chapati dough here.


Serves : 2


What I used:
Chapati dough - enough to make 2 big chapati / paratha
If you want to make a dough:
Maida - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water 
pinch of salt
Knead water and maida together to make a elastic dough. Add oil to it and cover and let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Eggs - 3
Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Green chili sauce - 1-2 tbsp(depends the heat level you want. I like mine spicy)
Lemon - juice of half lemon
Green chili - 1 finely chopped
Tomato ketchup - 1-2 tbsp (optional)
Oil - 6 tsp / 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
How:
- Break the eggs in a bowl and beat it with a fork or a whisk with a pinch of salt
- Take a big lemon sized piece of the dough and roll it in a circle of 3 mm thickness. Repeat to make one more.
- Heat the tava ( iron tava will work better, but a non-stick will also work fine) and place the paratha on the hot tava. The tava should be hot while placing the paratha(not smoking hot).
- Drizzle 1 tsp oil all over the paratha and fry for 15-20 seconds before turning the paratha. Drizzle another tsp of oil and fry for another 15-20 seconds or till the paratha has brown spots all over. ( you can add more oil and let the paratha crisp more for better shop like taste)
- Remove the paratha from the heat. Now reduce the heat and spread half of the egg mixture to the size of the paratha on to the tava. Pour 1 tsp oil and place the cooked paratha on the eggs before the egg sets.
- Increase the heat. Once the egg is browned and done, it will stick to the paratha. Now take it off the tava.
- Repeat for the other paratha.
- To assemble the egg roll, place the cooked egg roll with the eggy side up. Spread the green chili sauce on the egg as much as desired. You can omit the sauce altogether, but the green chili sauce gives the required zing. Generously spread the chopped onion and green chili. Top it with tomato ketchup if required. Sprinkle some lemon juice on top.
- To roll the paratha, start from the side of the circle near you and work your way up. Make sure you have spread the sauce, onion, etc on the circumference, mainly near the center, otherwise the start and end of the egg roll will not have any. Once rolled, secure it by placing a tooth pick in the center or roll it in a paper like they do in shops.
We make a lot of variations of the egg roll at home. Hope to post it soon. Meanwhile, experiment and have fun.

Tomato Garlic sambar - Thakali sambar

This sambar is something my mother makes with idli, dosa, pongal, adai, etc. Needless to say, its our favorite, not just mine, me, my husband and even my daughter likes to have this sambar with a spoon. I make it with less chili than my mother for my daughters sake.

What I used :
Onion - 1 medium
Green chili -1
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
fresh coriander - for garnish
To Grind:
Tomato - 3 medium / 2 large
Garlic - 5-8 cloves depending on size
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Roasted channa dal - 1 tbsp (pottukadalai in tamil)
Saunf - 1 tsp
coconut - 1 tbsp (optional)

How:
- Grind all the ingredients under the To Grind section to a paste.
- Heat the oil in a kadai or a non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the green chili, curry leaf and onion.
- Fry till onion turns translucent, then add the ground paste and fry for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add the chili powder and salt and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 3/4 cup of water and mix it and let it boil for 5 minutes or till it reaches desired consistency. I like it thicker than the normal sambar.
- Garnish with coriander and enjoy with dosa, idli, adai, etc..
-



Friday, November 25, 2011

Spicy cookies

These cookies are utterly delicious. Warning: you cant stop with one. I am always on the lookout for something savory but not fried and this is a good thing to have in hand. This is almost like a baked 'thattai' depending on what spices you use. Ofcourse, its  not a match for the deep fried golden circle my mother makes, but it is close :) These will stay in a airtight container for a week or more. I did not get a chance to test as the batch I made got over the same day and I didnt even manage to take a picture of them before dishing it out :(. Have to make do with the picture of uncooked cookies, (uncooked cookies sounds strange)


What I used:-
Maida ( Refined flour / All purpose flour) - 1 cup (almost 150 grams)
Cooking oil (Sunflower/ Vegetable) - 50 ml
salt
Sesame - 1 tbsp
Fresh methi -2 tbsp ( If using kasuri methi use1 tbsp)
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp ( Adjust according to taste, you can skip this too)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Baking powder - 1 tsp
How I did :-
- Sieve maida, salt and baking powder together in a bowl.
- Add all the ingredients except oil and give it a mix.
- Now add the oil and knead into a dough. The consistency should be like a soft chapati dough or like a normal cookie dough. Add cold water as needed.
- Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and rest it in the refrigerator for 15 mins.
- Line a tray with cookie sheet.
- Split the dough into 2 or 3 parts and roll each part into a thickness of 2-3mm. Now cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter and place them on the cookie sheet
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree for 12 minutes or till the cookies are golden brown.
Enjoy! 


Friday, November 11, 2011

Turkish style poached eggs with yoghurt

Hi

I like to try out different cuisines nd thankfully my husband is also enthusiastic about my endeavors. It doesn't take anything more than a sulky person at home to dampen your spirits when you are trying something new.I am lucky that way( and in many other ways too :) )Anyways I tried this from the lovely turkish blog http://almostturkish.blogspot.com and I am in love with turkish food. I have tried a number of recipes from there and each and every one of them was a hit.

I made a few changes to the recipe and this is what I came up with.

I didnt have nearly enough yogurt but I was craving for this so much, I went ahead an made it anyway, yummm..Its finger lickin good

Makes 2 servings. You can double the eggs and make 2 eggs per serving if you love eggs.

Eggs - 2(preferably at room temp)
Fresh curd - 1/2 cup or as much as you like
Butter or oil - 1 1/2 tsp
Mint flakes or any dry herb seasoning
Finely chopped garlic - 1 small
Oats - 1 c
Red chili powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp(adjust to taste)
Salt - as per taste

- Break 1 egg in a bowl
- Heat water in a deep pan and after it comes to a boil, lower the heat so that its not boiling, but water is hot. Stir the water in the centre with a spatula to make a whirlpool effect and tip the egg into the hot water.
- Increase the heat to medium. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes for soft to hard poached egg.
- Take the egg out and place it on a paper towel to drain off the water. Cook all the eggs you want this way, preferably one by one or two at a time.
- Spread 1/2 cup of oats in a plate and top it with yoghurt. Now place the poached egg in the centre.
- In a small pan, heat oil or butter. Once hot(before it gets smokey) add the garlic and after a 5 seconds add the chili powder or paprika. Do not let the chili burn(5 - 10 seconds will be enough). Turn off the gas and add the dry herb seasoning to the hot oil.
- Drizzle the oil over the yoghurt and the eggs and dig in

This was quite delicious and healthy too. Nowadays this has become a regular breakfast option at our home.

Chocolate cuties

Hi everyone,

Am back after a break. Had been away spending time with some relatives over diwali and so. I am posting some sweet recipes I made for diwali. I made this one on the go just adding things, but it turned out very nice. I am very bad at photographing( which reminds me I have to buy a new camera. I am taking photos with my cell phone:(  still. ), but I tell you these cuties looked very cute and tasty too.


Here is the recipe without much ado
Besan ( Chickpea flour) - 1 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup ( I used cadbury powder)
Cardamom / Cinnamon powder for flavor
Almonds for garnish
Ghee - 4 tbsp + some for rubbing

For syrup

Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup

- Sieve the besan and cocoa powder separately and keep aside.
- Heat a non-stick pan or kadai and add 1 tbsp ghee and in low to medium flame roast the besan till the rawness of besan is gone and  a nice aroma fills the air (ahhhh, If smells can be delicious, this certainly is). Take care not to brown it.

- On the side you can prepare the syrup by boiling the sugar and water together for 5 mins.
- Keep the flame low. Add the sugar syrup to the besan and stir continuously so that no lumps are formed. (Besan is quite fast in forming lumps and you have to keep up with it to make a smooth paste).
- Add 1 tbsp ghee now.
- Add the sieved cocoa powder and mix it well.
- Add the cardamom or cinnamon powder and mix it in.
- Now with the flame low, keep stirring this mixture every minute or so adding 1/2 tbsp of ghee every minute till the mixture forms a ball. It should not stick to the sides of the pan and when the mixture is taken in a spatula and inverted it should not fall. Another way of checking is rub your hands with ghee and take a small mount of mixture and try to shape it into a ball. It should  keep its shape and not crumble.

- Turn off the gas. Once the mixture comes to a bearable temperature, shape it into balls, press with your palms lightly to flatten it a little and place a slivered almond in the centre of each.

Tips:
- Do not let the mixture get very cold as it might harden and making shapes will not be possible.
- In case you have overcooked the mixture, you can add a few drops of milk, and stir vigorously in low flame to get it back 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Punjabi Kadhi (without pakoras)

Hi
My husband spent some years in Delhi and he had this kadhi there. He likes this very much and he would be happy to have this kadhi with any vegetable for lunch. Adding pakodas to the kadhi piles up the calories, so I usually do not add them. However, this tastes delicious with or without the pakodas. This should be served with hot steamed rice or jeera rice.


Serves - 3

Preparation time - 5 minutes
Cooking time - 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Besan - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Yoghurt - 1/4 cup (Use low fat if you are prone to occasional guilt flutters)
Methi leaves (Fenugreek) - 1 bunch, chopped
Salt for taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 cup

For Tempering
Garlic - 1 clove ( finely chopped)
Red chili - 1-2
Jeera - 1 tsp ( I like a lot of jeera in the kadhi, you can reduce it to 1 tsp if you are not so in love with jeera)
Oil - 2 tsp + 1 tsp



How
- In a bowl, beat besan and curd together till there are no lumps and it forms a smooth paste. Add salt and turmeric powder and keep it aside
- Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and when hot add the methi leaves to the pan and saute it for a minute.
- . Now add the besan mixture and keep stirring. Add water and stir together.
- Reduce the flame, cover the pan and cook the kadhi for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt now.
- Transfer the kadhi to a bowl.
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a tempering pan or a tadka pan and add jeera, garlic and red chili in that order and pour it over the kadhi.
- Serve hot with steamed rice or jeera rice.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Masala Coriander Pasta

I am sure most of you will think I am out of my mind to think of a pasta without cheese or the creaminess of milk and flour. But try this once and I am sure you will like it. As the name of the blog suggests, I like to mix and match. Its not that I do not like the traditional pasta with the cheese sauce, infact, I love it. But this is a variation to be savored once in a while without the guilt of cheese hanging on me. The flavor of coriander complements the tomato sauce quite well. My daughter loved this version of pasta and she had a full serving all by herself :) What more can a mother ask for. I found this was a convenient way to make her take some greens.



What I used:
Pasta - 150 grams ( I used macaroni, but any small variety like gnochhi, bowties could be used)
Tomato - 3(small to medium)
Coriander - a handful(finely chopped)
Garlic - 2-3 cloves chopped
Garam masala or curry powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp(Optional)
How:
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions.
- Blend the tomatoes in a mixer or blender.
- Heat the oil in a non stick pan or a kadai and add the chopped garlic. Add the tomato paste once the garlic starts to turn golden.
- Fry the tomato paste till the raw smell of tomato disappears and the mixture changes color.
- Now add the garam masala and chilli powder (if using, I didnt use chili because my daughter doesnt take heat well ) and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the finely chopped coriander(If I dont chop it fine, my daughter will take them out) and cook for 1- 2 minutes
- Now add the pasta and toss it so that all the pasta gets a coating of the sauce.
Serve hot. You can top it with cheese if desired, but it goes well without cheese as my daughter would say.


Friday, October 14, 2011

Easy onion chutney

Nowadays we try to eat more low calorie foods and coconut is one of the items we are reducing in our diet. Whenever we have idli / dosa, we are used to having coconut chutney, but now I was wanting to go with an alternative( My relatives back home say its all rubbish, they had coconut everyday and they are healthy and live to 90... hmm there is something wrong in the big cities). Anyways, I made the onion chutney inplace of coconut chutney and it went very well with the kuzhi paniyaram(Recipe for Kuzhi paniyaram some other time).

What I used
Onion - 1 medium coarsely chopped
Tomato - 1 medium coarsely chopped
Coconut - 1 Tbsp grated
Urad dal - 1/2 Tbsp
Channa dala - 1/2 Tbsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Red chilli - 2
Garlic - 1 clove
For Tempering
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaf - few

How:
- Heat the oil in a pan and add urad dal and channa dal. As it turns golden add the red chilli, garlic, onion and saute for 3-4 minutes till the onion turns translucent. Then add the tomatoes and salt for taste.
Cook for 3 more minutes and then turn off the gas. Once the mixture cools down, transfer it to a electric mixer and grind it into a smooth paste along with the coconut.
Heat 1tsp oil and add mustard. Once mustard splutters, turn off the gas and add curry leaf and add the tempering to the chutney.

Suggestion : If you want to leave out the coconut totally, add 1 Tbsp of urad dal in place of 1/2 Tbsp.

Kulfi

I have been reading food blogs till my tummy screams no more reading, please feed me something. And thought it was time, I also started rumbling and bumbling my experiences. So, please hop in and enjoy your time here.
If I am feeling down for some reason, Once I think of food, I become a happy person. As I fry and bake, I feel a change, all my worries go down the drain or up the chimney, whatever you prefer. I do not understand when some of my friends say cooking is boring. All I want is somebody to eat the food(Not as a duty, but happily and passionately). I can cook, cook and cook. I thought a lot about what to blog first. There are so many things I am fond of. But I wanted my first post to be something special(in addition to having a picture). I had made some kulfi the other day and thought why not start with a sweet.
It is strange what you remember from your childhood. I would have been 5-6 yrs and around 10o clock in the night, a kulfi wala used to come to our street regularly. I would be in a deep trance by that time(Yes, 10 o clock was late night for me then, ooh, how I have changed now, that requires another post). Coming to the point, I do not remember anything else about the kulfi, but I do remember how all the kids atleast most of us queued up for that elusive little treat(My parents would buy us kulfi only as a treat), with eyes bulging to see the kulfi shine in the yellow street light as it emerged out of the mould like a shiny little rabbit pulled out of the magicians hat. Anyway here is the recipe that brought back a lot of memories(and bored you to sleep).
What I used:
Milk - 1/2 litre
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Corn flour - 1 heaped tsp
Cardamom - a pinch (according to taste)
Pistachios / Almonds / Dry Fruits - 2 Tbsp
Cold water or milk - 1/4 cup
White bread slice - 1(crusts removed)
That was what and here comes the how
- Bring the milk to boil in a thick bottomed saucepan. (Use the one with a thick bottom unless you want the kulfi to smell a little burnt)
- Reduce the heat to medium to low medium and let it simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Scrape the sides of the saucepan every 5 minutes and add the scrapings back to the simmering milk. These skin scrapings will give a nice texture to the kulfi.
- While the milk is simmering, add the cornflour and the bread slice to the cold water or milk and make into a smooth paste
- Stir the milk once and then add the paste into the milk slowly. Keep stirring while adding the paste so that no lumps are formed.
- Simmer for 5 minutes more stirring frequently. Add the nuts or fruits of your choice and just before turning off the gas, add the cardamom powder. (You will lose the flavor of cardamom powder if added before)
- Now the kulfi is ready to be frozen. Pour it into popsicle moulds or into a bowl and push it into the freezer. Freeze for 5 - 7 hours, depends on your freezer. Mine took 5 hours.
- To serve, take the mould out of the freezer and place it in hot water for 15 seconds. Now tuck in and have fun.
Suggestions:
If you have thin rice noodles, you can use it as falooda. Just plate up the kulfi, throw some falooda on top, sprinkle with any Rose syrup or caramel or any other syrup of your choice and restaurant style Kulfi falooda is ready.