Khasta Bhindi

I guess it's kind of safe to say this feeling of wanting to update my blog with some interesting recipe gives me a feeling close to preparing for an important exam. Today morning i couldn't sleep well and woke up really early like 4.30am n'tried to get some more sleep....by 5.30 i was wide awake and decided to get up do some cooking before i head to work...i prefer to finish my cooking in the morning, that way when i reach home in the evening i can laze around....:)

So i was going to make some Bhindi Stir fry (i know boring! right??) yeah anyways...that was on my menu for myself and some Chicken Karahi for RJ...then i remembered Nish from Look who's Cooking too had posted a Tarla Dalal recipe for Masala Bhindi the other day...i also remembered there was something similar by Nita Mehta in her book "Learn to cook with Nita Mehta"...decided to give it a go...came out well but i can't seem to make out with what should i be having these....:(...i had them with chapathi n' i wasn't sure that's how it is meant to be eaten...if you have some suggestions, please do let me know....Oh by the way...i know this is another fancy name but 'Khasta' actually just means 'flaky'...it's just that i would prefer the name "Khasta Bhindi" to "Flaky Bhindi" anyday...;)

Ingredients:

1. Bhindi: 250gms
2. Cornflour: 2tbsp
3. Ajwain(Carom seeds): 1tsp
4. Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
5. Chaat Masala: 2tsp
6. Chili Powder: 1/2 tsp
7. Ginger: 1tsp (crushed)
8. Gram Flour: 1/2 cup
9. Salt: to taste or 1/2 tsp
10. Lemon Juice: 1tbsp
11. Oil: 5tbsp (add a little more later if required)

Method:

Step 1: Wash and pat dry the bhindi

Step 2: Cut the head and not the pointed end. Slit each of the bhindi into two pieces lenghtwise.

Step 3: Heat the oil in a wok for frying.

Step 4: Mix all the ingredients, corn flour, ajwain, turmeric powder, chaat masala, chili powder, ginger, gram flour and salt with a very little water. The batter should be really thick.

Step 5: Sprinkle the lemon juice to coat the mixture onto the slit bhindi. Do not keep it aside, fry immediately till crisp.

The coating of the mixture and frying can be done in 2 batches. Once fried drain on paper napkins and serve hot.

Chocolate Ganache

The simplicity of this as always was the what caught my eye.....Ganache is chocolate with heavy cream, and it has a very creamy texture. When you pour ganache over a cake, it just flows like the river on top of a gorgeous cake.

Ingredient:

1. Heavy Cream: 1/2 cup
2. Cooking Chocolate: 1/2 cup (chopped)
3. Salt: a small pinch
4. Vanilla : 2 drops

Method:

Step 1: Put your chopped chocolate into a bowl.

Step 2: Add cream into a pan and heat it over medium fire and as soon as it comes to a simmer quickly pour it over your chopped chocolate. Make sure all of your chocolate is covered with the cream and just let it sit there for a minute.

Step 3: Whisk the chocolate and cream together.Keep stirring, till you get a thick n' glossy chocolate sauce. They say the ganache is only as good as the chocolate you'll be using. So choose your chocolate well..:)

Step 4: Add the salt and the flavouring to the chocolate mixture at this stage. You can also use different flavouring like orange, mint etc instead of vanilla...i used vanilla coz that was all i had.

Step 5: Let is cool and thicken a little n' it's ready for you to glaze over your cakes n' cup cakes.

If you have extra, simply store it, refrigerate and warm it in the microwave to use it again.

Cucumber Raita

I have always been fond of Curd…..buttermilk happens to be my favourite drink….yeah at this day n’ age when women all over are talking about drinks like cosmopolitan, margarita, bloody mary n’ sex on the beach…being their favorite, I’m still, true to my form, saying I prefer a nice homemade buttermilk….:D..just imagine it being served on a hot n’ humid day….wah! my mouth is watering… as usual I’m digressing…so like I was saying in the 3 years since I started cooking…I have made raita often….but there was always something missing…..it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be….then recently I had it at a North Indian restaurant here named “Bombay Chopatti”…n’ I realized one of the key ingredient is Cumin Powder…. maybe there are ways to make it even better n’ there are more key ingredients I don’t know about… but for now I’m really thrilled about how good this tastes. It’s best served with biryani n’ pilaf.

Ingredients:
1. Cucumber- 2nos (sliced into medium sized pieces)
2. Onion- 1no (sliced thin)
3. Tomato- 1no (deseeded n’ chopped)
4. Green Chili- 1-2nos (deseeded n’ chopped)
5. Yogurt/Curd- 100-150gms
6. Cumin/Jeera Powder- 1/4tsp
7. Water- as preferred (I use very little)
8. Salt- as per taste

Method:
Step 1: Mix sliced cucumber, onion, tomato n’ green chili add salt n’ toss this. Deseeding the tomatoes seem to ensure a nice flavor instead of strong taste…n’ that’s why I do it this way…:D

Step 2: Whip the curd into a nice smooth paste and add this to the above.

Step 3: Add as much water as you want the thickness to be n’ garnish it with the cumin powder n’ refrigerate n’ mix this only just before serving…

Calzone Inspired Chapathi

Yesterday i was supposed to make 'Calzone'. I came across this recipe for the same on Sanjeev Kapoor's show in Star Plus or is it Sony??? anyways...i didn't get to watch the whole program...but i decided to give it a try. I wasn't sure about the measurements n' decided to IMPROVISE. I feel really silly saying it out loud here...but i have to anyways....just so that i don't make this mistake again....after kneading the dough...i kept in covered in the fridge for 4-5hrs...:(...can you believe that? n' when i reached back home last night i went to the fridge (all excited)to check on the dough n' to see how much it has risen...n' i found this really hard ball in my greased bowl....n' i was so disappointed...(it still didn't click!!!)....

i went on to make Chapati n' Egg Masala for dinner n' while rolling the chapati, it struck me...why don't i try making a Calzone inspired chapatis...i wasn't sure what i needed but i wanted to give it a try anyway...but first i said to myself let me finish making dinner coz what if this one doesn't turn out nice...boy i was in for a surprise alright...:)...so here you...judge for yourself...n' did i say...this recipe is really simple too...;)


Ingredients:

1. Wheat Dough- 2 balls (the size of golf balls)
2. Onion- 2 medium (sliced)
3. Mushrooms- 3-4 (sliced)
4. Broccoli- 3-4 florets (sliced)
5. Oregano- ½ tsp ( i used dry oregano leaves)
6. Black Pepper (fresh)- ½ tsp (crushed)- (add more if you want it spicier)
7. Salt
8. Butter- 2tsp (since i was trying this for the first time...i wanted some help here n' added around 3tsp :)
9. Goat Cheese- 1tsp for each (optional i guess...i added it coz i had some left over)
10. Mozzarella Cheese- 1tsp for each (shredded)...(add more if you want..;)

Method:

Step 1: Heat a pan n' melt butter in it (till it foams) n' add the sliced onions to this. Sauté till the onion are a golden brown (n' this smells divine ;)

Step 2: Add the sliced mushrooms to this. Let it cook for a while. (A little amount of liquid should ooze out from the mushrooms) Stir it till it shrinks back into the mushrooms...

Step 3: Add the sliced broccoli to the above. It will change it's color to a dark green in about 3-4mins n' that's how we get to know it's done...

Step 4: Add Oregano, black pepper n' salt and its ready...

Step 5: Roll out your Chapati n' fill a half of the circle with this filling, add the soft goat cheese, n' top the filling with some shredded cheese.... leaving a little area on the edge to fold n' close the chapati. Fold it into a half circle n' close the corners by pressing it with your fingers or a fork.

Step 6: Heat a pan n' let the above filled chapati cook on low fire. Cook both the sides n' the edges...in total for at least 8-10mins to ensure the insides are cooked. Spread a little butter on both the sides and it will take on a golden brown shade...n' it's ready...

As you can see i basically used whatever i had at home as a filling...i think you can use just about anything for a filling n' serve it as snacks for kids n' they would love it....:)...also since this was an experiment i made only enough for two. Please increase the measurements if you want to make more...:)

p.s: at the end of all this i saw the dough i had kept aside to throw had become so soft n' it was beginning to rise....how did i not remember that the dough needs to be left in a warm place for it to rise??? instead of inside the fridge??


A special thanks to Nish from Look Who's Cooking Too for giving me this badge (my first one ever...didn't get any even when i was in school ;)...i'm truly touched...i want to pass it on to....malluspice (one of the first blogs i started reading), cookingandme (i came across her blog when i wanted to learn more about food photography) and mariasmenu (coz she makes cooking look simple, fun and you can easily make out she loves what she is doing). Gals....please grab the award, brag about it, display it on you blog and link it back to whoever awarded it to you, share 10 things about yourself and pass on the award to anyone you like.

Now for 10things about me....i truly had a tough time doing this....which was strange considering how i love to talk....:)

1.I don’t like every day cooking. I look upon it as a chore. I mean I hate to cook when the reasons are ‘hunger’ or ‘it’s meal time’n’ reasons like that. But it’s for the sheer pleasure of it I get really excited about cooking.

2.The main attraction for blogging these days seems to have something to do with the new camera we have. I love taking photographs and making things/people look beautiful.

3.I’m a non vegetarian skewed towards veg food more than non veg food :)

4.I don’t like fish…I love crab, prawns, mussels n’ occasionally like fried pieces of fish but I’m over particular about how it should be.

5.I don’t crave for sweet food, but I love (more like worship) spicy food. I can eat pickle with just about anything.

6.My family is my strength.

7.If it weren’t for the strict upbringing (by my father…which I hated at the time) I would have never had the strength of character I have today.

8.The thing I enjoy the most about Bahrain is my work place….for the first time in my life I have a boss with a sense of humour.

9.The place I earned my independence was Bangalore, so for me the 8yrs I spent there will forever be a highlight of my life. I will always love that place more than any other place.

10.Something I enjoy more than anything else in the world has to be shopping. It gives me an adrenaline rush like no other….i (almost) can’t resist anything that’s on sale n’ especially if I think it’s a steal for that price.

Carrot Ularthiyathu or Carrot Stir Fry

I don’t use carrots in any of my every day recipes, I mean not in sambars, not in thorans, not in fried rice….you get the picture!....its mainly coz my husband will immediately complain about the dish turning sweet coz of that. But give it to him fresh in a salad n’ it will be over in minutes….so we normally have it in our salads…but my veggie food quest gave me the idea to make this today I had it with chapathi. You can have this with rice, sambar/rasam n’ its good too. The best part as usual is how easy it is to make :)

Ingredients:

1. Carrots - 3-4 (sliced)
2. Onion - 1no - medium (sliced)
3. Green Chilies- 1-2nos (split into 2)
4. Red Chili Powder – ½ tsp
5. Turmeric Powder- ¼ tsp
6. Garam Masala- ½ tsp
7. Black Pepper- 2-3 crushed (optional)
8. Salt
9. Mustard Seeds - ½ tsp
10. Curry Leaves- 8-10
11. Oil- 2 tbsp
12. Water

Method:

Step 1: In a wok, heat oil, add mustard seeds n’ curry leaves. Add the sliced onions and green chilies and fry it till the onion turns pink.

Step 2: Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, black pepper powder and salt to this and stir well allowing the masala to cook.

Step 3: Add the sliced carrots to this and mix well. Sprinkle a little water on this, cover n cook for 10-15mins. (keep checking it to ensure it doesn’t get burned)

Step 4: Stir well for another 4-5mins n’ its ready.

Punjabi Paneer Makhani

I was going to make Chicken Kadai, but the lady who comes to help me with cooking n’ cleaning (she comes 3 days a week) was coming today n’ she doesn’t touch non-veg (at all) so I thought might as well make something I can take her help on. I wish I hadn’t asked for her help, I asked her to make tomato puree in the mixer grinder n’ a portion of my kitchen was splattered with tomato puree, she had stuffed too much into the small jar n’ hadn’t closed the lid properly before turning it on. :( So anyway we had a lot of cleaning work along with cooking in the 90mins she comes to work….so I got busy with cooking n’ she got into cleaning. I like finishing my cooking for the day in the morning before I go off to work that way when I reach home I don’t have a mountain of work waiting for me.

The first recipe book I ever bought was Nita Mehta’s Indian cooking. The reason I got it was to learn some north Indian cooking for my husband….i have never tried this recipe before n’ it’s shame that I hadn’t tried it before….there is something so alluring about a simple recipe. I guess after all that struggle (in my case just mental) today morning when a dish comes out well, that’s rewarding enough. I have deviated from the original recipe a little, but I have clearly mentioned them so you can avoid those steps if you feel like it. Do try this recipe…its really nice.

Ingredients:

1. Paneer- 250 gms ( cut into cubes)
2. Tomato- 500gms (I used only 3medium ones) or (if you are using ready made tomato puree I guess ¾ or 1 cup will do)
3. Cashew- 3 tbsp (coarsely crushed)
4. Jeera- 1tsp
5. Ginger Garlic Paste- 2tsp (preferably fresh)
6. Ghee/ Oil- 2tbsp (I used a non stick pan n’ used only 2tsp)
7. Kasturi Methi leaves- 1tbsp
8. Tomato Ketchup- 1tsp
9. Kashmiri Chili powder- ½tsp (reduce the amount if you are using ordinary chili powder)
10. Coriander Powder- 2tsp
11. Garam Masala- ½tsp
12. Milk- 1 ½cup
13. Cream- ½cup (optional)
14. Salt- 1tsp or according to your taste
15. Water- as required
16. Oil- 3tbsp (to lightly fry the paneer cubes, again this step to fry paneer is not there in the original recipe, I thought I’d like it better if its ever so lightly fried)
17. Green Chili- 2nos (finely sliced) the original recipe does not ask for this, but I was scared the sweetness of the dish won’t suit us, so you can skip this if you want.
18. Sugar- as required or ¼ spoon (this is not there in the original recipe either)

Method:

Step 1: Soak the cashew pieces in hot water (half a cup) for 10-15mins. Adding a little water (2-3tbsp) grind the cashew into a thick paste. Keep it aside.

Step 2: If you are making Tomato puree at home, cut each tomato into 4 and boil it for 5mins in half a cup of water. Keep it aside to cool. Make a thick paste in the grinder.

Step 3: Fry the paneer cubes in oil and keep it aside.

Step 4: In a pan heat Ghee and add jeera to it. Once jeera turns brown add the ginger garlic paste to this and fry it till the color changes.

Step 5: Add the tomato puree to this and fry it. (till the mix becomes dry and dark in color n oil starts oozing out) I added my chopped green chili and fried it along with the puree.

Step 6: Add kasturi methi and tomato sauce to this. (on low fire)

Step 7: Add coriander powder, chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Since I had reduced the amount of ghee to 2 tsp I had to add some water at this stage as the mixture was really dry. Stir it till the masala is cooked well.

Step 8: Add the cashew paste to this n’ mix well. Taste it to see if its too sour n’ add a little sugar to balance the taste.

Step 9: Heat the milk to be added (just 1 min in the microwave will do) and pour the warm milk into the above. Stir well. The original recipe asked us to keep the gravy aside to cool n’ then add the milk. But I figured adding hot milk to the hot gravy will do the trick as I was running out of time.

Step 10: At this point the gravy will look really rich n’ thick n’ smell nice. Add the paneer pieces to this gravy stir it for another 4-5mins. The curry is ready.

Step 11: If you are adding cream, do so at this stage and stir lightly (more like folding). And take off the fire immediately. Add a dash of cream on top before serving.

I'm posting this recipe before my husband eats it for lunch today, normally i will wait for his verdict. But i'm sure he will love this with chapathi..:) I think this will be best served with Chapathi or Tandoori Roti or Jeera Rice...

Chicken Masala

This chicken curry is something I can make in my sleep…i have made it so often…i don’t even know how I started making it in the first place….its a combination of a recipe from my mom n’ some other recipe I saw somewhere…either ways…its on my quick fix list…if I ‘m feeling really lazy or I’m short of time…but I want to make an impression….then I make peas pilaf and this curry n’ my husband is a happy man….he really likes it…so here you go

Ingredients:

1. Chicken- 900gms (medium to small pieces)
2. Onion- 2nos (medium- chopped)
3. Ginger Garlic Paste- 1tsp (preferably fresh)
4. Tomato- 1no (chopped)
5. Green Chili- 1no- Slit into 2 (optional)
6. Chili Powder- 1tsp (use kashmiri chili powder if u don’t like spicy food)
7. Turmeric Powder- ½ tsp
8. Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
9. Garam Masala- ½ tsp
10. Cumin Powder- ½ tsp
11. Bay leaf- a small piece
12. Cinnamon- a small piece
13. Jeera- ½ tsp
14. Cardamom- 4nos
15. Cloves- 2-3nos
16. Black Pepper- 1tsp (coarsely crushed)- less if you don’t want it to be spicy
17. Salt- 1tsp or as required
18. Oil- 4tbsp (I use only 2 most of the time)

Method:

Step 1: Pressure cook the chicken pieces adding salt and crushed black pepper. No need to add any water. One whistle is enough.

Step 2: In a wok, heat the oil n’ add Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Cardamon, Jeera and Cloves.

Step 3: Add chopped onion and fresh ginger garlic paste to this. Sauté it until the onion turn golden brown.

Step 4: Add chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, Cumin Powder to this. Add a little water if the mixture seems too dry. Allow the masala to cook well and oil to separate.

Step 5: Add chopped tomatoes to this. Allow it to cook for a 4-5mins n’ then mash it with a potato masher (if u don’t have this, as round bottom spoon should do). You can add ready tomato puree (½ cup) instead. Allow it to cook well and oil to separate from the gravy.
Step 6: The chicken will have a small amount of liquid/stock inside the pressure cooker. Add this to the above gravy and mix well. Add the slit green chilies if you are using them at this stage.

Step 7: Add the chicken piece to this gravy n’ cover it n’ cook it for another 5-10 mins. You can add coriander leaves for garnishing before serving.

I think its best served with any rice dishs or chapathis (might be a little too dry for chapathi). When I’m serving this with chapathi I will try n’ increase the level of water slightly in step 4.