So long but not for too long!

It has been almost 3 years that I got into this blogging world and it has been a very unique experience. There are some blogs that I fell in love with either for their writing or for the photography or for their creative recipes or simply the warmth that you sense when you land on their blog. I am addicted to some while I am a silent reader to others.It definitely allowed me to evolve in every aspect.

The start of 2012 was rather hectic and here I am, waiting for it to slow down but the pace is only getting faster. It seems like I may not do full justice to my passion for cooking and blogging for some time to come. While I want to take a short break, I know this time around it will be more than just a short break. But I will tell you this - I will be back! The only thing I cannot tell you is when. Till then, I do hope to read all of your amazing posts, inspiring pictures and your incredible write-ups.

Love & Hugs,

Jalapeno Fritters/Mirchi Bajji

Every Andhra soul would have tasted this quintessential street food at least once in their life time. Unlike Chat vendors who have different types of chat on the same cart, these vendors dedicate their carts exclusively to these fritters. My Dad used to bring these home while coming from work, wrapped in a crumpled old newspaper with some onions sprinkled over 4 or 6 Bajjis. As a kid, I never thought much of them, honestly. I craved for the Pav Bhajis and the Gol Gappas more. And, I never understood the yum factor in these until I moved out and came to the States. If I crave these now, the best you can get here are what are called the Cut Mirchi with some masala stuffed in and cut in two. But, the authenticity and the simplicity of the bandiwallahs' fritters are simply lost.

On a rainy day, I doubt if the mind does not wander to make Jalapeno fritters or for that matter, any fritters. Veggies generously dipped and coated with seasoned Chickpea batter, deep fried and eaten by the mouthfuls is what we as a family of 4 used to do on a rainy and a cozy weekend. Search on the internet for this recipe, rest assured, you will find gazillion different recipes, with and without stuffings. I am following my intuition in making this dish, trying to replicate the best Mirchi Bajji I ever tasted. I like a 1/8 tsp of thick tamarind pulp rubbed inside of the Jalapeno and then coat the outside with the Chickpea batter.
In all this, I will have to thank Siri's Mom for providing me with the Mirchi Bajji powder that the Cart Vendors usually sprinkle on top of the Bajji, that she managed to acquire from a store. I call her aunt, although she is my brother's MIL. Every time I meet her, I feel like she is a second mom to me - A hug from her will definitely make you feel more secure and you can have a hearty laugh together like friends. She makes Biryani or a Podi every time I visit India. She is truly amazing!
Pick Jalapeno Peppers or Hot peppers which are not too long, about 5 inches

4 -6 Jalapeno or Hot Peppers
1 cup Besan/Gram/Chickpea/Garbanzo flour
1/4 tsp Chilli Powder
1/8 tsp of Cumin Seeds
1/8 tsp of Salt
1/8 tsp of Baking Soda
1/8 tsp of Ajwain/Caramom Seeds
Oil to Deep Fry
1/4 cup Thick tamarind Pulp
1 Onion, finely chopped
Mirchi Bajji Powder (Optional)
  • Make a small slit in the Peppers without cutting through completely, no more than 3 inches (for a 5 inch Pepper)
  • For a milder version, remove all the seeds from inside using a wet paper towel
  • If you dont mind the heat, retain some of the seeds
  • Place an 1/8th spoon of the pulp inside the Peppers and using your hands(wash them before and after with soap), gently rub the pulp to coat all of the inside.
  • Repeat the same for all the Mirchis/Peppers
  • Set them aside
  • In a medium sized bowl, combine Chickpea Flour,Salt,Cumin seeds, Chilli Powder, Baking soda, Ajwain seeds if using with enough water to make a thick batter.
  • To check- the batter should coat the back of a spoon when dipped.
  • Heat oil in a wok for deep frying. The oil should fill 1/2 to 2/3rds of the wok
  • Check if the oil is ready by dropping a small drop of the batter. If the drop slowly comes up by changing the color, the oil is ready.
  • Dipping one mirchi at a time, drop them carefully into oil. Please be careful as the oil will be smoking hot and an oil spill can cause unforgiving burns
  • Cook till both sides are golden brown
  • Place them on a tissue paper and drain the excess oil
  • Make a small slit once again on the deep fried chillies
  • Place a tablespoon of onions in the slit. Do NOT stuff it.
  • Sprinkle the Masala powder on top 

Until next time,

Down my memory lane with Ghee

So, I have never told you that I was brought up by my maternal grandparents till I was 8 years old. I was fortunate to live in a small town with plenty of family around and in the midst of nature in my formative years. It is a simple life with no hustle bustle.I lived with my grand mom (Ammamma as we call in Telugu) and grandfather (Tathayya) with their brothers and sisters living in the neighborhood. It is a small town along the coast of AP with rich history like the origins of Kalamkari (Motifs handcrafted on clothes with ink)


My grandfather's twin brother who lived adjacent to our house had a passion for gardening. In a lot of ways, he influenced my grand parents to have a garden though not as elaborate as his. The house perimeter was lined with trees like Mango, Jasmine, Curry leaf, Roses, Geraniums and plenty of Marigolds. They also used to have non-flowering, multicolored leaf plants which they used to call them 'Crotons'. We more or less used the home produce to make pickles or flower garlands out of the home grown flowers. When I was very young, I remember a wooden gate to protect the trees from animals barging in. Yes, Buffaloes and Cows were our prime views in the mornings and in the evenings.People walked up and down the road leisurely with absolutely no vehicles but for Rickshaws which were manually peddled in the residential lanes.You could have spotted a small scooter, just might, but nothing more! People talked while leaning over the walls be it a request for some curry leaves or about the milk guy delivering watery milk. The Vegetable seller would hang 2 baskets filled with different vegetables, suspended with Strings on either side of a stick.For that matter, a woman who does the balancing act so gracefully that the basket of greens on top of her head never topples.She never failed to impress me. Life is predictable with not many surprises and even if there were, they were fairly mild. You would come across a temple every few hundred feet which most women visited in the mornings with a a handful of flowers and a coconut.I used to frequent the temples with my Ammamma over the weekends.

The evenings were occupied with my homework while sitting next to my Tathayya. I recall him lying on his old fashioned reclining cloth chair while he listened to a small transistor radio hugging his chin. With not many programs, his favorite used to be 'Aakasavani' (News back in the 80s), the sound and the voice of which still cross my mind. I never knew eating out and watching Television until I was 8 years old. It was all home made and home bound, which is very nice when I look back.

There were not many ready made products at the time and most of them were prepared in the houses including Ghee and Pickles. The Ghee was always made in the house with the freshly churned Cream using a wooden stirrer/whisker called 'Kavvam'. I remember vividly to this day that the ghee in my grand mom's house was brown in color with a distinct flavor and aroma. Typically, ghee is pale yellow to golden yellow in color. I like the darker brown hue to the ghee which takes a couple of more minutes to get but has such a pleasant fragrance to it.

All you need-
1lb Unsalted Butter
  • Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed vessel for 3 minutes on high heat
  • When the butter has melted completely, bring the heat to Medium and continue to boil
  • The boiling will clarify the butter and milk solids. You will see the foam appear on top and when you blow the foam gently, you can see the milk solids settling at the bottom of the pan.
  • Simmer for 7 minutes for light yellow color. When you dip the spoon into the butter, you will see light golden color
  • For brown color, simmer for 8 - 8.5 min; Keep an eye as it can get burnt smell very quickly if not taken care. A spoon when dipped will have a light brown color.
  • Place a cheesecloth or a thin cotton cloth like Indian bath towel (preferably), on top of a wide mouthed jar (for easier pouring)
  • Pour the Ghee into the jar
  • Let it cool down completely which can take up to half an hour
Notes-
The mesh strainer will work well too but it may not strain all the impurities depending on the size of the holes in the strainer.
Based on the size of the Simmer ring, the time may vary. Therefore, keep checking for the color change. Smell is a good indicator as well. If you think it is aromatic enough, then you should stop.
When in doubt, reduce the time to 8 min instead of going over the specified time.

Red Velvet Cake

It was V's birthday and it has become more or less a norm for me to bake the cake each year. The last year was Lemon Curd Cake and this year, it is the Red Velvet Cake. The little one gets the privilege to choose the Cake and the flavor. I simply hope she is not going after the Rainbow colors. In which case, the next year around, you will see one of the bright blue or a girly purple or a fluorescent green cake. Dad may not care for those colors. But who cares?


The little one almost always asks me if I need any help in the kitchen.She enjoys rolling the dough to make Rotis or Puris, cracking the eggs, beating the eggs, making the cake batter etc., I let her as I enjoy seeing her tiny hands in action. She seems to enjoy every thing her mommy does except clean her room or the toys lying on the floor. She argues on why there is no point cleaning up her toys,that is if she has to.


The Red Velvet Cake is widely known as the Waldorf Astoria Cake since it was where the story began. When a customer requested the hotel for the recipe of Red velvet Cake, the hotel charged the customer $100.(While researching, I have also seen numbers like $350 which may be true). This was in 1940s! She  seeks revenge by circulating the recipe and that is where the recipe originated from. Now, if this is a treat with southern origins or not, that still remains a mystery. The one theory I can come up with is this cake appeared in the movie 'Steel Magnolias' as the Groom's cake which is more Southern tradition.  Over the years, the recipe was tweaked, twisted and changed but the charm never went away making it more popular than ever.The recipe ideally should have 3 layers but I do not have three 8 inch pans. Since the recipe also mentions the possible use of 2- 9 inch pans, I got away with using 2 pans.
If you have 3- 8 inch pans, I suggest you use them. The more the merrier!


I made the frosting from the original recipe involving butter and flour in addition to cream cheese frosting. Both the frostings are very good. The original frosting was a lot like whipped cream but the Cream Cheese Frosting was tangy and creamy. My family liked the Cream Cheese frosting better. The original frosting recipe has been provided below along with the Cream Cheese Frosting. If left to me, I would have frosted the cake, half with each frosting.
While frosting the cake, I let the red crumbs get mixed up with the frosting. I liked the speckled effect that it gives

 
Adapted from Internet
1/2 cup Shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 oz Red food coloring
2 tbsps Cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking powder
2 1/4 cups Cake Flour
1 cup Buttermilk
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp White Vinegar
  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Butter 2- 9" round cake pans and flour them by  dustign the excess flour off. Set aside
  • In a medium bowl, beat shortening, sugar, vanilla and eggs until light and creamy. In a small bowl, combine food coloring and cocoa
  • Sift the cake flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl
  • Alternating with flour and buttermilk, combine the shortening mixture intil well combined. Begin and end with the flour and add in 1/3 increments
  • Combine soda and vinegar allowing it to fizz
  • Pour into the batter and mix well
  • Divide the batter among the 2 greased and floured pans equally
  • Place them in the oven for 25 - 30 min or until a fork or a skewer placed in the center of the cake comes out clean
  • Allow it to cool for 15 minutes
  • Invert the cakes and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack
  • Place a cake on a cake stand or a tray
  • Spoon 1/4 portion of the frosting and spread it evenly
  • Place the other cake such that it sits well on top of the frosting. Do not press too much or else the frosting can ooze from the sides
  • Spoon the remaining half of the prepared frosting on top of the cake and using a spatula or a dinner knife, spread the frosting  in order to cover any imperfections
  • Then top with the remaining frosting and spread it anyway you want
Cream Cheese Frosting
16 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Cream the Cream cheese, butter, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth without any lumps
Original Frosting
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of Salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine milk and flour in a small bowl to smooth batter without any lumps
Stirring constantly, cook it on medium heat until the flour mixture turns very thick
Remove from the stove and let it cool down
In another bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy
Mix with the cooked flour mixture
Continue beating on high speed until light



Notes
* Make sure not to bake it for too long or else the cake will turn very dry
* While preparing the cake, make sure to wear clothes that you are okay if red coloring gets onto it.(Lesson learnt the hard way)


For now,
Shri

A Year in Japan - Kate Williamson

This simple,short and an exquisite book captures observations, the lifestyles and culture of Japan.The beauty of this book is you can randomly open a page and Surprise!- you don't have to know the story preceding that page. Each page has a unique theme or watercolor with impeccable attention to detail. There are no page numbers. It is a travelogue done brilliantly with bright and evocative paintings with the text and pictures delicately balanced. Williamson captures the seasons, traditions and nuances of culture showing the reader a view that a travel guide can never offer.


Some of the Fascinating things about Japan - Did you know?
Backpacks - The grandparents gift the kids when the kids begin their elementary education. The bags are done so well that they last till they go to College
Sock Designs - With the custom of leaving the shoes when you enter someone's house, there are gazillion sock designs
Elegant Taxis - I loved, loved the concept of flower vases in Taxis. I want to visit Japan just for this!
Electric Rugs - The apartments contain rugs with electric cords for heating
Custom of Moon Viewing - Parties are held under cherry blossoms and on special platforms in aristocratic residences to gaze at the sky!!
Tofu Vendor-Vendors pushing carts come in the noon to sell Tofu.
Coming from India, I found there are a lot of similarities to how we live in India that made me semi-nostalgic, if that is even a word- Like the Tofu Vendor with a cowbell who comes everyday at 12:20PM to sell by the chunks, like leaving the shoes before you enter someone's house, the delicacies sold in decorated boxes and Banana leaves!
The font is cursive which was slightly difficult to read at times but it certainly added more character to the book itself.Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Artichoke and Feta Tarts - DHSP Challenge #7

Spring is here and unusually early with the pleasant smells of freshly cut grass in the air!! With not many snow flakes burying us down and flowers blooming quite early this year, this year seems one with no Winter. Am I speaking too early? But the excitement is tough to contain with the birds chirping and the kids playing outdoors already. The yellow wild flowers in Spring carpet the remote dirt paths and narrow country roads lifting your spirits, which only makes going to work difficult.Admiring these flowers on my way to and back from work makes the monotonous activity interesting and something I look forward to.An hour long drive each way is filled with the snapshots of these flowers and the breathless scenery they weave.It is a nice start to a rather hectic day.
I go down country roads lined with houses painted in bright colors,with trees' shadows looming over those houses, with flower petals occasionally flying by, with the geese taking their sweet time to cross the road before I hit the rough and the nasty Turnpike. I simply LOVE Spring and it is only befitting to make this recipe, full of bright colors and textures.


 I bumped into this wonderful Simone's blog- Jungle Frog cooking who hosts Donna Hay Challenge every month. Truth be told, I did not know about Donna Hay! Like anyone, I was curious to know more about her that led me to her site. I instantly fell in love with the breathtaking pictures.When the challenge was announced, I was in two minds - to submit or not to submit. Nonetheless,I knew, I was making the dish.  With no heavy equipment and just a Nikon D3100, I was not sure if I can do complete justice to the Challenge and the picture. But in the last minute I decided to give it a go even if it meant I end up no where in the stack.
Original Picture by William Meppem
 Photography : William Meppem; Recipe: Donna Hay

In hindsight, I think I could have shot the picture a little closer. Overall, my family and I loved the recipe. I reduced the Mint to a tablespoon and added a 1/8th spoon of Herbs De Provence.I also replaced Cherry Tomatoes with Grape Tomatoes as my store did not carry at the time. I enjoyed shooting and eating it!

Original Recipe:
1 Sheet Store Bought Puff Pastry
1 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
4 artichoke hearts, Marinated and Halved
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup Frozen pea, thawed
1/4 cup mint leaves
Olive Oil (for drizzling)
White balsamic vinegar (for drizzling)
  • Preheat the oven to 400F
  • Thaw the pastry for 40 minutes by placing on a counter top or follow the directions on the package
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Cut the pastry into 4 squares
  • Score a 1 cm on the sides on each square
  • Place artichoke hearts and top it with feta cheese
  • Brush the pastry borders with beaten egg
  • Bake for 12- 14 minutes until the edges and the pastry turns golden brown
  • In the meantime, toss the tomatoes, peas, mint, olive oil and balsamic vinegar
  • Top the tarts with tomato salad
  • Serve!
 













                                            

Sweet Love!

Milk sweets are adored in my house by V and the little one.As for me, I indulge in the more notorious sugar sweets like the Boondi Laddu and the Halwa. To pass by a sweet shop in India and to not have an adorned box of irresistible sweets in your hands is highly improbable.That is just me!! The wide selection that you encounter when you step into a Mithai (Sweet) shop can be a jaw dropping experience.We took the little one to 'Almond House', a popular sweet shop in Hyderabad. When my dad asked her to select a sweet, let me repeat "A Sweet" she replies "This, This, This, This and This".


She was utterly amused at the vibrant colors glistening through the glass case and the sweet decorated with the silver foil which fascinates me even today.I am known to buy the sweets that have the silver foil, bite the top off, and throw the rest of the sweet. Well, I do not do that anymore but I still have a fondness to the silver glitter.Known as Varkh, a lot of sweets like Kaju katli and Burfis are seen in this. The ingredients that are needed to make the most complex mithai reside in every home like Milk, Sugar, Flour,Nuts.And the aromatic Ghee!! Peda is the simplest of all sweets next only to paayasam.

 My favorite Pedha is the one that a good friend of my Dad used to bring us. I believe they are the Pedhas from a temple but I never inquired! They were small golf sized balls with a taste that lingered in your mouth and mind for a few days. Never could I lay my hands on such divine Pedhas again.
When I say Pedha, it is used as a very broad term. There are countless varieties and ways to define and make a pedha.It comes with 101 unique names, textures and distinct flavors. It comes as a simple and plain Pedha to stuffings and all the frills.This Pedha, also referred to as Amrit Pedha, has a Pistachio stuffing flavored with Saffron threads.


Yields 8 - 10 balls
Ingredients

 2 cups Mawa
 3/4 Cup Powdered sugar
 8 strands of Saffron, dissolved in a a tsp of warm milk
 1/4 cup unsalted Pistachio Nuts, coarsely chopped and blended (I used a Coffee grinder to coarsely blend the nuts)
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
Whole Pistachio Nuts to decorate
Tooth Pick or a fork to decorate and make designs (Optional)

Procedure-
  • Combine Mawa and Sugar in a heavy bottomed pan
  • Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is soft and comes together, pliable enough to make a ball
  • Stir in the cardamom powder and mix well.
  • Remove it from the pan and let it cool down completely
  • Form the mixture into a ball
  • Divide the ball into 1/3rd and 2/3rds portions
  • Mix the 1/3rd ball with the powdered pistachios well
  • Form 8 small balls Combine the 2/3rds mixture with the milk dissolved with Saffron strands
  • Knead well until the ball is smooth
  • Make a small ball and press it gently such that it forms a small circle as you would a bread/roti dough
  • Place one pistachio ball on top of the saffron circle.
  • Press it such that it forms a circle
  • Gently fold the outer circle covering the pistachio circle.
  • When you make a ball, the white portion alone should be visible with the pistachio ball gently tucked inside. Repeat this process until you have used up all the balls/mixtures. 
  • Make a small indentation on top of the ball using your finger 
  • Place a pistachio in the indentation made.
  • Press a toothpick to make vertical marks on the balls or make any design of your choice 
 This Pedha will be fresh for up to 24hrs after making - best eaten on the same day.

This is making its way  to Indian Food Palooza hosted by Prerna of Indian Simmer, Kathy and Barbara. 
 

Apricot Thumbprint Cookies

Unbelievable weather with the temperatures soaring up to 75F. For March, it seems impossible.Nonetheless, we are enjoying it. These cookies were made during Christmas Holidays and yes, they have been lurking on my desktop for about 3 months now. I am slowly cleaning up my old drafts. I wish there were more hours in a day. So many things to do and so less time!!
These cookies taste like butter cookies and with the preserves in the middle, there will be the mildly sweet and sour taste in every bite.
Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse
2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks Butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup Apricot Jam or Preserves or any fruit filling of your choice

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
  • Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl
  • In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar till creamy
  • Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract
  • Slowly add the flour mixture and beat till the dough begins to form clumps
  • Make the dough into a ball
  • Form 1-inch balls from the dough
  • Place them on the baking sheet about an inch apart
  • Using the index finger or the thumb, make indentations
  • Fill each indentation with 1/2 tsp of the jam or jelly
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden brown
  • Transfer the cookies on a wire rack and cool them completely
  • Store in an airtight container for upto a week. 
Apricot Thumb print Cookies

 

The God of Small Things - Arundhathi Roy

"May in Ayemenem is a hot, brooding month. The days are long and humid, The river shrinks and black crows gorge on bright mangoes in still, dust green trees. Red bananas ripen. Jackfruits burst. Dissolute bluebottles hum vacuously in the fruity air, Then they stun themselves against clear windowpanes and die, fatly baffled in the Sun. The nights are clear, but suffused with sloth and sullen expectation."

Set in Kerala, a state in Southern tip of India, this is the story of a fractured and an affluent Ape family who are collectively wrapped in tragedies. There is the death of Sophie Mol, a little girl who returns from Britain and loved by everyone and that of Velutha, a carpenter who is an untouchable and whose life seems to have very little value. These two characters occupy the far ends of the human spectrum.  Ammu, the mother of 7 year old twins – Rahel and Estha, returned to her parents’ home unwelcome when she could no longer stand her husband’s abuse.Then there is Chacko, Sophie Mol’s father and Ammu’s brother, a Rhodes Scholar who returned from England after his wife Margaret divorces him. Later when Margaret’s husband Joe dies in an accident, she along her daughter Sophie Mol visit Chacko in Kerala. Ammachi, the proud owner of Paradise Pickles is an accomplished Violinist who with stood the abuse of Papachi, an entomologist. Baby Kochamma, the twins' great aunt, is not a lovable character in the book. She is fond of TV and peanuts.The forbidden love of Ammu for Velutha brings about the tragedy leaving the children's lives in shambles.

"In those early amorphous years when memory had only just begun, whose life was full of Beginnings and no Ends, and Every thing was Forever, Esthappen and Rahel thought of themselves together as Me, and separately, individually, as We or Us.”

Roy's effortless style is evident in the poetic prose that describes the simplest and the nontrivial with utmost ingenuity. With no single vantage point, the story is written non-linearly spiraling back and forth between stories and time lines. The story unfolds as a pile of puzzle pieces for the reader's mind and emotions to piece them together.

The rhythmic language, heavy with similes and metaphors perhaps drew more attention than the story and the message itself. Roy does a fine job of untangling complex layers of emotions intertwined with each character and story. However, I was hoping for some good spirit in every next page but after every twist and turn was yet another disappointment.Certainly, it is not a book for some one who looks forward to a happy ending.

The reader gets a good peek into India's rigid caste system and the social constructs dictating someone’s choice of love and freedom. To summarize the plot would not be fair to the book and the complexities that lie beneath the surface; to the many questions that are left unanswered; to the characters that delve deep portraying a wide range of emotions and insecurities.

I will leave you with some of my favorite lines from the book-

"It is curious how sometimes the memory of death lives on for so long than the memory of the life that it purloined."


"They all broke the rules. They all crossed into forbidden territory. They all tampered  with the laws that lay down who should be loved and how. And how much. The laws that make grandmothers grandmothers, uncles uncles, mothers mothers, cousins cousins, jam jam and jelly jelly."


"the air was full of Thoughts and Things to say. But at times like these, only the Small Things are ever said. Big things lurk unsaid inside."


"...things can change in a day"


As Estha stirred the thick jam he thought Two Thoughts and the two thoughts he thought were:


1) Anything can happen to anyone and


2) It is best to be prepared


"While other children of their age learned other things, Estha and Rahel learned how history negotiates its terms and collects its dues from those who break laws. They heard its sickening thud, They smelled its smell and never forgot it"


"It was a time when the unthinkable became the thinkable and the impossible really happened."



 

Methi Malai Mutter Paneer

This curry has a subtle bitter taste coupled with the sweetness of peas and the richness from the Cream. I was debating between the Potatoes or Paneer although one is not a substitute for the other, widely different in textures and taste, I went with Paneer as I had some unused portion in the fridge.You can serve this with Roti or Rice.

1 bunch Methi Leaves, leaves separated and rinsed to take any sand particles out and chopped
1/2 block Paneer, cubed
1 cup fresh cream
2 cups frozen peas, thawed (Alternately, if using dried peas, soak them in water overnight and boil them till tender)
2 Onions, finely chopped
2 Tomatoes
2 tbsps Tomato Paste or Puree
1tbsp Butter
2 tbsps Oil + 1tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Garam Masala
2 tsps Cumin Coriander powder
4 Green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Turmeric
  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan
  • Shallow fry the paneer cubes until the cubes turn slightly brown
  • Place them on a paper towel to drain any excess oil
  • Heat 2 tbsps of oil
  • Add Onions and cook until they become soft and translucent
  • Add the Tomatoes and green chillies and cook till soft
  • Add the Cumin, Coriander powder, Turmeric and Garam Masala.
  • Cook till the flavors are absorbed 
  • Add the Methi leaves and cook till the leaves are wilted
  • Stir in the tomato puree and add the peas
  • Cook for 3-4 min
  • Add cream and continue simmering for another 5 min
  • Stir in Paprika
  • Add in the Paneer pieces
  • Serve hot with Roti

  •  
 

Brie wrapped in Phyllo

Brie is a cheese that I tasted and learned of very recently. I heard of this at work when my colleagues brought a Cheese plate with crackers, fruits and honey. Well, I know the Cheese plate but never did I question the names of the cheeses or the perfect pairings to go with each one. I always gulped them down! What really fascinated me about Brie was how it was served. The lady who got the Cheese Plate also mentioned about baking brie in Phyllo with any of the fruit preserves. With little help from the internet and not knowing what to expect, I baked Brie in a Phyllo dough. The Cheese slightly oozed out of the dough which was perfect with crackers. Once cooled down, the wheel can be cut into wedges and served as well.

1 lb Brie Cheese wheel
6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1/4 cup Apricot Preserves
2 tbsps Sliced Almonds, toasted (Optional)
4 tbsps melted butter

  • Preheat the oven to 375F
  • While working with a sheet place a moist paper towel on the rest of them to prevent them from drying.
  • Place a sheet on a flat surface and brush with melted butter
  • Place another sheet on the buttered one
  • Evenly smooth it out
  • Butter the sheet and continue to layer until all the 6 sheets have been used
  • *If the butter solidifies, microwave it for a couple of minutes
  • Remove any outside rind
  • Place the Brie Wheel on top
  • Spoon the apricot preserves and the almonds if using.
  • Gently cover the Brie wheel with the phyllo
  • Bake it in the oven for about 15 min
  • Serve it with crackers or fruit wedges

 

Nutella Cookies

Nutella is a favorite in my household. The little one and I can lick from the jar without any second thoughts. These cookies have a mild bitter taste and are not all that sweet. Perfect for treats. I skipped the Hazelnut Extract and did not garnish with Hazelnuts.

Recipe: Adapted from Vegetarian Times
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
 1/2 tsp baking soda
 1/4 tsp salt
 1 cup Nutella, plus more for frosting cookies
 4 oz unsalted butter, softened
 3/4 cup brown sugar
 1 large egg


  • Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl
  • Set it aside
  • In another bowl, beat Nutella and butter until smooth 
  • Beat in the brown sugar and egg until well combined
  • Add the flour slowly and continue beating till IT FORMS A DOUGH
  • Transfer it to a plastic wrap and make the dough into a 2 inch diameter log
  • Wrap it and chill for 2 hours at least or can be chilled overnight
  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
  • Slice the log into a 1/4 inch thick sliced
  • Bake for about 11 min until the cookies are firm and dry
  • Trasnfer them to a wire rack
  • Let them cool
  • Frost each cookie with Nutella

Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving or not, this dish is worthy a trip. One of my ex-colleagues makes a seriously tasty Sweet Potato Casserole. She is from Alabama and I feel it comes as a second nature to her to make these casseroles. It was when I never tasted her Casserole that everyone were extolling her dish and of course, once I ate, it became abundantly clear why they were raving so much. It is one to remember. This is my take on the dish.

4 sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbsps Butter
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Pecans, Chopped

  • Preheat the oven to 375F
  • Boil the sweet potatoes for about 10 min just till tender
  • Drain the water and with a masher, mash the sweet potatoes to a coarse puree
  • Combine Sweet Potatoes, Butter, Cinnamon and Nutmeg
  • Pour it in a pie dish and bake it for 25 min
  • Combine All purpose flour, Light Brown Sugar, Butter, Cinnamon and Pecans
  • Remove the Sweet Potatoes mixture and spoon the mixture on top
  • Bake for about 10 min or so until the topping is brown


Mint Raitha

Cucumber is one of my favorite vegetables that I snack on.Seasoned with salt, black pepper and a dash of lemon juice, this vegetable typically fills my hunger pangs.
Pureed mint is stirred into beaten yogurt spiced with Cumin, Coriander and Paprika powders.Add the Cucumber pieces for crunch!

2 cups Yogurt
1/2 cucumber, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp Cumin Powder
1/4 tsp Coriander powder
1/4 tsp Paprika
2 green chillies, finely chopped
Salt to taste
  • Puree the fresh chopped mint leaves with as little water as possible
  • Whisk the yogurt making sure that it is smooth with no lumps
  • Pour the pureed mint paste
  • Stir in the cumin, Coriander powders and Paprika
  • Toss Cucumber pieces and green chillies in a bowl along with salt until well combined
  • Pour the mint-yogurt into the Cucumber-chilli bowl.
  • Mix well
  • Refrigerate for at least an hour.
  • Serve it with Pulao


Vegetable Pot Pie

This is a perfect one pot meal. Typically, I make it in a pie dish but for a change, I decided to make it in individual ramekins which turned out to be neat.

3 tbsp Butter
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 cup Button Mushrooms, chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
6-8 broccoli florets
2 tbsps all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Pine nuts, toasted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves
2 spring onion bunches, chopped
1 package of Puff Pastry sheets
1 egg, lightly beaten


  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Spray 8 6-oz ramekins with Pam Or Crisco.Alternately, you can butter these with melted butter
  • Heat a tablespoon of butter in a pan
  • Add garlic and spring onions and cook for a minute
  • Add  sweet potato, carrot and mushrooms and cook till tender
  • Add bell pepper and broccoli; Cook for 4 minutes
  • Remove from the heat
  • Add the remaining butter in another pan
  • Add flour and stir it until the mixture thickened and is lightly golden
  • Add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth
  • Add the Parmesan cheese, Feta Cheese, pine nuts and oregano 
  • Remove the sauce into a bowl

  • Combine vegetable mixture and sauce in a bowl
  • Add eggs and stir until combined.
  • Spoon into the ramekins equally and evenly.
  • Cut the puff pastry sheet wider slightly wider than the rim of the ramekin.
  • Brush the rim of the pastry with water
  • Place the pastry sheet over the top and press the edges to seal
  • Brush top with beaten egg
  • Mark two slits vertically on the top to let the steam out.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and puffed


My Life in France - Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme




"In the evening, I would approach the stove armed with lofty intentions, the Joy of Cooking or Gourmet magazine tucked under my arm, and little kitchen sense. My meals were satisfactory, but they took hours of laborious effort to produce. I'd usually plop something on the table by 10:00 p.m., have a few bites, and collapse into bed. Paul was unfailingly patient. But years later he'd admit to an interviewer: "Her first attempts were not altogether successful. … I was brave because I wanted to marry Julia. I trust I did not betray my point of view." (He did not.)"

Clueless in the Kitchen when she first got married at 34,she became an exceptional cook who then went on to leave an indelible mark in the Culinary world.'My life in France' written along with her husband's nephew Alex Prud'Homme can be summed up to be about the love affair of Julia Child and France.

"Oh la Belle France----without knowing it, I was already falling in love!"

The book is based on the letters and records that were kept over the years by Julia and Paul Child. She carries the reader through Streets of Paris and into the world of French food and cooking with wit and humor..

"This is a book about some of the things I have loved most in life: my husband, Paul Child, la belle France; and the many pleasures of cooking and eating," she writes. 

Considered very tall by any standards at 6 ft 2", she was fascinated by anything and everything French from the markets to patisseries to the unparalleled breads.She recounts her first meal at La Couronne in France - oysters served with rounds of pain de seigle ( a pale rye bread with a spread of unsalted butter), Sole Meunière, salad verte,paired with Pouilly-Fumé and fromage blanc with café filtre as 'absolute perfection' and 'the most exciting meal of her life'.

Her husband and a confidant, Paul Child staunchly stood by her through all the ups and downs. They shared a common passion- France.
She signed up for classes at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleau under the guidance of Chef Bugnard who she very much looked upto. She then founded a cooking school, Le Ecole Gourmettes,along with her 2 friends, Louisette and Simona.

Part II is about Mastering the art of French Cooking and her passion in making the book despite several hurdles that came along the way.Her arduous efforts behind "The Book" -'Mastering the art of French Cooking' are strikingly clear in her attention to detail and various attempts to get a dish right in order to not lose the integrity of the dish.The book was finally published by Knopf with Julia and Simona as Co Authors. Simona and Julia, however, had some differences and parted their ways.Simona went on to write her own recipe book, once again published by Knopf and Julia became widely popular as the host of the TV show The French Chef. Paul retired from the government and Paul and Julia moved from France to Cambridge, MA. Paul Child designed Julia's kitchen in Cambridge which now is a part of Smithsonian Institution.

"In all the years since that succulent meal. I have yet to lose the feelings of wonder and excitement that it inspired me. I can still almost taste it. And thinking back on it now reminds me that the pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite- toujours bon appétit!"

The book could have been condensed down a little bit. But all in all, the book is an inspiring and an enjoyable read.
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