Brinjal fry

Adapted from here (Serves 2 as part of side dish)

Gingelly oil- 1 1/2 tbsp

Garlic- 3 large, crushed

Baby brinjal- 6, quartered or 1 small aubergine

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder- 3/4th tsp

Salt- to taste

Curry leaves- a sprig

To grind

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds- 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp

Heat the oil in  kadai and saute the garlic till slightly crisp.

Add the sliced brinjal and saute to coat the pieces in oil.

Add the turmeric powder and salt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Now add the chilli powder, mix well and cover and cook till the brinjal is 3/4th cooked. Stir in between and make sure they dont burn.

Meanwhile, dry roast everything under the 'to grind' section till fragrant.

Cool a bit and grind to a powder.

Once the brinjal is more or less cooked, open lid and add the masala powder along with a dash of water, if needed (to make sure the masalas dont burn)

Saute on medium heat for a few minutes- roast the aubergines in the masala.

Add the curry leaves, close with a lid and take off heat.

Keep aside for 10 minutes after which give a good mix and serve warm with curd rice.

Dishoom's gunpowder potatoes

Recipe adapted from Dishoom: From Bombay with Love (serves 4 as side to main meal)

Potato- 2 large (around 500 gms)

Oil- to roast the potatoes

To roast and grind

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds- 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp

Kebab masala

Kasoori methi- 1 tbsp

Chaat masala- 1 1/2 tsp

Garam masala- 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste

Butter- 2 to 3 tbsp, melted

Spring onions- 3, finely chopped

Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Green chillies- 2, finely chopped

Lime juice- 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Kebab masala-around 2 tsp (i added the entire lot i ground)

Peel and slice the potatoes into medium pieces (they shouldnt be too small) and parboil them.

Drain well.

While the potatoes are getting done, dry roast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds till fragrant (a couple of minutes) and crush in a pestle and mortar to a coarse powder. 

Make the kebab masala by dry roasting the kasoori methi in a pan for about 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat.

Into a spice grinder add the roasted kasoori methi and all other kabab masala ingredients and grind to a powder. Keep aside.

Turn on the grill in your oven to high and line a baking tray with aluminium foil.

Place the drained potatoes in one layer and generously brush with oil.

Grill for about 5 minutes till the potatoes turn crisp and brown.

Turn them over, brush with oil and repeat for a few more minutes.

Make sure you dont burn them.

Transfer the crushed spices into a large mixing bowl and add the melted butter, spring onions, coriander leaves and green chillies. Mix well.

Add the roasted potatoes into this mix and toss well, making sure you slightly smash some of the potatoes while at it and coating with the masala mix.

Add the lime juice, kebab masala and salt to taste and give one final mix.

Serve as a side to any meats or rice.

Notes: This is a really delicious potato preparation and goes well as a side to bbq meals.

The kabab masala is salty, so adjust the salt in the final dish only after you add it.

You can also use baby potatoes, in fact they would be best

Mushroom-butter rice

Serves 2 as part of main meal

Butter- 1 heaped tbsp

Garlic- 1/2 tbsp, finely chopped

Onions- 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Mushrooms- 1 cup, roughly chopped

Chicken soup cube- 1/2 tsp, crumbled

Cooked basmati rice- 2 1/2 to 3 cups (preferably a day old, and straight from the refrigerator)

Salt- to taste

Pepper- to taste

Spring onion greens- 2 tbsp (optional)

Melt the butter in a wok and add garlic and onions.

Saute till the onions turn translucent. You dont need to get it to turn golden brown.

Add the mushroom and fry on medium heat till they are cooked. If there is water, wait for it to dry up.

Mix the crumbled soup cube into the mushroom and wait for it to melt in the heat.

Tip in the cooked rice and mix well, carefully, without breaking the rice.

Season with enough pepper and salt (after a taste test, as the soup cube is salty), and half of the spring onion greens and mix gently. 

Let it sit for about 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, just to warm up the rice.

Transfer into serving dish and garnish with the remaining spring greens

Appam batter (no soaked rice nor grated coconut)

Rice flour- 2 cups (not the roasted one)

Rava- 1 tbsp (not the roasted one)

Coconut milk powder- 3 tbsp

Cooked rice- 1/2 cup (any leftover rice even basmati is fine. I prefer matta rice though)

Instant yeast/ active dry yeast- 1 1/4tsp

Salt- to taste

Sugar- to taste

Mix all the first five ingredients together in a blender using lukewarm water. 

Add a little at a time and blend well till you get a smooth batter. I used just under 1 1/2 cups of water.

Transfer to a large bowl, cover and keep to rise in a warm place, for about 4 to 5 hours or till the batter has almost doubled in quantity. It would be light and airy and would bubble up at this point.

Stir in the required amount of salt and sugar (i may have added around 1 1/2tsp salt and around 3 tsp sugar) and warm water to make it the consistency you prefer. (I added around 1/4 cup water and this was correct consistency for kal appam. For palappam you will need to thin it out further in order to spread around the vessel.

Add a little at a time cos you dont want to end up with a really loose batter. I mostly try one appam and adjust the water consistency accordingly.

To make appams, heat a tawa on medium heat (I have a flat ceramic hob so i cant use the traditional appam chatti due to its curved base).

Pour a ladle full of batter and wait for the bubble to slowly start showing.

Cover with a lid and cook for about a minute or so, till there is no raw batter visible.

Serve warm with curry of choice.

Notes: You can store this batter in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days and use as required.

You can also make the normal palappam as well with this recipe.

Since i live in a cold country, i sometimes adapt to methods to make the batter rise. I usually dont have any problem with this batter as it seems to rise after 4 hours without any prompting. But i do keep in a warm oven or an airing cupboard for the process to be quicker. Otherwise its mostly kept covered in a room which has the heater running or on a window ledge with sun directly on it.
I've mentioned not to use roasted rice flour and rava, but truth be told, i once did use roasted one and it came out fine. Dont take my word for it, just use the un roasted one :)

Broccoli-egg thoran

Serves 4 as part of side dish

Minced broccoli- 300gms 

Garlic- 2 pods

Red chilli flakes- 1 tsp

Coconut oil- 2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Dried red chilli- 2

Curry leaves- 2 sprigs + 4 leaves

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Desiccated coconut- 1/3rd cup

Eggs- 3

Salt- to taste

Into a food processor add broccoli florets and mince to resemble coarse bread crumbs. If you dont have a processor you can either grate the florets using a grater or chop them up really fine using a knife.

Crush together the garlic and chilli flakes using a pestle and mortar to a coarse mix. You can adjust the chilli as per your tolerance level.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds followed by dried red chilli and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds and tip in the minced broccoli.

Stir well for a couple of minutes and then add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, crushed chilli-garlic and salt and cook covered on medium heat till the raw smell of the garlic disappears.

Open the lid and stir in the desiccated coconut, continue cooking for a few minutes till all the moisture has evaporated and the broccoli is cooked. (the broccoli mince doesnt take too long to cook)

Increase heat, separate the broccoli a bit to make a well in the centre of the pan and add in the eggs and scramble well, scraping the base to remove all the egg thats stuck to the bottom if any.

Mix well with the broccoli, add more salt if needed and finally sprinkle 3-4 curry leaves on top and drizzle the 1 tsp coconut oil on top, mix well and cover with lid. 

Remove from heat and keep aside for about 5 minutes and then serve with rice or chapathi.

Notes: We get ready made broccoli mince called broccoli rice. So i just used that.

You can do the same with cauliflower as well.

If its a small pan you are using then scramble the eggs one after the other instead of adding all three and then scrambling.

Roast potatoes (Indian style)

Recipe adapted from here (serves 3 to 4 as a side dish)

Baby potatoes- 20-22 (around 500 gms)

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Double cream- 1/2 cup

Kasoori methi- 1 scant tbsp

Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup

Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Rinse the baby potatoes and leave the skin on.

Slice them in half if you think some of them are big. Try and get them in similar sizes.

Par boil in enough water till 3/4th done. Drain and keep aside to cool.

Once cool, marinate the boiled potatoes with ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.

Keep aside for about half an hour.

In a large pan, heat the oil and on medium heat roast the potatoes till they turn brown.

This may take a while. Keep tossing in between and make sure you dont break/mash the potatoes. Try and use a pan that will hold all the potatoes in one layer.

It is very likely that the masalas will start sticking to the bottom of the pan, so just keep adding splashes of water if you feel they are getting burnt (a tsp or 2 at a time).

Once the raw smell of the ginger and garlic disappears, add the curry leaves and continue roasting till they turn golden brown. 

Pour in half the double cream, mix well and wait for it to be absorbed by the potatoes.

Follow with the the second half and continue to stir carefully.

Cook for a further 5 minutes or so, till the masalas are all coated on the potatoes.

Add the kasoori methi, 3/4th of the coriander leaves, and also salt if needed and give a final mix.

3 more minutes over medium heat and take it off the flame and stir in the lemon juice. 

Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with remaining coriander leaves and serve hot with either pulao, chapati or even as a side to to your favourite English Sunday roast.

Ive previously paired them with beef smore, roast chicken, beef chops, murgh mussalam, and roast poussin

Notes: You can of course use large potatoes. Just make sure you slice them evenly into large pieces. Dont make them too tiny.

Its a very versatile dish in the sense it goes very well with Indian and non Indian dishes.

Replace lemon juice with aamchor for a distinct taste.

Moru kachiyathu (without coconut)

Recipe adapted from here (serves 3 as part of main meal)

 

Yoghurt- 1 cup

Water- around 1/2 cup

Salt- to taste

Coconut oil- 1 tbsp

Curry leaves- a generous sprig

Shallots (cheriya ulli)- 3 to 4, peeled and roughly chopped

Garlic- 4 pods, peeled and finely chopped

Ginger- 1 tsp, finely chopped

Green chilly- 1, roughly chopped or slit in half (add more if you want it spicier)

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

To temper

Coconut oil- 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp

Dried red chilly- 2

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Fenugreek seeds- a pinch

Fenugreek powder- a pinch

Cumin powder- a generous pinch

Chilly powder- a generous pinch

Mix together the yoghurt, salt and water using a whisk till smooth. You can whizz it in a blender as well.

The yoghurt mix shouldn't be too thick, so add more water to thin it out if you feel its still too thick. Keep aside.

In a deep pan, heat the coconut oil.

Add the curry leaves, shallots, garlic, ginger and green chilly. Saute till the onion becomes a light brown and the garlic and ginger no longer smell raw. About 3 to 5 minutes on medium flame.

Add the turmeric powder and cook till the raw smell from the turmeric disappears.

Reduce heat a bit and pour in the yoghurt mix.

Keep stirring continuously till the yoghurt heats up, but don't by any means let it boil, or the yoghurt will split.

Also, make sure the pan is not really hot or else when you pour in the yoghurt it will split immediately.

Lift the spoon in between and if you can see steam lift off the spoon then the yoghurt has warmed through.

Transfer to a serving bowl immediately.

In a small pan, heat the oil. Keep it on medium heat.

Add the mustard seeds and once they crackle add all the other ingredients one after the other. Keep stirring and making sure the spices don't burn, but at the same time the spices shouldn't be raw.
Pour over the yoghurt, mix well and keep covered for about 5 minutes before serving with rice.

Notes: The yoghurt thickens as its sits, loosen with a wee bit of warm water if it really becomes too thick.
If your moru curry doesn't look yellow enough, you can add a bit of turmeric along with the tempering ingredients.
If you feel there isn't enough salt, you can add it in at the very end as well.
Do not warm the curry in a microwave, instead take it out of the refrigerator an hour or so before serving. Make the rice really hot, so it doesn't feel unpleasant to eat the cool curry.
I do have another similar version here

Cauliflower poha (Low-carb, KETO recipe)

Recipe adapted from here

 

Cauliflower rice- 300 gms, one medium head of cauliflower 

Peanuts- skinless, around 3 tbsp

To cook

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Dried red chilli- 1

Curry leaves- 1 large sprig

Onion- 1 medium size, finely diced

Ginger- 1 tsp (optional)

Green chilli- 1 small (adjust according to heat)

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt-- to taste

Coriander leaves- to garnish

Slice the cauliflower into big chunks and use a food processor or grater to mince them to resemble fine rice or couscous.

In a large frying pan, dry roast the peanuts to a golden brown. Keep aside.

Into the same frying pan, melt the ghee and once hot throw in the mustard seeds.

Once they crackle, add the dried red chilli and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.

Add the onions, ginger, green chilli and turmeric, season with some salt and cook for a few minutes, till the onions become soft.

Tip in the peanuts and give a good mix.

Finally, add the minced cauliflower, and mix it all together.

Season with salt, add a dash of water, and cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes.

Keep checking in between and give a mix so that it doesn't stick to the pan.

Once the cauliflower is cooked, remove from heat and generously garnish with coriander leaves,

Mix before serving

I served this with Sri Lankan egg curry

Harissa and garlic smashed potatoes

 

Serves 3 as part of side

Charlotte potatoes- 10

Olive oil- 4 tbsp

Harissa paste- 2 tsp

Garlic- 6 pods, peeled and finely chopped

Salt- to taste

Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese- 1/4 cup, finely grated

Chopped parsley- to garnish

Wash and scrub the potatoes and cook them in a pan of boiling water for about 20 minutes or till they are just about fork tender.  

Drain and keep aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, take a small bowl and pour in the olive oil.

Into it add the harissa paste, garlic pods and salt to taste.

Give a thorough mix and keep aside till ready to use.

Preheat oven grill/broiler to 200C and line a baking tray with kitchen foil.

Generously brush the foil with some of the olive oil (without any garlic bits). You can also use an oil spray if that's more convenient.

Place the potatoes on the tray, a few inches apart and using a potato masher, slightly smash them, without going all the way through, and by retaining the shape. If you mash it too much, the potatoes would break.

Douse or brush the smashed potatoes with the harissa paste and garlic olive oil, making sure there are a few garlic pieces on top of each of the potatoes. Be generous here and use up all the oil, as it adds to the flavour and also helps crisp up the potatoes a bit.

Place under the grill for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Take it out, top the grilled potatoes with the cheese and place it back under the grill for another 3 minutes or so, just until the cheese is melted.

Just before serving, sprinkle the chopped parsley, and serve warm.

Notes: We served this as a side to Roast pork and it was great.
You can use melted butter instead of olive oil for an enhanced taste.

Roasted aubergine and yoghurt sauce

 

I am a big Ottoleghi fan and though not much of a vegetarian food fan (only because i really am rubbish at cooking anything vegetable based, and making them taste good), whenever i go to his restaurant I always opt for the salad selection as they are seriously good. It was during one of those visits that i came across this aubergine and yoghurt combination which i absolutely loved and have been making at home ever since. A grilled chicken slice and this aubergine and yoghurt side is like the perfect summer lunch combo.

The yoghurt i used for this recipe is the Natural Yoghurt from Lactofree which is equally creamy and as flavourful as any other yoghurt. You wouldnt realise its Lactose-free and I've used it quite a few ways- as a dip, salad dressing, marinade,and my favourite, baking my French yoghurt cake. Results have been great so far and ive already suggested it to a friend whose daughter is lactose intolerant. Its great that brands like Lactofree are introducing more and more products for those with food intolerances and it makes life so much more nicer, they get to eat yoghurt! 

Recipe is super duper easy, and the use of Za'atar makes it just even more delectable. Just sprinkling some of this glorious Middle Eastern spice on to yoghurt and serving as a side to anything can do the trick. 

Recipe adapted from here, originally from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi (serves 4 as a side)

 

Aubergine/ Egg plant- 2 large

Good quality olive oil- 1/4 cup

Thyme leaves- 1 tsp (I used dried ones)

Za'atar spice- 1 tsp

Salt and pepper- to season

Yoghurt- 1/2 cup

Olive oil- 1 tbsp plus enough to drizzle

Garlic- 1 small clove, finely grated

Za'atar- 1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste

Pomegranate seeds- 4 tbsp

Preheat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Slice the aubergines in half, lengthwise, and using a sharp knife make incisions on the cut side, without going through the skin. 

Place on the baking tray and generously brush in the olive oil.

Sprinkle the thyme leaves, za'atar spice, salt and pepper and chuck into the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or till the flesh is soft, roasted and completely cooked.

While the aubergines are in the oven, get the yoghurt sauce ready.

Just whisk together the yoghurt, olive oil, za'atar and salt in a bowl and keep refrigerated till ready to use.

Take the aubergines out of the oven, transfer to a serving plate and scoop generous amounts of yoghurt on top of them. 

Finish off with the pomegranate seeds and serve as a side to cous cous or grilled meat or fish.

With thanks to Lactofree for the yoghurt.

South Indian coconut rice

On days I make rice, I make a bit extra and use it for variety rice, which is what we refer to rice that has been flavoured with various ingredients- lemon, tamarind, curd, tomato, coriander- to name a few. These are perfect when made with rice that is a day or two old and cold out of the refrigerator. Its also a one pot meal which pairs well with just a pickle, poppadom and maybe some yoghurt if needed,

This coconut rice recipe is an absolute favourite and it makes its way into my kitchen at least twice a month. Its perfect for summer (or whatever they call this ridiculous weather we've been having), light, not too spicy but with brilliant flavours and if you are feeling a bit indulgent you can of course pair it with a chicken curry and serve at a party.

Serves 2 as part of main meal

Cooked basmati rice- 2 1/2 cups

Ghee- 1 tsp

Vegetable oil- 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Dried red chillies- 3, crushed or torn

Curry leaves- a sprig

Cashew nuts- 2 tbsp

Asafoetida- a generous pinch

Urad dal- 2 tbsp

Grated coconut- 1/2 cup

Salt- to taste

In a large wok, heat together the ghee and vegetable oil.

Add the mustard seeds and once they begin to pop, add the dried red chillies and curry leaves. Stir until they become almost crisp.

Add the urad dal, cashew nuts and asafoetida and continue stirring, making sure the dal and cashew nuts get ricely roasted and turn a light golden brown in colour. Make sure they do not burn, as this may change the flavour to a slightly smoky one.

Add the dessicated coconut and keep stirring on medium heat till the wetness from the coconut disappears and it becomes fragrant and lightly toasted- it should turn a reddish brown. This should take 7 to 8 minutes. keep a close eye as coconut can burn pretty quickly.

Add the rice, breaking it down carefully.

Add salt, mix them all together and take off the heat.

Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot with pickle and poppadoms.

Spinach and artichoke dip stuffed garlic bread

 

How are Christmas preps going on you loverly people? I am off to my sister in laws next weekend for a pre Christmas bash and then to a blogger friend's place for a fun pot luck. We have a tradition of exchanging home made gifts for Christmas, and last year we all went out to brunch to a fancy restaurant sans the husbands, and exchanged them there over cocktails and conversation. This year we have been so busy with chaiparty pop-up stalls and other interesting business ventures, that we couldn't actually do a day out. We are still doing home made gifts (I have taken the plunge and made something I'm very excited about, fingers crossed on how it would ultimately turn out) but exchanging it on Christmas day, like it should be, with family and dear ones.

We have been busy on our whatsapp group discussing the theme, menu, gifts and so on and I have been entrusted with the vegetarian starter. I've made this recipe as a dip again and again at parties, and was quite convinced this is what I was going to take to the party, when I thought I should try this version, one that I book marked eons ago, a try before i decided. It's a fab appetiser idea and you score points on uniqueness. It doesn't take any time to put together, and you can cart it off anywhere and finish off the last baking in the oven just before serving. Stress free, hassle free and delicious.

I decided to use the Norwegian cheese Jarlsberg instead of the traditional mozzarella because I was sure the nutty flavour from the cheese would be a perfect match with spinach and artichoke and it was. Maybe next time I'll up the quantity to 1.5 cups (oh please, its the holiday season, no ones on a diet). Its a cheese I was not familiar with until I attended a soiree hosted by Jarlsberg at the Good Housekeeping Institute where Signe Johansen and Lucie Bruckner took us through a session on how to use the cheese in different recipes, and of course treated to some delicious canapés using the same. After creating our own mac and cheese sandwish, we sat down to a glorious meal with wine and chatter. (I also got to drink a shot of the famous Aquavit for the first time. It shall be remembered is all i can say).

Recipe adapted from here

 

Baguette- 1

Oil- 1/2 tbsp

Shallot- 1 small, finely chopped

Spinach- 250 gms 

Canned artichoke hearts- 200 gms, drained and chopped

Salt and pepper- to taste

Chilli flakes- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Garlic powder- 1/2 tsp

Cream cheese- 230 gms

Jarlsberg cheese- 1 cup + enough to garnish

Butter- 2 tbsp

Garlic- 3 cloves, finely chopped

Slice the baguette into 4 and using a long serrated knife cut out the insides, leaving about a cm of bread around the edges, and scoop/ or push it out to make the baguette slices hollow. Keep aside. (Use the scooped out bread to make bread crumbs)

Heat oil in a frying pan and saute the shallots till translucent. 

Add the chopped artichoke hearts and saute for a couple of minutes.

Tip in the spinach, mix it all together and cover and cook till they have all wilted.

Open lid and cook till all the water has evaporated. 

Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chilli flakes and transfer the mix into a mixing bowl.

Add the cream cheese and Jarlsberg cheese and give a thorough mix, making sure all the cheese melts.

Pre heat the oven to 175C and line a baking tray with silver foil.

Stuff the baguette quarters with the dip, using a teaspoon and pack it in as much possible. I found it was much easier to do this using a piping bag. Fill it with the dip, nip off the end and pipe into the baguette. 

Place the filled baguette quarters on to a chopping board and slice them carefully to pieces that are about an inch thick.

Place the sliced pieces on to the lined baking tray, arranging them back into the shape of a full baguette, or if your tray isn't that big, you can arrange them side by side.

Mix together the butter, garlic and parsley in a small bowl .

Cover and melt in the microwave for a couple of seconds.

Brush the garlic butter generously over the bread, and in between the slices if possible. Also make sure all the minced garlic gets used up, just top it all on the bread.

Cover the baguette with another foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Take the tray out of the oven, open the foil, sprinkle the remaining cheese and place back in the oven open, for a couple more minutes, for the bread to lightly brown and the cheese to melt.

Serve warm as a starter or as a side with soup.

Notes: Feel free to use mozzarella cheese instead of Jarlsberg and sprinkle parmesan right at the very end.
Add some shredded chicken to it and make it a non veg starter
If you want to do the dip, after you mix in the cheese, dump the mix on to an oven safe bowl, top with more cheese an dbake for about 20 minutes or till the mix is bubbling away. Serve with crusty bread.

With thanks to Jarlsberg cheese for the fab evening and for the cheese sample.

Egg and coconut chutney bondas (kebabs)

 

My mum used to make a version of this when we were young. It was that rebellious period where we didnt like anything home made, leave alone bonda's, which were the most boring things ever. Instead we wanted things from the bakery, or burgers and hot dogs from the fast food joints. Fast forward 20 years later and I want all these boring dishes I never bothered to notice. Dont get me wrong here, I love my steaks, pizzas and pastas, but I realised I want these simple unassuming memories of home also, unusually a lot more these days.

Blame the 2 week short trip back home, the depressing weather (I am not joking, but I havent seen the sun for more than 10 minutes at a stretch since i got back), the winter chill, or you know just to find out if you could make the dish the same way mummy made. I wanted to call her up to get the exact recipe, but my globe trotting mother was in Thailand with her friends and so had to make do with my memory of the recipe she had once mentioned over the phone. 

To be honest, I cant remember if it tasted anything like hers, but I can assure you it tasted darn good. I wouldn't say the husband gobbling up 4 of them one after the other is proof, but you get the idea right? I would say these are like Scotch eggs, but like a poorer cousin with coconut chutney instead of meat. Its a great appetiser and a different one at that. Using quails eggs make it a tad fancier and also an easy finger food since you can just chuck the whole thing into your mouth.

Serves 7 to 8 as a starter

Eggs- 12, hard boiled (I used quails eggs)

For the chutney

Grated coconut- 1 cup

Coriander leaves- 1 cup

Mint leaves- 12

Tamarind paste- 1 tsp

Green chilli- 1

Salt- to taste

For the batter

Gram flour- 2 tbsp

Plain flour- 2 tbsp

Ajwain seeds- 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds, powdered- a generous pinch

Baking soda- 1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste

Water- enough to make a thick batter

Cook the quails eggs in boiling water for about 6 minutes to hard boil them. Drain, peel and keep aside.

Grind together all the ingredients for the chutney in a food processor/ blender, scraping down the sides at intervals, until you get a smooth-ish paste.

Resist the urge to add water.

Transfer to an air tight container and refrigerate till ready to use.

Mix together all the dry ingredients for the batter in a mixing bowl and add enough water to make a thick batter, almost paste-like.

Make sure its not too loose, or else it wont stick to the egg. That said, if it does end up being too loose, just add some more flour to get the desired consistency. Or if too thick, loosen it with water, 1 tsp at a time.

When ready to cook, heat oil in a deep pan.

Wrap the coconut chutney around the quails egg and make into a smooth ball. Do so with all the eggs, making sure you dont over do the chutney on each egg.

Cover the balls in batter and drop them into the hot oil.

Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels.

Serve hot with spicy ketchup.

Notes: I used quails egg and the chutney quantity was perfect for 12 of them. The said quantity should cover 5 to 6 medium size eggs easily. The chutney recipe can easily be doubled.

I made the chutney the previous day. Bring it out to room temperature half an hour before making the bondas.

Also, I found that the chutney had dried a bit the next day, so i stirred in 2 tsp of water so it would stick to the eggs. Please add water bit by bit because once it becomes too watery, there is no way to fix it.

The chutney works great on its own with idli, dosa or even as a sandwich filling.

Caramelised onion and French goats cheese tartlets

 

The weather in this part of the world is turning cold and wintry and its our first Autumn since we've moved out into the suburbs so I'm quite enjoying the fall colours around us. We drove around a bit last weekend to take in the colours and was completely in awe of how gorgeous the Chilterns were. The mist started rolling in out of nowhere and I couldn't help but stop and take some pictures. Even more impressed with my new OnePlus 2 phone camera that has done justice to the scene. I just shot these on HDR mode, no post processing or filters and some pretty cool features to play around with.

Moving on to today's recipe, goats cheese is not something I've always loved. It was more like an acquired taste and now I've begun to enjoy it quite a bit. That said, it doesn't make its way through to my dishes at home that often and its only when a recipe particularly calls for it, that i pick it up. I had no idea there were a few varieties of goats cheese until The French Goats Cheese team got in touch explaining about the different varieties available and most importantly how versatile they were. Till now, all i knew was it was used it salads. I couldn't be more wrong- you can whip them up for a mousse, melt on vegetables, spread on toasts and so on. 

One of my favourite ways to comsume goats cheese is to slice up a fresh baguette, toast it lightly, crumble some goats cheese and top with a slice of roasted pear with honey and thyme. Its delicious and you just cant stop at one. I was put forth with a challenge to encourage people to think outside the box when it comes to using French Goat's cheese. I don't know if this recipe can be called thinking outside the box, but it worked wonders for us. Caramelised onions and goats cheese is a match made in heaven and I couldn't think of a better way to put the cheese that was sent to me to good use.

The Crottin de Chavignol is slightly crumbly but gorgeous, and was used in my pear crostini. The Valencay, a creamy white soft cheese is perfect in salads, but i decided to use it atop my tart and the mini log which is the most popular was used up melted on a toast. To discover more about French Goat's cheese and recipe inspiration please visit the website.

Recipe inspiration here

 

Olive oil- 2 tbsp

White onions- 2 large, thinly sliced

Dark brown sugar- 2 tbsp

Thyme- a few sprigs (dried or fresh)

Salt and pepper- to taste

White wine vinegar- 2 tbsp

Puff pastry- 1 sheet, thawed and rolled out to a rectangle and about 1 inch thick (I got a ready rolled one)

Goats cheese- around 100gms, crumbled (I used Valencay, a French goats cheese)

Milk- 2 tbsp, to brush the pastry

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on low-medium heat, and throw in the onions.

Cook till they soften and turns a golden brown in colour, but doesn't burn. This could take around 15 to 20 minutes.

Keep stirring in between to prevent the onions from sticking to the bottom.

Once you attain the brown colour, add the dark brown sugar and mix well with the onions.

Continue cooking to allow the sugar to caramelise and the colour to change to a darker brown, another 10 minutes or so. Again make sure you keep stirring to stop the onions from burning.

Pour in the vinegar and de-glaze the pan after which you add the thyme, and season with salt and pepper.

Give a good stir and take the mix off the heat. Keep aside.

Preheat oven to 100C and cut out 8 circles or rectangles from the rolled out puff pastry.

Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and score the outer edge of the pastry, about 1 in inside with a sharp knife. Don't go all the way to the base, this is to just give a sort of rim.

Brush all over with the milk and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or till golden brown and puffed.

Remove from the oven and press down the inner circle leaving the outer in tact. This sort of gives it a vol-au-vent look.

Fill the pastry cases with caramelised onions and top with the crumbled goats cheese.

Place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes, after which you can take it out and serve warm.

Notes: The caramelising bit takes a bit of time, I agree which is why its a good idea to do it a day or so ahead and use as required for the tarts

Instead of making tartlets, you can of course use the entire puff pastry as it is and once done slice into squares and serve.

White wine vinegar can be replaced with red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.

With thanks to French Goats Cheese for sending over samples and accompaniments. 

Grana Padano Italian Cooking Maestro blogger challenge

Grana Padano is a cheese I'm familiar with, and so very happily welcomed the cooking challenge judged by none other than the renowned Italian Chef Francesco Mazzei. I was supposed to create a starter and a main or a main and dessert using the cheese as the star ingredient. Broke my head about if for a few days and then the surprise fresh produce and grocery arrived at the door, courtesy Grana Padano, and i knew i had to make use of the beautiful butternut squash, if not for the autumn transition period we are in.

I decided to do a starter of posh chips with truffle oil and Grana Padano, and a main course of butternut squash gnocchi with sage and burnt butter. Although I've tied making pasta at food events and in cookery schools I never thought I'd attempt making something similar at home. I've had gnocchi at restaurants and knew it was not one of those easy to make things. Of course the food blogger in me wanted to try it at least once, and this just happened to be the best time to experiment.

PS: I think my favourite kitchen equipment as of now is the microplane grater. OMG its the best and i have been putting it to good use. Thank you Grana Padano for opening my eyes to the world of micro grating :)

Truffle chips with Grana Padano (Serves 2 as a starter)

The truffle chips turned out so so good. I first tried it at the gorgeous bar at the Renaissance Hotel in St Pancras and have been meaning to try it at home ever since. They were a breeze to make and was delicious, not to mention all posh with the truffle oil and cheese. Very happy with how it turned out and the cheese was most certainly the star of this dish. 

Potato- 300 gms, peeled and sliced into thin strips

Olive oil- 2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Truffle oil- 2 tbsp

Parsley- 1/2 tsp (fresh or dried)

Grana Padano shavings- 1/4 cup

Coarse sea salt- to season

Preheat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with silver foil.

Toss together the potato, olive oil and salt in a mixing bowl and arrange them on the baking tray. Make sure they don't overlap.

Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the potato strips after about 15 minutes and spraying/ brushing on some more oil if required.

The potatoes are done when a fork goes through easily, and are crisp, but not burnt.

Toss the potatoes with the truffle oil (generously rather) and parsley and transfer to a serving plate.

Top with the Grana Padano shavings and garnish with sea salt and serve warm.

Notes: For a spicy kick, toss the potatoes with some red chilli flakes. Another flavour would be garlic which would work really well with the cheese and truffle flavour

You can also jazz up your frozen fries like this.

Butternut squash gnocchi with brown butter and sage (recipe adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine Oct 2010 issue)

The gnocchi proved to be quite a bit of work but I'm glad i tried it. The sage and butter combo is a unique one and not everyone's cup of tea (the husband hated it) so if you are sceptical, add in a dash of cream, season with salt and pepper and let the grated Grana Padano flavours do all the work.

Butternut squash- 500 to 600 gms

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Garlic powder- 1 tsp

Thyme- 1/4 tsp (dried or fresh)

Potato- 500 gms

Grated Grana padano cheese- 3/4th cup

Egg- 1

Nutmeg powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Salt- 1 tsp

Plain flour- 1 3/4 cup + more for dusting

Butter- 3 tbsp

Fresh sage leaves- 5 to 6

Grated Grana Padano cheese- to garnish

Preheat oven to 220C and line a baking tray with silver foil.

Slice the butternut squash in half and discard the seeds.

Mix together the olive oil, garlic powder and thyme.

Place, cut side up, on the baking tray and pour over or brush on the olive oil mix.

Roast until tender, for around 1 hr. (Check by inserting a knife inserted into the middle of the squash, and it should go through easily)

Keep aside to cool and then scoop out the flesh and transfer to a sauce pan and puree either using an immersion blender or alternatively you can do so in a food processor.

Cook the puree over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes or till all the moisture has evaporated.

Transfer 1 cup of the puree into a large mixing bowl.

While the squash is cooking, get started on the potatoes.

Peel and slice the potato into big chunks and place in a microwave safe bowl.

Cover and cook on high in the microwave for about 6 to 7 minutes or in boiling water until very tender.

Drain and pass the potato through and potato rice or use a grater and grate the potato finely. Measure 2 cups and transfer to the mixing bowl with the squash puree.

Once cool, add the remaining ingredients- cheese, egg, nutmeg and salt and flour and mix together using a wooden spoon till they all come together. Add more flour if its too sticky.

Lightly flour a surface and knead the dough till just smooth. Don't over work it.

Place it back in the bowl and refrigerate to make it easier to work with it.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper and lightly flour it. Also flour the work surface.

Divide the dough into 8 and working with one piece at a time roll the dough out into a 1/2 inch thick rope.

Cut the rope into 3/4th inch pieces and working with one piece at a time, roll it on the back of a fork to have the ridges in tact. This takes a bit of time, but worth it.

Transfer them to the baking sheets and once you done with all of the dough, cover loosely with a cling film and refrigerate till ready to cook.

Boil water in a large pot, season with salt.

Cook the gnocchi in batches until tender, around 15 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon and transfer them on to a kitchen towel. Cool and use as needed.

Melt the butter in a frying pan until golden brown, stirring continuously.

Add the sage and stir for a minute after which you add the gnocchi and cook for about 10 minutes or so, making sure they are coated with the butter.

Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl.

Generously sprinkle some more Grana Padano and serve hot.

Notes: I didn't use up the entire batch, maybe 2 cups of gnocchi for both of us. I froze the remaining.

There was about a cup of squash left and i used it up in a cake.

With thanks to Grana Padano for the ingredients, welcome kit and grocery voucher sent over to undertake this challenge.

Harissa spiced eggs on cheesy English muffins

My boss Dora is one of the best cooks I've come across. Till we moved to our professional kitchen a year back, I had the privilege of enjoying some of her cooking during lunch breaks and it was my first foray into the world of French food. Not only are her creations delicious, the fact that she used to whip them up in no time was something that amazed me. Be it a simple puff pastry pizza, or her signature vegetable lasagna- the taste was consistent all throughout, not to mention the copious amounts of mint tea we used to drink during brainstorming sessions.

I mentally wrote down her quick recipes and of course threw so many doubts her way as well. She is the one who made me experiment with aubergines for the first time, and enjoy fish in various forms (Ro secretly thanks her for my tolerance to mackerel now). Dora's Tunisian routes (which is her strong point, even when it comes to macaron flavours) made the dishes even more interesting. She introduced me to harissa, ras-el-hanout, brik pastry and so many other ingredients and dishes that were then new to me.

This recipe or rather creation is truly Dora's. When we were short of time she would whip this up in a matter of minutes and i would devour it without batting an eyelid. I have watched her do it so many times, but even now it just doesn't taste as unique as hers. I remember making it at home the first time and it was an instant hit with Ro. I have then made it at several brunch sessions and everyone s absolutely enjoyed it.

Over time i changed the procedure and ingredients a bit, but it still is hands down one of the best recipes I've learnt from Dora. I have also used the authentic home made harissa paste she gave me, which is as authentic as it can get.. Once you taste the real thing, you will not want to try any of the store bought versions.

On a different note, i think i have cracked my lighting issue. It's still a bit harsh, but i have narrowed down my light source and that is half of the issue sorted there. Now i just have to play around with diffusing and stuff to get it right. Talking about photography, this recipe goes straight to the #happyeggtastemakers challenge this month, which is to cook something using the happy eggs co and photograph it using food stylist and instagrammer Marte Marie Forsberg's top 5 tips for creating the best looking food. I hope i have done justice to the image, seriously, it tasted fab.

This harissa spiced baked eggs are so easy to make, you have to try it out. You can do so many different versions of it, and it would just not go wrong. Thank you Dora, for all those cooking lessons which you unknowingly instilled in me. I really do miss it :)

Serves 2

English muffins- 2, sliced in half to get 4

Cheddar cheese slices- 4

Spring onion greens- 2 tsp (to garnish)

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Shallot- 1 large, finely chopped

Bell pepper- 1, finely chopped

Garlic- 1/2 tbsp, finely chopped

Harissa paste- 2 generous tsp

Tomato- 2 small, finely chopped

Double cream- 1/4 cup

Salt and pepper- to taste

Eggs- 4

Preheat oven to 175C and line a baking tray with foil paper.

Place the muffins, cut side up and top with the cheddar cheese slices

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet and saute the shallot, bell pepper and garlic till soft, around 3 minutes on medium high heat.

Make a paste with the harissa and some water and add to the pan.

Stir till it loosens and coats the vegetables.

Add the tomato slices and cook till they turn mushy, after which you pour in the double cream and mix it all together

Season with salt.

Separate the mix in a few places and break the eggs into them.

Break the yolk and stir it gently into the mix. This is purely optional, you can of course leave the yolk intact

Bake for 10 minutes, or till the eggs are cooked. 

Around 5 minutes into the baking time, put in the tray with the muffins.

Once done- the eggs cooked and the cheese on the muffins melted, take them out of the oven, wait for a few minutes for the bubbling to settle.

Slice the baked eggs into four and place on the cheesy muffins.

Garnish with spring onions and serve warm.

Notes: You can use bread slices, ciabatta, crumpets (these are the best) and any break of choice as the base

Add prawns, shredded chicken, minced meat etc to the mix before topping with the egg

With thanks to the happy egg co for the voucher